A Last Resort
@valentine-synthetic-detective
Renegade approached the reinforced sanctuary with narrowed, scrutinizing eyes, crossing her arms and blowing a bit of her dark hair from her face. ‘The Great Green Jewel’, indeed. She would’ve been impressed...if not for its unsavory reputation for discrimination. In her stationary search, she spotted the intercom box, and after one last look around, she uncrossed her arms and walked up to the rusted metal speaker.
“Hello?” She said, peering down at it, “Anybody home?”
“State your business.” Came the curt, clearly bored reply.
“...Uhh...my name’s Renegade Fraley.” She paused. What if these people were stingy with their resources, including the service she’d come all this way to seek? She pursed her lips before making a silent decision. “I’m a mechanic here on a ‘house call’ of sorts...I should be pretty quick, and I can patronize some of the local businesses while I’m passing through, if that suits your collective fancy.”
There was a short silence before the male voice from behind the wall said, “Alright. Just...don’t cause any trouble.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She replied, smirking inwardly. She’d been sold the idea that making it into the city was difficult...then again, she hadn’t been entirely honest with her intentions. It didn’t matter, though, a few white lies couldn’t hurt.
Danny watched the young woman pass, a look of vague confusion plastered on his face. She almost didn’t look real. She was short, she had sharp, little teeth that poked through her closed lips, and...dimly-glowing, emerald eyes. Even her dress was strange, her ensemble almost completely black, complete with a jacket, gloves, and pants. He glanced at the thermometer hung on the wall opposite him. 77 degrees. Who wore a get-up like that when it was that hot?
Rene didn’t give the gatekeeper so much as a sideways glance, waltzing right up the concrete steps. She stopped when she reached the top, admiring the view for a moment before remembering that she was on a mission. She shook her head, descending the next staircase and surveying the area. Diamond City certainly wasn’t small...but it wasn’t unmanageable. She’d figure out her way around, even if it took her a while. As she made her way through the streets, she was enticed by some of the wares she spotted. Her intrigue was quickly snuffed out when she noticed the looks people gave her as she passed. She reminded herself that she needed to keep as low a profile as possible, so from that moment, she kept her head down, glancing around occasionally to make sure she wasn’t going in circles.
She was about to relent and ask someone for help, turning down a seemingly-empty alley and leaning against a wall. She did a double take when she noticed the soft glow of a pink, neon sign, and she stared at it as she straightened up. ‘Valentine Detective Agency’...So, it was real. She started toward it with the intention of inspecting it further when she noticed there was a door in the smaller, makeshift hall adjacent to the main walkway.
Finally, her confidence faltered, and she exhaled nervously. She crossed to the door, lifting her hand to knock. Her fist lingered in the air for a moment before it unfurled, falling silently against the frame as she shook her head. Rene stood there in anxious silence, forehead pressed against the cool steel. She closed her eyes, feeling her heart begin to pound. Her only hope supposedly lied behind this door, so...why couldn't she bring herself to enter? Suddenly, something didn't feel right about it...maybe she believed that she didn't need help to find what she'd lost...or perhaps she simply didn't believe she deserved help at all...regardless, she'd come this far, so it would be a waste to turn back...
She drew in a deep breath, balling up her fist to knock again. However, she stopped just short, opening her hand. Wrong one. She raised the other hand, knocking firmly as a sort of warning to her entrance. She cleared her throat, barely peering around before calling out, “Hello?”
















