Along with the ominous message, War left behind a number of former war fighters and refugees. It became clear that the larger part of them, both fighters and refugees, wanted to follow War so, with the two living warshippers leading the way, they began a mass exodus out of Chicago, taking only what they could carry on their backs. What remained were only scattered remnants of the warfighters who did not seem to have any intention of leaving Chicago and the handfuls of refugees who stayed for likely similar reasons. For the time being they were either sticking around the area or dispersing themselves into Chicago. Where they went was not Adam's business so for the time being he just focused on all the other things that needed to be handled before he went home.
The doctor was still too busy at the moment, looking like a one man triage center, as he turned the auditorium into a makeshift hospital and even convinced some of the refugees to help him tend to the wounded, of which there were many.
Adam spent a bit of time wandering around the former battlefield, he collected things of value, mostly guns and ammo, but was very aware that without his APC here at the base, he would have to carry everything back with him to the APC. Since every one of his friends were injured in some way that would reduce carrying capacity too. So for the moment he was just airing on the side of caution, still he knew that the spoils from this fight would be worth a pretty penny. Which reminded him, he had some debts to clear.
Before Adam could make a move to go speak to the people he needed to, Baxter, one of the two people he owed for taking part, showed up.
"Hey kid." Baxter said a soft smile on his face as he looked at Adam with sad eyes for reasons Adam couldn't discern.
"Hi, Baxter." Adam said back, turning to look at him now.
"I uh… just wanted to let you know, me and my Brigade, we are taking off." He said, almost sheepish. Adam looked at him confused for a moment and then nodded.
"I understand, the battle was tough, for everyone." he paused. "How much do I owe you for your help?" Adam said, reaching into his bag to get his caps.
"Ah no… well…"Baxter began, seeming to have forgotten about the payment. "Look, I think we can call it square. After all you didn't ask to be born into this hell hole, and worse you are stuck with my genes…" He paused, then tried to sound more upbeat. "And besides there's enough loot to go around! I'm positive I can flip a lot of the loot here for a good sum in another town." Baxter said with a cheesy smile. However Adam just stared at him for a moment, as if trying to read him.
"Baxter…" Adam began, slowly. "Who are you seeing?" Adam asked, staring right into Baxter's eyes.
"Wha-what do you mean?" Baxter asked back, hesitantly.
"I can see it in your eyes, because they are mine. As soon as you found out I was your clone your attitude did a 180. You had every intention of shooting me the day you kidnapped me but let me go with a smile, even decided to help. And everytime you look at me you look sad. I can tell, there is something else on your mind, someone else." Baxter stared at Adam for a good long while before he let off a heavy sigh.
"Fuck. I hate being read like a book." He said before kicking a bit of rumble under his foot sheepishly.
"It's because I am you, I know you." Adam said back to which Baxter just let off a quieter sigh before looking at Adam again.
"My son." Baxter said softly without explanation.
"Your son?" Adam asked back.
"Yeah, my son. Henry. He was a good kid, bright-eyed, smart, brave, always ready to lend a hand…" He paused. "I wasn't kidding when I told you the world is cruel. Its fucked up and doesn't give a shit about any of us. We either live thinking of only ourselves or die trying to be something more."
"What happened to your son?" Adam asked back, softly. Baxter went quiet for a while before he sighed again and then sat down on a box next to him.
"After my wife died I did what I could to raise him to be everything I wasn't. He took a lot after my Clarise. He even looked up to me, for whatever that's worth. I'm a terrible role model." He paused again. "The village we were staying in was raided. I was part of the defense force so I stepped up to help defend the town. Naturally my son was too young so he stayed home. But among his many good traits, listening wasn't one of them. So he snuck out and ended up in the village square, where he managed to save a young woman from her home that was on fire. He hid her away in one of the basements and then hid himself under the remains of the fountain. Well, the Raiders that managed to sneak in eventually found that woman, and…" Baxter clenched his fist as he began to break into the part of the story that hurt the most.
"She gave him up." He said, seething. "Sold my own son, my blood, down the river to save her own hide. My son, the one who had saved her not even minutes before, was torn limb from limb by the raiders." Baxter put his hand over his eyes, perhaps to hide some tears or perhaps because the tale was so harrowing for him. "By the time the fight was over I found my son, my precious boy, nothing more than a bloody mess, a stain on the gravel beside the fountain. They had toyed with him before he died. Those sick fucks ruined him." He clenched his fist tighter.
"And the worst part? The woman was still killed. After the raiders had their fun with her of course. So my son's death was for nothing. Everything he had tried to do was pointless, saving a woman who died anyway only to be betrayed by her. I couldn't even take revenge. She was dead." Baxter looked at Adam again.
"That's why when I tell you the world doesn't want heroes I mean it. All this…" He gestured around to the school. "Is pointless. No one will remember your sacrifice, no one will speak your name, no one will care. You will die and people will move on, back to their own selfish lives."
"Baxter…" Adam said softly as he walked over. "You suffered through something that no one should have to, but that doesn't mean you need to make others suffer for it too." Adam said, picking up on all the subtext. "Your son died trying to do a noble thing, if more people were like your son the world would be a better place. I think that's something to aspire to become, something worth trying to emulate." Baxter sighed quietly and looked into Adam's eyes with his own, tired eyes.
"You don't get it, the wasteland, it eats heroes. Only the strong survive. If I had taught these lessons to my son instead, the real truth of the world, he might still be alive."
"Maybe he would still be alive, but would he be living?" Adam asked. "You lost your son to raiders, but if he went down the path you wanted he would have become a raider himself. No one is perfect, but our actions shape us. And I'm positive if your son is the kind of boy you described, even if he could go back in time all over again, he would still try to save people." Adam said softly, placing a hand on Baxter's shoulder. Baxter went silent for a moment.
"Thats why you remind me of him. He is so much like you." Baxter said somberly.
"I am your clone, Baxter. That means that you are like your son too. You have that same desire to help people your son had. You have been through a lot, there is no denying that. But that doesn't mean your existence on this earth has to be miserable."
"Look at me, getting a pep talk from myself." Baxter laughed dryly before he sighed again, stood up straight and then looked Adam in the eyes. "Look, live the life you want to live. Do whatever would make it so that when you look back you don't have regrets. That's all I wanted to teach you." Adam nodded with a small smile.
"That is a good lesson, I will take it to heart."
"Alright…" Baxter said before turning around to look behind him, perhaps a bit sheepish. "Don't live your life like me. Become better, be the man I couldn't become, Adam. That name, it's yours now. Adam died the day my son died, however perhaps Adam was reborn the day you walked out of that Vault of yours. I can't be the man you have in your memories but I guess I can reflect… a little." He grinned a bit, now getting back to his pep. "But the Baxter Brigade is leaving now. We got other places to be, contracts to fulfil, maybe a new path to forge, who can say." He then paused and then gently bumped his fist into Adam's chest. "I look forward to hearing your name spread outside this shithole of a city."
"And I look forward to hearing tales of the Baxter Brigade."
"Damn straight you should!" Baxter laughed. "Take care of yourself kid. Live the life that I couldn't. For the both of us."