A Paladin's Tale

This story is set in the same timeline as my previous Fallout fanfic, From Cottonwood Cove to the Mountains of Rome, and takes place soon after, though it is not a direct sequel. Some elements and characters from the previous story may be present in future chapters. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

The sound of gunshots startled Amy as she bolted upright in bed from her deep slumber. It pitch black outside, apart from the occasional yellow flashes lighting up and silhouetting vague shapes on her dusty opaque windows. Still a little dazed, she scratched her eyes and fumbled for her watch from the bedside table: it was exactly midnight. Sighing, Amy grabbed her laser rifle from the bed side dresser and dragged herself towards the door. Slipping on a trench coat, she considered get into something else a little more protective than her nightwear, but decided they would have to do.

A knock sounded just as she reached the door. Opening it, she let Marcus in from the chilly mountain air.

"What is it this time?" she asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Snipers on the east side of town," he panted, a little out of breath, though his tone as calm as always. "I think two. They've already taken out two of us and a lot of our bighorners."

"What about Lily? Is she okay?"

"She's safe in the lodge, although I wish I could say the same about Keene. He's running around trying to rally the Nightkin into fighting the attackers. Doc's inside trying to calm him down for now, but if this goes on for much longer I'm afraid he's going to get them all killed."

She sighed. "I'll see what I can do about those snipers."

Amy darted out of her bungalow across to the adjacent one, her golden skin gleamed gently in the pale moonlight. Flicking a switch on her scope, she brought the rifle to her shoulder and scanned the horizon.

"Bingo," she murmured as she lined up the circular reticle with the crouched figure she spotted half hidden behind a large pine tree. Squeezing the trigger she watched the figure fall backwards and disintegrate into a pile of ash. Suddenly, the bungalow wall by her face exploded and she flung herself back around the corner.

"Fuck!" she cried, grabbing her grazed cheek. Wake up, Amy! What's wrong with you? Focus!

Suddenly, the town was basked in a warm, red glow from a suspended ball of light in the night sky. Looking up, Amy shook her head and chuckled as she traced the smoke from the flare to its source in the mountain.

"Amateur," she muttered.

Turning a dial on the rear of her rifle anti-clockwise, she dashed around the bungalow to the next for a better angle and brought the scope up to her face once more. The figure wasn't too hard to spot: crouched beside a rock, a scoped Assault Rifle by his face, scanning the buildings in the town for his target. Taking deep, slow breaths, she carefully aligned the reticle with her target's leg, and rested her finger against the trigger. Pausing her breathing, she carefully pulled the trigger back and watched the bolt of light hit her target's thigh, causing him to buckle backwards and grasp his leg in pain.

Amy shot up and dashed towards the town entrance, then up into the mountain towards her wounded prey. The red glow of the flare still lit the forest floor, and it didn't take her long to locate her target, now leaning against the grey rock. She shot a warning shot by his torso, startling him.

"Do anything silly and you'll be a sorry pile of ash," she hissed as the man raised his hands up by his head.

"Please... It was only a job! I... I need the caps!"

"Yes, and fairly new to the business too, aren't you? True, you can see a lot more with a flare, but it does tend to give away your location, doesn't it?"

He nodded.

"Now to business: who sent you?"

The man continued to pant, but otherwise remained silent. Amy rolled her eyes and adjusted the dial on her rifle, this time turning it clockwise, and pointed it back at him.

"At this power and range, you'd definitely be ash no matter where I shoot. So tell me. Who sent you?"

The man whimpered. "If I tell you... They're going kill me anyway."

"If I've learned anything in the past five years, the Wasteland's a big enough place to hide. So you can either try your luck with them later, or right now running away with that leg and my aim."

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Our gang was contracted, but I don't know who by. We were supposed to provoke them, do anything to make them mad. Boss even said they'd even give us a bonus if we took out a few muties along the way too."

"If you don't know who contracted you, then who does?"

"Just the boss I guess."

"Where can I find him?"

He paused, frowning, his lips tight shut. Amy sighed, and raised the rifle to his head.

"Last chance. Where can I find him."

"Oh fuck," he whimpered. "I'm so dead for this... Monte Carlo Suites. You can find her at the Monte Carlo Suites. It's south of Westside."

"Thank you. Now that wasn't too hard now, was it?" Amy smiled, lowering her rifle as she walked up to him. "Now let's have a look at that leg."

Amy hit the butt of the rifle against his head, lumped his unconscious body over her shoulder and made her way back to the entrance of Jacobstown where Marcus was waiting for her.

"So?" he asked, as Amy dropped the man onto the ground between them. "What's the news?"

"These guys are different from the last bunch. Amateurs. But that's not the only thing that's changed. Last time their orders were to cause general disruption and provoke a response right? Well this time they've got orders to kill a few of you off too."
"Probably got tired of waiting for that response."

"But then why send amateurs? Why not proper mercenaries like before? They'd take more of us out that way. I've got a lead. He said his bunch were camping out south of Westside, and their leader knows more about their contractors."

"Look, Amelia, I really appreciate your concern for us, but don't worry about it. There's no point getting into further trouble."

"Marcus, if this goes on for much longer, they're going to pick you off one by one until you're all dead! This is supposed to be a sanctuary for your kind! And think of the Nightkin. The only chance of curing them is here. Without Jacobstown, they'll be no hope for mutants in the area. Please, let me help you."

"But you've already helped us so much, ever since you got here."

"You took me in and let me stay. Jacobstown is my home now too, and I will do everything in my power to protect my home and my family."

He frowned. "In that case, I guess I can't really stop you... Thank you, Amy. We owe you a lot."

"Oh, Marcus..."

Amy reached her arms out towards the mutant as he pulled her in and the couple embraced.

"You be careful out there, okay?"

Amy pulled back and nodded. "I'll leave in the morning. Say goodbye to Lily for me will you?"

Marcus nodded as Amy started walking back to her bungalow.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," she said, turning back to the mutant. "Could you have Hudson take a look at his leg? I'd like to take him with me tomorrow."

"Will do," he smiled. "Goodnight, Amy."

"Goodnight, Marcus."