Just Another Wastelander

The next morning, I felt sick. I ran to the bathroom and vomited, leaning against the side of the stall and pulling my hair out of the way. "Nasty," I said under my breath. I figured I'd eat at the bar while Butch slept, so I took a seat beside Kyle. "Are you always here?"

Kyle laughed, a strand of his blond hair fell over his forehead. "Pretty much, I ain't got anything else to do. I mean, I do, but I'm not sure where to start."

"What do you mean?" Before he spoke, I asked Trudy for some Brahmin steak, handing her 4 bottle caps.

"It's a long story," Kyle said, slurping up a spoonful of his squirrel stew. "I heard you get sick a few minutes ago, might have a baby in that thing."

I scowled. "No, I just ate raw mole rat meat yesterday on the way here." But he did have a point, from last night anyway, ahem. Trudy placed the brahmin steak in front of me, and I thanked her. "It ain't your business anyway, I barely know you."

"No need to get so hostile, Red" He sneered, ruffling my auburn brown hair. "I was a courier, and I ended up here after being shot in the head, and dug up from my grave. I'm looking for the guy who did it, who ever seen someone wearing a white and black checkered suit?"

I've seen a lot of shit, but that had to be the craziest story ever summed up. I shook my head no, mouth full of steak.

"No one has," Kyle sighed. "I've gone to Primm, even saved their town. But I can't find a way to get to New Vegas, the main highway is swarming with deathclaws." I could see him looking at me from the corner of my eye. "Maybe you should relax on that steak, Trudy's got plenty of food."

I glared at Kyle, shoving another forkful of steak into my mouth. "Butch and I were heading to New Vegas too, maybe we could help you?"

"No, I don't think you could handle this," Kyle said, sliding his empty bowl away from him.

It was still early in the morning, so nobody was in here yet besides Trudy, who was in the other room. This was the one time I ever told anybody what I'd done for the Capital. I don't know why, but Kyle was one of those people you automatically like, but you also hate. "You ever heard of the girl that purified the water in D.C? The one who cleared the super mutants?"

Kyle nodded, taking a swig of vodka this time.

"That was me," I smirked. "Tell me I can't handle a couple guys with guns. And are you already drinking this early?

"What about your boyfriend?" He asked, saying 'boyfriend' in the rudest way possible. He didn't even seem slightly impressed about my accomplishment. "And yes, I'm drinking."

I shook my head no. "He was with me the whole time. He even ran a gang once. We could help you get to New Vegas, and after that, we'd be out of your skin," I swore.

"What, you listened to me and realized you've got a little monster growing in there? I did hear you last night," Kyle laughed.

"It's not funny." I held his hostile gaze, my hazel eyes to his icy blue.

Kyle chuckled. "It kinda is. Anyway, sure you both can come, but I'm not going to slow down for you, and I'm not going back for you when you decide to check out a building that turns out to be a raider trap."
~~~~
Out on the road again, 3 miles southeast of Goodsprings. Butch and I kept behind Kyle, he seemed to know the roads better. But I had an idea. "Wait, you said the main highway is swarmed, right?"

"Right."

"What if we circle around?" I suggested. "There's got to be other roads."

"I've been here a week and I've never thought of that," Kyle growled at himself. "We're gonna stop at Primm because you ain't gonna last in that Vault 101 suit, and you 'pretty boy', aren't going to last in that leather jacket. In the Wasteland, style ain't gonna get you nowhere."

"It's a Tunnel Snake jacket," Butch sniffed.

"Yeah, it's your gang. I know."

Butch looked to me. "You told him didn't you?"

"Only the important parts," I smiled, moving his hair curl out of the way of his sparkling brown eyes.

"Aww, you think the Tunnel Snakes are important!" Butch snickered.

A bark made me jump. The only sounds I'd been hearing were the yips of coyotes and Butch and Kyle's voices. I readied my gun, it sure didn't sound like a coyote. Then, a large gray and black dog appeared from the tumbleweeds.

I glanced at Butch, who had the most surprised expression I'd ever see him do. I placed my pistol back in its holster, and ran to the dog. "Dogmeat!"

Dogmeat ran to me, his whole body was shaking from his wagging tail. I knelt down, hugging my dog that I had left behind with my father. As long as Butch had been travelling with me, he and Dogmeat had bonded. Butch came over, and stroked his head.

"He must've ran away not long after we left," I said. The rope I had put around his neck as a collar was still there, so obviously he hadn't been taken by someone that would take it off. "I hope nothing bad happened to my dad."

"I'm sure he's fine, Dogmeat just missed being with us," Butch reassured.

"That dog's just gonna be a nuisance," Kyle said. "I hate to say it, because I love dogs too, but he's gonna end up dead out here."

Butch laughed. I shook my head, "No, you're dead wrong. This dog is the fastest and the strongest you'll ever see. He wandered the wasteland with Butch and I for a year, helping us out with raiders, scorpions, and even the muties."

Kyle clenched his jaw. "Fine. But don't be crying when you find out what I said was true."

I felt complete again. Ever since we'd left, I missed my father and Dogmeat terribly. I missed Amata too, but she wasn't the one who had never left my side, instead, she said I wasn't allowed back in Vault 101. But now, I had Butch and Dogmeat, and I was on my way to New Vegas.

Primm wasn't far from Goodpsrings, we were already coming up the road. It seemed purely NCR controlled. A flag wove on the bridge, and soldiers patrolled the outskirts.

"We're just here to get armor, so don't stop and chat to any citizens, alright?" Kyle said sternly.

"Whoa, can we stop at that casino?" Butch asked, pointing to the Vikki and Vance casino. A couple people were sitting outside, smoking and talking. "Oh that reminds me--" Butch pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit a match, blowing out the smoke for the first time in a few days.
~~~~
Kyle had done us our only favor, buying us both a new set of armor. Butch still wore his Tunnel Snakes jacket over his reinforced leather armor, and I had combat armor. Unfortunately, I had to stow away my Vault suit in my bag, but my new armor came with plenty of pockets and pouches for storing, and as a bonus, it was lightweight.

"One thing you'll learn," Kyle began, "Is to never ever wear faction armor. The major ones are the NCR, the Legion and the Great Kahns. The Boomers live at an air force base, but never go there because you'll become pieces. The Brotherhood of Steel--"

"I know who the Brotherhood of Steel is," I interrupted. We passed by an NCR camp, and I gazed up at the watch towers. They didn't bother us though.

"Okay, well. The Great Khans aren't much of a problem, but just don't ever get caught up with any faction. You'll wind up dead. There's probably more, but I just don't know them yet."
~~~~
Nightfall was going to be here soon. We set up camp a ways off the highway to avoid being spotted. Kyle set up our tents, and then started a campfire. There wasn't any logs to sit on, so we had to sit on the dusty ground. I leaned against Butch, and Kyle sat across the campfire. Dogmeat laid at my feet, tail wagging. For an hour, we talked about ourselves, and then about Kyle's situation, until we returned to our tents after putting out the fire.

"He sure seems interested in you," Butch said gruffly, laying on his bedroll. "He hasn't bothered asking me anything, it's all you."

I took my place beside him. "Don't worry about it. He's kinda a bitch anyway."

"Yeah I was a bitch to you in the Vault and now look what happened," Butch said. "If he tries anything, just scream and Butch'll take care of it."

Through the space of the tent flap, a tower lit up in the distance. New Vegas.