text: [Themes: sci-fi, serious, post-apocalyptic]
  
  Entering the town again, wouldn't be a good idea. From the sound of it, the town is suspicious of outsiders, if Dan showed up again with the lot of you; they'd know something was up. Not to mention he was the most "presentable" of all of you. You figure the raiders might be a better choice. If they're poorly led, then maybe just taking care of the leader will make the rest fall in line.
  
  "Alright Dan, you know where the raiders hang out?" you ask.
  "Um, not exactly, but its somewhere in the hills near Cinderville."
  "Okay let's go there. We can probably kick the leader's ass and..."
  
  Jim all of sudden stops you in mid-sentence.
  
  "Hold up, brain boy. I know you got all these great ideas, and you seem to be a pretty ruthless sonofabitch, and I respect that, but let's keep in mind that I'M running this fuckin' gang. Don't presume you can just order us all around about what we're going to do." He tells you in an authoritative voice and implies bodily harm if you disagree with him.
  
  (Sigh) You had a feeling this was going to happen.
  
  > back down
  While you probably could kill this fat fucker, but for now you have to have all the help you can get and no disunity to pull this plan off, so you'll back down for now...
  
  "Hey, I never said I was the leader, I know you are Jim."
  "Good. Glad we understand each other."
  "So go ahead and tell us what YOU think is the best course of action for this plan."
  "Um...well...your strategy sounded pretty good." Jim says predictably
  
  Just as you thought, you're STILL in control, just had to give the fool the appearance that he's still in control.
  
  After taking some supplies you think you'll need and re-trapping your home, you all set off to leave. (You take your van)
  
  In about a day, you arrive around in the area that Dan was talking about, in fact you don't need to look for the raiders; they instantly approach you when they see you coming. It would appear some of them have a few vehicles as well. Jim signals for everyone to halt and he gets off his bike. Ramon and Dan halt near Jim, but don't get off their bikes. You in the meantime grab your hunting rifle and hang in the back a bit, you just hope Jim can pull this shit off, especially since you're greatly outnumbered.
  
  Soon the raiders arrive and stop their own vehicles. The leader steps out of his beat up car, and steps forward. He looks mean enough, like he's been living in the wasteland from day one.
  
  "So, you got any last words, before we fuck you and eat you?" he asks Jim.
  "Yeah, I heard you're the pussy ass bitch, who can't even handle a few pigs and some fuckin' vigilantes in Cinderville." Jim replies.
  
  The raider leader's expression gets even meaner looking if such a thing is possible.
  
  "Oh? And I suppose YOU can do a better job you fat tub of shit?" he sneers.
  "Sure the fuck can asshole, all I need is more men. In fact I'd say yours would do just fine, so I'd say you'd better just step aside and see a pro in action."
  "Don't think so, besides I've already seen a fag get his mouth gang fucked by a bunch of guys."
  
  You sure hope Jim is a better fighter, because he's losing in the battle of snappy comebacks right now. In fact he can't come up with a response, so he just slugs the raider leader instead. You fully expect the shooting to start, but instead the raider leader laughs, pulls out the biggest blade you've ever seen and screams "THIS ONE IS MINE!"
  
  During the fight, you scan all your potential greatest threats and the quickest order to pick them off, in case this all goes south. You're so busy doing that, that you're not really paying attention to the actual fight, which Jim as it turns out, is winning.
  
  After tussling on the ground, slamming into nearby vehicles, punching, kicking and all the rest, Jim finally puts an end to his opponent by shoving his own knife through his throat. Everyone goes silent, and Jim stands up wiping the blood off of himself.
  
  "Alright! Now listen the fuck up! Your previous leader was a lame ass who couldn't get the job done, and that changes right now! We're gonna get fuckin' organized and take that goddamn little town! Might makes fuckin' right! Are ya with me, or are ya gonna go running off like a limp wristed sissy?"
  
  Well, it's a good thing you didn't kill Jim, because these raiders seem to really identify with him and they unanimously accept him as their new leader. You doubt if you would've had that success. You've never been a people person, regardless of who those people might've been, however you are an idea person, and now you move on to your next phase.
  
  After Jim finally gets all the new people to listen, you begin to explain your plan, the problem before is they kept stupidly attacking from one direction, rather than doing the classic "pincer" maneuver and attacking from multiple sides. Using Dan's information, you specifically pick out areas where the most damage can initially be done with the least amount of risk. You point out the spot where there's still an old school being used to teach the children. Take control of that with the kids inside and you've severely reduced most of the townspeople's willingness to fight, which will curb the neighborhood "Charles Bronsons" from helping the police force. In fact you decide to take that job since you want Jim to lead the raiders in the main direct assault force with the cops. Dan and Ramon will be traveling with their own smaller force to attack other parts of the town, spreading out the cops' usually organized force. It's also hoped that the more disreputable elements that Dan mentioned living in the town, will join in the mayhem on your side, or at least against their side.
  
  The raider vehicles themselves are not in the best condition, and most of them are running low on gas, but they'll do for now. You figure if all goes well, the still fuel that you created back at your home, as well as the farming area in the town with the pig and cow shit biofuel can solve those problems later. In fact you specifically mention that NO damage should happen to that area in this attack, though you don't expect them to follow that order.
  
  You don't want to wait long to attack with this bunch, since they have the attention span of a gnat of crack. You have to attack soon when they're all hyped up. You suggest that to Jim, who agrees since he's anxious to get to this dastardly business anyway. In a couple days you're attacking the town as planned. You start on your end first, making a beeline to the school, before the main attack force arrives.
  
  A few of the raiders are in your van itching to start creating some havoc. You stop outside of the school and run inside with your current trigger happy cohorts. A couple of them kill a few kids and you have to remind them you're SUPPOSED to be holding them hostage right now! If the townsfolk don't comply THEN you can start capping the little bastards. You tell them to go and kill the teachers if they want.
  
  In the mean time you take the opportunity to shout from the window to the crowd gathering outside. You tell them that if any of them start trying to defend the town or help the cops, then their kids are going to be killed. To show you're really serious though, you tell one of the raiders to toss a kid out the window. A collective cry goes up from the crowd when the body hits the pavement and their pathetic begging is pleasing to your ears.
  
  You get a few people shooting at you anyway (Obviously not parents) but having a good vantage point and a hunting rifle, you start sniping the idiots who have decided to ignore your threats. A few more kids thrown out the window causes ALL the shooting to stop.
  
  You can hear the sounds of battle from your position; no cops have arrived so you're guessing Jim and the rest are doing their job. You're really enjoying all this chaos you've created, you were just stagnating before the bombs dropped, now in this new world you're free to embrace the darkest part of yourself that always existed, but wasn't allowed the flourish. You love this fucking shit.
  
  Eventually you hear a roar of a motorcycle, followed by the sound of some bottles breaking. You go to check the window and see the crowd outside running and screaming, some of them on fire from the Molotov Cocktails just thrown at them. You also see Ramon shouting up to you.
  
  "Hey! We're winning man! The remaining cops are barricaded in their fucking station, broke the Mayor's legs and dragged him through the street and best of all we got some of the other local punks to join us! There's practically no more resistance left! Its total fucking anarchy man!"
  
  You turn around and begin smiling at the kids you're holding hostage which somehow scares them even more. You pick up a young girl and kiss her hard on the lips and laugh at the fear in her eyes. You then throw her down and tell the raiders with you they can do whatever they want, because you're going to indulge in some pure havoc on your own.
  
  After a couple days and nights of indulging in this activity, Jim finally gets around to settling his new gang down (Which he's inventively called "Jim's Reapers") and wondering about what to do with the town now that he has control over it. He seems to have forgotten already that it was YOU, who orchestrated this. Now that the task has been accomplished perhaps this would be the time to discuss the leadership role again.
  
  Then again, you wonder if you even want to bother. Sure there's the power and such, but there's also the headache of dealing with all these morons on a regular basis and running the town. The "fun" part is over as it were.
  
  > kill Jim for control of the town
  The whole point of this endeavor was to take control of the town and you're not going to let Jim get that glory. You go find him in the Mayor's Manor still tormenting the mayor and his wife. The mayor is currently lying on the floor bloody and helpless with his legs a useless mess. His wife is naked in a fetal position in a corner just rocking to herself in a state of perpetual shock, its apparent she's been raped over and over. Jim doesn't have anyone else with him, not even have Dan or Ramon, he's all by himself in a drunken stupor at the moment celebrating his new found power, unaware that you're about to relieve him of it.
  
  "Heeeeey! Killer! Its you! Have a drink! This fucker's got some classy shit stashed in his cellar! (Hic!)"
  "Nah, that's okay. So I see you've been having fun eh?"
  "Me? Oh fuck yeah! The mayor over here has got himself one fine piece of ass! Been tryin' her out every other hour y'know what I mean? HAR HAR HAR!"
  "Hmmm, yes." You say looking over at her again, while Jim continues to pontificate.
  "Shit man (Hic!) I think me, you, Dan and fuckin' Ramon are the few straight bastards in this gang! Those fuckin' raiders we recruited? I ain't even seen them try to get any of the pussy in this town. They must've been in the wasteland too damn long or somethin', I think they forgot what a god (hic!) damn bitch looks like. Been cornholin' each other so much they went an' fell in love! HAR HAR HAR HAR! (hic!) Ah hell I'm not judgin'. (hic!)"
  
  While Jim wanders into the next room still talking about his gang's sexual preference, you go over to the mayor who's been baring his mental and physical pain in silence the whole time. When you crouch near him and pull your pistol out, he thinks this is it, but you have something "special" in mind. You see that his hands are still in good shape so you keep your voice down and look him in the eyes.
  
  "You're gonna die. Nothing can stop this. Resign yourself to this fact. Life sucks and that's all there is to it." you say unloading your pistol, but keeping one bullet in the chamber.
  
  "...however, you can still get vengeance. I thought you might like to know that I'm the one who planned this attack. I'm the one who orchestrated this town's destruction. A town you no longer have any control over and has had many of its citizens viciously killed thanks to my actions... the fat piece of drunken shit in the next room has personally beaten you and violated your wife, repeatedly. Over and over. In front of you. His fat smelly flesh all over her while he enjoyed it the whole time. Probably shoved his cock in all three holes too huh?"
  
  He looks at you with a mixture of fear, hate, and sorrow, while tears fill his eyes. You place the gun in his hand.
  
  "...well anyway, there's one bullet in the gun. Remember, you got one shot, one chance for vengeance, make your choice. Better hide that, here comes Jim."
  
  Jim comes stumbling back in room, while the mayor holds the gun close to himself in a bad attempt to hide it. The stand back waiting to see what happens next.
  
  "...I mean hell I've fucked a few prags when I (hic!) was in prison, but...hey...what have you got there?" Jim asks seeing the mayor holding something, but not able to make it out clearly due to his inebriated state.
  
  Jim gets closer, closer, and then mayor draws on him. He sobers up just long enough to realize he's got a bullet between his eyes.
  
  "...what the fuuuuuuuuck..." Jim says before falling face first on the floor.
  
  "Wow, that was pretty intense, I mean my own life was on the line there! Whew! But I figured you'd kill Jim, too bad it wasn't the right choice on your part." You say punching the mayor in the face and take your pistol back, loading it again.
  
  "Stupid bastard, didn't it occur to you that I'd do the same thing to your wife?"
  "No...don't..." he says looking up at you with blood coming from his mouth, as your own curls cruelly upward.
  "Just kidding, I wouldn't stick my dick anywhere near Jim has been. Looks like you made the right choice after all!"
  
  You put the mayor out of his misery and shoot him in the face. You then approach the mayor's wife who's still been rocking to herself this whole time. You look at her a little closer.
  
  "Hmm, you must've been very beautiful before this all happened." You remark, caressing her damaged face, before ending her life as well.
  
  Having had your fun, you go and announce you're the leader now. Unfortunately you don't quite have the charisma or imposing physique Jim had, so not everyone is willing to follow. (Ramon and Dan are among the first ones you kill for disobeying you) What ultimately happens is the town becomes a factional warzone where nobody is really in control and the poor Cinderville townsfolk are caught in the middle. Eventually things stabilize and a few of the "heavy weights" carve out their own territories and there's an unstable peace in the town. Fights still break out, but there's never an imbalance of power or advantage for long. (Though, maintaining a hold on the biofuel refinery gives you a little bit of an advantage...)
  
  Four years pass...
  
  Five years have passed since the bombs dropped and you couldn't be happier. You've accomplished more than you ever did in the old world. World War Three was the best thing that ever happened to you. You've been running your own slice of heaven in this hellish world and had the freedom to live out your true nature, which you've done for the past five years.
  
  And now that freedom could be coming to an end.
  
  Recently through rumors and wandering travelers who have the misfortune of finding Cinderville, you've found out that there's a growing organization trying to "tame" the wasteland. They call themselves The Combine. Apparently they're at war with another organization called the Cybernetic Collective and the Combine's been aggressively taking towns and conscripting the citizens to fight in their war. And now they've come to Cinderville.
  
  They arrive in well taken care of vehicles, with better training, better discipline and better weapons. They begin talking to everybody they can. They aren't going to take the entire town by force, no what they intend to do is to back one of the stronger factions to wipe out the rest, and then absorb their puppet into the Combine to have control over the entire town. You're not fooled.
  
  The question just remains is; are you going to ally with them first, or fight this threat to your freedom?
  
  > Ally with the Combine
  If you have any motivation to keep your position, you'll have to ally with the Combine, for now at least. You decide to at least hear what they have to say. Two envoys come to speak to you; one of them is some rough looking man that probably thinks he's some sort of hard ass. The other is a woman, she looks like she's probably seen battle, but you're more interested in her seeing your dick up close and personal if that's possible.
  
  "So, I hear you're one of the Warlords of this town. My name's Roger and this is Vivica. We belong to The Combine as I'm sure you already know."
  "Yeah, yeah, I already know all about your little paramilitary outfit. Trying to tame the
  wasteland or some shit. Futile endeavor I say. It all comes down to chaos in the end. The last world war proved that."
  "Yeah, and I've ran into your type before. Typical petty despot who thrives off of the suffering around you. Let me guess, you were probably a petty criminal or prisoner in your old life. A loser. Someone who never could accomplish anything, until AFTER the bombs hit. And look at you; you can't even do that right. You don't even control this whole town. You're still a loser."
  
  You smile at Roger's poor attempt at psychology.
  
  "Oh, is that what I was eh? Well I guess that makes us both sides of the same coin. You were probably some boring fucktard in a boring job, with a boring life. You probably watched reality shows about cops and mercs an' shit wishing you could do that, but were too much of a sheep to go out and have adventures of your own. You just obeyed the laws and followed the rules. Now look at you. Mr. wasteland fuckin' warrior, but even in this new world you're still a fucking sheep. Still following the rules, the only reason you're having adventures now is because your superiors tell you to. You're just as much of a fucking loser as I am."
  
  Roger noticeably grows angry by your own psychological evaluation, but Vivica steps in to mediate.
  
  "Look, you fuckers compare dick sizes later, we ain't got time for it right now."
  "Ooowee! I like the mouth on this one! I'd like it more around my dick though...you interested in seeing just what my dick size exactly is honey?"
  "(Sigh) I suggest you better explain why the Combine should back you for control of this shithole town and what you'd even bring to the table other than your miniscule cock you like flapping in the wind."
  "Why do I need to convince you? You're the fuckers who want the damn town, but if you must know, I already have control of a biofuel refinery. I'd say that puts me as a pretty good favorite right there."
  "Eh, not really. One would wonder why someone who has such an advantage doesn't already HAVE control of the entire town. It seems like only someone who is really stupid or too incompetent to lead his side to ultimate victory would be the only logical explanation."
  "Oh it's just that simple to you huh? For your information I don't exactly HAVE the same amount of people as the other warlords. I have enough to defend my territory and that's about it and sure I can refuel all my vehicles easy enough, but so fuckin' what? You think that means shit in close urban combat? Some sniper can just blast a driver riding down the street. Don't mean shit. However! My refinery can be used to help fuel YOUR vehicles in your war with...what those cyborgs right? I mean you guys are fighting in the open battlefield where you can maneuver and drive around. You can also transport supplies quicker. And I know why you also want control of this place. You want conscripts. Well, you'll get no protests from me; take anyone you want, except my workers at the refinery and myself of course."
  
  Vivica and Roger look at each other and discuss in quiet about what you've told them, Vivica speaks up again.
  
  "And you would be willing to join the Combine and supply us with whatever we need?"
  "Sure, like I said, take anyone you want except me or the people needed to run the refinery, of course I hope this isn't a one way street, I mean I want something too..."
  "Yes, of course we will transport food and water supplies if you need..."
  "What? No not that shit. Fuck, I got my own private stash of food and water. And the rest of the shitheads in this town can fend for themselves. Nah, what I want is right here in front of me..." you say beginning to leer at Vivica. Now she begins to feel very uncomfortable. Good. You like that.
  
  "Hold on we have to talk this over..." Roger says.
  "WHAT?!" Vivica shouts.
  "Sure, sure, you do that. Just remember, this is my offer and I might say it's a very generous one, I doubt you'll get a better one. The rest of these warlords are greedy bastards, they'll want weapons, and a bunch of other shit. All I'm asking for is for some time with a woman and your help with getting rid of the other warlords of course. After I gain control of the entire town, you'll be able to take whatever you want with no resistance. You want fuel? You got it. You want cannon fodder? You got that too. Decline my offer and well...let's just say I'll make sure I do a lot of damage before you fine Combine folks bring me down. I'll leave you to it to decide."
  
  Vivica and Roger leave your office and you can hear arguing outside. Obviously Vivica is NOT real keen on this compromise and she's even less keen when it's decided she needs to "take one for the team".
  
  You fucking love this shit. How far people are willing to degrade themselves for the "greater good". What a fucking joke.
  
  Later that night, you and Vivica are ready to finalize the "deal", though she's still trying to maintain some semblance of dignity.
  
  "Don't think you're gonna be pulling some kinda sick shit with me or hitting me either, because if that happens, I won't give a fuck about the deal, the Combine, or even if I live, but regardless of what happens, you'll be singing soprano, and pissing like a bitch for the rest of your life."
  
  A threat without fear of consequence. Somehow you can respect that. Hell you think you might even be in love.
  
  "Okay, calm down sweetheart, none of that's gonna happen. Now let's start off by getting that pretty mouth of yours in action like I mentioned earlier today..."
  
  Afterwards, Vivica grabs her clothes and leaves immediately. You're a little disappointed, since you almost got the impression she enjoyed herself...oh well, back to business.
  
  With the Combine's help, wiping out the other warlords is a snap. Indeed you could've done it yourself long ago if you'd had disciplined people and more of them. Of course none of that matters now, you're officially head of the town, though the Combine leave a few troops behind as a reminder that Cinderville is now part of it. They don't do too much though, and mostly leave you to your own devices. You're giving them free fuel, free conscripts, and even letting them use most of your remaining vehicles, and barely asking for anything in return, why shouldn't they let you do what you want? They're doing what they want. Besides they're busy at war with a bunch of cyborgs and you're so far away. They won't be interfering anytime soon.
  
  Five years pass...
  
  Ten years have passed since the bombs dropped and civilization seems to be reforming...unfortunately.
  
  The Combine won the war with the Cybernetic Evolution a couple years ago and have had time to focus on their current holdings a lot more. This means they're focusing more on Cinderville, which you don't like. In fact more and more of a Combine influence is being felt. They're starting to supply the town regardless of what you said before. No longer are the people living in poverty and near starvation. By God, they're even trying to REBUILD parts of it! You don't like this.
  
  You protest their meddling, but they don't pay any attention to you, Cinderville IS under Combine control after all. You're just there for looks and in fact you're not looking too good to them anymore. It seems the Combine wants to put one of their own in power here to run things. They don't need to compromise their ideology anymore now that the war's over. They don't need to associate with scum like you anymore now.
  
  Things are truly coming to an end...
  
  > try to acclimate yourself
  You "resign" your position and leave Cinderville. Not knowing where to go, you go back to your second home outside Cinderville. You try to live a quiet isolated life like before, but you can't do it now, your urge to control, to kill, and create anarchy is too strong now.
  
  You can't go back, so you try to go back to your past activities by visiting Cinderville every now and then to commit a few murders in the night, however being under direct Combine control now, things like that are investigated a little more now, especially when the body count starts piling up.
  
  It's during one of your nightly visits, that you're captured and delivered quick and efficient justice by Combine troops.