Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout, Bethesda does. I'm just writing for fun.

A/N: I've made my character a little older than in the game: twenty-three. I felt like she needed more experience under her belt.

The sound of lasers on metal echoing across the river catches his attention. He hears the crack of a hunting rifle moments before a slight figure dashes to the top of the coast-side landing. She drops the rifle behind her in favor of a combat shotgun, shooting the face of a heavily armed and armored man chasing her up the stairs. A spray of blood flies through the air, painting the stairwell. She grabs something else from her pack, some kind of chem, and stabs it into her leg, before another soldier rounds up the stairs.

She's ducked behind some old lockers, but the mercenary is not afraid. Chief recognizes that uniform—that's Talon Company, rotten bastards who'll kill anything to make a cap. Can't have them anywhere near the boat. Harkness readies his rifle and takes aim. The woman across the way doesn't look to be in good shape, her arm looks lame. He takes the shot, nicking the merc's arm, distracting him. Bullets bounce off the exterior wall of the boat as the merc decides to clear out what he perceives to be the greater threat—the Security Chief guarding this hunk of metal.

The woman takes aim with her rifle again, a bullet slicing right through the base of the soldier's skull and severing his spinal cord. The accuracy of his death is glorious. But she's too distracted to notice a third merc who shoots her in the back with a laser rifle. She falls down hard and scrambles to aim, but shooting with the rifle at this close of range is difficult. The merc stands over her, gloating in his victory, while Harkness lines up another shot. Takes his head clean off.

The woman looks over suddenly, her eyes perceiving her far-away savior. She makes a feeble attempt at a wave before rolling onto her stomach (despite the pain) and staying there. Harkness considers moving the bridge across but he needs to check the area first. He scans the area with binoculars—no more tangos in sight. He looks back to see the woman pulling herself up against the lockers and reaching for the intercom. He has to let her across now, it's the rule.

She slowly creeps across the bridge and he sticks to the safety of the boat-side landing until she is within earshot. Stepping up to the edge of the bridge he calls across, demanding who she is and why she is there. She immediately drops to her knees, looking beaten.

"Can you just fucking help me? Can't you see I'm dying?"

"I repeat, who are you and what business do you have in Rivet City?"

She sighs and wipes her bloody hands through her auburn hair. "Fuck. You. I'm looking for my father, he came to see Dr. Li."

"And you would be…"

"Asha. James' daughter. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

The older scientist who showed up a few weeks ago… "James…" he trails off. "Dr. Li isn't here right now, I'm afraid you'll have to turn back."

She glances back behind her. "Really, you're sending me back out there to die? You realize I just had to fight super mutants and Talon Company?"

She has a point. Harkness mulls this thought over for a moment before replying, "True, I guess you're doing something right if Talon Company is on you." He steps onto the bridge to help her across. "Just keep your weapons holstered…" he now notices just how heavily armed she is, "and we'll get along just fine. I'll take you to the infirmary." Her blood gets on his uniform as he throws her arm around his shoulders. Shit, I just cleaned this one too. Fucking Wastelanders.