Chapter Text
2280
The Little Lamplighters gathered to say goodbye to their Mayor.
Robert Joseph "RJ" MacCreedy had turned sixteen and was ready to leave; "You keep this place in pure anarchy. And keep us mungos out!"
A cheer. Then he was gone. Forever.
The new Mayor - or so he'd been told he was - looked around; "Get back to wowk!"
They all laughed at him.
Except the "new kid"; "You are all bullies."
Princess, upset her "boyfriend" was gone,bent down at the small boy and sneered; "Shut up Simmy -"
He punched her in the face.
Then he told everyone; "I'm Mayor. Billy is my second. Anyone making fun of him will get my fist. And it's Simmons. Mayor Simmons. Got it?"
No one dared argue. Not even Princess despite being fifteen and the new Mayor only seven.
"I'll take front gate duty with Billy. Get lost!" he turned to a very quiet thirteen-year-old; "Stacey? Take a break. Billy and I will take watch."
Stacey covered her face with her red woolly hat and lay down to sleep.
He looked up at the eyebot that always followed him; "Put the radio on Zapper!"
The eyebot obeyed.
It had only been three months when the dark skinned "new kid" found himself in the infamous caves of Little Lamplight. His father gone. No where to be found.
It was easier to believe he'd been abandoned. Not dead or taken by slavers. MacCreedy told him he didn't need a grownup. And the boy believed him.
He only gave his surname. Simmons. His first name was Gilbert. But he wisely kept that to himself.
Only the eyebot that flew around them to play music and defend them had stayed by his side. The Lamplighters who found him were stunned at the sight and MacCreedy was simply very pleased it could "zap". Hence the name Simmons gave it.
He did name a baby "Gil" that the scavage team found shortly after he was saved. He proved to be a natural caretaker to the little ones like Stacey and even the big ones like Billy.
Lucy had taught him about medicine before she left. Penny, thanks to her brothers notes, taught him to read and Sammy, now the best shot in the caves now MacCreedy was gone, showed him how to shoot.
He may have been seven - and he wasn't sure about that - but he had shown he was not to be messed with. Not even by the much bigger kids like Princess.
To really prove his point, he, Zapper and Billy held off a four men raider attack without anyone else's help; "Go back to sleep Stacey. We handled it. If you're going to cry again, I'll ask Zapper to play that holotape?"
"No," she whimpered; "Sometimes it makes me sad."
"You like the music?" she nodded; "Well you can sing. Anyone bothering you will get my fist."
She believed him. Simmons never told lies.
She thought he was the coolest kid ever.