Passionate Survival: Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello there! This is my first fanfiction and I had a lot of fun writing it! I'm still confused how the this site works, but please give me reviews! ^-^

The woman with jet black hair hidden in the brown hood she was wearing over her head had just entered into the settlement of Megaton. This wasn't her first visit in such a place. It has been two weeks since she left the vault which was her home for 19 years. She wouldn't have to endure such hardships if her father didn't abandon her, leaving her to potentially die in the place which she thought was her sanctuary. It was currently in chaos because of the radroaches infesting the place, and she wasn't sure how everyone was handling them all.

She sighed as she tugged onto the hood covering half of her face. She had taken it off of the dead body she had shot down several days ago. She couldn't quite remember what happened, but she remembered that he was trying to kill her with a sniper, and she couldn't have that come about.

It's funny how she was once an innocent and helpless girl who cried over the death of the radroach she was pressured to shoot at when she was merely 10 years old. That was during the good old days before she left the vault. Now a massive amount of blood in front of her is no longer a painful sight. In fact, it matches perfectly with the color of her eyes which were a dark shade of red. Although she already accepted her changed violent ways, she felt that every time she killed someone, her own death would more painful in the future. She indeed believed in karma. There was too much evil and corruption in the Capital Wasteland. There was no way a girl who was taught to be good for all her life could bring justice in this god forsaken land. Everyday people and animals die. Whether they are innocent or not, they die. She remembered killing a merchant that had offered her some purified water. She didn't have enough money or items to swap for that drop of liquid that would satisfy her need for survival, so she decided to kill him with the police baton she had taken during her escape from the vault. That was her first kill; an innocent man. She remembered vomiting at the sight of his corpse with the baton struck through his skull and crying for the first few nights from guilt, but now she thought of it as an unsettling illusion that never happened. The hood she was wearing was the best thing she could do to hide her identity from the evilness of the world. She was probably just as equally evil as the raiders and slavers out there, but unlike them, she was aware of her malicious ways. They were used to it and thought of their killings as normal. However, she knew how sinful it was to shed blood. She wore the hood in shame, but nevertheless, she still accepted her foul and vulgar ways. It was all for survival. Survival…

She looked upwards to the people walking by her in Megaton. Everyone seemed content despite their complaints about the condition of their homes and health. A few stares from the inhabitants were noticed as she walked by them on her way to the saloon. She didn't blame them. She was born with eyes that has never given her viewer tranquility like it would if they were blue or green. This was why she avoided looking at anyone, so that she wouldn't feel their eyes upon her filthy existence.

She took a step into the familiar bar and looked upwards. A ghoul, who was the bartender, had been rubbing a white cloth over glassware. He stopped his actions to look at the girl who had just walked in. He gave her a small smile when he recognized her and nodded his head as a form of greeting since his hands were busy. She responded with a nod of her own and proceeded to sit down at the stool in front of his table. That was her usual sitting area, next to the only friend she's made in the wasteland: Gob the ghoul. As she walked, however, her eyes were caught by a man in the suit sitting down at the chair in the corner.

His eyes were masked by his sunglasses that looked as if it was manufactured by a wealthy prewar company. He was wearing a business suit along with a matching hat. It was no longer unusual to see that man looking so formal in a place like this. It was also not peculiar that he was bidding her to come forth to him. She was familiarized with this sight because every time she came to visit Gob and to get a drink, this man would be sitting on the same seat while performing the same hand gesture to her. Each time she saw him, she would ignore him, but it's been about 2 weeks, and yet he's still persistent about their meeting. What could a man like that possibly want with a girl like her? For his sake, he'd better not be assuming she was a hooker like Nova, or she would almost certainly hit him for that thought. She decided to take the chance and approached the mysterious man out of curiosity.

"Ah, my dear. I've been waiting for you. Your presence here surely delights me." He spoke in a charming tone of voice along with a smile. All she could see in what just happened was pure bullshit. This was all a front for something he wanted from her.

"I'm going to have to ask for you to get to the point, if you would be as so kind. What do you want?" She spoke coldly. She didn't come in this saloon to take part of this dull socializing. She was looking quite forward to drinking a cold glass of beer and telling Gob about more of her adventures in the wasteland. He positively enjoyed listening to her stories.

The man responded with a chuckle. "My, aren't you in a rush to get into business. I like that." He smirked at her. That gave her chills. She wasn't sure if he was trying to be seductive to get what he wanted, or it came out natural for a sophisticated man like himself. "I'm sure you have noticed the giant bomb dwelling in the middle of the city?"

She nodded her head in affirmation.

He leaned back onto his chair and locked his fingers together. He stared onto the girl before him. "You have no connection to these people. You seem to be someone who value their life more than the sake of others." He nodded towards the stain of blood on the hip of her leather armor.

She placed her hand over the spot. That was the area where she had shot the man who had previously worn this armor. She didn't expect anyone to find such an insignificant stain so easily as this man. "The bomb", He continued, "It is still alive. I want you to detonate the bomb with the Fusion Pulse Charge I have in my possession. If you accept this job, I promise you a life full of luxury and wealth."

She felt as if a dagger had struck her heart. She had always wanted an opportunity such as this. One small deed that could lead to a lifetime of comfort and lavishness. This small deed, however, involved a killing of a massive amount of people. She didn't give two shits about most of the people that resided here, but she thought about the children and Gob. They undoubtedly don't deserve a sudden death like that.

"What's your name?" She spoke quietly.

"Mr. Burke."

"What's your first name?"

"My dear, we have only just met. Let's not get too friendly here. This is strictly business…though I admit I may find you more arousal than a sheer bomb detonator recruiter."

She wanted to scoff. He probably compliments every woman that he wishes to work with. He can't even see her face with her hood covering her head!

"Well then, Mister Burke. I'm afraid I'm going to decline your offer. I'm not interested in a job such as that, and I advise you to refrain talking to me ever again." She turned around to leave. She had always thought of herself as being a revolting individual for killing handfuls of innocent people from time to time. This man, however, was comfortable enough to be able to kill the entire town filled with women and children. He was more disgusting than she could ever imagine. He made her feel like a saint.

"Alice!" He spoke sharply before she could even take the first step away from him.

Her eyes widened in surprise and quickly turned around to face him.

"How did you…."

"This is a small town. It doesn't require much effort to recognize the individuals here." The fake smile that was once plastered on his face was now gone. He was wholly serious. "Do you honestly want to spend the rest of your life rotting away in a place like this? Look at me."

She hesitated before tilting her head upwards to face him uneasily. During their whole conversation, she had been looking down at the ground, avoiding his gaze. Now that she got a closer look at him, she noticed he was different than the other Megaton settlers. He was….clean. There wasn't a speck of dirt on his skin and his outfit was well-made. As if it's been recently tailored. It's surprising to see how hygienic one can be when the wasteland is filled with…waste. It was hard to clean oneself anyways since the water was filled with radiation. He raised his arms to the side, allowing her to view everything there is to see from where she was standing.

"You are looking at a very successful man who lives in highest floor of Tenpenny Tower. It's a hotel filled with fresh water, food, clothes, and anything wastelanders would kill to get into. However, they will never have the chance to do so. You, however, do." The smile returned to his face as he finished talking. "All you have to do is to accomplish one simple deed, and it's all yours."

She didn't respond and continued standing there. She felt herself jumping slightly as he suddenly got onto his feet and leaned towards her, stopping when he was inches away from her face. Their lips were slightly touching as he whispered against her. "I promise you, once you experience my reward; you won't have to take a gamble as to whether you'll live today, or die tomorrow. You'll be safe forever, enjoying the luxurious benefits Tenpenny Tower has to offer to you."

Alice couldn't tell if he could feel her own lips trembling against his. She's never been this close to anyone before, and the heat that was escaping from his breath and body was making her nervous. She stepped back from him to regain her comfort zone, but was pulled back instantly. Her hood flew from her head from the force and her lock of hair was released as her crimson eyes looked upon the man who was now staring intently at her. His eyes had widened in what it seems to be of surprise, but they returned to normal when he resumed to what he initially planned to do. She felt something poking her lightly on her stomach and looked down to see a gun.

"It's a silenced 10mm pistol. If your answer to my proposition is what I think it is, I expect you to tell me right now why I shouldn't use this on you." She looked back up at him. She was now close enough to faintly see his eyes hidden behind his glasses. They were staring into her own hues. She noticed something. Although his eyes were silently threatening her, it wasn't from rage. They looked as if they were…hungry. Lustful.

She then had an idea. She can use him to get to that Tenpenny Tower place without killing all these people. She already had him in the palm of her hands. If she worked her charms correctly, perhaps it'll work to her advantage.

Her lips curved to a grin and slid her hands from his stomach all the way up to his chest. She could feel his abs underneath his clothing as she did so. She allowed one of her hand to rest on his chest while continued sliding her other hand upwards until it reached the side of his face. "I'll grant you a favor with my company. How does that sound?" The words came seductively out of her mouth; almost in the form of a moan. Although she did not have any sort of sexual experiences before, it was fortunate that she had the ability to lie about it.

Mr. Burke was staring at her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, so she waiting. It looked as if he was searching for any hint of falsehood in her words. He smirked again and leaned his head forward so that his lips were touching against her ear. "I suppose we can arrange that. You'd best be as skillful you seem to be." He then grabbed her hand and pulled her away towards the door. She quickly looked back at Gob. He was watching her confusedly. She hoped this wasn't going to be the last time she will see her only friend.

She sighed as they walked. Although she was somewhat excited to see the place, she was not anticipating the long walk there. Mr. Burke was still holding her hand. She's never held anyone's hand before other than her dad's, but that was when she was a young child. His hands felt a bit rough. He must work a lot with his hands. Just what kind of business is he involved in that requires so much work? Could he be part of a group that requires a lot of killing?

"We are here, my dear."

She snapped out of her trance and looked up at the building in front of them. It has been less than 5 minutes, and they were still in Megaton. This must be some kind of joke.

"No need to fret, dear. This is my temporary house in this town. This is where I stayed to wait patiently for you to arrive." He gave her another one of his smile, though she felt as if there was a hint of irritation behind that beam. "I'll need to gather some belongings, so if you would please come with me to get them." She grumbled. She was one with a lack of patience.

Once he opened the door, she walked in quickly to get it over with. Unlike the other houses in Megaton, his place was pretty organized, as expected from someone like him. She heard the sound of the door closing behind her along with the sound of the door being locked. She turned around to see Mr. Burke loosening up his tie and then sliding it off.

"Mr. Burke? What…What are you doing?" Her voice was beginning to shake. She thought they were going to go to Tenpenny Tower. That was when she was going to find a way to kill him off and take his room for herself.

"My dear…I expect you didn't actually believe I was that much of an idiot? You've just landed yourself into a perfect mess." He spoke calmly as he began slipping off his jacket and collared shirt.

She looked at him in horror. He had known all along! She was about to reach for her .32 pistol when she heard a loud shot and felt her gun flying out of her fingertips. She looked back at Mr. Burke to find him glaring at her. His pants were unbuttoned and he was now pointing the gun at her. "Dear, you'd best behave yourself and not get any ideas. Let us enjoy this momentary peace now, shall we?" He removed his glasses and looked up at her. His eyes were now clearly shown as he slowly walked to her. She could tell he was feeling a mixture of victory, anger, and hunger. There was no stopping him. He was going to get what he wanted, and unfortunately, he wanted her.