Evelyn placed a hand subconsciously to her stomach, giving a small squeeze as she felt another wave of nausea overcome her. A small bead of sweat rolled down her temple; the sun was just beginning its rise over the horizon, and the air was quite chilly. She swallowed down a rancid burp.

Cross had skewered some pieces of softshell meat from their aquatic guests for an early breakfast, and she wasn't sure whether to blame the meat or the unidentifiable oil he fried it in. Whichever the case, the last few hours of travel had been absolute agony.

"You look unwell." Charon pointed out bluntly beside her. "Shall we stop?"

Evelyn gave a light shake of her head in protest, and the small action drastically intensified her queasiness. "I-uh-" She hastily redirected herself from the group and took shelter behind a half-buried freighter. The sound of vomiting answered the ghoul's question.

"Didn't like my mirecake special, huh?" Cross's voice mused over.

I'm never even going to look at another mirelurk if I can help it. Evelyn wiped the spittle from her mouth with the back of her glove, panting lightly and waiting for her stomach to settle. A second bout of unease flooded her, and she groaned as her eyes closed. A tremor ran down her spine, and she rested a palm on the rusted frame of the truck for support.

Another heave, and she puked again; the contents splattering her dusty boots. Damnit, so gross.

When the nausea fully dissipated from her system, she set her pack down and probed for her toothbrush and some paste. The tinge of vomit on her tongue was something she did not want to taste all day.

After she scrupulously refreshed herself and her boots were dug into the hot sand to wipe off her sick, she plodded back to her companions sluggishly.

"You are never cooking again," she tiffed out at Cross, who merely shrugged at her. Charon was grappling at her bag, and she was trapped in place until he finished digging out what he wanted. "I have this aftertaste of-of…motor oil, in my mouth. Absolutely disgusting."

"I guess I should stop usin' it for a secret sauce," the grey ghoul joked demurely, cracking a grin at her. She only huffed at him, turning her face away.

"You should drink this. You will risk dehydration." A zip reverberated as Charon secured her wares. A bottle of purified water refracted the sunlight as it was held out to her. "You do not want to fall ill."

"I don't want anything in my stomach right now," she grumbled at him. A mean glare was given in return, and she relented, taking the bottle into her own hands. "…ugh."

"C'mon kid, he's right. Besides, we have some miles still before we hit Ol' Sunnyvales Shoppin' Center. We're makin' good time." Cross was holding his cigarette carton in his hand, and he gave a face of disappointment. "Fuck. I'm out."

"No serious loss," Evelyn half-heartedly joked, unscrewing the cap and flicking it like a frisbee. "Shouldn't smoke so much anyways; probably bad for you."

"The world is bad for you," he commented, chucking the empty packet into the wastes. "And so is my cookin', apparently."

He was rewarded with a loud full-bellied laugh, and he appreciated the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled fully. "We all have our specialties…yours are just especially bad."

The two walked side by side for a while in comfortable silence; Charon bringing up their rear, hazardously armed with his incoherent grumblings.

The sun was hanging high in the sky, those bright rays of sunshine greeting all in its boundless stretch across the wastes. The trio was strolling across a crumbling overpass that provided a strategic overlook above Ol' Sunnyvales. It was a rather dull journey trekking the wastes up to that point; not so much as a bloatfly had graced their path.

Ironically, Evelyn was making an indirect comment about their luck, when Cross grabbed her shoulder roughly and shunted her down behind the concrete divider. A yelp was given in exchange.

Charon's defensive instincts immediately launched for an offensive grab at the merc just as a bullet made its signature whir past the two. Both ghouls dropped down for cover instantly.

"Fuckin' raiders," Cross muttered, his initial irritation beginning to debut from the lack of smokes. "Damn leeches, is what they are."

Another volley hit the side. The concrete blew apart from the impact, and they were sprinkled with debris. A rancorous commotion echoed from the distance below.

"We can find some things at this really abandoned place, guys," Evelyn snarked over the tumult, flexibly removing her pack whilst keeping herself down low. A third shell whizzed above them. "How long has it been since you came through here? One hundred years?!"

"I just saved your ass." The ghoul reminded her pointedly; his eyes narrowed at her. "You're welcome."

"Won't mean much if we end up getting killed because of-" Her words were cut short as she felt the worn leather of Charon's gloves encircle her jaw, readdressing her attention to himself.

"Hey. Focus." The ferryman's eyes were like hot steel, and they were burning holes into her. He held onto her face firmly for a few more seconds and then released her to motion at the heavily wrapped bundle strapped to her pack. "Rifle."

Evelyn ducked her head at his scolding, nimbly unfolding the sniper rifle she kept packed away. Handing over the weapon to her ghoul counterpart, she then reached inside for a metal box and procured a silver tube with beaded handles.

"Pull it," Charon commanded, unfolding the tri-stand of the rifle. He unclasped a side pocket on his person, pulling out a long black scarf and tying it securely around the lower side of his face. A thumb tipped his dark leather military cap back.

Evelyn obeyed, yanking on the handle. An immediate hiss sounded, and a billowing white cloud rapidly enshrouded the three of them.

Once the firing had ceased, Charon firmly braced himself against the divider and set the rifle in one smooth, practiced motion. His thumb clicked at a switch built into a black telescopic sight, and a heart-warming thrum came to life.

Five seconds was all he needed for a quick body count through the thermal scope. Eight. Not taking his eye away from his aim, he stretched down and clicked the safety off, his finger coming back to ghost against the trigger.

Evelyn tucked her face into her jacket, too blind to rummage for her scarf in her pack. Charon always chastised her for not keeping it on her person, and she was sure he would have plenty to criticize when all was said and done.

As was a ritual between them, she kept her spine flushed against his right leg and kept herself seated in place. The ghoul could put all of his attention through the scope when he knew her position.

Two of his shots immediately rang out, and then a third. Evelyn raised a clutched hand that held a full stock and pressed it against him. An empty clip was given in exchange, and she listened to the familiar clicking of the rifle being reloaded. Thanks to Charon's stringent training, she was capable of refilling the empty cartridge in the blind.

Two more shots rang out, and then a considerable stretch of silence.

They were now four minutes into their ten-minute cover window.

"Damn," Charon grunted, his body still as stone. "There are three more, but they drew back. I don't have eyes on them."

Cross coughed. "I'll go down, flush the rest out. Give me some cover fire."

"I'll go with you-" Evelyn began.

"No." Both ghouls harmoniously ground out.

Cross rose into a crouch, his boots scratching some loose rocks across the pavement. "If you plan on shootin' me, make sure it counts." And with that, he darted through the cover of smoke and down the side of the interstate.

"Are you done with that stock? I want to reload," Charon grunted. As he was re-equipping, he felt Evelyn squirm at the base of his leg. "Quit moving," he rasped.

She immediately stilled.

A few moments later, and a figure came into his field of vision through the scope. As tempting as it was to simply rid the ghoul from their lives and his problems, he kept his trigger finger steady and waited for the appropriate target to shoot.

Cross was suddenly sprinting behind cover. The other raiders were still hidden from his view, but the mercenary had a reputation. If the stories proved true, Charon had no doubt he would be capable of disbanding the rest.

Their ten-minute window was now up. The gas quelled from the canister, and Evelyn chucked it, the metal casing giving a clink clink as it rolled down the road. She scrabbled forward on her hands and knees, reaching for her bag. The ghoul bodyguard remained in position as the smoke dispelled and revealed them to the world.

"I'm going to help," she spoke over her shoulder, pulling out a string of four grenades.

Charon didn't break away, watching the gunfight transpire below as he waited for a pounce. "No, you are not. Stay right there."

"Charon, don't you do this right now." The annoyance in her tone was distinctive. It didn't bother the ghoul in the least. He didn't mind her being pissy at him for situations like these. "I swear-"

"He is finished," Charon interjected curtly. "Looks clear."

Evelyn snapped her mouth shut and whirled her head around, peering over their cover and spying Cross down below. He was waving at them.

Charon stretched, his back cracking as he turned to his employer. The rifle's safety was clicked back on and the thrum from the scope was silenced.

She was staring back up at him, wearing that cold expression she normally reserved for unwanted fixations that attached themselves to her at the bar. In all of their time together, she had never directed this look at him before. He waited for her to speak first.

No words came. Instead, she took the rifle from him and replaced the stock, carefully wrapping the gun back inside its mummified casing. He watched her intensely as she replaced the remainder of their gear back inside her pack and settled the thick straps onto her shoulders. With a turn of her heel, she set off down the road and left him in the void of silence. The ghoul pocketed away his scarf and sighed irritably.

Cross watched their approach as he fiddled around and gave a careful sweep of the area. The band of raiders must have only recently arrived; their encampment appeared temporary, and there wasn't much salvage on their end. Caravans didn't pass by on these backroads, so whatever their reason for coming out this way was anyone's guess.

He observed them with interest as they drew closer to himself. The icy look on Evelyn's face and her stiff posture just screamed you're wrong and an idiot and I'll make you pay for that. For the decades he had been around fooling with women, he knew the tell-tale signs of that particular mood.

Luckily though, it wasn't reserved for him.

"That was some nice sharpshootin' back there," Cross genuinely complimented, rifling through the pockets of the dead raider at his feet. "Pretty smart setup you guys got together."

Evelyn gingerly stepped over a dead woman; her brains bespattered against the concrete in a fan-like design. "Yeah, whatever."

She circled at a directory stand, wiping a layer of grime from the cracked plastic screen unsuccessfully. "I'm going to look around," she said offhandedly, not caring to look back at the two ghouls staring off after her.

Cross gave Charon a knowing look, chuckling at the expression of complete malice he received in return. The ferryman just grumbled under his breath, following after her. The mercenary stared after them for a moment until they disappeared around the bend, and he went about his way to find some much craved-for smokes.


They had come to a set of double doors that was barred from the inside. Evelyn simply raised the heel of her boot and sent them flying off their hinges. Dust billowed from the years of abandonment, and she waved a hand before her face and sneezed loudly.

It was dark inside; the only light that filtered through was from the open doorway.

A familiar palm hovered above her shoulder. Charon curled and uncurled his fingers, before deciding to withdraw his hand back to his side.

"Are you mad at me?" His question sounded so uncertain Evelyn barked out a snide laugh.

"Why don't you go check the other stores? Be faster, that way," she dismissed him brusquely.

The heavy hand landed decisively this time, halting her from moving forward.

"I do not know what you are thinking," he rasped, his shadow engulfing her completely. "If you are angry with me, please let me know what I have done wrong so I can correct myself for future use. It is dangerous to-"

"Holy shit Charon, you robot-sounding motherfucker!" Evelyn removed his grip and spun around to face him, her long braid whipping around and smacking her chest. "You're either mad half the time- at only God knows what- or so damn monotone I forget you're human! Yes, I'm mad at you!"

Her sudden outburst caught him off guard. This was the first time she had expressed true rage at him due to his actions, and he wasn't sure how to tread. With his previous employer-

No. His previous employer was not Evelyn, by any stretch. He exhaled deeply and waited for her to continue.

Evelyn crossed her arms and tapped her right foot angrily, chewing her lower lip as she broke off from his gaze and stared away to the side. "I didn't hire you to fight all my battles for me, you can't just…helicopter, over me, like you do. I'm getting smothered."

This time it was Charon's turn to laugh, and it bounced strangely off the walls. "What did you think you were hiring me for, then? That is my sole duty to you." He came extremely close to her now, his eyes seemingly aglow in the darkness as they peered down at her.

"Not to prevent me from doing what I see fit!" she snapped up at him. "Just like now, with those stupid raiders-"

"You are lucky you were not killed for being reckless." Charon cut her off rudely, crossing his arms to mirror her own. "The situation was handled without your intervention."

Evelyn growled, bringing her foot up and smashing it back down forcefully enough to crack the tiles. "I could boot you across the plaza if I wanted to."

Charon blinked at her. It was true. In an honest fistfight between them, she would wipe the floor with him. Her freakish strength, whatever it was attributed to, was enough to warrant its own danger. He never really did have to worry about her handling her own when it came to physical altercations, but she was strong, not invincible. She still bled like everyone else, something he had already witnessed more times than he was comfortable with.

"Physical violence on your end invalidates our contract," he responded automatically. With a grunt like he had been struck, he snorted at himself and worked his jaw angrily. Finally, he gave an exasperated sigh. "Evelyn, I am honor-bound by my contract to protect you in all threatening situations, so…I apologize if I appear overbearing…that is not my intent."

"Then what exactly is your intent?"

"To keep you safe," he responded bluntly. "If necessary, to lay my life down for yours; if the situation demands it."

"But I don't want you to!" she burst out. "You're already so hell-bent on keeping me from getting to Braxton, which you have so vocally stated. You can't just take control of my life because you think it's what keeps me safe."

"Then there is no logical reason for our partnership." The words firmly left his tongue and smacked her in the face.

Pained betrayal swept up in her features. "But…you said, before-"

Charon snarled at himself and stepped back, putting some physical distance between them. That was an idiot thing for him to say, especially since she was already furious with him.

A loud cough made them both turn to the open doorway. Cross stood there somewhat uneasily; his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets and a moniker lit cigarette wafting tendrils of smoke around him.

"Hope I'm not interruptin'," He looked back down the way he came. "Found somethin' interestin'. I need your superwoman strength to get at it."

Evelyn wiped a hot tear that had escaped down the side of her cheek, nodding. "Yeah, yeah…I'm coming." She sidestepped him, avoiding his outstretched hand at her. "We're done, Charon."

The ghoul was then left alone in the dark, his eyes aglow like small orbs after her.