The notorious Nuka-World. Once upon a time, it was a place of joy and laughter. Depending on who you asked, not much had changed, although the park now hosted a very different type of clientele. Other than the traders they had enslaved, only the most hardened, cold-blooded marauders could call it home. Truly the worst the wasteland had to offer. However, among this mass of murderers and psychopaths, three souls stood apart from the rest. Even the biggest and meanest of the raiders kept out of their way when they saw them coming. Two women. One man. Overboss Catherine, a tower of a woman, standing taller than all but the largest of men. Her scarred visage had been coated almost entirely in a stark, green war paint, partly to intimidate, mostly because she thought it looked damn good with her eyes of the same color. She valued her appearance before the war, just because the world went to shit didn't mean that had to change.
At her sides stood her two cohorts. On her left, her best friend and lover, the infamous Cait, former Combat Zone champion turned bodyguards, or personal skullsmasher, depending on what Catherine needed most at the time. On her right stood Gage, a dreamer amd a doer, the one who had made all this Nuka-World business possible. Her second-in-command, the one-man council, and the only soul in that damn park she completely trusted, other than Cait. Together, they formed an unholy trinity. Since taking the whole park and restoring power, Catherine had solidified her power. None dared stand in her way, and any who did never lasted long. Even the bosses feared her wrath, though they would never admit it. Anyone who pissed her off found themselves on the wrong side of Cait's oversized, spiked sledgehammer. The trio walked in through the front gates, a specific destination in mind.
"You sure about this, boss?" asked a concerned Gage.
"Sure I'm sure. What, you don't trust me?" said Catherine. The red-head shot him a mocking, yet playful grin. "Or are ya just scared?"
"Course I trust you, it's these psycho bitches I'm wary of. Sure, they're good in a fight, but, hell, they're stone-cold crazy."
"You're the one who said we need a light, but deadly touch for this job. Someone quick, quiet, and brutal. Who could be better? Besides, You travel with me and Cait, you should be used to crazy women by now," said Catherine, half joking.
Gage shook his head, "You two ain't crazy. Not like them. Wild, sure, but this bunch? Shit, you know how they are."
"Yes, I know exactly how they are. That's why I want one for myself."
"And you're goin' after the craziest one of all, to boot. She's pure animal, boss."
"Go big or go home," shrugged Catherine.
"I gotta say darlin', I'm with old one-eye on this one," chimed in Cait. "I've seen some creepy bastards over the years, but none as downright disturbing as this lot."
"I thought I told you not to call me that," said Gage with narrowed eyes.
Cait just smiled back at him. "Ya did, I just wasn't listenin'."
Gage grumbled something when Catherine came between them. "Okay you two, you're just gonna have to trust me here. I say she's what we need. That's how it's gonna be."
"Fine, but you're accountable for any shit she stirs up," said Gage, still not happy about it.
"I'm accountable for everything in this hellhole, Gage. That was the deal you gave me, remember?"
Gage looked away from her, "Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with."
The three soon came to a stop. They had arrived at their destination. Fizztop Mountain, home of the Disciples, and their newest recruit.
"Oh, hey boss, didn't know you were comin' by," said the guard at the door. "Here to see Nisha?"
"Sort of," said Catherine, who just waltzed on through.
When the bloodied doors of Fizztop Mountain swung open, a few sets of eyes looked their ways. After seeing who it was, they went back to their business. Most didn't even say hello. The Disciples certainly weren't the sociable type, not most of them, anyway. Catherine was here to see the exception. Her and her companions made their way through the menagerie of mutilated corpses and gore, headed up the metal ramp to the upper levels. Higher and higher they went, nearly to the top.
"Fuckin' Christ, would it kill these cunts to put in a lift? And it smells disgusting." Cait complained as she climbed. "Coming up here is always a pain the arse."
"Don't be so dramatic, honey," said Catherine.
"You're not the one lugging around the giant hammer."
They came to second to last level and looked to the right. Inside the little wooden building was the girl they were looking for. She was sitting behind a desk, writing in some kind of journal.
"Wow, I can't imagine the shite written in that diary," said Cait lowly.
Catherine ignored her and walked over, poking her head in the structure.
"Hey Dixie, got a second?"
The Southern Belle jerked upwards, having been startled. She didn't even notice Catherine had been standing there. "Oh, hey OB! What can I do ya for?" she said, quickly closing the book and stashing it.
"How would you like to come along on a little operation of ours? We need someone with your . . . talents."
"Aww, ya'll need help on a job and you thought of little ol' me? How sweet. What's the job?"
"Gage, explain," said Catherine.
Gage sighed, looking uncomfortable. "You're familiar with the town Goodneighbor, ain't ya?"
"Course I am. Got all kinds of pleasant memories in that little corner of hell," Dixie said, already looking interested.
"Good, cause we're doin' a job with him and some of his guys. The Gunners have been putting increased pressure on the town. Hancock wants em' gone, permanently, and we've been at odds with the fuckers forever. The Overboss and Hancock got history, so we're workin' together on this one."
"Okay, but what's this got to do with me?"
"We need a woman of your specific skillset. All of us, well, we can fight like he'll, but we're not exactly low profile like you are."
At that, Dixie just giggled. She turned and spread her arms outwards, showing off her macabre decorations. Severed arms and legs hung from the ceiling like potted plants. The wooden walls' natural color was barely visible through Dixie's red paint job, her brush had been sheathed on her hip.
"You call this low profile?"
"Come on, you know what we mean, Dixie."
She laughed again, cleared amused with yourself. "I'm just foolin' with ya'll. Ya need an infiltrator. A blade in the dark."
Gage nodded, "Exactly."
"Well, sounds like my kinda party," said an excited Dixie. She pulled her metallic brush from her side, making sure it was suitably sharp. "It has been pretty damn boring around here, lately. Been way too long since I was in a good tussle."
"So you're in?" asked Catherine.
"Well, there is one little problem. I can't go nowhere without Nisha's okay. I know you're the OB and all, but this is her gang."
"Sure, I'll go talk to her. You two stay here," she said to her companions.
The two watched Catherine leave, then looked back to Dixie with uncertain stares.
"Well, don't just stand there! Come in, make yourselves at home," said Dixie, gesturing to the bloodstained sofa. Mounted on the top was a severed head with no eyes.
"Yeah, I'm good to stand," said Cait.
Catherine made her way up the final ramp to Nisha's quarters. She found her relaxing on the couch.
"Ah, there you are. I heard tell you showed up downstairs. What can I do for you, Overboss?"
"I need to borrow your girl Dixie for a bit. Got an important job for her. She might be gone a few months."
Nisha looked at Catherine with a sideways look. "You want Dixie? Really? You do know what she's about, don't you?"
"Oh trust me, I know exactly what she's about."
"As long as you know what you're getting into. Girl's good at what she does, but it's hard to keep that kind of passion on a leash." Nisha sat back to think it over. What could she get out of this? "Alright, if you want Dixie's specialized services, it'll cost you a thousand caps."
"Deal," said Catherine. She knew better than to try haggling with a woman like Nisha. Besides, the price was more than fair. "I'll have the amount delivered to you later today," she said as she turned to leave.
"Oh, and Overboss," called Nisha after her.
Catherine looked over her shoulder.
"You should know, Dixie has certain 'needs.'"
"Yeah, all girls have those, Nisha."
The masked woman smirked, if ever so slightly. "Seriously though, this is important if you plan on spending an extended amount of time with Dixie. Most of us just kill for fun, for the thrill of it, but not Dixie. No. She lives off it. It sustains her. She can go a few days without stuffing someone out, maybe a week, but after that?" Nisha just shook her head. "Trust me, you don't want to see it. The depths of depravity she'll sink to, well, even I have my limits. If Dixie doesn't get her fix, she'll lose what little sanity she has left."
"Trust me, there's gonna be plenty of killing to go around in this job," Catherine assured her.
"That's fine for when you get there, but what about in-between? If the journey is gonna take a few days, or even a week, she'll need something to hold her over."
Catherine shrugged. "Okay, so what? I should bring along a few captives for her to slaughter whenever she gets antsy? That'll just slow us down."
"No, but if you run into anyone along the way, settlers, scavengers, raiders, whatever, you might have to let her butcher a few of them to keep her happy."
"Damn, she's a high maintenance girl."
"The best ones always are," Nisha said back.
Catherine just smiled. "Alright, I'll make sure to take good care of her," she said as she started down the ramp.
"Happy hunting, boss."
When she got back, she found Gage and Cait hadn't moved. They looked relieved to see Catherine return. Dixie had moved to the couch, feet up on one end.
"So, what's the word, OB?"
"Grab your shit, Dix. We're outta here."
Even through her banded metal mask, they could tell the devious girl was grinning ear to ear.
"Alrighty then. Let's go make trouble."