#even thought it cost me a frickin arm and a leg because Ya Boi Is Going Thru It

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Berries are the best frickin thing in the world man

[cosmicknives]

This is a bit of a sequel to something I posted like a year ago [link link]. Life has slowed to crawl and I’m trying to keep productive so, why not just edit more of that Gage x Gamma nonsense I still have on my computer? :D I still have a lot of fun writing these two, especially in the quieter moments between them, especially especially when it’s due to the sting of betrayal~! 

Synths, man, ruining all the good relationships in your life since 2229~.

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Radiation sickness was never fun to deal with. It was even less fun when you had an insane Overboss. In the backroom of Fizztop, Gage slowly watched the RadAway do its damn job as he also desperately tried to ignore Gamma. 

"Seriously though, you want a new scope for your do-hicky?" It was a borderline impossible task. Looking over his shoulder, the tiny tyrant of an Overboss sat cross-legged at his weapons bench and Gage knew he was still out for his particular brand of blood. 

He had been real clear about that. A few members from the different gangs that had camped out by the entrance of Nuka-Town all but bombarded them with questions and hope as soon as they had returned from Safari Wild. Did they clean out the park yet? Fight anything fun? There's this odd rumor about a man in running around in loincloth too, did ya see him too!

It took every ounce of patience Gage had left not to scream at them all. Because, it wasn't his job to do scream. And it was Gamma’s. And just because he wanted to poke every wound Gage had just a bit more, Gamma had decided to be chatty with them. For the first time as Overboss, happily answering all their questions in wordy detail.

It was only when he feigned utter innocent, asking about Jackpot Royal's past though that Gage had put his foot down.

"Sorry, but we have business to attend to at Fizztop." He said curtly, tugging the short kid along with him.

"Yeah, that true. These injuries ain’t gonna heal themselves. Wait, did you know Gage give me this time?" Gamma dramatically exclaimed, poking out the bruised spot by his temple. "Me! His Overboss! God, Gage. We're really gonna haveta to work on your aim. Because not cool, not cool." He tsked, paying no mind as Gage pushed him on to the platform, harsh as could be.

Poor Jackpot Royal looked on hopeless, unable to tell if they should step in for their Overboss or if that would cost them their head. After a moment, they just waved goodbye and started to move back towards the Parlor. Smart kid.

After that, Gage just did his best to ignore Gamma, shuffling back towards his bed in the back room as he felt the radiation sickness finally start to settle into his body. It didn't take long to set up the RadAway, years of experience he'd never knock away, and he’d just let himself crash into his bed, hoping to sleep off the unpleasant he knew was going to come.

Gamma though had other plans.

After roughly five minutes of peace, he turned up in the back room himself despite having free-range of Fizztop. Instead of his typical mask, the kid had found a pair of over-sized road goggles and a rip-to-shreds puke green bandanna to cover his face instead.

"I'm gonna make some mods." He smiled in that same sweet and cold voice from earlier. “Have any requests?” Translation, I'm still pissed and fuck you if you think you're getting off scott-free.

"Some damn quiet and peace," Gage said though.

"Sorry, that's not on the menu today, friend." And that was that.

To his credit, Gamma wasn't really as noisy as modder as most raiders were. He worked fast and careful. And if he wanted to, Gage was almost certain he could work quiet too. But, that wasn't the case today. So instead, Gage gave up and just started to watch him from his cot. 

Gamma... He hadn’t been right earlier. Gage had had no clue about him being synth, being a tool of the Institute. If he were to guess, he would've just said the kid was a Vaultie because of a Pip-Boy but one who had been out in the Commonwealth longer than a Pip-Boy suggested. But, more importantly and more simply, he would've said that Gamma was basically like him: a fuck-up without a home just trying to survive as comfortably as possible. That was always the vibe he give out when they were up at Fizztop together, away from the other raiders down below.

"You know, tough shit, I made you a scope anyways. It's neon." He cackled a bit, turning to show off the piece.

And, Gage just replied. "Why are you even here?"

Toxic neon yellow scope in hand, Gamma paused along with the question, eyebrows arched in his own. It was weird seeing them do what exactly what Gage had always pictured them do, and a part of him was relieved. He could read this kid, at least a little bit. 

"I mean, here, in Nuka-World. What does the Institute want with us?" Because he wasn't stupid. He saw the endless possibility of this place, and he always knew others would see it too. That's why he recruited Colter. That's why he knew they needed an Overboss, someone to keep the rift-raft off their steps when they came trying to collect.

Over by his workstation, Gamma put down the scope and swiveled his chair around once and twice, until he was facing Gage again. “Not a damn thing, really." He said, shrugging slightly.

"Bullshit." Nuka-World had power, if nothing else.

"Not really," Gamma sighed again, spinning his chair around a little. "They're, ah, how would you put it." He tapped his bandanna playfully as he thought over his words. "Ah! Right! They're dead, so you know, Nuka-World? Not on their radar."

"Dead?"

"Ah, yeah. You haven't heard the rumors? Like, shit, they were everywhere out around Boston when it went down." Gamma sighed again as he rested his head in his arms. "Basically, some fucker blew us up."

"Someone, just, blew up the Institute?" 

"Well, I wasn't there when shit went down so it's a bit hard to say," Gamma said, trying to play it off with his normal dramatic air. But Gage heard an unfamiliar hard edge enter into his voice. ‘Bothered by something now, are we?’ He thought, filing it away for another time. "But that's the jist I got. Plus, you know." He frowned again, looking briefly away.

"I don't know, what."

"Urgh.” Flopping forward, his arm reached out to catch himself before he hit the floor. It was a short hop to Gage’s bed from there, Gamma plopping himself right beneath him as he started to fiddle with his Pip-Boy. Gage took to the moment to again quickly take in his Overboss under the bright, artificial lights of Fizztop. 

He didn't look like a synth, honestly. That was kinda the point, no, but still, Gage always figured there had to be some kind of tell to them, something that read fake. Even Gamma, odd and loud as could be, sitting next to him with Gage knowing, looked as human as anyone else. Was the Institute just that good with their abominations of science, or were there more synths out there than Gage ever thought to consider?

Gamma interrupted that line of thinking though, shifting as he could show Gage whatever it was on his Pip-Boy easier. "Just listen." And Gage did, and he heard nothing but static.

"There’s, nothing?" He said, unsure. Maybe that was a synth thing, but he dismissed that idea as Gamma sunk back down to his ass.

"Exactly," he said, pushing back a few strands of purple that fall in front of his face as the radio station played back only static.

"What's supposed to be playing?" He asked, figuring he did owe something to Gamma for saving his life earlier. Maybe letting him... talk was an okay way to pay him back, and one that wouldn't cost him even one cap.

He didn’t say anything at first, tracing the dirt on the floor instead. And it was nice, quiet as the RadAway sunk deeper into his body and sleep pulled him closer. But after a few minutes, Gamma’s voice tugged him back into the conversation.

"It used to play classical music." Quietly, his attention was entirely on the measured static tick up and down on his screen. And strange as it was, Gage did remember that funny little station. The only thing it played were these old instrumental pieces, no voices, no commercials, no updates about why they were going to die today. His mother listened to it religiously, never missing a chance to glare at his father every time he tried to change it to Diamond City radio in her presence. Gage had loathed that station so much as a kid, even as an adult too. It was just so frickin' dull.

But, still, after a hard day, hell if his hands didn’t twist the dial until he found that station once again and let it play for a few songs. Just a reminder how nice it was to be alive.

Until, maybe a year ago, Gage tried to tune into it one day and just, found nothing. Another loss to the ravages of the Commonwealth. He wondered how his mother took that news.

"It was the Institute's station, you know," Gamma smiled sadly. "We did fucked up things with it, of course, but it was ours. If it stopped playing, you know..." Trailing off, he didn't bother finishing that line of thought. It didn't need to be finished. Gage got the jist.

If it stopped playing, it was dead. The Institute was no more.

They sat together for a moment, Gage trying to process that new bit of news and he guessed, Gamma was trying to process the same bit of news albeit in a different context. And Gage thought, maybe he wasn't so wrong actually.

Maybe Gamma was a fuck-up too, just like him, one without a home just trying to survive as comfortably as possible in the fucked-up death trap they knew as the Commonwealth, albeit in a slightly different context than Gage originally had thought.

"So," Gage started slowly, "Why are you here?"

It wasn't the only question still floating around in Gage's mind but, either because of the drugs, the exhaustion or something else, all the others had quieted down for the moment. The Institute was no more. Maybe it was a lie, it was kinda unbelievable, but Gamma never honestly struck Gage as a liar.

He made up stories and played games and loved to mock people endlessly, but he never outright lied to Gage, not in the way most people did. That's why ...this... whole mess stung worse than the Gatorclaw attack or the additional rad sickness. Gamma never lied to him, except about basically everything.

Below him, Gamma just halfheartedly shrugged his shoulders. "Caps are the rule of the land, Gage, you know that."

And honestly, Gage could let this go for the night with that. Betrayal still hummed under his skin like a parasite. He knew this wasn't over, not by a long shot. There still a thousand questions and concerns he had about this, about synths, about the goddamn Institute and about Gamma being Overboss too. But underneath that all, like with Connor and Colter before, his stupid rotten idiotic heart was still telling him to trust Gamma, that he wasn't lying, not about this.

And fuck if he didn't want to believe that.

"I'm gonna put that scope on your gun, okay?" Gamma said quietly, playfully poking Gage in the head as he laid his own head back on the bed.

"Do that and I'll throw you off Fizztop," Gage said back, closing his eyes. Exhaustion tugged him along towards the poppy-filled land of dreams he hated so much. But it wasn't before he saw Gamma’s eyes through his dark shades, the same intense look once again focused squarely on Gage. He had no idea why he found it comforting now, though it was easy to blame to the drugs.

Pulling himself back to his feet, Gamma pressed his ratty clothed mouth right above his ear in an utterly sarcastic feeling kiss. "Oh, Porter, I'd love to see you try."  And Gage could almost feel his lips move into a little grin before his Boss finally walked out of the back room, leaving him to a peace and quiet.