I know I've said this a few times, but sorry. This time, its Supernatural to blame for my absence, I think I have a real problem. If you like Supernatural, go find me on Archive Of Our Own - I'm still FloodFeSTeR over there and Minion is there as well, for when we get into the more triggering stuff and there are some hard triggers to come. Honestly, I moved her there for raunchy stuff so.
VII :: Sunshine ::
Okay, so we don't make it all the way back to Rivet City before I finally give out.
We were actually just strolling through the tunnels, me whistling as I kicked through the piles of ashes ED-E had helped me make on the way back to Underworld to kill that fuck. When a human is turned to ash by a robots laser or something like that, like whenever you used a laser rifle, the ashes were really beautiful. Especially when they rained down on you and soaked into the blood on your arms. Am I the only one that finds the image soothing?
Anyway, my dumbass forgot that I had been running on a heavy puff of Jet for nearly twenty four hours so halfway through the main tunnel, I collapsed.
"Uh. . ." I mumbled, looking around as I lay there, like a fucking damsel in distress, aching from my knees connecting so hard with the rubble we were scrambling over. "I hurt myself."
Charon sighed and I just glared up at him, though I really couldn't blame him for being annoyed by me. I had killed Ahzrukhal while he was still under his employment - I had actually done something I was pretty sure no one had ever managed with Charon. He's a big, dangerous motherfucker and I, crazy bitch from Vault 101, only had a Stealth Boy and a robot to kill his employer. I felt pretty accomplished, ya know, but that was kind of dulled by the sudden wracks of pain and sticky-dry crackling and squelch of blood coating me.
I raised a hand, flourishing it like I had seen ladies do in old holotapes. "Assistance, sir," I pouted, staring up from under my brow.
Charon huffed but bent down and grabbed my hand with surprising grace and gentleness, making me squeal and grin as he hefted me into his arms. I got this smug little look on my face, wrapping my arms around his scaly, scabby neck and enjoying the ride. ED-E beeped and whirled around us in distress but I batted him away with one hand as Charon started walking again.
"Don't mess up my ride, trash can," I scolded ED-E and he gave a woeful beep; if he had a head to hang, it would be hung. "Oh stop it, you big baby. He's just carrying me and you would have shot him," I paused and looked to the burnt hole on Charon's shoulder guard. "Okay, you already shot him - and that was rude, I told you to just distract him."
"I still do not understand how you got past me," Charon grumbled; it was the first time he had spoken since we entered the tunnels.
I shrugged and grinned at the side of his face, seeing as he wouldn't look at me, focusing on the steps he was carrying me up. "All that matters is I got you and killed that fucker," I sighed, laying my head against his shoulder. "Happy he got to see me fulfill my promise of eating his heart," a sighed airily.
"Are you insane?"
I cackled and then squeaked when he kicked at the chain link separating us from the sweet glare of the dying sun outside the metro. I wiggled a little and then side, bunching up to where he had to drop my legs. Weird little pangs shot up my muscles when my boots slapped against the concrete, but I didn't really care seeing as I was now free to open the gate; he kept a hand on my waist, which gave me this sudden funny feeling. I looked up at him but he was still staring ahead, his jaw twitching as he waited for me to go I suppose.
"I'm not insane," I finally defended myself, kicking the chain gate closed behind us; ED-E zoomed above the stairs, whirling in a circle for a moment before he took off further ahead. "Well, I don't think I am anyway. The Overseer insisted I get tested but even he couldn't order my dad to do the testing. So I'm just firing blank here," I chirped and shrugged Charon off at the top of the stairs, feeling a bit more grounded and stable than back in the tunnels.
"Overseer," Charon questioned and I arched an eyebrow at the sudden conversation skills he sprouted.
"Yes," I said slowly, kicking up dirt as we walked towards the ramp up to the Rivet City bridge. "Bitch from 101, remember," I sighed again, like I was just a carefree girl where in reality the guards were slowly raising their rifles at the blood rolling over me. "Whoa, whoa, whoa guys," I raised my hands, smiling; it didn't seem to be helping. "Minion. Came through here about an hour ago to get the bot that's playing...trumpet music?"
ED-E swooped in, belting out that music and swirling in circles before he suddenly stilled and shuddered in front of me. Everyone waited with bated breath to see what he would do, but I had an inking and it was already sending child over my skin.
"Hello, Minion."
"Charon, he's not gonna do anything," I said for the umpteenth time since we made it to the Clinic.
Charon hadn't let ED-E out of his sight, keeping that shotgun of his on full view and in his hands. ED-E was hovering above my head, actually trembling as he faced Charon, who continued to glare at the bot. I shouldn't have told him that the voice didn't belong to ED-E, that I didn't know exactly who the voice belonged too because now he was on edge and basically begged me to let him just shoot the robot until he didn't even have the ability to spark anymore.
"Ow, dammit," I snapped at Preston, who actually chuckled despite the nervous tension in the room.
"Just shut up," Preston chided, stitching up the little gash in my shoulder; who knew Ahzrukhal actually managed to cut me open a little. "You feeling that Vivitrol yet?"
I nodded softly, rolling my head on my shoulders. "Yeah, I'm starting to feel like complete shit," I sighed. "Sneaking a shot to cure my addiction into me. . .shame on you, doctor."
Preston rolled his eyes as he dabbed a disinfectant around the cut he was working on. "You make it sound like reverse and I got you addicted to something," he shook his head. "Minion, you're priorities are all mixed up."
"Tell me something I don't know," I paused, watching him place his bloody tweezers down on the rolling tray. "We done," I questioned and Preston nodded, tugging off his gloves and tossing the into a pan of disinfectant. "How much do I owe ya, doc?"
Preston waved a hand at me. "Call it payment for getting Pinkerton's notes," he arched an eyebrow. "Don't leave the city tonight, I wanna check the wounds again once you're clean, see if I missed any."
I gave him a half-assed salute. "Okie dokie, guess we'll be at the Weatherly. There any rooms open?"
Preston nodded. "Seagrave finally pulled enough together to buy that small room on the lower deck so his room is now open. Just tell Vera to put it on me - but don't try to take advantage of my generosity, kid. You pay for your meal and the soap, shits expensive to have brought in and I live here, I won't pay for it again."
I chuckled and shimmied towards the door, firing imaginary guns at him with my fingers. "Yes sir," he rolled his eyes at me yet again.
We waves us away and I needed no further insistence, I was dead on my feet and desperately seeking that big fucking bed I has seen once before in Seagrave's room. It belonged to Vera and she had never done anything nice like give someone her hotel furnishings so I was pretty sure it was still there.
And I was right!
"Oh fuck yeah," I meweled as I stretched out on the bed, arching and moaning like I was having the best orgasm of my life. "Yeah. . .I could get used to this beauty, mmmm," I tightened my fingers in the silky sheets, casting a quick glance to Charon, who was shuffling awkwardly in the corner of the room.
I chuckled but closed my eyes, sighing as I stroke the sheets, trying to imagine the last time I had, had such a nice place to sleep. Even my bed in Megaton wasn't this nice, that thought alone strumming up a new handful of memories. That's where I had felt this bed before, it was scavenged from a Vault. You didn't just find these sheets and this comfort anywhere in the Wasteland, not even at the old motels in the ruins. This was too much luxury and I suddenly wanted to bite Seagrave and Vera's throats out for scavenging away something familiar to my childhood.
"Mistress," I opened one eye, but only to a slit, seeing a very uncomfortable Charon looking to the right. "Can you please cease the act you are putting on? It is making me uncomfortable."
Cute.
"Of course," I kicked my right leg straight up into the air and then jerked it down, using the momentum to hop to my feet. "I need a shower anyway,care to guard me? Its on the lower deck and the lock doesn't work to the women's single."
Charon still looked uncomfortable but nodded softly and I snatches up my pack from where he had dropped it, slinging the hatch open. "ED-E, stay here," he let out a high pitched beep. "None of that, Mister. I already have this hulking bastard, I don't need a big ball blocking anyone else's way. Guard the room."
He let out a determined series of beeps and then wen to hover in a corner of the room, prepping his laser at the door before I shut it.
Charon followed dutifully as I led him down into the lower deck showers, whistling and spouting nonsense along the way. Maybe it was that shit Preston injected me with, but despite the wear and tear of the past day, I felt incredibly chipper.
"Okay," I murmured as I peered down both ends of the hallway, seeing only one of the guards on patrol; it was late, so I had no doubt everyone else was asleep. "Just sit here and look scerry," I pulled out an old John Wayne accent as I slipped into the bathroom.
I could hear Charon grumble and chuckled as I started to strip, adjusting the water temperature as I went; I loved being naked. I folded my bloody clothes up in the corner - okay, I more like tossed them into a decently organized pile - and placed the bright green dress I wore between washes on the sink, sighing as I stepped under the spray. Not even my house in Megaton had a shower head, I had to take a bath instead and I hate baths.
"I have to work something out with Moira," I murmured, stretching for my soap.
CHARON
He has to actually take care of this one, considering she seems a bit off her rocker or decidedly insane.
He's still stunned she had managed to out smart him, he's also ashamed to have fallen for such a simple tactic as attack and distract. That robot was actually a very advanced fighter, even for a robot. It had dodged each of his own attacks, landing more shots in a tight space than Charon even managed.
Outsmarted by machinery.
His trainers were rolling over in their graves.
Charon did as Minion said and curled his lip up at the strawberry blonde tweaked that started towards the bathroom. The man jumped and hesitated, his right shoulder hitched higher than the other before he turned on his heel and stalked away, the movement reminding Charon of a Protectron.
"You are my sunshine. . .my only sunshine. . ."
Charon stilled and he almost forgot what he was supposed to be doing, lulled by the gentle pull of a rather talented voice. She could sing like that? He hadn't heard a voice like that in nearly a hundred and fifty years.
Charon swallowed thickly as he peered through the faint steam of the bathroom, eyes tracing the rag she had obviously cut from a t shirt, running soap over her skin as she hummed.
"You make me happy. . .when skies are gray. . ." She cranes her head back, letting water cleanse the soap from her, sending blood rushing down the drain. "You'll never know dear, how much I love you. . ."
Charon shook his head and tore his eyes away, chewing softly on his tongue. Not again, he wouldn't go down that road again.
