The morning sun slipped through the many holes in the walls of the Megaton common house, making a spotted pattern of light across the floor, beds... and my eyelids. I groaned, rolling onto my side and turning my back to the punctured wall in an attempt to ignore the sunrise and go back to sleep. It might have worked, if not for the person on the bunk above mine who was snoring louder than a ripper trying to cut through rock.

I yawned, slowly opening my eyes and sitting up. I mindlessly attempted to wipe some of the black grime off my white shirt and brown slacks, paying no mind to the fact it was firmly ground into the fabric. It was more of a morning ritual than anything, as was my normal pep-talk. I stood up, stretched, and walked over to one of the more sizable holes in the side of the building that overlooked the slope into the crater the town was built around.

"Another day of scavenging, radiation and raiders. What's not to love about life in the capitol wasteland?" I muttered to myself in a sarcastic tone. Oh yeah, very peppy. I reached into my pocket and counted up how many bottlecaps I had left, before heading out to get some breakfast.

---

I followed the path down into the crater, slowing to listen to Confessor Cromwell as he stood in front of the bomb that was stuck in the middle of town. He was preaching on about the power of atom, or some such nonsense. I just rolled my eyes and kept on walking to the Brass Lantern, my favorite place in town to grab a meal. Granted the only competition was Moriarty's Saloon, but that place wasn't somewhere I liked to visit on a regular basis. Nova always tried to get me to order her... services. Gob, though nice enough for a ghoul, always put me off eating from the smell of rot. As for Moriarty himself, I find my thoughts turning dark and bloody whenever he's around.

"Good morning!" Jenni, one of the three Stahl siblings that ran the Brass Lantern, said brightly as I approached. She was wearing her yellow jumpsuit, as usual. Hard to miss among the drab surroundings, even if it was just as stained as everything else.

I grunted in response, not feeling very sociable. I never did in the morning.

She just smiled at me, probably too used to my morning demeanor by now to think much of it. "Big day ahead of you?"

"No idea." I muttered, sitting down on one of the stools along the bar out front. I ordered my breakfast from Jenni, and continued to half-listen to Cromwell's speech. I was used to just tuning his voice out. After all, he made the same sermon almost every day.

"You hear about the new arrivals in town?" Jenni asked, setting my food on the bar. Snack cakes and a Nuka-Cola. Make any comment you like about the lack of nutrition, but I've found no better way to wake up in the morning than the caffeine and sugar rush that combo provides.

"I don't pay much attention to people passing through." I said tiredly, before cramming one of the cakes into my mouth.

"Me either, but people visiting the Lantern have been talking. Apparently a couple people showed up on the same day, and still haven't left. Like they're waiting around for something." She said, leaning on the bar. "You've heard of Regulators, right?"

I gave her an annoyed look, popping the cap off my Nuka-Cola. Who hadn't heard of the Regulators? They were a group of people that went around gunning down anybody with a less than favorable reputation. I wasn't too fond of them, to be honest. Of course, the fact that they'd taken their fair amount of shots at me in the past might have made me a little biased. I'm just glad they thought I was dead again, or I'd probably still be on the run from them.

Jenni took my expression as a yes. "There's one of them in town. An old friend of the Sheriff, apparently. Someone named Katharine."

I choked on my cola. "Katharine? Are you sure?" I asked between coughs.

She raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

"Maybe." I muttered. A Regulator named Kathrine? Damn right I knew her. She was the only one that managed to come after me countless times and survive. The woman had a lucky streak, and probably a lot of spite toward me at this point. I'd lost track of how many Regulators I'd gunned down around her. That was a long time ago though. If it was her, maybe she wouldn't remember my face.

And maybe someone would find a Yao Guai cute.

I rubbed my forehead, taking a swig of cola. "And the other arrivals?"

"A mercenary. I don't know his name, but he's not the chatty type. There're rumors that he's going to start trouble."

"If he's a merc, he's boundto cause trouble. I just hope he's not one of those Talon psychopaths. Those people usually end up on my bad side." I said, thoughts drifting through another lifetime. I had too many of the damn things. And it seemed like I could never stick with one for more than five years... which fit perfectly since I'd been staying in Megaton for about that long. Damn it.

"You bumped into Talon guys in the wastes?" Jenni asked, looking very skeptical. "No offense, but you don't look like you could fight a group of them and live."

"You'd be surprised." I said simply, looking toward the path to the city gate. The thought of Katharine in town was making me nervous. Leaving town for a few days might be a good idea. I was still on good terms with a couple people out in the wastes, they might let me stay with them if I had to.

Someone walking down the path I was watching caught my attention. They were wearing a dirty blue jumpsuit, bloodstains apparent on their right side and sleeve, but by the way they were moving it wasn't theirs. Or they were dosed up to the eyeballs on Med-X. They must've caught the sheriff's attention too, since I saw Simms approach to give them what I figured would be his normal welcome speech and warning.

I turned back to my breakfast, not really interested. I ate another cake and looked at Jenni, who was focused on Simms and the newcomer. "I thought you didn't pay attention to wanderers."

She didn't reply, she just kept staring at them. I thought she looked worried, though I don't know why. People came through all the time, it was nothing exciting. I finished my last cake and stood up, taking the half-bottle of Nuka-Cola with me as I left Jenni to gawk.

---

The paths in Megaton, in my opinion, were far from straightforward. It took me two months to get used to them, and I still get turned around occasionally. I got up to a path overlooking the bomb and stopped, leaning against the rusty railing. I scanned the town slowly. Rusty and decrepit buildings, leaky water pipes, bomb-worshipping oddballs... but still a nice place to live, which was hard to come by in a wasteland. I didn't want that to be screwed up by anyone. Especially not me.

"Jump already, the suspense is killing me." Someone behind me said.

I spun around, reaching for a gun I didn't have on instinct. My hand closed on air as my eyes fell on the man behind me. A buzzed haircut, rough beard, battered metal armor, the butt of a chinese assault rifle visible over his shoulder... and a very unpleasant voice to match his scowling face.

"Morning, Jericho." I said, relaxing. He might have been an asshole, but we got along. Hell, we used to work together before we both gave up the raider gig. Of course, he'd just retired... I'd moved on to other, some might say evil, things. "Off for your morning drink at Moriarty's Saloon?"

"Damn right I am." He said with a laugh. The smell of alcohol drifted on his breath, probably from his morning drink at home. Same as when he was a raider... old habits really do die hard. "You off to do another job for that crazy bitch?"

I glared at him. "Maybe, but you don't need to call her that."

He just shrugged. "You want to work for nut jobs like her, that's your business. I need to get back to mine."

"Drinking?"

"Damn right." And with that, he walked off.

I watched him go for a few moments before letting out a sigh. I tossed my empty bottle over the railing and hurried off to Craterside Supply.

---

The door opened with a creak, but I doubt anyone heard it over the yelling.

"Damn it, Moira! What the hell is in this thing?!"

"It's just some batteries, I don't know what you're so worked up about."

"Just batteries?! This thing must weigh a ton!"

"Don't be silly. There's only about fifty in there, so it's only a quarter of a ton at the most."

I stepped inside the shop, watching the two of them. Moira was standing near the console along the wall, watching as her mercenary struggled with a metal box. Neither of them had noticed me.

"Damn it, I'm supposed to just watch the store. How the hell am I supposed to guard the place if I break both my arms carrying your overweight shit?!" The Mercenary snapped, though with a very strained voice.

"That's what stimpacks are for." She said, sounding chipper as usual. I don't think I've ever seen her mad. I don't think I'd want to. "Or you could always try the new superstim I'm working on. That'll give you a great boost!"

There was a heavy thud as the mercenary dropped the box along the wall. "After the last thing you gave me, forget it. Your superstim would probably make my eyeballs explode."

"Now there's something I'd love to see." I commented.

The mercenary looked over his shoulder, glaring at me. "Shut it. I'm not in the mood to listen to your shit today."

"Always a pleasure, Jack." I said with a wave, walking over to Moira. "Got another mission that borders on suicidal for me today?"

"I'm afraid not." She said with a smile. "Jack and I are going out of town for a few days, so if you need anything, you'd better get it now."

"Out of town?" I raised an eyebrow. "You?"

"I know, I know. It's unheard of for me to leave my workshop for more than a few minutes, but I've been meaning to take a trip to Rivet City for a long time. Something tells me today is the day to do it." She walked behind the counter, opening a box behind it and shuffling through what sounded like bits of metal.

You and me both, Moira. I thought, scratching my head. "Did you manage to finish up repairs on my gun?"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that!" She closed the box she was looking through and reached into a drawer built into the counter. "Got it right here. Took me forever to find that old piece I had, sorry about that."

"And here I thought this was ordered chaos." I glanced around the room. Various parts lay strewn about on the floor and by the walls. Boxes were stacked oddly and a couple had tipped over, adding more onto the floor. The shelves were a mess with tools and scrap. There wasn't even a toolbox in sight. Now that I thought about it, as bad as her place had looked in the past, it seemed worse today. A lot worse. "Housekeeping problems?" I asked casually.

"Something like that." Moira laughed, holding out my gun.

I took it and gave it a once-over. It's not that I didn't trust Moira, I just like to know my weapons are in good working order. Normally I take care of repairs myself, but when it came to a broken silencer, I didn't have many options. Damn that raider and his sledgehammer to hell. I wiped some of the grease off the barrel, which had come from Moira's hands, and slipped the silenced 10mm into the holster on my belt. "Thanks a bunch."

"No problem. Need anything else?" She inquired, going back behind the counter and looking through one of the shelves.

I blinked at her, wondering if she was okay. Either she was worried, distracted, or excited about something, I figured. She usually paid more attention to visitors, occasionally talking their ears off until they left. So far she'd only said anything in reply. It was strange. Then again, if she was going to Rivet City, she probably just wanted to make sure everything was in order. I brushed the thought aside, the odd conversation with Jenni and thought of Katharine was probably just making me nervous enough to be jumping at nothing.

"Nope. Have fun on your trip, Moira." I said, heading out of the shop. "Good luck to you too, Jack." A cheerful goodbye and irritated grunt came from behind me just before the door closed. I had two more stops to make before heading out of town. Hopefully Katharine wouldn't be at either.

---

I peeked inside Moriarty's Saloon. Nova was in her usual spot, being chatted up by Jericho. The guy didn't waste any time... another thing that hadn't changed. Gob was staring down at the counter, wiping it with a cloth and looking as he usually did. Decayed and depressed. Working for that bastard Moriarty, I could hardly blame him. Though it's not like he had a choice in the matter. There were a few other people sitting at tables, drinking even this early. Moriarty, however, was nowhere in sight. Things were looking up.

"Morning, Gob." I said, walking in and planting myself on the nearest barstool. They were all empty, as usual. Looking at a ghoul and trying to eat were two activities that didn't go together well for most people.

Gob's expression perked up a little upon seeing me. I was probably one of the few people in town that didn't treat him like crap. I'd seen enough ghouls in my life to feel the same way about them as anyone else. If they weren't trying to kill me, or didn't generally piss me off, I liked them.

"Hey there, what can I get ya?" He asked, his voice raspy, like all ghouls.

I felt around in my pocket, trying to remember how many caps I had left after blowing half of them on breakfast. "I'll take two... no, three bottles of whiskey."

He stared at me for a moment. I'd never asked for one drink this early, let alone three, so I could understand his surprise. "Expecting company, or having a bad morning?" He wondered, setting aside his cloth.

I leaned on the counter, arms crossed. "Yes on both counts. I'm hoping to avoid the company part though, so I won't be sticking around."

"Right." He muttered, heading to the storage fridge in back.

I heard the door to the tavern creak open, and felt a tingle across the back of my neck. I don't know how to explain it, really, but after all the hell I've seen and caused in the wastes, my instinct for danger has become pretty sharp. Half the time I don't know what's causing it, either. Maybe I've got a sixth sense about things... or I'm just overly paranoid. Probably the latter.

Gob had returned and set three bottles of whiskey on the counter. I was reaching for my caps when a very familiar voice came from my right.

"Good God, I've heard of heavy drinkers before but all that this early? Crazy." It commented.

My heart skipped a beat or three, and I suppressed the urge to run. Not that it took much to stop me, my legs had stiffened so much I thought they had merged with the barstool for a second. I swallowed, taking a couple deep breaths and trying to relax.

"You okay? You're looking a little pale, there, buddy."

I chanced a glance at her, offering a very forced smile. "Oh yeah, just dandy. Mornings are just a bitch, ya know?" I said with a dry laugh.

A woman with shoulder-length red has was sitting on the barstool to my right, her left hand tucked into the pocket of her duster and a look of concern on her face. "You're not gonna puke, are ya?" She inquired.

Maybe...

"No, no... just feeling a little off. Nothing to worry about." I said quickly, grabbing the bottles of whiskey and pocketing two of them. "See you around, Gob." I forced my legs to detach from the barstool and hurried out the door at a speed just short of a sprint.

---

My mind was a blur as I left the saloon. Katharine hadn't realized who I was, thankfully. I just hadn't realized how much she scared the hell out of me before now. She hadn't been threatening at all back there, and I still freaked out. Was it the thought of my semi-peaceful life being blown to hell? The memories of my lives long past being brought back that I simply wanted to forget? Or, maybe, it was just because no matter how many shells I fired, grenades I threw and clips I emptied in her direction over so many years, the woman just wouldn't die.

I shook my head and kept moving down the winding paths until I found myself outside the water processing plant. My legs took me exactly where I wanted to go, even in that panicked state. To me it was more proof I just wanted to get out of Megaton, fast. I wasn't one to argue with instinct.

I pushed the plant door open and walked in. "Hey, Walter, I'm not gonna be able to help with the... repairs for..." I trailed off, my mind slowly whirring away from Katharine to the sight before me. It took me a few seconds to understand I was seeing something like that in a relatively quiet town like Megaton.

Walter was on his knees, bent over and grasping one of the water pipes, staring at me with a terrified look in his eyes. A woman was behind him, one foot planted on Walter's left calf, which had a long, bloody slash running down it. She was holding a combat knife in her left hand and a bloodstained sword in her right, the tip pressed against Walter's back.

I noticed her clothing before her face, since it was familiar. Blue with blood covering the right sleeve and side. It was the person Simms had approached earlier. She was looking at me, clearly surprised I had walked in on them. Maybe just as surprised as me.

She looked down at Walter, who was trembling. I could tell she was thinking things over, quickly weighing her options. Something told me she'd had to do it before. It only took her a couple seconds to make up her mind, but what she decided on took me by surprise.

She laughed.

It was a crazy person's laugh... and not a cheerfully crazy one like Moira's. It was cold enough to freeze water. It said more in a breath than words could in a lifetime. She'd killed before... a lot... and I was willing to bet she enjoyed it every time. She looked up at me, long black hair covering her right eye but not obscuring the twisted grin on her face.

"I do so hate interruptions." She said calmly, turning her attention back to Walter. Her fingers tightened and she plunged the sword into his back, not stopping until it had gone all the way through him and struck the floor. He let out a cry of pain, losing his grip on the pipe and landing flat on the ground as she tore the blade out of him. I took a step back, watching in horror as she brought the sword down on him two more times before he finally fell silent.

"That takes care of one little problem." She rested the blade on her shoulder and turned her frigid gaze to me. "Now for the other one."