"PUT IT AWAY OR I'LL CHOP IT OFF!" Colin shouted brandishing a combat knife in the direction of a seriously drunk ex-raider, "This ain't yer god damn personal piss bucket," he motioned to the door with the knife and grinned, "If ya do have to relieve yerself I'd do it over the heads of those bomb worshipping fucks outside."
Jericho stood there staring at Moriarty with his dick in his hand while his brain took it's time to register the owner's words before nodding and staggering out the front door, bumping into the vault dweller as she made her way in.
"Wash ett bitch…" He slurred despite the collision being his fault. Cassie just ignored him, rolling her eyes, as she approached the bar.
"Hey Gob," She said cheerfully slapping fifty caps onto the table, "I'd like to buy a bit of information off of you." As the ghoul reached for the small sum of caps his hand was smacked, rather forcefully, away by Moriarty.
"If it's information ya want, you'll get it from me. Gob has some cleaning to do upstairs," He snapped shooting a 'Get your ass outta here' look, "And it'll be a hundred caps," With a sigh she reached in her pack and slammed another fifty caps onto the bar, "What do you want to know?"
"I'm going to look for Three Dog," She would've preferred talking to Gob over this slimy dick weed but felt that requesting him specifically could result in his being beaten yet again, "If my dad isn't with him then he might know where he went."
"Oh, leavin' us so soon lass?" He drummed his fingers impatiently on the bar table as he slipped the combat knife back into its sheath, "Get to the fuckin' point. I can't keep that rotting bastard away from the bar all day," The girl clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes, a gesture that did nothing to sweeten the attitude of the old Irish-man, "Either ask yer question or get the fuck out."
"I need a body-guard," She said simply, "Everyone I've talked to says that the way to the Galaxy News Radio building is riddled with ferals and super mutants. I'll never make it on my own," The girl leaned over the bar the way she had seen Nova do it whenever she wanted to get the most out of a customer, "You don't think there's anyone around here who'd be willing to help me out, do you?"
The old bar owner turned a slight pink and scooped up the little pile of caps, "Well, if yer looking for an experienced wastelander… I'd put my caps on Jericho."
Cassie stood straight and scrunched her eyebrows, "Jericho? Is that the one with the bandana and the kid?"
"Nah, that's Billy Creel," He laughed, "Ya can't tell me ya don't know him, he just passed ya a minute ago."
Her eyes grew wide at the realization of who he had suggested, "HIM?" She looked over her shoulder to the doorway they'd passed each other at, "That vulgar, rude, arrogant," the kid found herself running out of words, "ASSHOLE?"
"Well he may be the biggest prick in Megaton, but he'll get the job done," Moriarty smirked and turned to walk to the back room, "Look lass ya paid me fer information," He hesitated at the door, "Ya never said it had to be info ya liked…" Before retiring to his favorite hiding spot he made sure to call down his favorite whipping boy, "GOB, GET YER ASS BACK DOWN HERE AND WATCH THE FUCKIN' BAR!"
The ghoul was downstairs in a matter of seconds, apparently having been on the stairs listening rather than doing whatever cleaning Moriarty said he was supposed to do, "Is he bullshitting me Gob?" Cassie whispered as the ghoul retook his regular position behind the cash register, "Is that guy my best shot at surviving the trip to the GNR building?"
Gob looked around shiftily and leaned in, "Well he did used to be a raider, and those guys are practically experts on getting around the wastes."
The lone wanderer shrugged her shoulders and looked back at the door again, "Well… If I have no choice…" She waved at Gob and walked outside Moriarty's Saloon expected to be greeted by the sight of the man, who's name she now knew to be Jericho, pissing on the head of some religious fanatic who'd probably refer to the act as, "A divine blessing from the great Atom."
However, when she stepped out there was no one, "He must have gone home…"
Despite his house being so close to the pub, it took Cassie twenty minutes to get at least half way there. She was debating whether or not she should ask him to join her.
On one hand, she was desperate to see her father again. She had so many questions for him like why he had left her, what was so god damn important, and how he possibly thought that the Overseer would refrain from taking things out on her after he escaped the vault.
On the other hand, that man had pissed her off since the first moment they met. He had tried to do things to her, he'd broken into her house, and he had seen that letter she had written. Sure, she had only written it as a way to let off steam but it wasn't ever meant to be read by anyone, let alone someone like him.
The girl swallowed hard. She had to ask, after that week she had spent in the wastes by herself she knew there was no way that she could last out there on her own.
When she got to Jericho's house she heard muffled noises from within. Putting her ear to the door she could hear the hushed sound of Jericho's voice, "I can't do this shit anymore…" Who was he talking to?
"These days are getting longer and every single one of them is the same," no one was answering him… was he speaking to himself? "If I keep this up I'll end up drowning in that shit hole of a bar," She heard him laugh, "I'll prob'ly be doin' everyone a favor… Yeah… a favor…"
"Mr. Jericho?" Cassie called out softly, pushing the door open. Her eyes shot open wide as they fell upon the sight of a man holding a teddy bear in one hand and a pistol to his head in the other. Without thinking she lunged forward just as he pulled the trigger.
A shot rang through the town of Megaton at midday.