WARNING: Attempted NON-CON.
Rated M for gratuitous profanity, violence, and ghoul sex.
The Fallout universe rights are currently owned by Bethesda Studios. I do not own the rights to Fallout intellectual property and receive no money for this. It is merely a creative outlet, dream space, respite from the real world, and something to tide me over until Fallout 4 is released.
Chapter Six: Terrifying Presence
Kate remained polite to Greta and Carol, but she was lousy dinner company. She was too busy formulating plans. So much for just having a hot meal and going to bed. She was also curt in putting off Mister Crowley—whom she initially mistook for Ahzrukhal—but she thought that she had remained polite. Or polite enough for someone who bore a resemblance to Ahzrukhal, who resembled Moriarty.
When she finished dinner, she traded what she could with Greta. On her and Carol's suggestion, she visited Winthrop, Tulip, and Dr. Barrows, although Greta had warned her to keep it short with Barrows unless she wanted to be his next science experiment. She kept the conversations short with all of them, promising to return the next day to talk more. She excused herself from the few other ghouls that approached her by saying that she had important business to attend to before she was free to socialize.
As angry as she was, she climbed the stairs to The Ninth Circle hesitantly. She had imagined hundreds of scenarios about how it might go as the warnings about Ahzrukhal echoed in her ears. She could do nothing against bullets except hope that her suit was armored enough for her to get away.
Looking over the banister, the commons area had cleared out, which seemed extremely odd. She frowned. It had been full when she entered a few hours ago. The room was quiet, and as much as she had hated all of the stares, the silence made her skin crawl and her stomach twist.
When she opened the door to The Ninth Circle, she found where all the ghouls were hiding. Conversation ceased. She smiled uneasily around the room. Greta had mentioned that Charon would be in the corner by the door, but it was empty. She took a breath to steady herself and then moved towards the bar. There was no question which one was Ahzrukhal.
Ahzrukhal swept out from behind the bar. "So you are the lovely, Lady Kate?" He paused, frowning. "No. That doesn't do your beauty justice. Perhaps I should say—Persephone. I've heard so much about you. If you were looking for Hades, you're in luck," Ahzrukhal purred, extending his palm towards her.
Kate cemented her smile and allowed him to take her hand. He kissed it. She had to grit her teeth to hide her revulsion. "Ah, but I cannot possibly be Persephone. I came of my own free will."
Ahzrukhal grinned widely with a dark chuckle. "Even better."
"And you must be Ahzrukhal. I've heard many good things about your bar." If that bastard could lie, she could lie about what she had heard about the bar. She refused to flatter his character, though.
He took off his hat and held it to his chest. "Ah. You flatter me." He placed the hat back on his head. "Please. Make yourself comfortable." He gestured to the only free stool at the bar. The one right in front of him.
She approached the stool, and the other ghouls gave her a wide berth. As she sat, the caps in her pack clanked together. She glanced up at Ahzrukhal to see his brow raise with pleasure.
"Tell me, dear. What's your poison? Anything you want, I'm sure that I can provide."
Across the bar, she saw Rusty give her a small wave and a huge grin. She smiled and nodded to him. Ahzrukhal snapped around at Rusty, and Rusty cringed.
Ahzrukhal turned back to Kate leisurely, put his hands on the bar, and leaned in. "So, what do you like?"
Kate looked around, trying to peer past the ghouls standing in the doorway to the adjacent room to see if there was any sign of Charon there. When she looked back at Ahzrukhal, the smile remained on his face, but his eyes gave away his impatience.
"Nothing at the moment. I'm afraid that I ate right before this at Greta's."
His eyes narrowed briefly before he forced his face to be pleasant. "Best food in the Underworld. She's quite the cook, I hear."
She watched him carefully. "You've never eaten there?"
Ahzrukhal laughed. "I try not to. It's bad for the budget. Running a business means keeping enough caps in your pocket to buy the supplies to meet the demand. But enough about me. What brings you here? Business or pleasure?" He drew out the word 'pleasure,' lips curling into a confident grin.
Kate licked her lips and looked around nervously. She wasn't sure how long she could bullshit to put Ahzrukhal off. She had expected to be tonight's entertainment, but she hadn't expected two rooms full of ghouls to watch while she dealt with Ahzrukhal. As awkward as it felt, she was thankful for the crowd. Ahzrukhal certainly wouldn't do anything too crazy with all of these people watching. Carol had been right in that she hadn't even met Charon. She would only bring up the contract with Ahzrukhal after she had met him. It unnerved her that she didn't see Charon. She hoped that she wasn't off doing Ahzrukhal's dirty work, which could take days at a time, apparently.
"I'm here on business, actually." Her anxiety was growing. She was tempted to buy a drink to humor Ahzrukhal, but Greta had said that the problems with Ahzrukhal start with just one drink.
Ahzrukhal waved a hand in the air. "Whomever you came to see, I can assure you that I'm the man that you want to see for both business and pleasure. Now, doll, tell me how Uncle Ahzrukhal can help." He reached out and covered her hand with his.
She suppressed a shudder and forced herself to give an even bigger smile. "Well, that's the problem. There's someone in particular that I'm looking for."
Ahzrukhal raised a brow, and his eyes gave him away again. "Oh? May I ask whom it is?"
Kate cursed mentally. She should have asked him stupid shit about the bar to keep him occupied. "I'm looking for—"
The door opened behind her. She and the rest of the ghouls turned to the door.
Charon stood there in a suit that was just a bit too short at the ends, shotgun slung over his shoulder.
Her breath caught in her throat. She had no doubt that it was him. He was striking, embodied authority, and stood a foot or two over the other ghouls. As she saw the restraint in his eyes, the anger and concern she had been fighting bubbled back up.
Kate pulled her hand back from Ahzrukhal. "If you'll excuse me, that's him now." She got off of the stool and walked towards Charon.
Whispers circled the room.
Ahzrukhal bared his teeth at Charon. "You're late."
Unfazed, Charon narrowed his eyes at Ahzrukhal. "I told you that it might take awhile."
Kate walked right up to him and ran a finger down Charon's jacket, testing her boundaries. His breath hitched, and he met her eyes before he could stop himself. A long dead feeling bloomed in his chest and crept down the length of his body. Her eyes went wide, and she smiled.
She broke the eye contact with Charon and chuckled. "I just got rid of a suit just like this. How odd."
"Yes. How odd indeed," Ahzrukhal muttered. "Praytell, what did you need to chat with Charon about?"
Kate faced Ahzrukhal, lips pursed. "That's between him and me."
Ahzrukhal scoffed. "That's not quite the case, dearie. You see, Charon is in my employ, and he keeps no secrets from me. Whatever you tell him now, he will just tell me later." He stared Charon down until he was certain that the ghoul understood his meaning before looking to Kate once more with friendly eyes. "So I suggest that you save yourself the energy and say whatever you need to say right here."
Kate turned back to Charon. His eyes were impassive once more. Regardless, she held his gaze and tried to discern what she could. To figure out—all that contract bullshit aside—if he was a good guy. "Then it shouldn't make a difference if I say it to you or him, does it?" Charon's eyes narrowed briefly in warning, and Kate set her mouth.
Ahzrukhal stomped out from behind the bar, arms crossed. "I probably should have told you sooner, but I'm afraid that he's quite shy around smoothskins. It's funny. It's almost as if someone ordered him not to speak to them."
Charon forced himself not to roll his eyes. Ahzrukhal was agitated enough as it was.
Kate crossed her arms and held Charon's gaze. "Is that so, Charon?"
Charon's eyes flickered. You don't want to do this.
Kate pursed her lips. My mind was made up hours ago.
"Talk to Ahzrukhal," Charon said, nodding towards his scourge.
Kate bit her lip and scrunched her eyes closed, fighting to maintain her composure. Her eyes flew open and snapped back to Charon's gaze.
She mouthed the words silently. "Are you happy here?"
Charon brow furrowed. There could be no good reason why she was so intent on talking to him. It was almost as if she wanted to get both of them in trouble with Ahzrukhal, which would only end with the addition of her name to Charon's list of regrets. But Rusty had never been one for exaggeration. Perhaps she was as good inside as he said. The complete package.
He couldn't recall one time in his life when someone had done something kind for him. And as repulsive as he was in looks and deeds, she had touched him. In front of Ahzrukhal. In front of all of them.
For a fraction of a second, Charon met her gaze unguarded. As if they were the only two people in the universe. Unbridled from past and future. No secrets to hide.
Kate gasped, putting a hand to her mouth, and just like that, all of his shields were back. She had seen it all: sadness, agony, and hatred. Hatred for Ahzrukhal. Hatred for himself.
Ahzrukhal cackled. "See? What did I tell you? Something is wrong with that simpleton. I wonder why I keep him around sometimes."
Kate spun around. She kept her hand over to her mouth, but she tapped at her jaw with a finger. She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth until she was convinced that she could keep her voice under control. "If he's that bad, why do you bother keeping him around?"
Ahzrukhal studied her. "You are fresh from the vaults, aren't you?"
She blinked, and her jaw twitched. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Ahzrukhal harrumphed triumphantly. "It has to do with everything. Otherwise, you would know the most difficult thing to find in the wasteland."
"Tell me. What do you think it is?"
Ahzrukhal threw his head back with a laugh. "No, child. After this many years, I know what it is. Loyalty."
Kate ground her teeth. "Loyalty, huh?"
Ahzrukhal nodded smugly and stared Charon in the eye. "Unflinching."
Charon squeezed his fists, imaging Ahzrukhal's throat between them.
"But there's a secret to it, isn't there? That's what I heard. Like I said, I've heard lots of things about you and your bar."
Ahzrukhal frowned, squinting at her. "I presume that you are referring to the contract. He signed it himself, you know. In blood."
"Naming you his master?"
"The contract does not name a specific master for him."
"How much of an employer can you be if your name isn't even on the contract?"
Ahzrukhal stood up straight, all pretense of hospitality gone. "What do you want, smoothskin?"
"His contract."
Ahzrukhal gave a maniacal laugh. "No deal, sweetheart." He narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "I told you that I am the man of business and pleasure down here. What could you possibly have that I would want?"
Kate held her breath, steadying herself. She looked down at her feet and tapped a foot restlessly. She wasn't going to walk out of here while Charon was still 'working' for that dick.
"Caps."
Ahzrukhal harrumphed. "So. You choose business. What a shame. Tell me, what is he worth to you?"
"I believe that in most negotiations, the owner names the first price."
"Two-thousand caps."
The blood drained from Kate's face. Three hundred and eighty four short. Such a small amount of caps to mean the difference between slavery and freedom. Shit. She had cleaned out everyone except for Ahzrukhal for caps. Besides her weapon, she knew that he wouldn't want any of the shit in her bag. But to give up her gun meant that she would be stuck here without caps and without a weapon. She couldn't leave Underworld without some means of defending herself. Who knew what would happen to her if she was stuck here with Ahzrukhal?
"Fifteen hundred."
Ahzrukhal scoffed. "Two-thousand. Non-negotiable, smoothskin. It's ludicrous enough that I'm even trying to put a price on loyalty. No. Anything less is robbery."
"Surely we can work out some sort of compromise. I have walked all around the wasteland. This will not be my last time here." Her voice faltered.
Ahzrukhal cackled. "So says every smoothskin." Ahzrukhal's lips formed a sly grin. "If it really means that much to you, perhaps we could work out a deal."
Her heart pounded, but she tried to keep her excitement in check. "What do you propose?"
Ahzrukhal adjusted his tie slowly. "I'm open to a trade that satisfies all of my needs." He took his jacket off and hung it over her stool. He began rolling his sleeves up. "Charon, pin her. Now."
Kate tried to face Charon, but he already had her arms pinned behind her. She twisted her head to look Charon in the eye. "Don't do this," she cried.
Charon closed his eyes and shook his head. The warm feeling in his chest was replaced by the familiar cold onyx. He forced her to her knees.
Kate snapped her head back towards Ahzrukhal. "You don't have to do this. I'll go. I'll leave, and I won't come back just like I'm supposed to. You can have my caps. All of them. And my gun. Whatever you want."
Ahzrukhal snorted. "I've already told you what I want: a deal that satisfies all of my needs." He looked around the room. "I get to go first. A hundred caps for anyone else that wants ago. And to be clear, I mean one hundred caps each time."
"You crazy fuck!" Kate shouted. "What is wrong with you?" She looked around the room. A few ghouls wouldn't meet her gaze. The rest were counting their caps. She looked up at Charon, but he judiciously avoided her eyes. She scoffed. "So, you're all just going to let this happen? All of you?"
Charon's eyes flickered, but his grip remained firm. He forced her flat on the floor and pinned her arms over her head while her feet kicked wildly.
Ahzrukhal sighed. "Really, Charon. Is that the best that you can do? Hmm. Maybe you should break her legs."
In horror, she felt Charon let up some.
"But not yet, though. No. Maybe not. I prefer to know exactly when I make a woman cry. Or scream. They're both fun." He sighed and glanced at Charon. "Do what you can to keep her—compliant."
Charon grunted.
Ahzrukhal put a hand to his ear. "What's that, Charon? I'm afraid I can't hear you over all of this struggling."
Charon closed his eyes and winced as the words came out. "Yes, Master."
"Now, let's just see what's under that suit, vaultie," Ahzrukhal purred.
He stood over her and grasped the zipper. A blind kick crashed into Ahzrukhal's thigh, shooting him backwards. The zipper came down along with him and the unoccupied bar stools.
Ahzrukhal spat on her and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Goddamned cunt." He raised his arms up. "Go on. Everyone take a good look at the merchandise. Figure out how much you're willing to pay to go second." Ahzrukhal snorted. "You should have taken the aperitif earlier, darling. I get to pick your poison this time, not that you even deserve one. Fucking cunt." He stalked over to his safe and shoved the key in.
Charon heard the clink of caps around him, and his stomach turned in on itself. He fought to keep his gaze above her shoulders.
Tears ran down from her eyes. "Help me. Please," she whispered. She shook her head wordlessly. "All I wanted to do was to help you."
Charon's chin quivered. "I can't," he mouthed.
She spat in his face. "Then you're worse than he is," she snarled, fighting anew.
Ahzrukhal sighed. "What did I tell you, Charon? Keep her down."
Over the years, Charon had gotten good at finding loopholes. While he couldn't get out of doing all of the twisted shit that his contract holders told him to, he fought against his orders when he could. He scanned the room. No one moved to help. He glanced up at Ahzrukhal, who was now picking through his safe. Ahzrukhal huffed down two doses of jet, and his eyes went wild.
Kate bashed her arms on the ground, drawing Charon's attention back to her. "Help me, you motherfucker!" she shouted. "I know you want to," she whispered.
Charon looked around her.
And he noticed the tipped over stools.
And then he noticed Ahzrukhal's jacket on the floor.
Ahzrukhal drew out two syringes of Med-X from the safe. "This will calm you down. But you're a young little smoothskin. I'd hate to give you too much. I certainly would hate for you to pass out during our little rendezvous. After all, you're the star of this show. What do you say, smoothskin? Ever think you'd be in showbiz?"
Charon let up his grip. He grabbed the sides of her face and banged her head on the floor. He shook her face, demanding her attention. Her eyes shot up at him.
"Get. His. Jacket," he mouthed slowly and then nodded towards it.
She squinted her eyes and looked around. She shot out her left leg and dug her foot into the jacket. She got the foot under the jacket and flipped it onto her.
Ahzrukhal slammed the safe and pocketed the key. "How about it boys? I haven't heard any offers. And I've got enough jet to go all night. Better speak up now. Who the fuck knows what I'll have Charon do with her when I'm finished?"
Charon tingled with the nearness of the contract. He held her forehead down with one hand, then deftly grabbed up her two wrists in the other hand, scooping them under the jacket. He squeezed her forehead to make certain that she was looking at him.
"Left. Pocket."
"Did you finally subdue her, Charon? It's far too quiet. What's going on over there?" Ahzrukhal asked, turning towards the bar, prepping a syringe of Med-X. He looked over at Kate. When he saw his jacket, the syringe dropped, smashing on the floor. "You goddamned fool!" he snarled.
When she touched the contract, a familiar shiver ran through his body, although it was much warmer than he remembered. He jumped to his feet, letting go of Kate. Kate tossed the Ahzrukhal's jacket aside. Charon leaned down and took her hand.
"Come on, smoothskin. You don't need to be down there," he muttered.
Ahzrukhal slammed his fists against the bar. He shoved bottles from the wall with a howl. He aimed a glass for her head. Kate closed her eyes and braced herself. Charon snapped his hand out, caught it, and deftly threw it back at Ahzrukhal. The glass slammed into the side of Ahzrukhal's face, but to Charon's disappointment, it didn't shatter.
Charon took Kate by the wrist and guided her behind him. "You're probably in shock, so just listen to me and do what I say. Get behind me. None of these fuckers are going to touch you." He whipped the shotgun off of his back. "In fact, all you cap-counting monsters better fucking leave Underworld tonight because I'll come for all of your fucking heads tomorrow. And don't think that I didn't memorize each of your goddamned sick faces."
The ghouls began to scatter. Charon reached an arm back and tugged her to him. She grabbed at his back, pushing as close to him as she could as she trembled and whimpered.
"Everyone but you, Ahzrukhal," Charon hissed. "It appears that I am no longer in your service, and there is no goddamned way in hell that you are leaving this bar alive."