Fandom The Commonwealth Story

[Mr_DC]

"I'm fine." Liam quickly said. "Lets find her." He added and began rolling ahead, heading into the darkness of the corridor they were in. Liam took note of Jackson's injury and hoped it wasn't anything serious. They wouldn't be able to do a thing to Vaana if both of them were badly wounded. Even if Vaana was wounded as well, she still had the upper hand on them. She had the element of surprise on her side. But Liam ignored those thoughts. If Vaana wanted them dead, she wouldn't have powered off the turrets. She wouldn't have opened the door. She could have just kept them locked out. It didn't matter how much Liam feared her anymore when she could have already done her worst.

The pair followed the darkness and entered a slightly larger room. It had some desks with computers both smashed and working. The room must have been a small office room but the computers meant Liam could get access to the entire system. He was a robobrain and that meant having an edge when it came to computers. He was no computer whizz before, he remembered that much, but it all made much more sense when he became a brain in a jar.
Liam immediately headed to one of the computers to try and gain access to the system and see if he could find out more about the facility. Perhaps the nuclear weapons were no longer there.

As Liam got to one of the computers, he noticed a glass window into another room. It was similar to the one they were in. Just as dark and just as filled with computers. One of the computers, however, was active. In front of it - a silhouette. He didn't know if Jackson could hear it as well but whoever was on the other side was breathing heavily.
The figure stood in front of the computer for a few more seconds before red warning lights turned on and alarms started blaring inside the facility. "LAUNCH SEQUENCE INITIATED" The robotic voice of the facility exclaimed. As the door Liam and Jackson entered closed shut.

The figure slowly limped over to the window and leaned against it with one hand, leaving a bloody handprint on the glass. "Hey..." Vaana moaned, her deathly pale face lit up by the emergency lights. Her other hand was clutching at her waist where the dark coat she wore was even darker. A trail of blood followed her from the computer she used to the window. She looked at Jackson, eyes pausing to examine the taped part of his suit, and then looked at Liam's damaged form. "I'm... Sorry about my bot... It should be over soon, though." She closed her eyes and turned her head away.
Liam turned to Jackson. "She turned the security back on!" He yelled back. "The facility is locked down."
A pained smile surfaced on Vaana's face. "I didn't think you'd hire..." She paused, regaining balance and blinking rapidly. "Hire the Gunners for help." She cleared her throat. "But they're not getting in.

Liam started frantically typing on the keyboard in front of him. "I could power down the security, Jackson." Liam said. "We need to stop the launch."

 

[AI10100]

Jackson kept his gun close but soon found out that Vaana kept her word - nothing was attacking them outright. With his mind only at the task at hand, he managed to ignore each pain that flared up his leg whenever he put any sort of pressure on it. However, he found himself gritting his teeth as he moved.

He let Liam do his thing, considering he was the only one between the two of them who could really hack into any computer terminal thrown at them. Jackson would have been absolutely helpless if it was just him. At first, he didn't notice Liam looking into another room until he swerved around to check up on what the robobrain was doing. He padded closer, now making an effort to not groan in pain.

He didn't even seem to notice the announcement as he saw Vaana draw closer to them - the only thing separating them was a glass window he doubted he could break. He could see how damaged she was. "Holy shit Vaana..." He breathed out as he saw the complete extent of her injuries. "You need a fucking doctor, not an entire pile of nuclear warheads." Jackson said with a low growl.

When Liam alerted him that the security was turned back on, he already knew what that meant. He punched the glass window. "Stop this madness Vaana. Just shut it down. No one needs to die today." Jackson - the mercenary - said those words and he felt a disconnect between himself and the man that was standing in front of the window. He knew that people will still die. But he didn't want that dirt on his hands - it would have just been pounding on his conscience if he ran away.

"And those gunners aren't mine." He said grimly. "But if it's what it takes to stop this mass genocide, then let them in." Jackson said. There was the order. If Vaana refused to give up, Liam was allowed to shut down the security. "Please Vaana, for your sake, for mine and for everyone else's... just stop the launch. Fuck the Benefactor, we can just high tail it out of here."

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana refused to look Jackson in the eye as he spoke to her. She couldn't take being judged for her actions. While she completely understood what she was doing and why she was doing it, Vaana wasn't fooling herself into believing it was nice. She was taking a harsh hand to the world and there was no reasoning which could change that. She was not much better than raiders at Nuka-world or the Institute but... She wasn't doing it for completely selfish reasons. The memory of the original Vaana fueled her. The feelings Vaana felt when laying on top of Mary's corpse, submitting to the fire around her made her actions justified.

"I can't, Jackson." Vaana finally looked up at her old partner. While the pair wasn't working together for long, she opened up to him and he saved her life. There was some connection she felt with the man. She even felt glad he was in the facility with her. If he was out there, in the Commonwealth, he would have perished. In the facility, though, he could survive the blast. And, while Vaana knew her wounds would overwhelm her, Jackson might be able to go out there and live. Live in the world Vaana ended. "Why would you even want me to?" She frowned, feeling a sudden dizziness. "The world out there... It's horrible." She looked away for a short moment.

"It's not going to change. Evil just prevails. Evil plays dirty. The Brotherhood, the Institute... The Benefactor. We can't win." She closed her eyes, fighting back a rush of tears. "Somewhere out there, right now..." She shook her head, looking at Jackson again. "There's a kid out there, wanting to die. Just wanting it all to end because the world took everything." Vaana looked down at her found, noticing that the blood flow is weakening but reapplied pressure with her hand. She had started what she wanted. She just wanted Jackson to understand her before it all ended. She didn't want him to see her as just a crazy monster.

"Talk her down, Jackson!" Liam yelled back, panicking and making mistakes as he attempted to gain access to the security system. While he could power down the turrets and open the doors, he wouldn't be able to stop the launch and their best chance was getting Vaana to see clearly. Either that or... Activate the warheads before they launch. Sacrificing themselves to save the Commonwealth. That would definitely be easier to do than stopping the launch but Liam wasn't ready for it. If Jackson failed to convince Vaana to stop, though, it would be their only chance to save the Commonwealth.
He was worried about Vaana's sentry, though. Even if the Gunners got in and Liam turned off the security systems, they'd still have to fight through that beast. If they managed to get through it, it would still be carnage.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson could see her point of view. As someone who grew up like him, he knew that the world was unforgiving. The mercenary had to kill early, survive early and lose most moral compass when he was just a teen. That's just the kind of world that they lived in. Most were going to be plunged into a world that would turn them bad. He gripped his rifle tighter. It would make the world easier.

"Fuck. That."

He growled out as he raised his eyes again to meet with hers. "Yes. There are so many evil things out there. We're no better than that." Jackson started as his grip on the rifle loosened as he faced the truth he had always lived with. "It may not change. But Vaana, there are also families out there who are living peacefully with themselves. There are people who come together in a moment of happiness and love. Sure, there's evil out there but there's good too." Jackson knew that. After all, his life before he murdered his best friend was like that.

He was content and happy and he didn't want the world to stop going.

"Vaana, we can't make that decision for everyone. We can't just wipe out the entire Commonwealth just because you saw the bad side. Not just because we lived in the darkness for so long that we don't know what happiness looks like." The sniper continued, his voice strained with emotion he never felt in such a long time. "You can't destroy an entire fucking area just because you think every part is evil."

He punched the glass in vain. He wasn't sure if it was out of anger or out of the want to get through her. "You can't play God and give judgment. Please."

 

[Mr_DC]

"We're running out of time, Jackson." Liam plead with the sniper to hurry up but knew he had to act as well. The system laid bare before him and he had to decide what he should do. One move pulsed in his mind. An act which would allow him to call himself a hero. To finally act like a hero. To be brave. But he couldn't destroy the facility with them inside. He couldn't kill Jackson and Vaana. At least not while they still had other options. Liam glanced below, seeing the rapidly increasing puddle of med-gel, and let out a frustrated sigh. He had to do something. With a few strokes of the keyboard, the alarms shut off and the doors opened. It didn't take long until sounds of gunfire and rapid lasers came from the launch pad area.

Vaana, now cast into shadows again as the emergency lights turned off, came even closer to the glass. "Someone has to do something, Jackson." Vaana spoke slowly. "I'm just trying..." She paused, swallowing heavily. She was way past lightheaded by now. "Trying to end the suffering." She took a couple deep breaths. "I tried being the Merc... Tried helping... Look what the world has done to me for trying..." She scowled and placed both bloody hands on the glass. "It's a disgusting place out there." She blinked rapidly, looking away for a moment before quickly looking back at Jackson.

"Mary... I eventually found out." She spoke to the blurry figure of the sniper before her. "I didn't want to accept it but I always knew... She was using me. Using me to control raider gangs. Not... Not stop them. Control them. Get them to do her bidding." Vaana clenched her teeth. "I slaughtered all of them after the fire." Dragging her hands down the glass, leaving bloody prints, and returning them to her wound, Vaana sighed. "Who knows how many good people out there are just another Mary." She turned her back to the glass and the sniper. "I can't make a difference any other way, Jackson. I've tried." She swallowed the taste of copper in her mouth.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson took note of Liam's urgency. The missiles would take off any moment now and he'd be powerless to stop it. Of course, the man didn't know that they had the option to blow up the warheads then and there, but was the mercenary really that selfless? To sacrifice himself for the sake of the entire Commonwealth? He probably wasn't. He was also not foolish enough to give up and he could at least say that he tried. And damn it, he did. But a guilty conscience was already a heavy package, double that with an even heavier one does not seem like something he can live with properly. Besides, where would he go?

And he could also clearly see how Vaana was slowing losing it inside - she was losing blood and fast. "Open the damned door Vaana!" He yelled, once more pounding his fist against the glass. He could help. No he can't. Liam could? No... the robot didn't seem to be in any way shape or form trained in the usage of medical supplies. He grit his teeth. "You don't need to make that difference Vaana. We don't have the obligation to do that and we certainly don't have the right to take away their lives!" He said, curling the hand on the glass into a fist. Jackson wasn't sure if he felt emotional or if it was just a surge of complete and unbridled hatred. "Besides, there are so many other groups out there who try to make a difference. Not all of them may be right... but they're trying to make the world a better place to live in."

Certainly, the fact that Mary was just using Vaana sounded... oddly believable. Something a manipulative person would be able to do. And it was saddening to hear. Everything that drove Vaana to do what she did was built on lies. "And how many people are out there who are genuine? Those who want to help? Truly?" He paced towards the door and then back to his position. "Okay, maybe there aren't many good people out there. Maybe there are so little I could count them on my hands. But so what? They're still there and their lives still matter. They can still make a difference and you're going to stop that right here, right now? Would you really?"

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana listened to Jackson, her arms going numb. She felt increasingly cold and her knees were quivering with the effort of keeping her standing. The image of Jackson beyond the glass got blurry but not because of the blood loss. Vaana closed her eyes and the tears building up in her eyes finally released and ran steaks down her pale cheeks. Still keeping her eyes closed, Vaana parted her dry lips and sucked in a trembling breath. She was acting like a monster. No better than any of the people who pushed her to the breaking point. Even worse. She was dying and taking the Commonwealth down with her.

Vaana raised a gloved hand to her mouth, still keeping her eyes shut tight. "Fuck..." She sighed. "I..." She began but stopped and shook her head, wiping the tears away which were quickly replaced by new ones. "Fuck." She sobbed, turning her back to Jackson. She sank into the darkness, one step at a time. There was silence. Not a sound from the other room. It was as if Vaana completely disappeared. Then there was a tapping sound. The slow hitting of fingers on a keyboard. Then nothing.

"Jackson." Liam turned to the mercenary after seeing the system die down on his terminal. "You did it." He said in a calm, monotonous tone. His brain was almost completely devoid of the gel it was suspended in. "You talked her down." He said, unable to muster up any excitement in spite of feeling ecstatic. He helped. He was a hero. He made a difference. The most important thing, though, was that he was about to see Jay again. Tell him about the way he helped the world.

A quiet thump hit the wall again. Vaana was leaning against the blood-stained glass again. "Hey, Jack?" She asked with a soft, pained moan. Before she could say anything more, an explosion came from the hallway, through the open doors, and the shooting stopped. The Gunners must have finally finished her sentry bot. Vaana looked at the door and saw only the painful light at the end. She had a feeling she wouldn't get the chance to help the world after betraying the Benefactor but at least she didn't destroy it. "Jackson." She looked back at her partner. "I might not walk out of here." She said, looking down on her wound and back up at the mercenary. "Promise me you'll try. Just try to make the world better... Please?" She asked, her tears drying out.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson was surprised when she had actually shut down the damn thing. He felt a mix of elation and fear - because she didn't reappear after that. He felt his heart sink and he turned back to Liam. Indeed, he was praising what he had done. He actually managed to talk the charismatic mercenary off of killing everyone. How? He had no fucking idea. Honestly, it might as well be just luck and she was just delirious enough to listen to him.

"Liam?" He called out, noticing the lack of cheer in his voice. The robot was usually pretty emotional so it felt odd for him to hear a sudden lack of it. He was supposed to be happy since Liam also wanted to stop all of this. "Are you okay?" He asked, cautious. Afraid of the answer to the question. He already had one dying buddy right now. He couldn't afford another. It was like losing everything all over again.

Jackson looked at Vaana when she started speaking - calling out to him. But then he jumped, raising his rifle when the explosion came. Oh, they were here. He looked back at Vaana and entered the room, kneeling down close to her so that he could listen better. "I will." Jackson felt that the promise was empty - but he wanted to actually do it. He could do it. He could certainly try. For her. For Bluebird. For the selfless. "But you're getting out of here with me."

He knelt down and then stuck a Med-X and a Stimpak in her. Hopefully, that would help with the extensive bleeding. "I'd bandage you up if we weren't in trouble." He grumbled to himself as he stood up to watch the Gunners and the dogs of the Benefactor to come. He had done his part. What would they do?

 

[Mr_DC]

Liam was quiet. His diagnostics had failed already but he didn't need it to know what the sentence was. The burning pain and inability to control his systems was sign enough. He lost too much med-gel. His brain was turning dry. He slowly rolled towards the pair and stopped, feeling like he lacked the strength to go again. "I'm..." He started speaking but his voice cut off and the light in the dome protecting his brain went dark for a moment. "Thank you." He finally said before the light went out for good and his robotic body relaxed.

Vaana watched the robobrain die in front of her. She clenched her teeth and let the medication Jackson injected do its best to restore her. She wasn't going to die there. "Sorry, kid." She glanced at Liam. It was her fault he died. If she hadn't gone insane and...
Vaana shook her head. There was no point in thinking that. What was done was done. She couldn't turn back the time. What she could do is make amends for her actions. Focus on changing things.
"Jackson." She looked at the mercenary while shifting herself into a half-kneel. "Does the Benefactor want me dead?"

"Yeah but..." A hoarse voice came from the dark doorway. The short woman serving as the Benefactor's right hand stepped out from the shadows, a bat in one hand. Her other hand was scratching her hair which was mostly brown from dried blood. Several Gunners walked past the woman to secure the room before focusing their attention on the pair of mercenaries. In spite of being armed, the Gunners didn't put their aim on the mercenaries. "I managed to bargain down your punishment." The woman finished, stopping by the mercenaries and leaning on her bat while maintaining a firm grip on it. Being that close to them, Vaana could see the eyes of the woman weren't as hungry for blood as she seemed from afar. In spite of looking like a raider boss, her tired eyes hinted at honest humanity within.

"The boys have a medic in the team outside." The woman motioned her head at the door they came from. "They'll patch her up." She explained to Jackson and two of Gunners in the room walked over to pick Vaana up. Vaana gave a concerned look to Jackson but quickly resigned to her fate. She didn't trust the Gunners or the Benefactor but if they wanted her dead, they could have easily done so. Even if she was paranoid to the point of fighting back, Vaana knew they would have no problem killing them both.
As if knowing what Vaana was thinking, the woman rested her baseball bat over her shoulders and spoke. "Don't worry." She shook her head, pausing for a moment to make sure the barbed wire of the bat isn't resting on her shoulder. "No one is gonna kill you... Except maybe the radiation if we don't get out of here." She added and pointed her bat at Jackson as the Gunners made a move to carry Vaana out. "You stay. We need to talk." She added quietly and the remaining Gunners in the room moved to secure the exits and make sure they have privacy.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson's breath hitched when he saw the lights dimming within the robobrain's dome. "Liam?" He breathed out. A last message. A 'thank you'. Jackson stared for a moment. A second passed. Then two. Then he looked down on the ground, blinking. There goes another life. Another companion taken by the mission. He moved towards the robobrain and patted the metallic arm - which now seemed too cold to touch despite being the same temperature as before. "You're welcome." He wasn't sure what he did for Liam that made him want to express his gratitude to the mercenaries, but so be it. "Thank you too." He muttered soon after that.

He looked back at Vaana as she shifted her position and asked him a rather heavy question. Thankfully, he didn't have to answer it as the girl from before appeared - bat still there but still had the same aura around her. Jackson looked at Vaana and nodded. He wasn't dead yet so he had some trust in the woman. So he also trusted her in saying that it would be better to save her rather than to kill her. He wasn't sure if it was the wisest decision but he wasn't regretting it yet. The Gunners came in to secure the room, but he was pretty sure that everything was alright now. Nothing had jumped out to kill anything so it should be relatively safe now.

"You'll be fine." Jackson tried to reassure her when she was taken away to the medical staff. The woman had reassured them once again that no one would kill them - aside from the natural killer that is radiation that this Glowing Sea provided in spades but that is a different problem for a different time. He was about to follow Vaana out of the room but stopped when he was ordered to stay. The sniper settled down beside the inoperative metal corpse of his old companion and then nodded. "Okay, I'm all ears." The sniper gripped on the handle of his rifle, waiting for the explanation or the consequences of his actions and her actions.

 

[Mr_DC]

"First things first..." The woman began, letting her bat rest against the wall. With no other weapon on her person and no guards in the room, she was defenseless. Even though she looked strong enough to hold her own in a fist-fight, there was little anyone could do with a fist against a bullet. "Good job. This could have turned ugly and you really managed to steer this to the best possible outcome." She spoke, keeping her eyes locked on Jackson's. Even though she was congratulating him on a job well done, the woman wasn't exactly happy. If anything, she was melancholic. "I checked with the Benefactor and there was no danger of raining hell on the Commonwealth." She said and quickly raised a hand in defense. "But she would have blown up the entire facility. The facility wasn't modified for the launch. The first missile would have just detonated on contact with the launch door." She shrugged, looking away. "I don't know how the Glowing Sea would react to such an explosion but it definitely wouldn't have been good news for the Commonwealth. So good job."

She picked up her bat again and gripped it tight. "That's the good news out of the way. Time for the neutral shit." She said and shifted the bat from her right hand to the left. "You can call me Red. I've worked with the Benefactor for a few years now." She explained, placing a balled fist on her chest. "A problem solver, just like you. I'm not doing this for charity, I have my own goals and ambitions." She blinked a few times, looking away. "No one does anything without expecting compensation." Red added as she looked back at Jackson. "Speaking of which..." Red said, tossing the bat back into her dominant hand. "I told you that you would get the Merc's part of the payday and now you get to choose what you want. Caps, weapons, information... Name your price and you get it." She motioned half-heartedly with her bat. "Be careful what you choose, though. I've seen so many people ask for chems or money only to overdose or get themselves killed. You're smarter than that, aren't you?" Red cocked an unconvinced eyebrow at Jackson.

Red parted her dry lips, hesitating with the next part of what she had to say. "The Benefactor also intended to hire one or both of you after the job. Have you work for him the same way I do. An expansion of sorts." She shook her head. "I'll be honest with you, I just wanted the Merc to join. Didn't give a shit about you. Just wanted a chance to work with her... And she fucked it up." Red frowned over her shoulder, her words turning sharper. When she looked back at Jackson, her eyes maintained the burning anger for a few moments before gradually softening. "I'm here, offering you a job. Work as one of the Benefactor's closest people - do what he tells you and use the rewards for your own goals. It's the best offer you'll get in the wasteland. As pitiful of a consolation prize you are, I suggest you take the offer." She grumbled. "I'd rather have you watching my back than some cutthroat mongrel with unhealthy ambitions."

The next few moments stretched into a silence as Red stared at Jackson again. She shifted her posture to a more cautious one. She was light on her feet like many successful fighters. Red rested her bat on her shoulder, perfect position for a downward chop. "And now for the unpleasant business..." She let out a heavy sigh. "The Merc. As I said, the Benefactor wants her dead. Badly. No one betrays the Benefactor, after all..." She looked away for a few moments before tying her eyes with Jackson again. "I talked him down. The Merc saved my life when I was a kid and I got the chance to return the favor now. She will get punished, though, and there's nothing I can do about that. I'm not that influential." The grip on her bat tightened. "The Gunners will sell her. As a slave. Anonymously so no one who wants her dead can buy her and kill her off." Red was barely moving as she spoke. Her body was tense. "There's nothing anyone can do for her now. You're free to try and fight through an army of Gunners if you'd like. I'm not gonna bash your skull in if you want to free her. I want her alive too. It doesn't change the fact that even if you somehow kill everyone and both of you survive that... The Benefactor will send everything he has to kill both of you. Maybe me as well." She finished with a shrug, the first real motion since she began with the bad news.

"And before you ask... No, your payment can't be her freedom." Red finished.

 

[AI10100]

"Wasn't exactly easy. She's the talker, not me." Jackson admitted with a low growl. He hated - hated - talking about feelings and he just poured all of it on instinct just to get Vaana to snap out of her murderous streak. There was something about his tone that he didn't actually like but didn't know what to point out. Upon being told that there wasn't any real risk of the Commonwealth being decimated by nuclear bombs, Jackson couldn't help but narrow his eyes at his - contact? whatever she was. "Well, it was great incentive to succeed so I'm fine with it." He replied with a dismissive wave and then shifted his weight onto his uninjured leg. It hurt now that the Med-X and Stimpak wore off, as well as his own adrenaline.

He listened to her introduction, nodding along when he felt like he needed to. Jackson knew that he didn't need to say anything about himself. She probably already knew. Of course, just as he expected, she was just the smarter kind of mercenary who happened to be on the employ of someone with greater reach and even greater ambitions. But in the end, everyone was just going to use everyone. A mercenary wouldn't work under someone else without knowing and getting what they wanted out of it. He appreciated that. Now he got to choose whatever reward he wanted - and while caps and ammunition were tempting in their own right, he had thought about his deal with Vaana. Maybe he could get some robot parts from the Benefactor. But he held his tongue and only nodded, unsure what exactly he was seeking out of this work. He just wanted something but when asked, he didn't know what he wanted.

And it would seem that their deal with the Benefactor didn't end there, it would seem that he wanted more from them. A closer position. Honestly, Jackson found it very tempting even after... well, it wasn't like the damned guy did anything bad to them. It was just circumstances that worked against them. "I feel so loved." He scoffed under his breath when Red admitted that she didn't give two flying fucks about him. Who she aimed for was Vaana - but as she said, she went off the deal. And any client would be angry at that. He felt apprehensive. Didn't he just tell Vaana to just not care about the Benefactor? To just escape and leave the mess behind them? It wasn't in any sort of romantic affection but something akin to... survival. To run away and leave the bloody past behind. But here he was, the sniper without loyalty, considering the offer seriously.

But she continued. Bad news would sum up her next words. He backed up a bit when her stance went from relaxed to cautious - his own arms stiffening in preparation of her attack just as hers prepared for his. He paled upon the news of what the Benefactor had in store for Vaana. His mouth felt dry and he could feel a surge of emotions. Anger. Sadness. Understanding. He opened his mouth to respond before he closed it again. He fidgeted with his gun as he looked to the side. "Well, that's dropping a lot of things at once on me Red." He wanted to free her but he knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against an army of Gunners. Jackson actually had a brain and it was telling him to not fight. And Jackson had enough self-preservation to let his emotions take over him.

"How much are they selling The Merc? I assume that they wouldn't be opposed to me buying her with the caps I'm getting as a reward. My reward isn't her freedom, it's the caps. So technically, I'm not asking for her freedom either." Jackson pointed out. "And the Benefactor would still have sold her technically if that was the case so there would be no point in sending killers after me. And if it would make him feel better, I would even gladly accept the job as one of his... personal aides." He wasn't sure if it would work. Hell, it was highly unlikely to even work. But Red looked like she wanted her to live as well and the technicalities would still fall to his favor.

 

[Mr_DC]

Red passed a hand through her hair and loosened the grip on her bat. The situation was... Difficult. She wanted to believe there was some second option. Perhaps they stood a chance against all the Gunners. Perhaps they could both bargain with the Benefactor. Perhaps... Perhaps they could do something. Red clenched her teeth and sucked in a breath through them. Everything about the Benefactor was so intangible. It wasn't about caps or anything they could provide. It was about what she did. She didn't follow instructions and, like many who tried to do the same, she needed to be punished. It was a miracle Red even managed to negotiate down the final punishment.

"No." Red closed her eyes, letting her bat rest against the wall as she also leaned on the wall, leaving Jackson with a clear view of the door behind her. "There's nothing you can do. She made a mistake and..." Red pursed her lips. "This is just what has to be done. You need to let go." She watched Jackson. Examined him. "I... I think this is the best chance she has. She's smart, Jackson. Strong." Red explained quietly. "She will be sold to some raiders. It won't be difficult to kill them all off and disappear." Raising her tone, Red pointed at Jackson's chest. "If you buy her... You can bet some junkie is going to stab her or a random sniper will blow her head off when you least expect it. This is the best chance she has, Jackson. And who knows," Red shrugged. "Maybe one day, she will slit my throat, shoot you in the back of the head, and kill off the Benefactor. She is capable."

Touching the base of her bat with the tips of her fingers, Red added. "It's also the best chance you have, Jackson. Whatever you aim to do, this is the best chance for it. What's it gonna be, sniper?"

 

[AI10100]

So there wasn't anything he could do with the reward that would actually end with his win hm? Or rather, their win. He felt the same emotion swirling up in his stomach as when he had turned the gun to Bluebird that fateful day. It was the feeling of guilt and absolute disgust. Towards the world. Towards himself. Towards every single circumstance that led to this point in time. The moment he had accepted the Benefactor's challenge - his offer - was the day he had sealed his fate to another loop in emotion. What he had planned to leave behind came back in full force. Never let anyone close again - the one rule he had placed on himself and he had broken it. Look where he is now. Debating whether or not just charging in and getting himself killed was a better option than standing there and accepting that she would be sold.

"Fine." Jackson replied as he leaned away from the wall he was leaning on to ease the pain from his leg. "Charging in now would be suicide. And I don't think I'll be able to do anything. And hey, death by her hand sounds way better than just dying from old age." Maybe the guilt he was feeling right now would settle down if he's staring at the end of the barrel of her gun. He wasn't even sure if he would even try to fight once she was there. Though, there was a voice behind his head. Find who buys Vaana. Bust her out - preferably in incognito. Then wait for what happens. Hopefully she doesn't die before then. "What happens after this and on my off time isn't any of the Benefactor's business right? As long as it doesn't harm him or any of his many contacts right?"

"I'll get the job. And for my reward, I just need whatever modifications and ammo you deem worth my time and my services to my house." The vague request was something that was intention. He didn't care if what they would give him was shitty. Nothing more could make him feel cheated as much as what the current situation did.

 

[Mr_DC]

"Good, good." Red pushed herself away from the wall, picking up her bat. "I'm glad I can finally work with someone I can rely on." Twirling the bat, Red smirked. "You're still a third-grade, shit-eating mercenary who can't shoot to save his life." She teased. "But that's better than the vast majority out there." Poking him with a bat, she continued teasing. "And you are working with a suicidal raider whose only use is cannon fodder." With a chuckle, Red turned her back on Jackson. "A match made in heaven."

Stretching, she continued. "You get to take the week off, kid. Rest up and then we're taking a boat trip." With a grunt, she turned back. "Speaking of which, I have to go and clear out Dunwich Borers and then secure us a damn boat. Enjoy your time off. You'll be willing to kill for it from now on." She said with frustration in her voice but a genuine glint of excitement in her eyes. Exploring new locations was what kept her going through all the blood she had to spill. At least she wouldn't have to do it alone anymore.

"You're free to do whatever you want." Red explained. "But do check in before you do anything major. The Benefactor doesn't care if you drink whiskey or vodka but it might be useful to know if you're going to kill someone. Even I don't know all our agents." She shoved one hand in her pocket and rested her bat on her shoulders again. "You should get some quality modifications and ammo first thing in the morning. Wonder what I'll ask for..." She mused, knowing full well she would get nothing for her involvement. The Merc not biting a bullet was her reward.

"Are you heading towards Diamond City?" She asked, motioning for the door. The Merc must have been taken away during their time talking so she could bring out Jackson without a worry about him actually trying something. "I should at least buy you a drink. Get some goodwill on my account for when you'll have to watch my back." She joked. "Come on, it's time for the rest of your life." She headed to the door.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson let out a scoff. "Wow, ouch." He replied to the tease as he placed one hand on his chest in mock hurt. He soon slid it back to the handle of his gun again and then let out a chuckle of his own to cover how he stiffened when she poked him using the bat. It was still rather terrifying. "Great, let's see how far we can get before being offed."

"A week." He repeated with a low hum. It should be enough to collect his things, tinker with his weaponry with the modifications that the Benefactor would give him, and then hire someone to track down where Vaana would end up. It should be easy enough considering how some of his clients still owed him. "A boat? It's been a while since I've been on one. Where we headed?"

Jackson nodded with the information given. So he still needed to report with their boss huh? He guessed that he would be able to know how to contact the Benefactor once he actually meets the guy. "Looking forward to locking myself up in my house and improving this sweet baby." He said as he patted his rifle. He did love it to bits but even he didn't have the connections to get the really good mods.

"I am." Jackson replied. "Don't really have anywhere else to go." Despite having been motioned to go forward, he waited for her to lead. He then let out a laugh. "Ah don't worry about that. I feel like if I failed to protect you, I'm gonna get kicked out for incompetence." He shrugged. He followed her in compliance once she went through the door.

 

[Mr_DC]

Red:
Red continued to serve the Benefactor for three more years. Her bloodthirsty brutality towards the Benefactor's enemies contrasted heavily with the mercy and protection she provided to the occasional innocent person who crossed their path. After the more tense assignments, Red had the tendency to open up about what exactly she was being rewarded with. A part of her reward was groups of skilled craftsmen sent far North of the Commonwealth to build up a homestead. The other part was nothing but ensuring she had no debt to the Benefactor. When she finally departed, Red told no one but the Benefactor and disappeared from the Commonwealth forever before the sun even rose.

Vaana:
The exhausted mercenary was held by the Gunners for a week before she was moved to the buyer. On the way, however, Vaana freed herself and slaughtered the entire group of her captors. In spite of the Benefactor's repeated attempts to locate her, not only was Vaana elusive but the legend of the Merc returned, stronger than ever before. Striking fear into the hearts of everyone who abused settlers and, particularly, raiders, the legend of the Merc eventually forced the Benefactor to fold and stop hunting her. A synths longevity combined with the newly-lit fire burning bright inside of her meant Vaana remained as the Commonwealth's protector and legend for as long as she could keep fighting.


(I wrote nothing about the Benefactor as I didn't know if Jackson would try to take him down or not. I might add him depending on your final post)

 

[AI10100]

Jackson:

In a twisting turn of events for himself, Jackson had served faithfully under the Benefactor for two years. The news that Vaana had escaped quickly and the Benefactor's vain attempts to locate her brought him extreme joy and entertainment. Jackson quickly became more of a specter than he was before, no one ever really sure where he is until he's left a body with a warning. After waking up to a skilled assassin breaking into his house in an attempt to kill him, he negotiated a last deal with the Benefactor. With a last job of assassination, he was released with the promise to never be bothered again as well as given two skilled mechanics. The three settled down in his home in Diamond City where he still happily lives while he supports the mechanics in their tinkering.

Jackson has been known to leave Diamond City with a favor of aiding Piper Wright and other caravans who need extra protection. He hasn't reached out to his elusive ex-companion though he isn't sure if they would even get along after his own job with their mutual enemy. There have been notes scattered in the Commonwealth that act as some sort of treasure map that would unravel the Benefactor's identity and location. Whoever drops these notes have never been identified and there is only this passage that is present in all the notes:

"To all those who bear a grudge and a debt, I applaud you for taking action. Good luck and Godspeed."