Konrad had fallen asleep at some point in the drive. It was a fitful nap, and he awoke with a start, feeling more drained than when he had gone to sleep.
He groaned, a splitting headache skewering his thoughts. He rubbed his fingers together, feeling the grime there coating his skin. He gave a disgusted sneer as he dug at some blood and dirt underneath his nails. When had that gotten there...
Xavias looked over at Konrad, the truck they were in cruising to a stop in front of a gate. "You alright, boy?" He asked, his words full of worry, but his eyes made of steely, compassionless pools.
Konrad was acutely aware of how shaky his hands were just then. He clenched his fingers together tightly in a fist. "Yeah... yeah doing fine."
Xavias squinted at his companion. "Well you don't fucking look fine. Maybe a shower would do some good for your sorry state."
Finally, someone understands, Konrad thought, his mind drifting again to the cozy release of a shower...
Vegas hadn't always had the defenses it did now. It used to be a factionless bastion, an anchor in the sea. But now the Coalition had Vegas wrapped around their greedy fingers.
Five years ago, Vegas was starting to run into some trouble. They had attracted the attention of a particularly nasty clan of brigands known as the Crimson Rotters. It quickly became apparent that Vegas' small militia group wasn't going to stand a chance against the Rotters. So they did the only thing one does when faced with extinction.
They begged for help.
The United Western Coalition answered their cries. They offered protection to Vegas, but only under the condition that they joined their alliance. This was something they had been trying to do for months now, and finally it looked like Neo-Vegas was going to give in. Vegas, backed into a corner and seeing no other options available, reluctantly agreed to those terms. With the Coalition's might, they won a decisive victory over the Crimson Rotter's surprisingly powerful army.
The end of the Crimson Invasion was nearly three years ago, and Vegas had been a key city in many battles. The lasting damage and effects that the Invasion had on Vegas could still be seen here and there, but the people of Neo-Vegas had worked hard to restore their beloved city.
It was something not easily done with the Coalition breathing down your neck, demanding compensation for winning Vegas' fights for them.
Konrad started, realizing he had been dozing off again. They were inside the walls of Neo-Vegas now.
Konrad had no idea what to make of the place. Pieced together houses towered over narrow, dark streets. Some of the only illumination in the cramped alleyways were neon signs that flashed and danced. Konrad would have been dazzled if he wasn't already shocked by the fact that Vegas had citywide electricity. Maybe cozying up to the Coalition had its perks...
"Alright, Konrad. This is your first time in a western city. Things will happen here that you might never get to see out on the Coasts."
Xavias' words helped Konrad regain his composure and get back in focus. He nodded slowly, but then gave a curious look at Xavias, asking him to elaborate.
Xavias sighed. "I'll put it simply for you: People out east are dangerous because they're sharp, smart, rugged. They're survivors. People out west are dangerous because they are just fucking crazy."
Konrad smirked at that, though Xavias hadn't phrased it in a joking way, which was cause for some concern.
As the truck crept carefully down the dark streets, there was scarcely a soul to be seen. The ones that could be seen were but ghastly spectres of the night, shrouded in the blue midnight shade within deep, ominous alleyways. Their faces pale in the moonlight, flat and hollow. Emotionless. Void.
Konrad cleared his suddenly dry throat.
"Xavias, I get that not a lot of people look like good guys these days, but these people look especially..."
Konrad didn't finish his sentence. Xavias got the point regardless.
"These alleys are where most of the nasty shitters bum out," Xavias then gestured with a sweeping hand around the more open street areas at the end of the alley. "And that is where the rest of the more docile shitters can be found."
"Then why aren't we going towards the nice guys?"
"Don't want to attract too much attention," Xavias said gruffly, in his own special way that also conveyed the message of shut up now.
Konrad felt a tiny twinge of irritation at being brushed off, but just shrugged and slumped in his seat.
After a minute or two more of driving in silence, Xavias spoke again, softly, "We're going to drop off the cars in a safe place I have arranged. Then, on foot, you will go..."
Xavias trailed off, and Konrad glanced over at him, straightening up. "Go where?"
Xavias shushed him, eyes glued to what was ahead of him.
Konrad glared at the darkness, squinting into its depths.
Four ghoulish figures were silhouetted against the dim sky, standing atop a slight incline, bearing down on the truck and the small troop following it. Neon lights glinted off aluminum bats and lead pipes, sporadically dazzling with violent greens and purples.
Konrad gulped and reached with his good hand for the cougher at his side, setting it in his lap. Xavias kept his eyes trained on the road.
There were a few quick moments, small droplets of bottled tension, that followed. But just as quickly, the alley ghosts parted at the last second, allowing the truck to pass through without trouble.
Konrad let out a breath of relief he didn't realize he had been holding. He continued to watch the four goons through the mirror as they rolled away.
The truck's engine went silent, the alleys of Vegas becoming still and quiet once again. Xavias' eyes reflected off of a dim neon sign across the street.
Konrad nodded to the building, the thing looking more than a little worse for wear. "That's where we are going, I suppose?"
Xavias looked at me with a funny expression, "What? No, we aren't going there. Stop assuming you know what's going on all of the time. That gets people killed. Actually, now that I think about it, we aren't going anywhere. Down that street there will be a place called 'Gary's Getaway'. You will go there and take whatever job he offers. We have our backs against the wall right now, and we are going to be royally fucked if we can't find some more work."
"Just me? Why can't you or someone else come with?" Konrad whined, not wanting to face this new character alone.
"Client did say two of our people— at most. But, I expected to arrive with more of 'our people'. The rest are out trying to hussle all our crap away before we go back out there, doing so at night mind you. Or they are on some other errands for me. Or they're like me: trying to catch some sleep. So, if you see someone trying to chase down a quick nap, do them a solid and don't bother them," Xavias added that last bit with a pointed grumble, his special way of saying piss off now.
Konrad sighed, moving away from the grumpy Xavias. It had been a long day, a harsh day, but Konrad still wished Xavias could dial it down on the jackass levels.
Konrad cleared Xavias from his mind and made his way down down the narrow alleys. Walls seemed to close in from all angles, cornering Konrad. He subconsciously sped up, arriving at the Getaway quickly.
Konrad pushed his way into the area. It became immediately apparent that the area was a club, but it was eerily empty. Except for two men, that is. One was a man to rival the height and muscle of Tiny. The other was about Konrad's size, a tad thinner and balding.
The man greeted Konrad with a practiced smile and a wave, beckoning Konrad to sit. Konrad, assuming he was in the right company, did just that.
"So, I take it you are from Xavias, no?" The man extended his hand to shake. "I am the Baron."
After a moment's hesitation, Konrad took the hand. The Baron had a measured amount of firmness in his grip, enough for a strong man to nod approvingly at his power, but also enough to make a weak man flinch in submission. As Konrad didn't lean in either direction, he simply noted how the Baron had surprisingly callused hands. He didn't look like he had a very 'hands-on' work ethic. Konrad gave a mental shrug. Appearances can be deceiving.
After another moment, Konrad realized he should introduce himself as well. He also became aware that he hadn't cleaned up yet and had just touched this gentleman with his sweaty, grimy hands. "Oh, my name is Konrad. And yeah, Xavias sent me."
"Splendid!" The Baron exclaimed, clasping his hands together eagerly. "So, I have quite the job for Xavias this time, should he choose to take it."
"Well, I'll speak for him on that I suppose."
"Great. Come on out, Maxine," The Baron called out to someone in the adjacent room.
"Maxine? Who is that? Is she the one with the job offer?"
The Baron laughed away Konrad's question. "My boy, Maxine is the job offer. I want you to deliver her."
Konrad balked at the Baron's words. He wanted them to deliver a person? Then a young girl rounded the corner and propped herself against the wall. She couldn't have been older than a junior in highschool. Not that there were any highschools left.
"Wait what? A person? You know, whatever. Where to?"
"To the northeast..."
Konrad groaned, cutting the Baron off. He didn't apologize, "How far east?"
"All the way to the coast I'm afraid," The Baron said with a sad little apologetic shrug.
Konrad rubbed at his eyes in sudden exhaustion. "Sure, great. What the hell is so special about this one girl that she has got to get to the most dangerous area of the New States?"
"That," The Baron began carefully, shooting a glance at Maxine, "is not for me to say. If Maxine wishes to tell you why she is so... special, then that is her choice. Just know that you have to take her to the east coast research facility. Ask around when you get to the coasts, you can't miss it."
"Great, we're transporting a fucking lab rat..."
Stop pretending you know what's going on, Konrad.
Maxine scowled at Konrad.
"Sorry, that was an asshole thing to say. It's... been a really long day. Look, Baron, we'll take it. We can discuss pay when we return. It has been a pleasant chat, but me and the rest of the gang have some unfinished business, so..."
Konrad started walking out, the Baron saying nothing else in return. He simply watched as Konrad and Maxine slipped out into the streets.
It had been only about a minute before shit hit the fan.
The gangers from before came out of nowhere, a pipe catching Konrad in the side, sending him stumbling away.
Thoughts were suddenly whizzing about in Konrad's head with a buzzing agitation, his mind wandering in a dazed stupor. His vision blurred and spun as he rocked back into a brick wall, sliding down it with legs that didn't want to work. Through the tumult of pain and confusion, one name ruled his actions in that moment.
Maxine.
Keep her safe. Don't fail so soon. Konrad shut off his panicked brain, simply reacting as a foot shot towards his head. He jerked away to the side, now ignoring the pain as adrenaline overtook him. The foot slammed into the wall with a heavy thud, the thug it belonged to cursing at his severely stubbed toes. Stubby hopped away on one foot, unbalanced.
Konrad dropped and rolled as a rusty pipe swung where his head once was. He rolled quickly into a kick sent from a third thug. He was faintly aware of the fourth one wrestling with Maxine, but his senses faded away in the flames of combat.
The kick sent pain through Konrad, plus both Stubby and Pipes were coming back around. Konrad latched on to the offending leg, rising as he did, unbalancing Footsie and toppling him to the ground. He then swung Footsie around on the ground to put an obstacle between him and the other two thugs.
Then, eyeing up the final thug struggling with Maxine, Konrad pulled out his pistol in a quick motion and fired a single bullet into the skull of Handsie.
At least, that's what Konrad had planned to happen.
Instead, Konrad fumbled his pistol out of his waistband, sending it with a clatter to the cement alley ground. The three idiots all stared as the firearm flopped onto the ground, then looked at eachother, and finally lunged towards the dropped cougher. The fourth actually took a look for himself, costing him one hard knee to the balls from Maxine. He groaned and collapsed on the spot, cupping his punished genitalia.
Konrad cursed himself now, jumping into action again. He kneed Stubby in the nose as he bent over to grab the gun. Simultaneously, Konrad shot an elbow out into Pipes' jugular as the man clipped him with his weapon, sending the thug to the ground, coughing violently and gasping for air. Konrad himself had to take a step back with a wheeze.
Konrad turned just in time for Footsie to clock him with a hard swing from a bat. Konrad reeled away from the brutal strike, blood streaming down from his nose, a sickening bruise already starting to spread over his cheek and swell. When he gathered his wits a few moments later, he was suddenly staring down the barrel of his own cougher. He froze on the spot as Footsie eyed him with a crazed look and a twisted smile.
"You lose," Footsie cackled, but his laugh turned sharp and was cut short as the pistol fell from his hands and he ragdolled to the ground. Maxine stood over him, a wicked pocket knife, now coated in the man's blood, in her hand.
Konrad blinked in disbelief before scrambling to scoop up his gun and shamble away with Maxine in tow. The two are fast to disappear between shadows and neon displays.