Hello all!

I'm Eva and I'd like to share with you my story based on Fallout: New Vegas.

The story follows Eva Bree, a courier who found her self being almost mortally wounded for reasons she is unsure of.

Her story starts after waking up from her ordeal in the town of Goodsprings after being rescued from near death.

First, I shall tell you a little bit about Eva.

Eva is originally the protagonist of my original Fallout 3 fanfic (which I will post as a prequel as soon as I find it as I lost the portable hard drive it was on! Oops). After the events in Fallout 3 she decided to travel the wasteland, eventually getting a job as a courier as she tried to live as normal a life as possible. Unfortunately, this was not meant to be...

I woke up; or at least started to. The air was dank and humid. I could hear a ceiling fan spinning miserably as my eyes began to regain focus.

My head was killing me. The pain was almost unbearable; but it was certainly not the worst I’d ever felt.

Flashes of my previous conscious state were blurry. I could remember that I had been grabbed by a couple of men; not gently I might add. Next thing I knew I was tied up atop a hill with a man in a checkered suit stood before me. I couldn't hear him clearly, but he mumbled something about a package. Next thing I knew I was shot.

I didn't even have a chance to beg for my life as the man in the suit put a bullet through my brain.

How I was still alive I wasn't sure; I thought that maybe it was all a dream. If I was lucky maybe my whole life was a dream and I was still in the Vault with Amata and my Father. Ha, I wish.

I slowly put my hand to my head as I struggled to completely open my eyes.

“Ahh, you’re awake…” said the voice of a man. “Can you sit up?”

I slowly turned my head to my left, seeing an elderly looking man sat next to me. I realized that I was on a bed, in a house. At least that’s some good news…

“… I can try…” I groggily replied as I successfully attempted to sit up as slowly as possible. “What happened?”

“You almost died; thank goodness Victor found you in time for me to patch you up. Not a lot of people manage to survive a gunshot to the head.” The man smiled. “I’m Doc Mitchell. What’s your name?”

“… Eva.” I told him, slowly feeling the strength in my body regain itself.

“Well, Eva, you've been out of it for a couple of days now. I wasn't sure you’d make it.” Doc Mitchell said with a gentle tone.

I smiled weakly, “I’m as hard as steel, me. Takes more than lead to the head to make me dead.”

Doc Mitchell chuckled, “Well at least we know that you’re feeling better if you’re making jokes.”

I faintly laughed along and then took a brief look at my surroundings, “Where am I?”

“Goodsprings. Victor pulled you out of a grave by the water tower, here.” Doc Mitchell said.

“Good… at least I know where I am.” I said, gently hopping off the bed. I immediately felt dizzy as I crippled onto the floor. “Whoa…”

Doc Mitchell shot off his chair and helped me back onto my feet. “What are you doing? You need to take it easy; at least for a couple of hours…”

I thought about protesting as I looked into the gentle doctors eyes. I needed to get out of there. I hated feeling useless, not to mention trapped. I had to get my freedom back.

“Sorry but there are things I have to do…” I informed him. I wasn't sure if what I said was true, but I knew I had to get out of there. I was starting to feel anxious.

“… at least give me a moment to check your vitals?” He asked.

Again, I thought about protesting, but instead I decided to oblige.

The next few minutes were spent with Doc Mitchell performing minor medical checks on me, as well as a few psychological tests to make sure my noggin was in tip top condition.

When he was certain I was feeling healthier He walked me to the front door of his house. He’d given me an old Vault 21 suit to wear. Apparently it belonged to his wife; luckily she was my size.

“Here,” He started, picking up a bag settled beside the door, “Here is everything you had on you when Victor found you.”

I took and opened the bag, finding my 9mm pistol, some water and my notebook.

“I hope you don’t mind but I had a look through your notebook.” Doc Mitchell brazenly admitted

I raised an eyebrow, “… why?”

“I was hoping to find some information on a next of kin, but all I found was your latest entry. Something about a platinum chip you were sent to deliver… although no such package was found on you.”

Package? Wow I’d completely forgotten. Then I realized something, if the package wasn't on me… maybe that’s what the man who shot me was after?

“Before you leave I suggest you go and see Sunny Smiles in the Saloon. I've arranged for her to test your depth perception. You should really check to see if you can use a gun efficiently.” He suggested.

“Right, thanks. Don’t wanna get shot in the head again.” I joked.

I gave him a look of gratitude and we exchanged a nod. I slowly brushed past him as I reached for the door knob. However, before opening the door I slowly turned and looked at the Doc.

“Thank you… for patching me up and everything.” I smiled.

“Not a problem; it’s what I’m here for.” He replied, before folding his arms, “So… what are you going to do now.”

A few minutes ago I would have had to answer that question with an oblivious shrug. I would have most likely would have given up the courier gig and gone back to Megaton. The random shooting would have unnerved me enough to give up and go home.

But now I knew, or had a general Idea of the reason for my shooting. Instead of just being robbed for what I had, I got shot. It was rude, unnecessary… but also pivotal to my next move.

I knew what I would do. “I’m going to find the man who attacked me and put a bullet through his brain. See how he likes it.”

Eva was fortunate enough to survive a bullet through the brain? Lucky girl, hopefully she doesn't have any brain damage. You're quite a talented writer, and I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Great Job I remember this part of the game. The first thing I did was make an attempt to get to new Vegas, and a deathclaw killed me

If I remember correctly, that was exactly my attitude when starting out in Fallout: New Vegas. Though, admittedly, with the addendum of 'And get that sweet, sweet suit for myself.'

This is a great start, so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes; New Vegas is one of my favourite games, and I always love reading a good story set in the Mojave Wastelands. I'm loving the mixing up of game dialogue and your own stuff, by the way; I always find it a tad boring to read word-for-word rewrites of game dialogue, and it was a nice way to spice things up a little.

Got to agree with both Eva and Mustard on this, that is exactly how I felt too - but loved the way Eva phrased it, lol.

Awesome write, and Welcome to the Forums!

You move us right along, giving Eva a voice and a presence that promise good things. She is tough- obviously (bullet in the head); funny; and somewhat mysterious.

And I love the idea that her life was a bit random until the man in the checked suit gave her a purpose.

Look forward to more.

Joining the club of "People who agree with Mustard" here, I also like the way you mix the in-game dialogue with your own...Nice one!!...

Love the starting, I'm sure I'll love the following on stuff too!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Well, it's an excellent club. It has me in it, for a start. And a rather snazzy jacket that comes with membership.

Thanks guys for your comments! Was kinda nervous about putting the story up, but I'm glad I did now.

I know I've only just started, but I probably won't update on here for a while. I'm working on my first Oblivion fanfic after being inspired by some of the stories on here (I do read them, I just rarely have time to comment )

I'll probably update this and my future Oblivion fanfic simultaneously once a week, but I will keep you updated

An Oblivion fanfic? WOO HOO!

Okay, I'm back and I'm now ready to start some serious posting! My oblivion fic is still in the works, but this one is truly my passion Thank you all for your comments so far!!

Here is a picture of Eva i thought I'd show you all. Sorry for the quality; T.V. snap. SCREENIE

As this is primarily an Elder Scrolls forum I imagine some people might not be familiar with Fallout's areas/characters. I've put a link to a character picture and a screenshot of a location in a link on their name. Obviously you don't have to look at them, but I thought why not

2. Sunny with a chance of Bullets

The sun blared toward my fragile eyes as I walked out of the Doc's house and looked out at Goodsprings. As the fuzzyness eased I saw the familar sight of desert as far as my eyes could see. It was still pretty breath taking, even though I'd seen it all before.

The sun's heat warmed my skin as I walked from the Doc's house to the Saloon where he said Sunny Smiles would be.

I hoped she had some decent weapons on her; preferably a pistol, which would be handy as long as my aiming abilities hadn't gone all sucky due to my bullet wound. My ability to hit any target between the eyes from at least a one hundred yard radius was the only thing that had kept me alive all these years. I just hoped that hadn't been jeopardized.

As I continued walking I took a brief look around, thinking about how the Mojave Wasteland was so much different from the wasteland I was used to back home. For one thing it was a lot greener, and there were birds flying about. I'd heard that the Mojave wasn't as affected by the war as the rest of America, and although the place was still pretty banged up I could see that that was most likely true.

I reached the Saloon, passing a general store that I reminded myself to check out later. I entered the saloon, being met instantly by the cheery welcome of the barkeep.

"Welcome! Welcome! I'm Trudy. We don't get many visitors around these parts very much, are you a traveller?"

I headed to the bar, quickly glancing at the well-kept saloon as I sat down.

"No," I said to the Trudy, "I got shot in the head. Doc Mitchell fixed me up." I bluntly informed her.

"Oh, of course how silly of me," She said, putting her hands on her hips, "I'm glad he managed to nurse you to health. I heard it was touch and go for a while-"

I really wasn't in the mood for small talk, "Actually I'm here for a reason so if you don't mind I'd rather just wait for who I need to see." I then noticed an insulted expression on Trudy's face, "Sorry... I'm just a bit anxious. I think it's just my brain getting used to being healthy again."

Trudy the smiled warmly and nodded, "Of course. Well you're better now and that's all that's important." She said, before she gave me a compassionate look, "Who is it you're waiting for?"

"Sunny? Sunny Smiles?" I replied. However, before Trudy could say anything I heard a voice appear from the Saloon's entrance.

"Here."

I turned to see a young woman approach me. She wore leather armour and carried a rifle... she looked pretty tough. With her she had a dog, a German Shepard. The dog looked at Sunny with such love and adoration. Kinda made me miss my dog back home.

"I'm Eva..., Eva Bree? The Courier?" I noticed a blank expression on Sunny's face, "You know..." I then mimed a gun with my finger, pointed it to my head and imitated it firing into my brain.

Sunny suddenly realised, "Oh yeah, of course. The Doc wants me to test you perceptive skills with a firearm to see if there's any damage after the accident."

"Super." I said, attempting to sound enthusiastic but ultimately sounding bored.

"Behind the Saloon." Sunny smiled, and then walked past me and toward the Saloon's backdoor. I assumed she wanted me to follow her, so I hopped off my bar stool, smiled sheepishly at Trudy, and then followed Sunny outside.



Sunny and I stood behind the Saloon, stood at least twenty yards away from a wooden fence that had glass bottles rested upon it.

Sunny had given me a Varmint rifle. I wasn't much of a two handed gun user so the pistol I already had did me just fine.

I ducked to get a more precise aim as I focused on one of the bottles. I concentrated deeply, blocking out everything around me as my eyes grew attached to my target.

I fired the pistol, hitting the bottle on my first try. I did the same to four other bottles, all successful shots straight through the middle.

I gave myself a smug little smile, and then looked at Sunny.

"It looks like your accident didn't affect your perception at all. I'm impressed." Sunny chuckled.

I shrugged modestly, "Meh, what can I say. Why learn to bake a cake when you can shoot a radroach from fifty yards away."

Sunny laughed, "Great minds think alike, it seems." She then grabbed her varmint rifle from the floor and took aim at another bottle on the fence. "So where did you learn to shoot like that?" She asked, firing her rifle and hitting the bottle.

"Before I got a job at the Mojave Express I travelled a lot. I used to live in a Vault and one day I left. I kinda had to learn to fend for myself."

"Why'd ya leave?" Sunny asked.

"My dad left the Vault and I went to look for him... it's a long story. Very boring. Yawn." I said, reloading my pistol and putting it in my holster.

"Did you find him?" Sunny pried.

I gave her a look to suggest I didn't want to talk about it, so she let it go. The truth was I didn't like talking about my dad that much anymore. Yeah, he did an amazing thing and I should be proud to say I’m his daughter, and I was; but if he didn't leave the vault I we would probably be safe there now. I know it wasn't as simple as him just leaving but... still...

"So, Eva... seeing as you're pretty handy with that gun, how about accompanying me on my patrol? Gotta go on a gecko hunt." Sunny asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

With such politeness in her pitch, how could I refuse?



Sunny and I travelled to the far edge of Goodsprings toward the cliffs. We had our weapons in hand as we hunted mutated Geckos. Apparently the Geckos had appeared near one of the town’s water valves, which ultimately made it dangerous for anybody wanting a drink from there.

"Do you do this every day?" I asked Sunny as we walked to the first water valve.

"Have to. The Geckos are pretty formidable; they don't learn. Always come back." Sunny replied.

I sighed, "Jheeze, sounds like boring way to pass the time. I'd shoot my own head if I had to do this every day."

Sunny gave me a confused look, "Why do you say that?"

I thought about my point for a second, "I don't know... I guess I just don't like repetition. I guess since I left the vault I became one of those people who needs to do something new every day. I don't think I'll ever settle into any kind of normal routine; not any time soon anyway. I'm too..."

"Rambunctious?" Sunny suggested.

I laughed, "Among other things."

Sunny laughed with me, "No, you see I like my routine. It might be easy and it might not be thrilling, but what I do for the town is important, and that's its own reward."

I looked at the pride on Sunny's face as she spoke and wondered if I’d ever get that look again. Ever since I helped dad complete his mission four years ago I hadn't really achieved anything else. I travelled around the wasteland for years before getting my job as a courier, and nothing thrilling happened in that time.

"Hold up." Sunny said, stopping in her tracks and ducking down. In the distance I saw a water valve; as well as three geckos dancing around it. "Here we go..." Sunny said, taking aim with her rifle before shooting.

BAM! A clean shot to one of the geckos heads, killing it instantly.

However, after this the two remaining geckos, obviously startled by their suddenly dead friend, began charging toward us.

I took my pistol and took aim at the smaller gecko as it charged for me. From yards away I fired, hitting it in the head. However it didn’t kill the thing straight away, so I capped another bullet in its head, finishing it off. I turned to see that Sunny had also killed the final gecko.

"Well that was fun." I said, reloading my pistol.

"I'm going to check out the water valve. Make sure it's definitely safe." Sunny started, putting her rifle on her back, "I think it's certainly safe to say that you'll be fine if you go into the wasteland alone."

"Awesome. Thanks for the stamp of approval." I joked.

"No problem, just make sure you say goodbye to Trudy before you go, okay? She hates it when visitors don't tell her they're leaving." Sunny ordered before walking toward the water valve, "Again, thanks for the help!"

I did a salute-wave at Sunny to bid her farewell. She was a good girl, obviously skilled at what she does. I wasn't afraid to admit that I would kill to have Sunny accompany me on my mission through the wasteland. It wasn't going to happen, but I could dream.

Maybe traveling through the wasteland alone will be safer. Maybe...

Excellent story!!...

Definately remember all the places...It's been ages since I played the game though...Nice reminders!...

I loved all that early stuff...Sunny's really hot... ...*Drifts off*...

*Cough*...

Aaaaamywho...



Heh, I know the feeling... ...



...

I absolutely loved the dialogue...Really excellent stuff!...

Like I said, I loved this jaunt through the early questy things, looking forward to seeing what comes next...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Oh, yeah...

Teeny nit, right at the end...



Um, there's a kind of odd first/third person thing going on there...I think...Um...

Excellent stuff though...

I enjoyed the chapter a lot; it was a good fun read, and the dialogue between Sunny and Eva was an absolute joy and we got a nice idea of what Eva's like as a character.

But while you're doing a damn good job at the dialogue and character stuff, I'll be honest, the scene-setting is kind of lacking at the minute. All it really seems to be is Eva saying 'there was a general store' and 'there was a saloon', and the only reason I had any idea what it was like was because I've played New Vegas a few times and have a pretty good idea of how Goodsprings is laid out. But if I didn't, I wouldn't really have any idea what the place looks like, and I know you've got the screenshots but that's kind of...corner cutting, really. The story would benefit from some scene setting, even if it's just stuff like giving a brief description of what Goodsprings looks like in a few sentences. Maybe give a sense of heat by mentioning sweat trickling down the back of Eva's neck, or how bright the sun is by having her shade her eyes and wishing for sunglasses, stuff like that.

Apologies if I look like I'm focussing on the negative a lot here, because I really am enjoying it, but it did kind of stand out rather, probably especially so as the rest of it is really rather good.

You know what? I completely agree. I guess because I always had it in the back of my mind that I would put screenshots for those unfamiliar with the game i didn't really think about it. I'm glad you noticed it, I will put more effort into this in the future

Also, I really appreciate your constructive critisism, and I openly welcome any

@McBadgere: I'm so happy you're enjoying the dialogue Eva is very fun to write

@Colonel Mustard: Again, thank you for the criticisms before Hope you enjoy this next slice

2. The Powder Snuff Girls

Part one

“I’ll give you one more chance, lady; tell me where he is!” I heard a man shout as I entered the saloon.

“I’ve told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I heard Trudy reply in an unthreatened tone.

I slowly began to walk toward the bar, casually eavesdropping and I gently trod.

“Fine. I’ve tried being nice, but you’ve given me no choice. Unless you tell me where Ringo is now I’m gunna bring a few of my friends and burn this town to the ground.” The man threatened.

“Well I’ll keep that in mind. Is that all? If you’re not going to buy anything, get out of my bar.” Trudy responded.”

The man scoffed, then turned and ran to the exit, barging past me and shouting ‘watch it’ as he swiftly left the building. I looked after him, wondering what the hell had happened. It wasn’t any of my business, but he threatened the town; so I thought I’d at least ask.

“What was all that about? Is everything okay?” I asked as I walked over to a slightly worried looking Trudy.

Trudy sighed, “Not really. Seems our little town has gotten into a little bit of trouble.”

“How?” I asked.

Trudy smiled, “Don’t worry. It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

I refused her reply, putting my hands on my hips in a subtly demanding nature, “Look, I overheard his threat. He said he was going to burn the town down to the ground? Empty threat or not I want to help, so if I can, let me.”

There was a brief pause as Trudy gave me a look; gratitude in her eyes.

“Okay…” she started, heading behind the bar, “About a week back a trader called Ringo came here looking for shelter. Apparently he got himself attacked; said bad men were after him.”

“Go on…” I said, willing her to continue.

“We figured he was in shock after the attack, so we gave him a place to lie low up in the gas station. Thought he was just paranoid.” Trudy said.

“… and now, what? The paranoid trader turned out to be right? People are after him?” I said.

Trudy nodded. “Yeah. The guy who just left was Joe Cobb, leader of the Powder Gangers; local thugs.” She then let out another sigh, “We don’t want any trouble. We’re only a little town. I just wish Ringo would sneak off in the middle of the night and take those damn Powder Gangers with him.”

I sat on a stool, “Unfortunately I don’t think that’s going to happen; especially if Ringo finds out the guys after him have found him.”

Trudy shrugged, defeated, “What else can we do but hope Cobb was bluffing?”

I thought for a second, hoping to come up with an answer to the problem; but it was rather obvious.

“The way I see it we have two options. We can get Ringo and hand him over to the Powder Gangers or we can fight back.” I suggested. Trudy gave me a look of great concern, “I've dealt with their type before; if they say they’ll do something they’ll do it. Seeing as I don’t wanna send a possibly innocent man to his death, I think the only option is to kick those Powder Gangers asses so hard their grandmothers will feel it.”

Trudy gave a nervous laugh, but before she could reply, Sunny wandered into the Saloon. She looked at me and grinned.

“Still here?” She said, before noticing the expression on Trudy’s face, “What’s wrong? Has something happened?”

“… you know the trader who’s hiding out in the gas station?” Trudy replied. Sunny nodded and Trudy continued, “Turns out he wasn't as paranoid as we thought.”

“What?” Sunny freaked.

I stood up and folded my arms, “There’s a good chance the people after him are on their way. With guns. Maybe fire; But most definitely guns.”

“So what are we going to do? We can’t give the trader to them if that's who they're after…” Sunny said before raising an eyebrow, “Can we?”

“It is a small exchange considering the Powder Gangers could massacre us all?” Trudy tried to rationalize.

Trudy’s point was understandable, but I just couldn't feel comfortable with the thought of sending a possibly innocent man to his death.

I decided to make a deal. “Okay, how about this; I go up and speak to this Ringo guy and see if he’s a good guy or not. If he's not, we talk more about trading him for the town’s safety.”

Sunny looked at Trudy, and both nodded at each other, “Seems reasonable I guess.” Sunny said, “No sense in sending a good man to those thugs.”

“Awesome. Right, I’ll head up to the station, now.” I said.

Before I could take a step toward the Saloons exit, Sunny stopped me.

“You seem very eager to help out a bunch of people you don’t even know?” She said.

I smiled and folded my arms playfully, “Would you rather I wasn't?.”

Sunny smirked at me, and then nodded. I winked at her before heading outside.

Let’s go see whether this Ringo guy is worth protecting…

Excellent!!... ...

Always love the Powder Ganger fight!!...

Looking forward to seeing how you play this one out...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

I remember this quest with fond memories. I'd love to see how Eva handles things. I remember using lots of explosives.

@McBadgere: The Powder Gang fight is one of my favorite of the early quests!

@King Coin: Thanks for the comment! Haha explosives are good... bit too messy though! ;P

“Stop! Who are you? What do you want?” A man yelled at me as I entered the battered old gas station up behind the Saloon.

He held a rifle to me, a hint of panic etched onto his face. He seemed too cowardly to actually shoot me; he would have done it already.

“Calm down Ringo, I’m not here to fight. You are Ringo, right?” I asked.

Ringo examined me, “Yeah… who are you?”

“I’m Eva. I heard about your little run in with the Powder Gangers. I’m here to help,” I said, but Ringo continued to look at me with an unsure look, so I looked directly into his eyes, “Seriously.” I smiled gently, hoping to assure him, and it worked.

Ringo slowly lowered his gun, “Sorry about that, you just caught me off guard. The Powder Gangers attacked my caravan not long ago, so I’ve been hiding out here. Not used to company.”

“That’s okay. Besides, if you’d shot me I’ve already been shot in the head this week so I’m used to it.” I said, but Ringo wasn’t in the mood for quirky humour, “So… a guy called Cobb has come into town. It seems he’s figured out you’re hiding here.”

Ringo nodded, “I know. I saw him leave the saloon from the window, though I wasn’t sure it was him. I ain’t too scared, though. If he comes up I’ll just get him from the window. He won’t wanna mess with me.”

“… Yeah, okay,” I muttered, remembering how frightened he was toward me not two minutes before,

“Anyway, Cobb has threatened to practically burn the town to the ground if we don’t hand you over; and I’m not gunna let that happen.”

“So what do we do?” Ringo asked me.

“Some of the townsfolk want to hand you over in exchange for Goodsprings safety…” I explained, met with a worried expression on Ringo’s face, “But, again, I’m not gunna let that happen.”

“So what do you suggest we do?” Ringo asked.

“What we need to do is get you out of hiding, then wait for the Powder Gangers to arrive. If we can’t come to some sort of arrangement so they don’t want you anymore, we’ll have no other choice but to fight the sons of bitches.” I explained.

It was a good plan, one of the better ones I’d had: using my impressive skills of persuasion to try and convince the Powder Gangers that Ringo wasn't worth it.

However, before I could even think about putting the plan into action, the door to the gas station swung open to reveal Sunny charging inside.

“Eva, they’re here.” She said, out of breath. She’d obviously run here.

“Already?” I said.

Sunny nodded, “Seems the Powder Gangers weren’t bluffing; nor were they patient,” Sunny took her rifle and started to reload it, “They came here shooting up the place. There are at least a dozen of them. We gotta fight. Now.”

“Wait, is everyone okay? Trudy?” I asked frantically, not sure how to react. I was unprepared for this.

“Everyone’s fine. They ran inside as soon as they heard the gunshots.” Sunny told us.

I sighed, then looked at Ringo, “So… are you gunna help us out? Or am I gunna have to go against my better nature and throw you to the wolves?”

Ringo looked at me, uncertainty in his eyes, and then gave me a nod, “You can count on me.”



“COBB!” I shouted as Sunny, Ringo and I walked with our weapons in hand toward the front of the Saloon. A small army of Powder Gangers were stood, guns raised, blocking the road out of town. Not only that, but there were others dotted around the landscape; leaving unseen escape almost impossible.

They didn’t look that intimidating; the majority of them were wearing nothing but trousers, shoes and cowboy hats; not exactly bulletproof.

“Give Ringo to us and we’ll leave!” Cobb replied, although I wasn’t sure where he was. He must have been hiding somewhere out of sight.

“You see, I don’t think that’s gunna happen; so hear me out.” I said. The Powder Gangers continued to aim their guns at me, “You don’t want Ringo. He’s not worth it. Sure he might have a few caps on him, but you can do better than that…”

“What are you suggesting?” Cobb asked.

“Simple; you leave town and forget about Ringo; or things get ugly.” I offered. “And you really don’t wanna get on my bad side. I’m a hair puller.”

However, things did not go to plan. Before Cobb even thought about negotiating with me, he ordered the kill.

Suddenly the Powder Gangers began shooting at us.

“FALL BACK!” Sunny ordered.

Ringo, Sunny and I ran toward the General Store, sheltering ourselves from the bullets behind a burnt out car.

The shooting suddenly stopped; but probably not for long. I has to think of something fast, or we were all dead.

“Well that didn't go as planned…” I said.

“What are we going to do now?” Ringo panicked.

“We’re outnumbered; maybe even outmatched.” Sunny interjected.

I thought for a second, wondering and thinking the same thing. I decided to do the only thing I knew. Deceptive plotting.

“Follow my lead…”

I raised my arms in a sign of surrender as I stood from behind the car. I spotted Cobb, who had spotted me.

“Come over to us slowly and keep your gun in the air…” Cobb said, so I did, gently followed by Sunny and Ringo.

“Are you really giving yourself up to them?” Sunny whispered to me.

“Give me a minute…” I said. “Trust me.”

I know what I’m doing…

...That's funny... ...

Again, the dialogue sparkles... ...

Helluva different take on the quest...I like it, because it shows us more of your imagination rather than just a straight forward rewrite of what Bethesda did...So yeah, excellently done...



Ah, but one of the hugely joyous post-quest antics is to find some Powder Gangers and VATS the dynamite before they throw it... ...Eeeeexcellent!!...

Definately looking forward to seeing where you go with this...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Just caught up on the last couple of parts, and really enjoying them, especially the way you're dealing wih the Powder Ganger quest; I fully approve of this new direction.

Also, I want to see where this plan goes; I like the look of it, though. Loving the dialogue, by the way ("I'm a hair puller!")

P.S. The punny title amuses me greatly.

Chapter 2 - boy did this chapter bring back some fond memories! Then the last line reminded me of the giant radroach outside Goodsprings that killed me like 7 times trying to get up to the cemetery on that plateau overlooking Goodsprings, lol.

Chapter 2 Part One - I loved this little interchange:



You have a talent for writing natural dialogue that makes your story very immersive! Great Write!

Chapter 2 Part 2 - One of the very few things I found disappointing in New Vegas - the burned out cars don’t explode. I wasted all my bullets trying to blow up a gang of Powder Gangers, ended up dead and had to reload a save.

I am loving being brought through the beginning of the game again, and your writing is very immersive! Keep up the great work !!!

I don’t think a game that is not medieval fantasy will even fit into my cd drive. . . but, as I look down from my house atop the black mountains of southern Nevada, I can see the Las Vegas Strip. Will that suffice? Seriously, what I know about FO3/NV will fit into a matchbox with plenty of room left in there for a hungry clannfear – so please bear that in mind as I am delightfully clueless regarding any lines between game and story in this case.

Oh, and a most warm welcome to you by the way!

I’ve seen stories where the heroine takes a bullet to the brain at the end. . . but never in the first episode. Quite a tough introduction. Eva received the services of clearly a superb healer and was then even able to pass muster out on Sunny’s marksmanship range of empty bottles. She then wasted not a moment getting herself embroiled into a problem with a gang of local thugsters that seems to be going against her at the moment.

Your passion for this character is evident, for you convey her voice with an intimate confidence that shows how important she is to you. And to me, passion is the primary attribute of a great story.

I’ve not played the game either, so the screenshots are very helpful to me. Your dialog is great fun to read. I’m already looking forward to more!

I realized I forgot to add screenies to the previous chapter, so I have now

I am loving the pictures too, even though I have played the game - thank you for adding them!

@McBadgere: Again, I'm so happy you enjoy the dialogue! Eva is so quirky. Haha

@Colonel Mustard: Like McBadgere, I'm glad you're enjoying the dialogue and the story!

@mALX: Aww thank you!

@Acadian: Wow, you live in the real life Vegas? That's awesome! I hope the screenies are of some use

@Grits: Thank you! I'm glad the screenies help!

I slowly approached the Cobb; Sunny and Ringo slowly trailing behind me.

“Now, I’m going to make this easy for you; drop your gun and you live. Then we will take Ringo and be on our way.” Cobb ordered.

“You could do that… but I’ve got a better idea.” I suggested. Cobb looked intrigued, “How about I go with you in Ringo’s place.”

“EVA!” Sunny bellowed.

I ignored her, continuing my bargain, “Think about it, what would you rather have; the few caps and cargo that Ringo has, or a female companion.” I smiled flirtatiously, “and I’m sure you’re aware of the benefits that could offer…”

Cobb softly smiled a grin of prudish thoughts, “How do I know you won’t try to get away if I take the bargain?”

“You don’t… but I’m sure there’s some way you can manage to keep me… restrained. If you know what I mean.” I seduced.

There was a moment’s pause. I could see in Cobb’s eyes that he was considering all the possibilities. It was kinda creepy; but it also meant he’d most likely take the deal.

“Okay… deal,” Cobb accepted, then gave me an order I was counting on, “but drop your gun first. I don’t want any surprises.”

I smiled, “Okay…”

So I did as he asked, letting go of my gun and letting it drop to the floor.

However.

Seconds before my pistol hit the ground I dropped to the floor, landing on my side and catching my gun, instantly firing a bullet into Cobb’s knee, crippling him.

Before his gang could react I leapt forward, grabbing and holding Cobb in a headlock; holding my handgun against his head.

“You wh0re!” Cobb screamed, “You played me!”

“Well, duh, did you really think I’d go with you and be sex slave to a bunch of creeps? I’d rather have a bath in radioactive waste,” I then turned my attention to his gang, “Now; you chumps can drop your weapons. Go on.”

The Powder Gangers hesitated for a second, and then Cobb gave a nod, causing them all to drop their guns.

“Good,” I said, turning to Sunny and Ringo and tilting my head toward the guns, suggesting they go and collect them; which they did.

Once Sunny and Ringo had collected all the guns and brought them to me, I began to converse with Cobb; this time offering him a deal.

“Now this is what we are going to do; you’re going to take your guys and get as far away from Goodsprings as possible. You are never going to threaten this town again. If you decide to, however, next time we will be ready. If you decide to attack again, I’ll put a bullet in leg number three, okay?” I threatened.

Cobb replied in anguish, “…Okay.”

“Good.” I said, pushing Cobb onto the ground, keeping my gun trained on him as he hobbled toward his gang.

“He’s going to come back you know.” Sunny informed me.

I knew they would, but I didn’t know how to respond. I knew that I’d landed the town in even hotter water, but there was nothing else I could do. Not really. I did what was the only option at the time; all I could do was hope that they would take my threat seriously.

I continued to watch as Cobb hobbled toward his gang. However, once he reached them, he turned to face me. He began to smirk before taking a stick of dynamite from his back pocket; followed immediately by his gang performing the same action.

They then lit their dynamite.

“Crap.” I muttered, frozen to the spot. I was good, but I wasn’t good enough to avoid over a dozen explosions in my direction.

I watched as Cobb raised his arm, readying himself to throw the dynamite.

I retaliated quickly by firing my gun; the sheer panic causing most of my shots to miss.

BOOM!

An explosion emerged; but not from Cobb.

I looked toward the saloon, seeing an old man stood with a bag of dynamite. He had thrown the explosive, which landed directly in with the Powder Gangers. The explosion had obliterated the majority of the gang; leaving only Cobb and a few others.

As soon as the explosion hit, Cobb remembered his dynamite was lit, so he threw it away before he himself became a pile of chunks. Luckily he didn’t throw it in our direction.

I wasn’t in the mood for mercy. I wasn’t about to give Cobb another chance to pack up and leave.

Whilst Cobb was distracted I aimed my pistol and fired, hitting him right between the eyes.

Cobb was dead; and good riddance.

With Cobb’s death the remaining Powder Gangers retreated, but not without Sunny chasing them as far as she could. She managed to gun a few down, but the others managed toescaped.

I walked toward the corpse of Cobb, staring at the oozing head wound I had caused. I shook my head in disappointment, He should have just left.

I then looked up to see the old man approach me. I smiled warmly, “Thank you, sir. You have no idea how grateful I am.”

“Don’t fret, little miss. I grew tired of hiding away; bout time I made use of my skills.” He winked.

I chuckled, “Well I’ve gotta say, you’ve got quite a pitching arm for a fella your age.”

The old man laughed, “Well I better get inside and tell the others the thugs have been dealt with.”

I nodded, “Thank you,” I then grabbed his hand. “You really did save our lives.”

“Don’t fret about it.” He replied modestly before heading back into the saloon.
As the old man walked away, I was then approached by Ringo.

“Thanks for helping me out, Eva. You really saved my hide.” He thanked.

“Not a problem. It was fun; although next time maybe we should do dinner and a movie.” I joked.
He laughed, “Well I better be getting back to Vegas. I don’t mean to just rush off, but it’ll be better to get back ASAP.”

“Nah, I understand. Just be safe, okay? And try not to get attacked again.”
Ringo smiled, then reached into his satchel, “Before I go… here,“ He handed me a piece of paper.

“What’s this?” I asked, curious.

“It’s a job. There’s this small trading company called Cassidy Caravans. My boss wants to buy them out. The owner is in the Mojave outpost, south of Primm. You take the contract, and then you can take the pay; should you ever go to Vegas. Just talk to Alice at Crimson Caravans. I’ll tell her to expect you.” He said.

“Oh… okay, thanks.” I said.

Ringo nodded in thanks, before wandering off. Sunny then approached me, looking at Ringo as they passed.

“Where’s he going?” She asked.

“He’s off home. Let’s just hope he makes it back safely.” I said. Sunny mumbled in agreement. “Look, I don’t mean to run so quickly, now that this problem has been dealt with, I really should get going. I would say goodbye properly but it's gunna get dark soon and I have a lot of ground to cover.”

“Oh, okay. I'll tell Trudy you're going.” She replied. “Where are you going?”

“Not sure. I’m thinking maybe that town south of here. The one with the rollercoaster; see if anybody has seen the b*tch that shot me.”

Somebody must have seen him…

That was an ingenious take on that quest, I must say; loved how Eva dealt with the Powder Ganger issue. Very, very cunning indeed.


Poor, foolish Cobb. He should never trust those umbrella salespeople; they're slippery ones!

Oh-ho-hooo...Excellently done!!... ...

Loved the way she got out of that...

Looking forward to the road ahead...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Loved that dynomite trick to blow up the Powder Gangers! That was great, if I play again I'm going to remember that! Great Write!

@Colonel Mustard: Ahh, well you know how insulting it is to call a person an umbrella seller, surely?

@McBadgere: Why thank you kind sir, most appreciated!

@mALX: Thank you! SO glad to have you with us!

Primm. A usually lively town, south of Goodsprings that you could spot a mile away. The place where NCR soldiers and gamblers found themselves staying at for a while after losing all their monies in Vegas. Its main attraction - aside from the small casino, and the cheaper food was the large roller-coaster which surrounded the Bison Steve hotel; not that it was functional anymore.

Primm was also the location of the Mojave Express; the courier company that sent me on my headache of a job.

However, while the town was still popular, it was popular in an entirely different manner.

As I approached the outskirts, I found myself being stopped by an NCR soldier.

“Stop!” He exclaimed, “What business do you have in Primm?”

I put my hands on my hips, “… why?”

“A large group of convicts have escaped from the local prison and have taken residence in Primm. Everybody’s dead.” The soldier told me.

“EVERYBODY is dead? Are you sure?” I asked.

“That’s what I’ve been told.” He said.

I sighed, looking at the town. I needed to see if anybody from there had seen my attacker.

“Look, I really, really, REALLY need to see if anybody can help me; are you absolutely sure that nobody is alive?” I stressed.

“Look ma’am, all I’ve been instructed to do is to warn travelers of the trouble. If you want more information I suggest you talk to Lieutenant Hayes. He’s in the tent south west of here.” The soldier informed me.

I smiled sarcastically toward the helpful soldier, before following his directions. As I walked toward the
Lieutenant's tent I spotted many NCR soldiers lying in wait.

They were crouched in the crumbled buildings, guns in hand, leering and the devastated Primm, waiting for action when, in my opinion, they should have been inciting it.

I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just go into Primm and deal with the problem themselves.

I reached a small group of tents, entering the Lieutenant’s. Inside I spotted a man and a woman; I wasn’t sure which was Hayes.

“I’m looking for Lieutenant Hayes?” I said to the general area. The man sat at the small table looked at me.

“Yeah, I’m Lieutenant Hayes. Who might you be?” He said; a hint of aggression in his voice.

I slowly approached the Lieutenant, “I heard about the trouble in Primm…”

“Well done, you have eyes.” He replied in a rather unpleasant tone. He was obviously stressed, but he didn’t have to take it out on me.

Instead on thinking of a comeback I decided it would be better to just ignore it, “Yeah, okay. So I need to get into Primm because I have to talk to someone about… something. Is there no way that we can just storm in and see if anybody’s alive?”

“If that was possible don’t you think we would have done it by now?” Hayes replied.

I gave Hayes a look of confusion, folding my arms, “Why isn’t it possible?”

Hayes gave me an irritated look, followed by a deep sigh, “We haven’t got the men or the resources to take control of a situation like this. It’s too much of an unnecessary risk.”

“Unnecessary risk? There could be people alive in there and you’re worried about losing a few men? Isn’t it your job to help out the innocent or what not?”

“It’s our job to keep order around here. We can't do that if there are too many casualties on our side.”

“And keeping order doesn’t involve saving a bunch of lives?” I sniped.

Hayes didn’t reply. He was either done with the conversation or I’d stumped him; most likely the second.

“Fine,” I said, turning to leave, “I’ll take care of it myself.”

Hayes shot up from his seat, “Don’t be stupid!” He approached me, “You’ll get yourself killed. What makes you think you can handle the situation.”

“Because I have the balls to actually try.” I glared.



I crouched, pistol in hand as I edged toward Primm’s main entrance. The area had been littered with mines, that were surprisingly easy to deactivate by hand; annoying the NCR guard by the entrance who had placed them there.

Nobody tried to stop me as I edged toward the town’s main entrance; I couldn’t understand why the NCR were so cowardly.

So, as I snuck into Primm I expected that should anybody be alive they would most likely be hiding out in the casino opposite the hotel, at the centre of town; I didn’t know why, but my gut instinct was telling me so.

As I continued to ease my way toward the casino I kept my eyes peeled. I couldn’t see any convicts that the
NCR were raving on about; but that didn't mean they weren't there.

I continued travelling slowly down the main road, keeping my peripheral vision focused on my surroundings.

To my left there was the remains of an old gas station; which luckily had a few burnt out cars that offered me a bit of protection should I get spotted.

As I continued to walk there continued to be nobody about. It was strange.

I took a risk and stood from my crouching position, hoping that I would get a better view. I still couldn’t see anybody.

I gently jogged toward the casino, and then backed against the wall. I continued to travel toward the main door.

However when I reached the edge of the wall I slowly peered around the corner. I could see the door to the casino; but it seemed to be guarded by a couple of men. There were no doubt these were bad guys; so I took a risk.

Keeping my aim steady I targeted the head of one of the two convicts, firing a bullet into the temple of one; killing him instantly.

Before I had time to hide, the second convict spotted me.

Luckily, before he had a chance to aim his gun at me I fired mine, hitting him in the chest. The second convict was down.

I wiped my forehead, feeling my heart beating twice as fast. The adrenaline had gotten to me; but there wasn’t time to calm down as behind me I heard a voice shouting.

I turned to see a couple of convicts chasing me.

CRAP

I ran full speed toward the casino door, spotting another couple of convicts in front of me, aiming their weapons.

They fired and missed every shot.

Luckily.

Sh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*t

It now seemed that I was on the verge of being surrounded; and there was no way that I would be able to take on all the convicts by myself.

I should have listened to the NCR guys. Stupid pride.

Just in time I grabbed the door handle to the casino and turned the doorknob. I was out of the woods and almost safe…

Or at least I would have been if the casino door wasn’t locked!

I didn't love Primm to stay in, but it was Awesome to visit! That town was filled with loot and quests to do! I pulled my New Vegas game out thanks to this thread - haven't stuck it into the 360 yet because I haven't had the time yet, lol. Awesome Chapter !!!

Hah!! See, ^ Person o' Influence... ...

Aaaamywho...

Excellent chapter...I did like Primm meself, lovely place...Where Arnaud got his best friend in the whole wide world (well, that he could remember anyways ) ED-E!!!...Awwww...Bless ED-E...

*Cough*...

Sorry...

Loved this chapter...Eva's irreverent humour is brilliant...And that she's very willing to go off and rescue the people is massively admirable...

She's obviously still very capable of shooting straight despite her recent run-in...*Applauds*...

Brilliant stuff, I genuinely did always love the Primm quests...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

This was pretty good, but the way you changed the characterisation of the NCR didn't quite sit right with me; don't get me wrong, I'm all for changing up the established canon for the sake of the story or simply because you feel like it, but it seemed here that they were turned into a bunch of cowards simply to give Eva a moral high ground from which to lecture from and to show off how awesome she is. Don't get me wrong, I liked the rest of the chapter, but that part kind of had me feeling kind of iffy, there.

@mALX: Aww thank you! Yeah, Primm isn;t nice to visit

@McBadgere: As always thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying Eva's Eva-ness

@Colonel Mustard: As much as I appreciate your comment (I really do) I will explain that this is exactly how I found the NCR to be in game, so that's how I wrote them. Also, as I said in the intro, I did do a whole other fanfic for Fallout 3 which involved Eva, so a lot of her character building was in that, so in this she kinda already is a ready made hero. She's been surviving in the wasteland for well over four years getting into all sorts of trouble, so she has become very brave and ballsy and sometimes is naive enough to think shes immortal haha
Just thought I'd say, I don;t mean to sound rude or anything

I grabbed the door handle to the casino, shaking it violently in a desperate attempt to open it before one of the convicts bullets actually hit me.

“LET ME IN! PLEASE!” I unashamedly begged as I banged the door.

I turned my head, seeing the convicts getting closer and closer to me. I gulped. I felt like a deer trapped amongst Lions.

“OKAY!” I bellowed, raising my hands in surrender, “Okay, guys. Cool down.”

I slowly turned, looking at the convicts who, surprisingly but welcomingly, lowered their weapons.

A convict to my left began to approach me, “Get on your knees.” He ordered.

I turned my nose up, “… Really-“

“GET ON YOUR KNEES!” He screamed.

“Okay, okay…” I replied pathetically as I knelt, putting my hands behind my head. Why does this always happen?

I slowly looked around, seeing the eyes of the convicts examine me. I recognised the look instantly. Urgh… totally not in the mood for a seven-way, I thought, tricking myself into not feeling threatened.

The convict who yelled at me stood before my, kneeling down so we were at eye level.

He squinted his eyes, giving me a dirty smirk, “Well, good thing we didn’t kill ya… shame to waste such a pretty face.”

I sniggered, acting unthreatened, “I bet that line works on all the girls.”

The convict immediately slapped my cheek.

“Shut up.” He spat.

I refused to look at the convict. I could slowly feel my nerves evolve into s gentle eruption of rage; which I had to force myself to keep locked away.

The Convict then began to gently stroke the cheek he slapped, “Now what are we going to do with you.” He then stood back up, “Get up.”

I looked up at him, swallowed my pride, and then did as he asked. Once I was on my feet the convict edged closer to me. He then slowly closed his face near mine. I began to feel even more uncomfortable.

So I spat in his face.

He recoiled, then wiped my saliva off his face. I began to worry slightly as a look of intense anger grew in his eyes.

He then violently pushed me against the casino door, jamming my lower back against the door knob.

“ARGH!” I gasped.

The convict then raised his gun, holding it to my head, “Just when I thought we could be friends.” He angrily mocked.

Oh crap… I’m gunna die. Note to self: Never spit in the face of your captor-

Before I could finish my thought I heard the casino door I was leaned against rattle and open, and I was quickly grabbed from behind, then dragged into the casino. It all happened so quickly it took a moment for me to realize what had happened.

As I looked about I saw a small group of people quickly bar the casino door shut as the convicts tried to bust their way in, to no avail.

It didn’t take too long for the convicts to give up trying to get in; they knew they had us trapped.

Once he was certain the coast was clear, one of the men in the group edged away from the door and approached me, offering a hand and lifting me to my feet.

“You okay, little lady?” He asked.

I smiled, then rubbed my lower back, “Yeah. Nothing major.”

I took a moment to observe my surroundings. The Casino was very dull. There was no natural lighting, or much lighting in general. The air was thick with a rather musty smell; these people had obviously been here a while to leave such a ripe smell… not that I smelled a whole lot better. The whole place was almost pitch black; apart from a lit up 1920’s style car on display in the centre of the casino. It was a pretty cool decoration piece among the bland casino.

“So what are you doing here?” The man asked me.

“I’m looking for someone… guess I should have come when it wasn’t vacation season.” I weakly joked.

The man laughed, “My oh my, It’s been a while since I’ve met a spunky young girl like yourself. What’s your name?”

I smiled, “Eva.”

The elderly man shook my hand, “Nice to meet you Eva, I’m Johnson. Johnson Nash.”

A spark of realization hit me, “Oh… with the Mojave Express?”

“Why yes… although business has been slow recently…” He replied, attempting light humour.

“I think you might be able to help me. I’m a courier and I was sent to deliver a package through you guys.” I reached into my satchel to grab a receipt, “Here. See?”

Johnson took the receipt and looked at it. “Yes, I remember this order. We were given a few packages to deliver.”

“… Do you remember who made the order?” I asked, feeling slightly anxious.

Johnson thought for a second, “Some cowboy robot. Gave us six packages, each with odd little things in each of them.” He then folded his arms, “Although we got reports that all the packages apart from yours were delivered?”

“Yeah, got shot in the head and the package got stolen. Long story.” I rushed, “Now I don’t suppose you know anything about a man in a checked suit? Have you seen anybody like that pass through here?”

“Well not recently, no.” Johnson replied.

“So you have seen someone wearing a checked suit?” I asked.

Johnson nodded, “Yeah. Couple of days ago. Deputy Beagle saw him.”

I scratched my head in frustration, why is it so hard to get a straight answer nowadays?

“And where is Deputy Beagle?” I asked.

“Well he’s being held hostage inside the hotel over the road.” Johnson replied with a strange calmness.

“Seriously? “ I groaned, knowing it wasn’t a good idea to be going back outside; not unless I fancy dodging a bunch of bullets.

“Haven’t you tried rescuing him?” I asked.

“You’ve been outside; you know how dangerous it is.” Johnson politely argued.

“Right…” I said, folding my arms, sitting on a stood by one of the slot machines.

Looks like I’m gunna be stuck here for a while.

Cool... ...

She only just got away with that one... ...

Always liked Johnson Nash, decent chap!...

It'll be interesting to see how she deals with the Beagle situation...

Nice one!!..

*Applauds heartily*...

Teeny nits...

Typo nit...

Question nit... Not sure the courier service tends to know what's inside them...Or does Nash say that in the game? ...Either way, logic and bus situation again... ...

ROFL!

I am LOVING these screenshots you are adding to the story! Great Write!