leanonstuff | PSL post for daughterless

PSL post for daughterless

[The NCR had sent Norman to the Vault because the area was surrounded by Fiends, and he was damn good at blending among the various "criminal" groups around the Mojave. No way an ordinary NCR trooper would be able to get inside without being attacked. And according to their intelligence, exactly what was inside was of such great importance that they couldn't possibly wait to go after it just in case Caesar's Legion got wind of it and acted first. Norman was searching for a box of special bottles that appeared to be beer or vodka bottles, but were actually filled with a chemical that, when introduced into a water supply, could spread a deadly bacteria that would wipe out anyone who drank the contaminated water for at least a month.

Unfortunately, finding the bottles was turning out to be far more difficult that Norman had anticipated. He'd gotten into the Vault in the first place by wearing old, torn and dirty clothes that could pass as those a typical raider or Fiend might wear. He'd even bought a few chems from them to help gain their trust (and to use them later, though he planned to tell the NCR that he'd disposed of them instead). The Vault seemed to be empty of Fiends, luckily, but he wasn't too optimistic that he wouldn't eventually run into ghouls or worse.

10mm pistol in hand, Norman opens the door to the Vault infirmary, hoping he might have some more luck locating the bottles in there.]

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[Being hydrated helps his focus, which he decides to turn wholeheartedly onto the task at hand. No thinking about the NCR's betrayal, no thinking about his future. Just here, now, and what needs to be done.

Norman steps over to the crate, glancing at the old rifles. He's good enough with a rifle, but those really don't look like they're in the best shape... a few shots might put an end to them. Fortunately, Norman is pretty good at fixing things up; it's one of the skills his superiors emphasized went well with his sort of career path. When you're infiltrating enemy lands, sometimes you need to work with whatever you can find.]

I'm okay at it.

[He picks up one of the guns, places it to the side, then grans another. Yeah... he can probably fix these up to make a couple decent ones. Nothing spectacular, but more workable than what they have.]

Give me a little while and I should be able to fix something up for us.

[Joel's not a bad hand at fixing things up himself. Between the two of them, they might be able to scrape together a passable set of guns to trek across the Mojave.]

Alright, then you get started up on these. [He picks up the crowbar again, intending to go open up a few more crates, then glances back at Norman.] I know you're a good hand 'round lockpicks. Got any other tricks up your sleeves?

[With that, Norman starts gathering together several of the guns, grabbing a tool or two he spots lying around and getting to work. It would be easier if the light wasn't so dim, but he thinks he'll manage. Certainly, he'd feel better going back out there with a decent rifle.]

Tricks? Hmm. I'm a decent shot, but that's not exactly a trick. I'm not bad at sneaking around, and I can disable traps pretty easily too. Just don't ask me to do anything really heavy-handed. I'm also okay at blending in with other groups, as long as I don't have to talk to them.

[In other words, he has pretty high small guns, lock pick, sneak and repair. His strength, endurance, speech and charisma are rubbish usually, but occasionally he manages to blurt out a passable lie or bash a guy's brains in, like he'd done earlier with the Legion.]

What about you?

[So an average spy, Joel thinks. And what's Joel good at?

....killing people, for the most part. The thought doesn't make him wince, though it might have, some years back. It puts him at a high for guns large and small, sneak, melee, and he's passing decent with repair and explosives. Joel's also got high strength, endurance, and perception going for him, but.... not much else. And especially not luck.]

I know my way round guns, bombs, bashing in heads. ...Mostly killin' folks before they kill you.

[There might have been a slight edge to his voice-- he hasn't forgotten that when it comes down to it, Norman was too squeamish to do what needed to be done.]

[Yeah, he already got the message that Joel's good at killing people. Norman doesn't pick up the meaning behind that tone of voice, however. He will do what needs to be done when he has to, like he'd done with that one Legionary. He just... really doesn't like to, and only kills as a last resort for the most part. Generally in self-defense.]

Sounds like we'd make a good team.

[There's also a hint of sarcasm in his tone, as he's starting working on fixing up one of the rifles. In all honesty, he probably needs someone like Joel to make it around alive with those bottles, but he isn't incredibly impressed that the man's talents are all related to killing people. Suppose there could be more that he just isn't saying if he's really playing up the hardass mercenary angle, or maybe he really hasn't had a chance to pick up less violent skills during a day-to-day lifestyle in the Mojave.]

If you're good with explosives, we should try get our hands on some landmines. Not a bad idea to set them around the entrance of wherever we're hiding out.

Right. [Not even bothering to hide the skepticism in his own voice. Joel isn't about to air his dirty laundry and past ~~regrets~~ misdeeds all over the place, but "teaming up" with an NCR man-- even ex-NCR, given the circumstances, is... well, not LAST on his list of 'shit never to do', but it's pretty far down there.]

I mostly worked with the home-brewed stuff-- bottlecap mines, nail bombs, nuka-grenades... [when he could find enough nuka-cola quantums to scrape together a batch, which wasn't often.] Your regular garden-variety landmines, I can set no problem. Could also rig up a couple of tripwires as insurance when we camp out for the night.

[He's opened up a whole batch of crates by now, and is pulling out battered shotguns, setting them to one side with a grimace-- after the pistol, combat shotguns are his preferred weapon of choice, and he'll need to patch one up into some semblance of good repair before they clear out. Joel prefers stealth to a full frontal attack, but when it's all guns blazing, there's nothing quite like having a shotgun at hand to smear your enemies across the walls.]

Think they'll have cleared out by dawn, or are we stuck here for another day or two?

[Norman doesn't mind the skepticism, and has his own doubts. He won't be forgetting the way Joel had knocked him out in the vault, though he's willing to take the risk it won't happen again. As far as he's concerned, there isn't much other choice but to trust that Joel isn't going try something like with his own neck on the line too.]

Sounds good. I've never really worked with any of that.

[While he can handle a shotgun if he has to, Norman was trained with rifles and pistols like the rest of the NCR troopers. Shotguns definitely wouldn't be his weapon of choice, so he'll focus more on the rifles.]

Yeah, they'll head back to McCarran or another Ranger Station soon enough. It's the Legion I'm more worried about.

[As far as he knows, they'd keep going without rest for ages. And frankly, he'd rather be shot dead by the NCR than executed by the Legion.]

I can handle 'em, as long as we covered our tracks with that bunch back at the gas station.

[And as long as word hasn't spread about Joel and his special "job". He rather doubts it-- this high level of intelligence isn't going to be known by the common foot soldiers or the low level folks he has contact with.]

[...] Play our cards right, and we might be able to get some extra intel thrown in.

[Like nearby Legion encampments or local scouting parties. What Joel isn't quite saying is that he's certainly done business with the Legion before, enough that some of the people he knew might be willing to share those sorts of details. He's none too discriminatory about what he sells to who-- beggars can't be choosers, smugglers don't get to be too picky about their buyers, and all that. Selling to Caeser's flunkies leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but between them and the raiders and the Khans, the odd coherent ghoul and caravans that couldn't scrape two clipped caps together, at least they're reliable about payment.

Even if it wasn't anything like a truce (nobody has a fucking truce with the Legion), he's known to them, and that's... something. At the right times and in the right places, dropping the right names and making the correct signs, at least he wouldn't get himself shot on sight.]

Sorry for saying, but you didn't look like you were "handling 'em" when I stopped by.

[Norman has no idea how many people in the Legion might know about the bottles or their significance. If they're behaving anything like the NCR, probably not too many know... but he still doesn't want to cross paths with Legionaries anyway. Even in disguise, you never know when they'll decide to press you into service, or take you as a slave.]

What do you mean by that?

[Norman already has all the intel he needs from the NCR... well, for the most part. He doesn't know what they intend to do with the bottles, but that doesn't matter because he and Joel have those in their possession. It's the Legion side of things he's unsure of. And like hell is he getting close enough to any of them to gather intel about their plans.]

[That earns Norman a hard look and a bit of a scowl from Joel. He'd gotten ambushed, and that didn't count, okay? Nevermind that without Norman's help he'd be six feet under, feeding the worms, but embarrassment trumps gratitude every time and Joel just about growls his response.]

More like I'm feelin' damn lucky they didn't shoot the both of us for that bullshit stunt you pulled back there.

[He looks away, and there's slight pause as Joel considers how much he should tell Norman. On one hand, they were going to be running a mission together, at least for a couple of days, and trying to be sneaky is a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, NCR got along with Legion like a house on fire, and he isn't too keen on just giving away all of his trade secrets just yet.]

Let's just say that I know some folks with connections in the Legion and leave it at that.

[More like Joel's got the Legion connections who (probably) won't shoot him on sight (or press him into service or hang him up on the nearest crucifix or...) Everyone's got to eat, everyone's got to have guns, and even a group as ruthless and efficient as the Legion can't do it all in-house. He's just one of the many small time suppliers who fueled them up in this region, who were too wary to lurk too close and too smart to double cross their heavily armed and vicious "clients". Joel isn't sure what that says about him that it looks like there's a chance he might be doing both.]

[That counts in Norman's books. Dead is dead, and alive is alive. He saved Joel's ass, and although he doesn't expect any visible signs of appreciation, he is at least content in his knowledge of it.]

That bullshit stunt is the reason we're still breathing right now. I know what I'm doing... give me some credit.

[He tinkers with the rifle a bit more during Joel's silence. The response isn't too reassuring. Yeah, he clearly knew those people, judging by the guy whose head got stomped in back at the station. Nearly everything about Joel is suspicious as hell, but he's all Norman has right now. The thought that everything he's built up in his life is gone now makes his chest tighten a little, and with a good deal of effort, he forces himself to focus on the present situation.]

I guess if it'll help us get through their territory without any problems...

[If both the Legion and NCR are shooting at them, their chances of survival are depressingly low. So that's the positive side of what he's learned, he supposes.]

It will.

[Yeah, being a shitty, shitty person gets him through the Mojave just fine. By now, Joel's stripped a couple of shotguns down, frowning at the crust of dirt on some of these parts. What the hell is with people who don't take care of their guns...?]

As long as you can get us round all the NCR stations out here. [This close to base camp, there's bound to be patrols every which way they go. Maybe he'd be able to mark them out on a map. They'll probably have to take the long way around either way. And if they get spotted... Joel glances back at Norman, a sharp look.] They catch sight of us, then it's shoot to kill. You got the stomach for that?

[Despite the blunt question, there's no condescension in his eyes, no judgment. Joel's feelings about the NCR aside, loyalty is loyalty, and trust seems to be a quality the other man has in spades (why he was trusting a man like Joel, who'd already turned on him once and left him for dead is really beyond him.) It had to burn-- the two of them had been betrayed, tossed aside like so much trash. He'd gotten his own back, but Norman...]

I know where all of them are, so I can help us avoid them. The patrols are pretty predictable too.

[He knows where they won't go... and that's too close to major Legion outposts. So if Joel somehow has connections that'll keep them safe in Legion territory, he hates to think of it but sticking around there might be their best bet.]

W-well... [The falter in voice is obvious, and Norman pauses as he looks down at the rifle he's working on fixing up. Those are people he knows, if not necessarily his friends. The higher ups might be more corrupted than he thought, but the regular guys? He sure as hell doesn't want to kill them.]

Yeah... yeah. I can do it. [He'll just have to work extra hard to make sure they don't come across any NCR guys. He'll do what he has to in order to survive and keep those bottles safe. But he doesn't want that guilt on his shoulders either.] We'll be fine. It's gonna be okay.

[He's talking more to himself than Joel, and doesn't sound all that convinced either.]

[Not exactly the most reassuring response. The corners of Joel's mouth tighten. If he has to take care of most of the killing, then fine, so bit it. It's not exactly like he's afraid of getting his hands dirty (dirtier). Just as long as Norman doesn't freeze up when the time comes. This is his mission, after all, his big cause.

Joel hefts the newly patched up shotgun, gives it a tug to make sure everything was secured, nothing loose or rattling around. The metal warms under his hands, and it's... reassuring, in a way. They can do this. If it's just a matter of staying out of sight and killing whoever might try to catch them, Joel can do this.]

We'll give it til nightfall-- then you lead the way.

Okay.

[It isn't long before Norman's fixed up the rifle. Placing it aside, he goes to sit himself down on the floor and rests his head against one of the boxes, eyes sliding shut. After everything they've been through today, from the Vault to the encounter with the Legion, then the NCR, he's exhausted.]

Mind if I take a quick nap before then?

[Ordinarily he would never want to sleep around someone he doesn't fully trust. But at this point, it's hard to imagine things getting any worse. And beside, what could Joel possibly do? If he wanted to kill him and run off with the bottles, he'd have done it already.]

Go ahead. I'll take first watch.

[If anyone comes bursting into the cave, they're probably already dead, and the best Joel would be able to do is take out a few before he goes down. Even so, it goes against his every instinct to leave them unguarded. He'd occupy himself for the next few hours rigging up a couple homemade bombs and packing and repacking the contents of his bag.]

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PSL post for daughterless

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