Dare subtly watched the man in the Vault 101 jumpsuit from the corner of his eye as he talked to Moriarty. Whatever they were conversing about, it seemed to be serious.
Finishing his drink, the sniper slid the caps across the counter to Rory. "I'm off." He said quietly, standing from his seat and stepping for the door. The bartender called out, "Later, Dare!" which was followed by a few others in the bar doing the same.
Waving, he stepped outside and stretched his neck, grunting quietly as his joints cracked. Looking skyward, he saw that the moon had begun to rise behind the clouds. Sighing, he walked towards his house, nodding to the old man who greeted him.
Entering, Dare found Wadsworth at the stove, the savory scent of dinner wafting into his nose. He also found Clover sitting at the weapon bench, carefully cleaning her sword with a look of concentration on her face. Smiling lightly, he quietly snuck up behind her before darting forward, wrapping his arms around her stomach and hugging her to himself. "Evening, Clover." He whispered in her ear, pressing a light kiss to her cheek.
The former slave quickly dropped her sword and spun around in his grasp, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "Lover!" She called happily, holding him tight. "I missed you!"
Chuckling to himself, Dare ran his hand down her back. "I was just gone for the day, Clover. I told you I would be back by this time tonight."
Pulling away, Clover pouted. "I know, lover, but I still missed you. When are you going to take me with you?" She asked unhappily.
"I'm just doing some light scavenging," He explained, "Scanning the area from a distance and sniping everything that looks dangerous. You would be bored, Clover."
"I could never be bored with you around, Lover." She said lovingly. "Promise you'll take me out with you soon?"
Nodding, Dare led her to the table as Wadsworth called out, "Dinner is served, Master!" As he took a seat, Clover immediately slid into his lap and grabbed a plate of food, ready to feed it to him.
He had made some progress when it came to helping Clover. She still deferred to him for almost everything, but she had learned that asking questions wouldn't lead to her getting a beating or worse. And she only called him 'Lover', and tried to give herself to him more than once, but they were steps.
In return, Dare had found himself relying on Clover. While her deference was disturbing, he had come to like the white-haired woman, and while he wouldn't sleep with her until he was sure she was doing it of her own volition and not programming, along with actually calling him by name, he didn't mind returning the many hugs and kisses she shared with him. And he insisted that if Clover would feed him, he would return the favor.
As Dare lifted a bit of Brahmin steak to her lips, ignoring the sensual way she was licking her pink lips, a short pair of raps came from his door. Arching an eyebrow in question, he gently slid Clover off of his lap, ignoring the oddly cute pout she made, and answered the door.
…
Watching the man with sniper rifle on his back leave, James furrowed his brow in question and turned to Moriarty, the calls still echoing in his ears. "Who was that man, Colin?" He asked curiously.
The older man snorted into his drink. "Oh, that righteous bastard?" He scoffed. "He's Megaton's own little savior, killer of slavers and freer of slaves. Calls himself 'Dare'."
"Dare?" James muttered, mostly to himself.
"I know, stupid name." Moriarty harrumphed, taking a puff of his cigarette. "Bet he's just as fake as it, down under."
James arched an eyebrow at the other man's sour tone and face. "You have a problem with him?"
Colin scoffed, blowing a cloud of smoke at the former Vault Dweller. "Yah, at it seems that I'm the only one who does, 'cept for Jericho. You want to know why?"
You'll probably tell me no matter what I answer. James thought with an internal grimace. Outwardly, he nodded once.
"It's because this guy comes waltzing out of Wasteland, somehow finds the one guy who just came by for mysterious reasons, takes a job from him to blow up the Nuke, turns it around and tells Simms, disappears for a day and comes back with a few shiny new guns after somehow getting into Tenpenny Tower and killing the rich bastard it's named after and escaping without a scratch. And I'm the only one who seems to find this suspicious!" He said with a scowl. "Then he goes off to Paradise Falls and kills every Slaver there before freeing all the slaves. Not only that, he also took the loot he got and gave it to 'em, for nothing!"
Of course. James thought acidly. You would view someone being very generous as suspicious. "That doesn't sound bad to me." He said with a confused look.
"Pffft, of course it wouldn't." Moriarty scoffed. "But that's the thing. Why in the hell is he being so generous, and hates slavers so much? It's probably because he used to be a Slaver and is trying to make up for it."
James finished his drink, and got down to why he had come to the Saloon in the first place, though the image of the man with the sniper rifle on his back stayed at the back of his mind.
…
Once he had gotten the information he wanted, James made to leave Megaton, but stopped upon catching sight of the house that was the home of Dare, the sniper. A niggling doubt ate at the back of his mind, the knowledge of just what his child was like, and how they would take his absence.
He sighed as he came to the conclusion that they would most likely find a way to leave the Vault, ending up in the Wasteland with no knowledge of the world.
James turned to that home and walked to the door, pausing before it. He couldn't exactly take Moriarty at his word; the man dealt in gossip and rumours and was greedy to a fault. But he had seemed genuinely put off by the tales of the man called 'Dare'.
Reaching out, he rapped twice on the door, and waited for an answer. The door swung open, letting James briefly see into a warmly lit house, spying a well-cared for Mr. Handy floating near a stove, the smell of cooking meat wafting into his nose, making his mouth water. Along with the robot, the walls and floors seemed to be clean, and he could barely make out a small table covered in weapons in various states of repair, before his vision was filled with the form of the man he had come to see.
He was taller than James by about three inches, with broad, muscled shoulders, one of which had a tattoo that the former Vault-Dweller couldn't make out. Dare was, overall, a big man with lean, hard muscles and features, with a blank, stony face that gave nothing away. If his face had all the expression of statue, his eyes were the exact opposite; a greenish-grey color that resembled some form of crystal, focused on James' eyes after briefly sweeping over his form.
James would bet the sniper had come up with at least three ways to kill him if he made any sort of wrong move in the two seconds it took for them to meet eyes.
"Yes?" Dare asked cautiously, and James nearly jumped at the sound. His voice was deep and rough, but contained elements of youth to it.
Shaking himself, James asked, "Could I have a moment of your time?"
Dare looked over him again, before nodding briefly and stepping back, gesturing for the man to come in. James stepped in the house, finding a white-haired woman giving him an irritated look.
"So, what can I help you with?" The sniper asked, taking a seat at the table.
James sat across from him, taking a deep breath. "I've heard stories about you from Moriarty, and I think you would understand if I find them…a bit fantastical."
Dare blinked wordlessly at him.
"Ahem. So, I was wondering if the tales about you; disarming the nuke, killing Tenpenny and attacking Paradise Falls; are they true?" He finally asked.
He wondered if the sniper would regale him with details of his exploits, the numerous enemies he had fought, or the-
"Yes." Dare answered simply, taking a sip from his Nuka-Cola.
James blinked in surprise. "Ah. Er, why, exactly?" At the questioning look, he expanded. "Well, not to cast aspersion on your character, but not everyone would do as you are said to have done. Why did you do it?"
The sniper peered at James over the table, giving the scientist a feeling that the man knew why he was asking. "Because it was the right thing to do." He said, making himself comfortable in his chair. "I was raised and trained to survive, but also to show compassion to those who deserve it. I may be a sniper, and a survivor, but I am not a bastard, sir."
That cinched it for James. The way the woman had flinched minutely at the mention of Paradise Falls, and had looked adoringly at Dare when he explained his reasons let James know that she was most likely a former slave, set free by the man beside her.
"Now I have a question for you." Dare spoke up, staring at him unflinchingly. "Why, exactly, are you asking me these questions?"
James sighed, licking his lips. "I left Vault 101 for very important reasons, which I can't exactly go into. But I left my child behind, because I knew she'd be able to take care of herself inside the Vault, but if I know my daughter as well as I do, then she will find her way outside into the Wasteland. That's why I was asking you all these questions. She'll be out in a new, harsher world, and she'll need someone to help her. That's where you come in." He finished, gesturing at Dare.
"You want me to take care of your daughter?" The sniper clarified, his brow rising slightly.
"Exactly." The scientist replied bluntly. "She'll need guidance, and if events play out as I think, protection as well. If it's a question of payment-"
"It's not." Dare interjected, looking vaguely insulted. "What I mean is, why don't you just wait here and meet her when she steps outside?"
James shrugged vaguely, not having an adequate answer. "There's something I need to do, and honestly…I don't really think I can face her so soon." He replied with a small, self-deprecating smirk.
The sniper arched an eyebrow in what looked like amusement. "Running away won't solve anything." He said simply.
"I know." James shrugged again. "But there's something I need to do."
He stood and made to leave, stopping at the door and turning around as Dare called out. "This daughter of yours; what's her name?"
James looked back, his thoughts filled with visions of a strong-willed girl, her sharp green eyes, so much like her mother's, staring up at him. "Her name is-"
…
Katherine Madison Greene, or 'Katie' as everyone who didn't want a mouthful of their own teeth called her, was not having the best day. And to think, last night was normal. She thought almost wistfully, swinging her baseball bat into a leaping radroach, sending it flying into a nearby wall with a loud crunch. And this shit isn't normal at all.
Some background would probably help: She was born in Vault 101-as far as she knew-named after her mother, Catherine, and grew up to become best friends with Amata Almodovar, the daughter of the Overseer of Vault 101. Katie wasn't much like her father, with his dark brown hair and blue eyes and a love of Science and Medicine, not to mention the friendly Charisma he exuded.
Katie, on the other hand, had blonde hair that she usually kept pulled back into a simple ponytail, with dark green eyes and very little interest in Medicine or Science, not unless it pertained to getting into systems and locked rooms without authorization. Rather, she preferred to solve her problems with her fists and intimidation. A rather common joke among the 'Tunnel Snakes', a small gang of Vault Dwellers who dressed and acted like the typical Greaser stereotype, was that Katie pumped more iron than all of them combined, and that it was also a bad idea to pick on her or Amata.
Her GOAT (Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test) results had said she would end up as a Laundry Cannon Operator, which she thought would be pretty awesome, except that their laundry cannon was broken down. Instead, she had become a maintenance engineer, learning how to fix things. Of course, the eventually led to Katie fixing the laundry cannon, but it was only really need once or twice a month.
While life in the Vault wasn't as picturesque as the Overseer liked to make it out to be, Katie was content. Her days were spent fixing things with Stanley, the resident mechanic, hanging out with Amata, occasionally beating the shit out of Butch (the leader of the Tunnel Snakes) for hitting on them, and talking with her father over dinner, usually with her best friend.
Naturally, that meant something had to come along and fuck it all up.
It started that morning; well, 11:30, actually. Katie liked to sleep in. Anyway, she was woken from her rest by a panicked Amata, who frantically shook her awake and told her that her father (Katie's) had somehow managed to leave the Vault, and that her father (Amata's) had his men out looking for her. And that he had kind of gone crazy, but that was old news.
And then Amata, after being asked, had revealed that the Overseer's men had killed Jonas, her father's assistant in the Clinic, and that Katie needed to leave the Vault-and she had a plan. There was a secret tunnel from the Overseer's office that led to the Vault door, which Katie could access by hacking into the computer terminal in the office.
Amata had then offered her a .10mm pistol, which Katie took, just in case. After gathering a few things, like her baseball bat, her favorite issue of Grognak the Barbarian, and her red cap, she set off to get the hell out of Vault 101.
And almost immediately was found by Officer Kendall.
And then he was attacked by radroaches-large, vicious cockroaches that had been mutated by radiation, and while the man put up a pretty good fight, he fell when they sliced at his ankles with razor-sharp pincers and carved his throat open.
Katie had set on them with her baseball bat, but there was nothing she could do for the man. He had died right in front of her. Pushing her shock to the back of her mind, the blonde stripped the security armor from the body and put it on, leaving the blood-spattered helmet behind.
After making her way down one of the numerous halls, she was found by a panicked Butch, who pleaded with her to save his mother, who was trapped in their room with radroaches.
Katie was tempted to leave it be, but she didn't hate Butch, just his stupid hair. And that was where she found herself, defending the mother of her childhood bully from giant cockroaches.
She brought her bat down on top of roach, splattering its' insides on the floor, then wound up and swung it into another, sending it into a wall. Butch ran into the room, cheering. "We did it! I can't believe…you saved my mom! I can't tell ya how much that means to me." He pulled off his leather jacket and held it out to her. "Here, I want you to have this. I know I haven't been the nicest guy, and you still helped me."
Katie took the jacket and pondered for a little bit, before throwing it on over the armor. Every pit of protection helped.
She made for the atrium, running across Officer Gomez and Andy, a Mr. Handy, facing off against more roaches. After dealing with them, the older man turned to her with a serious visage. "Look, I don't know what's really going on, but you've always been a good kid." He stated seriously. "If anyone asks, I didn't see you, alright?"
Nodding in thanks, she moved into the clinic and gave Stanley a brief hug, before heading into her father's office. The terminal had ended up on the floor, and various notes and papers were scattered all over the desk, even the bobblehead of the Vault-Boy carrying an oversized needle had been upended.
Shaking away her nostalgia, Katie rifled through the desk, finding a few stimpaks and bottle caps, for some reason, storing them away in a small pack she had grabbed in the other room. If the stories about the outside world are true, I'll need all the medicine I can get. She thought, grabbing the bobblehead and stopping at the door to look at the framed text hanging on the wall.
It was a quote from some big book about giving thirsty people water freely; books had never really been an interest for her. She pulled at the frame, slipping the piece of paper out if and carefully stored it before leaving.
In the atrium, she came across Tom and Mary Holden, who were arguing about 'making like the doctor and leaving this hellhole'. Tom ran across the atrium and made for the exit, only to be cut down by a hail of bullets. Mary screamed in anguish and chased after him before Katie could stop her, meeting the same fate.
Katie watched in shock as her body fell to ground, lifeless. Rage blossomed in her chest and she gripped her bat tightly, peeking through the doorway only to draw back quickly as bullets whizzed through the air past her face, hearing two men calling out something.
Bracing herself, she sprinted across the door, something impacting into her shoulder as she ran, making her stumble and fall to the floor. She slid underneath a door and hit the close button before kicking the small console until sparked-whoever had shot at her wouldn't be following her from there.
Katie groaned, looking down at the security vest she wore, picking a flattened slug off the heavy-duty weave and dropping it to the floor. She rolled her shoulder with a light hiss; it would definitely bruise, but she would survive.
Making her way up, she cleared the roaches she came across another body, this time of another mechanic named Floyd, who had been savaged by the mutated creatures. Feeling even more sorrow welling up inside of her, Katie was taken by surprise when Security Chief Hannon came in through the far door and spotted her, yelling, "Stop in the name of the Overseer!"
Then he ran at her with his baton, clearly intending to kill her. Yelping, she fumbled for the pistol and pulled the trigger, making Hannon duck away from what ended being an empty click, as Katie hadn't switched the safety off.
Quickly reaching for the switch, she flipped it off as Hannon closed the distance and swung at her. Ducking under the blow, she aimed at his chest and pulled the trigger, and at that close of a range, she couldn't miss. The gun kicked in her hand, and the man stumbled back with a cry, clutching his chest in pain.
Katie brought the gun up and pulled the trigger again, making the man fall onto his back as she pumped three more rounds into his chest, making sure he wouldn't get back up. Staring down at the still man, she found that her mouth was dry and tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.
Wiping her face, she rifled through his pockets and grabbed a pair of clips, shakily reloading her pistol and securing it to her belt with a holster.
Making her past the dead body, the one she had made, Katie ducked as she heard voices coming from the Security Office. "Just tell him where you're little friend went, Amata." The Overseer's voice came through. "Officer Mack may enjoy this, but I don't."
"I swear, I don't know anything!" Amata yelled, clearly in tears. "I wouldn't tell you if I did! You killed Jonas!"
The Overseer sighed, before speaking again. "Hit her again, Officer Mack." He said resignedly.
Katie's eyes went wide in anger, opening the door and stepping in wielding her bat with an enraged snarl on her face. "I'm right here!" She roared as Mack spun around to face her, a pistol that he seemed to have been using to hit Amata with in his hand.
She brought her bat over head and swung down, the wood cracking against his arm and knocking the gun away. Katie swung again, this time at Mack's head.
With a wet thunk, the man pirouetted ungracefully and collapsed to the floor.
Katie dropped her bat and pulled her gun, pointing it at the Overseer. "I should kill you!" She shouted. "You killed Jonas! You tried to kill me!"
Waving his hands desperately, the older man tried to reason with her. "This is all just a big misunderstanding, I assure you. Officer Mack was out of control, and he will punished…" He shot a look at the bleeding man on the ground. "We can clear this all up, just hand over your weapons."
Katie narrowed her eyes on the Overseer, but was distracted by Amata shouting, "Katie, look out!"
Mack lunged at Katie from the ground, grabbing at her legs, while the Overseer rushed forward and grasped her gun, trying to pull it away. "Bring her down, Officer Mack!" He cried, pulling on the weapon.
A gunshot rang out and Mack fell still. Katie managed to get an arm free and punched the older man in the face, sending him back and bringing her gun to bear on him. Making sure her aim was steady, she looked back over her shoulder to find Amata holding the pistol she had knocked away from Mack, pointing it at the ground and staring at the bloody hole in the back of the Officer's head.
Katie wasn't the only one to notice, and the Overseer spoke up, his tone one of shock. "Amata…you killed him…"
His voice seemed to snap her out of her shock, and she whipped her head up to look at him, followed by aiming her gun at him. "Get-get in the cell!" She barked, her voice just as shaky her arm.
Shaking his head, the Overseer scowled at her. "Now see here, Amata, I won't just-"
Katie grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and unceremoniously tossed him into the open cell, slamming the door shut by kicking the switch. He stared at her out of the small window accusingly, but she ignored him for his daughter, who was staring at the floor. "Amata?"
The young woman jumped in shock, dropping the pistol to the floor. The clatter of metal on metal seemed to be a trigger for her, as Amata turned ran from the room.
Katie sighed, rubbing her face with a gloved hand, feeling the weight of her decisions and actions pressing down on her. Sniffing, she took a key from Mack's corpse and used it to open the lockers. She found a few more clips of ammo and a spare set of Security Armor and baton, taking the lot and leaving the room, following the sound of muffled sobs to the Overseer's room, where she found her best friend curled up on the bed.
"Amata…" She murmured, setting the stuff aside.
Amata looked up from her spot, her eyes red with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I killed someone…" She whispered brokenly. "I didn't like him, at all, but I saw him grabbing at you and the gun was in my hand…"
Katie grasped Amata's shoulders and enfolded her in a tight hug. Amata wrapped her arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder. The blond Vault-Dweller let her own tears flow as they hugged each other and cried; for the both the situation they found themselves in, and for their lost innocence.
"I saw Officer Kendall get killed by roaches," Katie whispered, sniffling. "And Tom and Mary Holden were gunned down in the atrium...And I killed Hannon."
"Oh, Katie." Amata mumbled, her face pale and drawn. "What are we going to do? We killed people…and threw my father in a cell…"
Wiping her face, the blonde withdrew from her friend and pulled her up. "We can't stay here," She said firmly, grabbing the Security Armor and presenting it. "We have to get out of here, and…and find my dad."
Katie helped Amata pull the armor on and secure the helmet to her head, handing the pistol and the baton. Together, the two of them made for the Overseer's office, stopping when they came across the still, bloody form of Jonas, his glasses broken on the floor and his lab coat stained with red.
Stifling the noise that wanted to come from her mouth, Katie gently closed his eyes and adjusted him so that he rested in a peaceful fashion. As she did so, a small tape fell from his pocket, clattering against the floor. Carefully picking it up, she found it was labeled with 'For Katie'. Storing it away, they made their to the Overseer's office, unlocking it with the keys.
Katie moved to the terminal and booted it up; since she was without the password, she had to access the administrator area, which would present a screen full of code with the password hidden in the wall of randomly generated text, numbers and brackets. If the wrong code was chosen four times, the terminal would lock itself and only accept the code if it was typed in.
As she searched through the lines of text, Amata glanced around the office, noticing a picture of herself as child and her father on a shelf. Snorting softly in disgust, she flipped it over and moved to the locker, opening it with the key to the office. Inside, she found a small box of some sort of candy called 'Mentats', a box of bullets for a .10mm, and a note taped to the inside that read: Password: Amata.
Pulling it from the locker, along with the other things, she passed it to her friend. Katie quickly located the password and entered it. Finding a command to open the hidden tunnel, she paused on noticing the 'Reports' page. Hesitating, the blonde quickly hooked her Pip-Boy up to the terminal and copied the files to her wrist-mounted computer, before opening the secret entrance.
They stepped back as the desk was lifted into the air, and a section of the floor slid back to reveal a staircase descending down. Stepping down, they passed through a few rooms before coming to a blank stretch of wall with a switch next to it. Flipping it, the wall slid away and allowed them access to the Vault entrance.
Katie and Amata stared in awe at the giant cog that made up the door to Vault 101. Spying an operating board, Katie flicked one of two small switches and pulled down on the lever, an alarm sounding out as she did.
A yellow light shone as the large moved up, some sort of rod extending out and interfacing with the door. With a loud shriek of metal and a swift rush of air, the Vault door was drawn back and rolled to the side, allowing them to look outside of the Vault for the first time.
It wasn't much, just a dim, grimy cave with light shining through the slats of a wooden door at the far end.
Katie stepped through the door in awe, jumping back as bones crunched under her feet. Looking down, she found skeletons lying scattered near the vault door, with dilapidated signs lying next to them, the faint letters of their pleas for salvation still visible.
Amata stopped just inside the door, her face pale. "I should stay." She whispered quietly, looking down at the skeletal remains littering the ground. "I'm not cut out for the outside."
"What?" Katie said with alarm, spinning back to face her friend. "No! Amata, you have to come with me!"
"If anyone could survive out there, it would be you, Katie." Her best friend mumbled, refusing to meet her eyes. "I…would just hold you back."
Katie stepped forward and grabbed Amata's hands, bringing her attention to her pleading face. "Please, Amata…I can't do this alone." Tears began to spill out of her eyes. "I don't know what happened to my father, I-I killed someone and if I step outside without you, I'll have no one. I can't do this without my best friend."
"You don't need me." Amata whispered, clutching at her friend's hands. "You've never needed me."
"That's not true!" Katie protest hotly, gripping Amata tightly. "I've always needed you. Sure, I had my dad when I got into fights with Butch or when I cut my hand on a spring or something, but I had you right next to me kicking the Tunnel Snake's asses when they picked on us. Whatever is out there, I know we can face it. Together!"
Looking up at her begging eyes, Amata couldn't find it in herself to refuse, not after having her best friend, who she thought was so strong and tough, reduced to tears at the thought of facing the world without her. "...Okay." She agreed. "I'll go with you."
Relief flooded through Katie, who pulled Amata into a tight hug. A sudden shout from inside the Vault made them look up in panic as the Overseer, his face bloody from the punch he had taken, followed by two security guards.
Looping arms, the two young women turned and ran from the Vault, the shout from the Overseer echoing behind them as they headed for the light outside of the cave. Katie put her hand on the worn wooden door that separated them from the outside world, knowing that, if she stepped outside, she could never go back.
Bracing herself and tightening her arm around Amata, Katie Greene pushed the door open and stepped out into the D.C. Wasteland.
…
Dare sighed, using the air from the gesture to blow a bubble in his gum, which cracked quietly. Tilting his head back, he looked up at the sun and judged it to be a little after noon.
"Lover…" Clover whined the affectionate term out, sitting on a rock with her arms crossed grumpily over her chest. "When is this bitch going to come out? I'm boooored."
Leaning against a tall rock, the sniper leaned over and patted the pouting woman on the head, the only thing he could reach at. "I know, Clover. I promise, the next time we go out will be more interesting." Which means violent.
The former slave pouted and huffed as Dare adjusted his hat, looking down at the worn wooden door that led to the giant, cog-like door of Vault 101. Both he and his companion were resting atop the small hill that hid the entrance to the Vault, and were very bored. Dare had the experience of laying in one place for hours on end for the right moment to fall back on, while Clover was not that lucky.
Because of Dare's actions in clearing the area around Megaton and in Springvale, the area had become somewhat safer. Most Raiders avoided the area entirely, telling each other stories of how their comrades had suddenly died right in front of them, like an invisible specter that haunted them as soon as they set foot in that place.
This only added to Clover's boredom, really, as the only thing that had bothered them was a bloatfly, which was quickly blown in two by a blast from both barrels of Clover's sawed-off shotgun. Then she cursed her boredom a minute later.
They sat up as a low screech echoed from the door below them, followed by something that sounded like shouting. A few seconds later, a pair of people burst through the door before staggering back, covering their faces with groans of pain. Once their eyesight had adjusted to the natural light, they gazed upon the Wastes with gasps of mixed shock and awe.
The sniper peered down at the two with a searching gaze, noting several features: Both were women-one was blonde and the other brunette. The blond wore black leather jacket with a snake curled into an 'S' on the back over a security vest, along with a red cap and small pack, carrying a baseball bat in one hand with a mint-condition .10mm pistol tucked into a holster on her hip. The other wore just the vest, along with a black helmet that had a thick, clear plastic shield over the face. She had a similar pistol and a baton tucked into her belt.
Well, the blonde matches the description James gave me. Dare stood up, helping Clover to her feet, and adjusted the hunting rifle on his back before giving out a short whistle.
The two girls whipped around to face him, the blonde grabbing her pistol and bringing it to bear on him. Their reaction speed was a little slow, her arm is shaky but her grip is firm, so she's probably fired it a couple of times before, likely today. Dare noted mentally, before scanning over their faces. Pale skin, bags under bloodshot eyes and slightly trembling lips. Trauma and tears, so it's most likely that they both killed their first person today.
Clover growled at the threatening gesture and made to grab her shotgun, but the sniper stopped her, raising a hand to the two girls. "Easy, there." He said quietly. "Which one of you is Katie?"
The blonde narrowed her eyes on him. "Why should we tell you anything?" She growled in response.
"Because, if neither of you are Katie Greene, then the note I have for her from her father will have no purpose." He replied calmly.
Katie stiffened as Amata glanced at her. "And why would he leave a note with you?" She asked carefully, keeping her gun trained on him.
Dare reached into a pouch and withdrew a folded piece of paper, tossing it onto the ground in front of the former Vault-Dwellers. "Why don't you read it instead?" He questioned. Otherwise, we'll be here all day.
Katie made sure Amata kept her gun pointed at them before kneeling and grabbing the paper, carefully unfolding it to see her dad's clear, flowing script. Biting her lip, she quickly scanned over the message.
Katie-
I know you must be scared and wondering why I left, and why the man who is carrying this message knows your name. His name is Dare, a hero of a local town called Megaton, and I hired him to take care of you, and teach you how to survive in the Wastes…if you leave the Vault, which I can only hope that you don't. But, if you do and you receive this note, I want you to know that I love you, and even though I might seem like the worst sort of father right now, I promise you that I have a good reason for doing what I did.
Love, Dad.
Trying to keep her face straight, Katie looked up at the man looking down at her. "Your name is Dare?" She asked, almost incredulously. "Seriously?"
The sniper's face twitched slightly. "Yes, seriously. Do you understand what was written?" He replied. People aren't ever going to stop asking me that, are they?
"My dad hired you to teach us to survive out in the-here, out here." She said, looking over the ruins of D.C. Amata, sensing that the atmosphere had stopped being hostile, slowly lowered her gun until it was pointed at the ground.
"Exactly." Dare answered, letting go of Clover's arm. "And I intend to do that."
Katie looked up at him sharply, narrowing her dark green eyes on him. "Why?" She asked simply.
The sniper arched an eyebrow at her. "As I told your father; I'm a survivor, but I'm not a bastard."
She traded looks with Amata, before looking back at Dare and the woman standing next to him. "Alright." Katie said quietly. "What do we do?"
A small smile flickered across Dare's stony face before disappearing quickly. "Right now, I think you guys need to rest. I can tell you've had a stressful day, and I've got a couple beds you can use. Just follow me." He directed calmly, waving Clover over to join him.
The two Wastelanders led the former Vault-Dwellers through the ruins of Springvale towards Megaton, the two women looking at the area around them in wonder, taking in the ruined buildings and dry, brown earth. They audibly gasped in surprise as they came to the entrance of Megaton, Dare waving to the sniper above the gate.
"Hey, Dare!" Stockholm called down, "Moira wanted me to tell you to come see her! Something about a book and some molerats?"
"Ah." Dare muttered, nodding in thanks, glancing over his shoulder and looking back at the two girls in thought.
He lead them to house, unlocking the door with a key. They stepped in with awed faces, barely noticing Wadsworth but finding their attention drawn to the table of guns next to a workbench, along with bits of leather and metal used to repair their armor. Next to that was a small bookshelf, one shelf holding a good amount of books in good condition, with the other having various magazines spread over it.
Dare pointed up stairs. "The room you can use is the first when you go up, the second one is mine and I don't think I have to say 'don't go in there without my permission'." He gestured to the table. "I'll get you outfitted once you gotten some knowledge about the world, and we'll be going out into the Wasteland to do some jobs for a friend of mine. Easy stuff at first."
"What about my dad?" Katie asked suddenly. "We need to find him."
The sniper nodded, but repeated, "Easy stuff at first." He turned to Clover, who was frowning at the two girls. "I'm going to see Moira. Would you mind staying here with them?"
Clover smiled lovingly at Dare, nodding happily. "Sure, Lover. Don't take too long."
He smiled briefly, before turning to leave.
Katie and Amata stepped up the stairs and entered what would become their room, finding it to be spartan with only a pair of mattress, a table and a locker. They collapsed on different beds and fell asleep quickly, only stopping to pull off their armor and lock the door.
It was barely one o'clock, but Katie Greene and Amata Almodovar had left Vault 101 and met with the sniper named Dare. It was a new chapter in the story of their lives.
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A/N: Kept you waiting, huh?
So yeah, that's chapter 7 of Dare to Wander, and now the title makes some more sense, right? It has been my intention since the beginning for A) The Lone Wanderer to be a female, B) for Amata to come with her and C) for Dare to teach both of them. Or give them guidance, really.
I want them, Dare, Clover, Katie and Amata to become a squad of sorts, like the Fireteams from Mass Effect 3: a bunch of different people coming together, becoming comrades and friends (eventually) and taking jobs that no one else can. I was inspired by a piece of concept art for Fallout 4 that depicts A Brotherhood of Steel Paladin, the Sole Survivor and that one guy all in a firefight. It's pretty awesome looking.
I kind of debated on what to call Katie, her last name, mostly, and it came between Greene and Freeman.
Greene because of Project Purity, which is fresh water for everyone, and that would encourage plant growth, so like a revitalization of the D.C. Wastes. And an 'e' on the end, so people know we're being serious.
And Freeman, because I read a Fallout story where the Lone Wanderer has that last name. I didn't like the story all that much, but it got me thinking about Fallout.
I decided on Greene because it made more sense to me. And before you jackasses start telling me Chuck Greene's daughter from Dead Rising 2 has the same name, yeah, I fucking know. I'm very aware of what references I put in my own stories, thank you very much. Besides, that one is spelled "Katy" so meh.
And I swear, if people keep saying I'm making a fucking Percy Jackson reference with Dare's mom, I'm going to back and change her damn name. I FUCKING know who Rachel Elizabeth Dare is, I read the fucking books. So shut up.
Also, no, Katie and Amata aren't going to end up as lesbians, just to pop whatever bubbles you might have. They were going through an emotional, traumatizing time and they needed comfort from their bestie, that's it. Nothing I have against lesbians, just not this story.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Dare to Wander. Can't say when the next is coming, but it is.
If you liked it, why not review and tell me how pretty I am? I mean, that's really why I'm writing chapters of text and keeping my identity hidden, so that people can see my face and tell how attractive I am.
That was sarcasm, by the way.
Stay Awesome.
~Soleneus
P.S.: I know some people will ask for this for some reason, but here are Dare's stats as a Fallout Character. No level, though.
Dare-A.K.A ?
The Sniper
Special:
Strength: 8- What, you think carrying all that equipment around is easy?
Perception: 9- Kind of required, you know.
Endurance: 10- How do you think he's able to run around and lay in wait for so long?
Charisma: 5- Bullets, not words.
Intelligence: 9- All those equations aren't simple, you know, and neither is repairing guns.
Agility: 8- He's surprisingly sneaky for a tall fella.
Luck: 6- …Yeah, I got nothin'.
Skills:
Big Guns: 25- General knowledge, basically.
Small Guns: 95- Rifles and pistols are kind of his thing, you know.
Barter: 50- It's an important skill.
Energy Weapons: 15- Good old fashioned bullets for this guy.
Explosives: 70- He created homemade tripmines.
Lockpick: 75- Again, it's important.
Medicine: 50- If you don't know which part of the Stimpak you stick in yourself, you're going to die.
Melee Weapons: 25- Knives, mostly.
Repair: 95- Keep your guns clean and working, or I will shoot you.- A quote from Rachel Elizabeth, loving mother.
Science: 45- Eh.
Sneak: 85- Sneaky-sneaky snipey-snipey.
Speech: 70- People listen when the big guy with big gun talks.
Survival: 99- What did you expect with his background and heritage?
Unarmed: 75- Long distance is his thing, but he can hold his own in CQC.
And there you go, Dare's stats. Again, these are accumulated over his life span. Hope you weirdoes liked it, though I'm not doing Perks. I don't have that much time.
Stay Awesome Some More.
~still Soleneus