by M. P. Pubs
After putting three fresh rounds into his revolver, Marcus continued on until he finally reached the west wing of the museum. Peeking through a crack in the door, Marcus cursed under his breath as he spotted two more super mutants. He looked down at his wounded arm, and though the pain was subsiding, he didn't want to take the chance using his AK. Remembering the frag mines the Brotherhood had left him, Marcus began to formulate a plan. He quietly set a mine just outside the door, then another further down the hallway. Marcus positioned himself around the corner and fired a round into the door. "Come and get me you ugly bastards!"
The mutants responded with a yell of their own and burst into the hallway. The first one stepped on the mine, blowing his leg off and killing him almost instantly. His partner was wounded, but he mindlessly continued down the hall towards Marcus. A few moments later the second mine went off - finishing the job of the first. When he saw no movement from the super mutants, Marcus entered the west wing. He spotted the dish on the lunar lander almost immediately and breathed a sigh of relieve. 'Now to get it out of here.' he thought.
Marcus removed the make shift sling off his arm. Whether it was completely healed or not, he needed it now. The dish was surprisingly light, and he was able to lash it to his back pack. Once it was secure he doubled back through the museum until he was back at the front door. He cracked it open and observed the ongoing battle in the Mall. He guessed that the Washington Monument was at least two-hundred yards away; a long way to run when you're being shot at. Marcus took a few breaths and readied himself. He was never one for praying, but he said a short one now. "Okay. One. Two. THREE!"
He bolted out the door and sprinted down the sidewalk, staying as close to the buildings as he could. At first there was no response from the super mutants, and for a moment Marcus thought they might ignore him. But his hopes were dashed when bullets began landing on the ground around him.
"You die now!" he heard one of them yell.
Marcus pushed his legs and lungs to their limit as the firing intensified, leaping over rubble and destroyed cars. At one point a rocket landed a few yards away causing him to stumble, but he quickly recovered and continued running. Only 50 yards to go. Two mutants appeared in a trench near his position, and Marcus was certain that this was the end. Suddenly the mutants were cut in half by a steady stream of fire from a laser gatlin gun. The Brotherhood Knights guarding the monument laid down more covering fire, allowing an exhausted Marcus to reach their position. He fell to his knees behind the sandbags and nearly threw up.
"Easy son, easy." One of the BOS Knights said. The shooting had stopped, and one of the soldiers gave Marcus a bottle of water. "Three Dog told us you we're coming. That was fine work there, kid."
Marcus chugged half of the bottle, then poured the rest on his head. "Thanks." he managed to say. "So...where do you want...this thing?"
The soldier pointed to the top of the monument. "Up there."
Marcus rolled his eyes. "I have to climb that thing?"
The soldier smirked behind his power armor helmet. "No we got the elevator working. Just take it to the top, one of our scribes will meet you up there and help you hook it up."
Feeling gratitude and relief, Marcus made his way into the elevator.
* * *
"Alright, there's the last connection." said Brotherhood scribe Johnston. "Let's see if it works." He flipped a few switches and the GNR signal came in loud and clear. "We did it! We're transmitting all across the waste now. Thank you for doing this, Marcus."
"Glad I can help. Is there a way I can contact Three Dog with this old ham radio?"
"Of course, just set it to channel 9."
"Thanks." Marcus picked up the mike and began transmitting. "Washington Monument calling GNR, are you there Three Dog?"
"WHOOOOWEEEE! HA! HA! You did it, kid! My gauges are tell'in me that my baby's goin' out all over the Capital Wasteland." There was a pause. "I *sniffle* I've never been happier."
"Are you alright?"
"*sniffle* Yeah...I'm fine. So, guess you want to know where your dad is, hu? Well after our chat, he told me he was heading to Rivet City to find a Doctor Li."
"Where is this 'Rivet City'?"
There was another pause on the radio. "You've never heard of Rivet City? I mean I guess you wouldn't...but still - wow! Anyway, years ago a bunch of people decided to use a beached aircraft carrier and turn it into a settlement. Pretty cool, hu? Just follow the river east and you can't miss it."
Marcus felt a knot form in his throat. He was getting closer, he could feel it.
"Are you still there, kid?"
"Yeah, I'm here. Thank you Three Dog."
"No problem, kid. If you ever need a place to crash, my door's always open. Over and out."
Marcus took a moment and took in the view from the top of the monument, and he could see why the Brotherhood was so determined to hold onto this building. From here you could see the entire wasteland from megaton to the tidal basin. The sun was beginning to set, and Marcus stared towards the east. Somewhere in that direction was his father, and he was more determined then ever to find him. After he'd met up with his friends in Underworld.
* * *
Lucky for Marcus the American History Museum was not far from the Washington Monument. With the Brotherhood soldiers providing cover, he easily made his way to the main entrance. There he was met by a female ghoul named Willow standing guard with an AK-47.
"Well, well," the ghoul began, "another tourist. Are you enjoying the Mall, human?"
Marcus was taken aback by her statement. "I'm no tourist."
"Come on! Here you are in the Mall of our nation's fine capital, taking in the sights, visiting the monuments. Face it. You're a tourist."
Marcus couldn't help but smile at her logic. "I'm actually looking for some friends of mine. Quinn and a human female named Clover."
"Oh yes, they arrived here a couple of hours ago. Go right inside and walk through the large doors with the word 'Underworld' over them."
"Thank you."
Willow nodded. "See you around, sight see'er"
Marcus made his way through the museum's lobby and opened the huge double doors. He was immediately greeted by a ghoul wearing a Robco jump suit.
"You must be the one Quinn was telling us about. My names Winthrop. You're welcome to stay here smoothskin but whatever problems you have we want them to stay outside. We've got a good thing going here and we don't want to lose it, understand?"
Marcus nodded. "No problem. Could you tell me where Quinn is?"
"Right here."
Marcus turned spotted Quinn coming down a staircase. "Damn kid, you look like shit!"
Marcus chuckled. "That's ironic coming from you."
Quinn laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.
"Where's Clover?"
"She's alright. She's up in the Ninth Circle bar as a matter of fact - fystie as ever."
Marcus breathed a little easier. "I'm glad to hear that."
"Say kid, why don't you relax and get cleaned up. The showers are just down the hall."
Marcus stopped and stared at ghoul in shock. "Showers? You have SHOWERS here? Like - real showers?"
Quinn nodded. "Sure. The water's radiated though, so I hope you don't mind glowing in the dark."
Marcus' expression went from surprise to heart ache. Quinn busted out laughing. "Relax kid I'm kidding! Man you should've seen the look on your face! We have a purifier for visiting smoothskins. I'll tell Winthrop to turn it on."
Marcus was beat red. Quinn had gotten him good. "Yes - please do."
The ghoul chuckled one last time and walked away.
* * *
The feeling of hot water running down his body was like heaven to Marcus. For ten minutes he just stood there and relished the feeling as the water enveloped him. This was the first real shower he'd had since leaving the Vault, and he was going to enjoy it. The curtain being pulled back startling him out of his bliss, and he quickly spun a
round. There standing before him was Clover, wearing nothing but her collar and a smile. She stepped inside, pulled the curtain back, and pressed her lips to his. When they could no longer breathe she pulled away. "I missed you, suga."
Marcus ran his fingers through her hair. "And I missed you."
"I am a little upset with you, though. Why didn't you come to see me as soon as you got here?"
Marcus grinned from ear to ear. "Well, I wanted to get cleaned up for you."
Clover pressed her flesh even closer to him and presented that devilish grin of hers. "You know I like it dirty." she breathed.
Marcus responded by kissing her, and there were no more words after that.
After a very refreshing shower, Marcus made his way to a store called Underworld Outfitters. There he met the store's owner, a female ghoul named Tulip, who was surprised to see a smoothskin in her shop. It turned out that fission batteries and conductors were desperately needed, and while exploring the Museum of Technology, Marcus had scavenged quite a few. After Tulip paid handsomely for them, Marcus had enough money to buy ammo for his guns, frag grenades, a room for the night and had Winthrop repair his leather armor. He spent a while talking top Tulip, and was fascinated to learn that she was over 200 years old. For some reason, she explained, ghouls lived a lot longer then humans. She told Marcus about the day the bombs fell, and he was both amazed and horrified. Before he left, Tulip asked if he could come back often, and Marcus promised he would.
* * *
The next morning, after sleeping in, Marcus and Clover made their way to the Ninth Circle, one of two bars in Underworld. The atmosphere in the place reminded Marcus of Moriarty's; and he didn't like it. After spotting Quinn at the bar, Marcus sat down in the seat next to him. "What are ya drinkin'?"
Quinn stared at his glass. "Humph, this stuff they claim is beer."
Marcus shrugged. "Sounds good. Bartender," he held up two fingers, "two more of what he's having."
After handing over his caps, Marcus took a swig of the "beer" and gagged. "Taste like gasoline!"
Quinn chuckled. "Good, maybe you could put some in your truck. Three Dog tell you anything about your dad?"
"Yeah. Told me my dad headed for Rivet City to look for some scientist."
"That makes sense. Rivet City has the biggest science lab in the Capital Wasteland. They do all kinds of research, but mostly they're trying to find a way to get rid of all this radiation." Quinn too another sip. "They even have an android leading their security militia."
Marcus forced down another swig and fought the urge to gag. "An android? That sounds like something out of an old comic book."
"Well it's true, kid. His name is Harkness. Word is he escaped from this place called the Commonwealth a few years ago; claims he's a 'man' and is no ones slave. Not long after his masters found him and tried to bring him back, but the residents of Rivet City had other ideas."
Marcus was intrigued at the idea of a real android leading a security force. "Sounds like someone I'll have to meet. You feel like tagging along?"
Quinn shook his head. "I'd like to kid, but I have a job to do here. I'm the only one who travels outside of downtown D.C. to scavenge for supplies."
Marcus was disappointed. Quinn had turned out to be a good friend, and someone he could relie on. "I understand."
As they both sat in silence nursing their drinks, Marcus noticed a rather tall ghoul standing in the corner just behind the bar. In fact, he hadn't moved a muscle since Marcus had walked in. A female ghoul even tried to flirt with him, but he just told her to leave him alone.
"Hey Quinn, who's the ghoul impersonating a statue?"
"That's Charon, the toughest sonofabitch in Underworld."
"How tough is he?"
"Well besides being able to put you on your ass before you could raise your fist, he's better with a shotgun then I am. The owner Ahzrukhal keeps him here to keep the patrons in line."
Marcus glanced over at the bartender. "So Charon works for him?"
Quinn let out a bitter chuckle. "Not exactly. He owns Charon's contract."
Marcus stared at his friend as a dark realisation came over him. "You mean he's a slave?"
Quinn finished his drink. "Yeah. Whoever hold's Charon's contract has complete control over him. If Ahzrukhal tells him to stand there like a statue, Charon does it." Quinn leaned in closer. "And if he told Charon to blow your head off, he'd do it without blinking."
Marcus looked over at Ahzrukhal and his blood began to boil. "If this ghoul is as tough as you say, then how is this scum able to control him with a piece of paper?"
Quinn tilted his head in Clover's direction. She was at the other end of the bar, flirting with a group of human traders. "The same way a freed slave refuses to take off her collar. It's brainwashing, kid. The horror you saw in Paradise Falls was a fraction at what slaves are put through every minute of every day."
Marcus sat on his stool and watched as Clover was laughing and drinking with the bar's patrons. For a moment he thought she was being too friendly with some of the men, but he felt mostly sorrow for the young woman. "I see what you mean." he conceded. "I wish she would take it off; I'm getting tired of having to explain it to everyone we meet."
Quinn placed his hand on the human's shoulder. "Don't push her, kid. When she's ready to let it go, she will."
Marcus nodded and fought back the knot forming in his throat. He remembered those terrible two days in Paradise Falls. How he was tortured and treated as if he was nothing but a piece of property. He remembered Jeanette nursing him back to health; and how she paid for it with her life. He also remembered how it felt to liberate the slaves after slaughtering their masters. In that moment, Marcus knew what he had to do. "Hey Ahzrukhal, " he yelled, "come here for a minute. I have some business to disguse."
Quinn grabbed Marcus' arm. "What are you doing?"
Marcus looked at him and winked. "Trust me."
Before Quinn could say anymore, Ahzrukhal was standing across the bar from them. "Yes? What do you want?"
"I wanted to talk to you about your bodyguard over there."
"Bodyguard? Oh, you mean Charon. What about him?"
"Well I'm in need of an extra gun and I was wondering if I could buy his contract."
The ghoul responded with a sneer. "You can't afford him, kid."
Marcus shrugged. "Try me."
"If you want Charon the price is 2,000 caps."
Marcus responded with a whistle. "Whoa! You're right, I can't afford that right now."
Ahzrukhal smiled and turned to walk away.
"I wouldn't need him for long, though. Would you consider letting me rent him for say...a week?"
Ahzrukhal turned back to Marcus, and he could tell the ghoul was intrigued.
"Rent him? I never considered that. I guess I can spare him for a week. For that, I'll charge you 750 caps."
"For a week? I'll pay you 500."
Ahzrukhal shook his head. "750 or take a walk."
Marcus' jaw tightened. Just dealing with this ghoul sickened him. "Tell you what: I'll give you the 750 for two weeks. We got a deal?"
Ahzrukhal thought about it for a moment, and finally presented his hand. "Done."
They shook hands and suddenly the ghoul pulled Marcus closer to him. "You'd better return him to me unscathed, smoothskin. Or it will cost you more then 750 caps. Understand?"
Marcus pulled away. "He'll be fine."
Ahzrukhal smiled. "Good." He walked up to Charon. "Charon, you will be working for this man for the next two weeks. Obey him as you would me, but remember who still holds your contract. Understand?"
Charon turned to Ahzrukhal. "Yes, boss."
While all of this was going on, Quinn leaned closer to Marcus. "I thought you hated slavery?" he whispered.
"I do, but if I can give Charon two weeks of freedom, it might give him the will to escape from this guy."
Quinn shook his head. "I hope you know what you're doing, kid."
&nb
sp; Marcus looked over at Charon and swallowed. "Yeah me too. I'll see you around, Quinn."
The two friends shook hands. "Good luck, kid. And here, don't forget this."
He handed Marcus the 40mm grenade launcher, who placed it inside his back pack. He then walked over to Clover, who was still flirting with the human traders. "Clover. Time for us to go, sweetheart."
Clover turned to Marcus and began to pout. "Ohhh, really?" she turned to the traders. "Sorry boys, I gotta go." She took Marcus' arm and they headed for the door; ignoring the grumbling behind them.
"Okay, Charon," Marcus began, "let's go."
Charon's face was like stone. "Yes boss."
* * *
The trio walked out of the Ninth Circle and headed down the stairs leading to Underworld's entrance.
"Who's this scary guy, lover?" Clover asked.
Marcus looked back at Charon. "I'll tell you about it later." he whispered in her ear.
They were almost to the entrance when the double doors burst opened, and a haggard looking woman stumbled inside, out of breath and bleeding from her forehead. The woman had fiery red hair and was wearing a beat-up suit of green body armor, and Marcus could see the name "Reilly" written in white on the chest plate. A weary smile appeared on the woman's face as she began to stagger inside. "So...what's a girl...gotta do...to get a drink around here?"
She only took three more steps before collapsing on the floor.
Chapter 11: Reilly's Rangers
Marcus, Charon and Winthrope carried the unconscious woman into the Underworld clinic, or "chop shop" as it was morbidly called.