Twenty-Five Years Ago
"Liam."
"David."
The two men gave a respectful nod to the other, then both held an air of indifference as they went about their lab stations, peering into various microscopes and swirling colorful, glass test tubes.
David was the first to break it, not bothering to look at his colleague as he spoke. "I am rather surprised- I did not take you to be the type to play Daddy."
Liam startled but quickly formed a resolve. "Excuse me?"
"I understand you and my sister have formed a sort of intimate relationship, have you not?" A red tube was picked up and carefully examined, before being placed back with its appropriate set. "I do not care for my sister's personal relationships-" Liam had set down his medical clipboard. "-in fact, I rather applaud you for having successfully managed one with her-" The white-collar of David's lab coat was grasped in dark chocolate palms. "-she is a rather difficult person, to be around."
Slam! Glass shattered from a broken medical display mounted on the wall as David's body was forcibly smashed against it.
"Alright, David, I am only going to tell you this once-" Liam's usual, patient reserve was overshadowed by palpable menace. "-Darcy and I have agreed to quit playing this silly game of yours. We are taking the girl, and we are leaving." His grip tightened, the fabric squeezing around David's neckline. "Stay down here and play scientist, I don't care. Darcy has told me about this little government of yours, I don't care. There is no life to be had here, anymore. So we will make the best of what is left with ours."
A release followed by a violent shove, and David gave out a choking cough as airflow was restored to his lungs.
With a shaky stand upright, the chief scientist adjusted his tie and smoothed down his lab coat, an apologetic smile on his face. "I did not expect such a…reaction, from you, to be sure." A manicured hand came up to fix his white-blonde hair. "Natural, I suppose, considering the conditions we have been succumbed to these past few years. One does tend to go a little mad down here-"
"I'm not insane, David, I'm done. Darcy is done, and I suspect Carol is too. Hell, half the time she's secluded herself to her room, and hardly speaks to us anymore! Vault-Tec lied to us, and we were all fool-hearted enough to believe them. There is no shame in this…" Liam spun on his heel to exit the room. "I suggest for your sake, you consider leaving as well."
"Liam." The edged tone of David's voice made the older gentleman pause for a moment. "Do you really wish to know, what is on the surface?" A flick of his Pip-Boy. "Why don't I show you?"
The Present
Flick flick whir whir tap tap
The bounty hunter slowly turned his head around to the subtle noise of Evelyn's distracted attention span.
Flick flick flick
"Fuck are you doin'?"
An irritated glare was cast upwards as her engrossed focus was interrupted. She then blew out a breath against the strand of hair that was tickling the tip of her nose, bringing her attentiveness back to the screen on her wrist.
"Trying to understand why you lied to me." Was all she said in a curt tone.
UGH. Cross ran a gloved hand over his face and rubbed at it irately. "Look, we'll fuckin' talk, okay? Just, now ain't really the best sort of time."
Down the hallway, there was a volley of gunfire and bloodcurdling shrieks.
A shrug of her shoulders. "Sounds like they can handle it."
"Are we really goin' to have this conversation right now?"
Now the screen flicked off with a whir and she crossed her arms, her expression contemptuous. "I don't know- are we?"
The merc grumbled something foreign under his breath, peering around the corner to the others still preoccupied with their fighting endeavors against the mutated monster. The ferryman was then indicating for them to continue forward, and Cross let out a breath of relief.
"Thank God."
"What was that?" The tone of her voice was so aggravated.
The merc coughed into a closed fist- the image of the synth's brutal demise flashed into his brain. "C'mon, we're clear." He stole a sneak peek back; her lower lip was trembling as she fought back the urge to cry. Now he felt his own annoyance flare up. "You goin' to blow a fuckin' gasket, or cry a damn river? Goddamn, pick one." At times, he felt as though he was dealing with the flip of a coin.
An audible sniff as she skirted around him, making straight for the others up ahead. Charon blinked down as she babbled nonsensical words to deflect the tinge of worry in his stare, and rather than flash the mercenary an anticipated look of murder, he planted a palm on her shoulder and shook her crudely. A crimson finger was pointed in her face, and she visibly stiffened at the chastisement, thrusting his hold off to stomp down the hall.
Thomas held out a hand to slow her advancement- there was another creature around the corner; she ignored the verbal warnings. A scree of something heavily metallic being dragged echoed, followed by an agonizing squeal. Thomas sighed loudly, redirecting new orders to his team.
The merc awkwardly came to the side of the crimson ghoul. "Fuck you say to her?"
A shrug of his shoulders. "The truth."
Campbell gave a sociable pat on Roman's bicep- the blue ghoul was unsure of how to approach the situation of his new employer's temperamental swing. There was another ear-piercing screech from somewhere down the halls. "Don't worry, you get used to it."
They advanced to the main control room.
Evelyn tapped her foot impatiently, arms crossed and expression livid. The ghoul scientist chained to the desk a few feet away shifted nervously in place.
Roman hesitantly came to the terminal beside her, glancing at David's former Pip-Boy on Evelyn's wrist. She dramatically held her arm out, and he cautiously took the pin and inserted it into the mainframe. A screen glowed on the terminal, and he typed away at the keys. Carol had a dumbfounded look as he began to bypass the lockdown.
Evelyn caught the glowing ghoul's displeased stare from the doorway. "What?"
"You appear as though you are about to throw a tantrum- I suggest you do it downstairs with the rest of the animals in this vault," he said coolly.
Penny immediately latched a hand on his forearm and squeezed. "Thomas!"
Thomas snorted at his second lieutenant's misplaced concern. "You almost caught a few of my men in the crossfire of your dangerous stunting- you should know better." He then gave a half-turn to the bounty hunter busily lighting up a cigarette in the hallway. "As should you."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. The entire vault then experienced a second blackout until an audible hum of power brought the system back to life. Thomas turned to the monitors and their restored video feeds, observing the remaining creatures left.
"We shall reconvene at the station for now." He gave a point to Carol sitting quietly. "I want her-" The finger was then redirected to Roman replacing the pin on Evelyn's new Pip-Boy. "-and him both locked up. You both will succumb to proper processing and questioning."
He crossed his arms and gave a nod of his head to Evelyn. "Evelyn, you are under arrest as well, for the time being. I trust you to be smart and not resist.
"What?!"
"Whoa now-" Cross entered the room, blocking Evelyn from view behind his back as he stood before the head of security. "-what the hell for?!"
Thomas motioned for a pair of handcuffs, holding them out to the bounty hunter. "Do not worry- you will be joining her. You made quite the mess in Town Hall, and assaulted Braxton's Mayor in the process." There was a clicking of guns from the squad members suddenly pointed at the accused until Thomas held up a hand. "Lay down your weapons- they will come quietly."
Cross growled irately, but held his wrists up to be cuffed. Evelyn had her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at the restraints. "Are you really going to put those on me?"
"No," Thomas said with a hint of amusement. "But I do have a package of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes at the station, if you prefer." Her brows uncrossed for a moment, and the merc rolled his eyes as she nodded excitedly. Thomas then motioned to her Pip-Boy. "I am going to ask you to give that to my team to examine. I will have it returned when we are finished." There was the quick unlatch of the strap, and the piece was tossed to him.
Cross let out a sigh, leaning against the edge of the table in the room he had been temporarily confined in. One wall had a viewing window into the next interrogation area across, and Evelyn gave a childish wave of her fingers at him on the other side. He groaned, and the clinking of his handcuffs rattled loudly as he rubbed at his eyes...he needed a fucking drink.
He paused in massaging his forehead as she slowly started to lift her shirt over her head, holding it by the tips of her fingers and discarding it lithely to the floor. "Fuck are you-?"
Slowly, her bra straps were slid over the sides of her shoulders, and she skimmed the cups down enough for her breasts to bounce free. Both hands then cupped each one firmly, and she gave a dribble of spit between the valley of her boobs, working them together in a very sensual display.
A frustrated growl erupted in the back of his throat; he was already unsatisfied from their earlier coupling, and the uncomfortable, stiff bulge riding against his pants made him vow he was going to absolutely destroy her when he had the chance.
Now she was making slow, salivating circles around her lips with her tongue, and he just gave her a deathly glare and slowly shook his head. The door then opened on her side, and both snapped their attention to the ferryman stepping in. The crimson ghoul halted in place midstride, and Evelyn froze, her eyes wide.
Charon snapped his head to the bounty hunter glowering at him from his room, and he quickly strode forward and drew the shutters down, rendering the merc blind. He then gave a pivot and closed the door as she busily adjusted her clothes.
"I-uhm, yeah, I just-" She was squeaking every other word; he stalked towards her and crossed his arms.
There was a creeping tension between the two, and she cleared her throat awkwardly as she shrugged into her shirt, deliberately avoiding his stare.
"Something…wrong?" Evelyn quietly asked.
A snort. "No." She blew out a breath awkwardly. "Evelyn…are you…happy?"
The question made her visibly startle. It was not an expected subject after having him witness that. "Uh-"
"He came back for you." His tone was completely neutral, and he betrayed no emotion in his expression. Charon was the ultimate example of a poker face. "Is that not what you wanted?"
She toed at an invisible speck of dust. "…it is."
"I see."
When she was finally able to muster the courage, she glanced at him. "Is there something you want to ask me?"
He shifted his weight, and there was a momentary struggle to his thoughts as he finally made up his mind. A sigh exhaled, and he flexed his arms across his chest, turning his head to the side as he looked away. "No."
"You're just as bad a liar as I am."
"If you wish to stay with him, he will ask of you to leave me." A flit of his eyes to hers, and he looked away again.
Her face grew ruddy with a flash of anger. "That isn't his choice," she growled. "If it bothers him that much he can kindly fuck off."
Another snort, full of disbelief. "He will not let you go a second time…and I do not think you will, either." A second bloom of red crept up her neck. "…he makes you happy, does he not?"
She shrugged into her jacket, and she appeared exasperated. "Charon, just what is it that you want?" She finally faced him fully. "I want you to be honest with me."
A large inhale of air expanded his broad chest, and he clenched his hands into fists. "I-"
What was it that he really wanted? The question that hovered over him ever so mockingly. He was bound to a contract- he couldn't really want for anything. But…a couple of people just recently in his life had consistently chipped at that notion in his prewired brain. Their hands were gently guiding him into a new world, and for the first time, he felt the inky darkness begin to ebb away into something…hopeful, bright.
He stared into her eyes; she had come to stand directly beneath him.
A blue sky, the ghoul thought, and he found his palm tenderly cupping the side of her face, before his mouth met with hers.
"I want to be with you," he breathed as they broke apart, and she gave a slow nod of her head, her eyes half-lidded as she leaned forward to exchange another kiss.
"Okay."
There was a knock, and the door opened.
"Hey." The rosy ghoul poked her head inside, followed by a slight shake of a bottle, the amber liquid swirling like a whirlpool inside. "Brought you something, since you've been waiting for a while."
Cross gave her a mock salute with two fingers, reaching his bound hands out to accept her small gift. "'ppreciate it."
"Thomas said he'll be along soon, it shouldn't take him long to finish." Penny blinked at the closed blinds into the next room over. "How are you feeling?"
The merc shrugged, the cork making a loud pop as it was freed. He took a long swig before coming up for air. "Never better."
There was then a period of silence between the two, as though at a loss for what to say.
"I'm…sorry," Cross finally rumbled, a bit awkwardly. His gloved fingertip gave a tap along the neck of the bottle. "For everythin', back then."
"Don't worry about it," Penny rasped, a bloom of heat coiling in the pit of her stomach. She had never witnessed this side of the bounty hunter, before. "It's in the past, you learn to move on from it."
A grunt escaped him, and he studied the contents of his drink for a few minutes. Finally, as though after great deliberation, he set it on the table. "Still tryin' to figure that one out myself."
The tone of his voice was just so…resolute, that she felt her hand twitch at her side to just physically comfort him. Of course, physical interaction was all she really knew with Cross, and she had to force herself to turn back to the door.
"Yeah…me too." She found herself saying quietly, and she felt his eyes glow at her back. He said nothing, and she ultimately closed the door behind her.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
"Got a look like you're damn lost." A plume of smoke was blown artfully to the side, mixing with the already hazy atmosphere of the dingy bar. A massive, grey ghoul was leaning against the front of the bar counter beside her, raising an eyebrow muscle down at her shy face. "Can I get ya a drink?"
A small hand was held out instead, and he stared at it for a moment before giving it a firm shake. "Penny."
"Huh?"
A patient smile was on her rosy face. "Penny…that's my name." She nervously fidgeted in her seat as he took a drag of his cigarette, his stone-washed eyes drinking her in. "It's normally the polite thing to do, introduce yourself, you know."
"Hmm." The merc squinted, and she shyly turned her attention forward. It had been a long time since someone had looked at her the way he did- like a person, like a woman. "What brings ya to Braxton?"
A shrug, and she timidly wrung her hands in her lap. "Same reason as every other ghoul, I suppose…New York was too far, and there's a rumor the Brotherhood of Steel is making their way to D.C." She gave another smile. "You?"
The merc stubbed out the remainder of his cigarette in a tray. "Just passin' through…bounty hunter business."
"Oh?"
"Nothin' worth talkin' 'bout." It was his turn to shrug at her. "Beer? Liquor? Wine?"
"Vodka…please." She rested her elbow on the counter, cradling her chin in her palm as the merc turned to buy her a round.
The Present
The door opened for a second time, and the glowing ghoul entered. He blinked as Charon's hand slowly fell from her face. "Evelyn, I need to have a word with you…in private."
"Why? So you can explain why you lied to me too?" she asked in a snarky tone.
Charon rolled his eyes and pinched her elbow, earning an obnoxiously loud ow! He gave her a stern look. "Behave. I do not wish for you to be confined any longer due to your stupidity." She growled at him, and he snorted with amusement. "Has this city turned you feral? I will be waiting with the others when you are released."
The two remaining watched the door close with a click, and the glowing ghoul gave a weary sigh. "I am sorry I lied to you," Thomas finally said.
She had her arms crossed and appeared irritated, and she shrugged, unimpressed. "Doesn't matter. It's all in the past, so, who cares?"
"Apparently, you do."
"No, I don't."
A sigh- it was just so Evelyn. "The truth was dangerous, at the time…that was the reason Darcy came for me, when she discovered my original intentions- or David's...I should say."
She bit her lip and looked at her feet; her voice had grown quiet. "Why didn't you bring me here like David asked? What made you change your mind?"
He blinked at her, as though she had asked a rhetorical question. "Well, you, of course." His glowing eyes softened a bit. "I loved you, very much."
She released a shaky breath, wiping at a stray tear. "I loved you too."
He shifted his weight, diving his hands into his pockets. "It is rather ironic, seeing you now with the man who made me this way…"
She stubbed her toe at an invisible speck of dust. "How long have you known him?"
"Cross?"
A nod, and she kept her eyes to the stained linoleum. "I don't know what to think of him…he's lied to me, repeatedly…and he keeps secrets…I just met him, but…"
Thomas shook his head, closing his eyes and rubbing at his brow. What was it about the bounty hunter?! He had already noticed Penny's strange rebound affection for the merc- something he was already dreading in discussing.
"I am going to be very honest with you-" Thomas began.
"That's a first," Evelyn retorted with a flit of her eyes upward.
He ignored her remark. "-in all the years I have known Cross, I cannot say that I care for him in the slightest: he is brash, crude, an alcoholic with obvious issues, dishonest, and extremely selfish. I have never known him to genuinely care for another person besides himself- he is a killer with a questionable moral compass. I would not say he is a good man- I have personal experience to attest to that."
"Why won't he talk about what happened ten years ago? It's like he's so…"
"Afraid?"
A hesitant nod. "…yeah. I honestly didn't expect to see him here."
Thomas paused to consider his thoughts, slowly walking along the far side of the room. "I told him ten years ago that he would be shot on sight if he ever did try to come back to the city-"
"So, your threat is-?"
"No," Thomas said with a laced tone of humor. "I do not think he gives a damn what I threaten him with- he quite literally stormed the gates and shot a hole through the department once he caught wind of your disappearance. Your Ferryman of Styx took quite the beating, too…I thought I was going to have to just shoot him to have him settle down. Our mayor is suffering a concussion, because of him. He made a real mess in this city."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Cross is honestly harmless- more of a whiner than a fighter."
Thomas had a slight tilt of his head to her disbelief at his claims. "Oh?"
She scoffed. The long drape of her hair came over one shoulder, and she busied herself with a side braid. "He's a big baby. Always complaining, so fucking needy, constantly needs reassurance." Her fingers faltered, and the complicated twining she was performing slightly unraveled. "He's nothing more than a big, dumb-"
The door slammed opened, and the frame hit the wall opposite with a shudder. "Fuck we talkin' 'bout? Two hundred years went by faster than this shit."
Evelyn finished the hairstyle, and set one hand on her hip with another dramatically flourished at the merc coming towards her. "See?"
Thomas crossed his arms, suddenly aggravated at the interruption. "I am going to ask you to return to your assigned room- I have some questions for you next."
Cross rolled his eyes. "Look, I ain't goin' anywhere, just got some business I need to discuss with her- give me five minutes, then I'll answer whatever the hell it is you fuckin' want, and we'll leave your shithole city, deal?"
"Business-?"
"Bounty hunter business." The merc gave a mocking wave of his chained hand at the other ghoul, an indication of shoo shoo. "C'mon, before we start usin' the words vernacular," he grumbled.
Thomas remained in spot for a moment in thought for a proper response, but arguing with the merc was akin to reasoning logic with a toddler. He sighed defeatedly and left. "Five minutes."
Cross gave a twist to the lock. "Finally." He turned around to her. "Take off your clothes."
She tensed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "So demanding!"
He rattled his bound hands at her. "Rip this shit off-"
An eyebrow raised, and she smiled toothily. "No…I kind of like it."
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm bein' serious-"
"Me too."
A visible count of his fingers. "That puts you up to four now, you damn pervert." He then cracked his knuckles and swiftly advanced towards her. "Let's hurry up- knowin' Thomas, he's probably already started his fuckin' pocket watch."
