Steel collapsed against a rock, smoking rifle in hand as the Deathclaw collapsed in front of him, three large .50 caliber holes drilled into its chest and out its back. Blood pooled on the ground as he tipped his head back and slid down the rock, stripping off his armor from feeling alone.

Looking at the gashes on his arm would just hurt worse. He stripped of his left glove and rolled up his sleeve, trying not to think about the fabric cutting into the already deep wounds in his bicep and elbow. Keeping his arm held as high as he could, he felt around for his pouch, plucking out a white syringe filled with purple liquid inside. A swift jab and a pinch of muscle started circulating the Med-X through his system.

A few minutes and a used up medkit later, he looked over the reddened bandages of his arm, keeping it held up above his head. He scanned around, taking a moment to search the horizon for any other threats. A small valley’s walls surrounded him, no sounds or sights alerting him to threats nearby. Breathing a last sigh of relief, he reached back into his ‘trophy’ pouch, poking around the sparse contents inside.

A single gemstone he’d found during his trip, a few casings left by some long-gone fight, two intact circuit boards – probably salvageable – and a picture made up the contents. He gripped the picture between his fingers and brought it around, looking down at it.

“Three days is too damn long to be away from everybody.” He mumbled to himself, looking over the details of the picture Glory had taken for him. “‘To keep Glory close by’, she said… ain’t close enough, sweetheart, but I guess it’ll do for now.”

He chuckled to himself, laying his head back against the boulder and closing his eyes for a moment’s respite, his anti-tank rifle set on her stock next to him. Never far away in case something decided to ruin his day more than the Deathclaw ambushing him.

Author’s Note:

Because we all need something to keep our friends, loved ones and family close by. Glory thought ahead, it seems!