"It's not far Charon, in fact we can be there by tonight!" The Vaultie said with a wide grin to her almost silent companion. He grumbled, the vault dweller still hadn't decided whether a grumble was positive or negative. The complextities of her new companion would have to she knew that he was talented with a shotgun, and he took orders from this point that was all she needed. The small piece of paper she had hidden away meant that her enemies were now his, and his enemies were not long for this earth.
"No more hiding, no more scurrying around like a rat! No more running away like a bitty little bug neither. No sir with your help big boy, i'm going to be a name that these wastelanders remember!" The Vaultie spoke almost shaking from excitement , The Vaultie had plans, plans about her future, her father, the death of a man by the name of Moriarty and many others but all of them would have to wait. The raiders of the Super Duper Mart were the first on her list.
"Here is close enough, I suggest we wait here until nightfall." Charon's said as they ducked behind a car.
"Last time I was here there was was maybe ten of them, I was clumsy and they heard me creeping by. They shot at me, a couple connected. They laughed, and all I could do was cry and run. How pathetic is that?" A few tears made their way down the Vaultie's face as she told her story. She quickly rubbed them away leaving a streak of dirt across her face her still soft face.
"I will kill them all if that is what you wish of me mistress." Charon spoke, a casualness to his voice that made the Vaultie smile. This was his element, this is what he was best at. The Vaultie stared her companion for a brief moment, her eyes wandered from his feet all the way up to his pale eyes. Her lips forming a wicked grin, she reached a hand up and placed it on his large bicep.
"Yes Charon that is exactly what I wish of you."
It was glorious, Charon moved with a steady pace, ducking behind cash registers when necessary, twisting and turning in between the aisles as the raiders emptied clips in an attempt to keep the giant ghoul at bay. As if it were a dance, Charon would dodge, sidestep,raise the shotgun to his shoulder, and with surgical precision he would pull the trigger. Raiders mutilated corpses fell to the fragments flew into the air as the raw stench of burned flesh, blood and hot metal permeated the air, making the Vaulties unblinking eyes water. She watched mesmerized as her new bodyguard made quick work of the raiders she had had so much trouble with. She had stayed out of the fight altogether, until she saw a sniper readying his rifle in order to take down the killer ghoul who was making short work of his friends. Taking a deep breath the Vaultie picked up her rifle, aiming down the sights. Her target as well was lining up his shot.
"Just like shooting radraoches." The Vaultie whispered as she pulled the trigger.
The bullet connected with the snipers skull, a squeal of triumph escaped the Vaulties lips. She turned quickly to see that Charon was nearly done. He had gunned down every raider inside the Super Duper Mart. Charon was now stalking towards a raider who legs had been blown away. The raider was pleading for mercy as he attempted to crawl away from Charon. It was a pathetic sight, seeing a once arrogant warrior blithering and babbling as he dragged himself across the floor. The Vaultie approached Charon slowly, Charon turned meeting the Vaulties gaze.
" You wanted me to kill all of them, is this correct mistress?" Charon asked, watching the Vaultie wipe her sweaty palms along her vault suit, her eyes wide staring at the mutilated raider. She nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off the raider.
"What's the matter, huh?! Can't stand the sight of your own blood?" Charon said, the corners of his mouth turning up in a menacing smile. He raised his shotgun and took aim, the Vaultie's heart quickened, ready to see the raider blown into bits. Click. Charon grunted looking at his gun, he reached into his pockets, empty as well.
" I …..m-might have some bullets for that. " The vaulites voice shaking as she began to reach for her pack.
" No need mistress." Charon dropped his gun and took a step towards the raider.
The Vaultie knew she should have shut her eyes or looked away, but she couldn't, they were stuck on the raider. In one fluid motion Charon kneeled down on one knee, placing his hand on the raiders screaming face and with a tight grip began pummeling the raiders head into the concrete floor. The crunching sound as his skull began breaking apart rang in the Vaulties ears. Stomach acid and bile began forcing itself up the Vaulties throat, she clenched her fists and swallowed it down. The blood splattering across the floor, onto Charon's armor, some drops even landing on the Vaulties shoe. He was dead after the first pummel, but Charon continued until the raiders face was no longer clinging to his skull, almost looking like Charon was holding a mask. Charon stood up, dropping that tattered skin in his hand, it fell with a 'plop' and a slight splash as it landed in the puddle of blood.
"Fuck that, fuck that!" The Vaultie choked out before steadying herself on a shelf with one hand and proceeded to spew the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Even though seeing Charon obliterate the raider had excited her, the sound was the cherry on top of the macabre was overcome with a mixture of excitement and terror, to the point that she had to vomit. She shook as she dry heaved, at this point Charon had made his way closer to her.
" Are you well mistress? " Charon asked, his gaze adding to the knots in her stomach.
The Vaultie glanced up at the intimidating ghoul, trying to regain her strength, trying to wipe puke from her face with dignity.
" Why did you do that?" The Vaultie muttered as she straightened herself out, rubbing out wrinkles in her vault suit.
" I do not understand. Did I not follow your command?" Charon spoke, the Vaultie squinted at him, the way he spoke it was straight to the point, very precise, respectful and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she could sense sarcasm, and smugness. As if he were laughing at her behind his calm demeanor.
" If I could speak freely?" Charon asked, following the Vaultie around as she began looting the corpses of the raiders.
"Of course Charon I always want you to speak freely." The Vaultie stated carefully avoiding the blood and charred portions of the raiders body as she went through the pockets .
" Perhaps my methods of disposable are too extreme for you, I will look for alternatives next time." Charon spoke, his mouth slightly twitching, the Vaultie catching it in the corner of her eye. She immediately stood up, standing as tall as she could starring the giant ghoul in the face.
" Are you laughing at me?" She asked him, attempting to look and sound intimidating.
"Of course not mistress. I apologize, under Azrukhal's employment he pushed me to the edges of my brutality, always testing what I was capable of…" Charon began, the Vaultie dropped her tough facade, her eyes no longer in an angry squint. She interrupted him by placing her hand on his arm.
" I am not Azrukhal. I will never treat you as he did. We have a lot of details to iron out big boy. But first did you want to do that to the raider, or did you just assume it was expected?" The Vaultie had grown serious, no longer angry but serious all the same. " Be totally honest."
" Both." Charon didn't look at her when he said it. He was conflicted, for the first time he cared what his employer thought of him. He did not want her to see him as the monster that he was, he felt as though he could have started fresh with his new employer. He had let his demons slip, he had not locked the demon that enjoyed killing, and mutilating inside of him away. He finally turned his eyes towards her half expecting to see horror in her eyes but he didn't what he saw was the exact opposite. The same wicked smile she had first seen him was plastered across her face.
He had seen the door of the ninth circle swing open, he in his usual spot serving as a bouncer in the small bar. She had walked in unsure of herself, she was wearing a vault suit, not that that was what gave her away as a vault dweller. It was her soft face, only slightly sunburned, her skin still pale underneath. Her curves still unaffected by malnutrition, and slight starvation. She had been biting her lip as she looked around, when she had finally seen Charon her eyes widened slightly and her lips curved into a wicked grin. She sauntered over, her eyes burning holes into Charon. He had felt hot under his leather armor, it was suddenly too heavy for him. Anger rose up in him, he had once killed a super mutant with a only a knife, some smoothskin brat shouldn't be making him this nervous. As she came closer he gave a grunt as his eyes met with hers. The grin was gone, but the excitement was still in her eyes. He noticed that her lips weren't chapped, nor were they dry, it was a rare sight to see. She parted her full, unchapped, hydrated lips to say something.
"No. Go talk to Azurkhal." Charon said, happy that it came exactly as it always did. Not a single waiver in his voice.
"I just…" She started again, her brows furrowing.
" Don't make me say it again." Charon threatened making sure he growled out the last few syllables, leaning forward slightly, narrowing his eyes, making sure the smoothskin knew he meant business. Now most ghouls and especially humans would back up, jump back, gasp, maybe even begin to cry, at Charon's approach, throw their hands in front of them, apologize even. Charon always relished in this, but the smoothskin didn't move. She smiled, a smile that made him question every ghoul human interaction he had ever had. It was a kind of an excited smirk, as if her lover had just whispered something dirty into her ear.
" Or what big boy? I'd like to see." The smirk stuck to her face, her eyes roaming from his feet, up, lingering on his biceps and finally his face. With that she turned on her heel, and walked towards the bar. She engaged in a long conversation with Azurkhal, glancing over her shoulder at Charon every few minutes.
" I'll give you an hour with him, for that many caps. Maybe if you find out how skilled he is, you'll up your offer." Azurkhal laugh rang through the small bar, his emphasis on the word skilled made Charon's stomach churn. The smoothskin lifted her bag removing a box, when she opened it causing Azurkhal's face to light up.
" Ultrajet, made for ghouls by ghouls, guaranteed to keep your ghoulies peaking. There's more than enough here to cover the cost of our deal." The smoothskin's smug smile made Charon uneasy. As happy as he was that he may be leaving Azurchals employment, there was no doubt that there was more to this smoothskin than met the eye. In her vault suit she seemed so sweet and innocent, like a delicate cactus flower, but her eyes, and the impish grin that graced her face alluded to so much more.
"You have a deal." That's all Charon heard, everything else was drowned out by his own heartbeat. He was going to be free of Azurchal. The smoothskin shook hands with Azurchal, Charon watched as the contract was put into the smoothskin's hand. She got up, slipping the contract into her vault suit. She parted her lips to say something , in a confusion of emotion, Charon reverted back to what he knew.
" Talk to Azra.."
"Oh no big boy, none of that. I just bought your contract. You work for me now." The villainous grin appearing on her face again. She didn't even flinch when Charon shot down Azrurchal, she simply reached over the bar and grabbed her box of chems, and asked if he was ready to go.
Looking at her now, her smile stuck to her like cake crumbs, he realized that even though she was different from Azurchal, she still enjoyed his brutality.
" It's just that…when I get overwhelmed I puke. Its kind of pathetic."
" I apologize mistress." Charon replied efficient and straight to the point.
" No. No that was absolutely brilliant. All that red splashing everywhere, so much colour! I was overwhelmed but in a good way " The excitement had returned to the Vaultie. " Big boy, i'm going to have to ask you to do that again in the near future. If that's okay with you."
" I do as you command mistress." Charon replied.
" First and foremost, do not call me that anymore. I know I have your contract, but I don't like that one bit. My name is Yolandi, please use that." She spoke softly, and she was touching him again. Charon grunted in agreement, he could not use words at the present moment, too many emotions were attempting to connect in his brain, emotions that he thought were long dead. She was smiling at him, she was touching his skin, something most smooth skins would never do to a ghoul, let alone a ghoul like him, and she was saying please, something not a single employer he had, had ever done.
" Also, if i ask you to do something, and you don't want to it's important you let me know. I don't want you doing anything you don't want do." She looked down and noticed her hand was still on him, she quickly removed it. What had he done? Had he made a sound, had he scared her?
" Sorry i keep touching you, is that okay with you?" She asked him so sincerely, she was asking for his consent, He could only nod.
" Also speak freely, don't hide behind carefully structured sentences, and polite tones. If i'm being a fucking idiot please tell me." She giggled. " But seriously, next person on my list...i'll be honest, it won't be like this. There won't be a glorious gunfight, or a battle of any sort. We are going to go to Megaton and murder a scumfuck named Moriarty. Is that okay with you?" She looked at him wanting a genuine answer.
" If you want him dead, then I assume he deserves it. I've got your back." He ground out the words, finally hushing all the unwanted thoughts and emotions coursing through him. Soon they would head out into the wasteland, he could not be distracted by a single thought. His objective is to protect Yolandi at all costs, to do what he is told. For the first time in what seemed like centuries, he was content with who held his contract.
-Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate all feedback. Sorry about the format, i'll figure it soon enough.