Alright guys. I know I said I was going to update this weekly, but I've just been so excited that I had to do another chapter! So here you go. Chapter 2. In this chapter we explore a little bit of Jill's fighting abilities. There's a chance that a love interest can start here too. Jill's finally doing some good for the wasteland.
Again I would just like to thank everyone who took the time to read Chapter 1, and have been looking forward to reading some more.
So without further rambling, I present to you. Chapter 2.
It wasn't hard to find Sunny behind the Saloon. There she waited for Jill, Cheyenne right by her side. They seemed good together.
It reminded Jill of her dream, of the dog she loved so much that she was willing to die next to it. She longed for a companion like that.
She assumed that was how Sunny felt about Cheyenne.
With a smile and wave, Sunny picked up a rifle leaning on the fence and held it out for Jill.
"Take this. It's not much, and its old but it'll get the job done." Sunny insisted.
Jill accepted the gift with a smile on her face. She noted how worn down the old battered rifle was. It was obvious its previous owner didn't care for it properly. Looking down the sights, Jill could tell this gun was going to need some serious work. They used a screw to align the sights for gods sake. She would be better off with her pistol. Not wanting to be rude, she holstered the weapon on her back. She would repair it when she had a chance. At least it had a far better range than the pistol.
"Thank you for the rifle, Sunny. I'll be sure to put it to good use." Jill winked and offered a smile.
Sunny appeared to be blushing and Jill realized what she just did. How could she be so stupid? She just flirted with the woman.
Was I into women? Or am I just naturally friendly?
Deciding on the latter, she would make a mental note to herself. She had to make sure she didn't lead people on or give them false signals.
"Alright." Sunny started. "I set some Sarsaparilla bottles up across from us. I want you to take that rifle there, aim, and shoot the bottles as best as you can. Sometimes crouching also helps with your aim, so keep that in mind. You want a steady aim when trying to snipe a target from far."
Jill shouldered the weapon, making sure she had a good grip on it. She took a deep breath, and shot. The first shot hit the bottle dead center, glass exploding all over the place. In an instant she was cocking the bolt and firing another round. Glass scattered all over the floor. Before she knew it, all seven bottles were destroyed, every bullet hitting its mark.
"Damn, you're a good shot. I reckon you were a sniper before…. Well, you know." Sunny didn't want to offend the courier.
"I think you're right. I know my way around a gun." Pausing for only a second, Jill continued. " But I think I'm good with close quarters combat too. I had a dagger on me when I was brought to the doctor. He was nice enough to give it back."
"It's a good skill to have, but lets hope you won't have the need to find out. I know I wouldn't want any raiders getting close enough to have to stab them." Sunny couldn't help but chuckle. "So now that I know you can shoot, I could use your help. Cheyenne and I are going to the water pumps near town to clear out some Gecko's. I reckon it'll be good practice for you, and I'll pay you some caps for your work."
Jill nodded in agreement. Having Sunny and Cheyenne there would be a good time to test her skills. If she wasn't able to defend herself, she at least knew Sunny would keep her safe until they got back into town.
Jill nodded in agreement and Sunny motioned for her to follow.
It wasn't a far walk, although the heat from the Mojave did make it uncomfortable. Jill couldn't stop looking around. She was amazed that there was nothing but sand, aside from a few trees that looked dead. The land here was barren. Jill bumped right into Sunny, and apologized profusely for not paying attention.
"It's alright. It's like seeing everything for the first time again. Now right around this corner here is where the water pumps are. The Geckos are there too. Now, lets see you in action. Oh and remember, if you sneak up on them you can take them out before they even notice you."
Jill rolled her eyes, mentally of course. It was common sense if something didn't notice you that you would have the element of surprise. She had to remind herself that Sunny couldn't read minds. There was no way to tell what she was able to remember. She was more intelligent than people were giving her credit for, and although it bothered her she would just brush it off. Sunny was just being helpful.
Jill dropped into a crouch and began closing the distance between her and her foe quickly. She could see two Geckos but something told her to scout the area a little bit more.
It's your instincts Jilly. Just listen to your gut. It's never failed you before.
Shocked that she remembered that she always trusted them, she quickly scanned the water pumps.
A smile made its way across her face as she spotted a third Gecko. Readying her rife, she looked down the sights, aimed right between the largest Geckos eyes, and pulled the trigger. The Geckos body went limp instantly, falling to the floor. Jill quickly cocked the bolt of the rifle and fired a second shot. It hit its mark and another Gecko was on the floor, its body convulsing as what little life it had left its body. The last Gecko spotted her, and bolted towards her.
You're going down Gecko. I'm on a roll.
As she cocked the bolt, her rifle jammed. Panic rose inside of her as she saw the beast closing the distance between them fast.
Like an animal, her feral instincts kicked in. She slid her hand down her leg, grabbing the dagger from her boot. Her hands knew exactly what to do as they flipped the dagger into the air, grabbing the bladed end of it. Jill thrust her hand out, flicking her wrist as she let go of the knife. Seconds later she heard the Gecko cry as the dagger made contact with its chest—and it was still running after her! Just as it was about to grab her, Jill swung around, roundhouse kicking it in the head. As it fell to the ground Jill wasted no time getting on top of it and grabbing the dagger. It's body went limp as her blade connected with its skull, blood beginning to pool around its lifeless body.
She heard Sunny and Cheyenne running over.
"Damn girl. That was intense. I thought for sure I was gonna have to take that one out, but you grabbed that knife and threw it so fast, I couldn't help but stare in shock. And that roundhouse kick, man, was that awesome!" Sunny said obviously amazed.
Jill didn't say anything. She just stared at the lifeless Gecko on the ground. She had killed it with her bare hands. She was afraid at first, when she left with Sunny on this mission. But now, she was confident in her self defense abilities. Before she could think some more, Sunny said something and broke her train of thought.
"There are just two more pumps to clear. We're making great time, so lets move on to the next."
Sunny couldn't believe Jill's skill. She was one hell of a shot. Possibly one of the best that she has ever seen. The way she was able to creep around without making a sound. Her almost inhuman aim, and the lack of delay for her to react and readjust to a situation. It was something right out of one of Sunny's favorite books. Jill reminded her of a highly trained spy. Someone who could charm their way out of any situation, and if things got hairy, she could defend herself.
Oh come on Sunny, now you're just being ridiculous. Spies didn't exist anymore. This woman clearly taught herself self defense for a reason. Maybe she just came from Freeside. God knows she would need to know how to watch out for herself. A pretty thing like that would be easy picking for the creeps and chem addicts out in the world.
Sunny couldn't help but admire Jill. She was maybe five feet, seven inches tall. She was slim, with nice hips, a cute butt, C cup breasts and thick thighs. All of which accentuated her hourglass figure. Sunny also admired her fitness. She had abs and nice calf muscle. She was able to keep up with Sunny even though she just woke up a couple hours ago after getting shot in the head. This girl had spunk.
It only took forty minutes for them to clear out the all the water pump stations. Jill even noticed a towns person being attacked by some stray Geckos and managed to take them all out. The settler was so thankful she gave them some bottles of purified water. Jill downed her water quickly and refilled the bottle at the last pump.
They made it back to town just in time to walk in on an argument in the Saloon. Sunny heard Trudy insulting some man, refusing to cooperate with him. As they rounded the corner to the lounging area, Sunny's stomach felt like it fell out through her ass.
The damn Powder Gangers were here. They wanted to get to Ringo, she was sure of it. Well it wouldn't happen,. These pricks would have to get through her.
"I don't know what you want, but Goodsprings won't be a part of it." Sunny hissed. " We keep to ourselves and we plan on keeping it that way."
"Well if you won't cooperate and hand over that man you're harboring, then we'll be back. And when we come back, there wont be a town left to keep to themselves." The sadistic man said with a smile.
"We don't know who you're talking about. There's no man taking refuge in our town. Just a woman who was shot in the head. Now if you have nothing else to say, I suggest you leave. Cheyenne is hungerin' for an arm to gnaw on." Sunny clearly wasn't in the mood for this.
Sunny watched as the man left, cursing the town, and her as he took his leave. With a sigh, Sunny knew what had to be done. She would have to prepare the town for war. The Powder Gangers would be coming, and with a lot of dynamite. This would be a good time to have an NCR outpost in town.
Jill didn't like that mans tone. Nor did she like the threats he made. She talked to Trudy and Sunny to offer a helping hand. They suggested that she go speak to Ringo, the man the gang of hoodlums was after.
She made her way over to the abandoned gas station, where she met Ringo and told him that she wanted to help him. They came up with a plan to defend the town, Ringo offering to help as well. After all, it had been his fault they were in this mess. Ringo told her to go talk to Trudy to see what could be done about the town and its defenses. She set off for the Saloon again, offering Ringo a warm smile before she left.
It's a shame someone would want to harm him. He seemed nice. Attractive too. Guess there's more to his story than he's letting on.
Trudy suggested that she talk to the shopkeeper and Dynamite Pete. Doc Mitchell too. If the threat was real, they would need as much medical supplies as they can for the aftermath.
Doc Mitchell was easy enough to convince. All Jill had to do was quiver her lip, and give him puppy dog eyes. She supposed it was wrong to use her sex appeal to persuade the doctor, but it was for the good of the town. Without those supplies there could be a lot of injured townspeople who would die for sure. Now to pay the towns shop a visit.
The General Store was pretty bland inside. Dust covered the shelves and floor. To the right there was a shovel leaning up against a wall. To the left were a bunch of books. There was a decent amount of food stocked in the center of the room. The containers looked like they used to house frozen goods.
Chet looked up at the sound of the door closing behind her. He offered no smile, nor a greeting. She could tell he wasn't going to be easy to persuade. Jill needed to get him to agree to lend the townsfolk some leather armor for the upcoming battle.
Jesus, could this guy appear any less friendly?
Taking a deep breath, Jill approached the counter. She studied Chet as best as she could. He stood there, arms crossed, eyeing the courier down. He had a smirk on his face, and Jill decided she didn't care for his body language.
"How can I help you." His tone flat and unemotional.
Ugh. This guy just irks me. Strikes me as a creep. I'll have to make a mental note not to associate with him much. I'm surprised he's even in this town. Everyone else is so friendly.
"Um.. Yes. My names Jill. I was the courier who was shot and left for dead. Sunny was giving me some tips on how to survive on my own in the wasteland and long story short when we got back to town we overheard a Powder Ganger threaten to wage war on Goodsprings. We need your help. I was told you could supply the town with armor and ammunition." Jill hoped this was enough for Chet to lend his help.
"Sure I'll help, but it'll cost you."
Pfft. Typical asshole. Extorting this town for his own profit.
"You do realize you'll be a target for them as well right?" She hoped he would listen to reason.
"And you realize nothing in this world is for free, right? You need ammo and supplies, and I need caps. Sounds like a fair trade to me." He spat.
"Really?" Her sarcasm very obvious. "I never would have guessed armor and ammo cost money." Her annoyance was written all over her face.
"Now, now. Having an attitude isn't how you get what you want." A smug smile sat on his face.
"You're an asshole. Everyone in this town has been really nice to me since I've woken up. I've been given a chance at life again because of what these people did for me. They took care of me, gave me supplies and asked for nothing in return. Unlike you, I actually give a shit about other people, especially good people. But I guess you could care less. If you don't care enough to help your fellow neighbors, just know that when they Powder Gangers come running, I won't be defending you or your establishment. With that said, you can go fuck yourself." The anger radiated off her.
Jill turned and made her way toward the exit.
"Hold up." Chet said quickly. "I'll help. For free too! I like the people in this town, and they're not the ones who wronged me. They know my past and don't take the way I act personally but you're the first person to call me out on it. You didn't betray me. Heck, I don't even know you from a bottle of Nuka Cola. Forgive me."
He seemed genuine, and Jill supposed she shouldn't have flipped out the way she did. But then again, he was being selfish and rude.
I've still got it. I can remember always getting what I wanted. So far, that's held true to this life too.
Satisfied with her victory, she made her way over to Dynamite Pete.
She found him sitting outside of the Saloon. Rocking back and forth in his chair. His hair grey, face wrinkled. It was clear he was in his 60's and had a lot of knowledge to offer.
Studying him, she realized that he wouldn't hand any dynamite over to someone without basic demolitions knowledge. He was the proud sort. Held his head high and knew his stuff. Still though, she needed to try.
"Hi there, are you Dynamite Pete?" She asked?
"The one and only. How can I help you little lady?" He said with a warm smile.
"The Powder Gangers are coming to attack the town, and I was wondering if you could lend me some of your dynamite to help out." She hoped this would be enough, but was sure that it wouldn't be.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I won't be responsible for you blowing yourself up." A frown on his face.
He must have sensed her doubt. He read her body language like a book, if that was the case.
"Look. I don't mean to be rude. I just want to protect the town. How hard can it be honestly? I light the fuse, and throw the dynamite. As long as I make sure to throw it before the fuse runs out, I won't blow myself up." She said with pride. She was glad she knew that much.
"I appreciate the effort to reassure me, but I just can't. I don't know you enough, and I hope you won't take it personally. I don't even know if you're really on our side." His words hurt.
"I don't expect you to trust me. I don't even blame you for not trusting me. However, this town is in trouble and we need all the help we can get. If you can't find it in your heart to lend me your dynamite, then maybe you can lend it to someone you do trust, like Sunny. Trudy even. Stand up and fight for the town you call home. I know you're a man of many years and I respect that you have the towns best interest at heart, but they need your help. We need it." Pleading, she folded her hands. "I beg of you. I can't let the town that nursed me back to health get destroyed."
She hoped that could be enough. After all this was a man she could respect. She was a stranger and he wasn't about to hand her explosives that could be used against the town.
"I'll help. You won't get my dynamite, but these old bones won't just sit around while these hoodlums attack this town."
Thanking the man, she decided she could ask one more person to help. Victor.
Victor wasn't hard to find, he was just rolling about town with his cowboy face projected on his screen. He agreed to help instantly and it put Jill at ease. Having a securitron on their side would definitely even the odds.
Shit. I don't even know how many guys they have on their side. Maybe we'll get lucky and only a handful of Powder Gangers will show up.
Jill held on to this thought as she made her way to Trudy and Sunny to let them know that everyone agreed to help out. This was going to be a tough battle. A gang of dynamite wielding, bullet proof vest wearing criminals attacking a helpless town. Jill hoped that Sunny and Pete could hold their own like she could.
Ringo was happy to hear everyone was willing to help defend him. Just as he was about to thank Jill, Sunny stormed through the door.
"They're here!" Her panicked voice breaking.
Just as quickly as she had come in, she left. The courier followed right behind her. Running silently. Perhaps this girl would make it on her own after all.
Being able to run without making a sound is talent. This girl never ceases to amaze me. Maybe I'll tag along with her after this is over and help her out along the way.
Ringo snapped himself out of his thoughts and made his way to the town. As he followed the girls, he saw the Powder Gangers closing the distance as well. They were all screaming and holding up dynamite in their hands. They were savages.
It was then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the courier. She crouched down, aimed her rifle and fired. Her shot connected with one of the gang members faces, and his body dropped to the ground. She quickly cocked the bolt, not wasting any time before firing again.
Jesus Christ she's got deadly aim. He was at least half a mile away from her. She's getting sexier by the minute. She has a nice ass, looked even better when she crouched down. Her breasts jiggled slightly as the gun recoiled, and her skin was nice and tan. Her hair in a sloppy bun, strands hanging loose here and there. She looked like a goddess. She was definitely my type.
BOOM. An explosion sent limbs flying all over the place, and Ringo was relieved to see Dynamite Pete lighting another stick and throwing it. He just took out three different gang members.
Ringo could still see five more people. Sunny and Cheyenne were double teaming a gang member. Cheyenne was biting his arm, causing a distraction as Sunny let loose a hail of bullets from her rifle. Trudy was hiding behind a boulder, firing blindly with a beat up 9mm pistol.
He ran over to her, taking cover behind the boulder as well. He peeked around the corner and saw movement. He saw the NCR armor and opened fire. Three rounds slammed into the mans leg causing him to drop to the ground. The fourth round drilled a hole right between his eyes.
A Powder Ganger spotted him and opened fire. He appeared to be the only one with a gun. Ring didn't want to get shot, so he ducked behind his cover. Trudy began to scream, and Ringo knew he was pinned down. If he dared a look around the corner he would be shot. He couldn't risk it.
This town went through all this trouble to save me. I can't die now. If I do, then everything they've just prepared for was for nothing.
Ringo didn't know what to do. So he just continued to keep his body pressed against the rock. Someone had to take down that Ganger, and fast.
Jill saw a Ganger open fire on Ringo and Trudy. They were pinned behind a boulder. At least they had some cover. Quickly Jill had to think of what she could do.
I can fire at him. If I miss, then I have no cover to hide behind. Maybe I can sneak up behind him and slit his throat.
Opting for the latter, Jill flanked the Ganger. He was the last one left. She motioned for everyone to hold fire, holding up a fist. Just as she hoped, everyone understood the signal. She crept up from behind, and went to draw her dagger. It wasn't in her boot.
Shit.
She wouldn't have time to draw her weapon. She had to act fast. She grabbed his skull, and twisted his head. With a crack and a snap, the Ganger's body dropped.
It was finally over.
Jill let her guard down and turned to face Ringo. He had a thankful look on his face, and gave her a thumbs up. The townspeople all gathered around her, cheering and chanting. It was a victory for them all. The Powder Gangers would definitely be on the look out for her from now on. She made a mental note of that, deciding to be cautious until they arrived at Primm.
Suddenly she heard movement and saw one last Ganger running at Ringo. Jill charged toward Ringo and pushed him out of the way. The Ganger swung his machete and Jill dodged it as best as she could. She leaped back, sucking her stomach in and the tip of the blade made contact with her skin. Blood began to trickle down her abdomen. He swung again, and she ducked this time. The blade narrowly missing her head. She heard the swoosh from the swing. Jill was paying attention to the machete and didn't see the kick that came next. The Ganger knocked her on the ground and brought his machete down. Jill rolled out of the way just in time. She grabbed his wrist, wrapping her legs around his arm and twisted her thighs. His arm snapped and she tightened her grip as she brought her legs close to her. In an instant the Ganger was flipped over her and onto the ground. She quickly got up and kicked him in the ribs, and was sure she broke two or three of them. She brought her heel down to his neck, and rested her foot there. The man squirmed under her boot and she applied more pressure.
"Why did you attack this town?" She questioned.
"Fuck you, bitch." He spat at her, blood splashing on her leg.
Jill bent down, making sure her foot was still on his neck, and picked up his machete. She played with it in her hands. Sliding her finger up and down the blade to test its sharpness.
"I'm surprised at how well maintained this is. Tell me, did you just sharpen it?" Her voice timid.
"I'm not afraid of you. Just kill me already."
"I don't think so. I believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. You cut me, and now I'm gonna cut you." She said, lowering the machete to his abdomen.
With a little bit of pressure, and a slow swipe of the blade, she was rewarded with blood. The Ganger screamed out in pain, clenching his jaw.
"Talk, or it just gets worse from here. You already have a broken arm." She was serious about getting information out of this man. Goodsprings didn't do anything to provoke this. She was sure of it. "I just want to know why Goodsprings was your target."
"It's a town that has good soil, trade caravans come through here, and a fresh water supply. We want to leave the old Corrections Facility. And make our way across the Mojave. Everyone was supposed to feel our wrath. But you went and fucked it all up." The man was obviously telling the truth.
"Fair enough. I'm going to grant you the gift of life, as it was granted to me after being shot in the head. However, there are stipulations to this gift. You will go back to your gang, and tell them Goodsprings is out of the question. If I so much as hear of a Powder Ganger within one mile of this place, I will hunt you all down." Jill's tone now stern. "Now get out of here before I change my mind. And you're not getting this machete back."
The Powder Ganger quickly got up and ran off, not even daring to glance back. Victor was nowhere to be found, and she would have to find him and figure out why he wasn't here to help. He could have saved her from a slash to her stomach. But for now, she had to speak to the townspeople.
"We did it guys. They won't be bothering you anymore. This is my way of repaying you for saving my life and nursing me back to health. You have all been wonderful, and extremely helpful. You made sure I had weapons, stimpacks, and caps for the long journey ahead of me. And even though I helped you out in return I still feel as though I can never truly repay your debt."
Everyone cheered, chanting her name. Claps were heard all throughout the town, and they were sure to be celebrating tonight.
"Alright guys, lets clean up this mess. We will search their bodies for whatever they have, and equally share the loot." Sunny said.
Jill nodded in agreement, and as the town and herself began looting the bodies and piling them up. She couldn't help but feel like she could do some real good for the wasteland.
The cleanup didn't take long and Jill made her way over to Victors hut. Sunny and Ringo said they would be waiting for her at the Saloon, they wanted to speak to her before she left. She opened the door to the hut and saw Victor just standing in place, his screen black. She mustered up a hushed hello, and the robot flickered to life.
"Sorry about that Miss Courier. Someone hacked my systems and turned me offline. I reckon they didn't want me to get involved." He claimed.
"Jill. It's Jill. And that's alright, we managed to save the town."
"Oh my! What happened to your stomach? Why, you're bleeding. You do know you're bleeding right?" The robot was concerned.
"Yeah, got in a tough situation back there but I managed to keep it together and avoid the worst of it."
Don't be modest. You kicked ass girl. You got some serious moves hidden away inside this head of you.
With nothing left to discuss with Victor, she needed to get back to Sunny and Ringo, but first she would stop at Doc Mitchell's house and get patched up.
The doctor didn't take long to patch her up. When she got to the Saloon, Sunny and Ringo were waiting for her.
"Jill." Sunny started. "The cemetery up the hill is where Victor found you. I don't know if you want to go there but it might give you some clues to the men who did this to you."
Suddenly, Jills head felt like it was going to explode. The pain was nauseating. She was going to barf.
"Are you okay? You look like you're in pain." Ringo's voice was concerned.
"Yeah, just a little headache." She lied.
"Well we saw a couple men leave the cemetery that night Victor brought you to us. They came down to the bar, and one of the men was wearing a checkered suit. I'm sure it was them who shot you. They said they were heading to Primm." Sunny said with concern. "Do be careful if you're thinking of pursuing them. They aren't the type of men to talk first and shoot later."
"I'm going with you Jill. I have a debt to repay." Ringo said. He was insistent with his world.
Jill nodded her head in agreement.
It would help to have another person with me. He could pick up the slack where I fall short. And it would make this trip less lonely.
"There's also an abandoned school up the hill." Sunny started." No one's been near there on account of the Giant Mantis that are surrounding it. You could search there for some things. There's a safe inside that you can unlock if you know how to use a terminal. If not, then here are some bobby pins so you can pick the lock."
Sunny handed Jill a screwdriver and ten bobby pins.
It was almost 10pm and Jill was feeling tired. They would stay for one more night. Ringo's hideout seemed roomy enough for the two.
She ran the idea by Ringo, and he was more than happy to agree. Whatever they needed to do, it could wait until tomorrow. For now though, they needed rest. They would wake up early, head to the graveyard, and scavenge the school. After that, it was time to head out to Primm. She was going to find this man, and when she did, she was sure that she was going to hurt him before killing him.
