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…

You leave this lousy civilization

You can't really say you didn't see this coming entirely, The Combine may try hide beneath the guise of being some organization out to rebuild civilization, but at the core it's just another dictatorship in development. You've seen the hypocrisy first hand of how they deal with those like you when it suits their purpose, and then dispose of them, when it doesn't.

However, none of this really matters, the fact remains you can't stay here at least not in the way you'd want to anyway. You "resign" your position and return back to your second home outside Cinderville where you gather some supplies for your travels and get in your van (which has long been upgraded to function on a more reliable basis now) and decide to live life as a wandering bandit, but not without first sabotaging the biofuel refinery in Cinderville. A sabotage that results in the  refinery not only blowing up and killing folks, but also spraying shit all over most of the town.

"HA HA! HAVE A NICE LIFE SHITHEADS!" you're heard saying before driving off.

Months go by and you eventually become enemy number one by The Combine for your criminal activity of destroying caravans, murdering citizens, and creating mayhem whenever you can. Sometimes you work alone, sometimes you manage to form a gang for raids, but in all cases your goal is to cause as much misery as you're able. You're determined to prove that the concept of order is doomed to failure as it always has.

Eventually along with Combine soldiers, freelance bounty hunters are set upon you. You remain free however, always one step ahead…

One day driving along an old unused road, you see a strange man standing along side it. He doesn't look quite human, you've heard stories of mutants, (and certainly seen mutated animals) but you've also heard most of them stay in the City where they were created by the radioactivity there. Of course there's always a few that wander away. Looks like this one has, in fact he looks like he has with a purpose, he pulls a gun on you as your van barrels down the road, in his other hand is a piece of paper, probably a wanted poster of you. It looks like this mutie is being dramatic, but you don't know… there's something really creepy about him. He looks like death personified with the way he's just waiting for you.

You run him down

You swerve your van in the mutant bounty hunter's direction, but he dodges out of the way so quick that you almost don't see him move.

As he dodges, you hear your tires blow out (Which is weird since you didn't hear any shots) before you to crash into some nearby rocks. You fly out the windshield and smash your head open into those same rocks, amazingly you aren't immediately killed and you manage to crawl off your hood and onto the ground.

Unfortunately a strange mutant worm like creature was making its home in the rocks and after you disturbed it, it came outside to investigate. You're in no condition to escape.

Unlike most, you became food for the worms while you were still alive.