"Wait." Charon immediately banded an arm out, halting the rosy ghoul from advancing.

THUD THUD THUD

One of the experiments was sluggishly roving down the next hallway, dripping thick, hot blood from where its lower mandible had been ripped off. Slowly, the duo backed away quietly, turning into a room as they waited for it to pass.

THUD THUD THUD

Charon finally gave a nod after he had peered out to clear the area. They proceeded stealthily and came down a section where they heard the most explicit noises.

"F-fuck!"

Penny was so lightheaded from embarrassment she was sure she wanted nothing more than to die in her spot.

"Ah-!"

There was a loud grunt, and a sultry whimper. A menacing growl erupted from Charon's throat, and quite suddenly, they turned the corner. Penny instantly slapped her hands over her eyes. The merc had Evelyn bent to the wall, her tits bouncing with every thrust he pounded into her. One of his hands was holding her captive by the hair while his other spread her ass nice and wide for a full view of his cock winking in and out of her drooling cunt.

"I'm so fucking close," she whimpered.

Plap plap plap

Cross growled and grabbed her at the waist when he caught sight of Charon stomping towards them from his peripherals and momentarily paused. Evelyn turned her head, out of breath and slightly delirious. Her eyes blew wide.

"CHARON!"

Cross went for his gun.

"CROSS, NO NO NO-!"

A bang! A shot had been let off, ripping through a wall somewhere and startling Penny into dropping her hands to see. A large figure was then thrown down the hallway, and her eyes followed the bounty hunter sliding along the floor before slowly coming to a slump at her feet.

"Ugh, shit." Cross coughed as he was reminded of his broken ribs, clutching a hand to his side as he went to stand.

"Charon- NO!" Evelyn drew flush against the ferryman to halt his advancement, his shotgun raised and pointed directly at the merc's head. "Don't!"

He growled as he glanced down at her.

"Please," she nearly cried, and his weapon clattered to the floor as he scooped her up and held her tightly to his chest. "Guh! Charon!"

There was a low, garbled hiss, and Penny blinked back at the bounty hunter. A spit of blood was hacked to the floor, and the merc gave her an awkward, small wave of his hand as he tucked his dick away. "Hey, Penny."

Evelyn's eyes went wide at the sight of Charon's wound. "You're bleeding."

"It is fine. It is not safe here- we need to leave." The ferryman took her hand and began to walk off without the others when she yanked it back. He snarled as he stuck a finger in her face, "Now is not the time."

"Just give me two seconds-"

"No," Charon growled. "Come."

The merc walked over to them and pressed both hands to his lower back, leaning as far as he could to give his spine a sickening crack! He then shook himself and groused, "Was 'bout to till you fuckin' interrupted."

Evelyn immediately grew flustered at the merc's blunt statement. "Y-you can't just say that!"

"What?" He shrugged at her, wincing. "Got me over here, chest full of fuckin' broken ribs, railin' your brains out-"

Her face was now a furnace, and she angrily squeaked, "OhmyGod-!"

"-got fuckin' monsters chasin' my ass, gettin' shot at, listenin' to Thomas just fuckin' talk-"

"Cross!"

"-and I don't even get the satisfaction of blowin' a load in ya." He slapped his hands at his sides. "If that ain't the damn icin' on the fuckin' cake-"

BANG!

"Guh!" Penny cried out, stumbling backward as she clutched at her abdomen. She drew her hand away momentarily and glanced down- it was dark with blood.

"Swear to fuckin' God." Cross swept the rosy ghoul into his arms, drawing her safely away inside the containment room. He nabbed at the medkit strapped to her waist and began to tear away her uniform. The armored vest was unbuckled and gingerly lifted over her head, and he snugged her shirt upwards to perform first aid. He held her eyes and rasped to alleviate the awkwardness, "Probably ain't what you had in mind."

Despite the pain, she let out a garbled laugh.

Charon equipped his shotgun immediately, but a blur of motion halted his line of return fire.

"Wait!" Evelyn held up a tiny, folded, crinkled piece of paper she had pickpocketed from David's corpse. Roman's pistol was raised, ready to take the shot, but his contract held him at bay. Evelyn repeated, breathless and slightly stupid, "...wait."

Roman slowly lowered his weapon and cradled his blown shoulder instead.

Evelyn licked her lips, her eyes roving over the ghoul that had been her sole purpose for this journey. With a voice as thick as honey from emotion, she began to warble, "You-you-"

A hand landed on her shoulder, diverting her attention. Charon gave her a sympathetic look but shook his head. He leaned down to rasp lowly in her ear; his words only meant for her to hear. "Let us do this somewhere else."

The bounty hunter was suddenly at her side, clicking back the hammer of his gun.

Evelyn jumped in front of his preemptive shot with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "Don't you dare! I will crack your fucking skull if you blow a hole through him!"

"We are not keepin' this one," Cross snarled.

Charon tipped the muzzle to the floor. The merc let out a sour sigh but relented and stowed his piece back safely away, flapping the sides of his duster over its holster.

Evelyn turned to the newly serviced ghoul, her voice shy and fingers fidgeting with the contract in her hands. "Um, so...Roman, right?"

A nod, and his black eyes fixed on her face. He appeared wholly uncomfortable.

"Can you help us?" she asked.

Another nod, and she smiled.

Cross rolled his eyes and turned to the smaller ghoul taking small steps towards their party, bumping her with his elbow awkwardly. "Hey, you good? Can ya walk?"

Penny nodded, avoiding the merc's hazy eyes assessing her. It may not have been in an intimate way, but it was still familiar enough to make her thoughts drift to previous encounters. She stole a glance at how the bounty hunter automatically drifted to the smoothskin's side.

Roman stepped forward to his new employer, but a warning growl from Charon made him hesitate. Blood continued to seep between his fingers from the gunshot wound, making a steady drip drip drip at his feet. No thought was given to his past employer- it did not matter, anymore.

The merc took the newly acquired contract, unfolding it and twisting it every which way. It was the exact same lettering as Charon's. He muttered under his breath, "How many of you fuckers are there?"

Evelyn came to stand beside their new follower with a Stimpak in her hand. "Here, you could really use this, I'm sure," she said amicably. "Do you need some help? I'm pretty good with a pair of tweezers."

Charon muttered something unintelligible under his breath at her statement.

The blue ghoul said nothing as he shook his head; his face was passive as he took the offered aid, but there was a small hint of something behind his dark eyes as he stared down at her. His tattered shirt was discarded, and he began to properly assess the damage Charon had dealt to his right shoulder.

She observed him rooting around for foreign fragments, beginning to nervously ramble, "I'm sure Thomas will want to ask you, like, a bajillion questions. Do you need anything? Any more stims? I think we have some water. Uh-"

"No," Roman grumbled, rotating his inflicted shoulder despite the pain it caused him. Why was he suddenly so bothered by being around her? Something had registered in the depths of his brain unwarranted, and he could not place as to what it was. A distant memory-?

"Okay. Just hang out with us until we figure out what's going on." Another Stimpak was handed over from Penny's pack as Evelyn motioned for Cross' broken hand, rotating it carefully before she injected him. "Do I even want to know? Or care to, I should say?"

"Ow," Cross mumbled, the bones snapping into place as they began to mend. "Pretty sure some of these are settin' back wrong."

She studied his appendage and shrugged. "That's your fault. You didn't have to fing-" She halted her thoughts from becoming verbal, aware of the present company.

The merc waggled his eyebrow muscles as he reached his good hand underneath her shirt, slightly raising it above her navel. "Next time, I'll-"

Charon stole away Cross' mending hand from her gentle touch, and before either of them could register what was happening so suddenly, the ferryman placed his other palm underneath and reshaped the bones properly with a sickening crack.

"Holy fuck!" Cross snarled, wrenching his arm away.

Charon had a slight hint of satisfaction on his face, but it quickly ebbed into disinterest as Evelyn snapped her eyes to him.

"You going to check him for nerve damage next?" Her tone was jaded, and she set her hands on her hips as her mouth drew in a hard line.

He blinked down at her, unperturbed. "I do not care if he does, so no."

An exasperated sigh let loose from her lips as she unlatched the merc's fleeced jacket beneath his duster, lifting his shirt to begin treatment for his cracked ribs. The curled edge of her notebook tucked away in his inner pocket caught her eye, and her fingers faltered. Those sea-blue eyes went soft as she looked up to him.

Cross scratched at his jawline awkwardly. "This the part where we talk-?"

She dropped the stim and leaned heavily into him, drawing up to the tips of her toes to give a kiss. Despite the sharp, jabbing pain he received, he gladly reciprocated the affection, cupping one hand behind her head to burrow through her wild hair. Her fingers roved underneath his shirt as he excitedly began to unbuckle the straps at her waist. Penny quickly turned from the sudden heated display, the remnant skin on her neck and face growing hot.

A gloved hand immediately latched itself to the bounty hunter's arm with a warning grip. They broke their kiss as Charon rasped, "This is not a secure location. There are multiple threats that still need to be accounted for. I suggest we regroup above and leave this Vault."

The two men continued their standoff with their eyes, and Cross reluctantly returned his hands to the sides of her hips.

"Goin' to kill a man over a damn feeler?" he grumbled. His good palm came up and teasingly squeezed a breast, and he turned his head back to her as she squeaked. He winked.

She slapped his hand away and crossed her arms. "Going to get yourself killed from your own stupidity."

"Makes two of us then," he drawled, reaching inside his duster for his carton of cigarettes.

A hmphf as she turned away, jutting her chin in the air.

"He is right," Charon rasped at her, refitting into his gear after tending to his own injury. There was a final click to his buckle. "Evelyn...I hope you have found what you came searching for."

The ferryman and the bounty hunter stared at her, each holding a distinct glint in their glowing eyes that had entirely different meanings.

She caught Roman's stare and hesitated before pursing her lips together and shrugging her shoulders. "Let me just grab the Pip-Boy before we get out of here."

She turned on her heel for the corpse just as Cross' fingertips reached out to grab at her shoulder. He missed by an inch, and they hovered in the air for a moment before curling into his palm and coming back down to his side. Charon crossed his arms and just shook his head at the bounty hunter's indecisiveness, exchanging a telepathic message with him.

What are you so afraid of?

THUDTHUDTHUD

A failed experiment slowly turned its massive head at the end of the hallway, and Evelyn froze in step, a mere few feet away. The glowing eyes of the deformed creature snapped to her face.

"Evelyn." It was Charon's voice. "Do not move."

The merc whispered loudly, "If ya squint a little, you can mistake it for Campbell."

You absolute fuck. An obnoxiously loud chortle escaped her lips, and she slapped a palm against her mouth before a full-blown laugh could erupt. Charon's head pivoted on his shoulders like an owl, nearly cracking his spine as he glared at the bounty hunter behind him.

The monster froze from the movement and noise, and its maw suddenly opened dangerously wide, hot saliva dripping to the floor and steam curling around rows of jagged teeth.

Fwing fwing! The bright flash from a laser weapon shot from the side, burning a hole through the hardened skin of the creature. It whipped its head back out into the adjacent hallway and gave an ear-piercing shriek before suddenly being barraged by rapid gunfire. There was a slump, and it twitched before lying still.

A familiar glow came down the hallway, and Evelyn had to stop herself from rushing to the irradiated ghoul. "Thomas!"

Cross mimicked with an unusual, high-pitched voice, "Thomas!"

"Am I late?" the head of security asked, briskly making for the small party.

"Very." Penny gave a relieved smile, striding forward to embrace her lover.

"What happened?" Thomas asked concerningly, gently examining the blood-soaked area of her abdomen. "Are you alright?!"

"Very." They exchanged a brief kiss.

"Hey there, Cazador." Campbell blew at the end of his barrel, giving her a wink. Lydia was at his elbow, a pistol wavering in her hands. "Don't worry, the cavalry is here."

Evelyn crossed her arms, mildly annoyed. "I was honestly hoping to not see you again."

"You're goin' to shoot someone's damn eye out, holdin' it like that," Cross growled, coming before the young woman and flicking at the tip of her ear. "The fuck did I teach ya?"

"Evelyn." Thomas redirected her attention to him. He then looked over Roman, who was still standing quietly to the side. "Where is David?"

She pointed to the heap of severed limbs.

They gathered around the body, and Cross flicked the tip of his brim back, scratching at his forehead as he considered the corpse on the floor. "Hmm. Thing really laid into him." He then looked back up at the splattered remains of the creature he had watched her toss like a simple child with a slingshot. "...guess I can say the same 'bout you."

She shrugged her shoulders, her expression peeved as she was forced to wait a safe distance away while the glowing ghoul inspected the scene. "It pissed me off."

The merc muttered under his breath, "You're always pissed off."

"What did you just say?"

"Nothin', nothin'."

Thomas stroked his chin, regarding the files on David's Pip-Boy as he frowned down at the empty eyes of the deceased smoothskin. "This is all very strange...and now we are trapped inside this Vault until someone can guess the six-digit code." He gave a pointed look to the blue ghoul. "I do not suppose he told you what it was?"

Roman looked to his employer, and she faintly nodded. He then cleared his throat and rasped, "He did."

Cross blew out a breath. "Thank Christ- ya'll were drivin' me fuckin' nuts down here."

They returned to the main control room. Roman came to the terminal and inserted the pin of David's Pip-Boy into the mainframe. The screen glowed, and he typed away at the keys, bypassing the lockdown.

Evelyn caught the glowing ghoul's displeased stare from the doorway, giving him a double-take. "What?"

"In the event you disobey my direct orders again, I will leave you downstairs with the rest of the animals in this Vault," he said coolly.

Penny immediately latched a hand on his forearm and squeezed. "Thomas!"

Thomas snorted at his second lieutenant's misplaced concern. "You endangered everyone here with your brash decisions- you should know better." He then gave a half-turn to the bounty hunter busily lighting up a cigarette in the hallway. "As should you."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes but said nothing. The entire Vault then experienced a second blackout until an audible hum of power brought the system back to life. Thomas turned to the monitors and their restored video feeds, observing the remaining creatures left.

"We shall reconvene at the station for now." He gave a point to Roman replacing the pin inside the Pip-Boy. "You will succumb to proper processing and questioning." He then crossed his arms and gave a nod of his head to Evelyn. "Evelyn, you are under arrest as well, for the time being. I trust you to be smart and not resist."

"What?!"

"Whoa now-" Cross entered the room, blocking Evelyn from view as he stood before the head of security. "-the hell for?!"

Thomas motioned for a pair of handcuffs, holding them out to the bounty hunter. "Do not worry- you will be joining her. You made quite the mess in Town Hall and assaulted Braxton's Mayor in the process." There was a clicking of guns from the squad members as they suddenly pointed at the accused until Thomas held up a hand. "Lay down your weapons. They will come quietly."

Cross growled irately but held his wrists up to be cuffed. Evelyn had her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at the restraints and scoffing, "Are you really going to put those on me?"

"No," Thomas said with a hint of amusement. "But I do have a package of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes at the station, if you prefer."

Her brows uncrossed for a moment, and the merc rolled his eyes as she began to nod excitedly.

Seven Months Ago

Click click click

A tongue peeked out and to the side of her mouth.

Click click click

A crimson finger reached slowly from the side, poking the tip of the slimy muscle, and she instantly grimaced. "EW!Charon, what the fuck!" She spit, wiping at her lips with the back of her hand fanatically. "Do I want to know where those hands have been?"

A shrug, and he bit back an amused smile. "I am sure it is not the worst thing you have had in that mouth."

Her jaw dropped so far, he almost feared it would unhinge.

"Ow-!" Charon had grabbed at her forearm, forcing her to the tips of her toes as he studied the map of her Pip-Boy. "-that hurts! Hurry up!"

The ghoul growled, releasing her roughly. "We have been going the wrong way...again"

"No!" she snarled, rubbing at the tender skin where he had grabbed her. "I...okay, so maybe we were going the wrong way before-" She broke off and licked her lips. "-but...what makes you say that?"

He simply pointed a rotten fingertip at her neon screen. "What does that marker read?"

"Vesper," she said in the loudest and slowest tone, as though speaking to someone mentally challenged.

"Read it again."

She blinked at him repeatedly, then glanced back down at her computer. There was the tiniest crack in the screen, distorting the last letter of the word almost perfectly. "...Vespen."

The ferryman cracked his knuckles; there were multiple loud snaps. "Stupid."

"UGH!" she screamed, kicking at a rock with the steel toe of her boot. It completely disintegrated. She rapidly flicked through the knobs. "Then where the fuck is Vesper?"

Charon sighed and rolled his eyes at her dramatic behavior. With another swipe at her arm, he turned the dial once and zoomed out on the page. When he kept zooming, she began to fidget. "No-"

The ferryman paused, repointing to her screen.

"-way." She stood there frozen for a solid minute, and then it appeared as though she wanted to cry. "FUCK!"

It was in an entirely different state, and in the opposite direction. They would be lucky if the journey wasn't longer than three weeks at the least. The thought of perhaps not catching up to the bounty hunter for such an extended period of time, after the already lengthy journey, made tears form in the corner of her eyes; she sniffled.

A hand gently squeezed her shoulder. "Do you wish to continue? We can proceed to Wells and wait for him there- he is bound to make an appearance, as that mercenary had informed us."

"But...how long would that take?" she blubbered at him, furiously wiping at her waterworks.

"Does it matter?"

She flicked the Pip-Boy screen off with a whir, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously. It would be rather easy to stake him out at his supposed home base, but there was no way of guessing when he would return. There had been a shared story that he took two years before finally passing through to pick up a contract. It was a gamble as to postponing many more weeks before he finally crossed through, or it could be simply days.

In the end, she couldn't continue on her vendetta without him, and rather than being cooped up in some mercenary town, waiting on his inevitable return, it would perhaps be more beneficial for them to continue on their way in an attempt to catch up along his breadcrumbed trail.

"...let's just get to Vesper."