The former slaves had been silent as they left the pens, their jubilation at being freed tempered by the carnage they saw in the courtyard. As they began searching the bodies for weapons and supplies, Valeria looked for medical supplies in the outbuildings. She was completely exhausted, and the pain from her wounds was not fading as quickly as usual. Valeria finally found a cache of medical supplies in a small dark clinic, but no evidence of a doctor. She suspected Red had provided medical care in return for the slavers leaving Big Town alone. Valeria searched until she found an unused bloodpack, drained it, than collapsed on a mattress in the corner.
It was pre-dawn when she left Paradise Falls. The slaves had been grateful for being rescued, but she also saw fear and apprehension in their eyes. Deeply ashamed of what she had done, Valeria preferred not to meet or speak with any of the people she had saved. She had almost reached the gate when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, she saw a little girl run out of the shadows and stop breathlessly before her.
"I just wanted to say thanks for rescuing us."
With a sad smile, Valeria knelt to meet her eyes, and was surprised by a hug. After a second, Valeria returned the embrace, feeling tears start to sting her eyes. Valeria finally let go and stood up as the little girl turned back to the compound.
"Bye Mungo!" She shouted, than vanished into the darkness.
Valeria trudged along the ancient roadway bowing her head against the moaning wind as she resigned herself to what she had to do. During the battle with the slavers, Valeria had felt a wild exaltation that she could only describe as…joy. In Agatha's hidden refuge Marie had a chance at a normal life. All Valeria could offer was constant danger, and not just from the wastes. More than ever, she had to know what was happening to her and only her father could answer her questions. It had been so long since she left the Vault she knew it was a futile attempt, but she had to try and there was only one place she could go.
Moira was sweeping when the door opened and a towering figure stepped inside.
"Valeria!" Moira exclaimed in delight. "I thought you were dead or worse!"
"Hi Moira." Valeria replied as she pulled her bandana off her nose and mouth.
"Did you deliver Lucy's message? What happened out there? Did you have any experiences I can use for my book? Oh do tell me!" Valeria smiled at the eccentric inventor's enthusiasm.
"I delivered the message to Lucy's brother, and he's fine." Valeria replied, visions of the grim battle in the dark flashing in her mind's eye. "I had a run in with slavers and got taken up north to the Pitt…Pittsburgh."
"Wow!" Moira exclaimed. "Firsthand experience of a community founded outside the capital wasteland. You have to tell me all about it!"
"Maybe later Moira. I'm not going to stay long, I just wanted to thank you for everything you did for me."
"You're welcome dear. You gave me a lot of research material, so I'll call us even."
After shaking Moira's hand, Valeria left Craterside Supply and climbed the ramps toward Moriarty's Saloon.
Moriarty was sitting at the counter with a bottle of whiskey while Gob stood behind the counter, checking inventory. The prostitute Nova was leaning against the back wall, and was the first to look up when Valeria entered. Moriarty glanced over his shoulder then looked away with a smirk as he took a swig from the bottle. Valeria approached the bar and looked down at Moriarty. Gob opened his mouth to give his customary greeting, than closed it when he realized that Valeria's was looking only at Moriarty.
"You got something to say, or do you want your ass beat?" Moriarty snapped as he glanced at Valeria. In reply, Valeria reached into a bag and pulled out a large handful of caps, which she dropped on the counter.
"One hundred caps Moriarty." She said. "That was your price to tell me where my father went."
"That was months ago." Moriarty replied with a smirk. "Daddy is long gone."
"Tell me where he went."
"All right." Moriarty replied with a shrug. "James came in here looking for information and heard that loudmouth Three Dog on the radio. He asked where he broadcasted from and Gob told him it was from Galaxy News Radio in the DC ruins. As soon as he heard that James took off."
"Where in the ruins?"
"Sorry lassie, that costs extra."
Valeria glared at Moriarty, and started to reach into her bag when she noticed Gob. The ghoul's mouth had opened as if he was about to say something, before glancing furtively at Moriarty.
"How much does Gob owe you?" Valeria asked quietly.
"None of your fucking business."
"I'm making it my business." Valeria said with an edge creeping into her voice. "I'll pay his debt, so how much?"
"More then you've got lassie, so drop it if you know what's good for you."
Valeria took the bag of caps off her belt and dropped it in front of Moriarty, then leaned down.
"Maybe you've heard." She said, her voice low and deadly. "I don't like slavers, and I don't like people who keep them in business."
Moriarty didn't get where he was by being stupid, and he knew how to read people. The mutant wasn't bluffing, and he sensed he was dangerously near to having to defend himself in his own bar. He shifted slightly on the stool as he briefly considered going for his gun. Then he noted her massive arms and realized Valeria had no need to reach for her hammer
"All right." Moriarty drawled with feigned nonchalance. "You want the fucking ghoul, he's yours. Too many freaks around here anyway." Moriarty turned away to hide the rage in his eyes as Valeria approached the astonished ghoul.
"Gob. Let's go."
Gob was silent as they left Moriarty's, and didn't speak until Valeria stopped in front of Megaton's main gate.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why did you do that? Nobody's ever stuck their neck out for me since I left Underworld."
"I need your help Gob. You said you were trying to get to GNR when you were captured. I assumed you knew the way."
"You freed me to get directions?" Gob asked incredulously.
"No." Valeria replied shaking her head. "I know what it's like to be a slave, and I'll never stand by if there's anything I can do about it. You're also one of the few people who didn't treat me like a freak after this…happened." Valeria gestured at herself as she remembered the parade of citizens who came to gawk while she worked at Craterside Supply.
"You didn't give me any shit for how I look, I just returned the favor." Gob looked at Valeria, his decaying face grim.
"You backed Moriarty down, and he's never going to forget it. Megaton's not safe for either of us now."
Valeria looked down in shame. "I'm sorry Gob, I didn't think about the consequences when I threatened Moriarty." Her mouth tightened as she added. "That's been happening too much lately."
"Don't be sorry." Gob rasped. "It's about time someone got me off my ass and into "the good fight. Whenever you're ready to go, I'm ready."
Gob had few possessions, so soon Valeria was leading the way down to the Farragut West metro station on the opposite bank of the Potomac River. As they entered the darkness of the crumbling subway, Gob hesitated as he looked back across the river to where the top of Megaton was barely visible behind a hill. Then Gob shook his head and followed Valeria through the gate.
They traveled through the groaning darkness of the tunnels with only the light of Valeria's Pipboy to guide them. Gob was unarmed and clearly very nervous as Valeria led them through abandoned tunnels and railway platforms. Finally they came to a cavernous chamber covered with platforms and silent escalators leading to a second level above the crumbling passenger trains.
"Looks like Metro Central." Gob whispered. "If we can find an old metro map maybe we can figure out where to go from here."
"You're not sure?"
"It's been awhile." Gob replied as he rubbed his patchy scalp. "GNR is near the Tenleytown station, so if we can head there we should be okay."
Valeria nodded and after scanning the thick shadows of the lower level, led Gob to the upper platform. There, among the rusting benches and rubble, they found an information kiosk, the map faint but still readable. Valeria and Gob examined it under the glow of her Pipboy, and Gob began to trace some of the lines with his finger as he muttered to himself. Suddenly a hoarse cry echoed throughout the station, answered by others elsewhere in the darkness.
"Damn!" Gob exclaimed. "I hoped we wouldn't run into any ferals down here!"
"Ferals?" Valeria asked as she stood and readied her hammer.
"Ghouls that have gone crazy. They give the rest of us ghouls a bad name."
Suddenly the sound of bare feet slapping on concrete echoed around them, as well as an eager panting sound.
"Get behind me!" Valeria shouted as an emaciated ghoul leaped from the darkness, its fleshless jaws gaping as it slashed at Valeria with its bony claws. Valeria blocked its attack with her hammer, and then with a swift snap smashed the pommel into the ghoul's face. Blood and brains splattered as the ghoul's corpse fell spasming to the ground. Then the shadows around Gob and Valeria erupted with more ghouls charging at them. Valeria whirled, scattering the ghouls with wide sweeps of her hammer. The ghouls continued to charge, trying to overwhelm Valeria but only succeeding in scattering the floor with their bodies. Suddenly, as soon as it began the attack ended, and the remaining ghouls shambled into the darkness.
Gob got to his feet from behind the kiosk where he had taken cover.
"Damn Val." Was all he said as he looked about at the slaughter as Valeria approached breathing hard as she slung her hammer.
"We need to get moving before they come back. Do you know where Tenleytown is?"
"I think so Val. This way." Gob pointed to an escalator and the two descended to the main platform before entering another tunnel. All around them they could hear the furtive scurrying of the ghouls as they followed beyond the dim radius of Valeria's Pipboy light. The footing was treacherous with piles of rubble and twisted steel covering the floor where the ceiling had collapsed. Valeria and Gob tried to move cautiously, but with the constant awareness of pursuit they were almost running when they finally reached a steel gate with a corroded brass sign announcing the Tenlytown stations exit.
Valeria pushed the gate open with a rusty screech and waited for Gob before shoving it closed again. She then turned to Gob.
"Hopefully that will slow them down. I don't know what we're walking into so stay back and let me do the fighting."
"You don't have to tell me twice smoothskin." Gob replied, looking doubtfully at the heavy gate.
Before them was a staircase leading up into looming ruins of the former capital of the United States. The sky above the stairs was dark with clouds and approaching twilight, showing how long they had been underground. They could also hear the clatter of automatic weapon fire and the hum of laser weapons. As Gob crouched behind the wall, Valeria peered around the corner. Four supermutants were firing at a small group of armored figures crouched in the ruins. As Valeria watched, a laser bolt speared a mutant through the forehead, dropping it.
"Hot potato!" A mutant shouted as it flung a grenade. Before the explosion ceased echoing through the ruins, Valeria charged. Caught by surprise a mutant went down with a shattered skull before the remaining two realized they were being attacked. Bellowing with rage, the mutants turned and fired their rifles at Valeria as she swept her hammer upward. Her blow caught a mutant on the chin, shattering its jaw and flinging it to the pavement. Valeria whirled to face the last mutant as it was cut down by laser fire from the ruins.
"Don't move!" Shouted a female voice from the shadows. Three figures rose from cover to slowly walk toward Valeria, their weapons raised. A striking young woman in bulky power armor led the group, which consisted of a stern faced man in power armor and a woman in lighter recon armor. All three stopped as she raised her hand then pointed her rifle at Valeria.
"You helped us with the supermutants, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but cause any trouble you'll be shot. Understand?"
Valeria nodded, and then the other two soldiers snapped their weapons to a point behind her.
"Don't shoot!" She heard Gob shout.
"He's with me." Valeria said quickly. "I'm Valeria and that's Gob. We're trying to get to GNR and Gob is my guide."
"Then we have the same mission." The blond woman replied. "I'm Sarah Lyons of the Lyon's Pride." She jerked her chin over her shoulder. "This is Paladin Vargas and initiate Reddin. GNR is under siege by the supermutants and we have been sent to relieve the garrison." As if in response, gunfire erupted from further in the ruins causing the three knights to look toward the sounds of battle.
"You can follow if you want." Sarah said turning back toward Valeria. "But don't get in our way." She turned to the woman in recon armor and snapped.
"Reddin, stick with Vargas and keep your mouth shut!"
"Yes sir." Reddin replied as the three knights began to run toward a darkened alley. Valeria unslung her hammer and turned to Gob.
"Looks like we have to fight our way to GNR. Our best chance will be to go with the Pride. I'll lead the way, you stay back."
"Those guys are the Brotherhood of Steel." Gob observed. "They shot first and asked questions later when we ran into them outside of Underworld."
"They haven't shot at us yet." Valeria replied. "And under the circumstances I think we have to trust them."
"Whatever." Gob said with a shrug. "You're leading, so it's your call. Just don't be surprised if they decide the only good mutants are dead ones." Valeria nodded, then turned and started to run after the Pride.