A/N: Note that i chose to spell her name differently.... it is intentional, i know how to spell the name properly, and no, i'm not going to change it. Yes, i am crazy, no, i speak English fluently, thank you very much.

they should really put vehicles in the game.... i'm tired of walking.

Chapter 4: Returning Rivets

Gunning the engine, Ashely felt the power of the machine roaring under the frame. It was something she wasn't used to initially, and she nearly fell off the machine a couple of times, but she finally got it under control. Maybe slightly swerving, but otherwise still under her control. She turned to the side, keeping an eye on her companions, who seemed to be enjoying the ride. Dogmeat especially. It didn't take them long to reach Rivet City, and they were greeted by a large crowd of people who were interested in the loud sounds that came from the machines.

Getting off her bike, Ashely took her biking goggles off her eyes, and looked around at the people. Well, she wouldn't have to go inside for information now with the entire population of Rivet city outside. Some people recognized her the moment she came into view, though others were still unsure of her identity. A young boy ran up to her and immediately crashed into her legs, making her lose her balance and falling backwards. Her head hit the ground rather hard and she was seeing stars for the moment, but other than that, pretty fine.

"You're back!"

The boy's familiar voice attracted her eyes to him, and soon his face came into focus.

"Bryan? You know, you really knocked the wind out of me."

The boy gave a cheeky smile while having a rather tight with his grip around her waist. A young woman walked up to her and gave a warm smile.

"We heard what you did for us, and what you risked. Bryan almost cried when he heard you almost died."

"Aunt! I told you not to say that!"

Bryan shouted in defence, face turning a bright red. The woman only smiled.

"He always tries to be brave, said that one day he would protect and save you."

Ashely looked down at Bryan, who had buried his face in her clothes. She stroked his head gently and smiled at the boy.

"Yeah, i'll look forward to that day."

"Summers, are you alright?"

She turned and saw Paladin Cross offering her hand. She took the hand and the Brotherhood Paladin pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks."

"No problem, you sure are popular with the kids."

She could only smile at that as she dusted her clothes off.

"Still, for the great hero to be knocked out by some kid. That sure doesn't make you look good."

She raised an eyebrow at Paladin Cross for that comment.

"I may have saved the Capital Wastelands, but do i actually look like a super hero?"

"What, you mean like Gorgnak? You read too many comics. But yeah, with your frame, i'm surprised that you can even carry a mini-gun."

And Paladin Cross was right. Ashely Summers wasn't exactly a towering muscle sack. She was small, shorter than Paladin Cross, slim and light weight. Her body didn't look like it had the muscles to drag a mini-gun, let alone carry one, though her small size did hide certain surprises at times. For one, Paladin Cross did see first hand how Ashely managed to wrestle with a Super mutant who thought a body slam could deal with the lone wanderer. That girl hid a lot of strength in her petite body, fangs behind that sweet smile, and overall a demon behind that pretty face.

"Well, let's begin with some questions."

Paladin Cross nodded, and followed Ashely as the girl began to approach different people to ask questions. Of course, most people wouldn't know anything since they were hardly out of the city, but there were the trade caravans. A couple of shadier folks also made Rivet City their safe haven, so coming here wasn't all bad. After talking with some people, Ashely was approached by a ragged old man. He looked poorly dressed, with dirt all over his face and probably five of his teeth were missing.

"Yer lookin' fer David. Ain't no fella uo knows better dan e' dos."

While Paladin Cross, and Fawkes, scratched their heads on trying to decipher the old man's sentence, Ashely already knew what he meant.

"And... where is this David?"

"Inhide. E' neivar sows is face mush."

Ashely looked up at the giant rusting ship on the waters. A man named David is within those steel walls, and has some inside information on what was happening. Well, it was a start. Ashely thanked the old man and headed up for the ship. With Fawkes and Dogmeat watching the vehicles, and Fawkes tasked with negotiating some traders on more energy fuel cells, Paladin Cross followed Ashely up to the ship. As they walked across the steel bridge, Ashely saw a familiar face walking out to greet them. The city guard, Harkness. Ashely knew about the 'man's' real identity, but kept it with her, and Harkness has been appreciative of that fact. Ashely and Harkness greeted each other with a smile and handshake, before she began her questionings.

"David? Hmm.... Must be talking about the new guy. David Hatchetry. Yeah, he's below deck. I'll lead you there."

Harkness led the two, with an additional two guards down below the decks of the ship. The presence of guards for this did not escape Ashely's eye and concern.

"The guards? Oh yeah. This guy is quite.... violent. The doc thinks he's on Jet, well, who isn't?"

"Sounds like you have your work cut out for you."

Ashely giggled, making Harkness smile sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, it is a lot to get this place in order, but at least it's worth it. Anyway, this new guy had to be detained after he went on a rampage in the market, shot three people, but no one was killed."

"... Are you sure it was Jet?"

Ashely now stopped to think, and the rest stopped to turn to her.

"Jet can enhance certain aspects, but it also induces a calm and high feeling."

"What about withdrawal symptoms? He could be suffering from those."

Harkness suggested that possibility that Ashely had already thought of.

"True, withdrawal would normally cause violent behaviours, and sometimes agression to others. However the withdrawal from Jet usually makes the person disoriented, dizzy, and prone to mistakes."

"Which explains why each shot he made missed killing a person."

"It may.... but people suffering from Jet withdrawal do not even have the strength to hold a gun."

Ashely had seen a lot in the wastelands, and one of them was a whole town of people who took Jet more than their three meals a day. It was like walking through a town filled with brainless feral ghouls who did not seem to take notice of her, but were thrashing things with their bare hands.

"So... this guy is on something else?"

Paladin Cross asked the question Harkness was afraid to ask himself.

"Probably... let's see this guy."

Harkness nodded, leading the group a little further down the corridor, then stopped outside a steel door where two more guards stood by. The guards saluted when Harkness approached them, and he did the same to them.

"Alright. No weapons inside, just in case he grabs them and uses them on yourself."

Harkness extended out his open hand to Ashely, who readily took her side arms off her and handed them to the guard. But the guard knew Ashely well, and still had his hand opened to her. Ashely grumbled something under her breath, and pulled out a hidden knife from her boot. Satisfied, Harkness led her in. Paladin Cross had to stay outside, due to the fact that her power armour had the capacity to kill. Stepping inside, Ashely immediately covered her nose as a foul stench perferrated the room. It smelt like the time she went into Vault 87.

Those Super Mutants clearly had no hygiene, and clearly neither does this room. The place was also in a mess, though there weren't that many objects in the room in the first place. A bunk bed, a table that had a large crack and a few holes on its surface, and pieces of a chair were scattered about. In the corner, a figure sat huddled together. The man's skin was pale and nearly grey, but it was clear he was still alive and not a ghoul. He had bald spots on his head, and his dark brown hair was falling off in bunches.

His dress sense made her think he used to work as a slaver, though he could have just scavanged the clothes off slavers. That's what she did, but so did so many others. Ashely slowly approached the figure, who did not seem to notice her. Upon closer inspection, Ashely found that the man was trembling violently. Veins were pronounced under his skin, and his frame was so thin she thought she was looking at a living skeleton.

"... David?"

She called out to him, but to avail. The man wouldn't respond. Ashely turned to Harkness, unsure of what she was seeing.

"When was the last time he ate?"

"Just yesturday. Gave him food myself. He wasn't like that yesturday though. He was violent and uncooperative, but still ate his food."

"Hmm...."

Ashely pulled out her Pip-boy, recording her findings and cross-referencing with things she discovered out in Wasteland. Luckily none of the data stored in her Pip-boy was erased while the Brotherhood tinkered with it.

"Do you think it's something other than Jet?"

Harkness wondered out loud, stepping closer to David, waving a light in the unresponsive man. Still no reaction.

"It is something other than Jet... Was he like this when he first came onboard?"

"No. Was abusive, demanded drinks and food like he owned the place, but he kept within the rules, till he pulled out a gun."

".... Hmm, has he taken any substance that would be considered abnormal?"

"Not that i know of. Everything he ate, the others ate as well."

"Then it must be something no one else has... Looks like we're dealing with a new drug."

Ashely kept her Pip-boy away, crossing her arms as she turned to the still trembling man. Something about it seemed familiar, but she could not put her finger on it. She tried to link it to the Enclave, though she knew such a connection was only hypothetical, something she wished would happen to make things easier, but truth being that what this man had could be anything. Raiders, slavers, Super mutants trying out bio weapons, the Talon company, the-

"The Talon company...."

Words escaped from her lips. The mercernary company of ruthless hunters had been on her back for as long as she had been on the Wasteland. She knew who hired them, but had yet to locate that sneaky coward who did so.

"What do they have to do with this?"

Harkness asked, and she didn't blame him, at first glance, they would have nothing to do with this, and in fact, they actually may not, but if there was someone who knew something going on in the shadows of the underworld of the Wastelands, it would be them. There were many places she could search if she could, the Underworld, the Meserati station, the GNR, the Lincoln memorial, the Oasis, Megaton, the Vaults, but nothing would prove useful.

The Talon company had the inside information of almost everything that happens in the Wastelands, and that would include this. Still, how was she to get them to cooperate. Caps, that's one way, but she didn't have enough to buy the bounty off her head and get information at the same time. Actually, she didn't even have enough to get the bounty off her head. Each time she kills one of their hunting parties, her bounty goes up and so does their hatred of her. She had to find the person who ordered them to go after her in the first place. Burke.