Ava was staring blankly at the man wearing pajamas, who was babbling about how he once had a ghoul party girl, waving an almost-empty bottle of vodka around, and shouting that she needed a drink in her hand. The wheels inside her head were spinning very fast. Crowley...he was full of shit. Dukov was just an old mercenary, who was living a fantasy life with two strung out whores. He was not a ghoul bigot by any means, just a drunk fool in denial, reaching for a life that no longer existed. The room itself was a mess. There were empty whiskey and vodka bottles strewn about along with some broken furniture. Ava had to admit to herself that his lesbian chandelier was pretty amusing though...she'd have to get one for herself.
"So tell me about this key, Dukov. What does Crowley need it for?" asked Ava.
She didn't particularly enjoy how he was staring at her. She felt like…meat. His two party girls were lounging on a large bed in the middle of the room and they weren't wearing much. They waved at her with far away smiles...not entirely there in the room with her and Dukov. The Med-X dulled their pain and the Jet amped their desires for a man they did not care for. The girl with gleaming dark skin sat up and tossed a Jet inhaler to Ava's feet before falling back with a smile on her face as the girl beside her kissed her throat. It was nothing like what Ava and Nova sweet caresses late at night when she would stumble into the dark room, tired from running. Tired from being threatened out in the Wasteland...no, this was a sick desire...lust. There was no caring manner behind the girl's caresses, just sloppy hands and wet kisses that meant nothing. It made Ava sick to watch it any further, and she ripped her eyes from the sight just as the dark-skinned girl dipped between the bruised legs of her bed mate.
"I'm not telling you shit. Not unless you drop some caps on the table. Or...you could join our little party here if you like, eh? Then maybe, I give you the key," said Dukov, his Russian accent was heavy. He licked his lips and Ava's stomach churned further.
Ava sighed, remembering the way Nova's hands felt on her back when she would rub out all of the knots that collected in her muscles, and pulled out her .44 Magnum, pointing it between Dukov's eyes. She made a mental note of visiting her girl back at Gob's Saloon sooner rather than later. "How about you just give me the key and shut the fuck up? Now!"
Dukov's hands shook with anger as he handed Ava the key. Her eyes noticed the gun at his hip, and she frowned. Ava could not walk away from Dukov's place without ending his life. It was his life or hers...and she needed to live. Who's life was more important here...the life of a drugged-out mercenary or hers? Ava knew it wasn't truly up to her to decide who life was worth anything, but she could make a choice today, regardless...and live with the consequences later.
"On your knees Dukov. I know you're going to try to shoot me the second I turn my back. I can't take that chance," said Ava. She didn't really want to kill this man but she would not play games with her life. Freeing Charon of his chains opened her eyes to seeing a lot of things...she still had a lot of life to live herself, and this bastard would not have the chance to take hers away.
"Fuck you bitch! I'll fucking kil-"Dukov began to shout.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I made my choice...and so have you."
Ava pulled the trigger and Dukov's body slumped to the floor, face first into a pile of bottles and empty Jet inhalers. Dukov's two women screamed and held each other in fright. Ava would spare them though and couldn't hold back a sick smile when she realized she had shot Dukov in the head. She figured that it wouldn't hurt to make up for her evil deed and she holstered her weapon, the key now safely tucked in her pack, before speaking to the girls crying on the bed.
"I'm going to Rivet City. If you want to come with me, get up now. This is your only chance," said Ava. The girls rushed over to her, clutching each other in a new manner, one of need and safety, and followed Ava meekly towards her next destination.
The two girls ran from Ava as soon as Rivet City came into view. The head guard, Harkness, was standing at the entrance of the ruined and rusted ship.
"What did you do to them?" Harkness asked as looked at her strangely and waved her inside.
"I saved their lives," Ava replied. "Just like I saved yours."
Harkness grinned at her answer as she walked beneath his arm. "I see. Don't cause any trouble while you're here Miss Flint."
"Me?" Ava cried, feigning innocence. "I would never!"
"I mean it. The rules here apply to you too," Harkness said. Ava coughed out a laugh and rolled her eyes.
The old ship creaked loudly and Ava feared that one day the stairs would rot and collapse from underneath her. Her luck must have been good that day because she bumped into Ted Strayer at the bottom of the steps leading to the living quarters. As usual, he didn't look "all there." Ava suspected he had some sort of chem problem, but at least he was still somewhat functional, more functional than most of the junkie raiders who would take a cheap shot at her when she wandered the land.
"Do you know someone named Mr. Crowley?" asked Ava with a smile.
Ted seemed lost in thought for a moment and said, "Yeah man. My dad knew some ghoul named Crowley. Yeah that's wild, you're bringing back like, memories."
"Look, Harkness doesn't want me to cause any trouble but...Crowley wants me to kill you for some key. Do you have it?" she pressed. Ted's face fell and he nodded. Ava hoped she wouldn't have to get violent. Ted was not someone who really deserved it. She was definitely outnumbered in Rivet City and she knew the guards were trigger happy.
"It's...the only thing I have left of my Dad's..." he whispered.
"Okay, Ted. Let's do this: I tell Crowley I shot you in the head, and you give me the key as 'proof' for that asshole. Is that fair?" asked Ava. The young man looked relieved and reached into his pocket.
"Yeah, yeah sure man. Here," he said as he handed Ava his father's key. "Thanks for uh, not getting all crazy about this key. Maybe I'll…buy you a beer or something. Later man."
Ava smiled and put the key in her pack. All right, she had not turned into a demonic version of herself yet. Only one more man to visit and hopefully he wouldn't be too difficult to persuade.
A tall metal fence separated Ava from her last target. She could see a few Brahmin and some ramshackle buildings. A couple of small children were playing near the Brahmin pen and Ava called out to them. Kids...she always liked them. The way they played pretend in a post-apocalyptic world filled with dangers and darkness lurking around every corner.
"Come here kid!" she shouted. A little girl rushed to the fence, her face dirty. She wore a tattered dress but appeared unharmed and relatively healthy. Ava felt no need to intervene here. She just need the final key.
"You're not supposed to be here. The Republic of Dave doesn't talk to the outsiders," said the little girl.
Ava kneeled down and pushed her aviator sunglasses to the top of her head. Deep inside, past all the grit, grime, and blackness, was the heart of child. "I'm here to play Republic with you. Does that sound like fun?" Ava asked her. She was like this little girl once; full of hope and happiness. Now, she rarely felt such things. When she watched a free Charon walk out the door, she felt hope. It felt good to have that feeling once again. She did the things she did for people like him...for people like this little girl, and her dad. And herself.
The girl nodded her head and unlocked the gate, grabbing Ava's hand. "I love playing Republic! Can I pretend to be Dave?"
"Of course. Say, before we start playing, can I meet President Dave?" Ava asked, following the girl into the compound. The other children were not as brave as this particular little child.
"Yeah yeah! He's in the biggest house over there. Just remember to call him President Daddy or he'll be real mad," the girl explained.
Ava patted her head and walked inside the old house/ Two women swept the floor and looked up in shock when they saw her, battered leather armor and shining guns slick with a fresh polish. A blonde man sat at a desk and he looked up in surprise when she stepped into the room. He stood up a bit straighter with a calm air about him. Not everyone took to strangers waltzing into their homes as well as he did, Ava had to give him that.
"Are you applying for residency, asylum, or simply vacationing in the Republic of Dave?" asked Dave.
He really thought that this bit of land was a complete and functioning nation. It would be doomed if the Enclave ever set foot near this place. Ava's grin was one of amusement. She could certainly play this ridiculous game, and play it better than anyone else ever had. She had the mouth of the devil himself, a slick, foul mouth with a tongue made of silver.
"Mr. President, I am an Ambassador from the Capital Wasteland. I am here to tell you that we finally recognize you as an independent and great country," said Ava. She stuck out her hand and hoped that the load of crap that fell out of her mouth was believable. Dave took her hand and shook it firmly with his own grin engulfing his face.
"I'm glad we're finally getting recognized. The Republic of Dave is a great place if I do say so myself," said Dave, puffing out his chest.
"I'm also here on other business, President Dave. Do you know a man named Mr. Crowley? I bumped into him and told him I was coming here to meet you. He mentioned a key…" Ava said, choosing her words carefully.
"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while! Crowley's alive? We left him behind at Fort Constantine while we were on a mission years ago. Dukov, one of the other mercenaries on the job locked him in a room full of feral ghouls. Makes sense that he's alive. Feral ghouls don't attack other ghouls, you see. Another merc, Tara, didn't make it. The ferals took her down and tore her apart. Dukov, Strayer and I ran for our lives, leaving Crowley behind. I didn't want to do it, but Dukov and Strayer said it was him or us. You understand. The keys all open doors to the center of the Fort. Crowley must want something he saw on our way in. He did take off from the group to see what else he could find," explained Dave.
Ava took in all of the information and stored in the back of her mind. Fort Constantine. Keys. Feral ghouls. Whatever it was hidden inside the Fort, Ava wanted it for herself. Crowley, the lying sack of shit that he was, could go fuck himself.
"Mr. President, if you give me the key, I can give it to Mr. Crowley and he would be a happy man. It could also be considered a gesture of good faith from the Republic of Dave to the Capital Wasteland," said Ava.
Dave beamed and gave Ava the key without a fight. "That is very reasonable. I feel a bit awful about the whole thing...and I'm never going back there. I'm sure he'll find whatever he's looking for."
"You are most kind, Mr. President. I'll be sure to let my superiors know how generous and progressive the Republic is," Ava said with a smile.
The sun was setting quickly as Ava punched in the coordinates of Fort Constantine on her pip-boy. She would travel through the night if she had to, because what lay behind those doors must be really, really good.