Chapter 6: C'est la Vie

~Hikari's POV~

I was really confused when Mei showed up in Craterside with Nova and a blood-splattered Gob, but it seemed she really was back to her usual self. I disliked Moriarty, but there was nothing I could do anymore. Mei had shot him, and he was dead.

We stealthily left Megaton. Where we were going to go from there, I was unsure of, but I was thinking Underworld for Gob and then Rivet City for Nova and to talk to Dr. Li. We were stocked up with enough supplies to get us to Rivet City, but that was enough for Charon, Mei, and me, not for all five of us. I guessed we could have Charon cook up some radroach or mole rat if we got desperate. We had 278 caps left after I went shopping and had my armor repaired, so we could stock up once we reached Underworld.

Once the sun was down, we decided to make camp. Charon left to go find wood to make a fire so we could stay warm and have something to eat. Mei shot anything that came too close, like radroaches, wild dogs, and mole rats. Charon was back within minutes with plenty of wood. He quickly got a fire going and I pulled some Salisbury steaks out of my pip-boy. Charon made five, and we all had water to drink. That was the main concern, though. I only had one more bottle of purified water left, and after that, it was all radiated water, if we could find any.

"How long will it take us to get to Underworld now?" Mei asked.

"According to my pip-boy, we should get there tomorrow afternoon, if we're lucky," I stated. "And by lucky, I mean no run-ins with Super Mutants or Raiders. If we do, then probably the following morning."

I sat next to the fire and tried to stay warm. Even though the days were scorching, the nights were worse. They could freeze anyone to death and we were lucky to have one another and a fire. I closed my eyes and pulled my legs up to my body, resting my forehead against my knees. I felt someone sit right next to me, but I didn't care whom it was. I leaned over against them. I was tired from the day that was supposed to be used to relax from the traveling. I think it was Charon, because the person had armor on and was usually warm, but I could have been mistaken. Either way, I let sleep overtake me.

I woke to gun shots the next morning. Off in the distance, I could see three figures in recon armor. I grabbed my gun and headed off to fight with Charon and Mei. They had disposed of two by the time I got there, and the third one was bleeding pretty badly. I shot him through the torso, finishing him off.

Mei and Charon searched the bodies, grabbing their ammo, stimpaks, and armor. After Charon repaired the armor, he gave one set to our new traveling companions and Mei equipped the other. Charon handed me a holotape from one of the bodies. I put it in my pip-boy to read it.

"Boys and girls, we've got ourselves a couple of holier-than-thou white-knights who need to be put down. Here are the details:

Name: Hikari and Mei Mansen
Race: Caucasian
Sex: Female

The bounty is 1000 caps this time around. And for a change of pace, they want the heads this time.

Good hunting!"

I stared at in shock. Someone wanted Mei and me dead, and they were going to give a lot of caps for our deaths. It's a good thing Charon's around. I don't know what we'd do without him.

I was well awake by then, and quite frightened. I showed the note to Mei, and she frowned.

"We have to pick up the pace," Mei stated. "I want us there by the end of today, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Let's go."

The new pace set by Mei was challenging, but the sooner we got there, the better. We practically flew through the metro station and out past Three Dog's radio tower. The five of us didn't stop for lunch. We shot through the next set of tunnels and soon came out the other side as the sun was setting in the distance. My legs felt like they weighed a ton, and I felt like I was slowing down, but I pressed on. We were nearly there, and I was determined to make it before the sun finished setting. We kept walking, but it seemed as though they were getting farther and farther up ahead of me. I wasn't about to ask them to slow down, though.

Suddenly, I felt myself stumble over a loose rock and felt the sharp stones scrape my face. I went to pick myself up, but Charon was already there, helping me back up.

"Don't expect me to be here all the time," he said as he picked me up. "Because there may be a day where I won't. You need to toughen up."

I nodded, speechless as he began to carry me bridal-style over to the others.

"You are slowing us down. I will train you for the next few days to toughen you up for when that day comes," he stated. "It will be hard, but it will be worth it in the long run."

Again, I nodded.

"We'll be in Underworld soon. Five days is how long we will stay there, and I will teach you how to shoot, fight hand-to-hand, and everything else that I can while we are there."

I swallowed hard. I had a feeling that these next few days would be pretty hard.

~Mei's POV~

I kinda felt sorry for Kari. She fell flat on her face, then Charon said that he was going to, "Toughen her up." Sure, the wastes were a rough place, but Kari has always been the one that everyone wants to protect. I guess the fact that the mercs were after us made him want to do it, but I had a feeling that she was in for a rough time, and trust me, I'm rarely wrong.

I was surprised that Underworld let us back in after we disposed of Az. Carol was overjoyed to see Gob, and vice-versa. We were all shocked when he introduced Nova as his girlfriend. I guess that's why she came along with us without a second thought. Whatever. Carol gave us a free bed, but it was twin, and there were still three of us. We'd figure something out. Kari told Carol that we'd be staying for about five days, and she rushed off to prepare a room.

"So, how long have you two been boyfriend and girlfriend?" Kari asked.

"A few months, now," Nova stated. "It just sort of... happened."

"Three months, two weeks, and six days, to be exact," Gob corrected.

I made gagging noises at the sweetly-sick puppy-dog look Gob was wearing as he glanced at Nova.

"Come on, Mei. I think it's really sweet," Kari stated.

"Kari, you think everything is sweet."

"Do not!"

"You'd try to keep a mole rat as a pet if it wouldn't harm you," I teased.

"So?!"

I was kind of shocked, but not quite. Kari would be the one to think that. I smiled and shook my head.

"It's ready," Carol said as she rejoined us.

"We'll leave you three alone, now," I said as I pulled Kari over to the same room as before.

As we went into it, there was a larger bed than before. I think it was a double bed, but either way, it was big enough for all three of us. I smiled at Carol's thoughtfulness and flopped down on the bed.

"Rest well, Hikari. These next few days will probably be the most challenging ones you have encountered," Charon stated. "But you may not quit. I do not expect you to show much promise in the beginning, but you will learn, just like I have."

Kari looked kind of scared and very exhausted as she curled up beside me. Charon took off his armor top and got in beside Kari, facing the other way. I soon fell asleep.

The following morning, I woke up to Charon shouting at Kari, telling her to get up. I looked down at my pip-boy. Six a.m. Great. I sat up alongside Kari. Charon was all dressed and ready to get the day started.

"Hurry and eat," he said, tossing a piece of radroach meat at her. "I have five days to teach you everything that I know, and that is not nearly a sufficient amount of time, but we will make due. I want you dressed and ready to go in half an hour outside by the dinosaur fossil. Make haste!"

Without another word, he left us alone in the room. It looked as though Kari had gotten zero sleep last night. I smiled sympathetically at her as she put the meat in her pip-boy and pulled out a half-eaten box of sugar bombs. She shoveled a couple handfuls into her mouth before shoving the box my way. I ate as she got changed and then followed her down to the foyer. Charon stood there impatiently.

"Give me your bag, but put everything that is currently in it in your pip-boy."

She did as she was told and put the ammo and chems in her pip-boy, then handed him the bag. He then shoveled rubble into it until it was nearly coming apart at the seams.

"You will keep this on until I say so," he instructed. God, Charon was so scary when he was like that. "Now, I want you to run five laps around the room, then await further instructions. Is that clear?"

She nodded.

"I can't hear you!" he shouted.

"Yes, Charon," she said.

"What was that you called me?"

"I called you by your name," she stated.

"For your cheek, you will run double the laps, now get going!"

She looked as though she was about to cry as she began to do as she was told. He kept yelling at her to go faster, and I wanted to slap him. He made me angry beyond words for putting my sister through that torture. I had a feeling that before the training was over, she would snap, and I needed to be ready to help her in case things got violent.

Once she was done running laps, he made her do push-up after push-up with the bad of rocks on her back. Every time she fell, she had another one added. The torture went on as he turned things into hand-to-hand combat. I could tell that he wasn't taking it easy on her as he practically threw her across the room. I think she would have been covered in bruises and cuts if she hadn't been able to somehow heal. I don't even think she knew that she was able to do that.

She was trying her hardest, but each time, Charon was able to toss her aside as if she was only a rag doll. It wasn't around noon until he let her eat lunch, which he gave her ten minutes for. I handed her the rest of the sugar bombs and purified water, which she shoved down her throat. I motioned for her to sit next to me on the steps. I pulled out my old towel and wiped the sweat, dirt, and blood off of her face before Charon called her back out.

He switched her over to running again. According to my pip-boy, she ran for about an hour before she tripped and fell. The rocks tumbled out of her bag, and Charon picked her up harshly and added even more rocks to it.

"Keep going," he shouted in her face.

The door behind me opened, and Gob and Nova joined me.

"What's going on?" Gob asked.

"He's, 'Training,' Kari," I stated. "He's been at it for a few hours, and he hasn't let up. What's this guys beef?"

Gob sighed. "I knew Charon before the bombs fell. I can tell you his story, but I don't think he would appreciate it very much if I did."

"I don't care," I said. "Lay it on me."

"Well, Charon was orphaned at a very early age, from what I've come to understand. The government was looking for such individuals to train for their army. They brainwashed the kids into mindless soldiers, blindly loyal to whoever holds his contract," he explained. "From what I know, he's been through extremely tough training. His instructors took no pity on them. If they messed up or failed in any way, they would be punished severely. I don't even think this training comes close to it. They really were tortured until they had nothing left of their old selves. His kind were used in military operations, mostly. One was even bought by the president back before the war to protect him. He was shot by some terrorists, though. Unfortunately, that one didn't make it. Anyway, Charon was one of their top soldiers that completed the training, and he was assigned to work in Anchorage before the war. I worked alongside him as a military medic. I wanted to work for the government, but they needed more people up there, so that was how I met Charon. I have to say, a lot of the girls at the airport were swooning over him, so I guess he was quite the looker."

"What did he look like?" I asked.

"He looks a lot like he does now, only with hair, skin, ears, and a nose," he replied with a shrug.

"Well, I know that," I said.

He smirked, "Then why'd you ask?"

"You know what, never mind."

"Suit yourself."

Nova was left, claiming that she couldn't watch the torture. Gob actually asked me if what Charon was doing was legal. I didn't know, but I wasn't aware that anything was illegal anymore.

It wasn't until nearly ten until Charon let her go. Kari nearly collapsed when she lay down on the bed next to me. She smelled terrible, but looked worse. She had deep, dark circles underneath her eyes and she bore the look of some of the crazy wastelanders, which made me worry about her. I didn't think she would be able to take another day of the torture that Charon called "Training."

She was asleep before I even settled into bed, and I knew something had to be done. I began to hatch a plan as I fell asleep.

~Hikari's POV~

I felt as though someone rolled over me with a pre-war bulldozer, then had dropped a building on my head after ten Super Mutant Behemoths danced on my corpse. I wanted to do nothing but lay in bed all day, but I woke again, that time at 5:30, to Charon shouting for me to get up. I was out of Sugar Bombs, so that was out of the question for breakfast. He threw another piece of radroach meat at me, which I stored in my pip-boy. Mei pulled out a box of Dandy Boy Apples and handed them to me. I promptly thanked her before consuming them.

Charon was in the same spot as the day before, and he still held my bag, which was still filled with rocks.

"Ten laps, let's go!" he shouted.

I didn't say a word, but rather took the bad and went off running. I found that he was less likely to add to my training. My muscles burned from all of the stress that I put on them the day before. I knew I couldn't stop, though. As long as the pain wasn't sudden, everything was normal. From one of the books that I read back in the Vault, I knew that small muscle fibers would tear if they weren't used to being used, and then they would become stronger.

Just push through the pain, honey,

I heard my dad's voice say. I have faith in you.

Just thinking about my dad spurred me onward, giving me enough energy to get through the first part. After that, he put me though more pushups with the rocks on my back. My arms, back, and legs screamed in protest, but I pushed through it. I had to, for my dad and sister. They were my motivation. I knew I would be stronger after that.

It wasn't until we moved to hand-to-hand combat again that I really felt the pain in my arms. Charon was like an unmovable wall that insulted you and then threw you away like rotting radroach meat. I felt my skin scrape against the pavement and then the flow of blood, but I ignored it and charged right back at him. The lunch break flew by too fast, and I had never really cared too much for cram, but it was the only food that we had left that didn't need cooking. I choked it down, along with a bottle of radiated water. Then, it was back to running. There was no dinner break, just like the day before, so we worked up until it was time for bed. I knew I reeked, but I was too tired to do anything about it.

I fell asleep almost instantly, wishing to die right then and there in my sleep to save me from the torture.

When I woke up the next morning, my whole body ached even worse than before. Charon woke us up at 5 am that morning.

"I've got some things to do today, so I'm afraid I can't come with you," she stated. "But here, take some Cram. You'll need the protein."

"Thanks," I said before heading off to find Charon.

I wished Mei could have come with me, but she said she had something that she needed to do, and I knew she wouldn't leave me unless it was important.

My torture began with the usual, only he added five more laps. I was in a lot of pain, and I felt like collapsing right then and there, but I knew Charon would be on me in an instant, adding more torment to my, "Training." I thought of Dad again, and even of Mom. I wished she hadn't died. I wished she could still be with us. Then, maybe Dad would be there, too, and I wouldn't be stuck with Charon, who seemed intent to crucify me.

Charon took me outside then, saying that I had to learn to shoot better. He pointed to a couple Super Mutants and told me to kill them. He also said that he would not interfere. I carefully took aim with V.A.T.S. I don't think Charon knew that such a system existed. It told me the percentages and I selected the torso twice and then the head once. My first shot missed entirely, but the second two hit. The Mutants then noticed where I was and began to charge at me. I fired wildly at them, killing the first within the first two magazines of ammo. The other took out a hunting rifle and began to fight back. I felt one pierce my shoulder, but I kept on firing. Another one grazed my cheek before my battery beeped at me, saying V.A.T.S. was full. I took advantage of it and fired a couple more times, taking aim at its head, before it fell.

I went to tend to my wound, but there was none. A bullet slowly poked out before sealing up completely. I was shocked and simply stared at it.

"No using your machine, next time," he said. "It may not always be there to lend a hand."

"The hell?!" I screamed. "Did you just see what happened?!"

He gave me an odd look before shaking his head. "Back to training. We're going to continue with hand-to-hand combat."

"But, Charon-"

"No buts! Inside, now!"

I frowned and followed him inside. He attacked me before I was even ready to begin. I fell to the ground and slid a few feet away.

"I wasn't ready! I exclaimed.

"The enemy won't wait for you to be ready," he stated. "Up, let's get this over with."

I charged at him, filled with uncharacteristic anger. Each time I took a go at him, he pushed me harder and harder, making it more and more difficult to pull myself off of the floor, but each time filled me with fury. I was close to cracking, just like I had back in the Vault. Thinking of the Vault made me wonder how Amata was doing. I pushed the thought out of my head and went to tackle him again, but he pushed me down. I got right back up, each time I pushed myself harder and harder.

"Keep control over your anger," he warned. "Don't let it control you."

I blocked out the ghoul who was somewhat abusing me and charged at him, finally knocking him back a bit, and he was off balance for the moment, allowing me to gain the slight upper hand. He fell backwards to the ground, and I couldn't help but smirk. I went to help him back up, but he knocked my feet out from under me.

"Why did you do that?!" I shouted.

"Never turn your back on an enemy," he stated. "Never leave yourself vulnerable to attack, and never assume your enemy finished."

I glared at him and felt my anger flare up as I snapped.

"I've had it!" I yelled. "This isn't training, it's abuse! It's torture! I'm done!"

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm.

"We are done when I say we are," he growled.

"Get your ******* hands off me, you zombie!" I shouted.

In one swift movement, he had me pinned on the ground. I struggled with all of my might to get up, but he held me down.

"You do not realize the seriousness of the situation you are in," he barked. "You cannot shoot straight, you have no physical strength, you have bounty hunters and mercenaries on your tail, and only me and your sister to protect you. You have to learn these skills, because it is a matter of life and death. You will die if you do not! It is you that I am trying to protect! Now get back up and finish what you've started!"

"In case you didn't notice, I didn't start this!" I pointed out. "You were the one who decided that you were going to, 'Toughen me up,' because I'm not strong enough for this world!"

"Because you are not strong! You are weak!"

"There is more to strength than physical fitness! There is strength of the mind, there is emotional strength and there is spiritual strength, all of which you are breaking right now trying to get me physically strong!" I bellowed. "You have no idea what I have gone through in my eleven days of being outside the Vault, nor do you know anything about my experiences in the Vault, or anything about me! Now let me UP! I am done!"

His grip seemed to relax, and I squirmed away from him and stormed off into the main building.

Upon arriving back in Carol's Place, Mei was sitting on the bed. She wore a head wrap that covered all of her hair and made her look funny. She was reading some book on how to better use guns.

"God, Kari, you reek," she said. "I'm not letting you in bed until you bathe."

"I don't care if I smell."

"Ooh, he got you pissed. Come on, a bath to cool you down."

"But I-"

"No buts," she interrupted. "Let's go."

She steered me to the bathroom down the stairs. She shut and locked the door before she rinsed out the bathtub, then filled it with cold water. She made me take a rad-x before getting in. The cold water seemed to make my muscles ache less, and it felt good to sit. Still, the cold water was not as big of a shock as when Mei took off her head wrap. She had cut her hair so that it was the same length and color as mine. The only difference was our eye color.

"Wh-what-?"

"I came up with this plan last night," she whispered. "You may not see it, Kari, but you're dying on the inside. You need a day of rest, and I'll give it to you. Just wear my wrap and he won't notice the difference."

"What about our eye color?" I questioned. "I'm pretty sure he'll be able to tell by that, not to mention that I'm paler than you."

"It's called a spray on tan and colored contacts," she said as she pulled out some strange objects from her pip-boy. "I got them off of Snowflake. He's the one who did my hair. He said that they were really popular before the war, but it's quite rare to find them here in the wastes. You need to pay him fifty caps, by the way. I promised him that I'd pay him tomorrow. I'll spray you so that you're darker than me, and then I'll put in the contacts. It'll be fine."

I was mad at Charon, and I was definitely in need of rest.

"I don't know if Charon will want to train me after what I just said to him," I admitted.

"What did you say?"

"I called him a zombie; I swore at him, I told him that he knew nothing about me, or anything. I stormed off after that."

"I doubt Charon's going to give up that easily on you," Mei stated. "Come on. At least to be on the safe side."

"Fine," I caved with a sigh.

"Good. Once you're done, we'll get things all fixed up."

I nodded, and after about ten minutes of soaking, I pulled my towel out of my pip-boy and dried off. Mei got my back and neck with the tanning stuff while I got the rest of me and prayed that it would work. I'm pretty sure Charon would kill us if he were to find out.

By the time we were done, Charon was already back and sitting on the bed. We both glared at him and ignored him, but I averted his eyes.

&Hikari, I believe it would be best to continue our training tomorrow," he stated.

"**** off, zombie. I... need some time alone," Mei said.

"Very well. It seems that I have upset you. I still think we should continue training tomorrow."

"Fine," she said, perfectly imitating my voice.

"Are you sure, Kari?" I asked, trying to mock her voice.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "I am... kind of a wimp."

"Pah. Yeah, you are," I replied. "Now, let's get some shut-eye."

I took Mei's usual spot and she took mine. I prayed that things would turn out okay in the end.

~Mei's POV~

We were woken by Charon shouting at us, well, me, to wake up. I looked down at my pip-boy. 4:30. Great. He told me to be ready by 5 in the usual spot. So far, so good.

"Rest up, Kari," I whispered once Charon had left. "Stay out of the foyer and avoid him, or he may catch on."

She nodded and rolled back over. I ate a handful of mutfruit before I headed out the door.

I had seen the torture that Kari had been through, and I thought I could handle it. Fact was, she made it look easy. The bad of rocks killed my shoulder and back, and the pushups made my arms feel like jelly. I wondered just how Kari had withstood it for the time she did. I didn't really want to do the hand-to-hand combat, as it would make us closer, making it more probable that he would figure out our identities.

I stared him down, looking for a flaw in his stance, anything. I could tell that he was well trained. I could detect no flaw, but it was only a matter of time before I discovered his vulnerable spot. He tossed me aside many times, and I avoided touching my skin to the rocks. Kari could regenerate, but I couldn't. I'm sure Charon would notice.

I felt my hands scrape against the ground, but I curled my hands into fists, trying to staunch the bleeding. I was knocked back a couple more times before I saw an opening. Just as he was about to attack, he left himself vulnerable to assault. I waited for him to make his move, carefully watching him.

There! I took the opportunity to charge him and knocked him off balance. He seemed surprised and I tacked him to the ground, kneeling over him, one hand around his neck and the other in a fist by his head. Our eyes locked for a brief moment, and he scowled.

"You are not Hikari," he stated. "Where is she?"

"Kari is sleeping. You are too hard on her," I said. "She is just a child. She doesn't deserve the torture that you're putting her through!"

He glared and quickly flipped us, pressing one hand to my throat and applying pressure.

"There is nothing in my contract that says anything about killing siblings of my employer," he stated.

"Right, but she ordered you not to kill anyone unless they posed a direct threat," I choked out. "And I pose no threat."

"You are refusing to let my employer train, and that puts her at risk."

"That is-is an indirect threat. I am not h-harming her."

He angrily got off, and I could see just how bad he was shaking from anger. His fists were clenched at his side and his head was down. He abruptly turned to face me, walking fast towards me. His hand wrapped back around my throat and he backed me into a wall.

"It does not violate my orders to harm you," he stated as he pulled back his fist.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for impact, but the wall next to me cracked and crumbled. I opened and his fist was in a small crater, blood dripping down off of his knuckles. He released me roughly before turning his back.

"But that does not mean that I will stoop down to that level," he finished. "We leave tomorrow morning."

I stared at him in surprise as he walked back into the building. I followed him, in case he tried something with Kari. I had seen him blow the head off Az before, but his contract had been in my possession at the time. I briefly wondered if he would do the same to Kari, even if she did have the contract. I brushed it off, though. He was blindly loyal to the contract entered Carol's Place in a rage. He violently ripped the door open, and I could hear the hinges squeak loudly in protest. He suddenly stopped. I glanced from behind him and saw Kari sleeping. She had looked exhausted before, but she looked even worse in her sleep. She looked very vulnerable as she slept, too. I hoped that Charon would let her sleep.

Maybe it was seeing her like that that made him turn around and slowly close the door, the anger on his face dissipating. He sighed and left the room. I followed him out, not wanting to disturb my little sister. Charon leaned against the wall and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered me one.

"Those things will kill you," I stated.

Being surrounded by doctors and the like, that fact had been drilled into my head. Alcohol, my dad hadn't really touched on, considering the fact that all of it was locked up. He stared off into the distance with his milky-blue gaze. He seemed angry, still, but he didn't show it.

"Do you see why I did this?" I questioned. "She needs it. She's only a kid, for God's sake. She's nineteen, and we shouldn't even be out here."

"Why are you here, then?" he asked. "Why not stay in that Vault of yours?"

"We were kicked out," I explained. "The Overseer of the Vault went kind of insane and tried to have us killed, but we weren't involved in anything. It was all Dad. If he hadn't... then we wouldn't..."

I was frustrated, unable to form coherent sentences or thoughts.

"Calm down, kid," he said.

"Sorry, it's just... stressing and... and frustrating. I wanted to kill the Overseer that day, along with every other person who stood in my way," I stated. "My Dad, he left the Vault. Overseer kinda went insane. Well, he was insane before, but not as bad. He never ordered to have us killed. If it weren't for Amata, we'd probably be dead. We escaped, but the Overseer lived. I think he believed that we had something to do with our Dad escaping, and he's a control freak. Nobody besides Amata likes him, and that's because he's her dad. Anyway, we were forced to live in these wastes in an instant. It's been about... a week and five days, I think, since we left. I'd say we've adapted pretty well, but you say otherwise."

I wanted to punch something, someone, anything. Anything to get rid of the anger, frustration, madness, and even sadness that flowed through me. Charon sighed.

"I apologize," he said. "I did not know that is what happened. Perhaps you two need more time to get things up to par with everyone else."

"Got that right," I shot. "Just... take things easy on Kari. She's all I've got left, not including Dad, because we don't even know if he's alive. For all we know, he could have been eaten by a Super Mutant, or something worse. That's why we have to go to Rivet City. That's where he was headed. If there's any hope of us finding him, then we have to go there."

He sighed and stared at the ground, smoke spilling out his nose and mouth. I had to admit, since he didn't have a nose, it looked kinda funny when it coiled out of the holes where it would be.

"Like I said, we'll leave tomorrow."

I nodded. I didn't like sitting around with nothing to do. If I had something to shoot, then I'd feel better.

~Hikari's POV~

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, glancing down at my pip-boy. It was nearing one in the afternoon. I hadn't meant to sleep that late, and I never had before, but it felt good. I guessed that I really was tired. I glanced around, but no one was around. I took a look at myself in the reflection of my pip-boy and fixed the head wrap. I hoped that Charon wouldn't find out, because I had a gut feeling that he would be pretty angry, and I didn't want that.

I wandered outside and saw Charon and Mei leaning over the railing on silence. They both looked angry in their own ways, and I knew it was up. I took a step forward before Charon turned around. He sent a glare in my direction, and I felt kind of bad for what we had done. I knew if I were in his position, I probably would be.

He sighed and leaned back against the stone bars. "We leave tomorrow."

That was all he said before turning back around.

"You can take the wrap off, Kari," Mei stated.

For a moment, I didn't even remember that I still had it on. I took it off and stored it in my pip-boy.

"I'm going to stock up on things we need," I stated. "I should be back in time for us to eat dinner together."

Mei nodded, but made no other acknowledgement. I walked down the steps and into Tulip's shop. She greeted me with a smile.

"Hello, and welcome back," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

"I just need to stock up on more supplies," I replied. "I need... Some magazines of 5.56mm, probably about fifteen. I also need... fifteen bottles of water and five boxes of sugar bombs, ten mutfruit, five apples, four cans of pork and beans, and ...five boxes of devilled eggs."

She turned her back and went to the locked storage box behind her.

"So, how's the caravan doing?" I asked.

"A lot better than we had anticipated, thanks to you and your sister," she stated. "If Quinn had died, I don't believe that we would be able to survive here anymore. By the way, Quinn brought back a couple of pre-war holotapes for you this morning."

"Oh, he's back?" I questioned.

"Yes, just arrived this morning," she replied. "I'll throw those in with the rest of the supplies."

"Thanks," I said.

She nodded and told me my total, which I knew was a lot less than it should be, so I pulled out my caps and paid for the supplies. I thanked her before heading out with the supplies, but they added to my burden. On my way up, I ran into Gob.

"Hey," I greeted. "How are you guys settling in?"

"Great," he said with a smile, but the others don't really accept Nova for... reasons."

"Why? Is it what she used to do? If it is, then they need to learn about life outside these walls. People do what they have to do to-"

"No, no, it's not that," he interrupted. "She's been feeling unwell, so we took her to see Dr. Barrow. It... Well, we think that she may be, well, pregnant."

"That's wonderful," I stated. "How is she taking the news? Are you guys going to go through with it? What does Carol think? Does she need any help?"

"Kid, kid, slow down. Umm, Nova's a bit stressed and overwhelmed right now. She's okay with it though. I'm not really sure if she wants to go through with it or have it terminated. Carol is happy. I guess she's always wanted to be a mom, and this is kind of her chance. I'd talk to Nova to see if she needs any help. I'm not really good with this kind of stuff."

"I have one more day here, so I'll go see if she does."

"But I thought you were supposed to be training with Charon," he said. "Why aren't you?"

"Long story short, I blew a fuse, and Mei and I made him mad," I replied.

He chuckled lightly. "Nice, kid. I'm surprised you two are still in one piece."

"I gave him one order, and that was freedom of speech and actions, but he is not to harm anyone unless they pose a direct threat to Mei or me," I explained. "Seems to do the trick."

"Well, just hope that one of his actions doesn't include asking for his contract," Gob warned.

"I don't think he will," I said. "I think he's too honor-bound and brainwashed to do that."

"Maybe," he replied with a shrug. "But, hey, in case I don't see you again before you leave, take care and good luck, kid."

"I will," I stated. "And good luck to you and Nova."

He nodded before we parted ways. Mei was still leaning against the balcony, but Charon was nowhere to be seen.

"Before you ask," Mei said, "He went to go clean up the mess in the Ninth Circle."

"All right, then," I replied. "I have all of the supplies needed for the trip, but I need you and to take some, and maybe Charon, if he wants."

Mei shrugged before she took about half of the added weight. I felt the pressure lift, and I felt much better.

"Would you mind if I took Charon and did a bit of exploring nearby?" Mei asked.

"I- I guess not," I replied. I wondered just what kind of exploring she wanted to do. "But ask him. I don't like feeling like it's up to me."

"Great. I'll need his contract," she said. "I'll give it back as soon as I'm done."

"I want him to make the decision," I stated.

"So?"

"So, I'm sorry, but I'm not giving you the contract until he agrees."

She huffed. "What's so hard about just giving it to me? Do you not trust me or something?"

"No, it's not that," I said. "It's just that I want him to make the choice first."

"You're so inconvenient," she verbalized. "Look, even if you don't give me the contract, I'm going to leave."

"Mei, please, don't be like this," I told her.

"Like what?" she challenged.

"You're being difficult," I vocalized.

"Like you aren't?" she shot. "Just give me the contract."

"No, Mei. Not until Charon answers."

"God, Kari, stop being so stubborn. He's a killing machine. He's not supposed to want to do anything other than what his master tells him to."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Look, just talk to him. If he agrees, I'll give it to you, no questions asked."

She scowled before whipping around and heading to the Ninth Circle. Couldn't she see just how wrong ordering someone around was, like they were some kind of slave? I know I wouldn't particularly enjoy it. Do unto others as you do to others what you would like to be done to you. The Golden Rule. Dad tried to drill it into our heads, but it didn't really stick in Mei's. I think it was because she was the independent one while I was always dependent on others. She didn't give a crap about anyone else, either, and she still didn't.

Mei came back with a smirk on her face, Charon following in tow. He had blood smeared on his armor, probably from Ahzrukhal. I didn't really realize what I was doing until Mei cleared her throat. I had unconsciously begun to try to wipe the blood off. I muttered an apology.

"So, you've decided that you want to explore with Mei?" I said, but it was more of a statement than a question. He nodded regardless.

I sighed and pulled out the piece of paper that Mei had wanted so bad. "Be careful, you two."

"Yeah, yeah. Woulda been a lot faster to just give me the contract," she mumbled.

"Mei, you know my reasons for being so hesitant, and I stand firmly by them."

"Whatever," she muttered before beginning to walk away. "Come on, Charon."

"Yes, Mistress."

I noticed the blank look that he had when he took an order. It was like he was on autopilot, and it was kind of... unnatural, almost disturbing, as though he wasn't there. I knew that he would be able to keep Mei safe, but I couldn't help but worry what kind of trouble they would get into.

~Mei's POV~

I didn't really understand why Kari was being so difficult. It was just a piece of paper. Sure, it happened to have complete control to an automated killing machine, but I needed him. I needed to get out, and I needed someone to cover me. Kari didn't like killing as much as I did, and Gob said something about Nova being pregnant. I guessed that Kari would want to help with that. She didn't have to be so stubborn about it, though. He was just a programmed murdering mechanism. He was by far the best shot I had seen out in the wastes, and I was glad he was on our side, even if he had almost tortured Kari into insanity with his, "Training."

Being cooped up inside was not going well with me, and I was about to snap. I had to see the sun, and I guess I didn't realize just how much I needed it until I left the Vault. Dad leaving was probably one of the best things that had ever happened to me, but not for Kari. She was determined to find him, even if it turned out that he was dead. She was getting too clingy, something that Dad was for back in the Vault, and that was probably another reason that I needed to get out. I wondered if she even realized just how much she would cling to people.

I spotted a couple of Mutants up in the distance and held my gun at the ready. Charon also had his shotgun loaded. I activated V.A.T.S. to see how much of a chance I had at hitting them. I had a pretty high chance, so I took it. We weren't detected yet when my first shots hit the target. He turned towards us, blood flowing out of the bullet holes in his arm and head. He pulled the hunting rifle off of his back and aimed. Suddenly, his head exploded. I hadn't noticed, but Charon had managed to sneak up to them and land a bullet in the mutie's skull. The other one was being blown to bits by the time that he noticed what was going on. I had a sick sort of satisfaction as the second one fell, his arm lying on the ground next to him and blood flowing out of the hole where it should have been.

We wondered for a while, about an hour, according to my pip-boy. We had killed many mutants and I had added more places to my map before Charon spoke up.

"Mistress, permission to ask a question."

"Yeah, yeah, what is it?" I had to admit, I kind of liked it when he called me "Mistress."

"Do you have a specific location in mind, or are we wandering aimlessly?"

"I'm going to go with wandering aimlessly," I stated. "I feel too trapped inside. I think Kari called it being claustrophobic or something."

"Claustrophobia is the fear of being closed in with no escape, and, in severe cases it can result in some sort of panic attack. In minor cases, restlessness," he stated.

Great. I was surrounded by a bunch of walking encyclopedias. I sighed as we pressed on, looking for more Super Mutants to kill. Not only did the killing make me feel better, but it also made me a better shot without V.A.T.S.

I spotted a building that looked pretty intact up ahead. I asked Charon if it really was as stable is it looked. He nodded, and I decided to go in, Charon right behind. It was dark, and I could hear something moving around, so I ducked down and carefully and quietly went through the hallway. Up ahead, I could spot the faint outline of a few mutants up ahead. I turned to Charon, who nodded. In the silence, the sound of his shotgun was deafening. Even I jumped, and I was expecting it. A Super Mutant down the hall groaned in pain before more of our shots rang out. I was covered in blood in the small corner, but I didn't care. I kind of liked it.

I froze when I saw a weird creature up ahead. I don't really know what it was, but it was disturbing. It looked like a horribly mutated person, but it had arms sticking out of various places, and its tongue was horribly mutated, sticking out a few feet, split into three parts. It shot weird blobs of... well, I don't really know what it was, but it was brown and it burned like hell. The stuff covered my right leg, and I fell to the ground, my Geiger counter ticking away. The burning sensation overtook my senses, leaving me incapable of anything. I couldn't see or hear anything, except the sounding of Charon's shotgun and the muffled cries from the weird creature as it died.

I was vaguely aware of being picked up and carried, but the pain in my leg was blinding. I'm pretty sure it was Charon, though, because if it was a Super Mutant, I'm pretty sure I would have been dead.

I think I passed out, because the next thing I knew, I was in water. I could vaguely make out the form of someone holding me in the water, and the radiation made my skin tingle. As my vision became clearer, I saw that I was in the river, about waist-deep, according to Charon's body. The cool water felt good on my leg, though. It washed whatever the acid-stuff was away, but my leg was still burned a bit.

I was lifted out of the water, and Charon placed me down on the shore. My pant leg was gone, and so was a lot of the skin. It bled a lot, and I felt kind of woozy.

"Ch-Charon," I called out. "What's going to happen to it?"

He grunted, but made no other reply than that. I felt a sting in my leg before the pain numbed. Med-x. He tore off my other leg of my jumpsuit and tightly wrapped it around my injury. The blood soaked through a bit, but it seemed to slow down a lot.

"Charon, what was that... that thing," I asked.

"Centaur," he stated.

"And the stuff it shot out?"

"It's saliva," he replied. "Very acidic and full of radiation."

I was grossed out. That brown stuff was spit. Ew.

"We need to hurry back," he said. "We may run in to more hostile creatures."

I nodded, and he picked me back up, trying not to injure me further.

"Charon, will I be able to walk soon?" I asked.

"No."

"Oh. Well, will I ever be able to walk?"

"Probably, but we need to have someone else take care of it. I am not a medical expert, but I know it is prone to infection."

I sighed. Me and my stupid ideas. Kari would probably be mad at me, but knowing her, she would forgive me pretty quickly. She wasn't one to hold grudges.

The sun was rising just above the horizon by the time Charon and I had reached the entrance to the museum. Kari was standing just outside the door, and Willow patrolled the area. Upon sight, Kari ran up to us. She reeked of vomit, and she looked like she and Super Mutant got into a hand-to-hand fight. She looked like she was about to throw up, as worried as I could tell she was.

"What happened?" she questioned, concern laced throughout her voice.

"I was just about to ask the same question to you," I stated. "Just ran into a... what was it called, again?"

"Centaur," Charon said.

"Yeah. One of those. Shot spit at me. It was pretty cool, but nasty. Charon patched me up, though I can't walk. Anyway, what happened to you?"

"Just... helping out Nova," she said with a dismissing wave of her hand. "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

I sighed and relaxed completely in Charon's arms dramatically.

"If we must."

Kari giggled for a second before replying, "Yes, my dear. It is for the best."

~Hikari's POV~

I was mad at Mei for acting and saying the things she did, but I couldn't blame her. She was a bit claustrophobic, but most people have some various degree of it. I knew she would be fine. She had Charon with her, but I was still worried about her. I sighed and took my mind off of it by walking to Carol's Place. I would see in Nova needed any help. I found her sitting on the edge of Carol and Greta's bed. She looked rather depressed and lonely. Carol was busy with a group of ghouls who had made their way into the Underworld, and Greta was off serving drinks.

"Hey, sugar," she greeted, but not in her normally welcoming voice.

"Nova, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm pregnant," she stated. "I guessed it would happen sooner or later in my line of work. It finally did."

"Well, is there anything I could do to help?" I asked.

"Actually, I've been craving snack cakes," she replied. "If you would be a dear and go get some for me..."

"No problem," I said. "Be right back."

I went and found Greta about ready to take a break. She told me to help myself to whatever I needed, and that it was all located in the cabinet near the bed. I nodded and went to get some for Nova.

"Thanks, hon," she said as I handed her a box of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes. "I haven't had these since I was a little girl... Moriarty told me I needed to watch my figure. Said I'd drive customers away if I didn't. I kind of knew that I was pregnant before I left... I was getting sick every other morning, I had weird cravings, I was starting to gain weight, and I even missed a month. I was worried about Moriarty finding out and firing me, so when the opportunity presented itself to run away with Gob, I took it. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I knew it would be better than staying there... I'm sorry. I must be boring you."

I shook my head. "Not really. If you need to talk, then talk. I'll keep listening."

She nodded and smiled. "If only there were more people like you in the wastes. This place would be a million times better."

"Well, I don't know about a million, but yes, I believe that it would be a better place."

"Hey, kid, you got any music on that thing?" she asked, pointing to my pip-boy.

"Yes," I replied. "Would you like to hear some?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My dad used to play old holotapes whenever things would get hard..."

"Any requests? I can see if I have them."

"One of my favorites was called, 'When You're Smiling,' by Billie Holiday. Do you have that one?"

Sure enough, it was one of the brand new ones that Quinn had dropped off, right at the top. I selected it, and it began to play. It sounded like a pretty song. Nova smiled softly as she lay back on the bed. I noticed a small bit of pudge on her stomach, which I assumed was the baby.

"My dad used to play this song all the time right after Mom died," she stated. "He kept trying to cheer me up, but I could tell he was worse than I was. Dad was heartbroken and alone. He tried to hide it from me, but I could tell. One day, the Raiders attacked. My dad forced me into a hidden room in our house. I could hear gunshots, but I was too petrified to move. I heard them ransacking our house, but I was so scared, and I knew Dad was dead. I was an orphan, like pretty much everyone in the world. I fled once the Raiders had left, and went to Megaton... The only person who gave me the time of day was Gob, who set me up with Moriarty. I was ten at the time and scared out of my wits..."

Nova sighed and apologized again for ranting like she did.

"Like I said, if you need to talk, then do it," I replied.

The song ended, and she asked me to play it again. I did, but she didn't look to good.

"Well, now that you know my full story, what about you? How did you get here?"

"My story? Well, I was born out here in the wastes, like everyone else. My mom died giving birth to Mei and me, and my dad left whatever life he had out here, apparently, and went to the Vault. He somehow managed to get into the Vault and we grew up there. When we turned nineteen, gosh, not even two weeks ago, our dad left the Vault. I don't really know how or why, but he did. The Overseer kind of lost it and sent his guards after us, but Amata, our friend since arrival and the Overseer's daughter, tipped us off, and we escaped, but we had to kill a security guard who tried to kill us. It was my... my first real kill. I saw the... the light, I guess you could say, leave his eyes. I felt sick, and wanted to throw up, but I couldn't. I had to leave. Mei and I left the Vault through the Overseer's office, and we just sorta wound up in an ongoing search for our Dad. We plan on leaving tomorrow morning for Rivet City to find him. I just hope that he's still there and alive."

Nova looked a lot paler than before, and she had a light shade of green about her.

"Nova, do you want me to fetch-"

It was too late. Whatever Nova had eaten was splurged back up and onto our laps. I was grossed out, and Nova looked even worse.

"Let me go and change, then I'll bring you a bucket," I said.

"I'm so sorry, sugar," she stuttered. "I... I'm not-"

"It's okay," I cut her off. "I'll be right back. I'll get Carol on the mess."

Carol had come over without any notice or prompting and began to clean up the mess while I went to change. Once in the bathroom, I took the old jumpsuit off and set it in the tub, rinsing it off with cold, irradiated water. I scrubbed it down with Abraxo cleaner, thankful that some kind of detergent survived the nuclear war. When it was fairly decent, I put it in my pip-boy to dry. The clean one I put on was a lot better, but it was a bit too big. I spotted Winthrop walking out of Tulip's shop and ran up to him.

"You wouldn't happen to have a spare bucket, would you?" I asked.

"Why?" he inquired.

"Someone is sick, and it would be a lot better if we had one," I replied. "Please?"

"Sure kid, wait here," he said.

A moment later, he came back with one in hand.

"Thanks," I said before rushing back to Nova.

I handed her the bucket just in time for her to do it again. I rubbed her back while she did so. When I was sick back in the Vault, Dad would always do that, and it made me feel better. When she was done for the moment, I took her down to the bathroom, as people were beginning to leave or stop and stare, and I knew that wasn't good for Nova's esteem.

I washed out the bucket while she stayed in the stall. I would have to return the bucket later. For the time being, Nova needed me. I played pre-war music on my pip-boy to try to take her mind off of being sick.

"Thanks for doing this, hon," she said, "But I think I've got it from here. I'm feeling a lot better."

Without a word, I pulled out one of my water bottles and handed it to her. She rinsed her mouth out with it before swallowing the rest.

"Is there anything else that you need?" I asked.

"I... Well, I could use a hand getting back upstairs," she stated.

"No problem."

With my help, Nova had made it back up the stairs and into Carol's Place. She fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the bed, and I set the bucket down on the stand next to her in case she needed it.

I sighed and checked my pip-boy. It was nearing ten, and Charon and Mei weren't back yet. She had said only a couple of hours, and it was nearing eight since she had left. I was worried so I asked Carol if she had seen them arrive. When she said no, my concern grew. I decided to go and ask Willow.

"Sorry, tourist," she said. "Haven't seen the two since they left, but I'll send word if I do."

"I think I'll wait out here for a bit," I replied. "It's kind of nice out tonight."

"Suit yourself," she mumbled before resuming her patrol.

I sat on the wall just above the metro station, keeping an eye out for Charon and Mei. I prayed that they were okay, and that they would return shortly. I wanted to go after them, but I was exhausted and a poor shot, not to mention the fact that I had no idea where they went or the fact that it was night and I didn't know the area well. It was also crawling with Super Mutants and other hostile, mutated creatures.

~Willow's POV~

The tourist looked like a loyal puppy awaiting the return of her master the way she sat there, eyes glistening as she stared out into the wastes. I kind of pitied her. The chances of the two making their way back in one piece, let alone back at all, were pretty slim. For her sake, I hoped they did. The one that was once blond was rather rude and had a violent air about her. I didn't trust her, even though she gave me no reason to not trust her.

The kid looked like she was about to fall asleep as she sat on the edge of the wall, and if she did, she would most likely fall. I warned her, and she took my advice and sat on the ground. Not much after that, she fell asleep. She looked peaceful, the worry and concern that had been there during the time she was conscious ebbed away, but were somehow still present. She really cared for them, and I could tell. She shivered in the cool night air as the blanket that she had pulled out of that contraption of hers fell off. I picked it back up and shook it of before I draped it back over her. She may not realize it, but her presence made quite the impact on the ghouls in Underworld. She didn't judge them, or give them looks of disgust like every other smoothskin that passes through there. She treated them, us, like normal human beings, which is all we really want. Her twin didn't really deserve her, but they stuck together none the less.

It wasn't until the sun began to rise that I spotted a figure off in the distance. I woke the kid. It was only one figure, and the person may have been dangerous. She backed up to the door and watched, hoping that it was either her sister or body guard.

~Hikari's POV~

When Willow woke me up, I hoped that my sister and Charon had finally returned, but she told me to get inside. Instead, I stood by the door, hopeful that it was them. As the person approached, I could tell it was Charon, and he was carrying Mei. I was very worried, and I felt slightly sick to my stomach. It didn't look to good as they approached, and I ran to meet them.

"What happened?" I inquired.

"I was just about to ask the same question to you," she replied, her voice rather weak and distant. "Just ran into a... What was it called, again?"

"Centaur," Charon said.

"Yeah. One of those. Shot spit at me. It was pretty cool, but nasty. Charon patched me up, though I can't walk. Anyway, what happened to you?"

"Just... helping out Nova," I dismissed. "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

She sighed and relaxed completely in Charon's arms dramatically.

"If we must."

It seemed that she was back to her old self, and I couldn't help but laugh and play along. "Yes, my dear. It is for the best."

After Notes:

Well, I got another chapter up, but I can't guarantee that it's perfect. I checked it a few times and couldn't find anything wrong with it.

After tonight, there probably won't be any updates until some time next week. I've got drumline tomorrow and Saturday, I have to do a chemistry formal lab report due Monday that I haven't finished, I have a Spanish project that still needs finished that is also due Monday, I have band practice and drumline on Tuesday, sectionals for my horn on Wednesday, drumline practice again on Thursday, and a competition for concert band on Friday. I may be able to find time to update, but I'm pretty booked. Thanks to the people who reviewed and the people that are reading this. Feel free to drop me a review or PM and let me know what you think. :)

Much appreciated, HikariMei. :)