Toxic [C.H]

Chapter 4: Shady

With my arms crossed I walked in front of Cooper. We started to pass a huge billboard with vault boy on it. I stopped to look up at it.

Smiling as I remembered my home in the vaults, it gave me a little hope.

I was violently shaken out of my face with the sound on a gunshot.

Vault boy's head on the billboard was now blown off.

Looking behind me, Cooper's gun was pointed. He lowered it and motioned me to keep going. I rolled my eyes and looked forward again. I could hear him put his gun back into his holster.

Kicking some rocks as I walked.

"Do or did you have a family?" I asked.

"Why you asking?"

"I don't know... conversation." I shrugged, still kicking rocks.

Cooper paused, letting out a huff.

"Yeah. They're gone."

"I'm sorry." I looked over my shoulder.

"No need to be, that's the way life goes."

"I guess so." Waving a mutated bug away from my face. "I miss the vaults but I like how open it is up here."

"I don't know how you could live so long in those things."

"It's all I ever knew so I didn't think life up here was even possible."

"Oh yeah, it's possible..."

"Down there everything was already planned for you. I was supposed to be wed, have kids but I didn't want to. My dad didn't like that but he understood it. I've always been rebellious. Always done the rough and tumble shit. Took martial arts classes with the boys, played football, never really fit in anywhere with the girls. I never liked the thought of being told what I could and couldn't do."

I stopped walking and stared off into the distance.

"I'm free up here, you know." A slight smile forming on my lips.

Cooper came to stand right next to me. I saw him look at me but I continued to look forward.

"You do seem very rebellious." Cooper spoke. "Sneaky little thing."

"I think it's a good thing gunslinger." I looked over to him and smiled.

"Where do you know me from?" He turned to face me fully.

"The Man from Deadhorse." I turned. "Used to watch you on the screens because that's all we had that was actually entertaining."

Cooper narrowed his eyes towards me.

"They still have those down there?"

"Of course, it's a classic. Have you not seen your own work?"

"I have, I'm just surprised that's all." Cooper began to fix his hat.

"America's beloved standing right here in front of me." I smirked, stepping closer to him. "Who would've thought."

I looked him up and down then back to his eyes. He looked as if he was comfortable with me. His eyes didn't seem so harsh like they were before.

"You and that big iron of yours." I said near his ear, looking down at his gun.

"You ain't seen nothin'." He smirked. "And you buttering me up ain't gonna get you anywhere."

"I'd never do a thing like that Coop." I moved back, smiling. "Besides, I don't think you know who you're messing with. I could be worse."

"It's the other way around sweetheart."