Edited: 10/1/2015, 12:48 p.m.
CHARON
She was crazy, was all I could think.
One moment I'd think something kindly of her, and then she'd be doing something like she's doing right now - pushing an old man off of the Rivet City flight deck.
What pissed me off more than that was that when I looked back at the security guard I saw him smoking a cigarette, just staring at Nevaeh like that man's life had no meaning. I looked over at Alexander and saw him watching her with wide eyes, his hands shaking as he cradled his flask of whiskey close to him. Yeah, this was the right reaction I was looking for, but I would rather him stop her, but I couldn't let him do that.
It was my job.
She continued to stare down at the water, her slim body frozen save for her fingers strumming in her thigh. It seemed she was more fascinated with death than anyone I had ever seen before, let alone worked for. It disturbed me, almost scared me, but I do not get scared, I do not get in a tizzy over my employers. Unless they are in danger. If I failed to protect my employer I would always be punished, be it by someone or my own psyche, but then afterwards I would not care. It was just a part of my job, nothing more. A brief time of punishment before I was back to my usual self.
I heard a voice coming from below us and knew who it was, that security chief. What was his name? Harkness, that's right. I wonder if he or anyone else knew he was an android. You could see it in his glowing blue eyes, the way he moved as well. It was too fluid. Androids were human once, just downloaded, recorded, memories programmed into a metal body. I had been bunk mate to an android. He perished a year after his programming, his body burnt from the inside out working overtime as a soldier. Didn't know robot could have panic or anxiety attacks. Aren't they the same? I don't think so.
"Nevaeh, it is time to go to the memorial," I tell her, but she ignores me, just looks up at the sky.
Her hair fluttered in the strong wind, shining a bright purple. I sighed and cross my arms, looking over at the Jefferson Memorial. That's where we had to go, that's what she promised when she had came for me outside. But no, we had trailed back up here for some reason. Was she off her rocker? It seemed like most people were nowadays, Lord only knows how she is drunk or hopped on Jet or Mentats. I prayed I would never have to deal with that; I hated being babysitter to drunks or junkies. It made me so fucking angry. I hated being a bouncer for that very reason. I always had a drunk drooling on me, had their putrid breath in my face.
"The lass always like this?"
I looked over at Alexander and growled low in my throat. I do not like him, he attacked us in the tunnels, actually threw me off guard and disarmed me. He is not what he appears, I know that. To be able to disarm me. . .he is something more. But I cannot start a fight with him, all because Nevaeh says no.
"I do not know, I have only known her for one full day. But it would seem so, just by her attitude."
Alexander nodded and fished a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket, handing one out to me. "Care for one?"
I took it and the lighter he offered, passing the lighter back to him as I exhaled smoke. "I do not like you, Alexander."
"I know that, lad. Ya didn' need ta tell me that," he lit his cigarette, highlighting his ghoul features with the flame. He clicked the lighter shut and dropped it back into his pocket. "But I don't know what to do about you, I just came fer the lass."
"And you will not get her," I ground out.
He watched me from the corner of his eye and then he chuckled. "Why don't ya just do away with me?"
"Nevaeh has not told me to do anything, so here I remain. Unable to be rid of you."
"We're not going to the Jefferson Memorial today, I want to go home."
We both looked over at her, watched her shake her head fiercely. Her eyes flickered up to me, a silent order to follow and I nodded, following her as told. Alex is at my back, but at a comfortable distance to where I cannot complain. What did he say about Nevaeh? That she had destroyed his home? How she had done that, I could probably ask but I do not think it is my place to really care about this. Though I should seeing as she is my employer and he has almost promised harm to her if she cannot fulfill her promise of an explanation that is good enough.
And the memorial…I was certainly pleased that we were not going in there today. I have heard the place is overrun with Super Mutants. Right now. . .right now I just wanted to get to an uncritical place. Surely if she can tolerate I as her bodyguard and all of Underworld without giving a second glance she must live in a non-bigotry place right? Or maybe, just like all of my former employers, she didn't give a shit what I had to say or whatever. But she wouldn't have informed me on her plans right? Wrong, Ahzrukhal did that, so did Marie and Johnny and Tatiana and Marcus and Gabriel. They all had told me of their plans, but did we ever follow through with them? Nope, not once, and I didn't expect that to change now. Still, with the looks we have received here in Rivet City - any place has to be better than this.
Humans are all the same, their sense of morality is shaky and their judgment is clouded by emotions that have no right in the place of business and formal affairs. They worry too much about trivial things and cannot focus on the larger picture around them, they could not seem to hone in on what they needed to do instead of what they wanted to do.
This girl, Nevaeh, seemed to be that way. She didn't realize by killing two innocent people for her own satisfaction was a sin apparently. To watch a death of one of the few who had done nothing wrong and enjoy it is a sin that I cannot abide. And I would tell her that, when the time is right, and if I can settle in with her as I had done with many employers that would allow me to speak my mind - which was about three of many. I will tell her of her sins, starting with that and working my way up a list that is sure to accumulate over this employment.
Looking over at Nevaeh in the darkness of the metro I can tell she hates being down here. Her abnormally large eyes are darting everywhere, she is not as cool and collected as she is above ground. I see Alexander notices this as well and he moves forward, boxing her in between himself and his mechanical mutt. Her shoulders relax and she smiles up at him and he smirks back, holding out the flask to her. She takes it, gives it a momentary sip, and then passes it back to him. They are rather calm around each other and he already seems to make her happier so I do not say anything, do not worry truthfully that he may hurt her. He seems nice enough, but I am always on guard. Right now she needs someone who is not so cold, who has an air of warmth around them and Alexander has that.
"Charon, does anything scare you?"
I look over at her, see she is simply staring off into the darkness, not ridged or terrified, but calm. She is afraid of the dark.
"No."
She sighs and shakes her head. How would I admit that I am afraid of something? I am a mercenary, a very deadly, very old mercenary. I do not have fears. That is how we are perceived by other people. Mercenaries are not meant to be these emotional beings, we are meant to be unfeeling, unstoppable killers. We are made to kill and not be killed. But, unfortunately, we mercenaries are not emotionless. We just know how to keep our emotions in check, almost perfectly. I have never slipped, but I know a few of those that have. They have either gone completely crazy or were killed because of their emotions peeking in battle.
"You have to be afraid of something, everyone is. I'm afraid of the dark. . .and raiders. I've had a lot of bad experiences with them, but I do know of some cool ones. They live. . .shit where do they live. . .oh yeah, these caves over by Tenpenny Tower. the raiders there are totally cool."
I stare at her, one eyebrow - or what is left of one - raised at her words. There were raiders that didn't kill and mutilate tons of people for fun? I rolled my eyes and kept walking. She had asked me if I was afraid of something, had not ordered me. No I would not admit my fear to this puny girl. She would not care if I poured my heart out to her, let her know every small detail. If given the chance I might let her know, but I highly doubt that.
"I'm afraid of somethin," Alexander mentioned.
"What are you afraid of Alex, Nevaeh looked up at him.
He smirked a little more. "Runnin out of whiskey."
I rolled my eyes and Nevaeh laughed. "I forgot about that one, add that to my list."
We walked for a few more minutes in silence. My shoulders were tense, and I was tired; I should not have slept in that chair last night. That was my first night of sleep in about three days. I was running on fumes right now.
"My mother died giving birth to me."
Alexander and I looked down at Nevaeh, noticed the way her eyes seemed lost, distant. Even Rex whined and looked up at her.
"She died in the Jefferson Memorial, that's what Li was telling me when you two were having a glaring contest with each other. Dad told me of her death, but he didn't say where she died. Fucker left me to believe I was born in that fucking Vault."
The venom in her voice was obvious, painful. "You are the girl from Vault 101?"
She looked back at me grinning. "Yep, the Crazy Bitch in the flesh. I escaped after dear old dad left me to fend myself off against the hoard of guards in the Vault. They had bullet proof vests and all I had was a pair of booty shorts and a pistol, until I ran into this guy Butch who asked me to help his mom. Gave me his jacket so my boobs wouldn't be seen by the world. Promised him I'd fuck him for it."
I stared down at her with huge eyes. She'd fuck this Butch guy for a jacket? Just so her breasts wouldn't be seen by the world and all that shit she just said? Something was seriously wrong with this fucking girl, she was borderline psychotic.
"I remember seeing ya lass, drug ya into town maself when I found ya passed out in the sand," Alexander chuckled, but there was a dark undertone to it.
Nevaeh smiled a little then frowned. "I wish I could have met my mom, she was supposed to be a real stand-up gal. Model citizen - Hispanic. Dad tried to teach me Spanish but I guess I got most of his genes. Have no knack for my mothers native tongue."
My eyes darted up when I heard something above us on the platform. I looked over at Alexander and we both nodded with Nevaeh, the mutt growling low in his throat. Nevaeh and I went up the left of the platform while Alexander and Rex went up the right of the platform.
There was a young girl on top of the platform, long hair tied in a bun at the nape of her neck, the pale blonde color shimmering in the faint light coming from a hole in the 'ceiling'. She was looking around in confusion, holding her chin and muttering to herself.
When she saw Alexander coming up the right side of the platform her eyes grew and she turned to run to the left, but saw me and she looked back the way she came but Nevaeh caught her by her elbow and spun her around to her chest, laughing as she screamed.
"Calm your stupid ass down," Nevaeh cackled, fingers dangerously tight as they wrapped around the young girls arms.
I rolled my eyes, saw Alexander do the same, and holstered my shotgun, meeting Alexander halfway and accepting a cigarette. He lit mine, passing it to me as we examined the young girl in Nevaeh's arms. Her skin along her arms and chest were burnt, molted and old and she was a good head and a half shorted than Nevaeh.
"Pl-Please let me go, I'm just trying to get to Rivet City," the girl begged, trembling.
Nevaeh rolled her eyes and then met mine and Alexander's, a joking glint settling there. Oh. . .a game. Ok, I could play along, looking over at Alexander, he was ready to play as well.
Nevaeh frowned down at the girl, holding her back a little as her eyes rolled over the small girls frame in a critical way. "I don't know Charon, are you sure she has enough meat on her?"
I bet that kid was shitting herself. I criticized the girl as well, walking to her side so I could watch her expression. It flitted from anger to despair to pure fear. I wanted to laugh, smile, chuckle, do something that would ruin our façade. And my record.
I shrugged, looking over at Alexander. "I do not know, what do you think Alexander? Think she would be fit for three?"
He sighed. "Maybe. . .just maybe if we kept in the fatty parts. But then it would still be iffy."
The girls' eyes got impossibly large. "No! Please don't eat me, please-"
Nevaeh stroked her hair in fake sympathy. "Now, now sweet heart, would you rather us starve and you live? Could you keep that on your conscious? You'd be responsible for the death of three people. That's and awful heavy burden to bear for a young girl like yourself."
The girl actually seemed to think this over now. She actually believes we were going to eat her. Should I start a fire to really fuck with her? That would be even more entertaining. I don't know what sudden wash I have going along with something so ridiculous and inane but I kind of like this.
She shook a little and then shook her head yes. "I. . .I guess you could. But can you kill me quick?"
Nevaeh laughed then, this high-pitched laugh that made my blood run cold. I could see Alexander's large bulk stiffen, but I remained physically calm, watching a dark numbness settle in Nevaeh's eyes.
"We aren't gonna kill you dumbass, ain't gonna eat ya either. We're not cannibals, we were just fucking with you. Why you gotta go to Rivet City? What's your name?"
The small girl seemed to settle down. "My name's Clair. I was going to visit my Uncle Lopez."
I saw Alexander hang his head and Nevaeh and I stiffened, but knew better to give our guilt away. Nevaeh gave her best smile and pat the her shoulder. "It's nice to have family isn't it?"
Clair smiled. "Yes it is! I don't know what I'd do without him, he's been having a hard time right now but I'm sure we can help him out of his depression," Clair grinned. "So where are you three going, may I ask?"
"Tenpenny Tower."
Clair, Alexander and I stared at Nevaeh as she just picked at her nails. I watched in amazement as a radroach scuttled across the platform and Nevaeh squealed in delight, running after it. I shook my head, exhaling a trial of smoke and turned to Clair, who was letting her eyes trail over me and Alexander in a weird way.
"So what are you guys doing with her," Clair asked.
I grunted. "I am her bodyguard."
"Same here."
"Ah, and you two didn't know where she lived did you?
I glared at this girl. What the hell was she getting at? She wasn't as sweet and innocent as she looked or acted when Nevaeh was closer. I crossed my arms and stepped away from her. I could still feel her eyes on me and I wanted to slink away. It was like she was probing my mind, probing my entire being. It made my skin, what was left of it, crawl and twist like I was nervous. But I was not nervous. I was angry. I had escaped that kind of analyzing years ago, I wasn't going to out up with it from some stranger.
"Nevaeh, we need to leave," my voice echoed off of the walls of the metro.
She stood straight, the small radroach clutched in her arms like a puppy as she held it to her chest. "We're keeping her. I have called her Fluffy and now that I have named her she is owned by me. Alexander, Charon lets go. Goodbye Clair. Good luck in Rivet City, now get away from me."
Clair turned into her original innocent self and scuttled down the metro steps, mumbling to herself again. Nevaeh glared and at the steps, Fluffy hissed and Rex growled before we turned and left the metro. Nevaeh shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of sunglasses and checked her Pip-Boy map. A place called Dukov's was displayed in great detail on the screen.
"I don't like that bitch," Nevaeh mumbled, starting to walk towards the water.
"Well she is gone now, why do you want to keep a disgusting radroach?"
We started to wade through the water, one of our hands holding onto the stone of the Anchorage Memorial in case we hit a slope. "I want to keep her, she's so tiny and cute and like I said I decided to name her, so by laws of Me she is mine."
I rolled my eyes, hearing Alexander chuckle behind me and shook when we made it out of the water. Water droplets flew everywhere when Nevaeh shook, taking poor Fluffy - did I seriously just say that? - for a ride. I had a feeling this walk was going to be a long one.
