Chapter 8: Fire Ants and Thunderstorms
~Hikari's POV~
Before we left, Harkness showed me how to properly use his old plasma rifle, which Charon had told me were very powerful and pretty rare. It was relatively easy once I had grasped the concept of where everything was. He even threw in a bunch of microfusion cells to last me for the trip to the Jefferson Memorial.
I bade him farewell before our threesome left for the monument. I kind of liked Harkness, even if he was a lot older than me and an android. It didn't really faze me, but I knew that there would never really be any other relationship other than friendship.
The walk to the memorial was a shot one, taking about ten minutes, but there were a bunch of Super Mutants that surrounded the area. My new gun had been altered slightly and now had practically no kickback, which was great and made aiming a lot easier after I shot. It was also nearly twice as strong as my old gun, which I had traded for some stimpaks. We disposed of the mutants rather quickly, and we soon entered the memorial. More mutants were inside. Mei froze when we came across a disturbing creature that looked like a human with too many hands and an elongated, triply forked tongue. Charon disposed of it quickly before we pressed on. We waited for the turret up ahead to kill the mutants before I shut it down by hacking into the nearby terminal. It was pretty simple, and we were on our way further into the memorial.
Once inside the rotunda, there were only two more mutants to dispose of before we were clear to look around. I found a couple of holotapes sitting on a piece of machinery, and I played them.
"I'm off to Vault 112 to search for anything of Braun's that might help me get this purifier up and running. All I know is that it's West of some place called 'Evergreen Mills,' and it's well hidden in some sort of garage. But I'll find it, I have to. It's so close, but that's the story of Project Purity, isn't it? An eternity of ' almost there's.' Let's see if Braun has the missing puzzle piece."
I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. So close. We were so close, yet so far. It seemed that each time we found our next clue; Dad was already one step ahead of us. I wanted to cry, but we had our next destination. Vault 112, wherever that was. I sighed and leaned against the wall.
"Well, now what?" Mei questioned. "We have no idea where the Vault is. Maybe we should just rest for a while?"
"Maybe, but by the time we get there, he's probably going to be one more step further," I replied. "I think we should ask around, see if anyone knows where Evergreen Mills is."
"Whatever," Mei said with a sigh. "Let's just get this over with."
"Mei, you make it sound as though you don't want to find Dad," I replied. "Is that true?"
"Maybe it is," she admitted. "I guess I'm just... frustrated. It's like he doesn't want to be found, the way things are going."
"We'll find him, Mei," I said. "I promise you, we will."
I loved Mei, and I knew she loved me, too. I didn't want her to think things like that, so even if we would never find him, I wouldn't give up hope. He had to be somewhere, and we would find him.
We decided to head back to Rivet City to stay another night before we went to find the garage. I decided to ask around town to see if anyone would be able to tell me where Evergreen Mills was. I spotted Harkness, and Mei said that she wanted to find a place to relax. I sighed and asked Charon to accompany her. He nodded gruffly and followed her out.
"Evergreen Mills?" Harkness questioned. "Now why would you want to go there?"
"So you know where it is?"
"Yes. Just about everyone does, but that's to avoid it," he stated.
"Well, my father is headed to some garage west of there, so I figure if I can get there, I should be able to find it fairly easy."
"You do know that area is a giant Raider's nest, right? And that they enslave people, don't you?" he questioned.
"I am aware of what Evergreen Mills is, but I still need to get there," I replied. "Are you going to show me or not?"
"You got a map?"
I nodded and brought up the one on my pip-boy. Harkness made a gesture as to where it was on the map, and I thanked him.
"You guys leaving soon?"
"Tomorrow morning," I stated. "I should probably go find Mei; you know how she is."
"Wait, do you want me to get you another room for the night from Vera?" he offered.
"That would be great. Thanks."
He smiled and nodded. As I stared into his eyes, I saw a warm glow emanating from them, quite literally. Sometimes, I forget that he's not human, but an android. Prejudice is something that I never really understood. How can people hate others just because they're different? Ghouls, especially. They are only humans who have been exposed to too much radiation and, instead of dying, their skin falls off, but they are healed by radiation. It may happen to anyone, and I hoped that karma would get whoever held on to that prejudice. I knew Mei was pretty biased, but she would get over it, or maybe she would get what was coming. Karma, as they say, is quite a bitch.
I searched everywhere for Mei, but I couldn't find her. Up ahead, I saw a guy that looked pretty drunk, or maybe high, I couldn't really tell from a distance, and approached him. I asked him where the best place to get a cheap drink was. Muddy Rudder, at the bottom of the ship was his response. I thanked him and set off, rushing down the stairs. I hoped that Mei had not decided to drink, but, sure enough, she was sitting at the bar, shooting vodka out of a shot glass. I felt my temper rise, but I swallowed it as I neared her.
"Mei, I thought we agreed no more drinking," I stated, placing my hand over hers.
"Nope," she replied. "I need a good drink right now."
That was when I noticed that Charon was nowhere to be seen.
"Mei, where's Charon?" I questioned.
"He's off looking for you," she said with a smirk, pulling her hand away and downing another shot.
"Why? What did you tell him?" I demanded.
"A3-21 is after something from you," she stated. "He was going to show you his private quarters, if you get my drift."
"Mei, how could you?"
"Pretty easily. Told him the robot wanted in your pants," she said with a shrug, having another shot. "He went into a rage and practically flew out of here. Don't know where he went or anything."
"I swear, if anything bad has happened to either one of them, you are dead."
She shrugged again, calling my bluff, but I glared and rushed out of there. I had to stop Charon's rage before he did something terrible that would probably get us kicked off of the boat. Luckily, I spotted him tearing though the hall up ahead of me. I called his name, and he turned around. He rushed back over to me and roughly grabbed be my shoulders.
"Charon, what are you-?"
"You are never going to be out of my sight," he interrupted. "If that dirty android has laid a hand on you-"
"Charon, he hasn't touched me, quite literally. Not without you present," I stated. "Whatever Mei told you was a lie to get you to leave. I'm fine, really."
He let me go abruptly and walked passed me, heading for the Muddy Rudder. I was glad Charon was showing emotion, but his anger was quite frightening. I grabbed hold of his arm, and he tensed up.
"I know you're mad at her, but please, don't take out your anger on her," I begged. "She's... I don't really know what is going through her head, but I need her. Please, just let her be. We leave tomorrow, whether she has a hangover or not."
He nodded and escaped my grasp.
"Harkness is getting us a room to stay in for the night," I told him. "Why don't we head to bed? I'm sure Mei can find us alright."
Charon stood up straight and stared off into the distance, which meant that he was back into his contract-bound mode.
"Thanks, Charon," I said. "I appreciate you looking out for me, even if it is because of your contract. It's comforting to have you with us."
He nodded, never looking directly at me.
"Just... try to make yourself comfortable," I told him.
Vera gave us a key to the same room that we had used the night before. I thanked her and Charon and I went into the room. I practically collapsed on the bed, exhausted from my escapades across the wasteland. Charon looked rather uncomfortable as he climbed into the bed. I guess it was kind of awkward, considering Mei was not with us, but I was too tired to care. I greedily snuggled up to Charon, soaking up his warmth. He flinched slightly, but returned to his normal facade. I fell asleep rather quickly after that, awaiting Mei's noisy return.
When she finally entered the room, it was around three in the morning. She reeked of vodka and whiskey. Boy, was she going to have a fun time in a few more hours. Something told me that Charon would not take it easy on her when it was time to leave. Mei's presence in the bed made me shiver. She had probably been wandering the ship, since she was freezing. It took me a while to fall back asleep.
~Mei's POV~
God, I had an awful headache. Every pitter-patter of people walking outside my room made me want to find a place to puke or put a bullet through my head. Better yet, their head. Charon and Kari had gotten up not too long ago and made a lot of noise while preparing breakfast. I bet anything that they did it just to annoy me. I was pretty sober the last time I spoke with either one of them, and I knew they would probably be pretty upset with me.
I sat up and checked my pip-boy. 6:30. Why couldn't we sleep in for once? Why did we always have to be up early? Why was the room spinning? I sat down, trying to dispel the wave of dizziness that washed over me. I was so thirsty, I pulled out a water bottle and downed the thing in one go. I pulled out another and drank half of that before I was able to quench my thirst.
Whatever Kari and Charon were making, it was causing my stomach to lurch. I knew if I threw up, Kari would, too. I suppressed the urge and covered myself back up, burying my head in the pillow. I wanted to sleep so badly, but Kari and Charon would probably leave, even without me. A week ago, I wouldn't have a doubt in my mind that Kari would never leave me alone. Now, I couldn't be too sure. I hoped she wouldn't, but there was that nagging voice in the back of my head that told me otherwise and reminded me of the mean things I had done to her.
"We leave in an hour," Charon stated. "Be ready by then."
"And eat these," she said, handing me a box of devilled eggs. "They help to replenish lost nutrients. If I had any noodles, that would be better, but eat and drink plenty of water. Doctor's orders. Try to sleep afterwards. I'll wake you before we leave."
Her voice pierced through my skull, rattling whatever was in there. I hoped that I would be able to get rid of the stupid hangover soon, but something told me otherwise. I regretted ever going down to the Muddy Rudder, but the Wasteland is a haunting place. Sometimes, I just want to forget everything I've done out there, all of the things that I've killed, but their voices, their blood-curdling screams, they play through my mind each time I close my eyes. I wanted to forget it all. When I was out on the battlefield, killing felt great. I was like a blood-thirsty animal, waiting for the kill that was about to come. I relished the fight, savored the kill. I loved the feeling when I would finish my opponent off, winning yet another battle. The blood had no effect on me. But, when it came time to leave, I felt... hollow. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I felt terrible, and I felt weak. I guessed that made Kari the stronger person. She killed because she had to, and did not enjoy it. I did it for fun, but I felt horrible afterwards, kind of like drinking. All fun and games until the hangover comes.
I felt a bit better after some sleep, but noises and light still bothered me. I guess it would be a lot like coming out of the Vault for the first time. What Kari suggestion helped a bit, though. I guess that the training in the Vault was coming in handy for her. Mine, not so much. I let out a sigh, rubbing my eyes in the process. I dragged myself out of bed, hoping that Charon and Kari would take it easy on me, but I knew that they wouldn't. Not after the stunt that I pulled last night, anyway.
I flinched every time either Charon or my sister fired one of their guns, my eardrums pounding, making my headache even worse. I wanted to crawl into a hole and shoot out my brains, but that wouldn't really do any good. We arrived at GNR, but only to trade the couple of holotapes for caps. We made three-hundred from them, which would be enough to get us through for a couple weeks, so long as nothing happened. We spent the night there, but I didn't like it. The beds weren't soft, and guns fired all night long, making it hard to sleep. I would much rather have kept going and slept somewhere else, but Kari had insisted on stopping.
~Hikari's POV~
After resting for the night at GNR, we began our trek to Megaton. Hopefully, things would be calm enough for us to find a place to sleep for the night and stock up on more supplies. And maybe Simms wouldn't be so mad at us for killing Moriarty, but that wasn't too likely, even if he did dislike the bar owner.
We passed through the ruins of D.C., climbing over piles of rubble. Off in the distance, I could smell something burning. Up in the sky, I could see plumes of smoke puffing though the air. I stopped and watched with a weird fascination. I felt a tug on my arm, and I looked over to see a small boy. His face was covered in ash, his clothes were singed, and he bore the acrid odor of smoke. He looked like he hadn't eaten a decent meal in years.
"Please, you have to help!" he pleaded. "Those... Those things! They're going to get me!"
"Calm down," I told him. "What's wrong?"
"Those things! They came out of nowhere! They started attacking us, burning our home to the ground! I fled, though! Please, we need help!"
"Kari, let's go," I heard Mei say. "He's obviously crazy."
I ignored her. "Did you come from over there?"
I pointed to where the smoke was coming from, and he nodded. Great. I couldn't leave him sitting there alone, not in the ruins of D.C. My conscience wouldn't let me.
"Kari, we don't have time for this," Mei continued. "We have to find Dad."
"Mei, I can't just leave him here," I said. "We have to help him. Besides, it shouldn't take that long. Come on. Take us there, will you?"
He nodded again, watching Charon with fearful eyes.
"Don't mind him," I said. "He won't hurt you. Now, my sister, I can't make any promises, but don't bother her and she won't bother you."
He didn't seem to pick up on my joking tone, only nodding before he took my hand in his and tugged. He led us over piles of rubble and through old, decrypt buildings.
"What's your name?" I asked him.
"Bryan," he replied. "Bryan Wilks."
"My name is Hikari," I said.
"Hikari? That's a funny name," he said with a ghost of a smile.
I smiled back at him. "I guess it is. It's Japanese, meaning 'Light.'"
"I guess I like that meaning better than Bryan," he stated. "My name is pretty ordinary."
"I guess my parents needed something," I told him. "See, my parents didn't know that my mom was about to have twins, so they only had one name picked out. I guess they picked mine out on the spot, but at least it has meaning."
He nodded.
"So, are there any other people where you live?" I questioned.
"Yeah," he replied. "There's the Brandices. They have a boy that's a bit older than me, but he's pretty cool. We read comic books together and he teaches me stuff. His parents are a bit... weird though. His dad is really good with a gun, though. My dad is, too. Then, there's Doctor Lesko. He moved in to too long ago. He lives in the shack next to my house. He and my dad built the shack, and we helped him move his stuff in it. He's really smart, but he gets annoyed when I ask too many questions, though. Other than that, it's just me and my dad."
"What about the things that are attacking?" I asked. "The more I know, the better I can help."
"My dad called them Fire Ants," he stated. "He says, 'They're fuckin' ants. You gotta shoot them in their antenner!' whatever that means."
"Fire... Fire breathing ants?" I questioned.
"Yeah, they do that," he said. "That's why everything in Grayditch is on fire, and I had to get someone to help! They're gonna destroy everything!"
"Don't worry," I told him. "I've killed one before. I did it while crawling around in a vent, too. I'll stop those ants."
"You're not like other grownups," he stated. "You seem a lot nicer. I like you."
"I try," I said with a smile. "But sometimes, I am a mean person."
"That's okay! My dad says that everyone has a mean side, and sometimes, we have to look past it to find love, whatever that means."
"Your dad sounds like a pretty good person," I stated.
"He is! I think you two will get along great. You'll like him, I'm sure!"
I smiled at his childish happiness and innocence. I missed when I was like that, but Mei groaned behind us. She obviously didn't want to do this, but I was going to, whether she came along or not.
Not much later, we reached the town of Grayditch. Fires were everywhere, and the unusually hot sun was intensified by the flames. Sweat was dripping down my face.
"I have to find my papa!" he said, seemingly surprised by how much fire there was.
"Bryan, I'll find him," I stated. "It's too dangerous for you. Which house is yours?"
"That one," he said, pointing to one that was in decent shape.
"Is there somewhere safe that you can wait for us?"
He scrunched his face up in thought before answering, "Yeah. There's an old shelter by the diner. I'll be in there."
"Okay, we'll get you when we're done, but if we aren't back by this time tomorrow, please go seek shelter in Megaton. It's..." I paused to check my pip-boy. "Pretty much northwest of here. Talk to Mother Manya, Billy Creel, Lucas Simms, or Lucy West. I'm sure one of them will take care of you, but try to avoid Jericho, Moira, and pretty much everyone else. And here, you look like you haven't eaten in forever."
I accessed my pip-boy and took out a bottle of water and a half-eaten box of Sugar Bombs. He smiled and thanked me for everything before running off. Mei glared at me, and Charon just stared off into the distance, his shotgun at the ready. I pulled out the plasma rifle and loaded it like Harkness had shown me. I kept my finger on the trigger and the gun up and pointed. We attacked a couple of fire ants off in the distance before they even seemed to notice us. We entered the house of Bryan and what I saw nearly made me cry. On the floor, surrounded by dead ants and covered in burns, was the man that was Bryan's father. I could tell right away because of the shape of the face and facial features. I bent down, carefully setting my gun on the floor next to me. I felt for a pulse and found a very faint one. His breath was not present, though.
I did what I knew of CPR. I tilted his head back, pinched his nose, and breathed into him twice before starting compressions. Thirty times, repeat. I checked his pulse, but there was no increase.
"No..." I whispered before trying again.
The pulse only got weaker and weaker with every passing second. I felt rough, calloused hands grasp my arms, tugging me away.
"No!" I shouted, struggling against the pull. "No, I can still save him!"
"Kid, there's nothing more you can do," Charon stated.
Somewhere inside, I had already known it was too late from the moment I saw him, but it still hurt to hear it. I could feel tears flow down my cheeks. I felt terrible. If only... If only I had gotten there sooner. Maybe I would have been able to save him. I felt terrible for Bryan, who just lost his father. I hated to be the one to tell him, but I knew I had to. Mei would be rude about it, and Charon would be too blunt. He was just a kid. I didn't know exactly how old he was, but he was much too young to be losing his father.
I heard Bryan talking to himself in the shelter, wondering about the different buttons, and commenting about how he knew what a T.V. dinner felt like.
"B-Bryan," I called, knocking on the door. "It's Hikari."
The door opened us and Bryan walked out.
"Did you find him?" he asked hopefully.
"Bryan... I... I'm sorry. I was unable to save him," I stated. "He was barely alive when we found him. It used all of my medical training, but I was too late. I'm sorry."
His face was downcast, and he muttered, "It's okay. I kind of already knew. Besides, I'm too tired to cry. But... You gotta stop this! You can't let this happen to anyone else's family."
Yes. It would be a terrible tragedy if anything like this happened to someone like Bryan. I would stop it, with or without Charon and Mei's help.
"I will do that," I stated. "Do you know where the ants come from?"
"Yeah. They come out of the station nearby. I'll show it to you."
I nodded, and Charon and Mei followed wordlessly behind me. I could tell Mei was kind of upset, but I had to put that on hold. When Bryan showed us the station, he went back to the shelter. It was best that way.
There were a ton of ants, and I knew that they had to be breeding somewhere. I thought it was kind of funny when I would shoot an ant, and it would suddenly melt into a pile of glowing green goo. I felt pretty childish, but it took my mind off of the depression from the task at hand. I wondered if it was supposed to do that or not, but it was very entertaining. For once, I actually enjoyed killing. It was kind of... satisfactory to see the creatures that had caused the death of Bryan's father fall and turn to goo.
Mei, on the other hand, seemed to not like doing it. She was changing more and more with each passing day, and for the worse. I wished she would go back to being sarcastic, not sadistic, like she was back in the Vault. Charon was, as always, passive on the situation. He had a blank expression on his face when he killed, as though he blocked every emotion and passion out. I wished that both of them would open up more, but I had a feeling that it wasn't about to happen anytime soon.
After a while, we came across a scientist. He seemed as startled as we were upon meeting.
"My word, what are you doing down here?" he inquired.
"We're destroying the ants that are everywhere," I explained. "They seemed to have... mutated and are able to breathe fire. I have also noticed that they secrete some kind of acidic oil that sticks to the skin and irritates it. I don't know of its purpose, though."
"It is to mark their territory, much like dogs," the scientist stated.
"You seem to know a lot about the ants," Mei commented. "Why is that?"
"W-well, you see, I was doing research on the ants, trying to see if I could genetically enhance them," he stammered. "I was doing quite well, but the ants' DNA was mutated, and they became more aggressive and hostile towards anything but another ant with the same mutation. They also began to breathe fire. The queen now lays those eggs, but I could use your help."
"How so?" I asked.
"I can't get near the queen to fix the problem. See, she has guardians that protect her. Five to be exact. If you were to kill them, I could gain access to the hatchery and get rid of the mutation in the queen."
"And if we help you?" Mei questioned.
"I can reward you with one of the injections that I used on the ants, which is perfectly safe, by the way."
"Fine," Mei said. "Just kill the five guardians, right?"
"Yes, but don't harm the queen. It would set my research back years, not to mention the fact that all of the ants would go into a frenzy," he instructed.
"And where are these ants?"
"You can find them through this door," he replied, gesturing the said object. "But do be careful. The ants can be very territorial."
I nodded, and we headed through the door. The guardian ants were disposed of easily enough, but the queen was getting too close for our liking, and it would shoot blobs of... I don't really want to know what they were, but it was more of an annoyance than anything else. There was a Protectron in the room, but it didn't pay us any attention.
"Okay, that's IT!" Mei shouted, pulling out her assault rifle after being hit for the tenth time. "That queen is going to die!"
"Just try to ignore it, Mei," I said. "Think about the reward from Dr. Lesko."
"How do you know he's Dr. Lesko?" she questioned.
"He was conducting experiments on the ants, and he is probably the only scientist for miles," I stated. "Besides, his lab coat had his name on it."
Mei just stared at me, as though I was the only one who notices those things, and she didn't see a blob of goo from the ant queen. It hit her in the side of the head, and she growled before opening fire on the ant queen. Her bullets mostly just bounced off of the exoskeleton, but she screeched before flying into the air. Mei's fire didn't let up, and the queen looked as though she was about to charge. I pulled out my rifle, which caused Charon to pull his shotgun out. We all fired on the ant, and it let out more screeches. The Protectron also opened fire on us, but I activated V.A.T.S. and took it out. I then returned my fire on the queen. She was starting to charge, and I felt Charon tug me out of the way. Mei only jumped out at the last second, and the ant slammed into the wall. The cave that we were in began to crumble on top of her, and Charon pulled us back into reality. The cave was collapsing all around us, and we made a long sprint for the exit, the rubble falling at our heels. As we exited, the tunnel was completely caved in
"Come on, let's go find that Bryan kid," Mei suggested.
I nodded. Now that the queen was dead, there would be no way more ants with the fire-breathing mutation would ever be born again. Now all that was left was to find Bryan a place to stay. His house was far too burned to live in, and the fires were still going.
"What- What happened?" Dr. Lesko demanded. "I have no signal from my terminal in the hatchery!"
"Your queen attacked us, and we attacked back. It rammed into the wall, trying to hit us, and the place collapsed," Mei said with a shrug. "Not much else."
"You-! Do you have any idea how long you have set my work back?"
"Don't really care," she replied. "It's not really my problem."
Dr. Lesko was filled with rage, and people like that were likely to do anything. I watched him cautiously, ready for anything that he may try.
"Why you- you-!" was all he said before he pulled his 10mm pistol.
Charon's gun was already drawn and fired by the time I had gotten to Mei. Dr. Lesko's brain matter had been sprayed all over the wall, and my shoulder was bleeding rather profusely. It burned terribly, and the sensation was spreading throughout my whole body. The hole sealed itself up and popped out the bullet. I had completely forgotten about that, and still hadn't figured out how it happened. The burning didn't stop, though. It spread like wildfire though my body, and I cried aloud.
"Kari, what's wrong?" I heard Mei ask.
"It-It burns! Everywhere!"
"Ant nectar," Charon stated as he examined Dr. Lesko's gun. "He had the bullets coated in it."
"We need to get her to a doctor," Mei said.
I felt Charon's arms wrap around me and lift me off of the ground. I hadn't really noticed before, but he smelled of leather and gunpowder. That was the last thing I remembered before passing out.
~Mei's POV~
I kept forgetting about Kari's weird ability to heal, yet I was surprised when she said that she felt like everything was burning. I wasn't surprised when she passed out in Charon's arms. As we left Marigold Station, I remembered that Bryan kid. He was the whole reason we did that. He was still in the shelter, talking to himself. I think I would, too, if I were left all alone in one of those things for too long.
"Hey, kid, you can come out, now," I said, rapping on the door.
The door opened, and he practically jumped out.
"It was so cool!" he said. "The ants just went crazy and killed each other! It was scary, but cool!"
"Yeah, yeah," I brushed off. "Kari and I killed the queen ant and its protectors, and we even collapsed the tunnel that it was in. But listen; Kari is hurt really bad. We need to get her to a doctor. You can either come with us, or you can stay here."
"Really? I can come with you?"
I sighed, and knew I would come to regret my decision. "Yes, but keep quiet. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to shut up, then shut up. Got it?"
"Yep!"
"Good, now for the record, this is temporary, and only until Kari wakes up so we can decide on what to do with you."
He nodded, and I smirked. "Let's go."
We traveled a while in silence before the kid spoke up.
"So what happened to her?" he questioned.
"I thought I told you to keep quiet," I stated.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"But, if you must know, Dr. Lesko was mad because we destroyed the queen and so he tried to attack me. Kari jumped in front of the bullet that he shot at me, and it was coated in ant nectar, which burn really bad. She would have been just fine if it hadn't been coated, but he's dead now. Charon shot his head off with his shotgun in one shot," I told him.
Telling him what had happened made me realize just how much Charon watched out for us. He killed anything that was a direct threat, and tried to keep them from happening. He was silent, which was a bonus, and he didn't complain about anything, even as he carried my unconscious sister across the wasteland. I couldn't have carried her weight, though he seemed to have no problem with it. The only problem was, it would make it difficult for him to defend himself if we were attacked.
Soon, Megaton came into view. The scrap metal city towered off in the distance, and the sun was nearly set. I hoped that Simms wouldn't be too mad about me killing Moriarty the last time I we were there. I doubted he would deny us entry because of Kari's condition, but out in the wasteland, people were capable of doing anything.
Simms warily approached us as we entered the town.
"Didn't think we'd be seeing you three in town anytime soon," he stated. "What happened to her?"
"She took a bullet in my place, and it was coated in some kind of ant pheromone, which is killing her from the inside out. We need to see the doctor."
"Just... hurry. A lot of people don't take kindly to you two after Moriarty was killed."
"Whatever. Let them deal with it however they want. I don't really care. I have to take care of Kari. Besides, I told him not to hit Gob any more. You may not like it, but I did what I had to in order to help out one of the few people who actually gave a crap about us out here."
The sheriff nodded, and we headed down to the doctor's office.
"Now what?" he irritatingly asked. "What's up with her?"
"She has ant nectar inside her," I stated. "We need them out, but I don't really know how to do that."
"You got caps?" he questioned.
"Yeah," I replied, rather annoyed. "You guys are all the same: caps or no service. I thought doctors were supposed to help people out, even if they had no caps."
"Bah. There are no people out in the wastes like that," he stated.
"Kari is," I stated. "She has helped plenty of people out without even thinking about caps or any form of payment. Just look at Bryan here. Just lost his dad and Kari saved him from the burning city and tried to save his dad. We even killed the ant queen so nothing like what happened to Bryan would ever happen to anyone again. Know the facts before you open your mouth."
He scowled as Charon set Kari down on the table.
"You're one to talk," he said as he began to stick a needle in Kari. "You're the one that killed Moriarty. Now, the Stahls have control over the building, and it's only a restaurant. You also took away Nova."
"I didn't take her away. She came with us because she loves Gob and she's pregnant," I shot back. "Like I said, know the facts before you open your mouth."
"No way she loves that mess," he said. "Ghouls aren't even human."
"Don't let Kari hear you say that, or she'll blow your head off. She gets very defensive when it comes to prejudice," I stated. "And Charon, in case you haven't noticed, is a ghoul himself. Not to mention that he's a lot bigger, faster, and stronger than you and has a shotgun."
"And in case you hadn't noticed, I'm the one saving your sister, so shut your mouth or I'll charge you for the chems and have you thrown out."
"I'm pretty sure I can find someone else that can save her," I said. "We came here because it was closest. Kari has a... special ability. She can survive a lot more than the normal person."
He glared at me.
"Fine, if that's the case, then find another person. And it'll be eighty caps for the med-x and pre-war chems," he stated.
"Eighty? You and I both know that's more then you charge everyone else that comes in here."
"Not my problem," he said. "You pay, or I get Simms."
"I'm not paying a cap more than forty," I stated. "You got a problem with that, take it up with Charon."
"Seventy."
"Forty."
"Sixty"
"Forty."
"Sixty."
"How about fifty?" Charon said from Kari's bedside.
I simply stared at him, and he stared back.
"Whatever," I said, placing a sack with fifty caps from my pip-boy down on the desk "Take it or leave it, this is the final offer."
"If I count it and it is a single cap less than fifty, I will have you thrown out of town."
"I'd like to see you try," I challenged.
Charon picked Kari up off of the table and we left the shop.
"That wasn't very smart," Charon commented. "It would have been best to bite your tongue."
"Whatever. I guess it's off to Underworld."
"We cannot take Bryan to Underworld," he stated. "It is too dangerous."
I had forgotten about him, and Charon had a point. I could barely handle myself, let along another kid.
"Well, I could talk to Mother Manya about taking care of him, but she is a bit crazy..."
I could hear gunshots coming from the other side of the wall.
"Simms!" a man from up top shouted. "Simms, there's a horde of Raiders! We can't hold them off!"
I heard Simms swear loudly before asking how many there were.
"I don't know, maybe fifteen or twenty," was the response. "Weld is holding them off, but I think they're going to try to take Megaton this time!"
As we approached the top of the hill, Simms turned to us.
"I need you two to help fight off the Raiders," Simms told us. "Think of it as paying back the town for killing Moriarty."
"Well, we can't leave until the Raiders are gone, anyway. Come on Charon. I'm sure Kari will be fine for the time being."
Charon gently set Kari down against the wall, and I instructed Bryan to stay with her until we came back. The boy nodded, and Charon and I headed out, our guns at the ready. My pip-boy said that there were approximately seventeen of them and three dogs, making twenty hostiles, the most I had ever faced at once. I activated V.A.T.S., using the bits of junk as cover. I took out two before my battery needed to be recharged. Charon took out a couple more, Simms took a few out, and Stockholm and Weld took out a couple more. Up above, I heard the sentry grunt in pain before he hit the floor of the metal walkway. Great. Four against nine Raiders and two dogs.
I felt a couple of bullets graze my shoulder, but I ignored it. Simms was down, a couple shots to the leg. Deputy Weld's sensors had been disabled from a couple of well-placed shots, so it was down to Charon and me with seven Raiders. Wonderful.
Suddenly, a green bolt of light whizzed past me, hitting a Raider in the chest, turning him to a pile of green goo in the process. Finally, another gun was at our service, and one that could heal at a rapid rate. I guess Kari's system just needed time to work the nectar out of her body.
My pip-boy beeped at me, and I activated V.A.T.S. alongside Kari. Together with Charon, we took down the remaining Raiders. When the battle was over, Charon and I looted the bodies for anything useful. I got quite a few caps and some more ammo, and so did Charon. I also took one of their assault rifles to take spare parts from to repair my gun later. I stored the items before walking up to Kari, who was helping Simms. Her work was nearly complete, but he still looked like he was in a lot of pain.
"Don't worry," she said. "The med-x will kick in soon, and you'll be back on your feet in a few weeks."
He groaned and tried to stand, but Kari held him back down.
"No walking for... two weeks. Doctor's orders. Charon, will you please fetch Leo and Andy Stahl for me?"
He nodded and reentered the town.
"Kari, how-?" I began.
"My body seems to have an advanced recovery system. I guess something must have happened so that it kicks in when I'm injured," she stated. "Whatever was in my system probably would have killed me, but I feel fine."
A moment later, Charon returned with the Stahl boys, and they helped to carry Simms back in.
"Hikari, Mei, and Charon, I'd like to speak with the three of you in private, if you would," Simms said.
"Sure," Kari replied. "When would you like us over?"
"Now," he stated.
"Well, okay," she said.
Charon and I followed Kari back into Simms house, and once Simms was okay, the Stahl brothers left to take care of Stockholm.
"I had a thought out on the field," Simms told us. "Hikari, would you kindly open my safe for me and retrieve the yellow envelope? The combination is 42-6-12."
She nodded and did as she was asked. When he had the envelope in his hands, he pulled out a piece of paper.
"I want you to have this," he stated, handing it to Kari. "It's the deed to the house up on the hill. Thanks to all three of you, the town is safe, and we couldn't have done it without you."
"Thank you," Kari said. "We really appreciate this. Mei and I haven't had a place to call home since we left the Vault. Thanks."
"Yeah, what she said," I added.
"Just, be wary of the other residents. I have a feeling that they may not take too kindly to my decision, but it is mine to make, not theirs. Please, enjoy it."
"I will," she stated. "Thank you, again."
He nodded and left us to leave. Upon entering our new home, we were greeted by a robot butler named Wadsworth. He gave us purified water and told us pre-war jokes. He was also equipped with a flame thrower and a buzz saw, just like Andy back in the Vault. Hopefully, he'd be more... careful than the other robot, though. I remember when Andy destroyed our cake on our tenth birthday.
"Hey, Mei, remember back on our tenth birthday when Andy went to cut the cake-"
"And he ended up mutilating it," I finished with a smile. "I was just thinking about that."
"I remember when you and Butch were fighting over that sweet roll from Granny Palmer," she continued.
"Yeah, and you got mad when he dragged you into the argument and called you a bitch and he ended up with a broken jaw."
Kari laughed in a sad way. "Yeah. I also remember when I cracked his shin."
"That was pretty funny."
"Well, if he hadn't been picking on me, it wouldn't have happened."
"What did happen, anyway? I came in as you kicked him."
"He... well, I don't really want to talk about it," she stated.
"Why not?"
"It's personal," she excused.
"Come on, it can't be that bad."
"He commented on how small I was, and then violated my personal bubble," she said in a small voice.
I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, but Butch should have known not to do that after the party."
"Well, he didn't, apparently."
"Gosh, can you believe that we left the Vault less than a month ago?"
"Mmm," she agreed. "It feels like we've been out here forever."
"Well," I said after a moment of silence, "I think I'm going to head to bed. Come on up when you feel like it."
"M'kay," she replied. "Tomorrow, we can find Bryan a new home."
"Sure," I said. "Goodnight."
~Hikari's POV~
Slowly, I opened my eyes. Everything was blurry at first, but I blinked a few times and it all came back into focus. I coughed up a weird substance that burned my throat terribly, and it tasted even worse. I spit it out and noticed that Bryan Wilks knelt in front of me. Off in the distance, I could hear the sounds of gunshots. I could pick out Charon's shotgun and Mei's assault rifle through the fire. After traveling with them, I noticed that each gunshot had a slightly different noise level and, oddly enough, tone. There were also a lot more guns being fired, so I stood up and pulled out my plasma rifle.
"Stay here," I told Bryan as I loaded my gun. "Join us when we come back."
He nodded and I went off to join the fight. Just after I exited the city, I activated V.A.T.S. and time slowed. I could see seven Raiders. Simms was out of the fight, and it seemed that we were outnumbered. I chose a Raider and aimed for his torso. Time sped back up and the blob of plasma shot out of my gun, hitting him directly in the chest. That turned him into a pile of goo, and I smirked. We disposed of the rest of the Raiders before I turned to Simms.
"I-I'll be fine," he stammered. "Stockholm... He needs help now."
"I'll send someone up before long," I told him while injecting his leg with med-x.
He winced as I cleaned off the wound, and then tightly wrapped it up. Once Leo and Andy were present, I told them about Stockholm, and after they finished moving Simms, they went to get Doc Church to tend to him.
Remembering the past with Mei made me feel rather homesick, and I wished that my father hadn't left the Vault, and then none of these things would be happening. But, it did, and I was making the most of it. Tomorrow, we would find Bryan a home, and I wanted to check in with Ian West before we left.
"Come on, Bryan. We need to get you to bed," I stated. "I have a feeling it's way past your bedtime."
I looked at my pip-boy, and it was nearing eleven. I walked him upstairs, but there was only one twin bed. Mei was at the edge against the wall.
"Well, you take the bed," I told him.
"Where will you sleep?" he questioned.
"Don't worry about that," I replied with a smile. "Just get some rest."
"But she scares me," he admitted.
"She won't harm you," I whispered. "Just don't wake her."
He nodded before climbing in to the bed. I covered them up with a blanket that was lying on the desk next to the bed.
"Goodnight," I muttered.
"'Night," he responded.
I left the room with Charon.
"Now, where will we sleep?" I asked myself.
"I can make a makeshift bed," Charon offered.
"You don't have to..."
"If my mistress wishes it, I shall do it."
"Only if you want to," I replied.
"Then I shall."
Charon turned and began to scrounge around for items. He came up with some old pillows that were in a cupboard, a couple blankets, and some old pre-war clothing. He arranged it in the other room next to the bedroom. When it resembled something of a bed, I climbed into it, and Charon joined me not much later. He was a lot warmer than everyone else, which I thought was kind of odd, but I ignored the scientific marvel and curled up next to him. Between him and the blanket, I had never slept in a warmer place since leaving the Vault.
~Mei's POV~
I woke up, and the kid was next to me. I forgot who he was for a moment and started to freak out. After a moment, though, I remembered and relaxed. I checked my pip-boy. It was around eight in the morning, and I had a feeling that Kari and Charon would be up, wherever they were. Come to think of it, I had no idea where they were.
I woke the kid up before going to find my sister. As I passed the room next to where I was, I found them. They were lying on a make-shift bed of pillows, blankets, and pre-war clothing. They were both asleep, and Kari was curled up beside Charon, who had his arms around her protectively. They looked so... cute, I guess, lying there. I hated myself for thinking it, and I didn't really want anyone getting that close to my sister. Still, she looked pretty happy, and I knew he'd keep her safe.
I didn't want to wake Charon, for fear of my life, so I asked our new robot to cook up some breakfast. He obliged began to whip something up. I didn't know what it was, but it smelled good, and that was something that never happened in the wastes. All of the food had either gone stale or was just plain disgusting.
He placed whatever it was in the oven before telling me it would be ready in about ten minutes. I nodded and went to check on Kari and Charon, but they were both still sleeping. Hopefully, the smell of food would wake them up. After I sat down at the table, I could hear movement from upstairs. Finally, we'd be able to get rid of the kid, even if he was really warm at night.
Wadsworth opened the oven door, and a sweet, warm smell emanated from it. He withdrew something, and I could hear him jet around then come in to the same room as me. He was carrying a plate full of sweet rolls.
"I hope this pleases you," he said as he set them down on the table.
I nodded before taking a couple. Bryan looked at them with large eyes, and I tossed one to him, telling him to eat. The roll was so warm, sweet, and fresh. I loved the robot already.
"Look, Kari!" I said through a mouthful of food as she came down the stairs. "Sweet rolls!"
Her eyes lit up as she rushed over and sat next to me, shoving one greedily in her mouth.
"These are amazing!"
"I asked Wadsworth to make breakfast, and he made them," I told her. "I love him already."
Charon hesitantly sat down and joined us. Kari handed him one of the rolls as Wadsworth brought us some Brahmin milk to go with it. Kari thanked him before we finished breakfast.
"So, Bryan, any idea of where we could send you?" Kari asked.
"Well, my dad said something about having an aunt in Rivet City," he stated. "Her name is Vera Weatherly."
"I know Vera," Kari said. "She was pretty nice, and I think we could ask her to take you in if you want to come with us."
"Really? You'd take me?" he questioned.
"Of course, but we'll have to leave soon if we want to make it there by tomorrow."
"What about Dad?" I reminded her. "He could have gotten what he needed from Vault 112 and been on his way by now."
She bit her lower lip, and I knew I had hit something.
"You guys are looking for your dad?" Bryan questioned. "Well, you two have done so much for me, I'm sure I can survive on my own until I find a place to stay."
"No, Bryan," Kari stated. "I told you I would find you a home, and I will. I won't go back on my word."
"Really, I know what it's like to lose a father," he replied. "You don't have to go out of your way any longer."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, as long as you guys don't mind letting me stay here for a while until I find someone to watch out for me."
Kari sighed. "Alright, but I want to take the rest of today to get ready for our trip. I have to stock up on supplies and I'd like to check in with Ian and Lucy."
"Whatever," I said. "I think I'm just gonna relax."
Kari and I split ways as we went to do what we wanted. Even Bryan went off to do something, but Wadsworth just jetted around the house.
~Hikari's POV~
After bartering with Moira Brown, I headed over to check up on Ian. I had hoped he was adjusting well, but I didn't know for sure if he was. When I knocked on the door, Lucy answered.
"Oh, hello," she greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"I was just in the neighborhood and decided to check up on Ian," I stated. "Just to see how he was adjusting and to see if he needed anything."
"Oh, well, come on in them," she said. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, thank you."
"If you'll have a seat, I'll go fetch him," she said, gesturing to a rather beaten up couch.
I nodded and did as I was asked. Charon stood there kind of awkwardly.
"Ian, you have a visitor," I heard Lucy say.
Ian came down from upstairs, looking a bit surprised. He looked a lot better than the last time I saw him, though. He didn't look as troubled and he had a light tan to his face.
"Oh, it's you," he said.
"Just came to see how you were doing," I stated. "So how are you doing?"
"I'm doing a lot better, thanks," he replied. "Now that I'm back with Lucy, things have been a lot easier."
"That's good to hear," I told him. "How's life been here in Megaton? Everyone treating you okay?"
"I haven't been outside much, so it's pretty boring, but I like it a lot better," he said. "Lucy makes things easier, but she doesn't let me go outside very often. She fears that I'll lose control again, but I don't think I will. I can usually tell, but there are times that I can't."
"Do you want to go for a walk, then?" I asked. "It's not as hot as usual out today, and the sun isn't that bad. It's mostly blocked out by some grey clouds."
"Sure," he replied. "Let me just go make sure it's okay with Lucy."
He left upstairs and came back a moment later.
"She said yeah," he reported.
I stood up, and then held the door open for him.
"I thought that men were supposed to hold doors open," he commented.
"I don't really know if any real gentlemen exist out here," I told him with a chuckle. "But yes, in general, they are."
"I'm sure there are somewhere," he stated. "They just aren't very common."
"That is true," I said. "I know of a couple, now that I think about it. There's one in Rivet City that had it arranged so my sister and I could stay for free in a room for two nights,-"
I heard Charon grumble behind us.
"Charon, despite what you were told, nothing happened between us. We talked, he showed me where I wanted to go, and I was on my way. Mei just wanted to get drunk," I reminded him. "Harkness is a good man."
He muttered something about not being a true man, and I frowned. "You need to be nicer to him. It's not like he chose to be what he is. I'm sure that if he was given the choice, he would choose to be a normal person, as would just about everyone. You know, you're turning into Mei."
"What's wrong with this Harkness person?" Ian asked.
"Well... I can't exactly say. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."
"I understand. I wouldn't want you telling anyone my secret, even if you did trust them."
We walked and chatted for quite some time before we headed back to his house. I bade him farewell before heading back to my own house. Mei was messing around with Wadsworth's internal components.
"What-?"
"Ah, Madame Hikari, you are home," he interrupted. "One of my combustion pipes came loose. Madame Mei is fixing it for me."
"Oh, okay. I've got all of the needed supplies for our trip tomorrow, but it's getting really dark outside. The clouds are almost... black."
"I'm sure it's just your imagination," Mei said without taking her eyes off of the robot. "I'm sure-"
A loud, booming sound issued from somewhere outside, and it seemed to shake the floor. I jumped and clung to Charon unintentionally.
"What was that?" I asked.
"It is thunder," he stated. "It happens when the shock wave created by a lightning bolt that heats air along its path of travel. The violent expansion of these ionized air molecules creates that shock wave, and noise that it makes is what we call thunder."
"Oh... okay."
I let go, but jumped and clung again when the thunder again clashed through the air. The door flung open, and Bryan Wilks came in.
"What-What's going on?" he asked.
"I-It's just thunder," I told him. "H-Harmless, right, Charon?"
"Thunder is harmless, yes, but the lightening that causes it is not," he stated. "One bolt of lightning could kill us all, and it strikes randomly."
Suddenly, a noise came from upstairs. It sounded as though gunfire was pounding on the roof.
"Wh-what's that?" I asked.
"That would be the liquid form of precipitation, more commonly known as rain," the mercenary said. "It occurs when water evaporates from the earth and the droplets collect in the clouds before falling back to the earth as rain. It is quite rare in the wasteland, usually only one shower every few years. It is highly irradiated, so I suggest that no one leaves until it is over."
"How long does it last?" Mei questioned.
"Not too long," he stated. "Usually a day, but since the ground is so dry, everything turns to radiated mud."
"Great," Mei muttered.
I wanted to see rain. I think I once read about it before I left the Vault, but I couldn't remember. I opened the door a crack, and the water poured everywhere outside. It was so pretty, I wanted to go stand in it, but I felt Charon's hand on my arm.
"You wanna end up like me?"
Sure, I wouldn't mind being ghoul, but I'd rather not become one. I opened my pip-boy and took a rad-x before Charon let me go outside. The water was cold and it stung a bit, but it was beautiful. I had never really seen anything like it. Before too long, I was soaked. Charon stood by me, not even fazed by the water. I could tell he enjoyed it, especially since ghouls were healed by radiation. I stared directly up into the sky, ignoring the water that fell into my eyes. It was so... mesmerizing, as though the sky was coming down. I knew that it would be quite some time until I saw another, if I even survived that long.
After a while, Charon pulled me back inside, claiming that I could get sick easily in rain, but I had to odd ability to heal. The lightning lit up the sky, but I was frightened that it would hit me. I changed into warmer, dry clothing, trying to dispel the shivers that were overtaking me. Charon sat beside me on the bed and draped a blanket around me before wrapping his arms around me. I leaned into his warmth, trying to block out the pounding on the roof. When the thunder resounded, I was caught off guard and clung to Charon. He seemed to be very patient with me and took whatever I happened to dish out.
Bryan came in and sat in my lap much later, as he, too was scared of the thunder and lightning. He fell asleep not too much after that, and I noticed just how warm he was. I wondered if he was getting sick or something. If so, then I couldn't abandon him. Also, I couldn't allow Mei to be around him too much, or she may get sick, too. Charon and Wadsworth would be fine, but I wasn't sure if I would be immune or not, and Mei would definitely get sick, too.
Charon got up to bring the makeshift bed into the bedroom so we could all be in the same room. When I held Bryan, I realized just how much I wanted a child of my own. I wanted a normal life, with kids and a loving husband, but I couldn't. Nobody really could in the wastes, but we could try. Surely, if we tried hard enough, we would someday be able to.
Mei came up after Charon moved the mattress to the floor next to the makeshift bed and moved the frame out of the way. Bryan shifted slightly in his sleep as I held him, but he seemed undisturbed, otherwise. I lay with Mei at my back while I held Bryan, and Charon was on the other side of Bryan. For a moment, I felt like we were all a big family. Charon was the protective father, I was the mother caring for her child, who was Bryan, and Mei was the aunt who was a bit cold and crazy, but loving deep inside.
Every time the thunder struck, it seemed to have the opposite effect on me than before. It actually seemed to lull me to sleep rather than make me jumpy. Maybe it was the sense of security that I felt as we all lay together, but I liked it, and I didn't ever want it to end.
After Notes:
I have another chapter uploaded, and I like this one. I actually looked up some videos of thunderstorms to listen to for the ending. It was quite relaxing.
I am pretty exhausted, but drumline is almost over, and our competition for concert band is tomorrow right after school. We also have 2 hour delays next week (except Wednesday, only one hour, but early dismissal) for Ohio Graduation Tests that the sophomores have to take. I'm looking forward to sleeping in.
I am getting too into this, because I had two Fallout 3 related dreams two nights ago. They were both pretty weird, but cool.
As always, I ask that you review or let me know what you think through a PM or something. Much appreciated, HikariMei