The Journey West: Hopeful News
It has been years since the entire world turned upside down for Lyle McLeod, years since he's felt safe...
Years since the entire world turned into a giant pile of trash, quite literally in fact, since then the now former lawyer has been helping to lead a small group of survivors in the ruins of what was once Ames Iowa. They've been held up in some store called BnL on Lincoln Way, doing everything they can to get by. Nobody knew where it came from but it was in good shape, so they didn't complain too much. There was a decent amount of food to help them get started, but it didn't last long, at least they managed to get some scavenging groups going.
After they sealed the building they raided the remains of the hospital to get supplies and masks to survive in the toxic air, only to find they weren't the only survivors. Some people from the university managed to survive, but they'd gone mad, turned the football stadium into a deathtrap and went bandit. Got ahold of some vehicles and started driving around the ruins, attacking any groups they managed to find. Honestly Lyle's lost track of how many times they've been forced to hold off those psychos. Some of the smaller survivor groups joined up with Lyle's group after they proved themselves, not the BnL survivors are the second largest in the city, second only to the University...
Honestly he was lucky to survive the first attack, Lyle had never held a gun before, turned out to be pretty good with it, froze up and got shot in the shoulder after he killed one of them. Vomited when what he did caught up with him, now it's years later, he doesn't freeze up any more. The group is holding out in the store for now, can't risk going outside or the rust-storm will tear them apart so everybody's stuck until it breaks, well almost everyone. Almost like he could hear Lyle's thoughts Malone and his boys returned with some extra supplies, people were wary at first but trusting Malone trend out to be the right call. They're skeleton toons so they don't need to worry about the storm.
They came to town shortly before the trash came, former actors looking for better prospects East, Malone apparently worked with Mickey Mouse himself on a few of his scarier films, and had a starring role in
The Skeleton Dance, hardly ever shuts up about it actually. After everything happened Lyle's group was the only one willing to take them in, and they've proven invaluable ever since.
"We're back folks, got some good shit for you," Malone always sounds like that, like some twenties gangster lost his skin. "Lyle, get your ass over here, got some news you'll want to hear."
As the others looked over the food and ammo Malone got from his run Lyle saw what he was talking about, some of the other skeletons were carrying something else with them under a protective tarp, or rather somebody…
"Found 'dis one pokin' around da University territory, pack's just full of hop, custom stuff too, gave the mook super strength." He informed Lyle before grabbing the prisoner by the hair and dragging him close "Now be nice lil' cat 'n tell da big shot what ya told me."
He simply spit in Malone's face and tried to get free.
"It's a little late to be brave," Lyle told the man before turning to the other skeletons. "Don't have the food to spare… toss him out."
Malone's men begin to do just that as Lyle and Malone walk closer to the fire to speak further.
"You were right boss, there's a way out. " He jabs a bony thumb back to the entrance. "That unlucky bastard was a dealer from somewhere west, it's all still there, taken over by corporations but still there, 'n they 'ave no idea what's goin' on 'ere, some story about a dustbowl da feds 'ave been spreadin' around."
"That's…" Lyle choked back a sob, how long have they been looking for a chance to get out of here… "He say how far?"
Malone shakes his head before putting a hand on Lyle's shoulder, it's honestly surprising how expressive a face with no skin can be, then again he is a toon…
That night Lyle told everybody the news, there's land that hasn't been touched by the trash, they have a direction, now they just need transport, he looks at the glowing viles from the drug dealer's pack…
Looks like they'll be paying the University a visit after all…
It's time to get out of this hellhole.
