Stories For the Damned

Fragile: Death Stranding #4

Fragile opted to take a couple of days off. Which in her opinion was harder than going to work. It was kinda hard to explain to an ENTIRE company that the owner was taking a break. She just didn't feel focused. She felt like something was nagging at her. Regardless she tried her best to relax but just ended up hanging around bridges, y'know, talking to Die-hardman and Deadman and doing more research on the beaches, BTs, and Bridge Babies.

While she was talking to Heartman about his beach Die-hardman called her and asked her to go see Sam. He said he'd be at the Distribution center south of Lake knot city. Although he didn't specify what the porter wanted to talk about she had a hunch.

After Heartman "died" she jumped to Sam's private room.

"Your awake," She said remembering how he was sleeping the last time she was there.

"Right...Look I gotta ask. I've been hearing things. About you."

She should have know he ask sooner or later.

"She's in bed with terrorists. Don't trust her? She's just another dumbass Higgs fucked over? She's a goddamn hero, that woman?" She walked over to the Bridges symbol above Sams bed. 'United Cities of America' it read. "Tell me, Sam-" she pointed at it "-what does America mean to you?"

She moved to sit next to him on his bed. He, of course, inched away, not wanting to touch her.

She sighed. "The way my dad made it sound, we were something special. The glue that held it all together. More than a nation. A symbol of freedom and hope. We could bring it all back, if we kept making deliveries and connecting people...he was sure of it."

She glanced at Sam who was listening closely so she continued.

"I was a wreck after he died. That's when Higgs made his pitch. 'Together we can run packages from sea to shining sea'. Back then he had a monopoly west of here. We both stood a lot to gain from the partnership. Business was pretty good at first. But then, a year ago, when those fanatics started stirring up trouble...Fuckers hijacked of system"

She felt a tear run down her cheek. And this time it wasn't just a chiral allergy.

"Somehow they got ahold of our security passes and used them to sneak into cities and just like that we're delivering guns and bombs instead of medicine and I didn't even know. We were just cogs in a terrorist machine. Higgs was behind it all and on top of that, he got his hands on an old school nuke that I ended up carrying right into Middle Knot city."

Sam stood and backed away from her.

"You're telling me that..."

"Yeah. It was me. I blew it up. Could've been different it if wasn't so fucking blind!" She stood and took a deep breath.

"I did everything in my power to stop South Knoty city from getting destroyed. I tried to get the nuke out of the city but Higgs was one step ahead. He took his pound of flesh and then some. Some wounds..." she took off her glove and ran her fingers over the aged skin. "...some wounds don't heal. Whatever time I've got left, the rain took." She turned to Sam. "So there you have it. Everythings true, except for all the lies. I don't give a damn about Bridges or putting America back together. But I'm not about to let Higgs shit all over my father's legacy. That's why I came to you."

She sighed again and walked to her umbrella on the wall. "I'll be there for you Sam- " She pointed to it. "-All you have to do is call." And she jumped.

A few days had passed. Fragile had returned back to work feeling rejuvenated, after explaining the whole situation to sam she didn't feel alone. She had a friend.

But every now and then she'd get this odd feeling, like something was off.

Die-hardman suggested speaking to Sam since he was the one out in the field. He'd be able to tell her if something was wrong. So she went to see Sam but when she arrived he was shouting in his sleep. Alarmed she shook him awake.

"Sam! What's wrong?"

"Fragile? Son of a bitch, it was him!" He quickly sat up and looked at her. He was very panicked.

"What are you talking about?" She said.

"The package I picked up for you, the one from Lake Knot."

Wait a damn minute..."Hold on, I wasn't expecting any package."

"He said fragile herself was the client. The system was down, so some bridges delivery guy had to hand it over in person."

"Who?"

"Look the point is it was Higgs!"

No, no, no, no!! Not a-fucking-gain!! "Come on!!" She said heading out the door and motioned for Sam to follow. "I need to see it now!" They rushed to the private lockers and carefully retrieved the package and when they opened it was as if Fragile's worst fears came to life. "It's a Nuke!! Not again. That bastard can't do this to me again!!" She paced around with the explosive in front of her. "The timers already started!" It made a loud beeping sound as it read '30 minutes left' she was about to have a full-on panic attack but then she had a brilliant idea. "Take it down to the crater next to South knot. It's a tar pit- damn near bottomless. If we, well you, chuck it in we might still have a chance!!"

He nodded his head and carefully closed the weapon. "Go!" She said and watched as he quickly tugged on his suit and got ready. As he left She told him she'd see him later. She had to find out something, anything about why Higgs had tried to do this again.

She attempted to track the id of 'the worker' who gave Sam the package but of course Higgs was one step ahead.