The caravans had finished their business and were getting ready to leave when Alex burst out the door, looking like a crazy person. A handful of caps convinced them to sell to said crazy person (a mirror would have helped his cause--apparently there was blood under his chin, whoops), and he brought their entire stock of "food" and ammunition. A more perky Alex Seattle Geer moved to head back inside--
Only to see the shine of metal in the distance. He hears the sound of heavy feet, and while it could be anyone--anyone, really, at all--he knows a little better than that. "...Shit."
He slips back inside, willing to pay his toll with the guard, and bunker back down. He comes in to the guy in the middle of a lecture. "Drew, I fucking swear, if you go near that door one more time..."
"It's suspicious, what it is. There's no reason we should just let him--"
"Actually," Alex interrupts, arms full of boxed food. "There's seven reasons that you should. Oh! And a rocket launcher as well. So eight reasons. But don't let me stop you. Open the door. See what happens." He smiles, charmingly, and the kid--Drew, apparently--stares at him. The so-far-unnamed man moves to walk between them.
"No worry about that, seriously. We have no need to trouble you. The Wanderer--he okay?"
Alex is charmed that the man asks after Neil. It softens him toward the idiot the man is babysitting. "He'll be okay. Worst part is over, we just need to ride out the rest. It's gonna be a little bit more. We putting you out?"
"Nah, like I said," the man replies, shaking his head. "We don't use the space down there. Name's Washington, by the way. This is my little contingent force," he says, with a hand to the mouthy Drew and the silent Cooper.
"Rivet City more than BOS?" Alex wonders.
"Yeah, we're Rivet City. Franchising the water project since the Brotherhood is too busy to take care of all of it."
"I'm sure," Alex gives, in a tone between sincerity and sarcasm. "Any rate... You got a contingent of your own heading this way, those boys in shiny steel." Alex catches the way Washington's mouth tightens, only perceptibly. There's a couple power plays in place, some dislikes already settled--but he already guessed as much. And he could use it, if the Drew kid would shut his fucking face.
It makes him wish it was a year and a half ago, two years back, however much longer, that he could just put a cap in the guy's ass and be done with it. Fucking moral relativity and the loss of self-centered justification. Alex sighs out at the loss, provoking Washington to warily reply. "We aren't going to turn you over, if that's what you're worried--"
"Not worried," Alex replies with a simple smile. "And any way--remember, that kid down there is a card carrying BOS." And so am I somewhere, he says internally, rolling his eyes. "But I don't want those assholes to get too 'concerned' and wanna take him to a medic--kid can't be moved now, and there's going to be some bodies if someone tries."
Alex looks around the room--Cooper holds his gaze without complexity, Washington shows a worried kind of agreement, and Drew looks away. And that is who Alex crosses the distance to. He leans down, tilting his head to catch the kid's eyes. "Hey," he says, a familiar call for attention. "You hate my guts, right?"
The kid looks back, seemingly shocked--worried. Alex smiles. "Don't cause trouble for me, and you can try to shoot me up as much as you like."
"Man, I didn't say--"
Alex shrugs. "You aren't going to earn points with those assholes by outing us. They'll sing to your song and dance and forget your life the second you're out of sight. Brotherhood doesn't take in homeless nobodies unless they put their life on the line. And tattletelling doesn't really cut it."
The kid reddens, and Alex isn't sure if it's anger or embarrassment. Washington steps closer. "Seriously... He's not going to say anything. We represent Rivet City--we can't afford to cause a fuss for them."
"Then we shouldn't have let--"
"Drew." The silent man in the corner speaks, cutting off the kid who turns to stare. "Just shut up."
Alex grins in the silence, and starts to move through the room. "Washington, Cooper, Drew, right?" At the nods, Alex nods one of his own. "I'm not from around here, so you probably wouldn't have heard of me." I'm a pretty big deal. "Alex Seattle Geer. Not at your service, sadly. Kid's taking up most of my time and energy for that. But just so you know--I always repay my debts." A promise for Washington--and Cooper, probably. A threat for Drew if he decides to act smart. Nearing the door, he calls back over his shoulder.
"Oh, and Washington? Kid's got a name. Not just the Lone Wanderer. Name's Neil Park. That's something that you guys should be spreading."
It was nice sometimes, he thinks, dumping the shit he's carrying down the stairs so he can hop over. To interact with people that didn't want to kill you and screw you over. Who didn't fucking know you from Adam. Who treated you just like a guy. A guy who can kill you with seven different guns and a rocket launcher, true, but a guy all the same.
At the bottom of the stairs, Alex chuckles, and starts picking up all of the crap. On the floor above him, Washington slaps the back of Drew's head, and the kid rubs it, swearing and whining. Cooper sighs, and goes back to oiling his gun.
no subject
Only to see the shine of metal in the distance. He hears the sound of heavy feet, and while it could be anyone--anyone, really, at all--he knows a little better than that. "...Shit."
He slips back inside, willing to pay his toll with the guard, and bunker back down. He comes in to the guy in the middle of a lecture. "Drew, I fucking swear, if you go near that door one more time..."
"It's suspicious, what it is. There's no reason we should just let him--"
"Actually," Alex interrupts, arms full of boxed food. "There's seven reasons that you should. Oh! And a rocket launcher as well. So eight reasons. But don't let me stop you. Open the door. See what happens." He smiles, charmingly, and the kid--Drew, apparently--stares at him. The so-far-unnamed man moves to walk between them.
"No worry about that, seriously. We have no need to trouble you. The Wanderer--he okay?"
Alex is charmed that the man asks after Neil. It softens him toward the idiot the man is babysitting. "He'll be okay. Worst part is over, we just need to ride out the rest. It's gonna be a little bit more. We putting you out?"
"Nah, like I said," the man replies, shaking his head. "We don't use the space down there. Name's Washington, by the way. This is my little contingent force," he says, with a hand to the mouthy Drew and the silent Cooper.
"Rivet City more than BOS?" Alex wonders.
"Yeah, we're Rivet City. Franchising the water project since the Brotherhood is too busy to take care of all of it."
"I'm sure," Alex gives, in a tone between sincerity and sarcasm. "Any rate... You got a contingent of your own heading this way, those boys in shiny steel." Alex catches the way Washington's mouth tightens, only perceptibly. There's a couple power plays in place, some dislikes already settled--but he already guessed as much. And he could use it, if the Drew kid would shut his fucking face.
It makes him wish it was a year and a half ago, two years back, however much longer, that he could just put a cap in the guy's ass and be done with it. Fucking moral relativity and the loss of self-centered justification. Alex sighs out at the loss, provoking Washington to warily reply. "We aren't going to turn you over, if that's what you're worried--"
"Not worried," Alex replies with a simple smile. "And any way--remember, that kid down there is a card carrying BOS." And so am I somewhere, he says internally, rolling his eyes. "But I don't want those assholes to get too 'concerned' and wanna take him to a medic--kid can't be moved now, and there's going to be some bodies if someone tries."
Alex looks around the room--Cooper holds his gaze without complexity, Washington shows a worried kind of agreement, and Drew looks away. And that is who Alex crosses the distance to. He leans down, tilting his head to catch the kid's eyes. "Hey," he says, a familiar call for attention. "You hate my guts, right?"
The kid looks back, seemingly shocked--worried. Alex smiles. "Don't cause trouble for me, and you can try to shoot me up as much as you like."
"Man, I didn't say--"
Alex shrugs. "You aren't going to earn points with those assholes by outing us. They'll sing to your song and dance and forget your life the second you're out of sight. Brotherhood doesn't take in homeless nobodies unless they put their life on the line. And tattletelling doesn't really cut it."
The kid reddens, and Alex isn't sure if it's anger or embarrassment. Washington steps closer. "Seriously... He's not going to say anything. We represent Rivet City--we can't afford to cause a fuss for them."
"Then we shouldn't have let--"
"Drew." The silent man in the corner speaks, cutting off the kid who turns to stare. "Just shut up."
Alex grins in the silence, and starts to move through the room. "Washington, Cooper, Drew, right?" At the nods, Alex nods one of his own. "I'm not from around here, so you probably wouldn't have heard of me." I'm a pretty big deal. "Alex Seattle Geer. Not at your service, sadly. Kid's taking up most of my time and energy for that. But just so you know--I always repay my debts." A promise for Washington--and Cooper, probably. A threat for Drew if he decides to act smart. Nearing the door, he calls back over his shoulder.
"Oh, and Washington? Kid's got a name. Not just the Lone Wanderer. Name's Neil Park. That's something that you guys should be spreading."
It was nice sometimes, he thinks, dumping the shit he's carrying down the stairs so he can hop over. To interact with people that didn't want to kill you and screw you over. Who didn't fucking know you from Adam. Who treated you just like a guy. A guy who can kill you with seven different guns and a rocket launcher, true, but a guy all the same.
At the bottom of the stairs, Alex chuckles, and starts picking up all of the crap. On the floor above him, Washington slaps the back of Drew's head, and the kid rubs it, swearing and whining. Cooper sighs, and goes back to oiling his gun.