the story in which Alex Seattle Geer is right for hating enclosed spaces,

[doubletap]

and Neil Park is blamed for his knowledge of vaults.

---

Terminal Entries:

1st Floor, Vault Entry-Room Computer:
- Data Entry 1: Year 20XX, Month XX; There's no escape.
- Holotape Entry 1: Y#4@ SDhig^8705 H98 [data corrupted]; This is hell and I want out of it.

1st Floor, Cafeteria Luncheon:
- Holotape Entry 2: Private Recording; I've had better?

1st Floor, Cafeteria Supply Room:
- Inventory List: Inventory List; A list of food....
- Data Entry 2: Shift Notes; Maybe I should tear the walls down.

1st Floor, Broken Cave:
- Data Entry 3: Preparations; Everything's fine.
- Data Entry 4: Near the End; I'll tell you the truth, but I won't give up my soul.
- Data Entry 5: Finally, the End is at Hand.; This is far enough.

1st Floor, Office:
- Data Entry 6: Vault-Wide Public Service Announcement; Get back to work everyone.
- Data Entry 7: Locked Administrative Reply; You're reaching for straws.

1st Floor, Administrative Secretary's Office:
- Data Entry 8: Drama Hoes; It is sort of funny that people aren't able to lie, though.
- Holotape Entry 3: Bill Self-Log; Byron's access still works everywhere.

Comments

[doubletap]

[ Alex isn't as involved in the history of the Vaults--his most personal feeling come in the form of Vault 22 and the horrors that it unleashed. He makes an irritated sound between his teeth and steps back from the terminal--

The dying molerat gives a soft sound, and Alex looks to it, just in time to catch movement coming from the hole, a flash of overlarge eyes and rough skin, claws pulling the dying animal into the deeper earth, and--

And Alex's flaregun is in his hands and fired before the thought completes: One shot to set the creature aflame and fleeing backwards in startlement, and four more shots down the tunnel it fled into. ]

Fuck!

[ Is the passionate outburst; a hand through his hair, eyes wide-- He stares into the glow the flares give off, watching for movement.

The hand holding the flaregun trembles once. ]

I cannot let them get outside.

[goodfight]

[It is more the Courier's reaction rather than the new entity (so that is where the scratching was coming from) that starts Neil straight to his feet. The Kneecapper is out and raised toward the tunnel, but something tells the young man he's missing several vital pieces.]

And what exactly is 'them'?

[doubletap]

Tunnelers. No-- Wait--

[ He turns wild eyes on Neil, holds a hand out. ]

You have grenades, right?

[ Dynamite would be better, but-- ]

Give me all that you have.

[ There it movement in that dark; more of the creatures, hovering just past the dying flares. ]

[goodfight]

[These Tunnelers have Alex Seattle Gear in a panic. Neil Park has never seen the man before him so agitated as he does now.

The detail, however, will need to wait. He pulls four of the requested from an accessible place on his pack. Two he hands to Alex, and one Neil pulls out the pin with his thumb.

This he throws into the dark as he darts for better cover. The frag grenade explodes a beat after impact, sending shrapnel in every direction.]

[doubletap]

[ Neil is quick to react but not in the way Alex wants. This has the potential to get insanely messy if they don't communicate--especially as the grenade he set off helps the flares go out.

He shifts the grenades to one hand and shoots two flares down the tunnel. The damn kid better listen to him. ]

Throw four flashbangs as far as you can down the tunnel. The grenades we need to pull the rock down right here.

[ To close the tunnel, Neil Park. To prevent the Mojave from dying a second time. ]

[goodfight]

[Apparently, that isn't the correct choice, but Neil can't afford to pick apart the reasons now.

Especially when Alex has a plan.]

Take this, then!

[Holstering the sawed-off shotgun, Neil tosses the other man the remaining grenade. Wasting no time, he procures four flashbangs from the same pack, unpins and sends each one far down the tunnel as instructed.]

[doubletap]

Then go!

[ The flashbangs go off, there's a sound reminiscent to the ones he hears in his dreams, and Neil darts back, ducking down through the tunnel they came through. Alex grabs at Neil's pack as he does so, scooping out an armful of grenades.

Well, this will be fun.

Alex waits until he knows the kid is at least mostly through, steps to the hole, and in rapid succession, pulls the pins out of sixteen grenades, then half-hopelessly dives for the tunnel.

This isn't going to end well. ]

[goodfight]

[Sixteen frag grenades cause an explosion strong enough to collapse a man-made tunnel and the walls of the closet to shake. Neil rolls away from the entryway, hands over his head to protect it from debris or projectiles.

The tremors eventually stop, allowing the man to remove his hands and look around. He finds Alex on the ground, the older man's current appearance suggesting potential injury.

Neil blinks as he rushes over, his mind processing a million miles a second.]

Alex!

[A slab of rock appears to have landed on Alex's leg, which Neil wastes no time removing.]

You okay?

[doubletap]

[ There's a headache burning behind his eyes--that's what he notices first. He's on the ground and there's only the rattle of stones instead of an explosion, which means he blacked out for a moment there. The headache is first--Neil's voice is second.

The kid is at his side near instantly, showing more concern than Alex can ever remember seeing. There's some damage, he knows, but nothing a doctor's bag and some stimpacks won't cure. Nah, that's not important. This reaction is. He props himself up on an arm and reaches the other hand, bloody and dirty, to Neil's jaw, to move in a kiss. ]

[goodfight]

[The older man seems dazed. And hurt, of course-- There are patches of blood, mixing against dirt and grime, but nothing appears fatal. Neil sighs, relieved, his mind slowing down to a steady beat.

He is about to fetch his wayward pack when a hand touches his jawline, pulling him in a kiss. This, of course, is taken as well as anything can be.

Neil lingers for a second before snapping back in surprise.]

Jesus, Alex, lay the fuck back down!

[doubletap]

[ He laughs.

It's honest and open, and he just laughs for a moment, before rolling a little onto his good side to dig out his medkit. ]

You think this is the first time I've been hurt, kid? Half the time ED-E's not even here to help. When Vault 11 decided to try and kill me, it took me damn near hours to try and patch myself up.

[ He digs out the doctor's bags. First things first. ]

Gotta say, though, I love your concern.

[goodfight]

[He cannot help himself. Neil growls--in a very non-threatening manner.]

I'm not a moron, if that is what you're implying.

[Just acting very out of character. Worry, especially for another, rarely touches the surface.

He deflates grudgingly, allowing Alex to tend to his own, even if he's severely tempted to snatch the doctor's bag away from the man. Or fuck, what the hell, he'll do exactly that.

Almost angrily, Neil reaches out and grabs the doctor's bag out of Alex's hands.]

Nope. Not this time.

[doubletap]

[ Alex's hands release the bag in surprise, watching as Neil sets it up almost angrily. Caught somewhere between amused and pleased, Alex watches while Neil carefully peels up his pant leg and applies the first doctor's bag to the crippled limb.

Despite himself, he can't not comment. ]

...You really are concerned about me.

[goodfight]

[Complications war within the Lone Wanderer. There are too many fuzzy soft aspects clashing against jagged glass, yet he does not hesitate in his task.

The comment sets something off, and without looking up, he mutters angrily.]

Yeah, I've been concerned about you a shit ton lately.

[doubletap]

[ Something in Alex actually makes him not step lightly here, more than anywhere else. Maybe because of the injury--/killed He doesn't joke, or move to touch Neil--just holds out the second doctor's bag when Neil finishes. ]

What's different lately?

[goodfight]

[With the leg patched up, all that remains is the torso. Neil accepts the doctor's bag and then takes to carefully inching up clothing layers.]

You're betraying more of yourself. Of that history you generally keep quiet about.

[doubletap]

[ He moves to yank a shirt up, wincing as he does so. ]

That doesn't make sense. I wasn't doing that until here, and anyway-- Why would that make you concerned?

[ No comment on the normally keeping quiet about remark, nope. ]

[goodfight]

[Neil gives Alex a dead-eyed stare for the motion. His words, however, do not match his look.]

True enough. It may be just that: outside of this vault, you were running your mouth about everything except yourself. I've been wondering what exactly had happened for some time now.

[doubletap]

Noth--

[ He winces, swallowing the word, the "untruth," as it were. He curls his lip in disgust at the refusal of the word. ]

...Stuff happened. And maybe it was messed up, and maybe it messed me up, but I'm still here, aren't I? It didn't make me any less able to deal with shit. It doesn't make me less of a man.

[ And there is the horror, then. Because that was not something he wanted to say in any way. He swallows hard, obvious, then looks away. ]

[goodfight]

[A doctor's bag on a crippled torso takes time, but right now, they have plenty to spare. Time and words, that is.

Alex reacts with discomfort, and of course, Neil does not miss it.]

I never said it did.

[He continues full speed, patching the other man up as if he never paused.]

I'm sure you're fully capable of taking care of yourself and your business. But you still worry the hell out of me, old man.

[doubletap]

[ He doesn't look back at Neil now, despite the other's hands on his skin. ]

If I'm capable of taking care of shit, there's no need for concern.

[goodfight]

[A derisive noise escapes his mouth.]

Right. Like I can help that I care about you.

[doubletap]

[ He looks back now. ]

Care isn't concern. Or worry.

[goodfight]

Care is concern and worry when there is uncertainty.

[Neil finishes his task. His hand shoves into a nearby pocket, procuring a stimpak.]

And you don't really tell me anything. Well, until here, that is.

[doubletap]

[ Alex snorts at the stimpak and produces two of his own from a pouch. He consists of the stuff, he likely has more than Neil does.

He doesn't use it though, not yet. He plays with them idly, rotating them between his fingers. ]

You didn't seem to care about that before.