THE MEMORY REMAINS

A teenage Dawn Crenshaw was all alone as she ran across the never-ending football field. She had long blonde hair with a pink streak on the side, wore dark mascara, and had a lip piercing. Her attire was a tight fitting white shirt, black jeans with a chain on the side, and a pair of skate shoes. A loud noise got her attention in the sky. There was a type of helicopter she had never seen before. Then, soldiers jumped out and landed on the field, surrounding her. They wore blue and gray body armor and had on gas masks with glowing blue eyes. Dawn continued to run as they surrounded her. One of them grabbed her, but she smacked the solider on the helmet. The others came to assist the solider, but Dawn struggled free and ran as fast as she could. The sounds of explosions, sirens, and gunshots echoed in the surrounding area. More soldiers closed in on her. Now there was nowhere to run. Then, everything went blurry and Dawn no longer knew where she was.

Dawn opened her eyes and had blurry vision. She had fallen asleep on the couch. After sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and saw the near empty bottle of bourbon on the couch, leaning against her. She was still dressed in the clothes from the night before.

"You're finally up," a voice said to her surprise.

Dawn turned around and saw Damon sitting at the table behind her. He was eating breakfast. For a moment, Dawn forgot about him.

"I got breakfast," he informed her, "I looked around here and you don't have anything to eat. I hope you like sausage, if not, I got us some chicken biscuits."

Dawn walked over to the table and sat down.

"You drink coffee?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks," she mumbled.

As she ate her breakfast, she reminisced about Maddie getting breakfast for her.

"So, Damon, you ready to learn a few things about wasteland survival?" She asked.

"You bet."

"Good, me and you are gonna train."

Dawn and Damon were in the gym. Damon struck a heavy bag as Dawn watched him. His punches were straight and in good form, but he lacked power.

"Remember to use your hips when you punch," she instructed.

Damon followed her advice. He struck the bag again a few more times with more power.

"Now for some kicks," Dawn instructed, "In a street fight, use them sparingly and only use front and side kicks."

Damon kicked the heavy bag using front kicks. He lacked speed and power, but Dawn saw improvement as he struck the bag more.

"Good," she complimented.

Damon did not appear to be sweating much.

"Time for the double end bag," she said, "Moving and fighting is something you have to master."

Damon stood in front of the double end bag and punched it. The bag rebounded and hit him. Dawn giggled.

"It's alright, remember to move quickly move side to side," she encouraged.

As Damon trained on the bag, he showed signs of improvement. He circled the bag while landing punches. The bag bounced back at him, but he avoided being hit due to his quick movements. Then, Dawn had him spar with the focus mitts. He had trouble hitting the mitts as Dawn moved, but later gained composure and struck them with precision. He threw his next punch and accidentally hit Dawn in the face.

"Sorry," he apologized, "You all right?"

Dawn held her cheek and smiled.

"Nice shot," she complimented.

After the sparring session, they went to the back of the hotel where there was a gun range. Dawn demonstrated her ability to shoot the targets with precision as Damon looked on. Her three targets were made of metal and were dressed in Combine clothing, a red cloak, and a member of Civil Enforcement that had a bulletproof vest, blue helmet, and a gray outfit. She alternated between the targets. After her clip was emptied, she reloaded the gun and set it on the stand in front of them that was made of concrete blocks.

"Okay, you ready for this?" She asked Damon.

"Yeah."

Damon picked up the .45.

"Look down the sights and get a good grip, but not too tight," she advised him, "Pick any target."

Damon fired a shot and missed. After a few shots, he struck the Combine target on the arm. Dawn stood behind him.

"Keep it steady, and breathe a little," she advised, "Let me help you."

She put her arms around him, holding together his hands.

"Make sure the front sight is right in the middle of the rear sight," Dawn continued, "Then shoot."

With her assistance, Damon's shot struck the center of the Combine target. Then, they aimed at the red cloak, shooting an accurate shot. Next was the Civil Enforcement target. A perfect shot was made right at the chest area. She let go of him.

"You're good at this," he praised.

"It takes practice. Soon, it will become second nature."

Later that day, Dawn and Damon ran through an empty street which was located not too far from the Strip. Damon ran ahead of Dawn who had trouble keeping up.

"Hang on," she told Damon, "Let me rest a little."

"Tired already?" He teased.

"I just haven't ran this long in a while. My legs will be numb after this."

"I was gonna race you. Not just on the streets, but across the buildings."

"If I was younger, I'd smoke your ass."

Damon laughed.

"I'm serious," she made clear.

"I bet you could, but I want to get you back into shape."

Dawn looked up at an old apartment building. There were black gates on the porches leading up to the top. They ran across the rooftops and circled around to the black gates. Damon lead the way and jumped down. Dawn stopped and watched him leap across the gates on the way down until he made it to ground.

"I gotcha!" He shouted.

Dawn took a deep breath and began her descent down. She jumped across to the next gate and breathed a sigh of relief. There were only three gates on the way down and she leaped across to the next one. When she grabbed onto the gate, it began to creak. She held on tight, but the gate broke.

"Jump down, I got you!" Damon yelled.

Dawn moved over to the short side of the gate, but it broke off, sending her down below. She landed in a dumpster as the gate struck the top. Damon went to check on her and saw she had landed in a pile of rags.

"I thought you had me," she mocked.

"At least you didn't die," he pointed out.

Damon laughed as she stood up in the dumpster.

She climbed out of the dumpster and looked up at the broken gate. The bigger part fell near them. She smiled at him. During the evening, they had dinner at a rooftop restaurant which overlooked the Strip. The lights on every casino were lit up, preparing to light up the night sky.

"So I want to know, what was life like before the war on earth?" Damon asked.

"Wow, it was such a long time ago," she explained, "I remember how I was though, a real miserable bitch. Hmm, I guess not much has changed over the years."

Damon chuckled.

"Anyway, the world looked a lot better, there was less crime, people didn't have to kill each other for resources. It was a more habitable place. Most of the leaves and grass were green, the buildings stood tall without damage, the roads didn't have cracks and holes everywhere. I used to think the world was a horrible place before the invasion, but life now made me appreciate how much better it was then. Good or bad, the memory remains.

"I wish I was around before the war. Was the invasion of earth…was it frightening?"

"Of course, it was. I was just a teen, scared out of my mind. Back then, I didn't know how to use weapons or fight. I had to learn it at Nova Prospekt."

"Nova Prospekt? The prison? You actually went to prison?"

"Yeah, only because I was forced there. I found out the true meaning of hard time."

"But you broke out, fought back. That must've been some kind of experience. What about City 17? Let me guess, it was another hellacious place."

"Definitely. I spent days, weeks, months, fighting off criminals who wanted nothing but to kill."

Dawn smiled at him.

"What about you?" She asked, "What's ol' Junktown like?"

"It's a place for people who just want a simple life. It was started by a man named Killian Darkwater. Anybody is welcome as long as you aren't a troublemaker."

"Wait, Killian Darkwater? I remember that name, he was a solider. He helped with the rebellion, I'm glad to hear he's doing okay."

"Yeah, that place has a town full of soldiers ready to fight. No one would dare to invade it."

"What about your family?"

"Um, I never knew them. Grew up in Junktown at the orphanage."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry, maybe I'll find them someday."

"You always been a wanderer?"

"More like a lone wanderer."

"Not anymore."

Damon smiled at her. Dawn looked out at the view from the rooftop and looked at the sun.

After dinner, they sat on top of the hotel and watch the sunset. Dawn and Damon had drank a few beers and littered the cans on the roof. Since Maddie had been gone, Dawn had no reason to watch the sunset; she just caught glimpses of it unless she was passed out drunk. The sun was going down and Damon stood up. He stumbled across the roof from drunkenness as Dawn laughed.

"You amateur," Dawn joked.

She stood up and also had trouble maintaining her balance. Damon stumbled over to her.

"This is hard," he mumbled.

He fell to one knee.

"You never been wasted?" She slurred, "Come on."

She helped Damon up. He laughed as Dawn held onto him.

"We're gonna fall off," he muttered.

"No, I got you. Try to keep your balance."

He stumbled back, but Dawn held his arm. She pulled him forward and held onto him. They stared at each other for a moment in a drunken daze as they had their arms around each other. Dawn shook her head.

"I need to lay down," she slurred.

They made their way through the hotel in a drunken daze. When they got to the room, Dawn fell onto the couch and immediately dozed off. Damon laid on the bed. He still had a can of beer with him and tried to drink it, but it was empty. Then, he sat up and walked over to Dawn. He stared at her and then placed a blanket over her. He walked to the window and looked out at the Strip.

"Gotta keep my promise," he whispered to himself.

As the weeks went on, Dawn continued to teach Damon wasteland survival and she got herself back into shape. They tried various exercises including, weight lifting, pull-ups, sparring, and running. Dawn encouraged Damon and he encouraged her. He made her feel like her younger self; motivating her through the aches and pains. Damon's accuracy with firearms improved and he also learned to create makeshift first aid items. For the first time in his life, he had a true friend in Dawn.

Maddie laid on her bed inside her room with the moonlight shining on her. She was in her early forties and had long blonde hair which she usually kept in pigtails. She was always told by Dawn that she would end up in an asylum, but Maddie never believed her. The reason she ended up in a straightjacket inside a padded cell was different however. Instead of being admitted for the way she would kill those who committed evil acts, she suffered an emotional breakdown after her longtime father figure Rusty Briggs died. It was the second time she lost close companion. The first was her father, Tim, a former scientist at the Black Mesa Research Facility. He trained Maddie into becoming an excellent fighter to conquer the evils of the world. After he died, she was pursued by Detective Rusty Briggs. She reminded him of his deceased daughter who she bore a resemblance to. Soon after, Rusty began to understand her and then sided with her. One fateful day, Rusty fell asleep and never woke up. He was at an old age, but Maddie felt he would live forever. This unfortunate consequence drove her over the edge. Dawn took her to the asylum in hopes that she would get better. That was three years ago.

On the far side of the asylum, in the last cell of a long dark hallway, was a patient who once terrorized the city of New Vegas by forming a large cult in an attempt to rule Sin City. Out of the darkness, Selene approached the glass. She was now in her late forties; her hair was frizzy with red and gray strands and her face showed age. She wore the same red cloak around her that she had many years earlier. Before Selene formed her legion, she was once a soldier of the New California Republic. Her fascination with vampires caused her to kill NCR soldiers at Camp McCarran. She opened her mouth as if she still believed she was a vampire and put her hand on the glass as if she was looking for a way out. Selene had been here for twenty years and had escaped a few times. She tried to regain her former glory but was stopped by the NCR. She vowed to escape again, which caused fear in the staff. Two guards walked down the hall, checking on the cells. As they approached Selene, she smiled. The two guards stopped at her cell. One of them pointed his stun baton at her. She hissed at them, causing them to move back.

Selene laughed, causing the guards to scurry away. She walked backwards into the darkness of her cell when the two guards walked away. One of them was Logan, a younger guard in his early twenties with black emo styled hair, a lip ring, and a small build. He looked back at her cell with a half-smile and looked as if he was fascinated with her.

Later that night, Logan returned to Selene's cell. He stood right in front of the large unbreakable plastic wall and looked right inside; waiting for Selene. Then, she suddenly appeared directly in front of him with a sinister grin. He smirked.

"So, you have come to me," Selene whispered.

She put her hand on the wall.

"Yes, you can have my blood," he replied, "I would honor that."

As he said that, he closed his eyes and looked upward, exposing his neck. Selene smiled and opened her mouth near his neck.

"I'll break you out. Your Legion will reform, stronger than ever," Logan eagerly stated.

"Patience, there will be time for that. First, I need you to prove your loyalty to me."

"Anything my queen."

"I need you to find two women; Maddie Brennan and Dawn Crenshaw. You will keep Dawn alive, as for Maddie, kill her."

"Yes, my queen. I want you to know that me and the others have been recruiting new members for the Legion. Many would love to worship you."

Selene smiled.

"Very good," she praised, "I know you will do good for the Legion."

Logan placed his hand on the glass.

"Please, let me free you," he begged.

"When the Legion arrives here, you will release me. Blood will spill of anyone who opposes us."

Logan placed his head on the glass; looking sympathetic towards her. Afterwards, he walked along the dark and silent halls of the asylum. He knew exactly who Dawn and Maddie were. He had heard stories about them from years past and every story about their successful endeavors angered him. Maddie was located somewhere in the asylum but did not know her cell number. He needed access to the terminal located in the guard room. The room was kept clean and had three terminals on the counter and security monitors for the entire facility. The other guards were on patrol, which worked in his favor. He found the file which contained the information on the patients and began hacking. It only took him a few moments to decipher the code and access the files. He found where Maddie's cell was and anticipated the moment when he would eliminate her to gain Selene's approval. Then, the door creaked open and he quickly logged out and began reading the book "Nikola Tesla and You." A heavyset man walked in wearing the same uniform as Logan. He had a small beard and thinning brown hair. He was the head of night security.

"Sir," Logan greeted.

"How's your patrol?" The man asked.

"No problems so far; lotta loonies in here."

"Yeah, just don't call 'em that okay."

"Yes sir."

"There's a fresh pot of coffee in the break room."

"Great, I'll get some."

The man noticed the lip ring.

"Logan, what did I tell you about that damn lip ring?" He said harshly.

Logan removed the lip ring and the guard left the room.

As Logan drank the coffee in the break room, he needed a plan to obtain the key to Maddie's cell. It was located in another building in which he had easy access with his keycard. He looked out the window of the break room and saw the building which was separate from the others. He took his coffee cup and left the break room, on his way towards Maddie's cell.

He made his way across the garden. There were small bushes that were kept neatly trimmed, a garden with various flowers, a small pond, benches, and a picket metal fence surrounding the area. The silent and eerie feeling that the other guards complained about did not bother him; he enjoyed it. In order to be a prominent member of Selene's Legion, one would have to get used to the feeling of night. He walked inside building which looked no different than the others. The stories he heard about Maddie made him nervous, however, the way she killed intrigued him. There were stories and rumors told by the other guards about Maddie killing bullies when she was a kid, but they remained just that. Logan did not care if it were true or not, he needed to locate Maddie. Then, he saw her cell. There was a steel door with a small square window. As he approached it, he was overcome with fear. He quickly went inside a small storage room and took a deep breath. He took out a large curved knife and ran his fingers on the side. After he holstered it, he went back down the empty hallway. There were supposed to be guards at the guard station, but they must have been on patrol. He used the opportunity to approach Maddie's cell. Sure enough her name was on the door and he smiled. He looked inside the dark room but could not see anything. When he turned around, Maddie appeared in the window. She placed her hand on the glass and smiled at the guard. When he turned around, Maddie disappeared. Then, he noticed a shiny object behind the glass. He stared at it. Then, he saw a pair of lips form a smile. He became startled and stumbled back to the wall. Maddie giggled causing him to become angry.

"You don't scare me," he told her.

Maddie moved closer to the window.

"I scare everyone," she replied.

He began breathing heavily and Maddie smiled.

"The Legion will eradicate those who stand in our way," he vowed, "There is no escape for you."

"So, you've been conned by Selene. That makes another one to kill."

"I'll kill you instead."

Maddie giggled.

"So open the door and kill me," she incited, "That's what she wants you to do. Think you're Legion material?"

He stared at her and held up his knife.

"Come on," she whispered.

She blew him a kiss.

Logan ran back down the hallway and out of the building. Maddie smiled and disappeared into the darkness. He went back out to the garden with chills running through him. He would need to find a way to get her out. He looked up at the moon and went back inside.