Elizabeth crouched behind the cashier's counter, trying to calm her racing pulse. She heard the crunch of a boot near her hiding place and silently sucked in her breath. This was rapidly turning into a bad idea.
It had started out innocently enough. A short jaunt from Megaton to Super-Duper Mart and back again with whatever items she could salvage from the supermarket. Somewhere south of the mart, she had encountered an odd flying robot piping out what sounded like 'Yankee Doodle' from its speakers. As she stopped and stared at it, a friendly trader who had been wandering nearby spoke up.
'Don't you mind it, missy and it won't mind you. Them eyebots don't do nuthin' but fly around all day with that damn Enclave radio playing over and over again.'
She had exchanged conversation with the older trader who had noted her Vault 101 jumpsuit and was eager to gossip. She had mentioned her intention to head into the mart and was stunned at the trader's sudden change of face.
'You stay away from there, missy. That place's bad news, what with them raiders crawling all over it. They use that place to shoot up Jet and Psycho and all that crap. Stay away from there, if you know what's good for you, missy.'
'Raiders? Who are they?' She had asked curiously.
'Wasteland scum. They raid towns and whatever settlements around just for kicks. Sometimes they drag off their victims, live. They say the raiders eat their flesh, that's why them raiders are all screwed up here.' Tapping his forehead. 'I dunno about if that's true, missy but I do know that those drugs they keep taking ain't doing them any good. If you see a raider, you better hope that you seen them first or they'll turn those pretty legs of yours into target practice.'
She had listened to him with a completely serious face while privately dismissing his claims as sheer idle gossip. Surely, no one was desperate enough to resort to cannibalism just to survive, she rationalized to herself. She was wrong.
After parting ways with him, she had kept her course for the Super-Duper Mart. Pushing her way through the doors, she had walked in without any fear. The smell of blood had hit her at the same moment a voice floated out from the darkened mart.
'Who's there?'
It was the worst idea she had yet.
From her hiding place, Elizabeth squeezed herself into a tiny ball, regretting that she had not taken the older man's advice. The tinge of iron from blood was familiar to her but rather than the smell of a sanitized clinic, this was the smell of sweat, body odor and rotting flesh. She choked down the bile rising in her throat and forced herself to focus.
Her hand closed over her 10mm pistol and she thought rapidly. She had no idea how many of them there were in the mart but she was certainly outnumbered no matter what. Removing her tinted glasses and stowing them away in a pack she had bought from Moira, she softly laid her pack down. Deciding to risk a peek, she slowly raised her head out from behind the counter. Her eyes, now accustomed to the dark, made out a male figure holding a rifle of some sort near the entrance of the door.
'What the hell are you doing there, Bane?'
'I thought I heard someone come in.'
The unknown woman threw a few colorful expletives at Bane who retorted in kind to her, insisting that he had heard a noise. As they argued, Elizabeth heard another voice ordering both of them to shut up. A peculiar sound followed the third voice and she listened intently, trying to identify it but the third voice – male – drowned out the sounds, ordering the woman to go check out the entrance with Bane.
Grumbling, the woman shuffled to the front and Elizabeth watched as she came into view next to Bane, who was now walking further away from her hiding place. Deciding to take action, she slowly crawled out from the counter. The sound she had heard earlier was out of place and something in it called her attention. In later days, Elizabeth could never explain why she had not left when she had the chance but had made an almost-suicidal and certainly crazy decision to investigate the odd noise, chalking it up to her then naïve ignorance of the raiders' sadistic natures.
Keeping her body low, she half-waddled and half tip-toed further into the mart. The sounds grew louder and she pricked her ears up. There was no doubt about it. It was a wild animal's bark, almost certainly a dog. The barks were urgent and angry, frustrated even.
She was so intent upon tracing the noise to its origin, she missed a step and kicked a tin can. The can flew from beneath her foot and bounced against the nearby rack. The argument between Bane and the woman immediately ceased and she heard the telltale cocking of two rifles. Cursing herself inwardly, she looked around wildly for a place to hide and scrabbled behind a fallen shelf.
'Sounds like we have a little intruder here! Good, I've been getting…hungry.' She wasn't sure which worried her more, the pause in the sentence or the hysterical giggling that followed.
'Come out and play. We promise we won't bite.' More giggling. She swallowed hard and gripped her pistol tightly. If she was lucky, she might be able to get a shot in before they close in on her.
A slam and then a crack of light shone into the room.
'What the he-' The words were cut off as a deafening blast echoed through the whole mart. Elizabeth heard the woman scream and raise her own gun to fire back.
'Make a break for it, missy! I'll cover you!'
It was the trader she had met earlier! A pair of feet ran past her view and she immediately raised her gun and fired. It was the third raider she had heard earlier. He fell heavily to the floor, blood pouring from his right foot. She aimed again and this time, she emptied her pistol into the screaming raider. He gave one last gurgle and ceased his breathing. Trembling, Elizabeth reloaded her gun but her shaky fingers kept dropping bullets on the floor.
At the entrance, the trader was exchanging gunfire with the female raider who was screaming out what vengeance she intended to take over his bloody body. The barking from the back was now frantic and Elizabeth could hear the dog positively slavering from behind the closed door. Ignoring its barks for now, she dodged through the aisles towards the front of the mart.
'Missy? You still alive in there? Could use a little help here!' Cutting his own words off with a yelp of pain, the trader ducked back behind the walls as a bullet from the raider found its way into his arm.
'I'm going to turn your bones into my chair, old man. I'll cut your fingers off and I'll – ' She never had the chance to finish her sentence as blood suddenly filled her throat. Clutching her chest, she staggered forward before another shot finished her off.
Elizabeth ran forward to the trader who had slumped to the floor and was cradling his arm. 'Are you all right?'
He chuckled. 'Never better, missy. That was some fine shooting you did there.'
She smiled weakly at him. 'You're injured. Did the bullet enter your arm?'
'Yeah it did. I'm gonna need a stimpack before I lose this arm.'
'There's a doctor in Megaton. Come on, if we hurry, we can get there before it gets any worse. I'll help you.'
He shook his head. 'Megaton's too far, missy. I'll lose too much blood before we're even halfway. Maybe you can look in back and see if they got any stimpacks there.'
She surveyed the bullethole with a critical eye before looking at him seriously. 'I have some medical training. If you trust me, I think I can remove the bullet and bandage your wound for you.'
The trader took a closer look at her and laughed. 'Well missy, beggars ain't got the time to be picky. Not while they're bleeding all over the floor anyway. Do what you can.'
She nodded to the back of the mart. 'Come on, let's get you inside. There should be some light inside and maybe a first aid station.'
Helping him up, she walked slowly with him towards the back of Super-Duper Mart, careful not to jar his injured arm. The barking had suddenly ceased and was replaced with several whines.
'Hey, what's that back there?' The trader asked, startled. Alarm crept into his voice and his good hand fell to his holstered gun. 'More raiders?'
'No, I think it's a dog. There were only three raiders, well, that I heard anyway. I think the dog's caged up back there somewhere. I didn't see it come out but it's been barking in there since I came in.' She paused and thought for awhile. 'Wait here, I'll go check it out.'
'No, wait! It's too dangerous!
Ignoring him for the second time, Elizabeth crept cautiously to the back room. The whining had suddenly ceased and there was only silence coming from the back. Softly, she opened the door and was greeted with a sad sight.
A dead wastelander lay on the floor; his body bearing signs of cruel torture. Later on, Elizabeth learnt that raiders sometimes took their victims live to torture them before killing them. A cage stood next to it and inside was a grey dog. The dog whined when he sighted her, pawing at the cage door. Her heart filled with pity and she spoke kindly to it.
'Hello there. Did those raiders catch you too?'
The dog gave a short bark and went back to pawing the door to the cage. The trader walked in cautiously behind her and stared at the caged animal.
'Well, I'll be. How did they ever catch one of them dogs without it tearing their throats out?'
'It looks tame. Do you think we should free it?'
He shrugged and winced from the pain. 'I don't know, missy. There are wild dogs like this one out there that'll rip you apart if you turn your back on them. Better leave it here.'
'But that's just cruel! And what if more raiders come back here? They'll probably kill it too. I'll take my chances with it.' She moved forward to examine the cage door. As she reached her hands towards the bars of the cage, the dog licked her hands and she smiled. 'Pretty sure that looks tame to me.' She called over her shoulder as she worked the catch to the door.
There was no reply save for a mumble about 'young woman' and a 'don't know what's good for them' fragment. The door to the cage opened and the dog trotted out. It gave her another lick for good measure and promptly walked over to the corpse. Whining mournfully, it nudged the dead wastelander's arm and sniffed at it.
'Looks like that was its owner. Poor fella. Guess the raiders got him and his master.' The trader said.
Elizabeth pursed her lips as she eyed the torture wounds on the dead man. The raiders were a heartless bunch indeed and she realized for the first time how lucky she was to have come away from her first encounter without a scratch.
'How did you know I needed help?' She asked.
'Well, after you left, I had this feeling in my gut so I followed you. I saw you enter the mart and waited for you outside. When you didn't come out, I listened through the doors and heard them raiders looking for you. Sounded like you were in a tight spot so I came in after you.'
'Thank you for coming to rescue me.' She said, looking at the trader straight in the eyes.
'You can thank me by fixing this arm of mine, missy. I'm kinda attached to it, if you get my meaning.' He chuckled, trying to sound light-hearted but Elizabeth caught the note of pain in his tone.
'Wait here. I'll try to find something to take the bullet out and some stimpacks to ease the pain.'
Borrowing his knife, she tore some rags from the trouser pants of the wastelander and grabbed a bottle of whisky lying on the floor. Pouring the whisky on the blade, she wiped it clean and handed him the rest of the bottle. He gulped down the remaining whisky and gritted his teeth. Taking a deep breath, she dove in and began digging the bullet out of his arm.
When it was over, she threw the bullet aside and wiped the blade again. Just then, the dog which had disappeared during the operation, trotted over and dropped several items on her lap. She stared in astonishment as she held up several stimpacks in her hand.
'Well, I'll be a ghoul's mother! That dog found us some stimpacks!' The trader stared at the dog, his eyes bulging out in amazement. Quickly, Elizabeth injected one into his arm and watched as the wound ceased to bleed. Another shot and the wound knitted itself together.
'That should hold together. The stimpacks should clear out whatever infections you might get from the wound.' She said with a professional air that the raider did not miss.
'Why, thank you missy. I feel like a whole new man. You're pretty good. Vault doctor, eh?'
She winced. 'No. That was my father. He taught me everything he knew.'
'Was? He's dead?'
'No…well, I don't think so. I'm not sure. He disappeared from the vault and I'm trying to find him now.'
Tactfully, the trader changed the subject. Glancing down at the dog, he reached out and patted its head. 'Good dog, this one. Real smart. Your master trained you well, didn't he?'
The dog wagged its tail and walked over to the dead body, nudging at something in the pockets. The trader walked over and rummaged the pockets.
'Umm…I don't think you should do that.'
He glanced over at her casually. 'Missy, out here in this god-forsaken wastes, you take everything you can get. He don't need them anymore but we do.' He pulled out a leather collar with an inscripted tag. 'Dogmeat. Looks like this dog's name is Dogmeat. Funny sort of name to give a dog.'
Dogmeat barked again and Elizabeth imagined that the dog sounded offended. The trader laughed and patted Dogmeat again.
Between the two of them, they combed through the entire mart and picked up everything they could carry. Dogmeat proved to be a useful companion, retrieving useful items hidden under debris and in boxes for them. After dividing the stimpacks and food between them, the amount came to a satisfactory number. Elizabeth discovered a powered-down Protectron further in the back and with a little hacking, left it as a nasty surprise for further raiders by turning it to patrol mode. Finally, they stripped the raiders of their guns and ammunition. Stashing all her loot into her retrieved pack, she and the trader left Super-Duper Mart at last with Dogmeat in tow.
They headed in the direction of Megaton as the trader insisted that he had an obligation to see her back to the town safely despite her objections. Apparently, he had the fixed idea that she would go gallivanting off into the Wasteland to search for more raiders to run into. She gave up after the third attempt to dissuade him and walked with him. Dogmeat trotted next to them, content to follow them especially after Elizabeth handed him some cram she found in the mart.
They exchanged information about the different worlds they came from. He told her about the raiders, the super mutants in downtown DC, the nearby settlements, the Enclave and other survival tips. She entertained him with details about life in the vault, leaving out the recent events that led to her leaving the vault. She talked about how she was trying to find her father and how she was trying to get enough caps to pay off Moriarty. He, in turn, told her a few of his adventures out in the wastes. All in all, it was an interesting trip back to Megaton.
When they reached the gates of Megaton, he paused at the entrance and turned to her. 'Well, missy, this is where I leave you. I'm heading back to my hideout to put away this loot.'
'You're not coming in? It's getting late, why don't you stay the night here before you go back to wherever you're going?' She pleaded, suddenly loathing the idea of parting ways with him.
He shook his head. 'Don't like towns much. Too crowded, not like the Wastes. You've got your own journey to make, missy. You don't need an old man like me weighing you down.'
'My name's Elizabeth. But please, call me Liz. And you don't weigh me down. You saved my life, in fact.' She reached out to grasp his rough calloused hands impulsively.
Visibly touched, he shook her hands firmly. 'Call me Frank. You dug that nasty bullet outta me, so we're even. Two words of advice, missy Liz. One, people like that Moriarty are snakes. You hafta play their game at their level or bring the game to them. If not, they'll chew you alive and spit you out. Two, always watch your back, wherever you are. Them critters and even some humans out there will want a piece of you so don't let them take it. That dog here is a good one. You take care of him and he'll be your best friend.'
'Thank you, Frank. I hope I'll see you again one day.' Her grip tightened.
He nodded and beamed at her. 'Don't worry, missy Liz. We'll see each other one day. Thanks for taking care of this arm for me. You take care of yourself now.' He waved at her and gave one last pat to Dogmeat, who licked him in return. Then he turned and walked away into the distance. Elizabeth watched until she was left alone with Dogmeat. She walked slowly into Megaton, with a sinking feeling of loss.
Lucas Simms passed her as she walked into Megaton. Noting the new addition of a hunting rifle strapped to her back, the suspiciously bulging sack slung over her shoulder and the panting dog walking next to her, he lifted an eyebrow but said nothing save to greet her politely. He watched as she walked purposefully to the Craterside Supply. Damn, if he hadn't been wrong about the girl. Guess she could take care of herself after all.
After selling her hard-earned loot and passing on information about Super-Duper Mart to an over-enthusiastic Moira, she counted out her caps and found enough to pay Moriarty with a little left over for better armor. As the water treatment plant was next door, she went in and dropped some spare scrap metal for Walter who repaid her well in more caps. Next stop: Moriarty's Saloon.
Gob looked up as Elizabeth walked into the saloon. His eyes widened. He hadn't expected the girl to return so soon. Nova who had been slouching in the corner, straightened up and smirked to herself as she caught sight of the newcomer. Well, well. Guess the Vault kid was a survivor after all. Things were about to get interesting.
'Where's Moriarty?' She hadn't raised her voice but it was a command all the same.
'He's in the back. Let me get him.' He stammered out, quailing beneath her cold gaze.
Moriarty sauntered casually out and eyed the girl. 'You're back now, I see. Tell me, did you find Silver now?'
She stared at him, challenge in her eyes. He gazed back unperturbed at her, taking deep drags from his cigarette. The silence stretched, broken only by the ghoul's shallow breathing. The only customer in the bar made a hurried exit, leaving the bar empty of other bystanders. Watching the standoff, Nova swore to herself that the vault girl hardly blinked.
Without breaking her stare, Elizabeth dropped a bag of caps at the bar. 'Where is my father?'
Briefly, he shifted his eyes to the caps before looking back at her. Without looking at Gob, he barked out a command. 'Count them.'
It took Gob five minutes to count up the caps before verifying that it was indeed the right amount. At that, his face broke into a smile. 'Why thank you, lass. It's been a pleasure doing business with you. Would you like a drink now? Some scotch perhaps?'
'Where is my father?' She repeated.
'Easy now, lass. Don't get your knickers in a twist. Take a seat and have a drink. We're all friends here now, aren't we?' He laughed.
Before he could complete his sentence, he was staring down the sights of a hunting rifle with the vault girl on the other end of it.
'Where is my father?' She repeated for the third time and released the safety catch.
'Galaxy News Radio station, downtown. He was looking for the radio DJ, Three Dog. Now get that gun out of my face.'
She didn't move and the unspoken challenge hung in the air. Finally she lowered her gun but continued to hold it where Moriarty could see it. Laughing nastily, Moriarty sneered at her. 'Point that gun at me again, and you'll have the whole town crying for your blood. Simms might not like me much but his sheriff badge won't let him overlook my murder.'
Ignoring his threat, she strapped her rifle to her back. Then, slowly she backed away to the door, never taking her eyes off Moriarty. When the door closed on her, all three of them released their breath. Snarling like a wounded animal, Moriarty smacked the back of Gob's head and snatched the bag of caps off the bar before storming into his room. Gob shrunk from the sudden slap but continued to gape at the door. He had never seen anyone like that stand up to Moriarty before. Awe lit up his eyes as his mind ran over the encounter again.
Nova lit a cigarette and took a heavy drag from it. The kid had more balls than your average Wastelander. She could imagine her staring down a rampaging Yao Guai with the same cold glare and not even flinch while firing at it. Something told her that it wasn't the last they've seen of the vault kid.
Outside, Elizabeth collapsed against the railing and struggled to control her ragged breathing. Dogmeat, whom she had left outside, nuzzled her cheek comfortingly. She wasn't sure if she could go through anymore events like this again today. It was time to call it a day before she headed off to the city.
Notes: I planned for Liz to head for Minefield and Scrapyard but decided to scrap the plan. I think this one turned out well. Hit that review button and tell me if you agree or disagree!
P/S: Removed chapter titles. I'm horrible at thinking of new titles.