"...Oh, well, I roam from town to town
I go through life without a care
And I'm as happy as a clown
I with my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere..."
The radio continued to play softly in the dimly lit Third Rail. A few heads turned as they heard the sound of boots coming down the stairs. A short statured soldier in old armor looked at the patrons. The dark helmet covered the head and red tinted optics shielded looked around.
"Nice coat kid." Ham, the bouncer of the club, snickered.
The soldier's hands flew into the pockets of the duster tightening it around the black armor. Making way over towards the bar where a Mr. Handy was serving drinks.
"Aren't you a little short for a Ranger" Charlie spoke making his way over to the soldier hopping onto the bar stool.
"It's nice to see the entire Commonwealth so welcoming to its visitors" a distorted metallic voice came out of the helmet.
"What's your poison?" He asked.
"I'm not looking for a drink" the soldier said glancing around the bar at the other customers.
"Well what do you want then" Charlie said aggressively as he wiped a glass.
"How are you on gossip" the soldier asked.
"Depends on who" He said quietly.
/
MacCready kicked his feet up on the worn couch in the VIP room. He flipped on the radio tuning it to Diamond City Radio and tipped his cap over his eyes.
"God I miss Three Dog.." He muttered listening to Travis try and keep himself together and turn the word vomit into a story. The last month the big story was the vault dweller who was trying to find his kid. MacCready had only over heard a few things from Charlie and Fahrenheit about the Sole Survivor. MacCready smirked at the thought of some prewar schmuck taking down the institute, although he had seen crazier things in the Capital.
MacCready woke with a start as he fell off of the couch. He threw his hat off of his head and opened his mouth to yell when he looked up and saw two Gunners standing over him.
"What the fu-..heck do you want" he said brushing himself off and picking up his cap.
"Not surprised to see you in a dump like this." The scrawny one laughed.
"It's been three months I told you as-..jerks I quit. Now we can take this outside or you two morons can take a hike." MacCready said.
"Listen the only reason you aren't six feet under is we don't want a war with Goodneighbor ," he said interrupting his companion, "keep doing business in the Commonwealth and we will be more than messengers."
MacCready gritted his teeth but kept his mouth shut. He saw a small figure walk into the VIP room and sit in the chair by the doorway.
"I have a client if you don't mind" he said lighting a cigarette.
"If you know what's good for you and your 'clients' you'll pack up and leave." The man said walking out.
The second man squatted down to eye level of the soldier and began to chuckle.
"Something funny" the soldier asked.
"I like tourists...like to see how long it takes for them to crack" he laughed.
"Why don't you and your girlfriend get out of here-" the soldier said.
"What the fuck did you say to me" He said grabbing the soldier by the throat and lifting them off the ground.
"Winlock" the other called to his partner.
The man released the soldier and stormed out of the room slamming the door. The soldier began coughing and made their way to the sofa across from MacCready.
"Charlie send you?" He asked as smoke fell from his lips.
The soldier nodding sat down and began unfastening the helmet.
"250 upfront and I'll follow you. Depending on where we go from there it may be more" he said grabbing his beer and taking a seat kicking his leg up on the table in front of him.
"What's your name kid." He asked.
"...Stella...Williams" the soldier said.
MacCready raised his eyebrows as he noticed the voice was timid without the mask on.
"Didn't make the kid to be a chick" he thought to himself taking in her features.
He watched her light a cigerette between her full pink lips as the room filled with the stale scent. His eyes scanned her tanned face noticing the small scars across her dark brown eyes. She brushed her fingers through her long brown hair and scratched the left side which was buzzed down. He smirked as she gulped down the rest of her drink.
"What does an NCR member need with a merc anyhow." He asked.
"I need...I need someone familiar with the area." She said taking another puff of smoke.
"No problem...where we going" he said taking another drink.
"Im not sure...I was told that your familiar with the people I'm looking for." She said.
"Oh yeah?" He raised his eyebrow at her.
"Brotherhood of Steel" she said putting out her cigarette.
"Pfft..go big or go home I guess" he laughed.
"I didn't come all this way for shits and giggles...I got the caps if your in...plus some incentive " She said getting up and throwing an old vault tec lunch box.
It hit the floor and opened spilling caps before his feet. She grabbed her helmet and walked out of the room.
MacCready stared at the pile of caps and sighed. Picking up and putting all the caps in a bag. Counting his ammo he grabbed his rifle.
"If anything she'll chicken out and I get paid for a field trip" he thought to himself.
He closed the door behind him and saw the woman sitting at the bar looking at a scrap of paper. As he walked towards her she turned to him.
"When did you wanna leave boss" he sighed putting the rifle over his shoulder onto his back.
"We can leave now if that's okay." She said shoving the paper in her rucksack.
"We can stop at KL-E-0's on our way out stock up on ammo before we head out" he said.
"Sounds good" she smiled shoving the helmet on her head.
/
Walking out of Goodneighbor MacCready noticed how shaky the girl was loading the .44, dropping shells as she walked and having the pick them back up. The sun was setting as the two followed the broken side walk leading to a tipped over bus. He knelt down and motioned for her to follow.
"There is a raider camp right up ahead...I can take out a few before they all head out...I need you to get over the bus and sneak to towards that garbage can plant these mines...we can take them out no problem.." He whispered.
"Got it" Stella whispered.
Stella climbed the rubble behind MacCready and hopped over the bus. She glanced back at him watching him lay on his stomach and look through the scope of his gun. She took a deep breath and crouched down sneaking towards the camp mines in hand. Tossing them softly towards the middle of the road as she crept she could hear the radio from the camp ahead.
"Keep calm..." Stella whispered to herself as she tossed the last mine.
Positioning herself with her back to a mailbox she looked back and saw MacCready waving giving her the signal to return. As she took the first step she heard a faint beeping noise. Cocking her head to the middle of the road she saw three ghouls approaching her stepping on the frag mines.
"Fuck" Stella gasped grabbing her pistol shielding her face.
Chunks of rubble flew in all directions and shrapnel collided with her slicing her arms. Ghoul chunks scattered covering the road. Stella heard gun fire, turning she saw MacCready firing at the raiders funneling into the street. Stella gasped and raised her pistol at the approaching junkie with the baseball bat. She squeezed the trigger hitting the man in the kneecap. Watching him hit the ground she took off towards the bus. She heard the crack of a rifle and felt a horrible pain. The burning sensation in her shoulder made her drop to the ground on her knees. She clutched her shoulder and turned seeing a raider behind her, as he raised the gun to pistol whip her she flinched and turned her head.
"This is it" she thought waiting for the impact.
She heard a gun shot and a thud. Opening her eyes she couldn't see through the red eye holes of her helmet. Ripping it off of her head and tossing it aside she saw the raider, his head blown clean off. Staggering to her feet she sprinted towards the sniper clutching her shoulder. She heard the raiders screams as they triggered the remaining mines. Positioning herself in front of the bus, she helped MacCready pick off the stragglers. When the final raider hit the dirt she heard MacCready hop down.
"You okay?" He asked
"I think so" she winced holding pressure on her shoulder.
"Come on we can check you out in their camp. They as hell aren't using it." He said leading the way.
Stepping over the dead they entered the camp.
"Okay let me see it." He said motioning for her to take off the duster.
Stella tossed the tan jacket on the back of a nearby chair. Clicking the sides of the armor the black heavy armor fell off. She unzipped her black under shirt and winced as she slid it off. MacCready's cheeks flushed slightly as he squatted down next to the woman who was now shirtless. He examine the bullet wound and sighed heavily.
"Thankfully it went through..." He said," do you want Med-X too or just the stimpack."
"Both" she sighed.
MacCready injected the shots into the wound and waited for the woman to put her armor back on. He watched her reach for her clothes and admired her toned curved figure before the black shirt was zipped up. As the zipper went up and over her breasts she glanced up and their eyes locked. He turned around quickly and poked around the camp picking up ammo and caps from containers as she finished.
"You know you're a terrible shot, how'd you become a Ranger?"He laughed.
"Well good job seeing those ghouls so thanks for that." She snapped putting her duster back on.
"Whoa..defensive much.. Sorry" he muttered.
"Let's just keep going" she said walking towards the camp gates.
"Aye aye captain" he saluted mockingly.
They continued on the road in silence for an hour before she spoke.
"How much longer" she quietly asked.
"Probably another few hours...there's a safe house I use from time to time on the next block I use from time to time we can crash at till morning...I don't like traveling at night anyway." He said.
The approached what used to be a flower shop and MacCready began picking the lock. They heard a click and the door popped open. Stella looked around the shop seeing the rubbish and bones on the ground.
"Don't worry princess, We are staying on the roof" he smirked.
She rolled her eyes at him and started up the stairs. Passing the remains of then prewar apartment above the shop they climbed out the window and climbed up the fire escape.
Stella stared up at the night sky shivering. She layed on the roof using her pack as a pillow. MacCready sat on the edge of the roof and watched out in the distance and watched the flash of gunfire listening to the calls of raiders and screams of ghouls.
"I'm sorry about snapping" Stella said sitting up Indian style.
"No big deal boss" he said not even turning her way.
"So...Charlie said you have experience with the brotherhood...did you use to be a member.." She asked.
"No way in hell" he laughed turning towards her," grew up in Capital Wasteland it's the home base of those tin cans".
"So are we going to the Captial..." She asked.
"No they came to us" he pointed off to the distance at a huge blimp.
"They sure aren't hiding" she scoffed
"So please tell me you, are forcing me into a fight with the 'great' elder Maxson?" He asked.
"No, of course not..." She said quietly," I just want to know what happened to my brother".
/