The Meeting

-Nora P.O.V-

After finally killing those vile looking creatures, and finding my way out of that underground facility, I finally had a moment to myself to figure things out.

I'm all over the place right now.My mind is completely shattered. I mean.....

...my son is missing...M-my little baby boy..is....gone..."MY SHAWN IS GONE!!!!" I scream at the top of my lungs, tears flooding my face. The tears don't stop and remembering how that son of a bitch murdered my husband caused my chest to tighten even more and this feeling of emptiness is just to much for me...

But, I have to continue.

For Shawn.

I need to bring him back and I need to kill that bastard. Oh,I'm going to make sure it's going to be just as painful as it was for me.

After taking a couple of minutes to collect myself, I get up from the floor of the platform and scan my surroundings...but...

*Where am I ?*...

*Did the bombs do this ?*....

*How long was I frozen ?*....

I started asking these Endless questions after the platform finally reached the surface, and all I see is a broken fence, an abundant amount of wildlife and just... the end of human kind I guess.

Unknown: "Ain't that a rare sight? A vault dweller...and here I thought you critters stick to the underground."

I heard a rough voice behind me, with what seemed like a light Texan accent. I turn around and I see a masked man strapped with weapons, a black cowboy hat on the top of his head and he looked at me with a sharp gaze.

-3rd person POV-

Adam was currently trying on his new Erron Black persona (charisma rank 10 pretty much did it for him) and he had to make sure that he at least gave a believable and trustworthy impression to this woman, that had just lost everything.

Adam was Currently standing roughly 15 metres away from Nora, and after his exclamation he widened his eyes as if in the realisation of something.

Alex: "Hold up, if you're from that vault, then ain't you supposed to be a popsicle?" His tone changing to one with a slight curiosity.

Nora: "Who are you?! How the hell do you know I was frozen?!.... and...Where are we?" She practically shouted the first part but went quite as she remembered the alien landscape surrounding them.

Adam: "Well, I'm..." before he was able to finish, he was cut off by the sound of the ground opening up-4 furless overgrown rat looking creatures now pouncing at him. It took him less than a second to draw his revolvers, and less than half to fire 4 bullets, each one finding its respective place in the head of a creatures.

Nora stumbled back slightly due to the arrival of these 'rats' and the deadly display shown by this stranger. She decided not to take chances.

*click*

She readies her 10mm pistol, quickly aiming it at the stranger. However, before her finger even touched the trigger she was distracted by the sight of a coin being flicked above her. Another gunshot was heard and it seemed as if the bullet bounced off the coin and knocked the pistol from her hand, leaving her unarmed.

Adam: "Lady, I ain't looking at doing anything to you, but I also prefer it that you don't point that at me." Adam said this sentence with a calm and emotionless tone, before blowing the smoke coming from the revolvers.

Adam: "For starters, the reason I know you were frozen is because I was down there."he lifts his right hand to show the pip boy (as it is the only way to access a vault)"I was only looking for supplies but imagine my surprise at the rows of frozen people I found down there.I ain't exactly a saint but I did try to wake them up-the terminal seemed to disapprove. I was then rummaging through the records, and I'm gonna need you to be ready and calm for my next sentence. Ok?" He looked at her in the eyes waiting for an answer.

Nora: "Okay." She replies with a little hesitation.

Alex: " I found out the date you people were frozen, so, can you remember the year you entered the vault?" He asks again.

Nora: "Of course. I vaguely remember a large blast... and I mean it was huge. However, we were rushed to a platform and were quickly taken underground seconds before the blast could reach us. We were told to put on this blue suit and were strapped inside metal capsules with a large window in front of our faces.I remember this cold sensation hitting me, but my mind went numb seconds after. I recall the year to be 2077 in the month of October."

Adam: "Right. The year was 2077. Now, the current date...weeeell....you could call it roughly 2287, give or take." He decided to speak slowly for her to embrace the news.

Nora: "...." She was speechless and her eyes widened as she is currently digesting the stranger's revelation; I mean she was in

cryo-stasis for over 200 years!

Adam: "I also know that after watching the mole rat cartel that attacked me, you realised that the world ain't really what it used to be." He added after making sure she is now all eyes and ears.

Nora: "If so...what happened?"

Adam: "Well, I can't tell you any scientific mumbo-jumbo, but my guess is after the bombs fell, the radiation caused most animals that survived the radiation to mutate. Some turned into harmless even cute looking organisms, while others turned into monsters; walking slaughtering machines, born and bred to kill. The last part is in no way an exaggeration." He then shook his head as if reminiscing a bad memory."Some of those monsters being people."He added with a lot of disgust in his voice.

After a long pause, and thinking about his last statement Nora decided to speak up.

Nora: "From what you told me, I take it that the world is now some kind of lawless hell. So, can you do me the favour of answering this question?" She looked at him dead in the eye with a doubt-full stare.

Adam: "Go ahead." He replied nonchalantly.

Nora: "Why did you not shoot me on first sight?I mean why even approach me?From what I know, I don't exactly look like a hard target to kill or rob or kidnap. Hell, I would have expected in this kind of a situation for you to threaten me, rip my clothes off and after you had your fun to just blast my brains out.But most of all I can tell is,that pity and free kindness cannot be found in this....wasteland." Her questioning almost accusing tone not disappearing.

Adam: "It was because of the look in your eyes." He sighed at his statement as if he was disappointed with himself.

Nora: "What about my eyes?"

Adam: "I recognise that look too well. I even saw myself standing on that platform." Nora tilts her head and narrows her eyes waiting for him to finish.

Adam: "The look of losing everything and everyone you love. You pretty much reek of emptiness and a hint of broken soul. The pain in your chest does not seem to alleviate-it only ever gets worse. In short terms. You look like a woman that had nothing else to live for."She widened her eyes and opened her mouth but before she could speak he added "but that was only for a brief moment. Your gaze seemed to sharpen- you found a new goal in life." Instead of questioning any of these declarations, Adam stated them as supposed facts.

Nora was still staring at this stranger, deciding to partially trust and accept his presence. She was still on guard but there was the visible change of her being a lot less tense. Taking a couple of steps off of the metal platform she arrived in front of him, her stony expression replaced with that of a pleading look.

Nora: "I don't have anything left in my life except for my son. But even he was taken from me, so.... I know it's too much to ask... but can you guide me to the nearest human outpost, maybe I'll find him there?"

Adam turns his head to the side to peer at the local scenery, almost looking disinterested at her latest statement, he answered with no emotion.

Adam: "Ain't really got anything better to do except survivin. Why not, I mean, might be interesting."

(A/N- Adam decided to borrow some aspects of Erron blacks character, his Texan accent was also a cool add on I decided to keep. Guys, you have to remember that even if his mindset is changed, it only makes him unflinching to killing, not really completely ignorant to all good and evil. He also decided to follow her as it will be easier to be introduced to some of the game's main characters.)