DARKEST JUST BEFORE THE DAY DAWNETH
Maddie had found the office which had large pane windows; some had cracks and holes. She walked by each office until she saw Damon who was inside standing up. Maddie entered and saw two dead Outcasts on the floor.
"There you are!" Maddie greeted.
"I suppose you're my hero coming to rescue me," he remarked.
Maddie giggled.
"So, you really are a courser," she came to realize.
"The most dangerous synths the Institute has to offer. Where's Dawn?"
"Settling a grudge with Rowan."
"Damn, I hope she knows what she's doing."
Maddie and Damon left the office. They ran through the dusty floor of the factory, passing steel beams, unfinished rail cars, and a large flame cutting machine. Then, they saw six Outcasts ahead. Maddie and Damon stopped and ducked behind a flat car. Maddie saw them walk back towards the office. One of them had a radio.
"…and make sure he's still in there…" Rowan's voice instructed.
"Copy that," the mercenary said.
Maddie and Damon knew they had to stop them. She waited for the last one to run by, silently took him down, and choked him out. Maddie looked at his 1911 pistol and then nodded at Damon. He picked it up and took his ammo clips. Maddie went out into the open and laughed. This got their attention and they saw Maddie. She smiled and waved at them and then did a cartwheel behind the flat car. She ducked down as the Outcasts ran after her. When they got closer, Maddie surprised them and threw a knife at one of them, striking him in the head. They shot at her and she quickly ducked behind the flat car. Maddie giggled. They looked around for her, but it seemed she had vanished into thin air. Suddenly, Damon appeared behind them near the flat car.
"Hey assholes," he shouted.
As soon as they turned around, Damon shot them. Each bullet he fired struck an Outcast. They returned fire, but Damon dove behind the flat car. Maddie snuck behind the remaining two and used her katanas to stab them. One of them tried to get up, but Maddie stabbed him in the chest. Damon took a desert eagle and ammo from one of them.
"How come you don't use a gun?" Damon asked Maddie.
"Knives are more pleasurable," she answered.
She smiled at him and they headed through the factory. Damon had a half smile and then followed her.
Dawn walked around the boxcars with her shotgun ready. Most of the doors were closed, which eliminated the chance of someone surprising her from inside. She heard an Outcast ahead. When she leaned against the box car, something inside fell, creating a loud bang. The Outcast ran around to where Dawn was, but she shot him down. The loud noise stirred up the attention of more Outcasts. She couldn't tell how many were heading her way. She felt she was surrounded and decided to open one of the boxcar doors and enter.
"Where's the little bitch?" One of them shouted.
"Right here!" Dawn surprised him.
She shot him back into another boxcar and jumped out. As more came running, she slid underneath a flat car. When one got close, Dawn dragged him underneath. She smashed his head onto the track, incapacitating him. She slid back out and looked around for more mercenaries. There was an auto rack ahead that had an opening on the front and back. Then, one of the Outcasts spotted her and began firing. She quickly ran inside the auto rack and ran towards the other end. Suddenly, another Outcast member appeared in front of her. Dawn stopped as he pointed his gun at her. His eyes were full of lust as he stared at her thighs and then at her chest. There was a small scrap piece of angle iron near her. She kicked it at him and the metal struck his face. He fired a shot, but the bullet struck the decking above as Dawn fell. As soon as she fell, she shot him. She jumped out of the auto rack and tried to catch her breath. The other Outcast ran towards her.
"Oh, damn it!" She muttered.
As soon as he reached the end, Dawn kicked him in the face. He hit the ground hard and tried to get up. She kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious. She took his 9mm pistol and saw the outside area. She checked her shotgun ammo and saw there was only one shell left. Then, a red dot appeared on her chest. She looked up and saw a sniper on top of the boxcar. She quickly jumped inside another boxcar as the bullet struck the metal wall. She looked outside and saw that there was no clear shot. She ran out of the boxcar and looked around for the sniper. It would have been easy for her to find him, but the sniper wisely turned the laser sight off. She kept close to the rail car and had her 9mm ready. Then, up ahead, the sniper appeared on top of another rail car. He turned the laser sight back on as Dawn tried to avoid the red dot. The doors on the rail car next to her were locked. She fired a shot at the sniper, causing him to duck down on the roof. She slid under the car and came out the other side. She ran over to the car the sniper was on and used a ladder to climb up. When she reached the top, he had vanished. She looked around and saw nothing but the rusted roofs of the rail cars. Then, the sniper surprised her by coming from inside the car below. He aimed the laser sight at her and she quickly slid off the roof and held onto the edge. The sniper went near the edge and Dawn reached up and grabbed his vest. She pulled him off the rail car and he landed on the ground. He was in a daze as he slowly got up. Dawn pulled herself back up to the roof and saw the laser sight. She ran and jumped across to the next rail car. The sniper fired a shot, but Dawn was able to avoid it. The sound of the bullet striking the metal made her adrenaline surge. She saw the laser sight ahead of her and slid on the roof. Then, she climbed off and hung onto the edge. She held on with one hand and got her 9mm ready. The laser went over her and was aimed near the edge. In a quick succession, she fired shots at the sniper. He was quick enough to avoid getting hit.
Dawn jumped back onto the ground and leaned against the boxcar. She looked around the corner and saw nothing but steel posts and empty space. The laser hovered over her and she snuck over to the next rail car. She followed the laser which was now coming from the top of a blue boxcar. Upon entering the box car, Dawn saw the makeshift ladder that led up to the top. She quietly climbed the ladder and saw the sniper who was still looking into the scope. He felt her presence, but Dawn quickly ran at him and stabbed him in the arm. He still held onto the gun and tried to point the barrel at her. Dawn jammed the knife into his arm while struggling to keep the barrel away from her. He was weakened by the wound and Dawn took advantage. She pushed the barrel towards him until it was under his chin. Next, she let go of the knife and went for the trigger, but he grabbed her throat. She struggled to find the trigger as he choked her. Dawn finally pulled the trigger while the barrel was under his chin. She fell over and coughed. There was blood spatter on her shirt. She took the sniper rifle and checked the ammo. There were only four bullets left.
After pulling the knife out, she scoured the area. Two more Outcasts were headed her way. She turned the laser off, hoping to lure them into the open, and then climbed down below to use the rail cars as cover. When one Outcast got closer, Dawn turned on the laser sight, pointed it at his chest, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot got the attention of the other Outcast who began firing in Dawn's direction. As soon as he stopped firing, Dawn turned the corner and shot him down. She saw the bay doors ahead which led outside. Rowan was in her grasp and the rage built up inside her. The encounter she had with him a few days earlier flashed in her mind. She walked alongside a boxcar while staring at the morning sky. Then, a door opened. Before she could take any action, Rowan appeared. He had a hunting rifle with a recon scope pointed at her head.
"There you are," his sinister voice rang, "Been expecting you, been watching you."
He jumped off the boxcar.
"Throw down your gun," he instructed.
She tossed her sniper rifle to the ground as he circled her, holding the hunting rifle with one hand.
"I'll cut you a deal," he proposed, "If you let me get what I need from Damon, I'll kill you quick, One shot through the head. You won't even feel it. Oppose me and I promise you will be dragged through hell. Every bone, every tendon, every part of your disgusting flesh will be cut, burned, and your bones will break."
"I gotta say, that's a tough decision," she mocked, "But I have an answer for you."
Dawn showed him a middle finger. He pressed the gun against her head.
"You stupid bitch!" He snapped.
"Damon is too valuable to you. Without him, you can't find the Institute and you are left with nothing. Kill me and you lose. Damon is a lot dangerous than you think. Without me you have no leverage over him."
Rowan grabbed her shirt and pressed her against the boxcar.
"I'm a hell of a lot more dangerous than he is," he scolded.
"Wrong again."
Dawn turned around and pushed his arm away.
"You're coming with me," he commanded.
Dawn smirked.
"Not a chance," she replied.
He pointed the gun at her and Dawn kneed him in the groin. She kicked the gun away from him and began punching him in the stomach and face. He went down and Dawn began kicking him. He rolled out of the way, stood up, and ran back towards the rail cars. Dawn picked up the sniper rifle and followed him.
"Come out you coward!" She yelled.
Then, a flash bang landed near her and exploded. Dawn shielded her eyes just in time, however, the loud noise disoriented her and caused her to drop the sniper rifle and stumble into a rail car. Rowan surprised her and struck her with a backhand punch, knocking her down. Dawn tried to kick him, but he grabbed her leg and shoved her over. She shook her head and Rowan grabbed her hair. He picked her up and threw her into the rail car. She fell to the ground and Rowan grabbed her by the hair again. When he picked her up, Dawn threw a punch at him, but he grabbed her arm.
"Still haven't learned how to fight?" He scorned her.
Rowan threw her onto a flat car and then climbed aboard. Dawn crawled away as Rowan slowly followed her.
"Dawn, my dear," he continued, "How can you be so ignorant? Synths can do what humans can't. When I get to Damon, I can get the Institute's technology. We will create an army of synths that will be under my command. My army will be expendable, I can create more and more. The Outcasts will be a more powerful force than mother nature. We will control anything and anybody and you will not stand in my way."
As Dawn listened to his nonsensical ramblings, she continued to slowly move across the flat car. She stopped near the end.
"That ain't it," Dawn argued, "This has nothing to do with him, nothing to do with Damon. This is about me killing one of your boys. You can't stand it. You fear the Outcasts have become weak because one of them got killed."
Rowan got angry and when he got close to her, she kicked him in the knee and threw him off the flat car. Dawn climbed off and began kicking him in the ribs and face. Rowan crawled away from her and ran through the bay door opening to the outside. Dawn followed him.
The morning sun began to shine on the rail cars, tracks, and scrap metal. The morning air was still cool. Rowan held his stomach and then Dawn tackled him from behind. She punched him in the side of the face. He reached behind and grabbed her hair. Then, he threw her to the ground, but Dawn quickly got up.
"You really wanna fight again?" He provoked, "This time, I'll kill you."
"I'm looking forward to it," she coldly stated.
They circled each other, staring into each other's eyes. All the pent-up rage that was contained inside Dawn was suddenly let out. She struck him in the face with a hard punch and the delivered another one. He stumbled back, and she struck him in the stomach multiple times. Then, she struck him with roundhouse kick to the head. Rowan went down to one knee and Dawn placed him in a front headlock in an attempt to break his neck. Little did she know, he had lured her into his trap. He lifted her up and used his strength to unhook her arm. He threw her onto the ground and then stepped on her arm. Dawn screamed in pain.
"I like an angry woman," he intimidated, "Problem is, they don't last very long, especially around me."
He grabbed her shirt causing it to rip. He slapped her across the face and then again with a backhand. He tried to slap her again, but she grabbed his arm and headbutted him in the nose. He backed away as his nose began to bleed. Dawn quickly stood up and kicked him in the stomach. She struck him in the side with side kicks, alternating legs. He threw a punch at her, but she grabbed his arm and kicked him in the stomach three times. Then, she kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Rowan turned over and injected a stimpak into his arm. He quickly stood up and ran at Dawn. He grabbed her and threw her to the ground. He tried to stomp on her, but Dawn rolled out of the way. The fight was now near a boxcar. Dawn got up, but Rowan punched her in the stomach and then kneed her in the face, knocking her back down. He dragged her near the opening on the box car and placed her in the doorway. He grabbed the handle on the door and began closing it. Dawn moved before the door could be closed on her. He grabbed her from behind and restrained her arms. Then, he placed her against the box car door.
"Give it up," he demanded.
He put his face near hers. Dawn felt him breathing on her neck.
"Damon can't save you now. I guess you want to die. Fine by me."
He tossed her to the ground and took out a knife. Dawn laid down in a weaken state. Rowan had a wicked smile as he held his knife. Dawn stood up, trying her best to fight through the pain, and took out Slayer. He tried to stab her, but Dawn side stepped and tripped him. He fell but quickly got back up. He ran at her again and Dawn moved. She tried to stab him, but he backed away. He swung the knife at her and she jumped back. She attempted to stab him, but he leaned back. Dawn then tripped him. When he fell down, she got on top of him. She tried to stab him, but he blocked her arm with his arm. Both knives where pointed at each other as they struggled. Rowan was stronger, and Dawn knew she was losing the battle. He punched her in the face, knocking her off. She laid on her back and tried to grab the knife, but Rowan swiped it away. He got on top of her and cut the top of her shirt near the collar.
"I'm gonna drag your dead carcass to Damon," he taunted.
He raised the knife up, but Dawn quickly struck him under the chin with an open palm strike. He went into a daze and Dawn shoved him over. She saw where her knife went and slowly crawled towards it. Rowan was still conscious and was barely moving. Dawn finally made it to the knife and slowly got up. Rowan took out a bottle of Buffout and consumed a pill. She stood up, feeling her body aching. Rowan stood up behind her and was incensed. She turned around and saw him walk right towards her; blood still dripping from his nose. When he got close, she tried to kick him, but he caught her leg and hit her with an elbow above the kneecap. She screamed in pain and then, Rowan punched her across the face. She stumbled back, and he tried to kick her but she side stepped him and kicked him in the head. The kick barely fazed him. She tried to stab him, but he grabbed her arm and hooked her in a hammer lock. Dawn dropped the knife in the process. He hooked his other arm around her neck and began choking her. She tried to struggle free, but he was too powerful. Dawn went down to one knee as her consciousness began to fade. She saw the knife on the ground and used her free hand to grab it. Then, Dawn used the knife to stab him in the shoulder. Rowan screamed as he let go. Dawn fell but quickly got up. She sliced him in the chest and then stabbed him in the arm. She attempted to slice his throat, but Rowan grabbed her arm. Dawn quickly kneed him in the stomach and then kicked him in the face, knocking him on top a piece of rock. The bottle of Buffout fell out of his trench coat. Dawn fell to her knees and tried to catch her breath. She kept an eye on Rowan as he crawled away towards the track. As he dragged himself away using only one arm and both legs, he left behind a blood trail. Dawn stood up and walked towards him; kicking the bottle of Buffout away. She held Slayer and followed behind, like an animal stalking their prey.
"It ends here," Dawn imposed, "You will never control or cause fear to anyone. The Mojave, this world doesn't need assholes like you."
Rowan stopped on the track, facing down. Dawn stood beside him and used her leg to roll him on his back.
"All this for someone who isn't human," Rowan muttered.
Dawn placed one leg on his chest and pointed Slayer at him. He tried to move, but Dawn held him down.
"You think you can run through anybody to get what you want?" Dawn fumed, "I'm so damn sick of your damn gang. No more."
"Blame the NCR, all they need is a few bribes to look the other way," he admitted, "We control the Mojave. America is a corrupt place; anything for the all mighty dollar. That's all it took. Damon was our way towards the future."
"Too bad you'll never get to Damon. He's more of a human being than you will ever be."
Dawn stomped on his head, and again, and again. A small amount of blood spatter splashed onto her clothing. She finally stopped. She looked out into the morning sky and took a deep breath. She walked back through the factory which had now become a silent graveyard with bodies laying across the floor. She jogged back to where she had entered earlier and there was no sign of Damon or Maddie. She walked over to the Outcast's vehicles and sat on the hood of a Jeep. Then, she heard someone approach. She rose her head and looked at the shadow on the ground. It looked like a bald man with a large coat. She turned around and saw Damon.
"It's time," he informed.
"Where the hell were you?" She snapped, "I could have used your help; I almost got killed by that psycho."
"I'll explain it all."
Dawn got off the car.
"The Outcasts are no more," he told her, "I assume Rowan is too."
"That's all of them. Now where's Maddie?"
"She's at the Institute; she's safe, don't worry."
Damon walked away from the vehicle and looked out into the desert. He turned around.
"The Institute could use someone like you," he explained, "They still want you."
"I'll be honest, I haven't given it any thought."
"You have proven yourself capable of survival. The fact that you have eliminated Rowan proves that. Please Dawn, come with me to the Commonwealth, be a part of the Institute. I plan on going back there permanently. I would hate to leave you behind."
Dawn brushed her hair back and leaned on the vehicle.
"You want me to be a courser?" She asked.
"Not only that, but the leader. The Institute will give you the training. All I'm asking is that you give us a chance. If you leave…"
Damon closed his eyes as if he were about to cry. He wiped his eyes and looked at his hands.
"I don't know why I feel this way," he sobbed, trying to control his tears, "I wasn't supposed to feel what humans feel, but I…I can't explain it. I wasn't programmed this way."
"Damon…"
"Sometimes I forget I'm a synth. I don't know why though. I'm just a machine created for a purpose. I suddenly had human emotions and felt compelled to risk my own existence to save you."
"Damon, look, you're the best friend I had in years. It doesn't matter to me anymore if your human or not. All the stories I heard about synths over the years…well, just like humans, some are good and some are bad. I'm glad you're one of the good ones."
Dawn took his hand and held it. She stroked his head and hugged him.
"I was not programmed to feel this way," Damon reiterated.
Dawn laughed, trying not to cry.
"I'm supposed to be an emotionless courser."
Dawn felt his face.
"Then take me there," she finally answered the long standing question, "Take me to the Institute. Show me who they are."
Damon smiled and chuckled.
"Take this, and press the button," Damon instructed.
He handed her a small black device. They stared into each other's eyes as they held each other's hands. Then, a blue flash of light surrounded them. In an instant, they were gone.