"No sevens, go fish."

Altan let out a sigh, drawing a card from the haphazard pile in the middle of the table. It was an eight. "Y'know," he grumbled, adding it to his hand, "I can see your cards, you little shit."

The young girl across from him smirked, pulling her cards close to her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about. And even if I did, that'd make you a big, stupid cheater." She peered at her cards, "Got any eights?"

Altan tossed his hand down in exasperation and stood. "I yield. C'mon, let's grab something to eat. We’ve got a long day ahead."

Delilah stiffened, and she set her cards down, her wide eyes tracking the Chinese assault rifle Altan was securing to himself with a three-point sling. She straightened her shoulders, trying to look more confident, but her small fingers tightened on the edge of the table, betraying her unease as her mind raced. "Are you going out again today?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, sounding far smaller than she intended.

Altan nodded, then paused before replying, "Yeah. You're coming with. I need your help with the Super Duper Mart."

Delilah hesitated, the cards she had gathered falling to the table. "The place where you fought those raiders?"

Altan glanced at her, his gaze softening for a moment longer than usual. "Yeah, though if you were asking me out of context, it's crazy how little that narrows down the places I've been lately." He paused, turning his attention to some mechanical bit of his rifle, his fingers moving with practiced ease. "Anyway, I need your help with some locks and a few small bits I can't quite reach. You up for it?"

Delilah nodded, quickly gathering the cards she’d been bullying Altan with. They trembled just slightly. It was fine. Really. Altan just wanted to take her—his little sister—out into the dangerous, unpredictable wasteland. The same wasteland that had been returning him to her, bruised and bloodied, day after day. Wild animals, crazed people, and her father were out there too. No telling how wild he was. Altan had been heading out there daily since they fled Vault 101, and she knew well enough he was wild. Delilah tucked the cards into their case and stashed it in her belt pouch, alongside the handful of caps she'd managed to get out of Altan. It was fine. Really. "Okay. Does that mean we can have a big breakfast?"

Altan shrugged, slinging his rucksack over his head and onto his back. "Sure thing, Lily. Anything you want." He paused. "Within reason. You're not having crisps for breakfast again." Delilah averted her eyes, and Altan chuckled.

She followed Altan as he headed out of Megaton's common house, making their way down into the crater that formed the heart of the town. The Church of Atom cultists were at it again, standing in the radioactive puddle beneath the towering nuclear bomb the town was built around. The cultists were kind of fun to mess with. She’d almost gotten herself in trouble the other day when she lectured them on physics and the reality of the atoms they worshipped. It was all fun and games until a few of the cultists started questioning their faith, and Confessor Cromwell got *really* mad at her.

Of course, Altan had been nearby, and a stern look—and some sterner words, some of which she wasn’t allowed to repeat—had gotten her off the hook with a simple apology. It probably didn’t hurt that Altan had just returned from his daily excursion: filthy, bloodied, kitted out in body armor and armed with that frightening assault rifle of his.

Delilah giggled to herself as she passed the group of cultists, catching the wide-eyed double take of one. She waved at him, then darted past Altan and ran ahead to claim a seat inside the Brass Lantern. Leo Stahl, the eldest of the Stahl trio, gave her a nod as she stepped into the restaurant.

"Well, good morning, little miss! Are you here by yourself, or is that big brother of yours joining us today?"

Delilah slid into a booth, choosing the seat facing away from the door. Altan always preferred to sit where he could see the entrance. He was weird like that. "Yes, sir, and he said we’re gonna have a big breakfast too!"

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"Is that so? Well, in that case, allow me to fetch a pair of menus." Leo disappeared into the back just as Altan entered. He briefly scanned the room, then squeezed into the booth across from Delilah when he spotted her.

"Morning, Leo. You got any fruit juice today?"

Leo poked his head out from the kitchen. "We’ve got a little left, fresh-squeezed mutfruit. Want me to bring a couple glasses for you two?"

Altan nodded. "Appreciate it." He leaned back in the booth, looking at Delilah. "Lily, listen up. I know you’re not thrilled about coming along today, but it’s important. I’ll need your help with some locks and scavenging work in tight spaces. Plus, there’s something I want you to have."

Delilah raised an eyebrow. "Something else, huh? If it’s another gross stale snack cake, I’m not eating it."

Altan pulled a squarish gray device encased in brown canvas out of his bag, setting it on the table. "No dubious snacks this time. This is called a Stealth Boy. This little gadget can make you nearly invisible for a short time, like heat waves off of asphalt." He flipped the canvas cover off the top of the device, revealing several switches, dials and a thin cord running down the side. "You press this button to toggle it on and off." He tapped a recessed switch on the device. "You get about thirty seconds of invisibility out of one before it has to recharge, so you need to use it wisely—only if things get really bad. And don’t use it unless you’re ready to stay quiet. If you start running or talking, people can still figure out where you are."

Delilah picked up the Stealth Boy, examining it with wide eyes. "Whoa. This is… actually pretty cool. It really works?"

Altan nodded. "It does, but it’s not perfect. It’s meant to keep you safe if we get into trouble, so keep it on your belt and within reach at all times. You’ll stay close to me, but if something happens, I need to know you can take care of yourself. Which brings me to this."

He reached into his bag again, this time pulling out a laser pistol in a makeshift holster, and a small bundle of energy cells. Delilah’s eyes widened even further, but she frowned as Altan set the weapon in front of her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said, leaning back. "You’re giving me a gun? I thought you said I wasn’t ready for this."

"You weren’t," Altan replied seriously, "but now you are—or at least, you have to be. This thing isn’t a toy, Delilah. A single shot can burn a hole clean through a person, or worse. You never point it at anything you don’t intend to destroy. You got that?"

Delilah nodded slowly, her nervousness barely concealed by her usual bravado. "Yeah, I got it. Don’t shoot anything unless it’s absolutely necessary. Got it."

"Good. Now, watch closely." Altan picked up the pistol and an energy cell, carefully showing her how to load it. "You slide the cell into this port until it clicks, then press it shut. To unload, push this release in, and the cell will pop out. Always check to make sure it’s empty before you put it away, got it?"

He passed the pistol to Delilah, who took it with hesitant hands. "Your turn. Load it."

She fumbled slightly but managed to slide the cell into place. Altan nodded. "Good. Now unload it."

Delilah pressed the release, and the cell dropped into her palm. She exhaled, looking up at him. "Okay, not too bad."

Altan smiled faintly. "Not bad at all. Now for the safety. See this switch? Up means it’s safe; down means it’s ready to fire. Always double-check that it’s on safe when you’re not using it. Go ahead, try it."

Delilah toggled the safety a few times, then held the pistol up. "Okay. Load, unload, safety. I think I’ve got it."

Altan gave her a long look. "Now practice. Do it five more times. I need to be sure you won’t freeze up out there."

She rolled her eyes but did as he said, repeating the process under his watchful gaze. When she finished, she set the pistol down and looked up at him. "Satisfied, big brother?"

"Almost." He leaned forward, his expression serious. "Remember the four rules. One: Treat every gun like it’s loaded. Two: Never point it at anything you don’t want to destroy. Three: Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. And four: Always be sure of your target and what’s beyond it. That last one’s especially important with this pistol—it’ll go right through a raider and hit whatever’s behind them. You also need to be aware of any reflective surfaces. A shot from this will probably just melt any mirror or shiny bit of metal it hits, but you can never be too cautious."

Delilah swallowed hard, staring at the pistol. "Okay. I think I’ve got it." She glanced up at him, her usual smirk creeping back. "But if I accidentally shoot my foot, it’s totally your fault."

Altan snorted, shaking his head. "That’s not going to happen. You’ll do fine. Just stay close to me, and we’ll be in and out of the Super Duper Mart before you know it."

Leo returned with their drinks and menus, giving the pair a curious glance but saying nothing. Altan leaned back again, taking a sip of his juice. "Now, let’s order. We’ve got a lot to do today, and probably not enough time to do it."

Delilah tucked the pistol and Stealth Boy into her bag, trying to ignore the knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. She plastered on a grin, though, refusing to let Altan—or anyone else—see how scared she really was. "Fine. But if you try to eat my bacon again, I’m stabbing you with a fork."

Altan chuckled. "Deal."

It was fine. Really. Just a quiet day with her big brother, in the horrible, terrifying wasteland. What could possibly go wrong?