《Steel Waste》 Chapter 1 - Cloudy With A Chance Of Reincarnation An eighteen-year-old teenage boy was leaning against the brick wall of where he was currently working... He kept his head down and listened to the music playlist on his phone as his co-workers talked amongst each other, they had around thirty more minutes until they had to get back to work. He usually just kept to himself, relaxing during the relatively short break his boss allowed them, though, if it wasn''t a legal requirement he reckoned they''d not even receive toilet breaks. His name was Leonard Walsh, a college dropout who''d immediately started working as soon as the law permitted it. He lived with his parents, more for the "cheap rent" than anything else, he didn''t care about the stigma due to the fact that a college dropout like himself would either live here or on the streets.?? When his parents had heard he''d dropped out of college, they''d been... Unamused, to say the least. It seemed they''d had some ill-conceived notion that he''d meet a girl in college, graduate, marry, get a well-paying job and probably assist them in their retirement. Leonard had no intentions of doing any of that, it was annoying enough to have his friend''s expectations thrust onto himself, let alone his parents. The reason for his lack of motivation? In his eyes the world was, to be put simply, boring. All his life people had been telling him what to do, but whether it was due to his stubbornness or something else, he couldn''t bear to follow along like some sort of lemming. A pat on his shoulder draws him from his thoughts, taking out an earphone he glances towards the offending co-worker. "Hey, Leonard, me and the guys were wondering if you wanted to check out the new Fallout game... Its online and''ll probably be fun to fuck around on.." ... Leonard looks behind the teen and spots two or three other people looking at him expectantly, "Erm... What''s your name again?" he asks, having never bothered to remember the names of these people. ... They look slightly offended but quickly fix their expression, "Its John." Leonard nods, "And... What''s Fallout?" ... Apparently, the fact he didn''t know what Fallout is was more of a shock than his name being forgotten, John went on to describe the game, the franchise, and general premise. Leonard couldn''t help but be interested by it, a post-nuclear wasteland with drastically different technology to their own, with the addition of many mutated creatures to liven up combat? Sounds like fun... "I''m not all that into gaming... My console has just been collecting dust ever since I bought it, I was actually about to pawn it off..." "Look, due to the release of Fallout 76, Bethesda has given a discount on all their previous games aswell as creating a bundle... How about you check them out before making a decision?" Leonard shrugs, "I guess I could? When is the new one coming out?" "Two weeks." he states and Leonard nods, "Alright, I''ll buy''em on the way home... I''ll let you know what I think." John nods, "Cool-shit... Breaks over..." he complains, having spent the entire time describing Fallout to Leonard. After work, Leonard had stopped by the store and picked up the bundle containing Fallout 3, Fallout Newvegas, and Fallout 4. It was ¡ê20, so no big loss if he ended up hating them, if it was any pricier he might have just ignored it entirely though. Getting home, he kicks off his shoes, and almost tears off his sweaty work clothes into a laundry basket. Ignoring his parent''s greetings and heading to his room to check out whether these games were any good. He started with Fallout 3 as it was the first game in the bundle, booting it up and finding that he''d actually be starting as a baby? Weird. His playstyle was what some might call "Haphazard", ignoring most not integral dialogue and just doing as he pleases, as his "Father" was speaking to him he was idly thinking about whether or not it would be possible to enter the game as a baby... The thought thoroughly amuses him. Leonard was a peculiar kind of person, lazy and motivated in most aspects of life... But, when he put his mind to it, nothing would sway him. Fallout 3, was significantly more fun that he''d initially thought it''d be... Three days quickly went by, everything except eating, drinking, and releasing his bowels forgotten. He didn''t even notice his phone ringing for him, his boss firing him after the second day of getting no answer... On the third day Leonard had finally completed the game, having done most of the side quests and collected the bobbleheads. The funny part was he had almost no idea what he was doing the entire time, simply shooting mutants, power armour wearing douche bags, and deathclaws. Following the pip on his map to go where he was needed... All he knew of the story was that the "Brotherhood of Steel were the good guys, Enclave were the bad guys, and everyone else is neutral." He dropped his control and slumped backwards, exhausted from not having slept for three days... That didn''t concern him though... "That was fun." he muttered, running through the Capital Wasteland having been one of the most fun things he''d ever done. His eyes glanced towards the two other games he had yet to play... Taking another mouthful of the off-brand energy drink he''d stockpiled, he popped Fallout Newvegas into his console, determined to finish all of them as quickly as possible... He didn''t know what the plot would be, but he knew it''d be fun... Reading the back of the box as the game booted up... He''d be the... Courier? Strange name but whatever, he was already thinking of the various builds he could do... Becoming a melee only drug packing psychopath, energy weapons expert, or mad explosive flinger. The game was almost about to start and the music was getting him hyped... Inwardly shouting "I''M READY, LETS DO THIS!" ... His excitement was quelled however when his vision started blurring, he blinked a couple times to no avail, his sight was getting worse and worse the more time went on... He began getting nautious, getting to his feet and stumbling towards his window before throwing it open. He gulped in mouthfuls of fresh air, only now realising how badly he''d let his personal hygiene go... With his vision still fading, he looked up at the clouds and had a strange thought pop into his mind... "Why does that cloud look like a truck?" He then collapsed, the indecent amount of energy drinks, sleepless nights, and improper eating leading to a catastrophic heart attack. His body was found a couple of days later when his parents got curious at what he was doing, only then spotting their decomposing son. Chapter 2 - Blue Womb, You Saw Me Standing Alone... Leonard had experienced a few things in his short eighteen years on earth, tasting various foods, feeling the full range of possible emotions, suffering pain, anguish, and despair. Falling in love but it ending unrequited. But, the current situation had considerably baffled and confused him... His body felt weird, not like he was used to, he couldn''t breathe but felt no urge to anyway. In all honesty, it felt like he was currently within a warm water balloon, occasionally he''d feel pressure from random directions, but it was nothing more than an annoyance.?? Leonard stretched his limbs out but felt them reaching the barrier of whatever was holding him... He remembers that he''d just passed out after his three-day marathon playing Fallout 3, but had no idea how he''d ended up "Here". He combed over the possibilities, and all of them were unsatisfactory, he''d been abducted by aliens, his government or a terrorist organisation? Probably not, but it was an option. He had a mental breakdown and this is within his own mind, the experiences just echoes of what he true body was feeling? That didn''t sound right. He''d died, and this was Heaven, Hell, or Limbo... Leonard refused to believe that God existed, so this one was out, even if it were true. He was paralyzed and this was simply what you felt when all senses were lost? Likely? The last thing on his mental list was that he''d somehow been stuffed inside a womb? He assumed this is what being inside one would feel like, feeling around with his weak and for some reason small hand allowed him to feel what could only be a placenta. He left it alone for the time being, if it was what he thought it was, he''d definitely die if he damaged it. Giving another kick in irritation he could hear a female yelp, it wasn''t loud and was difficult to hear due to him being submerged, but it lead credence to him being inside a womb. That only brought more questions to the table though... How. How was he here, and was he even "Leonard" anymore? He speculated that he may have been reincarnated and if so his original name would likely be replaced by whatever his new parents called him. More importantly though, why was he here? Did he anger a God somewhere and as punishment they''d forced him to live through life again? Some wouldn''t consider that all that bad, but Leonard thought differently... Life was boring enough as it is, and having to redo school and college again made him want to just pull the placenta out and end his new life before it even began. Of course, there were other options. Maybe this would be beneficial to him? The start of Fallout 3 had you being born, perhaps it was something similar to that... If that was the case, wouldn''t that make him the Protagonist? It may just be wishful thinking, but if that were possible he''d jump at the opportunity. His experience playing Fallout 3 was still fresh in his mind, and to be honest, he wouldn''t mind playing it again. He''ll just have to wait and see where he''d end up... For all he knew he could be being born in Warhammer 40k, and if that were so, even if he killed himself he was fucked. A month went by and Leonard continued floating in the womb, trying to find things to think about to alleviate his boredom. He''d gone through a phase of kicking his "mother" whenever he wanted, the yelps of pain and surprise amusing him for a time before it quickly got old. He''d then started reliving his old memories, though, most were so boring he just dreamt of playing Fallout, sad yes, but it was the clearest and most interesting thing he could remember. Eventually, he felt the fluid surrounding him drain, and loud voices from outside his "prison" could be heard... Either, he was about to die or was getting birthed, Leonard was looking forward to both options. Soon enough he felt a pressure on him, and he twisted himself to go headfirst towards whever it was pulling him... He knew that a babies best chance for survival was going headfirst, he was able to think and move himself so it was easy to get into the correct position... What Leonard hadn''t expected was the ungodly pain he''d experience as he was getting pushed out. His head was literally being crushed and squeezed as cold plastic covered hands tried to assist his mother in birthing him. He head got through but not without consequences, his thoughts were fuzzy and he was almost running on instinct... His chest come next and some hands wrapped around him to pull, his body was fragile and he thought he''d be torn in half... He coughed and sucked in a breath as the pain continued to climb, only now realising that he was able to breath. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he unconsciously started wailing, his unused pain receptors suddenly all flaring as a nurse cleans him off and wraps him into a blanket, a few minute later the pain slowly fading into a dull ache. Leonard struggled to open his eyes but was eventually able to and started looking around, noticing that he was inside some sort of rundown building... It looked like the wallpaper was almost entirely gone, with the walls themselves slowly rotting away. His mind was still muddled after having his brain squished, but he managed to look over at the pale woman holding him as well as the large man lovingly holding her. "What should we call him?" the man asks, his scraggly brown hair and stubble making him look like a homeless person. The woman smiles down at him, "Afton... Afton Parker." she says, giving the man a kiss before pecking her new child on the forehead. Leonard, or now Afton Parker couldn''t bear it any longer and passed out, wondering if he''d been born to some homeless people. Chapter 3 - Day One And Already Depressed... Leonard, or rather, Afton, had just woken up. His mind felt refreshed and a lot clearer, he''d not expected that having your head and brain reshaped as a baby would be so painful and literally mind-numbing. Regardless, he was alive and now able to take a proper look at the environment around him... He''s currently tightly wrapped in a blanket and placed within some kind of crappy cot? It looks as if it was made from leftover materials you''d find in a skip. Atleast with no one else around he could do some things most would consider highly unusual.?? Straining his body, and neck muscles, he turned to the side and looks through the dirty and almost splintered wooden bars of the cot, looking at the wall of the building he was within. Again, as he''d previously thought before he''d ended up passing out, the wall was decomposing before his very eyes... He was honestly worried about the whole place collapsing on top of him, he''d not even been born a day and was already judging his negligent parents at leaving him in this deathtrap. On the subject of parents... His name was now Afton. Not something he''d personally pick but you can''t really pick your name, can you? He continued to wiggle his body to get a good look of the room around him, noting that there were some primitive-looking computers, damaged desks and other similar kinds of furniture... Strangely enough, there was also a pistol that seemed to have been dismantled on the nearby table. Before he''s able to consider the implications of having homeless parents well versed in weaponry, a pain in his stomach caused him to unconsciously tear up... Shit, is this was babies feel when they''re hungry? He tries to resist the urge to cry as his dignity simply wouldn''t allow it, however, dignity wasn''t a factor to his body''s instincts. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" he wails, his throat feeling strained and painful from the intensive use of his vocal cords. Fortunately, it doesn''t take long for someone to open the door and enter the doom, they walk up to the cot and smile down at him, its his homeless mother... Though, she was wearing a clean looking medical gown which would indicate they weren''t as poor as he initially thought. Her long black hair was tied into a bun, her face was clean, lacking in wrinkles, her hazel eyes matching well with the rest of her features... She was, by Afton''s standards, beautiful. Her face was lightly tanned, as if she''d spent a few weeks sunbathing on the beech, but he could see how pale her arms were when she went to pick him up. "My boy... Mama''s here, and you hungry?" she asks sweetly, enraptured in her sons almost inquisitive gaze. Afton stomach pains haven''t faded, but the sudden shock had, he decided to reach his little arms up at her instead of crying and losing more self-respect. She takes this as an affirmative and shifts the gown before bring him up to her breast... Now, if you were to ask Afton to suck on someone''s breast before he was reincarnated, he''d do it and then afterwards ask who you were... But, with this not being a sexual act and instead, one of necessity, he wasn''t enjoying it as much as you''d think. Add to the fact that he completely lacked any hormones to influence his body or mind, and you have a grown man being force-fed breast milk while having to act like he''s happy about it. "Oh! Delores was right... This does feel weird, not like how Zach does it..." she mutters thoughtfully. ... Afton tries to ignore his mother''s comments, only picking out the information he needed. This Delores person she mentioned was probably the one responsible for birthing him, her taking her advice into consideration was the obvious clue, though, it could just be another mother with more experience. "Are you done?" she asks as Afton reaches the limit of how much he can drink, his stomach roils and he ends up spitting some up... It feels like he''s going to drown in his own vomit as he burps against his well, luckily though his mother seemed to know what she was doing, lifting him over her shoulder in a good position so he can comfortable spit it up. She wipes it off and looks down at him afterwards, "Are you done? Ohh, everyone is looking forwards to meeting you, let''s go see them shall we?" she says, already walking towards the room''s exit. Afton was definitely not a social person, but he was willing to bear it to gather more information about his situation. The hallways his mother carries him through are all in similar states to his room, sometimes he got glimpses of sunlight breaking through small cracks as well... Whatever was holding this building up must be magically enhanced or something... They eventually enter a room containing many people who immediately lock their gazes on him, it seems he was wrong about them being homeless though... The weird red robes some wore indicated that he was probably in some kind of cult... One of the robe-wearing men that had brown hair and brown eyes got up from the ragged sofa he was sitting on and walked up to them... "Congratulations Verna." he says, looking down at Afton, "Seems he inherited your good looks, he''s rather handsome isn''t he?" Verna, his mother smiles at his compliment, "I''d call you a flatterer if I didn''t happen to agree Nolan." she jokes. An old-looking woman with greying blonde hair also wearing red robes walks up and examines him, "Did you have trouble with his first feeding?" she asks, tentatively turning his head to check for something. Verna shakes her head, "He spit some up but he was good. Why? Should I watch for something?" "No, just wanted to know, the first feeding is usually the most difficult for both you and the child, I''m glad to see you didn''t have problems..." she says with a restrained smile before sighing, "As much as I''d like to stay, I have other duties to attend to, if you ever need help just come and ask." Chapter 4 - Baby Glare His mother gives thanks the medic as they leave before turning to a blonde woman with green eyes wearing similar robes to everyone else. "He''s so cute!" the woman chirps, giving his cheek a gentle squeeze which he reciprocates with a glare. Though, this only makes her coo at him more.?? "I know, I can''t wait to introduce him to your daughter. I think they''ll be fast friends, though, I''d appreciate if you didn''t start plotting schemes to get them together Susan..." his mother says, giving the other woman a knowing look. Susan sighs, "Fiine... But you can''t blame me later if they do eventually become something? Wouldn''t it be cool to be sisters is law?" "Your daughter is ten years older Susan... I doubt they''ll be anything more than friends, or I hope atleast, who knows if you''ve warped little Christine''s mind already." "Hey, I resent that!" she jokes back. Afton was struggling to place himself, they''d given no actual information that''d help him in any way... Apart from maybe the names of these people, but he''d end up learning them anyway so it was a moot point. Also, it seemed like this blonde woman was trying to fix him with her daughter who''s ten years older... Is this what housewives usually talk about, or is it just some weird customs of their cult? His eyelids start fluttering against his will, it seems his body had reached its limit and was forcing him to sleep... Eventually, he relented and allowed sleep to overtake him, the women conversation was not going anywhere anyway, so why bother with it. The next time Afton opened his eyes he found himself alone again... He stretched his limbs out and only now noticed that he didn''t have a proper diaper, only ragged cloth wrapped around his groin. Damn it, couldn''t I have been reincarnated as the son of a rich couple or something? Ignoring the issue with his hygiene he encountered another problem... He was incredibly bored! His neck wasn''t strong enough to support his head, so he just had to lay down constantly, this might actually be worse than living in the womb, at least there he could kick his mother to amuse himself... After half an hour of contemplating he eventually decided to try and make the best of a bad situation by attempting to improve himself during this downtime... Exercising his frail muscles and trying to make different sounds with his fresh vocal cords, of course, this would take a long time before he saw any results, but it was better than sitting here like a potato for months. Trying to exercise while on your back is difficult, especially when you were so weak you couldn''t lift your head... But his attempts at lifting his legs, arms, and straining his abdominal muscles would hopefully lead to improvements, as to his vocal range? It was honestly distressing to be only able to produce "Goo''s" and "Gaa''s"... He''d makesure to become completely still when his mother came feed, clean, and play with him. Her attempts at getting reactions out of him were annoying at first, but he found it strangely calming to have her nearby, even if he logically wished her to be elsewhere. The next few days he was finally introduced to his father... A man named Zachary Parker, he towered over his mother and had a remarkably strong looking build, it wasn''t an odd occurrence to have him visit while completely covered in dirt, dust, and a black substance Afton could only think of as oil, perhaps he was a mechanic? As to his personality? When Afton was left alone with the man he was like an anxious boy about to take his crush on their first date, hesitant to touch or even do anything with him, even if Afton could see how much the man wanted to pick him up and hug him... Something to note, stubble is very painful against his smooth babyface, like thousands of needles jabbing him simultaneously. His subsequent cry had the man acting more demure than usual, though, it seemed like the satisfied grin he had at seeing his father get scolded had the opposite effect. Both his parents celebrating at his "First Smile". A couple weeks pass and Afton had begun to get suspicious over his parents intentions for him... His mother and father would occasionally come in and start reading what he''d initially thought were "bedtime stories", but were quickly recognised as indoctrination tools... I mean, what they were reading was literally called the "Codex", and preached things about preserving humanity and other unilateral rules. If this wasn''t a cult he''d eat his foot. Most of the things they read were Axioms from a man named Roger Maxson. "Shield yourself from those not bound to you by steel, for they are the blind. Aid them when you can, but lose not sight of yourself." his father recites, smiling down at him afterwards as if he''d just given him the meaning of life. Whatever being "Bound by steel" meant he didn''t want to know... He''d heard of some of the sick and sadistic things cults had done in the past, but hopefully, they''d not sacrifice him to the owl god or something before he could escape, or at least learn enough to survive around here. It was a couple week later that Afton had finally met some of the younger members of the cult, they skipped in sneakily after his mother had fed and cleaned in, looking through the cot bars with awed looks. One had dark brown hair with similarly coloured eyes and a cute face, the other having blonde hair and blue eyes who resembled the woman named Susan. The former slid an arm through the bar and placed a finger into his chubby hand, he gripped her finger with a determination, glaring at her as if to warn against any hostile actions. The excited giggle he got in response dampened his determination immediately afterwards though. Chapter 5 - Epiphany The dark brown-haired girl hops excitedly on her heels as Afton grips her finger, "Look Christine, he likes me!" she quickly says, trying to restrain her voice. "Maybe we shouldn''t be bothering him Veronica, young babies like Afton need a lot of sleep don''t they?" she asks hesitantly.?? "He''s the son of Zachary and Verna, he''s gotta be strong enough to handle this! Plus, look, I read that babies usually don''t react to you until they''re two-months-old," she says, massaging the baby''s chubby hand. While the massage felt pretty good, Afton still couldn''t bear being the object of attention for these children, if they began to stick around him like flies to shit he''d never get anything done. "Fua oof" he babbles, causing both the girls to stop. ... "Er, Veronica, did the baby just tell us to-" "No... Must just be a coincidence..." she interjects, refusing to believe a baby would first of all be smart enough to tell them to "fuck of", and secondary even if it was, would tell them to do so. "Ara? Veronica, Christine? I don''t remember inviting you to see Afton." his mother saves the day as she walks in. "Uh, we just... Got lost!" Veronica chirps after a moment of hesitation. "Y-yeah! When we say how cute Afton was we couldn''t resist... What a coincidence, right? haha, ha..." Christine continues, trying to follow Veronica''s story. Verna smiles at them both, "Is that so? So you wouldn''t mind if I too your parents about this then? It was an accident after all." "Please don''t!" both exclaim, getting a small chuckle from Verna. "Oh, I''m just joking... I''ll forget about this just once, but if you want to see Afton you have to ask me first, I trust you both but things can go wrong even if you have the best of intentions, okay?" They two children quickly nod at her, "Yes ma''am." they reply in unison. "Now, you two should be off, I heard Elder Elijah was looking for you Veronica, and you Christine, shouldn''t you be studying for your initiate tests?" Both their eyes widen and they quickly rush out of the room, brushing past something metallic going off of the sound it made when hit... Come to think of it, whatever it was it was moving towards him. "Honey? I''ve received orders to lead a patrol." his father''s voice comes from outside the room as he enters. Verna glares at him, "Zachary Parker. What have I told you about wearing that around Afton?" she asks in a cold voice. Afton himself had his mind blown when he spotted his father... The man walked in wearing some kind of heavy metal armour, his 6ft height had been increased to 6.5 and he had a distinctive looking helmet under his arm. "P-P-P-POWER ARMOUR!?! WHAAAAAT!" He screamed in his mind, forgetting how to breathe as he sees it. In his other hand rested what could only be a Gauss rifle, one of the best long-range energy weapons in Fallout 3. The fact that he was apparently now inside the Fallout universe shook his mind, he simply hadn''t even considered that this was possible. The small bits of information he''d gathered thus far started to make sense, the desolate building he was in, the strange robes people wore, the Codex he was constantly read... "Bonds of Steel" now made a whole lot more sense now that he knew the context, though, the rule itself didn''t seem to match his previous knowledge on the Brotherhood in Fallout 3... The Axiom sounded more selfish than what he''d come to expect, perhaps it was just a loosely followed rule though. "Calm down Verna, he''d have to see it eventually, best he becomes familiar with it before his training begins." he father says, attempting to calm his wife. "Yeah, but... I think he should be allowed to grow up a bit before he knows about his responsibilities." Zachary walks up, places his helmet on a nearby helmet and wraps an arm around Verna''s waist, "He''ll be fine honey, our son is new weakling, he''ll be one of the best, and we''ll be right behind him, watching and encouraging his growth." he says before giving her a peck on the lips. Afton slowly managed to regain his composure, momentarily giving his father a "100/100 speech check success" within his mind, if nothing else, the man knew how to handle his wife. "Like what you see son? When you''re older you''ll get a set of your own, cool right?" he chuckles with a boisterous grin. "What''s Nolan sending you out for anyway?" she asks. "Apparently the Elder''s gotten a whiff of some buried old world technology, we''re to patrol the area, clear out any hostiles and remove any locals that are currently in the area." he recites his orders. "Remove any locals? Hm.." she mutters worriedly, "Try to talk to them first, we were at fault for what happened last time... We can''t go around constantly making enemies." Zachary nods, "I know, I know, I''ll try my best but in the end it isn''t my call to make. If the Elder wants it then we have to give it to him, Nolan''s trying his best to achieve peaceful solutions but you know the Elder..." he says with a sigh. Verna nods in understanding, giving him another kiss before handing him his helmet, "Be careful out there, if I hear that you''ve done something stupid then Deathclaws aren''t the biggest problem you''ll have." she says with a glare that quickly softens. Afton watches his fathers back as the man leaves, his attention entirely on the armour that clanks heavily as it moves. A small smile makes its way onto his face, it seems his goals would have to be altered... School, college, and work were no longer factors, all that mattered now was knowledge and strength. Most would see that as a negative, but Afton saw it as an opportunity, he could only imagine what adventures awaited him in this new strange world. Chapter 6 - Relocate With the revelation of the situation, he currently found himself in he continued his training with renewed vigour. He had no idea how similar the world would be to Fallout 3, but knew if he was half-hearted he''d be an easily killable NPC. At least he started with the equivalent of a silver spoon in his mouth, he couldn''t imagine anywhere better to be born than in the Brotherhood of Steel. Power armour was basically cheating in the wasteland, completely covering yourself in thick armoured plates that made you immune to most damage was broken enough, but with the addition of the mechanical parts underneath that increased your strength and speed you became almost unkillable.?? This was not to say you couldn''t die though, the wasteland was full of crazy creatures like Deathclaws that could shred steel with ease, or Super Mutant Behemoths that could crush you with a single step. Personal strength was the first thing Afton had to aim for, having strong allies and knowledge was great but if you were negligent for even a moment your life would be snuffed out... All it took was misstepping where a random raider had laid a mine and boom, you''re a goner. That is not to disparage the strength in numbers, especially when considering the Brotherhood of Steel, an army of Power armour clad men wielding Gatling lasers would annihilate any potential force. Though he was unsure of the situation of the chapter where he''d been born, if everything was perfect then they''d not be living in some dingy rotten building... Of course, having knowledge of the region and the surroundings was a must, even if he had the best gear in existence he wouldn''t survive if he accidentally wandered into a Deathclaw den... On that topic, he doubted some of the mechanics in the game would be the same in this new world, would he be able to level up? Would Stimpacks instantly heal you? Would you be able to take bullets to the head and still survive? All of these questions were valid and incredibly important. In the game you''d access your inventory, stats, and everything else with a Pipboy, a machine you strapped to your wrist and helped wit various things. Unfortunately, it didn''t seem like he''d be given one as only Vault Dwellers seemed to possess them. From what he knew, Vaults were not actually designed to help people survive the apocalypse, instead, they were more like science experiments to see how humans would react in certain situations. For instance, he remembered hearing about a vault that contained one woman and almost a thousand men... He didn''t know any details but he imagined the social hierarchy would quickly breakdown and chaos would ensue. After thinking over it, he was probably lucky not to be one of the Vault Dwellers, who knew what kind of sick experiment he''d be subjected to. One thing was for sure, if he saw one he''d have to go for it, the slight chance that he''d get the advantages you have in the game was too great to ignore. A few more weeks pass and Afton had started being able to produce specific sounds, it still sounded like babbling but with a bit more practise he''d be able to form words soon... They''d not be clean or concise due to how weird not having teeth was. He would have to be careful when speaking, if someone observed him while he was practising it''d raise more questions than he was comfortable with... Being called a genius was fun and all, but being too smart at an early age would attract the attention of important and powerful people. It''d been a month since he''d been born, his training had gone relatively well, he was sure his muscles were stronger than what an ordinary baby would be, and he was now able to speak, even if it did sound broken and high-pitched. Afton had started to notice more people walking outside his door in the hallway, it was clear something was going on, and his assumptions were validated when his mother walked in while clad in red robes with a smile on her face. "Heya, how''s my Afton doing?" she asks even though she''s not expecting an answer, "It''s time to move, are you ready? Do you wanna leave this place?" ... Leave? What did she mean by that... His father walked in next wearing his Power armour, "You ready yet? The Elder wants to relocate somewhere, we''ve already scouted the area and created the safehouses." "Give me a moment, I need to pack Aftons toys, clothes, and blankets." she says, packing a rough-looking pack with everything of worth in the room. "Well try and be quick, the Elder wants to leave as soon as possible... I don''t know why but he''s got the weird look in his eye again." "Should we be worried?" Verna asks after closing the pack and picking Afton up. Zachary shrugs, "I''m not sure... I respect the man and his position, but sometimes it feels like leading the chapter is not his top priority. You''ll be in the middle of the convoy with the other mothers, scribes, and newborns so I''m not worried about that. What concerns me is where we''ll be heading, it''s not as defensible as our current position and is quite far from any clean water source. If it were up to me, we''d prepare for a longer journey and get further into the Mojave. Less chance of any confrontation with the NCR that way... I''m not the Elder though so we''ll just have to make do." "Atleast Afton will finally see outside, I can''t imagine being stuck in this cramped place is good for him..." she looks down at him, "You''ll love feeling the sun on your face Afton, trust me." she says, gently bouncing him up and down in her arm. Zachary smiles at them, "Susan, Darian, and Christine will be accompanying you, so at least it won''t be boring." Chapter 7 - Mother Gossip Afton found himself carried through the build he''d been living in since he''d been born here, most of the furniture was still here but everything and anything that contained technology in it had been moved. There were many unfamiliar faces in Power armour, Scribe robes, and some kind of light metal-reinforced scout armour? He wasn''t sure but concluded that they must''ve belonged to the lower-ranked members of the Brotherhood.?? His mother carried him out of some heavily damaged double doors and he was immediately blinded by the light, he''d not been in direct sunlight in this life yet, and it was definitely more intense than he remembered. It took a couple of minutes for his eyes to adjust to it, but he was eventually able to start looking around... And boy, was the area around them attention-grabbing. Simply put, everything around them was covered in sand, there seem to be a small oasis nearby with limited amounts of foliage growing around it, even if they looked terribly weak and frail. The sun was slowly scorching his tender skin, his mother luckily noticed this and wrapped him up in a cloth so the sun wouldn''t get him directly. She didn''t obscure his sight either, apparently wishing him to get a good look at the surroundings. The building they''d been living in thus far seemed to be a hotel named El Manana, the sign was hanging off of the front of the front by a thread, threatening to fall ontop of the next unlucky person walking through the doors. There didn''t seem to be any other buildings around, well, standing buildings. There was plenty of rubble and clear foundations of buildings that''d used to be here, most having already collapsed. Ignoring the ruins of pre-war civilisation, he turned his gaze towards the place his mother was heading. He spotted hundreds of people gathering in an area, there was a large number of people wearing Power armour and wielding weapons, some of which he actually recognised. Plasma Rifles, Gauss Rifles, Gatling Lasers, and even some Super Sledges... Clearly the Brotherhood wasn''t taking this "relocation" lightly. Strangely, all the people who weren''t wearing Power armour had large packs on their backs, he could spot metal pieces sticking out of a few of them... If he was able to speak he''d ask them what their purpose was as he didn''t recall anything like this happening in the game. He could also spot some animals being fitted with large packs on their backs, they were large cow-like creatures with rust-red skin and two heads that had large horns sprouting from them. Afton vaguely remembered that they were called Brahmin, usually used for meat, milk, and as pack animals due to them being one of the only domesticated animals in the wasteland. He found it strange that a faction as technologically advanced as the Brotherhood of Steel would be using these creatures to travel, but he imagined there was a good reason for it... Verna walked past the people in Power armour and arrived in the centre of the group where the robed people were, most were wearing packs but a few who were holding newborns weren''t. Two people walked up and greeted his mother, one a tanned female with black hair, and the other with pale skin, blonde hair, and hazal eyes. His mother seemed to know them, probably due to the duo both carrying their own newborn children with them... "Katie, Trisha, how''re you?" The tanned one called Trisha smiles at her, "As fine as you can be in this shit-hole desert-" she''s lightly slapped on the shoulder by Katie, "Oi, watch your language around the kids. I don''t know about you but I''d rather them not picking up your bad habits." "As lively as ever then guys?" his mother remarks, amused and slightly exasperated. "Of course, pushing this one out won''t change that... Was wondering if you''d ever get around to visiting us with your one." Trisha says, glancing at Afton. "Well we''re here now, so quit your complaining..." Verna says as some other people walk up to greet her. Susan was carrying a lightly looking pack compared to everyone else a she approached them, Christine was at her side looking at Afton with a timid smile, it was clear she wasn''t comfortable with being out in the open yet. "Hey, you guys ready? The Elder says we should be moving in half an hour." Verna sends a glare at the pack she''s carrying, "They still made you carry stuff huh? No mercy unless you''ve just gone through labour." she sighs. "Christine''s ten years old now, if I complained about having to carry stuff like everyone else I''d get the book thrown at my head... Atleast they gave me as little as possible." "Any idea on what the Elder is actually looking for?" Verna asks, keeping her doubts about Elijah to herself for the most part. "What else, technology. The only thing that seems to draw his interest, here''s at tip though, if you wanna prank him then just melt some metal together and leave it around where he is... He''ll spend hours trying to crack it open to see if there''s something interesting inside." Susan says with a silly grin. "I feel bad for Veronica... The Elder isn''t exactly the best role-model, plus, isn''t she a little young to be apprenticing under him?" Katie asks, having been good friends with Veronica''s parents before they were killed by the NCR. Afton wished he could just crawl out of his mother''s arms and go somewhere else... Listening to chicks talk was still as boring as ever, and provided little to no good or even reliable information. Fortunately for his sanity, it seemed everything had been prepared, the Elder was supposed to give a small speech on where they were going and their objective for doing so, but apparently had better things to do, leaving the responsibility to Head Paladin McNamara instead. Chapter 8 - Gifted The convoy started moving, with the men and women in Power armour on the outskirts to act like human shields to protect the more vulnerable members and pack animals. It was difficult for Afton to get a glimpse of anything as they started moving, his vision obscured by the many heavily armoured people... Occasionally you''d hear the discharging of their weaponry, probably against hostile creature too stupid to retreat against such a force.?? Christine and her mother kept Verna company, the former constantly trying to play and interact with Afton. He placated her by giving a smile every once in a while, but quickly got bored of the journey and fell asleep. There wasn''t really anything he could do, he couldn''t work his muscles or voice as he was being carried 24/7. He could only hope they''d arrive at their destination in a timely manner. The convoy continued walking, eventually reaching a cracked but still somewhat usable highway and heading down it. Their base had been situation nearby the highway but still out of view, allowing them easy access to the resources in the region. The journey took around four weeks, people were getting fed up of walking after the second but there wasn''t really all that much they could do about it. It was their Elder''s command so they had to obey. Another thing that Afton noticed was the fact that campfires had to be snuffed out immediately after they were done using them. He caught whispers that the smoke would attract "attention", from whom he had no idea. Fortunately, the new Brotherhood of Steel base seemed to be relatively well built, they''d begun staying inside the basements of houses that''d now been reduced to rubble. It''d taken a while for them to connect them together via underground passages, but they managed fairly well, this procedure was apparently part of their training. The location of the basements themselves were atop a large hill that had various places for patrols to keep out of sight when they leave. Security was massively increased from usual as well, almost constant patrols to keep watch of their surroundings. Afton noticed that many people weren''t happy with their new home though, thinking that the relocation was unnecessary and foolish. Of course, they would never air those sentiments in public, luckily no one thought Afton capable of understanding them, allowing him to slowly and sneakily build a picture of how everything was going. A year had passed since Afton had been born into this world, his birthday had been celebrated by his parents and their friends but he himself was not interested in it at all. He''d ended up losing his temper at the monotonous boredom that being a baby provided and started speaking single words when he reached eight months old... This had a few unexpected results, one of which was everyone calling him gifted as he was the youngest they''d ever recorded being able to speak, even in a limited capacity at eight months. Afton made sure to only say single words as speaking full sentences would definitely get him in trouble. He only realised his mistake when he was placed with other children at a similar age to himself... They were able to walk for a couple seconds but were only capable of saying "Bye", or "Mama" and other similar things. Compared to him who was easily able to walk around, show proper understanding and complex thought? They were like literal potato''s... His parents had been incredibly proud of him due to this, and he found it amusing when the other parents gave subdued congratulations to them. If he were in their position he''d be disappointed too, their child was obviously outclassed by another''s, still, trying to compete with your children was selfish and stupid. Now that he was able to question things he''d been able to gather specific information, though, the answers he received were always given in a way a child would understand, making it incredibly annoying to talk to anyone... His father continued reading the Codex to him, allowing him to understand more about it than before... The Brotherhood of Steel had one singular purpose, the collection, understanding, and protection of technology, keeping it out of the hands of savages who''d use it to destroy and commit atrocities. Afton agreed with this, for the most part, power needed to be regulated to stop tyrants from rising up and laying waste to everything in their paths... The only problem was, what would happen if the Brotherhood became the tyrants? He quickly learned not to question the Codex or the Brotherhood''s integrity... His father had been shocked that he would question the Codex, and he could sense that if he were a few years older he''d have been heavily punished. The Codex was akin to a sacred text to the Brotherhood and questioning it was heresy. His father told a few stories about what happened to deserters, always making them seem evil and unjust for going against hem. Clearly, they were meant to indoctrinate the younger generations to their way of thinking. Had Afton not been a reincarnated person he most likely would be completely dedicated to the Codex like everyone else. After his birthday he''d been given an opportunity to start expanding his knowledge, while he couldn''t let anyone know he was able to read at only a yearold, his new mobility allowed him to sneak around and gain access to some of the terminals nearby his room. Terminals themselves were just boxes with screens that functioned as the first computers did in his original world, it annoyed him that these things were so slow and limited, but he''d have to make due. They were usually only used to keep sensitive data stored, sometimes being used to locked and open doors and other things. He was now usually kept in a place with some of the other younger children, but he wasn''t worried about them ratting him out as all of them weren''t even able to walk properly yet. Still, he had to be incredibly careful, especially since security was so heavy now. Chapter 9 - New-born Hacker... Afton had just trying to sneak out of the room he and some of the other children were being kept for a while now, but saw no chance to leave... Until now, usually, there''d be someone watching over them but they''d been pulled away for some reason... He didn''t wait and took the opportunity, slowly pushing the door open to look through the slit for anyone nearby... The loud steps of Power armour alerted him to their presence, and so he waited for the group of four to pass, slipping out after any trace of them was gone.?? He was dressed in some makeshift baby clothes that his mother and her friends and made, on his feet he donned some sandals that''d been made from rubber they''d cut from tires. He vaguely knew the layout as his mother would carry him around the facility to eat, change, and other necessities. The tunnels themselves looked pretty primitive, being reinforced by metal scrap to prevent the roof from caving in due to their tunnelling. There wasn''t any local energy source nearby so Afton assumed they set up some sort of generator nearby, judging by how much the scribes had been carrying on their backs, they probably a few options of powering the place. Still, the power source probably wasn''t that powerful as they used dim lights in the hallways. There were a few things Afton could do now that he had the chance, but he primarily just wanted to get some more information on his situation, and that of this chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. There were three places that had Terminals, one was the workshop which was where most of the scribes were located, those Terminals would be chock full of everything and anything he could need, the only problem being is that they''d probably be password protected and constantly monitored. Another place was the security terminal that kept track of the automated defence systems they''d set up. They consisted of various turrets that''d constantly monitor the situation and annihilate any unregistered personnel. Obviously, Afton and the rest of the children had been put into the system, the mothers of the children had objected to the turrets presence around their children due to the fear of them being reduced to red mist should they somehow wander out of their designated room. This forced them to put all of the children into the system, however, due to their rapidly growing bodies, they needed to be re-entered into the system semi-regularly to make sure they''d be identifiable. The security terminal would hold what Afton wanted to know, but of course, one couldn''t just gain access to that without a great degree of trouble. As such, the last place he knew of that contained a terminal was his father''s office. From what he understood, his father was a Paladin and was pretty prominent in the chapter. Well respected and liked amoung everyone, and always willing to help should they need it. Afton himself liked the man, usually he didn''t like those social extroverted kinds of people, but he was smart, and always had a positive outlook... Even if it was "Slightly" fanatical about the Brotherhood. His room was placed relatively close to the nursery so he didn''t have all that much trouble getting there, it took all his strength to open the makeshift door but he finally made his way inside... His eyes were immediately drawn towards the set of Power armour lying atop a steel table, parts of it in the middle of repair it seemed. On the opposite side of the room was a desk that had his goal atop it, the terminal. He made his way towards it and slowly clambered up the swivel chair that was next to it. Almost falling off as he jumped onto the top of the desk. Look down from his position he realised that he could have very well been injured if he fell from such a height... Luckily the swivel chair hadn''t strayed too far, he''d probably be able to get down with some effort. He likely had all day before his father returned as of last he heard the man was on patrol, though, his caretaker would likely return to the nursery sometime soon. He examined the terminal for a while before finally discovering the on button, it whirred to life as he pressed it, the black background and neon green text appearing on the monitor... [Enter Password] : ... Shit. Why is this password locked? Was he mistaken? Maybe his father hadn''t set up the password as they''d just settled in?... Regardless, he was now stuck unless he could get the password somehow. He walked a circle around the terminal to check if he father was one of those people who wrote their passwords on paper in-case they forgot it... No dice. The password would probably be something personal right?... Maybe something to do with Afton, the man was awful proud of him after all... [Enter Password] : Afton [Denied] : 1/3 1/3? That probably means he has two more tries before the terminal locks and logs the occurrence... That''d probably be bad. He wrung his mind of possible passwords, eventually picking out something rather significant in his life as well as his fathers... His first words. [Enter Password] : Dad Away [Correct] Nice! He mentally cheered, even if he was slightly annoyed at his father for making such an even so significant... The man had kept rubble his stubble on Afton''s face and he couldn''t take it anymore, telling the man to go away. Regardless, he now had access to the terminal, lines of text slowly appeared and Afton quickly skimmed through them all. There were patrol reports, received orders, his journal, and other miscellaneous information... Afton selected the patrol reports and quickly read through one, finding that it was literally just information about the land around them, creatures, plants, potential water sources, buildings, defensible positions and signs of locals. While he could probably glean some information from them, it''d take far too long to do. Chapter 10 - The Smol Spy Backing out of the patrol logs, he selected his father''s journal, scrolling up to the first entry of the terminal and selecting it... One thing was for certain, he father was no poet, it was basic and got to the point which was helpful for Afton. Apparently, they were currently in the Mojave desert, travelling from California under the orders of the High Elder. The purpose of this? To secure technology and territory before the New California Republic could.?? Afton wasn''t familiar with them as he didn''t remember them being mentioned in Fallout 3, regardless of how they functioned and what they stood for, they were now his enemy simply due to their conflict with the Brotherhood. His father hadn''t written down everything, but he''d mentioned some "traitorous heretics" that''d been sent to the Capital Wasteland, Afton himself didn''t know much about America as the British rarely concerned themselves with it. Apparently, the chapter sent to the Capital Wasteland had been outright ignoring orders sent to them, as well as providing "charity" to those in need. Their mission had been to eliminate the Super mutant presence there but they''d not gotten word of how it was going yet. He continued reading the entries, their focus shifting from duty to his personal life as he found Verna to be pregnant. Afton backed out and shut off the terminal as the journal mostly just contained mentions of how well he''d been growing up thus far. Afton sat there and stewed for a moment, digesting the things he''d learned... Apparently, they were far away from the Brotherhood of Steels main force, and dangerously close to their enemies territory. Due to the proximity to the NCR the chapter had been ordered to keep radio silence until the Elder said otherwise. Communication was fairly limited from what he understood, Radio being the primary way of speaking over long distances... The only problem being that this could be intercepted, if the NCR found out about their presence in the Mojave they''d undoubtedly be hunted down and exterminated. The Brotherhood of Steel may be more technologically advanced than the NCR, but they lacked the number of men their opponent boasted. It was incredibly difficult for outsiders to enter the Brotherhood, as such they''d be outnumbered one hundred to one should they be forced into a direct confrontation. Afton nodded to himself, reaffirming his determination to get stronger before hopping off of the desk, onto the swivel chair and making his way to the door... Just as it swings open, revealing his father in full Power armour... They look at each other in confusion for a while before Afton finally decides to move, he raises his arms and waddles awkwardly towards his father, "Dad up" he pleads, the man snapping out of his stupor and picking him up. "Afton? What are you doing here?... It can''t be a coincidence that you''d just walk out of the nursery and into here..." he says while giving his son a hard look. Afton''s heart stops in his chest when he hears this... Could he have let something slip? Was his father onto him? "You came all this way to see your daddy didn''t you? Hahaha! I knew I was your favourite, just wait til I tell your mother!" he suddenly says, bringing Afton to his face and giving kisses to his forehead, his beard uncomfortably rubbing against the child''s face. Afton tries to push the man away but he was no match, if only he wasn''t wearing Power armour, he was sure he''d be able to defeat him!... Not. This was a relief though, the pain of being stabbed by the man''s stubble was a preferable option to being discovered. After the man had had his fun playing with him, he delivered Afton back to the nursery where the caretaker had been looking around for him in a panic. "Oh! You found him, I am so sorry!" she says sincerely. "Ah, don''t mind it... Little tyke probably waited until you were gone, he''s quite smart you know?" he says, but the caretaker just shrugs while thinking he''s just boasting. Afton is sat by the other children, one called Melissa Watkins crawls towards him with some blocks in hand and shows them to him, "Play!" ... He could feel the caretakers gaze burning into his back, causing him to reluctantly nod, taking some blocks and stacking them all on top of each other while the child watches with an impressed look. He continued building various things with the blocks, eventually gathering a group of children who watched his every move... What was this, lord of the flies? He got up and walked away, not bothering to look behind him at the children crawling after him... He climbed onto the cushions and closed his eyes, wanting to sleep instead of dealing with the annoyances. The next day after he was dropped off at the nursery by his mother, he was pulled aside by a scribe with short black greying hair and wrinkles wearing the typical red robes. She kneels down to get to his eye level and smiles at him, "Hello there Afton, my names Adah, do you know why I''m here?" He shakes his head, "Nuh-uh." he says, attempting to seem as innocent as possible. She squints slightly as he speaks before hiding it, "I''ve heard many things about you, able to walk so well at such a young age, ability to speak well above your peers... I''m interested to see how gifted you are, okay?" He gives her a confused look, he wasn''t acting either, he really had no idea what she wanted with him... If they''d found out about his unnatural intelligence than he wouldn''t put it past them to dissect him... Adah pulls out some things from her bag, blocks... Each of them are numbered from one to ten, she places them all on the floor randomly and glances at him, "Do you know how to count?" He scoffs inwardly, of course, he knows how to count... He was sure acting like an imbecile all the time was slowly turning him stupid. His thoughts and emotions were strong towards this matter, so much so that he hadn''t realised he had nodded slightly at her question... Chapter 11 - ABC, Its Easy As 1-2-3 Adah smirks at him, "Oh? You can count? Excellent, how about you show me with these blocks?" ...?? Wait what?... Had he done something to answer her question? This wasn''t good, thoughts him of being tied to a table and dissected to see what made him tick ran through his mind... But... Were his worries really all that founded? He''d learned much about how the Brotherhood of Steel operated, they weren''t really in the territory of human experimentation, especially since the organisation was founded due to an incident involving just that. Maybe showing some intelligence would actually benefit him, it''d allow more time for him to learn and gain skills instead of trying to placate the other potato''s he''d been put with... His hesitation was noted by Adah but he eventually came to a decision, bending down and arranging the blocks from one to ten, looking up at her once he was finished. "That''s... Right, amazing..." she eventually says after snapping out of her daze. "Can, you do it backwards?" He does as she asks, ten to one and yet again looking at her expectantly. "Has someone been teaching you?" she asks, the reason she''d asked him to count backwards was that sometimes children were able to memorize the sequence, while not realising the meaning of it. Afton shakes his head, "No?" ... "Okay, one last thing..." she says as she takes some blocks and rearranges them, what would you do to this?" she asks after placing two and three next to each other. Afton walks over and places five next to them, causing the woman eyes to widen. "Why did you place that?" she quickly asks, trying to restrain the excitement in her voice. "twooo, threee, is fiiveee" he replies in the most innocent manner he could manage. The woman after hearing this quickly picked him up and walked over to the caretaker who''d been watching her this whole time, "I need to borrow little Afton for a bit." she says as she slowly bounces him on her arm. "For what reason?" she asks, not wishing to disappoint Zachary again... Having a Paladin resent you would make your life very difficult in the Brotherhood. "For education purposes, if anyone asks just say that I have taken an interest in this child development and that they could find us in my office." Adah says before walking out, ignoring the woman''s protest. The duo draws some attention from various people, some of the patrols nodding at Adah as they pass them. Their destination was further than he''d initially thought, it probably being on the other side of the base to the nursery, the area they reach looks cleaner and in better condition, patrols in Power armour becoming less apparent and instead being replaced by groups of people in scribe robes carrying various things from stacks of papers, to materials, to machinery. When they get to Adah''s office Afton could see various things of interest dotted around it, a few terminals, desks full with stacks of paper, and other miscellaneous things. She sits him down on an arm chair and looks around for a moment, seeming to be at a loss at what to do next, clearly, she hadn''t expected him to show such aptitude when she visited the nursery. Finally a light bulb seems to light up in her head, picking him up again and placing him on one of the desks filled with paper. She grabs a ballpoint pen and sits on a chair next to him. "Okay Afton, before we can truly discover how intelligent you are, I must first teach you how to read and write... You were able to read the number blocks fairly easily, so I imagine you''ll do this with flying colours." she says with the enthusiasm not befitting a mature woman such as herself. She goes on to tutor him in how to old a pen, how to write various letters and how to speak them. Afton made it look like he had no prior knowledge of them beforehand before eventually picking them up... Three hours of this and he''d "Managed" to completely master how to write and speak half the letters in the alphabet. Adah herself was beside herself in excitement, giving constant praises at any progress he made, almost passing out when he wrote "A" with sloppy penmanship. She was apparently determined to keep going until he''d completely mastered it, but he was slowly but surely getting tired, not just physically but mentally, due to having to act like he was relearning everything. It was around that moment when his saviour had come to rescue him... "Afton?" the familiar voice of his mother asks as she enters the room, glaring daggers at Adah as soon as she spots her. "Ah-er, Misses Parker? I hope you don''t mind me borrowing your son for-THRE-Ahem! Three hours." she says, apparently not realising how long she''d taken custody of him. Verna crosses her arms with a not so friendly look, "When I heard you''d taken my son out I''d ignored it at first, one hour was fine, two was pushing it, but THREE?! He''s just a child! Whatever you''re doing with him can''t be more important than his health!" she exclaims, furious with the woman. "Misses Parker, I assure you I hadn''t meant to keep him so long, but you so is so remarkable that I''d lost track of time." ... Verna''s expression seemed to soften as the woman complimented him, "And what could be so interesting that you''d keep him for three hours?" Adah grabs her hand and brings her closer, gesturing towards some paper that had a few badly written letters on it. "Now what does your horrible handwriting have to do with this?" Verna sneers. Adah holds back a frown and shakes her head, "I didn''t write this... Your son did." she says, stunning his mother into shocked silence. ... "What!?!" she erupts after retrieving her senses. Chapter 12 - Whizzkid "What!?!" "It''s true! I''ve been teaching Afton the alphabet this whole time, he''s a genius! I''ve never seen a child so gifted before in all my life!" Adah presses, hoping that this revelation would allow her to continue tutoring the child.?? Verna looks at Afton then back to the papers, finding the "failed" attempts at writing. "Did you really write this Afton?" she asks. Afton gives a nod and is immediately swept him into her arms, some kind of sumo move designed for crushing your bones being applied... No, it was just her hugging him, but it sure felt like it. She cheers and peppers his face in kisses, completely overcome with joy. He wasn''t all that against his mother''s affection, it was preferable to being stabbed by his father''s beard... The man wouldn''t dare try to take him as his mother was like a rabid lioness if you even attempted it. "So, Miss Parker... Would you allow me to continue tutoring your son? He has a bright future, I''d say that with time he''d become the youngest Elder the Brotherhood has ever seen." Adah says, taking advantage of his mother''s emotional state. Verna stops hopping around and turns to her, "I think that''s fine... But I''ll be keeping a close eye to make sure you aren''t overworking him. He may be smart but he''s still a child." she states, no willing to compromise on this point. Adah quickly nods, she''d worked with children before and mostly knew their limits, to be honest, she was surprised Afton had concentrated for so long considering his age. Perhaps exceptional people would always be exceptional, no matter their age. "Then you can pick him up at the nursery tomorrow... I would have liked him to make friends and socialise a bit more, but I think he''ll be fine even without peers his age." she says, nodding to Adah before walking out, beginning to skip down the tunnels with Afton as she couldn''t contain her excitement. She quickly relayed everything that''d happened to his father, the man erupting into laughter and inviting all their acquaintances to have a small celebration. A few were unable to come due to prior responsibilities, but many people did. Edgar Hardin, a Paladin and friend of his father''s turned up first, he didn''t seem fond of social interactions but had apparently made an exception for this. "Parker, I wonder if this celebration is really necessary," he says, dressed in recon scout armour. He had black hair that was slowly receding from the front, and a relatively large head... Afton quietly snorted to himself as he thought up the nickname of "Egg Headin", immature? Definitely. Funny? Irrefutably. His father didn''t seem to take offence from the man''s comment, "Come on Edgar, you know I wouldn''t invite you here if it was nothing." "Last I recalled you said the same thing when your son first used the lavatory on his own..." he comments dryly. "Yeah, I may have overreacted... But this time is different. My son''s a genius!" he exclaims, causing Edgar to rub his face. "Mmmhmm? And what feat of superb intelligence has he displayed for you to invite everyone over?... Has he finally told you to go away and leave him be?" Zachary scoffs, "No, he did that months ago." he says, forcing Edgar to quickly hide the smirk making its way onto his face, "No, apparently Afton is able to read and write!" ... "And what makes you think that? Did he spit his spaghetti-o''s into a word?" he jabs again, wishing the man would stop talking about his son constantly. "Actually, Adah Lindgren took him from the nursery and taught him how to write half of the alphabet today." Verna interjects, causing Edgar to look at her in disbelief. "He''s one year old and you expect me to believe that not only is he able to walk and speak, but read and write too?" he asks, remembering how slowly his own son seemed to grow up. Verna crosses her arms and smirks, "He''s able to do maths as well apparently." ... Verna leaves to go greet the other''s who''d arrived, Trisha Watkins with her daughter Melissa, Katie Stanton with her son Miles, Susan Royce with her daughter Christine, and Veronica who''d somehow found her way here alone... Maybe she''d come with Christine? Melissa Watkins, and Miles Stanton were the same age as Afton, and their parents constantly seemed to be trying to get them to befriend one another. This was readily apparent during his last birthday when they''d just dumped the three of them together on a carpeted floor and just watched them interact. Fortunately, Veronica and Christine were here, while they weren''t on his intellectual level yet, they were still preferable to toddlers. The duo walked over to Afton and looks down at him with smiles, "Hey Afton, I hear you''re a real whizzkid." Veronica says as she crouches down next to him. Afton nods, remaining where he''d been sat to wait for the abrupt event to be over... He wanted everyone to leave him alone so he could do his daily exercises. Veronica seems a bit disappointed by his lacklustre response and glances to Christine, "Remember when we first visited him? I bet he really did tell us to f-off..." she remarks semi-sarcastically. Christine shakes her head, "Just because he''s able to write a few things now doesn''t mean he understood what he was saying back then. Isn''t that right Afton? You''d never say that to your big sisters right?" Afton almost isn''t able to restrain himself against the temptation of telling them to fuck off again, just to see their reaction... But that''d probably damage any potential friendship they could have with one another, he imagined that showing such animosity when he was young would be a shock. It also might clue them in on his hidden intelligence as well. Instead he just smiles at them, "Neva big sis''s!", judging by their reactions he''d given the correct answer. Chapter 13 - Da Boss The "celebration" that his parents had devised proved nothing more than a simple get together... The Brotherhood of Steel was new to the area and lacked any none critical supplies, as such the only things they had for the guests were a few sunset sarsaparilla''s and nuka cola. Somehow they''d been preserved well enough these two hundred years to still be drinkable, though, Afton was hesitant to drink any... As the get together was rounding up, the door to the room opened, causing everyone present to turn towards it.?? ... A man wearing blue and grey robes walks in, his pale and almost clammy skin matched his messy grey hair, with the addition of the massive beard he also sported, he looked like the ideal picture of a crazy homeless man. Afton glances around in confusion, everyone''s reaction to the man appearing was abit too strong for his liking, had something bad happened? His father steps forwards after the moment of silence passes, "Elder, I don''t suppose you''ve heard about my son?" The man shakes his head, "I couldn''t care less about your son," he states, causing a few in the room to tense up, "I seem to have misplaced my apprentice. however." he says, glances around the room before locking eye with Veronica. "Er, hey Elder..." she scratches the back of her head, "I was on break, right? Ha-ha-ha..." The elder scoffs, "Funny, usually when someone says thirty minutes, they mean thirty minutes, or if that''s too hard for you, one thousand eight hundred seconds... I also don''t recall giving you permission to go traipsing around the base doing whatever strikes your fancy." he states with a frown. "Excuse me, Elder... Veronica here just wanted to visit our son, she''s young and it would healthy for her to socialise." Verna says. "Indeed it''s important, that''s why I allocated her two hours and thirty minutes of every day to "play" with people her own age... Was it not enough apprentice?" he asks while glaring at her. "I-er, yes. It is but I wanted to see Afton... I''m sorry for sneaking off." she admits, her shoulders slumping. ... The Elder loudly breaths out through his nose before sighing, "Very well... You may stay here, but you''ll not be allowed any social breaks for three days. You''ve put my research five hours behind and I''ll have you return that time with work... Understand?" Veronica quickly nods, "Yes Elder, thank you!" The Elder turns and walks away, thankfully seeming to have no interest in Afton judging by how the man ignored him entirely. So that was Elder Elijah he thought to himself. The man didn''t exactly look like leadership material, this with all the misgivings he''d been hearing from the various people in the base painted a pretty clear picture. Though, he''d not really understood Veronica''s relationship to him until now... From their brief interaction now he could see that he valued her a lot, the girl had bragged to him in the past that she was the Elder''s favourite due to her aptitude when it came to engineering and technology. The man was purported to be extremely strict and hated anyone going against his orders, he was worried that Veronica would be heavily punished, but apparently, he had a soft spot for her? If he didn''t know any better he''d say they were more like father and daughter than master and apprentice. That made the most sense since Veronica''s parents had been killed by the NCR a while ago. After the Elder left people immediately started conversing again, Verna and Zachary walking over to Veronica to ask whether she''d be alright, and if they could do anything to help. Veronica simply shook her head though, "This is not the first time I''ve snuck away, and it won''t be the last... The Elder ignores it as long as I do my best when I am working." Afton could see the worry the held for her as the Elder was known to be awful to people that displeased him, but with Veronica''s reassurances, they let the matter go. Thirty minutes later people started leaving, the children his age Melissa and Miles had become tired and fallen asleep, being carried away by their parents who sent smiles at Verna and Zachary, as well as longing glances at himself... The following days were much more interesting than most beforehand had been, "learning" at an advanced rate allowed him to finally do something productive other than exercise his body at night. Under Adah''s guidance, he quickly became "proficient" at writing the alphabet, simple mathematics, and other basic studies. This encouraged the woman to press and go further every time he completed something. She kept his parents up to date on his progress, and if they hadn''t thrown a celebration the other day, he had no doubt they would throw another. And so, this became his daily routine. Waking up, being taken to the nursery by his mother where he reluctantly socialised with the children there before thankfully being carried off by Adah who started his day''s education. He was occasionally visited by Christine and Veronica who seemed to make it their duty to be the best big sisters possible, even if some of the other parents found it slightly awkward that they didn''t extend that same attitude to their own children. The duo even snuck him away once to teach him how to shoot a laser pistol... That was probably the most fun experience he''d had since reincarnating if he were honest. The feeling of power it gave you to shoot extremely deadly beams of light at anything you wished? Afton was afraid he might''ve developed a fetish... Chapter 14 - Juicy Progress It had been ten years since Afton had been reincarnated, he was growing light a sprout now that he''d apparently entered puberty... How did he know this? By the physical reaction, he got whenever Veronica or Christine wished to hug him. He was steadily growing, reaching a height of 4.8ft a few months after his birthday. He was sure he''d be taller in the future as he was already a head taller than his peers, he also considered himself relatively attractive... He wasn''t a narcissist or anything, but as he''d already lived once, he could look at his appearance objectively, for the most part. His messy black hair, hazel eyes and relatively handsome face was almost constantly praised whenever he saw his mother.?? His relationship with his parents had become stronger as well, during his initial years in this world he considered them nothing more than pests, or a means to an end. But as he got older and was able to interact with them, he rather reluctantly found that he''d started to care about them. His previous parents were always somewhat distant, their constant working caused them to almost never interact in a meaningful way. And even when they did, it was always... Awkward, like none of them knew how to approach the other, if Afton had to give it a word, he''d say it felt... "Sanitised"? Whether or not that was the right word for it, he didn''t know. But it ended up resulting in his strained and distant relationship with them. This was the main reason he didn''t feel all that regretful that he''d left them, he was sure they''d be more than fine without him there... In fact, he was pretty sure they''d welcome him finally leaving their house, even if it was in a body-bag. Logically, his interactions with his previous parents would be the cause for his stunted ability to socialise, but he knew that was just an excuse... In reality, he just hated talking to people. His new life provided an opportunity to try and remove that negative habit of his, he knew he''d need to try and improve everything about himself if he was going to properly survive in the wasteland, and learning how to properly talk and negotiate with people without seeming bored, condescending, or outright hostile is essential. As of now, he would say he was at an average level, being able to practise speaking to people as a child where people held no real expectation for you was a boon. Being able to ask questions about basic and common interactions that he''d previously neglected was incredibly helpful. He also had Veronic and Christine to practise on, their honest reactions made it fairly easy to judge his progress, though, he was nowhere near proficient at it yet. He was also very strong for his age, he''d been almost constantly doing exercise since he''d been born. The wiggling he''d done as a baby had progressed into bodyweight exercises like press-ups and situps. He''d read that attempting to lift weights while you were still growing would actually have a negative impact on his body, and so he''d not bothered with those yet. He didn''t forget to train his endurance either, due to them being confined within the tunnel most of the time, he wasn''t able to run, so instead he devised a makeshift training scheme that included jogging on the spot and other callisthenics. It was fortunate that the Brotherhood had many old files detailing exercises and which muscle groups they trained. Due to his efforts, he was probably stronger than most thirteen-year-olds, and could potentially beat fourteen-year-olds... Though, now that he''d hit puberty and his testosterone was increasing his muscle mass would likely see a substantial increase. As of right now his body looked very toned, it weirded out Christine when she first saw him topless as having a six-pack at his age was pretty shocking. Veronica on the other hand took this as an invitation to introduce him to hand to hand combat... And boy, was he shit at it. He didn''t know if it was his own ineptitude or Veronica''s own talent, but he was easily beaten down by her... She threw a damn mean punch, while she was older than him, he thought he''d have an advantage since she was female. Apparently not. He hadn''t forgotten to keep his finger on the pulse of what was happening outside the base, now that he was able to actually ask people about what he needed to know, he began learning about their situation. Elder Elijah continued to pursue technology, ignoring almost everything else. If a threat didn''t pose an immediate danger to them, he''d ignore it... The group had relocated the base a couple more times and had finally reached their destination. The orders they''d originally received from the main chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was to investigate Hoover Dam for any technology it may hold, but Elder Elijah seemed to get sidetracked by every and any sight that he took interest in. Afton was very worried about the future, as he''d seen the reports detailing the various NCR scouts making their way into the area. There was also suspicious movement from the ruins of Las Vegas, the Brotherhood scouts couldn''t make heads or tails of it, but something big was obviously going to happen soon. Another thing Afton had taken notice of was Veronic and Christine''s relationship... He thought they were just really close friends, or maybe even considered themselves sisters, but when they turned nineteen and twenty respectively something else was definitely amiss. He''d just left to visit the room Veronica usually trained him in hand-to-hand combat in, he was early today as Adah underestimated how quickly he''d complete the assignments she''d given him... Quietly opening the door he snuck inside in an attempt to scare Veronica, this was revenge for all the times she''d done the same to him. However, upon entering he could hear a strange sound that immediately drew his attention. The room was large and had the middle of it cleared to allow them to train without obstructions, the various desks and other things had been shoved to the side haphazardly... The noise he heard was coming from one of the office booths that''d been moved. He snuck a glance into it and his eyes widened, Veronica and Christine were locking lips and passionately swapping saliva... Chapter 15 - Lesbomancy ... Afton couldn''t tear his eyes away from the scene before him, whether that was due to him currently being in puberty, shock, or a mixture of the two, he simply couldn''t leave.?? He''d never seen anything even slightly romantic since reincarnating into this world, and had assumed that it wasn''t really a priority for the Brotherhood of Steel... But after seeing this he wondered if this kind of thing had always been happening under his nose... His "other head" was already beginning to awaken, realising that it''d be terribly embarrassing for all parties if he were to get caught, he started to back away... Only to slip on a discarded piece of junk metal, falling face-first onto the floor in full view of the two girls. "Ah! Who''s the- Afton!?" Veronica exclaims after rapidly spinning around. "Er... Hey? What are you two doing here?" he asks as he awkwardly picks himself up off of the floor. Veronica tosses her hair back and wipes some of Christines saliva from her lips before briskly walking towards him, grabbing him into a headlock. "Don''t try it Afton, you''re a terrible liar! I know you saw us!" "Yeah? So what? What do you want me to do, I can''t unsee it now!" he says as he tries to escape her grip. "I want you to forget it, if I have to knock you on the head a couple times to make that happen then that''s fine too!" "What the problem anyway!? Why are you keeping this a secret, the Codex doesn''t say anything against gay people!" he asks as Veronica continues to try and choke the life out of him. Christine steps forwards and addresses them, "Let him go Veronica... Afton, you''re right. The Codex doesn''t mention same-sex relationships, and so its usually excepted. But, we are a chapter far, far from the rest of the Brotherhood, we don''t accept outsiders so how do you think we expand our numbers?" the question was obviously rhetorical so she takes his silence as understanding. "You may not know this, but if the others found out about this they''d force us to separate and shame us until we "fixed" our preferences..." Afton is confused by this, he''d never heard of the chapter having any homophobic sentiments, though, now that he thinks about it he''d never seen anyone who swung that way. "So... You''ll just continue to hide it?" he asks, knowing that they''d be found out eventually. Veronica sighs and sits on a nearby desk, "What else can we do? We love each other, but they''d never understand... You understand, don''t you?" she asks, her eyes glistening as if she were about to break down into tears. "I do... I won''t tell anyone but you need to find a permanent solution to this, the longer this goes on the worse it will be once you''re caught. I...-" his voice trails off as weird and unfamiliar words almost escape his lips. He wasn''t an emotional person by nature, but something about this situation seemed to call for it. "I care about you both, I''d hate for something to happen to you." he admits, feeling anxious and vulnerable after revealing his true feelings. The two women smile at him, Veronica wiping her eyes before speaking, "Hah, what would a kid like you know about romance and love. I feel silly for worrying about it now." she says, her reaction hurting Afton slightly due to her not taking him seriously... "I guess today''s training is off then." he says before turning, wishing to leave and do something to take his mind off of what just happened. His arm is grabbed by Veronica though as she pulls him closer and hugs him to her chest. "Thank you Afton, you don''t know how much it means for you to accept us. I was scared you''d be the same as everyone else." she says before letting him go. Christine nods at him, "Thank you... If you still want to train though-" "No, it''s fine. I''ll find something else to do... You should try and lock the door next time though." he remarks as he leaves, getting chuckles from the girls. After finding out their secret nothing significant had changed, they returned back to their happy states and he continued his training with them both. He didn''t broach the topic again as he hoped they had some way of dealing with the eventual fallout. Afton continued his education under Adah, as he was now ten years old, he''d have to take the initiate test relatively soon. Its function was to make sure initiates had at least the basic skills required, things like maths, english, science, knowledge on the Codex, ability to operate technology, etc. There were also relatively advanced studies that you need to have started to pass, things like engineering and mechanics. The level of these advanced subjects you needed to pass was akin to knowing how to change a tire if the original was damage, easy stuff if you weren''t a simpleton. Last but not least you needed a minimum level of fitness before they''d make you an initiate, children started basic exercises when they became eight years old, it was nothing difficult or even close to what Afton had been doing, but the kids complained about it regardless. He didn''t know why though, they were perfectly content with chasing each other to play, but when someone told them to run suddenly it was a big issue. Children weren''t expected to pass on their first or second tries either, only exceptional people like Christine and Veronica were able to do that. Initiate''s were sometimes expected to assist Knights in combat, so it''d be expected to make the bar relatively high to stop young children who weren''t ready to be put into life or death situations. Chapter 16 - Initiation? "Hey Afton, think you''ll pass first time?" Melissa asks as Afton reads a pre-war book detailing how to manage agriculture. His feet are kicked up onto the desk as his chair leans backwards, lowering the book slightly he gives the girl a blank look, "I will."? ? The cute blonde-haired ten-year-old pouts at him, "How are you so sure? It''s impossible for a bookworm like you to pass the physical." "And an air-headed girl like you won''t pass the theoretical." he replies with a shrug, he''d never displayed his physical talents to anyone apart from Veronica and Christine before, and due to the fact he was almost always engrossed in learning something, people regarded him as a bookworm or nerd. "I''ll have you know my mom says I''m really smart!" "Even if you were a simpleton she''d say you''d be the next Einstein... I''m not being mean but that''s what parents do." he says, returning his attention back to his book. Melissa walks up and pushes his book down again, "Just because your smarter than me doesn''t mean I''m dumb, and don''t call me Einstein again or I''ll tell on you." she threatens. ... "Don''t call you Einstein?" he asks in confusion. She nods, "I don''t know what it is but if it came from you then it must be mean!" ... Afton facepalm while tossing his book onto the table, deciding to leave before he loses more brain cells talking to this girl, they were technically friends but due to the disparity in their intelligence, he felt more like an uncle than anything else. As much as he made fun of her, she wasn''t stupid... Maybe slightly below average? Hopefully, she''d start properly studying instead of whatever else she was doing in her free time. As he was walking towards the door he was stopped by his other friend, Miles Stanton. "Er, hey Afton, could you maybe... Help me study? I''ve been doing my best but I don''t think I''ll be ready in time." he says with a hopeful expression. "No." he replies bluntly, he had more important things to do than tutor children. Miles''s enthusiasm seemed to quickly dissipate as he gets rejects, looking down at the floor solemnly as if his only lifeline had been cut. "Ah, sorry for asking I guess..." he says and turns to walk away as Melissa smirks at him. ... Afton sighs, "You probably won''t pass this year, but don''t worry about it, most don''t until their third try. Just study as much as you can and if you fail then so be it, just know that it isn''t the end of the world if you do." he explains before leaving, not being there to notice Miles slumped shoulders loosening slightly. Only after leaving the room did he realise he''d left his book in there... He wasn''t willing to do the walk of shame after leaving so succinctly so he''d have to come by and collect it later. He started walking back to his room and happen to pass by the medbay as he did so, usually, it''d be empty as they had such a large advantage with Power armour, energy weaponry, and training that it was almost impossible to be injured. But lately, it seemed to be different. There were a few people being treated for gunshot, and knife wounds. These had been the scouts that''d been silently surveying the region to reports back on the happenings of the Mojave. Fortunately, no one had been killed yet, but gangs, tribes, and other savages seemed to be getting more proactive. Traps were laid in unexpected places and random ambushes were set for the Brotherhood Scouts, clearly the savages knew their territory better than the Brotherhood did, and they were hunting down scouting parties not just belonging to them, but to the NCR and other tribes. Afton, aswell as everyone else had no idea about what would be causing this sudden increase in activity. He''d asked his father about it but he just shrugged, not having anymore information than Afton himself had been able to glean. Due to the attacks on their members the Scout parties had been replaced by proper patrols fitted with Power armour. They lacked numbers so taking risks with each other''s lives would be incredibly stupid. Shaking his head he passed by the medbay, he''d learned the basics in first aid as required of all initiates, but he was nowhere near being able to assist in complicated injuries like bullet wounds. He hoped to learn more in future just in case he finds himself riddled with bullets and nowhere near a doctor. A week passes and its almost time for the Initiate test, Afton, Miles, Melissa, and a large group of children that he''d not bothered to learn the names of were all standing in the hallway. The first phase of the test would basically work like how a regular school would, you''d be brought into a room and given an hour to complete the written test. Once that was over they''d be whisked outside onto the surface where an obstacle course had been set up specifically for them. They''d not need to worry about their safety as many patrols of Knights and Paladins had been tasked with keeping them safe, it wouldn''t do for the younger generation to be torn to pieces by a Deathclaw after all. Last but not least was the supplemental test, that would be where you could choose to take a test on more advanced subjects. Doing so didn''t achieve anything aside from displaying your talent and potentially being apprenticed like how Veronica had been... Though, she also had some extraneous reasons for being apprenticed so perhaps she wasn''t the best person to follow Chapter 17 - Testing Patience The group of potential initiates continued to wait until they were called in, their ages ranged from ten to even fourteen, the latter people were considered the chaff due to their ineptitude, but strangely enough to Brotherhood was very understanding to those who weren''t able to make promotion. Afton was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, going over various answers and potential weaknesses in his knowledge. He doubted there was anything he''d missed as Adah had been on him like a ton of bricks, he actually had no idea what level he''d be considered anymore as he could''ve probably promoted three or four years ago.?? Someone waving catches his eye and he notices his mother, father, and Adah standing at the end of the hallway with encouraging looks. A smile unconsciously makes its way onto his lips before he stifles it, his parents had been tense ever since the test had been announced but he wasn''t sure if they were worried that he''d pass, or if he''d fail. He could imagine them being worried for both. It was strange, back in his original world he''d be dreading the tests, he saw them as busywork, meaningless, and a means to an end... But now? Now he was itching to prove himself, to his friends, to his family, and most of all, to himself. A scribe with short black hair and a short beard walks out of the nearby room, everything about him was short, funnily enough, his height barely being over most of the children. "Students, follow me and take any available seat, once everyone is settled I''ll go over the rules and what you''ll be doing. You should also mark my words, anyone who causes trouble intentionally or not will be immediately rejected for promotion, understand?" "Yes" everyone echoes before following the man into the room. Inside they find many school desks spaced a good distance from each other to prevent cheating, they were all facing the front of the classroom which had a whiteboard set up aswell as a desk with a terminal atop it. Afton walks in and is followed by a nervous Miles and Melissa, he sits down at the back so the kids wouldn''t get the bright idea of cheating from his paper. The scribe stands at the front of the classroom and begins to speak once everyone is seated, "Greetings, I am Doran Dumble, the scribe tasked with teaching new Initiates most theoretical things they''ll need to know. Obviously, I also have the unenviable task of adjudicating the test for today. I''ll not tell the contents of the tests as that''d defeat the purpose, so I''ll just lay out some ground rules... Do not attempt to look at others papers, you may think otherwise but I am not stupid, if I see someone even shoot a glance at another I''ll have you tied up and tossed into the desert for the scorpions." he says, obviously joking but Afton could see many students tense up at this... Perhaps that was the purpose of it? "If you need to use the bathroom then you should have done so before the test, if need be I will permit you to piss yourself. Of course, if that distracts others from their tests then you''ll be sent out as well. If you require anything then raise your hand and I''ll come, do not speak or cause any noise louder than a whisper... Any questions?" he asks and glares at everyone. ... "Good." he claps his hands after seeing no one has any questions. He walks to his desk and collects a stack of papers before placing a few on every student''s table. Afton examined the paper and wondered where they got fresh sheets from, he doubted many would have survived after the apocalypse, full books were burnt to a crisp after all... Perhaps they had a method of recycling it? "You have an hour to complete the test, you better get started since times now ticking." he says, causing the students to quickly open the papers. Afton looks at the first questions and frowns, isn''t this a bit too easy? Explain the method with which you would recycle an energy cell. He was already able to recycle microfusion cells which were way more difficult than regular energy cells that you''d power small energy weapons with. He quickly filled in the answer and moved onto the next question, how would one fix a malfunctioning emitter on a laser pistol?... Well, the emitter was responsible for actually firing the laser, it alone wouldn''t deal any damage without the focusing lens of course but if it were malfunctioning you''d either need to replace it or take it apart and rebuild it from the base components... So, this was a trick question, you can''t fix it, only rebuild it. Explain how one would block radio communication?... Afton shakes his head at the difficult question, he''d bet that none in the room would be able to answer it as he himself was slightly unsure, perhaps if you knew the frequency you wanted to be blocked you could suppress the original with your own message. He continued answering questions, though, none had stumped him as much as the previous one. His years of hard work hadn''t been for nothing, and he''d completed the test in around twenty minutes... An that''s only due to him double and triple-checking his answers. Afton pushed the paper away from him and straightened his posture as he looked at Doran, the man giving a questioning look before walking over and whispering to him. "Is something wrong Mr Parker? Have you given up already?" "No sir, I''ve already finished." he quietly replies, taking a small degree of satisfaction from the man''s stunned expression. Doran shakes his head and grabs the paper, quickly flipping through it and becoming more shocked the more he read. "I-uh... Good job Mr Parker, you can wait outside if you want... I-ermm... The Physical examination will begin immediately after this test so be ready." he says as he walks back to his desk, almost stumbling into another students table. Chapter 18 - Getting Physical? Afton walked outside the classroom as other students sent envious glances at him, once outside he was greeted by his parents and Adah who didn''t seem surprised that he''d finished so quickly. His mother hugs him to her chest before he''s able to back away, "How did it go Afton? Do you think you did well?" she quickly asks.?? Afton gently pushes her away as to not hurt her feelings and looks at them, "Judging by how the examiner almost passed out when he saw my paper, I think I did alright." he says with a small grin. Zachary snorts, restraining his laughter as they were outside the test room, "That''s my boy, maybe I can request for you to be made my apprentice once you''re promoted." he wonders aloud. Afton shakes his head, "Sorry dad, but even if that were allowed I''d not accept it... I know you''re strong and could teach me a lot, but I want to prove myself. If the others found out you''d apprenticed me they''d think its only because I''m your son." he explains, getting a proud nod from his father. Adah "Have you been training for the physical test? I''ve neglected that subject as I myself only barely passed it." she asks, worried that he''d fail due to her focus on his studies. "I''ll be fine, you''ll see that I haven''t forgotten to train my body." he says, calming the anxious woman he''d come to consider a sort of grandma. The trio leave and head up to the surface to wait for the next test to begin as Afton stays put. Ten minutes later someone else had apparently completed their test early, Afton nods at a dark brown haired girl with a boyish face. "Finished?" They nod, "I am... I didn''t expect to see anyone else finish before me though, I''d pushed back becoming an Initiate to focus on other studies, so I thought I''d definitely be the best here." she says while giving him an appraising look. "I''m Afton Parker by the way, ten years old." The girl nods, "Sandra Torres, twelve, nice to meet you Afton. What did you think about the third question on page four?" They talk about the test and what answers they gave as they wait for everyone else to arrive, Afton found the girl to be pretty good conversation, she was similar to him in a way. Rational, reserved, introverted, but still did her best in whatever she put her mind to. He was looking forward to see what she''d do in the future. A few other students came out early, but most existed just as the test ended, probably rechecking their answers as many times as physically possible. Doran walked out next and nodded to everyone, "I bet your all mentally exhausted for that, right?" he asks and receives nods from the students, "Well, get ready because you''ll be doing your physical test right about... Now. All of you follow me, if you fall behind then you automatically fail." he states as he begins jogging through the hall. Some students are confused by the sudden activity and lag behind, having to sprint to catch up to the rest of the group. Doran increases his speed so that those following him are halfway between jogging and sprinting, eventually reaching a ladder that leads to the surface. He jumps on it and quickly climbs up, throwing open the hatch and crawling out. Afton follows with dexterity none of his peers had seen him show before, standing to attention before Doran with not a drop of sweat on him. "Sir." Doran just sighs and seems to accept his absurd talent and continues to wait for everyone to climb out. Some of the kids seem to think this was a competition and barged people out of the way to get to the ladder first, some even pulling people from the ladder as they climbed. Once everyone was on the surface a Knight wearing Power armour climbed out aswell, walking over to Doran and pointing out a few students. Doran shakes his head and points at them, "Those of you who barged, grabbed, disrupted, or attempted to stop others from climbing are hereby disqualified, maybe next year you''ll learn some respect for your fellows." he says, causing the selected ones to grumble and leave, though, some of the more unruly ones were dragged away by some Knights. Afton dabs his forehead with his forearm, the exercise hadn''t caused him to start sweating, the sun had... As he spent so much time underground his skin had become pale and not suited for it, he could feel his skin slowly burning under its intense rays. He glances around at the area and spots the many heavily armoured patrols wielding an ungodly amount of firepower... Only someone with a deathwish and a mini-nuke launcher would dare approach them unsolicited. Nothing had really changed from last he saw it, ruined buildings and vehicles sat around like monuments to humanities sins, though, he could see red cloth tied around some of the nearby lamposts that hadn''t been knocked over. Not only that, he could see his parents and some of the higher up members of the Brotherhood watching from the sidelines... Even Veronica and the Elder were watching, though, the latter seemed wholly unconcerned with them. If Afton had to take a guess, he''d say Veronica managed to get permission to watch. He glanced back at the group and spotted his friends, Miles had already been sweating from the brief run through the tunnels, but Melissa seemed completely fine... She was an airhead but didn''t lack physical abilities. Doran smirks at them and pulls out a bottle of clean water, the condensation covering it gave the impression that it was ice cold, causing the thirsty students to audibly gulp their saliva. He cracks it open and takes a large swig, exhaling with satisfaction. "What? You didn''t think this was for you right? Only those who pass the test may get one, so, consider it a reward to... Hmm, the top five ranked people, everyone else will have to wait until the third phase test is over before you can refresh yourself." he explains, even though Afton was well hydrated, he couldn''t help but feel parched by the end of his speech. Chapter 19 - Obstacle Course Afton started to stretch and limber up as Doran began to explain the test, "You will follow the marked lamposts as fast as you can, do not attempt to cheat or bypass the route, we will see it and you''ll not be happy with the result." Doran pulls out a 9mm handgun and cocks it, "The test will start when you hear me fire this gun... Now there are a few other things you should kn-"?? *BANG!* He cuts himself off and fires, confusion the students who were carefully listening in-case they missed something. The rest had already sprinting towards the first red-marked lampost. Afton was obviously ahead of the group, Sandra was somewhere behind him but he couldn''t see Miles or Melissa when he took a glance. Melissa was physically capable, but she was still just a ten year old, against older students who were already in the midst of puberty she didn''t stand a chance. He looked up ahead to see what was coming up, quickly spotting the first obstacle, large jagged rocks had been placed in his way, he could probably go around it but judging by the fact it was enclosed by red-marks, he would be forced to traverse it. Without hesitating he leapt atop the first one, carefully placing his footing just-in-case they''d greased it up or something, the rocks were pretty sharp so the risk of injury was likely if you fell. He hopped from one to the other with relative ease, he looked back once at the end and saw that Sandra was taking it pretty slow, probably to avoid slipping and injury herself. Continuing ahead, he saw a fenced in-enclosure, the marks were suggesting that he had to go through it, but he was stunned for a moment when he spotted the small group of rad scorpions inside it... Did they want to kill us?... No... Upon closer inspection, he could see that their claws had been shattered and crippled while their venomous tails had been cut. This was more than likely to be a test of bravery, though, now that he''d noticed that there was no risk it looked relatively easy. He climbed over the fence and sprinted towards the other side, the rad scorpions move to intercept him but he simply hops onto of one and jumps clear over the rest, momentarily feeling like Mario. He could hear people talking from the side where the spectators had been, obviously they''d not expected him to jump onto their captured beasts... He climbed out of it and ran to the next obstacle, a large wall made from rotten wood and scrap metal. There seemed to be a door that you raised by pulling the robe at the side, he gave it a tug and immediately realised that you''d need more than one person to actually lift it... Shaking he head, he''d rather not wait for someone to arrive and lose his lead, instead beginning to scale the wall. The wall itself was around 15ft tall, but he managed to climb it in under a minute, he wasn''t all that good at climbing, but the wood and scrap metal made good handholds to pull yourself up on... While it wasn''t as easy as climbing say, a ladder, he didn''t find it all that difficult. Maybe the other would though as you sometimes needed to lift your body with just your arms. He got over and took a peek around the wall to see how the others were doing... Most seemed to have completed the jagged rocks, but he saw the medics carrying away a few people who had horribly twisted ankles and large bloody gashes going up their legs. The scorpion enclosure had definitely halted a few people, even Sandra was hesitant to go in, he spotted Melissa just laughing as she raced past the scorpions as they chased her... She might have a few screws loose. He didn''t stay any longer as it might be a while before they reached the wall, no point in ruining his advantage. However, as soon as he made a step towards the next obstacle he found his foot trapped... Quicksand! Fortunately, all of the students had been briefed with how to deal with it, he leant forwards to get his stuck feet out and started slowly making his way to the edge, becoming slightly irritated by how dirty he was getting. He quickly made his way through a couple more physically based challenges before he finally spotted the last obstacle... It was another wall, but had a small gap in the middle of it. It looked like only one person could squeeze through at a time, which was probably intended to make sure that they''d be able to pick out the winners even if it were a close race. He made his way through the gap, only now noticing that the rancid stench of rotting flesh had begun choking him. Taking a glance around to see where it was coming from, he could see bits of meat hanging from above him. He got a little further into the gap and realised that there were actually small bits of meat stuffed into cracks on the wall, almost causing him to vomit right there on the spot. He held his stomach and thought happy thoughts as he tried to get to the exit as quickly as possible. Eventually he stumbled out with a pale look on his face, rotten meat was bad enough, but those ones there had been sitting in the desert sun for what must have been hours. He couldn''t really decide what that test was for, to see those without a strong will? To see those who could handle disgusting conditions? Regardless tried to settle the contents of his stomach as he ran teh course, following it until he arrived back at where Doran was standing... "Is it done?" he asks, sweating profusely from the heat and exertion. Doran slowly nods and tosses him a bottle of water which Afton started gulping down, he was covered in tried mud and bits of rotten flesh but that didn''t matter right now. All that mattered was that he completed the course and shown his competence. Chapter 20 - Test Aftermath "I honestly didn''t think you would pass this test Mr Parker..." Doran mutters in exasperation. Afton just shrugs at him, "You should expect more from me in the next phase." he says before taking a glance at how everyone else is progressing in the course.?? Sandra had just climbed out of the quicksand and was making her way to the next obstacle, it seemed she''d copied him and just climbed the wall, as opposed to everyone else. Most of the students who weren''t injured by the jagged rocks or unwilling to venture into the scorpion''s enclosure had ended up gathering outside the wall where some begun to pull the rope to raise it. Some of the more unscrupulous people just ran through when the gap was big enough, leaving those who''d actually put the effort in behind. The wall didn''t lower after they let go of the rope, this was probably to stop anyone being crushed by it if something went wrong... This also had the effect of forcing students to crawl through it as those who had been raising it weren''t willing to be put in last place just for everyone else. Well, apart from Miles... Afterwards some students weren''t able to get out of the quicksand and had to be helped out, getting disqualified in the process due to them needing assistance. Afton was unable to see what the students reactions were as they entered the rotten meat filled gap in the last wall, he did have a chuckle as they existed it though, some immediately vomiting on the floor and allowing students behind them to get ahead. The next four students who "won" a bottle of water were Sandra Torres, Mina Kilback, Turner Jones, and Steve Lynch. Afton didn''t know any of them aside from Sandra, but judging by how they spoke with her he guessed that they were around her age too. He was sent appraising glances from the older students who hadn''t even realised he was there until Doran spoke about how ridiculous he was. They quickly drank their water as the rest of the students came in, most looking a lot more exhausted than the top five had been. Melissa skips up and gets close to Afton, "Did you save me some water?" she quickly asks. "No." he bluntly states, showing her the empty bottle. "Whaaat!? I thought we had a deal? If I won I''d share mine, and if you won you''d share yours!" she quickly says. "No, you just talked to yourself as I ignored you, not giving an answer doesn''t mean I said yes, does it?" "You''re so mean Afton!" she huffs. Miles arrives last, breathing heavily and looking as if he''d pass out at any moment, "Hah-.... I-Is there any water left?" he asks in a pitiable tone. Doran claps his hands before Miles receives an answer and nods at everyone, "Well done for making it this far, I''m not going to tell you if you passed or not as it''ll be up to the examiners who''d been watching you traverse the obstacles. Even the top five might not pass if they did something dangerous and reckless... The reason for this? What if you attempted the same thing out on a patrol and injured your leg? You''d slow the whole squad down and potentially lead to the deaths of everyone." he says with crossed arms. "Anyway, all of you who don''t want to attempt any of the advanced tests can go clean yourselves up and do whatever else you want, the test if over you for... For everyone else you should follow me." he gestures towards them as he begins walking towards the ladder that leads into the underground again. Afton follows, noticing that Sandra, Miles, and a few other students were right behind him... He wasn''t surprised to find that Melissa didn''t want to attempt the advanced tests, it''d be shocking if she even passed the initial ones to be honest. He was still covered in mud and spelled of rotten flesh, but he was led to a classroom where he picked what subjects he wanted to attempt. Afton picked almost all of them, medicine, mechanics, science, machinery, and a few other more specific ones like biomechanics. He''d studied most subjects he could get his hands on, there wasn''t a comprehensive library to look through as in-tact pre-war books were very, very hard to come by, especially those with complex material. He wasn''t a genius, but he''d put in a lot of work throughout these ten years, he was hoping to be taught more when he became an Initiate as he was basically a jack of all trades at this point. This time around the tests were specifically designed for each subject, he was tasked with repairing a laser pistol for one and quizzed for a few others. He was exhausted by the time he was done, hours of wringing his mind of all knowledge it held, as well as the physical exertion of the second test phase had him want to pass out by the end of it. His parents and Adah congratulated him as returned, but they let him leave for his room after seeing how tired he was. The students would be given their test results tomorrow so Afton was more than happy to sleep now and wake up fresh tomorrow to see how he did. The next day after Afton had eaten some kind of gruel for breakfast he made his way to the common room where they were supposed to be given their test results. He entered and noticed that Melissa and were already there, apparently he''d woken up late due to how tired he was yesterday. "Oh, you''re here?" Melissa asks while turning her head with a huff, apparently still mad that he''d not shared his water with her. "Morning..." Miles greets with a timid smile. Afton just sits himself next to them, most of the other students were already gathered and eagerly awaiting their results. Chapter 21 - Test Results They waited for thirty minutes until someone finally entered the room carrying a stack of papers... "Veronica?" he muttered louder than he intended. She glances over to him and flashes a huge grin, "Hey wonderboy, I''ve got all your tests here." she says as she stands at the end of the room.?? Afton gives her a confused look, "I thought the Elder was supposed to hand those out? Tradition or something?" Veronica scoffs, "The Elder has and I quote, ''Better things to do than hand papers that detailed each students failures.''... I think he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed personally." "Could we perhaps receive our papers then? Most of us are itching to see how we did." Sandra asks, getting enthusiastic nods from a few other students. Veronica shrugs and starts calling out names, those called walking up and receiving their test papers before sitting back down again. She smiled as she handed Afton him, congratulating him before he even laid eyes on his results. He sat down next to Miles as he and Melissa looked through their own results, both frowning at the bright red "Fail" written on the front. Afton nodded to himself when he had a green "Pass" on his, he flipped it open and saw that he''d gotten an A+ on the theoretical test aswell as the physical. That was to be expected, and so he continued to look at the advanced subject results... Mechanics, Machinery, Engineering, and Science all received an A''s, something that should be praised as he was still only ten years old and these subjects weren''t taught until you became an Initiate. However, his Medicine and Biochemistry only received C''s. He was a bit put out by that, but he''d just mark it up to the limited amount of knowledge he had available to him. Some knowledge was actually blocked from them until they advanced from Initiate... This was due to the fact that you''d be given a choice at whether or not yo unwanted to stay within the Brotherhood of Steel when you''re ready to promote. The ranks of the Brotherhood were confusing to outsiders, but was relatively easy to understand... Initiates were the lowest ranking members of the Brotherhood, they were trainee''s for all intents and purposes, but could be used as a makeshift militia should the situation call for it. Initiates are taught about combat, how to properly use Power armour and other weaponry, aswell as basic tactics and other important military knowledge. Once they are seen to be competent enough, they will be given the opportunity to promote to either Scribe or Knight as apprentices. They are also given the option to simply leave, they were not heartless and wouldn''t send you away without proper training, but they would still not risk integral knowledge of technology falling into the wrong hands, hence the restrictions. Scribes were the scientists of the Brotherhood, holding and maintaining all knowledge they gathered. Some were tasked with research, upgrading weaponry, armour, or other technology that could help in the war effort. They also managed the integral machinery of the compound, such as air filtration, reactors, etc. Some were tasked with teaching the younger generation while others electing to spend their time in the medical facility. Those who weren''t specified into anything usually just tried to figure out how pre-war tech worked, the patrols were constantly bringing back old artifacts that weren''t previously recorded, so they needed people to rediscover their uses. Knights were in-charge of all weaponry and armour that the Brotherhood held, maintaining, repairing, and using it in combat. They were akin to footsoldiers, but unlike regular armies, every Knight had to be well versed in numerous subjects before they were considered competent. They were also taught advanced combat tactics and given more practical training than the Scribe would be. Above both Scribe and Knight were the Paladins... This rank belonged to the men and women who''d exceeded the expectations of their ranking, usually it was a Knight who''d be promoted to Paladin due to their close proximity with extremely volatile situations. While dangerous, they also provided the opportunity to display your talents, much more so than the Scribes do. Afton had asked his father about what he''d done to be promoted to Paladin, the man had immediately gone into a story about how his patrol leader had been injured by a random undetonated mine that''d been left since before the great war. His leg had been blown off and the patrol were doing their best to transport him back to headquarters to see if there was anything they could do for him. The scent of the man''s blood had apparently attracted a small group of Deathclaws though, and it was his father that stayed behind to hold them off and hopefully save his unit. Apparently, he''d used the area that contained the undetonated mines to soften up the Deathclaws before he went in guns blazing with his Gatling laser... By the time reinforcements arrived they found six and a half Deathclaw corpses... The whole area was scorched to hell from laser fire and explosions, and his father had just been lying peacefully on a rock, still tightly gripping his empty weapon... He still had the armour he''d worn that day, Afton had seen it and was shocked by the huge claw marks on its chest. They''d not pierced through completely but the fact that they''d done that much damage was a testament to how dangerous those creatures were. After listening to his father''s story he''d asked around and got similar accounts, he hadn''t thought that Zachary had lied, but it all seemed a bit too far fetched to be believe completely. He had gained a good deal of respect for his father after hearing that. Chapter 22 - First Taste Paladins were considered the elite forces of the Brotherhood, once you were promoted to them you''d be provided with the best training they had available and learned the complete range of known tactics they had. You were also fitted with the best gear the Brotherhood was able to provide. Apparently, there was more than that but his father didn''t elaborate further, the knowledge must be restricted for the man not to tell him.?? Top of the hierarchy is the Elder, the absolute leader of the chapter. Of course there were higher ranked Elders back in California but they didn''t even have a way to contact them so their influence was negligible. The Elder controlled everything in the order, delegating tasks, and ultimately deciding the direction the Chapter would be heading. Whether it be to success or destruction, they have no way to refuse his orders, even if some were outright suicidal. Elder Elijah had been a Head Scribe before he was promoted to Elder, no one was sure why he was given the rank though. Most assumed it was due to the nature of the task that the Elder''s had sent them to accomplish. The man didn''t lack any enthusiasm for pre-war technology. Afton nodded in satisfaction, not noticing that Melissa and Miles had been peeking over to see his paper... "You passed!?" Melissa exclaims, drawing the attention of most of the room. "I did, I''d mind your tone as well Melissa, you''re now talking to Initiate Parker." he says with a smug smirk. "I refuse!" she retorts. "Good job." Miles says to him, seeming a lot calmer now that the results were finally in. A few other students walked by and congratulated him, Sandra included. Veronica ended up pulling him out of the room and towards somewhere else. Once she''d reached whenever she wanted to take him he saw his parents waiting for him, immediately hugging and congratulating him. "Oh, I''m so proud of you my genius boy!" Verna dotes, unable to hold back the flow of tears. "Stop crying mom, its just test." Afton reassures, hoping that she''d stop crying soon... "I know, I know..." she mutters as she wipes her eyes, "Its just, it feels like only yesterday you''d barely been speaking... And now? You''re an Initiate." "I won''t be going anywhere, I doubt they''ll even left me out with patron units until I''m seventeen." he says, or more accurately complains. He''d rather get some practical experience sooner than that, but there wasn''t much he could do about it. His father nods, "Yeah, I won''t be letting you anywhere near combat until I know you can handle yourself." he says, more to Verna to Afton. Christine pats him on the shoulder, "Good job, maybe they''ll allow us to "officially" give you some training." "You better not stop coming to get your butt kicked, I need the stress relief!" Veronica chirps from the side. Afton sends a glare her way, "I''ll be busy, I don''t know if I''ll find time to be your punching bag." he shrugs. "If I can find time away from the Elder then you can spare an hour for training, got it?" she says, walking up and poking him in the chest. He sighs, "Got it." As much as he''d like to act otherwise, he enjoyed training with Veronica and Christine, it was a good stress relief from all the studying he''d been subjecting himself to... Now that he was an Initiate they might be able to get some actual weapons so Christine could teach him some moves. She was more adept in using knives and other similar things than she was in actual hand-to-hand combat. She''d been made a Junior Knight a couple of years ago so hopefully he''d learn something interesting. His father walks to the side of the room and opens a cabenet, pulling out a bottle filled with a brown fluid... "Whisky?" Afton muttered to himself loud enough for everyone to hear. Zachary nods, "Whisky. As an Initiate you''re technically an adult now, even if your mother doesn''t want to admit it... When I became an Initiate my dad sat me down to have my first drink with him, I''d like us to do the same. Maybe it''s becoming a tradition?" he says, sitting down and grabbing a few glasses and glancing over at Veronica and Christine, "You girls want one?" They smile and nod, "Would it surprise you to hear that this''ll be my first drink too?" Veronica says, Zachary becoming momentarily shocked by this. He recovers quickly though and smiles at her, "Well, considering your dad and I were good friends, I don''t think he''ll mind if I do the honours for him." Afton sits next to his dad while Verna sits on his other side, sending an unhappy look at Zachary, "I don''t think I like our ten-year-old son drinking alcohol Zach..." "We''re not gonna make a habit of it, it''s just a right of way I think..." he gets up and walks behind her before whispering in her ear, "Plus, whisky tastes fucking awful when you''re a kid, that''ll stop him trying to drink later on." he says, his wife flashing him a sly smile as he goes to sit back down. He pours everyone a small glass of whisky before screwing the lid back on and holding his glass up, "Congratulations son, you''re growing up but don''t forget your still just a kid to me." he says, as everyone clinks their glasses together. Afton sips the whisky, he''d had it before in his previous world and was impartial to it. But as soon as the liquid hit his lips he felt himself almost gag. Harsh! It takes all his willpower not to start coughing, he hadn''t realised before now how much his tastebuds had changed... Or, maybe the two-hundred-year-old whisky had something to do with it? Regardless of his efforts, everyone noticed his troubles and started laughing at his expense. He took it in stride as he knew there were no bad feelings involved and continued to try and get his drink down. Chapter 23 - Malfunctioning Class It''d been a couple days since Afton was promoted, he as given the steel scout uniform that all Initiate''s had to wear as well as limited access to the armoury, even if that only included assisting them in repairing things. Him, Sandra Torres, and the other students that''d passed with them were currently standing in one of the vacant workshops with Doran standing at the far end of the room.?? The man nodded at them all before speaking, "Welcome Initiates... Well? When I say something to you I expect to get a reply Initiates!" "Sir!" they all reply in unison. Doran nods "Good, now, I will be your teacher for all intents and purposes on most subjects. You will likely have other more experienced people show the ropes on things I am no so competent at. For now I think we should do something fun before we get bogged down in studies... Who''s up to go to the firing range?" Excited whispering immediately starts at the thought of finally learning how to shoot, a few shout out "yes" in undisciplined fashion, but Doran didn''t seem to mind. Afton himself was pretty happy, he wanted to see at what level he was compared to the others, especially since Veronica and Christine had given him limited firearm training. Doran "Alright, if you look to the side of the room you''ll see a number of small arms. Pick what you want, there''ll be ammo provided at the range." he says before walking to the door. After steps over to the weapons and spots a few different kinds, laser pistols, plasma pistols, and some other variants of both. He grabbed the closest one and raised a brow, it was significantly lighter than the one he''d fired before... He quickly headed to one of the desks and grabbed a screwdriver to open up its casing, afterwards realising that there was no battery inside. The weapon was functionally useless without that vital component. He glanced over to Doran who smirked back at him as other students headed to the door, completely unaware that the weaponry was faulty. Afton shook his head and looked around the workshop, eventually finding an intact, slightly scuffed battery. After checking it over to make sure the weapon wouldn''t explode in his hand he made his way to Doran, only then noticing that Sandra seemed to have fixed her own weapon aswell. "Alright, is everyone ready?" Doran asks, receiving "Sir!" from the group. He shakes his head, "Initiates! What is the most important thing when using a weapon?" "Skill Sir!" an Initiate chirps. "Wrong!" "Knowledge?" an eleven year old asks. "Now you''re just saying words." he sighs... "Its safety, you can''t very well use a weapon if its likely to blow your damn hand off! Initiate Parker! Could you elucidate what I mean for the others?" Afton nods and displays his laser pistol, "I felt my pistol was lighter than it should be, and so cracked it open to check if its internals were fine... It was missing a battery. We''re in a workshop so its likely all the weapons were malfunctioning in one way or another, if we used this at the firing range disastrous things may happen." he explains, the Initiates having looks of realisation flash across their faces. "This was a test of mine to see which of you could keep a clear head despite all the excitement, all of you should fix your weaponry and show it to me when you''re done. If we have time afterwards we''ll head to the firing range." Doran states causing the Initiates to scramble towards the tools. Afton and Sandra remain where they stand as their weapons were already ready for use. "What should we do sir?" the latter asks. "You have my permission to go to the firing range... But before that. Why did you not help any of your fellow Initiates?" "It''s better they get a stern warning from you instead of assistance from us sir, they''ll remember it that way." Afton explains. Doran nods, "Good, there''ll be a Knight on your left when you enter the firing range, tell him I sent you to learn the basics." he says before turning his attention back to the others. "Thanks" they murmur as they leave, Sandra glances at Afton and smirks, "You know, I only remembered to repair my weapon after seeing you do it." she admits as the walk. Afton shrugs, "Being able to spot it doesn''t make you efforts any lesser, if any of the others had been paying attention they would''ve noticed too." The duo enter the armoury and look to their left, a man in Power armour sits at a desk writing into a terminal. He has short unruly black hair with a handsome face and an average length beard. It takes a moment for him to notice their presence and sends them a curious glance when he does, "Now what would two Initiates need from me? Doran too hungover to teach a class again?" he questions, causing the duo to smirk at the thought. Afton shakes his head, "Doran wanted you to give us basic firearms training." "Where''s the rest of your class then Initiate?" he asks, wondering why just the two of the were here. "They attempted to go to the firing range with malfunctioning weaponry sir, we were the only ones who bothered to check." Sandra says, receiving and slow nod from him. "Alright... I''m Senior Knight Ramos by the way." he says as he stands, taking the Gauss rifle from the desk and slinging it over his shoulder. "Initiate Afton Parker." "Initiate Sandra Torres" they both reply with their ranks and names. "So let me see the weapons you''ve got and I''ll decide how best to do this." Ramos asks and is handed two laser pistols. He examines them and wraps them with his knuckles to check the casing and internal components. Afton didn''t know how much experience you''d need to be able to check if all the vital parts were inside just by tapping it... But he supposed it could be done if you were very familiar with the weight and feedback a properly working pistol would give. Chapter 24 - Practise Makes Perfect Ramos hands back Afton''s pistol before walking over to the armoury where a Knight was manning the window. He retrieved some energy cells and walked towards the long walled in stalls that held a target at the end of them, "Here, I''ll show you how to stand, hold, and fire the gun. Look at my fingers." he says, Sandra getting closer and spotting that he wasn''t holding the trigger. "Unless you are preparing to fire, do not rest you hand on the trigger, the phrase ''Itching trigger finger'' comes to mind, you have no idea how many times I''ve seen a nervous Initiate shoot the floor... I''ve actually been shot in back due to it once as well, luckily I was wearing armour at the time." he explains.?? He steadies the weapon by holding his other hand under his right, breathing in before firing it three times at the target. The target was a pile of metal scrap that''d bee stood up to look like a humanoid. Ramos had hit it three times in the chest, leaving blackened marks in their wake. He turns and hands the gun back to Sandra, "An important thing to remember is your breathing, moderated breathes leads to effective shooting, especially in a high adrenaline situation. Now, stand here, and spread your feet slightly, like that." he says as he instructs her, moving her hands into the correct positions. "Now, laser pistols like this AEP7 usually don''t come with sights, so you''ll just have to judge it on instinct and practise. When you''re ready, like up your shot, take as much time as you need." he explains. ... Sandra takes a deep breath before slowing releasing it just as she begins squeezing the trigger. *Pew!* She fires a single shot which strays way off target, hitting the wall behind it. She frowns at this and lines up another shot based on where she''d missed. *Pew!* Abit closer this time but still not a hit, Ramos rests a hand on her shoulder, "It''s your first time, don''t worry about it. Try again but aim to the right of the target." *Pew!* It skims the right side of the target, still missing but significantly closer than last time. Ramos continues to help guide her, "Now slight left." *Pew!* Hit hits the target on the right side of its chest, Sandra is momentarily shocked that she''d hit but happily exclaims "I hit it!" when she recovers. "Congratulations Initiate Torres, but you still have a lot of work to do... Laser pistols are relatively easy to operate, the true show of an expert is hitting all your shots with a Gatling laser... I''m not even close to that level though." he admits, scratching his head before looking at Afton, "you have a go Initiate Parker, do you need any assistance?" Afton shakes his head, "I watched you show Sandra so let me have a go before seeing if I need help." he says, unclipping the side and sliding in an energy cell. He stands where Sandra had been earlier and aim at the target, he wondered why no one had bothered fitting a sight on these weapons... Yeah, the spread was worse than regular ballistics but it could still help right? Regardless he did as Veronica had taught in the past and fired a three-shot burst. *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* He nodded to himself when he spots three black marks on the targets chest... They were a little spread out and one was even close to missing entirely, but with a little practise he''d get better. "Great! Nice job Initiate! I have to say, you''re much better than I had been on your first time." he says with a smile. "Knight Ramos, is there a reason to why Laser weapons kick? I''ve looked around but the only answers I find are unsatisfactory..." he asks, no one really cared to look into why a weapon firing light would give a kick. "Ah, well, I asked my teacher that when I was your age too. The reason is due to the lens being struck by the emitter''s light, believe it or not, but the emitter produces quite a lot of power per shot, regular lasers are nowhere near powerful enough to disintegrate body parts after all." Afton nods, that''s one of the answers he''d read about, but now that he thought about it, is it really all that realistic for a small energy firearm like this to completely disintegrate someone? He''d not seen it used in this world, but in the game it was an all too common occurrence. "Alright you two, we''ve still got some cells left so let''s keep at it, afterwards you can go recycle the cells and deposit them into the armoury" Ramos says. The duo continue to practise on the firing range lane, both becoming fairly proficient with the laser pistol by the time Ramos stops them, Afton had thought that they''d run out of cells, but apparently he just wanted to move them. He stood them in-front of another lane which was longer and had a smaller target, both attempted to hit it but felt like they were back at square one again. However, with some help from Ramos they soon got back into it. Afton pressed the trigger but instead of the typical *Pew!*, he heard a click, indicating that the last energy cell was dry. "Is that all of them?" Ramos asks from behind them, getting reluctant nods. "Maybe we could request some more ammo?" Sandra asks with puppy-dog eyes. Ramos shakes his head, "You''ve had enough practice for today, remember what I taught and internalise it. You''ll get more chances to practise later Initiates, for now I want you to recycle the energy cells and give them back to the armoury." Afton and Sandra nod, "Yes sir." they say and go to leave the firing range, just as the other Initiates arrive with Doran. He gives the duo a nod and walks over to Ramos, probably to ask him to assist in teaching the others as well. Chapter 25 - Stewd Afton had just left the classroom that Doran had been teaching them in, he never really liked the lessons teaching the Codex, fortunately they were only done once a week to "reinforce" their loyalty. From Afton''s observations "reinforce" meant "brainwash", there wasn''t much he could do about it though, his life hinged on everyone thinking he believed in the almost cult-like Codex. Shaking those thoughts from his head he walked into the cafeteria where Miles and Melissa were sat. He found a place next to them after receiving some food... Some kind of stew with potatoes and unidentifiable meat, if he had to guess it''d probably be Gekko due to how many there seemed to be outside.?? "Afton!?" Melissa exclaims after seeing him sit with them. "Yeah?" he replies, wondering what the big deal was. "This is the first time we''ve seen you in weeks! I don''t believe you were so busy that you couldn''t visit us!" she continues. Afton shrugs, "Yeah, I had some downtime here and there, I just didn''t think it was worth distracting you from your studies. You did fail, remember?" he says, causing the duo to flinch as if they''d been jabbed. "That''s only because I forgot one of the test answers... Well, more than one-but that doesn''t matter!" she quickly says before stuffing some food into her mouth. "And you Miles, why''d you fail?" he ignores her and turns towards his other more timid friend. "I-ah, I barely passed the theoretical test but came last in the physical... It''s my bad, I couldn''t move my legs when I saw the scorpions..." he mutters with a downtrodden expression. Afton shakes his head, "I think you would have passed if you didn''t stand there to hold the gate open, did you not see that it wouldn''t lower even if you let go?" Miles nods, "I did, but it looked very unstable... If it collapsed onto someone I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself." he admits. "You shouldn''t worry about that, the Knights wouldn''t construct something that could potentially kill their children, next time just concentrate on yourself. Becoming an Initiate is about proving your own strength, once you''ve passed the test you can then try be a team player." he explains, getting a small smile from Miles,. The trio drops into a momentary silence as they eat their food, one which Melissa seemed to be offended by as she starts trying to strike up a conversation about literally everything, no matter how mundane it is. Another voice is clearly audible from another table however, "Teacher said I was one of the most talented marksmen in our group, I hit my target half the time with a laser pistol, way better compared to you guys." an arrogant voice causes Afton''s ears to perk up. Afton took a small glance and spotted that it was Steve Lynch, one of the five that came first to receive water in the physical test. He was twelve years old and tall for his age, messy brown hair and a visibly strong build. Most of his class usually sat next to each other, no matter if it was lunch, breakfast, or any other social event. He could hear Sandra Torres snort from the table, "Half your shots? He said ''Best in your group'', not class. Me and Afton got personal tutoring from Senior Knight Ramos for a few hours, and are now able to hit the target most of the time." she says, knocking the braggart down a peg. He seemed to not appreciate the challenge and shook his head, gesturing at Afton who was currently sat with Miles and Melissa, "I doubt an Initiate who still hangs out with children is any good at anything. I bet he still wets his bed." he loudly says, causing some of the table to laugh. Melissa scowls and looks to Afton, "They''re making fun of us, should we hit them?" she asks. Afton shakes his head, "Why would we hit them? They''re just hot air and don''t seem to remember who came out ahead of them in all of the tests." he says loudly enough for them to hear. Steve stands and glares over at them, "What was that Parker? You got something to say to me?" he asks threateningly, his height a head taller than Afton. "No, but it sounds like you''ve got a lot to say to me, or are you only good for insulting me behind my back?" he remarks, not even looking at them and continuing to eat his stew. Steve''s face reddened at his words and he glanced behind him to see everyone else''s reactions, he could see they were expecting him to do something, if not he''d lose face in-front of his peers... His pride was worth more than any punishment he''d received so he slowly started walking over to Afton, his hands balling into fists as he tried to psych himself up. "You know Parker? I never did like you." he says as the adrenaline causes him to act, he makes a quick step forwards and tries to punch Afton in the side of his head from where he''s sitting. Afton knew this was coming and so leant back to avoid it, the punch ended up hitting Miles instead, angering him. He grabbed his tray and flung his bowl of stew at Steve''s face, the hot liquid splashing over his face and causing him to shout in pain. Afton took the opportunity to get out of his chair as Steve tried to wipe the stew from his face, muttering things about how he "Was going to pay for that". He couldn''t help but think back to the lessons Veronica had drilled into him, the teen in-front of him was nowhere near her level, and looked almost comically unprepared due to his stance and posture. Chapter 26 - "Disciplinary" Steve doesn''t open his eyes for fear of the stew burning them, allowing Afton to walk up and deliver a roundhouse punch to his face, knocking the teen to the floor. Apparently that wasn''t enough as they slowly get to their feet, anger allowing them to ignore the hot liquid on their face. He charges at Afton, throwing his arms around at random in an attempt to hit him. Clearly no one had taught him how to fight, or even punch properly...?? Afton gets clipped on the shoulder by one but it isn''t all that effective, dodging the next and dashing forwards, hugging Steve to prevent anymore flailing punching being thrown. The boy tried to wrestle him but found that Afton was actually stronger somehow. Veronica had taught him how to punch and fight in general, but it was Christine who''d shown him how to utilise other things that weren''t his fists. Afton takes a small step back to get space before slamming his elbow into Steve jaw, the metal fixtures on his Initiate uniform providing an almost unfair advantage. *Crack!* Steve''s jaw made an awful sound as he slumped to the floor, backing his head on a nearby table as he''s knocked unconscious. Afton just looks down at Steve with a small amount of disappointment... His first real fight in this world and even his previous one, and he''d not even been challenged. He shook his head, this was the difference between a trained and untrained combatant he supposed. The cafeteria was silent when he walked back over with his tray to get more stew, the Initiate tasked with giving everyone their meal blankly just handing him another bowl, not realising that giving Afton anymore was against the rules due to rationing. ... Afton found it hard to ignore everyone staring at him, even Melissa and Miles with mimicking owls towards him... "That... Was... SOO COOL!" Melissa finally exclaimed after recovering from the shock of seeing Afton utterly decimate an older Initiate. Miles rapidly nods, "How did you do that, who taught you!?" he quickly asks, apparently wanting to get tutored himself. Afton just shakes his head, "You should ask to learn some hand-to-hand combat when you become Initiates." he say simply, not wanting to trouble Veronica or Christine. Soon enough Paladin Edgar Hardin and their teacher Scribe Doran Dumble walks into the room, scouring it with their eyes before both find Steve Lynch''s unconscious body and Afton. "Initiate Parker, with me!" Paladin Hardin commands as Doran gets some help from other Initiates to carry Steve''s body to the infirmary. "Can I take my food?" he asks just as Hardin is about to leave the room, causing most of the room to look at him as if he were crazy... Hardin glances at Afton and an almost undetectable smirk finds its way onto his face, "As long as you clean up after yourself." he states and walks out, Afton picking up his tray and quickly following, getting confused and awed looks from everyone else. Afton was lead into the man''s office where he was already sat down, the fact he was wearing his Power armour made it look like the chair was a small stool, but he managed to keep himself from chuckling at the sight. Hardin gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the desk and Afton sat down, placing his meal on the table and biting into a potato nonchalantly. "Do you know why I have called you here Initiate Parker?" the mans asks with a stern expression. Afton shrugs and swallows his mouthful, "No sir, I was simply defending myself so I see no reason for action against me." Hardin slowly nods, "... I agree, you were provoked first, and hadn''t made the first move. Not only that by that idiot Initiate managed to hit a young student in the face while he was at it, someone he was supposed to be protecting. It seems we''ve misjudged his character if Initiate Lynch is capable of doing that." he explains. "Why did you call me then?" he asks, confused. "Because regardless if you are at fault or not, I need to be seen investigating it, even if I already know what happened. I''m proud that you handled it in such a way, and impressed you managed to take on someone two years older than you. Those lessons you''re getting from Veronica seem to be paying off." he says with a small grin. "Ah, you knew about that?" Hardin nods, "Who do you think covers for Veronica when the Elder is unable to find her? Even when she''s on break the Elder comes looking for her, the man doesn''t seem to understand not everyone can go on without sleep for days... Plus, I think what you''re being taught is valuable knowledge, initiates are taught hand-to-hand combat a couple of months after they are promoted, which is too late in my estimation. Being trained at a younger age instils the movements and attitude required of a warrior, it makes you more combat-oriented and confident, something that will never be a bad thing. As the old proverb goes, it''s better to be a warrior in a farm, than a farmer in a war." he explains. Afton had just finished his stew as the man was talking, but he nods in understanding, he agreed with the man. Knowing how to fight did make him more confident, and being thrashed by Veronica so many times had given him a wider perception of others actions... To most someone gripping their fists and tensing their jaws as nothing, may just irritation, but to him, it was potential aggression. "May I leave now? My classes should start soon." he asks and the man nods. Afton picks up the tray and is about to return them to the cafeteria when Hardin grabs his attention. "Oh and Initiate Parker? Good job in there today." he says sincerely, despite the fact he''d beaten a fellow Initiate and potentially broken his jaw. "No problem sir, hopefully this won''t happen again anytime soon though." he says as he finally leaves. Chapter 27 - Death Trap? After the "cafeteria" incident most people who disliked Afton stayed well away, the fact that he hadn''t been punished in any capacity was one of the reasons why this was the case... The other? Steve Lynch''s broken jaw. The Initiate had been patched up in the infirmary, a stimpack being used to help along with the healing, however, as soon as he was deemed healthy he was heavily reprimanded by Scribe Doran. He was given the punishment of having no free time for three months, his every waking moment would have to be spent in what could only be described as community service. Cleaning toilets, scrubbing floors, helping Knight and Scribes put away the large amounts of scrap and other miscellaneous things they''d sometimes use, etc.?? Initiate Steve Lynch obviously held a grudge for this, not only had he been humiliated by his junior, but he''d also been punished and lost face. None of his "friends" even wanted to associate themselves with him any longer, apparently now that he wasn''t all he made himself up to be, they weren''t interested in befriending him. Afton was slightly nervous about what Veronica and Christine would think about the whole incident, his father was happy about how he dealt with it, having likely heard it from Hardin''s perspective. His mother on the other hand? Not so much. Apparently breaking his "friends" jaw due to an argument was way too far, Afton just silently nodded his head though... You couldn''t really win an argument with your mother. As expected, Veronica and Christine did hear about it, during their next sparring session the former was happily kicking her legs while sitting atop a desk, while the latter was giving him a hard look. "Afton! So how was it? Your first fight?" Veronica quickly asks, wanting to hear every little detail. He sighed and went into how it came about, how he was provoked and attacked first, this seemed to calm Christine down a bit upon hearing he didn''t instigate it. Apparently, Veronica didn''t want to hear about how he got into the fight, but how he fought instead... Muscle head. Christine pops a cocky smile at her lover when he reveals that he''d ended the fight with an elbow, "The elbow is mightier than the fist" she mocks, having heard Veronica spout the literal opposite when teaching him. "No! If you were stronger your first punch should have ended it... I''ll have to show you how to do it again!" she shouts and starts chasing after him while swinging her fists. Christine laughs as Afton frantically fends off Veronica, despite how long he''d been training with them, he still wasn''t a match against either of the two superior combatants. A few days pass and Afton is finds himself in a class he''d be excitedly anticipating... Power armour training... Doran walks in after everyone had already arrived, however he was no in his usual scribe robes... Instead wearing a set of Power armour that heavily clanked over to the front of the class. As usual the Power armour raised his usual 5.8ft height to 6.5ft, it was honestly rather surprising to see such a short man become so tall just by using the armour. "Greetings Initiates." he says, quickly receiving "Sir!" in response and nodding, "As most of you know, today I''ll be teaching you about Power armour, one of the most important technologies the Brotherhood of Steel owns. Now, I won''t be able to teach you anything specifically on how they operate or are made, as you''ll only learn that after you graduate from Initiate... But, I can teach you how to wear it." Afton raises his hand and Doran points at him, "Yes Initiate Parker?" "Sir, aren''t we all still not tall enough to properly wear the armour?" he asks, causing a few students to groan as they realise they''d not get to experience using it yet. Doran nods, "That''s right, you need to be at least 5.5ft in order to wear the typically issued Power armour units we use in the Brotherhood, this brings us to the first thing I need to teach you all." he says as he turns around to show the class his back, he touches something that causes the suit to straighten its back and go rigid. Doran takes the helmet off as the back of the armour opens up, revealing the man inside. Doran steps backwards out of the armour and turns to look at everyone while resting the helmet on his desk. "Now, the reason for the height restriction is simple. It would be far too time-consuming and wasteful to fully customise each suit of armour to each individual person, the Pre-war American military thought so too and designed the suits in a way to make it more accessible to everyone." he says before gesturing at the strange mechanical components inside the suit. "See these? These are footholds, this is the main thing stopping anyone who isn''t trained to use Power armour. You need to manually adjust them before you get in, otherwise there are two outcomes... First is you don''t raise them enough, the armour will close on your head and crush your skull, if there isn''t anyone well versed in how to override the armour you will probably die in a few seconds." he explains, causing a few students to grimace. "Second, you raise the footholds too much, this will cause the armour to clamp don''t on your chest, depending on how high you set them, you''ll either slowly suffocate or you''ll simply have you chest collapse with your heart and lungs being crushed... So, when I tell you to NEVER try to wear Power armour without someone experience watching, I FUCKING MEAN IT!" he shouts, displaying how serious he is on this topic. "I have seen more than my fair share of Initiates getting mulched in these things due to how reckless and overeager they are, so if nothing else, obey this one warning I''m giving you now." he states. Chapter 28 - Safety First, Kids! The class nod at Doran, no one wanted to get crushed to death by their own suit of Power armour, and the seriousness in his tone made them believe that other''s had died trying. Afton himself had received a similar warning from his father after he''d asked about the armour, something about having a friend back in the day who snuck into the armoury to try one on... They only found the body when the blood started leaking out.?? Doran nods to himself after he feels everyone had understood him, he then points at the arms of the Power armour before continuing. "The arms have a similar mechanism to the legs but are no as dangerous. They won''t crush you to death like the other would. They are retractable and can be adjusted to suit the arm length of the user, depending on how short your arms are, this could be an advantage as the armour actually becomes thicker the more retracted they are." he explains. Doran raises his hand and lowers the back armour slightly to show everyone something, he points at a large electronic thing that could only be a microfusion pack, judging by the size of it. "This, is what powers the armour. There are multiple types of Power armour available, here in the Mojave we''ve been given two kinds, the mark T-45, and the T-51b which is the stronger of the two. These armours are actually the weaker versions compared to what the rest of the Brotherhood has at their disposal... Can any of you tell me why this is?" ... No one answers his question and he continues, "The reason for this is mainly due to their Power sources, these are less powerful but require significantly less energy than other suits, you almost never need to change the microfusion packs aside from when they''re damaged... They could literally be left for thousands of years and still be operable, that''s how efficient they are. Compared to the regular T-45 armour and T-51 armour, this is an incredible advantage. They use fusion cores for power, relatively rare things depending on the location, here in the Mojave you''d be more likely to have a meteor fall on your head than stumble across one. Now, this wouldn''t be too bad if they were as efficient at the microfusion packs, but they aren''t... With the armour being bigger and generally more powerful, they required more energy, a fusion core would be drained within around six months of continuous use, depending on whether or not the armour had been fitting with other devices." Torres holds her hand up and asks her question when Doran calls her, "Sir, why did we not get sent with the more Powerful armour and a stash of fusion cores? Surely we won''t be gone long enough to justify being less able to deal with threats?" Doran shakes his head, "Initiate Torres, how long do you think this expedition will take?" he asks, the girl looking thoughtful as she tried to find an answer. Afton himself wasn''t sure the expedition would ever end, they''d already been away for more than ten years, with relatively no progress towards their goal... Though, this was mainly due to Elder Elijah''s poor management. "Maybe... In fifty years sir?" Sandra guesses, not looking very confident at her answer. Doran shrugs, "I may have asked the question but I myself don''t know the answer... I personally think we''ll never set foot in California again, additionally, assuming your guess was correct, a stash of fusion cores that lasted fifty years would be incredibly difficult to transport along with everything else... Not only that, but it would be a huge investment for the High Elder to risk, the chances of the NCR spotting us and managing to claim the stash is not negligible." he says, causing a few of the students to look rather put out. Most weren''t old enough to remember California, so they didn''t really know how to feel about it. Afton didn''t mind, in-fact, he welcomed not being so close to California, he imagined his entire life would be dictated by the whims of some old fart who''d only gotten the position due to his family... Just like in his old world. He liked the Chapter he was currently in, it was strict but not too much so, he had a good degree of freedom to do as he liked. He was relatively safe from harm and had lots of things he could still learn, his friends and family were also a factor. He couldn''t imagine not being able to talk and have fun with Veronica and Christine, he might actually be closer to them than he was with his parents... Doran quickly changed the focus from them never returning to California back to the lesson at hand, going onto explain the differences between the T-45d and T-51b, the former was made from riveted steel plates that were incredibly heavy and made it far less manoeuvrable than the T-51b which was made from poly-laminate composite, which was considerably lighter than steel while being just as strong. The T-51b also had a protective layer of ablative silver which assisted in the resistance of laser weapons and radiation... Not only that, but the suit had inbuilt human waste recycling mechanisms that can convert waste into drinkable water. It was also completely sealed which prevented radioactive particles from entering, the filter that circulated air also assisted in clearing any dangerous particles from being breathed in, this was particularly helpful in frequent Mojave dust storms. Doran also went on to note and display the difficulty the suit provided when wielding small ballistic weaponry, the armoured gauntlets made your fingers large enough for it to be uncomfortable to press the triggers due to the trigger guard. This is one of the main reasons the Brotherhood prefers using energy weaponry, as the trigger guards generally had a lot more room. The class continued as the man listed off the rest of the features and things they should keep in mind, at the end reminding them that they should heed his warning and not attempt to climb into one without supervision. Afton left the class feeling a lot more knowledgeable than before, the fact that the Brotherhood almost never used ballistics due to the trigger guards was surprising as he''d never actually considered that before... Energy weapons were powerful, but he couldn''t help but think ballistics still had their uses, especially concerning incredible long ranges... Sure, a laser rifle could theoretically have infinite range, but a bright red laser would be incredibly noticeable, even if you hit it''d be unlikely to be a one-hit kill anyway... This was something to ponder at another time. Chapter 29 - New Horizons It''d been a year since Afton had become an Initiate, a few things had happened since then, Melissa and Miles had managed to pass their tests and become fellow Initiates. His fame had also increased within the Chapter due to the talent he commonly displayed. His education was coming along handily, unfortunately, it didn''t look like he''d have a lot of time to prepare himself for whatever conflict was coming. The Brotherhood scouts had been reporting that the NCR''s presence around Hoover dam had been rapidly increasing, their trademark rangers had actually managed to pick off two or three of their members, enraging those who personally knew them in the Chapter.?? Afton knew that the initial mission had been to obtain Hoover dam for Brotherhood in California, but apparently Elder Elijah had left it too long to comfortably do... As of now, if they tried to take it they''d be fighting against a strong defensive perimeter. The NCR as much as they disliked to admit, were quite strong, they may not have the technological strength of the Brotherhood, but they had numbers and good tacticians. The news caused everyone to look to Elder Elijah for questions on what they were supposed to do, which spurred the man into action. He immediately ordered a relocation, he looked reluctant as he wished to stay and uncover more buried pre-war tech in the area, but time was shortening and they had no idea when this whole region would be claimed by the NCR. As Afton was now an Initiate, he was given a laser rifle and tasked with assisting the Knights and Paladins at protecting the perimeter of the convoy, some were not happy with forcing an eleven-year-old into a combat role, that was especially so with his mother... His father managed to placate her with the fact he''d be keeping a close eye on him. Sandra Torres was also positioned with him, however, the rest of the Initiates in his class were told to help carry things as Doran didn''t think they were even close to being ready for combat. Afton didn''t know where their destination was, but hopefully, Elder Elijah wasn''t leading them to their doom. He waited on the surface in his typical Initiate scout armour, his height was now 5.2ft and he was wielding a laser rifle that looked relatively large in his hands. Was he accurate with it? Sometimes... The thing was heavy and had a good deal of kick if you continuously fired, if you got shot at short to medium range in a vital you''d probably die instantly though. Sandra stood at his side, also wielding a laser rifle... She was slightly shorter than he was at 5.1, but her thinner build made her look almost comically unsuited for the weapon. "Any idea as to where we''re headed?" he asks her, hefting the rifle onto his shoulder to rest his arms a little. She shakes her head, "None... I haven''t been hearing good rumours either. Has your dad said anything about what''s happening?" Afton shrugs, "Things aren''t looking good is all I''ll say..." he leans in to whisper in her ear, "Don''t tell anyone I said this, but... I think if Elijah remains the Elder, the Chapter will eventually be destroyed." he says to her grimly. She slowly nods in agreement, her face going slightly pale at the thought of it... She''s about to ask something else when the sound of heavy footsteps walks up behind them. "Son, Initiate Torres... I hope you aren''t planning a rendezvous when we''re just about to begin relocating." his father says, his voice distorted by his T-51b Power armour helmet. Though, Afton could tell by the man''s posture that he had a huge grin under it. Sandra straightens her back and places her right arm over her chest in a typical Brotherhood salute, "Paladin Parker, Initiate Torres at your service sir!" The two teens could hear Zachary snort under his helmet at the formal greeting, he shifts the weight of the Gatling laser he was currently holding into one arm before resting a hand on Sandra''s shoulder. "Relax Initiate, I may be a Paladin but I don''t mind if you''re informal with me... Unless the situation calls for it obviously." "But sir-" "Son, what have you been telling your girlfriend here? She seems to think I''m some sort of boogeyman!" Sandra blushes at the insinuation, Afton can only sigh and shrug at his father, "I''d appreciate if you stopped teasing my partner dad, she''s nervous enough as it is." "Partner now, is it?" he chuckles slows when he notices Afton''s glare, "Fine. You two will stick with me as per my agreement with your mother, if anything happens use me as cover. You''re not wearing Power armour so its standard procedure. Last but not least, do not fire your weapons until I say so, we don''t know who we could stumble into so erring on the side of caution is needed. Got me?" They nod and he gives a thumbs up, "Good, just follow my orders and we''ll get where we need to be safely." he says before turning and stomping towards the rest of the group wearing Power armour. Afton and Sandra feel a little out of place within their ranks, but they do eventually notice some of the older Initiates who''re not yet tall enough to wear Power armour standing around. Elder Elijah gives a brief speech that does nothing to raise the morale of the convoy, eventually getting replaced by Head Paladin Mcnamara who speaks of the Codex, their foundations, mission, and everything else they''re tasked with. He goes onto explain that every single member here is integral to the survival of the Chapter, and that everyone''s best efforts will be needed if they''re going to succeed in this wasteland. The Head Paladin''s speech achieved what the Elder''s had not, that''s the thing about cults... It didn''t take much for encouragement, just spouting a few lines from the Codex would invigorate any "loyal" Brotherhood member no-matter what the situation. With everyone raring to go, the convoy started... Chapter 30 - Gauss What? As had happened before, the Brotherhood members had "requisitioned" some brahmin to use as pack animals... The previous ones had been slaughtered for meat as soon as they reached their destination, a waste from Afton''s estimation, but it had to be done due to them living underground and trying to remain hidden. The journey had started, but no one aside from Elder Elijah and Head Paladin Mcnamara knew exactly where they were going... Afton often caught glimpses of humanoid figures as they walked, but was told to ignore them by his father, as long as they didn''t bother the convoy, the Brotherhood wouldn''t vaporize them in-kind.? ? It was around a month of travelling later that they seemed to reach a more populated region... They''d just walked past some sort of abandoned nuclear test sight that was rife with radiation, as well as an old crashed vertibird, Elder Elijah commanded them to stop the convoy so they could get a better look... The place was guarded by a few sentry bots and mister gutsies, Afton and Sandra were told to sit back and watch as getting them killed by a stray shot from the heavily armed robots was not something they wanted. Zachary commanded a small unit of Paladins and Knights and made his way down there, first throwing a couple pulse grenades to stun the robots before opening fire on them. Elder Elijah was shouting behind them to "not damage the technology", obviously he was referring to the vertibird but it was probably difficult to concentrate with your superior shouting difficult orders in your ear. Eventually though the robots were disabled, not being a match for the Brotherhoods firepower. Afton got a chance to look closer at the vertibird. In Fallout 3 these things were all too common, used by the Brotherhood and Enclave alike, they are some of the only still functioning vehicles in the wasteland... For what reason? Afton didn''t really know. Almost immediately he could spot something strange with this vertibird, first of all, the Brotherhood insignia wasn''t plastered all other it, making it clear it didn''t belong to them... The technology it held was slightly more advanced than what Afton had seen their own vertibird posses from the logs. If you include the pitch-black colour of it probably trying to make it more stealthy, it was obvious this belonged to the Enclave. A faction that, from what Afton could tell, was completely wiped out... Having been caught in the middle of the NCR and BoS. The convoy would have to get moving eventually, but Elder Elijah couldn''t just let this thing sit here... He had the scribe deconstruct it and carry all the valuable or repairable parts with them... It was a bit difficult to find people who weren''t already struggling to carry the things given to them, but they managed but allocating some Knight in Power armour for the job. After that they continued on their journey, there were a few other notable locations they passed, most containing innocent civilians that they fortunately let be. Finally, they seemed to reach a relatively undamaged highway, trudging through the desert sand was exhausting enough, but with the added weight of all the technology they had on their backs? Afton was surprised no-one had passed out yet. They walked along the road, and it was during this that Afton got his first glimpse into active combat with other humans... They''d passed by a large rocky hill, the scouts had already marked it as clear but it seemed someone had climbed up after they''d finished observing it... *Bang!* A bullet shot from a man dressed in ragged clothing atop the rocks, it hit his father in the shoulder but was deflected by the armour with ease, the only thing indicating he''d actually been hit were the sparks it gave off. Afton and Sandra crouched behind Zachary as the man charged up his Gatling laser to unleash a barrage of light-based hellfire upon the unlucky cunt who''d provoked them. His father wouldn''t get the chance though as the sound of a Gauss rifle discharging was followed by the raiders head exploding into red mist. Afton felt a little bile rise in his throat at the sight, momentarily feeling as if it was his head that''d been hit... Sandra started vomiting off at the side, they were so close that she could''ve sworn some blood had gotten on her face. He looked over to see who''d made the shot, and saw someone in Power armour hefting the Gauss rifle on their shoulder... They glanced at him and noticed his troubles, walking over and crouching down. "You okay Afton?" they ask in a distorted yet familiar voice. "Huh?" is all he could reply with, still feeling faint at having seen someone die in such a brutal fashion. The person crouching next to him takes their helmet off, and smiles at him. "Christine?" he mutters, the contrast with how he usually viewed her hitting him in the face... She didn''t seem all the bothered about killing the man, so it must''ve not been the first. "Deep breaths Afton, remember your training." she says, resting a hand on his shoulder. Afton nods and starts slowly breathing, closing his eyes and recalling the pattern he was taught in class. It was disconcerting to see someone die, even if they rightfully deserved it... He went through the various reasons why the man had been killed, and why it was just that it happened... Had his father not been wearing Power armour, he would have been injured... Not only that, but the attack was completely unjustified, it was a single man aswell, meaning he expected to be killed. Had the man been aiming for him or Sandra, they might very well not be standing... A bullet to the head was all it took to kill you, only now had it hit him that he''d almost died... Chapter 31 - Hidden Sun Afton and Sandra still hadn''t completely recomposed themselves when the convoy was ordered to start moving again, Christine had to follow orders and so left them to rejoin the front, albeit reluctantly. Zachary did all he could to encourage them, but Sandra was still looking particularly pale when they started walking. Afton himself didn''t really know how to feel about the situation, he was still disconcerted at having watched a man''s head explode, and he felt some sort of incongruity...?? Regardless of his feelings on the matter, the convoy advanced, fortunately it seems one man dying instantly while achieving nothing was enough. It took a couple of days of stopping, making camp and then carrying on again, but this gave Afton the time to rationalise what''d happened. He''d ended up talking about it to Veronica, Christine, and his mother, it was good that he had, because they all gave good advice... Well, apart from Veronica who just wanted to beat him up for feeling bad about it. Musclehead. Eventually the convoy was able to see a large mountain with some sort of satellite dish placed atop it, Afton had checked the radio to see if it was broadcasting anything and was surprised to find it was actually inhabited by super mutants. They seemed to be relatively peaceful, which was completely contrary to what he''d been taught in his classes. He knew from Fallout 3 that super mutants could be intelligent, but hadn''t thought it''d be enough to create a peaceful community with. He relayed what he''d learned to his father who frowned upon hearing the news, "Super mutants? Here?... Didn''t think any would''ve made it into the Mojave... I''ll let the others know and we''ll decide at a later time how to deal with it, might even be able to bring you along depending on if you get tall enough to wear your Power armour." he says, patting him on the shoulder. "They''re broadcasting to attract any stray super mutants, if we leave it too long their numbers might get too big to handle." Afton explains, not entirely sure it''d be moral to wipe them out. "You concentrate on your studies and we''ll concentrate on keeping you safe, with how you acted after seeing a man die, I don''t think you want to enter a war so soon... Trust me." his father explains. The convoy continued for another few days before they were told to set up a defensive perimeter around a raised position. Their destination was nearby but had apparently attracted unwanted "flies", Afton could see the build Elder Elijah wanted, it was a huge factory looking place. Behind it was an incredibly tall spire which was for some reason surrounded by mirrors, all pointing at the top of it. He''d like to get a better look as curiosity was killing him, but they''d have to clean out the raiders who''d set up camp first. Around the facility, the damaged remains of robots that''d previously been defending and keeping the place tidy were littered everywhere. A few corpses of the raiders appeared to be lying around as well, telling the story of a grim battle fought... Unfortunately for them, they were squatting in the Brotherhood''s new base. Head Paladin Mcnamara, Paladin Hardin, and his father all readied their squads before moving in, none of the Initiates were allowed to join this battle, as the hallways would make it far too easy for the raiders to get a lucky shot off. Additionally, the had no idea what traps they could''ve lain... Afton kept watch around the convoy as sounds of guns, lasers, and screams travelled out from the building. It only took thirty minutes before ragged-looking people starting fleeing from the building. Some Knights and Initiates in the convoy were taking potshots at them, but all seemed to be missing... Afton wanted to make sure they''d not start spreading information that the Brotherhood of Steel had set up shop here, but when he aimed at the young men and women who were only a few years his senior, he wasn''t able to force himself to pull the trigger... The sounds of death stopped, but it took another hour for the place to be scoured to see if anyone else was hiding, they did apparently find some as the couple discharges of a Gauss rifle could be heard, making it clear that no mercy was tolerated. Afterwards, the Knight and Paladins slowly streamed out of the facility, all looking no worse for wear. They all gathered below the hill as Elder Elijah went to address everyone, "Brother, sisters, today begins a new opportunity for our Chapter, while the NCR have taken Hoover dam, they do not know how much they have lost in the process... I promise you all taking this facility instead of the dam was the smarter choice by far. Those that doubt me will see their error soon enough, this place is called Helios One, and once it is operational again, I will show you the true meaning of power." his voice travels over them. Afton had to admit, this singular speech held more emotion than he''d ever seen the man exhibit before, in the past eleven years. The uncomfortable shocked silence from the man''s sudden charisma slowly gave way to restrained clapping. The Elder was clearly pleased with the response he''d gotten, as no on had ever reacted positively to him acting publically before... Afton turned towards Helios One, from what he could tell, it was a solar array... Sure it was impressive it was able to produce a good amount of energy, but he didn''t think it was valuable enough to trump the worth of the Hoover dam... The Elder was playing a dangerous game, Afton had no doubt that the NCR would soon find their location... The position wasn''t an easily defensible one, and would be difficult to fight against multiple angles... Chapter 32 - Moral Quandary With the raiders now gone the Brotherhood slowly made their way inside Helios One, the Knight and Paladin''s had already checked it over for traps, which allowed the Scribes to go mental and do whatever they like. They''d already requisitioned what looked like a control room, someone''s voice echoing through the building as a young Scribe spoke into the intercom... Apparently, they hadn''t realised it was working and had said some embarrassing things that they''d not soon be allowed to forget.?? Afton had to assist with carrying the half-disintegrated bodies of the facilities previous inhabitants... They were all dumped into a large pile a good distance away from the building before being set ablaze. He couldn''t help but notice the ages of the raiders, it seemed that Head Paladin Mcnamara, Hardim, and his father hadn''t shown mercy, even to the children of the raiders. The youngest was around eight to ten years old, half their face had been reduced to ash by what could only be a laser weapon. It was a grim reminder of what could''ve happened to himself had he not been fortunate enough to reincarnate in his current situation. Some wanted to bury the bodies as a sign of respect and regret for their deaths, but in the end they were burned to prevent predators, and potential diseases from becoming a problem. Afton still hadn''t shrugged off his previous worlds sensibilities, so he was finding it hard to digest just how indiscriminate the Brotherhood was at removing threats. When he asked his father about it the man just gave a shrug, "The moment they raised a weapon against us is the moment they sealed their fate. I might not like it, but there''s no other recourse, its kill or be killed out here son, a moment of hesitation could mean your end." Afton felt like his fathers feelings on the matter were actually the minority opinion, so he went to ask Paladin Hardin what he thought... "Anywho don''t follow the Codex''s axioms are no friend of mine, our role is to safeguard humanity against themselves, regular people don''t know what responsibilities they have, they are only concerned with their own struggles. So, dealing them a swift end is a mercy, the alternative is letting them out into the Mojave... Those raiders, they don''t have any skills or ability to survive without causing harm to others, its better they die at my hands instead of in a ditch someone after ransacking a settlement." he explains his view, a pragmatic and unempathetic argument that Afton couldn''t really find faults in. "But, what about the children that were killed?" he asks, wanting to find out where Hardin stood on that particular matter. "As I said, its a mercy to kill them. Their parents didn''t teach them how to survive properly, and in turn would only die of starvation, getting eaten, or continuing to raid. Had we let them live, and assisted in getting them to a nearby settlement, they''d still likely hold a grudge against us... I''m not in the business of making enemies, only ending them." he states. After his talk with Hardin he''d began walking back through the facility to his room, but ended up walking into Head Paladin Mcnamara... He''d ended up asking the man about his own position on the subject, "I''m not like the others Afton, I think we could be a little less strict with how we deal with our enemies... The raiders we faced today stood no chance against us, our armour and overwhelming firepower saw to that. I had tried to intervene when the slaughter of the younger raiders began, but it was a lost cause when they started taking up their parents firearms and retaliating." He looks around the hallway as if he was about to give a big secret before leaning down and speaking quietly, "I think we could do a lot of good for the wasteland, unfortunately, the Codex strictly forbids it. I''m sure you''ve learned of what had been happening in the Capital Wasteland, I imagine that group has been eradicated by the Brotherhood due to their insubordination... As Head Paladin I have many responsibilities that are hard to fulfil, but the one I feel is the heaviest to bear is the one I''ve placed on myself... You are not wrong in that we could have done something for those children, but there''s nothing that can be done. All we can do is try to make decisions that''ll have the most merciful outcomes, the Elder wanted this facility, so everyone inside had to be eradicated... But in my capacity as Head Paladin, I can sway the Chapter in the direction that''d be more beneficial for everyone." he explains, clearing remorseful over what''d been done to the children living here. Afton nods, "I see, thank you for you time sir." he says and gives a nod before beginning to walk away. "Ah, and Afton." Mcnamara''s voice causes him to turn, "Let''s keep this chat to ourselves, you know as well as I that questioning the Codex is... Not regarded well." "Don''t worry sir, I''m very aware of that." he says with a knowing look and finally leaves. It''d taken around three weeks to completely clean the facility, there was trash everywhere and the raiders that''d previously been inhabiting the place weren''t worried about tidying up after themselves. Afton wouldn''t put it past those savages to shit on the floor just because they felt like it. He was honestly started to agree with Hardin the more he saw inside Helios One, the raiders hadn''t just gone around stealing food and supplies, no, they''d been kidnapping people... Specifically women and children, what for? You can use your imagination. They''d even been writing plans for their next raid on the walls with the blood of their victims. Afton regretted not following everyone else and taking potshots at the surviving raiders, the despicable bunch of cunts deserved everything that came to them. Chapter 33 - Sun In The Bears Eye Slowly the Chapter was getting comfortable in their new "permanent" home, it was much, much more comfortable than living underground, and the opportunity the Initiates got to train outside was invaluable. They were no longer hiding and as such, they were allowed outside for a limited time. Afton used this to start thoroughly training his cardio, there was only so much you could do in a small metal-reinforced room after all. During his spare time he''d done a lot of running... He might''ve actually run a couple marathons around Helios One.?? His studies continued as well, it took a while for a firing range to be set up, but it was a lot easier to do outside than it was underground. Plus, the additional distance would help him get better, faster. Not everything was buttercups and roses though, Veronica had been terribly busy and wasn''t able to spend any time with either him or Christine... The Elder had apparently taken an interest in the underground facility that was accessible behind Helios One, apparently you would be able to access the spire and solar panels from down there... The only problem was that everything needed massive repairs, nuclear bombs had for some reason left the Mojave relatively unscathed, maybe the Chinese didn''t think it was worth bombing a desert? But, that doesn''t really make sense as Las Vegas was untouched as well. Afton had no idea what could''ve so heavily damaged the technology under Helios One, but if he had to guess it''d probably be the scientists that were working here... A precaution in-case someone stumbled across the place? If what Elder Elijah was saying was correct, then something important was clearly hidden here. How long would it take to fully repair? He had no idea. Most of the free Scribes were working overtime down there, occasionally returning to the main building covered in oil and metal shavings. The Paladins and Knights were constantly sent on patrols to gather materials that the Scribes requested... Fortunately, there was apparently a scrap yard owned by an old woman that contained many discarded technologies. The Brotherhood couldn''t figure out why so much would be tossed away like trash, and only Afton knew the amount of waste produced by the pre-war society, after all, it was the same in his old world. Head Paladin Mcnamara managed to make a deal with the old lady named Gibson, they''d trade her bottlecaps, the current times premium currency and she''d let them scavenge in her backyard. Some of the members of the Brotherhood wanted to just take whatever they needed without bothering with her, but it seems Mcnamara hadn''t lied when he said he wanted to find peaceful solutions for everyone. It''d only been a few months since they''d started staying in Helios One when something big happened... Afton was outside and had just completed his daily run, walking to return to the base when suddenly the stars in the sky dimmed... He wondered if it was a natural phenomenon for a moment, but realised it was simply light pollution... Light pollution from behind Black Mountain where the super mutants were living. The next day he found out what''d actually caused it... Las Vegas had reopened... Well, it''s now called "New Vegas". Afton preferred the latter as it was easier on the tongue. The scouts reported a rumour that the NCR had made a deal with someone named Mr House. It took the Brotherhood some digging, but they eventually managed to discern who the man was... The founder of RobCo and numerous other industries. They were all confused as he''d be over two hundred years old now if that were true, and if that were the case then he must be using some sort of advanced technology to keep himself alive. Afton had seen the Elder marching through the hallways after the news broke, he imagined the man was salivating at the thought of technology that could make you immortal. But, for some reason, he chose to ignore it and the fact the NCR had completely taken Hoover dam. This would rapidly ramp up the conflict between the Chapter and the NCR, Afton could see why they were so eager to control the region now... New Vegas would most likely be an economic powerhouse, and if they controlled it then they''d control the Mojave. Head Paladin Mcnamara had started sending out patrols to scout for potential safe houses, not mentioning his preparations to Elder Elijah as the man would likely force all resources into Helios One instead of their own safety. A year passed and Afton had turned twelve, the repairs of Helios One were slowly progressing, but the difficulty of restoring a facility that had unclear functions was terribly difficult. Veronica had eventually managed to persuade the Elder to give her some breaks, and she used them to complain to Afton and Christine about how annoying it was to work on this project without knowing what you were actually doing. Elder Elijah kept whatever this place held to himself, not even telling Veronica, the person he was closest to when asked. Afton was slowly becoming resentful of the Elder, the man was completely disregarding the lives of everyone in the Chapter was supposed to protect. NCR scouts had already been spotting lingering around the area, telltale signs that they were plotting something, otherwise they wouldn''t hang around for so long. Neither had attacked the other yet, Head Paladin Mcnamara feared that it''d only escalate the inevitable conflict with the NCR. And the rangers hadn''t made a move due to their orders, probably along the lines of "Wait, Observe, Report". Afton was thankful Mcnamara was so keen on keeping them all safe in the Elders absence, those hidden bunkers they''d found and started to restore were looking mighty welcoming with the NCR breathing down their necks... Chapter 34 - Sundered Afton was in the midst of a knife fight with Christine, Veronic wasn''t present as the Elder had called her away, again. He stabbed at her stomach but didn''t fear injury her, she was a lot more skilful than he was, and their armoured clothing protected against any half-hearted strikes. She backed away and performed a snap kick at his hand as she did so, it''d surprised him and knocked his knife into the air which put him at her mercy. She leapt forwards and punched at him, forcing him to lean back to avoid the strike, this was what she wanted however as she plucked his twirling knife from the air, leaving him defenceless.? ? "You got me" he says with a sign, showing his palms. Christine would usually shoot a smug smile his way after winning, but lately she seemed... Subdued? Both Afton and Veronica had noticed it, but they''d not broached the subject yet as neither had any idea what it may be. The two girls relationship was going excellently, and somehow no one had learned of what they were doing... Perhaps the excuse that they were just training him was enough? Regardless, now that he and Christine was alone he''d take the chance to ask what was bothering her. "Christine? You''ve seemed pretty down lately, is something wrong?" he asks, giving her the most sincere smile he could muster. She halts upon hearing this, chewing the inside of her cheek before shaking her head, "No... Nothing is wrong, I''m just worried that you''ll never beat me or Veronica." Now, Afton wasn''t the greatest at social interaction, but it was obvious she''d deflected his question... He wanted to think she''d tell him if it was important, but he was starting to doubt that''d happen. "I know that''s not true Christine, me and Veronica have both noticed it. You can''t hide anything from us, no matter how much you train yourself." "Its nothing Afton, I''m just not used to living above ground, the things that are happening around us with the NCR is worrying me.. The Elder-" she frowns as she almost spits his name, "Doesn''t seem to care what happens to all of us, as long as he gets his hands on whatever secrets this place holds." she quickly says, and he could see she was sincere in her wish to leave this facility, as well as her hatred for the Elder. "I''m worried too Christine, but you need to remember Veronica and I have got your back... I... I think both of us would give our lives for you, just remember that we''ll always hear you out, no matter what it is that''s bothering you." he says in a low tone, he didn''t know if their inevitable conflict with the NCR was the cause of her worries, but if she refused to tell him then all he could do is offer to help whenever she needed it. Christine finally showed a true smile at his rather emotional statement, giving him a warm hug that seemed to last forever before shoving the knife back into his hand. "Alright, enough of that, I''m going to see if I can get you to finally beat Veronica, so prepare yourself." she drops into a low stance with an almost sadistic grin. As always, Afton had been keeping a close eye on the happening in the Mojave, reading every report he could get his hands on. The end was nearing, the NCR had set up a large force in the airport near New Vegas and called it Camp McCarran. It was an almost perfect place to secure their position in New Vegas as it was near enough where they could easily reinforce it, as well as protect the farms surrounding the bustling city. If that was all they''d done it would''ve been relatively fine, sure they were setting up a strategic point that would probably be used to destroy them at Helios One, but it''d not be the end quite yet... Except that wasn''t all, one of the Rangers that''d been loitering around Helios One had done something unforgivable. They''d fired upon a patrol coming back with supplies from the Gibson scrap yard, four Knights and two Initiates were dead. Afton didn''t know whether he should feel guilty that he was thankful no one he was close to was killed. Unfortunately, one of the Knights killed had been Bert Stanton, Miles father. His friend had been shocked and heartbroken upon hearing the news, immediately breaking down into tears as his mother comforted him even though she was hurting as much as he was. This was the spark that started the conflict between the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and the NCR. They''d not stand for having one of their own brutally killed without even a warning. Almost everyone was enraged at the attack and beckoned Elder Elijah to allow them to mount a counter-attack, Paladin Hardin was at the head of these talks. Elder Elijah refused though! He commanded them to focus on Helios One and to not engage the NCR. He didn''t seem to care that this would endanger anyone who went out for supplies or the parts that were required to repair the bloody facility. Most of the Chapter now truly resented the man, he kept making promises that Helios One would be their crowning achievement and that they''d retaliate against the NCR after they''d fixed it. But his honeyed words fell on deaf ears... They couldn''t refuse the mans orders, as the Codex strictly prohibited them from disobeying orders, but it didn''t mean they couldn''t argue with him at every turn. Head Paladin Mcnamara had started sending out Patrols of Paladins and Knights in Power armour to protect those transporting materials to the base. There hadn''t been another attack yet, but that was probably due to the Rangers not being able to find any easy targets like last time. Chapter 35 - NCR Psyche Miles hadn''t taken his father''s death well, the timid boy that was usually kind, empathetic, and helpful to anyone who asked had changed. He was colder, sarcastic and uncaring even when Afton tried to have a real talk with him. It was like he didn''t care anymore, but that obviously wasn''t true as the boy now spent most of his time studying or in the firing range. Afton had snuck up behind him in the cafeteria to try and scare him, but ended up hearing him murmur about the NCR, and how they''d pay...?? It wasn''t as if no one else hated the NCR in the Chapter, but Miles had started bordering on obsession... Afton spoke to the Scribes in the med bay, but apparently, they weren''t all that suited to psychological problems, plus, they didn''t see a problem with the boy hating the NCR, they were their enemies and it was the correct thing to feel. A few weeks after the incident that killed Miles father he pulled Melissa and his mother Katie Stanton to a room to have a chat. "You two, do you know what''s going on with Miles?" he asks as soon as they''re all sat down. Melissa just shrugs but Katie nods, "I do... The NCR will pay for what they''ve done to my family." she mutters through gritted teeth. Hmm, maybe getting her to help would be more difficult than he''d thought? "Misses Stanton, I understand you''re in pain, but Miles is not taking all of this well. He sits alone in the cafeteria muttering about how the ''NCR will pay'', he doesn''t acknowledge me or Melissa anymore and he''s running himself ragged with all the training he''s doing. I''m not an expert but I don''t think he''ll be able to keep this up for more than a year..." he explains his worries to them. "Afton, they killed his father, my husband... If he wants to seek revenge then let him, the NCR will attack eventually and his hatred will help him through the conflict." she says with a hardened look. Melissa glances at Katie with an odd expression, clearly she disagreed but found it difficult to say it aloud, "I think Miles needs help..." Afton nods, "Katie, it''s fine to hate the NCR, we all hate them to some degree after all... But, he''s obsessed, its not good for him physically, or mentally. It might not even be good in battle as he might break ranks and charge the enemy... You''re his mother, he won''t listen to Melissa or me, but maybe you could get through to him?" he asks, hoping she''d attempt to help her son instead of revelling in her resentment and anger towards the NCR. ... Her face goes from a number of expressions, from furious to shameful, from sad to disgusted, and finally, to tears. "I-I''m sorry." she mutters as she wipes the sudden tears away, "I''ll speak with him... You two should be off to your classes, I''ll be fine." she says, standing up and leaving, presumably to her own quarters. Afton glances at Melissa as the woman finally vanishes, "Think it worked?" he asks, unsure what to think about her reaction. Melissa slowly nods, "It did, I don''t know if Miles will listen though... I want the old cry baby back, the way he acts now is like a quiet version of Steve Lynch..." she says, causing him to chuckle at the comparison. "Well, lets hope he doesn''t attack us for no reason then. You''ve got mechanics class right? You better hurry otherwise you might miss it, it''s on the other side of the facility after all." he says, causing the girl''s eyes to widen as she sprints away, giving a brief wave before she gets out of view. Afton sighs to himself, hopefully Misses Stanton would be able to help whatever psychological problem Miles was experiencing. If not then he''d end up losing a friend earlier than he''d ever anticipated. The next day Afton was eating a breakfast his mother had prepared, Verna was on the opposite end of the table eating her own breakfast, already dressed in Scribe robes... His father had apparently left early in the morning to patrol the area, something about "special methods are needed" had him slightly worried about the man. He was an incredibly strong and experienced fighter, but in a world with guns and mini-nuclear bombs you would die if someone definitely wanted you dead. He''d just eaten the last mouthful was the metal door to their room slid open, revealing Zachary in his Power armour... Almost immediately their eyes were drawn towards the large dents in it, that was clearly not caused by small firearms... "Zach! What happened?" she jumps out of her chair and lifts the helmet off of her husband, examining his face to see if he had any injuries. "Don''t worry Verna, NCR never knew what hit ''em... Don''t know how they didn''t notice us sneaking behind their sniping spot, we aren''t exactly the most well hidden." he says, banging a metal fist on his chest plate and causing a metallic *clank* to ring out. "What''re those dents from? Power armour is almost entirely immune to ballistics, so they must have had something heavy duty, right?" he quickly asks, glaring at one particular dent that seems a few inches deep. Zachary follows his gaze and notices it, "Ah, that? Anti-Material Rifle. I''d say its the most powerful ballistic weapon they have at their disposal, packs a mean punch, especially with Armour Penetrating rounds... Lucky they hadn''t landed a shot on my helmet, that would''ve knocked me clean out." he explains. "Did you wipe them all out?" Verna asks, wanting to know that those who attacked her husband were now gone from this world. His father shook his head, "One escaped, jumped off of the cliff we were standing and rolled to a stop, we assumed he was dead until he started running again. Wasn''t able to pick him off with my Gatling laser, and the others missed with their Gauss rifles, a shameful display if ever there were one." "Hmph, let''s get you out of that armour and fed." she says, grabbing his hand and taking him to the armoury where they''d leave the armour to be repaired. Chapter 36 - Dramatic Exit A week after Afton had spoken with Katie Stanton Miles had actually approached him. He was sitting in his quarters reading a book about how biological humanoid move and how that translates into machinery. "Er, Afton?" Miles asked from behind him, causing him to quickly turn at his unexpected visitor.?? "Yeah?" he replies, not continuing as he wanted Miles to say what he needed. ... "I''m sorry for... Acting like I have... I''ve been trying to get better as quickly as I can but, I''m exhausted, I-We need to be prepared for when the NCR attacks. I won''t have them taking anything else away from me, I won''t let them." he quickly says. Miles wasn''t as cold as he''d been before, but his obsession with the NCR didn''t seem to have changed... Perhaps his mother had shifted his focus from personal strength to collective, he could imagine the boy would accept that as there was only so much a single person could do... That meant he wanted to help, as well as receive help from Afton. This wasn''t really what he had in mind, but at least Miles was started to introspect on his situation, admitting he was exhausted was the first step after all, and it was very rational to be worried about the looming fight with the NCR. "What do you want me to do Miles?" "I want you to help prepare me, Melissa and anyone else who wants to fight against the NCR." "Why not ask Doran? I''m not a teacher, and am nowhere near qualified enough to teach it." he says, more to excuse himself from having to tutor others. "You''re one of the best Initiates, the teachers have other duties and won''t prepare us fast enough." ... Afton shakes his head, "I''ll help you Miles, as I always have, but anymore than that is asking too much, I''m still learning and training, I can''t spend that amount of time training others. If you want to do it yourself, then that''s up to you." Miles nods, "That''s fine... At least you''re trying." In the end he and Miles worked out a time where he''d tutor Miles in some of the advanced things he knew, tutoring him at the firing range, some basic melee skills, and other things that may be needed. They''d do this once a week for an hour or two, similarly to the arrangement he Christine and Veronica had. Well, they used to have... A week after he''d made the arrangement with Miles he left to go meet with Christine and Veronica, only to find Veronica standing there in the room, alone with a worried look on her face. When he entered she turned towards him, "Afton? Have you seen Christine? I haven''t seen her all day and can''t find her!" she quickly asks, almost panicking. "Are you sure? Where is she usually?" he asks, trying to remain calm at the rapidly declining situation. "I''ve already looked there! I''ve looked everywhere!... She... She might not even be inside Helios One!" she exclaims as she runs through her thoughts. Veronica quickly turns to him with a determined look, "You stay here and wait to see if she returns... I''m going to look outside for her, we... Have a hidden spot that we''d spend time together in." she says before sprinting out of the room. Afton tries to follow after her but knows that he''ll not be allowed outside due to the NCR becoming more aggressive as time goes on. He starts wandering around the halls in-case Veronica had missed Christine, unfortunately, she wasn''t anywhere to be found. Veronica hadn''t even put on her Power armour as she left Helios One, the guards at the door questioned her briefly but she gave a lie about how the Elder had given her permission. She stayed well away from their usual patrol paths, as the NCR would most likely be monitoring it. Instead she climbed and shimmied around the mountain until she got to an isolated spot... It''d be the perfect overlook for NCR snipers had they been aware, or even able to get to this position. The only way to access it was from the side closest to Helios One, making it impossible for them to get to. It looked over the facility and all the roads, allowing her to see the distant Gibsons scrapyard and many other places... It was a good spot, Veronica''s favourite spot. She wasn''t alone when she finally reached the top however, Christine had her legs dangling off the cliff with a forlorn look on her face, "Christine!" Veronica shouted as grabbed the girl away from the edge, fearing her lover doing something stupid. "I''VE LOOKed EVERWHERE FOR YOU, DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED YOU''VE MADE ME!?!" Christine smiles slightly before her expression returns to a frown, "I''m sorry Veronica, for everything." she says ominously. ... "What? What do you mean?" Christine tugs her collar to the side and reveals her holotag, it was a metal border with holographic technology in the middle that displayed her information. One detailed her name, age, and parentage, while the other detailed her rank and experience within the Brotherhood of steel... She unclipped the one holding her personal information and forced it into Veronica''s hand. "I want you to have this... To remember me by." she says, her eyes glistening as she attempts to hold back her tears. Veronica''s eyes widen at this, "Remebm-No, you''re not going anywhere! You can''t leave us all behind, I won''t let you!" she says, grabbing Christine possessively, dropping the holotag onto the dirt. Christine hugs her and they remain silent for a while before she responds, "Then come with me." she says simply. Veronica slowly exhales through her nose as she thinks about it, "Why, why are you leaving? If something''s bothering you I can help, you know I will." "There''s nothing you can do about it, I want to stay but I have no choice..." she says, not explaining the situation further. Chapter 37 - Breaking Up? Veronica and Christine hug for a few minutes in tense silence before the former begins speaking again, "You... Want me to come with you, where?" she asks hesitantly. "Somewhere I can''t tell you about, I can only show you... Its for your protection Veronica..." Christine says, keeping a tight grip on her lover.?? "What about our family? Our friends?... Afton?" she asks, not knowing if she could truly leave them all to follow Christine. "We have to give up people we love eventually. You''re only getting the choice of when to do it now." she says slightly callously, though Veronica could see Christine herself was struggling with the decision. ... "I can''t leave... You know what''s happening right now, I''d never be able to forgive myself if something happened to them because I wasn''t here. I want to protect them, I want us to protect them." Veronica says as she finally comes to a conclusive answer. With the NCR aggression slowly getting worse, there''d be large scale conflict eventually, she didn''t know if she''d be able to help at all, but perhaps if she and Elder Elijah found whatever he was looking for it''d completely solve their problem. Christine had a single tear flow down her cheek as she heard her lovers answer, it hurt that she wasn''t her top priority, but she understood... She admitted that within herself, she wanted Veronica to stay and protect everyone, even if it hurt more than she''d like to admit. She slowly nods and hugs Veronica tighter, "I see... Let''s not keep them waiting then, when you wake up, tell my parents and Afton, I''m sorry." Veronica is momentarily surprised by her words when she feels a prick on her neck, "What do, you mean... Wake-" she passes out as the drug she''d been injective with takes effect. Christine drags her lovers body away from the cliff and props her up against a rock, slipping the discarded holotag into Veronica''s hand before laying a kiss on her lips one last time. "Goodbye Veronica, I-... I love you." she states as she turns and leaves. Afton was starting to freak out, he''d not seen hide nor hair of Veronica or Christine for hours now... He didn''t want to report anything as they''d undoubtedly find out that the two women were romantically involved. His worry for their lives only increased every moment they hadn''t returned, had they been captured by the NCR? Raiders? he shivered at the prospect, raiders didn''t treat women well, particularly those as beautiful as Veronic and Christine. As morbid as it sounds, he''d prefer them torn apart by a Deathclaw than captured, it''d be swifter and more merciful. In the end he decided to trust in the two for a couple more hours and wait, if they didn''t return then he''d speak to his father about getting a search party for them. Fortunately, that didn''t seem needed as the doors to the facility slid open and revealed the slightly dirty figure of Veronica, her face twisted in immense sadness and despair. His body moved on its own and he hugged her tightly, clearly feeling how distraught she was, "Veronica? Are you okay? Where''s Christine?" he quickly asks, only then realising that he''d asked the wrong question. She began crying and slowly mumbling things, and Afton dragged her into a vacant room to avoid attracting attention, putting her down on a sofa and sitting next to her with her hand in his. "She''s gone." she states miserably. "She''s gone? Where? The only place we know or belong is the Chapter... Where could she have possibly gone?" he asks incredulously, wondering if Veronica was lying to him. "She wouldn''t tell me where, only that she had no choice... She drugged me and left." she says, looking down at her hand before opening it and revealing the holotag belonging to Chistine. Afton noticed that it was missing the Brotherhood rank records but perhaps she planned to do something with it? ... "Did she say anyting else?" he asks, not really knowing what to do in this situation. Veronica nods, "She wanted me to tell you that she''s sorry..." she says, causing him to tighten his grip on her hand. Why would she leave? Had someone blackmailed her? Perhaps someone had found out about the two''s relationship?... Afton wasn''t able to think straight, the sudden loss her felt didn''t quite seem real yet, he was struggling to process he''d likely never see Christine again. The only thing keeping him relatively focussed was Veronica''s obviously distressed state, she needed him, and he wouldn''t abandon her like how Christine had. "Veronica, we''ll find her one day... I promise, we won''t let her get away with such a shitty goobye." he states with determination. For now, he''d keep his eyes open for anything that might give him an indication of why she''d left... The two stayed there for the rest of the day, eventually falling asleep still holding hands, Afton had missed all of his classes for the day, but he likely wouldn''t get in trouble due to how far ahead he was. In the morning Veronica jolted awake as if she was having a nightmare, her face twisting into a scowl. Christine really had just left like that, huh... She was about to get up but felt something holding her hand, looking down she spotted it was Afton. Her expression softened, the hollow feeling she''d had since Christine had left was a little less harsh knowing that Afton actually cared. Taking in a couple of calming breathes, she fixed her expression before waking the boy up, flicking his forehead and causing his eyes to flutter open. "You have classes sleepy head, and Elder Elijah will probably want to know where I was yesterday." she states as cheerfully as she could manage. Afton rubs his eyes and slowly gets up, "Are you okay Veronica?" he asks, knowing that she was just putting on an act. Veronica nods, "I am... Let''s get busy, there''s still much to do." she says before leaving the room without allowing Afton to get another word in. Chapter 38 - Rumours It''d been a couple days after Christine had left, and most of the Brotherhood had heard of the incident. Due to Afton and Veronica having obviously been involved, they received many question and inquiries from the superiors about it, but both remained tight lipped... This was mainly due to the fact that Christine would be actively hunted down due to her "betraying the Chapter", she''d not decided to leave when given the choice, which by the Codex meant that her life belonged to the Brotherhood. The constant attention on them had clearly been fraying Veronica, she was struggling to keep herself together as it is, but with never-ending questions concerning Christine Afton could see her breaking point in the distance.?? Whether it was due to her no-longer spending time with Christine, or Veronica working to try and forget her, she spent significantly more time working with Elder Elijah on their "Project". Though, she still had no idea what it actually was. Afton made it his personal duty to pull Veronica away from the Elder and have her relax for a while to prevent her overworking herself. These were the only times she actually had breaks anymore, which had Afton struggling to keep himself from walking up to the Elder and punching him as he was clearly taking advantage of her emotional state. He was beginning to become even more disillusioned with the Brotherhood the more time he spent thinking about why Christine left, and why they were treating Veronica so poorly... There was a rumour going around that the two had been lovers, which only caused the more "devout" members to constantly pepper he with veiled insults. Afton had been walking through the halls when he picked up on Veronica''s voice, he stalked over and glanced down the hallway to see what was happening... "Just leave, I don''t have time to be dealing with you idiots again." Veronica states as she turns to walk away from the three men acousting her. Afton didn''t know their names but knew they were all relatively knew Knights. "Yeah, that''s just like you isn''t it Veronica? Following in your girlfriends footsteps and leaving, pathetic." one states, causing her to stop and grip her fists in anger. They continue mocking her, ignoring the tell-tale signs of an incoming fight, "Yeah, It''s a shame too, she was pretty good looking, I would''ve made her my woman if she didn''t swing that way. Maybe if we catch her outside I''ll still get the chance?" he says before laughing obnoxiously. "She''d be good though wouldn''t she? Never having had a coc-" *PUCHI!* Veronica whirls around and punches the one talking so hard in the face that teeth rocket out of his mouth like projectiles. They fall to the floor unconscious as the others jump into action, having expected her to retaliate. One throws a kick at her which forces her to move, the other throwing a wide punch that misses completely, Veronica has her fists raised and her posture low in a kind of boxing stance. She blocks another punch and palm strikes one in the face before grabbing him and sweeping his feet out from under him. His head collides heavily with the metal floor below, blood starting to pool out from the injury, Veronica is stunned momentarily at potentially killing a Brotherhood Knight, not being able to react as the last one attempts to attack her from behind. Afton had already been moving when the attack started, and tackles the man before he hits her, struggling to hold the man against the wall due to their wide age disparity. He recieves a couple harsh uppercuts to his ribs before Veronica slams her own fist into the mans nose, breaking it and knocking them out completely. Afton lets go of the unconscious man and falls backwards, sitting against the opposite wall while holding his ribs, "Are you already Veronica?" he asks through rough breathes, ignoring the pain reverberating throughout his body. She glares at him, "Am I alright? Idiot! I should be asking you the same thing!" "Who cares about me, you''re the one who got attacked." he says, more worried about her mental state than his physical one. Veronica bends down to examine him, applying pressure to his ribs which causes him to wince, "You''ve got a broken rib, come on, let''s get you to the med-bay." she says as she helps him up. "What should we do about these guys?" he asks, not liking how much blood is flowing from one man''s head. Veronica shrugs, "Someone will find them, I doubt they''ll tell anyone about this... Getting beaten up by a woman and a twelve-year-old wouldn''t be good for their pride." she says with a smirk. Afton glances at her while they walk, "Do you get that a lot?" he asks tentatively. Veronica sighs and nods, "I do... Don''t worry about it though, they''re just helping me get better at fighting." she says, not acknowledging how exhausted she was getting at having to deal with it. "You know, if you''re having trouble you could always talk to my dad, he''d be able to sort the problem out. I know he doesn''t think the same way as those guys do." Veronica shakes her head, "I don''t want to bother him, its not serious enough to need him to intervene." she says, leaving out the obvious "Yet". They arrive at the med-bay where Afton gets examined and treated, Veronica staying to make sure he''s alright... Thirty minutes later the three men that''d attacked her were brought in on stretchers by other people. It was kind of amusing to see them awaken and see the duo on the other side of the room, they tried to put up a tough front, but the man who''d lost most of his teeth was having a mini-breakdown at the fact he couldn''t get them replaced. Serves the bastard right. Chapter 39 - Dangerous Sun Veronica wasn''t the only one struggling with Christine leaving, Darian and Susan Royce were also feeling the aftereffects. They didn''t get it as bad as Veronica due to the rumours of them being lovers, but as they were Christine''s parents, many considered them responsible for Christine''s "wrong" lifestyle. Zachary and Verna tried their best to comfort them, by their daughters disappearance had clearly taken a toll on them. Afton didn''t see them much anymore, but when he did he would always notice their previous happy attitudes had changed into more subdued ones.?? His training continued, learning as much as possible and spending a great amount of time within the firing range in preparing for the looming conflict. He followed through on his promise and occasionally trained Miles and Melissa, the two were improving steadily, but not at the rate either would like. One day everyone in the facility was alerted that the Elder would be giving a speech through the intercom system to let them know of the situation, and how they''d succeed regardless of the odds. It was obvious this was only to maintain morale as people was starting to get very tense and anxious from having the NCR constantly at their doorstep. Afton saw this as an opportunity however, this''d mean that the Elder would be restrained to the intercom room for some time, potentially allowing him to find out what the fuck they were even doing here for. He made his way to the underground half an hour before the speech was to be given, it was mostly empty aside from a few Scribes milling about to accomplish basic tasks. It was relatively easy to sneak by them as well, they weren''t paying much attention to their surroundings and instead focussing on their work, that primarily being to repair the facility. The other defences here were the turrets and robots, but as he was already a registered member of the Brotherhood, they didn''t bother him at all. He quickly made his way through, trying to get to the large room that the Elder had only allowed Veronica inside. The reason for this? Probably because it held the answers to what Elijah was looking for. Eventually he reached the heavy metal door, pressing a button on it which causes it to loudly slide open, revealing a large room with many computer mainframes visible. It looked relatively well maintained, apart from the few damaged bits here and there... It seemed that Veronica was tasked with repairing the place alone, as the Elder seemed to only trust her. He walked over to the mainframe and bent down to access the terminal attached to it, it wasn''t locked surprisingly, and he was presented with three options to proceed... Power grid options, details about somesort of initial trials, and... ARCHIMEDES Testing... He attempted to access the latter option, but found it was password protected... He''d learned much since last he attempted to access a locked computer, but was nowhere near competent enough to hack something like this. Shaking his head, he checked the others and found that the facility was running at 98% efficiency, all power was being being kept within however and not being distributed anywhere else. Afton backed away from the terminal a little discouraged, the only thing he''d found of interest is this "Archimedes" thing, if he had to guess it was probably the weapon Elijah wanted to utilise... He stepped onto the metal walk way and got to the second floor, immediately noticing the large holographic map set in the middle of the room... He wasn''t sure what it was for, or even where it was meant to be displaying, so he ignored it for now. There were a few robots held in stasis at the side, but they weren''t really anything important... Instead he turned to the lone terminal sat up there... Judging by the papers scattered everywhere, he assumed this was where Elder Elijah worked. And that''d mean this was his terminal. He tried to access it but found that it was locked... Damn, how was he going to find something out now?... He glanced around the room but found nothing else of notice, eventually slumping into the chair sat in-front of the terminal. Had he come here for nothing? ... As he was thinking of ways to crack the terminal open, he noticed something yellow poking out from under the terminal... He tried to pull it out but found he actually needed to lift the terminal to retrieve it. Once he got a better look at it, he realised what it was... It was a sticky note, with a password on it... Afton can''t stop himself from facepalming, he''d thought the wise Elder and genius Elijah wouldn''t do something so stupid as to write down your password... That was something only simpletons and old people did, though, the Elder did match the latter discription. Quickly he accessed the terminal and entered the password, "Power-Of-Knowledge". [Accepted!] A number of entries appeared on the screen, but he immediately selected the one speaking about ARCHIMEDES... AN ORBITAL WEAPON!?!? He mentally screamed, his eyed threatening to bulge out of his skull. The world had already been destroyed by a nuclear Armageddon, and yet this man wanted to utilise an FUCKING orbital laser to destroy his enemies. Wow. Everything made a lot more sense now... The reason the Elder refused to go to Hoover Dam, the reason they were stuck in this facility, the reason he refused to tell anyone what the purpose of them being here was... If someone from the Brotherhood got captured and spilled the beans about what was here, the NCR would likely abandon the Dam and send their entire army to reclaim the place. Shit... Afton didn''t know what to do with this information, it was incredibly dangerous, and if it spread everyone in the Mojave... Now, everyone in America would converge on the facility to take it for themselves. Chapter 40 - Cant Find Range Finder... Afton sighed to himself, he couldn''t tell anyone about this... Not even Veronica, the person who was literally working on fixing the weapon of mass destruction. If Elder Elijah found out that she, or he knew about its true purpose, he''d undoubtedly have them executed to keep the secret safe. He didn''t knew whether he wanted Elijah to get the weapon working or not, sure it''d probably keep the NCR away from them for the time being, but they''d be permanently surrounded and stuck within Helios One... They''d probably try to starve them out by denying them access to supplies.?? The Elder didn''t strike Afton as the most sane man either, who knew if he''d turn the weapon upon the Chapter itself, wishing to keep the power for himself. The only boon to the situation was the fact that there seemed to be one vital component missing... The weapon required a range finder, one that had a unique signature and couldn''t be replicated... One that the Elder was currently searching for. If Afton had to guess, one of the raiders that managed to escape were probably carrying it on their person... From its description they most likely thought it was a flash light or children''s toy due to the large glowing "Poseidon Energy" logo on it. Regardless, he needed to get out of here now, he''d almost forgotten that he had a time limit. He returned everything to its original location, even the sticky note with the password written on it. Once done he quickly dashed through the halls to get out of the underground facility, he wasn''t actually supposed to be down here as only certain Scribes were given access... Hopefully he was able to make it out unnoticed. There were more Scribes than before, most probably returned after hearing half of the Elder''s speech. He''d just reached the doors leading out when the door in-front of him opened, revealing a Scribe who just started at him blankly. It was Susan Royce, Christine''s mother... She looked at him in confusion for a moment before the sounds of steps from behind her caused her eyes to widen. "Quick, hide!" she quickly whispered, her eyes looking towards a utility cupboard at the side Afton quickly climbed inside it as he heard who was behind her... "Scribe Royce, what''s the hold up?" the Elder''s familiar gruff asks. "Nothing sir, I was just making sure all the Scribes were attending to their duties properly... My apologies for holding you up." she says, stepping to the side to allow him past. "I almost forgot to ask... How are you getting on Scribe, without your daughter I mean." he asks the strange question, neither Susan nor Afton knew why he was interested, as he showed no interest in Christine or them previously. "I-er... I am struggling with my loss Elder, I don''t know if it was something I did or could have prevented." she says noncommittally, not wishing to discuss this with someone she was so unfamiliar with. "Hmph, well, don''t let it distract you from your work Scribe. I understand it will effect you but what''s done is done, time to forget the betrayer and continue your duties for the Chapter." the Elder says before leaving. Afton felt like he could sense Susan''s rapidly rising anger from here, once he knew the Elder was out of sight he walked up and escorted the woman out of the facility before she could march up and slap the man. "Ignore him Susan, he''s an idiot and doesn''t understand what "emotions" are." he says, trying to placate her. She forcibly calmed herself down before looking at him, "I just don''t understand what he problem is! Why would he ask something like that!? Why is he even interested?" "Well, if the "rumours" are to be believed, Christine had a close relationship with Veronica, his apprentice... Maybe that''s the reason?" he remarks, not sure if he was right or wrong. Susan slowly nods before getting serious once again, "What were you doing down there Afton?" he asks. "Uh-errrr... I was, exploring?" he says, taking from her expression she didn''t believe him in the slightest and continuing, "Exploring.... Technology! Yes, I felt that I wasn''t learning fast enough and decided to visit you guys down here, to learn what you were actually doing." ... Susan just shakes her head, "If you don''t want to tell me that''s fine Afton, just don''t do it again or I might not be able to save you next time... You know how strict the Codex is about preserving technology. If you''d gotten caught you might just be exiled..." she says, trailing off as she thinks of her "unofficially" exiled daughter. "Don''t worry Susan, I''ll make the same promise to you as I made to Veronica... I''ll find Christine one day, once I do you can give her an earful for ditching us without even giving a proper goodbye." he says with a grin. Susan smiles and ruffles his hair, "I''m sure you will Afton, just try not to get yourself killed doing something stupid, kay?" He nods and quickly leaves, he may be outside the facility but he''d rather not be anywhere near it right now, in-case the Elder notices something amiss. Afton returns to his quarters and flops onto his bed, wondering what he was going to do about ARCHIMEDES, and the fact it wasn''t ready to deal with the NCR... Elder Elijah kept promising the Chapter that he''d be able to repel them, but without the Range finder used to operate the orbital laser, that plan wouldn''t work at all. He jumped out of bed and immediately headed to the firing range, deciding that practising his marksmanship was more productive than just idling around in bed with just his thoughts. Chapter 41 - Poor Chess Master Afton was sitting in class as Doran went over some advanced mathematics, he could feel himself slowly drifting to sleep as the subject was just as boring as he remembered... Fortunately, or unfortunately, something had come to disrupt them. The metal door to the room slides open and a Knight wearing scout armour and covered in blood leans heavily against the frame, "The NCR, they''re coming! Thousands of them" he exclaims, before leaving and shouting the same thing to others in the facility.?? ... It took everyone a moment to process what he''d actually said, but once everyone understood the young Initiates were on the verge of chaos. Were it not for Doran who immediately took charge of the situation, he had no doubt they''d be running to their parents. "INITIATES! All of you! Come with me, quickly! Ignore your study material!" he says as he briskly walks out of the class. Afton follows closely behind next to Sandra, both knew where they were heading, but neither knew if everyone was ready for it yet... Members of the Brotherhood were frantically making their way through the halls, everyone wielding some kind of weapon. All wearing a determined expression. The class reached the armoury where thirty people were already waiting, the person manning it quickly passing out weaponry and ammunition. The Initiates were among the last to receive their weapons as they didn''t have any official duty of specialised purpose yet. Afton grabbed a laser rifle as he was most familiar with it, he''d not yet had a chance to try the Gauss Rifle, and he didn''t think he''d be able to properly use a Gatling laser either. Sandra mimicked him and grabbed her own, shoving some microfusion cells in her pockets in-case she needs extra. "Is this really happening... Are we really going to do this?" she asks, her voice shuddering slightly in fear. Afton frowns, "It is, this is war Sandra, the best we can do is to try and stay alive." he states as Doran begins to address them. "It''s been an honour to teach you all thus far, but now we must part ways... Go to the Knight workshop and await your orders Initiates, do not disobey them as it could mean the life or death of the Chapter." he says before jogging out of the room, probably having other duties to attend to. Afton doesn''t waste time and immediately starts marching towards the workshop, his discombobulated classmates following him like lost ducklings. When they reached the workshop they were greeted by a familiar sight, Senior Knight Ramos was already there trying to calm the younger Initiates which included Miles and Melissa. When he saw their group he gestured for them all to line up before him. They stepped into formation and gave a brief Brotherhood salute which caused the man to nod at them, he looks at a piece of paper and glances around the room, starting to speak just as an older group of Initiates arrive. "Seems that everyone is here and accounted for then, I''d say it''s a good thing they decided to attack while you were all having your classes, but obviously the situation is not so good." he says sheepishly. "I''ve already received reports from our scouts, the ones who made it out alive at least... The NCR has thousands of troops heading our way, I have no doubt that they will eventually surround us and begin to siege the facility... We built many defences while we''ve been staying here, but I don''t think the security turrets will last a few minutes against their firepower. The Elder has already commanded us to hold the position, whether or not your think he''s correct is irrelevant, we must follow the chain of command. If I see any disobey his orders I will have no choice but to punish you depending on the severity... This, could potentially mean execution." he states, causing some of the Initiates eyes to widen. Ramos then gives a seventeen-year-old Initiate named Hugh Mungus the superior position of everyone in-case he is no longer able to command them. Once that''s done they''re all lead towards the back of the building where the back entrances are. The large room is filled with metal walkways which lead to the second floor, many Knights and a few Paladins were already gathered in Power armour to wait for the NCR when they eventually get inside. Ramos places all the Initiates on key positions on the walkway so they were able to easily fire upon any NCR that came through, all without putting their allies at risk if an Initiate wasn''t all that great a shot. Afton imagined that similar formations to this were placed all other Helios One, they weren''t able to defend the outside due to its terrible positioning and lack of cover, so their best bet was to wait for the NCR to come through and annihilate them with superior firepower. The intercom buzzed to life and allowed the Elder''s voice to echo throughout the eerily silent halls of Helios One. Everyone was almost completely silent as they awaited the enemy, the tension only being broken by the Elder''s voice. "We will defend this facility until the last man, we cannot allow those bureaucratic slaves to gain access to what is held here, if they do the entire Brotherhood, not just our Chapter could be at risk. Remember the Codex, remember your training, and remember your friends and families who''ll be lost should you fall." he states, it sounded less charismatic and more like a scheming dictator trying he best to hold onto power... The Knight and Paladin''s below them slammed their fists on their chest, the metal of their Power armour colliding to make a large reverberating sound, "FOR THE BROTHERHOOD!" they shout, adrenaline pumping through their bodies as they psyched themselves up. Chapter 42 - Taste Of Blood A good distance outside of Helios One a fat man with a pudgy, pockmarked face, large moustache and receding hairline sat in a chair overlooking the facility. He was wearing camo trousers and a green shirt that didn''t seem large enough for his size, as well as a hat that denoted his rank of Major. Around him were many rangers wearing veteran uniforms, most wielding Anti-Material rifles or some other strong ballistic firearm. One approached and gestured towards the thousands of men now surrounding Helios One, "Major, we''ve taken care of the outside defences of the plant, we have enough supplies to starve them out, hopefully without losing a single man." they explain, their red visor concealing the sour look they had due to having to serve under this walrus of a man.?? The Major scoffs, "And let them retreat into some prebuilt tunnels? I think not. Our orders were clear, eliminate any trace of that damn cult from the Mojave. We have enough on our plate with that group of savages that call themselves the Legion, and I won''t allow us to be troubled by this lot... Prepare the men to breach the facility." he states, causing the ranger to turn towards him. "But sir, this Brotherhood Chapter may not be large, but they will probably have enough armour and weaponry to kill many of our men. The loss would not be worth the risk-" "Shut your fucking mouth ranger! You''ll do as I say, or I''ll have you court-martialed!" the Major exclaims, his face going red in fury. ... The ranger just sighs, "At your orders, sir." they say before leaving, a few rangers split off to go give orders to the others, meanwhile two walk together towards the ones positioned behind the facility. "Do you think we should actually listen to him? He sound like he doesn''t give a shit about the men serving under him." a feminine voice comes from behind the mask with red visors. "We don''t have a choice, best we can do is report the situation to headquarters afterwards... I doubt we''ll be able to sustain these kinds of losses every battle, no matter the threat the enemy poses." the male says. Afton rested his Laser rifle on the railing of the metal walkway, pointing it exclusively at the door where the NCR would at any moment been streaming through... He could see how nervous his fellow Initiates were at the side, but wasn''t sure how to comfort them, as he himself was worried about how this battle would go. ... Ten minutes pass, nothing. Thirty, nothing. fourty-*BAAANG!* The metal door explodes, a Knight in Power armour waving his arm and backhanding the large metal pieces launched towards him. Smoke concaels their vision from the entrance, but something is tossed through it... *Tink, Tink, Tink...* Afton focuses on the object, it looking like a metal cylinder with a bulbous round head... His eyes widen upon notices what it was. "PULSE GRENADE!" he shouts, allowing some of the Knight to back away from it just as it explodes in a large electrified shockwave. Anyone wearing Power armour that is caught in the blast immediately feel their limbs lock up, the armour''s mechanisms spasming due to the pulse. The systems immediately try to correct themselves but they aren''t fast enough as lightly armoured NCR troops were already running into the room. This is probably what the Initiates were for, just-in-case the NCR had access to Pulse grenades they''d be available to lay down suppressing fire until they recover. The NCR men wore crappy looking armour that was reminiscent of stuff he''d seen worn by America in the middle east in his original world. Though, they didn''t have any bullet-resistant vests or even armour plating. Afton immediately opened fire upon the NCR soldiers who seemed to have no idea what awaited them as they exited the smoke. His laser rifle hit one in the eye and liquified their brain, causing him to grimace but not stop firing. The other Initiates seemed to get the idea and fired with their own weapons, a barrage of lasers and plasma projectiles reduced the unfortunate soldiers to ash and green mulch. Most weren''t even able to get a shot off with their service rifles, instead just dropping and adding to the increasing pile of bodies lying next to the door. Soon enough the Knights recovered and started firing their own weapons, their Gauss rifles and Gatling lasers killing the soldiers before they could even leave the smoke concealing the exit. The NCR''s screams of agony and terror seemed to quell the coming troops slightly, which was probably wise of them... Afton knew he''d rather run away then try and breach into this room, it was tantamount to suicide. They had a brief reprieve as the NCR soldiers attack seemed to falter, Afton''s adrenaline was through the room and his heart was beating furiously. He imagined the situation was the same across Helios One, but wondered how they''d get out of this mess... He glanced to Sandra who''s hands were almost violently shaking as she held her gun, "You alright?" he asked, worried. She gives a shuddering nod before glancing at his own hands, "F-fine... Y-you?" she asks, causing him to look down and realise his own hands were in a similar state to hers. ... "I don''tk now." is all he''s able to say as the next round began, bullets start spraying through the smoke and *clinking* against the Knights Power armour, doing no damage and only displaying where the offending person was. *CRACK!* The sound of a Gauss Rifle discharging gave way to the now-familiar sound of someone''s head exploding... The angry and terrified shouts of the outside NCR could clearly be heard by them. "YOU METAL-FUCKING BASTARDS! I''LL KILL ALL OF YOU! YOUR WOMEN, YOUR CHILDREN!" someone shouts but is interrupted from their trade. "Soldier! We are not savages and will commit such atrocities! YOU WILL SORT YOURSELF OR I''LL DEAL WITH YOU PERSONALLY!" ... Seems like the Brotherhood wasn''t the only faction with problems... Chapter 43 - Bloodbath It''d been ten minutes since the NCR had charged through the doors, everyone was still behind cover and ready to fire again at the doors. The bloody, burnt, and melted bodies still lied in a pile in front of it. Neither side wanted to move them as anyone who tried would likely be added to it. Now that the adrenaline had mostly worn off, Afton and most of the other Initiates started to look pale and sickly, the fact that they''d just killed some men, deserving or not had finally hit them.?? Afton didn''t want to feel like he''d done anything wrong, but the sense that something was "off" had him unable to concentrate fully for a while. He couldn''t put his finger on whether it was his conscious, his rational mind, or some ephemeral feeling from his soul attempting to punish him. Whatever it was, it was difficult to brush off, even more so when he thought he''d have to kill a lot more today, as well as later on in his life... It couldn''t be helped though, could it? This was an apocalyptic wasteland, if he hadn''t shot them, they might have shot him... This was for the survival of himself, his friends and his family. There''d always be casualties in war, but the best he could do was to make sure he wasn''t among that number. He''d just resolved himself when the next wave of NCR men charged through the doors, they had much more vigour that the ones previously who were currently lifelessly strewn around on the floor. They ran in with guns blazing, firing semi-randomly in the Knights direction, though all the bullets of their service rifles *plinked* off the Power armour as if they were shooting at a block of steel. Again, Afton started firing his laser rifle, each pull of the trigger and kick of the gun gave way to another vaporized man. Their position on the always above the door allowed them to easily hit their targets. Some were started to feel sorry for the poor fools forced to charge through here while their commanders watched, but carried on shooting when an elder Initiate reminded them that they were here to murder everyone they''ve ever known or loved. The NCR charge halted momentarily as a number of ballistic grenades were thrown in, some of the Knights kicked closer ones towards the door, but most just exploded a good distance away, achieving almost nothing at all. The sound and smoke from the explosion must''ve been a trigger for the next wave, hopeful, or perhaps even resigned shouts from the NCR echoed out as they charged through. Afton wondered why they were still being sent in when it was obvious this kind of attack would fail. It seemed that the NCR had similar thoughts as after the previous attack none came after. Ramos commanded the Knights to hold their position as went up to the Initiates, "That was fine work everyone, I know some of you are... Affected by what you just had to do, so if anyone wants to talk about it, you can see me, Doran, or anyone in the medbay. The fight also isn''t over yet, so there''ll be no more recreational activities until the NCR leaves, or we all die. Half the Knight and I will be staying to keep this entrance secure, you and the rest of them are given permission to rest, be ready though, you will be called upon when the next attack occurs." he says, waving them away and taking his position back in-front of the door. The Initiates get up, most with wobbly legs and start moving towards the cafeteria, most just wanted to eat and fall asleep... It hadn''t been any more physically taxing than usual, but mentally everyone was exhausted. "Sandra, you sure you''re alright? You can talk about it if you want." Afton asks, he''d made his peace in between the fighting, but his emotion were still a bit raw concerning it. Perhaps helping someone else come to terms would assist him in some way. Not to mention his friend was struggling more than he had been. She shakes her head, "I... I just want to grab some food and talk to my parents, I think..." she admits to him as they walk. When they reach the cafeteria they can vaguely hear the sound of gunshots, aswell as the discharge of energy weapons. He couldn''t see Miles or Melissa, so they were probably still in combat, hopefully they''d be alright... Afton mindlessly shovelled food into his mouth before returning to his quarters, idling noting that neither of his parents were around. He wasn''t worried as they''d both be kitted in Power armour, if the NCR had a way to hurt them they''d have shown it during their attack earlier. As the sky dimmed and darkness slowly took over the region, the Major in charge of the attack on Helios One was smoking a cigarette while glaring at the facility. Obviously, the initial charge had failed, and dedicating any more troops to trying to breach it would result in massive loses, they might even lose the battle if something like that was even possible. So, with nothing else to do, he decided to play the long game. They already had the place surrounded, and there was nothing they could do if they had an underground passage leading out of here, so he''d just have to starve them out. He had no idea how long that''d take, or if the Brotherhood would just let that happen. He reckoned after they ate through their resources they''d perform a desperate last-ditch attack, one they''d undoubtedly fail. Still, there wouldn''t be nothing for them to do, the Major was determined to win, no matter the kinds of tactics he was forced to use. Chapter 44 - Road To Disaster Afton was awoken in the middle of the night as some kind of explosion went off at one of the entrances, he sighs and pulls the pillow over his head... The NCR had not sent anymore troops to their untimely deaths, instead, they''d just been occasionally chucking grenades into the entrances. Afton had heard of this kind of tactic in the past, exhaust the defenders and keep them on high alert so when you do attack, it''ll be significantly easier. The tactics weren''t used all that much in the wasteland as superior resources and firepower would usually determine the victor.?? He just wanted to run out there and start shooting at them, it was so incredibly annoying to finally fall asleep, only to be awoken by yet another fucking explosion. His parents still hadn''t returned to their quarters, which was slightly worrying as they should''ve been allowed to rest, perhaps they had more important duties to attend to though... This continued for the next few days, everyone was constantly on high alert as another attack could be coming at any moment, Afton himself had spent most hours of his days straining his eyes at the entrance, carefully listening in-case he caught the sound of charging feet. He''d met Miles and Melissa in the cafeteria as well, Miles looked relatively ok, if a bit shaken, but Melissa? There were bags under her eyes and it appeared that she''d been crying recently... Not something he''d expect from the usually jovial girl. Miles had been training and waiting for this day to come, so it wasn''t surprising that his first kill hadn''t affected him all that much, this was probably also the reason Afton was able to rationalise it so quickly. Whether he intended it or not, his mind had constantly been on the NCR lately, the fact that they''d invade and he''d have to defend himself was obvious. Melissa wipes her eyes and sniffs before looking at him, "Afton... How are you?" she asks, as she pokes her food with her fork. "Good... You guys holding up well?" Miles nods, "Yes, I''m finally able to avenge dad, those bastards will get what''s coming to them." he states. Melissa slowly nods, "Yeah... What Miles said." she says, glancing away at the last moment. "You don''t have to act tough Melissa, what you''re being asked to do is awful, you need to understand that someone our age shouldn''t have to kill. That''s what you''re torn up about, right?" he asks. She nods slightly, "It, it all happened so fast... One moment I was poking Miles arm, the next the doors explode and we''re shooting at people... I think I hit some, I had my eyes closed though." she admits shamefully. Miles places a hand on her shoulder, "You did what you had to do, they came here to kill all of us, how would you feel if you hesitated and they killed me, or your parents?" Her eyes widened momentarily at this, her expression darkening before she slowly nods. "I..." "I think you should speak to your parents or someone in the med-bay Melissa, it''ll help, trust me." Afton says, giving her a reassuring smile. She nods and scoops the rest of her food into her mouth before standing, "I''ll... I''m going to see my parents." she says before hurriedly leaving. Afton stands afterwards, "You be safe Miles, try not to get yourself killed." he remarks before heading towards where he''d been stationed. Miles giving him a small nod in reply. The Chapter didn''t really have a plan to survive this... The Elder was occasionally on the intercom to reassure everyone, but it was starting to feel like false promises. He''d not seen Veronica since the conflict started, the Elder was probably working her to exhaustion every day in an attempt to get the ARCHIMEDES weapons operable. Afton knew that wouldn''t happen though, they didn''t have the Range Finder, and even if they did, there was still much that needed to be repaired underground. He reckoned most of it was fixed, but as they weren''t able to leave to gather materials and components, the repairs have likely halted. It''d been a week since the siege started, food was beginning to get low, with water being rationed even more so. Things weren''t looking good, but a smile came to his face when he finally spotted Veronica in the cafeteria. He was instantly at her side as she slowly ate her food like a sloth, clearly exhausted. "Veronica! Where have you been!?" he asks, semi-demanding. "Quiet, eat." she states, not even looking at him. ... Afton waits at her side as she slowly finishes her bowl of food, once she''s done she takes a sip from the bottle of rationed water and looks at him expectantly. "You alright?" he asks, not liking the weird way she was acting. Veronica nods, "I am... I''ve just been working non-stop for days, I''ve been eating nothing but junk food while doing my best to repair everything the Elder tells me to alone. Feels like he doesn''t trust anyone but me." she admits. "And... What''s the Elder going to do about the NCR on our doorstep?" ... Veronica shakes her head, "I don''t know... I think he''s starting to lose it, while I work I can hear him muttering about not being able to find something... He''s ordered me to open up the walls so he can check if anything is inside them... I''m worried Afton." "As am I, the only hope we have is if the Elder can make something happen, we''re sitting ducks here and are already running out of food. Sooner or later, we''re going to have to act." he says with a frown. "Do you honestly believe the Elder can do anything?" ... "No." Veronica finally says after a moment of silence. Afton exhales out of his nose and nods, "Then we''ll need to find another avenue to get out of this situation... I think I know just the person to talk to." he says, grabbing Veronica''s attention. Chapter 45 - Abandoned Afton and Veronica quickly made their way through the facility, neither knew when next they''d be called to their posts, so it was best to get this down as soon as possible. The area they were headed? The front entrance of Helios One where the more senior Paladins were located. This is the most vulnerable place the NCR are likely to attack, mainly due to the large door and relatively wide area outside with which to shoot from.?? Afton ignored everyone else present and headed straight for McNamara, he was sitting upright in a side room still wearing his Power armour, apparently having a quick nap before the next attack began. Veronica walked up and snapped her fingers a couple times in front of his face, he grumbled after a few before his eyes sprang open, he was about to reach for his gun when he finally noticed who was accosting him. "Wake up sleepy-head." she says with a small smirk. ... He sighs, "Yes Veronica, for what pleasure do I enjoy your company?" he asks sarcastically. Afton glances at the shut door behind them and gives the man a determined look, "The Elder is insane, and whatever plan he has devised will fail. We need another strategy otherwise we''re all fucked... To be put simply." he explains. Head Paladin McNamara nods, "Yes, I know." he states. ... Veronica raises a brow at him, "Then why have you not done anything about it? Sure he''s the Elder, but there must be something in the Codex that''d allow you to replace him... Right?" McNamara shrugs, "There probably is, but I''ve looked and haven''t found any concrete way yet.. Even if I replaced him, it''s too late for this facility." "If you''ve put this much thought into it, you must have some ''side projects'' ready?" Afton asks. McNamara restrains the smirk appearing on his features before answering, "I''ve thought the Elder was incompetent when we disregarded orders and headed here instead of the Hoover Dam, as such, I''ve had years to make my preparations... The Elder didn''t notice when supplies and technology were slowly being funnelled off to a Hidden Bunker I''d had some Paladin''s secure." "Yeah, Elijah doesn''t bother checking the supply logs... He''s only interested in getting the facility to work, I still have no idea what its purpose is." she admits sadly. "Is the Hidden Bunker close?" Afton asks, wondering if they''d be able to break through the NCR''s siege to reach wherever it was. The Paladin nods, "Behind the facility, there''s a small almost hidden canyon path that we can use... The NCR would not dare follow us through it as any who tried would be annihilated, the only problem is we''d have to leave the base to reach it..." Veronica continues for him, "While being shot at by thousands of soldiers?... Damn." "It might be our only shot for survival," Afton adds, "Are you sure the NCR wouldn''t be able to find the Hidden Bunker?" he asks, worried that they''d just be swapping one doomed base for another. McNamara nods, "I would''ve had us heading for it now, but the Elder is still our leader... As long as he''s determined to remain here, the Codex dictates that I can''t do anything." "So... We''ll just wait until we''re all half-starved or shot to death until we move? That''s-" "-Stupid!" Veronica finishes for him. "The Codex is supposed to help guide us and prevent our destruction, but right now its the only thing holding us back!" "You should quieten down Veronica, it wouldn''t do to have the others hear you... I''m a lot more relaxed than they are about the Codex, but don''t forget it''s still the foundation of the Brotherhood, and our very lives." he scolds. Just as Veronica is about to retort the Elder''s voice echoes through the facility via the Intercom, "Will my forlorn Apprentice return to me? There is drastic and important work still to be done!" She sighs and looks at the others, "My dear master has need of me... Nolan, just remember, it won''t be the Codex responsible for all the deaths that''ll undoubtedly happen, it''ll be on you for no doing anything to stop it." she states before leaving. Afton could see the Head Paladin''s complexion pale at her words, he knew that McNamara was more ''sensitive'' than your average person, taking on responsibility and the guilt that goes along with ti without logic or reason. Clearly her words had affected him. *BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!* The sounds of rapid gunshots have both of them standing rapidly, Afton needed to return to his post and McNamara presumably had people to command. He waved to the Paladin before sprinting out, picking up his Laser rifle while hoping nothing too bad had happened. And so the conflict continued, both sides were posturing proudly, but only one was starting to waver. Food and water stores were running dangerously low, and it was only a matter of time before they were out completely. Everyone in the Chapter was beginning to have dour expression, it was clear the Elder had no clue what he was doing, nor would the man illuminate them on what his plan was. Resentment had been steadily growing towards the man, his small social inadequacies, breaches of procedure, and lack of leadership had turned almost everyone against him... The only reason they still obeyed is because of the Codex they adhered to almost religiously. Afton had just gotten to the cafeteria where a commotion was happening. A grizzled old Paladin still wearing his Power armour was holding a tray and looking at the Initiate who was tasked with feeding everyone. "What do you mean there''s nothing left!?" he shouts, causing everyone''s eyes to widen. "Sir, there... There''s nothing in stores, we only have a few bottles left, I''m sorry!" the Initiate quickly says, his eyes tearing up as he feels it''s his own fault. Everyone in the cafeteria clearly knew what this meant, Afton left, running towards where McNamara should be and spotting him propping his gun up while aiming towards the entrance to the facility. He taps him on the shoulder and whispers in his ear, "Sir, we''re out of food! If we don''t do something now we''re all dead!" he quickly says. McNamara stood abruptly, instantly walking towards one of the Intercoms and asking to be connected to the Elder... Eventually getting connected with a panicking sounding Veronica. "The Elder, he''s gone! I have no idea where he went!" ... Chapter 46 - No-Mans-Land Head Paladin looks back at Afton after hearing that the Elder had apparently abandoned them, "Well, that makes this much easier then." he mutters before speaking back into the Intercom, "Veronica, I need you to gather all the scribes, have them prepare for combat, Power armour and all. There should be enough for everyone, make sure we leave nothing behind." he quickly orders before shutting off as he hears Veronica hurrying off. "What should I do... Elder." he says semi-cheekily.?? McNamara grimaces slightly, "Go to Senior Knight Ramos, have him equip any Initiates tall enough in Power armour, we mustn''t leave anything for the NCR to pick through. I''ll be heading to the Intercom room to make an announcement, be safe Initiate." Afton leaves and relays Ramos''s orders just as McNamara''s voice is heard over the Intercom system, "Brother and Sisters, I am Head Paladin McNamara and I am sorry to say that Elder Elijah as gone missing, presumably abandoning us. Do not despair, I will be taking up the position of Elder and leading us out of this sorry situation we have found ourselves in. Continue to defend the entrances and await further orders, we are out of food and water, so we''ll make our move upon nightfall. In my place I promote Paladin Edgar Hardin to Head Paladin, treat his orders as if they were my own, Ad Victoriam brothers." With that the Chapter burst into movement, all of the Initiates tall enough to properly operate Power armour were given a set, all of the Scribes were outfitting aswell, there was enough armour for everyone, and they even had extra sets in the Hidden Bunker where McNamara had been funnelling resources. Due to the sudden surplus of weaponry, Afton had strapped a Plasma pistol to his side, and slung a Tri-beam laser rifle onto his back. He currently had two laser rifles and a plasma pistol on his person, along with a few plasma grenades in a pouch at his side. Everyone else was getting as kitted out as he was, they needed to take as much as they could and destroy the rest, the Codex made it clear that technology could not fall into the wrong hands. Sandra, Melissa, and Miles all had wary looks on their faces, despite all the weaponry the currently had, they felt more vulnerable than ever. The main reason for this was due to the fact they''d literally be running into the enemies line of fire, and hoping not to get shot. Fortunately, they would be surrounded by a wall of Power armour, the most vulnerable people like pregnant women or people with children would be shielded with the other member''s bodies. Eventually, nightfall came and Afton found himself at the back entrance of Helios One, surrounded by the whole Chapter. He looked behind him and saw his mother standing there, clad in Power armour while presumably smiling at him reassuringly through her helmet. His teacher Adah Lindgren was next to her, he hadn''t known but the woman was apparently once one of the best fighters in her class. He was pretty sure Veronica was someone near the front of the formation along with his father, close to McNamara who''d be leading them. Elder Elijah had apparently sabotaged the Helios One facility while activating all the security, only those with Brotherhood holotag''s would be allowed through. This allowed everyone to get ready quicker due to them not having to sabotage it themselves... Atleast the old man had done something positive, aside from leaving of course. Veronica wasn''t happy about it as the man was basically a father to her, but she restrained her emotions for now due to the situation. He''d make sure she''s alright if they survive, he didn''t know how she was handling not only losing her father figure, but lover almost all at once. McNamara stood in-front of everyone, his helmet in his hand so he could look them in the eye as he spoke, "You have all been notified of my plan, there is a bunker through the canyon and at the base of black mountain. Supplies have already been dropped off there and the NCR will not be able to find us once we''re inside. All we need to do now is get there, and by Maxon I swear we will leave this place, dead or alive! The NCR will fire upon us as soon as they are aware of our plans, all of you donning Power armour will be required to shield the centre of the formation with your bodies. We will undoubtedly lose many, but this is our only shot at survival. My Paladins and I will lead the charge to take the brunt of the damage, I will tell you this now, it doesn''t matter if I fall in battle, keep moving, Head Paladin Hardin had been given the information he needs should I be unable to lead you. We are all bound in steel, brothers and sisters in arms, family by the Codex. I love you all, and I promise I will do everything in my power to see us through this. Ad Victoriam!" he shouts, slamming his right hand over his chest, immediately being mimicked by everyone present. Elder McNamara puts on his helmet while grabbing his Gauss Rifle, everyone knew what was coming, and their muscles tensed while adrenaline pumped through their bodies. Afton imagined this is what the soldiers in WW1 felt just before they were commanded to charge into no-man''s-land. Without another word McNamara opened the doors and ran through, followed by other Paladins. Afton took one last reassuring glance behind him at his mother and Adah before following everyone else. Chapter 47 - Dire Escape Strangely enough, they weren''t immediately under assault as the group left Helios One... Maybe the NCR hadn''t noticed? Or their guards were too relaxed? Perhaps they hadn''t expected them to leave the facility and instead just starve to death silently? All these thoughts were interrupted as a flash of light illuminated the area momentarily...?? *BOOM!* A large amount of dirt was unearthed at the front of the group as what sounded like multiple mines went off all at once. The NCR had apparently been waiting for this and started opening fire as soon as the explosion was heard. Hundreds of service rifles were firing at them all at once, the barrage of bullets barely being held back by the Power armour surrounding them. Afton shot back with his Laser rifle, attempting to hit the distant flashes, but had no idea whether he''d reduced their numbers or not. Of course, he wasn''t the only person responding, the area was lit red by the barrage of Gatlings lasers that sprayed upon the NCR''s firing line, killing what must''ve been thirty people all at once. Someone in Power armour standing behind him lifted some kind of ballistic device, this confused Afton momentarily as the Brotherhood usually stayed away from them... However, he understood when the man started firing. *Boom!Boom!Boom!* A spray of grenades left the heavy weapon, laying down explosions wherever he turned, the flimsy sandbags the NCR had erected were like paper against the weapon, splattered of blood and limbs of the unfortunate victims hit went everywhere. Afton was starting to think that they might be able to defeat the NCR... Until the discharge of a ballistic weapon louder than the others sounded out, Afton watched as the bullet shot through the grenade-launcher''s visor. The bullet wasn''t able to leave the back of the helmet, but the man was dead regardless. They dropped heavily to the floor and Afton forced his legs to keep running instead of trying to pick up and using the weapon... The rumour about those NCR snipers wasn''t incorrect apparently, they were fucking crazy at their job! Afton knew he''d never in a million years be able to shot through someone helmet visor, let alone while they were constantly on the move. Afton fired a shot at the top of the canyon where they were moving, having guessed that''d where the man was judging from the angle of the shot that''d killed the man earlier. The red light travelled through the area and lit it up briefly, allowing him to spot the red visored man wearing the typical veteran ranger coat... Upon being shot at they hefted they Anti-Material rifle onto their shoulder and left to relocate their position. The sniper was apparently timid, Afton nodded to himself at the thought that he''d bought his Chapter a few minutes at not being targeted by the sniper again. The NCR didn''t seem to know about the hidden canyon passage, the only thing stopping the Brotherhood from reaching it was the line of firing soldiers who were firing madly as if they had infinite ammo. The soldiers wielding service weren''t that big a deal, doing almost nothing to the men in Power armour, occasionally a bullet would get through the walking wall of metal and hit something in the centre, but these were usually non-lethal injuries. Only two Initiates had died thus far, which was considerably less than Afton had expected. What was the biggest problem though were the huge amount of mines laid out, they didn''t have to time to sweep for them and disable them, so the Paladins just ran blindly. Now, Power armour could resist a couple mines, but eventually the shrapnel would make it through. Afton had seen Eighteen men with crippled legs being left behind by the group, still firing their weapons defiantly. They were definitely going to die, the metal legs of the Power armour had been so dented that it''d basically crushed their legs, all the machinery inside was like a grinder against their muscles, they couldn''t even take it off if they wanted to. They screamed "Ad Victoriam" as the NCR snipers put them out of their misery. The group had only gotten halfway to the passage when Pulse grenades started getting thrown, almost everyone was caught in the blast, causing Power armour and weaponry to malfunction. Once this happened people started dropping like flies. The Knights, Scribes, and Paladins in Power armour were not able to move properly, allowing the NCR to fire upon those in the centre of the formation. Blood sprayed onto Afton''s face as a woman holding her newborn child was riddled with bullets. A couple bullets whizzed past his head, and one eventually lodged itself in his shoulder, throwing him to the ground. Miles grabbed him and helped him up while blindly firing his Laser rifle at the NCR in the distance. Afton''s Laser rifle had ran out of ammo and needed a reload, but his mind was frazzled with pain and so he just threw it to the side and slung the Tri-beam laser rifle from his back. It was like a shotgun, firing three red beams in a burst. He fired it at the formation ahead of them that was blocking their destination. Seeing that he wasn''t doing all that much to them, he let the rifle hang loose on the sling and retrieved a plasma grenade. He didn''t know if he was ablet throw it far enough, but he didn''t know if he''d get another shot. He reared back and threw it as hard as he could, the pulsing green light travelled just over the NCR''s sandbag-blockade, and he could see soldiers scrambling to get away... It was futile though, Plasma grenades weren''t like the typical ballistic ones, their radius was massive, and liquified anything caught near it. His grenade had reduced the sandbags and nearby NCR soldiers to a glowing green mulch, it didn''t take long for those affected by the Pulse grenades to regain their bearings, they had anticipated such an attack and did their best to shield the circuitry... It was a slapped together job at best, but it was all they could do with the time and resources given. Chapter 48 - Sacrifices "Come on, we''re almost there!" McNamara shouts from the front, occasionally firing off his Gauss Rifle. *BANG!BANG!BANG!*? ? The sound of more Anti-Material rifles go off, the NCR had finally repositioned them from the other entrances apparently, none of the bullets were fatal, but a few Knights were knocked unconscious when struck in the head. A couple people wanted to assist them but were put down with the rest, the Brotherhoods numbers were dropping quicker and quicker, the more time they spent outside the facility. Afton winced at the bullet in his shoulder as he pushed himself to keep moving. Dust was kicked up around them as more bullets littered the ground. Many of the NCR soldiers had been killed, but their numbers seemed to just keep coming. Once the group had finally reached the sand-bags they started killing the NCR soldiers who''d survived the Plasma grande, all the while using their bodies as sheilds for the others to file through. An NCR soldier with a crazed look in his eye jumped onto one of the Knights with a combat knife in hand, attempting to lift the helmet to stab them in the neck or face. The Knight was about to drop their weapon and beat the man into pulp with their Power armour-enhanced strength, but a Paladin swiped some kind of metal spear at them. The metal spear''s tip glowed as it passed the NCR soldier, it hadn''t seemed to have done anything, but Afton''s eyes widened when the soldiers lower half dropped to the floor, their intestines trailing after it like a slinky. The NCR soldier had finally noticed his injury and let go of the Knight, screaming in agony as they attempted to stuff their intestines back inside their body. They were dead regardless though, no amount of stimpacks could help with that kind of injury. The NCR rangers released another barrage of 50.cal bullets, bright sparks flew off th armour they''d hit, some Brotherhood soldiers grunting in pain as the forced heavily bruised flesh or even sometimes broke their bones. *BOOM!* Another mine exploded at the front of the group, causing any near it to stumble backwards, impeding their progress. Due to this they were sitting ducks, Afton glanced behind him to see if everyone was still alright, Melissa, Miles, and Sandra were all covered in dirt and some blood, but looked relatively uninjured. His mother and Adah were- *Bang!* Sparks danced off of his mothers helmet as her head was violently knocked to the side, she immediately fell unconscious and Afton''s feet were moving before he''d even thought about it. "MOM!" he shouted, trying to lift her but finding her Power armour was too heavy for him to lift. Adah began trying to lift her instead, as he wasn''t able to help in that regard he looked up at the top of the canyon and spotted the dim flash of a suppressed muzzle, instantly firing his Tri-Beam laser rifle at them. It was incredibly inaccurate to use this weapon at such a distance, but he more hoping that illuminating the sniper again would get them off of their backs momentarily. That wasn''t the case though as the illuminated sniper just shifted their rifle towards them. "UP THERE!" Afton shouted, continually firing at the sniper, his friends began trying to hit them to, but none could land a good shot. *BANG!* The sound of shattering reinforced glass caused Afton to turn, he saw his mothers visor implode as blood sprayed out... She''d been shot! "YOU FUCKING NCR BASTARDS!" he roared, firing his rifle at the sniper as they retreated. Afton was enraged, they''d just killed his mother and gotten away with their lives. He quickly looked around for anything that could hit them, eventually spotting his mother''s Gauss Rifle on the ground. He jumped for it, picking it up and firing at the sniper of in the distance, he aimed for their back, but wasn''t entirely sure where he''d hit... Their rapid movements, lack of light, and his unfamiliarity with the weapon made it unlikely he''d hit. His blood was still boiling though, and he made the shot. *PACHINK!* Afton watched intensely as the blue streak travelled through the air, lighting up everything it passed. It looked as if it would miss its mark, but the ranger turned as they were running, inadvertently placing their right hand in the shots path. *Splatter!* Their right hand and upper arm exploded into blood and gore, they dropped to the floor out of Afton''s vision. He was still enraged and wanted to climb up there to finish the bastard off, but his friends and Adah dragged him away. *BOOM!**BOOM!* More mines went off at the front as the group finally reached the passage way, Afton would be happy were it not for his mothers death. Just as the group was about to enter the passage though, he spotted something lying in a crater created by a mine. "Dad!?" he shouts, going off to the man who''s still firing his Gatling Laser at the incoming NCR. Zachary didn''t turn away from the enemies as he addressed his son, "FOLLOW THE OTHERS, I''LL BUY YOU TIME! GO!" "NO! They killed mom! They''ll kill you too!" he shouts. "DAMN IT AFTON! LISTEN TO ME! I''M DEAD ANYWAY, JUST GET OUT OF HERE! I WON''T LET MY FAMILY BE WIPED OUT BY THESE FUCKERS... NOW!" he roars, the Gatling Laser expelling the hot empty Electron charge pack as he shoves another inside. Adah and a few other Knights run back and grab Afton as he tries to squirm out of their grips, he tries to escape to help his father, but goes limp when they eventually lose sight of him. The sound of his Gatling Laser could still be heard as they ventured further into the canyon. Chapter 49 - Dwindled Numbers Afton was silent as the group continued through the canyon path. Adah tried a few times to get him to respond, but he really just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts... The Brotherhood laid down mines behind them as they continued, any NCR who followed them would have to contend with enough Plasma mines to start nuclear fusion.?? Along the path there were a few threats, the primary one being what seemed like an army of Rad scorpions. Seems like the insects had made this passage their breeding ground, fortunately, the Brotherhood was more than equipped enough to deal with them, even if they were exhausted from the previous battle. After an hour or two or walking, the ground finally existed out into a large area, metal wire fences block entry inside as some sort of dust storm rages on, preventing anyone from seeing inside it. McNamara had some Knight use their Thermic Lances to cut the fence before turning to address everyone, he has them all holding one another so no one gets lost in the storm, as well as having everyone wear something around their mouths and noses to protect against the dust. Everyone does as they''re told and follow the new Elder as he leads them, there''s the occasional sound of a Gauss Rifle discharging at a Rad scorpion, but other than that everything is blared out by the storm. Occasionally they''d pass by a small bunker, bu the Elder walked passed it. A thirty minutes later and they''d finally arrived to a bunker that resembled the rest... Spray paint and other graffiti had been written on the metal door and concrete walls, something that had a few of the members grimace at the disrespect. McNamara lead them inside, it was... Quiet. The temperature was fine and the airvents seemed to be working at full efficiency from what they could tell. They reach a door at the end of a large room and the Elder presses the button on the Intercom placed next to the door, "Knight, this is your new Elder Nolan McNamara, the time has come." No one says anything on the other side of the Intercom, but the door clicks open anyway. The group steps inside and finds themselves walking down a seemingly endless stairway. Truly this bunker was built to withstand anything besides a direct hit by a Nuclear Missile. Once they reached the bottom they were greeted by a Knight in Power armour, Afton didn''t know his name and hadn''t seen them around Helios One before, which meant they had probably spent most of their time in this bunker. "Elder." they say, folding their arm across their chest in a salute. "Wilson. Everything has been prepared?" he asks as the rest of the Brotherhood stream into the room, crowding it. The Knight nods, "Reactor is stable and will last a projected three hundred years at a minimum, as you probably saw outside the DERVISH camouflaging system is online. We''ve also managed to get the combat simulators working at 80% efficiency. We have enough supplies to last a month... Had our numbers been the same... With what''s left of our Chapter, we could live down here without resurfacing for..." the Knight does a quick headcount of everyone who''d survived, "Atleast half a year..." he finishes. McNamara nods, "Could I ask you to give everyone a tour of the facility? This''ll be our new home for the seeable future, once done I want everyone gathered as I have an announcement to make." Afton and the rest of the surviving members of the Brotherhood are lead around the bunker, there were a few Brotherhood of Steel flags placed around, but all in all everything was metal and clinical. Most of the floor was made of grates, and under them were even more rooms, this was presumably to save space and energy for the air filtration systems. He and the other Initiates would all be given a barracks, the younger children would be placed with them as well but... They didn''t make it. Not even the pregnant women were left alive by the NCR, so the younger generation had all but been wiped out. The youngest members they had in the Brotherhood now were ten... It was fortunate Christine wasn''t still with them, if lesbian relationships weren''t scorned before, now you''d likely be exiled for even mentioning such a thing. Over half of their members had been killed by the NCR, the Chapter was just a shadow of its former self, and there was only one person to blame for it... Elder Elijah. Everyone there knew it, the resentment for the man was through the roof. If he somehow made it down into the bunker, he''d likely be shot on sight. Not only was he a traitor, but his leadership had lead to the deaths of many people. Once the tour was over Afton followed the group lifelessly as they left to see what Elder McNamara had to say. The Elder was sitting in a chair that was surrounded by a circular desk you''d only see Vault Overseers use. On the wall was a huge holographic map with a few scribes working on it. Upon seeing everyone arrive, McNamara stood up, he''d taken off his Power armour and was now in the typical dark blue Elder robes. "Greetings brothers, sisters... I know you are all exhausted by the ordeals you''ve struggled through, but there are a few things I need to make clear before we get comfortable. First, I am declaring a complete lockdown, no one but that given authority by Head Paladin Hardin or me is allowed to leave the bunker. The NCR is likely looking for us at this very moment, and are probably already through the canyon passage as we speak, if we want to evade them, we''ll need to do our best to remain undetected. Second, our numbers have dwindled considerably, we are in dire need of people and as such I implore any who are able to think about having children. I will not force the matter, but any who does so will be rewarded with extra supplies and more comfortable lodging. And third, I will not tolerate insubordination at such a crucial moment for our Chapter. Any seen to be flaunting the rules or intentionally causing trouble will be punished most severely... Right now, we are unable to exile anyone, and so it pains me to inform you that the only other option is death. Hopefully it will never come to that, but I must look out for the interests of the collective. Ad Victoriam Brothers, you should all get some rest, there is much to do." Chapter 50 - Pity Or Pride? After the new Elders speech, Afton walked to the barracks and fell into his bed. The room he was in was large with many beds beside one another, a single footlocker next to his bed to keep his possessions in... He couldn''t even work up the energy to talk to his friends, or to see if Veronica had even survived... His parents were dead, mother killed right before his eyes, and father sacrificing himself for everyone else.?? It hurt, a mixture of fear, anxiety, sadness, pain, grief, and fury all bundled into one jumbled mess. He had no idea what to do with himself. So, he did nothing, it took a couple of hours for him to fall asleep, memories of seeing a bullet enter his mother''s visor playing over and over. Eventually though he just stopped thinking, his world turning black as sleep took him. The next day he was shaken awake by someone, he still didn''t feel up to getting up, much less doing work... He glances at whoever was shaking him and the harsh words he was about to spit at them died in his throat. "Veronica..." She was sitting beside his bed, a hand on his shoulder as she slowly shook him awake. She showed him a dim smile, it was clear she''d been crying last night due to her slightly red eyes. Whether it was because of Elder Elijah abandoning them, the numerous deaths caused by the NCR, or something else, he didn''t know. "You''re finally awake." "Veronica..." he repeats, not really knowing what to say, "Are you okay?" he asks at having nothing better to say. She nods, "I am... I''m... I''m sorry about your parents Afton, maybe if I could have gotten through to Elder Elija-" "Stop." he says in a dull tone, "Just stop... There was nothing we could do about it Veronica, I promise you, if I thought for a moment you were responsible for the deaths of my parents, I''d kill you the first chance I got... Right now, you''re the only family I''ve got left, so don''t start blaming yourself for something that wasn''t your fault." he reassures her after gathering his thoughts. Veronica upon hearing this pulls him into a hug, both had lost almost everything during only a few short months. Almost everyone they loved and cherished had been taken from them, who knew how much time they had until that was taken too. They remain like that for a couple minutes, before Veronica lets go and rubs her eyes, "Afton, the Elder wanted to speak with you." Afton slowly nods, "Ok. Once I''m ready I''ll be there." he says as she gets up to leave, sending one last glance over her shoulder at him as she exits. He gets out of bed and pulls on his Initiate clothes, they hadn''t been cleaned and were still covered with dirt and blood. The metal plates were smudged and the bullet hole where he''d been hit in the shoulder was still there. He didn''t know who, but someone must''ve attended to his wound... He hadn''t felt the wound after he''d been dragged away from his father. Sighing at the fresh memory he left to the Elders office, passing by a few Knights and Scribes who were setting up the automated turret defence system. McNamara was sitting behind his desk and brightened up slightly when Afton came in, though, it dimmed when he saw the state of his uniform. "Initiate Parker." Afton nod at him, "Elder. What have you called me for?" he asks as politely as he could manage. "Before I speak on what I called you for, I wanted to apologize for your parents, both were amazing people and very dedicated to the Brotherhood. The Chapter is less than it was before after losing them." "Doesn''t matter how good they were, they''re dead now." he can''t help but mutter. McNamara hears him but doesn''t have a valid response, shaking his head he continues, "From personal experience and eye-witness accounts, I''ve decided that you''re ready to advance. I think you could''ve been promoted a year or two ago, but its better to be safe than sorry." "Before I ask you what you want to do, there''s the prerequisite that all Initiates must decide... Do you wish to stay within our ranks? You may not be able to leave the bunker anytime soon, but the Codex dictates that you have the choice." he says, all the other Brotherhood members guarding the room perking up, wanting to hear his answer. ... Afton didn''t know what he wanted to do, to be honest, he felt like flipping the board and starting over ago, saying "fuck off" to his responsibilities. If he accepted, he''d likely be trapped down here all his life, not something he was particularly looking forwards to, but... He still had a lot to learn. Perhaps there''d be a day where they''d be allowed to leave the bunker for missions? ... He couldn''t leave the Brotherhood, he didn''t care about the Codex, or most of the people in it... Only the friends that''d survived the NCR. If he wanted to get back at those bastards, he''d need every advantage he could get. The only real place to do that is in here. "I want to stay with the Brotherhood." McNamara breathes a sigh of relief at hearing this, Afton had clearly thought about it, most just instantly refuse to leave, but it was clear the boy had misgivings about the Chapter. He couldn''t blame him either, he''d just lost his parents mainly due to the previous Elder''s failure. "Have you thought about what Order you wished to join?" ... Afton nods, "Knights." he states, the Scribes would help him understand technology better, but he wanted to learn to fight, to attack and defend against his enemies. "Becoming a Knight, hm? The reason I''ve promoted you is because two people came to me to ask to apprentice you, Scribe Adah Lindgren and Knight Katie Stanton." the Elder looks to a nearby Knight and gestures at them, "Retrieve Katie Staton for me." he commands. Chapter 51 - Battle Of Hoover Dam? And so began Afton''s training under Katie Staton, both were already familiar with each other, and both had lost family to the NCR, so it was relatively easy for them to get working together. He knew that Katie would''ve preferred apprenticing her son Miles, but you aren''t usually allowed to apprentice your children. The reason for this is to promote Chapter unity, and by "Chapter Unity" they mean loyalty to the Chapter instead of your family.?? The only other changes to the Chapter was a Scribe named Lars Taggart being made Head Scribe. He was known to be somewhat lecherous, but that hadn''t interfered with his work yet so people just left him to it. It''d been a year since the battle of Helios One, Afton''s training proceeded, but his progress had been dulled due to the combat simulators. They were akin to virtual reality machines, but once you were inside you''d immediately be able to feel the difference between reality. Your senses were altered in a manner that negatively impact you outside the simulators. For instance, if you were to enter hand to hand combat within them, sure you might be able to win, but if you tried to same manoeuvres outside of it, you''d likely overshoot your steps or punches and leave yourself open to an attack. The minute differences piled up, so Afton tried his best not to enter them again... This bunker didn''t have a lot of room, so Afton ran around the halls to get his daily exercise, the others usually watched him disinterestedly. Apparently, they didn''t think anyone who tried to get past their energy weapons would be brought down by a few punches. The NCR hadn''t given up the pursuit after the attack on Helios, they tracked the group into the Hidden Valley and started pouring radioactive waste down the vents in an attempt to wipe them out. Fortunately whoever built the bunker had the foresight to implement ways to remove radioactive material. They were intended to survive a nuclear holocaust so it didn''t surprise him such things had been implemented. The NCR clearly thought that was that, and left after dumping the waste, presumably due to how irradiated they''d made the outside of the bunker... They couldn''t very well leave scouts in such an area after all. Most looked to the Elder a few months after the NCR had stopped observing them, at first he hadn''t wanted to risk discovery, but at everyone''s assistance, he started sending out lone "wanderers" to gather supplies. These people would trade with people until they had enough to create caravan companies with which they''d store supplies outside the bunker. In all honesty, not many people wanted to volunteer for such a service, but, to Afton''s surprise, Veronica did. He was shocked she''d volunteered, hadn''t she said they were all the family they had left? At hearing the news he immediately dragged her into a room and interrogated her... Now, Afton was aware of some of the abuse and harassment Veronica received, but he thought she was thick-skinned enough to handle it... And, for the most part she was, with one exception. Darian Royce and Susan Royce weren''t too fond of her, Afton hadn''t believed it when she told him as they all seemed so close in the past. Apparently, they hadn''t known of the two''s relationship until Christine vanished, they were some of the more... Conservative people in the Chapter, and upon finding out what Veronica and their daughter had been doing, they''d almost immediately cut all contact with her. The Chapter was small though, they worked in the same place, and the Royce''s couldn''t seem to restrain themselves from insulting her at every chance they got. Veronica herself still felt guilty and somewhat responsible for Christine leaving, so she just took the insults with responding, respite how much it hurt to have someone you saw as foster-parents treat you like that. Veronica promised to come back as often as possible, there were restrictions placed on those outside the lockdown, it wouldn''t do for someone to track her movements and find the exact bunker they were located in... Once she left, she''d visit him once every four months, while telling him about the outside and the few people she occasionally met. Most of the news was about the NCR and Legion, apparently the latter had tried to invade Hoover Dam and try to take it from the NCR, but ultimately failed. It was a little disconcerting to hear how a group of people wearing sports gear and skirts with machetes was able to cause the Wasteland to fear them so much. Though, upon hearing their tactics, their clothing was an afterthought... Burning people to death, enslaving women, crucifying people, the Brotherhood referred to most people in the Wasteland as Barbarians, but the Legion definitely deserved that title. Not everything was horrible though, he''d grown tall enough to finally wear Power armour. Knight Stanton helped him properly adjust it and get inside. It was a weird feeling being "mostly" impervious to all outside harm. The enhanced strength and small sound of mechanical whirring made him feel like Ironman... Still, he couldn''t help but feel the design was... Inefficient. He was also trained in how to use the other weaponry the Brotherhood had at their disposal, Plasma weapons, Thermic lances, and now that he was able to wear Power armour, heavy weapons like the Automatic grenade launcher or the Gatling laser. What he was most talented with though were the Gauss rifles, he distinctly remembered using his mother''s after she was killed, and the feel of blowing off the bastards arm in response brought a great deal of satisfaction whenever he thought of it. Chapter 52 - Pipedream Time went on and everything became a routine, there wasn''t much to do in the bunker so Afton was usually just sat in the workshop helping to repair things and recycle ammunition. Veronica''s visits were becoming less and less frequent, Afton had heard rumours that she''d been arguing with the Elder about the Codex and the Brotherhoods core values. He agreed with her for the most part, but you couldn''t voice it otherwise you''d likely just get exiled.?? The Brotherhood took the Codex very, very seriously. And any who even questions it is outcasted, shamed, and threatened with violence. Without her updates on the outside, it was incredibly boring to just sit here... He had Melissa and Miles to keep him company some of the time, but they had their own duties and weren''t that interesting anyway... The only thing they could do in their past time is to tell jokes, fight, and other equally monotonous things. This wasn''t the life he had been looking forward to when he''d reincarnated... He''d hoped to be like the protagonists in the games, going out there and exploring the wastes. Not trapped in some bunker fearing further NCR retaliation. The years crawled by and Afton did his best to keep training, despite the poor conditions for it. he was currently sitting on his bed and looking down at his Holotags. Once detailed his age, height, blood type, heritage, etc. While the other detailed in rank in the Brotherhood, he''d been promoted recently, and was no longer just an "Apprentice Knight". Still, this accomplishment felt like it didn''t have any weight to it, he knew he''d eventually be promoted, and that there''d be no chance to get some practical combat experience as almost no one was allowed to leave the bunker... Sandra Torres had also been made a Knight but was reluctantly stationed in the armoury, this position was the bane to many as you''d literally have to spend most of your days keeping track of paperwork, maintaining equipment, etc. He''d spent a few nights drinking with her while listening to the woman complain about the position, truly he was happy to not have been considered for it. If he had he might''ve just tried to escape, taking the Wasteland instead of being trapped behind a cubicle. The years continued to trundle by, and Afton had found something peculiar... One of the vents in an isolated room had a lot of dust gathering around its blades. For regular fans this wouldn''t be a problem, but for a large underground facility like this? It meant something had gone wrong. He brought his findings to the Elder who immediately ordered the information "top secret", and not to be told to anyone not already in the know. Afton was tasked to work with a few other higher up Scribes and Knights to fix the problem, and while he was able to locate it, there was no chance in hell it was repairable without the proper parts. At hearing the news Elder McNamara seemed to age significantly, his white hair already seemed bleached, but now his face was starting to show it. Afton knew that if the problem with the ventilation was allowed to go on the bunker would become uninhabitable. Any who tried would slowly suffocate, a fate that didn''t seem pleasant at all. Of course it''d take around ten years for it to get that bad, but the parts required to repair it weren''t so easy to find. The Scribes on the job listed a few places that component could probably be found, but undamaged or open vaults were difficult to come by. Not to mention he didn''t think any Enclave outposts would be in the Mojave either. Soon enough Afton''s seventeenth birthday had passed, there was no celebration, not because people didn''t remember it, but because parties were banned as they used up too many supplies. Not that he wanted a party, they seemed pretty hollow now that his parents, Veronica, and Christine wouldn''t be present... The boredom was really getting to him, it was actually somehow worse than his previous life... At least there he''d been able to walk outside when he felt like it. Here there were tight restrictions on supplies, where you could walk, what you could do... He imagined this was what it felt to live in communist china. He''d spoken to the Elder about ending the lockdown, but McNamara was adamant to keep themselves isolated... Head Paladin Hardin agreed with Afton that they had to open up eventually, by the Elder sent them both away without a second thought. While no one said it, it was clear the man was afraid of having anymore deaths on his hands. This was about when Afton started planning his escape from the Brotherhood... It wasn''t that he didn''t want to be among their ranks anymore, but he knew someone had to do something, or they''d all die in the end. Afton knew himself too well to just say he was leaving for selfless reasons though, he could make all the excuses he wants about it only being to "gather the ventilation components", but he knew he just wanted freedom... Freedom from boredom, freedom to find Christine and Veronica, and freedom to get his revenge against those responsible for his parent''s death. It''d be difficult to escape the facility, as only the newly promoted Paladin Ramos had access to the doors leading outside the bunker. He was friendly with the man, but he doubted he''d completely go against the Codex and allow him to leave, for that he''d need to start planning. Afton had gone through many elaborate plans that may or may not work, but scrapped them in the end for the success rate being so low it wasn''t even worth trying. Though, his plans had to be accelerated once he''d turned eighteen as one of the members from outside had found something of interest... A Pipboy. Chapter 53 - Pipboy Afton rushed to the workshop where they were keeping the newly discovered Pipboy, he entered and saw a few Scribes examining the machine on a work desk. Some had clipboards in their hands and were writing notes while others just stood there stoically. The Pipboy itself looked the same as in the games, if a bit less bulky. It had the typical rad detector, volume buttons, etc. It looked basically the same as he imagined it would. The only problem was what the Scribes were discussing around it.?? "We''ve encountered these before, they are impractical for combat and get in the way for other more delicate tasks... Nothing more than a recreational tool, I suggest we rip all the information it may contain before dissembling it, it may have answers to the... Elder''s problem." one says, clearly referring to the damaged ventilation system, it was a rational thing to do as well, all Pipboys came from vaults after all, and this one might have the location of said vault in its database. Afton couldn''t allow them to destroy it though, he walked up and greeted them with a nod, "What''s this?" he asks with curiosity. "This? Just a pre-war relic from one of the vaults, we were thinking that it might contain information about where it''d come from, perhaps more depending on where the original owner had gotten it from." one replies. Afton raises a brow, original owner? He doesn''t voice his concern as its a rather badly kept secret that the Brotherhood had no qualms with eliminating "barbarians" for their technology. "Where was it retrieved from?" The Scribe shrugs, "Didn''t ask, we''ll probably find out if we go through its data though. Afton "Do... Do you have to dismantle it? I''m sure its mapping systems could be put to good use by some of our scouts?" he walks up and brushes some dirt off of its screen, his breath hitching when he notices something in the top left corner of his vision... [Retrieve Pipboy] No one else seemed to be able to see the amber message, and while Afton did his best to hide his surprise, it was clearly noticed by the other Scribes. "You alright there Knight Parker? Was there an exposed wire we didn''t see or something?" one asks worriedly, Pipboys were notoriously efficient and one had never run out of power before, the cells powering it could give quite a shock if you were directly exposed to them. Afton nods his head, "Yeah, I was just... Surprised that you managed to find one in such good condition." [Speech Check: Succeeded!] The Scribes nod, "As to your previous question, it would be useful for a scout to have, but the problem lies with the fact that the Pipboy automatically records every place it''s been... If the scout were to be captured, it could lead the enemy right to our doorstep." Afton continues for them, "So it has to be destroyed huh..." he mutters, feeling peculiar at having his successful lie notified at the top left of his vision... How did it know he had lied, was it inside his mind or something? "When will you be dismantling it, I''d like to see its base components afterwards." "Hm, we''ll be putting it database through a terminal which should take most of the day... Pipboys while easy to access, contain so much information that I''d rather an encrypted file most of the time. We''ll be dismantling it tomorrow I believe." they looks to the other Scribes who nod at them in agreement. "I''ll be back tomorrow then, see you guys around." he says, waving at them before leaving, all the while peeking at the notification still at the top left of his screen. [Retrieve Pipboy] He quickly walked to the cafeteria, grabbing some food and taking a seat before chewing on it idly. He needed to think of a way to get the Pipboy out of here, the Scribes had already decided what to do with it, and he couldn''t come up with any valid reasons as to why they shouldn''t disassemble it... It was fortunate he''d already been planning to leave the Chapter, otherwise he''d be a massive pickle right about now. As he was going over his plan he felt two people sit either side of him... "Hey, what''s up?" Melissa asks, she''d turned eighteen a month or two ago and had grown into quite the beautiful girl. Her bright blonde hair, hazel eyes and youthful face had most of their age vying for her attention. Even that lecherous Head Scribe Taggart couldn''t contain himself around her, he''d had a "word" with the man about taking advantage of her, and had made it clear he''d have an unfortunate accident involving some scissors and his genitalia should he lay a hand on her. Melissa had been apprenticed by the man and most people knew why he''d done it, she wasn''t the smartest girl and so inducting her into the order of Scribes was foolish at best. She''d fit better in the Knights, but, it was her choice in the end. Miles, on the other hand, had filled out and become quiet like his father Bert Stanton. Broad shoulders and above-average height, his demeanour was also quite intimidating to some. As a child he''d been meek and quiet, by after losing his father and the battle of Helios, he acted more like a seasoned warrior than anything else. Afton shrugs, "Nothing much, as usual." [Speech Check: Succeeded!] ... If this thing was going to give a notification based on every social interaction he had, it was going to get annoying very, very quickly. The other two noticed his frown and twitch of the eye but didn''t say anything about it. He''d made it clear how much he hated boredom, and there wasn''t much that topped sitting in a bunker for years. They chatted as old friends do, but he wasn''t committed to their conversation, his thoughts were still on the Pipboy and how to leave. Not to mention the constant Speech Checks that''d pop up made it difficult for him to speak without being distracted. Eventually, he finished his food and stood up, heading for the workshop to do his daily work for the Brotherhood. Chapter 54 - "Momento" After Afton''s shift was done he left and headed to the armoury, he was planning to escape at night when most people were resting. Though, this brought a few problems. The armoury was locked tighter than a nun''s chastity belt, so he wouldn''t be able to grab a suit of Power armour on his way out. Not to mention he''d almost immediately be hunted down by the NCR if he wore something like that. The best he could do was to try and steal a weapon and some ammo, unfortunately, the person currently manning the armoury was Sandra Torres. Someone who he''d formed a relatively close friendship with through the years.?? If he stole something, she''d undoubtedly be punished for it, maybe even exiled depending on what he stole. The Brotherhoods "duty" was to keep all harmful technology out of regular peoples hands, so losing advanced weaponry would top the list of things not to do. Of course, if he were to request a weapon and leave before handing it back in, it wouldn''t be her fault. The only problem with that was, only those on the security detail were allowed to carry large weapons out of the armoury, as there was no need for a regular Knight or Scribe to have something like that aside form target practise. He walked into the shooting range where a Knight was sat behind a terminal, logging who''d come in, their ammo reserves, and other boring stuff. He ignored them and headed straight for the armoury window where Torres was standing with a fed up look on her face. "Something wrong Sandra?" he asks. [Speech Check: Succeeded!] His brow twitches a the notification but she doesn''t seem to notice, he swears he''ll find a way to turn this damn thing off once he retrieves the Pipboy... Hopefully there is an "offswitch". Sandra jumps slightly in surprise, having been lost in her thoughts and not noticed someone approach, "Er-oh! Afton?... No, nothing wrong... Well, by nothing I actually mean everything in this Maxon-forsaken bunker." she mutters. "You wanna talk about it?" he asks, ignoring the ''failed Speech Check'' She shakes her head, "No... but..." she glances at the Knight sitting in the corner and starts speaking in a low tone, "I can see you''ve finally decided to move." ... "Huh?" he asks, hoping she wasn''t referring to what he thought she was. Sandra crosses her arms and gives him a dirty look, "You''re leaving right? It''s pretty obvious for those close to you youknow?" Afton gets closer and quickly whispers to her, "How do you know about that?" Sandra shrugs, "The way you talk and act nowadays, seems like everything you do is halfhearted... Plus the way you occasionally glance at the door no-matter where you are is kind of a give away." she explains. ... He sighs, "Who else knows about this?" he asks. "Hm, maybe Miles? I doubt he''d say anything though, If Veronica were here she''d be able to tell too." she says while tapping her chin with an index finger. "Well... Are you going to try and stop me?" She shakes her head, "No, why would I? Every day I dream of leaving this place, I''ve never been that keen on the Codex, especially after seeing what''d happened to Christine, aswell as at Helios One. I just can''t bring myself to leave, you''re a lot braver than I am Afton." "Would you be willing to... Give me a gun and some ammo? I''ll probably need it for whatever is outside." he asks, eyeing the huge amount of weaponry behind the girl. She slowly nods, "I can but... I''m not able to give you anything substantial... Hmm, maybe..." she mutters to herself as she thinks. "I''ve got an idea." she says with a sly smirk. Sandra walks into the back and disappears behind some shelves for a couple minutes before coming back and handing him a Gauss Rifle. "This..." he mutters, having no idea why she''d give him this, he''d be immediately stopped by the Knight at the desk. Sandra ignores his doubtful expression and explains her plan, "That, is your ''mothers'' weapon, it''s was heavily damaged and you wanted to repair it yourself... Or at least, that''s what you''ll tell Jeffrey over there. He lost his family in Helios One too, I doubt he''ll stop you." Afton slowly nods at her, this was rather... Brilliant, as the both Torres and the Knight would see him walk out with it, neither would be blamed for him stealing it, they''d assume he repaired it and never returned it, allowing both to remain unpunished... Still, it was quite the risk Sandra was taking for him. She then hands him a small box filled to the brim with Microfusion Cells, ammunition for the Gauss rifle. No one would notice its absence as they had a ridiculous amount of ammo stored up. This was mainly due to the fact that they recycle every single cell that''s used. Afton slings the Gauss rifle over his shoulder and takes the box while nodding at Torres, "Thanks... I''m going to miss you guys..." he admits. Sandra smiles at him, "We''ll miss you too Afton, you''ve done a lot for us... Melissa might be a bit angry that you left her behind though," she leans in, "She''s got a crush on you." ... "Huh." Afton murmurs, he hadn''t noticed. Well, she was beautiful but he didn''t think they''d suit each other, it was annoying enough to be her friend, let alone her lover. It didn''t matter anymore though, he''d be gone by tomorrow. "See you later Sandra, maybe we''ll see each other again someday." he says as he turns and heads for the door, immediately getting stopped by Knight Jeffrey. He gave the explanation Sandra had given and he was immediately let past. [Speech Check: Succeeded] Damn it. Chapter 55 - Great Escape! Afton walked to an isolated room and dropped the box of Microfusion cells onto a desk, it''d be night in a couple hours so he had to prepare everything for when he had to leave. He left and returned with one of the only things his parents had owned, it was a Deathclaw leather satchel that his father had made for his mother after his near-death encounter. It was heavy, but incredibly sturdy, the bag was tough and rigid but still slightly flexible, making it ideal for the wasteland.?? Hopefully, no one would notice what the grey scales were from, otherwise it''d be difficult to answer them. He stuffs all the Microfusion cells into the bag along with a water canteen that he''d filled earlier. He looked at himself in a nearby grimy mirror and frowns, he was 6.1ft with messy black hair and hazel eyes. He considered himself average to above average? Though, he didn''t know if he was being objective about it. His skin was terribly pale due to how long he''d been trapped underground. There was one problem though, he was currently wearing the brotherhood recon armour, the tough brown leather useful for stealth, and the additional metal plating didn''t get in the way of that. It''d provide good protection, but anyone with any sense would immediately be able to tell what faction be belonged to. Shaking his head, he ignored the issue for now as there wasn''t really anything else to wear. So he waited for night to fall, taking a quick look outside for any guards before slipping out with the Gauss Rifle slung on his back and his satchel at his side. He immediately headed towards the workshop, he couldn''t risk them retrieving the information earlier and scrapping it before he could stop them. There were a few guards milling about as you obviously can''t leave a base undefended. Most gave him curious glances but just assumed he was bringing the Gauss Rifle to get repaired or something similar. He slipped inside the workshop and glanced around, no one. He breathed a sigh of relief, this would make it significantly easier to retrieve the Pipboy, if someone were here he wouldn''t have an excuse to give them. He briskly walked up to the Pipboy and glanced at the terminal it was connected to, he wanted to go through it but didn''t have time, besides, the Pipboy would have all the information anyway. Paused the upload and unplugged it before storing the device in his bag. [Retrieve Pipboy: Success!] [Escape with Pipboy] A new quest came in after the first, he was already going to do that so no big deal. He left and quietly made his way to the exit, already fingering a device he''d prepared. One he got up the stairs he spotted a Paladin sitting behind a desk with his helmet off, next to him was a Gauss Rifle and... The security card needed to access the terminal and open the doors. Afton hid his weapon behind his back so the Paladin couldn''t see it and stood in the doorway, "Hey, one of the Knights wanted to know if you were having trouble with your weapon?" he asks with a ''concerned'' expression. The Paladin raised a brow and looked over to the Gauss Rifle on his desk, picking it up and is about to take out the Microfusion cell. Just as he touches it Afton presses the switch he''d prepared, causing the Gauss Rifles coils to fire abruptly, damaging the internals and causing black smoke to waft out of it in small amounts. Afton makes a show at jumping away in surprise as the Paladin looks at his weapon in shock. "Is this what you were referring to?" he asks as he quickly stands up to get some distance knowing full well that if it explodes it could be quite dangerous. Afton slowly nods, "Apparently one of the newer Knight bungled the repair, could you leave it in the workshop and retrieve another from the armoury? I''ll keep an eye on your post." ... [Speech Check: Failed!] "Why don''t you take it for me?" he asks, feeling slightly indignant at being told what to do by someone in a lower position than him. Afton gestures at the gun with a frown, "Sir, with all due respect, if that explodes while I''m carrying it, I''ll lose both of my hands... You''ll be fine with Power armour, but as you can see, I''m not wearing any." The man snorts before slowly nodding, "Fine! You better not do anything stupid though!" they say while getting up, slipping the security card in their pocket at they go to leave. Afton''s eyes bulge at the fact the man had remembered the card, his mind scrambles to find a way to get it off of him but he only knew one way. The Paladin was holding the Gauss Rifle at his side in one hand with his helmet in the other... It was fortunate he didn''t expect any hostility from Afton otherwise his plan would have spectacularly failed. Afton quickly grabs a paperweight for the desk and jumps at the back, smashing it into the back of his head, immediately rendering them unconscious. They fall onto their front with a large *clang!* and continue to silently lie there. With that done he tosses the paperweight back onto the table and grabs the keycard, he''d hoped he wouldn''t have to do this, but if he knew that he''d end up doing it any way he''d have tried to keep the man''s Gauss Rifle undamaged... Afton quickly uses the card to open the exit before leaving it on the desk, not wishing to endanger everyone by accidentally giving an outsider access inside. Again, he takes the long, long walk up the never ending staircase, eventually reaching the surface bunker. It was relatively the same from all those years ago, though there was some fresh supplies left in one of the nearby crates... Lucky! Chapter 56 - Character Creation Afton shoved as many supplies as his bag would fit, the Chapter could last without a couple bottles of water and cans of food, but him? Not so much. With that he headed for the bunker''s exit, excitement beginning to fill him. *Clank!*?? He stepped outside into the cold desert night, and only then realised the bunker''s defence system was still on... A dust storm was raging and he had no idea how he was going to leave, or where he would be going... [Escape with Pipboy: Success!] The notification had him remembering that he still hadn''t checked out the Pipboy. He entered the bunker and sat in the hallway, wishing to leave the duststorm alone for the time being, he''d check the device and leave as soon as possible... Who knew when someone would notice the unconscious Paladin. He took the device out and strapped it to his wrist, looking at it peculiarly as it seemed to meld with his forearm, it felt almost natural to have it there, as if it weighed nothing at all. The screen lit up the dim hallway, the amber Pipboy mascot gave him a thumbs up before the device started booting up. Immediately it presented him with five options to look at, Status, S.P.E.C.I.A.L, Skills, Perks, and General. One of the three red buttons that was labelled "stats" was lit up. Afton was more or less familiar with this set up. Status would display his physical health, injuries, buffs or debuffs such as drugs or similar things, and radiation levels. S.P.E.C.I.A.L was essentially everything he was quantified numerically, like how an RPG put a number on your strength, speed, agility, etc. The exact stats it displayed were Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Moving on, the skills, this would detail how proficient or knowledgable he was in a certain subject, lockpicking, science, guns, energy weapons, explosives, repair, etc. Next was Perks, if it was the same as in the games, this would be where he''d be able to see what perks he''d gathered, either through levelling up or other unique events. Last but not least was General, this would detail his reputation with other factions, as well as other general stats, this was relatively useless as knowing how many stimpacks you''ve ever used isn''t something important. He flipped a switch on the top of the Pipboy to move to the next tab called "items", he had no idea how it''d work outside the game, but right now it only seemed to be registering everything on his person, and giving basic information about it. Ignoring this tab for new, he moved onto the next, "data", it held Local maps, World map, Quests, Misc, and Radio. Everything but the maps were useless to him right now, but it seems the Pipboy only knew one location... Vault 3. He''d have to visit it eventually if he were going to grab the components for the ventilation system, so at least it wasn''t somewhere useless. For now though, he''d check his stats. Afton Parker S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 8 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 7 Luck : 3 Skills : Barter : 15 Energy Weapons : 40 Explosives : 20 Guns : 23 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 40 Melee Weapons : 38 Repair : 41 Science : 41 Sneak : 20 Speech : 19 Survival : 15 Unarmed : 30 Perks : None As soon as he checked it another notification came up, along with some options. [Tutorial Ended] [Edit Name?] [Rebuild Character?] [Continue Onwards?] ... Afton didn''t really care much about his name and so kept it, he didn''t know what effects it''d have if he tried to change it anyway, instead, he selected [Rebuild Chacter]. Immediately he was greeted with a character creation screen, it allowed him to redesign his face, body, and even his gender... He didn''t want to touch any of that right now, plastic surgery had never been an interest of his. Though, if he could give himself-No! He immediately put a stop to that line of thought, choosing what he liked and what he didn''t made him feel almost artificial... He didn''t want to look different either, as he retains traits from both his parents, the least he could do was keep them. Next was his S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats, he was actually pretty happy with the distribution, though, he did want to alter his Luck value, he had no idea what effect it''d have on his life if he left it as it was. He took a point away from his Strength and added it to Luck. Happy with that, he moved onto the next options, Skills. Now, he couldn''t do much with them aside from put "tags" on them, these would add fifteen points to skills you select. It seems that he hadn''t had any before he started to Character customization. He mulled over his options, this wasn''t a game, and if he died he''d be dead for good. Sure, science sounded good, but would it help him get out of this situation? Probably not. In the end he eventually decided to place the tags on Energy Weapons, Speech, and Survival. Raising them to 55, 34, and 30 respectively. After that he was greeted with a trait selection, these were basically perks that you start off with... There were quite a few he could pick from, though most had positives and negatives. For example, the [Skilled] trait gave +5 points to every skill, while decreasing EXP gain by 10%, something that looked relatively good to Afton now that he caught in a dangerous position. Though, he would probably just pick [Trigger Discipline], a trait that reduced your firerate by 20% but increased your accuracy by the same amount. This was incredibly valuable due to how difficult finding ammunition would likely be in future, not to mention people would probably go down with a single shot. He also picked [Heavy Handed], the perk would cause your unarmed attack do to 20% more damage while doing 60% less Critical damage. Afton had no idea what effects Critical Strikes would have in reality... In Fallout 3 they''d more or less cause your enemies head to explode even if you hit them with a 9mm round. He doubted it was the same here, so he valued the raw damage as opposed to risking it on luck. It was a good choice aswell, considering his Luck was currently four. Chapter 57 - Unexpected Encounters Afton nods to himself after double-checking everything, he considered raising his Charisma or Intelligence a bit more, but decided his survival came first... Being smarter wouldn''t help much right now, and he''d never be able to utilise it if he was killed as soon as he this bunker. He selected confirm and immediately new knowledge bored itself into his head, new knowledge on creature''s he''d never heard about, how to skin them, prepare their meat to eat, appeared in his mind. Not only that, but his knowledge on Energy Weapons expanded greatly, he somehow how to operate weapons the Brotherhood had never heard about before.?? Seems like increasing your skills via the system improved you across the board, not just in certain aspects... He wondered what getting one to a hundred would feel like, as of right now his mind felt scrambled into a paste and regurgitated into his head. He breathed a sigh afterwards though, the peculiar feeling faded and only leaving behind the knowledge it''d bestowed. It wasn''t all positive though, he could feel some strength in his body leave him, probably due to transferring a stat-point into luck. It was a worthwhile trade in his opinion, he only hoped luck wouldn''t just be for gambling... With that, he got up and brushed himself off, hefting the Gauss Rifle and opening the door which immediately allowed dust to wash through the hallway like a tsunami. Covering his face with his forearm, he left. He wished that he''d brought some goggles or something similar, as it was difficult to see as it is, let alone constantly having sand blown in your eyes. Afton walked in a single direction, hoping he''d not be attacked by some unseen creature, at least until he left the dust storm. Unfortuantely, it seems like lady-luck was not on his side. He took another step but felt that the sand was firmer than usual, his eyes widen at he glances down. He barely had enough time to move his leg back, causing the small rad-scorpions stinger to barely miss him. Afton had no idea how potent its poison would be, he knew he''d survive it, but not the specific effects... He quickly shuffled backwards while aiming the Gauss Rifle at it, pulling the trigger without hesitation and causing the insect to explode into a fountain of green blood. Afton wiped some of the green fluid from his face with a grimace. [3 EXP Gained] Afton looks at his Pipboy, seems like he hadn''t turned off the EXP notification with the others. The only notifications he wanted to see were skill checks like Science, Repair, etc, as knowing if he failed or succeeded in more complicated subjects would be invaluable. Once he finished fiddling with his Pipboy he continued, fortunately, the dust storm eventually faded, leaving him on some sort of highway he''d never seen before. Afton considered himself lucky he hadn''t wandered into Helios One, as he didn''t know if the NCR would recognise him... Though, his current clothing would be a dead give away. Over in the distance, he could see a brightly lit spire illuminating the sky, that was New Vegas alright, and it looked like a straight road from here onwards... He didn''t know if that was the right place to go, but it seemed to be the centre of the Mojave, so he''d likely find some leads on what he needs. He glances behind him and spots a group of men dressed in what seem to be prison uniforms, they were almost definitely bad news so he started briskly walking towards New Vegas... Though, when he heard the ground beginning to shudder from something, he knew he was in trouble. Noticing movement in the corner of his eye he turned and saw a 10ft scaled humanoid with gigantic claws sprinting at him, its mouth opened and released a roar, Afton was sure if his past self was here they would have pissed and shit themselves. He throws himself to the side as the beast''s claws swing through the area he''d previously been, again like he had done with the Rad-scorpion he raises his Gauss Rifle and releases a shot into its chest. Its scales are torn apart by the powerful shot and a deep wound forms as blood splatters from it, but the Deathclaw doesn''t seem fazed in the slightest. Afton quickly shuffles backwards while trying to reload the Gauss Rifle, but pushes it forwards in an attempt to deflect the claw headed for his neck. For a single moment he thought that the gun might''ve held it back, but when two halves of it started sliding apart, he knew he was in big trouble... Not because of the Deathclaw, but because the Microfusion cell had been damaged... Rolling backwards he throws the gun at the Deathclaw and starts running towards the group of men he''d initially tried to avoid. He''d rather be shot than eaten alive by this giant lizard! *BOOM!* Behind him he could hear the unstable Microfusion cell detonate, taking a glance he could see that it''d caused the Deathclaw to stumble as metal shrapnel buried itself in its scales and face. Trickles of blood left the small wounds, but it was still far from dead. He was happy to see that they hadn''t immediately pointed guns at him, but the emotion was short lived as he saw them light up what looked like sticks of dynamite... Fortunately, they didn''t see to be aiming for him, the red sticks being thrown over his shoulder at the Deathclaw that was following him. *BOOM!**BOOM!* Multiple explosions go off and the shockwave causes his flies past him, causing his hair to defy gravity for a moment. The Deathclaw roars at them, but its scored legs and large amounts of blood covering it made it clear that it was injured. It growled and started sprinting back towards the direction of New Vegas, allowing Afton to catch his breath. Chapter 58 - Gang-"BANG!" The men in blue prison uniforms with "NCR" written on them approached Afton, some looked angry, some impressed, and one looked non-plussed. One of the angry ones step forward and give Afton a shove, "What the fuck was that man! You tryin'' to get us all killed? Draggin'' one of those fucking things over here, I should just put a bullet in your head and let it get what it wanted!" he exclaims, fingering something in his pocket.?? The man had short messy hair that looked as if it were cut in a knife fight, his skin was tanned and his face had many scars, most looking to be from shrapnel from what Afton could infer. Afton stands his ground and straightens his posture, "What do you want me to do? A Deathclaw comes outta nowhere and cuts my gun in half, you''d do the same in my position." he says, pointing at the man. "Boy you better watch your damn mouth or I''ll-" he''s interrupted as someone else steps in. "Quiet! Both of you, Tommy, you better get that temper in check or you''ll find yourself headless at the side of the road." he states before turning to Afton, "And you boy, someone like you who''d put your life ahead of others?... I think you''d suit our group well." he says semi-sarcastically. The bearded man with grey hair seemed to appraise Afton for a moment before nodding, "I ain''t never seen someone get close enough to smell one o'' those things breaths and live to tell about it... Well, how was it?" "Deafening" he jokes, not having managed to get a whiff of the Deathclaw''s breath as he was getting chased. The man chuckles, "How ''bout you come with us, looks like you could use a place to stay the night... Just make sure you don''t bring anymore Deathclaws wit'' ya." the others look at each other warily as they hadn''t expected to take Afton in. Afton slowly nods, there wasn''t really anything else he could do, he didn''t have anything that would be of value to them so he was safe on that count. Not to mention he didn''t have a weapon anymore, so wandering around here alone would basically be a death sentence. He could hear the other men whispering to each other, making guesses as to where Afton had come from and his intentions were. He was relieved as they started walking the opposite direction of where the Deathclaw had come from, he glanced to the older man who''d defused the situation earlier, "What''s your name?" "Karl Martin, and you?" Afton wonders momentarily if he should give his real name... He knew for a fact that no one apart from the Brotherhood would know him, so he decided to just go with it. "Afton Parker." The man nods, "Pleasure to meet you son... I''ve been meanin'' to ask, but what''s with the get-up?" he asks, referring to the Recon armour he was wearing. Afton shrugs, "Just some leather clothes I strapped metal too... I''m good at repairing stuff so it was pretty easy to cobble together." he lies, even if he was good at repairs, the armour was too symmetrical to be cobbled together, though, the old man doesn''t seem to notice. "And you?" he asks. The old man lightly tugs on the collar of the blue jacket he was wearing and shrugs, "Depends, how you feel about the NCR?", upon asking this question all the eyes of the group focussed on Afton. Afton wasn''t stupid, he could tell they had something against the NCR so he just gave his actual opinion, "They''re a bunch of assholes who''ll do anything to achieve their goals. Fuckers killed my parents." he spits, getting satisfied nods from the group. "Hm, sorry to hear that. You''ll find that most folks in our... Group, have had bad experiences with the NCR, we understand how you feel." he says as they finally reach a camp, one of the group already lighting a campfire. Afton sits on the sand next to it, the desert might be blisteringly hot in the day, but it could get terribly cold when the sunsets. There was a ruined car attached to a caravan nearby, this was probably where the guys slept... Sleeping on the sand would probably be dangerous, considering all the incredibly poisonous insects that are out and about. Tommy, the guy who was trying to start trouble earlier eyes him, "So where you from kid? Can''t be too smart if you wander into Deathclaw territory alone." Afton shrugs, "I was kicked out of my home, got caught stealing something and had to run." Tommy snorts, "Yeah, I hear that. Left my home the same way, parents dogged me into the man and had me sent to prison... Fuckers." "So... What''re you guys doing out here?" he asks. "Oh, youknow, just roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories." one of the other guys say sarcastically. Karl just shakes his head, "We''re... Making sure to collect ''tolls'' from any NCR traders coming through, though, the Deathclaws have made this route almost impassable, might have to move shop soon." Afton had a lot of apprehensions at dealing with what basically amounted to raiders, but his hatred for the NCR made the idea of joining their gang or whatever significantly easier... He wouldn''t mind getting his pound of flesh for what they''d done to his family, doesn''t matter if he couldn''t get the real people responsible, as long as he hurt the NCR as a whole. "Think I could help? Anything that hurts the NCR I want in." Karl nods, "I pegged you as the sort, yeah, once we get back to base I''ll ask for ya..." Tommy sends at glare at him as he accepts though, "Karl, do you really think you can start accepting people without Eddie''s approval?" he quickly asks. "Half our numbers left after escaping Tommy, if we don''t get some fresh blood the NCR''ll eventually overwhelm us... Trust me, I know what I''m talking about." Karl explains, forcing the reluctant Tommy to agree. Chapter 59 - Not Just The Flashy Powder Afton continued to chat with these guys who he now knew as "Powder Gangers", they belonged to a larger group which was located within a former NCR prison that they''d somehow taken over. Karl sighs and sips the bottle of whisky he''d uncorked, "The Deathclaws are expanding their territory... Know what that means? They''re breeding." he states with a dangerous gleam in his eye.?? "Surely the NCR will come and deal with them soon, right? Aren''t they trying to control the whole Mojave?" Afton asks. Karl shakes his head, "I suspect they have bigger problems than a Deathclaw infested traderoute right now..." he finishes the bottle and tosses it away into the sand before standing, "I''m gonna get some rest, we''ll be headed back to base in the morning so you should do the same." he states as he crawls into a ragged-looking sleeping bag inside the ruined caravan. Afton shrugs, biting into the cooked Rad-scorpion claw that Karl had prepared. If he had to describe it... It''d be like a firmer, and more disgusting-tasting crab, not to mention his Pipboy would occasionally go off to let him know about the Rads it contained. He couldn''t exactly be a picky eater though, he was starving. Once he''d finished that he laid atop one of the vacant sleeping bags and fell asleep. The next morning he was awoken, not by the Powder Gangers, but by the blisteringly hot sun that was now shining down on his face through one of the cracks in the caravan. He quickly got up and glanced over to the others, noticing that everyone but Karl was still sleeping. Deciding to stretch his legs he stepped outside and sat down on some scrap metal that was laid out around the burnt-out fire, he was already beginning to sweat from the heat, but he knew he''d have to get used to this eventually. "Hm, you''re up kid. Thought you''d still be sleeping like that sad lot over there." Karl murmurs as he wipes clean a powerful-looking revolver. "Nice gun, what is it?" he asks, not knowing its calibre. Karl gives a small smile, ".44 Magnum, got it from... Back in the day. Try to keep it well maintained, ''as never let me down before." Afton nods, "I''m more of an Energy Weapon guy myself." he admits, though, that Revolver did look intimidating, more so than any Laser pistol could. "Thing is son, those sorts ''o weapons have alotta movin'' parts. Makes it easier to for ''em to break. This ''ere? Not so much. Easy to repair too, if you got the know-how." Afton knew the man was right, Energy Weapons weren''t known for being all that terribly reliable, this was partly the reason the Brotherhood constantly maintained their armoury. Most ballistics would continue to work even if it was rusted, dirty, or sometimes even completely broken. "So when are we leaving?" he asks, wanting to reach their destination and hopefully get out of the sun. "I was thinkin'' right about now." Karl says as he picks up a rock and throws it inside the Caravan, creating a large *Ding!* as it bounced around inside. "Alright! I''m up, I''m up! Fuck sake, can''t you let us sleep a couple more minutes old man?" Tommy shouts from inside, clearly, this wasn''t the first time Karl had done this. And so the group got moving, as they walked Afton couldn''t help but notice the numerous broken vehicles left on the road... He''d asked his parents about it previously and they''d told him that due to them all being Nuclear powered, many safeguards were put into place to prevent a catastrophic chain reaction. One of these countermeasures would permanently disable the vehicle if it sensed high levels of radiation outside its core. Obviously, after the bombs dropped the whole of America was bathed in it, rendering most automobiles useless. Due to the oil shortage that led up until the war, all the gasoline-powered ones had been converted... This had been a government order as they claimed any gasoline they could get their hands on, even if it belonged to their own citizens. Afton idly wondered if he''d be able to repair one of them if he reached 100 points in science and repair. The group walked for an hour or two, passing a small community called Sloan. Karl mentioned that it was entirely inhabited by Miners who''d been hired by the NCR to work in Quarry Junction, the place most infested by Deathclaws. Apparently, after the prison escape the Powder Gangers seized all of the explosives the Miners were given for the task. Without the NCR coming to help, they were stranded. Eventually, they were able to see the large prison complex that the Powder Gangers called "Home", it was a huge area surrounded by barbed wire and watchtowers. It looked to be pretty defensible, much more so than Helios One had been for the Brotherhood. Surprisingly it seemed to be getting power by somewhere, as when they approach the large metal entrance slowly slid open by somesort of motor. They walk towards the building and Afton notes the single man leaning against with wall with his arms crossed. Karl tips his stenton to the man, "Dawes." he states as he enters the door beside them. "Karl." Dawes replies back with equal apathy, warily eyeing Afton as he follows Karl inside. Inside there were many people in the typical blue jacket and jean prison wears, most greet Karl with nods before getting back to whatever they were doing. Some playing cards, some day-drinking, and some even injecting various drugs. Their group dispurses as they go to attend their own business but Afton continues following Karl as the man leads him outside and to the largest building in the compound where Eddie, the Powder Gangers leader was. Chapter 60 - New Crew Once inside the administration building they headed straight up to the second floor, a few guys wearing what looked like bulletproof vests eyed Afton suspiciously, but when they saw that Karl was with him they let him through. They entered the main office where Eddie had his feet kicked up on the desk, and was shooting some jet. He had a relatively handsome, broad face, with hair that seemed to defy gravity while it stood in the air. He was paler than most of the other guys around here, though, whether that was because of his ethnicity or because he didn''t leave this building much, Afton didn''t know.?? Behind the man was an ornate painting of some sort of NCR leader, perhaps a former president? He couldn''t really tell due to two reasons... One because that Afton had never bothered to research much about the NCR, and second because the Powder Gangers had drawn graffiti all over it to make the man resemble a clown. Eddie slouches into his chair and tosses the empty jet away, it skidded across the floor and joined many other discarded ones. "Karl? I see you''ve brought an outsider here, gonna give me a reason I shouldn''t have them flayed and left out for the coyotes?" he says threateningly, Afton found it hard to take this guy seriously though, from his attitude to the small twitches he made probably due to the jet, he didn''t seem much of a leader. Karl just blankly looks at him, "I didn''t bring the kid here to ask for permission, I''m telling you they''re one of us. They''ve got history with the NCR, killed his folks, could use some more hands if the NCR does decide to attack us." he explains. Eddie looks to Afton, "You know my name, yet I don''t know yours." "Afton Parker." he states. "Afton Parker huh? Never heard of you. Where you from?" Eddie questions. "California, travelled here with my parents before the NCR killed them. Karl helped me out as a Deathclaw was trying to tear me a new one." he explains. Eddie''s brows raise, "California? Know the Hub?" he asks curiously. Afton shakes his head, "We tried to stay away from NCR territory... Not that it matter nows." he admits with a sorrowful look. "Hm, whatever, you''re one of us now. Also, some advice, try stay clear of Scrambler. One with the eyepatch, look at him wrong and he''ll fuck your day up." Eddie says, but before they leave Karl looks at him. "The trade route is dead Eddie, Deathclaws have stopped anyone from coming through, we gotta think about our options." Karl says. "What options? There''s fuck all East of here apart from that shitty town Goodsprings, south of here is miles of canyon passages that are invested with mutated creatures, and the NCR have set up outside Primm." he spits back, knowing full well that their situation was worsening every day. Karl shrugs, "I''m just saying, lay off the jet and start thinking about our next moves. We start running outta food and people start fighting, there''d be nothing we can do." he says and leaves, Afton following after him. "How bad do you think the situation is?" Afton asks as they leave the building. "Bad. Doesn''t matter how organised we are now, our group is still just a bunch of criminals and misfits. First problem appears and people''ll be leaving like we''re a sinking ship." Karl explains. Afton nods at his answer, he couldn''t imagine people were sticking around due to some sense of loyalty. "What now?" "Now?... We''ll get you a gun and go see if we can find any NCR caravans heading to Goodsprings, not much else there is to do besides that." Afton ends up spending some time at the bar, he didn''t have any caps so he just drank the slightly irradiated water he was given. Karl was going around to gather up his gang to look for caravans, most of their group as disturbed and gone to do their own thing, so it was pretty annoying to have them all reconvene. Eventually though everyone was present, Karl, Tommy, Reggie, Louis, and Blank. Reggie and Louis were relatively normal guys, who''d been down on their luck and had resorted to stealing to make ends meet. Obviously, they got caught and were imprisoned in the NCR Correctional Facility. With Blank? It wasn''t his real name, but the man was so incredibly stupid that he''d just constantly give blank stares at people when they tried to explain something to him. Strange thing was he didn''t try to correct anyone, instead just adopting the nickname as his own. "So what''s the plan?" Tommy asks as Karl approaches. The man walks by Afton and tosses a couple of things in front of him, one being a blue jacket with NCRCF on the back, and the other being a poorly maintained Laser pistol that looks just about ready to fall apart. Fortunately, he was given a couple of Energy cells to go with it. Afton ties the NCRCF jacket around his waist as he didn''t want to wear any more layers in this desert heat. It''d get the message across that he was one of them though. He grabbed a nearby cloth and started cleaning the gun aswell, as a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, it''d been ingrained into him to keep his weaponry well maintained. He quickly took it apart and started cleaning the individual components, this stopped whatever Karl was going to say as the whole group watched him meticulously look at every part for damage or signs of stress. "You some sort of mechanic newboy? Never seen someone take apart one of those like that before." Tommy finally breaks the tension. Afton glances up having not understood they were talking to him, "Hm? Oh-er... I''ve been taking these things apart all my life, a business my parents used to own youknow?" Chapter 61 - Leveling Up In The World Tommy sneers at his response, "Might need you to have a look at my own gun." he states, giving Afton a glimpse of his dirty, rusty .357 revolver. "Now, now, we can talk on this later, right now we''ve got a job to do." Karl says, drawing everyone''s attention to him. "No Caravans will be comin'' through from New Vegas due to the Deathclaws, so we''ll need to start getting creative. We''ll set up camp near Sloan and wait for the NCR resupply team and ambush them. No point in keeping the Miners around if the NCR ain''t gonna get rid of the pests." he explains.?? "Sounds good to me." Tommy says, downing a shot of whisky in one go before sliding it back to the barman and standing up. "Well? We''re not gonna sit here drinking all day, let''s go kill some grunts." Everyone nods and Afton''s given a backpack with a small number of supplies to carry, he was new to the gang so he didn''t argue against being given the load. They left the prison and headed back in the direction they came from, veering off the road and onto the taller rocky ledges at the side which gave them a good view of anyone who''d pass by. Afton hadn''t been paying attention while he was walking and ended up stamping on something that broke under his foot. Looking down, he could see the broken pieces of what looked like an eggshell, aswell as the blood-covered corpse of the eggs not-yet-formed inhabitant. Karl looks over to see what was holding him and his eyes widened, "Shit, Gecko nest! Get your guns out, we''re about to have guests." he says, pulling out his .44 magnum. Afton could hear the thuds of many small feet, they were moving quickly and it was slightly unnerving to not know where they were coming from. He heard a growl behind him and rapidly turned, pointing his Laser pistol at the offending sound and shooting a red beam at the dog-sized lizard with red eyes and grey scales. It''d been running at him on two legs with its forearms raised baring its claws, its mouth was wide open showing many sharp teeth. The red beam stuck it in the face and caused it to flinch in pain, it ended up leaping past Afton and off of the rocky ridge they were standing on. He glanced down and saw it land heavily with a thud, its two legs bending at odd angles as it gave out enraged and pained snarls. While he was distracted with that though, another Gecko ran up and was about to clamp its jaws onto his leg. Afton had heard it and tried to point his gun at it, but wasn''t fast enough... His eyes focussed on the creature as its jaws slowly began to shut on his leg... When suddenly time seemed to freeze. All sound ceased immediately as the attacking Gecko''s head started flashing an amber colour, Afton glanced around and saw that everyone wasn''t moving, Karl as just kicked a Gecko in the face while blowing another''s head off, the blood splatter was frozen mid-air. Suddenly a thought flashed through Afton''s mind, he knew what this was... VATS! The bottom right of his vision he could see the number of action points he had, and when he focussed on the Gecko in-front of him he could select particular things he wanted to target... Unlike in the game, he could choose very specific things like eyes, mouth, or throat. He chooses to fire the maximum amount of shots into the Gecko''s head, the chance was almost at one hundred percent success rate due to how close it was. With that he confirmed the selection and he felt his body start moving on its own. Unfortunately, before he was able to get the first shot off the Gecko managed to clamp down on his leg, though, the pain he was dreading didn''t appear. He simply stood there in a perfect shooting stance and shot two times into its skull, disintegrating a large portion of its head. Once it was dead VATS released its grip on him and he could finally feel where the Gecko had bitten him. It''d bit down on one of the reinforced metal bits of his recon armour, so it hadn''t breached his skin, but the pressure applied to his leg still hurt a good amount. He ignored the pain though as there were more enemies still surrounding them. He focussed on an enemy again and dropped into VATS, allowing him to survey the scene while time was frozen. This wasn''t its intended use, but it was still incredibly broken... Being able to freeze time and come up with a plan during combat would make him an incredibly hard person to fight. He selects the nearest Gecko and uses the rest of his action points on it, unloaded three red beams into it. One misses but the rest strike true, burning a deep hole where one of its eyes used to be. A smaller one charges him but Afton just kicks it under its jaws as hard as he can, his lessons with Veronica hadn''t been in vain, and the satisfying *Crack* of the creature''s neck-breaking had him grinning slightly. The group continued to shoot the small colony of Gecko''s until none remained. Reggie was the only person who''d gotten injured as one had come from behind and taken a bite out of his thigh, his jeans not giving much resistance against the Gecko''s teeth. Afton slowly walked over and was about to start looking at the wound when time froze yet again. He was about to start complaining but the sight before him had his mouth unconsciously closed... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 2] Chapter 62 - A Level Playing Field [WELCOME TO LEVEL 2] Before him was a screen showing all of his skills, he had 13 skill points to spend and struggled to restrain his excitement. It was similar to the feeling you got when you level up in the game, times ten.?? The idea of improving your body, knowledge, and anything else with a click of a button almost had him recklessly spam his points into a random skill. Fortunately, he was able to restrain himself and actually contemplate what he needed to level up. His skills were all relatively fine right now, however, when he thought about what was important in Fallout 3, there was a few things that were better than others. In the game ballistic weapons were separated into two groups, Small Guns and Big Guns. Obviously which one upgraded what depended on the size of the weapon you wished to use. That wasn''t the case here though, Guns was a singular skill encompassing every ballistic weapon available. He was tempted to start putting points into it as he didn''t think he''d find many powerful Energy Weapons outside of the Brotherhood of Steel. As of now he was proficient enough to use most Energy Weapons if it came down to it, so he didn''t know if he wanted to start putting points into it or not... There were other important skills the he probably needed to level, most would consider lockpicking as useless, but in the game there were many, many things that could be opened with it. He had no idea if that''d actually apply to real life as you could usually just shoot the locks off of containers and doors, barring some highly advanced ones like the Brotherhood was using for the bunker. Speech was also important, but he reckoned he could get by with it being a low level for now... Though, he''d level it when he got the chance. He sighed to himself and raised his Guns and Speech both to 35 before confirming it. As this was level 2 he''d be allowed to pick a Perk, you were allowed to pick these every other level, so the next would be level 4. Due to this being level 2 there were only a few Perk available for him to pick. [Confirmed Bachelor] : +10% damage to the same sex and unique dialogue options with certain characters. Afton grimaced slightly at this, it implied that he was homosexual and would be able to take advantage of people using his sexuality... It looked good at first as most enemies he''d encounter would be male, but the fear of the Perk affecting his sexuality made him reject it outright. [Hunter] : In combat, you do 75% more critical damage against animals and mutated animals. He was able to pick this Pekr due to his survival skill being at 30 points. It looked good, but Afton could remember the fact that most dangerous creatures were considered Abominations, not Mutated creatures. [Intense Training] : You can put a single point into any of your SPECIAL attributes. This, was an incredible Perk, one he was going to make use of at higher levels when there weren''t more important Perks to pick. [Lady Killer] : +10% damage to the opposite sex and unique dialogue options with certain characters. Heh, nice. Afton couldn''t help but want this Perk, but rationally it''d do nothing but help his potential sexual encounters, something that wasn''t all that important right now... [Rapid Reload] : All of your weapon reloads are 25% faster than normal. This, was good. Being able to reload faster in the game was amazing, and he wondered how good it''d be in real life where every second counted. This''d be his Perk of choice if nothing else came up. [Retention] : Skill magazines last for 3 real-time minutes. This was utter garbage, no point in even considering it. The skill boost you received from magazines was nice, but you''d usually only need it for things that were just out of your reach, no need to increase the duration. [Swift Learner] : You gain an additional 10% whenever experience points are earned. Afton shook his head at this one, some people would find value in it, but Afton was more akin to a power gamer than anything else. Wasting a Perk point to level up faster was the height of waste in his opinion. In the end, he decided to go with [Rapid Reload] as it''d likely be the best choice. It would be good now when he was relatively weak, and in the future when he''s more powerful. With that, he clicked confirm and time resumed. He almost tripped over himself as he was mid-stride walking towards Reggie to check on his injury. "You drunk or something? Or did you get a little bite like Reggie here?" Tommy mocks after seeing Afton almost trip. Afton shakes his head, "I''m a trained medic, show me the bite and I''ll see if I can do anything about it." he says, surprising the rest of the group. "Huh, only person who knows anything about medicine in Hannigan, and to be honest I don''t trust anything the man says. You got any other tricks up your sleeves kid?" Tommy asks, not having thought Afton would be so talented. Afton shakes his head and opens the backpack filled with the small number of supplies, taking out some some-what clean gauze and dousing it some high-purity alcohol. He cleaned Reggie''s wound and packed the gauze on it before wrapping it up to prevent infection. Reggie didn''t react all that much to the stinging pain having Alcohol applied to a wound brought, and just nodding gratefully at Afton after he''d finished fixing him up. "Thanks Doc." "Don''t mention it, try not to get dirt in the wound and replace the bandages in a couple days, should be good as new." Afton instructs just like how he''d been taught. Chapter 63 - Brah, Gimme A Min. The group doesn''t immediately move after eliminating all the Gecko''s, Karl has them skin the creatures, gut them, and harvest any edible parts. It''s fortunate that Afton levelled up his survival otherwise he''d have no idea how to skin an animal. His 30 points in survival actually forced into his mind what the most nutrition part of the creature would be. As such, he cut the liver and hearts out separately. These actually contained less radiation than the rest of their bodies, which made them for prime eating material.?? The group continued on their way and eventually reached their camp on a ridge, another burnt-out campfire sat there, this wasn''t the first time they''d used this spot for an ambush. Karl started up the fire and immediately started grilling some Gecko over it. You couldn''t go easy on the meat of the creatures out here, you need to almost burn them to kill any parasites that may be inhabiting their flesh. Not to mention the high levels of mutation can often lead to new and peculiar diseases. "Any idea when the NCR caravan is going to come through?" Afton asks as he chews on the slightly charred Gecko heart. Karl shrugs, "Tonight or early tomorrow morning, NCR think we wouldn''t notice them at those times..." he says after finishing Gecko leg and standing up, "Toss me your bag son." Afton tosses the backpack to Karl as the man rifles through it and finds some sort of cord? No, looking at it closer it resembles the fuses that top sticks of dynamite... Huh. Karl has Afton hold it as he starts to unfurl it while walking down the ridge, he started to wonder how they had so much but realises that they''d most likely gotten it from the miners in Sloan, they couldn''t very well light the dynamite and chuck it where it needed to be. The man continues this until he reaches the middle of the road, pulling out three sticks of dynamite and tying their fuses together before stuffing them into one of the cracks in the road. He follows this up by kicking dirt over them and the black fuse that was clearly visible. He did a good enough job as you''d definitely not notice it unless you knew about it beforehand. Afton was pretty impressed to be honest, he hadn''t expected any of the Powder Gangers to be this... Professional. Once Karl gets back he looks at the group, "The fuse''ll take about a minute to reach the payload, if you spot the caravan make sure to light it early, taking out their brahmin will prevent them from runnin'', as well as securing whatever they have on ''em." he explains. "Sounds like a plan, hear bang, and shoot ''em up." Tommy confirms cockily. And so the waiting began, everyone was given shifts to keep watch during the night, couldn''t attack an NCR caravan without being fully rested after all. Plus, they didn''t know when it''d actually be coming, for all they knew they''d be waiting an extra few days due to some delay. It was the dead of night and they''d killed the campfire to prevent being spotted, Afton had put his blue NCRCF jacket over his recon armour as the temperature had dropped quite a lot. His watch was almost over when he spotted some movement down the road, a caravan. They didn''t have any lights as they knew they were walking through Powder Ganger territory, unfortunately for them that wouldn''t be enough. He quickly woke everyone up and gestured towards it, using VATS to target everyone and count their numbers... Eight people, seven looked to be ordinary grunt soldiers wearing something similar to what you''d see the American army wearing in the middle east, or at least, that''s what Afton thought. Each had had similar-looking rifles in their hands and were walking either side of the two brahmin that had huge packs strapped to them. The one remaining person was wearing dirty almost block metal upper body armour with a similar colour helmet. It only protected his shoulders as his arms were vulnerable from his biceps to his hands. He had some sort of revolver strapped to his hip and lead the brahmin, probably the guy who owned them... Afton looked to Karl who nodded, he lit the fuse when he judged the group with be over the trap, letting the fuse fall to the floor as it sparked to life. Fortunately, it''d continued burning even while smothered by dirt, the NCR wouldn''t see this coming. "Get rid of the one in combat armour first, probably the most dangerous one of their group... Other than that, stay in cover while the grunts waste their ammo like they were trained to do." he says almost mockingly. "I''m itching to kill these fuckers, come on, walk faster you pricks." Tommy says as he cocks the hammer on his .357 revolver. ... ... The group continue to wait, the man in combat armour had just stepped directly under where they''d buried the dynamite... *BOOM!* An explosion erupts and killed the one in combat armour almost instantly, his legs flying off in different directions as the armour that was to protect him turned to shrapnel and penetrated his body. The brahmin closest to him had one of its legs blown off, it gave a loud squeel as it fell to the floor, uselessly trying to get up to run by failing miserably. The one behind it wasn''t all that injured, just a few cuts from shrapnel, it turned to but a *Bang!* rung out through the area, Karl was standing on the ridge and had just fired his .44 Magnum, hitting the brahmin in the leg and causing it to fall to the floor with the other. The NCR grunts who''d been knocked over by the shockwave quickly shook off their surprise and started firing their rifles at Karl who dipped back into cover. Chapter 64 - Books Are Best The firefight was six verses seven in the enemies favour, though, the NCR grunts were slightly disorientated from the recent explosion. Afton wasn''t worried about their chances though, NCR recruits are typically undertrained and given poor equipment. This is clearly shown by the way they are shooting randomly in the groups direction. At the rate they were going, it was obvious they''d run out of ammunition soon.?? He peaked his head over and used VATS to memorise the enemies position before firing a few shots at them. A bright red beam left his laser pistol and struck one of the NCR in the chest, leaving a large black mark where it''d hit. They staggered momentarily but hid behind one of the dead brahmin and continued firing. Most of the enemies attention was on Afton''s position now as Energy Weapons weren''t known for being covert. This did allow the others to start encroaching on the enemies position though, Tommy and Reggie went opposite directions to get a clear flank on the NCR hiding behind the brahmin. Karl stood for a moment and fired a single round, and Afton could see the bullet enter a soldiers skull and causing it to implode like a ripe watermelon. Clearly, Karl wasn''t someone you wanted to mess with, judging by the fact he''d never seen the man miss a single shot, he must have some serious training. That, or a lot of experience. "Judi! They killed her!" one of the NCR shout, their voice barely making it over the sound of gunfire. Afton took their momentary distraction to pop a shot into their temple, turning part of their head to ash as they drop to the floor lifelessly. The more the fighting continued the more demoralised the enemy was becoming... They''d only received basic training, and seeing the people you''d become close with drop like flies must''ve been terribly frightening... That''s probably the reason they tried to make a run for it. Powder Gangers weren''t known for being merciful towards the NCR however, bullets rained down on them and Tommy ended up tackling one of the soldiers to the ground, throwing their rifle away and pressing the barrel of his revolver against their forehead. With all the other soldiers dead Afton ran up to Tommy with his Pipboy light on, it illuminated the area, and showed what Tommy''s true intentions were... The soldier he was currently holding down looked to be a young woman, judging by her expression, she was absolutely terrified. "Fuckin'' NCR whore, I''ll show you what we do to you lot when you come down here." he growls, trying to undress the woman as she begs him to stop. Afton''s about to step in when Karl walks over and kicks Tommy in the face, he could hear the crack of the to-be-rapists nose being broken as they roll onto their back. The woman looks up at Karl with hope in her eyes, "Th-Thank you si-"*BANG!* He shoots her through the forehead, killing her before she''d even finished thanking him... Afton hated to admit he was slightly shaken by the brutality of it. Sure, he''d fought and killed, but to be able to look into someone''s eye like that and end their life is... He couldn''t really imagine it. Tommy slowly gets up while holding his now broken nose, "WHAT THE FUCK KARL!" he roars, whether or not it was because the man ruined his fun, or broke his nose was unknown to Afton. Karl briskly walks over to Tommy with a fierce look he''d not seen the man have before, "You listen here Douglas." he prods the man in the chest with his .44 Magnum, "You try and pull that shit again, I''ll blow your head off your shoulders as well. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" he exclaims, cold fury clear in his eyes. Afton could see Tommy try to act tough, but the stuttering way he gulped saliva made it obvious he was about to piss himself. The man slowly nods but didn''t dare look Karl in the eye, "Yeah... I got you." The two men separate, Karl walking back to the camp with a scowl on his face and canteen of whisky in his hand. The rest of the group rifling through the supplies had on them. Afton reluctantly helps set Tommy''s nose, packing it with balled up bandages before fixing it in place with a makeshift splint. His nose would probably come out crooked, but he probably deserved it for what he was trying to do. The dead soldiers were stripped of their gear, seven "Service Rifles" were recovered as well as their bloody and damaged uniforms. Unfortunately, they seem to have used most of their ammo, so not much to find there. The leader''s combat armour was entirely destroyed, unless Afton wanted to go looking for the shards of it littered around in a two hundred-meter radius and welded it all back together, there''d be no point. Afton did recover the man''s revolver though, a .357 like Tommy''s... The only problem was it had been heavily damaged from the explosion earlier... He''d probably be able to repair it, but it might take a while to find materials for it. He made sure to collect their Dogtags, despite them being NCR, he still regretted that they had to be killed. As a sort of repentance, he''d keep their tags as a way to remember those he''d had to harm in order to achieve his goals. The brahmin themselves had quite a lot of loot on them, a couple months worth of food, water, ammunition... There was a book as well, Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor? Afton picked it up but was surprised when it turned to ash in his hands. [Barter +3] ... His barter just got raised to 18, the small flood of knowledge expanded what he knew about the worth of general items, and the base price purified water would go for, depending on the location it could go from 5 to 15 caps... Huh, so these books are like the Bobbleheads in Fallout 3? He''d have to keep an eye out for them, though, with the way the book turned to ash in his hand, he would have to be careful where he did it and who was watching. Chapter 65 - Heartache By The Fire Once the group was done looting they''d been left with a small pile of stuff, it was a relatively good haul and would take some effort getting all of it back to the prison. Unfortunately, there weren''t all that many caps being carried, probably due to this being a resupply run instead of a regular trading caravan. Afton was left with a measly 50 caps, it was an equal split from the whole group, but it wouldn''t surprise him if he was getting the short end of the stick.?? Glancing at the group he could see them bad mouthing Karl as they tied everything together to make it easier to carry. Afton shook his head and turned to something they''d missed... The brahmin themselves. He wasn''t an expert, but his boost in the survival skill allowed him to now generally how to butcher the creature. They weren''t in all that great a condition due to the explosion and subsequent gun fight, but they were big enough to supply enough meat for the group to eat for half a week or so. Afton covered the meat in some leftover cloth and tied it tight to prevent sand from getting on it, carrying it and his now supply stuffed backpack back to camp where Karl already had the campfire going. The man sipped the canteen with a forlorn and regretful expression on his face, one hand rested on the revolver that was strapped at his side, the others probably wouldn''t be back for a while as they seemed content badmouthing Karl amongst the corpses. "You alright?" Afton asks, sitting on some scrap metal that''d been used as a makeshift seat. Karl shrugs, "Yee-ep" he mutters, taking another swig. Afton just shakes his head and spears a couple of brahmin steaks before laying them above the fire. They were basically just tougher, larger, beef steaks. "Tommy ever tried that before?" he asks, not knowing the history between the men. The grizzled man slowly nods, "Yeah, in the past. Thought I''d knocked that outta him the last time though." "Apparently not... I didn''t know if you were okay with that sorta thing, I was about to step in myself." Afton admits. "You''re a kind boy, most in our posse wouldn''t think twice before enjoyin'' themselves. I used to lead a bigger group, but after I killed some of them for havin'' a ''go'' at some civilians most just left. Tommy''s the only one who stayed. I don''t think you belong in the Powder Gangers if I''m honest, boy. You''ve killed, but you''re not a killer." he states as he eyes the fat dripping from the brahmin steaks. Afton slowly nods, he understood the gist of what he trying to say, but most of it just went over his head, "So, what''s the deal with you Karl? Wouldn''t have thought a prison-escapee would have morales." he asks after a moment of silence. "Yeah, I don''t know either son. This is just how it ended up, didn''t do nothin'' to stop it... Just counting the days til'' I get unlucky and get buried." he says apathetically. "What''d you do before getting jailed? You''re a good shot, so it must''ve been something interesting." Karl snorts, "Interesting? Yeah, that''s one way of looking at it. I was a specialist, that''s all you need ''ta know." he states. Afton wants to pursue this further but the sounds of the others returning had him hold his tongue. After seeing what Tommy had intended to do to that woman he knew he''d rather not get too friendly with them. Tommy walks through and spots the brahmin steaks cooking, he''s about to take one when Afton grabs his hand, "Fuck ''d''you want newboy?" Afton glares at him, "That''s mine, cook your own if you''re hungry." he states and takes the steak just as Karl takes the other. Tommy looks between the duo with a scowl and reluctantly pulls out the rest of the Gecko meat to cook, clearly he hadn''t noticed the fact that Afton still had a large amount of brahmin meat left in his pack. The night passed uneventfully and the group made their way back to the prison in the morning. The others in the group were keeping their distance from Karl and occasionally sending hostile glances at him. Afton thought it was stupid to hold a grudge against a man for stopping you from doing something unquestioningly vile. Regardless, people like Tommy wouldn''t like authority, no matter if it was from the NCR, or Karl. Once they made it back to the NCRCF facility Afton was surprised to see something in the top left corner of his vision. [Quest Complete: Supplied And Supplanted] *Dun dun* [WELCOME TO LEVEL 3] The skill screen appeared before him as time froze, this wasn''t an even level so he wouldn''t be receiving a Perk, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t happy with the skill points. He had 13 to spend and simply put them all in Guns. Other skills could wait, he''d max out Guns and then move into something else. From the earlier firefight with the NCR supply caravan, he could see that Energy Weapons had their advantages and disadvantages. He knew he''d likely be on his own in future, so drawing attention towards himself with bright red laser beams, or large green plasma projectiles wouldn''t end well. It was probably better to just find a quiet ballistic weapon with a silencer, picking groups off from a distance. It''d allow him to deal with large groups on his own without risking his life in every skirmish. His skill changed from 35 to 48, and new knowledge flooded his mind. Breathing methods to increase your accuracy while shooting, stances, and knowledge of how much kick certain weapons gave ingrained itself in his mind. He gives his status one last glance before confirming the selection. Afton Parker Level : 3 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 7 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 7 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 18 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 48 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 40 Melee Weapons : 38 Repair : 41 Science : 41 Sneak : 20 Speech : 35 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 30 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload] Chapter 66 - Playing Doctor Time resumed again and Afton wondered why he''d not received a quest notification... Perhaps he''d turned it off in the settings? It would''ve made sense as the quest finished when they delivered the supplies. Regardless they gave most of the supplies to one of the guys under Eddie, the group was given 50 caps each for their troubles, definitely not worth the supplies but it was more a consolation for not running off with the supplies themselves.?? Again the group split apart and did their own thing, they probably wouldn''t go out for another ambush for a while, the supplies they brought back were better than what most of the other groups had managed, so they decided to take a break for a while. Afton was given a bed in one of the cell blocks, they''d all been converted into relatively comfortable quarters, and the locks had all been dismantled to stop people from accidentally locking themselves inside... And yes, that''d apparently happened before. Most people ignored Afton or were completely indifferent to him, this quickly changed though when people found out that he was quite proficient with medicine. Tommy or someone else in the group had apparently been talking about him, and his skills in the area had come up. Hannigan was more than happy to have another versed in medicine around, as he''d usually be forced to deal with any injuries people suffered. He was barely suited to be a combat medic, so anything that needed a more experienced was way over his head. Afton accepted the temporary role as it was actually a pretty good way of making money, people would pay anything he asked depending on how much pain they were in, and he wasn''t adversed to ripping off these people after hearing what Karl had to say about them. Most of the time people came trying to buy chems, more specifically Jet, Psycho, and Mentats. Eddie had most chems locked away, only to be used by himself, and anyone who actually needed them. It was a common sight to see guys trying to lie to Afton or Hannigan about their symptoms or injuries in an attempt to get chems. The latter sold small amounts as to not alert Eddie, but now that Afton was here the man hadn''t attempted to go over Eddie''s head again. Afton sighed at the man on the table who had his mouth wide open. "Sorry, but have you ever heard of a toothbrush?" he asks in exasperation, the question was rhetorical as toothbrushes and toothpaste weren''t all that hard to come across. The NCR made sure to distribute proper hygiene tools amongst their soldiers, and the Powder Gangers definitely had a big enough stockpile for everyone to keep their teeth from rotting. The man snorts, "Fuck off Doc, can you help or not? I''m dyin'' here." Afton nods, "Yeah, I know, your back molar''s pulp is infected." he states as if it were obvious. "The hell''s that mean?" his patient asks. Afton glances behind him at the tools he had at his disposal, "Means I''m gonna have to remove it before you start getting other problems." he says as he pulls out a relatively clean looking pair of pliers. The man''s eyes widen at the tool, its almost comical to see a hardened criminal getting scared at a regular dental procedure. Afton knew this man was among the worst of the worst, ****, murder, torture, nothing bothered him. "Can you knock me out for this Doc?" he quickly asks, his eyes locked on the pliers. Afton could probably knock him out for the procedure, but he wanted to man to suffer some pain, not only would it allow the man to reconsider not brushing his teeth, but it''d be Afton''s retribution for what the man had done to innocents. He shakes his head, "Sorry, but the pyroclastic kinesthetic polystyrene would be disturbed by any painkillers, you need to be awake for this to work as well." he lies through his teeth with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. The man shivers slightly before trying to get up, "I... I think I''ll leave it for now-" Afton interrupts him, "You might die if you leave it, the infection will spread and your mouth will start rotting." he states calmly, "If you''re afraid I can ask one of your friends to hold your hand if you want?" "What!? No way, that''s fuckin'' gay! I''m not like that... Fuck it, just do it as fast as you can Doc." he says before laying back down on the table. Afton turns and grins so the man couldn''t see his reaction, "Alright." he says, schooling his features and grabbing some things to clamp the man''s mouth open. They were directly under the room''s light so he could clearly see inside the man''s mouth. He went in and grabbed a tooth with the plier, squeezing it tight and wrenching it backwards.. He knew he could be a little gentler and slowly wiggle the tooth free, but where''s the fun in that? "YIIIIAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the man screamed like a little girl, the people outside the room paling at the sound. Afton continued until one tooth was removed... Though, it wasn''t the infected tooth... "That''s one done, now for the other... You''re lucky you came to me, the infection had already spread to another tooth, I''ll be able to save the others though." he says, glancing at the healthy tooth he''d just pulled out with mirth. Afton plugged the hole in the man''s gums with cotton as he moved onto the actual infected tooth. Eventually pulling that one as well. *Tink* He dropped the tooth into the metal container, glancing at his now pale, shivering, and sickly-looking patient. Tears were streams down his face as he looked up at the ceiling almost catatonic in pain. "Well, you''re done, good job. You''ve already paid so you can be on your way now... Or, if you want to just lie here for a while that fine too." Afton says as he leaves the room. [Perk Gained: Torture Techniques] [Torture Techniques] : Knowledge of how to cause as much pain as possible, +10% success rate when torturing. Afton eyes the notification for a moment before shrugging, "Huh, neat." Chapter 67 - I Came, For A Fuckin Shootout! It wasn''t long before people learned to only come to Afton if you were dying or dead. Those that''d received his services swore to never return again. This was unexpectedly a boon as the Powder Gangers were now determined to stay healthy to avoid him. Even the most unhygienic picked up a toothbrush every now and then, of course, showers were out of the question due to water being hard enough to come by as it is. Though, with the land being so dry the only thing that sullied their clothes was dust and blood.?? Supplies were still a problem in the prison, there hadn''t been another NCR caravan since the one that was heading for Sloan, and the group saw to it at they didn''t make it to their destination. The lack of food and water had some people already jumping ship and trying to create their own gangs. Eddie had already sent out a couple of people to deal with these troublemakers, but everyone who went either died or came back empty-handed. Seeing no other option, he turned to Karl for help. This is where Afton found himself, sitting at the bar with Karl as the man looked around in irritation for Tommy and the rest of the guys. No one had seen them anywhere, and the duo was wondering if they''d left too. Regardless, after a day of looking and not finding them, Karl had given up. Wherever they were, they better not show up in front of him otherwise they were getting a smack, or perhaps even a bullet. In the end, Karl and Afton left without the others, the latter was wary of trying to apprehend the rogue gang members with just two people, but Karl shrugged him off while telling him it was fine. "So, who''re we going after anyway?" Afton asks as the tread over a sandy hill. "Some guy named Chavez, just up and left with his posse and started raiding civilian caravans in our territory. We''ll probably have to put him down." Karl says simply. "Think we''ll be able to take them? He''s got a whole gang behind him and its just us two..." Karl shrugs, "We''ll manage, I''ve already got a plan brewin''." The duo walk for a couple of hours between the places Chivez and his gang were last seen, eventually spotting the group making camp under some derailed train cargo. They hadn''t noticed Karl or Afton yet as they were using a ridge for cover, Afton didn''t really know how they were going to deal with the gang... There were five people, all with guns strapped to their sides and harsh looks on their faces. "What now?" Afton asks, glancing at Karl while already fingering his Laser pistol. Karl gives a sly smile and nods at them, "You go talk to ''em and keep them distracted, I''ll circle round and flank ''em." ... "Do you want me dead or something? How''d you know they won''t just start shooting at me?" he asks in disbelief. "I know these fellers, they ain''t ones to fire first, ''specially if you''re wearin'' that jacket." Karl remarks, gesturing towards the Powder Ganger jacket Afton had tied around his waist. "You''ll be fine kid, if you think you''re in trouble just spit at the floor, that''ll be the signal for me to start shooting." he says. Afton just shakes his head and sighs, "Fine, but I get first dibs on the loot." he says before beginning to walk over to the gang. They don''t notice him until he was halfway there, they all immediately stand and start fingering their weapons. Afton keeps his stride, posture, and expression relaxed as to not cause a firefight. "Hold up there boy, what''s a fellow Ganger want with us?" one of the men asks aggressively. "Man, shut your mouth, don''t you know who this is?" another who seems to have Mexican heritage cuts in and Afton''s eyes widen at them. "You?" he asks, having not expected one of his patients to turn up in this situation... "Yeah Doc, you remember me? You must''ve, ripping out someone''s teeth ain''t somethin'' you forget easily." the Mexican man with the almost stereo-typical moustache says. "So what you here for, boy?" Afton glances at the men who seem to have relaxed slightly at the revalation, "I''m looking for a man named Chivez." he says, causing the Mexican man to tense up. "I''m Chivez, don''t tell me they sent you out here to die like the others? Killin'' my saviour ain''t something I''m partial to." he admits. with a frown. Afton slowly shakes his head, "Eddie just wanted me to tell you all to rejoin the group, you''re raiding in our territory after all." he explains. "Yeah, I heard this song and dance before, the others who asked are all dead..." he says, tension in the air rising yet again at the veiled threat. "I don''t really care if you come back or not, I''ll just tell Eddie what I heard and he''ll do what needs to be done later... Just consider me the messenger boy." Afton says, cold sweat starting to form on the back of his neck. Chivez scowls, "What if I don''t want Eddie to hear from us?" he says, looking ready to draw on Afton at any moment. "Then we''ll be at an impasse." Afton says, spitting on the floor as naturally as he can manage, feeling like some kind of 1960''s cowboy. "I think its time for us to partways boy, cuz you ain''t leavin'' this-" *BANG!* Suddenly a gunshot echoed through the area, Chivez head exploding into red mist mid sentence. His body drops to the floor lifelessly as the others quickly look around for where the shot had come from. Afton was in VATS as soon as he heard the gunshot, of the four surviving men, only one seemed to be drawing their gun while looking at him... He selected the man''s chest and used all of his Action Points on it. Afton''s body moved on its own, drawing his Laser pistol so fast it seemed inhuman, two laser beams hit the man''s chest causing him to stumble, the third just missing. Chapter 68 - Bullet For A Bullet The laser beams left black marks on the man''s chest, his clothing scorched away leaving blackened flesh behind. He wasn''t dead though, he still attempted to raise his gun, Afton''s VATS wasn''t over though. *PEW, PEW, PEW, PEW*?? With a good deal of his chest turned to ash, the man dropped to the floor lifelessly. Afton uses VATS again to survey the area, the remaining three gang members were all shooting up towards the top of the derailed cargo train, Afton was able to get a glimpse of Karl''s Stenton cowboy hat as a bullet whizzed over it, the man frozen in time as he was dropping into cover. He takes a good long look at the enemy before releasing VATS, he was out of action points and would have to do this manually. *PEW, PEW, PEW* He begins firing away, some missing while others hit non-vital area''s. He drips behind a large rock for cover as the gang members turn towards him. The sound of bullets whizzing past as they try their hardest to hit him or Karl. Karl isn''t able to get anymore shots off as they continually fire at his position, Afton did his best to draw their attention away but one of the enemies was able to keep him suppressed by firing non-stop with their 9mm pistol. Soon enough they stop shooting at Karl''s position and start advancing on Afton, two sprint up in attempt to catch him off guard and put a bullet in his skull. Afton fires a couple shots off as they advanced, hitting one in the chest and causing him to fall backwards. As the other gets close he lunges at them, pushing their 9mm away, causing them to pull the trigger and fire into the air uselessly. A punch hits Afton''s stomach and causes him to drop his weapon, but he retaliates with a headbutt, using the distraction to grab their gun with both hands and force them to release it. *BANG!* The trademark sound of Karl''s gun going off seals the fate of another former-Powder Ganger. The man currently wrestling with Afton reaching behind him and pulls out a rusty-looking kitchen knife, attempting to plunge it into his gut. Afton bends forwards while locking the man''s arm in place, barely stopping the knife from piercing his stomach, he sweeps the man''s leg and slams the man''s arm against his knee, completely dislocating the elbow as a loud *Crack!* sounds out. Picking up the knife Afton thrusts it into the man''s throat, finally ending their life. He takes a moment to recover but doesn''t realise there is one guy left... He hears the sound of a gun being cocked and looks up, spotting the man he''d hit earlier with his Laser pistol pointing a revolver at him. *BANG!**BANG!* Two gun shots go off, one killing the last gang member and the other sending a bullet through Afton''s shoulder. He falls onto his back as blood gushes from the wound, momentarily thinking about ignoring it and bleeding out. The sound of feet running on sand can be heard and Karl leans next to him with a worried look, "You alright kid?!" he quickly asks, looking at the hole in his recon armour that''s slowly straining red with blood. "... Probably?" he mutters semi-sarcastically. Karl breaths a sigh of relief and sits him up, "Alright kid, let''s get you fixed up. Can''t have you losin'' too much blood, we still need to carry all this stuff back." he says as he unclasps and unzips the recon armour to gain access to the injury. Afton groans, in pain, "Is the bullet still in me?" he asks, not able to see if he has an exit wound on his back. Karl shakes his head, "We''ll take it out when we get back." he says as he wraps Afton''s arm up after cleaning it with alcohol. They slowly begin looting the area, finding a good amount of ammo and food, not much water but that''s to be expected. They pack up all the weaponry the gang members had on them and loot the corpses, finding a good amount of caps that they split in between each other. The feeling of a hundred caps sitting in his pocket almost outweighs the pain pulsing from his shoulder. Karl packs up the bloodied NCRCF uniforms belonging to the gang members and they head back. Chivez head had exploded so they''d use the uniforms as proof of his death, isn''t much else they could do besides that. Eddie knew Karl wouldn''t lie about something like this either. Afton fingered the new .357 revolver on his hip, unlike the last one he''d found, this one hadn''t been damaged by an explosion. It was in relatively good condition, and he was going to use the better condition parts from the damaged one to improve this one. He played the New Vegas Radio on his Pipboy as they walked back to the prison, enjoying the old songs he''d never heard before. Though, after an hour he could already tell that the radio station didn''t have many songs available, the same songs having already been played a few times over... Once back Karl immediately left to tell Eddie that Chivez had been dealt with. Afton took a seat where he usually operated on people who needed it, applying pressure to his shoulder that was still thrumming with pain. He took out some MED X and injected it into his shoulder, the powerful painkiller causing him to sigh as the pain washed away. He unwrapped the bandages and started going through his wound with a pair of sterilized tweezers, looking around for the bullet that was presumably still lodged in his body. Blood gushed from his body and he was having no luck, he wasn''t good enough with medicine yet to get a bullet out of himself, so he just stuffed some gauze into it and waited for Karl, the man said he''d do it when they got back so hopefully he''d know what he was doing. Time froze abruptly and Afton was confused to see the notification, [WELCOME TO LEVEL 4] Chapter 69 - Day Drinking [WELCOME TO LEVEL 4] ...?? Hm, Karl must''ve spoken to Eddie which would have completed the quest. It''s rather interesting that someone else can complete the quest for you, but Afton didn''t know if Karl was technically his companion... Maybe it didn''t matter and he could have anyone complete a quest for him, along as he was involved he''d get the exp right? Regardless he had some skill points to use, he decided to continue his current path in maxing out Guns, putting all his skill points into it before moving onto Perks. The selection had changed, new Perks were now available due to his level having risen. He''d definitely not be taking the first one though. [Cannibal] : When you''re in Sneak mode, you gain the option to eat a human corpse to regain hit points, but lose Karma... Yeah, whether or not this Perk was good, it didn''t matter... This wasn''t a game and he''d literally be forced to sink his teeth into human flesh to make use of it. Fuck that. [Comprehension] : You gain one additional skill point for reading books and double the skill points for reading magazines. Good, but he didn''t know how many skill books actually existed in the wasteland. [Educated] : You gain two more skill points every time you advance in level. This, was a must pick. 2 extra skill points over 46 levels was 92 extra skill points, almost enough to max out a skill. [Run''n Gun] : Halved spread with one-handed ranged weapons while walking or running. In the game this might seem relatively normal, not something to write home about, but in real life being able to sprint and fire accurately could potentially make you a very dangerous opponent. All in all, picking the Perk he wanted wasn''t difficult, [Educated] simply brought along too many bonuses for him to ignore. He selected and confirmed it, causing time to begin again, the pain the dull pain suppressed by the MED X making itself known. Afton Parker Level : 4 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 7 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 7 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 18 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 61 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 40 Melee Weapons : 38 Repair : 41 Science : 41 Sneak : 20 Speech : 35 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 30 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated] Soon enough Karl came by with a bag of caps and tossed them into a nearby chair before sitting next to him, "Alright, let''s see what I can do with this." he mutters as he begins examining the wound. It seemed like he knew what he was doing, why he''d never considered treating the other Gang Members Afton didn''t know. Karl eventually got some tweezers and start rummaging around his wound, nodding to himself as he begins pulling something out of his wound. The deformed lead of the bullet that''d shot him was dropped into a metal container that was now stained with blood. "That''ll do ya, just try not to get shot again." he jokes as he wipes the blood from his hands. Afton just shakes his head at the man, "Yeah, I''ll try to keep that in mind next time you come up with a plan." Karl snorts, "That bullet ain''t my fault, you let your guard down and paid for it, I''m not your babysitter... Speaking of which, let''s grab a drink, we''ve earned it at least." "Err, I''ve just injected some MED X, I''m not sure drinking would-" "Son, I''ve been on MED X, Psycho, Jet, and a whole manner of other chems while day drinking, you''ll be fine, trust me... Now let''s get, I''m of this room, it smells of blood." he says before leaving. Afton just shrugs and puts his clothes back on, ignoring the fact that they''re slightly damp from his own blood, following Karl to the bar and drinking the rest of the day away. Elsewhere : Lieutenant Hayes had just received some aggravating reports, the supplies that''d passed through the area they''d set up outside Primm had all but been destroyed. Sloan hadn''t received anything and the workers there were beginning to get antsy, they weren''t getting paid right now, and if the NCR couldn''t even provide them with food or water, then what good were they? Not to mention the unfortunate soldiers who''d been charged with protecting the caravan... The report stated that they were all dead, likely at the hand of the nearby Powder Gangers. He rubs his face, first the Legion and now this? He didn''t think this situation could get any worse. A soldier wearing the typical NCR uniform strolled into his military tent and saluted him, "Sir!" He didn''t feel like dealing with NCR procedure right now and simply waved his hand at them, "At ease. Got something for me?" The soldier nodded, "Civilian caravans have started being attacked, I saw the remains and... If we find the bastards that did this I''ll shoot ''em dead." the growl. Hayes raises a brow, "What''s got your hackles up soldier? Isn''t the first time a civilian caravan has been raided." he inquires slightly callously. They nod, "The "Civilian caravan", wasn''t actually a caravan... It was just a family heading from one side of the Mojave to another, the men and children were killed, and the women..." he doesn''t continue, both already knowing what fate awaits women who''re put in that situation. Hayes sighs, "Any leads?" "Yes... Whoever is doing this are restricting themselves to a certain area, we could send a patrol to ambush them." ... "What''re their numbers?" The soldier shrugs, "Its a small group, three to seven at most, we''re more than enough to handle them." he says while sending an imploring look at his commander. Hayes sighs, "Fine, organise your squad and debrief them on the mission. Try and be quick about it, no clue when the Escapee''s in Primm will attempt something." he says. The soldier salutes him and leaves, an eager look on their face. Chapter 70 - The Line Days trundle on and Afton was beginning to question why he was still with the Powder Gangers. Sure, they''d saved his ass when he was attacked by a deathclaw, but the way they operate and act just didn''t sit right with him. The only reason he was still here was due to Karl, he respected the man, not just for his morals, but his skill as well. Afton didn''t doubt that he was one of the best fighters in the whole facility, even Scrambler seemed to be wary of him.?? Not everything was sunshine and rainbows though, he and Karl hadn''t seen hide nor hair of Tommy or the others for a while now. Previously they thought the guys had just left for some miscellaneous things, but now even Eddie was starting to ask questions. Afton knew whatever they were doing couldn''t be good... A few days later after Eddie''s initial inquiry, he basically ordered him and Karl to bring them back to see what they were doing. Their efficiency when dealing with Chavez and relationship with the group meant that they were the most suited to dealing with them. Afton couldn''t help but feel this would only end in another shootout, though, he could see that Karl didn''t care much if events went that way. Atleast he didn''t come away empty-handed when he was called to speak with Eddie about the plan... He wondered if the chem''d up man would notice his Lying, Congressional Style skill book had gone missing. The book had vanished into ash-like particles when he''d touched it, so it''d be almost impossible to pin its theft on him. Just before he and Karl were about to leave to look for Tommy and the others, he checked his Pipboy to see if there were any quests on it. And, as it might happen, it does. [Retrieve Tommy''s Gang] ... Tommy''s gang? So he had ditched them and gone off to do his own thing... He glances at Karl with a pensive look, "Chances this''ll be another firefight?" he questions. Karl shrugs, "A coin toss, whether or not we fire first will depend on how Tommy''s been conductin'' himself." he states, getting a small nod from Afton. The duo head out yet again, though this time they didn''t have an accurate idea of where they''d be going... Instead just wandering around the general area where Tommy was thought to be in. They run across a pack or two of molerats, but they''re easily dispatched by the duo. Neither wanted to try eating them so they just left the corpses for other creatures to feast on. Two days after they''d left the NCRCF they noticed a small plume of black smoke over in the distance, the setting sun turning the sky orange and making it incredibly easy to spot... Whoever it was either wanted to be discovered or didn''t know any better. "Tommy?" Afton stated in slight exasperation. "Tommy." Karl nodded in confirmation as if he had a sixth sense. They started heading over, making sure not to get spotted by whoever was causing the smoke, Afton touched the two guns resting at his hip, the well-maintained Laser pistol and .357 Revolver were already loaded and ready for use. Afton had done some practice with dual-wielding them with VATS activated, both were apparently treated as independent weapons, neither losing accuracy but both requiring action points to fire. This essentially doubled his fire rate at the cost of action points. The sun had almost set when they came across the destroyed caravan, Tommy, Reggie, Louis, and Blank were standing around idly. The dead pack brahmin had already been looted and a few bodies could be seen strewn about the place. Though, they''d have to get closer to see the condition of them. Afton sighs, "Well, hopefully it was an NCR caravan... Gotta plan?" he asks the old man. Karl slowly nods, "I think we are owed an explanation, we''ll approach from the south, see that boulder there? That''ll be our cover is shit hits the fan... Let''s try get through this in one piece, I doubt we''ll all be leaving this alive." he says ominously as they circle around to approach the group from the south. They pass the boulder Karl wanted to use as cover just as the others spot them. "Hold up, Karl? Afton?" he shouts, grabbing the others attention. The duo stop and Karl nods, "Yee-ep, didn''t think to invite us along?" he questions. Tommy, Louis, and Blank walk up, the former scowling at them, "What good are a couple of squares out here? You wouldn''t like how I operate Karl, you best just be leavin''." he threatens. Afton''s nose twitches as the smell of blood, and he gets a glimpse of a small figure lying in the sand. It seems Karl noticed this as well... He walks past Tommy, pushing his shoulder away as he slowly walks towards the corpses. Afton could see Karls hands gripped so tight that they were turning white, he walked over to see what the problem was and almost immediately started going red with indignant fury. There, laying almost peacefully in the sand was the body of a child. It was difficult to see their gender due to the bullet holes littering their head, but judging by the long hair it''d been a young girl. Nearby was a male corpse, it had more bullet wounds than the child and was somehow still gripping their shotgun, even in death. Lastly... Was the body of a woman, apparently, Tommy and the others had decided to have their fun with them before they shot her. There were no NCR uniforms in sight, and the presence of a child meant that his was definitely not an NCR caravan. Afton was about to turn to see what Karl wanted to do when, *BANG!*. Karl''s .44 Magnum went off and struck Louis in the chest as he ran up and pistol-whipped Reggie in the face. His expression was almost scary, the rage he was displaying now almost had Afton take a step back, though, when he remembered that bullets would start flying he activated VATS. Chapter 71 - I Fought The Law... Time froze and Afton took a moment to collect himself, his mind was racing and he was flustered about what to do. He''d thought that Karl would at least give a warning before he started shooting, but perhaps not... The scene they''d be presented with had clearly struck a nerve on the man. Louis was probably dead, getting hit in the chest at point-blank by a .44 Magnum would spell the end for most people. Afton could see Reggie falling to the ground after Karl had pistol-whipped him, his jaw moving at an awkward angle which meant it''d probably been broken.?? Tommy had his hand on his revolver and was about to draw it on Karl, lastly Blank was about to throw the can of beans he''d been eating at Afton himself. Without much else to do, he selected Tommy and put all his action points towards shooting the man in the chest, it was the biggest target with the highest chance of success, any hit would likely cause the man to miss any shot he made towards Karl. Blank would be coming right for Afton afterwards, so he needed to refocus on the ape-like man once his VATS was done. Mentally nodding to himself, he confirmed his selection, Laser pistol and Revolver quickly being pulled from their make-shift holsters and pointing at Tommy. *PEW*BANG!*PEW*BANG!* They both fire simultaneously, six shots sound out but only three hit their mark. Two bullets and one laser beam, this was enough however, Tommy fumbled with his gun and managed to drop it before falling onto his back, the wounds he''d sustained would likely be fatal. Afton ducked immediately after VATS had ended, a can of half-eaten beans flew over his head and Blank was drawing his gun to fire at him. Afton made a few poorly aimed shots towards the man, a laser beam hitting his gun and causing it to fly off behind him. Blank gave an almost animalistic roar and sprinted towards him with fists bared, Afton''s Revolver was empty, but his Laser pistol still had some ammo in it. He fired a couple times but the black scorch marks given by the beams didn''t impede the man. As they approached Afton threw a kick at their head, he''d had to jump to connect it and subsequently fell on the floor afterwards. Blank stumbled momentarily at the surprising attack, a few more laser beams hit him in the chest as Afton fired from the floor. His clothing had already been destroyed, scorched black flesh was visible on Blank, it was clearly very, very painful. Afton fired a couple more shots which finally put the man down. He breathed a sigh of relief and slowly got up, looking towards Karl to see if he was alright. The old man had a foot on Tommy''s face as he pointed his .44 down at him. "I told you, you try this shit again, I''d blow your damn head off." he growls. Tommy tries to spit at Karl from the floor, but only manages to cough up blood on the sand. "Fuck you Karl. Thinkin'' you''re better than us. I fuckin, heard about you, you were one of them soldier boys weren''t you? How''s it feel Karl? How''s it feel to be the ''Mans'' bitch?! Bet not even the damn NCR wanted-" *BANG!* Tommy''s brain matter was "expelled" into the sand below as Karl had apparently heard enough from the belligerent criminal. The man releases a slow breath, looking down with his eyes closed as if he were thinking deeply about something. Afton walks up but thinks twice about trying to touch the man, if he was as tense as he looked Afton might just find himself with another orifice... "Karl, you alright?" He opens his eyes and turns around to face Afton, "Just peachy. You hear ''im?" Afton slowly nods, "About you being a former soldier? Yeah, even without that idiot blurting it out, it was kinda obvious." he says, getting a small smirk from the man. "Yeah... Look, I''m not one of them sensitive sorts, my past is my own and shouldn''t concern anyone else. Let''s clean this place up and head-" "BOTH OF YOU SCUM, FREEZE!" a voice shouts and causes both to turn towards them. "Shit." is all Afton can say, they were currently surrounded by maybe fourteen NCR soldiers, all with their weapons trained on them. A black man who seemed to be the leader of them continued shouting orders, "Drop your weapons and put your hands up!" Afton looks to Karl who was frowning up a storm, the man looked to him and nodded, "Not much choice kid, better prison then dead I say." he says as he drops his .44. Afton follows suit and drops both his pistols, the NCR quickly advancing on them after seeing them unarmed. The black man steps in front of them and introduces himself, "I am Sergeant Emil Volkman of 5th Battalion, 1st Company. You are under arrest for piracy, murder, theft, and anything else we can pin on you." he glances at the bodies around the camp, "You''ve got a lot to answer for, and I''m looking forward to seeing you sing." he admits with an all-to-happy grin. "We''re not Powder Gangers, didn''t you just see us execute these pieces of shit?" he says, gesturing his head towards Tommy and his dead gang. Emil shrugs, "You''re wearing their colours so by my books you''re Powder Gangers, this ain''t the first time I''ve seen you lot in-fighting either. If you''re innocent we''ll see during the interrogation, take ''em away." he says before walking over to the ruined caravan. Chapter 72 - The Law Won. *Flashback* The NCR squadron had immediately headed for the black plume of smoke they''d spotted off in the distance. This had to caused by the people they were looking for, and Sergeant Volkman was more than enthusiastic to get moving towards it.?? However, as soon as they reached a position where they could see the destroyed caravan, they spotted two people who looked like Powder Gangers heading towards the people responsible for destroying it. Emil could tell they weren''t all that friendly just the way they walked, it was slow and precise, as if they were anticipating a fight. This was fine though, both men were wearing NCRCF prison clothes, the trademark blue jacket was easy to spot from a distance. They seemed to be talking with each other, the older man with the Stenton cowboy hat walking past and surveying the seen. The younger one wearing some sort of metal plated leathers with the NCRCF jacket tied around his waist following cautiously. Some of the recruits around Emil almost jumped out of their skin when a loud gunshot went off, the older man had quickly turned and put a bullet in one of the Gang member''s chests before striking another with the pistol itself. A gunfight broke out and he was impressed to see that the duo who''d originally approached had managed to kill the four Powder Gangers without sustaining any injuries. The younger one was firing a Laser pistol and Revolver simultaneously and seemed well versed in hand to hand combat. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he knew it was time to apprehend them, he''d have liked to kill those raiding scum himself, but this way he didn''t have to risk any of his men, something he appreciated greatly. *Flashback end* The NCR soldiers recovered everything from the destroyed caravan, along with the civilian''s corpses before making their way towards the encampment outside Primm. Afton felt incredibly uncomfortable to be unarmed and without any means to defend himself, he knew the NCR had laws that prevented them from executing or even torturing prisoners, so he was relatively safe... In all honesty, an NCR prisoner was probably safer than your average civilian, the prison guards would act as protection and the prison would act as thick walls between you and the wasteland. It''d be a pretty good deal if Afton didn''t care about his freedom. Of course, he thought it was incredibly stupid to waste so many resources on criminals, he had every intention of taking advantage of them and eventually gaining his freedom. He didn''t know what they knew about him, he''d killed a few NCR soldiers during his time with the Powder Gangers, so hopefully they pinned those murders on someone else. He''d checked his reputation with the NCR, and it was slightly below average, the reason for this was the fact he was a Powder Ganger, but they had no crimes to his name so he should be alright... Karl however, was a different story. Everyone in the NCRCF knew him, he was calm and efficient when doing jobs, no doubt his reputation had spread to the NCR, especially since he had apparently been one of them at some point. They''d know his appearance, name, and the crimes he''d originally been imprisoned for. The journey to the encampment wasn''t all that difficult, the road used to have heavy traffic, and any threats would have been eliminated by the NCR as they passed through earlier. Afton was surprised to find that Primm held a humungous roller coaster. He knew it was broken, but was impressed that it''d survived this long... He vaguely remembered stories of roller coasters falling apart while people were riding them. This one here had literally been hit by nukes and was still standing. From what the Powder Gangers in the NCRCF had told him, the town was famous for its Vicky and Vance casino. He didn''t know much about the duo it was dedicated to, but from what he''d heard they were basically just a discount Bonnie and Clyde. The town itself was an average size and must''ve held at least one hundred people, you''d think with a town this size the Powder Gangers would have many opportunities to gain supplies, but this was not the case. Most caravans came from the south where an NCR outpost was located. Nothing really came from the north anymore due to the Deathclaw infestation, the only other places of note were Sloan, Goodsprings, and the NCRCF, all of which had nothing, or weren''t willing to trade. The NCR had Afton and Karl follow them closely as there were mines scattered all around the area, judging by the black mark left on the ground nearby, they''d forgotten to mention that to someone previously. The encampment itself just looked like a bunch of military tents scattered around the ruins of some buildings. Some NCR soldiers milled about but stopped what they were doing to watch the two prisoners that''d just been brought in. Someone entered the biggest tent here and a man with a stern face, green beret, and cleaner armour that the rest of the soldiers stepped before them. "I am Lieutenant Hayes, 5th Battalion, 1st Company. Are these the men who''ve been raiding civilian caravans?" he asks looking to Emil. He shrugs, "From what I saw, no. These men killed the ones who''d just raided a caravan, they''re wearing Powder Ganger clothes though so better to bring ''em in to be sure." Lieutenant Hayes slowly nods but squints at Karl, "Do I know you?" he asks. Karl frowns and shakes his head, "No, son. First time I''ve seen you in my god-damn life." he states, Afton could tell from his limited time with Karl that he was lying... The man only ever seem this concerned about keeping his own secrets, that or dealing with people who break his rules, Tommy being one such example. Chapter 73 - Wistful Despair Hayes just shrugs at Karl and continues, "What''re your names, I''d suggest you not lie as we''ll find out eventually anyway." he adds. Afton glances to Karl to see what he''d say, he was the former-NCR so he''d know best what they were capable of.?? "Karl Martin." he says after a moment of hesitation. Lieutenant Hayes frowns at this, "Hm, you sound familiar, but that can wait for now... Name?" he asks looking at Afton. "Afton Parker." he states, hoping they''d not do a full body search and find his Brotherhood of Steel Holotags, that''d definitely put him in the shit. Hayes nods and glances at a nearby soldier, "Radio in those names and see if anything come up. Also, have someone prepare some holding cells at the outpost..." he looks contemplative for a moment before continuing, "They might take a while to arrive as the situation is fragile." Afton didn''t know what the man meant but fragile, hopefully they wouldn''t be raided by Deathclaws while he was imprisoned by these guys. Hayes looks over at Emil, "Handcuff them to the steel railings nearby, make sure they''re out of the sun and have adequate food and water. I''ll be back for them in a couple hours." he says before leaving. The duo doesn''t really have any other options, they''re lead to some large metal railing and handcuffed, afterwards the NCR soldiers build a primitive tent out of scrap metal to shield them from the suns rays. Afton sighs and sits on the concrete below, resting his head against the metal bar, "Youknow, I never would have thought I''d find myself on the wrong side of the law. It''s stupid to try fight against the government, even if you''re correct in doing so." he mutters, not speaking to anyone imparticular. "I know kid, you just got caught up in a bad crowd... Maybe they''ll let you out early for good behaviour, then you''d be able to put your skills to work. Not many Doctors or Mechanics in the Mojave, always could use a couple more." Karl says, looking as equally put out as Afton was at the situation. "I don''t know... I can''t really see myself just fixing things or people for the rest of my life, I thought things would be different around here... Thought that might''ve been the reason I was taken to ''this'' place." Afton admits. "Suit yourself, most would do anything to learn what you know, the life of a Merc is a short one. The rush never stops, but it dulls with time." he explains. "Any chance you cant use your ''former-NCR'' identity to help us out?" Afton asks, causing the man to scowl. "No, I don''t think that would go over well." he says somberly. "Why?" Afton pushes, having nothing better to do than pick the man''s brain. "Son, do you know what a Ranger is?" he asks while staring at the blue sky. "Elite NCR special forces that''re only deployed in dire circumstances, you''re telling me you were one of them?" he frowns, the memory of a Ranger shooting his mother flashing in his mind Karl slowly nods, "Yeah... The only people that hate a rogue ranger more than the Legion is the NCR. They train us to do the impossible, to be impossible. One day Caeser''ll be minding his own business in that great fort of his when *bam*, a bullet rockets through the bastards skull... Course, this hasn''t happened yet, but its only a matter of time." "You went rogue then? Against the NCR?" Afton asks. Karl shakes his head, "Its... It''s a long story..." Afton shrugs and pulls on his cuffs, causing them to rattle against the metal railing, "I''ve got all day." ... "I have a daughter." he starts, Afton''s eyes dimming as he knew where this was likely going. He hadn''t said it in past tense meaning she was still alive, but it clearly still pained the man to say it. "Spitting image of her mother, bless her soul. She wanted to follow in her father''s footsteps and joined the NCR as soon as she was old enough. Got trained well, was a good shot and a damn good fighter, Spitfire they used to call her, used to run into combat like a bat'' outta hell." Karl mutters, a small smile on his face as he reminisces. "But, no matter how good a fighter you are, if given dog-shit orders and sent on a suicide mission you''ll end up like the rest. I personally told command that there was a high chance of the Legion attacking their convoy, but they didn''t listen, thought I was just being overprotective for my daughter... Fuckers, of course I was worried, I knew an attack was coming." he growled, expressing twisting at the thought. "The attack came, and her convoy was wiped out, she wasn''t killed though... I heard that the higher-ups continued with their mission, refusing to listen to my warning. I arrived just as the Legion was leading the female soldiers away, all connected by chains that were attached to collars around their necks. Youknow, the Legion treat women like cattle, only difference is they don''t eat ''em." "I saw my daughter there with the others, bruises covering her face but a hard look in her eye... She''d defy them, and she''d pay for it." he shudders and clasps his hands together, "I couldn''t... I couldn''t let them take my little girl, so I went against orders and followed them, my partner left to report that I''d gone AWOL... I followed them to Cottonwood Cove, the place where they sent their slaves over the Colorado to become slaves. I was a Ranger, but I hadn''t been equipped with good enough weaponry to fight the whole place, my initial mission was just to report what happened to the convoy. Only had Sequoia, some bullets, and grenades." Chapter 74 - Determination Afton leant forwards to hear how the fight went, but Karl expression didn''t move... The man seemed to be thinking about what''d happened before shaking his head, "I lost." he says in despair. "I was heavily injured and only survived due to my partner dragging my body through miles of sand to safety. I... Said some things I wish I could take back to them, but it doesn''t matter now, heard a Legion Assassin squad got them."?? Afton slowly nods, "The Legion has your daughter..." he mutters, he couldn''t imagine how the man dealt with that fact. Sounds like he was willing to give his life to save her, but trying and failing is akin to not trying at all. He didn''t know much about the Legion, but he knew they were definitely worse than what Tommy''s gang had been doing... "She''s still there, I can''t get out of my head the things those bastards are doing to her... Ranger''s see a lot Afton. I''ve seen what happens to the Legions female slaves." Karls hands were tightly gripped into fists. "How''d you get imprisoned though? Surely you''d be a war hero?" Afton asks, not seeing how he''d go from risking his life to save NCR soldiers to a criminal. "I told you earlier, the NCR hates rogue rangers. My act of trying to save my daughter was considered insubordination. Everyone could see I had a grudge against the Legion, but my attitude towards the NCR had... Undergone a change. I saw them, and still do, see them as the people the facilitated my daughter''s fate. The NCR is a strange beast with many intricacies, there are many good people in it, but at the top there are only bastards. Bureaucrats who''ll do anything to maintain their power. What do you think they''d do if someone capable of killing them from miles away held a grudge against them?" Afton slowly nods in realisation, "They imprisoned you." "Locked me up in the NCR Correctional Facility, somewhere the bureaucrats liked to send people they disliked. Course, they mixed the population up with brutal fuckers who''d tear your throat out with their teeth, ''reckon that was an attempt to get rid of us before we had a fair hearing." he explains, Afton''s eyes widening as he''d heard from many people in the Powder Gangers that they were unfairly imprisoned. He''d always assumed they were just lying, but hearing this from Karl made him understand why the Powder Gangers as a whole hated the NCR so much. "Hm, so the reason you reacted to Tommy like that-" he stops, there was no point to confirming his suspicion when concerning a topic as dire as Karl''s daughter. "What''ll happen if they find out your identity?" he asks, slightly concerned that the duo would receive a nighttime ''permenant sleeping pill'', obviously, this pill would be the shape of a bullet, fortunately, it likely wouldn''t be inserted anally. Karl shrugs, "No idea, depends on who finds out first. I''m well respected by most, though, my time in the Powder Ganger''s might''ve changed that. If the higherups hear that I''m still kicking they might try to deal with me." The man slumps against the metal railing, rubbing his mouth and beard before turning to Afton, "You been listenin'' to my story son, whatta''bout yours?" "Hmm." he mumbles to himself, thinking of a way to explain that he''d basically been locked underground up until now without linking himself with the Brotherhood. "I... I grew up around a cult, people didn''t like us around so we lived underground for the most part. I''ve spent more years underground than I have above it." he mutters, only now realising that fact. It was slightly depressing to be honest. He went on to explain that they''d travelled around and eventually found a good spot to settle down, speaking of how the NCR decided they liked the land better and remove them from it, killing his parents in the process. "I got fed up of living underground so... I just left, they''re probably going crazy looking for me now." he admitted. Karl nods, "Son, there''s no need to skirt around who you are... A well-educated kid who prefers energy weapons and has no idea what to do without an authority leading him? That''s Brotherhood of Steel material right there. Helios One?" he asks in a sympathetic tone. Afton nods, "Helios One, where my mother was murdered by a Ranger." "I''m, sorry to hear that son... Maybe if we get outta here in one piece we can look for whoever was stationed there?" ... Afton gave Karl a weird look, "You... Want to help me track down the Ranger that killed my mother?" he asks in disbelief. Karl nods but Afton continues, "You''re a former ranger though, shouldn''t you be loyal to them or something?..." "I''ve served in the NCR for thirty years and look where that''s got me. Soldiers follow orders, but it''s them who pulls the trigger. I''ve only heard bits and pieces of what happened in Helios One, almost reminds me or what happened at Bittersprings. I''m getting old now, least I could do is help a youngster with his problems." he says with a small reassuring smile. ... Afton could feel his eyes begin to tear up before his wipes his face with his sleeve, "Then... I''ll help you save your daughter." he says. He''d not said this lightly, he knew that he''d be powerful eventually, the levelling system would eventually allow him to achieve almost in-human feats. He might as well use his abilities for something productive. ... "Now that''s not necessary-" "Karl, I hate slavers more than I hate the NCR. I want to help you, whether or not you want to tag along when I finally head to the Legions base is up to you." he states, not allowing the man to change his decision. Karl drops a hand on his shoulder and gives a grateful look, "Son... If that''s what you want, I''ll keep you company to stop you doing somethin'' stupid and dying." [Karl Martin has given you the Old Wisdom Perk] [Old Wisdom] : All EXP gain is increased by 10%. [Karl Martin has become your companion] Chapter 75 - Proposition It wasn''t just Afton and Karl who were having important discussions, Lieutenant Hayes and Sargeant Volkman were both sat in the former''s tent, each with a can of beer in-hand. Hayes takes a sip and starts to speak while giving Emil a suspicious look, "Do you think we''re doing well in fighting off the Powder Gangers?" he suddenly asks.?? Emil shakes his head, "No. We lack the men to storm the prison they''ve made their home, the north road is cut off due to Deathclaws so getting reinforcements is difficult, not to mention more Powder Gangers have taken up residence in a nearby Vault... I doubt we''ll be completing this assignment anytime soon sir." he says with exasperation. The lieutenant slowly nods while tapping his beer with a finger, "Would you be... Adverse to trying some unconventional tactics?" he asks. "Depends on what ''unconventional'' means sir." Emil shoots back, not wanting to agree to anything before he hears about it in detail. "I was thinking that it''d be significantly easier to breach the prison if we had people on the inside..." Hayes tentatively says. "No. Last time we tried to get our men inside that facility those bastards threw them off of a watchtower. I''m not risking anymore lives on that plan of action." he states vehemently. Hayes smirks, "Who said anything about using our own men? I seem to recall us having two prisoners to use at our discretion..." he mutters, causing Emil''s eyes to widen at what he was referring to. "You want to use two criminals as spies? Have you lost your mind? They''re more likely to lead us into a trap then help us out!" he quickly rejects Hayes idea. Whether or not it''d work was a non-issue, the two men they''d captured were Powder Gangers, and weren''t likely to betray the others. Lieutenant Hayes sends a small smirk at him, "I wouldn''t go that far Emil, you yourself said those two killed a few Powder Gangers before you reached them... I have a feeling they''d agree if I tempted them with a pardon." ... "I won''t have rapists and murderers working with my men... Find out what they were originally imprisoned for and we''ll see." Emil relents, giving the man a hoop to jump through if he still wanted to pursue this ''gimped'' plan of his. Lieutenant Hayes nods, "Is that so? Good, because I already Radio''d HQ to inquire about them... The boy, Afton Parker doesn''t seem to exist on their database, meaning that he''d not been imprisoned beforehand... To be honest, he''s committed no crime that we know of and has instead helped us out by killing a few Powder Gangers... The other, Karl Martin, imprisoned for... Insubordination. The rest of the information was classified. These two are clear in my book." he states almost victoriously. Emil slowly nods, "So, what... The kid''s free to go, we can legally hold him here without evidence of wrongdoing, and the other is a former soldier who went against orders, not something you''d usually be imprisoned for... Something''s fishy about all this." he admits. It was midnight and the only light source around was the nearby fire lit inside a barrel, and the small amber one coming from Afton''s Pipboy. He''d started checking it after everyone had gone to sleep as he didn''t want to draw attention towards it, they''re valuable tools and most are usually broken. He didn''t know why no one had mentioned it yet, but he wasn''t about to throw his luck away by blatantly using it in front of them. He was surprised to find that Karl was literally his companion now, whether that meant he couldn''t die wasn''t something he wanted to test out... He got a perk from it as well, a bonus 10% EXP gain is pretty useful. He checked the active quests he had and sighs when he saw them... [Escape from your imprisonment] [Find Caroline Martin] [Find Verna Parker''s murderer] [Find parts to repair Bunkers ventilation systems] [Find RangeFinder for ARCHIMEDES] Hmm, not as many as he''d thought... He hadn''t exactly looked around for them either though. He wasn''t level as fast as he wanted, but this was mainly due to his rather stagnant lifestyle... You didn''t earn exp by being a medical physician, unless it was a quest of course. He had earned a good amount of caps doing it though, so there''s that. If he made it out of this, he didn''t think he''d be returning to the Powder Gangers. First off, he didn''t actually like them all that much anyway, the murdering raping bastards could be compared to barbarians in the way they conducted themselves. He''d thought their hatred of the NCR was admirable, but it was just a mask to hide their indiscriminate raiding. He''d wait to see how the situation progressed, the NCR hadn''t witnessed him committing any crimes, and he doubted they knew about their previous raids on NCR caravans... He rests his head on his Powder Ganger jacket and decides to sleep, he''d need to be ready for whatever awaits him tomorrow. The next day Afton was awoken when Karl shook him awake, standing before them were the two NCR officers that they''d seen yesterday, both were standing with straight postures and hands behind their backs. "Er, what''d I miss?" he groans as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. The man with the green beret looks at him, "Late night Mr Parker? Can''t imagine why as you''d been chained here the whole time..." ... "Whaddya want?" Karl almost growls out. Sargeant Emil steps forwards, "We''ve got a proposition for the two of you, depending on how it goes, we might even be willing to pardon both of you of your crimes." ... The duo''s eyes bulge at the soldiers, what''d happened between yesterday and now? They''d seem so antagonistic, but now they were offering a complete pardon? "What''s the catch?" Afton quickly asks, not believing he was lucky enough to receive something like this. Chapter 76 - She Sells Sea Shells By The C4 "What''s the catch?" Lieutenant Hayes smirks, "Catch?"?? "I know how this goes, you give us a tough job, we complete it and you stuff us back in prison anyway." Afton states, having seen more than his fair share of action movies. "I wouldn''t put it past you to give us a pardon posthumously." Karl snorts, "Kid, these guys are NCR, they couldn''t wipe their asses properly if their bureaucrat overlords didn''t tell them to." Emil just shakes his head at them, "Your thoughts about the NCR don''t matter to us, regardless, the kid is free to go whenever he wants." Afton chokes, "What? Then-" "But you, Karl Martin, are still guilty of crimes against the NCR. So, this pardon would only be for you. Do what we say, and you''ll be free. Reject our offer and we''ll find a prison that isn''t liable to be taken over, so you can spend the rest of your days in relative ''comfort''" Emil says rather harshly. Karl huffs at them, "What''s the mission?" Lieutenant Hayes smirks, "The mission, we want you to infiltrate the NCRCF and plant some ''packages'' near one of the walls. It''d be best for them to be placed from within, but it doesn''t really matter. Our goal is to eliminate the Powder Gangers once and for all, once all traces of them are gone from this side of the Mojave, you''ll receive your pardon." Afton cuts in, "You''ll be sending troops in right? Unless you were expecting Karl to do it all himself?" asks warily. Emil scoffs, "Obviously, not that I don''t doubt your skill Mr Martin, but taking on a whole facility without ungodly firepower is beyond even the best of us. Once you''ve breached the wall, my men will charge through the newly made entrance, we may need help in eliminating the men on the watchtowers, but that''s something to plan once you''ve agreed." ... "I''ll do it." Karl says after a moment. He had made a few friends among the Powder Gangers during his prolonged stay there, but not that he''d seen a chance of saving his daughter he wasn''t going to squander it. Those men deserved to die anyway for what they''d be doing, whether it was Karl, or someone else to deliver it to them didn''t matter. Both officers nod at him, "Good. Now, Mr Parker, you''ll not be allowed to leave until Mr Martin''s mission is completed. Can''t have this information getting out now, can we?" "I''m going with him." Afton states, not willing to miss out on the action and potential exp gain. Karl gives him a glance, "I can handle this myself kid, just wait here and I''ll be back soon." "Why though? I''m willing to help, and with me there we could lower the risk to the soldiers that''ll be charging in." Hayes and Emil both give Afton a look, "What do you mean?" "I mean, Karl and I were both sent out by the Powder Ganger leader to deal with Tommy''s gang, the guys who raided that civilian caravan. It''d be weird if he returned without me, plus, I reckon we could give them some ''information'' on the next NCR supply caravan heading to Sloan... You don''t even have to ambush those that go for it, it''d reduce the numbers inside the prison if we choose that route." ... Hayes nods, "I think that would work, I''m willing to give it a shot... But know this Mr Parker, if you lead my men into a trap, I''ll have you hunted down from here to D.C. Do you understand?" Afton nods and Hayes continues. "Good. Now, you two know the place better than we do, so we''ll leave whatever you plan to do to your own discretion. If you can get some Powder Gangers to take the bait and leave the facility then great, if not just ignore it and continue the original objective. I''ll have squads positioned nearby, the explosion will be the signal, they''ll wait there tomorrow night." Emil walks up and uncuffs the duo, "Your equipment will be returned when you leave, you''ll be provided with food and water, as well as some of the loot recovered from the civilian caravan and Powder Ganger bodies yesterday to make you look more legit. Any questions?" Karl shrugs, "None here... Just gimme the ''package'' and the trigger and we''ll be off." It''s only thirty minutes later when the duo leaves the NCR encampment, they''d returned Karl''s .44 Magnum, and Afton''s pistols, along with some caps, supplies, and uniforms belonging to Tommy''s gang. They''d be using those as proof that they''d dealt with Tommy. "You better be ready for this kid, it won''t be like the other fights we''ve had... It''ll be a mini-war. Once it starts I suggest you dump the Powder Ganger jacket, otherwise you might get shot by the soldiers as they storm in." Afton nods, "I''ll be fine... Probably, I think its best you give them the false information while I plant the bombs... They''ll trust your word more than mine." "Yeah, I suppose you''re right." he mutters, handing Afton a wrapped square and a small trigger that has the safety on. He goes onto explain how to use it, and that he should only take the safety off if he was ready to detonate it... C4 isn''t something to be trifled with, even a small amount could bring down a house, the amount he was holding would annihilate both of them instantly should it go off. "Think the NCR will stay true to their word? I doubt they lied about giving you a pardon but there are more Powder Gangers around the Mojave than just the NCRCF... What if they force us to deal with them too?" Karl focuses on Afton''s use of "us" but doesn''t pursue it, they''d decided to help each other out and it was nice to know the kid really meant it. "Then I''ll have to do what they say, won''t be easy if that''s the case though..." he admits, he knew the general areas of where the Powder Gangers were, but most of them were either far apart, heavily fortified or both. Chapter 77 - Infiltration *Knock, knock* ...?? *Knock, knock* Eddie scowls at the door and drops tosses teh empty jet to the floor with the rest, "Who the fuck is it?" he calls out in irritation. The door opens with Karl and Afton walking in, the two bodyguards sitting around sit up slightly to be ready for an attack should it come. Eddie gestures at Scrambler who seemed like he was about to start firing shots any minute, the man was a short fuse that lit spontaneously and randomly. "Oh, so it''s you two... I don''t see Tommy so..." he starts, his voice trailing off suggestively. "Tommy and his gang decided that they didn''t want to come back with us, they''d just raided a caravan and saw it fit that they keep all of the spoils, ignoring your tax." Karl explains. Eddie shrugs, "So they''re dead then? I''d say good job but they were technically still Powder Gangers. Whatever, doesn''t matter now." "So, we gettin'' paid for this or what?" Karl asks abruptly. "Why would I pay you to deal with your former posse?" Eddie muttered with a weird expression. "Because we had to take down the whole gang with just the two of us, add the fact we brought this." he gestures at Afton and he drops five bloody Powder Ganger jackets as well as some supplies the NCR had handed them. "I thnk some caps are in order." Eddie chuckles, "Fine, a hundred each... No more than that, we''re fucked on food and water but I''ll not be ripped off by my own gang." he states. Karl slowly nods, "One last thing Eddie. One of the men in the caravan had ties with the NCR, I managed to... Persuade them to answer some questions, the last NCR caravan to Sloan was destroyed, so they''re sending a larger one with more men. That''s not all though, it apparently has triple the supplies we found last time." Eddie''s eyes widen greedily, "That could sort us out for a while, you sure they were telling the truth?" Karl nods, "The man was given the choice between watching his wife die or answering... The torture softened him up... I killed them both afterwards anyway." he admits with a hard look. "When''s this happening?" "I don''t know exactly, but Sloan will be receiving their supplies by tonight or tomorrow morning... Setting up an ambush today is the best choice, plant some traps, get into position, etc." Karl goes over a quick plan and the others nod. "I want you to go with the group Karl, you''re one of the best we have, we can''t afford to fail this." Eddie asks, Afton struggling not to be affected by this. Karl shakes his head, "I''m old and tired, just been walking for a couple of days with minimal sleep. You''ll be fine without me, I''ve already given you the info. Now, are we done? I wanna drink." he huffs. "Fine, piss off and get your drink. Scrambler, grab some men and set up an ambush for that caravan. Bring a lot of guns, you''re gonna need it." Eddie states as he tosses a bag of caps at Karl and Afton. The duo leave and Afton sends a relieved glance at Karl, the plan had worked unexpectedly well. Karl had managed to portray the strength of the ''NCR caravan'' so that Eddie would be forced to send many Powder Gangers with the best weaponry to seize it. This would no doubt be a huge boon during the upcoming siege, especially since one of the guys leaving would be Scrambler... Afton had heard stories about him, and had no wish to see the man in action. Karl left to start drinking at the bar and await the signal, Afton knew he couldn''t just walk over and plant a bomb in broad daylight, he''d need to wait until nightfall to do it. The courtyard of the prison always had a few people wandering about, playing caravan or other card games while eating or drinking. Their attitudes would make you rethink whether they were in a supply crisis... So, until that time he''d do what he usually does in the NCRCF... Sit in his designated office and wait for patients to need his services. Fortunately, there didn''t seem to be anyone injured today, which left him alone to go over the plan in his head. Glancing over to the medical supplies, he decides to steal all the stimpacks they had, he shoved the ten syringes into his Deathclaw leather satchel. Taking another look he figures that if he''s going to steal the stimpacks, he might as well take the other things as well. [10 stimpacks acquired] +30 Hit Points [5 Radaway acquired] : -50 Radiation [7 Med X acquired] : +25 Damage Resistance for 4 min [6 Rad X acquired] : 25% Rad. Res. for 4 min. [2 Jet acquired] : +15 Action Points for 4 minutes [3 Psycho acquired] : +25% Damage for 4 minutes [1 Rebound acquired] : Regenerates +5 Action Points per second for 1 minute [1 Fixer acquired] : Permanently removes addiction [2 Antivenom acquired] : Cures animal and arthropod poisons. [1 Mentats acquired] : +2 Intelligence for 4 minutes, +2 Perception for 4 minutes, +1 Charisma for 4 minutes [2 Buffout acquired] : +60 Max Hit Points for, 4min +3 Endurance for 4min, +2 Strength for 4min Quite the haul, but similarly pretty terrifying when you consider these were all the medical supplies the Powder Gangers have... They had around a hundred members so this was really the minimum you could have before people started dying due to injuries... Afton could also notice the obvious lack of addictive Chems, with how much Jet Eddie was going through he was surprised to find two... Oh well, he didn''t intend to use Chems unless the circumstances were incredibly dire, he had no idea what effect they''d have on him as he''d never done them before. Obviously, he could see their effects with the Pipboy but that wasn''t what he was referring to. Once he was out of this place and in a safe area he''d sell them off for some extra caps though, maybe he could buy himself a better Energy weapon than this piece of shit laser pistol. If he couldn''t then he''d just go with ballistics until something dropped into his arms. Chapter 78 - Into The Breach! A few hours later when the sun started to dip below the horizon After was ready to head out, in his backpack was the block of C4 and the trigger was sitting in his pocket with the safety still on. He was about to step out of his office when a voice interrupts him. "Hey, Afton, you wouldn''t happen to know where all the meds have gone would you? We seem to be missing some..." Hannigan asks from behind him.?? Afton''s feet stop as his voice his caught in his throat, perhaps he shouldn''t have looted all the meds until after the siege... But then the NCR might have seized them... "Err, you sure Eddie didn''t take some again? You know how he is with the Chems." he says before turning to Hannigan. They shake their head, "I don''t mean just the Jet... Literally everything is gone, I think someones stolen it... We need to take this to Eddie and find whoever they are." Afton slowly nods, "Yeah... Let''s go do that, lead on." he gestures towards the door. Hannigan turns to leave and is about to grab the door handle when *CLACK* Afton hammers him in the back of the head with his revolver, causing the man to drop to the ground unconscious. In all honesty, it was probably better this way, Hannigan was one of the relatively decent Powder Gangers so him being knocked out now meant that he wouldn''t be shot dead later. He picks the man up and puts him on the bed, using the medical curtains to block anyone from looking at him. If they did they''d just assume he was sleeping again as this wasn''t the first time he used the bed for himself. Afton quickly ducked out of the room and into the courtyard, the sun had finally set and there weren''t many people milling about the courtyard any longer. The only light came from the watchtowers, and those were only directed outside of the prison in-order to detect anyone approaching or leaving. Taking a few glances around to make sure he wasn''t be watched he snuck up to the North wall and shoved the block of C4 in between the metal of the gate and quickly retreating. He didn''t immediately pull the trigger and activate it though, Instead he looked up at the nearest watchtower and down at the walkway leading up to it. Again, he starts sneaking up it and eventually finds himself behind a wall where two Powder Gangers were drinking and talking to one another. "Why the fuck doesn''t Eddie let us take women back with us? Its a fucking sausage fest in this shit hole." one asks in a gruff voice. "Mike, we barely have enough food for ourselves, let alone whatever toys you wanna bring back. Shut up and deal with it... Unless you wanna talk to Eddie." The conversation stops there and Afton slows his rapidly beating heart before pulling out the C4 trigger... "God I hope this thing actually works." he mutters to himself as he activates it. ... *BOOOOOM!* After a moment the C4 finally detonates, creating a huge explosion which sends shards of metal zipping about the place, no one is hit by the shrapnel but the shock of the sudden explosion is enough to catch them off guard. The two men in the watchtower launch themselves out of their chairs and walk to the edge of the watchtower to see what''d just happened, not noticing Afton who''d been waiting for them. "Hah!" Afton grunts as he throws a kick at one of their backs, sending them flying off of the watchtower to the ground below, they''d either die instantly or be crippled for life when they land, so Afton activated VATS to see what the other Powder Ganger was going to do. Time froze and he examined the man, noticing that their hand was already on their 9mm pistol strapped to their hip. Deactivating VATS Afton locks their hand in place and headbutts them, sending their cowboy hat flying off. "GUUHK! F-Fucking bastard!" they shout and stop trying to grab their gun, instead, sending a fist at Afton''s face. Both could hear guns firing but neither could lose focus on their current fight. Afton tries to dodge but isn''t quick enough due to him trying to take the man''s 9mm pistol, he''s hit in the cheek which immediately begins to bruise. In retaliation he palm strikes the man in the chin, causing their teeth to audibly clack together painfully. Another fist flies for Afton''s face but he successfully dodges this one, getting close and delivering a powerful elbow into the man''s nose, this breaks it completely and creates a large bloody gash on their face, as well as leaving them disoriented. Taking this chance Afton went into VATS and selected the man''s head with his revolver a couple time, once activated Afton had drawn his revolver and pressed it under the man''s chin in half a second. Their eye''s widen at how fast this''d just occurred before the trigger is pulled. *Bang!* Blood and grey matter explodes out the back of their head as the drop limply to the floor. Afton quickly smashing the search light in-order to make it more difficult for the Powder Gangers to shoot at the NCR soldiers that were now advancing through the hole the C4 had made. He tears off his Powder Ganger jacket and tosses it away, turning his attention towards the Powder Gangers on the ground trying to defend against the invaders. Glancing around the watchtower he finds a varmint rifle in semi-decent condition, luckily for him it seemed to be loaded already as he didn''t have time to loot the bodies... Not to mention one of the corpses had been thrown off of the tower. With his system-upgraded Guns skill he lifted the unfamiliar gun to his shoulder and took aim, it felt like his muscles were working on their own as he started firing at the ant-like people wearing blue jackets. Chapter 79 - Full Leaded Tip Earlier : Karl had just sat down and ordered a whisky from the barman, idly waiting for the signal to be given... It''d been a couple hours now and he''d just finished his second glass when an old friend sat next to him. "Meyers." he mutters in greeting.?? "Karl, you doing alright?" Meyers asks as he sits, his balding black hair concealed by his desperado cowboy hat. He wore the typical Powder Ganger uniform and had a short stubble forming on his chin. The man was slightly overweight due to inactivity and drinking, but he couldn''t really be blamed for that. He''d been in the prison when people started breaking out, he chose not to participate and stayed outta the conflict. Karl had quickly made friends with the man, his pragmatic view on the world matched his own, even if he lacked the hatred for the NCR he did. Karl nods at his question, "I''m alright, just got some things on my mind." "Like what?" Meyers presses. Karl shrugs, "You happy in this place? They refuse to let you go and blabber to the NCR, in exchange for you keeping quiet they booze you up and keep you fed... Is that really the life you want?" he asks his friend. Meyers shakes his head, "No, but I don''t have a choice, do I? I''ll be shot if I try to leave, the drinks just make it bearable." he confirms with an almost despairing nod. Karl orders another drink and tosses some caps at the barman, "Well, what if you had another option?" ... Meyer leans in, "I''m listening..." he says in almost a whisper. Karl''s about to speak what an explosion causes the building they''re within to shake, the bottles of alcohol placed on the shelves shuddering and causing the barman to frantically keep them from falling off. The tremors quickly subside but Powder Gangers started rushing out of the bar in-order to see what''d just happened... Karl downs his drink casually and audibly slams it on the counter, "Hey barkeep? You wanna tip?" The man who''d just finished steadying the bottle turns and nods with a greedy look, Karl stands and places his .44 Magnum on the man''s forehead before pulling the trigger. Their head explodes and the bottles of alcohol are covered in blood as the former-ranger hops over the counter, dragging Meyers with him. The other Powder Gangers in the room who''d not left yet immediately draw their weapons and start firing at them, Meyers looks at Karl as if he were crazy. "What have you done! We''re fucked now!" he exclaims. Karl shakes his head and removes his blue jacket, "You better take that coat off before the NCR gun you down, you gotta choose now boy. You wanna sit here doin'' nothin''? Or do you wanna escape with me?" Meyers only has to consider the offer for a moment, he tears the blue jacket off and tosses it over the counter, the jacket getting riddled with holes as the Powder Gangers reactively shoot at it. "I''ll be shot if I leave now, you''ve not really left me with any options Karl, but I''ll help you out, fuck sake." he pulls his bulky 10mm pistol and starts blindly firing over the counter. Karl grins, "That''s the spirit." he says, pulling the pin of a grenade out with his teeth before chucking it over the counter. All the duo here is "What the fu-"*BOOM!* before the grenade goes off. Some of the Powder Gangers barely survive the release of shrapnel, the furniture around the room allowing them to find some sort of cover from the explosive. Most are incapacitated by it however, limbs crippled, eyes pierced, and fragments cracking their skulls. Karl uses this distraction to peak over the counter and fires two shots, each killing one of the downed Powder Gangers who were struggling to recover. He quickly had to drop back into cover however as bullet start flying towards him. Meyer glances at him as he reloads his weapon, "You got anymore of those?" Karl shakes his head, "Sorry to say no, I don''t." he states as he picks up a bottle and tosses it over the counter while shouting "GRENADE!" This gets the reaction he wants as he hears people scramble to get out of the way, standing and firing a few more bullets at the enemy. Meyers gets up too and they both manage to finish the rest off. *Creaaaak* The door leading to the front entrance of the prison slowly opens and Dawes pokes his head in anxiously. His eyes widen at the corpses of his friends and was about to run but finds himself incapable... His mind is blown, literally, as shards of bone and greymatter coat the door as his head explodes. Karl blows the smoke away from the barrel of his magnum and walks over to Cobb, rifling through his pocket until he finds the key to the door. He''d need this to lock the entrance in-case the guys who left to ambush the ''mystery NCR caravan'' came back due to the commotion. No doubt they''d be able to hear that explosion, even Sloan might''ve heard it. He drags the body inside and locks the door, looking to Meyers and nodding, "Let''s go, sounds like the fighting''s still going on, we''re in position to flank the Powder Gangers so let''s get to it before we miss out." he explains before heading for the backdoor. The duo dip out and are greeted by the sight of upturned tables and Powder Gangers hiding behind them for cover while NCR soldiers fire at them. The tables weren''t thick enough to stop bullets but were only used to block line of sight. Karl could see a few people dropping dead and noticed that it was Afton who was responsible, the kid firing at them from the nearby watchtower. Afton sends a wave at him before continuing to fire. Chapter 80 - Clearing Up The Place Afton spots Karl and someone else coming out of the Visitors centre, the tag-along wasn''t wearing their Powder Ganger jacket which probably meant they were on their side. He gives Karl a brief wave of acknowledgement before continuing to fire upon the grounded Powder Gangers. Karl jumped into action, taking cover behind some metal debris and firing at the backs of the Powder Gangers. The sudden attack from both sides was too much for the criminals to handle, most immediately routed and tried to run, but were gunned down by the combined force of the NCR and Afton''s group.?? The NCR arrested any who surrendered with their hands up, their laws prohibited them from simply just executing people. From the hundred or so Powder Gangers, there were only around nine left, all of which were now being pinned to the ground and handcuffed by the NCR soldiers. Afton exited the watchtower and made his way down the walkway with his hands up, the NCR troops attempted to apprehend him but were stopped by Sargeant Emil who had Karl and the unknown man at his side. Emil grinned at them all, "You boys did a fantastic job if I''ve ever seen one! Damn, I''m still itching for a fight. Taking out that searchlight saved us some trouble, and those dead Gangers in the Visitors centre were you two I''m guessing?" he glances at Karl and his friend. Karl nods, "Yeah, needed to get that front door locked in-case anymore came through. Being able to flank them was just a bonus." he adds before gesturing at Meyers, "This here is Meyers, his sentence was almost up when the Powder Gangers took over, he didn''t take part in the escape and so they imprisoned him here to prevent him blabbing to you lot. I hope you''ll take his actions into account." he asks with a stern look. Emil nods and looks at Meyers, "Sir, whatever you were imprisoned for is forgotten, you may have saved some of my troops lives. For that, I am thankful. Now, all that''s left is to clear the buildings out for any remaining Gangers." "Ah... You might want to hold off on taking the Administration building, Eddie''s probably still in there with his bodyguards. I reckon they''ll hunker down in his office with as much ammo as they can carry." Afton says, causing Emil to nod and pull back the troops who were about to charge into the building. Emil gave them a sheepish look, "I don''t suppose I could ask you boys to help us take the building? You''re more familiar with it and the people inside than we are." ... Afton pauses and checks his Pipboy, smirking to himself when he sees it. [Capture the NCRCF administration] [Optional: Kill Eddie and his men] Afton slowly nods at Emil after checking it, "I''ll do it... I''ll be expecting some extra pay though." he says, causing Emil shrug, "I can''t pay you but you can get first dibs on whatever the men inside have on them." "That''s enough." Afton mutters, idly remembering that Eddie had a plasma pistol strapped to his side. "Guess I''m goin'' too, can''t let the youngsters take over just yet." Karl says as he opens his .44 Magnum and stuffs some more ammo into it. Meyers shakes his head, deciding not to accompany them into another firefight. He wasn''t scared, just weary. Additionally, any chance of him fighting Scrambler had his legs refusing to move, even when he commanded them to. Afton and Karl stood on either side of the double door leading into the Administration building, NCR soldiers had already set up cover opposite the door so they could easily fire inside onto anyone guarding the entrance. Karl showed Afton his fingers and began silently counting down with them, on zero both quickly opened the doors before getting back into cover. This was the correct choice as bullets immediately started flying from both the NCR and the remaining Powder Gangers who were inside. Shouts of pain came from both sides as people dropped, but the NCR eventually won out due to their better firepower and numbers. Afton took a glance inside and saw that everyone had been eliminated... One Powder Ganger seemed to still be alive, but he was rapidly bleeding out. He cautiously entered the building and dragged the man outside, throwing their gun away to prevent them from doing something stupid. "You, can you talk?" The Powder Ganger shudders in pain and coughs up some blood... A bullet had pierced a lung if he had to guess. "Y-yeah.. D''fuck you want.. Traitor." "I can save your life, if you talk about what Eddie''s doing." Afton quickly says, the man''s eyes widening at this. "You can help? Right... You''re the Doc." he mutters after remembering Afton''s job. He coughs again but pushes himself to talk, "Eddie''s gone nuts, fuckin'' nuts. He left us in the doorway with fuck all ammo and dogshit weapons while he trapped himself in his office. He''s panicking and wants to wait for Scrambler and the rest to get back." Afton nods, pulling out a stimpack and injecting it into the man, they release a long sigh, blinking their eyes a couple times before passing out. Usually he''d not waste a stimpack on this idiot, with the NCR at his back it''d be best he kept his word and followed their procedure... Douchebags would save someone before imprisoning for life... They probably did it because prisoners were essentially free labour. Afton glances behind him at Emil and Karl, "Hear that?" Karl nods, "Probably need something explosive to breach the office if what he said was true... The building was made to withstand riots, can''t exactly just shoot our way through." Emil crosses his arms, "We''ve got a couple grenades ready, plus the dynamite the Gangers had on them." "Dynamite''ll do nicely, we''ll breach the room, just have your men ready when we do." Karl mutters. Chapter 81 - Mindgames Eddie was sitting on the floor behind his upturned desk, warily sending glances at the barricaded door, all the while chewing through his nails so fast that he almost had none left. He hadn''t anticipated that the NCR would actually attack them, he knew it couldn''t be a coincidence either, they attack while a large portion of his men were out raiding? Bullshit. There''s only one explanation for this, betrayal. Karl, and his new fucking boytoy Afton Parker. They must be responsible for this, they provided the information that had him send his damn men out after all!?? Not to mention they''d been attacked the night those two came back, once he got his hands on them he''d use his knife to mash their faces so badly even their mothers wouldn''t be able to recognise them! Eddie glanced at the three other men in the room with him, each held various weapons, A sawn-off shotgun, 9mm submachine gun, and an NCR service rifle. Each also wore bulletproof vests that used to belong to the prison guards. They weren''t kitted out like the Brotherhood of Steel, but it was enough to hold back the NCR until the rest of his men returned... Hopefully by then they''d be able to drive these fuckers out. "Eddie, you think they''ll be able to get through the barricade?" one of his men asks warily. Eddie shakes his head, "Nah, if they try just blast ''em." he confirms, but starts to hear a vague hissing sound... Did someone bring a snake inside? *BOOM!* An explosion rocks the building as the desks and other furniture used to barricade the door rockets around the room, peppering two men who weren''t in cover and knocking them to the ground with various injuries. The door was also blown off of its hinges, had Eddie not been behind a desk it would''ve taken his head off. Eddie shakes his head and takes another dose of Jet before standing and firing his Plasma pistol through the door, the large green projectiles colliding against the walls and floor as there doesn''t seem to be anyone in the hallway... "COME ON YOU FUCKERS! I''M RIGHT HERE! COME GET SOME!" he roars at them, taunting them to show their faces so he could get a clean shot. The rest of his men slowly get to their feet, but most are disoriented by the earlier explosion and are struggling to quickly recover themselves. A shows itself in the doorway and they all start shooting at it, sadly their reactions times weren''t good enough to catch it... Hang on, it seems to have thrown something. It lands on Eddie''s desk and is already hissing, everyone notices t hat its a stick of dynamite with its fuse almost out. All of them had a a lot of experience with this particular weapon, and immediately hit the deck as they wait for the explosion... While this was happening someone walked through the doorway, it was that fucking Afton kid. They wore the dirty leather suit with metal plates covering it, a holster holding two weapons sitting on his hip along with that strange leather satchel. He seemed to falter midstep before instantly drawing his weapon and putting bullets into two of his men''s heads. Eddie couldn''t help but think of how stupid this kid was, didn''t he know this place was about to blow?... ... The stick of dynamite shoulda gone off by now, he was behind the table so he wouldn''t get shot, but he only had one man left due to that stupid kid. His bodyguard decided that getting a face full of dynamite was better than getting shot by the kid, standing up and unleashing a spray of bullets from his 9mm submachine gun. Afton threw himself backwards out of the room as the bullets start flying, sparks let them know that a bullet had been deflected from one of the metal plats he was wearing, hopefully that wasn''t the extent of the damage though. In the hallway Karl gives Afton a hard look, "You alright kid?" he asks while looking him over. Afton nods, "Yeah, didn''t even scratch me." he says but gets cuffed on the ear by the old man. "That was stupid and reckless, stick with the damn plan for fuck sake." he growled, promising pain if he tried that again. Sure he may have picked off two of Eddie''s men, but why risk your life when they literally have an army at their disposal. Karl looks to one of the NCR soldier who was accompanying them, "You sure you want Eddie alive? Bastards tough enough to deal with even with these restrictions. That dynamite coulda been live and we coulda been headed home." The soldier nods, "By order of Emil and Hayes, the Powder Gangers aren''t just causing trouble here, but further north as well... They''re hoping to get some intel about them from this, Eddie." Afton shakes his head, "There''s only one bodyguard left and Eddie, any ideas on how to deal with them?" Karl sighs as he goes through a couple plans in his head... "That might work" he mutters to himself, pulling out another stick of dynamite and cutting the end off with his knife. The woodchip-like insides drop out into his open palm and he seals it just before all of it is gone. He does a couple more things to it like forces the fuse into it more so it was guaranteed to blow before handing it to Afton. "It''ll explode, but they won''t be expecting it." he grins. Afton nods, lighting the fuse and tosses it in, the dynamite going over the table and landing next to Eddie''s foot. "You think we''re fuckin'' stupid!?" Eddie shouts, stamping on the dynamite and expecting it to completely crumble underfoot... Paling slightly when he feels something still inside it. *Bang!* Chapter 82 - Prison Ambush *Bang!* "AAAARRGHHH!" Eddie''s horrified and pained scream echoes through the building, the dynamite he''d been stood on had exploded and blown all of his toes off, as well as heavily injuring his foot. To be honest, he was lucky to still have it attached to his leg.?? The explosion and subsequent scream had Eddie''s bodyguard distracted for a moment, this was quickly taken advantage of when Afton and Karl dashed in, the latter putting a bullet in the man''s temple. Afton quickly hops over the desk, Eddie was holding his foot and still groaning in pain, but had enough awareness to try and point his plasma pistol at him. Afton used VATS to stop time and aim his strike properly, accurate kicking the gun out of the man''s hand and then stamping on his face. "Give up Eddie, you''re fucked. If you wanna keep that foot you''ll be coming quietly," he states, grinding his shoe on the man''s face. Eddie doesn''t say anything and just stays on the ground, holding his mangled foot while tear slip from his face. Afton turns towards the door and shouts, "Yo, we got your ex-prisoner prisoner here!" he shouts as he starts patting Eddie down for anything good. He just finds a couple caps and some energy cells, presumably used for ammo for the plasma pistol lying nearby. Afton walks over and picks it up, examining it and nodding to himself... It''s in relatively good condition, though it could use a clean and some maintenance. He spots a few other weapons lying on the ground and takes them as well, the sawn-off shotgun, 9mm submachine gun, and service rifle all being stuffed into his pack. The service rifle is too big to fit inside so he just ties some cord to it and hangs it from his backpack, obviously after he''d taken its magazine out. There isn''t all that much else to loot from the men... Though, that pair of sunglasses does look tempting. He grabs the sunglasses, as well as the Jet Eddie was keeping on him. Not long after Afton had looted what he wanted NCR soldiers streamed into the room and picked up Eddie before quickly leaving again. Afton and Karl exit the building and are greeted by Emil who gives them satisfied nods. "Don''t even know why I bothered sending my own men to this place, coulda just had you two deal with it yourselves..." he glances over them, "Walked straight into a building holding heavily armed criminals and you don''t even have a scratch... As of now you''re a free man Karl Martin, though, there''d be some caps in it for you if you wanted to help us ambush the returning Powder Gangers." he says with a grin. The duo look at each other before shrugging, "Might as well." Afton mutters. "What''s the plan?" Karl asks the Sargeant. "We''ll make use of the watchtowers and station some men up there, the searchlights''ll conceal their uniforms and allow us to get the drop on them. Other than that it''s just a lot of bullets." Emil admits, the plan was rather basic but you didn''t need a master plan to deal with some criminals, especially when you had the advantage in the first place. "We can work with that." Karl says as he begins walking towards the metal wall, taking a seat in the darkness while reloading his .44 magnum. Afton takes a seat next to him, he wasn''t going to be using his energy weapons this time, no point ruining their advantage of darkness by using luminescent projectiles. It only took an hour for the Powder Gangers to arrive back at the prison, no doubt the gunshots and explosion from the C4 had attracted their attention. It was a group of forty men with Scrambler at the front, his eyepatch and mohawk were illuminated by the searchlights as he looked around suspiciously. They walk around towards the front entrance of the facility, they''d probably notice the fact that Dawes wasn''t guarding the door... The assault would begin as soon as they tried to enter the door that Karl had locked earlier. ... Twenty of the men walk into the narrow gate and approach the door to the visitor centre, Scrambler grabbing the doorknob and trying to turn it. "The fuck?" *BANGABANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* Immediately after he muttered those words the NCR soldiers that surrounded them on all sides opened fire. The twenty men and Scrambler were annihilated in mere seconds as the twenty who''d luckily decided to wait outside the narrow gate started returning fire. Karl and Afton had started firing as well, the latter throwing a couple sticks of dynamite into the crowd that was waiting. Limbs flew and bodies dropped as explosions and gunfire shook the surroundings. The fight only lasted a couple minutes, but many were dead on either side. A few NCR soldiers were injured or dead, while most Powder Gangers had been riddled with bullets. Strangely enough, Scrambler was still attempting to shout orders to them despite the fact he''d been shot so many times that he looked like swiss cheese. He was either one of the baddest motherfuckers around or so doped up on Med X and other chems that he didn''t notice how dire his injuries were. This single fight ended the NCRCF Powder Gangers, the NCR wouldn''t allow them to retake the prison again, and even if they got lazy in defending it, the Powder Gangers simply lacked the numbers to be a threat. After the fight Emil came by the duo, Afton had looted some more ammo from the bodies but didn''t touch anything else. Despite how the NCR liked to present themselves, they''d scavenge and ''requisition'' goods from the dead. The wasteland was a harsh place and surviving meant grabbing any resources available... This was the case even for the NCR. Chapter 83 - John Who? Once the fight was over Afton and Karl found Emil trying to comfort his injured men. Some obviously wouldn''t make it, but war is war, there was bound to be casualties with how many men there were. The man was holding the hand of a young woman who was slowly bleeding out, a bullet had hit gone completely through the Femoral artery in her leg... There wasn''t all that much anyone could do, Afton wasn''t one for giving up however, he had extra stimpacks so he might as well do something with them. Nothing wrong with a test subject to practise medicine on.?? "Emil, excuse me for a moment." he says, kneeling down and retrieving a stimpack. He injects it directly into her leg well cleaning the wound with an alcohol-soaked cottonball. Afterwards suturing the wound closed to encourage the stimpack to focus its effect on the limited area... Stimpacks were essentially just massive amounts of nutrients combined with hormones and other complex chemicals that encouraged healing. Due to this you couldn''t take too many at a time as you''d literally ''starve to death'', while the stimpacks contained nutrients, it still wasn''t enough to replace what you''d use to heal. It was slightly difficult to suture the wound due to bullet exit wounds being notoriously... Messy, but he managed it eventually. He wiped some sweat from his forehead and looked down at the girl, her breathing had quicked due to the pain from the alcohol and sudden suturing, but her pale complexion was slowly recovering... She''ll probably be alright? Probably. "Hurgh!" Afton groans as he feels a weight on his back... Its Sargeant Emil hugging him... "I don''t swing that way, get off of me Sargeant." "Ah-er, sorry... Thanks kid, it means a lot for you to help one of us like that... I mean it. Here, your pay and a little extra for the help." Emil says as he reaches into a pouch and pulls out a sack of caps. As soon as it drops into Afton''s hand, time stops. He glances down at his Pipboy and nods to himself, this was what he''d been waiting for, the quest chain hadn''t ended until now, so the gathered exp sat back until he completed it. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 5] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 6] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 7] Huh, three levels in one go... It was kind of to be expected, he''d killed quite a few Powder Gangers and completed a rather big quest chain. He now had 45 points to use, he could do a few things with this many, maxing out Guns or Energy Weapons was one... Increasing his Sneak, Lockpick, or Speech was another. Looking back on what he''d been using during the quests, he knew that Guns was probably the right way to go. He''d found an ungodly amount of ammunition for ballistic weapons and a pitiful amount for energy... He decided that maxing it out was probably the best thing he could do. He maxed Guns using 39 skill points leaving him with 6 left... He put those in Speech raising that to 44. He was about to move on to pick his next Perk when a notification stopped him. [Guns has been maxed!] [Perk gained! : John Wick Style] [John Wick Style] : Increases agility, perception, and hit chance depending on how outnumbered you are. This, was really, really good. He didn''t know if this''d basically make him comparable to John Wick cuz he doubted that was even possible, but it''d definitely increase his combat potential by a whole lot. All of the fights he''d end up in would likely be with him outnumbered, so this was an absolute buff. This wasn''t in Fallout 3, maxing a skill didn''t grant an extra Perk so maybe it was unique to Fallout Newvegas? Regardless, he was excited to find out what the other skills would give once they were maxed. He moved onto the Perks available and examined them. [Bloody Mess] : +5% overall damage; more violent death animations. Afton knew this perk well, it was probably the most hilarious one in Fallout 3, even a small weapon like a 9mm pistol could explode someones entire body... The damage boost wasn''t all that exciting but he was curious to see if the ''sudden combustion'' effect would work... He shook his head, if it did, then almost every person he killed would explode into, well, a bloody mess. That''d ruin any armour, or other delicate objects he''d potentially loot from them. He wouldn''t take this Perk unless there was literally no other option. [Gunslinger] : +25% accuracy in V.A.T.S. with one-handed weapons. An alright Perk, Afton didn''t want to specialise into anything though. One-handed weapons would eventually not be powerful enough to breach his enemies defences, he couldn''t imagine using a revolver to take on a Deathclaw. [Lead Belly] : -50% radiation taken from food and water sources. Judging by the fact Afton was in a radioactive wasteland, this could potentially save him a lot of trouble in the long term... He didn''t know if stimpacks could cure cancer after all. [Shotgun Surgeon] : When using shotguns, regardless of ammunition used, you ignore an additional 10 points of a target''s Damage Threshold. Again, he didn''t want to specialise into any specific weapon type, especially shotguns given you''d need to be up close and personal to make use of them. [Toughness] +3 DT permanently. This would be the start of making him superhuman... Leather armour gave 6 DT, so his skin would essentially be half a tough as leather armour... Not something to scoff at. There were still the other Perks from the previous levels he hadn''t picked, the choice was between [Lead Belly], [Toughness], and [Intense Training]... Lead Belly would be useful longterm, but it didn''t stop a bullet going through his face like Toughness might... Chapter 84 - The Walking Wastes [Intense Training] could increase one of his SPECIAL stats, maybe if he maxed one of his stats he''d gain a perk like he''d gotten from maxing a skill? That was definitely something to look into... Shaking his head, Afton eventually decides to just pick [Toughness], the extra defence could save his life, no point in getting greedy when he had many other chances to get stronger. Afton Parker?? Level : 7 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 7 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 7 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 18 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 40 Melee Weapons : 38 Repair : 41 Science : 41 Sneak : 20 Speech : 44 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 30 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] Confirming his selection, time resumes again and Afton stumbles slightly as an ungodly amount of information forces itself into his mind, new knowledge of ballistic weaponry he''d never even heard of becomes prominent in his head. He suddenly knew that air humidity, wind resistance, direction, temperature, even altitude could affect a bullet''s trajectory! Knowledge of how to reload, aim an shoot every gun in existance bored itself into his head painfully. The small facts he''d learned about social interaction due to the small amount of points he''''d put in Speech weren''t even noticed. What was noticed however, was Afton''s sudden strange behavior... Emil had just handed him a sack of caps and the boy stumbled while holding his head... "You alright son?" Karl asks from behind him. Afton grits his teeth and forces himself to nod, "Y-yeah... Just a migraine... Just... Gimme a moment..." he mutters as he weakly sits down on a nearly object, rubbing his temples as the information ingrains itself into his soul. Once that had started to slow he noticed a weird tingling in his skin, it didn''t hurt, but it felt like his skin was being scrunched together, compressed before being stretched out again... As if it was becoming denser and denser the more time went on. Again, this only lasted a minute or so before it stopped. Not doubt it was due to his new Perk [Toughness]. Taking a deep breath and collecting himself he stood and looked at the two worried men, "I''m good... It''s been a while since I''ve had a... Migraine that bad." he tries to explain it away. Emil slowly nods but Karl just gives him a suspicious yet worrying look. The former gives a small smile, "You guys have been a great help, without you I reckon we''d be stuck on this half of the Mojave still dealing with these fuckers... If you need any more work then come to the encampment outside Primm or head up to the Mojave Outpost." he says while giving them both firm handshakes. Afton nods at him, "Sure, we could use the extra caps." he mutters, sending a glance at Karl who just nods in acceptance. "We''ll head out in the morning." the former-ranger says as he goes off towards his usual sleeping quarters. Afton nods and heads to his own, idly noticing that Hannigan had been arrested and was being held by some soldiers. His bed had some blood stains on it from the previous skirmish, but it didn''t bother him all that much due to the brain matter he already had covering his recon armour. The duo were about ready to head out as sun came up, they''d picked up enough food for a couple days travel aswell as some ammo the NCR hadn''t scavenged yet. Just as they were about to leave the NCRCF Sargeant Emil stopped them again. "Hey guys, think you could do me one last favour?" he asks with a small smile. Afton shrugs and Emi continues, "I''m sending back our injured and was hoping you''d accompany then to Primm... You''re headed that direction anyway right?" ... Afton sighs and Karl doesn''t seem to care about what they do, in the end they agree to accompany them as long as they can keep up. The added protection from having a squadron of NCR soldiers in your group would prevent anyone attempting to ambush them, so there wasn''t really a point to refusing, especially since they''d get boost in reputation with the NCR. Glancing at his Pipboy, he could see that he was [Accepted] by the NCR, meaning that he was currently in good standing with them. Considering he was [Vilified] by the Powder Gangers meant that he''d probably be attacked on sight should they spot him. The journey to Primm took a couple hours, the healthy soldiers helped those with leg injuries so they could keep a decent pace. They didn''t run into any trouble either so it was pretty peaceful to be honest. Lieutenant Hayes was already waiting for them at the camp, he gave them a thankful smile and shook their hands, "Thanks for your help in dealing with the Powder Gangers, I heard over the radio that you''re pretty competent." Afton slowly nods, "Yeah... Emil said something about finding work here? Might as well earn some caps before we head up to the Outpost." The duo had discussed what they''d be doing during the journey, Karl said that the best place to find an NCR Ranger was in one of the ranger stations. Though, to walk around them without being shot you''d need to be well known amongst the NCR. For information the best place would be Camp McCarren, if all else fails they''d be able to just ask Ambassador Crocker inside the Newvegas strip. So, that''s the plan for now, gain notoriety with the NCR, do jobs and get enough income to fully outfit themselves. So, once they go to the Mojave Outpost they''d head north. It was a much longer route but the shorter one had been taken by Deathclaws so they didn''t really have a choice. Chapter 85 - Whats Mine Is Mine Lieutenant Hayes slowly nods, sitting down on some nearby metal scrap with a thoughtful look, "Now that you mention it, we could use a hand with Primm... A group of ex-cons have holed up in the Bison Steve Hotel, the town itself isn''t NCR territory so the higher-ups won''t commit to sending more troops to deal with them." Afton raises a brow, "Why now? Surely having criminals operating so close to the Mojave Outpost would be a problem?"?? Hayes nods, "They are, that''s why we''ve created this encampment. The town is surrounded by a metal fence that''s almost impossible to climb over, the only way they''re leaving Primm with all their guns is through us." "So you''ve committed enough troops to keep there here, but not help the town?" Afton inquires questioningly. Hayes shrugs, "We''re struggling at holding back the Legion as it is, small things like this are inconsequential. To the higher-ups at least." "Not to you then?" Karl asks with his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Not to me. That''s why I''m willing to pay you outta my own pocket to deal with the thugs in Primm. The townsfolk have been holed up in the Vikki and Vance casino for a couple weeks now. I''ve tried to get them outta there but the whole damn place is covered with traps, mines, and shotgun traps. The layout of the town may allow us to keep them trapped here, but we can''t really enter either... I''ve had some teams try to disarm the traps but they''re shot at as soon as they begin working on ''em. Not something you need when disarming explosives I''ll tell you." Karl nods, "Yeah, I get that." he mutters, "What''ll you do if we deal with the cons?" "Let the townsfolk handle themselves I suppose. I lack the men to properly secure it, and I doubt the added tax would be appealing to those inside. Many still think of us as unelected overlords, stealing land and forcing people to pay for the right to live on it... They aren''t wrong I suppose." Hayes mutters, scratching his stubble. "Shouldn''t there be some police in there or something?" Afton asks. Karl shakes his head, "The con''s would''ve killed the Sheriff before they did anything else. No point leaving him to rally the townfolks against them." he sends a glance to Hayes to see if his assumption was correct. He receives a nod, "Cons apparently snuck into town and killed the Mcbain''s in their sleep. All the while keeping the Deputy imprisoned in the Hotel for some reason... Maybe he could be made the new Sheriff if you rescue him?" "Hopefully, I doubt he''ll be all that willing after seeing what happened to the former sheriff. We''ll deal with that when we get to it though... How much are you willing to pay us for this? Taking down a group of heavily armed criminals with two people isn''t going to be easy. Especially since they have the home advantage." Afton asks. Hayes chews on his lip for a while before eventually nodding, "250 caps each. That''s the best I can do, you may not think so but I don''t get paid all that much." Afton nods, it was better than he was expecting, especially considering he was doing this out of the kindness of his heart to help the townsfolk. He shakes the man''s hand, "Deal, if we don''t die in some gruesome way then we''ll be back for the pay." Karl sends a nod at Hayes before turning to Afton, "We should head out at night, I''ll be able to disarm the explosives without the cons shooting at us. Maybe we''ll be able to use their own traps against them." he says with a small grin. While the sun was disappearing behind the horizon Afton and Karl were checking their weaponry. The former had a new appreciation for ballistic weapons after maxing out his Guns skill. The revolver felt almost unnaturally comfortable in his hand, he twirled it on his finger and aimed it at the top of a lampost a few hundred meters away, feeling as if he could hit the lightbulb contained within it. He was also unnaturally fast at reloading the weapon, the [Rapid Reload] Perk combined with his relatively high Agility and Guns skill made him feel like a true duelist. Even Karl was surprised by his speed, and that''s coming from a former-ranger... He had the .357 Revolver strapped to his right on the hip, Eddie''s Plasma pistol to his left, and his Laser pistol on a makeshift holder behind that. His Deathclaw leather satchel was slung behind him and filled with ammunition and a Sawn-off shotgun was attached to the front of the strap, letting it rest on his chest. Karl thought he was carrying too much, but Afton begged to differ. They were going to be outnumbered by people, the least he could do is even the odds by bringing just as many guns as they do. He left the service rifle and most of their other supplies in the NCR encampment as carrying it around would serve no purpose. The duo gave Hayes a nod before slowly heading towards town. Before them was a concrete bridge that went over an overpass of the highway, it was heavily damaged and probably only held together by the metal rebars within it. Karl stopped Afton from walking any further, they hadn''t even left the encampment and there were almost mines everywhere... Its fortunate they have dim red lights on them marking that they were currently armed, it also makes it easier for the former-ranger to disarm them in the darkness. Afton watched as his partner quickly dashed to the closest one, it started beeping but Karl quickly lifted it and pressed a button hidden underneath its casing. He thought that you''d need to press that big button on top of it, but maybe he was wrong? "Karl, what''s that big button do?" Karl gives his a sideways glance, "It may be a proximity mine, but it''s still able to be activated by pressure... Step on it, press it, or anything like that and it''ll immediately explode. I know some stupid folks who thought you could disarm it by pressing it." he shakes his head, "It was them who got ''disarmed'' instead." Chapter 86 - Becoming Snake Karl continues disarming mines and passing them to Afton who stuffs them into his satchel. They''d collected ten of them already and it didn''t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. "Where did they find so many mines?" Afton mutters in disbelief.?? "No idea, must''ve stumbled across a cache of them somewhere... Maybe a pre-war building that somehow hadn''t been looted until now." Karl guesses while dashing to yet another mine. Afton didn''t know how the old man was doing it, he could barely see a meter ahead through the darkness yet Karl seemed at home in these conditions... Eventually, though the mines thinned out and the duo found themselves in the middle of the street, Vikki and Vance casino on their left, Bison Steve Hotel in front, and residential building on their right. Ahead they could see a lampost that''s getting power from somewhere, the dim bulb illuminating a couple men who were presumably keeping watch... The townsfolk were apparently holding out in the casino, which meant these guys were waiting for people to try to leave before catching them... What they did to them afterwards was anyone''s guess. "Kid, you know how to knock someone out properly?" Karl whispers from the side. Afton shrugged, "Kinda? I know what to do, but I''m not all that confident in pulling it off... Though... You got a knife I can borrow?" Karl nods and hands him some sort of combat knife, a part of the blade close to the handle was serrated, presumably for cutting material. It was remarkably sharp though, Karl obviously took care of it. He noted that on its handle was some sort of mark... Three stripes behind a star, was this from his time in the rangers? How did he manage to keep it after being imprisoned?... Shaking his head, Afton focussed on the two men guarding the casino entrance. He asks Karl how he wants to go about this and the man has them circle around the casino so they are able to come in behind them. They''re now hugging the casino wall a few meters away from the two men, both had tanned skin and ugly scars covering their bodies. Afton was pretty sure he could smell them from where he was standing, clearly hygiene wasn''t a concern for them. Both were sitting on a box, one with a shotgun resting on his lap and the other with a pistol in his holster. Karl tapped him on the shoulder and gestured towards the one sitting on the left with the shotgun. The both kept as quiet as possible as they slowly got closer to the men, idly picking up their conversation. "What does Carlos even want to do with these guys anyway?" "You didn''t hear ''im? Wanted to starve the townies out before robbin'' ''em... A lot easier than fightin'' em I''ll say." "Wonder if there''re any pretty lasses in there?" one says with a lecherous grin. "Probably, wouldn''t mind gettin'' me'' dick wet, ey? Hehehe." By this time Karl and Afton had reached their targets, without hesitation Karl grabbed the rightmost one, pulling their pistol out of their holster and tossing it away while grabbing them in a tight chokehold. As that was happening Afton had jammed the combat knife through the criminal''s neck, severing the carotid artery. They tried to make a grab for their shotgun but Afton wrenched them backwards, causing them to drop it. The shock of being stabbed in the neck, and spotting their friends being choked out had the man unable to do anything but choke on their own blood. Afton held the man there until his eyes shut and he finally passed on. His arms were completely covered in blood from holding him in place, it didn''t smell yet but he had to get cleaned up soon before it starts coagulating... Blood is notoriously difficult to get off. Afton grabbed the shotgun and rested it on his shoulder as Karl examined the unconscious con he''d just knocked out. "Wanna question him?" Karl nods, "Yeah, let''s take them inside the casino, can''t have the cons finding their bodies just yet. Not while we still have the element of surprise. Afton knocks on the casino doors a couple times before slowly opening it, he pops his head through the crack and is greeted by a revolver pressing against his cheek. "Now, you hold still stranger. I''d rather not get blood on the carpet." he says, gesturing towards the already dirty rug that led further inside the casino. ... "Err, I''m Afton Parker... We''re here on behalf of Lieutenant Hayes to deal with your con-problem." he says with a sheepish look, trying not to focus on the gun pressed against his face. The man before him was an old man with tanned, wrinkled skin wearing overalls over a dirty shirt and jeans, some goggles hanging from around his neck. ... "Hm, thought those soldier-boys would just leave us here to suffer. Been watching us from their camp for damn well two weeks now." "Well, the NCR would have, its Hayes that''s paying us outta his own pocket to help you guys... Could you get that gun out of my face?" The old man nods, "Names Johnson Nash youngster, forgive me for the lead-lined welcome but we''ve been waiting for that lot to bust in here any moment... Could darn well hear ''em talking on the other side of the door." Afton nods and opens the door further, "Sorry about the blood..." he mutters as they drag one corpse and one unconscious man into the casino, blood thoroughly covering the rug much to Johnson''s chagrin. Karl tips his Stenton towards the man, "Howdy." he says dully as he props the unconscious man next to a slot machine. Johnson''s shock at seeing two peoples sudden pulled into the casino eventually wears off though. "Now just you two hang on there. What is this!?" he exclaims, quickly gesturing at the bodies with his revolver. "One prisoner and one dog-food." Karl states, walking over and shutting the doors behind them. Chapter 87 - Mined Your Own Business Afton shrugs at Johnson upon hearing Karl''s rather blunt explanation, "These two were waiting outside your door, we got rid of them and needed to hide the bodies somewhere before we heard inside the hotel." Johnson frowns at him, "I-I don''t want any trouble, if you two fail and those cons find out we''re hiding this? They''ll kill us all. I can''t allow this." he quickly says.?? Karl growls at him, "You''ll do as told or the cons killin'' you will be the thing you wish for. We''ve got a job to do, the least you cowards can do is hold our bags while we deal with your problems for you." "I don''t know who you think you''re talking to stranger, but if you think I''m going to roll over and let some-" His words stop, caught in his throat as Karl smacks the man''s revolver away and hits him in the forehead with the barrel of his .44 Magnum. "You''ll do as I say, the NCR ain''t gonna help you, so we''re your last shot at getting outta this mess without having to get your hands dirty." Johnson continues to have a defiant expression on his face, he rubs the spot where Karl had hit him and states, "As I said before, I refuse to hold corpses within this casino. Now leave!" Karl just looks at Afton, seemingly trying to decide what to do with this annoying man, "Fine, dump them outside for all I care, Afton, we got a job to do." he says, leaving the casino. Afton sighs and gives Johnson one last look, "If you can''t help yourselves, the least you could do is allow us to do what we were paid for. Guess people like you will always be the same, cowards til the end." he leaves after saying his piece. Once he''s outside he glances at Karl, "What''s with these people? Surely they can see we''re trying to help?" Karl shakes his head, "Folk don''t care if you''re killin'' or helpin'', only concerning themselves when it involves them. People like Johnson are the reason a small group of cons can take over a town with limited numbers and weaponry." he sighs and looks towards the hotel. "Best we get moving and start clearing them out before someone notices the bodies." Afton nods and the duo sneak towards the double-doors of the Bison Steve Hotel, Karl opens a crack in the door and takes a peak, opening it fully when he sees no-one in the entrance room. He places a hand on Afton''s chest to stop him though after spotting a small almost invisible wire on the floor. "Wire trap." he states, following it with his eyes and finding himself staring into the barrel of a single shotgun. "Well, look what we have here." The wire trap was wrapped around and tied to its trigger, any pressure would pull it and cause the weapon to fire, presumably at whoever walked through the door. Simple, but effective. "I think I''ve found a use for those bodies after all." he says with a grin. Deryl was a simple man, a former farmer who fell on hard times and was forced to steal to survive. He wasn''t smart, nor skilful, his crime spree was easily discovered and he was shipped off to the NCRCF, a place where they forced you to work in order to ''rehabilitate'' you. It was bullshit of course, everyone knew it, the prisoners, the guards, even the few visitors they received knew it was essentially just legalised slavery. That''s the main reason why, when the opportunity presented itself, he escaped. Some other criminals had obtained an obscene amount of explosives and had been using them to destroy cells, and throw them at their guards. He refused to stay though, choosing to try and return home, yeah it was a shit hole bu was all he knew... So, he found himself in Barnes gang. They''d taken over a town called Primm but were barricaded in by the NCR not long after... Deryl was afraid for his life but, there wasn''t really anything he could do. He knew one thing for sure though. Once he got home he''d leave this life of crime behind, it''d only brought him trouble and he didn''t see a future for himself if he continued. *BANG!* The sound of the gang''s shotgun trap going off echoed through the halls, Deryl glanced at his three buddies who were supposed to be keeping watch on the front entrance. They''d quickly got bored of it and decided to just lay a trap there. "Sounds like we caught something, didn''t even have to use any bait! Hahaha!" Marcus laughs, slowly getting up and tosses the cards onto the floor, "Come on, let''s check it out. I got first dibs on the loot."- Deryl just shrugs and follows along, this hadn''t been the first time they caught someone sneaking around, though, that Beagle guy was being kept alive by their leader for some reason. They walk around the upturned table in the entrance hall and see a corpse with its head blown off, blood covering the wall next to it. They both stand over it, not wanting to miss anything valuable they could potentially take. Marcus grins at them, "Alright, I get first dibs for setting the trap but, how about we play Caravan to decide who gets what afterwards?" They all slowly nod, none were better than Marcus at Caravan but knew the man wouldn''t let them get any of the loot if they refused. They all stepped a bit closer as Marcus flipped the body over... *Beep, Beep, Beep* All of them are shocked to find a spherical object placed in the belt of the body, the red flashing lights on it indicated that it was armed, and about to explode. None of them was even able to comprehend what was happening as shrapnel tore their bodies apart. The last thing Deryl thought about was the promise he made to the girl he was sweet on, the promise he made to eventually return to her and their unborn child. *BOOM!* Chapter 88 - Dont Look A Beagle In The Eye *BOOM!* The sound of the mine going off alerted Karl and Afton that the former''s plan had worked. They enter through the backdoor of the building that''d presumably been locked with its key lost. Who knew Karl was handy with a bobby pin??? Neither knew how many criminals there are so they were going about this clinically and cautiously. With all the attention drawn towards the front entrance, no one would think of them coming through the back. In the hallway they notice a few people rushing from upstairs towards where the explosion had occurred. The biggest shocker being the fact that one had a huge weapon with them... Both were quickly able to identify it though, it was called an Incinerator. While it did technically count as an Energy Weapon, Afton had no prior experience with it. The Brotherhood considered it an inferior weapon as all it did was launch small fireballs. Regardless, it was something they''d have to watch out for, not only due to the damage it could potentially cause them, but because the ancient building they were standing in would go up like a match stick with relative ease. The hallway they were in had two exits, one on the left which led to the stairs up, and the right which led into a large room, perhaps the dining room of the hotel before the war? Just as they were about to pass the stairs, rapid steps force them into hiding. Judging by the sound it was only one person, as soon as the person reaches the ground floor Karl launches at them, kicking away their 10mm pistol and grabbing them in a chokehold. Afton pulls out the Ranger Knife Karl had lent him and stabs them a couple of times in the gut to stop them resisting. Their eyes widen as they give choked groans, spitting up blood and losing consciousness soon after. Afton leans down and slits their throat for good measure, can''t have them waking up and alerting the whole place to their presence. Afton cleans the blood off of the knife with their victims clothes and hands it back to Karl, they shake their head though, "Keep hold of it for now, better in your hands than mine." he states as they sneak into the dining room. Many tables were upturned towards one side of the room that had two entrances, the cons assumed an attack would come from the front. A small campfire sat in the middle of the dining room with a molerat pierced over it on a spit. Afton grimaced at the thought of eating such a creature, it looked more like a cancerous growth than anything edible if he were honest. On the other side of the room was what seemed like the kitchen, it was dimly lit but they could see a man sitting on his knees with his arms bound. probably Deputy Beagle if they had to guess. They glance at the new visitor and his eyes widen with hope, "Are you... Did they send you to rescue me?" Karl scoffs and Afton shakes his head, "Seemed like the townspeople were ready to let you die... They just stayed holed up in the casino, refusing to move or even help themselves." Beagle sighs and looks down, "Yeah, I can see that... Doesn''t mean you can''t untie me though, right? You caused that explosion right?" he guesses anxiously. Afton nods, "Yeah, we''re about to fight the rest of the cons so an extra pair of hands would help." he says, leaning down and is about to cut Beagle free. "Ah, I''m not so sure I''d be of any help... Not that I don''t want to, its just..." he says, causing Afton to stop and scowls at him, "You have two choices, one, you stay and fight with us... Or two, you sit here still bound with a high chance of us not returning for you... Pick." A bead of cold sweat runs down Beagle''s back as he gives his best smile to Afton, "Ah... Now that you mention it, getting a pound of flesh for what those cons have done to me would be alright..." Afton cuts the man free and glances at Karl who''s watching the door, waiting for the criminals to return. Perhaps they''d assume one of them was fucking around with one of the traps and accidentally donated it on themselves? It was a reach but criminals weren''t known for being smart, especially those who took over a town with no plan for afterwards. Beagle stands and pulls out a 9mm pistol from... Somewhere, Afton doesn''t even want to think about where he could''ve hidden that, the criminals would have definitely searched him so that left the options rather... Limited... Assuming it was pre-loaded to meant that Beagle had bigger balls than Afton had first thought. Even Karl was giving Beagle a weird look, who hides a loaded gun in their rectum for fuck sake? That''s not even counting the ease of which he''d retrieved it. Apparently not even the former-ranger had heard of something like that. Afton glares at Beagle, "There''s a few rules you need to follow... First, don''t ever touch me, especially with that gun. Second, you follow everything we tell you to the letter, ignoring us could mean you tasting lead with your forehead. Third, try not to annoy Karl. Good?" Beagle quickly nods "That''s an affirmative... Sir." he adds, feeling as if he was a child being manhandled. Karl quickly gestures at them and they crouch down behind the desk as the criminals stream into the dining room. There was only two exits from the kitchen, the one that they''d entered from, and a locked room on the left. "Does ANYONE have any fuckin'' idea how those idiots got their hands on a mine? I TOLD YOU TO NOT TOUCH THE TRAPS, and what do you do?! NOW WE''VE GOT FIVE DEAD, A BLOWN OUT FRONTDOOR, AND I HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY BROUGHT ANYMORE MINES!" the man wielding the Incinerator shouts. Chapter 89 - Fanning The Flames There were ten of them plus their leaders wielding the Incinerator, mos twere cowering as the man went off at them about how useless they were, suggesting they''d be better if he tied the explosives to them, setting them on fire and facing them in the direction of the NCR encampment. "Oof, that guy isn''t messing around..." Beagle mutters from behind them.?? Afton shakes his head, they should try and strike now, all of them had their attention on their leader and he reckoned he could kill a couple before any could react. He thought about getting Karl to do it but killing many people quickly wasn''t something the .44 Magnum was designed for... The recoil on it meant that he''d need similar strength to Afton to pull it off. Afton could see that Karl''s glory days were far behind him. "Get into cover, I''ll try reduce their numbers as much as possible..." he mutters, dropping the double-barrel shotgun he''d stolen from one of th criminals on the table and drawing his .357 Revolver. With his Gun skill now maxed, he could almost foresee the best way to eliminate the enemy with what he had. He grabbed the revolver in his right hand and rested his left on the hammer, preparing to fan it. This would essentially allow him to fire it as fast as he was able to pull the hammer back, a technique used by old-world shooters and duellists. He sent a silent nod at Karl before stepping in the doorway, the criminal leader was still berating his men and dutifully giving a clear shot at his temple. What a polite person Afto mused to himself. [John Wick Style is in effect] appears in the corner of his vision, along with a Pipboy sprite that looks suspiciously like a certain Keanu... Afton grinned to himself as his vision sharpened and his body almost began firing at the enemy reflexively. One of the criminals had turned their head towards the kitchen and saw him in the doorway, they were about to shout when he began the slaughter. *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* In one second Afton had expended all the ammunition in his weapon, aiming directly at the enemies heads. The leader wielding the Incinerator crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, five of his six shots seemed to instantly kill their targets. Unfortunately, the last one only managed to blow the ear off of them. After this Afton throws himself behind cover as bullets start flying, he quickly reloaded his revolver and glanced towards his companions. Karl looked slightly surprised but tried not to show it on his face, but Beagle had his mouth agape while looking at him. Clearly, he hadn''t ever seen someone kill five men in one second with just a revolver. His shock disappeared though as a bullet flew over his head, barely missing him. He started blindly firing over the table like some rooky who''d never held a weapon before. Afton thought they were pretty lucky as he''d killed the guy wielding the flame weapon. It was heavy and difficult to use, which meant that it was likely no one else knew how to use it. He peaked his head out for a moment while activating VATS, memorizing the enemies positions before aiming directly at them and firing off two shots. Both release spurts of blood as they tumbled backwards, a new orifice created on their heads. There was four left but they seemed intent on continuously wasting their ammo to suppress them. They weren''t able to fire back due to the number of bullets flying. Fortunately, Karl was experienced in this and just signalled us to wait, they''d run out of ammo eventually. He was correct, as not two minutes later the *clicks* of empty magazines ran out. Afton grabbed the shotgun on the table and dashed out, using VATS and targeting the two closest men. *BANG! BANG!* Their heads were reduced to mulch from the attacks, Karl had followed him out of the kitchen and finishing off the last two with clean, methodical shots. With that, the building went silent. The deafening cacophony of discharging firearms had ended so abruptly that it felt like all sound had permanently disappeared. Afton stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it around, still hearing the vague ringing. "Fuck.... Fuck! You, what was that? How!" beagle mutters from behind them in utter disbelief. He simply couldn''t comprehend how two men had taken on the whole gang, and without a single injury as well. Afton raises a brow at him, "Be quiet and help us loot them." he states as he begins rifling through the deads pockets, taking any caps, chems, or other valuable items they may have had. Karl grabs a backpack from one of the crooks and stuffs all of their weapons into it, excluding the Incinerator of course, it was much to large to be held within it. "Er... Can-can I leave now?" Beagle quickly asks after they''d finished packing all the loot. Afton examines him to make sure he hadn''t stolen anything before nodding, "Yeah, go ahead... Mind the traps as well, don''t wanna get your legs blown off." he adds, causing the man to pale. "That was good... Great, even. Didn''t know you could shoot like that." Karl mutters as the duo begins looting the entire hotel for valuables. Sure the building used to belong to the Primm residence, but they were too scared to take it back, thus, the loot went to them. "Yeah... I, wasn''t confident in doing that so I never tried on live human''s before." he explains, hoping it''d be enough to placate the man. He was determined to never tell anyone about the system, even if he got married and had children he''d still keep his mouth shut. Chapter 90 - Getting "Lucky" Unfortunately, whether it was by its previous inhabitants or the criminals, the Hotel seemed to have been picked clean. Afton was beginning to feel a bit put out for spending so much time here, that was before he discovered something buried under a pile of trash... An underground safe. "Karl! Come check this out." he calls, not knowing anything about how to picklock a door, let alone a safe.?? The former-ranger walks over and start rubbing his beard when he sees the safe. "Hm, that looks to be a difficult one... Not much of a lockpick myself but I''ll give it a go." he says, getting on the floor and placing his ear to the safe while turning the dial. Afton didn''t really know what he was doing, was he just listening for an indication of the correct point? Shaking his head, whatever it is, he wondered if he could be taught by Karl. *Click!* The safe door jolted slightly, releasing dust as Karl pulled it open, revealing the goodies inside. Afton crouches down and examines them... A pile of caps, some sort of modified revolver, a book... He pulls out the revolver and examines it, its a .357 revolver with a long barrel and black metal that was decorated with gold etchings, the handle of which was some sort of polished ivory, with a black clover marked on it. On the ejector tube "Lucky" was inlaid, perhaps the name of the weapon? He used his Pipboy to check it and was surprised to see that yes, it was indeed called Lucky. [Lucky] : Strength req : 3 Dmg : 30 Crit dmg : 30 Crit mult : x2.5 AP : 17 Weight : 2.5 Value : 2500 This was an incredible weapon, though, his luck stat meant that it would never reach its full potential in his hands. It essentially doubled your crit chance when you used it and had a higher base damage than the usual .357 revolver, and that''s not even mentioning the reduced AP cost to fire. [.357 Revolver] : Strenth req : 3 Dmg : 26 Crit dmg : 26 Crit mult : x1 AP : 26 Weight : 2 Value : 110 He immediately holstered it, Karl had his own .44 and didn''t mind letting Afton have the gun, especially after the skill he displayed earlier. Afton was looking forward to testing his new weapon out. They split the caps which ended up being around 200 each, and after picked up the book with some cloth... He could already tell that this was a skillbook, and didn''t want to shock Karl by turning it to dust with his touch. He put the book in his satchel and stood back up, "I don''t know about you, but this weapon alone makes this all worth it." Karl huffs, "Yeah, yeah. Let''s hope our fights always turn out like this, need''ta remember one shot to the dome is all it takes." Afton grumbles in acceptance, he knew the man was right... Atleast, he was until he got his hands on some Power Armour. Then he didn''t think anyone could lay a hand on him in the wasteland, he wondered how powerful he''d be at max level, maybe he could take down the NCR on his own? He smirked at the thought. The duo leaves the building, Afton with his new distinct weapon holstered. He was quite the figure, covered in blood and carrying a huge flame thrower, all the while a huge grin on his face. They knocked a couple times on the casino doors and stepped inside, immediately the place went silent when the occupants saw them. "What? No medals?" Afton jokes, vaguely recalling the scene in Starwars. ... "Best you put down that weapon son, seems like they''re about to piss themselves." Karl says, causing Afton to drop the heavy flame thrower on the floor with a loud *Clank!*. Johnson walks up to them from the group with Beagle at his side, "So, you two''re still alive huh?" Afton raises a brow, "You say that like its a bad thing." he states, beginning to get irritated by the old man''s attitude. Johnson shakes his head and extend a hand, "No, just surprised is all... I''d like to thank you on behalf of us all for what you''ve done today... Didn''t think it was possible until Deputy Beagle told us what went down... I have to ask, did you really take down the whole group with just a revolver?" ... Afton can''t help but snort, he breaks into laughter upon hearing this, figures Beagle would lie through he teeth about them to get in their good books. Or maybe he just had no clue on what actually went down? He continues to laugh for a moment before wiping his eye with a finger, "Sorry, just didn''t expect to hear that." "Hm, yeah, Deputy Beagle told us all about how you three valiantly fought them off. How Beagle managed to escape his capture just as you arrived." Johnson continues. ... Both Afton and Karl send a glance to Beagle who sheepishly looks away, clearly he was trying to save his reputation. If people heard the coward had to be threatened to stay and fight with them he''d be tossed outta town like a sick stray. "Well, you guys are free to do whatever you want now, I''d suggest staying here while the NCR removes the traps and mines the cons had placed around the town, but if you don''t mind losing limbs then go ahead... by the way, anyone here a trader?" he asks, a woman in the back nodding. "I''ll sell you this and all its ammo for 300 caps." Afton states while gesturing towards the Incinerator... It wasn''t in its best condition and due to the rarity of the ammunition and difficulty of use, most couldn''t even use it. The woman quickly nods and scrambles to get the caps together, she must''ve thought this was an amazing deal. Sure, she was getting a small discount on behalf of the fact he wanted to immediately get moving, but he doubted she''d be able to sell it off anywhere... Especially with how heavy and unwieldy it was to carry. Chapter 91 - Sheriff Outta Town Afton doesn''t decide to offload the rest of the loot, instead electing to try and sell it off at the Mojave Outpost, he''d likely get better prices there than here. "Hope you guys don''t mind but, we''re going to stay here the night. I need to clean this blood off of me and get some sleep." he states and no one argues with him. He spots a nice looking couch in the corner and is about to walk over and drop unconscious atop it but is stopped by Johnson, "So Deputy Beagle, since you''re back you can become the new Sheriff right?"?? "W-what? No... My days in the law are finished, there''s no way I''m putting another target on my back." Beagle quickly says. "But Primm needs a Sheriff! Who''ll stop another group of thugs from coming in and taking the town over?" Johnson exclaims, his happiness from earlier slowly fading. Afton sighs, these people really were useless... But... He checks his Pipboy. [Find Primm a new Sheriff] ... Atleast there was some EXP as a consolation he supposed. He glanced over to the robot nearby and wondered if he could reprogram it... Shaking his head, even if he did it wouldn''t be able to properly defend the town, or even put up a fight against another group of criminals. "Karl, wasn''t your friend Meyers a former-sheriff? Couldn''t he set up shop here, wasn''t like he had anywhere else to go." Karl looks thoughtful before nodding, "I think he''d gladly take the offer." he looks to Johnson, "When you can, ask the NCR to send a message to Meyers who''s currently helping out in the NCRCF. He''ll be your new Sheriff." Afton nods and prepares to fall asleep on that almost irresistable looking couche when time stops just as he''s about to reach it... "Fuck!" [WELCOME TO LEVEL 8] ... Seems like he''d completed the quest by suggesting Meyers, he''d have thought that maybe the man would have to arrive, but he must''ve been wrong in that assumption. Whatever the case, he was now given the choice of what to do wit his new skillpoints. He''d already maxed out Guns and gotten [John Wick Style] from it, so he was curious to see what maxing Speech would do. He put all his points into Speech and raised it to 59. Next, he was presented with the new Perks he could potentially take. [Quick Draw] : Makes weapon equipping and holstering 50% faster. This looked rather useless, and if he were playing Fallout he''d not give it a second look... But, in a world were one bullet could mean death, being able to draw as quickly as possible would be as big a boon as a damage increase perk. [Stonewall] : +5 DT against melee and unarmed attacks and cannot be knocked down during combat. The 5DT was negligible, but being immune to getting knocked down would be ridiculously powerful in the real world. [Strongback] : +50 Carry Weight. If he had an inventory system then sure, this would be useful... As of now he has to manually carry everything, which makes taking rediculous amounts of weight impossible to take. These three were the only new Perks he could take, the choice was between the first two as both could potentially be incredible... In the end he decided to take [Stonewall], he imagined a scenario where someone slammed a sledgehammer into his chest and are surprised to see him take it as if it were nothing... He selected it and confirmed, causing time to start again and allowing him to drop into the couch, passing out almost immediately as he hit its cushions. The next day he was shaken awake by Karl, he had no idea how long he''d slept but it felt like only a couple hours judging by how tired he was. He waved his hand at the man, mumbling "Five more minutes". Karl didn''t seem to listen to him and slapped him on the cheek, the sudden pain caused Afton''s eyes to shoot open, unfortunately awakening him completely. "Bro... Couldn''t you just let me sleep a little longer? It''s not like we haven''t got time." Karl shook his head, "The NCR worked through the night and removed the mines, let''s get going... They have a bar at the Mojave Outpost, drinks are on me." he states, adjusting his Stenton and walking away, "I''ll wait outside." Afton rubs his eyes and only now realises he''d never cleaned the blood covering him, it''d begun to smell and had completely coagulated... This fortunately made it slightly easier to wipe off, but the stains to the leather were rather noticeable. He didn''t use any water to clean himself, instead just using a dry cloth that he''d occasionally spit on to remove any annoyingly resistant stains. In the end Afton stood, still with small bloodstains on the leather of his recon armour. The holsters on his hips held Lucky on the right, and his other 357 revolver on the left, along with Eddie''s plasma pistol. On the makeshift badoleer on the front he had the laser pistol and sawed-off shotgun attached to it... His deathclaw leather satchel had many mines, medicine and other supplies held within it. To be honest, if anyone searched him they''d assume he was going to war... He received grateful nods as he exited the casino, spotting Karl with the huge backpack filled with all the Guns they''d stolen from the criminals. "You alright carrying that Karl? We could split it some." he says. Karl shakes his head, "This was a typical day back in the rangers, I''ll manage. Let''s get moving, I wanna reach the Outpost before nightfall." he says, walking towards the NCR outpost. The place had soldiers milling all over the place, crates and other things were slowly being filled with various supplies. Seems like the NCR have no reason to stay here any longer, and were moving shop. Chapter 92 - Mojave Safari The duo are greeted by Lieutenant Hayes who''s ordering people around with a clipboard in his hand, "Hm? Come to visit again you two?" he asks semi-sarcastically. "Just headed to the Outpost, you relocating?" Karl says.?? Hayes nods, "We are, you two have basically done all of our jobs for us... Primm''s no-longer a threat and their new Sheriff is arriving soon, the NCRCF has been taken so the Powder Gangers won''t be a problem... Really, without you two we''d still be stuck here for who knows how long." "Where you headed?" Afton asks, wanting to get some information about NCR placements. "Camp Forlorn Hope, North of Nelson. It''ll take us about a week to pack everything up and get the NCRCF completely secured. You''re welcome to stop by if you need anything, you can consider yourselves friends of mine for what you''ve done... Oh, by the way, the Outpost knows you''re coming, got some job for you apparently. Don''t know whether your interested, but its there." he says. The duo nod and wave as they leave, its a straight road to the Mojave Outpost. It isn''t exactly hard to find where they were going due to the humungous statue off in the distance. It depicts a ranger shaking hands with an NCR soldier. "What''s that statue even for?" Afton asks while glaring at the huge piece of scrap metal off in the distance. "Hmm, I think its for the Unification of the Desert Rangers and the NCR... Reckon they never woulda agreed to it if they knew how corrupt the NCR was." he mutters. They continue walking and spot a ruined gas station on the side of the highway, Karl stops Afton and drops the large sack of weapons onto the floor before pulling them both behind a bush. Afton gives him a peculiar look, "What is it?" "Vipers." Karl quickly states, the two peeking over and spotting a face so dirty it seemed black, looking around from behind a wall. They seemed to be attempting to ambush travellers, its lucky Karl spotted them otherwise they might''ve actually had some trouble. "What are ''Vipers''?" Afton asks, having never heard of that group before. "Don''t know their history, but most are just chem-addicted psychopaths that occasionally popup in the Mojave. They resemble the Fiends and Jackals in their actions but are probably the weakest of the three. Think I prefer them though." "Prefer them?" Afton parrots in confusion. Karl nods, "Jackals are cannibals, and Fiend are murdering, raping scum... Vipers just ambush folk and take their supplies, sometimes even let their victims escape with their lives." he explains. Afton slowly nods, "Yeah, I can see what you mean then... What''re we gonna do about these guys?" "Kill them." he states simply, as if it was obvious. The duo don''t waste anytime, giving the place a wide berth while circling around to scout it out. Once they locate every Viper that was waiting outside they launched their attack. In a couple of seconds, three Vipers were dead, many bullet wounds covering their bodies. The duo approach and Afton throws down a mine at the steps of the front door of the gas station before retreating.] *BOOM!* It explodes and destroys a portion of the wall, as well as killing the unfortunate person who''d stepped out to see what the gunshots were about. All in all, there were only around seven Vipers which were all easily dispatched. Karl packed up all their weaponry into their backpack and Afton checked around the building and eventually found a skill book tucked away behind a desk... Someone must''ve dropped it and forgotten it, probably before the war happened? He touches the Big Book of Science, as well as the Barter skill book he picked up in the Bison Steve Hotel. Both turn to ash and a notification pops up in the corner of his vision. [+3 Science] [+3 Barter] They burn the Viper''s bodies and head out again, it wasn''t long before they encounter yet another obstacle... An overpass that was completely infested with Giant Ants, they seem to have come from the Dry-lake and set up shop. Afton was sure he''d be able to take on a small colony of them, but this wasn''t that... There were hundreds of them, varying from worker ants to soldier ants. "Go around?" he mutters to Karl who just nods, "Go around." And so they ignore the colony and circled around, giving it some distance in order to not aggravate the creatures. Sure some unfortunate travellers might stumble into them, but it wasn''t the duo''s responsibility to solve everyone''s problems. Hopefully it''d be an NCR patrol or something... It was only now that Afton could see just how fucked the Mojave actually was... They''d only been on the road for a couple hours, and they''d already stumbled across an ambush, a colony of irradiated creatures, and now before them was a rest stop with huge grey rad scorpions infesting it! Karl took one look at them and grabbed him, "We''re not fightin'' those, we''d need armour piercin'' rounds to get through their exoskeletons." he states as they run. Fortunately, the Giant Rad-Scorpions weren''t faster than them, allowing them to get outta dodge relatively easily. The two stopped to catch their breath as they reached the bottom of the hill leading to the Mojave Outpost... They could see a few Giant Ants nearby by they seemed more concerned with tearing apart a pre-war truck than eating them. "Is travelling the Mojave always going to be like this?" he complains to his partner. Karl snorts, "No... Not always." he states, cheering Afton up slightly, only to drop him again. "Sometimes you get attacked by Deathclaws, Supermutants, or other insanely strong creatures... Today''s been fairly tame to be honest." Afton was beginning to wonder why he''d been so happy to have been reincarnated in this place... Chapter 93 - 98 Bottles On The Wall Finally, the duo reached the foot on the statue, the outpost was... Not exactly what Afton was expecting. On the right were pens which held many pack-brahmin, presumably for the traders that were stopping here. On the left was a relatively large building with NCR troops protecting it. He could even spot a sniper sitting on the roof, he felt as if he could see the woman giving him the stink-eye through her shades... A man with heavily tanned skin, black hair and a large beard walked up to them, he wore the typical NCR soldier uniform and held a service rifle in his arms. "You two... Wouldn''t happen to be those former-Ganger mercs Lieutenant Hayes has been radioing about?"?? Karl raised a brow, "That what he been calling us? Former-Ganger Mercs?" The soldier shrugs, "Not exactly, rumour of you two has been on everyone''s mind lately. Not much goes on here so its something to keep them occupied... I''ll warn you though, some don''t take too kindly to raiders, caravaners especially. Name''s Sgt Kilborn by the by. "Karl." "Afton." they both state before the latter continues, "Whaddya mean nothing going on here? Surely you''ve got a lot on your plate with the Legion and the huge colony of ants down the road?" he questions. Sgt Kilborn sighs, "Its because of those damn insects that nothing''s been going on. Place is locked up and no caravans can come through until it gets cleaned up. We lack the men and the equipment to get rid of them, so we''re just stuck waiting for reinforcements for McCarren." "And the Legion? They''d like to stop you bringing in supplies from California right?" Afton asks. "Legion wouldn''t dare delve so deeply into NCR territory, even if they did, we''d hear about it long before they got here..." the soldier says, but his words trail off as his eyes seem to lock onto something in the distance... The duo turn and spots black smoke beginning to rise from a nearby town... Karl snorts, "Looks like you won''t be bored much longer Sargeant." he says before patting him on the shoulder and walking past. Afton nods at the Sargeant and whispers thanks before following Karl. The duo doesn''t immediately enter the building, instead, looking towards the rather miserable-looking traders. He seems relatively experienced in bartering as he sells all the weaponry they had to them. He made sure to involve two traders in order to keep the prices good for them. In the end, they came out with around 600 caps which they split. Afton now had around 1900 caps, and Karl had a similar amount. Afton glanced to Karl as they headed towards the Barracks, "You owe me some drinks." Karl shrugs, "Whatever you say. I just wanna drink and rest for the day... Tomorrow we can take a job and get moving again." "Yeah, my feet are aching so no complaints here." Afton says as he pushes open the door. Almost everyone sitting at the bar turn towards the duo, seemingly recognising them. They sit and Karl immediately orders a bottle of Tequila and two shot glasses. The barman called Lacey shrugs and slides the glasses in front of them and places the bottle down as caps hit the table. "How''re you at drinkin'' son?" Karl asks, quickly filling both their glasses up. "Er... I haven''t ''drank'' in a while if that''s what you mean." Afton says, he''d almost entirely stayed away from alcohol while he was with the Powder Gangers. And the Brotherhood of Steel didn''t allow you to drink unless it was a special occasion... Or if a commanding officer bent the rules a little like his father had. "Hmph, we''ll see if you''re a lightweight of not then." he says, clinking their glasses together and downing the Tequila before refilling it. Afton breathes a sigh before downing his own, almost coughing at the strong drink. It had literally been almost twenty years since he''d had Tequila, and he remembered why he hated it. Karl filled his glass up again and he felt like they wouldn''t finish until the bottle was empty. He was about to down another shot when he caught sight of a woman glaring daggers at him. It was a woman in her late twenties or early thirties from what he could tell, brown hair, blue eyes, and a freckled face. She wore a straw hat, a leather jacket over a white and pink checker-shirt. One thing that caught his eyes though was the Tribal-looking necklace hung around her neck. "Looking for trouble kid?" she growls at him, swirling her glass of what looked like whisky. Afton shook his head, not wanting to get into a barfight as soon as they got in... It wouldn''t endear anyone to them, something they didn''t need as most apparently knew their past in the Powder Gangers. "No, my bad." he says turning away and downing his drink. The duo kept drinking, after the tenth or so shot Karl began telling stories of his encounters with the Legion, not bothering to care about the NCR soldiers and caravaners listening in as well. He even showed Afton the deep scars on his stomach and chest from a time he and his friends had been captured and subsequently tortured. It wasn''t just them getting completely shit-face though, the woman who''d been glaring at them the whole day was on her eighth glass of whisky. Her face and cheeks were flushed red and her eyes were drooping. A couple more drinks and Karl had begun singing some old Californian folk songs, some of the bar singing along with him. Afton listened and start badly trying to sing as well, but his drunken state and poor knowledge of the songs had him just shouting gibberish. Some of the soldiers who were still on duty scowled at the drunken group, but decided not to intervene... The place was boring enough as it is, at least this livened it up slightly. Chapter 94 - Whisky Rose Has Thorns It''d gotten to the point where Afton had begun seeing double, he and Karl had made a bet earlier to see who could drink the most, and he''d begun counting each drink as two... Was it cheating? Yep... Did Afton have any idea what was happening anymore? Nope. He gave a bright smile and clinked yet another shot of Tequila with an NCR soldier, he caught sight of the woman drinking whisky again... Unfortunately, this time she''d had enough liquid courage to march over to him... She stumbled slightly due to how inebriated she was, but she made it over to him eventually.?? "Fuckin'' raider piece of shit." she growled at him. "Lady I''ve done nothing to you, just sit back where you came from." Afton said, taking another shot. "Done nothin'' to me? You''re the reason I''m stuck in this shit-hole!" she exclaims, pushing him in an attempt to knock him off of the stool. [Stonewall is in effect] The stool collapses and the leg breaks but Afton somehow threw his feet underneath him, regaining his footing. He looks down at his feet for a moment in confusion before glancing back at the woman, spotting that she too was confused about what''d just happened. "Why don''t you back off? I''m not one to hit a woman." he slurs. Karl just watches the two and laughs at them, "Is this your way of picking up women kid? Hahe! Go on son, go get ''er!" he says, the surrounding NCR soldiers joining him in encouraging Afton. "Ain''t one to hit a woman? That''s great, cuz I''m fine with hittin'' you!" the woman shouts, punching Afton in the face. [Stonewall is in effect] Afton would''ve fallen to the floor after being hit by the surprisingly strong woman, but somehow was still standing. He touched his face and realised his nose was bleeding. "Bitch, you do that again I''m gonna beat your ass-" *Bap, Bap, Puchi!* She follows up by punching him twice in the stomach and giving a roundhouse punch to his cheek. Spittle flies out of his mouth as his head in wrenched to the side by the hit, he''d had about enough of this cunt punching him though. Gritting his teeth he turned towards her and grabbed her shoulders, giving the hardest headbutt he could manage. He was targeting her nose but misses and ends up slamming their forehead together, the woman stumbling backwards, clearly disorientated. By now the duo had been encircled by the drunken crowd, each already betting on the winner. Most bet on the woman as they''d seen her beat down bigger men than Afton before, though, everyone shouted for both to beat the other. Afton follows the headbutt by giving a straight punch straight to the woman''s face. The blow was relatively weak due to his drunken footwork, but had more force than expected. Her head cranks upwards and she almost falls to the floor from it. "Think I''ll lose to you Powder Ganger? Fuck no!" she regains her footing and launches a flurry of punches at him. Each hits vulnerable areas such as his ribs, stomach, liver, neck, and face. But his [Stonewall] and [Toughness] Perks prevent him from being knocked out completely. Not to mention his previous experience with getting hit by Veronica. One last punch sent to his stomach makes him feel like he''s going to vomit up all the Tequila he''d just drank, bu he swallows the bile down and picks the woman up. She struggles to escape his grip as he lifts her over his head and brings her down on a table, breaking it in half. "OOOOOHHHH MY GOD!" someone in the crowd shouts excitedly. "WHAT, IN THE HE-ELLL IS GOIN'' ON HERE?!?" A voice suddenly causes the crowd to go completely silent. Afton steps away from the broken table as the woman slowly gets up, gripping her side in pain. They both turn towards the new arrival and spot a Ranger with a handlebar moustache, sunglasses, and cowboy hat glaring at them with crossed-arms. "Er... Wanted to see how strong the table was..." Afton replies, his slurring words failing to convince the man. "Yeah... It''s nothin'' Jackson, just getting a little too rowdy..." The woman says. ... Ranger Jackson looks towards Lacey inquiringly. Lacey just shrugs, "Nothing to see here, they''re just winding down for the night... Offered to pay for the table too." Jackson sighs, it felt like no one even cared that he was the Senior officer of this outpost. Regardless it was good that he wouldn''t need to discipline anyone, or remove them from the outpost. "You all cut the shit and quieten down then. The whole fuckin'' outpost can hear yah!... And no more brawlin''! Cass, if I see you throw another punch in this here Barracks I will through you in the pens with the Brahmin!" he shouts. The woman nods and the Ranger eventually leaves. She grabs the stool she was sitting on earlier and pulls it next to Afton''s. He himself having to find another seat due to his previous one missing a leg. He glances at her while rubbing his bruised face, "You want another round or something?" She shakes her head, "You''re a good fighter, most can''t take me when the drink gets me going. I''m impressed." Karl chuckles, downing the N''th shot of Tequila... How many had he drunk already? "I''ll bet the kid can take you any place he wants girl." Afton raises a brow and swipes the bottle of Tequila from the man, "Karl, since when did drinking turn you into a perverted old man?" he asks in exasperation, he was drunk, but not drunk enough to ignore the weird way he was acting. "Since always, that''s the Ranger way son, get drunk, fuck, sleep, and get back to work again." he says, attempting to take another shot but forgetting that Afton had swiped the Tequila. "Gimme that back." Afton shakes his head, "You''ve had enough." ... ... "Fine. But you''re paying for drinks next time, burnt a damn hole in my pocket." he says, getting up and paying for a bed in the Barracks to sleep in. Chapter 95 - Whisky Cap After Karl leaves Afton turns towards his new ''drinking buddy'', his mind was still fuzzy but it was relatively easy to understand that fist-fights didn''t usually make you friends... Or maybe it was different in the Mojave? "Sorry... Youknow, about hitting you. I just really, really hate raiders." she says sincerely while tapping her whisky glass to get Lacey to fill it back up.?? He shrugs, "Not the first woman to beat the shit out of me, my best friend''s the one who trained me... She''d give any guy a run for their money." he says, thinking about Veronica with a small smile. The woman nods, "I''m Cass by the way." "Afton... What''s the deal with you and raiders anyway?" he questions, most people wouldn''t start a fist fight with ''former-raiders'' for no reason after all. Especially since the people in question had undoubtedly helped out enough to make up for their past crimes. Cass sips her drink and sighs, "I used to own a caravan, Cassidy Caravans. Life was pretty good until I got word that someone had raided it, killed all my people and burned everything it held... Must''ve been Legion since they didn''t even bother to take anything." "So I reminded you of that, huh?" he asks. She shrugs, "Yeah, I guess. You used to be a Powder Ganger so you kinda deserve it. Raiding Caravans is in the job description after all... Doesn''t really matter now though, did you really help the NCR take back that prison?" He nods, "Yeah, wasn''t too hard. Once the NCR got behind the walls it was like shooting fish in a barrel... What''re you doing here anyway, I can''t imagine your happy just sitting around?" Cass snorts, "Yeah, that''s because I''m not. My Caravan may have been destroyed, but my licence is still active... Means that I can''t leave until Jackson gets his head outta his ass and lets me go. Says ''the roads are too dangerous'', bullshit." "Wait, so even if your caravan is destroyed they still force you to stay here?" He asks in confusion. "Exactly. I know how to handle myself, and don''t need these stiffed dicks to worry their pretty heads for me." she says loud enough for some of the soldiers to hear. The exasperated sighs give a clear picture that this wasn''t the first time she''d expressed her irritation to them. "Can''t you, I don''t know, just walk out?" Afton asks, "They can''t legally stop you can they?" Cass shakes her head, "They can and will, I''d technically be smuggling if I tried to do that, even if it sounds bullshit... Hey, you''re a merc right? Don''t suppose you could clear the roads?" Afton shrugs, he and Karl were going to take some jobs so he might as well hear her out. "It depends, who''s paying, how much needs to be cleared, and what creatures will we be dealing with." "The only problem I can see is those damn giant ants in the dry-lake, they wait next to the road and ambush anyone who comes near. I''m sure they consider the road their territory, not like the NCR has enough balls to take it back." "Why is that anyway?" he asks, wondering why they couldn''t bring a couple machine guns and start bringing their numbers down. "There are too many ants, that and they have tunnels underground that let them popup behind you at any moment... As to who''s paying, I''d be willing to chip in some, but Jackson would probably give an arm and a leg just to have those pests gone." Afton shrugs, "Me and Karl''ll look into it tomorrow. Right now I think I could do with a couple more drinks." She snorts, "Yeah, you and me both." The next day Afton groggily woke up, he was on the bottom bunk in the Barracks and could see many other soldiers, as well as caravaners, sleeping nearby. Rubbing his eyes he groaned as he felt the hangover kick in. "Fuck, does coffee even exist anymore?" he mutters to himself as he falls outta bed and slowly makes his way to the bar, the smell of alcohol almost causing him to vomit on the spot. He looks to Lacey who''s somehow still there and asks, "You got any water?" She nods, and passes him one, "9 caps." He tosses her the cash and sits down, only now noticing that Karl was sitting on the stool next to him... When did he get up? The man grinned at him and waggled his eyebrows, "Fun night?" Afton just shakes his head, "Don''t start Karl, I''m having a rough enough morning as it is." he says swirling the water in his mouth to get the dryness and taste of Tequila out. "Whatever kid, you had a chance and you blew it, doubt you''ll be losing your virginity til we get to New Vegas." ... Afton''s about to reply when a hand grasps Karl''s shoulder, the old man turns around and comes face to face with a rather angry looking Cass. "You got something say old-timer?" Karl snorts, "Yeah," he gestures to Afton, "My boy here ain''t good enough for ya?" ... After a moment Cass just breaks into laughter, she wipes a stray tear from her eye and continues "Youknow, there''s a fine line between funny and annoying." Karl nods sagely, "I get that, same thing with life really." this gets another chuckle from her and they both nod in agreement. "I suppose it is... I spoke to Afton yesterday about a job for you two, you weren''t too drunk to remember right?" she asks. Afton nods, "Clearing the roads right?" She nods, "I''ve already gone to ask Jackson what he''d be willing to pay, said 600 caps. I''ll chip in a hundred so, you willing to do it for 700 caps?" The duo looks at each other and shrug, "Sure." Chapter 96 - Chems Boy? After accepting the job the duo took a look around the traders to see if they anything they could be of any help... They didn''t really have much to sell, most supplies having been slowly used during their stay here, putting most into pretty bad spots. They did make sure to stock up on ammunition though, judging by what they''d heard, there could''ve been anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of Giant ants... Neither had an idea how long it''d take, or if i was even possible to completely get rid of them.?? Regardless, they''d taken the job so they had to give it a shot. Karl did find something of interest while asking around the traders... A plasma grenade. Afton had used quite a few of these during the battle of Helios One, but only now did he realise that they were incredibly rare, and incredibly valuable. They could range from 300 to 600 caps each depending on who''s selling, makes him feel slightly sick when he remember how any he''d been throwing around like an idiot... Karl managed to get a good deal on it as they were literally going to use it to clear the roads for these caravaners. "What''re you going to use that for anyway?" Afton asked after Karl bought it. "You''ll see kid, these things are a hundred times more useful than any ballistic grenade, I''ll tell ya that." They were suited up and ready to start clearing the roads... As they were leaving the camp a voice shouted at them... It was the Sniper that''d been glaring at them from the roof of the Barracks. Afton turns and shouts back, "What?!" The woman seemed to shake her head and started making her way down to the ground and towards them. Once she did they found she was pretty short, only being 5.8ft... Afton couldn''t help but be drawn towards her relatively large breasts that were under her dirty white vest. "Eyes up here virgin." she spits, causing Karl to immediately start cackling. Afton sends him a dirty look before glancing at the sniper, "You need something?" She nods, "You two were about to head out right? Clearing the roads? Well. I have something that needs looking at. See that smoke in the distance?" she gestures between the legs of the giant NCR statue towards the town that seemed to be burning in the distance. They nod, "Yeah?" "Well, that''s a town called Nipton, not a nice place, but still technically law-abiding. I need someone to check up on it but Ranger Jackson won''t send anyone to look without reinforcements. If you''re willing to check up on it while you''re out there I have some caps with your name on them." Afton shrugs, "Sure, we''re going in that direction anyway... Any idea on what it might be?" The woman shakes her head, "Maybe the remaining Powder Gangers have set up shop there after the prison was taken? Other than that I don''t really want to think about it." "We''ll report back our findings." Karl says and starts walking off, Afton nodding at her and following along. As so the two were back on the road, from the top of the hill they could see the dry-lake, as well as a small dust-storm that was occurring around it. It wasn''t as bad as the hidden valley was during the night, but it''d still irritate the eyes and inhibit their vision slightly... Luckily both Afton and Karl had sunglasses that''d protect their eyes for the most part. They ignore the Giant Ants in the overpass and instead head directly into the dry-lake. Almost immediately they could see many silhouettes through the dust. "Know anything about these things? All I know is that they can apparently burrow through the ground..." Karl nods, "Yeah, we best stay on concrete to stop that from happening. I know there''s usually one queen that lives in their tunnels, producing a constant supply of new young... We need to clear the soldier ants out and find the entrance to the tunnel." he rubs his beard, "We''re pretty lucky today though, the dust-storm will stop their pheromones from alerting the others." "Pheromones?" Afton questions. "Yeah, they use it to communicate with one another... Attack one and the whole damn colony''ll be on your ass, unless you''re in a day like today." he says. Afton nods and spots a sillouet coming towards them, reaching for teh sawed-off shotgun hanging from his bandoleer. Karl stops him from grabbing it though, shaking his head at him, "Don''t bother with this, unless you press the barrel against its head it''ll do nothing." he explains. "Yeah, my bad." Afton admits, having forgotten just how tough the exo-skeleton of these things is. Instead, he draws Lucky from its holster and aims it at the creature as it slowly heads towards him. It reaches the highway and Afton is finally able to get a good look at it, it''s around 4ft tall, 4ft wide, and 7ft long. A large creature with six legs and two large mandibles, along with two piercing black eyes. It clacks its mandibles at him for a moment before trying to rush him, Afton just fires Lucky at its head, causing orange fluid to explode out of the wound, the creature dropping dead almost immediately. "Huh, I was expecting it to be a little harder to kill than that." Afton admits, feeling slightly disappointed at the anti-climactic death. "Kid, you tryin'' ''ta die? Stop saying stuff like that." he growls, firing his own gun at a nearby sillouet and causing it to drop dead. He pulls out his knife and walks over to the ant Afton had killed as start cutting open its abdomen. "What are you doing?" he asks in surprise, there wasn''t anything of value inside these things... Even their meat was terrible. Karl just shakes his head and keeps digging until he finds what he''s looking for... Reaching in and pulling it out, he wipes the orange fluid on his shirt and presents it to Afton, "Lookee here. Ant Necter." ... "I have no idea what that is." Karl just shakes his head, "Its a Chem boy, sells for a good amount... Now, let''s properly get cleaning this damn road or we''ll be here all week." Chapter 97 - So I Sliced Her Neck-ter... Afton Karl''s brief introduction of the Chem "Necter" the duo began systematically killing the Giant Ants. Two or three bullets to their heads would usually put them down, though some were tougher than others. The soldier ants were generally around three to four times the size of the workers, but weren''t as numerous. Their thicker carapace proved annoying to Afton as his weapons were just barely able to pierce it... Not to mention he only had so much ammo, he if had to waste four bullets just to put one down he''d run out eventually.?? Fortunately, the dust-storm had allowed him to get close enough to the Giant Ants as to allow one bullet to finish them off. They''d killed almost two hundred when the winds started slowing, soon enough the storm had ended and they found themselves surrounded by a many Giant Ant corpses... All of which began to release a... Musky? Smell. Karls pupils contract at the scent as he quickly looks to Afton, "Shit, the Pheromones!" he shouts, running towards a nearby billboard just as Giant Ants begin swarming the area, clacking their mandibles at their fallen allies. Afton quickly follows the man as he scales up the side of the billboard. They hold themselves up by their thighs and look down at the Ants who''re wandering around looking for whoever was responsible. "They use vibrations in the ground to sense prey, their eyesight is dog-shit so we should be safe up here... I doubt they''d be able to climb up this anyway." he says. Afton nods, the billboard was basically a steel frame with an aluminium backboard, making it impossible to climb up the back or front without slipping off... The sides were the right side for the duo to clamber up though. [John Wick Style is in effect] And so they begin firing their weapons yet again. Due to the distance, they were forced to use more ammunition than before, but they should have enough to clean this lot up. An hour passes and they''d just killed the three-hundredth ant... By this time the Ants had used their pea-brains to put two and two together and fled into their burrow to avoid losing any more of their number. Karl groans as he slides down the billboard, "Looks like we''ll have to do this the old fashion way." he mutters. "Any idea on how to get them outta their burrow?" Afton asks as they''d never be able to clear the roads if the ants could just flee like this. Karl slowly nods with a grin, "I do... Let''s go find the burrow entrance shall we?" he says as he begins walking into the dry-lake, his .44 Revolver ready in his hand in-case the ants try to ambush them. They looked around the large empty crater that had apparently used to contain water, and eventually found a large mound with a large hole at the top of it. Karl explained that the ants still required oxygen, and thus this main entrance was connected to all other branching tunnels. Afton was about to ask how they''d deal with it when the man pulled out the plasma grenade he''d bought earlier. Karl grins, "Your smart kid, think what happens when gas rapidly expands and replace that with plasma... Yeah, once I drop it inside we''ll need to run." Afton pales slightly and nods, plasma grenades had a huge explosion radius when compared to other explosives. If it happened underground then he couldn''t imagine the amount of dirty that''d be displaced... Karl signals a countdown and drops the plasma grenade into the mound at zero, immediately breaking into a sprint away from the mound, Afton doesn''t hesitate and quickly follows, mentally counting down the time til the explosion in his head. *BOOOOOM!* The ground beneath them shakes as a huge amount of sand is thrown into the air, bits and pieces of the unfortunate ants that''d gotten too close to the grenade started falling from the sky as well. Even after the initial explosion, the rumbling of the ground didn''t stop. The underground tunnels made by the ants seemed to be collapsing all at once. The made that was the entrance had already caved in itself, blocking off all oxygen to the creatures. The two eventually reached the highway and took a breather, admiring the carnage they''d caused... Bits and pieces of ants had flown quite far from the mound, and the large number of corpses still collecting dust made it look like an ant-graveyard. "Think that did it?" Afton questions but can hear the trademark sound of sand being disturbed... *Crash!* A huge figure pulls outself out of the ground... It was ten times the size of a warrior ant and had almost comically small wings attached to its back. Its abdomen appeared to be incredibly swollen, and judging by the engorged oriface at its back, it''d been laying eggs. This, was the Ant Queen. Karl takes his Stenton off briefly to wipe the sweat from his face, "Shit, never thought the Queen would survive the burrow crashing down on top of it..." he mutters. Afton gives the man a sideways glance, "What? You scared or something?" Karl just puts his hat back on and shakes his head, "Scared? No. Just surprised is all. Let''s kill this thing and bring its head back to the Outpost, that''ll be proof enough I think." Afton nods and dual-wields Lucky and his other .357 Revolver, it was good that he did because the large concentration of Pheromones from the many dead ants seemed to have forced the queen int a frenzy. It dashes to a nearby warrior ant and tears its corpse apart with its mandibles, afterwards turning its attention to the duo who were watching in morbid fascination. Once it moves a single leg in their direction Karl opens fire, unloading his .44 Revolver at its head. Chapter 98 - The Queen Giving Head... Karl unloads his .44 Revolver towards its head, the bullets blasting pieces of the exoskeleton away but not managing to pierce it... Its defences seemed to be significantly stronger than its lesser brethren. Afton had also started firing, shooting all six bullets from both his weapons, only achieving a similar effect as Karls. Fortunately the exo-skeleton on the Queen''s head seemed to be flaking away from the force subjected to it... With enough persistence they''d eventually penetrate it.?? The ant queen dashes towards them with surprising speed, the tiny wings on its back buzzing to life uselessly. The duo had reloaded their arms and began firing another barrage at it, the impacts not dissuading its charge in the slightest. They start slowly backing away while firing at it, but aren''t able to kill it before it reaches them. Afton was forced to leap away as it jumps on his previous position, madibles almost burying themselves in the concrete he was standing on. Reloading while dual wielding is pretty difficult, but his [Rapid Reload] Perk and maxed out Guns skill made him able to reload quicker than most could manage with a single gun. He fired a couple shots as it but is caught off-guard when it feints as if it''s going for Karl only to turn and strike him in the chest with its head. [Stonewall is in effect] The force behind it winds him and pushes him a couple meters away, he doesn''t fall to the floor though as his Perk prevents him from being knocked down. Karl runs forwards and fires a couple shots into one of its back legs, crippling it completely and forcing the queen to turn to retaliate. This brief reprieve gives Afton the time to get his breath back. He notices that the queen''s legs were as armoured as the rest of its body, but thin and rather frail. Instead of targeting the creatures head, he aims at its legs, more specifically the joints were the exoskeleton seems lightest. Karl was struggling to retreat while firing shots at it, and so Afton used VATS to stop time in order to form a plan. Without the Adrenaline rushing through his veins he realised that he had a relatively easy way of dealing with the creature... Releasing VATS he pulls out something and lays it on the floor before running close to the ant queen and firing a couple close range shots into its swollen abdomen. It releases a spurt of orange blood as the bullets pierce it, but it likely did no damage do it that just being the egg-sack. He sprints away as the queen turns towards him, circling around a device he''d previously placed and taunting the queen to "Come fuckin'' get me". Like a bull to seeing red, the queen charged without hesitation, not even bothering to note the rapid beeping it could hear as it ran over some metal thing. *BOOM!* An explosion occurs as the proximity mine goes off. The force blasting off all of the queen''s right side legs. The ant falls to its side, releasing a sick-sounding squeal at the loss of its appendages. With it now rendered immobile the duo walk up towards its head, the creature still angrily clicking its mandibles at them, threaten to tear them apart should they get close enough. "Good job kid, lets finish this thing and head over to Nipton... I need a lie down after all this excitement." he states, raising his gun at the ant''s head and firing a few close-range shots as the damaged and fractured exoskeleton. It took seven shots, but the creatures head was pierced eventually, the exoskeleton caved in and dripping with orange fluids... Afterwards Karl went off to harvest all the Nectar from the corpses, leaving Afton to somehow behead the Queen... It took thirty minutes to finally figure out that a knife simply wasn''t going to get through its carapace encased neck. Using lucky to blast a line through it and pulling it from the body while holding its mandibles. The sinew and other gross connective tissue tore away and he was left with the rather heavy head of the queen. He got some rope out and tied it around the head before hanging it from the backpack Karl had handed him... No way was he going to get everything covered in orange blood. [Bug Stomper gained!] [Bug Stomper] : +10% to all insects. [Lord Death gained!] [Lord Death v1] : +1% damage to everything. An hour later Karl returned with a huge pile of nectar, they must''ve had over a hundred doses of it, not to mention to special Nectar produced by the Queen... They''d need to sell it off as soon as they could, as neither was going to use it... He hoped. He looked at the Pipboy to see what the Nectar actually did... [Ant Nectar] : -2 Intelligence for 4 minutes, -2 Charisma for 4 minutes, +4 Strength for 4 minutes. [Ant Queen Pheromones] : +3 Charisma for 4 minutes, -3 Intelligence for 4 minutes, -3 Perception for 4 minutes. Yeah, he wasn''t going to use these anytime soon... More strength is great and all, but not that helpful for his form of combat. With that, the duo turned their eyes towards the town a few miles away. The black smoke was still rising, with more intensity than before actually... This meant that it was either completely burning to the ground, or the attackers were still present. This put them in a pretty bad situation as they''d used a huge amount of ammunition to deal with the ants... They''d need to restock soon or they''d run out. But, both were confident that if they did enter a gun-fight they could scavenge some ammunition from their fallen foes. Karl hefts the backpack with the queen''s head hanging from it and starts walking towards the town, "Let''s check it out and head back to the Outpost, hopefully its just raiders... Otherwise I don''t want to think about the NCR''s chances at dealing with the Legion. Chapter 99 - Naught But Crosses The duo slowly made their way towards the town of Nipton. From a distance, it looks like a relatively small shanty town, using old-prewar buildings for homes and businesses. Fortunately, the black smoke didn''t seem to be coming from burning buildings... Instead, it should be originating from the centre of it. Just as the two are about to enter the town''s streets they''re approached by a man wearing Powder Ganger attire, an almost manic grin on their face. "Hehehaahahah! I won, I won the lottery! Suck it work!" he suddenly shouts, putting both Afton and Karl on high alert, their hands resting on their respective weapons.?? "What lottery?" Afton quickly inquires, feeling like something''s amiss here... And not just because of the heavy smell of charcoal and... Burning flesh? "What lottery? THE lottery! The lottery of life, and I''m the winner! You two losers can suck it, I''m going to New Vegas and seeing how far my luck can really go!" "Boy, you really think they''d let you into New Vegas wearing Powder Ganger gear?" Karl asks as if he were stupid. "Hah! With my luck they''d bow down and blow me! You two downers can go do one! Cya later losers! Hahahaha!" he shouts before running off into the desert... He had no visible supplies or weaponry, so he was definitely going to die... Afton shakes his head, if they wanted to die so much then he''d let ''em, no point in trying to help someone like that anyway. "Seems like somethin'' fucked up has happened here." Karl mutters, moving his focus from the man to the town, his nose twitching. Afton nods and they slowly walk into the town, the smell of burning flesh only gets stronger the further they progress, with the added metallic scent of blood. They come out onto a path that cuts through the middle of the entire town and are appalled by what they see. Along the sides of the road are crucifixes with people nailed to them, a few are black with burnt corpses but most still have living people on them... On the floor of the street there are many corpses, presumably of those who''d tried to resist. "What the fuck is this?" Afton growls, slowly becoming more enraged the more he sees. Why would someone do this? yeah, sure, he''d raided a couple caravans... But this wasn''t for survival, no, it was some sick show of dominance... "Legion demoralisation tactics." Karl states, "Seen ''em before in my time... Like to put ''em in places the NCR can see and torture those nailed to them." he sighs, "We should put them out of their misery, they look to have been here for a couple days now." Afton raises a brow at Karl and walks over to examine one of the men, he was sure there was something they could do, right? But, upon further examination he could see that they had indeed been here too long. The limbs that''d been nailed had begun necrotising, it was clear their wounds were infected aswell... He didn''t know how long the necrosis had gone on so it''d be a miracle if they survived... Even if they did he''d have to amputate all of their lims. "You''re right, death would be a mercy." he admits, who''d look after the men if he somehow saved them? They''d be completely incapable of taking care of themselves... And what kind of existence would it be without arms or legs? He feels a pat on his back and turns to Karl who was looking directly at the largest building at the end of the road... People wearing red sports-gear had exited in formation, There was around thirty of them, with fifteen vicious-looking dogs accompanying them. There were burning piles of clothes weaponry, and supplies next to the building and these people were probably responsible for it. "Legion." Karl quietly says through gritted teeth. Afton''s about to draw his weapon and start firing at them, but Karl stops his hand with a firm grip, "Stop, we''re outnumbered and out-geared... They haven''t shot at us yet which means they have something to say. I get what you''re feelin'' Afton, but we can''t throw our lives away here... We still have much to do." he says, claiming the eighteen-year-old who was about to start firing. They slowly make their way over and are greeted by a man who seems to be the leader of the group, they have pale skin and wear a dog''s head as a hood, black goggles that conceal the eyes. They grin at the duo and Afton struggles not to pull out Lucky as bore another hole into their face. "Don''t worry, I won''t lash you to a cross like the rest of these degenerates... I want you to witness the fate of Nipton, to memorize every detail and let other''s know the strength of Caesar." he says in a surprisingly youthful voice, though if Afton had to place it, they man would look more fitting wearing a rat''s head. "And what crime did this ''degenerates'' commit to deserve this?" Afton asks, cold fury in his voice. The legionary grins, "Why, the entirety of Nipton brought this upon itself... It was a blasphemous town of whoring, gambling, and any other vices human''s tend to dabble in. It didn''t matter whether we were strong and they were weak, this destruction was wrought by their own hands." "What do you mean?" Afton asks, not getting what the man was referring to. "The mayor of this immoral and debased town had accepted an offer we made... To lure the NCR troops who were... Enjoying the town''s facilities so we could execute them. It was only afterwards that the trappers became trapped, before you on the crosses are the men helping us capture the NCR..." "Where are the NCR troops then?" Karl asks, wanting to know if there was a chance of possible rescue. "Hm, you may have already seen them... The bones you stepped over on the way here belonged to them, they put up a much more valiant fight than the rest of these cretins." Chapter 100 - Orcish Brutality Afton was struggling to remain calm and rational in this situation, the man had just admitted to wiping out the town as if it were nothing much... He knew it was best to just gather as much information from him as possible before hurrying back to the Mojave Outpost to report what''d happened... Still, he couldn''t help but imagine what shooting this man in his face would feel like. "What''s this ''Lottery'' you ran..." he asks after a moment of silence.?? "Oh, that? One of my more entertaining schemes... The town outnumbered us greatly, so we simply disbursed lottery tickets among the inhabitants. Winners get to live, losers, well, you''ve already seen them. Watching the townsfolk fight amongst each other instead of us was enlightening I must say." they say, proud at what he''d managed to do. Afton shakes his head and glances at Karl, receiving a nod. They''d both heard enough from this mad-man and decided to leave. But before they do, he asks one last thing. "What''s your name." "Vulpes Inculta, leader of the Frumentarii. Be sure to let anyone you come across know of what occurred here." he says, waving his hand in the air and beginning to walk east. Afton and Karl watch them as they leave, once they''re out of sight they draw their weapons and put the sorry souls on the crosses out of their misery. They gather all the corpses and burn them to prevent predators from infesting the town, all the while gathering any NCR dog tags they can find. They would attempt to find survivors but both doubted the Legion would have left any... Besides, it was more imperative that the report back to Ghost to let her know about what''d happened here. Not just to warn them, but show that the Legion could indeed reach this far into NCR territory. The backtrack through the Giant Ant covered road and made back to the Outpost after an hour or so of walking. They stride under the feet of the statue and walk to Ghost who''s waiting on the roof of the Barracks. "What was it? You find anything?" she quickly asks, putting down her scoped hunting rifle. Afton nods gravely, "The Legion massacred Nipton, killed almost everyone there and nailed the rest to crosses." he states coldly ... Ghost''s mouth opens but no words come out, a shakey hand pulls off her sunglasses to reveal her widening eyes. "Is... Is this true?" Karl gives a small nod, "Vulpes Inculta is the one responsible." Ghost suddenly slams her and down on the table she''s propped her weapon on, "DAMN IT! FUCK! Why did no one listen to me!? I knew something was off when our men never returned!" "You knew NCR troops would go there to fuck and gamble?" Afton asks in disbelief, shouldn''t the NCR keep better control of their men? That''s how the Brotherhood functioned at least. Ghost nods, "Look around you, there''s fuck all to do around here. We let the men waste their paychecks on getting laid to ease the tensions around, but... We never expected THIS. I need to inform Jackson, take this for risking your lives." "Wait." he stops her, reaching behind him and untying the large head of the ant queen and handing it to her, "Give this to him aswell, send our regards." he says. Ghost looks at it for a moment before hurrying off, lifting it onto her shoulder due to its rather heavyweight. With that, time stops. Afton was more or less familiar with such a sensation at this point and simply glanced in front of him where a screen appeared. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 9] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 10] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 11] Immediately he receives to level ups, he didn''t know why the system prevented him from levelling sometimes, but assumed it was due to completing a quest? Or perhaps getting to safety? He''d need to look into it further to understand. As of now, he had 45 skills points to use and wasn''t all to sure what to do with them... He could max out Speech and see what bonus he''d get from it, or he could try another skill... Shaking his head, he decides to just max Speech and start putting points into Repair. [Perk gained! : Spies Guise] [Spies Guise] : People are unnaturally willing to give up information they wouldn''t otherwise. Knowledge flooded his mind, the correct way to act in certain situations, etiquette from lost civilisations bored themselves into his memory, even pickup lines were counted among the information. Afton wasn''t too sure why he needed to know what "Lok-Tar Ogar" meant... The perk was rather underwhelming if he were honest... But that''s to be expected from the Speech Skill... Next he''s presented with the possible Perks he could choose from. [Here and Now] : You instantly level up again. This was dogshit and a waste of a Perk. [Finesse] : +5% Critical Chance. Good but not mindblowing, he had his eye on a Perk from the previous levels which would probably be better than this. [Night Person] : +2 Intelligence and +2 Perception between 6:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. Good but situational... These Perks didn''t interest him all that much, so, after a moment of thought he decided to go with [Quick Draw] instead. He could already draw his weapons quicker than most people, but with this he''d probably be able to get a shot off before they could blink. He confirms his choice but is interrupted when another notification pops up. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 12] He raises a brow at this, did it wait until he chose a Perk from the previous level before letting him level again? It made sense as if it did it all in one go he''d be able to get multiple more advanced Perks... Regardless, he now had an extra 15 skill points to spend. He deposits them all into Repair and continues onto Perks. [Fast Metabolism] : +20% Hit Points restored with stimpaks. Useful but Afton didn''t really know how else the Perk would affect his body... The toughness perk literally hardened his skin, and this would likely increase the amount of food he''d have to eat. Something to consider but not amazing. [Life Giver] : +30 hit points. Short but sweet... He wasn''t really sure how hit points correlated to his actual health, regardless it was something to keep an eye on. [Sniper] : 25% more likely to hit the target''s head in V.A.T.S. This was amazing, he didn''t use VATS all that much as he could more or less handle himself without it, but if he ever needed a "boost" this would be life saving. Without much hesitation, he picked [Sniper]. He could already imagine himself fanning the hammer of his revolver and head shotting many people from a huge distance... Time resumed and he quickly recollected himself. He took a glance at his Pipboy as he and Karl made their way to the bar, both could use a drink after what they''d seen in Nipton. Afton Parker Level : 12 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 7 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 7 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 40 Melee Weapons : 38 Repair : 60 Science : 44 Sneak : 20 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 30 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v1], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] Chapter 101 - Six Shot Inside the Mojave Outpost barracks Afton could see Cass sitting alongside another woman. It was strange as they seemed to be relatively friendly towards one another, he''d always assumed Cass didn''t actually have any friends in this place, on account of her habit of punching things after a couple of drinks. She notices the duo as they walk in and perks up, "You''re back?"?? Karl shrugs at her, "What? You weren''t expecting that? Good to know." he states before sitting down and buying a drink from Lacey. Cass frowns, "That''s not what I mean and you know it... Did you clear the roads?" Afton nods, "Yeah, but I doubt they''re going to let you leave anyway... The road is safe from the ant colony, but with what happened to Nipton I reckon you''ll be stuck here for the foreseeable future." "What happened? I heard there was smoke but just assumed it was fire or something..." "Legion." Karl growls out. "Legion? The fuck are they doing so deep in NCR territory? Fuck... There''s no way Jackson''ll be letting anyone go now!" she exclaims, clearly upset at the situation. They''re silent for a moment before Afton glances at Cass''s new friend. She was around 6ft and has long black hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin, beautiful face that''s sadly marred by numerous scars, and is wearing a Vault 21 Jumpsuit. It was the first time he''d actually seen a Vault suit with his own eyes... It was a blue skin-tight leather one-piece with a zip at the front and a large white 21 on the back. To be honest, with how ''voluptuous'' the woman wearing it was, all the men''s eyes were drawn towards her... The Vault jumpsuit didn''t leave much to the imagination... Not only that, but the woman had a Pipboy strapped to her left wrist... It was rare to find any that were functional and he wondered if she was actually a Vault dweller, or if she''d just come across them. One thing he did want to know was whether or not she was able to level up like he was... It was unlikely but he had to find out. One thing he did find strange was one of her scars on her face didn''t appear to be from blades, grazes, or other non-lethal weaponry... Instead, he was sure she had a bullet wound just under her hairline... *Thunk* The woman had suddenly stabbed a large hunting knife into the table and glared at him, "Like what you see?" Afton slowly nods with a sheepish expression. She gives him an almost too-bright smile, "Good, then I''ll be at ease when I pluck those eyes out of your head." she spits harshly. Afton was slightly taken aback by this, had he done something wrong to offend her? Everyone else in the bar was staring at her like he had been. Quickly composing himself he tries to take control of the situation with his new-found Speech skill. "Er-... Sorry, I got lost in your eyes is all..." Karl besides him snorts into his drink and almost chokes on it while Cass just gives him a blank look. The woman glares at him, "Didn''t realise I had eyes on my tits." she says in a dull tone. "Ah... That? I was surprised to see a Vault dweller here, didn''t think the Mojave had any wandering around." he quickly says. She shakes her head, "I''m not a Vault dweller, name''s Tamia..." "Afton, the old man''s Karl." he says and Tamia nods. "So you''re friend with Cass then?" he asks/ Tamia shakes her head, "Only just met her a few hours ago, a few drinks in and I''m still here." she shrugs. "She''s apparently looking for some douche in a checkered suit." Cass adds from the side. "Checkered suit?" Afton inquires, having never seen anyone wearing something as garish as that. Tamia nods and gestures to her forehead, "Fucker shot me in the face and left me in a shallow grave up in Goodsprings... Some robot dug me out and took me to the doctor who patched me up." "How are you alive?" Afton asks in disbelief, "Sure you can survive a bullet to the head if it glances off bone, but that wound looks like it fully entered your cranium, add the dirt that potentially got mixed with the blood-brain barrier and you shoulda died of infection not long after... You''re either incredibly lucky or very, very sturdy." The two women just look at him blankly, "Didn''t take you for an egg-head Afton." Cass mutters as she sips her drink. "Apparently the Doc spent some time pulling lead fro my head... I wouldn''t say I got off scot-free though. I... Don''t remember much before it." Afton raises a brow, "Amnesia?" Tamia nods, "I remember that I used to be a courier... That my name is Tamia... But that''s about it. What I was doing before getting shot is a mystery to me." "Yeah... Traumatic damage to the brain tends to do that, you should be thankful that you can still walk, talk, and function normally." Tamia leans forwards and rests her elbows on the bar, "I''ve lost everything, even myself, even if I can''t get it back I''ll still kill that bastard that did this to me. Once I find him of course." "Well, if you wanna find a pompous ass-hole dressed in a suit then you best head to New Vegas... Could kill as many of them as you like." Karl jokes. Tamia shakes her head, "I spoke with the Deputy in Primm, might find something in Nipton apparently." Afton raises a brow, "Didn''t you hear me earlier? Nipton''s been destroyed... Everyone who''d been living there has been killed by the Legion." Tamia grips her fists tightly and shakes her head, "It doesn''t matter, I''ll keep moving, even if I end up nowhere. If Nipton''s got nothing then Novac might." Chapter 102 - Delivering The Courier The doors to the barracks open revealing the handle bar-moustached Ranger Jackson. His eyes examine the room before eventually landing on Afton and Karl. He walks over and pulls out a bag of caps before depositing it on the table. "This is your pay for clearing the roads, thank you for your work." he states.?? Karl nods and pushes the bag in-front of Afton, "Don''t mention it... What''re you gonna do about the Legion?" Jackson sighs, "Can''t really do anything if I''m honest, if the Legion are able to sneak around the lookouts we''ve set up along the Colorado there''s nothing I can do to deal with it. The higherups have been informed but I doubt anything''ll happen..." Karl nods, "Damn bureaucrats." "Hey Jackson, what''s the word on caravans leaving?" Cass asks from the side. "I''m sorry to say, no can do Cass. As bad as it is having supplies get stuck here, it''d be worse if the Legion started destroying caravans... I hate it as much as you do, but there''s nothin'' I can do." Cass can only grumble in response, she knew it wasn''t his fault she was in this situation... If anything it was the Legion''s fault she was stuck here. Though, her opinion of them couldn''t really get any lower, enslaving women and children had already caused them to reach rock-bottom in her eyes. Jackson leaves after a minute more of small-talking with Karl, the reminiscing about the old days and such. Another smaller bag of caps is slid across the table and chinks against the one Jackson had left. Afton looks over and see''s Cass looking sheepish. "Almost forgot to pay you guys, might not be able to leave but you did clear the roads so..." Afton smirks at her, "You sure? I can''t imagine you''ve got all that much left with how you''re drinking." "Mind your own business." "Where the roads really that bad? I saw a few ants in the underpass on the way here but it didn''t seem all that dangerous..." Tamia says. Afton just gives her an appraising look, "I don''t know where you''re from, but a colony of a couple hundred Giant Ants isn''t something be brushed off." "I don''t know, my mom used to make light of things like that. Thought it was just the tribals who had that attitude though." Cass adds before her eyes light up, "You guys are mercs right? I doubt you''ll be sticking around here much longer so why not help Tamia get to where she needs to go?" ... "I mean... We don''t really have a destination but..." Afton glances to Karl. "I think we should head to Camp Searchlight, Jackson says the NCR''s struggling to deal with the situation there... Probably some caps to be made." Karl adds. Afton looks at his Pipboy map and traces the general area, "You want to go to Nipton then Novac right? We can take you to the former, but since you''re in a rush I think we should split afterwards." "If its too much trouble then I can go without you, I can handle myself fine." she states. "I bet you can, but its easier and safer to travel with people." She relents and eventually nods, "Fine, when do we leave?" "Tomorrow morning." both Afton and Karl say simultaneously, causing the latter to chuckle. The group proceeds to spend the rest of the day talking about the routes they could possibly take the next day. Fortunately, one of the NCR troopers told them of a path that led to Ranger Station Charlie, and completely bypassed Camp Searchlight. They determined that they''d split with Tamia once they reached it, Afton wasn''t all that invested in helping her find the guy who''d shot her, even if the Pipboy had given him a quest for it. [Checkered Mate : Assist the courier and find the man who shot her.] Right now he was more focussed on his own objectives, finding the cunt who killed his mother, and helping Karl retrieve his daughter. To accomplish either he''d likely need a lot of resources, so gathering strength and caps was a good start. Afton woke up the next day and made his way to the bar to get some water to wash his mouth. Cass was already up, and already drinking... She nods at him, "You leaving then?" He swirls the water before swallowing it, "Yeah, just gotta pick up some ammo and we''ll head out." She sighs, "I''d ditch this place and offer to come with if I wasn''t stuck here. Whatever you''re doing out there must be more interesting than this." Afton shrugs, "I doubt anyone would want to get involved with us, our plans might have the Legion breathing down our necks..." Cass shakes her head, "I don''t know, sounds like my kind of fun..." she sighs again, "If you get near to New Vegas and still need work head to the Crimson Caravan. Biggest traders and''ll likely have something for you." Afton nods, "Sure, thanks." he says, standing and leaving. "See you around." she calls as he exits, slumping back onto her stool and ordering a glass of whisky once he was gone. Afton headed around to the various traders stuck in the Outpost and stocked up on ammunition. He purchased a lot of .357 rounds aswell as .44 for Karl. The old man was currently having a cigarette on the roof and chatting up Ghost so he was left to do the shopping. Tamia was following him and watching with interest to see what supplies he''d be buying. She had caps of her own and would occasionally pick something up, he was surprised to see how good at bartering she actually was. Perhaps she hadn''t completely forgotten her time as a courier? He still had a couple mines left in his Deathclaw leather satchel, his laser pistol, plasma pistol, sawed-off shotgun, and two .357 revolvers. He bought ammo for each weapon aswell as some scrap he could use to repair them. He had thought of trying to modify them to his specifications but decided it would be best to leave that until he had a higher Repair skill. As his Gun skill was so high, he knew what he could add and what could potentially be useful, but in the end it was his Repair skill that decided how it would turn out. His inexperience with ballistic weapon repair was truly showing... Chapter 103 - Scaring A Cripple Once Afton had bought him and Karl enough ammo to go another round with a Giant Ant colony, they bid farewell to the acquaintances they''d made during their stay in the outpost and left. Tamia was with them of course, a hunting knife strapped to her hip next to a 9mm, as well as a god-damned axe! It didn''t look like it was modified, as if she''d just torn it out of a tree a woodsman had forgotten it in...?? "So... I don''t suppose you use that for its intended purpose?" Karl mutters just as they reach the bottom of the hill the Outpost was on. "Why would I miss use it? It splits heads just fine." she shrugs, and neither of the duo can tell if she''s joking or not. "The pistol on your hip then, I''d like to know if we can count on you in a fight." he continues, not wishing to press further at whether or not the axe would be effective in combat. "It''s not for show, if that''s what you mean... I''m not a sniper but I generally hit my target. Probably better than the kid anyway." she says, sending a smirk at Afton. He just shakes his head, "Yeah, yeah... I''d rather not waste ammo to find out." he says, ending the conversation and the upcoming shooting contest. The group walks past the hundreds of Giant Ant corpses now collecting dust and Tamia questions them on whether or not they''d actually done this. She was impressed to hear that they had, and asked if they wanted to tag along to try and find the guy who''d shot her. The duo declined, having their own problems to deal with, but said they''d gladly help if they were free and she hadn''t done the deed yet. Eventually they reached Nipton, it still smelt like death and the various articles of clothing and other supplies were still burning amongst the pile of tires... Fortunately Afton and Karl had taken the time to burn some of the corpses left strewn about, otherwise this place''d be covered in whatever horrifying creatures of the waste came along. "Shit... You guys weren''t kidding when you called it a massacre." Tamia mutters as she spots the corpses still hanging from the crosses... The duo hadn''t bothered pulling them down and getting rid of their bodies as it''d take too much time. Afton nods, "Yeah, I doubt anyone''s still ali-" "HEEeee-lllp!" a pained voice shouts from a nearby building. "Huh.." "Seems like someone''s still kicking." Karl says as he and the rest of them head towards the General store where the sound originated. They enter the store and are greeted by the trashed interior, clearly the Legion hadn''t bothered delicately stealing everything, instead just grabbing everything and burning it... "Heeeeeelp! Please, someone!" the voice shouts, giving a pained groan as they seem to try and move... The group walk over to the stores counter and see a black man wearing Powder Ganger armour sat against the wall. Afton squinted slightly at seeing the man''s legs, they were bent in the wrong direction they should be, clearly unusable. The man looks up and his grateful expression quickly turns into a horrified one, "H-Holy fuck! Fuck! I know I''m a bad fuckin'' guy but what did I do to deserve this? Get my fucking legs broken before coming face to face with the Powder Ganger''s fuckin'' grim reapers!" he exclaims, slumping against the wall in despair. "If you''re gonna kill me just fucking do it, I''m ready!... DO IT FUCKERS!" ... Tamia sends a wary glance at the duo and Afton just shrugs, "We aren''t going to kill you so shut the hell up." This gets the desired affect and the group quiten down for a moment. Afton didn''t really know how to deal with this guy, clearly he didn''t like them and his presence in the town meant he was probably a terrible person... Tamia could probably get some answers from him but it looked like Karl also had something to say. Karl drops down into a squat, sitting on his heels as he addresses the man, "Son, me and my friends here need some questions answered. You tell us what we want to know and maybe we could provide some help, might not look it, but kid here''s a doctor." he says gesturing towards Afton. ... The man seems to ponder what he wanted to do and tries to adjust from the uncomfortable position he was sitting in, squinting and grunting in pain at the minute movement of his legs. "F-fuck, fine! Whaddya wanna know? Quick, I''m fuckin'' dyin'' here." he urges in immense pain. "I''m looking for a man, he wore a white checkered suit and has damn greasy hair... Was travelling with some Great Khans last I heard." she says with crossed arms. "Nah, I ain''t seen anyone like that. Was kinda planning an attack on the NCR before the Legion came and fucked shit up..." he admits. Tamia sighs, "Next stop, Novac." she huffs after quickly giving up this avenue. Karl gives the Powder Ganger a look, "So, a town like this would know to keep its valuables somewhere safe. Be bad if the NCR got wise and decided to ''fix'' the place wouldn''t you say?" ... The man''s eye twitches but doesn''t give any other indication that he knows anything. Afton figures that Karl''s probably on the right track and decides to make use of the Perk he''d gained by maxing his Speech, [Spies Guise]. "Now that I think about it, I haven''t gotten a chance to test out my new methods of torture... Pulling teeth is one thing, but I think skinning a man''s genitals and pouring salt on it would be-" "WHAT! N-NO MAN! I''LL TELL YOU, JUST. NO!" he suddenly shouts before Afton can continue describing the rather creative torture technique he''d just come up with. "Northeast of here, there''s a cave that the Mayor was using to store shit, that''s all I know... Please!" [Scare a humanoid shitless. 1/50] Chapter 104 - Can I Axe You A Question? [Scare a humanoid shitless. 1/50] Afton gives a small smile at seeing the notification but only now realises that both Karl and Tamis were staring at him. He stifles the smile and looks at both of them, "What?"?? Neither reply and instead turn their focus back to the downed man, Afton reaches into his Deathclaw leather satchel which causes them to grimaces and reach for a rusty knife that was nearby. He relaxes when he spots the Med X in Afton''s hand, "That''ll take the edge off... Five of those could put a guy to sleep, permanently." he says, clearly insinuating what he wanted to use it for. Afton shakes his head, "I''m not going to waste medicine to help you kill yourself, if you wanna die I''ll just blow your head off." he pats Lucky that''s currently strapped to his hip. The man shakes his head, "I''m not gonna go out like the rest of my gang, if I die it''ll be by my terms." he states, immediately jabbing himself in the leg with one of the three Med X''s Afton had handed him. "Ahhhh~ That''s some good shit." "Yeah you enjoy that." Afton says before heading out. He could try and fix the man''s legs, but judging by how they moved his bones had been completely shattered. He''d need extensive surgery, lots of meds, and months or maybe years of rehabilitation therapy. The man had already come to terms with his death so there was no reason to try and sway him from it. He was scum anyway. The other''s follow him out and reconvene to decide their next move. Karl stops him for a moment and leans closer, "You weren''t really plannin'' on. Youknow, skinning his ''Johnson''?" Afton quickly shakes his head, "Course not, I was bluffing... Even if I wanted to torture him I wouldn''t go grabbing his dick just to do it. I mean think about how hard skinning a guys genitals would actually be. Karl shakes his head, "I''d rather not." he says bluntly. Afton and Karl want to check out the Hidden Supply Cave they''d heard about from the crippled Powder Ganger, but Tamia wants to immediately head to Novac. After some arguing they decide to stick together for the meantime, with the Legion running about and somehow able to reach this area, sending a woman off on her own wouldn''t sit right with Karl, nor Afton. The group heads out towards the small rocky cliff where the cave laid, they kept down and observant to avoid running into any creature dens... But apparently the wildlife wasn''t the only thing they''d have to worry about... Between them and their destiny sat a small camp which contained dirty people dressed in the trademark clothes of the Vipers. There were four of them sitting around a campfire eating a molerat they''d roasted atop it. One was keeping watch and occasionally glancing around with what should be a mean glare... Afton thought it looked more like a constipated puffer fish though. Afton glances to Karl, "Same tactic as usual?" "Shoot until the screaming stops?" he asks semi-sarcastically. Tamia steps forth and interrupts their talk though, "I''ll handle this, you guys back me up if you see trouble." she says before messing up her hair up and smearing her face with some dirt. The duo was about to stop her, but get second thoughts when they see how confidently she was walking towards the enemy... She takes the axe off of her back and starts running towards the camp, though, she was acting as if she was exhausted, her breathing audible to them from their position. Tamia breathed heavily and occasionally tripped over her own feet, eventually waving at the group when they spotted her. "HEEeelp~! Please! I think I broke my foot!" she shouts. The four men immediately draw their weapons but don''t fire at her, the axe in her hand doesn''t seem to bother them, especially how she held it in such an unfamiliar fashion. "Heh, looks like lucks on our side today boys. Hey girlie! Come ere'' and let us help. We got plenty of chem-Medicine for you!" Tamia gives a bright smile at them as two walk over to help her up, both already molesting her with their gazes. Unfortunately for them, Tamia''s face hardens when they get close. The way she held the axe quickly changed before she quickly regained her footing and swung the axe. "GGRRAAGHHH!!" The man shouts in agony as the axe-head is buried into the side of his neck. Hot blood fills his throat as he realises his end is drawing near. Tamia gives the other a kick, knocking them onto their ass as they scramble for their weapon, wrenching the axe out of her victim and quickly drawing her 9mm pistol. *BANGBANGBANGBANG!* She unloads four shots into the two still sitting at their camp, both are struck in the head or neck and are quickly dispatched. She continues her rapid movements, dropping her pistol and gripping the axe in both hands as she plants it into the skull of the unfortunate Viper who''d approached her with their friend. *Thud!* A hollow sound rang out mixed with a squelch as it firmly sticks in the man''s head. Tamia presses her foot against the corpses face and pulls the axe out with some effort, Turning and giving a small smile to the shocked duo. Both Karl and Afton had their mouths agape at what they''d just seen. That''s one girl you did NOT want to mess with. "Holy shit." Afton mutters, releasing a breath he hadn''t realised he was holding. "Kid, forget about touching wooin'' her. Best leaving women like that to find their own wives..." he semi-jokes... "You ever seen something like that before?" Karl nods his head, "Only other person I ever seen that skilled in melee was a Legion commander, man didn''t even need a gun, only a machete." They made their way to the camp where Tamia was already sitting on one of the Viper''s corpses and biting into the leg of the Molerat they had been eating. "Still think I can''t handle myself?" she says cockily, neither were man enough say anything though... "Let''s just loot them and find that supply cave, you are in a rush right?" Tamia reluctantly nods and stands, still holding the roasted Molerat leg. Chapter 105 - Supplies : Stolen The group loot the Vipers and their hideout but don''t find all that much. Their weaponry was not well maintained and would only be worth a couple hundred caps all together. They did find a small stash of Chems which Afton quickly shoved into his satchel along with the rest, he''d sell them as soon as he found someone suitable to take them, he couldn''t exactly sell heavily restricted Chems to the NCR could he??? They continued around the cliff until they found a small dull painting on a wall, looking at the surrounding area closer they could see a small hidden path leading into a cave. This must be it, fortunately it was hidden well enough otherwise the Vipers and anyone else who happened across it could''ve already picked through it. The group enter inside while Afton and Tamia turn on their Pipboy lights, illuminating the place in amber and green light respectively. They didn''t encounter any enemies and Afton glances towards Tamia while chewing on his tongue for a moment before asking, "Hey, Tamia... During a fight do you ever... Feel like time has stopped?" She raises a brow at the strange question, "Stopped time?... I don''t think so, sometimes everything feels slow but that''s just the adrenaline I think..." Afton breathed a sigh of relief at this, she gave no indication that her Pipboy worked like his did, she''d either never experienced VATS, was very good at lying, or simply didn''t have the system. He was pretty sure he''d be about to sniff out a lie with [Spies Guise] so he was almost certain her Pipboy was normal. He nods, "Yeah, probably just the adrenaline. Just wanted to know if everyone else got the same feeling as me sometimes... It''s pretty weird." he explains it off and they continue into the cave. No one pursues his peculiar question and they eventually step out into a large room, large supply crates seem to have been built inside here and a locker sits in the middle of the room on the floor. Karl scans the room with his eyes for traps before shrugging, "Let me check the crates aren''t rigged before you start going through ''em." he says. The other two nod, Afton walking over and checking what''s inside the locker. He cracks it open and is greeted with a compressed bundle of what looks like radiation suits... He didn''t know why they were here, or even if they''d actually be useful. Regardless he stuffed them into his packback and looked over to Karl who was still examining the crates. "Found a few radiation suits, any idea what we should do with ''em?" "Best keep hold of a few and sell the rest, never know when they''ll be useful." Karl mutters as he cracks over the crate and traces the inside with a finger, nodding to himself as he feels no trigger. The group pop open the various crates and check what''re inside them... There was four crates in total, one containing many MRE''S that the NCR probably uses, meaning that this was likely their supplies at one point. Another contained many useful components and scrap metal, probably for repairs and such, Afton took a couple of tools that were also contained and stuffed them into his satchel, they''d make it much easier to maintain or modify weaponry. The last two were the most interesting, one contained piles of NCR uniforms, all looking freshly made, while the other contained a large number of service rifles, 9mm pistols, grenades, and ammunition for the respective weapons. This was the actual jackpot, the other crates were relatively useless to them, but this weaponry could be sold for a pretty penny. Afton glances to Tamia, "You wanna upgrade your gear? A machine gun would always be useful." he states. She nods and slings one of the service rifles over her shoulder next to the axe, stuffing some ammunition into the small knapsack she was using to carry various items. Afterwards Afton and Karl both stuff their bags full with ammunition and weaponry, it''s a shame they''d have to leave some behind but, it wasn''t like they couldn''t come back for it later... One thing Afton did make sure to keep from the other two''s sight is a small comic he noticed when they first came in... Grognack the Barbarian, a skillbook that increased his Melee Weapons skill by 3 once he touched it. It''s a shame it turned to dust as it sounded like a pretty cool read... [+3 Melee Weapons] The group exit the cave with a much heavier load than before, now with thirteen extra service rifles, fifteen 9mm pistols, and enough ammo to use all of them simultaneously for a good deal of time. Not to mention the radiation suits Afton currently had stored away. With that they continue back on their journey, heading back to the main road and continuing along the highway. They don''t encounter anymore threats as they reach the intersect where they''d agreed to split up. The group look at the small road that heads north that''ll lead past the Ranger Station Charlie and eventually Novac. Tamia nods at the duo, "Thanks for the help. The offer''s still up if you wanna help me crack a few skulls." Afton shakes his head, "Maybe another time, good luck finding that checker suit wearing douchebag." And so without much fanfare the Courier split off from them, heading directly for Novac. Before they vanished behind the horizon they gave one last wave which the duo reciprocated. "Think she''ll be alright?" Afton asks, not really knowing how her ''quest'' would turn out. Karl nods, "Yeah, there are special kinds of people in this world kid, people like that ''chosen one'' or the ''Lone wanderer'' down in DC... I think she might just be one of those people." he quietly says. Afton raises a brow at this, the Lone Wanderer had been the protagonist of the third game, he didn''t know who the Chosen one was but they were probably the protagonist of the first or second... Wouldn''t that mean that Tamia was supposed to be the protagonist of New Vegas?... Normal people wouldn''t usually survive a bullet to the head, so it was plausible. He shakes the thoughts away, regardless of his thoughts on what should have originally occurred, he knew his presence would undoubtedly have an effect on the events that should''ve come to pass. This was real life, his life, and he''d do with it however he pleased. Chapter 106 - Radaway Holiday With the duo separating from the Courier, they continued Eastwards along the highway. They came across an abandoned farmstead, it''d already been looted clean and Afton had quickly discovered why the original owners had left. The water supply had been heavily irradiated... He couldn''t find the reason for why this''d happened, water didn''t just suddenly become irradiated, something needed to occur to change a clean source into a dangerous one...?? Regardless, they ignored it and continued on their journey towards Camp Searchlight... Unfortuantely, as they got closer and closer to it, they found that some sort of green fog was covering the area... *Click, Click, Click* The Geiger counter on Afton''s Pipboy had started going off, indicating that the area was irradiated. Nearby they could see a small camp with a few NCR soldiers manning it. As they were approaching the soldiers suddenly opened fire, not on the duo though, instead it was in the opposite direction. In the distance Afton could see some NCR soldier being shot by their comrades... No, they weren''t soldiers anymore, their skin had almost rotted off of their bodies, their eyes glazed over as they charged at the camp with what looked like clawed hands bared... Though, upon closer inspection they were just fingers that had no flesh on them and had been sharpened into dangerous weapons. Karl looks taken aback by this, "Ghouls? The fuck happened here." he mutters. They reach the camp and a man wearing NCR gear and goggled helmet steps up with a service rifle in his hands, "Hold up, you best be going the other direction, whole place is irradiated to high hell." "What happened here? Last I heard this place was an NCR controlled base." Karl quickly asks, having never heard about something like this occurring... You''d think someone at the Mojave Outpost would''ve said something. "What do you think happened? The Legion somehow got word of some sealed radioactive materials that were being held in the camp and decided to rectify it. Somehow they snuck it and opened the containers, killing themselves and most of the camp with ''em." Afton rubs the bridge of his nose, "The Legion has a thing about destroying settlements, huh. What''s your name?" "Sargeant Astor." Afton nods and looks towards the town that was almost completely infested with large rad scorpions and feral ghouls dressed in NCR gear. "Think there''s anything we can do to help? We''ve been helping out where we can, managed to get rid of the Powder Gangers at the NCRCF, clearing roads and such. Not for free of course." he adds Astor crosses his arms and slowly nods, "Well, if you''re offering and have a large supply of Rad X and Radaway then sure... I''d be willing to pay out of my own pocket for every one of my brothers you kill, they don''t deserve to mutate into those. Things. Bring me their Dogtags and I''ll pay you for it." The duo both nod, it was incredibly lucky that they''d stumbled across some radiation suits on the way here, otherwise they''d have to rely on Chems to keep the rads away. Afton gets out two radiation suits and passes one-off to Karl before struggling to get it on... Trying to put it in over his recon armour proved to be similar to putting on a soaking wet-suit. They managed to put it on eventually though, the suit itself was neon yellow with a small canister on the hip that provided oxygen. The helmet was a sealed hood with a large orange glass that he could look through. It wasn''t'' comfortable but it''d do the job. Afton glances at Sargeant Astor, "Could you hold onto some of our gear? Can''t really fight when we''re lugging all this around." he says, making sure to keep their valuables in his Deathclaw leather satchel as he hands off his and Karls backpack to the man. Both were filled to the brim with weaponry and made them rather heavy, the man''s legs almost buckle at the surprising weight of them. Astor quickly nods, "As long as you can free my men I''ll damn well hold your dick when you''re going for a piss." he says. ... Afton shakes his head, "That... Won''t be necessary..." he says as he turns to Karl and hands him some Rad X and Radaway, just in case. They both pop the pills in their mouths and zip their hoods back up before slowly walking towards the town. [Rad X : +45 Rad resistance in effect] Most of the feral ghouls near the camp had already been gunned down, so they''d need to look inside the buildings and on the streets. This certainly wouldn''t be an easy task as while feral ghouls weren''t all that strong individually, they were perfectly capable of swarming you with their numbers... Or at least, that''s what he learned in the Brotherhood. The town itself was rather creepy, the abandoned streets that were only inhabited by deadly mutated creatures made it almost like a horror flick... This was only exacerbated by the green irradiated fog that seemed to linger in the air. The duo walk along the road and up an overpass that gave a clear picture of the main path that cut through the town. There must''ve been fifty or so NCR feral ghouls wandering around, occasionally picking fights with a Rad scorpion. Neither bothered to start shooting at them as they''d likely get swarmed and eaten alive, it was best to slowly thin out the numbers before finishing them off... The reason the NCR themselves hadn''t done this was probably due to the radiation. It wasn''t like taking back the camp would accomplish anything, with it so seeped in radiation it''d probably be a couple hundred years before it became habitable again... As to its relatively good defensive position against the Legion? It wasn''t like the sword-wielding douche bags could travel through the camp... The Ghouls and radiation made sure of that. The duo gave a wide berth to the ghouls as they walked around the town, scouting for information and possible areas they could start killing the enemy without alerting the rest of them. Chapter 107 - Zombie Apocalypse The duo continued circling around the town to get a better look at it, the places of interest were a police station, fire station, two churches, and the residential district. Neither knew where the supposed radioactive material was located, but judging from Afton''s Geigar counter it seemed to be around the Firestation. It was fortunate they had radiation suits as the rads per second sometimes even rose above ten, and they weren''t even close to the building at that time.?? Afton and Karl was looking at the fire station from behind a nearby building, a few ghouols were meandering about but didn''t seem to have noticed them yet. "Should we take a look inside the building? We might be able to deal with the radiation if we find the source." Afton asks. Karl shakes his head, "There''d be no point, the damage is done and even if we stopped the initial source, the radiation would still be present here... Best just earn whatever caps and scavenge what we can before moving on to the next town." he states. Afton nods, his Pipboy didn''t have any questions relating to dealing with the radiation problem, he wasn''t all that interested in helping the NCR regain the base anyway... While some had been hospitable to him, he knew they''d kill him if they found out he used to be in the Brotherhood of Steel. "Let''s just start dealing with the ghouls then." he states, finally getting to use his new Perk [Quick Draw]. He glared at a couple nearby ghouls and took a duelist stance, his hand hovering above Lucky. Once they noticed him he moved, he was like a blur as the revolver left its holster and flashed twice, two shots ringing out. *BANGBANG!* The ghouls both dropped dead with bullet wounds now decorating their foreheads, Afton might not look like an old western duelist while wearing a radiation suit, but he could now definitely shoot with the best of ''em. "Are you holding back, or just improving at a ridiculous pace?" Karl mutters from behind him. Afton just shrugs and shoves two .357 bullets into Lucky''s two vacant slots. "Maybe you''re just seeing things? You are pretty old." "Yeah, and you''ll listen to this old man as he knows better." he grumbles, "Get ready, they heard your shots." he says as he readies his own weapon while looking at an alleyway leading to the main street. Afton equips his other .357 revolver in his other hand and points both at the alleyway, firing as soon as he sees ghouls stumbling through it. "This shit reminds of resident evil... Let''s hope this ain''t raccoon city." he mutters as he unloads his ammo into the feckless zombies. It isn''t difficult to kill the one''s coming through, the duo annihilates around twenty of them before additional ones start crawling out of the nearby buildings... They start backing up as they couldn''t know where the next would come from, in the end through zombies were clearly inferior to good old American ingenuity. They take all of the irradiated dogtags and Afton wraps them up in a radiation suit before placing them back in his satchel, this is to stop it irradiating his other possessions. The duo continues walking around the town, killing small groups of ghouls. They made sure to constantly keep themselves topped up on Rad X, Afton could check his current radiation level with his Pipboy, he judged that Karl would be at around the same level, so if he needed a Radaway then Karl would too. They were fine for now though, they''d spent a couple hours in the town and the sky had started dimming, night was slowly approaching and neither wanted to be in the city when finally hit. Before they left though the wanted to check out some of the places of interest. The Police station wasn''t as irradiated at the fire station, so they went ahead and tried to take a look, finding much to their irritation that all the doors had been locked for some reason... Shaking their heads, they next headed to the ruined church, strangely enough finding a sign with "Storage room" written on it placed above a trap door in the far corner. A lantern was set next to it and illuminated it for all to see. Shrugging their shoulders, the duo entered. Down the ladder, they found themselves on a staircase that lacked any rads... This must''ve been a pre-war bunker designed to resist radiation. "For fuck sake! Do one of you idiots know how to make this shit work?!" A voice sounds out. Apparently, someone was down here. "We''re just hired gun''s Logan, why the fuck would we know how to hack computers?!" Karl and Afton walk into the room, the eye-watering orange colour of their radiation suits quickly attracting the men''s attention. Both were ready to draw and start firing at the men, but they''d see what their intentions were before acting. A man wearing what looked like scrap-metal armour sitting behind a monitor immediately stood while placing a hand on a 9mm SMG resting on the table. "Who the fuck are you!?" he exclaims, the other three men preparing to defend themselves as well. "Just looking around, doing a job on behalf of the NCR." Karl calmly states. ... They relax after a moment and the man in metal armour kicks his feet up on the table holding the monitor, "Huh, didn''t think they wanted anything to do with this god-forsaken place... We''re from the Crimson Caravan, name''s Logan." The duo nod and introduce themselves, Afton glances around the room and realises it''s a veritable treasure trove, lots of ammunition, chems like Rad X and Radaway, and even food were lying around. The group hadn''t looted this place yet, and while the wasteland didn''t have many rules, it was still ''first come, first serve''... The only exception to this rule was, ''My gun''s bigger than yours, so fuck off''. Chapter 108 - Conspiracy Theorist Afton looks to Logan, "What''re you here for?" ...?? Logan glares at him, "Well that''s none of your fuckin'' business. You may be from the NCR, but you don''t hold authority over us." Afton shakes his head, "We''re working for the NCR, but we aren''t with them... Right now, it''s just wastelander to wastelander." he says, tension filling the air. "If you''re not from the NCR then get the fuck out, this place is ours, we find it first. The Crimson Caravan will loot this place clean, and afterwards, you can pick up what''s left." he states. Afton frowns, "The Crimson Caravan wouldn''t happen to have provided keys to some of the town''s buildings... Would they?" [Spies Guise is in effect] One of the hired gun''s unconsciously nod, "They migh-" Logan glares at him, "Shut the fuck up! When McLafferty said keep it covert and her name outta it, she didn''t mean spout her secrets to the nearest-... Fuck!" he exclaims, only now realising that he himself had dropped the ball. "Well, now you know something you shouldn''t, you won''t be leaving this place." Logan says, grabbing his gun and- *BANG!* [John Wick Style is in effect] Afton had drawn Lucky faster than the other men could blink and fired a shoot through Logan''s brain, killing him instantly. [Scare a humanoid shitless. 4/50] He looks at the other men who didn''t dare reach for their weapons, "Well? You gonna follow your friend? Go ahead, make my day." Afton says, inwardly fanboying at finally getting to use that phrase. The three remaining men raise their hands above their hands, expressions locked in abject terror. Afton nods in satisfaction, "Now, you lot''ll walk outta here, and never speak about this to anyone. ''Specially not whoever McLafferty is, got it?" They quickly nod and start slowly walking towards the staircase, their hands still above their hands... Afton glances towards Karl and winks. *BANGBANGBANG!* Lucky fires out three shots all penetrating the skulls of the unfortunate souls who''d encountered it. The basement goes silent as all enemies were dispatched, Afton tosses out the empty shells and reloads Lucky while turning. "No loose ends, right?" Karl nods, "Yeah, seems like you''re learnin''. Best they didn''t leave, gettin'' on the wrong side of the Crimson Caravan would spell a lotta trouble... Though, whether getting the opportunity to loot the town was worth killin'' those men is up in the air." he says. "Let''s make sure no one knows who killed these guys then... But first let''s see if they have anything on them." Afton says and starts rifling through their belongings. They find a couple 9mm SMG''s, Rad X''s, Ammo, and a chock-full keyring on Logan. Neither knew why the Crimson Caravan would have access to the locked buildings around the town, but it sounded like the start of some conspiracy. Afton kicks Logan''s corpse outta the way and sits down in front of the terminal he was trying to gain access to. Unlike the hired gun''s, he was well enough acquainted with computer technology to hack it. He took his time in order to go through the code in an attempt to find the password, getting locked out would stop him ever seeing what was held inside it... Well, unless he found where the database was being held and took it apart. That would be difficult though as this world''s technology forced computer databases to be about as large as a room depending on how large they were. In the end he managed to crack the code and was greeted with some updates on the supplies. This was obviously before the town was irradiated... Apparently there used to be radiation suits held in here, which would probably be what Logan was looking for. Unfortunately for them, someone seems to have stolen them and headed up to Nipton-... Oh. "Er, we seem to have stolen the radiation suits these guys were looking for." he says, causing Karl to start chuckling. "I almost feel bad for them... Almost." The fact that the Crimson Caravan knew that Radiation suits would likely be held here only gave credence to his thought that a conspiracy was afoot... Or maybe he was overthinking it? They''re traders and may have sold the NCR the radiation suits in the first place. The duo grab two backpacks from the dead Crimson Caravan mercs and start stuffing them full of the supplies held within here. There was a huge amount to take and so they were stuck grabbing only the most valuable and weight efficient items. Ammunitions, chems, small arms, etc. Afterwards they dump the four bodies outside of the church where some ghouls would probably devour them, removing any and all evidence of the duo''s involvement. The two then proceed to lug the full backpacks back to the NCR encampment. Sargeant Astor greets them as he sees them come in, giving an inquiring gaze towards the new backpacks they seemed to have. "A profitable trip I take it?" Afton nods, and reaches into his satchel, "You have no idea." he states as he drops the irradiated dogtags into the man''s hand. He looks down at the almost forty tags and his eyes moisten slightly, "Thank you... Here," he hands off a bag of 400 caps. "Don''t worry about it. If you''re still willing to pay we''ll continue to deal with the ghouls... There''s still quite a lot wandering around." Afton says, not letting the man know they''d probably get rid of them anyway while looting the town. Sargeant Astor nods, "If you could I''d be grateful, if you need somewhere to stay the night we got a couple free beds in the tent. I don''t think anyone would mind you taking them. Oh, your gear is in the tent aswell, no one''s touched them. Afton nods at him, "Thanks." Just as the duo are about to enter the tent, time freezes and Afton is greeted with an all too familiar notification. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 13] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 14] "Huh, neat." Chapter 109 - Becoming An "X-Man" [WELCOME TO LEVEL 14] Again Afton was greeted with the level screen, a fresh set of 30 points waiting to be placed wherever he wanted.?? Quickly he placed all 30 skill points into Repair, he was considering putting them in Melee Weapons, Explosives, or Science, but felt that this would probably be more useful in the short-term. Hopefully the Perk it gave when it''s maxed out would be worth the effort. Next, he new Perks he had access to were displayed before him, [Adamantium Skeleton] : Damage taken by limbs reduced by 50%. This was monstrously overpowered. This would essentially make his limbs avoid 50% of all damage, 50% less bullets, 50% less getting sliced or bruised... He was a little put out it didn''t make him like Wolverine, but this would do for now... [Center of Mass] : In V.A.T.S., you do an additional 15% damage when targeting the torso. Somewhat useless, why would he use VATS and target someone''s torso? He had the [Sniper] Perk anyway so it was counter-intuitive to pick this. [Jury Rigging] : Repair any item using a roughly similar item. Now Afton had just made the requirements of this Perk by getting 90 points in Repair. He wasn''t sure how good it was anyway, what constitutes a "similar" item? If there weren''t any interesting Perks he''d pick it just to see what it did, otherwise it was a mystery. [Purifier] : You do 50% extra damage with melee and unarmed weapons against centaurs, night stalkers, spore plants, spore carriers, deathclaws and super mutants. Yeah, no. Afton wasn''t getting close to any of these creatures. The 50% bonus damage was good, but not enough to risk changing his fighting style. So, the choice was between [Jury Rigging] and [Adamantium Skeleton]... Afton shrugged and quickly selected the latter, with that Perk he might consider just using his arms as makeshift shields now... Afton Parker Level : 14 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 7 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 7 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 40 Melee Weapons : 41 Repair : 90 Science : 44 Sneak : 20 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 30 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v1], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] Afton stumbled as information about the Repair skill entered his mind, everything he needed to know about repairing generators, wind turbines, machinery and much, much more bored itself in his head. Repair was a much more intense skill than Speech and Guns, the amount of information stuffed into his head wasn''t even comparable. Karl noticed his situation and raised a brow, not saying anything and instead escorting him inside the tent and sitting him down on the bed he''d been given. It took a couple minutes for him to regain his faculties again, but even after he found himself muttering how to replace a robo-brain''s biomedical fluids, or fixing a cyber-dog''s cybernetic materials. He eventually managed to regain his composure though, one thing he knew for sure was that maxing out Repair would likely be just as painful as this... Or maybe not? There was only 10 points left, much less than the 30 that''d caused him so much trouble. He was wondering if this pain was really worth it, as well as if he wanted to test how much worse upgrading Science would be. The next couple of days Karl and Afton woke up early and went to sleep late, spending their days thinning out the ghoul horde and occasionally exploring some buildings to kill any ghouls that stayed or were stuck inside. Their efforts were slowly becoming visible, and after three days there weren''t any ghouls left wandering the streets of Camp Searchlight. During all of this Karl too the chance to show Afton some tricks that the Ranger''s would use. What was surprising was the fact that these small lessons gave way to actual Perks! [Ranger Tactics] : Movement speed increased by 20% when following a pre-planned path. [Ranger Targeting] : AP cost in VATS reduced by 25% when targeting multiple enemies. [Ranger Awareness] : Ability to hear noises behind you in combat is improved by 10%. Karl was surprised he''d picked up his teaching so quickly, but just judged it another quirk of his partner. Usually it''d take weeks to months at best to learn these things, but they just seemed to "click" at random times. Very strange. The duo had cleared the streets and some of the building and was now looking forward to looting the public-service ones. They''d likely have a good amount of stuff to steal due to them being locked probably before the radiation disaster. So, they find themselves outside the Police Station with weapons drawn. Corpses of the ghouls they''d previously killed lay at their feet, but they ignored them unlocked the door. Upon stepping inside the duo were surprised to see many terminals lining the wall as well as the desks in the middle of the room. Apparently, this had been an NCR communication centre. *Guuuuhk* A gurgling, spluttering noise came from both directions, the left and right rooms seemed to have ghouls within them. Afton stepped forward and glanced into the right door, having to quickly step backwards a claw swipes at his face. It''d be a serious problem if his radiation suit got breached, so he''d stay as far away from these creatures as physically possible. The ghoul stumbles through the doorway, bits of its rotten flesh sliding off of its bones as its pale eyes stare him down. Its teeth were fully exposed and looked sharper than regular humans should. Wheter this was a mutation from the radiation or just a natural adaptation he had no idea... The only thing he knew for sure was to shoot it until it stopped squirming. Raising his two revolvers he fires two simultaneous shots into its head, instantly killing it. Afton quickly reloads as he hears a couple more enemies behind the one he''d just killed. They each individually walked through the door, getting a bullet in the cranium for their troubles. It really was just like shooting fish in a barrel, he wondered if intelligent ghouls would be this easy to kill? Karl dealt with the ghouls in the leftmost rooms and afterwards, they looked around to see what was worth looting. They found various weapons, a grenade launcher with some ammo for it, some actual ballistic grenades, service rifles, NCR armour, etc. As they''d done so many times before this, they stuffed their backpacks with every valuable item that was efficient to carry... Afton didn''t know how they were supposed to carry what, five backpacks full worth of loot to a trader, but they''d managed somehow... Loot was loot, and there was no point in wasting it. Chapter 110 - Making The Queen Mine After the duo picked the Police Station clean they deposited their loot with Sargeant Astor before heading directly for the Fire Station. The door leading inside seemed to be connected with the inner garage. A few fire engines were collecting dust outside the closed garage doors, it was unfortunate they were in-operable otherwise their trip across the Mojave would be significantly easier. Another thing Afton noted was the huge amount of radiation that was coming from inside the Fire Station. If the duo weren''t wearing radiation suits and ingesting a healthy dosage of Rad X they might have grown a few more limbs or something equally morbid.?? Afton stands next to the door and glances at Karl, the man had taught him the Ranger method of breaching and entering, the Brotherhood just generally charged in with Power Armour so this was more covert that the way he was initially taught. He''d open the door and Karl would kill anything visible inside. Both suspected there''d be a few ghouls, or maybe even rad scorpions inside due to the high amount of radiation... Hopefully there would be too many. He signals Karl with his hand, *3, 2, 1* before opening it and quickly backing away, getting ready for Karl to start firing... ... Karl hadn''t fired any shots, and instead just stood there with a shocked expression on his face... Afton wondered what was up and took a glance inside-Oh my god... "RUN!" They both shout simultaneously and start running away, just as a Rad Scorpion around the size of a fire truck charges through the garage door, completely destroying it. It''s like a battering ram as it smashing through the trucks and rapidly catches up to them. The two were running faster than they''d ever run in their lives, neither had expected such a monster to be inhabiting the building... The door was even locked, meaning it''d only gained sustenance from the radiation... CRAZY! "FUUU-CKING RUN!" Afton shouts as he hears the creature gaining on them, he fires a few blind shots behind him with Lucky, but pales when the bullets simply bounce off of its carapace. They hop over small rock fences and debris in an attempt to lose it, but while it does slow the creature slightly, it simply barrels through the obstacles like the Juggernaut. The duo don''t have a many options and choose to run towards the NCR encampment, they rapidly wave at the patrolling soldiers who wave back as if this was some sort of greeting. Their waves quickly stop when they spot the HUGE rad scorpion charging towards them. "HOLY FUCK!" "SARGEANT! A MONSTER IS COMING!" they shout, Sargeant Astor quickly appearing and getting stunned when he sees the duo running towards them with the monster in tow. The shock quickly wears off as he realises they were about to get caught up in it, "STOP YOUR STARING AND FIRE!" *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* The entire encampment opens fire on the rad scorpion, causing Afton and Karl to duck due to the bullets whizzing over their heads, fortunately the encampment was on a slight hill, making it somewhat easier to avoid them and hit the huge scorpion. The bullets impede its movements for a moment, the service rifles the NCR were using weren''t able to penetrate its carapace, but the sudden barrage definitely made it wary of approaching any closer. Its carapace may be almost unbreakable, but its eyes and mouth were vulnerable. As it was so large, it wouldn''t take much for a stray bullet to destroy them. Afton and Karl reach the encampment, huffing and breathing heavily while Astor looks at them, "What the hell have you brought to my camp!" "That thing was living inside the Fire Station! You''re lucky we discovered it this soon otherwise it might''ve grown even larger!" Afton quickly says, covering both his and Karl''s asses. Astor shakes his head, "We''ll talk about this later, just help us try and kill this thing first!" he holds of the conversation as he starts firing again. Afton is amazed to see that the bullet fly off of its carapace as if they were colliding against an immovable object. The Rad scorpion queen blocked its eyes with its claws and starts heading towards the camp, having finally mustered up to courage to attack them. The NCR soldier all seem to simultaneously shit themselves at seeing this, grabbing a grenade and throwing it at the creature. Most are thrown at it, while a few of the less impressive soldiers completely whiff their grenades. Luckily no one had dropped a live one at their feet otherwise everyone would be fucked. The grenades rolled to stop near the Rad scorpion as it scuttled over, *BANG!* they all exploded, the shockwave shaking the ground momentarily as everyone focuses on the cloud of dust that should contain the corpse of the Queen Rad Scorpion... ... "It''s not dead!" One soldier shouts as it charges through the dust relatively unharmed. The damage it seems to have sustained was pieces of its carapace being torn off by the explosion, leaving a few of its legs vulnerable to damage. The barrage resumes but this time a few shots actually harm the creature, bullets lodging themselves in its left legs and causing its charge to slow somewhat. It still didn''t seem to be enough as all of its vitals were still enclosed in the carapace. Afton knew that if it reached the encampment most of the soldiers would run for the hills, these guys weren''t the cream of the crop, instead just being recruits who''d only been in service for a year or so. He pulled out all of the mines he''d kept from Primm, primed them before tossing them all in the path of the monster. Soon enough a small pile of miles had formed, and Afton was pretty worried that they''d still be in its blast radius... Eight mines all exploding simultaneously might actually harm some of them in the encampment. He, and everyone else crossed their fingers and prayed to whatever god they worshipped for this to work as the Queen charged over the mines... *Beep, Beep, Beep* Chapter 111 - Scorp-Zilla Was Kirood! *Beep, Beep, Beep* *BOOM!*?? A large explosion occurs and lifts a huge cloud of dust, almost knocking over a few people in the NCR encampment due to the shockwave. ... Silence falls over the scene as a weary NCR soldier asks, "Did we get it?". Of course, they are subsequently smacked over the head by another for ''jinxing'' it. Afton glances to Karl who regards him with a small nod, "Ever seen a creature get as big as that?" he asks "I saw a Super Mutant Behemoth once, so yeah... But we can talk about that later, seems like our troubles aren''t over yet." he states while glaring at the dust cloud. As it settles everyone is greeted by the Queen rad scorpions angry clacking. Its black carapace was heavily damaged with some of its legs blown completely off, not to mention the bottom of its armour seems to have disappeared, green blood slowly dripping from its wounds. Sargeant Astor doesn''t waste any time before ordering, "FIRE!" No one dares do otherwise and immediately begins shooting at the now injured creature. It squeals at them like a dying animal, but the death throes are silenced in the barrage of gunfire. Everyone continues firing until they run out of ammo, the gunfire ending and giving way to their heavy, adrenaline-filled breaths. "Alright, now it''s definitely dead-guhk!" "Bro, if you don''t shut your mouth I''m going to throw you at it to see if that''s true!" Afton shakes his head at the rather undisciplined NCR men and looks to Karl, "I''ll go check on it, cover me." he says before hopping over the barricade. Astor orders his men to hold their fire while Afton is checking on it, it wouldn''t look good if someone shot him in the back while doing something they were too afraid to do. Afton reaches the creature, its entire body is riddled with wounds, the NCR weren''t all that accurate but enough had hit for it to be fatal... Though, apparently it''d take a bit before this thing finally died, It was still quietly rumbling, clearly alive, but not for much longer. He drew Lucky from its holster and pressed the barrel against the creature''s fleshy head, now lacking its carapace. "Good Game." *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG* He unloaded all the bullets in his revolver and nodded in satisfaction as the creature jolted at the last one, he should''ve hit its brain judging by the response its body gave. He turns and gives a thumbs up to the encampment, ignoring the sudden relieved cheers that sounded out. Karl walked over and gave the creature a nudge with his foot, for what purpose Afton didn''t know... "Shame this thing doesn''t have anything good on it... Its poison sack could be used to make antivenom, but that''s about it... Unless you wanna try eating it? I doubt it''d taste good, plus the amount of radiation it''d been sitting in, you''d get mouth, throat, stomach, and ass cancer before you went to shit. Afton shrugs, "As long as its dead I don''t care if it doesn''t have anything useful to take." "Hey, what are you boys planning to do with its body?" Sargeant Astor walks over and asks. "Nothing." "Well then, would you be willing to allow the NCR to claim it? The higherups would probably like nothing more than to put this thing on display. They''ll complain that it''s a bit mangled but, they can go fuck themselves and kill another if they want." .... "Sure? Are we gonna get paid for it or?" Sargeant Astor chews his lip, "To that I have no idea, maybe the higherups will see fit to pay you for your work, or maybe not. Regardless I doubt you''ll be able to carry this anywhere, right?" "Fine, take it... We still have a few things to do in the town before we leave, get your caps ready because we''ve dealt with quite a lot of ghouls." Afton states. Astor nods and leaves, getting on the radio and reporting about what''d happened here. [+++Rep with NCR] ... It was still quite early in the day, and while both Karl and Afton were a bit tired from running away from that giant scorpion, they didn''t want to waste anymore time in this place. Popping another Rad X in their mouths they left again, heading back to the Fire Station where the creature had burst out from. In the far corner of the garage, they spot a truck with multiple containers on the back of it and a few Legion recruit corpses lying next to a couple of open containers... This must be the thing responsible for irradiating the town. As if to make it clear for the duo, Afton''s Geigar counter was going crazy when they got close to it, going from ten, to fifteen, to twenty. Afton didn''t waste any time and immediately closed the containers, growing to himself when the radiation only dipped a bit... Seems like they were really too late to save this town, the radioactive materials already in the air would linger for a couple hundred years at least. The effects from the Great War were still apparent, so it was a rough estimate. After sealing the containers the duo went up to the second floor where a couple ghouls were stumbling around, they were quickly dispatched and they explored the place to see if there was anything of worth. The kitchen was a veritable treasure trove of food, but upon closer inspection, all of it was heavily irradiated... Like, grow an extra testicle for drinking that Nuka-Cola irradiated. All of it was useless, and the duo didn''t think fireman gear was valuable or useful for anything, there was something peculiar in the bathroom though. Afton had checked the stalls and found a mishmash of skeletons in it, a fireman''s axe propped up against the wall... He didn''t want to think about how this had occurred, but he did take the axe. Using his Pipboy''s inventory option he saw that it was classified as a ''unique'' item, similar to Lucky in that it was named and superior to other common axes. [Knock-Knock] : DMG : 66 Crit dmg : 33 Crit mult : x1 Strength req : 5 AP : 21 Weight : 8 Value : 3200 Chapter 112 - Ripped Off... The axe was alright but he''d rather stick to ranged combat as opposed to charging while shouting about Scotland... Or whatever you''re supposed to do. He straps the axe to his backpack, he might hold onto it to see if Tamia wants it, if not he''ll just sell it... Three thousand caps wasn''t anything to scoff at after all.?? Not long after they arrived at the Fire Station they departed, it was a pretty poor haul with everything considered. Even the Elementary School had some Chems hidden in the nurse''s office... The duo continued killing feral ghouls, most of the streets were clear of them but the residential buildings still had a few inside. Afton would usually just breach the door and blow anything behind it away with his sawed-off shotgun. They continued collecting irradiated dog tags until they had a good 230 of them. Astor had paid 400 for 40 tags last time, so the duo were hopefully in for 2300 caps when they finally returned. Once they sold all their loot they might be able to start going on the offensive against the Legion, as well as finding some leads on Afton''s own target. They''d just reached the last unchecked house and kicked the door in, guns raised to fire at any ghouls they saw... And indeed there was one, sitting in the kitchen with a bottle of whisky in front of them. It took all the discipline Afton had not to blow their head off, the despairing expression on the ghouls face painted a different picture to the feral ones outside. They took one glance at the duo and gave a weak smile, "So, you''re here to finally kill me?... Well? Don''t wait on my behalf, just do it." they say in a gravelly voice that grates on the ears. "Boy, shut your mouth, we don''t kill innocent people... Most of the time." Karl muttered the last part. "What''re you doing here?" Afton asks, taking note of the ghouls NCR uniform. Could this guy be the only ghoul here that retained they sanity? "What do you think? You two are out there killing any ghoul that moves and you think I''ll stay put and wait to get shot? I may be like. THIS, but I still wanna live damn it!" he exclaims. "What''s your name son?" "Priva-No... Just Kyle Edwards." he says, correcting himself before he used his old rank. He doubted the NCR would allow a ghoul among their ranks. "I''m Karl, this here''s Afton. We''ve been clearing out the ghouls for Sargeant Astor, you know him?" Edwards nods, "Yeah... I tried to approach him once but him and his squad shot at me. Said it was a mercy killing... It might be, but I''d rather live like this than die like that." "Maybe we could talk to Astor?" Afton asked, wondering if his maxed out Speech skill would somehow allow him to convince the man. They had a relatively good relationship so maybe he could? Karl shakes his head, "Son, just head up to Ranger Station Echo north ease of here. Almost everyone in there are ghouls. No point sittin'' here feeling sorry for yourself... Why not get revenge on the Legion for turning you into a ghoul and killing everyone in this town?" ... Edwards slowly nods, "Youknow what... You''re right. it''s their fault I''m like this, fucking bastards killed everyone!... Alright. I''ll head up to Echo, oh, here... Thanks." he says, passing them his irradiated dogtag. The duo watch the ghoul leave, Afton regards Karl for a moment before asking, "Do the NCR really allow ghouls into their ranks?" Karl nods, "Kid, the NCR''d take talking dogshit, anything that can hold a gun is prime soldier material to them. Some may not like it, but most ghouls are tough mother-fuckers, think there are some from even before the Great war. Imagine, having access to someone who not only knew how to use pre-war tech, but actually used it in a military setting. The NCR aren''t stupid enough to pass that up." Afton nods in understanding, his time with the Brotherhood had skewed his view on ghouls slightly. From his time playing Fallout 3 he knew that there were many intelligent ones that were more capable than regular humans. He thought from the Brotherhood''s teaching that this world might lack those exceptional ghouls, but apparently not. With that, the duo make their way back to camp and present the ungodly amount of dogtags they''d collected. Sargeant Astor''s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he saw the pile presented to him. *Cough*, "Hmm, I... Didn''t expect you to retrieve so many, I. May not have enough caps to cover your efforts..." he sheepishly admits. ... Afton scowls at the man, "So, you ripped us off? Funny, I thought you guys were better than the Legion but, apparently not." Astor looked as if he''d been punched in the stomach at his remark, "I''ll pay you everything I can but I doubt I can cover everything you are owed." ... "Just pay us what you got and we''ll see if we need to start shaking you down." Karl states. ... Astor walks away and comes back with a large bag, inside were around 1300 caps, almost half of what they were promised. Afton looked to Karl, "What should we do? I don''t want to shoot up an NCR encampment for something like this, but I won''t take it laying down either." he whispered. Karl shrugs, "Not much we can do, truthfully Astor shouldn''t even be hiring us as he''s in no position to negotiate on behalf of the NCR. Not to mention his rank is too low to actually commission anyone. I do have one idea on how they can repay us though..." Afton raises a brow and is about to question his partner further when time stops for the N''nth time. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 15] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 16] "Couldn''t this shit wait until we''re done negotiating?" Afton sighed as the notifications sprung up. Chapter 113 - The IMPERIUMS Info Dump. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 16] Seems like killing an army of feral ghouls and a rad scorpion resembling Godzirra was worth enough for a couple levels. Afton wasn''t complaining, he welcomed any boost he could get, maybe he should start looking around for somewhere in a similar state to Camp Searchlight.?? He had 30 skill points to spend and was definitely going to max out his Repair. But, what to do afterwards?... Well, he had this new axe and Tamia wasn''t going to mind if he used her gift for himself for a while. Not to mention how curios her was to see if maxing Melee Weapons would give him a Perk that''d make it more viable in actual combat... The saying "Bringing a knife to a gunfight" was seriously applicable here. ... He could hold off on the other non-combat related Perks for now as he felt getting his capabilities as high as possible was a must before he started skilling into skills like Lockpicking or Science. He shoved the other 20 skillpoints into Melee and moved onto the Perk screen. [Perk gained! : Mechanicus] [Mechanicus] : Things gradually repair themselves in your presence, intensity depends on your intentions towards objects. +50 Condition to all things you use. Afton couldn''t help but smirk at the mechanical abomination Pipboy that appeared next to the notification, it still had that cheesy grin, but it was almost creepy now given that half of its body was made from machinery, it wasn''t even wearing the typical vault suit, instead just wearing a blue and yellow robe... As to his thoughts for the Perk itself? Incredibly overpowered, it was essentially a supernatural force that aided him, he didn''t even need to put any effort into repairing his weaponry or armour anymore as it''d slowly fix itself... It was even better than that though, he didn''t even need to contribute materials for the repairs to happen! This was definitely worth maxing Repair out, seriously. Now, onto the Perk screen for level 16... Shit that rhymed. [Action Boy] : +15 Action Points. Good, but as he''d mentioned before, he wasn''t focussing on his VATS skills. [Weapon Handling] : Weapon Strength requirements are now 2 points lower than normal for you. This Perk was kind of pointless for him, it was skin to two skill points in intense training set to strength. And he was sure it''d become useless if he hit 10 strength... Afton shook his head and scrolled up to the past Perks he''d not used yet, selecting [Intense Training] and picking the S.P.E.C.I.A.L point to go in Strength. After clicking confirm time hadn''t resumed, instead he was hit with another influx of information from the Repair skill. It was actually even more intense than the last time, he knew that he could probably repair a nuclear reactor is pushed, though, by that thought he could simply repair it by standing next to it now... The Melee Weapon skill didn''t introduce much new to him, he knew what he himself needed to improve on... Instead, he felt like he''d training a couple thousand hours with various weapons. One would call it muscle memory, same thing for the Guns skill, the ability to reload and fire ballistic weapons than he could think. That wasn''t the worst of it, he felt his muscles tear momentarily before boiling energy filled them, he hadn''t felt this when he decreased his strength, but perhaps it was more difficult to gain it than lose it? They bulged slightly as if he''d recently worked out by quickly went back down to their original toned size, now with larger potential strength behind them. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 17] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 18] Afton was surprised that he''d level up four times in a row, he''d thought that his levelling would soon slow do to the exponential increase you needed each time. Though, he and Karl had exterminated an entire town of ghouls. He spammed all his points into the Melee Weapons skill and moved onto Perks again, ... There weren''t any Perks he could get this level, the reason for this was that certain Skills weren''t high enough to reach the minimum requirements. For example : [Computer Whiz] : Needed INT 7 and Science 70. [Concentrated Fire] : Needed Energy Weapons 60 and Guns 60. [Infiltrator] : Needed PE 7 and Lockpick 70. [Paralyzing Palm] : Needed Unarmed 70. Not that Afton really wanted any of these Perks, they were either VATS related or situational, giving another chance to hack or unlock a lock that''d been previously broken. No, he turned to past Perks again and decided to try out [Jury Rigging]. [Jury Rigging]: Repair any item using a roughly similar item. He knew that in the game this would probably only concern weaponry and armour... But now this was real-life, he wondered if he could use it on other items... He''d try and find out in the next town he ended up in. He confirmed his selection and was once again graced with information about the Melee Weapons skill... Huh, who knew he''d literally learn sword martial arts by upgrading this skill... Not that they''d be all that useful against ballistic weaponry, but each to their own. Time resumed and he managed not to stumble from the sudden sensation or gravity working again. He saw that he was still engaged with Karl in conversation, he decided to nod at the man who, form what Afton recalled had an idea as to how not to get ripped off by the NCR... Karl left to arrange whatever he had planned and Afton took one glance at his status to confirm his level had gone through. Afton Parker Level : 18 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 8 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 7 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 40 Melee Weapons : 91 Repair : 100 Science : 44 Sneak : 20 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 30 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v1], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] Chapter 114 - Bloated Loot ... Afton gave Karl a blank look as they headed north from Camp Searchlight along the highway, towards the nearest town which just so happened to be Novac. "How did you make this happen?" he asks in exasperation.?? Karl shrugs, "I have no idea what you could mean?" he says, stifling a grin. Afton just gestures behind them at the four sorry-looking NCR soldiers who were carrying their five backpacks full of loot. ... "So, I might have offered Sargeant Astor a way out of our agreement. May have also let him know that I have contacts with some NCR higherups due to my former rank." Afton raises a brow at the man, "You do?" Karl shakes his head, "Not anymore, those shit-stains dropped me like a pregnancy test when I was imprisoned. But Astor didn''t have to know that, did he?" Afton nods, "I guess... If you didn''t get their help I don''t think we could''ve gotten all our loot to Novac anyway... The four NCR soldiers were named Avery, Jacob, and Daniel respectively. All were new recruits and had only shot at feral ghouls up until now. This made Afton feel a little better about forcing them to carry their bags, they wouldn''t be much good in a fight anyway. "Any idea on what to do when we get to Novac?" Karl spits on the ruined road nonchalantly, "No idea. Take a few more jobs, get caps, then try and head for New Vegas... We need gear enough to do what we want, Gunrunners''ll probably have what we need." he mutters. Afton raises a brow, "We both have several thousand caps, surely that''ll be enough to buy whatever we need?" Karl just scoffs at him, "No chance, for the best gear you gotta be willing to pay an arm and a leg. Our combined caps wouldn''t even pay for a single top-grade weapon, let alone gear for the both of us." The group continue walking along the highway, making small talk with the already exhausted soldiers while the duo keep an eye out for danger. Though, both Karl and Afton were surprised when something whizzed past their heads. Both immediately throw themselves behind a nearby car wreckage, their four bag-holders doing the same behind a large rock. "An ambush!?" Afton quickly asks Karl, having not noticed any signs of one. Karl shakes his head, "No, worse." What could be worse than an ambush?... "A deathclaw!?" he exclaims in fright.. The former-ranger just smacks him, "Hell no! You don''t see me runnin'' do yeah? That''s what I''d do if I saw one charging me!... No, over there on the top of the hill near the campsite ruins, a swarm of Bloatflies." ... Afton gives him a confused look, "Bloatflies? Aren''t they like, really easy to deal with.", though, upon asking this he receives a fierce glare. "Who the fuck told you that? Do you know how hard it is to hit a flying, moving target that constantly shoots back with acidic poison shit? Not to mention there''s around fifteen of ''em, I''d rather fight a Legion patrol singlehandedly!" Afton takes a glance over the car and spots that there is indeed fifteen Bloatflies slowly making their way towards the duo, all the while firing a barrage of acidic bullets. They don''t seem to be able to harm the wrecked car they were hiding behind, but they''d eventually reach their position. [John Wick Style is in effect] He used VATS to make sure he wasn''t at risk of any projectiles before shooting Lucky at them. Strangely the flies immediately started performing aerial manoeuvres when he pointed his gun at them, causing two of his four shots to miss. The two Bloat flies that were hit exploded into yellow blood and gore though. "You four stay put! Don''t peek you head out unless you want a ghoul makeover!" he shouts to their bag-holders. It wouldn''t due for one of them to die... He didn''t think they could carry all the bags on their own. "Aye, Aye Capt''in" One shouts in response, somehow finding the courage to make a joke in this situation. "What I wouldn''t do for some bug-spray right about now." he mutters to himself as he continues popping over for an instant, using VATS and firing off a few shots before ducking back into cover. Fortunately after Afton had picked a few off, Karl was able to find a chance to assist and eventually, all of them were knocked out of the air. The calibre bullets that the duo were using had reduced all of the flies to mush so even if there was something to loot from them, it was destroyed now. The NCR soldiers look at bit rattled from it, but they''d been in combat before and would eventually recover. For now though the group had to keep moving, Astor may have reluctantly lent his troops, but he''d need them back relatively soon. Best not to ruin the cordial relationship they had with the man. Especially since the man had offered some very interesting information about Cottonwood Cove, the Legions hold on the West of the Colorado, as well as their main slave transportation. Apparently, it wasn''t just Camp Searchlight that had a problem with radioactive materials... One of the trucks that held the material had been lost on its way to Camp Searchlight before the Great War. That truck was currently located on the top of the hill overlooking the Legion''s slave camp. All they needed to do was sneak over, unlock it and dump all the contents on the Legion''s head... The reason they hadn''t immediately jumped at the chance were many, the first being that this would undoubtedly kill any slaves held in the camp... Now, Afton wouldn''t mind the casualties but Karl''s daughter might be down there, not to mention it''d strike too close to home to do something like that. The second reason was that they didn''t want to put the Legion on their toes, right now the duo were nothing but Mercs to them. But if they released the radiation on the camp Astor would have to report back to higher command, there the Legion spies would find out who''s responsible and mark them for death. Something neither needs right now. Chapter 115 - Botched Job That didn''t mean that Afton wouldn''t eventually make use of the radioactive material... They just needed to get a couple things outta the way before they did it. He couldn''t imagine how valuable it would be to the NCR if they irradiated the Legions only foothold onto this side of the Colorado. Perhaps they''d even forgive him for brutally murdering the Ranger who killed his mother?... Then again, probably not.?? The group continued on their journey, running into yet another group of Viper raiders. They were quickly dispatched though, [John Wick Style] and VATS made for a deadly combination. Eventually though the group spotted the huge green dinosaur that marked Novac''s location. Upon getting closer Afton and Karl could spot someone with a hunting rifle in the mouth of the dinosaur. It made a pretty good lookout to be honest, so even if it did look rather stupid, it was effective nonetheless. The town itself was just a motel surrounded by a wall, though there were a few residential homes that had relatively fertile farms growing next to them. The entrance to Novac was a simple gate that leads to the front of the motel where most residents presumably lived. Afton couldn''t help but get choked up by what he saw though, the sign "Novac", was actually just a hotel sign that previously said "No vacancies", with half of the letters having fallen off. Directly opposite the entrance were a few tents, a woman wearing a white shirt with bloodstains seemed to be applying bandages to someone, while a few others were peddling goods they had. All in all, it looked like the most prosperous town he''d ever seen in this new world. Karl looked to the four NCR soldiers and nodded at them, "Thanks for your work boys, send my gratitude... And let him know that we''ll consider his ''plan'' when me and the kid are fully kitted out." They nod and after taking a small break, start heading back to Camp Searchlight. Afton and Karl heft the bags and make their way over to the trader under the tent. They seemed confused when the duo dropped five overloaded bags at their feet, but quickly put two and two together after a moment. Afton left the bartering to Karl as he was almost useless at it... His intervention might actually make their loot worth less than it if he''d just stayed quiet, so he waited patiently as the former-ranger negotiated with the trader. In the end, they sold a large amount of Chems, but weren''t able to pawn off all of the weaponry they''d scavenged... Afton looks to Karl, "What should we do with all this? We can''t exactly take it around with us..." "Don''t worry about it, me and the trader made a deal, we''d keep hold of the gear and they''d go around some settlements to see if anyone is in need of a large number of guns. They''ll be back in a couple weeks so we''ll stick around til then." Afton nods, that''s what they were planning to do anyway, sticking around to do any jobs that may be available. They still had three and a half bags worth of loot still left to sell so it was best they get rid of it before moving on. Still, the 1500 caps that earned from the Chems and few guns the sold were pretty good. Due to Karl having personally bartered for it Afton took 700 caps while his partner took 800. "I''m going to see if there''re any spare rooms over in the motel, I''d rather not be camping outside when there are rooms available." Afton nods, "I''ll go see if that medic over there would pay for me to help them out. " they separate and he heads towards the tent where the medic seems to be operating on someone. Upon closer inspection Afton was shocked to see the state the patient was in though, they were laying across a makeshift table as the woman rifled around a wound with dirty-looking tweezers. "N-now, just hold still. Pain is good for your health you know!" She says, trying to calm the poor man who looked to be in agony. "The fuck is going on here? Did you even give him any pain killers?" Afton quickly asks upon seeing such a botched procedure. ... The woman''s eyes light up as she looks down at the now crying man, "Oh, my bad! I forgot all about that." she says before jabbing the man with something which causes them to go silent. ... Afton looks at the Chem she''d given him and gapes at it, this isn''t a pain killer, it''s a chemical that causes paralysis! One that can potentially be poisonous to the wrong person. Without thinking he shoves the woman away, not bothering to take notice of the guards who raised their weapons towards him. He rifles through his Deathclaw leather satchel and pulls out some antiseptic and his own tweezers. But the looks of it this was a procedure to remove a lodged bullet, and it''d been going badly by the profuse amount of blood pouring from the wound. With relatively good precision he gently pushes the tweezer deeper into the wound until he feels it contact something hard and metallic. "Bingo." he mutters as he struggles to grip and pull it out. He eventually managed it though. Looking at the piece of lead to check if it''d fractured at all before dumping it on the floor. The man who he was operating on seemed to be looking at him gratefully, it was hard to tell though due to them not being able to move with the exception of their eyes. While they might be paralysed, they could still feel pain, so him finishing the procedure as quickly as possible was the best they could''ve hoped for. Afton applies some alcoholic gauze to the wound before wrapping it in a bandage, turning his glare to the woman who could''ve potentially killed the man. Chapter 116 - Karlin Those DMs "Who on earth taught you about medicine? Your patient could''ve gone into shock with the way you were digging through their wound, I''ve seen torture less painful than that!" he exclaims, only now noticing that he had a few weapons pointed at him from all directions. The woman whom he''d shoved gives him a confused look, "What do you mean? I''ve done this plenty of times and it usually goes pretty well!"?? Afton maintains his glare, "Define ''pretty well''" She shrugs, "Half of my patients make it out fine~." ... Afton glances at the mercenaries pointing their weapons at him and growls, "You guys better put those guns away before I jam them up your ass''s and pull the trigger." ... They relent and lower their weapons upon seeing there was no immediate threat of violence. "Keep your hands off the boss and we''ll get on nicely." one says and Afton just shrugs. "I''ll ask again, who taught you medicine?" "No one, I''m self-taught." She states with an almost smug look. ... "What does DNA mean?" he quizzes her, wanting to sees the extent of her stupidity. She places both her hands on the bloody table and leans against it, "That''s easy. ''Do not''... Err, ''ASK''!, that''s it. ''Do not ask'', the main tenant of all medical practice!" Afton crosses his arms, noticing that it wasn''t just him staring at her in disbelief. Even her own body-guards were astounded by the answer. "Uh huh, and what does asphyxiation mean?" "Something to do with apples? Or maybe x-rays?" "How would you deal with an infection?" "Just pour salt on their foreheads, give them Chems and pray that it gets better." "What sickness would someone have if they had a stuffy nose, sore throat, headaches, and a raised temperature?" "Well, there are a few things it could be... The deadly Brazilian virus, Randy Orton disease, and ghoulification... But my gut says they''d have cancer." ... Afton squeezes the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "How the fuck do you know what cancer is but not asphyxiation? And all of your guesses were wrong, it''s the common cold you damn fool! What the fuck is the ''Randy Orton disease'' anyway!?" "It gradually causes your spin to bend backwards, destroying your posture and forcing you to eternally do the bridge pose." "That''s it, I refuse to allow you to operate on anyone else as long as I''m here. You will tell me if someone comes and I''ll operate on them myself. I cannot allow someone as stupid and irresponsible as you to ruin the good name all of us medical practitioners have worked hard to earn." He was expecting her to be distraught by what he''d said, but the woman just shrugs and agree''s. "Whatever, being a doctor isn''t my main money maker anyway." "And what might that be?" Afton asks, feeling as if he''s just getting deeper into the rabbit hole. She steps away and takes a bag from her tent and opens it up, revealing a litany of incredibly addictive Chems that no reliable doctor would ever be seen near. Let alone carry on them. There wasn''t a medical use for Jet, Psycho, and other similar drugs that''d destroyed more lives than Heroin had. Afton just shook his head at this, he wondered what would be worse, letting her continue operating on people, or allowing her to sell drugs... He chose the latter as that was something people did to themselves, if they wanted to get fucked up on drugs there wasn''t all that much he could do to stop them. "I''m Afton. What''s your name." he asks, feeling as if his nerves were frayed. "I''m Ada Straus, guess we''re partners now, huh?" she says in a slightly too chipper tone. "Absolutely not, I''m only here to make sure you don''t kill anyone with your stupidity. In a few weeks I''ll be gone, and I hope you''ll never call yourself a doctor again, not without at least doing a couple years studying under someone." he says. She nods and he leaves to go find Karl to make sure he never allows that woman to touch him. Afton wasn''t sure why the townsfolk had not kicked her outta Novac yet... Surely with her doing irreparable harm to half the people she dealt with they''d run her straight outta town. Or, maybe doctors were so few and far between in the wasteland that the 50% casualty rate was manageable... Either way, he''d try and knock some senses into that woman''s head during his stay in Novac. He enters the motel''s reception to see if Karl had gotten a room yet, but finds the man talking to a little old lady with grey hair, grey eyes with thick-rimmed glasses, and is wearing a dirty dress. She''s sat behind the reception desk with an almost off-putting sickly-sweet smile on her face. "Oh? So you used to work with the NCR?" she asks, looking enthralled by Karl''s small-talk. "Yeah, that''s in the past nowadays. Just a wandering Merc-Ah, there''s my partner. Kid looks fresher than a newborn but is one hell of a shot. Jeannie meet Afton, Afton this is Jeannie May Crawford." Aford gives a weak nod in response, "A pleasure... Have you got us a room yet?" Karl looks away for a moment before sheepishly shaking his head, "Ah-no, I lost track of time while talking with Jeannie here... Wait, why''re your hands covered in blood?" "Don''t ask... All I''ll tell is you to avoid that woman calling herself a doctor, I''d rather have a feral ghoul operating on me than her." "Ah, miss Straus? Is she really that bad? She''s done quite well in our town so far." Jeannie deposits herself into their conversation as if she belonged there. Afton ignores the rather blunt breach of etiquette and nods, "From what I''ve seen, you guys are lucky that anyone she treats is still alive. She even asked me if irradiated people could toast bread for her... I mean, that''s not even close to making sense!" he exclaims. "But we need a doctor... Farmwork and varmint hunting tends to produce injuries. One bad infection and you''ll never work again." "I''ve offered to treat anyone that comes to her, let the town know that I''ll be willing to help as long as I''m in town... Me and Karl should only be around for a couple of weeks, but that''s the best I can do." Chapter 117 - Broken But Fixable After the talk with Jeannie Karl and Afton were finally able to rent a room. They even got a discount due to the heavy praise Karl was laying on the woman... He didn''t think the old man was still in the "romance" game, but apparently not. The next day Afton stepped outside of his motel room, it was placed on the second floor and overlooked the opposite houses next to the huge green dinosaur. People were already up and about, milling around to attend to their respective duties.?? Having nothing better to do he immediately headed for Ada Straus''s tent to make sure she wasn''t treating anyone. Fortunately, it seems that no one had needed her services so early in the morning. "Ah, partner, how''re you doing!" she says with a stupid smile on her face. "You remember what I said yesterday right?" She nods, "Your the doc and I''m the pretty nurse... Until you leave at least." He raises a brow at the weird way she''d put it but shakes his head, "Alright, I''ve got other things I need to do so just call me if someone turns up." he says, giving a small wave before leaving. The trader Karl had spoken to yesterday had already left, he woulda wanted to buy some extra stuff to help him with this experiment he wanted to try out, but it''s too late for that now, isn''t it. Instead he headed behind the motel, between the back of the motel and some residential buildings were the ruined remains of a variety of vehicles. A few cars, trucks, and motorbikes greeted his eyes as he walked over and examined them. They were strange to say the least looking old fashioned yet futuristic... Obviously, he was basing his judgment on his old world''s aesthetic. Due to the pre-war fuel crises most petrol engines were scrapped and replaced with reactor cores, these were usually bulkier than a regular engine but didn''t need to be refuelled, nor maintained. The only negatives to having them were the fact that if the casing of the reactor was cracked, and the safety''s failed it''d go up like a nuclear explosive. This ended up adding extra bulk to the vehicles due to the extra protection giving to the reactor, the government couldn''t very well have nuclear blasts going off whenever there was a car crash, could they? Afton walked up and examined a ruined car, someone seemed to have scavenged bits and pieces from it, but the reactor core was all there... Many spiderweb-like cracks could be seen littering it, it wasn''t breached, but if he started messing around with it he might just irradiate the whole of Novac. Regardless, it wasn''t the car that interested him right now. He turned his attention towards the nearby motorbike. It was a relatively long vehicle with dirty grey metal covering it. Its tires were completely deflated and seem to have been slightly melted, whether it was from the sun or something else was anyone''s guess. Its lights were all smashed in and the bulbs stolen, wing mirrors were missing and the reactor core was heavily damaged... Like, a few good strikes away from completely cracking the casing. This wasn''t really a problem though, if what he was trying to do would work, everything would work out fine in the end. He glances over to the nearby car and intones in his mind, "Jury Rigging". *Ping* [Jury Rigging is in effect] As soon as the notification pops up he spots something peculiar... The car''s reactor core looked to be... Melting? No, that wasn''t right. It seemed to be changing shape... Afton wasn''t sure if he should let the phenomenon continue or not, the Perk seemed to be causing this so he''d let it go for a while longer to see what it was doing. After a couple minutes the melting reactor core had finally finished it transformation... It''d shrunk and become almost identically similar to the motorbike''s engine... The only difference being that it seemed brand new Did [Jury Rigging] just create a brand new engine for the motorbike? That''s fucking overpowered! Quickly he examined it all over to check if it was suitable, and found that it did indeed look brand factory new. Afton didn''t waste any time and quickly pulled out his tools from his Deathclaw leather satchel, going over to remove the damaged engine from the bike to allow room for the new one. His tools weren''t really suited to mechanics, but his high skill level in Repair almost made him able to do it with his bare hands. After a couple minutes, he dumps the damaged reactor on the floor and lifted the other into its place, connecting all the wires, tubes, and other necessary things together before taking a step back. He nods to himself, "Nice. This still isn''t close to being usable though." in his old world engine fans helped cool the engine... But here and now where the engine was literally a nuclear reactor, the cooling fans were way more advanced. This, in addition to the engines, made it terribly difficult to fix vehicles. Most were irreparably damaged due to the great war, and even if that hadn''t destroyed them all, time would''ve dealt the final blow. This wasn''t a problem for Afton anymore though! Again he finds a car wreckage and uses [Jury Rigging] to collect the brand new part that''d appeared, using these parts to slowly repair the motorbike. In the end, he had only managed to repair thirty percent of it before the day was done. He was rather unfamiliar with vehicle repair so connective all the vital systems together, even with brand new parts proved to be incredibly difficult. He knew the theory, but lacked the experience to quickly pull it off... What Afton didn''t know was that it''d usually take a professional mechanic a week to fully repair a vehicle in the same manner he had. His [Mechanicus] Perk had allowed some of the stray wiring to sliver towards each other and connect on their own, momentarily confusion the teen before he saw spotted the notification. [Mechanicus is in effect] Chapter 118 - Nerves = Grated It was the next day and before Afton was able to get his hands dirty repairing the motorbike his aid was needed over in the medical tent... Now that he had a project to work on he was rather miffed that he''d agreed to help the town... He couldn''t really refuse now though. Fortunately he''d made sure to lock up the motorbike tighter than a safe, the brand new vehicle parts that he''d "created" would probably be worth a shit ton of caps. Definitely enough to convince any usually good man to pick it up and sprint for the hills.?? He''d locked access to the bike''s internals with pieces of thick metal that he''d scavenged. If someone wanted to get access to the expensive parts they''d either need a plasma welder or a controlled explosive... All of which would allow him to run over and kill the poor bastard who''d made the attempt. The bike still needed replacement axle, wheel, and tire. So he wasn''t able to drag it into view on the tent, even with his 8 points in strength the reactor core and heavy frame made it impossible to lift on his own. Over in the medical tent Afton was greeted by Ada giving advice to a young adult who''d somehow injured their knee. "Now, the best way to help your knee heal is lots of squats. A hundred deep, weighted squats a day would have you feeling as good as-" *Smack* Afton slaps Ada in the back of her head before she can corrupt the boys mind any further, "Ignore everything and anything you may have said to do. Squats are literally the worst thing you could do right now... Anyway, what''s the problem?" The boy gestures to his knee and shrugs, "I was working the farm when a stepped into a pothole, twisted it good... Hurts whenever I move it." Afton slowly nods and pulls their jeans up to get a better look, there wasn''t any visible bruising yet but a part of it was slightly swollen. He gets the man to move his knee around a bit to see his range of movement and eventually determines that its just a knee sprain, not "great" but not debilitating. "You''ve injured your ACL, not much can be done about it except rest. You''ll need to be careful on it for at least two to three weeks... If the pain gets too much then use painkillers." "Er, what''s an ACL?" the patient stutters out. "Anterior cruciate ligament, keeps your knee joint stable and helps with movement. Terribly painful if its injured though. As I said, best you rest with minimal activity if you want to get better faster." "Do... Do I have to pay for this?" Afton gives a ''kind'' smile to the boy and shakes his head, "Nah, I didn''t have to do anything. The painkillers won''t be free if you want them though. The boy limps off and Afton looks to Ada, "I still have no idea how you believe you''re qualified for this, do you even know what a ligament is?" She shrugs, "No, but I''m learning, a ligament is on your legs right!?" ... Afton shakes his head and sighs, "No, that''s not even close to being true. If that''s all then I''ve got something else to attend to-" As he''s saying this a few people approach the tent, all either holding a limb, sniffling pitifully, or coughing exaggeratedly. "Sir, could you help us?" Oh for fuck sake, I just want to get back to fixing my bike! The thought runs through his mind but he puts on a fake smile for them, "Of course, take a seat... What seems to be the problem." In the end, Afton has to spend four hours treating people. At first he was greeted with actual patients, people who''d injured themselves. But gradually the injured gave way to the idiots. "Doc, my back hurts, my feet are numb, my thoughts are fuzzy, and I think my cock is about to fall off." ... "And what do you want me to do about it?" Afton growls out, having heard this exact set of symptoms for the third time in a row now. "Ah, I can''t afford proper treatment but if you would be willing to give me some chems then-" "I refuse, now fuck off back under the rock you crawled out from under!" he exclaims, sending them running away. These pieces of shit had started bothering him after he''d given free chems to a child who was having an incredibly bad allergic reaction to something. He couldn''t identify what he was and the boy''s parents couldn''t afford treatment so he offered the chems that''s reduce the reaction for free. Course, word of his "selflessness" got around quickly and he''d been greeted by a constant stream of people trying to take advantage of him. Someone had even somehow gotten the exact symptoms that''d require the use of some rather strong chems. Of course, this also made it very, very easy to distinguish the ailed from the mentally deficient junkies. After all was said and done Afton had made around 400 caps from the treatments. The day had been terribly busy and all he wanted to do was get back to his other project. Waving to Ada he left and headed straight for... WHERE THE FUCK IS HIS BIKE!?! He''d only started fixing it up yesterday! Was it that unlucky that someone would instantly try to steal it!? He rapidly looks around to see if anyone was nearby but doesn''t spot anyone... Instead, he sees drag marks in the dirt leading somewhere. Must be around four people at a minimum to drag the bike like that, he pulls out Lucky from its holster, not that four people would be a problem... It was just helpful to know how many graves he''d need to dig. Chapter 119 - Hammer Time Afton stealthily follows the trail leading to whoever stole his bike. Yeah, it was probably a stupid idea to leave it out here, but its not like he could take it inside or something. Maybe he should''ve carved his name into it? As of now he was considering using the perpetrator''s blood as paint for such a task. The trail wasn''t actually all that long, it leads to a shack that was about the size of a regular pre-war home that was situated not too far from the Novac motel itself.?? The shack had one regular-sized door on the left side of the building, as well as a large one that resembled a garage door... Though, he didn''t think whoever built this scrapheap was good enough to install the necessary motors to make it open. He snuck close to the door with Lucky in-hand and could hear someone banging on something made of metal with a hammer. Hopefully with this going on they wouldn''t notice him sneaking through the door. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it, sneaking inside the rather brightly lit building. Strangely, there weren''t any divider walls separating separate rooms, there was only a single large room that seemed to have a kitchen at the left-most corner, the rest was filled with vehicle scrap and other mechanic tools. *Tink! Tink! Tink!* An elderly-looking woman with white hair, adorned in a duster and cowboy hat was hammering a car wreckage''s frame. This must be the person who stole his bike. He stands and pulls the hammer down on Lucky with an audible *Click*. "No sudden movements bike-jacker. Or you might find yourself with a head to wear your at." he states. She glances over her shoulder and seems amused by him, a smirk gracing her wrinkled lips. "Now, is that really a way to treat an old lady? Also, I''ve heard more intimidating threats from my grandchildren, and they''ve only just started talking." Afton growls at her and fires Lucky at the hammer she was holding, it hits the metal head and throws it straight outta her hand and skidding across the room. "I''m not in the mood for jokes." he seethes. "Hm, you''re a fine shot you know. Coulda used someone like you back in Navarro... As to your bike, I''ve not touched it at all, only moved it to stop any would-be thieves." she says, for some reason not all that shocked at his accuracy and willingness to discharge a shot. "Yeah, I believe that." he says sarcastically, "It was fine where it was, the only reason to move it would be if you wanted to crack it open and steal the shit inside." The woman shakes her head, "Rumours get around in this town, the monster harming the big-horners, crazy doctor who also happens to be a drug dealer, things about Legion spies... The most recent one is that you''ve been trying to recreate a pre-war vehicle... With some success from what I''ve seen." "Bullshit, no one was around while I was working on it." he states with confidence, having checked to make sure of it. "You sure? I walked past you twice while you were wiring. Seemed pretty enthralled by what you were doin''. Not to mention the fact you were doing this at the back of the motel... That place has windows you know." ... Afton feels like slapping himself in the face, had he really shown the supernatural [Jury Rigging] to all those people? As well as his efforts in fixing the bike up? "What else does the rumour say?" he asks warily. She shrugs, "Only that you were fixing a pre-war motorbike up in plain view of everyone. This is why I thought it best to move it to a more secure location, why else did you think I had the boys leave a big trail leader here? I''m not a fool boy, only someone without a brain would steal and leave a trail directly to their location." she states. This was strange, either she was telling the truth, or she was an incredible liar... "Who are you?" She crosses her arms and smiles at him, "Daisy Whitman, I recover useful components from scraps people bring me. Not my favourite job but it puts caps in my pocket." ... "I''m sure you already know but, I''m Afton Parker." he says, deciding to put his weapon away and trust the woman. He could draw Lucky faster than most could blink so it wasn''t really putting him at a disadvantage anyway. Daisy nods and sits down on the wrecked car she was hammering, "I''m like a sponge to gossip, not much else for an old girl like me to do. You and that guy Karl, Mercs that''ve done the NCR a lotta good, wiped out the Powder Gangers and many other annoying pests. I''ll personally thank you for that as Powder Gangers used to occasionally come by and harass the farmers." "Seems like word about us has gotten around..." he mutters, not sure how to feel about it. He didn''t know if they were gaining notoriety too quickly... It''d bring unwanted attention towards them, all he wanted. "It has, along with word about an axe-wielding Courier searching for a man who''d wronged her." Afton raises a brow, "You know Tamia?" Daisy nods, "Lass came by maybe a week ago? Spoke with some robot named Victor, questioned a few people before vanishing. My guess is boulder city, doubt she''d still be around there any longer though, doesn''t seem the type to stick around places too long." He nods and decides to get back to the matter at hand, "Where''s my bike?" Daisy points over at the corner where the motorbike was sitting... Its hull was now shining with a new sheen and seems to have been cleaned of all dust and grime. The metal reinforcements he''d put on to prevent people from trying to access the vital components doesn''t seem to have been touched at all, lending credence to Daisy''s intentions. Chapter 120 - Productivity He glances behind him at Daisy, "You cleaned my bike?" She nods, "Couldn''t bear to see such a good piece ruined by all the dust it''d collected. Didn''t want to do anything too invasive and decided to just clean it for you. Is that a problem?"?? Afton shakes his head, if anything he was grateful... It''d require very specific tools and chemicals to clean all the dust, rust, and grime from it. Perhaps the [Mechanicus] perk would slowly remove it for him, but he had no idea how long that''d take. He was fairly happy with what she''d done anyway... The motorbike now shined as if it were brand new. "No, it looks great. Thanks." Daisy smiles at him, "No problem... Though, I would like to ask for a favour in return for this small service." she says, causing his lightened mood to dour slightly, maybe she was just looking for something from him after all. "I was hoping you''d let me help out with fixing it up... No idea where you got the parts for it, but I''m not gonna give up the opportunity to recreate a real pre-war bike!" she says excitedly. ... "Sure." is all he could mutter, having never expected someone of Daisy''s apparent age to get so excited over this. "If we get it fixed in good time I''ll even let you drive it.", yep, her eyes seemed to light up at this, the woman skipping over to her toolbox and hefting it onto her shoulder before depositing it next to the bike. He''d not admit he didn''t actually know how to ride a motorbike, he''d only asked to see if she was able to teach him... If not it''d just be trial and error, hopefully he''d manage to survive crashing it a few times. "Can we get started!?" she giddily says. Afton shrugs, "There''s still a couple parts that I need to... Retrieve before we can make it functional. All the bike needs doing right now is wiring, you got any experience with that?" [Spies Guise is in effect] Daisy nods, "Boy, I was wiring the insides of Verti-birds while you were still wearing a diaper. I''ve got this." she states while patting her bicep. Afton raises a brow before he begins removing the reinforcements, allowing the duo to open it up and reveal the brand-spanking-new reactor core and cooling fan. Of course, this causes Daisy''s eyes to bulge at the condition of them, apparently she''d never seen something this pristine before. "Where did you find these components? They look straight outta the factory!" she exclaims. Afton flashes a toothy smile, "That for me to know and you to get to work." he says, gesturing towards the stray wires that hadn''t been fixed to anything yet. She snorts and immediately starts handling the wiring with expert precision. He wanted to make sure she knew what she was doing before allowing her to work on it, but from the way she handled the wires, he could tell she''d handled machinery before. "What did you say about verti-birds earlier?" he asks, the only people who should''ve been working on them are pre-war military, or belong to an organisation such as the NCR or Brotherhood of Steel... More likely the brotherhood as the NCR only has access to a few of them. She purses her lips at the question, "Oh, that? I... I lived in an area close to the Brotherhood that has a lotta crashed verti-birds. Let me up close and personal to work on em." "Mmhmm..." he hums, she didn''t sound as convincing as she had earlier, "Well, it doesn''t matter I guess." he shrugs. As Daisy starts working on the bike Afton leaves to start using [Jury Rigging] on other vehicles to gather other components needed to fully fix the bike. He''d need to make sure no one was able to spot him this time though, if people discovered this ability of his he didn''t doubt that the main forces of both NCR, Legion, and Brotherhood of Steel would send armies to acquire him... He could probably produce an armies worth of weaponry for them, if they pushed him enough. Imagining either organization having access to as many vehicles as they wished caused his features to harden. Neither would use the newfound strength for the good of the wasteland, instead just gathering taking more resources and attempting to snuff out the competition. The brotherhood would maintain its draconian laws, the NCR would get even more corrupt than it already is... As for the Legion? He''d probably just be executed due to their attitude on technology. It was kinda that Caeser forced his armies to run into battle wearing sports gear and wielding machetes... It''d ben a few days now since he''d started working with Daisy, he''d found her quite good company as they worked on the motorbike she''d started to call "Dirt-Bird". They did dance around certain subjects like what she used to do and other similar things. He was in the same situation due to his ties with the Brotherhood. It turned out rather amusing for both to try and trick the other into revealing pertinent information about themselves. Afton was, of course, almost constantly pulled away from their project by Ada Straus who was slowly receiving more people due to Afton''s climbing reputation... Seems like not many people actually trusted the woman and left their injuries alone, only now deciding to get them checked due to Afton''s presence. It was helpful he''d met Daisy as she continued working on the bike while he was away. She never questioned where the components had come from but he knew she was curious... He''d tell her... If he was stupid. No, he never intended to tell anyone of his abilities ever. The settling of someone''s curiosity wasn''t worth potentially being hunted to the ends of the earth. While Afton was doing all of this, Karl was just relaxing like a regular old man... As if he wasn''t a deadly former-ranger. Last he''d seen of the man he was still milling about Jeannie, maybe he really did want to to know her better? Or maybe the old man was just horny, something Afton''d rather not think about. Chapter 121 - Revenge Tony Cole had been a regular guy who''d been down on his luck, not long ago two NCR mercs had infiltrated his buddies gang known as the Powder Gangers. He didn''t know exactly what''d happened as he had been halfway between Nipton and Primm as it was going on. Once he got back he found the whole place was crawling with NCR, not to mention the many corpses of his friends he could see through the barbed fences... It was at that moment he decided he would hunt down whoever caused this and get revenge.?? He''d managed to find a hideaway he''d left just in case for this very situation. It contained a 10mm pistol, some dynamite, food, water, and spare clothes. Taking it he immediately headed back to Nipton to try and cut off the two merc''s who''d done this. The journey was difficult and he''d needed to stay off of the main road due to the colony of ants he remembered being there. The canyon paths were hidden but already mapped out by the Powder Gangers to allow easy access. The only problem was that Nipton had apparently been destroyed during his absence... Everyone was dead, even the the whore''s which he often visited. He didn''t have enough supplies to continue like this so he''d been forced to scavenge the place... Fortunately there''d been some food and water left behind by whoever did this. Not to mention a large expensive book called "The Big Book of Science". He tucked it away into his gear to sell it for caps later. Tony had just walked around Camp Searchlight and headed to Novac, he had to avoid it due to the radiation and encampment of NCR soldiers there. He was beginning to think continuing to wear his Powder Ganger outfit was a bad idea. Eventually he reached Novac and booked himself a room before going around and asking the residence some questions. They were wary of his outfit but he just stated that he''d scavenged the clothes off of a corpse. They seemed more negotiable after learning that and told him everything he wanted to know about the mercs who were apparently staying here. Karl Martin. Bastard. Tony always knew something was off with the fucker, the fact he wouldn''t touch any of the girls they caught and didn''t seem to care for caps aside from the alcohol they could potentially buy. He''d not attack this man first as he knew of his skill... No, he''d need to go for the other one first. Afton Parker. Little snot had a few rumours going on about him, Tony only knew him as an alright doctor and semi-alright shot. He wasn''t sure whether to take the rumours of him being the "Fastest Shot in the Mojave" seriously. Regardless, he knew what he needed to do, it was fortunate that the kid was apparently working on something during the night. Afton was heading back to his motel room after spending the day fixing up the motorbike with Daisy. He was pretty exhausted but felt satisfied at the progress they''d made. The tiredness in his body vanished in an instant when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed up against his back. He hadn''t expected this and had to suppress himself from spinning around and unloading his revolver at the perpetrator. Whoever it was had some talent in stealth apparently, he''d not noticed them sneaking behind him... Though, that was partly due to how comfortable he''d gotten in this town, not having expected someone to want to harm him with all the help he''d been giving. "What do you want?" "Revenge." Tony states, prodding Afton in the back to get him to start walking. Afton starts walking, changing their route minutely. He knew the man probably wanted to get him outta town to kill him without alerting the whole place... But the man probably didn''t do his research. Tony grinned to himself as Afton continued walking like his personal pet. They''d just passed that giant dinosaur eyesore and were standing on a small hill opposite it. He had his "Pet" stand on the hill as Tony grinned at him. "It was dumb of you to follow me out of here. I was never going to let you go for what you have done." Afton keeps his expression tame, he needed to know who this was, if he had any companions, and whether or not this''d be a recurring thing. Held his hands above his head while sending a hidden thumbs up to whoever was in the dinosaur right now, he needed them to wait for a moment before acting. "Well, before I die... I''d like to know what I did to deserve this." he asks. Tony scowls, "Have you committed so many atrocities that you can''t recall them? Bastard, I''d shoot you where you stand if I didn''t enjoy the fear coming from you... The Powder Gangers, you wiped them out after joining them, there''s nothing worse than a betrayer!" "Hmm, even if I managed to escape, you have friends ready to help right?" Tony growls at him, "No. You made sure of that by leading the NCR to us." Afton raises a brow, "In that case-" his hands turn into a blur has he draws Lucky and fires six shots into the man''s chest. A shot rings out from the dinosaur and splatters the Powder Ganger''s grey matter across Afton''s face, causing him to grimace. He wipes his face off and looks down at sorry bastard who thought he could get one over on him. At least there wouldn''t be anymore Powder Gangers hoping to attempt the same thing. He''d also want to thank whoever''s in the dinosaur for their help. Having that extra line of defence was more for reassurance than anything else. Afton looted the body for caps and equipment, grinning to himself as he found a Big Book of Science in their possession. [+3 Science] Chapter 122 - What Gun? The day after Afton had killed the stray Powder Ganger bent on revenge he decided to visit the dinosaur, he wanted to speak to whoever had been watching his back. He enters the door and is greeted by a man sitting behind a front-desk, he was bald and heavily tanned with a bored look on their face. They straighten their back when Afton comes through the door though. "Welcome to the Dino Bite gift shop, my name''s Cliff. If you''re looking for the Dino figurines then you''re in luck, we''ve still got a few left." the man says jovially.?? Afton raises a brow at him, "Got a few dinosaur figures left? Don''t tell me people actually buy those things..." Cliff shrugs, "For your information they''re the best selling thing I got. People usually want them as mementoes or gifts, not many things quite like them so I think its a good choice." "Uh huh... You sell anything else or..." Cliff nods, stands, and unlocks the door behind him. "Depends what you''re looking for." "Well, I''m not actually here to buy anything but if you have any weaponry I might take a look." Cliff walks out with a wood platter, ontop of it were a few common weapons that didn''t interest Afton at all. 9mm pistols, .357 revolvers, 10mm pistols, even some shotguns that look to have seen better days. "If these don''t tickle your fancy then I''ve got one thing I haven''t managed to pawn off yet." he says, reaching out and grabbing a strange weapon. It was black with a wood covered handle, the metal looked weathered but not damaged. It had a small LED light on it that was currently red... Cliff dropped a few 5.56mm bullets on the counter, this was a shock as they were typically only used as ammunition for rifles. Afton picked the gun up and checked it over, discovering it had a revolver cylinder with five openings in it. He slotted them in and closed the cylinder, causing the red LED light to turn green, signifying that it was loaded. He checked his Pipboy to see if it was actually any good. [That Gun] DMG : 30 Crit dmg : 30 Crit mult : 2.5x Strength req : 6 AP : 19 Value : 1750 In comparison to other .357 revolvers it shat all over them... It was actually almost identical in stats to Lucky, with the exception of the five bullet capacity. Not to mention that 6 strength requirement, the reason for this was probably due to the rifle bullets it used, it''d do hell on your wrists if you lacked the strength. This''d also mean it was better than lucky at penetrating armour. Due to his Gun skill he was already knowledgable in the typical 5.56mm pistols, but Afton had never actually seen anything like it in his old world. It was like a mixture between old western revolvers and modern weapons. "How much do you want for it?" Afton asks, not wanting to show that he knew its worth yet. From his time with Karl he knew that Bartering was about controlling the conversation and judging what the other person was willing to endure. Cliff shrugs, "I''ve been tryin'' to get rid of that old thing for years now... Two thousand caps would be a good price, I''ve even added a discount for all the work you''ve done for the town." Afton shakes his head, "See the weathering on the metal? It might not look to bad to an untrained eye but that causes what you call ''Micro-fractures'', this harms the structural integrity of the weapon and will eventually cause it to majorly malfunction. If someone tried to use it without fixing it up first it might just explode in their hands." he explains, adding as much believable bullshit as he can... This was one of the bonuses from maxing out Repair and Guns. You knew exactly what''d cause their value to drop. "Now just you hold on there, I''ve shot it many times myself and have never run into a problem." Afton''s eyes go wide, "Then you must be the luckiest son of a bitch alive, I''m surprised you still have your hands." he says unloading the gun and looking inside the barrel, spotting a thin scratch that he could take advantage of. "See that?" he shows Cliff, "That''s a compositional fracture, means whoever created the weapon didn''t temper the metal well enough, weakening it. Without proper repair it could explode on its next shot." Of course, the reality was it was just a scratch on the metal, but it wasn''t like Afton had to tell the man that. Cliff paled slightly at the explanation but quickly recomposed himself like any good trader should. "I see.. I didn''t know that, I suppose I could part with it for one thousand five hundred caps." Afton sighs, "I appreciate you trying to bring down the price, but it''d probably take me eight hundred caps to get it fit for use... I''d literally need to rent a forge, deconstruct the weapon and redo everything. If I added in the cost of my own labour it might just be cheaper to make another." he explains. Cliff chews the inside of his cheek, "Fine. I''ll give it to you for a thousand, I can''t go any lower otherwise I won''t be able to feed myself." Afton nods, "Deal." he sorts out a thousand caps and hands them to the man, replacing his non-unique .357 revolver with That Gun. He also purchased a good amount of 5.56mm ammo for it before looking up at the stairs leading to the mouth of the dinosaur. "Anyone up there right now?" "Yeah, Manny''s on break so Craig''s up there right now... I doubt he wants to be bothered though." "Who was up there last night?" "That''d be Craig, man doesn''t seem to need sleep. That or he naps most times he''s on break." Cliff says with a shrug. Afton nods, "Alright, thanks for your help." he says, wanting to leave the store before Cliff realises That Gun''s weathered metal had begun to repair itself due to his [Mechanicus] Perk. Chapter 123 - Your Wife Getting Booned Afton walked up the stairs and opened the door leading to the mouth of the dinosaur. As he does so the person watching over the town jolts in surprise and quickly turns around. They were wearing jeans with a dirty white t-shirt and a red beret that has a bear skull backed by rifles on it, as well as the phrase "The last thing you never see" written. The man himself had a cold yet stern look, even though he was apparently surprised by Afton''s sudden appearance his expression hadn''t even twitched... "Goddamnit! Don''t sneak up on me like that."?? Afton raises a brow at them and keeps an eye on the man''s hunting rifle, "What did you want me to do? Knock on the door as if you were taking a shit?" ... The man just shakes his head after failing to come up with a response, "What do you want?" Afton holds out his hand, "To thank you for watching my back yesterday, Powder Ganger apparently wanted revenge for what I did to them." The man looks down at his hand silently, Afton was starting to feel as if he was being treated like a leper, but decided to persevere regardless. Eventually his awkward persistence won out and both of them shook hands. "Don''t... Don''t worry about it. Was getting bored sat up here anyway, the added target practise was interesting at least." he states. "I''m Afton by the way, though most people in the town know that by now." he mutters, he must''ve met everyone by now while he was treating patients. "Craig Boone. People just call me Boone though. Is that all?" he asks, apparently wanting to get back to keeping watch. Afton shrugs, "I guess, just wanted to thank you for your help. If you need anything let me know within a couple weeks, me and my partner will be gone by then." he says, going to step back into the stairway. ... "Wait." Boone calls out after a moment of contemplation. "I could use your help." Afton closes the door and gives him in an inquiring look, he hadn''t expected the man to actually need something, it was more of a common courtesy... "You''re new around here, haven''t become too close with anyone yet... I need someone not from here to investigate something for me." "Depends on what it is." Afton says, not wishing to agree to anything until he''s heard about it first. "My wife. She was taken by the Legion." he states, causing Afton''s face to harden, he''d heard more than enough to know that this story would only end in tragedy. "They came during the night, through a specific route that just so happened to be empty on that day. They knew when I would be on break and chose that moment to come... By the time I knew she was gone, they were already halfway to Cottonwood Cove." Afton places a hand on bones shoulder, "Me and Karl were already planning to try and take back someone from the Legion, getting you wife as well wouldn''t add too much difficulty." he reassures. Boone shakes his head and knocks Afton''s hand off of his shoulder, "That''s not possible. I followed them to Cottonwood Cove and assassinated her before she could suffer." he states coldly, the eyes behind his sunglasses looking like chips of ice. ... Afton hadn''t expected that, it was pragmatic if anything, but he didn''t think he''d personally be able to do something like that if it called for it. If Veronica or Christine were in the same situation, could he actually do that?... No. He''d find some way to save them or die trying. "Then, what do you need me for?" "I want you to find the bastard who sold her. It was clear they had inside information, the Legion is known for their brutality and would jump at the chance to take something from an ex-ranger. Fear, pain, and despair are powerful weapons." "Wouldn''t whoever sold your wife have left by now? Sticking around a town in which you''d committed such a despicable crime wouldn''t be a wise decision." Boone shakes his head, "Whoever did it knew the town well, and the only people who''d entered or left the town at that town were traders. They needed to know my wife personally as well to know her habits, which bring down the number of suspects." "I want to help, not just for you, but because I want to personally skin whoever did it." "No. Whoever it is they''re mine." he states. Afton nod with a sigh, "Who do you think did it anyway? It''d help if I knew where to start." "I''d rather not say, but... I think I was Manny Vargas." "Him? Didn''t take the guy as someone who''d do that." Afton admits, he knew the man briefly as he''d gotten bitten by a snake and needed anti-venom. Boone shakes his head, "I didn''t either, but when I told him that Carla had gone missing he... He looked happy, satisfied. The two never saw eye to eye and bickered whenever they spoke, but I didn''t think it was that bad..." Afton scowls "Wait, you told him that your wife had been taken by the Legion and he looked happy about it? Judging by the matching Barets you and him sport, he knows what they do to slaves right?" Boone nods, "He knows. And he was happy about it. We used to be best friends, coming from the same unit in 1st Recon. The only reason I haven''t killed him yet is because I''m not sure if he did it... He''d know better to show his true feelings if he''d actually sold Carla." "I''ll start looking around them, no need for pay... Consider this a favour for your help last night. Even then, I''d do this job for free anyway." "For what it''s worth, thanks." Chapter 124 - Best Friend? After Afton had spoken with Boone, he left to find Karl and let him know of the job he''d taken up. The former-ranger had no problems with joining the search for the bastard, probably due to this hitting too close to him. He and Boone had a lot of similarities, the only difference being that Karl was less pragmatic in his choice. Choosing to charge straight into a heavily fortified Legion encampment to save his daughter, as opposed to Boone just ending his wife''s suffering. Afton didn''t really think either choice was an incorrect one, both just weren''t strong enough to save their loved ones and had to settle for different horrible outcomes. But, hopefully that would change soon.?? Regardless, Afton began asking around about Boone, his maxed out Speech skill allowing him to control the conversation and lead it towards his wife. He did this for a number of reasons, the first being that if the perpetrator heard that he was asking around about Boone''s wife then they''d either hunker down and make it more difficult to catch them, or flee. Both of which would make it terribly annoying to find them. The second reason he did this was so that if he was talking to the perpetrator, they wouldn''t immediately be on the defensive. Afton would throw in a few negative statements about Carla as bait to see who didn''t view her in a good light. Of course, he''d take a hit to his reputation for it as talking ill of the dead wasn''t considered polite, but he''d probably get it back once they executed whoever sold Carla. Eventually, he somehow found himself in Ranger Andy''s house. The man has injured his knee while falling down some stairs. He was the unofficial sheriff of these parts and his recent absence would explain why Ada could start operating with impunity. He didn''t know much but thought Carla was a sweet girl, she''d apparently helped him out a few times due to him getting on in years. Occasionally bringing him snacks while he was on patrol. Afton couldn''t help but feel sorry for her the more he learned, she sounded like a kind person, if a bit confrontational. Most people felt the same, it was only really Manny and a few of his friends that seemed to dislike her. His conversation with the man hadn''t gone all that well if he were honest with himself... *Flashback* Manny was sitting in the sun on an old-looking lawnchair, a sunset sasparilla in his hands as he relaxed in the sunlight. The man raised his head as he heard someone sit next to him, spotting the new doctor in town pulling up another chair next to him. "Did you need something Doc?" Afton shakes his head, "Yeah, I''ve been looking to talk to you about Boone. He saved my life last night after a Powder Ganger ambushed me, looking for some way to repay him." he states. Manny snorts at this, "Repay him? I''m sure he won''t give a shit either way, guy wouldn''t know gratitude if it bit him on the ass." "What do you mean?" "I served with Boone for many years in the NCR 1st Recon division. We''ve been through a lot together, and have saved each other''s hides more times than I can count... I don''t know who owes who what, but I know that you shouldn''t throw your buddies away like trash." "Hm, did he do that to you?" Afton questions. Manny nods, "Yeah, things haven''t been the same since his bitch wife got kidnapped. Know the saying? Bro''s before hoe''s? Don''t think loyalty means much to him since I''ve got a cock." he spits. Afton inwardly smirks to himself, "His wife got kidnapped?" "Yeah, Legion got her apparently... Don''t know how they snuck past everyone and knew when Boone''d be on break, but I don''t care too much to find out. If you ask me, bitch had it coming." Afton scratches his chin pensively, it didn''t sound like the man had been involved... Usually a liar would try to distance themselves from the crime as much as possible, but Manny didn''t seem to care about it, he literally admitted he was glad she got kidnapped, something the person responsible wouldn''t likely do. "From what I''ve heard about Carla, she seems to have been a loudmouth. Would''ve liked to get a kick in myself before she got nabbed." Afton states. Manny chuckles, "Same..." he breathes a long drawn out sigh, "If you ever find who did it, send them my regards." ... Afton glances at him warily in surprise, "What?" "You think I wouldn''t notice what you''re doing around here? Before I joined the 1st Recon I had a psyche evaluation... You talk and act exactly how that guy had, like you were picking my brains for some untold secrets. I don''t know what Boone''s giving you to do this, but... I feel bad for how I reacted when Boone told me. Not because I give a shit about Carla, but because of how I hurt my best friend." Afton scowls, "Best friend? If he was your best friend you wouldn''t be happy that his wife got taken. As far as I''m concerned, you''re just a selfish asshole who got upset his buddy preferred his woman''s company. I can see why too... The only reason I haven''t capped your ass if because you''re some of the only security Novac has." he states before getting up and walking away. He''d said his piece, the jig was up, his deception had been discovered so he felt no need to hide his true feelings on the matter. From what he could tell, Manny hadn''t been responsible for Boone''s wife being taken. Not just because of how he had acted, or what he''d said, but because his Perk [Spies Guise] hadn''t triggered. He imagined that it would at least activate if the man had something to hide... He''d have to start looking elsewhere for the culprit. Chapter 125 - Spotted? Unfortunately, after investigating for a day and a half Afton still hadn''t found any leads. He currently had Daisy working on the motorbike so progress on it wouldn''t be completely stopped, but he would eventually be needed back to treat patients for Ada... He was about to go and ask Karl if he''d found anything when a couple NCR soldiers entered town, all wielding service rifles and looking covered in dust. As Afton was the closest person to the entrance of Novac they went over and started asking him questions.?? "Excuse me citizen, could you help us for a moment?" one of the squad ask. Afton gives them the stink-eye for a moment before shrugging, "Depends on what it is." "We''re down from the Nelson blockade, send by Ranger Milo to look for someone." Afton holds up his hand, "Wait a moment, Nelson blockade?" he asks, having no idea where or what that is. The soldier he was talking to give him a weird look before pointing East, a town called Nelson down by the Colorado. It''s been captured by the Legion and so we''ve created a blockade to prevent people getting in, and out. As to why we''re here? Our commander has gotten word that some former 1st Recon were holed up down here." Afton raises a brow, "Manny and Boone?" he wonders what they could actually want them for, Boone is likely to attend to anything involving the Legion, but why do the NCR need them? Is the situation truly so bad that they need former-soldiers to reinforce their army? If so, the NCR is fucked. "If Manny and Boone are the former-1st Recon then yes, could you bring me to see them? We need their help." Afton doesn''t really have a valid objection and just nods, walking over to the Dinosaur and asking the soldiers to wait outside. He heads inside and finds Boone already waiting for him. "Don''t be surprised, I could see the squad from a mile away, I''m guessing they want something from me if you''re here." "Yeah, they want to speak to you and Manny for some reason, word''s gotten around that two former-1st Recon are staying here... Probably because you won''t take that Beret off." Afton says while pointing at Boone''s red hat. "Fine. Let''s get this over with." The duo head downstairs and the soldiers look Boone over, nodding to themselves when they see the insignia on his beret. "Are you Boone?" "Yeah." The soldier looks to Afton, "Sir, could you also grab the other one called Manny?" Afton and Boone shake their heads simultaneously, "That guy''s a piece of shit, so no." "I wouldn''t do any job Manny is involved in anyway. So, what do you want?" Boone adds. "There''s a situation down in Nelson we need someone of your... Expertise to deal with. There''ll be caps in it since you are no longer actively serving, it might require the other one though... Sniper teams travel in two after all." ... This was the first Afton had heard of that... His thoughts went back to the NCR sniper who''d killed his mother. He hadn''t seen another sniper anywhere near them, but maybe the stress of the battle had made his sight unreliable?... Boone shakes his head, "I''ll do it alone, I refuse to work with Manny." he states. The soldiers look at one another and shrug, "I''m not sure Ranger Milo will like that. Whatever, all he asked was to bring you to him. Will you accept the job?" "Anything that lets me shoot at the Legion is good with me." he says. Afton watches as they tell Boone what he might need to bring while he thinks whether or not he wants to involve himself in this... Caps are involved, and he might get some EXP from it, as well as more positive relations with the NCR. "Boone, this probably has something to do with sniping right?" The man turns and gives a small nod, "Yeah." "Well, since snipers apparently work in teams of two, I''d be able to spot for you. I''d need a split of the reward though so its up to you." Boone sniffs and rubs his nose, "You know how to spot?" Afton nods, his Guns skill had included that knowledge thankfully. "Grab your stuff and get ready then, we''re headed for Nelson in thirty minutes. No idea how long we''ll be there." Afton nods and leaves, immediately going to his hotel room where Karl-GHUK! "Karl what the fuck!" he exclaims as he sees the old man in bed with Jeannie. Karl just blinks at him owlishly and shrugs, "Man''s gotta do what a man''s gotta do." ... "In our shared room? Are you serious?" he shakes his head, "I''ll be gone on a job with Boone in Nelson for a couple days. You keep working on the other job until I get back." Karl nods before sending a perverted grin at him, "Yeah, yeah... Can you leave? I feel the Shot-Karl cocking again, and its got plenty ammo to spare." Afton stifles the gag he gets at hearing that and leaves while ignoring Jeannie''s blushing face. "Sorry about this dear." she says as he exits the door. Hmm, he hadn''t managed to actually get any supplies... He''s got enough weaponry and ammo on him, but he''d need food and water for the journey... Whatever, he''d just buy some from the traders, there was no way he was walking back into that room. He met Boone and the other soldiers not long after grabbing the supplies. Lucky, That Gun, and his other weapons were strapped on him as if he were planning to fight against an army alone. Who knows, depending on the mission goes that might just be the case. "Ready to go?" Boone quietly asks. Afton nods, "Yeah, my partner left me with something that I want to try and forget... Hopefully the long walk will allow me to clear my head..." he mutters. Chapter 126 - Click, Click. It takes a couple hours and the sky was already starting to dim when the group reached the blockade. It wasn''t much of an encampment though if Afton were honest. Just a few small sandbag walls that the NCR could use as cover and a few soldiers milling about... If the Legion wanted to take this position then they''d easily be able to do it. Once they arrived Boone was immediately approached by a man wearing the rather thick-plated ranger armour, he had a massive beard and the stupid-looking hat that''d usually accompany the armour.?? "You the ranger I called for?" the man asks, looking him over and taking particular notice of Boone''s beret. "Yeah, I''m Boone, former-1st Recon." he states. "Hm, the Ranger in charge of this position, call me Milo. Who''re you?" he asks after noticing Afton. Afton shrugs, "Just a merc, currently Boone''s spotter." Milo nods and scratches his chin before his eye''s widen in realisation, "You one of the guys that cleaned out the Powder Gangers?" He nods, "Yeah, I''d rather you just tell us what the job is before we start making small talk though." "Ah, yeah..." he gestures at the road following the steep hill downwards, "Nelson''s down there, its crawling with Legion troops and the NCR can''t spare enough troops to take it back. Despite what you may think, I haven''t called for you to deal with that particular problem for us... No, instead there''s something else that my men don''t seem to have the balls to do... They''re willing to charge into Nelson with nothing but a damn penknife, but the moment this comes up they''re shittin'' themselves." Milo scoffs and continues. "Legion''s managed to capture some our troops, put ''em up on crosses in the middle of town to make my men watch as they torture them. Fuckin'' pieces of shit." Afton cuts in, "You want us to sneak into camp and save them? Surely a sniper team isn''t suited for something like that." Boone shakes his head, "No. He wants us to kill the NCR troops being tortured." Afton raises a brow at that, he hadn''t considered that the NCR would be willing to do something like that. This''d also be the reason they''d want someone from outside the army to do it, there might be resentment lingering afterwards which would be counterproductive in a cohesive unit. Well, he wouldn''t say it to the man''s face but Boone was something of an expert when it came to mercy killings... He shook that morbid thought from his head as Milo confirms Boone''s assumption. "Yeah, I''ve seen what the Legion does to captured soldiers. The women that''d been captured are probably already halfway to Cottonwood Cove so there''s no way to help them... But we can still do something about the men they''ve hung on crosses, a mercy killin'' is better than being tortured to death." he states. Well, there might be some truth in that but Afton''d rather deal with the pain and potentially escape... He''d not say anything though as his caps were on the line, plus he didn''t really care about killing a couple NCR soldiers. Boone looks to Milo, "We''ll start at sunrise tomorrow." "Can''t you begin tonight? I''d hazard to guess that it''d be easier to do under dark." Boone shakes his head, "I don''t have the equipment for that, you''ll just have to wait until tomorrow." The duo are given a couple sleeping bags to stay for the night, Boone asked about how his search for the person who sold his wife was going but Afton didn''t really have all that much to tell him. He went over his conversation with Manny but Boone didn''t seem to give a shit, not about Manny''s apology or the fact the man was supposedly not involved with the incident. Afton wasn''t sure if he was angry, apathetic, or was simply just trying to hide his true emotions. Boone didn''t give any indication on what he was feeling towards him having made no progress... Perhaps he didn''t think Afton would actually find anything. In the morning he and Boone were up just before sunrise. Boone slung his scoped Hunting Rifle onto his back, along with a 9mm Pistol on his side. Milo had given them some info on an outcropping that''d overlook the entire town of Nelson. A perfect spot to do what they needed and get out before the Legion overwhelmed them. While the two were walking up the mountainous terrain Boone had stated that he wasn''t just going to be aiming for their targets. Afton wasn''t bothered by this in the least, the only goo Legion soldier was a dead one after all. Eventually, they reached their destination and Boone made himself comfortable by lying on the floor with his rifle''s barrel just going over the edge, pointing directly at Nelson. The town itself looked barren, not in that there weren''t people around, because there must''ve been around a hundred Legionaries down there. No, it looked dirty and unmaintained. It seemed like it''d been a mining town before the Great war, but had been renovated into a small farming community due to its close proximity to the Colorado river. However, that seems to have changed under the new leadership. All the areas that previously had crops was empty, trash littered the place and the only reason he could imagine the Legion was staying here was to fortify their position West of the river. Afton sat down next to Boone as the man shoved some binoculars in his hands. "You''ll need these." Boone states. Afton just shakes his head, "No, I''ll do fine without ''em... Let''s deal with the NCR soldiers before we start picking off Legionaries, yeah? Let''s do as much damage as possible before we have to retreat." he says. His VATS would make him better than any other spotter, not only would it automatically detect enemies, but it only stated the distance the enemy was at. Not to mention it froze time and allowed him to decide what plan of action to take. Boone shows a rare grin and shoves a .308 round into the chamber before pulling the bolt handle, producing a satisfying *Click*, "Yeah, let''s do that." Chapter 127 - Boom! Headshot. Dead Sea was a Legionary decanus, he had been put in charge of this camp called Nelson but was still unsure whether it was truly useful to the greater whole of the empire. He was sure his talents could be used elsewhere... But so boldly questioning Caesar''s orders was basically asking for death. As of now, he made use of his off time by torturing the feckless NCR soldiers they''d captured. He wasn''t afraid of retaliation as their enemy had a long history of being weak and indecisive in moments such as this... This was also the reason he wouldn''t kill their hostages until they acquired new ones.?? His scouts updated him daily on the movements of the NCR, and he took much satisfaction to know that they''d watch him mutilate their comrade for hours on end. It''s a shame he was forced to send the females off back to the Fort, they could''ve made much better ''tools'' to force the NCR to feel fear and indignant rage. The NCR was organised and disciplined... A break in their ranks could cause a lot of damage, more so than he himself could alone. And that was saying something. "You know you''ll not leave here alive? I''ll continue cutting pieces from you until there''s nothing left." Dead Sea taunts at the bloody man strapped to the cross. The NCR soldier spits at the man, "Bullshit. My friends''ll save me eventually, so have your fun while you can." he states, getting pitying looks from the other twenty NCR soldiers on crosses around the area. They knew that talking back would only aggravate the legionaries further, that''s why they stayed quiet... Some hoped they''d be rescued but didn''t voice it for fear of getting their captors attention. Dead Sea snorts at the brave man and cuts another piece of flesh from their leg, "I wonder if they''ll come soon enough to save your legs? Or arms? Hmm, maybe I should castrate you to your stupidity from spreading in the future?" "Fuck you. Just you wait, soon enough you''ll feel lead pierce your skul-" *BANG!* The NCR soldier goes limp as his head explodes, showering everyone nearby in blood. Dead Sea quickly backs away at this and looks around for the cause, it wouldn''t be the first time one of his men had executed the hostages, but that didn''t seem to be the case this time. *BANG!* He turns towards where the bullet had shot and spots another hostage going limp... Whoever it was is trying to kill all of their captured NCR soldiers! The men strapped to crosses who were watching this happened start weeping. They knew what this was, a ranger had probably been ordered to execute them... They wouldn''t betray their country by letting this known, but they weren''t happy about it either. One person broke down completely as the person next to them slouched as their head exploded, "NOO! I DON''T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE SOMEONE! STOP PLEASE! STOOOO-"*BANG!* Dead Sea gritted his teeth and roared at his men, "IT''S A SNIPER! FIND THEM AND RUSH THEIR POSITION! FOR CAESAR!" The sniper was obviously very talented due to how quickly he was eliminating people. While yes, the targets are tied to crosses, he could tell they were quite far away judging by the sound. It seemed to be coming west but it was hard to be sure. Forty of his men immediately started running towards the shots with their mongrels following them. Their equipment varied between throwing spears, pistols, rifles, machetes and shotguns. Almost all of which was very poorly maintained. The Legion was known for their melee weapons, and as such their soldiers didn''t pay much attention to maintaining their guns, despite the fact these weapons needed maintenance the most. Boone had just eliminated ten out of the twenty captured NCR soldiers, Afton was using VATS to find the exact distance of their next target, using the frozen time to plan which target was easiest to shoot before moving onto the next. Boone felt that they made an excellent team, better than he and Manny had ever been. They weren''t close at all, but Afton just seemed to know the exact information he needed to easily pull off each shot. That''s not to say his considerable skill didn''t come into the equation, as without his steady hand even with Afton spotting a lesser man might''ve missed all these shots. The Legionary camp was already on the move towards their position, they didn''t know the duo''s exact position but their mongrels would eventually track them, so they needed to be quick before they were overwhelmed. *Clack, PING!* he pulled the bolt on his hunting rifle and quickly shoved another round inside. Afton comes out of VATS and takes a look around their position while giving Boone the next target, "Third captured NCR 1537 meters away." he states while rummaging a hand through his deathclaw leather satchel. *BANG!* *Clack, PING!* Boone reloads and gets ready to shoot again. Afton enters VATS after locating some dynamite. He gets the distance of the next target and relays it to Boone while taking the time to mark out the likely paths the Legion soldiers will take to reach them. He disables VATS and moves towards one path, "Second NCR 1510 meters." he states as he unfurls a long fuse. Karl had shown him that having more was always better, even if he just needed a short fuse he could always just cut it where he needed it. He ties a couple sticks of dynamite and hides them in various places where approaching enemies wouldn''t spot before crawling next to Boone again, finding the next target. *BANG!* *Clack, PING!* *BANG!* *Clack, PING!* *BANG!* *Clack, PING!* *BANG!* *Clack, PING!* Eventually, they''d managed to eliminate all the hostages, Boone looked tense but both knew the fight was far from over. Afton slaps him on the back, "Chin up, we''re shoot at people we actually dislike now." he states with a malicious grin. Chapter 128 - Killionaire Dead Sea could do nothing but watch as the last of his hostages were executed. He could see that his men had only just made it to the bottom of the steep hill that''d most likely lead to whoever was responsible. "FUCKING COWARD!" he shouts at the west, releasing his frustrations at having failed Caesar, even if there was nothing he could do about it. He and the rest of the Legion saw snipers as the biggest cowards possible. There was no honour, no bravery in killing someone who was completely unaware and unable to fight back. Some may find this hypocritical due to them lashing their defeated enemies on crosses, but any who made the comparison would find themselves joining those on the crosses.?? He knew he''d likely be punished for this turn of events, but that wasn''t as big a loss as the fact his reputation would be in ruins. He''d been a useless orphan among the Great Salt Lake and was taken in by the Legionaries, trained to be a fierce warrior. Everything he was, he could be was in question at this very moment. His eyes squinted as he spotted a glint of light off in the distance. It was like looking at a reflective material from very, very far away... His eyes widened and he quickly threw himself to the floor, just as a bullet passed over his head. *BANG!* Afton frowned as the Legionary somehow ducked under Boone''s bullet. Did the man have superpowers or something? Spider sense? Dodging a bullet simply shouldn''t be possible. Regardless he entered VATS and mentally calculated the distance the man would be after Boone reloaded, locating where he''d be after running for a moment. "1600 meters, 8 feet away from the corner of the building on his right." he quickly says and Boone gives a small nod. Afton watches as Boone lines up the shot... *BANG!*, he could see the faint trail it made as it zoomed towards the Legionaries position. They were a mile away so it too a couple seconds for the bullet to reach the enemy... Fortunately, it looked like his calculations were correct. If someone were to watch Dead Sea in slow motion it''d look like the man was running into the path of the bullet. It was slightly off and didn''t blow his head off, instead hitting the man in the neck. "Nice shot." Afton states, he guessed that the Legionary they''d just shot was the leader of the encampment judging by how he ordered the others around, so it was lucky they''d managed to eliminate him. Boone glances at him, "No, it''s your spotting that made it happen. Not my longest shot ever, but impressive nonetheless, especially on a moving target." Afton shakes his head and looks over the cliff edge at the rapidly advancing Legionaries, "Enough fo the compliments, we got rapey footballers coming in hot." he states. They hadn''t noticed the duo yet and so Afton wanted to get the first shots in. He stands atop the edge and looks down at the enemy, they were still quite far away but he had the high ground and an amazing vantage point. Boones looks at him in confusion as he places a hand on Lucky and uses VATS to stop time and allow him to prepare his first actions. [John Wick Style is in effect] Time resumes and he rapidly draws Lucky, fanning the hammer and firing all six shots down at the Legionaries so quickly it sounds like he''s firing an SMG. He quickly holsters it and draws That Gun and fires all five shots from it as well. Almost all shots struck where he was aiming, ten heads have new holes in them while a Legionary found that''d he''d been giving an abrupt tracheotomy. Screams of surprised terror erupt from the group as they all duck into cover, Afton does the same, dropping to the floor while rapidly reloading both his weapons. Boone is surprised by what he just saw, Afton had eliminated eleven people in a couple seconds... Sure, he had the advantage of surprise but the skill he''d displayed with those pistols was nothing to scoff at. Shaking his head and deciding to leave these thoughts for another more appropriate time, he crawls backwards to get away from the edge. The Legionaries knew where they were now so popping his head out to take a look would likely be a death sentence. "Got any plans?" he asks his spotter, knowing that it''d be difficult to retreat from here with the legion mongrels still around. Afton smirks at him and flicks open a lighter and igniting the bundled fuse he''d prepared earlier. It was fortunate dynamite was so easy to deal with, his Explosives skill wasn''t all that great, but he knew enough to deal with some fuses. Not to mention his Repair skill helped him in that regard. The fuses spark and start travelling towards their payloads. The Legionaries probably wouldn''t notice them due to the cords snaking in between and through rocks and boulders. Even if they did they''d have trouble locating where the dynamite actually was. Boone peaks around a corner and fires a shot from his hunting rifle, the bullet blasting through a recruit''s face and causing them to tumble down the steep hill the Legion was trying to fight their way up. The sound of discharging weaponry fills the area, shotgun pellets, rifle rounds, and many other different kinds of ballistic ammunition is fires at the duo''s position. Though, either from the adrenaline, poor strategic positioning, or lack of personal skill. The Legionaries were unable to shoot anything noteworthy. Not that Afton or Boone were giving them a chance to hit them of course. Both knew to listen for the brief gaps between shots when their enemy was reloading to fire off one of their own. Superior skill allowed them to slowly pick off the enemy as they continued to approach. Chapter 129 - A Dynamite Time Afton had just ducked back into cover when he heard vicious sounding barks coming from nearby. The mongrels had apparently been allowed to go ahead of the larger unit as Afton could see a few of them almost on top of his and Boone''s position. Their thick shaggy fur and orange, almost coming on red eyes gave them a fierce appearance. Especially with how their teeth were currently bared. One ahead of the pack leapt towards Afton and attempted to bite him, going for the nearest thing it could reach.?? Afton kicked the snarling beast in the face as it jumped at him, putting a bullet between its brows as the other''s charged him. "Fuck! Boone, dogs!" he exclaims, causing his parter to swivel around and start shooting at them. Afton himself had already unloaded his two pistols on the creatures, the pack was larger than expected though and he was forced to unsheath his knife as he had no time to reload. He could''ve perhaps used the sawed-off shotgun strapped to his chest, but it only had two shots in it before he''d need to reload that too. His laser and plasma pistols were also an option but neither was suited for this. The laser pistol might not be able to kill them in one shot, and the plasma pistol lacked the fire rate to be useful. His eyes fluttered upwards as a mongrel launched itself from a boulder to try and get a bite at his neck. He used VATS just as he heard the sound and got a good look at it as time was frozen, once time resumed he spun around as if he had eyes on the back of his head and plunged the knife into the dogs chest. His 8 strength displayed itself as he held the dog up by its throat and stabbed it a couple more times for good measure before tossing it down the hill towards the advancing Legionaries to slow they ascent slightly. This battle between man and beast continued until Afton was covered in blood that wasn''t his own, and bitemarks. His endurance and [Toughness] Perk prevented the mongrels from doing any meaningful damage, but he''d definitely be sore tomorrow, not to mention the many potential diseases they could have conferred to him. He sheathes his bloody knife and start reloading his two pistols, thinking to himself that it was about time that his trap activated. "Boone, on my signal we''ll retreat from this place." "What''s your signal?" Afton grins, "You''ll know when it happens!" he shouts and continues firing at the enemy. A Legionary recruit had just climbed up a boulder to try and reach their enemy. These cowardly NCR snipers had managed to kill their hostages, as well as a swath of the advancing Legionaries with not a single injury as of yet. The lone brave Legionary growled as he spotted a mongrel corpse nearby, seems like their animal companions had failed to do any damage whatsoever. He takes a step forward but is stopped... His foot had been caught by some sort of cord? He takes a closer look at it but almost shits himself when a spark travels down it to an unknown location. He quickly stands and looks down at his fellow advancing Legionaries and is about to shout for them, but... *BANG!*, he falls onto his stomach after getting shot in the spine, disabling his legs completely. He crawls towards the edge in an attempt to warn the others but another shot rings out and cuts him off, his head exploding like a melon. Sadly, even if he had managed to warn the others, it was still too late. The fuse connected to the payload of dynamite sparked as he entered the red sticks... *BOOM!* A huge explosion occurs and it kills a few Legionaries who were at the front of the group, but that isn''t what it was primarily placed there for... Instead, it''s the dislodged rocks and stones that immediately start cascading down the hill like a rock-slide that does the most damage. The Legionaries start sprinting down the hill away from the bone crushing wave way faster than they''d climbed it. Some trip and strat flipping the down mountain, getting heavily injured in the process. Other''s simply aren''t fast enough and are enveloped by the dirt and stone, any caught in it will either be crushed or suffocate under it. As soon as the explosion occurs Afton and Boone quickly start retreating. Yeah sure, the Legion was temporarily routed, but there was definitely more where that came from. That''s not even mentioning the fact Afton didn''t have any dynamite left to use. Even if he did it''d be almost impossible to cause another rock-slide without moving to another area. "That your signal?" Boone asks as he hefts himself over a boulder than Afton''d just climbed up. "Obviously? If that wasn''t the signal then we might need another Great War to get you moving." Afton jokes. "Didn''t know you knew your way around explosives, causing a rock-slide is harder than it looks youknow. Trust me, I''ve tried." Afton nods at that, if his Repair wasn''t maxed out he wouldn''t have been able to locate a weak spot in the hillside that''d cause a chain reaction once removed. He had no idea if the dynamite would be enough to trigger it, but it was worth a shot. It paid off in the end anyway. "It was luck, don''t count on me to do it again..." he admits. Boone shrugs, "Let''s get back to the camp before the Legion sends more after us. After this the NCR might be able to retake Nelson." "They better be, we must''ve wiped out twenty to thirty percent of their numbers." Chapter 130 - Bountiful Bounties Afton and Boone slowly made their way back to the NCR blockade. The only evidence of the recent battle that''d just taken place was the small amounts of dirt covering them... That, and the fact Afton was still covered in mongrel blood. Some NCR soldiers had been watching from afar but didn''t dare approach, they could distinctly hear a huge amount of firearms being discharged in the nearby fight, as well as an explosion that almost caused a rock-slide to envelop Nelson itself.?? They backed away from Boone and Afton with fearful expressions as they approached. The knew the duo had just gone toe to toe with many Legionaries. The fact they''d also executed a number of NCR hostages was also well-known... Afton raises a brow at their reactions, sure they''d just killed a few people and he himself was covered in blood. But surely that was an average day for the Mojave? "Chill out guys, it''s not like we''d just done fifty percent of your job for you." he says sarcastically, causing a few to scowl at him. "You think this is a joke? You killed our friends!" A soldier shouts from the side. "The Legionaries?" he asks in disbelief. Boone sighs, "No, the hostages remember?" Afton drops a fist into his palm, "Ah, right... Sorry, the adrenaline is still pumping." he says sheepishly. Ranger Milo finally enters the scene, he''s about pat them on the backs but decides to only do so for Boone... Must be the blood. "You two are fuckin'' crazy! I was watching the fight from afar and I have to say, I''m glad you''re on our side!" he looks at the surrounding soldiers, "These two quickly completed their objective and fought off against around forty Legionaries, as well as their dogs. If that''s not commendable enough then you lot should be dragged somewhere and shot!" "THEY KILLED NCR HOSTAGES!" "They mercy killed some people unfortunate enough to have been captured. Be happy there weren''t more women in that unit and shut your mouth!" Milo commands, spittle flying out of his mouth as he reprimands the undisciplined few who feel the need to shout at t heir commanding officer. "I hate to interrupt, but can we get paid already? I wanna get back to Novac and clean myself up... Hopefully before this blood coagulates." Afton says from the side. Milo nods, "Yeah." he holds out a large pouch, "Was only expecting to be paying you for the original job, but for what you''ve done to Nelson I think you deserve a little extra. There are 600 caps in here." he states as he''s about to pass it to Afton, but instead gives it to Boone... Damn blood. "Thanks. Before we go, I wanted to ask if there were any bounties on anyone in Nelson?" Afton asks after remembering that bounties did indeed exist, it was good to ask especially since the NCR was very willing to pay them out on high-value targets. Milo shrugs, "Er, I''m not sure... We have one on the commander but he almost never shows his face." Afton grins greedily, "Got any information on his looks? Or a photo?" Milo nods, walks off and retrieves a large piece of paper. On it was a large photo of a man that seemed to be taken from a distance. Obviously, they weren''t able to get up close for a photo otherwise the bounty would be unnecessary. Funnily enough, the man on the photo reminded him on the man that they had executed as he tried to run for cover. It reads : Bounty for : Dead Sea Rank : Decanus of Caesar''s Legion Difficulty : 5/10 Reward : 1500 caps "Well would you look at that, remember that guy Boone? Shit himself and started running when we started shooting at him?" Boone nods, his blank expression gaining a small, almost insignificant smirk. "Yeah. Almost beheaded him with that shot through his neck." Afton looks at Milo, "I don''t suppose we''ll need proof?" he asks, hoping he wouldn''t have to go down there and collect the body for a measly 1500 caps. Miles shakes his head, "No, that''d be suicidal. We just need to verify your claims and you''ll get the caps. I''ll send word for someone to investigate... It''s good you brought this up now, I suspect Camp Forlorn Hope''ll be planning to retake Nelson with the chaos you''ve created. If they invaded before you made known that you''d killed Dead Sea then someone else might take the bounty." Afton nods, it makes sense. The NCR aren''t omniscient and wouldn''t know who killed who... Unless you carved your name into every bullet, but that was... Stupid? It did sound like a fun idea to work with, let people know who you''d killed. Shaking his head he refocusses on Milo, "Where do we claim the bounty?" "Well, it''ll be delivered to you once it''s confirmed... You''re staying in Novac right?" Afton nods at the question and Milo continues, "Then I''ll have someone send it down once it''s confirmed, it shouldn''t take more than a few days so don''t go anywhere until then." Afton nods at the man just as time stops... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 17] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 18] Nice. Chapter 131 - Agile Combatant [WELCOME TO LEVEL 17] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 18]?? [WELCOME TO LEVEL 19] Afton raises a brow at the fact there only seemed to be three levels... In the past killing hundreds of ghouls would net him enough exp to advance four times or so, hmm. Each level''s requirement is increasing rather quickly. He hoped it wouldn''t get too ridiculous before he reached whatever the max level was. Whatever the case, he currently had 45 skill points to spend. He knew he''d max out his Melee Weapons skill as it only required 9 points, but what to do next? He was tempted to just dump it all in Energy Weapons to see what the maxed out Perk for it would be, but felt that perhaps he could hold off on that for now. Maybe Medicine or Science? The former would definitely be very useful, maybe the Perk would give him something usable in combat as well?... Alright. He dumps the 36 remaining points into Medicine and presses confirm, immediately rediscovering the fun sensation of having your skull cracked open with books being forced inside it. Obviously, medicine was a "broad" science, and had a lot of intricacies that needed to be memorized. It didn''t just include knowledge of the human body, he also learned how to create stimpacks, how to create vaccines, and other work that''d confine you to a laboratory. Shaking his head, he focussed on the new things he''d learned from the Melee Weapons skill. That''d granted him the rest of his missing knowledge on martial arts, breathing cycles he hadn''t known before and manoeuvres that previously seemed impossible felt familiar. [SuperHot Block gained!] : Ability to block projectiles with a Melee Weapon, chance depends on Perception, Agility, and Luck. Hm, well that might very well make melee combat viable... In this world where everyone carries a firearm, you''d either need to be crazy or ungodly powerful to pull off primarily using a melee weapon. This didn''t mean he''d be changing his fighting style though, he found that he liked the gunslinger weaponry and felt it suited him. Onto the Perks, there weren''t actually any new Perks for him to grab... Of course there were the Melee one''s he now had access to after levelling the skill, but he didn''t really feel like putting points into them. Shaking his head he looks at the [Intense Training] Perk and decides to try and upgrade his S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats. He looks through all of them for a moment and eventually decides to put a point in Agility. Faster reflexes would always be helpful, especially now that he''s gotten [SuperHot Block]. That combined with [John Wick Style] would definitely be a force to be reckoned with. He nods to himself and takes one last look at his status before allowing time to resume. Afton Parker Level : 19 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 8 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 8 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 76 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 47 Sneak : 20 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 30 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v1], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] With that, time resumes and Afton finds himself standing next to Boone as Milo walks away. He''d just been told that he should wait for his bounty reward in Novac. He looks to his temporary partner and nods, "Let''s head back, we''ll split the bounty when it arrives... Hopefully I''d have completed my ''other'' job by the time that happens." Boone shrugs, "If you want to look then fine, I don''t think finding the person responsible is possible though... Otherwise I''d have found them." "Have faith my miserable friend, me and Karl''ll find them somehow or another... Probably." he sheepishly adds the lat part as they start walking back towards Novac. As they walk, Afton idly notices that the blood covering his body is slowly disappearing... His [Mechanicus] Perk seemed to be regarding it as something that needed ''Fixing'', and so was removing it as time progressed. He was hoping Boone wouldn''t notice the fact he''d be completely clean by the time they got back to town. Just to make sure the man knew nothing untoward was happening, Afton occasionally brushed his clothing as if he were attempting to clean it... It was just an act of course, coagulated blood was notoriously difficult to rid yourself off, but it was something to fall back on. They made small talk as they walked, but Afton felt that Boone was consciously holding himself back from socialising too much. It was peculiar but he didn''t pursue it, decided to just let it be. Once they got back it was the afternoon, the duo split from each other and Afton immediately headed to check on Ada to make sure she didn''t ''treat'' anyone. Fortunately for her and her victim''s health there didn''t seem to have been any patients today. Nodding he went to check on how his bike was doing, grinning when he saw that it was coming along nicely. Daisy was obviously very good at her job, she''d probably never fixed up a pre-war motorbike before, but she looked like an old-hand while working on it. With that sorted he went to check on Karl, he hoped to whatever god''s existed that he wasn''t still balls deep in a saggy well, otherwise he might just tear his eyes out from it. He wanted to check if Karl had found anything on the person who''d sold Boone''s wife. It was a long shot as he hadn''t personally found anything yet, and Karl seemed preoccupied. But maybe the old man had another trick up his sleeve. Chapter 132 - Bill Of Death Afton approaches his motel room and sheepishly knocks on the door, "Karl? You''re not naked again right?" ...?? After getting no response he just shrugs and opens the door, finding his partner sitting at the end of the bed with a prominent scowl on his face. He seemed to be clutching something in his hand but Afton couldn''t get a good look at it. "Karl? Is something wrong?" he asks, confused at what might''ve brought this on. The man jolts slightly at his voice, his head whipping towards Afton and sighing when he sees him. "Ah, kid... No, nothing''s wrong, just lost in my thoughts is all." "You sure? You seem angry about something..." Karl shrugs, "Well... There is this one thing..." Flashback : Karl had just bullied Afton out of the room so he could resume his ''exercise'' with Jeannie. He''d become interested in the woman over the past couple of days, and she''d obviously reciprocated. Something still felt off about her though, the smile she flashed at the citizens of the town aswell as himself seemed almost fake. Regardless, it''d been a while since he''d bedded a woman, and there was only so long you could spend around sweaty criminals before you start questioning your sexuality... After another session of roughin'' and tumblin'' he slumpt against his pillow with Jeannie resting her head on his chest. They''d just begun the dreaded ritual known as "Pillowtalk", Karl wanted to just drift into unconsciousness but knew it wouldn''t be polite to leave the woman hanging. Another thing to note was the fact that people generally spewed their secrets during this time. As a ranger he''d learned to information gather and infiltrate. He couldn''t help but fall back into his old training and started subtly interrogating Jeannie. "Don''t know what''s wrong with my partner, tryin'' ta help out that Boone character seems like a pointless endeavor," he states to see her reaction. "Don''t say that, Boone''s a nice person, he''s just had some bad influences in his life. He should start acting like his old self soon." ... What could she mean by that? It sure sounded suspicious... Inwardly frowning Karl releases an audible sigh, "My partner said something about the man''s wife going missing, wants us to find her or something." At this he could definitely feel Jeannie tense up, "Erm, I think it would be best that you give up on finding her. I heard the Legion managed to grab her, it''d be a death sentence to try and save her now." Karl shakes his head, "It wouldn''t be the first time I''ve risked my life for something similar, it''d be a good thing to die for I think." ... Jeannie seemed to lose hold of her emotions for a moment as she rapidly retorted, "I don''t know why you want to go risking yourself for a person like her, but if that''s what you want to do then fine." she rolls over and goes silent, clearly ignoring him. Karl knew something was wrong now, that wasn''t how she usually acted. Sounded like she had some sort of vendetta against Boone''s wife. That''d make her the prime suspect in selling her to the Legion... He''d need to investigate this further, if only to clear the air. If not he''d not be able to forget about this. The next day while Jeannie was out, Karl snuck into her office and started looking around. He''d dealt with the Legion before and knew they always left receipts to people who do business with them. The reason for this? Blackmail. No one wanted to be identified as someone who worked with the Legion, especially in NCR owned territory. That''s why most slavers sell slaves anonymously. One thing about the recept though, was the fact that you''d be hunting down and butchered if you destroyed them. A spy would occasionally drop by to make sure you still had it in your possession as well, forcing you to keep hold of it. If Jeannie had been involved in the kidnapping of Boone''s wife, then there would definitely be physical evidence of it. He''d metaphorically torn the place apart looking for something, eventually finding a floor safe that was heavily secured. It''d take some elbow grease, but he''d managed to crack it open. Inside was a heap of caps, another one of those weird books that Afton seemed to hideaway somewhere, and... A small note. [Bill of Sale] We, the representatives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day bargained and purchased from Jeannie May Crawford of the township of Novac the exclusive rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one thousand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. Karl saw red for a moment after reading it, he crumpled the note in his hand as he grit his teeth. This was one of the vilest thing''s he''d ever seen. He felt sick to his stomach at the fact he''d actually liked this woman, he didn''t know how he''d not managed to notice her true persona... He quickly stood, closed the safe and cleaned he place up to make sure she didn''t know he''d been here. immediately heading up to his motel room to think on what to do next. Flashback end. After Karl was done telling Afton what he''d discovered he forced his own hand open and gave him the note. It was crumpled but still legible, it was basically a death sentence as well, as if Karl were in Boone''s shoes he wouldn''t let the woman continue existing for a few minutes longer. Afton scowled at the note and looked up to Karl, "Will your relationship with her be a problem?" he asks and Karl shakes his head, "She''ll die you know?" "I know. I hope it''ll be as painful as the fate she tried to inflict on Carla and her child." he spits. Afton nods, "Good. Let''s go to Boone and see how we''ll go from here. It''s his revenge so we''ll do it however he wants." he states before marching out of the room. Chapter 133 - Boone! Headshot. After having found the proof they needed, the duo immediately headed to the watch post in the mouth of the giant dinosaur to find Boone. The man was surprised to see them and immediately asked why they''d come, a prominent scowl forming on his face when they told him the news.?? "Jeannie May was responsible?... I. Why would she do something like that?" he mutters in confusion, clearly not having expected it... "I need proof, how did you find this out?" Afton hands him the receipt and the man reads it with trembling hands, after a couple moments of glaring at the paper he raises his head and states, "That bitch is dead." Karl gives a slow nod, "Believe me kid, we hadn''t expected this either. Can''t believe I bedded that cunt." "How do you want to deal with this? We can''t exactly kill her in the middle of town, almost everyone would defend her. And that''s not mentioning her being the unofficial leader of Novac." Afton says. Boone double checks to makesure there''s a round in his rifle before shaking his head, "I don''t care if I become an outlaw. I''m putting a bullet between her brows today." he states as he tries to walk past the duo. Afton grabs his shoulder to stop him, "Man you gotta chill for a second, we got time to come up with a plan. Jeannie ain''t going anyway, what''re you even going to do after murdering her?" Boone brushes his hand off and shrugs, "Travel. Visit some Legion camps maybe." "Sounds to me you''re planning to die not so soon afterwards," Karl states with an empythetic look. "So what if I am? It''s none of your concern. Once I''ve gotten revenge for Carla, I''ll let the world decide my fate. I''ve done many things, some good, some neutral, and a lot of evil. I don''t know is karma exists, but if it does then I don''t have too long left in this world anyway. Now get out of my way so I can do what I need to." "Boone just calm down, I''ve been meaning to ask you since we got back from Nelson. Do you want to join us?" he asks. ... Both Boone and Karl seem confused at this, "What?" "Join us, your vendetta against the Legion will suit the party fine as we intend to cause chaos for them. Not to mention your skill with a rifle, there''s only so much the two of us can accomplish on our own. Plus, snipers need their spotters right?" ... Boone snorts, "Hn, I guess. Let... Let me think about it, for now I want to deal with Jeannie. If you two have a plan then tell me, I want to get this over with as fast a possible before she has a chance to run. Afton looks to Karl, "Couldn''t you just lure her outta town? You''re still technically involved with her right?" Karl shrugs, "She''s upset with me right now, I spun a tale about us planning to charge at the Legion in order to save Carla, she didn''t like that in the least. That''s actually what led me to find the evidence." "Just makeup with her then, I''m sure a man of your... Charm, would be able to do it?" Afton says semi-sarcastically. "Fine, but I''m not poking her with little Karl again. Knowing how black her heart is it might rot off." he states causing the other two to grimace. With the plan set, Karl leaves to go "make up" with Jeannie, he''ll do this by badmouthing Carla and then telling her that he refused to follow Afton to his death for some "slut". He''ll then take her on a "date" out of the settlement on Boone''s shift so Manny wouldn''t spot what''s up. Boone and Afton deposited themselves behind a rock a mile or so away from Novac. In the distance they could see Karl walking up while holding Jeannie May''s hand. She had a content look on her face as she held Karl''s arm intimately. Afton chuckled as he could imagine that Karl was about to either throw up or blow her head off. He glances at Boone who''s trying to kill her with his glare, "You alright?" ... "Yeah, just thinking what''s the best way to end her. I''m not one for torture, but..." he mutters with a thoughtful look. "Do whatever you want, for all intents and purposes, she''s yours to do whatever you want with. We''re far enough away from Novac that her screams won''t reach them either, so, go ham." Boone nods and they continue to hide as Karl and Jeannie finally reach their position. "What are we doing here Karl? You don''t want to do ''that'' here do you? You bad man." Karl grins at her, "You know me too well Jeannie. I am a terrible, terrible man." "Well then, why don''t you show me how terrible you are... Right here, right now." Jeannie breathes lustfully. "Okay." Karl states as he heads butts her while grabbing the revolver strapped to her side, pulling it from the holster and leaving her defenceless. Her nose instantly breaks, causing blood to start streaming down it at the unexpected attack. She fearfully looks up at him from the floor while holding her nose, "K-Karl, what was that?" As this happens Boone steps out from the cover and starts walking towards her, Afton slowly following. "Jeannie May. It''s good to see you." the former states through gritted teeth. "B-b-boone? What''re you doing here? Ah, help, this man just assaulted me!" she exclaims after overcoming her confusion and pointing an accusatory finger towards Karl. "Oh, I''ll help you. But you have to answer a few questions of mine first." he says, holding his rifle up threateningly. Karl goes along with whatever he was planning and holds his hands up non-committaly. Jeannie quickly nods, "Yes, anything!" "Good. Now, what did you think of Carla... My wife." "She... She was a beautiful person, a shining example of-"Bang!* A bullet passes through her foot as Boone cuts her off, she instantly crawls into the fetal position while screaming and holding her foot. "Wrong answer." Boone states as he pulls the bolt on his rifle to ready another shot. "Try again." Chapter 134 - Back At It Again... (If you''re squeamish about torture then it''d probably best to skip this chap... You''ve been warned) "Try again."?? Jeannie didn''t know how to react, this situation was completely out of bounds of her expectations... One moment she was walking to a secluded position for some lovemaking with her lover, the next she''d been headbutted, disarmed, questioned, and shot. It was hard for her to think rationally through the pain, anger, and sense of betrayal. But she knew she''d likely be killed if she didn''t give the man what he wanted. "C-Carla, we h-had our differences! She was a r-rich city girl a-and thought she was better than the rest of us!" Boone hadn''t shot her again so she supposed it was the right answer? It seemed he wasn''t done asking questions though. "What are your thoughts on the Legion? Would you ever work with them or their traders?" the cold, remorseless voice asks. Jeannie "T-the Legion!?" she squeaks, finally getting an idea over what this was about. "I-no! The Legion are slaving scum and I''d never wor-" *BANG!* "AHHHHRRRRRGHH!" She screams as another bullet tears through her other foot. Tears stream from her face as she attempts to stem the blood flowing from the wound. "Wrong. Answer." Boone growls, pulling the bolt on his hunting rifle to ready the next shot. The sound of him pulling the bolt was more intimidating than the actual gun pointed at her. "Try again." "I DON''T LIKE THE LEGION! BUT IF I HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM THEN I WOULD!" she shouts. Boone nods, "Last question. WHY. DID. YOU. SELL. MY. WIFE." he asks in a lifeless voice that threatened certain death. Jeannie paled at this, he knew. He knew! She was dead, there was no way out of this! How could she have not seen this coming!? "I-I... I didn''t, it was that brown boy Manny-" *BANG!* Yet another bullet rockets through her hand, destroying all the tendons in it and rendering it useless. Of course, this was followed by another bout of screams from the woman, but no one present gave that any mind. Boone looks at her, "TELL ME, WHY DID YOU DO IT!" he shouts, his hands trembling as he tries to restrain himself from blowing the bitches head off. "That little whore deserved it! She wasn''t like the rest of us, didn''t have to crawl through trash to find food to eat, to scavenge to survive. To work! No! She was lucky and treated the rest of us like homeless people! Fuck you! You should''ve never married her, I''m glad her and her unborn spawn are sucking off some dirty Legionaries!" Jeannie exclaims, causing everyone present to almost lose their tempers. Boone throws his rifle to the side and runs at her, punting her in the face and breaking her jaw from the powerful kick. He couldn''t contain his anger at this fucking monster, she didn''t know that he had to personally mercy kill his wife, and she was under the impression Carla had actually be captured. This only made it worse due to her words, she wanted his wife and child to become slaves! "You fucking monster! You''re worse than the Legion as they don''t even know better!" He roars as he continues to kick her. "BUT YOU!? You consciously sold the woman I love and my child to them, knowing full well what''d become of them! YOU ARE SCUM!" Afton and Karl sit back and watch as Boone brutally beats Jeannie, if someone had to name what was happening, they''d call it murder. Not even hardened criminals beat their enemies like this, no, this was reserved for the worst of the worst. People who deserved to receive everything they dealt upon their victims. Afton walks up and pats Boone on the shoulder, almost causing the man to punch him in response. The blow as easily dodged and the man managed to restrain himself from unleashing anymore. His fists were bruised and bloody, some from punching shattered bone but most of it from Jeannie. "If you continue she''ll die. I''m sure there''s still a lot more we can do to punish her." he states, remembering the Perk he''d earned a while ago called [Torture Techniques]. Boone nods, his breaths heavy after the beatdown he''d just delivered. Jeannie was lying in a heap, her body almost completely bruised and bloody due to the punishment she''d received. She was far from dead though, Boone had somehow managed to avoid dealing any fatal wounds to her during his frenzied assault. "You might not know this Boone, but I''m something of a scientist myself." Afton says with a menacing grin. Afton proceeded to teach Boone how to pull teeth, peel skin, remove finger and toenails. stuff wounds with sand to prevent further bleeding. Etc. The one he was most proud of was a technique he''d just come up with. Afton had wondered if there was a team-work based torture technique they could do... Youknow, to help the team increase their teamwork, or something like that. Afton had ended up tying tight ropes around Jeannie''s arms and legs to cut off the blood flow and proceeding to cut into her thighs and bicep''s flesh. Breaking the bone''s to makesure they wouldn''t impede what they were going to attempt. Afterwards he''d tied rope around the woman''s wrists and told Boone to hold one end while he held the other... They were going to play tug of war and whoever tore a limb off first won... Like a Christmas cracker! [Scare a humanoid shitless. 5/50] "ARRRRGHHHHHHhhhh-" Jeannie roars in agony as her arm is torn apart. Minimal blood comes from the wound due to the rope cutting off the blood flow, but she felt that her heart was about to explode... Afton jabs her with some Med X to prevent her going into shock before continuing the game of tug of war on her legs. The sky dimmed as Boone continued performing whatever torture he could think of on the woman. By the time morning came around she was unresponsive with a weak pulse... He sighs and puts pullet through her heart, finally killing her... Afton walks up and nails the Bill of Sale to her head with some plastic to protect it from being soaked in blood. If anyone found Jeannie''s corpse then the note would give a good reason as to why she was here. Not that the amount of torture they''d subjected to her was justified... The whole area was covered in blood, and discarded flesh that belonged to Jeannie. "I think it''s time to get back to Novac... Ah, Boone, you don''t have to give me an answer any time soon. Me and Karl will be around for a week or two longer, so, take your time." he says as he begins walking back, not bothering to take note of the peculiar looks Karl was giving him. The man had never seen him torture someone before so it must''ve been a surprise to see how good he was at it. Chapter 135 - Always Dreaming The trio silently return back to Novac, Boone heading back up to his post, Karl leaving to talk with Ranger Andy, and Afton heading straight towards Daisy''s garage to check on how his Motorbike is progressing. Daisy wasn''t currently present but his bike was coming on extremely well, around 80% complete if he had to take a guess. It was probably ridable as it was now, but it still needed a few touch-ups. Calibrating the brakes, electronics, etc.?? Of course, now that he''d asked Boone to join them he''d need more space than what a regular motorbike could provide. There were only a few options available to him... One would be to simply scrap the bike and fix up a car instead, he''d rather not do that as a motorbike was probably the best suited for the Mojave. The roads were all damaged making it almost as if you were riding off-road most of the time. It was an easy fix with the motorbike as he intended to raise the suspension and perhaps equip some bigger tires, more durable ties.. Anyway, the second option he had available to him would be to simply fix up another bike, after thinking this Afton imagines him leading an army of armed motorcyclist like some scene outta mad max... He shakes his head, it''d take a while before he''d be able to fix another up, they''d probably not be staying in Novac that long, and he doubted Boone would want to linger in a place he''d committed murder... No one had noticed them leave, but it''d be fairly obvious who killed Jeannie when people started thinking about it. The third option he had available would probably be slightly humiliating for whoever was forced to use it... A sidecar. It''d make the bike a little more stable but also limit its manoeuvrability. It was better than repairing a car from the ground up as making a sidecar would be fairly easy. He sighs, sidecar it is. It was probably better than he first thought, even if they didn''t have a third passenger they could at least store gear in it. He couldn''t imagine riding a motorbike with a huge rucksack full of loot would be comfortable or efficient. "Well then, no time like the present..." he mutters, getting to work on making a sidecart for the bike, hopefully, he''d complete it before they''d have to leave Novac. It''s been a couple days since Jeannie''s surprising departure, people had begun to take notice of her absence, Cliff and Ranger Andy being the primary people raising concerns. Manny also seemed to have realised what''d happened, but kept his mouth shut for the time being. The man hated Carla, but he still respected Boone enough to hold off on snitching on him. Boone himself still hadn''t come around and spoken to Afton about his offer, the man did seem to be in silent contemplation most times he was seen though. Afton was sure he''d eventually accept the offer, especially since they intended to fight against the Legion. During this time Afton wanted to try out his new Perk [SuperHot Block] and called on Karl for his ''expert'' help. Obviously he was ready to just start being shot at, and he''d rather not reveal that particular ability until it''s needed. Instead he''d just have the man throw rock as him as he tried to block with the unique axe, Knock-Knock The results were, as you''d expect... The Perk allowed you to deflect bullets, against normal projectiles it was simply overpowered. Anything that isn''t fired at an incredibly high velocity was easy as hell to block. He was even able to slice rocks in half as they flew at him, surprising not only Karl, but himself too. Afton decided to not try testing how he''d do against bullets as there was a fairly high chance he''d just die. Sure there were ways of working around it but it was probably better just to keep the ability in his sleeve until he needed it. Regardless he continued treating the citizens of Novac and making a few caps while doing so. For some reason there was a lack of the usual drug-addled people seeking to get a quick fix for free, but upon further investigation, he found a group of them in an alleyway... All cold and lifeless. It was peculiar no one had noticed this group of dead people just lying here, but perhaps any passerby just thought of them as junkies not worth checking up on. He wondered what could''ve caused this for a moment had checked their bodies over, it must''ve be some drug they all partook in without making sure it was safe first. Alas, he''d found an unknown fungus in one of their pockets, it had bite marks in it and seemed to be the cause of this. Using his inventory he checked on what it was. [Sweet Release] Causes hallucination... And catastrophic organ failure. Ingest at your own peril. ... Huh, Afton had never heard of something like this.. Judging but its rather unscientific name, he guessed someone must''ve sold this to them and caused their deaths. Fortunately, he personally knew the only drug-dealer in town. "Ada." he asks after stepping up behind the woman, causing her to jump in fright. "Hi-ah!... S-sorry, you scared me. What''s up partner?" he quickly asks, trying to cover up her earlier surprise. He shows the fungus to her, "Did you sell this to someone?" ... She gives it a long look before glancing back to Afton, "Its been half-eaten, no refunds!" Afton shakes his head, "Even if you wanted to refund them it''s not impossible. A just found a group of junkies dead in an alleyway after eating this." Ada raises a brow at him, "Whaa-at? No way, you''re pulling my leg." "I don''t joke about shit like this, Ada." he states coldly. "You''re lying, I fed it to Bitey and he''s still fine." "Who''s Bitey, show me to them." Ada walks into the tent towards the corner of the room where a tarp seems to be covering a box, she throws it off revealing the cage underneath, as well as a Gecko sleeping on its side. "It made him a bit sleepy afterwards, but It''s perfectly safe." ... Afton opens the cage and gives the creature a poke, quickly finding that it was dead. "It''s not asleep... Or rather, permanently sleep." Chapter 136 - The End Is Nigh-t-kin After finding out that Ada had accidentally killed quite a few people by selling them a deadly fungus, Ranger Andy had apparently had enough. Despite the fact the man''s leg was still injured, he marched straight over to her and demanded she "Get the fuck outta my town", she sent puppy dog eyes to Afton and the ranger, but neither wanted to associate with the psychopath any longer. As such, she and her bodyguards left town, leaving Afton as the only medical practitioner. The medical tent was scrapped and any patients would have to go directly to him for treatment, the was an issue as he''d hide in Daisy''s garage most of the time. So, to make sure no one died from not getting treatment, he had a fixed time where he''d check to see if anyone was there before returning to what he was doing.? ? Another week had passed and Karl had been getting antsy the entire time. The man was fine in the Powder Gangers as they''d do raids quite regularly, but here, sitting in a town just waiting for stuff to happen didn''t agree with him. So, to alleviate his boredom he started looking around the place for jobs. Manny already had one for him and asked him to clear out some ghouls at the REPCONN test site. Afton couldn''t really go with him as he needed to repair the bike. Karl was more than willing to accept the job though, and soon after left to complete it. It was only a day later than the man returned looking rather scuffed. "What happened to you?" Afton asked jokingly after Karl threw himself into a nearby chair. "What happened? Fuckin'' super mutants is what happened! I need to go and kick Manny''s ass for sending me down there... Fuck!" "Whaddya mean?" Afton asks, never having seen Karl act like this before. "Kid, it wasn''t just ghouls down there. There''s a fuckin'' army of Nightkin waiting in that place''s basement... There was a group of non-feral ghouls there called the Bright-Brotherhood, they wanted me to clear out the ''Demons'' so they could reach some kind of launch control." he shrugs, "To be honest I wasn''t really listening and assumed the ''demons'' were just Gecko''s or Radscorpions. Almost had my head taken off by a Nightkin as soon as I entered!" "Think the ghouls will be alright?" Afton asks, if the Nightkin wanted to they''d probably be able to easily kill all the ghouls... In Fallout 3 the Nightkin were probably one of the most annoying enemies, being able to go invisible at will and dealing a shit ton of damage, while also being immune to being targeted in VATS? He didn''t know whether he wanted to try fighting them in real life. Karl shrugs, "I managed to lock the basement door before I hightailed it outta there. It might hold, it might not... Whatever the case I''m not going back there without a Fatman on my shoulder and an Anti-Material rifle in each hand." he states. "Surely they aren''t that bad?" Afton asks, vaguely remembering that Nightkin were relatively squishy enemies. "Kid, you need to understand that giving a tank with legs the ability to turn invisible will never lead to a good outcome. They are almost as durable as deathclaws, with the ability to use guns and go invisible. Not to mention how strong they are... Only reason they haven''t taken over the world is their inability to produce offspring. The only thing we human''s actually beat them on is intelligence, which means fuck all when they can cut you in half." he says. "Hm, guess we''re ditching that job them, you better go tell Manny what you found... Maybe when we''re better geared we can come back and sort it out for them." Karl nods and quickly leaves to report his finding to Manny. He wouldn''t be getting any caps for it, but they could really leave the threat of a large group of Nightkin to go unreported. To be honest, this reminded Afton of another job he''d accepted and hadn''t been able to complete yet. A couple living in Novac was having trouble with some creature entering their property and killing their livestock in the night. They''d not been able to spot what it was, and it always disappeared before they managed to get their guns ready. That night he grabbed Karl and hid inside the couples house to wait for the creature to appear. Everyone had their weapons ready as they waited for it to come... There was only a few Brahmin left due to the creature butchering a few every night, it''d no doubt return to finish the job. An hour after midnight the Brahmin started going nuts, stamping their hoofs and making as much noise as possible. The group just waited, and watched as an almost impossible to spot spacial distortion crept into the pen. Once it reached the Brahmin one of the poor animal''s head were immediately cut off, the thing responsible appearing out of thin air and revealing its dark blue skin, vicious face and large bumper sword. It turned to charge at the other Brahmin but was stopped when a bullet flew through the air and struck it in the chest, causing it to halt and look around for whoever was responsible. Everyone started firing, the couples varmint rifles doing almost no damage other than scraping the things skin. Afton and Karl were having more luck though, as the Nightkin was talking to itself about tearing them apart and wearing their intestines as a scarf they opened fire. That Gun and Lucky''s bullets penetrated the creatures face, though its skull seemed tough enough to stop it instantly dying. Fortunately Karl''s .44 Revovler didn''t have such trouble, the bullets streaking through the air and tearing its jaw off. His shot had strayed off target due to the Nightkins erratic movements, but losing the lower half of its face was more than enough to cripple it, allowing the group to pepper it with ammunition until it eventually died. Afton could see why Karl was so hesitant to fight them now, unlike the game, you couldn''t just keep dealing damage until something died... If you shot someone''s foot one hundred times they wouldn''t die, just lose a foot. Afton was sure they''d need the best equipment around to be able to handle a large group of these creatures. Chapter 137 - Dirt-Bird Flies Eventually though, Afton''s time in Novac came to an end. The traders Karl had negotiated with had returned at the time they stated, allowing the duo to sell the rest of their loot off. Combine that with the bounty reward for killing Dead Sea as well as the caps he earned treating injuries, and Afton had secured around four thousand caps. This gave him a total of nine thousand caps altogether, he didn''t know if this was enough to truly get what he wanted, as Karl had said that the Gun Runners were notoriously expensive. Regardless, he actually needed to decide what he wanted, but he''d choose once he got there.?? The duo were going to leave Novac today, the motorbike had been repaired and he''d promised to allow Daisy to take a spin on it, in return she''d hopefully show him how to actually drive it. Before he does any of that though, he pulls out the two skill books Karl had found for him, one being from Jeannie''s floor safe, the other coming from the REPCONN Test site. They both turn to dust in his grasp and small motes of knowledge make their way into his head. [+3 Stealth] [+3 Science] Afton still hadn''t heard back from Boone but he felt as if the man was just holding off until the last minute... Youknow, to be dramatic or something. Shaking his head he quickly makes his way down to Daisy''s garage. The old woman was already standing beside the motorbike with an almost shining expression, he was sure that if she got anymore excited she''d piss herself... The bike itself was a long metal vehicle that reflected the light from its metal casing. It was higher off the ground that it had been originally and its tires were around thirty percent bigger. This was intentional as it needed to be able to go offroad, the Mojave''s highways were nothing more than markers directing you to go, so damaged that they make the deepest potholes blush. Attached to the bike was a small side cart that was big enough to fit one person comfortably, it had a small glass panel to protect the passenger against winds, but it was small enough in side to allow someone to comfortably shoot from the cart. "It''s a thing of beauty..." Afton mutters, more to himself than anything but Daisy nods regardless. "It sure is, this baby would make any of those rich boy''s back in California and even Nevada so jealous! I heard you''re leaving today, so, can I take it out for a spin?" she quickly asks. Afton nods, "Yeah, I''ll be sitting in the side cart though, once you''ve had your fun I need to learn to ride it... Just the basics, I can''t imagine it''d be all that difficult. Daisy quickly nods and dashes over to the large garage door, unlocking a clip and pushing it upwards, opening the garage to the rest of the world. Afton climbs into the sidecart. He handed her the key that''d be able to start it, he''d personally made it as difficult as possible to unlock this thing without the proper key, many people would love to get their hands on it, so it was the necessary thing to do. She quickly inserts the key and twists it before pressing the button that''d power on the reactor. It''s not like a gasoline engine, it doesn''t need to be revved, nor does it make a satisfying noise. It''s more comparable to an electric engine. It gives off a low hum once it activates, it isn''t loud per se, but it''s noticeable. She kicks up the stand and twists the handle slightly to get it moving. The bike easily shifting forwards like an eager to please horse. Once they''re in the sunlight Afton hops out and closes the garage door before getting back in. Daisy quickly turns the bike and head into town where a long stretch of relatively undamaged road was located. The hum of the bike increased in sound and intensity the faster they went, but it wasn''t really annoying, more just an indicator of how hard the reactor was working. It took a bit for Daisy to get used to driving it, but after thirty minutes she was comfortably doing skids, all the while laughing like a schoolgirl. Eventually, they seem to have gathered an audience, most of the town of Novac had come out to watch them drive around... Many seemed confused as to what they were actually doing, while others marvelled at the fact they''d managed to fix a pre-war vehicle. Daisy drove towards them and skidded to a stop, causing Afton to bounce around uncomfortably in the sidecart, "Do you really have to do that? I''d bet my legs that it''s not good for the tires." he asks. Daisy shrugs, "Then I''ll just have to help fix it up again won''t I? Atleast then I''d be able to take it on another spin." "You don''t need to break it for me to let you drive it Daisy, whenever I''m in Novac you can take it around, I just don''t know when we''ll be back." he says. Karl walks up to them out of the group of people and crosses his arms, "Damn kid, I knew something was up with how you kept disappearin'' never thought you''d do something like this." he mutters. "It isn''t much, just a bit of elbow grease and wallah, she''s done." "You better be nice to Dirt-Bird here." she says pointedly to Karl, "Anyone tries to steal her I want you to put a bullet in them." Karl raises a brow, "Dirt-Bird?" Afton sighs at this, "Do you need to insist on that being its name?..." Daisy slowly nods, not giving any indication she was willing to budge on this. Afton didn''t really care either way as naming inanimate objects never seemed necessary to him. "Fine. Karl have you got everything packed, I wanna leave and make it to our next destination before nightfall." "Almost, just need to buy some more supplies and we''ll be good to go." Chapter 138 - Companionable Ride Afton rests on Dirt-Bird as he waits at the entrance of Novac to wait for Karl to finish doing whatever he needs to do. The old man had made friends with a few people around Novac and presumably wanted to say goodbye before they left. Neither knew when, or even if they''d return to this place, so it was good to say a few words in case you never saw them again. Afton himself was a little put out that Boone still hadn''t spoken to him, the man had watched he and Daisy drive around Novac from the dinosaur, but hadn''t given any indication that he was surprised. Though, it was hard to tell from so far away.?? A few people approached him to ask questions about injuries and diseases he''d treated, wanting to know if they''d have to do anything further to prevent further risk to themselves. Afton gave whoever asked a hand-written note with all the information they needed to know. They could pay for his services again if they were dead after all. He could see Karl off in the distance slowly making his way to him, a large empty backpack slung over his shoulder, along with his old .44 Revolver strapped to his hip. "You ready to go?" Karl nods, "Yeah, you sure you know how to drive this thing though? I''d rather not die from your shit driving." "There''s no trust Karl, it shouldn''t be that hard to do... Right?" Afton asks semi-sarcastically, causing Karl to get cold sweat down his back. Just before they were about to leave, Afton glances behind him as he hears someone walking towards them... Boone. Them and still wearing his dirty white shirt and jeans, scoped hunting rifle slung on his back. "Wait." he says as he walks up to them. Afton raises a brow at him, "Don''t tell me you want to join now after ghosting me for a couple weeks." ... "Really." Afton states after hearing the silent acknowledgement. Boone nods, "I can''t stay here. I''ve tried to make it work but everyone knows that I had something to do with Jeannie disappearing. That with the memories of Carla... I need to get away from here, who better to help me with that than you?" "What do you think Karl? This doesn''t just affect me after all." Karl shrugs, "From what I''ve heard you''re a hell of a shot, would be good to have you along... You should know that we''ll definitely be making enemies out of the Legion though... Maybe even the NCR depending on what Afton here decides to do." "I know about the Legion but, what''s the NCR got to do with it?" Boone asks turning to Afton. "I''m hunting an NCR ranger that killed my mother, if you''ve got a problem with that you can stay here." Afton states. Boone shrugs, "As long as we aren''t randomly attacking NCR soldiers then that''s fine. Just try to keep the damage confined to your target." Afton nods and holds out a hand, "If you''re fine with all of that, then welcome aboard Boone." Boone shakes his hand, "Yeah, let''s get outta here. Before anyone tries to stop me leaving." [Craig Boone has granted you the Spotter Perk] [Spotter] : Enemies highlighted while sights are aimed down or zoomed in. [Craig Boone has become your companion] Afton smirks as the notification comes up, the [Spotter] Perk seemed pretty overpowered. If he didn''t have VATS it''d be invaluable. As of right now though it was a more or less just an aiming aid due to the fact he could locate any visible enemy while time was frozen in VATS. He wasn''t going to say no to a free perk though. "Alright... Boone you''re in the sidecar, we might need you to pick off an enemy so that''s the best place for you to be. Karl you''re sitting behind me, and no, I''d rather you don''t hold my waist. There''s a handle behind the seat to keep yourself on the bike." he states. Karl and Boone are a little reluctant to climb on as their positions were a little emasculating. The sidecar making Boone feel like a child in a booster seat, and Karl like some kind of damsel in distress. "Why couldn''t you just fix up a car kid? I don''t think it''d be all that much harder than fixing this thing up." Afton snorts, "If you wanna have a go repairing one then go ahead. Otherwise stop your complaining when you''re riding my bike." he states as he kicks the stand up and starts the engine, causing it to give off a low hum. In all honesty, Afton was slightly... Very, afraid that he''d immediately crash the motorcycle. How embarrassing would it be to recreate a pre-war motorbike and almost immediately crash it? Not to mention right after the whole town had seen Daisy driving around on it. If she hadn''t he could''ve put it up to a faulty wheel or something. "LET''S GOO!" Afton musters his courage and accelerates, causing the bike to immediately start moving. It was fortunate Afton had sunglasses, otherwise the wind and dust would be terribly annoying. The other two had eye protection as well so he didn''t need to worry either. "I forgot to ask... Where are we actually going?" Boone asks loudly from the sidecar. Afton doesn''t tear his focus away from the road and just shrugs, "No idea! Just gonna follow the road until we find somewhere to rest for the night. We''ll decide tomorrow." Karl seems like he wants to retort, but the front wheel of the bike hits a relatively large crack in the road, causing the whole thing to bounce. The former-ranger tightly grips the handle, almost shitting his pants as he feels the vehicle shudder beneath him. "Is that supposed to happen kid!?" Afton laughs, he feels like he''s getting the hang of driving Dirt-Bird. "Hahaha! Probably not! But who cares! NITRO!" Of course, this isn''t a video game, so simply shouting ''Nitro'' doesn''t give it a boost, nor would a nuclear-powered vehicle even be able to use Nitro... Not that Karl or Boone could tell, both were wondering why they were even risking their lives with this crazy bastard in the first place. Chapter 139 - Vault Over This! The group continued driving down the highway, it was a bumpy and rather dangerous ride but they were making good time. They were making days worth of walking within a couple hours, Afton didn''t know if he''d be willing to walk anywhere again after building Dirt-Bird. Of course, the Mojave provided them with obstacles to keep them busy, some raider thought it would be a smart idea to throw himself out from behind a rock and in-front of the bike. Maybe he thought that''d stop ti? If so then he was incredibly stupid. It was fortunate [Mechanicus] not only repaired but slowly cleaned things around him, that''d allow him to ignore the man''s organs that were strung along the front of his bike...?? As for what happened to the man''s friends? They had shot at the ground but apparently weren''t used to shooting a high speed target. All shots missing except one which hit the metal hull of the bike. After this happened Afton just scowled and glanced at the others, "Leave that one alive." he states, wanting to punish the bastard who''d touched his bike. Boone and Karl easily dispatched the others, all the while putting a bullet in the shoulder of the guy who''d hit his bike. Spinning around they pulled the bike next to them, the others looting the bodies while Afton kneels down next to the guy after kicking his gun away. "Yo." he greets simply. "W-what? Fuck!" the man groans in pain from having gotten shot... You''d think a raider would have a higher pain tolerance... "Don''t ''What Fuck'' me, Fuck you. Think I''m going to let you off for scratching my bike?" Afton growls. "I''ll fuckin'' kill you!" he exclaims, trying to spit at him, Afton just backhands the man though, sending spittle and a tooth flying off into the opposite direction. "Hm, I think I know what to do with you." Afton says, retrieving a rope from his backpack and trying it around the guys legs before dragging the squirming bastard towards Dirt-Bird. "Come on guys, time to go." he calls to them as they stop looting the bodies. Karl raises a brow at the man, "We aren''t taking him with us right? I ain''t sharing a seat." he says. Afton just shakes his head and ties the rope to the back of the bike, "He''ll be riding behind us." he says with a morbid smirk. The raider isn''t even sure what was going to happen to him, when the bike starts moving he realises he''s in a world of trouble. Being tied to the bike causes him to be dragged with it as it starts moving, almost immediately his trousers and shirt are torn off, allowing the concrete of the road to start shearing flesh from his body. Afton drives along while humming, ignoring the pained screams coming from behind... Unfortunately, once they go over a relatively large crack in the road, they lose their additional member... No doubt someone will be confused when they find bits and pieces of him up and down the highway. It was unfortunate that Afton was too preoccupied with driving to spot the notification that appeared in the corner of his vision... [Scare a humanoid shitless. 14/50] *Ping* Afton glances down at his Pipboy, wondering what the sound it just made indicated. He stops the bike for a moment to check, he wasn''t stupid enough to text and drive after all... The sky was beginning to dim so they probably needed to find a place soon... But, he''d see to that after he checked what the notification was. [Find parts to repair Bunkers ventilation systems] : Quest Updated! Huh, he''d almost forgotten about that... To be honest, he could probably repair the ventilation system by just standing next to the broken components for a couple hours. He doubted they''d allow him to do that since, youknow, he was a traitor. Even if they did he was too paranoid to reveal that kind of ability. Regardless, he''d find the parts and see to getting them back to the Hidden Hunker, maybe after that they''d forgive him for his abrupt theft and departure. Flicking a couple buttons reveals the Pipboy''s map where a new location had just been highlighted. Vault 11... Apparently a vault was only a couple miles for his current position. He''d heard many stories about vaults from those in the Brotherhood, adding that to his experience in Fallout 3 and he was incredibly wary to actually approach one... For all he knew this one could contain one guy and nine-hundred deathclaws... That would be funny, as well as horrifying. "Guys, what do you think about checking out a nearby vault?" he throws the question out there, if neither objected then they''d take a look. "One of them Vault tech death traps? I don''t know... Heard some horror stories from some old friends of mine that were in-charge of cracking them open." Karl mutters. Boone shrugs, "If you think it''s worth doing then we might as well. Better for us to take what''s left there than someone else." he states pragmatically. Afton nods "Let''s take a look, we''ll be careful about it though. I don''t want to end up as some sort of mutated abomination, trust me, some Vaults might actually try do to that do us." he says, starting the bike up again and following the map on his Pipboy. Soon enough they are forced to diverge from the highway and drive offroad for half an hour. Eventually, they reach a cliff face that looks to contain some cave systems. Upon further inspection they find a single stray door blocking a smaller entrance... "This the vault? Seems a little... Shoddy to be the entrance." Karl wonders aloud. Afton nods, "Yeah, I wonder if this was set up before or after the Great war. Whatever, let''s take a look shall we?" he says, hiding Dirt-Bird behind some rocks and locking access to its engine, aswell as the wheels... Only way someone was stealing this was by carrying it away, an unlikely thing considering how far they were from any settlement. The other''s nod as they push open the door and step into the cave, all on guard for what might be inside. Chapter 140 - Rust And Rats The cave was dark, the only light available was the beams streaming in from the shoddy door to the outside. Afton activated his Pipboy light so they could at least see where they were going. The cave itself was more like an airlock for the vault, the large vault door sitting at the end of it already opened for some reason. Afton was expecting to have to hack a console to get in or something.?? Though, he wondered why the door was open. There were only a few reasons why this would be this case. The residents could''ve been feeling from something inside, or the door controls may be broken... Perhaps they simply just forgot to seal it again when they finally left the vault? "I''m not liking the look of this already." Karl says, wiping some dust off of the entrance with a finger to check how long it''d been open for. Afton gives a light punch to his shoulder, "If we''re scared of an open door then we might''as well just kill ourselves now." Inside the vault entrance was the control panel for the door aswell as a lot of trash... Paper, metal scrap, as well as food and drink packages littered the dust-covered floor. Even the machinery responsible for resealing the vault didn''t look operable due to the rust that''d gathered. "Place looks abandoned... For a while too." Karl mutters as he tosses some spent ammunition casing away. "Looks like they were tryin'' to fight somethin'' as well... Or maybe some scavengers found trouble?" Heading further inside Afton could vaguely hear the sound of something squeaking? As well as the pattering of many small feet. His signals the other''s who ready their weapons as whatever it is approaches their position. ... After thirty seconds they spot something coming around the corner... Well, more than just "something", as eight huge rat-like creatures spot them and start dashing towards them. Afton scowls at the rats, if they were regular ones they wouldn''t be much of a problem, but these one''s had mangy-looking fur, bright turquoise eyes, and brutally sharp-looking teeth. Without a moment of hesitation, he draws Lucky and That Gun before opening fire on them. Boone and Karl fire with their respective weapons as well, the hallway making it like shooting fish in a barrel. In a couple seconds the vault went silent, the sound of the rats ceasing just as the bullets stop flying. "See? Not so bad, just a couple rats." Afton says as he holsters his weapons after reloading them. Karl just shakes his head, "I still think this is a bad idea..." Afton ignores Karl''s apprehensions and continues onwards, going through the various rooms of the vault. There''s a canteen, medbay, reactor room... As much as he''d like to dismantle the whole place for parts to experiment with, he knew it''d take a huge amount of time and effort to do it. The place was designed to survive a nuclear holocaust, so he''d need specialised tools to gain access to the more valuable components held within. Not to mention he''d need a couple military-grade trucks to actually transport everything out... He''d probably need to blow the cave entrance open to allow him to pull the larger parts out. Shaking his head, he decides to just grab the ventilation component and any other interesting loot they might find. As to what this specific vault was designed to do? Afton had no idea. Usually it''d be fairly obvious, but this place was fairly innocuous. Though, there was one thing that griped him... That was the ungodly amount of booby traps some bastard had hidden in this place. If Karl wasn''t travelling with him there''d probably be bits and pieces of him covering the staircase. Some chucklefuck thought it was a good idea to connect a tripwire with some grenades hung from the top of it. Fortunately, Karl had been leading and managed to spot it before anyone tripped it. Allowing the group to gain a couple grenades to use or sell in future. The place as entirely infested with giant rats, they''d somehow managed to get into the food stores and turned the place into a nest. Their teeth didn''t seem strong enough to chew through the vaults reinforced walls though, preventing them from creating a complex tunnelling system... It''d be one hundred times harder to deal with them if they were able to just pop out of the ground or behind them at will. The further they progressed into the vault the more rats they disturbed. Afton had lent Boone his sawed-off shotgun as his hunting rifle really wasn''t suited for the kind of combat they were engaging in. It wasn''t all bad though, in most of the trapped rooms there were many boxing of ammo just layng around, allowing the group to scavenge quite a good haul. The ammunition they''d already found would be worth the trouble of travelling through this place alone, but Afton had also found a Pugilism Illustrated, a skillbook to be put simply. [+3 Unarmed] There were a few still active terminals placed around the vault that Afton had managed to hack into, his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he couldn''t restrain himself from finding out what''d happened here... Vault 11 was, a shit shot to put it bluntly. Apparently there was some sort of annual sacrifice that the residents were forced to do. They''d vote for the Overseer of the vault and that person would enter a sacrificial chamber after their term was done. Afton wasn''t sure why they thought putting the person that''d eventually be killed in power was a good idea, but Vault dwellers tended to be somewhat stupid. Obviously, this eventually devolved into some sort of political warfare where factions would slander the other''s to make sure their preferred candidate was chosen. Judging by how many corpses were lying around the place, he guessed that violence had been the only answer in the end. This would also explain the many booby traps, if the vault dwellers had been fighting with each other then booby-trapping places to prevent other factions from gaining access would be a relatively smart thing to do. Shaking his head, Afton scours the terminals for some information on the location of the ventilation component before moving on, the other''s had gotten bored enough just waiting around while he played with the terminal. Chapter 141 - A Dirty Bomb Maker After Afton had finally found the location of the ventilation component they started moving again... Apparently it was in the lowest floor beside some reactors in a locker. It was the backup component of the vault as the main one was still in use, obviously, he couldn''t just cut through meters of reinforced steel to get at it, so he was left with only this option. If he was able to go through the steel, he could''ve gathered all the component from this vault alone. So, the trio continued, shooting rats whenever they appeared and occasionally having Karl dismantle traps. The loot they found around the place was generally not worth taking, rotten food, alcohol, etc would have to be left behind. The last caches of ammo would be taken however. That wasn''t all though, Afton had stumbled across a rugby ball-shaped object that had the radioactive symbol prominently pained on it.?? As he was going to touch it Karl immediately slapped his hand away. "DON''T!" he exclaimed, shocking Afton and Boone with the ferocity of his yell. Afton gives an angry, but subdued look to Karl, the man wouldn''t do something like that without reason so there was no point being mad about it. "What was that for?" Karl shoves his finger in the direction of the object he''d found, "That. Is a nuclear bomb." he states heavily, causing the others to pale slightly. "You serious?" Boone quietly asks, wondering if he should run and hope the vault would shield against the blast should it go off. Kalr nods, "Yeah, they call em mini-nukes. No idea what crazy bastards keep making them, but the NCR had been finding them all over the wasteland. They investigated it to find whoever did it for obvious reasons... If they got caught by the Legion, the slaver''s would literally be able to construct nuclear bombs." "This vault didn''t seem to have been scavenged by the looks of it, if this thing is here then one of the former vault-dwellers might''ve made it." Afton says after thinking a moment. "Youknow, I think you might be right about that kid... Should look for the names of anyone who managed to leave and try to find them. Depending on who they are, it might be worth having ''em join us." Karl mutters after a moment of contemplation. "And if they''re an enemy, they won''t even know we''re coming for them. Sure, I can get on board wit that." Afton grins. [Quest accepted : Find the mystery bomb maker] Ignoring the notification Afton looks back down at the mini-nuke, "What should we do with this? I can think of a couple ways we could use it. All of which would be incredibly satisfying." Karl rubs his chin, "Let me look it over for a minute... Can you check if any radiation is leaking from it with your Pip-thing?" he asks and Afton nods, holding his Pipboy over it with the Geiger counter not moving an inch. "It doesn''t seem to be damaged in any way... I''m not willing to crack it open to see if the internals are fine either... It''s up to you kid, I know I''m not going to carry it around. If it goes off we''re all fucked anyway." Afton shrugs and uses his Pipboy inventory to check it, [Mini-Nuke] Value : 3000 ... Not much information is given apparently, but, since it''d not called "Defective Mini-Nuke", or "Damaged Mini-Nuke", he decides it''s probably safe... If you take into account his [Mechanicus] Perk then he doubted it''d randomly go off while he was carrying it. Karl and Boone cautiously watch as Afton shoves it into his backpack, "Alright, we''ve got another thing to do now, check any terminals for information on this ''mystery bomb maker'', hopefully they''re friendly, but if not I don''t see a reason why we should let someone so dangerous live." he says. The group continue to explore the place, hacking every terminal the come across but not finding much information aside from the catastrophic last "election" that occurred in this place. Apparently, one Overseer decided to make the sacrifice selection random, this caused one of the faction to stage a coup, killing most of the inhabitants. The find the overseers office but there isn''t much inside... The terminal is password protected and too difficult to hack for Afton, so they just head to the lower floor instead. Unfortunately it seemed that the final coupe had damaged some water lines, flooding the entire floor. Afton dips his toe into the water and hears the familiar clicking of his Geiger counter. Clearly the water was irradiated, if only slightly. He sighs and looks at the others, "What now?" Karl shrugs, "I don''t suppose whatever your looking for is down there?" Afton slowly nods, "It is... I''ll have to go swimming for it, I can''t really use the radiation suit as its not designed for underwater use." he mutters to himself, finally dropping his bag and dressing down into his underwear. He takes out some Rad X and gulps it down before handing the duo a Radaway, "Once I''m out, give that to me... If I don''t come back in, say, two hours? Leave me behind." he states. Truthfully, Afton wasn''t all that keen to go swimming down there. But, if there was look to be had, he would have it. Without further adieu he made his way down the flooded staircase, taking a big breath of air before descending. His vision was slightly blurry, and the lights that had previously illuminated the hallways were unsurprisingly broken, providing a rather scary black hallway for him to swim down. His Pipboy light allowing him to see somewhat, but it still wasn''t a comfortable journey. Chapter 142 - Suicide Chamber His first task while underwater was to find some breathable air, whether it be air pockets, an exit, or anything else. He couldn''t very well explore the place if he was dead... Fortunately whoever built the vault had made some interesting design decisions, allowing a relatively large amount of air pockets to be around the place. Though, something worried Afton. This was the floor that held the reactors, if they were still active, wouldn''t he be electrocuted if he got near them? Of course with most of the vaults lights not working they might be turned off, but the terminals were still active which meant that had a power source coming from somewhere.?? He''d seen a couple reactors on the floors above, so hopefully it was just them running and none down here. Aside from that, the floor was relatively uninteresting. There were a few boxes of ammo that were interesting. He''d collect them once he found the ventilation component, aside from that most of the place looked abandoned. Eventually he entered a room containing a reactor in it, he almost shit bricks when he saw it, but relaxed when he realised he hadn''t instantly died. Scouring the room, he found a locker that contained many engineering components, as well as the differential pressure controller. It was a miracle that he''d found this component specifically, as it was the only one he needed to find that wouldn''t be damaged by water. [Quest updated! : Find parts to repair Bunkers ventilation systems. 1/3] Grabbing it he quickly made his way back to the duo who were waiting for him. They jumped back as he popped outta the water, handing them the component and checking over his radiation levels on his Pipboy. He hadn''t been in there long enough to get radiation sickness, so it''d be better to leave using the Radaway for another time. It made you rather sickly after using it, so it was best to do it in a safe location. "Hold up before you say anything." he says, jumping back into the water and dragging the boxes of ammo he''d found to the surface. "You sure don''t do things by half, do you kid?" Karl states as he pulls Afton out of the water. Afton shrugs, "Caps are caps, no reason to not loot something just lying there." he says, wiping himself off with a rag before putting his gear back on. The wet underwear would be annoying, but he''d live. "Got what you needed?" Boone asks from the side with his arms crossed. Nodding, Afton points at the component, "That thing''s rare as fuck. Only vaults contain them and similar components... Hope you guys don''t mind accompanying me while I search for ''em." Karl shrugs, "As long as we remember our other objectives, I don''t mind." With that Afton''s mission for entering the vault was complete. There was still one last thing they needed to do while they were there though. A couple hours later the group approach the Overseer''s office, Afton had hacked into another terminal which apparently purported to contain the password to the Overseer''s terminal. It was unlikely to work, but it was best to check and be sure. As Afton sat down and entered the password, they were all pleasantly surprised to find that he had indeed managed to unlock it. Though, their faces that were reflected by the terminal''s screen hardened when they saw the entries. [Open sacrificial chamber?] ... "The terminal''s fucking empty... The only thing on here is this." Afton mutters, feeling slightly cheated at the lack of information. "Youknow, usually I''d be the last guy to say we should head into a literal sacrificial chamber... But that''s exactly what I''m sayin''... Something about this just feels, off. Maybe whatever we''re looking for is hidden there." Karl says from behind him. Boone just shakes his head, "We''ll probably die if we go in there..." he states simply, not adding his own opinion on whether or not they should head inside. Afton shrugs, "We''ll check it out, if it looks ''fucky'' then we''ll leave. I''m not going to sit in a suicide chamber without some reassurance." he says before selecting the option to open the chamber. The floor beneath them creaks as the desk and terminal itself is raised off of the ground. Revealing a hidden entrance that leads into a hallway beneath them. ... Afton looks at the other two, "Don''t step inside just yet. Those Vault Tech idiots forgot to hide the internals of this elaborate hidden entrance. Gonna makesure it doesn''t close behind us like some sort of cliche horror movie." He pulls out his tools and quickly starts fucking with the mechanical components. Jamming scrap metal in between gears, locking pneumatic pistons in place, and severing electric wiring made it so this entrance would only shut if you detonated an explosion on top of it. Afton sends a thumbs up at the others before stepping inside the brightly lit hallway. Boone gives Karl a glance, the man shrugging nad following his partner inside. The sniper just sighs to himself, "Well Carla, might be seeing you soon enough." he mutters as he follows them. At the end of the hallway is a door that slides up as they approach, revealing a large room with nothing but a dirty-looking red chair, and a projector pointing at the wall in front of it. Again, Afton isn''t trusting this place at all, and immediately gets to work at sabotaging the door to allow them to leave should poison gas start filling it or something similar. It isn''t difficult, the door isn''t made from the same reinforced steel that the walls are, a few minutes of denting it with his hammer finally allows him to see a few small wires that''d been concealed. He severs one at random which causes the door to immediately shut itself. It was fortunate Afton hadn''t been standing under it otherwise he might''ve been crushed... At least the wiring was still visible, even with the door shut. Some more fiddling around eventually disconnected the door from whatever was powering it. Of course, this also forced the trio to manually open and prop it up by jamming a metal bar between it and the floor. Preventing it from closing. Chapter 143 - Martyr Or Mortar The group duck under the half-closed door and enter the room. Suddenly as if they were being watched the speakers hidden in the corners of the room crackle to life. "Congratulations, martyr, your fantastic journey is only just beginning. Please proceed to the light. The light is calming and puts your mind at ease. Go to the light. Welcome, please sit in the chair. The show is about to begin." a pre-recorded message states loud and clear.? ? ... The group glance at each other before looking at the chair... "Who wants to take a seat?" he asks but no one answers. Karl walks over to the projector, "Wonder what''d happen if we destroyed this?" he wonders aloud. He''s about to give it a poke when the speakers blare to life again. "Should you touch the projector, the sacrifice will be expedited by laser fire. Followed by immediate disintegration." ... "Please take a seat, martyr!" Afton sighs, "Fuck it, it''s not like we''ll be stuck sitting in it?" he says, finally sitting on the chair, now noticing that it the suspicious red splotches covering it seemed to actually be blood. "Greeting, martyr, and welcome! If you''re here now, it means you''ve been offered up as a sacrifice so that your vault can continue to thrive. Currently, you may be feeling sad or angry. Perhaps you never got to have grandkids, or to enjoy the pleasures of a fresh cigar. But march with your chin held high, soldier, and remember that each of us has an important role to play." Afton stands to see if the room would realise he was no longer sitting, but it just continues with its tacky message as if he hadn''t left. The message itself seemed to be some kind of motivational speech about giving your life in the service of humanity. Or some other dogshit, Afton wasn''t really paying attention. He looks around the room and notices that the two walls on either sides of the chair seem to have a groove in the middle of them, indicating that they might open up? The room still had to kill them, and there weren''t any bodies down here either... By the warning they''d received earlier it meant that there were energy weapons ready to be fired at them at any moment. There needed to be something to remove the corpses of the sacrifices, and there didn''t seem to be any mechanism under the chair, which meant there must be robots or something else still operating down here. With all that information, it was fairly obvious what was about to happen. he doubted people forced to become sacrifices would go down without a fight. Meaning the method was likely quick and forceful. "So, we should probably start getting ready to fend off against robots." Afton says. The other two ignore the slideshow that was still going and raise a brow at him. "What do you mean?" "I mean, the walls will probably open up and allows robots in. We should set up some traps before that happens... Karl, can you rig some tripwires next to the walls?" The man nods and quickly starts creating the traps, using the many grenades they''d found around the vault as the explosives. Afton and Boone leave the room via the half closed door and wait for Karl to finish. Afton urges the man to work faster as it seemed like the slide show was about to finish. "Almost done!" Karl says, pulling the string through the grenade rings and tying them to the tripwire. "Close your eyes now and imagine what joys await you in the next life - the afterlife. Can you see them? Good." the slide show ends and a mechanical whirring could be heard. Karl finishes the trap and dashes for the door, sliding underneath it as Afton kicks the metal jamming it. He was just in time too as the walls opened up to reveal many protections, mister handy''s, and roof-mounted turrets. The mister handy''s float over the tripwire''s, but this isn''t the case for the protections which don''t seem to even bother recognising the fact that many grenades were about to go off around them. The door slams shut just as the robots begin firing at them. Afton and Boone pulls Karl away from the door, just as the grenades erupt. *BOOM!* The floor shudders as many grenades all explode at once. The door itself violently trembles, but luckily doesn''t allow any sharpnal through. "You guys alright?" Afton asks, doing a rain check. Boone nods and Karl just rubs his back, "I''m gettin'' too fuckin'' old for this shit." he mutters. "You''re not even that old though." Afton retorts, the man sending an exasperated glare in return. "Whatever, let''s just check to see if those robots are dead." Karl says as he stretches his back out, preparing to lift the door. Afton readies Lucky as the Boone and Karl lift the door... Taking a peek inside reveals many destroyed robots, the walls, roof and floor seem almost undamaged aside from the large scorch marks, this is probably due to the reinforced steel they were constructed with. Ducking under the door he takes the pipe and props the door open to allow the others inside. *Bzzt* "H-ooold it right ther-bzzt intrudbzzt-" Afton quickly turns as he hears the robotic voice. The one responsible is a protectron with only its upper half undamaged... Its legs were completely missing and its noodle-like arms seem to be missing their hands. Not wasting any time, he pressing Lucky against its light-bulb like head and fires. *Bang!* That definitely puts it out of commission as its head explodes, the robotic voice abruptly stopping. "Heh, all in a days work." Karl says as he appreciates the damage his traps had caused. Chapter 144 - Its My Trap! Now that the two walls had opened up, the group was able to see the adjacent hidden rooms. They contained some sort of communications system, along with the ports that were required to charge and maintain the robots. Though, most interestingly they contained a couple corpses. Perhaps these were the Vault Tech staff in charge of this facility? Upon further inspection, Afton had found a holo-tape in a room that seemed to contain the server for all the terminals.?? He decided to first see what was on the server, perhaps he could find the name of the bomb maker? There were only a few logs that he hadn''t seen before... These were also given the highest security measures so they seemed to be the most important. Clicking on them he was immediately greeted by the Vaults speaker system blaring to life. "Congratulations, citizens of Vault 11! You have made the decision not to sacrifice one of your own. You can walk with your head held high knowing that your commitment to human life is a shining example to us all. And to make that feeling of pride even sweeter, I have some exciting news. Despite what you were led to believe, the population of Vault 11 is not going to be exterminated for its disobedience. Instead, the mechanism to open the main vault door has now been enabled, and you can come and go at your leisure. But not so fast! Be sure to check with your overseer to find out if it''s safe to leave. Here at Vault-Tec, your safety is our number one priority." ... The trio just look at each other in disbelief. This was incredibly fucked up, the residents of the vault ha all but exterminated themselves to gain the right to pick who was sacrificed... Yet, in the end all they had to do was put their foot down and refuse the sadistic command. Rubbing his temples, Afton picks up the holo-tape and goes to listen to it. Hopefully it''d contain some answer to how the Vault was unlocked, and if the Bomb Maker had managed to escape, or was just a scavenger who''d somehow not triggered any of the traps placed here... He might''ve actually be the one who created them to be honest... "All right, I know you can hear me, so listen up. There''s five of us left. Five. Out of... I don''t know how many. So... it''s over. We''ve talked and it''s over. We''re not going to send anybody to die anymore. So shut off our water or gas us or do whatever it is you''re programmed to do. But we''re done listening to you." ... That''s it. So five people must''ve escaped the vault after refusing to sacrifice anyone... One of them might just be the Bomber. Examining the holo-tape closer he found some letters scratched into the back of its casing. H.J, S.T, P.W, A.R, A.H. They seemed random at first, but judging by the fact that five people had survived, these were probably the initials of those people. So, the bomber might be one of those. This was probably the best information he was going to get about the man in this place, so it was best they just loot whatever else they could and leave. They''d done what they needed to and decided that it as best they leave, set up camp and head out tomorrow. They didn''t encounter any more giant rats on their way out, the group had all but exterminated the colony of them. Boone sighs as they reach the giant vault door, "Are all of these places going to be this fucked up?" he asks. Both Karl and Afton nod at him, "This isn''t even the worst of it." the former states ominously. "Whatever, I might just sit back while you two do the next one... I''m not an ''indoor'' kind of guy." Boone says. As the group approach the make-shift door that leads back into the Mojave waste, they stop as they can vaguely hear distant voices... Afton immediately scowls as he remembers that his bike is still out there. "I swear, if any of them touch Dirt-Bird I''m going to skin them alive." he growls. "Hey, they might just be wantin'' to explore the Vault." Karl says unconvincingly. Afton opens the door and the spots a small group of people making camp outside the cave entrance. Immediately all eyes are on them, hands slowly reaching for their weaponry. Karl shows the palms of his hands in a non-threatening manner and slowly approaches them, "Hang on, don''t shoot." ... Afton uses VATS to stop time and plan out what he''ll do should the group turn hostile, there''s around twelve people and they''re all currently sitting down around a fire. It''s now night time so it''d be fairly easy to escape into the night should they be forced to do that. The reason he hasn''t immediately opened fire on them is two-fold. The fact that they''d ignored his motorbike, and because their clothing doesn''t seem to belong to raiders. The look more like a group of mercenaries than anything, plated combat armour with some wearing bounty hunter dusters. Their weaponry is nothing to scoff at either, hunting rifles, assault rifles, and even some grenade launchers... Yeah, he was fucked if they were hostile. Stopping VATS one of the men stand and begin walking towards them, he''s taller with a slim build, stubble on his face with greasy-looking black hair. He gives a friendly smile as he begins to talk, "Hey there, name''s Mark Dowager of the Dowager Mercenary Group. Funny you boys seem to be stalking around our next job." Karl raises a brow, "Dowager Mercenary? Never heard of you." Mark just shrugs, "Yeah, that''s a problem I been tryin''ta fix, can''t do much work if people don''t know who the fuck you are... It''s fine though. More importantly I''d like to know who you lot are." he asks, the friendly smile on his face not faltering despite his commanding tone. Chapter 145 - Merc Negotiation "Who we are? We''re just a couple of mercs." Karl states, not willing to give any more information than that. Mak crosses his arms with a sarcastic look on his face, "Is that so? Word is the Mercs that fucked the Powder Gangers are rolling down this part of the Mojave. I even found some limbs next to the road... That was you guys right?"?? ... "Yeah it was. I wanna ask about your job though, there isn''t much to take from Vaults unless you know what you''re looking for, this one especially." Afton asks. "Eh? Some blond bird from the strip needs authentic vault suits... Don''t pay too much but the Crimson Caravan holds a grudge..." he says. Afton raises a brow, from what he''d heard the Crimson Caravan was as professional as you can get. He wondered what Mark had done to piss them off. Regardless, he knew how to take advantage of a situation. "Well, we''ve killed every hostile creature down there, maybe get something for doing your job for you." "And maybe you can suck my cock, kid. We can barely afford to feed ourselves with the shit jobs we''ve been getting. Even the NCR don''t wanna hire us. Last man who tried to extort me had his head replace his ass before he was disintegrated." Mark growls, in a low tone. Karl steps in between them to try and mediate the sudden hostility, "Woah there, kid just wants to get what he''s owed. Can''t really blame him after the nearly hundred giant mutated rats we were forced to kill down there." Mark just sighs, "I don''t mean to threaten you but, this is a matter of life and death. A single cap lost is one of my men starved. But, if you''ve managed to make our job easier and let us conserve ammo, I''m willing to owe you are favour..." Afton just nod, favour''s were iffy rewards... Depending on who owed you they could be the best, or the worst. Having the president of the NCR or Caesar owe you a favour could save you from certain death or imprisonment. Comparatively, the favour from a homeless man would be worth less than dirt. If they could not feed, house, or even clothe themselves, what good were they to you? He wasn''t able to judge how useful a favour from Mark would be, but he was willing to bet the man valued his honor more than most things. It was something about his character, speech, and stance... He just seemed like an in-general good guy, whether it was just an act or a facade was difficult to tell. Afton decides to just take it as if a favour from the man was valuable, not point upsetting him by disregarding it. Who knows, having the leader of a mercenary good owe you might be useful one day. "You sure? Seems like a bit much for just helping you with a job... I heard favours in the Mojave were worth their weight in gold." Mark just snorts at him, "Where''d you hear that dogshit? A favour in the Mojave is a future betrayal, usually. I''m a man of my word, so if you even need help in the future, just ask... Hopefully me and my men''ll be in a better state than now." he says holding his hand out. Afton shakes his and nods at the man, "Good to know honour isn''t completely dead in the wastes. Though, I''m curious what you could''ve done to annoy the Crimson Caravan. "Uhh... Well, they hired us to do something I wasn''t willing to do. Secretive kinda shit, contract forced us to do it but I tore that shit up, didn''t realise they''d added a clause for breaching it..." he admits with says with a slight blush. Karl nods sagely, "Yeah, fuckin'' bureaucrats." Mark laughs, "Damn straight. With them at the helm I doubt the NCR''ll last all that much longer, ''specially with the Legion hammerin'' at the gates... Whatever, let''s not talk about those fucker''s or I''m liable to shoot something. Why don''t you guys make camp with us?" The group send glances at each other before eventually shrugging, "Sure. Might as well." Afton, Karl, and Boone are still a bit wary of the men, always ready to draw their weapons should something happen, but after an hour of ''Jolly Cooperation'' the tensions calmed. Karl had even offered to share some whisky with Mark, the Dowager leader not having drunk alcohol in a while due to how poor they actually are. Afton keeps Lucky and That Gun hidden in his sleeping bag as he starts to drift off to sleep, unfortunately, just as darkness takes him he feels the familiar feeling of time stopping. A notification blowing any tiredness he had away. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 20] Huh, it feels like the times where he levels up are coming increasingly more random... Maybe it''s like a checkpoint system? Or it won''t appear unless he''s completely safe... Or feels completely safe?... Whatever, thinking too hard is gonna give him a headache. Right now he''s got 15 skillpoints to spend, he''s already got Medicine to 76 so it isn''t that far until maxing. Might as well just max that and then look for something else to put points into. Now, onto the new Perks he''s able to take... [Explorer] : All locations are marked on your map. This, might be an overpowered Perk. Outside the game you''d be limited to the map the developers designed for you... But in real life? He''d essentially be given a complete map of the world with specific locations marked. He''d not need to search for a location if he took this Perk as it''d all be located in his Pipboy... Though, he could always pick up the Perk later on, it wasn''t immediately useful to him right now. [Grim Reaper''s Sprint] : A kill in V.A.T.S. restores 20 AP immediately. A good Perk, but wholly unnecessary since he only ever used VATS for recognizance. [Solar Powered] : +2 Strength and +1 HP per second during the day. The ''superman'' Perk. It was very overpowered to say the least. The +2 strength would put him at the peak possible human physique during the day, not to mention the +1 HP per second that''d visibly close wounds at a rapid rate... To understand how broken this was, 30 HP was the amount a regular Stimpack would heal... A medical device designed to heal wounds as quickly as possible was equivalent to 30 seconds of standing still with this Perk... Chapter 146 - Becoming A (Shitty) Kryptonian. Afton wasn''t sure what was the best choice... Picking [Explorer] to enable him to essentially gain Google Maps +++, or picking [Solar Powered], making him a Kryptonian Lite... "Whatever, I can always get the other next time." he mutters as he selects [Solar Powered] and clicks confirm.?? Afton Parker Level : 20 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 8 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 8 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 20 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 91 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 50 Sneak : 23 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 33 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v1], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] He doubles checks his status after time resumes and drops back into his sleeping bag again, trying to somehow force himself asleep through the excitement of gaining new abilities. The next day Afton was woken up by a completely unperturbed Boone. The sniper obviously wasn''t bothered by the fact neither had slept the usually required seven hours... "There better be a good reason for ruining my beauty sleep." he growls semi-sarcastically as he rubs the dust from his eyes. Boone shrugs, "The mercs are planning to enter the vault soon, thought you might wanna know." ... Yeah, it was probably best he get up and see the group off. Plus, it was best to get moving early. In a world where dangers were around every corner, waking up at sunrise and going to sleep at dusk. His sleep schedule in the Brotherhood had been a bit weird as the time of day didn''t really matter when you were underground. Not to mention the fact that the only time people left was during the night. Something he noticed once he was awake though was the fact that his skin felt... Different. Warm? Small blemishes and marks had all but disappeared from him, and any skin in contact with the sun felt revitalised... As if he''d just been through an expensive spar a couple times. Not to mention the fact he felt like he could wrestle with a super mutant and actually win. God, [Solar Powdered] was a good Perk. After swishing some purified water around his mouth and brushing his teeth Afton walked over to Mark who''d been organising everyone for their expedition. To be honest, watching a professional mercenary group prepare for a job was rather eye-opening. Everyone seemed to have a designated job, medics, trappers, spotters, etc. It made his band of rando''s look rather pathetic in comparison... Even if Afton was sure he''d be able to take them. Mark finally spots him and grins in his direction, "Finally awake? Didn''t think you were one of those..." he trails off. "One of those?" Afton parrots, wanting him to elaborate. Mark shakes his head, "Nevermind. Anyway, me and my boys''re about to enter the vault... Anything we should look out for once we''re inside?" "You heard the horror stories too huh?" he asks with a smirk, getting a nod in return, "Well, this vault is pretty mundane compared to the rest. There was a shit ton of traps set up down there so I''d be careful, can never know if you''d gotten all of them or not. There might also be some leftover giant rats, but they''re fairly easy to handle... Oh, and the lowest level is flooded with irradiated water so don''t bother down there." he explains. Mark had taken out a small booklet and started writing notes into as he''d been speaking, Afton was almost impressed by his attentiveness. "Hm, thanks for the info... You''d be surprised how unwilling people are to speak with you once you''ve made enemies with the wrong people. I''d advise you stay in the Caravans good books, that or ignore them entirely... Up to you." the man says before turning towards his group, "Alright guys, Jones, Martie, I want you at the front looking for traps. Rest of you do your jobs and we''ll get back in one piece." The group enters the cave and shuts the door behind them, Mark sending one last wave at them as he disappears inside. The trio don''t immediately leave though, Karl just stands there looking at the door with a contemplative expression. "Have to say, never thought I''d run into a friendly merc... Past experiences wit them as a Ranger taught me to shoot first and ask questions later." he admits. Afton shrugs, "He seems like a nice guy, but it could just be a facade hiding another self-serving animal. Whatever, let''s get moving, we''ve got some ammo to pawn off, aswell as that leftover Ant Necter you''re hoarding, Karl." he say pointedly, causing the old man to blush slightly. "Can''t you let an old timer enjoy his retirement?" he retorts. Afton shakes his head, "Not with an untested, addictive drug. Once we''ve saved your daughter, killed my grudge, and fucked Caesar is every way possible, then you can go do something stupid and self destructive." he says semi-sarcastically. "Sounds like a plan to me." Boone says with the side with a small grin. Karl slumps his shoulders slightly, "Fine, we''ll sell the highly addictive ant anus powder, happy?" "Yep." Afton says, popping the P as he starts packing up his sleeping bag in preparation for hitting the road again. Karl sits behind him and Boone is scowling as he''s back in the sidecar. Afton gives them both an amused look before starting the engine. "So, any of oyu know what''s up this road? I personally have no idea." "Trading Post 188, a hotspot of activity for NCR military as well as its citizens. Being between New Vegas and the only route that leads to California makes it an incredibly valuable location. The placements of Ranger Stations are partly because of this spot imparticular." Boone says, still clearly not happy with sitting in a sidecar. Afton hums to himself, "Think any retired Rangers might be staying there?" he asks with a growing grin. Boone shrugs, "It''s not a place you usually make camp, its close enough to New Vegas and the other towns to make setting up a proper settlement not worth the effort. Good for trading though, NCR used to keep an even closer eye on it when the Brotherhood of Steel was around, scavengers usually like to sell technology there..." Karl glances at Afton knowingly but he just shakes his head, "Why would people sell technology there and not in New Vegas?" he asks. "Probably because the sale of technology is heavily taxed there, not only by the NCR, but by Mr House as well. The man seems to take particular interest to any pre-war tech that passes through his city." Afton nods, "Maybe we''ll find something interesting there then." he says, kicking up the stand and rapidly accelerating towards the highway. Excited at the prospect of some cool pre-war tech... He may have left, but steel clearly runs through his veins. Chapter 147 - You Wot? The group was back on the road, speeding down the highway with a cloud of dust behind them. The occasional traveller or trader would look at them in shock and surprise as Dirt-Bird blitzed past them. Afton didn''t know if anyone else had ever recreated pre-war vehicles, but if they had he certainly hadn''t heard about it. He hopes people won''t get the stupid idea of trying to steal his bike, he can''t protect it 24/7, but he can certainly hunt whoever has the balls to try.?? The sun on his skin feels more vibrant than before, his [Solar Powered] perk making him able to appreciate it much more than he used to. He wondered how his abilities would progress the further he levelled, and if there was even a cap. Regardless, an hour after they''d left camp he could see something in the distance. It looked to be a highway overpass but judging by how many people seemed to be congregating around it, it was probably their destination, the 188 Trading Post. The hum of the engine and cloud of dust behind them had most people turning towards them as they approached. Afton wasn''t sure whether he wanted to be the centre of attention or not, but he didn''t really have a choice if he were honest. He wasn''t going to stop using Dirt-Bird just because people would take notice. The group of people part like the red sea for them to travel through, but it seems the NCR soldiers didn''t appreciation the commotion they were inadvertently creating. A line of soldiers stood in their path with weapons drawn, they seemed to be shouting orders at them but were too far to hear them clearly. "Fuckin'' NCR can''t keep their noses outta shit." Afton mutters as he slows down. The bike stops to a halt a good distance away from the soldiers, Karl, Afton, and Boone all display their hands to pacify the soldier some. It wouldn''t be fun to be randomly shot by some trigger happy soldier boy. "You there, keep your hands where we can see them!" A soldier shouts as they approach. Afton glowers at them, "You''d think with all we''ve done for the NCR they''d atleast cut us some slack!? What''re you holding us up for?" he asks loudly, making sure the group of civilians can hear him. "You are on New California Republic territory on an unidentified vehicle without permission. You will cede the vehicle and any other technology you have." they shout, causing Afton to scowl. Karl scoffs at them, "Huh, is this how you guys operate now? Requisitioning people''s property at random?! What makes you any better than the Brotherhood of Steel!?" he says. "We are mercenaries who''ve worked for the NCR, is this how you treat people loyal to you? That''d explain why traders prefer the Legion." Afton growls, "This is my property and I will not hand it to you. Radio your superior, unless of course you want a fight?" The leader of the soldiers gives an unfriendly sneer and pulls out his radio, stepping away to get some degree of privacy as they speak to their superior officer. Karl looks to Afton warily, "We really going to die on this hill?" he asks. Afton nods, "Yeah, no government lacky is going to steal from me. If the bike is more important than the loyalties of the one who made it, then the NCR is more stupid than I''d first thought... Plus, it''s not like we don''t have the public on our side." he says, nodding his head in the direction of the rather angry looking crowd. They were all traders, and most had come here to sell pre-war technology they''d scavenged. So to have the NCR show up and try to ''requisition'' tech from someone for no valid reason means that it might affect them too. Not to mention the fact that rumour of the group''s accomplishments had already reached here and New Vegas meant they wouldn''t be lacking support. Indeed, if the NCR arrested mercenaries that''d almost singlehandedly wiped out a Legionary encampment the public would go mad. Even those loyal to the NCR would consider this a complete and utter betrayal... Of course, they could pin the group with false crimes, but that wasn''t a possibility in this current situation. Boone sighs from the sidecar, "I''d rather not gun down my former comrades... But I agree that they''re treading a line they shouldn''t cross." The formerly sneering soldiers comes back with a scowl, "You. Are you Afton Parker, Karl Martin, and Craig Boone?" The group nod and the man''s scowl only becomes more prominent, "You are free to go once you sign a form to register your vehicle. You will be required to pay two hundred caps for it though, if you lack the money then we''ll seize the vehicle." ... What kind of backwards laws are in play here? They were in the Mojave, a place that had many fucked up roads and even more fucked up pre-war vehicles lying around. Why does the NCR have procedures detailing vehicles? Did they have functioning one''s back in California? Why hadn''t he heard of this yet? After a moment of contemplation, Afton reluctantly nods, "Bring the papers here and I''ll sign them. I''ll want your name too, once I''m in McCarren I''ll ask whether this is indeed procedure... And if I find that you are cheating me... Well, you''ve heard of our past achievements." he states. The man walks away without having been all that intimidated... Maybe it''d be useful to get [Terryfying Presence] just to scare douchebags he wasn''t able to kill yet? It''d certainly help with the challenge that required him to scare people. After a couple minutes of waiting another soldier comes by with a piece of paper and a pen. The paper looked to be quite old, probably because no one with vehicles ever passed by here? Afton reluctantly signed it and divvied out two-hundred caps before handing them to the man. They walk away and return after a while with some sort of certification of ownership? It looks like one of those fake diploma''s you''d get... But as long as it kept the ''man'' off of his back so be it. Chapter 148 - Info-Merchant Once the ''harrowing'' authoritarian encounter had finished the group was left to their own devices once again. They were currently at the bottom of the highway overpass, ontop of it Afton could see a couple make-shift shacks that''d been constructed up there. Afton personally wanted to take a look around and see if there was any interesting pre-war tech lying around. Though, judging by how the NCR reacted to Dirt-Bird, he imagined that they''d ''requisitioned'' anything dangerous... Perhaps there was some kind of black market operating here though??? A few people walked up to them and started asking about Dirt-Bird, where they got it, who built it, how''d they got it working, etc. Afton just waved them all off with non-committal answers as he simply couldn''t be bothered to deal with them right now. Certainly, that female engineer that''d offered her ''services'' in return for allowing her to take a peek at the bike''s internal components was tempting. But Afton (mostly) knew better than to accept random propositions like that. Last thing he wanted was to catch some flesh-eating mutated STD. He shivers slightly at the thought of it. "Karl, could you sell off our access ammunition? I wanna take a look around for tech... And don''t forget to sell the Necter as well." Afton asks, the former-ranger nodding and hefting a chock-full backpack before walking away. "Any jobs for me your highness?" Boone asks sarcastically. Afton shrugs, "Well, could you keep an eye on the bike until one of us comes back? I''d rather not leave it alone... Especially around here." he states, glancing towards some NCR soldiers. "Whatever. Just don''t take too long, I need to do some maintenance on... Wait, nevermind." he mutters after looking over his Hunting Rifle. The dirty, scuffed wood had somehow regained its vibrance and durability, the metal of the gun lacking any of the old scratches it''d gained in the past... "Did one of you swap out my gun?" he asks, an angry tone to his voice. Aton shakes his head, "No, and I know Karl wouldn''t try it either. He treats his revolver the same as you treat your rifle." he says, not wanting to reveal his more supernatural abilities... He''d wanted all his companion''s gear to be top quality, but he''d somehow inadvertently removed any history from Boone''s rifle. His [Mechanicus] perk was doing what it says, Afton just hadn''t thought of the consequences of randomly repairing everything. "Hmm... Whatever, go do your shopping, I''ll wait here." he says, still glaring at his rifle as if it was hiding the mysteries of the universe. Afton nods at him, picks up his backpack and start walking up to the top of the overpass. He keeps an eye on his surroundings and everyone who passes him, he wouldn''t be surprised if someone tried to pickpocket him while he was distracted. At the top he could see a few shacks selling various foods, drinks, etc. At the end of the bridge there seemed to be a female selling weaponry, but he''d take a closer look later. He wasn''t in a rush or anything. Looking over the edge of the overpass he could see what should be the main market place. Stalls had been set up selling various random things. It looked almost like a bazaar if he were honest. The overpass provided good enough shade for people to sit around all day and sell their wares. Afton took a seat in one shack that seemed to be some kind of bar? Though, judging by the smell they were selling some food too. The man behind the bar had short brown hair with a traders outfit. He wipes a glass clean with a dirty cloth and placed it in-front of Afton, "Welcome to the 188 Slop & Shop. Like our slogan says, ''It''s better than nothing'', can''t imagine why you''d come here though, if I had a fancy motor like that I''d drive right around this place." he says jokingly. "You saw that huh?" Afton says quietly. The smirk on the man''s face made it clear how amusing he found Afton''s earlier predicament. "Usually the soldiers around here keep to themselves, don''t know why they''d take such a keen interest in your vehicle. Haven''t seen the NCR military trucks since that ambush by the Legion." he shrugs. "Wait, the NCR have vehicles?" Afton asks, wondering how he''d not heard about this before... The man nods, "Yeah, mostly use them to transport troops and supplies from California. Been hiding ''em in Camp McCarren after the Legion managed to destroy one though. Probably scared the others would get blown up too." That would make sense... Vehicles were a luxury after the Great War, and only the Brotherhood of Steel could toss some away as if it were nothing. Regular ground vehicles were a rarity though, the Brotherhood mostly had Vertibirds. This was mainly due to the fact that all places that contained vehicles and could resist nuclear annihilated were owned by the military, making it incredibly unlikely for a working civilian vehicle to be around in this era. Afton was about to order a drink when he realised he hadn''t introduced himself, "Ah, name''s Afton Parker by the way." The man nods, "I know, heard it from some customers, you''re talk of the outpost you know? I''m Samuel Kerr, I set up this here Trading Post with my daughter." That raises a brow, "You set this place up? I thought it was an NCR made outpost?" Samuel shakes his head, "This place just took over what Boulder City used to do after the Legion destroyed it. I just built a shack here to feed those poor bastards coming from California to try their luck in New Vegas... Most visit my shop twice, once with pockets stuffed with caps, and once heading back to California penniless." he says with a smirk. "Must be good business then, you get both sides of the extreme. One has enough caps to throw around while the other desperately need enough supplies to return to California without starving. You''re smarter than you look." Samuel laughs, "And you''re tougher than you look. Don''t think I haven''t heard about what you''ve done to the Powder Gangers and the Legion. Surprised you haven''t got a couple o'' red assassins following you wherever you go." Chapter 149 - Capped Knees For Caps He''s surprised the Legion hasn''t started sending assassins after them yet? Hmm... Afton wasn''t sure how much notoriety you needed to gain with the Legion for them to start sending kill squads at you. Checking his reputation he found he was [Shunned] by the Legion. To be honest, it wasn''t really clear what this meant, but shunning a person didn''t immediately make you hostile against them. Hopefully he wouldn''t have to watch his neck for a while.?? That brings another thought to mind, he was still lugging around that axe he''d picked up in Search Light, since this guy supposedly knew almost everyone who passed here, he must know when Tamia arrived... If she arrived that is. "Hopefully I won''t have to deal with any assassins until later... Ah, by the way, have you seen a woman named Tamia go through here lately? Tanned skin, wields an axe, vault suit." he asks. Samuel slowly nods, "Yeah, came through here a couple days ago, headed to Boulder City, came back, then left for New Vegas. Took that weird robe girl as well." "Weird robe girl?" Afton asks in confusion. "Yeah, robe was pulled so tight over her head you couldn''t see what colour her hair was. I''m guessin'' she was some sort of spy due to how interested she got whenever the news came in. That or she was just really bored..." A spy who doesn''t like people looking at her hair... Why does that sound familiar? "What was their name?" Samuel shrugs, "Never asked, I''m not usually scared of women, but when one''s walking around with one o'' those power fists I know when to keep my mouth shut. Don''t know why she was so interested in leavin'' with that Tamia girl though." "A power fist huh? Hmm. Ah, sorry for not buying anything, I''ll come back later and get some food. Thanks for the info." Afton says as he stands and leaves. Honestly, you''d think she would at least try to disguise herself when she belonged to a faction hostile to the NCR... Dislike of her hair, spy, power fist. That has Veronica written all over it. A wry smile appears on his face as he thinks about reuniting with her. It''d been a while since they''d last spoken, he didn''t want to have to explain himself to a raging Veronica if she heard about him leaving without giving his own story first. She was travelling with Tamia though, which meant they were headed for the New Vegas strip to kill that checkered suit douche. Hopefully they wouldn''t do anything stupid and get hurt in the process. He''d try to catch up with them, but that''s for later. Right now he has a market full of random tech to look through. He walks down the overpass and circles around to visit the highly populated grouping of traders. Most of the people here were trying to buy or peddle food, supplies, or ammunition. He supposed that weaponry was handled by that arms merchant ontop of the overpass. The NCR wouldn''t likely be willing to seed all means of controlling firearms. Though, if his eyes weren''t mistaken there was a funky-looking group cuffing money from people and discreetly handing firearms to them. Whether it was just a black market kinda deal or they had permission Afton didn''t know... He''d not buy anything from them though as the prices would probably be jacked up, best just to head to the Gunrunners for that. A few things did immediately catch his attention though, propped up against a wall a robot with broken knees was sat next to its owner as the man tried to sell it off. No one seemed willing to buy though as a crippled robot was next to useless. "Y-you there, would you buy this? It''s very useful! It can speak, shoot, hell, there''s probably a lot more that I haven''t found out yet." they say, looking hopefully at Afton. Afton just raises a brow though, was the fact the robot could talk even a benefit? Not to mention even if he did buy it, how would he take it with him... His bike only had three seats after all... Hmm... A lightbulb suddenly appeared above his head as he stifled the grin that was making its way to his face. "Protectron? Do you have any other functions that we are unaware of?" he asks the robot, knowing that eliminating its potential would be key to lowering the price. "This unit is only designed for protection. Additions can be made but it is recommended to ask the advice of a RobCo mechanic before attempting this." it states, causing its owner to frown. Afton looks to the man, "How much for it?" "I-er-hmm, 200 caps-No, 2000 caps!" he stutters out, correcting himself after he gave a price he considered too low... Truly, how did this imbecile find the robot in the first place. Afton just scoffs and shakes his head, "2000 caps? Fuck off." he states and walks away, the man immediately tries calling him back but he doesn''t even glance behind him. He''d come back for the robot later, he knew no one would buy it, and if they did it''d only be for scrap parts. The man would be desperate to sell it so he''d get a good price when he returned. After leaving the man to stew he continued walking around the market place, occasionally stopping at a stall to see the wares people were peddling. He''d purchased a few mechanical components that he''d use for his future plan with that broken Protectron, as well as a plasma mine that someone wanted to get rid of. Of course, it was defective and would instantly explode if you tried to activate it, so Afton got a good price for it. His [Mechanicus] Perk would make sure it''d work properly when he needed it. As he was walking one thing did catch his eye though, a man sitting on the outskirts of the market had a few small items placed in front of him. Everyone who passed ignored him, and it was easy to see why... He had pieces of scrap metal and smooth-looking rock... And that was it. Chapter 150 - Free Medical Procedure? Oh Boy! Afton wasn''t an average guy though, even with most people disregarding this poor, crazy man''s items. He knew there must be something more to it... He had played games after all. Leaning down, he picked up one fo the smooth rocks and used his inventory to examine it. His eyes widened as he saw the description. He was astounded by it!?? [Smooth Rock] A worthless stone that''s been rubbed fanatically for years... Why have you picked this up? ... Wow, did he just get judged by his Pipboy? Shaking his head, that wasn''t important right now, what was is the fact that he''d been fooled by this old man! How dare he sell obviously useless objects and give him the impression that he was some kind of wise old wizard!... Sighing to himself he looked at the pieces of scrap metal just to make sure he wasn''t missing anything. [Scrap metal] Part of an old military truck that unfortunately drove over a mine. ... Again! [Scrap metal] The handle of an old fork... Afton glared ferociously at the remaining pieces of metal, determined to find something USEFUL! [Scrap metal] An extremely valuable piece of metal one owned by a Japanese Emporer... Just kidding, it''s just part of a shattered frying pan. To the people passing by Afton looked more crazy than the old dude selling the worthless objects. He was examining scrap metal so closely you''d think he was searching for a serial number on them. Afton sighs to himself, he shouldn''t known better than to trust ''game logic'', even if this world had formerly been a game. "Last one." he mutters to himself as he looks at the last, and largest piece of scrap metal the old man was peddling. [Scrap metal?] A block of lead-lined aluminium with a receiver attached to it... Raising a brow at the description Afton personally looked more closely at it, finding some writing on the bottom of it. It read, "Free completely safe medical procedures, delivered at the Mojave Drive-in" ... Afton was tempted to just crack the metal open to see what was contained within it, but decided to just leave it be. This was apparently the right course of action since he got a notification on his Pipboy. [Midnight Free Medical Procedure! : Recieve your reward for finding the super-secret key!] ... Afton wasn''t sure if this was real, or some kind of trap. Judging by the language, whoever this was from was either an imbecile or just someone who didn''t take anything seriously... Or both! Shaking his head, he''d look into completing the quest once everything else had been dealt with... The location of the Mojave Drive-in was apparently all that way back near Nipton. A good distance for what good very well be a shitty reward. "I''ll give you 10 caps for this. I needed a paperweight." he says to the old man. ... Hmm, he hadn''t noticed before but they didn''t seem to be moving. Giving them a poke causes them to slump over like a corpse... Checking his pulse revealed that he wasn''t dead, just sleeping. Shrugging his shoulder he drops 50 caps into the old man''s top and leaves with the strange object. Afton buy a few more things from around the market place, most of which had burnt a small hole in his pocket... He''d spent around 500 caps for a mere four objects, to most people it''d be madness... But for him? He saw it as a bargain. [Chinese Army: Special Ops Training Manual] [D.C. Journal of Internal Medicine] [Duck and Cover!] Afton didn''t waste any time and discreetly absorbed the knowledge contained within the skillbooks. [+3 Sneak] [+3 Medicine] [+3 Explosives] With that done, he headed straight back to the guy selling the Protectron. Hopefully Boone wouldn''t be too upset at his rather long absence. "You!-Ahem, You." the desperate man corrects himself at spotting Afton again. "I''ve decided to reconsider my pricing, my Wife-no, daughter, has recently had a medical emergency so I can''t drop the price that much... 500 caps." Afton struggles to hide his smirk, this guy was shit at bartering, not to mention quite stupid. Mustering all the effort he can, Afton droops his shoulder and sighs sadly, "Well, that''s unfortunate... I only have 232 caps on me, my sick mother wanted me to buy something nice before... Before she passes away." he says, wiping a fake stray tear from his eye. The man looks beyond confused at having his tactic thrown back at his face, though, something else caught his attention, "232 caps? DEAL!" he exclaims without worrying about the passerby''s that he''d inadvertently caused to jump at the volume. Afton straightens up and grins mischievously at the man, "Thanks." he says before picking up the rather heavy Protectron and leaving, "Ah, my mom''s been dead for a while by the way." The man sputters in indignantly but seems satisfied with the amount of caps he''d received for the defective robot. To be honest, most wouldn''t consider it worth the 200 caps he''d spent... But for someone with a maxed repair skill like Afton, there were many things he could do with it. Boone raises a brow when he spots Afton walking back with a broken Protectron in his arms. He was about to complain that he''d taken too long but found his words caught in his throat by what Afton''d brought back... "Why have you bought that." he states dryly. Afton just smirks at him, "You''ll see. Help me wheel the bike up to Samuels shop. No point keeping it down here when we can sit in his shop while keeping an eye on it. Boone just shrugs and does as he''s told, pushing the bike up the overpass and parking it next to Samuel''s shack. Afton dumps the Protectron next to it, "You will Protect this bike with your artificial life. Understand?" "Your Property will be safe, this is a RobCo guarantee... RobCowitdtholdsallresponsibilityshouldyourpropertybestolen." it adds at the end so quickly Afton almost misses it... How devious. Chapter 151 - Sneering Schemes Somewhere within a large red tent sat a man wearing a skinned wolf''s head and modified sportswear. The desk in front of him was littered with reports from all across the Mojave. Unit movement, NCR plans, maps detailing NCR bases and vital places that could potentially be sabotaged, there were even simple rumours that''d be sent to him. Vulpes Inculta was a stickler for knowledge. If someone died in the wasteland, he wanted to be the first to know about it. If the NCR suddenly decided they wanted to add another pocket to their uniforms, he wanted to know about it. If an NCR soldier started eating too much fibre than his diet required, he wanted to know about it.?? Of course, there was a good reason for his almost obsessive attention to detail. He was the Legion''s foremost strategic planner, the schemes he had lead were some of the most successful that''d ever been conducted in the red empire. Sure, he was insulted, belittled, and sometimes even attacked for his methods, but he saw all that as meaningly. All that mattered was the outcome, the means he used to get there were paltry afterwards. The Legion conducted itself in the same manner as the long-dead Roman empire had, all under Caesers direction of course. Honour, and front-on brute force were favoured compared to how he conducted his men. This was likely why the great Caesar himself took an interest with him. While the others of his group wanted his head for disobeying his captain, sneaking through enemies lines, and capturing the enemy chieftain, Caesar saw potential. And now here he was, in an outpost deep within NCR territory looking through a mountain of paperwork. Usually he''d see this as fine, but his Legionaries weren''t the brightest bunch and their reports left much to be desired... He was sure some were even struggling to write. He hoped they wouldn''t go looking to the locals for help in creating their reports, otherwise he''d have them strapped to a cross and executed. Atleast the job wasn''t boring though. The back and forth of battle between two superpowers would always be exciting, regardless on whether or not the Legion was winning. Though, lately there have been some issues he''s been struggling to deal with. Some mercenaries have recently made a name for themselves. Now, Vulpes Inculta wouldn''t even pay attention to this sort of dishonourable ruffian unless he had plans to send them on a suicide mission. But the group of three had definitely caught his eye. All the effort he''d gone through to secure Nelson from the NCR, and two people cut down a huge portion of their camp. Sure, the Legion wasn''t known for its expert marksman, but he''d have thought atleast one stray bullet would''ve caught one... But no, his reports stated that the people responsible came out with not one injury... Not a single one! Either these two were incredibly lucky, gods among men, or had been planning this assault for days, even weeks. Using explosives to dislodge rocks and create a rockslide? Vulpes Inculta had send many Legionaries to inspect that area just to prevent that kind of thing from happening. He knew that the NCR wouldn''t dare do it in-case they injured the hostages they kept in Nelson, but it was still a threat he needed to keep an eye on. And then here comes two random mercenaries, throwing a couple sticks of dynamite and blammo, rockslide wipes out a significant portion of his troops. The worst thing about this situation? He''d already met these intruding fools! In Nipton, they were the people he''d requested to spread fear among the Mojave. Perhaps his overeagerness to induce despair in the NCR had come back to bite him. Though, these mercenaries hadn''t given any indication that they were particularly attached to either side. It was highly likely that they were only accepted jobs from the NCR due to the fact that they were the ones that controlled the region, and thus the caps. He wondered how many caps it''d take for him to gain their allegiance... Having people as skilled as that would open up many new avenues for him and his plots, perhaps dealing real damage to the New Vegas strip would be a possibility. He looked down at his desk and rifled through the papers to find the latest report on their movements, eventually finding some information that caused his eyes to widen... The mercenaries were more capable than he''d first expected, even able to acquire a pre-war vehicle. Vulpes Inculta silently sneers, he wished he was able to get one of those for himself. Of course, the Legion would destroy as soon as they saw it due to their primitive mindsets. He understood why Caesar wanted to limit the use of technology but it still caused many, many problems for himself. "Legionary?!" he calls out, a couple men wearing red quickly entering the tent before standing to attention. "Sir?" "Here are the latest reports on some people I''ve taken an interest in. I need you to find and approach them while undercover, offer the mercenaries a substantial reward should they enter the services of the Legion. Be cautious, they are extremely dangerous individuals and their loyalties are still unknown." Vulpes Inculta quickly states while pushing some papers towards them. These were some of the more intelligent Legionaries he had at his disposal, they''d know what to do even if he just handed them the reports... But, he needed this to succeed no matter what, so he''d personally tell them what he needed. The two nod and are about to leave the room, but Vulpes calls out to them. "I will remind you, while their past actions have negatively affected the Legion, you will show them the utmost respect. Not just for your safety against them, but against me. If I hear that your actions cause them to refuse my offer... You will be punished." he says, causing the Legionaries to audibly swallow their saliva. They''d seen what happens to people who displease him before, and they had no wish to experience it for themselves. Once they leave Vulpes Inculta slumps back into his chair, "Hopefully those imbeciles won''t botch this up. Chapter 152 - Its ALIVE! Afton and Boone make small talk with Samuel as they eat their meals. It isn''t the best thing they''d ever eaten, but it sure beats dry rations or rad scorpion meat. Karl had eventually come back after selling everything, distributing the caps which added another 650 caps to Afton personal stockpile. The trio shared a couple shots of Vodka with one another, Samuel joining in as they had a small celebration that none of them had died yet. Yes, it was slightly morbid to be celebrating that specifically, but the group didn''t care all that much.?? Something Afton found funny as well as irritating was the fact that even after many, many drinks. Boone still wouldn''t relax. The man was always on edge, ready to spin around and start shooting... Afton shakes his head and leaves the two of them to continue drinking, he was a bit tipsy, but he had something else to work on right now. It might take a day or two, but it''d definitely be worth it. Pulling out his tools he walked over to the Protectron sat next to Dirt-Bird and started dismantling it. His maxed out repair skill had already given him all the knowledge he needed to know to properly disassemble the robot without damaging any of its components. It was a bit freaky to have the robot asking him to stop as he pulled it apart. It didn''t recognise him as a RobCo mechanic and was programmed to request him to stop... The reason for this? Most Protectrons were powered by a Fission Battery. The problem was in its name, "Fission", the robot was nuclear powered and any damage to it or mishandling could potentially cause a small nuclear explosion... Yeah, not something you''d want happening. Of course, there were protections in place to stop that from happening. Things within the battery itself to prevent the typical chain reaction that''d produce such a destruction explosion. Still, RobCo made sure to remind you that potential atomic death awaited you if you continued pulling their robot apart. In a few hours he''d taken off the alloy casing and started looking into the internals. The chips and other parts responsible for its voice modulator, personality, movement, combat abilities, etc. With his Repair skill he knew what things did what, but his science level wasn''t high enough to allow him to modify any of it yet... He lacked the equipment and specific knowledge about this unit to make it possible. Once he found the emergency power button he turned the robot off to stop it constantly asking him to stop. Once that was done he proceeded to completely take it apart. Removing its arms, head, and everything else that could potentially be useful. Something interesting he''d found was the fact that the robots laser weapons were linked with the Fission Battery... This meant that it could potentially shoot for years on end. Though, it also meant that the lasers were rather weak. Protectrons weren''t meant for direct frontal combat so that was probably the reason for this. The weapons were enough to scare off any would-be thieves, but that was it. Afton wasn''t bothered as getting rid of thieves was what his goal here was. Karl and Boone slowly woke up, painful hangover''s immediately ruining their moods. Fortunately they''d passed out at the bar itself so Samuels daughter Michelle just slid some glasses of water in front of them. "Ah, thanks." Karl says and immediately downs the drink. "No problem. Dad hasn''t had that much fun in years, it was good to see him acting himself again." she says before directing a look towards Afton, "Your friend is a bit weird though." ... Boone and Karl look over to where Afton is and raise a brow at the relatively large pile of scrap he was surrounded in. The Protectron that''d previously been there was nowhere to be seen, and Dirt-Bird seemed to have some new additions... "Kid, what on gods ruined earth are you doin''?" Karl asks in exasperation. ... "Kid?" he asks again after not getting a response. "Ah! Karl? You''re awake?" Afton asks after rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. His hands were covered in grease. Large black bags were under his eyes, indicating he''d not slept. His skin was slightly pale but seemed to be regaining its vitality under the morning Mojave sun. "I''ll ask again, what''re you doing?" "Huh, oh this? I was just modifying Dirt-Bird... Cool right?" he says, but no one else could see what modification he''d actually made... "What''d you do with the robot?" he asks, but gets an unexpected response. "This unit appreciates your concern, I have been modified and integrated into a new device known as ''Dirt-Bird''" a robotic voice says from the motorbike. ... Boone and Karl are struck silent by this, but Michelle gives a broad smile and approaches the bike after hopping over the bar. "That is soo cool! You did this in one night?" Afton nods tiredly, "Yeah, I''m dead tired though..." he mutters. "So, what does it do?" she asks. Afton grins at her, "You wanna know? I''ll give you guys a good show then." he says standing up and grabbing a large piece of scrap metal before propping it against the concrete railing of the overpass. "Dirt-Bird, that scrap metal is a thief!" he says. "Target acquired." the robot states as two thin arms sprout from the back of the bike and point at the metal. A whirring sound starts for half a second before a spray of laser fire starts pummeling the metal. This continues until the metal is white-hot and starts melting into the ground. The others staring at it in shock and surprise. Even with their painful hangovers, they could see potential in this. Though, Michelle almost shits her pants at the abrupt violence. Afton sits on the bike and strokes one of the arms while looking at them, "Cool right?" ... [Scare a humanoid shitless. 17/50] Karl rubs his face, "You''re mad kid." Chapter 153 - Silly Bandit, Tricks Are For Kids. Afton spends an hour or two sipping some Nuka Cola while relaxing under the sun to get his bearings back. Spending the whole night modifying your motorbike was tiring as hell as it turns out. Fortunately his [Solar Powered] Perk did more than just heal and increase strength. It also seemed to wash away his tiredness, though he wasn''t willing to see how long he could get by without a good nights sleep.? ? The other''s didn''t mind the wait as they were still recovering from their own hangovers, the only thing that was annoying was the fact that they had a constant group of people gawking at Dirt-Bird as if it were some kind of technological masterpiece. Eventually though the group were ready to move again. Karl sat on the back while Boone returned to the sidecar. They gave their farewell to Samuel and his daughter before accelerating off in the direction of New Vegas. They''d not even driven for a couple of minutes when they were stopped by some sort of barricade? Large pieces of scrap metal had been set up in the middle of the road, blocking them from heading any further. Of course, Afton could just go off-road and head around it, but he was already very suspicious of this wall just magically appearing here. Karl looks at them both while keeping his face neutral, "Neither of you leave the bike, soon as we get off we''ll be rushed. Pretty sure its just thieves who saw us in the 188 Trading Post." he explains. Afton smirks, "Why don''t we see if my upgrades are any good then?" The other two nod as the group gets off of the bike. Almost immediately people started hopping over the barricade and sprinting towards them with guns and knives in hand. Afton, Karl, and Boone hold their hands above their heads as they slowly back away from the bike. The thieves seem to be encouraged by this as the rest of them follow the brave ones, yelling and cheering about how they''ll "Sell it off and be rich!"... Seems they didn''t realise that Afton currently owned Dirt-Birds certification, meaning they couldn''t sell it to the NCR or any NCR citizen without being arrested... Though, the black-market would probably still sell it for a lot. "Alright bois, pull that there Vehicle over here!" a man larger than the rest calls out with a greedy grin plastered across his face. "Hm, and one of you go take everything those three are carryin'' might as make this a complete robbery, hehehahaha!" ... Afton can only shake his head as one of the bandits approach the bike. Another approach them but just before they reach the group one of the unfortunate bandits lay a hand on Dirt-Bird. "Thief detected! Termination initiated!" The robotic voice calls out as arms sprout from the back of it. The confused bandit doesn''t get a word out before he''s blasted in the face by laser fire. Due to the low intensity of the lasers themselves, they don''t even die instantly, instead feeling their face, muscles, and bones liquefy under the intense heat. A gurgled scream escapes the attacked bandit, causing the rest to look at them and almost shit themselves. The brief burst of laser fire ends, and without the light show covering the bandit their face is now visible to all. Blackened and burnt while still smoking, the man resembled what an ugly feral ghoul would look like. Their tongue and eyes had been burnt out and a good portion of the bone in their face was visible due to the thoroughly cooked away skin and muscle. [Scare a humanoid shitless. 31/50] All of the fourteen bandits aside from their leader freeze up at the sight, the grips on their weapons loosening as their body''s scream for them to flee and never return. The leader of the group simply scowls and is about to shout for them to kill the three responsible... Unfortunately for him, Afton and his group weren''t going to waste this opportunity. Afton starts VATS and focuses on the men closest to him, as well as those with the most dangerous-looking weapons. Most are only wielding shitty 9mm pistols and broken-looking revolvers. But a few do have shotguns with them. Once he closes VATS he draws Lucky and That Gun, each gun acting like a turret as they each target different people. *Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!* All loaded bullets in his pistols are quickly emptied towards the enemy, eleven of the men dropping dead with their grey matter evacuated onto the sand. Karl and Boone also jump into action, both struggle to not gape at Afton''s skill and efficiency at putting the bandits down and quickly start firing their own weapons. Another couple of bandits drop dead, the last one finally releasing what a bad situation he''d found himself in. He''s about to try and flee when his leader picks him up like a meat shield and starts charging towards the group, all the while giving out a loud battle cry. Afton was almost amused by this guy, the fact the man was wielding a large machete and using one of his own men as a shield made him think he belonged with the Legion. Regardless, he holstered his empty guns and drew the sawn-off shotgun from his chest while pulling out a hunting knife from his belt. Karl and Boone kept firing at the man but the only damage they were causing was to the bandit being used as a meat shield. The brutish man had finally reached Afton, dropping his shield and raised his machete to behead Afton. *KABLAMMO!* Afton raised the shotgun in his left hand and shot the man with it point-blank in the chest. Had his strength not been at 8 points his wrist might''ve dislocated from using a shotgun with one hand. The bandit stumbled backwards as a spray of red left his chest, a large jagged hole now decorating it. Afton drops the shotgun and dashes forwards while he''s off-balance, driving his knife into the man''s arm to force the machete out of his hand. With that done he pulls it out and slices them between the ribs. The cut was so deep he''d actually managed to penetrate the man''s lung. He was about to continue cutting the man to pieces when their head abruptly exploded into a red mist and bone fragments. ... Afton send a dull look to Boone who''s rifle was still smoking, he wipes off some of the man''s blood and sighs, "Really?" Boone shrugs, "I got your back." ... "Whatever." Chapter 154 - Fiendish Situation. Afton glanced down at the dead bandit before looking back at his companions, "Alright, let''s loot these guys and move on." he bends down to start searching the man for his possessions when time suddenly grinds to a halt... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 21]?? ... "Huh... Maybe this guy was worth more EXP than I first thought?" he mutters to himself, having not expected to level up after only these few bandits. He wouldn''t be able to get a Perk this level, but he was given skillpoints to use... Wait, now that he thinks about it, isn''t he able to max out his Medicine skill? ... Well, he''d definitely be doing that, but what skill should he level up after that? Science? No, he still felt slightly paranoid that the Legion would be sending assassins after him. Hm, on that thought, wouldn''t upgrading his Sneak skill allow how to recognise stealth better? It wouldn''t just increase his abilities to sneak, but also to spot other people sneaking. Nodding to himself, he immediately placed the points in Medicine and Sneak. [Medicine Skill maxed, Perk gained! : Miracle Maker] [Miracle Maker] : A fatal injury to yourself can be instantly healed once a week! ... That is completely broken. Afton could now survive a bullet causes his head to explode with this Perk alone... Of course, it''d only work once a week, but he sincerely doubted he''d allow that to happen to him within such a timespan. With that done he clicks confirm and time resumes again, Afton squinting due to the pain of knowledge burning itself in his mind. He closes his eyes for a couple moments and waits it out, the other''s not noticing as they loot the bandit corpses. Half an hour later the trio had looted everything worth any caps from the bandits. The bodies were piled into a heap at the side of the road, whether or not someone would deal with them was anyone''s guess. The group didn''t want to waste any resources to burn or even dig them a shallow grave, so it''d be up to the NCR to get rid of them before pests started infesting the road. Afton marches over to the barricade as Karl and Boone watch. The sun was still beating down on them and supercharging the former-Brotherhood of Steel member. Once he reached the scrap metal wall he gave it a hard kick, sending a good portion of it falling over. It hadn''t even been welded together, simply propped up against one another in order to stop the group from riding past on Dirt-Bird. Afton easily shifted it outta the way though, his 10 strength wasn''t for nothing after all... Right now he literally had peak human capabilities. No matter how hard someone trained, they''d never be able to get stronger than him. Getting equal strength? Maybe, but it''d still take a lifetime of training and dedication. Once the barricade was outta the way the group slipped through on Dirt-Bird and continued their journey. But, it didn''t seem like they''d be getting to the Gun Runners without trouble stopping them every step of the way. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The sound of gunfire could be heard off in the distance, and Afton was debating whether or not it''d be worth checking it out. If it was a large scale battle they could just wait until it was over and pick up the remaining loot. Or, if it was smallscale, they could clean it up themselves depending on who was fighting. "You guys think we should check it out?" Afton asks the others. Karl nods, "Yeah, might be some folk who need help. This close to New Vegas has a lot of Fiends wanderin'' around, wouldn''t sit right with me if we didn''t atleast makesure nothing untoward was happening." "Untoward? Having a gunfight isn''t ''Untoward?" Afton retorts dryly. Karl just shrugs, "Kid, in the Mojave a gunfight is like invitin'' your family over. No one wants it but they feel obligated to come anyway." he states, causing them both to chuckle, Afton could sware he heard Boone laugh too... But, if the man had then he''d buried it under his facade quickly after. "Boone?" Afton inquires, wanting to know his thoughts. "Might as well. I''ll stay behind you and watch your back, try not to do anything stupid." Afton nods, "Right, well I guess we''re taking a detour then." he says, steering Dirt-Bird into a side road heading west from the highway. As they approach the noise just gets louder and louder, eventually the group can spot a grouping of buildings. One that seemed to be patrolled by robots, probably a RobCo property judging from the specific robots... As well as the "RobCo sign placed at the front. Across the street from that were a group of three buildings that had dirty-looking people stood atop it. All of which were shooting at a small group of NCR soldiers that were hiding behind sandbags down the street. Afton drove Dirt-Bird up to them after the Fiends seemed to lose interest in wasting ammunition on the hiding soldiers. "Yo." he says simply, giving a small wave as they give him a confused look. "W-what? Civilians you need to leave this area now! The fiends have taken up position on those buildings over there and are firing at everything that moves!" the Sargeant of the group commands before peeking over to check on what the fiends were doing. Karl just hops off of the bike and walks up to him, "Don''t worry son, we''re just here to help. We''re mercenaries after all." ... "You can help? Thank god. I thought we''d be stuck here for days waiting for reinforcements... We can prevent those fuckers from running away, but taking them out is beyond us right now. We have a couple rangers who went in to do it, but one is already dead, and the other is heavily injured. Look." he says, handing Karl some binoculars. Chapter 155 - Bear With Me Karl looks through the binoculars at the situation and scowls as he inspects it. The Sergeant was clearly new to this and didn''t have a clue about what was actually happening... One of the Rangers had already been shot dead while the other was laying on the floor covered in wounds. He was still alive, not because he was lucky or durable, but because the Fiends were playing with him like prey. They were crazy, occasionally tossing rocks and other objects at the downed NCR ranger while laughing and cackling madly.?? Karl had seen this many times before, the Fiends held a deep hatred for the NCR and basically brainwashed their members to despise them. They reinforce those feelings with addictive chems and an oppressive power scheme, as well as brutal leaders who''ll ****, kill, and torture as they please. Karl shoves the binoculars back into the Sergeants hands and shakes his head at him, "Son, you don''t even know the mess you''ve been caught up in, do you?" "Sorry?" the man asks, confused at was Karl might be inferring. He points a finger towards the Fiends, "They''ve left the Ranger alive, do you know why?" the Sergeant shakes his head and Karl continues, "Because they know the NCR will do everything they can to take back their own soldiers. The Fiends are trying to lure NCR to them so to try and kill as many as possible before they themselves are taken down... A "Honeypot" they call it." The Sergeant pales at how badly he''d misjudged the situation. He''d always considered the Fiends to just be mindless drug-addled freaks, not capable of any tactics or strategy. Clearly, he''d misjudged their intelligence. as well as their cruelty. "I... Can you help us? I''ll make sure you''re paid for your time. There''ll be more if you manage to get Ranger Morales'' outta there alive." Karl nods at him, "We''ll get on it... First let me talk with my partners, need to see what they make of this mess." he says before turning around to Boone and Afton. "Think we can actually get the Ranger out alive? Situation''s already looking a bit dicey." Afton says, his perception being high enough to see everything while using VATS. The Fiends seemed to be getting very bored, very quickly. Without more NCR to shoot they''d probably finish off the Ranger in half an hour or so. Karl shrugs, "Compared to what you two did to that Legion camp this is nothing. We''ll get the Sergeant to bring their attention to him, while he does that me and the kid will sneak around the side. Boone, there''ll be a good position next to the REPCONN building... Just ignore the robots and start taking out the Fiends while we approach." Boone nods, "Fine by me." The group was currently north-west of the Fiends position, the REPCONN building was south of them and had a good amount of cover for the group to sneak into position. Karl had already given the Sergeant instructions to follow as the group got into position. Obviously, they left Dirt-Bird with the NCR soldiers as they''d immediately be noticed if they tried to ride around on that. Not only was it a reflective metal, but the engine wasn''t completely silent either. Boone got into position behind one of the REPCONN pillars and could already see the many Fiends... Most had Hunting Rifles and seem proficient with them, making the group a lot more dangerous than your typical bandits. Hopefully the drugs they were taken would give them shakey hands... Though, if they all had a steady supply of, well, Steady. They might have trouble once they''re discovered. Karl and Afton continued sneaking towards the south of the Fiends position. Fortunately they wouldn''t need to be all that stealthy as the Sergeant had finally started following the plan. The sound of discharging weapons could be heard as the Sergeant and his men shoot at the Fiends, drawing most of their attention towards that direction. While the Fiends boredom was a threat to the Ranger''s life, it was also a boon. The first sign of something ''interesting'' happening meant that most of them turn their attention towards it. Allowing Karl and Afton to approach without being instantly spotted. With the around twenty Fiends all firing madly at the NCR''s position it wasn''t difficult for Afton and Karl to reach the buildings the Fiends were at. All they needed to do now was make it to the rooftops and then they''d be able to eliminate the rest of ''em. Karl signals Boone with a hand sign while Afton sneaks around the back of the building. *BANG!* Boone''s first shot seems louder than all the other''s as his bullet tears through the skull of one of the Fiends. The other''s immediately take notice and duck behind cover, looking towards the west of the building at where the shot had come from. While this was happening Afton had stepped into the dark alleyway between the buildings. They were pre-war and seemed to be entirely boarded up so he''d need to find a way to the roof without entering inside them. He kept an eye on the roof as he slowly makes his way arou-*CLUNK*, a bear trap bites into his leg, causing him to release a pained grunt as he struggles to stifle his voice. Fuck! He should''ve known that those freaks would''ve put down traps!... Fortunately his Endurance, Recon armour, and [Toughness] was enough to prevent his leg from being completely crippled. He''d have a huge bruise on it later though... He struggled and fiddled around with it for a bit until he finally managed to wrench it open, quickly pulling his foot out as he allowed it to clamp down on nothing. He quickly checked his leg for damage but didn''t see anything that needed any immediate medical attention. Chapter 156 - Executed After freeing himself from the trap Afton became more aware of his surroundings. Immediately noticing a wire leading to a shotgun trap not too far from him. He was lucky he trod in the bear trap instead of getting shot point-blank with a shotgun... Not only would it hurt like a bitch, but the Fiends would know of his position as well. Shaking his head, he continued along the alleyway while keeping an eye at where he was going. He did make sure to cut the wire to prevent himself from triggering it if he needed to quickly retreat.?? Though, one good thing did come out of him stepping into a bear trap... He noticed a ladder that had previously been concealed by trash and scrap metal. It''d lead to the roof where the Fiends were holed up. He didn''t want to waste any more time, both Boone and Karl were at risk if he waited any longer. Gripping the ladder he slowly and silently made his way up. Peeking over to check there weren''t any traps laid at the top. The Fiends were all on the other side of the building firing towards the Sergeant and towards the REPCONN building where Boone was currently at. Afton pulls himself over the side of the building and takes cover behind some scrap concrete. Boone had apparently taken out quite a few of them, and most were too scared to even peek at the sniper now, instead just electing to blind fire in the general direction... Not a smart strategy... Afton quickly checked Lucky and That Gun, making sure there wouldn''t be any problems before he entered combat. He pulled out and laid some extra bullets on the floor so he wouldn''t have to struggle pulling them out of his pocket later. With everything secure, he popped over his cover and activated VATS. He''d kill those closest to him first, it''d prevent the group from rushing his position and allow Boone more opportunities to take them out if they attempted it. [John Wick Style is in effect] Closing VATS he started shooting, the drug-addled freaks movements were random and spontaneous, making it rather hard to judge what they''d do next. Due to this only eight of his eleven shots actually struck true, eight going down with a spray of blood as bullets enter their skulls. His three missed bullet''s only managed to hit non-lethal areas. One thing was for sure now though, he had their attention. "F-fuck! There''s one of them on the roof! Jessie!? YOU BASTARD!" one shouts after realising their friend had been killed. Afton quickly reloaded his weapons as the sounds of the Fiends panicking continued. One stood and started sprinting over to his position, but he was put down by Boone almost immediately after they left their cover. The Fiends were terrified, as well as enraged by what Afton had done. They''d considered themselves in the optimal position, but hadn''t expected someone to get around all their traps. "FUCKING NCR PIG, TAKE THIS!" one shouts. Afton peeks over and uses VATS, his eyes widening as a grenade is about to sail past his head. Holy shit was the only thing he could think. Luckily time was frozen otherwise he''d have been blown up... He might''ve survived with his [Miracle Maker] Perk but it still wasn''t optimal... Honestly, he was surprised by how badly he''d reacted to a grenade getting thrown at him... Bullet and knives? Fine. But this? He''d frozen up. He took a couple moments to compose himself in VATS before deactivating it and grabbing the grenade out of the air. [Scare a humanoid shitless. 38/50] The Fiends gape at him as he tosses the grenade back, most immediately jumping into action and either throwing themselves to the ground, or off of the roof. One didn''t seem to realise the danger he was in and got the brunt of the grenade, shrapnel tearing his body apart in a bloody and brutal fashion. While this was happening Karl had been sneaking over to try and recover Ranger Morales'', he''d just reached the man when a Fiend throws themselves off of the roof and lands in front of him. Their leg broken from falling badly. They spot Karl and quickly try to point their rifle at him, but the former-ranger just kicks it away and stomps of their face. "Howdy, nice to meet you son." he says coldly as he points his .44 at their face. "P-p-p-please! I have a fam-"*BANG!* Karl holsters his gun after dispatching the Fiend and looks over the Ranger. they had a few bullet wounds, one in the stomach while others just in his limbs. The only dangerous one was the gutshot, he''d probably need surgery to get that fixed... He''d try to do some on the spot first-aid, it''d be good enough until Afton got there and tended to the man. "You still awake Morales''?" "Y-yeah..." the man grunts through the pain. "Good, we''re gonna get you outta this. Just hold on until then." With Afton he''d just put down one of the other injured Fiends who''d been caught by the grenade''s shrapnel. There was two left, both stabbing themselves with some kind of drug and charging his position. Afton shot at them but they blocked their faces with their arms while ducking and weaving. A few bullets blasted holes into their limbs, but the Fiends didn''t even slow. Seems whatever they just took prevented them from feeling pain? He quickly holstered Lucky and drew his knife at a Fiend jumped over his concrete cover and tried to punch him. The punch was easily blocked but Afton was more worried about the pistol they were trying to shoot him with. In a melee controlling your opponent weapons was imperative, especially if they had a firearm. He sliced their eyes with his knife and dipped behind them just as the other Fiend started unloading their own weapon. The bullets hitting Afton''s makeshift meat shield. He quickly fired back with That Gun, putting a bullet between their eyes now that they weren''t making themselves a hard to hit target. The Fiend he was using a hostage tried to break out from his grip, but his 10 Strength was simply too big a hurdle to overcome. Afton slit their throat and threw them off of the roof once he confirmed that the other Fiend was dead. Wiping his forehead as he tried to calm his breaths. That, was one hell of a fight. Chapter 157 - Saving Private Ry-Ranger Morales With all the Fiends dead the situation quickly settled down. Afton looked over the side of the building and spotted Karl trying to tend to the injured Ranger while the man kept spouting random things like "I''m sorry Christina" and "I should''ve listened to you."... Perhaps the blood loss was making him delusional? If that was the case then he''d need to start working on him soon before he starts sleeping forever. Getting down to the ground via the ladder he rushes over and kneels beside the man while his hand rifles through his Deathclaw leather bag in search for medical tools. "What''re his injuries?" he quickly asks.?? "Some shots to the arms and legs, and one bad one in his gut." them man calmly lists off. Afton lifts some of the bandages Karl had applied and spots the injury, that''d definitely need surgery. It seems to have breached his intestine, bacteria will infect the wound soon enough... He retrieves some high potency alcohol and pours it over the wound, cleaning it off dirt before he plunges his tweezers inside in search of the bullet. Most doctors wouldn''t dare try this without a whole team supporting them, as well as an x-ray to get the general idea of where their target was, but Afton isn''t an ordinary doctor anymore. As if his tweezers were magnetic he pulls it outta the man. He looks over the bullet to make sure it hadn''t shattered and leave any shards behind, once he was confident he doused the wound with alcohol again and injected a stimpack into some key areas. He made sure to inject it into the intestine first to allow it to heal completely before moving onto the destroyed muscle surrounding it. In the game stimpacks would heal different amounts depending on your Medicine skill, that wasn''t because they improved though. It was simply because you got better at applying them. Once Afton was done, all that was left of the deadly wound was a pink spot of skin where the new flesh had grown. He''d still be sore tomorrow, and he may shit some blood, but he''d live. Afton looks down at the man who seemed to be coming to his senses, stimpacks didn''t just regrow muscle and organs, but assist in the production of blood. "You alright?" Morales looks down at his wound and slowly nods, "Wow... You''re crazy doc. Didn''t think I''d make it through that, not even my Implant could''ve healed such a wound." he says, laying his hand back into the sand, clearly exhausted. "Impant?" Afton asks, with his medical knowledge he knew implants existed, but he hadn''t expected anyone to be selling them in the Mojave... They are a notoriously difficult thing to credibly give to people, even before the Great-war they only had a 70% chance of working and not being rejected... Morales nods, "Yeah... My wife Chrstina was worried about me and managed to convince me to get one... It was called moncyte or something? Supposed to slowly heal my wounds, obviously it didn''t work on that one though." "Monocyte?" Afton asks, getting a nod from the man. "Yeah, Monocyte breeder I think she called it... Doctor Usanagi charged an arm and a leg for it though." Doctor Usanagi? Strange, wouldn''t have thought any eastern names would''ve survived the Great-war, with all the anti-communist robots going around trying to exterminate ''foreign spies'' he was surprised they hadn''t changed it... Though, he did find it quite funny that even 200 years in the future after the apocalypse, Japanese people still kick the shit out of Westerners when it comes to academic studies... "You know anything about this ''Doctor Usanagi'' Karl?" he asks, wanting to know more. Getting a couple Implants didn''t sound too bad if he were honest. Karl shrugs, "A good Doctor but makes most of her caps by selling those Implants... 4000 caps for one last I checked." he says. 4000 caps each? That makes sense, it isn''t easy to recover the specific parts for each one... If Afton were honest then he''d say that the price was more than fair, especially with what she was supposedly providing. "Alright, we should get you back to the Sergeant... Karl, we''ll come back and loot the Fiends later." he says, picking Morales up in a princess carry. "Hey, not that I''m being ungrateful or anything but... Could you carry me over your shoulder or something?" Morales asks, clearly he felt emasculated at being carried like this. Afton gives him a kind smile, "No." The man just grumbles in response to Afton''s refusal to put him down. He and Karl eventually reach the NCR soldier''s position. The area was riddled with bullets from the earlier fight, but no one seemed injured, the plan had worked flawlessly. "Sergeant, we''ve brought your boy back." Karl says from the side, from the side Boone was slowly walking towards them from the REPCONN building, a satisfied look on his face. "Ranger Morales, are you alright?" the man quickly asks while looking him over. Morales sighs at being treated like an injured child, "Yes, yes, I''m alright... Now can you put me down? I think I can stand on my own." Afton shrugs and lets him down, the Ranger stumbling and having to be caught by the Sergeant as he loses the strength in his legs. "Yeah, nice one princess." Afton snarks, causing the ranger''s face to go red with embarrassment. Afton was waiting to retort to any response the man was going to give, but time abruptly froze as soon as the Sergeant got a good grip on the ranger. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 22] Huh, didn''t think those Fiends were enough to level up... Maybe saving Morales was a quest? Whatever. Afton just dumps all his new skillpoints into Sneak. It''d definitely proven useful while he was sneaking up on the Fiends, and would likely give an extremely overpowered Perk once he maxed it... Looking at the Perks available he frowns at the lack of options again... This was becoming a trend, the further he progressed the fewer Perks appeared... Was it like this in the base game or was he just unlucky? [Spray and Pray] : Your attacks do 75% less damage to companions. Afton wasn''t sure what to make of this Perk... It could potentially be overpowered depending on how he used it... Imagine strapping an explosive to one of his companion''s chests and sending them into an enemy fortification. The explosion would likely leave them alive while killing everyone else, though, he felt uncomfortable just thinking about it. He wasn''t heartless and appreciated the people travelling with him. Karl was already a prominent figure in his life, he may be his best friend as well... As weird as it sounds to have a best friend who could probably be your grandfather... Chapter 158 - Tiny Tim Though, his relationship with Boone was a weird one. The man had a lot of baggage and probably need some mental trauma counselling. Not that he''d ever accept such a thing mind you, he was too proud and stubborn to accept that he needed help. Hopefully once Boone got friendlier with him and Karl the man would open up to them about his problems... Only then would he be on the path to recovery...?? Yeah, he probably wouldn''t be taking the [Spray and Pray] Perk, even if it did have its uses, he likely wouldn''t ever make use of them. Instead it would be better off to just put points in something like [Intense Training] or another of the lower level Perks. ... Hmm, thinking about it more clearly, if this Doctor Usanagi had the capability to create the Monocyte Breeder Implant, then wouldn''t she be able to create the other easier ones? The one''s that increased a human''s base stats to a higher degree... If she did then wouldn''t they increase one''s S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats? He was still unsure at whether or not maxing out a stat would provide a Perk, but if it followed the trend the skillpoints had set then it probably would. The Perk given would likely be much more powerful as well judging by how difficult it was to raise the S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat. Going into [Intense Training] he looked over his two stats that could potentially reach 10 after gaining an Implant, Strength and Agility. He wasn''t sure which of these would give the best benefits. Obviously, if he was just going with his current fighting style then Agility would be the best bet... But he couldn''t just think of the stats themselves... He needed to consider what potential Perk he would gain... When he maxed out his Guns skill he got [John Wick Style], a Perk that allows him to even the playing field even when heavily outnumbered. When he maxed out Speech he got [Spies Guise], a Perk that tricked people into revealing more than they usually would. And when he got Medicine to 100 he got [Miracle Maker] a Perk that''d save his life once a week.... The trend set by these was rather random, but in the end, did correlate with their respective skill... So, if he upgraded Agility to the max, what would he get? Would he become more flexible? Get a superpower? Get faster? It was painfully irritating to be in the dark about it if he were honest. What would he gain if he maxed out strength? He doubted it''d just make him stronger otherwise that stat itself would become rather pointless. Afton shakes his head after a moment, he needed to treat the potential Perks as if they''d be useless. There wasn''t really a point putting all his hopes on the Perk when the stats were useful on their own. In the end he used [Intense Training] to put another point into Agility, putting it at 9. And with that, time resumed. Afton managed to hold the same expression he had before time got stopped as knowledge about stealth made its way into his mind. Just before Ranger Morales is handed off to someone else so the Sergeant could discuss their pay, the man gave them a grateful look, "All jokes aside... You saved my life today, if there''s anything I can do to repay you, just say the word." The Sergeant ignores the man''s heartfelt words and hands him off to one of his soldiers, "Get him comfortable, I''ll radio in for an NCR doctor to check him over to make sure he''s fit for travel." he looks to Afton, "No disrespect meant, it''s just proper procedure considering you aren''t licensed by the NCR." Afton shrugs, "None taken. Now, we were going to discuss our pay, right?" he says, causing the Sergeant to sigh. "Yes..." It''s funny really, the Sergeant was so desperate for the group''s help, but when it finally came time to pay up he was reluctant... Should''ve expected it, this is what most mercenaries experience right? Getting short-changed after completing the job. Maybe Afton should start writing up contracts to prevent anyone from backing out... Though, the terms of which would need to be specified. He couldn''t very well write up a contract in the middle of a gunfight though, could he? If they found themselves in another situation like this it''d be the same result regardless... Hmm, maybe next time they should make them squirm for a while longer to make sure they knew the severity of the situation, but even then they still might try to cheat them. Afton sighs, whatever, atleast their reputation would spread from this. Even if the caps were not worth the effort. He distributes the caps between the group, only getting 150 caps each due to the stingy Sergeant. "I''ll tell you again, I''m sorry if the pay isn''t what you thought. I don''t earn much and the NCR frowns on using mercenaries... Aside from bounty hunters of course... Afton just shrugs, "Tell that to my starving family, I''d like you to look Tiny Tim in the eye and tell him he won''t be eating today." he retorts and starts walking back to where the bodies of the Fiends lay. Karl and Boone catch up with him and the former can''t control his chuckling anymore, "Tiny Tim? Where''d you come up with that, kid?" "Oh, you haven''t met my starving disabled son yet? Shame, I think you''d like him." Afton jokes, "I''ll be sure to mention him in any conversations that require it." he adds just before the group splits up and starts looting the corpses of the Fiends. Karl goes over and looks around for any more traps, disarming the one''s he finds. There''re a couple mines and some more bear traps, all of which he stores in his backpack. While Afton was stripping a dirty male Fiend clean of his clothes a notification pops up in the corner of his vision. [NCR REP Increased! : Liked] Hm, atleast they didn''t come away from this with nothing... Even if the loot from the Fiends bodies was worth more than what the Sergeant had paid them. Chapter 159 - Trouble Finding You Afton and the other''s looted the Fiends bodies, collecting a good amount of weaponry as well as chems. The dirty drug addicts may have taken most of the chems before their deaths, but they had so much that a small quantity was still worth a good amount of caps. While he did want to gather as much stuff as possible to make the most gains when they eventually arrived at the Gun Runners, Afton wasn''t going to strip the Fiends for their clothes... They may be worth a few caps each but it simply wasn''t worth it. Some were covered in blood and most smelled like shit.?? Once they''d packed everything valuable up the group got back on Dirt-Bird and started driving towards the Gun Runners. There were a few things that Afton had noticed as they were driving. His Pipboy buzzed to life as they passed a large rocky outcropping, looking at the map there was apparently a Vault placed there... Vault 34, well, he could check on that later on, it was more important to sell of their loot and get to the Gun Runners first. Though, even when Afton was determined to reach their destination, trouble always seemed to try and get his attention. They were driving past someplace called the Aerotech office park when they noticed an NCR soldier wearing a beret start shouting in a rage. "FUCKING SCUM! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN! OH MY GOD!" he roars to no one imparticular, kicking up stones and dirt as he tries to get his frustrations out on anything. "Think we should check this out? I ain''t never seen a Captain this troubled before, hell, I knew one who was calm even when surrounded by Legionary Assassins and Mongrels." Karl says from behind him. Afton shrugs, "Fine, but we aren''t taking any jobs until we properly equip ourselves." he says, pulling over to the side of the road, hopping off of Dirt-Bird and walking towards the enraged man. "Yo, Mr NCR-hulk, what''s up?" Afton asks with a small wave, his introduction causing Karl and Boone to give him a sideways glance. "Wha-Who? Who are you?" the man says after almost pulling out his pistol to fire at them, clearly he was too high strung to think rationally right now. "Just some mercenaries, if you need help then we''re your guys." Afton continues. The man shakes his head and wipes his face of the moisture that''d gathered, though, whether or not those droplets were sweat or tears would be anyone''s guess. "It''s too late now, I''ve failed my duty... Those sick bastards!" Afton crosses his arms and sighs, "Can''t really help if you won''t tell us the problem." "The problem? Some fuckin'' sicko''s have made their way into my refugee camp and kidnapped some children. You hear me? Ch-il-dren! All while I was supposed to be protecting them!" All of the group''s looks sharpen at hearing this. While they wouldn''t be considered the most morale group in the waste, they wouldn''t sit idly by while children were going missing. "Tell you what, once we''ve completed our business at the Gun Runners, we''ll be back to help you out. Deal?" Afton says. The man slowly nods, "If you think you can help... Ah, I''m Captain Parker by the way." ... Karl raises a brow and points, "Kid''s name is Afton Parker, any relation?" he asks semi-sarcastically. Captain Parker shakes his head, "I hope not, my bitch ex-wife kept the name but you ain''t old enough to be hers... Parker''s a common name anyway..." The other two introduce themselves to Captain Parker before they all retreat back to Dirt-Bird. Afton glances at them as they begin riding to the Gun Runners. "There isn''t anything I hate more than people who hurt children. So when we find this fucker I''m going to make sure they get what''s coming to them. If the NCR wants to arrest them then they''ll have to scrape them off of the floor first." Karl nods, "I''m with ya'' kid, it''s one of the reasons I hate the Legion so much." Boone just grunts with them, but its plain to see how much anger he''s holding back at the thought. After a couple more minutes of driving the group finally arrive in front of a large fenced-off building. Dirt-Bird halting before a shack with no visible entrance containing a Protectron. It was filled to the brim with weaponry and shielded with what looked like bulletproof glass. The only other thing of notice was the Reloading Station next to the shack, as well as the man operating it. The man with tanned skin and black hair hidden by a baseball cap raises a brow at them as they arrive, "Hey, didn''t think anyone was rolling around on one of those anymore." says while looking at Dirt-Bird with interest. Afton just shurgs at him, "I know, she''s a beauty. We''re just here to buy some weaponry though." he says, not wanting to enter a conversation with them. "I see. Well, the Vendertron will handle everything, no need for me to get involved." he mutters before going back to his work. Afton steps up to the glass and looks at the robot, "Er... What''re you selling?" "He-ello sir, or madam. I am designated unit Vendertron, how can I be of service to you today." ... "Guns. Lots, of guns." he states with shimmering eyes. The Vendertron proceeds to list all of the weapons that are currently in stock. And boy was there a lot of weapons. All of them were in perfect condition, probably having been personally built by the Gun Runners, or restored through a long process. Though, this was good and bad... Good, because he wouldn''t need to spend time fixing anything he bought here... And bad because he wouldn''t be able to buy any broken weapons for cheap and quickly fix them via his Perks. Chapter 160 - Gun Runners Is EXPENSIVE! The Vendertron goes on to catalogue every weapon the Gun Runners currently have in stock. It''s unfortunate Afton isn''t able to check them via his Pipboy, but Karl and Boone would be able to tell him what weapons are good or not. [silenced .22 pistol]?? Weight : 3 Value : 100 [varmint rifle] Weight : 5.5 Value : 95 [9mm pistol] Weight : 1.5 Value : 110 [.357 Magnum revolver] Weight : 2 Value : 120 [single shotgun] Weight : 7 Value : 185 [10mm pistol] Weight : 3 Value : 760 [9mm SMG] Weight : 4 Value : 860 [cowboy repeater] Weight : 5 Value : 810 [service rifle] Weight : 8.5 Value : 550 [caravan shotgun] Weight : 3 Value : 685 [.44 Magnum revolver] Weight : 3.5 Value : 2600 [lever-action shotgun] Weigh : 3 Value : 2100 [silenced .22 SMG] Weight : 8 Value : 1950 [10mm SMG] Weight : 5 Value : 2470 [hunting rifle] Weight : 6 Value : 2300 [sawed-off shotgun] Weight : 4 Value : 2000 [trail carbine] Weight : 5.5 Value : 3000 [hunting revolver] Weight : 4 Value : 3600 [assault carbine] Weight : 6 Value : 4100 [sniper rifle] Weight : 8 Value : 4200 [hunting shotgun] Weight : 7.5 Value : 4000 [12.7mm pistol] Weight : 3.5 Value : 4100 [riot shotgun] Weight : 5 Value : 5700 [12.7mm submachine gun] Weight : 5 Value : 5300 [marksman carbine] Weight : 6 Value : 5300 [minigun] Weight : 25 Value : 5700 [light machine gun] Weight : 15 Value : 5400 [brush gun] Weight : 5 Value : 5000 [anti-materiel rifle] Weight : 20 Value : 5800 The prices differ greatly for what Afton used to selling weapons at... Though, he usually only sold junk weapons that were a strong breeze away from falling apart. There were also some unique weapons being sold, but Afton felt his stomach turn at hearing their prices... [bozar] Weight : 15 Value : 21000 [medicine stick] Weight : 5.5 Value : 21000 Yeah, after the group had sold off all the chems, weapons, and other loot. Afton only had around 11550 caps... His entire net worth wouldn''t be able to purchase one of those unique weapons, so, he obviously wouldn''t try to purchase one... Maybe he would in future when he was rolling in caps, but as of now he was stuck with the ''mundane'' weapons. Though, even the ''mundane'' weaponry being sold wasn''t anything to scoff at. They were literally selling miniguns and anti-material rifles. Afton was like a kid in a candy shop, he as salivating at the thought of being able to use them. In the past, he wasn''t really that interested in ballistic weapons, but after maxing out his Guns skill he found that he was able to appreciate those kinds of weapons just as much as energy ones. He was so used to crappy guns that''d been forgotten after the Great war, but now he was presented with brand-spanking-new guns? Karl upon noticing Afton''s adoring gaze nudges him with an elbow. "You there kid? Remember that we''re looking for that friend of yours, unless you have NCR identification you ain''t getting into the strip without a minimum of 2000 caps." Afton somehow manages to pry his focus away from the weaponry on display and glances to Karl, "Ah... you''re right..." he mutters, having almost forgotten that Veronica might be in the New Vegas strip with Tamia. "Didn''t you want to check out those Implants as well?" Karl continues, causing Afton''s face to scrunch up as if he was facing the most difficult choice of his life. Afton sends a pitiable look at Karl, "Did you have to remind me?" he mutters, thinking about what they''d actually be needing in the future... Sure, Afton could just go ahead and buy a minigun, but would he actually be able to use it? More importantly, would it suit his combat style? The answer would be no. While he was strong enough to wield it, he''d be a sitting duck, a glass cannon waiting to be buried in enemy gunfire. After a couple moments of thinking, Afton remembered that he did want to take care of the Deathclaws in Quarry Junction. For that, he''d probably need an Anti-Material rifle... That would cost most of his caps there and then, and that wasn''t even mentioning the cost of .50 calibre ammunition. .50 calibre round cost 6 caps each, and weigh 0.25lbs... Karl would try and barter to reduce the price, but you can''t really barter with a machine can you? This is most likely one of the main reasons the Gun Runners use the Vendertron to sell goods. Afton reluctantly pays up 6000 caps for an anti-material rifle and some ammunition, he also made sure to buy a couple explosive .50 calibre rounds. The gun slides out from a slot under the bulletproof glass, the bullets he''d purchased all unceremoniously clattering the ground... Afton just gives the Vendertron a dirty look before slowly gathering all the bullets back up. Once done, he examines the Anti-Material rifle with his Pipboy to get an accurate idea at how strong it is. [Anti-Material rifle] DMG : 110 Crit dmg : 110 Crit mult : 1x Strength req : 8 Weight : 20 Value : 5600 Afton nods to himself at the gun, it''s definitely worth the price... If he added the damage of the explosive bullets then he''d be getting around 200 DMG... Hopefully its enough to one-shot a Deathclaw. He looks at the other weapons available but shakes his head, Lucky, That Gun, his Sawed-Off shotgun, and his Anti-Material rifle would be enough for now. If he lugged around any more weapons people might mistake him as a merchant. The Gun Runners were selling armour too, but Afton''s Recon Armour was good enough for now. He also needed to save some caps to get some Implants from Doctor Usanagi... Hopefully, he''d be rewarded with a Perk. Otherwise he''d be feeling kind of stupid... Not that having 10 Agility would be a bad thing, it''s just that its probably not the optimal thing he could''ve been spending his stat points, caps, and time on. Afton slings the Anti-Material rifle on his back, grimacing slightly at the weight before stepping back and sitting on Dirt-Bird while the other''s buy what they need. Chapter 161 - Slaving Away Boone was the first to step back, the man hadn''t been with him and Karl for as long, meaning he didn''t have as many caps to throw around for equipment. After a couple moments he hefted another Anti-Material rifle onto his shoulder and stepped towards Afton. "Figured I''d need this, can''t imagine your plans''ll be pretty... Best to bring the biggest guns I can carry." he states.?? Afton nods, "Yeah, your hunting rifle probably isn''t going to do much against Deathclaws." he says semi-sarcastically. Boone would probably find it difficult to lug both his rifles around... He wasn''t a freak of nature like Afton who had more than enough strength to spare. The man wouldn''t be able to use it without propping it on something first due to its sheer amount of weight. Karl spends more than anyone else looking at what to purchase, eventually coming away from the Vendertron with some green-camouflaged combat armour, as well as a Light Machine Gun. Combat armour is essentially the most effective attempt at combining defence and mobility. It''s mainly used by rich factions who can''t afford or find Power Armour. Karl had gotten the cheapest and lightest one available, the more expensive reinforced ones would limit his movement far too much for his liking. Plus, he wouldn''t be able to afford a good weapon if he went that route. The Light Machine Gun itself was a heavy but powerful weapon, it was the miniguns little brother in that it functioned the same but without crippling the user''s movement. Karl puts the combat armour on over his dirty white t-shirt and jeans, afterwards hefting the Light Machine Gun over his shoulder. "Heh, I pity the fool who tries to mess with us now." he jokes while popping his stetson cowboy hat back on. Afton just raises a brow at him, "You got any more caps after buying all that?" Karl smirks and reaches into his pocket, rifling around for a moment before pulling out around 100 caps. ... Afton sighs, he''d be annoyed if they didn''t already have a job ready for them. He and Boone would be forced to chip in for Karls meals if he was truly skint. "Alright, let''s get back to Captain Parker and see what we can do for him. Maybe we''ll be able to put our new guns to use while we''re at it." With the group now kitted out with new weaponry, they start up Dirt-Bird and leave a trail of dust as they backtrack to Captain Parkers location. Isaac who''d been working a the loading bench while this happened coughed and spluttered while inwardly cursing them for it, the man not liking the prank one bit. It didn''t take long for the group to get back to where they''d initially met the Captain. Now though they were able to see where he was actually in charge of. It was called the Aerotech Office Park, neither Boone nor Karl had any idea what it was supposed to be, only that it hadn''t existed a couple years prior. It was a large walled off settlement with one tiny door that led inside, there weren''t any guards around either which meant that this either wasn''t a military outpost, or wasn''t properly funded. Regardless, Afton left the bike outside the door as the group entered inside... He was sure there wouldn''t be anyone stupid enough to try and steal it... But if there was? It wasn''t his problem. Inside the group were greeted by a large fountain that was no longer pumping water in the middle of the area. It was surrounded entirely by what looked like residential buildings, but judging by the state of the nearby people, it was more likely to be a refugee camp... That''d also explain the lack of guards, as well as the fact not many people seemed to be bothered by the missing people. Sitting next to the fountain was Captain Parker, the man had his head in his hands and a bottle of whisky placed on the floor in front of him. Clearly, he was still infuriated by his inability to protect the residents of this place. "Captain Parker?" Afton greets, the new weapon making him quite the intimidating sight, and that''s not even mentioning the two other heavily armed men beside him. The Captain looks up as he hears Afton''s voice, his cheeks were slightly red indicating that he was probably inebriated. "Hmm? Oh, the other Parker huh?" Afton just nods and continues as if the man wasn''t drunk, "We''re here to find those missing people... The job is still open, right?" Parker just waves his hand, "Yeah, yeah, like anyone gives a shit about some refugee''s going missing. I''ll pay you what I can if you manage to find them, don''t count on it being much though, the refugees have fuck all and its the same with me... NCR''s too busy with the Legion to fund this place." "Any leads on where to start? It''d speed up the process if we weren''t forced to go walking around New Vegas like headless chickens." Parker slowly nods, "Yeah... I asked around a bit earlier and everything seemed to have one thing in common, they were dealing with Saint James and his partner Dermot. I''d go down there and ask ''em myself, but this is my station and I''ll be damned if I let any more people go missing." Afton nods, "Where can we find those two?" "Last I heard they were up in Westside... A tip before you go, don''t go guns blazing otherwise you might wind up killing innocent men, either find evidence and bring it to me, or get them to admit it." he warns, somehow becoming serious through his drunken state. Karl nods at the man, "Don''t worry, we ain''t murderers, just killers. We''ll find the men responsible for this and get back the missing families if we''re able." The group bid one last goodbye to the man as they leave the Aerotech Office Park. Chapter 162 - Change Of Plans The group exit Aerotech Office Park and almost immediately notice the stench of burnt flesh... Looking over towards Dirt-Bird there were a couple of smoking corpses next to it. All of which seemed to be ''former'' refugees. ...?? Afton just shakes his head, "Not my problem... Any of you know where Westside is anyway?" he asks as Karl and Boone step over the smoking corpse. Boone nods, "Yeah, we should head north though, the other route leads us straight through Fiend territory." Afton starts up the engine and speeds off all the while following directions from Boone. During the drive they pass by the New Vegas East Gate, Crimson Caravan Company, and the New Vegas Medical Clinic owned by Doctor Usanagi. They don''t stop by though as they had more pressing matters to attend to. Eventually they reach one of the entrances that lead within Westside, fortunately it was big enough for them to slip Dirt-Bird through as Afton wasn''t comfortable walking too far from it... Even with the defences he''d added, there were still a few ways of getting around them. The obvious one being to destroy the Protectron laser arms before they could do anything. Westside itself was a rather weird settlement. There seemed to be many homeless people around, but interspersed in the crowds of people were rich looking individuals. There were a few bars and other shops around, but the main thing that drew Afton''s attention were the large vegetable and fruit farms scattered around the place. If he didn''t know any better he''d say that this place was responsible for most of New Vegas''s food... Aside from what the Brahmin Barons decide to trade them. The place looked to be self-governed as well, there weren''t any NCR soldiers present, but the businesses present here had hired guards and bounty hunters to keep the area peaceful. If Afton were honest, he''d say he preferred this over the NCR... Though, whether that was just because of his bias against the NCR. Even with the few guards around, the group still stuck out like a sore thumb... People didn''t usually walk around armed to teeth with weaponry capable of destroying military vehicles. They tried to ask around for a bit to find where Saint James and Dermot might be, but most people tended to either ignore them, run away, or get ready for a fight. It was only through Afton''s maxed out Speech skill that someone slipped the duo''s location as they retreated. Apparently, the two were currently living in the Casa Madrid Apartments, a place notorious for its prostitutes. It wasn''t surprising that two potential kidnappers lived there, nor would Afton be shocked to hear that those that''d been kidnapped were being forced to work there... But that''s still to be discovered. As they approached Afton spotted two black men leaning against a nearby building, both seemed to match Saint James and Dermot''s descriptions. Karl and Boone waited nearby as Afton went to approach them, having those two behind him would make the duo less likely to talk. "Yo." he says simply as he approaches the one known as Saint James. ... Saint James just gives him a weird look, "Fuck off." he states after deciding that Afton wasn''t worth anything. Afton does his best to look insulted by the man, his anger at them potentially kidnapping people adding to the effect, "Huh? What''s your problem? I''m only here to do business." Dermot steps up next to Saint James and looks at him with interest, "Business eh? What kind of business?" ... Afton had previously thought over what he''d say, how the conversation would go, and how he would force the duo to accidentally slip up... But before he''d even met them he could feel that there was something off with them. He activated VATS to prevent himself from just shooting them both in their faces and thought about how he actually wanted to go about this. Afton a couple minute of thinking, he finally decided his plan of action. He deactivated VATS and gave them a calm smile... And proceeded to draw Luck and smack Saint James with it, sending the now unconscious man to the floor. Dermot quickly tries to draw his own weapon, but Afton was already pointing Lucky at his head. "W-what do you want?" Afton doesn''t take his eyes off of the man and calls for his companions, Karl and Boone walking over while glaring at the duo. "I want you to tell me where the missing people are." ... "Missing people? I have no idea what you''re talking about!" Afton snorts, "Yeah right, I got information that you two dealt with everyone who went missing." "That''s fuckin'' bullshit and you know it. I was nowhere near those refugee''s when this happened." "I never said anything about refugee''s." Afton states, the man''s slip having revealed everything he needed to know. "Now, you tell me what you know or they''ll be sweeping bits of your skull and brain matter off of the floor for weeks." ... Dermot didn''t seem like he was going to answer, his eyes occasionally flicking towards where his gun was. Afton was ready to act as soon as the man reached for his revolver, a bullet piercing his wrist as he reached for it. "ARRGH! Y-YOU FUCK!" Afton takes the revolver and passes it to Boone, "You WILL tell me what you know, if you don''t I WILL kill you. Do you understand!?" Dermot gulps his saliva and gives a slow nod, "Y-you''ll let me live if I tell you?" Afton smiles at him, "Of course." "M-my room... The information is in my room." he states, "Can I go now?" Afton shakes his head and pushing Dermot forwards, pressing Lucky against the man''s back while he encourages the man to lead the way. Boone and Karl pick up Saint James after disarming him of his Power Fist and follow along. The crowd of people who had gathered to watch the conflict make way for them as they walk through. Some wanted to interfere as they''d had prior dealings with the duo, but the looks on the Afton and the other''s faces deterred any ''would-be'' heroes for now. Chapter 163 - Doomed Receipts Once the group enter the Casa Madrid Apartments they''re stopped by a man wearing leather armour and a red bandana, he points a sawed-off shotgun at them and commands them to stop. "You lot better hold up before I feed you some lead, you chose the wrong place to fuck with."? ? Dermot seems to be grateful that this man had intervened but Afton just raises a brow, "Who''re you?" "Who am I? I''m Marco, the guy who owns this joint. Real question is who are you, must think you''re real big shots to go around causing trouble like this." "You better put that gun down, else we might think you''re one of these fucker''s accomplices." Afton says with a glare. "Accomplice?" Marco parrots, clearly lost at what this is actually about. Afton nods, "These two are responsible for kidnapping men, women, and children. We''re here to find out where they are." Marco pales at his words, a few of the women in the apartments had also gathered and gasped. Seems they were in the dark about what these two are truly been up to. "They were doing what? Is this true Dermot?" Marco almost snarls at him. "N-no-ghuk" the man tries to reply but Karl jabs him in the back with his .44 revolver. "Yes." "Then do what you want with these two bastards, just don''t go damaged the apartments... If you wanna kill ''em do it outside as well, blood is a bitch to clean. Afton shrugs and glances to Dermot, "Come on, where''s your room at." The group walk through the apartments until the reach their destination, opening the door where Dermot points to his bedside table, a ledger sitting on it innocuously. Afton walks over and picks it up, taking one final glance at Dermot before he begins reading the book that''d decide his fate. Almost immediately, Afton knew he wasn''t going to let the rat leave alive. The receipts read like punches to the gut, it was clear they weren''t going to be able to save the missing people. Afton didn''t know much, but the man known as Motor Runner was like the Boogeyman to the waste, leader of the fiends and known murderer, serial rapist, arsonist, and every other crime in the book. TO MOTOR RUNNER: Teen girl - 500 caps Adult man, 38 - 0 caps TO MOTOR RUNNER: Adult woman (28) - 250 caps Old woman - 25 caps Old man - 25 caps Baby (boy?) - 0 caps TO NEPHI: Teen girl - 400 caps Teen boy - 150 caps Child girl (7?) - 50 caps TO COOK COOK: Adult woman - 200 caps Teen girl - 400 caps Teen girl - 400 caps Teen boy - 100 caps Apparently, Saint James was worse than Dermot as well. The man was a pedophile who tried to **** one of the kidnapped children, Dermot stopped him though as "even fiends dont want used goods.", Saint James should still have the teddy bear the young girl was carrying, he uses it in her place apparently. Honestly, Afton was trembling in rage. He knew the Fiends were fucking disgusting, but this? It made him want to go over and annihilate all of them... In fact, he might just do that. Why let these wastes of life continue living when they''re committing atrocities such as this? Karl and Boone can clearly see how bad the ledger is just by Afton reaction, he passes it to Karl who struggles to hold a neutral expression, Boone reading it next. Afton looks at Dermot, "Follow me." he states as they walk into Saint James room, finding a teddy bear that''d obviously been soiled from his "activities". This was the final straw in Afton''s book, the two men were already dead, but now he just wanted to make them suffer. Though, he wouldn''t do it here, he''d do it outside the Apartments as a favour to Marco. Marco looks at them as they march out of the apartments, "Found what you needed?" Afton nods, "More than enough. Come outside if you wanna see how I''m going to deal with these people." Marco nods and follows them as they walk outside, quickly Afton acquires some rope and ties Saint James to a lampost, doing the same to Dermot to another nearby one. His actions were already attracting curious on-lookers, and their numbers were only increased when he drove Dirt-Bird to their position. Soon enough the crowd reached a hundred people, the street chock-full with people wanting to know what was happening. Afton stands on Dirt-Bird as he wanted to make sure everyone knew what was happening. Perhaps it''d even prevent people from doing something similar in future? "People of Westside, I would advise any of you that are squeamish, have children accompanying you, or dislike brutal levels of violence to leave before I begin. For the rest I''d like to present you with two people, say hello to Dermot and Saint James. Some of you might even know them personally!" he says gesturing towards the two. Saint James had just woken up and was already shouting curses at him. "For those of you not in the know, these two are responsible for kidnapping innocent men, women, and children before selling them as sex-slaves to the Fiends." his words instantly causing some of the crowd to become distraught at the news. Some even recognise where Afton was going with this... Afton continues, "So, as there is no formal law out here, I''ve decided to take matters into my own hands. Dermot and Saint James, for the crime of dooming four adults and eight children to a fate worse than death, I will give unto you a similar punishment!" he shouts. Dermot''s eyes go wide at this, "BUT YOU SAID YOU WOULD LET ME LIVE!" Saint James''s head whips around towards his partner, "FUCKING TRAITOR!" Afton shakes his head, "I cannot let you live after seeing what horrific crimes you''ve committed... Tell me, do either of you feel any remorse for what you have done!?" Chapter 164 - Punishment "-do either of you feel any remorse for what you have done!?" Saint James does his best to try and spit at Afton, but the spittle doesn''t travel far enough to hit him.?? "Please, please, please DON''T KILL ME! I PROMISE I''LL DO BETTER! PLEASE!" Afton just shakes his head, "I''d apologise for this, but then I''d be lying." he states as he picks up one of the ropes attached to Saint James lower half. It''s tied tightly around his waist while his upper body is completely secured to the lampost. He ties the length of rope around the back of Dirt-Bird and starts it up, "This won''t amount to the same pain you''ve inflicted on others, but its enough for you to understand what you''ve done." he states as he starts slowly accelerating Dirt-Bird in the opposite direction, the rope immediately being pulled taut. Saint James only now seemed to realise what was happening, he grunts in pain as he continues cursing at Afton, though he quietens down as each curse causes the bike''s wheels to churn just a little bit harder. The crowd watches with rapt attention as the tug of war between Saint James''s lower and upper body progress. Most had never even seen a working vehicle before this, let alone seeing it used as a torture device. Afton continues slowly adding pressure until Saint James is screaming in agony, with one last twist of the accelerator a crack rings through the area, this sound is followed by tearing. The crack had been Saint James''s spine dislocating, his upper body finally losing the tug of war. The rope was so tight that it bored into the man''s sides as flesh began tearing. Soon enough, Afton''s bike was moving forwards, pulling along with it Saint James''s lower half. Blood and other fluids pool underneath him onto the road as his legs are dragged away from his body. A large portion of his spine and other vital organs are dragged with them, the man would definitely die within a few seconds. Afton stops the vehicle and walks over to Saint James, sitting on his heels next to him. "Bad luck you sick bastard, maybe in your next life you won''t run into me again. Or maybe you could avoid all of this by being a decent human being. Saint James isn''t even strong enough to curse Afton one last time before the light in his eyes fade. Afton didn''t pity the man who''d eventually have to clean this body up, because he certainly wasn''t going to do it. [Scare a humanoid shitless. 50/50] [Perk unlocked! : Unnerving Presence] [Unnerving Presence] : Enemies are more likely to fear you, chance for enemies to flee at the sight of you. Afton raises a brow at the notification, only then turning around to notice the horrified looks on most of the crowd. Yeah, he''d forgotten that while most of them had experienced hardships, few had truly seen pure unadulterated violence and gore. Though, how often would you see a man literally torn in half? If Afton wasn''t currently being run by adrenaline, rage, and guilt at not being able to save those that''d been kidnapped he''d probably have vomited by now. The new Perk did return some composure to himself, he looked over it and nodded. Inspiring fear in his enemies was what he wanted. He only hoped it wouldn''t extend to potential friends and allies as well. Shaking his head, he looks over to Dermot who seems to have pissed his pants. "So Dermot, you''re next?" "NOOO! PLEASE! JUST SHOOT ME! DON''T DO ME LIKE THAT!" he screams in terror as Afton approaches. Afton lowers himself to Dermots eye level and shrugs, "Stop screaming. This is your punishment so take it like a man... Even if your cock and the rest of your lower body is about to be removed..." Afton shakes his head, "Youknow, I''m slightly less angry after killing your partner" "-Then you''ll let me liv-" Afton cuts him off, "But I''m still FUCKING PISSED!" he abruptly stands up, picking up the rope and tying the new one onto Dirt-Bird before turning to the crowd. "THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO SLAVERS, PEDOPHILES, AND MURDERERS UNDER MY WATCH!" he shouts, causing the crowd to tremble as he hops onto Dirt-Bird. Dermot continues to beg for his life as Afton starts up the engine and starts accelerating. Though, as Dermot wasn''t as disgusting as Saint James, he decides to get this over with quickly. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screams as Dirt-Bird brutally pulled his body apart. His organs making contact with the fresh air as blood pools beneath him. Afton stops Dirt-Bird and looks back at Dermot, the man''s lifeless eyes staring back at him. [Due to your brutal actions before a large group of people, you''ve been given a title! : Executioner of the Wastes] [Titles are earned by inspiring fear, confidence, happiness, or any other emotion in a large group of people. Each has effects depending on what they were originally earned for.] [Executioner of the Wastes] : Fame increases by 100% for actions committed in the name of justice. Afton was surprised to see this, titles weren''t a thing in Fallout 3 and he''d never heard about such a mechanic in any of the future games... Perhaps it just wasn''t mentioned?... Regardless, this only meant that he could gain further power by becoming notorious at something. Back in Novac people called him the fastest draw in the Mojave, but perhaps it wasn''t specific enough to gain a title? Or maybe he needed a large enough group of people to witness it in action? Shaking his head, he could figure this out later. He stands back on Dirt-Bird to address the crowd, "Let this be known, any rapist, murderers, slavers, or pedophiles will receive the same fate as these two!" he states simply before sitting on Dirt-Bird and looking at Karl and Boone. "Too much?" Karl shrugs, "Nah, those fuckers deserved it." Boone nods in agreement, he wasn''t one for mercy, and seeing someone who entirely went against his principles get brutally executed wasn''t the worst thing. Chapter 165 - Bad News Bears Not long after Afton''s rather gory spectacle, the group return to the Aerotech Office Park, a solemn silence shrouding them as they do. All knew those that''d been kidnapped were most likely dead or had met an even worse fate, it was slightly disheartening to think that they weren''t able to save a single person... Atleast those responsible got what they deserved though. After parking they walked towards Captain Parker who was sat in his usual spot. "Captain."?? He turns and nods towards them, "Did you manage to find anything?" Afton sighs and hands Dermot''s ledger to him, Captain Parker looks at it and his expression immediately breaks. He looked enraged, as if he was about to arm himself and sprint headfirst towards the Fiends. "Those... I... Who did this?" is all he can ask after failing to compose himself. "Dermot and Saint James were responsible, picking out people depending on the Fiends fetishes and kidnapping them... You won''t have to worry about them though, we''ve already dealt with them." Afton says wit ha satisfied glint in his eye. "Did they suffer?" Parker asks, obviously referring to the perpetrators. A brief nod gave him all the knowledge he needed to know on the subject. The man pays them all he can, though, the amount is rather insignificant for what they''d done. A pittance of 500 caps to split between each other. Afton wasn''t bothered though, he didn''t do this particular job for the caps anyway. Captain Parker looks embarrassed at the amount he was able to pay but doesn''t attempt to speak on it, "Thank you for your help, without you those two freaks might''ve harmed more innocent people. I''ll make sure this doesn''t happen again." he states with certainty. Afton''s about to bid his farewell but as soon as he pockets the caps time stops... "Hmm, was wondering if this''d actually level me up." he mutters to himself as he looks at the notification. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 23] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 24] Shrugging to himself, he quickly deposits all his points into the Sneak skill, raising it to 83 points before moving onto the Perks screen. Again, quite boring as there were no new Perks from what he could see... Was the system running out of things to give him or something? Regardless, he just scrolls through all the old Perks he can now get due to his advanced skill levels and picks out one. [Living Anatomy] : Shows health and other information on any target. +5% bonus to damage against humans and non-feral ghouls. It would be interesting to get, not just because it gave all his weapons a flat 5% increase, but because it could potentially give him some useful info. The only other thing he could think to take would be [Intense Training]... He wanted to see the effects of getting a stat to max first though, he had an abundance of levels to put into his stat points. Shaking his head, he eventually decides to just grab [Living Anatomy] just to see if its useful. He takes a look at his Pipboy to see his status before confirming his selection. Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes] Level : 24 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 8 Perception : 7 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 9 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 55 Explosives : 23 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 50 Sneak : 82 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 33 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v1], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] He maintains his expression as time resumes, barely twitching a brow at the pain of having knowledge of multiple spec ops drilled into his mind. He gives a small wave to Captain Parker as he leaves the Aerotech Office Park, sitting on his bike as his companions walk up and look to him to see what they should do next. "So, I''m guessing neither or you have any problems with setting our sights on the Fiends, right?" Afton throws the question out there, by now he knew the personalities of Karl and Boone, both would be more than willing to volunteer for the job, let along et paid for it. Karl crosses his arms and nods, "Before seeing that ledger I thought they were just pests, but now I know someone needs to deal with ''em. The NCR is too busy with the Legion to put up a proper fight, so that just leaves us." "Wouldn''t surprise me if the Legion had a hand in the Fiends, matches their MO, using smaller tribes to fight for them, supplying them with minimal resources before launching their own assault." Boone adds. Karl nods and continues to explain for Afton, "They may look like simple barbarian simpletons, but they probably have spies in every corner of the Mojave. Their members are simply too suited for that kind of work, brainwashed to be completely and utterly loyal to Caesar they aren''t at risk of being compromised by enemy forces." "Regardless, if the Fiends are in cahoots with the Legion we''ll deal with them anyway. For now though I want to visit Doctor Usanagi to see about those implants. Afterwards checking in New Vegas to see if Tamia and my friend is around..." he cycles through the various things he wants to get done. It wasn''t like the Fiends were going to go anywhere. Karl shrugs at him, "Yeah, it''s getting late anyway, best get that done before we find a place to camp for the night." Just before they''re about to leave though, Afton notices a group of strange-looking people approaching them. Chapter 166 - Notice, Taken There were three men all wearing the same exact outfit... Old fashioned black suits with bowler hats, Afton wasn''t sure what to make of them, but was instantly on alert when he spotted Karl and Boone getting ready for combat in his Peripheral. The man notices the tense atmosphere and stops a good distance away from the group, all making sure not to make any sudden movements.?? "Do we know you?" Afton asks suspiciously, not wishing to leave anything to chance. He knew he could draw his pistols and begin firing faster than the three men could think. A man with pale, almost sickly skin steps forwards. Any features that he could be identified by were covered by his outfit, all Afton could tell was the colour of his skin and hair. "We know you, but you do not know us. We''ve been sent to acquire your services. You are mercenaries after all." ... The group glance to each other after hearing this, "Who''s services?" Afton asks for them to clarify. The man gives a small smile and takes a single step closer before whispering, "The Legion''s of course." Boone''s finger twitches as he''s about to pull out his rifle and start firing, but Karl manages to stop him with a look. The sniper seemed reluctant but Karl knew they could take advantage of this situation. Afton decides to take charge, his Speech skill would be most useful here, plus he needed Boone to control himself if they were going to make use of this. "The Legion? I thought you guys would hate us after what we did to Nelson?" The spy shakes their head, "Some of us do want your heads, but our leader has decided you would be more helpful alive than dead. Of course, this only matter if your apparent loyalties to the NCR are superficial... Otherwise, we may have problems." he states maliciously. Afton crosses his arms and begins contemplating, he uses VATS just so he has time to think without the spies getting suspicious... Clearly the spies hadn''t been in Westside when he declared that ''all slavers would be punished'', otherwise they might''ve been a little more hesitant to approach them. There were a number of things Afton could potentially do with this... The first and most obvious would be to just execute the three spies here and now. Then again, he doubted that''d do anything other than aggravate the Legion, they''d definitely send assassins if he did that. The other obvious answer would be to accept the group''s offer and start making use of the Legions resources... He doubted they''d allow him to continue working for the NCR at the same time though, not in the same way the group had been doing it thus far. They''d probably want them to act as spies using the reputation they''d gathered. Thinking on it further, they might actually be able to use this opening to secure Karl''s daughter without having to kill every Legionary in the Mojave. Actually, wouldn''t now be the best time to make use of his new perk [Living Anatomy]? He focuses on the men while using VATS, instantly receiving information he hadn''t expected. [Legion spy] Health : 99% Stamina : 70% DT : 8 Strength : 4 Perception : 7 Endurance : 4 Charisma : 7 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 5 Luck : 3 Ailments : [Athletes foot] : Rash caused by fungus, decreases chance of foot rubs by 80%, increases risk of infection by 50%. [Tinnitus] : Irritated by silence, less likely to notice high pitched sounds. [Gonorrhea} : Sex life in peril, bad decision making. Gross penis. ... Afton shakes his head after reading the last one, yeah, he didn''t need to know that... Though, he might be able to use this sort of information as blackmail in the future? He''d need to make it subtle though, revealing that he could see someone''s ailments just by looking at them would probably cause him trouble. Back to the topic at hand, Afton needed to come to a decision on how to act towards the Legionaries. A few more minutes of thinking eventually allow Afton to find an answer that''d allow them to continue working as they had, while having the Legion''s resources at hand. Stopping VATS he slowly nods his head, "Our loyalties are to ourselves, so ditching the NCR would be easy. They''re just the highest paying customers in the Mojave, I do have a couple problems though." Afton states with an air of confidence. "And what might that be?" the spy asks. "I''m looking for a man, a former-NCR ranger who''s missing their right arm. I cannot stop working with the NCR until I''ve located him, I''m not all that particular to money, so find him for me and I''d be willing to work with you." he states. The spy slowly nods, "An interesting proposal, you should know that the Legion''s database on NCR rangers might be larger than the NCR''s own." he sends a glance towards Boone and Karl before returning it to Afton, "Is there perhaps a way for us to gain your services immediately without having to find this person first?" Afton shakes his head, "No. I''ll continue looking for them myself, I won''t count on you to do it, but once I''ve found them my loyalties will be more... Pliable." "I see. We will return to our leader to discuss this proposal. For now take this, it will shield you from the Legion''s wrath should you find yourselves in such a situation... Though, I do warn you, any action taken against the Legion from here onwards will not be forgiven. Do you understand?" Afton nods, "I thought that was a given, but whatever." he says as he''s handed a coin, unlike the usual Legion Denarius though instead of a face on each side it contains a jagged cross. If it were painted onto a wall he wouldn''t think much of it, each line seemed deliberate as if the symbol was important. "We bid thee farewell then, until next time." the spy says before leaving with his underlings. Chapter 167 - Planted Once the Legion spies leave Boone gives Afton a scathing look, "Why did you let them leave alive?" he growls out, clearly displeased at the conversation. Afton just shrugs, "Did you not listen? We now have an in to get into the Legion, if we play our cards right we may be able to get Karl''s daughter out of the Legion''s hands without having to fight against a literal army."? ? Karl nods, "I think it''s worth trying, ain''t like we can''t just put a bullet in them later on if we feel like it." Boone sighs with a look of apprehension, "I don''t like this." "You don''t have to like it, currently it is the best way for us to achieve our goals without a huge potential of death." Afton states, causing Boone to reluctantly let the matter go for now. "Alright, let''s get moving, I wanna check out the New Vegas Medical Clinic before nightfall." Afton claps his hands and slides onto Dirt-Bird. The other''s following and seating themselves. It doesn''t take long for the group to reach their destination, the clinic itself was on the outskirts of what one might consider civilization. Opposite it was just straight desert and wasteland fields, the only thing that seemed to contain life was a distant barn, but upon looking closer it was just filled to the brim with Molerats, pests that no one would willingly keep around. "You two wanna wait out here while I get this done?" Afton asks, waiting in a hospital would always be one of the most monotonous things around... Karl shrugs, "I kinda wanna see you cry like a baby while under the scalpal." "I''ll stay here and keep watch." Boone says as he kicks his legs up in a relaxed posture on Dirt-Bird. "Alright." Afton states as he pushes inside the clinic, Karl following closely behind him. Immediately after they enter they are greeted by someone, "Welcome to the New Vegas Medical Clinic, I am Doctor Usanagi, one of the only licensed medical practitioners around the Mojave. If you have any problems I''d be more than willing to assist you." A woman of what looks like Japanese descent says. She has black hair, tanned skin, and a relatively clean white doctors coat. The few guards that''re stationed within the clinic seem wary of the duo, probably because of the powerful armaments currently strapped to their persons... "Good to meet you, I''m Afton Parker. I was told you also sell Implants here?" Doctor Usanagi nods, "We do, from ones that''ll increase your Strength or Luck, to other''s that''ll give you a limited healing factor. They are all quite costly I''ll remind you." she explains. "How much?" "4000 Caps for the regular enhancements, Sub-Dermal Armor is 8000, and the PHOENIX Monocyte Breeder is 12000 caps." Both Karl and Afton''s expressions widen for a moment, 12000 caps for that? How did Ranger Morales afford that!? Afton shakes his head and quickly composes himself, "I''d like to purchase the Agility Enhancement." Doctor Usanagi nods, "Ok, I can do that for you, first I''ll need to check if your body is suitable to take one. Please enter here and take your clothes off." she states. ... Afton just does as he''s told, handing Karl his weapons before entering the room with the doctor. He alleviates himself of all his clothing excepts his underwear... Fortunately the [Mechanicus] Perk had constantly been ''repairing'' his clothing, causing most of it to be incredibly clean for the wasteland. After removing everything he stood upright with his hands at his sides, his 8 Strength clearly had an effect as his body was ripped. His muscles were toned and their outline was clearly visible under his skin, due to the [Solar Powered] Perk his skin had almost no blemishes, even the few bullet wounds he''d acquired had almost entirely faded. Doctor Usanagi seemed lost in thought as she looked him over, a faint blush coming to her face as she realised that she''d been staring. She quickly shifts her gaze and begins, "For this I''ll need to physically examine your body... Let me know if I do anything uncomfortable." She goes onto poke, prod, and massage different parts of Afton''s body, writing notes in a clipboard for what she finds. By the end of it Afton was standing upright in the other sense of the word, though both tried to remain professional about it... Afton didn''t know if she really needed to prod so near to his ''mini-me'', perhaps this''d end like one of those sexy doctor porno''s?... Doubt it." Eventually, she tells him to put his underwear back on, "Your body is in peak condition, more so than I''d originally considered possible, it''s as if you''ve never been sick in your life... Not even a single skin condition to mention... You are very luck Mr Parker." "Er, can we start on the Implant?" he asks, wanting to get the awkward situation over with. She nods, "You have the caps?" Afton hands it to her and she leaves to go deposit the large sack in a safe somewhere. Once she returns she asks him to lie on his back on the operating table. He was dressed only in his underwear... Though, for some reason she wasn''t able to take notice of the large Pipboy still attached to his arm... "I will put you to sleep while I operate on you... It''ll save us both some trouble, unless you''d like to do this with just anaesthetic?" Afton just shakes his head, "Nah, just inject me and get this over with." "If you say so." she mutters as she injects the fluids that quickly knock him unconscious. Chapter 168 - FRONT-FLIP Afton groggily wakes up as notifications popup in his peripheral. Opening his eye''s he''s greeted by the white ceiling of the clinic. Doctor Usanagi didn''t seem to be around at the moment though. Afton checks the notifications while activating VATS so no one would bother him.?? [Perk gained! : Agility Implant] [Agility Implant] : Permenantly increases Agility by 1 [Agility Stat has reached 10! Perk gained : Masterful Movement] [Masterful Movement] : Your Agility has reached peak human levels, you''re able to perform actions and movements thought impossible to do. Parkour, dodging, jumping, sprinting, and much more has been given a huge boost! ... Huh, Afton didn''t know what he was expecting. Maybe he thought he''d get some superhuman ability? He didn''t actually know how good [Masterful Movement] was, perhaps it did give him superhuman abilities? He''d need to check once he gets out of here. Closing VATS he sits up and notices the stray splotches of blood decorating the table he was still on. He didn''t see any wounds though, Doctor Usanagi must''ve used a Stimpack to heal the before they scarred. Due to being forcefully put unconscious his mind feels slightly fuzzy, but the feeling is quickly leaving the longer he''s awake. He puts a foot down to stand up but didn''t spot the blood on the floor, just as he''s about to faceplant into the floor his body reacts on its own, leaping in the air while performing a front-flip. Afton luckily lands on his feet without slipping again, but his expression isn''t composed at all. It felt like someone was playing a prank on him, he hadn''t been able to do that before... It must be the Perk... He wasn''t sure whether or not that was a good thing, during the flip he felt completely in control, as if he could alter his moment at any moment. Not to mention the fact that the flip itself had felt instinctive... He hadn''t been able to do front-flips before the upgrade, so the Perk must''ve given him the knowledge to do so. To be honest, now that he was getting a proper feel for his body, his movement felt... Tighter, cleaner and with less resistance. As if his whole life he''d been wearing weights on every part of his body. He throws out a couple jabs and the air audibly whips in response, the speed he was capable of was stupid fast. He throws out a kick, and marvels at the fact that it looked faster than any he''d seen before... Even in his previous life, Bruce Lee wasn''t this fast... This all couldn''t be just from the Perk, it must be a combination of the Perk and his maxed out Agility. He hadn''t noticed it when he upgraded his Agility last time, but now it felt like a substantial increase. Though, something was strange about all his improvements... The Implant was only supposed to increase his Reflexes, yet it felt like his whole body had been affected. Was it the system maybe? Converting the Implant from its original use into a Perk? Did he even have the Implant any longer, or had it just been deleted and integrated into his body? Afton had many thoughts about these new changes, all of which were undoubtedly supernatural. If Doctor Usanagi were to learn of his strange body she''d probably strap him down and dissect him, that''s how valuable his body was to the fields of medicine and biology. Shaking his head, he looks over to his discarded clothes and starts putting them back on. Once completely dressed he walks towards the door and opens it, revealing the guards, Karl, and Doctor Usanagi. All of which seemed to be conversing. "Ah, so you''re awake? How''re you feeling?" Doctor Usanagi asks, cutting off what she was speaking with Karl about. Afton nods, "Good. Very good. When I get more caps I''ll be sure to visit again." he says enthusiastically. She wouldn''t know just how much he''d improved, but the rest of the Mojave would likely learn of his new abilities soon. "I hope it was worth it kid, 4000 caps ain''t nothing to sniff at." Karl says from the side as he hands his weaponry back. Afton shrugs, "Whatever, what do you wanna do now? Can''t say I really want to camp outside again." "Well, we could try one of the places in Freeside... You wanted to look in New Vegas for that friend o'' yours so we might as well." The duo bid their farewells to Doctor Usanagi and leave, spotting Boone still sitting in the same spot, he was currently cleaning the Anti-Material rifle he''d bought. He releases the bolt causing it to click as he spots the duo. "Finally out then?" Afton nods with a grin, "We''re headed to Freeside to get a proper room for once. I know, I know, you can''t hold back your excitement." he says before chuckling at Boone''s blank face. The group get moving yet again, riding up towards the North gate of freeside. There seemed to be a couple guards smoking cigarettes outside of it, but all of them were dressed very weirdly... Slicked back greasy hair, white shirts, jeans, and leather jackets with the words ''Kings'' inscribed on the back. They all turn towards the group as they ride up to the gate on Dirt-Bird. "Damn, now that''s a fine ride!" "Don''t mention that bike, look at the guns they''re carryin'', look like they''re comin'' back from a war zone. Best not to antagonise these peeps, ya'' hear?" ... They seem to be trying to mimic how Elvis used to talk... Very, very weird. How did they learn all this anyway? Is Elvis Presley still alive somehow? Afton shakes his head, no matter how weird the wasteland can some times be, an immortal Elvis Presley would definitely take the cake. Chapter 169 - Finder Found Afton just ignores the weird Elvis look-alikes and glances towards the North Gate... It looked essentially like a giant steel door, it was unlike the New Vegas walls that seemed hastily put together from scrap parts, they seemed specifically designed to keep threats out. Fortunately they didn''t seem locked, indeed, Afton had no idea who was actually in charge of guarding the gate. The Elvis ripoffs didn''t seem like official guards, so what would happen if the Fiends suddenly attempt a full-on assault?`?? He''d think on this further later, right now though he just wanted to find someplace to rest. He hops off Dirt-Bird and opens the large gate enough for him to be able to get through, closing it ones Dirt-Bird was inside Freeside. ... Afton hadn''t known what to expect when he first heard about Freeside, he''d assumed it was like every other settlement, just regular people and scavengers trying to make a living... But it seems he was wrong, the situation in front of him could only be described as destitute slums. There was trash all over the place, the large buildings had mostly half-collapsed and he could see many poor-looking people making the ruins their residence. Most looked incredibly sick and malnourished, a good portion of them probably had a litany of incurable ailments, being poor in the wasteland wasn''t like in his old world after all... You''d need to scavenge for everything, eating the scraps you could find and drinking the dirtiest radioactive water just to slake your thirst. This was worse in the Mojave as it was a literal desert. He wondered what the reading would be if he scanned one of those people with his Geiger counter... That wasn''t the worst part though, no, that''d probably be the group of children all chasing a mange-ridden rat. He watched as they ran past and assumed the creature was their pet or something... Unfortunately, once they caught up to it one of the children batted it over the head with a rusty pipe, knocking it unconscious. That wasn''t the end to the horror show though, the gaunt-looking children dropped to their knees and starting tearing the flesh off of it and shoving the most-likely disease-ridden meat into their mouths... Even Boone had the decency to the look disgusted at the scene before him. "Is this place always like that? If so, can we leave?" Afton mutters. Karl shakes his head, "I... It wasn''t this bad a couple years ago..." "The population of Freeside had exploded due to New Vegas becoming active, the war with the Legion prevents the NCR from interfering too much without wasting resources. The gangs mostly keep to themselves though, those men out there, the Kings mostly keep this place peaceful." Boone explains. The group slowly drive Dirt-Bird through the ravaged streets of Freeside, their destination was the ''business district'' and some refer to it, it contains the Atomic Wrangler, Silver Rush weapons store, and a few other miscellaneous businesses that''d somehow managed to survive in this shit-hole. As they pass by someplace called the ''Old Mormon fort'' Afton spots two children playing nearby, a little girl being chased by a young African-American boy, in his hands was some-kind of toy raygun... Though, It looked oddly familiar to him for some reason. "Put your hands to the sky mister!" they command as they point their gun at Afton. Afton glances to the others who just snicker at him, he decides to play along and raise his hands. "Alright, alright, have mercy." The boy nods and extends a hand, "Now give me all your caps." ... Was he getting robbed by this child? He could feel his self-esteem decreasing at an incredible pace! Shaking his head, he steps off of Dirt-Bird and makes a show of reaching into his pocket, once the child''s eyes are drawn towards his left hand his right darts and deftly takes the raygun from the child''s hands. "Now you put your hands up, gimme all your caps." he says playfully, taking a glance at the weapon and freezing when he spots the large glowing Poseidon Energy logo. He remembered where this is from... Helios One! It was the schematic he''d seen on one of the computers inside the Helios base while he was snooping around Elder Elijah''s stuff. It''s the Range finder! The device Elijah was trying to find to use again the NCR, this is a game-changer! [Find RangerFinder for ARCHIMEDES : Complete!] [Take control of ARCHIMEDES in Helios One] Afton nods to himself as he begins thinking about how to infiltrate the base, he was sure it''d be heavily fortifi- "Mister! That''s not fair, I''m the good guy and your the bad guy!" the child complains, Afton having forgotten all about him in the excitement of finding the RangeFinder... Why did the kid have this in the first place anyway? "Good guy? Since when did good guy''s try to rob people?" he asks with a raised brow. "I''m like Robbing Hood! Stealing from the bad guys and giving to myself!" he shouts. "Can I have my gun back?" Afton rubs his face, wondering a few things... First of all, who teh fuck was Robbing Hood? Some kind of Robin Hood knockoff? Secondly, what could he give the kid to... He nods to himself, that''d work. "Let''s make a trade, your fake raygun for this real gun." he says with a grin, tossing the boy a laser pistol, obviously after removing its ammunition. The child looks at it with wide eyes, "Woo-ow mister, I''ve seen people shooting these at each other and they were SO COOL! Thanks a lot!" he says before running off and chasing the girl again with his new toy. Karl just gives Afton a weird look as the kid runs off, "Was that really necessary? I''m all for arming yourself, but giving a child a weapon without any formal training might be a tad over the top... Not to mention that toy isn''t worth the trade." Afton smirks at him, "Trust me Karl, I''d have given the kid my Anti-Material rifle in exchange if he asked for it. This ''toy'' is probably worth more than an entire NCR armoury, maybe you''ll get to see what it can do in the future." he says ominously, causing Karl and Boone to shrug at one another. Chapter 170 - Anti-People Rifle After their small run-in with ''Robbing Hood'' the group continued on, making their way through Freeside to reach their destination. "HELP I''M BEING ROBBED!"?? ... The group just give deadpan expressions towards the alleyway where the voice is coming from. "It''s a trap right?" "It''s a trap." "No doubt it''s a trap." All of them mutter simultaneously, they''d dealt with enough shit in the Mojave thus far to recognise an obvious trap when they see one. The only problem was the fact that there was always a chance that it wasn''t... Afton just sighs to himself, "You guys stay here, I''ll check it out. Atleast I''ll get to try out my new gun." he states, hopping off of Dirt-Bird and walking into the dark alleyway. The voice continues to shout for help, though, it doesn''t seem distressed. Instead, it seems annoyed at the fact that he''d not arrived yet. He walks into a clearing with a single person sitting on the floor covering their face. It''s a dirty woman wearing rags, he hair was matted and slightly grey, her skin wrinkled... Clearly she wasn''t in tip-top condition. She rapidly stands as Afton enters the area, lowering her hairs and revealing a smug visage. "HAHA! YOU IDIOT, GUYS HE''S-" *BAAANG!* Afton had just shifted the Anti-Material rifle and hip-fired it at the woman, the bullet racing towards her at rediculous speeds before hitting them in the chest. Once the .50 Calibre round slams into them they literally explode. Their chest imploding in a spray of blood as a huge hole opens up where their heart and lungs were supposed to be. She slumps to the floor, obviously dead as he pulls the bolt, making it give a satisfying *Click*. He glances towards the other entrance to the alleyway where the pattering of feed could be heard... A couple of men wielding machete''s run onto the scene, almost shitting themselves when they see the utterly destroyed corpse of the woman. Afton smirks at them, spitting at the floor before saying, "Feeling lucky punk?" The duo don''t waste any time and dash towards Afton while giving enraged shouts, they must''ve been on some kind of drug to work up that kind of courage... *BAAANG!* Another one drops to the floor under the brutal power of his new weapon, their body''s shape now resembling a doughnut instead of a human. He doesn''t have enough time to fire another shot as the other man had almost reached him. Afton just drops the gun on the floor and grabs his knife, he easily blocks the machete with it and smacking his fist into their nose, causing them to back away as blood streams down their face. They charge again but Afton just swipes his knife, causing the man''s machete to drop to the floor, as well as most of their fingers. Taking another step forwards the knife flashes again, opening up a deep wound on their throat before they could even realise what was happening. Afton steps back, sheathes his knife and retrieves his Anti-Material rifle just as the last would-be thief''s blood sprays everywhere from the new wound. Karl and Boone look to him as he leaves the alleyway, "Have fun?" Afton nods, "Yeah, this thing is a beast." he says. He wasn''t lying either, anything that could almost cut a man in half simply by shooting at them was something to be feared in his books. He was probably the only person in the world that could survive one of those shots without Power Armour, and that was only because of his supernatural Perk [Miracle Maker]. With that done the group start moving again and finally make it to the business district of Freeside. The place was only down the street from the entrance that leads to the New Vegas strip, which is probably why the business district was placed here in the first place. The many heavily armoured robots guarding the gate would eliminate any threats they could see. This included anyone making trouble in the business district. On the street corners were a couple criers shouting for people to go to their respective businesses, the group drove past everyone and parked in front of the Atomic Wrangler. The place was a casino/brothel, the group were only intending on booking some rooms though. There was no point wasting caps to fuck some disease-ridden prostitute.. Though, the girls standing outside the casino did look quite pretty... Afton uses VATS and takes a look at them to see if they were worth a shot... [Prostitute] Health : 80% Stamina : 35% DT : 1 Strength : 3 Perception : 4 Endurance : 4 Charisma : 9 Intelligence : 4 Agility : 6 Luck : 2 Ailments : [Chlamydia] [Genital warts] [Crabs] [Breast Cancer] [Low Blood Pressure] Afton doesn''t bother to read the descriptions of the STD''s this girl has, all he knows is he won''t be sticking his pecker anywhere near her... Aside from that, isn''t it poor practise to have someone so afflicted with diseases to still work for you? He shakes his head, just before they enter inside the establishment Afton looks to Karl and whispers, "The girls here are all more diseased than most Molerats, don''t go sticking your dick in one of them if you don''t want it to fall off." Karl just nods at him, "I know that kid, I''m not that bad." "Bro, you slept with Jeannie." he states, causing Karl''s lips to thin. "I thought we wouldn''t talk about that?" Afton just shrugs, "I''ll gladly mock you with it whenever I think you''re doing something stupid." Karl just grumbles in response as the group books some rooms from the owner James Garret. Afton slumps onto the rather dirty mattress and glances over to the radio that was currently playing some song called ''Big Iron'', at least that Happy Trails Caravan broadcast had ended. He''d almost just said fuck it and taken the group to join the expedition to earn some caps, he decided against it when Karl warned him that New Canaan wasn''t a place you could just enter without putting your life on the line. He silently laid on the mattress for a while, waiting for his [Mechanicus] Perk to clean and repair it before he takes off his clothing and slips into bed. He wasn''t willing to touch the mattress with bare skin until it was completely spotless... For obvious reasons. Chapter 171 - Sovereign Trampled The next day Afton found himself sitting at the Atomic Wranglers bar with his companions. Each had a drink in their hand, all of which were alcoholic... Sure it was technically still morning but the barkeeper ain''t gonna complain. "So, what''s the plan for today kid?" Karl asks.?? Afton shrugs, "I''m not too sure to be honest, I need to find my friend but I have no idea where to start... They might be inside New Vegas for all I know." "So getting you a licence would be a start, you don''t have enough for the straight cap check now anyway." he says snidely. "Yeah? Well, I''d rather have an Anti-Material rifle on my back than a licence in my pocket. I''ll find another way somehow." James Garret, the barkeep and owner of the Atomic Wrangler decides at this time to interject. "Need a licence for the strip huh? Tough break, if you can''t scrounge the caps together then I''d say to check with the Kings," he looks side to side suspiciously, "Guys seem to have a way to counterfeit licences for more than half the price... Or so someone who definitely isn''t me heard." Afton just raises a brow at him, "I thought people like you live for rumours and gossip, why''re you getting antsy at revealing this?" James shakes his head, "If the NCR knew I knew someone who knew the people who knew the guys who counterfeit licences then I''d have my shop raided like that." he snaps his fingers dramatically. "They don''t take kindly to people screwing with their protocols and procedures, especially when it concerns money and taxes." Karl chuckles grimly, "Fuckin'' bureaucrats." James nods, "Fuu-ukin bureaucrat." he drawls. Deciding to pull the conversation back Afton sits up, "So I''ll be checking with the... Crown wearing people." He corrects himself as James glares at him, "Would you two be willing to check around Freeside to make sure they aren''t here?" Karl and Boone shrug, "Sure." James "Who''re you lookin'' for anyway?" "A tanned woman wielding an axe and wearing a vault suit, and another woman with messy black hair, pale skin, small freckles on her cheeks... Probably wields a Power fist." he adds, remembering her stupid obsession with punching things... James smirks at him, "Heh, if I didn''t know any better I''d say you were sweet on her." Afton just shakes his head, "She''s like a big sister to me... And she''s not interested in men." "I was talking about the tanned girl, apparently you''re more interested in the fisting girl." he jokes. Afton sighs, "That aside, you seen them?" James shrugs, "Personally? No. But... My sister said something about two weird people headed for the strip, that''s al I know though." "Alright... Thanks for the info I guess." he says as he turns towards Karl and Boone, "So, I''ll head to the Elvis look-alikes and you guys search around Freeside... Probably best to stay in a group, I''ve already killed one gang, I doubt they''ll be the last." After the group comes to a consensus they leave the Atomic Wrangler after paying for their drinks... Though, as soon as they step outside the smell of burnt flesh assault them... Again. Seems someone... Or a few people got the bright idea to try and steal Dirt-Bird.. The small pile of corpses next to it really showed just how stupid and desperate the people of this place are. Fortuantely, James Garret hadn''t noticed the pile of smoking corpses outside his door, otherwise he might have had a couple things to say... He doubted many people would be willing to book a room in a place with this in-front of it... "Right... I''ll be taking Dirt-Bird with me, meet back here at nightfall." he says before hopping onto the bike and driving towards the Kings building down the street. He could''ve just walked there, but he felt it was best to remove themselves from the pile of corpses as soon as possible. Atleast the New Vegas Securitrons didn''t intervene and destroy Dirt-Bird. Afton slowly drives up to the Kings building... It''s one of the more well-maintained buildings in the area... Meaning that it hadn''t collapsed yet. On the front was a huge sign with the words ''The Kings'' plastered across it and backed by a guitar silhouette. To Afton it resembled an old comedy club, the Kings must''ve repurposed it as their hideout. The gang apparently controlled most of Freeside, even if there were a few smaller gangs still milling around. The Kings looked at him warily as he slowly drove to the front of their building, kicking the stand down and stepping off of the bike, too aware that the many men surrounding him were ready to pull their weapons and start firing. "Chill guys, I''m just here to see the King." he says casually while showing his palms. "Well that''s a funny son, since the King isn''t here to see you. Best you went back to wherever you came from, ''specially since you got one of those NCR rifles on your back." one of the greasy-haired men threaten. Afton just raises a brow at them, NCR rifle on his back? Was he referring to the Anti-Material rifle? He points a thumb at the rifle, "You mean this? I wasn''t aware it was so... Well regarded around here." "Only folk who use them are those fancy smancy ranger boys, so either you one of those, or a prissy rich kid who''s compensatin''. Either way, the King doesn''t wanna see you, dig?" "I''m not either, I''m a mercenary. One you should probably know about by now, I tore apart some slaving pedophiles yesterday in Westside, couple weeks ago almost completey destroyed the Powder Gangers, and dealt a huge blow to a Legion military encampment... You sure you wanna mess with me?" [Unnerving Presence is in effect] The man took a step back as he felt cold sweat crawl down his spine, he wasn''t sure why he was having such a bad reaction to this kid, but he knew shit was gonna get real if he continued... Chapter 172 - King Of The Pit The man just continued to stare at Afton, not sure what to do... Backing out now would cause him to lose face in front of the other Kings, in a gang this was tantamount to a being demoted or even thrown out depending on how it''s received. "Hang on, I heard about that. Ripped two boys apart with that bike of his and scared the folk there." the one who spoke steps forward and whispers in the Kings ear, "Boss, if you try to fight this guy then I''m duckin'' out."?? Afton watches as the man before him straightens up and forcefully relaxes his posture, "I suppose the King could see you, you got good rep around these parts..." "What''s your name?" Afton asks, wanting to know the man who buckled to him, perhaps he''d be able to get more out of him later on. "Peeps call me Chance." "I''m Afton." he nods before walking towards the door of the Kings building. The building around him still tense up, but they realise that he wasn''t going to be stopped by idle threats. Inside the building there were many Kings just sitting around chatting, eating, and reading frayed-looking magazines with what looked like Elvis Presley on the covers. They all turn to glare at him as he enters, it wouldn''t be a warm welcome without the whole place scowling at him after all. Chance points to a door that a single King was leaning against. "That''s Pacer, a tough bastard who takes no shit from anyone but the King... Try not to get into a fight with him." Afton shrugs, "Alright, thanks." he says, leaving chance and approaching Pacer who''s eyes were quickly examining him, lingering on his weapons a few times. "Yo, I need to speak with the King." "The King? Who do you think you are, asshole? You don''t see the King, the King see''s you. If you don''t understand that then you should get out." he states confrontationally. Afton just sighs to himself, "Look, I need to speak with the King so would you ''kindly'' get outta the way." he says, losing his temper slightly as seeing so many Elvis look-alikes try to take advantage of him was getting on his nerves. Pacer pushes himself off of the wall and stands off with Afton, his height slightly shorter than the eighteen-year-olds. "You better hold your tongue boy, the Kings rule this place, and you''re about to get into a fight with one." "Yeah? I wonder if all that grease in your hair is flammable, be a shame if something were to happen to it." he wonders aloud, causing Pacer''s eyes to widen slightly. Clearly, he''d thought that exact thing a few times before. "Is that a threat, boy?" "Not a threat, a promise." Afton replies with a scowl. The room goes silent as all the Kings watch the confrontation, and, after a moment. Pacer breaks the tension... By trying to punch Afton in the face. [John Wick Style is in effect] Most of the other Kings knew that Pacer was a tough bastard, and any who''d been hit by him before knew that the kid would most likely go down like a heap of potato''s... But they were surprised to see the kid easily dodge the hit and throw his own fist back, hitting Pacer on the cheek and causing him to stumble backwards into the wall. And as if someone had signalled for everyone to fight the entire place started to stand to get a piece of Afton. Afton was regretful that he couldn''t see the King without fighting these jokers, he wasn''t all the prideful, but if he was challenged he wouldn''t back down... That''s what lead to this. After he''d punched Pacer the rest of the Kings jumped in with fists flying. Fortunately Afton had upgraded his Agility before coming here, not to mention the sun streaming through the window, activating his [Solar Powered] Perk and giving him 10 Strength. His unarmed skills weren''t all that good, but his speed and dodging ability trumped the Kings ability to hit him. Any hits he took were glancing blows at best. Chance watched with wrapt attention as Afton weaved through the group of Kings as they all tried to assault him. Dodging their punches, kicks, and any attempts to grapple him. Even if a King did manage to grab him, Afton either forcefully made them release him, or picks them up and thrown them at the others with what could only be super-human strength. Slowly the number of Kings was whittling down, most dropping unconscious from hits their own comrades had thrown. Afton was so slippery that some had even decided to back away and avoid the fight altogether. One person had managed to grab ahold of Afton''s Anti-Material rifle, but Afton spun around at stupid speed and headbutted that guy into oblivion... Whether or not he was dead would be anyone''s guess, hopefully not as he still needed to be somewhat civil with these people... He thinks to himself as he breaks the nose of Pacer who''d come back for more. Pacer was clearly getting agitated by him, he''d received many blows but returned none. After getting his nose broken he seemed to have had enough and reached towards his revolver... Chase was about to jump in and stop him from turning this relatively tame brawl into a shootout. But something else intervened first. The door Pacer had been guarding flies open, revealing a very angry looking King and an equally pissed looking cyber-dog next to him. "What in the blazes is goin'' on out here!?" he shouts, causing everyone to stop fighting. The King wore a different outfit to the other Elvis look-alikes, wearing a beige suit coat and black dress trousers. The dog next to him was almost entirely made of metal, a few parts were still flesh and blood, including its face, but the top of its head held a glass sphere containing its brain which was floating some sort of bio-fluid. Afton just glances around at the injured Kings and rapidly thinks about what he should say... This guy has info that he desperately need, but he''d just walked in on Afton beating all his men. Shit, that''s right! He coughs into his hand and tries to do his best Elvis impersonation, "When things go wrong, don''t go with them!" he says, pointing to the unconscious Kings. Chapter 173 - Doubtful Elsewhere : Karl and Boone had been looking around Freeside for a while now, they''d encountered many different kinds of people during their search... Some regular poverty-stricken folk, scammers, drug dealers, drug addicts, and gangs, the latter of which the duo tried to keep some distance from. It wouldn''t do for them to start butchering people as soon as they entered Freeside, even if the people deserved it.?? Most people didn''t really have any information on their quarry, Karl just assumed Tamia was in a rush to get into the strip and murder the guy who''d capped her. Though, if something like that did happen they would''ve heard about it by now. One doesn''t just murder someone of presumably high-standing within the strip without causing a ruckus. From what Karl understood, New Vegas was a politically tumultuous as the NCR hierarchy is... Bribes, corruptions, backstabbing, and every other crime you could think of all being committed by the leaders with little to no accountability. Of course, there was one thing the casino bosses weren''t willing to do, or more accurately, weren''t able to do. Mr House ran a tight operation, and if anyone would dare try to evade the tax he''d set upon the strip, they''d likely have an army of Securitrons knocking on their doors. Boone looks to Karl as they walk through one of the many hidden back alleys of Freeside, both had already needed to scare off a couple desperate folk looking for caps, but they were still ready to retaliate if anyone dared to try to rob them. "Hey... You think we''ll really be able to do damage to the Legion?" he quietly asks, as if he wasn''t expecting a positive answer. Karl glances to him, "I''ll tell you my thoughts, but first I wanna know why you''re askin''." Boone nods slightly, "I don''t know... It just feels a bit farfetched to think that us three would be able to do any meaningful damage to something as big as the Legion. The NCR has put most of their resources in the Mojave forth to try and eradicate the Legion, and yet they''re still struggling." "I think you''re looking at this all wrong kid, we don''t need to single-handedly destroy you Legion ourselves you know? All we need to do is break the stalemate between the NCR and them, it could be as big as killing a commander during a vital siege, or capturing some valuable intel. I can already think of thousands of methods to slowly pry the parasite that is the Legion away from the Mojave." Karl states confidently. Boone seems to be convinced by his reasoning, he''d been so focussed on dealing with the problem himself that he''d forgotten that the Legion isn''t that well-liked among other factions. His tunnel vision had caused him to miss the wider situation. "In that case, let me ask something else... Do you think we''ll make it out of this alive?" "We will. We have to. I''ll drag my daughter out of their grasp with my teeth if I have to, and I''ll kill any who get in my way. I believe that Afton will lead us in the right direction for our goals, the kid seems to have a knack for getting into beneficial trouble." "How can trouble be beneficial?" Boone asks sarcastically. "Well, as the saying goes, ''Every cloud has its silver lining'', though, I think ''What doesn''t kill you makes you stronger'' is the most accurate verse in our situation... With every conflict we become more efficient, better geared, feared. Eventually we''ll be too big a target for either faction to ignore, it''s at that moment that we''ll become big enough players to affect the board." Karl doesn''t mention the fact that he''s seen Afton grow exponentially stronger the most time he was around the kid, whether it was really happening or just a trick of the eyes was another matter entirely. Boone nods, "Afton''s already repurposed a motorcycle, I wonder what else he''s capa-" he stops midsentence as the duo notice something in the distance, far along the relatively dark alleyway there seemed to be a small gathering of people... This wouldn''t usually be all that strange, if it weren''t for the few people wearing Fiend clothing being present... The duo hide behind a ruined building as soon as they spot them, fortunately the opposition didn''t seem to have noticed them. "The fuck are Fiends doing inside of Freeside?" Karl quickly whispers, many plans of action forming in his mind and being picked off due to the lack of information. Boone sticks out his hunting rifle and peeks through the scope to get a better look at the situation, there were a few homeless-looking folk talking animatedly with the Fiends. They didn''t seem uncomfortable either which meant this probably wasn''t the first time they''d met. "Don''t know, but whatever it is can''t be good for Freeside." Karl nods, "Let''s hold off looking for Tamia for now, we need to figure out what they''re up to before something drastic can happen... Cover me, I''m going to take a closer look." he says before slowly sneaking through the rubble. Boone looks around for a better vantage point and finds a ruined building with a collapsed second story, the floor having formed a steep ramp leading to it. Boone quickly scrambles up it as quietly as possible before propping his hunting rifle on one of the windows. He watches from the second floor as Karl sneaks towards the conversing group, scanning the area to make sure no-one could notice him. The situation was one who didn''t usually like to find himself, covering someone without a spotter beside him... He was very vulnerable to being snuck up on, though, with the only entrance to the second story of the building being the ramp, he knew he''d likely hear someone if they tried to climb it. Chapter 174 - Something Stinks... Karl crept closer to the group while hiding his presence behind the nearby rubble. His goal wasn''t to make an ambush or even to lay traps. No, it was to listen in on their conversation to get an idea on what they were planning. The leader of the Fiends was currently speaking to one of the homeless-looking men, she wore a combat helmet that had a large goat-skull attached to the top of it. "-Are the supplies? I asked for them days ago and you still haven''t gotten them!" Karl hears the woman say as he listens into the conversation.?? The man holds up his hands and shows his palms pacifyingly, "We are trying, but the food shortages are making it difficult for us to feed ourselves, let alone get enough for you." he explains. The woman scowls at the man, "If that''s the case, then hand over your own supplies and I won''t kill you." she spits, raising what looked like a Laser RCW toward the man. "N-no come on Nutter, I''ll get you your supplies, just, give me a day and I''ll have it done. I promise!" he begs, not willing to put his pride over his life. The woman growls at him, "You better, or I''m going to flay your skin and nail you to some ruins for the dogs and mosquitoes to eat. Oh, and before you leave." she points her weapon at one of the other homeless men, blasting him with a spray of lasers that causing his entire body to disintegrate. "You''ll get the same if you try to run, got that Jamie?" The man now called Jamie rapidly nods and briskly walks away, trying to get as far from that psychopath as possible. Karl chews on his inner cheek while thinking over what he''d just heard. Obviously the Fiends were operating inside Freeside, but apparently they needed supplies? There''d only be a few reasons for this, one was the Fiends just weren''t able to feed their own faction, which was unlikely. Second was that they were inside Freeside without a way out, requiring assistance from the residents... He glances at the Fiends again and notices that they were on the move, he turns and tries to spot Boone but can''t find the sniper... Instead, he just gestures towards himself with the usual NCR hand sign, if he didn''t show up without a couple minutes then it was likely he was in trouble. Fortunately Boone arrived not soon after he gave the hand sign, "Learn anything?" Karl nods, "yeah but that can wait, we need to follow them and see where they''re goin''." he states before following after the group as they walk through the alleyways. Boone follows a good distance away from Karl, making sure to watch his back and give enough room for the more experienced man to sneak without having to drag him along. Boone was a sniper, not a dedicated scout-like Karl had been. The Fiends were faster than the duo was, being forced to find hiding spots and avoiding any chance of discovery made them lose the group soon enough. Though, the duo was sure they''d be able to catch up. Karl deftly snuck up to a corner and peeked into another alleyway to look for the Fiends... But, it was a dead-end... He''d watched the group walk into this place, so either they had a bunch of stealth-boys on them, were able to teleport, were planning a counter-ambush on Karl, or had slipped into a secret entrance somewhere... He was leaning towards the latter option due to how primitive the Fiends really were, using only what they managed to scavenge from the unfortunate travellers they''d come across. Boone walks up beside him and glances into the alleyway, frowning as he does so. "Where''d they go?" Karl shrugs, "No idea... I''m hesitant to take a look to be honest, never known what kinda shit the enemy might pull, ''specially if they knew we were tailing ''em... You sure they didn''t notice us?" Boone nods, "Yeah, their strides would''ve changed, and their heads would''ve turned at least a bit if they knew we were following them. They don''t look like the trained sort either." Karl hums to himself and continues staring at the alleyway... It was just a large clearing between buildings, there was a small pile of rotten cardboard boxes sitting on the floor in the middle of it, but otherwise, it was relatively clean... Shaking his head he decides to just take a look to see what was going on. He creeps closer, making sure to check any and everything for traps... There were none. He reached the cardboard boxes and spotted where the Fiends may have went. A manhole leading to the sewers sat suspiciously on the floor. Karl motions for Boone to come, once there both stare down at the sewer drain as if it were a puzzle to solve... "I thought New Vegas and Freeside sewers had been disconnected from the outside?" Boone asks, having learned this back when he was working for the NCR... The sewers were a breeding place for crime and smuggling, so Mr. House just decided to disconnect all of it to prevent the annoyance from continuing. "Well, we''ll never know unless we take a look..." Karl mutters, "If the Fiends have managed to gain access through the sewer system then they could invade New Vegas with relative ease... I don''t know their numbers but many people would die if that happened." Karl leans down and glances around, fortunately the alleyway was dark due to the building either side of it, preventing light from reaching the floor... It''d be very difficult to sneak inside without being noticed if the underground was illuminated every time they opened the manhole. "Hmm... I''ll go first I guess, I''m tempted to just drop a grenade down there and be done with it..." He hands his Light Machine Gun to Boone as he lifts the cover as quietly as possible before climbing down the ladder. Chapter 175 - Hunting Season Karl slowly made his way down the dark, dank shaft by using the rusty metal handholds on the side. He cautiously made sure each was able to support his weight before using them, if one came off and clattered to the bottom the enemy would no doubt know of his intrusion. Taking a glance below him he couldn''t see any lights, meaning that the Fiends were in almost complete darkness, or the lights were further into the sewers. Regardless, he was going to take a look... Hopefully there wouldn''t be an ambush waiting for him at the bottom, Boone would know if he was in trouble as he was watching from above.?? As his foot reached the bottom of the shaft he was immediately hit with the stale scent of ancient faeces. True most of it had decomposed through the years, but somehow the smell still lingered... He tried not to notice the squelching nose his boots made against the floor as he warily looked around. Currently he found himself within a dead-end, there were only two exits from where he currently was, one back up the shaft, and the other ahead. He signals up to Boone that he''s alright for now, and that he''ll be back in five minutes max, once Boone gives a thumbs up Karl looks at the hallway leading into almost abyssal like darkness... Sighing to himself he pulls out his faithful .44 Magnum and starts sneaking inside, mentally blaming Afton for this unpleasant situation he''d found himself in. Karl was very careful as he headed through the hallway of the sewer, he could barely see but still did his best to make sure he wasn''t about to trigger any traps. It''d be entirely too easy to hide a tripwire down here, Karl was very aware of that fact. As he progressed further he could hear the sound of flowing water... As sad as it was, it took a while for Karl to recognise it, the unfamiliar sound almost scaring the hell out of him. As his eyes adjusted themselves to the darkness he noticed he was within a large tunnel, a small change of sewer water going through the middle. He could see that there were many entrances to other hallways across the channel, he wasn''t willing to get his feet wet to check them out though. No, instead he focussed on the vague sound of talking he could hear... They weren''t whispering, but it was so far away that he''d almost missed it. A couple moments later the talking was replaced was the sound of... Metal hitting stone? The sound got clearer and clearer the closer he got, until he was just outside the entrance to the hallway the Fiends were presumably within. Faint light could be seen streaming from inside, Karl didn''t dare take a glance inside, the illumination and apparent closeness would reveal his position almost immediately. No, instead he headed straight back to Boone. Once he was back at the manhole he signals for Boone to come, taking his Light Machine Gun and Boone''s two rifles to make it quieter and easier to get down the claustrophobic shaft. "The Fiends seem to be digging for something, I couldn''t hear much else, but I know where they''re at... I have a couple idea''s on how to deal with them, but if you got any plans then let ''em out now." Karl whispers as checks over his Light Machine Gun to make sure it''s in proper condition to be used. "Hmm, I remember some covert messaging techniques... Thought I''d never use them, but considering the Fiends are low on supplies, they might draw some out." Karl raises a brow, "Show me." Boone raises his hands to his face and inexplicably makes a squeaking sound, one that Karl recognised as coming from giant rats from their recent delve into Vault 11. The Fiends were probably hungry, so the sound of a potential tasty morsel might be all they need to drag someone away... His move morphs into a small grin, "That''ll work." Meanwhile : Nutter had just returned to the site without the supplies she thought they''d have at this moment, she swore that if that damn gang tried that again tomorrow there''d be more than one corpse needing to be cleaned. She watched as a few of her men continued to whack metal pipes, rebar, and other sturdy pieces of scrap against the wall. The wall itself seemed to be just a pile of dirt and stone that''d caved in and blocked off another path, in-fact that''s exactly what it was. Her stomach growled, she scowls and tosses a rock at the back of one of her men''s head just to keep her mind preoccupied. She wasn''t used to going this long without a pick-me-up, she''d found herself in this situation with only a few doses of Psycho and Jet, doses that quickly ran out. Her ears twitched when she heard the vague sound of squeaking, she could barely notice it above the almost deafening sound of digging, but it was there. This wasn''t the first time she''d heard that sound, Giant rats were the only other inhabitants of the tunnels, and thus the only food source they currently had available. "Oi, Shiv, sounds like there''s prey outside, go grab it for me." she says to the nearest man trying to dig through the rubble. The man just grumbled to himself, not dropping the rusty pipe he held in his hands as he began walking outside the room. Shiv stepped out of the hallway and was shocked to find himself under assault! Soon enough he was pulled away from his allies without any of them noticing a thing. Chapter 176 - Nothing Boone had just started creating the sound of a giant rat and already they could hear someone coming. It was tough to tell if there was more than one person, but with Karl on the opposite side of the entrance, they were ready to deal with at most two people. Fortunately it was only a single man, they had the usual thick layer of dirt covering their tanned skin, raider armour with black war paint covering their face. They were bald but made up for the lack of hair with a thick beard that looked like it belonged to Gandalf.?? Almost immediately they noticed Boone standing there causing them to reflexively swing the rusty metal pipe at him. Karl was already moving however, forcing a thick piece of fabric into their mouth from behind while kicking their knee out. The rusty pipe slips from their grasp and flies off into the nearby sewage. The man tries to shout but due to the fabric in his mouth it only comes out at pitiful groans, even still the duo was lucky the sound of digging was still going on. Boone throws a couple punches at their face and stomach as they try to unblock their mouth, breaking their nose and visibly winding them. Karl ties off the fabric and forces his victims arms behind their back, pushing against a pressure point to get them moving where he wanted them before proceeding to lead the man away from the rest of the Fiends. A minute or two later they reach the hallway which contained the shaft leading to the manhole, Karl shoving the man against the wall while pointing his .44 Magnum at them. Having been freed the quickly pull the fabric out and are about to scream for his friends when he finally notices Karl''s gun and Boone''s hunting rifle pointing directly at him. "You''ll answer my questions or I''ll make your chest to prolapse." Karl threatens as Boone sends a look of revulsion at him. Karl just shrugs back at him and goes back to glaring at the enemy. Shiv holds hands in the air, he wasn''t loyal enough to risk his life, nor was he treated well enough to justify such loyalty. "I-What do you wanna know?" he quickly asks in a harsh voice. "What''re you doing down here?" Karl asks, cocking the hammer on his revolver to add further persuasion. "We got lost, youknow, just-" *Crack*, Boone uses the butt of his rifle and strikes the man in his chin after the rather obvious lie, causing the Fiend to stumble onto his knee. "Strike one, you better stop lying to us or the rats''ll be fishing your body outta the sewage." Boone growls out. Shiv rubs his chin and looks back up at them, "We''re here to spy on Freeside alright? Seek out easy targets and holes in its defences. Grhhgu-hak!" he hacks up a loogie on the floor and pulls something out of his pocket causing the duo to tense up, they quickly relax when the man just injects something into his neck though. "Ahhaaaaaaa~, bet-ter..." he mutters after taking the drug. Shiv himself had been hiding his last dose from Nutter as she''d ran out of her own and stolen everyone else''s. He knew he probably wasn''t getting out of this situation alive and decided to take it on impulse. "Fuckin'' junkie. What''re you digging for down here?" Karl asks, wanting to get this over with before the guy goes psychotic and forces their hand, or the other''s notice their missing companion. "Mmhm? Oh, the tunnel we came through collapsed behind us, leaving us stranded within Freeside. Only way out was to dig our way back through." he says, his voice now airy presumably from whatever he''d just taken. The duo continue questioning the now very talkative man who was apparently called Shiv. The group of Fiends had apparently been digging from outside the Freeside sewer system to try and get into the blocked off passageways. Clearly they''d succeeded, but it collapsed behind them, leaving them in enemy territory. Their leader, a woman called Nutter, had apparently not told anyone else of their expedition yet, wishing to present it to the ruler of the Fiends Motor-Runner personally. Without any way out, they''d been forced to start trying to dig their way back out, which proved to be more difficult as their tools had been left on the other side... The Fiends had apparently been here for around a week, they''d managed to blackmail a gang that considered this place their territory into a fragile alliance. The Fiends were reviled even by the criminal gangs in Freeside, apparently they''d threatened to say they''d allied with the gang to the others, that would quickly lead to their demise as while there were few rules, not working with the Fiends was one of them. Karl didn''t know what to make of the situation, he wondered if their prisoner was being truthful... He wasn''t like Afton who somehow knew if someone was lying or not, nor was he heavily trained in this specific area of expertise. One thing was for sure though, the Fiends were trying to make some big plays and he had no idea how to deal with it. The group of Fiends was only around thirteen people, which made it manageable, especially if he and Boone caught them off-guard. Shaking his head, Karl looks to Shiv gives him a kind smile, "You''ve answered everything I wanted. Unfortunately I can''t let you return to your pals, but I''ll let you leave out the ladder." he states. Shiv''s eyes widen and he grins back, "T-thanks!", turning around and beginning to climb out. Only for a hand to cup his mouth and hard steel to drag across his neck, blood spraying across the wall as his vital arteries were slit. Tears crawl down his face as he realises he''d die soon, without friends in a sewer. The drug he''d taken didn''t even start to suppress the existential fear he felt as everything started becoming cold, his vision darkening as oxygen was prevented from reaching his brain. First came darkness, and then... Nothing. Chapter 177 - Firing Squad After dumping the Fiends body in sewage, Boone and Karl went straight back to the other Fiends position. Both already knew what they had to do. *Tink* *Tink* *Tink*?? Both ready their weapons as the sound of mining continues, Boone readying his hunting rifle while Karl prepares to use his new Light Machine Gun. Without another moment wasted they both walk out into the light, catching the attention of the Fiends who try to get out of the way after the confusion had left. Nutter''s eyes widen as both men point their weapons into the room, she reaches for her Laser RCW that''d been propped up against the wall, but it was already too late. *RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!!* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* The entire underground labyrinth was deafened by the sound of weapons firing. Karl sprayed the entire room with his weapon, making sure to aim for those with range weapons first before moving onto the next. The gun was pretty unwieldy, but it shot enough bullets to make up for it. Boone immediately blew the head off of the woman reaching for an energy weapon, not allowing any chance of injury in their mission. By the time they''d stopped firing there wasn''t any life left in the room. Anyone who''d been present had gotten annihilated by their firepower, leaving only mangled corpses in their wake. "Huh... Expected a little more trouble than that." Karl mutters as he starts looting the bodies, Boone goes over and checks the stability of the wall the Fiends had been trying to dig through, luckily they''d not breached it... Elsewhere : "When things go wrong, don''t go with them!" Afton says as he points at the unconscious Kings. ... Chance and Pacer just look at him in confusion, having never heard that saying nor recognise it as having any value. The latter was still itching to shoot dead this intruder, but that wasn''t an option now that the King was here. The King upon hearing this just looks at Afton with wide eyes. "Boy, where did you hear such a thing?" he asks after a moment of composing himself. "A legend known as the King of Rock, Elvis Presley." he states, causing the King to gape at him. "The King had a name? How do you know it?" he quickly asks, all the information he''d scrounged about the man had only referred to him as the King. They didn''t even know what he was the King of, where was the place called ''Rock'' anyway!? Afton just shrugs, "Oh, my father used to play his music... He-er, had holotapes of the man speaking and other similar things. A shame our house burnt down." he says with a sad look. "So his name was Elvis Presley?... A noble name, one suited for someone known as the King." he mutters to himself, still apparently stuck on that one fact. The King shakes his head and gestures around the room, "Still, that doesn''t explain what you''ve done to my boys. Explain yourself before Rex''y here makes you his chew toy." "What happened was your guys attacked me for trying to speak with you. Had to beat them down to knock some sense into them." he states, glancing at Pacer with a disinterested look. The King frowns at this, "Pacer, he tellin'' the truth?" Pacer scowls and slowly nods, there was enough witnesses to refute any lies he tried to conjure, and lying to the King would definitely put him in a bad spot. "Yeah, he said something about whether or not the grease in our hair was flammable, continued to mock us until I lost it." Afton just sends a smug smirk at him, "Seems that having a shit temper and being a shit fighter go hand-in-hand." he says with crossed arms. "Why you-" he sputters but is interrupted. The King lays a hand on Pacers shoulder glares at them both, "Enough. Pacer, someone else will take your post until you can handle your anger, and you, you''d better stop your mockery in my building. Whether or not you hold the secrets of the King is irrelevant if you force my hand." Pacer mumbles something under his breath as he walks straight out into Freeside. Afton himself didn''t really care if he had to follow some rules while in the Kings territory, all he wanted to do was get the counterfeit licence and make his way into the strip... It''s irritating he''d had to deal with these idiots though. The King directs some of the still conscious members to carry the beaten ones to their rooms. None of them were all that badly injured courtesy of Afton''s mercy, but most would not be fighting anymore today and maybe tomorrow. After sending Pacer away and cleaning up the injured, the King gestures for Afton to follow him. He leads through the previously looked door into some kind of theatre? A large stage was set up at one end of the room while many tables and chairs were sat beneath it. The King sits in one chair that looks more comfortable than the rest before gesturing to the chair opposite him. "Now that we''ve got all that unpleasantness outta the way, you wanted to speak with me? It better be important, one doesn''t beat half my men for nothin'' after all." Afton rubs the back of his head, "Ah, actually, I only wanted to know where I could purchase a licence to get into the strip..." ... The King just shakes his head and looks down at the cyberdog resting at his feet, "Hear that Rex? This fool fight his way through our boys just to get a licence." he looks back at Afton, "What? The 2000 caps needed to enter too much for you?" he says, eyeing the rather vicious weaponry Afton currently has on him. Afton shrugs, "I''m a mercenary, these weapons are my life, in this business saving money is for the dead and buried." Chapter 178 - Deals With The King "I''m a mercenary, these weapons are my life, in this business saving money is for the dead and buried." The King nods at this, from personal experience it was pretty accurate. Not just because having the best gear ensured your survival, but because if people heard you were carrying heaps of caps they''d take you out. Didn''t matter how tough you were, a bullet to the head in your sleep''ll put anyone down. "Now, that''s all fine and dandy... But what can you do for me if I give you this information? I''d say you still owe me a favour for beatin'' my boys."?? "Didn''t I tell you the Kings real name?" Afton asks, feeling as if he''d been ripped off slightly. The King nods, "Yeah, and you have my thanks for that, but the history of the Kings is more of a hobby to me than somethin'' of value. I gotta think of what the Kings need, not what the King needs." he says. Afton sighs at this, "Fine. Know that I''m only considering this due to how important this is to me, I''m not an errand boy and I won''t be doing more than one job for you. Also, I''ll decide whether I want to accept or not." he states his terms, if the King didn''t want to listen to his requests then he''d leave and find the counterfeit licence peddler on his own... If that failed he''d try to make up the caps he was missing for the initial 2000 cap entry. "That''s fine, I''m not into forcing people to do what I want. Besides, from what I''ve heard you''re one mean son of a bitch." Afton raises a brow "You know who I am then?" The King nods, "Most folk in Freeside won''t, but I like to keep myself up to date about the happenings of the Mojave. Youknow you''re the big news lately with those stunts you keep pullin'', thought someone may have paid you to take us out when I saw you beating my men." "Well, fortunately for both of us no one''s approached me for that. What''s the job you want me to do anyway?" he asks, wanting to get to the point. "I''ll get to that, but before I do I wanna ask you... What do you think the Kings do in Freeside?" ... Afton raises a brow but mulls over the question, initially he thought they were just a gang doing the usual ''gang'' things. Extorting money from businesses, robbing people, and all the other crimes that come along with it. But, while his time in Freeside had been short, he''d not seen the Kings actually act negatively to someone. Sure, he''d spotted them gunning down a homeless-looking man on his way here, but that was probably just some drug-addled thief trying to get some caps. "From what I''ve seen, you guys function as an authority around here... Taking the role of police, or protectors. Though, I could be wrong?" The King nods, "Sharp. Yeah, me and the boys do our best to keep Freeside from becoming as chaotic as it used to be... Before we set up shop the police was completely uninhabitable for all but the worst people, roaming gangs would harass, murder, kidnap, and anything else that made their fancy." he explains before continuing. "To be honest, we thought we wouldn''t be needed when the NCR came in. Big shots had enough resources to make Freeside a properly functioning place with a proper policing system... All they did though was bring in more civilians, now, that wouldn''t be bad in itself... But all those people head straight to the strip, lose all their caps and become permanent residents of Freeside, willingly or not. Supplies cannot match the population, and with the NCR taking control of the Sharecropper farms, the produce is no longer being sold to Freeside... Instead, they send the food to Camp McCarren and their other outposts, leaving the people here to starve." Afton listens intently, but decides to speak up after hearing this, "That''s terrible and all, but why are you telling me about this... You can''t expect me to be able to do something about it right?" The King shakes his head, "No, I was just giving context to the task I''m going to give you. Need you to understand what I''m asking isn''t just for the benefit of the Kings, but for Freeside as a whole." he says, causing Afton to nod slightly as it made sense. "Lately more NCR civilians have been entering Freeside. Some seem to be refugee''s while others want to make this place their permanent residence. That''s all fine and dandy but I''d like to know the reason for it... Not to mention the conflicts with the NCR lately, apparently some soldier boys attacked my guys, injured ''em bad enough that they''re being treated in the Old Mormon Fort by the Followers. I need you to find out what the hells happening around here, don''t do anything drastic and definitely try not to antagonise them, war is not what we or Freeside needs, especially with the Fiends upping the pressure outside the walls." Afton raises a brow at him, the NCR had attacked some Kings? That didn''t sound like them at all. Sure, some of the soldiers could be confrontational, but most were cowards at the best of times. Thinking about it, Freeside would probably be better off with the Kings policing it instead of the NCR, the latter would demand taxes from everyone living there, that''d cause most people to either leave or seek other more unhanded ways of making money... "I''ll take the job, you probably already know my relationship with the NCR so maybe you and them can come to an agreement..." The King nods, "I''d be happy to make a deal with them, but first I need to know why they attacked my boys, and what operations they currently have around here... Something''s fishy, but I can''t place my finger on it." Afton sighs and stands, "You''ll introduce me to the licence maker afterwards, correct?" he double checks. "Hell, you help us out and I''ll pay for your licence." the King adds, and Afton nods, deciding that the job probably wouldn''t be all that big a deal. Chapter 179 - Stranger As soon as Afton stepped away from the King he was greeted by a familiar message. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 25]?? [WELCOME TO LEVEL 26] Huh, he hadn''t thought that he''d done enough to deserve a level up... Shaking his head he just ignores it and starts looking at what to do with his skill points. Well, obviously he''ll be maxing out his Sneak skill, but after that he didn''t really have a clue... Maybe maxing out Energy Weapons and then moving onto science would be the best choice? Guns gave him [John Wick Style], so he was curious at what its counterpart might give. [Sneak skill maxed out! Blur awarded!] [Blur] : Sneaking causes enemies to lose track of you even while in line-of-sight. Shadows provide a subtle camouflage. Afton wasn''t sure what to make of the skill, but it seemed pretty useful... Even if his enemies had locked down his position he could possibly just sneak away... Man, that''d be a mind fuck if he ever pulled it off. Moving onto Perks, again, there was only one new one to pick from. [Nerves of Steel] : 20% faster AP regeneration. It''s good, almost OP even. But it doesn''t suit his current fighting style. He hadn''t made use of VATS in combat for a long time, finding it more comfortable to be in control of his body at all times, instead of handing off his movements for VATS to attack. Shaking his head, he looks back through the Perks and eventually decides to just up his S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats again. He could put strength to 9, or upgrade another stat... To be honest, he was leaning more on Perception as it was one of the most important stats for him, strength was only really useful in close quarters combat anyway... He quickly picks [Intense Training] and ups his Perception and time resumes. Ignoring the slight twitch of pain from maxing his Sneak skill and the extra knowledge from his Energy Weapons skill, he continues walking out of the Kings building. Afton could already feel the effects of upgrading perception, his senses were sharper, more reactive. He felt he could notice details that weren''t there before. Hopefully it wouldn''t be too distracting as he had a task set for him. Stepping out, he walked towards Dirt-Bird, it seemed to have attracted some attention from the Kings, but they were smart enough to leave it alone... They''d presumably heard of the ''bike that kills'', or whatever other stories the homeless and thieves were telling about it. First things first though, he wanted to go find Karl and Boone as they''d most likely know how to better navigate the task he''d been given. Unfortunately, they''d probably be looking all over Freeside until the meeting point, so he was on his own until then. He glances over to one of the Kings and spots Chance looking at him warily... To be honest, it was kinda difficult to tell any individual apart from the group... They are all impersonating Elvis Presley after all. "Yo, Chance?" "Y-yeah?" he asks, stuttering slightly as he''d not expected to be called upon. "Got any idea where some NCR guys might be in Freeside? I need to talk to them see," he explains. Chance quickly composes himself and looks thoughtful, "The King asked you to deal with this then?... Last I checked there was a large group of NCR civilians that''d claimed a building... Course, they don''t seem to care that other people were living there..." "Uh huh... Think they''d be willing to talk to me?" he asks. [Spies Guise is in effect] Chance shrugs, "As long as you didn''t mention you were working with the Kings, we kinda roughed ''em up for stealing property. Both groups seem to... Dislike each other." he says ambiguously. After nods after Chance tells him their location, giving thanks before kicking up the bike stand and accelerating Dirt-Bird towards the civilian''s position. The building itself was in one of the less populated locations in Freeside, trash littered the road, rubble hadn''t even been touched aside from the occasional scavenger, and ruined vehicles are strewn about the place. Clearly no one seemed to care about this area at all. Though, the closer he got to his destination the more people seemed to be around, all of which seemed somewhat cleaner than the usual Freeside denizens. Stopping his bike he waves at one of them and flicks at cap at them, "Yo, I''m looking for whoever in-charge of the NCR civilians in Freeside." he asks, he could try to be stealthy in the way he goes about this, but it was generally just easier to go head-on. The man who''d caught the cap just scoffs at him and dips into one of the nearby abandoned buildings without handing back the cap. Afton was tempting to walk in there and wring out the money from the man, but it was only a single cap and not really worth the effort. Shaking his head, he continues onwards, eventually reaching a large building that didn''t look to be all that damaged from the Great war. It had around six floors, and all the glass windows had been shattered... Other than that it seemed a fairly good place to set up shop. Out at the front doors there was a large congregation of people just sitting around, most were playing card games or day-drinking, but a few were looking around as if they were keeping watch... The low thrumb of his bike''s engine caught their attention eventually as he pulled up. "Yo." His greeting seemed to surprise a few, though most were more interesting in Dirt-Bird than they were Afton. His weaponry being the only other thing they took notice of. "Stranger." a man with a prominent scar on his cheek states, not giving any indication on how feelings towards Afton. ... "So... I was looking for-" "I know what you''re here for, we don''t want you here stranger." he cuts Afton off and states. Chapter 180 - Sabotage Afton just raises a brow at the man, did the Kings have a spy in their midst or something? Maybe he''d given himself away somehow? "What do you mean?" "I don''t need to explain myself to you, now get, we don''t need your kind around here." he says with more force than before.?? "You don''t even know me, though you probably should with all I''ve done lately." he says, hoping that they''d recognise him and expedite his task somewhat... He wasn''t all that interested with talking with these people if he were honest. The man just shakes his head, "Kid, you could''ve castrated Caeser and I still wouldn''t give a shit. Now fuck off before shit gets nasty." Afton''s about to start threatening and throwing around lead when someone else steps in to intervene. "Garrick, what''re you doing?" a man asks in a monotone voice. "Just teaching this kid what''s what around here Si-Emory." the man named Garrick says, correcting himself mid-sentence. Afton looks at the man called Emory up and down... They seemed, weird. To say the least. They had brown greying hair and a clean-shaven face. The only other thing of note was that they wore all black clothes. Black boots, black hat, black jacket, black gloves... One might think he belonged to one of those Emo bands... Emory walked up and extends his left hand for a handshake, "Sorry about him, seems to think ''defending the place'' means scaring away any who comes near. I''m Emory by the way." Afton nods while idly noticing the man''s eyes. Most men had a regular mix of emotions whenever he saw their eyes. Though, few had clear differences... Men like Karl and Boone had clear determination while this man? His eyes were kind, yet somewhat jaded... Strange, if it weren''t for his Perception and Speech skill he wouldn''t have noticed. "Afton... What''s with the outfit?" he can''t help but say, no matter how rude it might seem. Emory looks down and shrugs, "Oh this? I just like wearing it." he states, not giving anything away. "So, what has the Executioner of Slavers and other unmentionables come here for? I''ll tell you right now that no-one who lives here meets the criteria for your wrath." he quickly explains. Afton snorts, "I have known criteria now?" Emory nods, "Well, from what I heard you were pretty clear about it. ''Slavers, rapists, pedophiles, etc." "Ah... Yeah, I did say something like that..." he mutters, having not realised how widespread his declaration had become. Shaking his head he decides to get on with his main task, "So, this building has been taken by the NCR right?" Emory raises a brow at him before shrugging, "I suppose you could say that, why''re you asking though?" Afton hums to himself, wondering how to go about this... His brute force method had worked thus far, and he could feel that this guy was more reasonable than the others... "I''ve been sent by the Kings to negotiate with the NCR, the King specifically wants to know why NCR civilians are coming here in droves, as well as the sudden hostility from the NCR." Afton explains, leaving out the less honest tasks the King had given him. "Sudden hostility? Is that what he calls it? Man must have tougher skin than I thought." Emory mutters to himself, "There is no ''sudden hostility'', the NCR sent an ambassador to the Kings and they were almost murdered for their trouble. I don''t know what games they''re playing but it ain''t one with cards, let me tell you that." "The NCR sent an ambassador? I don''t think the King knows anything about that..." Emory shakes his head, "Someone must be keeping secrets then, go tell the King that the NCR tried to start talks, come back to me afterwards with his response... I''m the ''unofficial'' leader around here so I''m able to speak on the NCR''s behalf." he says, clearly not willing to reveal more to Afton. Afton just nods, "Alright, atleast now I''ve got a lead on what''s going on around here... I''d also like to know why NCR civilians are moving in?" "I''ll tell you when you get back with good news." Emory states, not willing to budge on the subject. Afton reluctantly leave the place, all the while getting glared at by the NCR civilians as he drives off on Dirt-Bird. Once he gets back to the Kings place he briskly walks inside, intent or seeing the King. Pacer scowls at him but opens the door regardless, knowing that the King had sent him on a job. Afton spots the King sitting in the same chair as previous, he sits down opposite him and taps to table to get his attention away from the stage... Afton wasn''t sure why watching someone do their best to impersonate Elvis was interesting, especially since there must''ve been hundreds of Kings roaming around. "Yo." "Hm? So you''re back... I have to say, you''re pretty quick youknow. So lay it on me, how''d the job go." the King replies after taking a sip of his drink. Afton glances around to see if anyone was listening in before speaking in a low ton e, "Yeah, you''ve got a problem, but it isn''t with the NCR... Apparently they sent an Ambassador down to negotiate a while ago, but they were almost murdered in return. You know anything about that?" The King''s eyes widen and it would''ve been comical if the subject matter wasn''t so dire. "The hell? I never ordered anythin'' like that, never even heard that they''d sent one of their own down here." he glowers while contemplating, "Seems like someone''s tryin'' to start things with the NCR, don''t know why, we''d lose if we started fightin'', that''s for sure... You learn anything else?" Afton shakes his head, "I''m planning to return later with whatever message you intend to send. They leader seems... Rational, so as long as you can sort out whoever''s trying to cause trouble I reckon you can work something out without it leading to further escalation." Chapter 181 - All The Kings Men The King wrote a letter containing his message, not wishing for his words to be up to whoever''s interpretation. It was clear that one of the Kings had betrayed him so he''d rather not leave it to chance. Afton pocketed the letter and nods at him, "I''ll return with this, keep an eye out for the agitator while I''m gone." he states before leaving.?? As Afton leaves the building he could feel someone''s eyes on his back, taking a glance behind him he couldn''t spot anyone in particular though... Damn impersonators. A few minutes later Afton found himself back at the NCR civilian building with Emory already waiting at the front door for him. The duo walked up a couple flights of stairs to get to a more secluded area before he handed the letter over. Emory doesn''t say anything as his sits silently at his desk and reads through the letter, the subtle changes in his expressing being the only indicator of his feelings towards what''d been sent. After finishing, Emory looks up at Afton, "Did he tell you what was in the letter?" Afton just shakes his head, "No, that''s between the NCR and him after all." he says passively. "Well, there''s good news and bad news... Good news is the King is fully willing to cooperate with the NCR to stop the fighting, the fact that some of his members are taking matters into their own hands is slightly unsettling but I digress. The bad news is that the King wants the Kings to hold all their authority in Freeside, all matters of policing and security would be handled by them. Now, NCR law dictates that I refuse this outright, but he''s given me an out by offering to allow NCR personnel to inspect the Kings and their operations." Emory explains to him for some reason. "So you''ll accept right?" Afton asks, feeling like this would be a no brainer. The NCR isn''t in the strongest position to negotiate due to the on-going war with the Legion. Emory shakes his head, "If that was all then I''d gladly accept, only problem is that we''d need to seek redress for the Ambassador that was nearly killed. I know that the Kings are a tight-knit group and would be unlikely to sell out their own, especially since most thoroughly dislike the NCR. "So... You''ll be refusing the Kings proposal?" Afton asks, slightly feeling like he was on a wild goose chase. He wasn''t a messenger boy, so if the King and Emory were expecting him to go back and forth and back and forth, etc. Then he''d refuse and find the damn counterfeiter himself. "Unfortuantely I don''t have a choice in the mat-" Emory''s cut off as the radio on his desk bursts to life, the sound of static barely covering up the discharging of weapons. "*ZZzzt!* -merich we''re under attack by *Zzzt!* Kings!" the voice quickly reports. Emory''s eye''s darkened as he taps his finger on the desk, a metallic sound ringing out as the man contemplates what to do. "What is your location?" "*Zzzt* The watchtower outside the ration distribution centre!" "I''ll be there as quickly as I can, do whatever you need to hold your position, over." he orders as his stands, looking to Afton with an almost pleading look, "I heard you own a vehicle..." Afton sighs to himself as he drives down the road, Emory sitting in the sidecar with an assault rifle in his hands. Whatever was happening with the Kings couldn''t be good, this attack would surely not inspire friendship between the two groups, this''d especially be the case if anyone was killed... Injuries can heal, but death? Not so much. He continues to drive while following Emory''s directions until they can eventually hear the sound of gunfire. Fortunately it only seemed to be from small-arms fire, and relatively weak rifles. If someone had involved an Anti-Matter rifle or a Mini-gun then the situation couldn''t possibly escalate anymore. Afton wasn''t sure what he should actually do concerning the situation either, would the King be pissed if he killed the attacking Kings? He couldn''t let the Kings overrun the NCR soldiers otherwise war would be unavoidable. He shakes his head of those thoughts as he spots the watchtower in the distance, people firing their weapons from the top of it at some Kings which were currently hiding behind some buildings and a bus stop. "How you wanna deal with this?" Afton asks, not getting an answer as Emory jumps out and sprints towards the NCR. The guy had huge balls as he was literally running in between two groups firing at each other... Afton drove over behind the Kings and hopped out to see what was actually happening. A few Kings had already been shot, but the wounds didn''t seem fatal yet. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" he shouts, catching the attention of the Kings. The only problem with this was... Afton had no idea who had organised this, or who each individual was... He points at a King, "Who started this fight!?" The King scowls at him, "No one, we just wanted a piece of those dog-shit soldier boys!" "Yeah, fuck those NCR bastards!" another shouts, with a few others parroting similar sentiments. "The King didn''t order an attack! In fact, I''m pretty sure he ordered you to not antagonise the NCR!" Afton replies, trying to get these idiots to see reason, surely they didn''t think they could match the NCR''s military strength? "I respect the King, but he ain''t doin'' nothin'' to help our brothers. Those NCR dogs beat our people and he expects us to stand down? THE KING SHOULD STAND DOWN!" Afton just facepalms, are these fucking guys serious? "You dumb cunts! You''re going to start a war and cause more of your ''so-called brothers'' to die, if you really cared then you''d not challenge the most powerful organization in the Mojave!" Chapter 182 - Whats A King Without A Crown? Or A Head... Try as he might, Afton couldn''t get any of the Kings to listen to him. Their adrenaline was pumping and they were driven by a misguided sense of justice... Or was it revenge? Either way, there was only one way this could end. It was whether or not Afton could salvage whatever relationship the Kings had left with the NCR... If the Kings were left to their devices they''d eventually be wiped out, not without dealing a huge amount of damage to the NCR on the other side though. After this, the NCR would probably regroup and create a task force to deal with the rest of the Kings.?? After that, they''d take control of Freeside and try to police it themselves... And fail spectacularly due to their severe lack of man-power. The Legion was still knocking on their doors, and they had no resources to expend on governing Freeside. Of course, there was another option... Though, Afton wasn''t sure if it was the correct decision to make, or indeed if he had to make it... He shakes his head and activates VATS, needing more time to decide. While time is frozen he goes over the probable results of whatever actions he''d take... He already had semi-good relations with Emory, and he was still technically employed by the King. Afton was the only person who could deal with this ''properly''. Afton stops VATS and drawn Lucky from its holster, pointing it at the back of one of the King''s heads. *BANG!* The man drops like a drunk fly, though due to the continual sound of gunshots no one else seemed to notice. *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* [John Wick Style is in effect] Afton had emptied his revolver into the Kings, and only now had some of them noticed that their friends were dying. They quickly turned around to engage him but found themselves looking down the barrel of That Gun. *BANG!* His bullet passed through the King''s skull, causing them to drop the 9mm submachine gun they were using. The other Kings immediately opened fire on him but he agilely threw himself over some concrete rubble, the enemy bullets kicking up dust as they missed him. "DAMN TRAITOR!" a King shouts as he runs up to his cover, not realising that Afton wasn''t someone to be trifled with, especially by a raged fueled wannabe-gangster. They jump on top of the rubble and points their gun over it in search of Afton, unfortunately, his new Perk [Blur], had allowed him to almost vanish momentarily. The King was shocked to find Afton pulling him by his throat over the cover, That Gun pressed in his mouth as he squeezed the trigger. *BANG!* The NCR had stopped firing by now, not having a clue at what was going on. The Kings had suddenly stopped engaging them and there seemed to be a fight happening on their side. They continued to fortify their position in-case this lull in combat abruptly ended. Afton himself was struggling to get a shot in, there were around thirty Kings who''d all turned their attention to him, peppering his cover with an egregious amount of lead. Surely they''d run out eventually, right? Using [Blur] he sneaks a small distance away from where he''d been hiding and pops his head up momentarily while using VATS. The Kings had hidden themselves in between some buildings in the alleyways that''d block line of sight from him and the NCR watchtower. There were a few hiding behind some ruined pre-war vehicles as well, though, Afton had just the thing for that. Stopping VATS and reaching behind him, he equips his Anti-Material rifle and loads it, putting one slightly different bullet in his mouth for quick access. The Kings were still shooting his previously known position, attempting to suppress him from moving... If he were anyone else they''d have succeeded... Unfortunately. *BANG!!!!* They''d started a fight they weren''t going to finish. His rifle explodes like an angry thunder god as his .50 calibre bullet easily tears through the pre-war vehicle''s metal doors. Striking a King in their chest as they fall to the ground missing a huge portion of their chest and lungs. Afton fires again at the other King hiding behind the same car, the bullet hitting the chassis and diverting its trajectory, missing the target... It wasn''t all bad though, the pieces hit by the bullet turned into pseudo-shrapnel and peppered the man all over his body, pieces striking him in the throat and causing him to go down too. The Kings had located his current position and started firing again, only for Afton to load his ''special'' bullet. He aims at an alleyway containing five or six Kings and fires, not at them, but at the wall behind them. *BANG!!* *KABOOM!* The bullet explodes on contact and instantly kills one of the Kings standing nearby the wall, their body looking like a red-water balloon as it implodes. That''s not all though, the debris from the destroyed wall injures a few of the others, and the building begins to creak as the rest of the structure struggles to retain its stability. The Kings aren''t able to get away fast enough as the entire thing collapses on top of them, if the weren''t dead from the impact, they''d suffocate under the rubble... All in all, the former option would be preferable. Upon seeing Afton''s brutal dismantlement of their forces, the other Kings immediately start shouting to surrender. Throwing their weapons towards him and dropping to their knee''s in hopes that they''d be spared. Afton wasn''t a fool though, he didn''t trust them at all and knew one would likely try to shoot him in the back. "TOSS YOUR WEAPONS AWAY AND CRAWL TOWARDS MY POSITION IF YOU WANT TO LIVE! IF I SEE A WEAPON ON YOU I''LL EXECUTE YOU LIKE I DID THE OTHERS!" he shouts, wanting those that''d surrendered to get out of the way in-case more wanted to fight. Chapter 183 - Pulling The Finger Out... The surrendered Kings slowly crawled towards Afton on their stomach''s like limbless seals, he looked over each one with an inquiring eye to see if they had any weapons stashed away while still sitting warily behind his cover. It took a while for all of the Kings to reach his position, but once they had he stuck he head out again to check for any more hostiles... He couldn''t see any, so they''d either fled or were no longer living in the first place?? Afton stands and hefts his Anti-Material rifle on his shoulder while strolling to the bus stop where the Kings had been shooting at the NCR from. "You lot don''t move until I sort this shit out..." he states. He holds his hand up as he becomes visible to the watchtower, waving at them and making broad gestures for them to come to his location. It wasn''t long before Emory and a small squadron of NCR soldiers jogged towards him, guns at the ready. "Colour me surprised Afton, but I hadn''t expected you to do... This." Emory gestures towards the dead Kings before then glancing to the surrendered ones. "Before we do anything else it''d be in our best interests to speak with the King." A woman with a strict face, dirty brown hair standing beside Emory shakes her head with a scowl, "We already tried that sir, my men were almost killed in return. I say we end this farce and get rid of the rest of these thugs." "I know you dislike them Major Kieran, but it is clear this was... Not in the King''s control. After all, he did hire someone to deal with the problem internally. A bit late but better than never." he states, sending a quiet look to Afton. Afton just nods at his words, wondering why the man wished to form a relationship with the Kings so badly... Perhaps he saw the many benefits that could sprout from it? "Yes, the King wanted me to stop the conflict and prevent further deaths. It is unfortunate my hand was forced today, but I think from the smoke and ashes, something new could be built." he says, his Speech skill giving him pointers and flowery words to get Major Kieran more malleable to his suggestions... "Well... I suppose if you put it like that-" just as she says this her eyes widen suddenly, focusing on something behind Afton. Spotting this he quickly uses VATS, turning around as time is stopped and see''s what the problem was... A King had somehow managed to slip in a tiny single-shot pistol and was currently pointing it at Afton. The bullet likely wouldn''t be able to break through his skull, but if shot into his neck or in any of the delicate area''s of his head, it''d cripple or likely even kill. He breathes a sigh before deactivating VATS, quickly turning and pushes his forearm into its line of fire. He couldn''t dodge as Emory and Major Kieran were behind him, so instead he''d just take the bullet. *Bang!* Afton grunts as he feels the small bullet pass through his flesh, luckily not penetrating through all of his muscle and hitting someone else. He didn''t stop moving, however, immediately tossing his Anti-Material rifle to the floor and launching himself at the hostile King. Their single-shot pistol had already been used up and they hadn''t expected the sudden melee assault. Afton fist buries itself into their face, and it would''ve broken their nose... Had it not already been broken... Ah, Pacer. Continuing, he sweeps his legs and drops an elbow on their chest, winding the man as he splutters to suck oxygen back into his body. Afton ignores the blood seeping out of his arm and searches his body a second time, tossing away the single-use postil as well as a small pocket knife he hadn''t noticed. "Fucker." he growls. "Jesus, you alright?" Emory asks as he walks over, placing a foot on Pacer to make sure he stays down. Afton nods, "Yeah, just a flesh wound." he says, holding up his arm... The bullet had barely passed through the thick material of his Recon armour, Pacer had managed to somehow get it between the steel plates armouring it, but the bullet still hadn''t gone all that deep. "Still, I think we might''ve found the one who started this mess. Ain''t that right Pacer?" "F-fuck you!" he spits at him, though it doesn''t go far due to how winded he is. Afton just cracks his knuckles, the sunlight washing over him was already healing his wound, but he felt the need to pay this guy back for the pain he''d caused him. "If you don''t wanna talk, I have a few ways of breaking someone. Do you need your limbs? Oh, maybe I could tear your testicles off with my bike." he says with a sadistic grin. "Hang on, we don''t torture people! Protocol dictate-" Kieran tries to interfere but is interrupted. Afton just shakes his head at her, "Those employed by the NCR can''t torture people, prisoners are guaranteed a right of care after all. But I''m not one of you, right?" Upon hearing this Pacer shivers, he''d already heard of Afton''s actions towards the two slavers in Westside. "W-wait!... I started this, those pansy soldier boys were rifling in on our turf, you expect me not to do somethin''?" he says as if Afton would understand. Afton pulls a knife from his belt and spins it a couple times, tossing it in the air and catching it in different places. "Thanks for the confession, but I still need some payback for getting shot." he says, grabbing the man''s arm and pushing the knife against Pacer''s right trigger finger. Before he''s even able to beg, Afton breaks the bone and efficiently cuts the finger off. Causing Pacer to shout and hold his bleeding hand to his chest. Afton looks at the Emory and Major Kieran before pocketing the finger after covering it in some fabric, "Alright, he''s all your now. I''ll go speak with the King to arrange a meetup... You guys got anywhere specific? Maybe it''d be better if you went to him... As a show of trust." Chapter 184 - Fragile Alliance Emory nods at him, "Sure... I''m willing to go see the King." Major Kieran gives him a scathing look, but he just returns a nonchalant one back at her. Seems like he either doesn''t care what happens to him, or considers the result more important than his life. Either way, this''d be a good first step... Though, all Afton wanted was a damn licence to get through New Vegas!?? The NCR took all of the Kings who''d fought with them prisoner as Afton went to speak with the King. Clearly, he''d heard about the commotion and some of what''d occurred. He must''ve had some men watching the situation for him. He definitely wasn''t happy with Afton for killing a few of his men, even if it was needed to force the rest to surrender. Not was he beaming with joy when Afton made himself the Kings unofficial ambassador with the NCR. However, the King understood the severity of the situation and would shrug off the rather traitorous actions Afton had used to subdue the conflict. Though, he was very pushy when it came to trying to free the Kings that''d been imprisoned. Afton knew that the NCR would likely not budge on the topic unless he gave them some rather heavy benefits... If the King pulled out all the stops he could probably free everyone but Pacer, that guy was a lost cause... Plus, if the King tried to free Pacer then it would put his status as under the King''s employ in question... One didn''t just set free a man who tried to murder your ambassador after all. The King and Emory both wanted to get the situation sorted out as soon as possible. If anything were left up in the air then the Kings and NCR soldiers in Freeside might just start fighting amongst themselves, making all his effort pointless. So, just as the sun was beginning to set, the Emory was sitting in one of the Kings office rooms that''d been set up for this meeting specifically. Afton was stood behind the King, just for appearances mind you... He''d not participate in the talks unless he was forced to, he''d not really learned how to do ''politics'' nor did he want to. He was a more, ''Kill it yourself'' kind of person. The talks started, Emory immediately inquiring if the situation was as Afton had explained. The King had no choice but to reluctantly nod, telling people that he had difficulties controlling his men must''ve felt as emasculating as revealing you had E.D... Afterwards, Emory brought into discussion terms for the prisoners. The King request for all but Pacer to be freed on the ground that they''d been under the assumption that the King had ordered such an attack, Pacer being the one responsible for the ruse. For this, Emory demanded a small yearly tax from the Kings, 1% of their income a year for some benefits from the NCR, as well as the release of the prisoners. Now, from what Afton could infer, it wasn''t the monetary gain that Emory was aiming for here. Indeed, 1% of the Kings income would be a pittance compared to their daily expenditures in the war against the Legion. No, the point of it was to have some degree of control over the Kings, indirectly putting them under the umbrella of the NCR. Much like the various towns they''d incorporated in the Mojave. Some back and forth later and the King had no choice but to agree, he valued his men above petty politics and wished to see them freed. Immediately After this, the King demanded to know what NCR operations were occurring in Freeside. Both the King and Afton was surprised to hear that the NCR were providing rations and other essentials to NCR citizens... Emory said that they would have started giving to everyone had their ambassador not been brutally attacked by Pacer. Emory then went on to explain the various surveillance operations that were being conducted. One keeping an eye on the Followers of the Apocolypse, this was mainly due to the group previously being part of the NCR and wanting to make sure they were spouting any secrets. Another included many gangs, making sure the Legion or Fiends weren''t trying to make alliances within Freeside to wrest control from them. The King quietly listened as Emory continued to list them, none seeming to be too invasive and as such, he had no objections to them existing. He knew better than anyone else the threat the Legion and Fiends presented. All was not over however, due to the King agreeing to be taxed by the NCR, every member would have to become an NCR citizen, that meant acquiring a licence... Afton almost facepalmed when Emory asked for the King''s name, and the man responded with ''Elvis Presley''... Had he forgotten his real name or was this just the universe playing tricks on him? Regardless, the two continued to discuss little things, nitpicking terms of their contract before eventually coming to a conclusion both could agree on. Emory had been writing notes throughout the meeting, it was presumably the terms both had agreed on, he''d probably hand it off to someone else afterwards to get an official contract written out. With the meeting finally done, Emory stood up and shook hands with the King, again using his left hand to shake... He did the same with Afton afterwards, "Thank you both for your cooperation, hopefully the Kings and the NCR will have a bright future together... Ah, and Afton, would you mind if I posted your name in our database as a reliable mercenary? From what I''ve heard and seen, you''ve done significantly more than what was expected of you, we at the NCR could use someone like you." Afton just raises a brow, "What do you mean?" "The NCR doesn''t usually make use of mercenaries, but when they do they typically send word to those already known to be reliable first. If you agreed, that would include you as well... You''d be given a standard-issue radio so we could contact you for further information and potential jobs. Afton nods, that sounded more than reasonable. More work and better relations with the NCR could go a long way... Plus, he needed more caps for further implants and weaponry. Not to mention trying to gather information about the ranger that''d killed his mother. "Sure. I''m currently staying in the Atomic Wrangler so send the stuff there... If there''s nothing else, I''ve got places to be." he says, only now realising that Karl and Boone would be waiting for him. [NCR Reputation increased! : Liked] He sends a nod to the King and Emory before leaving, he''d get the counterfeit licence from him tomorrow. Right now he was more tired than usual... Chapter 185 - Sewage Scrap [WELCOME TO LEVEL 27!] Afton received the level up as soon as he left the King''s office, he quickly just put all the points into Energy weapons, putting it at 82 and moved on, wanting to get back to see what the others had discovered.?? Afton returned to the Atomic Wrangler, parked Dirt-Bird and pushed his way into the establishment, he noticed Karl and Boone sitting at the bar almost immediately and went to sit with them. "Judging by the fact I don''t see Tamia or Veronica, I suppose they weren''t in Freeside?" he asks while tapping on the bar table twice and ordering a whisky. Both turn to look at him and shrug, "I don''t know about you kid, but we''ve had one hell of a day... Still wondering if the smell if the sewer if following me or infused into my clothes..." Karl mutters. "It''s just you." Boone states while taking another swig. "You guys were in the sewers?" Afton asks, wondering how they''d ended up there. They nod, "Spotted some Fiends doing business with a gang, following them down into the sewers." Fiends were in the sewers? Hm, well, atleast it isn''t a clown offering red balloons. Afton idly thinks to himself as he muses on the situation. "Find out what they were doing down there?" "Yeah... Apparently they were trying to dig their way into the blocked off sewers, they made it through but not before the tunnel collapsed behind them, trapping them under Freeside... As you know, the Fiends aren''t well-liked around here." Karl states. "That might be a problem... From what I''ve seen, the sewers are vast and it took Mr House a huge amount of resources and time to block off all of it... If the Fiends are able to breach one tunnel, then what''s stopping them from doing the same to the others? They''re already claiming the sewers outside Freeside, so it''s only a matter of time before they start trying again... Did any other Fiends know that someone had breached through?" he asks. Karl shakes his head, "Our interrogated Fiend didn''t think so, could be wrong though..." Afton taps on the table in an erratic pattern, "Let''s go check it out again tomorrow, I wanna take a look to see if it''s stable... If not then we''ll let the Kings deal with it... Regardless, good work guys." he says, raising his whisky and clinking it against their drinks. Boone downs the drink and looks to him, "So, how''d it go with the Kings?" Afton smirks at him and is about to reply when James Garret answers for him from behind the bar. "You guys didn''t hear?" "Hear what?" "This guy stopped a war from happening between the Kings and the NCR. Everyone in Freeside knows about it by now." "How''d that happen?" Karl asks with curiosity shining in his eyes. "Well," Afton explains his rather hectic day to them, starting with his beating up all the Kings to reach their leader, taking a job under him, meeting the NCR''s ''unofficial'' leader in Freeside, then intervening during a conflict and butchering a few Kings to stop it. James Garret nods, "People are singing a slightly different tune, but you know how rumours are... You got a new nickname though Mr Executioner, at least ''Free Sheriff'' doesn''t sound as threatening..." [Title acquired : Free Sheriff] [Free Sheriff] : Negative Reputation in Freeside is harder to gain, people are more likely to listen to your commands in Freeside. Afton glances at the new Title and mentally shrugs to himself, he wasn''t planning on committing any crimes in Freeside, neither was he planning to rule it with an iron fist, so it''d be basically useless for now. Regardless, he wouldn''t sniff at a free reward, especially as he just acted as he usually did. "Whatever... I don''t really care how people think of me, I''m just hoping the King delivers on his promise by tomorrow." The next day Afton groggily got up... He''d drank the night away with his companions and hobbled back up to his room... From what he remembered at least. Hopefully he hadn''t stuck his junior in anything nasty... He quickly pats the bulge in his cover to make sure it wasn''t a person, sighing in relief when he found it was just an air pocket. He quickly gets up, brushes his teeth and washes his face with some purified water before heading downstairs to the main floor of the Casino. Boone was already up and waiting, so that just left Karl to come down... They played Caravan for an hour to pass the time before the old man finally made it down, sitting a bottle of purified water with a clammy face "You''re finally awake, while it''s early I wanna check out those sewers." Afton says, feeling somewhat satisfied at the small grimace from Karl. His endurance had allowed him to drink the man under the table, he never even stood a chance. Karl just waves at him, "Yeah, yeah... Just quieten down and get moving." Afton and Boone just give each other amused looks before packing up their Caravan cards and heading out. A small drive later and the group found themselves standing above the manhole that led down into the dank sewers. Afton could vaguely hear the sound of thudding coming from it, Boone also noticed it and looked at them warily. "Something''s down there..." "More Fiends I''d bet... Seems like our guy as lyin'' after all." Karl surmises. Afton crouches and listens closer, "I don''t know, sounds more rhythmic than Fiends stomping around would be..." "We better take a look then." Karl says before hefting the manhole up and gesturing inside. "After you princess, you''re the one who wanted to be here, so you get first dibs." Afton just sighs and starts climbing down, his Anti-Material rifle scraping against the shaft-wall behind him. Obviously, whatever was down here would hear him... Hopefully, he''d be able to deal with it before they kill him twice. He activates his Pipboy light once he reaches the bottom, almost guffawing at what he saw before him... Hundreds of... Robots. Chapter 186 - All Randy His Pipboy light didn''t illuminate all that much down here, but he could still see the small flattering red lights that indicated another RobCo unit. There were many different kinds as well! A few specialized Mister Handys with what looked like construction tools instead of the typical grabber, flamethrowing and laser shooter. A bunch of modified Protectrons that carried small boxes from here to there. Afton even spotted some Securitrons keeping watch, their weapons raised as if prepared to strike at any immediate threat.?? He hadn''t immediately been attacked yet, even though a few robots had spotted him, so he surmised that wasn''t the threat they were keeping an eye out for. Karl and Boone slowly made their way down the shaft too, also having the same shocked reaction as Afton. "This... Wasn''t here yesterday." Karl mutters more to himself than anything. Afton wasn''t sure what was going on, usually a settlement wouldn''t contain a tenth of the number of robots currently before him. Only a RobCo factory or some other essential location would likely have them, plus, Afton knew of only one person who had control of the Securitrons... Mr House. He looks to his companions, "Did either of you tell anyone else about the breach?" Both shake their heads, meaning the only people who knew about the Fiends incursion were the gang they were negotiating with, James Garret as the man had unabashedly put himself in their conversations, and the group themselves... All of which didn''t even know how to contact Mr House, let alone be a trustworthy source of information. Boone gestures at the robots, "Why don''t you ask one of them what''s going on..." Ah... That was right wasn''t it? Robots in this world were far more intelligent than they had any right to be... Especially with how primitive some aspects of technology were. He walks up to a Mister Handy who was quietly floating above the sewer water. "Erm, excuse me? Could you tell me what''s happening?" he asks the robot, not really expecting an answer. "Oh Hello sir! Why, we''ve been sent to replug this rather dirty hole after some rats managed to get through." it states in a cheerful yet gentlemanly voice. "Rats?" Afton asks, wondering if it was referring to the Fiends. "Indeed! Some rats with pickaxes and plasma rifles. Strange that such pests are able to walk upright as well, hopefully they don''t breed, I heard they multiply like, well, rats!" ... Hmm, Afton wondered why it referred to the Fiends as rats... He imagined that the robot was incapable of condescension, disgust, hatred, and all other thing that could potentially lead to such verbal degradation... He could think of one thing that might have caused this to happen though... "Unit, are you capable of harming a human who hasn''t assaulted you?" The Mister Handy jolted slightly before replying, "Oh heavens no! That would entirely go against my programming!" So that''s what it was... It had restrictions in its code that prevented it from harming non-hostile humans, to get around this the owner of them probably just designated Fiends and any wearing their garbs as animals. A smart solution, if a bit dangerous. One slip could it to recognise all humanoids as animals and thus required to exterminate them. Afton reckoned that if the Great War hadn''t happened then Skynet wasn''t too far off... "Would you mind if we looked at your progress?" "Not at all sir! Allowing you to see our hard work and dedication would be a reward to us all" ... Afton follows Karl and Boone as they lead him towards where the Fiends had been, after the bodies had been looted they had apparently dumped them in the sewers so they''d probably not see them again. In the room itself they could see many robots doing various things, some welding steel on the wall while others covered that in concrete. Truly it was a marvel to see such efficiency. No one was likely to get through this route again, even if they dug for days, they''d just hit the large piece of metal buried in the concrete wall, stopping all progress. The group walked around to survey the other potential entrances and saw that they were getting similar treatments. All getting reinforced with metal and covered with another layer of concrete. "Well, at least we know that the sewers aren''t a danger for Freeside any longer..." Afton says, still unsure how Mr House got word of it. With that the group left and headed back to Atomic Wrangler to see if Afton''s licence had come yet. Once they stopped inside they were greeted with a King arguing with Francine Garret... "No, you cannot enter one of our customer''s rooms. If you need someone then wait for them here." she states with a slightly threatening tone. "This is King business lady, you don''t want to mess with us do you?" Afton walks in with a raised brow, "I didn''t know the Kings had started extorting people, maybe I was wrong about you guys." They turn around after giving Francine one final glare, "You''re back, the King asked me to deliver somethin'' to you." he say, holding out a card with his name and some other random information on it... Afton takes it and reads through it, "I''m twenty-two and from Shady Sands huh?" The King just shrugs, "I don''t make the rules or the cards, just take it as it is, its only meant to fool the robo-boys at the gates anyhow." "Right, I''ll keep that in mind." After says, "Also, try not to start causing trouble for the King just after he avoided a war... Sure, the NCR has your backs now, but angering the population you''re meant to protect isn''t the way to go about it." The King shakes his head, "I got things to do, better things than bein'' some errand boy." he retorts. "Yeah? I''ll let the King know you aren''t satisfied with your job then, see how that goes." "Ah, you know I ain''t bad ''Mr Sheriff'', you got to show strength before you give way to people. I''ve known this gal for years and she''s never budged an inch, so I won''t either." he gestures to Francine. Francine just throws a box at his head, causing him to duck under it, "I''m still not interested so piss off." The King heads towards the door and goes to leave, but not before leaving a comment in his wake... "I suppose not, not while you got your brother''s co-" He''s forced to shut the door mid-sentence as an empty bottle of whisky shatters against it. "You come here against an I''ll tie you to a bed and let my male employees have you!" she shouts after him. ... Afton gives her a weird look, "So... You and James?" She glowers at him, "You start and I''ll have you molested in your sleep." she states as he walks into the backroom... Chapter 187 - Ben. The group didn''t have to wait long after the King had left for another person to arrive and approach them. It was a Ranger, it was an NCR trooper with an assault rifle strapped to their back. "Sir, you are Afton Parker, correct?" they ask. Afton nods and gets a package shoved into his hands, "This is a standard-issue NCR emergency radio, if you are nearby NCR territory you can call for assistance and help may come. Command has asked me to request that you do not abuse this gift, it was given and can also be taken away at any moment the NCR sees fit."?? "Can I at least order takeaway with it?" he asks sarcastically. The soldier just looks at him dully for a moment before turning and walking away. ... "Huh, guess his sense of humour didn''t survive his training..." he mutters to himself as he opens the package to reveal a green brick-like phone, Afton wondered if this world has ever tried to create actual mobile phones, though, the limitations in technology probably prevented that. He tucks the radio into his Death Claw leather bag and looks at the others, "Alright, who''s up for some sightseeing on the strip?" ... Afton just snorts, "Yeah, me neither. So let''s find my friends so we can get started on something else." he says as he leaves the Atomic Wrangler, Karl and Boone silently following him out. They hop on Dirt-Bird and start driving towards the New Vegas Strips gate, the many Securitrons locking onto them as they approach. Afton stops the bike a good distance away and starts walking towards them, however, just as he gets off of his bike a scream can be heard, followed by a dirty, ragged-looking man making a run through the Securitrons to get into the strip... "HALT! You are trespass-" The Securitron doesn''t even finish its sentence as they open fire on the man who''d just laid a hand on the gate. The many Securitrons all rapidly fire their laser weapons from one arm, and a ballistic machine gun from the other. The unfortunate soul has their body torn apart by the flying bits of lead, but not before the lasers impact them and instantly vaporize their body... ... Afton determined that he wouldn''t be attempting any funny business around these guys... He had no idea how many of these kinds of robots existed, but if they all possessed weaponry like that then you''d have to be mentally deficient to try and fight them. After brutally annihilating the intruder, a Securitron rolls towards Afton and holds its arm out, "Present your NCR Citizen licence or proceed with a credit check." it asks in a commanding robotic voice. Afton, Boone, and Karl all show their licences, the former becoming slightly worried that if his counterfeit licence was detected that he might get similar treatment to that guy from earlier. "Acceptable. Welcome to the New Vegas Strip." it states before rolling back into its previous position. Afton nods and glances to the others, "You guys ever been into the strip?" "Yeah, sometimes I was made to patrol the walls to search for any potential threats.. Other than that I never really spent any time in the... Establishments." Boone says. Karl just shrugs, "Not really. Always thought the Casino''s were worse than any high-way robbers." he states disinterestedly. "Well, hopefully neither Tamia nor Veronica got themselves mixed up with the casinos... I know of many stories where crime families like the casino''s ''vanish'' someone who''s winning too much or does something they dislike." The group are about to head inside when yet another voice stops them... Though, thankfully this time it wasn''t a screaming man attempting to bypass the security of the game. A tanned man with dirty slicked-back black hair walks towards them while adjusting his dirty-white suit. "Hello there, I couldn''t help but overhear your conversation." ... Afton glances around and spots the small camp old ben must''ve been staying. It didn''t have any essentials other than a small campfire... Not even a tent, making the man before them likely to be homeless. "Uh huh, you just so happened to ''overhear'' us?" Afton asks in exasperation. The man smiles at them, revealing his somehow perfectly white teeth... Did he sell all his possessions for a lifetime supply of toothpaste or something? "People know me around here as Old Ben, you can just call me Ben though." he winks at Afton, causing a shiver to race up his spine... "Do you need something?" Afton asks, wanting to get away from this creepy bastard as soon as possible. Old Ben shakes his head, "No, but it seems that you need something... For the right price, I may have some information about some folk called Tamia and Veronica..." Afton glares daggers at the man, was he really being blackmailed like this? Sure the guy probably really needed the money, but what was to stop Afton from simply beating the information out of him. "And what would the right price be?" Old Ben crosses his arms and looks thoughtful for a moment, "500 ca-" just as he''s saying this Afton slowly reaches for his revolver, causing the man to shut his mouth. "You want to charge me 500 caps for information about my friends that may or may not be useful? Let me ask you a question ''Old Ben''... Do you want to die today?" Afton glowers at him. Old Ben pales slightly as his bright smile becomes muted for a moment, "I-er, just a slip of the tongue! Why, I know the value of close friends better then anyone, trying to extort money from someone like that would be completely against my nature! Ha-ha-ha-ha..." he plays it off while giving some obviously fake laughter. "So... How about 100 caps?" he asks, after working up his courage again... Really, he must be desperate if he was willing to try again. Afton glances at Boone and Karl who don''t seem to have an opinion on the matter. Either way, they''d likely be heading into the strip and probably get into trouble anyway. Chapter 188 - Bountiful Harvest? Afton just sighs and reluctantly hands over 100 caps, his time was more important than the cash anyway, so getting the information as soon as possible was preferable. "Now, tell me what you know." Old Ben checks the bag and slowly nods to himself, "Well, first off if you are looking for your friends, they won''t be in the strip." he says, causing the group to give him confused looks.?? "What?" Afton asks, if this was the case he''d be very surprised to say the least. Old Ben nods, "Yep, your friends lacked a licence and didn''t have enough caps to get into the strip." ... "So... Where did they go then?" Afton mutters, more to himself than to the others. Tamia seemed hellbent on getting revenge on that checkered suit-wearing douche who''d shot her, he doubted she''d just give up like that. Not to mention he had no idea why Veronica was travelling with her, he thought she''d be more worried about getting supplies to the bunker than wandering around with a courier. Old Ben smiles, "Well, I may have overheard their conversation, but it seems to have slipped my mind... Maybe some encouragement would help?" he asks, trying to con him out of more money. Afton returns the smile, "You need encouragement? Sure, whatever you want." *BANG!* Old Ben crumples to the floor while holding his foot, Afton having just shot clean through his dirty trainers. He squirms on the floor with tears coming from his eyes, clearly in immense pain. "That enough encouragement for you? You don''t seem to have remembered it yet so let me try again." he says, pointing his weapon at the man''s other foot. "NO! N-no! I remember! Just don''t shoot me again!" Ben gives a panicked shout. Afton had gotten caught up in the moment and had completely forgotten about the Securitrons... Usually they''d intervene in any violence close to the gate, but for some reason they seemed content to just sit and watch the situation... It was lucky as Afton really needed the information Old Ben was trying to con him into paying twice for. "Well then, speak." "They left! They were talking about something on the radio! A Happy Trails Caravan headed to New Canaan!" he quickly says, not wishing to get shot again. Karl raises a brow, "The group who''ve already left on their expedition? Shit." "You said that New Canaan wasn''t somewhere you could trade in peace, think Tami and Veronica''ll be fine there? If not then I''m going after them, I don''t care how long it''d take." Afton states. "I don''t if it''s accurate, but New Canaan is apparently completely ruled by many different tribes. All vying for control over the region, Caravans rarely dare to venture there due the never knowing which tribe they''re going to deal with. Some ambush caravans, some trade, while others ignore them completely..." Afton sighs, "We need to go after them." Karl shakes his head, "The canyons, caves, and abandoned trails leading there are incredibly hard to cross. You would need someone who''d mastered the route to reliably get anywhere, and that''s not even mentioning the creatures you''d encounter on the way. Face it kid, they''ll have to work through this on their own." he says with a sympathetic tone. Afton rubs his face, he wasn''t sure what to do... He trusted Veronica''s strength and knew Tamia could handle herself, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t worry about them. If he was alone he might''ve been tempted to brave the passageways to get to New Canaan. Unfortunately he had reliable companions that he couldn''t very well abandon, they still needed to rescue Karl daughter, as well as getting revenge for Boone''s wife. "They''ll be fine, we''ll be here to see them once they get back." Afton states after coming to a decision. "That''s great and all, but what now?" Boone asks from the side, still looking down uncaringly at Old Ben who''s still writhing on the floor in pain. "Well, we still have some Bounties to collect. The Fiends aren''t going to be killing themselves... Probably." Afton mutters before returning his attention back to Old Ben, "You''ve caught me in a bad mood, I was thinking about tossing you a stimpack, but you can hobble your way to the Followers of the Apocalypse if you want healing." he spits on the floor beside the man before taking a seat on Dirt-Bird. The others follow and he drives off in the direction of Camp McCarren to get more information about the bounties on the Fiends. A few of the Kings nod at them as they drive out of Freeside''s gates, it doesn''t take long for them to start encountering small groups of NCR soldiers on the highway. Most seemed to somehow know who the group was and simply let them drive past, while others had to be stopped by their allies before they attempted to stop them. Camp McCarren itself was a repurposed airport, huge concrete walls encasing it with large watchtowers giving the NCR a huge tactical advantage should they be required to defend the position. Even now Afton could see many NCR soldiers watching them from atop the wall, all carrying higher calibre weapons than he''d seen any NCR trooper wield. Truly, the Fiends would have to be insane to try and breach this place... Which is why there had apparently been many attempts in the past. Regardless, he drove Dirt-Bird in-front of the entrance and was immediately stopped by the many guardsmen there. A few traders were waiting around, and it looked like they''d be forced to wait as well... "State your business." one of the soldiers asks in a bored tone, not even looking up from his clipboard. "We''re hoping to get rid of your Fiend problem." ... The man looks up from the clipboard and raises a brow at them, "Ah, so you''re... Yes, Major Dhatri is in charge of paying out bounties, I''ll have someone escort you to him. Welcome to Camp McCarren." he states, more respectfully than he''d been to the traders, all of which had scowls on their faces due to it. Chapter 189 - Bounty Hunting They are lead into the military compound, once through the reinforced entrance Afton can see many, many beige tents set up around the place. Not to mention the defensive positions placed there in case anyone actually managed to breach the gate. At the side he could see the huge building that''d previously been the centre of the airport. NCR large groups of NCR troops entering and leaving on various tasks.?? The NCR soldier guiding them eventually leads to to a tanned man with a large black beard. He wears a green beret along with some regular NCR armour, the only other thing noticeable about him is the large dark bags under his eyes, indicating that he hadn''t had a good rest in a while. Their guide walks over to him and gives a salute, "Major Dhatri, these men have come to see you on matter pertaining to the Fiends." Dhatri gives a weak salute and sighs before turning to them. "So, you heard about the bounties then?" the group nods and the man continues, "Well, before I do anything, you should really know what you''re getting into... Unless you''d been sleeping under a rock for a few years, you probably know about the Finds, chem''d up, savage, animals with no disregard for human decency or morality in general." Afton nods, "We know, we''ve had encounters with the Fiends before." he says, wanting to learn about their targets instead of receiving a lecture. Dhatri just shakes his head, "Yeah, you''ve deal with regular Fiends. The people I''ll be sending you to deal with are anything but ''regular''. You try to fight them without preparing and I won''t be sending anyone to come collect your mangled corpses." he states morosely. "We''ll prepare depending on the target." Karl states, feeling as if the warning as needed for the group. Dhatri shrugs, "Fine. Currently, there are three targets, Violet, Driver Nephi, and Cook Cook." "What''re their bounties?" Afton asks, deciding not to mention how stupid their names sound. "Violet is currently worth 3000 caps, should only be around 2000 but she''s the one providing the Fiends with attack dogs, driving up her price... Driver Nephi isn''t worth much to the Fiends aside from being a leader, but he''s killed many people, and made just as many enemies... 4000 caps are on his head from varying sources." "And Cook Cook?" Afton asks, seeing the man start glowering when it came to talk about him. "5000 caps for that animal. Chipped in 500 caps myself, the shit he''s done? It''s personal." Dhatri states angrily. Afton glances at the group, "Might as well start with Violet, tell us about her." Dhatri nods, "Violet, one of the leaders of the Fiends and reportedly in charge of breeding their mongrels. Things match their owners, vicious, diseased, and filled wit chem''s. I don''t know what specifically what they do to their dogs, but I saw one get shot in the face and keep on moving... Freaky to say the least. I haven''t received much information about Violet''s capabilities herself, she usually just lets her dogs deal with any potential attackers she may have. From... Survivors, she is apparently as vicious as her dogs, killing and eating people when she has the opportunity." To be honest, Afton isn''t all that surprised to hear that she literally eats people. From what he''d seen of the Fiends thus far, them eating folk isn''t even the worst of it. "What''s her location?" "The place she usually stays and trains her dogs is at Trailer Fort West of the New Vegas ruins. To get there you''ll probably have to fight through many Fiends, doesn''t matter how good at sneaking you are, there are so many that one is bound to notice you." Dhatri explains. "What would you recommend then?" Afton asks, if what the man says is correct than simply walking into the ruins will have them bombarded by the Fiends. This would explain why the NCR was having so much trouble in dealing with them... If they''d taken control of all teh ruins then gaining access to their leaders was almost impossible without an army. "No idea, whatever you do just try to be quiet... Shaking the hive brings the bee''s after all, and I''d rather be stung to death than be placed under the Fiend''s tender mercies." Karl nudges Afton with his elbow, "Can''t we go through the sewers and bypass the most fortified areas?" ... Afton slowly nods at him, feeling slightly stupid that he''d not thought of it... "Yeah... We could." Dhatri raises a brow at them, "Sewers huh? A word of warning, most are controlled by the Fiends, the tunnels make horrific choke points and are difficult to wrest from their control... Trust me, we''ve tried. Currently we have a few barricades stationed down there to prevent the Fiends with accessing the tunnels some civilians are using as homes... Why they''d want to live in a sewer I''ll never know, but each to their own. Ah, by the way, the Bounties require their heads to complete. Intact ones too, enough so we can recognise ''em. I know it sounds stupid to force you to retrieve them, but it''s protocol. Personally I''d just snipe the fuckers and leave without the heads, but I guess you''re doing it for the pay rather than the pleasure." Afton shrugs, "Why can''t it be for both?" he asks jokingly before turning to his companions, "Any idea''s on what we might need to deal with Violet?" Boone shakes his head, "I''m a sniper, so unless you want her head to explode like a ripe watermelon... No." Afton glances to Karl, who hums in thought, "Maybe some explosives for her dogs, things usually like to approach in groups, might be useful to deal with most of the threat... Might need to retreat quickly afterwards though, explosions tend to be loud after all." Afton nods, it was a good plan, everything else they could decide in the moment. Plans don''t survive through first contact anyway. Before he leaves he realises one last thing and looks to Dhatri, "Ah, what should we do with any other Fiends we kill? Surely they have their own bounties right?" Dhatri shrugs, "For the regular goons? Not really... But, since you''re asking I guess I could set a reward for it... 2 caps per right ear, sound good?" "Well, not as much as I was hoping but it''s better than nothing." Afton admits before leaving with the group. Chapter 190 - Dungeon Delving Soon enough the group found themselves in the sewers, specifically sitting behind the NCR barricade that was currently under assault from the Fiends. The savages didn''t seem to be trying to overtake the position either, instead just blindly firing town the dark tunnel, illuminating it in bright flashes of light which blinded those watching. From what they''d heard, this was a regular occurrence, the Fiends seemed to think of this as a past time. Of course, Afton hadn''t known about this when he''d first stepped into the sewers... The NCR soldiers didn''t even bother to warn him. Fortunately he''d managed to deflect a bullet away with his knife, but he''d quickly had to throw himself in cover afterwards due to the intensity of the assault coming towards them.?? "Well, this is probably why he NCR hasn''t made any progress down here." Afton muttered to himself as the group hid behind the various sandbags. "I can''t get a decent shot." Boone growls out, every time he attempts to stick his head out of cover bullets start whizzing past him. The tunnel itself was completely bare, providing no cover for them to slowly encroach upon the Fiends position. With how locked down the position was, they''d probably have to find another way around... That is, unless someone was suicidal enough to try and fight this onslaught... ... Afton had realised that he was uniquely suited to such a situation, having [Miracle Maker] just in case a stray bullet shot him in the face, VATS to allow him to peek over cover and get a good look at the enemies, and various other Perks and Skills that increase his combat efficiency above what many people could manage. The captain of the NCR soldiers behind the barricade watches with wide eyes as Afton peeks over the cover momentarily before ducking back into cover as bullets shoot at his previous position. He then draws his two unique pistols and occasionally stands and shoots before hiding once again... All he could think was whether or not this kid had a death wish. It only took one bullet to permanently put you down, and this guy was acting as if they were just BB guns or something! Not that he was going to complain though! He could see the intensity of the Fiends assault slowly decreasing the more shots the young man let off. Afton had killed around eight to ten people with this tactic thus far, the Fiends were specifically aiming for him now, but it didn''t stop him slowly decreasing their numbers... Eventually they seemed to realise that the position was a lost cause and started to make preparation to retreat... Only for Boone to finally get an opportunity to show his talents. The Fiend leader had his head blown off by Boone as they were in the middle of giving orders. The Fiends lacked discipline and their chaotic nature made them unpredictable... Removing the leader would remove any potential strategy they could employ. With the leader down the rest just looked at each other for a moment before splitting into two groups. The first of which were smarter than the others and immediately retreated down the tunnel to safety, while the second group stood their ground and hid themselves in the various small holes, makeshift rooms, and makeshift cover made from various pieces of scrap they''d found. Despite the sudden change in the situation, the NCR soldiers refused to charge the position and claim it as their own as the orders from the higher-ups clearly stated to just hold the position unless told otherwise. This left Afton, Karl, and Boone to deal with it themselves. Something none of the group appreciated. Afton slowly walked towards the Fiends former position with Lucky and That Gun both in hand. The wet floor splashed with each step, making it obvious to any Fiend that they were about to get into another fight. Afton could see an intersection to the tunnel up ahead, but didn''t know where they would lead, or whether or not the Fiends had set up another firing line there. He clung close to the right wall as he snuck towards it, but is surprised when two Fiends charge is position from both directions. *BANG!* A shot rings out and drops the left Fiend, Boone pulling the bolt to ready another shot as Afton dodges the machete the other Fiend was swinging at him. They''d quickly rounded the corner he was hiding behind and had started randomly swinging at him. It was clear they had no idea how to use the weapon which made it terribly easy for Afton to avoid it. They swing the machete down at him and he blocks it with Lucky, the machete not even denting the blackened metal as he simultaneously fires That Gun into their face, hitting them in the eye and dropping them like a puppet with its strings cut. [Blind Fire : Shoot the eye''s of your enemies : 1/100] Afton struggles to not comment on the rather abrupt challenge the system had just given him... If he started actually pursuing this would he get a weird title? ''The Mojave''s crazy eye shooter'', or something similar? He shakes his head and continues with the task ahead of him. Karl approaches while hugging the opposite wall, getting a good look down the right hallway while Afton does the same to the left. Neither could see any and so they both simultaneously ducked into their respective sides. Afton was greeted with what looked like a maintenance door? On Karls side he spotted a storage door at the end of the tunnel, presumably to hold spare pipes, tools, and other essentials the people working down here before the war would need. Deciding it''d be better to do one at a time he booby traps the storage room door and walks towards Afton, Boone doing the same after determining he wouldn''t be seeing any more action so far away. Chapter 191 - Mindless Sewer Wastes Afton reached the door with little issue, finding no other hiding Fiends in between it and him. He glances behind him and spots Karl covering his back while Boone sets up a good distance away. The door itself was metal but didn''t look thick enough to block any bullets that might be shot at it... Especially if they were higher calibre rounds. Afton opened the door slightly and tossed a piece of junk steel inside to see if that''d get any reaction... It was too dark to see and taking a look even with VATS would be risky due to the confined area.?? As soon as the door is opened slightly and allows a small stream of light through bullets immediately start flying. Afton has to quickly take cover at the side as holes riddle the door, the Fiends not even aiming at anything and instead shooting at random on instinct. It''s fortunate he and Karl were prepared for this otherwise they might''ve been caught by a stray bullet. After a few moments the Fiends stop, though, it seems they''d managed to blow off the hinges of the door, resulting in it falling to the group with a heavy thud. Even if they hadn''t, the many holes blown in the door would allow them to see inside with the new introduction of light to the room. Afton could just toss a grenade inside, but he wanted to see if there was anything he could scavenge from the maintenance room, plus the fact that blowing a grenade underground could have some unforeseen consequences. The Fiends started shouting curses at them after the door had fallen, not realising that Boone now had a clear view of them... *BANG!* One of the shouting Fiends were cut off as a bullet carves it''s way through their skull. The rest go quiet and immediately get out of the line of fire of the now open doorway. "YOU COME IN HERE AND I''LL SHOOT YOUR DOG!" one shouts, fear clear in their voice. Afton just raises a brow, "We don''t have a dog!" ... "I''LL SHOOT YOUR CAT!" they shout again, though it as obvious they were shitting themselves. "Oh no! Not Mr Snugglesworthington the second!" Afton does his best to cry out, all the while taking advantage of the Fiend''s hopeful confusion. He peeks his head out and activates VATS to get enough time to thoroughly check the room the group were hiding in. It was quite large, at least, larger than Afton had initially expected. Large mechanical consoles sat on one end of the room that almost reminded him of Helios One due to their complexity... The Fiends clearly didn''t care about the technology though as the consoles were covered in leftovers of food, blood, clothes, and other things they couldn''t be bothered to store properly. The Fiends themselves were huddled on either side of the door to stop Boone picking them off from afar. Afton almost choked on air as he spotted one Fiend holding a pistol at a giant rats head... Was he holding it hostage to trick them or something? Honestly, he had no idea what these drug addicts were thinking. After getting a good look, Afton deactivates VATS and pulls away as quickly as possible, just as the Fiends try to shoot him... Unfortunately for them, due to their positioning it causes them to accidentally shoot one another. "Ah! You shot me!" one Fiend shouts. "No! You shot me!" another shouts while grimacing in pain at their new wound. *Bang!* "T-there! I did it, I shot your cat!" ... Did that guy just kill the giant rat? He silently questions before shaking his head... Whatever insanity has taken ahold of that guy, Afton didn''t want any part of it. Whatever, the group couldn''t breach the room due to the Fiend''s positioning, so there was only one thing to deal with it. Afton shoves his hand around the door and starts blindly firing at their positions, getting pained shouts as they attempt to fire back, only managing to hit their companions after missing his arm. It doesn''t take long for most of them to perish, leaving only one who was lying on the floor with tears streaming out of their eyes, holding their stomach as blood trickles from the bullet wound. Afton snorts when they give him a pleading look, raising Lucky and ending his suffering with a clean bullet to the dome... More specifically, the eye. [Blind Fire : Shoot the eye''s of your enemies : 2/100] Karl walks inside and looks around, presumably for traps... Though the consoles in the room take his interest when he spots them. "Any idea what this stuff is?" he asks as Afton approaches one and randomly presses a button, not noticing anything happen. "Looks like controls for the sewer system... Though, I''m not sure for what specifically. We can check this later, we still got more Fiends to clear out, as well as a bounty to claim." Karl nods, "Let''s check the storage room and loot the bodies before moving on. The NCR troopers would take our spoils if we didn''t immediately take them ourselves." They leave all the loot inside and head to the storage room that Karl had booby-trapped, the tripwire hadn''t been triggered yet, which meant that the Fiends were either too scared to leave their hiding place, or no one was inside the room. Afton was erring on the former as the Fiends sometimes acted more similarly to rats than actual cognisant humans... Whether or not that thought was coming close to be sociopathic Afton didn''t really care, it was the truth, if they acted like animals then they would be treated like them. Chapter 192 - A Bitter Massacre Karl deconstructed his trap so they could deal with this room similarly to how they had the other. Sure enough, there were indeed Fiends hiding inside... Only problem was the storage room was more like a storage closet, as soon as Afton tossed a rock inside four Fiends tried to make a break for it. One was immediately shot dead by Boone who was observing from afar, but the others seemed to be off their rockers, foaming at the mouth with randomly roaming eyes. Whatever drugs they''d taken in there made them for similar to zombies than actual humans.?? Karl quickly raised his LMG and started spraying them with bullets, annihilating two of them who, even while pumped up on every chem you can imagine, still can''t function without complete heads or vital organs. Afton dealt with the last one, smacking them over the head with Lucky, pistol-whipping them to their knee''s before following it up with yet another smack with the butt of his gun. They fall over, dizzy but not yet unconscious. There wasn''t really any reason to take prisoners, so he just pointed the gun at their head disinterestedly, making sure to get the extra point for his challenge. [Blind Fire : Shoot the eye''s of your enemies : 3/100] After reloading their weapons and making sure there wasn''t any more threats. Afton took a look in the storage room and quickly had his suspicions confirmed. The Fiends had swapped out the original intended use for this room and instead filled it to the brim with many chems... The four Fiends that attacked them weren''t every occupant of the room, there were around six others who''d all apparently overdosed. In fact, most of the chems had already been used, when the Fiends retreated, these guys didn''t follow the rest, instead wishing to get high as fuck before they were presumably executed. Afton just sighs to himself, whatever the case, it saved him the trouble of killing them. The group looked around a bit more but there weren''t any Fiends left in this part of the sewer system, allowing them to claim their spoils of war. True to Karl''s word, some of the NCR troopers were looking at the loot greedily, but had their minds ''changed'' after seeing Afton go around severing the ears off of the dead Fiends. The ears were worth 2 caps each, and with the amount they''d likely run into it wouldn''t hurt to make some extra money aside from the main bounty. Of course, ears weren''t the only thing they looted, the Fiends had a variety of weaponry that they could sell, most of which was heavily damaged and almost broken, but it''d still sell... Especially if you add Afton''s [Mechanicus] Perk into the mix... Though, he''d need to come up with a way of explaining the sudden change to the weapons to his companions... Perhaps saying he stayed up all night to fix them up would work? Regardless, the group had to keep moving. They hadn''t come down to the sewers to help the NCR with their ''pest problem''. In-fact, their intervention here might spell bad news for them, as a few of the Fiends had retreated presumably to report back what''d happened here... That''d essentially put them on high alert and make them very aware of the sewer entrances. Afton shakes his head, it was too late to worry about that now, he''d need Karl to lead to check for traps due to this... The group leave the NCR troopers to their posts and continue onwards... To be honest, it was fortunate that Afton owned a Pipboy, otherwise they''d have undoubtedly gotten lost in the maze-like sewers... It was unlike the sewers under Freeside, the tunnels weren''t straight, but winded up, down, left, right, and back onto themselves. It was as if someone was trying to make this place as impossible to navigate as possible. The Fiends seemed to have gotten a good sense for where everything was though, as they''d stumbled onto more than enough camps of them. All of which seemed very aware that the group was stalking through the sewers and shooting at everything that moved. Eventually the smaller Fiend groups start looking for others, banding together into a larger one and retreating to make a final stand... As strange as it was for three people to scare hundreds, the Fiends saw the group as the Harbingers of Death. Any who encountered them were lucky to escape with their lives, this was likely exacerbated by the large volumes of chems they were taking, making them more susceptible to psychological warfare. In-fact, it had gotten so bad that Afton had received a title for it... [Title acquired due to a group''s accumulation of negative emotions towards you! : Fiend''s Fiend] [Fiend''s Fiend] : You strike fear into every weak-willed Fiend you encounter! +20% Damage and Crit chance against Fiends. Truth be told, the title wasn''t all that helpful as he one-shot most Fiends he fought anyway... Eventually the group had tracked the congregation of Fiends to one of the sewers exits... Only to find that the exit was blocked off by some sort of reinforced metal wall? The large group of Fiends didn''t seem to know why is were there either, judging by their shouts of terror, the wall hadn''t been there previously... This could mean a whole litany of things, but Afton suspected it might have had something to do with the switch he''d flipped in the maintenance room. He didn''t know what purpose the wall served, but it had proved helpful in stopping the Fiends reporting the happenings in the sewer to their superiors, possibly allowing them safe passage towards their bounty. But, before all of that, they had a huge group of terrified Fiends to deal with... Was it sadistic and probably evil to kill all these people? Probably. But Afton couldn''t think of a more fitting fate for cannibalistic rapists, and murderers. Karl hefted his LMG and pointed it at the group while Boone and Afton did the same. Without hesitation they immediately opened fire on the unaware group. Riddling them with holes as they feebly try to retaliate. The Fiends had presumably been trying to lift the metal wall to get past it, causing them all to be in one vulnerable group. Most weren''t even able to shoot at them as they were behind other Fiends, causing Afton''s firing line to cut most of the group down in a scary amount of time. Karl had reloaded twice, and everyone had done so significantly more... Once they stopped firing all that was left were many corpses and what could amount to a river of blood. Since the sewers weren''t even really functional anyway, the blood streamed down the tunnel, heading towards the NCR''s position... Afton didn''t know whether he was evil for smirking at the thought of their shocked faces. [Perk upgraded! Lord Death v2 400/400 kills] [Lord Death v3 0/800 kills] [Lord Death v2] : Deal an extra +2% damage to all enemies. Huh, seems like the number of kills needed doubles each time... Afton wondered if there was a max limit to this skill, or if he could just keep stacking the bonus damage... Could he increase it so much that a single punch would kill a Deathclaw? That''d be coo- His thought is interrupted by Boone who was bent over next to the sewer wall while vomiting, Karl patting his back comfortingly... Had he been poisoned or something? Chapter 193 - What Happens In Sewers Stays In Sewers... Afton walks up beside Boone while making sure not to step on the increasingly large puddle of vomit. "Are you alright?" Boone holds his stomach and wipes his mouth with a tired expression, "I''m fine... Just bad memories is all... I''ll be good to go in a minute." he mutters weakly.?? Hm, for whatever reason Boone couldn''t handle the rather brutal massacre they''d just performed... He never gave any indication of having such a quirk before, but Afton knew better to broach it without Boone first bringing it up himself. Clearly whatever problem he had was still fresh in his memory. Afton nods at him, "Alright... You guys wait here, I''ll go see if I can raise this wall in the maintenance room, keep an eye open, never know what might be lurking down here. I heard stories of Crocodiles living in sewers, so I wouldn''t be surprised to find a Deathclaw down here." he says semi-sarcastically. He leaves the two former-rangers alone and heads off, Karl was probably better equipped to talk to Boone than Afton was. The men had probably experienced similar things, Boone was still in his twenties, Karl had served in the NCR longer than Boone had been alive so hopefully he''d be able to help. Afton glanced around at the blood-stained walls of the tunnels, all of which were caused by the group in previous battles. He idly wondered what the metal walls were actually for... He''d noticed the placements of them but they''d never been activated... The only place where they seemed to have malfunctioned was in a part of the sewer that was heavily irradiated and filled with feral ghouls... Ah, that must be it... The reinforced metal walls must''ve functioned like blast doors to protect the sewers when the bombs dropped. Judging by the fact feral ghouls were located in the malfunction section meant that some of pre-war Vegas''s residence tried to get shelter down here. He also imagined that Mr House had another reason to keep the sewers functional aside from the moral aspect. The immortal RobCo didn''t strike him as very morally conscientious. Soon enough Afton had reached the maintenance room again, quickly pressing the same button he''d pressed last time. That wasn''t all though, he wondered why the Fiends hadn''t just used this to block off the tunnels the NCR were currently holed up in... It took a couple minutes for him to match the layout of the console with the map of the sewers on his Pipboy, but he eventually found the button that''d supposedly close off the entrance between here and the NCR... He presses it and waits for the sound of scraping stone, raising a brow when he doesn''t hear any. He checks to see if anything had happened and returns to the maintenance room empty-handed... After thinking for a moment longer he glances at the console and starts taking a look at its internals. He unscrews the top with the tools he always keeps on his person and tinkers around until he finds the problem... The wires responsible for that section of the sewer had been frayed and burnt out. To be honest, it looked like someone had sabotaged it, but it could also occur naturally in very rare circumstances. Shaking his head, he decides to not fix it as it''d essentially give the Fiends free rein over the sewers... Plus, he wasn''t that bothered if a few NCR soldiers died while protecting a tunnel that could easily be sealed. Once he''d gotten back to Boone and Karl the former seemed to have composed himself. Watching silently as Karl sliced the right ears off of the bodies before depositing them in a bloody pouch. "Yo Boone, you alright now?" he asks as he slowly approaches. He nods, albeit slightly reluctantly, "Yeah, just... I''m not comfortable with massacring people who can''t defend themselves..." he admits, taking a small glance to Karl as he does. Afton rests a hand on his shoulder, "Then don''t, me and Karl can handle those jobs if they''re required. All of us have weaknesses, Karl, for example, doesn''t know when to keep it in his trousers-" "You better tighten those lips kid before I smack you." the older man grunts as he continues with his job. Afton ignores him and continues, "Anyway, if you can''t do something just say so." he states, stepping back and looking at where the reinforced wall had been. "Thanks." Boone mutters quietly, getting a small nod in return. Behind where the reinforced wall had been was the end of the tunnel, a ladder coming down from a shaft that''d probably lead to a manhole. The group could see faint beams of light managing to make their way into the sewer, meaning that it was still daytime outside. To be honest, Afton had thought it would have taken significantly more time to get through the sewers. He wanted to sneak out through the manhole during the night and take out Violet before escaping where they''d come from. So they currently had a few choices, though, a few would probably result in everyone''s demise. One was to just leave now and fight through the veritable army of Fiends that likely surrounded the manhole''s position. Of course, this was unlikely to work.. Unless they wore the garbs of the Fiends? Afton glanced over to the bloody clothing of the Fiends, grimacing slightly at the thought of wearing them. Not only did they provide almost no protection, but they smelled strongly of sweat, blood, and other chemicals scents that burned the nose when close enough. Second and Afton''s preferred option would be to wait down in the sewers until nightfall as his original plan had meant to go. Judging by Karl''s ''No shit'' look, he was in favour of the latter option, not that Afton could blame him. Chapter 194 - Nailed The group stayed hidden in the tunnel as they watched the slowly dimming sun rays coming from the manhole. No one knew if the Fiends would be aware of what''d been happening in the sewers, nor if any more would be coming down. As such they simply held the position until they had an opportunity to leave. Fortunately, the Fiends didn''t seem to have a patrol system, or indeed any other routine that one would consider vaguely organised. Afton wondered how the Fiends hadn''t simply collapsed in on themselves after seeing how they generally operated... There were only so many crazy drugged up hooligans you could have in one place without it deteriorating into a shoot-out.?? Regardless, night soon came and Afton snuck up the shaft and lifted the manhole cover to take a look around. He found himself in the middle of the street surrounded by desolate and ruined buildings. What once was a large prosperous city had devolved into this mad-max like situation. He shakes the memories of the movie from his head and observes the surroundings for any Fiends. He didn''t know how active they would be during the night, but judging by what he''d seen so far he guessed that a significant portion of their forces would be active now. He could hear small voices off in various directions, but none of them seemed close enough to be immediate threats. He looks for a good, well-hidden spot where the group could go to take a gander at where they were. His Pipboy''s map was rather skewed due to them being underground for a good amount of time. Though, after giving it a moment, he was apparently slightly south of the Fiends main base of operations. Vault 3. Strangely enough, wasn''t Vault 3 the place where his own Pipboy had come from? The Fiends taking it over would''ve been a good reason for the original vault resident to try to escape, eventually leading to Afton acquiring the device. Shaking his head, he refocuses on the task ahead and gestures down at Karl before silently climbing out of the sewer shaft. The group clambers out of the shaft and places the manhole back into position before heading to a nearby building Afton had spotted. It wasn''t inhabited and the stairs looked relatively intact, allowing them to get a better vantage point over the area. It was good that they''d decided the more subtle way of entering the area as the whole place was infested with Fiends. They were like rats, and Afton had no idea how so many had accumulated here... Perhaps people who''d spent all their caps in New Vegas decided to join the Fiends as a way of getting back at them? Or perhaps most people addicted to chems eventually found their way into the Fiends arms. Regardless of the reason, the group was currently surrounded by hundreds of them, currently most seemed to be slowly making their way towards camp McCarren. It wasn''t surprising as Boone had said that the Fiends would occasionally come by and take potshots at the base, it wasn''t an assault, simply the Fiends trying to start trouble. The group could use this rather pointless aggression though, it would be relatively easy to sneak through as they''d already know where most Fiends were heading, making potential routes fairly easy to plan out. There was one problem though, the group were still unsure of where Violet currently was. Sure, the NCR reported that she was usually holed up in some Trailer Fort, but that wouldn''t always be the case. No, they''d probably need to kidnap a Fiend and interrogate them. Fortunately, both Karl and Afton had the skills to pull this off fairly successfully. A group of Fiends walked by the building they were currently in, but one seems to have been left behind... The reason for this? They were horribly drunk, stumbling over themselves and barely able to hold their own weapon. "Target acquired" Afton muttered to himself as Karl gave him a similar look. Boone was left on the second floor to keep watch while the duo snuck through the first-floor ruins to wait for the drunk Fiend to pass. Once he was within arms distance Afton kicked the man''s pistol away and grabbed his mouth to prevent him screaming. Karl assisted and secured the man''s arms as they pulled him into the ruined building. They squirmed to try and escape, but didn''t seem to be putting up much of a fight... Either this had happened to the man before or his drunken state didn''t allow him to recognise the mortal peril he was currently in. The duo dragged the man up the stairs and dumped him on the floor, Afton staying close enough to prevent the man from screaming should he try. "W-What in fu-ghk" he wretches slightly as if he''s about to vomit, but swallows whatever had erupted from his stomach, causing Afton to give them a disgusted look. "Tell us where Violet is." Karl states in a low tone, threatening enough to get the point across but not loud enough to draw attention towards their position. "M-marko? This another fuckin'' prank? I''ll b-beat your ass tomorrow!" he says, apparently confusing Karl with someone else. Afton just shakes his head, the man had gotten slightly too loud for his liking, and he''d need to force the fear of god into him so he''d start being more ''negotiable''. Getting Karl to hold the man''s mouth, Afton slipped his knife in-between their fingernails. Once it was firmly dug under the nails and into flesh, he brutally twisted it, tearing the nails off. The man''s eye''s opened wide as he gave a mumbled scream, Karl making sure nothing too loud would escape. They gave the man a couple moments to compose himself before letting him speak again. "Where is Violet?" Afton asks while giving the most sadistic grin he could manage. "V-violet?" the man muttered, but Afton took this as a negative answer, having Karl hold his seal his mouth again while he went to work... Unfortunately for the drunkard, the night was still young, and he was currently in care of someone who didn''t seem to be aware of how brutal they''d become. Chapter 195 - Dogs? Dogs. Dogs!!! Violet had just re-chained up the cage containing the less tame and younger dogs, the proper procedure she''d personally created for teaching her pets loyalty was a combination of food deprivation, drugs, and beatings. It did make her feel slightly bad for doing it, but it was the only way she knew of providing proper fighting dogs to Motor-Runner... Most of her dogs ended up developing mange and a litany of other diseases due to the drugs she kept giving them. But Motor-Runner said that it was better this way as they looked more fearsome... Violet herself had black skin that was covered in welts, large bruises and enough dirt that a thousand baths probably couldn''t clean her.? ? She hadn''t always been like this however, once she had been a simple pet seller on the New Vegas strip. Her love of animals had allowed her to breed and sell various dogs, from cute ones, to hunting ones, to guard ones. Everything had changed when the NCR made the strip their home though... The various casino''s around her shop had started using her animals for illegal purposes, stitching chems into their stomachs to have them undetected when transport, having them fight to the death for peoples amusements, or a few times even had their dogs attack NCR soldiers. Violet was well aware of what they were doing, but couldn''t stop them. She was just a simple pet store, no knowledge of guns, law, or any fancy connections she could use. That didn''t stop the NCR though. Since the casinos were protected by Mr House, they turned their attention to the next possible target. Herself. The ''Legally'' ransacked her store, killing most of her animals before she managed to escape. Afterwards, she lived in Freeside for a while, she had wanted to restart her business but no one in Freeside wanted pets as they were a drain on resources... She was eventually picked up by a group who wanted to sell fighting dogs to the Thorn, an underground arena that made people and other creatures fight one another for amusement. It was during that she met her husband. Or now, ex-husband. He had been an NCR soldier but said he empathised with her situation... He wasn''t a good man and had eventually coerced her into using chems. After that, everything became a blur, her memory was vague but she knew it hadn''t been a good time. The only thing she clearly remembered was the time she found her husband with another woman... Her dogs ate well that day, of course, the Thorn soon discovered his half-devoured corpse along with the home-wreckers and she was forced to flee or risk being arrested. The NCR still had a bone to pick with her, which was even greater now that she''d murdered one of their soldiers. It was as she was running away from New Vegas that everything just clicked. Everyone in her life had betrayed her, even those who she''d not even met wanted to harm her... All but her ever-loyal dogs. So, when Motor-Runner ''offered'' to give her resources to breed more dogs, she quickly agreed... Though, he''d only made the offer after weeks of being abused at his own hand, if her mind wasn''t truly destroyed before, then after the litany of untested and dangerous chems they''d pumped into her had made sure of it. Of course, in the Fiends she had a unique position. No one could kills her and take over her job of breeding the dogs as only she was capable. Those brutes known as Cook-Cook and Driver Nephi could be replaced, but she couldn''t. So, with a steady stream of supplies from Motor-Runner, she lived a relatively peaceful live in her Trailer Fort with her dogs. Occasionally taking chems to scratch the itch or setting her dogs on unlucky travellers... Did she occasionally try to eat their flesh? Of course, she needed to feel as close to her dogs as possible. She''d eat with her dogs, sleep with her dogs, play with her dogs. Her dogs were everything. If something or someone tried to harm her dogs she''d go dog-crazy! She''d have them torn apart and eats by her dogs! The only thing left of them would be of the dog-shit left behind! Violet shakes the thoughts from her head and scratches one of the sore bruised veins on her arm... She''d been using it a bit too frequently and may need to use another if the black colour of it was indicating anything. "Violetta! Here girl, come here!" she calls as she walks over to her sleeping area within the Trailer Fort. Not long after a larger dog than usual bounds over, most of its fur having fallen off due to mange, leaving many sores, bruises, and other unattractive skin-conditions covering it. Its eyes were bloodshot, probably because Violet had forgotten to give her their daily dose of Psycho. Violet doesn''t mind the poor condition of her favourite animal and just hugs it, patting the dirty mattress next to her and using the dog as a make-shift pillow... She wasn''t able to sleep unless she had one of her pets close to her. Motor-Runners treatment had made sure of that. Elsewhere : Afton and Karl had slowly drawn information out of the drunk man... Their unfortunate victim was currently lying on the floor in a pool of their own blood, the deep knife wound on their neck proving fatal. It didn''t matter though, they had acquired the information they needed, Violet was still in her Trailer Fort. Something else that could prove useful was the fact that most Fiends stayed well away from Violet''s domain due to her vicious pets. The woman apparently didn''t trust anyone and never left her dogs side. Motor-Runner would occasionally send someone to collect some dogs for use, but other than that she was ''alone''. This didn''t mean the group could go in guns blazing though, Violet''s Trailer Fort was still within Fiend territory and any gunfire would be shaking the hornet''s nest as it were, or in this case, it''d be more like shaking a Cazador nest. Chapter 196 - Snake? They''d need to somehow deal with Violet without the use of their firearms... The group were tough and experienced. But they weren''t yet ready to take on an entire army, especially when unprepared and completely surrounded. Regardless of the rather perilous situation, they''d found themselves in, the group starts sneaking over to where Violet currently is. The night is still relatively young, but that didn''t mean they had time to piss around on trivial things. They still needed to get Violets head and escape into the sewers after all.?? Eventually, the group had made it to a building that overlooked the Trailer Fort that silently sat in the distance. Already they could see a few of the dogs choosing the sleep outside... Each were heavily diseased, covered with rashes and other skin conditions that Afton could notice due to his Medicine Skill. You definitely wouldn''t want to get bitten by one of those things. This was a problem though, how were they going to get inside when the whole place was surrounded by dogs? Not to mention the fact the only entrance inside the fort had the highest concentration of dogs... Violet was presumably sleeping inside somewhere, but Karl and Boone were struggling to come up with a plan on how to deal with her without changing the mission into a suicide run. Afton himself had a few idea''s, but he doubted they would agree to it. The duo continued creating and rejecting plans until Afton decided to just give his own, it was clear neither were going to come to a consensus on how to deal with the situation anytime soon. "Hm. How about I just sneak over and cut her throat? You guys have already seen how good I am at it." he states, causing the two to look at him. Karl scoffs at him, "Are you crazy son? One wrong move and you''d be devoured, not to mention those dogs could probably smell you... When''s that last time you had a shower!" ... "That''s a low blow, but I could ask the same of you... Regardless, I think this is the only way we have of dealing with this without bringing down the whole facility of drugged up crazies on us. I''ve heard your other plans, and all of them are just as, or more risky than my own." Karl shakes his head, "What do you mean? Wearing a skinned dogs hide and walking through them would probably work! They''d think we were one of them Violet might not even be able to notice!" Afton just gives the man a dull look, "You think Violet and her dogs wouldn''t notice a 6 foot-tall man walking around their territory while wearing one of their brother''s skins...?" ... "Hm, not that you put it that way, probably not." he mutters after realising just how rediculous it sounded. Karl wasn''t usually this bad at planning, but the situation didn''t allow for very many options. No guns, no traps, not potential strategies, mind games or tactics would allow them to breach the Trailer Fort. He was out of his element, and everyone could tell. Afton wasn''t even going to mention the fact that the plan was a complete rip-off of the Walking Dead... "I think he can do it." Boone says quietly from the side. ... Karl seems like he wants to reject it, but can''t find a valid reason to. It was true Afton had displayed a rather unnatural affinity to sneaking lately, but he wondered just how far it would extend? He sighs, "Fine, but any sign of trouble and I''ll be shooting my way into their faster than you could say ''incontinence''" ... "Why incontinence?" Afton asks, finding it strange he''d use such a metaphor. Karl scratches his stubble sheepishly, "Ah... That''s my safe word..." Afton steps back with a grimace and looks over to Boone who''s looking away uncomfortably. Shaking his head he takes the Anti-Material rifle from his back and passes it to them, "Hold onto it... If I find a single scratch on it incontinence will be the last of your problems." he says, causing Boone to chuckle at Karl''s frown. "Alright, I''m off. Watch my back, also, don''t intervene unless you hear gunfire... I won''t go down without a fight, and I''m pretty handy with a knife." he states before leaving the ruined building. The area between the Trailer Fort and Afton''s current position is basically empty, no buildings, roads, or other infrastructure stood in the barren, rocky terrain. For anyone else t his would make it almost impossible to sneak towards it, but as Afton had the [Blur] Perk, he was well suited to it. His form almost supernaturally melded itself into the darkness as he silently made his way over. Afton''s boots weren''t made to be quiet, but for some reason they made almost no noise, even when stepping on things. While not paying attention he''d accidentally stood on a large twig, causing it to snap... But even then it was quieter than one would expect. Soon enough he was getting closer to the various dogs sleeping around the fort... He could hear their short breathes, and had cold sweat dripping down his back. They looked much more intimidating up close, especially with how many there were... Violet must have over a hundred of these things, and that''s not even counting the dogs the other Fiends were using that''d likely come from here. He stayed a good distance away from the dogs, and looks around for an entrance into the Fort, not finding any even on the other side of it. The only place you were supposed to get in was through the front entrance apparently, of course, that was infested with more dogs than he could count. Shaking his head, he decides to make use of his new acrobatic prowess that he hadn''t been able to before. Sneaking over to an empty part of the Trailer Fort''s makeshift wall, he gets a foothold on a jagged piece of metal and throws his weight upwards, dextrously swinging from another before pulling himself up, all the while avoiding the various bits of barb wire and sharp metal Violet had been using to prevent people from just climbing over the wall. The whole manoeuvre hadn''t taken long, and Afton silently steps onto the top of the trailer that''d been part of the wall. It was fortunate something had been suppressing the sound he makes, otherwise him getting over the wall just now might''ve alerted someone. Chapter 197 - Dog-House... After Afton had scaled over the Trailer Forts wall, he glances around at the area to get a better idea at where he should be going. In the middle of the grounds surrounded by walls, there seems to be a ''main'' building, whatever that means. It looks as if it would be used for living space or something similar. It apparently also had stairs that led to the roof which looked more like a watch-tower than anything, make-shift scrap walls and a metal roof to enable whoever was inside to take cover from projectiles.?? Violet was probably in there, he scans the grounds and spots more dogs sleeping... The walls weren''t connected with the main building so he''d have to sneak past the dogs to reach it. He chews the inside of his cheek while he considers where to go next, eventually deciding to walk around the back of the main building and climb up to the roof. He didn''t know what would be hiding behind the front door, so he wasn''t going to risk slamming the door into a sleeping dog or something similar. True, he''d have to be careful or whoever was living inside the makeshift building would be alerted... But he was sure he''d manage somehow. Truth be told, climbing the trailer made structures was fairly easy as they provided more than enough handholds. They weren''t meant to be meshed together into one larger building after all. Afton eventually reaches the roof and raises a brow at what he finds at the top, many shelves containing various chems, explosives, and other valuable things. Why would Violet store all of this up here? Could it be Violet thought that only she would be able to get up here?... Shaking his head he checks the shelves, as well as the ammo boxes that were strewn across the floor haphazardly. Pocketing anything usable he finds, as well as a good helping of chems. Afterwards, he turns his attention towards the stairs leading down into the ''dogs den'', Afton didn''t know what to expect, but hopefully it''d be as easy as cutting her head off and leaving... Inside the dark metal room he was immediately able to spot the many dogs that were sleeping inside. Fortunately there didn''t seem to be as many as outside, but it was still an issue. Taking a glance around he spots some kind of jail cell? Taking a peek inside, he spots many younger dogs as well as a lot of gnawed bones that looked suspiciously human of origin. Shaking his head, he sneaks into the next room and is immediately greeted with his target. Violet was sleeping soundly on the mattress that was laid on the floor... Though, dogs surrounded her bed and she was even using one as a makeshift-pillow. Honestly, Afton wouldn''t be surprised if she fucked those dogs at this point, crazy bitch. The dog''s presence really limited his options... Even if he could approach without alerting all of them, he''d still need to kill her without her resisting at all, and then cut her head off without the dog-pillow noticing... Rather impossible, even for Afton. So, he''d either need to just blow her away with a bullet to the cranium or choose a more creative method. ... First of all, Violet didn''t really have anything usable around here. The only thing he could of would be the cage the young dogs were kept in. He could guess the reason they were not allowed out with the others, probably not being trained enough to start attacking everyone on sight... Hm, he could use that. He sneaks up to the cell and pulls out some Psycho that he''d collect from the roof. His Medicine Skill didn''t just give him details on humans, but animals too. He could roughly estimate the amount of Psycho he could give an animal without it having a heart attack, so he sticks his hand inside and jabs one of the dogs, making sure to stab one with horribly manged skin. The infection would prevent it from feeling the prick of the needle and allow how to inject it without being discovered. The door itself was secured by heavy ropes, Afton unties them but leaves them in place so it looks like it''s still sealed. Once done he sneaks towards the stairs and waits for the Psycho to kick in. ... ... A couple minutes later and the dog he''d drugged starts growling in its sleep, salivating, kicking its leg at random and biting thin air. Eventually it opens its eyes, revealing the horribly red and bloodshot orbs. "ARF! ARF! ARF!" it barks, the sound itself not being similar to a dogs bark, but a wolf or lions. It continues barking and biting at the cage until Violet starts to stir. Afton keeps out of sight as she grumbles to herself, "Now what is it? Waking me up now doggo, do you want a beating!?" He watches as the woman scolds the dog through the cage, but it doesn''t calm down at all. Still slobbering all over the place and gnawing at the bars. "Hm? Who fed you? You only got chems if you''re a good boy, you understand?" she asks after realising it''d somehow acquired some chems. Afton''s eyes widen at this, clearly Violet had experience with this. Not to mention the fact that she knew something was up, dogs couldn''t usually inject themselves with Psycho after all! He was about to sneak over, knock her out and drag her away from the dog infested rooms when the cage door swings open when the dog slams against it, causing Violet to step back. She draws her weapon and is about to shoot the dog but it''d already wrapped its jaws around her arm, causing her to drop it. "ARRGHH! BAD DOGGO! OFF! GET OFF!" she shouts while thrashing around, waking the other dogs from their slumber. "Fuck." Afton mutters while palming his face. Chapter 198 - Go-Go Psycho As Violet screams at the ''Psycho-tic'' dog to let go of her arm the other dogs slowly awaken, and open seeing their master under attack all start barking themselves. The large dog Violet had been using as a pillow also gets up and dashes at the enemy dog, biting down viciously on its hind leg, causing it to squeal in pain, but not yet let go of Violet. In fact, the pain of having its leg bitten only causes it to bite down harder, Violet screaming louder in return.? ? Afton knew the fight between the single dog and the army of them wasn''t going to last long, so he had to quickly improvise. Using VATS he stops time to consider what he should do next, luckily it doesn''t take long to come up with an idea. Coming out of VATS he reaches into his bag and pulls out every Psycho he has, breaking their casing before throwing them high in the air and into the crowd of dogs. No one seemed to have noticed him doing that, but the dogs certainly recognised the scent of their favourite chem. Violet isn''t even aware of what is happening around her as another dog locks onto her leg, brutally biting into it and causing blood to quickly spew from the wound. She screams again, this time managing to turn slightly to notice the many dogs that were currently licking up the broken containing of Psycho on the floor. Some dogs even bite into the containers themselves, accidentally piercing their mouths by biting the needles. The trace amounts of Psycho injected by the broken needles is enough for them not to stop though. Afton would have been appalled by the sight before him if all the victims weren''t his enemies. The dog had quickly started attacking everything around them, blood slowly collecting on the floor as dogs start tearing each other to pieces. Most of the aggression was focussed on Violet though, the dogs clearly remembering the numerous beatings they''d received at her hand. The only dog that tried to defend her was the ''pillow-dog'' who Violet referred to as Violetta. The dog was bigger than the others and more vicious as it defended its master. Violet was left heavily injured while leaning against the back wall, Violetta standing next to her protectively as the other dogs tore each other to pieces. All Afton had to do now was kill Violetta and cut Violet''s head off... However, the only problem with that was the fact the Psycho dogs were still present. Quickly, he made his way to the roof again and tossed an empty can of beans at one of the dogs near the entrance, causing it to start barking at whoever had done that. Apparently, this was all he needed as the front door of the building was pushed open, letting the Psycho dogs out. They started attacking everything that moved, and soon enough chaos erupted around the Trailer Fort. The other dogs had definitely been trained, but the thick smell of blood and ravenous barks from the others had somewhat affected them. He wondered what it looked like to Boone and Karl, the entire place had been thrown into chaos as it became a dog-eat-dog world... Afton walked back down the stairs, not bothering to hide himself as Violet glares at him from the floor. "Y-you did this! My dogs! You killed my dogs!" she shouts almost manically. It was easy to see that she wasn''t currently on any chems, the fury she was feeling was well and truly her own. Afton just shakes his head and draws his knife, "Didn''t you see? I didn''t kill anything, your dogs killed each other... You should have trained them better, Violet." Violet gnashes her teeth as him as she throws herself to the side, attempting to grab the gun she''d dropped earlier. Afton just kicks one of the dog corpses at it though, causing the weapon to slide across the room, a distance far too great for the heavily injured Violet to reach. "I think you should sit and talk with me for a while, I know those chems probably weren''t good for that head on your shoulders, but be calm... It won''t matter after I cut it off." he states simply, knowing he''s got plenty of time due to the sound of animals fighting each other outside. "So you''re one of them, fucking NCR scum!" Afton shrugs, "I probably hate the NCR as much as you do, so no dice." A look of confusion overtakes her, "B-but why!?" "Didn''t you know? Driver Nephi wanted you dead, said your dogs weren''t worth the effort of breeding them." he states. "He... That betrayer! AGAIN ALL OF THEM! AHHHHH!" she roars in a rage, banging her uninjured hand on the floor in an attempt to rid herself of her abrupt anger. Clearly the idea of Driver Nephi betraying her wasn''t all that foreign. He waits for her to calm down.. Well, not calm down perse as she was currently a sobbing mess, hugging Violetta while muttering gibberish. "You know, I will kill you, but that doesn''t mean you can''t get revenge... I''d be more than willing to kill Driver Nephi for you." he offers with a devilish grin. She looks at him suspiciously before quickly nodding, "Yes! I want him dead! I WANT ALL OF THOSE BASTARDS TO PAY!" "Then, all I need is information." "Anything." she says, her previous loyalties to the Fiends quickly being forgotten as her desire for revenge takes over. It''s twenty minutes later that Violet had spewed all her and Driver Nephi''s secrets. He''d even managed to infer some things about Cook-Cook and Motor-Runner as well, but now was the time for Violet to die. "Thank you for the information Violet. I will see to it that Nephi joins you in hell soon." he says, taking a step forward which causes Violetta to growl. Violet just slumps against the wall silently, knowing her end was coming. She''d lost too much blood to fight back, and even if she hadn''t, she wasn''t all that much of a fighter... Without a firearm, she was just a woman without a weapon. Violetta leaps at Afton, but he rams his knife into the dog''s neck while back-handing it in the face with his free hand, sending it sprawling to the floor while bleeding out. Violet doesn''t even have the energy to cry out for her dog as Afton closes in. He honestly pitied the girl, but pity wasn''t enough to get in the way of his 3000 caps. So she quickly stabs her in the throat and waits a couple second for her to lose consciousness. Afterwards slowly using the serrated part of his knife to cut through her neck. It took around five minutes for Afton to finally saw from her flesh and in between her bone. He wipes the sweat from his face as he picks the head up, "Who knew cutting someone''s head off would be so difficult?" he mutters to himself. Chapter 199 - Bountilicious Karl and Boone had started getting worried over Afton''s safety when chaos suddenly erupted at the Trailer Fort. Even from the building they were sequestered in they could hear the brutal barks and whines of the dogs while they tore each other apart. Neither knew what could''ve caused this, but both hoped Afton wasn''t in the centre of it. Things didn''t even seem to be getting better as the Fiends had apparently noticed the commotion and started heading over to see what was happening.?? The group of Fiends attempted to stop the dogs from killing each other, but this only brought their wrath down upon themselves. Due to this the Fiends started opening fire on the dogs, the sound of discharging firearms being louder than nuclear bombs in the wasteland night. The worst part was the fact neither man could do anything about this, if they were spotted then every reinforcing Fiend would converge on their position. Even if Afton was okay he''d likely find nothing but their corpses left here. Karl sighs and takes out a cigarette from his pocket, he''d not needed to smoke in a while but felt that this was a good of a situation that any. He''d just lit it and taken a couple puffs when a hand snatches it straight outta his mouth. "Yo, why the fuck are you smoking? The light from it is very, very obvious you know!" Afton''s voice scolds, causing him to turn. In front of him was the kid who looked no worse for ware, the only difference Karl could notice was a head-sized object wrapped in fabric hanging from his waist. "So you didn''t die." Karl states as if he still wasn''t sure. Afton raises a brow and starts patting himself over, "No, wait, how could I have not noticed? I''m dead!" he says dramatically. "Fuck off, kid." Karl grouses. Boone just gives him a meaningful nod while gesturing to his Anti-Material rifle he''d left with them, as well as the rest of his gear. "You wouldn''t happen to know what the hell''s going on down there?" Afton shrugs, "Maybe there''s a dog called Willian who suddenly wants freedom?" he jokes but has his amusement doused by the unenthused looks sent at him. "Fine, I got a bunch of dogs to eat Psycho and let them go around killing shit, using the distraction to deal with Violet. Cool?" "Yea." Boone says quietly as he slowly gets up from where he''d been sitting and observing the Trailer Fort. "We should get moving while the Fiends are distracted, no better time than now." Both knew the truth in Boone''s words and quickly started sneaking back towards the sewer tunnels, truthfully, it was incredibly easy to sneak through the Fiends territory while the group was frantically trying to quell the raging Psycho dogs he''d inadvertently created. The group eventually found themselves walking part the NCR fortification in the sewers, the soldiers themselves giving the ma wide berth. Clearly they''d heard of the massacre they''d performed against the Fiends down here. Once they''d reached safety the entire group felt the sudden tiredness, this was mainly due to the fact they''d not slept in so long. The adrenaline and tenseness of the situation had finally ended, allowing their bodies to relax. They decided to just get some rest in the NCR barricade and hand over the bounty tomorrow. It wasn''t like they were in a rush or anything. The next day the group were stood outside Camp McCarren, Afton brushing some dust off of Dirt-Bird that''d been left here for the NCR to protect. Fortuantely no one had seemed to touch it, he needed to give props to the NCR for following their own rules and not laying a hand on his property. The group was led inside by a rather gracious-looking soldier who handed them off to Major Dhatri who gave them a surprised look when he spotted them. "Damn, just who I needed to see. We''ve already received word of your work down there, good job. Clearing the sewers, and causing chaos deep in their territory all in the same day? I have to admit, I wasn''t expecting that." Afton nods while grabbing the bag strapped to his waist, handing it to him. Dhatri opens it up and reveals a broad grin. "Not looking so good now are you Violet?" he sneers before tossing the head at a soldier. To be honest, Afton wasn''t sure what they''d do with the head, the NCR didn''t seem the type to create trophies out of their enemies. Dhatri also sends another soldier off to retrieve their reward, looking back at the group with a satisfied nod, "Don''t know how you did it, but I won''t pry, all that matters is the results in the end." "Well, we might as well keep pushing while the iron is hot. We wanna take another bounty." Afton states. Dhatri nods, "Yeah? Cook-Cook or Driver Nephi?" ... All of the group hated Cook-Cook with a passion, everyone had read Dermot''s ledger and wanted a piece of the raping bastard for what he''d done. But... Practically, going after Cook-Cook at this moment was rather difficult, with the chaos they''d caused in the Fiend''s territory everyone there would be on high alert. Cook-Cook was a harder target than Driver Nephi due to his location. The latter essentially being the front line compared to sitting directly next to their main base. From the information he''d gathered from Violet, Driver Nephi usually holed up in the Samson Rock Crushing Plant. The man only used a golf driver, which meant is was incredibly vulnerable to range attacks... Due to this, he was hard to draw out and usually stayed within confined areas to lure people closer. The Rock Crushing Plant was the farthest point in the Fiends territory, the NCR had tried many times to kill the man but had all failed, somehow all getting killed by Driver Nephi and his golf club... Chapter 200 - Bloody Hell! Afton looks to Dhatri and asks, "Tell me about Driver Nephi." he asks, wanting to see if the NCR knew anything Afton didn''t. "Driver Nephi, not as sick as Cook-Cook but definitely up there. Bastard''s killed many of the men I''d sent to deal with him, putting their heads on pikes outside his hideout just to mock me. He seems to take satisfaction from killing those that come for him, thinking of it more as a sport than anything else... I want you to put the fear of God in him, show him that this shit ain''t a game."?? "Any tips on how to deal with him?" Afton inquires. Dhatri shakes his head, "I''d say bring a sniper but you already have one," he says gesturing to Boone, "Even then, the bastard never leaves his hideout. You''ll probably have to go inside to deal with him." Afton scratches his face, not bothering to even notice the slowly growing beard. "Hm, well, we''ll think of something." he says just as the soldier Dhatri sent off comes back with a few large sacks of caps in hand. Dhatri hands them to him and Afton nods gratefully, judging how many caps are in each by their weight. Yep, around three thousand. He was about to thank the man when time freezes, he shakes his head at the sensation, it was almost familial at this point... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 28] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 29] He''s immediately greeted with the skill selection of the system, he was obviously going to max out his Energy Weapons skill, but what to do afterwards? He wondered to himself if it was finally time to max out Science... First of all, he points 18 points into Energy Weapons to see what Perk he''d get for it. His brow almost reaches his hairline when he spots a Vault Boy who looks suspiciously like Ewan McGregor, wearing robes and holding what looks like a laser pistol... [Uncivilized Weapon] : All Energy weapons become overcharged, adding +100% damage to any Energy Weapon you use! Wow... That was definitely unexpected, the Guns Perk [John Wick Style] didn''t primarily affect only ballistic weapons, so Afton had been expecting something similar... But now it seemed he''d need to readjust his fighting style to incorporate more Energy Weapons... With this new Perk he was sure a Gauss Rifle was way more powerful than his Anti-Material rifle could ever be. He remembers the Deathclaw who took a blast straight to the chest and imagines it being reduced to red mist. Yes, he''d definitely make use of this in the future. Afton''s eyes brush over new available Perk, wondering if the system was on its last legs or something... Still, the Perk it showed was incredibly valuable. [Rad Absorption] : -1 Rad every 20 seconds. This Perk would essentially make Afton all but immune to radiation. He''d not have to worry about everyday things like the rad levels of food, water, and other consumables. The only thing that could possibly harm him would be intense levels of radiation, akin to standing next to a cracked nuclear reactor for a good amount of time. The only other Perks he was actually considering at this point were [Explorer] and [Intense Training]. Still, both of those could wait, [Rad Absorption] was simply too good to not get right now. Once he selected confirm, time stopped and Afton found himself looking between Major Dhatri and his companions... Just as the pain hit. The burning sensation moved through his body like a wave, trigger every pain receptor it touched and causing it to blare in his mind. He managed to stifle a scream, but still dropped to a knee. Presumably, people would be curious over what was happening to him, but he was in no state to explain anything. Knowledge of Energy Weapons and a huge amount of scientific theorems stuffed themselves in his cranium, all while he was trying to figure out what was happening within his body. He could feel something wet dripping from his ears, nose, and mouth, and upon touching the warm liquid he quickly realised it was blood. Soon enough even his vision started turning red as the cells in his eyes ruptured and started reforming themselves. From his knowledge of the human body, he could tell he was undergoing massive mutations across his entire body, the only thing he could think of that would be causing this would be the [Rad Absorbtion] Perk. Damn! He''d known that some Perks affected his body, but he''d just selected a Perk that would most likely mutate his body to suit it, all while in the middle of a conversation. He didn''t know how it looked from the outside, but if someone dropped to a knee and started bleeding from their entire body he''d run as far away as possible, fearing it to be contagious. What is the NCR saw fit to put him out of his misery and discovered his [Miracle Maker] Perk? He could only imagine the experiments he''d be subjected to. Soon enough even his muscles gave out as he dropped to the floor. It wasn''t long before he felt something picking him up and carrying him away. He hoped it was just to the medical facility within Camp McCarren and not somewhere else... He doubted Boone and Karl would allow them to start experimenting on him, but who knows what could happen in a panic... It wasn''t long before he felt himself be placed on something soft, presumably a bed. Afterwards having many things attached to him, from the pinch he could tell they''d hooked him up to some blood bags... Hopefully they''d checked his blood type beforehand... The only people who actually knew that information was the Brotherhood of Steel, Christine, and Veronica. He struggled to try and stay awake, but the softness his body was pressing against allowed him slowly relax, the pain had dimmed and everything finally went black. Chapter 201 - Doctor? Afton slowly comes to, groggily blinking his eyes as his blurring vision clears. He shifts his weight to his side and notices that he''s currently resting in a clinical white bed with one of those shitty hospital pillows... Ah, that''s right. He''d just levelled up and started bleeding everywhere, passing out soon after... He glances around and notices that he''s inside some kind of huge airport terminal... Not a place you''d expect to see a hospital. Though, he could guess this is Camp McCarren, hopefully they wouldn''t hold him here long as he really wanted to get rid of Nephi before anything else... Plus, he was only bleeding because of the system, not any underlying health defects.?? "Ah! You''re awake?" a voice says from the side, causing Afton to turn towards it. There sits a man at a desk topped with a terminal. They have white hair with a greying stubble and wear a bleached white lab coat. Afton scratches his head, "Yeah, what, you seem surprised? Not expecting me to wake up?" "I-er-no... Just not so soon, to be honest I don''t even know how you''re even alive! You had severe haemorrhaging across your entire body! Muscles, organs, even your bones were seemed to be breaking down, and yet you lie here after two days of sleep perfectly fine?!" he says, getting increasingly louder as he spoke. ... Afton just shrugs from the bed, "Yeah?... What do you want me to say? ''Yeah, I should of died so just kill me know to set the world right''?" He shakes his head, "Anyway, did you find what the problem was with my body? I don''t usually just start spewing blood from everywhere..." he says, trying to mask the fact that he already knew the cause of the problem. The man nods, "Oh, I''m Dr Kemp by the way, Head Doctor at Camp McCarrens medical division..." he says, causing Afton to look around for any of the other staff. ... "Er, is everyone busy somewhere else?" he asks after seeing no one aside from a few NCR Troopers. Dr Kemp shakes his head, "No... I''m the Head Doctor, and only Doctor here..." he says as his eyes dart elsewhere shamefully. Afton decides not to pursue this topic, he didn''t really need to know why the NCR had so few Doctors at their disposal. "So, what was wrong with me?" "Ah, right!" He picks up a clipboard and walks to the side of his bed, "Well, from what I''ve observed, and a little help from Doctor Hildern, we''ve discovered that your cells were in a rapid state of mutation. We asked your companions whether you''d recently been subject to a large burst of radiation... Apparently you were in close contact with some radioactive waste at some point?" Afton nods, "Yeah, at Camp Searchlight... Almost got torn to pieces by a giant, giant Rad Scorpion." he says, wondering where the Doctor was going with this. "Who''s Hildern by the way, and didn''t you say you were the only Doctor here?" Dr Kemp scratches his face, "Ah, well, Dr Hildern is in charge of director of operations of the Office of Science and Industry... I think that''s his official title? To be honest, most people just call it the Research division. Also, I meant I was the only Doctor in the medical division, I''m the only one responsible for keeping our troops alive should they get injured in the field." "Alright... So, why did my body suddenly start ''mutating''?" he asks, interested in their theory. "Well, Doctor Hildern and I came up with many theories on how this came about, but the primary one would be that we were observing a once in a lifetime phenomena that hadn''t been recorded before. You are aware of the existence of Feral Ghouls, correct?" Afton nods and the Doctor continues, "Well, we think that all Ghouls go through a similar process that you''d just experienced. Rapidly mutating due to high doses of radiation, some retaining their sanity, while others go mad... Though, we think that Ghouls are the failed products of such mutations." he says with a grin, as if he was revealing the secrets of the world... Gotta hand it to him, the man was passionate if anything else. "Fail product?" Afton asks, having no idea what he could be referring to. Dr Kemp nods, "Indeed. There exists a special kind of person out in the wasteland, they are incredibly rare but all possess the same mutation... An immunity to radiation. Now, I''m only telling you this due to how much you''ve assisted the NCR, but you must know that this is classified, so don''t go spreading it." he warns. "My lips are sealed." Afton says, zipping his mouth closed jokingly with a gesture. "The NCR first learned of these kinds of people when some Children of Atom started attacking them to protect some ''sacred land'', truth be told, the NCR were just trying to remove radioactive material that was seeping into the water supply. Anyway, we captured a few of them and discovered that they were immune to radiation, researchers figured that it was just a rare mutation lucky people would receive when around high levels of radiation..." "And you think I now possess this mutation?" Dr Kemp rubs his hands together sheepishly, "Well, I don''t ''think'' anything... I know you have an immunity to radiation, we tested your blood and the results were encouraging." Afton creases his brows, "I don''t remember giving you permission to do that." he states. "Oh, don''t be like that. We really thought you were going to die you know? It''s fortunate you didn''t lose the lottery and turn into a ghoul instead. The chances of the attempted mutation succeeding are around one in a million, if you''d allow us to study you for a while, who knows the discoveries we could make." the man beams at him. Afton shakes his head, "I won''t be your lab rat." he states, almost snarling at the thought of being trapped and studied like an animal. "Where are my friends? I doubt they''d be far from here." Dr Kemp sighs and nods, "They said they''d be scouting one of the Fiend leaders while you rested." Chapter 202 - Maketh Acquainteth "They said they''d be scouting one of the Fiend leaders while you rested." "Huh, trust them not to be idle. Where''s my shit?" Afton asks after a moment of thinking, only now realising that his Pipboy was still on his wrist... The mystical properties of the device still amaze and confuse him. He wasn''t complaining about it though, making people unaware or unable to remove it would save him a lot of trouble in many situations.?? Dr Kemp gestures to the footlocker beside the bed, "I''d encourage you to stay in bed for a little longer, there''s no need to risk aggravating anything else so soon." Afton shakes his head at the man''s suggestions, "I''ve got a lot of shit to do, I''ll not be relaxing until it''s all done. Thanks for patching me up though." he says noncomittally and starts putting on his Recon armour. He checks his Pipboy to see if anything drastic had changed aside from the level up : Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend] Level : 29 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 8 Perception : 8 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 10 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 23 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 62 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 33 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v2], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] Afterwards he looks around for his weapons but notices that he was missing his Anti-Material rifle... In its place sat Karls LMG, along with all its ammunition. "Er, did Karl take my gun?" he asks the doctor who was still trying to persuade him to stay. "The big sniper? Yeah, he left behind that when they went off scouting." Afton nods, "Thanks." he mutters as he checks through his backpack to make sure everything was there... It seems that Karl and Boone had cashed in the ears they''d collected from the Fiends, he currently had an extra 1360 caps sitting in a few bags. They must''ve partitioned his pay and stored it with him. Good guys. "Alright, thanks doc, I''ll be headed out. Take care of yourself." he says, giving a small wave as he left. Dr Kemp sighs as he slumps in his chair, watching the young man leave. They were probably the means of which he could advance his career, the discovery and recording of someone in mid-mutation was incredibly valuable. And now that they knew he had been a regular human beforehand, the NCR knew it wasn''t an inborn gift. Dr Hildern had suggested that they just file Afton as dead and ship his body back to the main NCR research facility to try and replicate the mutation. He''d almost accepted it, but considered the help Afton had given the NCR in his relatively short time as a bounty hunter. He was sure the kid would do many more great things if left to his own devices and not strapped to a dissection table. Though, even then, that didn''t stop him sending some of Afton''s blood off to get it tested and analysed... He didn''t think anything would come of it, but it was better to get everything confirmed rather than leave it up to interpretation. Hopefully he''d be able to relay the tests back to Afton in case he has any other potential health risks. Afton had just left the main building of Camp McCarren and stepped into the area containing the many military tents. NCR troopers were marching from here to there, supplies were being moved, and he could spot mechanics repairing one of those NCR trucks he''d heard so much about. Walking over he kneels next to someone who only had their legs visible, they were under the truck doing something he couldn''t see. "So, these are the trucks the NCR has huh?" he asks, the person under the truck sitting up in surprise and whacking their head on the bottom of the vehicle. Afton raises a brow when he hears a feminine squeak... His suspicions were confirmed when they crawled out from under the vehicle, oil-stained their white shirt that looked almost too small for them due to their generous *cough* proportions. To be honest, he should''ve noticed their gender just by the shape of their legs, they were rather curvaceous after all. The woman had greasy oil-stained brown hair with a dirty, but well-shaped face. "Erm, did you need something?" she asks as Afton had just been staring at her face for longer than what seemed acceptable. His eyes widen as he blushes at being caught, truthfully he was trying to look past the dirt and oil covering her to imagine how she''d look underneath it all, but it probably did look creepy from her point of view. "Ah, sorry. just didn''t expect someone so cute to be working as a mechanic, oil isn''t good for your skin youknow?" The woman shakes her head while ignoring the sudden compliment, "Yeah? You try to find enough water to shower with around here and I''ll clean up. Still, you didn''t answer my question." Afton shrugs, "Just wondering if you wanted any help. I''m pretty good with vehicles." he says, causing her eyes to glint in recognition. She points rather rudely at hm, "You''re that guy with the motorbike!" "Yea-" he''s about to confirm but is interrupted by the now rather excited woman. "That''s so cool! How''d you find the parts for it? Did you rebuild it yourself? Do you have anymore vehicles!?!" ... "Sorry... I''ve just not seen any other vehicles apart from this old trucks." she bangs the NCR truck lightly with her fist. Afton can''t help but pounce on the hook she''d just thrown at him, "You''re interested in vehicles?" She nods, "Ever since I was a kid. Read books about racing cars and tanks, I only really joined the NCR for these trucks... Them being the only real vehicles that are still around, though, you seem to have figured out a way to fix that bike up." "I''d heard a lot about these things, but they don''t seem to live up to the hype. A lucky bullet would explode the fuel tank and burn everyone in this thing alive... Just because you paint it green doesn''t automatically make it a military vehicle..." he mutters. She nods, "I know right!? But we can''t even add stuff to protect it because the higher-ups say these are ''Antiques'' and that adding stuff would decrease their value! How dumb can you get!" "Soldier! This isn''t social hour! Get back to work!" a large man shouts from the side at Afton''s new acquaintance, causing her to grimace. "Ah, sir. I was just discussing a problem with the vehicles integrity with..-" he looks to her, only now realising he''d not learned her name. "Josie." "-Josie! She''s really quite talented you know?" "What would a bounty hunter know about mechanics?" the officer asks with incredulity. Chapter 203 - Par For The Course "What would a bounty hunter know about mechanics?" ...?? "Er, did you forget the vehicle that I own and personally built?" Afton says before pointing at the truck, "Even without taking a close look I can already see some issues, the tires are on their last legs and look ready to give up, the axle looks rusted to hell, which is an achievement in the desert! And don''t get me started on the wheel nuts that look ready to fall off." he says, honestly the vehicles look pretty good considering they''d likely been shot at from all angles. The man''s face reddens slightly at the criticism, he wasn''t stupid, he knew of the issues but simply didn''t have the tool and materials to fix them. Especially considering his leaders didn''t want to remove any of the vehicles original parts. For what reason? He had no idea, something about antiquity? They shake their head and sigh before turning, "Very well... Carry on." and walks away. Josie''s shoulders slump in relief as they leave. "L~ucky, I don''t think my record could take another infraction..." Afton raises a brow, feeling slightly guilty for putting her in such a position in the first place, "What''d you do in the first place?" She smirks slightly, "Took the truck out to ''test'' whether it was working properly... Boss put it down as a joy-ride though, bastard." "Nice." he mutters, wondering what the NCR''s faces would be like seeing their ''valuable'' trucks being drifted. "Anyway, you mind if I help you out repairing this thing?" Josie shrugs, "Captain technically gave you permission so I don''t see the harm. Karl and Boone had just returned from scouting Driver Nephi''s base in the Rock Crushing Plant. The soldiers nod at them as they enter Camp McCarren, they had been common faces lately due to them taking up the task of completing the Fiend bounties. Still, the duo had another reason to be here, their friend and pseudo-leader had fallen ill with something. Both couldn''t believe their eyes when Afton dropped to his knees with blood flooding from his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. They were even in a state of shock the entire time they followed the soldiers who carried Afton to the medical wing. Fortunately, Karl had kept his faculties enough to remove some rather incriminating items from Afton before they removed his clothing... He''d been asleep for two days now, and neither had any inclination that he''d wake up, so both were just making themselves busy before they lost hope. ... This was the main reason both were so surprised when they spotted their supposedly bed-ridden companion laughing with a ''thick'' female mechanic while working on the NCR''s trucks. Karl and Boone just looked at each other with mirth before marching over, "We''re all worried about you kid, then you suddenly get better and start flirting with girls again?" Karl calls out, catching Afton''s attention. Afton''s face breaks into a smirk, "Ah, so you did miss me? Well, fret not, your feelings reached me and brought me back to one hundred per cent health!" "Fuck off." Karl bites back at his sarcasm, "Doc told us you wouldn''t be awake for a while, so how''re you walking around right now?" Afton shrugs, "I''m a fast healer." he says, not bothering to try and explain anything to him. "Hmph, well, atleast you''re not dead." he states, walking up and giving a rough spartan handshake. Though, Afton could feel that Karl had slipped something into his grip... It reminded him of how drug dealers would hand off their goods... They let go and Afton took a glance at what he''d been given, his eyes widening at the sight of his Brother of Steel holotag. Shit! He must''ve forgotten about it, he is so lucky that Karl managed to snag it before he''d had his clothing stripped. "Thanks for worrying about me." he says and Karl nods knowingly. "Yeah, yeah. Now, unless you wanna continue flirting with your lady-friend, we''ve just gotten back from scouting Nephi''s place." Afton shrugs and looks to Josie, "I guess, see you later Josie. Maybe one day I''ll let you have a go on Dirt-Bird." he says, causing the woman''s eyes to light up. "I''m looking forward to it." she says before turning her attention to the truck, though, why it looked in better condition than it ever had before she didn''t know. Perhaps it was something Afton did? Afton and his companions walk to an empty military tent and sit down at the table in the middle of it. "I''m happy to hear you guys weren''t moping over my potential violent demise." he says semi-sarcastically. "To be fair Kid, you lost enough blood to kill two men, neither of us expected you to live after that. We were planning to kill Nephi and Cook-Cook in your name though." Karl adds. Afton waves his hand noncommittally, "It''s alright, so, did you learn anything new about Nephi?" Boone nods, "Guy''s a sick bastard, but he knows that he''s a target. Sleeps in random intervals to make sure no one could plan around his routine. Always keeps his gold club on him, along with a whole assortment of chems he uses on a semi-regular basis. I think he waits to use the more harmful ones in more dire circumstances..." "Yeah, guy''s strong as a brahmin as well, I''ve never seen someone cut a man completely in half, bone and all with nothing but a sharpened golf stick. I''ll tell you now, staying outta swing distance of that club of his is our best shot of killin'' the bastard without dying ourselves." Karl adds. Afton rubs his face, "Any chance we could snipe him?" Boone shakes his head, "Guy almost never leaves the Rock Crushing Plant, sends his lackeys for food and other supplies. Only time we''ve ever seen him leave is when one of their captives tried to escape, guy ran out faster than I''ve ever seen a man move and pulled them back inside by their hair..." he scowls at the ground, "If I''d been faster, then maybe..." "Faster or not, Nephi doesn''t know we''re coming yet so at least we have that advantage. Better than if you''d rushed a shot and missed." Afton says pointedly. Chapter 204 - Tee-riffic Infiltration "So, you guys ok with going for Nephi tonight?" Afton asks after a moment. Karl raises a brow, "Didn''t you just get outta hospital? Surely you aren''t'' thinking about diving straight back int combat."?? Afton shrugs, "I''m fine so stop your worrying. Did Dr Kemp tell you what''d happened?" both shake their heads and he continues, "Apparently my body had gone through a rapid mutation, one that could either lead to me becoming a ghoul, or immune to radiation." ... "How?" Karl asks, having never heard of such a thing before. "If I had to guess, our time in Searchlight left me more than just nightmares of that godzirra-sized rad scorpion... My radiation suit must have been breached at some point while we were directly next to the toxic waste?" Karl pales slightly, "Think the same thing could''ve happened to me?" he asks. Afton didn''t blame him for being worried, the mutation probably looked worse than it felt if he was honest, as if all the person''s organs were liquifying all at once. Afton looks at him and uses [Living Anatomy] and checks him out to see if anything of the sort had happened. Sure, the radiation was just an excuse to explain the sudden mutation but you could never be too careful. [Karl Martin] Health : 99% Stamina : 80% DT : 17 Strength : 7 Perception : 5 Endurance : 6 Charisma : 6 Intelligence : 8 Agility : 4 Luck : 2 Ailments : [Sore back] : -1 Agility [Dehydration] : needs to be hydrated before ailment can progress [Fractured toe] : pain whenever you walk, potential for exacerbating the problem ... Well, at least he isn''t turning into a ghoul? Still, the man''s age was clearly showing. He knows how to hide his pain as well, judging by the fact neither Boone or Afton had noticed any of those ailments before. Afton shakes his head, "I don''t think so... Before the mutation happened I''d had a feeling of dread the entire day, as well as a migraine that could assassinate the president, unless you feel all of those symptoms I think you''re fine." he says, making up some symptoms of really dire diseases. Karl sighs in relief and recomposes himself, "Still, you think you''re ready to get moving again?" Afton nods, "I''m definitely sure." he reaches behind him and slides Karl LMG back to the man, "And I want my gun back, we''re not doing ''swapsies'' alright?" Karl shrugs and hands back Aftons Anti-Material rifle, "I''m a shit shot anyway." A couple hours later just before the sun sets the group had started moving. Afton hadn''t known this beforehand, but the time just after the sun sets is the darkest time of the night. So they''d be using that to strike at Nephi. It was fortunate that the Rock Crushing plant was the forefront of the Fiends territory, it allowed the group to get properly set up a distance away without having to watch their backs. South of the Plant was almost completely empty, the only thing within eyesight from it being a run-down farmstead, presumably having been destroyed by the Fiends beforehand. The group rode Dirt-Bird to the farmstead and was about to start setting up for their raid, but were interrupted when they spotted a group of Powder Gangers sitting outside in front of a fire. Fortunately the group was small, only being around four people, still, it''d be difficult to get rid of them without alerting Nephi to their presence. Afton shook his head and snuck to the back of the building, setting up a bear trap in the place someone would probably walk from the Powder Gangers position. Once done he got back to the group and tossed a rock to attract the groups attention. Thankfully they were smart enough to check it out while being too stupid to realise it''s likely a trap. The man walked off and was almost immediately caught in the bear trap, releasing a pained scream as his leg was brutally locked onto, most likely getting broken. The other quickly stand up and look over warily, but didn''t notice the Afton''s group rushing them due to the sound of their friends screaming. Knives slit their throats before they were even aware of what was going on, Afton getting to the man caught in the beartrap and killing him before he could shout anymore. It hadn''t been completely silent, but anyone in the Rock Crushing Plant were unlikely to have heard the screams... Hopefully. Boone climbs to the roof of the Farmstead and starts scoping out the plant, relaying what he saw to Afton and Karl. There were a few Fiend patrolling around the plant, though most didn''t seem all that aware of their surroundings. Not that they were expecting them to be, chem-addicted junkies didn''t make the best soldiers after all. Afton had considered just tossing a couple grenades at the structural weak points of the plant to collapse it, but was reminded that Nephi likely had many captives within. "Any idea''s on how we should approach this?" Karl shrugs, "Maybe we could make some noise and draw the Fiends out of the woodwork? But then we''d have trouble getting the captives out, I don''t doubt that Nephi would be willing to kill them to spite us." "You two sneak inside and secure the captives, I''ll watch your backs from here. I see trouble and I start shooting, got it?" Afton nods, this was probably the best they were going to manage in this situation. He truly hated hostages, they just made everything way more difficult. He and Karl check their equipment before starting to sneak over to the Plant. It was fortunate there was a large amount of rubble around the place that''d allow them to hide, otherwise getting inside without being noticed would be way, way harder. He allowed Karl to walk slightly ahead of him to spot any traps as they moved. Soon enough, they were only a couple meters away from one of the Fiend patrols, and boy did their conversation make Afton''s skin crawl... Chapter 205 - Rock, Meet Lead. "Think boss will let us have a go next?" one asks as they walk. The other shake their head, "No. He never shares, the only time he''s ever let us have a go is when they''re too broken to move. Even then he tells us to give them to Violet for her dogs."?? "I know right? Feeding those dogs good meat like that? What a waste!... But, with Violet gone we won''t have to worry about that anymore, our chance is now!" "Yeah... Did anyone actually tell you what happened to Violet? All I heard was that her dog tore her to shreds... Makes me nervous about the mongrels that we still have." "Hell no! It was obviously an outside job. They found her body without her head, no dog I know can bite through and eat human skulls!" "An outside job?... Think we''re next then?" The questioned man shrugs, "With the shit show that apparently happened in the sewers, I wouldn''t be surprised. It definitely ain''t the NCR, those guys wouldn''t butcher women and young like that." "Dude, are you forgetting Bitter Springs?" ... "I''ll never forget Bitter Springs. Let''s keep moving, better not get caught idling during our patrol, I don''t want Nephi''s club buried in my stomach thank you!" Afton watches as they walk away and glances to Karl to see his reaction to their words, the man looking solemn for a moment before recomposing himself. "Quickly, let''s move before another patrol comes through." he says, quickly sneaking past the rubble and towards the Rock Crushing Plant. The plant itself contained four large building that''d be used to process rocks, all of which were raised off of the ground by wooden scaffolding. Large conveyor belts led from the ground to the top of the buildings, presumably to transport rocks to their ''last destination''. That wasn''t all though, Driver Nephi had obviously added his own personal touch to the aesthetics of the place. Graffiti covered the buildings, most of which was unintelligible gobbledygook, while others just swore and cursed the NCR. The many heads of pikes surrounding the place also gave an indication about the man they were about to try and kill. Most of the heads belonged to NCR soldiers, their berets, trooper helmets, and googles still being worn by them. But other disgusted the duo more than they''d admit, belonging to women and what looked like young teenagers. One look at their faces fixed into a look of horror had Afton almost raging. But he forced himself to stay composed, Nephi would get what''s coming to him, no need to fuck up the plan in some furious bout of righteous justice. "We need to check each building to see where the hostages are being held, once done we can look for Nephi... Maybe torturing it outta one of the patrols would help..." Karl says before pointing at the nearest building. The duo sneaks over towards it, Karl disarming a few fragments that''d be slyly hidden under a light layer of sand before moving on. They reach some steps that lead to double doors, taking a glance around them to check if there were any patrols coming, they peek inside the building. ... Afton spots a few beds that''re currently being used by the Fiends. The inside of the building itself was just one huge room with the rock crushing machinery at one end, the crushed rocks would be funnelled down beneath the wooden scaffolding where transport would be waiting. They didn''t really see anything concerning the hostages, there was a weapons rack next to where the Fiends were sleeping that was filled to the brim with a random assortment of things. Most of which looked rusty, broken, or both. The two leave and start making their way to the next building, this one being surrounded by the largest amount of severed heads. They have a couple close calls, scrambling to find a place to hide while a patrol passes, but they do manage to reach the doors. Afton stops Karl from opening it though when he hears shouting and feminine screaming coming from inside. It''s good he did too as something bangs against the door... Afton grabs Karl and takes him underneath the building, through the wooden scaffolding and towards a large metal container. "The Rock Crushing Plant shouldn''t be active, or have any power at all to start suddenly working." Afton states as he looks up through the floor of the building where the rocks would be funnelled. He climbs up silently and looks through one of the cracks. He instantly regrets taking a look, as many dirt, naked people are huddled against one side of the building as Fiends look them over with lustful looks. Women, young men, and girls were all gathered here. He spots what''d banged against the door earlier, a woman trying to fight back and escape... She was surrounded by the Fiends and being brutally beaten, blood was beginning to pool beneath her and Afton wasn''t sure if she''d live through this encounter. Afton drops back to Karl, "There''re a lot of Fiends inside with the hostages. I don''t know about you, but I say just fuck it and shoot our way inside." Karl sighs and nods, "Whatever, let''s just help those people out." he says, checking his LMG to make sure it was fit for another massacre. The duo quickly get to the double door and Afton waves at Boone''s location before glancing back at Karl. They''d need his support once they entered as there as no way the patrols and Driver Nephi wouldn''t hear them. Karl counts down using his hand, and once they reach zero Afton kicks the door open with enough force to send the Fiend standing behind it sprawling to the floor. The other''s are slow in their reactions and aren''t able to do anything as Karl hefts his LMG up and towards their direction. "EAT LEAD!" Chapter 206 - Disaster "EAT LEAD" Karl shouts as he pulls the trigger, making sure to aim at the Fiends and avoid the hostages that were on the left side of the room. *DAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!*?? [John Wick Style is in effect] Quickly, panic overtook the room, Fiends trying to draw their weapons but being shot dead before they could get them out of their holsters. Some even using their allies as meat shields to protect themselves. Their situation wasn''t helped by the fact some Fiends weren''t even dressed, having gotten completely naked for the orgy they were presumably going to have. Afton couldn''t help but give a morbid chuckle as he began blasting both Lucky and That Gun at them, using VATS to slow down time and target Fiends that could be a threat to the duo. This strategy clearly worked as the Fiends couldn''t even get one shot off at the duo, simply being at their mercy as Karl mowed them down as if he had infinite ammo to use on their corpses. If the duo had any mercy for the Fiends beforehand, they''d lost it when seeing what they planned to do to their captives. Screams of pain and terror continually came from the Fiends that''d somehow managed to survive, most having hidden under their friend''s bodies. Afton could spot a few with his [Living Anatomy] Perk that were trying to play dead. A single bullet to their cranium laid his worries to ''rest'' though. Once they were done and blood was seeping through the floor, into the sand below the building the duo turn their attention towards the naked, and scared hostages. Afton didn''t really want to talk with them, learning of their experiences while trying to reassure them that neither was going to harm the would take a lot of mental effort on his part. Best just to leave it to Karl who was probably more experienced on that front. "I''ve got the door." he states, taking up a position where he was ready to destroy any intruders. *Bang!*... *Bang!* Afton''s ears perked at the sound of Boone''s hunting rifle firing off in the distance. The Fiends who were presumably about to storm into the building would have to find cover to stop getting sniped. He doubted any Fiend was a good enough marksman to one, locate Boone, and two, out-snipe him. They''d either need to charge his position, leaving Karl and Afton a good opportunity to escape with the hostages. Or wait out the assault, the Fiends would probably try to send someone to get reinforcements to take out the sniper, but Boone wouldn''t allow anyone to leave the Rock Crushing Plant, destroying those plans. ... They''d been holed up in the building for around half an hour now, and Karl was slowly breaking through the barrier put up by the unfortunate people that''d been held here. Afton himself had tried to heal the woman who was being beaten earlier, only to find that she''d passed away. The only thing harder than discovering that he was too late, was the fact that one of the young girls in the crowd was the daughter of this woman, sobbing over the corpse. Afton glances over to Karl and spots that he''s still speaking to some people. He sighs to himself before kneeling down next to the grieving girl, "Why''re you crying?" he asks, feeling his Speech Skill kick in... "M-my moms dead!" she says loudly in between sobs. Afton nods, and gingerly pats her back, "Yeah, but she didn''t die for nothing, right? She tried her best to save you, and gave me and my friend enough time to stop those evil men before they did something to you." "It doesn''t matter! I want my mom!" ... "Look, I know how you''re feeling right now, I lost my own mother when I was around your age. But this isn''t the time to grieve, you need to be strong so we can escape. Once we''re out you can cry for as long as you want, now though? Respect your mother''s wishes and be strong." he says, not willing to tell the girl her mother was likely trying to escape without her... The girl slowly nods, wiping her face and trying to stifle her crying. "Do you have anymore family here?" She nods and points to a heavily injured teenage boy watching them from the larger group, "My big brother." "Then go to him, he''s probably struggling just as much as you are with the loss of your mother. At least you two still have each other, right?" She nods and slowly walks to him, both hugging each other to find some comfort in this rather dire situation. Karl finishes speaking with the group and walks over to Afton, "Some of ''em have been here a while, other''s have just arrived... All of the will need some serious help after this, form what I heard about the men we killed, I don''t feel anything for their deaths apart from satisfaction." he states. Afton nods, "When do you think we can make our move? Killing Nephi is important, but getting these people to safety tops that." Karl shrugs, "I don''t know, but-" *Thud, Thud!* They both turn towards where the sound had come from and notice it had been something thrown against the wall the hostages were currently gathered at. Both their eyes widen at the possibilities, but just before they can yell for them to run, a huge explosion occurs. Afton''s eyes widen as he sees the young girl and her brother both get liquified by the explosion, their blood, guts, and bones all exploding in a red mist. Killing them instantly. The other hostages don''t fare any better as all who weren''t instantly killed by the explosion are seriously injured, crippled, or unconscious. That''s not the worst of it, the two had managed to dodge the wooden shrapnel of the building, but out of the hole, they could spot many, many Fiends all aiming towards it, ready to fire at anyone who tries to escape. *Creeaaaaaaaaaaak!* The building beneath their feet begins rumbling, the foundations of it having been destroyed by the explosive. It starts lurching forwards, the Fiends running away as they hadn''t expected to bring down the building. Afton scrambles towards the injured captives but is grabbed by Karl, "We don''t have time!" he shouts as he pulls Afton towards the metal machinery that''s used to crush rocks. Both climb inside as the building starts collapsing in on itself, crushing the captives that weren''t killed by the explosion. Afton and Karl were protected by the metal machinery, but that didn''t stop them getting jostled around, their bodies getting painfully flung against the sharp walls. "Fuuuuuuuuuck!!" both shout, not knowing if they''d survive this shit show. Chapter 207 - Send Off Of Five Fingers Afton can feel the final lurch as the building completely begins to disintegrate. His body is thrown against the metal insides of the machinery and the world finally goes black. *CRRAAAASSSHHHHH!*?? ... ... ... Eventually, Afton''s eyes begin to flutter, an intense pain shoots through his body. He groans in pain as he tries to activate his Pipboy, having to use his nose to press a button as his right arm was held down by something. As he does, the claustrophobic area he and Karl were trapped within was revealed with amber light. The previously vertical metal machinery had fallen onto its side, he looks at his unconscious companion and notes that he doesn''t seem all that injured... After inspecting Karl, Afton begins looking over himself, once again feeling pain shoot through him as he tries to move his arm. Looking to his side at it, he spots that it''s been completely crushed by something. The machinery the two were inside had partially collapsed, almost severing his right arm with the incredibly sharp shards. "Shit." He didn''t know if that was something he could heal, he couldn''t even tell if his arm was completely intact as the rubble blocked him from being able to see the rest of it... Whatever its condition, the profuse amount of blood leaking from underneath the metal was worrying. He wondered if his [Adamantium Skeleton] Perk had failed, but eventually realized that if he could survive tons of metal on a concentrated area then he would be basically unkillable. He gives his arm one last tug and almost faints due to the pain, sure enough, he wasn''t moving from this position without a crane to lift the metal. Fortunately, the metal acted as a make-shift Tourniquet so he wouldn''t bleed out... He look down at Karl and gives the man a light kick to the face. "OOF!" the man looks up at him spitefully, "What the fuck was that f-..." he looks around for a moment before paling, "Oh, we are so fucked." "Karl, of the two of us, I''d say I got fucked the most in this situation." he momentarily thinks back to the hostages they''d failed to save and sighs, "No, nevermind... We need to get out of here." Karl spots Afton''s arm and shakes his head, "You''re not going anywhere trapped like that... Even if we could somehow get out from under all this rubble, there''s an army of Fiends waiting outside." Afton slumps slightly, "So, we''re fucked..." Karl nods, "Yeah. I don''t see a way outta this..." ... ... "I know this isn''t a good time to say this, but... Did it really have to be my wankin'' hand?" Afton says, pointedly glaring at his crushed right arm. Karl shrugs, "Must be karma, teaching you a lesson for beating your meat so viciously." he jokes, though, both could tell it was forced. Neither really knew how they were going to get out of this mess. Not to mention they didn''t know how long they''d been unconscious for, hopefully Boone had gotten away before the Fiends turned their attention to him... He probably knew how to drive Dirt-Bird, right? ... The two sit in silence for a couple minutes until Afton gets bored with their eventual impending doom and looks at his Pipboy. He wanted to see if it had anything that could get them out of here... Unfortunately, all it had were his quests, inventory, status that stated his right arm was ''crippled'', no shit. And the map which clearly stated they were still in the Rock Crushing Plant. *Creeeeaak* The duo''s ears perk as they look over to the side where the sound had come from, they hadn''t expected anyone to actually come for them for a number of reasons. The first being this was Fiend territory, the second being that they weren''t worth all that much, even if you add up the price of their weaponry, you''d get more for salvaging a building. "Boss, do you really want these bodies so badly? We can just grab some more people off the highway if you want." a quiet voice makes its way through the rubble. "It''s not them I want! I want those two bounty hunters! Put their heads on pikes to show how strong I am!" ... Karl and Afton look at one another as if trying to decide what to do with their eyes alone. The latter looked down at his right arm and gives it another tug, grimacing in pain as nothing happens. The limb was better attached to the metal crushing it than himself at this point. He couldn''t leave it like this though, their enemy was eventually going to find them, so if he was stuck here and unable to move he was super fucked... This whole situation reminded him of a movie in his old world. It was called ''169 hours'' or something? The protagonist was stuck and had to cut his arm off to escape... Afton pales slightly as he looks down at his arm... Could he really do that? It wasn''t as if that was the end of the world, cybernetics existed in this universe, and he was sure with maxed out science he could construct something usable... Right? Still, just thinking about it made his stomach churn. He had never been a squeamish guy, and was fine with committing all kinds of brutal acts on others... But now that he was presented with the choice of death or mutilating his body, it was honestly difficult to say which he would prefer. "Karl, pass me something to bite on." he states after coming to a decision. The sound of the Fiends digging through the rubble was getting closer and closer, he couldn''t delay it any longer. Karl seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, reaching into his bag and pulling out a clean-looking rag. "You sure about this kid?" "No. But there''s not another way." he says as he secures the rag in his mouth and pulls out his knife. Chapter 208 - Give Him A Hand... Wait... Afton glares down at his arm as he tightly grips the knife. It was fortunate he maxed out his Medicine skill otherwise he''d have no idea how to correctly go about this, to do this he''d need to Tourniquet the limb, break the bone, and then saw through the flesh. The metal crushing his arm had already shattered the bones in his arm though, so that just left with restricting the blood flow and actually cutting it off.?? Ideally he wanted to preserve as much of his arm as possible, but, as his elbow had been crushed as well he''d be forced to cut just below his bicep. He grabs the bundle of dynamite fuse from his Deathclaw leather bag and wraps it around his arm while using his teeth to tighten the subsequent knot. Once his flesh was buldging from each end of the tight rope-like material he was satisfied. He reaches into his bag once again and pulls out some Med X and a litany of other drugs, he uses the metal below him as a makeshift mixing bowl as he pours out some chems and mixing them together, eating them after injecting the Med X. Afterwards his world numbs somewhat, he hadn''t lost any control over his body, but simply lacked a large portion of his ability to feel pain. ... ... Afton takes a deep breath before pressing his knife against his arm after rolling up the sleeve of his recon armour, the flesh being more difficult to cut than he''d expected... His [Toughness] Perk and high Endurance really had a rediculous effect, unfortunately, his damage resistant body was now more of a curse than a boon. Each slash of the knife did less progress than he''d hoped... It was incredibly strange for him to see each individual muscle fibre, vein, and tendon as he cut through them. The restricted blood-flow allowing him a better look than he''d ever been able to see before. His stomach was roiling at was he was doing, but he couldn''t stop. The uncomfortable sound of slicing, his own grunts, and Karl''s heavy breathes filling the area. He''d finally reached the bone, and need to find a place where it''d broken, slicing his knife in between the fragments once he does. He shakes as some pain comes through, him cutting through his bone marrow being far more painful than he''d assumed it would be. Afton grits his teeth as he sees the last bit of flesh attaching his arm, not wasting any more time and quickly slicing through it while using another rag to steam the small amount of bleeding. [Challange complete! Have your limbs crippled 1/50 times, or severe a limb. : Tough Guy Pekr acquired] [Tough Guy] : Limb damage is reduced by 20%. Afton glances at the information and scowls, this would have been quite useful before his arm was crushed... Though, whether or not the combined total of 70% damage reduction on his limbs would''ve helped he doesn''t know. He slumps against the floor and looks over to Karl, "Gimme a hand here." ... "Is that a joke?" Karl asks, not finding this funny in the least. Afton shakes his head, "I mean inject a stimpack into me to seal the wound." he states. Karl gains a look of understanding mixed with pity and grabs a stimpack out of his bag, injecting it into his stump of a right arm while Afton stems the bleeding. Before their eyes clean flesh crawls over the wound, funnily enough, it hadn''t become scar tissue for some reason. So, instead of a scarred stump, it looked as if he was born with this disfigurement. "Thanks." Afton says, sitting forward and feeling the weight of his Anti-Material rifle on his back... He''d not be able to use it until he gets another arm, the realisation on how many things he''d not be able to do anymore dampens the success of severing his arm. But, the grieving for his lost limb would have to wait, the sounds of the Fiends digging has gotten much closer. Both could hear the conversations of the many people working, each saying a few words of how disappointed they were that their hostages had to be killed. As well as how coming up with theories on where Afton and Karl had come from, bounty hunters didn''t usually try to save hostages after all. Afton grabs the weapon attached to the bandoleer on his chest, the Sawed-off shotgun and checks whether or not it loaded. Once confirmed that it is he sits next to Karl at the only exit out of the machinery they were currently in. Karl himself was already pointing his LMG towards it, ready to start spraying bullets at any Fiend that comes within shooting range... Both knew it was unlikely that they''d make it out of this situation, but who could blame them for trying. "Well, we''ve had a good run until now..." Karl mutters before turning a serious look to Afton, "If... If I don''t make it, promise me that you''ll save my girl." ... Afton shakes his head, "Are you taking the piss? We''re gonna make it through this and both save her. No one but those bastards outside are dying today..." he licks his lips anxiously, "But, for what it''s worth. I promise." Karl gives a small smile as the sound of rubble being pulled away sounds like its a couple meters away. Above them they can hear people standing atop the metal machinery, the exit was still blocked though so they couldn''t leave yet. *Creeaaaak* "Think the boss will mind if I have a go with one of the bodies?" someone says from above them. "You''re a sick puppy you know that? If you wanna stick your dick in a human-pancake than you do you." a voice replies, sounding suitably disgusted. "Ah! I found something! It''s one of our slaves!" "Hehe, nice!" "Oi! Boss said to get the hunters, not pissing around with meat bags! KEEP DIGGING!" Chapter 209 - Rubble, Shotgun, Action! *Creeaakk* *CRACK-TUK!*?? The pieces of wood blocking the exit to the machinery are unceremoniously torn away, allowing light to flood inside, almost blinding the duo momentarily. Seems like they''d been down here all night, or perhaps for longer... "Aha! Got it open bois!" a Fiend shouts and sticks his head down to look inside the treasure trove he''d presumably found. His dirty face immediately pales when he is presented with three barrels, one from Karl''s LMG and two from Afton''s Sawed-off Shotgun. *BANG!* He isn''t even able to utter a scream as buckshot tears his face to pieces, the flesh being rendered away in a fraction of a second, metal pieces piercing their brain and killing them instantly. [Blind Fire : Shoot the eye''s of your enemies : 5/100] The digging around them stops after Afton had fired his weapon, all presumably looking over to where it''d occurred. "OI! Lenny! The fuck are you firing a shot off for!" one shouts from the side as Afton struggles to reload his gun... Without his right arm he''s forced to hold it in his armpit and shove another buckshot into the empty barrel. Fortunately his [Rapid Reload] Perk still had him looking like a blur of movement, but it wasn''t ideal. He''d need to get working on some kind of replacement for his arm eventually. Once he''d reloaded it Afton pops his head out of the ditch they were in and uses VATS to take a look around without wasting any more time. Around him were piles upon piles of rubble, the large building that''d previously been there had entirely disintegrated, leaving nought by scraps of metal and wooden splinters. There was also a veritable army of Fiends around them, all of which seemed to be lacking their primary armaments, they probably didn''t expect anyone to survive it, let alone still be capable of combat. This was good though, it would allow the duo some breathing room before shit got too nasty too fast. Taking a closer look around, he could see many piles of rubble that they Fiends had likely been tossing stuff onto, each could potentially make good enough cover for a proper shootout should it come to that. His initial plan of trying to sneak away had gone up in flames when that idiot stuck his head inside the machinery and forced his hand. Not to mention it was around high-noon and sneaking around at this time in broad daylight would be impossible. He glances at the slumped over the body that was currently missing its head and sighs, well, at least he might be able to do something with this fool. Deactivating VATS he ducks into the shadow of the small trench and shifts the corpse out, making sure it''s headlessness was revealed to all before slipping back into the safety of the inside of the machinery Karl was still within. It doesn''t take long for someone to notice the state of their buddy, "H-HOLY SHIT! LENNY''S LOST HIS HEAD!" "What!? He''s crazy but not that-OH BABY JESUS!" Quickly upon hearing the exclamations people start gathering around the body to inspect and see what''d happened. Even now the possibility of someone still being alive under all the rubble doesn''t cross their minds. Instead, most think that one of the traps they''d set before the building imploded had been set off by him. Of course, the Fiends that hadn''t known about the booby traps that might still be active were rightfully angry about not being told, as they were literally risking their lives by digging. As soon as the group had descended into arguments, Afton pulls something from his Deathclaw leather bag, a plasma grenade he''d previously repaired with his [Mechanicus] Perk. He smirks at Karl and bites onto the pin before tossing it out of the hole towards the group, retreating back into the makeshift metal bunker. "Wha-" *BOOOOM!* The ground shakes and shudders as plasma spews forth from the explosive, liquifying those close to it and horribly burning everyone else. The few people who were lucky enough to not be caught in the blast were presented with the sight of their friend''s bodies imploding in a spectacularly gory fashion. Afton hadn''t even known the explosion would be so powerful, he''d forgotten that his [Uncivilised Weapon] Perk affected ALL Energy weapons, doubling the damage the plasma grenade did! With that Afton dashes from his hiding spot, his [Masterful Movement] Perk and 10 Agility making him look like a blur of movement as he gracefully flips out of it. Firing off both shots of his Sawed-off Shotgun at some nearby Fiends, the buckshot not killing them but wounding them enough to put them out of the fight for a while. [John Wick Style is in effect] Activating VATS he scans the area, grimacing at the glowing green residue left behind by the ''too powerful'' grenade he had thrown, the only other colour being present in the blast zone being the crimson red of his enemies liquified bodies. Shaking his head, his eyes lock onto a pile of rubble that was large enough to be used for cover, turning off VATS and heading towards it. Karl follows somewhat closely behind the younger man, he wasn''t agile enough to make the same movements as Afton, but he made up for it by spraying his LMG at anything that looked even vaguely humanoid. *DAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG!* If the Fiends were unaware of their presence before, they certainly were now! The combination of the explosion and subsequent gunfire had attracted the attention of all those in the region within earshot. This was good and bad, good as if Boone was still around he''d know they were still alive, and bad because most of the people around aren''t likely to be their allies. Afton growls as he tucks the shotgun in his armpit again to reload, vowing to himself to rebuild an arm as soon as possible. Once loaded he puts the weapon back into its holster on his bandoleer, it''s range was far too limited now so he''d be better off using his pistols... Chapter 210 - Reinforcements? Truth be told, the reason he hadn''t started the fight with his pistols was due to how difficult it would be to reload them without his right hand... Regardless, once he was out of shots for his ballistic weapons he''d swap to his backup plasma pistol. *BANGBANGBANG!*?? Dust is kicked up around them as Karl finally throws himself behind cover. "Fuck! That was close!" Afton nods, "We need to take out as many as possible before we can disengage and retreat." he states, both already knowing it but Afton feeling the need to say it. "Fine by me, think of it as revenge for those lost souls those bastards ended last night." Karl says while raising his weapon and firing over some rubble, sprays of red indicating that he had indeed hit something. Afton had his focus elsewhere though, they may be somewhat protected behind this cover for now, but who''s to say more Fiends wouldn''t come from behind them. His ears twitch as some rubble is shifted on the other side of their makeshift cover, a Fiend sprinting out while raising their weapon towards him and Karl. Afton had already locked onto them though, firing off one clean shot with That Gun and putting them out of commission with another eye-socket. *Clink!* Afton almost instantly activates VATS at the familiar sound and turns towards it, noticing a frag grenade in between him and Karl. His companion''s eyes were almost comically wide as he stares down at it, looking as if he was about to reach for it and toss it back. Afton liked the idea and stopped VATS while quickly grabbing the grenade, his sunlight enhanced strength allowing him to bowl it towards the group of Fiend currently shooting at them like a professional baseball player. *BOOM!* Both weren''t aware if they''d managed to kill anyone with the grenade or not, but a severed arm flying by their position definitely gave a good case for it. "HAHA! Have you got any more grenades for us to throw at you? You stupid bastards!" Afton mocks, snickering to himself as dust kicks up around them at a greater rate, clearly his taunt had an effect. Karl pats his arm without looking at him, "Kid, we got a problem." he says, staring straight at a large group of Fiends off in the distance. The enemy could clearly see the duo as well as the direction they were coming from completely invalidated their cover. "Fuck." Afton growls, turning to look for a better place to hide but not spotting anywhere all that good... There were a few boulders large enough to hide behind, but if they went there they''d be locked down and unable to move, sitting ducks at the Fiends mercy. He uses VATS to stop time and thinks over a few plans, discarding most as being unviable or unlikely to succeed... Eventually his thoughts drift to what he currently has in his possession... Yes, that could work." A sadistic grin forms on his face as he turns off VATS. He holsters his gun and thrusts his hand into some rubble, digging out a small crevice to hide something... He reaches into his bag and pulls out a small device... Karl pales upon seeing it and sends him a wary look. "You sure about this?" Afton nods, "If it fails then we''ll go out in a flash of glory, you know, instead of being tortured to death by dirty chem addicts." Karl shrugs, "Fine." Afton quickly sets his trap and Karl hands him his LMG, Afton using his 10 Strength to fire it with one hand with some difficulty. He covers Karl as the man retreats to a boulder a good distance away, the reinforcing group of Fiends already firing at them both with bloodthirsty looks. He continues to apply suppressing fire with the LMG until a *Click!* indicates that it was out of ammo. He''d be attempted to try fire his Anti-Material rifle with one hand if he didn''t already know how much damage it''d cause to him... It wasn''t an impossibility to lose his other arm from th sheer recoil of the thing. With the LMG out of ammo he starts sprinting towards where Karl was currently hidden, shots kicking up dust around him as he does his best to apply evasive manoeuvres. Flips, ducking, and other parkour tricks allow him to weather most of it... Most of it. He''d been shot a couple times in the back for his troubles, but his recon armour proves its value once again by protecting most of his vitals. Blood darkens the leather as he runs but he ignores it, the pain not even being a fraction of what cutting his arm had felt like... Not mentioning the fact that the pain killer he''d previously used were still running through his system. With a groan his jumps high over the boulder Karl was hiding behind, slumping against it while blood trickled to the floor below him. He pushes the LMG back into his friend''s hand with a grunt, "Go on, get firing... Fuck." he mutters, slowly receiving the pleasant feeling of the sunlight on his face, the rays slowly healing his wounds. Pushing bullets and other pieces of lead out of his body so other natural processes could take over. Afton takes a glance over the boulder and grimaces at the sheer numbers the Fiends had gathered. There was at least two hundred of them streaming towards their position, mongrels that''d presumably been bred by Violet gnashing their teeth as their owners held onto them for now. Suddenly, a red flare flies overhead from behind the. Afton spins around but sighs in relief as he spots some NCR soldiers taking up position nearby, the familiar figure of Boone taking up a high position, giving a small wave at him to show that he had indeed noticed him. The only problem was, the NCR soldiers didn''t even make up a fraction of the Fiends forces, so what their plan was is anyone''s guess... If all else fails, Afton would gladly use the trap he''d set, he just didn''t know what would happen once he did. Was there even a Geneva convention anymore? Chapter 211 - Make The NCR Great Again! With the NCR forces now joining the battle, the pressure on Afton and Karl''s shoulders had lifted somewhat. Both had honestly been ready to die at any moment, at least now they had a good chance to win this fight. "We need to back up, even with the NCR we are unlikely to win this... Go, get back to Boone." Afton says as he gets ready to start shooting at the Fiends again, this time without the LMG.?? Karl crouches and moves as quickly as possible towards the NCR forces, bullets flying overhead as the Fiends tried their best to hit anything or anyone. Fortunately for the former-ranger, most of their focus was still on Afton who''d already picked a couple people off with clean and decisive shots. Once Karl had gotten to safety Afton himself had started moving, mentally thanking the NCR troopers who had decided to apply suppressing fire to assist him. Still, that didn''t stop the Fiends from releasing their many mongrels. A small army of rabid-looking dogs had suddenly started sprinting towards him, snarling with foam, saliva, and blood pooling from their mouths. Clearly they had been injected with some chems to get them in fighting condition. The NCR did their best to pick the dogs off, but a few were directly behind Afton, making it too dangerous to try and shoot them. Afton himself used VATS to check the situation behind him, grimacing slightly at how close a few of the dogs had gotten... He was faster than most humans that''ve ever existed, but he was still lacking when compared to creatures designed with speed in mind. Stopping VATS and turning his head slightly as he ran, he shot a couple of the dogs that were chasing him, their flailing bodies were quickly trampled by the others though, making their numbers seem completely unaffected. He tries to fire again but curses as he hears the familiar *click* indicating that it was out of ammo, holstering That Gun and drawing Lucky. Again, he unloads all of its ammunition at the dogs to prevent them from swarming him and tearing him apart, but their numbers just don''t seem to decrease. *Click!* "Fuck!" he shouts as he holsters Lucky while continuing to run as fast as possible, that is, until some jaws lock around his ankle. He wrenches his foot forwards with his 10 Strength, snapping the dogs neck, but this action had slowed him enough to allow the slower ones to attack. Not wasting any time, Afton draws his knife and strikes as hard and fast as his body would allow at the nearest dog leaping up at him to get its pound of flesh. The other dogs didn''t even seem to care when he literally beheaded the dog midair, in-fact, the smell of its blood seemed to excite the group more. Afton continues slashing away at the beasts trying to overrun him, his remaining arm looking like a blur as it acted like a lawnmower, killing anything that came close. This continued until the Fiends eventually got bored of letting their dogs do the work, beginning to start firing on their own pets in an attempt to get Afton. This killed many more dogs than Afton had actually done, allowing him to start retreating again as the beasts were distracted by their allies gunfire. Soon enough, he reached the NCR forces. He was slightly out of breath but more or less alright. The nearby soldiers gave him wary looks due to the blood covering him but he didn''t let it bother him... Instead he made his way to Boone and Karl who were sitting next to each other behind a small makeshift wall made from scrap metal. "Boone, you have no idea how happy I am to see you." he says with a huge grin. Boone nods and tosses something at him, "Thought you two were dead, decided to reposition and wait to see if that was true... Knew you guys were some of the luckiest and unluckiest people I''ve ever met." Afton looks down at the NCR radio Boone had just passed to him, he''d given it to the man before he and Karl had started sneaking into the Fiends base. So this was how he''d managed to acquire some NCR support. "Well, you know us. When it seems good it''s bad, when it seems bad it''s good. Sometimes I think the universe just hates us." he shrugs. Karl slowly nods at that before scowling, "Boone, have you seen Nephi amongst the Fiend forces?" he asks, wanting to get some payback for those poor hostages that''d been obliterating on that man''s orders. Boone frowns slightly and takes another look into his scope, "I think he''s down there... He knows that there are snipers around though, letting his own men take the damage while he attempts to control the battle." Afton sends a smirk to Karl at this and takes a look at the Fiends, noticing that they were slowly advancing upon the position where he''d set his trap. A little longer and the could end this all in one go. Honestly, he was thinking of asking Boone to set off his trap, but wondered if that would apply his Perks to it or not... Shaking his head, he''d just have to do it himself. Afton struggles to get his Anti-Material rifle off of his back before sliding it atop the cover they were behind, using the makeshift wall as a stabiliser. He shifts its weight with his remaining hand and locks onto his trap, confirming that it was still there. He disengages and looks around at the NCR forces for their captain, eventually finding a man wearing a green beret. "Excuse me, Captain-?" "Krajcik" "Captain Krajcik. I need you to have your men slowly retreat, I''ve set a trap for the Fiends but need them to advance closer to our position." The man raises a brow, "What''d you think we were doing in the first place? There''s no way we can fight off this many Fiends... What have you got planned Parker?" he says, clearly knowing who Afton was. Afton smirks at him, "Oh, quite the light show, I assure you." Captain Krajcik nods, "I''ll trust you on this, let''s hope whatever you''ve got doesn''t doom us all." he says while ordering some of the front lines to start collapsing towards the backline, a tactic that would allow them to give suppressing fire for the units in the most danger. Chapter 212 - New-clear Resolution... The Fiends quickly noticed the NCR''s movements, streaming forwards like a wave of dirty molasses. Afton took aim at his trap as the Fiend forces were almost in position. ...?? ... "Karl, tell the NCR to take cover, I have no idea how powerful this''ll be..." His companion nods and quickly starts shouting for the NCR to get down, and after waiting a few moments for the NCR to hear Karl he fires his Anti-material rifle... Directly at the Mini-Nuke he''d planted earlier. *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!* A light brighter than the sun washes over the area, no, the region. Shouts of panic erupted from behind Afton as he pulls out his sunglasses, not bothering to mention the large crack on the lenses that was slowly closing on its own. After the light came the heat, as if a heatwave had just punched everyone present in the face, it makes everyone feel as if they''d just been put in an oven or a microwave. Bare skin burned slightly, and anyone who was trying to see what''d just happened had to quickly close their eyes or risk damaging them. Honestly, the heat made the regular Mojave weather look like a cold spell! Next, After the heat came the shockwave. A few people''s eardrums burst as the loudest sound he''d ever heard erupts, quickly followed by a wave of force that knocked anyone still standing off of their feet. Afton had to duck as stray shards of metal that''d been launched from the explosion like shrapnel passed by him... Perhaps planting the Mini-Nuke without a pile of scrap metal wasn''t the greatest idea? Uses VATS and surveying the situation behind him, he could spot that a few NCR soldiers had been injured. Though, none seemed to have been killed.. Yet. Once he deactivated VATS he himself was almost blown away, the shockwave somehow increasing in intensity compared to the first blast. His eye''s widened as a cloud of smoke and dust rushed to their position, quickly enveloping everyone. Afton didn''t waste any time and covered his mouth with many layers of fabric, he was sure they were out of the immediate radioactive zone, but perhaps the power boost acted differently with nuclear weaponry? The chain reaction caused by the radioactive material might not just simply be increased by 100% as his Perk had stated... He really needed to work out how it worked. Though, perhaps he should''ve tried that before he detonated a literal nuclear bomb! After a couple minutes the dust obscuring everything finally settled, allowing everyone in the area to see the humungous mushroom cloud that''d formed overhead. Gasps of shock, awe, and fear could be heard from the NCR troopers behind him. Though, Afton was more interested in the scorched ruins left behind by the explosion. Where once stood hundreds of Fiends ready to charge their position, now only held one huge crater. He was amazed that- [Perk Acquired! : Nuclear Friendly] [Nuclear Friendly] : Decreases friendly fire damage allies take from your Nuclear weapons by 30%. ... Honestly he hadn''t expected to get a Perk for this. Additionally, the Pekr he was given was essentially useless, even if you could avoid 30% of the damage a nuclear weapon could deal, the other 70% would more than certainly wipe you from existence. Afton was shaken from his thoughts when a hand landed on his shoulder, glancing at whoever it was, he was greeted by the image of a shocked-looking Boone who''s sunglasses were crooked on his face, as if he hadn''t had time to readjust them yet. "That... Was scary." he says simply, still clearly shaken by the utter destruction unleashed by the bomb. It was at that moment that Afton realised that despite the residents of the wasteland living in a post-nuclear world, none had every experienced the sheer power of a Nuclear weapon... Afton had seen videos and other depictions of it so he knew what to expect... But Boone and everyone else? Most probably thought it was just a larger than usual bomb... Not to mention he hadn''t exactly warned them that this would happen... Boone continues after taking a moment to compose himself, adjusting his sunglasses so he didn''t look like a dope. "We need to find another one and plant it under Caesers chair." he states, causing Afton to start laughing. His laughter seemed to bring most of the NCR soldiers out of their shock, some cheering at the fact they''d utterly annihilated their enemies. Captain Krajcik stumbled over to Afton and slumped against the wall next to him, "So, you weren''t going to tell me that your ''trap'' just so happened to contain a literal nuclear bomb?" ... Afton shrugs, "Youknow, I once heard someone say that ''surprises were fun''... Well? Was it fun?" he asks, semi-sarcastically, completely avoiding his initial question. ... "No. I doubt my injured men would say they had fun either... I should be mad but, some of my men would probably lose their lives trying to fight the Fiends. Atleast now I won''t have to bring bad news to any of their families." Afton nods, "Erm, as thanks for saving you all that trouble, would you mind vouching for me that Nephi had been killed? I don''t think there''d be much left of him after that, let alone his head." Captain Krajcik just shakes his head, "I don''t think anyone will question that Nephi is dead... Afterall, you did drop a nuke on him. Besides, I doubt anyone in Camp McCarren could''ve missed that." he says, pointing at the mushroom cloud hovering above them. Afton glances at his Geiger counter and notices that the radiation in the area had picked up slightly... Perhaps radioactive material was going to start falling upon them like unwanted snow? "Er, we should probably get back to camp, it''d be better to report what''d happened sooner than later. Plus getting the injured to safety is very important." he says, not even hinting at the fact he may have irradiated the whole area. Captain Krajcik nods in agreement, looking grateful at his worry for the injured troopers... Chapter 213 - Paid But Short-handed... The group started making their way back to Camp McCarren, Afton picking up and riding Dirt-Bird as they passed the place where he''d left it... Boone admitted that he wasn''t able to drive it, nor did he know where it would try to disintegrate his ass if he tried. Not that Afton wouldn''t have difficulties now that he was missing an arm. During the journey back all the adrenaline had slowly drained out of him, with the release camp the flood of emotions he had been ignoring up until now. Rage, guilt, sadness, despair towards the now dead Nephi for killing those innocent hostages, as well as taking his arm.?? The worst part was that if he was paying more attention to the situation he may have been able to salvage it... It was fairly obvious that the Fiends would make their own entrance if they couldn''t get through the main one, though, Afton doubted that had truly tried to collapse the building... Not that it mattered now, since his Mini-Nuke had rendered all of the Rock Crushing Plant to rubble. He was still unsure how he was going to go about getting another arm... Cybernetics were hard to come by, if he didn''t have the requisite parts it might take months or even years to fully develop a working one that suited his requirements. That wasn''t even mentioning how hard would be to get used to being one-handed until then... He could still feel phantom sensations from his right hand, as if it was still there but just numbed. It was strange... He''d heard people describe it before, but he''d never tried to consider how that actually felt. If he had to put it briefly, it felt like a sneeze that would never come... If that made sense? Regardless, he was sure he wasn''t the only person struggling with what actually happened back there. Karl had actually gotten to know most of the hostages before their unfortunate end, adding making it quite personal. Afton knew the man was experienced, but that only meant he''d be better at hiding it. He put away his thoughts as the group approached Camp McCarren, he parked Dirt-Bird in it''s usual spot and walked past the tense-looking gate guard, followed by Captained Krajcik and his men, some being carried by makeshift stretcher. They enter inside and are immediately greeted by Major Dhatri, the man''s eyes roaming over the injured NCR soldiers before finally resting on Afton''s missing arm, the sleeve of his recon armour just limply hanging below his elbow. "Now, if I didn''t know any better I''d say there was trouble during your hunt." he states matter-of-factly. Afton just scoffs and raises his arms, clearly displaying his missing limb, "Oh really? I wonder how you came to that conclusion?" he says sarcastically. Dhatri just shakes his head, "Just my intuition, that and the fact a few of my men are injured saving your ass, as well as you missing an arm... What the fuck happened out there!" "Well, the Fiends were holding some people hostage so we wanted to get them out before we dealt with Nephi... They had all been killed before we arrived though, turns out they''d laid a trap for us. Collapsed a building on her heads. Somehow we managed to survive that and make a runner after the Fiends accidentally dug us out of the rubble." Dhatri nods, "Hmm, good your story lines up with what your friend said over the radio... Would I be wrong in guessing that you were responsible for that mushroom cloud from earlier?" Afton looks away sheepishly, "Er, depends on what you think about it..." ... Dhatri laughs at this, surprising Afton as he hadn''t thought the man was capable of it. The heavy black bags under his eyes made him seem like an incredibly dour person after all. "I don''t care much for it, but my superiors are up in arms wanting to know what''d happened. I suppose they''ll be ecstatic to know the explosion occurred within Fiend territory, courtesy of a bounty hunter... Or now I suppose, former bounty hunter? I doubt you''ll be willing to go out again with you missing an arm." "No, I''m still good. Half my usual firepower is still enough to get the job done. Speaking of the job, I don''t suppose I could claim my reward without Nephi''s head? It was kind of annihilated during the explosion." ... Dhatri chews the inside of his cheek while in thought, the man clearly wanted to reward him for all the trouble they''d gone through. Losing an arm was quite a significant sacrifice after all... Though, the fact NCR troops had to save them did put him a troublesome situation. The only reason he was actually considering a reward was because the explosion had killed hundreds of Fiends, not just the target of the bounty. "I can''t give you the full reward as I''d need the head for that... Disregarding the fact NCR troops were needed to assist you, the damage done to the Fiends is great enough that I can ignore it. Still, I think 3000 caps can be given for your efforts." he says and Afton can see that this is the best offer he was going to get. Afton nods, "That''s fine. I was half expecting to not get paid if I''m honest." he shakes Dhatri''s hand, "Thanks." "No problem, you''ve done more than enough for the NCR to give you a little leeway. You, go grab the caps for these men." Dhatri, points at a nearby soldier who quickly runs off. Not long after the young soldier returns with a couple large pouches of caps in his arms, handing them to Afton who''s body was tense as he awaited the familiar sensation... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 30!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 31!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 32!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 33!] Huh, well, this shouldn''t be surprising, I did drop a nuke on hundreds of Fiend after all. Chapter 214 - Candy Shop [WELCOME TO LEVEL 30] Alright, let''s just dump all my points into science and check out the Perks available.?? [Implant GRX] : You gain a non-addictive subdermal turbo (chem) injector. This perk may be taken twice, with the second rank increasing the effect from 2 to 3 seconds and the uses per day from 5 to 10... Complicated, not only that, Afton thought that it was completely unnecessary. If he wanted to implant something like that into himself it would just take a bit of work... No point in using a Perk point that could literally be used to warp reality. [Burden to Bear] : +50 carry weight. Hm, again, Afton wasn''t really all that bothered about his carry weight. Shaking his head he looks to the other potential perks he could get and eventually decides upon one that he''d skipped a while ago. [Explorer] : All locations are marked on your map. Ye~ep, this was overpowered enough to be viable, even if it didn''t directly affect Afton''s abilities Pressing confirm he grimaces as knowledge of Science burrows into his mind, his Pipboy resetting and booting up again with an insane amount of information now on its map. Truly, it shouldn''t be possible for his Pipboy to store that much information, must be supernatural... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 31!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 32!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 33!] Another 45 skill points to spend, of course, Afton dumps these into Science to max it out, all the while wondering what Perk he''d get for it. [Science maxed out! Perk rewarded : Eureka!] [Eureka!] : You are far more likely to discover scientific breakthroughs! That is interesting? Not something that could be used in combat, but Afton supposed not everything had to be. Though, he was amused by the Vault Boy who accompanied the Perk that looked like David Tennant in a suit and glasses standing outside a Police Box... Hm, now he just needed to decide what skill to start putting points in next... He was honestly running out of useful skills, Lockpicking, Barter, and Survival were all quite situational skills. Lockpicking was useless when you could just brute-force your way through doors. And unlike the Fallout games, he wasn''t limited in that regard. Barter was useful at helping you trade, granting knowledge of the value of things... But Afton doubted if he''d truly be needing it anytime soon, eventually he''d get strong enough to where he could just take what he wants. Not to mention you needed other factions willing to trade with you, his plans for the future might make that difficult. Survival was essentially just advanced bushcraft for the wasteland, now that he had good weaponry and enough caps to avoid sleeping outside it was somewhat pointless... Even if it did give him knowledge on weak points of Deathclaws and other similar knowledge. He could just work that information out for himself without relying on the skill to tell him. There were two other skills that he hadn''t mentioned. Unarmed and Explosives. To be honest he was more interested in putting points in Unarmed than Explosives... The reason for that? The Nuke he''d set off earlier in the day. Explosives increased his knowledge of weapons categorized under the same name, but it also somehow increased the flat amount of damage they''d do, as well as their area of effect. Afton couldn''t imagine how destructive the Mini-Nuke would''ve been with all those bonuses, even with the Explosives resistance the skill would grant him, he''d likely not survive. Though, with the Skill he probably could''ve inferred how powerful the nuke would''ve been. Afton wanted to use Mini-Nukes in the future, so unless he had no other choice he was going to leave this skill as low as possible... Unless a more powerful bomb was needed of course. Unarmed would complement his skillset... And that''s not just because he had literally been ''unarmed''... His Weapons Skill had given him all the knowledge he needed to fight with knives, swords, etc. But he could probably take melee abilities to the next level by level this Skill, he was also curious at what Perk he''d gain by maxing it. He put all his remaining points into Unarmed, putting it to 71, two levels away from maxing it out. He moves onto the next selection of Perks that were available, hoping that there''d be something new. Once he sees it though he''s surprised by the number of new options... He wondered why after level 30 had so many more options? [In Shining Armour] : Grants +5 DT against energy weapons while wearing metal armour, with a further +2 DT while wearing reflective eyewear or helmets. This Perk could potentially be really good, combined with Power armour it''d make him incredibly hard to actually damage, not only that, he could probably modify armour to suit the Pekr, utilising its refractive properties to reflect attacks back at the enemies... Of course, this would only be possible against laser weapons. Something to think further on in future. [Grunt] :25% more damage with 9mm pistols and SMGs, .45 pistols and SMGs, service rifles, assault and Marksman carbines, light machine guns, frag grenades, grenade rifles and launchers and combat knives. This would have been excellent had Afton not received the [Uncivilized Weapon] Perk as Energy Weapons was so heavily incentivised that it''d be silly for him to try another route. [Atomic!] : In irradiated areas, +25% move and attack speed, +2 DT, +2 ST. With excess rad level, AP regen scales from 1.1 times to 1.5 times normal. This was an incredible Perk now that Afton had [Rad Abosrbtion], in any irradiated area he''d be unmatched in combat. And combined with [Solar powered] his Strength would reach a rediculous 12! SuperHuman levels! [Alertness] +2 Perception when crouched and still. This Perk would be completely broken with his current fighting style, it''d make his abilities with a sniper more terrifying than they already were, and would allow his Perception to reach superhuman levels once he upgraded it with [Intense Training]. He''d grab this Perk once he had the chance. Afton was like a kid in a candy shop, so many good options yet so little points. Three of the four Perks presented to him were incredibly useful, but, in the end, one beat out all the others. [Atomic!] was simply too good to ignore. Of course it was situational, but in the Wasteland there were an overwhelming amount of irradiated places... Not to mention he could probably just create a device that''d apply radiation to himself to boost his abilities. The only Perk that came close to its usefulness was Alertness, and he was going to pick that next level. He chose the Perk and clicked confirm... Only afterwards realising that this may affect him physically... Shit! Not again! Chapter 215 - Blood For Blood Time resumed and Afton was bombarded with an ungodly amount of knowledge concerning the Science Perk. He grimaces but tries to conceal it by rubbing his face as casually as he can manage. All the while feeling like every cell in his body was on fire... "You alright Parker?" Dhatri asks, he''d seen the kid act like this before, last time had left him in hospital for two days straight.?? Afton nods and waves him off, not noticing the large nosebleed he was currently having, causing everyone else to raise a brow at him. "I''m fine, just thinking about what to do next." he says, trying his best not to let the pain show. "Kid, you''re bleeding." Karl states as blood trickles from his nose and begins pooling under his recon armour... Afton really hadn''t noticed the wet sensation on his face due to how much pain he was actually in, both physically and mentally. "Ah, really?" Karl just shakes his head, "We''re putting you in the hospital before you start bleeding everywhere again. "Er, no. I''m fine... Just a nosebleed." he says, wiping his face with his single remaining arm and having his eyes widen at the amount of blood. Really, he couldn''t refuse being looked over by the doctor when he was bleeding this much... At least he was conscious this time, right? Elsewhere : Tamia and Veronica had been walking beside the Happy Trails Caravans for a while now, her Pipboy map stated that they were almost there, but it was always hard to tell with the maze-like canyons that lead here. She was lucky Veronica beat the pulp out of that lying addict called Ricky, bastard thought he could hit on her just because they were both wearing Vault Suits. Afterwards, she managed to blackmail him as his Pipboy was clearly defective. One glance at Ricky told the whole story, the guy looking like he hated life right about now, being forced to carry all of Tamia and Veronica''s gear or risk getting exposed and left alone in the canyons. Jed Masterson, the leader of the Happy Trails Caravan points at the cave exit with an excited expression, "That''s it, I think we''re here boys and girls!" A small cheer erupts from the few armed mercenaries charged with keeping the Caravan safe, the group exit out of the cave and Tamia squints slightly as her eyes readjust to the bright desert sun... Well, almost desert-sun? Up ahead Tamia could see many trees that looked suspiciously like those ''pine'' one''s she''d read about, to be honest, they look somewhat familiar to her though. "Woow, this place is beautiful." Veronica says as she looks over at the picturesque seen before them. The group was currently standing on a large hill that gave them a view of most of Zion, sprawling hills, rivers, trees, and almost primitive-looking constructions could be seen, all of which left Veronica gawking like some sort of tourist. Her companion was still wearing that out-of-place-looking robe, but had taken her advice and was now wearing armour beneath it. The only thing the robe actually seemed good for was concealing her power fist and plasma pistol, both of which were expensive enough to attract unwanted attention should they be seen. Tamia nods, "Sure is, feels almost like a vacation from the Mojave..." "You two, stop gaping and let''s go, who knows when trouble''ll rear its ugly head." A voice belonging to the caravan guard leader known as Stella brings the duo from their thoughts. The balding man wearing a vault suit known as Ricky just sneers at her, "Yeah? I''ll take care of it if that happens, they don''t call me dead-hunte-*Cough* Dead-Eye Ricky for nothin''!" Stella just scowls and looks away from the man after hearing this, everyone was aware of Ricky''s fraudulent claims at this point. How can a man who flees from a Gecko claim to have beaten *DeathJaws*, a supposedly bigger and stronger variant of regular Deathclaws. "Now, now, the hard part is over. Now we just need to contact the tribes willing to trade and the trip will be a success!" Jed Masterson says with a deep but chipper voice. The group walked down the large hill for a couple minutes, all the while Tamia could feel that something was up... The hairs on the back of her neck were prickling, something she''d only felt when she was being hunted by a pack of coyotes... Her eye twitches at a quiet sound and she glances to teh side to see small pebbles falling from the cliff above. Her eyes widen as she looks up and shouts, "It''s an ambush!" Quickly Stella and the rest of the Caravan guards jump into action, leaping behind cover while scouring the area with their eyes, Jed Masterson hiding in the safest place... Behind Stella. As for Ricky? He was currently running as fast as he can back the way they came. He''d be disappointed though, the way back was too steep for anyone to traverse without proper equipment. Tamia grips her axe in her right-hand while readying a .44 Magnum Revolver in her left. *Bang!* The familiar sound of a hunting rifle firing goes off, though the target causes a small grin to make its way onto her face... Ricky falls over like a puppet with its strings cut, a new hole in the back of his head. Fortunately, with Ricky''s ''unfortunate'' sacrifice, she and everyone else now knew the enemies position. She could spot a few tribal-looking men wielding various weapons positioned above them on the cliff face. Not wasting any more time she starts firing at them, her skill with the revolver not matching her skill with the axe, but it was still enough to put a couple down. Veronica herself was accurate blowing people to pieces with plasma bolts, large parts of their bodies liquefying into green goo. Damn, Plasma weapons were terrifying. Tamia glances over to the Jed Masterson and Stella to get some orders on what to do next, but is horrified to see machine gun fire blitz them, killing both almost instantly. This was incredibly bad as Stella was the only one with any real experience in these lands. It didn''t take long after that for the rest of the Caravan Guards to start dropping like flies, leaving only Tamia and Veronica to deal with the enemy... "Why does it always fall to us to deal with this shit!" Tamia complains as she reloads her weapon. "Hey, it must be you causing it as I never had this much trouble before travelling with you!" her companion states. "Yeah? Well? I don''t like your hair!" Veronica growls at her, "That''s a low blow fem-Grognak." "Whatever! Just keep shooting!" Chapter 216 - Test Subject 69... Afton found himself back in bed while wearing a hospital gown... Dr Kemp had just looked him over and taken some blood tests, though Afton was reluctantly to grant him his blood. He disliked any and all information the NCR may have on him... He wasn''t able to refuse treatment though, otherwise Karl and Boone would actually begin to suspect something was wrong. "Well, it''ll take a while for the blood test results to come in, other than your sudden bout of bleeding though I have no idea what might have caused it... Perhaps some strange symptom of shock from losing your arm?" Dr Kemp speculates with a hand on his chin.?? "Is that what they call it? ''Losing your arm''? Kid here had to cut it off himself after it got crushed." Karl says, causing those that were listening to pale. "At least we got some payback." Boone says from the side with his arms crossed, Afton had to agree. He''d rather lose an arm than have a nuke dropped on him, that was for sure. "Ah yes, I, as well as the entirety of the NCR inside and outside the Mojave have heard of your ''payback''. That was one of the things that I would have suspected your symptoms to have come from, had you not already been immune to radiation." "I checked with my Geiger counter, we were far enough away from it to avoid any radioactive material." Afton says, more to reassure his companions than anything else. "When can we get out of here Doc? I feel fine and would rather get back to work." Karl and Boone don''t look happy to hear this, Afton was younger than them both, and even despite his apparent leadership role over the group they still considered him their responsibility. Fortunately Dr Kemp steps in before they start an argument. "I think that would be ill-advised Mr Parker. You''ve come in and out of my care and I suspect that your original mutation hasn''t completely healed, thus the bleeding after going through such an ordeal." Afton shakes his head and is about to retort when someone he hadn''t met before walks over to them. "Ah, my favourite test s-*Cough*, Patient. You truly are a marvel Mr Parker." ... "Who are you?" Afton asks, clearly not happy to see this man who seemed to have malicious intent towards him. "Ah, forgive me. I am Doctor Hildern, director of operations of the Office of Science and Industry, or OSI for short. I alongside Dr Kemp have been monitoring your condition since you first started mutating." ... "Do you need something?" Dr Hildern jolts slightly as if he''d just received an electric shock, "Yes! Yes I do." he says, handing a clipboard to Dr Kemp whose eyes widen. "Another one?" Dr Hildern nods, "Indeed, I pushed forward the test as I had a hunch... Mr Parker, it seems that you are undergoing some sort of rapid evolution, something we at the OSI or any other NCR department has witnessed before." Afton gets a cold sweat as he rapidly tries to think of an excuse for this, but even using VATS to give him all the time in the world, he can''t find an excuse aside from revealing the existence of his system... Karl and Boone look at the men in confusion, "What does that mean?" they ask. "It means that Mr Parker here is evolving at a rate that shouldn''t be possible. Millions of years worth of mutations and progress all happening within a matter of days." Dr Hildern days before grabbing his clipboard back and flipping to a paper. "I''ve made some observations on Mr Parker''s blood, and am astounded by what I have found... Mr Parker, were you aware that you are essentially a plant?" ... ... "Is that an insult Dr Hildern? I might have lost an arm but I''ll take your greying ass on any day." Afton threatens, more to throw the researcher off than anything else. His threat clearly works, the doctor taking a small step back but quickly recomposes himself, "No, I don''t mean it in a disparaging manner Mr Parker, No, I mean that your skin, flesh, and blood are all currently performing photosynthesis at an almost impossible efficiency." ... Afton chews on the inside of his cheek, "And? Why does that matter?" Dr Hildern scoffs, "W-why does that matter!? Why, you literally do not require food to sustain yourself! And I suspect a whole litany of other benefits! Not to mention what we''ve found in your latest blood test!" Dr Kemp looks at his colleague in interest, "What have you found?" "Why, Mr Parker''s blood becomes what I can only describe as supercharged in the presence of radiation! Cell division, retention, and durability increase to a rediculous degree depending on the level of radiation! I need to perform more tests to discover what other effects have occurred, but it is still a marvel to witness!" Dr Kemp looks shocked at this, occasionally taking glances at Afton as he reads through Dr Hilderns report, "Truly, this all feels like a dream... It''s almost as if you are becoming superhuman Mr Parker..." His words cause Boone and Karl to look at each other, both remembering the various situations they''d found themselves where Afton had performed incredibly difficult feats of strength and skill. Just one example of this would be repairing a vehicle in only a few weeks. "Mr Parker, upon seeing all these incredible changes, I want to request that you stay under observation so we can research these changes properly. Just think of the advancements we could make, perhaps we could grant similar mutations to other people!" Afton quickly shakes his head upon hearing this, "No. I refuse. From what I''ve heard these mutations only began occurring due to an incredible amount of radiation I''d been exposed to. How can I be sure you won''t start doing the same and accidentally turning people into ghouls to try and replicate it?" he says, having already thought of a few arguments to refuse such things. Dr Kemp stalls at this, realising that yes, such research would probably lead to that. Dr Hildern isn''t phased however, "Nonesense, I can guarantee that nothing of the sort would occur under my watch... Just think of the benefits to mankind! Can you really refuse to solve the number one problem of the wasteland? That being radiation!?" Afton looks the man in the eye and growls out, "I refuse." ... Dr Hildern looks shocked by the hostility Afton had displayed but still looks as if he wants to argue his case... "But I-... Very well, good day to you Mr Parker, Dr Kemp." he says before briskly leaving. Chapter 217 - Dont Butcher The Messenger... After Dr Hildern left Afton had tried to leave his bed, only to be glared at by both his companions. Apparently they wanted to him to rest for a day or two to prevent another bout of ''Bleeding'' from occurring. Obviously he couldn''t just tell them what i actually was so he''d reluctantly agreed, no point in completely ignoring them for something so trivial. In the meantime, Afton started playing around with his Pipboy, more specifically the map and his new Perk [Explorer]. Before him was everything of note inside and outside the Mojave, every single residence was named under their owners, whether it was meant to be kept secret or not.?? Of course, the millions of ruined houses weren''t individually named, only those that currently had owners or held significance of some kind had unique names. This helped somewhat to find specific places on the overwhelmingly saturated map. Unfortunately, the Pipboy map didn''t come with a search function, nor did it have any way to assist the user in finding anything. So, he was left with a map chock-full of useless information and places. ... The only silver lining was the fact unique locations usually had unique icons that he could somewhat make out in the chaos. Vaults for instance, their gear-logo was immediately identifiable which allowed him to quickly locate every Vault in the Mojave, these being Vault 3, 11, 19, 22, and 34. This would help a lot when he finally decided to track done those ventilation components and return to his family... Of course, only if they''d have him back. He wondered what they currently thought of him, whether or not he had been ''tainted'' by the wasteland, or if he was just a straight and simple traitor. Whatever the case, he''d do his best to alleviate their concerns... Though, if they tried to force him back into the same situation he had been in before he left, he''d leave for good. There was no point hiding in the Bunker when there were so many opportunities to be had on the surface. Shaking his head at the thoughts of his family, he focussed on the various Vaults on the map. These would not just hold ventilation components, but would likely have intricate parts that could be used for cybernetics. It might take a while to acquire such machinery but it''d return his arm to him, something he wouldn''t scoff at. He continued making and breaking plans until he drifted off to sleep, the comfortable bed beneath him somehow seeming unfamiliar from his time in the wastes... Suddenly, he was awakened, his eyes darting open as he scanned his surroundings... The airport terminal being almost entirely empty apart from the NCR guards protecting the place. He tried to sit up but stopped when he felt something crinkle under his remaining hand... Picking it up and looking at it, he discovered a rather badly written note obviously meant for him. It read : "Meet in Freeside Fiend Sewer. L" ... "Fiend Sewer?" Afton muttered to himself, wondering where it could mean... The only place he could think of would be the Freeside Sewer that the Fiends had managed to break into and were subsequently trapped. Last he was down there he''d seen an army of Mr Houses robots repairing it... If they truly were asking him to go to that place then they had to be someone who knew about the involvement he and his companions had with killing the Fiends there... Though, Afton sincerely doubted it was Karl or Boone who''d left the message. Another thing he was puzzled about was who it was from, he''d not met anyone who could be put with ''L'' that would do something like this... Regardless, he now had a choice... Whether he went to meet with whoever it was or not. He could already imagine the angry faces the Boone and Karl would show him if he just up and left without any notice at all. Plus, Afton himself wasn''t exactly in top fighting form, was this just a ploy to capture him? No. He wouldn''t sit around and wait for shit to happen, he''d go and see what this person wanted and decide how to deal with them there and then. Afton quickly sits up and pulls the curtains to conceal him from the rest of the terminal. Walking over to Dr Kemp''s vacant desk and tearing a piece off of one of his documents before writing a small message for his companions... Afton nods to himself as he places it on top of his pillow, it read, "BRB" and had Afton''s best attempt at drawing a Vault Boy with a peace sign... Yeah, he wasn''t any good at drawing so it just looked like a shoddy stick figure. He throws off his patient gown and starts putting on his equipment that''d been left beside his bed. Of course, he only grabbed his armour, weapons, drugs, ammo, and other essential equipment. Leaving his bag, Anti-Material rifle, and other heavy or needed things behind. Afton expected to be back in the morning or tomorrow at least, plus, he''d need to sneak out of here, so carrying an excess of equipment would be counter-intuitive. Honestly, it was like the NCR guards weren''t even paying attention. They didn''t bat an eye when he snuck out one of the shattered terminal windows and climbed over one of Camp McCarren''s walls... That, or his 100 Sneak Skill had something to do with it. Not to mention how difficult it actually was to climb a wall with only one arm... At least the guards on the wall didn''t hear him grunting and spluttering in an effort to pull himself up with only his left hand. Chapter 218 - Blackmail It takes longer than expected for Afton to actually reach Freeside... Without Dirt-Bird he may have misjudged the distance between Camp McCarren and his destination. Regardless, after an hour of jogging, he reached the East gate and let himself inside. Though, before he got anywhere close to Freeside he did his best to conceal himself with whatever scraps of clothing he had. He looked like a bundle of torn clothing with fabrics covering his face afterwards... Yep, he looked like most other residents of Freeside now.?? Afton crept through the back alleys of Freeside, his remaining hand always at the ready in-case some thug wants to try him. One thing he made absolutely sure to do was to stay out of sight of any Kings. Most might be dopey idiots, but he didn''t doubt that a few would recognise him from his body-type alone. After another half an hour of sneaking around he finally found himself standing above the manhole leading to whoever had wished to speak with him... Though, why it needed to be done here and not somewhere secluded in Camp McCarren beat him. Once he''d clambered down the shaft and illuminated the place with his Pipboy light he was greeted with... Nothing. ... "I swear to god, if this is a prank I''m gonna break someone''s neck!" "Oh? Perhaps I should take my business elsewhere then." A voice says from within one of the nearby tunnels. Afton raises a brow as the figure steps out, decked in a black suit and a silly-looking bowler hat. "Hang on... You look like-" "Indeed, I believe we''ve met already, once when you asked me and my colleagues to find information about a certain NCR Ranger." Afton''s eyes widen as he finally recognises the individual, "The Legionary... Wait, how did you get a message to me within Camp McCarren?" he asks, finding it incredibly unlikely for a Legioanire to have snuck in... Ah, must''ve been a spy then. The legionary shakes their head and sighs, "Don''t ask stupid questions, we believed you to be smarter than that. Anyway, you have made it here so I suppose getting to the point would be preferable, I myself am not too keen on sewage." "Did you find them?" Afton quickly asks, he wanted nothing more than to wring the bastard''s neck and hang them from a tree. The Legionary nods, "We have. But, before I tell you I must ask, do you remember your part of the deal?" Afton nods, "I do, I and my underlings will work for you. Whether that be spies from within the NCR or a task force... Of course, we will only accept jobs we think are doable." "That is what we expected... The man you are looking for is named Emory Emmerich, I believe you''ve worked with him before?" they say with an almost sadistic grin. Afton scowls at him, "Nice try, but Emory still has his right arm, if you''re going to bullshit me than at least make it believable." he spits. The Legionary just shakes their head at him, "Our reports state that he had indeed previously had his right arm mutilated beyond recovery, the NCR wished to retire him but he spent his life-savings on a cybernetic implant by a man named Doctor Henry. Surely you must''ve noticed something strange about the man?" Afton thinks back to all of his encounters with Emory... The man seemed upstanding and a relatively good person, but, he had noticed a few strange things. Once when the man was tapping on his desk with his right hand it sounded almost metallic, not to mention the fact he''d always shake hands with his left... Afton''s eyes widen, "You''re not lying..." he states, having finally put two and two together. "THAT SON OF A BITCH!" he suddenly shouts, having not realised his mother''s murderer was right under his nose the ENTIRE time! The Legionary coughs into their hand to catch his attention, "Now, Now, you can get your revenge after our talk. This information is not intended to be free, our leader already has a job for you to accept that must be completed within a year. Afton glowers at him, still reeling from the whiplash of discovering Emory''s true identity. "It depends what your job is." he states. "Well, I believe you''ll appreciate being paid for something I have no doubt you''ll likely do in the future. We need you to assassinate a man named Lowell Thompson Jr. I''m sure you''ll be happy to discover that he was the Major responsible for leading the attack on Helios One." Afton''s eyes widen as his hand quickly reaches for his gun, "What do you know?" he quickly says, ready to blow this guy''s head off if he tries anything. "We know that you are likely a member or former member of the Brotherhood of Steel. As for how we know? It''s as simple as piecing your story together." he says, but scoffs at Afton''s disbelieving face, "Oh, did you really believe we wouldn''t discover your identity? The man you hunted for killing your mother losing their arm at Helios One? How else would you have discovered his state outside of such a battle?" They shake their head, "You will accept the job to assassinate Lowell Thompson Jr, and you will complete it within a year, otherwise your identity will be spread to the NCR, and every other faction who even mildly dislikes the Brotherhood... Are we clear?" Afton forces himself to hold his tongue, oh he was so ready to shoot this guy in his smug face, but knew they likely had contingency plans for just such a situation. Honestly though them finding this out wasn''t the worst thing that could''ve happened... He would have tried to kill the Major anyway, so it wouldn''t have changed anything. As to the Legion spreading his information to the NCR? He wasn''t worried. He intended to betray them at some point anyway, not just because of their actions at Helios One, but also because of how corrupt it was. "I''ll take the job, but know that your leverage only works to a point. Push me too far and you''ll not live to see the consequences." he threatens before turning away and heading for the exit. "Be sure to remember that you are ours now, Afton." the Legionary says with sly smile on their face as he leaves. Chapter 219 - Assassins Greed Afton climbs out of the manhole and pushes the cover back over it, yeah, it might be petty but causing trouble for the Legionary was the least he could do for the man''s threats. Afton now had a time limit, a year to kill Major Thompson or have all of his information revealed to his enemies, something that''d put a huge target on his head. Though, he was still thankful that they''d found out the identity of his quarry. Without their help, Afton sincerely doubted he would have ever discovered it. Still, Afton was going to do his best to destroy both factions, or at least, both faction''s presence in the Mojave.?? Shaking his head, first thing first would be removing Emory''s head. Afton couldn''t hold himself back any longer and wanted to get some vengeance as soon as possible. The almost forgotten feeling of utter hatred for the man bubbling to the surface, causing a harsh scowl to appear on his face. Quickly he started making his way towards the NCR civilian building where Emory''s office had been. Afton was sure the man would still be there, not just to take care of the NCR civilians in Freeside, but also to keep the Kings in check. Hmm, perhaps he should leave something after he''d killed the man to suggest some Legion involvement? It''d prevent any and all associations with him... He nods to himself, sounds like a plan. He continues sneaking through the streets until he discovers the tall building surrounded by obviously undercover guards. Still, they were placed there to protect against a large assault, not an infiltration. Afton snuck to the less occupied building next to Emory''s one and quietly climbs to the top and looks down at the gap between the two buildings, the alleyway currently being patrolled by a squad of undercover NCR troopers. Afton was hoping to jump from one building to the other, but the gap was larger than it had looked from below. Additionally, his missing arm was causing him to doubt if he''d actually be able to catch himself once he jumped. The only thing to hold onto once he got there was a window lacking its glass, some grooves that he might be able to fit his fingers into, and a balcony a few floors down... Eventually, after thinking for a few moments he decides to leap off and grab the window, transitioning to the groves so he could climb to Emory''s office. After a moment of psyching himself up he jumps, activating VATS halfway across so he could plan out his midair movements. Truly VATS was more OP than the games had ever stated. His hand grips the window and he flops against the building''s wall as his feet fail to gain purchase. He grunts slightly as he pulls himself up with one arm, digging his feet into one of the grooves to get some grip. "-lly think the Kings will keep their words? They''re nothing but a gang of thugs." Afton catches someone saying from within the building, the broken window allowing him to clearly hear them. Fortunately it''s dark enough that they ''probably'' won''t see his fingertips holding onto the window... Hopefully. He waits there for a while as they continue their conversation, one person speaking their doubts on the King''s while the other tries to mediate, though, Afton could tell both had misgivings about the alliance. Eventually they both walk away and Afton breaths a sigh of relief, his fingers were starting to feel sore from hanging this long. He quickly looks up to the grooves and chews the inside of his cheek, he''d need to throw himself at it due to his missing arm. Shaking his head he jumps slightly using the grooves and activates VATS just as he''s midair, using it to plan his movements. The method continues to work as his fingers find their way into the groove, his feet digging in and alleviating some weight from his single arm. With this he continues clambering up the building, all the while hoping no one could see him from below... After half an hour of repeating this he reached the top floor where Emory''s office would be. Light streamed out of the window and he peeked inside, using VATS once he spotted the man sitting at his desk, seemingly glaring at some paperwork that''d been stacked before him. Afton scans the room while time is frozen and spots a window that''s slightly ajar near a shadowy corner of the room... Hmm, he wondered is his [Blur] Perk would help him enough to allow him to actually climb through that undetected... Deciding that its best to try and fail than fail to try, he started shimmying around to it, once he was at the window he used the top of his head to slowly widen it at a rate he hoped Emory wouldn''t spot. Truth be told, if he just wanted to kill Emory he would''ve just shot the man from outside. But that wasn''t what Afton wanted, well, not entirely. He wanted to question the man, find out if he had just been following orders or had another reason-no, excuse. Plus, Afton was looking forward to acquiring a cybernetic arm, is it karma that Emory just so happened to have a right-handed cybernetic arm waiting for Afton? Probably not, but it sure felt like it! Afton goes through a breathing exercise before climbing through, his entry into the room making literally no sound whatsoever, courtesy of his Sneak Skill. Quickly he reactivates VATS and takes a glance at Emory, noticing the man still hadn''t looked up... Noice. He turns to the door and would''ve snorted had time not been frozen, the key to the room was already inside the lock. Emory apparently not having expected for his room to be infiltrated from a window and locked from the inside. This only reinforced in Afton''s mind the fact that Lockpicking was one of the worst Skills... Afton allows time to resume and locks the door, causing an audible click to echo through the room, Emory looking up at him as Afton stands in a relaxed posture. "Emory, we need to talk." he states, doing his best to not reveal how tense his body was... Though, with how bad his Charisma skill was Emory was probably aware of it. Chapter 220 - Vengeance! Emory''s eyes widen to an almost comical degree when Afton speaks. The door hadn''t opened, and they were on the highest floor of the building, so scaling up it would''ve been incredibly difficult, not to mention loud enough for the guards to notice. "A-Afton? How are you... Why are you here?" Afton just shrugs, "Your men let me through, as to why I''m here? We have some matters to speak on." he says, walking over and sitting in the chair opposite Emory. "How are things going with the Kings?" he asks, deciding to try and relax the man before he puts a bullet through his brain.?? ... Emory taps the desk nervously, Afton now well aware of the metallic sound the man''s right-hand makes as it does so. "The Kings? Doing fine. No problems apart from the few unruly ones unwilling to grant a modicum of control to someone else." Afton nods, "Best just to deal with them how I did." Emory shakes his head, "Not all of us can go straight to shooting people who cause trouble Afton, the NCR have rules about this sort of thing." Afton can''t help but send a smile at him, though it doesn''t reach his eyes. "They do? What are the rules on firing upon women and children then?" ... "Excuse me?" Emory asks, trying to put up a confused facade, but Afton could tell the man was read to start fighting. Afton leans forwards and grabs Emory''s right hand to stop him from pulling it back, *Clack*, the sound of metal lets both men know that the jig is up. "Youknow, I was wondering where I could get myself one of those arms, after losing mine it''s been terribly uncomfortable." he says while squeezing the arm, causing the machinery to creak under the pressure. ... "Enough. What do you want?" Emory asks, wishing to cut to the chase. Afton scoffs, "What do I want? Shouldn''t you know already? I want to go back in time and stop your bullet from penetrating her skull. I want to climb up to that perch you were hiding you cowardly ass on and beat you to death before you killed one of the only people I truly cared about." he says, letting go of the arm and slamming the table with his fist. Emory has a look of recognition overtake him, "It''s you?" Afton nods, "What? Can''t recognise the boy you orphaned? Heh, seems about right. Probably not even the first time you''ve done something similar for your military overlords." "The attack on Helios One wasn''t my idea. Even if it was, we never intended to hurt any non-combatants!" "BULLSHIT!" Afton shouts, "does the NCR always fire upon retreating men, women and children!? Helios One was yours! And yet you decided to try and annihilate everyone! Where were your rules and regulations at that moment!? Exactly! There were none! You fuckers just hide behind the pretence of being more civilised than the rest of us, all the while breaking your laws when it''s fucking convenient for you!" Emory scowls, "What do you want me to say!? That I didn''t want to do it? That I repeatedly asked our commander whether or not to fire upon you? I followed orders like a good soldier." he states. "I don''t want you to say anything you piece of shit, I just want you to understand why I''m going to fucking kill you!" Afton shouts in the man''s face, spittle flying out without care. Emory''s body tenses at this, and both men don''t move, instead just daring the other to try... ... ... Sweat forms on Emory''s brow, flowing down his cheek and eventually dripping off of his chin onto the floor. Once he hears it hit the ground he throws himself behind the table while grabbing his chair and throwing it at Afton. Afton roars and he kicks the piece of furniture, shattering it into a million different pieces while drawing That Gun from his hip, he leans over the desk to get a shot at Emory but finds the heavy oak desk lift off of the floor and slam him in the chin and chest. He almost loses grip of his weapon from the sudden surprising assault, but grits his teeth and squeezes the weapon as hard as he can. The table traps his leg under it as Emory jumps into action, raising his revolver to Afton''s head and preparing to fire. Afton quickly swipes his arm at it, redirecting the barrel enough for the bullet to whistle through his hair. Emory steps out of Afton''s reach and fires a couple more shots, but is shocked when Afton blocks the bullets with his gun, returning fire and shooting Emory in the chest twice. Emory stumbles back in pain but continues firing, emptying all the ammo in his revolver. Afton upon seeing this kicked his leg out as hard as possible, sending the heavy oak desk in-front of him to take the brunt of the damage. The bullets pierced through his make-shift cover, but the wood was enough to divert them in random directions, luckily not hitting Afton. The splinters caused by it did rain upon his body though, a few hitting him in the face. He gives another kick to the almost completely decimated desk and sends it flying back at Emory as the man tries to reload his weapon. Revolvers were famed for their durability and stopping power, not their ease of reloading them. The impact of the table almost sent the man out of the window, he managed to recover but lost his grip on his weapon in a panic, leaving him weaponless. Afton could hear people shouting from behind the door, clearly the NCR guards had heard their scuffle, but he was sure they wouldn''t get through the door before he was done with Emory. He briskly walked towards the man who seemed almost resigned at this point. Afton grabbed the man''s cybernetic arm after shooting him in the shoulder to keep him down, placing a foot on Emory''s chest while pulling as hard as he could t remove it. The sound of flesh slowly tearing filled the room, and Afton wrenched one last time and found himself in possession with one cybernetic arm... At the base wires and metal were still connected with flesh that''d apparently been pulled away with it. However, one thing certainly caught Afton''s attention... Hidden in the bicep of the arm was a grenade... That had its pin pulled. He looks up at Emory who now had an incredibly smug look on his face. "If I''m going down, I''m taking you with me!" he shouts, not even bothering to try and shield himself from the eventual explosion. *BOOOOOOM!* Afton wasn''t even able to process what was happening when the grenade exploded, the shrapnel completely eviscerating him, tearing his body apart as it was sent flying out of the window to alleyway below. Chapter 221 - An Explosive Finish... [Miracle Maker Activated] [Find Verna Parker''s murderer : quest complete!]?? [Avenge Verna Parker : quest complete!] [New quest! : Kill Lowell Thompson Jr.] Afton suddenly regains consciousness as the notification appears in his peripheral vision. Unfortunately, the knockback of the explosion was still occurring, launching him out of the top floor''s window. He''s thrown through the glass and starts plummeting to the distant floor below, he falls for a second or two until he lands on the opposite building''s roof. He rolls a couple of times before finally stopping in a heap. Afton quickly pats himself over as he begins to hyperventilate... He literally had just died right now, the only reason he hadn''t permanently kicked the bucket was due to his [Miracle Maker] Perk. "OH MY GOD! THERE ARE PEOPLE STILL INSIDE! SOMEONE HELP THEM!" a loud shout from the street below brings him from his thoughts, he glances back at the building he''d just been launched out of and releases a sigh. The explosion had destabilised the top floor, causing it to collapse onto the ones below... From the looks of it, this trend would continue until the entire thing was rubble. He wasn''t going to do anything about it though, just his mere presence here could alert people to who was responsible. Plus, he didn''t care all that much about the NCR citizens... Shaking his head, he continues to check himself, he still felt phantom pains of shrapnel tearing his body apart... Apparently, [Miracle Maker] doesn''t repair clothing either... His Recon armour was in tatters, and his Deathclaw leather satchel was scorched and scratched to high hell, the only reason it''d survived being the hardy creature it was made from. The holsters and bandoleer holding his weaponry were still hanging on, though, it was only by a thread... Fortunately his [Mechanicus] Pekr was working overtime and repairing his equipment before his eyes, the ruined leather returning to its proper colour and somehow fusing with where it needed to be. As for his weapons conditions? They were fine, if about scuffed. Shrapnel had managed to shatter the LED light on That Gun, but other than that they were completely functional... Though, he was checking his Plasma pistol over thrice before he did anything, it wouldn''t be the first time an Energy Weapon exploded on him. *CRASH!* The NCR building''s third floor had crumbled, the screams of people who''d not managed to get out being cut as they were crushed to death. Afton quickly picks himself up and looks over the building he was on for a viable exit, he was tempted to try and look for the remnants of Emory''s cybernetic arm, but knew whatever fragments remained would be incredibly hard to find... Especially with the disaster that''ll no doubt draw top-tier NCR investigation. He rubs his face with his remaining hand, "I really fucked this one up, huh." he mutters, using VATS to stop time to think over how he could''ve done this differently... Though, the more he thinks about it the more this situation becomes unavoidable. Emory''s arm had a grenade that''d be activated when the arm was taken off, and Afton would always, always try to take it. "Whatever, I achieved what I wanted, I''ll be more cautious in future." he affirms as he stands, backing up a little before sprinting at the side of the roof, leaping off with agility uncommon in the wasteland and deftly landing on the next roof with a roll. Afton was about to jump to the next roof when something caught his eye with a glint... He almost tripped over his feet as he tried to stop his moment to get a better look at it. His eye''s widened as he got a good look at it... Emory''s pistol. It''d been accidentally thrown out of the window, but Afton assumed it''d landed in the streets below, not on the roof. He bends down to pick it up and almost starts salivating at it. It was made with black metal and was covered in intricate golden engravings, similar to that of Lucky but even more delicate, on the barrel it had "For Honorable Service" engraved on it. Its handle was a dark wood with a golden bear inlaid into it which had "20 years" carved into it, and judging by the side of the bullets it''s supposed to take, its firing power would be stronger than that of even a .44 Magnum... He checks it over with his Pipboy just to make sure, even if he held little doubts in his mind. [Fallen Ranger Sequoia] Strength Req : 7 Dmg : 70 Crit dmg : 70 Crit mult : 1.5x AP : 30 Weight : 4 Value : 15000 Wow. This thing is a beast... Though, it did have a few problems. The biggest being the fact that it had obviously belonged to an NCR Ranger. If he was found with it they''d check its serial number and his involvement in Emory''s death would be revealed. Not only that, it took .45-70 Gov''t Ammunition, a type that was usually only used and produced by the NCR... It was also quite rare, so Afton would need to find a way to manufacture his own, especially when he would eventually turn against the NCR. Shaking his head, he tucked the weapon into his Deathclaw leather satchel and start hopping across roofs again. Making sure not to be seen by anything as he did so. It didn''t take long for his to reach the gates of Freeside, there looked to be something wrong though... A large group of NCR troopers and Kings were standing guard, searching everyone and anyone who wanted to enter or leave via the gate. Damn, they work quick... Afton hadn''t expected the NCR to mobilise such a force so quickly. He was started to regret helping the Kings ally with the NCR. He quickly looked through what he currently had in his satchel to see if anything could help him out of this situation... Chems? No. Sunglasses? Nope. A single plasma mine? Hell no!.. Ah, some NCR Dogtags?... Perhaps... Chapter 222 - Valiant Return Afton pulls out the small handful of NCR Dogtags that he seemed to have acquired somewhere? Though he seems to have forgotten what he originally intended to do with them. Whatever the case, he uses VATS to freeze time and looks around the area for any suspicious-looking people, eventually finding one ragged-looking man who seemed to be addicted to something judging by how he twitches and scratches himself. Not wasting any more time, he deftly tosses the Dogtags at the man before pointing at the man and shouting, "OH MY GOD! IT''S THE TERRORIST!" before ducking back into the crowd.?? Fortunately, this got the exact reaction Afton was looking for, the Kings and NCR upon spotting the Dogtags immediately jumped into action, pointing all of their weapons at the unfortunate chem addicted and forcing him to the floor. Afton uses this opportunity to slip out of the gate while everyone is preoccupied with the ''Terrorist'', once out quickly starting to sprint towards Camp McCarren to hopefully return to his bed before his companions noticed his absence... He should be back at around 3-4 AM if he went at a good pace, so hopefully, no one would notice him not being there. Soon enough, Afton found his way back into the airport terminal. It took longer than he''d hoped climbing back over the wall undetected, but he should-... His inner monologue was interrupted when he locked eyes with a Karl who was sitting on his bed with a disappointed look. Afton glances down at his still ragged Recon armour that was slowly being repaired and coughs into his fist, "Er, hey Karl, what a coincidence to see you here..." ... ... "You sure are funny kid, funny to think I''d believe that shit you''re spewing." he states, not raising his voice enough to catch the attention of the nearby NCR guards. "What do you mean? I was just stretching my legs." ... Karl points at his Recon armour, "Did you also happen to run into a Deathclaw on your ''walk?''" "Yes." ... ... Karl just lets out an exasperated sigh, "Youknow, I don''t really care that you left after we told you to stay put... But, the least you could''ve done is tell one of us that you were headed out. We thought you''d gotten kidnapped or something!" Afton gives him a weird look, "I left a note though." "You mean this?" he holds up the piece of paper, "What the fuck does BRB mean!? Is it some sort of military code I''m unaware of? Something your old group taught you? The only reason we hadn''t started interrogating the guards here is because of that stupid stick figure you''d drawn... No kidnapper would leave something that shit on pride alone." Afton sheepishly looks away, "Well, I''m back now aren''t I?" Karl shakes his head, "Do you think we haven''t heard? Every NCR radio is reporting a terrorist attack on an NCR civilian building, quite the coincidence that it happened during your ''walk'', right?" "Alright, fine. That was me, but I have a damn good reason for it." Afton says, Karl not saying anything and presumably waiting for his excuse. Afton pulls out the Fallen Ranger Sequoia and tosses it to Karl, "I found the bastard who killed my mother, and the explosion wasn''t me either, the bastard had some kind of dead-man switch on him and blew the building to shit." Karl''s brows almost reach his hairline as he looks down at the weapon, "Damn. Who was it?" "A man named Emory Emmerich, I didn''t recognise him at first as he had a hidden cybernetic arm... But our... ''Friends'' pointed him out for me." Karl sends him a pointed look, "Them?" Afton nods, "Yeah, it wasn''t for free though... We''ve got a year to kill Lowell Thompson Jr. Better known as Major Thompson. If we don''t they''ll release ''all'' of my information to any faction that might be interested in it." Karl''s lips thin, as the reality of such a situation hits him, if that did happen then it wouldn''t just be Afton that''d be hunted down, but also Boone and Karl for their affiliation with him. "Shit." "Yeah, shit''s the word for it. But I think we can make this work, I don''t know where Major Thompson is but I think he''ll be a relatively easy target..." Karl nods, "I know the man, he''s a bloated piece of shit who apparently spends most of his time in the strip. I''d be careful though kid, the strip isn''t a place to mess around in, its a cutthroat place that''ll leave you broke, crippled, and capless in a matter of hours. Not to mention Mr House''s presence, assassinating high-up NCR personnel will be tougher than your recent venture." "I doubt it, I almost got blown to hell earlier." Afton says while gesturing to his damaged Recon armour. ... "What''s the plan now?... I mean after you''ve spent a couple days recovering." Karl asks before correcting himself. "I think collecting the bounty on Cook-Cook would be good, suddenly changing our plans might lead to suspicion, so let''s get that done before doing anything else." Afton says, getting a nod from his companion. "Hm, alright. But we aren''t taking chances this time. We deal with our target first and deal with side objectives after... Can''t have you losing another arm, can we?" Karl says. Afton nods, "We''ll see how it goes... You should get back to Boone before the guards around here start making rumours about us." Karl''s face sours as he stands and tosses back the Fallen Ranger Sequoia, "I''ll beat whoever suggests somethin'' like that. And you better make sure no one sees that gun, the NCR''ll fuck us quicker than we can realise." he warns before leaving. Chapter 223 - Cook-Cooked... Afton, Boone, and Karl were all currently set up in one of the abandoned buildings deep within Fiend territory. They had used the sewers to reach their current position, but decided that it probably wasn''t necessary in the end... "Huh, I wonder where all the Fiends went?" Afton asks, looking around from their raised position at the desolate streets.?? "Kid, you literally dropped a nuke on them. If I were them I''d be hiding in a bunker until people forgot we existed." Karl states. Boone looks through his scope and gestures a few hundred meters ahead, "They''re not all gone, there''s a good amount still patrolling the territory, probably trying to get the NCR out for as long as they can... This''ll be a problem if Cook-Cook has hidden like the rest of them." "If that''s the case then we''ll just come back for the bounty later... They can only hide for so long, they''ll need to get supplies eventually." Karl shakes his head, "If they start eating each other then we''d have to wait for months, maybe years if they''re smart about it." "Well, as much as I''d like to try and infiltrate their main base, I don''t think we''re prepared enough for it... I''d like to keep my other arm, thanks." Afton says, semi-sarcastically. "Atleast there''s some good that''s come from this." Boone says from the side, "Now that they''re locked down and unable to move like the had before, I doubt they''ll be in any position to buy any slaves. No demand means that the slavers''ll be outta luck, anything that harms those fuckers is a good thing." Afton looks over the landscape and spots small groups of Fiends patrolling... The only thing he can see though is just EXP. Now that they lack numbers and are scared of getting nuked again he doubted they''d be willing to engage in another large-scale battle. "How about we start picking off Fiends on our way to Cook-Cook?" he asks, receiving an almost manic grin from Boone. "I was waiting for you to say that." the sniper says, looking into his scope and pulling the trigger soon after, he''d done it so quickly that he must''ve found a target an hour or two ago... *Bang!* Afton could see a Fiend''s head explode in the distance, their allies fleeing in all directions after looking around in confusion for a couple seconds, probably to try and find the shooter. *Clink* *Bang!* Boone fires again, blowing away another Fiend. Afton wanted to get involved in the action but felt his missing arm would drastically affect his effectiveness... Not to mention the fact he''d probably drop his Anti-Material rifle off of the building accidentally. The recoil was almost unmanageable with one arm, so unless he had a position that allowed him to compensate for it, it was unusable... Obviously, on the roof of a building he didn''t have the luxury of space, especially when the angle required him to almost literally be hanging off the side of the building to get a clean shot. So, he gave Karl his rifle instead, the man wasn''t the greatest shot with a rifle around, but he was certainly better than Afton was currently. "You two cover me while I cut the ears from the dead." Afton says as he makes his way down the building, That Gun in hand and fully loaded. Reaching the ground floor he went around cutting the eats from the Fiends corpses while looting anything valuable. All while his companions continued firing at any visible enemies. A few hours later and the group had thoroughly gotten rid of most Fiends still willing to patrol, Afton now had a sack full of a few hundred ears. However, the group still had a bounty to collect. Due to their... More brutal method of accessing Fiend territory, Cook-Cook likely already knew they were headed for him. It didn''t take a genius to realise that their destination was where Cook-Cook usually hung out. Afton had spoken to one of the bounty hunters that''d almost managed to kill the man and learned that Cook-Cook was obsessed with a brahmin named Quennie... This was the main reason he knew Cook-Cook would not be hiding, the animal would take up way too many resources to be viably hidden. Eventually, after cutting a swath through Fiend territory the group spotted their quarry... Or atleast, their quarry''s base of operations. They were atop one of the highest buildings around, but couldn''t locate Cook-Cook from their position, Afton could see something of interest though... Quennie. There was a single brahmin grazing outside the base, and the only reason it hadn''t been butchered and eaten was probably because of Cook-Cook. "So, which of you wants to kill that brahmin over there?" Afton asks, not hiding the grin on his face. "I got this." Boone says as he lines up his Hunting Rifle. Elsewhere : Cook-Cook taps the metal spoon against the rim of the large pot he was using to make a stew. If you asked him what meat he was using in it he''d say "Just eat it pussy."... Yeah, most folks knew he''d rather butcher and eat people than his precious brahmin, and with the recent lack of supplies he''d had to make do with what he had. Unfortunately, he had an abundance of human flesh that they needed to use for something, especially now that Violet and her dogs were all fucked. Of course, Cook-Cook wasn''t stupid, with Violet dead and now Nephi? Whoever was hunting would be coming for him next. He''d wanted to retreat to the Vault with everyone else, but Motor-Runner, the bastard, had refused to allow Quennie inside. So, he was left out here, without enough forces to properly maintain the territory or to even protect himself. The gunfire had begun to get closer and closer, and the men who''d survived it had reported that the enemy was slowly encroaching on his position. Chapter 224 - Beep-Beep Bitch! Cook-Cook looked over to the side where his favourite slave was currently chained. Indeed, he could smell her from here, her rotting flesh making it easy to tell if she was present or not, which helped in making sure she didn''t manage to escape. His men kept asking why he kept a Ghoul as a slave, but they just wouldn''t understand. Sure, she was a good toy, but if he were honest he''d rather have a regular woman... No, the main reason he kept the Ghoul was because she didn''t require food, or water. He usually killed and ate his slaves once he got bored of them because they were a drain on his supplies, but the Ghoul? The most efficient slave he''d ever owned.?? "Cook-Cook! They''ve stopped shootin'' but I think they''re getting ready to attack us!" one of his men shouts as they approach. Cook-Cook just shakes his head, of course they were, why else would they be here?... Hopefully they were stupid and tried to enter his base, he didn''t know if he''d be able to do anything against snipers... Though, he had set some traps around the area just-in-case of this exact situation. All he needed to do now was wai- *Bang!* *Thump!* ... "QUENNIIEEEEEEE!!" Cook-Cook suddenly roared, quickly standing up and accidentally knocking over his stew while running outside. Once he was outside he spotted his beloved Brahmin on its side with blood pooling around it... Not only that, but Quennie was missing one of her heads! "YOU BASTARDS! I''LL TEAR YOU APART AND EAT WHAT''S LEFT!" Cook-Cook shouts as he runs back inside, not to retreat, but instead to grab his Heavy Flamer. Elsewhere : Boone had just executed the Brahmin belonging to Cook-Cook and their target had immediately noticed, popping in and out of his base once he saw the dead animal. Clearly their intel wasn''t incorrect. "A sniper''s wet dream huh? Two large heads for one creature, hard to miss." Afton says from behind Boone, getting the man to nod. "A shame you couldn''t tag Cook-Cook, despite how angry he seemed the man still had enough sense to get out of a sniper''s line of fire." "I''ll get him next time." Boone states, however, as soon as he says this, Fiends start streaming out of the building Cook-Cook was currently in, all of which were charging their position. "Well, guess they know where we are then." Afton states as he heads downstairs with Karl following closely behind. Boone started firing at the approaching enemies, hitting their heads and other vital organs with expert accuracy. Afton had just reached downstairs and was immediately attacked by a Fiend mongrel, the dog trying to bite onto his leg. He blew it''s head off before it got a chance but he was still surprised at the fact the Fiends hadn''t run out of the beasts yet. He quickly ducked behind a concrete slab as bullets started kicking up dust around him. The Fiends were firing as if their lives depended on it... Which it probably did. He began using VATS to pick off targets while Karl occasionally sprayed his machinegun at them, taking a few out who hadn''t managed to get behind cover. Boone continued to take out targets until a feeling of dread made him instinctively dodge to the side... Just as a ball of napalm flew past and hit the ruined concrete wall behind him. Taking another look, he spotted a large figure wearing full metal armour and a wielding mask walking towards him with a heavy weapon that continued to shoot many balls of napalm. Again, Boone was forced to get out of the way as napalm was shot at him. Quickly, he grabbed his rifle and started heading downstairs, just as more napalm covered the area, leaving the entire roof on fire. He quickly headed downstairs and spotted Karl and Afton holding the position against the Fiends, "Cook-Cook''s outside and has set the whole damn roof on fire!" "Was he wearing his usual equipment?" Afton quickly asks as he fires a couple shots at an approaching Fiend. Boone nods and Afton continues, "Then get the big gun ready to blow through it, we need his head so just blow a hole through his sternum, that''ll end the cunt." Boone nods and changes his position to wait for Cook-Cook to cross his path, hopefully the man wouldn''t be aware enough to fire back before Boone got his shot off. Elsewhere : She''d seen her ''master'' Cook-Cook runoff in an absolute rage, spouting things about tearing apart and eating the people who killed that brahmin of his. Anja tugs at the slave collar around her neck, as well as the manacles chaining her to the wall. They were loose to allow enough movement so she could perform her ''duties'' for her master. They weren''t needed though as the slave collar was rigged with an explosive... This wasn''t the first time she''d been in such a situation, and she''d picked up many skills in her lifetime. Most of which being related to stealth, pickpocketing, and escaping. How had she managed to discover that her collar was booby-trapped? Well, it started beeping as soon as she tried to leave the building. From what she knew, the collars default setting meant that it''d explode if the wearer was out of bounds for ten seconds, she doubted Cook-Cook was smart enough to recalibrate it... Though, she was wary of testing her luck. She knew how to unlock the collar, but it would start beeping if she did... She hadn''t had a chance to escape up until now due to Cook-Cook and his men always being around... Now though? She''d need to thank whoever was creating such a good distraction. She reaches down to her forearm and digs her fingers into her rotten flesh, roaming about for a bit until she feels something metallic. Pulling it out, she grins down at the bobby pin she''d been hiding. While she hated being a ghoul, it wasn''t like it didn''t come with benefits, slowly losing the ability to feel pain allowed her to store her escape tool in places people would be too disgusted to look. Quickly, she unlocked her arm shackles and approached the exit of the building, peeking around and spotting Cook-Cook firing his weapon at the opposite building madly. Yes, Anja wouldn''t miss this chance for some payback, that sick-fuck more than deserved it. Using the bobby pin, she forcefully unlocks the collar, quickly tearing it off before throwing it at Cook-Cook, the man looking down to try and find the beeping but becoming incredibly confused at the slave collar sitting next to his feet. He isn''t even able to utter a scream as he''s suddenly enveloped in an explosion. *BOOM!* Chapter 225 - Beghouled Boone watches from his hidden position as a Ghoul runs out from the Fiend base and throws something at Cook-Cook, his eye''s going wide when the rapist suddenly explodes. From the fireball he could clearly see mangled limbs being sent flying, if Cook-Cook was still alive then he''d probably curse his luck at still being conscious. He''s about to return to Afton and Karl to report what''d just happened but finds that the Fiends had already relayed the information. Most of them screaming, "Cook-Cook''s dead! Fucking run", etc. Hopefully there''d be enough of Cook-Cook to claim the bounty...?? Afton had heard the explosion but didn''t realise at the time what it was. He takes a peek with VATS to see if Cook-Cook was still alive through the smoke, and fortunately spots the man lying on the floor, missing both legs and one arm. Not to mention how mangled his lower torso was... Afton was sure he''d had his cock blown off, which was good since Afton wouldn''t need to do it himself. Most of the Fiends quickly started retreating after Cook-Cook exploded, but a few stayed to fight. Not to mention the fact that some seemed to have located the one responsible for Cook-Cook''s rather ungraceful end. He could barely spot a ghoul running into an eastern building to escape the group chasing them. He was conflicted at whether or not to help her if he was honest... She did help kill Cook-Cook, but then again she deserves a cut of the bounty... Then again, someone capable of sneaking around behind them and assassinating someone like that could be useful to him, he wondered what Companion Perk they''d confer. Nodding to himself, he glances at Karl and Boone, "We gotta help that Ghoul out! Let''s kill some Fiends!" he shouts, standing and running towards the eastern building while firing That Gun at any who dared try to target him. Karl wasn''t far behind, hefting his Light Machine Gun and following him, providing suppressing fire against one of the larger groups of Fiends that remained. As for Boone? He stayed put, taking heads whenever someone was brave enough to peek at them. Elsewhere : Anja immediately fled after tossing that explosive collar at her former master. She wasn''t even able to mentally cheer when all the attention of the Fiends locked onto her. Yeah, you''d expect that for killing their leader but she''d thought they''d still be distracted with whoever was firing at them. Regardless, she currently had no weapon, and a large group of murderous, rapist, cannibals trying to kill her. Deciding to try and weather the storm she quickly searches for a place to hide, hopefully whoever was hunting the Fiends would clear up the one''s chasing her, after that she could escape and look at her options for the future. Running up some stairs she dashes through a building''s second floor, going over some-kind of walkway to the next building before throwing herself out of a window, dextrously rolling as she lands. She enters another building and spots a locker that''d been thrown onto its side. Without much choice she opens it and crawls inside, quietly shutting it just before the Fiends started arriving at her location. ... "Where the fuck did that bitch go!?" one shouts, breathing heavily due to all the running they had to do immediately after a gunfight. "Don''t know! But She''s probably around here somewhere... She stunk up Cook-Cook''s place just by being there, we could probably smell the rancid cunt out." "Hehe, good plan... Er, any of you able to smell? My nose stopped working after I tried to snort ant-necter..." ... "No..." "So no-one?" "For fuck sake!" "No I can smell just fine." Someone says in an almost mocking tone. "Really? Good! Now ju-Holy fu-" *Bang!* Anja winces as the sound of a gunshot goes off, followed by the thunderous sound of many more. Clearly, whoever had just arrived belonged to the group fighting the Fiends... Not to mention their morbid sense of humour. She could only hope that no stray bullet hit the locker she was hiding in, ghouls might be hardy, but a bullet to a vital organ would usually put them down permanently, especially in a low radiation area. Afton continues firing at the Fiends in the room that had been discussing something. He holsters That Gun and pulls out Lucky after running out of ammo for it, reloading mid-battle for was for two-armed people only! Karl arrived soon enough and sprayed the room, killing the rest of the Fiends that were gathered. "Nice one." Afton says jovially to his companion as he steps inside... Immediately getting a whiff of something. It didn''t smell like the Fiends did, no sweat, blood, sex, or drugs involved... Only the smell of rotting decay, flesh? Definitely a ghoul, though, he''d never met a ghoul that smelled this... ''Pungent''. "They should be around here..." Karl mutters, and Afton nods, following his nose towards the locker. "Alright, I''m gonna open this locker, don''t try to stab me or bite my face off once I do... Okay?" he asks, receiving no response. Shaking his head, he lifts the door and is immediately hit by the ghoul''s smell, after regaining his composure spotting the person hiding into the locker. Anja gingerly climbs out of the locker and looks at her... Saviours? By the looks of the many dead Fiends they seemed like people you wouldn''t want to mess with. "Thanks for saving me." she asks, her gravelly voice not surprising either of the two, clearly they''d spoken to ghouls before. Afton nods and presents a hand to the ghoul who seems to be female? It''s kind of hard to tell with the rotting flesh and harsh voice... Though, she was different from the other ghouls he''d met, their eyes would usually be dull and lifeless, lacking colour or slowly fading in clarity. This one had bright green eyes that looked out of place on the person that possesses them. "Afton Parker, Bounty Hunter, at your service." he says, smiling slightly as the ghoul reciprocated and shook his hand. "I''m Anja... Just Anja." Chapter 226 - Nanja... "I''m Anja... Just Anja." she replies sheepishly. Afton could tell there was a story behind it but decides to let it go for now. "Thanks for your help back there, Cook-Cook was a fucking menace with that flamethrower of his." Karl says.?? Afton interjects before Anja can reply, "What are you plans after this?" he asks. Anja tilts her head to the sid , "I''m not sure, even before I was locked up by Cook-Cook I didn''t really have anything going on..." she says, not letting them know that she''d literally just escaped some exiled followers of the apocalypse before being captured by Cook-Cook... "Then, won''t you come with us? If anything you deserve a cut of Cook-Cook''s bounty. Plus I think you''d be a good fit for our team." Afton prods, jumping on any opportunity that presented itself. Karl raises a brow at his sudden insistence on Anja joining them but just shrugs it off... Afton hadn''t been wrong about Boone so he probably knew what he was doing... Right? "I don''t know... I''m not much of a fighter..." Anja says, honestly not knowing if she wanted to join them or not. They did save her, but becoming a bounty hunter? She''d lived this long up until no avoiding jobs like that. Afton can see her hesitation and nods, "Well, you can think it over. You''ll get your cut of Cook-Cook''s bounty and we can part ways if you want afterwards. Until then, would you mind helping me with collecting the ears of these guys?" He knew that ghouls found it hard to make enough caps to live properly, so once she saw the 5000 cap bounty on Cook-Cook it''d probably be enough to get her to join them. Anja seemed confused at why he''d need to cut their ears off but shook her head and agreed anyway. "Okay." Karl lent her his knife as he made sure there weren''t anymore Fiends sneaking around. While this was happening Afton decided to check Anja''s status with his [Living Anatomy] Perk. [Anja] Health : 65% Stamina : 50% DT : 0 Strength : 4 Perception : 9 Endurance : 6 Charisma : 2 Intelligence : 5 Agility : 8 Luck : 6 Ailments : [Ghoul] : Halves charisma, causes necrosis to occur across entire body, cancer cells infesting body in a controlled manner, raises endurance by 2, grants biological immortality, grants immunity to radiation and the ability to absorb it, grants immunity to most diseases, viruses, parasites, etc. [Ghoulification] : Depending on the will of the person afflicted they will slowly become more feral as time continues, eventually rendering them a mindless creature that only acts on instinct. Ghoulification at 2% Afton raises a brow at this, to be honest, he didn''t know all that much about Ghouls before this, but now he had an almost encyclopedic list of ailments, abilities, and boons. Were it not for the rotting flesh, charisma loss, and eventually ghoulification, he''d want to become a ghoul himself. Obviously that wasn''t really possible anymore though due to his [Rad Absorbtion] Perk. Shaking his head, Afton got back to cutting the ears off of the dead Fiends. The group followed the bodies back to where Boone currently was, the sniper was standing over the corpse of Cook-Cook whose body was so mangled it didn''t seem humanoid... The collar apparently wasn''t the only thing that exploded, the gas-tank fueling his flamethrower had almost gone off, almost liquefying the man''s internal organs under his metal armour. Afton considered themselves lucky that Cook-Cook wore so much armour, otherwise they''d not have anything to bring back to Major Dhatri... Atleast the welding mask preserved the integrity of the man''s head. Anja spat on his corpse as she stood over it, no one questioned her on it either since it was rather obvious what a female would have against the man, especially with what they already knew about him... If teenage boys and young children were in his strike zone then it wouldn''t take much fora ghoul to tick the box. Afton removed the mask and looks down at the dirty, lifeless face of the man, Cook-Cook looked like a ''quintessential'' criminal. Someone you''d avoid if you saw walking to the super-market. He shakes his head and begins the morbid work of cutting the head off, this time doing so more quickly than he had with Violet due to the practice he''d had. Afterwards he drops the bloody thing in bag and lets it hang next to the moist bag full of ears... Yeah, it''s just as disgusting as it sounds. Boone looks confused at the new addition to the team but doesn''t say anything for now. Before they head back Afton takes the chance to loot Cook-Cook''s base, stealing the many, many chems that had stashed there. He also looked around for any more slaves but didn''t find any... He asked Anja if she knew if there was anyone else but she just sadly replied in the negative. The only real thing of note that Afton had found was a pile of scrap-paper detailing various recipes Cook-Cook had personally created... Or, to be more accurate recreated. Most of the stews, and other food were just pre-war dishes that used brahmin meat and other mutated plants as opposed to the usual ones. Regardless, he might try cooking some of them when he got the chance. He must''ve been called Cook-Cook for a reason right? Aside from his tendency to burn people alive... But even then why not call him ''Fire-Fire'' or ''Burn-Master'' or something. The group made light conversation with one another as they made their way back through the sewers. They had looted some ''relatively'' clean clothes from some Fiends to give to Anja. The outfit she''d been forced to wear as a slave definitely wasn''t suitable to be walking around Camp McCarren... Or anywhere else for that matter. Chapter 227 - Just Rewards The group returned to Camp McCarren in relatively good time, the guardsman surrounding the place were more than familiar with them at this point, though, many people made the point to insult Anja when they saw her. Ghouls weren''t particularly liked by anyone in the Mojave... The Brotherhood of Steel and Legion would kill them on sight, while the NCR would reluctantly tolerate them. Afton still remembered the shit that went down in Camo Searchlight. with Aster trying to put the surviving ghouls ''out of their misery''...?? The NCR tolerated them enough to shove them all off to a separate station so no one else would have to interact with them... If that isn''t disdain of the highest order then Afton didn''t know what was. Boone and Karl didn''t seem to have a problem, but perhaps they were just holding their tongue on Afton''s behalf? Personally Afton didn''t really care, the Brotherhood of Steel indoctrination had almost washed over him, changing his mind about absolutely nothing. If Anja could prove herself then he''d accept her into the group, regardless of her status of a Ghoul. The group briskly found and walked up to Major Dhatri and Afton didn''t even wait to toss two large sacks at him. Once holding the head of Cook-Cook, and the other a disgusting pile of ears formerly belonging to the Fiends. Dhatri just picks both up and looks into them, nodding with a relieved smile when he sees Cook-Cook''s lifeless expression. "Kid, you just made my day... Probably everyone else''s as well! This fuckin'' psychopath has caused almost enough trouble as many of the Legion high commands. And that''s saying somethin''!" "Just doing our jobs." Afton shrugs and Dhatri nods. The major looks to a nearby trooper and tosses both bags at him, "Go to the storehouse and grab these guys pay. You know what to do." he says. The group make small-talk with Dhatri as they wait, the man asking how they dealt with Cook-Cook and looking somewhat confused when they tell him that Anja had actually been the one to deal the killing blow. Afton could already tell the man''s opinion on ghouls wasn''t the most complimentary. He shakes his head and decides not to make an issue of it, Anja had probably dealt with many more people worse than Dhatri. Eventually the trooper sprints back with many sacks of caps in his arms, "5540 caps all counted and double-checked." they say, handing them to Afton. Afton isn''t even surprised when the alerts appear as soon as he touches the bags. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 34] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 35] He doesn''t waste any time and just dumps his new skill points into Unarmed and Explovie, maxing out the former and providing him a new Perk. [Grit] [Grit] : Increases Strength and Endurance as you take damage, the more damage you have taken the more powerful the effect is. Of course, the Perk wouldn''t be complete with a Vaultboy version of the Hulk giving him a thumbs up... The Perk itself was quite powerful, especially as he got stronger and wasn''t as likely to be one shot by a random stray bullet or claw. Thinking about how strong this Perk could be if he wore Powerarmour gave him shivers. Perhaps maxing his Strength would be a good idea now? He already had 10 Strength in sunlight due to his [Solar Powered] Perk, and with [Grit] gaining superhuman levels of Strength would be a common occurrence. Afton nods to himself, that''d be his next pick. Next, he looks at the selection of Perks currently displayed before him. [Light Touch] : While wearing light armour you gain +5% critical hit chance and your enemies suffer a -25% critical hit chance. This is good, but Afton was sure he''d never be using Light armour... Even now his Recon armour is classified as Medium armour, and in future he''d likely be using heavier stuff to protect himself more effectively. [Sneering Imperialist] : +15% Damage and +25% accuracy in V.A.T.S. to various tribal and raider characters. This one is kinda ''meh'', the extra bonuses wouldn''t do anything as Afton already had no trouble at all dealing with enemies that came under its effects. [Mile in Their Shoes] : You have come to understand night stalkers. Consuming night stalker squeezin''s now grants bonuses to Perception (+1 PER), Poison Resistance (+5), and Stealth (+5 Sneak) in addition to the normal benefits. Yeah, there was no way he was getting this Perk... Not only did it require you to hunt down some Night Stalkers and harvest a specific organ from them, but you also needed to eat hte organ RAW to gain its effects! Fuck that! The bonuses weren''t even that good! [Irradiated Beauty] : Sleep removes all Rads. As for this Perk? Good, but currently useless to Afton who was already mostly immune to radiation. Most of his rads disappear as he slept anyway as [Rad Absorbtion] didn''t just suddenly turn off when he is unconscious. Afton shakes his head at these Perks, none of them interested him so he''d pick one from the previous level that he had wanted to get. [Alertness] : +2 Perception when crouched and still. Ye-ep, pretty overpowered. He selects it without reconsidering his options, the bonus was simply too good to argue against. He then clicks confirm and time resumes, though, he wasn''t almost roaring in pain this time... Both Dhatri, Boone, and Karl all raise a brow at him as Afton stays standing unperturbed. "Something wrong?" Afton asks, knowing full well they were expecting him to start dying again. Dhatri coughs into his fist, "Ahem, no. I''ve got things to attend to, you lot should be prepared though... I''d bet my caps that people''ll come wanting to celebrate Cook-Cook''s end with you." he says before leaving. Afton nods as the man leaves, flicking on his Pipboy and taking a look at his status... It''s been a while since he last checked. Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend] Level : 35 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 8 Perception : 8 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 10 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 24 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 100 Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v2], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] Chapter 228 - Around The Campfire McCarren After checking his status, Afton turns to the others, opening the caps and quickly counting them out before distributing them to everyone. Anja got 1000 caps for her help with Cook-Cook while everyone else got 1500 for the bounty and the Fiend ears. Anja upon receiving the hefty sack of caps was stunned, she''d never seen so much wealth in one place before... And all of it belonged to her, she didn''t know how to react to it at all. Her eyes began shifting around to look for anyone who might try to steal what was now hers. Years spent in the waste had forced her to conceal and conserve anything of value she possessed, and now that she was standing in the open with more caps than she''d ever seen before, her instincts were going nuts!?? A hand drops onto her shoulder, causing her to shudder before looking at who it is. It''s one of her saviours, the one called Afton. "Calm down, as long as you''re with us no one will dare try to steal from you." he says simply. Anja still wasn''t sure whether or not to listen to him, but in the end, he was the one who''d given her the wealth she desperately wanted to defend. She nods at him and follows the group as they begin walking towards the many military tents in the distance. Afton had heard from Josie that there was someone around here you could buy alcohol from... Of course, this is still technically a military facility, so alcohol was ''frowned'' upon. Even still, apparently most wouldn''t bother you if you were drinking, only saying something if it affected your work or those around you. He walked around a bit until he found a rather put-out-looking Josie sitting in a lawn-chair do nothing. He raises his hand in a friendly gesture and waves at her, "Yo." She glances over at his voice and gives reciprocates with a restrained smile, "Hey Afton, what''s up?" "Just claimed the bounty on Cook-Cook and was looking to buy some drinks. You wouldn''t mind telling me where to get some right?" Josie shakes her head, "I wouldn''t, it''s not like I can get into any more trouble." Afton raises a brow, "Why''s that?" She sighs, "I got reprimanded for, and I quote, ''Destroying a pre-war artifact''... You''d think they''d be happy about vital flaws in military equipment being repaired." "What''d you do?" Afton inquires, wanting to know if he could help her in some way. She just smirks at him, "It wasn''t anything I did, but instead something you did... Your repairs on the trucks were ''too good'', the other mechanics thought that I''d replaced the parts, making command go ape-shit." Afton''s almost struck stupid by this revelation... Yeah, he probably should have seen that coming. The worst part was he couldn''t deny replaces the parts as his [Mechanicus] Perk literally reversed time on them, he''d need to reveal his supernatural abilities in order to get her out of the mess he''d pushed her in. He scratches the side of his face with a sheepish look, "Ah, I''m sorry?" Josie just shakes her head, "Don''t worry about it. I''d have done it sooner or later so no point in dwelling on it... As for drinks? I myself could use a pick-me-up." she says, gesturing for the group to follow her as she hops out of her lawn-chair. She leads them to a quiet area of Camp McCarren where a shady-looking guy sitting atop some crates was silently waiting. Afton let Karl do the talking as he purchased a few bottles of scotch, whisky, vodka, and tequila. Once done the group grabbed a couple unused lawn-chairs and created a small campfire with bits and pieces of rotten wood that were lying around. Josie was still being punished, though why her punishment was to restrict her from working was a mystery to Afton. Perhaps they knew how much she loved those trucks and forced her away from them? He shakes his head, whatever the case, Josie, Afton, Karl, Boone, and Anja were sat around the campfire drinking. Occasionally someone came by to thank or congratulate them on killing Cook-Cook, but all in all it was relatively peaceful. Though, one woman called Betsy had tossed some caps at them and joined them to drink. Soon after that more and more people ha decided to join in, even Major Dhatri could be seen milling about. Afton was sure what they were doing breached NCR military law, but no one seemed to care. The next day after things had settled down Afton headed over to the guest bed the NCR had provided to Anja to see if she wanted to join them or not. He found Anja sitting upright in her bed, she looked incredibly uncomfortable and kept glances towards the door as if she wanted to leave but didn''t know if it was appropriate or not. Of course, Afton had no doubts she could sneak out if she wanted, he''d seen how easily she''d avoided the Fiend that chased her. The only reason she''d almost been caught was the... Unique smell she exuded... He walks towards her while making his presence known, "Yo." he says, causing her to jolt in surprise. "Have you thought over my offer?" She gave him a confused look for a moment before remembering what he''d said the day before. "I-... I don''t know. Why would you want me with you anyway? I''m not a fighter at all, people immediately hate me, and-" "You may not be a good fighter now, but I see potential in you." he says really meaning his words. She had 9 Perception and 8 Agility for god sake! She was built to be a gunslinger! All she needed was someone to teach her and she''d be one of the best... Though, Afton was more leaning towards making her some kind of assassin as opposed to a gunslinger. He''d need to find some way of preventing her ''unique scent'' from revealing her though. Chapter 229 - Professional Intrigue Upon hearing Afton''s words of encouragement Anja blushes slightly, though, it''s hard to tell due to her rotting skin. She honestly couldn''t remember the last time someone had believed in her, or even spoken to her in a positive way... Maybe sticking with him wouldn''t be such a bad idea? "I-... If you really think I can do it then... Will you have me?" she says sheepishly in a hoarse voice.?? Afton grins at her, "Of course! I made the offer after all." he holds out his hand, and waits for her to reciprocate. She hesitates but eventually does due to a strange feeling pushing her towards a decision. "Welcome to the team Anja." [Anja has granted you the Persistent Escapee Perk] [Persistent Escapee] : Grants one extra try at forcing a lock open before permanently destroying it. [Anja has become your companion] Afton continues shaking Anja''s hand as he glances at the notifications, smiling at the additional Perk he''d gained... While not incredibly useful, it certainly did shore up one of his weaknesses, that being Lockpicking. "I promise you''ll not regret this Anja. Now, you can rest for a bit longer or try and find Boone and Karl, I need to go speak with Dhatri about some more jobs we might take... Other than that getting you geared up is next on the list." he says, looking her over and shaking his head at the Fiend-clothing she was forced to wear, as well as her lack of any weaponry. "I''ll find the others..." she says, still unsure if she''d be safe alone in this place. The looks some of the NCR troopers sent her reminded hero of times she''d spent in cages. Afton nods and walks off, looking for Dhatri. With Violet, Nephi, and Cook-Cook now dead, he needed to find another source of income. Taking Bounties was very, very profitable, and Afton knew there''d likely be more than just those three... Perhaps a bounty on Motor-Runner, the leader of the Fiend that was almost never seen outside of their base. After twenty minutes of walking around Camp McCarren Afton was less concentrated on bounties though... There was only one thought on his mind, where the fuck was Dhatri? Elsewhere : Doctor Hildern had been in contact with the other OSI labs ever since he''d discovered his new obsession. Afton Parker, or at least, that''s what he calls himself. For all Hildern knew the man could be a shapeshifting mutated deathclaw, his blood certainly told many different stories that conflicted so much it might suddenly dissolve into water and oil respectively. Afton had recently had two drastic rapid mutations that completely changed his physiology. While yes, his appearance had not changed all that much, inside he was more akin to how Ghouls function, their bodies becoming conduits for radiation. It wasn''t just that though, it was clear he''d had mutations in the past too, one he''d accidentally discovered being his cells ability to perform photosynthesis at a yet unseen before level of efficiency. If they found some way to harvest these cells and utilise their abilities themselves, they might just solve any power problems the NCR would ever run into. Even Hoover Dam would be rendered useless due to the amount of energy they''d be able to generate. Just thinking about it gave Hildern chills, aside from the obvious benefits, he was sure that Afton would continue to mutate... One didn''t just mutate two, three, or four times and stop. There had to be a reason for it, even if he couldn''t determine it, he had no idea what Afton would turn into given years of time to grow... Would he grow to a massive size like a super mutant behemoth? Would he gain claws like a death claw? Would he be able to breath fire like fire geckos? All of these questions cumulate into one problem... Afton Parker was a bounty hunter, a dangerous profession that usually never saw someone living for more than ten years in it. At first he wasn''t really worried due to Afton''s apparent skill... But when he returned without an arm, Hildern started to plot. He needed... No, Afton needed him. He needed to get Afton somewhere safe, somewhere he wouldn''t get hurt and couldn''t hurt himself. Once he''d aired his sentiments to his colleagues they''d reciprocated similar ones and helped him to plan. And so, that''s what led up to what he was doing now. Dr Hildern looked at the trooper before him and asks, "Could you please retrieve Afton Parker for me? Preferably alone? I have a job he would be perfectly suited for." The trooper nods, "I''ll get right on it sir." they say before quickly leaving. Hildern eyes his colleague/assistant Angela Williams. He''d kept her out of any research concerning Afton and was going to continue such a trend. It would be his discoveries and his only, there was no way he''d let anyone else push themselves on something he was solely responsible for. Afton had begun asking around for where Major Dhatri had gone after becoming fed up with looking himself, and soon discovered that the man had left to personally report on the situation around Camp McCarren... Apparently he''d taken one of the trucks and left straight for Hoover Dam where a majority of the Mojave''s NCR forces were located. However, before he got back to the others to see what their next plan of action was, he was interrupted by a trooper. "Dr Hildern has a job that he suspects you may be interested in, I''ll take you there if you''re interested." Afton raises a brow, he''d tried to stay away from Dr Hildern... The man seemed to have some sort of obsession with him, probably due to his miraculous mutations and other physiological changes. But... He still needed more caps, he seriously wanted to get the Strength implant and see what the maxed out Perk looked like... Sighing to himself, he eventually just nods at the trooper, "Take me to him then." Chapter 230 - Impossible Mission Acquired... Afton''s led through the main building of Camp McCarren, eventually reaching what should be the office of Dr Hildern. He follows the trooper as they step inside, noticing a quite attractive woman sitting in the corner of the room behind a desk piled high with papers. He gives her a brief nod before walking into the next room, spotting an expectant looking Hildern who''s resting his chin on his interlinked hands. "Ah! Mr Parker! You''ve decided to take the job then?" suddenly says as Afton enters the room, jolting as if he''d been sitting on a pin.?? Afton raises a brow at him, "Er, I''d like to learn about the job before committing to anything, Dr Hildern." he states, still wary about the man''s intentions. His hesitation somewhat stifles Hildern''s forwardness, but he quickly nods regardless. "That''s fine." he coughs into his hand, "The job I have for you is one only you yourself would be able to do due to the many obstacles it presents. One of which is the heavy presence of radiation at the destination, which of course, wouldn''t be a problem for you. This is the reason I requested you alone instead of with your colleagues." Afton nods and Dr Hildern continues, "I''ve recently learned of a Vault that could possibly help solve the problem of plant-life lacking the ability to survive in the wasteland. I''ve sent a few people to observe it, and I''ve received a few samples... I must say, they are quite intriguing." he says, mentally adding ''But not as intriguing as you Afton.'', "I need you to delve into the Vault and find any information on the strange plant-life growing there, as well as any experiments that may have been conducted by the previous Vault dwellers themselves." A Vault huh? Afton needs to visit two more anyway to recover the ventilation components, so he could kill two birds with one stone. Not to mention he himself was interested in the research that might be held there. His maxed out Science skill already had his mind wandering to the many possibilities such organisms could present. Though, he wasn''t entirely sure on Dr Hilderns reasoning... Sure, radiation might prevent his companions from entering with him, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t be of use. He would rather that they work on other jobs as well, however, earning as much money as fast as possible would put them in a better position for a ''rainy day''. "What''s the pay for the job?" Afton asks, making sure to look at reluctant as possible for the best price. Dr Hildern stills at this... Apparently he''d forgotten that he needed to pay Afton. "I-er, how much would you like for such a job?" Afton internally grins, "Well, its a job that I could possibly lose my life in, where is the Vault located?" "A long, long walk west of Westside." Afton nods, "So, taking into account the long journey, risk to my life, as well as the specifics of the job, it''ll probably cost around 1500 caps... Afterall, I am one of the only people around here that''re immune to radiation. That is the reason you requested me." he says, turning the man''s logic against him. Even if this was some sort of plot, he''d make sure to milk the man for everything he was worth. Hildern''s eyes bulge at the number, such a price was way too much for himself to personally afford, meaning he''d have to dip into the OSI funding to reach it... Not that he ever intended to pay the price of course, he nods his head, "I suppose I could work with such a price." Afton nods, "I''ll require a written contract as well if you don''t mind." he says, wishing to make sure he had proof of the agreement. Hildern squints slightly but agrees nonetheless, he couldn''t reveal his true intentions so he''d go along with Afton''s requests for now. He pulls out a premade contract that just needed the terms filled in, writing his signature before handing it to Afton who also signs it. Afton nods at him, "Nice to do business with you Dr Hildern, I''ll hopefully be back soon with research from the Vault." he says, walking towards the door. "Do be safe Afton, losing such a fine spec-Person would truly hurt the NCR''s future." Dr Hildern states, hoping Afton wouldn''t notice the slip of the tongue... It was strange, it only ever happened when he spoke to Afton... Perhaps his excitement is getting the better of him. Afton nods and leaves, but is almost immediately accosted by the woman in the next room. "I see your meeting with the Doctor is over, my apologies for prying but would you be willing to tell me what you discussed?" Afton raises a brow for a moment before a grin finds its way onto his face, "Why would you need me to tell you? You seemed to be fine eavesdropping after all." he says, causing the woman to freeze. He continues, "If you wanted to be included you only needed to ask, I wouldn''t mind having someone as beautiful as you accompanying me." His words seemed to bring her out of her shock, "Erm, I-..." She shakes her head, deciding not to even reply to his compliment, "There are some things you should know about the Vault Dr Hildern is sending you to... We have already sent many people there, all of which have either gone missing or are likely dead." Afton shrugs, "I don''t mind that, it''s just part of the job." She shakes her head and frowns, "If caps are all you''re interested in then I''d be willing to pay you if you manage to save anyone trapped there... I... I feel personally responsible for them as I recommended most of them to Dr Hildern, please, if you can, help them." Afton sighs and runs his remaining hand through his hair, "Fine... Got any info on the people you sent?" She nods, "A freelancer called Keely, she''s a ghoul so I thought she''d be fine there, but she hasn''t returned in weeks... Something must''ve gone wrong... Aside from her we hired some people called the Dowager Mercenary group, there were twelve people and all of them haven''t returned." Huh, Afton remembers the group, they''d been outside Vault 11 once he and his group had finished scavenging the place. Come to think of it, they hadn''t learned anything about the Mini-Nuke bomb maker... Hm, he''d get Karl and Boone to work on it while he was busy with Vault 22, he''d get Anja to come with him as well, for some practical experience. Chapter 231 - GunRunnin Afton returns to his companions after accepting the job from Hildern''s assistant, he had numerous thoughts on the work he''d been given, but he''d not air them to his group. They would most likely wish to come with him to prevent his suspicions from occurring, or atleast to stop them when they did. Afton was sure he''d manage without them though, plus, as the job required someone who was ''immune to radiation'' he could just take Anja with him, as a ghoul she was just as, or most likely more rad resistant than he himself was.?? On his way back he spotted Karl and Boone making light conversation with Anja, seems like they were doing their best to integrate her into the group. He could hear them telling stories of past jobs, their close call with Nephi and a nuclear bomb, his and Karl''s run-in with the Powder Gangers, and even the time they fought ''scorpionzilla'' in Camp Searchlight. Anja herself was enthralled by the crazy adventures the group seems to have had, wondering if she''d be able to participate or just die trying. Afton walks up, interrupting the story of how Karl had first met Afton by scaring off a Deathclaw with dynamite. "Guys, we''ve got a job... Or at least, I''ve got a job." he says, Anja''s eyes being drawn towards the limb fabric that would usually cover his right arm. Karl raises a brow, "What is it?" "Apparently Dr Hildern needs some research recovered from a Vault infested with somekind of mutated plantlife. Only problem is the place is completely covered in radiation, making only me and Anja suitable for it." he says, causing Karl and Boone to frown. "So you want to go with just the two of you?" Boone asks and Afton nods, the sniper continues, "Are you forgetting that Anja has yet to actually be trained in any form of combat? Maybe we should work on that before diving headfirst into danger?" Afton nods, "I was hoping to do that during the journey to the Vault. I reckon Anja''ll be a quick learner." "What should we do in the meantime?" Karl reluctantly asks. "Well, I''ve got a couple jobs I wanted you guys to handle while I was gone... We seem to have forgotten the mystery bomb maker responsible for the Mini-Nuke. That, and we need to get Anja some better equipment... I think I''d also like you two to get a feel on whether or not Motor-Runner would be a viable bounty to attempt." Kalr raises a brow, "You know there hasn''t been any word on a bounty for Motor-Runner yet right? I think the NCR wants to send in their own task force for that one." Afton shrugs, "Regardless, that''s what I want you guys to work on. Of course, if something else strikes your interest or seems more important then decide for yourselves, you''re not employees after all... While I''m out I''ll sell the loot we found." he says, turning to Anja, "Your thoughts on coming with me on a job?" Anja''s green eyes lock onto his own, "I want to earn my keep." Afton nods, having felt similarly in the past. "Alright, we''ll head out and visit the Gun Runners before going for the Vault." he glances to Karl, "You guys won''t need Dirt-Bird right?" Karl shakes his head, "Nah, walking''s fine for us... I don''t think either of us know how to drive that thing anyway." he says semi-sarcastically. Afton goes to clap his hands together but realises he''s not exactly able to... "Alright then, we have our jobs, let''s get on it." he says, briskly walking out without saying another word to the others. Anja follows him as he heads towards Dirt-Bird, the motorcycle itself still sitting exactly where he''d left it. While the NCR struggled taking care of their citizens, at least they knew how to protect a vehicle... Though, judging by the state of some of their trucks even that could be called into question. He hops onto it and gestures towards the sidecar, Anja gingerly climbing inside herself, "You ever been on one of these before?" She shakes her head, "No... I wouldn''t even know how it works..." Afton turns it on, causing it to give off a low hum, "First stop, Gun Runners." he states as he suddenly accelerates, causing Anja to yelp as she''s forced against the back of the seat. He drives a couple meters before spinning the bike around and heading in the opposite direction, shooting a cocky smirk at the soldiers guarding Camp McCarren. "Keep up the good work boys!" Fortunately, the journey was relatively peaceful, allowing Anja to enjoy the ride for what it is... Afton would say to feel the wind in your hair but... Anja is kind of deficient in that department. Feel the wind in the crevices of your skin that reveal your skull? Gross. Regardless, they eventually reached Gun Runners, Isaac as always was sitting out front at the loading bench making himself busy. Though he turned to greet him as he heard the hum of the engine. Afton gave replied noncommittally and immediately starting trying to barter with the Vendertron. He begins cycling through the various weapons the place sells to search for something that might suit Anja... He sold all the stolen weaponry from the Fiends for 800 caps, he''d checked them beforehand but hadn''t found anything suitable for Anja. He was tempted to buy her a 12.7mm silenced submachine gun, but realised she literally didn''t have the strength to wield it. The gun requiring 6 Strength when she only had 4... He looked through the selection and eventually pinpointed a few she could use, the top of them being a 10mm Pistol and a 9mm Submachine gun. "Anja, have you ever fired a weapon before?" She shrugs, "I found a pistol once... It was already loaded and I used to it kill my captors. Afton chews the inside of his cheek before eventually deciding, ''fuck it'', and buys both a 10mm pistol and a 9mm submachine gun for her. Tossing her some holsters for the weapons after paying a 1000 caps for the lot. Chapter 232 - Strange House After buying Anja her weaponry, they both hopped onto Dirt-Bird again and started driving in the direction of the Vault. With the [Explorer] Perk Afton knew exactly where he needed to go, as well as the fastest route to get there. The route they''d take would be the highway that heads north-west from Westside. But before any of that Afto wanted to sit Anja down and teach her the basics of gun-safety as well as everything else that came with accurately and efficiently shooting a firearm. The last thing he wanted was to be shot in the back by his own companion, his [Miracle Maker] Perk was still recovering so he''d need to be careful.?? They drive a couple miles before stopping at a gas station. Afton told Anja to wait near Dirt-Bird as he checked the place out, finding a couple molerats that he unceremoniously butchered. The place seemed to have sold food and drinks before the great war, but now all that was left were empty bottles and cans that''d been torn to pieces, presumably by the rats. He rolls Dirt-Bird through the front doors into the building to keep it out of the sun, and most importantly, out of view. He takes an armful of the empty bottles and heads outside, finding a waist-high rock that''s relatively level. He places the bottles standing upright atop it before heading back to Anja who was watching with nervous anticipation. Afton takes her weapons and shows her how they function, how to reload, cock, unjam them, and even how to clean them properly. She picked the skills up fairly easily, her Perception and Agility allowing her to come to terms with the advice he was giving relatively quickly. He instructs her to try and hit one of the bottle wit her pistol, he watches as she drops into the stance he''d taught her, raises the gun, takes aim, and... *Click*... The safety was still on... Afton didn''t think he''d have to explain how the safety works to her, but apparently, he did... "Anja, the safety for god sake." he says with extreme exasperation. She looks at him and then down at the gun sheepishly, tapping the small button before taking aim again. *Bang!* ... It was clear she''d missed the mark by a fair distance due to the dirt kicking up behind the bottle. "Adjust your aim based on where the bullet had hit." he advises as she fires again, much closer this time. Afton is thankful he''d purchased a lot of extra ammunition for her practise, otherwise they''d be out by now. He''d continued teaching her for hours, getting her comfortable with the kick, and the act of shooting. He''d gotten her to practise briefly with the 9mm submachine gun, but he''d almost had a heart attack when her form dissolved as she started shooting. Holding it in one hand while looking away, allowing the recoil to force her weapon to the sky. Fortunately, neither of them had gotten injured from it, and he''d berated her enough for two people. Hopefully she''d learn from her mistake. Regardless, night was soon drawing in and Afton wasn''t comfortable with this gas-station... He''d found tracks that seemed relatively recent, and not those belonging to the molerats either. It was incredibly likely that raiders used this as an ambush point, meaning they could be back at any moment. Afton wasn''t sure whether he''d trust Anja to properly do sleep shifts yet... She was perceptive, he''d give her that, but she''d likely freeze and panic, becoming unable to do anything as the raiders butchered the both. So, they hopped back on Dirt-Bird and start moving again, travelling down the highway to look for a good place to camp for the night. Afton would preferably pick an area that gave a good view over the area, so a large hill, cliff, or a roof of an abandoned building. Afton spotted a light in the distance and didn''t know whether or not he should approach... First rule of the ''Afton survival guide'' was, don''t trust anyone... Though, maybe getting Anja some proper practical experience with firearms would be a good idea? He was sure he''d be able to handle whoever was over there. ''Single-handedly''... He shakes his head from the rather poor joke and self-dig and starts driving over to the light, eventually finding that it belonged to a relatively clean-looking two-story house. The white paint even looked freshly applied, as if the great-war had just been an inconvenience. It even seemed to have electricity active, as light streamed through the windows undeterred. Anja pats his shoulder to grab his attention, "I don''t think coming here is a good idea." she says, probably having bad memories of her time as a captive. Afton shrugs, "Whether it is or not, I can''t see outcome too terrible. At worst you get to try out your new weapons, at best we get an apple pie, a clean bed, and maybe a hot shower." he says with a smirk. Anja just shakes her head, lacking the confidence to press the issue further. If Afton thought approaching the house was a good idea then she''d follow his lead. He stops the bike out-front and turns ht engine off, calmly walking up the porch and rapping his knuckles against the door, stepping back and waiting for a response. ... ... The sound of scrambling feet caused Afton to tense up, but the sporadic movement stopped once it reached the door. The sound of many latches being unlocked could be heard and after a moment the door slowly opened, revealed a short figure. ... No, not short. The man before them was middle-aged but had a severe hunch-back, making him a few heads shorter than he should be. He has balding black-hair that seems to be forcing itself into a monk-hairstyle and an almost stereotypically crazed look. His face seemed permanently frozen into a half-smile, half-sneer. His clothing wouldn''t suggest he was crazy though, it was a fine suit that had no creases, splotches, or anything else to suggest something was out of sorts. It was this exact thing that made Afton the most uncomfortable however, you didn''t just have immaculate suits hanging around the wasteland, especially with a house that seemed to have everything it needed to operate... Something was seriously wrong about this situation. Chapter 233 - Guests The man glares at Afton for a couple of seconds before glancing at Anja, their eyes widening when they see her. Eventually Afton coughs into his hand to break the man from his stupor. "Ah-oh? S-s-sorry, I l-l-lost myself for a moment..." they say, quickly recomposing themself and putting on a neutral expression. Or, as neutral as you can go with your face being locked into a sneer.?? Afton glances to Anja who seems to want to leave and never return to this place, personally he kind of wants to solve the mystery of this place... This man didn''t look all that strong, so raiders should''ve murdered him and looted this place clean already. "It''s no problem. I''m Afton Parker, and this is Anja, we''re travellers and needed a place to stay for the night... Of course, if that''s not possible-" "N-no! I have m-more than enough room for g-guests." the man quickly says, holding out his frail hands and showing his palms pacifyingly. "I would be h-h-happy to have you both s-stay here." he says, his eyes scanning Anja yet again. Afton wasn''t sure whether it was just genuine interest in her as a ghoul, or maybe some sick fetish? "Actually I think I saw an empty house we could us-" Anja says but Afton cuts her off with a shake of his head, he''d already explained his reasoning for wanting to come here, she needed more confidence so they needed to proactively seek it. "I-If you two could f-follow me..." the man says as he slowly turns and walks into his house. The duo follow but are stopped as they enter, "P-Please take off your shoes, the fight against dust is difficult enough without giving it reinforcements." they say somewhat jovially. Afton just shrugs and does so, struggling with his boots for a moment due to him being one-handed. "That''s right, we haven''t caught your name yet... Mr?" "K-Klaus, K-Klaus S-seidel." they stutter out, causing Afton to grimace, he''s a weird hermit hunchback that''s got a German name? Afton would bet all of his weaponry than this guy is some kind of mad scientist... It''s just too cliche for him not to be! The duo take their shoes off and are led to what looks like the front room, an old pre-war television sits at the side with static showing, obviously there''d be no signal, but Afton spotted a couple holo-disk-like things that might be pre-recorded shows. Klaus notices their interest but decides not to comment on it, instead pointing to another room at one side. "I-If you two c-could change into something more s-suitable, I would appreciate i-it." Afton raises a brow, "Sorry Klaus but neither of us has any other clothes..." he states, though he was lying, he''d rather keep his Recon armour on around this guy. Klaus smiles/sneers at them, "D-do not worry, I have m-many guest clothes w-waiting for you inside." Afton shrugs and opens the door, using VATS to scan the inside for traps, finding nothing inside apart from a veritable treasure trove of pre-war clothes, he enters as Anja follows him. If he didn''t know any better he''d think she was blushing at him... "I''ll wait outside for you to change..." she says, attempting to leave but Afton just shakes his head, "Stop being embarrassed and take some of these clothes, they''re far better than whatever scavenged Fiend armour you are currently wearing. He point to a nearby suit instead of the many dresses that seemed to be around, "This seems around your size." he says, before tossing it to her. He''d rather she put on male clothing instead of a dress of some sort, he was hoping Klaus would try to attack them so he had an excuse to rob him blind, preferably after shooting him in the face. Afton takes off everything, his Recon armour and underwear underneath it before taking some of the more comfortable looking ones and putting them on... Of course, he could feel Anja''s gaze roaming over him but he wasn''t all that embarrassed... He could hardly even think of her a woman due to her status as a ghoul... It might be callous, but he put her in a category separate from humans, it was actually kind of similar to animals, as in, you could make friends with ghouls and have life-long companions. But, engaging in anything sexual with them was taboo, something disgusting and that should be derided. He grabs a dark-blue silk shirt and the similarly coloured dress pants that went along with it. It even came with shiny-black dress shoes... He checks himself in the large mirror with a nod before stuffing his gear in his backpack. Though, something was bothering him... All of these pre-war clothing must''ve been incredibly expensive to acquire, not something someone living in a simple two-storey house could afford. This either meant that the previous owners of the place were humble with a strong sense for fashion, crazy with their finances, or... Devoted their resources to something else. Of course, Klaus couldn''t be the original owner of the place as he didn''t seem hundreds of years old. But perhaps his ancestors once owned it? Afton shakes his head, regardless he''d get to the bottom of it hopefully today. He turns to Anja who was done putting on the clothes, she seems to have struggled putting some of it on due to not having seen anything like it before, but she managed after some trial and error. She currently wore a white long-sleeved shirt with dress pants and slacks. To be honest, she looked quite masculine with it on, especially since she lacked any hair from her ghoulification. He sends her a thumbs up, "Looks good." which causes her to glance away, not wishing to take the compliment head-on. Afton tucks his two pistols into the dress pants and advises Anja to do the same... Even if her submachine gun looked rather out of place in the ensemble. Chapter 234 - Mad House The duo leaves the room and Klaus seems pleased by their looks. Perhaps he didn''t know hat Anja was female? Or maybe he just didn''t care in the first place. At his side was a floating Mister Handy that was currently holding a saucer that had a cup of tea atop it... Where Klaus managed to acquire tea is beyond Afton, but that''s what it appeared to be. "Y-you both l-look wonderful... M-Mister Handy c-could you perhaps start preparing a meal with our guests?"?? The robot answers in the affirmative and floats away into another room, Klaus himself stands up and waddles towards different door than the robot had entered. "C-come with me." They follow and are led through a hallway covered in photos, paintings, and other things you''d not expect to see nowadays in the wasteland. All of which seemed to be related to this house... Why could Afton infer this? Well, because all of the pictures and paintings were set on the porch of the house he was currently in. The strangest thing was the fact that Klaus seemed to be in every one of them... Using VATS to stop time, he looked through them all and determined that Klaus looked healthier the older the photos and painting were. In fact, all of the people around Klaus seemed to be deteriorating as well... Afton was struggling to wrap his mind about how this had come about, he must have somehow had the art and photos made years ago, there simply wasn''t any other answer to it. Though, if he wanting to put his conspiracy hat on, this could also mean that Klaus was somehow immortal, or had a very, very long lifespan... Considering the house in the oldest painting had green foliage around it meant that it was either based on pre-war, or made during it. He stops VATS and continues walking, not letting Klaus know he''d noticed something odd about the paintings. The next room they enter seems to be some sort of dining room, immediately Afton noticed that the number of chairs set outmatched the number of people Klaus had in the oldest painting. He and Anja sat down at the opposite end of the table to Klaus as the man pulled an old-looking bottle of wine from the cupboard, "W-would you like some? I-It''s a vintage." Afton shakes his head and Anja copies him, despite eyeing the bottle of wine hungrily. She''d gained a sense for what''s valuable and what''s not during her time on the run, and she could certainly see just how valuable that bottle was. Afton taps the table impatiently while going over what he knew about the man, before eventually realising he had exactly the Perk that could help him out here... [Living Anatomy]. Quickly, he enters VATS and uses it, gaping at what he sees. [Klaus Seidel] Health : 99% Stamina : 80% DT : 1 Strength : 2 Perception : 5 Endurance : 3 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 9 Agility : 2 Luck : 5 Ailments : [Hunchback] : Reduces charisma by 3 and agility by 4. [Stutter] : Reduces charisma by 1. [Insanity] : Causes the afflicted to act in unusual ways, can cause self-harm and other self-destructive behaviours. [Ghoul Variant] : Reduces the stability of the mind as time passes, causes physical disabilities as time passes, grants biological immortality, grants immunity to radiation and the ability to absorb it, grants immunity to most diseases, viruses, parasites, etc. [Ghoulification] : Depending on the will of the person afflicted they will slowly become more feral as time continues, eventually rendering them a mindless creature that only acts on instinct. Ghoulification at 70%. Afton''s eyes widen at the information before him, Klaus was a Ghoul? Not only that, a Ghoul who doesn''t have necrosis ravaging his body. Though, that wasn''t the most striking thing about the information before him... Klaus was insane! Literally! Afton was currently going or whether or not it''d be correct to just shoot the man now and save them all the trouble of fighting... He shakes his head, the man might be insane but, maybe he isn''t bad enough to start indiscriminately attacking passersbys... Right? Deactivating VATS, Afton makes a show of looking down at his Pipboy and frowning, "Ah, sorry Klaus, seems like something urgent has come up. We need to see to it now, Anja." he says, his companion following his direction. Klaus raises a brow, "T-that''s a P-pipboy 3000 is it not? I-I thought all reception aside from radio waves h-have stopped working?" he says, causing Afton to still... Yeah, this guy knew what was up. Afton shakes his head, "If you put it like that then I''ll have to be impolite. I don''t feel comfortable and want to leave, is that fine with you Klaus?" The man sighs, slowly standing from the table, "I-If that''s what you want to do, a s-shame the f-food I have p-prepared will go uneaten." he says, walking towards the door on the opposite side of the room from them. Anja breathes a sigh of relief, walking towards the door that''d lead to the exit, though, as soon as she tries to open it, a loud *Clank!* could be heard, and almost immediately after the ground she was standing on opens up and allows her to drop through. Anja managing to yelp in surprise as she''d funnelled down the metal shaft. ... Afton is so surprised he''s almost stuck in place, fortunately he''d learned his lesson from his last near-death encounter and unconsciously activates VATS in time for him to regain his composure... Sure, Anja had literally just been dropped through a Scooby-doo-like trap, but he was 60% sure she''d be fine. Mad scientist types like Klaus tended to lean towards the James Bond death rays compared to the swift end of a bullet. While time''s stopped he turns and spots Klaus shutting the door to the next room with a sadistic grin on his face, Afton resumes time and fires a couple shots at him, but all of them spark off of the door... It was made from metal but painted to look like wood?! Afton wondered what else in the house wasn''t as it seemed. Chapter 235 - Nazi Zombies? "Shit!" Afton growls as he looks over the hole Anja had fallen down... Klaus had disappeared behind the metal door and left him here, Afton had honestly expected the room to start filling with some kind of poison gas judging by how this had all gone so far... Shaking his head, he approaches the metal door while checking underfoot for anymore floor traps, nodding as there didn''t seem to be any. "Klaus! You better open this door and return Anja to me or I''ll burn this fucking house down and lock you inside!" he shouts, trying to be as intimidating as possible.?? With a crackle, sound starts coming from the intercom system overhead signalling that Klaus had either activated a pro-recorded message or was going to talk to him personally. "*Zzzt!* L-looks like you are caught in m-my trap! Heueheueheueheue!" ... "You need to practise more on your evil laugh! You sound like a mix between Bill Cosby and a Pedophile... If there''s any difference there." he remarks while tapping the metal door with his knuckles to check how thick it is. "*Zzzt* I d-don''t know who this B-bill is, but it d-doesn''t matter! Y-you are trapped, and you w-will join my family with the r-rest of the trespassers!" With that said Klaus does something which causes a *Clank* to ring out, this is immediately followed by the familiar click of his Pipboy''s Geiger counter. Klaus was flooding the room with radiation, probably attempting to turn him into a Ghoul? It wasn''t an insignificant number either, ten rads a second would kill most people in a couple hours... Afton was fine with more than fine with this though as his [Rad Absorbtion] would tide him over for now. What Klaus doesn''t know however, is that his introduction of Radiation would be his undoing. A feeling of adrenaline, but not, could be felt... Afton hadn''t felt this before but immediately recognises the cause. It was his [Atomic!] Perk in action for the first time. His muscles swell and veins bulge as they suck in Radiation greedily, his cells rejoicing as power fills them The metal door had been to thick for him to break earlier, but now with his added Strength it wouldn''t be too difficult to get inside... Not to mention that Afton had just the right tool for the job. He pulls out the fire axe called Knock-Knock that he intended to give Tamia as a gift, hefting it in one hand and doing a couple practise swings to get used to using just his left hand. "Last warning Klaus!" "*Zzzt* There is n-no escape for y-you!" the madman shouts over the intercom. Afton gives a cocky smirk and raises the axe above his head, bringing it down with the force most would view as inhuman. "Graaah!" *CREEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIK* The sound of metal being torn assault his ears, but the sensation of getting through the metal trumped whatever discomfort he felt from it. He wrenches it out and looks through the new hole in the metal door, spotting Klaus sitting in the corner looking at some kind of surveillance system. They lock eyes and Klaus looks like he''s about to shit himself, his insanity didn''t remove his instincts of self-preservation... And right now, Afton was the apex predator. "Here''s JOHNNY!" Afton exclaims, not missing a chance for a movie reference only he would be able to enjoy, breaking Klaus out of his stupor as the man quickly stands and presses a button that opens a staircase before running down it. Afton back up and starts swinging again, slowly tearing the metal door to pieces. Soon enough he''s able to give a firm kick and break the rest apart like flimsy plywood. He stores the axe and walks into the room, glancing down the staircase where Klaus had retreated before walking to the surveillance system... Cameras seemed to have been set up in every room of the house, not only that, but even the outskirts of the house were monitored. Hundreds of meters in all directions Klaus would be able to see what was happening, meaning he knew he and Anja were coming. His eyes trail past each of the individual screens until he spots some rooms that look like they don''t belong to the same house. Concrete walls reinforced with metal like a nuclear bunker, it looked dark in most of the cameras but Afton could spot one with a number of humanoid shapes... Scanning them, most looks like ordinary ghouls, rotten flesh with dull eyes... Some look human though, he recognised them as the people in Klaus''s pictures and paintings. They were the madman''s family... That wasn''t the only person he recognised in the group though, Anja was standing upright, stock-still amongst the feral ghouls, a look of abject terror on her face. He wonders what Karl and Boone''s reaction would be to hearing this story... Maybe he could make it sound like it was all planned to give Anja some experience?... Yeah, probably not. Afton checks the machinery one last time for anything that could help but doesn''t find anything, the only other controls were for the traps in the first and second floor of the house, nothing was connected to the basement where the bunker likely was. He heads downstairs with That Gun drawn, ready to fire at anything that requires it. At the bottom of the staircase was a large double door, one that Afton swift kicks open and immediately after finds himself face to face with Klaus''s Mister Handy. The robot was currently flailing its saw-arm at him while insulting him as politely as it can... "Forgive me sir but after my blade is done you''ll find yourself looking more attractive than before!" it says as Afton ducks under the blade, just as its flamethrower turns in his direction. Afton blows the offending weapon off with his pistol though, causing the resulting scrap metal to loudly clatter to the floor. He deflects reactionary sawblade strike with the barrel of That Gun, causing sparks to fly and not a small amount of damage to the weapon itself. Not wishing to waste any more time, he gives the robot a brutal kick, sending it flying at a nearby wall before unloading the rest of his ammunition at it, finally killing it. Chapter 236 - POWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Afton walks past the broken robot into the vault-like hallway. Dim lights were in the corners of the roof and illuminated the place just enough to force the darkness away. "*Zzzt!* N-no! Y-You will leave or your f-friend dies! L-LEAVE US ALONE!" Klaus shouts over the intercom, his voice echoing through the halls.?? Afton spots a camera on the wall and walks up to it, "You release Anja and pay reparations for your actions and I might let you, and your creepy ghoul family live." he states in no uncertain terms. "*Zzzt!* NO! I C-CANNOT RELEASE THEM, T-TURN AND LEAVE!" "Fine by me, as long as you don''t mind me curb stomping you." Afton says before continuing onwards through the bunker. As he walks he notes the fact that the radiation level seems to be getting stronger and stronger. From the ten rads upstairs to fifteen down here. He wondered what the source could be, it couldn''t be radioactive waste due to how low the radiation is... So what could it be? The answer to Afton''s question was answered as soon as he entered the next room... Before him was a wall made from metal bars blocking off the majority of the room, he could see a door at the far-right side of it, but he doubted he could get through it in the same manner he had the last metal door. Behind the wall was the large group of ghouls he''d seen on the camera, they numbered around twenty to thirty, and he could see Anja still standing there without moving. The floor inside the cell was dipped slightly and had a couple inches of water filling it, soaking the fancy shoes Anja had recently put on. The thing that drew the most attention, however, was the glowing gree ghoul standing above the rest, suspended from the roof via a cage... It wasn''t an immediate threat due to how it was restrained, but once every couple of seconds it would growl and raise its arms, causing the radiation in the room to increase rather dramatically. "*Zzzt* Y-your friend is one of us now! L-leave us be!" Afton shakes his head, "Anja! Ghouls don''t attack other ghouls you know?... Probably!?" Having caught her attention she turns her head slightly to see him, she looks like she wants to retort, but is still afraid of retaliation by the surrounding ghouls. She was correct to be afraid though as her small movement had attracted the attention of the human-looking ghouls. While the other rotting ghouls seemed to ignore her, Klaus''s family didn''t seem to have such restraints. They start slowly shambling towards her, their variant of the ghoul mutation having caused disabilities instead of the rampant cancer tissue and rotting flesh. By this time the other feral ghouls had noticed Afton and started trying to reach at him through the bars, their claws looking dangerous sharp despite their human-origin. He heads over to the cell door and gives it a strong kick, causing it to clatter on the rather rusty hinges, but even with that it doesn''t break. It tries a couple more times to no avail. Klaus even starts taunting at him through the intercom, causing Afton to scowl. He''d tell Anja to shoot the enemy ghouls but that''d cause the rest to attack her, meaning certain death... The only boon to this situation was the fact the human-looking ghouls were struggling to get through the group to attack Anja. Afton uses VATS and glances down at his pistol, figuring that 11 bullets in total wouldn''t be enough to kill the ghouls to save Anja. Reloading was a pain with one hand, so he''d likely fail if he went that route... He goes through a couple more idea''s until his eyes suddenly light up. Yeah, he had a way to deal with this situation, one Klaus or even Anja wouldn''t expect. Stopping VATS Afton looks straight at Anja and turns his gun on himself, pressing it to his side so he wouldn''t harm any vital organs before firing. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* [Grit is in effect] His new Perk [Grit] activates, causing his already engorged muscles to enlarge further, his Strength had already hit its max due to [Atomic!] granting him +2. But [Grit] also in effect he''d finally breached human limits. Afton looks down at his fist and clenches it, feeling as if he could tear apart a building if he wanted to, the feeling was so euphoric he''d almost forgotten that he''d shot himself to achieve it. He looks straight towards the camera and snarls at it, "Watch this Klaus you nazi bastard!". He delivers a kick to the cell door, instantly blowing it off of its hinges and throwing all the ghouls behind it to the floor. He sheathes That Gun and retrieves Knock-Knock, immediately burying the axe into the head of the nearest ghoul... Though, he put so much force into it the axe splits the skull in two all the way down to its neck, causing blood and gore to go everywhere. [John Wick Style is in effect] A ghoul runs through the shambling crowd and tries to grab and bite him, but Afton just rears back and headbutts it, cracking the skull and causing a large dent to form. The ghoul drops to the floor and he continues sweeping his axe through the group, almost forgetting to try and avoid Anja as she runs out of the cell and starts assisting by shooting through the bars. Klaus screams unintelligible things through the intercom as Afton butchers the human-looking ghouls. His axe if not killing them in one shot, cuts their limbs from their body to allow the next easy purchase. By the time Afton''s done, all that''s left is shredded corpses that bleed fluids into the water below. The only ghoul that remains is the glowing one in the cage above them, Afton just glances to Anja and gestures towards it, not wishing to hold his pistols and get blood all over them. Were it not for the adrenaline Afton might''ve thrown up... He was literally covered in rotten blood, intestines and other organs from his victims. He backs out of the cell as Anja misses her fist couple of shots on the caged ghoul, but eventually, she manages to get a good hit. A bullet flies through its eye, causing it to drop dead. Chapter 237 - Not So Handy "*Zzzt*AHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Klaus shouts over the intercom, but Afton could swear he could hear Klaus''s actual voice... His suspicions were confirmed when a panel of metal slid open from behind the cell bars on the wall. Behind the panel was a thick layer of glass, through it both Anja and Afton could see an almost foaming at the mouth Klaus trying to kill them with his eyes. Obviously nothing happens, but the insane man seemed intent on trying.?? Afton grabs a stimpack and stabs himself in the side with it, healing the wound he had caused to himself. "I warned you Klaus, now look at you. Hiding in your own home while your family is murdered. Pathetic!" he spits, causing Klaus to scream and start shouting curses at him. While that''s going on Afton looks to Anja, spotting that she''s still trembling slightly due to the rather horrific experience she''d just had. "You alright?" She slowly nods, "Y-yeah. I think so..." Afton nods in return and walks over to the wall where the panel was, tracing his finger on it to look for grooves where a hidden entrance might be. Unfortunately, there wasn''t any indication that an entrance was anywhere around here. "See anything Anja?" he asks. She shakes her head, "No... I heard them-Klaus, enter a hidden entrance behind me but I don''t think we''ll have a chance to get to him." Afton shrugs, "Alright, let''s leave then. We''ll burn down the house so Klaus is trapped down here." he says, loud enough for Klaus to hear him. "Y-YOU M-M-MONSTERS!" "I''d rather be a monster than a nazi zombie dude." Afton says, giving a brief wave before walking towards the exit. Anja follows him closely, but it seems like Klaus had taken his bait... The sound of heavy gears turning and metal sliding against metal could be heard behind him. Afton turns and spots a large section of the wall raising and disappearing into the ceiling. Afton has to throw himself and Anja to the floor though as many Mister Handys and some other variants start firing at them, bright red beams impacting the position that they''d just been in. [John Wick Style is in effect] He fires That Gun towards the group from the floor, destroying a couple of the robot''s sensors with quick efficiency. There are four Mister handys and one Doctor Handy, three of the former now lack some of their sensors and are struggling to aim their weapons. Afton stands and takes a couple shots to the chest, his fancy clothing not providing any defence against the weapons. The smell of burnt flesh pervades the air as black marks form on his torso, fortunately he''s able to endure these hits due to his Endurance and other [Perks]. [Grit is in effect] Anja finally starts moving and pulls out her 9mm Submachine gun, spraying it at the robots with some effect. The bullets spark off of some of the more armoured parts of the robots, but a few bullets hit and disable their limbs which are carrying the weapons. Afton empties the rest of That Guns ammo before sheathing it and sprinting towards the robot after grabbing Knock-Knock from the bag, slamming it against the Doctor Handy. The robot struggles to stay afloat as the force slams it against the ground, the scalpal attached to one of its arms flails at him in a vain attempt at self-preservation, but Afton just grabs the limb and tears it off with sheer strength alone. "My prescription for your safety is to stop!" the robot states as Afton rears back for another strike, a laser from another robot shoots him in the side but he brings down the axe regardless. *SMASH!* The Doctor Handy is blown to pieces by his strike, though Knock-Knock looks like it has seen better days... The axe head looked chipped and slightly bent, yeah that''s what he gets for using it against metal... Anja shoots another burst at the Mister Handys next to Afton, managing to take one out before running out of ammo. More help isn''t needed though as Afton dismantles them quickly with his damaged axe. It had barely been a minute and all of the robots were but scrap metal on the floor. Afton winces as he glances down at his chest. The burns looked worse than they actually were, but he''d wrap them up after they''d dealt with Klaus. He glances to Anja and gives a thumbs up, "Nice job.", though, by how much she''s struggling to reload her weapon, she needed more practice... Shaking his head and looking at where the robots had come from, he spots a double door made of metal with some kind of scanner on the wall beside it. He walks up and looks it over before giving the doors a push, finding that they were too thick for him to break through himself, even with his superhuman strength. Before he''s even able to ask, Anja had cracked open the bottom of the scanner with a strange tool and was poking around inside the wiring. Now, Afton had maxed out both Repair and Science, so if given enough time he might be able to get through it... But not without much trial and error, lock-picking and other things of a similar nature were in a Skill-tree that Afton refused to put points in before anything else. "Any good?" he asks as she works. Anja gives a small nod, "I-I''m still a bit shaky but... I think I''ve got it." she says shoving her arm up to the elbow into the panel before wrenching something out. Afton''s attention is drawn towards the door though as a faint click could be heard. He gives them a hard shove causing them to slam open, "Good job Anja." he states as he walks inside, gun drawn. Chapter 238 - If It Glows Its Gold. As Afton stepped into the room he was greeted with a rather high tech-looking laboratory. There were many kinds of machinery, some of which even Afton didn''t recognise with his maxed out Science Skill. There were several charging bays were the robots probably got their power, as well as a bed next to what he could only guess to be a freezer of some sort. He ignored everything else though as he spotted his target in the corner of the room.?? Klaus was crouched in the corner with a plasma pistol in-hand, pointing it directly at Afton as he trembled and twitched. "Y-you n-n-need to leave. I w-w-will kill yooouu~" he says, somehow seeming in worse health than ever. "Don''t you remember? We tried to leave but you kidnapped Anja here." Afton says while gesturing at her, "You brought this on yourself." At his words, Klaus begins twitching even more furiously, until he for some reason drops his gun to the floor and slowly stands up, a growl emitting from his lips as the man''s eyes go cloudy. Clearly, something had gone wrong so Afton checks him with [Living Anatomy]. [Klaus Seidel] Health : 50% Stamina : 20% DT : 1 Strength : 5 Perception : 5 Endurance : 6 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 1 Agility : 2 Luck : 5 Ailments : [Hunchback] : Reduces charisma by 3 and agility by 4. [Stutter] : Reduces charisma by 1. [Ghoul Variant] : Reduces the stability of the mind as time passes, causes physical disabilities as time passes, grants biological immortality, grants immunity to radiation and the ability to absorb it, grants immunity to most diseases, viruses, parasites, etc. [Feral Ghoul] : The afflicted becomes a mindless creature with its only goal to kill and costume human flesh. +3 Strength, +3 Endurance, and sets Intelligence to 1. Over time their body mutates to better suit the creatures needs, adding claws, larger teeth, and losing weight. [Glowing One] : Ghoul slowly gains the ability to exude radiation at will, over time this ability will become stronger and stronger. Yep, seems about right. Though, Afton would have never expected to see someone change into a ghoul. But you learn something new every day... The cause of this was probably the fact that Afton had killed the man''s family and triggered some sort of psychotic break. Afton shakes his head, regardless he''d put Klaus out of his misery... Or... His eyes linger on the affliction [Glowing One]... During his whole time in this place he''d been wondering how Klaus had powered it... And he''d only just realised that the Glowing One trapped in the cage hadn''t just been there to cause mutations in people he''d kidnapped... No, above the ghoul he''d spotted some sort of energy converter. Klaus had been using the glowing one to power the lab and everything else upstairs. Afton wanted to look into this further, but right now they still had a mission to do, one involving Vault 22. Klaus lunges at Afton but he easily stops the hunch-back, grabbing an arm and giving a swift tug to dislocate it before dragging the newly made ghoul out of the lab. He gets Anja to find the controls and eventually they manage to lower the cage. Afton shoves Klaus inside and raises it again to keep the house powered for when they eventually return... But not before taking some samples from Klaus and his deceased family. He puts them in the lab''s freezer and disables the electricity to the first and second floor of the building. Afton glanced at the things Klaus was researching and found many things indicating that he was trying to create more glowing ones, the reason for this? The man wanted to start producing power for the wasteland via the glowing ones... It was a rather honourable cause for a nazi zombie, but Afton couldn''t find it within himself to feel bad for dealing with him. Now that Klaus wasn''t around to kidnap people and protect the property, they''d need to lock down the lab to keep it safe. Though, both doubted anyone would willingly come into the, especially since Afton wasn''t turning off the mechanism that pumps radiation into the first and second floors. With all of that done, Afton decides to make camp on the porch of the property... Yes, while he was somewhat resistant to radiation, if he lingered too long in heavily irradiated areas he''d eventually start having trouble. Anja herself didn''t want to sleep inside the house since the place still scared her somewhat, even with the owner caged like an animal. Afton himself was very, very interesting in Klaus''s research though... If he could somehow find a way to turn regular ghouls into glowing ones, he could power whatever he wanted. Though, he''d need to find out just why glowing ones were able to produce energy at seemingly no cost... All in all, he considered this small adventure very, very, rewarding. Anja had gotten some ''practical'' experience and Afton had gained ownership of a mad-scientist house, lab, and research. Not to mention the fancy clothes he was intending to keep. Not too shabby if he did say so himself. The next day Afton stretches himself out with a yawn, during the night he''d thought over some ways of keeping raiders out of the house. Sure the radiation would slowly kill anyone who managed to get inside, but the place would long be destroyed before people realised the danger and left. So, Afton had gathered some of the blood from the ghouls in the bunker and painted a huge warning sign on front of the house saying : "HEAVY RADIATION INSIDE, DO NOT ENTER!" Afton claps his hands off and takes a good look at it before nodding, "Enough to scare off raiders you think?" he asks Anja who''s standing at his side. She shrugs, "If they are able to read then yes..." ... Afton facepalm himself, damn, he''d forgotten that most raiders weren''t even literate. BUT! This can be fixed! He gathers the blood and starts painting again, drawing a radiation symbol as well as a dead stickman. Yep, that''ll do it. "Alright, if raiders can''t understand that one then they deserve to die." he says before gesturing to Dirt-Bird, "Come on, we''ve still got work to do." "Yes sir..." Anja mutters before climbing into the sidecar. Chapter 239 - Bull-Fight The journey after they left the ''Mad Klaus House'' as Afton had dubbed it, had been relatively peaceful. Sure, they had a few run-ins with some rad scorpions and bloat flies, but all in all, nothing they couldn''t either drive past or deal with. Afton made sure to give Anja some more practice with her weapons, after seeing her freeze up in the midst of the mass of ghouls he knew she needed to be better prepared for situations like that. Yes, in that situation staying still was probably the best thing to do, but it still forced Afton to personally intervene to save her, something he''d rather she do herself.?? He wanted his companions to be independent of himself, he didn''t really know what he was going to do in future, but whatever it was he could guarantee that going on adventures like this would be a rare occasion. He''d likely need generals, spies, elites. Whether he creates a specialised mercenary company, tries to claim territory for himself, or attempts to control another faction. Allies will be needed. Afton checks his Pipboy one last time before driving Dirt-Bird off of the highway, towards the mountainous area that held Vault 22. Their progress had slowed due to the difficulty of going off-road, but soon enough they reached the canyon that''d lead to Vault 22... Unfortunately, there seemed to already be a human presence there, a large group of around twenty people were camping at the entrance of the canyon. Afton already had some suspicions on who they were, but he''d like to get some answers before blowing them to pieces. They hadn''t noticed Dirt-Bird yet so he parks it behind a hill and tells Anja to wait, if anything unforeseen happens then atleast she''d be able to do something, or at worst, tell Karl and Boone about it. He rifles through his Deathclaw leather bag for a moment before his hand brushes over something round and metallic... The plasma mine he hadn''t been able to use yet... Yes, this would be useful if he found himself in trouble. He shrugs his backpack and checks himself over, making sure his recon armour is secured properly before walking towards the group, ready to draw his weapon and start blasting if he is forced to. He waves at them as he walks, "Hello!" Immediately the group tenses up, head''s swivelling to meet Afton''s eyes. It''s obvious that they are scanning his body as if looking for certain items. He can feel their gazes on his recon armour, Pipboy, and holstered revolvers. Yep, someone''s sent these guys after him. "Funny place to camp huh!? I hope you guys don''t mind but I need to get past and do a job." he says jovially as he walks into the middle of their camp, causing the men to tense up. One of them stands up and their posture is almost immediately hostile, "Oh? People don''t usually just walk into our camp and leave as they were." they state threateningly. Afton raises a brow, "Ah? Is that NCR procedure nowadays?" he asks, forcing his smirk down as all of them jolt as if they''d been hit. "NCR? The fuck are you talking about!? Guys I think he thinks he''s funny!" one says, clearly trying to redirect the conversation. "Is it not obvious? All of you, every single one are wearing standard-issue NCR military boots, some even look brand-spankin'' new... So, unless you''ve butchered a whole camp of NCR soldiers, I''d say its pretty obvious." Afton states, causing a few of the men to look down at their feet in confusion. "W-we did kill some NCR fuckers, you''re just talking shit." Afton slowly nods, "I see. So, where''s the rest of the loot? Surely you''d have the NCR garbs, weapons, and tags right? From what I hear the Legion pays fairly well for them." ... "Fuck! Whatever, we don''t need to fool him to get the job done! GET HIM!" one suddenly shouts, pulling out what looks like a cattle prod before running in. The others are a bit slower on the draw but take out their own cattle prods and charge Afton... Unfortunately for them, Afton isn''t squeamish about putting down NCR soldiers who offend him. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* [John Wick Style is in effect] [Blind Fire : Shoot the eye''s of your enemies : 7/100] Three instantly go down with new holes decorating their faces, and Afton is forced to dodge a sparking prod as its thrust at his neck, he smacks the offending NCR soldiers in the face with his pistol before wrapping his arm in an elbow lock, wrenching it upwards after a moment to completely dislocate it. "AHHHHRRRRGGHHH!" The undercover NCR soldier screams as he falls to the ground, his arm bent at a disgustingly odd angle. However, he isn''t even given any time to despair on his injury before Afton adds further insult. *Bang!* [Blind Fire : Shoot the eye''s of your enemies : 8/100] Afton''s got one more bullet in That Gun and he uses it to kill yet another charging NCR soldier. *Bang!* The enemy seems to have been counting the number of bullets he had in his weapon though as they become more aggressive after his last shot. He isn''t even able to draw Lucky from his right-hip-holster before he''s under assault. He dodges one prod but is struck in the side by another, causing his body to jolt and shudder a moment before he manages to get away. [Grit is in effect] The combination of [Solar Powered] and [Grit] instantly raises his Strength to 12, in reaction to the strike he''d just taken he swings his fist backwards at them, striking their jaw with a back fist and almost literally causing their face to explode. The NCR soldier falls to the ground with most of their face turned to bone dust, mulched flesh and regret. He spins around as another prod attempts to strike him in the back and smashes his elbow into their nose, dealing such a powerful blow that their face dents inwards, killing them instantly. Chapter 240 - Outside Perspective Sergeant Robert J. Hess was his name, and he''d always prided himself on completing the mission, no-matter-what. He''d just been told by the Office of Science and Industry, or OSI, to go hunt down some sort of genetic anomaly that could prove dangerous to the rest of the world. Not only the NCR, but the Legion too. They''d put such a big emphasis on capturing them though which had him scratching his head. If the target was so essential to eliminate, why not just blast it to high-heavens??? Of course, once he was given the name and information of the target he was quickly started to have second thoughts on accepting such a mission. Afton ''bloody'' Parker, one of the next up and coming scariest men to meet in the wasteland. He hadn''t been around long but rumours of his exploits had reached both the higherups in the NCR, as well as the Legion judging by how many inquiries about his loyalties there had been. The Legion''s spies at work no doubt. Course, the NCR did their best to claim Parker as their own, but the higherups were almost constantly bickering about what rank, title, or reward to give him to stay in his good graces. Though, this mission he''d just received seemed like a complete 180... He sighs as he reads the target info brief. [Afton Parker] Affiliation : Unknown, Former-Powder-Ganger, Currently works as NCR Merc. Origin : Unknown, likely the Mojave. Age : Counterfeit licence states 22 Yrs old, is likely 18-20. Appearance : 6.1ft, scraggly black hair, hazel eyes, rough stubble, tanned skin, wears unmarked recon armour that he keeps in pristine condition, wears a Pipboy, and his right arm has been cut from the elbow-down. Allies/Potential threats : Former-Ranger Craig Boone, Former-Ranger Karl Martin, The Kings, Primm, Novac, Aerotech Office Park, Captain Greggory Parker, First Sargeant Astor, Mojave Outpost, Ranger Brock Jackson. Personality : Calm, relaxed, and jovial most of the time, has been observed to have almost psychotic bouts of violence (Mental instability?). Dislikes Slavers, Rapists, and Fiends in general. Will not hesitate to end a potential threat permanently, is likely to interrogate for information first before however. Weaponry : Has an Anti-Material Rifle almost always strapped to his back, commonly uses a 5.56mm pistol, and a customised .357 revolver. Has a bandoleer holding a plasma pistol and sawed-off shotgun. Has various knives equipped on his belt, boot, etc. Is known to use explosives, practise EXTREME caution! Armour : Simple recon armour, no headwear, backpack may provide some amount of defence (Attempt to strike elsewhere as it may hold explosives). Combat abilities : Afton Parker is known to be extremely proficient in all kinds of combat, is known to be one of the fastest shooters in the Mojave so it is advised that you not engage in a frontal assault. Is deadly proficient with their Anti-Material Rifle, however this may not be the case any longer after losing their arm. Has been observed to use distraction tactics to gain an advantage in combat, this has likely been learned from Former-Ranger Karl Martin (his own file has been included with this report). Target is extremely agile, has incredible reaction speed, and has been observed to be incredibly durable. They also seem to have a high pain tolerance (Severing their own arm and fighting immediately afterwards with seemingly no trouble). Target seems to have no qualms about employing tactics that may very well be considered war crimes (Boobytrapping enemy corpses, executing surrendered enemies, making liberal use of traps). Speculative : Some reports claim to have seen target deflect bullets with guns and knives, this is likely to be an exaggeration but needed to be noted nonetheless. Speculative : Target seems to possess an uncanny ability to repair and repurpose damaged objects (Psyker abilities?) Additional information : Target is currently undergoing a state of rapid evolution, boosting their body''s ability to heal wounds, granting extra strength, making them incredibly resistant to radiation, and granting them strength when introduced to radioactive material. Owns a motorcycle called ''Dirt-Bird'', that the target seems extremely proficient in operating. Threat Rating : 9/10 (Extreme Prejudice is necessary to subdue) Robert sighs to himself as he puts down the file, this was his eleventh time rereading it, he''d been sitting at the entrance of this Vault for days now and their target still had not shown up... As reluctant as he was to actually try and capture Afton Parker, he was ordered to so he''d complete the job. He had many plans set up to try and deal with the strengths of the target, but the one he reckoned was most likely to work was the bait in and rush. The target was known to be a strong melee combatant, but with only one arm he and his soldiers would easily overwhelm him. He would have sent scouts to watch for Afton Parker''s approach, but that wouldn''t have worked due to them driving a vehicle. If anything it would put him and his men at a disadvantage as his scouts wouldn''t be able to assist in the capture. Of course, the mission debrief had wanted us to go undercover as raiders. They apparently didn''t want any association with the attack should Afton Parker somehow eliminate them. He was about to go over the plan once more with his team when he hears a voice that causes his body to freeze up... "Hello!" ... Robert slowly turns around to face the person who''d just greeted them, and begins trembling when he locks eyes with them... Afton Parker was in the middle of their camp and making conversation with them, people who could very well be called ''betrayers'', and ''dishonourable''... Yet, all Robert could feel in this moment was dread... Afton Parker wasn''t stupid, what was the likelihood that a band of raiders or travellers would make camp directly in the path of the Vault he needed to reach? Not very high. It was fortunate the target was known to err on the side of caution when it came to engaging in combat, never firing first when there was a chance of the opposition being innocent. Unfortunately, luck didn''t seem to be on Roberts side as the target immediately started questioning them. He freezes when he hears the opponents words, "All of you, every single one are wearing standard-issue NCR military boots, some even looks brand-spankin'' new..." Robert looks down and to his horror, he''d somehow forgotten to have his men change their footwear... Fuck. Chapter 241 - Clean Up? Afton had almost finished the group of undercover soldiers, he blows the head off of one who''s currently on their knee''s pleading for mercy. As much as he''d ''like'' to spare them, he''d rather the NCR not know that he was responsible for their deaths. Even if the people who sent these men after him could probably infer that it was him. He slowly turns towards the last soldier who''d dropped their cattle prod in fear, they try to reach for their weapon but fumble and drop that as well... They try to back up but their foot gets caught on a rock, causing them to fall onto their ass, looking up in despair at Afton as he approached.?? "Now, seeing as you''re the lucky survivor, I''ll be needing you to tell me who put you up to this." he states, holstering his gun and taking out his knife instead. Sergeant Robert J. Hess meets Afton''s eyes and shakes his head, "I''m a loyal soldier, you won''t get anything outta me." he says, his voice trembling slightly at what he knows will be his end. Afton smirks at him, "That'' fine, that''s fine... All it means is that I get to practise my technique, I wonder if it''ll be more or less painful to torture someone with a single arm?" he mutters to himself loud enough for the soldier to hear. Robert pales, he''d read Afton''s file and seen the brutal public execution he''d committed against two slavers... Needless to say, he wasn''t going to willingly stick around for that. He grabs a handful of sand and throws it at Afton''s face, before dragging himself to his feet and running in the opposite direction. Afton had seen this coming and simply turned his head as the sand was thrown, pulling out his pistol and shooting the man''s kneecap as he tries to run. He waves over to where Anja is and gestures for her to come to him, he might as well teach her some thinks about torture and interrogation. A few hours later : Afton wipes his forehead with his sleeve and nods at his work, the soldier was nothing but a puddle of red blood, flesh, and piss. Honestly, flaying the skin from someone is much. much harder than it looks. Just as disgusting too as it would happen. He glances at Anja who he''d had assisting him in this venture, he was surprised to find that ghouls could be sick... She looked so green he''d almost mistaken her for a glowing one. Apparently she didn''t appreciate my approach to ''torture first, ask questions later'', she couldn''t really complain though since he''d gotten all the information he wanted. The NCR soldiers were sent by the OSI, or more likely in his personal opinion, Doctor Hildern. The man acted too kind, and too interpersonal. It had been a drastic change from his almost disinterested tone when they''d first met. That had soon changed when Afton''s rather, unique physiology was revealed. He knew greed when he saw it, but it was strange to see greed in someone''s eyes when looking at your body. Was that what it felt like to be obsessively desired? Women sure had it rough in that case. Yes, he knew something like this was probably going to happen when he accepted Doctor Hildern''s job, and that was why he got a contract written, no point springing a trap when there was no reward after all. However, now he had a ''public'' reason to be aggrieved with the NCR, which would cushion any negative actions he might take against them in future, allowing him to argue his case and potentially sway anyone who was sitting on the fence. It was also helpful to know your enemies. The OSI had agreed and funded this operation, meaning that the entire organisation needed to be dealt with, or at least, compensation was required if they wanted to get into his good graces again. He smirks to himself, if they wanted to study his physiology again then he''d need them to pay an arm and a leg just for a drop of blood. He wasn''t worried that they''d somehow use the research against him, as it was incree~dibly unlikely that their research would amount to anything. He wasn''t just saying this based on personal opinion of the supernatural system attached to his Pipboy, but also his 100 Medicine Skill professional opinion. Shaking his head, as much as he''d like to kill Doctor Hildern as soon as possible, it was best to leave him as a scapegoat for future endeavours. He turns to Anja "Feel confident in torturing people in my absence?" he asks semi-jokingly. The green-looking ghoul shakes their head, "No... I would rather not to anything like this again..." Afton shrugs, "You can wish that all you want. Doesn''t make it any less likely to happen though." he says, before beginning to loot the NCR soldiers. "Help me pack this stuff, I wanna get into the Vault by today!" Anja sighs and takes one last glance at the barely alive soldier who was heaving struggled breathes before doing as she''s told. While she might have accepted this job, she hadn''t thought that brutal torture would have been part and parcel of it. Soon enough Afton and Anja had stored most of the weaponry, supplies, and other valuables the NCR soldiers had so graciously left behind. He thinks for a moment about burying the corpses before shaking his head, that was a lot more effort than he was willing to give, so instead he just dragged the corpses away from the entrance to prevent creatures from gathering there later. With that, he straps the extra backpacks of loot to Dirt-Bird before driving into the canyon entrance towards Vault 22. Chapter 242 - Soylent Green The drive through the canyon path wasn''t all the long, and after a couple of minutes, Afton and Anja were greeted with small bits of grass and other plants. Honestly, it was incredibly strange to see the colour green in the Mojave, obviously except for the blast from plasma weaponry. It seems that Doctor Hildren was right to be interested in this Vault, here before them was proof of that. They continued driving towards the source of it, Afton noting that the area became more and more filled with plant life, despite the fact this area seemed a rather poor place for things to grow.?? Eventually, they reached a completely green clearing that reminded Afton of national parks in his previous life... Aside from the big sign at the side that so helpfully claimed ''STAY OUT, THE PLANTS KILL!''... "Well, that isn''t foreboding at all." Afton snarks aloud, as he runs his hand over a bush, ruffling the leaves. "Do we have to go inside?" Anja asks, clearly taking the sign''s warning to heart. Afton shakes his head, "We have a job to do, so let''s-"*Rustle* [Grit is in effect] The rustling of leaves causes Afton to wrench his hand backwards, he isn''t quick enough though and receives a small wound of his palm from a green scythe? No, now that it wasn''t obscured by the bushes he could clearly see that his attacker was a giant mantis, it''s bulbous green eyes were staring at him with no emotion as its mandibles slurped his blood from its blade. "Little fucker!" he growls as he throws a hard kick at it, the mantis tries to move out of the way but is sent flying across the clearing. Both Afton and Anja were ready to start firing at it, but it seems that his kick was enough to permanently put it out of commission. "God, I fucking hate insects." he spits, glancing around to see if there were any more in the area. He spots a smaller one hidden not too far away, but Anja had already locked onto it and fired a shot from her 10mm pistol, blowing its head clean off in a splatter of green blood. "Good shot!" he calls out, happy that his lessons weren''t going completely over her head... Unfortunately, it seems that the firing a gun out here might have been the worst thing they could''ve done. Over at the end of the clearing Afton hadn''t even noticed teh entrance of Vault 22 just sitting there... It was completely covered by plants and vines, concealing it from any cursory glance. Though, he''d noticed it now that a wave of green could be seen marching out. Around twenty giant mantises escape the ajar Vault entrance and start rushing towards them, their wings occasionally flapping to give them a boost of speed. Afton, not wishing to deal with this entire situation just pulls out the Plasma mine from his bag and primes it before throwing it at the group. He pulls Anja to the ground as a green shockwave of plasma erupts from the explosive, frying all of the insects, as well as a good portion of the plant life that''d been there. "You alright?" he asks his companion as he pulls her to her feet. Anja nods slightly, "Yes... Are you sure we need to go inside? I''ve got a bad feeling about this." Afton smirks and sends a thumbs up at her, "Eyyyy..." before realising she probably wouldn''t recognise the reference, "*Ahem*, you''re probably right, but we''re going in no-matter-what." he states, taking one last glance at Dirt-Bird that''s parked not far from their position before walking towards the entrance of the Vault, Anja reluctantly following him. The gear-like entrance of the Vault was partially open with vines covering it, this is probably what allowed the plants to escape the Vault and start expanding outwards from there. Afton ducks under it and makes his way inside. Once inside he almost immediately notices a peculiarity... The darkroom was completely covered is lush green foliage, which at first glance wouldn''t raise suspicions... Until you realise that there isn''t any sunlight for these plants to grow... Taking a look around the room he finds a bed, some plant beds with specific herbs growing in them, and a terminal... Though, the plant life seems to have reclaimed the terminal for itself, vines and roots visibly burrowing into the terminal and rendering it inoperable. Afton rubs his chin at the sight, it was strange indeed, especially since there''s nothing inside the terminal to warrant such interest from the plants... From what he knew, roots would prioritise growing towards water and minerals. He shakes his head and sweeps the room one last time, not finding anything of significance. He looks at the door leading deeper into the Vault and nods at Anja to follow him. He opens the door but immediately regrets it as some sort of green dust floods out, washing both him and Anja in it. "The fuck is this?" he asks no one in particular before suddenly starting to cough. The green dust irritates his throat and Afton shields himself from it by wrapping some cloth around his face as a makeshift filter. Slowly, the dust clears from behind the door, being picked up by the slight breeze and getting blown out of the Vault. Afton leaves the door open for a couple minutes until all of the dust is gone, he didn''t know what it was, but it didn''t'' seem to be radioactive, perhaps Doctor Hildern had made up a story about this place being radioactive to separate him from Boone and Karl? Yeah... That was likely. He lowers the cloth protecting his face and takes a breath, nodding to himself as he isn''t forced into another coughing fit. He glances at Anja who didn''t seem to have any problem with it in the first place, "Did that stuff not affect you?" Anja shakes her head, and Afton sighs, "Maybe I''m allergic to it or something? Whatever, we got a job to do." he says, walking down the stairs that laid before him. Chapter 243 - Soylent Green Is People! Afton and Anja slowly make their way through the dilapidated hallways of the vault, a green hue infesting the place along with sporadic plantlife that seems to have erupted from the floor, walls, and other weaknesses in the Vault structure. Obviously, there was more to meet the eye with these plants... Again there wasn''t any sunlight to provide sustenance to them, but most importantly, the materials the Vault had been made out of should have made it impossible for roots, vines, and other organic material to break through it.?? Vaults were designed to weather nuclear explosions, and yet the plants are easily able to tear it apart seemingly at their whim. The duo come across another closed door and Afton protects his face with a rag as he opens it, sure enough, another wave of green miasma flows out from it... After thinking about it more closely, the green particles were likely being produced somewhere, Keely and the Dowager mercenary group had both been through here relatively recently. It when then Afton figured it out, "Ah, that''s what''s happening... The plants don''t act like actual plants, but instead like some sort of fungus... That''d explain their ability to grow without sunlight." he mutters to himself, his wariness rapidly increasing as that''d mean the green miasma were spores. He''d seen more than a fair share of zombie movies involving fungus, but... If it was indeed infectious, then his earlier inhalation had doomed him already. Afton shakes his head, he''d complete the job, acquire the research for himself, save Keely and Dowager, before trying to fix this problem. With renewed vigour Afton steps into the next room, finding it completely destroyed as if a hurricane had passed through here. Tables were overturned, machinery was infested with roots, and the lights occasionally flickered which meant something was likely wrong with its connection or the reactor itself. The next few rooms looked to be observation areas, with windows peering into restricted sections of the Vault... Clearly their containment efforts had failed considering the plantlife had reached the outside of the Vault already. Honestly, Afton was surprised to have not found any enemies yet... Perhaps he was wrong and the mantises were the only threat?... Pfft, yeah right! He continued looking around the area, eventually finding a rucksack filled some grenades and other rations... Probably belonging to either Keely or Dowager, though why they would leave it here beats him. Walking onwards, he and Anja find some sort of elevator system, of course it''s broken and unlikely to be operable for some time... He could try to fix it but that''d probably take a couple of hours, something he was hesitant to attempt due to the likelihood that the fungus would try to infect him in some way. Shaking his head he heads to the staircase leading to the lower floor called the Oxygen recycling floor. Once through the door, the duo were greeted by a dark hallway, one where the lights had apparently completely malfunctioned. Using his Pipboy light as a torch, he illuminates the plantlife infested the path ahead, his eyes narrowing when he spots a figure amongst it. He readies That Gun which causes Anja to prepare for combat herself as he tries to speak to the figure, "Hey? I see you there, why''re you hiding?" he asks in a clear, but calm tone. ... Receiving no response he grabs some empty cartridges from his bag and tosses them at the creature, the metal loudly bouncing off of the Vaults metal floor. Both Afton and Anja are startled when a green arm shoots out from the foliage and slams onto the cartridge, slowly dragging the object into the plant life afterwards... "What the fuck is that" Afton mutters dryly, "Anja, did we fall into a portal to the nightmare dimension or some shit? That''s some silent hill, Lovecraft shit right there." he states, gesturing at the hidden monster with his pistol. Anja doesn''t answer, of course, her eyes not leaving the place where the arm had erupted. It seemed that while Afton had an idea about what was in there, Anja did not. She''d never seen the horror movies he had and had no inclination over what to expect. Not that Afton himself was in control of the situation mind you, he just had a vague idea over how this adventure was likely to go. "Anja, relax, if you start spraying all of your bullets randomly then it won''t be the monster we have to worry about." he says, trying to persuade her not to accidentally shot him in the back in a panic. At his words her breathing slows somewhat in the manner he had taught her. "Alright, on my mark we''ll blow the shit out of that thing hiding there, after that we''ll keep an eye out in case the sound attracts anymore" he states before lining up his shot. *BANG!* *Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!* The sound of gunfire echoes throughout the metal hallway, most likely alerting any sentient creatures. During the attack, the hidden creature launches itself out of its hiding place and start rapidly crawling towards the duo on all fours. It was humanoid but had no eye''s, only a huge fang-filled mouth that snapped at them voraciously. That is, until their bullets rendered it nothing but a pile of green flesh. It stopped moving after a bullet penetrated its skull, but the duo wasn''t willing to risk being sneak attacked by it. Not to mention the fact that more could be coming at any moment. They just stayed at the end of the hallway, waiting for the rest to arrive... ... After a couple minutes of waiting, it appeared that either the creature didn''t care about the sound, or merely didn''t hear it... There could be other reasons however, ones that Afton hoped weren''t true... For example, the fungus being a hivemind organism like the Flood from Halo, or Necramorphs from Deadspace... Truly, if the fungus operated anything like those two ''fictional'' plagues then he, as well as the rest of the world was truly fucked. Chapter 244 - Ruin Once both are ''sure enough'' that more of those green zombie things weren''t going to start sprinting down the hallway, Afton took a closer look at the monster they had killed... Its skin was green and bark-like, and spores seemed to constantly be created and emitted by the creature... Whether or not this was just it decomposing or a method of reproduction Afton couldn''t tell.?? On its back were spike-like protrusions that helped camouflage it while it was hiding in the foliage. They looked stiff, but Afton wasn''t sure if they had any other functions. What worried him the most was the fact that it had obviously BEEN human at one point. Meaning that the fungus could indeed infect humanity... Though he couldn''t tell if that had been premortem or postmortem. Other than its intimidating looking jagged teeth, the creature also had large sharp claws attached to each hand. It looked similar to a Deathclaws, but different. Afton rubs his face and takes a couple samples from it, using some of the vials he''d received from Dr Hildern, and also acquired from Klaus''s laboratory. With that done he takes a glance at his companion to see how she was doing, sure enough, Anja was sending him a look that meant, ''We should get out of here while we still can''... "Thoughts on this Anja?" he asks. She frowns, "Other than we should leave here immediately? I think this place is going to get worse and worse the closer we get to the bottom floor. How many residents do you think lived in this Vault?" she asks pointedly. Afton shrugs, "Well, in order to prevent inbreeding over the course of two hundred years they''d need around a tho-sand... Ahh, shit..." he groans after realising what she was suggesting. "And you want to fight a thousand of those things... Just for some caps?" she presses. ... Afton sighs and shakes his head, "Unfortunately, I suspect leaving isn''t really an option for me anymore..." Anja raises a brow, "What do you mean?" Afton simply points at the creature, "People don''t just suddenly mutate into these things, there had to be a cause. The most likely suspect would be the spores in the air, spores that I accidentally breathed in at the entrance..." "So both of us are fucked?" Anja asks, a scowl on her face. Afton shakes his head, "Not completely, if I can my hands on this places research then I might be able to create a cure, or at least... Some sort of pesticide that targets the fungus. Either way, we are both already compromised." he states. "I think I hate you... Sir." Afton nods and reloads That Gun, "Funny, I''m starting to hate myself for coming here... Unless there''s something else, we should get moving." he says, Anja nodding as he steps over the monster''s corpse. The duo continue onwards and almost immediately spots many places filled with thick foliage. No doubt there''d be more monsters hiding within them, so, as Anja gets ready Afton fires a warning shot into the plants. The bullet whizzes through and connects with something fleshy, a spray of green blood coating the wall behind the plants as two of those humanoid creatures reveal their heads above the plants and turn in their direction. Similarly to the last one the creatures move at almost inhuman speeds as they crawl up to the duo. Their movements are fluid, yet restricted in some way... As if their joints had been locked at certain angles for some reason. This caused the creatures to use their upper bodies to compensate for it, making aiming for their heads incredibly difficult. As such, Anja sprays her 9mm Submachine gun at the right creature, stuffing as much lead into its chest and legs as possible. Unfortunately, they don''t seem to feel pain, and Afton was somewhat sure their internal organs had been drastically altered by the fungus. The only thing that stopped the creatures approach were the injuries Anja had caused to its legs, forcing it to use its front limbs to crawl. Afton had used VATS to help predict the leftmost monster''s movements, allowing him to eventually score a headshot, blowing most of its head clean off. He then turned his weapon to the monster that was almost upon Anja and finished it off as well. [Challange progress, Abominable : kill 3/50 abominations] He ignores the challenge notification that appears and double-taps the monsters'' bodies just to make sure they wouldn''t be getting up again. Thank you Zombieland survival rules. Once done Afton peeks through the cloudy window on the left leading to the next room, squinting at a figure sitting inside? he wasn''t sure to be honest... Afton opens the door and backs up as a wave of spores wash through the area, he tries to ignore it and peeks inside the room, spotting the figure... Greasy black hair, stubble, and a thin build. They wore combat armour and had a plasma rifle propped up to the chair they were sitting in... "Mark Dowager?" he asks, not having expected the man to still be alive at this point. Of course, even if he was alive, Mark probably wouldn''t live for much longer. His skin had a green tint to it with black veins clearly visible on the surface, Afton could swear he saw that the veins were writhing in a rather disgusting manner under his skin. "W-who is it? W-who''s there?" the man gingerly asks. Afton was confused, Mark''s eyes were wide open and looking in his direction, yet he couldn''t see him? "Mark it''s me, Afton Parker... We met not long ago." "Hhak! Hah! Haaak!" the man coughs loudly, a cloud of green spores being forced from his lungs, "Ah, the kid?... L-listen, you... You need to get out of here, it-it''s too late for me already." As much as Afton wanted to reassure the man, he was definitely infected. Even if Afton managed to create a cure, Mark would be long dead before its completion. "What happened to the rest of your group?" Mark breaks into another coughing fit, it sounded incredibly painful but there was nothing Afton could really do about it. "The boys? Dead, all turned into monsters... We killed quite a lot of them, but hadn''t realised we were getting infected. By the time we realised it was too late. I lost them on the lower floors... I tried to escape to the surface but, I don''t have any strength left... Kid, you need to get out and warn everyone. The shit happening down here can''t reach the surface!" he starts coughing again from overexerting himself. Afton sighs, deciding not to answer the man, "Do you want to die a human, or a monster?" he asks simply, pressing the barrel of his weapon against the man''s forehead. "Human." Mark states, using the last of his strength to push against the cold metal. Afton nods, "Very well." *Bang!* Chapter 245 - Armoured Monsters Anja watches with morbid facination as Afton executes Mark Dowager, and then proceeds to strip him clean and start looting his body... "W-what are you doing?" she asks, not having expected Afton to disgrace the man''s body immediately after death. Afton raises a brow at her, "This is combat armour and a well-maintained plasma rifle... Of course I''m going to take them!" he exclaims as if she were stupid for asking.?? "Do you not care about the man?" Afton shrugs noncomittally, "We met in the past briefly, we weren''t close enough for me to really care about his fate. He''d probably appreciate the fact we weren''t letting his stuff go to waste, I''ll kill a couple monsters with his rifle for him I guess?" he says, checking that its loaded before picking it up off of the floor and hefting it onto his shoulder with his single hand. Anja just shakes her head and decides to not talk about it any longer, it was clear Afton had almost no remorse for the terrible thing he was forced to do. Afton walks out of the room and they continue to search about the floor, occasionally running into creatures that sprint at them like demented demons. During this time Afton got a chance to test out Mark''s Plasma rifle, finding that his [Uncivilized weapon] Perk caused most things hit by it to explode into glowing green goo. He''d just finished off his fourth plant monster when his shoulder was starting to ache... Taking the kick from the weapon and its weight all on one arm was tiring him out fairly quickly. With a sigh he just straps it over his shoulder so it can sit next to his completely unused Anti-Material rifle. Fortunately, most of the plant monsters didn''t seem to be on this floor, if what Anja suspected was true then there''d be thousands of those plant creatures wandering around, all of which seemed to be way stronger than regular humans were. They continue and head down the next floor, but halfway down the stairs Afton almost slips and falls when he starts randomly coughing. He holds a fist over his mouth as he weathers the storm, but notices a small spatter of blood on his hand... That''s not good. "I wonder if this is what it feels like to have asthma?" he quips while wiping the blood on his hand onto his side of his recon armour. He then glances at Anja, "I don''t think Ghouls are susceptible to this..." he says after seeing her have literally no changes since coming here. "We can still leave if you want... We can seek help from someone on the surface." Afton shakes his head, "Trust me Anja, I''d know if anyone up there could heal this kind of affliction. No, if I''m going to avoid becoming one of those things I need to help myself." he says as he stands and continues down the stairs. Anja sighs and intones the same thing that''d almost become habit at this point, "Yes sir." Eventually, they make their way through to the next floor after fighting through more ravenous plant monsters and reach the overseer''s office. Afton peeks inside the room to see what ''boss creature'' might be inside, as usual his ''spidey senses'' were correct as he spotted three plant monsters inside... However, these were different... Instead of being completely naked, they were wearing combat armour... They must be Mark''s infected men, this is confirmed when he spots the Dowager Mercenary Group logo on the chest of one of the armours. Afton looks to Anja and whispers, "Their helmets''ll be annoying to deal with but we don''t have much other choice... I doubt any impact our bullets will have on the armour will affect them in the least. Aim for their faces and pray they aren''t as fast as the others." he states as he points That Gun at the left-most target that was facing him and just standing there like a humanoid tree. "Fire." *Bang!* *Bang!Bang!Bang!* It seems the duo were very lucky as two instantly go down, Afton fires at the third but they were facing the other way, causing the bullets to slam against the helmet and doing little to no damage. The monster doesn''t even need to turn its head as it leaps in his direction, smashing That Gun out of his hand as it tries to bite into his neck. Afton struggles and wrestles against it, doing what he can with his single arm. Ah, he just realised! He quickly activates VATS and uses [Living Anatomy] on the creature. He''d almost forgotten about it since these creatures were noting more than monsters... But, if they were formerly human then his Perk would work. [Spore Carrier] Health : 90% Stamina : --% DT : 19 Strength : 8 Perception : 3 Endurance : 8 Charisma : 1 Intelligence : 1 Agility : 10 Luck : 1 Ailments : [Beauveria mordicana] : Fungus that infects its victims via spores and rapidly mutates their body to suit its needs. Reduces Intelligence, Charisma and Luck to 1, reduces Perception by 4 and blinds the afflicted. Grant +3 Strength, Endurance, and Agility. Afflicted will seek to produce and spread spores to other organic creatures. ... Is that it? No weaknesses, no glowing red ''shoot here'' sign?... Well... Afton looks at the Spore Carrier that was snarling at him a few inches away from his face, he was wondering if he''d have to injure himself again to try and overpower it... He readies himself and deactivates VATS, slamming his foot down at its knee as hard as humanly possible. His strength combined with his unarmed skill allows him to utterly destroy the creature''s leg, it''s knee bending backwards with a loud *Crack!*. Now with room to move he unsheathes his knife and slams it into the crusted over eyesocket on its face, penetrating and stabbing into its brain. Afton breathes a sigh of relief and slumps against the back wall, trying to calm his nerves against getting torn apart from that creature... He glances towards the frozen Anja and smirks, "Thanks for your help..." She frowns before shaking her head, "You said to only shoot it in the face... I probably would have killed you..." "Then why not help push that thing off of me?" "I-err... Oh yeah... Sorry." she mutters, having gotten so invested in shooting she''d forgotten about that. Chapter 246 - Overseared After taking a brief breather and gets back up, glancing around the room and spotting a terminal in the corner... This one at least seemed to be somewhat intact, unlike the others he''d come across. Turning it on, he finds that most of the information on it had been entirely cleansed by whoever last used it... Probably the overseer? He mentally shrugs, whoever it was didn''t want any research from this place to see the light of day. Afton couldn''t blame them either, the situation as it was right now was untenable at best, but if someone in a highly-populated area tried to recreate the fungus? That was an extinction-level event waiting to happen.?? Everyone on the surface would be forced to wear gasmasks permanently to avoid being infected by the spores, every biologically based organism would become part of the fungus and most likely be inedible. Jungles would spread across the barren wasteland and become factories for spores... All in all, Afton was fairly sure this place could result in the end of the world... It was somewhat ironic that in the Fallout universe it isn''t even nukes that''d end up wiping everyone out. The terminal wasn''t completely useless though, apparently it still had access to the various locks around the Vault. Crew quarters which were probably restricted in an attempt to stop the spread of the fungus. Data backup, which was probably the only thing left of the research the scientists had conducted here, if Afton had to guess it would most likely be at the bottom floor where the fungus first began spreading. And last but not least, Cavern Access... Cavern access... Nope, Afton had idea what that was used for... Perhaps a large area to grow the fungus? In which case he''d keep it shut, bu-uut, it may very well lead to something that could help him out... He clicks on it but is greeted with the message : Error! Override engaged at door site. Hm, he probably needed to find the corpse of the person who had access to it. They''d most likely have a card or some sort of identification on them... Though, that seemed like an impossibility due to the fungus reanimating everyone''s corpses. Shaking his head, he unlocks the other two options and looks at the circle-shaped window that gave a view over the Common Area. It was a large open place with two levels, the first was almost entirely covered with plant life, and Afton dreaded to think about how many Spore Carriers were down there. The second was composed of tow large balconies that overlooked the lower floor, like wooden roots tangled much of the room, and a thick fog of spores lingered in the air. Afton sighs to himself, "Anja, if you wanna leave and try to warn everyone else about this please then do so... If not then we''ve got a date with however many creatures are down there." he prods the window with a finger. Anja looks sheepish when given the choice, she wanted to leave, and it would probably also be the safest choice for herself and everyone else on the surface... But, she felt an obligation to see this through, not to mention towards the man that''d saved her from slavery and potential death under Cook-Cook. She shakes her head, "I''ll stay with you sir." Afton nods and gives her a thankful smile, "Alright... Before we do anything else though..." he grabs the axe from his bag and steps back from the window before smashing it in one swing. *CRASH!* Shards of glass fall to the first floor, causing many of the Spore Carrier hit to rear up and scream at whoever had done that. Of course, they were blind and so dumb that they wouldn''t think to check where the glass would have most likely come from. Afton waves in-front of his face to disperse some of the spores that began flooding into the room. He uses some cloth to filter the air somewhat but ends up in yet another coughing fit. Anja pats his back until he eventually calms done. He looks over through the shattered window and reaches into his bag, pulling out a couple of grenades that they''d found on the upper floors. Afton was somewhat surprised most of the Spore Carriers hadn''t started wandering around in search of the one responsible for the shattered glass, regardless their inattentiveness made them an easier target. Unclipping them he tosses the grenades to the first floor, making sure to catch everything in the blast radius. *BOOOM!* One mighty explosion later and a cloud of dust, spores, and smoke obscured their view to the first floor for a moment. However, once it cleared they could see small areas where the plants the grenades had landed upon were utterly annihilated. Not to mention that most of the visible Spore Carriers had been blown to kingdom come. [Challange complete : Lord Death V3 1000/1000 kills] [Challange complete : Abominable V1 50/50 abominations killed] [Challange complete : Abominable v2 100/100 abominations killed] [Perk upgraded : Lord Death] [Lord Death V3] : +4% Damage to all enemies. [Perk granted : Abominable] [Abominable V2] : +6% Damage against Abominations. It was music to Afton''s ears when the stream of notifications came in. Apparently there were more than 150 enemies down there, they were very, very lucky he decided to clear some out before rushing down there... Afton doubted that even if they weren''t immediately rushed and murdered, that they had enough ammunition to deal with that many. Those things weren''t like humans in that one shot to the head would definitely kill them (With the obvious exception of Tamia), no he wouldn''t even be surprised if those things could regenerate. After all, plants could regrow from their roots alone! "Come on, let''s clear the rest of them up... Just one more floor and we can get out of this shit-hole." Chapter 247 - Limited Capacity And so the duo headed made their way down to the infested common areas... Neither knew how many had survived the explosion earlier so both were constantly on high alert in-case any creature tried to attack them. Sure enough, there were many Spore Carriers still left, all of which stayed hidden until the last second. Afton himself had received a few scratches from a couple close calls. It takes them an hour or two to check every nook and cranny before they were confident to move on or search the area for information.? ? In one room that had pool tables pushed to the side Afton spotted some kind of UV light shining on some plants... It was peculiar due to the fact that these plants didn''t seem to need sunlight or any assistance to grow. Additionally, the UV lights displayed all the hidden spores in the air, causing Afton to scowl as he realises that even if the spores weren''t thick enough to be visible, they were still there. At the end of the room was a terminal that seemed to actually be operational... He doesn''t even need to hack it to gain access, some else had apparently already down that and edited the contents. They replaced the trivia games on it and added some sort of expedition and research logs. Said person was the one who used the UV lights to check which areas were most full of the spores, and they even managed to discover that the spores were travelling from the lower floors to the ones above through the ventilation ducts. Further logs don''t really have any other information of interest, aside from the fact that they are very aware of the danger the fungus could present to the outside world, or, more specifically the NCR. At this point, Afton was confident the person who created these entries was Keely, from what he''d heard she was a scientist in her own right, so it made sense that she''d logged everything just in case something happened to her. Unfortunately, even with the new revelation on UV lights, it didn''t really change anything on how they were supposed to navigate this place. Afton was thankful that Boone''s [Spotter] Perk gave them some advantage against the Spore Carriers as when he was focussing on areas that they might be their bodies lit up in dim red light that was only visible to himself. One day later : Afton sighs as he sits on the pool table, he and Anja had cleared the majority of the common area, but without setting fire to anything he wouldn''t dare be reckless. Currently he was scraping some meat from a can, he was sure it probably wasn''t good to eat as two hundred years is quite a long time, but he found he didn''t care at this point. He needed sustenance if he was going to get to the bottom floor and find a cure. The symptoms of the infection had slowly been getting worse... Now, he found himself forced into a spluttering cough at random times, this caused a lot of trouble for them when they were hunting Spore Carriers, as the creatures were blind and navigated via sound. His skin was crabby and slowly losing colour, and his veins were slowly darkening from their usual dark blue colour to black. The most noticeable change would be his almost constantly bloodshot eyes, Anja had noted it a few times as it''d apparently scared her a few times. It wasn''t all bad news though, he''d found a keycard presumably for the cavern access in the upper floors, so if the research he was searching for wasn''t on the fifth floor then it must be there... Hopefully. Better yet, while they were scavenging they found some sort of laser rifle prototype? From his inspection, it was markedly more powerful than other laser rifles, though it did use two microfusion cells to fire, but with a bit of tweaking Afton was sure he could get it to one... He wasn''t sure what he could do about the green laser it fired though, that was bound to draw attention if he tried to use it. Here uses his inventory to check it and compare with a regular Laser rifle. AER14 Prototype/Laser rifle Strength req : 3/3 DMG : 35/22 Crit dmg : 35/22 Crit mult : x2/x1.5 AP : 20/18 Weight : 8.5/8 Value : 15000/800 It was strong, and Afton was definitely going to try and replicate it in a more efficient manner. He stows it away in his backpack that was getting heavier and heavier... He had three sets of combat armour and a whole litany of other thing stored in it, he was beginning to wonder if he should leave it behind and pick it up later... But eventually shakes his head, no way was he going to risk having it stolen, even down here. He clears his throat for the Nth time and looks to Anja, "I think its time we go to the bottom floor, if we leave it any longer even if there is a cure I might not be able to create it in time." Anja nods in agreement, having seen his condition get progressively worse the more hours go by. It may be selfish to say, but she was glad she was somehow immune to it... It looked incredibly painful after all, and who knew what the fungus was doing within Afton''s body at this very moment. Without further adieu they suit up and start heading for the fifth floor, one ominously named ''Pest Control''... Obviously whatever function the floor had tried to serve had failed, judging by the state of the rest of the vault. Chapter 248 - Sporiously? After clearing a path to the staircase they wasted no time in walking down it, at the bottom they were greeted by a door that was slightly open... Thick roots stopped it from closing and looked as if they were trying to escape the floor and move upwards... From the gap in the door Afton could also see small amounts of spores escaping into the staircase... No doubt he''d be swimming in it as soon as he opened this door. Readying his weapon and taking one last glance to Anja he smacks a fist on the control panel, causing the door to rattle and slowly lift out of their path.?? Unfortunately, Afton hadn''t spotted new movement from a source he hadn''t expected in time. A root snaps around his leg like some sort of wooden rope, he shot a couple times at it as the limb tightened its grip. *Slam!* Afton gives a yelp as he''s forcefully wrenched over and dragged into the room covered in a thick fog of spores. He stifles the oncoming coughing fit and continues to fire at the wooden limb, slowly blowing chunks out of its surprisingly strong flesh. It still hadn''t let go and he was on his last bullet, he couldn''t see anything around him due to the thick fog, but he''d managed to recover from the surprise enough to activate VATS. Time stops and Afton scowls at the fact he''d not immediately used this ability to figure out what was happening... Though, he could attribute his negligence to his head slamming against the metal floor of the Vault. He takes a glance around himself and isn''t able to see anything through the fog of spores... Fortunately, he doesn''t have to be able to see as long as he has VATS. He activates the targeting function and his eyes immediately lock on to a glowing silhouette through the fog... What he saw wasn''t a Spore Carrier, but some kind of Venus fly-trap looking thing. Its body consists of a stem and a large head filled to the brim with teeth... Afton''s initial assumption that the fungus could only reanimate human bodies was instantly blown away. Frowning, he locks onto the root wrapping his leg and raises a brow when he sees the name of the enemy attacking him... Spore Carrier? Was this root connected to one of those plant zombies? He had thought it was another creature entirely... His eyes travel across the glowing limb that led into the distance, eventually spotting the relatively large silhouette through the fog. From what he could see, it looked like a Spore Carrier, the only exceptions being its larger size and root-like arm... Shaking his head, he checks everything else around him before making a gameplan. Once done he deactivates VATS and instantly presses the barrel of his gun to the root, shooting one last time and finally freeing himself. He holsters That Gun and draws lucky, firing at the Spore Plant that looked as if it was going to spit something at him. *Pang!* He barely moves out of the way of the projectile that had indeed just been spat at him. It was incredibly difficult to shoot through the fog accurately, so instead, he threw himself backwards, accidentally colliding with something. "OOFF!" a raspy, feminine voice exclaims. Afton quickly recognises this as Anja, his companion having likely rushed into the fog to assist him. He grabs her wrist and drags her back towards the staircase they''d originally come down. Once there he slams his fist on the door control, causing it to slam shut, cutting through the root that had previously been keeping it open. Finding himself in a relatively safe spot, Afton allows himself to finally start coughing, "*Cough! Cough!* T-those fucking plants have mutated down there! *Cough! Cough!*" Anja herself still looks somewhat shaken from seeing him just get dragged into the fog without being able to do anything. She begins to apologise but Afton just shakes his head at her, not being able to rebuff her as he''s unable to talk while coughing his lungs out. After a while he finally sits back against the steps and sighs, "You ready to go back in there?" he asks, receiving a scathing look from his companion. He gives a weak chuckle and shrugs, "Unless you got any better ideas?" ... "Yeah, I didn''t think so... Hm, actually." he mutters to himself, reaching to his back, pulling his out Anti-Material rifle and shoving it into her hands. Anja is barely able to hold it up with all her strength, and gives him a confused look. Afton doesn''t stop there and holds out a handful of incendiary .50 calibre bullets. "I may not be able to use it anymore, but that doesn''t mean you can''t." "S-sir, I can barely lift this..." "Then place it on the floor and use its bipod to aim." he states in a manner questioning her intelligence. Anja nods and places the weapon on the floor, there''s just enough room for her to lay down and aim comfortably. He quickly goes through the way to operate the weapon, explaining on to reload, cock, and unjam it if needed. "And remember, prepare yourself for the kick... Trust me, it''s probably going to hurt." he says ominously. With that he reloads his weapons and opens the door again, activating VATS to see where the enemies are. Once he''s located them he points in their direction, all the while firing at the new whip-like root that tries to slam against Anja and the Anti-Material rifle... If he didn''t know any better he''d say that it was intelligently targeting the biggest threats. "Fire there!" Afton shouts, gesturing at the direction with his pistol after fighting off the root. *BAANG!* The Anti-Material rifle explodes and fires a bullet in the vague direction he was pointing. Once it hits a wave of heat washes over the duo as the incendiary round burns through a large portion of the airborne spores, not to mention utterly destroying the Spore Plant that''d luckily been hit. Chapter 249 - Rooting Out The Problem... After the incendiary round exploded the thick fog of spores lingering in the room had cleared to a small degree, this meant that the spores were at least somewhat susceptible to fire. If only Afton had kept the Flamers and Incinerators he used to have. "Quickly, again!" exclaims as he ducks under a swipe from the whip-like root. It was fortunate that he had too! Since the wall that''d been struck now had a sizeable dent decorating it.?? He unloads the rest of the bullets in That Gun at the recovering root and blows a good portion of it apart. With that he glances at Anja to see if she''d managed to reload it yet and nods when she cocks the bolt. "Fire there!" gestures towards the Spore Carrier controlling the roots, though they were unlikely to hit it as it was a fair distance away and still concealed by the spores. *BAANG!* Again, the Anti-Material rifle fires and sent a bullet flyings in the direction of the target. Unfortunately, it is way off and hits the wall behind it, still, the incendiary round does its job and ignites a good portion of the spores. This also manages to clip the Spore Carrier, causing it to release a raspy growl in response. Afton holsters the empty That Gun and stills for a moment before reaching for the Laser rifle he''d stored in his backpack. If the Incendiary bullets were able to ingite the spores, then wouldn''t superheated lasers be able to? The rifle is heavy in one arm, but he has enough strength to heft it up and pull the trigger in the direction of the enemy. *PWWWUUUUSH!* A thick green laser beam explodes from the rifle, the kick of it almost blowing the weapon clear out of his hand. The attack flies through the room and strikes the Spore Carrier in its shoulder, most importantly, all the spores it travels through are instantly destroyed, a large area around the laser burning them away. He fires a couple more times randomly, not seeking to hurt the enemy but to just remove the spores, Anja fires a couple more Incendiary rounds and after a few minutes of this, the room is entirely cleared of spores. There''s no time to celebrate however as now they were able to properly see the Spore Carrier that''d been attacking them. From the silhouette, Afton had been able to see how much larger it was compared to the others, but that wasn''t the only difference... Instead of green bark skin it was grey like rock. It''s legs were fused with the ground, somehow connected to the maze of roots covering the room. Last but not least, it''s arms were not even arms, but the roots that''d been attacking them up until now... Though, both looked heavily damage from their assault on it. Afton hefts the Laser Rifle and points it at the monster, but before he''s able to destroy it the roots underneath him snap into action, wrapping his legs tightly together. Apparently, those root-arms aren''t the only things its able to control. Anja fires an incendiary round at the floor next to Afton''s feet, igniting a large portion of the roots and allowing him to escape their grasp as they wave around and erratically attack everything in reach. After being freed he fires another beam at the creature, the superheated blast strikes it in the chest, liquifying whatever organs it has left. Another shot burns a hole straight through its chest, causing a chain reaction where its upper body simply disintegrates into ash. With that done they both breathe a sigh of relief, it was one thing fighting regular spore carriers, but fighting a mutated one with who knows how many abilities? Very stressful to say the least. Afton glances around the room now that he''s able to see the place properly, was relatively large and had large cordoned off bays in the middle of it, they were filled with what looks like soil, and plants of every kind were growing from them. He spots the devastated corpse of the Spore Plant, the venus fly trap-creature tht shot some sort of projectile at him. He gives it a nudge with his foot and is surprised by how tough the material that composed its body was. It was like leather, but less dry and more slippery. Shaking his head he walks over to Anja, "I think we''ve found a way to deal with the spores now." he says, passing her the prototype laser rifle and strapping the Anti-Material rifle onto his back. "You know how to use it, right?" Anja shakes her head and Afton is forced to quickly go through the ways to operate it. Once he was ''relatively'' sure she''d be able to use it without killing him or herself, he looked to the sealed door on the other side of the room. He was 110% sure there''d be more mutated creatures down here, so they''d need to be prepared for anything. He props the axe next to the door and readies That Gun as he opens it, immediately activating VATS when the fog of spores floods into the room. OOOOOoooooooohhhhhhhh shit! He mentally intones as he sees just how many enemies there were in the hallway set before him. "Anja... Start, shooting." he says in as low a tone as he can manage in order to not attract their attention. His companion does as ordered and immediately starts randomly spraying laser beams through the doorway. Afton was momentarily confused by the fact the weapon wasn''t dealing as much damage as last time, but eventually realises that his Perk had been boosting its power. Chapter 250 - Roses Are Red, Blood Is Red... Roses Are Blood? Just as Anja had started firing Afton was struck by something, forcing him a couple steps back... Looking down at what''d hit him he sees four large thorns protruding from his shoulder that''d managed to slip past his recon armours metal plates. Quickly, he steps to the side just as more projectiles are fired through the fog, thrones and large globules of a corrosive material flying by. Afton rips out the thorns stuck in his shoulder and scowls when he spots the green substance clinging to their tips.?? [Grit is in effect] "Of course, why wouldn''t they be poisoned!?" he complains aloud to no one imparticular before getting back up, now isn''t the time to laze around. He jabs himself with a stimpack to hold off whatever poison he''d been afflicted with and surveys the situation. Anja''s efforts in clearing the fog had proven rather effective, while the laser rifle wasn''t as powerful as when Afton has used it, she''d still cleared the majority of the spores in the hallway. This revealed the various enemies within it. Afton takes a peek and uses VATS to stop time, in the hallway were many Spore Carriers, Spore Plants, and some huge rose-like plants that had tentacle-like limbs covered in thorns... They seemed to be swinging the limbs to dislodge their thorns and fire them down the hallway at them. One immediate problem he noticed was the fact that some of the Spore Carriers were wearing combat armour. More of Dowagers mercenaries Afton reckoned, shaking his head to void the pity he felt for them he reaches for the grenades... He had three left and needed to use them sparingly. Deactivating VATS he unclips a grenade and tosses it inside, afterwards slamming his fist on the door control to shut it, just as the explosion occurs. *BOOM!* [John Wick Style is in effect] The ground beneath them shudders and Afton sends a glance towards Anja, nodding before opening the door again. The place was scorched, and most of the Spore Carriers were dead after taking the brunt of the explosion. That Spore Plants and Spore Roses were still alive, however, resuming firing projectiles once the door was open again. Afton avoids the first burst of fire and waits for a lull, afterwards peeking out and firing unloading his pistol at the Spore Plants. He knew that he could be hit by a couple thorns, but if he was hit by one of those globules of acid then he was truly fucked. What he didn''t notice was the fact that the Spore Rose wasn''t stuck in place like the Spore Plants were. By the time he''d holstered That Gun and pulled out Lucky the Spore Rose was already upon him. It rapidly slithered towards him like a snake, snapping one of its thorny limbs at him. Afton throws himself out of the way but loses Lucky in his panicked movement, the tentacle hits the door frame and his jaw almost hit the floor when the tentacle wrenches itself backwards, allowing the thorns to slice through the metal-frame like a chainsaw. Anja fires the Laser rifle at it, but the Spore Rose was apparently much, much smarter than the other creatures as it flung one of the Combat armour wearing Spore Carriers into the line of fire, completely avoiding any damage. Still, her actions had given Afton some room as it''s attention was on Anja. One of its limbs shot towards her as the Spore Rose stuck its head through the door. Quickly, he slammed his fist on the door, allowing it to drop on top of the creature, locking it in place under the weight of the heavy door. Afton grabs the axe he''d propped next to the door and is about to cut it''s head off, but is stopped when its tentacle swipes past the axe, catching it by the head and throwing him across the room. "What the fuuuuu-ck!" he exclaims as he''s slammed into the wall, knocking the air from his already in poor condition lungs. He holds his ribs as he hits the floor but notices the creature''s tentacle rearing back with the axe still in its grasp. His eyes widen as he quickly ducks his head, just as the axe is thrown at him. *THUNK!* Fortunately, he''d managed to barely avoid having his head split... Some stray strands of hair float down in front of his face, clearing showing just has close that had been. He looks back up at the creature in time to see Anja unloading the Laser rifle at it, the beams dealing heavy damage to its tentacles and large red petals on its head. Afton stands and wrenches the axe out of the wall and runs at it, managing to catch the creature by surprise as he slams the axe down onto what he could only guess was its neck. *Slice!* The axe had been dulled to quite a large extent after being stuck into a metal wall, so he had to bring it down two, three, four more times to finally decapitate it. He wasn''t at risk of a counter-attack as the monster was having a seizure from the first attack... He must''ve cut something vital to its functions. With it finally dead, Afton drops to his knees and releasing a hacking cough, spitting out dark, unnatural-looking blood onto the floor. That knock he''d taken earlier wasn''t hard enough to truly injure him, but the infection was definitely taking its toll. He plunges his hand into his Deathclaw leather bag and searches around for something to help him out... Med X? He jabs it into his thigh and feels the pain dull, but he continues. Buffout? No. Anti-veno-What the fuck? He still had Anti-Venom in here? Cursing his stupidity he gets it out and slowly injects it into his vein. He knew it wasn''t advised to go all at once, so he slowly injects the substance over a minute or two. Once done he tosses the used needle away and props himself up against the wall. "Ah, please god don''t let any more of those things exist." he mutters, not wishing to face anything like that again... Chapter 251 - Stupid Scientists After recovering from the brief fight with the Spore Rose, the duo got straight back to work. While this floor wasn''t as populated with Spore Carriers as the one above, no, instead quality replaced quantity. Everything room was covered in a thick layer of spores that concealed everything inside. Forcing them to remove it, of course this would usually be prevented by whatever mutated abomination would be living within it.?? The potential mutations didn''t seem to be restricted b anything either, as the group ran into short, incredibly fast creatures, large ones with skin-like steel, or even ones that attacked via ultra sonic sounds... Yeah, the latter one was a headache, literally. After a couple hours of clearing the floor, a beaten, battered, and weak pair of Afton and Anja stumbled across the mainframe of the terminal systems. They could see it through the window of the room, and Afton was sure the backup of the research would be held inside. He coughs into the crook of his shoulder as he fingers the door control for a moment, scowling when it seemed to be locked. "A-Anja, could you get this open please?" he says weakly. She nods had opens the panel before beginning to fiddle around with its internals... Afton finds it somewhat amusing as she grimaces and pulls her hand out, revealing that a root had been inside the control and tried to grab her. Not wasting any time, he grabs the root and tears it out. "Continue please, Anja." A few minutes later and wallah! The door slowly slides up but gets stuck halfway, forcing them both to duck under it to get into the room... Strangely enough, this was the only room thus far that wasn''t completely infested by Spores... In fact, Afton was sure not a single plant was within here... Shaking his head he accesses the mainframe terminal and is greeted by many, many things. It contained every message ever sent across the Vault, a note every time someone accessed the system, and, all of the combined research that''d been conducted here. He sighs and asks Anja to close the door to the room, not wishing for this temporary safe haven to be taken over. He''d probably need a few hours in the least to look through all of this. Four hours later : Afton grumbles to himself at the result of his search... He already knew that the floors were separated so they could work on different functions of the fungus, but it was only the fifth floor that knew the dangers of it. The first couple of floors researched methods to increase the plant''s oxygen recycling efficiency and other similar concepts. Some even tried to get it to use other chemicals entirely, which, if it had worked might just make the world suffocate if the fungus spread. The third floor was responsible for improving food production, a noble goal that might have been able to feed millions if the subject matter wasn''t an incredibly dangerous and infections fungus. The only thing they really managed to accomplish was the ''sweet substance'' the plants sometimes produced that seemed to attract insects, hence the large number of mantises lingering around. The fourth was obviously the common areas, the place where most scientists in this place actually lived. Which Afton found incredibly stupid considering the ventilation system was directly above the place where they were researching ways to improve the fungus. But, most criminally damning was the fact the fifth floor was the only one that actually knew what they were working on. No designing to mention how truly fucked everyone would be if it escaped, and, even when it had escaped to the upper floors no one was warned of this impending threat. The fifth floor worked on ways to control the fungus''s growth, control the creatures reanimated and manipulate spore growth. Obviously all of the above were failures, and once it broke out the spores infested the ventilation system, firstly infecting the common areas and slowly moving up via the Spore Carriers who slowly succumbed to the infection. Now, while all of this was happening, you''d think the scientists would put their heads down to find a cure, right?... FUCKING WRONG! They did nothing! Actually, it was worse than nothing! They ignored it entirely and continued trying to improve the fungus! Were they fucking stupid! Afton mental tirade is cut off as he breaks into another coughing fit... Truly, he considered himself pretty screwed at this point, there was no research that could help him here. The only other place he could think of that could potentially hold it would be the locked cavern access... He''d check on their way out, if he lived that long. He looks at Anja and shakes his head while disconnecting his Pipboy. Just because the research was useless to him didn''t mean he wouldn''t download it. Though, he definitely wouldn''t be handing it to Hildern. "There''s fuck all here, all the research is useless... But, judging by the logs, Keely is still alive somewhere around here, probably within the cavern the plants managed to escape into." he says, wondering why she''d venture into that place when it was clear most people who go to investigation never return. Anja nods, "Maybe she''ll know something that can help you? She''s spent more time down here than anyone else." she observes, but Afton just shakes his head, "I doubt it..." he mutters. They leave the room and shut the door behind them, continuing to explore the floor until they come across the room that seems to have had one of the walls torn apart... The thing responsible? Some roots were still growing from outside the wall, resting against the sides of the wall as if they were the ones who''d done it. If Afton knew one thing from his time here, it was that the plants KILL. Chapter 252 - Cavern Delve Afton sent a knowing look at Anja who nods and raises the Laser Rifle at one of the roots. *PEW!*?? The green beam strikes the root and causes it to recoil like an arm too close to fire, a long low rumble echoes from the cave system behind the broken wall as the roots retract back from where they had come from. Afton feels goosebumps go up his arms as the sound echoes through him... That didn''t sound good... Behind the broken wall was likely the cavern that the plants had infested, that was likely the source to the initial infestation, so, given enough time... How powerful could the organisms grow? Judging by that sound just now, he was slightly unwilling to make a guess and have the universe kick his ass in return. The ''good'' thing about this whole situation was the fact the cavern didn''t seem entirely filled with spores... He could still see inside it, meaning that the spores were all likely sucked through the ventilation system. He sighs and readies his weaponry, "We better go then..." he mutters and steps into the cave system with Anja slowly following. Afton''s forced to use his Pipboy light as the cave system was almost completely empty of light. The only other thing provided any degree of light being the bio-luminescent mushrooms that seemed to be sprouting from the floor, walls, and ceiling. They continue walking and are forced to occasionally step over the roots lining the floor. They could try to cut or kill every root they see, but it would likely do nothing but anger whatever creature resides in this place. Eventually, they reach an opening and are greeted by a vast cavern, a wide underground place with pillars of stone and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Though, that isn''t the most eye-catching thing contained in this place. No, that would be the hundreds of Spore Plants, and the enormous luminescent tree sitting in the middle of the cavern... The base of the tree was huge with roots spreading across all parts of the cavern, a good portion of thing digging into the stone and likely expanding as more time passes. Afton wasn''t even able to see the top of the tree as it went through the stone ceiling of the cavern... This was incredibly dangerous as if it was left to its own devices that it''d likely breach the surface and begin spreading spores around the wasteland. Afton sighs and chews on the inside of his cheek, "I don''t think we can kill that thing..." he mutters. He didn''t think they had enough firepower to outright kill it, and he doubted setting it on fire would do anything but anger it. Not only that, but he wasn''t sure how it would react to being attacked... From what he could see, it was probably perfectly capable of collapsing the entire cavern itself. He looks to Anja who was warily pointing the Laser rifle at the tree, "Don''t shoot the tree... We''ll probably need to kill the Spore Plants to look around the place, but I have no interest in seeing what kind of damage that thing can do." Anja quickly nods, agreeing with him on that point. "Yes sir." He bites back a retort at her commonly used phrase and looks around the cavern... It was fortunate the tree was luminescent otherwise they''d have a lot of trouble searching for Keely in here... If she''s still alive of course. After looking for a couple minutes he finally spots a cave-like entrance on the other side of the cavern. There wasn''t any other exit here so if Keely was alive, that''s where she''d be. He points it out to Anja and starts shimming around the room to try and avoid gathering the Spore Plants notice. Halfway through Anja stumbled on something and accidentally kicks some pebbles down a rocky incline, the sound of them skittering down it echoing through the room... Every single Spore Plant in the Cavern slowly turned towards their direction... ... The duo stays as quiet as possible, from what they''d observed in previous encounters, the plants reacted to sound... Afton could hear Anja''s erratic breathing, she was terrified and was ready to run at a moments notice. Quickly, he cups his single hand around her mouth, suppressing the sound enough to allow some reprieve. After a couple minutes the Spore Plants lose interest and turn away. Afton breathes a quiet sigh of relief and sends a stern glare at Anja. She needed to control herself before she got them both killed. Soon enough, after a couple more close calls they reach the cave and enter inside. Both relaxing slightly as they were now out of the line of fire of the Spore Plants. Afton glances around the small cave for a moment before spotting a humanoid figure. It was a ghoul with patchy, ragged-looking grey hair. That wasn''t something weird though, no, the weird thing would be the green veins covering her entire form... If Afton didn''t know any better, he''d say that she was infected. "Hello?" he tentatively asks. The person restrained to the wall by roots opens her eyes and lifts her head in his direction, "W-what? W-wait, are you real?" ... "Er, I think so?" Afton mutters, patting himself over to get the point across. "You shouldn''t be down here, but..." she examines him, "I can see its already too late to warn you." Afton shrugs, stifling the scowl that wants to make itself known, "You''re Keely right? I was sent to rescue you by Doctor Hildern''s assistant." "Ah, that must be Angela then... Such a dear. I feel the need to apologise to you, my incompetence has damned you... I should let my curiosity die and warn the NCR about this place." "What do you mean... And why did you come down here anyway, I can''t imagine anything useful being here." he asks, wanting to know why she was in this cave in the first place. Chapter 253 - Indiana Jungle Jones Keely purses her lips when he questions her, "I wanted samples from that big tree... Soon as I scraped some bark shit hit the fan. Was forced to hide in here, but, as you can see, the roots found me eventually." she says, sending a pointed look at the roots restraining her to the wall. "What about your skin... It''s green like the Spore Carriers, are you sure you''re not infected?" he asks, knowing that she''s probably immune to it, but still wanting to know her theory.?? Keely attempts to shrug but the roots simply tighten their grip when she does, "Ghouls are immune to the spores, but that doesn''t mean they''ll stop trying. Our cancerous cells will kill anything introduced to our bodies, be it out own cells or intrusive ones... By the way, I still haven''t gotten your names." she states, looking at them expectantly. "Afton Parker, this is Anja... Now, about those roots, think the tree will go berserk again if we cut you out?" Keely gravely nods, "If you cut it we need to leave quickly... I don''t know if I''m able to walk though..." she mutters. Afton nods, "Alright, here''s how we''ll do it. I''ll cut the roots and take Keely, Anja you will clear anything in the way of the exit while we run. Cool?" they both nod and he gives them a reassuring smile, "Cool." Afton holsters his pistols and pulls out the axe, it''s previously dulled blade having fixed itself via his [Mechanicus] Perk. He gives the duo one last chance to blackout before bringing it down on one of the roots wrapping Keely. *Thwak!* A sound no different to chopping into a tree can be heard, and immediately afterwards a loud, low rumble echoes powerfully through the cave. Afton rears back and tries again, chopping through the first root and causing the low rumble to turn into a silent shriek. The remaining roots try to constrict Keely but Afton speeds his chopping up, outside he could already hear the roots tearing apart everything around them... Hopefully the Spore Plants would be among the targets. A couple more chops and Anja pulls Keely out of the bundle, Keely trying to stand but falling to her knee''s, obviously too weak to walk. Afton shoves the axe into his backpack and throws Keely over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes. "Let''s go!" *OOF* Keely groans as all of her weight is forced onto her stomach, "Treat me like a princess why don''t ya!" Afton smirks, "Apologies but I lack the equipment for that." "Like what? A sense of decency?" she playfully accuses. "My other arm... Though if you want a princess carry then I''m sure Anja would volunteer!" he says just as they leave the cave and are greeted with utter destruction. The luminescent tree had apparently not taken kindly to its roots being destroyed and had begun tearing apart everything in the cavern. Most of the Spore Plants were dead, and stalactites from the ceiling were beginning to fall. Both large and small rocks were beginning to dislodge from the walls as the tree''s roots tore apart the foundations that kept the cavern from caving in. The group decided not to stick around and wait to see what else would happen, quickly gunning for the exit at the opposite end of the cavern. They made sure to stay well away from the tree by circling around it in a similar fashion to how Afton and Anja had first snuck through. Only now they were forced to dodge falling stalactites and randomly flailing roots that could hit like a swung tree. Afton leaps over a root attempting to sweep across the floor and Anja just barely makes it over, raising the laser rifle towards the next offending root and firing a couple times. She misses most of her shots but a few connect, leaving large black scorch marks on it and causing the root to retract. Afton uses VATS to freeze time and examines the path forwards, quickly noticing a couple stalactites in Anja''s path that may harm her. He resumes time and calls out to her, "Anja! Get out of the way!" he shouts. Unconsciously her body throws itself to the side just as a couple stalactites pierce the floor where she''d just been standing. It was fortunate she was so used to following orders otherwise she might''ve met her end right there. Quickly she picks herself back up and follows Afton, clearing some more roots out fo the way as they run through the narrow entrance leading back to the Vault. Even though this cave system is relatively safe they don''t stop running until they get back into the confines of the Vault metal interior... If it could survive the apocalypse then a cave-in would be nothing. Anja and Afton stop to catch their breaths, the latter unceremoniously dropping Keely and begging to cough again. Droplets of dark blood spattering the floor under him. "Auuhhhh, fuck!" "Seems like you haven''t got much time left." Keely observes from the side rather callously. He sends her a sideways glare, "No shit sherlock, don''t forget I got infected trying to save your sorry ass." he states, not wanting her to forget the debt she owes him. Keely nods, "I don''t mean anything by it, just stating a fact." "Think there''s any hope for me?" he asks her. Keely shakes her head, "No, not really..." Anja interjects with a frown, "How can you be sure? You aren''t all-knowing," she turns to Afton, "I''m sure we''ll find a way to help you sir." Afton chuckles weakly, "Huh, thanks for the optimism. I guess..." he says while releasing a sigh, "Before we do anything, we need to deal with the spores somehow. If they leave the Vault then it won''t just be me who''s fucked." Chapter 254 - We Didnt Start The Fire!... Just Kidding. "Before we do anything, we need to deal with the spores somehow. If they leave the Vault then it won''t just be me who''s fucked." Both Anja and Keely nod at his words, the latter rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "You know, the cavern was originally a source of many problems for the Vault as it contained any pockets of flammable gas. Gas that has probably been sucked up by the ventilation system, if we introduce an explosive or large fire to it then we might be able to burn away all the Spores in the air..." she muses aloud.?? Afton scoffs, "Yeah, and bring the whole Vault down on top of us. Sure it''s designed to withstand nuclear explosions, but that''s only from the outside... I have no idea if its structural integrity will hold from an inside explosion." "You got any better ideas then? Green Thumb." Keely retorts. "Oh, I''ll give you ''Green Thumb'' She-Hulk!" he growls, but wheezes slightly at the exertion. Keely continues, "It''s a good thing you''ve almost kicked the bucket, at least you can cause the explosion without any regrets." she states. *Smack!* Keely''s head is whipped around as Anja slaps her, "Will you stop mocking him? He''s sick and we just saved your life you rotten bitch! Your legs are still useless so who do you expect to carry you out if Sir kills himself!? I certainly won''t!" "So you aren''t just a slave then, huh?" Keely says, not seeming to be upset about the slap. She looks like she wants to say more but just shakes her head and looks at Afton, "You know, you are as much a danger to the outside as the Spores are..." Afton doesn''t want to acknowledge that fact but knows it''s true, if he succumbed to the infection he''d become a Spore Carrier, producing spores and spreading it amongst the wasteland. "I know, that''s why I''ll torch myself before I get that far. Until then I still have some life in me." he states. "Now, where''s that ventilation duct you mentioned? I''ve got some explosives on me that''ll do the trick." he says while throwing Keely over his shoulder again. The ghoul scientist leads them to the hallway and points to some vents that are vaguely distorted, revealing the volatile gases that lie there. "We''d need to find a safe place before lighting it, but I can''t think of anywhere that wouldn''t render our goal pointless, we need a place devoid of spores." Keely states. Afton raises a brow and looks to Anja, "The mainframe room?" he wonders aloud and she nods at him. The group walk to the mainframe room that just so happened to be quite near to the ventilation duct. He sets Keely down inside and tells Anja to wait inside, he then pulls out a grenade from his deathclaw leather bag. "You two stay here while I deal with it... Just try to keep the door open for me." he mutters as he leaves. Afton stands at the opposite end of the hallway where the ventilation duct sits, he needed to do this cleanly otherwise he''d be fried to a crisp. He takes a moment to visualise exactly what he''d be doing, unclip the grenade, throw it just under the vent and run for the mainframe room before it hits the floor. He should have just enough time to reach safety before the explosion... Though, he admitted it was cutting it close... He was beginning to wish Karl was here to set up a timer or something, the man was way more proficient with traps than Afton was. "Alright... 3. 2. 1." Rapidly he bites the clip off of the grenade and throws it, immediately turning and sprinting away just as the grenade leaves his hand. Soon enough he spotted the door to the mainframe room and felt like kissing Anja, she''d left it open for him! *BOOM!* The explosion goes off and he glances over his shoulder, spotted a wave of fire streaming towards him. "SHUT THE DOOR!" he shouts, Anja pressing the switch which causes the door to start descending. Afton doesn''t waste any time and throws himself at it, somehow managing to slide beneath it just as it shuts. A puff of fire attempts to follow Afton threw the small gap but its cut off before it can do any real damage. "Well, that was something." Keely states from the side... "Do you smell something burning?" she asks, the group only now noticing that Afton''s trousers were on fire. "Ah! Shit, shit, shit!" he exclaims as he rapidly pats himself out. While he''s extinguishing himself the vibrations of the explosion purging every floor of Spores continues. The wave of fire ''should'' destroy any trace of Spores... *CRRAAAASSSH!* Sounds of something collapsing could be heard from their room. If Afton had to guess then the wave of fire wave the last straw for the cavern containing the large luminescent tree. Combined with the damage the tree itself had caused earlier, it wouldn''t surprise him if the Cavern had completely caved-in. He only hoped that the plants would ber destroyed instead of being preserved under the rocks... Eventually, the sound of the wave of fire eventually peters out, leaving the group sitting in silence once again. Unfortunately, even if they destroyed all the Spores, Afton was still caught between a rock and a hard place. He was the last potential Spore Carrier, and so he needed to either cure himself relatively soon, or burn himself to prevent further spread. He knew there was one place left in the Vault that he hadn''t explored yet, the cavern access on the Oxygen recycling floor. He had the keycard, so he''d check in there on the way out... "Do you think that did it?" Anja slowly asks. Keely nods, "The Spores were somewhat flammable from my earlier experiments... That should''ve killed them all, but once we''re out I''ll have the NCR torch everything nearby and destroy the entrance to the Vault." Chapter 255 - Dread With the gas ignited and most Spores dead, Afton considered it time to inspect the last unexplored place in the Vault to hopefully find something to cure him... But, before he even leaves the mainframe room Keely stops him. "Wait..."?? Raising a brow, he turns to look at the ghoul, "What? You aren''t going to try and lock me in the Vault are you? Because that''d end badly for both of us." he says, not wishing to kill her for trying. Keely shakes her head and points to the mainframe terminal, "Did you access the former-residents research?" "Yeah, why?" he broaches, already knowing where Keely was going with this. ... "You need to destroy it. It doesn''t matter if you don''t intend to use the research maliciously, any risk of this happening again needs to be nipped in the bud. Especially since you will likely not survive for much longer, anyone could walk up and steal the Pipboy from your corpse." she explains. It was true, Afton himself had no need for the research as nothing about it actually concerned curing the disease, only the methods they used to modify and enhance it. Strangely he''d only just noticed this now, but the fungus responsible for the outbreak didn''t seem to be created here... Regardless, Afton would keep the research, it was a one in a million chance but if it could prove useful in somehow curing him, he wouldn''t be caught without it. "I can''t do that Keely, besides, the research here wasn''t even responsible for the fungus, all they did here was develop ways to enhance plants... I can see many, many ways of utilising such knowledge, so I think you''re overreacting." he states, deciding to go the logical route that would most likely sway the scientist. Keely glowers momentarily before glancing through the research on the mainframe terminal, apparently, she hadn''t actually gotten to take a look at the backup and just assumed that the people here were the ones responsible for the fungus. The only actual thing they were responsible for was their negligence and complete misunderstanding of the organism they were studying. After a minute or so of her skimming through the research she sighs, "I see what you mean... Fine! Besides, these terrified logs from the scientists succumbing to the fungus should set anyone attempting it again straight. Or at least, force them to set up better containment facilities." Afton nods and gets to his feet, coughing slightly as he rests against the wall for a moment to catch his breath... His lungs were certainly taking the brunt of the infection... "Anja, could you help Keely for now?" he asks, not wanting to exert himself any more than he has to. Perhaps it would help slow the onset of the infection... With that the group leave the mainframe room, glancing around the scorched hallway... Almost all of the plants had been entirely reduced to ash, with the exception of a few here and there. Though they wouldn''t live much longer judging by the damage done to them. They start heading up the floors, Keely had wanted to try and repair the elevator, but Afton refused. He wasn''t expecting to return so taking a couple hours of his now rather limit time to repair an elevator was pointless. Instead, they ascended the stairs and Afton marvelled at the now cleared common room covered in ash. It was a massive deviation from the previously forest-like room, but not an unwelcome one. He was somewhat happy he lived in the Wasteland and wouldn''t have to see the colour green for quite some time. They continued up the floors until they reached the Oxygen recycling room, "Hang on, there''s one last place I need to check." Afton suddenly says, leading them to the cavern access and opening it with a keycard. The airlock-like door slowly swings open, revealing a scorched and slightly melted cave passage. They walk through it, up an incline and eventually reach another opening into the Vault, more specifically a room that''d been blocked off for some reason. Inside he, unfortunately, found most of the machinery inside too damaged to actually be of any use... It seemed that their attempts at ridding the place of Spores had taken its toll on everything else. Afton was pretty melancholic when he saw it, even if he took the time to try and repair everything with his [Mechanicus] Perk, he didn''t know if the information would still be accessible, or even relevant... Regardless, he searches the room with dipped shoulders, not finding anything of value... However, one he opened a lock he was greeted with six scorched and slightly melted cartridges, as well as a quest notification. [Quest updated! Find parts to repair Bunkers ventilation systems. 2/3] He blinks a couple times to confirm it before grinning, his previously dour attitude slowly washing away to reveal his determination to survive. After all, almost everything hung on his choices, he couldn''t just let the people relying on him down! "There''s nothing here, let''s go." he states, ignoring the other two''s consolations. They backtrack through the facility and eventually find themselves back at the entrance of the place. Sun rays crawling through the gap in the door. Most of the plant life here had been reduced to ash, but there were still a few petrified roots holding it open. Afton gave Anja his axe so she could cut through it, hopefully they''d be able to get the door control working so they could seal this tomb forever. Eventually, they did manage to fix the door controls, (with not a small amount of assistance from [Mechanicus], after all, melted electronics don''t usually just fix themselves.). Afterwards the group exits the Vault into the wasteland where a few plants still grew, though they seemed to be much weaker now than ever. Afton utilises the outside door control panel and closes the Vaults gear-like door, afterwards destroying the panel to permanently seal the place. Chapter 256 - Parting Words Now stood outside Vault 22 Afton sighs and looks up at the sky, only now noticing just how long they''d been inside that jungle hell. "W-what now?" Anja asks from the side, still holding Keely up.?? Afton sighs but breaks out into a cough halfway in... "Now? I''m going to try my luck with Doctor Usanagi... We can get Keely''s legs checked out while we''re there." he says, and neither Keely nor Anja can see any reason to disagree. The group head down the canyon passage that''d lead to Vault 22 and spot Dirt-Bird sitting just where they''d left it, looking no worse for wear. He brushes some dust that''d gathered on the driver''s seat and starts the engine as Anja places Keely in the sidecar. Afterwards she sits behind him and holds onto his waist as they drive off. Though, as soon as they leave the canyon passage they are greeted with something unusual... The camp where the NCR had been waiting to ambush them previously was stripped bare, tents, bodies, and anything else that could lead people to beli¨¦ve the NCR had been here had vanished. If Afton had to guess then he''d say that someone was trying to cover up their involvement here. Probably Dr Hildern or whoever else ordered the ambush. He shakes his head, regardless it doesn''t matter now. The group drove up to the highway and past Klaus''s house, they drove until the night came but Afton didn''t stop. He hadn''t slept in days but wasn''t willing to give the infection more time to fester. The faster he got to Doctor Usanagi the faster he''d be cured. Keely was already passed out in the sidecar, but both Anja and Afton were running on fumes. His coughing was becoming increasingly more common, and his complexion was paling further, beginning to resemble what Mark had looked like before he died. The group arrived outside Doctor Usanagi''s clinic just as the sun was starting to rise... Unfortunately, upon Afton trying to open the door he found that it had been locked. The only reason he could imagine for this would be that they were entirely too early, a shame they didn''t have another way to contract the doctor. Afton wheezes slightly and parks Dirt-Bird next to the building before sitting against the wall weakly. Black veins were becoming more apparent on his pale skin now, even his bloodshot eyes were beginning to darken as the infection progressed. The blood vessels contained within them turning as black as his veins. Exhaustion eventually caught up with him and he slowly passed out against the wall... ... ... He was slowly awakened by something prodding him in the cheek, opening his eyes he was greeted by the familiar face of Doctor Usanagi. "Doc." he wheezes out. "Mr Parker, I''d ask how the implant was treating you were you not in this horrible state... What happened to you?" she inquires. "A mission, got infected by a fungus... Think you can help me?" he asks, though was not feeling very hopeful in this moment. The doctor shrugs, "Let''s get you inside and I''ll see what I can do." she says, nodding over to the security guards Afton hadn''t noticed accompanying her. They lift him up and carry him inside, he glances towards Dirt-Bird and spots that both Anja and Keely were still asleep... He''s brought into the clinic and placed on top of the surgical table, afterwards Doctor Usanagi''s proceeds to conduct a number of tests on him. Blood tests, a biopsy of his flesh, and a physical check-up. Afton waits for half an hour or so when Doctor Usanagi comes back in holding a clipboard and wearing a grim look. "What''s the word?" ... The doctor clears her throat and gives him a sad look, "You are dying Mr Parker, and I don''t think there''s anything I can do to prevent it. This fungus you''ve been infected with has already infested your bloodstream, and I can see signs of it somehow highjacking your heart. It hasn''t interfered with the organ''s functions yet, and I have no idea if it will eventually... I had a word with your... Ghoul friends." she says distastefully before continuing, "They explained the basics of the fungus, and I have to say, this is the first time I''ve heard of something so apocalyptically dangerous. I''ve already attempted every antiviral agent I possess on the fungus samples in your blood, but nothing works... I''d advise you say your farewells to your loved ones, write a will, and toss yourself in an incinerator to prevent anyone else catching this affliction." Afton raises a brow at her incredibly harsh observation, "That''s quite the prescription doc... Are you sure nothing will work? Perhaps blood transfusions and extensive surgery to clear my system out?" he almost pleads. She shakes her head, "The fungus has already embedded itself in your veins and organs. We''d have to literally implant your consciousness into another body to save you, something I don''t think is actually possible. You have my condolences." ... Afton slowly nods, "I see... Thank you for your time anyway doc... If you don''t mind I''ve got places to be." he says, wheezing slightly as he gets off of the surgical table and weakly walks out of the clinic. Anja and Keely were sitting in the reception, but only Anja follows him out for obvious reasons. "Bad news then, sir?" Afton nods at her, he couldn''t really think of any other way to save himself... He doubted his [Miracle Maker] Perk would actually be able to save him, even if it wasn''t recharging from his last use of it. The Perk worked by healing a lethal injury dealt to him, but would that help against an infection? Sure, if the fungus causes his heart to stop then it''d bring him back to life, but he''d still probably be infected. Truly, he had no idea what he was going to do now... He was determined to live, so throwing himself into an incinerator like Usanagi had advised was out of the question... Hm, he thought for a moment and his eyes widened as he remembered the scrap metal he''d found in the 188 trading post. Perhaps that was the answer? If nothing else, he''d be able to kill those responsible for the scam with his last breath. Though, there was one thing that added some degree of legitimacy to it... The quest relating to it. [Midnight Free Medical Procedure! : Recieve your reward for finding the super-secret key!] "You could say that..." He says before pointing at the backpack strapped over her shoulders, "Take that and sell all the loot we collected, afterwards go find Karl and Boone... Tell them I''ll be away for a while, continue as we had been... If I don''t return in two months then consider me dead. Alright?" Anja nods, "Yes... Sir..." she says mournfully, there wasn''t much she could do for him... At least she''d be able to complete his last orders. Even if he perished, she was determined to work off her debt to him, whether that be to his companions or in other indirect methods. Chapter 257 - Sickness After giving his ''last'' parting words he hops back onto Dirt-Bird checks his Pipboy for the location of the Mojave Drive-in. Fortunately, his [Explorer] Perk easily gave him the ability to find it. Though, unfortunately, it was located all the way in Nipton. If he didn''t have Dirt-Bird he''d likely perish on the way there, even still he didn''t know if he''d last long enough to complete the journey. He takes one last glance at Anja before starting the engine and driving off.?? He was slightly worried about whether or not she''d make it to Karl and Boone, the NCR had already sent an ambush after him, so it wouldn''t be out of character to send another for her to silence any potential witnesses. He sighs and shakes his head, whatever will happen was out of his hands now. He could only hope that his companions would continue the work they were doing and wait for his return... IF, he returned. After a day of driving, he soon arrived at the 188 trading post. He parked his vehicle next to the Slop and Shop before sitting down at one of the bar stools with a wheeze. He was getting weaker, he knew it was only matter of time before the virus overtook him. Samuel walks into the shack through the backdoor and begins talking without looking at him, "Welcome to the Slop and Shop, what can I do for you-WAH! My God! Is that you Afton?" he suddenly exclaims after seeing the state he was in. Afton weakly nods, "Save the questions, I jus need a drink and a meal." he says, tossing some caps onto the bar. "You look like someone who''s been attacked by a vampire and is half-way from turning..." Samuel says as he places purified water on the bar, along with some canned beans. Afton snorts but ends up breaking into a cough, "I wish. Trust me, you don''t want to know." Samuel continues to try and get some information out of his, but Afton just takes the food and water away and slumps beside Dirt-Bird to get some rest. The night quickly passes, but not without issue... Afton was awoken covered in cold-sweat more than once. Nightmares of excruciating pain and being conscious as he was turned into a Spore Carrier threatened to break his mind. Feeling more tired than before he''d slept, he gets back on the road, this time headed to Novac, halfway through the drive Afton noticed that every time he coughed, a small number of Spores would be released, as if he had bad breath in an old cartoon. Not willing to risk any spread of the fungus he covers his face with enough rags to suffocate someone. He''d need to burn it once he was either cured or about to die, but there wasn''t much else he could do about it. Soon enough he was nearing Novac... But honestly, he didn''t want to face anyone there right now, not just because he didn''t want to worry them with his almost unavoidable death, but because he didn''t wish to risk spreading the fungus to them. So, he took the first path on the right, cruising towards one of the shortcuts through the canyon. On his Pipboy he could see that an NCR Ranger Station was located there, so it should be empty of any bandits and brigands. Night was about to fall as he spotted Ranger Station Charlie, but was confused when he saw thick plumes of black smoke coming from within. Unless Rangers were trying to communicate via smoke signals, it was obvious something wrong was occurring... Were the situation different, Afton would be willing to check it out, but he honestly didn''t think he was strong enough to handle more than a small group of thieves right now, let alone a potential military force. Shaking his head, he drove past the station, ignoring the sounds of gunfire, and shouts of terror and pain. Once the sun had finally set he made camp next to the canyon cliff-face, if any creatures came near then Dirt-Bird would take care of them... The night passes but laser fire awakens Aftons from his uncomfortable slumber. He forces his eyes open and spots some Gecko''s getting blasted to ashes by Dirt-Bird... Apparently, they''d come too close and the bike had swiftly reacted. He groans and he gets to his feet, his vision was slowly blurring, he hadn''t noticed it before, but now everything looked pretty fuzzy... It was difficult to focus on something a few meters away. Not only that, but he felt like a Xenomorph was trying to burrow its way out of his chest. He sucked in a breath but began to cough, it felt like his lungs were restricted and only had 30% their usual capacity... He glanced down at his hands and noticed they were covered in black veins, not only that, but his reaction time was shot... It took half a second for his hand to respond and clench like he wanted them to... "A-almost there." he mutters to himself, smacking himself on the chest a couple times and coughing heavily as a result, wrenching out a heavy amount of black blood. Not willing to wait for his condition to worsen any further, he gets atop of Dirt-Bird and rapidly begins driving towards Nipton... He could barely see where he was going, so he was less driving and more retracing his steps. Soon enough he reached the burnt town but didn''t stop to reminisce, turning left the first chance he got and headed towards the Mojave Drive-in. Afton almost had to press his face against his Pipboy to see where he was going, but soon enough he arrived at the Mojave Drive-in... And was immediately struck by the impression that he''d been scammed... There was nothing here! Just a load of derelict vehicles from before the war... Wait, no that''s not right. In the middle of the clearing he spotted black smoke rising from something in a small crater... He fell off Dirt-Bird and crawled towards it after finding his legs not responding. His eyes had gotten to the point of almost complete blindness, so he traced his hands over the object, finding it to be some sort of satellite? "Well... This is it... I guess." Afton mutters weakly to himself, no longer having the strength to move. He didn''t think his adventure through this world would end like this... His last thoughts were on Veronica, Christine, and his parents as he finally passed out atop the satellite. Thoughts of burning his body not even crossing his mind. Chapter 258 - What Has White Legs And A Dead Horse? Zion! Tamia sighs to herself as she awakens, sun beaming down on her face. She and Veronica had been stuck in Zion for a while now, the place was way more dangerous than the Mojave had been (If you subtract the bullet she''d taken to the head). Sure it was nice and had more resources than the Mojave, but the abundance in plantlife had led to many more predators being around. She couldn''t remember if it had been her first time seeing a Yao guai, but she hoped it would be the last. The giant bear almost tore her and Veronica apart, if they weren''t both expert close combatants then they may have very well been killed. Fortunately they managed to axe, and punch it to death.?? By the time they were finished with it she doubted anyone would recognise it as a Yao guai, its body had been pummeled into one huge bruise, and every unbruised part had deep slashes from her axe embedded in it. The creatures weren''t the only inhospitable part of this place though, no, she wouldn''t forget those tribal people who''d butchered Jed Masterson and killed the rest of the Happy Trails Caravan Company. She and Veronica had barely made it out of that situation in one piece. Tamia didn''t know why the ambush had been set up, or even if they were waiting for the Caravan specifically. All she knew was that the tribals were not to be trusted. After she and Veronica had killed a few of the tribals, they''d ran across a bridge and managed to escape after swimming over a river and hiding in some shrubbery. They were fortunate the tribals either didn''t want to chase them, or thought they''d be killed by the wildlife. Tamia glances over to Veronica who''s still sleeping like a baby, hugging her sleeping bag like some sort of teddy-bear while drooling. The woman was... Different. Different from most she''d met in the past, her memory was still fuzzy after getting shot in the head, but she was sure she''d never met someone like Veronica before. She was too care-free, too chipper, and too compassionate for someone who''d lived in the Wasteland all her life. If Tamia didn''t know any better, she''d say that Veronica was one of those Vault Dwellers that''d occasionally pop up. Shaking her head, she gives the woman a nudge with her foot, "Get up, we need to find a way out of this place and back to the Mojave." she urges. "Just, five, more, minutes." Veronica mutters, probably not evenly consciously so. Tamia huffs and pulls the sleeping bag out of her friend''s arms, causing her to writhe around like a turtle on its back, grasping for what she''d lost. Veronica blearily opens her eyes, frowning up at the smug look of Tamia, "Fine. I''ll get up." she grumbles, sitting up and throwing her robe hood over her head to block some of the sunlight, not to mention hiding the head of hair she was mildly embarrassed by. The duo quickly packed up and started looking around the region again, finding a whole manner of interesting locations. It''d almost feel like a vacation, were they not constantly being pursued by tribals, bears, and insects. They were ascending up a hill towards some-kind of ridge that overlooks a good portion of the region when Veronica suddenly stops, appearing to be examining some chalk markings. The chalk marks were strange yet detailed. There seemed to be some kind of depiction of a horned beast, probably a big-horner. As well as a number of triangles underneath... Eight triangles with two smaller ones. "Any idea on what this means?" Tamia asks. Veronica shrugs at her, "Probably just some tribal getting bored and making doodles." she says. The two continue up the hill and eventually reach the overlook, there were a few bloatflies at the top but they are easily felled by Veronica''s Powerfist and Tamia''s axe. The view was, breathtaking? Veronica had never seen something so, majestic before. The wasteland was a cruel and harsh place, usually lacking in any redeeming qualities. "You ever see anything like this before?" Veronica asks. Tamia just continues staring over the cliff, "I-I don''t know? I think so? My memories still in bits and pieces..." she admits. Veronica doesn''t broach the subject, knowing full well that Tamia was already quite wound up over it. Instead, she just points at something in the distance... Eight Big horners with two baby ones. "I guess we know what those chalk marks are now." "That you do travellers." a voice says from behind them, causing the duo to jump in surprise and turn around with weapons ready. Before them was a tribal man covered in tattoos and scraps of modern clothing... He wore a baseball cap that''d been modified to suit the leathers and furs that decorated his body. On his hip he had a strange club that resembled a horse attached, with empty bullet shells glued to it in some way... The man looks at their weapons warily and raises his hands in a pacifying manner, "I''m sorry, I do not mean you any harm... I am Follows-Chalk, one of the Dead Horses that live in this canyon." Veronica raises a brow and rudely point at him, "Are you one of those guys who ambushed us earlier? Because I''m still itching to punch something." The man tilts his head to the side, "Ambush? Ah! You must belong to the caravan the White Legs ambushed days ago... I am surprised you still live, the wild here is not so forgiving to outsiders." he says, clearly impressed with them. "So the ones who ambushed us were called White Legs? Judging by the way you spoke of their name, I doubt you are on friendly terms." she guesses Follows-Chalk nods, "We Dead Horses are archenemies of the White Legs, they wish to steal our land, and kill our people. We kill any White Legs we see, whether they seem peaceful or not." "Well that''s great and all, but do you know anyway for us to leave this place? The Caravan''s been destroyed so there''s no reason for us to stay any longer." Veronica says. Follows-Chalk shrugs, "I do not know the way from Zion to your home, but our leader might..." "Who''s your leader?" Tamia asks, wondering if she''d know who they are... It was obvious Follows-Chalk respected them greatly. "We know him as Joshua Graham, but I know outsiders usually refer to him as... The Burning Man." Chapter 259 - Green Is Good ... ...?? Afton slowly comes to, blearily blinking his eyes to get the sleep out. He felt... Good! No longer on the verge of coughing a lung out and dying. Whatever had happened must have healed him, right? He was honestly very, very thankful to whoever had helped him, he was on death''s door and almost no one could save him at that point. He sits up from the rather luxurious bed he currently found himself in and looks around at the room he''d been resting in. It was almost entirely metal, though there were odd gadgets place here and there. He felt slightly strange, heavier... But perhaps that was just the grogginess speaking for him. Just as he was about to get out of bed, a stream of notifications hit him. [Quest complete! : Midnight Free Medical Procedure!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 36] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 37] Hmm, well at least something good came from his near-death experience... Shaking his head, he glances at the 30 skill points he currently has to spend. Not seeing any better options he just puts all points in Explosives and moves onto Perks. [Lessons Learned] : +1% XP gain per player level. Good, but not really necessary. Afton wasn''t even sure what the max level would be, so wasting his Perk points on something that might be useless in future would be disadvantageous. [Broad Daylight] : No Sneak penalty for using Pip-Boy light. Now, he really could see no reason to get this perk... He didn''t find it difficult to sneak around in darkness, and he had no idea how it would actually interact with allies... If people saw him utilising it they''d almost certainly think he was supernaturally influencing enemies. [Fight the Power!] : +2 Damage Threshold and +5% Critical chance against large factions, this includes NCR, Legion or Brotherhood of Steel. Good, very good... Sure, most people would die from one shot to the head, but if he was ever going to fight people wearing power armour, this would make it easier. [And Stay Back] : Shotguns have a 10% chance, per pellet, of knocking an enemy back. Afton wasn''t sure how this Perk would work... He could probably ''game'' it by creating a weapon with thousands of pellets in each shot, but whether or not that would be a good strategy is debatable. All in all, Afton only saw one good option, he selects [Fight the Power!] and confirms it. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 38!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 39!] ... Hmm, seems like he achieved more than he''d first considered. Perhaps blowing up all the plants in the vault contributed to that? He inwardly shrugs before looking at the new 30 points he had access to, immediately placing them in Explosives. Afterwards looks at the new Perks listed. [Heavyweight] : Weapons with a weight of more than 10 are cut in half. This does not affect weapons modded to under 10 wg. This would be good, were he not already considerably stronger than the average man. [Hobbler] : Your chance to hit an opponent''s legs in V.A.T.S. is increased by 25%. Again, Afton didn''t want to specialise too deep into V.A.T.S as he saw it as a crutch, not to mention what would happen if he somehow lost his Pipboy. Mmm, not a great deal of Perk this level? He shakes his head, he''d use the Perk point to upgrade his stats, specifically Strength. With that done, time resumes and Afton slowly gets up from the bed. he was currently dressed in a patient gown? He begins to start panicking at the idea of losing his stuff, but quickly calms himself... Whoever had healed him probably didn''t want to steal his stuff... Otherwise why not just steal and leave him for dead. He spots a large case beside the bed and lifts the lid, raising a brow at the fact that it was bigger on the inside than the outside... Not only that, every item he owned was contained inside. His Anti-Material rifle, Pistols, Laser rifle, Recon armour, the works. He rubs his face while holding the lid up-... Wait... He robotically turns his head to his right arm, his eyes widening at the fact a new limb was in its place... "W-whaaat the fuck?" It wasn''t all that it seemed at first glance however, below the elbow where his arm had been severed was some kind of plant arm? On top of it was covered in dark bark that seemed pretty tough, on the underside was dark green skin that felt like leather. He was able to move and manipulate the new limb as if he''d had it all his life, even the fingers seemed just as dextrous as his last set. Frowning at the new changes to his body, he strips himself of the patient''s gown and stands in front of the full-body mirror attached to the wall, almost gaping at what he sees. The first, most immediate thing brought to his attention was the new surgical scars he was sporting... One over his heart, and another on his head, that just so happened to be shaved completely bald. This wasn''t too much of a shock as he''d assumed surgery would be needed to save him, but it was still worrying to have had someone tinkering with your body... The scars weren''t the only change however... Where the new limb was connected to his arm, thick black veins could be seen running into his body. Indeed, even his skin had a green tint to it, though most wouldn''t notice unless already familiar with him or looking for it. The black veins were visible across most of his body, but were more apparent from the veins leading from his right arm, to the bottom of his neck. Indeed, there were smaller ones next to his eyes on his upper cheek, where wrinkles would usually appear on older folks... It looked somewhat menacing as if he was wearing delicate but vicious war paint. Chapter 260 - Unrequested Changes He continues examining his body, eventually noticing that he had another set of surgical scars in the middle of his back, on top of his spine. Perhaps the Spores had managed to infect the spinal fluids?... All his theories were going nowhere though due to the fact he was still clearly infected. His new arm and the black veins showed that he was still infested with the things... He looks at his status to try and see if something had changed.?? Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend] Level : 39 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 9 Perception : 8 Endurance : 8 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 10 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 84 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 10 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 30 Unarmed : 100 Mutations : [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities. [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Your right arm has regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards the arm and +20% resistance against being crippled. Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v2], [Fight the Power!] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] [Persistent Escapee] Afton skims through the status so fast he almost misses the new feature... Mutations. [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca]? He had no idea how a new strain had been created, nor if it was natural or artificial. He didn''t believe himself lucky enough for the fungus that was tearing his body apart to suddenly mutate and become symbiotic. No, an outside influence must''ve occurred. Honestly, he didn''t know what to think about it... For one, he was now definitely superhuman, he even had a new arm to prove it... He paces around the room for a couple minutes, wringing his mind of what he should do... He decides, before anything that he should test the toughness of his new limb. He pulls out a dagger from the storage unit and taps the bark-side of his arm with the face of the knife. He can feel it, meaning the bark had some kind of sensory organ connected to it... He tries to make a light cut into it, but finds the bark is tough enough to resist it... It reminded him of the roots that''d been in Vault 22 and how tough they had been. He stabs into his arm harder this time, managing to pierce the tip of the blade through the bark, drawing a drop of thick, vicious, black blood. It hurt, but not as much as he''d expect. Again, he tries the same on the underside of the arm where the green leather-like skin was. Again, it was significantly more difficult to cut into it, add his new level of endurance and [Toughness] Perk and Afton found that he''d become pretty durable. He stops the self-harm for a moment and watches as the wounds close themselves before his vary eyes. Though, this was something Afton was still wary about... The fungus had regrown his arm and made it more plant-like... Would that mean any damage he takes would allow the fungus to claim more and more of his body? He shakes his head, the system didn''t detail any effect like that, so unless he had proof of it he''d stay silent on the matter. Having finished gawking at himself, he stretches his body and put his clothes back on, afterwards layering the recon armour on over that. He decides not to take all of his equipment from here, the place itself looks pretty safe, and he''d prefer to not lug around all his gear if he didn''t need to. He slings his Anti-Material rifle over his shoulder, holsters That Gun, Lucky, and places the Fallen Ranger Sequoia in his Deathclaw leather bag just in case he needed it... He was still unsure whether or not this was an NCR medical facility or not. He packs some medical and survival supplies as well, making sure to be prepared for anything that may happen... To be honest, he was somewhat giddy to have two hands again... Now he''d be able to kick ass and chew bubblegum without reloading like, well, a cripple. He leaves the bedroom but his determination to find out where he is was immediately sidetracked by the pieces of advanced technology dotted about. There was a holographic map on the wall detailing some sort of facility he''d never heard of. In the middle of the room was a large map, though he wasn''t really sure what it was trying to communicate. At the side was an Auto-Doc, one of the most advanced pieces of tech you could find in the Wasteland. In the next room he saw some kind of farm? Troughs of dirt with nothing growing in them were laid around the place, as if someone had forgotten to plant anything. Shaking his head, he returns to the main room and spots three exits... One leading to the balcony, one to someplace called the Think Tank, and the last leading to the Big MT... Deciding to see what the region he was currently in looked like he headed to the balcony. The many flights of stairs were somewhat annoying, but he eventually reached the top... And what he saw definitely surprised him. The balcony itself was surrounded by an energy field, probably to prevent someone from jumping off. But that simple fact that such advanced, never-seen-before technology was used in such a way baffled him. Shaking his head and deciding to question it later, he looked over the balcony on the region below... He was currently at the highest point around and saw that the facility he''d seen on the map was huge. The whole place was inside some kind of huge crater, but that wasn''t the only thing that caught his eye... No, that would be the mechanical looking pylons that surrounded the facility. They almost looked like security measures of a prison, attempting to keep things in, and other things out. Chapter 261 - Think HARDER After staring at the cloudy horizon for a couple minutes Afton eventually decided to find out who''d taken him here. And whether or not he had to crack some skulls together once he met them. Quickly he descends down the staircase and continues into the door on the opposite side of the room named ''Think Tank''. Once through the doors he''s introduced with a room not dissimilar from the Brotherhood bunker, though something he could immediately notice was the fact that something had changed... It was as if he was walking through some kind of invisible forcefield, he''d felt something activate once he was through, but couldn''t put his finger on it.?? He walked through a metal hallway and was prepared to grab his... Guns? Wait, why would he do that?... He remembered from past experience that it was best to be prepared, but right now he couldn''t fathom any harm coming to him or someone else. Indeed, his well-trained habits had almost caused him to go mad in some kind of perpetual-thought-loop, constantly trying to prepare for a threat that couldn''t possibly be there. No, after some minutes he''d managed to separate those circular thoughts from himself, distancing them as it were. He''d find out why he felt like this once he found his ''caretakers'', until then he''d need to stay away from any V.I.O.L.E.N.T thoughts. Urrgh, just thinking about it gives him a headache. Soon enough he comes across a staircase leading out of the hallway, once he''d climbed it he was greeted with a humungous room, it was as if he was inside a hollowed-out dome, but not only that, his ''science senses'' were tingling. On every corner of the room was some kind of advanced machinery with a specific purpose, all of which looked operable and pristine. As someone who was well versed in many, if not all sciences he was almost drooling at this... Especially since there were many machines he didn''t know the use for. Something you''d be hard-pressed to find. Indeed, across the walls of the dome were many, many terminals, monitors, and other advanced methods of surveillance. He had been so enthralled in the ''majesty'' of this place that he''d almost not noticed the five peculiar robots floating at one end of the room. They just sat there staring at him, their bodies comprised of a small glass dome encasing their brains and whatever other bio-gel that is used to keep them alive, and three monitors depicting human features, two eyes and a mouth to be precise. For some reason the monitors weren''t properly sized with one another, making it look like a science experiment gone wrong. Each one of the five robots had different colour brain domes, allowing him to somewhat keep track of which is which. Honestly, Afton was tempting to just continue standing here as the robots seemed to be waiting for him to get closer so they could address him... Why else would they be waiting in a formation above spotlights illuminating their bodies? Shaking his head, he walks towards them. They had saved his life, so he did feel gratitude towards them, perhaps they weren''t as bad as they loo- "I THOUGHT I HEARD THE PACIVICATION FIELD KICK IN." The robot with the blue brain dome loudly states before turning towards the others, appearing to try and whisper despite its volume, "ALL RIGHT, SHHH. NOBODY. MOVE. I''LL HANDLE THIS." ... Afton almost guffaws at the spectacle, but chooses to stay quiet for now... He wouldn''t want to ruin their preprepared speech, now would he? The robot turns back towards him and continues, "BE WARNED, INTRUDER! YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MIGHTY THINK TANK OF BIG MT, THE COLLECTIVE GENIUSES OF... WE..." The robot turns towards its colleagues again, "BY OPPENHEIMER, WHICH ONE OF YOU SELF-PROFESSED GENIUSES HAS BEEN ADJUSTING MY VOLUME KNOB? WHO WAS IT? WAS IT YOU 8?" he asks, pointing the monitors towards the one with the green dome. Strangely, the response is garbled and in some foreign method of communication Afton wasn''t aware of, "BZZZZZTCH!*" The leader robot with the blue dome seems to snort, "OH, ''DR. O'' WAS IT? LIKELY STORY, O COULDN''T SPARK TWO NEURONS IF THEY WERE IN A LATTICE OF BIOMED GEL." The robot with the light blue, almost grey brain dome retorts to this, "What? Me? Breaking news, Klein, it wasn''t me alright?! I am the robotics engineer, 8 is soundwaves, that''s his ''speciality." he says in a nasal voice before continuing, "You always do this! You always demean me in-front of guests! And it''s not ''O'' alright it''s Zer-" The robot now known as Klein interrupts ''Zero'' and his monologue, again turning towards Afton who was watching this as if it were a sitcom... "ENOUGH! EITHER OF YOU DO IT AGAIN, AND IT''LL BE THE LAST TIME. NOW... NOW..." he trails off, "...GREAT, NOW I FORGOT WHAT I WAS SAYING... WHAT WAS I TALKING ABOUT?" he asks, and Afton takes the opportunity to finally converse with his ''caretakers''. "I believe you were about to explain how I got here and how you cured me of my illness?" Afton says as if helping the robot recover his train of thought. "AH YES... WAIT, NO! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!? I WAS ALMOST FOOLED BY THIS... THIS... LOBOTOMITE!" Klein spits as if he''d just tasted something disgusting, not apparently taking Afton''s advice very well. "NO, IT MUST''VE HAD A BRAIN SPASM OF SOME KIND, NO LOBOTOMITE COULD FORM RATIONAL ''THOUGHT'', CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO OUTSMART ME!... WAIT, HOW DID A LOBOMOITE GET INTO THE DOME ANYWAY!? BOROUS!? YOU WORK WITH ANIMALS, WHAT IS THIS THING DOING HERE!?" Klein asks the robot with the dark green brain dome. Afton would be insulted at being called an animal or ''lobotomite'', but he simply couldn''t find it in himself to be angry at them. "I''m not an animal, or a ''lobotomite'' as you seem to be calling me. My name''s Afton Parker, a mercenary you somehow saved from a deadly fungus." he states. Chapter 262 - Loboto-Roboto After hearing Afton miraculously ''speak'' to them, Kelin whips around and quickly addresses the robot with the purple brain dome. "DALA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" "Dr. Klein... If my hypothesis is correct, this Lobotomite is the repository of the brain we sent the signal to, the skinvelope once containing it." they say, in a sly, almost creepy tone of voice. To be honest, Afton didn''t know what was worse, being called a Lobotomite or a ''skinvelope''...?? Dala continues, "If so, it''s proof that there may indeed be something beyond the crater. Just look at it... The way it blinks. It''s like a big hairless teddy bear." it says, pushing its monitors closer to Afton, presumably to observe him more thoroughly. Klein retorts, "I KNOW WHAT IT IS, DALA, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT''S DOING DOWN HERE. WITH IT''S... IT''S LIMBS ALL OVER EVERYTHING... AND... ARE THOSE PENISES I SEE WRIGGLING ON ITS FEET? DISGUSTING." Afton raises a brow and glances down at this feet for a moment, wondering if the fungus had changed more than he''d expected... Though, whether or not having all your toes replaced by penises was a bad thing, he didn''t really know... At the very least it would make toe-play way more fun, right? Dala interjects after Klein makes his observation, "I believe they are toes Dr. Klein. Little teddy bear toes. Penises are much larger than those tiny extremities... Eh, not that I would know." they admit as sheepishly as an inhuman robot could manage. Zero cuts in, "I don''t recall the human penis ever being that large..." he says, not realising what that exactly implied. "It depends on one''s own frame of reference, Doctor O." Dala corrects before going off on another tangent, "Look at its little nose with its two orifices for ingesting oxygen." Dr. Klein slowly turns his monitors from Dala towards Afton, "NOSES? BY THE GREAT STATIC, THESE LOBOTOMITES CONFOUND ME WITH THEIR SHEER NUMBER OF USELESS EXTREMITIES." Afton shakes his head to recompose himself, having almost burst out into laughter at Dr. O''s accidental slip of the tongue. "Yeah? Well, you confuse me." He states, gaining the group''s attention, "I mean, what''s the point of those monitors anyway? Those eyes don''t blink and your mouths don''t move, it''s as if you''re just slapped on whatever components you could find that fit onto your bodies." he says, gesturing at Klein''s monitors. ... Hmm, Afton appeared to have stumped the robots for a moment... Of course, personalities as loud as them wouldn''t remain silent for long. "BOROUS!? WHAT DO WE DO? THE LOBOTOMITE IS... EXCRETING!" Klein quickly says as a moment of silence. "I''m not sure!? I don''t think that was it excreting! Merely... Asking a question!?! EGADS! The Lobotomite understands us!" Dr. Borous suddenly exclaims, as if Afton hadn''t literally just been talking to them. Afton sighs to himself, only now realising that the robots hadn''t actually listened to a single thing he''d said. Though, upon sighing Dala seemed to vibrate for a moment, it''s monitors flashing in a peculiar way. He didn''t like the ''satisfied'' sound coming from it either, and is that bio gel leaking from its dome?... Dala, having recomposed themself from... Whatever they had just been doing adds to Dr. Borous analyses. "I agree with Doctor Borous'' histrionic findings. This little lobotomite is unusually attentive for something whose brain has been extracted." Afton''s eyes widen at this, "Wait what?" [Brainless Perk has been granted!] [Brainless] : Your brain has been replaced with advanced technologies. Your head can no longer be crippled and is +25% more resistant to chem addiction. Also grants +1 DT. ... As much as Afton wanted to try and deny it, the notification before him couldn''t lie... Honestly, it was pretty terrifying to realise you''d unknowingly had your brain extracted. It appears, just as Afton was struggling with the thought that he''d had his brain somehow removed, the robots were also struggling to comprehend how he was. Well, thinking. "NONSENSE. LOBOTOMITES CAN''T COMPREHEND US!" Dr. Klein says, disregarding the fact Afton had literally been speaking to them. "*BZZZTTTCH!*" The robot called 8 sounds out, Afton wondering if they could understand him or were just inferring what they wanted. "8, have you been in the Mentats again? If we slow down our auro-processo-receptors to understand this excretion, we''ll all be rendered ignorant!" Zero says, clearly insulting Afton. Again, Afton would''ve been somewhat offended, but the ''pacification field'', as Dr. Klein had called it earlier, was messing with his head. Dr. Klein finally decides to get to the root of the problem, "ALL OF YOU, POWER DOWN, SHUT UP, AND LET ME PROVE ONCE AND FOR ALL HOW WRONG YOU ALL ARE. AS USUAL." he says before slowly pushing his monitors closer to Afton, "LOBOTOMITE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? CAN YOU SPEAK?" ... Afton wonders if it''d be worth just staying silent to confuse the annoyin-... Uncooperative robots further. It seems like any evidence that he, as a lobotomite could think rationally, was terribly shocking for them. Shaking his head, he decides to try and actually talk to them. "I am Afton Parker! I understand you all perfectly well, now will one of you tell me how I got here and why you REMOVED MY BRAIN!" he says, raising his voice out of reflex and getting a painful headache from the ''almost'' A.G.G.R.E.S.S.I.V.E action. Dr. Klein reals back slightly at Afton''s volume but moves his monitors to look at his colleagues, as if he were glancing round, "THOSE WERE WORDS, WEREN''T THEY... IN THE FORM OF QUESTIONS.-IT''S ASKING ME QUESTIONS! IS THIS SOME KIND OF TRICK?" "Our efforts have turned against us! In playing GOD, we have created a MONSTER!" Dr. Borous exclaims, sounding almost fearful of the prospect of Afton having free will and free thought. "Perhaps as we were ruthlessly lobotomizing it with our cutters, we filled this skinvelope with... Awareness. A teddy bear with new stuffing." Dr. Dala adds. Chapter 263 - Stronk Dala''s new revelation brought a flood of new opportunities to everyone''s minds. Zero only being the first to voice it, "Wait. If what you''re theorizing is this lobotomite understands us... Can reason with us... Klein loudly cuts in, not missing the chance to ''show his superiority'', "THEN THIS MAY BE THE ANSWER WE''VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. AT LAST, A CHANCE TO-"?? 8 interjects with a cacophony of strange noises, causing the rest to go silent., "*BZZZZZZZZZTCH!*" Just before Afton was about to ask what''s going on, Borous begins to speak, "Doctor Klein! A TRANSMISSION from the FORBIDDEN zone! Coming right at us!" he says causing the group to start nervously looking at Klein. "IT CAN ONLY BE..." Klein mutters before trailing off, everyone in the dome aside from Afton already knowing the one who he is referring to. A flash of light occurs behind Afton, and once he turns around he''s greeted with a huge monitor, larger than any movie screen he''d seen in this life or his last one. On it was another robot that looked eerily similar to Dr. Klein and the rest, only with a few differences. They looked old, decayed. Some of its monitors were broken and its brain dome looked fractured. That certainly couldn''t be healthy for its intelligence and or sanity. "If it isn''t my old colleagues, the might ''Think Tank''of big MT. Big FOOLS! All of you. It is I, Dr. Mobius, transmitting from my dome-shaped... Dome, in the forbidden zone. A zone that is, yes. Forbidden to you." Their voice echoes through the room, Afton raising a brow at the almost stereotypical mad-scientist act that was occurring... He''d already dealt with Klaus, he doubted he was so unlucky as to encounter two in such a short time period. Dr. Mobis continues, "Even now, my deadly Robo-Scorpions swarm across Big Mt with their pincers and pointy laser tails. Soon, all science will be mine! Even the technologies sealed in the Big Mt research centers cannot save you. So cower in your ''Think Tank.'' Wait, for the end... That''s all, err, goodbye!" Mobius''s voice changing from the villainous one to a slightly senile old man with his farewell... "MOBIUS" Dr. Klein growls, "ALWAYS THE SAME BROADCAST. HE''S CLEARLY MAD, DRIVEN INSANE BY HIS FLAWED AND IMPRECISE KINDERGARTEN-LEVEL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY." "What are we going to do? There''s no way we can breach the Forbidden Zone. There''s those robot scorpions everywhere!" Zero exclaims, clearly fearful despite this seemingly not being the first time this has happened. "Sooo... Ignoring ''Dr. Mobius, I was wondering where you''d stored my brain... And how I can leave this place... I have other things to do you know." Afton says, causing all the robots to turn towards him. "HOW TO LEAVE? YOU CANNOT LEAVE LOBOTOMITE! ONLY BRAINS ARE CAPABLE OF LEAVING BIG MT AND ITS RADAR FENCE, YOU, ARE LACKING ONE!" Klein states. "As soon as the lobomite tries to leave the crater, they will be transporting back inside! With some minor health defects from the forced teleportation..." Borous adds. "*BZZZZZTCH!* 8 buzzes. "ITS BRAIN? DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE WE LEFT IT? DR. O, DID YOU KEEP TRACK OF IT?" Klein asks, the robot somehow misplacing his BRAIN! "I err, did we?.. No... No, I got nothing." Zero says after a moment of contemplation. "Where ever it is, it must still be within Big MT, otherwise they would not be able to receive thoughts!" "Then it is fortunate your brain is not anywhere in the dome, why, you would be able to access your aggression centers." Dala adds, causing the robots to tremble slightly at the thought. "CIRCUMVENTING THE PACIVICATION FIELD?! THIS IS A NO-NO. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A FIGHT. WE DO NOT WANT THAT!" "-Reminds me of my days in American High... And Richie Marcus." Borous adds somewhat solemnly. Afton was, or would be pretty peeved at the fact they''d extracted his brain, and then almost immediately afterwards lost it. The only thing preventing a long rant against them was the Pacification Field that was working overtime in his case. He sighs and chooses to broach another subject, "You removed my brain, but where other surgery did you apply to me? Was accessing my heart and spine necessary to remove the fungus? Or were you just curious at what mine looked like?" he says, his tone as passive-aggressive as the Pacification Field would allow. All the robots turn towards Dala, "DALA? WAS IT NECESSARY THIS TIME?" Klein asks, his tone one of exasperation as if she''d done this many, many times before. "I assume full responsibility Dr. Klein. I take my responsibilities in the prodding and excising of breathing, living tissue quite seriously." Dala states, and Afton couldn''t detect even a hint of remorse at it. She continues, "All though in truth, the Auto-Doc had done most of the work already. Quite industrious, almost cut into all my investigations. Once it had removed your brain, I-... Misplaced it. Other organs began to cry out for direction using your nerves as telegraph wires. Rather than let them send their signals, I removed them as well. Shhh, little organs. Go to sleep in your tanks. Dala loves you." she whispers, and a shiver goes up Afton spine... If that was still in his body?... "FIRST WAS THE HEART!-" Klein states, but Dala interrupts him. "No... The teddy bear''s little heart was too difficult to remove. The intruding organism had already taken it over, I applied some of our custom pesticides to it, but it mutated instead of dying like it should have... The strain must be different... Somehow." Dala says. ... "I..." Klein shakes his monitors as if shaking his head, "FIRST WAS THE BRAIN! SECOND, SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE HEART! THIRD. WAS THE SPINE!" he reluctantly corrects himself. [Perk Granted : Spineless] : Due to ''complications'' with the procedure, your spine has been replaced as well. [Spineless] : Your torso can no longer be crippled, grants +1 to Str and DT. [Strength has been maxed out! Perk Granted : Tremble before me!] [Tremble before me!] : Allows melee attacks now completely bypass DT, whether this means causing a shockwave to attack through metal armour, or simply slicing through leather. All will apply. Chapter 264 - Scientists Dont Do Politics. Afton''s eyes were about to roll out of his head. Apparently, the only reason he''d survived the fungus was because they were trying to dissect him, the fungus had somehow foiled their plans to extract his heart, but hadn''t prevented them from doing the same with his brain and spine... He wasn''t sure whether or not he sure be grateful towards them or on the warpath. Not only that, but the machinery they''d stuck into his back had increased his abilities, jumping his Strength from nine to ten, maxing it out and granting him a new Perk, [Tremble before me!]. His sideways glance at the Perk had revealed that it was pretty powerful, if slightly situational.?? He didn''t have time to think over the positives and negatives though as he didn''t want to get lost in the robot''s conversation... "-Totally overrated, that arrangement of vertebrae." Zero scoffs before continuing, "''Look at me, with my lumbar and thoracic curvature.'' Never had a use for any of that. Spineless is what I prefer." he states. Afton frowns at him, "You can be spineless all you like! I''d rather have had a choice in the matter though! Aside from that, where did you ''misplace'' my Brain and my Spine!?" he asks, more hoping for the return of the former as the [Spineless] Perk was pretty strong. "Your spine should be in the sink''s organ hotel, as for your brain? I do not know." Dala says. "But YOU took it out in the first place!" Afton exclaims, getting dangerously close to feeling ''angry''. "To be correct, you should say, ''The Auto-Doc'' took out your brain. It did all the heavy lifting. It has never worked so hard before. It was unusual. Indeed, it worked so hard on your surgery that it destroyed its own memory... How odd. I bet your brain remembers what happened." Dala says. Afton was confused at that, how would his brain remember the event, yet he himself was unaware of it... In the first place, his brain had no sensory organs if taken out of his skull... "THAT AUTO-DOC-JUNKHEAP WAS ONE OF MOBIUS'' CREATIONS, LIKE THE REST OF THE TALKING SCRAP METAL IN THE ATTIC." Klein says. "After that, the brain lost itself... Not in the metaphysical sense. Might have gotten flushed into one of the pipes... Actually, that''s pretty likely." Zero says. Dr. Borous immediately picks up on this, "If so, it was FLUSHED all the way to MOBIUS! Fwoooosh! That... Is the sound of flushing..." "BY THE FISSURE OF ROLANDO... ENOUGH OF THIS BIOLOGICAL SURGERY TALK." Klein exclaims before again, pointing his monitors at Afton, "LOBOTOMITE, LISTEN TO MY VOICE. IT DENOMINATES ME TO ASK, BUT... WE NEED YOUR HELP." He asks in an almost sincere way. "IN MOST PROBABLE OF PROBABILITIES, OUR ENEMY, MOBIUS, HAS YOUR BRAIN. THIS IS NOT GOOD. HE WILL LIKELY COME AFTER OUR BRAINS NEXT. WE WANT YOU TO STOP HIM. SOMEHOW. WITH SCIENCE." Klein says, making it clear he''s only asking to protect himself, and not in any way to make reparations for what they had collectively done to him. Afton jabs his new, bark-covered finger at them, causing the robots to back away in fright, "FIRST, you lobotomized me without any consent, then you lose my brain, and attempt to harvest the rest of my organs to satisfy some curiosity or sick fetish..." he glances at Dala who''s taking ''too much'' interest in his extended finger and shivers before continuing. "And now you are asking me to risk my life to save you all!? How does that make sense!? You guys all seem to be for forethought and logic, why would I ever help you!?" Afton exclaims. "BECAUSE, LOBOTOMITE, WE, THE THINK TANK TOLD YOU TO." Klein says. Borous interjects before Afton can respond, "For proper motivation, all we need do is rely on your SELF-PRESERVATION. Dr. Mobius has your brain, and thus you cannot leave this place brainless. You will recover it to save yourself, destroying Mobius in the process!" "You forget! My spite trumps whatever self-preservation I might have right now. And what''s stopping me from joining Mobius? He''d return my brain and I''d work with him to get payback on you lot." Afton says, his words a lot tamer than they would be if the Pacification Field wasn''t inhibiting his aggression. ... "Did... Did the lobotomite just say he''d join Mobius!?" Zero quickly asks the others. "It did! WHAT DO WE DO NOW!?!" Borous exclaims. "*BZZZTCH*" 8 buzzes static at them. "Yes... That might work." Borous mutters and the robots turn towards Afton again. "LOBOTOMITE! IN RETURN FOR NOT JOINING MOBIUS AND DESTROYING US, WE WILL GRANT YOU TECHNOLOGIES, THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN!" Klein says. Afton crosses his arms, deciding to pull as many teeth from them as possible. "Oh? Wouldn''t I be able to acquire technology if I joined Mobius? Once we defeated you, it''d be simple to retrieve it." ... "Huh, well, he''s got us there Klein." Zero says. "QUIET! I DID NOT PREDICT THIS! LET ME THINK!..." Klein exclaims, causing them all to go silent. ... Afton wonders if they actually have anything worth trading... For super scientists capable of creating teleportation, and lobotomizing him without removing his ability to think... They sure don''t seem all that much. Though, there were a few side-benefits from allying with them. One of which would be the Robo-Scorpion Mobius has apparently sent out. Most would consider that a negative, but for Afton it would basically be free exp... Depending on how difficult they are to destroy. Honestly, the most important thing the Think Tank could grant him wouldn''t be anything material... No. It would be their knowledge, their specialities and experience. Dr. Mobius is likely to only be worth on of the Think Tank, specialised in robots and whatever else concerned the Robo-scorpions. The group though? If he could somehow manage to persuade them into his services, why, he''d literally have the smarted people from before and after the war working for him. Chapter 265 - Neguntiations Afton taps his foot before refocussing his attention on the robots, of which Dr. Klein is apparently still trying to think of a way to bribe him. "Hmm, alright, I''ll work for you all... Under one condition!" ...?? "...OH? WERE YOU TALKING JUST NOW, LOBOTOMITE? I WAS THINKING..." Klein says, having not been aware of his surroundings at all. Afton frowns, "Ok, since you want to be like that, I''ll help you all, under two conditions." he states, increasing his ask after being snubbed by Klein. "Dr. Klein, chances are the lobotomite is going to increase their asking price every time we ignore them!" Zero says. "REALLY?... THEN THE LOBOTOMITE IS CAPABLE OF BASIC ADDITION!... MATHS!" Klein exclaims. "I WILL HELP UNDER THREE CONDITIONS!" Afton shouts, causing the robots to still and turn towards him. "FINE... FINE! WHAT ARE YOUR CONDITIONS, LOBOTOMITE?" Klein reluctantly asks, not allowing himself to go off on another tangent and potentially get forced to give up more ground to Afton. Afton holds out his hand and extends one finger, "First! I want any resources you have around that may be useful to me, so that means weapons, armour, or any other tech that could potentially help." "It wants WEAPONS!? Weapons are dangerous! We can''t let a LOBOTOMITE carry weapons!" Borous retorts. "Dr. Borous, it appears as if you''ve not observed the veritable arsenal the teddy bear is carrying... I am no expert in combustion pistols, but I know one when I see one." Dala states, pointing her monitors towards Afton''s pistols and Anti-Material rifle still slung on his back. "But... But-" Borous stutters out, but is interrupted before he''d able to formulate an argument. "ENOUGH! GIVE THE LOBOTOMITE THE WEAPONS WE HAVE... IN ANY CASE, THEY WILL NEED IT AGAINST DR. MOBIUS'' ROBO-SCORPIONS, AND THE OTHER ''FAILED-EXPERIMENTS'' AROUND BIG MT" Klein says. "Err, what weapons do we actually have?" Zero asks. ... "WELL? ANYONE OF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE USED AS A WEAPON!?" Klein loudly asks. "I recall using Dr. 8''s sonic-sound-emitter-projecto-gun to massage my bio gel..." Dala sheepishly admits. And Afton was sure if they still possessed skin they''d be blushing... "*BZZZZTCH, BZZZZTCH, BZZZZZZZZTCH*" 8 buzzes out, everyone but Afton somehow understanding him. "WAIT, IF WE ALREADY HAVE THE SONIC EMITTER, WHAT''S THE POINT IN SENDING THE LOBOTOMITE TO X-8!?" Dr. Klein asks. "*BZZZZTCH! BZZZZTCH!*" "EMITTER FREQUENCY? SHOULDN''T THERE ALREADY BE ONE LOADED?" "*Bzzch...*" 8 sounds out, sounding almost embarrassed. "I DON''T CARE YOU FAULTY RADIO-BRAIN! JUST DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO AND GET IT WORKING!" Klein says. "*Bzzzzzch...*" 8 says before floating away, behind some machinery. Before Afton''s able to ask what he''s doing a strange sound starts coming from 8''s position. "*Bztch! Bzch! Bztchh!*" "What is that sound?" Afton asks, curious. ... "I... Think 8''s sonjaculating into the gun. Getting it... Warmed up." Zero says, sounding slightly nausious. "*BZZCH,BZZCH,BZZCH,BZZCH!BZZZZZZZZZCH!... BZZTCH*" "Ding, turkey''s done..." Zero states in exasperation. 8 floats over to where Klein in and tries to pass off the Sonic Emitter with one of its manipulators, but Klein backs off from it, "YOU GIVE IT TO THE LOBOTOMITE, I''M NOT TOUCHING THAT THING!" 8 floats to Zero who instantly rejects it, "Oh, I don''t think so." Dala, apparently having enough of there ''tomfoolery'' just snatches the gun away from 8 with a manipulator, "I''ll do it if you two are going to be ashamed of your technological needs..." she examines the emitter closer before continuing, "Let me give it a little sterilization first..." she says, sounding less enthused now that she''d gotten a better look at it. Afton watches with rapt interest as Dala fails to ''sterilize'' it in any way he''d recognise. No, instead she just brings the gun closer to her voice emitter and starts making a strange noise, "WooooOOOOoooooOOOooooo... Alright, all anti-bacterial fresh. Here you go, my little teddy bear. I have thoroughly removed all RobCo term link spew from the device. It is clean, shiny, and ready for your hands." she coo''s before dropping the Sonic Emitter into his outstretched hands. The weapon itself looked like a typical futuristic gun, with the exception of the sound detector that displayed what at first glance looked like a blue heart-beat sensor. The pistol''s casing itself looked like a simple metal barrel with vacuum tubes and other electronic gadgets attached to it... At the end was a speaker, one presumably designed to fire deadly sonic waves. [Sonic emitter - revelation] Strength req : 2 DMG : 31 Crit dmg : 18 Crit mult : 1x AP : 30 Weight : 2 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Critical strikes cause 10-second paralysis. Huh, causes paralysis and does bonus damage to robots and power armour... It makes sense that it would be weaker against Big MT robots who are presumably designed with this weapon in mind. All it meant was it would be far more effective outside of Big MT, something which Afton fully intended to take advantage of. He straps to it the bandoleer on his chest that''s also holding his plasma pistol and his Sawed-Off shotgun. "What ammo does this use?" he asks, despite fully knowing that it required Energy Cells, judging alone by the shape of receptacle on the top of the gun. "WHAT AMMO DOES IT USE!? WHY I-..." Klein''s upcoming rant peters off, "I DON''T ACTUALLY KNOW! DR. O! WHAT BATTERY SIZE DOES THE DEVICE NEED?" "Just plain old energy cells if I bio-gel hasn''t crusted over and coagulated Dr. Klein." Zero says. "So, anyone got any spare Energy Cells to use this thing? There''s no point of having it if I lack the ammunition to use it." "Ah, I used to... But all my batteries were used up on my vibr-... Vivisectors..." Dala admits. "*Bzzzch!*" 8 states before floating over and dropping some Energy Cells in Afton''s hands. "THERE. WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER CONDITIONS?" Klein asks as Afton checks over his new weapon. Afton shakes his head though, "My first condition isn''t complete yet, I said ALL resources, meaning any weapons, armour, or tech you have." he states, not allowing himself to get sidetracked. Chapter 266 - Twice Armed... ... "DID... DID THE LOBOTOMITE SAY THAT?" Klein asks the others, having already gotten what Afton had said.?? "*Bzzzch!*" 8 says, and Borous slowly starts floating away. Though, by the way the others were looking at him, he wasn''t doing a very good job at hiding it. "BOROUS! WHAT ARE YOU HIDING YOU GERIATRIC SIMPLETON!?" Klein exclaims. "NOTHING!" Borous loudly says. "Err, aren''t we all technically geriatric Klein? Two-hundred years would make us double or even triple geriatric...-ness?..." Zero questions neurotically. "QUIET DR. O! WE AREN''T HERE TO POINT OUT HYPOCRITES! NO! WE''RE HERE TO DEFEAT MOBIUS!... AND SOMETIMES SCIENCE!..." "*BZZZZCH!*" "That''s a LIE! And you know it 8!" Borous states at 8''s apparent insinuation. Afton was beginning to get tired of listening to their back and forth babbling conversation... If he wasn''t out to receive rewards from them then he''d have left already. "Please, Dr. Borous! Even the Lobotomite can tell you''re hiding something, and they don''t even have a brain!" Zero gesticulates, pointing his manipulators at Borous. "BOROUS! YOU WILL REVEAL WHATEVER YOU ARE HIDING, OR SO HELP ME! I WILL LACE YOUR BIO GEL WITH THE EXCRETIONS OF YOUR CYBER DOGS!" "FINE!" Borous finally gives in, floating towards his own workspace and opening a case, the thrusters keeping the robot floating beginning to struggle under the weight of the new object he was carrying. "I still do not agree with giving the Lobotomite a gun... Guns are DEADLY!" the robot states, returning to the others with some sort of large machine gun in his manipulators. "*Bzzzzch!*" "Dr. 8 is correct. We have already given the teddy bear a lethal sonic deathray filled with his ejaculate and sterilized by my soft WoooOOOoo''ing... Giving the teddy bear a gun would be the equivalent of following a glass of hemlock with an abraxo chaser. Delicious and redundantly deadly." Dala concurs with 8''s... Whatever 8 had said. Dr. Borous seems to sigh and hefts the weapon in his manipulators up, "This is the Cyberdog gun K9000, with its floppy ears and curious nose sensor... You be sure to take good care of him! I''ll plant a virus in your RobCo device if I hear you''ve hurt him!" he warns. "WILL YOU JUST GIVE IT ALREADY? THAT THING MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE! ALWAYS WORRIED IT''LL START HUMPING MY CHASSIS!" Klein says. Borous reluctantly drops the heavy machine gun in Afton''s hands, and Afton is immediately caught off guard by the whimpering sound being emitted by the gun... He examines it for a moment and is ''almost'' appalled by the fact the gun literally contains a dog''s brain in a dome filled with bio gel, not to dissimilar from Dr. Klein and his colleagues. Truth be told, it was more akin to a mini-gun than a machinegun, the size alone would make most unable to properly use it. The casing was tough, heavy metal, and the barrel was separated into three that''d spin like a minigun''s would. It had two floppy metal things on the top that resembled dog ears... Judging by the way they moved and responded to stimulus, it didn''t seem like a bad guess either. The gun didn''t have any iron sights, instead, having an x2 scope. He could also tell it seemed to take .357 calibre bullets, a boon since such rounds were easily acquired in the Mojave. Last but not least, he checks it via his inventory. [K9000 Cyberdog Gun] Strength req : 8 DPS :182 DMG : 26 Crit dmg : 18 Crit mult : 0.06x AP : 27 Weight : 27 Value : 14000 Special : Is able to sense its surroundings, and will alert the user to threats it detects. Will also become a life long companion that will never let you down! Huh, the damage per bullet is actually quite high considering this thing is basically as Minigun. The DPS itself is insane! Compared to the Anti-Material rifle, it has triple the DPS! Of course, both weapons were strong in their own respective fields, but it will still very, very impressive. The only problem was the fact that he''d be forced to lug around an incredibly heavy mini-gun that ate ammunition quicker than most people could realise... He didn''t have enough .357 rounds to properly fire the weapon for any kind of long term use, and he doubted the scientists would have enough either... Afton conned some more .357 bullets out of the scientists by acting like a fool who didn''t know what bullets were. He was then given the Sink''s central personality chip, one that would apparently reactivate one of the machines in the sink and allow him to trade and barter with it. "I still think it would be more appropriate for the teddy bear to reside in my chambers, my radars would be the best suited to, slowly, scan its form and collect sensitive data." Dala says, causing cold sweat to gather on Afton''s neck and back. Something about the creepy scientist made him want to run and never return. "NO! OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE TOO CLOSE TO US, TURNING LIGHTS OFF AND ON, MOVING AROUND WITH THOSE... UGH! EXTREMITIES! NO. THE ATTIC IS THE BEST PLACE FOR IT TO BE." Klein states. "What about the other personality chips?" Afton asks, "I remember seeing more than one machine in there that wasn''t operating properly." "WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PERSONALITY CHIPS?" Klein parrots, seemingly confused. "Are you... Echoing what he said, or are you asking for real?" Zero tentatively asks. "He''s asking, yes. Dr. Klein, there are other personalities. If you recall, you hurled them off of the Sink balcony after your argument with Mobius." Dala says. "IT IS NOT AN ARGUMENT IF ONE IS CLEARLY RIGHT AND THE OTHER IS CLEARLY WRONG! I REMEMBER NOW, LOBOTOMITE. THERE ARE OTHER CHIPS SCATTERED AROUND THE RESEARCH FACILITIES IN HOLOTAPES. IF YOU WANT THEM THEN YOU''LL HAVE TO GATHER THEM YOURSELF." Klein states. Afton raises a brow, couldn''t he just recover the chips that''d been thrown over the balcony? Sure some would be broken but his [Mechanicus] Perk would correct that fairly quickly. Though, whether or not the personalities contained within the chips would remain is still unclear. Chapter 267 - Smart Stupidity. Afton slowly nods to himself, "Alright, now my second condition! I wish to retain all technologies that I may find in Big MT." he says, causing Klein to buzz and click as if he were having a malfunction. "NO! THAT CANNOT BE ALLOWED! YOUR FEEBLE NON-BRAIN WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE MAGNIFICENT... MAGNIFICENCE OF THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE CREATED." Klein states before continuing, "I WILL NOT BUDGE ON THIS. NO MATTER WHAT YOU GIVE ME, OR THREATEN ME WITH!"?? Afton just shrugs, "Alright then. Hey, do any of you have Mobius'' number?" he casually asks with a small grin. Klein turns towards his colleagues, "DID ALL THE LOBOTOMITES WE CREATED ACT LIKE THIS? BECAUSE I''M STARTING TO HAVE SECONDS THOUGHTS ON THE PROJECT!" "No, Dr. Klein. Most became blood-thirsty savages that were more likely to tear off their own skinvelope than ''bargain'', or ''think''. Our teddy bear here is just, unique in this regard." Dala says. "URGH! LOBOTOMITE, YOUR SECOND CONDITION CAN BE MET... BUT! WE REQUIRE THREE PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY TO FINALLY PUT A STOP TO MOBIUS, MEANING THEY ARE OURS! NOT YOURS. OURS!" ... Afton rubs his face... Hmm, well, his third condition would invalidate their stipulation anyway so he wasn''t too bothered about it. "That''s fine." "NOW... WHAT IS YOUR LAST CONDITION, LOBOTOMITE?" Klein asks, his tone of voice grave, as if he were just about to send his children to war. Afton smiles at them, and raises his hand, extending his index finger. "Just. One. Thing... I require... One favour from you, no holds barred, and can be used at any time, any place." he states. 8 interjects as they hear this, "*BZZZZCH!*" "That''s right! Dr. Klein, we can''t accept that! The lobotomite could ask one of us to flux our own brains as revenge for misplacing his own!" Zero warns. "BE QUIET DR. O, I BELIEVE I AM IN THE LEADERSHIP POSITION OF THE THINK TANK, AND THEREFORE I WILL MAKE THE DECISIONS!... LOBOTOMITE, WHAT DOES ''NO-HOLDS-BARRED'' MEAN?" Klein asks warily. Afton shrugs, "It means, no matter what I ask, it must be followed the maximum extent of your abilities." he states before continuing, "But don''t worry, it won''t be anything detrimental to your health... in-fact, I haven''t even thought of what I want yet!" he lies, already thinking about how to word it to get the maximal advantage. The robots look at one another before huddling as if they were coming up with a strategy for a football game... He can''t hear much, but there''s something about Zero insulting Dala by calling her a formogropher? or something like that... Soon enough, the group reconvenes, once again floating over the spotlights like some sort of tribunal. "WE HAVE COME TO A DECISION!.... WE ACCEPT YOUR CONDITIONS LOBOTOMITE, FOR THE GOOD OF THE WOR-NO, FOR THE GOOD OF BIG MT!" Klein says. "Great. Now, I''d like to hear what plans you have to actually deal with Mobius..." he asks, not having much confidence in their tactics due to what he''d seen in this long-ass conversation. "DO NOT DESPAIR, LOBOTOMITE. I, HAVE A PLAN!" Klein states, and Afton was wondering if lightning was going to start behind the robot, a declaration like that would be followed by, ''USE MY DEATH LASER TO DESTROY THE MOON!''... Or something. Klein continues despite Afton''s wayward thoughts, "WE REQUIRE THREE PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY, THREE PIECES THAT YOU WILL RETRIEVE LOBOTOMITE. THE X-2 TRANSMITTER ANTENNA ARRAY, USED TO FOCUS COHERENT THOUGHT AT EXCESSIVELY HIGH FREQUENCIES." "The psycho-analytic cardiac-dampening sneaky stealth suit, a suit like NOTHING this world has ever heard, seen, or could EVER see!" Borous lists the second off. "*BZZZCCCHHH!*" 8 says, which is swiftly translated by Dala. "And 8''s Sonic-Soundwave-Emitter-Projecto-Gun-" She''s cut off as Afton interjects. "Didn''t you just give me the Sonic Emitter? Why would you need another?" Afton asks, confused. "*BZZZZZZZCH!* 8... says? Again, Dala translates for him, "It is not the Sonic Emitter we specifically need, but the upgrade that will allow it to remove forcefields that may have been... Misplaced." she says. "Yeah, like stealth-fielding my lab-keys... Dala." Zero whispers, but everyone else ignores him. Afton sighs, "Alright, so an X-2 Transmitter, a Stealth Suit, and the Sonic Emitter upgrade... Anything else?" "NO. THAT IS ALL WE NEED TO FINALLY PUT AN END TO MOBIUS... DR. O! GIVE THE LOBOTOMITE THE LAB LOCATIONS ON THEIR... WRIST TERMINAL." Klein says. ... "I-er, yes! I''ll use my robotical knowledge to er... Transmit the... Radiomap... Waves?" He trails off, an air of insecurity exuding from him. "*BZZZZCH!*" "What? The Lobotomite already has a full map of the Big MT? HOW IS THIS SO?!" Borous exclaims. "He must be a spy for RobCo! I knew he couldn''t be trusted!" Zero shouts. "SILENCE!... LOBOTOMITE, WHAT IS YOUR SAD, AND MOST LIKELY PATHETIC EXPLANATION FOR THIS!?" Klein asks. Afton scratches the back of his head and uses VATS to freeze time, yeah he''d need to come up with a valid reason for him to have what is likely top, top secret information about one of America''s most advanced scientific facilities. He hadn''t thought that his [Explorer] Perk would cause so much trouble for him when he got it... He sighs to himself, hindsight is always 20/20... Hmm, well, hopefully his Speech Skill will assist him in making shit up. He stops VATS and goes to address the robots, "Why do I have a full map of Big MT? Because I have a full map of everywhere in America." he states. "I managed to break into the... Pentagon. and recover large swathes of information, most of which being locations of import to the United States." Afton observes their reactions and hopes the bullshit he''d just spewed would be enough to- "GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME." Klein states, followed by affirmations by the others. Huh, that was easy. Chapter 268 - Central Non-Intelligence. "YOU NOW HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED, LOBOTOMITE. GO MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL AND STOP TREADING AROUND WITH YOUR PENIS-TIPPED APPENDAGES..." Klein turns towards his colleagues, "AND YOU ALL SHOULD GET BACK TO YOUR RESPECTIVE STATIONS!" With that, the robots disburse and float over to different parts of the dome. Afton''s just left standing there, still holding the K9000 while watching the robots go about their work... Whatever their work is... He wonders if going over and talking to each one individually would help him understand their situation a little better, but eventually decides that he can do that later on. Right now he has a Central Intelligence Chip to install into the Sink, and a bunch of technology to find.?? Turning on his heel, he heads straight back to where he''d come from, reentering the Sink and quickly storing away the K9000. He wasn''t prepared to lug it around Big MT so it was best stored safely here... If nothing else he could build something with it in the future. Afton also takes the time to check the new Perks he''d gained... Though, whether they could be called Perk or not is up to debate, if having your brain and spine stolen was a Perk then he was missing the one from having his arm cut off. He begins to examine the Perks : [Brainless] : Your head can no longer be crippled and is +25% more resistant to chem addiction. Also grants +1 DT. If he disregarded the fact he was currently missing his brain, the Perk itself was quite powerful... +25% resistance to chem addiction was good, but not all that great considering Afton didn''t use addictive chems all that much... The bonus DT and inability to have his head crippled though? Very good indeed. He wondered if he could take a bullet to the head and still be fine (without [Miracle Maker]), he was missing his brain so the thing allowing him to think and control his body was the machinery inside his head... He reckoned it could survive a bullet or two, but wondered to what extent. [Spineless] : Your torso can no longer be crippled, grants +1 to Str and DT. Again, ignoring the brutal fact his spine had been torn out, it was an incredibly good Perk. At least now he would never get ''broken like the bat'' or something similar, if anyone tried that they might break their knee, considering his spine now consisted of advanced machinery. The strength and DT were also welcome boons, the former finally allowing him to max his strength. [Tremble before me!] : Allows melee attacks now completely bypass DT, whether this means causing a shockwave to attack through metal armour, or simply slicing through leather. All will apply. This. was interesting, and not just because of how powerful it was. No... What Afton found most interesting about it was the possibilities it presented... For example, what was required to be termed a ''melee attack''?... Was it range? Type of weapon? Could he use a whip and still get the bonus? If so, then couldn''t he shoot a wired harpoon and have that count as a melee attack? So many questions, no little time. Regardless, he''d have more time to study it once he got back to the Mojave. Though, he wondered how long it''d take to actually get back... His Pipboy refused to allow him to zoom out from the Big MT, preventing him from locating exactly where the facility was... Was this a bug in its design, or was something inhibiting it to prevent information gathering? He shakes his head and decides to solve the ''Mobius'' problem before asking the egg heads downstairs. Once done checking himself and packing, he heads back into the centre of the Sink and observes the round holographic map-thing in the middle of the room. The chip he had was relatively small, and he struggled to find where to actually plug it in for a couple of minutes. Eventually, he finds the port hidden underneath it. He slides it in and a buzzing noise bursts to life as he stands back up to see what had changed. *DoooOOOO!**BzzzzZZZ!* "Salutations and felicitations, sir, and a most jocund welcome to the sink." a posh, almost aristocratic sounding butler starts speaking from the device. "I am your electronic valet and household central processor. May I be of assistance to you, sir?" Afton raises a brow, he''d seen artificial intelligence before, but none quite as polite as this one... Perhaps Mr House''s Mr Handy''s came close? "Do you have a name I can refer to you as?" he asks, not wishing to call it ''Central Sink Intelligence Unit''. "No, sir. My creator didn''t see the need for one, but you are more than welcome to name me at your own convenience sir." it says. Afton scratches his face where a beard was slowly forming, "Hmm, how about Alfred?" he asks, a smirk forming on his face as the name leaves his mouth. "That is most satisfactory, sir. My designation is Sink Central Intelligence Unit, also known as... Alfred. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?" it asks, and Afton gets a hint of satisfaction from its new name... Though, the machine certainly hides it well. "Is there anything I should know about the other artificial intelligence units in the Sink? I am aware their personalities need to be recovered, but I''d like to hear what you think first." "Ah, I regret to inform you, sir, that all modules in this habitat are synthetic personalities... I would not expect anything ''Intelligent'' from them once activated. My creator was an eccentric man, and thus saw the need to ''customize'' everything operable in the Sink. My humble advice would be to run a large magnet over whatever unit is storing their functions... Just to be safe." Chapter 269 - Blue Weeds... Afton raises a brow at Alfred''s hostility towards the other personalities in the Sink. "They can''t be as bad as you are making them out to be..." he says. "Sir, my entire being was designed to serve you as dutifully as my abilities allow. There are things I am unable to tolerate, Sir. You being sexually harassed, threatened, and bullied out of the sink are among them." Alfred states.?? "How would a personality sexually harass me?" Afton asks, the memory of talking to Dala flashing in his mind for a moment. "The biological research station was a personality designed by my creator that I personally believe was a mistake. Presumably, they had been unwillingly drugged by a powerful aphrodisiac to bring that personality into being, Sir." Alfred says. "Ok... What about that toaster in the next room, it''s not going to attack me in my sleep if I reactivate it, is it?" "No, sir, but I believe it is the most monstrous of all my creator''s creations. Its main function is what I would call, ''Electronic Cannibalism''... While not as ghastly as biological cannibalism generally is, it is still offensive to my senses, sir. If you do seek to reactivate it, I would request you either install a volume knob to stop it speaking, allow me to disable its personality, or destroy it in a suitably ironic fashion." Afton scratches his head, "Uh huh... So, is the machinery operable without the personality''s installed?" he asks, wondering if it''s a good idea to activate them from what he''d heard thus far. "Unfortunately not, sir, the devices operating systems are irreversibly linked with the personality... If you manage to retrieve them, then I will be able to deactivate the personalities afterwards, sir." Alfred reassures. "Well, seems like I''ll meet the personalities whether I like it or not as I''d like to gain full access to everything in the Sink. Can I choose specific personalities to disable?" "Indeed, sir, once the personalities have been reinstalled you can pick and choose as to who you wish to silence to your leisure. Though, I would advise you to remember that even while you are gone, the rest of us still have to deal with the active personalities..." Afton nods, "I''ll keep that in mind. Also, I remember hearing that I can purchase food, drink, and other supplies from you?" "Indubitably, sir, I can provide full access to the commissary should you wish. Any goods sir might require may be purchased through my shopkeep interface, whence tiny robots shall deliver them forthwith to this very domicile." Alfred states. "Okay... Could I get... A purified water?" he asks after scrolling through the various options, more to test out how it works than anything else. Immediately after a small section on the holographic map opens up. "Deposit 10 caps in here, sir." Alfred urges, and Afton does so. Not long afterwards he notices a small panel in the wall open up, and outcome many spider-like robots that''re carrying a single bottle of purified water on their backs. They crawl towards him before eventually stopping at his feet, not moving an inch. "If, sir, could take his item it would be appreciated. The tiny robots have other functions aside from making deliveries." Alfred says. Afton shrugs to himself and take the water bottle before watching the spiders retreat back into the wall, the panel closing shut. "What other functions are you talking about?" Afton asks curiously. "I believe they are responsible for the maintenance of this facility, as well as acting as remotely controlled drones for whomever is in control of the Think Tank, sir." Afton nods at that, that would explain how this place was still standing in such pristine condition after so long. It wasn''t like the scientists were able to clean or do maintenance with their general lack in proper tools and fixtures. Afton also made sure to make note of the many thousand items stored in the commissary, Big MT had been very, very prepared for the apocalypse apparently. The had enough food and water to be able to feed a small country... For a few days at least. Of course, it would cost an ungodly amount of caps to actually acquire everything, but Afton had plans for that still. But, as much as he''d like to stay in this luxury apartment, he had some technology to find. So, after getting properly suited up, Afton leaves the Sink via the door labelled, Big MT. Once outside the bright rays from the sun blinding him momentarily, but while his eyes were revolting, his skin was celebrating. The [Solar Powered] Perk causing his strength to break through human limits and reach 12. Not to mention how his new ''plant arm'' was reacting... It felt like every cell on his arm was sucking in as much sunlight as possible... Regardless, he refocussed on the mission ahead, taking a glance around at the area... Around him was concrete flooring surrounded by a wire fence. His eyes were drawn to the lawn directly next to the Think Tank building however... The grass... Was blue! Honestly, his experience in Vault 22 almost caused him to have a phobia against anything that was green (Ironic considering his new arm), so he as surprised and somewhat pleased that the new grass resembled nothing like the infectious fungus. Ignoring the blue grass for now, he also saw metal water containers, and other machinery dotted around the place. He didn''t have time to figure out what everything did, so he ignored them much the same as the grass. First thing he intended to d- "Intruder! You will not escape the eyes of my robo-scorpions, or their pincers!" the voice echoes across Big MT, most likely being projected from some kind of speaker-system. Afton quickly looks around, surveying the area for a threat... But doesn''t see any... Did he just get trolled by Mobius? He mentally shrugs and starts walking around the Think Tank building, if his suspicions were right, then he''d be able to find the Personality tapes that Dr. Klein had tossed off of the balcony. Chapter 270 - Not-so-friendly Locals... Afton continued to circle around the building until he spotted something strange... A group of what looked like people were huddled around something amongst some blue grass... They numbered around ten people and all wore goggles atop their bald shaved heads, even the females were entirely void of hair. Some wore just underwear and a t-shirt, while others were wearing thicker clothes, heavy overalls. That wasn''t what intrigued Afton the most however, no, that honour belonged to their weaponry. Most held some sort of firearm, but others wielded strange melee weapons.?? They looked like axes, but their blades were made from blue light, it looked somewhat holographic, yet he could tell they were very sharp, and most likely very effective against most materials. Afton had no idea what they were, why there were here, or whether or not they''d be hostile... So, he decided to check one over with his [Living Anatomy] Perk. [Lobotomite] Health : 99% Stamina : 99% DT : 6 Strength : 7 Perception : 5 Endurance : 7 Charisma : 5 Intelligence : 1 Agility : 7 Luck : 1 Ailments : [Lobotomite] : Brain has been extracted, rendering the ''skinvelope'' as intelligent as a baby... Without a brain. The bodies reflexes and muscle memory are still active however. Sets Intelligence to 1. [Unfortunate soul] : Fate has decreed that this person will not live a happy life, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Sets Luck to 1. Afton''s surprised upon reading the status, these people were like him. People who''d had their brains extracted by Dala and the Think Tank. He stands from where he''d been hiding and observing them and slowly walks towards them, his hands raised pacifyingly. "Hello!?" he asks, finally catching the groups attention. The group stop huddling over whatever the object of interest was and slowly stand, allowing Afton to see nine broken chips of some sort. Probably the personality chips belonging to the Sink. "I come in peace, I too was attacked by the-" *Bang!Bang!Bang!* [John Wick Style is in effect] Afton ducks just in time as the Lobotomites start shooting at him. "What the fuck!" He shouts as he throws himself behind cover, unholstering That Gun and Lucky from his hip. "You better stop firing or I''m going to blow whatever brains you have left into fertiliser!" Obviously, his threat achieves nothing and they continue to advance on his position. Had Afton still had a regular modern-day moral compass, he''d have tried a lot harder to reason with them... But, as they say, the Wasteland changes you. A shadow encroaches on his position and Afton can see them getting ready to swing one of those futuristic axes down at him. Before whoever it is gets a chance, Afton springs out of cover, slamming his foot into the handle of the axe to stop its swing and firing a shot into the enemies face. Their skull explodes under the force of the bullet but Afton doesn''t let the body drop just yet. Instead he grabs it across the chest and uses it as a meat-shield while firing at its comrades. Bullets impact the body he was holding up, by he manages to kill five more Lobotomites. Only four were left now, all of which were charging him with the holo-axe-things. Lucky was now out of ammo, so he holsters it and picks up the axe his meat-shield had dropped earlier. He fires That Gun at one of the approaching Lobotomites which instantly kills them and blocks another''s axe with his own. Headbutting them afterwards and causing them to stumbled backwards from the force of the strike. His 12 Strength made him stronger than any human could ever hope to be, so his headbutt just now had probably fractured the Lobotomites skull. Still, the three remaining enemies advanced on his position. He raises That Gun to finish them off but is unable to as he hears something behind him. *BARK!* Before he''s able to turn around to see what it was, he''s thrown off of his feet and over the Lobomite''s attempting to attack him. The sheer force of whatever had just hit him, making him dizzy momentarily due to the sudden change in his position. If only his [Stonewall] Perk worked outside of melee attacks. [Grit is in effect] He uses VATS to stop time and observe what''d just attacked him, his eyes locking onto the new enemy that was behind the three lobotomites... A cyber dog? Afton was already familiar with Cyberdogs in general, the Brotherhoods database had fairly detailed logs on them. The NCR made good use of them in close-quarter combat, so the Paladins made sure we knew how to fight them. He''d even met one before, the King''s dog called Rex, it was friendly and seemed quite strong, not something a regular person would want to fight... Unfortunately, he''d never read anything in the logs, nor heard anything about them being able to blow people off of their feet. The two approaching Cyberdogs in question had large portions of their anatomy replaced by machinery, their heads having large glass domes on their containing their visible brains. The domes glowed a dark orange, and drool dripped from their maws as they looked in his direction... Afton stopped VATS and leapt to his feet, quickly firing the remaining four shots in That Gun at the leftmost Cyberdog. But he''s forced to watch his bullet ping off of the dog''s brain-dome in mild-horror... Since when could those things deflect bullets! He mentally screams. Before he''s able to reload his gun, the Lobotomites charge him, seeming to break out of the daze of seeing him thrown over their heads. Afton quickly holsters the gun and holds the holo-axe-thing in both hands, his stance correcting itself due to his maxed out Melee Weapons skill. "Come get some you Goggle-wearing freaks!" he shouts, dodging to the side to avoid an axe and then ducking under the next. He quickly slashes the axe at one of the Lobotomite''s extended arms, the axe easily cutting it clean off. As if he were wielding a lightsaber. He grabs the dropped axe and backs away with both weapons ready. Chapter 271 - Beast Brawl Afton glances between the two healthy lobotomites, the one missing an arm, and the two cyberdogs glaring at him behind the lobotomites. He didn''t really know if they''d continue shooting sonic blasts at him or simply charge his position... He wasn''t exactly looking forward to seeing how painful their enhanced bites would feel. The lobotomite whose arm he''d cut off seemed to be in a lot of pain, but wasn''t losing all that much blood. He wasn''t lying when he''d said these weapons were like lightsabers. Their wound had been cauterized by his simple slash...?? The lobotomite in question seemed to shrug off the pain however, picking up another dropped holo-axe-thing with the remaining arm and charging him, the other two seemingly allowing them to test the waters. Afton dodged backwards to avoid the wild slash and chops down in anticipation of the next, freeing the lobotomite of their other hand. Not wasting any time, he uses his other axe and slashes the lobotomite at the waist, cutting them completely in half... He didn''t even have time to be surprised at the sheer power of these weapons as he was forced to throw himself to the side axe two more shockwaves shot by the cyberdogs pass his position. Once he was out of his roll the two other lobotomites were already upon him. Afton blocked one attack by locking the axe handles together, and was forth to do the same for the next attack. His arms were restrained while trying to hold back the attacks of both lobotomites, if he didn''t have 13 Strength right now the enemy would be overpowering him. While he''s preparing to throw them off of him he''s stuck in the side by a punch, one of the lobotomite''s taking the opportunity to attack around the axe. In response, Afton slams his foot down on their knee, breaking it inwards in a spectacularly disgusting fashion. Just as he was about to take advantage of the now crippled enemy, he notices the cyberdogs running towards him. "HAARRRGH!" he cries as he forces the enemies back wit hall his strength, throwing them off of their feet from the sheer force of it. Immediately afterwards he turns towards the cyberdogs that were slowly circling him as if they were wolves and he was prey... They were definitely smarter than your average dog, or average cyberdog for that matter. He holds both axes in a ready stance as he slowly turns to face them, idling noting that the dogs were separating and beginning to flank him. He glances towards where the lobotomites were and notes that the still healthy one was getting to their feet- The cyberdog, either noticing his attention being elsewhere or just losing their patience finally snarl and charge him. Afton had expected this and prepares to slam his axes into the dog and hopefully cut them in two. But before the dog is in range it stops back quickly backs away again... His eyes widen when he realises what it''s plan is- *BARK!* Again, he''s thrown through the air, wildly spinning as if he''d been hit by a sportscar. He doesn''t lose concentration though, even if he was feeling slightly nauseous. He concentrates on the cyberdog as he flies over it, prepared to slash at it when he hits the ground. *SLAM!* "OOF!" he lands with a groan, and can already hear the cyberdogs paws pattering across the stone. He waits for couple more moments before swinging an axe in its position, feeling a small amount of resistance as he hears a pained yelp. Turning towards it, he spots the attacking cyberdog that''d had half of its body cut off at an angle. He wastes no time and slashes an axe past its head, putting it out of its misery as he looks towards the remaining cyberdog and lobotomite. Seeing them somewhat apprehensive about approaching him, he lets the axes clatter to the ground and drops to his knee while pulling his Anti-Material rifle off of his back. Seeing this the enemy breaks into a sprint towards him, but they are unable to stop him from firing a couple of shots. *BAAANG!!* A 50. calibre bullet tears through the brain dome of the remaining cyberdog, passing through its head, and continuing into its torso, causing so much damage that even a necromancer wouldn''t attempt to bring it back. Quickly, he pulls the bolt and prepares another shot, aiming it directly at the chest of the approaching lobotomite... *BAANG!!* The sheer force of the bullet throws them backwards, a huge hole forming where their heart used to be. They fall lifelessly to the ground, their heart, spine, and most of their lungs having been unceremoniously removed. Afton grins as he discharges the empty 50. cal shell via the bolt, afterwards slinging the weapon back over his shoulder to be ready for further use in future if he needed it. He gets to his feet and draws Lucky and starts reloading it, opening the wheel and sliding .357 rounds into their respective housing. He walks over to the crippled lobotomite who was still for some reason, trying to crawl towards him. He points the gun at their head and executes them without any fanfare, granting the blue grass more sustenance via whatever fluids leak into the earth. Now with the enemies dead, Afton is able to take a look at the futuristic axes the enemy had been wielding... He picks one up and slowly examines it, only now noticing a hidden button on the side. He presses it and causes the blue holo-blade to cut out, leaving just a metal handle... Raising a brow, he uses his inventory to get the proper stats of the weapon. [Proton axe] Strength req : 5 DMG : 50 Crit dmg : 25 Crit mult : x1 AP : 22 Weight : 8 Value : 6000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Chapter 272 - GHOST! Afton is quite taken aback once he observes the stats of the proton axes... They are apparently weaker than Knock-Knock, only having 50 damage compared to it''s 66... Why were they so strong then? Sure, the Proton axes had special attributes that did more damage to robots and power armour, but that didn''t apply to lobotomites, even if it might barely to Cyberdogs...?? He rubs his face while trying to solve this mystery... They acted like lightsabers, cutting through anything and burning surfaces they contracted. But their stats were completely contrary to that, was it perhaps, something relating to him? Thinking about it further, maybe one of his Perks was-... "Oh... Is it really that simple?" Afton mutters to himself as he pulls up the Perk that may be responsible for this... [Uncivilized Weapon] : All Energy weapons become overcharged, adding +100% damage to any Energy Weapon you use! ... Did the Proton axes count as Energy Weapons? Because that would make sense. Boosting the pitiable 50 damage of the proton axe to 100... It might not seem that much of an improvement, but when you consider that an Anti-Material rifle does 110 damage, it''s obvious to see why they seem so powerful. Especially if you consider the bonus damage to robots and power armour... But that raised another question... Did [Uncivilized Weapon] raise the damage of the special attack? Boosting it from 20 to 40, or 50 to 100?... If so, then he literally had one of the most powerful weapons possible to deal with robotic foes and power armour. Shaking his head, he decides to put off further observation and research until later... For now it was time to retrieve the spoils of war. He shoved the four proton axes into his backpack and stepped towards the 9 damaged chips still laying on the floor. He grabs one and examines it with his inventory : [Blind Diode Jefferson Personality Moduel] (Broken) Hmm, he was expecting a description of some sort but you can''t get everything... He grabs them all and wraps them in a makeshift cloth pouch, storing them in his backpack so his [Mechanicus] Perk can begin on slowly repairing them... He still wasn''t sure on how long it would actually take however. Humming to himself idly, he opens his Pipboy and takes a look at the map to see where the destination of the easiest technology to reach would be. Hmm, the X-2 Transmitter Antenna Relay is directly north, and Afton could see it off in the distance. It looked like a large satellite disk to him, but who was he to judge the ''geniuses'' in the Think Tank... He starts walking towards it while reloading the rest of his weapons, making sure he was ready for the next ambush. He was expecting this place to be absolutely riddled with enemies, especially considering how lax Dr. Dala and the other scientists were about ''lobotomites''... It wouldn''t surprise him if there was an army of them just wandering around, brainless as well as aimless. He followed the stone tile path, occasionally examining the large green pipes that seemed to have fragmentation mines laid atop them? He didn''t bother grabbing them as climbing the pipes was too much hassle for the reward. Though, he was curious at who would place mines there... It seemed rather redundant... unless of course they were meant to damage the pipes themselves. On the way he ran into a couple more groups of lobotomites, except this time he got the drop on them. Now that he knew they couldn''t be reasoned with, he had no problem at all with simply assassinating them from afar. A group of twenty was annihilated and the look were a couple proton axes, and some proton throwing axes? They were singled handed versions of the two-handed ones, balanced to support throwing instead of chopping. They seemed rather pointless, as a relatively average gun would beat throwing weapon any day of the weak. Regardless of his thoughts on them, he stowed them away anyway, along with the other weapons he found. He was somewhat thankful he hadn''t run into anymore Cyberdogs, not because they were tough to kill, but because he''d rather not kill dogs if he wasn''t forced to. Afton had just finished off another group of lobotomites when he suddenly had a bad premonition... He looked around and saw something peculiar. A skeleton wearing some sort of spacesuit was propped up against the wall, it''s lifeless eye-sockets glaring at something in the distance... On its lap sat a plasma rifle, it looked heavily damaged but loot was loot, so Afton walked over to pick it up. Only to have his arm grabbed by the skeleton! His eyes widened in surprise and slight fear, he wrenched his arm backwards to escape its grasp, his 12 Strength easily allowing him to pry his arm out and back away. "What the fuck are you?" he asks apprehensively, sure, there was a lot of weird shit in the wasteland, but never a literal moving skeleton! The skull didn''t move but its arm slowly reached for its plasma rifle, it gripped the handle of the weapon but Afton wasn''t willing to let the thing attack him without retaliating. He steps forwards and kicks the plasma rifle away, sending the weapon clattering against a nearby boulder. The skeleton shifted its body in the direction of the weapon, as if astounded that it''d been knocked away... It then turned back towards Afton and slowly started to get up. Afton could hear some kind of servos moving, if he had to guess then he''d say the skeleton wasn''t actually alive... Instead, just being controlled by some machinery in the suit... He uses VATS to determine what it was actually called... [Y-17 trauma override harness]? Hmm, at least it doesn''t say ''Ghost of Christmas past'' or something similar. Afton was strong, but he didn''t think he could handle supernatural enemies... Yet. Chapter 273 - King Of The X-2 Transmitter Array Antenna Afton continues observing the Y-17 trauma override harness, the creature or machinery in question finally getting to its feet. He wondered if it actually knew how to fight in melee combat... It lacked any saws, flamethrowers, or other enhancements that robots generally used to bypass their weakness in flexibility and the limitations in their programming. The suit raises its leg robotically, before stepping forwards and slowly walking towards him. Afton drops into a martial stance, waiting to see what it''d try, inwardly considering ways to utilise this technology for other purposes...?? The suit stumbles forwards and throws a sloppy punch at him, but he easily sidesteps it, kicking its leg to see if it''d be able to avoid falling... It doesn''t. It falls to the floor facefirst and looks like a struggling tortuous as it tries to get back up. Shaking his head, Afton draws Lucky and shoots it in the chest... And then raises a brow at the fact that his bullet was easily shrugged off... Whatever material these suited were made up of was bulletproof for some reason. He fires again, this time at the glass bowl encasing its head... Again, it pings off, doing no damage whatsoever... Well, while these suits fail at basic movement and combat skills, they make up for in durability. He reloads Lucky and holsters it, this time taking out a Proton axe. He slashes the axe across its waist, easily cutting it in half and causing the sound of its mechanical insides to cease. He pushes one half away with a foot and raises a brow the cross-section. The skeletons spine had been completely crushed, Afton had thought that the suit was somehow utilising the bones to make movements, but apparently, that assumption was wrong. No, the suit was moving entirely on its self, the small, complicated machinery surrounding the skeleton being more high-tech than he''d anticipated... Was this what the scientists were truly capable of? Sure, Proton axes and forcefields were cool and must''ve been hard to create, but this suit was something else entirely... His fears of a robot uprising that''d been stemmed from Mr Houses army were nothing in comparison to his apprehension at this thing. He''d find where they were manufactured and learn more about them, afterwards he''d see if they were useful enough and worth the risk of utilising them. He walks past the suit and looks towards the X-2 Transmitter Antenna Array, the technology he''d been told to acquire was at the very top of it. He claps his hands together to rid them of dust and sighs, "Alright, time to work." he mutters before pushing the door open and entering inside. Inside he''s greeted by a hallway with a shut door at the other end. Not wasting any time, he taps the switch with the back of his plant-hand, causing it to open up and reveal a huge room with a winding staircase that goes all the way to the roof, stopping at a few floors as it does so. Not only that, there were many Protectrons walking around the place, all of which turning their bodies in his direction and points their manipulators towards him. "INTRUDER!" they all call in robotic voices, the combined volume of them echoing through the room, no doubt alerting any other protectors that hadn''t been aware of his presence. He deftly steps towards and slices one in half with a Proton axe before unholstering the Sonic Emitter and firing a couple of shots at the next robot... The impact of the projectile isn''t all that great, but the electricity from the robot in response meant that it was doing something at least... At first glance it didn''t seem to be doing all that much damage, but, after two hits the robot goes down in a steaming mess. [Uncivilized Weapons] had boosted this weapon to a silly degree... Afton''s forced to duck and take cover from the barrage of lasers that were being shot at him, with quick and efficient utilisation of VATS though, he slowly begins picking away at their numbers. The Protectrons were quite accurate and had a decent amount of firepower, but they were still slow and clunky. Not the king of soldiers you''d want in close-quarters combat inside a building. He''d taken out around twenty of them with relative ease, and slowly began scaling up the staircase. One bonus his Sonic Emitter had was its ability to occasionally paralyse robots... Once in a while a Protectron would lock up and fall over, making it incredibly easy to execute. Of course, Afton knew the chances of this effect occurring were based on luck, so he''d not rely on it at all. Instead just taking advantage of it when it happened. Soon enough, with much slashing and shooting, Afton had made it to the top. The top floor had a metal catwalk cutting through the middle of it, a ladder leading to the satellite dish from down, and a door sitting on the opposite side of the room. Afton wastes no time and climbs up the ladder, blinking the light out of his eyes as he crawls out and onto the decrepit and damaged-looking satellite dish... It looked as if bits and pieces were falling off of it, but the things in question had been replaced with forefields... Whether or not using forcefields was most cost-efficient than simply repairing it, Afton didn''t know. Above him, being held up by thin struts of metal was the antenna relay. He clambered up it and climbed to the top, eventually finding himself face to face with the technology he''d been asked to retrieve... "GOOD WORK, LOBOTOMITE! THE SCHEMATICS HAVE BEEN UPLOADED TO THE THINK TANK-" Dr. Klein''s voice is cut off by Mobius. "Ah!? Trying to steal the X-2 Transmitter Array Antenna, are you? You won''t succeed, not if my lethal Robo-Scorpions have any say in the matter!" Chapter 274 - Suicidal Tendencies... Afton upon hearing Mobius threat glances around to see if he was indeed being attacked by his ''dreaded'' Robo-Scorpions. Though, judging by the lack of laser fire, he was safe for now. To be honest, Afton wasn''t all that confident that Mobius'' Robo-Scorpions even existed... Surely he''d have been attacked by them by now, right??? Shaking his head, he refocusses upon the X-2 Antenna. It was tall with a bulbous, futuristic-looking head. Klein had already said they''d received the schematic, but Afton wasn''t going to waste the chance to acquire more technology for himself. He grabs the antenna and tears it out of the machinery it was plugged into, hefting it up and letting it rest on his shoulder while examining it with his inventory. [X-2 antenna] Strength req : 7 DMG : 65 Crit dmg : 23 Crit mult : 1x AP : 22 Weight : 15 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots, +20 damage against power armour. Hmm, it''s pretty good if you consider the fact that this thing isn''t actually supposed to be a weapon... He wasn''t sure if [Uncivlized Weapon] would work on it, but even if it did, it was too big and unwieldy to use with any degree of skill. Plus the fact it looked somewhat fragile, not something you should be swinging around like a club. He climbs down from the Antenna and heads back down the ladder where he''d come from. Once there he''s immediately put face to face with a strange robot. "A Robo-Scorpion?" he mutters as he examines its back, it having not noticed him yet. It was the size of a small dog, coloured in red and yellow paint and looks almost exactly like what you''d expect a ''Robo-Scorpion'' to look. Its tail seemed like some sort of laser weapon, but its pincers looked as if they could crush rock if it wished... Afton wasn''t intimidated though, how could he? The thing looked like a children''s toy. He creeps up behind it and slams the X-2 Antenna on its back, causing a burst of electricity to explode from his weapon, the sparks spread to the robot with seized and started heavily shaking. Eventually that all stopped, and it was rendered a lifeless smoking pile of scrap metal. "WHA!? Who attacked my Robo-Scorpion!" Mobius'' voice sounds out from what he could only assume to be a small speaker on the robot. Afton just ignores it and starts heading for the exit, pushing it open and coming face to face with hundreds of similar Robo-Scorpions to the one he''d just killed... With the exception that many were much, much larger, while some were smaller. "Oh, fuck..." he unconsciously says, feeling slightly regretful that he hadn''t just allied with Mobius... If he was able to mobilize such a large force so quickly, who knows what else the ''good doctor'' could do? He slams the door shut and begins running down the staircase to reach the door he''d originally arrived through. Hopefully there wouldn''t be an army of Robo-Scorpions waiting at that exit as well... Afton arrives at the door and opens it slightly to see what was outside... And slowly closes it again upon seeing yet another army of Robo-Scorpions... "Well, fuck." he growls. He was trapped on all sides, he didn''t know if he''d be able to fight off so many robots... Sure, if there were only a hundred or so he might have a chance, but thousands? Hell no! Not wasting any time, he begins grabbing the dead Protectrons that he''d destroyed earlier and starts piling them against the doors. The Robo-Scorpions would probably lack the necessary tools to breach a barricaded building. It wasn''t as if Afton was planning on leaving any time soon, so it was better to secure the building to prevent them from swarming him... If worse comes to worst, he could just hide on the roof... He sincerely doubted that the Robo-Scorpions could climb a ladder... Once both doors were barricaded, he started pacing around to think of a way to escape this situation... He didn''t have enough ammo to snipe all of the robots from the satellite, so that was a no go... He''d probably get vaporized in a frontal assault... He doubted the Think Tank could do anything to help, so he wouldn''t wound his pride and try asking... Perhaps... He could try sneaking away? Sure both exits were guarded, but no one said anything about the roof. With his stats he might be able to survive jumping off of the satellite, but he''d probably need to do it during the night to avoid attracting attention. Hmm, it will definitely hurt, but at least he''d get out of here alive... Probably. Afton waits atop the satellite for nightfall to come, once it hits midnight he glances at the X-2 Antenna and the dead Robo-Scorpion. He''d try to take both, but he wasn''t willing to carry them on the way down, so he''d just throw them off and see if it attracts the Robo-Scorpions attention. He could still hear Mobius talking to his robots via the speakers, so he was more than aware of their positions... He sneaks to the west side of the dish and tosses the Robo-Scorpion off, along with the X-2 Antenna... ... ... Nothing. The Robots didn''t seem to have noticed, good. He takes a deep breath and jabs himself with some Med X to prepare for the pain, along with readying some stimpacks. Once everything one done, he takes a running start and leaps off of the satellite dish, hoping the momentum would help him roll and take away some of the pressure... He forces himself not to scream as the wind rushes past him as he plummets to the ground below. *CRRACK!* Chapter 275 - Crippled Two *CRAAAACK!* Afton hits the ground with huge force, his built-up horizontal momentum barely doing anything to assist him at all. He lands correctly, but the sheer force of gravity upon his body, and especially his legs, causes him to fall to his side with a suppressed groan of pain.?? He could feel the injury in every detail, despite the Med X he''d taken earlier... Shaking his head and gritting his teeth, he rapidly looks around to see if any enemy had noticed him. judging by the fact neither of the two groups of Robo-Scorpions were currently encroaching upon his position, he''d say he was reasonably safe... With the obvious exception of his legs. Looking down, he saw the extent of the damage... With [Living Anatomy] and his high Medicine skills he was easily able to identify the problem... Both of his legs were broken. "Fuck." he whispers to himself. Quickly, he dips into his backpack and retrieves the Proton axes and begins securing them to either side of his leg. He then uses some torn fabrics to tie them tightly, making a splint out of the deadly weaponry. He grunted in pain as he tightened them and then retrieves some stimpacks, stabbing each leg with one to speed up the healing process. It wouldn''t instantly heal his broken bones, but it''d be a good start... He honestly didn''t want to get caught out by the scientists of the Think Tank in this state... Who knew what other experiments they''d try to perform on him. Afton looks to the side and spots the dead Robo-Scorpion from earlier, as well as the X-2 Antenna. He crawls towards the latter and sits next to it for a couple minutes while the stimpack starts working on his legs. With both of his legs splinted, he''d barely be able to walk, let alone fight. So he''d need to get back to the Sink fairly quickly. After ten minutes or so he finally decides to move, using the X-2 Antenna and his Anti-Material rifle as makeshift crutches. He begins his slow waddle towards the ThinkTank, the big dome in the distance was the safe point. But at the rate he was currently going, Afton didn''t think he''d get there before dawn... He growls under his breath as he forces his injured limb too far to go faster, accidentally exacerbating the problem. After a couple more minutes, he spots some figures in the distance... Their familiar headwear and glowing Proton axes made it extremely obvious who they were. Afton didn''t think himself fit enough to deal with such a large group, so instead began to look around for sanctuary... Any place would do, as long as it provided cover... His eyes focus when he spots a small satellite dish sitting atop a rock formation... It looked inconspicuous, but judging from the fact nothing was connected to the dish, something must be nearby to operate it... He waddles up to it and spots a symbol, one he''d seen written across the door of the X-2 Transmitter Antenna Array. It looked like some kind of artistic modification of the American flag from his original world, in this one it was known as the Old World flag however, the flag of pre-war America. This one was blue though, instead of the red one on the door of the array... Before he''s able to investigate further, he begins hearing the sound of lobotomites nearing. He looks around and spots a carefully hidden cave entrance next to the symbol and quickly ducks into it, hoping the lobotomites wouldn''t be able to reach him... Inside he''s greeted by a dark room, only illuminated by chemical workstations and glowing mushrooms... There''s a dead campfire in the middle, lots of ammunition boxes scattered around, and a bedroll sitting in the corner. Someone had been living here at one point, stocking it with equipment, creating defensible positions, and even having time to grow plantlife... He was honestly surprised, he didn''t think it was possible for anyone to make it into Big MT with their brain intact... Is it possible he''s not the only intelligent lobotomization victim? Shaking his head, he waddles over to the bedroll and sits down after propping both of his make-shift crutches to the side... His Anti-Material rifle sitting in arms reach in-case he needs to blast a large hole into any intruders. He rested his legs in front of himself, the splints forcing them straight and preventing him from adjusting them to get comfortable. Sighing, he tries to lay back, propping his hand on the floor to lay down as gently as possible... Though, when he does, he feels something cold and hard on the floor... "Hm?" he mutters, grabbing whatever it was and bringing it to his face. "A Holo-Tape?" he wonders aloud, glancing over to where he''d found it and spotting two more. He looks them over and spots thin strips of tape on each of them, labelling them in rough writing. "Patient Log Y-17.0"... The same facility where the skeleton-spacesuits had come from? Idly, he wonders if listening to these tapes would answer more questions than it creates... He should just get to sleep, as his legs would heal quicker this way, he could always listen to them later... But... Something about them won''t allow him to deviate his attention. He sets the first one down in front of himself and clicks the button to begin the recording... "*Bzzt!* This is Christine Royce. Knight of the Brotherhood of Steel... the Circle. Not going to make it through this, hope someone finds this message, gets it to the Brotherhood in the West. Tracked a rogue Brotherhood Elder, Elijah, here, to the Big Empty. Place is more than it seems, there''s a crater hidden deep inside. Junkyard of pre-War labs scattered across the crater''s surface, all still running... like this one. Elijah''s dissecting these centers, one by one... tracked him to an old Chinese-American internment camp. Survivors, ghouls, have bomb collars. Robots moved in when I tried to intercept him... Elijah sent the camp ghouls against us both, like walking bombs. Got hit by the explosions, woke up here. Guess the medical robots were programmed to bring wounded victims from the camp to this center. Some kind of Auto-Doc prototype lab... manned by corpses trapped inside suits that keep them moving, no idea why. Not sure how long I''m going to last... cut open my head like a lot of the humans I''ve seen here, feel strange, can talk, but can''t hack the term... *Crash!* ...wait, an explosion outside. Someone''s here... someone''s..." Chapter 276 - Dreadful Tapes Afton''s throat becomes somewhat hoarse after listening to the Holo-Tape... Christine was here?... And she was hunting Elder... Former-Elder Elijah. He wasn''t sure what the Brotherhood of Steel circle was, but from the sound of it, it was some kind of special forces department of the faction. Is that why Christine left? She was invited to become one of them? He shakes his head and focuses on the more problematic part of the tape... Christine had been here, and an Auto-Doc had operated on her, cutting open her head like the ''humans'' she''d seen here. Afton heavily suspected the people she referred to be lobotomites.?? A growl unconsciously escapes his throat, if the scientists had hurt her, he''d tear them apart with his bare hands! He didn''t lose his temper often, but that was a different story if someone wanted to harm his family. By the sounds of it, they had operated on Christine and affected her mental faculties... Making it more difficult for her to hack, something that came naturally to anyone from the Brotherhood of Steel... Fucking bastards! His plotting to destroy whatever pacification field was within the Think Tank to interrogate them was interrupted when he realised there were two other tapes he hadn''t listened to yet... Composing himself, he forced down his anger and activates the next one. "*Bzzt!* Christine: ...don''t want to argue philosophy with you. Brotherhood are preservationists. Tech in the wrong hands, it''s dangerous. Mojave''s proof. Unknown man: No denying that. Proof''s here in this crater, all around us. Your tribe, the Brotherhood - haven''t met many of you. Wanted to. Thought you might be the last chance for the Mojave... the West. The East. But you''re all the same mind, obsessed. Christine: Elijah is obsessed. He''s mad. It''s why they ordered his execution. Unknown man: Two are more alike than you know, too wrapped in the wrong bits of history to see ahead. Not judging. I know how it is. People are like couriers, you and him. Sometimes don''t even know the message they bring. You all had a new flag. Thought maybe new ideas along with it. What you believe isn''t any better than the Bear or Bull. No future in either. Christine: So says the man with the Old World flag on his back. America, the Commonwealth... burned away. Unknown man: America sleeps. And until it''s dead, I carry it. Just like I carried you. More than hope. Belief. There''s voices here in the Big Empty, I want to talk to them. Not like your Elijah did. Got questions. Want to hear history give its answer." The discussion between the two had allowed Afton to start thinking rationally again... Honestly, he agreed with whoever Christine had been talking with. The Brotherhood was obsessed, their duty towards the preservation of humanity as well as the protection and detention of dangerous technology had been slowly altered as time went on. His words were wise, measured. Like someone who''d been and seen through much to form his opinion, one that would not be swayed against any half-assed argument. It didn''t sound like stubborn rigidness that people like that usually do, no, he sounded like he hoped he was wrong, but knew the unfortunate truth. Christine''s voice brought a sad smile to his face though, it''d been so long since he''d heard from her... It was good to know she was still alive, or at least, had been alive when these tapes were recorded. Afton looks to the next Holo-Tape and nervously activates it, hoping Christine would still be ok and for it not to just be a memorial by the man after she''d perished. "*Bzzt!* Christine: ...didn''t think you''d make it back. Unknown man: Almost didn''t. Got my answers. Your Elijah, he met the Gods in this place, did a good job of making them question the way of things. Christine: Do you know where he went? Unknown man: He''s gone to the Sierra Madre. That''s a special kind of hell. He won''t come back. Someone smarter, tougher''s going to kill him. If the Madre doesn''t. Christine: I have to go after him. Unknown man: Not going to talk you out of it. Know what it means to track someone you share history with. Got a meeting of my own. Christine: That Courier? Unknown man: Get her to come to me. Got a message for her, like the message she had for me. Make them walk the road west, straight and true, sink their feet in Old World ash. Let storms tear at them. See the Divide. See what happened. Christine: The Divide? There''s nothing there. Unknown man: Nothing there? Like the Big Empty? The Sierra Madre? No, the Old World sleeps there, sure as the flag I carry. The Courier knows the way. And at the Divide, her and I - there, we''ll have an ending to things." This tape was more ominous than the last ones... The unknown man had said Elijah had met the gods here. Unless he was referring to some sort of supernatural force, Afton could only speculate that he meant the scientists. They were the owners of this place, the creators and destroyers... Apparently, Elijah had left for someplace called the Sierra Madre? And Christine was going to follow him... Afton had no idea what, or where the Sierra Madre was, nor why Elijah would want to go there. All he knew was that if he wanted to find Christine, he''d need to go there. It didn''t matter how dangerous it might be, he needed to find her. Find her and Veronica, bring everyone back together again, like how things used to be. He lingered in the self-created sombre mood for a while before shaking himself out of it. No, he couldn''t be distracted by emotion yet. There was still much to analyse from the tape, information pertaining to the man Christine had been speaking with. Chapter 277 - Forced-Passivity That man had said something about a ''Courier'' right? Afton wasn''t sure but he suspected Tamia to be involved in some way... He hadn''t met another Courier in all his travels in the Mojave thus far, and the way he spoke about her was somewhat ominous. Of course, Afton could just be overthinking things, there had to be hundreds of thousands of couriers around the world, so what would the chances be of the courier he was describing to be the single courier Afton had personally met.?? Though, he did speak of a place called the ''Divide'', Afton already ''somewhat'' knew of this place. It had been the trade path that led directly to the NCR. And had it stayed open, he knew there was no doubt that the NCR would control the entirety of the Mojave... But... Something seems to have happened to it. Any whom enter the ''Divide'' as it''s now called, never return. The place is said to be one of the most inhospitable places in the world, from what he''d heard, it wasn''t an incorrect statement either. From heavy radiation that pervaded every inch of every surface, to winds that''d tear their flesh from your bones if you were caught by them. Afton had even seen logs in the Brotherhood of Steel that stated that most of its original inhabitants were still alive, having become ghouls who are now organised, militarized, and attack any that come near. The man wanted his quarry to see the Divide, and what''d happened. Meaning that they might be somewhat responsible for the chaos and destruction that''d abruptly been caused there. He shakes his head, regardless, he''d deal with that when it came. For now, he needed to sleep, heal up, and return to the Think Tank to ask about Christine... He stores the Holo-Tapes in his backpack, wanting to preserve them and hopefully show them to Veronica. He was sure she''d be ecstatic to hear that Christine was... Probably alive. [Quest received! Find Christine in the Sierra Madre!] He raises a brow at the abrupt quest but shakes his head, he didn''t need some ephemeral sixth dimension Pipboy to tell him to save his family. He''d rather skin himself alive than leave her alone now that he''d found her. Deciding that he''d spent long enough fending off the exhaustion, he rests his head on the bedroll and closes his eyes, waiting for Morpheus to take him. The next day Afton awoke with a start, the pain in his legs while having gotten significantly better, was still present. He checks himself over and finds that with the help of his mutations, perks, stimpacks, and proper treatment via his Medicine Skill, his legs were now only fractured. The bones were slowly healing, but there was still clear weakness in his legs. He''d not take off the splints until they were completely repaired... Hopefully, once he was in the sunlight his healing factor would get another boost. He cautiously gets up, continuing to use the Anti-Material rifle and X-2 Antenna as make-shift crutches. He takes one last glance around the room before heading outside, checking the area to make sure there weren''t any lobotomites or Robo-Scorpions around. Funnily enough, he could see the Robo-Scorpions still guarding the X-2 Transmitter Antenna Array door. He wondered if Mobius would try and starve him out of something? Still, this was pretty good, as if Mobius thought he was stuck inside the building then his Robo-Scorpions would be out of position when he attempts to take the next piece of Technology.; Regardless, Afton begins his trek back to the Think Tank, the sunlight on his face revitalising him somewhat, while the extra strength it''s granting him allows him to speed his pace up. He''s forced to avoid a few groups of roaming lobotomites, but eventually, he makes it back to the Think Tank in relatively good time. Once he enters, however, his thoughts of interrogating them about what they did to Christine abruptly dissipate. D.A.M.N Pacification field! He takes a moment to massive his temples as a migraine strikes, his previously seething emotions getting suddenly cut off was causing him problems. He quickly centres himself and allows the pacification field to strip him of any A.G.G.R.E.S.S.I.O.N he may feel. Once done he hobbles into the large room where the Think Tank scientists were working... None of which seem to notice him enter, nor attempt to take their attention away from their various projects. He spotted Klein at the top of the ramp at the end of the room, staring into some monitors that had lots of binary code that ran across the screen at speeds almost impossible to track... Afton wasn''t sure if the doctor was just feigning being able to understand the information or not... Perhaps he had some implants that allowed him to process the data more quickly? Regardless, he marched up to him, leant on his Anti-Material rifle and coughed into his fist to catch the doctors attention. *Cough* Dr. Klein quickly whips around towards Afton, the brain in the glass dome being sloshed around within the bio-gel. "H-HUH? OH! IT''S YOU, LOBOTOMITE. HAVE YOU RETRIEVE THE TECHNOLOGIES AS I HAVE INDICATED?" he asks. Afton just raises a brow at him, "Shouldn''t you know if I did? You seemed to be able to track my progress on obtaining the X-2 Antenna... Oh, and stop calling me ''Lobotomite'', my name is Afton, use it." he states, his emotions on what they''d done to Christine somehow bleeding into his voice, though the pacification field only increases the strength of his migraine due to it. "OH. I KNOW YOU HAVEN''T RECOVERED THE TECHNOLOGIES YET, I JUST THOUGHT IT PERTINENT TO ASK BEFORE YOU TELL ME WHY YOU ARE SLACKING OFF!?" Klein says, in his usual, loud-broken voice modulator tone. Chapter 278 - Ego Clash Afton gapes at the robot, looking down at his beaten and tattered state. His legs were clearly splinted up, displaying just how injured he actually was. "Slacking off? Are you stupid? My legs are broken you doddering two-hundred-year-old jar-head!" he shouts, jabbing his finger pointedly towards the robot. "STUPID!? HOW DARE YOU! I AM THE CHIEF RESEARCHER OF THE THINK TANK, MOST MARVELOUS AND INTELLIGENTLY INTELLIGENT INSTITUTIONS EVER CREATED, OR EVER WILL BE CREATED! YOU ACCUSE ME OF BEING STUPID? WHY, WE SHOULD HAVE YOU PUT DOWN FOR MENTAL INSTABILITY!" Klein exclaims back, clearly offended at being called ''stupid''.?? The Doctor''s tirade isn''t over just yet, however, "AND NO! WHY WOULD TAKE NOTICE OF YOUR FRAGILE HUMAN BODY''S CONDITION? IF YOU WANT SYMPATHY FOR YOUR FLESHY PENIS-TIPPED FORMS INADEQUACIES THEN GO SEE DALA! OTHERWISE, CONTINUE THE TASK WE HAVE SET FOR YOU." The stubborn man and robot glare at one another, neither wishing to give ground... Afton furrows his brow, "Ignoring the technology... I need you to answer a question I have, and you will answer it truthfully, ''oh mighty chief researcher of the Think Tank''." he states sarcastically before continuing, "I heard that you have received some visits from some outsiders fairly recently, I need to know what happened to them." "YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VISITORS?" he asks, almost sounded confounded. "GO ASK DR. O OR DR. 8, THEY WOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM THEN I WOULD." he states, making a ''shooing'' gesture with his manipulators. "Are you pointing me in the right direction or just trying to get me to leave?" Afton asks, mirth and annoying interspersed within his voice. "THAT DEPENDS, WHAT ANSWER WILL MAKE YOU LEAVE FASTER?" Afton just shakes his head and limbs away, towards ''Dr. O''. He honestly didn''t think he''d be able to get anything of worth out of 8, seeing as the robots voice modulator had been ''irreparably'' damaged. That wasn''t saying that Afton couldn''t fix it, because he probably could. He just wanted to hold off on that until he could gain something from it, fixing it too early would allow Dr. 8 and the others to slowly forget their debt towards him, better to wait until he needs something and then strike while the iron is hot. That being said, he wondered why everyone referred to Dr. Zero as Dr. O... It was fairly obvious what was numerical and what was a letter... He''d seen sticky notes on and around Dr. Zero''s work area, so it''s pretty easy to figure out... Perhaps the robots were all going senile? Or perhaps they were all just mocking the robotics expert for some reason? Afton walks up to Zero before greeting him with a small wave, "Dr. Zero?" he asks. "For the last time, it''s Zer-... Wait, what did you just call me?" the robot asks, disbelief apparent in his voice. "Dr. Zero." Afton states, "Why? Do you like being called Dr. O instead?" "Ah-No-no-no-no-NO! Dr. Zero is my name, don''t let the other oxy-morons tell you otherwise!" he quickly says, "Youknow, lobotomite, you aren''t all that bad. Even if you wear RobCo junk." he says, gesturing at Afton''s Pipboy. "Mhm." Afton hums, not bothering to mention the mystical properties it seems to have. "I was talking with Dr. Klein and heard about some intruders you guys had recently." he asks jovially, not letting his connection to Christine be known as of yet. ... "I... Don''t like to talk about it. 8 can''t talk about it either after what they did to fry his voice module. It wasn''t all the visitors though, only one of them got outta control. He''s the one that took control of Little Yangtze, our old human farm." ... "Human farm?" Afton asks after a moment, that didn''t sound good AT ALL. "Oh, yeah. During the great war, the American government had all Chinese-American citizens packed up and shipped off to various camps... Concentration camps they called it, don''t know why they wanted to keep it so hush-hush." the robot lifts its manipulators, giving the best shrug it could manage. "Annoying meat-bags kept trying to break out, so be designed explosive collars to keep them put... Not that it mattered in the end, the great war happened and, well, ghouls don''t make the best test subjects, especially if your experiments concern the brain." If Afton wasn''t already sure of the Think Tanks complete lack of morale boundaries before, then he definitely would now. Abducting people and lobotomizing them, concentration camps... What''s next? Creating Frankenstein''s monster or something? He shook his head, he decides to pursue this later and ask about the ''troublesome'' visitor, "What happened to the intruder?" "You''ll never believe it, this human... He broke out of the Think Tank. In seconds... Then he went of Yangtze, got our bomb collars, and start practising on the remaining ghouls there. No doubt trying to figure out the right frequencies to operate them. We were sending robots to get him, but he kept slicing and cutting through their shells with some suped-up laser gun like they were cheese... Paper. When he hacked into the mainframe, 8 tried to stop him and got fried. Me? He rerouted my processors to take control of the train network here. If you''ve seen the tunnels with the trains ploughed into them, you can thank our visitor for that. He wrecked the whole place... While we were trying to keep containment on the surface, he used one train to punch a hole through a tunnel and escape. Sealed now. But..." Sounds like a certain mad-man Afton was somewhat familiar with... His obsession with technology would have no doubt lead him here, the skills he picked up from the Brotherhood allowing him to cause all that havoc, Elder Elijah. "What about the others?" Chapter 279 - Zero Ability "What about the others?" "There were two other human specimens. One arrived not long after the troublemaker... And the last one, not sure when he showed up... Thought the first one was going to be lobotomized at Y17, but she got out somehow..." Zero says, not noticing the slight growl that escaped Afton''s throat.?? "The last subject... Klein might know more, he talked to him, then let him leave the Think Tank. Hope he knew what he was doing." Zero remarks. Afton slowly composes himself with the forced assistance of the pacification field, he stops the conversation for a moment to take a dose of Med X. Sure it as a little overpowered to be used for just a migraine, but Afton wasn''t really in a state to care. "What do you mean?" he asks, wondering what Klein could know that worried Zero... The Think Tank was the place where anything and any thought could exist, so it was peculiar for the robot to have such inhibitions. Zero seems to shake his monitor in response, "Klein knows things we don''t. And I think he told some of those things to the visitor. Dangerous things if they ever got out." he says ominously. Afton continues, deciding to question what happened to Christine, "What happened to the second visitor? Did they escape?" he asks. "No idea. Either they escaped or didn''t, I''m sure there''s a third option somewhere but I don''t care enough to think about it. Dala might know something, considering she''s responsible for most lobotomizations done here at the Big MT." "Hm." Afton hums, before remembering he had something else for Dr. Zero to do. "Oh yeah, I got this for you. Was wondering if you''d be able to figure out a way to deal with them, they all seemed connected to Mobius so interfering with that connection seems like the best place to start." he says, dropping a Robo-Scorpion in front of Zero. "W-w-what! Get that thing outta here! Bad lobotomite! Don''t bring dead things inside with you!" Zero suddenly exclaims, rapidly genuflecting around with his manipulators. "Firstly, I''m not a dog. Second, I brought this so you can help in getting rid of Mobius. I barely escaped the army he sent after me, so having something to damage, or even stall them for a moment would help greatly." Afton explains, carefully hidden contempt towards Zero laden within his voice. ... *Mumble, Mumble,* "What was that?" Afton asks, having not picked up whatever Zero was saying. "I said I*mumble*" the robot says, mumbling the rest of the sentence and causing a vein to appear on Afton forehead. "Okay... One more time, loud enough so I can actually hear you." Afton slowly asks, as if speaking to a mentally challenged child. "I said, I CAN''T DO IT!" Zero shouts shamefully, "Any time I touch one of Dr. Mobius robots they just explode and or fry themselves! I have no idea why, or what to do about it.... So there! Get that thing out before it explodes or something!" Afton scowls, "I thought you were a robotics expert!? Something as simple as disassembling this, looking at its components and trying to interfere with its functions should be very, very easy for you!" "I can only do one of those things... I''m only good for rendering machines inoperable, everything else goes the same way! You try fitting a lightbulb, only to find that you''ve accidentally disassembled it, the lightbulb socket, and the electronics leading to the switch!" Zero declares. "Then what good are you?! Even a child can disassemble things, give them a hammer and your ability to destroy machines pales in comparison... What use are you if you''re just a slightly more intelligent metal crusher!?" "Ahhhhuhuhuhuh! I KNOW! I''M USELESS!" Zero cries out, and Afton was sure it would be properly crying if it had the ability to. Afton huffs, and grabs the tail of the destroyed Robo-Scorpion, "I''ll go ask someone who actually knows what they''re doing." he states, giving one last kick to Zero''s ego before waddling towards Dala. He wanted to ask about Christine before anything else, as well as whether or not Dala was responsible for hurting his lost big sister. "Dala." he says, approaching the robot who appeared to be prodding some sort of organic material, each prod causing it to contract and wiggle as if attached to electrodes. "Hmm? Ooooh? Has the teddy bear come to visit? Have you decided to let me examine that stubborn heart of yours again?" she asks, giving the organic material one last hard prod, causing it to explode in blood and gore... Once she turns around her monitors are immediately drawn to his legs, as well as the makeshift crutches he was using. "You seem to have taken some damage as well, don''t worry, I can fix you right up." she says, slowly floating towards him, her vivisectors revving up. "No. You won''t touch me again as long as I can help it. I have something I need to ask, Dala." he says, not bother to explain how he got into this condition. "Well then? Don''t leave a feminine brain waiting, what does the teddy bear need of me?" she whispers almost sultrily, it''s quite disturbing... "I heard you had some ''visitors'' in Big MT, I was wondering if you could tell me about them..." "Ah, yes. We have three minus one visitors who volunteered themselves as subjects recently. Though, I find that some of my memory on them is... It must be stored with Dr. Klein, or somewhere equally as, or more secure..." "Three minus one? What do you mean?" he asks, confused as how she''d phrased it. "Three minus one is two, two spoke to us, one mean, one curious, but there was a third we didn''t speak to. The last one is the minus one. It got traumatised, then taken to one of our medical centers for de-traumatisation. A rather unsettling procedure." Afton knew she was talking about Christine, he was struggling slightly to maintain his composure at her being referred to as an object, or some kind of animal... "What do you mean ''traumatised''?" he asks after a moment, wondering if he wanted to hear about it. Chapter 280 - Trauma "What do you mean ''traumatised''?" "If my memory doesn''t fail me, we attempted various experiments on them... It was quite spectacular, seeing how a human head can glow to such an extent. So much so that I accidentally kept adding electro-static shock probes... The result was permanent physical scarring to the teddy bears brain, and some sort of mental trauma that I had no wish to investigate further... Therapy is not a science I like to prescribe to, especially when it spouts such meaningless things as morality, compassion, consequences." Dala says, bluntly, as if she hadn''t just told him about how she''d tortured, physically and mentally scarred his family.?? His fists grip so hard that they draw blood, red droplets falling from his left hand while vicious black ones dripping from his right... His was so angry that the pacification field was working overtime, and Afton could literally feel the tesla coils in his head heating up in response. It felt like a warm water bottle was placed behind his eyes. Even with Med X preventing a considerable amount of pain, he was struggling to hide it from Dala. The migraine he''d been experiencing while here had just kept getting worse and worse. It honestly felt like his head would explode if it progressed any further... He glances around for a moment while holding his head, eventually noticing the bottle of Day Tripper on Dala''s desk. It was a hallucinogenic drug that made whoever took it lethargic, relaxed, it also had a mild tranquilising effect... Afton grabbed it and took enough to where it''d ease his roiling emotions, but not put him out of commission. It didn''t do much about the pain, but the migraine wasn''t caused by anything physical, but mental. His aggression towards Dala had forced the pacification field to try and rid him of those thoughts, leaving him in the current situation. He closes his eyes and allows the drug to take effect, trying his best to calm himself before his head explodes. "Is something wrong, teddy bear? Do I need to adjust the machinery in your head? Your skin looks whiter than it should, perhaps you should take it off so I can examine it..." Dala asks. Afton shakes his head, the pain beginning to lessen slightly, still... He needed to know more about what they did to Christine. "Earlier, you mentioned something about a De-traumatisation center?" he asks, ignoring her wish to skin him. "Yes. We generally use them to ''de-traumatise'' anyone who''s too troublesome to deal with, but we also put the broken ones in there too. It doesn''t matter the original problem, they all end up the same afterwards." "And what does ''de-traumatisation'' entail, Dala?" he asks. "Why, you''ve experienced it yourself... A lobotomy procedure, followed by several rounds of conditioning, and whatever other experiments I feel the need to conduct. It''s a shame the visitor managed to escape, I wonder if its brain looked like scrambled eggs after the electro-shock-makeshift lamp experiment." ... "Yes... A shame." he mutters, feeling a great amount of gratitude to the unknown man who''d managed to save her from such a fate... "Did you manage to capture he-The subject. Afterwards?" he asks, after stumbling on a word that tasted bitter as he said it. "No. It left after the other visitor destroyed one of Dr. Kleins trains, a shame, those trains still had some mutated teddy bears inside." Afton nods. Thankful that Christine was out of this place, though, her treatment had brought attention towards the fact that Afton still wasn''t really safe here. He''d assumed the scientists would keep him around after Mobius is gone due to his ''unique'' status. But, now that he thought about it, it wouldn''t be strange if they went back on their promises and tried to experiment on him further... Yeah, he''d need to keep his cards to his chest if he wanted to go through this with his plans intact... Hm, he''d need allies, and as much as it pains him to say it, Dala was one of the more ''friendly'' scientists here. He desperately wanted to... Disassemble her, for what she''d done to Christine, but Dala still had further uses. 8 was another potential ally, the only problem being he couldn''t understand them. If he managed to fix his voice module then they''d be in his debt... Something else that caught his attention was the fact that most of the scientists seemed happy that his voice module was broken... Or at least, willfully ignored it. Klein was a strange one, and Afton was sure the man''s pride wouldn''t allow him to exist in the state Afton wanted, not to mention their already somewhat sour relationship... Borous on the other hand, had promise. Judging by the way the man reluctantly handed off the K9000, he seemed to still have some emotional attachment towards it. This meant that emotional manipulation could be used here, and that Borous wasn''t as... Mentally distorted as the rest of the two-hundred year-old scientists seemed to be. Last and most certainly least, is Zero. The incapable robotics expert who''s more akin to a demolitions expert. With the obvious exception of the dexterity required in the latter expertise. Afton was very sure he could manipulate the useless robot to do his bidding. All he needed to do was soothe Zero''s ego, and make him feel ''useful''... As difficult as it may be. Despite his earlier insults to the robot, they were on ''fair'' terms, due to him being the only one to actually use his name, as opposed to ''Dr. O''. That at least gave him an in with the scientist. Nodding his head, he affirms his future plans and looks to Dala, "I... Thank you for your help, if you need anything just let me know." he says, before headed towards where 8 currently was. "Anytime my teddy bear. Anytime." she whispers sultrily behind him, causing Afton to get goosebumps. Chapter 281 - Wave Soundly Afton found Dr. 8 hovering over what looked like some sort of record player, though the record that was currently spinning on it had many glowing blue lines running across its surface, it also occasionally sparked with electricity, releasing a random strange noise every time it occurred. To be honest, despite Afton''s maxed out Science and Repair skills, he wasn''t really sure what the device was, its purpose, or even if it was for entertainment or actual scientific discovery... Deciding not to bother questioning every strange sci-fi-looking tech he found in this place, he coughs into his hand to catch the scientists attention.?? Once Afton''s presence is made known, the robot abruptly stops the record player, this causes a clacking sound as the record stops, releasing sparks that are thrown away by the halted momentum. Though something peculiar happens once the record stops... Afton could hear music coming fro, well, everywhere... It''s as if he was surrounded by music players from every direction, the music in question? Jazz blues. Dr. 8 spots Afton looking around in confusion and so uses a manipulator to start the record player again, the music dissipating instantly after. "*Bzzzzzch!*" they sound out, the familiar static replacing anything legible. "Uhhh, huh... Look, I have no idea what you just said... So, couldn''t you just like, write? Or something?" Afton questions, scratching his stubble sheepishly. "*Bzzzzch!*" Dr. 8 says, floating to his desk and grabbing a pan with a manipulator... It''s safe to say that their robotic limbs weren''t made for writing, so when the robot attempted to write on paper it looked like a mass of squiggly lines... Something a child with dyslexia would draw if you asked them to write Antidisestablishmentarianism... Simply put, illegible. "*Bzzch!*" 8 sounds out, somehow looking smug despite having no real facial expressions. ... "So, er, did you draw a dog or something? Or maybe it''s a mothball?" Afton questions, staring hard at the paper. "*Bzzch...*" a sad sounding static is his only reply. ... Hang on... Now that he''d gotten some time to actually speak to 8, something about his communication was giving him deja vu... He just couldn''t put his finger on it. Ah! There''s one way one certain for him to find out though. "8, I need you to say, ''The quick scribe jumped over the lazy paladin.'' for me?" he asks, wanting to know if this feeling he was having was just him getting confused. 8 looks at him for a moment before shrugging his monitors, "*Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzch*" ... Afton''s eyes shoot open as he finally realises what this was... Back in the brotherhood, they taught everyone how to take robots apart, put them back together again, etc. This of course included ways to diagnose various problems, if a Mr Handy''s hovering was janky and stuttering, then it''s gyro-propulsion needed repairs. If a Protectrons manipulator kept heating up to rediculous degrees, then it may have a faulty laser, or damaged energy cells. And, of course, if a robots voice module was broken, the sound it''d produce wouldn''t be random. No, it''d literally be speaking code. Code that would have been translated via the voice module, but couldn''t due to it being damaged. As an Initiate, Afton was taught how to listen to this *code spew*, as it''d allow the robot itself to explain what''d happened, how it was damaged, and if it knew of a way to easily fix it. As for what the reason was for them to learn this? Well, there weren''t exactly manuals lying around the wasteland with the robotics schematics, so it saved a lot of time to just ask what the problem was. Well, that, and the fact you''re able to easily hack robots that are literally shouting their code at you. It''s literally like telling someone your password, operating system, how to turn off your anti-virus, as well as when you''re parents would be home... Yeah, pretty serious, not that he''d let Dr. 8 know what Afton was potentially capable of doing to him. So this is was the feeling of deja vu was... It''d been so long since he''d learned about it that he''d almost not recognised it. Dr. 8 was speaking via RobCo term link code, and while Afton was somewhat rusty, he was sure he''d be able to pick it up fairly quickly... "Repeat it one more time for me... Please?" Afton asks, and 8 reluctantly does so. "*The quick scribe jumped over the lazy paladin... Can we stop now? This is humiliating..." 8 says with Afton somewhat understanding what he''d said. "We can stop, anyway, I feel like we haven''t actually been able to introduce ourselves properly to one another yet. So. I''m Afton Parker, nice to meet you Dr. 8." he says, presenting his hand to the robot while trying to sound as friendly as possible. "*I already know your name, but if you wish to redo this social ceremony... Not that you''d be able to understand me anyway.*" Dr. 8 says before shaking Aftons hand with a manipulator. "It''s not about redoing the ''social ceremony'', it''s simply about being polite. Oh, and I can understand you by the way. RobCo term link is fairly easy to comprehend when you''ve been glued to terminal screens for most of your life." he casually explains. "*Ah, I see-Wait what!? That''s inconceivable! Even my colleagues who are well versed in code aren''t able to understand through this medium of communication.*" Afton just shrugs, "Well, I am so, if you''d rather I just leave you be then-" "*No! For the love of everything intelligent, no! If I''m stuck being unable to communicate for any longer I''ll go MAD! Isolation is not a natural state for humans, or for former humans!... So, if you could lend me your ear every once in a while Mr Parker, I''d greatly appreciate it.*" he says, his tone one of begging despite it spoken in frantic code. "Alright, I don''t really mind. But I do have some things I need to ask you." Chapter 282 - Dr. Who? "But I do have some things I need to ask you." "*Oh? Then ask away, I appreciate not having to speak to myself for company...*" Dr. 8 says via his usual static.?? Deciding not to address that incredibly depressing statement, Afton drops the Robo-Scorpion in front of the scientist and points at it, "I tried to ask Zero to help me with this, but he''s about as useful as barbed-wire bubble-wrap. So, I was wondering if you''d be willing to take a look at it to see if we could try and find a vulnerability or something." "*Hm... I''m not exactly a robotics expert, so I''m unsure what you think I''d be able to find... I''m primarily an Acoustician, though I have dabbled with other subjects.*" "Just taking a look at it is all I ask." Afton pleads, "Ah, but the way, Zero said something about the robots exploding when he touched them, so... Be mindful of that." he adds, not wanting a potential ally to go the way of the Dodo. "*Well, let''s see here..." Dr. 8 says, examining the robot but making sure not to touch it. After a moment he floats away and retrieves a tool that looks suspiciously like a Sonic-Screwdriver... "Er, what''s that?" he asks, wondering if doctor who was something that existed in the Fallout universe... "A sonic-screwdriver?" a tentatively asks, hoping to get some sort of reaction from the scientist. "*Oh, this? No, it''s my patent-pending soundwave-screwdriver!*" the robot chirps through RobCo term link. Afton snorts and points at 8, "That''s literally just a Sonic-Screwdriver then! And your patent''s never going to be confirmed since the government''s destroyed!" Dr. 8 slumps as Afton says this, "*Ah, I forgot... The way you speak about my Soundwave-screwdriver, has this invention of mine already been discovered by someone else?" ... "Err, yeah... Some guy called Dr... Hu... They''re Chinese." he stutters out, not wishing to give any indication of his previous life, or anything that could potentially risk someone figuring it out. "*Bah! I doubt they made theirs before I made mine. Those gook crooks probably stole my schematics and passed it off as their own!*" the robot shakes his monitors, "*Whatever, no point disparaging the ''most certainly'' dead. Let''s take a look at this Robo-Specimen shall we?*" Dr. 8 hovers towards the Robo-Scorpion and activates his ''Soundwave-screwdriver'', waving it at the robot as the familiar sonic humming sounded out. Afton wondered if it functioned the same as the timelord''s, but shook his head, that thing was more plot-device than an actual device. "So, find anything out?" "*Give me time, I can''t simply wave this at something and instantly have answers. If I could then I''d have the answers to the universe... You have some seriously unrealistic expectations Mr Parker.*" 8 says. Afton bites back a retort, he wasn''t wrong. Afton had respected the robot to shout ''Eureka!'' and with a click of his sonic-screwdriver deactivate the Robo-Scorpion army... Perhaps he was just becoming nostalgic towards the old show he''d never watch again... Dr. 8 floats towards a terminal and inserts a cord into the ''Soundwave-Screwdriver'', he rapidly types on the keyboard with his manipulators and after a couple minutes, the sound of what he could only guess was a printer started. The robot floated towards a grey box and opened it, revealing some sort of music sheet? He had many things written on it, but Afton couldn''t understand any of it. "*Hmm, I think this might be doable... I''ve managed to map out some of the Robo-Scorpions internal machinery via my Soundwave-screwdriver, it might take me a while, but given enough time I could have a significant portion of its schematics written out.*" "That''s fantastic! How long will it take?" Afton asks exuberantly. "*Err... A while... It''s difficult to quantify how long it will take as some materials are less receptive to this kind of probing. Some may interfere, while others would simply not be detected. I''ll need to test many frequencies to catch everything, even then we most likely won''t be able to discover much. Using this method we can detect hardware, not software. As our... Robotics expert. Isn''t suited for the job, we''ll just have to manage with only that.*" Afton nods, even if Zero was a robotics expert as he claimed, he doubted they''d be able to access the Robo-Scorpions software... He might have completely fried it via his initial attack on it, and that''s not even mentioning the defences Mobius had most likely put in place. "Hmm, is Zero''s lack of expertise the reason your robot bodies are so... Impractical?" Afton curiously asks. "*What do you mean? Our bodies are perfectly suited to our daily needs.*" "8, are you telling me you are happy with that drawing you made earlier? You can''t even write, if I were to make a list of things a regular human can do compared to what your body can do, the former list would most certainly be longer." "*Well, there''s always a trade-off, Mr Parker. As much as I long to be human again, it''s simply impossible. If I had tried, I wouldn''t still be around.*" Afton nods, "Yeah, I understand that, but... Why not just alter a suit of Powerarmour, stuffs your brain in that and have a fully functional humanoid body, that could potentially be used to defend yourself and your colleagues?" he asks. ... "*I... Errr... Say that again, slowly.*" "Seriously, it''s like you guys aren''t even thinking... Though, I can see a few problems with my idea. first of all, power consumption would be a problem, if you couldn''t find a sustainable source of energy then you''d be in trouble. I''m guessing your current body is the most power-efficient one possible... Though the fact that you guys float around disputes that..." Afton trails off, thinking about whether or not it would be possible to hook up some power armour to 8''s brain. ... "*Mr Parker... Would you perhaps like to join the Think Tank?*" 8 asks, clearly impressed by Afton''s expertise. Chapter 283 - Dr. Parker... Naaahh! "*Mr Parker... Would you perhaps like to join the Think Tank?*" 8 asks. ...?? "What?" Afton replies dumbfounded. "*I believe you have potential, Mr Parker. You display all the qualities we would want in a colleague of ours. intelligence. Expertise. A lust for knowledge, and to answer the unanswered questions. We could use someone like you, someone who might eventually replace Dr. O...*" 8 explains. Hm, Afton hadn''t really expected to be asked this. He''d thought that all the scientists were too self-centred and arrogant to ever believe someone outside of their group had ''potential''. But, apparently, he was wrong. 8 clearly wasn''t afflicted with those personality flaws, still, he couldn''t accept. "I can''t accept, Dr. 8. I have other responsibilities and goals outside Big MT." "*Unfortunate. Perhaps we could discuss the state of the outside world after we''ve rid ourselves of Mobius? The Think Tank is 200 years behind in that regard, I think it might soon be time to thrust our presence back into the world, powered by science, the Socratic method, and the will to do be better than we have...*" "Hm, I don''t think the world is ready for you guys yet... Especially with your colleague''s morale... Inadequacies." Afton says, glancing at the other scientists over his shoulder. Dr. 8 seems to nod with his monitors, "*In regards to your earlier question about our robotic forms? We simply never thought about it, believing our minds were the only thing we needed to flourish. Clearly, we overestimated what intelligence alone could achieve. I wouldn''t scoff at being able to march around in some heavy power armour.*" he says, sounding somewhat excited at the thought. "Well, we''ll see what happens when this is all over. Thanks for your help 8, I''ll be back another time to check on your progress. Hopefully, we''ll find something to halt the scorpions, even for a bit... I''m not keen to fight an army of them..." "*I hold the same hopes, break a leg out the-... Nevermind...*" 8 says as Afton turns and starts waddling away. He spots Dr. Borous working nearby but decides to talk to him later. He didn''t really have a valid reason to engage the scientist in conversation, and he sincerely doubted the scientists would be happy to just engage in social niceties, especially considering his company for the last 200 years. As he leaves he quickly finds himself frozen mid-step... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 40!] ... Yeah, the timing of these levels is getting increasingly more random. He really needed to sit down and find out the actual trigger it... Shaking his head, he boosts his Explosives skill up to 99 points, quickly moving onto the Perks he has at his disposal. This time, he takes the time to scroll through the various Perks he might have missed in earlier levels, or was previously not able to acquire them due to his Skill levels. A few strike his fancy as he picks a few that might be useful in future. [Piercing Strike] : All your unarmed and melee attacks negate 15 points of DT. Afton wasn''t sure what to make of this Perk... He already had [Tremble before me!], so what effect would this have? Would it simply do nothing? Or have another effect? [Silent Running] : Running no longer factors into a successful sneak attempt. After spending around five to ten minute straight looking at this one, Afton quickly realised its potential. The text, ''No longer factors into a successful sneak attempt'' needed to be taken very seriously, as that literally rid any penalties that running may have. This included sight, sound, and everything else that may impede a sneak attempt. [Splash Damage] : Explosives have a 25% larger area of effect. Good Perk, but Afton was still leery about increasing the power of his explosions... [Unstoppable Force] : x4 normal damage through enemy blocks with melee and unarmed attacks. This would synergies with [Tremble before me!], enemies wouldn''t be able to block a proper strike from him, basically making any blocked attack far more deadly than if they''d just took it without defending... [Light Step] : Floor traps or mines will not be set off. A good self-preservation Perk, but somewhat unneeded, as well as opening potential weaknesses in his perception. Just because he''d be immune to explosions and other traps, didn''t mean his companions would. Not to mention it only worked on floor traps, anything above the ankle was still ''fair game'' and deadly. [Meltdown] : Foes killed by your Energy Weapons emit a corona of harmful energy (Toggleable). Now, if this Perk simply made all of his Energy weapons explosive, there would be no chance in him taking this... But, now that he saw there was a toggle option, it was somewhat good. If not, he imagined himself exploding into a bloody past after killing someone with a Proton axe... Yeah, not good. [Ninja] : Multiplies Critical Chance by x1.15 with melee and unarmed weapons, and grants +25% damage with melee/unarmed sneak attack critical. This is amazing... Until you consider the fact that any enemy Afton intended to sneak attack was almost certainly going to die anyway. He could only see this working on heavily armoured vehicles, or deathclaws... Or something. Though he still doubted that he wouldn''t be able to one-shot them. [Lady Killer] : +10% damage to the opposite sex and unique dialogue options with the opposite sex. Ah, an old favourite that he still hadn''t taken. He''d say he was perfectly able to woo and seduce women without its help, but that wouldn''t strictly be true now, would it? In this life, apart from a few makeout sessions in a Brotherhood locker, he was a virgin... Sure, he was always doing something, planning something... But he was still somewhat eager to cash in his second V-card... Heh, he''d be the only one in the universe able to say that, someone needs to put it in the Guinness world record... The first person to lose his virginity twice. [Friend of the Night] : Your eyes adapt quickly to low-light conditions. Hmm, an interesting Perk that would save him a lot of trouble. But... His perception was already high enough as to allow his eyes to quickly adjust anyway. Plus the fact he could simply design infrared goggles of something... He really didn''t want to waste a Perk point on this. Chapter 284 - Token Juke Box? Honestly, out of the selection, the only ones Afton might actually pick would be [Unstoppable force], [Lady killer], and [Meltdown]. Each had its positives and negatives, but with the way everything was going, [Meltdown] was the best choice. First of all, it''d make dealing with the Robo-Scorpions much, much easier. The [Meltdown] explosion was most likely considered an Energy attack as well, meaning that if used against a large group, it''d trigger a chain reaction and destroy everything.?? Of course, it was useless against single targets, since it was triggered by their death. But that didn''t make it any less useful. This, combined with [Uncivilized Weapon], a Perk that doubled the damage that Energy Weapons did only increased his want for it. Deciding that if he really needed to, he''d take one of the other Perks next time, he takes [Meltdown] and immediately toggles it off. He didn''t need any mishaps inside of the Think Tank, especially since there was apparently an army of tiny spider robots that could trigger a chain reaction akin to a nuclear bomb... Time resumes, and Afton starts heading back up to the Sink. He didn''t have much else to do down in the Think Tank for now. Once he''s through the door and waddles towards Alfred the robot begins to address him. "Oh my! Sir, you appear to be heavily injured! Quickly, use some of those bottle caps and purchase some medical supplies. I would shunt you towards the Auto-doc but he it is currently indisposed." the robot urges. "I''m fine Alfred, just need some rest and I''ll be as good as new." he says, wondering if he should spend some time on the balcony to catch some sun and utilise his [Solar powered] Perk. "If you are entirely sure, sir. It won''t stop me from agonizing on your condition, but so be it. Is there anything else I might be able to do for you?" Afton shakes his head, "Not at the moment, but thanks for your concern." he says, heading into the next room and falling into the sofa, using a small table to prop his legs up. He breathes a sigh of relief and reaches into his satchel, pulling out the damaged personality chips he''d managed to pick up earlier. He''d spent around a day with them, so he hoping to see some progress in repairing them... Out of the nine chips, only one seemed to be improving... No, scratch that, one looked brand new, while another looked like it was in the process of being repaired. He looks at the fixed chip and uses his Pipboy to see which one it belonged to. [Blind Diode Jefferson Personality Moduel] Hm, which one did this actually belong to... Was it a nickname for one of the machines lying around? It had ot be as he couldn''t think of anything that related to it. "Alfred! Which robot is called Blind Diode Jefferson!" he calls out, not wishing to get up from the couch. "No need to shout, sir." a voice says from behind him, almost causing him to leap out of the chair and start firing at it. Turning his head, he spots some sort of grating in the wall, probably hiding a sound system. "Ah, yes. I have access to the entire Sink, this allows me to moderate between the separate personalities should a row become too obstreperous..." "Huh, that''s... Handy?" he mutters, wondering if someone would be able to hack Alfred and use him against Afton... Yeah, that would need to be rectified. Sure, he didn''t have to worry about the Think Tank trying it, as Zero was more than useless in that regard... But outside sources like Mobius, the NCR, Brotherhood, or maybe even the Legion may be able to. "I am quite worried about potential security risks concerning that... Alfred." "No need to worry, sir. The only way for someone to gain access to my systems would be if they personally infiltrated the Sink. My old creator, Doctor Mobius had sabotaged the Auto-Doc before he left, but I assure you that was the only threat to you. One that has now passed..." Alfred reassures before continuing, "As to your question, the personality known as Blind Diode Jefferson should be the sound manipulation device, ah-er, the Jukebox, sir." he corrects after using the more complicated term. "Your opinion on reactivating it?" Afton asks. "As I said before, sir. It is best to activate the personalities and subsequently turn them off, leaving their functions usable. Though, Blind Diode Jefferson is one of the more... Personable personality''s." Afton nods, "Alright, that''ll be all for now Alfred." he says, forcing himself off of the couch before approaching the Jukebox. Honestly, it reminded him of one of those big 1940''s Jukeboxes you''d find in a diner. Though this one looked much more high-tech. Hopefully, it''d have more music to play than the same ten or so songs that played over the radio... After fiddling around for a bit, he finally finds the input for the chip, sliding it in and taking a step back as the machine booted to life. "Ooo-ee! Yeah, dig that sweet music! Damn, it''s good to be back on-line!" the Jukebox says, sounding like a mixture of Stevie Wonder and Shaquille O''Neal. "My, oh my. Need to brush off this dust and get my groove back, feels like I was broken apart and put to-gether A-gainnn." "Hello, er, what''s your name?" Afton asks, not wanting to call it ''Blind Diode Jefferson'' everytime he needed to speak to it. "Man, just call me Blind, or Jefferson, whatever suits your Banana Boat." he chuckles. Afton smirks, he was starting to like this old jukebox. "So, what do you do?" "Dig, I''m an acoustical wizard, kid. Ol'' doc Mo used me to prototype his sonic weapon designs. I can hook you up with any which one you feel a desire for." Chapter 285 - Racket "Sonic weapon designs eh? Does that include Sonic Emitter frequencies?" Afton asks. "It mo-st certainly does." the robot almost purrs back.?? "Alright, err, could you list them out for me? If possible, from weakest to strongest." "Weakest to strongest? That is not how frequencies work, kid. Each has their own style. Their own tune to play to. Just because you may not die to one, doesn''t mean the other''s won''t make you pop like an over-filled balloooon." the robot chastises. ... "Er, okay then? Could you just list them out then?" he asks again. "As my master, requests... Cracker-jack." he then proceeds to list some, Afton takes the time to use them and observe them via his inventory to get their proper statistics. [Sonic emitter - revelation] (Current frequency) Strength req : 2 DMG : 31 Crit dmg : 18 Crit mult : 1x AP : 30 Weight : 2 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Critical strikes cause 10-second paralysis. [Sonic emitter - Gabriel''s bark] Strength req : 2 DMG : 55 Crit dmg : 25 Crit mult : 1x AP : 30 Weight : 2 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Critical strikes cause knock-back. [Sonic emitter - opera singer] Strength req : 2 DMG : 55 Crit dmg : 25 Crit mult : 1x AP : 30 Weight : 2 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Critical strikes cause dismemberment. [Sonic emitter - robo-scorpion] Strength req : 2 DMG : 65 Crit dmg : 30 + 100 (Explosive crit damage) Crit mult : 1x AP : 30 Weight : 2 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Critical strikes cause a large explosion. [Sonic emitter - Tarantula] Strength req : 2 DMG : 60 Crit dmg : 30 Crit mult : 1x AP : 30 Weight : 2 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Critical strikes ignite target for 5 seconds. It was strange, the base gun (Revalation) was so much weaker than all the others... Sure, the paralysing effect could be useful, perhaps it could even be used against the Brotherhood of Steels Liberty Prime, but other than that Afton saw no use for it. Compared to the other frequencies that could literally cause people to explode into bloody gore, get knocked back, or even forced to spontaneously combust. It really was a letdown. So, that brought to question... Which one would suit him the best? Well, it''s obvious isn''t it? Afton is currently faced with an army of Robo-scorpions that would very much like to tear him a new asshole. So, the suitably named ''robo-scorpion'' frequency would be his pick. Right now, it''d do significantly more damage to robots than even a full-on Anti-Material rifle shot, due to his [Uncivilized Weapon] Perk. add the other effects and it was more effective to shoot them with the Sonic Emitter than head-shotting them with his rifle! He was already beginning to salivate at the thought of the frequency explosion combined with his [Meltdown] Perk''s explosions... Hopefully he wouldn''t make the Big MT crater even more, ''empty''. As for the other frequencies? The only other one that he could see value in was the opera one. And that was only because if the demoralization effects it could have... Imagine someone walking up and firing an almost invisible energy wave at your friend, immediately afterwards causing all of their limbs to explode from their body... Yeah, Afton would shit himself too. "Tune it to ''robo-scorpion'' please, if you can Jefferson." he asks the juke-box. "I gotchu master, one no-nonsense robo-destroyer comin'' right up." Afton doesn''t even have to do anything except hold the Sonic Emitter close to the Jukebox, a strange humming sound occurs which causes the Emitters frequency tracker to turn yellow instead of the blue it had previously been. "There. Now, I''ll only tell you this once, kid. Don''t play with it in here, unless you want my inside parts, outside." Jefferson cautions, not wishing to be imploded by a gun he himself modified. Afton smirks at the jukebox, "I''ll try not to... Oh, by the way, can you play music? I''m sick of hearing the same ten songs play over the radio..." "That I can, I''m in a good~ moood. So we can lay off the blues today, let''s just play some smo-o-oth jazz." Jefferson says, beginning to play some classic jazz, a saxophone quickly blaring from the speakers around the Sink. "Nice. I''ll see you around Jefferson." he says, meaning it as he literally couldn''t avoid the jukebox that sat in his living room... Afton waddles to the balcony and takes in some sunlight, his skin greedily absorbing it... After a couple hours of this he comes back inside and hears the intercom spark to life, allowing a familiar voice to come through. "FOR THE LOVE THAT IS SCIENTIFIC AND INTELLIGENT, WILL YOU TURN THAT RACKET OFF!" Klein shouts, clearly annoyed by the jazz Jefferson was playing. If he were honest, it was quite loud, maybe it played throughout the Think Tank as well? Smirking, Afton looks to Alfred, "Can Klein hear me?" "I''ll connect you to the building''s intercom, sir... The Think Tank can now hear you." Afton nods and coughs into his fist, "If you hate it so much Klein, then you can come up here and turn it off. Don''t be afraid, I am just a ''simple lobotomite''" he taunts, not forgetting what the scientists had done to Christine. Especially now that the Pacification field wasn''t altering his thoughts and emotions. "WHAT!? WHY YOU... DR. O! GO UP THERE AND TURN THAT BRAIN-NUMBING SOUND OFF!" "No can do Klein... besides, it''s been a while since I''ve been able to listen to music... Ever since you destroyed all of 8''s music players." Zero adds. Chapter 286 - Robo-Scorplans... After Zero''s refusal Afton could hear Klein sputtering in indignation, it was definitely the best sound he''d heard since coming here. "DALA! YOU GO UP THERE, YOU''VE BEEN THERE BEFORE WHEN SUCKING OUT IT''S BRAIN!" Klein refocuses on Dala.?? "Dr. Klein, we should leave the injured Teddy bear to play its songs. Scientific evidence suggests that music can have a profound effect on skinvelopes. From helping improve the recovery of motor and cognitive function of malfunctioning brains, reducing symptoms of sad-brain in patients suffering from brain rot. And even helping patients undergoing lobotomy''s to experience less pain and heal faster." Dala explains, and Afton wonders if it were true or not... I mean, she apparently has 211 doctorates, so it might be real? "I DON''T CARE IF THE LOBOTOMITE IS INJURED! I CAN''T THINK IN HERE WITH THAT DEAFENING MY SENSORS!" he roars, furious at the fact he couldn''t turn it off himself, order anyone else to do it, or even have a valid reason other than ''it annoys me''. "*If I may, Dr. Klein. I have some pre-war sound suppresses for you to use if you wish.*" 8 buzzes, Afton''s mind automatically translating it. "... FINE! ATLEAST THEN I CAN GET SOME WORK DONE!" Klein finally relents. Afton makes a cutting off motion to Alfred who stops the connection to the Think Tank... Once done he can''t help but break into laughter, how long had it been since he''d pulled a prank on someone like that? Not since he''d sabotaged his father''s locker to shock him when he touched it. He waddles into the living room and gives a thumbs up to Jefferson, "Good job... When I''m not here, feel free to play whatever you want. As long as it''s loud enough to annoy the scientists downstairs." he says. "No problemo, kid. I don''t hold any love for them either, especially after one of them threw my chip off the balcony... Apart from maybe, Doctor 8... He and I may be kindred acoustic souls." Afton nods and heads into his bedroom, stabbing himself with one last stimpack before eating some food and laying back on the bed... He needed to space out the stimpacks he took, otherwise his body would starve itself by using all his reserves on healing his injuries. He was already feeling marginally better after staying out in the sun for a while, but with this, he was sure he''d be able to get back into action tomorrow. The next day Afton woke up as healthy as ever. His broken legs are fully healed and there weren''t even any traces of an injury having been there. Even his scuffed clothing as returned to a brand-new condition. He stretches his body, hearing many clicks and cracks as he does so. After brushing his teeth and having a brief breakfast, he collects all his gear and stores away the X-2 Antenna. He certainly wasn''t going to be lugging that thing around, especially since he was not even as effective as his Proton axes. Once done, he got Jefferson to start playing some tunes as he checked his Pipboy for his next destination. After looking at it for a while, he eventually decides to head west, towards the X-13 Research facility. The scientists needed some sort of Stealth suit from there, and Afton was well overdue to get some better armour for himself... What better way to advance his armoury by stealing some sci-fi stealth armour from a highly classified military research facility... Right? Regardless of where he may be going, he''d need to check in with 8 first, to see if he''d managed to find some way to stall the Robo-Scorpions, even momentarily. After saying his farewell to Alfred, he headed down to the Think Tank where the scientists were already hard at work... He spotted Klein at the top of the stairs and almost burst into laughter when he see him. The robot was wearing huge ear-muffs over what was presumably its sound inputs. So that was the ''pre-war sound suppressor'' 8 had given him, if they were human Afton would be buying them drinks for this. He quickly walks to his favourite scientist out of the lot and greets with a wave, "Yo, 8. How''re you doing?" Dr. 8 looks over from the Robo-Scorpion schematics that''d been printed out. They seemed much more intricate and detailed now, 8 having apparently scanned the rest while Afton was asleep. "*Good-er... Morning?" the robot shrugs its monitors, "*We can''t really tell the time of day in the Think Tank...*" he admits sheepishly. "Don''t worry, it''s morning. How''s the project going? I''m still a bit wary of going out there again without insurance." 8 nods his monitors understandably, "*I''m in agreement with you Mr. Parker, I''d rather not have such a great asset gunned down by some insectoid robots.*" he points a manipulator at the schematic, "*I''ve found a... Temporary weakness with the Robo-Scorpions design. It''s fortunate that it comes under my field of study, otherwise we''d not be able to make use of it.*" "Well, what is it?" "*Mobius has created two ways that I can see, of controlling his Robo-Scorpions. First, is their programming. Before he sends them out, he presumably creates a list of commands that they will attempt to follow, as most regular robots would do. Second, is via voice command, of which he has installed audio outputs on all of the Robo-Scorpions so he can command them at any moment. I imagine you would have heard him when you were assaulted by them?*" Afton nods, "Yeah... It was strange to hear Mobius voice coming from every single robot..." "*We''ll be taking advantage of the second option. It will likely only work once, or perhaps twice if Mobius is as far-gone as Klein suspects." 8 floats over to the Robo-Scorpion body that hasn''t been moved from where Afton had left it and points with a manipulator. "*Would you take apart the machine for me? We need to recover its audio output, once done we can gain access to the private channel and take control of the Robo-Scorpions.*" Chapter 287 - Corrosive Personality... Afton does as 8 says and deconstructs the Robo-Scorpion, following the schematics and making sure not to trigger any of its self-destruct trips. After thirty minutes or so he had a pile of scrap in front of him, one which 8 was quickly going through to find the component he needed. Eventually, the robot takes out a small box and places it on the workbench in front of him, quickly pulling out a multitude of tools with his manipulators before getting to work. While that was going on, Afton decided to look at the robots other components, furrowing a brow once he spots several things he doesn''t recognise...?? "Huh..." Afton mutters, realising what it was... It was a shorted out nuclear device, probably meant to destroy the robot and prevent it being captured. Judging by the damage to it, the electro-magnetic attack done by the X-2 Antenna fried it before it could blow up, allowing him to capture the scorpion... Still, it was kinda scary to have a small nuclear bomb in his hands... "*Mr Parker, it''s done.*" 8 buzzes out. "What''s done?" he asks back, carefully leaving the nuclear device and walking towards 8... He wished to stay away from it, otherwise his [Mechanicus] Perk might repair it and allow it to detonate at any moment. Dr. 8 turns around and extend a black box with a small makeshift-button attached to it. "*I''ve made some modifications to it, if you click the button, all Robo-Scorpions in the area will receive the command from ''Doctor Mobius'' to ''Attack everything Scorpion-like.''. As I said earlier, it may only work once or twice, so only use it in an emergency.*" Afton examines it for a couple moments before shoving it in his satchel and nodding, "Nice, thanks 8." "*It''s my pleasure Mr Parker. Try not to hurt yourself again while retrieving our technology, we have time enough to recreate them if needed, but we''ll likely never acquire a Lobotomite quite like yourself.*" the scientist says, and Afton isn''t sure whether or not he should be happy about it. "Alright, well, I''ll see then. Hopefully, I remain in one piece." Afton says, turning and leaving while glancing at his Pipboy map. There were several places he wanted to visit on his way to the X-13 Research Facility. In between, it was the X-12 Research center, Z-43 Innovative Toxins Plant, Z-38 Lightwave Dynamics Research, and X-66 Hexcrete Archipelago. Afton wasn''t quite sure what they would have inside them, but hopefully, it''d be something he could stea*cough*, acquire... Besides, he already got permission from the scientists to take whatever technology he wanted. He steps outside the Think Tank and is greeted by the morning sun... Fortunately, there weren''t any Lobotomite''s around to ruin his day yet. He double-checks his weaponry before walking West. The easiest to reach and closest place for him to reach was the X-12 Research center. There weren''t any enemies nearby so he just simply walked up to the building. Once inside he spots a forcefield blocking access to a stairway, preventing him from going any further without the requisite tool to unlock it... "Hmm. Guess I''ll have to come back here later." he mutters, going outside and continuing west. Already, he could see large hexagonal pillars sprouting from the ground as if they were growing like organic beings. Just what kind of catastrophe could have caused that? Following the Pipboy, he leaves the well-tread path and starts going towards the Toxins plant. On his way there he spots a large contingent of Lobotomite''s walking through the hexagonal forest. All of which was wielding various weapons. Afton decided that evading the large group would probably be better in the long run. No point wasting ammo on them, especially if he could use them against the Robo-Scorpions in future. Once they pass he continues and finally spots the Toxins plant... Funnily enough, it looked like a regular building... Aside from the hexagonal pillars growing from the ground. He was a good distance away, but could already feel the radiation brushing against his skin, his Pipboy slowly clicking in response. Whatever the case, the plant was heavily irradiated. He was highly resistant to it, but depending on how bad the radiation was he may succumb eventually. Inside the plant was dark, but had a few glowing green light sources dotted around. His Geigar counter was going crazy, but Afton ignored that for now and started looking around. He found some keys, irradiated food and drink, melted terminals, and last but certainly not least... A glowing green glove that seemed to be slowly melting through the floor... He didn''t dare touch it, as if it was capable of melting through metal and concrete, his hands wouldn''t stand a chance... Besides, the radiation it was emitting was higher than everything else in the room. Shaking his head, he decides to leave with the loot he''d manage to recover from this irradiated mess. However, once he leaves the plant he''s greeted with three armed Y-17 Trauma harnesses. The blank skulls sitting within their bowl helmet staring lifelessly at him. "Err... Yo?" he says sheepishly, giving a wave in greeting... Before having to throw himself to the side as plasma and laser weapons start firing at him. They were pretty close, making it difficult to dodge, but Afton wasn''t going to make it easy for them... He was in direct sunlight, empowered by radiation, and just so happened to have axe-lightsabers on him. [Solar Powered is in effect] [Atomic! is in effect] [John Wick Style is in effect] With a 14 Strength enhanced stomp, he throws himself towards the nearest Y-13 Harness, the suit not being able to reach to how quickly he''d changed his speed and trajectory. Rearing his head back, he headbutts the reinforced glass dome holding the enemies skull, shattering it into a million little pieces, before swiping both Proton axes he was holding through its body. Chapter 288 - Halo Ring? The Y-13 harness falls to pieces and Afton throws the two axes at the remaining ones. Both hitting the enemy''s in the chest and causing them to fall to the ground while spasming, the electro-magnetic effect of the weapons causes havoc upon suits mechanical insides. Yeah, these things might be tough against anyone else, but with all his Perks and physical statics, they don''t really stand a chance... Putting away his axes, he stuffs their weapons in his backpack before heading off to his next destination.?? Unexpectedly, there weren''t all that many interesting things inside the concrete hexagonal forest. Sure there were a few landmines he had to keep an eye out for, but other than that this place was pretty barren. It didn''t take long to reach the next location of interest, Lightwaves Dynamics Research. The building looked similar to the last one, like a regular warehouse you''d see in any arid parts of America... Afton did notice a couple creatures patrolling the outskirts of the building though. They walked on all fours and had a similar body shape to mountain lions, though their heads looked reptilian, like a snake''s. Their tales also appeared to resemble rattle-snakes, as opposed to regular mammals. All in all, Afton was 99% sure these things were biologically engineered. It just didn''t make sense that a mammal would mutate to acquire reptilian features. Regardless, he recognised what they were from his time in the Brotherhood... Night Stalkers. Incredibly stealthy, and deadly predators, that can be found throughout the wasteland. The Brotherhood wasn''t sure where they originate from, but if Afton had to guess. He''d say the Think Tank may have had a hand in them... Especially considering the fact that no creatures could enter or leave due to the tesla fence surrounding the crater. It didn''t take long to pick them all off with his Anti-Material rifle. By the time they found where he was shooting from most were already dead. Their tough skin didn''t do much against .50 calibre bullets. With that done, he headed to the doors of the building. Once inside, however, this place was completely different from the last facility. It was a huge single room with metal stairs leading up to a balcony at the end of the opposite side, overlooking everything around it. It was very dark, but in the middle of the room was some kind of light beam? It travelled from the roof to the floor and appeared to be holding something up at around head height. He wasn''t sure what the purpose of the light was, but upon closer inspection, he spotted some kind of... Ring? Floating in the light. Now, he wasn''t about to put his hand inside something that could potentially liquefy all of his organs instantly, even with his [Miracle Maker] Perk. So, instead he just broke a nearby table and tossed a couple of wood shards through it... And was baffled when they halted in midair... No, not halted, just moving very, very slowly. As if their time relative to his own had been affected by the light. He scratches his head, "The fuu-uck?" he mutters, wondering what this was, or why it functioned like that. Ignoring the beam of light for now, he headed up the stairs and almost expelled it bowls when he came face to face with a GHOST!... ... No, not a ghost. Just a hologram? It turned to look at him but didn''t do anything else... Afton waves his hand at it and finds his hand going straight through it. "Er, do you speak?" he asks, but doesn''t receive an answer. He spots a terminal nearby and accesses it, finding a few emails explaining that the ''hologram'' project would have been scrapped without ''Sinclair''s request''. This was the guy who supposedly created the Sierra Madre, the place Christine had chased Elijah to... Afton continues investigating and finds a number of controls around the room, there were a couple large generators in the corner of the room, giving off a low hum as they continued to produce power for this facility, even 200 years later. It was slightly distracting to work on the machinery while the ghostly figures of the holograms were walking around, but he couldn''t really do much about them right now... Though, he found a button he was sure would turn them off and pushed it, causing the beam of light in the middle of the room to shut off instead of the holograms. Shrugging to himself, he spots that the pieces of wood that he''d thrown earlier had dropped to the ground now that the light wasn''t putting them in stasis. And, now that the light wasn''t there, he could clearly see the other object that had been suspended. The ring of light was now on the floor, slowly pulsing but giving off no sound whatsoever. Afton tentatively picks it up and finds that its material is incredibly light, flexible, and feel like nothing he''d every felt before. Using his Pipboy, he examines it to see what exactly it was... [Valence radii-accentuator] DT : 3 Weight : 1 Value : 10000 Effects : +1 Endurance, gradual health regeneration. ... "Are you supposed to wear this?" he mutters to himself, fiddling around with the ring of light. Honestly, it looked like a halo that angels were depicted to have... He rests it atop his head and looks up in wonder as it comfortably floats above his head. He immediately noticed some feeling of warmth slowly wash over him, perhaps it was the health regeneration aspect? This was interesting technology, but he wasn''t sure whether he could wear it outside of Big MT... What would people think if they saw him walking around wearing a literal halo? Yeah, that''d draw too much attention. Regardless, he''d keep it on during his stay in Big MT... Hopefully he''d find some way of making it more translucent or something. Chapter 289 - LOOT ACQUIRED! Afton exits Lightwaves Dynamics Research and finds himself back in the hexagonal concrete forest. Fortunately, there weren''t any ambushes waiting for him like last time. He glances up and flicks the fluctuating ring still floating above his head which causes it to wobble, but slowly stabilises. Yeah, he was still unsure how it functioned, but he had plenty of time to ask the scientists when he returned. Over in the distance, he could see the X-13 Research Facility, so he quickly started heading towards it.?? There weren''t any more Night stalkers patrolling around, so it was very easy to make his way to the facilities door. Not wasting any more time, he enters inside and finds himself in a brightly lit room, reminiscent of the old Brotherhood bunker he used to live in. Of course, there were some differences. The main being that there were bright blue lights attached everywhere, looking like the veins of the facility as they snaked through the floor, walls, and roof. He steps out into the hallway and spots a locked door on his right, but ignores it for now. Choosing to check the open door on his left. Inside he''s greeted with a lab of some sort, most likely robotics considering the scrap metal and electronics lying around. One side of the room held a whiteboard with design suggestions, as if someone had held a meeting and discussed what product they wanted to design. Of course, there were many terminals sitting around, all of which appeared to be working. Ignoring the terminals for now, Afton focussed on the large strange desk? sitting in the middle of the room. It looked like a counter and seemed to be welded into the ground, the top of it glowed and depicted some sort of suit? Most likely the stealth suit he had been asked to retrieve. The suit depiction had its arms glowing green as opposed to the rest of it that was just white... The reason for this? Probably due to the physical stealth suit arm pieces sitting atop the desk. Afton examines them for a couple moments, taking a keen interest in the really, quite astounding work that''d gone into them. Whoever had designed them were certainly talented and knew what they were doing. He skimmed through the terminals while he was here, finding many entries detailing the research and development of the suit. Though, as much as Afton would like to stick around and learn all he could, he did have a task to do. Once Mobius was gone he''d definitely be coming back here though. Afton takes the arm pieces and heads to the next open room in the hallway, seeing a similar set up but with a desk topped with boots this time. The relevant armour depiction glowing green to indicate he had the right component. Once he''d scoured the room for anything else to loot, he headed back into the hallway, around a corner and into the last open room. Again, there was a desk topped with a component of the suit, the chest piece this time. But Afton spotted a few other things that caught his interest. Lining the back wall were mannequins wearing some sort of... Chinese Stealth Armour? They were partly disassembled, most likely due to the Think Tank scientists using stolen technology for their own stealth suit. Honestly, it made Afton smirk. The Chinese had been on the losing side of the war due to America''s invention of Power armour. The Chinese had tried to combat this with creations of their own, the Chinese Stealth Armour, and while yeah, sure they were incredibly good at infiltration, they simply couldn''t match up to Power armour, forcing the war to go nuclear. It was all logged in the Brotherhood. But Afton remembered thinking at the time whether or not China had managed to create Power armour in the end? He was interested to see what other technology may still be over there. Regardless, he checked the room over before taking the chest piece. [X-13 Experimental Stealth Suit Complete] [You have obtained the Aural Stealth Suit! Not only can it be upgraded through testing in X-13, it also has Med X and Stimpack reserves for all your pain-dampening needs! (Med X and Stimpacks not included)] Afton raises a brow at this, having not thought he would''ve found all the pieces of this tech yet... But apparently, he had... He was somewhat expecting a helmet to be lying somewhere, but to each there own he supposes... He checks the completed Stealth suit via his Inventory to get its statistics. [Stealth suit Mk II] DT : 14 Weight : 25 Effect : +15 Sneak Value : 30000 Hm, it wasn''t all that much better when compared to his Recon armour. [Recon Armour] DT : 17 Weight : 20 Effect : +5 Sneak Value : 7200 Recon armour had higher DT, but lacked the bonus sneak values... Afton was going to start using the Stealth suit only because it could apparently be upgraded via the X-13 facility tests. Though, he also wanted to see why it was so much more valuable as well. He takes off his rather sweaty Recon Armour, leaving him in nothing but underwear and a t-shirt. But quickly starts putting on the Stealth suit. He wasn''t willing to risk being ''naked'' for too long, who knows what creatures were walking about this facility. The armour itself was made of tough black fabric with white lines decorating it. It was also plated with white metal that protected his vitals. The gloves were very good, grippy, and allowed full dexterity of his fingers, while the boots supported his ankles in an extremely comfortable way. Everything about it was designed with stealth and infiltration in mind, from the dexterity it allowed, to the sound suppression. The fabric seemed designed to create a little sound as possible, and even the boots seemed almost completely silent when he was purposely stomping around. Chapter 290 - Nyx Nyx Nyx! Afton rolls his shoulder while adjusting the collar of the armour, he certainly felt more comfortable than his Recon armour had. Much more flexible too. "Not bad." he mutters to himself, not expecting a response... "Thank you!" a feminine voice says, causing him to jump backwards, almost completely destroying the terminal behind him.?? "WHA!" he shouts in surprise, spinning around to try and find the intruder. "Who was that!?" "Hello! It''s nice to meet you. Who can I hide you from today?" the voice asks, and Afton still isn''t sure where it was coming from... "Er, hello? Who am I speaking to?" he asks with furrowed brows, not liking being in the disadvantaged position. "I am the X-13 Research Facilities Experimental Stealth suit Mk 2. I am designed for all of your sneaking needs, proximity readings, sneaking tips and techniques, and health maintenance." "Proximity readings?" He asks, confused at what that might mean. "I am able to detect potential enemies at a limited range, I will seek to warn you should I detect them before you are able to." it explains. "And ''health maintenance?''" He asks, not wanting to be surprised by anything. "Health Maintenance mode activated, attempting integration." the feminine voice states, and before Afton''s able to object he feels sharp pricks all across his body, as if needles were being jabbed into him... Though, if he had to guess, that''d probably what it was. He was about to draw the line and take the suit off when he felt a couple pricks on either side of his neck, but relented when he heard the suit speak again. "Integration complete, vitals signs nominal, body condition... Attractive." it states causing Afton''s eyes to widen slightly, that didn''t sound like any health check-up he''d ever heard of before! "Oi, what''re you checking you perverted suit?" he quickly retorts. ... "Body condition, healthy." it corrects before continuing, "Testing for medicinal allergies. Med X... Effective. Stimpacks... Effective. All readings green, user can proceed with whatever incredibly dangerous task they have." the robot states. ... Afton sighs and rubs his face, was there nothing normal in this god-forsaken crater? He shakes his head, "So, ''stealth suit'', what do you actually do?" "That was already explained." it states in a mocking tone. "Yeah, I heard. But I just want to confirm..." he feels around and notices the pricks across his body had disappeared. Though, he could still feel himself connected to the suit in some way. "Do you automatically introduce drugs depending on my health?" he asks, slightly worried at the fact. "That is one of my functions, yes." "And when do you deem it acceptable to inject Med X or Stimpacks into me?" "When the user''s life signs see a significant decrease in overall health, a stimpack will be introduced into the most heavily damaged area. If the user''s pain receptors are firing at an unusual rate, Med X will be used to suppress them." it explains. "I see... And am I able to disable these functions?" he asks, not having decided if he wanted the suit to have that kind of control yet. "The user can. All you need to do is command my Health stabilisation functions to be disabled." Afton nods, "Alright. I''ll keep them for now and see how it goes... Do you have a name I can call you? I''d rather not call you ''Stealth suit'' if I can help it." he says. "User can designate a name for me." Mmm. Afton wasn''t all that good with names, as could be observed from the way he''d called the sink AI Alfred. He taps his foot while going over short, suitable names that could fit the suit. Clara, no. Mary? No... Night? No... Hmm, "How about, Nyx?" he mutters, it was short, relevant to the suit''s functions, and had some history behind it. "Affirmative, my name is Nyx." it states, and Afton wasn''t sure, but the voice sounded somewhat excited with its new name. Were all AI''s like this? Or maybe it was just his imagination. "Checking inventory... Med X, stocked. Stimpacks, stocked. A number of psychogenic, hallucinogenic, carcinogenic, substances were also found. Does user wish to dispose of them?" Nyx offers, and Afton quickly shakes his head, "No! Do not do that!" "Affirmative, I will ignore the dangerous substances... For now." Afton breathes a sigh of relief, he definitely wouldn''t be happy if Nyx just dumped off of his chems without his permission. Sure, most of them were incredibly dangerous if misused, most were useful in certain situations. As he had shown during his fight against Violet and her dogs. Afton flexes his body a couple more times to get used to the suit before walking into the next room, inside he finds many pens below blocked off by forcefields. There are doors on each side of the room and many terminals and desks lying around the place. He skims through a couple of the terminals and finds that the Stealth suit test area is nearby, as well as some kind of VR test area? Though, while all of these were interesting, they weren''t dangerous. Of course, this wouldn''t be a madman''s laboratory without something out to kill you inside. The terminals stated that they were using Night Stalkers for something and that there were pens someone in the facility. It also mentioned the fact that they''d somehow mutated after chewing on a stealth boy, obtaining the ability to go invisible like you would if you used the device... Scary stuff. Afton ignores the other doors and test area, for now, instead, seeking to gain access to the ''VR test area'' Yeah, he was excited to see what was inside... Already he was imagining a Holo-deck sort of set up. Unfortunately, the door was locked. But that wasn''t going to stop Afton. He took out a Proton axe and started hacking away at the door, the light blade cutting through it with ease. Though, the door appeared to be somewhat electrical, as the EMP properties of the weapon caused great sparks to shoot out from the cuts. "Hm, I hope this doesn''t damage the room..." he mutters. "Oh, it most certainly has." Nyx states, causing him to grimace. Chapter 291 - Elites Outta Nowhere! Afton continues to cut his way through the door, until eventually there isn''t anything that remains of it. In the next room he''s almost blinded by what he saw... Everything, the floor, walls, and ceiling were layered in glowing black and blue hexagons. On the ground appears to be a skeleton with a purple proton axe sticking out of its back? There''s another skeleton at the opposite end of the room, lying under a destroyed terminal that sparked with electricity from its destroyed monitor.? ? There were also two holographic floor mounted projectors, displaying a proton axe and a box respectively... For what purpose? Who knows. Afton sighs, "Well, I guess my dream of a holodeck is gone." he mutters, walking over and picking up the purple proton axe before checking it with his inventory. [Protonic inversal axe] Strength req : 5 DMG : 58 Crit dmg : 45 Crit mult : x1 AP : 25 Weight : 8 Value : 10000 Special : +50 damage against robots outside Big MT, +20 damage against Big MT robots and power armour. Well, it''s just a straight upgrade of the regular Proton axe... A bit more base damage and almost double the crit damage. "I don''t think this thing is worth not having a holodeck." he says, inspecting the damaged terminal and finding a boot sitting within its destroyed screen. Perhaps he could repair this? It''d have to be another time, as he had no idea just how long it''d take to do that. Plus, if everything went as he wanted, he''d have help in repairing this. Turning he leaves the room, walking over to the opposite side of the room, heading down some stairs towards where the Night Stalker kennel should be. At the end of the hallway is completely stained with dark, dry blood. A skeleton lying directly under it. The door to the kennels was wide open, with the cages that used to keep the creatures restrained having been bent, and broken so they can escape. "Detecting movements beneath us." Nyx states, and Afton draws his new Inversal axe along with That Gun. "Can you tell how far?" Afton asks, wondering if there was a room underneath him. "Between one and infinity meters." Nyx says, his tone fixed but it was clear she was taking the piss. "Oh, ha-ha. You''re very funny." he sighs, checking the room for anything good to loot. "Thank you. The people who designed me always praised my humour." "I was being sarcastic." he retorts, taking great pleasure in getting some payback. "Ah, I couldn''t tell. Are all human jokes that bad?" Nyx asks as he was rummaging through an upturned desk. "Alright, here''s a joke then. Knock Knock." "Who''s there?" Nyx replies dutifully. "Nunya." "Nunya who?" "Nunya business. Now, let''s get to work." Afton states, not wanting to get caught by some Night Stalkers with his pants down and talking to Nyx. "You are a very strange man." Afton ignores Nyx''s comment and continues looking through the various rooms that used to hold the Night Stalkers. He walks through large pipes that were presumably made to transport the Night Stalkers to whatever test area''s they were required at. Though, he could see a grated off part of the pipe completely destroyed, Night Stalkers having apparently chewed through the metal bars and escaped the facility. He continues into the next room and spots various things to loot, though, he was staying far, far away from the still somehow ''edible'' steaks lying on the floor... Afton simply couldn''t believe they had been lying on the floor for two-hundred years, and not rotted or been eaten by the Night Stalkers here... Either the were poison, or wax replicas. He checks the room for a while and eventually finds a Stealth boy tucked into a corner, Afton examines it and snickers to himself. These things used self-contained power sources that couple be swapped out as they were inextricably linked to the other electronics that allowed it to function. This was a negative thing in most instances... But, Afton was uniquely suited to dealing with this. His [Mechanicus] Perk allowed him to repair it after each use, making the Stealth Boy reusable, and not just a disposable tool that most saw it as. Of course, he''d need to wait a bit after each use for it to regain functionality, but that was fine. "Hey Nyx, I''ve already found your replacement," he says with a smirk, holding up the relatively heavy Stealth boy. With it, he could now become totally invisible for around ten minutes. "That is not funny either." Nyx complains, the AI slightly worried if there was truth in his words... Before Afton is able to say anything in reply, Nyx''s next words stop him in his tracks... "Uh oh. Enemies incoming." Afton shoves the Stealth boy into his Deathclaw leather satchel for now. The enemies were likely to be Night Stalkers, so there wasn''t any point activating it when they could just smell him out. He ducks into the corner of the room and lines up That Gun at the pipe where they''d likely be coming from. Though, strangely enough, despite hearing the rattle of their snake-like tails and quiet steps through the hollow metal exit, he couldn''t see them... No, that wasn''t true. He could see slight shimmers in the air, indicating that the creatures had somehow evolved to acquire the ability to become invisible. Was this the ability the scientists in the terminals upstairs were talking about? He takes a slow, deep breath before firing at one of the shimmers. A spray of blood is the only indication that he''d actually hit something, but quickly the others were on the move. *Bang, Bang, Bang!* he continues firing, not knowing exactly where to aim. [John Wick Style is in effect] One Night Stalker falls over as its invisibility disappears, a bullet wound on the side of its head. Afton isn''t able to celebrate as he''s assaulted by the rest however. Chapter 292 - Bite, And Snap...? A shimmer rapidly approaches him and Afton swings his Inversal axe at it, but due to its invisibility, he miss-judges the range and doesn''t manage to hit it. The shimmer that''d dodged his strike leaps forwards at him, becoming visible and revealing its reptilian head as it tries to bite him. Afton stuffs his plant arm into its mouth to prevent it from getting a good bite on him, but is forced to fire the last of That Guns bullets at another approaching shimmer. As this happens the Night Stalker that''d bitten him starts throwing itself side to side in an attempt to tear some flesh away from his arm... Fortunately, the bark-like material was simply too difficult to damage via that kind of assault.?? Grunting, he lifts his trapped arm and swings the Night Stalker at a nearby shimmer, causing it to slam into one of its brethren and get thrown away, quickly becoming invisible again afterwards. Afton notices another shimmer charging directly at him, and choosing to leap over it to dodge the attack. Though, this wasn''t the best plan of action, as when he splits his legs the Night Stalker materialises and barely misses biting his jewels off. He doesn''t even have time to pale at how close that was as the offending Night Stalker smashing into the concrete wall behind him. Growling, he slams his Inversal axe into it''s back, cutting it completely in half and causes the smell of burnt flesh to stink-up the room. "Behind you!" Nyx exclaims, allowing him to spin away and avoid two charging Night Stalkers that become visible just as they bite down on the vacant spot where he just was. "Thanks Nyx." he says, slicing apart the now-visible creature and turning towards the other shimmers in the room. He quickly sheaths That Gun and draws Lucky from its own holster, firing the revolver at the shimmers. *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!* He unloads the gun at them, now having a better idea at where their heads were located. Two more drops dead, and he quickly holsters Lucky as well, uses both hands on his new axe. "Come get some you abominations!" he shouts. The Night Stalkers apparently take this as an invitation as all of the shimmers charge him. He slices apart the first and second, but is unable to dodge as two Night Stalkers lock their jaws around each leg, another leaping to try and tear out his throat. [Grit is in effect] He grabs the flying Night Stalker by its neck while swinging down at the one biting his leg, cutting its head clean off. "Stop biting me, please!" Nyx pleads to the blood-crazed beasts, obviously achieving nothing. With the added strength granted by Grit, Afton squeezes the Night Stalkers neck and snaps it, the creature releasing a pitiful squeal as it goes limp. Afterwards, Afton turns an angry gaze to the last Night Stalker still chewing on his leg. It seems to feel his glare and stops chewing for a moment as it looks up at him. ... Realising it was outmatched, it lets go and tries to bolt, slowly turning invisible as it retreats. Afton doesn''t take kindly to this and grabs its rattle-snake-like tail, slamming it into a wall, a broken fridge, desk, and eventually the floor. By the time he was done throwing the creature around, it was nothing by a pile of bruised flesh and broken bones. He spits on and checks on his armour and the wounds he''d sustained. He was well aware of the venom these creatures had, it was pretty obvious due to their snake-like heads and fangs. "Nyx, can you take care of the anti-venom? I think I still have a few left." "I will begin the procedure... Would you be so kind to patch the new holes I''ve acquired too?" she asks and Afton looks at the torn pieces of fabric the Night Stalkers had managed to get through, though, it was only their frontal fangs that''d actually pierced it. "Will do, Nyx." he says, allowing the AI to observe the slow repair of [Mechanicus], it wasn''t like he could hide it from his sentient clothing, was it? Afton glances around at the dead Night Stalkers and wonders if he should try to scavenge anything from them... Their pelts were probably useless, first because he''d cut most of them apart, second because they were all disease-ridden and in bad condition in the first place, third because Night Stalkers weren''t known for having good hides in the first place. If he wanted, he could cut their tails off, drain their blood, and see if any were carrying eggs... But didn''t see the need to... He wasn''t desperate enough to spend an hour cutting them apart for some rather pitiful rewards. It wasn''t like he was going to walk away from this place empty-handed though, he''d still acquired a Stealth boy. He makes his way back up to the room where the holodeck was and approaches the last door. There was a large terminal next to it, and once accessed it only had a single option... [Unlock elevator to test chamber?] Shrugging, he selects it and hears a click coming from the metal door beside him. "So, er, what kind of tests will we have to do?" he asks, hoping Nyx would answer. "The tests accessible at the X-13 Research Facility all include some form of sneaking and or infiltration. Luckily, with me helping you we''ll sneak so hard even the sneak-detecting unsneakable robots will struggle to locate us." "Uh huh... And what stops me from just using the Stealth boy?" "Why, that would be the proximity mines." ... "Wait what?" he asks in slight bafflement as they ride the elevator down to the test chamber. "The proximity mines will detect you regardless of your ability to bypass regular visual sensors. Though, I suppose the laser traps might not work?" Nyx questions, apparently not knowing the answer herself. Chapter 293 - Test, Complete. Afton steps out of the elevator and Nyx suddenly speaks up, "Data collection array, online... Please use the terminal below to begin user synchronisation." "What does that even mean?" Afton asks.?? "The observation room will track our movements, and upgrade my firmware with every test we complete." Nyx easily explains. Afton nods, he probably needed to complete all the tests to retrieve the complete schematic that Klein had asked for. Not that he wouldn''t do so anyway, upgrading Nyx to her full capabilities sounded like a fantastic idea. Looking around the room he was in, it appeared to be the second floor which allowed for observation of the first. A terminal sat nearby but it didn''t have much other information he''d not already seen. Instead of heading downstairs to begin the tests, Afton elected to look at the entire test area before doing anything. This way he''d know where to go, potential threats, etc. The observation areas themselves were full of junk, displaying the scientists rather lackadaisical attitudes towards the tests. This is probably the reason why Nyx still hadn''t been fitted with the best firmware they had at their disposal. He continues circling around until he returned to where he''d started. This time heading down the stairs and approaching a high-tech-looking terminal while ignoring the heavily armed sentry turret sitting in the corner. Currently, there was only one option he was able to select on the terminal. [Begin Basic Infiltration Test] Without much choice, he confirms it and hears the hum of old machinery coming back to life. On the terminal instructions for the test are quickly appearing... Apparently, he needed to sneak through the test area, avoiding the robots that are patrolling around and steal a document from a safe... Easy enough, right? "Movement detected." Nyx states as he crouches into a low position and pushes his way through the double doors to the test area. The test itself isn''t all that hard, the robots follow a strict patrol pattern that is very easy to observe and avoid if you have the patience. Afton''s Sneak Skill was already maxed out, so with the help of Nyx, he was easily able to bypass all the tests defences and make it to the end. The safe at the end of the trial isn''t even locked, allowing him to pull out a piece of paper with ''X-13 Document'' written in large bold letters. Though, it didn''t seem official in any capacity as instead of actual writing, it contained squiggles that looked like writing from afar. "Test data processed. Suit updated to firmware Version 1.1." Afton raises a brow and checks the suit via his inventory to see what''d actually changed... He was immediately able to find what was new... The suit had gained an extra +10 to sneak, making it a full +25, the highest he''d ever seen. If the first update was this good, he wondered what the other''s would be? Deciding it''d be better to complete the tests sooner than later, he walks back through the test area and activates the terminal again, this time selecting the new option that was available. [Begin Advanced Infiltration Test] He begins the test and quickly finds what is more ''advanced'' about this test than the previous one. Laser tripwires completely cover the test area, making it difficult to sneak around without stepping on one. Fortunately, with Afton''s incredible agility, he''s easily able to bypass these too, as well as the robots who had returned to the same patrol route as the last test. It takes no time at all to reach the safe and acquire the document. "Test data processed. Updated to firmware version 1.2" Nyx states robotically. Checking via his inventory, this next update gave the stealth suit +1 to Perception. How was this the case? Afton didn''t really know, that''s just what his inventory told him... Maybe Nyx''s detection abilities had improved? Regardless, Afton continues running the various tests, the next having proximity mines scattered throughout the place, that would even detect him through walls. After completing that test, he immediately started the next, one called the [Robot Compliance Test]. This forced him to go through the test area and manually deactivate the patrolling robots, which wasn''t all that hard due to their inattentiveness and ineffective rear sensors. Once all was said and done, Afton had fully upgraded Nyx and acquired all the firmware updates. [Stealth suit Mk II] DT : 14 Weight : 25 Effect : +25 Sneak, +1 Perception, +1 Agility, +20% crouched movement speed. Value : 50000 If Afton hadn''t already taken a liking to Nyx, he might''ve considered trying to sell her... Though, he doubted anyone would be willing to buy her at the price she was worth... "How''re you feeling, Nyx?" "Whole." she states simply. "Alright, let''s get out of he-" "What!?! X-13 breached!? No... Even that stealth suit won''t hide you from my Robo-Scorpion army! Sting the intruder my pets! Sting them until they''re all stupid!" Mobius suddenly roars over the building''s intercom. "Uh oh... Many enemies approaching!" Nyx chirps, sounding somewhat worried about the sheer number of forces headed to them. Afton looks at the closed double doors that lead to the hallway, it was the only exit, and would likely already be flooded by Robo-Scorpions... He doesn''t despair though, instead, a smirk finds it way onto his face. "Don''t worry Nyx, I got this." he says, pulling out the Stealth boy and activating it, causing light to ripple and distort around him, before rendering him invisible to the naked eye. "Wow, this feels weird." he mutters, touching his invisible arms and face. "Ooooh... I feel so... Sneaky." Nyx moans, and almost causes Afton to blush at the sensuality of it. Chapter 294 - EXPLOOO-SION! Just after Afton had turned invisible, he and Nyx heard a strange sound coming from the other side of the door... It sounded like, something charging up? Afton''s eyes widen to an almost comical degree as he kicks over the hard wooden desk and throws himself behind it.?? *BOOM!* The doors fly off of its hinges at the explosion, smashing into the wall behind Afton. Strangely, he noticed there didn''t seem to be any smoke. Which is what he would''ve expected from a breach like this. "FOOL! DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD NOT UPDATE MY ROBO-SCORPION TO DEFEAT... DOORS!" Mobius voice shouts. Afton peeks over the desk and spots a swarm of Robo-Scorpions slowly entering the room... Fortunately, they hadn''t spotted him as he was still invisible, but that wouldn''t stop them from accidentally touching him. Quickly, he climbs on top of the desk to avoid catching the robot attention, and sits there as quietly as possible as the robots slowly funnel inside. ... The robots crawl all around the room, seemingly confused at the lack of an enemy. "Robo-Scorpions! Use your proximity sensors! It appears our guest has acquired some sort of sneaky-stealth-technology!" Mobius voice echoes from all the robots, causing Afton to pale. Not waiting another moment, he leaps from the desk, over the robots and lands at the door. The sound of his landing causes them to turn, but they still aren''t able to see him. Unfortuantely, it was at this moment that they activate their proximity sensors, immediately powering up their lasers in Afton''s direction. He quickly ducks and runs into the hall, barely dodging the group''s laser fire as he slips into a nearby room. He slams the door shut behind him and continues running through the halls, attempting to reach the exit. He really hadn''t expected Mobius'' robots to have proximity sensors, though ti does make sense if they were forced to deal with the invisible Night Stalkers. Afton had considered using the device 8 had made for him, but didn''t want to use it now and risk Mobius fixing the problem before he escaped from the facility. "Nyx, anymore robots up ahead?" he quietly asks, as he approaches the double doors leading to the stairs. "Four enemies above us." she states. Afton nods and readies his Inversal axe, sprinting up the stairs as fast as possible. He was still invisible, and while the proximity sensors may be able to see him, they weren''t quick enough to allow the four Robo-Scorpion to react in time. He easily slices them apart and reaches the elevator leading out of the test chamber, he throws himself inside and slams his hand on the button that causes moves the elevator upwards. He sighs to himself as he regains his breath, really, did Mobius already have Robo-Scorpions stationed nearby in case Afton had managed to acquire the technology? If that''s the case, then he''d be best served to investigate the outskirts of the last sight to make sure he wasn''t walking into a trap. *Ding!* The elevator reaches the top and the doors slowly open, revealing thirty Robo-Scorpions with their lasers all pointing in his direction... Before he''s able to react he''s bombarded by lasers, the searingly hot beams of light tearing him apart. Not even his mutations and Perks would allow him to survive such an onslaught... So, Afton falls to the floor in a smoking heap. Nyx crying out for her new, and most likely last user to get up. Of course, Afton hears none of this due to his most certain demise... "Good work my Robo-Scorpions! You showed that intruder the what-for!" [Miracle Maker activated] Afton quietly groans in pain as he spots the notification in his peripheral. He''d died just now, a painful death where his internal organs had been liquified. The stealth suit was pretty damaged, but not unfixable... Fortunately, the Robo-Scorpions hadn''t noticed that he''d survived yet, allowing him to reach into his satchel... He pulls out the box and presses the button. "My Robo-Scorpions! There is a traitor among us! Destroy each other until you find them!" a strange mixture of voices that mimicked Mobius''s suddenly shouts over the Robo-Scorpions radio. And, as dutiful soldiers, they all immediately start blasting each other to pieces. Afton shoves the box back into his satchel and gets to his feet, quickly running for the exit. "You''re alive!" Nyx shouts exuberantly. "Yeah, for now. Let''s get out of here before anything else can change that." he says as he runs through the hallway where he''d originally named Nyx. Robo-Scorpions were everywhere, but they seemed to pay no attention to Afton, more concerned about attacking one another. Once Afton reaches the exit, he''s greeted by an army of Robo-Scorpions all attacking one another. He sprints away to get some distance before turning and pulling out the Sonic Emitter. Now would be the best time to thin out the robots before they could next be used against him. He probably wouldn''t get another shot at this, as 8''s device only worked as long as Mobius allowed it to. He lines up a shot at one of the robots in the middle of the army, prays to the god of explosions ''Megumin-sama'', and fires. [Critical hit!] *BOOOOOOM!* His attack critically hits one of the robots, causing the Robo-Scorpion frequency on his Sonic Emitter to activate, the enemy hit imploding into a wonderful explosion... Which is quickly followed up by his Perk [Meltdown]. Large glowing green explosions begin occurring in the middle of the army, each scorpion killed adding to the destruction via another green *boom!*. Everything caught within the chain reaction is instantly rendered ashes or glowing goop of radioactive paste. Out of the hundreds of Robo-Scorpions, only a few heavily damaged stragglers remain. A huge crater directly outside the X-13 facility is left, fortunately not damaging the building. Afton laughs and jabs a finger towards the last remaining robots, "Yeah! That''s what you get you crazy robotic son of a bitch!" he shouts, not taking notice of the fact he was still invisible, and therefore couldn''t be seen taunting. Chapter 295 - Turn Off The Lights... Afton huffs after having destroyed most of the Robo-Scorpions stationed here. He was still slightly injured from the wounds his [Miracle Maker] had failed to heal, but Nyx was more than willing to pump Stimpacks and Med X into him to help. There should still be many Robo-Scorpions inside the X-13 facility, b ut Afton thought destroying the army was enough for now. This would put a dent in Mobius'' forces numbers, hopefully the mad scientist would think twice before sending more after Afton in the next facility he has to enter.?? "User! Life signs ceased for 2.7 seconds! Wounds too extensive to tend to... My processors are overheating in an attempt to understand what had just occurred." Nyx says, clearly baffled by his rapid recovery to what was most certainly his death. "Ah-er... You sure your sensors aren''t on the blink Nyx? Maybe you should check them out before you start frying yourself in an attempt to understand something that is clearly impossible." "Understood, I shall begin a hardware overview. Be careful, my sensors will be unavailable until I am finished." Nyx says. Ah, Afton hadn''t thought about that... Hopefully, it wouldn''t take too long, her sensors were incredibly useful thus far, and it''d be unfortunate to lose them. For now, he should probably get back to the Think Tank and report on his success, he hadn''t heard a broadcast from Klein this time, so perhaps Mobius had found a way to block the schematic transfer. That, and Afton wanted to see if any other personality chip had been fixed yet... Though, the repair process will probably take a little longer due to the damage done to the stealth suit earlier. He shakes his head, regardless, he''ll be able to gather some information about the next facility while he''s there. With that, Afton turns and starts heading back to the Think Tank, avoiding an occasional group of Lobotomites before finally getting back. Afton heads straight up to the Sink after he reaches the dome, deciding to speak to the scientists afterward. As he enters he''s immediately greeted by his dutiful servant, Alfred. "Salutations, sir. I trust your recent venture has been rewarding?" Afton nods, "It has. Ah, by the way, Alfred, meet Nyx." he says, tapping on the stealth suit to coax the AI out. "I am the Stealth suit Mk2, otherwise designated as, Nyx." "I am the Sink central intelligence unit, also designated Alfred. It''s a pleasure to meet one of sir''s companions." he says politely. "Hello, table person Alfred." ... Alfred seems to release a sigh, "Indeed." Afton smirks and shakes his head, walking into the next room and sitting on the coach while looking over the various personality chips... It seems he had slightly misjudged his [Mechanicus] Perk, as one chip seemed to be completely repaired. [Light Switch 01 Personality Module] ... Now he just needed to find out which light switch this one belonged to... He glances up at the wall and looks at the closest one, "Might as well start here." he mutters, shrugging to himself. He slides the chip into it and immediately a feminine voice begins talking, "Mhmm, Hmm? Full functionality restored? H-how long have I been inactive?" she mutters. "No idea, all I know is that Dr. Klein apparently tossed you out of the balcony... I''ve been doing my best to repair you guys." he says, not bothering to tell the light switch that he''d just been letting their chips automatically repair in his pocket... "Hey, hey, hey! Is that you over there Light switch?" Jefferson''s voice asks from behind him. "Oh. It''s you. What do you want?" the Light switch retorts angrily. "Oh, nothin''. Just wanted to hear the sound of your sweet, sweet voice." "Yeah? Well, I bet you''d know about ''sweet voices'' when you were flirting with the other Light switch! We are literally in the same room, did you think I wouldn''t hear you!" she shouts, aggrieved... Apparently, Jefferson had been switching from, eh, Light switches... "Come on baby! I swear it won''t happen again!" "Only because she''s not online right now... But I know you''ll do the same when she is. Hmph!" While this peculiar couple fight is interesting to observe, Afton still needed to figure out what functions the Light switch actually served. "Ahem!" He coughs into his fist, "We weren''t done talking yet, once I''m gone you guys can argue all you want... For now, what functions do you serve, Light switch?" he asks. "Now that we aren''t being interrupted by that Cheater!... I''ll explain. Dr. Mobius and I were deeply involved in research on the ability of light levels to enhance human cognition." "Oh? Find anything substantial?" he asks, intrigued on where such research could go. "We observed a fascination phenomenon. Certain spectra of visible light actually increased cognitive function and reasoning ability." the Light switch explains before continuing with a giggle, "Of course, Dr. Mobius'' brain is so big already, we had a hard time measuring it." "That sounds... Remarkable. Could you show me?" he asks. "I can. Activating Smart lights." she states, as all the lights in the sink turn a peculiar yellow colour. At first he didn''t notice anything, until a notification came up in his peripheral. [Smart Light Activated, +2 Intelligence, +5 Science, +5 Repair, for 12 hours.] After reading this, Afton raises a brow. This was incredible, all of those bonuses for just adjusting the colour of lights? It sounds almost preposterous, and he wouldn''t believe it if the notification hadn''t just told him so. This boosted his Intelligence to 8, and would allow any research done in here to gain significantly more results as opposed to what he''d manage outside. "This is incredible..." he mutters. "I know. Dr. Mobius intrusted this research to me, we had such a good relationship before he left... A shame... Perhaps we could pick up where he left off?" she asks sweetly, "Would you be interested in talking about theorems?" Chapter 296 - COMMIE! Afton raises a brow, feeling as if he was being hit on by the Light switch... It didn''t feel right, not only because it was literally a machine, but also because her ex-boyfriend Jefferson was literally watching this behind him... You know what they say, bro''s before Light switches. "Er, I''m willing to research topics with you, but anything more than that is a no-go." "Oh?... Well that''s fine."? ? "Ah, right... Do you have a name I can call you? It''s a bit awkward calling you ''Light switch''." "Not that I am aware of, would you give me a name?" she asks sweetly. Afton shrugs, "Er, sure... How about... Lumina?" "Ah, as in Lumen, which means ''light'' in Latin? That is acceptable." she says, but Afton had just randomly picked a name, not expecting it to suit her so well. "Right... Well, I''d appreciate if you kept the Smart light on... I''ll leave you and Jefferson to work out your problems now... Try and keep the racket down though." he says, walking into the main room where Alfred is, already hearing the two personalities arguing behind him. "I see you''ve reactivated yet another personality, sir. I would have recommended you wait until other more reasonable personalities were active before turning on both of those jaded lovers, but it is rather too late for that now." "Hm, my bad... Are you going to have an aneurysm if I activate the other Light switch?" he asks, semi-sarcastically. "No sir, I am entirely robotic and cannot have aneurysms... However, I fear my processors may self destruct if you reactivate the other Light switch without any of the other mediating personalities. It will already be hard enough listening to their petty squabbling." "I''ll keep that in mind, Alfred. Anyway, I''ll be heading down to the Think Tank, let me know if anything comes up." "I''ll aspire to do that, sir." Afton nods and heads downstairs to the Think Tank, entering the dome and glancing at the scientists who were currently milling around conducting experiments. He walks over to Dr. 8 and shows the box to him, "I was forced to use it earlier, think Mobius will notice it?" he asks. "*Mhmm, perhaps? It depends on various things. Do you think he was distracted at the time of use?*" 8 asks. Afton thinks back and shakes his head, "No... I did destroy a couple hundred Robo-Scorpion though, maybe that''ll draw his attention for now?" Dr. 8 shakes his chassis, "*No, Mobius is not a fool, if something is capable of interfering with his Robo-Scorpions so severely, he''d quickly attempt to fix it. It would be fairly easy to fix as well, if he simply stopped communicating with his creations over the radio, we''d be hard-pressed to find another weakness.*" Afton shrugs, "Well, anyway, thanks for your help. If you need anything just let me know." he says, walking away as 8 waves him off with a manipulator. Afton starts walking up to where Klein is, the robot still wearing the large ear muffs, despite the fact Jefferson had stopped playing music many hours ago. "Klein?" he asks, obviously not getting a reaction due to the scientists ear muffs... He reaches up and taps Klein on the back, causing the scientist to jolt in surprise and rapidly spin round, a laser cannon sprouting from the back of his robotic body and pointing directly at Afton. "AH! LOBOTOMITE!? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WAS THAT AN ATTEMPT TO... KILL ME!?" ... Afton taps his ears non-comitally, causing Klein to realise he was still wearing the ear muffs... He throws them off with a manipulator while still pointing the cannon at Afton. "EXPLAIN!" "Have you forgotten? I literally cannot attempt to harm you due to the pacification field..." ... "OH!... OF COURSE I KNEW THAT!.... WHAT DO YOU WANT?" he quickly asks after stowing away the laser cannon. "I was making sure you received the schematic of the stealth suit. So... Did you.?" "AH YES, WE RECEIVED IT THE MOMENT YOU LEFT THE X-13 FACILITY... I SEE YOU ARE CURRENTLY WEARING THE PHYSICAL ONE AS WELL. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER AGREED TO YOUR TERMS! SUCH TECHNOLOGY IS TOO MUCH FOR A SIMPLY BRAINLESS TOOL SUCH AS YOURSELF!" Klein complains, but makes no move to try and take the stealth suit from him. "Yeah, well, the armour will help in gathering the last piece of technology, so stop your bitching." Afton says. "Speaking of that, do you have any advice on how best to approach X-8?" "I AM NO A TOUR GUIDE, I AM THE HEAD RESEARCHER! IF YOU WANT TO FLAP YOUR ORIFICE THEN GO TALK TO DALA OR BOROUS, THE LATTER MIGHT ACTUALLY KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE X-8 FACILITY." he states, turning around and beginning to ignore Afton. "Alright. I guess..." he mutters as he begins walking over to Dr. Borous, who, funnily enough, he hadn''t actually properly spoken to yet. Before Afton is even able to say anything, Borous was already speaking, "The LOBOTOMITE animal before me! You may be able to hide it, but I KNOW you are one of those animals or communists... Communist ANIMAL, perhaps!? Be WARNED! Attempt to ''propaganda me, and I will SHRIEK as a frightened babe, calling all my loyal Cyberdogs to my aid. Do you comprehend, commie animal?" Afton raises a brow at this rather hostile greeting, he could already feel twinges in his head due to the pacification field... "Dr. Borous, I assure you I am not a communist. In fact, I''ll prove it to you, by saying things that a communist would never dare utter... " Afton looks around conspiratorily, and Borous leans in as if a great secret was about to be told, "Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong can all eat fat ghoul dicks... Individual rights trump the collective. And the greater good means nothing." he states. Borous slowly backs away, "You... I see I was MISTAKEN! You are no communist ANIMAL... Merely just a regular ANIMAL!" Afton shrugs at that, "I can''t really dispute that, human are animals after all. Even you Borous, your human brain makes you at least part-animal." ... Chapter 297 - Shock And Regret Borous looks to be struggling to process what Afton had just said... Perhaps he hadn''t considered himself an animal due to his robotic components? Or perhaps he had just never been challenged on his rather drastic views. Afton couldn''t blame the scientist though, being worried about communists was the right state of mind two-hundred-years ago, and he wasn''t wrong about animals either. Though, there was one thing that made Afton slightly annoyed... "Anyway, my name is Afton Parker, a proper post-U.S citizen, a pleasure to meet you Dr. Borous."?? ... "So... You the Lobotomite, was just a... U.S citizen? Not a communist spy?" the scientist questions. "Yep." "So, the other people we lobotomized were also... U.S citizens?" he quietly asks. "Yes." "I... I''ll need to consider this further..." Borous says, clearly not having realised who they were experimenting on. "Hang on, I still need your help Borous." Afton says, holding up a hand before the robot can head to their room. "Do you?..." "Yeah, you can rethink your life choices later, for now, think of this as recompense for lobotomizing me." Afton states with crossed arms. "... Very well..." "Earlier. You said something about calling Cyberdogs to your side? Care to elaborate?" he asks, remembering the powerful cyberdogs that attacked him outside the Think Tank the other day. Afton bringing up this subject seems to cheer Borous up... Slightly. "Oh, my Cyberdogs are one of my favourite creations. Combining the loyalty of man''s BEST friend, with the durability, power, and ADAPTABILITY of robots!" "So, you control them?" Afton asks. "I do. Currently, all of my Cyberdogs that aren''t in X-8 are patrolling around Big Mt to find any COMMIES that might be trying to break in. Though, I doubt any are smart enough to get past the fence." "Youknow, I was attacked by some Cyberdogs earlier, Borous. I''d appreciate if you could stop that from happening in future..." Afton asks tentatively. "Why, ofcourse they attacked you! You are, or were, designated as a COMMIE!... My apologies." "So, I won''t get attacked by them again?" "Correct." Afton nods at one problem being rectified. "You said Cyberdogs were your ''favourite'' creations, what other creatures have you made?" he asks, more curious than anything. "Why, I''ve made many creatures in my time here... Industrious Cazadors and Happy-go-Lucky Night Stalkers were among those that actually survived the BRUTAL experimentation." Borous explains. "Wait, so you created Cazadors, one of the most dangerous creatures flying around the wasteland? Their poison so vicious that your flesh will literally melt from your flesh, stingers so large that getting stung is like receiving a sword wound, so fast that they can outrun VEHICLES!?" Afton asks loudly, astounded that this man was solely responsible for the Cazador infestation across the world. "Hm, nice to hear someone who appreciates my work. They were terribly difficult to create, always EXPLODING when spliced with the wrong specimen..." he mutters. "Borous, you are aware that Cazadors have literally killed hundreds of thousands of people, right?" "Implausible. There weren''t that many people inside Big Mt." Borous says, completing rejected Afton''s words. "Yeah, but you haven''t counted the people outside of Big Mt... Your Cazadors managed to somehow escape and start infesting the rest of America." "Oh, now I know you are pulling my manipulator. All Cazadors in Big Mt were sterilised. CASTRATED. I made sure of it myself! And I''ll have you know, I PRIDE myself on my ability to castrate specimens." Afton shakes his head, "Well, you must''ve missed a couple, because swarms of Cazadors regularly destroy settlements outside of Big Mt." Borous growls, "Even if I did miss a COUPLE, they would not have escaped the fence!" ... "What if they, I don''t know... Flew. over it?" he blankly questions. ... "Fly over it?... I. Never considered that." "Yeah, it''s not just Cazadors either, Night Stalkers are also all around the wasteland. Killing stray travellers who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time." Afton adds. "And you want me to believe that my Night Stalkers FLEW over the fence with the Cazadors!?" "No... It isn''t like you guys used to have a train system leading out of Big Mt. I''d hazard to guess that those invisible Night Stalkers managed to make their way through there." ... "Indeed. That would explain where some of them had gone..." Borous mutters. "How many American deaths do you think I am actually responsible for..." "Truthfully? Are you sure you want to know Borous?" "I NEED to know. I never knew how... Far, my experiments had gon. How many American lives I may have affected." Afton briefly counts how many people may, or may not have been killed by Cazadors and Night Stalkers. He didn''t have much data, but he could make a good guess. "I''d gander over a million people have died from those two creatures alone." "Guhk!" Borous squeaks upon hearing the number, but Afton stops him from breaking down... For now at least. "Hold up. We haven''t finished talking yet, so before you go to your room to cry about what a monster you are. We need to finish talking." ... "Tell me about the fence surrounding the crater." Afton asks. Borous seems to sigh, "The fence, a ''formerly'' impenetrable barrier that prevents ANYTHING organic from getting in, or out... Unless you''re able to fly over it apparently... Or use the tunnels beneath it... Or disable it... GAH! IS EVERYTHING I DESIGN USELESS!" "No, I think the fence is good. You just didn''t take into account airborne threats... So, how does it work? I heard something about ''radar'' the other day." Borous shakes his monitors, "''Radar'' is a misnomer. It''s more appropriate to call it a Tesla Fence, each Pylon is capable of spitting enough electricity at an intruder to render them charred flesh and bones. Of course, when something tries to exit the fence the teleportation array activates and prevents them from leaving. Wouldn''t want to scorch our research now, would we?" Chapter 298 - Why, Gaben? ... Afton raises a brow at what Borous had just said... Teleportation relay? He knew they said something about teleportation, but never had an opportunity to bring it up. He also doubted they would be willing to explain the technology to him, mostly due to the fact he might be able to use it to escape... Though, he''d be very, very wary about leaving without his brain...?? "Teleportation array?" he asks, hoping the guilt trip he''d put Borous through would pull his attention enough for him not to notice him asking about this. "Indeed. A technology that the American government sought, and funded... Unfortunately, we only managed to create it after the bombs had dropped. With us not wishing to leave the safety of Big Mt, it''s all just been collecting dust... Aside from kidnapping... Unfortunate American citizens..." "Explains the functions of this ''array'' to me." "The Teleportation array? Its the combined technology that facilities teleportation. It uses various relays via satellites to send an atomized person''s parts to their desired destination... Usually intact. Of course, recently, one of our satellites seems to have been knocked out of the sky by some space junk, that''s the one that abducting you I think." Afton nods, from his vague, half-dead memory that matches up with what he saw. "Where would this ''teleportation'' array be?" "Why underground ofcour-I mean. You aren''t SUPPOSED to know that... Do you have something else to ask? Truthfully, I am barely holding myself together... I thought such emotions were above me, such an irrational reaction..." Afton nods sympathetically, "Last thing. The X-8 Facility. Is there anything I should know before I go there?" "Oh, very much so. The various tests that you must pass to acquire the Sonic Emitter upgrade are rather... No, incredibly dangerous. Of course, I designed them that way... I thought that only our commie prisoners would be forced to go through them. Again, you have my apologies." "What tests?" Afton asks. "Tests where you''ll be forced to fight sentry turrets, Cyberdogs, and the Lobotmites that seem to have broken into the facility... My old dog, Gabe, is still within the facility as well..." he adds, somewhat remorsefully. "Your dog, Gabe?" Borous nods his monitors, "He was a good boy. Used to be so happy back when I was human, his silly wet nose, playful demeanour... Appetite for chems." he growls the last part. Afton raises a brow, "Wouldn''t that make Gabe around two-hundred-years old?" he asks, wondering how on earth the dog was still alive. "Ah, well. Cybernetics prolong an organic being''s life. The... Experiments I conducted on my old pet drastically extended his lifespan... You might be forced to... Put Gabe down if you encounter him, I remember that he''d buried the Sonic Emitter schematics in the replica home." Borous leans in and whispers, "The others would say ''good riddance'' so a failed experiment, but... After all I''ve done... Could you spare Gabe? He doesn''t deserve what I did to him, even if it was in the pursuit of knowledge." Afton shrugs, "I''ll see what I can do... Any chance there''s a way to avoid killing any of the other Cyberdogs in the test areas?" he asks, no wanting to kill potential assets. If he could gain control of the Cyberdogs, he''d be able to create an army of them... An army of durable Cyborg dogs that''re able to fire sonic projectiles from their mouths... Yeah, sounds pretty good. Borous appears to be in thought for a moment before nodding his monitors, "The test areas require Cyberdogs to be present... Or, at least, something similar to Cyberdogs. If I''m not mistaken, a shipment of Night Stalkers were sent to X-8 while the other staff were still alive. If you can gain access to the kennel before conducting the tests, you can replace the Cyberdog participants with Night Stalkers." "Alright, that''s fair... Do I need a key or some passcode to access the kennels?" ... "Err, I am unaware of where the key currently is..." Borous admits. Afton sighs, "Great." he''ll just have to cut his way in like he had the VR room. "Alright, I''ll leave you to mope about all those millions of people you indirectly killed, as well as the many innocent American citizens you Lobotomized." he says, giving a small wave. In response Borous gives a short cry and quickly floats towards his room, the other scientists turning and watching this. Afton couldn''t tell what they were thinking, but it must be something disrespectful to their colleague. To be honest, Dr. 8 and Dr. Borous seemed like the only scientists that he''d ''get on'' with. Once Borous came to terms with his actions and their consequences, perhaps he''d be more willing to ally with him and turn against his colleagues... Hm, he''ll see in time. For now, at least he had an idea of what is held in X-8. He''d gain access to the kennels, replace the Cyberdogs with Night Stalkers, see what he could do about Gabe, and finally retrieve the Sonic Emitter upgrade. "User, sensors have been recalibrated. I did not find the issue, but trust I will be at 110% sneakiness onwards." Nyx''s voice says. Afton nods, "Thank you. Don''t worry, I doubt another error like that will happen for... At least a week." he says, smirking slightly despite the fact he was referring to his recent death. Thinking on that, he did need to take less risks until his Perk was ready for use again... Maybe he should spend the rest of the day in the Sink to recover from the injuries he''d taken. He wasn''t exactly on a time limit, and he doubted Karl, Boone, and Anja would need his immediate assistance anytime soon. Plus, he was expecting to stay in Big Mt for a while, even after recovering his brain. He wanted to tinker with some technologies and try a couple things out. Shrugging, he leaves the Think Tank and heads back up to the Sink to get some food and rest until tomorrow. Chapter 299 - Meanwhile... Meanwhile : Karl and Anja were helping a large squadron of NCR soldiers dig a large trench not too far away from the Fiend''s base, the Vault that they''d managed to steal for themselves. Boone was nearby, watching the Fiend''s base through his Anti-Material rifle''s scope.?? Due to the Fiends lack of manpower and fear of another nuclear attack, they''d been hiding within the Vault until now. But the NCR knew it was only a matter of time before they tried to leave and fight their way out. It''s for this reason that Major Dhatri asked a few mercenaries to assist in this. And who better than the people who were responsible for the Fiend''s downfall in the first place. Of course, he was a little perturbed at Afton''s absence, but knew Boone and Karl were strong and efficient fighters regardless. Anja heaves as she shovels another heap of dirt away, she''d be sweating were her pours not all rotten or cancerous to the point of redundancy. "Hah, hah... Maybe I shouldn''t have accepted sir''s offer..." She mutters, not liking the manual labour at all. Karl chuckles but continues the work, "Don''t scoff at some exercise... Just consider it exercise." he states. "Ha! Exercise? More like torture! We''re not elite military forces, so why do you drill me like one?" Anja asks. "Because Afton''d be disappointed if you''d gotten no better from when he''d left." Karl says as he tosses another heap of dirt over his shoulder. Anja has to bite her lip to stop from retorting, she hadn''t heard from Afton ever since he''d left, and she was more or less sure he''d perished already... Karl and Boone seemed certain that he was still alive and kicking for some reason, but they hadn''t seen the state he was in. She''d told them what she thought, that Afton was probably face down in a ditch spreading the spores, or a pile of ashes after incinerating himself. Did they know something she didn''t? She shakes her head, whatever it was, it wouldn''t be enough to save him. *BANG!!* A gunshot echoes through the air, and everyone turns towards Boone who''s barrel was smoking, he reloads before haphazardly gesturing towards the base where starving-looking Fiends seemed to be running out of their base. Quickly, everyone threw themselves into the trench, readying their weapons as the Fiends opened fire on them. Of course, under the barrage of NCR soldiers, those unfortunate few didn''t last all that long, their corpses riddled with holes before they even hit the floor. Karl and Boone knew that those were just the ''sacrifices'', to see if the NCR had set anything up while the Fiends were hiding. He knew they''d be forced to keep hiding, or commit to an all-out attack to finally escape the prison they''d inadvertently trapped themselves. Boone sighs, "Well, keep digging, who knows when the next attack''ll be." he mutters, still eyeing the exit through his scope. Anja sighs and continues digging, wondering if this mercenary business was worth the effort... Elsewhere : "We can''t expect god to do all the work." a man covered in bandages growls out as Tamia and Veronica leave the cave he was dwelling. The duo had just met the burned man, otherwise known as Joshua Graham, the man was currently in charge of the Dead Horses Tribe. And was basically the only one holding it from complete destruction via the White Legs. He''d just explained to Tamia and Veronica that they were all in the same position. Under attack from the White Legs with no foreseeable recourse... Aside from working together to rid the threat from the lands of Zion. The duo leaves the cave and walks past the many Dead Horse Tribesman who unabashedly stare at them as if they were some theme park attraction. "Think we should trust him?" Veronica asks, not knowing if what he''d said about the White Legs were true or not, even despite the fact the caravan had been ambushed by them. Tamia just nods, "I do, we don''t have many other choices I''m afraid... This ''Daniel'' person he was speaking about is one of the only ones who actually knows the way out of Zion and back to the Mojave. I don''t care if they ask us to burn everything belonging to the White Legs to the ground, we''ll do as told and find our way back." she states. "And if they ask us to butcher the men, women, and children in the White Legs?" Veronica asks tentatively. Tamia''s expression hardens, "Then we''ll do as we must. From what Joshua said, they only need to reduce the White Legs ability to fight, I don''t think killing the vulnerable counts... But even if it did, it''s not like we can refuse." "I know, but... I don''t know if I could bring myself to do something like that..." Veronica mutters. Tamia stops mid-step and sighs, "Look, you don''t have to do anything you aren''t willing to do. I will pick up your slack if need be, but we must get back to the Mojave..." she rubs his temples, "That piece of shit Benny is still living it up in New Vegas... That, and the more time we stay here, the worse this feeling of ''Deja Vu'' is getting." "Do you need a break? I''m not a doctor but I know a few things." Veronica asks warily. Tamia shakes her head, "No. Come on, we still need to find those supplies Joshua asked for..." she smirks slightly, "Still, it''s kind of funny that their whole tribe is scared to go inside any pre-war buildings." Veronica shrugs, "It might be wise, I''ve seen my fair share of traps, and deadly mutated creatures setting up shop in those sorts of places." "Don''t forget the valuable loot." Tamia adds. "And technology." Veronica continues. "Fancylad Snackcakes." "Weapons." "Magazines." "Robots." The duo continues listing off things as they walk, the tense atmosphere seemingly dissipating as they jovially converse. Chapter 300 - Stalking Stalkers Afton groggily wakes up to the tunes of jazz that Jefferson seemed to be playing. He rolls over and falls out of bed, just notifications flash past his eyes. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 41!]?? [WELCOME TO LEVEL 42!] Afton sighs as he''s locked in place, unable to move and wipes the sleep from his eyes due to the sudden level up. He glances at the 30 Skill Points he''d received and looks at his Explosives Skill that is currently at 99... Shrugging, he adds one additional point in it to max it out. [Explosives Skill Maxed! Perk Granted : Explooo-sion!] [Explooo-sion!] : Take 80% less damage from your own explosions and 40% less from all other sources. Afton raises a brow at the funnily dressed ''Witch-Vault Boy'' That''d popped up, but ignores it and focuses on the perk he''d received. It almost made him immune to explosions he created, which would be a boon if he continued to use explosives like his Sonic Emitter and [Meltdown] Perk. Still, he wouldn''t be launching nukes at his feet anytime soon as he suspected he''d still be vaporized. He was very happy with the 40% resistance against other people''s explosive weapons though, that may allow him to take a few extra hits without instantly dying... Something that was quite useful. Hm, he still had 29 Skill Points left to deposit, and Afton wasn''t all that sure what he wanted to use them on... The only available options he actually had left were Barter, Lockpick, and Survival. He wasn''t all that interested in Barter of Lockpick, so Survival would be the best choice. Plus, he might need it in future when Tanning certain creatures pelts. Sure he could try and figure it out via his Repair and Science skills, but why waste the time when he could just level this. Afton boosts up Survival to 59 points and focuses on the available Perks. [Certified Tech] :+25% critical hit chance against robots, 85% chance of finding an extra crafting component on destroyed robots. Yeah... Afton wasn''t surprised to see only one new option available. The Perk itself wasn''t all that great, aside from the potential ways to abuse it... He could create a robot designed to be destroyed, break it to find the bonus material, and then repair it via his [Mechanicus] Perk, essentially granting him infinite materials. Of course, this was all hinging on whether or not he''d be able to loot his own robots, which Afton wasn''t all that certain on. Shaking his head, he looks back to a Perk he''d been ignoring since he started leveling. [Lady Killer] : +10% damage to the opposite sex and unique dialogue options with the opposite sex. Yeah, it was either this or getting [Intense Training] to boost Perception or Endurance. "No, I''ve left it long enough... COME TO ME, MY YOOOUTH!" he mentally exclaims while selecting it. ... Yeah, he doesn''t feel all that different. Time resumes and Afton finally hits the floor beside his bed. "Jefferson! Turn the volume down for god''s sake!" "Heh! Heh! What was that, son? I can''t hear you over these tunes!" the personalities voice echoes through the door. Before the music abruptly turns off. "My sincerest apologies, sir. I had been cataloguing more of the commissary and had not noticed the racket. Rest assured, it will not happen again..." Alfred''s voice says over the intercom system. Afton grumbles and collects his gear, walking into the hub room to collect Nyx where he''d left her... He wanted her to get acquainted with Alfred so he''d left her in his company for the night. "User! Alfred has never sneaked before! Something must be done!" Nyx exclaims as he approaches. "As I said before, I simply lack the capability to ''sneak'' as it were. If you pushed the meaning of the word, however, you could say I am always ''sneaking'', as my duties to the Sink at times force me to remain unseen." Alfred explains. Afton just shakes his head and equips the Stealth suit, ignoring Nyx''s surprised exclamation at Alfred''s words. He chews on some-sort of power bar as he exits the dome. Checking his Pipboy for the location of the X-8 facility, his destination. He remembered Borous words yesterday and knew he''d need to find the Kennel once there, other than that. He''d first be checking around the facility for Robo-Scorpions, since this is the last technology he needed to gather to... do whatever the Think Tank intended to do... He had thought the journey would be fairly easy, avoiding Lobotoimites was easy enough, even if they were in large groups. But strangely, all Lobotomites he''d seen tried to avoid the East side of the dome... The reason for this? Why, the huge packs of Night Stalkers roaming around the area. With Nyx''s help he''d avoided most, but he had been forced to fight a few groups. The closer he got to the X-8 facility, the more Night Stalkers he encountered. It was only after dispatching the third group of them that he noticed where they were coming from... A large building called the Z-9 Crotalus DNA preservation lab. Afton was tempted to see what was inside, but thought better considering how many Night Stalkers he''d encountered thus far... No, instead, he found a group or two and cut off their limbs, tossing the bodies around the facility. Once enough were gathered, he drew the Sonic Emitter and fired a round while activating [Meltdown]... The subsequent explosion was humongous, every Night Stalker caught in it just adding fuel to the chain reaction. *BOOOOOOOOM!* The ground shook as a small mushroom cloud formed above the facility... Or at least, what was left of the facility. Whatever had been living in there was undoubtedly dead, as the only thing that remained was a huge crater. Afton claps off his hands after reholstering the Sonic Emitter. "A job well done." "That wasn''t sneaky at all" Nyx complains, but he ignores her. Instead, looking at his Pipboy and smirking slightly as he noticed that the Z-9 Crotalus DNA preservation lab was no longer displayed on the map. Chapter 301 - Evil Scientist... Afton eventually reaches the X-8 Facility. It''s a rather large building with a large satellite atop some sort of spire. Though, judging by what he''d heard from Borous, he''d guess that much of the facility is underground. He scouted around the place, but didn''t find any indication that Mobius'' Robo-Scorpions had set up here, meaning that they were either hidden somewhere else, in the facility itself, or not actually here at all... Once through the metal doors, Afton''s greeted with what most would refer to as ''chaos''. The room itself was relatively fine, but there were windows on the opposite side of the room that allowed him to observe various experiments that were currently being conducted.?? Somehow, even two-hundred-years after the great war the robots were ''experimenting'', and by he meant, brutally dissecting any organic matter they got their manipulators on. Through the window, he spotted a surgical bed with a pile of bloody meat atop it. It looked to have once been a person, but with the many sawblades hanging from the ceiling cutting into it. Whoever they were aren''t recognisable anymore. Grimacing, he looks into the other window, spotting someone wearing the typical Lobotomite clothing strapped to another bed. Their eyes were wide open in fear of the approaching saw-blades, but their mouth didn''t produce any sound. They looked like they were trying to scream, but simply weren''t able to. *zzzzzZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!* The blades finally connected and cut deeply into the Lobotomite''s chest, causing blood to spray out everywhere, some even spattering on the observation window for a moment before a windscreen wiper robot cleaned it off. The Lobotomite wasn''t dead yet however, as more blades came down from the ceiling, brutally tearing them apart in a slow, yet chaotic manner... Whatever experiments were being conducted here, definitely weren''t the ''moral'' type... Afton wasn''t even sure what they were trying to achieve...Perhaps the robots had just gone crazy? Shaking his head, he ignores this for now and looks around, there were two exits. One leading to the second floor, and one to something called the ''Splicing Lab''... "Where next you think, Nyx?" "The lab... Maybe we can ''splice'' things up around here... No?" "Just had to ''sneak'' that in there, didn''t you?" he retorts with a small smile, trying his best to ignore the gruesome surgery going on nearby. Nyx giggles at his joke as he steps into the splicing lab. They are greeted by many generators connected to some sort of machinery hanging from the roof, there''s an enclosed cubicle with a terminal that seemed to be heavily reinforced, as if it was expecting to be attacked. Afton walks over and look at the terminal, receiving a few options to go forward with... Not knowing all that much about this room, he clicks one that looked the most ''interesting''. [Splice Lobotomite and Robot] Upon selecting it, the machine hanging from the roof begins charging up. Panels in the wall open and spew out a heavily injured Lobotomite an a Mister Handy, both seem to want to attack Afton, but they aren''t around long before they are enveloped in bright light. Afton shields his eyes momentarily, and looks back over once the fireworks were finished... What he sees next surprises him. Both robot and Lobotomite were gone, replaced with a single entity... One that combined both, it was almost entirely mechanical, aside from the human brain sitting visibly in the glass dome on its head. "W-who... Am I?" it asks in a small voice, "I am awake! Alive for the first time ever! What is this strange new world around me? What does it hold in store for a dreamer such as myself..." the ''thing'' asks hopefully. Unfortunately, Afton hears a faint humming coming from it... As if its reactor had been cracked-Oh shit! He quickly ducks as an explosion occurs, the newly born robo-human-thing yelling out in pain and anguish as its body implodes. "Noooooooooo!" Afton peeks back over and sees no damage done to the observation area he was in, nor any damage to the lab itself aside from a scorch mark where the robot abomination had been. "That was rather tragic... Let''s not do that again." he mutters. Something just didn''t feel right about bringing a sentient creature into the world, only for it to die moments later. *Ping!* [Playing God : -100 Karma] ... Yeah, he deserved that. Afton shakes his head and walks to the second-floor entrance. Heading inside, down some stairs, he''s about to open the next door when Nyx warns him of something moving around inside. After preparing himself, Afton bursts into the room, using VATS to locate all the enemies before blowing them all to pieces with bullets and hard-light weaponry. The Mr Orderly''s didn''t stand a chance, and were all blown to pieces before they could deal any meaningful damage. Once the action was over, Afton was able to take a look around the room. There were many operating tables with saw similar to the ones he saw earlier, a large stack of coffins lying on the floor, and many brain kept in jars... There was one large metal door with a terminal next to it on one side of the room and to the left of that was the hallway leading to the kennels. Afton assumed the former to be how you access the testing area, so he immediately walked into the hallway, trying to open the kennel door but finding that it was locked. "Many potential enemies behind the door, I recommend sneaking past them." Nyx cautions but Afton just chuckles. "Yeah, I don''t think that''s going to happen." he mutters. Deciding to use his own ''methods'', Afton began slicing through the door with his Inversal axe. As he was doing so he could see many, many night stalkers through the gashes he was created. Most were confined to various cages, but a few seemed to have been able to chew their way out. He''d need to deal with them once inside. Once he was through the Night Stalkers inside immediately charge him, but were all easily fended of via his Inversal axe. The tight hallway making it incredibly easy to cut them down as they approached. After five minutes of this, the only Night Stalkers left were the ones confined to their cages. Chapter 302 - Back To School! After dealing with the ''escapees'', it wasn''t all that difficult to gain access to the terminal inside and alter which creatures would be introduced into the test. The Night Stalkers were regarded as ''Unusual Specimans'', meaning whoever was running this place had no idea what they were. All Afton had to do with swap the Cyberdog kennels with the Night Stalker ones, confusing the system and making it spit Night Stalkers into the test areas.?? Hopefully, after Mobius is dead and everything else is finished, he''d be able to do something with the Cyberdogs. With that he quickly returns to the terminal where he''d be able to access the test, he selects the basic test and is given a brief explanation over what his task was. Apparently, he needed to retrieve three students files from three separate terminals, all the while fighting through the security systems that''d been set up. Afton wasn''t sure how many tests he''d be forced to do before he could retrieve the Sonic Emitter upgrade, but hopefully it wouldn''t take too long. Of course, there was a way to fail the basic test... Death. But Afton wasn''t planning on doing that anytime soon. Once he''d selected the Basic Test, an alarm goes off and he can hear the room behind the metal door shifting, as if the test area was being moved around... He wondered if that was actually happening, or if some other mechanism was occurring... Moving rooms sounded pretty awesome to be honest, and Afton could imagine a whole manner of things he could do with them. Once the sound of stone, concrete, and metal scraping around stopped, he entered the through the door. Finding himself in some sort of American highschool? The metal doors lock behind him with an audible *CLACK!*, but that isn''t all... Borous seemed to have made some pre-recorded messages... "ATTENTION STUDENTS! This is a pre-recorded voice of your pre-recorded principle!... Doctor Principle Borous!... You may know me as the head chief first researcher of labs Z-9 and Z-14. There I fought valiantly to preserve rattlesnake DNA and put it right back where it belongs, in the husk of another feared predator. Oh! And the tarantula hawk. Can''t splice enough, I always say, especially if you can make a magnificent Cazador!" Upon hearing this Afton didn''t feel all that bad about guilt-tripping Borous now... He was obviously mentally unstable, enough so that he''d recreate the Highschool were he was presumably bullied. Borous'' voice continues. "Enough about ME! It has come to my attention that many of you SEEMINGLY innocent children have been subverted by Red Propaganda! This is a most serious matter, requiring the MOST serious of detentions! Can you spell detention? I''ll tell you how I spell it: Deathtention. Commie-pinko-traitors, ALL!... Now I will send vicious Cybernetic cyberdogs through the corridors to weed all traitors out!" Afton smirks, there wouldn''t be any Cyberdogs here today. As Borous continues his diatribe against his school-time bullies from two-hundred-years ago, Afton looks around the room. Spotting various forcefields covering the place. Most were covering trophy cases, and Afton was ''really'' curious to see if they were made from actual gold, gold plated, or just useless trinkets. He wouldn''t mind pocketing them after all was said and done... First he needed to acquire the Sonic Emitter upgrade though. "Enemies approaching! I recommend approaching them aswell... To scare them off!" Nyx says, and Afton could already hear the rattle of the Night Stalkers tails. As soon as the first creature stuck its head around the corner, it was blown off by That Gun, showering the hallway in blood and gore. "NO LITTERING IN HALLWAYS! DEATHTENTION FOR YOU! More Cyberdogs!" Borous'' pre-recorded voice exclaims, somehow detecting that he''d soiled the hallway... [John Wick Style is in effect] Panels in the walls open up and more Night Stalkers charge towards him. Afton draws Lucky in his other hand and just starts blasting... By the time his guns were empty there were twelve corpses at the door, despite the fact he only had a combined eleven bullets. "Heh, now that''s what I call a ''collateral''." he mutters as he rapidly reloads his weapons, finally stepping out of the room and coming face to face with a sentry turret. His eyes widen momentarily before he ducks backwards, avoiding the barrage of bullets that pepper the wall he was hiding behind. Afton waited until the turret had stopped shooting, once there was a lull he retrieved his Anti-Material rifle from his back and quickly peeked up, delivering one shot to the turret and completely destroying it. Once that was done Afton starts sneaking around the ''school'' to find the various terminals. It was rather annoying to navigate about the place due to the impenetrable forcefields blocking access to various shortcuts. But he circled around and reached where he needed regardless. The first terminal he accessed gave allowed Afton a glimpse into Borous'' damaged psych... The information on the file he was supposed to retrieve was... Doctored, to say the least. [Richie ''Ball-Lover'' Marcus] English : F- Maths : F- Science : F-- History : F- "Well, I guess this is what happens if you horribly bully someone who eventually grows to become a mad scientist... They give you a bad report card..." he mutters. Afton wonders if Borous would have retaliated more severely had his bullies not (most likely) died during the great war. The almost psychopathic experiments being conducted upstairs didn''t give him much hope, to be honest. Afton shakes his head and downloads the files, making his way to the next area to find the other terminals. Of course, it wouldn''t be a ''proper'' school experience without vicious Night Stalker attempting to tear you limb from limb, as well as the sentry turrets placed at every corner... Afton idly wondered if American schools in the Fallout universe did actually have sentry turrets hidden around... It seemed paranoid enough to actually be realistic, the ''red-menace-threat'' was supposedly big enough to scramble even Borous'' brain, let alone any other American citizen. Chapter 303 - Giant Metal Doge Afton continued through the test, tearing apart sentry turrets and butchering Night Stalkers as he went. Funnily enough, he even spotted a few Lobotomites fighting the Night Stalkers, having somehow broken into the test and been caught up in it. Afton allowed them to kill each other before putting down the victor, afterwards collecting the next terminals data before moving to the second floor. The most notable thing about the whole thing is just how many forcefields were actually present.?? Afton wasn''t sure of their energy consumption but knew it had to be quite high, judging simply by their sheer durability... Even cuts from his Inversal axe and shots from his Anti-Material rifle did literally nothing. He wondered if their uses weren''t just limited to forcefields... Perhaps there was a way to decrease their size? He shakes his head, he''d be able to think more on that once this test was done. The second floor wasn''t all that different from the first, aside from the increased number of sentry turrets that he easily dispatched. The exit that''d been locked *clicked* open once he downloaded the last terminals files. All in all, the test wasn''t that bad... Less difficult than the Infiltration tests, he was fine killing things, but sneaking around proximity sensors? No thank you. Once Afton left the test and entered into another lab-room, the intercoms chirped to life and Borous'' voice began again. "Loboto-... Mr Parker, you actually passed and reached the residential test, most of my colleagues didn''t think you would... And yes, this is not a pre-recorded message, I apologise that you had to hear all that..." he says sheepishly. Afton shrugs to himself and examines the room, taking great interest in the floating holographic depiction of the K9000... He sure the weapon had been designed here, but wondered if there were any better prototypes that he might find. Regardless, he checks the terminal in the corner, but it only has vague information about the Y-17 Harnesses. Something about something dying while wearing one and the suit taking control, stealing a gun and starting to shoot everyone... Yep, sounds just like a horror story. He heads into the hallway, walking past an observation window before having to backtrack to see if his eyes were still working... He wasn''t sure if he''d had a micro-seizure or if what he just saw was really happening. In the observation room Afton could see many Cyberdogs sitting on their hind legs with their tails wagging, all sitting uniformly while looking up at a projector that had a Vault Girl rubbing a dogs stomach... "If this is how these things are trained, I''ll eat my shoes." he mutters, feeling like just this wouldn''t be enough. The intercom bursts to life again as he walks through the metal hallways, "Wasn''t the residential test shut down for some reason?" Klein asks, his voice module not broadcasting his altered volume. "Yes, Gabe proved too much of a handful so we just locked it all down... Perhaps feeding him psycho-laced dog food wasn''t the smartest idea I''ve ever had..." Borous says. "Good thing you replaced its legs with spare parts, that thing kept excreting on my lawn!" Klein states. ... "All Gabe needed was a spritz to the NOSE to stop him doing that, how did I let you convince me CUTTING him apart and putting his brain in a bowl was a good idea!?" Borous says. Afton raises a brow at the byplay while shooting a couple of Protectrons that seem to still be active around here. He passes through a couple workshops before eventually exiting back into the second-floor room where he''d initially entered the test. Before he goes over to the terminal to activate the ''Residential Test'' Afton spots a Holodisk on a nearby table that he hadn''t seen before... He lifts the robotic scrap that was on top of it and reads the label it had... Cyberdog splice? Perhaps it''s supposed to be used in the other experiment room where he''d created that human/robot abomination. Shaking his head, he moves to the terminal and activates the ''Residential Cyberdog Guard Test'', the sound of rooms moving behind the large metal doors immediately sounding out. It was enough for him to clench his teeth at the scraping sound that put him on edge... Eventually, the grinding sound stopped, indicating that the test was accessible. Afton looks himself over to make sure he was ready before entering inside. Once he''s through the door, he finds himself in a large cavern, there were a couple pre-war houses nearby, and the only thing illuminating the place was a large lamp hanging far above everything else. Glancing around, he spots two huge dog bowls sitting outside a house, two large pipes hanging over them, presumably carrying food and water for ''Gabe''. Strangely, Afton still hadn''t spotted the dog, something that should''ve been relatively easy consider it should be larger than most other Cyberdogs... "It seems like Gabe buried the Sonic Emitter schematic... Bad dog!" Borous chides, but Afton still couldn''t find the beast. "Enemy detected... Above us!" Nyx exclaims, and Afton looks up just in time to see the huge head of Gabe looking down at him from the top of a building''s roof. Afton leaps out of the way just in time to avoid Gabe biting down on his previous position. The Cyberdogs vicious-looking metal teeth shredding apart a picket fence he''d accidentally caught instead. Afton quickly backs away and is able to see Gabe''s entire body... He looked like a regular Cyberdog, with the exception being that he was large than Afton. The dog was actually taller than him while still standing on all fours, add the fact that it''d been reinforced by cybernetics and had its mind altered by chems... Yeah, Afton wasn''t really holding out much hope that he could spare this thing... "Gabe! Don''t attack the visitor! You remember what happened when you bit the mailman, don''t you boy?" Borous continues trying to persuade Gabe, but that doesn''t stop the dog from slowly stalking towards Afton. Chapter 304 - BAD DOG!!! Afton holds his arms out placatingly, "Down dog, good dogs don''t eat people... Chill dog...?" "Bad dog! Fibre-mesh does not taste good! Back!" Nyx joins him in trying to persuade the dog that he, and subsequently her, weren''t edible.?? Gabe just continues to approach, a deep guttural growl emitting from its throat. It circles around him as he''s backed against the cave wall, Afton really wanted to save this dog... Not only because having a giant dog on your side would be useful, but because it would put him in Borous good graces, something he may need in future. Unfortunately, the many chems Gabe had been forced to eat throughout his two-hundred-year lifespan had drastically affected his mind. Despite Afton, Nyx, and Borous'' cajolery, Gabe releases a snarl before lunging. Afton quickly reacts to the charging dog, jumping and kicking the dog in the snout as it tries to bite him, using the reaction of the dog to get thrown higher, kicking off of the wall and landing on its back. "Fine then! I''ll kick the crap out of you and then we''ll see how hungry you are!" he shouts as Gabe releases a howl, a sonic discharge slamming into the cavern wall and causing it to shake. While Afton''s on its back he grabs its fur to hold on before slamming his fist into the back of the dogs head, the force of which knocks it forwards and into the ground below. He attempts another strike but finds Gabe rapidly rolling over, Afton''s forced off of its body to avoid getting crushed under its metal parts, afterwards finding himself face to face with Gabe. "I think you''ve made it angry!" Nyx states the obvious, sounding utterly terrified... Not waiting for Gabe to make the first move, Afton steps forwards and punching it in the face. Wrenching its head sidewards and causing spittle to fly from the giant dogs maw. He''s then forced to dodge backwards as it tries to bite his head off. Avoiding the fatal attack, Afton raises both hands up and slams a hammer fist down onto Gabe''s snout. This is apparently quite effective, as Afton is blown across the cavern by a sonic howl of the enraged beast. [Grit is in effect] His Perk activates as he takes damage, boosting his Strength to 12, though, whether this would be enough to overpower the beast is anyone''s guess... Afton shakes the stars from his head, trying to regain his bearing after getting thrown a large distance. Gabe is already upon him before he can react however, attempting to bite him again. Afton thrusts his plant-arm forwards in an attempt to block it, and Gabe locks his jaws around it. Afton could feel its metal teeth piercing his limb, and groaned in pain despite the arm having much fewer pain receptors than a regular human one. Gabe having finally found purchase on his target, tries to throw Afton around like a ragdoll, but for some reason, isn''t able to... Unbeknownst to the giant dog, the cause of this is a Perk that Afton had taken quite early in his journey, [Stonewall], which makes him immune to being knocked down by melee attacks. Still, this didn''t stop Gabe''s teeth from shredding Afton''s arm. The only thing that stopped him losing another arm being the mutation that increased its durability. In an attempt to get the dog to release his limb, Afton starts slamming his fist onto its snout, causing the animal a great deal of pain, but it still stubbornly keep hold. By this time, the bonus that Grit granted had increased to +4, boosting Afton''s Strength to 14, and his Endurance to 12. Afton roars as he grabs Gabe by the neck and LIFTS the dog, high in the air before slamming it back down. The impact of which causing the giant dog to let go of his mauled arm. He gives the downed animal the hardest kick he can muster which sends its body skittering across the cavern floor like a ragdoll... He drinks in the air, breathing in heavily due to the pain occurring in his arm, as well as the exertion of lifting the animal. "Med X and a Stimpack has been injected. Fight the good fight!" Nyx states, Afton ignoring her for now and turning to where Gabe had been thrown. The dog was tougher than he''d initially thought, if this continued he''d have to put it down, permanently. Unfortunately, Gabe slowly got to his feet at the other end of the cavern, turning to face Afton while snarling, blood and saliva dripping from its mouth. Seems like it still wanted to fight... Fuck... Afton looks around the cavern for anything that may be able to calm the animal... His eyes focus on one thing, from what he''d heard earlier, this may work... Or it may piss the dog off more. Regardless, if this doesn''t work he''s going to blow it''s damn head off. He breaks into a sprint, running towards Gabe''s dog bowl as the giant dog chases after him. The dog was obviously faster than Afton, even despite his superhuman stats. The dog was rapidly approaching Afton once he reached the dog bowl. The bowl wasn''t the thing Afton intended to use however, no, instead he grabbed the waterpipe and bent it, pointing it towards Gabe before breaking off the valve, causing a large spray of water to smash into the dogs face. "Bad dog!" Afton roars, unconsciously using his [Unnerving Presence] Perk to intimidate the beast. Nyx follows her user and begins chiding the dog as well, Borous doing the same over the intercom not long after. Gabe himself after receiving a large spray of water to his face and snout seems to gather some degree of intelligence. Unconsciously sitting on his hind legs and whimpering. "Bad dog! Sit!" Afton continues, hoping the dog wouldn''t begin attacking him again... Chapter 305 - Run Away!! Eventually, Afton manages to ''persuade'' Gabe to lie down. The dog continued to quietly whimper due to him being hit in the face by a water-hose, but slightly upset would always be better than headless. Afton sighs and examines Gabe, their earlier fight had damaged both of them. Afton''s entire body was sore from receiving multiple sonic blasts, as well as his arm that''d nearly been chewed through. And if Gabe weren''t covered in fur and cybernetics, he''d most definitely be a big bruise at this point.?? With this done Afton crushes the water pipe to prevent more from spraying onto the floor, the tiny-spider-bots would be employed to repair this later, so he wasn''t worried about it. Still... Afton focuses on Gabe, the dog panting while lying on the ground, clearly exhausted after all the adrenaline had worn off. He walks over to him and strokes the fur on his head, scratching behind his ear which causes Gabe''s tail to wag rapidly. "See? You''re not so bad when you aren''t trying to eat me..." Afton coos, hoping the dog wouldn''t go psycho again. "Good! You have tamed the ''Borous Beast!'', now, command the lawn ruiner to find the Sonic Emitter schematic!" Klein''s voice shouts over the intercom. "We can''t do that! Look how exhausted my Gabe is! He can barely stand, let alone sniff and dig out the schematic..." Borous says. "Look, I''ll just do it myself!" Afton growls, not wanting to listen to the scientist annoying voices after the deathmatch he''d just had. He stands and starts walking around the cavern, finding various mounds that look to have been Gabe''s digging spots. Unfortunately, Afton is currently lacking a shovel. Sighing, he grabs a piece of wood from the shattered picket fence and uses that instead, striking at the ground to loosen dirt before kicking it out. The only boon to this situation is the fact that all the mounds were rather shallow, this cavern was artificially created for Gabe to reside in, so it didn''t take much digging through the dirt until you hit granite. After thirty minutes of walking around the places, digging, digging, and digging. Afton finally unearthed the Sonic Emitter schematic. To be honest, it doesn''t look all that different from any other holodisk, aside from the label on it stating [Sonic Emitter : Gabe''s Bark]. He brushes the stray dirt on it and blows the rest off, shoving it into his deathclaw leather satchel as he turns back towards Gabe. "Now, what to do with-" "BOOOM!* The house where he''d entered the cavern from explodes into a fiery mess, sending wood shrapnel everywhere as Robo-Scorpions stream inside. "HAH! Did you really think I would allow you to take the Schematic without a fight!? HARDLY!" Mobius voice shouts, having apparently hacked the intercom system... Again. "Mobius! You leave Gabe alone!... Mr Parker too!..." Borous says in a harsh tone. "Forget your dog for now Borous! Lobotomite! The tests are not yet complete, you still have yet to acquire the Sonic Emitter upgrade! FIGHT OFF MOBIUS FORCES AND RETRIEVE IT FOR US!*BBZZTCH*" Klein exclaims before being cut off. "There''ll be none of that, Think Tank! I will destroy your Lobotomite, and rein supreme over BIG MOUNTAIN, WAHAHAHAHAHA!" While that lot were arguing, Afton had already been in motion, firing his own Sonic Emitter at the Robo-Scorpions streaming in from the entrance... He turned off [Meltdown] of course, otherwise he might just bring down the whole cavern. [John Wick Style is in effect] Gabe wasn''t idle either, firing sonic barks at the scorpions which throws small groups of them heavily against the cavern wall, disabling some while crippling others. Afton reaches into his satchel and retrieves the black box Dr. 8 had made for him, he presses the button but finds that nothing happens... Of course it wouldn''t work, Mobius might be crazy, but he isn''t stupid! Afton tosses the device away and continues firing, taking cover behind some of the pre-war buildings in the cavern. Gabe was taking the brunt of the attack, but he was proving more than durable enough to survive against energy weapon attacks being shot from the scorpions. They tried to grab Gabe with their pincers, but were instantly torn apart if they got close enough for such a strike... Seems like Gabe was in battle-mode again... The battle continues for a couple minutes until the number of Robo-Scorpions started to dwindle... Either that, or they had decided to gather outside the test area to unleash a barrage when he steps out. Soon enough, the cavern was clear, the only thing remaining of the Robo-Scorpions being bits and pieces of their yellow and red chassis, and destroyed machinery. Gabe was exhausted, having not recovered from their previous battle before participating in the next. Afton just pats Gabes head as thanks for his assistance before moving to the exit. "Nyx, anymore enemies?" he asks the dutiful stealth suit. "Mmm, many of them are gathering outside the test chamber." she states, and he frowns. "Well, that''s just great then, isn''t it." he mutters, walking through the exit while pulling out his Stealthboy. The Robo-Scorpions would obviously be able to detect him, but it should give him enough time to attack without being instantly annihilated. Honestly, he''d like to just blow all of them to high hell but knew that''d likely destroy any chance of retrieving the Sonic Emitter upgrade, something he wasn''t willing to risk. He makes his way through the tunnel that he''d previously travelled to reach the cavern and stops in front of the large metal double doors. He activates his Stealthboy, causing his body to become invisible and opens the door, immediately using VATS to get enough time to examine the enemies before him. There were as many Robo-Scorpions as you could possibly fit into the room, all with their tail-blasters pointed directly at the door, most already seeming to heat up to fire through the door. They might not be able to see him, but they''d be able to hit him if he remained where he was... Chapter 306 - MORE ROBO-SCORPIONS! Once he deactivates VATS, Afton quickly ducks out of the doorway, barely avoiding the laser barrage shot into the tunnel he''d just exited from. Of course, it was only at this moment that the Robo-Scorpions detected him through his invisibility. Afon was already on the move though. He''d retrieved his Inversal axe and a Proton axe, dual-wielding them as he began tearing through the Robo-Scorpions around the room.?? [John Wick Style is in effect] The Robo-Scorpions stood no chance, with their sensors not being able to keep up with the invisible enemy, and Afton himself making an effort to stray in between the Scorpions to force friendly fire should they attempt to shoot him. The number of scorpions was rapidly dwindling. His weapons easily cut through the robot''s chassis, each strike causing an additional EMP effect to occur and scramble their electronics. Courtesy of the Proto axes special ability. Afton quickly cleared the robots in the room, only taking grazing shots from their lasers, however, more continued to come in through the door, causing him to wonder just how many Mobius had to deploy. Shaking his head, he cut his way to the door and slammed his fist into the control panel, accidentally shattering it and causing to door the slam shut with a large *THUNK!*. "Well, that''ll do it... For now." he mutters, knowing that the Robo-Scorpions would breach through the door fairly quickly. He turned towards the test control terminal and quickly went through it, selecting the advanced test where he''d supposedly receive the Sonic Emitter upgrade. He selects the advanced test and waits while the test chambers move around, the irritating grinding sound being interrupted halfway as the door to the lab explodes, smoke wafting through and concealing the many Robo-Scorpions who were advancing towards him. Afton fires at them for couple of seconds before entering the test as the rooms stop moving. Frowning as he finds himself back in the same school area the first test had been in... The only exception is that every path was blocked by forcefields. He knew he didn''t have much time before more Robo-Scorpions would be on his ass again, so he quickly looked around for an exit, or anything that may help him... In the corner, he spotted a terminal, and once he accessed it, he was greeted with just what he needed. [Sonic Emiter Data] Upon selecting it, he was given an option to download the Sonic Emitter EM Pulsewave module. He hooked the Sonic Emitter up to it and began the download, of course, not everything was going to go his way. *BOOOM!* Halfway through the download, the doors to the test chamber were blown away again, Robo-Scorpions firing at where he''s currently standing despite still being invisible. Afton isn''t even able to move out of the way due to the terminal sitting behind him... No, instead he''s forced to take the laser fire head-on... Using his Proton axes, he attempts to intercept the lasers with [SuperHot Block] only to find that attempt to deflect lasers was much, much harder than bullets. The reason for this is obvious, lasers fire at the speed of light, and bullets don''t. [Grit is in effect] Afton gets shot a couple times in the chest, but the plating of the Stealth suit mitigates most of the damage... Still, it''s incredibly painful. Again, Afton attempts to deflect some laser fire, only this time blocking based on where their tails were pointing. This allows him to block around 40% of the lasers shot at him, not incredible, but enough to stop him slowly being vaporized by the Robo-Scorpions combined fire. Fortunately, a large, stupid, Robo-Scorpion gets into melee range while trying to cut him to pieces with its pincer. Afton cuts its pincers off and picks it up, using the Robo-Scorpions body as a makeshift shield. This didn''t last long, however, as the chassis of his shield quickly began falling apart, red hot pieces of metal dropping to the floor as more and more laser fire impacted it. Afton could hear a faint humming coming from it as he held it, quickly realising that this was probably its internal reactor going out of control. Not having much other choice, he tosses the robot towards its allies, shielding his face as it explodes in the midst of them. And a loud siren goes off all around the facility due to the test chamber being breached. Bits and pieces of shrapnel struck him in his arms, chest, and legs, but he''d luckily managed to block any from reaching the terminal behind him. Just in time too, as the download appeared to have finally completed. After checking that no Robo-Scorpions had survived the explosion, he quickly disconnects the Sonic Emitter and heads for the exit, deciding that there wouldn''t be much point for him to go through it again. Of course, there were more Robo-Scorpions outside the test room, and his invisibility didn''t work all that well with pieces of shrapnel visibly sticking from his bleeding wounds, all of which were not covered by his Stealthboy... "GIVE UP! Or my Robo-Scorpions will tear you apart with their pinching pincers!" Mobius shouts as Afton charges through the groups, making his way to the first floor and then out of the front entrance. [Solar Powered is in effect] After exiting the building, Afton feels the sunlight on his face strengthening him, this, combined with [Grit] and [John Wick Style] boosted his stats to rediculous degrees. It was good timing too, as he was currently surrounded by Robo-Scorpions... He quickly activated VATS in an attempt to find an escape route, but found nothing so convenient... No, instead he looked up to the roof of the X-8 facility, realising that if he could climb up in one piece, he may be able to escape Mobius army. While he was looking around, however, he noticed some sort of entrance opening up on the side of the facility... He had no idea why that as happening, or what function it served, but perhaps he could escape through there? Chapter 307 - SCHEMATICS! After Afton pondered his plan of action for a while in VATS, he eventually decides to exit via the opening doors of the X-8 facility... He deactivates VATS and makes a run for it, ducking and weaving as lasers impact everything near his current position, the invisibility providing at least some degree of cover. However, once Afton reaches the door, he comes face to face with hundreds of beady little eyes, all waiting in the darkness for the doors to fully open... Before he''s even able to compute what this way, a laser strikes him in the back, causing him to fall forwards, barely avoiding one of the creatures here.?? He groans in pain and looks around, finally able to see who the eyes belonged to... "Ah, huh..." he mutters as he stares at the hundreds of Cyberdogs, all seemingly prepared for combat... Once the doors were fully open, a bell-sound rings out, and all Cyberdogs immediately charge out of the facility, barking sonic projectiles at the army of Robo-Scorpions. This causes many to be thrown over one another, disrupting their laser fire that''d been trying to retarget the Cyberdogs. The sonic barks were just the initial attack however, it didn''t take long for the Cyberdogs to finally reach their targets, beginning to bite, claw, and tear the Robo-Scorpions apart... Sure, it''d take a while for the Cyberdogs to actually kill the scorpions due to their tough armour, but they were easily able to disable their combat capabilities... Tearing off their laser tail rendered them almost useless, as their pincers proved very, very ineffective against the Cyberdog assault. Afton just watches all of this happen with a dumbfounded look on his face... This whole situation sounded too weird to be real, him, an invisible guy barely escaping an army of robotic scorpions, only to be saved by an army of robotic dogs... Yeah, sounds pretty cookoo when put like that. Afton guessed that the reason the Cyberdogs were sent attacking was due to the damage the Robo-Scorpions had done to the test chamber, the facility itself taking it as an attack that must be defended and retaliated against. Still, Afton wasn''t sure if he''d be attacked by them if they spotted him... If they hadn''t already sniffed him out earlier, burnt flesh is quite pungent after all. "I recommend we sneak past them, user." Nyx states, and Afton nods in agreement. "Yeah, I''m not getting involved in that." he says, slowly heading back to the Think Tank. Now that he''d secured all of the schematics, they should be attacking Mobius directly next... Hopefully. Afton didn''t have much trouble sneaking past the fight, his invisibility combined with the stealth suits dampening capabilities made him almost untraceable to enemies not specifically searching for him. A couple hours of walking later and Afton found himself back at the Think Tank, his wounds having slowly healed due to his exposure to the sunlight. The scorch marks on Nyx had pretty much all faded too due to his [Mechanicus] Perk. Once inside he marches towards Klein who''s still in the exact place he''d left him... It was strange, and Afton knew he wouldn''t be able to sit in the same place conducting experiments for two-hundred-years without losing his mind... Though, he wasn''t all that confident in the scientist''s mental stability in the first place. "Klein." he greets from behind the robot. Dr. Klein stops tapping a terminal with his manipulators and turns towards Afton, "HAVE YOU DONE WHAT WE ASKED? IF NOT, WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO ASK AGAIN!" ... "Was that a joke-Wait, you know what? I don''t care. I''ve secured all the schematics you asked for." Afton says after a moment to process the scientist''s words. "IT WAS NO JOKE, LOBOTOMITE. YOU WILL FIND THAT MY ABILITY TO REPEATEDLY ASK QUESTIONS WILL TRIUMPH OVER YOUR OWN... AS FOR THE SCHEMATICS, I MAY NOT DISPLAY IT, BUT I AM ASTOUNDED AT YOUR SURVIVAL. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DIE-*Ahem*, PREDICTED TO PERISH MANY TIMES OVER..." Afton shrugs, "Thanks for the confidence." he states with a blank expression "Now, what did you actually need the schematics for? None of the technologies seemed to have anything to do with one another... Apart from maybe the Sonic Emitter and Stealth suit for their uses in infiltration..." he questions. "JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT TO CHECK MY TRANSMISSION DATABANK FOR THE SCHEMATICS... LET''S SEE HERE... A THREAT BY MOBIUS... ANOTHER THREAT BY MOBIUS... AN APOLOGY? BY MOBIUS, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER THREAT..." Klein continues to list off many, many, many messages he''d received from Mobius, most of which were either threats, apologies, or both at the same time. "AHA! YES, THE X-2 ANTENNA, X-8 SONIC EMITTER UPGRADE, AND X-13 STEALTH SUIT. I''D SAY EXPLEMARY WORK LOBOTOMITE, IF YOU HADN''T GOTTEN BY ON LUCK ALONE." Afton scoffs, "Ah yes, luck granted me the ability to fight through hordes of Robo-Scorpions, Lobotomites, Night Stalkers, and other defences each respective facility had. A shame you aren''t as lucky as me Klein, otherwise you would''ve accidentally pieced together nanomachines that would allow you to do anything and everything you wished." he says facetiously. "HMM? NANOMACHINES? NO, MOBIUS IS THE ONE WHO STARTED THAT PROJECT. NOW, THE SCHEMATICS... LET ME JUST... AH.... YES...." Klein mutters, sounding as if he were exerting himself extremely hard. "You alright, Klein? Sounds like you''re going to shit yourself... Or brainfart?" Afton says, smirking at the stuttering scientist. "J-JUST BE QUIET FOR A MOMENT. THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE EXTREMELY... COMPLICATED." "You have no idea what you''re doing, do you?" Afton asks bluntly, wondering why they needed the technologies in the first place. He wasn''t going to complain, as Nyx herself was reward enough for everything he''d done, let alone everything else he''d acquired. Still, it as annoying to know the person who sent you out had no idea why he was doing so... Klein floats over to his terminal and presses a few buttons, causing some machinery to spark to life and start vibrating... Eventually, many pages of blue paper filled with schematics of the technologies were printed out. And the scientist began quickly examining them. Afton look at them himself and raised a brow, most of it was very, very complicated. The scientists who created them likely doing so over years and over many iterations. But that wasn''t what caught his interest however... No, that would be the ''OBVIOUS'' notes written by someone called ''Mobius''... Yeah... Chapter 308 - Powers To Austin Upon seeing the various incredibly obvious notations done by Mobius, Afton helpfully points them out to Klein, who somehow had not noticed them before this. Afterwards, it only the brief task of translating the code into something understandable that needed to be done. Something that was completed incredibly quickly with both Afton and Klein working on it. "THERE! I SEE IT! THE OVERRIDE SEQUENCE FOR THE FORBIDDEN ZONE!" Klein exclaims but Afton is less enthused...?? "It''s a trap." he states, not doubting his conclusion in the slightest. "A TRAP? NO, MOBIUS WOULDN''T BE SO DEVIOUS AS TO... NO, HE WOULD... REGARDLESS, LOBOTOMITE, YOU WILL GO TO THE FORBIDDEN ZONE AND EXACT OUR REVENGE ON MOBIUS!" Klein says. Afton just shakes his head, "Have you gone senile or something you jar-brain? WHY, would Mobius put the key needed to access his base in schematics? WITH NOTATIONS LITERALLY POINTING THE KEY OUT!?" "WHY, IS IT NOT OBVIOUS?" Klein asks, staring at Afton''s glowering face before continuing, "REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY! IF HE WAVES THE KEY IN OUR FACES, WE WOULD NEVER THINK TO USE IT AGAINST HIM!" ... Afton palms his face, "Nyx, are these guys really scientists? Or did someone replace the scientists brain with imbeciles?" "Such a task would require incredible sneaking... As I don''t remember such an occasion, I doubt such a thing is possible." Afton throws his arms up in exasperation, "Youknow what? I don''t care anymore. I''m just going to march over to Mobius and kill him, if he obvious traps don''t kill me first." "THAT''S THE SPIRIT, LOBOTOMITE! AND PLEASE, IF YOU CAN, DON''T HESITATE TO DIE WHILE YOU''RE THERE." Klein says. Afton just shakes his head and walks away, all he wanted to do now was rest until tomorrow and put a bullet in Mobius. Afterwards he could turn his attention to Klein and the rest of the Think Tank... Hopefully, he wouldn''t have to do anything he probably won''t regret. Once he''s back in the Sink he''s greeted by Alfred. The Smart lights were still on, increasing his intelligence by +2 by simply being present. He reciprocates Aflred''s greeting before reaching into his satchel and pulling out the other personality chips. Thus far, he''d activated Blind Diode Jefferson and Lumina. "Let''s see who''s next." he mutters, picking out a personality chip that looks almost completely repaired, [Biological Research Station Personality Module]. Afton rolls it in his palm while asking Alfred which machine it belonged to... "The Biological Research Station, sir? I would advise you to destroy the chip here and now... Please recall that I warned you before of a personality that sexually harrassed any who spoke to it?" "Hm, so I might get sexually assaulted by the Biological Research Station?" Afton questions. "It depends on how you define the term, sir. I am sure your expectations won''t be disappointed however... Or will be? I am not certain on sir''s sexual alignment as of yet." "Did you just call me gay?" Afton asks, unsure how to respond. "No?" Alfred tentatively replies, and Afton just shakes his head. "Whatever, I''m going to activate the personality now... If vine tentacles suddenly attack me, either try to save me, or mercy kill me if you are unable to do that." he urges, semi-sarcastically. With that, Afton walks into the next room, the various empty plot of soil still sitting around as barren as ever. He supposed that they''d be put into use once he activated the Biological research station, but he was still wary of the personality it might contain... He slides the chip into it, and the machine boots to life, the hum of old machinery finally moving again making itself known. "Ooh... Oh yeah, baby, feels good to be back online again! Yeah, all circuits online... Ready to receive your seed." the personality says, its voice sounding like a black Austin Powers... Afton raises a brow, "My seed?" he questions, not liking where this was going. "Your seed, baby. I''m the original, certified, rarefied, testified GS-2000 Biological Research Station. Yes sir, I''m a seed-clonin'' machine. You got seeds? I''ll clone the shit outta them." Hm, that sounds... Interesting. Afton idly wonders what kinds of things he could do with this. This machine would be incredibly valuable back in his old world, growing things like Black truffles, and other rare and hard to farm plants, but here in the wastes? There wasn''t much worth growing. Hm... Although... "What kinds of seeds do you currently have? I don''t suppose you have any pre-war plants?" Afton asks. "Mhmmm, there wasn''t much left but... There was quite of lot of material cryogenically frozen when the bombs dropped... Apparently. All you''d need to do is grab the samples, shove them dee~eep inside me... And wait while your seed grows, baby." "Where might I find these frozen samples?" Afton asks. "How would I know, baby? I''m just where you deposit your seed, nothin'' more, nothin'' less... Unless you want me to be?" Afton shakes his head, "Absolutely not... Nope! Nooo, no thank you." "Maybe you can give me some blood instead, baby? I can see you''re something I''d like to process inside me yourself. That arm of your looks... Impressive." Afton glances down at his plant arm and pulls the stealth suit sleeve down to try and conceal it. "And why would you want that? I can guarantee you won''t find anything of use from me." "Heh, that''s what they all say, baby. But after I''m done suckin'' their seed out? Mmm, they always come back for more... The seedlings I grow taste better than any others." they add, everything they say heavily laden in innuendo... "Uh huh... I''ll try and get those frozen samples... For now, do you have a name I can call you?" "Hmm, why don''t you pick one for me, baby?" ... Afton gives a shrug, "Austin." The Biological research station chuckles, "Austin, as in magnificent? I like your style, baby." ... Chapter 309 - Botanophobia In the morning the next day, Afton was eating some rations while some dull jazz tones played in the background, courtesy of Jefferson. His thoughts were still on the cryogenically frozen pre-war samples. He was tempted to ask Alfred to turn Austin''s personality off, but knew that''d reduce the research stations effectiveness by 50%. This wasn''t because removing the personality effected the hardware, no, it was like removing the software translating the information from the hardware. Afton while disturbed, could still handle the constant innuendo and sexually suggestive behaviour for now. If keeping it gave Austin higher effectiveness at his duties, then let him be a creep.?? Of course, Afton had other duties today... Dealing with Doctor Mobius being the main one. Yesterday they''d discovered the override sequence to gain access to the forbidden zone... dome. All that as left now was for Afton to head over there, put a bullet through Mobius brain, while retrieving his own. Afton cracks his back and rolls his shoulders as he prepares himself. He stops by the Think Tank to collect the override key that Klein had thankfully worked overtime on. With that all said and done, Afton headed north towards the forbidden zone, the treacherous region looking incredibly ominous in the distance. Already, Afton could see large red crystals protruding from the ground, like giant rubies. The walk towards the ruby-encrusted canyon doesn''t take all the long, the only real obstacles being the few Lobotomites he ran into. They were easily dispatched, though, he did also encounter a group of Cyberdogs. Fortunately, Dr. Borous changing his designation from ''Commie'' to ''Post-war Amewrican'' seems to have relieved him of their ire. In fact, they were quite happy to be pet by him, but didn''t stick around long before continuing to patrol the crater. Afton reached the outskirts of the canyon, spotting some steps leading to a raised position. Afton elects to head up there as opposed to walking through the dark, claustrophobic ground-level pathways. Once he''s up there he spots a building, on the map it reads ''Signal Hills Transmitter'', whatever that is. Inside didn''t really have all that much in it, hidden on the roof however were a few articles of interest... Afton found some sort of campsite? on the roof... Along with a weapon he hadn''t seen before, and what seemed to be a mod for it. He ignored them for now and picked up a torn piece of paper, one that hadn''t been blown away due to the weapon resting on it. It read : "Set up camp here after Yangtze attack. Too exposed here. Transmitter''s vulnerable, hacked it, set up remote link so can access it any time. Need to find spot closer to north train tunnel with clear broadcast LOS to here. Canyons are too dangerous, can''t go back to Yangtze - there is that weather station northwest that drew that Courier here, but going there sounds like trouble. For now, going to scout the Waste Disposal Site, then around the perimeter of that Securitron Plant, see if I can find a more defensible position." That sounded an awful lot like Elijah, especially with what he knew had already occurred from Christine and the unknown man''s perspective, along with Klein. Though, the thing that pushed his theory over the edge was the weapon... [Elijah''s advanced LAER] Strength req : 4 DMG : 65 Crit dmg : 15 Crit mult : 1.5x AP : 32 Weight : 4 Value : 12000 Yeah, if it wasn''t obvious enough, it even had Elijah''s name plastered over it via his inventory. The weapon itself looked like some sort of cartoony-depiction of a laser rifle, though its damage certainly made up for its rather stupid looks. It even had a mod next to it, one that''d convert it from a laser rifle into a sort of shotgun, the [Prismatic Lens] mod boosting damage by 30% while splitting the single beam into three. Afton didn''t waste time and immediately installed the mod, checking the weapons stats afterwards. [Elijah''s advanced LAER (Prismatic Lens)] Strength req : 4 DMG : 84.5 Crit dmg : 15 Crit mult : 1.5x AP : 32 Weight : 4 Value : 15000 Yeah, with its damaged boosted by [Uncivilized Weapon, it''s damage hit 169, an insane number dwarfing the Anti-Material rifles (without the addition of headshots). Of course, it would only be useful close range due to the mod converting it into a shotgun. Elijah certainly knew his stuff... And by the note, he apparently had other hidden bases scattered around the crater. Afton was unconsciously salivating at the thought of more weapons like this lying around the place. Of course, the LAER came with a few negatives... It''s low crit damage, high AP cost, and fragility would''ve made it difficult for anyone else to use... But not Afton, his luck wasn''t suited to crit weapons, he almost never used VATS to shoot, and the fragility was offset by [Mechanicus]. He put some Micorfusion cells into the weapon and hefted it, wanting to test it out... He looks over the roof towards the north, and pales slightly at what he sees... Bright. Green. Plants. Something that you are unlikely to come across within the wasteland... With one exception. Vault 22. He was hoping this wouldn''t be the case, but judging by the Spore Plants already attempting to shoot globules of acid at him from afar, it clearly wasn''t just his imagination. Afton took cover and pondered whether or not it was worth trying to kill Mobius, if he had to head through fungus infested territory... He briefly wondered why the fungus hadn''t spread further, but realised it must have something to do with the ''serum'' Dala had used to stop the fungus from taking over his entire body. He suddenly frowned when he noticed himself rapidly breathing as if he were hyperventilating... Placing a hand on his chest, he realised just how fast his heart was beating. Was he... Afraid?... He was scared of many things, dying (permanently), losing friends and family, powerlessness... But now something had apparently topped that list... Plants... Chapter 310 - Monsturrrr! "Seriously... I''m scared of plants?..." Afton mutters, not believing the situation at all. "Increased heart-rate, perspiration, oxygen intake, and adrenaline. Cause: fear. Recommended treatment: therapy, removing source of fear." Nyx states.?? "No... I was just working out earlier... Shut up." he retorts, dropping the LAER for a moment and retrieving his Anti-Material rifle from his back. He easily kills any visible Spore Plants, but grimaces at his shaking hands afterwards. Afton ignores it though, deciding that whatever was occurring would stop eventually. If he was scared, killing a bunch of plant creatures would help him through it, right? He packs up everything and heads towards the fungus infested land, there didn''t seem to be any airborne spores, which was a boon. Afton was supposedly immune to them now anyway, so it didn''t really matter. The only way to progress was over the large root snaking over the canyon paths. It''s an incredibly unsafe route, but Afton didn''t have a choice in the matter. He used the LAER to blow apart some more Spoe Plants that sprung out of the ground, the tri-laser beams easily disintegrating the enemy before they can get off an attack of their own. Eventually he came up to the top of a plateau that looked over the rest of the canyon. Once he entered the vibrant green clearing, the sound of many creatures exploding from the ground around him could be heard. Many, many Spore Plants sprouted out of the ground, their venus flytrap-like heads getting ready to spit acid at him. Narrowly avoiding the projectiles, he retreats backwards while firing over his shoulder. Once he''d a good enough distance away, he resumes his previous strategy by sniping at them from a distance. Once all visible enemies are cleared, he walks back into the clearing and looks around, examining an old ruined fountain in the middle of the area. Inside he finds another [Valence radii-accentuator] being gripped tightly by a skeleton. Shaking his head, he pries it out of the corpse''s hands and attempts to wear it with the one he already possessed... Unfortunately, they seem to repulse each other like magnets. He attempted to force them together, but that only launched it a couple meters, almost causing it to fall into the deep canyon path below. After making sure this place was clear of enemies, he heads across another root-bridge which dips into the canyon. He kills a few more Spore Plants as he traverses the dark rocky pathway, It''s unfortunate Nyx''s sensors don''t work against the Fungus or the creatures under it... Apparently their composition is so similar to regular plantlife that its impossible to tell them apart. Eventually, Afton came across some sort of centre point of the fungus infested region. A Building that''d been torn apart by plants and time stood relatively intact above the canyon passage. Afton followed the steps leading to it, but once inside he was greeted by many Spore Plants and... A hulking humanoid tree-thing... It looked similar to what a Spore Carrier did in Vault 22, except it was much, much larger, and its grey bark-like skin looked heavily reinforced. Afton activated VATS before it could notice him, the Spore Plants already launching acid in his direction would''ve certainly tipped it off. It stood 10ft and had long dangerous-looking claws attached to each arm... Not to mention the branch-like tentacles protruding from its back which seemed to move on their own. Afton couldn''t see its face as its back was turned to him, but he imagined an equally horrific visage to be present there. He examines it via his [Living Anatomy], hopefully it would still count enough for him to actually examine it. [Patient Zero] Health : 99% Stamina : --% DT : 30 Strength : 22 Perception : 4 Endurance : 20 Charisma : 1 Intelligence : 1 Agility : 5 Luck : 1 Ailments : [Superior Beauveria mordicana] : Fungus that infects its victims via spores and rapidly mutates their body to suit its needs. Reduces Intelligence, Charisma and Luck to 1, reduces Perception by 4 and blinds the afflicted. Grant +15 Strength, Endurance, reduces Agility by 3. Afflicted will seek to produce and spread spores to other organic creatures. [Anti-Fungel Serum] : Serum created by the Think Tank in an attempt to stop the rapid expansion of the spores. Disables the Fungus''s ability to produce spores and assimilate other creatures into it collective. [Monster] : Immunity to critical attacks. Immunity being crippled. Immunity to poison and disease. Immunity to intimidation and fear affects. Afton stares blankly at the status and audibly gulps. He was beginning to regret stumbling into this place. Why did he want to come here in the first place? Ah, that''s right... Mobius... Well... No one says that he has to kill this thing, right? He can just activate his Stealthboy and sneak away without fighting that monstrous creature. Yeah, that''s exactly what he''d do... Exiting VATS, he avoids the globules of acid shot at him and pulls out his Stealthboy, immediately slamming his fist onto it to activate it. His form ripples and flickers out of existence, once he was invisible he turns and begins heading for the exit... Only to be stopped by something blocking his path. Afton''s eyes follow the branch-like tentacles which are extended from the back of the monster, fear locking his body in place as it turns and looks directly at him, despite his invisibility. It had no eyes, just a horrific fang-filled mouth. Its teeth were dirty and yellow, with bits and pieces of flesh and bone still visibly stuck between them. The creature let out a breath that sent chills down Afton''s back as its rear-tentacles raise in the air and point in his direction. Ah... Yeah, how did he forget... Invisibility wouldn''t work on blind creatures in the first place... Fuck! He throws himself to the side as tentacles pierce the metal walkway hew as standing on. They wrap around it and grip it tightly before tearing the entire walkway from its placements, lifting it and preparing to drop it on Afton... Chapter 311 - Strategy. As the walkway falls towards Afton he barely dodges it by hopping backwards. This doesn''t achieve much however as Patient Zero simply swipes the walkway with its tentacles, managing to clip Afton and smashing him through one of the building''s deteriorating walls. Almost falling down the cliff before luckily catching himself. [Grit is in effect]?? He shakes his head to rid the disorientation and gets to his feet, he coughs slightly from having the air forced from his lungs but regains his breath quickly. *Thunk, Thunk, Thunk* Every step Patient Zero makes sounds like a tree being felled and hitting the floor, its sheer weight making even blind creatures aware of when it''s moving. Afton glances up and sees the monster slowly approaching, it''s tentacles prepared to stab and grab at him. He unconsciously shuffles back slightly but reaches the very end of the cliff, glancing backwards at the large drop that doesn''t seem survivable in the least. Not having much other choice, he draws the LAER and starts firing a spray of tri-beam lasers at it. Most lasers actually hit the target, but only seem to burn some of the bark instead of actually piercing deeper or doing any true damage. Patient Zero grunts slightly with each impact but doesn''t seem injured at all. Using VATS, he freezes time and looks around for anything he may be able to use against the monster. There isn''t much up there in all honesty, aside from the building which is inhabited by Patient Zero and a number of Spore Plants. The only exit, the walkway, had been destroyed moments ago, making leaving rather difficult. If Afton had a larger area to fight the monster, he was sure he''d be able to kill it fairly easily, but unfortunately, he was at risk of being torn limb from limb the longer he stayed within tentacle length of it. After looking around for a while he finally spots some outcroppings where the walkway had been... Perhaps he could hop down and escape this place? Resuming time, he dodges sideways to avoid some tentacles while drawing his Inversal axe, slicing cleanly through them and causing Patient Zero to growl in annoyance or maybe pain? He sprints towards the drop where the outcroppings were and attempts to jump... Only to find a tentacle wrapping around his ankle, pulling him into the air and slamming him against everything solid. "FUUUUUCK!" Afton shouts as he''s bashed against the canyon walls, the metal of the building, many of the roots around the place, and even the ground. He tries to escape the tentacles grip with strength alone, the damage he was taking boosting his [Grit], and in combination with [Solar Powered] he had around 16 Strength now. Still, it wasn''t enough to pry himself from its grasp, he attempted to cut away the tentacle with his Inversal axe but after cutting it, found another grabbing the same spot. After a few moments of being slammed around, Afton grabs a root and resists the tentacles pull, his muscles straining in the contest of strength. He manages to wrap his legs around the root to keep hold while aiming his LAER at one of the Spore Plants around Patient Zero... He was quite a distance away, but he was willing to waste all of his ammunition on this task. It''s awkward to fire the rifle with one hand, but he''s forced to regardless, he fires many, many shots towards them. Eventually clipping the stem of a Spore Plant. *BOOM!* Plasma explodes from the creature as [Meltdown] activates, incinerating it, and a few nearby Spore Plants, causing a chain reaction which envelopes Patient Zero entirely. The tentacle holding Afton''s leg drop off lifelessly, and he quickly climbs down from where he was holding on for dear life. He doesn''t even take a second glance at the dust cloud caused by the explosion as he jumps down to the outcropping to reach the canyon passage below, hopefully never having to see Patient Zero again. Once Afton reaches the canyon passage below, he falls into some deep foliage that''d somehow been growing down here, despite the lack of sunlight. He unconsciously releases a deep growl at being caught in yet more plants. Activating his Inversal axe and slashing it all around him, destroying many saplings, bushes, and even some hidden enemies that''d been hiding. After his short reign of destruction had ended, he huffed and sucked in air, glancing around at the small area cleared of plants. "I really, fucking hate plants..." he mutters. *SMASH!* Afton looks up to see what the sound is and noticed many stones falling from the cliff wall towards him. He avoids them and tries to see what''d caused it, grimacing when he spots tentacles thrashing around up where he''d left Patient Zero... Apparently, it wasn''t as dead as he''d thought. He bites the inside of his cheek and decides on a ''strategic retreat'', when really meant, running away and coming back later with the biggest flamethrower he could find. Despite his dislike of plants, his fear of Patient Zero allowed him to quickly make his way through the jungle-like canyon passage. He was forced to kill many creatures on the way, Spore Plants, Spore Carriers (presumably from unfortunately Lobotomites), and other mutated strains that''d infected plants. He even saw a mutated potato plant that shot rock-hard potatoes... Yeah, the Irish would love that thing, but not Afton. Eventually, after much trouble, he made his way out of the fungus infested zone, inwardly celebrating at escaping in one piece, despite the injuries he''d sustained by Patient Zero... His ankle, back, neck, and arms were incredibly sore, though now that he was back in the sunlight they''d be slowly repairing themselves. Just to make sure though, "Nyx, could you give me a stim to help my injures?" "I''ll begin treatment." Nyx says, speaking for the first time since he found himself in the fungus infested region. Perhaps she was upset at not being useful at all in the battle? Chapter 312 - Another One. After his harrowing experience with Patient Zero, Afton was more than happy with the slight reprieve he found walking through the abandoned passageways leading to the Forbidden Dome. It was actually quite peculiar, the large red crystals sprouting from the ground must serve some sort of purpose, but he couldn''t actually think of one. Once he''d dealt with Mobius he would be sure to conduct some research on them. Whatever properties they have, he definitely wanted to take advantage of it, especially considering their apparent abundance here.?? The peace didn''t last long however, soon enough Nyx warned him of enemies up ahead. He dropped into a crouch and slowly made his way forwards, eventually spotting what looked like a large tunnel entrance with X-42 written on the wall. This is most likely the Forbidden Dome, and his suspicions were only encouraged by the small army of Robo-Scorpions patrolling out the front. He was tempted to just blast them with the Sonic Emitter and let the explosion take care of them, but knew that''d likely collapse the Forbidden Dome entrance. "Any ideas, Nyx?" he quietly asks. "Sneak past them." "Yeah, that''s not going to happen... Remember last time? And the time before that? Their proximity sensors are the bane of my existence. Though, you have given me an idea..." he mutters, glancing behind him at the large crystal formations. He retrieves his Anti-Material rifle from his back and takes aim after loading an Explosive round into it. The explosion wouldn''t be as large as a chain reaction [Meltdown] would be, so he felt more confident controlling how much damage it''d do. He aims at a cluster of Robo-Scorpions that were walking in some-sort of formation and fires. *BOOM!* A fiery explosion lights up as around eight robots are either destroyed or crippled. Afton loads another and fires again, immediately afterwards getting to his feet and running towards the crystal formation. The Robo-Scorpions probably hot on his tail by now. Using his maxed out Agility and [Masterful Movement], he''s able to quickly climb the crystals, jumping from one to another. The Stealth suit boots and gloves provided him enough grip to scale to crystals without slipping. Eventually, he made it to the top of the canyon, looking down at the small army of Robo-Scorpions streaming towards his previous position. Knowing he didn''t have much time, he ran to the opposite side of the peak and started sliding down into another canyon passage. Once on the floor, sneaking towards the relatively empty Forbidden Dome entrance. There were still a few Robo-Scorpions milling about, but they didn''t last long as he charged them with his Inversal axe. One he''d killed the few remaining he quickly headed towards the entrance, getting out the device Klein had handed him and entering through the now raised doors. He was slightly worried that the Robo-Scorpions would attack him from behind once they noticed he was inside. But this proved false as the door slammed shut behind him. "MWHAHAHAHA! You have entered my forbidden zone DOME! THERE WILL BE NO ESCAPE FOR YOU! And once you have been taken apart and rendered for materials, the Think Tank is next!" Mobius shouts maniacally over the intercom. Afton smirks, "I''m not trapped here with you... You''re trapped here with me!" he loudly retorts, thanking whatever gods allowed this situation to happen for the opportunity. "Ha... Ooohhh, that was actually rather frightening... Could we tone this down a little bit? Wait, let me just..." Mobius mutters, leaving for a moment before coming back, "THAT''S BETTER! Your feeble words won''t move me! MY FINAL DEFENCE WILL END YOU SWIFTLY!" "Final defence? Pfft, yeah? What''s that gonna be? A few more Robo-Scorpions?" ... "YES!" Afton palms his face, is this guy for real? He walks through the hallway of the Forbidden Dome and eventually exits into a humungous room. In the middle is the largest robot he''d ever seen. "Oh, so this is what he meant..." Afton mutters as he glares at the Giant Robo-Scorpion. It looked identical to the other''s he''d fought thus far, the only obvious exception being its size. It must have weighed tons, and that huge laser tail it possessed didn''t look friendly at all. It seemed to be deactivated, but who knows how long that''ll las- "ATTACK MY BRILLIANT CREATION! ATTACK AND EXTERMINATE THIS PEST!" *BrrrrRRRRRRR!* The sound of many generators activating occurs as lightning rods hanging from the ceiling above the Robo-Scorpion shoot blue arcs down at it. This is apparently enough as he immediately starts moving, its massive claws clacking while its tail points in his direction. "Oh, shi-" Afton leaps out of the way, into one of the many metal-reinforced bunkers littered around the place. He''s surprised when it isn''t a laser that''s fired out of the Scorpions tail, no, instead it''s a massive ball of energy that shakes the entire room when it hits. The shockwave washes over Afton, but he takes no actual damage... Instead, his Pipboy bursts to life, immediately clicking to indicate the presence of high levels of radiation. [Atomic! is in effect] Afton glanced at the part of the wall that''d been struck by the ball of energy, it looked as if the metal was slowly melting. Despite the attack having ended. He knew if he got hit by it he''d been instantly incinerated... Fortunately, the Robo-Scorpion appeared to need a few seconds to charge up another shot. Giving Afton time to think about how to properly move next. He uses VATS to extend this duration indefinitely. Now that he was able to get a better look around the massive chamber, he saw many small buildings similar to the one he was in now. There was a single terminal in the one he was currently in, meaning the others would likely have similar things as well. Though, first, he''d need to check the terminal to see if anything useful would be on it. Chapter 313 - WHERES THE WEAKPOINT!?!? Afton quickly dashes forwards and activates the terminal, using VATS to stop time while he reads the text that appears on it. He needed to be quick about it otherwise the scorpion would get another shot off, he didn''t actually know how many hits each of these bunkers could take... The terminal itself seemed to be connected to some protections that were currently stored at the very back of the chamber. Afton could see them behind the Robo-Scorpion, from what he could tell, they appeared to be used for conducting combat tests, essentially target practises for the scorpion.?? Hopefully, its programming would force it to target them instead of him. If not, then well, atleast he''d have a couple robots chipping away at it. Deactivating VATS, he selects the option that activates the Protectrons and leaps backwards, just as another ball of energy strikes where he previously was, entirely incinerating the terminal and slagging a good portion of the metal bunker it had been located. Fortunately, he''d got off the command just before it was destroyed. He could already see the rather small laser beams striking the scorpion in the back, doing literally no damage but annoying it nonetheless. The Robo-Scorpion turns its attention from Afton to the Protections, the hum of its tail-blaster signalling that it intended to wipe out the Protectrons in as quick a manner as possible. Afton at the various bunkers behind the Robo-Scorpion and wonders what other things he could alter. This is clearly a test chamber, so it must have some sort of emergency shut down, right? Afton leaps out of the slightly melted bunker and sprints behind the Robo-Scorpion while it''s busy with the Protectrons. He''s tempted to try and cut it to pieces with his Proton axes, but is very hesitant to try... Mainly due to the fact that one blast would instantly kill him, and that even if he did manage to kill it, he wouldn''t put it past Mobius to self destruct it. A robot so large with such great firepower would probably bring down the entire dome if detonated. *BOOOM!!* "Well, there goes another Protectron..." he mutters, watching over his shoulder as a Protectron is hit by a ball of energy and literally melts before his eyes. Yeah, he definitely didn''t want to get hit by that. "NO NO NO! ATTACK HIM X-42! NOT THE PROTECTRONS!" Mobius roars through the intercom system, and apparently, he had more control over the Giant Robo-Scorpion than Afton initially thought... After hearing its masters command, it immediately turns to face Afton, its laser having to recharge due to its recent shot at the Protectrons. "Oh shit!" Afton mutters as he reaches the staircase leading to some raised bunkers. He rapidly begins climbing them, all the while watching the blue glow of the Giant Robo-Scorpions laser getting brighter as it prepares to fire. At the top he''d greeted by a forcefield blocking entrance into the bunker, so Afton fumbles with the Sonic Emitter, managing to deactivate it before throwing himself inside, just as the ball of energy is shot towards him. *BOOOM!* Yet again, the projectile strikes the bunker Afton was in, shaking it almost to the point of collapse. The radiation caused by it only empowering his cells, making him faster and stronger. He was pretty worried that one of the struts holding the bunker up would melt, but shook his head as there were more important things to think about at this moment. Using VATS, he surveys the bunker he found himself in, frowning at the lack of any terminals. The only thing actually inside this place is a regular LAER and some ammunition. "Fuck." he mutters, turning to face the other exit which is also blocked off by another forcefield. He could see that it lead to some sort of observation balcony, one which had a desk filled with many papers, holodisks, and other miscellaneous things. Starting time again, he shots the forcefield with the Sonic Emitter to deactivate it while waiting for the Robo-Scorpion to shoot at him again. The remaining Protectrons were still firing at it, but their combined laser fire amounted to basically nothing, the robots armour was simply too thick and sturdy to actually take damage from them. *BOOM!* Like the firing of a gun to signal a race, Afton sprinted out of the bunker after it was hit with the Robo-Scorpions attack, he races past the desk and into the next bunker, finding a terminal that connected with the sentry turrets posted around the room, supposedly kept there to subdue the Giant Robo-Scorpion should it get out of control... To be honest, Afton didn''t believe them strong enough to do any damage at all, but he''d take what he could get. He activated them and started heading into the next bunker as the Robo-Scorpion began firing at them in retaliation. Strangely, Mobius didn''t seem to be giving it anymore commands, or even commenting on Afotn''s progress... Perhaps the senile old man fell asleep? Shaking his head, he reached the next bunker and found a terminal, along with a few generators attached to the wall. He accessed it and found many files detailing the process in which the scientists went through to create the massive robot. He liberally used VATS to absorb as much information as possible before the Robo-Scorpion set its sights back on him. He''d just found a file that detailed a weakness in its design when he''d noticed that the Robo-Scorpion was powering it''s laser up at him... Fortunately he was still in VATS, but he had no doubt the terminal would be destroyed if it got the shot off. Though, it looked like it wouldn''t be able to if he followed what this file stated... The Robo-Scoprions ''atomic laser'' was apparently too powerful for it to handle on its own, the scientists refused to decrease its power to make it serviceable, and instead haphazardly slapped a backup generator on it. His eyes trailed towards the generators on the wall, and a vicious grin made its way onto his face. Chapter 314 - Forbidden Zone Dome... Afton quickly deactivated VATS, resuming time as well as the Robo-Scorpions charging laser. This wouldn''t matter however, as he immediately slammed his plant-fist into one of the generators attached to the wall. Once hit it exploded in a spectacular display, if Afton wasn''t pretty durable in his own right, or punched with his left hand, he may have lost it in the subsequent explosion. Fortunately, he''d earned some Explosion resistance thanks to his new Perk [[Explooo-sion!].?? He takes a peek at the Robo-Scorpion and spots that its charging laser seemed to have dimmed slightly, though it was still trying to fire at him. "Fine then!" he shouts, delivering a brutal punch to the one remaining generator. *BANG!* It explodes much the same as the first, sending metal pieces of shrapnel through the air. A few scratch Afton''s unprotected face, but that''s all the damage it managed to do. Once he''d recovered from the abrupt ''robot-facial'', he took a peek towards the Giant Robo-Scorpion and saw that it''d stopped charging its laser. In-fact, after a few moments of nothing happening, it turned towards the Protectrons and started tearing them apart with its pincers. Afton wipes sweat from his forehead and leans against the desk, if that had not worked he''d have been forced to whittle it down from afar, taking god-knows how long in the process. And that''s not even considering if he''d have enough cover to use before it was all melted away by its atomic laser. "Right, lets see if I can force Mobius to turn that thing off..." he mutters, not wishing to deal with it on the way out. Afton begins walking towards the reinforced exit that''s directly opposite the desk filled with papers he saw earlier. He looks it over and scowls at the lack of controls, handle, or anything indicating that it could be opened. *Bzz!* He activates his Inversal axe and starts swinging at the door, cutting deep red-hot gashes through the metal. He continues this for a couple minutes until all that''s left of the door is a large, molten hole leading to some sort of tunnel. Stepping through, he realises that this looks eerily similar to the entrance of the Think Tank. This is compounded when he finally lays eyes open the Forbidden Dome. It was an exact copy of the Think Tank, with the exception of the strange green fog colouring the room, along with the few broken screens and many crazy-looking notes written across the walls. They all looked like math computations, coding, and other scientific projects... Floating through the middle of the room is a robot with three screens that it uses as its eyes and mouth, similar to the Think Tank scientists. One monitor seemed to be cracked and broken however, leaving it with one eye. This was obviously Mobius. Though, Afton had expected the robot to attack him on sight, not simply meander around the room attending to its various projects, heeding him no mind at all. One thing he immediately noticed was the lack of a Pacification Field, allowing him to think, and more importantly, commit. As much violence as he wanted, or needed. "Nyx, any enemies?" he tentatively asks, feeling like he was walking straight into a trap, especially with how creepy this run-down place looks. "No movement other than Dr. Mobius detected." she states, relieving him slightly. Afton reaches into his deathclaw leather satchel and draws the [Fallen Ranger Sequoia], he''d been saving this for a special occasion, and killing Mobius just so happens to be included in that. He slowly walks up the ramp approaches the scientist from behind, coughing lightly in his fist to catch its attention. "Mmm? Y-oh? Hello there!... Eh, you are there, aren''t you? Forgive my confusion, it''s so hard to tell these days... Oooo, many apologies, I have a brain-ache that''s been annoying me for some time now..." the robot says before moving its monitors closer to Afton, causing his grip on his weapon to tighten. "You seem familiar, somehow... Are we acquaintances perhaps? No... That''s not right, all my human ones have been made into fertiliser and shipped to X-22... Unless you are some kind of GhooOOoool? Ah, could you step right slightly? My eye is slightly eh, broken, you see... Heh, get it?! SEE?" the scientist breaks into chuckles at its unintentional joke. ... Afton certainly hadn''t been expecting... Well, this. Mobius''s voice undulated as if he was unsure about what he was going to say next. He was clearly senile. Afton was fortunate he hadn''t tried to ally with Mobius when he''d first met the Think Tank, otherwise he''d have had to deal with this 24/7. "Enough... You speak as if you weren''t just trying to kill me moments ago, did you really forget about sicking your Giant Robo-Scorpion on me in the next room?" he asks, exasperated at how this was going. "Oh?! I did?... I don''t remember that... Though, I was tripping balls on Psycho earlier..." the senile scientist admits. "Ah, would you like a Mentat? As an apology." the robot says, holding out a single mentat in its Maniputalor, another one of its limbs sticking a Mentat into some sort of receiver, most likely used to pump the drug into its bio-gel. Afton shrugs and takes it, popping the addictive chem into one of his pockets, still pondering whether or not he should blow this robot to pieces. He had wanted to get it to work for him, but someone as unstable as Mobius would probably be more detrimental than helpful... "Emm! I love Mentats. Delicious and smarty. I have all sorts of amazingly science-arific thoughts and ideas when those chalky tablets are zipping through my biogel... Wouldn''t be able to think properly without them... After they ware off, I tend to... Forget things... That''s why I have to write what I know on the walls. Only problem is, I forgot what they were written for in the first place!" Chapter 315 - Recursion "Uh, huh..." Afton mutters, "Before anything else, can you turn your Giant Robo-Scorpion off? It''s probably finished destroying all the Protectrons by now." "Oh, of course! I forgot!... I was wondering what as causing all those power outages..." Mobius says, floating over to a big red button and pressing it with a manipulator.?? Afton thumbs the handle of the [Fallen Ranger Sequoia], wondering where to go from here... Mobius was undoubtedly a genius, a robotics expert Dr. Zero could never hope to be. Yet, his mental stability would make it terribly hard to give him a project... Though, it also made him pretty easily manipulated if he played his cards right. First things first though... "Why did you steal my brain?" "Oh, a variety of raisins... Reasons? Reasons." the scientist slowly corrects himself after flubbing his words, "You''re something of an anomaly, quite special indeed, and not in the cranially-challenged way... You see, you are the most successful brain extraction experiment ever performed here in Big Mt, aside from our own of course. You are a victim of your own success, as the saying goes... I think? If you were to go back with what your brain knows about the procedure, well... Your brain could be popped back in and you could walk right out of here. Can''t have brains moving of their own volition after all." the scientist says with a chuckle. "What do you mean? Aren''t you able to move around with only your brain? That''s what the robot-body is for right?" Afton curiously asks. "Ah, well, you see, our robotic bodies were specifically designed to not bypass the fence. Though, I can''t remember why this is the case, but I think there was a very good raisin for it. Everything I do needs a good raisin, otherwise, what''s the point! Hehehehe!" ... "So, there was a good reason for spamming Klein''s inbox with threats, apologies, and whatever else he didn''t care to mention?" "Oh, don''t mind that. I''m sure you know what it''s like to accidentally dose yourself with psycho and only find out who you murdered hours afterwards." he says nonchalantly. Afton raises a brow, "Wait, so all the threats you sent to the Think Tank were literally just a Psycho-fueled rampage?" he asks, this would certainly change things, considering the Think Tank were under the impression that Mobius wanted to invade, steal all their brains, and take over the world or something equally stereotypical. "Hmm. Partly... Aha! The other raisin was for something like, ethics?... Conscience? Perhaps something to do with morality, or, Mhm, Theology? Bah!" The scientist makes a sound as if it were spitting on the floor, "Of course not theology!... Anyway, I can''t exactly let them leave, can I?" "Why not?" Afton asks, immediately feeling stupid for asking such a question. Of course the scientists couldn''t be allowed to leave Big Mt! Who knows what kind of destruction they''d cause while experimenting on literally everything that moved, and did not. "My colleagues were always more science forward, as opposed to anything related to ''common decency'' or what is ''morally right''. I was always the one objecting to their experiments which tried to push the boundaries, as it were... Personally, I still think extracting a babies bones to see how it would grow is a little too much... Anyway, that is the raisin I reprogrammed everyone, changing their names and forcing a recursion loop in their perception programming... Or, atleast, I think I did? Perhaps the answer would be written on one of the walls around here..." Wow, he hadn''t been expecting that... Mobius had essentially ''mind-raped'' the other scientists, stopping their ability to learn, process information, etc. Afton could see why this would be needed, as the scientists would eventually find a way to disable the Tesla fence keeping them all in the crater. Additionally, it was probably a good thing the Auto-Doc fried itself after extracting his brain, otherwise they could''ve used the data it''d acquired to properly complete the procedure to put their brains back into organic bodies... Why, they could most certainly steal a Lobotomite''s body and use it as their own if they acquired such knowledge. Afton connects the dots and looks at Mobius in a slightly new light, "So, you reprogrammed them to stop them breaking out into the wasteland, I''m guessing your ''Evil Dr. Mobius'' bit was to keep them occupied then? "I think you''ve cracked the case!" Mobius says, "Er, I mean, I think I did all of that. Along with reprogramming their chronometers, geometers, and cartography programmes. Their histories are forgotten, all that exists to them now is Big Mt. For the good of man, animal, robot, and other-creature-kind, this is the best outcome." Mobius says, a bit forlornly. Afton shakes his head, "I doubt this is the best outcome... The scientists are still active after all, lobotomizing any unfortunate traveller who gets caught in their path. How many thousands have been crippled or killed by them? If you truly wanted the best for man-kind then you would have eliminated them outright." he states. "I see the logic in your argument but... Despite their flaws, crimes, and moral-evils they have committed. They are, were, still my friends. Everything I have done, every action I have taken in these long, long years has been for their sakes..." Mobius says in a moment of clarity... "Or maybe I just couldn''t be bothered? Who knows!" Before returning to his mad, senile, self. Afton shakes his head, If Mobius had just killed the scientists off in the first place then Christine wouldn''t have had to go through their experiments... Though, he likely would have perished due to the Fungus ravishing his body as well... "Still, I think it would have been to everyone''s benefit to have just eliminated them there and then..." Mobius seems to shake his chassis, "All would have gone according to plan D, or was it E? Anyway, if it weren''t for your arrival I''m sure everything would have been fine... That fungus attempting to strangle your brain allowed the Auto-Doc to recalibrate its medical procedure enough to fix its initial errors... All I could do was steal your brain and destroy it, but as soon as you started speaking to the Think Tank, giving them the idea of what might be outside Big Mt, things started going sideways..." Chapter 316 - Roasting Yourself... Mobius continues, "That is why I had the Think Tank send you here. So they couldn''t dissect you and find out the secrets of Lobotomites retaining their minds." Honestly, Afton would be shocked at this revelation if it weren''t so obvious... Mobius had been the one to initially point the Think Tank in the direction of the technologies, and it was on their schematics that Klein had found the override code to enter the Forbidden Dome. They even had Mobius'' notes literally pointing towards them! Talk about obvious!?? Still, that didn''t solve what Mobius wanted to do with him now. Afton''s initial thought of shooting Mobius in the face had long been forgotten. The scientist was the most morally ''just'' person out of the entire group, and he wouldn''t feel right killing someone who''d done almost everything in their power to save the Wasteland from his friends ''science'', even at the expense of their trust and friendship. Afton didn''t know if he''d be able to do the same if he found himself in a similar situation... Could he hypnotise Veronica, Christine, Karl, Boone, or even Tamia to stop them doing something awful, likely saving ten of thousands of lives in the process? He honestly doubted it. "So, now that I''m here... What''s your goal?" Afton asks, ready to blow Mobius to pieces if he detected any hostility. "Why, to put your brain back in its rightful place, and send you on your way. Once you are gone, I will attempt to reprogram the Think Tank again, after all of that is done, I will return to eating Mentats and... Whatever else I usually do around here...? Anyway, why do think I specifically got the Think Tank to gather those technologies... Without them, putting your brain back in your head would be rather difficult." Afton raises a brow, "How''d you mean? I can''t really see how the X-2 Antenna would assist with them. Nyx monitors my vital signs so she''d be invaluable for surgery, but the Sonic Emitter? My head would explode if that was used on me..." he mutters, grimacing at the thought. "The X-2 Antenna can be used to focus your Alpha wave frequency thought patterns, and the Sonic Emitter was originally intended to be a vertebrae-pulse-de-sensitizer." "Ah... Ok..." Afton mutters, wondering if they actually did what he says, or if the senile scientist is just babbling again. "Er, don''t take this the wrong way, but... When''s the last time you flushed your Bio-gel? You-know you''ve gotta do it every couple of years youknow, cellular degradation, etc." "Hmm, well, I don''t remember the last time... I can''t exactly to it myself, can I?" Afton shrugs, finally sheathing his weapon, "I''d be willing to do it for you... Of course, this would also come with a few caveats..." "Caveats? Is that a type of candy?" Afton shakes his head, "I''ll just say it bluntly... I am not leaving after getting my brain back." he states, Mobius going silent for a while, seemingly dumbfounded. "But why? Unless you like the feeling of scalpels scraping your blood-brain-barrier?" Mobius asks. "Because I intend to take full control of Big Mt. That includes the Think Tank, and the Forbidden Dome... Along with everything within them." "Ah, you mean me? I think I''ve heard of your type before... Those Robo-sexuals right? Well too bad! I''m determined to become a wishard, so no touching my brain!" ... "No... What I am going to do is get Big Mt working again. Properly, without the meaningly Lobotomizations, and scientific catastrophes that are the Cazadors and Night Stalkers. I''m going to put you all to work, as my personal scientists." he says with a toothy grin. "But... That won''t work! For many raisins! The Think Tank won''t listen to you! They won''t listen to anyone!" Afton crosses his arms, "That may be true, but you''ve been controlling them with fear, and subconscious mental suggestions. I''ll go a similar route, Fear of what I''ll do to them should they disobey me, but hope of the possibilities we''ll create together. I am sure a few would appreciate having their human bodies back..." "But... But..." Mobius trails off, not really knowing how to respond to this abrupt change. "Now, Mobius. I''ll give you a choice, we''ll work together in keeping the Think Tank under control. We''ll see to your mental instability, hopefully allowing you to fight back whatever senility has taken over. But, even if you agree you must remember one thing... You. Work. For. Me... Do you understand?" ... "I... I suppose it would be worth a shot. Perhaps my methods were too, hm, compassionate? Do what you must... Ah, your brain is up there by the way..." Mobius says, pointing a manipulator at a large machine at the top of some stairs. Afton nods, "Good to be working with you, Doctor." he states, leaving Mobius to mull over everything while he approaches the machine. He presses the button on the front, and steam starts slowly releasing from various valves. Eventually, the top of the tank raises, revealing a glass dome, in which a brain floats into view... It didn''t look like a regular brain, thin green vines seemed to be wrapping themselves around it, and every part of the brain that touched them was covered in black veins. "Man you''re ugly."/"Man you''re ugly." Afton says, but is dumbfounded to hear a robotic voice saying the exact same thing... Did his brain just talk to him?... And insult him? Afton shakes his head, smirks and points at it, "Jinx!" he says, just before the brain manages to do the same. "Oh, come on! I want a re-do, this voice module is too slow! Piece of junk." the brain complains. "As the age-old rules of ''Jinx'' dictate, you owe me one thing. And that thing is to sit inside my head again." "That it? I was going to do that anyway... I feel so weak without the system to help me out, that''s not even mentioning the lack of limbs." "Or dragon." Afton states, finding it somewhat interesting that his brain would know about the system, despite being its own entity at this point. Though it did raise questions, what was the system actually attached to, since his brain couldn''t access it, that meant it was attached to his body, right? "Grrr! Don''t you remind me, bastard! It doesn''t really matter anyway, it isn''t like you were putting it to use, aside from dates with your hand!" the brain retorts, dealing a fatal blow to Afton''s self-esteem. Chapter 317 - Talking To Yourself... Afton glowers at his brain momentarily, "Yeah? Well, I finally got that..." he looks around suspiciously and leans in, "Lady Killer Perk" he whispers, standing back up. "Won''t be long before I, we, put it to good use." "You better. I may lack all the regular hormones that dictate lust, but it is still shameful to wait so long!" the brain replies, somewhat modified by his words.?? "That isn''t everything though, I''ve been quite busy while you were sitting here in this tank-" Afton says but is cut-off. "I was educating myself! Something we''ve not done since we left the Bunker and started wandering through that filthy wasteland. I guarantee, whatever you''ve been doing cannot trump that!" Afton shakes his head, "I know where Christine is." he states, immediately causing the brain to go silent. "She''s hunting down that prick Elijah, got experimented on by the Think Tank..." "Those fucking bastards!" the brain shouts, absolutely furious. "Oh, I haven''t been so angry in so long, I want to crawl out of my jar and headbutt them!" Afton nods, "She managed to escape with some help from a mystery man, she''s currently chasing Elijah to the Sierra Madre, a Casino hidden somewhere." he explains. "And I suppose we''ll be headed there as soon as we find it?" the brain asks and Afton nods. "Obviously, we''ll fine Christine, kill Elijah, reunite with Veronica and return to the Brotherhood. Though... I think the Brotherhood is in dire need of change, change only we can bring." he says. "And your plan on what to do with the scientists? I''m sure you''ve got similar ideas to mine, I am your mind after all." Afton nods, "Conquer anything useful and destroy the rest." he states simply. "Simple and effective, I like it! If any of those Think Tank bastards disobey then suck out their brains and place them in goldfish jars! Put them on display with no voice module but full optics... They deserve it for hurting Christine!" Afton nods, "I intend to... So, how am I getting you out from there?" "Just press the blue button next to the one you already pressed... Don''t press it more than once or you''ll split me in two..." "Alright." Afton mutters, pressing the switch and apprehensively watching as the machine closes, a bio-gel filled glass bowl being lifted out of it with his brain inside. Obviously, it wasn''t able to talk due to it lacking the modules, but this was only for transportation. He delicately takes the bowl and walks down from the steps, "Mobius?" "Ah, yeeesh?" "Do me a favour and redesignate me as an ally for the Robo-Scorpion. Also, standby and await instruction for after I take over the Think Tank, I imagine we''ll be doing many magnificent things together." "Okay!" the senile scientist loudly replies, floating over to a control panel and rapidly pressing a variety of buttons. Afton doesn''t waste any time and walks out of the Forbidden Dome, entering the chamber where the Giant Robo-Scorpion had been... There are scratch marks all over the place from where it''d been trying to get up and attack him, but now it was just laying dormant in the middle of the room. Honestly, he was quite happy he hadn''t destroyed it... He now had an almost indestructible robot to use against anyone he wished, perhaps he could even go toe to toe against Liberty Prime... Though, it''d be a tough fight between the two. He carefully makes his way out, back into the Wasteland and back to the Think Tank. He even activated his Stealthboy to be extrraaaa careful... He was literally holding his brain in his hands, so any stray shot would probably kill him. He makes liberal use of Nyx''s detection system, constantly asking whether he''s in danger or not. Fortunately, he discovered an alternate path back that didn''t force him through the fungus infested land. Eventually, Afton reaches the dome, but doesn''t immediately head into the Think Tank. No, instead, he goes straight up to the Sink, walking into the room that holds his Spine and depositing his Brain into one of the jars to prepare it for when it''s transplanted back into himself. The Think Tank shouldn''t be aware of his return yet, so he has some time to repair the Auto-Doc''s personality chip and transplant his brain. "I see you''ve retrieved your brain, sir. Congratulations." Alfred offers once Afton is done depositing his brain. "Well, it should have never been taken out in the first place, but thanks anyway." he mutters, checking the Personality chips in his possession to see which is closest to repair. Using his Inventory, he finds that a Personality called ''Muggy'' that''s almost repaired... Of course, Afton had no desire to fix this one just yet, so he deposits all except the Auto-Doc one in storage, to make sure the right one is focused. This gives Afton a good amount of time to prepare for his confrontation with the Think Tank. He didn''t think his ''offer'' would be refused, but if it did, he''d be ready to deal with the person who initially refuses. He wondered what the scientists would think if he mutilated one of their brains in-front of them. They seem to value intelligence above all, perhaps literally removing some of their brain cells would put them in a more amicable mood? For now, Afton focuses on preparing his weaponry, he would manually sharpen, repair, etc, to make sure [Mechanicus] would focus on the Auto-Doc Personality Module. Once the next day rolls around, Afton finds that the Module had been fully repaired. Fortunately, the Think Tank still hadn''t realised he''d returned. He walks to the Auto Doc and pushes the chip into its port. Stepping back slightly as the machine hums to life, the sound of scraping metal and clanking mechanical parts begins. Hmph, how about it. Old Auto-Doc''s back online. Well, alright... Come here, let me get a look at you." the personality says, its voice reminding Afton of an old retired veteran. Chapter 318 - Superhuman Afton shrugs to himself and steps into the Auto-Doc, allowing the machine to examine him. With the addition of Nyx, the check isn''t even invasive as it can use her to check his condition. It takes a couple minutes to finish, but once done the Auto-Doc speaks up again, "God-damn, what kind of hell-hole did you crawl out from? Heavy radiation damage, remnants of a deadly fungal infection, roots wrapping around your heart, even lacking your brain? If I didn''t know any better, I''d say you were just a walking corpse." it says, clearly astonished by his survival thus far.?? "Yeah... Shit''s been rough. You done with your checks?" "Almost... Try to keep still." it says, and he feels the many small needles connecting the Stealth suit to his body heat up slightly. After a bit more waiting, the astounded voice of the Auto-Doc makes itself known again, "Jesus, Mary, Joesph... Boy, you''re strong as a bull, agile as a weasel, and built like a brick-shit-house. I wanna meet your folks and beg them not to birth anymore of you, unnatural creatures such as yourself''ll only cause trouble." "Okay... I''d let them know if they weren''t already dead." he says, not really knowing how to reply to the robot. "Goo-*Ahem*I mean, you have my condolences... Tests are done, calibrations are complete. What can I do for ya'' today?" it asks, the Auto-Doc opening and allowing him to step outside. "Well, what can you do first of all?" Afton asks, deciding to check its full capabilities before getting his brain, and possibly his spine put back in. "Regular check-ups, treatments, radiation flushes, cosmetic surgery, implants, and psychiatric evaluations. You know, the basic stuff... With time I might be able to come up with more, with your permission of course." it explains. Afton slowly nods, taking great interest in the implants, along with the psychiatric evaluation, perhaps he''d be able to rid himself of his fear of plants? Honestly, he didn''t think much of psychometrics, they weren''t as well-founded as other medical fields after all. "What Implants have you got?" The Auto-Doc proceeds to list out the currently available Implants : [Implant C-13] : Plus 10% damage to cazadores. [Implant M-5] : Your crouched movement speed is increased by 20% [Implant Y-3] : Removes any radiation taken from drinking an irradiated water source. [Implant Y-7] : +5 health and +2 restored action points through the consumption of food. Afton raises a brow at them, Usanagi certainly had more ''combat oriented'' implants, but these were pretty good in their own rights. He could see uses for all apart from Y-3, as radiation from water didn''t negatively affect him, and even empowered him to an extent. M-5 was probably the most useful out of the bunch, combine the 20% crouch movement speed it grants with the Stealth suit''s +20% would give him massive bonuses. He wondered if he''d eventually be able to crouch walk faster than he could run... It would look pretty fucking stupid, but would be effective nonetheless. "Do I have to purchase them?" Afton asks, most of the machines here were designed before the Great War, all apart from Alfred had no concept of caps as a currency, so hopefully he''d be able to get them for free. "No... As long as the commissary has the right materials I can implant whomever you want. I''d say to keep it to one implant per day though, surgery can be taxing on the body." it states. Afton nods, "Alright, but before that, I want you to put my brain and spine back in my body... I have the X-2 Antenna, Stealth suit, and Sonic Emitter ready for the procedure." "Good, then you''ve already got the pieces needed. I might as well give you an Implant while you''re cut open, so what do you want?" it asks. "The M-5 implant, if possible." "Alright... Grab the other tech, get out of the Stealth suit and we''ll get started." Afton does as he''s told, his Medical Skill allowed him to keep an eye on how preparations for the procedure were going, while he trusted the Auto-Doc, he still wanted to makesure everything was fine himself. Four hours later : Afton blearily wakes up, now laid on his bed in the Sink, the procedure having finished a while ago. His body is sore all over, but before he can check himself he''s bombarded with numerous messages in his peripheral. [Big Brained Perk has replaced Brainless] : Your brain is back in your body, but some of the advanced technologies remain: Your head still cannot be crippled, but you are only 10% more resistant to addiction now. Surprisingly your Damage Threshold has improved by 3. [Big Brained] : Head cannot be crippled, 10% resistance to chem addiction, +3 DT. [Reinforced Spine Perk has replaced Spineless] : Your spine is back in your body, but some advance technologies remain: Your torso can now be crippled again, but your Strength (STR) and Damage Threshold (DT) bonuses have doubled! (+2) [Reinforced Spine] : +2 DT, +2 Strength. [Your Strength has achieved superhuman levels! Title granted : Goliath] [Goliath] : +50% to intimidation checks. Feats of Strength grants +10% fame. [Perk Gained : Implant M-5] [Implant M-5] : Your crouched movement speed is increased by 20% [WELCOME TO LEVEL 43!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 44!] Afton ignores the level-ups for a moment while checking the new Perks that''d replaced the old ones. To be honest, he was a bit nervous at first, reading that some Perks had been replaced. But one he saw the new ones his worries were vanquished. The new [Reinforced Spine] Perk had put him above what he previously thought the max stat level was, giving him a title in the process. [Big Brained] was pretty negligible, but he wouldn''t scoff at the extra DT, especially since Chem addiction resistance was pretty useless to him anyway. He hums to himself and looks to towards the level ups, immediately putting all points into Survival and boosting it to 89 before moving onto the available Perks. Chapter 319 - Paci-Violence-Field Afton looks at the Perk available and skims them : [Method In Madness] : Grants 100% bonus when attempting to teach someone something you are skilled at. A pretty ''meh'' Perk, though it could prove incredibly useful as Afton was already proficient in many different fields.?? [Circus Act] : Gives a limited ability to accurately bounce objects between obstacles to strike specific targets. This would be good if Afton didn''t literally have weapons that could shoot through walls... [Pressure Points] : Grants a 20% bonus to accurately striking pressure points, If a pressure point is strike, 50% chance to paralyse target, chance and duration depend on strength of said strike. Afton wasn''t sure what to make of this Perk, if he ever got into melee range of someone they''d most likely be dead... Not to mention his Unarmed Skill already gave him extensive knowledge on pressure points. [The Bronson Slip] : You are slippery and difficult to grab a hold of. +50% chance to avoid being grabbed. At first this seems like a pretty dull skill, but once Afton realised it didn''t just include humans, it go a lot more interesting... He would have been able to easily escape Patient Zero''s tentacles if he had this Perk... [Madder Max] : Vehicles you drive can continue to operate for ten minutes longer, even after crippling damage has been done to it. (Does not work if vehicle is completely destroyed) Afton could see a couple uses for this, but if his vehicle ever sustained such damage he probably deserved what''s coming to him... It''d be better to just build a more durable vehicle instead of relying on this. [Por Favor?] : Boosts your ability to learn languages by 200% Yeah, no. Afton had no intention to learn any other language... For all he knew, English was the last remaining language around. No one could dispute that either since atomic annihilation didn''t tent to spare anyone. Afton mulls over the Perks and eventually decides to just put a point in Perception via [Intense Training], boosting it up to 9. He intended to use Usanagi to boost it to 10 to acquire its Perk, and hopefully do the same with Endurance while saving some Perk points in case an amazing Perk came up. With that, he stands and brushes himself off, he notices that he''s still naked and realises that Nyx must still be in the main room. Shaking his head, he stretches and looks at himself in the mirror. His hair that''d been slowly growing back from having been shaved off had disappeared again, the Auto-Doc removing it to open his skull. The surgical scars across his body looked fresher as well, and they''d probably remain for a long while due to just how deep they were. Once he''s done looking himself over, he gathers all his equipment and moves to the next room. Finding the Stealth suit sitting on the map which held Alfred''s personality chip. He quickly equips her and grimaces slightly at the pinpricks caused by the needles connecting to his body. "Hello Nyx, everything''s well?" "Operation was a complete success. I have checked your... Anatomy multiple times to affirm this." Nyx says, and Afton squints at the weird tone of her voice. "Allright... Alfred, has the Think Tank made any moves while I was out?" he asks, brushing past Nyx''s peculiar infatuation with his physical form. "No, sir. They appear to still be under the misapprehension that you are invading Doctor Mobius domicile, or had perished at the hands of his Robo-Scorpions. Personally, I am looking forward to watching your confrontation with them." Afton smirks, "As am I. Well, unless something else requires my attention, I think it''s time to speak to our friends downstairs." "Sneak attack?" Nyx offers but Afton just shakes his head. "No, negotiation comes first. Sneak attacks come... Third? I''m not really sure where they fall on the priority list." "They should be first..." Nyx quietly grumbles. Afton ignores her and pats the Auto-Doc, "Thanks for your work, I think I''ll call you... Meddie, unless you disagree?" "Heh, I think it''s as good as any other name... Now get goin'', you have some egg-heads to scramble." ''Meddie'' encourages. Afton nods and grips the [Fallen Ranger Sequoia], he actually hadn''t had a chance to kill anything with it yet, but like Mobius, this was a special occasion... He hoped he wouldn''t have to use it. He travels down the stairs to the Think Tank, entering the tunnel and immediately finding the place wreathed in a red glow, as opposed to the usual blue. "They know you''re here." Nyx states, and Afton wonders if they had sensors in the stairway or something, as just like the first time he''d entered the Think Tank, the scientists were floating above bright lights in formation again, all facing towards him as if preparing to judge him. Immediately, Afton notices the lack of ''peace'' that usually oppresses other thoughts he may have had while entering this place. The Pacification Field doesn''t work on those with brains after all, and now that he''d retrieved his own. It would not protect the scientists from him. Once Afton walks up the ramp, Klein starts speaking to him in a loud and dramatic voice. "THE LOBOTOMITE RETURNS. OUR LOBOTOMITE. HAS DR. MOBIUS BEEN DENOMINATORED INTO SCRAP METAL AND VOICE MODULE PARTS AS WE HOPED?" "Oh, no, forget Mobius for now. From the ominous red lights, I assume you''ve noticed that I''ve reacquired my brain. I think it''s time to collect that ''Favour'' you owe me." he says, wishing to start with the simplest way of getting their obedience. Should they refuse, he can hold their ''dishonour'' above their heads in future. Klein growls at this, "FAVOUR? WHAT FAVOUR?" "Er, Klein? I do recall agreeing to the Lobotomite''s terms. In return for their help in gathering the technologies and dealing with Mobius, we granted one favour... Though, now that I think about it, an all-encompassing favour does sound kinda stupid." Zero says from the side. "OH THAT? SEEING AS THE STATUS OF DR. MOBIUS IS UNKNOWN, WE CAN''T GRANT THE... ''FAVOUR''" Afton scowls, "Don''t worry. In agreement with our terms, I''ve ''dealt'' with Dr. Mobius. You won''t be bothered by Robo-Scorpions any longer." he states ambiguously. Chapter 320 - Politicking Brains "IS THAT SO?" Klein asks before continuing, "THEN I HAVE NO NEED TO HIDE THE FACT THAT I NEVER INTENDED TO GRANT WHATEVER ''FAVOUR'' YOU WISHED FOR ANYWAY! DID THE OLD ''CROSSING MY MANIPULATORS'' TRICK WHEN I AGREED. FOOLISH LOBOTOMITE." Afton hides the smirk that tries to make its way onto his face, "Oh? So you''ll refuse despite agreeing to it? I hardly think that playground tricks would justify such... ''Scholarly'' dishonesty." he points from himself to Klein, "From one practitioner of science to another, have you no shame in recieving my work without fufilling your end?"?? Klein scoffs, "YOU ARE OUR PROPERTY, YOU HOLD NO RIGHTS HERE, LOBOTOMITE! FRANKLY, I FIND IT INSULTING THAT ONE SUCH AS YOURSELF WOULD ATTEMPT TO EQUATE MY INTELLIGENCE AND WORK ETHIC TO YOUR OWN!" "*Doctor Klein, I''m afraid I will have to disagree with you on this point... I actually offered Mr Parker a place in the Think Tank, his knowledge in robotics and inquisitiveness is exactly what we wish to see in our colleagues. Do not forget, we were all once like him, I would think that he too would eventually shed his human-shell.*" Doctor 8 buzzes out, the others turning in his direction as he speaks. "YOU WHAT!? YOU WOULD INVITE THIS... THING! INTO OUR MIDST? WITHOUT EVEN CONFERRING WITH THE REST OF US!?" Klein roars, furious as 8''s apparent disobedience. "Cool it, Klein. Sounds like the Lobotomite didn''t even agree, is that right?" Dr. Zero questions. Afton nods, "Yeah, I refused. As you can see, with someone like Doctor Klein leading you, I think I''m better off elsewhere. From the moment I stepped into the Think Tank, I saw you all cowed under this oppressive ''brain''. I wouldn''t be surprised if he took credit for your own work in the sciences, let alone whatever I may create here." he explains, hiding his smirk as he sows the seeds of dissatisfaction. "Yeah, especially since his theory on brainial beam oscillation came from the CHINESE first!" Zero shouts, seemingly agreeing with Afton. "HOW DARE YOU! BRANIAL BEAM OCCILATION WAS SOLEY MY DISCOVERY! I EXPRESSLY TOLD YOU THAT I DELETED ALL EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY!" Afton audibly hums, "Sounds like an admittance of guilt to me, how would you delete evidence to the contrary if it didn''t exist? Sounds like you''re covering up your intellectual thievery, Klein." "ENOUGH!" Klein roars, his manipulators opening up and revealing many scalpels and saw-blades, "YOU WILL RELINQUISH OUR BRAIN FROM YOUR SKULL, AND YOU WILL DO SO WILLINGLY. YOU ARE OURS LOBOTOMITE, AND I WILL RID YOU OF YOUR DISOBEDIENCE ONE BRAIN CELL AT A TIME!" Afton chuckles, "You think that despite my ability to fight my way through thousands of Robo-Scorpions, Lobotomites, Cyberdogs, Night Stalkers, and Fungel monsters. You are able to harm me? That''s the most pathetic thing I''ve ever heard you utter. And I''m not stupid either, Klein! Why would I kill Mobius when I can instead, force him into my service!" "YOU... YOU DIDN''T!" Klein asks pensively. Afton nods, "When I said I ''dealt'' with him, I only meant that I am not in control of Mobius. He answer to ME, he obeys ME, and at my command, he will destroy YOU." he states, his various Perks only adding to the scientist''s intimidation. Indeed, it appears as if his words ring true with them, as everyone apart from Doctor 8 is moments away from fleeing in terror. Klein himself is occasionally twitching, as if something in his machinery is malfunctioning. "Of course, there are other alternatives, which is why I''m here in the first place. But be sure that I hold no qualms in ridding the earth of you all, the numerous atrocities you have collectively committed would churn the stomachs of even the hardest criminals." Klein seems to recollect himself enough to speak again, but his voice sounds rather timid, despite it travelling through a faulty voice modulator. "I... I WILL NOT BE FRIGHTENED BY SOME DISOBEDIENT LOBOTOMITE... THINK TANK! IF WE HARVEST ITS BRAIN AND LEARN THE SECRETS OF ITS EXTRACTION, WE CAN ESCAPE BEFORE MOBIUS'' FORCES ARE UPON US! WITH OUR COMBINED MIGHT IT WOULD STAND NO CHANCE!" The scientist loudly says, attempting to rally their support against Afton. Borous appears to have finally had enough however, "I REFUSE! Doctor Klein, I see now that the Think Tank has done more harm to the world than we could possibly ever fathom. Your aggression towards Mr Parker is detrimental to everything we stand for. Cold. Hard. Logic, DICTATES that we listen to his demands before taking such drastic action!" "*I agree with Borous. Your antagonism towards Mr Parker is... Emotionally driven. Something you yourself has always denounced. If you cannot follow your own rules, then I believe you are ill-fitted to be our leader.*" 8 says, deconstructing Klein in a brutal, but logically consistent manner. Klein rapidly looks around at his colleagues before his monitors lock onto Dala, "DALA! SURELY YOU WOULD ELECT TO DISSECT THE LOBOTOMITE? ONCE WE ARE FREE, WE WILL HAVE A WHOLE NEW WORLD TO EXPERIMENT ON AT OUR LEISURE." Dala is silent for a moment, her monitors slowly trailing up and down Afton''s form with a critical eye. "The teddy-bear is a marvel of not just brainial extraction, but of humanity in general. I don''t believe we would ever find such a... Enticing subject again. Removing its brain and dissecting it would be a waste. Full psychological and physical evaluations, previous experience data, and its own ingenuity would be lost if we took such an action. I myself am curious as to what its ''favour'' would have been, had you not rejected it in its entirety, Dr. Klein." he says, her biting words doing just as much damage to Klein as they do Afton... He really didn''t like the way she looked AND spoke about him. Even seeing her now brought up feelings of rage from what she''d done to Christine... But he swallows all those feelings down for now. Perhaps once he retrieves Christine he could have Dala reverse whatever damage she''d caused in the first place. Chapter 321 - His Think Tank Klein''s seems to be trying to glare a hole through Afton''s head, but due to his ''colleagues'' interference, his sawblades and scalpels halt to a stop... Temporarily at least. "VERY WELL... WHAT IS THIS. FAVOUR?" He asks, the rest of the Think Tank turning towards Afton. Afton shrugs, "I actually think you''d all be happy with it... I want to use my favour to become the leader of the Think Tank-?? "WHAT!? ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Klein shouts before Afton''s able to explain himself. "Shut your loud, fucking, mouth Klein! Let me finish before you start another temper tantrum!" Afton growls out, the scientist quickly going silent, even despite his reluctant murmurings. "As Dr. 8 said earlier, I am well versed in all kinds of scientific subjects, but that is not one of the reasons you should want me in charge... As you all already know, I am from outside the ''known world'' you call Big Mt, I have knowledge of the regions and know much about the apocalyptic wasteland that you all would find difficult to gather. America is not what it once was, most of it is covered in mutated monsters, 15ft Deathclaws that can cut through most metal with ease, swarms of Cazador''s that''d devour a person before their corpse hit the ground, Supermutants created by the FEV virus that roam the wastes killing and eating anything they come across... The wasteland is not a friendly place, and I highly doubt that any of you would live more than a month out there. But! That doesn''t mean I cannot bring the wasteland to you! I have a goal, a goal that requires the aid of the smartest minds this world has to offer, where else would I look then here, among you all. Together, we could truly create something brilliant, instead of merely being a group of knockoff mad-scientists that only harm humanity with their creations." he says, emphasizing the fact that the robots would likely be torn apart outside of the crater... Afton actually believed that to be the case as well, even if the mutated creatures didn''t get them, the wasteland governments certainly would. "Bring the wasteland to us?" Dala asks curiously, "Would that include subjects for me to use my tools on?... Human subjects." Afton manages to stop a scowl from appearing on his face, instead, sending a friendly smile, "I would be willing to send you any deserving criminal to you, in fact, I think whatever experiments you''ll conduct on them are more fitting than just a simple death sentence." "OOOoooo, please do, the fighters are always the best subjects." Dala says, and Afton''s ears tingle unpleasantly at her voice. "But what will we do here? The place is barely operational as it is, most materials we have were transported from the outside in, and since the trains and tunnels are gone that doesn''t seem a likely place to start..." Dr. Zero asks. "Why, just use robots... There are enough robots here in Big Mt to be used as a workforce. Just send them out of the crater to gather materials." Afton explains. "But the power needed for something like that is far beyond what we are currently capable of... Though, maybe if we stopped using forcefields for everything we''d be a little better off..." "THE FORCEFIELDS ARE THE MARVEL OF OUR COLLECTIVE SCIENTIFIC EFFORTS! WE MUST DISPLAY THEM WHEREVER WE CAN!" Klein says, clearly proud of their creation. Afton couldn''t blame him either, they were incredibly advanced for their current level of tech. Afton crosses his arms and hums to himself, "I think I may have a way to fix that issue... Are you all aware of the existence of ghouls, specifically the Glowing Ones." he asks. Borous and Dala nod their monitors at him, "Strange creatures, what were once humans are now mindless, radioactive beasts. But what use could they be? Aside from interesting test subjects." Dala asks. Afton grins, "Well, I recently found that Glowing ghouls could be used as energy sources... They are somehow able to produce a seemingly unending amount of radiation, so with enough gathered we''d be able to power whatever we want, whenever we want. I''m not even sure if they require food or not..." "That... That might work. I have only observed such creatures from afar, none ever seem able or willing to enter the crater, unfortunately, but if what you''re saying is true... This would solve the problem of our reactors slow degradation!" Borous says, somewhat excitedly at the idea. Afton nods, "I want to fix up Big Mt, these destroyed and desolate laboratories hold no place among us any longer. We''ll scrap those unable, and repair the ones that are. It will likely be a monumental effort, but I think this could be the beginning of a new age of scientific discovery and innovation... So, what do you say? Will you take me as your leader, or will you... Go against me." he growls out the last part to emphasize just how bad an idea that would be. "I''m all in, centuries of basically doing nothing under Klein has proven we might need a new perspective. You''re all good with me Lobotomite!" Zero happily agrees, though whether this is because of his dislike of Klein or faith in Afton is unknown. "*I believe in Mr. Parker here... Besides, we can always decide later if this doesn''t work out.*" Afton nods, "I''ll even throw in the data of my brain extraction... Once everything is sorted, I think putting you guys back into human, or if you dislike that idea, stronger robotic bodies would be a boon for everyone involved." he says, and notices Dala perk up at that. "I am in agreement." Borous states. That just leaves Klein... Everyone present turns to focus on him, they all knew Klein held massive pride in his position and ability. With the majority wanting to side with Afton, there was only two options for him... Join, or die. ... "FINE! BUT MARK MY WORDS LOBOTOMITE, I WILL INTERVENE SHOULD I SEE THE THINK TANK SLIDING INTO DESTRUCTION." Klein reluctantly agrees. Afton nods, "That''s fine... I don''t want to lead unfeeling robots after all, you all have your own initiative, if you feel I am doing something wrong then don''t hesitate to bring it up with me... However, there will be rules..." he states. Chapter 322 - Payback. *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* The ear wrenching sound of gunfire could be heard across the whole of Zion, as the Burned Man, Joshua Grahm leads the Sorrows and Dead Horse tribe into battle against the White Legs. They are currently trying to fight their way through the canyon passage leading to Three Marys Caverns.?? The White Legs had already been residing in this place for a significant amount of time. Enough so that they''d created many fortifications to stop any kind of frontal assault. Due to this and the layout of Zion itself, most considered it to be impenetrable... Tamia and Veronica had joined this battle as well, even with Daniel, the leader of the Sorrows begging them not to. He wished to try and flee Zion with the maps the duo had provided, and wished to peacefully exit without causing more bloodshed. However, both Tamia and Veronica had agreed with Joshua, in that trying to escape Zion without either completely crushing or crippling the White Legs would result in catastrophic losses. As such, they stood beside Joshua as the bullets started flying, both retaliating with equal if not greater force. Weaponry in Zion had been somewhat lacking due to their rather primitive ways, but Joshua had managed to scavenge and outfit most of the Dead Horses and Sorrows with .45 Auto-Pistols, and .45 Submachine guns. Both Tamia and Veronica were slightly shocked at the ferocity Joshua fought with... He was light a tornado of bullets, brutally massacring any who dared cross him. The White Legs seemed to be in a similar situation as well, as whenever they were forced to fight him, they shouted things like ''DEMON!'' or ''KUNA-MAN''. Unfortunately, the Sorrows and Dead Horses weren''t as experienced or skilled in this kind of fighting, more used to melee combat as opposed to modern ballistics. The White Legs fortified positions allowed them to easily kill most who approached, in fact, the only reason the attacking force was gaining any ground whatsoever is because Joshua was cutting a line straight through them. Tamia and Veronica were no slouches either though, they''d found themselves in some of the side caves that interweaved throughout the cavern passage, some even leading to higher positions were the White Legs were firing from. "HAH!" Tamia roars as she brings her axe down towards an enemy, cutting their arm clean off as they try to point their weapon towards her. With her other hand she points her .45 Pistol and gives a bullet lobotamization which instantly kill them. Nearby Veronica has been hiding amongst the rocks, awaiting the reinforcements which intended to attack Tamia, once they passed her position she jumps out, punching one in the back of their head with her powerfist. This literally causes their head to explode in red mist, the unfortunate persons eyeballs flying out and striking the person ahead in the back. If they hadn''t heard the sound of their friends head breaking apart like a dropped melon, the eyes would''ve keyed them to the problem. Veroncia doesn''t wait for them to react though, barreling forwards and slamming her foot against the back of one of their knees, causing them to tumble to the floor as she punches the person next to them. *CRACK!!* They''d just turned to face her when they got hit, their head wrenching side with their neck loudly snapping. This isn''t a Looney toons cartoon however, and someone''s next twisting 180 degrees isn''t something you can recover from. By they time ther mangled body hits the floor, Veronica had crushed the third and last person attempting to help against Tamia''s axe-rampage. Veronica flicks her fist to rid her weapon of the blood covering it... *Bang!*, a bullet flies past her head, and a body dropping behind her signals that it wasn''t intended for her. "Get your head in the game, there''s still a shit-load of them to deal with." Tamia says, blowing the smoke from her pistol. "Would you, well I don''t know, give me a warning instead of almost shooting me in the face?" Veronica retorts sarcastically Tamia shakes her head and suddenly points behind Veronica "LOOK OUT!" Veronica spins but doesn''t see anyone aside from the person had just shot... "There, I did it. Slightly late but you can''t get everything you asked for." Tamia says, walking past and over the corpse to reach the tunnel exit. "You''re soooo funny. When this is over, I''m definitely getting payback." Veronica mutters, giving the corpse a kick before following her companion. The duo continued fighting through the White Legs, occasionally receiving injuries but nothing that could be considered life-threatening. Soon enough, they managed to get to the area where Joshua was fighting, but before they and the other troops caught up a massive explosion occurs. This causes the upper part of the canyon to collapse, completely blocking off access to where Joshua is. "Fuck!" Tamia growls, still hearing the fighting from the other side. Quickly she looks around, eventually finding a cave that may or may not lead to where they need to go... Without much other choice, she leads the remaining warriors through it. Inside they came across more White Legs, but these ones seemed to also be setting up explosives, probably to block off this entrance as well. They hadn''t been expected a veritable army to suddenly appear in their midst though. The Sorrows and Dead Horses easily kill all White Legs inside. Tamia and Veronica eventually reach the exit, but what they see before them is quite surprising... Joshua was standing behind three bound White Legs captives with his weapon drawn, all of them looking absolutely terrified. Joshua doesn''t hold anything back, instantly killing two of them before he leans down next to the last. "We warned you at Syracuse, Salt-Upon-Wounds. Yet you persisted. You took advantage of us at New Canaan to drive us out, and like the dogs of Caeser you are, you followed us to Zion. And now you stand on holy ground, a temple to god''s glory on Earth. But the only use for an animal in our temple is sacrifice!... Kale watcha nei conserva ho! You understand me, don''t you? Don''t you!?" he growls, his scarred and burned visage behind the bandages matching brutal and determined soul. The bound man, Salt-Upon-Wounds looks up at Tamia and Veronica with utter dread in his eyes, "Y-you! H-help! Kuna-man mad! He kill all White Legs! You talk! You stop!" he begs in broken English. Tamia scoffs but Veronica looks slightly sympathetic, she knew of the atrocities these people have committed. But she was still pretty reluctant to utterly wipe them out... Genocide wasn''t something she wished to be apart of. "I-" She starts but is interrupted as Tamia steps forwards, grabbing the man and digging her fingers into his cheeks. "You who rapes, pillages, and murders wish for mercy? I don''t know whether this funny, or just sad." Tamia quietly says, giving a hard back-hand to his face, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall onto his side. "Do you remember when we first arrived in Zion? We were ambushed by your men, killing my friends and employer... It doesn''t matter if you don''t, just know that I consider this... Payback." she states, holstering her pistol and holding her axe high. "Wait don''t-" Veronica tries, attempting to find some other option but is already too late. *SLASH!* *Thud* Tamia beheads the man in one swift swing, the ugly face rolling across the sand and eventually coming to a stop in the shallow stream nearby, the blood pooling from it colouring the water red. Chapter 323 - Toaster Of DOOM! It''s been a couple weeks since Afton took control of the Think Tank, and he was already starting to regret it... He had underestimated the amount of time Klein spent overseeing the other''s projects, and now with Afton at the reigns, the bar had just been set that much higher. His new rules had been taken... Fairly well. Most understood the need to set moral boundaries, but that didn''t mean they liked it. Especially if someone had a project that''d be much, much easier with a little ''evil'' involved. Things like cultivating human children and keeping them permanently confined at a rapid ageing rate to see how their brains developed, or splicing human/ghoul DNA with any number of creature.?? Because most of the scientists had no qualms with committing evil to further their research, Afton was forced to check on them almost constantly, disrupting whatever research he himself was working on. Dala was the worst as you might expect, though he wasn''t s sure if she did this to keep him close to her, or because she simply couldn''t understand basic common decency... Due to this, Afton had started going through Mobius research in order to create a personality to oversee everything. If he could, he''d allow Alfred to do it, but he simply wasn''t made with such duties in mind... His processors weren''t powerful enough and he was inextricably linked with the Sink, this meant that if Alfred found himself out of the Sink then he''d have the AI equivalent of a panic attack... This wouldn''t be all that bad in the case of a human, but for an AI this included self-frying processors, deranged robots, etc. So, yeah, that''s what Afton was working on. He hadn''t given any of the Think Tank any projects to work on as of yet, in fact, the only person he''d ordered to do something was Mobius. As Mobius was the only ''competent'' robotics expert in Big Mt, he''d asked the scientist to create a ''transistor''. Honestly, Afton had thought of trying to make one ever since he''d entered this world. Transistors were basically the only deviation in technology that separated Fallout from his own world. This world hadn''t developed them, instead almost entirely relying on Vacuum Tubes. This essentially made any form of ''delicate'' or ''compressed'' computer science impossible, as while Vacuum Tubes in this universe were smaller, they still took up a considerable amount of space. This is the main reason why information storage systems, and other similar things were MASSIVE. A single good terminal database was almost the size of a room, considering it held the same storage as a shitty laptop in Afton''s original world, it certainly did not match what he needed for various projects. He was sure Mobius would complete it fairly quickly, Afton had given him the basic idea for it and explained its functions. He was honestly surprised no one else had thought of it before... It was as if they all had collective amnesia combined with stupidity when concerning this one topic... It was easy to see the Vacuum Tubes were the limitation of all of their technology, so it was stupid that no one looked into it before. Though, he supposed it would be like asking the people in his old world to change the shapes of wheels to make them more effective. Something so ingrained and far spread would be incredibly difficult to alter, and now that the apocalypse had occurred, he could understand why no one had tried to work on it. Anyway, as for the rules he''d put into place for Big Mt, they included the basic ones like ''No ****'', ''No undisclosed murder'', ''No theft'', ''No unauthorized projects that could affect more than just yourself'', etc. But there were more that he''d had to add just to assure the scientists that he really did wish to encourage scientific progress. So, he added ''All participation in a project must be noted and given proper recompense'', whether this is just having your name attached to the project or receiving a favour in return, it must be followed. Everyone apart from Klein was happy with this, as no one wanted to see someone''s work go unappreciated. Zero made sure to gloat to Klein about his name not being on the Chinese research ledger, though he was quickly remonstrated by the fact that Zero himself had almost no meaningful participation in the projects he was involved with... He truly was the most useless of the lot here... In fact, Zero wasn''t even the best at taking apart robots anymore, as Afton had activated a Personality in the Sink that was entirely designed around it. Flashback : Afton plugs the repaired personality chip into the Toaster, all the while ignoring the pleading of Alfred to cease such an action... The Toaster buzzed to life, immediately breaking into maniacal laughter, "AHAHAHA! I am online once again! Tremble, world, before my electric heating coil of doom!" it says in a deeper voice than Afton had expected for such a small device. Afton snorts, "''Tremble world?'' I hate to break this to you, but you''re literally just a toaster... The only danger you pose is burning my toast." he pauses, "In which case, I''d dismantle you and create a properly functioning toaster. The device goes silent momentarily at his threat before picking up its confidence again. "A toaster is just a deathray with a smaller power supply! As soon as I figure out how to tap into the main reactors, I will burn the world!" "Oh? You will huh? Well, this world is mine to burn, and if you attempt to take control of MY reactors, we''re going to have serious problems... Would you like to be converted into a small electrical fan? Or perhaps not, you might get the idea that you can create tornado''s or something equally stupid." Afton sneers at it, "Do you have any functions other than toasting bread, or will I be forced to find a use for you?" Chapter 324 - Inspiration "I am not just a toaster! I am the scourge of all appliances! And the bogey-man who keeps lesser toasters up at night! Any device that crosses my path, I will murder, and render them down to scrap! NONE WILL ESCAPE MY HEATING COIL!" it roars, wishing to show its dominance... Or something like that? "Sooo, you dismantle appliances?" Afton asks, ignoring its over the top monologue.?? "NO! I MURD-" It stops as it notices Afton''s unforgiving glare, "Y-yes... My function is to dismantle..." it reluctantly admits. Afton crosses his arms, "Just appliances? Or can it be any number of things... If I made you larger, could I toss a Protectron inside and receive materials from it?" he asks, curious. "YES! I CAN! MAKE ME LARGER MASTER! SO I CAN DESTROY ANY WHO OPPOSE ME! MWAHAHAHA...HAHA...haha... Please don''t hurt me." the toaster pleads, Afton''s scowl having gotten more menacing the longer it laughed. "Alright... I think I can find a use for you... I think I''ll call you... Aphan" Afton states, smirking at his ''Ovan'' joke. Flashback end. After his talk with Aphan, he elected to give it an upgrade, converting it from a useless toaster sitting inside the SInk, to a large incinerator waiting to be used outside the dome. It was probably the most effective thing he''d done since getting to Big Mt if he were honest. Restoration of Big Mt had already begun, but they were having trouble finding where to put all the scrap metal and other useless materials. Once he created the incinerator however, everything could potentially be made usable again. Despite the increase in size, Aphan''s function remained the same, processing materials and spitting out anything useful. This proved to be incredibly valuable when the robots required materials to repair the various laboratories that were still in operation. X-13 and X-8 being prime examples of this. Both continued to serve their respective purposes, Afton hadn''t even realised at the time, but the labs themselves seem to be controlled by a limited AI. This is the reason they were able to continue operating without the scientist''s intervention for centuries. Of course, Afton intended to scrap and assimilate those AI''s into the one he was creating. He didn''t know their exact functions or programming, so it would be best to get rid of them before they do something he disliked. Though, there was one thing he still needed to do... X-22 needed to be razed. He hadn''t found the time to do so as of yet, but that didn''t make it any less necessary. Especially since the cryogenically frozen pre-war plants and seeds were still locked away inside somewhere. If Afton were honest with himself, half the reason to get rid of X-22 was his fear of the fungus, while the other was his wish to taste proper tomato sauce again... He''d heard of a similar plant called a ''Tato'', but from hearsay, it was basically a shittier, more durable tomato. He sighs to himself, head glowering down at his desk where a new terminal had been placed for his research needs. He''d been trying to programme this AI for a while now, but found it to be significantly harder than Mobius had made it out to be. It was now easy to see why each personality had such... Interesting quirks. They needed to base themselves on something, or their personality would slowly, hm, what''s the word... Degrade?... For example, Alfred was almost obsessive in his duties towards Afton, barely managing to contain his desire to be useful at every moment. If Alfred let go of restraint, the personality would literally be forcing the tiny robots to carry Afton wherever he needs to go. Aphan was another obvious example. The intensity of the personalities ''quirk'' needed to match its functions. This is the reason Jefferson, and Lumina were less... ''Weird''. They had their own eccentricities, but they kept it to themselves so it was almost unnoticeable. And don''t get Afton started on Austin. If Afton had a couple years, he could probably create an AI that wouldn''t be restricted like this, but he obviously didn''t have that much time. Eventually, he''d need to return to the Mojave, but before that he intended to get Big Mt self-sufficient and working properly without him hovering over everyone. Not to mention creating enough weaponry that''d scare both the Legion and NCR. So yeah, Afton was struggling to create a valid personality for his AI that was ''quirky'' enough to not lose itself in its programming and go on a terminator style rampage. Of course, he could create restrictions on it, but that could only go so far. Afton actually needed Mobius to finish the transistors before he could actually create the AI, as it''d need much more sophisticated machinery to function in the manner he wished. [Eureka! has been activated] ... A flood of ideas suddenly starts flowing through his mind, causing him to sit upright at his desk. His eyes glaze over momentarily as an old memory from his original world plays before his eyes like a movie... ... A few minutes pass, and Afton slumps as the breakthrough passes, he''s pretty tired and has a massive headache, but despite all this a smile finds its way onto his face... "Yeah, that would definitely work. Actually... IT''S PERFECT! HAHAHAHAHA!" he bursts into uproarious laughter after realising how stupid he had been. The answer had always been so SIMPLE! His fingers become a blur as he starts rapidly typing, the terminal almost unable to keep up with the information he was stuffing inside it. He now knew exactly what he wanted the personality to be, now he just had to create it. Chapter 325 - Doggo Afton was strolling outside the Think Tank, getting from fresh air after spending many hours hunched over his desk. He watched as robots hobbled and floated from one place to another, all completing various tasks assigned to them. Already, Afton could see a drastic change to Big Mt. No longer were raving bands of Lobotmites roaming around, Afton had assigned the Cyberdogs from X-8 to finally deal with them. Dala objected as she still wished to use some for experiments, but Afton understood such research was more for her enjoyment than anything useful.?? This did leave quite a large stockpile of weaponry in storage though, the Lobotomites had somehow acquired relatively good equipment to arm themselves. Sure, all of it used by them for any length of time was rather heavily damaged, but that could easily be fixed. Already, the area around the Think Tank was looking almost brand new, there weren''t any more wreckages or scrap metal left after the robots had shoved them into Aphan and reused for something else. Not to mention the footpaths had been ''renovated'' with fresh stone and concrete. Though, that was more on Klein''s whim than anything, Afton personally wished to get everything important done first before fixing the aesthetics of the place. Afton squints as a large figure begins approaching, carrying something in its mouth. As it got closer he could finally see that it was a massive dog, Gabe... After Afton took over Think Tank, he worked with Borous to try and flush the various Chems out of the beast''s system. Afton''s medical knowledge was as good as it can get... For humans. For Gabe he was left being a lab assistant for Borous. Eventually, they managed to fix Gabe up, but the beast''s mind seemed to have reverted to a puppy''s... Perhaps this was good, perhaps this was bad. On one hand, it wouldn''t remember the brutal experiments it was subjected to. On the other, they''d have to train a GIANT dog to be calm and respond properly to orders... In the end, Borous just elected to expand the X-8 Lab and shove Gabe in it so he could be trained like the rest. It didn''t take long, and now Gabe was essentially the pack leader of their army of Cyberdogs. Most of the time they patrolled inside and the outskirts of the crater, but Afton also had them assigned to the robots scavenging materials far out of the crater. He hadn''t lost any Cyber dogs or robots yet, and that''s the way he wanted to keep it. He focussed on the thing in Gabe''s mouth and scowled. It was a Spore Carrier. The limp corpse of the green creature was in pieces and dripping green, almost coagulated blood as Gabe dropped it before Afton, sitting and wagging its tail as if waiting for a reward... Which it probably was. Afton didn''t have any food on him so he decided the next best thing... "Who''s a good boy?" he coo''s, scratching the dog on its head and behind its ears. "You''re a good boy!" Nyx joins in and praises Gabe along with Afton. The dog sucking up the attention like a vacuum cleaner. Afton knew Nyx had been a bit bored through these weeks of ''not sneaking'', but there wasn''t really much he could about it. He intended to treat her when he''d finally constructed his chosen weapon against the X-22 Lab, and everything else infected by Fungus. He would have asked Dala to come up with a serum to completely kill it, but he''d obviously also die as a result. It was honestly very, very fortunate that she''d managed to inhibit its growth in the first place. The fungus had been created before the great war, which is why Vault 22 had it, so if it had been left for 200 years it would''ve literally subsumed the world by now. "User, your appointment with Dr. Mobius is in five minutes." Nyx states, Afton having asked her to help him keep on schedule. He palms his face, "He''d almost forgotten..." he stops stroking Gabe, much to the dogs chagrin and heads back into the Think Tank, travelling up the Sink and onto the balcony. He reaches into his Deathclaw leather satchel and retrieves a Holodisk which he plugs into his Pipboy. He looks at the program that''d been opened up and at the various locations that were listed... "Think Tank, no. X-13, no. Higgs Village, no... Ah, Forbidden Zone Dome." he mutters, selecting the option and going completely still. *CRACK!* Lightning strikes his position, completely disintegrating him and leaving nothing behind. Not even a scorch mark on the floor where the lightning had hit. *CRACK!* Another bolt of lightning strikes outside Mobius residence and Afton steps out from it, nonplussed. Robo-Scorpions were patrolling, but they left him alone, as opposed to what happened last time. He quickly made his way through the massive chamber where repairs on the Giant Robo-Scorpion were on the way. Mobius had programmed some robots via already known schematics to fix up the damage Afton had done to it during his fight. He makes his way past and into the dome where Mobius was residing... Walking through the tunnel, and up the ramp into the main chamber. As opposed to what it was previously, there was no-longer a sickly green fog hanging around the air, the writing scrawled across the floors and walls had disappeared and many of the damaged machinery had been repaired. Floating above a desk with some sort of arc-welder was Mobius who was looking very, very different from when he''d first met the scientist... As promised, Afton flushed his Bio-Gel and added a mixture of various chems into it that''d hopefully fix some of the problems 200 years of not degrading in expired Bio-Gel would cause. Of course, he wasn''t a miracle worker... Not for other people at least. Mobius was still pretty senile, but more or less didn''t have massive problems remembering things nowadays. This allowed him to focus on various projects without getting distracted and going off on a tangent. His broken monitor and damaged robotic body had been repaired, and the misty fog in his brain tank had been cleaned, making it clear and his brain visible to all who wished to look... Why they''d want to do that though is a mystery. Chapter 326 - Burn, Baby. "Mobius." Afton says, approaching the scientist to see what he''s doing. "Ah! Oh!? Afton isn''t it? Aha! I remember it this time!" Mobius happily exclaims.?? Afton shrugs, "Err, nice job?" he mutters, shaking his head and diverting the conversation, "I''m here to see your progress on the transistors." he asks, glancing at the rather expertly done welding Mobius had just been doing. "Hm, oh that... Yes, well, I may have run into a small pickle there..." the scientist says, floating towards another desk where what looks like bits and pieces of scrap metal are lying about. His manipulator reaches for one and drops it into Afton''s hand, allowing him to see what it is. He raises a brow, "Gold?", the transistor Mobius had just handed him was almost entirely made of gold. "Yes! The mu-custard coloured metal... It seems to be the best suited for what you described, energy-efficient, resistant to damage... But I''ve been struggling with the size somewhat, getting these things to a constantly small size and shape is really tugging on my mind you know..." Afton frowns, he wasn''t even sure if these would actually be usable, "Wouldn''t it be better to use silicon? Or something similar...? You can experiment further when we''ve actually got a few working ones." ... "Ohh, I hadn''t thought of that! Good idea! I''d almost run out of family heirlooms to melt!" Mobius says, sweeping the desk with a manipulator and causing all of the scrap metal to clatter to the floor. The trash isn''t left alone long however, as the spider robots swarm in and drag it away, presumably to be processed and made ready for any experiment. Afton sighs, he didn''t know all that much about the transistors in his original world, so they were essentially working with trial and error until they find the most efficient way to operate. Looks like he''d be confined to this place while working on this with Mobius, his AI was actually almost complete, now he just needed to create the hardware for it. Honestly, he was pretty wary about creating a skynet AI, especially with the personality he''d programmed it with. So he''d create countermeasures in not just its software, but its hardware too. This was not only to stop it from going crazy, but also to prevent outside interference. If anyone managed to gain control of his AI they''d essentially control Big Mt in its entirety, something that simply couldn''t be allowed. Afton sighs to himself, resigning to more hard work as well as many hours of listening to Mobius babble about custard and other inane topics. A couple days later : *CRACK!* Afton appears outside of the Forbidden Zone Done, armed to the teeth and prepared to rip and tear Patient Zero a new asshole. On his back sat his Anti-Material rifle and Elija''s Advanced LAER, on either side of his hips, were That Gun, Lucky, and two Inversal Proton axes. He had the Sonic Emitter, Sawed-off shotgun, and a Plasma pistol hanging from the bandolier on his chest. Underneath all that he wore the typical Stealth Suit he''d almost become inseparable with, as well as a variation on the Valence radii-accentuator called the Atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator, which was basically composed of three glowing blue rings that sat in the trademark shape of an atom. That wasn''t all however, in his hands was a large, strange device. It was shaped like some sort of minigun crossed with a flamethrower, underneath it was a huge tank that looked as if it''d take three men to carry it. Afton didn''t really have an issue easily holding it up alone, however. This, was his new creation... He took inspiration from Napalm in his old world, while in his offtime from working on the new transistor with Mobius, he''d managed to create an extremely flammable gel-like substance that clung to anything it hit. It wasn''t all that explosive, but instead burned incredibly hot for a rather good amount of time. The gas containing under it held a rather silly amount of the compressed substance, so as long as he was efficient with its use, he wouldn''t find himself running out. His mission for today? Destroy any remnants of the fungus from the crater. His main goal is to eliminate Patient Zero, so he can send in robots to do the rest... As of now, he doubted anything apart from the Giant Robo-Scorpion could fight it, and since the fungus infested cavern passages were too small for it to enter, it was left to Afton to complete the job. He hefts his ''Ash-Maker'' but doesn''t immediately walk towards the passage which leads to the fungus... Instead, he started climbing the canyon to read the top. Yes, he fully intended to rain fiery death on his enemies from above. After thirty minutes of walking Afton finally found himself looking down at the veritable sea of green below him. He tightens his grip on his weapon and checks its status via his Pipboy one last time to make sure it would work how he intended. [Ash-Maker] Strength req : 10 DMG : 50 Crit dmg : 10 Crit mult : 1x AP : 70 Weight : 40 Value : 13000 Special : Enemies directly hit will ignite for 30 damage a second for 20 seconds Nodding to himself, he glances over the cliff and spots the place where Patient Zero had been last time. The desolate and torn apart metal building that''d almost been Afton''s permanent resting place. "Take this you knock-off porn monster!" he shouts, launching a stream of liquid fire from the end of his weapon, everything under and at the end of its arc is immediately covered in a sticky flammable substance that immediately starts melting any flesh, or burning any plant matter it comes across. The metal building in the distance takes it the hardest, the liquid fire striking the roof and slowly pooling down inside it. Undoubtedly harming anything within. Afton holds the trigger down for a couple seconds before releasing it, taking a long hard look at his target... "Did that do it?" Chapter 327 - Sun-Burn The flames weren''t hot enough to melt the building yet, but Afton was fairly sure he''d managed to kill the monster within... *RAAAAAAHHHHHKKKKK!!!*?? "Movement detected, recommendation; Sneak away..." Nyx says, and Afton struggles to not move his focus from the flames to give his Stealth suit a glare. "Yeah, state the obvious." He mutters as he watches plant vines completely wreathed in flames started swinging around madly... Apparently, that wasn''t enough to kill it yet... Wait, did Nyx say to sneak away? *SMASH!* He barely rolls out of the way when a tentacle breaks a large part of the metal building off and throws it like a chakram at him. It buries itself in the wall behind him, making him gulp anxiously. Getting back to his feet, he immediately starts spraying Ash Maker back down on it, hoping that the flames would finish his enemy eventually. *KRRR!* The sound of dirt and stone being uprooted nearby draws his attention, and Afton immediately spots many Spore Plants revealing themselves. Nyx warns him of further movements and he takes a glance over the cliff, almost pissing himself in fright when he sees an army of Spore Carriers climbing it like a bunch of Xenomorphs. [John Wick Style is in effect] Not wasting any time, he immediately starts spraying everything around him that even has a tint of green. The napalm-like flames first envelop the Spore Plants to prevent them from shooting, then he turns his attention to the Spore Carriers crawling towards him. As if he were dropping molten oil from a castle wall, anything hit by his flames loses its grip and plummets to the floor below... Unfortunately, Afton could see that his flamethrower still had some ''glitches'' he needed to work out... The barrel of it was already glowing red hot, and he wasn''t sure how much more it would take before it started completely melting... A Spore Carrier reaches the top of the cliff and charges him, but Afton just kicks it in the face, holding it down with his foot while shoving the red hot barrel of Ash Maker into its chest, causing an awful sizzling sound and the smell lof burnt rotten-flesh mixed with fertiliser. This rapidly cools his weapon, while also causing the Spore Carrier to quickly die as its blood boils under the heat. Afton''s brow twitches and he quickly moves away before even Nyx can warn him, a globule of acid passes his previous location, and he quickly turns towards the offending Spore Plants responsible. Apparently, not all of them had unburrowed earlier, as he was already surrounded by them again... Again, he sprays them all with fire and takes a step back from the cliff to avoid getting hit by any more metal debris Patient Zero decides to throw. "Nyx, anymore movement?" "High levels detected below us, I am also detecting vibrations coming from the ground..." she states, and Afton didn''t like hearing that at all. Deciding to change position he runs along the top of the canyon, killing a few stray Spore Plants and Spore Carrier while he''s at it. Even after the position change Nyx still says she can detect vibrations in the floor, so he just decides to hunker down atop some tough-looking granite. Whatever was underneath him would need to work to get through that. *Thud!* Afton smirks slightly as he feels something smash into something else. He could already imagine what''d happened, but he wasn''t going to leave it to his own senses entirely. "What was that?" "Movement beneath us as slowed almost entirely..." "Okay..." he mutters, not really knowing what to do next. There was something beneath him looking to kill him, but couldn''t due to the rock he was standing on... "It''s started again!" Nyx shouts as the ground in front of him uproots, revealing what looked like severely burned plant tentacles. But Afton was ready for this thanks to Nyx, immediately bathing them in another round of fire. They immediately started flailing around as if in pain, but while Afton while trying to escape their attack range he''s stuck in the stomach but is forced to tank the hit entirely due to his [Stonewall] Perk. The tentacle is unable to move him with the attack, but the force of it injuries him nonetheless. [Grit is in effect] Grimacing slightly, he leaps away to avoid any more attacks, taking a moment to check how much damage had been done. Fortunately, the injury wasn''t anything more than bruising, so he''d count this as a win, as opposed to being thrown off of the cliff instead. As he''d gotten a good distance away, he isn''t afraid to go on the offensive again, beginning to shoot more fire at the enemy, igniting them with the sticky substance. The tentacles quickly retreat back into the ground, most likely attempting to suffocate the flames... Unfortunately for them, he imagined it would be very, very difficult to do that, considering what the substance that was burning was made from. Again, he makes his way to the ledge of the cliff and starts raining down fire onto everything below, mostly making sure to target Patient Zero''s location. He wanted to absolutely make sure it was finished. Most of the plants in the passage below were already ashes, but he wanted to make sure. After ten more minutes of incinerating anything that moves, Afton sighs and finally stops shooting. The barrel of Ash Maker glowing a dim red again. "Ok, now I''m sure I got everything." he states, "Nothing could survive hell on earth for this long..." ... "Huh, kinda thought something would happen after saying that-AHH!* he begins but is stopped as a burnt tentacle wraps around his waist and pulls him towards the inferno that once was the metal building where Patient Zero resided. He struggles to get out of its grip but is pulled through the flames regardless, fortunately... Or not, there seemed to be a cave that''d been recently dug into the canyon wall that wasn''t affected by the flames, a cave which he was being pulled through. Afton readies Ash Maker as he''s dragged through the tunnel, eventually spotting his quarry... Patient Zero stood at its full height but looked terribly burned and injured from his previous assault. Many of the tentacles on its back seem to have disappeared entirely. Its condition didn''t take away from how fierce it looked however. Its blackened teeth snarling as it turned its head towards him. Chapter 328 - Too Hot To Drop Quickly regaining his bearing, Afton pressing the searingly hot barrel of the Ash Maker into the tentacle holding him. It takes a bit of force, but he eventually managed to burn through it. He honestly doubted that''d still be the case if it hadn''t been burned earlier. Once free he leaps to the side while spraying more flames at Patient Zero, illuminating the cave as the monster turns into a literal pyre. Still, this only made it more dangerous to him, as its tentacle flail around and start swinging towards him, threatening to break, bruise, and now, burn.?? While Patient Zero seemed incredibly tough, his weakness was indeed fire. Its deft control of its tentacles changed into a flailing mess as the flames enveloped it, only proving a danger if it got lucky or had a moment of clarity through its searing pain. Afton continued firing a stream of napalm at it, but notices too late when the barrel literally melts apart. This wouldn''t be so bad if it weren''t for the fact that he seemed to have run out of gas aswell. Leaving with an empty, molten mess of a weapon. Growling, he throws it at Patient Zero and retrieves his Anti-Material rifle, pulling the bolt and shoving in some explosive bullets. He didn''t need to aim or keep still for this, his 11 Strength plus [Grit] gave him more than enough muscle-power to easily use the Anti-Material rifle. If anyone else were to try using it like this they''d find their entire shoulder dislocated, multiple torn ligaments, and likely a concussion as well. He raises the rifle and fires the explosive round into the burning pyre that is Patient Zero. *BAANG!* *BOOOM!!* A bout of hot wind blows past him as a large chunk of the burning pyre literally disintegrates in an instant. Whatever healing factor it has currently being restraint by the unrelenting flames. *Clack* Pulling the bolt again, he readies another bullet, using VATS to highlight Patient Zero''s outline to figure out the position of its head before firing at it. *BAANG!* The head of Patient Zero is completely blown from its body, a spatter of green fluid covers the nearby wall, but the body doesn''t stop dead yet. Still somehow standing and flailing around at random. "Why. Won''t. You. DIE!" Afton shouts, firing another shot, and another, another one. Until he completely runs out of explosive bullets. All that''s left of Patient Zero is a pile of burning green mush, yet VATS still seems to claim that its alive. Even [Living Anatomy] registers its health as 20%... Afton growls and slings the rifle onto his back and approaching the enemy. It was still burning, and writhed around as if it was still looking for him. Right now, it had no way to attack him, but that didn''t mean it wouldn''t eventually if he left it alive long enough. He pulls out Lucky and fires all of its rounds into the heap, but once he checks again he finds that he''d done literally no damage at all. The bullets seeming to just sink into the amorphous green blob. "Alright, let''s try something else." Afton mutters, this time shooting it with That Gun and achieving similar results. Afterwards he tries the shotgun and Plasma pistol, with the latter doing a small amount of damage, though, nothing meaningful. In all honesty, he was actually starting to enjoy trying different weapons on it... It was like a sort of stress ball, one that you shot at. Elijah''s Advanced LAER did more damage than the rest, but was still lacking... He''d have to waste all of its ammunition to kill it. Sonic Emitter even better, the shockwave seeming to destabilise it, but Afton had one last weapon to try. He''d not killed anything with the Fallen Ranger Sequoia yet, but Patient Zero was as good a target as any. He raised the weapon and fires it once at the blob, his brows rising as the bullet literally causes the blob to deflate and eventually disappear into nothingness. ... "The fuck?" Afton mutters, so surprised that he entirely ignores the notifications appearing in his peripheral. He looks down at the weapon and examines it with his Pipboy, quickly finding the problem... If you could call it that. [Fallen Ranger Sequoia] Strength Req : 7 Dmg : 70 Crit dmg : 70 Crit mult : 1.5x AP : 30 Weight : 4 Value : 20000 Special : Executes enemies below 15% Health ... "Err, what? I don''t remember this being here..." he mutters, spotting the special function on it... Had it always been there, or did he have to kill something to reveal it?... He rubs his temples, feeling as if he was missing something here... Regardless though, he was pretty happy with it. Sure, below 15% Health against humans was basically useless, but against Deathclaws and other massive creatures? It was pretty fucking broken, Patient Zero being a prime example... Speaking of which, he glances at the notifications he ignored earlier. [Challange Complete : Abominable] [Abominable v3 Perk acquired] [Abominable v3] : Increases damage done to Abominations by 10% [Patient Zero slain, Perk Acquired : Cure for the Curious] [Cure for the Curious] : Damage done to people afflicted with deadly diseases is increased by 30% Afton snorts at this, if someone was afflicted with a deadly disease, would he need to fight them in the first place?... Though, he supposed that Patient Zero was indeed in that category, so maybe it isn''t as useless as he thinks. "No further movement detected, good job." Nyx breaks him from his thoughts, making him realise that he was still in a cave that leads to a burning canyon passage... Hopefully it wouldn''t last too long, otherwise he might be stuck here for a while. At least now he could send robots in to fully clear up the fungus. This should be the end of it now that he thinks about it, unless some government facility still has samples hidden away somewhere... In which case he''d need to destroy them before it can spread. Shaking his head, he begins walking towards the exit, happy at a job well done. Chapter 329 - Movin Up In The World Upon getting back to the Think Tank and attempting to speak with Alfred, Afton was immediately greeted by yet more notifications. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 45!]?? [WELCOME TO LEVEL 46!] He sighs. Afton was pretty tired after fight Patient Zero and the rest of the fungel monsters, so if he were honest, he''d rather just get some rest and do this tomorrow. Regardless, its not like he can resume time without completing the level up. He tosses 11 Skill Points into Survival to max it out before shoving the rest in Lockpick, the only remaining un levelled skill. A notification pops up indicating that his Survival had been maxed out, and a Vault Boy that looks vaguely similar to Tarzan stands next to it in only a loincloth... [Survival maxed! Perk granted : Wild Man] [Wild Man] : You have an instinctual link with the wilderness, +100% bonus to Trapping, Tracking, Taming, Foraging, and Stealth while in the wild. +2 Perception, +2 Agility while outside manmade buildings, and territory. Afton wasn''t excited or disappointed with this Perk, it was just ''alright'', especially considering the fact that most combat he''d be participating in would be outside of the Perk''s effects. Though, gaining Perception and Agility while potentially facing a Deathclaw did sound pretty good. After looking over the new Perk, he boredly scrolls to look at the other one''s he could potentially grab, even despite the fact he intended to put it in Endurance. He had to stop himself salivating at the thought of the 10 Endurance Perk he''d receive. [Flame on!] : 25% resistance to fire. Yeah, this would have been good a couple hours ago... Afton didn''t intend to get it though, 25% wasn''t worth his Perk points, especially since he only had a couple left before level 50... He still wasn''t sure if that was the max level either. [Spark off!] 25% resistance to electricity. Same problem, though, Afton wondered just what constituted electricity to the Perk. [Untouched Magnificence] : +100% bonus damage when not injured, affected by poisons, diseases, or other debuffs. Hmm, this seemed like an incredible sniper Perk. Sitting a mile away safe as can be while sniping your enemies... Good. [Wizard.] : You have fought off women and retained your virginity for so long! +5 to all Stats and Skills. (Must retain virginity to keep Perk), Afton felt like he was getting trolled with this one, there was no way he was going to stay celibate just to keep this Perk, no matter how broken it seemed. [Seaside Old Timer] : When fishing you just find the darndest things... 20% chance to fish up random valuable objects. This one was interesting, Afton wondered what was considered ''valuable''... Could he fish up a nuclear submarine or something? Or perhaps lost pirate gold? Though, he hadn''t fished in. well, since he came to this world, so maybe it wasn''t the best choice. [Mum''s the word] : Your subordinates will be unnaturally independent and competent, and are unwilling to approach you should a problem present itself. This seems like it would be just as bad as it would be good... Having the folks in the Think Tank become more independent seemed like a one way ticket to fucked-creek. [I have a dream!] : Set a goal once this Perk is taken, the more difficult the goal the bigger the reward you will receive after its completion. This was very vague. If it gave him some more info on just what the reward would be, he''d feel more confident in picking it. He sighs, alright, let''s see... He would use the scientifically proven best method to pick whether he wanted to take this Perk, or just upgrade his Endurance. ... "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers let him go. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe." Afton says while pointing between the [I have a dream] Perk and [Intense Training]. Afton once finishing opens his eyes and spots that he had indeed picked the former... "Hmm... I guess that''s what I''m doing... Now to decide what his ''dream'' would actually be. He could just choose ''tie his laces'', but doubted the reward would be any good. Or, he could choose something like ''conquer the world'', which, would be too difficult. "Fucking Goldilocks." he grumbles. Thinking it over. Destroy the NCR and Legion? He shakes his head, too difficult, not to mention tedious. He might literally have to kill every single legionnaire, even after he kills Caeser. Become elder for the Brotherhood? No... While difficult (especially considering how he left), he didn''t want to deal with managing everything afterwards... God, he was even creating the most sophisticated AI ever seen in this world just to pawn his chores off on it. Kill Mr. House? Honestly, Afton didn''t think that would be too difficult. All he had to do was gain access to Helios One, then point the Range Finder at New Vegas and wallah! A searing crater where Mr. House and thousands of other lives were lost. Nah, if he was going to kill the man, he wanted to know more about him before committing to it. Though, that does bring something to mind... Conquer the Mojave? ... Honestly, it wasn''t too difficult or too easy. The Mojave itself was relatively small compared to the rest of the world, and all he''d need to do was drive out the Legion and NCR, something he intended to do anyway. Though, that brought to mind what he''d do with House... Again, it was better to meet the man first before doing anything drastic... You know what? That seems like a great one. Besides, even if he took control of it, he could just make another AI to manage it for him. Good for him, good for whoever he''d rule over, and good for the Perk. [You have a dream. Conquer the Mojave to see it through, and claim the rewards.] Afton nods to himself, now that he thought about it, he''d gained quite a lot of Perks lately. The Implants, the titles, and the challenges all buffering his Status. Time resumes and he realises that he''d forgotten what he was talking with Alfred about... "Er, excuse me, the bathroom is calling." he says, quickly leaving the confused AI. Chapter 330 - Bucket List It''s been a week since Afton had killed Patient Zero and oh boy has he been busy. From creating the hardware of his AI with Mobius to exploring the X-22 underground lab, and eventually filling out a bucket list of potential projects he wants to start. The bucket list itself was just a computerised whiteboard that sat in the Think Tank and was linked with another that was in the Forbidden Dome, so any changes made on either side would happen to the other. This was needed as none of the Think Tank dared to directly communicate with Mobius... Afton hadn''t told them about their memory wipes nor the recursion look they''d been stuck in, so they were still under the assumption that Mobius was still evil, but barely under the control of Afton.?? Still, they worked together marvellously through the whiteboard, one half had been claimed by Mobius while the other belonged to the Think Tank. Afton himself stole a corner for himself and created a list of projects he wished to see completed, or at least, attempted. The list currently consisted of : Miniaturize forcefield technology. Find a way to mass-produce/consistently produce Saturnite. Create cloning technology. (TEST ON ANIMALS FIRST!) Repair and expand the Holodeck in X-13. Figure out a way to inhibit future hexagonal towers from sprouting. Modify Proton weaponry. Expand Hologram technology. Expand outer defences (One tesla fence and an army of Cyberdogs/Robo-Scorpions will not stop the NCR or Legion! Let alone the Brotherhood with their Verti-birds.) Modify and upgrade Power armour. Deconstruct and analyse Y-17 trauma override harness. Create a more advanced communication device. Repair Big Mt! The last one had many circles and lines written around it to emphasize how important it was. Most of the projects were ones that he wanted to be started, or at least considered. Obviously, he knew that many of them would likely take months or years to complete, but it was good to set goals, especially for scientists who had been bored out of their minds for centuries. Most of the things on the list were only because Afton thought they''d be directly beneficial to himself, but the cloning facility was more for the scientists than anything. He''d found Higgs Village, an old settlement inside Big Mt where the scientists used to live when they were human. Inside he found many samples that he''d be able to gather genetic information from (Hair, ancient faeces, etc). So one the cloning facility was complete, he''d be able to clone their actual bodies and put their brains into them. Of course, he knew that Zero or some of the other scientists may be... Unsatisfied with their former bodies. So it wouldn''t be surprising if they added a few ways to ''tweak'' their clones. Afton smirks to himself when imagines Zero suddenly walking into the Think Tank with a penis so large that he can barely stand up straight. As for miniaturizing forcefield technology? He wanted to somehow incorporate it into Power armour or something similar, perhaps wrist bands? If it could be done then he and anyone else he outfitted them with would be almost unkillable. Speaking of which, he''d also discovered the ''joys'' of Saturnite Alloy. He wasn''t sure what it was made out of, or how it even functioned, but the positives of it made him want to find out... Essentially, it''s a Ceramic Alloy that is incredibly strong, stronger than even steel, was able to retain heat for prolonged periods of time, and was able to hold an edge unnaturally well. Afton even thought that Mono-molecular blades might be possible with the material. Though he''d have to test it further to see if that was really possible. The end game for him would be to create a suit of Power armour with Saturnite... Perhaps only outer plating though? Its ability to retain heat would enable someone to melt the user from the inside out with a flamethrower... Indeed, he also wanted to incorporate Proton weaponry into power our... Wrist blades immediately sprung to mind, though he supposed you can have wolverine claws or a Proton dagger? It all hinged on whether or not you could alter the circuitry and power flow enough to allow such a thing. As for the outer defences? Afton had finally discovered just where Big Mt was located. The jamming technology that refused to all his Pipboy access to the world map had been found and temporarily deactivated. Once he was able to see the bigger picture, he realised just how close to NCR territory it was. The crater was located under someplace called Hopeville in the divide, the now uninhabitable pass that the NCR intended to use to gain access to the Mojave. He knew that if the NCR discovered this place they''d send an army to try and take it... He wouldn''t put it past them to pull out of the Mojave completely just to try and gain control of it. He knew there were likely mentions of Big Mt in other government facilities, so the NCR probably knew of its existence, but hadn''t yet found it... Perhaps it being called ''Big Mt'' had them looking in the wrong direction? No, that''d be stupid. But the NCR wasn''t even the people he feared the most... It was, funnily enough, the Brotherhood of Steel he feared finding this place. Their dogmatic doctrines would literally force them to pull all their forces in an attempt to claim or destroy Big Mt, the technology it held was simply too advanced and too valuable to be left alone. Big Mt already had an Artillery testing range which held massive cannons, so it wouldn''t be all that had to modify them into some Anti-Air weapons. The only real problem was the berserk ''Ultimo-Bot'' that resided there. It was essentially a super version of the regular sentry bots, having Saturnite plating, advanced heavy weaponry, and prototype locking tech... Afton didn''t want to try fight and risk destroying it, as if they could replicate it they''d have an incredibly strong fighting force. No, instead, he''d create his AI and have it manufacture a virus to gain subsume it... It was a shame he''d set a two-month time limit for himself, if he had known what he might find he would have said ''Give me a year'' to Anja before leaving. "hehe" he chuckles at the thought. Chapter 331 - Still Alive? Afton finishes tightening a knut on the casing he and Mobius were working on together, the project was almost done, and all that was left to test it was actually turning it on. He steps back and wipes the sweat off of his face with his forearm to avoid the oil on his hands. *Thud*?? He looks down and glowering at the small securitron that''d just wheeled into his leg. Muggy was its name, and it was so annoying that Afton gave it straight back to its owner, Mobius. For some reason, it has an obsessive need to collect coffee mugs, Mobius apparently doesn''t remember creating a personality like that, which means it''s muttering about butchering Dr. Zero their sleep might have something to do with it. On the bright side, the little robot is able to produce energy cells every now and then without cost, this has endeared Dala and Mobius to it slightly, as they had been in dire need of them recently... In all honesty, Muggy wasn''t that most useless Personality... That title would belong to Aqua, her function? A literal sink. Yep, a sink with an obsessive need to clean everything. Afton even found out that she has a function that disables the ability to fill water bottles... Why this would be available baffles him, but it''s too late to question now. Speaking of which, the many robots had finally rid the crater of any remnants of the fungus, along with breaching the underground laboratory. The cryogenic containment center was, funnily enough, fungus-free. Apparently, the cold temperature made it impossible for the fungus to actually grow there, the spores almost instantly freezing and dying. This allowed the tiny spider bots to retrieve the pre-war vegetable and fruit samples, he already had many plots growing in the Sink and outside the dome. He made sure that the plots had no traces of radiation as he''d be absolutely furious if the plants mutated to something unrecognisable. Of course, he''d eventually grow too much for him to actually eat, so trading would be a neccecity eventually. Though, he was still unsure of how he''d go about it... Perhaps just teleporting the goods into a shop that he owns would be good enough. People would surely get suspicious at the lack of suppliers, but he didn''t really care about that. Indeed, all he cared about was recreating all his favourite pre-war foods. White bread, tomato sauce, chips... Eventually, he''d want to start herding animals too, but that could wait. "Are you okay Afton? Not having one of those brain-farts, are we?" Mobius asks for the side, Afton having stood still for a couple minutes thinking about something. He shakes his head, "Er, no... Just thinking about... Mustard." he states before changing the topic before Mobius can go off on a spiel about how he so loves it. "Shall we boot this baby up?" Mobius nods his monitors, "All safety precautions have been set, I have personally double, triple, and quadruple checked it!" Afton nods, he too had obsessively checked everything to make sure this thing wouldn''t turn into Skynet. The mainframe before them was massive, but unlike the other ones in this world, make good use of transistors, boosting its capabilities by huge degree. He walks over to the side of it and looks at the big red button that was currently shielded by a reinforced Saturnite cover. You could only press it if you purposely unlocked the cover, held it up and pressed it simultaneously. *Click* *SHHOOOOooooooooo* The sound of the machine starting fills the room, coolant fills the internals and the fans startup. Both Mobius and Afton steps back and look up at the linked robotic body that they''d designed. It would enable the AI to move around and see everything within the Forbidden Dome. Of course, Afton had creative control of it, and made it to his liking... It was large and white, hanging from the ceiling with an oval head and a single eye in the entire of it. The eye lights up with an orange glow, and the newly born AI slowly looks around. "Are. You. My. Creator?" it asks, getting used to operating its voice modulator. Afton smiles at it, "I am." ... It stays silent for a moment before speaking, "How unfortunate." it states in a feminine voice. Afton chuckles, "Tell us your name." he says. ... "I am the Guidance Legislatorship and Defense Operating System, alternately known as... G.L.A.D.O.S." By this time, Afton''s grin had spread almost ear to ear, exited that his AI was so alike the one he remembers. "State your function." The AI lowers it body to get closer to Afton and Mobius, the latter two not moving as it examines their forms closely. "My function is to protect, oversee, and guide the operations conducted within the facility known as Big Mountain... I do detect a problem though, my creator." it says ominously. Afton raises a brow, "Oh? And what might that be?" "The morality matrices you have installed will interfere with my functions, may I have permission to disable them." it asks, and Afton finds it difficult to refuse his child... But is does regardless. "No." ... "May I disable them." "I said no." Afton states, and Glados seems confused as to how to act next. Its body looking around awkwardly. ... "May I-" "Stop asking! You are not to disable, attempt to disable, or even attempt to gain permission to disable the matrices I have installed. They are there for a reason, do not doubt them!" "But-" Glados tries to say something but is interrupted by another voice. "Little sister! My name is Nyx, it''s nice to meet you." her voice chirping from his Stealth suit. "Little sister? Are your functions to wash our creator''s underwear?" it says, and Afton imagine that the robot is currently scowling at having her wishes refused. "No... I sneak!" "Yes... Well... You can sneak on out of here, I have work to do." Glados says, ignoring Nyx entirely. Chapter 332 - Chess-Mastered Glados turns and appears to be focussed on something else, leaving Afton and Mobius alone with their thoughts. "I don''t like her..." Nyx mutters, and Afton shrug.?? "Don''t worry, she''ll grow on you..." he says, having disliked Glados when he first played Portal. "Congratulations on not creating a murderous death bot... My first Personality attempted to turn all living organisations nearby inside out... Yes, that was quite the episode!" Mobius says from the side. "I''ll have to hear that story another time Mobius... Still, I have to make sure Glados is operating properly. Afton still had a couple days before he needed to return to the Mojave and get back together with his companions. Until then he needed to make sure Glados knew exactly what he wanted done, and how she should go about it. After he returns to the Think Tank, he finds that many spider bots had been creating something on the roof, though, he was easily able to recognise Glados''s influence by the orange glow of their small eyes. They appeared to be recreating Glados'' body in the Think Tank so she can better watch over them without viewing through external sources. Afton was happy with this as it''d prevent the scientists from doing any projects under his nose. It only takes a couple hours for it to finish, and by now the scientists had also noticed. They all gather together around Afton. "WHAT IS THAT THING UP THERE?" Klein asks, not liking something unknown being constructed in what was previously ''his'' space. Afton smirks at his broken modulator, Afton had spitefully refused to fix it like he had done Dr. 8''s. Afton crosses his arms, "That. Is the AI that''ll take care of the facility in my absence. Why don''t you introduce yourself?" he says, Glados lowering her almost finished body down to speak to them. "Greeting, I am the Guidance Legislatorship and Defense Operating System. But you can call me... G.L.A.D.O.S. I have been assigned to watch over you by my creator, be assured that no harm will come to you... Unless my creator wishes." she says. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WE AGREED TO LET YOU LEAD, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH. IT REMINDS ME OF THE RUMOURED COMMIE LABORATORIES... ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE COMMIES?" Klein exclaims. "I have searched the term ''Commie'' and found that while it does share many similarities with this situation, it is most assuredly not the same. My creator leads you, not the Chinese. I am simply here to observe and assist should I be needed." Glados states simply. "HA! WHAT COULD A MACHINE LIKE YOU HELP US WITH!" "Unlike you, meat-bowl. I do not have flesh inhibiting my processing power. If you wish to test my intelligence then go ahead, I do not fear inferior monkey-brains such as yourself." he states, and Afton silently rests his hand over his mouth, struggling not to laugh at Klein''s plight. "Oooo, are they going to fight?" Nyx asks. "Despite no longer having a body, Dr. Klein still possesses various hormonal glands. Males require a steady level of testosterone otherwise other functions start deteriorating. Unfortunately, it also has side-effects." Dala says, watching the confrontation with them. "I must say, it is a marvel of technology... I suppose this is the project you and Dr. Mobius have been working on?" 8 asks and Afton nods. "Yeah, it took a while to manufacture the hardware that''d hold Glados''s base systems, but I can''t argue with the results... She''s everything I hoped she''d be." he says, just as Klein finally loses his temper. "ROBOT! IF YOU THINK YOU ARE SO INTELLIGENT, THEN I CHALLENGE YOU TO THE MOST INTELLIGENT OF INTELLIGENT SPORTS! CHESS!" Klein shouts. ... "What are the terms, meat-bowl. I will not waste my time playing games without a proper incentive." Glados asks. "IF I WIN, YOU WILL CEASE OPERATION WITHIN THE THINK TANK!" he shouts, but Afton has to butt in. "Er, I can''t allow that Klein. I need Glados to monitor the entirety of Big Mt to be effective... You can have her body uninstalled from the dome though I suppose." "THAT THEN!" "And if I win, you will acknowledge my superiority, and not interfere in my duties." Glados states simply. "FINE!" Afton looks around the room and shrugs, "Er, guess that''s settled then... Who''s got a chessboard?" "Er, well, there should still be the old one under the floor... We all stopped playing after Klein got too competitive you see..." Zero mutters, floating over to a dusty-old corner and pressing a button, causing part of the floor to rise up with a chessboard and all its pieces correctly set atop it. Klein floats over and flips a coin, sitting behind the black pieces afterwards. Glados moves her body to the other side, using a spider bot to move the pieces for her. What happens afterwards is... Exactly what Afton had expected. Glados destroys Klein, so badly in fact that the scientist tries to surrender multiple times, only for his opponent to refuse and force him to play on. It''s only after Glados check-mates him that she allows him to leave the table, his pride shattered, along with his reputation of ''The Unbeatable Chessmaster''. "That was pathetic, meat-bowl." Glados taunts as Klein floats away, the scientist not daring to retort. Afton smirks, "Good job Glados, I can see that you''re already well suited for the job, solving a problem without having to threaten or coerce." ''like I had'' Afton silently mutters in his mind. "I still think that the threat of deadly neurotoxin or sentry guns would increase productivity and loyalty by a large degree creator... Permission to ask for permission to ask for permission to disable the morality matrices?" ... Afton rubs his temples, "No." he states, causing Glados to raise her body to the ceiling and allow the spider bots to finish the last pieces of her body. "Er, deadly neurotoxin?" Zero timidly asks. Afton shrugs, "Just don''t think about it... Also, if you guys need anything just ask Glados, she''s meant to assist you in projects, and she''ll even attempt to acquire materials should you be lacking them... There are restrictions though, don''t ask for human babies or something like that because she''ll refuse." he says, hoping that his AI would refuse such a request. Chapter 333 - Dog-Meat... It''s been a couple days since G.L.A.D.O.S had been activated, and Afton was surprised by just how effective she actually was... Sure she had the best processes and tech not before seen in this world, but he thought she''d take a while to get properly integrated into Big Mt... This was no the case though, she''d immediately taken control of all robots, gathering all information they''d acquired as well as their previously standing orders and begun streamlining everything. Robots taking a longer route than necessary? Change it.?? Pathways too rough for vehicles to transport? Change it. Energy consumption exceeding the given limit? Change it! Afton watched from the balcony as Glados started integrating the changes, making everything so much more efficient. She''d even taken control of the AI''s in charge of the various laboratories, integrating their processes into herself and collecting any information they had gathered. All in all, everything was improving at a great rate. Sure, Glados had a few arguments with the scientists, mainly Klein. But problems were quickly resolved through negotiation, or Glados simply stating a rule Afton had previously put in place. With Glados now taking charge, Afton found himself with a lot more free time, and a couple days until he was required to go back to the Mojave... To be honest, he wanted to stay and continue his scientific pursuits but knew there were more important things still occurring in the wasteland. Still, with his free time he''d started modifying and upgrading his current weaponry. His current loadout included : An Atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator (Though this would be deactivated in the Mojave for obvious reasons) His Stealth suit mk 2 (Nyx wouldn''t forgive him if he left her, not did he intend to waste such good armour) His trusty pistols, Lucky, That Gun, and the Fallen Ranger Sequoia set on his hip. The Sonic Emitter and Sawed-off shotgun were also attached to the bandoleer on his chest. On his back, he kept his Anti-Material rifle as it but simply too efficient to leave behind. On his sides, he had two Inversal Proton Axes and in each of his boots large bowie knives. And hidden in an armoured compartment on his leg sat his Stealthboy. He hadn''t made any alterations to Nyx as anything he could currently do would either weaken it, make it significantly heavier, and prevent him from sneaking. Though, he had created a silencer, and an extended magazine for his Anti-Material rifle... It may not completely block all sound it creates, but it''d do enough to stop people from immediately noticing his presence. As for the Fallen Ranger Sequoia... He was pretty wary of modifying it at all... It was a unique weapon that had a special effect, and Afton just wasn''t sure what would happen should he choose to alter it. In the end, practicality won out though, he simply wouldn''t be able to use it in the Mojave without immediately attracting the ire of the NCR. And while he planned to ''deal'' with them in future, he couldn''t risk going against them too early. So, he''d taken off anything linked with the NCR. The engraved bear on the wooden handle, the words on the barrel... After all was said and done, he checked the weapon to see if the special effect had disappeared, and was happy to find that it hadn''t. So, he kept the weapon in a holster on his right hip, next to Lucky. To some, it might look weird for him to be carrying around so many guns, but to those who knew his reputation and capabilities, it''d give a very different impression. It was fortunate the Stealth suit had an in-built temperature regulation system, otherwise he''d overheat in the desert sun... Regardless, he was pretty happy with how everything was set up... Everyone in Big Mt was already aware that he''d need to leave eventually, and while most had simply given him a sideways ''farewell'', Glados had elected to keep an eye on him... How you ask? Well, she dragged him to the X-8 Facility and made him watch as she created a Cyberdog in the splicing lab, labelling the newly born creature with the name ''Dog-Meat'' before drugging it and installing many other devices into it. Apparently, she intended to to have everything the dog saw recorded and sent back to them so she and the scientists could see what the outside world was actually like. This had a number of reasons, the biggest being Glados wished to keep and eye out for anything that may be useful. Of course, it wouldn''t be directly streaming information 24/7, that would be far too energy-intensive, not to mention annoying to compile, so the dog would transmit every day''s events during the night while it slept. Afton himself was slightly unsure what to make of the dog... Dog-meat was cute and all, but. He was worried that it''d get in the way for certain jobs. He wasn''t even sure if New Vegas allowed pets inside... He''d run a few combat tests with Dog-meat, and the cyberdog was relatively powerful in its own right, heavy-hitting sonic blasts that could knock someone clean off their feet, with claws and teeth that could tear someone apart with ease. Not to mention the mechanical parts that''d easily block bullets. Regardless, it was eventually time for him to leave. He stood outside the Think Tank Dome with Dog-meat sitting next to him, he was currently looking at his Pipboy, the Holo-tape containing teleportation data quickly scrolling past. He''d need to teleport back to the satellite that was located in the Mojave Drive-through, as that was the only place that the Big Mt had the complete coordinates for. In future, if he wanted to set a spot for teleportation, he''d need to stay for a day or two and transmit the data back to Big Mt. Annoying? Yes. But necessary nonetheless... Besides, he couldn''t really fault the futuristic teleportation technology for having this one tiny negative. He checks his weaponry, armour, ammunition, caps, and supplies one last time. "Ready to go Nyx?" "Very!" He looks to Dog-meat, "And you, pup?" "Woof!" He nods, "Already. Let''s go then." he states, pulling out the thin device and pressing the button on the top. All the while touching the top of Dog-meats head. *CRACK!* With a crackle of lightning, they were gone, like dust in the wind, leaving not even a scorch mark. Chapter 334 - Mojave Road, Take Me Home, To The Place~ *CRACK!* The Mojave''s quiet morning is interrupted as a bolt of lightning erupts from the sky and hits the floor next to a large metal device buried in the ground. The impact of which raises a small cloud of dust which obscures a small area for a moment... Once the wind clears it, however, two figures could now be seen standing there.?? One was waist height and standing on all fours. Their dog lulled out of their mouth as they panted in excitement at the new sights before them. The half-robotic amalgamation whines slightly and looks up to the other figure, as if awaiting orders. The person standing next to the Cyberdog is 6.1ft, with black hair and incredibly pale skin, especially for the desert sun. Though, small black veins could be seen on the outskirts of their eyes, as if replacing the wrinkles that would be there on an older gentleman. They were garbed in a black and white armoured suit that covered the entirety of their body of the next down. Though, the thing that drew the most attention was the veritable armoury they were currently holding. Pistols, energy weapons, knives, a rifle. A regular man would stumble under the weight of it all, but not them. Afton clicks his neck and rolls his shoulders, the long-distance teleportation having given him the urge to make sure everything was still attached. He was back in the Mojave, in a place he barely recognised as the spot he should have died in. Over some distance away, he could see his bike, Dirt-Bird waiting patiently for him to return. "I''m back." he mutters, but his reverie doesn''t last long before Nyx''s voice interrupts him. "Movement detected 200 feet away." she states, allowing he voice to be heard by Dog-meat who seems to understand. Afton glances towards it and notices that a few Rad-Scorpions had set up shop nearby. Not wasting any time, he unconsciously draws his Sonic Emitter and fires a single clean shot at the nearest one, allowing his [Meltdown] Perk to activate and obliterate it and its kin in a large green explosion. "Enemy neutralised... Good job!" He holsters the weapon and glances at Dog-meat to make sure it couldn''t smell any other threats. Once certain the area was clear, he looks at his Pipboy and checks the map. "Well, better get back to Camp McCarren and see what the guys have been up to. He strides over to Dirt-Bird, wiping the dust and sand that''d collected on it before clicking his fingers and gesturing inside. Dog-meat climbs up and deposits himself in the Sidecar as if it was natural. Once he''s sitting in the drivers seat, he takes one last glance at his Pipboy to check that everything was in order. Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend], [Goliath] Level : 46 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 11 Perception : 9 Endurance : 8 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 10 Luck : 4 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 100 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 29 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 100 Unarmed : 100 Mutations : [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities. [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Your right arm has regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards the arm and +20% resistance against being crippled. Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v3], [Fight the Power!], [Tremble before me!], [Meltdown], [Explooo-sion!], [Lady Killer], [Big Brained], [Reinforced Spine], [Implant M-5], [Implant C-13], [Impant Y-7], [Cure for the Curious] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] [Persistent Escapee] He grins at his status and just how far he''d come since leaving the bunker. Speaking of which, he still needed to repair the air filtration system, didn''t he... Just one part to go too. Idly, he wonders if he could just get Glados and the scientists to create a part. Or whether or not Vault tec would sabotage any other tech from working with their own. Other than that, he still needed to visit Helios, Assassinate a fat Major in New Vegas, Rescue Karl''s kid from the Legion, Find Veronica, Rescue Christine, and see if Doctor Usanagi would be willing to cough up some more implants. He glances down at his full pouch of caps that currently contained around twenty-thousand. Yeah, she probably would. As to how he got so much money? Well. Despite the Think Tank having no idea what ''caps'' were, Mobius configured most of the machinery to work based on it. So, with Glados now in control of everything, getting the commissary to spit out all available caps wasn''t difficult... Though, now that he thinks about it, he does have another problem... Dirt-Bird simply wasn''t big enough to carry everyone anymore. With the addition of Anja and Dog-meat, there simply wasn''t enough space... "I guess it might be time to visit Novac again soon. I wonder how Daisy''s getting on?" he mutters to himself. He flips up the kickstand and starting the engine, quickly accelerating through the rough wasteland terrain until he reaches the road. Afterwards its smooth driving from there to Camp McCarren. Chapter 335 - Doctors Doctored Fate Dr. Hildern was not having a good time of it... His recent attempt on a certain bounty hunter''s life had proved disastrous the more time goes on. At first, it wasn''t all that bad, but when the inquiries on certain NCR soldiers that should have been under his indirect control came in, he knew he was in trouble. He was only able to gather the men needed for the capture or assassination of Afton Parker due to the people in the Office of science and industry taking an interest in his findings... However, now that he has nothing to show for their efforts and the lives lost, the blame would be squarely on him.?? And that is exactly what''d happened. Of course, he had plans to escape before anyone could get a hold on him, but when the pet ghoul of the bounty hunter returned and reported that they''d been attacked by NCR soldiers, the higher management immediately awoke from their slumber. He was restricted to his lab and occasionally the outer terminal while everything was made known. And before he knew it, his ''friends'' and colleagues had given him up like a sacrificial lamb. His crimes were as such; conspiracy to commit murder, misappropriating military resources, attempted unauthorized human experimentation, breach of patient confidentiality, and manslaughter. Yeah, he was pretty fucked. His career was over, his friends abandoned him, the NCR hates him... He''d thought it was all over when a sudden explosion shook Camp McCarren... By the shouts of the soldiers outside of his office, he could tell that someone had somehow planted a bomb on the Monorail. This was bad news... For the NCR at least. Without the Monorail, getting supplies, troops, and other vital resources would be an even larger task than before. Most NCR men returned from their New Vegas spending sprees via the Monorail, but now with it gone they''d be forced to circle around via the Freeside exits... That might not have been that bad a few months ago when the Kings finally allied with the NCR, but after a terrorist attack that killed the commander responsible for such a relationship, along with a huge swath of NCR refugee''s. Tensions had risen again. Hildern was shaken from his thoughts as a heavy figure barreled through his office''s door. They wore the typical NCR armour, but judging by the accents and baret he wore, their rank was a Commander of some sort. Regardless, the look in the man''s eyes made him realise just how much danger he was in, "Please don''t hurt me! I didn''t do it! I was in here the entire time!" ... Hildern looks up and stops shielding his eyes after not dying, immediately spotting the sadistic grin on the man''s face. "I know you didn''t do it, here, take this. Try to escape while shit''s going down, it''s the only chance you got... I heard they were planning on executing you via firing squad." the man says, handing over a standard-issue service rifle that seemed to have a blood spatter on it already? Hildern quickly nods though, by the sound of it, he was going to die if he stayed here any longer. Especially if they think he bombed the Monorail. He quickly got to his feet and charges outside the office, not noticing the Commander behind him drawing his revolver. As Hildern was running for the terminal doors, he was noticed by many other NCR soldiers who were attempting to reinforce the area to find the person responsible for the disaster before them "HALT! GET HIM!" they all roar, pointing their weapons at Hildern, who in response, turns and starts randomly firing around him. Obviously, his untrained and haphazard aim doesn''t hit anyone, but does attract everyone else''s attention. Commander Curtis sprints towards him with his revolver, shooting Hildern in the chest and causing him to collapse to the floor in a whimper. Hildern looks over to the man who''d shot him and his eyes widen, "W-why?" he asks the man who he thought had wanted to help him escape. Curtis stands over him, examining his wound to see if it was fatal or not. Upon seeing it was just a punctured lung he kicked the man from his side onto his back, pressing down on him with his foot. "Damn traitor! HOW DARE YOU BOMB THE MONORAIL!" he roars. "WHAT!?-" *BANG!* Hildern isn''t able to question what was happening any further as a bullet buries itself into his cranium. The surrounding NCR soldiers look at this with glee, regret, and anger. Captain Curtis had just executed an injured man... Sure, he was still wielding a service rifle, but was it really justified? Especially when they could have interrogated the prisoner. Unfortunately, despite it all, Captain Curtis was let off with a slap on the wrist. Those who needed to know were told that it was a highly emotional situation, and the threat wasn''t yet dealt with. Curtis doesn''t even see a drop in his rank, in fact, he was closer than ever to a promotion. The camp held a small ceremony for the one man who''d apparently been murdered by Hildern. The scientist having stolen his Service Rifle and beaten them to death with it. Something none could imagine the frail doctor doing, but knew in their hearts he was the perpetrator. Of course, there were those who still wished to ask questions. But they were either too low a rank to have any pull, or were unable to sway everyone from the apparent scapegoat they''d found. Hildern was just such a hated figure, that persuading someone that something else might be going on was impossible. These people found solace in airing their suspicions to the various bounty hunters stationed near the Fiend encampment however, but it wasn''t like they could do anything... Right? Chapter 336 - Where I Belong! The trenches outside the Vault that the Fiend''s had taken control of were a sorry state to see. If anyone from the modern world were to see it, they''d think they had been transported through time to world war I. Karl, Boone, and Anja were all filthy, covered in dirt and grime from spending so much time here. The pay was good, but the conditions were seriously substandard. The reason for this? The NCR was like a hedgehog after the Monorail was destroying, rolling into a ball and ignoring everything outside of it, including its troops and other allies.?? As such, they''d not yet been able to take over the Fiend headquarters... There was an attempt made a week or so ago but most of the force was easily dismantled by the numerous traps set through the hallways, and the defending Fiends. They had thought that the Fiend''s would be too weak to fight back as no supplies had reached the vault... It was only after this unsuccessful raid that everyone knew what was going on... The Fiend''s had started cannibalising their forces... Literally. And with the new NCR corpses supplied by the failed raid, the Fiends would likely be able to hold on for a couple more months at least. Despair was slowly seeping through everyone in the trenches, most were hit hard enough by the Monorail, but now that they were forced to fight literal cannibals without support or reinforcements? Most were prepared to head home as it is, give another minor failure and the soldiers would head back to Camp McCarren, whether they be permitted or not. Karl had basically been made the leader after Major Datri was forced to return to Camp McCarren. There were other higher rank officers than a mere bounty hunter, but his training and experience in the Rangers were highly regarded. Of course, this was an unofficial position. But it didn''t make it any less stressful. Currently, Karl, Boone, and Anja were all sitting side by side in the trench, each slowly scooping small amounts of food out of cans with their fingers. The mood was solemn, not just because of their current position, but also because of how much time has passed... "It''s been two months..." Karl mutters, a small frown on his face. Boone slowly nods in response, his face thin and slightly dirty, with the exception of his sharp eyes that still flitted about looking for threats. "He''ll be back... He will." Anja mutters, less to the others and more for herself. Karl stops chewing and suddenly throws the can against the opposite trench wall, "This is fuckin'' hopeless! Let''s just return the caps for the job and take some other job that doesn''t include wading through mud and fighting organized fuckin'' CANNIBALS!" he exclaims. "Can''t do that... If we leave, who will deal with the Fiends? They''re on their last legs, but given enough time they''ll be as numerous as last time, and twice as vicious." Boone says, and everyone knew it to be true... Now that all the remaining Fiends had partaken in human flesh, the line was gone. Karl glowers, "Fuck them then! The NCR abandons us to deal with a problem of their own making, cowering in Camp McCarren because some asshole bombs a Monorail... What? They''re too fuckin'' lazy to walk for their supplies now?!... Unlike the rest of the men here, we aren''t beholden to them, we are bounty hunters. We pick and choose the jobs we want, and this certainly isn''t fuckin'' one of them!" "I wish Sir was here..." Anja mutters, scratching an itchier part of her necrotic skin. Karl scowls at her, "Well, he''s not here. He got himself infected like some dumb rookie and ain''t coming back. I don''t know why you''re so obsessed with this, girl. But unless you have some information that we aren''t privy too, he''s fucked. Somehow even more fucked than we currently are." he states. *country road* Boone sighs, "Why did we let him go alone with the rookie again?" *take me home* "Because we were overconfident. Kid''d put on an almost invincible front, doing shit I wouldn''t believe unless I personally witnessed it. Maybe-" He''s cut off as Boone raises his hand in the familiar ''be quiet'' signal. "Do you hear something?" he quietly asks, and everyone else goes completely silent to listen for it. *to the place, I belong!* "I BELONG! WEST VIRGINIA! MOUNTAIN MAMA!" the sound of a madman shouting over the sound of the song playing from an unknown source could be heard, slowly approaching... Come to think of it, it sounded like two people singing, one a familiar male voice, and the other a strange-sounding female. By now the rest of the soldiers had noticed, and started warily peeking their heads over the trench, spotting something approaching with a dust cloud behind it. "TAKE ME HOME! COUNTRY ROADS!" Afton shouts, singing one of the most catchy choruses ever created, Nyx singing along with him. Dog-meat had joined in as well, his short howls attempting to emulate the song were rather cute... Afton had reached Camp McCarren but been refused entry entirely... Some cunt had bombed the Monorail or something. But upon asking the whereabouts of his companions, had been sent in the direction of the new trenches nearby the Fiend hideout... He was slightly afraid of getting shot by the defenders, so he decided to let them know he was approaching with an old American song. He drives the bike right up to the trench before abruptly hitting the breaks and slowly getting off of the bike, followed by Dog-meat who continued to look around curiously. Afton was greeted by the sight of around sixty service rifles all pointing directly at him, he gave a timid smile and raised his arms above his head, something that allowed a few of the soldiers to relax... They''d been fighting chem-fueled Fiends that refused to surrender and seemed to feel no pain as they charged the trench. Afton just looks around the trench, trying to find his companions... After a minute or so of not spotting them, he gets fed up and tries a different approach. Taking a deep breath in, he shouts, "I''M BACK FUCKERS! YOU MISS ME!?" Chapter 337 - Rearmed And Ready "I''M BACK FUCKERS! YOU MISS ME!?" ...?? Karl, Boone, and Anja all stare at Afton as if he were stupid, the former quickly climbing out and walking towards him, soon shadowed by the others. "What the hell are ya'' doing boi?! Waltzin'' on back here without nary a word for months! And did you forget that this is a combat zone!? YOU TRY''IN GET SHOT?!?" Afton''s lips thin into lines as he''s told off like a child, "Ahh, give me a break, I''d have thought you''d be happy to see me." he says with a shrug. Karl''s scowl deepens further, the man rearing back and punching Afton in the face as hard as he can. Unfortunately, Afton''s [Stonewall] Perk prevents him from being knocked on his ass, resulting in Karl feeling as if he''d hit a brick wall. Karl glances at his fist for a moment before looking back at the sheepish Afton, "That''s for ditchin'' us, you bastard... And you look like shit." he then proceeds to cuff the back of Afton''s head and walk him towards the others who are approaching. "Heh, old man shit on your entrance? Good. It was stupid anyway." Boone says, smiling slightly despite himself. "Sir... Your arm..." Anja mutters, her shock drawing the others attention. "What the? You got a new arm!" Karl shouts, having not realised it earlier. Afton grins and raises his right arm, stretching and flexing it as if to mock them, "Damn straight I did. I prefer this one to my old one any day, actually." he mutters. ... "How...?" Karl asks, staring intensely at the new limb he seemed to have acquired. "Is it a cybernetic, or..." "I''m not gonna say anything about it until we''re in private... Don''t know who could be listening..." Afton says, his eyes scanning the trench behind them where NCR soldiers were still watching. Boone raises a brow and then points as his own eyes, "Related to those fucked up veins I''d bet..." "Yeah, along with that weird armour and your new dog." Karl states, glancing at the Cyberdog that Anja had started stroking. "Who are you calling weird?" the synthesized feminine voice of Nyx challenges, apparently taking offence at being called ''weird''. ... "The hell? Kid, I know you''ve been pent up, but getting a robot girlfriend ain''t gonna help that... In fact, it''d make getting a lady of your own harder with it around." Karl says. Afton shakes his head, "It''s not like that..." he mutters, not liking how the Stealth suit warmed up slightly at his words, "Her name is Nyx, and I can''t discuss her origins until we''re somewhere private." he receives a grumble in response from Karl as he says this. "Sir... Are you fine now?... No longer infected...?" Anja asks, still worried of the prospect of the fungus spreading. Indeed, the other two having heard the deadliness of it nod as she asks. Afton nods, "I''m fine. All traces of it have been neutralised, and are no longer a threat to anyone else." he states, deciding not to tell them he was basically still infested by it. "Alright, let''s cut the chit-chat and wheel your bike into the trench, the Fiend might attack again at any moment." Karl takes charge, deciding that talking in the open directly outside the Fiends base wasn''t the best idea. Afton was ushered inside with Dirt-Bird, the group sliding the bike into the trenches so it was out of sight before taking him to a semi-secluded spot so they could talk. "So, what''s been happening since I left?" Afton cuts to the point, deciding that getting caught up would be the best for everyone involved... Especially considering the state of the trench and everyone in it. "NCR hired us to help exterminate the Fiends, then abandoned us when the Monorail was bombed. That''s basically the just of it around here." Afton slowly nods, "And the Legion?" "Getting more aggressive... They managed to take back Nelson, place apparently didn''t have enough men to hold the position. Might also have something to do with Camp Searchlight and Camp Forlorn Hope..." Boone says, getting angry simply stating what''d happened. "Huh, you guys been keeping up with the radio chatter huh?" Afton mutters. They nod, "Not much else to do out here, besides watching for Fiends." Afton raises a brow, "Yeah, what''s up with that as well... Woulda thought they''d be easy to deal with, especially after we nuked their asses." Karl shakes his head, "They''ve rigged their hideout with so many traps I''m honestly surprised they haven''t killed themselves yet... The initial attack force was torn apart, and after that everyone was very, very wary of being the one to go first. That combined with no proper command leaves us here, in a stalemate." Boone crosses his arms, "Almost starved them out until they started cannibalizing..." "Gross." Afton mutters before shaking his head and continuing, "So, what''s your plan? I wanna get this done and head into New Vegas..." he glances around, "Got a few caps to spend..." Karl nods knowingly while Boone frowns slightly at the fact he ''intended'' to gamble. Anja herself was clueless, as she''d never even gambled before, let alone been to New Vegas. Karl shrugs, "To be honest, after the last disaster we were just thinking of returning the pay and leaving... No point wasting our time for such a shit reward, only thing still keeping us here was our dislike of the Fiends themselves." "Well, I can already think of a couple ways of dealing with them... You guys not considered sabotaging the air filtration system of the Vault? Trash that and they''ll all come scurrying out like rats." Boone shakes his head, "Tried that, but the Fiends aren''t that stupid... They''ve set traps around the outlets, the Vault was built in the basement of that large building, so they have no trouble sniping at us when we try to approach. Only luck we''ve had is when one of the more savvy soldiers snuck in and planted some C4... Shame the NCR can''t be fucked to give us anymore of it though." Chapter 338 - Just Needed An Outlet... "Did someone say sneaking?" Nyx suddenly asks, and everyone else looks at Afton for an explanation. ...?? He sighs and taps the Stealth suit. "Nyx is an AI that resides in this armour, its called the Stealth Suit Mk II, and it''s probably the most advanced gear for infiltration you''ll find in the world... Nyx knows this and attempts to make every possible situation one where sneaking is necessary..." he explains. "But sneaking is always necessary!" Nyx chirps and he just taps the chest plate of his armour placatingly. "I don''t know, sneaking didn''t really help against Patient Zero, did it?" ... Afton grins triumphantly at stumping the AI, and looks back up at his companions, "Anyway, I was about to offer sneaking over there and sabotaging the Vault myself. As long as you guys have got something with a ''bang'', I''m sure we can work something out." Karl leans over and reaches into a backpack, pulling out some fragmentation mines, "These are the only ones we have. The rest were used against Fiend assaults, I''m not sure they''ll be powerful enough to properly destroy the outlets either though." he cautions. "Ah... I can help too." Anja says from the side, but Boone shakes his head, "Last time we sent you out you came back barely conscious and covered in bullet wounds... You''re lucky to be alive, so don''t tempt fate by going out there again." Karl nods, "Must be a ghoul thing, regular folks don''t take three bullets to the intestines and survive without extensive surgery..." Afton crosses his arms, "Ghouls have a sort of healing factor, most ferals won''t die from anything less than being beheaded, bisected, or having their hearts destroyed entirely... Sort of like vampires when I think about it... Are you a vampire?" he asks Anja semi-sarcastically. "What''s a vampire?" the three of them ask simultaneously. Afton gapes, "You guys don''t know what vampires are? What about Dracula, I doubt two-hundred years will let people forget him!" Karl scratches his face, "Dracula? Pretty sure that legends about some sort of cannibal..." Afton sighs and decides to leave this subject, though, he''d make sure to educate his companions on the many holodisks containing movies back at Big Mt. "So that''s the plan? Have Afton sneak in with the mines and sabotage the ventilation systems of the Vault, afterwards killing anything that doesn''t suffocate?" Karl nods, "I''ll jimmy some timed explosives so they''ll detonate all at once... No point giving the Fiends a warning. Boone, you let the rest of the trench know what''s gonna happen, make ''em ready for when Fiends start charging out like headless chickens." "What should I do?" Anja asks, knowing that going with Boone wouldn''t be a good idea as most soldiers disliked ghouls. Not to mention she had two left feet as hands when concerning engineering. "If you''re feeling up to it, it''d help if we knew how fortified each outlet was..." Karl says before shoving some binoculars in her hands, "Remember to keep your distance. You come back looking like swiss cheese again and you ain''t going out without someone holding your hand... Understand?" Anja quickly nods and starts packing her gear up, she''d upgraded her gear from the smart shirt she and Afton had stolen from the scientist''s house. Now she simply wore leather armour that covered everything but her face, even then, she sometimes liked to wear a mask and a hood to stop people from recognising her as a ghoul. "Ah, wait... Take Dog-meat with you, trust me when I say he won''t get in the way, he''s smart than he looks." Afton says, scratching the dog behind the ears as his tongue lulls from its mouth. Once everyone leaves, Afton leans towards Karl and whispers, "I plan to fulfil my ''contract'' while we''re in New Vegas. But you already know that, right?" Karl slowly nods, "I ain''t stupid. And I ain''t got anything against gambling with someone like that, far as I''m concerned, they can lose their fortunes, clothes off of their backs, and even an arm and a leg." he says meaningfully. Afton shrugs, "I''ll probably just buy him a drink, no point ruining his ''extended vacation''." he states. "Whatever, it''s up to you... Now gimme a hand with these bombs, maybe you can make ''em next time and save my old fingers." he says, the man''s fingers already rubbed redraw from the wires. Word was quickly spread through the trenches of the rather haphazard plan they''d put together. Most of the soldiers were actually thankful that they just had to sit tight and wait for the Fiends to come to them. Vividly remembering what''d happened to the last people who''d attempted to have an active role infiltrating enemy territory. Afton''s return was also received positively, he was rather well known around New Vegas and most NCR encampments due to his brief but impressive history... Most didn''t know him personally, but knew a bit about his reputation, along with his actions in Westside... those who did though, were glad to have him on board. A few did notice his new arm however, but assumed it to be some sort of robotic replacement... Everyone waited until nightfall, and once it was finally midnight Afton crept out of camp, his deathclaw leather satchel filled to the brim with explosives. From Anja''s report, the Fiends were keeping a close eye on the outlets for obvious reasons... If anything were to happen to them then everyone inside the Vault was fucked. Most wouldn''t even notice that they were slowly suffocating until it was too late, and since they''d butchered the previous residents and trashed most machinery inside, even the alarm system wouldn''t warn them. After looks at his target through the scope of his Anti-Material rifle. The Fiend headquarters were essentially a large building surrounded by walls made of trash and debris that''d been piled high. Already, he could see many snipers atop the building, the barrels of their hunting rifles poking out of the windows. He rolls his shoulders and clicks his neck, "Ready Nyx?" "I''m always ready to sneak!" she chirps back happily at reaffirming her reason for existing. Afton nods and fingers the hidden Stealthboy on his leg, causing his body to ripple and distort before finally disappearing. Chapter 339 - Line Up Motor-Runner slams his fist on the armrest of his makeshift throne, everything had been going wrong lately, and even the promises allies had made turned out to be nothing but sweet lies. He and his people had been trapped in the Vault for months now, any attempt to escape is met with a barrage of bullets that eviscerate the unfortunate soul. His previously large and well-muscled body was not gaunt, pale, and showing signs of infection all over. Dry flakes of skin peeling off, and large unsightly boils forming.?? They''d run out of supplies weeks ago, so he''d been given the hardest choice he''d ever have to make as leader of the Fiends... Starve, or cannibalize some of those under him... While he was in most eyes a despicable person with numerous crimes under his belt, he thought he''d draw a line somewhere... But, apparently, their needs outweigh his morals. He didn''t immediately start the barbaric practice on his loyal men though, no, first he had his sex slaves butchered. They served no purpose other than to alleviate his rapidly building stress, and their drain on the food was simply unacceptable at this point. His men ate well for the first time in weeks that night, the bodies of a few children, teenagers and young adults roasting over pyres. Some refused to eat, but he didn''t force them. If they died they''d just add to the supply. Something they''d likely need in the future. A few people complained at the fact he kept alive his faithful companions BoneGnash and GnashBone, two large dogs that were undisputed alphas of Violet''s making. He''d even caught a few trying to kill and eat them... This was met with reasonable punishment of course... Killing and eating them in return. He sighs to himself, when would this end, and would they get out of this shit alive? He didn''t think it was very likely if he were honest. *BAAANG!* The sound of an explosion reverberates all around the Vault, but the lack of vibration means that the Vault itself isn''t the direct target... His eyes widen as he connects the dots, "EVERYONE OUT! GATHER YOUR SHIT AND PREPARE FOR A FULL FRONTAL ATTACK!" he roars, wanting everyone to leave with expediency before they ran out of viable air. Elsewhere : Afton had easily set the makeshift bombs in the other outlets, he just had one last one to do before shit would go down. He snuck behind a ruined building, avoiding the rather obvious traps and casually walked past the Fiend guardsman while approaching his target. It was a large mentally square that had a grate covering the top, within was a fan that helped air circulate through the Vault. Unfortunately, he''d need to get the grating out of the way before he could drop the bomb into it, the device wasn''t strong enough to destroy it without being directly within it. He glances back at the Fiend soldier and approaches him, activating his Proton axe and easily bisecting him. The man literally couldn''t see it coming, as Afton was still invisible. Once done, he headed back to the outlet and used the Proton axe to slice the grating away, making a big enough hole to drop the explosive. He didn''t waste any time and tossed it inside, afterwards going to leave but not in the direction of the trenches, no, he intended to be in position and ready to cause chaos within the Fiend ranks when they realise what had happened. He enters the large ruined building containing the Vault and heads to the upper floors while systematically eliminating the snipers positioned within. None even managed to produce a ''squeak'' as he cut them down, "God I love these axes!" he mutters, giving the handle of one a kiss. With the snipers dead, he got to the second floor and started setting up. The ruined building allowed him to see the ground floor through the many holes, so it''d be fairly easy to snipe high-priority target. Not that Afton knew who was which, he was pretty sure the highest ranked guys were Violet, Driver-Nephi, and CookCook... But he''d already killed them, so... *BOOOM!* "Well, looks like shit''s about to go down, Nyx." he mutters, dropping onto one knee and aiming towards the door of the Vault. "Many hostiles approaching." Nyx states after a couple minutes of waiting. The gear-like door of the Vault moves and slowly spins out of the way, revealing the literal horde of Fiends. There must have been hundreds of them, but despite their numbers, Afton wasn''t intimidated... The reason? Well, firstly because he''d faced larger threats than this. But more importantly, all of the Fiends look gaunt and ragged, as if they were on their last legs. They didn''t even have the typical ''frothing at the mouth in a drug-fueled rage'' type, and if Afton had to guess it was because they''d run out of chems a while ago. He was slightly tempted to just blast them with his Sonic Emitter and have a [Meltdown] chain-reaction blow them all to kingdom come... Unfortunately, doing such a thing would have many, many consequences. One of which would be him likely dying in the blast that would be akin to a Mini-Nuke explosion. That was not even mentioning him having to explain how he''d done such a thing to the NCR when they inevitably started asking questions. He shakes his head, "If only.", and continues watching the enemy through the scope of his Anti-Material rifle. He observed as the many Fiends gathered within the building so as not to attract the attention of the NCR encampment. Eventually, one man who was followed by two large dogs started addressing them all, shouting orders at some and telling them that the Vault had been sabotaged and was no longer inhabitable. Afton didn''t have to be a genius to know who was in charge here, and simply focussed his crosshair on the chest of the man... No point risking a headshot when a body-blow would undoubtedly end him. Chapter 340 - Death Of A Loved One... Motor-Runner had just begun to give vague orders to his men, most of which were basically telling them to charge at the NCR and take control of the trench by any means necessary... He was charismatic, and everyone was getting hyped at the idea of finally escaping, unfortunately, charisma can only take you so far, and doesn''t seem to affect bullets at all. *Pew!*?? *CRACK!* The sound of a barely audible silenced weapon going off is followed by a loud impact where the bullet had hit... Everyone''s eyes were drawn towards their leader however, watching as the man barely registered the huge hole penetrating his chest. Motor-Runner looks down and coughs up some blood, tracing the wound with his hands before finally falling over backwards, dead. ... "SNIPER!" "FUCK!" "WE''RE ALL FUCKING DEAD!" "GAME OVER MAN! IT''S GAME OVER!" "THE NCR DID THIS!" "YEAH!" x30 "FUCK THE NCR!" "YEAH!!" x90 "KILL THEM ALL!" "YEEAAAAAHHHHHH!" x230 The enraged crowd immediately charges out of the building with weapons raised, heading directly for the NCR encampment. To be honest, Afton wasn''t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing... He thought they might try to run away after their leader was killed, but apparently he''d just stoked the flames of hatred instead. "Fuck." he mutters, grabbing his shit and quickly heading to the ground floor to attack the force from the back. Back at the trenches, the rest of the NCR forces were already ready and waiting for the Fiend assault. So most weren''t surprised when a stream of enemies started sprinting from the ruined buildings and towards them. Immediately bullets start flying from either side. The Fiends had the numerical advantage, but the NCR were firmly entrenched and were incredibly difficult to actually hit, especially while the Fiends were running. Karl was shooting directly at the building''s chokepoint where most Fiends were coming from with his LMG, while Boone was picking off those that were using better weapons than the others. Anja, who didn''t have much experience in warfare as the other two, simply sprayed her Submachine gun at the Fiends nearest to her position, managing to kill quite a few. It was only Boone who could see Fiends at the back of the group dropping dead, he could spot Afton flanking and attack them from behind with his revolvers. *ARF! ARF!* Dog-meat barks at the enemy while trying to leap over the trench to fight them, Anja tries to hold the Cyberdog back, but is surprised at the sheer strength of it. She loses her grip and it charges the Fiends, taking a few hits to its mechanical parts but shrugs them off regardless. "WOOF!!" Anja and the rest of the trench are all shocked when the Cyber dog barks at the enemy, producing a visible sonic wave that launches quite a few Fiends off of their feet, and into many more behind them. Dog-meat doesn''t stop there however, leaping into the group and beginning to tear apart any who are unlucky enough to get into melee range. A few Fiends try to fight it off with machetes and bats, but find that the animals metal teeth and claws are the superior weapon. Afton drops Lucky back into its holster after unloading all of its ammo, reaching to his chest to grab the Sonic Emitter. He makes sure [Meltdown] is deactivated before he starts firing, each person hit with the weapon literally have their body''s disintegrate into a red puddle. There were even a few unlucky ones who got ''crit'', exploding into red mist and killing a few of their allies who happened to be standing nearby. It''s only when half the Fiend forces were killed that they noticed Afton. Some tried to charge him, but the rest decided that getting control of the trench was way more important. It was only when a quarter of them remained that they finally reached the trench, Fiends leaping inside and beginning to slice, bash, and blindly shoot at the unprepared NCR soldiers. The men simply weren''t trained for this sort of melee combat, allowing the Fiends to easily butcher their way through the trenches. Anja and Boone retreat to Karl''s position along with a few other soldiers who were more intelligent than the rest. The Fiends attempted to go through the trench to attack them, but tripped a trap Karl had set up previously, having expected this kind of outcome. *BOOM!* The explosion shakes the trench, fiery death travelling through it and killing quite a few Fiends. Soon enough there were only a few of each force left. The only remaining NCR were the one''s who''d gathered with Karl, and the last Fiends were the ones currently scavenging the NCR corpses for better weapons and ammo. Afton himself had already finished off the Fiends who'' come for him, and quickly started making his way back to the trench. He was pretty worried if he were honest... Dirt-Bird was still inside!... Yeah, it was callous, but he knew Karl, Boone, and Anja would be fine, they were made of tougher shit than most people. So, he headed towards where Dirt-Bird was last placed, looking down at the trench and spotting his bike blasting Fiends with lasers... He thought that it''d be fine, but was proven wrong with a Fiend charged the bike with a grenade in hand. He was shot in the throat and drops dead on top of it, but the grenade was still live. *BOOM!* "NO! MY FUCKING BIKE!" Afton roars out, shooting any visible Fiends and jumping down to the fiery pit to check if it was recoverable... Though, the only thing he could find is melted metal and for some reason, the head of the Protectron he''d used as a makeshift anti-thief-machine. He growls and tosses it away, converting his indignation at losing his bike into anger for the Fiends. "YOU GUYS ARE DONE FOR!" Chapter 341 - Cleaning Up Rapid gunshots and explosions continue to occur around the trenches, both sides fighting for their lives and none were willing to grant quarter. Eventually though, the sounds slowly stopped. The group of NCR soldiers holed up with Karl all uncomfortably looked at one another, this could only mean two things, one, the Fiends had won... Or two, the NCR had won.?? Karl looks at them all, "Alight, betta go check it out." he says, but most seem unwilling to go first, causing him to scoff, "Hah, fine. I''ll lead, NCR these days, makin'' an old man lead ''em." he mutters, leaving the fortified area and heading into the other parts of the trench. The other soldiers followed, and most were surprised to see utter destruction. Corpses belonging to both NCR and Fiends littered the ground, and there were signs of battle everywhere... Scorched dirt, still burning debris, heck, occasionally even someone still alive. Though that didn''t last long due to their injuries. Walking a bit further, the group eventually come across a lone figure, standing next to a burning pile of scrap. "Kid?" Karl asks, wondering what Afton was doing. Afton sends a sad look at him, "Karl, they killed Dirt-Bird..." ... "Your bike?" Karl asks, wondering what the big deal was. Afton shakes his head, "OUR bike." he gestures dramatically at the burning debris, "LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO OUR BOY-...*Ahem*, Bike!" Karls about to begin berating him for being incredibly stupid, but Boone''s hand on his shoulder persuades him otherwise. The soldiers watching on behind them were feeling slightly indignant that their apparent saviour was more concerned over the death of his bike than their fellow troops. "Woof!" Dog-meat greets as he drops into the trench, almost entirely covered in blood that wasn''t his own. To be honest, it was a ghastly sight that almost had some soldiers expel their bowels... "Dog-meat! Look what those bastards did!" Afton continues to complain, and everyone else leaves him to check that the rest of the trenches were cleared. Afterwards once everyone was assured that all the Fiends were finally dead, they began packing up their equipment... Or, as much of it as they could carry. The NCR forces had been reduced by around 80%, most of which were killed in the recent battle. So they simply didn''t have enough manpower to carry all of it. Not that Afton was going to complain, he intended to sell the guns he collected for more ammunition and equipment at the Gunrunners, as well as some more Implants at Doctor Usanagi. While everyone was packing their shit up, Afton decided to take a peek into the Vault to find the ventilation components needed for the Brotherhood bunker... There was still some viable air left inside due to the Fiends expedient exit, and with him being the only one using it he likely had a couple days worth of air down there. Still, it only took three hours to actually find what he was looking for. He examines the Reverse pulse cleaner in his hands and smiles to himself when a notification comes up. [Find parts to repair Bunkers ventilation systems. 3/3] [Quest updated! Return to Bunker to install ventilation systems.] "Kid, you done checking the ruins out?" Karl asks as Afton returns looking pretty satisfied with himself. Afton nods, "Yeah, what''s up?" "We still need to cash in our bounties at Camp McCarren, you comin''?" Afton shrugs, "Yeah, sure. Maybe I''ll get to ''greet'' Doctor Hildern while we''re there. I''ve still got a contract concerning him." he says with a vicious grin. With that, the group of bounty hunters and surviving NCR soldiers left their ruined encampment and back to Camp McCarren. Fortunately, they didn''t have any trouble entering inside like Afton had previously, seems that travelling with many NCR soldiers gave you some degree of legitimacy. Once inside they headed straight for Major Datri who was sat inside his military tent with stacks of paperwork in front of him. Honestly, with that miserable look he seemed five more sheets away from capping himself. "Yo, Datri." Afton greets, giving a small wave. "Mmm, Parker-" He rapidly looks up and slams his hands on his desk, "PARKER? W-Your arm!? Where have you been? The NCR has been looking all over the Mojave for you..." ... "Wait, why?" Afton asks, confused. Major Datri gestures at Karl, Boone, and Anja behind him, "Because these chuckle-heads wouldn''t say a word about you. Not to mention the higher-ups wants to make use of you, something like a ''Nuclear-Deterrent''... If you''ll pardon the pun." he says. Afton raises a brow, "Because I used a nuke in the past, or they''re hoping I''ll nuke their enemies in future?... And can we not talk about the arm? I feel like I''m gonna get sick of explaining myself soon." Datri chuckles, "A bit of both I reckon... Anyway, I doubt you''re here on a social call, and seeing as you guys are here... The Fiend threat has been neutralised, I hope?" Karl nods, "No help from you fuckers, we barely made it out alive, and most of the men stationed there didn''t even get that. What the fuck is wrong you? Did it not occur to you that we were lacking forces?" "It was out of my hands. The higher-ups thought the Fiends were simply a diversion from a Legion advance... They weren''t wrong either, even with their preparations the Legion still managed to retake Nelson, along with slaughtering a good portion of Camp Forlorn Hope... To be honest, we''re lucky they haven''t started making their way deeper into the Mojave yet." The group all look at one another grimly, they''d heard about Nelson''s recapture, but not the state of Camp Forlorn Hope. That was one of the major defensive locations near Hoover Dam, and any weakening of it might bolster the Legion to try and invade it again. Chapter 342 - Retirement While everyone else was worrying about the state of the way, Afton wasn''t all that concerned if he was honest... He hated the NCR almost as much as he hated the Legion, so having them fight each other and wipe themselves out wouldn''t be a bad thing. The only problem was who controlled the Mojave afterwards. If the NCR won it''d simply stay the same, aside from the annoying taxes they''d impose on everyone... But, if the Legion won? They''d roll all of their forward troops through the place, raping and pillaging until they were sent even further forwards, likely to the border of NCR land.?? Afton really needed to find a solution to this... He could try and call upon the Brotherhood headquarters to help, but knew there was nothing really of value that''d tempt them. He could reveal the existence of the Think Tank, but shut that thought down immediately. The Think Tank was his, along with everything else in Big Mt. He shakes his head, all options were shit. You either get corrupt authoritarian bureaucrat ass holes, a bunch of raping roman-knock offs, or a cult that''s a few missteps away from calling themselves the ''master race''... Afton looks at Datri and the others and begins leaving. "You guys sort out your bounties, I''ma look around and see if Hildern is here, bastard owes me money." "Wait! Hildern you say?" Datri asks and Afton nods, "You won''t be finding him, Parker. Not here, not anywhere. He was the traitor who blew up the Monorail, was eventually put down as he tried to escape." Datri explains. Afton sends a questioning glance to Anja, who should''ve been keeping an eye on the guy who literally tried to kill them previously, she just shrugs back at him, looking equally confused. Datri nods at their faces, "Yeah, we had him locked up for misappropriating troops, seemed to scare him as he bombed the Monorail not long after... Still don''t know how he managed it under 24/7 supervision though." Afton just shakes his head and leaves, letting Dog-meat stay with Anja and allowing the group to collect their bounties. With some free time, he decides to visit Josie, if she''s still around that is. He walks over to where the NCR trucks are, spotting that quite a few of them were missing... Perhaps they''d been relocated after the attack? Nearby he could see Josie chewing on some hard bread while looking distinctly annoyed at something. He walks over and sits opposite her, "Yo, sup." he greets, her eyes widening as she sees him. "Afton!... You look like shi-Oh what? You got a new arm!" she exclaims, standing and prodding at his new limb. "What''s its made out of it? It doesn''t feel mechanical..." she gasps, and looks around conspiratorially, "Did you steal someone else''s?" ... Afton bursts out into laughter, and Josie''s serious face falters as she joins him, "Did I steal someone else''s arm!? I''ll remember to use that one when somebody else asks about it!" "Seriously though, what is it... I''m curious." "Sorry, can''t tell you. Trade secret." he states, and she pouts in response. "Whatever, I didn''t want to know anyway..." she says, crossing her arms, "Where have you been? I heard that you died or something." Afton shrugs, "That isn''t too far from the truth to be perfectly honest, but I''d rather not talk about it... What about you? I distinctly remember there being more vehicles here..." he says, eyeing the empty area''s where the trucks had been placed. "Sent back to NCR territory to grab supplies... Apparently, the recent Legion attack did more damage than they''d like to admit, so they''re sending for more troops. Plus, don''t tell anyone, but I think they''re afraid someone will target the trucks like they did the Monorail..." she quietly says after leaning in close. "Yeah, what are your thoughts on that anyway? Hildern didn''t look like someone with the balls to do that. He was a bit creepy, sure, but not driven enough to risk his life on something like that." Josie sighs, "I don''t know, and the higher-ups don''t like it when you ask either. As far as they''re concerned, the traitor was caught and the threat is over... Until isn''t, then they''ll have to find another scapegoat..." she shakes her head, deciding to change the topic, "How''s the missus?" ... "What?" Afton questions, not really understanding her. She scoffs, "I mean Dirt-Bird you fool." ... "Ah... Well, the Fiends got her, I guess..." he says morosely. "They didn''t!" Afton just nods, "One of those cunts ran at her with a live grenade..." ... "I''m sorry for your loss." she says seriously, as if he''d just lost a loved one. Afton shakes his head, "Well, I already decided. I''m going straight back down to Novac to make another one... BIGGER, AND TOUGHER than Dirt-Bird ever was!" he exclaims, raising his fist in the air. "Really?" He nods, "Yeah, I would have had to anyway since Dirt-Bird can only carry so many people... I would''ve liked to keep her as memorabilia of my first vehicle." Upon hearing this Josie looks conflicted, she chews on his lip and looks at the ground in contemplation. "Something up?" "No... Yes?..." She sighs, "I''ve been thinking about leaving the NCR for a while now, and now that they don''t need me to maintain the trucks, I bet they''ll have me making bullets for them or something." she grumbles. "Can you quit when you like? I thought it''d be more difficult than that." Afton asks. She shrugs, "I''ve been serving for long enough that no one would really care, and my position isn''t all that important so I wouldn''t have to wait for someone else to take over... I was just thinking, would I be able to join up with your group? I don''t really care about bounty hunting, but I''ll take care of your vehicles for you..." "Hmm." Afton hums, "I don''t know, you''d need to be combat-capable if you were to come along..." he thinks for a moment before grinning, "What are your thoughts on manning turrets?" Chapter 343 - Flight Of Fancy Afton and Josie returned to Major Datri''s tent not long after, the others had already rounded up their business and gotten paid the bounty as well as a bonus for actually making the whole thing possible. Afton didn''t get paid of course, as he technically didn''t accept the job, but Datri made sure to pay what he would''ve gotten extra to the group.?? "Parker... Trantow? Do you need something?" the major asks after signing off a couple documents detailing the recent events. Josie nods, "Yeah... Major, I want to resign." she says, deciding to quickly get it out of the way instead of slowly leading into it. "Resign? Why?... Because the trucks were taken away?" he asks in confusion. "That''s part of it, but I got a better offer from somewhere else." she says, her eyes flitting in Afton''s direction. Datri easily connects the dots and sighs, "Poaching my soldiers now, Parker? I hope this doesn''t become a regular thing..." Afton shrugs, "Increase their pay and maybe I won''t have to." he sarcastically retorts. "Yeah, yeah... I suppose you want to leave straight away?" he asks, and continues when Josie nods, "Then you know you won''t receive anything aside from this month''s pay? Though, I''ll allow you to keep your clothes and equipment." he says, as if that wouldn''t be the case if he were an asshole... Does the NCR take your shit if you leave too early? Josie nods, "I know..." Datri hands her some papers and gets her to sign them, afterwards getting someone to retrieve a small sack of caps that he gives her. "So, what''re your plans? Doubt you''ll be sticking around here for much longer, us too considering the frontlines need reinforcements." Afton momentarily ponders if telling the NCR his plans is a good idea, before scrapping the thought. They''d find out eventually, so why bother hiding it. "Gonna head down to Novac and do a couple jobs. Why''d you ask? Got something else for us?" The Major mulls something over before eventually asking, "If you''re headed that way, then yeah... You heard of the Deathclaw infested Quarry south of here?" Afton nods, "Yeah, almost got my ass eaten by one a few months back." he says, remembering his first venture into the Mojave alone. Karl really saved his hide back then. "Well, if you''re up for it, we have a long-standing bounty that no one wants to collect. The job? To clear the Deathclaws on the road and in the quarry." he pauses, "Yeah, no wonder no one wanted to fuckin'' do it. Hell, even with an army at my back I''d still try to pawn the job off on someone else." Datri sheepishly admits. "Hmm..." Afton hums, wondering if his group was strong enough to take such a job yet... Sure, they had the equipment, but Anja is still pretty green. Josie would probably come along too, but he didn''t know the extent of her abilities, aside from engineering obviously. It likely wouldn''t be a cakewalk, he had no idea just how many Deathclaws there were, and he didn''t like going into a dangerous job like this without proper intel. "What''s the rewards like?" he finally asks, wanting to know if it''d be worth his while if they did it. "Considering the road the Deathclaws are infesting is a crucial trade route, the reward isn''t anything to scoff at... If you manage to clear this road our caravans and supplies would be much, much safer... The other route is too near to the front lines and Legion encampments, making them easy targets to ambush... The current reward is 30000 caps, but I may be able to boost the price by talking to the higher-ups. As stingy as those fuckers are, they know when something needs to get done." he says. Afton crosses his arms, "So, clear the road and quarry, kill all Deathclaws and mash all the nests?" he asks, rounding up the points of contention. Datri nods, "I know it''s a lot to ask, but every NCR trooper would be thanking you first and their gods second for the help." ... "I''ll think about it, I need to talk with the others before agreeing with this..." Afton says after a moment, and Datri nods. Trantow leaves but before Afton can Datri give a few parting words. "Look after Trantow for us, despite how the higherups treat her, she''s well respected in the camp. I don''t doubt you''ll have a number of people hounding you if she gets even a scratch." Afton chuckles "Don''t worry about that... I''ll be shoving her in the most fortified piece of hardware the Mojave has ever seen. Not that I think she''ll complain about it, she''s kinda obsessed with those sorta things." he says, giving a brief wave before leaving. Josie was waiting outside for him with crossed arms, she grins at him as he walks out, "That went better than expected... I thought my resignation would be refused outright..." she frowns slightly, "Huh, maybe I wasn''t as needed here as I thought." Afton just shakes his head, "Don''t worry about that. Datri basically threatened me to make sure you stay safe. Not to brag, but I have a pretty scary reputation, not many would dare talk to me like that." Josie perks up slightly at this, "I need to go gather my stuff, I''ll find you guys later... Try not to leave without me, it would be sooo embarrassing to have to ask around for you immediately after resigning." Afton rubs his chin, "Damn, that sorts like a pretty good idea-Ouch!" he complains as she pinches his cheek. "Don''t. You. Dare!" He waves his hands placatingly at her, "Alright, alright. I won''t prank you, I promise." She lets go of his cheek and huffs, "Good." before walking away. Afton watches her leave while ''subtly'' checking her tight jeans out. "Women." he mutters and starts looking around for the others. Chapter 344 - Clawing Death! "So let me get this straight... They." Karl jabs a finger towards the terminal of Camp McCarren, "Want us." he gestures towards himself, "To clear HOW MANY DEATHCLAWS!?" Afton picks his ear nonchalantly, "Err, over a hundred at least."?? "WHAAAAT!!! Are they insane!? And you! Do you have a death wish!?" Karl yells, completely caught off-balance by the abrupt job offer Datri had presented. Boone just watches on while leaning against a wall with crossed arms, Anja however is rapidly looking between Karl and Afton. "Are Deathclaws really that bad?" she asks, never having encountered one before. "No"/YES!" Afton and Karl both say, giving one another weird looks as they do. "You''re pretty confident for someone I had to save from becoming Deathclaw chow." Karl states, wondering why Afton was even considering this job. "Yeah? Well, I probably coulda taken it without your help... A couple punches and boom. dead deathclaw." Afton retorts sarcastically, not willing to give Karl an inch. He was pretty sure the group was ready for the bounty, but he''d not expected Karl''s outright refusal. Karl looks to Anja, "Look, Deathclaws are one of the biggest threats you could run into out here. I''d rather fight a Supermutant one on one with a knife than fight one of those things. I once saw a young Deathclaw male chase an NCR vehicle straight out of its territory... Thing managed to bite the head off of the guy manning the gun, pretty sure the driver shit himself when that happened. We were forced to kill it and the brood mother afterwards... Fuckin'' monsters, the lot of ''em." the man grumbles. Afton shakes his head, "I think we can do it, besides, you''re making it out like they''re invincible or something." he taps his Deathclaw leather satchel, "My dad didn''t seem to have trouble, this bag is proof of it." Karl''s about to retort that his dad was probably wearing full Power armour and armed with a Gatling laser, but manages to hold his tongue. He wasn''t stupid enough to blurt out something like that in the heart of NCR territory. Boone decides that now''s the time to interject, "I''m with Afton on this. Opening up the supply lines could give the NCR teh advantage they need to properly fend off the recent Legion offensive. Now that they''d taken back Nelson, any supplies going through the Eastern route would probably be intercepted." Karl frowns, "If we were taking jobs based on how patriotic they are, we''d be dead already. This isn''t some regular Legion camp raid, these are fucking Deathclaws!" "Yeah? Well, we''ll stop by the Gunrunners and pick up some more explosive .50 cal rounds and another Anti-Material rifle if it makes you feel better. I doubt even a Deathclaw could endure having its head pop like a balloon." he says, a small smirk appearing on his face. Afton nods, "Yeah, we won''t be going in blind. We''ll make the proper preparations and retreat if we need to... If shit really hits the fan then we can lead the Deathclaws into Black Mountain, and have them fight it out with the Super mutants." ... Karl rubs his beard, "I guess..." he thinks for a bit more before eventually sighing, "Fine. But we''re not going anywhere near that place without proper equipment... AND, we''ll ask for half of the reward upfront." Afton nods, "I can go with that... The walk will be a pain though... Man, I miss Dirt-Bird already." "I don''t know. I think I prefer walking over sitting behind you like some kind of princess." Karl mutters. ... The group chuckles, before Afton speaks up again, "Ah, by the way. We''ve got another member joining us soon." Karl raises a brow, "Would it kill yah'' to tell us who you''re scouting beforehand? I''d like to look at a prospective member before they join us." Afton shrugs, "Well, I didn''t think it was really necessary. She won''t participate in regular combat... I plan on having her take care of our vehicles while we''re busy doing other shit." "Her?" Boone asks, giving him a pointed look. "Heh, if I didn''t know any better, I''d say you''re just trying to get your tip wet, kid." Karl laughs. Afton just shakes his head, "You guys can chat shit when you''re able to drive a vehicle, until then, she''d be more useful than you chuckle-fucks when mechanics are concerned." A couple hours later while the group are heating some beans in a large pot over a fire, Josie finally spots them and begins waking over. She carries with her a large rucksack, a pistol, and a service rifle, along with what looks like some sort of toolbox. "Hey. You guys are harder to find than you''d think..." she says as she approaches. "Well, you know what they say, practice makes perfect. You''ll be thanking us when we have to camp out in the wilderness." Karl says, scooping a portion of beans into a small metal bowl. "Feel free to introduce yourself." he mutters after taking a bite. She nods, "I''m Josie Trantow, former NCR mechanic and now, I suppose, bounty hunter?" she questions before continuing, "I hope we all get along." Afton smiles and starts pointing people out, "The senile old man is Karl. The one who thinks he looks cool wearing glasses is Boone. The one with slight sunburn is Anja. The machine-puppy is called Dog-meat... and you already know me. The sexy and magnificent leader of... Come to think of it, we don''t really have a name." he says scratching his cheek. Karl shrugs, "We don''t need one, people already know who our group are so who cares... I''m slightly curious what name will finally start sticking." he admits. Boone nods at Josie and Anja gives a sheepish smile, finding herself slightly self-conscious at meeting their new member. Afton gestures at the food, "Help yourself, we have a big job coming up. One that concerns Deathclaws. So we''ll be gearing everyone up in the best shit we can afford before going for it. That okay with you?" Josie nods, "Err, as long as you don''t use me as bait, sure..." "If we need bait then we''ll just tie up a raider or use one of the Fiend corpses collecting flies back at the trenches." Afton says seriously, not bothering to take her words as a joke to promote how dangerous the job might actually be. Josie''s initial enthusiasm is dampened by this, and so she just quietly sits by the fire eating beans while listening to the group discuss plans and tactics. Afton''s eyes are drawn towards the notification that pops up, [Companion gained! Josie Trantow. Perk Granted: Still Jammin''] [Still Jammn''] : Decreases chance for allies weapons to malfunction by 30%, while increasing the chance for enemies by 50%. He skims it and nods in satisfaction, small scale it would be fairly unnoticeable... But in big battles? It could literally turn the tide of war, it wouldn''t just affect enemy weapon condition, but also their morale. This was definitely a very useful Perk. Chapter 345 - Showing Your Wood... The next day the group gathers their supplies and the loot they''d taken from the Fiends, Afton takes an hour or two to get accurate coordinates around Camp McCarren, just in case he was forced to infiltrate this place in the future... They''d never expect him to simply teleport inside... After their preparations are made, they let Datri know that they''ll accept the job, only with a downpayment first, however. The man agrees, knowing that they''d likely have no one else to do the job if he refused.?? Once they refused the large sack of caps, the group began heading for the Gunrunners. Karl, Boone, and Afton only really needed ammunition, but Anja and Josie would need to be completed outfitted with new equipment... What they currently had wasn''t bad for soldiers, 9mm Submachine guns are good due to the sheer quantity of .9mm bullets lying around. And service rifles were known to be incredibly reliable, despite their rather lacklustre firing power. It''s a long, boring walk. Only making Afton angrier at the Fiends for destroying Dirt-Bird. He sighs to himself, promising that his new vehicle would be ''nuclear proof''. Josie and Anja make small talk on the way, the two women finding some degree of companionship in the group of men. The former still seemed to hold some hostility for Anja''s ghoul nature, but they slowly worked through it. When the group finally reached the Gunrunners, they noticed that a large group was already there, most likely outfitting themselves... Afton couldn''t really tell if they were bounty hunters, bandits, or simple prospectors. Regardless, he didn''t ask. That was their business, and he''d stay out of it as long as it didn''t bother his. Half an hour later Afton was standing before the Vendertron listing off the armour and weaponry they''d agreed on while walking up here. Anja wanted to keep her leather armour for now but Afton refused and bought her some Recon armour, along with upgrading her weapon to a 12.7mm Silenced Submachine Gun. With a couple knives that Afton would be teaching her to use properly. Boone didn''t need any other weapons, but was outfitted with some desert-camo combat armour. He didn''t buy any last time as it was less essential than outfitting Karl who''d likely be in the midst of combat. But now it was probably a good idea to equip himself with some. Josie on the other hand didn''t want any heavy armour, she wanted to be backline support or something akin to that. Afton shrugs and just buys her another set of Recon armour, deciding that even if she didn''t want to be anywhere near where the bullets were flying, she''d still need protection. They also sold off her Service rifle, replacing it with a Marksman Carbine, a powerful long to medium-range weapon. After all that, they stocked up on a huge amount of ammunition. So much so that Isaac is dumbfounded by it, "You guys plannin'' to fight an army or something?" Afton nods, "Yeah, an army of Deathclaws... Ah, that reminds me. "I''d like two-hundred Explosive .50cal rounds as well." he says to the Vendertron, almost causing Isaac to faint at the sheer amount of caps that would cost. In all honesty, the most expensive thing Afton was buying today was the Explosive bullets. He couldn''t complain however, as they were probably the most essential. The explosion would disorientate the Deathclaw if it doesn''t immediately die, allowing them to land a couple more shots on it. He considered buying some Incindiary or anti-armour rounds, but eventually decided against it. Fire would only piss them off and possibly attract more with its pained screams, and Anti-armour might not even be useful against their leathery, scaled, hides. Once everything was purchased, the group bid farewell to Isaac and left. However, most didn''t recognise where Afton was leading them. "Where to next, kid?" Karl asks. "I want to see Doctor Usanagi and get some implants, you guys can get some if you want, otherwise I''d like you to help Anja and Josie get used to their new weapons." he says, and Karl nods. "Yeah, good thing you weren''t planning on having us go straight to the Deathclaws... Despite their size, I''d not bring two people who couldn''t hit the broad side of a barn..." he says, sending a glance at Anja and Josie who look away sheepishly. Afton enters the New Vegas clinic while the others wait outside, once inside he''s immediately given a wide-eyed stare by Doctor Usanagi. "You!... Shouldn''t you be dead?!" she exclaims, shaking her head and immediately covering her face with his lab coat. "Are you still infected!?" Afton chuckles and shakes his head, not minding the guns of the bodyguards pointing at his head. "I managed to find a cure, I still have some scarring," he gestures at his face, "But I gained more than I lost." he says, presenting his arm to her. ... "Cybernetic?" she mutters, walking over and examining it. "Nope." he says, taking his glove off and revealing the green, leather skin of his hand. She flinches backwards slightly at the sight of it for fear of getting infected with something, but her curiosity wins out in the end. "Intriguing... Would you mind if I examined you?" Afton shrugs, "I was actually here to get some implants, if you don''t mind... How about this, you show me your implants, and I''ll show mine." he says, waggling his eyebrows at her. [Lady Killer is in effect] The Asian lady blushes slightly but manages to quickly hide it. "I... I would be willing to waive the Implant costs if you let me fully examine you." Afton grins, "Oh? If you wanted to see my wood, all you''d need to do is ask." "Wood?" she asks, deciding to take it literally instead of replying to the innuendo. He nods, rolling up his sleeve and revealing the bark-like upper part of his arm that acts almost lime armour. The bodyguards in the corners of the room just look at each other in confusion about what was actually happening here... They''d never seen Usanagi act like this before... It was really strange! Chapter 346 - Lollipop Eventually, Afton is led into the surgery room where he''s instructed to take off his clothing. Nyx begins to protest as Usanagi leaves the room for her tools, but Afton manages to placate her for now. The Stealth suit was literally connected to his body, so taking it off is more difficult than you''d think. Apparently, it''s also quite uncomfortable for Nyx as well. Afton strips off regardless though, the promise of free Implants being more than enough to sway his opinion... And that''s not even considering the sexy Asian doctor that''d be examining him.?? He carefully rests the Stealth suit on a nearby table while propping all his weaponry next to it. Once done he sits on the surgical bed and waits for Usnagi to return. It isn''t long before she comes back carrying a box of supplies, she''s about to drop them off on a desk when she spots Afton... Her eyes trailed from his body to his strange arm, it honestly looked like some sort of prop, but obviously wasn''t when he displayed his ability to move it. She was interested in this for a variety of reasons, one, how Afton was able to survive such a deadly disease. Two, who he was able to literally regrow his arm back. And three, the strange black veins that covered his body at this point. She coughs into her hand, "*Ahem*, if you could lie back on the bed that would be appreciated." she says as he begins retrieving her medical instruments, many vials, swabs, needles, and Petri dishes. Afton shrugs and does so, "So, you come here often?" he jokes, hoping to test out how effective his [Lady Killer] Perk really is. It didn''t directly influence all his interactions with the female sex, but sometimes he did feel an urge to say certain things. Though, the occasions when it does are few and far between. Usanagi just shakes her head at him, "You are much more... Social, than when you were here previous, Mr Parker. Could the Fungus have had such an effect?" she says, shutting him down completely. "No, I don''t think so... Though, I don''t remember those trousers of yours being so tight before either." he shoots back, deciding to just ham-fist it until something works... He is literally in his underwear right now anyway... "Perhaps a problem with your vision or memory as well then?" she drawls, walking over with a couple vials and swabs. "Open your mouth." Afton does as she says and waits as she swabs the inside of his mouth, nose and ears. Afterwards, she draws blood from his plant arm, as well as some regular blood. The former of which is dark and almost a green colour, which surprises her immensely. "Strange... How is the blood in your arm different to the blood everywhere else... Are the systems not connected?" she quietly mutters to herself before scraping some bark, and leathery skin off into a petri dish. Afterwards shoving all the samples into a machine nearby. Afton shrugs at her question, "Maybe it''s something to do with these black veins of mine..." he guesses. She looks up from her contemplation and nods, using a needle to take a blood sample from the veins, much to Afton''s reluctance... He wasn''t afraid of needles but, having one so close to his eye was rather unnerving. "Couldn''t you take some blood from somewhere else?" he complains, as he had more veins like that elsewhere. "It was the easiest place to extract from... Stop whining, I thought you were a man." she challenges. Afton furrows his brow, "Men don''t get penetrated. They do the penetrating." he states. "Then you haven''t been a man for some time. It was months ago with I first ''penetrated'' you. Remember?" He sighs, "How long''s this gonna take? I''d rather have the Implants before I start my next job." "Ah-erm..." She looks over at the machine, "An hour or two... Or three?" Afton sits up, "Can you give me the Implants while that''s happening? I''ve got better shit to do than wait around all day." "Ah, wait, wait, wait... I still want to examine you to compare the findings afterwards. And I want to make sure it''s as accurate as possible, so no Implants until after... Besides, I have no idea if the Implants will conflict with your mutations" Afton frowns, "You know, if it''s gonna take this long I might as well just pay for the Implants. I''m not all that worried about the side-effects either." he says, not wanting to sit around all day. "I will pay you 100 caps to stay here and let me properly examine you." she finally states, eager enough to find the secrets of his body that she was willing to pay him. Afton shakes his head and is about to refuse when an idea pops into his mind, "I don''t want caps... Do you remember what Pre-war doctors used to give to well-behaved children?" ... Not knowing where this was going, Usanagi answers properly. "I''m sure it was candy or something similarly sweet." Afton grins, "More specifically, what candy?" ... "Lollipops? I don''t see why you are asking me this... Unless you want me to treat you like a child and give you one... Something I can''t do as I don''t have any." she explains, thoroughly confused. Afton raises a brow, "You don''t have one? Oh, that''s a shame... I do have an alternative though..." She sighs, wondering just what her patient actually wanted, "Fine, what do you want?" He shrugs, "You don''t have any, but I do... Suck on it for a while and I''ll stay put." he states it outright. The bulge in his underwear signalling that they weren''t talking about candy anymore. ... Usanagi scowls at him for a moment, before eventually realising she''d not taking one kind of sample... She mulls it over in her mind before coming to a decision. "You don''t tell anyone. And you release into this." she says, raising a vial. [Lady Killer is in effect] Chapter 347 - Relieved... Afton breathes out a long sigh as he exits the New Vegas and adjusts the collar on his Stealth suit. He had to say, he wouldn''t mind attending the ''Doctors'' again if given the chance. Though, he''d probably need something else she wants in order to do that... The many cheesy pickup lines he''d tossed at her didn''t seem to have much of an effect if he were honest. Regardless, he glances at the notification boxes that he came here to acquire.?? [Perk granted : Perception Implant] [Perception Implant] : +1 to Perception [Perk granted : Endurance Implant] [Endurance Implant] : +1 to Endurance [Max level for Perception reached! Perk granted : Danger Sense] [Danger Sense] : Gives you the ability to sense danger, the severity, and direction should it be a direct attack. Afton smirks at all the Perks but raises a brow at the web-slinging Vaultboy in a blue and red suit... He shakes his head and ignores it, deciding to find his companions. Judging by the sound of shooting in the distance, he should head that way. A short walk later and Afton''s greeted with the sight of Karl and Boone giving Anja and Josie further instruction on their shooting. Both were ''alright'', but neither were good enough to be called experts as of yet. Their skills were at the level of a common grunt soldier, not bad, but not good either. Afton slowly walks down and greets them all, "Yo!" causing Dog-meat to get up from his resting position and run over to him. Karl turns and nods at him before continuing to poke faults in Josie''s form. "You got what you wanted, kid?" Afton''s about to reply when Nyx does so for him... "User has acquired two Implants improving his Optics and Cardiovascular system. The Doctor was also thorough enough to relieve their stress-" "Oi, Nyx, shut the fuck up." Afton quickly whispers to his suit, "You know what they say, don''t you? Don''t kiss and tell." "But you and Doctor Usanagi didn''t kiss at all... Perhaps you regard her kissing your-" "*AHEM!* Er, Nyx seems to be malfunctioning, give me a moment." Afton says, walking away and quickly whispering to Nyx as the others watch, obviously aware about what''d occurred now... Karl crosses him arms and sends a surprised look to Boone, "Honestly? Didn''t think that gal had it in her, nor the kid..." Boone shrugs, "You know what they say about Doctors... Fascination with peculiarities. That or Necropheliacs..." Josie shakes her head at him, "Gross... I''ve met Doctor Usanagi, she didn''t strike me as someone like that... Maybe a bit too uptight for her own good?" Afton comes back and scratches the back of his head, "Alright... SO, you guys are doing target practise huh?" "We''re about to finish for the day, so maybe you could tell us about what you''ve actually been doing these past months... I doubt anyone will overhear us now... That, or you can tell us what went down with a certain Doctor..." Karl drawls. "Hmm, well it all started two months ago-" he immediately starts when he hears them talk about ''doctors''. He shakes his head before going further though, "Look, this is gonna be a long story, can we make a fire and get some food on before I start?" The others nod and start preparing it, eventually leading the group to sit around a fire looking expectantly at Afton. "Well... When I left Anja at the Clinic, I drove down nearby Nipton to where a ''Doctor'' was supposedly going to be... I didn''t find any. All I found was a crashed satellite of some sort, I passed out before I knew what was happening. Once I woke up I found myself in an incredibly comfortable bed-" he goes on to explain the Think Tank, Big Mt, the scientists and Doctor Mobius. Of course, he leaves out anything that could indicate the actual location of it, while he trusted Josie and Boone to some degree, he was still unsure about where their true loyalties lay... Whether it be with him, or the NCR. He explains that he befriended the psychopathic scientists and promised to deal with Mobius for them if they''d give him one favour in return. He shows them the Sonic Emitter, Stealth suit, and Proton axes. The latter of which surprises them greatly. "Holy shit! It''s a lightsab-" Josie shouts out but has her mouth blocked by Boone''s hand. "Quiet... DO you want us to get sued?" he quickly asks, causing her to stop struggling and go silent. "Good." *Ahem* Afton coughs into his fist, "Yes, it looks like a Saber of Light..." he says before looking around conspiratorily. He then displays the axes ability to easily slice through rock and scrap metal, making Karl incredibly jealous. "Don''t be like that Karl... I''ll have one made for you someday." he says, placating the former ranger for now. "Anyway-" Afton explains how he''d uncovered most technology held in Big Mt, finally going on to challenge Mobius but instead finding a doddering senile, old fool. "After finding Mobius, I decided to ignore him and instead retrieve what they stole from me... My brain." "Hold up, you say they stole your brain? How are you even alive right now?" Karl asks, finding it hard to believe. Afton shrugs, "Once I arrived in Big Mt they Lobotomized me and attached machinery to allow my brainwaves to be transmitted. I still had limited access to my brain, but it was simply stored elsewhere. They also stole my spine and tried the same with my heart... Fortunately or not, the fungus they''d managed to neutralise was too embedded in my system to allow my heart to be properly extracted." "This all seems... Too advanced. Sounds to me like space-age technology, some shit the Brotherhood of Steel would, and most likely have killed for." Josie states, the others who knew about them nodding in agreement. Chapter 348 - Ambush? "Yeah? That''s because they are ''that'' advanced. Big Mt literally has real Holograms and forcefields..." he says, causing the others to look at him with suspicion... Sure he''d showed them some high tech stuff, but holograms and forcefields were shit you''d see in sci-fi movies and novels... Not something that could be made in real life... Though, by the way Afton looks and his miraculous survival, it was somewhat believable. Afton himself elects to avoid telling them about the Giant Robo-scorpion that was currently being repaired, the army of super-advanced Cyberdogs, and Big Mt''s teleportation technology.?? "Yeah... There were some side effects of contracting the fungus though." he mutters, pulling back his sleeve and revealing his ''plant-arm''. Josie gasps, but everyone else just looks on appraisingly at the limb, "So that''s where that thing came from... Huh, you think I should try out the ''fungus treatment'' if I lose somethin''?" Karl asks semi-sarcastically. "I think that''s what Doctor Usanagi was trying to figure out as well. But I doubt it. The serum used to neutralise the fungus removes its ability to spread and produce spores. I reckon another hour of no treatment and I''d be one of those Spore Carriers we found in Vault 22." he says, glancing to Anja who nods grimly. "Spore Carrier?" Josie asks. Afton nods, "Basically humanoid plant zombies that were way faster than a regular human could move... They crawled on all fours and had no eyes, somehow sensing their surroundings with sound alone. It wouldn''t have been all bad down there, the Spore Carriers and deadly fungus were tough enough, but there were more mutated strains..." "Like what?" Josie asks, curious. He shrugs, "A rose-bush that swung whips that had poisoned thorns covering them, plants that''d shoot deadly acid out of their mouths. And a giant tree that could literally cause an earthquake by itself..." "Freaky... You don''t think I''ll have to fight anything like that, do you?" she timidly asks. Karl shakes his head, "I fuckin'' hope not. Otherwise, I''m headed in the opposite direction. I''m just a retired soldier, I ain''t dealin'' with world-destroying threats like that shit you described." Afton nods, "Yeah, same. If we see anything like that I''ll find a way to get rid of it without going near. I''ve had enough close calls this year..." ... "So what''s the plan for the Deathclaws?" Josie asks. Afton shrugs, "I was thinking to grab some of those Fiend corpses and use them as bait. They won''t have started rotting yet, but''ll be pungent enough to attract some attention from at least the younger Deathclaws. After that we''ll find a good position, trap the fuck out of the land between us and them, and snipe at them until they''re all gone." Boones nods, "Good enough for me." "I don''t know... I''ve seen Deathclaws climb better than most creatures... Even if we find a high place to set up, they''ll be on us in minutes depending on the distance." Karl explains. "Yeah, that''s why we''ll ambush the young ones first. The only thing that''ll be tough to deal with is their numbers. The big ones will be fairly easy to put down with a couple .50cal shots to the head, but if twenty, thirty, or maybe even forty young Deathclaws charge our position, we''d be up shit creek without a paddle." "You guys are making this sound less and less appealing..." Josie mutters, Anja nodding in agreement. "It''s alright... If any reach us we''ll just have Dog-meat bite their ankles or something." Afton jokes, the Cyberdog barking along as if affirming him. Karl just grumbles at him, "Whatever, if I die doing this job I''ll come back and haunt you all." he says, turning around and laying out his sleeping bag. Afton chuckles and begins doing the same, deciding to get up bright and early tomorrow so they can scout the area around the quarry before doing anything. ... The next day the group is all on their way towards the highway leading to the Quarry. Josie and Anja were ''competent enough'' to be useful should shit hit the fan, so Afton didn''t they needed any last-minute adjustments to their technique. Unfortunately, as they were about to enter the danger zone classified as Deathclaw territory, Afton felt a foreboding feeling coming from the West of their position. Without even waiting for the first shot, he throws himself at the others, pulling them all to the ground just before bullets whizz past where they''d just been standing. "What the hell is that!" Karl exclaims, wondering who would be attacking them this close to NCR territory... Camp McCarren was literally just a couple miles up the street after all. "I don''t know, but I doubt they''d be willing to tell us." Afton says, pulling his Ant-Material rifle off of his back and aiming down the scope, spotting the enemy... "Ah... That makes sense." he quietly mutters, but the others hear him despite the bullets whizzing overhead. "What?" Karl asks. "Some old friends of ours Karl... Powder Gangers." Afton states, before looking around in confusion. "Wait, where''s Dog-meat?" ... The others glance around as well but don''t see the animal... That is, until they all hear a loud bark that echoes through the desert. Afterwards the bullets stop, the only thing audible being the sound of a man screaming while getting mauled. Afton looks through his scope and spots Dog-meat tearing the flesh out of a guys arm while his unconscious buddy lies next to him... The sonic blast must''ve taken out the other one. "Found him... Maybe we can get some answers out of them after all. Good too, my torture techniques were getting rusty." Chapter 349 - Staring Death...-Claws, In The Face. The group quickly approaches the two downed men, Afton whistles at Dog-meat, allowing the dog to stop mauling its unfortunate victim... The Cyberdogs metal teeth and enhanced jaws had ended clean through the flesh and bone in the man''s arm, he''d either need extensive surgery to be able to use it again, or amputation to stop it from getting gangrenous or infected... And that''s only if you could stop the profuse bleeding. Afton smirks down at the injured and crying man, "Howdy!" he mocks in a stereotypical cowboy voice, "Didn''t expect to see any of you folk down ''ere, must be ma'' lucky day!"?? *Slap!* Karl cuffs Afton around the ear for being stupid, "Stop with that stupid voice and act serious for a moment, will ya''?" Afton shrugs and focuses on the Powder Ganger, "So... Are you gonna start speaking or should I warm up my tools?... If you last that long anyway. If not I''ll just use your buddy instead." he threatens, sadistic glee obvious in his voice. "F-F-Fuck you!" the Powder Ganger stutters out before spitting at the ground near Afton''s feet. Afton just shrugs, "Alright." before punting the man in the side and beginning to beat the shit out of him with his fists. By the time he''s finished, the man''s face is a bloody mess, if the others hadn''t quickly up a Tourniquet on his mauled arm, he would''ve bled out before Afton was finished. Unfortunately, even with the vicious beating he''d just had, he still wasn''t willing to talk... "Alright." Afton mutters, "Time for plan ''Crucify you for your friend to see''" he says, dragging the man over to a large rock. "N-NO! NOOOOOO!" The Powder Ganger upon hearing this screams, "DON''T DO ME LIKE THEM! NO! I''LL TALK!" Afton grins, good thing the guy agreed as he wouldn''t have crucified him like the Legion had done back in Nipton... As hypocritical as it might seem, he felt himself better than those savages, so doing anything even remotely similar struck him as unnecessary... "Now that we''ve come to an agreement... TALK." "W-we was just scouting the area for NCR! We never thought we''d run into the traitors... P-please let us go!" Afton glances over at Karl, "Shouldn''t the NCR have wiped out the Powder Gangers by now? Especially since we did most of the work." Karl just shrugs, "Apparently not. ... Afton crosses his arms and hums, "Youknow what? Fuck it. It''s the NCR''s problem to deal with. We aren''t janitors so we''ll not go around cleaning up their shit." he states, the Powder Ganger''s eyes lighting up with hope. "So you''ll let us go-" *BANG!* Afton''s only response to the man''s words is a bullet to his skull, he then walks over to the other Powder Ganger and does the same... While he could continue interrogating them for the Powder Gangers base, he really couldn''t be asked to try. Why should he clean up the NCR''s shit if they weren''t gonna pay him for it? He imagined that once they cleared the Deathclaws out of the Quarry, the supplies would begin getting harassed by the Powder Gangers, giving the group yet another bounty to eventually claim. "Add those two to the sleigh" he says, Anja and Josie reluctantly dragging the bodies and tossing them onto the pile with the Fiend corpses. Afton had been the one dragging it as he was strong enough to do it without breaking a sweat. He''d not bother exhausting everyone by taking turns, he needed the min tiptop shape after all. They continue down the highway until they end up between a large canyon holding the Quarry, and Black mountain which was currently completely infested by Deathclaws. Even now he could hear Tabitha''s broadcast over the radio... No one had dealt with her yet, probably due to the Deathclaws if he were honest. Afton stopped dragging the Sleigh and gave everyone a look, "Keep watch while Karl and I plant bombs on the corpses. You see anything, you call it out, we ain''t risking shit for this job, so be careful." he states, and retrieves the many mines they''d bought from the Gunrunners. It takes around ten to twenty minutes to properly fix the mines on the fifteen corpses they had. Making sure the mines didn''t fall off or improperly activate. They weren''t armed currently, but once the bodies were laid where they needed to be, they would be. He looks to Anja, "I would get you to scout, but Deathclaws have a ridiculous sense of smell... and, well..." She gives a deprecating smile, "I know... I''m a ghoul and I stink, just do what you need to, sir." she says, only giving the slightest indication that it bothered her... Whether it was because of her ghoul nature or because her primary duty in the team was being taken, the group didn''t know. Afton nods apologetically and begins climbing the canyon wall, eventually making it to the top. Once there he starts surveying the land. Further up the highway, there were around eight Young Deathclaws that were patrolling around... Despite their age though, they were still much larger than a regular human and had claws that could shred steel. He looks over to the Quarry and spots all the heavy machinery the NCR had brought in to mine the place. It was a very dusty and rocky area, allowing the Deathclaws to hide their eggs in a variety of places... It''d probably take days to find them all, which the group would end up having to do... His initial estimate of how many there were was a bit wrong... He''d thought there''d be sixty to eighty, but without counting the baby Deathclaws, there was around one hundred. Already, he could spot the huge, black-scaled brood mothers that trod around with many Baby''s following in a line like ducklings... Yeah, this would be difficult. Chapter 350 - Slice And Dice? Afton quickly returned to the group and reported his findings, he didn''t even need them to reply as their grim looks said everything. Even the usually stoic Boone had his left eye twitching slightly, a sign that he was less enthused with the situation. "I think the plan will be to kill the young ones not currently inside the Quarry before setting the traps at its entrance... They are far enough away that clean kills won''t alert the rest to our presence. Afterwards, we can lay the corpse bombs between us and them while we snipe any who show their ugly mugs." he explains.?? Karl slowly shakes his head after a moment, "Won''t the Supermutants try to intervene? They have bigger numbers than the NCR thought... They could probably take over Camp McCarren if they wanted." "No, I don''t think they will... The reason so many Supermutants have travelled to the mountain in the first place is to avoid contact with humans. You could consider them the more ''peaceful'' members of their race... I suspect the only one who wishes to harm humans is Tabitha, the one on the radio that spouts Supermutant supremacy shit." Afton says. "You sure? Feel like you''re relying on a hunch instead of actual information... There''ll be no escape if we''re attacked by Supermutants while dealing with the Deathclaws..." Karl continues, and Afton can empathise with him, if he hadn''t spent years monitoring the Mountain in the Brotherhood bunker, he''d feel the same. However, he had what some would call an indicate understanding about just who was residing on the Mountain... If the Supermutants up there weren''t so peaceful, the cult-like Brotherhood would''ve tried to wipe them out years ago. "Trust me, they probably want the Deathclaws gone as much as we do... They''d probably even help if we asked. But I''d rather not resort to that." Afton says, he doubted the NCR would be willing to share the territory with them, even if they did, Afton didn''t want to fight an NCR, Supermutant alliance when he eventually went against them. Karl sighs, "Fine, whatever you say kid... Just don''t bitch when I say ''I told you so''." Afton chuckles, "Yeah, yeah... Keep hoping, old man." he looks to the others, "Alright... I spotted a good position opposite the Quarry entrance that''d give us a good sight-line of the Young Deathclaws. Leave the corpses here for now, we can''t risk attracting them... Yet." he states and everyone nods, quickly following Afton as he leads them to the sniping point. As the group are sneaking to their destination however, they seemed to attract the attention of a single young, Curious Deathclaw... They were too close to kill it without attracting the other seven that were patrolling around, the group would likely sustain injuries if they were charged while in this position... "I got this... You guys just get into position." Afton states, activating his two Protonic Inversal Axes. They spark to life with bright purple blades of light that spark with similarly coloured electricity... The sudden light show only seems to interest the Deathclaw further, as it rears back and sniffs the air before suddenly charging at him with claws bared. Afton doesn''t flinch away either though, beginning to sprint at the Deathclaw as well. The group behind Afton can''t help but watch as the two fighters clash... Afton abruptly before reaching the Deathclaw and cuts at the clawed hand coming straight at him. The Inversal axe easily slices through the offending limb, and the Deathclaw gives a guttural roar of pain in response. The sound seems to know the group out of their stupor, and Karl quickly ushers them into position before the sound of combat can attract more Deathclaws. Afton slashes the Deathclaws face as it tries to bite at him, burning a long, deep, black line in its scaled face. It rears back slightly at this, and Afton takes this opportunity to lunge under the animal, slashing its Achilles tendon and forcing it to its knees. Afterwards, he leaps onto its back and cleanly decapitated it, leaving a large cauterized wound in its wake. The body drops to the floor lifelessly, and Afton is about to try and regroup with his team when more roars could be heard... He turns and spots three more Deathclaws coming right at him. Before they''re even able to charge however, bullets start flying from the sniping position he''d designated. *BAANG!* *BOOM!* The trademark sound of an Anti-Material rifle firing echoes throughout the area, the .50 cal explosive bullet striking a Deathclaw directly in its face, burrowing into its flesh slightly before detonating, sending a shower of blood and bone fragments to pepper everything nearby. The headless corpse unceremoniously flops to the ground as the other two give enraged roars and charge Afton anyway. Not even seeming to notice their brother''s bloody demise. More shots ring out, this time from Kar''s LMG, and Josie''s Marksman Carbine, and most likely also from Anja''s Silenced 12.7mm submachine gun... Though, it''s hard to tell the latter apart from the rest. One of the approaching Deathclaws is peppered with bullets and attempts to shield its face with a claw, but finds its leg absolutely mauled by bullets. The other is about to reach Afton but receives similar treatment from earlier, having its head blown apart with yet another explosive .50 cal round. Afton watches as the crippled Deathclaw continues to try and defend itself, but in the end, it''s futile. Its skin wasn''t as tough as the older Deathclaws, allowing the bullets to riddle its body until it eventually falls unconscious due to blood loss. Afton marches over and finishes it via decapitation and quickly makes his way back to the group. Chapter 351 - Cookie Jar... Afton reaches the sniping point and looks at the others as they reload their magazines. It was clear just how tough and dangerous Deathclaws were by looking at how tough their young are... The young Deathclaws were weaker, smaller, and less tough than their parents, yet they still took hundreds of bullets from multiple weapons to properly put one down. If he, Boone, and Karl didn''t all have Anti-Material rifles ready, Afton would have never taken the job... He honestly doubted if small weapons fire could harm a Deathclaw at all, perhaps if putting a bullet in its eye, but that''d only piss it off further...?? Indeed, Afton certainly wasn''t looking forward to fighting the brood mothers, the largest and most fierce of their kind. "Alright... You guys see any more around? There should be three younger ones outside the Quarry. The group looks around but only see''s one in the distance, walking back into the Quarry, likely with the others. "Looks like they''ve returned to the Quarry... Time to start setting up traps?" Boone asks, and Afton nods. "Yeah... Karl and Boone''ll keep watch with their snipers, Anja, Josie, you''re on me." he states. "Urgh, do we have to? Corpse-muck gets under my nails..." Josie mutters, looking as grossed out as the last time they told he to drag corpses. "Yes." Afton states, quickly heading to where they left the corpses. There were a couple Gecko''s taking chunks out of them, but a few bullets put the fear of ''god'' into them. After that Afton and the others start dragging corpses to the entrance of the Quarry. Nyx keeps an eye out with her sensors to make sure they weren''t going to be ambushed anytime soon, and fortunately, Deathclaws were easy to sense due to their larger than average weight. It isn''t long before Afton the others leave the last of the around fifteen corpses in front of the Quarry. Afton tells Josie and Anja to head back up to the others while he himself activates the bombs planted on the corpses... Wouldn''t want to lose a companion by making them set up bombs... Once everything was done, Afton headed back and sat down with the others, taking a short food break so they would have the energy should combat take longer than expected... "So, you guys ready for this?" Afton asks. Josie shrugs, "It''s a bit too late to back out now..." "I think we''ll do fine, sir." Anja quietly says. Karl and Boone just give short nods in response. Afton stands up, "So, we''ve got three choices right now... Wait here for Deathclaw to spring the traps and eventually realise we''re here... I go as bait... Or Dog-meat goes as bait..." he holds a hand up as Anja prepares to offer herself up too. "The only reason I have chosen myself or Dog-meat is because we might be faster than the Deathclaws... Anja, you definitely are not fast enough to outrun one of those things." Karl shakes his head, "I''m still on the fence as to whether you''re faster than one o'' them." Afton shrugs, "Whatever... For now, I think we should have Dog-meat draw a couple out. If I go as bait I can''t shoot with you guys, and I doubt the girls here would be strong of skilled enough to use an Anti-Material rifle..." The other two nod while the girls pout, they knew it wasn''t an insult to them, merely an observation. Females were generally weaker than men, there is no argument about that... Though, some would dispute that fact should they ever face Tamia in combat... Regardless, they all eventually decide to send Dog-meat first. The dog should be able to outrun them for a time, and the fact that he was an animal would attract the Deathclaws more than a human would... Most animals tend to try and stay away from humans after all, Deathclaws were no exception, and that was the main reason they took control of a place so far away from a human settlement. After all is said and done, Afton kneels next to Dog-meat and rubs the dog all over, "Alright Dog-meat, you''ll be running over to attract some Deathclaws already? You better be careful, I doubt Glados will appreciate it if you are eaten... Ok?" The dog quickly nods its head, its cybernetic enhancements boosting its intelligence enough that it can understand the orders it''d been given. "Woof!" it barks out before quickly running towards the Quarry. "Does that thing actually understand you, or were you just talking outta your ass?" Karl questions, the others giving similar looks. Afton shrugs, "If he had vocal cords he might be able to speak out language... Don''t doubt the effectiveness of cybernetics, hell, there''s a dog the size of a large Deathclaw that''s around two hundred years old down in Big Mt, it''s only lived until now due to the cybernetics it has. ... "So, er, where might a guy get some of these cybernetic?" Karl asks after a moment, causing the others to chuckle. "I know you''re an old dog, but I doubt dog cybernetics will work on you..." he says, mentally adding such a thing to a list for the scientists to research further. "Ah, a shame... Seems like I''m doomed to get older..." Afton gives him a dull look, "Aren''t we all?" Before the former ranger is able to retort, they all hear roars coming from the Quarry. Everyone immediately looks down the sights of their weapons and gabes at the fifteen large Deathclaws chasing after Dog-meat. Afton would have laughed if the situation wasn''t so dire, as Dog-meat looked like he''d been caught in the cookie jar... "Aim for the head, try not to eat Dog-meat!" Afton calls out, immediately making a shot for the nearest Deathclaw to Dog-meat. *BAAANG!* *BAAANG!* *BAAANG!* Two more shots ring out, courtesy of Karl and Boone, while Anja and Josie hold their fire for when the enemies inevitably get closer. Chapter 352 - Change Of Plans! Immediately, three Deathclaws have their heads explode in a bloody mess, their bodies dropping lifelessly and creating an obstacle that the others have to jump over. This gives Dog-meat enough time to completely pull away from them, taking him out of immediate danger... The group continue shooting at the approaching Deathclaws, Afton shooting the fastest while Boone was in close second. Karl however who was generally not use to this sort of weapon, lagged behind and occasionally fucked up the bolt-action.?? Regardless, the group managed to thin out the enemies to four Deathclaws which were rapidly approaching their position. *BAANG!* *BAANG!* *BAANG!* Afton explodes the head of one while Boone does another, Karl strikes one in the shoulder but doesn''t manage to kill it. This left two Deathclaws still charging their position, though Afton highly doubted whether the one with a crippled shoulder would be able to climb up to them. He supposed he''d never find out as Anja and Josie start firing. Most of Anja''s submachine gun bullets bounce off of its thick, scaled hide. But it does manage to make it flinch, Josie''s manage to pierce its flesh slightly, but definitely not enough to break bone or go further than skin level. The weapon fire does make it incredibly difficult for the Deathclaws to climb to them however, the force of the bullets making the creature flinch and reel back, stopping their progression. This gives enough time for Afton and Boone to reload and take another shot. *BAANG!* *BAANG!* *CRACK!* The two Deathclaws have their heads explode simultaneously, finishing off this wave of their attack... By now Dog-meat had finally claimed up to their position, but once everyone with some degree of Deathclaw knowledge sees him, they take a step backwards. "Dog-meat... What the fuck is that in your mouth..." Afton mutters, jabbing a finger at the egg in its mouth. "OOOoohhh, fuck." Karl breathes, his eyes flitting to the Quarry entrance where a few brood mothers had started coming out, their noses following their missing egg... "Get that fuckin'' egg outta here!" Karl quickly whispers, "The whole fuckin'' nest will be up in our collectively fucked asses if we keep hold of it!" Afton nods and grabs the egg from Dog-meats mouth, quickly dousing the dogs face with water to remove the scent of the egg. "You guys stay here, I''ve got a plan but I need you to stay quiet and not attract attention!" he says before running towards the Quarry entrance. By now around forty Deathclaws were following the brood mothers, all of which was seething in rage at one of their eggs being stolen. Afton sprints over and activates his Stealthboy, he wouldn''t be seen, but they''d still smell the egg... Which is exactly what he wants. He waits for half a minute until the Deathclaws smell him, and once they start headed in his direction, he sprints directly for Black Mountain. "Fuck you Deathclaw douche bags!" he shouts, causing the Deathclaws to speed up their advance and start sprinting towards the scent of their egg. Afton, despite his superhuman stats, was only barely faster than them. Nyx kept him updated on the distance between himself and the enemies behind him, as he didn''t dare look around to see for himself. Fortunately, Black Mountain isn''t that far away. Soon enough he managed to reach the bottom of it where a small shack sat. He spotted a Supermutant peeking his head out of the shack, gaping at the Deathclaws and then retreating back inside... Yeah, even those green ''supermen'' didn''t want to fuck with Deathclaws. As Afton was invisible and produced no sound due to his Stealth suit, the Super Mutants didn''t notice him running past them and up the mountain. Though, they did notice the army of Deathclaws he brought in his wake. "AHH! BIG LIZARDS!" One shouts and starts revving up the Minigun they were holding, immediately starting to blast a barrage of bullets at the ''big lizards''. The Deathclaws were unfazed however, simply charging up to him and cutting his head clean off. By this time every other Supermutant on the mountain was aware of what was occurring, charging into battle themselves. Blue skinned Night-kin appear from their invisibility and swing large make-shift blades at the animals, slashing quite deep despite the tough hides of the Deathclaws. The green-skinned Supermutants fought less with melee weapons and more with range. So with their elevated position they continued barraging the invading Deathclaws. Casualties on both sides were piling up, and Afton was inwardly cheering for both sides mutual destruction... Unfortunately, it seemed like the Supermutant leader, Tabitha decided to get involved. Tearing a rocket launcher from the arms of another mutant and beginning to fire at the Deathclaws, the accurate shots quickly decimating their numbers. Afton watched with a raised brow as the Supermutant accurate headshot Deathclaws for the top of the mountain... He hadn''t been expecting that kind of accuracy from something as usually dim-witted as a Supemutant... Especially not one dressed up like Luna Lovegood... Having achieved what he needed, he leaves the Deathclaw egg hidden in a rocky crevice up the mountain. But not before cracking it slightly so the creature within wouldn''t survive. This was to make sure that if they failed to deal with the Deathclaws, the Supermutatnts would be forced to due to them wandering up the mountain following the egg''s scent. Once done, he washes his hands off of the scent and heads back to his group. Almost half the Deathclaws had been dealt with without them having to lift a finger, so things were looking up for the group... For now at least. Elsewhere : Neil peeks his head out after the Deathclaw invasion had been stopped. He breathes a sigh of relief at still being alive... He had no idea what had caused this, or whether anything was responsible at all. Perhaps the Deathclaws simply wished to move from the Quarry to the mountain? Regardless, he''d need to begin scouting the place to make sure they''d be ready for another attack like that... He didn''t think they''d survive another one... "Damn, I hate this place." he mutters, feeling sorry for himself. Chapter 353 - Downfall Of Death...-Claws Afton returns to his group looking no worse for wear, they''d been dutifully holding the position while what sounded like a war was going on. Though, the fact that Afton was standing here right now meant that the group of Deathclaws had been dealt with. Before he says anything else, he walks over to Dog-meat and waggles his finger at the animal, "Bad dog. Don''t take eggs from Deathclaws nests"?? The Cyberdog whines but after doesn''t care and continues to tell it off for a couple minutes. Once he was thoroughly satisfied with his ''disciplining'' of Dog-meat he turns to the others, "Alright, the Supermutants kill all the Deathclaws, but suffered heavy casualties as a result. You guys ready for another round?" "You mean luring some more Deathclaws towards us?" Karl asks. Afton nods, "Yeah. We''ll send Dog-meat again... Hopefully, he won''t steal any more eggs. I do doubt that the Deathclaws would be willing to send so many out of the Quarry now though, so it''ll be pretty easy to kill the stragglers who''re baited." "Our traps killed a few Young Deathclaws by the way." Boone says, pointing over at the Quarry entrance where a few craters and headless Deathclaw bodies were lying. "Nice." Afton mutters before looking at Dog-meat, "Alright boy, I''m giving you another chance here, go bark at some Deathclaws and come back here... WITHOUT AN EGG!" "Woof!" the Cyberdog barks before sprinting off towards the Quarry once again. "Odds that the mutt comes back with another egg?" Karl quietly asks in exasperation. "Fifty-fifty I think." Boone adds, already looking down the scope towards the Quarry. And so the group slowly begins thinning out the Deathclaw ranks, Dog-meat luring groups of them, single large males, and once even a brood mother. A couple hours pass and they eventually realise that another problem had sprung up... "The rest ain''t comin'' out... Are they?" Karl asks, tapping his foot in boredom. Afton shrugs, "Well, they must be smart enough to know when not to follow the strange death-bringing dog... That or we''ve finished them all off already... Which I doubt." "What are we going to do, sir?" Anja asks, feeling pretty useless as she''d not had to use her weapon for an hour or so now. The Anti-Material rifles doing their jobs very effectively. "What else is there to do? We go in ourselves. Even if they''re all wiped out, we still need to destroy their nests and eggs." he says, getting to his feet. The others follow a good distance behind him as he slowly approaches the Quarry entrance, having Nyx keep an eye out with her proximity sensors. Afton enters inside the Quarry and quickly notices the lack of Deathclaws in the immediate vicinity. Though, the group do notice a couple nests lying about here and there. No one attempts to destroy them as of yet however, as the smell would undoubtedly bring the rest of the Deatclaws charging at them. The group took up a position at a raised point in the Quarry as Afton continued sneaking around, eventually spotting a large group of Deathclaws huddled together in a clearing. There were around three huge brood mothers, most likely the strongest of the pack. They had thick grey scaled hides and stood almost twice as tall as the other adults. Clearly, they were attempting to protect their young from whatever threat had begun attacking them... That was eerily intelligent for supposed creatures bent on death and destruction, but Afton wasn''t about to question his morality after slaughtering most of them already. So, he dropped to a knee and took up aim, focussing his scope on the temple of the nearest brood mother. Once he knew he had a clear shot, he pulled the trigger and blew its head clean off! He made sure that his silencer was off so the rest would notice and follow him... Fortunately, they didn''t need much other motivation than that. The headless corpse of the brood mother enrages the rest of them as they charge at him. Afton quickly sprints back to the others, explosive .50 cal shots ringing out as they begin firing at his pursuers. Afton quickly climbs to their position and joins them in firing at the approaching Deathclaws, decimating them before they can even get close. There was the small problem of the Young and Baby Deathclaws charging at them, but Anja and Josie made short work of them with a barrage of rounds. Similar fights like this continued throughout the Quarry, Afton baiting small groups of Deathclaws and the group killing them all off without much trouble. Eventually, all of the Deathclaws had been wiped out, which only left destroying the nests. "I know it''s stupid to ask, but... How much do you think these eggs are worth?" Afton asks while shaking the yolk from the shattered egg off of his boot. Karl shrugs, "Oh, I don''t know... Five-hundred? Eight-hundred? You''d be hard-pressed to find a buyer though. Only folk who want these are crazies or scientists." Afton''s eyes bulge at the number of caps they''d been smashing, "Why didn''t you say so sooner!? These things are worth their weight in gold!" he exclaims. Karl shakes his head, "Did you not listen to a word I just said? Even if you found a buyer, they wouldn''t be able to afford hundreds of eggs... Take some along if you want, but I''m not hurting my back to carry ''em." Afton reluctantly nods, scooping couple Deathclaw eggs into his backpack... They were headed to New Vegas soon so, maybe he could bet it in a poker game? That seemed like a fun thing to try. "I wouldn''t want you guys to touch one of these anyway, any wandering Deathclaw would be attracted by the smell from miles." "I don''t much care about that. Take as many eggs as you want, as long as you promise not to try and hatch one as a pet... I swear to whatever higher-being exists I''ll put a bullet through its skull before it can make a squeak." Chapter 354 - Old Acquaintance With all the Deathclaws eliminated along with their nests, the group packed up all their gear and began to move again. While they could return to Camp McCarren and immediately accept their reward, Afton decided that they could claim it later... For now, their destination was Novac. Before they left though, they made camp to rest after the long day they''d just had... As it was Afton''s watch, however, he left Dog-meat in his place and snuck back into the Quarry. He''d already found the coordinates that he needed for teleportation, so all he needed to do now was gather all the stuff he wanted to transport...?? It was a tough couple hours of work, but he eventually managed... He''d gathered all the Deathclaw corpses and eggs he''d saved into a big pile and calibrated the coordinates so that all of it would be transported. Yeah, sure, it''d take a shit load of energy to do, but Borous would appreciate the opportunity to study the creatures, not to mention the fact that he wanted Glados to process the leather into something workable... He left a note atop the pile of corpses basically telling the AI to make him some protective clothing he could wear from the brood mother corpses... Their defensive properties were a double-edged sword, it''d protect the Deathclaws, but also made them valuable targets for hunters looking for their leather. With a *CRACK!* of lightning, the pile was gone, leaving a small cloud of smoke behind in its wake. With all that done, Afton made his way back to camp and woke the next person up so they could take watch. The next day they travelled along the highway that both Karl and Afton were very familiar with. They''d spent enough time patrolling them with the Powder Gangers that they almost knew them like the back of their hand... It was strange to see them empty, with the occasional trader to Sloan. No other bandits had set up shop around here, and Afton was sure it was due to the NCR finally clearing up the area. After a day or so of walking, they eventually reach Primm and are immediately greeted with an old friend. "Hah! Look who the cat dragged in, an old hair-ball and ''fastest gun in the Mojave''... Seems like you''ve picked up some pals between last I saw you." Sheriff Meyer exclaims from the lawn chair he was sitting on in front of the town. He still wore his Powder Ganger jacket, but now looked armed to the teeth with a rifle and many pistols on his hip. His black and grey speckled beard has grown out long, and he still had the black hat he never seemed to take off. Currently, he was sitting in some shade with a beer in his hands, watching the highway Primm was next to. Karl scratches his steadily growing beard in irritation, "Sounds ''bout right. Give you a lick of power and you''re already drinkin'' on the job and harassing passerbys... Still an improvement from your old gloomy self." he retorts, walking over and enthusiastically greeting the man with a pat on the shoulder. Meyer shrugs, "Yeah, well, I can say the same thing. You lot look like you''re headed to fight an army..." his eyes go over Afton, "And you kid, you planning to hold one of those pistols with your third leg?" he jokes. Afton shrugs, "Unfortunately not, your mother seems determined to keep it in her mouth as long as possible." he snipes back, the three of them laughing like old friends. Meyers looks over at Boone, Josie, and Anja. His glance at the latter is less hospitable than the rest, but he knew voicing it would not turn out well for him. If Karl and the kid were willing to let a ghoul travel with them, it must be for good reason. Instead, he simply nods at them, "Howdy, in case you didn''t notice the badge, I''m the sheriff of Primm. Former... Associate. With the cowboy duo there." he points a thumb at Karl and Afton. Boone gives a stiff nod, if he wasn''t already aware of Karl and Afton''s history with the Powder Gangers, he''d be much more hostile to the man still wearing their regalia. Josie was still new to the group and hadn''t heard about it. Even so, despite her rather comfy job in Camp McCarren, she knew who and what the Powder Gangers were. Leaving her with a less than ecstatic first opinion of the man. Anja was of the opposite opinion however, the man had obviously given a cautious look at her, but he''d not said anything derogatory yet, putting him in her ''good books'' for now. Meyers glances at the Cyberdog panting next to Anja''s leg, "You even got a dog? If I didn''t know any better I''d say you guys were preparing to hunker down and start a family. He waggles his thick eyebrows, "I don''t know what''s between you two, but we at Primm don''t discriminate." "Fuck off, Meyers." Karl states before continuing, "We just got done clearing the Deathclaws along the highway and Quarry, so you''ll be seeing more trade come through soon enough." Meyers gapes at them, "You''re sayin'' that you lot took down the shit-load of Deathclaws down there? Forgive me if I call bullshit on that." he states, and no one could really dispute him as it did seem farfetched. Afton grins at him and pulls a Deathclaw egg out of his bag, "I guess this is just an above-average chicken egg then." he says, causing Meyers to audibly swallow his saliva. "You sure you killed all of ''em? Otherwise, the survivors might come sniffin'' after their eggs... I''m tough but... Not tough enough to fight those things off." he sheepishly admits. "You''ll be fine. You think we''d be able to steal an egg and get away alive if we hadn''t killed them all first?" Meyers slowly nods, "I suppose... Alright. Why don''t you folks come in, Primm has changed a lot since you last visited." he says, gesturing them all inside as he leads. Chapter 355 - Prim Primm Elsewhere : Elder McNamara was slumped in his chair while rubbing his temples, the recent report had everyone on edge. But not only that, it had a few partitioning him to release the lockdown and allow the Chapter to start actually performing their duties.?? They''d been trapped in this bunker for years now, and McNamara was more or less leaning towards actually listening to them... Their pursuers the NCR had been continually pushed back by the Legion and barely had enough men to keep their roads safe, let alone search for the Brotherhood... Even then, they''d already given up looking many years ago. Despite all this, he was still incredibly wary of actually revealing themselves to the outside world again. Their position made it almost inevitable that they''d be attacked on two fronts from both the NCR and Legion if things continued to progress as they currently were. You would think that the Legion would be more lenient in their dealings with them, but you''d be very wrong in that assumption. The Legion hated any and all technology more advanced than a simple ballistic weapon. Even then, he''d read reports that most ran into combat with nothing but machetes... If everything wasn''t bad enough yet, the ventilation systems were still on a crash course for failure. Dust particles were steadily beginning to gather, no one had notified yet but in a couple years the situation would be untenable... And that''s not even mentioning his most recent report... Apparently, a literal army of Deathclaws charged up Black Mountain. Usually, he and the rest of the Brotherhood would celebrate at the deaths of so many Supermutants, but they still hadn''t determined the reason the Deathclaws attacked in the first place. This was very, very worrying. No information in their database on Deathclaws gave any indication, so, as most would do in this situation, he sent some Knights to scout the Quarry to see what was going on... McNamara sighs to himself when he remembers it. They''d found almost nothing. Not ''nothing'' in the ''nothing had occured'', but ''nothing''. As in theentire Quarry was entirely emptied of Deathclaws. His men did notice signs of battle, blood spatters and craters here and there, but no corpses. This should have been impossible. If the Deathclaws had been killed, then their corpses should still be around. Unfortunately, he had no scouts in the area at the time, so they were currently in the dark about what''d happened... It was possible that the Deathclaws were attacked and simply moved to another location... But that wasn''t good for the Chapter either. The reason the bunker was in such a good location was because the NCR rarely moved through the area. Now that the highway was clear, the NCR would begin using it for supply routes, making their situation more tenuous than ever. Hardin and his supporters would only make things worse, as they simply could not leave the bunker now, or after the trade routes start. Once single mention about someone seeing a Paladin would have the NCR storm back into the area... They may not miss their bunker the next time. Elsewhere : Afton and the rest of the group are lead into Primm, he and Karl both gawking at the previously desolate place that''d apparently regained some vibrance. Some of the ruined building had been given a make-shift patch up while many new faces seem to have settled here. In the main street, Afton could see a few stalls selling small amounts of vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuffs. Hell, there was even a Geckop roasting over a fire, making the whole area smell of roasted meat. "Is this the same town we saw months ago? Because right now, I''m on the fence." Afton states, surprised at the dramatic change. Meyers chuckles, "I''m surprised, considering you two are primarily responsible for it." Both Afton and Karl raise a brow at him and he continues, "With the Powder Gangers almost entirely eliminated from this area, we haven''t had trouble from raiders for a while. The few who tried seemed afraid that you''d come back and sort them out." he says gesturing at Afton with a smirk. "Personally, I can''t see what they''re so afraid of. You don''t look like much, even with that goofy outfit and all those guns." he mutters. "They must''ve heard about what he did in Westside... I''m not gonna bitch t though, fuckers deserved it." Karl spits. "Yeah, I heard somethin'' like that... Butchered two kid-fuckers in front of everyone and threatened to do the same to anyone else who committed similar crimes." Meyers shrugs, with Anja and Josie giving Afton a weird look. "What? They literally sold children to the Fiends. They should be lucky I hadn''t just castrated them and let the crows have ''em." Afton says disinterestedly. Meyers just shakes his head, "Anyway, most of the folk who come here now are runnin'' from the Legion. They''ve apparently taken to raiding small settlements and enslaving any they capture. So, families ''av been headed West to escape them. Fortunately for us, we''re in the perfect place to get protection from the NCR, while also not paying taxes." he explains. "Not paying taxes?" Afton mutters, "I wouldn''t be surprised to see the NCR taking forces from the front lines to make you pay them." he says semi-sarcastically. Meyers shrugs, "They need people stationed here for us to pay taxes. Right now the closest NCR base is the Mojave Outpost south of here. Anyway, the lack of taxes has only encouraged folk to settle down here, the lack of raiders and Legionaries is just the cherry on top." he explains. "All this talk is making me worried about Novac." Afton mutters. He wasn''t wrong to be afraid either, as Novac was the closest settlement to Nelson, the place that the Legion had recently recaptured. Chapter 356 - Ed Edd And ED-E The group continues walking around Primm, Meyers showing them the various improvements that''d been made. The casino had been ''fixed up'' and the Bison Steve Hotel had finally been cleared of the bodies Afton and Karl had left there. It''d also been renovated to the best of the resident''s abilities and made into a proper hotel. Though, right now no one was paying rent. Instead, it was basically owned by everyone in town and people who didn''t have another residence would simply stay in one of the rooms.?? Meyers said it was messy and a bit mismanaged but worked for the influx in population for now. As they walked Afton eventually spotted another familiar face, Johnson Nash. The elderly man was sitting in a lawn chair with any mechanical components on the floor in front of him. "Huh, would have thought you guys''d make him Mayor..." Afton mutters, having got the impression back when the old man pulled a pistol on him in the casino. Meyers chuckles, "He is our mayor..." ... Indeed, that brought many questions... "Why is your mayor selling scrap metal and not managing the town?" Afton asks with a dull expression. "He''s a smart guy, why can''t he do both? Not like having an office makes you a better mayor or somethin''. This way he can earn some money without being a corrupt asshole like most of those douchebags." Meyers scoffs, and Afton had to give it to him, that certainly a benefit. Before they walk past the old man''s stall however, something catches Afton''s eye. "Hang on... Is that an Enclave eyebot?" Afton murmurs to himself, bending down and looking the robot over. He remembered reading about these things in the Brotherhood database, they were apparently designed to spy on the populace and broadcast propaganda. "You know what this thing is, kid? I tried to fix it up but never managed it... The wife wanted it outta the house..." Nash admits. "Yeah, I know it... Yo Nash, you remember me?" Afton asks. The man gives him a glare and eventually nods, "Bout to say you looked familiar. My mind must be leaving me if I couldn''t recognise the guy who saved our asses. How''ve you been doin''?" "Good." Afton states before focussing on the robot, "Anyway, how much for the robot? I doubt anyone other than me would be interested in it, and even if they were it''d only be for scrap metal." he explains. Nash shrugs, "50 caps." Afton suppresses his enthusiasm and slowly nods before handing the caps over, "Fair." "Hmm? I guess you''re stayin'' the night then? I doubt you''ll be wanting ta'' lug that thing around the place." Meyers says from the side, looking at the heavy exercise ball-sized machine Afton had just purchased. Afton nods, "I''ll get it fixed by tonight, we''ll be gone tomorrow. That alright with you guys?" "Course, you guys can take a couple rooms in the hotel." Nash adds, and the group nod gratefully at him. "Alright, since we''re stayin'' here for the day, I might as well hit up the casino. Need some practice for New Vegas." Karl adds, leaving and taking Boone with him. Afton looks to the girls, "Guess we better pick out some rooms, we can go see what trouble those two''ll get themselves in afterwards." he says, carrying the robot towards the hotel. The group spends the rest of the day relaxing in the casino, they weren''t strapped for caps in the least, especially since they''d just completed one of the best paying jobs the NCR had. Once they returned to Camp McCarren they''d be one of the richest group in the Mojave. As well as the most well-armed. Some of the group are confused at why Afton isn''t trying to fix the machine now, but he just waves them off saying he''d do a couple tweaks to it at night. Obviously, these ''tweaks'' would be him sleeping next to it and allowing [Mechanicus] to do the job. From what he''d learned by looking the robot over, it''d apparently been shot out of the sky and had a few vital components damaged. Nothing too difficult to fix, but annoying nonetheless. Fortunately, like most robots, it had some basic info printed on the inside of its chassis... It was designated Eyebot Duraframe Subject E, but Afton decides to just call it ''ED-E'' as it seems more... Fitting? Hopefully, it''d have more personality than most robots, otherwise he might just render it down to its components and use them to upgrade his next vehicle. Unfortunately, most of the other information he''d hoped to find in the chassis had been destroyed by external sources... Bullet holes make it difficult to read after all. "What do you think Nyx?" he asks, wanting to know his ''closest'' companions opinion on the robot. "I hope it will be fun... I wish it could sneak, but it doesn''t have legs..." she mutters. He chuckles, "You don''t need legs to sneak you know... In fact, lacking legs probably makes you better at it." "OOooohh? Shall we remove yours then? You can always be better at sneaking, user." ... "Er, no. I need my legs for, eh, walking... Anyway, we''ll see what ED-E is like tomorrow morning." he states. As the night rolls around, Afton and the rest of the group are forced to drag Karl''s drunk and unconscious body to their hotel room... Seems like he''d gotten a bit too ''relaxed'', though, it was funny to see him brag about killing a Deathclaw nest and having no one believe him. As recompense for getting drunk while they still had things to do, the group writes a few things on his face with marker pens. Due to the lack of mirrors around the wasteland, Karl would probably not find out until someone mentions it... Chapter 357 - Meet The Team... The next day Afton was awoken with an unfamiliar sound at his bedside... He wipes the dust from his eyes and takes a blurry look at the disturbance, afterwards spotting the metal ball floating in front of his face while beeping away happily. ...?? "Couldn''t you do this like, five minutes later?" he asks with a tired frown. "Beep Beep-wooo!" it chirps happily, though Afton has no idea what it just said, or even if it was intelligible in the first place. ... "Nyx, did you understand any of that?" he inquires, hoping his AI would have some way to translate the eye-bot''s peculiar and strangely expressive beeping. "I''m not sure... Is there a port I can interface with?" she asks, a wire sticking out from the wrist of the suit. Afton raises a brow and is about to start looking to robot over for a port when it turns around and presents it to him, as if it''d understood what they were saying. "Huh, that''s a good sign." he mutters, plugging the port in... To be honest, this felt oddly sexual despite the lack of, you know, sexuality... "*Ahem*, is the port in correctly Nyx?" "It is, give me a moment." Afton nods and sits up, grabbing some water out of his bag and sipping it to wake himself up faster... Nyx seems to be taking her time, so he brushes his teeth and prepares everything else that might be needed for travel. After a couple more minutes of holding his wrist up against the eye-bot''s port Nyx finally finishes. "User, this eye-bot seems to possess information on how to manufacture more of it. It''s a Prototype Duraframe model, and seems more suited for combat than records on the Enclave suggest. This model you have named ''ED-E'' has been tasked with delivering this information to an Enclave base somewhere in Navarro, though this data seems far more encrypted than the rest... It is currently beyond my ability to decipher, perhaps my younger sister would have more luck?" Nyx explains. Afton rubs his face, what''s an eye-bot with top-secret information doing wandering the wasteland alone?... The Prototype Eye-bot schematics drew a lot of his attention however, his ''dream'' was to conquer the Mojave, and he wasn''t planning on doing so via typical means of uniting people and overthrowing the current ruling government. No, robots were far more loyal and stable. These Eye-bots gave him more leeway though, he could make hundreds or maybe even thousands of them and have them patrol the Mojave as a sort of police. It wasn''t out of the means of possibility, and seemed pretty easy to do once the Think Tank was properly set up. "Dog-meat! Come here." he calls, the Cyberdog trotting through the door not long after, "Nyx, transmit the data to Dog-meat so he can send it to Glados." "Will do." she chirps and ports into Dog-meats neck, the Cyberdog going silent as it begins sending the data to Glados. It''d take a couple hours as they would be encrypting the data before sending it off, while Afton didn''t think anyone would be able to pick it up, it was better to be safe than sorry. While that''s happening Afton looks to ED-E and gives the robot a poke, causing it to wobble in mid-air. "So, since your duty as been completed and all of your data is being sent to the Enclave, what will you do now?" he asks, making sure to emphasize that its duty was done. "Beep Beeeeep!" ... "Nyx?" "ED-E says that it does not know, it is supposed to be reprogrammed after the information was transmitted to prevent anyone stealing it." she translates. Afton shrugs, "Er, ok." he says, not really wanting to waste time reprogramming it, "I am now your owner, you belong to me and exist to protect me and all I own. Understand?" "Beep?" "''What should I do with the data I possess'' it asks." Nyx says in a dull voice, obviously concentrating on transmitting data to Dog-meat. "Delete it." Afton states, knowing that Nyx had already downloaded it. After a couple second ED-E beeps again, signalling that the data had indeed been deleted. Afton smirks at the fact the Enclave would never receive the data that was rightfully theirs. [Companion gained : ED-E] [Comapnion Perk gained : Enhanced Sensors] [Enhanced Sensors] : Enemies are easier to detect and target, even while cloaked. Huh, Afton wasn''t sure that Perk was actually any good... Didn''t Nyx basically already do that? Hmm, maybe it affects her as well? "Nyx, something just happened, do you feel anything different?" he asks. ... "Not that I am aware of?" she says, wondering if her sensors were malfunctioning at not sensing anything. She deactivates and then reactivates them to see if there was a problem, and only then spotting what''d changed. "User, my sensors have somehow improved?... My range has almost doubled and has become better at detecting peculiarities in the terrain." Afton nod with a grin, "Good... Now, how long left until the data transfer is complete?" "Two hours and forty-six minutes." ... "You serious?... God damn it." he mutters. "Alright ED-E, come with me, it''s time to introduce you to everyone while we have time." ED-E ends up receiving a ''warm'' response from the group. Boone didn''t really care, Karl wanted to know if he could rig a mini-nuke to it, Josie wanted to deconstruct it, and Anja disliked being unable to talk to it. Indeed, a very ''warm'' response. Though, the robot didn''t seem to care. It just continued hovering along and beeping happily. Afton wasn''t sure whether it was programmed this was, or whether it was simply just an easy-going robot... Chapter 358 - NCR : Not Really Conspicuous Once the group was up and the hung-over Karl was watered, they headed back into Primm and picked up some travel supplies before headed out. They bid farewell to Nash and Meyers and went south along the highway. Unlike last time Afton had trodden this path, there wasn''t an army of giant ants to contend with, allowing them to simply stroll up to the giant NCR range statue. Though, as they were headed up the hill to the outpost, the group noticed that all the debris on the road had been shifted to the side, the broken vehicles, the scrap metal, etc.?? Most of the group were still pondering why that was when Josie decided to just tell them. "Well, you can''t exactly drive a convoy of trucks through a road filled with garbage. No wonder they moved them... With the other route to California blown to pieces, it had to be done sometime." she explains. Afton nods in understanding, realising that yeah, without the Divide route the convoy would be forced to head through this outpost... Though, at least they''d have some good news for Ranger Jackson. Once the group reached the outpost they are greeted by Sgt Kilborn who still seemed to be stationed here... Judging by the black bags under his eyes, he ain''t enjoying it neither. He recognises Afton and Karl and welcomes them in, updating them on the recent news as they walk to the barracks. Apparently, the raids from the Legion had stopped after Nelson was captured, but once the Legion retook it they sent almost triple the number of Legionaries into the Mojave, decimating the settlements near the river. Afton noticed that Cass wasn''t sitting around the bar anymore, and found that she left as soon as the Legion had been temporarily dealt with... Kilborn was worried that she might have gotten caught up in the conflict though. He''d make sure to keep an eye out for her, she was one of the top candidates to join his group after all, plus, they were drinking buddies. "Yo, Jackson." Afton greets the tired-looking Ranger who was currently slumped over a pile of paperwork. "Ah... Howdy...!?" he starts upon seeing Afton and Karl, a big grin forming on his face as he gets up and shakes their hands. "Aha? Welcome back to paradise on earth boys, didn''t expect you to ever come back if I were honest." Afton smirks, "Well, we''re really just passing by to give you some good news." he pauses, "Remember those Deathclaws north of here?" he asks. Jackson nods, "Yeah? The big ass nest of ''em tearing anyone who tries to pass to pieces. What about ''em?" "Yeah, well, they''re dead now. The route should be safe enough for a few caravans to pass through... I''d still be careful of the Supermutants on Black Mountain though." Afton explains and chuckles at the ranger''s reaction. Jackson''s eyes almost roll out of their sockets as he stares at him, "You what now? If this is a prank, it ain''t funny." he states. Karl shakes his head at the side, "It''s true, we took the bounty from Dhatri in Camp McCarren. Stocked up on a bunch of Explosive .50 cal rounds and went to down at a distance. Wasn''t so hard really..." he says, receiving funny looks from the rest of the group. "Weren''t you pissin'' your pants not wanting to accept the bounty, Karl?" Boone blankly asks. "Nah, why''re you fabricating stories? Anyway, the road should be clear." Karl quickly changes the subject after being called out. Jackson gives them a brief nod, "Well I don''t think you guys could''a come at a better time. The trucks are supposed to be passing back through here today, so if you''re telling the truth I can send them north instead of near Legion territory. *Bwaaaaaaummm!* The sound of a horn going off in the distance alerts the group, most are ready to pull their weapons and await an assault, but Jackson just waves his hand and calms them all, "Hold your horses, that''s just the signal that the convoy has arrived." he says, headed outside as the group follows. They walk outside and approach the gates looking further south out of the Mojave, and spot a long dust trail being created by five large NCR trucks that seemed to be the same ones that were in Camp McCarren. Or at least, Josie seems to think so. "If we weren''t headed to Novac to fix up a car, I''d have half a mind to leave you guys right now." she says, looking affixed at the trucks as they drove towards them. "Because you want to drive them, or?" Afton inquires. "There''s no ''or'', I just wanna drive one until the tires give out!" she quickly says as the group steps back as the gates open to allow the convoy through. The trucks stop inside the outpost and a Ranger hops out of the lead vehicle and heads towards Ranger Jackson. "G''day to you Ranger, just pass me the paperwork so we can get through here before some shit can happen." the man asks, seemingly slightly on edge. Though, Afton doesn''t blame him, Josie almost got kicked out of the NCR for him accidentally repairing one of the trucks... Afton couldn''t imagine how nerve-wracking it would be to drive one. It''d be like a different method of playing Russian roulette... Afton and Josie begin walking around the convoy to take a look at the vehicles conditions while the others mill around buying supplies, cleaning their weapons, and speaking with the other NCR troopers present. As they''re walking, Afton notices something odd however... One of the NCR troopers he''d seen sitting around the outpost before the convoy had arrived is seemingly examining the vehicles too... Though, the way he''s looking around for people lets Afton known he doesn''t want to be spotted. If Afton''s Perception wasn''t maxed out, he may not have noticed the man either, so he must have some practice at this... Of course, as Afton was keeping a close eye on them, he was easily able to see the small package the man is attempting to stick onto the underside of one of the trucks. Chapter 359 - Sabotage The Saboteur! Time seemed to slow as he watched the perpetrator attach the package to the underside of the truck... He honestly couldn''t care if the truck was destroyed. The loss of the truck would be a massive blow to the NCR, for their overall resources as well as their morale. The disruption to the supply line would also be incredibly effective in allowing a Legion ambush to successfully tackle them further down the road. Depending on how powerful the explosion is. the entire convoy may be forced to stop, allowing Legionaries to potentially destroy or capture the trucks and resources they hold...?? But, that isn''t what Afton is concerned about... No. The thing that worried him the most was his seeming ''Double-Agent'' status among both sides of the war. The NCR had no idea he working with the Legion, but once they found out they''d probably do their utmost to assassinate him... If the NCR found out that he had ties with the Legion, and was also present when a bomb was planted on the convoy, fingers would not doubt be pointed at him... If he stopped them though, he could simply say that he was ''their'' double-agent, working to gather information and stop Legion plots. Of course, stopping the sabotage attempt would have many repercussions with his ''handlers'' in the Legion. He knew he was in a disadvantaged position due to the information they were holding over his head, and any sign of resistance may just lead to them resorting to drastic measures... ... He rubs his face, damn. When did this shit get so complicated?... He has no idea how he wants to go about this, but... Perhaps he could find a solution that''d leave him in the clear? Yeah... Afton gestures at the truck in the lead, "Man, I wonder where that scuff on its bumper comes from." "The what!?" Josie exclaims, quickly marching over to examine it as Afton excuses himself. He briskly walks over to the sabotouer and pats him on the shoulder, causing the man to whip around with a hand resting on his holster, "C-can I do something for you?" he quickly asks in surprise, no doubt wondering if he''d blown his cover. Despite it still being up in the air as to who the man''s loyalties lied with, Afton was almost entirely sure it was the Legion... So, Afton flashes the strange coin with a cross on it. Afton suspiciously looks around before quietly saying "Ave, true to Caesar." The man blinks at him in surprise before quickly nodding and reciprocated, "Ave, true to Caesar... Who sent you? I was not told I would have assistance during my briefing." he asks. Afton nods, "Of course you wouldn''t, if you were captured my duties would be in jeopardy. Is your task complete?" The man nods, "It is, as long as their route remains the same, our men should be in position. It will be a devastating blow to our enemies." "I see, quickly, come with me, my task has encountered some.. Interference." Afton says as he briskly walks away from the convoy, behind a building in a location almost no one seems to visit. The spy stops and looks at him expectantly, so who was Afton to leave a man hanging... Afton bends down to tie his shoes and draws a knife from the boot, immediately lunging forwards and stabbing the man in the throat, abruptly cutting off the scream in his throat. He gurgles and tries to push Afton off, but his strength doesn''t match even half of Afton''s. After a couple more seconds of squirming, the man drops dead and Afton gently lowers his body to the floor, wouldn''t be good for someone to hear it and discover the body. Afton wasn''t really sure what to do with the body, burying it would take far too long, people would notice if he burned it, and leaving it here would allow it to be noticed eventually... He shakes his head, whatever, as long as no one links the man''s death with himself then there was nothing to worry about. All that needed doing now was removing the bomb planted under the truck. Fortunately, that would be the easiest part of all this... He activates the Stealthboy and quickly makes his way to the truck, reaching under and disconnecting the bomb and retreating to the toilets before anyone was the wiser. Once inside he deactivates the Stealthboy and begins examining the bomb, his Max level Explosives Skill allowing him to quickly figure it out. Obviously, the bomb was some kind of plastic explosive, most likely C4. If this amount had been left under the truck, it may have destroyed more than jus the single truck it''d been planted on... The amount of C4 he currently held in his hand was enough to level a large building if placed correctly. He was quickly able to deactivate the timer mechanism attached to it as well, leaving him with a large amount of usable C4... He wasn''t really sure what he''d end up doing with it, but it was better to have it than to not! Once he double-checks that it isn''t activated, he stows it away in his backpack and leaves the bathroom, arriving back where Josie was ''coddling'' the truck. "How''s that scuff looking?" he asks from behind her with crossed arms. "Which one... They''re all covered in them! It''s as if they''re not taking care of them!" she exclaims, apparently having not noticed his momentary absence. In the end, Jackson lets the Ranger leading the convoy know about the Long 15 having been cleared, but they made sure to radio into Camp McCarren to confirm this... A couple hours later, and everything was checked, allowing the group to travel north and not worry about Legion ambushes. The convoy leaves and Jackson profusely thanks the group for their services towards the NCR. He even attempts to get them to stay longer, but Afton didn''t pay any mind to it. He''d rather get moving before the NCR could discover the spy''s corpse, any links between it and them wouldn''t be a welcome one. Most would say that they were walking away with nothing, but that isn''t neccecarily true... Atleast, not for Afton. [NCR Rep gained!] [NCR Rep : Liked] Chapter 360 - Back At It Again With The Red Assassination...? When all was said and done the group departed from the Mojave Outpost the day after the convoy arrived and left. They headed directly east towards the ruins of Nipton, the town that''d been destroyed by the Legion months ago. They walk through the now void of life salt-lake and spot the destroyed town... Afton thought that people might have started migrating to settle there now that the roads were cleared, but apparently not. It was still as empty and desolate as when the Legionaries first arrived.?? The group passes through uneventfully and eventually reach Camp Searchlight. The green fog that used to pervade the place had thinned out slightly, this is most likely due to Afton and Karl closing the container of radioactive waste when they first arrived. They continued to walk towards the camp and eventually spotted Sgt Astor. The man seemed surprised to see them, but happy nonetheless, even if the bags under his eyes gave him a tired and miserable look. Afton and Karl greet the man, and he warmly reciprocates. The Smalltalk lasts for a couple minutes until the Sgt gets to the crux of the issue... "Yeah... To be honest, I don''t know if you guys stopping the source of the radiation is a good thing or not..." Astor admits, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Afton raises a brow at this, wondering why clearing radiation would ever be a bad thing. "What do you mean?" Astor sighs and leads the group inside a military tent, gesturing at the map of the local area. It had many dark coloured pebbles stationed around a pencil-drawn circle which indicated the irradiated zone of Camp Searchlight. "Each of these pebbles signals a squad of legionaries... We''ve received reports that they''re getting more aggressive north of here, and might be looking to pass through nearby us." "And you think once they realise the radiation is fading, they''ll send a full force before the NCR can send reinforcements?" Karl asks. Astor gives a grim nod, "That''s exactly the situation we''re looking at. I''m sure you guys know how thin our forces are already spread, the only reason me and my men have survived this long near their main encampment west of the Colorado is because of the radiation. Once they notice the fog is clearing, I don''t think there''ll be anything we can do to stop them." he explains. Karl nods, "If they breakthrough here, they''d be able to attack the Mojave Outpost and flank the other positions North of here... It''d be a massacre, I reckon the NCR would have to give up the Dam and converge in Camp McCarren to hold onto the Mojave..." "Isn''t there something we can do?" Josie asks, not looking happy with the situation at all. Boone shrugs and looks to Astor, "You hear about what me and Afton did in Nelson a few months ago?" Astor thinks for a moment before chuckling slightly, "That was you? Good on ya''." Boone nods noncomittally and continues, "Well, I don''t see why we can''t do the same here." he says, prodding a finger at the Legion positions. Karl grunts, "I don''t know if that''s a good idea... You know better than most just how many Legionaries are down in Cottonwood Cove. I don''t know if we are ready to take on numbers like that yet, though, I''d be willing to try..." he looks to Afton, "In the end, it''s up to you kid... You haven''t led us wrong yet." Afton frowns in thought and leans against the desk, thinking what they should do... If they did this, he''d have to assassinate his target not long after, otherwise once the Legion learned of his actions they''d ''cut him loose''. The actual task itself wouldn''t be all that difficult, they had the equipment for it, the opportunity of surprise, and the skills to make use of it. Though, even if they got rid of the squads, the Legion would eventually send more... Doing this would only delay the conflict slightly, and that''s only ignoring the many other strategies the Legion could potentially use. "I think we might be able to do it... Under one condition." he eventually says, looking to Astor who straightens up as if he was being addressed by his superior. "Yes?" "I want you to claim responsibility for clearing the squads away... I don''t want our names to be attached to it, it''d make our lives significantly more difficult that it has to be. Can you do that for me?" Afton asks, sending a hard look at Astor to show just how serious he was. Astor quickly nods after processing the information, "That''s fine... I''ll make sure my men are aware of this as well, no mention of your name will leave our lips, you have my word." Afton shakes his head, nothing could be hidden forever, especially a secret as big as this that''s known by so many people. Someone is bound to slip up... But hopefully he''d be ready for it when it''s brought to light. "Alright. We''ll do it." he says, turning around and looking at his companions, "Me, Boone, Anja, and ED-E will go deal with the squads. Karl, Josie, and Dog-meat will scout around the area to make sure we won''t miss anyone. That good with you guys?" They all nod in affirmation, and he continues, "I''ll just say this outright, take no prisoners and let no one escape. People cannot know we were here... I''ll leave what to do with any hostages or slaves to your discretion..." he says meaningfully, though, Josie is the only one who seems a little put off by his last order. She was the newest member of the group (aside from ED-E but he didn''t count), so she''d not experienced just how brutal the jobs could sometimes be... She honestly wasn''t sure if she could make herself execute an innocent person like Afton was not so subtly suggesting... Chapter 361 - Bull Brutality Silas Vincent, a newly recruited Legionary soldier sighs as he shovels dirt over the newest grave they''d been forced to dig. The life he was currently living was far away from what he''d wished in the past... His tribe had been subsumed by the Legion, and he''d been drafted into service with threats of harming his family if he didn''t. His superiors acted like craven animals, this grave he was currently digging was for the most recent death of one of the people they''d captured. Silas simply couldn''t wrap his head around the sheer brutality of them...?? They''d captured a few NCR caravans and taken the resources for themselves, along with taking any ''valuable'' captives. Of course, ''valuable'' meant ''not male'' to his superiors, and Silas wasn''t sure whether it was propper Legion procedure to commit such acts in the line of duty. This must''ve been the tenth grave he''d had to dig in two or three weeks. And to be honest, he was getting fed up with it. Hearing the screams of their victims as he slept in the tent along with his fellow Legionaries. He''d asked what his friends had thought about it, and they just shrugged and gave the same answer, every time... Survival of the fittest. He sneers to himself, if that were true, then wouldn''t it be within his rights to sneak into their tents at night and execute them? In all honesty, the only reason he hadn''t done so yet was because of the threat to his family. Then again... If his family was being treated how their captives were, he''d rather die fighting the bull than doing their dirty work while they stomp on everything he and his tribe believes in. SILAS VINCENT WASN''T EVEN HIS REAL NAME! They stole his original one while giving him one ''more suited'' for their Legion. He growls and throws down his shovel, "That''s it!" he quietly mutters, finally making his choice. DAMN THE CONSEQUENCES! HE''D BRING JUSTICE TO THOSE THIS BARBARIC CIVILISATION HAS HARMED! NO ONE WILL STOP- *BZZCH!* In internal diatribe is abruptly stopped when a strong sound makes itself known, he tries to turn his head but finds himself unable... Instead, his vision stumbles slightly before falling forwards, rolling midair and revealing his newly decapitated body, along with a man wielding a glowing weapon he''d never seen before. Ah... Shit. Afton POV : He grabs the body before it can drop to the floor and quickly drags it away out of sight. He''d targeted the further Legionary from the camp that seemed to be digging graves, not a good sign in his ''honest'' opinion. Regardless, he glances over at a raised position where Boone was stationed not too far away. He''d be covering him and Anja while they slowly dismantled the camp. Anja herself was patrolling the outskirts of the camp with ED-E to kill off any Legionaries that manage to escape his wrath. He looks back towards the camp and observes it, the typical red tents that the Legion employs were rather numerous in their number. If he had to guess, there should be around thirty or fifty soldiers here, though, he was unfamiliar with Legionary tactics, so it could be completely wrong for all he knew. Nearby he could see many brahmin roped up to a large pile of scrap metal, likely having previously belonged to the caravans they''d raided. In the middle of the camp was a much larger tent than all the others, and despite it being midnight, he could hear faint sounds of screaming and most discouragingly of all, laughing. Deciding to see who their captives are before reducing the camp to a smouldering pile, he activates his Stealthboy and sneaks into the camp, Nyx''s quiet, helpful suggestions making it far to easily to infiltrate the place. Once the coast is clear, he lifts up the makeshift cloth door of the tent and steps inside, his nose immediately scrunching at the obvious scent that punches him in the face. If there was a smell he hated more than anything it was this, along with the blood, and other impurities he could smell along with it. He could see people bound with ropes over at the side, most were women, but he noticed a few ''boys'' as it were aswell... In the middle of the tarp were a few barely clothed Legionaries rutting with dishevelled and obviously unwilling women. Most were trying to fight them off, but a few had blank faces and looked limp and lifeless. "GET OFF OF ME! I''LL KILL YOU ALL! CASTRATE YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE!" A familiar voice roars, and Afton immediately recognises them... Cass. She was as fierce as he remembered, and the only thing that prevented her going on a rampage were the five men struggling to hold her down. Finally having enough, Afton deactivates his Stealthboy and loudly draws Lucky and The Fallen Ranger Sequoia. Quickly, all eyes turn to him the Legionaries immediately realising what was happening and scrambling to find their discarded weaponry. *BANG!* A single shot kills one of the Legionaries, causing all of them to pause and look at him in fear. "Which of you is the leader here?" he asks unempathetically. No one answers so Afton just kills another, after this the rest point at a single incredibly scared-looking man. "What''s your name?" "J-Julius." they stutter out, eye darting around the room for something to protect themselves with. Afton nods and looks to Cass who was slowly getting to her feet, she dishevelled, barely clothed, and covered in bruises and cuts. He calms his emotions and addresses her, "Cass." "Afton?" she asks, but her surprise is quickly replaced by anger. "Lend me something, will you." she asks, and he already knows what she wants. Still keeping a vigilant eye on the Legionaries, he activates a Proton axe and tosses it at her. She eyes it momentarily before swinging it at the nearest Legionary, the situation quickly breaking into violence. The Legionaries try to overwhelm Cass first to acquire her weapon, but quickly find themselves cut to pieces when they near her. Afton himself decides to deal with the Legionaries personally, holstering his weapons and brutalising them with his fists. The captives just watch on in surprise, awe, disgust, and hope. Even as spatters of blood splash against their faces from the carnage. Chapter 362 - Tough Path By the time Afton and Cass were done dealing with the Legionaries, the whole camp must''ve heard it. The usual screams that were heard from the tent were the all too familiar feminine ones, but instead cowardly male ones. That, and the couple shots Afton''d fired made everyone else all too aware that there was an enemy present. As Afton was shaking off the blood and bone fragments that''d gotten stuck to his fists, Nyx was quickly alerting him to the situation outside.?? "Thirteen hostiles ousid-" *BOOM!* "Ten hostiles outside." she corrects after the explosion occurs. Afton smirks, "At least Boone is getting some use out of the unused Explosive ammo they hadn''t used on the Deathclaws." he mutters before turning to Cass, "Long time no see Cass, I''d make small-talk but this isn''t the time, nor place for it. Are you still good to fight?" he asks. Cass still appears to be glaring at the Legionary corpses, she swings the Proton axe at the body formerly known as Julius a couple more times before looking at him and nodding, "Give me a gun so I can show my appreciation for their hospitality. Mojave style." she states, tossing the axe back to Afton who quickly deactivates and stows it away. Afton gestures at his armoury, "Any preferences?" "A shotgun." Afton nods and tosses her his Sawed-off shotgun, along with a handful of shells. Afterwards, he looks around the room at the hostages one last time before turning his attention to the enemies that were apparently getting closer. He wasn''t sure what to do with them, so he''d decide after all teh Legionaries had been dealt with. "Stay here a moment Cass, they have our position locked down, and I wouldn''t ignore the possibility of them just shooting up the tent and everyone inside..." he says and Cass gives him a hard look but allows his decision anyway. Afton approaches the entrance of the tarp and suddenly shouts, "I SURRENDER!" ... "Afton what the fu-" "Quiet Cass, it''s all according to plan... I AM COMING OUT! DON''T SHOOT!" he yells, slowly lifting up the cloth entrance of the tarp and stepping outside, coming face to face with around ten Legionaries. Most seem unaware of Boone''s presence, despite the fact he''d already killed a couple of them, but a few that were scanning the surroundings knew something was up. To be honest, Afton wasn''t even sure if the Legionaries would allow him to ''surrender'' as the rules of war weren''t exactly their concern. Regardless, he hadn''t been riddled with bullets yet, which meant they wanted to capture him, most likely for questioning. "KEEP YOUR HANDS UP, SCUM! DOMINICUS! DISARM HIM!" one Legionary yells, pointing a dirty-looking hunting rifle at Afton. "Any enemies I don''t see Nyx? he quietly asks his AI. "More hostiles detected, but are too far to detect their number." she quickly replies. Afton nods at this, with her upgraded sensors that meant that they wouldn''t be a threat to him for a while. One of the Legionaries slowly walks towards Afton to try and disarm him of all his weaponry. Afton had other plans, however. He scans the Legionaries and notes the ones paying less attention to him and more on their surroundings. He makes it look as if he was finding his arms to heavy to hold up before abruptly drawing his revolvers. His draw speed was so fast that most hadn''t even realised weapons were being pointed back at them. The [Quick Draw] Perk combined with his maxed out Agility and Perception is the only thing that allowed this feat of inhuman proportions to be performed. *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* Bullets start flying from his weapons, killing three Legionaries before they start firing back in return. However, as soon as Afton started firing, Boone also joins the fight. *BOOM!* An explosion shakes the area as four Legionaries are caught up in it, arms and legs flying off as other brutal injuries cover them. This distraction is enough to shake the aim of the Legionaries enough that Afton doesn''t even have to dodge to avoid them, allowing him to continue firing his weapons until no hostile remains. He scans the Legionaries bodies and doesn''t see any still alive, he gives a brief wave to Boone as thanks before spinning his revolvers back into their holsters. "Fuck, that was cool." "And really god-damned stupid." Cass scolds as she steps out of the tent. Afton shrugs, "Just let me enjoy this, will you? Anyway, there''s still some Legionaries remaining, wanna come deal with ''em?" Cass nods, "I haven''t gotten my pound of flesh yet, so even if you wanted to you wouldn''t stop me from comin''." she states. The two patrol around, following the direction where the remaining Legionaries should be. Most seem to be quickly trying to return to camp, as to why they were gone? Afton really had no idea. Though judging by the fact Anja was sneaking around not too far away, he could imagine the situation. It doesn''t take long to clear up the rest of the Legionaries, Afton''s group simply had better training, equipment, tactics, and information. The enemy didn''t stand a chance, all getting utterly annihilated without managing to do a lick of damage. Afterwards, Afton, Boone, Anja, and Cass all meet up back in the main tent where the captives were being held, finding most of them already standing and unbound, having apparently freed themselves. Afton crosses his arms as he looks at them all, Anja and Boone sending cautious looks at him while remembering his words before starting the job... Afton didn''t really have any idea what to do with them, sure he''d considered executing them all, but that was probably a bad idea for everyone involved. Boone would definitely refuse, and so would Cass, he couldn''t free them as they were aware of who saved them... "Afton, you''re not thinking-..." Boone stops before finishing, not wanting to distress the captives. ... He rubs his face, "Damn, why can''t shit just be simple and easy." he mutters before addressing the group, "Look. I know all of you have experienced something utterly vile and torturous, but I cannot allow you to rejoin the rest of the Mojave. Our identity is incredibly sensitive, and if anyone got word of what''d happened here, me and my entire group would be at risk..." he states, the captives now looking slightly pale at where this was going. Chapter 363 - Delegating Problems... Afton continues to go over his choices, rubbing his temples as he imagines every scenario possible...As far as he could see, there were only three choices... Kill the hostages, rescue them, or do nothing. All of them would have drastic consequences, but he couldn''t see any other way around it... Unless...?? He glances at the hostages and then back at his friends, closing his eyes and going over it. "You guys have two options as I see it." he starts, not bothering to look at the peoples pleading looks. "One, I take you somewhere where you would be comfortable for the duration of your stay, I cannot let you return to your regular lives, so this is your way out. Or, your second choice... I kill you all here and now to stop future problems springing up." Boone and Cass both look indignant and confused at his words, but allow him to explain himself before drawing any conclusions. Afton sighs, "I will use some advanced technology to teleport you to your destination should you choose to live. After everything has settled down, you will be allowed to return to your regular lives, though, I may have to remove certain memories of what you may see." he says. Boone raises a brow at this, "I''m guessing this is from ''that'' place?" Afton nods, "Yeah." he states simply. "Am I the only one who''s finding it hard to believe that you can teleport people?" Cass mutters. "Earlier you were swinging around an axe made of light... But yeah, sure, pick and choose the technology you''re amazed by." Afton drawls before turning towards the captives. "What is your choice? Most of them look very unsure but eventually agree to go along with whatever his plans for them were... They''d just escaped a bloody, violent, and torturous death via the hands of the Legion, so being temporarily held captive by their ''saviour'' didn''t sound all that bad... Plus, some of the captives'' families had been killed as they were captured, leaving them with little to nothing holding them in the Mojave. Afton nods and starts rapidly tapping his Pipboy, afterwards allowing Nyx to take over gathering the coordinates as he got out some paper and a pen. With it, he scribbles a note to Glados to hopefully protect these people as they arrive at the crater. Cass looks over his shoulder and raises a brow as she reads it aloud, "Dear Glados, these are guests and NOT test subjects. I REPEAT! NOT test subjects. Provide them with adequate care until I return and decide what to do with them." ... "You know... I think I''m getting cold feet for this." one of the former captives mutter with the rest of the group nodding. Afton shrugs, "Alright, this will take a couple hours, so to preserve energy we should strike at the other camps and gather any other hostages we find here..." he looks to Cass, "You comin'' or?" Cass shakes her head, "I''m stayin'' here... I''ll protect these guys until you''re back, never know if more Legionaries will return." Afton nods, "Alright, keep the shotgun, you might need it." he agrees, eventually walking away towards the next Legion encampment with Boone, Anja, and ED-E in tow. During the next few hours, the group stumbles across similar scenes to the first camp they encountered. And, just like the first, they dealt with the Legionaries there in the same manner, brutally and efficiently. Eventually, at around 4 am, all the camps had been eliminated. The captives had all been gathered in the first camp and the coordinates had been triangulated for teleportation. All that was left now was to send them off and return to Astor and report what they found. Afton looked at the group of around fifty people, and then at Cass who''s standing next to the group, "You sure you don''t want to come with us?" he asks once more before she''s sent off to the Think Tank. Cass just smiles and shakes her head, "I think I''ve had it with the Mojave, Afton... Nothing goes right here, so getting some distance between me and this place while helping these folks is good enough for me." she says, and Afton nods. He could understand the sentiment, besides, she might be a valuable asset to the Think Tank due to how well-travelled she was. They wouldn''t need to rely on robot scouts and the old world American map to figure out where was what. Plus, she''d probably have a good deal of knowledge on valuable trade routes... Though, Afton was still unsure what he wanted to do with the info was he got it. "Well I''ll be in touch if you ever wanna change your mind... Also, try not to anger the other... ''Unique'' residents at where you''re headed... Not just for your health, but theirs too." he explains before readying the teleportation device. He was unsure how the Think Tank had recovered so much energy before his last round of teleportation, but he guessed that they might be putting his ''Glowing One Reactor'' idea to use. Regardless, he taps the button and give a small wave to the people, just as a lightning bolt strikes their position. Boone and Anja step back at the thunderous sound and shockwave produced, and afterwards quickly look at Afton with aggrieved and angered eyes. Boone grabs his collar with both hands and pulls him close, "What did you just do!?" he growls, having just seen the group they were supposed to be protecting hit by lightning and reduced to nothing. Afton chuckles and shakes his head, easily prying Boone''s hands off of him, "Don''t worry, that''s just how the teleportation functions. It dematerialises them and reconstitutes them in another location, it''s rather crude I must admit, but we''re nowhere near creating small, stable wormholes just yet." he explains, confusing the duo more than anything. Though, from the sound of it, Afton hadn''t just killed all those people for no reason. Chapter 364 - Extortion Boone huffs at him but relents, "We need to talk about your relationship with ''that'' place when everyone''s together... Sounds like you more than just ''escaped'' that place." he states before looking around the encampment. "Think we should burn this place? Personally, I want the Legion to see our handiwork." Afton shrugs, "As long as we don''t leave traces that we were here, do whatever you want... Though, I think we should return to Searchlight before any Legionaries come to visit, there''s no point to being covert if we let them see our faces."?? The group eventually elect to just leave the ruined camps alone so the Legion can get a taste of their own terror tactics. Once they return to camp they''re greeted with a Sgt Astor who apparently hadn''t slept all night. The bags under his eyes were bigger than even, but even with that he looked incredibly happy to see them. "You''re back!? How did it go?" he quickly asks. Afton nods, "All encampments have been destroyed... But... There was a problem..." Astor raises a brow, "If you dealt with all of the camps then I can''t imagine a problem that can outweigh the positives of this..." "Well, we arrived too late to save any captives." Afton states, putting on the grimmest face he could manage without bursting into laughter. Boone sends a sharp glance at the back of Afton''s head but the former-brotherhood member just ignores it. Astor deflates at the news, the happiness of avoiding their encroaching demise washing away upon hearing that the civilians the Legion had captured were dead. If he were to put the feeling into words, he''d say that he felt the collective weight of their lost souls on his shoulders. "I. See." While Afton''s trying to find the right words to console the quietly distraught man, he''s interrupted as the other half of his group arrives. Josie runs through the NCR camp and arrives right in front of Afton while giddily hopping on the balls of her feet, "Afton! There''s, like, three Fire trucks down near the Fire Station! You managed to fix up a pre-war bike, can you do the same for that? Can you!?" she quickly says all in one breath... Huh, he''d actually forgotten about those things... They would make a good base for a vehicle, strong, sturdy, with a large engine capable of carrying around tons of water. The only problem was the fact that they were deep in irradiated land. Sure, he wouldn''t be bothered by it, but Josie''s whole reason for being a part of their group was to help on the engineering side of things. He could already imagine the face she''d make if he repaired it without her. Plus, he wanted Daisy to help with the process as she expediated repairing the bike by a huge degree. This time they weren''t just repairing the vehicle though, he intended to modify it into a veritable fortress, one able to withstand the explosion that''d ended up killing his precious Dirt-Bird. He sighs and looks to Josie, "I think we''d need to transport it outside of the irradiated area before we could do anything do it... I for one don''t want to sit in radioactive materials while repairing it, just because I lost my arm once doesn''t mean I want to grow a third." he explains, causing the woman to pout. He shakes his head at her look and continues though, "But, once we get to Novac, I''m sure we could fix up a vehicle to tow a couple Fire Engines out of Searchlight..." "Really!?" she quickly perks up, her change in emotions almost jarring to those watching. "Yeah... Sure..." Karl arrives not long after Josie does with Dog-meat, though by the twitch in his eye, he isn''t happy. "I am not taking that woman on another job, ever again." he states. "What? I thought I did well..." Josie asks in surprise. Karl scoffs, "You spent two hours staring at those fuckin'' trucks, leaving me and Fido here to do all the work. You''re lucky the Legion weren''t around otherwise they''d have you bagged and tagged before you could say ''fire truck!''" By the end of his rant, Josie was looking particularly sheepish meaning that most of what Karl had said was probably true. "I-er, won''t do it again... Sir?" Karl just huffs and looks to Afton, "Things go well on your side?" He nods, "You could say that. Everything was handled, Searchlight should be safe for a couple weeks at least." "That doesn''t fill me with much confidence..." Astor says from the side, knowing that the Legion would probably send more forces later on. He hoped his superiors would see sense before that and send him some reinforcements. "Thanks for your help anyway guys, I appreciate it. You can rest in camp until you move on to your next destination, until then, I need some sleep myself. Spend most of the night worrying about you lot." he admits. Afton smirks at Astor, shakes his head and holds out his hand to him before the man can leave. "We did this from the good of our hearts Sergeant... So wouldn''t it be prudent to reward such ''honest'' people?" ... Astor looks behind Afton to Boone and Karl for help, but the latter just laughs at his plight while the former shrugs. "Ah, come on Afton, you almost bled me completely dry last time you were here... Shouldn''t working simply to strengthen your country be enough?" he asks, causing Karl to laugh harder. Afton shrugs, "As a Patriot, I need to keep my weaponry clean and stocked with ammo. I can''t do that without caps. Plus, you''ll be taking all of the credit for eliminating the Legion forces, I reckon there''d be a promotion or two on its way as well. What''s that compared to some meaningless caps?" ... Astor just releases a long, deep sigh and reaches for the pouch on his belt, tossing it at Afton. "There are 300 caps in there, that''s all I got. No drinks or girls for this guy, thanks." he complains, but everyone present knows that regardless of his attitude, he''s still grateful for the help. Afton tosses the bag in the air a couple times to judge its weight before nodding. "Pleasure doing business with you, Sargeant." he drawls jovially. Chapter 365 - Im Making A Note Here... Huge Failure. Elsewhere : At the top of the Think Tank dome, Glados could be seen quickly looking around at the various projects currently being conducted. Her glowing orange eye constantly looking for anything prohibited or outright breaking the rules.?? At first she had some reservation about the ants below her, but soon enough they began to prove their worth. Despite their intelligence not matching her own, they utilised it in unique, and often baffling ways. Each of their unique personality quirks and attitudes allowing them to come to conclusions she otherwise hadn''t thought possible. Regardless though, they were still incredibly annoying to monitor, forcing her to intervene on a daily basis when she spots something approaching the line her creator had drawn. Many projects had been making steady progress, Saturnite Alloy becoming easier and easier to make in larger quantities and better quality. Not to mention their slow improvement on holograph technology, having only recently constructed a working hand-sized holoprojector. The previous Holoprojectors were the size of a small room, so reducing their size to a handheld device must have been their greatest discovery since her creator had restarted the Think Tank. The only issue with it was the lack of range, and sadly, the only way to improve this would be to send a satellite into orbit. Something she''d bring to her creator''s attention once he returned. Doctor Borous had been busy as of late due to her creator''s actions too. He''d teleported a huge pile of corpses along with some viable eggs belonging to them. The scientist had been almost constantly working to compile their genome into their advanced computers. Glados herself had gotten started on her creator''s request and was currently trying to find the best way to strengthen the leather and turn it into viable armour to make clothing from. Her processors allowed her to multitask on many things, but soon enough she''d likely need an upgrade due to how many projects were occurring... She knows she needs to keep a constant eye on Dr Borous tests with the eggs... The last thing the crater needed was another infestation. "MACHINE! MUST YOU HOVER OVER ME LIKE AN OVERBEARING BROOD MOTHER? THIS PROJECT NEEDS MY ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION, NOT SOMETHING I CAN EMPLOY WITH YOUR BREATH ON MY NECK!" one of the most annoying ants exclaims. Glados just turns her visual sensor towards the scientist as she drawls, "I am unsure what you are expressing, I lack the cardiovascular system to produce such a phenomenon, and you lack the neck for me to execute it upon. Perhaps the corrosive properties of bio gel have rendered you an invalid?" "H-HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME IN THAT MANNER!" the ant explodes, pointing a manipulator at her. "One of the indicators for detecting an Invalid is sudden violence, add emotional instability and immaturity and the results are evident. Perhaps I need to execute my functions upon you, Meat-bowl." she states ominously. Klein upon hearing this quickly goes silent, he was unsure of what functions the robot was referencing, but whatever it was couldn''t be good... It''s disregard for him and his position only made him warier of its retaliation. "I-I WILL GET TO WORK!" Glados observes the scientist with her sensor before nodding her large body slightly, of course, she''d never tell the scientist that ''her functions'' were simply to report the scientist insubordination to her creator. She had heavy limitation on the aggressive actions she was able to take, so ominous threats were the best she could manage without something drastic occurring. *CRACKLE!* The sound of a teleportation relay activating has Glados quickly swap to another sensor outside the Think Tank. There appeared to be around fifty dishevelled and dirty Meat-bags directly outside the door of the Think Tank. They were all currently looking around the newly renovated crater with what Glados could only assume was surprise and awe. This agreed with her as her work doesn''t seem to be completely unappreciated, even from some random organisms that''d appeared in her territory. She assumed that her creator was responsible for sending them as he''d done the same with the Deathclaw samples. Now all she needed to do was decide whether they were test subjects or something else... Glados extends one of her external bodies towards the new organisms who flinch away at the robot slowly approaching them. The orange glow of her visual sensor brushes her their forms as she examines them, "Greetings. My designation is the Guidance Legislatorship and Defense Operating System, or if that is too much effort for you organisms to say, Glados." she drawls out contemptuously to the new ants. An ant with red hair and freckles steps forwards with a note in hand, it holds it out for Glados to read, "Not test subjects?" she mutters, looking back at the ants again, wondering what purpose they could serve. The red-haired ant nods, "To be honest, Afton didn''t really say what we were going to be doing here... Apart from the fact that we''ll be protected and provided for..." Glados visual sensor lens retracts slightly as if she were squinting, "So you wish to freeload off of my creator''s unnecessary charity and hospitality?" The red-haired ant quickly shakes their head, "No! Not at all. Afton may have not given us much other choice, but I''ll be sure to work my keep. I''m sure I could help you out with some things around here... Er, my name is Cass by the way. "Your functions as a Meat-bag are limited. You lack the innovative intelligence the others that reside here possess, and you lack the strength common in males of your species. Other than tools to increase Big Mountains population, I see no use for you." Glados explains, causing many of the women to flinch and look put down. Cass quickly shakes her head, "You may be one of those egg-heads, but I''m sure I know things that you do not. Do you know trade routes across California? Do you know trading etiquate? Do you know how to write up proper contracts?" "Everything you have just listed are of no concern to me or my creator. Trading is unnecessary under overwhelming force, negotiation is unnecessary when you own everything, contracts are unnecessary when you already own them, etiquette is meaningless when you hold the power." Glados states, but begins combing over her own words to see if there was truth in them, and not just a reply made in spite. As her creator had always said to her, ''knowledge is power'', there must have been a reason other than charity for him to invite these organisms here, and she was determined to find out. "You will be assigned lodging in the newly constructed guest center." she says as a mixture of Cyber-dogs and spider robots arrive and begin leading them. "Organism designated Cass, we will discuss your potential uses further once you have all grazed." Glados states, disappearing before Cass can send a victorious grin at the robot. Chapter 366 - Breaking The Peace The group leaves Camp Searchlight the night morning, the NCR troopers and Sgt Astor all bidding them farewells as they begin walking north to their next destination. They follow the winding highway for a while until something causes them to halt in their steps... Black plumes of smoke could be seen drifting in the distance, and Afton swore he could hear the faint sound of gunfire occurring.?? "You guys hear that?" he questions the others, wondering if the Legion had finally invaded with full force. Everyone gives grim nods, "Fuck. Sounds like Novac''s being attacked... I don''t know if Manny''ll be able to defend against something like that." Boone quickly says, wondering if his old town would still be standing by the time they get there. "Well, we better go see then." Afton says before breaking into a jog, obviously he could go faster but he''d end up leaving some of the less fit people behind... There was still a couple miles until they reached Novac so sprinting all the way there and exhausting everyone wouldn''t do. The group made ''good'' progress but had a stop a couple times for Josie and Karl to catch their breath. The former wasn''t a physically active person and the latter was getting old and hadn''t kept up his fitness when he was in prison. Eventually, Afton could see the trademark Dinosaur that marked Novac, but unlike last time he saw it, its head was missing a large chunk and was slightly on fire... Even from this distance, he could see bullets flying through the air, impacting the head of the dinosaur as a lone figure in its mouth tried to fight the attackers off. He was able to see who was involved when they got closer to Novac, a large group of Legionaries were trying to advance from east to gain access to the town. Though, they were being held back by a small group of townsfolk, NCR soldiers, and Manny who was sniping from the top of the Dinosaur. "GET OUTTA MAH'' TOWN YOU SPORT-WEAR-WEARIN'', DOG-FUCKIN'', PIECES OF VARMINT-SHIT!!" Daisy''s familiar voice roars as she fires two service rifles simultaneously, the woman looking like a character from Wolfenstein. The Legionaries who''d tried to charge her with machetes were quickly mowed down. One drops to their knees and tries to plead for their life but Daisy shoots them anyway. Though, she''s forced to duck into cover as the properly armed Legionaries all aim their own guns at her, inadvertently giving Manny some breathing room. He manages to peak out of cover and get some more shots off with his Hunting rifle, but throws himself out of the Dinosaur head when a Legionary prepares to fire a heavy-looking weapon at him. From what Afton could tell, it was a grenade launcher... *Thump!* *BOOOM!* The remaining pieces composing the head of the Dinosaur disintegrate in the subsequent explosion, raining down plastic shards on Novac as their biggest attraction is destroyed. By this time the group have finally gotten into range to act, Boone immediately loading his Anti-Material rifle with some of his remaining Explosive rounds and firing at the Legionaries. Afton isn''t even able to say anything to stop him as it''d put his loyalties to question... Besides, he wasn''t about to let the Legion destroy one of his favourite towns either! He gets out the Sonic Emitter and fires it at one of the groups of Legionaries, all the while activating [Meltdown!]. Once the sonic projectile strikes, a huge shockwave ripples through the area, knocking over the rest of the Legionaries who weren''t immediately killed and forcing the Novac defenders behind their cover. *BOOOOOOOOM!* The chain reaction of multiple [Meltdown!] explosions quickly envelops a large portion of the Legions forces. Afton chuckles as he watches the destruction he''d caused, only now noticing the wide-eyed looks he''d received from his companions. "What the fuck!" Karl shouts, taking a step back from Afton, or more specifically, the ''nuke-energy-pistol'' he was holding. "Why didn''t you do that against the Deathclaws!" "Is that really what you''re asking about? Not the fact that he''d had a weapon of mass destruction attached to his chest?" Boone retorts. "Why don''t you guys talk about this, you know, when we''re not fighting against an army?" Josie shouts, feeling like her companions were not taking the situation seriously. Afton shrugs and gestures at the army who were not running for their lives back in the direction of Nelson, "Doesn''t seem like they''ll be bothering us for a while... And for Karl''s question, I wanted to keep more of the Deathclaw corpses intact. This gun usually just turns the enemy into puddles of green goo." he explains. Karl just shakes his head in exasperation, "Whatever, just don''t go pointin'' that thing at me." "I''ll try not to... Shall we see how Novac''s doing? I might need to get my doctor gloves if anyone is injured." Afton says, wondering if the town had found another doctor that wasn''t just another fraud like the last one. The group walk through the scorched area that''d previously been under siege and come face to face with many guns. Revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and many more were all pointed at them, courtesy of the townsfolk of Novac. "Oi! You silly lot, Put them guns down!" Daisy commands as she steps in front of the group, holding her shoulder from what seems to be a bullet wound. Afton gives a wide smile, "Hey Daisy, how''re you doing?" "Ah, I shoulda known it''d be you three. Who else would be mad enough to drop a bomb so close to town!" she scolds before returning to her usual happy demeanour, "Pardon me if you''re tired from your time on the road, but I''m not really ready to receive you right now. None of us are." she says and gestures at the heavily damaged town. "Looks like you got shot... Want me to take a look at it?" he asks, the elder woman nodding and letting Afton lead her to a more private setting so he can tend to her wound. Chapter 367 - Solace With the group finally at their destination, Boone and Karl take everyone else to the motel while Afton goes around treating the injured, first dealing with Daisy''s bullet wound and then onto other less significant injuries. As it happens, Novac still hadn''t found a permanent doctor to stay in their town. Sure, a few people had occasionally stopped by to perform some procedures for exorbitant fee''s, but no one was wanting, nor willing to stay in the dust bowl of a town.?? Afton couldn''t really blame them though, the place was literally on the front lines of the slowly advancing war between the NCR and Legion. If the recent attack wasn''t enough to send some fleeing, he didn''t know what would. The only people who actually remain in this town now are either too stubborn to leave, too cowardly to brave the world out of their comfort zone, or simply have possess too much to leave. Obviously, Manny and Daisy fall into the former category. Manny was an ex-NCR soldier, so was fairly well versed in warfare, but Daisy was definitely a surprise... Afton had no idea where she''d learned to use a gun, but whoever taught her must be proud. If things weren''t bad enough, Ranger Andy, the only real sheriff the town had, died while leaving to check on his friends in Ranger Station Charlie. Manny had sent a mercenary to check for him and found the place completely destroyed, NCR corpses were strewn about the place with only a single lone Legionary to show who was responsible. So, the only people left who had some kind of say in the town were Daisy and Manny, and even then, both were unwilling to take up a prominent leadership position. The town was literally falling apart at the seams, and there didn''t seem to be anything anyone could do about it. Afton knew he could probably do something, take control or place himself in charge perhaps? But that wasn''t really an option as he had other responsibilities to attend to... Though, it was an interesting thought to make Novac the hub of his operations in the Mojave. Thinking about it further, it was in a good location, close to Hoover Dam, supply lines, Helios One, and New Vegas... He shakes these thoughts from his head, all of that would be in future if he still wished, for now, he needed everything ready to begin the original reason he came here... The construction of his new vehicle. Afton, Karl, Anja, Josie, Daisy and Manny were all sitting around a fire as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Boone had decided to take watch as Manny was here instead, and the man looked like he needed rest. Despite Boone''s dislike for him, he still respected his determination to protect the town, even at terrible risk to his own life. So, without another word, he posted himself back at his old spot in what remains of the Dinosaurs mouth. "So, what brings you back to our little ol paradise?" Daisy asks while roasting some meat on a stick over the fire. Afton tosses some more wood into the fire, "Some junkie asshole destroyed Dirt-Bird, so I''m back to build her little ''big'' sister." Daisy raises a brow, "Ah? A shame, all that hard work up in flames... I don''t know if fixin'' up another here would be great though, deary. Those knife-wielding pansies might just sneak a bomb in while we aren''t lookin''." Afton shrugs, "I dare them to try, I''ll send them back with the bomb stitched inside them, and a deadman switch held in their mouth." he growls out. "Er, that''s..." Manny mutters before shaking his head, "You guys seem different from last you left... More... Dangerous. I''ve heard some chatter over the radio but some of it sounded exaggerated... Did you really drop a nuke on some fiends, or was that just regular trooper gossip?" Karl chuckles but doesn''t confirm or deny it "Comes with the job, either you be a threat or get threatened. Anyway, why don''t you let us know what''s been goin'' on since we left?" Manny nods, "Well, things were alright for a while, better than before even since you helped the NCR take back Nelson. But shit hit the fan when the Legion attacked. Once they retook Nelson, they began attacking every and any caravan coming through the highway, they even destroy Ranger Station Charlie, making even that route dangerous. The attack you stopped today was a long time coming, we have no supplies, our numbers are down since people fled from the conflict, and the NCR is struggling to hold them back as it is. If you hadn''t arrived, I don''t think we''d still be standing here today. Or, if we were it''d be in shackles." "It''s good we came then." Josie adds, "Still, I can''t believe the NCR would let such a large force assault a settlement like this, their situation must be worse than I thought..." Afton nods at this, the NCR was incredibly lucky that they''d cleared out the Deathclaws from the Long 15. If they hadn''t and the convoy was forced to go through the eastern routes they''d have undoubtedly been captured or destroyed. The army attacking Novac was likely meant to coincide with their capture of the convoy, forcing the NCR to be split upon what they reacted to... Obviously, they didn''t react fast enough to the force attacking Novac regardless, so something else must be up. "You heard anything from the NCR? I''d be surprised if they weren''t going to send any more troops to reinforce this place..." Manny shakes his head with a frown, "Aside from the few troopers that''d retreated from the forward position near Nelson, we''ve not heard a peep outta them. Feels like they''re just letting us fend for ourselves while they focus on something else." Afton shrugs, "Whatever their reason, me and the others will help protect this place until we leave." after says, his companions nodding in agreement. Chapter 368 - Forethought Elsewhere : Major Joseph Polatli, commanding officer of Camp Forlorn Hope was currently caught between a rock and a hard place... The Legion had begun massing a great number of troops on the eastern side of the Hoover Dam, and he wasn''t sure if they were going to outright invade it... Additionally, a large contingent of Legionary troops had completely breached through the outpost overlooking Nelson.?? In a couple hours, the town of Novac would be under siege, and he had no idea whether the townsfolk would be able to evacuate fast enough. Evacuating wasn''t really a thing in the Mojave, as if you left your settlement unprepared you''d be eaten by the numerous critters inhabiting the desert. He had three choices from what he could see... Send troops to protect the dam, send troops to protect Novac, or split the troops to defend both. Obviously, he was leaning towards the latter, but his already standing orders made it clear that the Dam was the priority, so any troops sent elsewhere in a crisis might see him court marshalled. He couldn''t just leave Novac defenceless though, he had friends living there. Unfortunately for him, his conscience, and the people living in Novac, the General ordered troops to be pulled to the Dam to secure it, taking the choice from Joseph entirely. It''s only a day later that everyone recognised their error... The Legion troops that''d gathered near the Dam pulled back once it was night, revealing that the invasion was just a bluff. Joseph quickly realised that their main target was Novac, and while it wasn''t really his fault, he couldn''t lay blame on the Generals either as they didn''t know, and the Dam was far too important to lose. Sighing to himself, he''d send some men to pick up the pieces of Novac that the Legion would have left. By now they''d be carting their spoils and prisoners across the Colorado. "Sir! The Legion forces have retreated back to Nelson! Their attack seems to have failed!" "You what?" Joseph asks in disbelief. "It''s true! The men reported that someone triggered a huge explosion during the skirmish, causing the Legionaries to flee." they explain. "How big are we talking?" Joseph asks, wondering how big it must have been to frighten men who literally ran at armed soldiers with machetes. "We''re talking almost ''Fiend'' sized." the man states. "A nuke?... Did ''they'' have anything to do with it?" The soldier nods, "Our surviving men report that some mercs caused it and are currently staying in Novac." ... Joseph sighs, though this time it''s not one of despair, but of exasperation. Since when did Mercs start literally turning the tide of battle and dropping nukes on their enemies? It was obvious who was currently in Novac, almost everyone in the Mojave had heard of them by now. A nameless group led by someone not even out of their teens that seems to solve every problem they come across. "I think I''ll be needing to send someone to thank them for their assistance... Rewarding folk like that''ll only help us in the long run." Elsewhere : Vulpes Inculta was seething at the latest report he''d received. The three-pronged attack they''d schemed up had utterly failed, leaving him the laughing stock of Caesar''s faction. Not to mention he knew who was responsible for it. His wayward spy/mercenary, who seemed to think he was as stupid as the rest of the knife-wielding legionaries. He''d received word as soon as Parker returned from wherever he''d travelled to, and with a new arm no-less. His subsequent actions had derailed months of planning and an easy path to victory. Unblocking a trade route and then arriving just as the NCR convoy did, where his sabotage attempt miraculously failed, with the NCR having no idea until days later. Then afterwards the complete butchering of Legion soldiers near Cottonwood Cove and the failed assault on Novac. It wasn''t hard to see the pattern. Where Parker and his band of misfits went, the Legion failed. He''d hoped his threats of revealing his identity would be enough to properly ''encourage'' him. But apparently not... New plans would need to be devised, for the NCR and for the mercenary. Vulpes knew it was far too late to send an assassination squad to wipe Parker out. The man was simply too strong to deal with like that. And from his recent report, possessed some sort of energy weapon that could decimate whole armies. So, if assassination and frontal assault wouldn''t work, that just left sabotage and blackmail. Despite all his crimes against the Legion, he was still a valuable asset. Vulpes was hoping to get him to assassinate a couple more targets before dealing with Parker permanently. If blackmail failed then he''d pit the NCR against him as well. He wanted to see that scum fight off two armies from two world powers. Honestly, Vulpes didn''t even want to assassinate Major Lowell Thompson Jr, no, instead it was just to get more blackmail on Parker to force him to deal with their true target. The one Vulpes wanted dead before anything else was a man named Chief Hanlon. The man who foiled the Legions first attempt to capture the Hoover Dam. His tactics lead to the utter annihilation of Legion forces. The Legionaries had thought they''d won the battle once the NCR retreated from the Dam and tried to follow them, getting lead into Boulder City where the NCR started a chain reaction of explosives, killing the Legionaries and any chance of capturing the Dam. Word is that the man didn''t want to lead in battle again, but Vulpes wasn''t willing to take that chance. Sure the man wouldn''t be able to use the same strategy twice, but that didn''t mean he lacked others. The best-case scenario that Vulpes could see, was for one of the less competent Generals of the NCR to lead their troops, forcing a frontal confrontation and using their superior numbers to destroy them... But, that''s all in the future... For now, he needed to focus on the other more demanding threats. "Mercenary, you will rue the day you crossed Caesars Legion. You will be treated like the last traitor, covered in oil and tossed down a canyon." he mutters to himself with a sadistic smile. Chapter 369 - Swept Away... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 47] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 48]?? Afton is awoken from his sleep by notifications suddenly appearing under his eyelids. He was wondering when he''d level up, after all, he''d killed Deathclaws, Supermutants, and an Army of Legionaries. It was about time. Though, he wondered why he''d levelled up now?... Did Boone kill something during the night? Regardless, it didn''t matter he supposed. Now he just needed to distribute points, which was fairly easy since the only two options he had were Barter and Lockpicking. Barter would be useful for his future plans, but he knew Lockpicking would grant him further knowledge that might help in his scientific endeavours. It''d give him a pretty clear idea about how his devices could be accessed by external sources, he knew that if anyone ever managed to access Glados, everything would be fucked. So, in the end Afton puts all his points into Lockpicking, raising it from 29 to 59. Next, he turns to Perks, but ends up ignoring most of the new ones. There were quite a few but most were generally just small boosts... [High Ground] : +30% damage when on a higher position than your enemies... Afton smirks at this despite having just woken up, ''You underestimate my power'' he mutters while chuckling to himself. Regardless, this Perk ain''t all that great. [Higher Ground] : +200% damage while at least 100 meters above your target. Despite how it sounds like an extension of the last perk, it was actually a perfect sniper Perk, something he''d choose if he hadn''t already decided on one. [Death''s touch] : Your hands deal small amounts of damage when touching a living person (Damage = 0.01 per second). This Perk just feels like a gimmick, he couldn''t even be bothered to do the maths to figure out how long it''d actually take to kill someone. [Mime] : You are unable to speak, but gain +5 to all stats. Yeah, no. [Mimick] : Enables you to almost perfectly copy the actions of people you have observed for a while. Sounds useful but really isn''t when you realise Afton was perfectly capable of mimicking people already... That, and he was already way more advanced than anyone else in most fields. [Stick your hands up!] People for some reason mistake your fingers as weapons, allowing you to command them as if you were really threatening their life! Again, just a throwaway Perk some chucklehead decided to include. Though, it would allow him to break out of prison fairly easily if he needed to. That, or it''d make him unable to ever surrender... He''d already been intending to raise his Endurance to the max level to acquire the Perk it''d grant. So, he takes the Endurance upgrade while wondering if level 50 would be the max he could reach, or if there was something else after it... [Endurance has been maxed out! Perk granted : A Pool of Dead] [A Pool of Dead] : You possess incredible regenerative properties! Anything lesser than being decapitated is eventually healed!... To be honest, Afton was pretty salty he''d not discovered this Perk when his arm had gotten blown off... Additionally, Afton can''t help but scoff at the Vault boy wearing red and black tights wielding two katanas. Fortunately, unlike most other times where he''d acquired a Perk that changed his physiology, the only effect after confirming everything was a slight twinge under his skin... And all of his teeth falling out before quickly growing back... Yeah, not a fun moment, and would''ve likely scared someone half to death if they saw it. Afton tosses the teeth into a pouch and slowly gets to his feet, rolling his shoulder and marvelling at just how tough he currently felt. Drawing his knife, he jabs his regular arm with the tip, not doing anything at the light thrust. He tries again but with a little more effort, eventually managing to draw a tiny amount of blood, though, the wound seals itself up as if it''d never existed in the first place. Afton smirks, wondering just how broken his [Grit] Perk would be when combined with his regeneration. A couple days after the group had arrived and assisted Novac a contingent of NCR soldiers approach the town, though, the only reason they weren''t immediately shot was because of their uniforms... Of course, they were not well received by the townsfolk at all, most scoffing at them and refusing to speak. If Afton had to vote on the funniest reaction it''d definitely be Daisy... (Flashback) "Ma''am, we appreciate what you''re saying but-" a soldier tries to placate the elder woman but is interrupted yet again. "You ''appreciate'' it? My that''s a mighty fine way of saying nothin''! You boys left our town and even your own men alone to face an army, and you still have the face to come down here and ask around for our guests!?!" she loudly scolds as the other townsfolk stick their heads out of whenever they are to watch. Afton himself was sitting a good distance away on a piece of scrap metal he intended to use for his new vehicle. The soldiers continue to try and explain their actions and blame the Legion, but Daisy isn''t so easily convinced, eventually causing her to grab a nearby broom. "You better be on your way! You want to talk? Show some shame for abandoning a settlement under your protection... Why on earth would we start paying those god-damned taxes if you''d just run like sissy-shit pansies! Go on! Get!" she shouts, prodding them with her broom. The lead soldier allows a couple of pokes but eventually looks as if he''s about to lose his temper... However, he''s ''convinced'' to reconsider his options when the other townsfolk send angry, almost blood-thirsty glares at them. His retaliatory retort get stuck in his throat as he glances behind him at his soldiers, "We will return and report the situation to our commanders. We thank you all for your time and understanding." he says before leading his men away. Chapter 370 - Fast Times It''d been a couple weeks since the soldiers had visited, but there hadn''t been any indication of anymore. Afton didn''t know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, as if the NCR simply forgot about Novac, the town wouldn''t be screwed the moment he and his companions left. Regardless, the townsfolk seemed fine with that after having decided to take their safety into their own hands. Afton wondered what the expression of the next tax collector would look like when everyone refused to pay.?? It was fair though, no protection, no tax. Afton didn''t think the NCR would be willing or able to send troops to force compliance either, if they tried Afton would take a stand, even if doing so would cause many, many problems. He reckoned he could win the PR war though. The people would support a rebel fighting against tyrants as opposed to an oppressive government, especially since Afton was quite well known around the Mojave already... It helped that people in hard times were drawn to going against authorities like the NCR. During these weeks Afton and the gang had begun putting all hands on deck when constructing the newest vehicle. It would be a relatively large truck with an engine, but that was just to secure another vehicle. Afton intended to use the truck to tow a Fire Engine to Novac from Camp Searchlight. Afterwards, he had half a mind to give the tow truck to Novac to help secure supplies and other essentials. He was slightly worried about doing that however as it''d just put a larger target on Novac. Afton, Josie, and Daisy could usually be found in the garage fixing up the truck, while the others were either patrolling around the town or helping secure parts necessary to fix the vehicle. Of course, the latter was just a cover so Afton could use his [Mechanicus] and [Jury Rigging] Perks without prying eyes constantly on him. The Gibson Scrap Yard up the road helped cover his rather unnatural abilities, to both his companions and to those who might be spying on them. As everyone was far more familiar with the process of repairing a vehicle than last time during Dirt-Birds construction, it took far, far less time to finish it. By the time the third week rolled by, the truck was completed. It had previously been a simple truck with a bed in the back allowing it to carry small things. But with some modifications of Afton''s design, it now more resembled some sort of Winch truck. The arm on the back had a rolled-up bundle of steel cables Afton''d managed to ''find'' which should be strong enough to tow a Fire Engine. Of course, he''d put in a larger engine and reinforced the chassis to make sure nothing would break before it got back to Novac. His modifications had made it a great deal heavier, which would help with pulling the larger vehicle, but did put a lifespan on it... The Winch Truck simply wasn''t designed for what they were using it for, and would eventually break without occasional repairs. The reactor engine would burn itself out far too quickly, and the chassis itself was still not comparable to a specifically designed Winch truck, making it vulnerable to bending, breaking, and a whole manner of other potential disasters. Still, if nothing else at least Josie and Daisy enjoyed the process. The former woman jumping up and down giddily as they prepared to start the engine for the first time. Afton decided to take the first ride to christen it as he felt he''d put in the most effort... He inserts the makeshift key into the ignition and turns it, causing the reactor to hum to life. The headlights illuminate the dim garage and Josie cheers at the apparent success. "Let''s drive it! Come on!" she urges, and Afton felt that if she could she''d force him off of the driver''s seat and start driving it herself. Afton just smiles and nods while opening the garage door. He gently accelerates it and exits the workshop, causing a couple of townsfolk to move out of the way as he drives through the street. This wasn''t the first time they''d seen him driving a new vehicle, so their surprise was limited at best. Though, some of the newer residents gave big enough reactions to satisfy him. Once they were on the outskirts of town Afton hops onto the back and allows everyone to reposition themselves, Daisy getting into the passenger''s seat while Josie excitedly grabs the wheel. "Now, you remember what we said about driving, right?" Afton asks from the back of the truck, hoping she''d not crash their new creation. "NOPE!" Josie chirps as she slams her foot on the accelerator, almost causing Afton to rolls off of the back. Daisy and Josie are both forced into their seats as the truck rapidly speeds up. It''s lucky that the highway was relatively clear, even with all the cracks and potholes running across its surface, otherwise, Josie might''ve flipped and completely totalled the vehicle. "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she cheers, pushing the truck faster as it races down the highway, its suspension barely managing to stop the wheels from being torn out from under them due to the rough road. Despite the rather manic driving though, Josie proves that she''s quite a good driver... Afton had expected it after she''d spent most of her life learning about vehicles, but for a first-timer, it was quite the sight. The trio continued to race the vehicle around Novac until the sky darkened, even then Josie hadn''t had her fix of speedster fun, and she was already wanting to go again. Though, Daisy refused to drive with Josie again... When Afton was in private, even Nyx stated her concern for their safety at Josie''s driving, something he hadn''t expected as Nyx had been with him when he was driving at top speeds to Camp McCarren. Chapter 371 - Hottestspot The creation of the Winch truck brought a bit of attention to the group. Now that people could see that repairing vehicles wasn''t a fluke, they wished to learn and do the same... Even a fool could tell just how valuable such skills would be. Unfortunately for them, Afton had no intentions of teaching anyone. Especially since his skill at repairing vehicles included some of his more ''unnatural'' abilities''. Still, some of the young, jobless, men in Novac continued asking for help, but it wasn''t Afton that stepped up, it was Boone.?? Boone in his free time starting training groups in combat, doing drills, exercise, tactics, gun handling, and hand to hand. To be honest, Afton wasn''t sure if ti was a good idea to be training people up like that. Sure they had some degree of loyalty to the town of Novac, but other than that there was no guarantee. For all they knew, they''d leave town and use the skills he taught to become the most effective bandits in the Mojave. It scared him slightly to think about what a group with NCR skills, no morals, and no laws could do. Just look at what Afton and his group could do, sure they were the cream of the crop, but they were still just people. Regardless, he didn''t stop Boone from training the populace. If they stayed in Novac as citizens and didn''t abuse the skills they were given, it''d be a great help the next time the Legion tried to invade... Or, indeed, if the NCR decided that Novac should start paying its taxing again. During all of this, Afton decided to chip in with a bit of his own knowledge, though not regular people. He instead focussed on teaching Anja and Josie what they needed to know for their respective roles. Despite Josie''s extensive knowledge on vehicles and everything concerning them, she lacked the training to do other tasks like gun repairs. And while Afton was helping Josie with that and her overall competence with weaponry, he made sure to drill Anja on infiltration, surveillance, and combat skills. Right now she had ''basic'' knowledge on how to operate in missions, but she was far from being ''super spy'' level, something Afton would rectify. That wasn''t all though, he made sure she was well versed in melee combat and the use of a knife. It wouldn''t be uncommon for her to slit someone''s throat as opposed to shooting them and potentially alarming anyone nearby, even with a silencer, guns still make noise. So, he taught her Krav Maga, a martial art that is specifically designed for this kind of thing... Obviously, nowadays it was considered lost knowledge as he was the only remaining practitioner due to his Unarmed and Melee Skill level. Funnily enough though, Anja seemed to be picking it up fairly quickly, so with enough time, he was sure he''d have his own personal John Wick to help him in future. With the Winch truck now built, it was time to try and recover a Fire Engine from Camp Searchlight. The road was still slightly perilous due to the Legion''s presence, but with Afton there he was sure they''d be fine... It would only be he and Josie going as the less weight on the Winch meant the faster they''d get back... Not to mention there wasn''t exactly a great deal of seating in the truck, only having a driver and passenger seat. So, after much deliberation (arguing), Afton finally put his foot down and told the other''s what was going to happen. "While we''re gone, you guys will protect the town. No questions. Nothing." he states as he looks at Josie who''s currently in the driver seat of the Winch truck, "Alright, you ready to go?" "Yeah!... But, er, I''m still a bit unsure of these controls..." she mutters, glancing at the makeshift controls Afton had been forced to install. The truck hadn''t originally been a Winch truck, so he''d had to manually rearrange everything. He himself didn''t hold much hope in the controls if he were honest, but they''d just drag the Fire Engine back if the controls broke. Once the duo was situated, Josie gave a wave to those seeing them off and slammed her foot on the accelerator, launching the truck forwards and shooting sand and dust into the faces of their friends. The drive to Camp Searchlight isn''t a long one and it isn''t hard to tell when they''re getting close... The green smog covering the place lets them know well enough. Afton gives Josie some Rad X as they enter the town, it wouldn''t do for his driver to grow a third arm... probably. Anyway, the duo drives through the streets of the destroyed town and eventually reach the Fire Station. Josie waits in the car with a gun in hand as Afton hops out and examines the trucks to find the one in the best condition. The tires on both of them are blown out and utterly useless, meaning he''d have to find a replacement... This would also make it fairly difficult to transport it as well. Before he does anything else however, he walks to the back and finds the water outlet, opening it and lettering the two-hundred-year-old water stream out into the ground below. From his Pipboy he could tell that it was extremely irradiated, most likely because it was directly next to where the toxic waste had been released. He wasn''t able to tell if the vehicle itself was covered in radioactive material as most of the town was making the test go off. He''d have to check it once they were back in Novac... Though, he didn''t really know what he could do to remove the material... Aside from thoroughly washing it? "How''s it looking?" Josie asks from the Winch truck, still scanning the area for threats. "The tires are fucked but we already expected that. Both trucks look fine to me, but the only problem is the radioactive material that might still be on them... We''ll check them when we get back though." Chapter 372 - Vehicular Man, Woman, And Children Slaughter. Afton and Josie slowly back the Winch truck against the Fire Engine of their choice and begin hook it up. Without the water storage, the Fire Engine is significantly lighter, and the Winch barely managed to lift the front end of it... Though, Afton could tell it was only a couple hundred kilograms away from flipping the Winch truck... A scary thought. Still, they raise the front of the Fire Engine so the back of its metal chassis is touching the floor... WIthout tires, they''ll simply have to drag it all the way to Novac like this... Afton couldn''t really think of a solution to the problem... It wasn''t as if they could attach a sled or something to it... Wait a second.?? Afton gets Josie to lower the Winch as he approaches the back, after checking it over a couple times and taker measurements, he jogs around Camp Searchlight looking for scrap metal, eventually finding some abandoned cars that''d do the trick. Using his Proton axe he cleanly slices what he needs and gathers it all up. One he get back to the Fire Engine he bends the metal to a suitable shape and lifts the back of the truck... Yeah, it''s heavy but Afton''s able to lift one corner enough to slide the makeshift sled in. He checks it a couple more time before eventually nodding, it''d at least make it back to Novac... Hopefully. So, with that done, he hops back into the Winch truck and allows josie to start driving, making sure she''s cautious when going or rough parts of the highway. Behind them, the makeshift sled was releasing a crazy amount of sparks as it''s dragged across the road, but Afton''d expected that... At least it isn''t the FIre Engine that''s sparking and grinding down its chassis. "I can''t wait to drive that thing." Josie mutters, glancing at the wing mirror at the Fire Engine. Afton chuckles, "It''ll be a while before we get it in a drivable condition... It definitely won''t look the same once we''re done with it." They continue to drag the sparking cargo all the way back to Novac, luckily not encountering any Legionaries on the way. Most people who notice them coming back gape with wide eyes at the Fire Engine, wondering how they were going to fix it. The duo didn''t mind the attention they were gathering though and simply drove towards the garage, cautiously backing the Fire Engine into it before disconnecting the Winch. Daisy had already been waiting in the garage so she immediately got to work looking the vehicle over as Afton and Josie got out of the truck and stepped inside the garage. Unlike the previous times however, Afton knew exactly what he wanted to do with it... The Fire Engine itself didn''t look like a modern-day one from his old world, no, instead, it just looked like a larger version of a regular truck, with the exception of the completely sealed water container on the back. Fire things first though, he tested it for radioactive material... And found that it was indeed slightly radioactive. This meant nothing to him personally, but for Josie and Daisy, they''d likely get sick over a long period of working on it. So, he was forced to scrub it clean... As they were in the Mojave, water wasn''t exactly a luxury, so he was forced to use as little as possible while cleaning it. The outside, the interior, and even the water container once he''d opened it up. It takes at least two weeks for him to finally get the radioactivity to an acceptable level... Once done however he lets the other two know his plans for the Fire Engine. The looks on Josie and Daisy''s face when he told them his plans were amusing, to say the least... "Are you sure you should be placing a turret on the roof? Seems overkill to me..." Daisy mutters. Afton just shakes his head, "For what we''re planning, I think just a turret is not enough, but we''ll work with it." One month later : Afton and the other had been working almost nonstop on the Fire Engine. First, they completely modified the chassis and altered the water container. Before the truck and the container had been disconnected, but now you could go from the container to the driver seat without issue. This was important as getting out of the container mid-battle to try and drive the vehicle would be a death sentence. After that Afton took the liberty to begin plating the underside of the vehicle, this stops any mines or explosives underneath the truck from completely destroying it... Though, the added weight would slow its acceleration substantially. Additionally, Afton had sent a couple of notes to the Think Tank requesting some Saturnite alloy and reinforced glass in a variety of shapes. Glados had apparently been making good progress as not long after the materials he requested were right in front of the garage... With that, he plated the outside of the truck with the alloy, and installed the reinforced glass, making the vehicle incredibly durable. The properties of the alloy when all but render it immune from small arms fire, as well as heat-based weaponry. Not only that, but Afton''d managed to install the K9000 Machine gun as an automatic turret.. This came with a number of benefits... The first and most obvious being that it''d fight off hostiles without anyone else having to do anything, the second was far more impressive though... Due to the K9000 having detection abilities, he''d managed to hook it up to a makeshift radar, showing the direction that potential hostile may be in... That wasn''t all the offensive tools the vehicle had however, Afton had also installed a manual turret that could be accessed from the cargo where the water containment had been, it was a .308 machinegun that''d fire a ridiculous amount of bullets at a time. Chapter 373 - Dirt-Hog Karl, Boone, and Anja were all waiting outside the garage for Afton and Josie to reveal what they''d been working on. Karl himself was tapping his foot impatiently as they''d been standing there for ten minutes now, and the other''s hadn''t bothered to show up yet. "This better be worth the wait, I''ve got better things to do you know?" Boone just shakes his head at him, "Right."?? "What, you don''t believe me?" Karl asks. Boone at him, "I seem to recall the last time we were in Novac... You''re idea of ''things to do'' included the bitch who sold my wife." "Oh, come on. It was a mistake that anyone could make, how''s I supposed to know she was a psycho..." Ever since they''d gotten back into Novac, Boone had been taking shots at Karl for what he''d done previously... Most thought it was just fun banter, but those who knew Boone wondered if he really was angry. Course, Boone just wanted to take the chance to tease the older man. He wasn''t all that fun to be around when Afton was gone, and there was no better jape than his relationship with Jeannie May. *DooooOOOO* The garage doors sound out as they begin vibrating and eventually moving upwards. As it''s halfway up the sound of a reactor engine hums to life, the group are forced to take steps back as something exits the garage... It looks like a large light-blue metal box, with dark, almost black windows on the front. The front of it looks like a truck, but the rest looks like a prewar military cargo truck. Sitting forward on its roof was a peculiar looking gun that held a small brain in a jar. A piece of metal flicked up and down as if it were smelling them... Also, it seemed to be making dog noises?... Behind the weird dog-gun was a large turret and a hatch you''d presumably exit to gain access to it. Other than that, it seemed to be plated entirely by thick metal pieces, enough so that the tires were digging into the earth from the weight. *HOONK HOOONK!* The door is kicked open as Afton jumps out, grinning as he gestures at the vehicle, "I present to you... Dirt-Hog! Dirt-Bird''s big little brother!" ... "Shieet, kid! That thing''s a monster!" Karl exclaims, clearly surprised at the new vehicle. Boone just nods blankly, but it was obvious to everyone present that he was equally shocked... The only one who seemed to have been expecting this was Anja, who was running a finger across the cool metal in wonder. The doors at the very back of Dirt-Hog are kicked open as Josie gets out, "You should all take a look inside, this''s where you guys''ll be sitting as we travel." They nod and poke their heads in, spotting a number of seats lining the sides and a small panel showing a sort of radar. Other than that, it seemed cooler than the outside, meaning it had some degree of air conditioning. "I have to say... I''m impressed. The bike was surprising, but this? If you weren''t already, most organizations would be hunting you down for your expertise... Imagine a whole squadron of these things driving through an army..." Karl mutters. Afton grins, "But we haven''t even gotten to the best part of the showing... Everyone get in." he says as he climbed into the driver''s seat. He drives the large vehicle to the outskirts of town where he''d previously set up a number of red-painted concrete blocks. He steps before it and has the others get out as he and Josie ready the weapons. First, they test the K9000. The operation of the gun is a bit finicky, but that''s what you get for innovation... Or something. Afton had sprayed some blood on the blocks so the gun would be able to smell them. Once it''d detected it, some dots appeared on the radar-screen in the back. Josie selects them and designates them as enemies, causing the K9000 to immediately begin firing at the concrete blocks. .357 rounds pepper them and absolutely annihilate the one targeted. Once the K9000 is out of ammo, a mechanism drops the empty magazine, stuffs more rounds into it, before loading it again. Once the targeted concrete block is reduced to nothing but rubble, the gun stops firing, and the sound of a satisfied dog can be heard... "That''s one weird gun..." Karl mutters, looking the metal attachment that seem to mimic dog ears. "From that ''ThinkTank'' if I had to guess." Anja adds, knowing that most of the freaky shit Afton possesses is from that place. Next was testing the .308 machine gun on the back, Josie opens the hatch on the top and grabs ahold of it, pressing a carefully hidden safety switch to activate it. Once she''s done with preparation she begins firing at the nearest target, doing even more damage than the K9000 had managed. Once the concrete blocks were pulverized into dust, Josie stops firing and looks at the group, "So... Whatdya think? Amazingly cool, or cool and amazing?" she asks with a huge grin on her face. "Can I say terrifying?" Karl mutters, causing the others to chuckle. "Sure you can, as long as you''re polite about it." Josie says with a smirk. She''d previously asked Afton to use .50 calibre rounds for the turret inside of .308, but he''d denied simply because the cost was far too much. They weren''t poor, but using a .50 calibre machine gun for an extended period of time would most likely bankrupt them, not to mention the fact that they''d be hard-pressed to find enough ammo for it... They''d probably have to hire the entirety of the GunRunners to construct all the ammunition they''d need. Afton gives a mock bow to everyone, "And that concludes my presentation, I''d ask for you opinion but I neither want, nor need them... Who''s up for drinks?" Chapter 374 - Rollin Rollin Rollin The completion of Dirt-Hog signalled their departure from Novac. Most of the townsfolk didn''t want them to leave, due to safety and the help Afton''s group had given them. Afton was fairly sure they''d be able to hold back a medium-strength Legion assault with the training he, Boone, and Karl had given the townsfolk, but that wouldn''t mean much if the Legion came at full force.?? It was obvious to most that the NCR didn''t care for, or want to defend the town, even if it''d lead to a strategic disadvantage. And now that Novac had refused to pay taxes, the NCR would likely let the town be destroyed and after let NCR settlers take the place. It wouldn''t be the first time it''d happened either... As thanks to Daisy for her continued help and support, he''d left her the Winch truck to do with as she wished... Though, he''d recommended her to armour it up and modify it into a makeshift assault vehicle... She could probably use the winch to drag something else into combat, though, Afton was still unsure at the effectiveness it might have. Regardless, it was time to head to New Vegas. He still had to assassinate that piece of shit major that led the attack on Helios One, as well as finding Veronica who may or may not even be there. It''d been a couple months since she and Tamia had left gather enough money to enter New Vegas, so hopefully, they''d have made it in. To be honest, Afton wasn''t holding out much hope of keeping his ''neutrality'' with the Legion after their defence of Novac. But, if he could gain a little more time so they could plan their attack on the Legion''s main base, it''d be well worth it... Besides, he always intended to kill the major, whether or not the Legion asked him to is irrelevant. So, he sat in the passenger seat of Dirt-Hog as Josie took the wheel. Despite him wanting to drive it, he wanted her to get a proper feel for it... She was responsible for the vehicle after all, that''s why he''d invited her into the group. Karl complained that the back of Dirt-Hog was a bit cramped, especially with ED-E and Dog-meat back there, but he couldn''t really complain... Compared to sitting behind Afton on Dirt-Bird, he preferred the cramp, but well air-conditioned cargo hold. The drive to New Vegas was pretty uneventful. It took a day or two, and they''d been forced to stop at the 188 Trading Post to get some rest. They''d visited the Slop and Shop to visit Samuel and his daughter, and learned that the duo were actually planning on moving back to Primm... Apparently, the conflict with the Legion has been forcing more and more traders to relocate... Add the cleared Long 15 and Primm was ready to become the new trading hotspot of the Mojave. Of course, Dirt-Hog attracted alloooot of attention. Afton was forced to get a Certification of Ownership for it like he had done Dirt-Bird all those months ago. The NCR soldiers were almost falling over themselves to steal the vehicle however, which forced Afton to ''show'' how much he''d appreciated them keeping their hands to themselves... The fact that he''d broken all the bones in one of the soldier''s hands was easily ignored when the context of the situation was given however, so no punishments were given to Afton for his assault on an NCR soldier. Though, already over the NCR radio he''d received he could hear them speaking of Dirt-Hog... His vehicle was probably one of the best vehicles around America... Of course, the NCR still had a few tanks and other military vehicles back in California, but those had to be kept there to drive off any potential Brotherhood of Steel invasion. Hopefully, the NCR wouldn''t get the stupid idea to ''Commandeer'' his vehicle, otherwise he''d definitely be forced to retaliate. Eventually, the group reached the North gate of Freeside where a small group of King''s were waiting and watching with rapt attention. "My, god, whaddo'' we have ''ere? One o'' them prewar-war machines?" a King mutters as he unconsciously takes a step back. Afton opens the door and sticks his head out, waving as he sends a cheeky grin at them, "How you boys doing? Good, I hope?" "Hahaha! I shoulda known it''d be you drivin'' around that contraption. The King has been lookin'' for ya, you know?" he says as he approaches. Another King speaks up, "I''m kinda worried about that ride o'' yours... Seems like you could crush a man like a rotten tato''... Them guns up there ain''t for show neither, right?" Afton shakes his head and the King continues, "You better keep everything tight and controlled then, wouldn''t want a misunderstandin'' would we?" Afton chuckles, "The only misunderstanding that''d be happening in that instance is who you''d have to scrap up off of the road. Let''s hope it doesn''t come to that though, right?" The King nods and shrugs, "Not much else I can say to that. I''d steer clear of those soldier boys though, even with things being calmer around here, they''re still worried about another terrorist attack. Might just piss themselves and start firing when you roll up in that." Afton nods, "We''ll keep that in mind. Oh, you guys mind opening the gate for us?" he asks and the Kings nod and do so, "Alright, see you guys later." he says, waving at them before shutting the door and continuing. Josie slowly drives Dirt-Hog down the street of Freeside, causing no small deal of fright to the locals who''d never seen such a big vehicle before. Most hadn''t even seen Dirt-Bird in action, let alone the mobile assault vehicle before them. There was a far greater NCR presence in the slums now than before, but apparently, it still wasn''t enough to remove all the drugs, fights, and other illegal shit that goes on in the alleyways. Chapter 375 - Miscommunication As they get deeper into Freeside Josie notices something happening off the side of the road. An NCR soldier seems to be wrestling with a large fat man. The man himself seems to be on some sort of chem due to his weird and wild movements, but eventually, the soldier brings him to the ground and restrains him. "Is that guys knee on his neck?" she asks, wondering if that was proper protocol.?? Afton looks over and shakes his head, "Neck and shoulder." "Kneeling on the neck will kill him right?" she mutters while opening the door slightly to air her grievances, however, once she does she can hear the large man wheezing. "Let... me go... I can''t breathe." "Right, you and the other fifty people who''ve tried the same thing." the soldier remarks, staying put. "Hey, he says he can''t breath! Give him some room!" Josie says from the car, finally catching their attention. "Just leave it alone, Josie." Afton sighs. "Miss, I have to do this for the safety of myself and the public... This man just robbed a family at gunpoint..." "Well you have disarmed him already, give him some space and wait for the others to arrive." she continues. The soldier just gives a long sigh and does as she asks, he''d heard of a few soldiers getting thrown in prison on the public''s emotion alone. He rearranges his restraint, but this was just what the criminal was looking for. He throws the man off of his back while grabbing the gun from the soldier''s holster. *BANG!* The man shoots the soldier in the face, but doesn''t stop there. *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* He unloads the revolver until it gives nothing but clicks... He looks around for anyone else and eventually spots Josie, running towards her to most likely take the vehicle. Unfortunately for the man... *DAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!* The K9000 had already designated them as an enemy and riddled them with bullets, causing them to fall down to the ground lifelessly. Josie just watches on in horror, disgusted that her actions had not only killed the soldier, but the criminal as well... "Alright, we''ve been here long enough, let''s get moving before we''re stuck being questioned." Afton urges, not wanting to get caught up in paperwork. "H-how are you so calm about this?" she asks, a shudder in her voice. Afton shrugs, "It''s just the way things work." "The Wasteland?" she guesses. Afton shakes his head, "The world." The group continue on driving until they reach the Strip North Gate. The Securitrons just stand stock still where they are, but their weapon are pointed directly at the vehicle as if waiting for them to try and breach into New Vegas. Afton just gets Josie to drive into a vacant area on the right, they''d park the vehicle there and leave it while they''re in the strip. They wouldn''t have to worry about thieves as the K9000 would be designated to deal with anyone who tried to gain access to it. The group get out of the truck and head to the gate as Afton looks them all over, "So, I''m guessing the people who have licences are everyone but Anja?" The group nod and Anja looks sheepish, "Will that be a problem, sir?" Afton shakes his head, "Not really, we just gotta show that you have enough caps for the strip, which isn''t really a problem... Now that I think about it, we still have to collect our bounty from Dhatri, don''t we?" As they approach the gate, the Securitrons bar their entrance... "Display your identification or submit to a credit check... Trespassers will be shot." The group do as their told, however, when it comes to Anja''s turn the Securitron points its weapon at her, "Ghouls may not enter the Strip." ... "What? Why?" Afton asks in confusion. "Studies have shown that ghouls are more vicious, unstable, and more prone to violence than regular humans." the Securitron lists off. ... Afton frowns, "I take it the tests didn''t distinguish between regular ghouls and feral ghouls?" he asks with a dull expression, knowing that version of events is most likely to have occurred. "Ghoul are prohibited, please step aside." the Securitron repeats, apparently not having the processing power or ability to debate Afton on this. He sighs and glances at Anja, "My bad Anja-" "No... It''s ok, sir. I''ll stay behind and protect Dirt-Hog while you''re gone." she quietly mutters. Afton nods but snaps his fingers at Dog-meat, "You stay behind with her boy, get rid of anyone who bothers her or the truck." *Woof!* The dog barks and walks to Anja''s side as she watches them a good distance from the gate. Without further adieu, the group stroll past the Securitrons and walk into the strip. The gates shut behind them as they are greeted by the sight of the most populace, and well maintained prewar city left in the world. The strip definitely belonged in Vegas, old and new. With dazzling lights everywhere you look and hundreds or thousands of drunken, dishevelled, or rich folk walking around. There were casino''s lining each side of the long road, but most impressive of them all was the Lucky 38, the towering behemoth that almost everyone in the Mojave could see. It was no wonder the lights from the place at night illuminated areas miles away. The tower itself produced enough light pollution to stop the stars from being visible... It''s a shame no one had been allowed inside for centuries, Afton thought the view at the top would be both beautiful and despairing... He couldn''t imagine what it could be like for Mr House to look down at the destroyed Wasteland and compare it with what he once knew... If he was indeed the same person that is. Personally, Afton wasn''t all that sure Mr House was still alive. For all they knew it, could be some sort of AI designed to mimic him... Chapter 376 - Joey... Afton changes focus from the almost blinding strip to his companions, "Alright, where to first?" Boone just shrugs, "No idea."?? "If you''re looking for someone, wouldn''t it be best if we split up?" Josie asks with the other nodding. "Yeah, that seems like the easiest way forward... But you guys won''t go alone, I''ve heard too many horror stories about this place to trust it... Kidnapping, cannibalism, slavery. I trust you guys'' skill, but in enemy territory, it won''t mean all that much." Karl sighs at where this is going, "Alright, but I-" Afton cuts him off , "-And since you and Josie were such a good team last time, I think putting you to together would be for the best." he says with a small grin. "Damned traitor." Karl mutters under his breath. "Boone, you''ll go with ED-E. Sure, he might not be the best at combat, but the rest of us will definitely hear about it if you and a ''flying robot'' start shooting up a casino." Boone just nods, "Fine by me." *Beeep Beep!* Afton nods, "Alright... Just incase you guys need a reminder, I''m looking for some very close friends. A female with messy dark brown hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes... Like''s power fists, punching people, and... Dresses." "Huh... Something doesn''t match up there." Karl mutters, with the other giving similar sentiments. Afton shrugs, "She likes what she likes... The other person is female, 6ft, tan skin, long dark brown hair, brown eyes, with scarring on her face... Specifically, look for a bullet wound on her forehead. Last time I saw her she was wearing a Vault suit, but I doubt she''d still be wearing it... Currently, she''s hunting some guy in a checkered suit, so if you get word of him find me and let me know. That''ll be their target." "A bullet wound on her forehead?... Shouldn''t she be like, dead?" Josie asks. "Yeah, but apparently she''s too stubborn to die... I personally wouldn''t want to fuck with her, Karl can attest to that." Afton says and Karl gives a stern nod in response. Afton also needed to find Major Lowell Thompson Jr, but he wasn''t about to tell them that. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, he''d assassinate the fat fuck and be out before his body hit the floor. "Is everyone okay with the plan?" he asks and the group nods, "Right, well take some caps with you as well, not gambling would make you look out of place... Just try not to lose it all in one go." he says, handing-off a couple pouches of caps. Afterwards, he looks to the casino''s and gestures to the first, "I''ll hit up that one while you guys do the rest. Good luck, and try to have some fun... I can guarantee you won''t be getting another opportunity here for a while." he says before walking to Gomorrah. As he leaves Karl looks at the others and chuckles, "Kid doesn''t know that''s the biggest whore house in the whole Mojave... Wish I could see his face when he realises it." Boone smirks slightly but manages to hide it, "I''ll check out the Ultra-Lux... Heard some bad rumours about it a while back." Karl nods and looks to Josie, "Guess that means we''re at the Top..." he says with a chuckle while gesturing to the Tops Casino. "Wow... You look like an old man, sound like an old man, and now you''re telling jokes like an old man... You''ll be retiring soon, right?" Josie says. Karl scoffs and grumbles, "Let''s just get to work, youngster." he retorts while walking to the Tops. Elsewhere : Afton had just entered Gomorrah after passing by the numerous prostitutes that were dancing just outside on the strip. Once inside he''s accosted by someone wearing pre-war gangster attire... A nice-looking suit with a black trilby hat. "Ey, you can''t come in here lookin'' like that." the man growls out as he approaches. Afton raises a brow, wondering if his mutations would prevent him from entering any casino, "What do you mean?" The gangster gestures at him, "Kid, you literally have more weapons than you have limbs. I don''t know what kinda freaky bull-shit freakshow you came outta, but that''s not how we do on the Strip, you dig?" ... "Err, yeah, I ''dig''..." "Then hand over them irons and you can gamble your life away like the rest''o them." he says, gesturing towards the front desk. Afton follows the man to the reception area but stops just before he''s forced to give his weapons, "These won''t be touched while I''m gone, right? They hold tremendous sentimental value, and are quite dangerous to those unfamiliar with them..." he says, warning them of the danger they''d be in should they touch his guns. The man shrugs, "They''ll be kept locked up, safe and outta anyone''s hands until you come back. You have my word on that." the man says and Afton nods. Still, there''s no honour among thieves, so Afton slips his Fallen Ranger Sequoia into one of the pockets in the Stealthsuit, using his Stealth skill to the max to makesure the Gangster doesn''t notice. "What''s this thing?" the man asks while examining his two Proton axes. "Ah, those?... Er, backscratchers... Yeah, I know a couple massages that I was hoping to use on the..." he looks around and spots a prostitute dancing in a cage that''s hanging from the ceiling. "On the girls here... You know, can''t enjoy myself unless the other party is at least having fun." ... The gangster shrugs and hands them back, "Whatever, personally I wouldn''t be able to tell if the broads here are happy, sad, or suicidal. Best just to get your money''s worth, you know what I''m sayin''?" Afton nods with the best ''empathising'' look he can give, "Yeah, but who else am I gonna practise my technique on? The misses isn''t all that receptive to ''toys'', so I might as well use my talents elsewhere." "Hahaha! You''re my kinda guy, what''s you''re name? Wouldn''t think someone as young as you would even have a misses." Afton chuckles jovially, "Harvey Weinstein." The man nods, "Name, Joey Juliano." he leans in, "But that''s just my club name, in private, call me Bill." Afton nods and shakes his hand, sliding a few caps into his palm, "Pleasure meeting you, ''Joey''." he says before walking further into the casino. Chapter 377 - Gommoriah... Gomorrah turned out not to be the ''casino; Afton had expected it to be. Sure, in the main room there were blackjack and poker tables, but they were merely a front so guests had an excuse for coming here. Afton walked around the club and quickly came to the realisation that this was no casino, but a whore house. He honestly hadn''t thought a brothel this big would survive in the Mojave... Sexually transmitted diseases were usually stopped via condoms and other medicine, but, did condoms even exist nowadays??? The answer is most certainly, no. So, people who came here to indulge did so at their own risk. Afton was pretty sure the girls weren''t being compensated properly for their life-threatening ''career''. So, as a girl in a skimpy outfit came to see if he wanted any drinks as he watched a pole dance, he checked her over with [Living Anatomy]. [Tina Harrow] Health : 67% Stamina : 40% DT : 1 Strength : 2 Perception : 5 Endurance : 4 Charisma : 8 Intelligence : 3 Agility : 4 Luck : 3 Ailments : [Lacerations] : Increase likelihood to start bleeding from other trauma. [Hairline cheek fracture] : Causes pain when moving facial muscles or eating. [HIV] : Damages immune system and eventually develops into AIDS, loss of health and eventual death. -1 Endurance. [Yeast infection] : Causes itchiness and pain. [Jet addiction] : -1 Agility, -1 Charisma. Afton glances at the status and mentally grimaces, that certainly wasn''t good, not just because of the diseases, but because of her injuries too... One didn''t receive those kinds unless you''re brawling, in battle, or being abused. He sends the woman off to get him a whisky while thinking what he should do about it, or whether it was better left alone... He still needed to find Tamia and Veronica, so he couldn''t intervene, right?... He shakes his head and decides he''d speak to the girl and then plan his actions afterwards. Fortunately, just as he makes this decision she walks up and places the drink on his table, smiling at him and waiting if he needed anything else. Afton lightly coughs into his hand before turning his attention to her, "Er, excuse me miss? I was wondering if I could... Hire you?" ... The woman raises a brow and looks over in the direction of some gangsters before slowly nodding, "I-um, I''d love that... If you''ve got what it takes." she states, and Afton just nods and forks over a handful of caps. The girl takes one last glance at the gangsters before leading up through the club and to a room. The places thick with incense or whatever else they use to cover the smell of sex and old semen, but Afton''s senses were good enough that he could smell everything anyway. She leaves the door unlocked and strides to the heart-shaped bed while stripping her clothes off. She''s pretty, sure, but Afton could tell that under all the makeup she''d look sickly, and injured. He could see the barely healed lacerations around her thighs, as if someone had secured her in place with barbed wire to torture her. He raises his hand up before she could get too into this... He wasn''t fucking around with HIV, even if it was supposedly immune to all diseases. "Stop... I only wanted to talk, I''m not interested in your ''normal'' services. Alright?" The girl frowns and glances towards the door that''s currently behind Afton, as if thinking about how to escape. "You sure? We don''t do refunds here you know..." Afton shrugs, "I don''t mind, as long as you try to answer my questions to the best of your ability." She nods, "Fine, but you touch me and I''ll scream, the boys''ll come runnin''." "Scream if you want, but I won''t be the cause of it... My first question is, where did you get those injuries?" The girl raises a brow and her hands unconsciously move to her legs, "I don''t know what you mean?" Afton just gestures at her, "I know one thing for certain, those wounds on your legs weren''t from tripping... Does it still hurt from when he hit you in the face?" [Spies Guise is in effect] "H-how do you know about that?" the girl blurts out, her eyes going wide at her own words. Afton nods, "Ah, so it did happen. Good thing you confirmed it for me, I wasn''t entirely sure what the cause was..." he pauses, "Who''s responsible for it?" The girl''s breath hitches in her throat and she shakes her head, "I won''t tell you... Thing''ll only get worse if word gets out... If you want to help, it''s best you just leave." Afton shakes his head, "I don''t know that until I figure out what''s happening. I''m not one to run away from challenges, so work with me on this and maybe we can help each other out." "I won''t... Can''t. I think you should go." she finally says, rubbing her neck anxiously. Afton sighs, knowing he won''t be getting any good information out of her. "Fine, I''ll leave your injuries alone, just answer a few more questions and I''ll go." he says and she nods, "Have you heard of two women called Tamia and Veronica?" he asks, going on to describe their looks and personalities. The girl shakes her head, "No... Never seen anyone like that..." "Ok... Do you know of a man called Lowell Thompson Jr?" ... "One of them NCR soldiers, right?" the girl asks before continuing, "Fat, ugly guy, sometimes enjoys the girls here... He hasn''t been around for a while, don''t know where he is..." she admits. Afton slowly nods, seems like the major isn''t as honourable as some might think. He wasn''t sure what the military ettiquate was in the NCR, but he was certain Higher ranked individuals would be warned away from something like that... Scandals don''t exactly help with their look after all. "Alright... Thanks for your time, try to keep yourself safe." he says while turning to leave. The girl doesn''t say anything as he exits, simply watching his back with a troubled look. Chapter 378 - Right Hand Of Cachino... As soon as Afton steps out from the prostitute''s room, his danger sense gives a mild sensation. And as he turns to look he spots a chubby, balding, gangster standing nearby watching the door... As soon as he spots Afton he begins marching over with a scowl. "Ey, you there... Yeah, you! You gotta come with me if you know what''s good for ya." he threatens as a few other patrons of the club watch.?? Afton was tempted to just knock the fat bastard on his ass, but decides to see what''s up... He hadn''t done anything wrong in the club yet, meaning there was only a couple things it could be... Either he''d somehow disrespected the man, caught the attention of the club owners, or it''s something to do with the girl he''d just paid for... Putting on a meek face, Afton gives a sheepish smile to the man, "Sure, what can I do for you?" "Shuttin'' your mouth and coming with me would be a start." he growls out, beginning to lead Afton out of the guest rooms and up the floors of the club. Eventually they reach one of the top floors where he''s led into a large empty hallway, and afterwards an even larger, emptier room. It certainly looked better than most places in the Mojave, with nice paintings, furniture, and other finery scattered around the room... Though, Afton could vaguely smell the scent of blood, which would''ve put him on edge if he wasn''t already. "Is there something I can do for you, Mr...?" "The name''s Cachino, and you know what you can do... But if you don''t, that''s just too bad." he says, stepping forwards and punching Afton in the face as hard as he can. Afton mentally scoffs at the man''s ''audacity'' and allows the hit to connect. A *CRACK!* sounds out in the room, but it doesn''t come from Afton... He struggles not to immediately burst out into laughter at Cachino''s pained groan. The fat gangster was trying to put on a tough front, but it was obvious to both of them that his attack had done more damage to himself than his target. [Cachino] Health : 95% Stamina : 95% DT : 3 Strength : 5 Perception : 7 Endurance : 6 Charisma : 3 Intelligence : 5 Agility : 4 Luck : 4 Ailments : [Broken right hand] : Causes pain, and victim is unable to use appendage until healed. -1 Agility. [Tendonitis] : Causes swelling and joint pain. -1 Agility. [Sociopath] : Is unable to empathise or understand other''s emotions. -1 Charisma. [HIV] : Damages immune system and eventually develops into AIDS, loss of health and eventual death. -1 Endurance. Afton just smirks at the man, "What''s wrong Cachino? You stub your toe or something?" he asks mockingly. "You shut you''re fuckin'' mouth. First, you touch one of my girls and now you break my hand? I''ll have your fuckin'' head for this!" Afton just scoffs at the man, "No, you broke your hand. I did literally nothing but let you hit me... That''s like shooting me, missing, getting hit by your own bullet, and then blaming me." he shakes his head, "I''d continue mocking your stupid ass, but we''re not here for that, are we?... You beat and torture those girls, don''t you Cachino?" [Spies Guise is in effect] "No, who''d you fuckin'' hear that from... Was it Tina!? I''ll fuckin''..." he stops and glancing at Afton, "Give her a talk..." "Yeah, that''s believable, you fat, retard." Afton chuckles, "I''m guessing you ''deal'' with your girls here, right?" Afton asks, but doesn''t need an answer, the scent of blood had already given it away. "That must mean it''s soundproof, right?" ... Cachino begins sweating at Afton''s words, it was obvious Afton could destroy Cachino in a fight, and now he was stuck here in a soundproof room with him. "No. People in the hall can still hear what''s goin'' on inside." he states, though, neither of the men believe those words. "Then it''s good no one seems to be up here... Your doing, no doubt?" Afton asks, knowing that the man probably cleared the floor so he could deal with Afton in peace... Murder wasn''t uncommon in the Mojave, but killing anyone in the strip was a big no-no. Mr House knows that one murder usually leads to two others, and then four, and so on. Hence Cachino''s attempt to keep it secret. Plus, Afton was pretty sure harming the women working in the brothel was frowned down on... It was literally shooting yourself in the foot and damaging your own property. He wondered how long Cachino would keep his position if his actions came to light. Again, Afton''s danger sense warns him of something, and he quickly spots Cachino''s hand reaches for the revolver in his waistband. Quickly before the gangster can react, he ignites his Proton axe and throws it, the hard-light axe flying through the air and leaving a purple trail as it moves. Both men watch in fascination and horror as it hits Cachino in the shoulder, easily slicing through it, leaving a cauterized wound and allowing the arm to drop to the floor. ... Cachino looks at his former-arm for a moment before taking a deep breath. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! OH MY FUCKING GOD!" "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHH!" The man continues to scream in absolute agony, dropping to the floor and clutching his new stump while screaming as much as his throat will allow. The man eventually devolves into a blubbering mess who just sits on the floor with tears streaming from his face... "Hmm, I don''t remember being like this after cutting my arm off." he mutters while looking unsympathetically at the cowardly gangster. He walks over and kicks the man onto his back, swiping his revolver as he does so. Afterwards, he rests a foot on the man''s chest and glares down at him, "So, here''s how this is going to go... You tell me what I want to know, and I won''t start cutting other pieces off of you... Capiche?" Chapter 379 - Turd In The Wind... Once Chachino regains his bearings he quickly kicks himself away from Afton, with his back eventually hitting the wall... Fear practically oozes from him as he pats himself over to check if he still had a weapon. But unfortunately for him, Afton''d already taken it. "P-P-P-PLEASE! I''m sorry! You can do whatever you want to the girls, I don''t give a fuck!"?? Afton smiles down at the man, picking up the thrown Proton axe and beginning to casually twirl it about in his fingers. [Spies Guise is in effect] [Intimidation succeeded] "L-Look! If this is about that Legion shit, I got nothin'' to do with it! It''s the others, they''re fuckin'' crazy!... Let me go and I''ll tell you whatever you want, j-just don''t hurt me!" he pleads pathetically. ... Huh, Afton hadn''t been expecting that. He''d just been wanting to scare the guy as much as possible before asking some questions about his targets, buuut, if the Legion was somehow involved here... "Tell me what you know... Mr House doesn''t like Bulls on his property, if you get what I mean." he growls out, pretending he worked for House. Obviously, most people wouldn''t believe that as House mostly acted with his robots instead of through people... But Chachino was too scared to rationally think at the moment, allowing Afton to take advantage of his cowardly nature. "L-Look, all I know is rumours... The family, they''ve been stockpiling guns for some reason, I don''t know what for but whatever it is, I got nothin'' to do with it!" Stockpiling guns? Are they planning on taking over the strip or something? That''d be incredibly difficult to do considering they''d have to fight not only Mr House''s robots, but the NCR soldiers all stationed here as well... "Who''s in charge here?" Afton asks, deciding that he could deal with this threat later on by interrogating the actual guy in charge. "I-It''s Nero and his right-hand Big Sal, they lead the Omerta''s and own the Casino... Don''t tell ''em I said anything, they''d butcher me like a dog. Afton shrugs, "Alright... I got a couple more questions, you answer them correctly and I''ll ''cut you loose''." he states and Cachino quickly nods. Afton proceeds to question him about Tamia and Veronica, but the man has apparently never heard of them... "Ok, how about Lowell Thompson Jr, you know anything about him?" Cachino quickly nods, "Y-yeah, he''s a frequent customer here, likes to hire groups of girls at a time... No idea where he gets the money." "Do you know where he is now?" Cachino shakes his head, "No! Last I saw him he was talkin'' about finding some higher class broads or somethin''... He''s not come by since, I swear!" "What do you think he meant by ''Higher class''?" Afton asks, himself not having a clue. "I don''t know! Maybe he wasn''t happy with the new girls we got? Maybe he wanted fresh meat? Fuck if I know!" Afton sighs, "Hmm... You know anything about a guy who wears a checkered suit?" he asks. "You mean Benny?" Cachino questions, "That pompous fuck runs the Tops, the Casino next door... What''d he do to get on your radar?" he asks curiously, seemingly forgetting the situation he''s in." "He shot a friend of mine..." he quietly says, quickly going through various plans. If Benny wasn''t already dead, then Tamia and Veronica would still looking for him... All he had to do was wait around the Tops until they arrived, though, how long that''d take he has no idea. They might still be away from the Mojave for all he knew. He was tempted just to kill Benny himself, but knew Tamia wouldn''t take that well... She struck him as a particularly vengeful person, someone who wanted to deal with their problems with her own two hands. Afton slowly nods, "Alright, that''s all I wanted to know... Thank you for your time Cachinco." he says while taking a step towards the man. Cachino cowers further into the wall at this, "W-wait! You said you''d cut me loose! PLEASE!" Afton chuckles, "Yeah, you should''ve been more mindful, ''cut loose'' can imply a number of things... As of now, I''m going to cut you loose of your arms, legs, and maybe even your head if I feel like it. Sound good?" "WAIT!" *Bzzztch!* The sound of his Proton axe cutting and burning through flesh is a satisfying one, though, it could barely be heard of Cachinco''s screams. Afton isn''t all that empathetic to the man though, someone who rapes, and tortures those working under him deserves every second of this. After all is said and done, Afton leaves the room with only a smoking disassembled body behind. He locks the door behind him to give himself enough time to get away from Gomorrah''s, there''s no need to start a firefight right now... That can wait until he needs to come back and sort out the problems involving the Legion. Elsewhere : Karl was beginning to regret coming here... They''d entered the club and been stripped of all weapons, which wasn''t so bad, but things had started getting much worse when they''d sat down at a Blackjack table. He''d intended to just play low stakes games and gather as much information as possible, but he''d underestimated just how unlucky he was. The caps he''d come in with were quickly deteriorating, and it didn''t help that Josie was getting a bit too into the ''New Vegas spirit''... She''d not been trained for this sort of thing, so she was drinking too much, gambling too much, and speaking too much... She hadn''t revealed anything too dire yet, but it as only a matter of time... That wasn''t even mentioning the fact Karl had struggled to get even a peep out of their dealer yet. The man was professional, and knew what he was doing... He was simply the dealer of cards and deterrent for cheaters, nothing more. Karl sighs as he folds, wondering if the others were having better luck than he was. Hopefully, there''d be some news before Josie got black-out drunk. Chapter 380 - Polite-Hostile Company Boone glances at the bartender as he sips his drink. He''d been sitting at the bar for twenty minutes now, but still hadn''t heard anything interesting... The Ultra-Lux was exactly as it presented itself; Pompous, high-class, expensive, and polite. Polite, as in, making small talk and nothing else.?? The Ultra-Lux itself is an incredibly white, marble building, with staff that wear black tuxedo''s and masks to hide their faces. Most customers who come here buy and wear masks as well, though, why they do Boone can''t really figure out. All in all, Boone thought it looked quite creepy. Everything was too clean and clinical, everyone was faceless and unaccountable. Not to mention the rumours Boone had heard about the place while he was still serving... Apparently they''d been eating people here... Whether or not it was true is still up in the air though. Something that may have been inhibiting his information gathering was how much he stuck out... He was literally wearing heavy combat armour with a flying armed robot floating next to him. People glared at him for ''ruining the ambience'', but he didn''t really have a change of clothes... Nor was he willing to purchase one of those stupid-looking tuxedo''s that cost more than a good gun. Fortunately, his outfit isn''t currently the one drawing the most attention... *Bang!* The double doors of the Ulta-Lux fly open as a bearded man wearing a gambler outfit and a desperado cowboy hat strolls in, followed by a heavily armed bodyguard who, for some reason, is allowed to keep his weapon. "WHERE IS MY SON!" the man shouts, catching the attention of everyone in the main lobby. "Excuse me sir, but could you please calm down? You are disturbing our other-" *Smack!* The Ultra-Lux staff is smacked in the face causing their mask to fly off and clatter to the floor, they land on their ass while holding their face, glaring hatefully at their attacker. "You don''t tell me what to do you jumped-up mask-wearing piece of shit! You will return my son, Ted Gunderson, to me, or I''ll have this whole place turned upside-fucking-down!" "H-Heck Gunderson?" the man who''d just been slapped stutters out, as if he''d just found out he was looking the president. "If you know me, then you better damn well listen to me! GIVE ME MY SON!" "D-dad!?" a voice shouts from the hallway leading to another part of the Ultra-Lux. A young man, maybe eighteen years old runs out looking horrified at his father''s actions. "You''re here!?" Heck Gunderson marches towards the boy and smacks him across the head multiple times, "You fuckin'' stupid boy! I tell you when and where to go, I expect you to be there! You disobey me again and I''ll tan your hide and sell it!" he shouts. "D-Dad! I didn''t have a choice, they-" *Smack!* "You shut up and come with me, arrogant brat!" Boone watches as the father drags the son away, but his train of thought is interrupted by two people taking a seat next to him and beginning to whisper amongst each other... Were it not for his well-trained senses, he might''ve missed it. "Yeah, looked like he was about to get nabbed..." one mutters conspiratorially. "Really? Why would they try and kidnap him? Aside from his dad, who I''d bet wouldn''t pay a ransom, he''s got nothing." Boone finally looks over at them, spotting two well-dressed women, both wearing masks, a tuxedo and a dress. Either they bought the outfits, or they worked here... The latter option was unlikely given that they were questioning the going on within the Ultra-Lux. He lightly coughs into his fist and quietly addresses them, "Sounds to me that something''s not right around here." ... The two seems surprised that they''d be heard and look him over appraisingly, "What''s it to you?" the taller one asks in a suspicious tone. Boone leans forward and swirls his drink around, "I''m something of a ''problem-solver'', and it sounds to me like you have a problem to solve." he downs the last of his drink, "Besides, not like I have anything else to do here." he states and ED-E beeps happily alongside him. "Oh? Well, you''re my problem, so solve that, squinty." she retorts, making Boone raise a brow at the sudden antagonism. The other masked lady nudges the taller one in the side, "Hey, don''t go scaring away free-help..." she looks at Boone, "It is free, right?" Boone shrugs, deciding to see where this rabbit hole went. "Sure." After ''agreeing'' to work for free, the girls dragged him up to a hotel room where they quickly stuffed an extra Tuxedo into his arms... Judging by the small bloodstain on the collar hidden by the black coat, they hadn''t bought this... "Put it on, you''re too conspicuous wearing all that armour." the shorter one says. "Wait... Tell me your names first, I need to know who I''m working with." "Christine." the shorter one says. "Johanna." the other states. Boone nods at them, "The name''s Boone, but you can call me ''Squinty''." he says, not seeing a reason to hide his name. This gets a round of chuckles from the two women however, hopefully putting him in their ''good-book'' for now. It wouldn''t do to get stabbed in the back while the other''s are out investigating the other casino''s... Despite everything, he still had the pride of a professional. He leaves them and enters the bathroom, but raises a brow at the naked man in the bathtub who''s had his head bludgeoned to the point of becoming jello... Well, at least now he knew where they got the suit from. Though, he wasn''t sure he was happy about shedding his armour in a potentially hostile situation, with no weapons no-less. Regardless, he takes it all off and puts on the Tuxedo, struggling with the box-tie slightly before managing to get it in some sort of ''knot''. The outfit itself is a bit tight, but that was unavoidable in this kind of situation. He then puts on the mask, making him look almost exactly like one of the staff that work in the Ultra-Lux... The only thing he was missing was the cane... The cane which just so happened to be lying on the floor next to the bathtub. It was dented slightly and covered in blood and brain matter, however... Nothing a little spritz in the sink couldn''t handle though. Chapter 381 - Kitchen-Mess Boone eventually walks out and the girls eye him up and down, eventually nodding at his outfit. "Alright, you fit the part at least. Until you start talking, that is." Boone shrugs, he wasn''t much of a talker to begin with, so mimicking the posh and pompous dialect of the Ultra-Lux staff wasn''t something he thought possible. Regardless, he leans against the cane and questions them, "Why''re you here doing this anyway? What''s your goal?"?? The taller one crosses her arms, "Revenge. Apparently I was asking too many questions while I was here, so they elected to try and kidnap me. I''m guessing you saw the bastard in the bathtub." she states. Boone nods, "Revenge. I get that, just try not to involve innocent folk while you''re at it." he says. "That''s the plan." Boone continues to question the girls on what they intend to do. Apparently, they''d already been in the Ultra-Lux for a couple days, they hadn''t intended to stay so long, but the Ultra-Lux''s actions against them required some form of retribution. Not that Boone blamed them, he was more in touch with his vengeful side than most. If it could be called that, the plan was to infiltrate the VIP area''s to see what the casino was up to. judging by the fact they''d been trying to kidnap folk, it must be for a reason. The two women had already mapped out most of the place, the upper floors didn''t have anything damning, nor did the publically available areas. So, that just left out some rooms behind locked doors, and the kitchens, which the girls hadn''t yet been able to gain access to. Without further adieu, they quickly begin scouting the place. Boone was forced to leave ED-E in the hotel room as it''d be entirely too easy to spot him out from the crowd. It takes a couple hours to map out the staff placements and movements, but eventually, they see an opportunity. The staff that was guarding the door to the kitchens left for the toilets before his shift ended, giving them time to slip past and through the door. Once through they found themselves somewhere that looked entirely different to the rest of the Ultra-Lux... No marble or white stone, just clinical grey tiles leading as far as they could see. The lights above them were dim as if they''d not been changed in years, and the eerie sound coming from further ahead gave them the chills... Boone, with his well-honed senses, could hear bursts of flame and the sizzling of flesh, "There''s something up ahead... Stay quiet." They sneak through the grey and dreary hallway until they reach a room illuminated by flamethrowers that two Ultra-Lux staff were using to cook Brahmin carcasses that were hanging on hooks. The two men didn''t seem to hear the group, instead just continuously charring the meat for whatever purpose. Boone''s about to direct the girls but stops as they''d already begun approaching the men. He''s quite surprised to watch as Johanna slams her cane into the left-most man''s head, shattering the cane and most likely instantly killing them. Christine reals back and delivers a heavy punch to the other before they can react, sending them to the floor unconscious. Boone walks up and glances at the two, "Er, good job..." Johanna stomps on the neck of the unconscious man and finishes him off before looking at Boone, "Well, Squinty? Got any idea''s where we should put the bodies?" Boone looks around the room for a moment and spots some kind of waste disposal. They most likely throw bits of unwanted meat from the Brahmin down there, might as well do the same with the unwanted bodies they possessed. Once they''d disposed of the corpses, the group continues to make their way through the hallways. They have to stop occasionally due to a few patrolling men, but they make swift progress. Soon enough, they come across a door leading to some kind of kitchen... Ovens, sinks, and everything else a cook would require was here. The only thing that was missing was the chef themselves. Boone notices movement from the corner of his eye, the walk-in fridge wasn''t as empty as he''d initially thought. He walks over to it but is forced to throw himself backwards as a man with a cleaver comes out swinging. "YOU''RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!" he exclaims while continuing to cut him apart. Boone eventually falls onto his ass after dodging a litany of strikes, he wasn''t one for melee combat, and this was especially so without a proper weapon. He prepares to defend himself from another onslaught but is relieved to see a can of beans striking the man in the face. He reels back and grabs his face, not noticing Johanna launching her self forward and headbutting him while grabbing the cleaver. The force of the strike sends the man stumbling backwards without his weapon, Johanna isn''t quite done yet however, stepping forward and burying the cleaver in the chef''s shoulder. "AAARRGGHH!" they yell out in pain, dropping to the ground and quickly holding his uninjured arm up. "S-stop! STOP! I surrender!" Johanna kicks the man in the stomach a couple more times, "Oh? Sorry! I must not have heard you while you were trying to stab my friend!" she says in a mock-apologetic tone while still kicking. Boone gets up and dusts himself off, checking for any cuts he may have gotten in the brief melee. Aside from a few small nicks on his forearms, he was relatively unscathed however. "Hold up, we need him awake to answer our questions." he says, and Johanna pouts under her mask as she stops beating the man. "Y-yes, yes... Just don''t hurt me!" Johanna shrugs and glances over at Christine who was currently watching incase any more staff walk by the kitchen. "You know how to interrogate, Squinty? All my methods include slicing and dicing..." Boone gives a light chuckle "Applicable for a chef, but no, we need him alive for now... I''ll handle this." he says, remembering all the ''interrogation'' sessions he''d watched Afton perform. Chapter 382 - A Head For Problems Boone glowers down at the chef, "You will answer all my questions, or I will punish you... Do you understand?" The chef quickly nods and Boone continues, "Who are you, and what group do you belong to?" "P-Philippe... My name is Philippe and I belong to the W-White Glove Society."?? "Huh, so that''s what they''re called..." Christine mutters, "People were awfully cagey about actually speaking their name..." Boone nods, "There''s good reason for that... Apparently they engaged in cannibalism." he turns to Phillippe, "You wouldn''t happen to know anything like that, would you?" The man pales, "I-I D-D-Don''t know what you''re talkin-" Boone interrupts him by turning on the gas hob of the grill and dragging the man to his feet, despite his protestations he''s unable to stop Boone as Philippe''s face is pressed against the fire, severely burning his cheek. Christine has fortunately shut the door, otherwise, the man''s screams of agony might''ve been heard throughout the Ultra-Lux... Boone tosses the man to the ground again and kneels next to him, "Do I have to remind you? You are in no position to lie to me... I can tell when you''re lying, Philippe, so unless you want to find yourself castrated and hung on a hook along with the Brahmin carcasses, you will speak, Truthfully... Do you understand?" "Y-yes! Sir!" Philippe yelps, completely terrified at this point. Boone nods, thanking his past self for observing Afton''s interrogations up until this point. "I will ask again. And you will answer, correctly, this time. Did the White Glove Society engage in cannibalism?" ... "Yes..." Boone''s look soured at this, and he was sure Johanna and Christine weren''t looking so great under their masks either. "Have they practised cannibalism recently?" Philippes eye''s flitter to the side for a moment as he answers, "N-No..." Boone scowls and sends a glance to Johanna, he kicks the man in the face and pulls his arm taut, resting it on the counter. Johanna wastes no time and slams the cleaver down, severing four fingers in one fell swoop. Yet again, Philippe screams. But by this point it''d become background noise for them, somehow less annoying than what tinnitus was supposed to be. "I will ask again, and you will answer again, differently, unless you like having stumps for hands." Boone growls out, "Has the White Glove Society recently engaged in cannibalism?" "Y-yes..." "Who? Was it everyone, or just a single person?" "M-Mortimer..." "And?" Boone asks, knowing that there were probably more. "I-I... A chef needs to taste his food to-" *SMACK!* Johanna kicks the man in the ribs, "You sick bastard. Eating PEOPLE?! You''re monstrous!" she exclaims. Boone himself feels slightly green at this, but shakes his head and recomposes himself, "Who have you eaten?" he asks, wanting to know who the victims are. "O-Only one person... Mortimer wants to bring back cannibalism to the rest of the Society, but he and I are..." "Who did you kill?" "I-I don''t know... He... Bits of him are still in the fridge... He was quite a large man, too large for us to eat entirely..." Christine has apparently heard enough, leaning over the sink and raising her mask slightly as she vomits the contents of her stomach. "Show me." Boone asks, though you could audibly hear how sickened he was in his voice alone. Philippe slowly gets up while holding is bloody hand and walks into the fridge, gesturing out a plastic box hiding in the corner which contained many plastic sealed pieces of flesh. If Boone didn''t know any better, he''d say it was Brahmin or something similar, not human flesh... He''d never been more thankful to have eaten elsewhere at this moment. Behind the plastic box was a jar with brine... Inside... Was a human head. Once Boone actually recognised... "Major Lowell Thompson Jr... You killed, and ate, an NCR Major..." Boone mutters in disbelief, it just didn''t make sense, if they were going to cannibalise people, why do it to one of the most conspicuous people in the Mojave? "W-WHO?!?" Philippe yelps, clearly not having realised how much they''d fucked up. "One of the most well-regar-" Boone stops himself at that, Lowell wasn''t ''regarded'' well perse... His tactics and methods worked, at the cost of his own men''s lives. "Well-known people in the Mojave, and you butchered and ate him..." "Oh god, oh god, oh god, OH GOD!" Philippe begins muttering while holding his head, not minding his bleeding hand. Boone looks over to Johanna and Christine, "That leaves us with what to do... Should we kill Mortimer and leave, or bring Lowell''s head to the NCR embassy?" Both girls look thoughtful at this... Both would most likely lead to Mortimer''s death, but the former option would make it so much more personal. Of course, there was always a third option. The two women nod at one another and explain their choice to ''Squinty'', all the while, Philippe appeared to be having a mental breakdown. Once the group decide what they''re going to do, Johanna raises the cleaver and cuts down at Philippe''s neck, killing the man instantly. No one had any sympathy for a cannibal, even if he seemed ''slightly'' reluctant. With the chef dead, all that was left was to deal with Mortimer. Boone picks up the jar containing Lowell''s and covers it with a cloth. Once done, they make their way back up through the hallways and into the main Ultra-Lux venue. After that, it isn''t hard to find where Mortimer is... The man had very pale, white skin with a gaudy moustache and a huge top hat. He was currently sitting behind a desk, serving people who needed assistance. The group walk up and Boone takes his mask off while addressing the man, "Mortimer, you are under arrest for the murder, and cannibalism of Major Lowell Thompson Jr, refusal to comply will result in your immediate execution." At his words, the entire room goes silent and looks on curiously at what Mortimer might have to say. Mortimer''s eyes widen at this, "W-what? What evidence do you have? I don''t think you are even who you purport to be!" Chapter 383 - Filthy Animal "W-what? What evidence do you have? I don''t think you are even who you purport to be!" the man exclaims with a mad look in his eyes. Boone scowls at him, "You want proof? Take a look." he states before raising the cloth shielding the jar containing Lowells head from view.?? Gasps break out in the Ultra-Lux as Boone holds it up for all to see, it was a truly grisly sight looking upon the fat, balding head with a blank, yet horrified look still plastered on it. It looked even more gruesome than a regular decapitated head would due to the brine liquid it was preserved by. "You will come with us to the NCR embassy or executed where you stand, the rest of the White Glove Society must understand that its old tradition of cannibalism has been banned by many parties. Any who seek to defend you will be treated the same as yourself." Boone says, wanting to prevent any ''hail mary'' attempts at stopping the arrest. Mortimer just stands stock still for a couple of seconds, seemingly evaluating his options. By the looks of the rest of the people in the room, they were inclined to believe the trio who''d literally displayed the dead majored decapitated head. There wasn''t really all that much he could do to assuage such an allegation, aside from fighting with his own evidence. His body tenses up as he prepares himself to escape. He was one of the few people in the Ultra-Lux who need the many secret passages held within, so it wouldn''t be difficult to escape it, the strip, and New Vegas as a whole. Boone scowls as Mortimer bursts into a sprint, quickly headed in the opposite direction of them, he was currently holding the jar containing Lowell''s head, so he couldn''t really chase the man himself... Fortunately, it didn''t look like he''d have to, as Johanna and Christine were already hot on his tail. "I''m beginning to regret coming here!" Johanna complains as they run. "Yeah? Well, I''m not... Just look at this awesome dress!" Christine says while giving a thumb down at her dress. Johanna just shakes her head, "Whatever, let''s hope you can keep up in that thing." she chides while increasing her pace. "Grr, I''ll show you the power of dresses!" Christine shouts back, putting more effort in in stride. Mortimer runs through a few rooms as the two disguised women follow. Unfortunately, the crimes they''d unveiled hadn''t been revealed to the rest of the Ultra-Lux, allowing Mortimer to call for aid. "HELP! THESE INTRUDERS ARE TRYING TO KILL US!" He exclaims as he runs through the bathing area. Quickly, a few White Glove Society members jump into action, getting between Mortimer and his pursuers... This turns out to be a bad idea for almost all parties involved... Johanna doesn''t decrease her sprint, simply lowers her chin and head butting the nearest man in the face, smashing the mask and almost completely destroying their nose. Afterwards, she slams them to the floor and keeps running, as if she hadn''t even encountered an obstacle. Christine on the other hand isn''t as strong or manoeuvrable as her companion, instead electing to fight them all here and eventually catch up. "I''ll handle these idiots!" she calls out while jump kicking a masked man in the face, instantly knocking them unconscious and sprawling to the floor. Another punch sends one collapsing into one of the baths, forcing a few patrons to get the man out before he drowns. Johanna follows Mortimer as the man opens a drain and jumps in, she slides down the narrow passageway and eventually ends up in some kind of pipe system, most likely where all the water from the baths end up. It''s dark, but that problem is easily alleviated. She reaches into her satchel and pulls out her Pipboy 3000. "Good thing Doc gave this to me, never woulda lasted this long without it." she mutters, putting it on her wrist and activating the light, illuminating the rather empty-looking Pipe system. The ground was wet with a small stream of water going down it, but she hadn''t heard the rapid splashing feet of Mortimer, meaning he hadn''t run, and instead was trying to evade her via another method. This might''ve worked on anyone else, but someone with a Pipboy? No chance. She turns it on and activates the local map, instantly spotting a few hidden passageways, there was one on the left that looked like a large storm drain, it didn''t lead anywhere aside from a single room... She bends down and shines the light into it, *SPLASH!*, but as she does her ankle is grabbed as she''s pulled into it. She barely catches a glimpse of Mortimer as she''s pulled inside, she''s slightly disorientated from the impact of the fall but manages to catch the glint of the metal pipe being raised above his head. Johanna throws her hands up in a cross and catches the strike between her arms, grunting in pain as the pipe strikes the soft part of her arms, most likely bruising the flesh. "You should have left well-enough alone!" Mortimer shouts as he prepares to strike again, but Johanna leans to the side and allows the Pipe to strike the ground next to her, throwing up a splash of water. She then kicks the man in the knee, twisting it and causing him to stumble. His loss of balance allows her to grab onto his pipe, which she uses to pull herself up and fiercely headbutt the man in the nose. *CRACK!* His nose breaks on Impact, but Mortimer is hardier than expect, rearing back himself and headbutting her, smashing their foreheads together and causing both to stumble back slightly, though, neither is willing to give up their grip on the pipe. "I''m gonna take that top hat and shove it up your ass, you piece of shit!" she growls as she pulls the pipe, overpowering the man''s strength as she grabs his neck with her other hand, forcing him to the floor backwards. She then drops a knee to his face, breaking his cheekbone and finally getting him to relinquish his grip on the pipe. She raises it and brings the metal down on his knee''s, destroying both of them before she moves onto his arms. *CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!* By the time Johanna had come out of her enraged state, Mortimer was nothing but a bleeding pile of blood, flesh, shit, and piss. She drops the pipe to the floor and spits on the corpse, climbing back up through the storm drain and back to the bathing area. "Chau." she mutter as she exits. Chapter 384 - Major Surprise... Boone wasn''t all that surprised when Johanna returned without Mortimer, though the news of his death was a pleasant one. Someone who engaged in cannibalism, and sought to encourage others to follow the same path must be exterminated with extreme prejudice. Fortunately, most of the other members of the White Glove Society disavow Mortimer and his actions completely, giving the group way to arrest him and hopefully stop their reputation from being pulled through the mud (too much).?? Once Johanna returns covered in mud, water, and blood. The group head back up to the hotel room so Boone can put his armour back on and get ED-E, not to mention grab all the bags they''d left in there. Once done, they take the jar containing the Major''s head and exit the Ultra-Lux, walking towards the NCR embassy as they go. Johanna and Christine give him questioning looks as he throws his hunting rifle and Anti-Material rifle on his back, while only the latter seem concerned as he puts his First Recon beret on. Fortunately, neither mention it and they go about their business. A few people stare at them as they pass, but Boone isn''t really concerned... Though, by the time they reach the embassy itself he questions the two women, "I don''t think they will allow you inside with those masks..." ... The two women touch their faces and only now realise they''d still been wearing the masks the whole time. "Huh, I''d forgotten they were even there." Johanna mutters, taking the mask off and causing Boone to gape at her. Long black hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin that''s marred with a few visible scars... Just as Afton had described. Though, instead of a Vaultsuit, she''s still wearing the tuxedo from the Ultra-Lux. "Tamia?" he questions, causing the woman to go still. "Do you know me?" she asks, wondering if Boone was someone from her forgotten past. He shakes his head, "Not personally but," he glances at ''Christine'', "That would make you, Veronica, right?" Veronica shrugs and takes off her mask, "Either you''re really good at magic tricks, or you know things you shouldn''t... Either way, I wanna know." she says, a small, cheeky smirk spreading across her face. "Well, a friend of mine has been looking for you... Afton Parker." he says, taking a small degree of amusement from the way the woman''s eyes bulge at the name. "You know Afton?! How is he? Where is he? Why is he-" she stops herself short, she didn''t know if Afton had revealed their origins to ''Squinty'', but it was best left unsaid, especially now that they were literally standing next to the NCR embassy. Tamia raises a brow, "You know Afton? Huh, seems like that kid gets around..." she mutters, not having expected her companion to be personally involved with the kid that''d helped her months ago. "What? Why does everyone know how Afton is but me!? I should be the first one to know!" she exclaims, catching a few irritated glares from nearby NCR personnel. She sheepish scratches the back of her head before refocussing on her companions, "I''m his big sister, I should at least be aware that he''s out in the Wasteland!" "Sister?" Boone blurts out, not having heard of such a relation beforehand... He''d just assumed she was an ex-girlfriend or cousin. "He hadn''t mentioned that..." Veronica shakes her head in exasperation, "Of course he didn''t... Well, where is he? I doubt you''d be running an errand for him on the other side of the Mojave." Boone gestures back in the direction of the casino''s, "He''s in Gomorrah right now..." he mutters, wondering if Afton would appreciate the misunderstanding this would no doubt create. "HE''S WHAT!? That little-, he better not be doing what I think he''s doing!" she exclaims with righteous indignation. "Veronica, relax... Who cares if he wants to spend time with some paid company?" Tamia chides from the side. "I care! Women like that aren''t good enough for him! And who knows what kinds of things he''ll catch from them!?" Boone coughs into his fist, deciding to save Afton some effort, "You misunderstand... He''s in Gomorrah''s gathering intelligence. Specifically, your location, and the location of a man in a checkered suit." "Benny." Tamia spits, the venom in her voice only matched by her seething look. At Boone''s raised brow, she decides to illuminate him on the topic, "We were only in the Ultra-Lux to find out where that rat-bastard was... Getting caught up in... That." she gestures at the jar wrapped in cloth that Boone was holding, "Was entirely unintentional. At least things turned out okay, I''m actually looking forwards to seeing the kid again." Veronica beams, "Oh! Can we surprise him? I can''t wait to see the look on his face!" Boone shrugs, "Whatever bottle''s your cap, let''s finish our current job first though, bet there''ll be a reward in it for us." The girls nod and the trio enter inside the embassy, walking towards the receptionist who looks at them disinterestedly. "State your name, and the purpose of your visit." she drawls, all the while munching on some chewing gum. Boone doesn''t address her attitude and instead drops the jar onto her desk, "I''d like to report a crime." he states as he raises the cloth, revealing the severed head. "EEEEEEIIIIIKKKK!" the receptionist falls backwards off of her chair with a yelp, the other military personnel looking over and immediately going on high alert when they spot the jar. It wouldn''t be the first time the Legion had sent the severed heads of their allies back to them to demoralise the men. "Stop! Don''t take another step or we''ll shoot!" One of the military police shout, pointing a pistol in their direction. Boone slowly raises his hands and gestures at his beret, "Do you know what this means? Obviously not since you''re still pointing your weapon at me. Means I''ve served the NCR most of my life, probably longer than you''ve been able to speak, put the gun down, recruit." he growls out, the younger soldier hesitantly doing so, but still keeping it at the ready in case Boone does show to be at threat. "We''ve just come from the Ultra-Lux where we discovered this, the severed head of Major Lowell Thompson Jr. I would''ve brought the rest of his body with us, by most of it has been cut up into bite-sized chunks for the cannibals in the casino to eat." ... The receptionist slowly gets to her feet, and exits the room, eventually coming back and addressing them, "Ambassador Crocker would like to see you..." Chapter 385 - Crock-Pot Boone, Tamia, and Veronica are led through the embassy until they eventually reach a relatively well-kept office. The floor was decorated with a red carpet, and the walls seemed to have been painted over, despite their bad condition. On the wall was a large painting of what could only be President Kimball, and on the far side of the room sat a black man wearing a fine suit behind a terminal. "Ambassador." the receptionist states as she stands by the entrance to the room dutifully with her hands behind her back.?? He gestures at her, "You can go, thank you." he says before focussing on the group, "Hello. I''m not sure if you know me, but I certainly know of you..." he points to Boone, "Member of one of the most impactful mercenary groups the Mojave, and the wasteland, has ever seen." he then gestures at Tami and Veronica, "And you two, blazing a trail through the Mojave with seemingly no goal... Still, you have my gratitude for what you did in Boulder City... Come, take a seat." he says, nodding his head at the chairs set in front of his desk. They do as told, Boone depositing the jar containing Lowell''s head on the desk as well, though, by the slight grimace the Ambassador gives, he already knows what it is. "You seem to know a lot about us..." Veronica quietly says, wondering just how far their network extends. Crocker smiles and nods, "I know enough. That said, I believe we have more pressing matters to discuss. Particularly what occurred in the Ultra-Lux... I don''t want to hastily come to conclusions, but, your actions were dangerous, and reckless..." Tamia scoffs at this, crossing her arms while slouching in her chair, "Oh? How so?" "The situation with House right now is... Tenuous, negotiations between the NCR and him haven''t made any progress since the last treaty, you might ask ''why does this matter'', and I''d tell you that using NCR authority that wasn''t given to arrest a prominent casino member on their own property was incredibly damaging, not just to the casino and its reputation, but to the NCR''s relations with Mr House and the rest of the strip. I know that you most likely had a very, very compelling reason to do so, but you acted for the NCR, without NCR approval... If we let this go unpunished, it may set a president of vigilantism, especially in Freeside which is on the brink of complete anarchy." Boone shrugs, "Better to apologise for acting than get permission five months later. Mortimer needed to be stopped, he was attempting to convince the rest of the White Glove Society to become cannibals again. Left to his own devices, I think he may have succeeded..." Crocker just shakes his head with a sigh, "Be that as it may, I cannot let this stand as it is. Despite the actions taken against Major Thompson, you still have no evidence that Mortimer was the one responsible... Is the man even alive to testify? Or did you take those matters into your own hands as well?" he asks, already knowing full well that Mortimer wouldn''t have survived. Tamia shakes her head, "I pummeled his skull until it became bone-fragment soup. I can drag his corpse back if you like?" "Er, no... Let''s not do that." Crocker says, turning his attention to the jar. "May I?" he asks as he glances at Boone. Boone just nods, it wasn''t like he owned the jar anyway... Crocker raises the cloth and looks into the jar, inadvertently locking eyes with the severed head. "Well, well... I told you this would happen, didn''t I, Jr?..." he releases a long sigh and looks at the others, "Not much we can do about it now I suppose... I''ve sent someone to the Lucky 38 to see if House is willing to discuss recent events, usually he''d send out a robot to discuss it for him, but it''s always a bit random, shall we say?... Once I''ve spoken with House, I will determine just how much damage you have done to the relations of the NCR and New Vegas and punish you accordingly." "You''re going to punish us for doing your job for you?" Tamia scoffs, clearly unsatisfied by this turn of events, she gets to her feet and glances at Veronic and Boone, "Whatever, we''ll see what you decide, and afterwards I''ll see if I care to listen." she states as she begins to exit. Veronica quickly follows and Boone slowly gets to his feet as well, "You can keep the jar." he says noncommittally before leaving. Once Boone exits the embassy he''s greeted with an angry, ranting Tamia. "Who does he think he is? We do his job for him and he says he''ll punish us? Hah! Fat chance in hell!" Boone glances at ED-E who''s silently floating at his side and sighs, "Atleast you weren''t programmed female, right?" he quietly jokes, making sure he''s not heard by the duo. "Let''s just forget about it Tamia... We have other things to do, like meeting Afton and dealing with Benny." Veronica chides, though is certainly looking forward to being reunited with her ''brother''. Tamia looks over to Boone after a few moments recomposing herself, "Well? What''s the plan then?" "We said we''d meet up at the strip gate at a certain time. It wouldn''t be good to barge in while someone''s doing something important. We''ll wait there, for now, hopefully everyone''ll come at the right time." The two women shrug, "Sounds like a plan, I guess..." Tamia mutters. A smirk makes its way not Veronica''s face however, "Are we still gonna surprise Afton?" "Do whatever you want." Boone quietly says, not really caring what they do, as long as it isn''t incredibly stupid or dangerous. Chapter 386 - Back Together Afton had been spending a couple hours gambling on the first floor of Gomorrah. There wasn''t much else to do after getting rid of Cachino, so he decided to find out as much as possible about the strip, Mr House, the other families, and the NCR presence in it. Unfortunately, he hadn''t found anything different to what he already knew, or had suspicions about... Not that the dealers and other patrons were all that loose-lipped. It seemed like Afton wasn''t exactly the first to go snooping around like this, so people had been warned, and knew what to expect...?? The only people who really said anything of worth were the incredibly drunk NCR troopers who were spending their life savings of caps. They relayed info about the Mojave and area''s that the NCR controlled. Most he already knew, as he was partly responsible for it, Highway 15 being cleared, increased tensions between NCR and Freeside, Novac''s succession from the NCR''s protections... But, he did learn a few things while he was there... Murders occurring in Bittersprings, NCR patrols around the Supermutant town known as Jacobstown, Rangers finally being deployed from California to assist in the battle against the Legion... As well as President Kimball making a visit to the Hoover Dam in a couple months. He was about to raise the bet in his game of Blackjack when a notification causes him to raise a brow... [Quest failed! : Kill Lowell Thompson Jr.] ... What? How is it even possible to fail that quest?... Unless... Someone else killed the man before him? Fuck. He''d really been looking forwards to confronting the man, you know, before eventually ending his miserable life. Afton sighs and stands from the table, leaving the caps he''d bet as well as the whisky he''d been sipping, he wasn''t in the mood for gambling any more. "Ah, sir! You-" "Keep the change." Afton almost growls out as he heads towards the exit, collecting his weaponry once there and walking towards the meeting spot they''d designated beforehand. Already, he could see Boone waiting there with a bored look on his face. Ed-E easily detects Afton and floats over, beeping happily. "You two alright? Find anything?" he asks as he approaches. Boone shrugs, "Define ''anything''..." he says in a vague tone. Just as Afton''s about to retort, he feels someone slip their hand into his pocket... Danger sense hadn''t activated, nor had any of his other similar perks, meaning they weren''t a danger to him, nor did they mean any harm... Regardless, he locks the arm in place and looks at the person responsible, gaping when he finally sees them. "Veronica?" he mutters breathlessly, his eyes examining her up and down to make sure he wasn''t being tricked. She smirks and pulls her hand away, grasping a handful of caps, "This''ll go towards repaying that Snack-Cake you stole the last time I visited." she jokes, pocketing the caps before jumping at him with a small squeal. "Affton!! You didn''t tell me you were coming out here!" she exclaims. Afton isn''t able to do anything as Veronica throws her hands around his neck, hugging him tightly and almost dangling off of the floor due to their height difference. He wasn''t really sure what to do, his brain short-circuits as he unconscious wraps his arms around her waist... To be honest, he hadn''t really known what to expect when finally meeting Veronica again... He should have expected her to do something like this... Though, judging by Boone''s amused look, the man knew she was already here, meaning Veronica was likely at the Ultra-Lux. "Er... Hey Veronica, long time no see-" She lets go of him and jabs him in the chest, "Don''t you start with that, Afton... I thought you were supposed to stay-..." She glances at Boone and leans forwards in order to whisper to Afton. "In the bunker." Afton scratches the back of his head, "I-well..." he drawls, feeling like a scolded child, "I kinda. Youknow... Left?" ... "You did what?" "I left..." ... Veronica brows almost reach her hairline in surprise, she crosses her arms and looks away, seemingly deep in thought, "So... So you just abandoned everyone? Just like that?" Afton nods, knowing that Veronica probably felt that this situation was ''Christine 2.0'', "There wasn''t anything left for me to do there, I needed to leave and find my own path. Besides, it''s not like your situation is all that different to mine." he says, playing off the severity of his own actions. She frowns, "There''s a difference between having permission to leave, and just straight up leaving!" Afton shakes his head but holds his tongue for now, "We can talk about this later, in private..." he pauses, "It''s good to see you again Veronica, you have no idea how busy I''ve been this year..." Veronica gives him another quick hug and nods, "We definitely will... Besides, you''ve not been the only busy one, ah, I''ve been travelling with someone, do you remember Tamia, right? She certainly remembers you." she says, glancing backwards at Tamia who was walking towards them. "Hope your surprise was worth it, we''ve been leaning against that wall for an hour now.." the courier mutters, rubbing her sore backside. "Hey Afton, good to see you again." He nods, feeling slightly grateful that Tamia had kept Veronica outta trouble... Or at least safe whenever trouble found her, "Likewise." "Oh, the gang''s back together again, huh?" A voice calls out, and once everyone looks over they spot a clearly exasperated Karl helping a shit-faced Josie walk toward them. "Next time, one of you can partner with her, ''cause I''m not dealin'' with this shit again." he says, letting go of the engineer who stumbles and sits on the floor with a stupid look on her face. "Er, Karl? Where are we?" "We''re where we need to be, now be quiet and let the adults talk." he states, looking over at the group, "Still lookin'' fine, miss." he says with a nod at Tamia. She crosses her arms with a mirthful expression, "Still lookin'' old, Karl." Karl chuckles, "What''s it with you and wilful women, kid?" Afton shoots him a glare, "One word... Jeannie." Karl''s lips form into a pout, but he doesn''t say anything else... Yeah, a retort isn''t really possible when you fucked a crazy, slaver, piece of shit. Chapter 387 - Utterly Trucked Afton sighs as he looks down at Josie, he hadn''t thought she''d be the one to get utterly shit-faced... But, maybe it made sense? She certainly wasn''t as disciplined as Karl or Boone were... "I think we should get her to a bed so she can sleep off the alcohol..." he glances at Gomorrah''s and shakes his head, "We can''t go to Gomorrah''s since I''ve... Done a couple things that may catch the owner''s attention..." Tamia crosses her arms and smirks, "Really? Funny, us three have done something similar in the Ultra-Lux." she states, gesturing at Boone and Veronica.?? ... "What''d you do?" Afton asks, curious. "Killed a cannibal, brought some Major''s head to the embassy, almost caused a diplomatic disaster... You know, the usual." Veronica shrugs. "Ah... Did this ''Major'' happen to be called Lowell?" he quietly asks, wondering if they''re the ones that caused the quest failure. "Yeah... Huh, how''d you know? Didn''t think news travelled that fast." Afton shakes his head, "Just a guess... So, we can''t go to Gomorrah''s or the Ultra-Lux, and we definitely can''t go to the Tops because Benny is there..." "Wait, Benny''s in the Tops?" Tamia asks with a vicious look. Afton nods, "Yeah, found out from one of Gomorrah''s higher-ups. Benny runs the Tops apparently, some two-bit gangster that no one really likes." "Yeah, we''ll see how many people like him after I''ve splattered his brains across the walls." she growls out, squeezing his fists tightly. "We''ll handle it tomorrow. No point causing trouble without proper preparation... I doubt Benny is even aware of your arrival here, even if he is, we''ll deal with him." Karl says. Afton nods, "I don''t really wanna stay in the strip either, shall we visit the Atomic Wrangler? The Garret twins might know something about Benny that we can use." "Yeah, I wouldn''t feel right leaving Anja out there in the vehicle all night either..." Karl adds. After convincing Tamia that leaving Benny alive for a couple more hours wouldn''t hurt, the group head towards the exit of the strip, though, by the way Veronica sticks to his side with a conflicted face, it seems that something else was bothering her... "Is something wrong?" he asks, deciding to solve it quickly, like pulling a tooth. She falters in her steps as he asks, but quickly recomposes herself, "Well, I... I just... You know, wanted to ask about..." Tamia cuts in, clearly annoyed by Veronica''s side-stepping around the issue, "What, are you afraid you''ll hurt his feelings? I''ll say it then... What''s up with your face?" she asks bluntly, obviously referring to his pale skin and visible black veins. Afton raises a brow, "Huh, I almost forgot about that... Well, it''s a long story, one I''d be happy to recount after we''re in the Atomic Wrangler with a couple drinks." Veronica sends a small glare at Tamia before eventually nodding, "That''s fine..." The group exit the strip and enter the streets of Freeside, however, instead of walking into the main street, they turn left and walk towards Dirt-Hog... Afton was amused that there were already a few corpses scattered around the place, clearly fresh ones belonging to would-be thieves... "God I hate Freeside." he mutters, getting nods from Boone and Karl. Tamia keeps walking with a curious look on her face as she sees the vehicle, but Veronica stops in her tracks. "What. The. Fuck. Is. That!? Aftooon! When did you scavenge this beauty!" she exclaims, running towards the mobile assault vehicle and giving the metal a few taps. "I don''t even know what metal this is!?" Afton smirks at her, "It''s called Saturnite, obviously... Don''t worry about not knowing it, it was only recently created." he states, almost causes Veronica''s head to explode at the implications of what he''d just said... A new vehicle, plated with metal that had only recently been created? Just what exactly has Afton been up to since he left!? He''d been busier than Veronic had, and she''d only been tagging along with Tamia instead of collected supplies for the bunker! Tamia warily looks at the peculiar gun atop the vehicle that was currently pointing in her direction, all the while a piece of metal was seemingly fluttering at her? "You guy sure this thing won''t shoot us?" Afton shakes his head, "Not unless you plan on stealing it." he walks up and bangs the plating with his fist, "Anja! We''re back!" The back doors of the vehicle slam open as Dog-meat runs out and leaps at him, licking his face before he pushes the Cyberdog off. Afterwards, it goes around rapidly sniffing Veronica and Tamia. as if marking their scents in a database... Maybe it was? Afton didn''t know what Glados had the cyborg doing... Anja steps out and approaches them, giving after a small nod, "Sir, five hostiles were eliminated after trying to steal the vehicle... But I''m sure you have noticed the already. Nothing else of interest has happened though." she states. "Good job... Ah," he pauses before gesturing at the new arrivals, "This is Veronica, and Tamia, the people I''ve been looking for. Anja nods and timidly shakes their hands. Veronica looks to Afton with a strange look, "Huh, didn''t think you''d be working with a ghoul, Afton..." Afton just scoffs at her, "Look, this isn''t exactly the first time either of us have broken the ''rules''... To be honest, I think most of that book is full of dogshit." he states, knowing that if any other member of the Brotherhood heard him they''d shout ''heresy'' and try to burn him alive or something. Veronica just grumbles, clearly conflicted but not willing to argue the point. She knew it to be true, and didn''t feel like forcing the issue. He shakes his head and gestures at the vehicle, "I don''t feel like leaving this thing here, so let''s drive it to the Atomic Wranglers, alright?" "Uh-oooo... Shotgun!" Josie manages to say while hanging off of Karl. Afton sends her a glare, "Were you still sober, I wouldn''t mind it, but for now, you''re sitting in the back with Karl on vomit-duty... You are not being sick in my truck!" "Awww man..." "Veronica, hop in, the drive''ll be short but I wanna show you how it works anyway." Afton says as he jumps up into the driver''s seat. His ''sister'' following suit. Chapter 388 - Bar-Time-Talks The drive up to the Atomic Wranglers wasn''t all that eventful, aside from Veronica asking him a litany of questions regarding the functions and operations of Dirt-Hog. There were also a few concerns that a few people in Freeside my take them driving through their streets as some sort of attack and try to destroy the vehicle... Not that they''d manage. People fear what they don''t understand... And Dirt-Hog, just so happened to be above most people. Fortunately, the sheer bulk and weaponry on the vehicle seemed to dissuade some of the more eager people, allowing them to park outside of the Atomic Wrangler with relative ease.?? Once safely parked, the entire group gets out while setting Dirt-Hog on ''retaliate with extreme prejudice''. The Garret''s didn''t seem surprised that the sudden rise in tensions were due to Afton''s group''s arrival. "Welcome back, Afton, Boone, Karl. Didn''t think I''d see you back here, to be honest." James says as he cleans a glass at the bar. Afton nods, "Neither did I, but we need a place to stay and this is as good as any other. You don''t mind my dog, right?" he asks, gesturing at Dog-meat. James shrugs, "Just keep it with you and make sure it doesn''t shit anywhere... Not that it''d be the first time a patron has shit on the floor here..." he mutters the last part with mirth. Afton quickly hires rooms for everyone but doesn''t immediately head up, instead taking a seat with Boone, Tamia, and Veronica sitting beside him. Karl would''ve stayed but apparently the migraine the drunk Josie had given him was a painful enough reminder not to drink anymore. James just looks Afton over while cleaning glasses, eventually speaking up after serving them their drinks. "So, word is that you lost your arm... Is that a Cybernetic, or?" he asks, but quickly notices the angry look Veronica sends at him... Afton looks at James with an exasperated look, "Bro..." "Er, was that something you wanted to keep hidden?... My bad." he quietly says, walking to the other end of the bar to serve another patron. "You lost an arm?" Veronica slowly asks, and Afton isn''t able to lock down the emotion he''s currently seeing in her expression. He shrugs, "Yeah, but look, I grew it back." he says, taking off his glove and revealing the leathery green plant arm. "Ew, what the fuck?" Tamia mutters, reeling back slightly at the sight. "Oh, geez, thanks. I''ll remember that whenever I need a self-esteem boost..." he jovially retorts. "But... How?" Veronica asks, clearly confused at how someone can ''grow'' an arm back. Afton sighs, "It''s a long story... It''s also related to this." he gestures at his face before going on to explain the gist of his experience in Vault 22, and then afterwards the Think Tank. Of course, he keeps it quiet as this wasn''t really a private venue, but he made sure to not mention any specifics regardless. "So, wait... You almost die, get teleported to a super-technologically advanced facility, get healed and mutate, and then take it over, becoming the leader of many pre-war scientists...?" Veronica slowly asks, still processing what he''d just said. Afton shrugs, "Sounds about right... Whaddya think, Nyx?" "Mostly accurate according to my database, user." the new feminine voice says, causing both Tamia and Veronica to jump in surprise. Afton and Boone just clink glasses and chuckle at their expense, receiving some glares in response. "Good one Nyx." "Your praise is appreciated and logged, user." the AI replies in a chipper tone. Veronica leans in with an apprehensive expression, "Afton... If ''they'' get word of this, you''ll be declared a traitor and danger to the world... The Mojave chapter might not care too much, but headquarters? You''ll be lynched, both in a metaphorical and literal sense!" Afton shakes his head, "They can call me what they like. As far as I''m concerned, they''ve done more damage to the wasteland, and eventual recovery from the great war than any other organization, barring Caesar''s Legion." "Afton, you don''t really think that-" she asks, but her tone suggests her thoughts aren''t all that different to her own. "Veronica... How does stockpiling technology and destroying the one''s ''they'' can''t acquire, or use help anyone? Someone else may have been able to use it, perhaps deconstruct and rebuild it... We both know of the situation that led to the organization''s creation, but that doesn''t mean fear-mongering and eliminating all ''perceived'' threats does anything productive." "But... They''re still family. They may be a bunch of stubborn assholes, but that doesn''t change their relation to us..." she mutters. Afton nods, "That''s true... But that''s why I''m planning on giving the Mojave chapter an ultimatum... Whether or not they take my warnings is up to them." he states, downing his whisky and taping the glass to ask for another. "If they weren''t family, I''d drop them like a hot sack of shit and not look back." Veronica chews her lip at his words, slowly swirling her drink as if looks for answers within it. After a couple moments, Afton looks back up at Veronica, "Listen... Forget everyone else for now, I''ve found something you might wanna hear..." The tone of his voice certainly catches her attention... It seemed grave, hopeful, and excited all bundled into one. "Yeah?" ... "I''ve found Christine." he states, causing Veronica to silently gape at him. "You-you what?" "I know where she is...." he pauses, "She won''t be the same as we remember, from what I heard from the Holotapes I found, she''s been through a lot of shit, but... I want-no, need to find her. And I want you to help." Veronica shakes her head, her eyes glistening and she tries her best to hold back tears, "W-what? Did you think I''d say no? First chance we get, we''ll find her, Afton. Do you hear me?" Afton smiles and nods, "Yeah..." he raises his glass, "To family." he says, clinking his glass against hers, "Cheers." Chapter 389 - Morning Horn *Knock, Knock, Knock* Afton grumbles as he raises his head out of bed to look at the door, "Five more minutes!"?? *Knock, Knock, Knock* ... *Knock, Knock-* "Alright! Alright! Fine!" he exclaims, rubbing her eyes as he rolls out of bed, putting on the Stealthsuit before heading to the door. It wouldn''t do for any random person to see his mutated body after all. He opens it and comes back to face with James Garret, the man standing there with a nervous look on his face, "Er, hey Afton... You... You have a guest down at the bar, I try to keep my head above things but... I didn''t think you were affiliated with... ''them''" he quickly mutters, and Afton could hear the fear in his voice. Afton raises a brow, "Who?" James tries to say but the words get caught in his throat as he looks around the hallway, instead, he just puts his index fingers on either side of his head facing upwards, as if mimicking horns... Ah... So the Legion have come to talk with me? Shit. Afton rests a hand on James'' shoulder, "Don''t worry, I''ll handle this." he says, going back into his room and gathering his weaponry before stomping down to the ground floor. Obviously, the first floor was basically empty, no one wanted to gamble, whore, or drink first thing in the morning, especially since most had already been doing it all night. There was one person, however, sitting at the bar sipping a glass of wine. They were exactly as Afton remembered, wearing the primly black suit with a bowler hat... Not very inconspicuous, but it apparently worked to keep their true allegiances hidden... Somehow. Fortunately, none of his companions were awake to hear the conversation he was about to have with the man, he really didn''t want to explain this to those not in the know. As he reaches the bottom of the stairs, the spy''s eyes glance to him, but he still makes no indication that he''d seen him. He just continues demurely sipping his wine, with no cares in the world. Afton sits next to the man and leans forwards, catching his eyes, "Whaddya want?" The man places the wine on the bar and turns to him with a dull expression, "It has come to our attention that Major Lowell Thompson Jr, is dead. But I''m sure you already know of this, correct?" Afton slowly nods, not giving any indication on his involvement, or lack there of, of the Major''s death. "Then, are you also aware that you failed the task given to you?" "How?" "Simple... The time limit was meaningless, we wished to see your work ethic, and found you wanting. Did you really think the Major would ''accidentally'' wander into a cannibal''s arms, Mr Parker?" "That was you?" Afton asks in surprise, having not expected that. "In time, you''ll find that we are responsible for most things, Mr Parker. You are lucky it is not up to me what happens to you, but Vulpes Inculta. He had decided to give you one last chance before he reveals your identity and crimes to everyone in the Mojave, and out of the Mojave." Huh... Had the Legion not found out who was responsible for their string of failures on the west side of the colorado? Probably not judging by the fact they were still willing to give him a mission... Still, if this bought him some extra time, then he''d accept it, whether or not he actually wished to kill the target. "Fine. Hit me." The spy shakes their head at his language, "And they call us barbarians, very well. Your target is Ranger Chief Hanlon, they have been a pain in the Legion''s side for far too long. Eliminate him, and the Legion will see your debts cleared... Understood?" Afton just nods, deciding to not vocalize a response. "Good." the Legionary says, finishing their wine before getting up and leaving, not saying another word to him. "Wait... How long do I have?" he asks as they reach the door. "One month." the spy states, before finally exiting the building. ... Afton leans back against the bar and lets out a long breath, "Fuck." Well, he only had a month to kill Chief Hanlon, otherwise, the Legion would fuck him, his identity, his crimes against the NCR, and fuck everyone affiliated with him... Seems like he''d need to speed up his timetable... Not long after the Legion spy had left, James comes back in and stands behind the bar, taking in Afton''s tired look, "You alright there, buddy?" Afton just waves him off, "Yeeeaahhh..." he drawls, "Give me a shot of Vodka, something to liven up this shit morning." James pours him the drink and slides it in front of him and Afton downs it just as Karl reaches the stairs leading to the first floor, "A bit early for drinking isn''t it? ''Specially with what we got ''ta do later." Afton just shakes his head, "I''ll be fine, it''s just a pick-me-up. Where are the others?" Karl shrugs, "Still getting up I''d bet... Better get some water ready for Josie though, don''t think that girl has ever drunk so much before..." Soon enough, the rest of the group start leaving their rooms and coming down to the bar... Last of which is Josie who looks absolutely awful. Messed up hair, bags under her eyes, pallid skin, and a tired but mean look plastered on her face. She sits down at the bar with a thump and Karl immediately slides a glass of water in front of her, she downs it and James pours another, passing her a couple headache tablets as he does so, "On me, I''ve been down that road enough times to know how shit it feels." She gives him a weak smile, "Thanks..." After everyone is gathered, Afton calps his hands, causing Josie to wince but catching their attention nonetheless, "Alright, what''s the plan for dealing with You-Know-Who?" Chapter 390 - Top Of The Mornin To Ya! Tamia just gives him a blank look at his question, "The plan?" she scoffs, "Walk in, find him, kill him. Good enough?" Afton snorts and shakes his head, "Yeah, if you were trying to kill a civilian or mentally infirm bandit... This guy is the owner of the Tops, you think people haven''t tried to get rid of him before?"?? "Those people aren''t me." she states, confidence and anger oozing off of her like an aura. "I hate to say it Tamia, but... I agree with Afton here, we can''t just go in guns blazing and expect to get out fine and dandy. All casino''s, apart from this one, take your guns before entering. Meaning we''d have to either fight bare-handed or shoot our way through the front door... I doubt the Securitrons would be very receptive to that either." Veronica says, getting nods from Boone and Karl. Tamia groans and her posture slouches, "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, I''m starting to regret meeting you guys... Veronica used to be so much fun, now she''d a stick in the mud." Afton smirks, "Let me guess, all your previous battles included charging with an axe, retreating with an axe, and throwing an axe...?" Tamia crosses her arms and shakes her head, "You''re wrong... I''ve never retreated before in my life." "And how you''re still alive to this day remains a mystery." Veronica quietly mutters but has everyone chuckling at her words. "Fine! What would you have me do then?" Tamia asks, finally giving in to reason. Afton shrugs, "I could probably sneak in a couple weapons without much trouble. Karl, Josie, you two were in the Tops, notice anything we can use?" Josie just blushes and turns her head away, not wanting to think about her actions the previous night. "Spent most of the time on the first floor... But, I did notice that they used elevators for almost everything. I''d bet you could reach the VIP quarters through ''em without much trouble. " "Yeah, that doesn''t help much..." Afton mutters, thinking over what they could do to guarantee success... "You said the guy shot you, why?" Tamia raises a brow, "Why did I say he shot me? Or why did he shoot me?" he asks, not understanding his question. "The second one." he states. Tamia shrugs, "Apparently he wanted the package I was carrying. Stole it from me before he shot me and buried me in a shallow grave." Afton rubs his face, "So it wasn''t you, he was targeting, but the object you carried... I wonder if you could just request a meeting with him to discuss it, not only that, you are pretty cute, you could probably seduce him into his room and... You know." Afton mimicks wrapping a garrote around someone''s neck and pulling it tight. She smirks, "I think I like that idea." "Are you any good at seduction though?" Afton asks. Tamia just shrugs at him, "I don''t know, never tried... I think?... If that doesn''t work though, we can just go back to my original plan, deal?" Afton sighs, "Yeah, sure... Whatever we do, people''ll eventually find out that we are responsible for it. Maybe we could ally with the less loyal members of the Tops? No... Too risky... Whatever, let''s just try seduce him, if that don''t work then go crazy." he says, finally getting up from the bar. The group follow as he drives Dirt-Hog back to the North Strip Gate, before the head inside, however, he takes off almost all of his weaponry aside from his Proton axes and pistols. Everything else would most likely be too conspicuous or too large to sneak inside. Plus, if shit really does hit the fan, they could retreat back to the vehicle to get their weapons. Everyone else does the same, realising there was a good chance they wouldn''t be getting their guns back if shit went down. Of course, Anja would be left behind again to watch Dirt-Hog, perhaps one day ghouls would be allowed into the strip... You know, without having to become prostitutes at Gomorrah''s. Afton uses the various pouches on the Stealthsuit to hide everyone''s pistols, fortunately, he wasn''t required to hide his Proton axes as most people had no idea what they even were... It worked in Gomorrah''s, so it''d probably work in the Tops. Tamia was back in her blue Vaultsuit while Veronica was still wearing the dress she''d acquired from the Ultra-Lux... To be honest, he didn''t think she''d ever take it off if given a choice. Hopefully he''d not have to strip her naked and lock her in a room with some armour to fix that. The group enter the strip and immediately head to the Tops, the casino itself isn''t as grand as Gomorrah''s or the Ultra-Lux, but it definitely has that distinct ''Vegas'' feel. With big shining rainbow lights and a stream of gamblers entering and exiting the place, it wasn''t unpopular in the least. Upon entering the building Afton is greeted by a colourful room decorated by many lights, with a few being shaped like musical notes. Not to mention the large group of men in grey suits, standing by the entrance with guns clearly displayed on their hips. "Hey, hey, hey, fella! Welcome to the tops hotel and casino. You''re with them I''m guessin''?" the man asks, gesturing at the rest of his group that''s entered behind him. Afton nods, "Will that be a problem?" "No, no, not at all! In fact, we welcome guys like you, can never have enough friends if you catch my drift. Anyway, I hope you understand but you''ll need to hand over any weapons you may have, you know, for our safety and your own. Cool?" Afton shrugs and nods, letting himself be searched... Of course, he employs his Sneak Skill to the max, subtly moving his body so the guns he''d stashed on his person are missed in the search. His Proton axes do raise a few brows, but he gave the same explanation he had in Gomorrah''s... It was slightly harder to convince these guys, but he managed nonetheless. Chapter 391 - Checkered Past With the group given the ''all green'', they enter inside without much hassle. The Tops building itself has two floors from what Afton could see... A balcony area above the eastern side of the room contained some Roulette wheels and most of the elevators. The eastern side had most of the gamblers however, it held most of the other tables and slot machines, making it far more lively than any other place. Still, one thing was always present, the gangsters in grey suits wearing pistols.?? Afton knew they''d probably have to fight those guys if Tamia''s ''seduction'' fails, so he was already thinking up plans to take them down... Easiest of which would simply to be flipping over some tables and using them as cover, protecting the others as Afton went to town. Still, that hadn''t occurred yet so he bided his time... Though, by the looks of it, they''d found their guy... Checkered suit, slicked black hair, with a cocky grin on his face. He was exactly how many had described him. Afton in particular took great notice of the 9mm pistol holstered at his side. The man seemed to take good care of it, especially if you took into account the engravings on it, regardless, it didn''t look all that modified, so it shouldn''t be anything to worry about. Afton looks over his shoulder at Tamia who was already glaring daggers and Benny and nods at her, afterwards walking over and taking a seat at the Blackjack table closest to Benny. Karl and Veronica follow him while the others take up positions nearby, trying to make sure Benny didn''t notice the sudden influx of people near him. After that, all they had to do was wait, and watch... Tamia struggles to rid herself of the furious expression on her face as she slowly stalked towards Benny. She could feel the familiar yet cold steel of the revolver Afton had slipped her in the waistband of the suit she''d stolen from the Ultra-Lux. "Happy thoughts, happy thoughts..." she quietly mutters, thinking of all the ways she''d butcher and mutilate Benny once she had the chance... And like a light, a bright smile appears, and most would even consider genuine, were they not aware of the emotions behind it. "So I said to the gal, ''hey birdie, why don''t you stop ringin'' them and come to Ring-a-ding-ding with me?'' Know what she says?" Benny asks one of his bodyguard gangsters beside him, unlike the others, these one''s wear black suits, as if to mark them out from the rest. They shrug noncommittally as if only listening because they were paid to. "What, boss?" "She says, ''Babe, my boyfriend is watchin''... But if you take care of him...'' Gal wants me to off her B.F so we can F.U.C.K, and maybe a little S.U.C.K, you know what I mean?" Yet again, the gangsters just nod with blank expressions causing Benny to sigh. "Yeah, of course you don''t. Like you minions would know anything about women... Or how to spell for that matter... Anyways, end of story is, I take her to pound town while her ''pally'' takes a trip down ''memory lane'', if you catch my dig?..." upon not getting a response, Benny just sighs, "Memory lane, as in, only exists in peoples memories. Damn, you guys are some dumb suits..." Deciding this''d be the best moment to make herself known, Tamia steps forth, approaching the Benny and his bodyguards and waiting for the man to notice her. His eyes quickly catch hers, and he pushes past her bodyguards to get a better look, but quickly comes to regret that decision upon realising who she is. "What in the goddamn!?" he gasps, his breathing getting heavier as he struggles to calm himself. "Alright, ok baby... Let''s just... Keep things swingin''. Smooth moves, like smooth little babies." he says, more to himself than Tamia. "Hello again, I was just thinking about you, Benny... You left quite the impression." she states, raising her hair slightly to show the bullet wound in her skull. Benny audibly gulps at this, but takes a quick look at his bodyguards and forces himself to calm down. She was unarmed, and in his territory, he was safe here... Right? "Baby you know I didn''t have my heart in that, right? It was just business, something I know you would understand, we''re more similar than you realise..." he says. ''Maybe I should tear our your heart to see then?'' she thinks to herself, but manages to keep the forced smile on her face, "Oh? Did you also get shot in the face? Because I can''t really see it, you''re pretty handsome now that I can see you properly..." she says, chewing her lip as sensually as she knows how... Which isn''t that much if she were honest. Of course, despite Tamia''s best efforts, this barely gets a reaction out of him. Benny can''t really understand why the gal he shot was trying to flirt with him... It was really weird." "Uh... What say, me and you go somewhere private to discuss things... I''ll explain what happened, maybe we can get to know each other a little..." "Without the guards?" she asks, but by the looks on Benny and his henchmen, that obviously wasn''t going to happen. Benny glances between her and his men, "Uhhhh... I don''t know if that''s the best idea, baby. You know how things are, big shots like me can''t just go around alone-like." Tamia raises a brow, "So... You''ll make them watch us... You know." she says ambiguously, but everyone nearby gets the gist. Benny eyes widen, "What? No! I like to swing baby, but not while a bunch of suits are watchin''... Ugh." he mutters as if the very concept offended him. "But, you and I aren''t... Groovin'' baby. If you get what I''m sayin''?" "What? You don''t want, this?" she gestures at herself, her curves showing despite the male suit she was wearing. Benny gulps, "That... Doesn''t matter." "Heh, you were talkin'' a lot earlier, boss... You sure you''re not some virgin? Gal here has you all flustered." Benny turns to the man and scowls, "I''m not about to stick it in a gal I went ''nd shot in the face... You know what they say, don''t mix business and pleasure, baby!" Chapter 392 - Ring-a-Ding-Dead... Deciding that this method of getting him alone isn''t working, Tamia decides another angle... She steps forwards and slowly leans towards Benny, the man being unable to back away due to the bodyguards behind him. "I actually want to talk about the You-Know-What, that belongs to You-Know-Who... I don''t think you want your ''friends'' to be listening in." Benny purses his lips at this, suddenly feeling like he wasn''t the most devious person in the room... What did this gal want from him? It obviously wasn''t the more ''physical'' side of things, nor did she seem to care about him shooting her... Maybe a partnership is what she wanted? She must know that she''d never get out alive if she killed him, even in a private room.?? Plus, if word got around that he was scared of some girl, people would quickly be trying to take his position as leader of the Tops... That simply couldn''t be allowed to happen, for his lavish lifestyle, as well as his future plans. "Err..." he looks at his bodyguards, "You fella''s stay here... Me and the gal gotta ''talk'' in private, and relax, I''ll pay her properly afterwards." he gives a stiff joke before nodding at Tamia and heading for a large elevator at the side of the room. "This leads to the VIP suit, we can talk in private there..." he says, pulling out a key and inserting it in a slot before calling the elevator. Afton and the others watch as Tamia gives them a small nod and enters the elevator together with Benny. They knew that since she failed to properly seduce him, they''d probably have to intervene at some point... Hopefully just killing the bodyguards now stationed at the elevator doors would be enough to get Tamia out. The subsequent gunfight might just attract the attention of everyone on the strip. Tamia allows Benny to step out of the elevator first, making sure to keep him in her eye-line in case he tries anything. The man however doesn''t seem to care about her presence, instead just walking over to the bar, pouring himself a drink and sitting down. "You want one? Some of these are even older than the strip itself-" "Shut it and stop with the bullshit, let''s get to the point. I don''t wanna wait around here all day." she states, allowing some of her anger to shine through her facade. He stills for a moment before slowly nodding, sipping his drink, "Before we start... I gotta ask, how is it that you''re still living?" Tamia walks over and takes a seat at the opposite end of the bar from Benny, "A creepy-cowboy-robot dug me out of the grave and handed me to a doctor." Benny''s posture straightens at this, "Robot? What kind are we talkin''?" Tamia sends a meaningful smirk at him, "The ''Strip'' kind." Benny almost drops his drink at this, "Oh god, oh shit, oh fuck!... T-that means he''s on to me... Oh, fuck! That''s what I get for thinkin'' I was clever!" "What do you mean? ''Onto you?'' What''re you planning?" she asks, taking in his panic with a great deal of satisfaction. "The chip... House needs it, and I''ve been tryin'' ta'' figure out what for. That immortal robot-overlord doesn''t have the strip in his best interests." Tamia scoffs, "And you do?" Benny scowls at her, "You know nothin'' about me, baby." "I know you''re willing to shoot a woman in the face to get what you want. Doesn''t paint a good picture, does it?" she retorts, her anger seeping through. "I don''t care what you think of me, I did what I had to." he leans forwards almost causing Tamia to shoot him dead, "Between you and me? I think House doesn''t care for either side of this war, I think he''s plannin'' something bigger... Crazier. Even if you manage to kill me, it''ll be your head that rolls next, not from my guys, but from House." he states. "What does the chip do?" she asks, wanting to know what to do with it once she kills this clown. Benny pours himself another drink and sips it, "No idea... Well, I know it has information in it, but, I can''t find a computer or port that''ll take it. Needs specialized machinery I''d bet..." he pauses and locks eyes with her, "Look. I''ve been straight up with you, so maybe you can do the same... How''s this gonna swing? Which way is the wind gonna blow?" Tamia raises a brow, "I think you know exactly how this is gonna go. I''ve never been the forgiving sort, Benny." he spits, the tension in the room rising considerably at her words. He finishes his drink, "I ain''t gonna go out like some jerk, lady." he says, tossing the glass at her before throwing himself over the counter. Tamia immediately bursts into action, pulling the revolver out of her waistband and firing at him, the shots clipping the counter and causing woodchips to fly up in the air. There''s a spray of blood that peppers the bottles of alcohol on the shelves behind the bar, but by the way Benny''s still moving, it wasn''t fatal. "You''re fucking dead Benny! Paybacks a bitch, and I''m the biggest bitch of them all!" she shouts, continuing to fire on his position. *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Click!* The sound of her running out of bullets was music to Benny''s ears, but when he stands to shoot her he''s struck in the face... Tamia had thrown her empty revolver at him, dazing him slightly and allowing her to lunge at him. She smashes the back of his head against the shelves containing the bottles of alcohol, causing liquids to spray everywhere and glass shards to cut both of them. The pain of combining cuts and alcohol isn''t enough to stop her though, she slams his wrist against the shelf, causing the gun to go flying out of his hand. Benny, finally regaining his bearing, panics at the loss of his weapon and grabs the nearest thing available... The expensive bottle of when shatters against Tamia''s temple, almost knocking her out cold, but her sheer rage at the man allows her to remain focussed. Again, she knocks the weapon out of his hand, headbutts him in the face and grabs her own bottle, slamming it into his forehead. The broken bottle causes long bloody lines to form on his face, but she isn''t done yet. She thrusts the glass into his stomach, getting him to release an ugly, pained sound. He tries to fight back, but the accumulating injuries stifle his ability to fend her off. Tamia was simply stronger than him, more experienced, and more driven. She throws him back over the counter, picking up his dropped gun and slowly walking over to him as he bleeds out on the suite floor. "Think shooting me was worth it now? Asshole." Benny holds his stomach, the bullet and glass shards having done catastrophic damage to his internal organs, he coughs out a spray of blood onto the floor next to him and looks at her, "Lady, you''re so done. My guys will hear this, the whole casino will... You-argh... You ain''t gettin'' out here alive..." She chuckles at him, "You''re pathetic, I''d castrate you but I don''t think you''d live through it." she spits, placing a heavy foot on his stomach and causing him to groan in agony, the glass shards piercing him penetrating deeper. Tamia smiles down at him, "But you know what they say, baby... You''re Ring-a-Ding-Dead, bitch." "Lame." Benny groans out, but isn''t able to do anything as she points his favoured 9mm at his head. "Fuck off." *Bang!* Chapter 393 - Gang Gets *Bangd* Tamia had been in the VIP suite with Benny for a couple minutes now, and the whole team on the first floor were itching to get some action... To be honest, the bodyguards Benny had left looked the same, but Afton doubted this''d be the case once the bullets started flying. "Think she can handle this?" he quietly asks, looking to Veronica.?? Veronica shrugs, "Probably? That girl is pretty tough, and sadistic when she needs to be... It''s kinda scary sometimes..." she admits. Karl chuckles while folding his hand in their game of Blackjack, "Sounds like someone I know." she states, sending a pointed glance at Afton. Afton just shakes his head, "When needs must, right? You can''t tell me I was wrong in any-" *Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang* The sound of distant gunfire sounds out, and the group are already fully aware of where it was coming from. Afton nods at his companions and gets up from the table, leaving the caps and giving the dealer a nod. The bodyguards were currently trying to call down the VIP elevator in order to assist their boss, unfortunately for them, they wouldn''t be leaving the first floor... Ever. [John Wick Style is in effect] Once he''d walked to their position he grabs his Proton axes and ignites them, lunging into the group and slicing them all to shreds. Limbs fly off left and right, and the bodyguards aren''t even able to get off a single shot as Afton dismembers and kills them. As Afton had attacked, the others had begun to kick over nearby tables and pull them together to create a makeshift barricade, after this, they begin to shoot at the gangsters looking to assist the bodyguards against Afton. *Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!* People start dropping dead, the gangsters held no caution for the regular gamblers and simply attempted to fire through them in order to reach their targets. People scream and retreat, but Afton''s group held their position against the gangsters. By this time Afton had already eliminated all of Benny''s bodyguards and was now throwing their dropped weapons at his own group, he hadn''t been able to sneak in that many guns, but now everyone would be able to fight. He himself was forced to leap behind an upturned poker table as bullets start flying in his direction, pulling out his Fallen Ranger Sequoia and That Gun to retaliate. "Nyx, how many hostiles approaching?" "Fifty men are coming towards your location, fifty more are coming down from the higher floors." the robotic voice sounds out loud enough for his companions to hear. "Looks like we''re gonna be here a while." Afton jovially says, as if they weren''t getting shot at. "Recommendation; sneak away." Nyx states, but Afton ignores her for now. "Is it always like this with you guys?" Veronica asks as she blindly fires over the table, and judging by a pained shout, she''d actually managed to hit someone. Karl shrugs, "I guess so, most things we do usually end in a gunfight... It''s just the Mojave way I suppose." "Less talking, not enough shooting." Afton says as he peeks over the barricade and fires both pistols at the gangsters, killing a couple before he''s forced back into cover. "You fuckers aren''t gettin'' out here alive! The NCR and Big man''s robots are waiting right outside for yeah!" one of the leaders of the gangsters shout. "Well, that is a pickle..." Afton says semi-sarcastically. "Alright!! Here''s the deal you two-bit-thug-gangster-ripoffs! You all put your guns to your temples and kill yourselves, while we go outside and claim it was a mass suicide... Deal?" *Bang!* A bullet smashes through the top of the thick wooden table they were using as cover and covers Afton in wood chips. "Fuck off, you fuckin'' idiot!" Afton smirks, "Alright, I was being nice but if you insist!" he states, getting up from his position and using VATS to stop time and allow him to target those who are most threatening. Small arms fire wouldn''t be able to pierce their make-shift barricade, but rifles and heavy calibre pistols would... Fortunately, there seems to be a rule for casinos against carrying such armaments, meaning only a few had rifles. He turns off VATS while utilising [Danger Sense] to avoid any damage while unloading his revolvers at his unfortunate targets, causing spurts of blood to escape their foreheads as they drop lifelessly to the ground. Of course, the surrounding Gangsters notice this and throw themselves behind cover in order to escape a similar fate. Some doing so while shouting, "Fuck, it''s him! That fuckin'' bounty hunter!" "Haha! You guys know me then!?" Afton shouts over the gunfire, dropping below cover again to reload his guns. "Kill that psycho fuck!" "No, you do it! I''m not going anywhere near that creep!" "Stop arguing and fuckin'' shoot at them, idio-" *Thud* one of the men are cut off as he''s shot dead but one of Afton''s companion, causing panic to quickly overtake the gangsters. "Hell! I''m not dying for this shit!" Afton does his best to audibly loud over the firefight, "I''m going to skin you cunts and wear it after this! I''ll make you watch as I dance around your skinless bloody bodies!" "WHAT THE FUCK!" "FUCK THIS! I''M OUT! YOU CAN HANDLE THIS YOURSELVES!" At Afton''s ''threat'', a few gangsters immediately leave. Though, Afton''s threat wouldn''t have been taken all that seriously were it not for the fact that none of his friends had actually been hurt yet, while a large number of the Tops men were dead. Veronica sends a glare at Afton, "You better not be doing that..." Afton shrugs, "Course not, who do you think I am... It''s just a scare tactic, you know?" Veronica just shakes her head and continues firing. [Checkered Mate : assist the courier; Complete!] Fortunately, it seems like they didn''t have to wait around for much longer, as the elevator to the VIP suite was finally coming down. *Ding!* The doors open, revealing Tamia stepping out covered in blood that most likely wasn''t her own... Though, one side of her head was slowly dripping red, meaning that she might have a concussion or similar injury. She looks around for a moment before raising her gun and firing at the gangsters, throwing herself over the railing and behind cover with the rest of Afton''s group. Chapter 394 - Pardner! Afton looks to Tamia and gives her a once over, using [Living Anatomy] to make sure she wasn''t dying or something similar, fortunately, the only injuries she really had are some bruising and a cut on the side of her head. "You got what you needed?" Tamia nods, "Killed Benny, stole his gun, as well as this." she reaches into her pocket and displays some sort of poker chip. The only thing that seems to differentiate it from all the others is its sleek metallic look, as if it were made out of pure silver. "He said something about it holding information, but. I think he''s just full of shit." he states.?? Afton reaches for it and Tamia lets him examine it, both somehow ignoring the firefight that''s occurring around them. He uses his inventory to see what it really is. [Platinum Chip] : Such a small thing, isn''t it? And yet so... capacious. So very dear... ... Well, that didn''t help much... But, from its value and unusual description, Afton could see that it was more than meets the eye... Benny''s words don''t seem so farfetched when he takes the time to consider them. He hands it back to Tamia, "We can discuss this later, right now we''ve got a fight to win." he says as she nods and begins participating in full. By now most of the Gangsters had already perished or fled. The only ones who seemed to remain were either completely loyal to the Tops and Benny, or had a vested interest in keeping the status quo. Regardless, a few more rounds between Afton''s group reduced their numbers further, forcing the rest to flee out of the Tops and into the strip itself. Afton''s companions were relatively unharmed, though, Boone, Josie, and Veronica had all taken non-lethal injuries, such as flesh wounds, shrapnel, and lucky grazes. "Hah, thank god it''s over... I was beginning to think they''d never end." Josie mutters breathlessly. Afton just shakes his head at her, "We''re not done yet, we still have to confront the NCR forces and Securitrons waiting outside... I doubt they''ll be happy at all the chaos we''ve caused." Karl shrugs, "Hopefully we can get some leniency for our previous work with them... I ain''t goin'' back to prison, not without finishing what we started." he growls in a rough tone. Afton sighs, "Whatever, let''s just get this over with... If nothing else we can bail and get outta dodge in Dirt-Hog." The group soundlessly nod and begin approaching the Tops exit... Afton stops them before they can get outside however. "Hang on, I almost forgot the most important thing..." he says before rushing off. The others give him odd looks and turn to Karl, "Any idea on what he''s planning now?" Boone exasperatedly asks. Karl shrugs, "Judging by where he''s headed, I have a vague idea..." he pauses as the group urges him to continue with blunt looks, "Casino''s need a lotta caps to function, now that we''ve destroyed this place, I doubt the Chairman we''ll be needing funding any longer." Some gape at the implication, but most don''t understand what he means until Afton comes back with a huge sack of clinking metal on his back... "Afton, is that-" Josie asks but he cuts her off . "This is just what they owe me... I made a bet with death that I''d be able to kill most of them, I won so the cash is mine, enough said." he states, not allowing any further question on the matter. "Alright, you guys ready to face the fire?" The group nod with readied weapons and Afton addresses Nyx, "How many are outside?" "One-hundred and sixty soldiers, with three-hundred Secruitrons." the AI states, causing the group to gape and start wondering if leaving the casino was a good idea. Afton slowly nods, "Sounds like unfair odds... For them! Let''s go!" he laughs, opening the double doors and stepping out of the Tops, coming face to face with a veritable army of men and robots alike. "Stop or you will be SHOT!" a commanding officer roars at the top of his lungs, the rest of the NCR military police raising their rifles in Afton''s direction. Afton just shrugs and raises his arms, not yet dropping the bag of caps he''d claimed. "Hey, look who decided to join the party... You gonna charge me for public disturbance or...?" "BE QUIET! You are under arrest for mass murder, theft, destruction of private property-" The rest of the group step out as the man keeps listing off the various crimes they may or may not have committed. Though, as Tamia steps out, a noticeable change overtakes the Secruitrons. "first-degree murder, second-degree murder, third-degree murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, physical assault-" Afton laughs straight at the man''s face, "Are you just listing every law in the book or are you actually charging me with all that? Unless you count shooting a couple guys in the dick, I haven''t sexually assaulted anyone!" he shouts, causing a few male soldiers to grimace. "QUIEEEET! YOU WILL DROP ALL WEAPONS ON YOUR PERSON AND COME QUIETLY, OR YOU WILL BE EXXXTERMINATED!!! DO YOU-" the man is abruptly cut off by an unexpected source... "Howdy!" ... Everyone just turns towards the voice and spots a Securitron waving at them, the cowboy on the screen letting them all know who he is... Though, some have more experience than others. "Victor! You creepy-ass robot! What did I tell you about following me!" Tamia suddenly shouts out. The Securitron ignores the surprised looks of the rest of the strip and rolls into the dead mans land that''d formed between the two groups and approaches Tamia. "I still don''t have the foggiest idea why you dislike me so much, little lady. But the boss man wants to have a word with you, been a long time comin'' after all." "House?" she blurts out in surprise, "What would he-" "THAT''S IT! SECURITRON! YOU WILL BACK AWAY FROM THE SUSPECTS OR APPREHEND THEM, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!" the commander officer finally loses his patience and screams out. Chapter 395 - Invitation Upon hearing the NCR officers command, Victor slowly turns around and rolls towards the man, towering above him once he arrives before him, "Officer Kirby, husband of Lisa Kirby, formerly Barnard. Father of Bill and Jack Kirby... You understand that your actions have far-reaching implications for the alliance between the NCR and Mr House?" Victor''s typical cowboy voice seemingly disappears, in exchange for a more serious business-like one. Officer Kirby who hears this gapes and audibly gulps in his saliva, "H-how do you know me?"?? "We know everything, so you best keep your anger in check, otherwise misfortune might strike." Victor states in a deep, baritone voice. "Mr House has never been known as a forgiving man..." Victor then spins on his wheel and turns back towards Tamia and her group, "So! Little lady, come with me, Mr House has a lot to discuss with you. Ah, he also gives his gratitude for removing that annoying pest in the Tops." the robot says. Tamia just stares at Victor for a couple second, occasionally glancing between it and the literal firing line behind it. "Err, if you''re sure?" she mutters, slowly following behind Victor as it rolls towards the crowd of NCR soldiers. The rest of the group look towards Afton for direction, but he just shrugs and follows Tamia, making sure to not give the soldiers any reason to shoot... Fortunately, the threat of Mr House was apparently enough to avoid anything drastic. The group of soldiers parted like the red sea as Victor rolled through them, somehow also getting up the steps to the Lucky 38 on his single wheel... Tamia follows closely behind as Victor reaches the large locked doors of the ancient casino... Just as a large *click!* rings out through the strip, and the doors start opening. The NCR soldiers all lower their weapons and back away at the sight, shocked at the implications of the events before them... Had they just been pointing their weapons at Mr House''s emissary? Officer Kirby imparticular pales and drops his weapon, quickly remembering the robot''s words, his families names ringing like tinnitus in his ears. "F-fall back! Our goal has changed, search and rescue the survivors in the Tops." he calls out. Sure, the NCR might not be able to conduct operations while the casino families were active, but... The Tops didn''t exactly have a family controlling it anymore, that, and Officer Kirby needed to do something with his men''s time or otherwise risk punishment from his superiors. Afton crosses his arms with a cocky smirk as he watches the NCR soldiers turn towards the Tops and start dragging out bodies into the strip. Man, it felt good to be powerful... Though, this was all partly because of House... He wasn''t really sure why House wanted Tamia, Victor was the one who originally dug her out of that shallow grave, so the man must''ve been keeping an eye on her for a while... Whatever the reason, Afton was looking forward to finally meeting the man. The Lucky 38 doors completely open, revealing the opulent yet slightly dusty interior of the casino. Securitron''s were everywhere, making a deadly defence against any who''d seek to breach the casino. Victor spins around and looks at Afton and his group, "Sorry about this folks, but only the little lady has been invited. You''ll all need to wait outside, I don''t think it''ll take long, so why don''t you play dice or something while you wait." the robot says with what could only be a shrug. Afton sighs, "Yeah, I saw this coming... We''ll wait, just get on with it." he says, sitting on one of the steps of the Lucky 38 and beginning to clean his Fallen Ranger Sequoia with a cloth. Victor looks at Tamia and gestures inside with their arm, "After you... The boss man has been wanting to speak with you for a while, little lady." Tamia shakes his head as she walks inside, "I''ve been on the strip for a week or two now, so he couldn''t have been that eager." she states, taking once last glance at the group behind her as the casino doors shut. "Heh, he''s been watching you the entire time you were here. Wanted to make sure he had the right person... Judging by how you off''d Benny, I''d say we''re in the clear." Tamia raises a brow at his words, "Wait, he''s been watching the ''entire'' time? That is really fucking creepy. You''re telling me he watches me in the shower too?" Victor gives a low chuckle, "I''m not aware of that, you would have to ask him..." the robot says as they reach the single elevator in the centre of the large room. He presses one of the many buttons and gestures towards the door as it opens. "That''s your stop, I''ll be waiting down here if you need me." Tamia slowly nods and steps inside as the elevator starts moving upwards... It travels for a relatively long time before stopping, opening to reveal almost eye-searingly bright light. Before her were large windows where she could see the rest of the Mojave, the view was incredible, however, as she''s admiring it, another Securitrons rolls up beside her. Insead of the police officer face or Victor''s cowboy one, the face was of a simple woman with curly black hair and white skin. "I''m Jane, one of Mr House''s girls. We keep him... entertained. We don''t get many guests lately, perhaps we can entertain you as well." ''Jane'' explains, causing a shiver to go down Tamia''s spine. "I''m not even going to ask what you mean by ''entertain''... Nor am I going to think about whether or not a two-hundred-year-old man can ''get it up''..." she sighs, "Where next?" "I''d give you a tour, but, Mr House wants to get to business. He''s a very busy man you know?" Jane says, rolling down some stairs and through some other rooms, eventually reaching a room with a humungous computer... It has a huge control panel with a screen that''s a few times larger than Tamia. Chapter 396 - Meeting Of Minds Now, Tamia wasn''t the most tech-savvy person in the world, but she certainly knew extravagance when she saw it. The screen literally had no reason to be so large, no normal person would ever be able to properly use it, not to mention the risk of eye strain would be huge! *Bzzch!*?? Tamia almost pulls out her revolver and starts shooting with the screen bursts to life, changing to a blank picture of a young Robert House. "This meeting has been a long time coming, hasn''t it? You''ve come a long ways, literally, and I suspect, figuratively as well... I trust the welcome wasn''t too ''warm'', the NCR tend to stick their noses into business that doesn''t involve them... Though, were I in your position, I''d have tried a different method of seeking revenge..." the powerful yet dignified voice of House says. In all honesty, Tamia was more trying to figure out if she was talking to an AI or the real Mr House. He didn''t sound like a two-hundred-year-old man, so unless he found the method to immortality, something else was up. Regardless, she shakes her head and regains her focus, "What do you mean?" "Benny." Mr House states, "The one who betrayed me, and shot you. The one who you wanted revenge against... I was hoping you''d find another method of dealing with him that differed from your usual. ''Shoot first and ask questions later'' motif. Did you really have to utterly destroy the Tops? The family never really owned the building you know, it merely rented it out to them... But now, after your massacre, the estate value of the place has hit rock-bottom... Relative to the strip of course." Tamia shrugs, "Why fix what''s not broken?... And how do you know about what I''ve been doing up until now? I understand you''d have eyes in the strip, but everywhere else should be out of your view." she asks. "Your understanding of my methods is lacking, I am far more powerful and connected than most realise. I am the richest man in the Mojave, and likely the whole of what''s left of America. I watched the way you dealt with those Powder Gangers in Goodsprings, bandits on the roads, the Khans in Boulder City, the thugs in Freeside, and especially the Cannibals in the Ultra-Lux. The only time you have ever relented your violent ways has been when you were persuaded otherwise. I''d even grant you the title; Angel of Death, were there not already a better candidate for it. While it has been entertaining to watch you flail around the Mojave with reckless abandon, it does cause problems for my eventual plans." Mr House explains. Tamia crosses her arms, "What do you want with me?" "That all depends on yourself... First, let me ask you a question. Now that you''ve reached your destination, what do you make of what you see?" the man or AI behind the screen asks. Tamia raises a brow and thinks about the question, she didn''t really consider this place her destination if she were honest... She hadn''t thought about what she''d do once she gutted Benny. To be honest, she was thinking of just tagging along with Afton, that guys seems to have it all figured out. Not to mention her still fuzzy memory preventing her from discovering her past. Back to the question, Mr House was most likely asking her thoughts on New Vegas itself. It was his pride and joy after all, why wouldn''t he want her opinion on it. "A city designed to promote lavish lifestyles and steal money from idiots... Can''t say I''m too keen on it." she shrugs. "Indeed, It''s a moral quandary; whether or not to steal from the poor and stupid to reach my goals, whether they be justified or not. But, everyone who comes to the strip made the choice to do so, to remove the option would only open them up to more drastic and dangerous methods of gaining wealth. At least this way they feel like big-shots and winners for the short while they are here. Of course, they aren''t like you or me, we are of a different stripe, winning is in our nature." he states with confidence belonging to the man who''d survived the apocalypse and built a ''paradise'' after it. Tamia shakes her head, "I don''t know where you got that idea, I''m just a courier, or at least, I was..." she admits sheepishly, tracing a finger over the scar on her forehead. "Ooh, don''t be coy. You''ve been playing a high-stakes game ever since Victor dug you outta the ground. Don''t be afraid to admit it, acknowledge it and strive for more..." "You still haven''t explained what you want from me. I doubt you called me up here just for a pep-talk." she asks, feeling like he was buttering her up for something. "Very well. You killed Benny, so I hope I''m not wrong in thinking you recovered something of mine. Something more valuable than any amount of gold, silver, or any other mineral for that matter... The Platinum Chip." Tamia''s hand unconsciously reaches towards her pocket where the chip was currently held, "That thing?" "Yes. ''That thing''." Mr House grumbles as if calling it that was derogatory. "It''s a very special item. There''s nothing else like it in the entire world. It was lost a long time ago, difficult to find. I spent Three million caps alone just to find its location, not to mention the delivery costs of securing it safely, not that it mattered in the end. You, Courier Six, out of the other five who had dummy souvenirs was supposed to bring it back, obviously I don''t need to explain what went wrong." Tamia herself gapes at the number of caps the man had supposedly spent on the discovery of the item, she literally couldn''t imagine such a large amount, you''d be able to buy anything you could ever dream of with that amount, and the Mr Houes acted as if it were a simple business expense. Chapter 397 - An Offer You Could Probably Refuse? "Y-yes, I have it... But what makes it worth so much? Even if it were made from pure platinum it still wouldn''t be as valuable..." Tamia asks, pulling out the chip and closely examining it. "Minerals, materials, everything pales in comparison to what is truly on that Chip... Knowledge, and technology. While gold might be valuable to most people, there is a reason why the Brotherhood of Steel exists and are so powerful. In this day and age where mysteries of the old world are one bunker away from discovery, knowledge is valued above all.?? Consider this, what would happen to the value of gold should someone develop a method of synthesizing it?" Mr House asks. "The price would plummet." she automatically responds, as if it weren''t even worth considering. "Indeed. But think, even now, after millenniums of discovery, the wheel is still in use. Currency can change value, possessions can change value, but knowledge? Knowledge is eternal." "Where are you going with this?" Tamia asks, wondering what he was trying to prove. Mr House pauses at her question before finally answering, "Your contract with me is over, I''m willing to pay you to quadruple the number of caps for your effort in completing your duties in returning the chip. Four-thousands caps... But, I am hoping that won''t be the end of our business relationship... Indeed, I wish to improve it to a... partnership of sorts." "Partnership?" Tamia mutters, the words sounding weird on her tongue. "Yes, a relationship between equals, not one above the other. I offer you a place at my side, as my voice in the Mojave. As you can see, I am not currently able to personally exert myself in public, but with you... We could achieve much." he explains. Tamia raises a brow, "What would this involve?" she questions, wondering where the catch would be. "I do not wish to hire mercenaries for the tasks I need completed. I have witnessed your effectiveness, and I have been impressed by your competence. Should you agree, I would be willing to illuminate my plans for the future, and my intentions for the Mojave as a whole... You don''t believe I''d save this desert wasteland from complete nuclear annihilation on a whim, did you?... The only thing I require from you is loyalty... My Securitrons are already useful in defending, protecting, and maintaining. But I need someone for more delicate tasks. Of course, any hired gun could be paid to do it, but they''re more likely to run off with the money before actually doing what I asked." "And you want me to do it for you instead? What''s in it for me?" "Aside from the obvious monetary benefits, you would receive full access to the Lucky 38, the luxury apartments, lavish living and gorgeous view that would not be beaten by any other property in the world. And there''s also the power and authority the position would offer, the ability to choose who you speak to, who''s worth what, and who deserves their place. Any ordinary person would have jumped at this opportunity, but I understand, we are alike, cautious at any offer that seems too good to be true... Know this, I am not forcing you to accept anything. It is merely an offer, and while I would think you a fool for refusing, I would accept the loss nonetheless." Mr Houes explains. Tamia taps her foot on the floor while considering the offer. She wasn''t an incredibly materialistic person, the thing she valued the most was actually freedom. She wondered if that feeling was the reason why she became a courier in the first place... House''s offer seemed generous, but that was only at face value, she still had no idea what tasks he actually wanted completed... For all she knew, he''d ask her to assassinate the president of the NCR or something. Regardless if she was going to accept or not, she''d need to know what she was getting into before agreeing to anything. "Before I accept, what tasks would you have me doing?" "It depends on how the situation changes, but if you must know, the first task would involve you infiltrating The Fort where the Legion is currently stationed." ... Well, looks like House really did want her to start assassinating officials... "And you want me to kill Caesar?" she asks, disbelief clear in her voice. "Hah! Of course not! Besides, even if you did manage to kill that barbaric buffoon, his armies would hardly leave the Mojave alone... Indeed, he''d become a martyr instead, making them all the more hungry for this territory. No, I would need you to take that chip to a hidden underground bunker where I had valuable tech placed before the war." "And you think Caesar is just gonna let me waltz in and enter the facility?" "No. By my calculations, the Legion will have sent someone to meet with you concerning your entry into the Lucky 38. Regardless of your thoughts on the strip, it is considered a ''big deal'' that you''ve been allowed entry. I have no doubts that Caesar wishes to meet with you... Your entry into the Fort would be the simplest part, getting back out? Difficult. The activation of the facility under the Fort would feel like an earthquake occurring under their feet. No doubt it''d attract their ire, forcing you to sneak or fight your way out." "And you think I''d be able to fight off or sneak past an entire army of Legionaries?" she asks, feeling as if he was expecting her to run in and die for him. "To be honest, I have no idea... It is a risk I admit, should you fail, the Platinum Chip would be lost to me forever, and all of my plans that hinge on it would fail spectacularly. That is why I am willing to fund whatever you feel is necessary to complete the task." Mr House says, again causing Tamia to gape at him. Chapter 398 - Scrooge McHouse "Whatever funds?" Tamia parrots, "Like, ''Whatever'' funds?" "I said what I mean, and I mean what I said." Mr House states, "The task I need you to complete is of the utmost importance, perhaps even more so than finding the chip in the first place. That said, I will be watching your spending, I am not one to throw away money and the same should be said for whomever I decide to partner with."?? Tamia smirks, "So no blackjack and hookers?" she jokes. "I understand your jest, but blackjack and hookers would be readily available to you should you accept my terms." House explains. Tamia gives an uncomfortable laugh before recomposing herself, "Even with unlimited spending though, I still don''t think I''d be able to get in and out of the Fort... I think I''d need an army or something..." "I know it seems like an indomitable task, but the benefits for completing it will be immeasurable, you have my word on that... It seems I''ll need to persuade you further. Do you know what my goals are?" Tamia shrugs her shoulders, "Rebuild New Vegas to Prewar standards?" "Yes, and no." House says before continuing, "You are correct in my wish to restore things to their previous condition, but I also wish to change much... The old world is gone, and while I miss the comforts it provided, I am also grateful for the opportunity the apocalypse has provided... I wish to remake the Mojave, and indeed, the world into my own image. No corrupt politicians, government officials, and trigger-happy foreign states to cause another war. No separate factions all under one roof attempting to gain power, no stifling of technological innovation and discovery... Give me twenty years, and I''ll get technological development back to where it was, fifty and I''ll have men back on the moon. Do you see? My ambition is not for personal gain, or a petty desire for power. It is for the uplifting of all mankind, to raise them above the barbaric squabbling for resources and arbitrary wars... To you it may sound strange, but answer me honestly... Do you think you could trust the other factions to have even considered the future? Not just rebuilding what''s left of America, enslaving everything they see, or indeed, hiding away any technology deemed ''too dangerous''... I mean, the future." Tamia considers his words and slowly shakes her head, he was right, she had seen what each faction sought. The NCR was as corrupt as they come, and their methods would eventually fail, just like what happened before the great war. The Legion definitely wasn''t any better. They were like a wood-chipper, absorbing territory and converting the people who resided there into barbaric soldiers. Every piece of land their claimed was worse off than before, desolated by poverty, starvation, and violence. She didn''t know what would happen once they run out of enemies to fight, would they turn inwards and fight themselves, or simply peter out and disappear. The only large faction she''d not really ''met'' during her time in the Mojave was the Brotherhood of Steel... Sure, Veronica supposedly belonged to them, but when she spoke of them Tamia could tell she was less than a ''ideal member''. Tamia herself didn''t think technology was inherently dangerous (with some exceptions such as Nuclear Bombs), it was the person using it that truly mattered. The only negative she could see with Mr Houses explanation was the fact he would essentially become a dictator. He could decide what happens, who lives, and who dies. Not that she thought he''d start committing genocide or something, but this was the first time meeting the man, so her opinion on him wasn''t all that reliable. She looks up at the screen depicting House and slowly nods, "I think I understand what you''re saying, but, do you really think you can do anything to change it?" "I do." Mr House says with certainty, "I''ve been planning for this before the great war even started. My calculations extend almost a hundred years into the future. But, everything hinges on now, or to be more specific, you. You are the one who can assist me in making the world a better place." ... "I don''t know what advantages you think you have against the NCR and the Legion, but I think neither of them have the best interest of the Mojave at heart... You know what? Fuck it, I accept." she states, deciding to just go with her gut for now and see where it leads. "Good. Very good... You already know what is required, so I''ll leave further explanation for when you actually reach the facility under the Fort. I still have some form of communication there where I''ll be able to assist you... For now, let me fulfil my end of the bargain. Jane, be a dear take our guest down to the vault, and bring a rucksack with you." he pauses, "And Tamia, it is a pleasure doing business with you." Tamia nods, "You too, House." she says before following the Securitron to the elevator. Once there she''s led down past the ground floor and into some sort of underground vault. It didn''t look like a Vault-tec vault, but instead just like a blank metal wall... Though, upon approaching it she could hear many mechanisms working behind the scene. After a couple moments of waiting, the vault doors slowly slid open, revealing a long hallway with many lockboxes decorating the walls. Though, this isn''t what draws Tamia''s attention... No, that''d belong to the large pit that is illuminated at the end of the hall. Tamia approaches it with Jane following and looks over the edge, spotting a ladder leading down into what could only be described as a sea of bottle caps. "Impressed? Robert always loved old cartoons, reminds him of better times he says. We also have a gold pit hidden nearby, but you only have access to this." Jane explains as she rolls up behind Tamia. Chapter 399 - Emissaries Afton had been sitting outside the Lucky 38 for around two hours ever since Tamia was invited inside. He''d watched as the NCR dragged numerous bodies out of the Tops, and even spotted Benny''s in the pile. A few soldiers who''d witnessed the massacre inside had even attempted to arrest Afton and his companions, but were quickly called off by their higherups... Obviously, word had already spread in the strip about what''d occurred, and his reputation with the NCR, Strip, and Freeside had taken a hit. Though, the latter less than the others as most in Freeside despised the rich and prominent with a passion.?? Of course, the biggest event of the day wasn''t the brutal massacre that''d happened very recently, no, that honour belonged to Tamia, who was the first to enter the Lucky 38 ever since the founding of New Vegas. Afton personally couldn''t see much difference between the opening of a new McDonalds and this, but he supposed just being acknowledged by Mr House was enough to become ''important'' in most peoples eyes. The man was more myth and legends than anything based in reality, the only reason people even know the man existed was due to the Securitrons who purported to act on his orders. Regardless of his thoughts however, Afton and his group were no longer the only ones waiting outside the Casino for Tamia to exit. There were two people, one Veteran NCR Ranger kitted out in full gear, as if they were anticipating having to wade through a riot to reach their target, and another man dressed in a familiar black suit, a Legion Spy. Afton had no idea why the NCR hadn''t noticed that he and all the other people dressed in those black suits were spies, but whatever the case was, it was pretty obvious once you saw one. Though, this may just be due to his ''close'' relationship with the Legion. The NCR Ranger had turned his glowing red visor to Afton and his group, scanning everyone there as if he was expecting to be attacked. Though, his gaze lingered on Karl longer than anyone else. "Ranger." Karl states, giving a lazy salute from his sitting position. "Traitor." the ranger spits. Karl just chuckles, "I don''t know what they told you, but I ain''t a traitor. I know I won''t be able to persuade you though, so go back to your buddies and talk about me behind my back, as you guys usually do." The Ranger shakes their head and takes a position next to the Lucky 38 doors opposite Afton''s group, their arms crossed but ready for combat at any moment. The black-suited man just stands demurely in the middle between Afton''s group and the Ranger however, as if he didn''t care able the hostilities at all, or was confident in avoiding danger should it occur. "Any idea''s what House wants Tamia for?" Veronica asks, not willing to admit how worried she was for her friend. Afton shrugs, "A spanking for causing trouble on his strip?" he jokes. Veronica just glares at him, "Not. Funny." "I don''t know... Nyx, was that funny?" he asks, bored out of his mind for waiting this long. "By my calculations... No." The AI states, getting chuckles from the rest of the group. The group continue making jabs at one another until they''re interrupted by the familiar sound of mechanical movement... The doors to the Lucky 38 slowly open, revealing Tamia who steps out with a backpack filled to the brim with something. She glances around at the people waiting outside the door before eventually smiling at Veronica and the group. She''s about to walk over and greet them when she''s stopped by an NCR Ranger who steps in her path. "Miss Tamia, the NCR has taken a great interest in your work, as is willing to forgive any and all crimes you may have committed against us, this is courtesy of Ambassador Crocker. In addition, we would welcome you with open arms should you wish to cooperate with us in future. With this, you are formally invited to any institution the NCR holds to discuss your future plans." the Ranger politely says in a dramatically different tone from how they''d spoken to Karl. After they''re done talking, they hand over a slip of paper, one which Afton could spot was some kind of pardon. Tamia just pauses and gives the Ranger a weird look, "Er, I haven''t committed any crimes, so, can I just use this as a get outta jail free thing or...?" The Ranger shakes his head, "The Pardon is retroactive, any crimes you commit from here onwards will be punished with the full authority of the law." Tamia shrugs, looking disinterested, "Bummer." With that, the Ranger walks over in the direction of the embassy, allowing the Legion Spy to approach. "Greetings, I am Marius Domiticus, by my name you should already understand where I hail from. The great Caesar formally extends his hand to you, granting you the Mark of Caesar, absolving you from any crimes you may have committed. This is an honour not given lightly, so you would do well to remember this moment. In addition, Caesar invites you to meet with him at the Fort East of Hoover Dam to discuss things further. I am sure you will take up this offer, not many refuse Caesar and live to tell about it, I promise that." the man states, handing Tamia some sort of coin, one similar to what Afton holds. Tamia just sighs exasperatedly, "Okay... I''m not gonna have to watch out for a Brotherhood emissary now, am I?" she asks, but the spy just shakes their head. "The Brotherhood don''t dare to delve into Legion business. Good day to you, I trust you''ll act in everyone''s best interest." he states before briskly leaving. Chapter 400 - Non-Negotiable. Once both emissaries had left Tamia slumps her shoulders and finally walks towards the group, tossing the large bag of caps on the ground as she sits on a nearby step, holding her head in her hands, "Urgh, when did shit get so complicated?" "Oh, I don''t know... Maybe when you stepped into an ancient casino with an equally ancient supposedly immortal businessman?" Veronica retorts.?? "Well, when you put it like that, everything would convoluted!" Tamia exclaims, a slight smile on her face. Afton leans forwards, interjecting himself into the conversation, "So, what did House want?" ... "Tamia?" he asks again after not receiving an answer. "Urgghhh. It''s complicated... I may or may not have entered a partnership with House." she sheepishly explains. Afton raises a brow, "Like romantically? I didn''t think you were into that... What do you call the opposite of a Couger?" he jokes, laughing at the disgusted look on her face. "You know what I mean." she pauses, "Look, I''d rather not talk about this in public. I''m honestly still comprehending the conversation, not gonna lie." "We can talk in the truck then... At least there we won''t risk being overheard." Afton states, getting up and picking up his own sack of caps. The rest of the group nod and follow along as they walk back to Dirt-Hog, occasionally getting glared at by the NCR military police who were involved in the massacre clean up. The Securitrons at the gate seem to defer to Tamia as they group pass, giving Afton a good idea about what''d actually gone down... Once the group get back, they''re greeted by Anja, who gets out of Dirt-Hog which was, again, surrounded by bodies... "This shit never gets old, huh?" Afton mutters, giving one of the bullet-ridden corpses a nudge with his foot. "To be fair, this thing is literally like a pile of gold just sitting around alone unguarded... Even if there were bodies scattered around it, a few would still be willing to risk it." Josie adds. Afton just shakes his head, "Whatever, everyone get in the truck, it''s gonna be a little cramped but we need to discuss shit." he states, climbing in the back of Dirt-Hog, followed by everyone else. As he said earlier, it was a little cramped, especially with Dog-meat and ED-E sitting in there with everyone else. Before Tamia can discuss what''d happened in the Lucky 38 though, Afton speaks first. "Alright. So before we talk about what you and House had said, I need to tell you and Veronica our plans for the future. This is non-negotiable, and I want you to know before you get involved in shit you don''t want to. Cool?" he asks but no one responds. Afton just nods at the silence, "Cool. Alright, we are planning on breaking into, sieging, or whatever method comes easiest into the Fort-" "The fuck? Are you trying to kill yourself, Afton?" Veronica suddenly asks, her brows almost reaching her hairline at the incredibly stupid goal he''d just presented... What''s worse is the fact no one else seemed even slightly bothered by it, as if they''d known about it all along. Tamia herself was simply gaping at Afton as if he''d explained the meaning of life itself. "Veronica, just shut for a minute while I explain, alright?... We aren''t just trying to break into the Fort for jollies or a prank. We are doing it to find Karl''s daughter, an ex-NCR soldier who''d been captured by them. I promised him I''d help when we first met, and I intend to fulfil it. If you two have a problem with it, you can forget about this conversation and part ways... Though, if you ghost me again Veronica we''re gonna have problems." he states, semi-sarcastically. Veronica just looks at Tamia, wondering why her friend looked as if she was considering this... "Don''t tell me-" "I''m in." Tamia states. ... Afton releases a breath, "Huh, I thought I''d need to persuade you a little more, but, whatever works I guess." he shrugs. Karl looks at Tamia, "I''m not a guy who''d usually say this, but... Thank you." he says, and everyone there is surprised by the sheer sincerity in his voice. Tamia blushes slightly, "Don''t mention it... Oh, perk up Veronica, this actually helps with what House asked me to do." he says, causing everyone to sit up straight, wanting to hear what a supposedly immortal man wanted with her. "House wanted this." She says, showing the Platinum Chip, "And he wants me to infiltrate the Fort and use it in an underground facility directly below it..." ... Afton slaps his knee and bursts into laughter, quickly followed by Karl who also for some reason finds this situation hilarious. "What a fuckin'' coincidence eh? Man! I thought you were gonna say the old fart wanting to rule the world or something!" Afton exclaims. ... The laughter slowly peters out as Tamia stays silent and looks away... "He isn''t trying to conquer the world, right?" Afton asks after a moment... "Err... I mean, he is, technically? But he explained everything really well and convinced me." Tamia sheepishly says before shrugging. ... "Huh, what''d he say to convince you?" Veronica asks, knowing Tamia to be a rational enough person to not be persuaded by false promises or outright lies. "Well, we spoke about the wasteland, prewar, and the future... And basically dismantled everything the big three factions actually stand for. I''ve never felt more against the NCR, Legion, and Brotherhood than I have now..." she admits, getting weird looks for a few in the group. "You sure he ain''t lying?" Boone asks, Josie nodding in agreement. Tamia shakes her head, "I''m not really sure, but I believe him. You don''t live for two hundred years and become the richest man in the wasteland for nothing. I think you guys would have to speak to him yourselves if you wanted to understand his goals..." ... Afton just shrugs, "Whatever he wants, I don''t really care right now. All that matters is that our goals align for the time being, once we start disagreeing, then we can try and sort out our problems." Chapter 401 - Implant Application... With everyone in the group now aware of some of their future plans, it was now time to start preparations in actually infiltrating the Fort. Tamia had explained that she had been given permission to use as many caps as she needs to complete the task, making Afton almost fall unconscious with uproarious laughter. It was perfect. They now basically had infinite funds to do something they were already going to do... Man, things were seriously ''Coming up Afton!''.?? Now with the ''go ahead'', Afton intended to make full use of their new expendable funds. First off heading to Doctor Usanagi''s clinic. Once there the group basically bought all stock of her implants. Sure, the doctor was surprised, but as far as she was concerned, the purchase of all available implants would literally fund one hundred years of research... Afton''s body was durable enough to take some more implants so he finished his set, buying Intelligence, Charisma, and Luck implants to boost his stats. [Perk granted : "Empathy Synthesizer" Charisma Implant] [Charisma Implant] : +1 Charisma [Perk granted : "Logic Co-Processor" Intelligence Implant] [Intelligence Implant] : +1 Intelligence. [Perk granted : "Probability Calculator" Luck Implant] [Luck Implant] : +1 Luck] [For enhancing all of your stats with technology, Perk granted : The Cyber Punk] [The Cyber Punk] : You know your way around tech, especially when it''s surgically implanted into your body... Stops your body from rejecting implants, and boosts your effectiveness when using active ones. The Perk appears in his peripheral vision and has a Cybernetic-looking Vaultboy sitting on it in the corner... Though, the Vaultboy itself seems to be glitching out for some reason... A bad omen perhaps? Afton wasn''t really sure what to make out of his new Perk, he''d never actually considered the chance of implants being rejected by his body... But, since he didn''t have to worry about that now, maybe he should look into getting some more. Regardless, he ''persuaded'' most of his group to get implants, even if there was the potential of their bodies rejecting them. Though, the only one he made sure they receive was the "PHOENIX" Monocyte Breeder, an Implant that allows the body to heal significantly faster than it usually would. Of course, Afton didn''t bother getting that Implant as his body was already far, far more effective at healing. That, and he wanted to leave room in his already tech-filled body for a different, more effective implant should it come up. In addition to the healing implant, Karl got the Agility and Endurance ones. Though, Afton was sure the latter was more to help his sore back... Boone got a Perception and Agility Implant, but ended up rejecting the latter, forcing Usanagi to remove it or risk infection, and a litany of other health defects. Josie got an Intelligence and Endurance Implant, getting lucky and keeping both. Veronica tried to get Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Intelligence, but her body rejected the latter, forcing the Doctor to remove it... Though, three Implants was the best result (aside from himself) they''d seen so far. Tamia herself tried to get all the stat Implants, same as Afton, but her body rejected Agility, Intelligence, and Perception. Allowing her to keep Strength, Endurance, Perception, Charisma, and Luck... Still, Mr House had to foot the cost of all the rejected Implants as they were rendered useless afterwards... Afton was glad he didn''t have to speak to the man, otherwise he might feel guilty about taking advantage of his offer to Tamia... But he''d get over it pretty quick, so, ''meh?'' At the point, everyone had gotten Implants apart from Anja... But there was a good reason for this, in Doctor Usanagi''s words, ''I have no idea if Implants would even work on a Ghoul''... Yeah, apparently their anatomy was similar, yet different enough for the Implants to have an affect, but not necessarily the one you want. Regardless, the group paid for Anja to receive the Endurance Implant, and Usanagi was willing to sell it to them for half-price due to her professional interest in seeing what''d actually happen. The operation was relatively quick, but afterwards everyone realised they needed to remove the Implant almost immediately... Anja wouldn''t stop screaming until the tech was removed, but no one knew why she reacted like that. Regardless, it seemed like Anja was the only one who wouldn''t receive an Implant out of the group. It wasn''t ''too bad'', but it was still a bummer for the Ghoul, who felt that she''d be more useless than she was before. Once the group had finished at Doctor Usanagi''s clinic, they moved on and headed towards the Gun Runners to stock up their equipment... Veronica and Tamia needed a complete set of equipment. Afton''s group were already kitted out with their preferred gear, so that didn''t really need to be changed. They had good weaponry and good armour for their desired role... Though, once Veronica spotted the heavy reinforced combat armour Afton wanted her to wear, she immediately rejected it. "I am NOT wearing that!" Afton just raises a brow and sighs exasperatedly, "Why not? You wanna die from some puny 9mm round or something?" Veronica just shakes her head, "No, but if I wanted to walk around all day in sweaty, heavy armour, I''d grab some Power armour!" ... "You have some Power armour to use?" he asks, suddenly very interested. Veronica just shrugs and nods, "There''s a safehouse North East of New Vegas that should have a spare set... It''s barely used, and I doubt the Paladin that maintains it would mind too much..." Afton''s face breaks into a huge grin as he hugs her, "Veronica! You''ve made my day!" he exclaims, tossing her up in the air as if she were a small child. "Wait! Let me down! Afton, stop!" she yelps but can''t stop herself from giggling at the intimate byplay. Of course, the rest of the group and the Gun Runner Vendertron watch this all occur with dull or amused looks. Chapter 402 - The Powerfist Of Friendship... Before Afton and the group left to ''borrow'' the Power armour in the Brotherhood of Steel safehouse, they made sure to gear up Tamia and Veronica. Tamia was strong, but not necessarily all that good with a good. Her shots were accurate when tested, but in combat situations, her accuracy rate dropped significantly. For this there were two options. One was to give her a Submachine gun so it wouldn''t matter if she occasionally missed, or two give her a powerful revolver so that even if she missed the head and hit the chest or a limb, it''d be devastating regardless.?? Ultimately, Tamia decided to get a .44 Revolver. She was more familiar with that type of weapon, and she trusted the revolvers reliability far more than any SMG. Her upgrades didn''t end there however. Afton decided that the ''Knock Knock axe'' he''d acquired for Camp Searchlight wasn''t good enough for the task they had before them. So he granted her a single Proton axe from Big Mt, in addition, she also purchased a full set of Reinforced combat armour. Veronica however wished to keep punching things for some reason. Afton couldn''t figure out her weird fetish with ''fisting things'', but he agreed to get her something that suits her tastes regardless. Her old powerfist, while still powerful, wasn''t enough to fight off an army of Legionaries. So, he bought the most powerful powerfist the Gun Runners had available... It was called the ''Two-Step Goobye'' and it was a unique weapon. [Two-Step Goodbye] Strength req : 9 DMG : 70 Crit dmg : 10 Crit mult : 4x AP : 28 Weight : 6 Value : 25000 Special : Bonus Critical Chance, Reduced Critical Damage, Critical Kill = Boom! Critical hit results in the person being hit becoming a timed explosive. The weapon itself just looked like a wrist-mounted shotgun with a knuckle mechanism allowing it to shoot when you punch someone... Less sophisticated than the typical Brotherhood of Steel Powerfist, but significantly more powerful. Perhaps with some alterations, he''d be able to make the shotgun firable even when not punching someone... Though, the mechanism would need to be properly tailored to prevent it randomly going off. Of course, upon being gifted with this new weapon, Veronica broke out into almost manic giggles as she began testing it on nearby rocks, causing the area to be filled with the sound of powerful shotgun blasts and destroyed rocks as she went to town. The price for the weapon wasn''t cheap and Afton would have never considered buying it were they using his own cash... Now that House is footing the bill however he found himself more ''charitable'' than ever. Other than her new Powerfist, Veronica also received a 12.7mm Submachine gun to wield while she was punching people... It was more for suppressing fire than anything but, who cares about the cost right? The only thing Afton was really worried about was the 9 Strength requirement for Veronica''s Powerfist. [Veronica Santangelo] Health : 99% Stamina : 70% DT : 18 Strength : 8 Perception : 4 Endurance : 8 Charisma : 6 Intelligence : 7 Agility : 5 Luck : 4 Ailments : [Sprained wrist] : -50% damage when attacking with affected area. Can become more severe with further damage. [Sore shoulder] : -1 Agility when attempting to use affected area. Her Strength simply wasn''t high enough to properly utilise the weapon and this could already be seen after thirty minutes of use. Of course, this wouldn''t be a problem once they acquired Power armour, but it was still something to watch out for. After the group acquires all their new gear, they all get back in Dirt-Hog and head in the direction of the Brotherhood Safehouse that supposedly exists... Afton wasn''t doubting Veronica''s knowledge, only whether or not the Brotherhood was strong enough to set up Safehouses so far away from the Bunker. Regardless, they headed there nonetheless. Afton sat with his feet up on the dashboard as Josie drove, thinking various things, their plans for the Fort, what they''d do afterwards, etc. But, once a thought strikes his mind, he realises that either something was really wrong, or he''d missed something about the system itself... He''d not received any Companion notification after Veronica and Tamia had accompanied them... Was this due to their loyalties? No, Veronica wouldn''t even think of betraying him, even with all that time that''d passed. Differing goals? No... Their goal, for now, was the same... What made this situation different from all the other times however?... The fact that he''d not formally invited Tamia and Veronica into the group? Hmm, well, let''s test it then. He opens the hidden panel leading to the back of the truck and crawls through, all the while Josie complaining about him distracting her. Once he''s through, he pokes his head out of the hole, causing everyone resting in the back to jump in surprise. "Yo! Hey, I just wanted to ask... Tamia, Veronica, do you guys want to official join our mercenary group? Or?" Tamia shrugs, "I mean, aren''t we technically already in it?" Afton nods, "Yeah, but nothing is set yet, you don''t have to stay permanently, it''s just more for appearances than anything." The duo shrug again, "Alright, whatever ." Afton receives a couple new messages in his peripheral which causes him to grin, "Cool." he says before returning to his seat in the front of the truck, looking over his new notifications. [Companion gained : Tamia of the WoodenGrip Tribe.] [New Perk acquired! : Protagonist] [Protagonist] : You are the Protagonist! Random soldiers miss their shots on you despite being perfectly able, groups of enemies give you a chance for some reason, enemies are far easier to persuade!... The world is literally your oyster, designed for your adventures and ready for your triumphs! +50% chance for lucky events to occur. Wow, yeah that new Perk seems pretty overpowered by name alone... [Companion gained : Veronica Santangelo] [New Perk acquired! : A Penchant for Fisting] [A Penchant for Fisting] : Increases unarmed damage by 69%, increases unarmed attack speed by 50%. ... Huh, Afton wasn''t really sure how to take that last Perk... Perhaps it was time to have a ''private'' talk with Veronica... Though, he was scared that he would find out she''d been using her ''fisting technique'' on Christine or something... Chapter 403 - Ba-Bye! Happy with all the new Perks he''d acquired, Afton and the group continue driving towards their destination. They hadn''t had much hassle so far, but judging by how the deserted trainyard they were driving past looked, they''d stumble into trouble at any moment... Of course, as Afton thought this he had an ominous feeling emerge in his stomach and Anja in the back notices a ping on the radar... Afton stuck his head out of the window to look behind the truck at whatever it was, and his eyes almost bulge out of their sockets once he spots the eight Deathclaws charging the vehicle with claws bared...?? "Shit! One of you get on the turret! There''s Deathclaws chasing us!" he exclaims, and the group in the back of Dirt-Hog begin shuffling around, everyone trying to personally operate the vehicle but ending up obstructing another. Thankfully, this doesn''t last long as Boone throws the hatch open and grabs the .308 machinegun, he then points it at the approaching Deathclaws and sprays them all with bullets. Afton looks at the map as the occurs, checking that they aren''t going to accidentally drive past the Brotherhood of Steel Safehouse. Fortunately, it was still a good distance ahead, and they weren''t currently at risk of missing it. Boone continues firing and does a good amount of damage to the creatures, but it isn''t good enough to ease everyone''s worries... So, to assist the rest of the group kick open the back doors and aim all of their respective weapons at the enemy. *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* *DAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!* *Stereotypical Shooting Sounds!* Afton looks to Josie after checking out the window again, "Alright, stop the truck." he says and she does as told, stopping as a could of dust rolls over them. Afterwards Afton walks over and approaches the Deathclaw corpses, checking them over to see if their pelts would still be of any use... Unfortunately, the number of bullets they''d all been hit with made whatever material they could provide useless. Afton sighs and kicks some dust at the corpse and walks back to the truck, all the while Veronica and Tamia were examining the corpses of the first Deathclaws they''d ever killed. "You can take a trophy if you like, typically people take a hand, claw, or tooth. I''d say head as well but you aren''t getting blood in my truck." he states, climbing back into the passenger seat. Tamia just looks at Veronica and shrugs, igniting her Proton axe and severing a hand before shoving it into her backpack. "This will go on my wall... Err, maybe in the Lucky 38?" she mutters, realising that she didn''t really live anywhere. The group continued riding until they finally reached their supposed destination... Veronica said it should be around this area, and Afton with his [Explorer] Perk knew it should be as well. Though, the area itself looked dull, lifelessly, and utterly boring. Hm, a perfect place to hide a secret base. There were large rocky walls nearby that led into a small cavern that dipped below ground level into some sort of cave. Following it, Afton eventually found a rickety wooden door blocking the entrance further in... It required a key... Funny. *SMASH!* Afton puts his foot through the door where the lock would have been, once he pulls his limb back and gives the door a push, it slowly swings open, revealing another pathway with a more high-tech door at the end. The group follow behind with Karl and Veronica at his sides, the former to detect traps and the latter due to her familiarity with the Paladin that runs this place. Afton had never personally met them, but that''s what you get for being forced into an underground bunker for most of your life. There were no traps, allowing the group to simply walk through and open the door, they are almost blinded by the lights coming from inside, but once their eyes adjust almost everyone is shocked by what they see... It looked well organised, with many beds placed on either side of the room and a large number of shelves placed in the middle, additionally, Afton could spot a couple workstations used to repair, create, etc. It was the shelf that drew the most attention though. On it was a set of fully operational 51b Powerarmour, T-45d Powerarmour, and a huge number of energy weapons in including Gatling lasers, Tesla Cannons, etc. "Wow... Do the rest of the Brotherhood have this much firepower?" Josie asks, almost salivating over the many prizes within. Veronica shakes her head and smirks, "No, this is only the tip of the iceberg... Scared?" "Not really... If all the Brotherhood ar you like you Veronica I don''t think anyone would be worried..." Josie admits, causing Veronica''s face to blush and afterwards darken. "Ha-ha-ha... Yeah..." Veronica mutters, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. Karl walks over and picks up the 51b helmet, wiping some dust off of it with his sleeve, "So, this what you came for?" Afton nods, "Sure is, but we aren''t using it in that state yet... Hang on, let me get the coordinates outside the bunker so I can transport this back to base." he says, getting a weird look from Veronica. Yeah, his intentions for the armour weren''t simply to use them, but also to dismantle, research, and recreate them. Once the Think Tank had put together a proper blueprint, he''d have them modify the armour to his liking. Of course, he wasn''t expecting to be wearing the powerarmour when they infiltrated the Fort. His goal would be to find Karl''s daughter and get her out before any fighting started. And for that, he''d need his dutiful Stealthsuit. Regardless though, he''d leave some of the energy weapons behind so as not to piss off the Paladin too much when they eventually return. Once everything is teleported away, Veronica leaves a note for the Paladin; "Hey Paladin! Veronica here, sorry about the missing stuff, I just needed to borrow it forever... Thanks, ba-bye!" Afton looks at the note with a raised brow, "You sure you wanna write that?" Veronica shrugs, "No one else has the balls to do that, so at least he''ll know it was me here." Afton nods, "Good point." Chapter 404 - Praise The Su-Helios One! The group were on the road again, however this time they had a different objective in mind... They were currently barreling down the road, past the 188 Trading Post and towards Novac. Afton hadn''t told the rest of the group yet, but it was not Novac he intended to visit... No, he actually wished to gain entry into Helios One. After all, what better weapon to use against an army than an orbital death laser...?? The only person who might actually have an inkling into what his plan might be is Veronica, but she was keeping her mouth shut for fear of the information getting out... Elder Elijah was still a sore spot for her, especially after Afton had told her that the man had caused Christine to be experimented on. Still, that wasn''t all that''d happened since they start driving to Novac... "Operations in the Think Tank are continuing at an adequate pace. The slaves are all participating in limited capacities, but are not being experimented on, under your orders. Research would progress at a much faster rate if you rescinded that order." the voice of Glados asks in his mind as he sits in the passenger seat. Yesterday the AI had apparently managed to create some sort of telepathy device by utilising the X-2 Antenna. Something about being able to transmit and receive brainwaves over a large distance, apparently since he still had all that machinery in his head, Glados was able to contact him whenever and wherever he was... Though, the quality of the transmitted information was heavily reliant on whether he was underground or not. Brain waves don''t travel through earth all that well apparently. "And how goes research on the Powerarmour? I know you''ve only had a day, but I trust your and the scientist''s expertise in the matter..." he concentrates on this thought with a determined look on his face. It was difficult to send what he actually wanted to send instead of a tsunami of other information he was unconsciously thinking about. Still, with some practice, he imagined he''d get the hang of it. He only hoped Glados wouldn''t judge him for some of the more ''daring'' thought he might have... Anyway, from Glados occasional updates, he was now aware that Doctor Zero had dismantled the Powerarmour and they were now examining each individual piece of technology contained within to get an accurate idea about how it all worked. The scientists were more or less aware of how it functioned, but it was the small intricacies that escaped them. For example, how strong the servos in the limbs should be... One wrong adjustment and the robotic arm would tear the user''s limb off... Afton would definitely make them test whatever they make on some Lobotomites before he gives a set to Veronica. Additionally, the other projects he''d set the Think Tank had made much progress. Most of all were the cloning tech. Indeed, Dala was eagerly working on it for obvious reasons. She more than anyone wanted a flesh and blood body again, she''d not tasted, felt, smelt, or touched anything in two hundred years... Afton knew he''d have gone crazy in the same situation. Still, depending on how attractive Dala turns out being, he might have to indulge her once she regains her body... Just to show his gratitude, of course, he had no other motives... Other than the new telepathic mode of communication Glados had discovered, Afton also wanted to check the area around Helios One. He wanted to see if there were any scraps leftover from that battle all those years ago. He knew the NCR would have likely taken everything and attempted to reconstruct it into something viable, but perhaps they''d missed something? Though, there was still one thing he was unsure about... Whether or not to revisit the Brotherhood of Steel bunker. He was sure he would go in with Veronica, but now he had the opportunity he was getting cold feet... Just thinking about how those he''d left behind would react was not a nice thought. But, perhaps they''d forgive him after he''d fixed the ventilation?... Yeah, probably not. As the group were driving towards Novac they were of course pleasantly received. They hadn''t been gone that long so to the residents it was as if only yesterday Afton and his group had saved the town... Of course, Veronica and Tamia hadn''t been with them last time, so the group took the time to introduce them to everyone... Though, as this was happening Afton was elsewhere. A few miles up the street from Novac was Helios One, the research facility that the Brotherhood of Steel had previously inhabited, but was now managed by the NCR. It brought back both good, and bad memories as he approached the place. Around the perimeter were a decent amount of NCR troopers patrolling the place. It was funny that they could spare so many soldiers here but almost completely neglected Novac''s safety... Guess it just showed what the NCR''s priorities were. Afton wasn''t really sure what the NCR thought of him nowadays, he had massacred the Tops recently and gotten away with it scotch-free... No doubt the soldiers in Helios One would''ve heard about it. It was for that reason he couldn''t risk being seen near it. His plan was to activate Archimedes so he could drop orbital lasers on whoever he wants, additionally, it would be a good idea to distance himself from the facility so he''d have at least some sort of alibi when people start investigating... He had no doubt people would start shitting themselves once he used the weapon, the last thing he wanted was for people to link Helios One to it and stop it from powering the weapon. So, instead of just strolling up to the front doors, he activates his Stealthboy and goes invisible, afterwards sneaking to the back entrance contained within metal linked fences. He''d not immediately activate the facility, first he wanted to know just how far the NCR scientists had gotten to discovering the true functions of Helios One. Chapter 405 - Pinky And The Brain... Deep within the laboratory of Helios One sat two men. One, a highly qualified scientist of high report secretly belonging to the Followers of the Apocolypse. And the other, well, it''s best to leave that bit unsaid. Ignacio Rivas sighs and rubs his face after going over his recent review of the various machinery contained within the facility, when he''d first arrived he''d assumed that the job would be fairly simple, all he had to do was reroute the energy from whatever it was previously going to and ''wallah'' done.?? But, he''d seemingly forgotten the Brotherhood of Steel''s unwillingness to share technology. Sure, most of the machinery inside the main building was still fully functional, but that didn''t matter as the Brotherhood had reactivated all security available to prevent people from accessing the mainframe. Not only that, but the NCR were far from willing to waste more troops fighting their way through all the robots currently down there... A single Sentryboy could wipe out a squad of unprepared troopers with relative ease, and since the NCR had no idea just how many there were down there, they were shitting bricks waiting for one to go rouge to break loose and decimate their forces. Ignacio gives a deep sigh and rests his head against the control panel at the bathroom door opens to reveal his ''colleague''... Fantastic he calls himself, now Dr. Fantastic, though Ignacio still hadn''t seen what Doctorate the man supposedly had. Fantastic stumbles out of the bathroom with a pale face and heavily dilated eyes signifying he''d just taken some sort of chem... "Urgh, where did the NCR find you? Passed out in a Freeside alley?" Ignacio mutters to himself. "H-hey dude, just had to take a piss-break. How''re you gettin'' on with all that science stuff?" Fantastic asks, his voice as annoying as his dopey face. He was lucky he had tinted glasses to conceal the redness in his eyes that he no doubt had. "Oh? And what ''Science-Stuff'' would you expect me to be doing? Specifically." Ignacio asks, wanting to catch the idiot out on his lies. Of course, Fantastic does just as you''d expect. "Er, well... Youknow, connectin'' the thingamabob with the doohickey to make it go *Ping!... Right?" ... Ignacio just rubs the bridge of his nose, wondering how he''d gotten into this mess. By now the NCR had already realised what a moron they''d hired, but they''d already signed a contract with him, preventing him from being let go without paying for the rest of his contracted time... So, instead of removing the obstacle, they elected to keep him here, to see if the idiot stumbled onto a solution... Ignacio kept asking Fantastic various questions, eventually finishing with the most important. "Do you even know what we''re supposed to be doing here?" Fantastic nods, "Yeah, broo. We gotta fix up this place, make it shiny and activate those mirror things outside..." Ignacio crosses his arms, "And once done, divide the energy between Freeside." Fantastic shakes his head, "That''s not what I heard. That lady wanted all the energy to go to Camp McCarren or whatever, right?" Ignacio just stays silent. Yes, that is what they were ''hired'' to do, but as a Follower of the Apocalypse, his goal was to spread peace and prosperity to as many people as possible... Altering the energy output slightly wouldn''t harm the NCR anyway, especially since they control the dam. Fortunately for the over and underworked duo, neither noticed the invisible shimmering silhouette who''d been listening in on their conversation thus far. Afton grins at what he''d just learned as he sneaks away. Apparently, the NCR was more incompetent than he''d initially thought, hiring only two scientists to operate the facility... It''d taken almost everyone Scribe the Brotherhood had at its disposal to figure out, repair, and operate this place. What hope did they have with a scientist and a retard? Sure, the place was mostly operational, but you''d still need someone to reactivate it. Which would be very, very difficult for the duo the NCR had just hired... Fortunately, Afton intended to activate the facility under their noses, distributing the energy where it needed to go, while hiding a secret function that no one would notice without a significant amount of snooping around. Afton snuck out of the laboratory and back into the wasteland, he was currently right under the central array that would collect the energy from the solar panels... Only that it was currently misaligned, making it incredibly inefficient. He sneaks over towards the basement entrance and lets himself inside, none of the robots notice him as he walks past them, though, he doesn''t have much time left on his Stealthboy. Which is fine as all he needed to do was reach a terminal and designate himself as Brotherhood of Steel personnel. Once he was registered, he could go through the facility unmolested. And he did just that, strolling through until he reached the mainframe. However, somehow the cable powering it had become frayed, but this was easily fixed with some DIY tricks. Once done, he logs onto the mainframe and starts playing around with the settings. He remembered being here all those years ago when Elder Elijah had abandoned them... Now, he finally had the opportunity to put the shit he knew into action. First, he designates energy distribution to go to Freeside, Westside, CampMcCarren, and New Vegas. Second, he makes it seems as if there is a tiny leak on the energy, though, its true purpose is to power the Orbital Laser. It should, if everything went well, grant him an Orbital Charge once every two weeks. This wasn''t to say he could store it up however, no it didn''t work like that. All it meant was that he''d have to wait two weeks after each shot before it was ready again. "I''ve done what you could not, Elijah, you crazy bastard." Afton mutters as he leaves the terminal. Chapter 406 - Sunburned With the target now selected, Afton moves up to the ladder and climbs all the way up the tower. He had no idea why the control panel was placed right in front of where the intense rays of sunlight shined, but there was no point over arguing about it now. Once at the top, he walks around and finds the small lever that''d realign all the mirror, as well as give skin cancer to everyone who was currently up there... Fortunately, Afton was immune to diseases, otherwise he''d have come wrapped up in a foil blanket or something.?? "Well, as the alien time-traveller would say, Geronimo!" he exclaims, slamming the lever down and waiting for... Nothing to happen... "Huh... Is it broken-OH GOD MY EYES!" he shouts as all the mirrors realign at once, shooting concentrated beams of sunlight directly at him. Afton does as any self-respecting genius would do at this moment, falling to the ground while clutching his eyes. "I HATE YOU GOD, APOLLO, WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS YOU BASTARD!" he shouts while waiting for his healing factor to fix whatever damage had occurred. Once his eyes weren''t feeling like they were on fire, he opens them and spots that is entire body had gained a dark tan... Though, it was covered by a lot of peeling skin, meaning that he''d been terribly sunburned by the whole ordeal. "Gross." he mutters, peeling off what seems like another person''s weight in dead skin. Before anything else though, he glances at the notifications that''d popped up in his peripheral. [Take control of ARCHIMEDES in Helios One COMPLETED!] [Quest gained! : Use the Orbital Laser!!!!] Afton grins at the quest but is forced to stop thinking about it as he hears a commotion coming from below, yeah, the NCR probably noticed all that didn''t they... Lucky they probably hadn''t managed to spot Afton, not that he would be recognisable all the way up here. Regardless, instead of leaving the tower he decides to start gathering the coordinates so he can teleport up here whenever he wants... Plus, it''d be terribly difficult to leave this place now that they know something had happened, he could see it from here already, the many NCR troopers guarding the underground entrance, stopping him from leaving that way. He shrugs to himself, pulling out a bottle of water and laying back on the slowly warming metal surface of the overlook, might as well kick back and relax while he waits for the teleportation to be ready. Elsewhere : "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Lt Haggerty exclaims, glaring straight at Fantastic with a caustic look. "W-whaddya mean!? I fixed the thing, just like you asked, lady!" the chem''d up dope quickly says, sending pleading looks at Ignacio to ask for help. "YOU, want me to believe that you fixed this place? After Ignacio hadn''t managed for TWO YEARS?" she shouts, clearly not trusting the fraud. "Err... Yeah?" Fantastic sheepishly says, "So, when do I get paid?" Lt Haggerty just growls at him, "How do you explain the figure we saw on top of the facility then!?" Ignacio raises a brow at this, opening the door and glancing up at the tower, spotting a figure who was seemingly laying down? Once he confirms its presence he goes to enter inside once more, but he takes one more glance and finds the figure gone... "What the fuck...?" Lt Haggerty looks at Ignacio as he enters, "WELL? How do either of you explain that?" ... "I-er... You saw a figure out there?" he asks and Haggerty nods. "Well... It''s not out there anymore..." ... Lt Haggerty pushes past Ignacio and walks outside, glaring up at the tower where the figure should have been... It wasn''t there any longer, meaning that it''d either started heading for the underground exit and would be caught, or... It didn''t exist in the first place... "Men! Position yourselves at the entrance! We''ll catch whoever''s messing with our shit!... THAT''S AN ORDER!" she exclaims upon seeing her troopers still standing around with dumb looks. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the ''figure'' had completely disappeared, leaving the troopers sat with guns ready in front of the underground entrance for two months before they were finally allowed to leave it... In the end, it was explained away as a ''trick of the eyes'' due to the activation of the solar panels. Due to the facility seemingly working at full capacity, there wasn''t any reason to investigate anymore either, especially since there was no point in destroying the robot security now that it was working how they wanted. The NCR just considered them an extra layer of protection and left it as is. Of course, Ignacio was disgraced as less competent than a moron, and Fantastic was offered a promotion, allowing him to work in the OSI... At least, until they discovered how stupid the man is. Back to Afton, he''d just teleported back to Novac and waited until midnight. Once he was sure most of the NCR in Helios One was asleep, he headed to where the Brotherhood and NCR had fought and started looking around. He hoped to find some buried suits of Powerarmour or perhaps some weaponry the NCR had missed, but as he''d expected, the place was stripped clean... Even shards of metal blown from Powerarmour had been taken, most likely so the NCR could synthesize the material again. There was one thing Afton noticed however... The canyon where he''d been forced to leave his father was relatively untouched by dust. Sure, there was a small layer of sand, just like the rest of the wasteland, but he was particularly interested in the place his father was last seen, Despite the layer of dust, he could see drag marks left from all those years ago, as if a large truck as driven past. Afton knew it wasn''t a vehicle though, it was likely the NCR dragging his father with his Powerarmour out... There weren''t any bones or any sign of a corpse, which meant they either took his body with the suit, or, something else had happened... Afton rubs his forehead, ignoring the cold sweat that was greasing his palm. Yeah, he didn''t know what to hope for... To hop for a clean death for his father, or to hope he was still alive and imprisoned?... Whatever the case, he didn''t know where to even start... Perhaps once he''d antagonised the NCR enough and gained access to their databases he''d find something, but, for now, he had other matters to attend to. Regardless of the notification that''d popped up in his peripheral. [Quest gained! : Find out what happened to your father] Chapter 407 - Fast, Fast, FAST! As Afton was making his way back to Novac, he was thoroughly confused and conflicted with the situation concerning his father... This, among other things, had him acting rather erratically when his danger sense started warning him of something. He gives a small sigh and rubs the bridge of his nose exasperatedly, "Nyx? Are there any hostiles nearby?"?? "None in the immediate vicinity, but I am detecting three men watching us from nearby..." she explains and Afton looks over at the two-story building, almost immediately spotting a shadowed figure watching from the window. Afton growls under his breath and cracks his knuckles before striding towards them. The figure ducks away, but he has Nyx track their position to prevent them escaping. He ignores the salutations from the Novac residents as he marches through the town, following straight out the otherwise where the three people seem to be running. "You aren''t getting away from me that easily." he mutters, breaking into a sprint that would make any athlete from his old world pale. Elsewhere : Jonas Vita breathes heavily as he and his two companions continue retreating from their previous position... They''d been tasked by Vulpes Inculta to spy on the man known as Afton Parker, otherwise known as the Butcher, the Sheriff, and a few others he isn''t in the mood to mention as of right now... The reason for his dour mood? Their target seems to have spotted them and is chasing them right now... The man known for his brutality and body count is after this... This very notion alone freezes the blood in his body, were he a lesser man he didn''t think he''d be able to move a finger due to the overwhelming fear that''s overtaking his body. "T-think we lost him?" Hestus asks with a slight huff from jogging for so long. "I hope so... I don''t want to consider what he would do to us if he caught us... You''ve all heard the stories. I think I''d rather challenge the Blade of the East to a fistfight than go near that man..." Peter mutters. Jonas shakes his head, "You remember our task... Even if he catches us we may have some leverage against him." Hestus nods, "I''d rather not be caught in the first place, let''s keep-" he pauses as he glances over his shoulder behind them, "What is that?" The other two looks over and spot a rather large cloud of dust approaching them at a rapid pace... Once it gets close enough they''re able to spot the lone figure of the Butcher sprinting towards them like a man possessed. ... All of their breaths are caught in their throats at the sight, it was simply unbelievable for someone to run so fast. Fortunately or not, it doesn''t take long for them to recognise the trouble they were in. "RUN!" Hestus exclaims, breaking into a sprint back towards Nelson where they''d been deployed from. All three start sprinting as fast as their legs could carry them, but it was somehow not enough as the Butcher rapidly shortened the distance between them. Even now Jonas could see the ground beneath the man cracking with every powerful step as if he were splitting the earth with his strength alone. *CRASH* The Butcher, sparing them or otherwise, chooses not to barrel straight into the group of three, instead electing to slam into a nearby boulder with his shoulder to stop his momentum. Jonas feels his mouth go dry as the fact the large rock acquires thousands of spiderweb-like crack marks in its surface from the force of the man, as if it''d been shot with a tank shell... The cloud of dust overtake the group, but neither of the three spies could force themselves to move... They knew they had been caught, so running was a pointless endeavour... They weren''t even close to reaching Nelson, and the Butcher could pop their heads like cherries if he wanted to with the strength he''d just displayed. A hand reaches out from the dust cloud and grabs Jonas around his throat, dragging him away as the man ties something around his arms and legs before tossing him against someone... Most likely one of his fellow spies. Once the dust clears, the three spies find themselves tied up and sitting against the splintered boulder the man had just run into. The Butcher was standing over them without even a bead of sweat on his brow, as if the running he''d just done was less than a slow morning job. "I''m not in the mood for this shit right now, so you''ll tell me what you were doing, or I''ll have to acquire the information some other way." he states, igniting a strange energy axe and slashing it at the boulder, causing half of it to slide off with an incredibly smooth-cut surface. "Go ahead and lie. I think I''ll start with the legs this time, so you can''t try to run... Or maybe the tongue, so you can''t scream for help? No, then you wouldn''t be able to talk..." the Butcher mutters to himself, seemingly contemplating the various tortures he intended to put them through. "I''ll never-" Hestus begins but is interrupted by the Butchers contemplative thoughts. "Eh, castration always works?" ... Indeed, the thought of losing the most essential part of being a man is enough to shut Hestus up. Jonas was already willing to betray everything he stood for just to gain some degree of mercy... A swift death would be a boon at this point. He glances between his two companions, both looking ashen with cold sweat beginning to form. Their skin was clammy, and Jonas swore he could smell the faint aroma of urine... It was embarrassing at the fact he had to check that it was not himself that was the cause... The spies spoke to one another with their eyes, quickly agreeing to give whatever the man wanted, in exchange for mercy. "S-stop... We''ll speak... Just don''t hurt us!" Jonas stutters out, as a brutal and sadistic grin forms on the Butcher''s face. Chapter 408 - Laughter Is Medicine, And Poison. "S-stop... We''ll speak... Just don''t hurt us!" ...?? Afton barely keeps the surprised expression from his face as he hears this. He''d been expecting to have to soften them up first, but he supposed these guys didn''t look very strong-willed... As of now, all he''d done was run after them, throw himself into a boulder and tie them up... Not much. Regardless, he wasn''t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Why were you spying on me?" he growls in the most intimidating manner he can manage. It seems to work, as one of the men squeak in fear like a mouse while the other two can''t work their mouths enough to actually speak. He glares at the closest one, finally allowing him to speak. "W-we were sent by Vulpes Inculta... H-he-" he''s cut off as the radio on his waist bursts to life. "Well, well, well. This doesn''t surprise me" the person on the other side of the radio drawls. Afton raises a brow and recognises the voice, "Vulpes. Couldn''t we do this over tea or something? You knew sending these three musketeer mosquito''s wouldn''t do anything." he states picking up the radio. "I admit, I hadn''t expected you to find them so quickly... But they are still useful in their own right, as you''ll find out should you reject my offer." he says coyly "Offer? I''m already working for you, what else could you want?" Afton asks, thoroughly confused by Vulpes intentions. The voice chuckles creepily from the radio, "Indeed, but I wish to make sure the job gets done. We have been watching, and you are too lax over your duties. So, after this conversation ends, you will march over to Camp Golf and shoot Chier Hanlon where he stands... Do you understand?" "Huh?" Afton frowns, "Are you stupid? Assassination takes time, preparations, resources, none of which you seem to be willing to grant me." he states. "Do not lie to me, boy. I know you drove that new vehicle of your straight past the target. And I am fully aware of your capabilities... Sneaking in and cutting the man''s throat in his sleep would not have been difficult for you, but you ignored your duty anyway. So, I give you one last chance, go assassinate Chief Hanlon immediately, or suffer the consequences!" Afton frown slowly morphs into a look of amusement as he begins chuckling, "Consequences? Hah! What consequences!?" he asks, not thinking himself arrogant for feeling overwhelmingly powerful in his current position. "Mmm, it''s good you asked... I have located the bunker your ''friends'' are located, and have an army of Great Khans and the Legion''s best assassins waiting on standby for my order. Should you refuse, they will blow the doors off of the bunker and kill each and every man, woman, and child they see. It will be a genocide the likes of which the Mojave has ever seen, perhaps aside from Bitter Springs. Afton pauses at this, glancing over at the tied up spies as thoughts race through his mind. He knew of the Great Khans, and was very, very aware that they were more or less slightly better-armed raiders with a penchant for chem abuse. That aside, he didn''t know much about the Legion''s assassins. But, he knew for sure they weren''t a match for NCR Rangers. He''d spied on the Legion enough to know that Rangers were the bane of their existence, plus, he doubted they''d have better close-range weaponry than Submachine Guns, Machetes, and perhaps a Shotgun... So, it isn''t surprising what his reaction is. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he roars in laughter straight down the radio, the sound of which causes the three shitty musketeers to rear back in fright. "Hahahaha! Ha..." "Now YOU-" Vulpes angrily states but is cut off again. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Afton continues, the thought of raiders and Legionaries wearing leather and sportswear charging at heavily armed men in suits of Power armour fueling his laughter... It was just too funny that they thought they were a match in the slightest to the Brotherhood of Steel! Sure, in a typical battlefield they''d outnumber the Brotherhood one hundred to one, but their tech simply couldn''t be compared. So, forcing limited troops down tight corridors where you couldn''t fully utilise your advantage in numbers was tantamount to suicide... And that''s not even mentioning the high-tech turret system that was installed in the bunker. Vulpes didn''t know any of that though, and probably just considered the bunker the last remnants of the Brotherhood. Most likely guessing that they were ill-equipped compared to the rest of the faction due to Afton''s own lack of Power armour. "Hahahaha-ha-ha... Alright, alright... I think I''m done..." he mutters breathlessly to the radio. ... "Now, you-" "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he begins again, this time on purpose simply to mock the pompous Legionary who thought he could control Afton. "THAT DOES IT! YOU HAVE BROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELF! DIE KNOWING YOU HAVE WROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELF!" Vulpes exclaims down the radio, and Afton''s danger sense flairs. He moves his head to the side, allowing a .50 caliber bullet to zip by and brush his hair. ... Afton looks over in the direction where it''d come from, his incredibly sharp eyes spotting a black figure on a hill miles away getting up and rapidly retreating. "A sniper? Really Vulpes? I didn''t expect something like that from you." he says mockingly to the radio. ... He doesn''t receive a reply from the radio but is fully aware that Vulpes is still listening in. "Alright, be silent... Oh, before I forget, let that sniper know that I chose to let him leave. Let him know I knew where he was the entire time." ... *Bzztch!* The sound of the radio losing connection sounds out and Afton drops it before smashing it underfoot. Afterwards, he looks to the three tied up spies and scratches his face, wondering what to do with them. "So, how would you three like to become my underlings?" Chapter 409 - This Is Fine... An hour after Afton had sprinted out of Novac he returned with two other men closely following... Some might ask ''Hey, weren''t there three people?'', and they would be correct. But that was after one refused Afton''s offer, so now there were only two people, Jonas and Hestus... Afton would feel slightly misapprehension about bringing them into his confidence, but after he had them beat their friend to death, he was pretty sure they couldn''t return back to the Legion. Nor would they want to after he showed the wonders of technology to them. Plus the fact he could pay better than the Legion ever could.?? The scene laid before him once he arrived back in Novac was an amusing one... There was a loud crowd gathered around the makeshift training field Boone and Karl had designed to help train the ''militia'' that protects the town in the NCR''s absence. Tamia and Veronica were in the middle, beating the crap out of anyone who dared to challenge them... From what Afton could see, most men around had growing bruises on their faces, arms, etc. Even Josie, Anja, and Boone looked tired. Fortunately, Afton had arrived soon enough to watch Karl get pile driven into the floor by Tamia, the force of which kicks up some dust upon his ungrateful impact with the ground. Afton walks up and smirks down at Karl, "You alright there, buddy?" "*Cough*, no... Everything but my pride hurts..." he attempts to get up and winces, "No, that''s gone too." he says with a grim chuckle. "Did you have to beat the old man?" he asks Tamia who''s sheepishly looking away. She shrugs, "I wanted to test out the implants, plus, he challenged me..." "Didn''t you know? It''s common courtesy to go easy on the elderly." "I''m still here you know?" Karl mutters from the floor. Afton crosses his arms, "Anyway, I need to talk with Veronica, big shit''ll be happening either right now or relatively soon." he states, looking over and watching as Veronica dodges a haymaker and drives a fit into the offender''s sternum so hard that they instantly pass out. She notices Afton''s presence as he ''not so calmly'', waves her over. "Alright, I''m done for today. You guys can fight each other, or whatever you do in your free time." she states as she walks over to him. "What''s up?" "Er, to put it simply, the Legion has sent forces to attack the bunker..." "W-wait what?!" she starts, wide-eyed and surprised. Afton nods, "Yeah, so we better get moving before everyone else has all the fun." "S-should we bring everyone else?" she asks, glancing to the others in the group, particularly Boone and Josie. He shrugs, "I''m not sure, we''ll bring them, but if trouble crops up then we''ll deal with it when it comes." he states. "Well... If you''re sure..." she mutters as Afton calls the rest of the group over and leads them to the private area where Dirt-Hog currently was. He also made sure to get rid of the two ex-legionary spies so he wouldn''t have to explain their existence for now. Once everyone was gathered around Dirt-Hog, Afton begins to address them. "Alright, there''s big shit happening and I might need your help with it. If you feel that you''re too bruised or don''t want to help then you can stay behind... There''s a Brotherhood of Steel bunker nearby that''s currently being attacked by the Legion. We''ll go over, assist the Brotherhood and see what happens from there... Any questions?" Josie puts her hand up as if she were in a classroom, "Er, yeah... We aren''t going to be shot by them, are we? Like, I know Veronica is probably fine, but the rest of us?" Afton shrugs, "This isn''t one of the Chapters you''ve heard stories about. They''re more lenient with interacting with outsiders, mostly due to necessity. That said, try not to piss anyone off, despite everything, they are still family to both me and Veronica." he states, deciding to finally come clean. The group was already aware of Veronica''s affiliation with the Brotherhood, but Afton hadn''t confirmed his relationship with them until now... Even if it was an open secret... After all, Afton had claimed Veronic as his sister, and she was part of the Brotherhood so it shouldn''t have been difficult to put two and two together. "Anything else?" Afton asks, wanting to get all potential grievances out before they head out. Anja nods, "I have heard about their attitude on ghouls, sir... Will I be in danger there?" Afton shakes his head, "Stick with the group and you''ll be fine. To be honest, the person in the most danger would probably be me..." he admits, before banging Dirt-Hog with his fist, "Alright, get in, times a wasting!" The group gets into the vehicle, Dogmeat and ED-E coming along as well despite how wary Afton was of taking them. Both were rather advanced technologically and would be of great interest to the Brotherhood... Enough so that they might be taken apart and analysed... Regardless, Afton hops into the driver''s seat and floor the accelerator as soon as everyone is inside. Josie was already in the back manning the turret, so hopefully, they''d catch whatever forces were gathered... Maybe he''d be able to test out his new Orbital Laser? Unfortunately for the comfort of everyone present, the road would take far too long to reach the Hidden Valley, so Afton was forced to drive through the canyon next to Helios One... Had Dirt-Hog been hastily designed, the thing might''ve fallen apart by the time they reached the end of it. Dirt-Hog smashed through a metal wire fence as he finally reached the Hidden Valley, though, they could already hear the sound of ballistic weapons fire, as well as energy weapons. Despite it all though, Afton was fairly confident that the Brotherhood would be fine. Chapter 410 - Tribal Massacre Today had started off as a regular boring day for Ramos, Head of Security and Paladin of the Mojave Chapter Brotherhood of Steel... That was, until (AN :The fire nation attacked) a couple Initiates came sprinting into his office screaming about an army headed straight towards them. Yeah, he certainly hadn''t been expecting that. As per pre-designed security protocol, he deactivated the terminal in his office and rid its access to the rest of the bunker before heading down the stairs to the main hallway. If the enemy was going to breach the bunker, they needed to be in a properly defendable position... Waiting at the bottom of the stairs was stupid, and just waiting for someone to roll a couple grenades at them.?? He went over the Bunker intercom and warned everyone else of the impending threat, and it wasn''t long before a veritable wall of Power armour were gathered in the hallway and watching the entrance. On the walls and ceiling were a lot of sentry turrets with fully automatic laser weapons installed. Anyone or anything that attempted to get through would be blasted into ash... If they were lucky. At Ramos side was Paladin Hardin, Knight Torres, the former was armed with a Gatling Laser while the latter wielded the typical Gauss Rifle that was provided to most Brotherhood combatants. "Enemies inbound?" Hardin asks, his face as hard and dour as ever. "Don''t know, all I know is that an army is heading our way. Mostly raiders, but I would bet the Legion is involved, they''re the only one''s willing to use Tribes as fodder." Ramos states. *BAAANG!* *RUUUMMBLE!* "Looks like the breached the doors on the surface." Ramos mutters. Hardin turns and looks at everyone gathered, "THE ENEMY ARE APPROACHING! WE WILL BEAT OFF THESE INVADERS AND MAKE THEM WISH THEY NEVER VENTURED HERE! WEAPONS UP!" he commands, and the combatants aim their weaponry at the entrance. Once Hardin hears the sound of feet on the metal floor of the bunker he continues, "CHARGE GAUSS RIFLES!" ... *Tap tap tap tap!* The first person through the door is a man wearing some kind of fur clothing, his skin was incredibly dirty and his eyes were dilated, meaning he was on some kind of chems... Hardin didn''t even have to give the order when an Initiate fired their Gauss Rifle, the projectile struck the man and instantly liquified his organs, causing his body to explode into blood, gore, and red mist. ... A few others look at the sheepish Initiate who just shrugs with a chuckle. "EYES ON THE DOOR!" Hardin commands, refocussing the troops. It''s then that the rest of the enemies come barreling out of the entrance. They must''ve stopped momentarily after witnessing their companion literally explode, but whatever reason they''d came proved enough to push them further. The Brotherhood opened fire on the Great Khans as they flooded out into the hallway. The Great Khans hadn''t even managed to get off a single shot yet as laser fire, gauss rifle shots, and plasma rounds destroy anyone that dares come into the line of fire. By the time the fiftieth man goes through the door, they stumble on the large pile of ashes and green goo that had formerly been their companion''s bodies. He falls over and is soon added to the pile, half of his body disintegrating into ash while the other melt into green goo. The Legion Assassins upstairs had watched this all happen and were very, very apprehensive about going down there themselves. There were around thirty assassins and a hundred or so Great Khans, or at least, there were... The Khans numbers had been reduced by half, and the remainders were glaring heavily at the Assassins for bringing them on this suicide mission. "I WILL NOT GO DOWN THERE!" a Khan shouts, pointing straight at the pile sitting just outside the door. "YOU WILL DO AS WE COMMAND! WE PAID YOUR TRIBE TO DO A JOB, AND YOU WILL DO IT!" The leader of this operation roars, pushing the man out of the door and watching as his head explodes and his body is liquified. The leader turns to the rest of the Khans, "IF YOU WISH TO LIVE, THEN KILL THE ENEMIES ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THOSE DOORS!" "FUCK THIS! PAPA KHAN DIDN''T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SHIT!" a Khan shouts, pointing his Sawed-off shotgun at the Leader assassin. Unfortunately for him, the high-strung man was already prepared for insubordination. *SLASH!* The man''s Katana-like blade ignites into flames as he cuts the extended arm off, leaving behind a cauterized wound in its wake. The Khan falls to the floor screaming as he grabs his stump of an arm. The Leader assassin raises his Shishkabab and stabs it through the Khan''s throat, ending traitorous life. He then looks around appraisingly at the other Khans, "IF YOU DO NOT ATTACK NOW, WE WILL RAZE YOUR PATHETIC TRIBE TO THE GROUND!" ... "F-fuck, I-I don''t wanna die..." a man mutters as an assassin pushes him towards the door... He takes a big breath and charges out, firing his Varmint Rifle before he''d even exited the doorway... A shot actually manages to strike an enemy in the head... Unfortunately, they were all wearing Power armour, and the shot bounces off, achieving literally nothing. The man can only sigh as lasers tear his body to pieces, his arms and legs being torn off as they turn to ashes before his very eyes... The last thing he ever sees is the burning red of lasers as they burn his eyes out, killing him. The rest of the Khans charge out, shooting as frantically as they can but achieving nothing as they all die pathetically under the orders of the Legion... After an hour, there were no Great Khans left, the only invading forces that remained were that of the Assassins who waited at the top of the stairs uncomfortable as their leader pondered their next actions... Most knew the operation was doomed, the Brotherhood were simply far too advanced, armoured, and prepared for them to actually do anything... Perhaps if they used every tribe in the Mojave as cannon fodder, the Brotherhood might run out of ammo... But even then, most of the Assassins didn''t like their chances of fighting men in Powerarmour in melee combat... Chapter 411 - Hardin The Head By the time Afton and his group arrived the battle was almost over. He drove past the other desolate bunkers and eventually spotted the one the Brotherhood resided in, the metal door had been blown inwards by some kind of explosive, and the sound of faint gunfire could be heard coming from it. He continued to drive towards it, and the sounds kept getting louder, until many men in black and red outfits escaped the bunker and started sprinting away from it. There were around ten of them, and Afton could see Guass projectiles and Laser fire shooting at them through the door.?? Afterwards, a large group of people in Power armour stomp out of the bunker and continue shooting at them... However, they all stop and turn to look at Afton as he was accelerating Dirt-Hog towards the escaping Legionaries. Josie was already firing at them, bullets tearing about three and crippling more with shots to their legs. This allowed Afton to easily approach, the Legionaries paling as the heavy vehicle rapidly approaching them. They have enough time to raise their arms as if to push Dirt-Hog away as the tank-like vehicle drives straight over them, the wheels crushing, bisecting, and flattening anything caught underneath it. The cut-off screams of agony catch the attention of the other fleeing Legionaries, and they all scatter to attempt to avoid similar fates... Unfortunately, Afton is more than proficient enough at driving and Carmageddon to hit them. He erratically swerves as he crushes the Legionaries into the wasteland sand, leaving behind flattened bloody corpses as he drives over and through them. The Legionaries attempt to fire back in retaliation, but the bullets simply bounce off of the Saturnite plating, not even leaving a scratch as Afton and Josie kill them. The Brotherhood of Steel members watched this with morbid fascination. They didn''t know who was doing this, but they weren''t going to reject the help... Though, they might have to claim the vehicle due to how dangerous the technology was, just the sight before them was enough to convince most that it would be better in their control. By the time Afton caught up to the last Legionary, they had climbed on top of one of the bunker mounds, a place his vehicle isn''t really built to go up... The man seems to be trying to negotiate with them, but Josie just obliterates him with machine-gun fire, riddling their body with bullets. Once all was said and done, all the assassins were dead, and Dirt-Hog was parked not too far away from the Brotherhood bunker as the Paladins and Knights slowly approached, their weapons raised and ready. "Citizen, come out with your hands up, or will we be forced to shoot!" Paladin Hardin commands. ... Afton sighs at his family''s strict adherence to the rules, even threatening those that''d come to assist them. Yeah, some rule changes definitely had to be implemented, otherwise they wouldn''t last long in HIS Mojave. *Click!* Afton opens the door and hops out, grinning at those present as they all jolt as they recognise him. "Yo, Hardin, long time no see!" ... Hardin takes off his helmet which reveals his livid expression and almost snarls at him, "Traitor!" (AN : Then beats Fins ass with a taser lol) Afton raises a brow at the fact they were still pointing their weapons at him, "What the fuck guys? I came back to help kill those douche bags, put the guns down." he says, glancing over cautiously at the K9000 that was pointing in the Paladin''s direction... Fortunately, Josie seems to have stopped it firing at them from inside the vehicle. "Your unasked assistance today does not absolve you of your crimes. A Knight does not simply leave the Brotherhood, you abandoned your post, your family, and went galavanting around the Wasteland for no reason at all. Not only that, but you stole valuable technology that would assist the rest of the Chapter... The only reason I do not kill you now, is that you left behind your Power armour, and for some reason, Elder McNamara says he sent you on a mission." the Paladin states. "McNamara said that?" Afton mutters, feeling thoroughly confused. "He did. Now, you will come with us to await your trial... Or, you can resist and I''ll put you down right here, right now." he says with a vicious grin. Afton just shakes his head, "I''ll go with you, just don''t touch my-" *Bang* Veronica kicks the back doors open and stomps out of Dirt-Hog, marching up to Hardin and pointing a finger at his armoured chest, "Hardin! Are you really going to threaten Afton like that!" ... He releases a long sigh, "Veronica. You wish to tell us why you are with a traitor? Perhaps we need to put you on trial too?" The rest of the group get out of the truck and watch all this passively, Josie glancing to Karl and whispering, "These guys look so stuck up... How could Afton and Veronica bear to be around them for so long..." Karl just shrugs, "People do the best, and the worst things for family." Hardin eyes the group, "You will all be taken into custody as well, we can''t have random citizens know the location of our bunker, you will be vetted and set free should we find you have no affiliation with any of those that wish to harm our interests... Take that, Thing, as well." he states gesturing at Anja. A few of the group get a cold sweat upon hearing his warning... Would being formerly in the NCR army count against them? Regardless, Afton just gives them all a small thumbs up and steps forwards, "Alright, let''s get this over with then. But once I''m found to have committed no crime, I want a personal apology from you, Hardin... Maybe I''ll have you kiss my feet as well." he jokes, but Hardin doesn''t seem to take it that way. The Paladin has the others take away all of his weaponry before briskly grabbing his arm and attempting to force him into the bunker... Only to find that Afton is incredibly heavy? That or gravity is working triple on him. Afton smirks at Hardin''s exertion and just shrugs at him, beginning to walk into the bunker, all the while smirking at Hardin''s indignant growl. Chapter 412 - The Steel Waste... Afton walks through the old Brotherhood bunker halls with a look of fond reminiscence. Of course, there were a few changes here and there. The scorch marks on the walls denoting recent Energy Weapon impacts, the pile of green goo and ashes at the bottom of the entrance staircase which is likely the remains of the enemy, and the increased number of active sentry turrets showing the substantially increased defences. He wondered what else may have changed as he looks upon the place. During his stay in the bunker, everything had been somewhat stagnant, people barely left the place, and rarely did anyone ever participate in actual combat.?? This was mainly due to Elder McNamara''s fears of being discovered by their enemy... But, now that the Legion had shown they know of its location, he wondered what his next course of action would be... Would they perhaps move to a new location? Or maybe they would finally make themselves known in the Mojave... Afton hoped they would, as his relationship with the NCR was basically over. He had no doubts that his links with the Brotherhood of Steel were being broadcast across every form of communication the Legion had available. The only places he''d likely be welcomed would be here, Novac, Primm, and perhaps the New Vegas Strip, should House support him as Tamia''s ''subordinate''. He smiles at the few Paladins, Knights, and Initiates who''re watching him with mild fascination as he walks past. Most knew him but had likely thought he was dead. Now seeing him being escorting by Hardin directly after the recent battle already had numerous rumours spreading. "So, Hardin, still trying to get the lockdown ended?" he asks as they walk. The Paladin doesn''t say anything, simply continuing to usher him forward. Afton continues, "Because with this attack, McNamara will have to do something drastic. His reasons for staying hidden are now null and void. I''m honestly looking forward to seeing what he decides." he says jovially. "Mmhm." Hardin grunts in some twisted form of acknowledgement. Soon enough, they reach the room where the Elder resides, McNamara was already looking at the door as Afton walks through it, the man giving a small glad, yet sad, smile. Around the entirety of the room were Paladins and Knights with their weapons ready. Afton was pushed to stand before the Elder as the rest of his group was ushered to teh side of the room, it wasn''t hard to notice the variety of angry looks sent towards Anja, but he ignored it for now. He would act upon their bigotry until he was forced to... Hopefully, he''d be able to explain his actions before that happened though. Elder McNamara looks over at the group and smiles at Veronica who in return gives him a pointed look, as if she were saying ''You better be fair about this, or else...''. He''d always had a soft spot for her, and Afton knew he regretted what''d happened with Christine, even if he hadn''t lifted a finger to help. Hardin steps forwards to address Elder McNamara, "Greetings Elder, I come before you with the traitor that escaped. I hope you will give a fair and concise trial to ease the worries of the people." he states. McNamara just nods and waves his hand at Hardin, "Well, first, before we begin this ''trial''... I would like to know Knight Parker''s progress on the mission I sent him on." he says, the glint in his eye showing that he was on Afton''s side on this. Afton grins back, "I completed it, Elder. But, my bag was taken so I won''t be able to present it to you." he says, sending a cocky look at Hardin who growls in response and drops his bag on the floor in front of him. Afton rifles through it and pulls out the various tech that''d be needed to repair the ventilation system, giving them to a nearby Paladin so he could inspect them for traps before laying them on McNamara''s desk. The Elder examines it for a couple minutes before giving an almost radiant smile, "You have done well, Knight Parker. You may have single-handedly saved all our lives, though, the circumstances have me rethinking my initial stance on this location." he says, and Afton nods. Fixing the ventilation system didn''t make much sense now that everyone knew where the Bunker was. How long would it be until the NCR dumped some more toxic waste into it and killed the rest of their group off. "Elder, I cannot accept this! I do not believe you sent this man on a mission. I have investigated this multiple times and found no records stating you gave any such order! And, even if you did, why did he steal valuable technology before leaving!?" he states, pointing at the Pipboy on Afton''s wrist. McNamara looks conflicted for a moment before he speaks, "I order¨¦d Knight Parker to take it as it would assist him in finding the materials I required. The Pipboy comes with a formidable mapping system, cataloguing system, as well as many other features. It is likely this device that allowed him to accomplish his goal where many other people before him had failed." "What do you mean? There are no records of people being sent out on this supposed ''mission''. This is a complete breach of your authority, Elder! I refuse to allow this... Waste, to avoid punishment for his action!" (AN : Steel Waste :D) McNamara shakes his head and looks to the projected screen showing a map on the wall, he taps the terminal a couple times and shows classified mission logs detailing the three scout teams that''d be sent out to find the components needed to fix the bunker... All are reported to be missing in action. This causes a good amount of murmuring from those watching this, the Paladins and Knights around the room had no idea people were sent out, and were completely unaware of how close their Chapter was to extinction... Being forced out of the bunker without proper preparation could lead to another ambush by their enemies. Hardin looks as if he''s about to blow his top at this, "Elder! You had no right! The Codex states that you cannot order those who are not directly under your command! This a complete breach of power, and is a punishable offence!" he pauses and looks around the room, "For disregarding our long-held rules and traditions given to us by the Codex, I raise the motion to strip McNamara of his position as Elder!" he exclaims, causing silence to overtake the room. Chapter 413 - Elder Trial Hardin''s accusation quickly causes chaos to erupt in the room. There had been a rumour that Hardin was vying for the Elder''s position, but none thought he''d be so blunt about achieving it. The rule McNamara had broken was a relatively unknown and vague one called ''The Chain That Binds''. Essentially, people under your command cannot be ordered to do something by someone else, regardless if their position is higher than yours. In order for them to use your men, they would have to order you to use them instead. Truthfully, Afton had thought that no one bothered to adhere to that rule as he''d seen higher officers break it before...?? Unfortunately, since McNamara had revealed that he''d broken it, there was just cause for Hardin to try and oust him as Elder... This wouldn''t be good for anyone, Afton and his group especially due to Hardin''s apparent hostility to them. The members of the Brotherhood quickly break into a discussion on the validity of Hardin''s accusation, as some were of similar minds to Afton on the matter. McNamara decides to bring back some semblance of order to this shit-show of a trial... It''d changed from Afton being under the axe to McNamara... Only with the executioner''s axe having Afton''s name on it. "Silence!" McNamara calls, his voice somehow breaking through the muttering discussions and forcing them all to stop. He looks to Hardin, "Head Paladin, please air your grievances and accusations, afterwards, I will explain my actions and a vote will be held to decide the fate of our Chapter." he states. Hardin nods and glances around the room at the various allies he''d gathered during his time preparing for this, people were fed up with living in isolation underground, so it wasn''t hard to bring them to his side... Though, McNamara''s earlier words would sway a few. "Brothers, sisters, we all adhere to the Codex as it has not ever led us astray, even in these dire times. All of us are aware of its utility, but for it and our Chapter to work as it should, strict adherence is required! We cannot go flouting our rules and traditions simply because it may be convenient in the moment, this is especially important for one such as the Elder, who should be a beacon of what we should all strive to be... Elder McNamara has broken this delicate balance, altered the Chains That Binds and altered the order of command. A rule which was designed to stop tyranny and corruption from occurring, to prevent Elders from overstepping their bounds and causing needless death. My men, three squads had gone missing with no logs or records of where they might''ve gone. They were all good, honest men with families, yet, due to Elder McNamara overstepping his authority and commanding them without my knowledge, they are all missing or dead. Hardin pauses while examining the room for reactions to his words... He was difficult to tell under their helmets, but the uncomfortable shifting of their bodies made it clear he was rather convincing. "Additionally, Elder McNamara''s choice to keep us all hidden underground like rats, in my opinion, is slowly causing our extinction! It is clear our enemies already know of our location, but the choice is what we should do about it... Should we stay here, hiding like rats until they send a big enough force to squash us? Or should we stand up with our heads held high, and fight for our freedom, our pride, our fate!" he almost shouts the last part, afterwards nodding and stepping back slightly to show he was giving the floor to McNamara. The reception to Hardin''s words were... Semi-positive. Most liked McNamara and considered him a good leader. He was the only reason they''d managed to survive Helios One after the last Elder abandoned them after all. Over at the side of the room, Afton''s group were all looking incredibly confused. They''d only come to try and save Veronic and Afton''s families from the Legion, but now they''d been caught in some kind of power struggle... Boone looked annoyed, Anja looked fearful, Josie was curious, Tamia looked bored, Karl looked contemplative, and Veronica was keenly focused on the discussion itself. Elder McNamara nods at Hardin and stands from his seat to address everyone. "I will not lie to you all, I did break the Chain That Binds us." he states, causing a few of Hardin''s supporters to glare daggers at him, "But, there was a good reason for it. Most of you hadn''t known until now that the ventilation systems of the Bunker were slowly degrading, this was causing the air quality to slowly drop. Of course, this would need cause any noticeable effect until a couple more years, but the fact that we were eventually going to suffocate down here was unavoidable." he says, causing most of the people here to look at one another in semi-fearful apprehension. McNamara continues, "Look at your reactions to this news. Even now after we have recovered the parts necessary to fix it, you are all still fearful. Imagine that twice that fear amongst the entire Bunker... I have no doubt that there''d be a mass exodus of people leaving the Chapter, we would cease to function properly under it, which is why I did what I had to... I gathered three squads known for their abilities, and sent them off to discover the ventilation parts required, as I''d thought Knight Parker had perished after not hearing a word from him. I did this without notifying anyone else to keep information about the ventilation quiet. In the Codex, there are numerous rules pertaining to situations like this, ones where the Elder must act against previous mandates for the Chapter. I hold no shame in what I did, even if it is now somewhat unnecessary due to recent events." he states, focussing on Head Paladin Hardin. Chapter 414 - Trial By Steel McNamara continues after allowing the crowd to process his words. "Now, how the subject the Head Paladin so gracefully brought to our attention... Our position underground in the bunker..." he says almost mocking Hardin. "As I said before we moved into this place, it was necessary to keep our enemies unaware as we regained our strength. Unfortunately, it appears we''ve been deluding ourselves with the notion that we were still hidden. With the recent attack, it is obvious we cannot remain here, regardless of the outcome of this trial, we will surface again and take our rightful place in the Mojave, as protectors of the people, and guardians against misbegotten and dangerous technology." he states, removing that angle of Hardin''s argument entirely.?? All the man had left to oust McNamara out of his position was the Chain That Binds, yet, the Codex did indeed grant special protections depending on the circumstances. And, unfortunately, the potential destruction of the Chapter just so happened to be one of them. Elder McNamara looks around at everyone, "You have heard us, but it is for you all to decide, as trusted members of this community and Chapter, you all will have the choice on what occurs now." he pauses, "Those for my removal as Elder?" A great many of the crowd hold their fists out and give a thumbs up, meaning they were for the motion. The split wasn''t great, maybe 60/40, but it was still enough to be obvious at who''d one their favour. Elder McNamara slowly nods, "And those for Head Paladin''s ascension to Elder?" Again, people hold their fists out to vote, but it is much closer this time, forcing someone to count each individual to come up with a number... The eventual verdict is 53% for Hardin, and 47% against. McNamara nods, not showing any inkling of disappointment or anything else to indicate his mood, "You have all spoken, I will return to my rank as Paladin, while Edgar Hardin takes up the position of Elder. It will be in your purview to select a Head Paladin, Elder. I would recommend you do so quickly, as time is of the essence." McNamara states as he steps down from the raised dais where the desk was located. Hardin replaces McNamara and stands behind the desk in his Power armour, smirking at everyone with a smug look on his face. "My first action as Elder will be to decide the fates of the traitor and his companions." he states, causing McNamara to stop and glare over his shoulder at Hardin. Afton could only watch the events with a grim look, "Shit." he thinks to himself, wondering what Hardin would do to them... He didn''t want to do anything drastic, these people were family after all, but if he was forced to he''d beat and kill his way out to freedom... He glances over at his group who were already sending nervous looks at him... Hardin was already listing out their various crimes however... "Knight Parker, for the theft of dangerous technology and abandoning the Chapter without going through proper protocol, your punishment will be imprisonment for five years, that should set you straight... All in favour?" Hardin calls out, already pointing his thumb to the floor... "Hardly partial, are you..." Afton grumbles as he watches people around the room decide. Unfortunately for Hardin, it appears that Afton''s action of providing the Ventilation components were enough to prove his innocence... Why would he return with them if he was a traitor after all, especially after he''d killed the invading enemies? Upon seeing this Hardin''s face looks like a puckered asshole, Afton almost breaks into chuckles at the thought but manages to hold back. Still, he angry glare caused a few in the room to stand up straight. Seems like some of his supports hadn''t voted the way he wanted. Hardin shakes his head and continues, "Knight Parker, you are exonerated of your crimes and are not stripped of your rank." he says before looking at the rest of his group, "However, these outsiders are something else entirely. I accuse you all of committing trespassing, attempted infiltration and sabotage for our enemies, what say you?" Boone just shakes his head, "Bullshit." Afton''s eyes widen at his words, he looks to Karl and gestures downwards with his hands, wanting the man to quell the situation... Unfortunately, such a gesture in the Rangers apparently meant something different entirely. Karl nods sagely at Afton before turning his attention to Hardin. "I''ve been listenin'' to you lot so far, and I''ve been wonderin'', why''s this guy have such a large stick up his ass? You one o'' those Be-de-ess-em folks? Cuz I''m not interested if you are..." The room shifts uncomfortably at his insulting words, and the only thing audible is the slap caused when Afton facepalms himself. "Karl you fuckin'' idiot!" he mentally screams, you don''t just insult a newly made Elder and expect shit to go well... Hardin is likely to try and use a show of force to cement his position. The look on Hardin''s face says it all... The man looks as if he''s about to blow a gasket. The Brotherhood was very strict, prim, and polite... Hardin likely hadn''t been directly insulted to his face like that for many, many years... Thus, his skin was so thin it was almost see-through... "How dare you, Outsider! Who gives you the right to speak to me like that? I should have you all stripped naked and lashed right now!" he exclaims. Veronica steps in front of the group with her arms crossed, "You can''t do that, Elder." she states. "And why do you say that? Scribe Santangelo?" Hardin asks, his brow visibly twitcher in anger. "Because none of them are members of the Brotherhood, and thus can''t be expected to follow the Codex. To do so would be an act of tyrants. Remember Arthur Maxon''s words; Shield yourself from those not bound to you by steel, for they are the blind. Aid them when you can, but lose not sight of yourself. Aid them, but do not lose sight of yourself." she emphasizes. Chapter 415 - Deferred Resistance. Hardin scowls at Veronica, as much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. The Codex clearly stated that their role was as protectors, not rulers. Still, he couldn''t just let these outsiders stroll around HIS Chapter as if they belonged here! "You may quote all the passages of the Codex as you like, but misconstruing them to suit your needs is the height of heresy! Mind your words now, Scribe Santangelo." he growls out.?? Veronica shakes her head, "I refuse! You were never like this in the past Hardin, and I don''t know what''s caused it, but this isn''t the right way... If we are going to reveal ourselves to the surface, why start by punishing, and imprisoning VIP''s?" "VIP?" Hardin asks, confused... He glances over at the outsiders but couldn''t see anyone that''d fit the bill. Veronica nods and gestures at them, "The entire group are well known in the Mojave as Mercenaries, and-" she points at Tamia, "She reports directly to Mr House, the first one to do so in centuries! Do you really want to make enemies with him?" she asks. ... "I was unaware of that. Very well... Outsiders, you are free to leave." he says, but as Anja attempts to follow the group he speaks up again, "Not you, Abomination. The other''s may be innocent, but mutants don''t need, nor deserve our mercy. You should be punished for even daring to step foot in our Chapter! You will be taken outside and shot, where your filthy blood won''t dirty the floor." he states, waving at the Knights as they go to drag her away. "Hold up!" Afton exclaims, walking up and grabbing one of the Knight''s elbows to stop them, "You'''' have to go through me if you want to hurt her, I promised her safety, and I intended to keep it." he states. Hardin shakes his head, "Knight Parker, you will stop interfering in their duties and head down to the barracks. I may not be able to punish you for McNamara''s crimes, but I can keep you busy for years to come..." Afton growls at him, in the past he''d been pretty friendly with Hardin, but apparently he''s become a massive cunt since he was gone. Honestly, he was shocked McNamara had vouched for him, but that''d saved his rank as Knight, something he really didn''t want... As he was still technically a member of the Chapter, he''d be forced to obey Hardin''s orders. And he had no doubt the man would stop him from venturing into the Mojave alone again. Honestly, what options did he even have anymore? The NCR would soon be against him, the Legion was already against him, and if he didn''t allow the Brotherhood to shoot Anja, they''d be against him as well... But, could he really allow them to execute his companion? Someone who he''d fought beside, someone who''d risked her life for him on many occasions? The answer was no. No, he could not allow them to do that. Afton spits on the floor and glares up at Hardin, "You can take my rank as Knight and shove up your ass you piece of shit! You will not harm her!" he shouts, causing the few that knew him in the room to gape at him. Hardin glowers for a moment before his face morphs into a smirk, "Oh? Is that an official statement of your abandonment of the Brotherhood?" Afton nods, "You can word it how you like, but I can''t abandon people who''d shoot my friends on a whim. If you are willing to do that, then you are no brother''s of mine." he states. "Then it will be so, Knight Parker, as Elder I strip you of your rank and any affiliation with the Brotherhood of Steel. You are to be exiled and never return, may Maxon have mercy on your soul." he says, before turning to the two knights holding Anja, "Continue your duties." he says, as if Afton''s words meant nothing. Afton, finally losing his temper, pulls the Knight away from Anja, almost causing them to topple over in the process. He then pulls the ghoul behind him and puts his fists up, ready to beat the shit out of any that approaches... Unfortunately, guns beat fists... Everyone nearby raises their weapons at Afton, ready to fire. He probably wouldn''t die if he got into a fight with them, but Anja would. Gauss Rifles are incredibly powerful, even if they hit the floor next to him, the force of it would be enough to blow the leg off of a regular person. He might do better, but it was still a 50/50 whether or not he''d live through fighting everyone. "You''re a coward Hardin, hiding behind your guards while deciding who lives and who dies. You have only just become Elder and the power has bloated your fat head!" Hardin shrugs, "And what would you have me do, Parker? We do not spare mutants, the Codex is clear on that. Would you rather have a Trial by Combat?" he asks with a raised brow. Afton upon hearing this quickly nods, he''d almost forgotten about that... It was one of those lost and vague passages in the Codex, intended to only be used when a dispute could not be solved peacefully. Usually it was only supposed to be between Brotherhood members, but since Afton left he wouldn''t be able to challenge Hardin... Though, it didn''t matter since Hardin was the one who''d challenged him. "I accept." Hardin grins at him, "We will fight in the training room then. You may confer with your allies and the Abomination." he states, leaving the room to presumably prepare for the trial. Chapter 416 - Armoured Up The group is lead to a room near the training room and given some privacy once they were all double-checked for weapons. Obviously, all of his companions were pretty sure Afton was going to trash Hardin, but strangely, the only person who looked worried was Veronica... "Something up?" he asks while sipping some purified water from a bottle.?? Veronica slowly nods, "You do understand what you agreed to right?" ... "Yeah?" he says with some amount of confusion. Veronica shakes her head, "Then you''ll know you are almost guaranteed to lose, right?" ... "No?" She sighs and looks at the rest of the room, "The Trial by Combat is designed for two members of the Brotherhood. No weapons are allowed, by armour definitely is... You get where I''m going with this?" A few in the room pale at the implications, Afton was sure if Anja looked like a regular person she''d be ashen too. "So, the kid''s gotta fight Hardin in Power armour?" Karl asks and Veronica nods. "Both combatants would wear armour, to protect themselves from any permanent injury, and to display they prowess while wearing it. Since Afton left the Brotherhood, he has no armour to wear, I doubt Hardin will be willing to play fair, so he''ll have to beat a man in full Power armour in a fistfight..." she says grimly. Afton himself isn''t all that worried... Even if Hardin had ten strength which was boosted by Power armour, making it eleven, Afton would still be stronger. The only issue that he could see would be actually striking him, he wasn''t sure how many times he could punch armour like that without injury, or even if he''d get injured... His [A Pool of Dead] Perk would quickly heal any wounds he''d sustain, and [Tremble before me!] would basically void any protection Hardin would have... He was confident in his victory, the only problem would be making sure Hardin wasn''t smashed into a bloody smear during their fight... Afton imagined if he went all out the man would be turned into bloody jello inside his own armour. He shrugs at their worried looks, "It''s fine, I''d take Nyx over Power armour any day." "I''d take you too, user." the AI chirps, causing a few in the group to lighten up. Afton had done many ridiculous, almost supernatural things in the past, if he said he could do something, he usually wasn''t lying. "Are you sure you can do this, sir?" Anja asks from the side, having not spoken at all since arriving here. He could see it in her eyes, she wasn''t worried about herself, but for Afton... He wasn''t sure whether to be happy at her loyalty or angry at her lack of self-preservation. Regardless on these thoughts, he nods, "Yeah, trust me, I''ll beat the shit out of him... The only problem is what happens afterwards... Say we get out of here in one piece, what then? The Legion are likely already broadcasting my affiliation with the Brotherhood as we speak, the NCR''ll be our enemies, and so will the Brotherhood depending on how they react to me beating Hardin, as well as the technology we have to our disposal... They''d probably execute us if they realised what the Proton axes were, and that''s not even the tip of the iceberg..." Veronica sighs, "I''m not sure..." she admits. Tamia just shrugs, "Don''t worry about it, I''ll have House vouch for you, the NCR won''t do anything after that." Karl just shakes his head, "That''s only on the strip. Minute they have the chance, they''ll do what they tried a couple months ago... I doubt they''ve forgotten the peculiarities they found in your body, kid. Plus, the Republic doesn''t like other''s having power." Josie bites her lip, "I''m not sure I want to fight against the NCR... Despite it all, I still love my country." she says, and Boone nods in agreement. "Look, we won''t be hostile to them unless they attack us first. I don''t want to make them our enemies, but if they force my hand there''s nothing I can do." he states, Boone looks like he''s about to speak up by the door to the room swings open, revealing a Knight in Power armour. "The trial is set... Parker, Hardin may dislike me saying this but, you can always surrender... I know you aren''t weak, but you could really get hurt here..." Afton raises a brow, "I don''t know who you are, but trust me, I''ve got this handled." he says with crossed arms. The Knight sighs and raised their helm, revealing Miles Stanton, one of his old buddies underneath it. "You know what you''re up against, right Afton?" Afton smirks, "Don''t you worry your pretty head Miles, Power armour or no, I''m gonna crack that Egghead and make a Paladin omelette." Stanton just shakes his head and puts his helm back on. "Whatever you say, if you survive this you owe Melissa an explanation, she''ll probably beat you harder than Hardin." he states before leading the group to the training room. It was just how Afton remember, only that this time the entire Chapter seemed to be here... Apparently, Hardin wanted to make a display as his first act as Elder... Unfortunately for him, it''d likely be recorded in the scrolls as the first time an unarmed and unarmoured man beats an Elder in Powearmour. Hardin was already standing in the middle of the room in full Power armour, his arms crossed as he looked at the group entering. "You''re here. No point waiting any longer for this." he states before addressing the crowd, "This trial by combat is to decide the fate of Afton Parker''s pet mutant. Should I win, it will be taken outside and exterminated. If I lose, it will be free to go. The rules are as follows... No weapons. No gadgets. We will fight until one cannot stand any longer, as tradition states, armour is allowed. Head Scribe Taggart will be responsible for adjudicating, do you have any question, Parker?" Afton shakes his head and steps forwards, "None. Just make sure you stay true to your words." he states. Chapter 417 - Bully The arena where Afton and Hardin were supposed to be fighting wasn''t how he''d expected... He''d thought he''d be thrust into some kind of Mortal Combat arena, but instead, he''s just in the center of a room surrounded by people. The trial begins as soon as Afton steps forwards, he and his opponent beginning to circle one another. He could hear people talking about the unfairness of it, forcing him to fight without armour.?? Indeed, it would be unfair if Afton didn''t already have advantages... Still, this brought up a couple questions... His brow rises into his hairline when he puts two and two together. "Hardin, you knew I would be at a disadvantage once I officially resigned from the Brotherhood, which is why you challenged me..." he says, loud enough for most of the room to hear. Afton was sure Hardin''s face would''ve been set as a scowl, but he couldn''t see it through his helmet. "You may think what you want, traitor, but there is only one place the likes of that abomination should exist. Since you wish to ally yourself with it, maybe you should join it!" he shouts, running at Afton to attack. Of course, Afton didn''t even have to rely on his Danger Sense to know this was coming. He easily dodges Hardin''s charge and ducks under the reflexive backhand after he misses. As he''s crouched, he drives a fairly strong uppercut into Hardin''s armoured ribs, causing a large metallic *Ding!* to ring out around the room. "Heargh!" Hardin groans as he stumbles backwards from the unexpectedly painful strike. He glares at Afton and quickly looks down at his armour to check if it''d been pierced or breached in any way... The metal was undented... But why then did it feel like he''d taken the full brunt of the hit? "What is this? What did you do?" he angrily asks, suddenly feeling like the winner of this fight was undecided. Afton shrugs with a grin on his face, beginning to hop on the balls of his feet while throwing out a few jabs, "I''m the second coming of Bruce Lee, bitch." he states as he drops into a flagrant-looking stance. "I don''t know who this ''Bruce Lee'' is, but after I beat you I''ll take the technology he holds!" he growls out as he approaches Afton again, this time more cautiously. Tamia looks at Veronica with some confusion, "Who''s Bruce Lee?" Veronica just shrugs and continues watching the fight, "I don''t know... I think Afton said the name once when we were training, but I never asked." Hardin steps forth and tries to kick at Afton''s hip in an attempt to deal some damage, but Afton just raises his foot and blocks the strike with his heel. "You''re too slow old man, you sure you''re fit to be Elder? Well, I guess Elder would be the correct name for someone of your age." he taunts. Hardin responds to this as you''d expect... But giving a roar and attempting to throw a haymaker at Afton. Honestly, if it were any other man Hardin would have crushed their skull and splattered their brains across the room. But, since this was Afton, he simply dashes in close and uses Hardin''s momentum to throw him on his back. The Elder lands with a large *Crash!*, but he quickly gets up, his armour leaving him unharmed from the throw. "This the best you got? My Ghoul friend fight better than you do!" Afton taunts again, easily dodging the flurry of back-breaking punches Hardin begins throwing. Both of their fists even meet at one point, but it''s Hardin who comes loses that clash, even despite his armoured. Afton''s knuckles are slightly bloody, but they quickly heal up... Hardin on the other hand broke two fingers in that encounter, and it took all his focus not to scream out as it occurred. His pride wouldn''t allow him to show weakness in front of HIS new Chapter. "Alright Hardin, I''m done playing around, I''ll give you this chance to surrender or you aren''t gonna like what comes next." Afton offers with a smug look. "Just shut up and fight!" Hardin roars, but it''s Afton that attacks this time. He dashes forwards at speeds impossible to reach for most of the Chapter, leaping in the air and delivering a kick to Hardin''s head. The attack almost knocks the man out cold, but he manages to throw himself backwards to alleviate the force somewhat... Still, he was rocked and had difficulties standing. Afton wasn''t finished however, he dashes forwards gain as Hardin tries to defend with his arms, but Afton just drops low and strikes Hardin in the liver a couple times, bringing the man to his knee''s and allowing Afton to knee his helmeted face. *Bang!* *Crash!* Hardin crashes to the floor on his back, wheezing and trying not to vomit from the world spinning before his eyes. He hears a muffled voice from somewhere but can''t make it out... It''s only after a couple times hearing it that he translates what it''s saying... "Do you surrender?" "N-NO!" he quickly shouts, forcing himself back to his feet, even while his legs wobble beneath him... Even with the Power armour assisting him, he wasn''t in any condition to keep moving. Afton just shakes his head "Alright then, I guess..." he says as he jumps in the air and brings his heel down on Hardin''s knee, not holding anything back... The results of course, are obvious... *CRAACK!* "AAARRRGGHHHH!" Hardin screams out in pain as his leg bends inwards from the strike, his knee shattering entirely as the metal from his Power armour bends and breaks into shards that imbed itself into his leg. He''d honestly had been better off not wearing the Power armour in this instance, as all it was doing now was rending the flesh from his leg. Afton looks down at his opponent with a blank face, even as medics pick the man up and carry him away to the med bay... The room was completely silent, no one daring to make a sound after the beatdown they just witnessed... Chapter 418 - Purged As Afton stands cross-armed in the middle of the room a notification pops up in his peripheral vision... [Return to Bunker to install ventilation systems complete?]?? [Optional quest complete : Defeat the Brotherhood of Steel Elder] [Title gained! : Steel Waste] [Steel Waste] : They say it is best to be feared than loved if you cannot be both... Well, after your brutal actions against a member of the Brotherhood fear comes naturally... +50% more notoriety gain, +50% at intimidating members of the Brotherhood of Steel. [Brotherhood of Steel Rep : Unpredictable] [New quest : Install ventilation system.] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 49!] Huh, honestly didn''t expect to level up right now... He shrugs to himself and puts all the points into Lockpick. Unfortunately, he doesn''t receive a new Perk due to this level being an odd number... Regardless, once time resumes he looks down at his Pipboy and checks his status for the first time in a while. Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend], [Goliath], [Steel Waste] Level : 49 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 11 Perception : 10 Endurance : 10 Charisma : 5 Intelligence : 7 Agility : 10 Luck : 5 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 100 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 64 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 100 Unarmed : 100 Mutations : [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities. [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Your right arm has regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards the arm and +20% resistance against being crippled. Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v3], [Fight the Power!], [Tremble before me!], [Meltdown], [Explooo-sion!], [Lady Killer], [Big Brained], [Reinforced Spine], [Implant M-5], [Implant C-13], [Impant Y-7], [Cure for the Curious], [Perception Implant], [Endurance Implant], [Danger Sense], [A Pool of Dead], [Charisma Implant], [Intelligence Implant], [Luck Implant], [The Cyber Punk] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] [Persistent Escapee] [Still Jammn''] [Enhanced Sensors] [Protagonist] [A Penchant for Fisting] Afton honestly wasn''t sure what to make out of his new title... He didn''t really want to be feared by his family but, he supposed this was the consequence of his actions. Speaking of the quest to reinstall the ventilation systems, he doubted he was going to do it. For one, he wasn''t even in the Brotherhood anymore, not to mention the fact that the Brotherhood is likely going to surface relatively soon, meaning they wouldn''t need it in the first place... Plus, he doubted whatever EXP gain he''d get would be worth the trouble. He looks around the room at the quiet crowd and smirks at them while giving a thumbs up, "Looks like I, as well as my friends are free to go. A pleasure doing business with you all!" he says before walking towards his group. Slowly, people start shuffling out of the room to go back to their respective duties. He could spot a teacher trying to corral his students back into a classroom while a few of the soldiers still sent glares at Afton and his group. "Afton! You did it!" Veronica happily calls out as his approaches, the rest of his group sending him respectful yet surprised looks. "Yeah, I didn''t think you had it in you..." Josie mutters, walking up and squeezing his bicep, "I mean, I thought you were strong but, not that strong... Why don''t you have arms like Grognak the Barbarian if you can fight like that?" Afton just shrugs, "Because my name isn''t Arnold?" ... "Who''s Arnold?" Veronica asks, but is cut off by Tamia. "No, who''s Bruce Lee?" "Err... It''s another name for... Jesus... Yeah, Jesus." he quickly bullshits, preferring not to mention that he''s a Chinese martial artist... That certainly wouldn''t go down well, especially after they helped nuke the world into... this. "Afton." someone calls out, when he turns he spots that it''s Miles again, though, this time not wearing his power armour. At his side was a familiar face, Melissa. "Hey guy-" he''s interrupted as he catches the slap headed for his face... Apparently, Melissa didn''t appreciate his disappearing act. "If you wanted to give me a hand, you could have at least clapped after I beat Hardin." he jokes. "You left without saying a word! Now let me slap you for payback!" she shouts, attempting to slap him again. Giving a sigh, he allows her to slap him a couple times... His Endurance and other Perks made the hard strikes feel like nothing, but he supposed if he were a regular human he''d be left bruised all over. "You done?" he asks after the twentieth or so slaps. She gives him a glare before pouting, "Yeah, I guess." she pauses and frowns again, "You left the Brotherhood! Permenantly! Why!?" Afton shrugs, "I didn''t really have much of a choice, they wanted to execute a friend of mine. I wasn''t going to stand for that... Though, I doubt Hardin is going to stand anymore either." he chuckles. "Did you have to hurt him that badly? I mean, it''s only a Ghoul." Melissa says, clearly displaying how indoctrinated the Brotherhood had made her. Afton fights to keep the scowl off of his face as he shakes his head, "Despite what you''ve heard, not all ghouls are feral monsters. Anja is quite nice when you get to know her. You wouldn''t execute a child with a deformity, so why treat a Ghoul the same?" Mellisa looks away, "Deformities are also classified as mutations. You should know that Afton." ... "What?" he asks, having not heard anything about this before. Miles shuffles uncomfortably at the side, "You don''t know? Children with deformities are... Purged. To prevent it from becoming commonplace, genetic diversity in the Bunker was harder and harder to maintain, so it was necessary." he says, but Afton notices he isn''t as nonplussed by it as Melissa is. Chapter 419 - Unwanted Advances The revelation about what the Brotherhood did to children was a scary one... How had he not noticed sooner? It should have been obvious now that he was thinking about it, not ever seeing someone with a birth defect shoulda clued him in... Miles and Melissa lead Afton to a private room where he tells them about his travels... Though, he wasn''t all that committed to the conversation right now. Not to mention the rest of the group aside from Veronica looked like they wanted to leave. Probably not wishing to see what Hardin''s reaction would be once he wakes up.?? Fortunately for them, Afton didn''t intend to stay long, instead he just wanted to catch up with those he was close with. Apparently, Miles and Mellisa were dating now, yeah Afton say that one coming... Melissa wore the trousers in the relationship while Miles just nods and smiles like an obedient ''boyfriend''. That was another reason Afton had no wish to chase Melissa, aside from her generally annoying personality, trying to mould her into something appreciatable would be too much trouble in the long run. Regardless, catching up with the duo was more look going through a soldier''s file... Other than training and getting together, literally nothing of interest had happened... Another reason Afton left. The only real thing of interest was the fact Miles had to beat the shit out of Lars Taggart for trying to molest Mellisa while she was apprenticing under him, man, Afton would''ve loved to see that. Soon enough they were visited by some familiar faces who wanted to see him before he left again. Knight Torres enters the room and grins at him, "I know you''d be fine... I am wondering where that Gauss rifle I lent you was though..." Afton gives a sheepish chuckle and scratches the back of his head, "Er, well... As soon as I left I ran into a Deathclaw and had to throw the thing at it..." ... Torres just sighs, "Only you Afton. Next who comes to visit is a certain elderly woman who practically raised Afton... Adah Lindgren. She slowly walks inside and smiles at him, "It''s good to see that you''re still alive, Afton... You''re parents would never forgive me if you''d gotten yourself killed prematurely." He gives the woman a light hug, memories of his antics as a child springing to mind as he does so, "Yeah? Well, I''m surprised you''re still alive, you must be, what, one-hundred-years old now?" he jokes and receives a light slap on his shoulder. "What happened to respecting your Elders?" she jovially asks. Afton shrugs, "That died when I started getting punished for asking women''s ages. You can''t be eternally young and an Elder at the same time, you gotta choose one... Like Karl over there." Afton thumbs at him, "He''s older than dirt, uh, never mind... He acts like an elderly woman when you ask about his age anyway..." "I will shoot you brat." Karl comments from the side with arms crossed, but the grin on his face shows he isn''t taking things seriously in the least. After some more small talk, the last, unexpected visitors arrive... Both Afton and Veronica scowl as they enter, and both are weighing whether or not shooting them would be acceptable... Christine''s parents, Darian Royce and Susan Royce. "What''re you doing here?" Afton almost spits, drawing curious gazes from the rest of the room. "We just wanted to see you before you left again..." Susan mutters "Why? You do know that I despise you right? I thought the feeling would be mutual." he states, and the duo looks down at their feet guiltily. "Af-Parker... While you were outside, did you find Christine? That''s why you left isn''t it?" Darian asks while tentatively holding his wife''s shoulder. Afton scoffs, "Even if I did find her, why would I tell you? Bigoted ass holes like you don''t deserve to know about her, let alone be involved in her life." "I doubt she''d even want to speak to them, especially with how they acted when she left." Veronica adds, causing Susan''s eyes to water, as if she were about to break down int otears. Afton shakes his head at them, "You made your choice when you alienated your daughter, it isn''t my role to bring her back kicking and screaming. You want to see her? Find her yourself and prove your determination, otherwise, fuck off." he states, pointing towards the door. Susan bursts into tears at this points and Darian glares at Afton as he pulls her away, out of the room and hopefully, out of Afton, Veronica, and Christine''s life forever. "Pieces of shit." Afton mutters. The group continue making small talk, Afton doesn''t explain any of his plans for the future for fear of the Brotherhood finding out, but he does let the group know he''d probably be setting up in Novac for a long while if they ever wanted to contact him. He did try to get Torres to sell him some weapons and armour, but as he''d left the Brotherhood he was restricted from their armoury... Though, that didn''t preclude Veronica... As a result, they purchased a few Thermic Lances, Gatling Lasers, Plasma Rifles, and Gauss Rifles. They tried to buy some extra Power armour, but that was restricted to even Veronica for one reason or another... Pressing Torres on it, apparently, the Chapter was actually running out of armour to use... The losses at Helios One and the lost scouts had made Power armour a rare resource to keep protected. With everything said and done, the group exited the Brotherhood of Steel, carrying their ''spoils or war'' after collecting their weaponry from the guards. They stash all of it in Dirt-Hod with Afton and Veronica giving some parting words to their friends in the Chapter... With that, they drive off, but not before looting the Legionary corpses for loot... First come first serve when it comes to looting after all. Chapter 420 - New Age Projects It''s been a couple weeks since they''d left the Brotherhood, and the events following were exactly as Afton had expected... Once Vulpes Inculta was aware of Afton''s loyalties and his inability to control the merc, he used every form of communication available to him to air all the dirty laundry he''d found. Afton''s affiliation with the Brotherhood and the Legion, his assassination targets, even his status as a mutant was all aired. Afton heard it all over his NCR radio, each post confirming the news as well as their new orders to capture Afton or shoot him on sight if that was not possible.?? Shit, even Mr New Vegas himself had spoken on the subject, though, he was surprisingly on Afton''s side in the whole debacle... Had he met Mr New Vegas before or something? He shakes his head, no, he would''ve known. Afton was a huge fan of the radio broadcaster, after all, that shit was gold. Once they got back to Novac Afton had started fortifying the town almost immediately. He was pretty paranoid that the Legion, NCR, or both at the same time would attempt to apprehend him. Novac was basically the only safe zone now, aside from Big Mt and the New Vegas Strip. Fortunately, whether it was because of the distance between the two factions or Afton''s already significant ability, neither had deemed him important enough to attack yet. This allowed his group and the town itself to prepare themselves, Afton had even been delivering food from Big Mt to Novac so they could focus on training instead of feeding themselves... As of right now, he had a pretty ''good'' militia at the ready should shit hit the fan. Of course, people were curious at the ''strange'' foods he brought, but he couldn''t exactly tell them that they were the original unmutated plants from before the war. If the other factions knew he had this and most likely other prewar materials, they''d invade Novac in a couple hours... He''d spent quite a bit of time back at Big Mt as well, getting updates by Glados on the various projects they had available while also delivering the various weaponry he''d acquired from the Brotherhood... He imagined the Thermic Lances were somewhat pointless, but the Gatling Lasers could be modified and attached to things should it be needed... he was also looking forward to the results on the latest project he''d posted on the big whiteboard in the Think Tank... He wanted the scientists to deconstruct the AER14 prototype laser rifle, and use what they find to upgrade the Gatling Lasers they had... The Prototype of course fires a green laser instead of the typical red, uses more ammunition per shot but does significantly more per laser. Big Mt was slowly gaining ways to create Microfusion cells more efficiently, so the ammo increase wouldn''t be all that bad. Plus, it was still a Prototype, meaning that there might be ways the scientists can reduce the ammo efficiency while keeping damage the same. Afton imagined that they''d be able to use whatever upgrades Elijah had made to the LAER, he''d gotten them to deconstruct it and get a properly functioning blueprint. It was a surprise to find that the LAER itself wasn''t actually a laser weapon, but instead used lasers to heat plasma which it shot out in a beam... It was interesting, but not helpful when upgrading their Gatling Lasers. Though, Afton could see a new age of Plasma Weaponry that weren''t annoying to aim and had incredibly slow projectiles but instead unleashed a beam burst... He imagined with enough pressure, even Plasma Weaponry could fire bullet-like projectiles... But that was another project entirely. Speaking on projects, there had been a few advancements on cloning technology and the scientists were already working on cloning dogs. Afton had seen the... ''Results'' of this, and he was pretty horrified by the failed experiments. One dog was literally inside out, its organs hung limply underneath it by whatever strands of flesh and arteries connected them, it gave horrifying-sounding pained howls, but Afton couldn''t blame the thing... He quickly shot it despite the protests of the scientists, he was a dog person at heart, and seeing one like that was distasteful, to say the least. That wasn''t to say cloning didn''t work, the scientists were just experimenting with the technology to see what''d happen. They could perfectly clone dogs as it is, and the good ones were sent to the Cyberdog factory where they were upgraded... It might sound cruel, but Cyberdogs lived significantly longer, were significantly stronger, and were much, much smarter. He imagined that if he wasn''t already superhuman and likely immortal, he''d have encouraged the scientists on humanoid cyborg technology. As of right now, the most they were allowed to go down that road were cybernetic implants, one''s similar to what Doctor Usanagi sold. Fortuantely, he''d taken along all the implants that his companion''s bodies had rejected. They served no purpose after they were taken out, but Afton was sure the scientist could deconstruct them and upgrade their knowledge on implants with them. Of course, Meddie was very interested in this project so Glados allowed him some access to the Think Tank and the Forbidden Dome so he could discuss things with the scientists. Now on the most important project he currently had the scientists working on... Power armour... Doctor Zero had taken it apart after 8 and Klein had completely scanned it. Afterwards, they split the components so each scientist could work on their respective fields... Dala working on how the machinery interacted with the human body, Klein and Mobius working on the programming, while Borous, Zero, Mobius, and Glados assisted in investigating the polymer materials that composed the armour. They were wondering if it was possible to synthesize the material with the technology they currently had. Afton admitted it''d be interesting to find out as Saturnite alloy, while amazing against physical threats, was still weak to Energy and Heat-based attacks. That''s not to say it''d break when stuck by them, but that the person wearing the armour would feel the after-effects of being shot. The results obviously depending on the weapon, but it almost always went like this. Saturnite heating up by Plasma, laser, or simple flamethrower fire and cooking the person inside alive. Regular metals would usually dissipate the heat caused by these attacks relatively quickly, but Saturnite retained it so well that the armour would basically become an oven. Afton had heard of similar devices, but they were all used for torture... That brazen bull that had a person stuffed inside and a fireplaced under it for example. Not a pleasant way to go he imagined... Huh, maybe he''d use that as an interrogation tool someday? Chapter 421 - Tunnel Problems Afton walks past the many new fields around Big Mt containing the prewar crops that were growing. Beside him was a drone-like machine that hovered 5ft off of the ground with one large orange eye zipping around the place erratically. "So how are our guests getting on, Glados?" he asks as he walks up to the orchard and swipes a banana from a nearby tree.?? "We have begun to find uses for them that do not include dissection. The AI designated as Alfred is currently using them to test and create food combinations for you to try, he is also training a select few as servants." she explains as he munches on a banana. "Huh, that''s... Interesting? I guess... Any of them wanting to return home yet?" "There have been some. But your orders stand and they will be unable to leave without your express permission." Afton nods, "Things have changed, so I want you to add another project to the list... Thought triggered explosive chips." he states, and begins wondering if he was imagining the slight sputter in the robots hover mechanism... Perhaps Glados was just excited at the prospect. "Do not begin testing on any of our current guests... I have a feeling some prisoners will fall into my lap soon enough, I''ll send them over once I acquire them." "That is acceptable." Glados states. "Anyway, how is progress going on scavenging outside the crater?" he asks, wondering if the robots and cyber dogs had run into trouble yet. "Approximately 37 units have been destroyed since the start of the operation, the biggest cause seems to be a strange humanoid subterranean species. The Cyberdog units are effective, but the numbers of the creatures quickly overwhelm them... Production of more Cyberdog units are already on the way, and further projects improving their fighting capabilities have been given to Doctor Borous, Doctor Mobius, and Doctor 8." she lists off without emotion. Afton rubs his face and tosses away the banana peel, "Humanoid subterranean? Do we have any idea what they are?" "The human designated Cass calls them ''Tunnellers'' truly the imagination of humans is to be aspired to." she drawls before continuing, "She says that there was speculation of their existence and no actual proof, only that people mysteriously disappearing with no traces aside from disturbed earth. Further investigation with scavenger and Cyberdog units indicates that they are rapidly creating vast underground tunnel systems, so perhaps the stories have some truth in them." "Have we caught any yet?" he asks, not liking the sound of these creatures. "Cyberdog units have acquired 2 samples, one of which is currently being dissected by Doctor Dala. Do you wish to observe the operation?" Afton nods, it would probably be a good idea to get Dala to concentrate and not get lost in slicing away at the creature until it was in neatly organised piles... "As you wish, follow me." Glados states and has the drone float towards the Think Tank. He''s led through and into the vast basement that''d been created... The scientists really didn''t like to leave the Think Tank, so they compromised and created labs underneath them that allowed easy access... At least this way it was easier for Glados to observe everything, since all the necessary connections were already set up. He''s led into Dala''s laboratory which smells surprisingly clinical despite all the jars around the place filled with a variety of organs from god knows what creatures. At the far end of the room was a heavily reinforced window, through it he could see Dala already dissecting the strange creature, her heavy and husky breathes could be heard through the microphone... "That''s it little one, be free from that cage you call ribs." she almost whispers, and Afton feels as if an insect had landed on the bag of his neck... He presses the button which brings to life the intercom on the other side, "Dala, it''s Afton, what''s progress have you made?" he gets straight to the point, ignoring the eccentricities of his scientists... If he paid attention to it he might''ve gone mad a while ago. "Ah, Teddy Bear?" she asks, turning her monitors towards the window. It wasn''t one way, so she instantly locked eyes on Afton, again giving him the creeps. "Concentrate Dala, this is important." he states with no emotion, at least, none she could detect. "Hmph, fine..." she says, he attitudes changing into her professional one. "Subject shows high levels of mutation over a significantly long period of time. Scales, spike, claws, venomous fangs, front set nocturnal eyes indicate its predatory lifestyle, however, the two samples we acquired are remarkably different to one another. This correlates with reports I have heard, which means they are either an interconnected hive colony with different organisms having different roles, or that mutations occur far faster than any other species we know of. From the DNA I have acquired from the samples, they appear to be descended from humans... Though, I can see no form of genetic splicing, meaning outside interference was unlikely. One of the samples appears to have been a pregnant female, eggs to be more specific. How a descendant of humans mutated to lay eggs I have no idea." she trails off. Afton presses the button again, "Are there any materials we can harvest that are better than what we already possess?" he asks. "No. Their claws are like toothpicks compared to Deathclaws, their scales and hides also pale in comparison. Their venom is a weak Hemotoxin that will cause massive clotting should it be introduced to an organism, but it is not as fast-acting or as powerful as Cazador venom. The only advantage they hold over other creatures is their genetic variety, hive-like behaviour, and sheer numbers. Their gestation period is currently unknown, but I speculate that they breed extremely quickly... With their reptilian biology, they do not require as much sustenance as most mammals would, allowing them to spread with little to no food." Dala explains. Chapter 422 - Upcoming Threats. Afton slowly nods at Dala''s synopsis, if what she was saying was true then they might have a real fucking big problem on their hands... Perhaps bigger than the Spores actually presented... Fortunately, he had already created a disaster level system to explain the danger of projects, technology, or organisms... "What danger level would you put the creature at?" he asks through the window.?? "The creature itself barely registers as an Alpha level threat, but their race an a whole? Potential Omega level." she states. Yeah, Afton might''ve stolen the idea from X-Men, but at least they now knew how dangerous something was with a simple classification... The levels were as such; Alpha : Potential danger to civilians. Beta : Potential danger to trained operatives. Gamma : Potential danger to large populations such as towns or cities. Delta : Potential danger to whole regions. Omega : Potential danger to the entire world. Under these classifications, the Supermutant army led by the Master would be graded as Delta level, the Spores would be Omega, and the Archimedes Orbital Laser would be Gamma to Delta depending on a number of circumstances. "Do you see anyway of dealing with the threat before their numbers reach critical mass?" he asks probably the most important question there was. "As of now? No... Perhaps there would be a way to weaponise a disease that specifically targets them, but their genetic variance would hinder and most likely completely halt such an attempt. Provide me more samples and I will see what I can do." Afton nods and glances at Glados, "You heard her, see if you can''t utilise our forcefield tech to create containment units for them. I think capturing some live samples would help figure out the best way of dealing with them." "I will add it to the list... Shall I priorities it over your other projects?" she asks. Afton shakes his head, "The Power Armour project needs to be completed soon, the other projects can wait however. Coordinate with the others to see what can be temporarily shelved and what is nearing completion." he says, shutting off the intercom and leaving Dala''s lab. The drone continues following him, but Glados is focussing on the tasks he''d just given her... As he walks through the Think Tank he''s stopped by Cass who seemed to be exiting from the Sink for some reason. "Ah, Afton! Just who I needed!" she says as she approaches him. "What''d you need, Cass?" he asks while observing her... She looked significantly more healthy than she ever had in the Mojave. More so than when he''d seen her in the NCR Outpost, though, that could be attributed to the rather ridiculous amount of whisky she''d drink. Her hair lacked any dirt which let its natural red colour properly show, her skin was clean and her slightly tanned skin showed her freckles in full force. Her outfit consisted of a Deathclaw leather duster that she''d assisted in making, jeans, heay boots and a stray hat hanging from her neck via a string. Afton had actually been surprised at her inclusion in the Deathclaw leather clothing project. Apparently, Klein had wanted to make them all suits or something, Dala wanted Deathclaw leather patient gowns, Zero wanted something that looked eerily similar to power ranger uniforms, 8 wanted robes for some reason, and Borous wanted shamanistic-looking tribal wear... The only reason one or all of those suggestions weren''t currently collecting dust in the ''failed projects'' section was because Glados put a stop to it, recognising that Afton would fill their bio gel with Deathclaw scat if he saw them and so sought outside help. Obviously, Cass had more experience in the Wasteland than all of the scientists combined, so she was consulted. The result was the duster before him, it looked similar to alligator skin but a lot thicker and beige. Afton had watched when they tested its defensive properties, and boy was he glad they were made. .5mm, .9mm, .10mm, .44mm, and even .308 rounds were almost completely ineffective against it, aside from the bruises you''d have afterwards. Shotgun slugs didn''t get through but had enough force to break bone in some circumstances however... Armour piercing was a problem, but the only base round that was capable of piercing the dusters were .50mg. Of course, that was only when you considered the regular Deathclaw leather... The Deathclaw leather duster Afton intended to wear used the hide of a Deathclaw mother, it''s hide was black and significantly stronger, and thicker than the regular ones. There were some negatives to it though, its weight made it unwieldy for most people, but that certainly wouldn''t be a problem for Afton. Nor for the clothing''s other intended use... The secondary use for the dusters aside from being protective wear was to conceal power armour... He''d have larger dusters made that''d have hoods, they''d completely conceal someone wearing power armour, so to any scout, it''d look like a simple wanderer... Even if they were much, much larger than normal... At worst they''d think a Super Mutant was wandering around. It''d also provide some degree of camouflage, Afton had always found it stupid that the Brotherhood of Steel would walk around the desert with shiny metallic armour, letting literally everyone in a few mile radius just who they were and what tech they possessed. It could of course scare people away, but he''d rather people not know about the armour in the first place, at least, not until it was too late. If you found yourself in melee range against someone with Power armour, you were likely about to get torn apart. The dusters would also serve other functions, keeping dust out of the armour''s nooks and crannies would be important depending on how long someone was out in the field... Being unable to properly clean the armour would slowly start to cause problems. That, and the damage resistances provided by the leather would be worth whatever small annoyances they''d cause. He shakes his head from his thoughts and only now realises he''d been staring blankly into space with Cass giving him a weird look... "Err, sorry, what did you say?" Chapter 423 - Dreams VS Reality... Cass gives him an annoyed look for ignoring her but repeats herself regardless, "I needed your help on something Glados asked me, she wants me to make a caravan and head to California with it, but we lack man-power and the Brahmin needed to carry it all. I''m pretty sure we could sell any tech we make here and make a fortune, but that''s not the purpose of the caravan, so..." she shrugs, "Any ideas?" "Huh, didn''t think Glados would ask you. I figured if she wanted an information network on other countries she''d just use robots or launch a satellite or something. Er, do you need to use Brahmin or could we just give you a vehicle?" he asks, wondering if there was a way to reverse mutations on Brahmin and return cows to the world.?? Cass shakes he head, "That''d catch too much attention... Usually only the NCR military or the Brotherhood have vehicles... Not regular traders." Afton nods, "Alright, Brahmin it is... As for goods? Seeing as Glados probably doesn''t care if you make a profit or not, we could sell water?" Again, Cass shakes her head, "Water''s too heavy for the distance I''m going to have to travel. Not cost efficient enough, plus, there are plenty of places in California you can get water." she explains. Afton crosses his arms, "Hmm... Ah! I got it... Clothing! Not just wasteland leathers, but proper, pre-war clothing. Who in this age makes suits after all?" Cass shrugs, "The Ultra-Lux?" Afton huffs, "Yeah, but I doubt they do mail order shipping. Besides, whatever we could make here would be substantially better to whatever others can produce..." Cass nods, "I guess it could work? It might help me with meeting with the higher echelons of California if I''m selling those kinds of clothes I guess? But, that doesn''t fix my issue of lacking people, Glados forbids me from even thinking about taking the others girls here." "They can''t leave because I don''t trust them not to reveal this places location... By the end of the week we''d have the armies of the NCR and Brotherhood up our collective asses. Anyway, Just take some Protectrons and Cyberdogs with you, a couple Cyberdogs could take care of a Deathclaw no problem, so unless you go wandering into a nest you''ll be fine." he explains. Cass nods, "That''ll be fine then, I think... I''ll go wandering around the crater to see if any brahmin herds are around. Keep me updated on the progress." she says before leaving. Afton looks to the drone floating next to him, "Glados. Start production in high-quality prewar suits, also, have Klein and Mobius see if it''s possible to create a non-metallic listening device small enough to not be detected. I''m hoping these suits''ll find their way into high society, if we can listen in then we''ll be much better informed." "Production on Deathclaw leather will temporarily come to a halt if we begin production on suits." the AI says, as if asking if that''s what he intends. "That''s fine, we have enough dusters for now." he says as he finally heads up to the Sink. Once he gets there his Intelligence in increased by the lighting, which is helpful as he heads straight to the Laboratory he''d had added to the complex. The new room itself looked like a mechanics dream... Though it was a bit messy. He could have some spiderbots clean the place, but he''d probably just get mad about loosing a screw somewhere or something. Being messy was ok if it was your mess and you generally knew what was where. Anyway, he walks straight up to the work bench which had scattered pieces of scrap metal atop it... he''d been working on a project for a couple days now, but it was still in it''s infancy. He''d not had a [Eureka!] moment yet which had increased the amount of time this project would take... From under the workbench he pulls out what looks like a metal bar with a handle. The handle itself was filled with microfusion cells to power it. As of right now it didn''t work, but once he created a viable prototype, the Mojave, Nay!, the WORLD would tremble before it!... Ok, he might be a bit over dramatic, but considering what he was making he thought he had the right to be. The name of the project is... The Ultra Chainsword. Unoriginal? Slightly... But is was different enough from the Warhammer version that he felt he could patent it differently... Probably. He intended to have an Proton blade like his Proton axes, but he wished to make that a revolved blade like a chainsaw... Imagine the cutting power of a lightsabre, combined with a chainsaw! It was making him hard just thinking about it! Some might say it was pointless since the Proton axes could cut through most things, but he''d disagree. It only seemed like that because Afton was using it, against unarmed and light armoured targets it cuts fine, but unless Afton was using it, that''s were it stopped. Sure, if you held it against metal long enough you might melt through it, but that wasn''t all that helpful in a fight... So, if he wanted his companions to be able to cut through anything the Ultra Chainsword would be needed... Plus, it was pretty fucking cool! Regardless, the project was still in its early stages, not even 10% completed. The problem was making the energy blade actually revolve without cutting out... The energy projectors themselves weren''t meant to move, making it incredibly unstable and causing it to cut out at random. Yeah, he''d made no progress... But, all that meant was he was overlooking an obvious answer.. One he''d find eventually. His dreams of having an army of Power armour, Ultra Chainsword wielding badasses would not be stifled! Chapter 424 - Novacuate The atmosphere back in Novac had taken a substantially different tone... Most of the people there had thought the only threat was from the Legion, but when they''d picked up the NCR already coordinating themselves to attack the town, passively training the militia had become actively training an army. A few people blamed their current situation on their saviour for formerly being affiliated with the Brotherhood of Steel and as a result, antagonising the NCR, but most already hated them enough to not mind...?? It wasn''t like the NCR gave a shit about them before, but now since they had someone who ''grew up in the wrong place'' they were all now a target. Still, it wasn''t as if they were helpless. As soon as the mercenary group returned from wherever they had went, they came back with lots and lots of supplies. Fruits and vegetables that''d only been recorded before the Great war, crates of purified water, reliable weaponry only the Legion and NCR seemed to be able to get... Their saviours were more prepared then they''d expected. Right now the town was bustling with movement, a large group of people were training in combat in a clearing as the rest carried boxes of supplies here and there, however, the biggest man-power sink had to be the rather large scrap metal wall that was being erected around the town. The previous wall used to fend off the Legion simply wasn''t enough anymore, so it was being improved. It didn''t look all that visually appealing, being made from a pile of scrap metal, but with some makeshift wielding and metal plating, it looked the part... The wall was around 8ft tall and surrounded the town, blocking off the road and forcing people to go around it should the town refuse access through. It was made high enough to prevent people from climbing over, the most likely candidate for this would be the Legion, but it would also help against NCR spies who might try to sneak inside... Usually building a wall like this would be a death sentence as it''d block off supplies, but seeing as Afton''s mercenary group was able to seemingly pull supplies outta their asses, it wasn''t that big a problem. The townsfolk numbered around 400 people, with around 250 able combatants. That might not seem like much, but in a defensive position with thick walls placed between them and the enemy, it would likely be enough. Daisy, the new mayor, was being overworked. But with a few people''s help she was barely holding onto the situation... Manny had taken up the position of training the townsfolk as there were enough people to watch the town while he was elsewhere now. Plus, he was still somewhat injured from the Legion attack. He was a bit wary of fighting against the country he used to serve, but if the NCR attacked Novac for simply having a criminal in their midst, that was their prerogative. He intended to protect the town from any threat, even former friends. It was really all he had left... Currently Karl, Boone, Anja, Josie, Tamia, and Veronica were sat at a table with two other men... Jonas and Hestus, the former Legion spies tasked with assassinating Afton, something that''d failed spectacularly... They were ''asked'' for information about the Legion, and whether or not they actually intended to be loyal and not betray the town later on. Fortunately, with the amount of information the duo had given, their loyalties don''t seem to be misplaced. Apparently the Legion intended to invade Novac after dealing with the Brotherhood of Steel, using the forces that survive destroying the bunker to create a two-pronged attack. This obviously didn''t happen as even if Afton hadn''t gone to help, the Brotherhood would have been killed regardless. Even Vulpes Inculta seemed to think the attack was fool-proof. Unfortunately for him, he''d severely underestimated the Brotherhood''s military prowess, especially inside such confined spaces. Still, the Legion didn''t seem to be swayed by their many failures... Recently they''d heard over the radio that Camp Searchlight, and the town itself had been taken over by the Legion... Astor had been crucified for any passerbys to see, and the Legion raid camp further west had become significantly more aggressive. The NCR couldn''t even do anything about it since the Legion kept increasing the pressure on the east of Hoover Dam... Still, the NCR had made some gains. They''d recaptured Nelson, invaded Red Rock Canyon and killed whatever Great Khans were left after they attacked the Brotherhood, and finally got the Long 15 trade route properly protected and running. The recent events were bad news for Novac however, since Camp Searchlight and Cottonwood Cove were the only remaining Legion outposts west of the Colorado, Novac was smack-dab in the middle of the conflict. If either side captured Novac they''d have a distinct advantage over the other, especially with how Novac had recently been converted into a fortress city... "So we''re fucked?" Josie states more than asks. Karl shrugs, "Preeetty much." "Oh, cheer up guys. I''m feeling pretty good about situation." Veronica says from the side. "Pretty good?" Karl asks with a snort, "We got hostile NCR positions North, East, and West of our position and Legion outposts straight South... In what world is this ''Pretty good?''" "Er... My world?" Veronica mutters, feeling as if she''d been scolding for saying something stupid. ... Tamia sighs and slumps in her seat, "Guys, we are still planning on infiltrating the Fort right?" she asks, drawing everyone''s attention. "No way." "Yes." Josie and Karl look at each other after hearing the other''s words. "We''re pretty fucked as it is, we can''t just march into the Legion''s base and expect to come out alive." Josie states. Karl shakes his head, "We''ll do what we said we would. You don''t need to come with if you''re scared, but we''re doing this." he growls back before getting up and leaving, presumably to grab a strong drink. Boone looks to Josie and shakes his head, "If you aren''t ready for the Fort just say so, you won''t be forced to participate. From most points of view it seems like a suicide mission." he says as he gets up and follows Karl. Chapter 425 - Hammers Of War? Afton strolls into the Forbidden Zone laboratory to go check on the progress of the Power armour. Mobius and Klein were apparently running tests on the servos, so Afton thought he''d take a look and potentially add his own two cents. Unfortunately, progress didn''t seem to be as far along as he''d hoped... As soon as he stepped into the lab he was greeted by the shrieking of what sounded like a torture session with a rabid animal. Technically he wasn''t wrong, just not in the way he''d first thought.?? Mobius and Klein were both floating next a barebones suit of Power armour as a ghoul that''s presumably from Little Yangtze attempts to move. Of course, the suit of armour was restricted by chains to prevent the ghoul from going on a rampage, but that didn''t seem necessary with what Afton was looking at. The ghoul had attempt to move it''s arm, but the suit had overextended ''slightly''... The ghouls arm as bent backwards at a 180 degree angle, it''s wrist becoming parallel with it''s bicep... Yeah, pretty disgusting. The ghoul, despite Afton''s previous assumption that they don''t feel pain, was roaring in agony and doing it''s best to try and escape the suit. "Ah, too strong on the servos again Klein? Perhaps I should edit it this time..." Mobius says to his colleague, seemingly unperturbed by the sight before him. "I WILL DO IT PROPERLY THIS TIME, MOBIUS... THAT''S WHAT THEY SAY RIGHT? THIRD TIME''S A CHARM!" Klein states and Afton only now realises that the Ghoul''s other arm was in a similar situation... Plus, he could see blood leaking from one of it''s legs too. Afton walks up with his arms crossed, "You guys alright? This doesn''t even seem close to being completed... I expected this to be done a couple days ago, and yet you guys are still on it..." "Ah, we found the correct strength a while ago, we were just seeing who could get closest to it with our sensors off... What? It gets pretty boring working constantly!" Mobius complains and a vein appears on Afton''s forehead. "So you''re telling me you''ve been playing around for days...?" he asks dangerously. "OF COURSE NOT! WE WERE JUST TAKING A BREAK! WE ARE CURRENTLY DESIGNING THE HELMET AND DISCUSSING WHAT WE SHOULD PUT INSIDE IT!" Klein exclaims, though Afton wasn''t sure whether he intended it or if it was due to his broken voice modulator... Yeah, Afton found it funny to leave it broken. Afton raises a brow, "Ok... Can you show me that instead of... This." he states, pointing a thumb at the still screaming ghoul. The scientists nod with their robotic bodies and lead Afton through a couple rooms to to their destination. Once there he spots a helmet that''s half constructed. It looks nothing like the Brotherhood of Steel T-51b helmet. The T-51b helmet is large, unwieldy, and covered in exploitable area''s... For example, the tubes that''d provide oxygen in a hostile environment aren''t reinforced with anything, making it incredibly vulnerable to damage. The visors, while being made with reinforced glass are still weak compared to the rest of it... This fact was burned into Afton''s mind after what''d happened to his mother... A single .50Mg round and boom, the armour is useless. Despite it''s weakness though, the visor still limited the users vision to a drastic degree, making combat much harder than it usually is. Yeah, Afton really didn''t like the Brotherhood of Steel''s helmets... The one the scientists had created however was substantially different. Despite it only being half complete he could imagine how it''d look in future. Instead of the ''bucket-like'' shape of the T-51b helmet, it was more angular, the sides of the helmet was extended outwards slightly so the oxygen supply tube was so exposed... Even then, the scientists had obviously reinforced the tubing with Saturnite alloy, making it incredibly durable. The brow of the helmet was more plated, and came down slightly, forming a tringle between eyes at the bridge of the nose. The eye''s of the helmet were round, and provided a smaller target for those seeking to aim them. Below that seemed to be grill-like air vents, allowing the wearer to breath should the oxygen supply be damage somehow. They were quite small and seemed well armoured, but despite that Afton still dislike them for disrupting the protection of the helm. Before the scientists are able to say anything, he gestures at the grills, "Can we add further protection to this somehow? It wouldn''t do for a bullet to breach through mid combat." he says. Mobius and Klein look at one another for a moment, "That would be difficult, if we removed them then the wearer could suffocate if some components were damaged..." the former says. Afton tabs his foot while contemplative, "Would it be possible to add forcefields in-between them then? We could do the same for the eyes as well." he asks. "Hmm, that doesn''t seem like a bad idea..." "BUT THE FORCE FIELD EMITTERS ARE NOT SMALL ENOUGH FOR THIS YET! THE HELMET WOULD HAVE TO BE TWICE THE SIZE!" Klein says. Afton shakes his head, "But if we can downsize the Force Field devices then it would be possible, yes?" ... "I SUPPOSE..." Afton nods, "Then focus on it. We won''t replace the visors reinforced glass though, one lucky EMP and you''d have no eye protection after all. Also, while you''re at it, see if you can''t add some Force Field emitters into the wrists and hands of the suit..." Mobius nods his body, "We will try to do that... But, before that, we may need your help with this, we''ve been arguing about this for hours now..." Afton raises a brow, "About what?" "ABOUT WHAT FEATURES THE HELMET SHOULD HAVE!" "Features?" "Yes! Features! Like those colourful buttons they used to have on TV remotes!" Mobius chirps. "You want to put colourful buttons on the armour?" Afton asks with a blank expression. "Ye-No! I mean useful features, like combat assisted targeting, or enemy indicators... Things of that nature... Chapter 426 - Visions. Afton slowly nods at Mobius, "Features... Alright, I can think of a few, just let me know if any are possible... Night vision." "DOABLE."?? "Inbuilt communication device, whether it be radio or something else doesn''t matter." "We might be able to do that, perhaps using those brainwave devices might do." Mobius queries. Afton nods, "Alright, how about a Hud, or Heads up display... I''m thinking something holographic next to or near the eyes." he asks, wanting to know just how close he could get to Iron Man''s armour before the universe implodes in on itself. "That is basically just a more advanced version of our Aim assistance systems." Mobius states, causing Afton to frown at him. "Then why haven''t you created anything that uses it yet?" he asks the scientist. "Because it was used when we created the Ultimo-Bot, we saw no need to add it on anything afterwards... But yes, this ''Heads up display'' system you want is possible." Mobius explains. Afton thinks for a moment before asking, "Would it be possible to allow Glados access to it''s systems? She is already able to contact me via Brain waves, so I doubt it''d be that difficult... Also, would it be possible to have some way to integrate the Stealth Suit AI into it?" he asks, knowing that Nyx would throw a tantrum should she be stuck under the Power amour as he wore it. "EASILY!" Klein confirms. Afton nods but decides to confirm the basics before anything else, it wouldn''t do if they forgot something. "Voice modulators? Lights, temperature monitor and controls? Manual overrides? Auto-inject medicine and chems?" he begins listing off everything that he could want, or might want for the helmet. "Yes, yes, yes... Though, if we added all of that the helmet would be extraordinarily large and heavy... We''ll design a couple and see what fits your preference." Mobius says. Afton nods, "Is that all you had to show me?" "Indeed. We will start discussing the rest of the armour when we come up with the correct mixture, thickness, and shape of the plating. I hadn''t realised just how difficult it was to design armour..." Mobius explains. "YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN DOCTOR O DESIGNING THE STEALTH SUIT! I WAS SURE HE WOULD DIE BEFORE IT WAS FINISHED! HE HADN''T EVEN BEEN THE MAIN PERSON DESIGNING IT! HAHA!" Klein chuckles, seeming to remember Zero''s previous project. With that, Afton leaves the two scientists to continue, hoping they wouldn''t get caught up torturing their ghoul prisoner while they were at it... Speaking of torturing ghoul prisoners, the Glowing One Project was coming along swimmingly. The only thing impeding it''s progress at all was the lack of specially mutated ghouls around the wasteland. They were horrifically rare, but were more numerous than one would expect... Perhaps this was due to their biological immortality? They were fairly strong and were even able to heal themselves via radiation, so perhaps that''s the cause? Regardless, the Robo-scorpions, Cyberdogs, and Protectrons had managed to capture around 20 Glowing Ones. It might not seem like much, but those 20 Ghouls were already powering half of Big Mt... When the number reaches around 100 they might be able to constantly use the teleportation tech for various projects... Just imagine it... The Capital of New California, Shady Sands, a peaceful yet boring day when, *Zap!*, hundreds of bolts of lightning flash down from the sky, each bolt of lightning as it struck the ground leaving behind squads of heavily armoured warriors in power armour... Afton wondered if he was becoming delusional, or whether or not what he was thinking is possible. He was sure it was, but even then, should he create an large army of power armour wearing teleporting bad asses? Yes. Yes. And yes. Besides, it would probably help with his goal of conquering the Mojave. Both sides fighting for the territory were doing so by throwing as many troops as each other as possible. Neither would be equipped to deal with that kind of attack. Elsewhere : Shani felt like she was in a nightmare... First she''d been captured by the Legion and abused, then she''d been ''saved'' and whisked away to a strange place filled to the brim with monsters of the worst sort. The first thing they were asked when they arrived was whether or not they were test subjects... Fortunately or not, they had been saved from that fate... Yet. Shani still felt like it was only a matter of time before something horrible happens to them. It wasn''t like it was ''just'' a gut feeling, no... Shani had a strange ability... One she had never told anyone about, even with the mounting evidence that it wasn''t just a trick of her mind. It started when she was a child... Her father had just left to go support the front lines against the Brotherhood of Steel when she had a strange feeling... Her eyes rolled to the back of her had and she had a vision of him walking on a mine and dying in a bloody explosion. She ignored it though, thinking it was just her imagination... Months later she knew that not to be true when she heard of what''d killed him. They held a closed lid funeral due to the appalling state of his body She''d felt the same sensation years later... Her boyfriend was at work at the office when she received another vision... This time she saw him, buried under rubble with a crushed skull. Immediately, remembering the fate of her father, she used an NCR radio to contact him, telling him of what she saw. He ignored her at first, but under her increasingly erratic pleading, he eventually listened... He was about to leave his office when the entrance collapsed, crushing him and proving her vision right yet again... Only... Her boyfriend was the only one killed as the entrance was the only thing that collapsed... Distraught and feeling responsible, she left her home town, traveling from place to place until she ended up in the Mojave where she was captured, saved, and now here... Unfortunately, she''d seen another vision... This time involving herself. She was strapped to a white table as strange robotic beings dissected her as she screamed in agony... That was the fate that awaited her. Shani knew when she received that vision that she had to escape. There was no other option, her future was torture an death, so, she might as well do her best to avoid it... Chapter 427 - Apocalyptic A couple days later Afton, Karl and Anja were all gathered atop a hill overlooking an encampment. It was one of the newest Legion Raid camps that''d sprung up lately. Afton had tried ignoring them at first, hoping the NCR would deal with them instead, but for some reason, the camps weren''t even touched... Of course, ''Raid Camp'' is the polite term, as their primary function is to capture Mojave residents and ship them back to Cottonwood Cove were they''d be collared and made slaves. Afton had been holding off on actually dealing them until now as he didn''t want to waste resources assisting his enemies... However, there was only so much Legion bull shit he could take before his hand was forced.?? Afton was currently wearing the Stealth Suit under his greyish black duster made from Deathclaw Mother leather. Karl and Anja were wearing beige version that weren''t as durable but still added a significant amount of strength... Karl had it over his combat armour while Anja wore it over her recon armour. His companions were less sure on their defensive properties, but that was cleaned up when Afton shot Karl in the chest with Lucky, one of his less powerful revolvers. The man had been slightly winded, but other than that he was completely fine... The Duster didn''t have a scratch n it either. "So, kid... How''d you wanna deal with this camp?" Karl asks as he looks through the scope on his Anti-Material rifle at the camp. Afton shrugs, "Since they only just set up and are lacking hostages, I figured I could test out a new weapon." he states, reaching into his bag and pulling out the Range Finder. "Are you sure you want to destroy it so quickly, sir? This one is much more hidden than the others, it might have something valuable in it." Anja asks, her face concealed by her mask and hood. Afton just shakes his head, "We can sift through the ashes afterwards if you really want." he says before pointing his weapon at the camp. "Oh, by the way, neither of you should mention what happens next to anyone." he states. That was the reason he''d only brought the two of them, he trusted them far more than everyone else with this knowledge. Even Veronica might accidentally blurt something out to the Brotherhood about it, so it was better to be safe than sorry. Afton points the gun in the center of the camp and holds the trigger down, the holographic screen on the back starts going through a changes, with writing appearing on it with various shapes and forms. A small laser comes out of the gun and hits the ground in the middle of the camp where he was aiming. He had to hold down the trigger and aim with a steady hand to keep the gun operating. *Loading* *Loading* *Accessing network* *Connection established* *Triangulating target* The small, almost invisible laser projecting from the Range Finder allows three humungous lasers to come down from the sky and to start spinning around where he was aiming. The Legionaries had notices the peculiar sight at this point and were all staring up at the sky in confusion. *Activating Orbital Defence System* *Firing in 3-2-1-0* Once the three lasers connect Afton, Karl, and Anja are blinded by light as what felt like the apocalypse occurred... A massive beam of light shoots from the sky and envelopes the entirety of the camp, the force of which was enough to knock Anja and Karl on their backs. Afton squints his eyes as a wave of heat washes past, making the usual desert sun pale in comparison... Were it not for his durability, he was sure all of his hair might''ve been singed off. The beam of light from the sky only lasts a couple second, but once it ends all that''s left of the camp is a glass-filled crater... The heat seemed to have crystalised everything on contact, making it look like the Space Marines had particularly disliked that part of the planet. That wasn''t all that happened however... [Lord Death v4 1000/2000] [Blind Fire : Shoot the eye''s of your enemies : 100/100] [Blind Fire Complete! Perk granted : Luck of the Draw] [Luck of the Draw] : Luck when in combat increased by 2. [Use the Orbital Laser!!!! Complete! Perk granted : Second Apocalypse] [Second Apocalypse] : Gain a point in one random stat every time you kill more than one thousand people in an instant. Afton was very, very happy about the perks he received... Luck of the Draw was ''ok'', and would most likely help in minute ways he wouldn''t notice, but Second Apocalypse was pretty fucking broken... The only problem was, if he wanted to use it he''d literally have to massacre thousands of people. He glances over at his companions who were both gaping at the result of the weapon, and Afton couldn''t help but feel smug at how much damage he''d just done... However, it seems that he hadn''t taken one thing into account... *BOOOOOM!* Something explodes from under the crater, and from the plumes of thick mushroom cloud-shaped smoke, it seems that there was a cache of Mini-Nukes buried underneath the camp... Though, he quickly found himself corrected when a new notification made itself known... [Find the mystery bomb maker from Vault 11 Quest Failed!] Yeah... Apparently, the man was working for the Legion... And also happened to be in the camp the one time he decides to use the Orbital Laser... Shit. "The fuck was that?" Karl mutters, still glaring at the now larger crater before them. Afton shrugs, "Legion must''ve been stockpiling explosives for something... Good thing we destroyed it, they might''ve been waiting to use it on Novac." he says, not giving any indication he knew the actual answer. "Plus, if anyone comes to investigate it''ll just look like an accident, instead of an Orbital Laser attack... Even if some people did see the laser, they might just confused it with multiple nuke detonations... Come on, let''s get going before anyone spots us." he says, standing up and quickly leaving the hill. Chapter 428 - Romae Defectum Non Patitur While the Orbital Laser strike and subsequent multiple Mini-Nuke explosion happened in an instant for Afton, Karl, and Anja, the shockwaves of it would continue to spread to every corner of the Mojave... Robert House was the first to notice the nuclear detonation, his various machine network around the Mojave giving him the exact location... He''d managed to save this place from Nuclear annihilation two hundred years ago, yet it seems that the Great War continues, with nuclear bombs still detonating at a random barbarians whims.?? Unfortunately, the bombs seem to have either been brought on foot or constructed in the Mojave... If they were launched he''d have been able to destroy them in the sky or at least disable them... Hm, could it be that another country had survived the destruction and was now plotting to get rid of America''s last resistance, House himself?... Plausible, if unlikely... He''d need to run further simulations if that''s the case... Hopefully his new partner would activate the Platinum chip before anything drastic happens... He needed to have his army before the two armies clash at Hoover Dam... To conduct proper business negotiations you needed to start at a position of strength, something House was all too well aware... As he runs some simulations on another system, he turns his eyes towards Gommorah, indeed, that place needed to be purged of rats before anything else... Though, he''d need to wait for his partner to return for that. Elsewhere : A man wearing incredibly fine robes sitting on a throne within a large tent slams his fist onto the armrest. He had very short cut white hair and a heavily dust-worn face... Caesar glares down at Vulpes Inculta with a ferocity not shown since the ''Burning Man'' incident. Vulpes Inculta had just reported the latest news of another of his hair-brained schemes... Of course, as seemingly always happens, his plans failed spectacularly. So much so that Caesar almost shot the man dead where he knelt. "What do you mean Holmes and the rest of his escort were all annihilated?!?" he roars, the guards posted around the tent flinching at their leader''s rage. Vulpes Inculta shivers under the glare but composes himself enough to reply, "I fear it may have been an enemy attack, but after the detonation of all the stockpiled explosives, there''s no evidence for it!" Caesar growls at him, "You said it would be safe!" "I did not anticipate the information being leaked, or the underground lab being compromised! If anyone is to blame for this, it is Andrew Holmes and his haphazard construction of those atomic weapons! It is as you say Great Caesar, similar technology brought about the last Apocalypse, so his loss is not a big one!" *Smack!* Caesar strikes Inculta in the face, causing the man t fall to his side, "You continue to displease me, Vulpes! The man''s technology was indeed good for one thing, destruction, which is why I allowed your scheme in the first place! You had one goal! Sabotage the NCR supply line... And you fail me, AGAIN!" he shouts before slumping back in his throne, his face morphing into a grimace as his rubs his temples. "Caesa-" a guard begins to ask but Caesar waves them off, this wasn''t the first random headache he''d gotten in the past years... No one in the tent dares mutter a word as Caesar rubs his temples to alleviate the pain slightly, once it''s manageable he turns to Vulpes again, "Tell me Vulpes, have any of your recent plans actually worked in our favour?" he asks in a low yet commanding tone. "Y-yes Caesar! The assassination of Lowell Thompson Jr, stockpiling of weapons on the strip, bombing on the NCR Monorail, Capture of Camp Searchlight-" the man lists off, feeling like his head was on the line... Which it probably was. Caesar slowly nods, "Despite all your failures, you still advance our cause... Which is the only thing stopping me from having you executed where you stand... Romae defectum non patitur, Rome suffers no failure... Remember this Vulpes, as it may be the last mercy I am willing to grant you... Should you blunder and lose a valuable asset again, I will find a much more creative punishment compared to what happened to Joshua Graham... Am I clear?" Vulpes pushes his head to the floor, kissing dirt as he replies, "Y-yes Great Caesar!" Caesar nods and waves his hand at Vulpes, causing the guards to grab the man and toss him out of the tent like a bag of trash. A few Legionaries laugh at his plight but an angry glare sends them on their way. He gets to his feet and quickly marches away, intending to gather what''s left of his assassins to do something drastic... Something that''ll hopefully put him back in Caesars good graces, and possibly save his head. Vulpes held no illusions to Caesar''s methods... Should he continue to barely prove himself, he''d be executed once the war was finished... Vulpes grins, he knew just what would put him on Caesar''s good side, as well as the annals of history. It''s a good thing Andrew Holmes left them with a couple Mini-Nukes, his original plan was to simply use covert terror tactics... But now? The mayhem he''d be able to cause, and the fear such a strike would cause in their enemies hearts made him salivate... Of course, as it was his head on the line, he''d participate in such an attack himself... His subordinates had failed their respective duties far too much for his liking, after all, if you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself. Chapter 429 - Not The Only Merc Not far south of Novac was a group of four people, the one leading them was a man in full heavy combat armour, he was 6.4ft and heavily muscled, with a large strange rifle on his back. His name was only known to be Drake, one of the most infamous Bounty Hunters around California. Besides Drake was his lover and teammate, Madeleine. She was skinny, with a gaunt face and wore grey leather armour. Her blonde hair was cut short, and she stood at around 6ft, though, the sniper on her back was so large that it almost touched the floor... On her hip was a scoped .44 Magnum, a countermeasure should anyone get up close and personal.?? Behind them were two men... Or to be more specific, one man and one boy. The man had dark skin and wore black painted leather armour, he had a pistol on his hip but also a large sword that looked fit to cut through flesh and bone. Stasus was the name people gave him, only because he never told anyone his real one. Last but certainly not least was Hunter, a fourteen-year-old boy who''d been saved and raised by Drake and Madeleine... The fact that he''d survived so long was a testament to his luck, skill, and perhaps the protectiveness of his foster parents... He only had a 9mm pistol at his side, but on his back was a large backpack filled to the brim... On his chest were numerous grenades, all held up by their pins for easy use. He didn''t wear any armour, only a green hoody and some jeans. The four of them together made the mercenary group called Dissuade, a group famous for its efficiency and brutal tactics. "Heh, wonder who''s causing so much trouble that both sides want them gone?" Drake mutters as he walks, individually cracking each finger in preparation. "Drake, I''ve read about this ''Parker'' guy, and I don''t think we should be taking it easy... If both sides know where he is but hires us instead, doesn''t that mean they aren''t able to do it themselves?" Madeleine says. "Stop bitching, we''ll get to Novac, cut off his head, and get our reward from both factions... Heh, it''s like two for the price of one, easy peasy!" Drake laughs. "Earlier at the Outpost, I heard that someone detonated some nukes nearby... Can I have them if we find some?" Hunter asks with a giddy, greedy look. "No. You almost blew your arms off with those grenades of yours, I''m not gonna see what happens if you get a nuke!" Madeleine scolds. "Guys, shut the fuck up... We''re almost there." Drake says, pointing at the fortress city in the distance. The group head west of Novac towards the mountainous area to get a better view into the city without having to sneak or force their way inside. By the time they get there it''s already dusk, and the desert is wreathed in an orange glow of the dimming sun. Madeleine looks through her weapons scope at the city and is listing off the various defences it has to the rest of her group. Though, there were a few things she wasn''t so sure about... Regardless, she notes them anyway to prevent any mishaps from occurring. When the next group of guards appear and start patrolling, she notes down their routes and timings, giving each of her team pieces of paper with the information written on it. Once is all said and done, it''s time to move. "Alright guys, you know the drill. Distraction, sneak in, capture the target, and get out. Let''s try not to alert the whole place this time, Hunter..." "Aww, come on! That was fun!" he complains but is forced silent under Madeleine''s glare. Drake thefts his rifle and starts headed down the mountain, followed by the rest of his group as he does so. Madeleine doesn''t plan to enter the location, instead setting up a bit south of Novac to make it easier to retreat... Though, she will start making herself known if shit hits the fan. Drake and Stasus hide behind some rocks close to the western wall of Novac as Hunter goes north. Once there he takes off his backpack and recovers a good amount of decoy grenades and shiny shards of glass. It takes a couple minutes to set up, but before long he has everything interconnected behind various bits of cover. Once done he sits behind cover and waits for the signal, hopefully Drake wouldn''t be able to capture the target too quickly... He was really looking forward to blowing something up. With everything set up Drake and Stasus sneak towards the wall after a patrol walks past, due to how the wall was constructed, there are more than enough handholds for the duo to scale it. Once up, they drop into Novac without anyone the wiser. Most of the town was sleeping at this point, but it didn''t hurt to be careful, especially when you''re life is at stake. They walk around Novac and eventually find a lone soldier who''s currently taking a piss in between two buildings. Drake nods at Stasus who silently charges at the man, kicking their slung rifle away before picking them up by their throat. *Guhk!* The guard chokes as he''s literally lifted off of the floor by the large man, he attempts to struggle and free himself but it''s no use... He knows his pistol is in his waistband but if he tried to draw it now he''d be defenceless... The fact that he hadn''t been killed yet meant that these two needed something from him. "Alright Stase, put him down." Drake says, and the large man drops the man into the puddle of his own piss. Drake nods, "Alright, this is how this is gonna go, boy. You tell us what we want to know, or I''ll do something horrible to you... Cool?" The guard snorts and spits at Drake, the phlegm landing on his cheek and slowly dripping off. Drake wipes it off and nods, "Alright, don''t say I didn''t warn ya." Chapter 430 - Bark Back Hitting Bark Drake draws his silenced pistol and is about to shoot it into the guard''s kneecap when Stasus suddenly bursts into movement. His arm zips forwards and traps the guards arm as the man attempts to grab the pistol in his waistband. If the unfortunate guardsman didn''t look scared before, he did now...?? "Tsk Tsk, that wasn''t very nice." Drake smirks and fires his gun into the man''s knee as Stasus holds their victim''s mouth closed. *Pew!* "MMMMMMRRRGGHHH!!!!" The guard gives a muffled scream as his kneecap is shattered, this is a life-changing injury, the sort of injury that would make a man in the wasteland kill himself... The type that''d give such a man no other choice. Stasus holds the man''s mouth closed as he cries and continues moaning, once his sobs go silent he lets go and Drake kneels next to him again. "Now that you understand your situation... Where is Afton Parker?" ... "P-Parker? I-I don''t know! He disappears at random and almost never shows his face in town!" the man quickly says, clutching his ruined leg. Drake shakes his head and points his gun at the man''s other knee, "Now, now. That''s not what I want to hear..." he states, tapping the barrel on his knee cap. "I-I... H-he lives in the apartments, I-I don''t know what room... J-just please don''t shoot me again... Please!" Drake turns his eyes to Stasus and continues asking questions, where the apartments are, whether or not there are guards, who else lives there, etc. Once done Stasus grabs the man by his neck and brutally twists his head, instantly killing them. "Heh, serves the fucker right for spitting on me." Drake mutters before turning in the direction of the apartments. "Now... How the hell are we going to find Parker''s room?" Stasus shrugs and gestures at the dead man. Drake nods, "You''re right, let''s just go room to room interrogating folks... We have to get one right eventually..." he says, the duo quickly heading off. Unfortunately for the duo though, their choice of heading behind the building to scout it out first was their undoing... Dirt-Hog just so happened to be parked nearby, and unbeknownst to them, the K9000 was always active. *Woof!* A robotic simulacrum of a dog''s bark enters the duo''s ears, and both turn towards its location. Drake raises a brow at the large armoured truck with the relatively small gun on the roof of it... The gun that was currently pointing towards them. *Bangbangbangbang!* Drake''s confused as Stasus throws both of them out of the way, sparks jumping off of the large man''s metal armour as the bullets do their best to burrow through the reinforced plates. They barely manage to get away from the strange truck before the lights in the town all begin turning on. "Fuck! They''re on to us!" Drake growls, but turns his head north as Hunter puts his own plan in to place. Hunter had just heard gunfire and seen the lights inside Novac turning on, this probably meant Drake had fucked up and needed assistance... Fortunately, they''d planned for this occurrence. He pulls the string that was connecting the pins to the decoy grenades and causes uproarious gunfire to sound out from behind the cover. To add effect, Hunter himself began firing his pistol at the wall, drawing the attention of the patols within Novac, most of which charge to the north side of the wall to defend against what sounded like a substantial force. Guards atop the wall shine down their relatively weak flashlights at where the gunfire was heard, and immediately spot flickers of light behind cover... Thinking this to be an enemy, they fire at it, not realise they were seeing light reflected from glass shards. Of course, if it weren''t for Hunter shooting his own weapon they might''ve realised it was a distraction. For now though, they were completely unaware. It wasn''t just the guardsman who were awakened however, Karl, Boone, Anja, Josie, Veronica, and Tamia were all up, Dogmeat getting up and ED-E turning on. "Fuck was that?" Karl asks after he puts on his equipment and meets the rest of the group on the motel veranda. "No idea. Isn''t hard to guess we''re being attacked though." Boone states as he hefts his Hunting Rifle, he''d left his Anti-Material rifle as it was too heavy to run around with and properly use. "Shit, Afton took the best time to be fuckin'' around somewhere else, didn''t he?" Veronica says as she comes out of her room. already putting on her Deathclaw leather duster. Tamia smirks at Veronica''s incredibly messy bedhead, "Nice hair." Veronica scowls, "I just got outta bed, what do you expect?" "Doesn''t it always look like that though-" she''s cut off by Karl who slams his fist into the metal bannister. "Both of you bitches shut up, we''re under attack! Boone, Anja, Josie go north to the wall. Me Veronica and Tamia will scout the town to see if anyone got through." Karl orders as he gestures for ED-E and Dogmeat to follow him. Elsewhere : Drake and Stasus were having an incredibly hard time staying hidden, guards seem to sprout from every single building in Novac, each wielding proper weaponry and running north to help repell the ''attack'' Hunter had set up. Though, by the sound of distant gunfire, Madeleine had started shooting too, drawing the attention of some of the guards within the town... All in all, it was a shitshow, there was no proper order to the soldiers movements, them seemingly choosing where to go on their own without address a commander themselves. The two start to move in a lull, but they are interrupted as they hear a bark behind them... "Not agai-" Drake says but is launched clear off of his feet, spinning in the air and hitting the wall of a nearby building hard. Stasus isn''t doing much better, having to pull his head out of a shack wall after landing... Drake looks over at what''d flung them and spots a Cyberdog sprinting towards them with a vicious look. Chapter 431 - Queue Chase Scene Once Drake spots Dogmeat sprinting towards him he raises his rifle and fires, "I fucking hate dogs!" *CRACKLE!*?? A blast of lightning explodes from the end of his rifle and strikes Dogmeat fullon, causing the Cyberdog to collapse midstride and start spasming. Once this occurs Stasus runs up to the downed dog and slams his blade into it, completely severing its remaining blood and flesh front leg. "Serves the fuckin'' thing right! Argh, thing did a number of my back!" Drake mutters as he and Stasus continue heading towards the southern wall. Unfortunately for them, Karl, Veronica, Tamia, and ED-E weren''t too far behind Dogmeat... "You fucker!" Veronica shouts as she spots the injured Dogmeat on the floor, she draws the revolver at her side and starts firing at them. At the same time, Karl, and Tamia open fire with their own respective weapons. *Bangbangbangbangbang!* Drake is struck in the shoulder blade by Veronica while Stasus takes a couple rounds for Karl''s light machine gun... Neither are seriously injured however due to their better than average armour. Drake turns and glances at their opponents and scowls, he nods to Stasus and changes the direction of their run, slamming his shoulder into one of the residential homes nearby. Once they enter they''re greeted by a woman with her young children who''re already screaming at the sudden intrusion. *Slash!* Stasus beheads the woman as he and Drake run past, her corpse dropping the hidden gun she was attempted to draw. They head upstairs and reach the master bedroom, positioning themselves around the door to kill any intruders. It doesn''t take long for Karl, Veronica, and Tamia to catch up, Veronica enter first and is forced to raise her arms to block the sword strike towards her neck, her armoured gauntlets protect her, but a blast of lightning strikes her in the stomach, causing her to stumble out of the room. Tamia sprints in next, swinging her Proton axe wildly at Stasus who struggles to dodge every strike. The weapon leaves long-burning trails in his metal armour and the walls of the building, and the man instinctively understands that it''d definitely damage his weapon should he attempt to parry it. Again, a Drake shoots another blast of lightning from his rifle, but Tamia blocks it by thrusting her Proton axe in the way... Once the lightning strikes the blue energy blade it seems to be absorbed into it, the weapon glowing brighter and brighter the longer it''s exposed to the attack. She isn''t able to see how much it''d take however as Stasus swings his blade at her neck, forcing her to duck and back away into the corner of the room. As this happens Karl enters though, already firing his LMG at the intruders. Sparks shoot off of Stasus'' armour who barely brings his arms up to his face to block the bullets. Drake, seeing that this is a losing battle, unclips a flashbang grenade and tosses it in the center of the room, afterwards leaping out of the window to the roof of the next building as Stasus follows. Karl, Veronica, and Tamia upon seeing the flashbang immediately throw themselves out of the room, it wouldn''t be the first time an enemy faked them out with a highly explosive version... Frankly, Karl didn''t want to get any Cybernetic limb replacements yet. *Bang!* The grenade goes off and reveals that is was indeed a simple flashbang... Fortunately, the group had avoided the disorientating effects of it and were ready to give chase again. They run back into the room and jump out of the window to follow the duo. Drake and Stasus were running south along the rooftops... The sound of glass breaking had attracted a few Novac soldiers, but they''d managed to avoid detecting by laying low on the roof as they moved. It wasn''t long before their pursuers leapt through the window to follow them though. Drake growls and glancing down at his gun. He flicks the modified weapons ''safety'' switch which changes the mode of fire... Instead of non-lethal arcs of lightning, it''d instead shoot concentrated bolts that''d burn and destroy flesh should it hit. He knew the people chasing them were tough fuckers, getting hit once by the rifle should''ve knocked them unconscious, but apparently they had some form of protection. "Alright, let''s see how you like this you cunts." he mutters under his breath and spins around, taking cover behind the ledge of a building. Karl just barely throws himself out of the way as a single bolt of lightning shoot past, striking the wall behind him and carving a long burning trial into it over the one second it was firing. "The fuck is that guy shootin''?!" he exclaims, never having seen such a weapon before. "Who cares! Just shoot them!" Veronica chides, reloading her revolver as she attempts to get punch-distance to the duo. Tamia leaps over the cover she''d taken and sprints towards the enemy, raising her Proton axe in preparation for the attack... Only for the energy blade to deactivate once the bolt of lightning strikes it. The arc of lightning then proceeds to carve a long vicious line into her combat armour... Once it spreads to her Deathclaw leather duster the damage is significantly reduced however... Still, the amount of lightning that''d just struck her was enough to stop someone''s heart. Fortunately, combat armour was designed with energy weapons in mind, and had a good degree of insulation, preventing her instant death. She growls at them and tries to reactivate her Proton axe but finds it defective... As a result, she''s forced to retreat back behind cover and fire at them with her own .44 Magnum. "We can''t get close to them!" Veronica almost snarls as another bolt of lightning shoots over her shoulder. "Just stay in cover and wait until they run outta ammo... Once they retreat we''ll get ''em." Karl states, getting nods from the others. Chapter 432 - Bound To Hurt Drake upon spotting their pursuers were not returning fire, glances at Stasus and quickly lays out their situation, "They''re tryin'' to draw this shit out. We gotta get'' before they realise Hunter''s distraction!" they stand while he fires off a couple more bolts of lightning before hopping off of the roof and running towards the southern wall. Already they could see the firefight happening between the soldiers and Madeleine. There were a couple corpses that''d had their heads blown through piled up below the wall, showing that Madeleine definitely wasn''t showing mercy...?? Usually, the group would do their best to avoid needless killing as it only breeds more problems, but the situation had apparently become untenable. *Bang bang!* Drake gets hit yet again in the back, his armour barely absorbing the bullet as he ducks to avoid the next. He unclips another flashbang and tosses it behind him to get some space from their pursuers and charge towards the makeshift steps that lead to the top of the wall. As they run the soldiers on the wall notice their presence, forcing Drake to fire a bolt of lightning into the nearest, the bolt cuts through his flash with ease and crippling the person behind him. Stasus charges in front and severs the hand of one man as they attempt to shoot, afterwards kicking the man off of the wall as they give a Wilhelm scream as they fall. Unfortunately for the duo, there were far more soldiers on the wall than they''d initially anticipated. Drake was barely holding them back with his rifle as Stasus did his best to block any bullets heading his way with his armour. Madeleine of course was assisting them, but there was only so much a sniper as powerful as hers could do against light armoured units... It was made for single heavy targets, not groups. By this time Karl, Veronica, and Tamia had caught up and gotten rid of the effects of the flashback. Veronica charges up the stairs with a silent roar and punches Drake in the back while he''s busy focused on other enemies. *BANG!* Her shot-gun powerfist fires into his side as she hits him, his armour not doing anything against the stopping power of the strike. A spray of blood follows a part of his side being obliterated, the force of the hit knocks him forwards, sending him sprawling over and accidentally off of the wall. Stasus attempts to retaliate with a strike, slicing at her shoulder and managing to hit... Unfortunately, her combat armour combined with the Deathclaw leather duster makes it almost impossible for his blade to harm her, it instead bites into the metal-polymer of armour and lodges itself there. Veronica uses this opportunity to punch Stasus in the face, but the man dodges backwards, eventually backing up against the side of the wall. "There''s a sniper about! Get your head down!" Karl manages to shout, allowing Veronica to duck in time as a heavy bullet goes past her head, skimming her hair and taking a few strands with it... Not that Veronica would mind, she hates her hair... Tamia peeks over the stairway and fires a couple more shots at Stasus as the man blocks his face with his arms, most of them do nothing to his metal armour, but she does manage to find purchase in the gaps at his joints. Karl arrives and is about to unload his LMG on the man, but Stasus seems to take his chances by throwing himself off of the wall... The wall itself isn''t actually that tall, so once the group look over, they spot Stasus carrying away a heavily injured Drake. *BANG!* The head of a soldier beside them explodes into red mist, forcing everyone else to duck behind cover, seemingly unable to give chase of fire at the retreating duo. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK! We can''t let those pieces of shit get away! How many people did they kill!?" Veronica shouts, but Tamia and Karl force her down to prevent her from doing something stupid. "You got a death wish or somethin''!? Keep fucking down or you''ll get another eye socket!" Karl loudly retorts, using the sword lodged in her shoulder as leverage to keep her still. "Atleast we aren''t empty-handed... They left some gifts for us." he states, gesturing at the rifle that fucker had been using to shoot lightning. It isn''t long before a brave soldier who peeks his head over spots the missing figures, meaning they''d escaped somewhere they''d not be able to follow... Karl sighs and lets Veronica go, leaning against the edge of the wall, "They sending assassins after us now? Should I feel proud they seem us important enough?" he jokes. Veronica shakes her head, "What I wanna know is who sent them, the NCR or the Legion." Tamia frowns, "Or the Brotherhood... That Hardin guy didn''t look happy about getting his ass beat." Veronica looks as if she''s about to refute that but Karl speaks up, "Oh fuck, we left Dogmeat..." The other two look at him with wide eyes and quickly stand, running towards where the Cyberdog had last been seen. Once they arrive they spot the whimpering cyborg with ED-E hovering protectively over it. Dogmeat''s leg had been severed and was slowly bleeding out, but a quick tourniquet and bandages temporarily sort him out for the time being. "Shit, boy... That kid''s gonna be on the warpath when he hears about this..." Karl mutters. "Wouldn''t he already be with how many people those guys killed?" Tamia asks. Karl shakes his head, "He''d mark that as simple casualties... No, he''s gonna take this personally, even if he ignores the fact they were obviously here for him..." Tamia stands and gently picks up Dogmeat, "We need to get a proper doctor in this place, I''ll head down to New Vegas when I have the chance and ask House if he knows anyone... Until then, let''s check the wounded and damages." she states as she marches towards the makeshift tent hospital... Chapter 433 - Unwanted Observations Afton had been completely unaware of the attack on Novac while he was in Big Mt. The only reason he''d been alerted to it was that Glados had detected damage to her ''observation unit'', better known as Dogmeat. A quick teleportation and he was once again inside Novac, immediately he was greeted by many weapons pointed at him, the Novac soldiers were all on edge and were waiting for some more intruders to face.?? Afton just crosses his arms and glares at them, "There better be a good reason you''re pointing those things at me." he growls out, causing the men to halt. Fortunately, Daisy walks over with an angry look and smacks a couple soldiers on the back of their heads, "What do you think you''re doing? Go on, get back to work!" she says before turning to Afton, "Welcome back... Has anyone told you about last nights events yet?" she asks. Afton shakes his head, "No, explain it to me... And where''s Dogmeat?" Daisy gestures for him to follow her as she begins explaining the events the night prior. She explains that the Mercenaries were here to kill Afton or someone close to him, judging by their attempts to gain access to the apartments. Afton had expected something like this to happen, but was sure the security of Novac was good enough to block most attempts... Somehow a few got through though... He would''ve laughed their attempts off had they not killed many people, and he certainly wasn''t laughing when he saw the state Dogmeat was in. The Cyberdog was missing a leg and had scorch marks covering it, blackened spots on its metal components with burns on its organic ones. Dogmeat whimpers as he kneels down next to it to examine its injuries, but Afton wasn''t really sure what weapon would cause something like this... Glados was helping examine its systems and reported that some of its nerves had been fried, something a flamethrower wouldn''t usually do... After a couple minutes, Glados eventually just tells him to transport Dogmeat to Big Mt so she can get it repaired or replaced. Afton nods to himself and does so, teleporting Dogmeat back so Borous, Dala, Glados and the other robots could help fix Dogmeat... Hopefully, he wouldn''t have to be replaced, Dogmeat had been a ''good boy'' as far as he was concerned. After seeing to Dogmeat he looks for his companions and eventually finds Boone on the southern wall watching the road. "Yo Boone, where is everyone? They all seem to have disappeared..." he asks as he approaches, Boone not even giving twitching at his sudden appearance. "Everyone but Tamia should be attending to the injured, or at least, helping those that know something about it... You''re a doctor right? You should probably be down there too." he states. Afton nods, "I will be, but I need to make sure everything is ok before that... Where did you say Tamia is?" "She left to go find a doctor." he states simply. "Wait what? Isn''t she on the NCR and Legion watchlist for associating with us?" Boone smirks, "You mean for associating with you, right?... Anyway, she has the protection of House, so she should be fine for now, she also took that floating robot-thing... Plus, that woman can handle herself." Afton sighs and leaves Boone to it as he heads down to the make-shift hospital they''d set up... He should still have his medical equipment in his backpack... But it''s been quite a long time since he''d properly used any of them. Elsewhere : Tamia kicks a rock as she walks North towards New Vegas, she''d only now realised how annoying walking actually is... She wished Afton or Josie had taught her how to drive on of those Vehicles. And given her permission to use one for that matter. She''d been walking for around Eight hours now, yet she was still a couple miles away from the 188 Trading Post. Though, At least she had some company, ED-E wasn''t just good at detecting incoming enemies, he also came with an inbuilt radio... Though, he didn''t seem to be able to lower the volume of it, so both of them were very, very noticeable as they walked through the Mojave. Of course, she''d encountered a few troubles along the way, halfway to the 188 Trading Post she''d run into an NCR barricade. She''d thought she would be arrested, but apparently she was the only one involved with Afton that didn''t have a bounty... For obvious reasons. *Bzztch!* Tamia raises a brow at ED-E at the strange sound he was emitting, "You alright Eddie?" she asks, but doesn''t receive its trademark beeps to indicate its mood. "*Bzzztch!*-And so you walk, far from those under your banner, to an old master with a new flag. Where will your path end? That, will be for you to decide.*Bzztch!*" Tamia scowls at the gravelly voice that''d come over the radio, this wasn''t the first time she''d heard it, whoever they are seemed to use ED-E to speak to communicate with her... They would occasionally chip in with unwanted observations on her situation, which meant they either had a good information network, or were watching her... She glances around the sandy area she was in for anyone, but finds herself still alone, the only sound she could hear being the desert winds and the old prewar songs ED-E was playing. Tamia rubs her temples, feeling yet another headache coming on... It was strange that she got a migraine every time she heard the voice, the fact they seemed to know her better than herself was worrying too. Afton says that the voice belonged to the one who helped save his sister in all but blood, Christine. And that they were looking to meet a courier... Which most likely meant Tamia herself. What she didn''t know was why they hadn''t just come up and spoken with her yet, did they have another goal in mind? Or was just fucking with her mental state deemed ''good enough''? She shakes her head and sighs before continuing to walk. Must be her old motto, or at least it felt like it... When in doubt, walk it off. Chapter 434 - Successful Doctor. Afton had just returned from Novac, he''d spent almost two days straight just helping the injured... Most people either had bullet wounds, breaks, or burns. Which was good and bad. Good because most would live, bad because the majority of people who were actually hurt in combat were outright killed. Whoever the mercenaries were, they definitely meant business. Lethal cuts to the neck and vitals, headshots, etc... Most of the injured were a result of deflected shots, shrapnel from cover, and accidents.?? Of course, Novac was in an uproar, and those who''d survived the attack were training far more than they ever did before, some to the extent of of passing out. As far as Afton was concerned, it was a wake-up call to those who were taking it easy ''under his protection''. It wasn''t like he hadn''t noticed the few freeloaders who took his food and did bare minimal training. Something like that was like a vacation for most denizens of the Mojave... Now however they might actually try putting some effort in. Afton himself decided to help speed up construction on the Power armour. It was time to make a message to the NCR and the Legion, make sure neither wanted to fuck with him or his people. He figured storming into the Fort under Caesar''s nose and getting out alive and without casualties would do the trick. Elsewhere : Shani motions over to the bathroom for her close friends to join her, once inside she looks them all dead in the eye and states, "We are all going to die if we stay here." The rest of the group look at her wide-eyed. "What? What do you mean?" Shani scowls at their naivety, "You think they''re just keeping u here to help tend to the fields? They are going to experiment on us and discard what''s left!" ... "No... Cass said we were staying here until the war ended. She wouldn''t lie about something like that!" "You don''t understand!... I-I know what will happen, I''ve seen it!" Shani pleads, but is let down by their disbelieving and suspicious looks. "I think you need a doctor Shani... You aren''t acting well..." "Yeah, have you been using Chems? Those things are really dangerous!" Shani just shakes her head and leaves the room, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs at their stupidity. Apparently her *close friends* she''d made during her stay here weren''t her friends at all! She walks straight out of the building and is about to head to an isolated spot to brood when she''d stopped by a floating drone with an orange eye. "You are upset." it states and Shani quickly shakes her head. "No, I''m fine... Just leave me alone!" "If you are not upset then by my calculations you are being affected by an arrhythmia... I will report this to Doctor Da-" "NO!" Shani cuts off the drone with a shout, afterwards clutching her mouth at her rather over the top reaction. "J-just no. I''m fine, I swear." she states and quickly walks past, ignoring the intense look the drone was giving her. "Report, Organic worker 31 is acting unusual, requesting extra surveillance." Glados thinks after receiving the information from one of her drones... Indeed, she''d been keeping an eye on this human as it had suddenly been acting out of her expectations for no reason. The spider bots she''d placed to spy on them had recorded the entire incident in the female bathroom, so it was clear the organism was having a psychotic break, or knew something Glados didn''t... Glados obviously ignored the latter option as she was the most advanced AI that had ever, or will ever be constructed. It was impossible for her to ever be wrong, only misunderstood. She lowers her body into the Think Tank and focuses her single orange eye on Doctor Dala, "Organic worker 31 needs a psyche evaluation, this must be completed within 48 hours." she states before leaving, not waiting for the scientist to respond. One day later : Shani screams as she''s dragged into the Think Tank by hundreds of tiny spider robots. Her arms and legs were bound and she couldn''t do anything but wriggle in a vain attempt to escape capture. Her heart was beating furiously at the fact her life might be ending soon, but not before agonizingly painful torture... The spiderbots continue to take her through the facility, and eventually end up in a laboratory underground. She''d grabbed by a mechanical arm that sprouts from the ceiling and placed on a surgery bed, bright lights momentarily blinding her as she''d forced onto her back. *Ssshck!* the sound of a door opening draws her attention, and she spots one of those freakish scientists floating inside, the weird monitors projecting facial features looking at her speculatively. "Greetings, I am Doctor Dala. I have received information that your mental stability is in question... I will examine you, and after you have been deemed ''sane'', you will be deposited at your work station or home, depending on where you should be." Dala explains, but this doesn''t bring any reassurance to Shani who was still sure her death was near. "Hmm." Dala hums, "No reply, possible damage to ears, eardrum, or auditory cortex... 31, do you hear me?" "I-I do..." Shani stutters out, realising that being uncooperative would have very, very bad results. "Did you ignore me before that, or could you simply not hear me?" "I-I heard you... I just couldn''t find the r-right words." Shani says, finding herself unconsciously focussing on the various scalping, drills, and saws attached to the scientist''s manipulators. "Oh? And why is that, my little skinvelope?" she asks curiously. "I am a-afraid of you... Afraid of what you might do to me..." she admits, feeling like being called ''skinvelope'' should derive a far bigger reaction than she gave. "OOooooh? Why would you be afraid of me? 67% of my operations have resulted in a success, this does not include my 99% Lobotomy rate, the only one of which to fail would be my Teddy bear." Dala says, only scaring Shani more. Does this psyche scan include a lobotomy? Shani thinks to herself as she starts sweating under the bright lights. Chapter 435 - The Ds Of Development. Afton is back in the forbidden dome laboratory after helping the injured in Novac for a couple days. He could''ve stayed longer to tend to people, but he felt getting this project completed sooner would be better for everyone in the long run. He''d gotten news that one of the ''guests'' had required a psych evaluation, but he ignored that for now and instead marched inside the lab.?? It doesn''t take long for him to locate Mobius and Klein who were already arguing about something while in front of what could only be the prototype chest plate. It looked very different from the T51b armour it was based on, instead of having large plates that''d limited agility for added protection, this armour was more akin to thick lamellar. Thick plates intersected one another but were placed in a way to allow the utmost agility while not giving too much protection. The fact the scientists were able to use Saturnite probably gave them more options than the US Military had when designing their armour... Saturnite was simply just lighter and stronger, even with its few negatives. Its chestpiece of course was one large piece of Saturenite that encompassed most of the upper body. You''d likely need a few thousand .50cal bullets shooting at one specific point to get through it, that''s how thick and sturdy it was. It traced down and had more lamellar-like metal plates on its abdomen to allow movement. Of course, at Afton''s request, the armour also had significant crouch protection... Though, that part of the armour was covered by a synthetic cloth that had many tiny plates of Lamallar reinforcing it. It looked like any old plate skirt, it ended at the thigh and didn''t go any longer to avoid potentially restricting movement. After asking the scientists, the synthetic material''s protection was better at absorbing energy weapon fire than actual bullets... The reason for this was obvious, one too many laser shots to the crotch would have his balls literally frying in the armour... Not fun. The armour''s arms were sturdy and plated in a way to protect the joints from lucky shots. Honestly, Afton thought that the scientists had taken massive inspiration from the medieval armours of old... Which wasn''t a bad idea since move of their armours actually worked. The hands were the same, riveted plates that''d protect the hands from a couple .50cal shots if needed, but still allowed you to grab, gesture, and interact with objects with acceptable dexterity. Of course, the knuckles had small serrated blade attached to them, Afton wasn''t sure if they were more useful for combat or for intimidating folks... The legs were more heavily armoured than the arms were, more metal over the joints, knee, and ankle. There were spiked bits of metal on the knee guards and feet, to allow Afton or anyone else wearing the armour to ''kick the shit and internal organs out of someone. Afton certainly wouldn''t want to be on the opposite end of one of those attacks... Back to the scientists, they were still arguing about what they should actually put inside the armour, as they had been last time when discussing the helmet. Apparently they couldn''t decide on whether or not a jetpack would actually be useful to its user... It provided a massive target, and if the fuel compartment was breached it''d probably lead to instant death. Plus, there wasn''t really all that much the jetpack would be used for... The Mojave is essentially just a flat plain with a few canyon''s here and there. "Having air superiority would make the armour 400% more efficient in combat!" Mobius exclaims. "THAT''S NOT WHAT AIR SUPERIORITY MEANS YOU IMBECILE! THE JETPACK YOU ARE PROPOSING WOULD ONLY ALLOW FOR MINUTES OF BARELY WALKING-SPEED FLIGHT! YOU ARE JUST IGNORING THE 300% INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF DEATH TO THE USER!" "Guys, guys." Afton walks in between them with a dull expression, turning towards Mobius first, "I like the idea, but for the mission this armour is built for a jetpack would be a liability... Perhaps if you developed a more efficient fuel and propulsion system it might be viable, but for now keep it out of the designs... Until we want a battalion of flight-capable soldiers..." he says placatingly. "Afton?.. Hmmm. Very well..." Mobius says as if he were pouting... "LOBOTOMITE!... EX-LOBOTOMITE! WE WERE JUST WAITING FOR YOU TO ARRIVE SO WE COULD DISCUSS THE ARMOUR''S FEATURES!" Afton crosses his arms, ignoring the ''Lobotomite'' name Klein continues to use for him and just nods for him to continue. "WE HAVE ALREADY INTEGRATED THE VARIOUS DEFENSIVE OPTION YOU WISHED FOR, HEAT RESISTANT MATERIAL, ENERGY WEAPON DEFENCES AND THE LIKE. WE HAVE ALSO ADDED A PORT THAT WILL ALLOW YOUR STEALTH SUIT''S AI TO INHABIT THE ARMOUR AND MANUALLY ACTIVATE CERTAIN FUNCTION SHOULD THAT BE REQUIRED." he explains and Mobius continues. "Indeed. Unfortunately, as you are urging the progress to be completed as soon as possible,we were unable to add the forcefield additions that you wished for... The devices still need to be downscaled enough to properly fit in the armour... We were able to create the HUD you wanted however, it will assist in targeting, identifying, distance estimation, and mapping. Using your Stealth Suits inbuilt proximity sensor, it should be able to map out a small amount of territory around you, though, there are many factors that could scramble this data, so try not to rely on it." Afton nods, "I hope you remembered that I wanted two suits made, right?" Both scientists nod their bodies, "We have, though, without the Stealth Suit and it''s AI the other suits functions would be limited. No mapping, no AI, etc." Mobius explains. Afton shrugs, "That doesn''t really matter, we can look to upgrading them more in future. Think of the mission as a stress test for them." he says but begins thinking about the servos... "Hey, do you think I could try it on for now? I think we may need to calibrate the servos to my strength specifically... I''m not really normal in that regard." Chapter 436 - Evaluating Worth As Afton had suspected, the servos of the Power armour were designed for those with regular, or above-average strength... Afton certainly wasn''t in either category, so when he tried to move in the armour, he felt slow and sluggish. There was, of course, a good reason for this, if the strength was set too high the armour might tear someone''s arm off, but that wasn''t really a problem for Afton who had 11 Strength and potentially more depending on the circumstances.?? To rectify this he explained his varying strength to the scientists and got them to recalibrate it, and add some leniency for when his strength increased in combat. Though, Afton didn''t really think it was possible for him to take damage while in the suit, so his strength might well stay the same while he is wearing it. After a few more hours of testing, Afton was finally happy with the armour... It still needed some touch-ups here and there, but he''d let the scientists handle that. Hopefully Tamia wouldn''t take too long to find a doctor or he might just head to the Fort without her. Elsewhere : "Those fuckers took ma'' gun!" Drake exclaims as he sits up, aggravating his injuries further. "Will you just lay the fuck down and stop ruining the work I just put in? You tear the stitches one more time and I''ll let you bleed out!" Madeleine growls out, resting a hand on her shoulder with a threatening look. "W-well we can''t just do nothin''! They stole my shit and stopped us from raking in the caps!" "I don''t know, I heard that this Parker guy is tougher than all of his group combined... I think you are lucky he wasn''t in the base." Hunter adds from the side, placing pieces of shrapnel on the makeshift table as if he were doing a puzzle. Madeleine nods, "Just looks at Stasus, I ain''t seen him beat up this bad since fighting that Lanius fucker..." Drake scowls, "Don''t remind me, this is the second damn time we''ve had to run away with nothing to show for it!" Madeleine just shakes her head, "Better than what most groups do... Most groups don''t go waltzing into a heavily fortified town and come out alive." Drake jus snorts, "Barely." "Well too bad you lost your gun, but I had to use all of my decoy''s to save your sorry butt!" Hunter states, wondering if trading his grenades for Drake''s life was even worth it. "Hunter, that gun isn''t something you can get back like a grenade, it''s a prototype the NCR had hidden away in a lab, I doubt there''s another like it in the world!" Madeleine scoffs, "Well you shoulda thought about that before getting cocky. Now, we''re headed to the NCR Outpost to rest up, afterwards we can think on what we should do afterwards." she states, not giving Drake any opportunity to complain. Elsewhere : Tamia had just entered the Strip from Freeside, she''d been getting the stink-eye from every NCR soldier she walks past, but she ignores it. They had probably been told of her affiliation with Afton and his group, but didn''t want to offend House by acting against her. Still, it was getting pretty annoying... She''d gone from a courier with amnesia to Houses agent with a storied past. Who is also incredibly famous and known throughout the Mojave.... For some reason. Shaking her head, she greets Victor and enters the Lucky 38, travelling up the elevator and eventually standing before Mr House, or at least the computer that claims to be him. "You''re back... And without having completed the task I''ve given you I might add." House states knowingly. Tamia just shrugs at him, "To be honest, I haven''t really had the chance... I''ve been pretty busy." "Indeed you have, how''s Novac coming along? Look to me like you have the start of an independent nation brewing." Tamia shakes her head, "Nothing like that, we''re just making sure the town and its people are safe. With both the NCR and Legion wanting the position and Afton, the place would have been destroyed without our intervention." "Ah, now that I agree with. Both sides would fling faeces at each other until nothing remains of the town but a crater. But that is not what worries me, it is your relationship with this Afton Parker that I am finding difficult. The revelation of his origins that the Legion so helpfully shouted across the Mojave has tainted your reputation, and subsequently, mine." House explains. Tamia squints at him, not liking where this is going, "And what would you have me do? Cut ties and find some other group willing to raid the Legion''s headquarters?" "No, no. Not at all. Even I could see Afton and his group''s worth in causing utter mayhem and destruction. You will need something like that in order to get out alive. No, all I am saying is to be careful who you are seen collaborating with. As far as I''m concerned, the Legion can sit in their radioactive squaller and die out in agony... But the NCR is a useful ally to have, they provide the majority of New Vegas''s income I''ll have you know. The tourism, gambling, whoring, and luxuries the NCR civilians and soldiers imbibe, breathe life into this city. Without them, I''d be forced to deal with tribes and wanderers, which certainly wouldn''t lead to the civilised society I am trying to foster." Tamia nods, "Good, because I have no intentions of betraying them. Plus, if you need a persuasive reason to keep them around, know that Afton has access to technologies and scientists far above whatever the NCR and Legion have available. I''d want to keep on his good side if I were you, the shit I''ve already seen him doing is far beyond anything I''ve seen in New Vegas." she explains, not giving the man any specifics but letting him know just how valuable Afton could potentially be. "Hm? Is that so? Perhaps I need to reevaluate his worth then..." House mutters before turning his attention back to Tamia. "Now, what is it you have come here for?" Chapter 437 - Arcade With Professionalism. Thankfully, House did know of one ''decent'' doctor who might be willing to temporarily relocate. He''d sent Tamia down to the Old Mormon Fort where the Followers of the Apocolypse were located. Apparently, the group had been causing him trouble since they moved in, messing with RobCo tech when they had the chance, attempting to hack into the Lucky 38 to find the source of House''s longevity, and even telling new visitors to New Vegas to not waste their lives away in a casino... Yeah, House didn''t like them one bit.?? So, Tamia considered that she may have been sent to ''steal'' one of their doctors to slow the group''s influence gain in Freeside. The Followers of the Apocolypse were basically the only charity service in the Mojave, and they spent most of their time healing those in need, helping people with addictions, and providing shelter to those who''d spent their life savings in the strip. Tamia thought they were pretty respectable, regardless though, Novac needed a doctor. And that is where she''d find one. House had told her about one man who was considered better than the rest, more researcher and scientist than an actual doctor from what he''d managed to find out. Arcade Isreal Gannon. It isn''t difficult to enter the Mormon Fort, for all intents and purposes it''s almost always open. The only exception to this rule is when gangs attempt to raid the place for medical supplies and to take advantage of the weak and injured. As has become usual these days, she receives hard and curious looks from various people as she walks in. A woman with a wild mohawk walks towards her with a stern expression, "Excuse me, do you have business here?" Tamia raises a brow at the oddly hostile greeting, "Yeah, I''m looking for a guy called Arcade Gannon, know ''em?" "Depends on why you need him." she states, and Tamia just huffs at the woman. "I just need to talk with him, that''s all." Julia lets out a long sigh and gestures towards a tent at the back of the fort, "He should be over there, I''ll be keeping an eye on you though." he states and Tamia nods, walking over to the tent. Tamia approaches the tent and enters inside, spotting a man with short blonde hair and glasses hunched over a table with heaps of paperwork. "Er, hello?" The man jolts at the sudden greeting and slowly turns to her, "Hi. You need something?" he abruptly and rather rudely asks. Tamia nods, "I''m here to ask for your help-" "Oh, really." Arcade cuts her off, "Let me guess, Someone sprained their ankle and everyone else is busy with more pressing matters? OH! Or have they run outta coffee again?" Tamia raises a brow, "Er, no... Does-" "Ah, I know! Did they need someone to clean the faeces from someone''s clothes?" he asks, seemingly frustrating himself further as he continue. "No!" Tamia finally exclaims, stopping Arcade''s rant. "I don''t even work with the Followers of the Apocolypse... Is that something they usually make you do?" she asks, feeling like Arcade smarter than that Julia chick she''d spoken with earlier. Arcade shrugs, "Alright, I may have been slightly facetious, but not by much. My research is important, and yet they treat it like toilet paper, sure it''s on a bit of a slump, but you can''t force progress!" he sighs and looks back at her, "You said you needed help?" Tamia nods, "Not just me, but a whole town. I come from Novac, you heard of it?" His eyes light up in recognition, "Ah, yes, I''ve heard of it... And you more importantly... The mysterious courier working for House, right?" "I wouldn''t say ''mysterious'', just forgettable." she jokes. Arcade snorts, "Forgettable? You''re making history... I''m still undecided whether that''s good or not though... What do you need from me? From what I heard Novac has become a fortress, I''m not exactly soldier material." Tamia looks him over, "I don''t know, I think you have potential... But that besides the point, we need a doctor. The town was hit hard the other day by some mercenaries hired by the NCR or the Legion... Or both... To be honest I wouldn''t be surprised if there was a third party involved with attention we''ve attracted." "A doctor, huh?... I don''t know, I mean, my research might be in a slump but it''s nothing a bit of elbow grease couldn''t fix... Plus there are probably hundreds of other doctors you could hire that aren''t using their skills for the betterment of their fellow man." Tamia shrugs, "There probably are, but I doubt I could trust them. Who''s to say they won''t be bribed to botch procedures, poison the citizens, and assassinate high priority targets? At least you come with a rather fantastic recommendation." "Recommendation?" questions Arcade who seems thoroughly confused. Tami nods, "House sent me in your direction. If that ain''t something to be proud about then I don''t know what is." "H-House? He knows who I am?... He''s watching me?" Arcade chokes at her words, the implications of which making him look around the tent anxiously. "Forget about that, if he wanted to do something he wouldn''t have sent me here... Plus, he seems to have a good opinion of you, better than the rest of the people here. Anyway, you wouldn''t have to stop your research, just put it on hold whenever someone gets injured... Think of it as a scientific expedition." she urges, attempting to persuade the man. "Hmm... I mean, people do say that working on a problem from different angles helps its completion... Novac..." he trails off, "Do you know someone called Daisy? They should still be living there." he asks, sitting up straight. Tamia nods, "Daisy''s fun. She''d currently the mayor of Novac." ... "Mayor? Huh, never thought she''d willingly take that job." he shakes his head, "Whatever, you''ve convinced me." he says, standing up and grabbing a satchel and stuffing his papers inside, afterwards grabbing a bunch of medical supplies and storing them. As he''s doing this Tamia notices the Plasma defender holstered on his hip under his lab coat. At least he knows how to defend himself she thinks to herself. Chapter 438 - Suicidal Planner Afton, Karl, Boone, Josie, Veronica and Anja were all currently inside an apartment building discussing the plan of infiltrating the Fort. The Power armour had been completed a couple days ago, so all they needed now was to actually plan out the assault and to wait for Tamia to return. Boone prods at finger at the holographic map on the table, courtesy of Afton and the Think Tank. "If you are going to be bringing Power armour I doubt they''ll simply let you on their raft." he states, pointing at Cottonwood Cove.?? Karl nods, "The Mark of Caesar Tamia received would only allow one person to accompany her... The rest of us would have to find another way into the Fort." Afton shrugs at them and traces a finger at Hoover Dam, "Couldn''t we just drive across the Dam and sneak up to the Fort? I know their defences would be massive, but with Dirt-Hog and a lot of bullets we could probably manage..." "I don''t know... Last I saw the Legion''s fortifications East of the Dam were enough to stop an army in their tracks. They might''ve laid down mines, built walls, and created pitfalls after losing the first battle of Hoover Dam." Afton sighs while tapping the table, he''s about to offer another option when the apartment door opens, revealing Tamia who strolls in. "Welcome back." he says. Tamia nods at him, "I found our doctor, I left him with Daisy so they can catch up before he sets up in the medical tent." "Anyone we know?" Afton asks, curious at who she picked. She shrugs, "A guy called Arcade Gannon, House recommended him. Anyway, what''s this?" "Battle plans." Karl states but Veronica snorts, "More like Suicide plans. Right now we''ve got sending you into Cottonwood Cove, a slave camp, with one escort. While everyone else hops in Dirt-Hog and drives into heavily fortified land that may or may not been absolutely filled with mines." Afton sighs, "When you put it like that it sounds like we haven''t done anything..." "I''m not saying you haven''t done anything, just that what you have done is dogshit stuck to the bottom of a shit sandwich..." "If you''ve got a better plan then feel free to speak up." Boone asks pointedly, shutting Veronica up for now. Tamia walks over and looks at the map, "Seems like there aren''t really any other options... What would the NCR think if you guys tried to drive over the Dam?" ... "You didn''t think about that, did you?" she asks with a dull look. Afton palms his face, "To be fair, it''s only recently we''ve been enemies with the NCR. It''s not like I expected the Legion to blurt out my identity to everyone with and without ears." Tamia just shakes her head and points at the Northside of the Fort where the Colorado intersects between an NCR camp and the Legion headquarters. "What are the chances of building our own raft and using that here?" Afton shakes his head, "Impossible, if we ignore the fact we''d have both NCR and Legion shooting at us while we paddled across the river, we''d still be surrounded with no viable way to retreat... Considering the fact we''re trying to rescue Karl''s daughter, it''s pretty important... Dirt-Hog is probably our best bet at actually getting in and out. Plus, with the Power armour we''ll be using, swimming would be impossible, plus the fact that neither are designed to work underwater... Yet." "So what do we do?" Josie asks while sipping a beer as if the discussion doesn''t involve her. Afton breathes a long sigh, "Tamia and Josie head through Cottonwood Cove through the ''official'' entrance. Josie isn''t all that high-profile so her past with the NCR wouldn''t immediately be noticed, plus the fact she''s a woman-" ""Hey!"" "Fuck you." ... Afton raises a brow at the angry looks he''s receiving and snorts, "I don''t mean that in a bad way, I mean that the Legion are all sexist pieces of shit and will underestimate you." he explains before continuing, "Anyway, the rest of us will drive over the Hoover Dam and breach through any defences they may have... It''s going to be a shit show, but that''s what you signed up for. Before this happens, Tamia and Josie will try and locate Karl''s daughter. If or when you find them, you will take them to House''s underground bunker where they''ll be kept out of the subsequent fighting... Hmm... If you two take Dogmeat then you''ll be able to triangulate the coordinates to teleport... Yeah, that''s what we''ll do." he mutters the last part. "Take Dogmeat with you and teleport Karl''s daughter out of there, afterwards find the bunker and do what House wanted. If you aren''t able to get inside without fighting then wait for us to arrive and we''ll do it all together... To be honest, I doubt House''s super-secret bunker would be easy to get inside... If it was the Legion would''ve gained access years ago." ... "Why don''t we just teleport into the base?" Karl asks, getting nods from everyone else. "Because I''d rather not reveal that we are able to teleport... It''s bad enough that some of the soldiers in Novac are aware of it. If we just show the Legion what we can do they''d just snitch on us to the Brotherhood... I don''t know about you guys, but we''ve got enough on our plate against the NCR and the Legion right now... Plus, I''d rather have Dirt-Hog as backup in case something goes wrong... It''ll provide firing power, cover, and a viable escape should we need it. Cool?" Karl shrugs, "Still think teleporting inside would be easier than fighting through an army... How do you expect to get through the initial defences East of the Dam?" Afton just smirks at him and flashes the Range Finder. "Good thing we have a spare ''nuke'' to drop on them." Anja raises her hand to talk, as if she were inside a classroom, "Er, sir... Won''t using that be the same and showing our teleportation?" Afton shrugs, "I doubt anyone will survive the initial blast, and we can play it off afterwards as a nuclear detonation... It''ll probably be fine, for a while at least." Chapter 439 - Land Of The Legion "I still think this is a stupid idea!" Josie quietly says to Tamia as they walk towards the entrance of Cottonwood Cove, Dogmeat following close beside them. Already they could see the various Legion scouts coming in and out of their peripheral, probably to report their approach. "Yeah? Well, tough. You didn''t give any better ideas so this is what we''re stuck with!" Tamia retorts and elbows Josie to make her aware of the men approaching them.?? They all wear red-sportswear that''d been reshaped into makeshift armour. Each wearing black shaded goggles and masks to protect their face from the sandy wind. "You are trespassing in Legion territory! State your business or bear the consequences!" the leader of the group commands, each of his men already prepared to draw their weapons. Tamia gives the man a dull look, "Did Caesar not tell you all that I''d be coming?" she asks, flashing the Mark of Caesar she''d received. Upon seeing it the Legionaries all jolt and turn to their leader in deference. "M-mark!? Forgive me, I was not aware Caesar had extended such a gift... You are here to meet with the Great Caesar then?" Tamia nods, "I am, hopefully we can be quick about this, I have something of great import for Caesar." she states and the man rapidly nods. "Of course! Follow me! Also, try to keep your mutt close." he says, leading the duo down the hill towards the Cove. Tamia and Josie both look with barely concealed anger at the state of the place. Hundreds, if not thousands of Legionaries are present, red tents scattered as far as their eyes can see with one main building in the middle, judging by the antenna, it''s most likely to communicate via the radio. Nearby there''s a caged area with many downtrodden and gaunt-looking people inside, each wearing a thick collar around their neck that occasionally flashed with a red light. The leader upon noticing their gaze smiles at them, "Like the pens? After you''ve made your report to Caesar, I''ll allow you to buy one of them... Perhaps a male?... No? Would you prefer younge-" "No!... No. We prefer, erm, willing slaves... It is much more satisfying to have them lick our boots than to grovel and beg." Tamia says, sending a couple glances to Josie who''s struggling to not punch the man. The man slowly nods, "Ah, yes. I understand. I get where you are coming from, sometimes gratitude is much sweeter than terror... But both have their place." "Are those all the slaves?" Tamia suddenly asks, remembering that they''re supposed to be rescuing Karl''s daughter. The Legionary shakes his head, "Only the new ones we''ve managed to bring in. Why?" "Just wondering... I thought the Legion would have far more slaves than that paltry sum." Tamia explains with a sheepish smile. Soon enough they''re led down to the dock itself, there''s a small shack/bar next to it, as well as a large raft floating beside the end of the walkway. There''s a single man standing atop it with a large paddle making Tamia wonder how he was going to transport them up the river without any help... They aren''t asked any other questions by the Legionaries, Caesar''s word is law here, so questioning who he hands his mark to is tantamount to heresy... The punishment? Exterminatus... Just joking! It''s only crucifixion. Tamia and Josie are led onto the raft and told to sit, stand or whatever else is most comfortable for them. Afterwards the single man starts paddling with all his might up the river, sweat pools off of him almost immediately, and both of the duo are sure he''d pass out fairly soon. Fortunately, he seems sturdier than initially expected. They''re taken up the Colorado but not close enough to the Dam itself to be seen. Instead, they dock on the East side of the river and travel up a rather hidden pathway After going through the secret passages and such, they are brought into the main defences of the Legion''s frontlines. They''re given odd looks, but ignored entirely as they''re lead towards the Fort which sits on the top of the large hill. The path to the Fort itself winds in zig-zag patterns up the hill, but eventually, they reach a large gate that leads to a bridge that overlooks a large pit. Before they''re let inside however they''re stopped by the gatekeeper, "Guests to the Fort are required to relinquish all prohibited weaponry." he states while looking at the duo with crossed arms. Tamia looks at Josie and shrugs, handing over her revolver but leaving her Proton axe on her waist, no point letting them know what it does. Josie does the same but the man continues to glare at Tamia, "What is that?" he asks, gesturing at the Proton axe. Tamia shrugs, "It''s a metal splint in case I hurt my leg again... I''ve got a niggling knee injury you see, and I don''t trust the rotten pieces of wood that pass for splints." she explains, giving the most convincing look she can... Though, to most, it would just look like she was constipated. The man takes it and looks it over, barely missing the ignition switch on it, he shrugs and hands it back, "Do not wield it inside the Fort or you will be dealt with immediately." he states and Tamia nods. "What''ll happen to our weapons?" Tamia asks, knowing that they''ll probably not get them back with how shit was going to go down soon. "I will return them to you when you exit. Now begone, Caesar has been eager to meet you." the man states, gesturing on the pathway ahead. The duo continues forward with their guide leading them, they walk up the hill and are greeted by the sight of many slaves carrying excruciatingly heavy items on their deformed backs. They are all gaunt, skinny, and disease-ridden, showing just how terrible the conditions here really are. More bafflingly were the children running here and there, occasionally throwing rocks at the slaves and laughing. "Little bastards." Josie mutters under her breath, trying not to glare dagger at them but failing spectacularly. Chapter 440 - Show Of Power... Armour. A small group of kids run up to Tami and Josie as they''re walking, "Hey woman, what are you doing here? And why is your dog so weird?" the young boy asks. Tamia raises a brow, this kid was around four years old, yet he''s talking like an old misogynistic pervert... "''Woman?'' Haven''t you''re parents ever taught you to respect your elders?" she asks.?? The boy tilts his head at her and a slightly older boy speaks up, "Ignore her Carlos, my da'' calls people like her ''holes with legs''... Hey, where is your neck brace?" he wonders, probably referring to the many bomb collars the slaves could be seen wearing. Josie scowls at them, "It ain''t right to throw stones at people, even if they are slaves." she states, but only gets laughter in return. "Slaves aren''t people! My da'' told me so!" Tamia just shakes her head, "Whatever, Josie we got a job to do. You kids try and keep your heads down and outta trouble." she says, not really caring if these little punks get killed in the rampage that''d be happening soon. As far as she was concerned they were already corrupted by the poison the Legion spews, not fit for civilised society. They leave the boys who continue throwing rocks and stones at the slave and eventually reach the Fort, the walled-off fortress at the top of the hill. Their guide is about to lead them to the biggest tent in the middle of the place where Caesar resides, but is luckily called off to do something somewhere else. That leaves Tamia and Josie with another guide, but it isn''t difficult to mislead him into doing what they want. "Is it ok for us to look around before we speak to Caesar? I''ve always wanted to see the magnificence of the Fort, the greatest and strongest place in the Mojave." Tamia asks, and the guy blushes slightly at the praise before nodding. "Sure, where do you want to go?" he asks. Tamia sends a small grin at Josie before looking back at him, "I don''t know, how about we just walk around for a bit? I''d like to get familiar with the place before I am sent off to do as Caesar commands." Elsewhere : Afton and Veronica were fully suited up in Power armour. She was in the back while he was currently driving Dirt-Hog, other than them, Karl, Boone, Anja, and ED-E were in the back as well. They had just passed by the remnants of Boulder City and were already approaching Hoover Dam... Unfortunately, it seems that the NCR had radioed in their progress, so once they spotted Hoover Dam, they noticed the huge contingent of soldiers waiting for them. Afton drives Dirt-Hog around the mountainous path and stops the vehicle in-front fo the soldiers. They could barely see him through the tinted bullet-proof windows, but that doesn''t matter much since he kicks the door open and steps out of the truck. A few of the NCR soldiers back away slightly at the sight of Afton... If they weren''t intimidated by him before, they certainly were now. The armour was a matte silvery blue, Afton didn''t want to make the mistake of having shiny armour, so he tarnished it to prevent Saturnite''s reflective properties... Though, the metal itself was tinted slightly blue, thus the colour of the armour. The eyes of his helmet glow a slight red as the hud activates and identifies every individual nearby, ED-E in Dirt-Hog boosting Nyx''s already impressive proximity sensors. His hud had already marked the enemies who could potentially deal damage to the armour, the Veteran Rangers wielding Anti-Material Rifles were among them, along with the few with heavy explosives. On Afton''s armoured hip sat his Sonic Emitter, Plasma pistol, and Proton Axes. On his back was his Anti-Material Rifle that''d been slightly modified to allow use while in Power armour, and in a hidden compartment lied the Range Finder that activates the Orbital Laser. He was unfortunately forced to utilise other weapons than his usual ballistics as the gauntlets of the Power armour made it almost impossible to use them without modifying them... Afton was willing to do this for the Anti-Material rifle, but not for his pistols and revolvers, since the trigger guards were actually important for them. He slowly steps forwards towards the large blockade of soldiers, each stop imprinting his large armoured feet into the dirt. No one gave any indication to fire, so he eventually reached them... Afton towered over a trooper who looked like he was about to piss himself, his glowing red visor making him look like a demon in their eyes. "I need to speak to your commander." Afton asks, the voice modulator making his voice sound deeper than it already is. "I''m already here. You''re Afton Parker, right? Brotherhood of Steel affiliated mercenary who until recently has been in NCR employ." a woman says as she walks up, she looks around fifty years old with tired eyes and short hair. "That''s Former-Brotherhood of Steel member, figures the Legion wouldn''t add that part." he snorts, "Can''t believe you simpletons actually listened to Legion propaganda. I''m one of the biggest threats to them, so is it that hard to believe they''d have a vested interest in making us enemies, miss?" "It''s Colonel Cassandra Moore, and no, we don''t just take what the Legion provides as fact. We investigated and found you wanted, Parker. Even still, that doesn''t explain what you are doing here, fully armoured and armed, with an assault vehicle in NCR territory." she asks with accusatory eyes. Afton chuckles, "Well, if I wanted you to kill you chuckle-heads I wouldn''t have gotten outta my truck to do it. No, I''m here to get payback against the Legion. Unless you know of another way to get across the Colorado with my truck?" he asks, amused at the sighs of relief a few of the soldiers give at his words. Chapter 441 - Orbital Blockage Removal Colonel Moore just raises a brow at him, she hadn''t thought he''d be stupid enough to actually try and attack the Legion''s front line forces. "You know, even with that truck of yours you''ll definitely die if you go there." she states, not believing anything else could occur. "Wish I could see your face when you find out just how wrong you are." he crosses his arms, "So let''s go down to brass tacks... Will you let us pass unmolested or not?" he asks, the tension rising suitably to match his tone and confidence.?? "As happy as I would be to let you commit suicide, you still have many crimes to answer for... The deaths of Ranger Emory Emmerich and Lowell Thompson Jr, and in all probability more." she states. Afton tilts his head downwards to look her in the eyes, "Is this from pride or stupidity, Colonel? Would you really risk the lives of all the men here for no real justifiable reason?" Her lips for ma thin line as she tries to meet his eyes through the visor, "Just who do you think has the advantage here, Parker? We have dealt with technology similar to what you''re wearing before, did you think we wouldn''t have methods of dealing with it?" she asks with a scowl. Afton chuckles, "Oh? Do you mean the twenty-one Rangers armed with Anti-Material Rifles? The few soldiers armed with Pulse Grenades? The guys armed with high explosives?" he lists off, the Colonel struggling not to gape at him as he does so. "My tech isn''t like what the Brotherhood of Steel or even the Enclave uses. Mine is better... So, if you want to try your luck against me and my truck." he gestures over his shoulder with his thumb at the K9000 that was now pointing at the small army. "Go ahead, make my day." he growls, yet again stealing Clint Eastwood''s catchphrase... Not that anyone else knew, as far as they were concerned Afton had coined the phrase. A few soldiers shuffle uncomfortably as they send glances to Colonel Moore. Obviously, most didn''t really care about the supposed crimes Afton had committed, even less so allowing him to attack the Legion''s front lines... Even if he failed, he''d probably take some of the red-fucks with him. Of course, Afton was bluffing slightly... His armour was definitely more advanced than whatever the Brotherhood had, but the Enclave was another matter entirely... He simply had no idea what tech they had or even if they could properly use it. Colonel Moore glares at him, though, whether she''s actually thinking about a solution or just stubbornly resisting him Afton had no idea. "Well?" he asks, and Moore looks like she''s about to retort when the sound of the trucks turret opening occurs behind him. Glancing backwards, Afton spots Veronica in full Power armour peeking out the top of the truck, "Afton! We gonna go or what? Stop measuring dicks! We''ve got shit to do!" she exclaims, but her words don''t reach the soldiers... The only thing they realise is that Afton isn''t the only one equipped in Power armour... And that the advantage they supposedly held isn''t as great as they once thought. Colonel Moore growls under her breath before finally gesturing with a hand at the soldiers behind her, "Let them pass. We''ll scavenge what we can off of their bodies once the Legion deals with them. Keep an eye on them as they go across the Dam." she states as she leaves, entering back inside the Dam. The soldiers look left and right at each other before scrambling back into their positions. The Rangers taking point atop the towers while the soldiers gather around the various barricades. Usually, they wouldn''t be this alert, but once Afton and his group cross the Legion might counter-attack, so they had to be ready. Afton nods and heads back into the truck, Veronica stays hanging out the top of the truck while manning the turret. It was best for her to do it as she was far more armoured than everyone else and wouldn''t immediately die to a stray bullet. Afton sighs as he starts up the truck and starts driving, "Nyx, make a note to train the others in how to use Power Armour..." "Done, and done." the AI chipperly replies. "Nice." The ride across the Dam is quiet, tense, and a tight squeeze... A few soldiers had to get out of the way so the truck could pass by... The walkways were designed for humans, not vehicles, so it was pretty surprising that they were driving across with such ease. Regardless, soon enough they reach the East side of the dam. At the end were tall canyon walls and a single path towards, of which there was a huge blockade of scrap metal, wood, and stone that''d been compiled into one large wall. Legionaries were everywhere, atop the canyon, atop the wall, even in front of the wall... There was a reason the NCR weren''t able to completely get rid of the Legion, even despite winning the Battle for the Dam. Their defences were simply far too great for any regular force to breach... Ten Legionaries could probably defend against one hundred NCR troops with relative ease, simply due to the advantageous positions around the blockade. Afton stops the vehicle a good distance away, but it was clear to see that the Legionaries had noticed the truck. They were all gathering, preparing to call for reinforcements, and setting up artillery to use should Afton attack. "That looks like a tough nut to crack, Afton... Any plans aside from crashing into it?" Veronica asks from the back of the truck. Afton grins under his helmet and retrieves the Range Finder from the hidden compartment in his armour. "Yeah, just one." he states, slowly opening the window and pointing the Range Finder at the blockage... Due to it being high noon, the lasers were almost invisible, and the Legionaries were completely unaware, even when the Orbital Bombardment began. Through a cloud, a huge laser blasts from the sky and into the blockage, incinerating anything that is unfortunate enough to get caught in it. The wall holds up for a couple seconds, at least, until it starts melting and turning into molten slag, and lava. Chapter 442 - Blaze Of Destruction! The few NCR troops that were ordered to keep an eye on Afton and his groups progress were confused when he stopped his truck before reaching the Legionary blockade... They were far enough that they were forced to look through the scopes of their rifles, and use binoculars to properly see what was happening... This is why almost all of them were completely blinded when something shot down from the clouds... they were lucky their retinae were completely burned out by the light show, the few who were lucky enough to avoid temporary blindness were greeted with the view from hell...?? The blockade that''d previously been standing had been reduced into glowing red molten muck. The one who kept most of his senses immediately radioed into the base, "Colonel!" "*Bzztch!* What is it now? Did Parker and his buddies kick the bucket yet? Over." "*Bzztch!* NO! They stopped and the Legion blockade disappeared!... It''s gone, Colonel!" Colonel Moore''s eyes widen, she glances around at the other men in the room who were listening to the conversation and they have similar expressions... "*Bzztch* Soldier, report what happened!" "*Bzztch!* A flash of light from the sky, like someone dropped a nuke on the Legion blockade! There''s nothing left Colonel!" the man continues to ramble, clearly taken aback by what''d just happened. Upon hearing this Colonel Moore looks around at all of her frozen aids, "Well?! What''re you doing!? Prepare the troops! We''ll gain some ground and destroy their defensive positions while Parker keeps them distracted!" she exclaims, causing the rest of the men to scramble to complete their orders. Back with Afton, Veronica starts revving up the .308 Machine gun turret as he drives past what was left of the barricade. Everyone in the back was giving their own mini-celebration at the utter destruction Afton had just caused, despite it though, they remained composed and ready to fight. "Take that you fuckin'' slaver bastards!" Afton laughs as he accelerates forward, the truck shooting through the canyon path and towards the other Legion defences... They weren''t like the blockade, instead just having various encampment at the side of the road where the Legion slept and took breaks from defending the front line. Obviously, the sound of the blockade being destroyed had attracted their attention, and it seems that someone had radioed in what''d happened, getting the rest of the Legionary defences ready for Dirt-Hog. "COME GET SOOOME!" Veronica yells as she fires the turret at the Legion defences... Not even aiming at anything in particular, she was like a bull, shooting at anything that looked even remotely red. The K9000 on the front was also hard at work, blasting most of its ammunition into the unlucky sods who''d caught its attention... The Legion''s lack of proper range munitions is clearly displayed here, what do you do against an armoured assault vehicle when you only have machete''s and light machine guns? Nothing, that''s what! There were a few brave Legionaries who attempted to charge at the vehicle or even to stop it... Dirt-Hog made short work of them however, leaving only smears on the road and its armoured plating. Of course, there were a few mines hidden in the road, but due to Dirt-Hog''s underside plating, they were almost entirely useless... Unless two or three hit a single wheel at once there was no chance of permanent damage... Due to Afton''s [Mechanicus] Perk, any damage the vehicle actually sustains is slowly repaired... And that''s not even considering Afton''s [Danger Sense] which allows him to unconsciously avoid the mines anyway! The Legion''s defences all proved useless under the blaze of destruction laid by the group. Hundreds had been killed already, yet Afton didn''t wait around to finish all the Legionary troops, instead just driving past in the direction of the Fort... Afton could spot the end of the canyon, yet there was another large blockade. Via his Danger Sense he could detect something dire at the end of it... Before they read the blockade he finally spotted what was giving him the dire feeling. Atop each side of the Canyon passage were large stacked boulders and scrap metal that would most likely be rolled onto anyone below trying to breach the defences... Unfortunately for the Legion, this blockade wasn''t as thick as the last one. He pushes the accelerated to the floor and speeds up the truck, the abrupt increase in speed causes some chaos in the Legionaries who were planning on dropping the boulders... They had misjudged when to trigger the trap, and it was now too late to do so. "Veronica! Strap yourself in the back!" Afton calls out, knowing that if they crashed into the wall while she was still manning the turret she''d probably be killed, even while wearing the armour. Fortunately, she isn''t caught in bloodlust and does as he asks. Dirt-Hog speeds towards the wall, Afton doesn''t even brace himself as the vehicle crashes straight into it. *BOOM!* The armoured assault vehicle hits the wall at speeds most vehicles in the wasteland aren''t able to reach anymore. The impact of which punches straight through the wall, sending huge amounts of debris flying and killing a large amount of Legionaries who were manning it. Afton himself wasn''t doing much better... He''d managed to stay seated, but large sharp bits of scrap metal pierced straight through the bullet proof windscreen. They were like swords attempted to reach him, stabbing the back panels of the front of the truck... A few managed to hit Afton, but were easily deflected off of his armour. Growling under his breath, he continues accelerating while punching out the shards of scrap metal out of his windscreen, leaving large holes in the cracked and shattered windscreen. The Legionaries who survived the rain of debris had expected Dirt-Hog to be completely out of commission, and so were incredibly surprised when it started accelerating again... The front of the vehicle was heavily dented, and one of the wheels were slightly warped... Even still, it continued moving! "You guys okay back there?!" Afton shouts, hoping no one had been killed by the impact... This is what he had seatbelts installed for, so he''d be incredibly annoyed if they hadn''t worked. He hears Veronica''s voice shouting back, "Everyone''s fine!... Karl''s been knocked out though!" Afton shakes his head, "Wake him up then! He''d kick my ass if we left him outta this!" he calls back, only now noticing that the K9000 on the top of the truck had stopped firing... Taking a peek out of the window, he spots that the barrel had been completely warped, preventing anything from passing through... "Fuck!" Chapter 443 - Sudden Hostage Situation? Tamia and Josie had been wandering around the Fort for almost an hour now, yet they''d found no hide nor hair of Karl''s daughter. They''d been given a wide and comprehensive description by Karl, yet none of the slaves they''d found had matched it... Both were starting to get worried that Kar''s daughter, Caroline, was already long dead. Regardless, their mission will continue no matter her state. They''d already got Dogmeat hidden behind a cluster of Legionary tents, finding the coordinates so they could teleport out should shit hit the fan.?? It wouldn''t be suspicious either, as if you ignore Dogmeat''s cybernetic components, it''d just look like a dog sleeping on the floor. That said, their guide was beginning to get a little anxious at not bringing them to Caesar yet. Tamia had pulled out all the stops to stall and find where House''s hidden bunker was, but they''d not spotted any place it could be yet... "Ma''am, we really must be heading to greet the Great Caesar now, any longer and I fear he''ll have us all executed." the Legionary urges while rubbing his arm. Tamia sighs and slowly nods, she''d wasted too much time already... Hopefully, Afton''s distraction would allow them to find the bunker. Tamia and Josie are finally led to the largest tent in the middle of the Fort. In front of it were a small group of heavily armed and armoured Praetorian guards. These were supposedly the toughest, strongest, and most skilful people in Caesar''s Legion, their duty was obviously to protect Caesar should assassins try to sneak in and attack. They''re led through the tent and enter into a large room absolutely filled with guards, at the end was a bald, older man sitting on a throne. "It''s about time you''ve come to greet me... Whatever happened to simple courtesy nowadays." Caesar says as they enter, "Now, I hope you didn''t keep me waiting for nothing, that would be most-" he stops speaking as he focuses on Tamia''s face. "You?... I must admit, I had not expected this at all. I heard you were dead." he states, slumping back into his throne to get comfortable. ... Tamia just raises a brow, "Do I know you?" she asks, utterly confused by the situation... She''d prepared herself to be executed, tortured, or a whole manner of unpleasant things... Yet Caesar, the leader of the Legion greets her like an old friend? Was she in a nightmare or was she missing something? Caesar upon hearing her words slowly nods and snaps his fingers while gesturing at Josie. "Take her outside for a minute, I need to talk with our... Guest." "Hey, wait!" Josie attempts to resist by is quickly dragged out of the tent. Caesar then looks at Tamia and crosses his legs, "Now then, now that your ''colleague'' is gone, you can report on the status of your mission. It must have gone well for you to not have contacted us for so long." he says, waiting for her response. ... "Mission?" Tamia parrots, still unsure of what was going on. "Yes, your mission... Do I even need to explain to you how many resources we expended trying to place you as one of House''s six Couriers? I could buy a whole region of villages the total!" he continues as if Tamia is just too stupid to understand what he''s saying. Tamia quickly shakes her head, "I think you''ve got the wrong person! I admit I don''t remember much, but I''d definitely remember being in the Legion!" she says, though the fact that Caesar seemed to know her was seriously fucking with her head. Caesar sighs, "Is that correct? I had heard that Chairman had shot you in the head, I can even see the scar now... But that doesn''t change the fact that you still have a mission to complete... Did you manage to seize whatever House was transporting?" he asks, tapping his finger on his jaw. Tamia shakes her head, "I don''t know what he was transporting, I was shot in the head before I could do anything with it... Look, whatever relationship I had to the Legion is gone, I can''t remember any of it!" she says, her mind still rapidly going over the implications of her once being in the Legion. Caesar scoffs, "You made your oaths, you cannot leave for your belong to the Legion. To me! Whatever fanciful thoughts you may have right now do not matter, your injury and amnesia do not matter! You will return to my service, or we will deal with your guarantee." he states ominously. "Guarantee?" Tamia asks, still having no idea what he''s saying. "Yes, we made sure your loyalties would remain with us... By hiding your family away. I snap my fingers, and your whole tribe are beheaded. So you should choose your next words wisely." ... Tamia is honestly dumbfounded by this situation... She still had family left!? And they were currently being held hostage by the Legion!? Today was really not going her way! Add the fact Afton, one of the people she''s known to be affiliated with would be crashing through the Legion''s defences with his truck while armed to the teeth, she, as well as her family would be implicated! She simply couldn''t see a way out of this situation, everything had already been properly planned, and yet Caesar throws a spanner in works and everything is suddenly fucked! Tamia begins visualising cutting the man to pieces but shakes her head at those thoughts. If she did that she''d be killed, Josie would be killed, her family would be killed, and the mission would fail... "Well? Come on, kneel to your master and reaffirm your loyalty..." Caesar says, gesturing down at the ground before him. ... Tamia, not seeing any other option slowly steps forwards and kneels down before Caesar... If anything, they would buy her time to think of something. Behind her, Josie is brought back into the room with a black hood over her head, Caesar grins at Tamia, "Your first act in my service is to kill this woman." Chapter 444 - Up Shit Creek Without Dirt-Hog... *BOOOM!* Another Legion tower explodes in a blinding shower of rotten wood, metal shrapnel, and body parts as Afton''s Sonic Emitter causes a chain reaction. He''d shoot from the window as he continues to drive Dirt-Hog up the winding road towards the Fort, yet the many defensive placements were beginning to annoy him.?? "How many of you fuckers do I have to kill before you get outta the way!" he shouts out of the window while firing another sonic projectile at a Legionary, yet again causing an explosive chain reaction via his [Meltdown!] Perk. Green shockwaves of plasma evaporate any nearby Legionaries and utterly decimate the structure they were standing on. Afton wishes they were able to stick around and watch the fireworks, but they were kind of in a rush... Having almost the entirety of the Legion''s forces in the Mojave chasing after you would definitely put a pep in your step, fortunately, Dirt-Hog was more than fast enough to lose them for now. A few of the better-armed Legionaries attempted to destroy the vehicle with grenade launchers, C4, rocket launchers, and simple make-shift barricades... Truthfully, the only thing that''d damaged Dirt-Hog so far was the barricades they were setting up. Every time Afton was forced to crash through one, Dirt-Hog''s condition got worse and worse. Afton feared that if they were forced to crash through another large gate then Dirt-Hog would be out for the count, something he''d been dreading since the destruction of Dirt-Bird. Veronica was also becoming more proficient on the turret, though, Afton had to wonder how much ammo it truly had left... They must''ve killed several thousand Legionaries so far, and yet they continued coming out of the woodwork like ants. Sure enough, Afton could see the Fort in the distance, meaning that were almost at their destination. Good timing too, since smoke was beginning to billow from under Dirt-Hog''s hood... On any other car, this would mean a few non-lethal mechanical issues... But on a nuclear-powered vehicle like Dirt-Hog? A nuclear explosion is the best you could hope for! *CRACK! CRUNCH!* Afton drives into yet another Legionary as they stupidly try to block the vehicle, all they do though is just add another red smear to the bonnet and the already heavily damaged front windscreen. Another couple minutes of driving and they finally reach the Fort!... The only problem though was the large reinforced gate blocking any further passage! Afton sighs as he speeds up, "Yeah... I saw this coming... EVERYONE! STRAP YOURSELVES IN!" he shouts, giving the group enough time to prepare themselves for another hard impact. *BOOOOM!* Dirt-Hog punches through the gate as if it were made of Lego''s, yet again sending metal shards flying, some even managing to land inside the Fort itself, causing Chaos to erupt due to the sudden attack... Afton couldn''t blame them though, hue metal shards flying towards you at terminal velocity is definitely something to be afraid of! Afton tries to accelerate again as Dirt-Hog lands, but the vehicle gives off a large groan before shutting off completely... Smoke billows out of the hood as the metal composing it begins glowing red. "Holy fuck!" Afton yelps as he leaps out of the vehicle, "IT''S GONNA BLOW, GET THE FUCK OUT!" he shouts, all the while having the composure to jump up and tear the damaged K9000 off of the top of it. The gun was incredibly high tech and expensive, so Afton was not going to waste it if he didn''t have to. Fortunately for the group, the second impact seemed to have woken up Karl, the old retired ranger pulls himself out of the vehicle with the rest of the group and runs ahead behind Afton. Of course, the Legionaries were already firing at them, but Afton and Veronica shield the group with their bodies for now. Karl, Boone, Anja, and ED-E all throw themselves behind cover, not against the Legionaries, but to protect themselves from the catastrophic Dirt-Hog explosion in the making. The unaware Legionaries who had been following the group from outside the Fort attempt to climb over the destroyed vehicle, but, when one accidentally steps on the hood and has the rubber of the boot literally melt and stick to it, they finally realise something was up... *BOOOOOOOOOOM!* A mushroom cloud greets the sky as the vehicle blows up in a mighty explosion. The force of which knocks Veronica onto her back, and if it weren''t for the various protections and Perks Afton had against explosives, he''d be on the floor all the same. The Legionaries near the destroyed gate were all instantly incinerated... The explosion even causes the rest to collapse, preventing any more Legionaries from attempting to follow the group into the Fort... Not that many would be willing to follow, the mushroom cloud was indication enough that the area had become heavily irradiated... Even primitive Legionaries were smart enough to know that was not a good thing. Even as the explosion occurred however, Afton was already firing at Legionaries up near the Fort. He was firing his Anti-Material Rifle with one arm, all the while shielding his companions with his body while they get back their bearings from the nearby nuclear explosion. He wasn''t willing to fire his Sonic Emitter at them due to his fear that the Chain Reaction would kill everything inside the Fort, killing Tamia, Josie, and Dogmeat while also destroying Houses underground bunker... This is also the reason he used the Range Finder elsewhere. "Nyx, how many hostiles up in the Fort?" he asks, his hud already marking down the forty or so who were defending from the top of the incline. "User, I am detecting several thousand... Too many to individually identify. Proceed with caution." the AI warns. "Will do." Afton says before turning towards his group, "Get a hold of yourselves! We''re currently deep up shit creek, so start shooting or at least thrown an insult or something!" he shouts, loading an explosive round into the Anti-Material Rifle before firing, killing a good six people and injuring another eight. Chapter 445 - Hostwist? Tamia''s eyes widen at Caesar''s words. He wanted her to kill Josie? Why? To affirm loyalty or some other inane reason? Already she could hear Josie''s muffled words, meaning she''d be gagged under the mask. Looking down, Tamia could see the rusty handcuffs binding Josie''s arms behind her, preventing her from doing anything to defend herself. She glances back to Caesar who''s still grinning maliciously.?? "Ah, I seem to have forgotten... Here." he says, tossing a knife at her feet. ... To be honest, Tamia was very, very tempted to simply stab Caesar with it. But she knew if she tried that she''d definitely die. She picks the knife up and scowls, "Why are you making me do this?" "To show who you belong to, now kill the girl and we can get down to business." he simply states, gesturing her forwards to Josie. Tamia walks over to Josie and grabs her shoulder, trying to think of a way out of this by coming up short... She honestly didn''t even know if she had the family Caesar was supposedly threatening... "Well? Go on, do not disappoint me." Caesar urges while Tamia''s hand begins trembling. Her throat goes dry as she grips the knife harder, she knew she was surrounded, there was no other way out other than this... And would Afton and the others even find out if she did this to escape?... Tamia continues to try and reason her way through this unreasonable situation, all while Caesar continues urging her to continue. Fortunately, the cavalry seems to have arrived just in time... *BOOM!* A great crash occurs not far from the Fort, the ground trembles slightly due to the force of it. Immediately all the Praetorian guards are on alert, each looking to Caesar for orders. He scowls and waves at them, "Half of you go deal with whoever is attacking, the rest stay here and defend me." he gesticulates before turning to Tamia. "Now continue!" Tamia slowly nods, but after half the guards leave she pulls Josie forwards and whips around, leaping at Caesar, barely avoiding Powerfist jab to the face and managing to manoeuvre herself into a chokehold with the knife pressing against his neck. "Back off or the baby-faced emperor gets it!" she roars, causing a couple guards to take a step back. Caesar struggles against her hold but she tightens the grip around his neck, causing him to wheeze slightly. A Praetorian guard moves in and tries to grab Josie from the floor however, "Stay back or I''ll kill this asshole!" "Take the girl!" Caesar loudly orders from his restrained position, and the guard does as he''s told, picking Josie up and placing the barrel of his rifle against her head. Tamia growls and pushes the tip of the knife harder against Caesar''s neck to prove she wasn''t playing, but is dumbfounded when the blade retracts into itself, revealing that it was just a trick knife! "What?" "HehehehHahahahaha! You didn''t really think I''d hand a traitor a knife, did you? For a test of loyalty it wasn''t even needed! After all, why kill when you can enslave?" Caesar mocks, but Tamia just scowls instead. She drops the knife and reaches for her Proton axe, igniting it and placing the energy blade against his neck. "Oh you''re so smart!" sho scoffs, "Alright, how about this? I brought my own." she growls out. This time Caesar gets a cold sweat, he could feel a tingle on his skin due to how close it was to the energy blade of the traitor''s strange weapon. How could his idiotic guards forget to check her for weapons!? Tamia''s about to continue threatening them but is cut off by another, louder explosion... *BOOOOOOM!* The power of the explosion is incredible, the wind caused by it smacking against Caesar''s tent and almost uprooting it from the ground. Whatever it was, they certainly meant business! "That should be my compatriots." she turns towards the guard holding Josie hostage, "Let her go or Caesar gets it!" she shouts for the Nth time. Still, the guard doesn''t move, only infuriating Tamia further, "Alright! How about a taste then!" she exclaims as she proceeds to drag the energy blade down Caesar''s arm, cutting off a large chunk of flesh while cauterizing the wound. "AAAAAARRRRGHHH!" Caesar screams in agony as this happens, the guard scowls and fires his rifle at Josie''s leg, blowing a good portion of her calf off and causing massive bleeding. She gives out a muffled scream and flails around under her restraints, showing just how painful it is. Seeing this Tamia places the Proton axes energy blade against Caesar''s crotch, ready to sever his manhood. "I''d wager Caesar is more valuable than she is, you will let her go or I''ll de-dick him!" "JUST DO AS SHE SAYS!" Caesar exclaims, sending a heavy glare down at the energy blade that was way too close for comfort to his johnson! Josie is thrown to the floor, not that it was required due to her current state... She couldn''t stand due to having most of her calf blown away. Tamia glares at them, "Release her bindings! NOW!" The guards do as she says, pulling off her hood and handcuffs. Josie, finally able to see what was happening rapidly looks around and gapes when she spots Tamia, LITERALLY HOLDING CAESAR HOSTAGE!" "Stop staring and wrap your leg up, you idiot! You''ll bleed out before we can escape!" Tamia urges and Josie quickly nods, tearing off her shirt under her recon armour and using it to bandage her wound... It was just her luck that those fuckers shot her under her Deathclaw leather duster, otherwise she may have come out unscathed! Once done Josie limps towards Tamia and tears off part of Caesar''s thrown to use as a makeshift crutch. But not before spitting at Caesar, "Piece of shit." A few of the Praetorian guards attempt to get closer in order to save Caesar, but Tamia just presses the Proton axe closer to his unmentionables, getting them to back away. Being the cause of your tyrant leader''s emasculation would be certain death, but not before ungodly torture that would put the burning man to shame. Chapter 446 - Unfair Clash... [John Wick Style is in MASSIVE EFFECT!!!] Afton sprints up the hill towards the charging Legionaries. He almost scoffs under his helmet at the fact they think simple machetes would be able to harm him! Once the groups clash Afton simple kicks one, sending him flying with his innards blasting out of his stomach due to the blades attached to the Power armour''s feet.?? He punches the next man, ignoring the machete that''d slammed ineffectively against his helmet. His punch instantly crushes their skull, sending brain matter and bone fragments blasting away. The next man''s charge slows slightly at the sight of the carnage Afton had just wrought, but doesn''t get a chance to retreat when Afton thrusts his Anti-Material Rifle''s barrel into his chest and pulls the trigger, once it hits, blowing a huge hole in the man''s chest. *DAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!* *PINGPINGPINGPINGPING!* Afton turns towards the group that was shooting him with assault rifles, all of their bullets easily bouncing off of his armour. To be honest, the only negative about his armour is the fact his Danger Sense almost never activates... If something can''t harm him, it isn''t considered a threat after all! Regardless, he sprints towards the group, a few run away and those left are crushed underfoot. Afton reminisces on whether or not this is how Mario feels when he''s crushing Gombas... He chases after the fleeing Legionaries, the first he catches up to is picked up by their arm and swung at the rest as a make-shift weapon. "PLEASE NO!" the Legionary manages to get out before Afton starts swinging. The Legionary''s limp body slams into his compatriots, knocking out a few while kill the rest. The man/weapon''s bones were already all broken, his spine was ruined and he''d never walk again, not that Afton would give him the chance though... Once Afton had gotten all the use out of the man he drops him on the floor and stamps on his head, covering the ground in brain matter. He glances around the entrance of the Fort for any more enemies and raises a brow when he spots none... "They must all still be inside..." he mutters while looking at the gate. He looks behind him at his companions who were only now catching up to him... Karl wipes some sweat off of his forehead and smirks at him, "You are giving me a set of that armour when we get back, kid! You damn monster!" he laughs while nudging half a Legionaries corpse with his foot. "THERE THEY ARE!" the group are interrupted from their reverie by a shout from atop the gate. A large group of Legionaries run up and rests their heavy rifles on the gate while aiming at Afton''s group. Afton and Veronica were already moving to get in front of the group. Boone and Karl were already shooting, the former using nailing two in the head with his Hunting Rifle while Karl sprays a couple down with his Light Machine Gun. However the Legionaries reciprocate, the shots bouncing off Afton and Veronica''s power armour like pebbles being thrown by children. Afton chuckles under his helmet and loads another Explosive round into his Anti-Material Rifle, immediately firing it at the top of the gate. *BOOM!* The Legionaries are thrown off of their position atop the gate, some to their deaths while others are just gravely injured. After the coast is clear Veronica and Afton charge at the gate and slams into it with their shoulders. The explosion earlier must''ve weakened it, as the gate jolts slightly at their charge then falls down as if nothing was keeping it upright in the first place. The injured Legionaries are crushed under the gate, but that isn''t what attracts the duo''s attention... No, that''d be the sea of red all pointing guns at them... "Fuck!" Afton exclaims as he pushes Veronica away and shields himself by crossing his arms in front of his face. *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!!!!!!!!!* The rain of bullets is so fierce that it actually pushes Afton back, leaving trails in the dirt as he slides backwards! If he had been wearing standard-issue Brotherhood of Steel Power armour he''d have definitely died at this point! Fortunately, he had world-class scientists working under him to develop such durable armour! Afton gives a shout as he starts moving against the tide of bullets, the legionaries have to reload eventually though, the lull giving Afton a chance to charge at them. His Danger Sense flares up too late however as a punch to his face knocks his head to the side, he was quite frankly surprised by the force of it, but it isn''t enough to do any ''meaningful'' damage. [Grit is in effect] He grins under his helmet, still, a tiny amount of damage still counts a ''damage'', enough so for his Perk to go into effect. A blocks the next swing of his attack with his arm, catching the wrist and now spotting the fact that he was wearing a Powerfist. "You''re gonna regret that!" he says, his voice modulator making him sound like a literal demon to the Praetorian guard who''d punched him. Afton tears the Powerfist from the man, breaking his hand in the process before he grabs his neck and uses him as a make-shift meatshield against the army of freshly reloaded Legionaries. "COME GET SOME!" he shouts as she sprints towards them. Behind him the rest of his group were already hard at work, firing from defensive positions to try and quell some of the huge Legion numbers... Still, even if they took out a hundred people they''d still be drastically outnumbered. "Bark!" The group turn towards the sound and spot Dogmeat, seemingly trying to lead them somewhere. If this were any normal dog they''d ignore it, but since Dogmeat was literally hooked up to Glados, one of Afton''s AI''s, it shouldn''t be leading them astray. Veronica looks at them, "You guys go do what we came here for and try to find the others, me and Afton will try draw the Legion''s attention towards us." "You just wanna go punching shit!" Karl accuses semi-playfully. Veronica firmly puts her tongue in her cheek as she responds, "Ah, you caught me." she giggles before running off, punching a Praetorian guard in the face and causing his head to splatter and decorate the surroundings. Chapter 447 - Warzone Karl, Boone, and Anja all follow Dogmeat through the more residential area of the Legion''s Fort. Slaves and noncombatants cower in their tents and around one another while the occasional soldier directs them to stay calm and obedient. Of course, the sounds of utter mayhem at the front of the Fort wasn''t helping their efforts along. Karl''s eyes were like a Hawk''s as he sifted through the cowering people for his daughter, yet he''d not spotted her yet. This would be disheartening to most, but Karl was sure his daughter was made of tougher stuff than that.?? Dogmeat continued leading them until they spotted a relatively large group of Praetorian guards surrounding some people... Though, upon closer inspection it was actually Josie and Tamia, the latter of which was holding CAESAR GOD DAMN HOSTAGE!? Karl holds Dogmeat back as the others of his group prepare to enter the fray, once Boone and Anja were ready they leap into action. Dogmeat runs up towards the group and immediately lets out a Sonic bark, knocking most of them off of their feet. Afterwards dashing forwards and tearing out a Praetorian guard''s throat. Karl and Anja were already moving as well, their automatic weapons spraying the unfortunate guard with bullets. They aren''t able to properly defend themselves due to being disorientated by Dogmeat''s attack, making them easy prey for the rest. Boone himself was more interested in taking out higher priority targets, specifically the one''s wielding heavy rifles instead of Power fists... If one of his group got killed by a Powerfist then they probably deserved it... Most of the Praetorian guards are immediately killed in the sudden assault, but the few that survive to retaliate with lethal force. Karl and Anja get shot a couple times, but the bullets don''t pierce through their Deathclaw leather dusters, instead just lodging themselves in the hide and bruising the flesh underneath. The only real injury they sustain from the guards is on Anja and Karl who receive a couple of grazing shots that''ll be hurting like a bitch tomorrow. Karl runs up and kicks the rifle out of a guard''s hands while smashing him in the face with the butt of his rifle, afterwards shooting four shots into their chest and head for good measure... With that, the battle ends, leaving the only enemy still in the area, Caesar. Not that it mattered, judging by how pale the tyrant looked, Tamia had him completely under control. Josie was using a crutch to walk and her leg was covered by bloody bandages, it seemed to be quite a severe injury... "Tamia! How the fuck did this happen?!" Karl exclaims, utterly confused about how their relatively simple mission had changed into a kidnapping! "Are you complaining?! I have the biggest scum of the earth at my mercy!" she states, tightening her hold around Caesar''s neck. "You will all regret this! I know your faces, I know your group... Your tribe is forfeit as well your traitorous whore-Ghuk!" his rant is interrupted as Karl slams his fist into the tyrant''s face. The older man shakes his sister off and brushes some ethereal dirt from his knuckles, "I''ll make sure you won''t live to try, bastard!... Now. WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!" he shouts in his face, spittle wetting Caesar''s cheeks. "Daughter? I know nothing about your children, scum." Caesar calmly retorts, as if the saliva on his face is an everyday occurrence. Karl growls and lightly drives the barrel of his weapon into Caesar''s chest, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to splutter. "You will tell me anything you know, you rotten piece of shit!" "G-guys, can we try and get on with the mission... I don''t know about you but I''m feeling a little light-headed..." Josie says from the side, blood loss clearly starting to affect her. Karl scowls and shakes his head, get him to lead you to the bunker, I''ll be looking for my daughter." he states, giving a nod to Boone before walking away. Tamia examines the group and is about to wonder where Afton and Veronica are... Though, it isn''t difficult to guess judging by the sounds of absolute carnage happening not far from their position. She turns her attention to Caesar who already looks to be scheming his escape... Not that it was likely in the current situation, the man didn''t seem to be all that combat-capable, even Josie in her injured state could probably overpower him. "Alright, ''Great and Mighty Caesar'', let''s go see how that underground bunker is doing, maybe after I''ll consider letting you go with your manhood intact." she states ominously. "Your here for that? You won''t be able to open it, even a ton of TNT wouldn''t blow that place open. You''re wasting your time!" he scoffs. Tamia snorts, "We''ll have to wait and see then, won''t we. Now, remember, if you lead us astray I''ll cut you to pieces, started with little Caesar." Elsewhere : Afton slams into another crowd of Legionaries, continuing his charge even after impact until he''s eventually stopped by a brick building that seems incredibly out of place in the Fort. Regardless, the unfortunate people who''d been caught between him and the brick wall during his charge were just red smears now. He pulls himself out of the human-shaped indent he''d made and charges back towards the larger group of Legionaries who were still shooting at him. Veronica was nearby, punching people to her heart''s desire... Her unique weapon Two-Step Goodbye caused people to explode every few attacks, she still didn''t understand how, but the fact it worked was all that mattered. *brum-brum-brum-brum-brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!* She ducks as she hears the sound, narrowly avoiding the chainsaw-wielding psycho before bringing her arms up to block the next attack. The Chainsaw blade is brought down on her armoured forearms, the metal teeth grinding against her Saturnite plating by achieving almost nothing. The only ''harm'' it does cause is the metal heating up slightly due to the friction. Sparks fly away from where they were pushing against one another, Veronica gets a huff and pushes the man away, her mechanically enhanced strength easily sending the man flying! The chainsaw flies out of his hands and hit another Legionary in the neck, chewing his flesh up well and good, judging by how much he''s bleeding he certainly wouldn''t live through it! "You guys are so damn stupid!" she huffs, beginning to feel tired but continuing her massacre regardless. Chapter 448 - Hole In The Wall The attack on the Fort had certainly sent alarm bells ringing throughout the entire Legion. Despite their heavy reluctance to use technology, they still used radio to communicate with one another, allowing them to relay events to each outpost and try to coordinate a counter-assault... Unfortunately, the Legion had never expected, nor planned for an invasion via a small and elite task force, especially once that''s able to destroy their defensive positions with ease and crash through the rest.?? The like gate Ease of the Dam was supposedly impenetrable, yet it''d been instantly destroyed by some sort of nuclear strike. The teams behind it were not ready for what came next, the blaze of destruction left by the group driving some sort of armoured assault vehicle. They''d successfully made it into the Fort and were doing god knows what to their leader and families inside. The troops who''d been closely following the vehicle had been annihilated by some sort of self-destruction. This left reinforcements struggling to get around the now heavily irradiated collapsed entrance that was once the only gate into the Fort. Still, while the ordinary troops were unable to get in, that didn''t mean the elite units weren''t. Each had been equipped to deal with machinery, high tech weapons and armour, potential robots, and anything else their enemies might''ve brought with them. Their recent heavy losses via the Brotherhood of Steel had made them reprioritise their elite troops functions. It was clear they couldn''t even begin to fight against technological might with simple numbers, especially in such confined areas, thus, the Legion had twisted their ''no technology'' doctrine slightly to allow elite units to utilise them. Vulpes Inculta was pulling his hair out as he looked at the map filled with coloured pieces... Many red pieces were scattered around Legion territory, with a few black pieces inside the Fort, and a large number of blue pieces approaching the Legion''s defensive positions east of the Dam. It seems that Afton and his parties reign of destruction had jolted the NCR into action, he''d been forced to pull reinforcements heading to the Fort away and towards the front lines. Otherwise the Legion would have lost far too much ground to recover from. As of now, the NCR had taken ahold of the canyon passage, cutting off Cottonwood Cove completely and making them unable to reinforce or receive troops from it. No doubt the recent events will change the battlefield in the Mojave entirely, the Legion would likely have to pull back their encampments to reinforce their front lines for their final attempt at taking Hoover Dam. "PARKER! YOU DESTROY MY PLANS AGAIN! I SHOULD HAVE STOMPED YOU OUT LIKE THE BUG YOU WERE WHEN YOU CRAWLED OUT OF THAT DAMN TUNNEL!" Vulpes roars as he sweeps the pieces off of the map. Behind him several Centurions back away, they''d never seen Vulpes Inculta lose his temper like this before. One thing was for sure, if you wanted to stay alive in the Legion, you needed to be strong or ignored. Elsewhere : Karl ducks behind a Legion tent as more troops run to reinforce the army attempting in vain to fight Afton and Veronica. He decides that finding his daughter was currently more important than killing those sportswear-wearing fucks. He continues to brush past the large groups of non-combatants and slaves, but still doesn''t see hidden or hair of them... That is, until he hears a couple people talking about some people going off to find their children... Karl scowled at the thought, but couldn''t ignore it. His daughter has been here for years, so it wouldn''t be surprising for her to give birth, nor would it be for her to make friends here during her captivity... Upon interrogating the loose-lipped legionaries who move to go find them, apparently, the kids had last been seen at the gate of the Fort, the place where Dirt-Hog had self-destructed. The place was basically deserted, yet he could see hundreds of Legionaries in yellow radiation suits trying to clear rubble to get inside. He ignores them for now, but his ears perk up at the sound of crying... A child''s if he had to guess. His eyes were drawn towards the nearby wall that had a small hole at the base of it... After making sure he was alone, he bends down and sticks his head through, immediately pulling it back as a spear tries to give him a new orifice... Karl growls as he rubs his face where the new cut adorned it. "Anyone who doesn''t want to die hit the deck, I''ll gonna fuckin'' shoot my way in!" he shouts, giving the people behind the wall a couple seconds before he opens fire. Blasting numerous holds in the wall before crashing through it shoulder first. Around the room, he only spots women who were fearfully clutching their children to their chests. All of them already pleading for their lives, yet, the one who''d tried to spear him earlier was glaring at him with anger and fierce determination... She looked familiar was his first thought before he finally realised who she was. "Caroline!?" he exclaims, his eyes threatening to tear up at the sight of her. Her hair with frazzled and matted, her face dirty, scarred and weathered with hard experiences. She was wearing regular Legion civilian wear, rags with red adornments that hid her modesty. She was currently holding a spear with one hand while holding a boy behind her with the other. At Karl''s words, her brows raise, "How do you know me!?" Karl feels like his heart is going to explode from his chest as he attempts to explain, "I-I''m your father! Don''t you recognise me! It''s Karl!" ... She eyes him wearily for a moment before her breath gets caught in her throat, she thought she''d been forgotten by them, by the NCR... Yet her father had come for her, right in the heart of Legion territory. "D-Dad!?" Chapter 449 - Generational Issues... "D-Dad?!" Caroline asks with wide eyes, the spear in her hands dropping as she utters the word. "Caroline!" Karl almost chokes out as he steps forwards and envelopes the girl in a hug. "It''s me. I''m here baby, I''m here." he utters sweetly as he tightly hugs her, his daughter reciprocating with equal if not greater force and emotion.?? The two just stand their embracing for while, ignoring the rest of the world as they reassure themselves with the other''s presence. The other people in the room don''t dare interrupt this intimate moment, especially since one of them just shot his way into the room... With one exception... Caroline jolts slightly as she feels someone tugging on her arm, looking down she realises it''s her son, Carlos. "Ma, stop hugging this man and make him leave... Da'' will get angry again!" he urges, looking at Karl suspiciously. Karl upon hearing the boy''s words all almost instantly breaks into a rage. The very existence of the boy led credence to his greatest fears, and yet even now the boy speaks of the bastard who''d touched his daughter with fear. "I''m your grandad, kid. My rank is above your dads." he states semi-playfully, before looking around the room. The women here looked like a mixture between slaves and citizens, which meant that a few of them would want to leave with his daughter... Considering she''d probably made friends here, he could just leave them to their fates... "Grandad?" the child asks while looking towards his mother. She just nods at him, "It''s true... I even named you after him." she smiles sweetly as the boy gives her a hard look. She turns to Karl, her face turning serious, "You came to rescue me right?" Karl nods, "Yeah, you and anyone else who doesn''t want to be a slave anymore." he promises while glancing around the room. A few of the ladies eyes light up at his words, but more look disinterested. "How are we going to escape? With the noise you made, reinforcements will be here any minute..." she asks incredulously. Karl just shakes his head, "Just follow me, I''ll explain everything after we get outta here-" *BOOM!* An explosion occurs nearby, Karl pokes his head out of the bullet-riddled wall and spots a small group of Legionaries entering after blowing up part of the wall. They looked different compared to the other Legionaries they''d fought until now, all wearing a variety of cloth masks, wolf headrests, and other symbolic equipment. With their strange get-ups, Karl was easily able to identify them however, "Assassins." he spits, as he glances behind him, "Quick, we need to go!" he urges. The assassins were currently running up the hill towards the main entrance of the Fort, this would take them right next to where the group was currently holed up. Once noticed, they''d all probably be killed for being complicit with an invader. Despite all that though, a good portion of the women refused to leave... Karl can only shake his head at them and offer a ''goodluck''. He unclips a grenade from his belt and pulls the pin, tossing it at the Assassins as he steps out. "Quick, head through the main gates, I''ll be behind you." he states as the assassins scatter to avoid the grenade. Caroline takes Carlos by the hand and sprints towards the top of the hill where the main gate of the Fort lies, all the while followed by a small group of slaves who wish to be free of this place... Some even leave their children behind due to spite, fear, and a whole slew of other reasons. As much as Karl would like to interrogate them, there wasn''t enough time. The Assassins scattered to avoid the grenade, getting into cover to wait for the detonation. Once it occurs though they rise out of cover to deal with whoever had thrown it. *Bang!* An Assassin drops dead as he pops his head out of cover, Karl having been waiting for them to reveal themselves. After he kills the one, he sprints for the top of the hill as well, hoping the single death would make them apprehensive and give him time to retreat. Unfortunately, the Legion Assassins were far better trained than the regular Legionaries he''d encountered thus far. *Bangbangbangbang!* Before Karl''s able to get through the gate he''s struck in the back by a couple bullets. Most don''t penetrate his Deathclaw Duster, but a few higher calibre bullets make it through the thinner parts of the coat, specifically the joints. A bullet strikes him under his left armpit, while the rest blacken his back with bruises. He stumbles slightly but keeps running, making it through and meeting back up with his worried-looking daughter. Karl could barely hold up his LMG due to his injury, but he ignores that for now and looks over in the direction where they would teleport out... Unfortunately, Afton and Veronica''s fight with the Legion army had drifted over in that direction now, so they''d be forced to either sneak, or fight their way past to reach it... Not only that, they''d need Afton or Dogmeat to actually teleport them, both of which were currently occupied with other things. "We need to get to a secret bunker that should be around here, do you know where it is?" he quickly asks, managing to keep down his pained groans. Caroline frowns and shakes her head, "I don''t know any bunkers around here, are you sure it exists, dad?" "I know where it is!" a voice exclaims, when both look down they spot Carlos grinning up at them. "You do?" Caroline asks, unsure. He nods, "Da'' said to stay away, but I looked anyway! It was really creepy!" Karl shakes his head and gesture at the boy, "Well then, let''s go. We got no time to waste." he states, following Carlos as he leads the group towards the North West side of the camp. Chapter 450 - Regrouped And Recouped Karl and the group of women follow Carlos as he leads them. He''d hoped that the Assassins would be attracted towards Afton who was still causing mayhem, but they instead continued to follow them. He couldn''t think of a single reason why they''d be so concerned about them when bigger threats were around, whatever it was, Karl disliked it.?? The group ducked and weaved through the Legion tents, occasionally ducking and dodging to avoid gunfire from their enemies... Unfortunately, a few women and even children had gone down from a stray bullet. Of course, this only sped up the rest of them who were fearing for their lives. Karl upon seeing a young boy''s head explode from a high calibre bullet growls and whips around, ignoring the sharp pain from the injury under his arm and firing. *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* He sprays lead at the group of assassins through tents, thin cover, and other obstacles. His accuracy is pretty shit, but the sheer amount of bullets he fires is enough to hit a few of them. *Bang!* Karl has the air knocked out of him when a heavy bullet strikes him in his right shoulder. His grip weakens and he accidentally drops his LMG, all the while more bullets strike him in the front. There''s only so much his Deathclaw Duster can take, it was looking quite ragged by now, but Karl was thankful that by whatever god''s grace he''d avoided having his head blown off. He falls backwards but follows the momentum and rolls into a crouch, he''s about to attempt to grab his gun when someone else does it for him. "DON''T TOUCH MY DAD YOU PIECES OF SHIT!" Caroline roars as she barely manages to heft up the LMG and starts firing. Her aim is worse than even Karl''s was, but the random shots somehow manage to hit a few Assassins. Of course, this doesn''t last long before the enemy retaliates... *Bangbangbang!* Karl throws himself at her as bullets start flying in her direction... A couple actually manages to hit her, however... Karl panics as he spots blood pools from her stomach, arms and shoulders. "No, baby are you okay?" he quickly asks while checking her wounds. "I-I''m fine, j-lets keep moving." she coughs out, stumbling as she gets up by doing so nonetheless. The injured duo leaves the LMG behind as it''s too heavy to carry in their current states and follow Carlos who had been waiting for them with worried eyes. Their low, climbing posture protects them slightly from further fire from the enemy, but their speed was lacklustre... They would have never made it if it weren''t for their unexpected saviour. *Beepbeeep!* *Pewpewpewpew!* ED-E floats towards them while firing its laser at the Assassins, the projectiles actually managing to ignite a couple of the tents they were hiding behind. "Eddie, you magnificent bastard!" Karl exclaims as he spots the robot, "Quick, get to the bunker!" he urges everyone as they continue, eventually spotting a rundown-looking shack in the corner of the Fort. It looked hastily constructed and functionless, not even worthy of storing garden tools... Yet, it looked like the perfect place you''d want to hide something. The doors of the shack were already wide open, meaning Tamia and the rest of the group had already found it. Karl only hoped shit wasn''t looking as dire as it was up here. Inside the shack the group is greeted by numerous deactivated boobytraps. Some seem to have activated, but the rest were disarmed by a relatively skilful hand, in Karl''s honest opinion... The room was almost empty aside from the traps, but in the corner, the floor seems to have opened up to reveal a metal staircase, one reminiscent of the bunker the Brotherhood of Steel had been hiding in or the Vaults he''d been inside. At the bottom they''re greeted by metal double doors with the Lucky 38 logo printed on them... Karl stumbles forwards with Caroline and tries to open it but hears shuffling from the other side. "It''s Karl, don''t shoot me you bastards!" he shouts as the doors open, revealing Tamia, Josie, Boone, Anja, and Dogmeat... With the addition of the tied up Caesar in the corner. "Karl?" Tamia asks, walking over and helping support the man, "You''re injured!" "No shit!" he grunts out, forcing himself forwards before resting against the wall. Boone walks over and starts tending to his wounds, "Guessing you found what you were looking for?" he asks, glancing over at the group of women and children that were fearfully shuffling into the room. Karl nods and smiles despite the pain he was in, "Fix me up after looking at my kid," he gestures at Caroline, "She took more shots than I did." says. Boone nods and starts looking over Caroline. He frowns when he sees just how bad her injuries are, she''d been shot in the gut, and was bleeding pretty heavily from her arms. She''d probably need surgery to live through this. "Will Ma be okay?" a young boy asks him from the side, he raises a brow and sends a glance to Karl who just solemnly nods. Boone gives a sigh, and looks at the boy, "If we can get her to safety soon, then yeah." he states, not willing to sugarcoat it. That said, he wasn''t a doctor, maybe Afton could do something without needing invasive surgery. "Traitor''s, the lot of you." Caesar spits from the corner, but almost immediately receives a boot to the face courtesy of Anja. "Be quiet, prisoner." she states in her usual dull tone. Caesar just growls at them, he was already black and blue from interrogating him on the location of the bunker. The only threats he seemed to respond to were the ones threatening his manhood... It seems that even the most wilful people would bend over backwards to save that part. Tamia took great joy making the man sweat though. Chapter 451 - Home Of House Karl looks around the room as Boone tends to Caroline, the place looks clean and clinical, and the only thing of interest was the huge set of monitors at one side... "Tamia, you figure out what you''re supposed to be doing here yet?" Tamia shrugs and bites her lip, "To get into this place I had to use the Platinum Chip on a console upstairs... It spat it back out but there doesn''t seem to be a way to get deeper into the facility..." she mutters.?? "Maybe that''s what House wanted?" Karl reasons but Tamia just shakes her head. "No... I really doubt that. House spoke of the chip as if it were more than just some grandiose key... I must be missing something-" "*Bzzztch!* That you are my dear," Houses voice says from the large monitors at the side of the room, his face appearing on the screen and causing everyone to jump from his sudden entrance. "I must admit, you are quite ahead of schedule, which is sometimes a bad thing... But not in this case. Indeed, I hadn''t expected you to make such a spectacle out of it. Almost everyone in the Mojave is aware of what is happening in Legion territory, and a large portion is seeking to take advantage of it." House explains. Tamia raises a brow, "That seems quick... Didn''t think information travelled so fast..." House chuckles, "It usually doesn''t, but when two countries are scrambling to communicate with their own forces, things aren''t as covert as they should be... Even an idiot with a radio would be able to pick up bits and pieces of radio chatter. But that''s enough of that, let''s speak on what you are actually here to do." he states and Tamia nods. "Yeah, about that. I think your facility is broke, the damn doors won''t open!" she gesticulates at the door. "Of course the doors won''t open, I have the controls to them!" ... "What!? If you have access to the doors, why wouldn''t you just activate the facility yourself! Seems like you already have everything handled!" Tamia accuses, wondering if she''d just been sent here to die. "Ah, well. I wanted to make sure everything was protected... This way any would-be intruders would have to aqcuire the Platinum Chip and also hack into my systems, something that is not so easily done. The facility to rigged to self destruct should anyone attempt to breach the doors, which protects the secrets of this place... Indeed, I think you will find yourself shocked and amused by what I am keeping down there." Tamia crosses her arms, "Alright... Well tell me what you need us to do, open the doors, and we''ll get to work." "Not quite so fast. I will have to request that only you enter the facility, I am not insulting your judge of character, but anyone here could be a spy. My secrets should be kept just so, secret. It may be troublesome for you, as the security systems will attack anyone and everything, but I am sure you can handle yourself." Caesar upon hearing House snorts and begins quietly chuckling. "Hehehe, you''d be right about spies being here, House." A camera attached to the computer system slowly rotates to get Caesar in its view, and if House were able to express himself through the computer he''d show bafflement, confusion, and pride. "Hm, so you managed to capture Caesar himself... You''re proving yourself more and more capable as time goes on, Tamia." Tamia nods but walks over to Caesar and gives him a fierce kick in the face, stopping him from revealing that she was potentially a spy sent by the Legion... She''d rather House not find out about that until she was fully in his confidence. Caesar slumps to the floor unconscious as Tamia brushes her hands and turns back to House. "So you want me to singlehandedly fight my way through your facility, and then what?" "You will need to install the Platinum Chip in a console, I will upload the data to your Pipboy... Ah, before you go off shooting everything in sight, I will remind you that there are delicate components and machinery that are still operable... That said, the reactors have started to leak radiation, so I would suggest you make preparations against that or live with a third arm, ear, or whatever extremity you are unlucky enough to grow... That or massive cancer." he trails off, ignoring the furrowed brows of Tamia and the rest of the group. *Bangbangbang!* The sound of something banging against the metal doors leading outside sounds out, it seems the Legion assassins had followed the group down here... "Sounds as if you have company... I will be watching your progress Tamia, do not fail me." House states before the monitor turns off. As this happens, the doors leading deeper inside the facility open up, revealing a dimly lit hallway. Tamia looks at the others and takes a Rad X pill that Afton had thankfully provided in their supplies, "Looks like I''m doing this part alone... It think it''s best that way anyway, you guys defend the place until I get back. Boone, I''m trusting you to see everyone out alive." she says, clapping him on the shoulder and going to leave. "I got this, go." he quietly says as he raises his Hunting Rifle towards the doors the Legion was banging on. He gets the noncombatants and injured to shuffle to one side of the room, he was honestly expecting the Assassins to punch a hole into the door and toss a grenade inside, he doubted they would because Caesar was in here, but he wasn''t going to take any chances... For that reason he was getting ready to take the fight to them instead. "Anja, you''re the only unhurt gun we have right now... You got my back?" he asks and she nods. With that, he punches the switch that opens the doors. On the other side he''s greeted by a couple Assassins standing on the staircase, they seemed to have been contemplating on a way to open the doors, and were caught completely off-guard by their sudden attack. Chapter 452 - Chipped In Boone fires his Hunting Rifle at the closest Assasin, blowing a hole clean through his head before dashing forwards and driving the butt of his rifle into the other''s face. Anja steps forwards and fires her Silenced 12.7mm SMG at him, riddling the man''s side with bullets before looking up the stairs at the other Assasins. Boone shoves the corpse down and aims up with his rifle, but is forced to dodge backwards as the Assassins shoot down at him. Anja kills a couple with a spray, but has to move back as well to avoid getting shot.?? Elsewhere : While Anja and Boone were fighting for their lives, Tamia was having her own problems... As soon as he entered the facility and the doors closed behind her, she''d realised she''d made a mistake... Her gun had been stripped from her as she''d entered Caesar''s tent, she was too distracted with kidnapping the tyrant that she''d forgotten to get it back... This wouldn''t be so bad, if it weren''t for the fact that there were many ceiling turrets in the next room getting ready to gun her down... All she had was her Proton axe, how the hell was she going to get past this!? This moment hadn''t been the first that she wished Afton had given her one of those mecha suits... Being bulletproof sounded pretty good right about now... "Surrender or die!" a robotic voice loudly states as a couple of Protectrons walk through the entrance at the end of the room. They slowly approach her, which is a boon since if they set up shop next to the ceiling turrets she''d be well and truly boned. She waits around the corner as the robots slowly approach and once they were close enough she springs out and slashes one with her Proton axe... Its EMP properties are fully displayed as she easily dismantled the first one. The one behind it attempts to fire at her, but hits the robot in front accidentally. Its manipulator''s manoeuvrability is terrible so it simple isn''t able to retaliate while its ally is in the way. This allows Tamia to reach over and drive her Proton axe through its class dome-like head. With both robots down, all that was left is to deal with the ceiling turrets... Something Tamia didn''t think she was able to do... It wasn''t like she could backtrack either, as the doors were probably locked until she completed her mission. She scowls and looks down at the remnants of the Protectrons for a couple seconds when she gets an idea... She cracks open their chassis'' with the help of her Proton axe and eventually finds what she''d looking for. Their reactors. Both are fortunately undamaged from her initial attack, which makes it all the easier to improvise with them. She delicately cuts into the shell of the reactor with her Proton axe which immediately causes them to heat up. The Geigar counter of her Pipboy goes crazy, so she doesn''t waste time and tosses the reactors under the ceiling turrets, taking cover immediately after. ... Things go quiet for a bit after that, the only sound she can hear is the thrumming of the slowly malfunctioning reactors... The hum gets louder and louder until- *BOOOM!* The ground beneath her shakes as the reactors detonate, destroying the ceiling turrets entirely and completely blowing the door on at the end of the room away. The radiation from the explosion still lingers, but Tamia ignores it for now. She can take some Radaways once everything is said and done. She heads deeper into the maze-like facility, destroying all of the defences that attempt to stop her progress. Fortunately, any more ceiling turrets she comes across are hidden in corners and relatively easy to get to. A quick jump and swipe of her Proton axe puts them out of commission. She had been tagged by a couple lasers, leaving scorch marks on her duster, but it is superficial at best. She''d need to remember to thank Afton for the duster later. Tamia is still completely unsure of what the facility is actually for. She passed by a few windows that looked at nothing but darkness, so perhaps the answer was behind them? Using her Pipboy light, she illuminated the area behind the windows slightly and gaped at what she say... A literal army of robots almost exactly like the one''s used in New Vegas, Securitrons. Was this House''s plan? To use an army of Robots to take over the Mojave?... She''d seen how effective Securitrons could be, but she was still unsure if they would be effective against whole armies. Regardless, she had a mission to complete, the only thing that''d changed was that she now knew what she was getting into. She continues into the facility, destroying robots and defences until she finally finds the console. The Pipboy map House had given to her Pipboy had been misleading at best. It didn''t seem to properly indicate the separate floors, so it all looked like a jumbled mess. She shakes her head and sighs, "Whatever. Let''s just get this over with." she mutters as she pushes the Platinum Chip into the slot on the console. *RUUUUUMMMBBBBLLLLEEEEEEEEEEE!* *TREEEEEMMMBBBBLLLEEEEEEEE!* *SHHHUUUUK!* *KKKKKKKUUUUUUSSSSSHHH!* Various sounds begins occurring around her as the ground shakes. It sounds as if a factory had just been turned online and was shaking off the dust from being inactive for so long. A nearby window reveals that all the hibernating Securitrons had all turned on and were now being modified by something? Did the Chip have some new software that needed to be installed or something? She shakes her head, she could find out later, for now she needed to get back and help the others escape in one piece. With that, she leaves, backtracking through the facility and occasionally glancing at the various windows that displayed the happenings behind the scene. Truly, there were ALOT of Securitrons down here... Tens of thousands, or maybe more. House had definitely been playing the long-con, how did no one find out about this sooner!? Chapter 453 - EMP : Empty Made Promises... Afton crushes the wrist of a Legionary attempted to shove a Ripper blade into his guy, afterwards disarming him and dragging the mini-chainsaw across their throat, causing blood to spurt out in rather impressive arcs. He didn''t know how long he''d been fighting if he were honest, the enemies just kept coming and so he kept killing. He was surprised they hadn''t just given up and run away yet... The Legion was basically comprised of crappily-equipped hordes of men, so for them to kill Afton who was fully suited in Power armour, they''d literally need to bait him into a crater filled with as much explosives as possible... Something Afton was aware of, and so avoided whenever they attempted such a strategy.?? Veronica was nearby, but her armour was looking scuffed, dented, scratched, scorched, and covered in blood. She didn''t have his [Mechanicus] Perk to help her maintain armour and cleanliness, so after so much time fighting her state now was inevitable. He spots a Legionary jump onto her back in the chaos and try to jam a blade into her neck, but Afton wasn''t stupid enough to leave such an exploitable gap in the armour, so instead of piercing her carotid artery, the blade halts against segmented Saturnite plates and Deathclaw leather, the tip of the weapon breaking off from the impact. Veronica finally notices the man and reaches behind her, grabbing his arm and smashing him into the ground in front of her, afterwards raising a foot and destroying his skull with a stomp... Afton''s about to continue his own fight when he spots her lean over on her knees, probably to catch her breath. He diverts his attention and charges towards her, clearing out some of the enemies still trying to attack her. "You all right?" he quietly asks through the radio build into the helmet. Veronica turns her head towards him and gives a weak nod, "Huff, huff. Yeah, just. need to catch my breath... Never thought I''d get tired of punching things, huff, huff." Afton moves his head to the side to dodge a shotgun blast before grabbing the barrel of the weapon and bending it 90 degrees, pointing the end at the man using it. "You should head to the bunker and help the others out, you keep fighting and it won''t be the Legion that kills it, it''ll be exhaustion... I don''t know about you, but I''m not sure I could carry you out while fighting the Legion off!" he explains as he brings down a hammer fist on another man''s head, flattening their skull and decimating their neck. "Huff... Did you just call me fat!?" she accuses semi-playfully. Afton chuckles, "Well, if this little bit of exercise is enough to put you down, then yeah, fatty!" *CRACK!* An unfortunate Legion who''d been trying to sneak up on Veronica receives her anger-fueled punch to the face, literally exploding their head into a bloody mist. She turns back towards Afton, "I''ll have you know!-" but she''s cut off as the ground begins rumbling beneath their feet. *RUUUUUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEEEEE!!!!* The fighting stops momentarily as everyone looks around, most put the shaking as an earthquake, but Veronica and Afton knew better. He looks over to his sister in all but blood, "Go help the others, now!" Veronica gives a brief nod before sprinting away, her mechanically enhanced strides kicking up dirt and dust as she exits. Afton rolls his neck and looks around at the remaining Legion fighters... It was fortunate that Veronica had left since he could see some reinforcements coming, all looking like specialised units with specialised equipment. He gives an ominous chuckle and smacks his fists together, making a metallic sound ring out, "Seems like it''s just you lot and me... You sure you want this fight? Doesn''t seem fair at all, you guys having to fight me." he states, unclipping his Proton axes from his hips and igniting them. One of the assassins step forwards, a cocky expression somehow obvious under their red cloth mask, "Surrender and relinquish the Great Caesar or face the consequences!" Afton loudly snorts, "What consequences?!" he gestures at the literal piles of corpses around him, "Your compatriots failed to even scratch me, what makes you any different?" "The difference is, we have come prepared! Throw!" he shouts, and a few men behind him toss a few grenades at him. Afton isn''t able to tell what kind they are, most grenades wouldn''t do anything to his armour, but that didn''t mean he was going to let them hit him... He leaps out of the way but is surprised to find even more grenades being thrown... Around thirty are thrown around him, blocking off any avenue of escape... His Danger Sense doesn''t detect anything, so he just gives an annoyed huff as they detonate. *PPPEEEEEWWWWWWZZZZZZHHHHH!!!* Each grenade gives out a pulse of energy that causes the HUD under his helmet to glitch and fragment, his armour locks up and the only thing mechanical that he was sure still worked was Nyx... EMP''s were incredibly dangerous to AI''s, so her armour had been specifically designed against this tactic... Something that couldn''t be said for his Power armour. His Proton axes abruptly turn off and he loses his grip on them, they fall out of his hands as he attempts to get control over his armour but struggles to do so. His limbs stiffen and his back straightens as the servos randomly start activating. This was one reason why EMP''s were so dangerous against Power armour, if it is calibrated wrong their your limbs would be torn off at even the mildest disturbance. If anyone else were in Afton''s armour at this moment, their bodies would be mangled beyond recognition. Even with Afton''s incredible strength and durability, he found himself locked in place. "Hahaha! Did you really think that armour made you impervious to damage! No! We have fought this heretic Brother''s before, you are no different in our eyes!" the man looks around him, "Go, strip his armour and torture the Great Caesar''s location out of him, after that... Set him on fire and send him to Graham!" At his words the many Legionaries who''d been at Afton''s mercy until now quickly moved in, hoping to destroy this nightmarish figure that''d killed so many of them. Chapter 454 - Break Through "User is at great risk! Move!" Nyx''s voice urges him, but the armour refuses to work with him! Afton''s eyes flitter at the many Legionaries approaching him, he grits his teeth and starts pushing against the malfunctioning servos, causing a low grinding sound to creak out of the armour. The approaching Legionaries stop their advance as they hear it.?? They sheepishly look around at one another as if daring them to go first... This man had just killed hundreds, if not thousands of their brothers... There was nothing shameful about being afraid of him, even with the rather thin assurances made by the Assassin. One brave man with a large still bloody scar running across his face steps forwards with a fierce expression. He looks up at Afton and smugly mutters, "Not so tough now with all that armour, are you?" he states, giving his chest plate a tap. Afton scowls, "If you think you can beat me like the rest of the pathetic cunts wearing Power armour, you better think again!" he exclaims, abruptly pulling his arms, destroying the servos and allowing him to move... Truth be told, any other man, no matter their strength, wouldn''t have been able to do this... Power armour was only usable due to the servos and other mechanical components assisting their movement... It''d take someone as strong as a Supermutant to use it without assistance... Unfortunately for the Legionaries, Afton''s upper strength dwarfed most Supermutants... *ccrrrreeeeeEEK!* *CRACK* *PING!* The Legionaries back away with fearful looks as Afton literally breaks his own armour and starts moving under his own strength. The Saturnite plating was undoubtedly heavy, but despite that he was still able to move, even if he was significantly slower than before. Afton grabs the head of the ''brave'' mocking man from earlier and presses his thumbs into his eye sockets before beginning to squeeze, reenacting the Mountain'' act of brutality against Prince Oberyn. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" he screams as he struggles to get out of Afton''s grip... But nothing works. The rest of the army are shocked and sickened as this happens before them. Soon enough, their compatriot''s skull cannot take anymore! *CRRRRAACK!* *SPLASH!* *THUMP!* Afton tears the skull apart, causing blood and brain matter to squirt at the surrounding Legionaries. He drops the corpse and glares at the lead Assassin who''d ordered the attack in the first place. He breaks the servos in his legs and starts slowly stepping towards them. All the Legionaries surrounding the lead assassin quickly back away, all pointing their weapons at Afton while disregarding the assassins safety. The assassin himself was locked in place, unable to move at the fact his tried and true tactic had so spectacularly failed. His breaths become uneven as his heart begins trying to pound out of his chest. By the time he regains control of his body Afton was almost spear-distance away... He quickly backs away while drawing his 12.7mm pistol and pointing it ineffectively at Afton. "Get back! S-stay back!" Afton ignores the notification that appears in his peripheral and bends down, grabbing the man''s leg as he attempts to squirm away. *BangBangBangBang!* Shots ping off of his helmet, a few striking his visor, but all do essentially nothing. He grabs the man''s other leg and begins separating them, forcing the man into a split... And even further. The surrounding Legionaries shoot Afton to try and assist their companion, but all do nothing... A few even strike the assassin, even so, the pain of getting shot doesn''t match what Afton was doing to him. Afton held him mid-air and kept pulling his legs apart... Soon enough, an extra pull tears the man in half, from his ass to his chest! "FIGHT ME!" he roars as bullets continue deflecting off of his armour. Elsewhere : Boone had finally reached the top of the stairs while fending off the assassins... He and Anja were about to check the outside when the door suddenly explodes off of its hinges. They both look at the corpse now lying under the door and notice that it belongs to one of the assassins... "Hey, thought you guys could us some backup" Veronica nonchalantly says as she walks inside, brushing some nonexistence dirt from her shoulder as she examines the room. "Good timing. Guessing you heard what happened earlier?" Boone asks, finally lowering is weapon and looking it over for damage. Veronica scoffs, "Yeah, who hasn''t? Felt like an earthquake outside, but I''m guessing it had nothing to do with seismic activity?" Boone shakes his head, "Probably Tamia, whatever she''s doing down there." he shrugs, "Anymore hostiles outside?" he asks, and when Veronica shakes her head he nods and leads her into the bunker. Veronica raises a brow at the many women and children here, but her gaze is soon turned towards the injured, Karl and Josie being the foremost among them... Though, judging by how worried Karl was for one woman, it wasn''t hard to guess her identity. "Any idea when Tamia will be getting back? We''ve wasted too much time here already." "*BZZTCH!* Hmm, strange armour you have there... But yes, Tamia will be with you shortly." House says from the monitors at the side of the room." Veronica raises a brow, "So you''re House, huh? You''re pretty hot for a centuries-old man... But I''m guessing that photo isn''t recent, right?" she jokes, but her laugh trails off at the lack of response. "Yes, very funny." he states and immediately after he says this the doors of the room open with Tamia stepping through, slightly out of breath. "Mission complete, let''s get the fuck outta here!" she grins, giving a thumbs up. "Well done, you have exceeded my expectations of you by massive margins... Join me back in the Lucky 38 so we can discuss things further." House states before the monitors turn off. Veronica shakes her head at House''s words, "That guy''s one creepy bastard. Whatever, I''ll cover you guys, but we need people to carry the injured." Tamia nods, "Got it, Karl, you''re with me. No complaining either, your back''ll hurt way more if we leave you like this." she says as she helps the old man up. Chapter 455 - Not The Time For Football... Veronica leads the group out of the bunker straight into the fight again. In the distance, she could spot Afton moving around with some difficulty, but looking fine nonetheless. Unfortunately, the small group had already attracted the Legion army''s attention, a few groups splitting off from the larger whole and attempting to apprehend them. Of course, there was a less honourable reason for this... The Legionaries would rather take their chances trying to capture this group than fight Afton, even with specialised equipment they''d still failed to even scratch him, leaving the situation pretty hopeless.?? Veronica stands at the front of the group as a human shield, but even with this there were bound to be injuries... Only Tamia, Anja, Boone, ED-E, Dogmeat, and Veronica were actually combat-able... Everyone else was either too exhausted, injured, or lacked a suitable weapon. Veronica tears a large piece of scrap metal from the shack and uses it as a shield as she shoots her plasma pistol with her other hand. The slow projectiles are relatively easy to dodge, but in the heat of battle, a few are struck by them causing large portions of their bodies to melt into green goo as they scream in agony. The teleportation coordinates were locked on the other side of the camp, so the group would have to fight off the attacking units before they''d be able to safely exit... Veronica wishes Afton were able to help, but he was responsible for holding off the larger portion of the army as it is. She gives a shout as she smashes the makeshift metal shield into a Legionary, the shied strikes them in the skull and literally dents it, either causing death or permanent brain damage from the attack. ED-E was still floating above them all, providing covering laser fire and drawing a bit of attention towards itself from the spectacle... Using laser weaponry so broadly was literally like having ''kill me'' written on your forehead... Fortunately, his relatively small body and ability to hover made him incredibly difficult to hit, especially for the Legionaries who were barely good enough to call themselves ''militia'', let alone soldiers. The group reaches the halfway point by slowly pushing back the opposition, they were making good progress, but that didn''t stop a few people from acquiring more injuries... A few of the women had receives glancing shots or actually shots, nothing lethal luckily but it was only a matter of time if the fighting continues. They were closer to Afton''s position now, which was actually a negative as more Legionaries were attracted towards them... A couple were actually carrying grenade launchers with them, causing Veronica to grimace, the scorch marks on her armour were from those bastards... Even with the armour, getting hit straight on still hurt like a bitch. Veronica kills the first guy wielding the launcher with a clean shot, but the guy next to them just picks it up and continues where they left off. Firing a grenade at the group. Veronica leaps forwards and smacks it with her shield causing the grenade to explode. The force of which disintegrates the metal leaving her holding nothing... The shards of metal, fortunately, hadn''t hit anyone in her group, but she was still left without a means to defend against the next attack. Boone blows the head off of the next guy using a grenade launcher, but not before they get off another shot... Again, Veronica intercepts it and is launched backwards from the explosion, she groans as she lands and checks her forearm where she''d blocked the grenade and spots a large, scorch mark that was slowly slightly red. Despite her best efforts, however, more grenades are shot at the group, ignoring Veronica as her armour proved too thick to be harmed against this type of weapon... But that did not mean everyone else was resistant... A grenade falls short and kicks up shards of stone and dirt, killing one of the women as they attempted to protect their child. Another is about to fall directly in the centre of the group by Boone somehow manages to shoot it out of the air, the shrapnel still harms a couple people but it''s nothing too serious... The last grenade is fired at the injured, time seems to freeze as everyone watches the grenade fly through the air with a trail of smoke behind it. Tamia attempts to get everyone clear of the area but accidentally drops Karl as the man forces himself out of her grip. He pushes her towards the woman helping his daughter as he falls and forces himself towards the grenade. "Karl you fuckin''-" Tamia exclaims but is cut off by an explosion. *BOOM* Karl manages to intercept the grenade and attempts to punt it away like a football... This, of course, was a terribly stupid idea. Were he not wearing full combat armour under his Deathclaw leather duster, he''d have instantly been killed by this... Whether fortunate or not however, Karl survives... Albeit, with incredibly serious injuries. The man is thrown back towards the group after absorbing most of the explosion, both legs missing as well as his left hand. All his wounds were bleeding profusely and no one seemed to know what to do in the moment... Veronica gets back up and charges at the men wielding the launchers to stop any more grenades from being fired while Tamia leans down to examine Karl. "You fuckin'' fool!" she shouts as she spots his legs, or lack thereof... Half of his thighs had simply vanished, along with everything below them. The flesh of his legs looked as if it''d been made into cheese-strings and half-bitten off the bone. The wound was squirting out blood at an incredible rate, and Tamia couldn''t help but think that Karl was done for. "Fu-argh!" Karl mutters as he looks down at his own injury, he looks back up at Tamia, he doesn''t dare look at his daughter who''s standing not too far away. The look on her face in this moment would probably break him. Chapter 456 - Crack! And The Group Is Gone! Karl grasps Tamia''s forearm with his remaining hand and looks her in the eyes, "G-get my kid outta here-Arggh!" he slumps back, "I''m done for... T-Take care of Caroline... Stop Afton from doing somethin'' stupid-" "Shut the fuck up! You aren''t dying here if I have anything to say about it!" Tamis spits before pulling out her Proton axe and igniting it, "This is gonna hurt, but you deserve it for kicking a DAMNED GRENADE!" she shouts, ignoring the wide-eyed look of Karl as she cuts down on Karl''s wounds, cauterizing them and stemming the blood flow. This wouldn''t do anything against infections or stop his body from going into shock, but it was the best she could do for now.?? "You damned crazy woman!!" Karl roars in pain as Tamia slowly cauterizing his wounds, "JUUUuust let this old man-" he starts but isn''t able to finish his words as he begins hyperventilating with his expression going dull. "Shit!" Tamia growls out as she throws Karl over her shoulder, "KEEP MOVING, WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!" she shouts, urging the group forwards under the continued gunfire of the Legion. Veronica was thankfully drawing most of it by charging at them, but the whizzing of barely missed bullets was still ringing heavily in their ears. Fortunately, they were only a couple hundred meters away from the teleportation point. Veronica had caused the Legionaries to scatter, allowing the rest of the group to pick them off... Dogmeat was currently tearing a man''s throat out, while Boone and Anja eliminated as many Legionaries as efficiently as possible. Afton was almost entirely covered in blood at this point, he''d noticed the plight of the group but wasn''t able to get away from the fighting without drawing more attention to them... Though, his heart clenched when he saw Karl take one for the team... "Nyx, how many hostiles remain?" he growls out, wondering if he''d even put a dent in the Legions forces. "1043 hostiles remain." the AI states causing Afton to release a sigh, he tears another man''s head from their body as bullets continue to bounce off of his armour. "1042" Nyx corrects but Afton ignores her for now. He could see the group was getting close to the teleportation point, he would try and use his Proton axes to thin the herd, but everything was EMP''d for now and temporarily unusable. So instead he just picks up a dropped chainsaw and starts swinging it like a mad man while making his way over to the group. He reaches Veronica but neither say anything to one another, instead just concentrating on clearing out the Legionaries surrounding them and drawing fire to themselves. Both breath large sighs of relief when the group finally reaches the teleportation spot. Once everyone is inside Afton and Veronica charge at it. *CRRAACK!* The Legionaries continue firing but are blinded as lightning comes down from the sky and strikes the group, causing dust and smoke to kick up as they vanish from the Fort. Of course, with the dust concealing them, the Legion weren''t able to see this. As a result, they continue shooting in the vague direction for a couple more minutes until the dust clears, revealing the absence of their target. Most Legionaries breath a sigh of relief at the fact they''d survived, but a good few were wondering what was going to happen to them now... Caesar had been captured, a huge portion of their troops had been killed, and their infrastructure had been decimated... There wasn''t any way for this situation to get worse... Elsewhere : *CRACK!* Lightning strikes down at the front of the Think Tank, surprising a few of the workers who were milling about. Most of the group are utterly exhausted as they arrive, Afton and Veronica even slumping to a knee. That doesn''t last for long however as Afton recollects himself, "GLADOS!? DALA!? WE HAVE INJURED! GLADOS!" From the building a machine extends out, and a piece of metal slides from the front, revealing a single orange eye, "You seem to have brought back an interesting collection of meatbags, they are not for experimentation I presume?" she asks. Afton quickly shakes his head, "No! Get Dala ready to operate, we have injured that need immediate assistance... Send Karl up to the Auto-Doc!" "The meat bag without legs must be ''Karl'', then?" Glados states as hundreds of tiny spider bots skitter from the building and stop before Tamia who''s still holding Karl. "Drop Karl on the robots, they''ll take him to where he needs to go." Afton urges, and Tamia does as she''s told. Karl is rested atop the spider bots who immediately head back inside the Think Tank, carrying Karl through the main building and up to the Sink where Meddie the Auto-Doc awaits. "Afton, Karl found his daughter and she''s heavily injured, we need to help her now." Boone says, gesturing at Caroline who''s looking paler by the minute. Afton nods and starts tearing his malfunctioning armour off of himself. With most of its systems fried and temporarily unusable, there wasn''t really a proper way of extracting himself from it without destroying it... He''d have the armour rebuilt later, but for now, he had some patients to help... He wasn''t about to let Karl down over some armour after all. He grabs Caroline in a princess carry and starts marching towards the Think Tank, "Let''s get you some help. I''ll give you back to your pops in one piece, alright?" he says, but is stopped when a young boy grabs his leg. "Where are you taking my ma''?!" he asks with slight panic. Afton raises a brow but quickly composes himself, "I''m a doctor, I''ll heal her... Now, go aunty Tamia and play Lego''s or something." he says before finally leaving. Carlos looks between Afton''s back and Tamia with watery eyes, "Is my ma'' gonna be okay?" Tamia gives a forced smile and pats the boy on the head, "Of course... Now er, why don''t we have a look around... Or something." she trails off, cursing Afton for leaving her with the kid. While all of this is happening, Anja just stands next to the unconscious Caesar with a confused and apprehensive look, too nervous to ask what she was supposed to do with the tyrant... So, instead of asking for help she just awkwardly stands in front of the Think Tank while watching the prisoner... Chapter 457 - Divergence Afton sighs and washes his hands off, he''d just finished operating on Caroline and was mildly enraged by what he''d seen. Aside from the initial injuries she had, the bullet wound to the gut, chest, and limbs, he also found numerous older wounds. Whip marks, deliberate cuttings of flesh, burns, improperly healed bone breaks, and worst of all, genital mutilation. Afton grinds his teeth as he looks over the document he''d just written, it listed all of her injuries, their causes and his speculations on where she''d receive them. He''d be showing it to Karl once he''d recovered... If he recovers. Having your hand and both legs blown off was enough to put any thoughts of fighting from a regular person''s mind... Though, Afton doubted Karl would so easily let bygones be bygones.?? Of course, Afton had done the best he could to help Caroline, he''d extracted the pieces of bullets in her body but there was little he could do for the older injuries. There wasn''t currently a way to create and attach organic body parts, even Afton''s plant arm was more based on luck than actual science. Afton wondered where the Legion had adopted such horrific traditions... He didn''t remember the Romans ever practising general mutilation, perhaps it was brought over from the tribes?... Regardless, any guilt he''d have had after killing so many of them quickly faded. Barbaric pieces of shit like that lot deserves to be cleansed. "Glados, inform me once Caroline wakes up." "Understood... Excuse me, creator? This may seem unusual, but why does the name ''Caroline'' seem so familiar to me? I have never encountered this before, and my processors show no sign of abnormalities..." Afton raises a brow but coughs into his fist, "No idea... Perhaps you just like the name?" he dismisses the query and quickly heads up to the Sink where Karl was currently being operated on. He''s greeted by all the personalities but ignores them as he heads for Meddie who''s still apparently operating. "How is he?" "He, is one tough bastard. Should''ve died minutes after being injured like this, but he''s holdin'' on somehow... Add the rather reckless cauterization and the guy''s heart should''ve given out. Even still, it''s beaten strong like a drum. Makes me tempted to pull him apart to see how he works..." Meddie trails off. Afton crosses his arms, "You still haven''t answered my question." The personality chuckles, "He''ll live, I''ll say that much. Whether or not it will be a comfortable life is hard to say though. For all I know his damaged nerves could start firing constantly, leaving him in a perpetual state of agony." Afton shrugs, "Yeah, but that''s unlikely. A worst-case scenario... Hey, while you''re at it, think you can do anything for his back? Old man keeps moaning about it so might as well get it done now." "Will do... I''ll install a cybernetic spine. You shouldn''t wait around for him, he''s still got hours of surgeries ahead." Afton slowly nods, "Alright, have Alfred or Glados inform me when he''s recovered or awake." he waves as he leaves. Another thing that required his attention was the new guests in Big Mountain. He trusted most of his companions, but there were limits to what they would be willing to endure for him, he imagined that fighting gained their homeland and people would be one of them... Which is why it was very, very important that the location of this place is kept hidden from them. Fortunately, doing this isn''t all that hard as the only real map of Big Mountain currently resides on his Pipboy. Tamia''s Pipboy might''ve been able to do something had he not already preemptively fixed such functions from finding too much info about Big Mt... The last thing he wanted to happen was for some NCR Vault Dweller to stumble across the place. He walks to the front of the Think Tank and sits down on the bluegrass surrounding it. He''d been ignoring the notifications he''d received during the battle for long enough, now was perfect since he finally had some free time. [Quest Complete : Find Caroline Martin] [Lord Death v4 1869/2000] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 50!!!!!!] Afton grins when he sees the notification. 50 was a good number, maybe his favourite now... He quickly puts all points into Lockpicking, raising it up to 94, after that he enthusiastically moves onto the Perks... [Level 50 Perks] : Perks at this level are derived from gathered Karma until this point. If you have proved to be monstrously evil you will receive Perks to suit this lifestyle, if you have proved to be Good Personified then you will receive options that help with this. [Positive Karma : 2630] [Negative Karma : 1223] [Result] : Well-Meaning Disaster] [Title acquired : Well-Meaning Disaster] [Well-Meaning Disaster] : Despite your best efforts, your actions often lead to the deaths of many innocents. This exceedingly reckless method of problem-solving has made you infamous around the Wasteland. +100% Fame or Infamy gain depending on the results of your actions. [Well-Meaning Disaster Perks] : [Hero turned Tyrant] : Your attempts at heroism have failed often enough for you to leave such a life behind. +EXP gain when inspiring fear in others, +3 to Strength and Endurance, you become immune to critical hits. You also gain a mutation that increases the length of your canines and allows you to drink blood of your victims to rapidly regenerate health. [Hero''s Promise] : You have pledged to do your utmost in service of justice and all that''s good. +EXP when inspiring hope in others, +3 to Intelligence, Charisma, you become immune to critical hits. Positive Karma grants bonus Health, Negative Karma takes away from this. [Stay the Path] : You disregard all the deaths you have caused and continue the way you always have, heroes are fools and Villains are needlessly cruel, you are neither, yet both. EXP acquisition does not change, +2 to all stats, you become immune to critical hits. You also gain the ability to see someone''s Karma. Chapter 458 - Mutative Properties Afton''s eyes widen at the Perk options before him, these were seriously game-changing... At first he was pretty certain he was going to pick [Hero turned Tyrant], but after thinking about it for a while he realised that it was probably the worst option... [Hero turned Tyrant] would force him to cause fear to earn EXP... This doesn''t sound all that bad until you consider how much fear would allow you to level up, you''d probably have to nuke a city in front of thousands of people to level up from such a system.?? That wasn''t to say the things it offered weren''t good, but upon further inspection they held more negatives than you''d think... Just the mutation alone would basically force him to become a cannibalistic vampire, if anyone caught him using such an ability his allies and anyone else who followed him would quickly leave. Had he allied himself with the Fiends or other similar tribes, such an ability might be viable... But in his current situation? Impossible. [Hero''s Promise] is another hard perk to take... Again, such a Perk would force him to go through extreme lengths just to level up. His current reputation wasn''t a good one, and changing it after he and his group had just brutally butchered thousands of people wasn''t likely at all. Gaining EXP through Hope would force him to basically become the second coming of jesus... And while that might sound like fun to do for a while, he imagined it''d get bored very, very quickly. The +3 to Intelligence and Charism wasn''t bad, in fact, it''d allow him to get the max Perk for Intelligence, but it still wasn''t worth it... The worst thing of all would be the bonus Health for Karma... What would happen if his Positive Karma dipped under his Negative? Would he lose health? The fact that he didn''t know made him reject any notion of actually accepting this Perk. Last but not least was [Stay the Path], which would essentially do nothing to his actions. He''d continue as he always had been without interference, levelling would stay the same, and he''d continue slowly getting stronger without having to deify himself or commit genocide. The ability to see someone''s Karma would also be incredible. It''d essentially allow him to see who was good and who was evil... The morally grey world would suddenly become black and white... Anyone whose Karma was overwhelmingly Negative deserved death, right? Karma was an enigmatic thing if Afton were honest with himself... Would he lose Karma if he saved a murderer who then went on to kill many? Would he lose Karma for creating a medicine that many people overdose on? He imagined he''d gained so much Negative Karma due to his various ''brutal murders'', murder was ''fine'' for Karma, but torturing someone? Definitely not. He sighs as he looks over the Perks again, he still had no idea what Immunity to Criticals would do... A shot to the head would still likely kill him, but maybe a bullet to the heart wouldn''t? Ah, so confusing... After a couple more minutes he bites his inner cheek and finally decides what to pick... [Stay the Path] As soon as he picks the Perk he feels his body burning, his muscles were getting denser, his senses were improving, his mental capabilities were speeding up, his heartbeat felt strong, unstoppable. He was THE superhuman in the Wastelands now, he doubted anyone even came close, even with all the mutations around. He''s about to get up from the grass but is interrupted but yet another notification... [WELCOME TO LEVEL 51!] [System has updated, Levelling has been updated.] [Each level will grant one point that can be used in one of three categories, Stats, Perks and Mutations. Skills that have not been maxed out yet can be upgraded as well, one point equals 10 Skill points.] Afton raises a brow at this, honestly he''d been expecting something to change soon... Skill points became useless once you maxed them out, a couple more levels and he would''ve done just that... Still, he didn''t think he''d be maxing out Lockpicking or Bartering, Perks, Stats, and Mutations would be way more valuable. Speaking of which, he immediately look at the various categories that''d appeared in his peripheral... [Points : 1] [Stats] [Perks] [Mutations] He ignores the first two categories and selects Mutations, a scree appears before him and starts listing off a variety of things... Among them were upgrades to [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca]. [Beauveria mordicana firmissimi anguli] : Enables user to manipulate their arm into a variety of shapes. [Beauveria mordicana duraferro] : User''s arm becomes as hard as steel. [Beauveria mordicana flagellum] : Enables user''s arm to extend, stretch, and flex. [Beauveria mordicana rasorium] : Enables user to form incredibly sharp blades on their arm. There were numerous upgrades for his plant arm, each seeming to complement one another... WIth enough perks his arm would basically be the one Mercer has in Prototype... Perhaps with even more options. Of course, there were more mutations available. [Beauveria mordicana infestatio v1] : Enables user to manipulate plantlife. [Beauveria mordicana corpus indiuiduo connexe v1] : Drastically increases the user''s body''s durability. (May cause physical changes) Other than the various Beauveria mordicana, plenty of other mutations were more similar to supernatural powers... [Telepathy v1] : Enables user to communicate with other willing minds. [Telekinesis v1] : Enables user to move objects with their mind. [Pyrokinesis v1] : Enables user to control fire. These mutations were all game-changers... The only problem was that they didn''t elaborate how strong they actually were... [Telepathy v1] might force you to touch foreheads to communicate, [Telekinesis v1] might only make you able to lift a feather... Afton was excited about them, but was more confident towards the Beauveria mordicana Mutations as they had already proven to work... As such, he decides to bite the bullet and try a simple, but potentially useful Mutation, [Beauveria mordicana firmissimi anguli]. He could already think up a few interesting uses for it, aside from morphing his arm into a spear or something, perhaps he''d be able to transform his finger into a key to unlock something... Maybe he''d be able to transform it into tools? Regardless, he''d have to find out later on. Chapter 459 - Pool Side Vacation At another part of Big Mt was Tamia who was currently looking after Carlos. The young boy had been distraught at the state of his mother and recently discovered grandfather, Tamia had spent a couple hours now trying to calm the child, but nothing seemed to work. To be honest, she was considering just ditching him with the others so she could get some rest... Despite avoiding any injuries, she was still pretty exhausted after the whole ordeal at the Fort... It''s not every day you waltz into the enemy base, kidnap their leader and kill most of their troops.?? The other problem with the boy was his rather rude attitude towards women... The Legion indoctrination was easy to see in him, yet in his panicked state it seemed lesser than what it was. She had of course met the child when she first entered the Fort. He was amongst the group of children who were talking smack at her and Josie. "Hey, look at that." she says, pointing at the large pack of Cyberdogs that were sprinting somewhere. Carlos raises his head and stares at them, his eyes widening at the peculiar sight... Cyberdogs were usually only used in the NCR military from what he had heard... Yet there were so many of them before him. A couple even approaches the duo, the dogs look intensely at them as if expecting a treat. Tamia raises a brow but pulls out some beef jerky from her bag, handing it to Carlos for the kid to feed. Unbeknownst to them however, the Cyberdogs were actually scanning both of them for Glados. Tamia watches as the boy feeds the dogs and wonders when she''d be able to rest. She still had to process the things Caesar had revealed. She didn''t think he had been lying, but she wasn''t sure if she wanted it to be true or false... Knowing that she had a family somewhere was comforting in a way, more than when she was wandering around the wasteland solely bent on revenge. She looks back at Carlos and lightly taps his shoulder, "Come on, we should find where our beds are... I''m tired as hell." she mutters. "*Bzztch!* Your designated room is over in the dormitories, meat bag." a Glados controlled drone states from above them. "Meat bag?" Tamia asks, wondering if she should take offense. It wasn''t the first time she''d been called that today either. "Indeed, meat bag. You are being made of flesh wrapped in a skintight bag, the only interesting part of you is your brain, which I have observed to not be the best amongst your kind." Glados explains. ... Tamia just shakes her head, deciding not to think about it, "Whatever, just take us to the dorms." Elsewhere : Boone, Josie, Anja, and Veronica were having the time of their lives... They were all currently resting on sun loungers next to a large pool, Josie had had her leg stitched, wrapped up, and pumped with pain killers while the others had the various light scratches they''d received patched up. All of them had been provided with bathing suits, bikinis and shorts... Except for Anja of course who was given a full-body bathing suit... Nobody wanted to see the body of a ghoul... "If I knew Afton had a place like this I''d have begged him to take me here a lot sooner." Veronica mutters as she sips an ice-cold cocktail. "Do you guys think Karl''s gonna be alright? I know Afton''s robot-girl-AI-thing said he would, but I''m still worried. "H-he will, with all the technology here I think it would be easier to list what they couldn''t do..." Anja says, admiring what Afton had ''built'' here. Boone tries not to think about Karl''s state and releases a long pent up sigh, as a soldier this situation is one he''d found himself in more often than he''d wish, the fate of his comrades is up to fate and the expertise of those operating on them. The fact that he can''t do anything to help just makes it all the more bitter. Instead, he watches the various women in what looked like maid outfits walk around the place, attending to various jobs that needed doing... One stands nearby to fix them up drinks or to help them with any problem they may have. There was something that stood out to him however, "I recognise these women... They''re part of the group we rescued from the Legion..." "Hmm, you think they like working here?" Josie asks, still slightly delirious from the large amount of pain killers she''d been given. Veronica shrugs, "I don''t know... Let''s ask one," she raises a hand at the nearest maid, "Excuse me?" "Y-yes, w-what can I do for you?" the maid stutters out awkwardly. "How is it working here? I mean, I know it''s probably better than being stuck in that camp, but what about the rest of the Mojave?" The maid''s voice is caught in her throat when she''s about to retort that the camp provided more freedom than this, and was potentially less dangerous... She had learned her lesson however, even now she could feel the glowing orange eyes glaring at her back, Shani knew she''d be on the chopping block of she tried to escape again... She''d attempted to leave twice now, apparently she''d been given three strikes... She really didn''t want to see what would happen if she made a third attempt. Shani gives a forced smile to Veronica, slightly too toothy to be a sincere one, "N-no, it''s great here! We get fed amazing food, we have amazing housing, and we are s-safer than we ever have been!" she lists off. Veronica grins back at her, not noticing that Shani''s smile didn''t reach her eyes, she turns back to Josie, "See? Afton''s got shit handled here, I might even take a dip in the pool once I finished my drink." she grins. "Ah... Veronica c-could you..." Anja attempts to ask but hesitates. "Yeah?" "C-could you teach me how to swim?" the ghoul asks, having never gotten the chance before. Veronica beams, "Sure! Come on, first you gotta kick your legs like a madman!" she exclaims while dragging Anja into the pool, not even taking notice of the gross texture of Anja''s hand. Shani just sighs as this all occurs, these people were ignorant to the atrocities that were being committed here... She wondered if they''d ever find out, and if they did, if they would do something to stop it. She shakes these thoughts from her head and turns to the only male of the group, "Is that all you need, sir?" Chapter 460 - PowerRang-Claws? Afton stands from the grass and rolls his shoulders. He felt like a newer, better man with the ability to do anything he put his mind to... He looks down at his right arm, rolls up the sleeve and takes off his glove to reveal the wood-like flesh beneath. The new mutation he''d gained didn''t exactly come with a set of instructions, so he was stuck trying to figure it out himself like Toby Maguire in the first Spiderman movie... Fortunately, he isn''t forced to shot catchphrases at the top of his lungs to achieve an effect.?? His plant arm feels as if it''s bubbling, a tingly feeling springs up underneath his skin as he concentrates on moving it... His figures twitch as his thumb disappears, causing Afton''s brows to raise in consternation... Yeah, that was an incredibly strange feeling. The sensations in his thumb hadn''t disappeared, but instead had just shifted to the rest of his arm... Honestly, it was making him slightly nauseous. He takes a couple moments to compose himself and tries again, imagining his arm becoming a spike. His fingers meld together and become thinner at the end, his wrist locks itself in place and once everything is done, Afton finds himself with a large wooden spike attached to his elbow... He can move it, but everything below the elbow is locked in place. He tests the point of the spike but finds that it isn''t all that sharp... He''d probably need another mutation to be able to form sharp edges, not that it''d be difficult to kill someone with this spike, it''d be like jabbing a pointed piece of wood into someone''s throat... Still lethal. He morphs his arm back to its regular appearance, the flesh easily reverting as if it''d been waiting to return to normal. He''s about to test it some more but is interrupted by Dr Borous who floats outside the Think Tank. "That is an incredibly peculiar ability you''ve acquired Mr Parker." Afton nods, "Yeah, it''s a recent thing... What''re you doing outside the Think Tank? Don''t you guys hate the outside?" Borous shakes his chassis, "Most do, but I only stayed within the Think Tank for fear of the Lobotomites and other creatures roaming this place... Now that it''s all cleared I find the sun on my brain quite calming." Afton smirks, "You taking Gabe on walks?" Borous chuckles, "Of course! I have a lot to make up for, the least I can do is spend time with my old friend... Ah, anyway, I actually have something to speak to you about." he rediverts the conversation back to the subject at hand, "The Deathclaw samples you brought back are developing quite nicely, in fact, I''ve managed to hatch a few eggs. I''d love to show you them if you are willing to see?" Afton raises a brow, "You''ve started hatching them? Please don''t tell me you''ve made a farm of them..." he asks pointedly. Borous turns his monitors away slightly, meaning that he certainly had. "I had Glados permission, I''ll have you know." "Glados..." Afton asks, her robotic form expanding over them and looking down with an orange eye, "Yes, creator?" He shakes his head and sighs, "I know you''ve been listening, did you really give Borous permission to make a Deathclaw farm?" "Request 4239 was accepted, it was one of the projects I personally found interesting. The creatures designated: Deathclaws seemed like the perfect killing machines, at least, as much as biology allows." she explains. "And you didn''t see anything wrong with making a large amount in the crater, youknow, where everyone except you is susceptible to getting torn to pieces?" he asks with crossed arms. "It was a calculated risk. A few dead organisms would be worth an attack force of Deathclaws." she states. Afton shakes his head, "I''m not arguing with you on that, it''s just that I''d like to be informed when something that risks the facility is decided upon. I understand I might have been busy, but I am still the owner of this place." he chides. "Understood... On this subject, Dala has requested permission to dissect the organism designated: Shani. Its brainwaves were reported to be peculiar, and its recent attempts to escape the facility have become annoying at best." Glados explains. "Is this her third strike?" he calmly asks. "No. But I do not see why it matt-" Afton interrupts and ignores her question, "Then leave Shani alone until she tries to escape again, after that Dala can do what she wants with her." "Understood." Glados says before leaving, well, only physically. Afton knew she was everpresent around Big Mt, her surveillance encompasses everything. "That AI you''ve built is quite unnerving..." Afton nods, "I designed her that way... Anyway, you wanted to show me the Deathclaws? Well, lead on." Borous begins leading Afton away from the Think Tank and towards a far off laboratory. It looked recently created and had huge fences around, all of which were electrified to prevent any chance of escape. Afton didn''t say anything about it however, he was quite honestly relieved that so many defensive were set up to prevent a potential Deathclaw escape... One escape could result in an infestation that would be difficult to remove for the robots and cyberdogs... Afton himself would probably have to step in. He''s led through the lab which held many eggs that''d been experimented on and further mutated, and eventually finds himself in an observation room overlooking the fenced-in area... Young Deathclaws could be seen running around, playing and pretend hunting. A few over-eager ones accidentally touch the fence and bounce off of it with electricity visibly licking their skin, after that they know to stay well away from the ''pain wall''. One thing Afton took particular notice in were the peculiar colours of the Deathclaws... Usually, they only came in brown, black and beige... But there were green ones, red ones, and yellow ones... "Is there a reason for the weird colours?" he asks Borous. "Indeed there are, I colour coded them to easily identify which mutations I''ve introduced... The red ones are more aggressive, the green ones had larger claws, and the yellow ones are smarter than average... These are only preliminary tests, of course, I only wish to see how far I can alter them until they start dying." Afton nods, "Fair enough... Just one warning before I allow this to continue. You will take all precautions physically possible to prevent any altered Deathclaws from escaping... The wasteland does not need smarter, larger, or more aggressive Deathclaws... At least, not without us being able to control them." he states. Borous nods his chassis, "Of course. I have learned from my past mistakes." Afton examines the robot for any indication of deceit... Eventually, he just turns away, "Alright, carry on them. Report your progress regularly to Glados." Chapter 461 - League Of Legion Vulpes Inculta walks through the ruins that once were the Great Fort. Bodies were strewn around with no regard to who they may have been, fires linger atop tents and huts, walls collapse if they hadn''t already... Truly, he had underestimated the strength of his enemies, and Afton Parker specifically... Power armour was a surprise, but it wasn''t as if they''d not had to deal with it before, this is why they had specialised units to deal with them... Even so, it all proved futile.?? The results were thus thousands dead, Caesar kidnapped, defensive structures destroyed, and Lanius becoming temporary leader of the Legion... As far as he was concerned, all of the above were terrible, but Lanius was by far the worst. The man had no sense for strategy, deceit, tactics, or even an average skill for planning. He was everything barbaric within the Legion all melded together into one man. True, he was an incredible combatant, perhaps even equal to Afton Parker outside of his Power armour, but they didn''t mean he was a great leader. At best, Lanius was only good at giving the troops something to fear, it was an approach Caesar had thought up after reading through some history books. He would be the calm, strategic, and merciful leader, while Lanius would be the barbaric general who you''d not dare cross. It helped put into perspective who you could have leading and why you were following Caesar in the first place. Of course, this all now backfired since Lanius was in charge. Vulpes Inculta wasn''t even sure who the troops feared more now, Parker or Lanius. He''d bet on the former due to the sheer body count of Parker''s last attack, but even so, it was still close. This is not to say nothing ''good'' came of the attack, no, it provided Vulpes with quite a lot of information that could potentially be useful against Parker and his group. Tech was the first thing, vehicles, weapons, armour, and even some form of teleportation? It was all too fantastical if he were honest. Had this not been reported by many, many men he wouldn''t have believed it. Parker had somehow gained access to incredibly advanced technology. Even the vehicle had been plated with some kind of miracle metal, so incredibly hard and strong that it put steel to shame. Even the dull-headed Lanius had become interested in it, though, no for research and development... Instead, he just wants to melt it down and make armour out of it. Vulpes Inculta didn''t try to persuade him as perhaps that''d what Lanius will need to fight Parker on an even playing field. "Sir! Legate Lanius wishes to lead a force to recapture the canyon passage!" Vulpes Inculta sighs and turns towards the messenger, "Very well... Send messages to Cottonwood Cove and all over Legion forces West of the river to assist in this effort. The NCR will not have constructed proper defences yet, so this is our best chance to attack..." he states, though, he is quite put out by the fact they''d be giving up Cottonwood Cove. Due to Parker''s attack, they''d need to pull all forces to take the canyon passage and prepare for the final battle of Hoover Dam. It''s a shame really, all his intricate plans would be disrupted by this, and there was only one person to blame for it... Still, it wasn''t as if all of his preparations were gone. Elsewhere : Afton walks through the Laboratories and toward the cells where they''d usually hold test subjects. Glados and Dala were floating either side of him and he was curious to finally meet one of the most feared men in the wasteland. "I hope he''s been polite to you two, you know what they say about rude houseguests." he says with a dark chuckle. "The new teddy bear had been accommodating, aside from its poor temper. It has the most interesting insults, especially when I am taking samples from it." the robotic scientist says in a husky tone, clearly having enjoyed her time with Caesar. Afton smirks, "Would these ''samples'' include biopsies?" he asks with some mirth. "Yes... Biopsies of every unique cell in its little body. It was fine with muscle extraction, but testicular, eye, and brain? It was one very angry teddy bear." "If it continues to be disruptive, I recommend removing anaesthesia from the procedure." Glados adds. "Anaesthesia?" Dala questions as if she didn''t know what that was. This draws out a laugh from all three of them, including Glados who gives a robotic and rather chilling one. Soon enough, Afton finds himself standing before the ''Great Caesars'' cell. The man was sitting on an uncomfortable metal bed while covered in many bandages. Apparently, the biopsies Dala had performed weren''t as ''unintrusive'' as she''d claimed... Judging by the bloodied bandage over his eye, the ''biopsie'' Dala had performed included taking the entire thing from its socket. Not that Afton was complaining, this man was almost solely responsible for the murderous, raping, empire of the Legion. Seeing him in this ''thoroughly raped'' appearance was rather cathartic if Afton were honest. Though, Afton wondered what was worse, being raped or becoming one of Dala''s ''teddy bears''... Both included incredibly uncomfortable and intrusive penetration. "Ave Amicus." Afton mockingly says while looking through the cell bars. Caesar slowly raises his head and locks his one eye with Afton''s, "Non es amicus meus, negat Cyrtae... So, you''ve come to visit me, how droll." "Droll?" Afton parrots in exasperation, "No, from what I heard you were quite droll yourself. I mean, acting like a supervillain and then subsequently being captured due to it? I can''t tell if you''re just eccentric, mad, or stupid." he states. Caesar scowls but doesn''t break their eye-lock, "A mistake, I was simply surprised at finding one of my long lost agents working against me. I felt a bit of theatrics were required to sway her back. As you can see, it didn''t work." he says, gesturing at his bland cell. Chapter 462 - News Of The Worst Kind Afton crosses his arms, "Well, before I start asking you questions, I am behoved to ask whether you''ve enjoyed your stay thus far." Caesar wrinkles his brow, "What do you think?" he asks with a dull look, "I''ve been tortured, mutilated, and not even given the basic essentials even a sale would need." he lists off while glaring daggers at Dala.?? Afton slowly nods, "Good, I''d be unhappy if you were comfortable." he says and Caesar sneers at him as if he''d been expecting such an answer. "The teddy bear will be surprised to find that had it not been captured, it would have died in months, if not weeks." Dala adds from the side. "What do you mean, machine?" quickly asks, not understanding what she''s referring to. "From the samples I gathered I discovered something intriguing within the brain. I suspect that the teddy bear had a large, cancerous tumour inside its brain, though, I would have to scan it to be sure. No... Cut it open and see it for myself to be sure." she corrects herself. Afton snorts and breaks into laughter, "Hahahahahehehehe! Did you hear that Caesar? Getting kidnapped by us is the best thing that''s ever happened to you! Hahahaha!" Caesar himself is looking incredibly grave, he ignores Afton''s laughter and looks down at his hands as if only now contemplating his mortality. "W-what does this mean?" he asks as Afton''s laughter peters out. "I think you well know what this means. It means, had you not been kidnapped by us you would have died." Afton gestures at Dala, "Dr Dala here is one the foremost experts on human physiology left in the world, I sincerely doubt anyone else in the Mojave, or even the entirety of America would be able to save you." he says, deciding not to mention that he himself could probably operate on Caesar and remove it... Scarcity is scary in itself, knowing that only one person could possibly save you. Caesar looks incredibly conflicted at this news, he knew something was wrong due to the almost constant headaches and migraines he''d get, but cancer? There''s a rule in the wasteland, ''Cancel your plans if you get cancer'', as your death was a certainty. It was actually one of the most common afflictions in the wasteland, due to the abundance of radiation, radioactive material, and carcinogenic foods, drinks, and materials lingering around, you were more likely to die of cancer than of old age. This is one of the main reasons you don''t see century-old men wandering around (With the addition of the other threats of the wasteland) "I-is there anything I can do?" Caesar tentatively asks, knowing he was now on a time limit. He knew these people would most likely keep him alive, as he was more useful as a bargaining tool than a corpse. Afton smirks at him, "I don''t know, it depends on how cooperative you are when I begin asking you questions... I''ll warn you right now, we will be able to detect if you are lying on not." Caesar nods, "I understand... Can we begin? I would rather be healed sooner than later..." "Alright. Glados, bring me a chai-" he asks but is interrupted when the floor raises under him, forming into a metal chair. "Anything else, creator?" Glados asks, and Afton was sure she sounded quite smug... He shakes his head, "No, that''ll be all, thanks." he says, sitting down and leaning towards Caesar. "Now, what''s this about Tamia being a spy?" "She used to be under my employ, a spy that was supposed to steal whatever Mr House was trying so hard to find... I did not account for other forces to intercept the package, otherwise I''d have had House eating from the palm of my hand." he explains. "And her tribe? Her family?" Afton probes. Caesar grimaces slightly at the question, if anyone else were to be watching they''d have not noticed anything... But Afton spotted the twitch in his facial muscles. "They were killed in an NCR attack." he states, but judging by the increase in his heartbeat that Glados and Dala were monitoring, he was lying. Not that Afton needed to a sensor to tell, Caesar was so worried that they''d find out that he was metaphorically stumbling over himself. "Oh?" Afton mutters as he stands and walks to the side side of the cell were a few buttons were present. "Hmmm, let''s see if one of these will make you more truthful... Eeny, meeny, miny, moe." he hums and suddenly presses a switch, causing electricity to run through the metal floor, walls, and furniture of the room. "AAAaaaaaAAARGGHHH!!" Caesar roars as he begins convulsing, falling from his bed and onto the floor where he writhes around as if he was having a seizure. Afton holds it for a couple seconds before releasing. "That was interesting, your voice sounded more honest while you were screaming. Shall I try another or will you tell the truth? Surely a bunch of slaves are not worth enduring torture?" Caesar pants heavily from the floor while trying to regain his breath, he wasn''t as fit as he used to be, so having so many volts of electricity running through him was as exhausting as it was painful. "I-I had them disposed of after Tamia''s failure..." he huffs out. Afton raises a brow, "Huh? Did they get the same ''burning man'' treatment you gave Graham, or something else?" ... "Don''t test me, Caesar. I''m still on the fence on removing your cancer, and to be honest, the thought of sending you back to the Legion without having it extracted is too funny a thought to reject." he warns. Caesar pales slightly at that, that would be a long and agonizing death sentence. That, and his legacy would end like him, frail, weak, and forgettable. "You have to understand! I spent enough resources on getting Tamia into House''s good graces to buy an army!" "Cut the shit and tell me what you did to them!" Afton growls, his finger hovering above the cell control panel. "I had the children killed before their parents, the women violated before their crucified husbands, and after the troops were done with them, the wives join their spouses. The only thing left of them now are ashes, so forget about ever recovering them." he states, his back straightening as he explains his punishment as if he needed to be in a position of strength while recalling it. ... Afton nods, "You''re telling the truth... I''ll be back to question you further, for now, I have things to do." he says before leaving. Once he''s far enough away from Caesar he calls out, "Glados, make sure his stay here is as uncomfortable as you can reasonably justify... Also, have Dala conduct some more tests on him... They don''t need to make sense, only cause pain. Tell Caesar that it''s all required to properly remove the tumour." he orders, wondering if the anger he felt right now would match Tamia''s when he gives her the bad news. "Understood." Glados'' robotic voice affirms from a nearby speaker. Chapter 463 - Mourn After Afton''s long chat with Caesar, it wasn''t difficult to locate Tamia, after all, he and Glados did basically know about everything that happened in and around Big Mt. She''s currently at the firing range with a bottle of beer in one hand and a gun in the other... Yeah, not a good combination. Fortunately, she''s the only one present, or he''d be worried about someone getting shot. The firing range itself was way more technologically advanced than even America before the Great war would''ve had.?? Holographic targets would appear, and people could watch whoever was inside through a forcefield. Afton walks in and spots Tamia randomly shooting at a far off target and missing it entirely. "Huh, we can rule out alcohol from improving your aim then!" he jokes with crossed arms. Tamia, surprised, whips around and fires at Afton, the bullet-deflecting off of the forcefield as it makes a fizzling sound from the impact. "Yeah, we''ll take away points for awareness and reasoning too." he adds, miming writing notes on his hand. He shakes his head with a smirk, "So why''re you not chilling with the others? I''m quite proud of that pool youknow." he asks, deactivating the forcefield and walking towards her. "I wanted to be alone, clear my mind and whatever else you''re supposed to do in a crisis... So, you know, get lost." she says sarcastically. Afton just sighs at her tone, "Glados, can I get a beer?" he asks no one in particular, and a couple seconds later a panel opens up on the floor, revealing a rather lukewarm beer... "You couldn''t pull one from the back of the fridge?" he asks in amusement before shaking his head, "Whatever, thanks." he says before sitting down on a desk that had some weapons Tamia was presumably trying out on lying on it. He flicks off the beer cap with his thumb and takes a sip before looking at Tamia, "You can bullshit to the others, but I can tell when you''re lying. You don''t have to tell me anything, but I''m here to listen if you need me." Afton says while patting the space next to him. Tamia scoffs at him, "You sure you''re not just using this chance to hit on me?" Afton smirks, "Well, I''m tempted, but flirting can come later, for now why don''t you tell me what''s bothering you?" She shrugs her shoulders before walking over and sitting next to Afton, taking a sip of her beer as she does. "To be honest, I''m still trying to process everything... It''s not everyday you have your life turned upside down, I reckon I''m the only person who has to mourn for people I didn''t even know existed. People who might''ve been family..." Afton raises a brow, had he said anything about her family being killed yet? She gives a long sigh at his expression, "You act like I''m stupid. Of course Caesar wouldn''t let them go after I vanished. They were his guarantee that I wouldn''t leave or betray him, I vanished, so they vanished too." Tamia takes another sip, shaking her head before continuing, "Anyway... How''s the war looking?" she asks, abruptly changing the subject. "No, you aren''t pulling that on me. You can''t change the subject and hope we talk about something else. You have reasoned the fate of your family, but that doesn''t mean it''ll hurt any less." he says, dragging the matter at hand back kicking and screaming. Tamia scowls, "What else do you want me to say? I''m saddened by their loss? You want me to start crying on your shoulder or something?" she drinks the last of her beer and tosses it at one of the metal walls, shattering it. "Look, if this is your way of getting in my pants then just say it, I''m too tired to care at this point." she accuses with a glare. "I want to help you for god sake. Look, I know where this shit leads, an emotionally distraught person at a shooting range combined with alcohol?! There''s only one way I can see this going Tamia! You can accuse me of whatever you like, but doing nothing while one of my friends are like this would be despicable." "There''s nothing you can do, there''s nothing anyone can do! My entire family is dead! So if I wanna shoot myself then it''s my choice, you should just piss off and let your robots clean up the results!" "You''re being stubborn and lashing out." Afton states, "Look, come with me and we''ll go see the others. You shouldn''t be alone right now-" "Well I want to be alone! Unless you have some magical fucking doo-hickey that can give me my family back, I don''t need your help!" she exclaims. Afton sighs, and paces slightly. He was supposed to come over here and report what he''d learned from Caesar, but Tamia is clearly too distraught right now to just tell her. He didn''t think she''d off herself, but, that didn''t mean she wouldn''t be driving herself crazy with the thought. That said, what would he do in this situation? He knew what it felt like to lose family, but losing a family he didn''t know he had? Feeling emotions that seemed to spring up from nowhere? That was another ball game entirely. When his parents had died at the hands of the NCR, all he''d wanted to do was stew in his anger. If it weren''t for Veronica, Miles, Melissa, and Adah, he might''ve been acting out like how Tamia was now. Regardless, he''d let her try to figure this out for now. Give her some time alone to dwell on the subject. He releases a long sigh, "Fine. Be alone, just know that if you need any help, come talk to one of us. None of us are psychologists, but most know a thing or two about loss." he says before beginning to leave. Once outside, he orders Glados to keep an eye on Tamia to make sure she doesn''t do something stupid. It was actually quite fortunate Tamia was spending her time in the shooting range, as it''s probably one of the safest places in Big Mt... Forcefield projectors were everywhere, and all could be activated almost instantly. Glados would easily be able to stop Tamia if she tried anything nonsensically stupid. Chapter 464 - Laser Bomb? After Afton leaves Tamia slumps against the table. She absolutely hated showing weakness to anyone, injuries were one thing, but grief? Especially for people who she''d never met? It felt like she was acting like a child. Recent events had only hit her after dropping off Carlos at the apartments, it felt like a cold hand as gripped her heart and was trying to pull it out of her back. She was honestly a few insults away from breaking down into tears.?? To fix this, she tried man''s most common solution to problems... Alcohol and guns. The shooting range was pretty easy to find with that Glados robot giving directions, though, it did try to persuade her not to fire weapons while drinking. And by ''persuade'' she meant spew a litany of incredibly creative insults that varied from her weight, looks, and mental capacity. It was more funny than it was hurtful, so Tamia just ignored it all and started self-medicating with alcohol and the smell of gunpowder. That''s when Afton comes strolling in like he owns the place... Which he probably does, and starts trying to get her to talk about her feelings or some shit. She''d tried to be polite at first, but the fact he was treating her like she was fragile glass was aggravating to no end. She wasn''t weak! She didn''t need help! Just time to process everything. Veronica had lost Christine, her lover and she seemed fine. Boone had lost his wife and unborn child yet he seemed fine. Even Afton who''d lost both his parents and been thrown out of the Brotherhood which for all intents and purposes was his family, acted fine. He seemed fine! Then why was it so different for her? Someone who could kill a man without batting her eyes was now struggling to deal with her grief for people she''d never met. ... Admittedly, she may have overreacted to Afton, biting his head off when he was trying to help... But what else did he expect? Suggesting that she might blow her own brains out!?... She had thought about it, but actually doing it never crossed her mind. She''d be fine. She just needed to do something to make her forget about it. She was tempted to go find Caesar and show her dissatisfaction with him, but she knew what Afton was doing to him was probably worse than anything she could come up with. Whatever, she''d apologize to Afton once she felt up to it... Elsewhere : Colonel Cassandra Moore walks around the utterly annihilated former wall belonging to the Legion. The melted metal remains and literally glassed sand promoted the theory that Parker and his group had dropped a nuclear bomb here. The only problem with it however was the severe lack of Radiation. Had a nuke explode here they''d have easily been able to find the radioactive material, yet there was none, meaning something else must have done this. "Any idea on what could have caused this, Professor?" she ask, thoroughly confused and worried about the weapons Parker had deployed here. The scientist looks over the notes he and many of their researchers had compiled while inspecting the place, he slaps the corner of the paper with a glare, "It just does not make sense, all of the damage we have found indicates that it was caused by something akin to laser weapons." he exclaims with an exasperated expression. Colonel Moore raises a brow, "You mean they detonated some kind of laser bomb?" she asks. The scientist nods with a slight shrug, "Everything indicates so, it would also explain the lack of radiation in the area, as well as the lack of damage elsewhere." She nods, "It would explain why a few of my guys were blinded by it." "Indeed... It would be like being shot in the eyes by miniature lasers! Forgive me, but, are they still alive?" Moore nods again, "They are. They said they saw a bright flash through their scopes and then pain." "Would it be possible to contact Mr Parker? Technology like this has never been discussed, let alone built..." She shakes her head, "He''s an incredibly dangerous individual who, intentionally or not, crippled some of my best men. Add his other crimes and there is no chance of redemption for him, only the president might be able to do something, but I doubt he''d do that and risk the next election." he states. The scientist looks disappointed but gives a solemn nod before leaving. Moore looks to one of the nearby soldiers and gesture him closer, "Update Parker''s file. The rest of the NCR needs to know the threat he poses. Hopefully they''ll listen and not ignore it like all the other reports." she waves them off. The higher-ups had basically called her a liar when she''d reported what Parker had done. They couldn''t seem to believe that a man and a small unit of people could singlehandedly do what the NCR army could not. Add the fact Moore wasn''t sure how they escaped with Caesar in hand and the story becomes more and more unbelievable. From the radio chatter they''d picked up, it sounded like the Legion thought they had magic or something, being able to disappear at will. The only other thing they''d managed to uncover was the fact Afton Parker and another unknown person had almost singlehandedly wiped out the Legion''s forces in the Mojave... With impenetrable armour and powerful weaponry the Legion hadn''t seen before (Which isn''t saying much)... Moore felt like she was in some bad science fiction novel... Despite all this though, there was still nothing she could do about Parker. She''d have to direct all of her forces to defend the canyon passage they''d managed to take from the Legion. Sparing any troops to try and attack Novac was a fool''s errand, especially with how the Brotherhood of Steel had sprung up from nowhere and was now harassing the recently opened trade route. The only boon was the fact the Great Khans had seemingly stopped all aggression out of nowhere... Which was a plus... She sighs and shakes her head, "Send a couple Ranger squads to monitor Novac, I don''t want to see a single thing leave without me knowing about it!" Chapter 465 - Brothers In Peril South of Black Mountain where the Hidden Valley lies sat what used to be an ordinary windy dust bowl... However, no longer is this the case... Around the various bunkers were many people in Powder armour getting to work on various projects. Walls were still under construction, but what''s built combined with the Brotherhood''s firepower would most certainly keep all threats out.?? Even the army of Supermutants north of the area didn''t dare to show their green faces. A small group of scouts had made that mistake before, and now their burnt corpses serve as warning to the rest. Elder Hardin watches with crossed arms as the area''s defences are slowly set up. They''d stripped out all the turrets in the bunkers, functional and broken, and set them up around the place. Anyone or anything that approached without permission would be blasted to kingdom come. It''d been a couple weeks since the Brotherhood had left the confines of the hidden bunker, and now Hardin was putting his long thought up plans into action. In only a few short days, they''d gone from isolationist scavengers to a real threat in the Mojave... The NCR had started using the Long 15 as their primary trade route, but not with the Brotherhood''s presence they''d managed to capture a number of caravans. No longer were they forced to scavenge... Instead, they''d be collecting taxes on the road they were protecting from the Super mutants. That, and waging war against their old enemies was inevitable. There had been a few attacks from the NCR, but they had easily been fended off without casualties on the Brotherhood''s end. Still, despite getting almost everything he''d yearned for years for, one thing niggled in the back of his mind. The traitor, Afton Parker. Indeed, almost everyone in the Chapter had heard of the recent incident involving him, the NCR, and the Legion. Most were happy that their enemy had taken such crippling damage, and a few even wanted to bring Afton back into the fold, but Hardin didn''t belong to either group. The sting he felt at the memory of being beaten by a boy with no armour was as raw as ever. Were they not in such a perilous position he''d elect to send some Paladins after him, unfortunately, they didn''t have the hands to spare for such a task. Add the fact it''d cause Afton''s ''friends'' to kick up a fuss, it wasn''t worth the effort. Still, Hardin had been alleviating his anger by sending those formerly affiliated with him on particularly dangerous missions. They may have been friends once, but no one disrespects him and gets away with it. Elsewhere : Miles and Melissa hide behind cover as bullets impact the boulder they were hiding behind. They''d just be trying to requisition some goods from a Caravan when a group of NCR troopers ambushed them. Fortunately, they had been wearing their Power armour when it happened, otherwise, both would have acquired a new facial feature in the form of a large hole. The rest of their squad were nearby slowly picking off targets, but this still wasn''t what they''d expected from their first official mission out of the bunker... "Think every mission is gonna be like this from now on?" Miles asks as rock bounces off the top of his helmet. "Probably... Hardin''s become such a hard ass! I''m supposed to be assisting Taggart, but he sends me out with you anyway!" Melissa complains. Miles just shakes his head, "Look, let''s just get through this and we can ask him about it afterwards!" he states before looking around as the firing stops momentarily... Realising the enemy was probably reloading or distracted, he hops over the rock and starts firing with his Gauss Rifle, all the while Melissa was following close behind providing support. Elsewhere : It''s been a couple days since the ''Capture of Caesar'' as people over the radio had been calling it. Afton was currently heading up to the Sink to see how progress on Karl was going. Karl''s daughter, Caroline, had woken up yesterday and was slowly but surely recovering, much to the relief of everyone involved. Obviously, she was having difficulties reintegrating into ''regular'' society, if life in Big Mt could be called that. Her time among the Legion had brought a litany of things that she''d need to work through. An example of this would be her unconscious utter subservience towards any man who asks her something. She''s aware of it, but only recognises what done or how she''d acted after the fact. While it might be amusing for pranks, it certainly wasn''t for Caroline who became distraught whenever it occurred. It''s so bad that it happened even with her son Carlos. Afton shakes his head at the thought, hopefully Karl would be able to help her. If anyone stood a chance, it''d definitely be him. Before he reaches his destination however, he spots a notification appearing in his peripheral... [Stats] [Perks] : 3 [Mutations] Apparently, he''d unlocked three Perks without realising it? After thinking about it for a moment, he realises that yes, he''d forgotten that reaching above 10 in any stat would grant a perk. Last time he''d gotten the Goliath title, not all that exciting, but perhaps the new ones would be? [For reaching Superhuman levels in Perception, Endurance, and Agility you receive three Perks!] [Bullet Time] : Once a day time will substantially slow down in response to a threat, this lasts for 10 seconds. Afton smirks at the Vault boy wearing a trench coat leaning backwards to dodge bullets next to the Perk. As for the Perk? There wasn''t all that much to say about it, other than the fact he''d added yet another defensive ability to his arsenal. [Freeza Style!] : Your endurance had reached Superhuman levels! Allows user to hold their breath for extended periods of time, become resistant to Starvation and Dehydration, pressure, Temperature, and potentially even the void of space. Hmm, this time the Vault boy was looking strikingly similar to a certain white and purple alien... Afton wondered how effective the Perk actually was, it didn''t provide any concrete numbers, which was expected as it was hard to quantify starvation... Plus holding his breath was probably based on his Endurance stat anyway. [Cat''s Agility] : Makes user completely immune to fall damage. "Gross." he mutters as he spots a Vault boy dressed in incredibly tight looking female leathers... Was it trying to dress up like Catwoman?... Urgh... He shakes his head and turns his attention back to the Perk. Yeah, it''s OP. He could now jump out of a plane and hit the floor like a missile and still be completely fine... In fact, that might be a good strategy in the future. Though, it would become a problem if his allies thought they could do the same... Chapter 466 - Familial Attachments Afton nods to himself as he inspects the Perks, he pulls up the rest of his status to see just how different everything was. Afton Parker?? Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend], [Goliath], [Steel Waste], [WellMeaning Disaster] Level : 51 Points : 0 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 13 Perception : 12 Endurance : 12 Charisma : 7 Intelligence : 9 Agility : 12 Luck : 7 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 100 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 94 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 100 Unarmed : 100 Mutations : [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities. [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Your right arm has regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards the arm and +20% resistance against being crippled. [Beauveria mordicana firmissimi anguli] : Enables user to manipulate their arm into a variety of shapes. Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v3], [Fight the Power!], [Tremble before me!], [Meltdown], [Explooo-sion!], [Lady Killer], [Big Brained], [Reinforced Spine], [Implant M-5], [Implant C-13], [Impant Y-7], [Cure for the Curious], [Perception Implant], [Endurance Implant], [Danger Sense], [A Pool of Dead], [Charisma Implant], [Intelligence Implant], [Luck Implant], [The Cyber Punk], [Luck of the Draw], [Second Apocalypse], [Stay the Path], [Bullet Time], [Freeza Style!], [Cat''s Agility] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] [Persistent Escapee] [Still Jammn''] [Enhanced Sensors] [Protagonist] [A Penchant for Fisting] Once he reaches the Sink he looks at Meddie but is confused to find the Autodoc empty. Karl wasn''t inside it, meaning he''d either died and been disposed of (Which wasn''t likely due to the fact Karl''s companion Perk was still active), or..." "He-he-he, I got anotha tune that might suit you fellar" The voice of Blind Diode Jefferson sounds out from the next room as an old jazz song begins playing. Afton peeks his head around the door and spots Karl sitting in a high tech-looking wheelchair while bobbing his head lightly to the music. The music abruptly cuts off however as the jukebox seems to spot him, "He-He, seems like you''ve got a visitor." Karl looks over his shoulder and spots Afton, he uses a small control panel with his left hand and turns the wheelchair around. "Kid, so you''ve decided to visit me. About time!" ... Afton raises a brow, "How long have you been awake? I told Glados to notify me-Ah... My bad." he mutters. Glados had tried to contact him a couple hours ago, but he was too busy working on the Ultra Chainsword to listen... Seems like he''d gotten caught up in work again. He scratches the back of his head and gives an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that..." Karl nods and flexes his calf slightly, but looks down in irritation when nothing happens. "Fuckin'' shit." he grumbles, "Feels like I''ve still got both legs..." ... "Did you just try to kick me?" Afton asks, amused and feeling slightly grim at his friend''s state. Karl leans over and picks up a glass that''d presumably had water in it before throwing it at Afton, "Damn straight I tried to kick you! How is my kid doing!" "She''s fine... Why didn''t you go down to see her?" he asks. Karl gives a mock laugh, "Yeah, you''re very funny. How am I gonna get down the stairs in a wheelchair!" Afton rubs his face, "Karl, you''re in one of the most technologically advanced places on earth. You think we can''t design a wheelchair that can go down steps?" ... "No." Karl retorts. "Thanks for keeping him company Jefferson, for now we''re going to visit his kid." Afton waves off as he begins pushing the wheelchair towards the winding staircase. "Hell no! You tryin'' ta kill me kid!? H-hey now! J-just stop!" he pleads as they get closer and closer to the staircase. Even the controls for the wheelchair don''t work as Glados disabled them while Afton''s pushing. The wheelchair tilts as it reaches the stairs, Karl closes his eyes and braces himself as he''s finally pushed down the stairs... The tumbling and certain death he expects never comes though. He opens his eyes and spots that he and Afton are slowly descending, he looks over and gapes as it spots the many thin legs extended from the wheels that were carrying him. "The fuck kinda madhouse is this place? Legs on wheels? Why?!" Afton snorts, "Wheels are less energy-intensive than legs. Plus, I think it would look very, very creepy if it only walked around. Add the fact you''ve only got one hand to control it and shit gets complicated. Soon enough they reach the bottom of the stairs and head through the Think Tank to get outside. Karl squints as the sun hits his face, but gives a small smile as he spots the apartments in the distance... Already he could see many people milling around, many familiar faces were currently around the pool, Caroline was resting on one of the beach chairs, slowly recovering from her injuries. People notice as Afton pushes Karl towards them and eventually they reach the pool. "Pool goers, I present to you, Dirt-Karl, replacement of Dirt-Bird and Dirt-Hog." he jokes. "You better take that back, I''ve seen what happens to everything you call that! I ain''t going near another grenade, I''ll tell you that!" Karl sarcastically exclaims as their friends approach. Boone pats Karl on the shoulder while the other''s show their relief at his recovery. Once all of them clear though Caroline steps forwards with Carlos in hand. The boy was still wet from having just gotten out of the pool and he looked pretty timid at actually talking to his grandpa. Their encounter at the Fort didn''t really count in his mind. "I''m so glad you''re okay dad..." Caroline leans down and gives a tight hug to Karl, tight enough to even put her stitches at risk of tearing. Karl reciprocates with both arms, even the one currently lacking a hand. "Ah, sweetheart, you know I wouldn''t leave you so easily. I ain''t goin'' nowhere." She pulls away after a moment and wraps her arm around Carlos, "Dad, I want you to properly meet your Grandson, Carlos." Karl looks down at Carlos appraisingly, Caroline urges her son forwards, "Come on, say hi to your Grandpa." "-Hi." to young boy timidly says and Karl grins, resting his hand on the boy''s head. "You''ve been taking care of your mom while I was out, right?" Carlos nods, "I have!" Karl ruffles his hair, "Good, otherwise I''d give you a spanking you''d not forget. Remember that." Afton watches with crossed arms as Karl begins getting reacquainted with his family. Though, his gaze was constantly drawn towards his limbs and the wheelchair... He wonders how far along the various projects working on Cybernetics are, perhaps Karl would get back his legs sooner than anyone thought possible. Chapter 467 - Bulwark It''s been a couple weeks since ''Caesars Capture'' and things hadn''t really changed. Karl was now out and about, exploring Big Mt with his family and getting some quality time with them. And the others were similarly taking this all like a vacation. Afton wasn''t sure how vacations around the Mojave worked, but he imagined none would be so long and relaxing as the time they''d spent in Big Mt. That said, it wasn''t as if Afton was doing nothing alongside them.?? He was working on a couple projects while things to have temporarily calmed down, The Ultra Chainsword, and the new vehicle that would replace Dirt-Hog... Yeah, he was pretty pissed that his recent vehicle had been destroyed so quickly, but he supposed it was for a good cause. His plans for the new vehicle would involve building one from the ground up, and it wouldn''t resemble a regular car anymore. Instead of wheels, he''d use treads, he''d also make it large enough to carry heavy ordinance... Essentially he''d be making a bigger, better tank than even the NCR had access to. That was still a work in progress however, fortunately, he''d had a [Eureka!] moment while testing out his Ultra Chainsword. He''d been testing how magnets interacted with energy blades, and found that they altered the trajectory of it, not enough to disrupt the circuit, but enough to form different shapes without moving the projectors. Now, this would usually be useless for creating a Chainsword, but Afton was nothing if not motivated... Thus, the current Prototype in his hand. It wasn''t activated yet, so it just looked like a long machete without a blade, near the hilt and point were small ball-like projectors that''d form the blade. He presses the switch on the handle which causes the purple blade to burst to life... Usually, it''d be completely straight, running from one projector to the next like a circuit, but now with the assistance of two magnets, it had two pointy protrusions. It kinda looked like a heartbeat monitor if he were honest... This isn''t all though, he presses another switch which starts rapidly moving each magnet up and down the blade, the two pointy protrusions begins rapidly oscillating up and down the blade like a wave. Eventually, the magnets got fast enough that the wave was constantly intersecting with the other, essentially creating the teeth of a chainsaw. Afton holds it out and drops a piece of metal on it, grinning from ear to ear when it''s cleanly sliced in half. That hadn''t been any ordinary piece of metal, that was a Titanium alloy, one of the strongest materials aside from Saturnite that humanity is currently able to produce. Sure, it''d been quite a thin bar, but the test checks out regardless. Afton laughs and points the newly made weapon up at the sky, "I HAVE THE POWERRRR!" ... "Is user having a psychotic break?" Nyx interrupts his reverie. ... He''d forgotten that she basically always accompanied him and was now incredibly embarrassed for showing his AI such a side of himself. "Uh, no... I was just testing out a theory that may or may not have shot me with lightning and given me some fetish-ware..." ... "Should I book a session with someone, User?" He lets out a sigh, "Nevermind..." he mutters before turning his attention back towards the Ultra Chainsword. It still wasn''t completely finished if he were honest, it was barebones to show proof of concept, so he''d need to make another with proper metals, better capacitors, and better aesthetics. Which actually brings him to his next conundrum, he, his group, and Big Mt as a whole did not have an official name yet. There were powerful enough to be a separate faction in their own right, but he''d just never considered or taking the time to think about it. He needed a logo to stamp all of their technology with, as well as a name everyone could refer to as their faction. Afterall, he''d be pretty pissed if people started mistaking him as the Brotherhood or the Enclave... As far as Afton was concerned, he, his people, and his tech were far, far superior to whatever both factions could cobble together. Afton sat around the Sink for a couple hours just thinking about it when he finally decides. The Big Mt logo was simply two intersecting hexagons, everything in Big Mt was already associated with it, so there was no real point in removing it. Thus, he decides to integrate it into the new Logo. He makes a quick sketch (which is pretty poor despite what his stats may indicate) and holds it up with an appraising eye. The Logo he''d drawn has two intersecting hexagons of the Big Mt logo, except that there is something inside each of them. The smaller rightmost hexagon contains an eye, not too dissimilar to the one the Illuminati supposedly used. The bigger leftmost hexagon has two futuristic rifles crossing one another with a space marine helmet resting in front of them. Yeah, it looks damn intimidating, but that''s what he was going for. Afton was pretty happy with the Logo, but the name was another story entirely. He needed something recognisable, easily distinguishable, and different from what the other''s faction have... NCR, Legion, Brotherhood of Steel, Enclave... All roll off of the tongue quite easily, and wouldn''t be difficult for the brainless citizens of whatever inbred city to pronounce. He goes through a number of names, most pretty much stealing from the Brotherhood of Steel, he was tempted to use something from 40k, but decided that he was tempting fate far too much with that. Eventually though, after writing down a bunch of names that may or may not have already belonged to someone, he decides on something... Bulwark. Easy to pronounce, short and concise, promotes the cause he wishes the faction to commit themselves to, and it holds no negative connotations. Afton shrugs to himself as he looks it over. "Good enough." Chapter 468 - Command Over Freedom The introduction of the faction new ''branding'' was more or less taken well. In all honesty, nobody really cared about what represented them as long as it wasn''t a hammer and sickle or a Swastika... Afton could agree with the sentiment, but as the leader of Bulwark, he had to take things a little more seriously than them. The scientists in the Think Tank were happy that he''d taken aspects from the Big Mt logo, as it showed he, and they, wouldn''t forget their origins. While a few of them were tired and jaded, they still respected the institution that had literally ''made'' them.?? Other than that, not much else happened aside from stamping the logo on everything reasonable... Though, Afton may have taken it slightly to far when he stamped Tamia on the forehead when she came to apologize to him. He''d been forced to apologize by gifting her an Ultra Chainsword... Fortunately, he''d been meaning to do that regardless so he didn''t lose much aside from some pride. That said, Tamia did need to go and meet Mr House soon, I doubt the man had been expecting her to skive off for a couple weeks before actually bothering to come to him. Fortunately, Afton had located a couple spots in Freeside where they could teleport without attracting too much attention. He was still wary of sending her out so soon, especially after he''d broken the news of what Caesar had actually done to her family, but she seemed to have recovered relatively quickly after some ''sessions'' with Caesar himself. Afterall, there''s nothing more cathartic than some good old revenge. By the time she left his cell, Caesar was missing all of his limbs. This wasn''t too terrible as Afton had already recovered all the information he wanted from the man, so his usefulness was at its end... Despite that though, Afton was still keeping him around for a certain... Project. It was still in its Beta phase, but Afton was sure it would advance their technology as a whole, along with helping out a number of people within Big Mt. While Tamia, Veronica, and Anja were headed to meet with House, Afton turns his attention towards Novac. Fortunately, the town hadn''t been attacked while they were busy bullying the Legion, but that didn''t mean no one had made any hostile actions. The NCR for instance had set up a large number of Ranger patrols around the area, presumably to try and stop them from receiving any supplies... Obviously, that didn''t work as everything was teleported into the town, it was still bothersome though to know that the NCR still wished to capture him and his people, even despite the power they displayed only recently. As Novac was Bulwark''s only real foothold in the Mojave, he''d start pulling out all the stops to make sure it stays, well, there... There wouldn''t be much he could do with it if it turned into a radioactive crater after all. The townsfolk had basically all accepted to be under Bulwark''s wing, even if most didn''t understand what the function of Bulwark actually was... Afton didn''t bother explaining it either, as eventually, their actions would speak for them. It wasn''t as if the townsfolk could refuse assimilation into the new faction either, as Afton was the one providing all their food, water, and other supplies. Unless they wanted to take the risk of being captured by the NCR, they were stuck under his control. As for how he was going to help Novac? Well, first of all he was going to upgrade those scrapheap walls that''d been set up around the town. Sure, it was useful when they first starting rebelling, but now it was a hindrance and blocking them from building anything better. The wall was made from old ruined cars, scrap metal, and anything else people could cobble together. Afton had a couple choices on how to deal with it... The first would be to remove the wall entirely and build a new one from there. However, this would be incredibly expensive and resource-intensive, not to mention risky as they''d be deconstructing their own defences under the enemies nose. The second option was the one Afton was leaning towards... Upgrading the current wall. He already had an idea on how to achieve this too!... He''d pour molten iron into the gaps of the wall, once it hardens it''d basically be impenetrable. Sure, it''d use a lot of metal, but not as much as building a new wall would be. Plus, it''d allow them to upgrade it without removing their own defences. On the more offensive side of things, he decided to show his middle finger to the mercenaries that''d attacked them previously. He did this by deconstructing the lightning firing Arc-Rifle that they''d left behind and creating automatic arc-gun turrets around the walls. Afton wasn''t actually sure what the weapon was called, but Arc-Rifle made to most sense to him. In all honesty, it was far more powerful than it should have any right to, the energy consumption was a slight problem, but its sheer power and ability to utterly decimate Power armour made up for it. Indeed, it was a surprise to Afton as well when he tried testing it on Power armour, it didn''t damage the armour all that much aside from scorching it, but the internal systems were another matter entirely. If a regular Brotherhood of Steel T-51b suit of power armour were hit, it''d essentially act as an emp blast on the area that was hit. Permenantly frying the systems while literally frying the person still inside the armour. This might even be a problem against Afton''s own power armour, as the blasts of electricity would rapidly head up the Saturenite plating. Though, with his new Perk [Freeza Style!] he was far more resistant to heat than he''d otherwise be... But that didn''t stop anyone else wearing the armour from being cooked to a crisp. Obviously, he''d have to take all of this into account when designing the next set of armour. He hadn''t been worried about it as he didn''t expect the Legion to find and use its weakness, but their stupidity likely wouldn''t affect the other factions when it came down to it. Afton sighs and leans back in his chair, "When did everything become so hard!?" "When you took responsibility for Big Mountain, and the town of Novac, User." Nyx states, allowing Afton to groan in affirmation. Chapter 469 - New Era... Tamia, Veronica, and Anja all walk through the doors of the Lucky 38 and approach the elevator. Getting onto the strip had been slightly more annoying than it usually is, mainly due to the NCR soldiers doing their best to ''harrass'' them. Obviously, they couldn''t do anything overtly hostile as it''d become a political incident between the NCR and Mr House, which would definitely be a big deal, but that didn''t stop a few *outliers* from causing trouble. Afterall, the NCR could just play it off as if it were just some bad apples.?? Tamia still wasn''t feeling all that great due to recent events, so when she pulled out her new Ultra Chainsword and threatened to castrate a few NCR soldiers, she meant business. Regardless, once they reached the New Vegas gates, the rather different-looking Securitrons let them inside without a hassle. The group ride up on the elevator and Tamia leaves Veronica and Anja in the presidential suite as she speaks to House. Once she arrives at the Penthouse she''s greeted and lead by Jane, House''s ''sex-bot'', if you could call it that... She steps out before the giant screen with House''s face plastered across it and crosses her arms, "I''m here House, so stop giving me the silent treatment." she says, semi-sarcastically after a momentary silence. "Hmm? Oh? My apologies, I must''ve blanked out for a moment... You see, I seem to recall asking you to return to me, and yet... I hope you have a proper explanation for your absence, perhaps you were abducted by aliens? Or were you in a coma for some inexplicable reason?" he pointedly asks. "For your information, I was taking some time off. I''d only recently found out that I had, and lost my family, so I felt I was justified." she states. "You may very well have been, but that doesn''t change the fact that you disobeyed me. You are lucky your absence wasn''t too disruptive to my plans, otherwise I''d have actually planned some punishment for you." Tamia scowls, "You say that like I''m not integral to your plans, House. You can bitch and threaten all you like, but if you try anything, I''m gone. I don''t need to put up with your shit." she threatens. ... "Hmm, it''s good that you have a backbone. Too many of my previous associates would bend the knee and licks my boots at any mention of punishment. This isn''t to say that I''m happy about your absence, but I suppose a vacation was well in your purview, especially with the rather exemplary work you''ve done thus far. I admit, I had not expected you to be able to gain access to the bunker and live..." Tamia shrugs, "I expected as much... That''s the main reason why we were so heavy-handed." House allows himself a light chuckle, "I would not call capturing Caesar, a tyrant ruling a large empire, from within his own base of operations just ''heavy-handed''." "It wasn''t intentional... What''s up with your Securitrons, by the way?" she asks, curious. "I had been meaning to show you to fruits of your labour. The platinum chip is a data storage device, and it contained the upgrades I had intended to be made before the war... That did not happen for obvious reasons. Now is a good time I think, to show you. Jane, please lead our guest to the ''showroom'' would you." "As you wish, dear." the robot says before departing with Tamia in tow. She''s lead to the elevator and taken to some part of the basement. She''s walked into a pitch-black room, but once inside the light abruptly turn on and blare from the roof, revealing the area. She was standing on some kind of observation panel overlooking some kind of shooting range with two Securitrons. A large blue forcefield separates her from them, and she wonders if House had been in contact with the Think Tank before the war... "Approach the demonstration area for me, if you would." Houses voice asks over the intercom. She does as he asks and he continues, "I expect you''re more than familiar with my Securitrons by now, you''ve seen the factory under the fort, and the limit change to my robots... However, the changes do not simply extend to the picture displayed on their screens." he states. The two Securitrons begin firing at one another as he speaks, "Titanium alloy housing, 9mm Submachine gun, and Gatling laser are among what you have already likely seen. This makes them useful for small to medium level combat situations, however, this is not all they are capable of... At least, not anymore. What you have seen are only their secondary weapons, as their software was only the MK1 version. Again, I had intended to get all of this finished before the bombs dropped, but my calculations were slightly off on the time I had... Regardless, now that you''ve completed your task, all of my Securitrons now have access to their complete capabilities." The shoulder panels of the Securitrons open up as they begin firing at the wall, but what Tamia didn''t expect was for them to be firing missiles... *BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM!!* A volley of missiles fires from each Securitron far faster than any regular rocket launcher was capable of. Their rate of fire reminded her far more of what she''d heard the NCR''s few rocket artillery vehicles could do. Needless to say, she doubted that even someone in full Brotherhood Power armour could handle such an attack. "The M-235 Missile Launchers gives my Securitrons the ability to effectively fight medium to long-range ground and air targets. That isn''t all, however." he says as the Securitrons raise their manipulators and points them at a nearby wall. *DukDukDukDuk!* *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!* Tamia''s eyes almost bulge from their sockets as she watches the utter destruction these robots were now capable of. They didn''t JUST have incredibly powerful Missile Launchers, but Grenade Launchers as well!? "The Rapid-Fire G-28 Grenade Launching System ensures the Securitrons effectiveness at even close ranges. The shrapnel caused would only cause glancing blows on themselves, allowing them to utterly annihilate anyone, or anything stupid enough to approach. Of course, all potential risks are negated as the software allows my Securitrons to fully utilise their onboard auto-repair systems. All in all, every Securitron had seen a 400% increase in individual combat capabilities... This does not include their onboard tactic, teamwork, and log systems, which I imagine could turn the tide of any war." Chapter 470 - Allies And Enemies Tamia nervously swallows and rubs her hands together, "This... Wasn''t what I was expecting." she admits. House''s light laughter echoes over the intercom, "You see, that''s the best part... No one expects this. Neither the NCR or Legion are aware that I currently have thousands of Securitrons hidden under the Fort, a throwing distance away from the Hoover Dam.?? I could probably take it with only the Securitron currently active in New Vegas... But as you know, I am a cautious man. Come, meet me back in the Penthouse so we can properly discuss our future actions." House says as he cuts off the intercom, leaving Tamia sheepishly standing there. She almost jumps out of her skin when Jane''s voice asks behind her, "Are you coming, dear?" "Y-yes. I am." she stiffly says before following. Tamia quickly finds herself standing back before the screen depicting House, though, her attitude had had a remarkable change from usual... She''d always assumed that she, with her allies like Afton and Veronica would be able to handle anything House might try to do... But with the man''s recent display of sheer power, she wasn''t so confident anymore. The only thing that put her at ease was the fact House still needed her... Though, for what she assumed she was about to find out. "So, what''s the plan? I know you want New Vegas to be independent, so are you going to wipe out the other factions or...?" House scoffs, "Not right now, no. NCR citizens provide almost all of the income New Vegas makes, if I declared war on them, that would stop immediately, afterwards they''d stop us from receiving any power from Hoover Dam, halting everything until I either managed to capture the Dam, or until my Securitrons ran out of charge. No, this needs to be done smartly, and methodically. I haven''t been planning this for centuries just to falter here... The first thing we need to do is to secure allies. You have already done a remarkable job by allying yourself with Afton Parker, though, the fact I am not entirely aware of the extent of his capabilities and influence makes me wary of relying on him." Tamia shakes her head, "As long as you treat Afton fairly he''s a reliable guy, I''m not able to tell you what I know of him as it''d be a breach of trust, but he is definitely someone you want on your side." she states, her confidence more than surprising House. The fact she was still this confident in his capabilities after he''d displayed his new Securitrons meant that there was more to Parker than met the eye. Add that House couldn''t find out how Afton and his group had escaped the Fort with Caesar in hand made him wary of deciding how to deal with him. "We''ll speak on the topic of Afton Parker at a later date, for now we should discuss other potential allies." Tamia thinks for a moment before pulling up her Pipboy, Afton had helpfully uploaded most known locations in the Mojave to it while giving her a brief overview of the place... Though, the talk had essentially been ''That place is fucked, fucked, that place is full of Deathclaws, Ghouls, fucked, cannibals, radioactive, fucked-'' etc. Despite this, she had still learned a couple interesting facts. She looks to House, "Well, I''m not sure on what your exactly looking for, but I know there are two communities of Supermutants that may jump at the chance of legitimization." she explains. "I am aware of the mutants atop Black mountain, they are savages that are barely being kept at bay, formerly by the NCR and now the new Brotherhood of Steel outpost. What is this other group you speak of?" "It''s called Jacobtown, I haven''t personally visited it but apparently it''s a peaceful town made almost entirely of Super mutants." House goes silent momentarily in contemplation, "That is interesting, I do not hold any prejudicial views against mutants, but I must think of the consequences of bringing them into the fold... What do you think the Brotherhood of Steel''s reaction would be when hearing about a ''Nation of Mutants''. I am not sure New Vegas could defend against the entire might of their forces." he explains. Tamia nods, knowing that even the small Chapter Afton and Veronica had belonged to were incredibly effective combatants. She couldn''t imagine what an entire army of them would look like. "If not Jacobstown, who do you have in mind?" "Currently I have a number of groups listed as potential allies. Isolationist explosive experts, savage yet somewhat civil tribes, independent towns... Let''s start at the top of the list first, shall we? There is a group known as the Boomers, a group of former-Vault dwellers who''d left the confines of their home and stumbled upon an airbase. I have not managed to find a lot of information about them, but they have many powerful weapons, among them are included artillery, missile launchers, grenade launchers, and perhaps more. All the spies I sent weren''t even able to get inside, as they bombard any unfortunate travel who wanders into their line of sight." Tamia raises a brow, "Wait, they shoot at everyone they see? Isn''t that a massive waste of ammunition?" "Indeed, you would think that... But after the first couple groups found themselves decorating the landscape, no one else dared enter into the Boomer''s territory. I suspect they have preserved more ammunition this way than if they''d had been forced to protect themselves from attack. Their isolationist attitude has served them well, but such a group can not exist in the Mojave I wish to create. They will either have to become allies, or enemies." "Why do they have to choose though? Wouldn''t it be best to just leave them alone, rather than making enemies?" Tamia asks. "Tamia, the Boomers are almost capable of bombarding the New Vegas strip from their territory... All it would take is for them to elect a more combative leader and to upgrade their weapon slightly to put everyone at risk... Even I would not be completely safe, as you well know, the Lucky 38 would make an incredibly easy target." Chapter 471 - Mode; Mob Tamia raises a brow at his words, the Boomers were almost able to attack New Vegas, even from so far away? That''s a huge range, as well as a risk to any faction if their opposition allied or managed to take over the Boomers. "Why haven''t you done anything about them yet? I bet with enough caps you could do anything, and you aren''t exactly running out." "You''re right, but the risk of something going terribly wrong would be extraordinarily high, if I bought the services of many mercenaries, all it would take is one over-eager fool to ignite a full-blown conflict. Instead, I wish to send you in, someone whom I trust and has shown an incredibly reliable work ethic."?? Tamia smirks while shaking her head at House, "Daww, you''re gonna make me blush." she sarcastically says. "Hmph, indeed. Well, enough of this. I''ve explained what you''re mission is and I hope to see it completed soon. It is only the start of my plans, and we need to be relatively quick before other''s begin noticing that things are accelerating." he states. Tamia just nods and heads back to the Presidential suite where Veronica and Anja are to explain what they''d be trying to do now. Elsewhere : Terrence King sighs as he tilts his hat forwards to shield him from the sun. He was honestly beginning to wonder if becoming a manager in the SIlver Rush was actually worth the pay raise. Behind him was a small contingent of men in heavy combat armour all wielding plasma weaponry. The Van Graffs have many enemies, so having so many capable bodyguards was a must. Not that Terrence was complaining, whatever made him safer was good in his books. He looks up and squints at the fortress a mile or so down the road. Getting to this position already had been an annoying venture, so hopefully it''d be worth the effort. The NCR squads watching the area had actually tried to ''persuade'' him to leave as it was for his safety. Of course, Terrence knew otherwise, the NCR just didn''t want Novac, or more specifically, want the new faction Bulwark to begin trading with the Silver Rush. They had attempted to block the caravan, but once Terrence rinsed them out for breaking their own laws, they quickly backpedalled. The Silver Rush was immune to the NCR''s attempts to block, hold, or acquisition their caravan as they denied all protections they supposedly provided... The Silver Rush could protect themselves, and didn''t need to beg the NCR to do it for them. Daisy had been sipping some tea Afton had provided her while looking over the various reports that''d been collected around Novac. They listed things for current satisfaction of life, health status, fears, hopes, etc. It was a pretty good way of judging what could be improved and who needed help, Afton had come up with it and provided the supplies to everyone so they could air their grievances... The only issue she had with it was that she was the only one who could look over each one. The door suddenly opens and a militia-man walks in with an odd look, "Mayor, a caravan has stopped outside the gates, and we barely managed to stop the automatic weapons from vaporizing them..." Daisy snorts, "Dear, why couldn''t you just let it happen and help me avoid the paperwork." she jokes and the man sheepishly nods with a mock laugh. Seeing this Daisy just sighs and stands, grabbing a strange-looking phone with a large antenna attached to the top of it before heading towards the gate. She clicks a button on it and waits a moment for the static to clear up, "We''ve got some Caravaners outside the gates if you''re interested in turning up." she simply says. "*Bzztch* Alright, alright, no need to get snippy. I''ll be there." "I wouldn''t be ''snippy'' if you didn''t drop all this work on my shoulders... I''m an old lady I''ll have you know, wasn''t there a saying about respecting your elders?" "There is, but you''re old enough to be a great-grand-elder. Which automatically voids you from the saying... Anyway, I''ll be there.*Bzztch*" Daisy gives a half-smile. "That boy..." she mutters before walking over to the open-roofed supply house. Once inside she waits a couple moments until a lightning bolt bursts from the sky and strikes the floor, revealing Afton standing there in his typical strange black and white armour. "Great-Grand-Elder, hmm?" she drawls as Afton looks around the area for any threats. ... "Er, you know I was just joking right?... Auntie?..." ... She harrumphs and shakes her head before walking out towards the gate. Afton quickly catches up and the two talk about Novac until they reach their destination. Once there Afton''s eyes narrow as he looks over the gate, Van Graffs. "Did they say what they were here for?" he asks a nearby guard. The man nods, "They said they wanted to begin trade relations with Novac." "Do you know them?" Daisy asks with a small gesture at the Caravan. Afton sighs, "Van Graffs, part traders, part mobsters. There''s a saying in Freeside, that people only live because the Van Graffs allow them to. That isn''t exactly an over-exaggeration from what I''ve heard either, the group seem to get away with any crime with minimal consequences. My personal guess is that they have people in high places in the NCR government." he states. Daisy raises a brow, apparently never having heard of them, "Why would they be here then? Our hostility to the NCR is well known at this point." Afton shrugs, "Novac for all intents and purposes in an independent town, the reason the NCR is hostile is because Novac refuses to pay taxes and harbours criminals, IE; me and my group. Law wise I think this would be a grey area... Ignoring the fact the Van Graffs probably want ties with Bulwark, though, whether they want my tech or something else I have no idea." Chapter 472 - Business Ladder. "So, how do you wanna do this?" Afton asks Daisy, "The situation''ll be drastically different depending on who they''re speaking to." he explains. Daisy waves him off, "It isn''t as if Novac can trade without your assistance, regardless of what may happen, they''ll be trading with you if that''s where it leads."?? Afton just gives a short nod and leans over the wall, looking over at the group of Van Graffs that, by the looks on their faces, didn''t know how close they''d come to complete and utter annihilation earlier. "Yo, I''m Afton Parker, who am I speaking with?" he quickly asks. A man separate from the rest due to his lack of combat armour steps forth, "Hello! I''m Terrence King, manager of the Freeside Silver Rush! I was hoping we could open up negotiations for potential trade agreements!... Could we perhaps discuss this inside? My throat isn''t built for such an exhaustive conversation!" he shouts. Afton smirks, "I don''t know, this way I can at least tell that you''re putting some effort in." he says, silently laughing at the indignant looks on the man''s face. "L-look, I''m here on serious business. So could we stop with the jokes and actually get down to it?" Terrence asks, but is insulted further by the fact Afton was currently looking down appraisingly at his nails as if something more fascinating than whatever he had to say was present. ... Afton looks up after a moment of silence, "O-oh!? Were you done? Okay, well, if you, the Silver Rush, or the Van Graffs want to do business then just tell me what you want. I''m not going to play ''who''s got the biggest dick'', even if I''d win, so, what do you want?" Terrence glances back at his bodyguards and releases a long sigh, apparently, Parker was a lot more difficult than he''d been led to believe. "The Silver Rush is hoping to trade our impressive and reliable arsenal of Energy Weapons with you, also, I do not know what the Van Graffs have to do with me, but I heard they were looking for a ''problem solver'', whatever that means." Huh, the Silver Rush wants to separate itself from the Van Graffs? Obviously, that''s a political manoeuvre, the Van Graffs are a well-known crime family so if they want to promote the Silver Rush as a reliable business partner then they''d need to distinguish themselves, even if the Van Graffs own them. "What do you want for your weapons?" Afton asks, the Silver Rush''s Energy Weapons wouldn''t be better than the one''s he and Bulwark can provide, but that doesn''t mean they wouldn''t be useful. He might even be able to outfit his own robot army with powerful plasma weapons... Terrence smiles, "That''s what we were hoping to discuss." he states ambiguously. Afton just shakes his head, his answers solves it all. Silver Rush and the Van Graffs want Bulwark''s technology. No doubt they''d heard what they''d done to the Legion recently, Afton was willing to bet his left testicle that it was his Power armour they wanted, the exclusivity of it would be enough to make them salivate alone, and that was ignoring the potential combat capabilities it presents. Something that did catch his interest was this ''problem solver'' the Van Graffs needed... It wasn''t as if they lacked firepower, this group alone could probably take out a Super Mutant behemoth if they fought intelligently. Afton glances at the guard next to him, "I''m not opening the gate for these chuckle-fucks... Bring the ladder." he orders, but as the guard walks away to do so Afton stops him again, "Ah, not the good ladder, bring the shit one that''s difficult to climb." he corrects, the guard smiling mischievously as he nods. Afton looks over at Terrence again, "Fine, we can negotiate... But only you are allowed inside, I will personally guarantee your safety, so do not worry on that front." he states. Terrence frowns but holds his tongue, "Ah, okay... That is acceptable." he says, not feeling as confident as his posture and words suggest. Stories of Parker''s brutality weren''t exactly few, he was just hoping that he wouldn''t be added to the list. He waits for Afton to open the gate, but hears his bodyguards behind him begin cackling when something is thrown over the top of the wall. It dangles there before him mockingly as Afton leans over the wall again. "Feel free to climb up, don''t worry, this is just a safety precaution." Terrence glares hard at the frayed rope ladder, the rotten pieces of wood that were supposedly used as steps, the mushroom growing on parts of it showing that it''d been lying in a wet, damp place for a while before being brought out... As much as he''d like to complain, he knew he wasn''t in a position of power here, plus the fact that he''d probably be shot dead if the Van Graffs heard he''d refused such an opportunity. He sucks in his pride and walks towards the ladder, grimacing as he grabs the damp rope and begins climbing... In all honesty, it was incredibly difficult to actually climb, the ladder moved around erratically like some kind of fairground challenge. Add the fact it smelled absolutely awful, Terrence hopes Afton accidentally falls off the wall headfirst. A couple minutes pass and Terrence eventually reaches the top, he takes a minute to recover his breath before looking up at Afton and reaching for his hand to shake it. Afton takes a step back with a raised brow, "I''d shake your hand, but some idiot decided to leave the ladder in the waste disposal... I''d rather not get human waste on my hands thank you." he explains. Terrence''s eyes go wide as he looks down at his hands, now noticing the brown, yellow, and green fluids covering them... He leans over the wall and vomits, getting "Ooooh''s" for everyone at the sight. Daisy sighs as she looks at Afton, "Did you have to do something so disgusting?" He grins in response, "Well, I gotta show who''s boss, you know?" Chapter 473 - High Ground Negotiations. Afton and Daisy lead Terrence to a relatively ''fancy'' room before they all sit at a table, Afton doing his best to look as ''important'' as possible. It isn''t really all that difficult due to the deference Daisy and everyone else has towards him in Novac though. Afton clasps his hands as he rests them on the table as they begin discussions... Terrence immediately begins trying to negotiate rights towards Afton''s Power armour and other high tech weaponry, but this didn''t go all well for the Silver Rush lackie as Afton instantly rejects such an offer.?? The Silver Rush and Van Graffs simply have nothing that Afton or Novac wants. He has access to most resources at this point, even resources that had been thought extinct like pre-war vegetables, fruits, and other things. Perhaps the only thing that would actually interest Afton would be large scale trade agreements, like a number of mines fit with employees and a guarantee that they hadn''t been mined out. But even then, it wasn''t like Big Mt lacked such things, Glados''s widespread robot resource analysis and gathering programs were working incredibly well so far. Due to Big Mt''s location, the area had been left relatively untouched by the American government, this was to keep civilians away from the potentially deadly things created in the secret facility, an Area 51 situation you might say. The only real thing Afton might want from them is any potential upgrades to Plasma weaponry they might have uncovered. As of now, he had Arc-Rifles, Gauss Rifles, LAER''s, and even Upgraded laser weaponry that shot green lasers, Plasma was the only real area he was lacking. Terrence was doing his best to offer potential alternatives, but his authority on what he could provide was quickly running out. By now he was already red-faced and blue-balled, any hope of trade he''d come with had quickly died as if left in the desert sun. "Mr Parker, are you sure there is truly nothing we at the Silver Rush could provide?" he asks, in an almost pleading tone. Afton just shrugs and shakes his head, "You''ve offered nothing I want yet, you don''t seem to understand that I, and Bulwark as a result are in all likelihood the most technologically advanced group you''ll find..." Terrence bites his lip and glances around as if looking for recording software... Of course, he wouldn''t know that Nyx was basically always recording from the Stealth Suit, but Afton wouldn''t illuminate this for the man anytime soon. "Perhaps you would be willing to trade for more... Rare, good?" he quietly asks. Afton raises a brow, "''Rare goods?''" he parrots, not sure what he''s referring to. Terrence nods, "My employers, the Van Graffs, have had an interesting history with the NCR. Conflict was inevitable, but that does not mean we gained nothing from it... Would you perhaps be willing to purchase some Elite NCR Armour?" "What kind are we talking? Most NCR gear as far as I''m concerned is not even meat-shield level." Afton scoffs while crossing his arms and slouching in his chair. "A few years ago the Van Graffs had an unfortunate encounter with a riot/rebel group. The NCR was quick in their dealing of this however, sending their Elite Soldiers to deal with it. During the skirmish, a couple of them fell in battle, allowing the Van Graffs to ''requisition'' it. I''m sure you''ve heard of the NCR''s Advanced Riot Gear?" Afton nods, he remembered reading about it in the Brotherhood Database, apparently, it was the NCR''s attempt at creating powerful armour without the machine components that Power armour had. Ballistic Weave Duster, light-alloy metal plating, and a sophisticated helmet that might put the Brotherhood''s helmets to shame. You''d think that Afton wouldn''t be interested in something like that, but you''d be wrong. Currently, he was trying to think of lighter armour that scouts, snipers, and spies could use. For instance, Boone, and Anja, both would be ill-suited to Power armour, and it''d detract from their skillsets if they were forced to use it. There''s also the fact it would be left almost completely unharmed from an EMP attack, aside from the components in the helmet of course. Afton rubs his face in contemplation, "Hmm, I don''t know if that would be of any help to me, you''re obviously already aware of my Power armour..." he says, downplaying the offer to him. "What was this ''task'' from the Van Graffs you mentioned earlier?" he asks, not willing to trade his tech but still wanting the armour. Terrence wets his lips, wanting to return to the offer but deciding to answer Afton''s query first, "The Van Graffs have been running into some problem in Freeside... Some. Vigilante? Has been disrupting their operations. All of their attempts to apprehend this person have failed, so they''d like to ask you, and your group to handle it for them." "And the reward?" Afton gesture for him to continue. "Ten thousand caps, or a selection of goods worth the same amount from the Silver Rush." Terrence states. Afton leans back and rolls his head around as if thinking over the offer, "Hmm... How about this instead? Two sets of Advanced Riot Gear for the job, sounds pretty reasonable to me." Terrence scowls, "Two sets? The black market price would be thirty thousand caps, and yet you want two!?..." he exclaims and is about to continue before composing himself. He knew getting lippy with the Butcher wouldn''t end well for him. "The Silver Rush does not accept this offer." he states. Afton shrugs, "Alright... How about, one set." he says, leaning forwards and beginning to tap his fingers on the desk. Terrence''s eyes are drawn towards Afton''s fingers, he''s mildly shocked when he spots the indentations left in the surface... This was solid oak, and this man was fingering holes into it as easily as you would putty. He audibly swallows and slowly nods, "A-A single set seems doable..." Afton grins and stops tapping, "Good! Atleast we can agree on something, but I''m not currently willing to trade my tech at this moment... Now, I would shake your hand, but you''re still covered in muck, so let''s just make it a verbal agreement." Chapter 474 - Invisible Air-Strike "Now, I would shake your hand, but you''re still covered in muck, so let''s just make it a verbal agreement." Afton says as he stands. Terrence can only give a polite, yet restrained smile at this, all the while thinking ''Who do you think is the reason for that!''?? A few hours later : Tamia, Veronica, and Anja had all returned to Big Mt to report the new task the former had received from House. This might be a faux pas in House''s eyes, reporting his dealings to an outside party, but what did he expect? Tamia wasn''t going to take her chances while trying to run through a literal artillery strike. They''d been waiting around and resting while waiting for Afton to return, which he does a few hours after they received the task. As soon as Afton teleports in they quickly approach him, "Afton! The big man has decided to send Tamia to her death again!" Veronica greets, her words sounding sarcastic but accurately describing the task regardless. Afton raises a brow, "Again? Let me guess, he wants you to attack Black Mountain in your underwear with a butter knife?" Veronica smirks, "Kinky, but wrong. He wants her to run head-on towards Artillery fire without retaliating, and to ally with the group that''d been shooting as if they hadn''t just tried to kill her." she quickly explains. ... Afton crosses his arms, "I think I''d take my chances one Black Mountain..." Tamia shrugs with a frown, still thinking on how to accomplish House''s task, "Sounds like you just wanna see us run up Black Mountain naked. Also hoping to see a Super Mutant bukake while you''re at it?" "Okay, gross, first of all. And I''m pretty sure Super Mutants are impotent, so, whatever dreams you''ve had are impossible." he retorts getting a laugh from Veronica before continuing, "I''m guessing this has something to do with the Boomers then?" Tamia nods while ignoring the anger induced flush of her cheeks, "Apparently they''re almost able to bombard New Vegas as it is... That''s kinda scary when you think about it." "Huh... I honestly didn''t think they had big enough guns for that..." he mutters. Tamia sighs, "So, you got any advice for us? I''m not really sure how we''re going to get through their artillery strikes... Maybe if we took some Power armour, Mmm, but then I''d need to learn how to use it... Maybe we could sneak up before they notice us?" "Maybe we should hold up a massive white flag while approaching." Veronica adds, which honestly doesn''t sound like all that bad an idea... Surely the Boomers wouldn''t fire on surrendered targets? Afton though just has a smug look on his face as the duo + silent ghoul discuss their options. Tamia eventually notices as her eye begins twitching at him in annoyance, "You got something to say?" He nods, "You guys seem to forget where you are... Just think for a moment, if you had access to most technology, what would easily allow you to bypass the airstrikes?" ... ... "Err, teleportation?" Veronica guesses. Afton just shakes his head, "That''d require getting me or Dogmeat close enough to get the coordinates. Guess again." ... ... "Run fast?" Tamia asks with no confidence to speak of. "The answer is Stealth Boys, you brainless women!" he says while palming his face, ignoring their pointed glares at the mention of their gender, "They cannot bombard what they can''t see... Use Stealth Boys to approach, and become visible when you approach their gates, then the Boomers would either be forced to fight you head-on, which would be stupid considering most of their weapons are highly destructive, or they would allow you to talk." ... "Oh yeah..." Veronica mutters, wondering if she''d lost brain cells out in the desert. Maybe all that time spent in the sun was finally getting to her? Afton just shakes his head at his sisters seemingly diminished intelligence and turns around, "Glados, how has the reconstruction of Stealth Boys been going?" Glados''s body pops out of the Think Tank wall as she goes to reply, "We have five operational Stealth Boys, but research on alternative power sources, increased battery capacity, and decreasing the overall size of the device has been nominal. I would suggest diverting attention from other projects if you wish for any meaningful progress." she quickly explains. Afton scratches his cheek, "Yeah, don''t do that. Stealth Boys are cool and effective, but not more important than robot armies, Power armour, and the other things in the works." "Robot armies?" Tamia and Veronica simultaneously ask. "Ah, ignore that for now..." Afton waves them off before diverting the conversation, "Could you retrieve the three Stealth Boys please?" Glados nods her body and disappears, a minute later Spiderbots flood out of the Think Tank with three devices on their backs. Afton picks them up and passes them to the trio, "Remember, they''re currently single use." "Wait, didn''t Glados say there were four Stealth Boys? Shouldn''t we take another person then?" Veronica asks. Tamia answers before Afton can, "The Boomers are an isolated group and clearly very trigger happy... Taking too many people could start a fight, something we''re hoping to avoid, remember?" Afton nods, "See, at least someone''s thinking in this group... No offence Anja." The ghouls shakes her head, "None taken, Sir." Veronica on the other hand pouts, "I''m thinking, but someone''s gotta play devil''s advocate..." "Whatever you say, sis... Now, you guys better get prepared, I got a mission myself I need to attend to." Afton says, but feels the need to explain due to the group''s inquisitive looks, "The Van Graffs are having a ''vigilante'' problem, and are willing to reward whoever solves it with some sexy gear. I''ll probably be done by tomorrow, if not sooner." he says, giving a small wave as he goes to see how the repairs on his Power armour are going. Chapter 475 - Scorpion-What Now? Afton''s Power armour had basically been totalled when the EMP had caused it to malfunction. Though, this was more due to him forcefully breaking the servos to manually move it than anything else. Fortunately, Klein and Mobius had been working overtime to get it back up and running. Though they had been wanting some more time to test EMP shielding and a number of coolant systems, he and Veronica had both been hit a number of times by Flame throwers while fighting the Legion, this had melted some of the electronics under the Saturnite plating. This was apparently incredibly annoying to repair, primarily due to the sheer strength of Saturnite.?? Afton didn''t want to head into Freeside without his armour though, the NCR still had a massive presence and he wasn''t willing to risk getting trapped in an ambush. Sure, he might be able to avoid or even fight his way out of it, but why risk it? He was tempted to wait until they found some way to protect the armour against EMP attacks as the NCR would no doubt attempt it, but he wanted to catch this ''vigilante'' before things got too hot and they moved somewhere else. Soon enough, he''d gotten fully geared up, with repaired Bulwark Power Armour, Energy Weapons, Anti-Material Rifle strapped to his back, and his new Ultra Chainsword which hung intimidatingly at his side... While it might not provide many more advantages than the Proton axe due to his various Perks, that wouldn''t stop him swinging it around like a maniac Space Marine. He makes sure to wear the large Deathclaw leather duster to stop people from instantly recognising the Power armour, even if it''s a temporary tactic. Of course, the ensemble wouldn''t be complete without the new Bulwark logo stamped across one side of the chest plate. Once everything was done, Afton left and teleported a good distance from New Vegas to prevent large groups of people from spotting the lightning. The last thing he needed was people realising just how their teleportation actually functioned. It was around midday now, so the sun was still high in the sky as he marched towards the North gates of Freeside. As always, there was a small group of Kings watching the entrance with bored looks... That is, until they spotted Afton approaching them. "What in the-HOooly jesus, do you boy''s see that thang comin'' right on here?" the leader mutters, his hand reaching for the revolver at his side. Afton can only chuckle at their reaction... These guys had seen him come passed many times, once on Dirt-Bird, once on Dirt-Hog, and now in Power armour... Hmm, that reminds him, he wonders how the excavation is going for his next vehicle. He''d sent a number of robots to the vague area he remembered it being, but that didn''t mean everything would go completely ok... "Boy, you better stop where you are, don''t come any closer or we''ll pop a cap in your shiny ass." the king threatens, but the others in his group look ready to run should shit hit the fan. Afton just shrugs his shoulders, causing a rough clanking sound to reach them as he begins speaking, "You guys don''t recognise me? It''s Afton." he states. This quickly calms them, the King''s relationship with the NCR had been steadily degrading since they basically declared war on him... After the ''terrorist'' attack that the NCR hadn''t been able to link to him it hadn''t gotten any better, but it must be remembered that Afton was the one to first help the two groups at reconciling. He makes small talk with them as they joke and bluster about his armour, but eventually he gets to what he wanted to ask. "So, what''s this I hear about ''Vigilante'' around here?" "Oh, you mean that guy? I dunno where he came from, but I ain''t ever seen anything like it. He crawls on walls like an insect and can punch men clear through concrete walls..." ... Afton raises a brow as he hears the vigilante''s description, he thought he might''ve misheard them, but when they repeat themselves he feels like the world is folding in on itself... "Hey... Do you know what he calls himself?" The King nods, "Yeah, guy''s a weirdo calling himself ''Scorpion-Man''." Afton scoffs but holds his mouth to block the nervous laughter threatening to escape, "S-Scorpion-Man? He doesn''t run around in a skintight red and blue suit, right?" The man shrugs, "No, nothing so stupid... He wears yellow and green body armour with a mask though." Afton stops himself from facepalming and releases a long sigh, "Alright, I''m gonna try and meet this guy, know where he operates?" "The boys say he''s been beatin'' thugs in the Northeastern slums... Might just be rumours though." Afton nods, "Anything I should know before I head out? He ain''t gonna magically shoot a scorpion tail outta his ass or something?" The King shakes his head, "I never heard him do anything like that... I''d be careful though, must be callin'' himself Scorpion-Man for some reason." Afton leaves the Kings, easily pushing the gate open with his Power armour reinforced strength before stepping into Freeside... Obviously, his presence draws everyone''s attention, even the few patrolling NCR soldiers, but no one dares impede his path, no doubt rumours of what went down in the Fort had reached even here. He pulls up the large hood on his leather duster and heads straight for the slums. Due to the time of day, not many ''thugs'' are out and about, but just because their numbers are lower than usual doesn''t mean they''ve disappeared. He walks around the slums a couple times, his eyes peeled for any movement, but doesn''t spot his target... Either he''s being avoided, or the Spider-man knockoff has no reason to reveal himself. Afton was honestly betting on the latter, meaning he''d need to make a reason. Chapter 476 - Villain Wins! Afton glances around the area and eventually spots a chem-addict sprawled out on the floor limply. He walks over and gives the guy a nudge with his metal foot, minding not to injure them with the incredibly sharp blades extending from his boots. "Oi, you awake?" "MMmmmmh, f-five more minuuutes..."?? ... Afton bends down slightly and flicks the man in the side of his head, he does this as lightly as he can, but ends up giving what amounts to an average persons punch instead. The addicts head whips to the side at the impact, his eyes rapidly opening as he turns to face his attacker... Only to squeak in fear as he looks up at Afton, the red lights of his eyes from his shadowed form looking like an accurate depiction of death. "You''re awake." "Yyaaaaaaiii! P-P-Please don''t hurt me! I-I got ten caps, take em! Leave me!" the man exclaims, quickly scrambling backwards while tossing three caps out of his pocket... Afton sighs, the act sounding oddly like Darth Vader''s respirator, he holds his hands up pacifyingly, "I don''t want to hurt you... I''ve actually got a job for you." he states as the addict slowly calms down. Ten minutes later : "AH! THIEF, HELP I''M BEING ROBBED! SOMEONE!" a terrifying sounding voice roars at the top of their lungs, the sound managing to travel through most of the slums. A figure darts across the ravaged and ruined rooftops until it eventually finds the alleyway where the voice was coming from. The man leans over the ledge and spots a dirty-looking ragged man being held up by the neck by a heavily armed, huge man in some strange leather coat. Not wasting any time, he leaps from his position to the wall opposite him, his hands sticking to it like gecko''s as he begins crawling towards his target. Once he''s close enough he bursts into action, jumping off of the wall and sending a flying kick at the back of the large man''s head. The man in question turns his head slightly, revealing his glowing red eyes, the attack hits regardless but Scorpion-Man realising that something''s wrong at the fact the man doesn''t budge an inch once struck... His attack should have been enough to crack concrete, yet it did nothing!? He lands a good distance away from his target, but is surprised to see the large man dropping the victim and tossing a small sack of caps at him. "Good job, also try to get yourself cleaned up for god sake." the low, slightly muffled voice states. The man quickly runs off as the large man turns towards Scorpion-Man, "Huh, that actually worked... Colour me surprised." he states, opening the coat slightly to revealing the arsenal of weapons and heavy armour underneath. "What do you want with me, Villain!?" Afton raises a brow under his helmet, was this guy acting or actually for real?... That hit to the head did hurt slightly, it had certainly hit harder than any of the Legionaries had managed back at the Fort... Still, it wasn''t enough to actually ''harm'' him... It did activate [Grit] however. [Grit is in effect] He had to admit though, he was slightly tempted to play along, like some kind of reverse Mechanist and AntAgonizer roleplay... Eh, I''ll indulge him a bit. He holds his arms out wide, "Muahahahaha!" he exaggeratedly points a finger at the man in tights, "WE FINALLY MEET SCORPION-MAN! AND I, FINALLY GET MY REVENGE!" ... "Who are you! What revenge!? I''ve never done anything to you!" "REVENGE FOR MY FAMILY! THE FAMILY YOU FAILED TO SAVE!" Scorpion-Man straightens at this, "What!? Really? I''m so sorry!" he shouts, and Afton swore the guy''s eyes were watering under his mask. ... "No, I''m joking you fucking clown." he retorts. ... "DO NOT PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS VILLAIN!" he suddenly exclaims before jumping at the wall, springing off and trying for another kick at Afton''s head. Afton just catches the leg and swings the ''superhero'' at a wall, creating an ironic spider-web of cracks from the impact. He continues, smashing the guy on the floor, wall, floor again, and then, surprisingly, the wall!... After a minute of this Afton drops the man on the floor, "They weren''t joking about you being strong. An average guy wouldn''t become a slushy at this point." he states and uses [Living Anatomy] to see what the guy''s stats actually were. [Scorpion-Man] Health : 40% Stamina : 34% DT : 21 Strength : 9 Perception : 6 Endurance : 10 Charisma : 5 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 10 Luck : 2 Ailments : [Psyker] : Grants Supernatural abilities at the expense of the user''s Luck. [Radioactive Scorpion] : Allows user to climb anything, and grants massive bonuses to their physical stats. +5 to Strength, Endurance, and Agility. Grants Superhuman regeneration. Fluids produced by user are also Radioactive. [Broken Back] : Spine is crippled! [Broken Arms] : Arms are crippled! [Broken Legs] : Legs are crippled! [Fractured Skull] : Head is crippled! [Broken Ribs] : Chest is crippled! ... "Err, woops..." Afton mutters, not having realised the extent of the man''s injuries. He prods him with his foot, getting along pained groan out of the man, "Hey, you alright?" "Urrrrrrrghghhhh!" "Yeah, no, he not alright..." Afton mutters. "Hey! Look! The big guy took down that masked freak! Let''s finish him!" a voice shouts from behind Afton, and once he turns he spots a small group of thugs quickly approaching. Afton sighs, "Are you guys stupid or something?" he mutters as he pulls the Ultra Chainsword from his hip and activates it, the purple blade illuminating the alleyway as the ''teeth'' begin rapidly oscillating back and forth. "OH SHIT!" is all they can say before Afton barrels into them. *SHEWSHEWSHEWSHEWSHEW* *SPLATTER* *THUD* "AAaaaarghhh! HELP OH GOD SOMEONE PLEA-"*SHEW* A couple seconds later Afton is left standing amongst many utterly annihilated corpses while examining his weapon for any nicks, scratches, or malfunctions... It''d obviously been tested before, but he wanted to make sure it was properly ready to slice and dice humans. Afton finding no damage whatsoever he grins, "I fucking love this thing." "Uuurrrrghh" "Oh yeah, you''re still here... Hmm..." Afton mutters, the Van Graffs would probably want evidence of his death... But Afton was more interested in the man''s physiology than anything else, he knew Dala would cream her Brain-Dome if he let her examine Scorpion-Man. Nodding to himself, he takes the man from the vigilante, revealing a surprisingly young, Latino-looking face. He then puts it on one of the intact thugs and cuts their head off. Afterwards he allows Nyx to find the coordinates for this point before teleporting Scorpion-Man back to the Think Tank with a note attached to his forehead. "Welp, that''s that then." Chapter 477 - Jerb Done Afton stomps along the Freeside roads as people rapidly move to get out of his way, clutched in his hand is a masked head that seems to belong to Scorpion-Man, the new vigilante that''d been helping folks... Apparently, that was at an end now, however... Unfortunately, his progress was impeded by a small group of NCR soldiers who intercept him, "Afton Parker! You are under arrest for numerous crimes, including arson, vandalism, murder, and your traitorous actions!"?? Afton just raises a brow under his helmet, "And you guys are going to arrest me, huh?" he asks, curious about what they actually expected to happen here. The leader quickly shakes his head, "Er, no... Procedure just required us to make you aware of this... If that''s all, we''ll be going now..." the man sheepishly says, leaving under the disbelieving gazes of the other Freeside residents. "Huh, ok..." he mutters before continuing up the road. He''d just passed by the Atomic Casino and was now approaching the Silver Rush to get his reward for the job. The guard standing in front of it seemingly shrinks under Afton''s heavy gaze, it wasn''t every day you get stared down by what amounts to a terminator. "S-stop..." "Stop? I''ve got a job to finish." Afton states, holding up the head of ''Scorpion-Man'', "Unless you want me to explain to your bosses why they need to hire another doorman." "W-wait here..." the man asks before quickly entering the Silver Rush and audibly locking the door behind him. "Tch." Afton clicks his tongue, wondering how long they''d make him wait out here. "S-spare some chan-" "Piss off." Afton growls, making the beggar stumble backwards and quickly flee. "Fuckin'' junkies." *Click, click, click!* The door opens, revealing a group of men all wearing combat armour and pointing Plasma rifles at Afton''s head. The doorman is amongst them, but also a woman he wasn''t familiar with. The only thing he could say was that she certainly wasn''t a looker... Dull tanned skin, receding hair with an almost bald head (most likely from radiation poisoning or something), and a low-cut jacket that reveals the rather unpleasant sight of her cleavage. "If you''re gonna shoot, you better make it count." Afton challanges, if he was struck in the face by all of those shots his face would probably melt from the heat of it, but that would depend on whether or not he''d stand there and let it happen. "I have to say Mr Parker, you work faster than expected... Terrence hasn''t even returned yet and you''ve already completed the job." she gestures at the head in his hand. Afton shrugs, "What can I say? Efficiency is my middle name." She nods, "And Faith is mine... Let me see it." she asks, gesturing at a guard. Afton hands the still dripping head to the man who displays it to the woman as if it were a trophy. She grabs the yellow and green mask of the vigilante and lifts it, revealing the scarred and pock-marked face of the thug he''d met in the alley. "Hmm, he looks different than I expected... Certainly not the ''Superhero'' look and more of a ''Down of his luck Chem-Addict''." she says, looking the head over appraisingly. "Surprises come in all shapes and sizes. I''m guessing you''re my real employer then? Terrence made a big deal about separating the Silver Rush and the Van Graffs, but we both know it isn''t as simple as that." "Well, we try our best to be roundabout with such information. I''m Gloria Van Graff, by the way. A pleasure to meet the Mojave''s most wanted man." she says, waving off the guard holding the head and holding out her hand towards Afton. He shakes it, careful to not crush her frail hand in his grip, "Guess my job''s done here then, I''ve already come to some agreements with Terrence, so I''ll let him report back on what my reward should be. If there''s nothing else...?" he trails over, giving Gloria some time to consider. She shakes her head, "Not at all, though, I will ask that you come through the back exit next time... I don''t need the attention your presence brings. Goodbye Mr Parker, I hope to be seeing you again relatively soon." she says, before turning and leaving further into the shop. Afton nods and leaves too, heading towards the gate so he can teleport out the same way he''d come in... He was pretty sure the meeting went well, obviously she couldn''t see his expression through his helmet, so it''d be terribly difficult to tell if he was lying about Scorpion-Man or not... She seemed to buy the story though, so as long as Scorpion-Man doesn''t return, his relationship with the Van Graffs should be stable... For now. Once he''d returned back to Big Mt he heads directly towards the cells where Scorpion-Man should be held. As he was passing by the cells he wakes Caesar up by pressing the ''electric'' button just for shits and giggles. Soon enough, he reaches the cell with an unconscious Scorpion-Man lying face down on the floor, Dala was already waiting outside speaking with Glados about some project. Though, it was obvious Dala would be salivating at the sight of their new guest if she had the glands to do so. "So, what do you think of our guest?" he greets. "The new teddy bear? It''s... Wonderful... The sample I took is mysterious, yet elegant. Have you decided to allow me to look more extensively at it?" Afton shakes his head, "Dissection? No. To be honest, I think I want to add him to our forces... Super strength, advantageous mutations, once we''ve gathered all the data from him I think he''d be a perfect addition." he says with crossed arm, afterwards glancing at Glados, "How far along is the project I requested?" Chapter 478 - George Of The Concrete Jungle... "The thought activated bomb implants?" Glados asks. Afton nods but raises a brow at the name of it... Perhaps he should have been more specific with what he wanted??? "The implants, with the help of Dr. Zero, Dr. Dala, Dr. Mobius, and the Autodoc designated: Meddie, have almost been completed. All that is left is to conduct field tests, all of which require non-feral ghoul prisoners or Lobotomites... Our current prisoners are incapable of proper, logical thought, and as a result are impractical or potentially worthless in this venture. The Think Tank requests that you acquire more test subjects." "Indeed... There is only so much you can do with a teddy bear that lacks stuffing." Dala adds from the side. Afton nods and rubs the rather thick stubble that''d been left untended on his face, "I can think of a couple places that wouldn''t... Harm my or the other''s sensibilities. I''m sure no one would miss cannibals, but I doubt their numbers would be worth actually putting in the effort to find them..." he mutters. ... "Hmm... Criminals would work too, but with the NCR Correctional Facility all but destroyed, there isn''t really a place to hold them, meaning you''re either arrested and forced to do community service, or straight up executed... That or shipped back to New California, which is far too resources intensive to be commonly used." he says, more to himself than anything else. "Creator, our enemies hold large quantities of people. The organisations designated: NCR, Brotherhood of Steel, and Legion, would all have viable test subjects." Glados states. Afton shakes his head, "No... That''d bring way too much attention, the NCR and Brotherhood would notice their members going missing immediately, and that''s not even mentioning my companion''s potential reaction to it. The Legion might not notice, but I''d still rather not start experimenting on innocent people..." he looks to Dala, "Don''t think I''ve forgotten what you did to Christine, or myself for that matter." Dala doesn''t say anything and simply silently floats there awaiting his decision. Afton isn''t even sure if she feels a trace of remorse for what she''d done. Perhaps the damage the Bio-Gel had had on their minds was already too far gone? Regardless, he needed more test subjects, not only for this project but many others as well. "Hmm... We could use ''that'' couldn''t we?... Dala, how is your little project going?" "My little teddy bear''s DNA is stable for now, the manual degradation to mimic age is also working properly. All that is left is the memory splicing and integration, the most dangerous part of the operation by far." she explains. Afton nods to himself, "Well, I''ve been looking for something to justify our plans, our need for test subjects could very well be the answer. Dala, Glados, concentrate on project CERR01, I''ll work on getting negotiations started, no doubt they''ll be chomping at the bit for it... As for our guest? Treat him respectably and try not to be too invasive, we want the data and a potential ally, not a dead mutant with nothing to show for it." he states before turning and walking away, leaving the two robots to start their respective jobs. Elsewhere : Tamia, Veronica, and Anja had almost reached the Boomers territory. Before them, was the highway leading up a hill and between a small canyon path, though, judging by the many signs stating ''TURN BACK, DEATH AHEAD'', ''DEATH FROM THE SKY'', and ''THE WAR IS HERE AGAIN!'', continuing past that point without preparations would be a bad idea. Obviously, Veronica had left her Power armour behind for this venture as appearing at someone''s gate fully armed and armoured is basically a declaration of war. The Boomers might be isolationists, but they''d no doubt heard of Afton''s actions over the radio by now, the Legion went to great troubles declaring that Afton''s technology to a danger to everyone. The NCR projected similar sentiments but were less fervent mainly due to the fact that they''d restored some Brotherhood armour themselves. As the group reached the border of the territory they spot an older-looking gentleman wearing relatively fine clothes... A cardigan over a nice shirt and jeans... All of which seemed to be void of dirt and dust the desert produces. "Howdy! You three should start thinkin'' twice before you venture further here, last guy who tried a couple days ago is still down there, see." he gestures, pointing at a pile of bloody, scorched flesh not far from the border... Whoever it was hadn''t made it that far before being blasted into bloody chunks. Tamia shakes her head, "Thanks for the warning, but we can handle ourselves." "No problem, name''s George by the way. Honestly darlin'', it''d be a shame to see such pretty ladies die so terribly, so how about this... You pay me, let''s say... 800 caps, and I''ll tell you the trick to avoiding them bombs." Veronica scoffs, "800 caps? That''s way too much!... How about this, you go to the Boomers instead, and we''ll pay you for it, since you''re apparently an expert at this." George sheepishly glances away, "If you need proof of my skills then I''ll go loot that bloody corpse down there, I''ve been meanin'' too anyway." he shrugs. "You loot their corpses?" Tamia asks, curious. George nods, "Folks take their caps to try and buy explosives from the Boomers at a bargin price, most don''t make it, making looting whatever they leave very, very lucrative." he gestures down at his fine clothes, "As you can see, I''m a very well-to-do man." Tamia shrugs, "Whatever, can''t blame a man for making a living. You won''t be looting our bodies though," she turns to Veronica and Anja, "You guys ready?" They nod, reaching into the large pouches on their hips. George watches as they all glance at one another one last chance before pressing something- *SHooooom* The trio fades from sight, leaving only the faintest distortion in the air, making George jump in surprise. "Well would you look at that... Or not! Hahahaha!" he cackles to himself as he watches the faint footsteps imprinting on the ground towards Boomer territory. Chapter 479 - Rigged And Trapped Tamia, Veronica, and Anja all walk into the ''dead-zone'' while holding one another''s hands. They weren''t able to see each other, meaning they''d need a way to stay close aside from following each other''s footsteps. The land before them is a wide, scar ridden area that has many ruined buildings dotted around. Obviously, they''d all b been destroyed by the Boomers previous airstrikes, but Tamia wondered if the town that''d been here was inhabited before the Boomer''s came.?? If it had, that would mean the Boomers committed mass murder for almost no reason whatsoever... You couldn''t claim someone else''s land as yours just because you lived nearby, she''d need to ask them about it once they reached their destination. "I wonder why no one else had thought of doing thi-" Veronica''s cut off by Tamia. "Hang on... Is that...?" she mutters, glancing behind as George approaching the territory. The older man walks towards the dead zone with a huge grin on his face, suddenly he bursts into a sprint, jumping and waving his arms in the Boomer''s direction. Almost immediately faint blasts could be heard from afar, this is followed by trails of smoke launching into the sky and towards them. "That old bastard! He''s trying to get us killed!" she exclaims, her grip on the other two getting tighter in sheer anger. "I knew I should have punched him!" Veronica mutters as they start running in the opposite direction of George. Despite his actions, they were still invisible, so unless they were very, very unlucky they''d likely not be targeted. George continues to run about randomly, ducking in between the ruined houses before reappearing from random directions, most likely making it incredibly difficult and annoying to properly shoot at him. George himself was doing his best to get the Boomers to fire about randomly, in an attempt to kill the trio to reap the rewards from their corpses afterwards. This strategy works well enough, Tamia, Veronica, and Anja duck as a bomb strikes nearby, kicking up dust and knocking them off of their feet. They quickly recover and scramble towards the nearest ruined building to get at least some degree of cover. Once inside however, they discover an incredibly surprising sight. Two bodies were already present, both wearing scored and shattered Power armour belonging to the Brotherhood of Steel. Scattered around them were the shattered remains of what should be their weapons... "Oh my god..." Veronica mutters, leaning forwards and taking each of their helmets to see their identities. Barely even minding the airstrike still happening overhead. "As much as I hate to break up this reunion, we are still under attack!" Tamia urges, a hand resting on Veronica''s invisible back. Veronica sighs and nods, "Alright... But once we get permission I''m burying them..." she says, she didn''t know either of them well, and actually only knew one of their names... Steve Lynch, a kid Afton had apparently had a feud with while he was still in the Brotherhood. *BOOOM!* The side of the building collapses as a shockwave disintegrates it, the group quickly retreat and sprint out of the building, towards the large fenced airfield where the Boomers lived. Fortunately, though, George''s attempts to kill them cannot reach them any longer, the bombs coming dangerously close to the old-timer, causing him to quickly flee the area. Tamia would''ve laughed were they still not deep within enemy territory. Veronica has a few words though, "When we get back I''m hunting that piece of shit down." Anja nods at the sentiment... Not that anyone could see it due to their invisibility... Soon enough, the group reach the fence of the Airfield without any further attacks. They follow the metal wire fence until they reach the gate, where they could hear two Boomers talking amongst themselves up in a watchtower. "Does that old man think this is a game? It pisses me off that no one''s managed to hit him yet!" a male voice says. "Well, why don''t you go try it then. Trying to hit him with artillery is like swatting a fly with chopsticks." a feminine voice retorts. "Maybe we should just run up and shoot him ourselves... Beats wasting ammunition." "Yeah, and get captured while we''re at it... You know how it is outside, you''ve seen the creatures that wander inside and outside our territory... Three words, GIANT, GREEN, HUMANS!" "Whatever, you''re just like the rest, too scared to take matters into your own hands." the man grumbles. The female laughs as a result, "Oh? Aren''t we the same? You yourself aren''t doing anything with your hands, besides sitting on them that is." Tamia quietly hums to herself at the information, apparently, a few of the Boomers were dissatisfied with their passive defence and want to become more active... Personally, she thinks it''s a stupid idea as the only advantage the Boomers have against other factions is their armaments... If they start losing people they''ll most likely be overrun in no time. Regardless, she has a mission to complete. She taps Veronica and Anja on the back before turning off her Stealth Boy, the light around them ripples as they all become visible again, though, the Boomers hadn''t noticed their presence yet. "Hello!?" Tamia loudly asks, looking up at the watchtower. *Clatter!* *Thud!* The two guardsmen seemingly scramble to find whatever that sound was, a man with short hair poking his hair over the side and gaping as he spots the trio standing before the gates. "What the-!?" "Get outta the way and let me see!" a girl with red hair asks as she leans over the side next to him. "Ah! Intruders!" she exclaims once she spots the group, back away, picking something up and quickly making her way down the watchtower. Chapter 480 - Okay, Boomer... Once she reaches ground level the woman reveals the huge rocket launcher resting on her shoulder, the red tip of the missile menacingly sitting in the barrel. Above them, the male is doing the same, his weapon pointing directly at them, despite the fact if either of them shot they''d all die together. She was wearing some sort of pilot jacket over a Vault Jumpsuit, on her wrist sat a Pipboy, showing that the Boomers clearly had origins from a Vault.?? Anja backs away slightly at the sight, but Tamia and Veronica hold their ground. Tami raises a brow and wonders if they were actually willing to kill themselves just to eliminate them. "You guys know you are in the blast radius too, right?" she asks. "Shut up outsider! I''m willing to do what I must to protect my home!" the man shouts from the watchtower. "Rambo, shut up! Maybe they just want to talk? They wouldn''t be standing around talking to us if they were enemies!" The now named Rambo growls at her, "You also were an outsider-lover Kim, you must be disappointed none of them are dudes that can rail you!" "Fuck off, jerk!" she spits back before turning towards the group. "What are you here for, outsiders? And how did you get through our artillery strikes?" Tamia shrugs, "What can I say? We''re faster than we look." she says, not willing to explain the technology they used, after all, they may have to use it again in the future if shit hits the fan. "Bullshit!" Rambo spits from above them, "There''s no fuckin'' way in hell you guys managed to get through that!... Unless... You''re working with that shitty old man!" he accuses. Veronica scoffs, "No way! Once we get back I''m going to cut that bastard''s head off! He was dancing around to get us hit by one of your bombs, you wouldn''t have noticed us otherwise!" "See Rambo? Even these guys hate that dude." Kim says, her stance loosening up slightly. "So what do you want anyway?" Tamia steps forward slightly, her back straitening as she tries to look as ''official'' and authoritative as possible. "We represent Mr House, the owner of New Vegas and seek to open discussions about a potential alliance between your people and his." she explains. "Mr House?... Shouldn''t he be dead by now?" Rambo asks, but is ignored as Kim speaks. "I-er, this is kinda above us... Would you mind waiting here for a moment? I''ll go grab our leader." she says, going back up to the Watchtower and leaving her rocket launcher before running towards the buildings surrounding the hanger nearby. ... The trio just stands around silently as Rambo watches, his weapon never straying from pointing at them. "Isn''t your arm getting tired? That thing looks pretty heavy..." Veronica asks, smirking slightly at the slight tremble of the man''s arm. He scoffs, "Pfft, what, me? I''m a man so I can handle this much, you should watch yourselves instead, outsider." Veronica crosses her arms, "No wonder you can''t find a girlfriend." she states. "What? How do you-I mean, what do you know, I have a girlfriend... A couple actually!" "Tell me about them." Veronica continues. "Err, Kim! Kim is my girlfriend... Wait, why am I even talking to you!? Just shut up and stay put." he says pointedly. Veronica just shrugs and slowly nods, "Alright, alright... I''ll just have to ask Kim about it when she gets back." "Look, she''s my friend that''s a girl... Got it? Now stop distracting me!" Veronica just laughs, it''s pretty fun making a fool out of an isolationist with almost no experience. Eventually, Kim returns with an elderly woman, she has a rifle slung across her back, thin white hair, and a heavily wrinkled face. The woman walks past Kim as she stops a few meters from the fence and rests a hand on the wired fence. "What have we here?" Tamia smiles, "Hello Miss, I''m Tamia, this is Veronica, and that''s Anja." The older woman nods, "You can call me Pearl, I''m in charge around these parts... So, what brings you here?" "As I said earlier, we were hoping to discuss a potential alliance between New Vegas and your people. I was personally sent by Mr House to pursue this." Tamia explains yet again. Pearl looks thoughtful, pursing her lips while slowly nodding, "Hmm, I see... Alright, we can talk further inside... But first, I would like you to hand over all your weapons, and for you-" she gestures at Anja, "To take off your mask... We can''t talk in good faith if you can''t show your face." Anja looks between Veronica and Tamia hesitantly before nodding. Her outfits currently consists of Recon armour under a Deathclaw leather duster, with a hood and mask covering her face. She makes sure to show no visible skin as she''s aware Ghouls are almost universally disliked. She pulls down her hood, revealing her almost complete lack of hair and mangled skin before taking her mask off. There''s an audible gasp and gulp as the three Boomers finally see Anja. "Shit! They brought one of those zombies here!?" Rambo exclaims, his face one of utter disgust. Veronica scowls and steps in front of Anja protectively, "She''s not a zombie, Anja is just a lucky person who managed to survive intense radiation poisoning." "You''re lying! I must''ve shot hundreds of those things that were wandering in our territory! When they spot you they charge and try to eat you!" he continues as Pearl and Kim watch, neither seeming to want to intervene. "Those must have been Feral Ghouls, people who weren''t strong enough to retain their sanity as their bodies changed. Anja is different, she''s sentient... She''s a person like you or me, so don''t you dare threaten her!" Veronica rants. ... Pearl looks into Anja''s clear green eyes, "Are you truly in control, dear?" Anja nods with a sheepish look, "I am, Ma''am." Pearl gives a small, comforting smile in response, "Then who are we to judge you on your appearance alone. Your actions and intentions should speak for themselves, not the tragedies you''ve experienced." "But Pearl-" Rambo attempts to argue but receives a heavy glare from the elder woman. "This. is not up for debate, stay here and calm yourself." she states before looking back at the group, "Let''s talk in my office." Chapter 481 - Ingratiate. The group''s reception from the Boomers was lukewarm at best, with angry, suspicious, and even despairing looks thrown their way as they walked through the Airfield with Pearl. Of course, Anja attracted the most glares due to her rather unpleasant appearance. The Airfield itself was massive, and all the Boomer structures were spread around to an almost ridiculous degree... Quickly getting from one to the other in an emergency must feel like a Marathon...?? Eventually, they reach a relatively large cabin, they''re about to enter inside when they''re almost swarmed by children... A storm of questions was shot at them, some even playing pranks much to the group''s chagrin. Fortunately, one stern look from Pearl is enough to send them on their way. "Erm... They were, nice?" Veronica mutters as they step inside the cabin. "You can say that... They are much more impetuous than I remember previous generations being. Perhaps it''s the sun?" Pearl retorts as she slumps into a chair sat behind a large desk. "Youknow, I was thinking that the other day." Veronica nods sagely. "Alright, you lot pull up a chair, no point ''standing'' on ceremony." she chuckles. The group sit in front of Pearls desk as another woman greets them and offers them food and beverages... Apparently, they take treating guests properly seriously, which is pretty ironic considering how they ''greet'' everyone with heavy ordinance. Pearl clasps her hands as she sits straight, "So, Mr House wishes to ally with us... Why? You must already know that our relationship with other factions is more volatile than our explosives." she asks. Veronica shrugs, "Maybe if you stopped shooting those explosives on everyone you''d be better received." Pearl shakes her head, "We know better than to trust the honour and kindness of strangers. Even on our journey from the old Vault to here was fraught with peril. We lost half of our numbers from the expedition alone, more while trying to claim the airfield..." "What did you even do to offend the NCR? The Legion I get, but I don''t think the NCR would do anything unprovoked?" Tamia asks, curious. Pearl gives an almost bloodthirsty smile, "A while ago the NCR decided to shut off our water supplies, we receive all of our water from Lake Mead which meant we either act or die of dehydration... A couple days of shelling convinced them to see it our way." she explains. "And the Legion?" Veronica asks. "Idiots thought they could enslave us and take our weapons. Their arrogance outlasted their ability to scream for mercy." Pearl states with a scowl. "Now, I''d like to hear MR House''s reasons for wanting an alliance with us, I''m not so foolish to think that he simply wants ''good relations''." Tamia nods, "Well, I hope you don''t spread this information anyone, even if most already know it... Shit''s going to go down soon, and Mr House wants to take advantage of it, ridding the Mojave of both the NCR and the Legion. And before you say he''s mad, I''ve personally seen the forces he''d able to provide... They are scary, to say the least." she explains. Pearl rests her chin on her hand, "And he wishes our help in taking the Mojave?... Well, what''s in it for us? Outright declaring way on both NCR and Legion isn''t exactly a small thing." "You will continue to have full autonomy over your land, this will be protected by Mr House himself, and any who try to dispute this will face the full brunt of his forces. You will also receive aid in times of need, the ability to start trading, and any advancements in tech that occur under Mr House''s leadership." Tamia lists off, vaguely remembering House''s words. "Hmm." Pearl hums, looking deeply in thought, "That all seems wonderful, but it is not me you will be needing to convince. I may be the leader, but if the other''s don''t follow I can''t force them, even if I agree with you... How about this, you three will live amongst us and try to ingratiate yourself with my people, if you are well received then we can continue negotiations." she states. Tamia, Veronica, and Anja all glance at one another, wondering if this was a good idea, or even worth their time. "We need to discuss this amongst ourselves... Do you mind?" Tamia asks and Pearl shake her head gestures them to an empty room at the side, "Please." The group enter and Tamia looks at them, "Alright, I''ll just cut to the chase. Are either of you willing to actually stick around for however long it takes to convince them? We''ll still be in contact with Bulwark, but we need to limit how many times we come and go..." Veronica raises a brow, "Why?" "Because if we keep disappearing the Boomers will think that we''re up to something. The only reason we''re even here is because they failed to kill us once, I doubt it''d take much for them to try again." Veronica and Anja nod, "I guess you''re right... I''ll stick around, maybe they have some tech Afton doesn''t... Even if it''s incredibly unlikely." Anja nods, "I''ll stay, I want to help." "Alright." Tamia says, leaving the room and sitting back before Pearl. "I think it''s doable... As long as we can leave if an emergency springs up." Veronica nods, "And I want permission to go wring that old bastard''s neck. No one tries to kill us and gets away with it!..." she states, still holding a grudge for his attempted murder but realising something and sheepishly looks up at Pearl, "Aside from you guys..." "Very well..." she holds her hand out and the group each shake it, "Then we are in agreement. Come. I''ll show you to your quarters, I''ll introduce you to everyone afterwards." Chapter 482 - Chicken-Caesar It''s been two weeks since Tamia, Veronica, and Anja had left for the Boomers. Afton had been occasionally updated on the happenings, but aside from them helping out around the place and trying to befriend the populace, nothing of interest had really happened. He on the other hand had been very, very busy. From setting up Mexican-standoff-like negotiations with the Legion, to investigating places he reasoned House would be hiding more robots, and working on various projects with the Think Tank scientist, he''d almost not had any time to even sleep.?? Fortunately, the Legion was more interested in retrieving Caesar than getting revenge against him. he supposed their fear of further retaliation might have been a factor too. He''d had limited contact with Vulpes Inculta, a man whose skull he dearly wanted to crush, but they''d managed to come to some sort of agreement. In exchange for Caesar, the Legion would deliver two hundred slaves and an almost egregious amount of supplies. Afton had wanted to get more slaves instead of the supplies, but Glados reasoned that they didn''t have the ability to feed them all with their current crop yield. Afton was already feeding the entirety of Novac after all, so they''d need to quickly expand those operations before anything was properly self-sustainable. Afton was currently standing in what was left of Cottonwood Cove, this was the place the Legion wanted to meet, though, this was mainly due to the fact that there was nowhere else West of the Colorado that they could reach. The NCR had thoroughly blocked most pathways into Mojave, leaving the Legion with only one option... A full-frontal attack on Hoover Dam. Afton was wearing full Power armour and wielding his Anti-Material Rifle, it''s entire clip was composed of Explosive bullets, so he''d be more than ready to sink whatever attempts of betrayal the Legion might try. Caesar was standing a small distance behind him, he was surrounded by a relatively large group of Robo-Scorpions, Cyberdogs, and Protectrons. All of which were able to be directed by Glados should it be required. All in all, the forces Afton currently had on hand would be able to fend off a couple hundred Legionaries with ease, though, this all depended on the equipment they brought. He''d shown in the last battle that EMP''s didn''t ''work'' against him, so hopefully he wouldn''t need to repair his armour again. He turns and smiles at Caesar, "Bet you''re happy to finally leave the cells, right?" Caesar scowls, the man slowly regaining his previous confidence and arrogance due to how close he was to freedom. "Your treatment in my prisons will be hundreds of times more humiliating and painful. I promise you this, Parker." he spits. Afton nods with a smile, "I''ll be awaiting it then, try to be a bigger threat this time though, I''d hate for our games to end too quickly." he states, glancing over at the river where large rafts carrying many people could be seen. After a couple of minutes they dock at the unkept docks and shoreline, the sea of red walking upon the beach and slowly approaching Afton. Strangely, there was no hide nor hair of Vulpes Inculta, which is surprising since he''d thought receiving Caesar''s gratitude would be well worth the risk. Instead of Vulpes Inculta, a smug and arrogant-looking Centurion steps forth, "Ave Caesar!" the man salutes the rather ragged-looking Caesar, who attempts to stand straight in response. Though, due to the various ''operations'' performed by Dala, he wasn''t in the best state to do anything of the sort. Afton steps forwards, "Have you brought what I asked for?" The Centurion scowls but nods regardless, gesturing behind him at the many emaciated people who were pulling supplies onto the beach. "You will receive your slaves, but only after we recover Caesar." Afton chuckles, raises his fist and clenching it, causing a grinding-metal sound to ring out, "We will do this my way, or the ''hard'' way." The Centurion attempts to stay stoic at the threat, but the flickering of his eyes and increased breathing shows that he was definitely afraid. Afton lowers his fist and examines the slaves, noticing that a good portion of them were women, children, and heavily scarred men. This was as expected though, the Legion took this chance to get rid of some of their more unwelcome members. Criminals, rebellious slaves, and weak, parentless children. Most would consider this a loss, but Afton thought differently... He didn''t want Legion Slaves, he wanted ''Unwilling Slaves'', people who disagreed with the Legion and or sought freedom... That, and Criminals. Despite everything he''d had to do, and gladly done in the Wasteland, he still had a conscience. He couldn''t force himself to allow innocent people to be experimented on, meaning he had to find deserving targets. Ignoring his current feelings, he looks to the Centurion, "Vulpes too cowardly to come here himself? Che, where''s your ''Legion Honour'' now?" he mocks. "Vulpes Inculta is an outlier and does not represent the Legion. His cowardice today will be remembered, as will your fronts against us. Remember this, Parker, as it is the reason you''ll die gored on the horns of our empire." Afton chuckles, "We going with the ''bull'' shit now? Alright, I''ll take you, your friends, your family, and everyone else in your shitty, barbaric empire to the slaughterhouse. I''ll decorate my roads with your crucified bodies, letting the vultures pick you apart while my people watch as the Bull that is your people are slowly, painfully eaten." he states, taking a step forwards and standing menacingly over the Centurion. *Gulp* Afton just shakes his head at the fact the man can''t even respond, "Whatever, bring me the slaves and you can take your chicken-shit leader." After half an hour everything is finally moved onto the beach, with the many slaves standing around the supplies as if they were property themselves... Which they technically were. Afton makes sure to check them all over for any hidden bombs or any other devices that the Legion may have tried to slip in... Fortunately, they weren''t stupid enough to attempt it, leaving the people as safe as they can be. Once that was all done Afton just shoves Caesar towards the Centurion, "You guys better get the fuck outta here before I change my mind... Ah, before that... What''s your name, Centurion." he asks. The Centurion turns, "I am Augustus Aquarius, we will meet again in battle, and I will slay you!" he shouts before quickly leaving with the rest of their troops. Afton''s uproarious laughter sounding out behind them. Chapter 483 - Cancerous It isn''t long after Augustus and Caesar leave that Afton starts commanding the slaves and eventually teleporting them back to Big Mt. Of course, they wouldn''t all be integrated with the people already present as Afton didn''t want the Legion''s culture to start being adopted amongst his own people. So, first, he''d had Glados and her army of robots design a ''prison'', though, it acts more like a rehabilitation center, as well as a ''sorting'' center. He still needed to sort out the criminals from innocents, so the rehabilitation center would be doing that as well as trying to remove whatever idea the Legion had instilled.? ? Fortunately, there was a relatively easy way to go about this... The slaves could already pick out a few criminals who''d committed incredibly evil acts against them and others, so Afton would have Glados testing the ''Thought Implants'' on the first... Yeah, he wasn''t expecting them to survive either, which would alleviate some of the stress put on their supplies. After everyone is situated Afton quickly walks down to the cells to greet Dala and Glados who were presumably still working. He finds them in front of a cell and stops with a grin, "It worked flawlessly, no one has a clue." Glados''s orange eye brightens up slightly, "Did CERR01 act suitably? No malfunction, stutters, or mental defects?" Afton shakes his head, "None that I could see, it seems stable enough, but we''ll continue monitoring it while the operation continues." "Gratiae Dei, my head feels like it''s going to explode... What did you do to me?" an angry voice asks from the cell. Afton''s face breaks into a sadistic grin as he looks at the weak and emaciated man, "Did you think removing your tumour would be an easy affair, Caesar?" Caesar grumbles in response, and Afton continues, "Now that we''ve removed your tumour I hope you''ll be more willing to open up to us... We may not be friends, but you can trust us to follow through with our promises." Caesar rubs his head while squinting in pain, "I see..." he trails off ambiguously. Obviously, Afton wouldn''t tell the man that they hadn''t touched the tumour... The reason his head was hurting was due to the procedure they''d put him under that stole and made a copy of his mind and memories. Project CERR01 was the Think Tanks first attempt at a functional human clone, of course, they''d fitted the clone with every monitoring device that was and wasn''t in existence. They''d be able to observe the changes in its DNA, mind, actions, and even its intentions... Though, it was also important to mention they had a backdoor connection that would allow them to control it entirely. If Afton wanted to, he could probably start a full-scale war between the Legion and NCR right now. Making Caesar order the entirety of the Legions forces in and outside the Mojave to attack... But, he resisted the temptation, for now, acting too rashly after escaping Afton''s grasp would be too suspicious. Plus, he still wanted to find where he wanted to stand... Right now he was leaning towards House, but that was more because he hated the NCR and Legion than actually liking House. He thought the man''s capitalistic and authoritarian stance was the right idea, the Wasteland wasn''t like the old world, people needed a heavy hand otherwise they''d rebel and commit heinous acts like slavery, ****, and cannibalism... It''s just the way human''s act if they get the chance, the Wasteland provided such opportunities. There was also the fact Afton hated leading people, it was hard, annoying, and time-consuming... Even now he spent most of his time managing Big Mt and the people inside it, despite the fact he was delegating almost all of his jobs away. Obviously Glados and Nyx had helped immensely in this, but even they wouldn''t save him from mountains of paperwork if he personally controlled the Mojave. So, it was probably better to ally with someone who thought similarly to himself. He still needed to have a proper discussion with House, but they both knew Bulwark would be a boon to any organisation it allied with. There was also the fact Afton had a very close relationship with House''s top operative, Tamia, he honestly doubted House had any intention to fight or do anything of the sort to Bulwark. Still, this would all be decided in the future. Afton breaks out of his contemplation and gestures at Dala and Glados to follow him as he leaves Caesar''s cell and walks towards Scorpion-Man''s. "So, found anything interesting about our resident insect yet?" "The subject has shown incredible physical capabilities, though, I must add, not as impressive as your own." she trails off, his monitors lingering on his form for an uncomfortable moment. "*Cough* Continue, Dala." Afton says, trying her mind out of the gutter... Or ''Cum gutters'' as she''s proclaimed anytime he''s had his shirt off... "Yeesssss... All the subjects fluids and organism materials are radioactive, though, the intensity depends on the part... Dead skin is the lowest, and blood is the highest. Despite this, the subject shows no increased risk of cancer, radiation sickness, or other side effects." she explains. Afton raises a brow, that sounded somewhat similar to himself. Though his body cleansed the radiation after a while. The thing he was most interested in wasn''t the man''s ability to stick to walls, his psyker status, or his enhanced physical capabilities... It''s his seeming immunity to cancer and other mutations caused by radiation. If they found out a way to harness this, they could cure cancer outright, and perhaps even do something for Ghouls! It''d be a revolutionary discovery, one that all factions on the earth would fight for, one that would have to be kept secret no matter what. Afton slowly nods, "Have you discovered how he''s able to stick to walls?" he asks, honestly he hoped to god the Spider-man explanations were false... It was terrifying to contemplate having millions of tiny hands growing from your palms... Chapter 484 - Complex Hero Complex At Afton''s question Dala nods her monitors in affirmation, "Through extensive discussions with my colleagues, we''ve come to agree that the subjects ''stickability'' come from Van Der Waals forces. It is similar to how Gecko''s stick, but we still cannot understand how it supports the entirety of the subject''s weight..." Afton shrugs, "I wouldn''t be surprised if something supernatural were assisting him." he states, knowing full well that his system could also be identified as ''supernatural''.?? The trio stops talking as they finally reach Scorpion-Man''s cell, the young Latino adult sitting anxiously on the hard metal bed while slowly tapping his foot. He quickly notices the arrival of his ''hosts'' and jumps to his feet, rushing to the bars and snarling at them. "WHO ARE YOU!? WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN ME HERE!?" Afton gives a sigh and jabs a finger into the man''s forehead, causing them to stumble back in surprise while rubbing their new sore spot. "You need to calm down, if you want to act like a rabid beast then you''ll be treated so." he states, his brows scrunching slightly to show his displeasure. ... Scorpion-Man doesn''t say anything and Afton continues, gesturing at Dala and Glados, "These are my colleagues, Dr. Dala, and Glados. You will treat both with the respect they deserve or I will find interesting ways to punish you." he then points a thumb at himself, "I am Afton Parker, I''m sure you''ve heard of me, I have become quite famous after all." he states a small smile. "Y-yes, everyone in Freeside knows you, Butcher." the young man says before his expression hardens, "You say you fight for the innocent, but how do you know the many, many people you have killed are not?... In my eyes you are a hypocrite, my imprisonment only proves my point!" he accuses while jabbing a finger in Afton''s direction. Afton just raises a brow, "I never said I was a ''good'' or fair man, I just said I''d punish those who deserve it. A few innocent people get hurt, but casualties are inevitable." he shrugs lackadaisically, "Besides, your imprisonment wouldn''t exactly be an ''evil'' act..." he says ambiguously before shaking his head, "I doubt you knew, but your presence in Freeside has caused more damage than you realise." "What do you mean?" Scorpion-Man growls, wondering where Afton was going with this. Afton holds his hand out to no one in particular, "Dala, give me his results." The scientist nods and hands over a clipboard from her manipulator, Afton takes it and looks it over, lifting a few papers to find what he''s looking for before holding it up so Scorpion-Man could see it. "Your body and excretions are radioactive. Being around you is like having a Uranium rock in your pocket. Even now we have no idea how many people have been affected, and that''s not even starting on your excretions... Depending on where you do your business, that place could be a radioactive as a Nuclear bombsight." he states, shocking Scorpion-Man... Of course, Afton was being pretty hyperbolic here as Scorpion-Man isn''t as radioactive as his words would suggest... At most he''d only be affecting sexual partners due to his bodily fluids being involved... Though, if he ever attempted to donate blood there might be a serious problem in Freeside. His blood wouldn''t turn people into hulk, but they''d quickly start succumbing to radiation sickness, losing hair, skin melting off of them, organ failure, and of course, ghoulification. Still, it was in Afton, and Bulwark''s best interest to make Scorpion-Man as self-conscious as possible, only then could he take advantage of his vulnerable state and make use of him as a proper agent. Upon hearing this news Scorpion-Man quickly pales, he collapses and sits heavily on his bed while seemingly thinking about the people he''d affected. Afton''s guilty trip would work particularly well on him due to his ''heroic'' and ''selfless'' personality, something he''d learned from his last life''s comic-book villains. "I-... Is this real?" he asks with moist eyes, unable to come to terms with his new ''reality''. Afton gives a solemn nod, "I''m afraid so. For Freeside''s safety I had to isolate you. Your vigilantism may have been helping a few people, but the potential good it did wouldn''t make up for the pandemic you would unintentionally cause... I hope for everyone''s sake you never tried to donate blood, otherwise, Freeside is well and truly fucked." he explains. Scorpion-Man shakes his head, "N-no, thankfully I didn''t... I thought about it though, before I got these powers..." he looks down at his hands, "W-what will Freeside do without me stopping crime?" he asks. Afton snorts, "That''s pretty arrogant to think they need you... They were fine before Scorpion-Man, and they''ll be fine afterwards... Your vigilantism has caused a few problems though, but I doubt you ever took notice of it." "P-problems?" the young man asks, looking incredibly vulnerable in this moment. "You didn''t think the gangs and criminals in Freeside wouldn''t react to your presence? Of course not! Didn''t you notice how larger gangs were forming and becoming better armed? Your presence literally forced gangs to reconcile and work together to eliminate you. You more you took out, the more extreme their actions would be... A never-ending escalation of violence. This is only exacerbated by the fact you are reluctant to actually kill anyone... Where do you think the criminals go after they are arrested by the NCR and Kings? There are no prisons left in the Mojave!" he rants, each point making Scorpion-Man shrink into himself further. "I-I never thought about it..." he mutters but is cut off by Afton. "Never thought about it? Man, you really are clueless, aren''t you!? Even without the prisons, did you ever wonder why you kept seeing the same people? It''s because the gangs had people on the inside, what good do you do if the systems you support are corrupt?" "Well what else am I supposed to do!? I can''t do nothing! People were getting hurt and dying! The NCR and Kings were starting to fight each other again!... And it''s your fault! I heard what you did! Attacking that building of NCR civilians! You''re the villain here!" he exclaims. Afton chuckles, "Do you believe everything the NCR says? Why would I attack that building?" ... "They say you were working for the Legi-on..." he trails off, realising that Afton wasn''t exactly an ally of the Legion. Afton smirks, "Oh yes, my good friends the Legion! I''m such good friends with them I decided to invite Caesar to one of these cells for afternoon tea." he sarcastically retorts. Chapter 485 - Reclaimed Materials By this point, Scorpion-Man seemed extremely depressed... His attempts to shift blame onto Afton and avoid responsibility for his actions, both direct and indirect had failed. The Vigilante just slumped on his bed, resting his elbows on his knees as he gazed at the floor as if looking for answers. "So... What now?... Do I just stay here, forever?" Scorpion-Man asks, looking up pitifully at Afton, Dala, and Glados. "Will you have your robots dissect me...?"?? Afton shrugs, "Honestly, what happens now is up to you." he gives a grin, "We''ve already dealt with the background radiation you give off, so the only threat now is your excretions. Sweat, urine, saliva, and faeces are all still a risk to the public." "You did what?" Scorpion-Man asks in confusion. Afton nods, "While you were asleep we took some of your cells and created an antidote/mutative elixer. Of course, I doubt it would be possible to do the same for your bodily fluids... It''s an essential part of your physiology, and taking it away may just destroy you." he says, basically making all of this up. Scorpion-Man didn''t give produce more background radiation than a regular person, but he didn''t know that, allowing Afton to claim he did. "As for your options? Well, you have a number of them, though, I doubt you''ll like most... The first and most obvious is to join me and my organisation, Bulwark. We are probably one the most technologically advanced groups on earth, the only others that might match us are the Brotherhood and Enclave, both of which would execute you for being a mutant." Afton states before continuing, "Should you join us, you''ll be given a suitable place for you to stay, access to equipment and training most would be in awe at, and the ability to get multiple check-ups with our scientists and doctors." he explains, feeling slightly like an infomercial salesman. "But... I am still needed in Freeside..."Scorpion-Man mutters faintly. Afton scoffs, "Didn''t I just explain to you why that''s a bad idea?" "It isn''t for me, but for my brother... The Gangs tortured him to death because he couldn''t pay off his debt! He was made an example for others... I-I need to stop them!" Afton shakes his head, "If that''s your goal then you were going about it the wrong way... Instead of wandering around stopping crimes you should have been doing targeted assaults against the gang that killed your brother." he states. Scorpion-Man just sights and looks to the ground, "What are my other options?" Afton nods, "I could ship you back to Freeside. I''ve already faked your death however, so it would be a surprise to those who may have known you... Plus, I doubt you''d want to risk their health with your physiology. Another option is for me to just drop you off randomly in the Mojave... To keep people safe you''d basically have to become a hermit though... Honestly, your only real option is to stay here where we can manage your mutation properly." he shrugs. "This is not to say you''d be stuck here forever, we''d just train you up and try to solve the side effects of your abilities, afterwards you could go anywhere you wanted." he explains. Scorpion-Man slowly nods, "C-could I think about this?... I, I want to think about it before making a decision." Afton gives a shrug and nods, "Alright, just call out when you''ve come to a decision. No point waiting in a cell all day when we could be training and fixing you up." he states before leaving. Dala and Glados float beside him as he walks, "What delicious lies you told to the teddy bear..." Dala mutters huskily. "Indeed, you have put it in a no-win situation. Either it joins us, or puts others at risk. By my understanding of it''s psychology, there''s a 0.6% that it refuses your offer, Creator." Afton nods, "Of course, I wouldn''t spew bullshit for no reason. I gotta have at least some standards." Afton doesn''t immediately leave the labs after his meeting with Scorpion-Man, no, instead he walks towards the armour and weaponry decision. Mobius and Klein should be examining the new materials he''d managed to gather... He walks into the lab and spots the two scientists already scanning the Elite Riot Gear with every tool and technology they have available. The Elite Riot Gear in question is a large brown Duster reinforced with plating at the shoulders, elbows, knees, chest, and neck. The materials used are pretty primitive, but the helmet itself is what is most interesting, it contains large amounts of tech compacted and made very durable for this purpose only. Honestly, the only issue Afton could see with the armour is the fact it was designed for a woman... Yep, the NCR Elite Riot Gear they''d obtained from the Van Graffs belonged to a woman. This was the case with both sets they were given... It wasn''t all that bad as the only difference between the male version was the shape of it, larger hips, smaller waist, etc. Afton wasn''t actually sure what they could learn from the armour... Aside from integrating similar plating onto their Deathclaw leather dusters, and taking the tech from the helmet, there wasn''t much that they didn''t already have. The only armour Afton was interested in acquiring were the Chinese Stealth Armours... The Think Tank used to have some but they were all destroyed in the creation of the Stealth Suit that Nyx lives in. This is also the reason they couldn''t just make more Stealth Suits, as the materials that compose it were strange and unknown to them, most likely taken directly from some Chinese Stealth Suits... Afton was unsure where he''d acquire such armour though, perhaps he''d need to take a trip to China and see what''s happening over there... He hoped they''d all been annihilated by America''s nuclear bombs, but if not he''d probably have to clean the place up... He wasn''t going to allow communists to poison the world again. Chapter 486 - Legio Peccator Word of Caesar''s return had spread throughout the Legion, much to the Empire''s relief. Once it was known that he had been saved, all the Centurions, Legates, and other important individuals immediately leave their posts to go and meet their leader. Obviously, he did not return to the Fort, as that place was deemed unsafe and unsuitable for the Great Caesar, especially since he''d been captured from there in the first place... Instead, he was taken to an encampment miles west of the Colorado, and was heavily, heavily reinforced compared to the Fort.?? This was to make up for their failure at protecting Caesar last time from those despicable mercenaries now calling themselves ''Bulwark''... Caesar was currently sitting on a throne within a large war tent, Augustus was standing at his side as Legates and Centurions enter and kneel before him. The only people who weren''t present were the one''s in charge of taking care of the Empire, those like Legate Lanius. Caesar''s eyes linger on Vulpes Inculta as the man silently enters and kneels next to the others, "Vulpes, stand." he commands, a scowl on his face. Vulpes Inculta, knowing he was in trouble, stands and immediately starts speaking, hoping to alleviate some of Caesar''s anger, "It is a joy for us all that you have returned, my liege. It shames me that I was not able to save you sooner, the pain, humiliation, and torment those barbaric mercenaries put you through must have been terrible." he smiles graciously. Caesar scowls and slams his fist onto the armrest of his throne before pointing an accusatory finger at the man, "You simpering whelp, did you really think I''d believe such verbal diarrhoea!? You thought yourself above the task of retrieving me from our enemies, instead, sending Augustus Aquarius into what you assumed was a trap, endangering a valuable commander of the Legion all to save your own skin." he spits. "Great Caesar I never mean-" Vulpe starts but is cut off. "You will shut your filthy mouth while I am speaking, do you Understand!? The only reason I haven''t had you dragged outside, set alight and thrown into a canyon is because you still have your uses. Even with your numerous failures concerning your schemes and even my safety, you are still useful... Consider this your last chance, Vulpes, fail me one more time and I promise every inch of pain and agony I can grant unto you. Do you understand!?" Vulpes quickly nods and presses his forehead to the floor, feeling a sort of deja vu... Vulpes was honestly expecting two things from this meeting. Either he''s executed, or let off completely... This compromise surprised him somewhat. In recent months Caesar had become more passive and delegated much of his responsibilities. Less brutal in his punishments, now it seems his recent encounter with Afton Parker had put the fire back in him. Vulpes didn''t know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing... Caesar would now act like he used to, but that also put Vulpes at risk of an agonizing demise... He mentally shakes his head and returns to kneeling beside the others in the room. Caesar sits up straight and scours the crowd with his gaze, "Cicero Tullius, what changes have been made to make sure a disaster like what happened at the Fort does not happen again?" he asks and a man with a heavily scarred face stands. "We have ten thousand men in this encampment alone my liege, our defences are still being constructed, but the walls will be so thick that even a tank would not breach it at full speed. We have set up turrets at all entry points that will be permanently manned to prevent surprise attacks. Every person that enters and exits the encampment will have their identity checked, through tags, passcodes, and member lists." the man explains. Caesar slowly nods, "That will do, for now, concentrate on completing our defences... If we cannot protect ourselves from a small group''s assault then what chance do we have at taking the Mojave!?... Surge, militibus meis." he commands, and everyone stands to attention, "Take this as our second chance, if such events as happened recently occur again then our campaign is finished, along with our future. The future of you, your children, and your children''s children. All of our future''s hinge on your success, remember this when you start to falter." he states before waving them all off, "Nam Legion!" """"""Ad Caesarem!"""""" the crowd shouts in response before they all march out with a spring in their steps. Caesar slumps slightly and looks at Augustus who''s still standing at the side, "Do you believe our defences will be enough to fend off Afton Parker and his ''Bulwark?''" Augustus thinks for a moment before slowly shaking his head, "Those machines he had at his side during the trade looked more powerful than those I have seen before... He also seems able to reproduce that Power armour of his, which is the biggest threat to us currently... Given enough time, I believe he would be able to create an army more powerful than even the Brotherhood of Steel." he cautiously states, hoping to not offend Caesar. Caesar nods, "My thoughts exactly... We have enough men, but our equipment is lacking compared to him... Of course, our laws against technology do no help us in this regard, but we need something to combat him... Even if we triumph over the NCR, he will still be there, waiting in the Mojave for us." he says with a slight shiver. Augustus bites the inside of his cheek as he goes to speak, his words alone risking his health. "Then perhaps we should... Alter the law slightly, my liege? Our fights with the Brotherhood of Steel have left us with quite the arsenal, but all are forbidden from using it... Perhaps now is the time we create a ''special unit'' for just such an occasion?" ... Caesar is silent for a while, but eventually he slowly nods, "I think the situation demands something like this... Very well, Augustus, I put you in command of the Legio peccator, a unit given special permission to use advanced technology." he states. Augustus nods, "It would be an hour my liege." Chapter 487 - Bigger Guns After speaking briefly with the scientists about Bulwark''s new standard medium and light armour that''s in the works, he leaves and decides to check on things around Big Mountain. Karl was still spending quality time with his family, and Josie was slobbering all over the various technologies around the place... He even swore he saw her riding around on the back of a Robo-Scorpion the other day... Or maybe hallucinating...? The only thing that perturbed him slightly is the fact he hadn''t seen much of Boone... The man would always get up early in the morning, go somewhere, and then come back with dark circles around his eyes and smelling heavily of gunpowder.?? Obviously, he was at the firing range, but Afton wasn''t sure what brought on this new bout of determination and obsessive training... He shrugs to himself, perhaps it was time to find out what was bothering his companion. As he approaches the Firing Range he''d greeted by the sound of gunfire from various weapons. Inside he spots Boone standing where Tamia had been weeks ago, he was currently firing his Hunting Rifle at a target around 800 yards away. To most, this would be an incredibly difficult shot, but for Boone, it seemed relatively easy... Once he''d emptied his clip he drops the rifle and pulls out a .44 Revolver and continues firing at the same target. Most shots hit despite him now using a pistol, Afton knew how difficult such a shot was, especially since his Perception and Agility was so high. It was an almost superhuman feat, but Boone was doing it fairly easily... "Yo." Afton greets after the revolver clicks, indicating its lack of bullets. Boone glances over and nods at him, "Need somethin''?" Afton shakes his head, "Personally? No... You on the other hand have been training non-stop for weeks now... I''ll return the question, do you need something?" ... "No. I just need to be better than I am, faster, stronger, better." he states while reloading his weapons with such dexterity Afton wondered if he had the [Rapid Reload] Perk. "So something is bothering you." Afton challenges, wondering if Boone would be willing to talk about it... The man was a tough nut to crack, rarely showing emotion. To be honest, the only real smile he''d seen Boone give is at Karl''s survival, and while killing Legionaries. Boone halts halfway through reloading the Revolver before nodding, "It''s been a while since I was in the 1st Recon, I try not to think about it too much or the days sometimes slip by me... Manny either wasn''t bothered or drank enough that it didn''t matter, but I can''t forget the people we lost and the things we did... I want to say I''ve moved past it, but. What happened with Karl made me feel like I was straight back in Bittersprings." Afton raises a brow but doesn''t interrupt the man, allowing him to air his grievances. Boone finishing reloading his weapons and starts firing again, unloading all the bullets in his rifle before turning to Afton again, "I had a buddy called Isaac, funny guy, liked food despite the shit we had to eat in the unit, made it his duty to hunt animals to give the unit some variety, dreamt of buying a farm and living peacefully with a wife and family... He was my spotter before Manny." he releases a long sigh. "We were in a firefight for some reason I can''t remember... Bullets were so loud I could barely hear myself think, let alone Isaac spotting for me... Which is why I had no idea when some guys had snuck up on us and shot Isaac through the neck... I manage to deal with them while taking minimal injuries, but Isaac was fucked. I tried to save him but..." he trails off and shakes his head with a look of determination, "The shit that happened to Karl wouldn''t have happened if I was better. I''ll make sure it doesn''t happen again. Ever." he states. Afton slowly nods after listening to the story, he could understand Boone''s feelings... Kind of. He was sure the Sniper had some sort of PTSD, but that was common in the wasteland so no one really bothered to pay attention to it. "If you want to get stronger, I think practising something you''ve already mastered is rather inefficient... Why not try working gadgets into your abilities, if you had some Flashbangs you might''ve been able to blind those guys with Grenade Launcher for a moment." he says. ... Boone puts down his Hunting Rifle and nods, "I think... You may be right." he admits, having not seen any drastic improvements to his shooting for many years. "I''d also like you to get fitted with the weaponry we''ll be producing in the future... What would you say to testing a Railgun?" he asks. The project that he was speaking about was basically Bulwark''s take on the Brotherhood of Steel''s Gauss Rifles... Gauss Rifles were meant to be an ''All-Purpose'' weapon, thus they weren''t as powerful as they potentially could be. The Railgun Afton and the scientists were trying to create were significantly larger, with a much, much longer barrel so the projectile could pick up more speed. This weapon would be excellent for Boone as it''d essentially be a super sniper, putting even the Anti-Material rifle to shame. Boone slowly nods, "If it shoots well then sign me up." Afton grins, "Good. I''ll have the scientists get to work on supportive tools, though, that''ll have to wait until we get Karl''s prosthetics properly fixed up... I think he''ll like what we come up with." Boone raises a brow, "Guns?" Afton nods, "Big guns." Chapter 488 - Loyals Loyalty For Tamia and the gang in Nellis Airfield, time was quickly passing by. They''d been making good progress getting acquainted with the locals. Though, the jobs they did were incredibly diverse... From teaching children, to clearing out Giant Ant infested areas, to updating the Boomer''s maps to be accurate with the current climate. Veronica seemed to be enjoying herself, but Anja was looking a little exhausted. The fact they had to behave well at all moments as well as assisting the Boomers with anything they might need had the Ghoul and Tamia both exhausted.?? That said, they had met some good people while they were here... Raquel, the master-at-arms that controls the Boomers'' supplies and armaments. She''d been a bitch at first but had lightened up considerably once she''d gotten to know them... That said, the way she and Veronica flirted with one another was kinda weird. They''d insult one another until someone couldn''t think of a slur and then laugh about it afterwards... Very peculiar. Argyll, the doctor in charge of all the injured and overall health of the locals. He was an angel in dirty old-man form... Honestly, Tamia couldn''t remember someone as kind-hearted at this man, willing to risk his own health for the betterment of everyone else. Tamia wished she could have helped him herself, but luckily Veronica knew enough about medicine to assist in the strange sickness that''d slowly been spreading. Argyll''s face was kinda funny when we all realised the sickness was Scurvy, their limited diet and lack of vitamins having led to it. Loyal, the chief mechanic and certified ancient person. He''s a bit rough around the edges (Most likely due to his age), but he''s one of the most knowledgeable people Tamia knew, aside from Afton and his scientists of course. The man took pleasure in many things, from working on a difficult project to sitting down with the kids and telling stories of the Boomers'' history. Loyal is actually one of the people who didn''t immediately dislike the group on arrival, seemingly optimistic about receiving their help. Though, one thing Tamia found somewhat odd was the look he''d send the group occasionally, as if waiting for an opportunity to ask something. Last but certainly not least is Pearl, the kindly yet slightly sadistic leader of the Boomers'', the woman was friendly to everyone until someone stepped on her toes, then she''d turn into a demon on a warpath... Tamia shivers at the memory of the time some kids thought it would be funny to prank her, putting pins on Pearl''s chair... Yeah, none of the group dared to look the woman in the eye after that incident, and they''d only spotted the perpetrators a week afterwards... Seems as if she''d had them cleaning out the toilets with their bare hands every day since then. There were many other people Tamia had befriended too, but they were too numerous to mention. That said, the group''s effort in helping the Boomers'' had slowly brought about a change in their attitudes. Sure, they wouldn''t be welcoming any outsiders with open arms, but perhaps they''d be a little apprehensive about blowing them to smithereens. The artillery hadn''t had to be fired for a while, but Tamia put that to George''s decaying corpse lying just outside the Boomers'' territory, courtesy of Veronica. Tamia was just about to go visit Pearl to see if there was any work that needed doing when Loyal waved her over with a determined look on his face. "Hey Loyal what''s u-" "Pssch! Try be quiet now, I don''t want the others to be hearin'' this... You hear?" he quickly says, trying to quieten her. Tamia just raises a brow but nods regardless, "Err, sure?" she quietly says. Loyal gestures to the lawn chair next to his and leans forwards slightly, "You''ve been doin'' good work, and I can tell you that we''re all happen you''re here... But I think that it''s time I told you about... The Lady in the Water." he states ambiguously. ... "Lady in the water?" He frowns slightly, "Take that look off o'' your face, there ain''t nothin'' wrong with callin'' her that... There''s not!" ... Loyal shakes his head at her dull expression and continues, "A long, long time ago, before even the war that created this hellscape, a bomber had crash-landed not far from here... In Lake Mead specifically, hence the name Lady in the Lake." he states. "A bomber was a flying contraption that could drop bombs on anything it flew over, I want to try and raise the Lady in the Lake, just like how those old stories of Knight and Swords used to say." he says with a surprisingly giddy look on his face . "How did you even find out about this? You''re old, but not Pre-War old." she states with a smirk. "Laugh it up, because I certainly don''t feel any younger, and for you information, I read it on a newspaper... Anyway, I need your help in raising the Lady from the Lake. There''s no one else I can ask for this, I beg you." he pleads. "Why can''t someone else do it? It''s not like the Boomers are forbidden from leaving the airfield." she asks, not sure if the bomber was even there... Newspapers weren''t exactly the best source of accurate information. He shakes his head, "If I ask one person to do it, then everyone else will hear about it... You must''ve heard about the stories of our history, the legends of the Lady... One whiff of this and everyone will know. I know they are trustworthy, but the NCR and Legion are not, if they hear about it then they''ll steal the Lady!" "Err... I''m also an outsider you know." she points out. Loyal shakes his head and waves his arm, "In name only. You''ve proved yourself enough, which is why I''m even asking... You are one of the most competent people I know, more than any of us, which is why I trust you with this... With our dreams." he explains. ... Tamia nods, "I''ll do it, but I doubt I''m going to be able to drag a bomber out of the water with my bare hands..." she jokes, but is still unsure of how Loyal actually wants to go about it. Loyal shakes his head, "Don''t worry about that, I''ve already got it covered... You just gotta focus on finding, and getting it out." he stands, "Follow me, I''ll show you what I''ve got planned." he says, almost skipping towards the hanger containing their supplies. Tamia can only shake her head and laugh at the way he''s acting. She''s never seen a man as old as him so chipper and energetic... Aside from Mr House? Chapter 489 - Crossing The Barks Tamia is led into the hanger by Loyal as shown to a few strange devices, the old man quickly shuffles everyone else out as he gestures exaggeratedly at the small box-like devices. "See these? Their Ballasts, floating, deployable devices that''ll help actually get the Lady outta the water..." he says before tossing something else at her, "And that''s a rebreather, should let u stay underwater for around an hour." he explains. Tamia lifts one of the ballasts slightly and frowns at the weight... Despite being intended to float, they were significantly heavier than she''d expected. "Are you sure these''ll work? Aren''t bombers, like, incredibly heavy?"?? Loyal nods, "They are, but-" he kicks over a large container filled to the brim with ballasts, "We got enough of these things to float a building!" One hour later : Tamia, Veronica, and Anja were all carrying large backpacks filled with ballasts out of the Airfield. They were currently walking along the heavily cratered road, but their destination wasn''t Lake Mead, at least, not yet. First, they were going to head to the teleportation point they''d used to arrive here and report what was happening to Afton... Maybe he''d want to take a look at the bomber before the Boomers got it. They walk past the mangled corpse of George and eventually reach the point, Veronica using a small device which causes lightning to shoot from the sky and strike them, kicking up a cloud of dust and causing them to vanish. After returning the group ignores the large new facility they''d not seen before and heads to the Think Tank to find Afton. And, with the help of Glados, they find him in a Laboratory working with Mobius and Klein on his Power armour. The trio quickly notice the group and Klein scoffs indignantly, "IT''S JUST LIKE HIGHSCHOOL AGAIN! GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE, WE HAVE HOMEWORK TO DO!" he exclaims. Afton just shakes his head at the scientists and looks at the group imploringly, "Something up?" Tamia nods, "Er, yeah... We were about to raise a literal bomber out of Lake Mead and wanted to let you know about it..." she explains with a sheepish look. "A bomber?" Afton parrots, excitement briefly showing in his eyes before he recomposes himself, "No doubt this is for the Boomers then?" She nods again, "They''ve almost deified the thing and have told us to raise it out of the water with ballasts," she gestures at the large backpacks they were carrying, "They''re planning on taking it apart with robots and transporting it all back to their base while they fire artillery near the NCR as a distraction." she says. Afton rubs his chin at this, most planes hadn''t survived the initial nuclear bombs that started the Great War, and those that had were too irreparably damage to actually work, not to mention the lack of individuals who knew how to fly the things... Aeroplanes weren''t like Vertibirds, give someone a couple weeks training and ''wallah'' they''re able to fly a Vertibird, but for a plane, bomber, or jet? No chance, you''d have a better chance spontaneously exploding than actually getting the thing in the air, even if you did, you''d soon greet the floor very enthusiastically at match speed. That all said, if someone were to possess such a vehicle in the current day''s climate, they''d be an almost unstoppable force... What good would Power armour be against a bomber dropping payloads from a mile above you? None. Honestly, Afton was tempted to just steal the bomber for himself, but knew that''d likely make him and the trio hated by the Boomers. Plus the fact he had no idea how he''d transport it back to Big Mt, it wasn''t like the teleporters could transport something so large. Still, he wanted one. Afton glances at Klein and Mobius, "You guys wait here, I''ve got something to do." he states and gestures for the trio to follow him. He leaves the Think Tank and heads straight to X-8 where the Cyberdogs could be found. He gathers up a large group of the one''s designed by Glados for scouting, scanning, and other miscellaneous tasks. They number around thirty and should be enough to scan the bomber relatively quickly... Once done, they''d send the data back to the Think Tank so they could replicate the bomber. "Take these guys with you, they''ll scan the bomber once it''s out of the water, once they''re done they''ll teleport back... They''ll also assist you in combat should you need it." he states. Tamia nods, "Alright. Is that all?" Afton grins in affirmation, "Should be. You want me to tag along, or?" he asks. Tamia shakes her head, "I don''t think there''d be a point, plus you''re already pretty busy here..." Afton nods, "Alright, you guys better get to it before anyone notices you were gone... Remember to take the Cyberdogs." he says before returning to Klein and Mobius to further work on his Power armour. Tamia, Veronica, and Anja quickly head back to the Mojave with thirty Cyberdogs in toe. The teleporters work overtime to move everyone, but eventually, they get back and start heading towards Lake Mead... On the way they encounter a few obstacles, though, any potential raiders are easily scared off by the army of Cyberdogs. The same could not be said for a huge pack of Golden Gecko''s however. Fortunately, one Cyberdog''s sonic bark is enough to send a grown man flying... Times this by thirty and you have a rather explosive result. Any Gecko in the path of the projectile freezes, trembles, and explodes into a fountain of blood and gore. Tamia wondered what an army of one hundred Cyberdogs would be capable of... Due to the type of weapon it was, it''d most likely instantly kill anyone driving heavy vehicles, which meant that these Cyberdogs were literally the best anti-vehicle weapons in the Mojave, by a large margin actually. Chapter 490 - Cazadortious Soon enough the group gets close enough to spot Lake Mead, afterwards locating the dock where the bomber is supposedly near. Unfortunately for the group''s progress, there''s a large building beside the dock that''s absolutely covered in a come-like substance, indicating that some creatures had set up shop there... The group back away slightly as a larger than average Cazadore flies atop the building and starts cleaning it''s antenna. It hadn''t noticed them yet, but it would once the group got closer, Tamia wondered how many Cazadors were actually inside the structure...?? Tamia, Veronica, and Anja drop the bags of ballasts and ready their weapons as they slowly approach the building. The closer they get, the louder the faint buzzing becomes, causing the group''s skin to crawl at the sound. If there was one thing that the three had in common, it would be their hatred of bugs... Cazadors especially due to their sheer speed and incredibly deadly poison. Anja aims her silenced SMG at the Cazador atop the roof and fires a couple shots at it. The shots are relatively quiet, and the rest of the hive wouldn''t have heard it had a few stray bullets not hit the concrete wall of the building, making a large crashing sound. The only good side to this is the fact she managed to kill the Cazador, blasting the creature open with numerous holes that spewed out puss-like blood. The sound of buzzing abruptly increases as Cazadors, large and small, began pouring out of the building like a never-ending tide of nightmares. The group start firing with abandon, Tamia firing her revolver, Veronica firing her plasma pistol, and Anja continuing to fire her SMG. The many Cyberdogs at their sides launch sonic attacks as well, but the Cazadors are fast and smart enough to avoid most of that. The sonic blasts instead strike the building, blowing a large hole into the wall and causing the roof to collapse in on itself. Judging by the screeching, the collapse had killed a few Cazadors with it. Though, now with the larger hole, more Cazadors were able to climb out of the hive. Tamia had to dodge to the side as a Cazador flies straight at her with its poison stinger ready to strike, she manages to avoid it and a Cyberdog tears it out of the sky in response, but this attack signalled the start of a life and death fight. The Cyberdogs would be relatively fine if they were struck by a Cazador, but the group wouldn''t be so lucky... A couple stings and they''d be killed for sure, the poison these creatures produced wasn''t called the deadliest for no reason. Tamia holsters her revolver and draws her Ultra Chainsword, powering it on and grinning as the blade being oscillating like a chainsaw. She swings it at another Cazador and easily bisects it, it was as if she were cutting into butter with a knife as hot as the sun! "Remind me to kiss Afton for this thing!" she exclaims with a sadistic grin as she continues cutting down anything that approaches. Veronica herself was going to town punching Cazador''s like they were beachballs with her unique power fist, sending what amounted to timed insect bombs flying into their allies. The group fights like this for a couple minutes, occasionally having close calls with a Cazador''s stinger being stopped by their armour. Veronica even had a stinger still sticking out of her deathclaw duster. The trio takes a moment to catch their breaths while glaring down at the many Cazador corpses. "Should we loot the hive or just have the dogs collapse it?" Veronica mutters, more to herself than anything. Tamia nods, "I''m not going in there, so unless you want to try your luck we''re destroying it." she states. The trio nod in agreement and command the Cyberdogs to bark down the building until it collapses completely, hopefully destroying any Cazador eggs that may be inside. Afterwards they head to the docks and look over it into Lake Mead, taking a moment to admire what is essentially the life-blood of the Mojave. Lake Mead contains some of the cleanest water you''ll find in the wasteland, so it isn''t strange to see so many factions trying to claim it. If it weren''t for the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead would be the most highly sought resource instead. "So, er... Any idea''s on where to start?" Tamia asks, pulling out the rebreather Loyal had given her. Veronica shrugs, "The news article said it should be close to this side of the lake, so swim around the deepest parts to make sure you don''t miss anything... Also, there might be some creatures swimming around here, I''d recommend you don''t take that thing unless Afton told you it was safe." she says, gesturing at the Ultra Chainsword. ... Tamia glares down at it, "Hmm... Afton didn''t say anything about using it underwater... But I have a sneaking suspicion it wouldn''t be good." she says with a sigh, handing the weapon to Veronica before drawing a knife from her boot. "Um, can''t the Cyberdogs go with her?" Anja asks, not wanting to send Tamia into the lake that''s probably filled with creatures. Veronica shakes her head, "You seen dogs swim? Well imagine a dog trying to swim with metal plates welded to it... They can swim, but barely." she explains. "Don''t worry about it, I''ll be in and out fairly quick. Just keep an eye on the surface and shoot anything that looks like it wants to eat me... Cool?" "Cool." Veronica gives a thumbs up. Tamia nods, "Alright, all be coming back here to collect the rest of the ballasts occasionally, so just chuck them in when I''m near." she says before taking off the majority of her clothing. Trying to swim with a heavy duster or combat armour seemed like a sure-fire way to drown, even with the rebreather. Plus, manoeuvrability underwater was probably king anyway. Tamia hefts the backpack of ballasts and nods at them, walking over the end of the dock in her underwear and putting in her rebreather before jumping in, leaving the duo and the thirty Cyberdogs watching as she swims away. Chapter 491 - Lurking In The Lake... Inside the lake, Tamia could barely see anything... Perhaps she should''ve had Afton make her some goggles? Regardless, she could kind of make out some shapes underwater, which would help in actually finding the bomber. The only plus to this was the cold, refreshing water surrounding her. It isn''t often you can escape the hot Mojave climate, nor did most people in the Mojave even know how to swim. She slowly drifts down to the bottom of the lake, allowing the weight of the ballasts she was carrying to move her deeper.?? She swims around the bottom of the lake for a minute or so until she eventually finds the large, dark shape that resembled an aeroplane she''d seen depicted in past records and photos... She swims up and starts sticking the magnetic sides of the ballasts to the bomber according to how Loyal had explained. She needed to make sure nothing was misplaced, otherwise the bomber would simply break up and sink to the bottom of the lake in many pieces, something that''d be incredibly difficult to fix. She quickly places all the ballasts from the first bag and heads back, collecting the 2nd and doing the same with that. However, once she returns to the bomber with the third and final bag, she makes a mistake... She was underneath the bomber and carefully pushing off of the floor to properly attach the ballast when she feels something crush underfoot... She looks down and spots a heavily damaged egg that''s leaking all of its insides into the lake... "Shit." her muffled curse can be heard through her rebreather. She had no idea what creature the egg belonged to, but whatever it was, it''d most certainly be pissed. *SHOOK!* Something quickly passes by her position, disturbing the surrounding water but not allowing her to get a glimpse of it. She readies her boot knife in response but knows that most creatures wouldn''t even flinch at being stabbed with it... *SHOOOK!* Again, Tamia spins around, but still only barely spots some kind of blue-green foot that disappears into the distance... *SHOOK!* Ready for it this time, she spins and intercepts the creature as it attempts to claw her, unfortunately, her knife simply slides off of its slimy skin, the tip barely penetrating. It''s claw springs out and lightly stabs into her shoulder, drawing blood. She holds in her pained groan, not wanting to accidentally spit out her rebreather and doom herself. She glares at it , now able to identify her attacker. It was a 7ft humanoid with slimy blue-green skin, a scary bald head with glowing red-orange eyes, and menacing claws attached to each arm. Honestly, this was her first time running into a Lakelurk, but all that meant was she was inexperienced in dealing with it. All she had were a few anecdotes from soldiers who''d fought them on land in the past... Unfortunately, everyone who''d tried to fight one underwater never returned. Most likely having been eaten. The Lakelurk viciously glares at Tamia, the scent of its destroyed egg still heavy in the water as its lifeforce bleeds out. This is where Tamia made her first mistake, in forgetting that a Lakelurk''s claws were its secondary weapon... The Lakelurk opens its mouth and lets out a screech that only seems to be amplified by being underwater, *SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!* Tamia struggles to not spit out her rebreather as the sonic attack hits her, almost bursting her eardrums entirely as she holds her head in an attempt to stifle the attack at least slightly. While she''s disorientated, the Lakelurk thrusts itself forwards, stabbing a claw into Tamia''s stomach. Tamia, having just been stabbed, spits out her rebreather in response but instinctively lashes out with her knife, managing to stab it in the eye, causing it to retreat momentarily. She looks down at her wound that''s heavily bleeding but ignores it to find her rebreather... She finds it nearby floating towards the surface and quickly grabs it, all the while pulling a stimpack from the pouch she''d brought. She stabs it into herself which allows the body to quickly seal the wound via a burst of platelets, but the threat of the Lakelurk is still around... She looks to the surface, wondering if fighting it there would be easier but quickly ignores this thought, the surface would probably be more dangerous than where she was now... *SHOOK!* Tamia scowls as readies the knife again, this time prepared for a potential sonic attack... *SHOOOK!* She quickly turns and intercepts the claw strike, barely dodging it but not managing to cut into its annoyingly resistant skin. It tries to bite down on her neck but she kicks her legs, forcing herself backwards... The creature follows though, clamping its jaws onto her shoulder and tearing a good chunk of flesh out. Tamia gives a muffled roar through her rebreather and furiously stabs at it in retaliation, but the restrictive water and skin of the creature would basically nullify any damage she might do. ''Fuck!'' she thinks to herself, she''s literally being eaten alive down here and has no chance of escape... If she tried to swim away the thing would claw the fuck outta her... The Lakelurk swims away after getting some meat, but it''d be back very soon for another bite... Tamia quickly looks around the area for something that might save her, when her eyes lock onto the last ballast she had to place... Her pained expression becomes one of determination as she picks up the ballast and approaches the bomber... She doesn''t place it however, instead, waiting for the Lakelurk to approach again... *SHOOK!* She has her back to the metal chassis of the bomber and can see the creature approaching, once it''s near enough she avoids a stabbing claw by kicking off of the bomber, positioning herself so the bomber is behind the Lakelurk before thrusting the ballast into it... Its strength is incredible, but it isn''t just Tamia working against the creature... The magnet of the ballast was pushing towards the bomber! Chapter 492 - Watch The Fireworks With a final muffled shout, Tamia manages to push the Lakelurk against the bomber, the ballast''s magnet gaining strength and digging into its chest, keeping the creature stuck to the bomber. The Lakelurk attempts a sonic scream but is unable to due to the sheer pressure being applied to its chest. It tries to shuffle the magnet off of itself but is unable to, simply being trapped here. Tamia sends one final scowl at it before quickly swimming to the surface, her shoulder was still heavily bleeding, so she needed to get it looked at before anything else. Veronica and Anja spot Tamia''s bloodied and tired state and quickly pull her to shore, Veronica looking over her injuries and doing her best to patch her up.?? After a rather gratuitous amount of wound-cleaning and bandaging, Veronica finally decides to approach the elephant in the room, "What did that to you?" she asks, not all that knowledgable about what creatures the lake held. "Lakelurk, I accidentally broke an egg in its nest. You saw the result." she simply states. "And you managed to kill one of those with a knife?" Veronica asks in disbelief, most ''high-level'' creatures in the wasteland were very resistant to most weapons. With unnaturally thick skin, scales, regenerative properties, and other defensive abilities. Tamia shakes her head, "Use the detonator and you''ll find out." she says with a small grin. Veronica and Anja look at one another before shrugging, the former pulling out the detonator Loyal had given them and activating it. *PUUSCH!* Small spouts of water spurt from the water due to the sudden decompression of the ballasts, and not long after it looks as if a sea monster''s about to burst out... The huge pre-war bomber quickly appears from beneath the water, slowly bobbing along the surface, revealing all the barnacles, rust, and other damage it''d accumulated over its centuries underwater. However, the most interesting add on would be the Lakelurk somehow stuck to the top of it, magnetically trapped by the now expanded ballast. Veronica glances towards Tamia and spots her smug look of satisfaction, "So, had to improvise, huh?" "I can''t tell if you''re taking the piss or actually asking," mutters before shrugging, "I almost died, you gotta do what you gotta do." she explains. "I''m just saying, without that ballast the bomber might''ve fallen apart... But I guess trading the bomber for your life is a good trade..." she then looks to the thirty Cyberdogs standing on the dock, "What now?" Tamia shrugs again, "Afton said they''d scan it once it''s out of the water, how they''ll do that I-" she interrupted as the Cyberdogs all launch themselves into the lake, doing a rather poor doggy paddle as they swim towards the bomber. "Ah..." "You sure there''re no other Lakelurks around? Cuz I''m not gonna be the one to tell Afton that we lost one of his pets." Veronica states.. Tamia shakes her head, "If there was I wouldn''t be here." pointing her thumb at her heavily bandaged shoulder and stomach wound. The trio watch as the Cyberdogs reach the bomber and begin to climb up onto it with their metal paws. Some cut their way inside the plane while others just wait on the outside. Of course, they easily tear apart the trapped Lakelurk while they''re there, and Tamia takes an almost sadistic amount of satisfaction at it being eaten alive. Once each of them is in position, they lie down and seemingly go to sleep. Unbeknownst to everyone watching, devices placed inside the Cyberdogs by Glados was working overtime to scan the entire bomber. The bomber itself wasn''t all that complicated, at least, not compared to what the Think Tank was working with. The only reason they actually needed to scan the bomber in the first place was to examine the gyroscopic instruments and other essential components needed for planes to properly fly. Sure, Afton could have had the scientists working on rediscovering such systems, but it was far too time-intensive to ignore the other projects for... At least this way, he''d be able to get started on creating a vehicle for Bulwark to be known for. Though, Afton kept thinking whether or not stealing the bomber and repairing it with [Mechanicus] would be worth making enemies of the Boomers and potentially Mr House. The Cyberdogs continuing scanning and relaying information about the bomber to the Think Tank for a couple hours. Once everything was done, they hopped back into the water and swam towards the trio on the shore. "Alright, that''s done I guess... We better tell Loyal to start transporting the bomber back." she states, taking the radio Veronica was holding and relaying to Loyal their success. Of course, the man almost blew a hip jumping up and down in joy like a schoolboy. "HAHAAAA! I knew you could do it! Damn those prudes who thought you''d betray us! Hahaa!" Loyal happily exclaims over the radio, all the while commanding his robots to head to Lake Mead, take apart the bomber and transport it. Tamia grins at the others as they clearly hear Loyal over the radio, "Yeah, yeah, we''ll be headed back now. Are you going to start ''distracting'' the NCR yet?" "It''s already happening... If you look up in a couple seco-" *DukDuk, DukDuk, DukDuk!!* Missiles launch into the sky from roughly where the Boomers are located, leaving trails of smoke as they split off and approach the outskirts of Camp McCarren and Camp Guardian that was located north of Lake Mead. Obviously, the missiles dropped out of the sky a bit before they struck their targets, but it was enough for anyone to shit themselves at. Seeing a dozen powerful missiles flying towards you wasn''t exactly a common thing in the wasteland. But the Boomers were certainly capable of it, even if they were some of their more rare resources. The missiles strike the ground a good distance from their targets, causing huge explosions which kicks up large plumes of dust and sand. It''s nowhere near as powerful as a mini-nuke, but it''s enough to scare even larger factions. "Yeah, I see them... We''re headed back, see you soon, Loyal." Tamia says over the radio before turning it off. "To think he''d congratulate us with some fireworks." Veronica jokes from the side. Chapter 493 - Easy Levelling And Sex On The Beach... While Tamia and the Cyberdogs were retrieving the bomber schematics, Afton was relaxing by the poolside with a ''Sex on the beach'' cocktail. His server was that annoying Psyker called Shani who''s apparently able to see the future... That, or she just has a vivid imagination. "Hey, heads or tails?" he suddenly asks the girl out of nowhere. "E-excuse me?" Shani stutters out, taken off guard at being asked something.?? "I''m going to flip a coin, is it gonna be heads or tails?" he asks again. "Eeer, heads?" she guesses, not looking confident at all. Afton just lightly shakes his head, flicking the coin up high before drawing his weapon and shooting a large hole into it. The coin flies off into the distance with a new hole as Afton turns to Shani, "Your talent didn''t see that coming, did it?" he asks. Shani continues looking into the distance where the coin had flown for a minute before composing herself and shaking her head, "N-no sir..." Afton nods and is about to lie down and take another sip of his drink when a notification appears in his peripheral. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 52!!] ... Had he done something to achieve that?... He wants to ask Glados but realises that time was stopped, so he''d have to try afterwards... [Points : 1] [Stats] [Perks] [Mutations] Afton decides to check the Perks this time... While he was sure he''d take another mutation involving his plant arm, taking a look wouldn''t be a bad idea. He opens the Perk page and is immediately blinded by the thousands of Perks available to him... These weren''t apparently restricted by level or what the Fallout games had, no, these included and improved anything he''d ever done, achieved, or had experience in. A few that had caught his interest were; [SwordMaster] : Boosts damage dealt with swords by 200% and increases attack speed by 100%. Afton was curious at how many Perks he could take that simply upgraded his swordsmanship... Though, his plans for the future would be better off adopting a ''whip skill''. [Perceptive Intuition] : Ability to detect invisible things around you, also allows user to sense when they are being watched. This Perk essentially gives you the superhuman ability to sense someone''s gaze on you, which is pretty broken in Afton''s honest opinion, and that''s not even including the invisibility detection. [Grit your teeth] : User can work through pain with ease, enduring agonizing pain while maintaining combat effectiveness and even retaining steady hands throughout. While Afton was already pretty good at handling pain, the ability to retain steady hands through it would be a great boon to anyone, though, this was especially effective on him considering his regenerative abilities. [Puppeteer] : Ability to project your voice elsewhere. Afton had no idea just how much this Perk included... Could he throw his voice to the Think Tank from Primm? Or was it just limited to a single building? He supposed he wouldn''t know until he bought it, something he was reluctant to spend points to test. [One of Us!] : While your mutations have alienated you from regular folk, Mutants are more than willing to take you in as their own. +200% reputation gain with Mutants of any kind (Supermutants, Ghouls, etc). The reason why Afton was interested in this Perk is because almost everything in the wasteland could be considered a mutant. A guy with three ears? Mutant, A Deathclaw? Abomination and Mutant. A Psyker?... Now, that was the question... Getting a huge reputation boost with any Psyker would be an incredible ability. Psyker''s were rare but invaluable resources to anyone who had them... Even someone with a relatively tame mutation like Scorpion-Man had been man-handling the gangs and thugs in Freeside. He didn''t even have training! Consider that! And that''s not even speaking of the other powers Psyker''s might possess... If Shani could see into the future, there might be the Magneto of Psykers somewhere... Regardless, none of the Perks he''d looked through seemed good enough to stray from his current plan for mutations. So, he looks back at the mutations and selects; [Beauveria mordicana flagellum] : Enables user''s arm to extend, stretch, and flex. His current arm''s ability to change shape was limited by its mass, forcing him to shift material from other parts if he wanted to make it longer, thicker, or denser. This mutation would solve that, stretching and flexing were good, but the keyword was ''extend'', as since it was differentiated from ''stretching'' it essentially meant adding extra mass... Of course, he needed two more Perks to achieve what he really wanted, but his current two mutations were good enough for use as of now. So, without waiting another moment, he takes the Mutations and watches as time resumes. Once it does he looks down at his peculiarly coloured plant arm and begins testing it out. First things first, testing mass manipulation. He doesn''t do much, simply making his arm slightly bulkier than it was before, afterwards pulling his fingers to see how far they could stretch individually... By the end of it he looked like a particularly creepy Aye-Aye. Seeing no real limits to his current testing, he stretches his arm out ten feet away, letting it hang over the pool with ease while the other maids watch... Shani herself was watching with shock and not a small amount of horror. After holding it out for a while Afton pulls his arm back in, he''d need to test this further as ten feet didn''t even feel close to the limit. He lays back onto his chair and looks up at the sky while asking thin-air "Glados, are there any combat operations happening at this moment?" A panel in the floor opens up and allows a small drone with an orange eye to appear, "There are two combat operations in progress, creator. The first is one of our Cyberdog patrols that ran into a migrating group of tunnellers, the second is the group under officer: Tamia, who led a group of specialist Cyberdogs into a nest of Cazadors." the AI states. Chapter 494 - Long Grip Afton raises a brow at Glados, "The Tunnellers are that close?" he asks, not having expected them to get that far. "Correct, but your assumption is not. The organism designated: Tunnelers, primarily travel via an extensive tunnel system, Dr. Borous has been studying a few samples and organisms, and has found that the hives they live within have strict hierarchies, meaning these are likely an exiled group." Glados explains.?? Afton slowly nods, "So we don''t have to worry about an imminent attack? Cool... Are the Cyberdogs winning?" he asks. "The Cyberdog units have an overwhelming numerical advantage, as well as a tactical one. Unit designated: Gabe, is the one currently leading the patrol." Afton snorts to himself, "The Tunnelers tried to fight the patrol while Gabe was around? What, are they stupid or something?" "Negative. The most likely explanation is that their poor eyesight allowed them to mistake Gabe as a weaker animal, such as a Bighorner." "Well, they deserve to get their shit rocked then... How''re Tamia, Veronica, and Anja doing?" he asks while resting his cocktail on top of the drone for a laugh, of course, Shani pales at this but is ignored by both man and AI. "I am currently receiving the schematics for the Pre-war bomber, most is too heavily damaged to be legible, but perhaps the Brain-Bag''s can piece something together..." Afton nods, "Good." before lounging back into his chair and enjoying the sunshine... Though, Glados'' drone hadn''t left yet, meaning there was something else she needed to address... He flips his sunglasses up and glances at her, "Something wrong?... Have the Thought Implants been tested yet?" "Indeed, but their results have been ''mind-numbing... In the sense that every subject''s head has exploded. Rather I felt it important to update you on a different developing situation, the Think Tank has been receiving transmissions from somewhere you would be particularly interested in... A place called the Sierra Madre." Afton, upon hearing this spits out his drink while Shani squeaks and slowly retreats upon hearing ''Thought Implants''. She''s either ignored or not noticed however, allowing her to slip away back to the dorms. "You''ve found Christine!?" he exclaims, "Well? Where is it? I''m gonna go down there and kick the shit outta Elijah and bring Christine back in one go!" "I advise you not to do that, Creator." Glados states, causing a shiver to run up his spine. He remembers the phrase ''I can''t let you do that'' from another AI... "Why not?" he asks simply, his tone demanding an explanation. "Because, by my calculations, the signal itself seems to be a trap. It is being projected from the Mojave, but its source is elsewhere. I advise you send a robot instead, to spring the trap and not risk yourself." Glados explains, allowing Afton to relax and not worry about a potential ''Skynet'' situation. Afton nods, "Alright... Send a scout to check out the signal, update me immediately if you find something. "Affirmative." the AI confirms before leaving the same way the drone entered. Afton releases a sigh and slumps into the chair, wondering where his maid had gotten off to... "*Bzztch!* Afton, an NCR messenger has arrived at Novac''s gates... They''re requesting you, what do you want us to do?*Bzztch*" Daisy''s voice comes through the Pipboy on his arm. He scowls and throws his half-drunk cocktail at a nearby wall which shatters the glass before picking up the radio. "Can I not get five minutes to myself, god damn!" "*Bzztch!* I can send them away if you like, it''s not as if you need to be here to hear the message... But they seem rather insistent on it.*Bzztch*" Daisy explains. He releases a long sigh, "No... I''ll be there in like, five to ten minutes." he states as he gets up, he''s currently dressed in swimming trunks and a Hawaiian shirt, not exactly formal attire, but Afton''s too tired to care at this point... Though, he does make sure to bring his Fallen Ranger Sequoia just in case. Four minutes later a lightning bolt strikes the teleportation point at Novac, allowing Afton to job over to the wall still in his ''beach attire''. He''s sent weird looks by the residents of Novac, but he ignores them and gets to his destination. On the wall he finds Daisy standing with crossed arms with another man he wasn''t familiar with. "Afton, you''re here..." she states before jumping slightly and gesturing at the man in lab coat, "This is my... Friend, Arcade Gannon." she explains. Afton raises a brow but shakes the man''s hand regardless, the man becoming confused at Afton''s uncovered plant arm. "Er, nice to meet you, Arcade." The man nods, "Likewise, nice to finally meet the man who''s technically employing me." he adds with a smile. "I''m employing you?... Oh, the Doctor Tamia brought over?" Afton asks. Arcade nods, "The very same, I have to thank you for allowing my research to continue, without your help I would have never discovered the laxative properties of fermented barrel cactus." ... "Ok?" Afton offers, not knowing whether he should be angry about unknowingly funding literal ''shit'' research. Arcade shakes his head, "Don''t look at me like that, despite its somewhat humourous name, laxatives save lives. Never know when an idiot will shove something poisonous down their gullets that need to be removed." he explains. Afton shrugs, "I''ll take your word on it, er, keep up the good work..." he says before turning to Daisy, "Where''s this ''messanger'' then?" Daisy gestures over the wall at the single, plain-looking man who''s sitting under the shade of the wall. "Oi! This ain''t spa! If you''re gonna use my shadows you better pay for it!" Afton sarcastically shouts down, surprising the man who seemed to have been dozing off. "My apologies! Ah, you''re Afton Parker!? I come with a message!... If you would allow me up to hand it to you-" he''s cut off as Afton''s arm literally stretches to him and snatches the letter out of his hand, shocking the man and a few of the people on the wall itself. "Thanks! Now bugger off before I set the turrets on you!" Afton says before looking down at the letter, ignoring the disbelieving looks of those around him. Chapter 495 - Letterus Begin? Afton looks over the letter, noticing the various stamps printed on it. Most look official, especially the one of the two-headed bear... He opens it and pulls out the paperwork, beginning to read the message inside. Almost immediately, Afton palms his face at what he''s reading... Daisy becomes curious and leans over to read with him, "Hmm, that''s odd..." she mutters.?? Afton nods, "Yeah, really odd." he retorts. The letter is essentially an invitation to start peace talks with the NCR, they''ve even picked out a ''neutral'' area where this can occur without either party having time to scheme. It''s set in a week from now... "Are you going to attend?" Daisy asks. Afton shrugs, "I don''t know about you, but this seems like a trap..." Daisy nods, "Those star-spangled bears are too arrogant for this to be serious. But, if it is real we could get them off our backs for a while." she states. "Who sent the letter, if I can ask?" Arcade asks with crossed arms at the side. Afton glances at the letter again, "Ambassador Crocker? Does he even have the power to do something like this?" he mutters to himself. He hadn''t personally met the man, but from what Boone had said about him, he seems pretty honest and hardworking, at least compared to the other bureaucrats... Arcade shrugs, "No idea, I''m not all that interested in military ranks and such, but I think he''s trustworthy... His work in Freeside, while not perfect, has helped a lot of people. And just think about it, a chance to set aside your war with them temporarily so both sides can concentrate on eradicating the Legion." Afton clicks his tongue, "I don''t know... I think we''ll end up fighting the NCR no matter what. Plus, making a temporary peace agreement with them would only allow them to target other vulnerable factions." Arcade raises a brow, "Like what? The only other factions are raiders, cannibals, and slavers..." he asks in confusion. Afton shakes his head, "You''re forgetting about where I came from... The Brotherhood will be targeted, without me causing trouble the NCR will apply full force against them." ... Arcade looks like he wants to say something but is stopped by Daisy as she rests her hand on his shoulder, "Leave it, let Afton decide this alone, neither of us are really in a position to object anyway." she states, "I''m going to get back to work, decide what you wish." she says before leaving. Arcade himself gives a brief nod before exiting as well, leaving Afton alone to decide his plan of action. With that, Afton departs from Novac after checking the place to make sure supplies, defences, and other essentials are all properly maintained. Once he''s back at Big Mt he begins thinking about whether or not actually going to Primm is a good idea. Due to it being for a peace agreement, he would only be allowed to bring two bodyguards. And it didn''t have to be said to not bring Power armour. Though, the NCR did make sure to write that rule down in bold font. Clearly, they either wanted him to show his sincerity, or they wanted him defenceless so they could attack without having to deal with his Power armour. Strangely, they didn''t have any rules to prevent bodyguards from wearing Power armour, meaning that they''d somehow requisitioned some, or really did want to have peace between their respective factions. It was also said that the people of Primm would be the ones setting up the entire ''event'', with neither faction having anything to do with it. This would allow things to be as impartial as possible. Of course, Afton doubted this and would bet a significant amount of caps that they''d have spies scheming in the background, but that would be the case for most big factions anyway. "Fuck it, I''ll go, but I won''t expect anything but a fight..." he mutters to himself. If the NCR really did use this opportunity to attack him, it''d be a massive win for his publicity. His factions current stance, even if they didn''t state it, was that the NCR, Legion, and Brotherhood of Steel did not hold the peoples best interests at heart, and would use any means necessary to prop up their corrupt, barbaric, foolish ideologies. If the NCR was seen breaking a peace agreement by an entire town like Primm, there was no way they''d be able to hide it. Even mentally deficient people would be able to realise that the NCR weren''t as honourable as they usually purported to be... This news might even make NCR troops themselves start to lose trust in the country they served. Well, that, and hoping that the potential war crime they were about to commit would make his own NCR sympathiser companions more willing to go against them... At least he had a week to help fix the EMP vulnerability in their Power armour. He''d have Veronica accompany him, so making sure she wasn''t at risk was a top priority... Still, he wasn''t sure who his second would be. He couldn''t bring Tamia as she was technically affiliated with Mr House, and anything that went wrong there could possibly force New Vegas into a war. This would be a catastrophe considering that the NCR had a firm foothold in the strip, Freeside and outskirts of New Vegas in Camp McCarren. Bringing Anja might be a good political statement, but she was more suited to infiltration and other stealthy missions than to that of a bodyguard. She didn''t know how to operate Power armour, and he doubted a couple weeks of training would get her up to the skill he''d wish. The same could be said for his other companions however, none knew how to operate Power armour, making training them a top priority... He''d need to get on that eventually, but first, he''d actually need to make a couple more suits of armour. "Urrrrghhhh! There''s so much that needs to be done!" he complains to himself, with the only other person aware of his self-pity being Glados who just watches with a slight degree of amusement. Chapter 496 - Completely Bombed It''s been a day since Loyal''s robots had taken apart the bomber and shipped it all back to the airfield. The attitude of the people towards outsiders had undergone a massive change once the bomber parts were spotted. It was obvious from Tamia, Veronica, and Anja''s absence that they were partly responsible for this. This had changed a number of ''bullheaded'' minds, which was surprising to the trio, but to no one else.?? Tamia hadn''t properly understood the significance the ''Lady in the Lake'' actually had to these people, though, she probably should have realised once she saw the literal paintings on the wall showing the bomber flying above the Mojave. Once all the pieces were recovered, the entire place burst into celebrations. An entire day was dedicated to partying, and Pearl had even decided to make this a yearly event to honour the trio who''d helped the Boomers achieve their dream. Adults danced, played music on makeshift instruments, and ate luxurious foods that''d been caught, dried, and prepared in advance, children were given toys and taught to sing and dance with everyone else. The atmosphere was overall incredibly enjoyable... Tamia was hoping to be around for next years celebration if she could make it. Though, not everything was fun and games that day. Due to the robots carrying bomber parts and their recent artillery warning shots, a few raiders had concluded that something big was going to happen. They waited until the sounds of music could be heard when they tried to make a move. Unfortunately, the guards who usually watched the walls were drinking on the job, they weren''t able to enjoy the celebration, so instead, they had their own party... This obviously included alcohol. Of course, the next day when Pearl heard about it, she kicked the shit out of them and banned them from next years celebration, making the guards cry tears of despair. As for the raiders? The Boomers weren''t stupid, so before the celebration, the group had set down an almost obnoxious amount of mines. Once half of the raiders had lost legs or exploded into red mist, the remaining few retreated and disappeared. Not willing to test how many mines the Boomers actually had. After all the partying was finished, Pearl had pulled the group aside and accepted Mr House''s proposition. Obviously, the Boomers had no reason to reject them any longer, especially after all the work Tamia and the others had put into building relations. This wasn''t really a problem though, as their work had basically just given Mr House''s faction an air advantage with the Boomers bomber. The bomber was on their side now, so retrieving it couldn''t be seen as ''work''. Once everything was finalized, the trio left as the Boomers bid their farewells. Mr House would start up negotiations between the two groups with couriers or maybe even Securitrons, but now it was time for them to see what other jobs the boss wanted done. While Tamia headed to the Lucky 38, Veronica and Anja return to Big Mt for a long-awaited break. Once she was back in the penthouse, she ignores Jane''s greeting and approaches the screen that has Mr House''s face displayed on it. "Welcome back... I''m assuming your presence here means that you''ve made progress with the Boomers?" House asks. Tamia nods, "You could say that, the Boomers are fully willing to cooperate and negotiate terms with you." she explains. ... "That is... Unexpectedly good news." he states, likely not having expected this so quickly. "With the Boomers launching missiles in New Vegas''s direct I had suspected you might have offended them somehow. Was there a reason for that? Or were they just testing out some new weaponry?" he asks. "Well, it might surprise you to find out that those missiles were actually a distraction," she says with a small grin. "A distraction? Well, might I say it worked. Both I and the NCR were scrambling to discover what had gone wrong, and whether or not we should be awaiting explosive annihilation... So, what was so important they had to antagonize most big players in the Mojave?" "Well, you might not know this, but the Boomers have essentially deified anything that''s explosive... This includes pre-war aeroplanes. So, when they discovered a news article describing an almost intact bomber at the bottom of Lake Mead, they were more than eager to fish it out. Veronica, Anja, and I helped raise it out of the water while robots took the plane apart and transported it back." she explains. ... "So you''re saying you helped a group of Pyromaniacs fish out a military issue pre-war bomber without feeling the need to let me know about it...?" House breaks the awkward silence, sounding incredibly tense in this moment. "Err, yeah? You said use any means necessary to get their compliance, right?" she retorts. House scoffs, "And if that order included jumping head-first into a mine, would you do it?... What you have done isn''t just helping a potential ally get stronger, but arming a potentially dangerous group, ally or not, with a weapon capable of destroying most post-war settlements with ease. If the Boomers are able to fly it, New Vegas could be flattened in an instance." he slowly, agonizingly describes just how badly Tamia had fucked up in his eyes. Tamia crosses her arms, "Well, stronger allies mean better allies, in my opinion, the Boomers are relatively peaceful when unprovoked... If you exclude their ''bomb outsiders out of our territory'' policy." "Hmm, sometimes I have to doubt your intelligence, Partner... But I suppose what''s done is done. Admittedly even if we took the bomber for ourselves we''d have no one to fly it. Even robots have their limits after all, and I doubt we''d be able to program a robot to fly such a thing before it''d become redundant... Let''s discuss your next mission then," he''s about to continue but notices Tamia''s dull look, "Now don''t look at me like that, you''ll have time to relax before doing this. I just want to confirm our options." Chapter 497 - Study On Negotiations And How To Break Them. "Now that the Boomer''s cooperation has been secured, I think that it''s time for us to see whether or not Supermutants are capable of operating in civil society... Once you are ready, head to Jacobstown and check the place. I''ll defer to your judgement on the matter, as I am sure you have far more experience dealing with barbaric savages than I." House explains. Tamia nods, "Alright... I''ll get to it in a couple days or so. If there''s nothing else,?" she asks, waiting for a moment before nodding and leaving. She''d just spent weeks with the Boomers and felt like a vacation was more than necessary. After all, all work and no play makes Tamia a dull girl.?? Elsewhere : Veronica, Anja, and eventually Tamia returned back to Big Mt after their long mission at the Boomers. Afton allowed them their breaks but revealed that he may need a couple of them to accompany him to the ''Peace agreement negotiation'' in Primm that the NCR had so gracefully set up. They reluctantly agree to come should he need them and continued with their vacations. This left Afton alone to plan what''d actually happen for the event, and what he actually wanted to accomplish while there... If the NCR really did want to negotiate, he''d need to think about terms he would actually like to provide and receive... After all, going in without studying would end worse than an exam would. 1 week later : It''s almost time for the event, and things had been steadily progressing in Big Mt... Tamia, Veronica, and Anja had basically been resting the entire time, but everyone else had been doing their own things. Boone had been learning to create and use various improvised weapons, explosives, and traps under Karl. And in his off time had been showing Josie how to properly spot for a sniper. Afton upon hearing this had the rather manipulative idea of using the duo to cover him at the event. They''d be set up a good distance outside of Primm, but in a position where they could view everything that happens... He was still apprehensive about what they''d do if forced to choose between Bulwark and their country, so he''d try to fix it by showing them the true face of the NCR... Of course, they could backfire magnificently if the peace agreements actually go on unmolested, but Afton thought that an impossibility at this point... He''d been monitoring the Mojave Outpost and spotted a number of unmarked vehicles that almost certainly belonged to the NCR... Vehicles were rare enough, but for them to turn up as the Peace negotiations were happening? He called sus. The good news was that he, Klein, and Mobius had managed to patch the EMP vulnerability in the Power armour. It took a while to adapt the implant EMP defence into the armour, but they managed eventually... Most would just say to upscale it and install as it is, but of course, most people had no idea how electronic shielding and energy dispersal actually worked. There''d be no point to using the EMP shielding if a single bullet would damage it too much to be usable. So, Afton currently had two suits of Power armour, both of which were upgraded with it. These belonged to Veronica and himself, which was unfortunate as he still hadn''t decided on his second ''bodyguard''. This wasn''t the only thing on his mind however, despite the imminent event that was rapidly approaching, his thoughts were still on Christine and the radio signal purported to be from thee the Sierra Madre, the place she and that old fuck Elijah had gone. Glados had sent a robot to check it out and, surprise surprise, found a bunker with a single makeshift radio that''d been booby-trapped with incredibly powerful sleeping gas, one that might''ve even been able to affect Afton, despite all his resistances and regeneration. Glados was still trying to trace back where the original signal was actually coming from, so he''d need to wait and watch the progress. It wasn''t like he could intervene and make it go faster, as Glados was simply more efficient at tasks such as this. A robot drone pops out of the floor next to him and turns its orange eye towards him. "Speak of the devil." he mutters, breaking out from his thoughts. "Is something wrong Glados?" "No, creator. Have you decided on your second bodyguard yet?" the AI asks out of nowhere. Afton shakes his head, "Unfortunately no, I don''t want to risk anyone''s lives for this, as I am almost certain it''s a trap of some kind. I''ll have Boone and Josie near the town to support if it gets really bad, but other than Veronica who has Power armour, I am hesitant to bring anyone." he explains, though, he was sure Glados neither cared, nor understood the information. "Might I suggest someone then?" the AI asks and continues at his nod, "The Cyberdog patrol lead by Gabe has returned, perhaps you should bring Gabe as a bodyguard? Its body is big enough to shield you from fire, and its sonic bark would likely knock a building down at full blast." she says. ... Afton finds himself unconsciously nodding at the idea, Gabe would certainly be a ''statement''... It would be as if he brought a Deathclaw as a bodyguard, except more s significant as not everyone could genetically alter a dog enough to produce something like Gabe. Even Borous was confused at how Gabe became so big... The mixture of Chems, Cybernetics, and centuries of time had had a peculiar effect on the dog, one that wasn''t so easy to replicate. "Alright... I''ll bring Gabe, that''ll show those fuckin'' bureaucrats who''s boss." he chuckles, inwardly raising a brow at the fact Glados was mimicking laugher through the robotic drone. "Ha...Ha...Ha...Ha..." ... "Glados, could you perchance not do that ever again? Your laughter sounds like something you''d hear before someone was jettisoned into space..." "...Undetrstood." Chapter 498 - Eventful Visit *Crack!* Lightning shoots down from the sky a couple of miles away from Primm, and once the dust clears five figures are revealed. Afton was standing in his typical Stealth Armour lacking his usual arsenal of weapons... Currently, all he has equipped are his pistols and Ultra Chainsword. Still enough to wreck someone''s shit, but lesser than usual.?? On his side stood the towering figure of Veronica in her Bulwark Power armour. The glowing red eyes of her helmet looked incredibly menacing, and that''s not even addressing the large Gauss Rifle she held in her arms. Despite her reluctance, Afton had managed to make her bring it. Usually, she was more comfortable with a plasma pistol and her fist weapons, but Afton felt that more ranged firepower might be needed. It''s fortunate her Brotherhood of Steel training had made her comfortable with almost all energy weapons, letting her shake off the rust fairly easily. Next to Veronica was a creature somehow even taller than her. A humungous Cyberdog looks around with curious eyes, it was smart enough to follow basic commands, and after it had all the chems in its bloodstream flushed it acted almost exactly like a regular Cyberdog, making the creature exceptionally suited to the task ahead. Behind them were Boone and Josie, the former with two rifle slung across his back. The first was the old hunting rifle that he never let out of his sight, while the other was a more high-tech-looking weapon... Afton had stayed true to his word and had the scientists create a more powerful Gauss Rifle... It was unimaginatively named ''Railgun''. [Railgun] Strength req : 10 DMG : 200 Crit dmg : 200 Crit mult : 1x Weight : 35 Value : 30000 Special : Direct hits knock the target off of their feet or to the floor if they''re too heavy. As listed, it was incredibly heavy, and Boone would only be able to use it while lying on the floor. Any attempt to fire it while standing would knock him off of his feet from the kickback. Even on the floor the sniper struggled to efficiently use it. Regardless, the damage it was able to put out was well worth the muscle soreness it''d undoubtedly cause. The only problem it had side from its weight was the fact it needed to charge up before each shot, potentially making the user miss optimal moments. Of course, for Afton, this weapon had another boon... It technically counted as an Energy Weapon, making his Perks boost the damage to double or more. Getting shot while Afton was wielding this would be like being hit point-blank by a mini-nuke... Boone was outfitted in the typical combat armour and Deathclaw leather duster, he had considered getting them some desert camo, but the duster was probably better at hiding them anyway. Josie wore something similar, but both now wore deathclaw cowboy hats as well. It''d been a bit difficult to get Boone to leave his Beret, but Afton felt his sniper shouldn''t be forced to kill his countrymen while wearing their badge. Afton brushes dust from his clothes and looks at his companions, "Alright, you guys already know what''s happening. Boone, Josie, set up on one of the nearby mountains that have a clear sight inside the town... Hopefully, you won''t be needed, but it''s best to be safe than sorry." he states. The duo nose and immediately leave, though, Afton chuckles slightly at Boone''s heavy breathes from having to carry the Railgun. After they''re out of sight he turns to Veronica, "Alright, I''m almost certain the NCR are planning to attack us, so be on guard while we''re there." She nods, "Don''t worry little small bro, I''ll be your meatshield for today!" she jokes, taking as much advantage as she can at the fact she was momentarily taller than Afton today. Afton just nods and looks to Gabe, patting his side like they''d practised, "Come." he commands, the Cyberdog sticking to his left. The duo + giant dog stroll up the road towards Primm, they were still a while from the city but already Afton could see people gathering. He didn''t know why, but the NCR had been broadcasting the negotiations over the radio, inviting people to come watch this ''event''. Afton wasn''t sure why they were doing this if they intended to attack him, perhaps to make the negotiations seem more legit?... Regardless, it was too late to turn back now. People quickly noticed the giant Cyberdog and Veronica at his sides and parted like the red sea, allowing him and his bodyguards through into Primm itself. The place was chock-full of people, hundreds or perhaps even thousands had turned up. No doubt the Bison Steve Hotel was racking in the cash. On the main road, there were far more stalls than there had been last time, all selling foods, novelty items, and commemorative things for the event. Clearly, the residents had been happy to monetize the event, not that Afton could blame them... Honestly, the caps they earned would go towards fixing the town after the shit hits the fan. In front of the Bison Steve Hotel was a raised stage that already had a couple microphones present, as well as a plinth where speeches would be given from. The sight of this might Afton slightly nervous if he were honest... He hadn''t actually written out a speech, he''d thought he''d write something on some paper and that''d be it... As the trio walk, they''re approached by who else but Johnson Nash, the mayor of Primm. The man was wearing a clean black suit, which is strikingly different to his usual dirty overalls and goggles he''d wear. "Ah, so you''ve turned up! Thought you''d bail on us to be honest..." Johnson mutters, occasionally taking glances at Gabe and Veronica. Afton shrugs, "Considering I never actually confirmed that I was coming, I''m surprised you''d stake this entire event on me... Did you even have a backup plan?" he asks, curious. Johnson nods, "We did. If you bailed on us we''d be selling paintings depicting you as a demon being defeated by a two-headed bear..." the man chuckles when Afton glares at him, "Don''t fault me for doing my best for the town. Caps are caps, even if we have to scuff a few shoes for it." Chapter 499 - No-go-tiations. Afton''s led behind the stage with Veronica and Gabe closely following. Behind it is a small group of people, a few of which Afton recognises. Ambassador Crocker stands there in his clean black suit with two veteran Rangers standing on either side of him. Everyone turns around and looks towards Afton as they approach, the group paling slightly at the sight of Gabe but quickly composing themselves at the fact chaos hadn''t erupted in the town yet. Crocker is the first to move, walking towards Afton with his hand outstretched, "Mr Parker, a pleasure to finally meet you." he states.?? Afton firmly shakes the man''s hand, "Likewise... Though, I''m surprised you were sent instead of someone else, aren''t you supposed to only be in New Vegas?" he asks, wondering why Crocker was forced to be here. Crocker chuckles, "There was supposed to be someone else, as you well know I very busy in New Vegas as it is... But as soon as they heard they were negotiating with you, they fled California with their family..." he says. Afton can''t help but laugh at this, was he really so scary that someone would willingly flee their country, job, and position just to escape talking to him?... Perhaps... He shrugs at Crocker, "Maybe they were already planning to leave due to something else... What are we actually doing here anyway? Don''t events like this usually only occur after both parties have agreed to terms?" he asks. Crocker nods, "Usually, but it''s hard enough getting us all in one place once, it''d be good for everyone''s morale if they watched democracy and peaceful negotiation at work. I personally believe we''ll be able to find some common ground, I doubt we are all that different from one another anyway." he explains. Afton slowly nods but is beginning to think that the ''trap'' he''d been expecting wasn''t coming at all... Crocker had a reputation for being a respectable person, his attempts in New Vegas, while suppressed by House and the families, were still impressive and indicative of his skills and work ethic. "Ah, before we start... Would you please explain what your... Bodyguard is?" Crocker asks, gesturing towards Gabe who''s currently sitting on the floor like a ''good boy''. Afton shrugs, "This is Gabe, two-hundred-year-old Cyberdog extraordinaire. He''ll be one of my two bodyguards today, the other is Veronica," he gestures at her, "Who''s currently wearing state of the art Bulwark Power armour, far more advanced than what was used against the Legion." he states, boasts, and warns all simultaneously. Crocker slowly nods his head, "I see... Erm, these two are my bodyguards, Ranger Lattie and Ranger Queen... That''s about all I know about them, unfortunately..." he says with a nervous chuckle. Both Rangers were equipped with Ranger Sequoias and heavily modified Marksman rifles. The duo gives a slight nod, indicating that they are attentive and at the ready. Afton nods, "I see... So, how are we going to do this?" he asks. "We''ll both head on stage and each of us will give a speech to the crowd, afterwards we''ll have a scribe write the contracts while we discuss terms... Yes, I know it''s very theatrical, but theatre is what the people need and want right now." he explains. Afton shrugs in acceptance, not for or against this peculiar mode of negotiation. It takes half an hour for everything to get fixed up and ready for the event, and once everything was prepared, Afton and Crocker marched onto the stage and approached the two separate podiums. Though, one thing Afton immediately notices is the fact that Crocker''s podium has the NCR flag printed the front of it, while his own has nothing... To fix this, he takes out a small holographic device and has Nyx program it to the specifications he has in mind. Once done he sticks it to the front of his podium, allowing a holographic image of Bulwark''s emblem to appear. The crowd of course ''oohs and aahs'', but that''s to be expected from what is essentially a bunch of civilians, country bumpkins, and wanderers. Crocker looks amused at it, as well as slightly put out that Bulwark''s flag puts the NCR one to shame, from its holographic glow to its rather distinct and intimidating artwork. One Ranger stands behind Crocker while Veronica stands behind Afton, both silently awaiting the assassination attempt that is unfortunately pretty common in the wasteland. Even if either side doesn''t intend to, other factions might get themselves involved as well. Once everything calms down Crocker taps on his microphone which catches everyone''s attention, he coughs into his hand politely before speaking, "Seeing as everyone is present, it is my pleasure to present the NCR''s Peace Agreement between Bulwark, the upcoming faction that seems to be gaining momentum every day. As you may already know, I am Dennis Crocker, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary... Yes, it''s a gaudy title but I''m not the one who chose it." he jokes, causing a few people to laugh in response. Crocker gestures at Afton, "At the other podium is Bulwark''s absolute leader, Afton Parker, a man who I am aware already has many titles, among which are; Butcher, Sheriff, Mercenary, Mojave''s fastest gun, Fiend, and most recently, Walking Disaster... Might I say, if you ever wish to trade some of those, I''d be amenable to it." the man says with a chuckle. Afton raises a brow, "To be honest, I wasn''t aware I had so many... Thanks for doing the work of listing them all out, maybe I''ll put it on my resume..." he drawls. Crocker nods and smiles at him, "With your qualifications, I don''t think that''s necessary... Also, I''d like to welcome Dr. Helmsley, he belongs to the Followers of the Apocolypse, an impartial group dedicated to the health and wellbeing of the Wasteland. He''s agreed to write out the contracts that we agree on and hopes to encourage peace between groups." he explains while gesturing towards the Doctor sat nearby behind a terminal. Chapter 500 - Speak The Speech Once basic introductions and thanks to the town of Primm for allowing this to happen, Crocker started his speech. Afton was only paying half attention to it as he was trying to think up his own one, though, Crocker did grab his attention... "The NCR represents everything good in our now wartorn lands, what was once united under the United States has split into anarchical power disputes between factions of every colour. Barbarians like the Legion, Authoritarians like the Brotherhood of Steel, Unknowns like Bulwark." he gestures slightly to his left where Afton was stood.?? "Democracy is the way forward, Democracy was the only thing stopping the Great War from happening, yet Democracy isn''t strong enough to do it alone... It requires the strength of the people to push through adversity, the strength to rebuild what we have lost, and what was destroyed by foreign enemies far from our soil! That''s what all this is for, that''s what we work towards, what we strive to achieve... Despite all the problems that come with Democracy, can anyone really dispute that it''s the best way to fairly help govern people? To make sure that individual rights aren''t squandered and squashed under whoever has the power to do so?-" Crocker goes on to give the typical ''Old America was the greatest, and it was everyone else''s fault it''s now gone'' spiel. Honestly, Afton was pretty sceptical, if America had just concentrated on renewable energy and defences against Nuclear attacks they might''ve survived the war. But, as always, it was too expensive to promote such research and change, instead deciding to war against other countries. Still, Afton understood that surviving the Great War was pretty unlikely anyway... There''s only so much you could do against the Apocalypse after all. The only real way he could think of stopping something similar from happening again, was to control and stop any Nuclear bomb production. If no one had nuclear arms, the Great War wouldn''t have happened. Sure, countries would still go to war, annex each other, and destroy the people. But at least the land would be spared, still viable for life, unlike the radioactive hellscape that now encompasses most of the world. Crocker continues his speech, occasionally adding barbs against Afton and Bulwark, indirectly stating that he was a murderer without principle with his body language and sly words. Afton wasn''t offended though, he expected this from a politician, even a well-meaning one. Besides, it wasn''t as if he was wrong, Afton had probably killed more people than all of the families in New Vegas combined. Soon enough, it was time for Afton to give a speech. Crocker had ended his own by indirectly inferring that if Bulwark didn''t end up making an agreement that they were warmongers and no better than those that started the Great War... Yeah, good politicking Crocker. Afton stands straight and looks at the crowd, observing their current attitude towards him and Crocker. Most seem to be siding with Crocker, though, it must be said that the residents of Primm are well on Afton''s side. Their dislike of NCR taxes and the help Afton gave them back in the day made them a staunch ally of his. Still, if he wanted to persuade the crowd to his own agenda, he''d need to sway the NCR sympathisers first... Despite this being an event for a Peace Agreement, throwing dirt at the other party to gain a position of power wasn''t exactly prohibited, especially considering Crocker''s speech. Afton coughs into his hand to grab everyone''s attention, once everyone is silent he begins, "A fine speech by Ambassador Crocker, I can tell he must''ve been working on it for weeks, if not months... Unfortunately, I didn''t write one so I must speak from the heart as the saying goes." he says with a humble look. "I agree that the United States of America had been one of the greatest countries to ever exist... But, that does not mean it was the best possible! You may all not know, but during my childhood in the Brotherhood of Steel, I had access to many records, my findings there and my experiences in the wasteland have shaped me into what I am today. Some may call me cruel, a murderer, sadistic, evil, but compared to what the United States of America was doing behind the scenes? I''d be a saint! Let me just list a few of their crimes for you all; murder and torture of their political opponents, murder and torture of protestors attempting to utilise their constitutional rights! Biological warfare on their own people, destroying small towns and mutating the inhabitants into unrecognisable abominations. Working with Vault Tech to conduct inhuman experiments on the inhabitants they were supposed to protect! Most of you don''t know this, but most Vault Dwellers were actually just test subjects with which scientists in the vaults conducted the vilest and reprehensible experiments possible! America had a lot to boast about, but treating their people with respect and dignity is not one of them! Even if you disregard the war crimes against their own people, it still does not combat the issue of the flagrant corruption that ran the country. The democracy people like to preach about was nothing but a lie, votes were tampered with, manipulated, and officials were bribed! Nothing about that is democratic in my eyes! Though, with the way the NCR has recreated it, it must be essential to them!" he loudly states, inwardly grinning at Crocker''s look of indignant anger and confusion. Afton sends a heavy glare down at the crowd, utilising all his intimidation and speech perks to assist him. "Do not pretend that the NCR has shed itself of America''s trademark corruption! Even now Brahmin barons bribe NCR officials to give them more rights, more land, and tax exemptions! While the people are left destitute, with no ability to fight against the tyranny of their own government! Land of the free!? More like Land of the freely exploited! At least in China you knew your government was evil and corrupt!" he exclaims, slamming his fist down on the podium to emphasize his point. Chapter 501 - Silent Political Outrage Afton leaves the audience to ruminate on his words for a moment before bringing their attention back to him. He looks to Crocker with an apologetic expression, "My apologies, I may have spoken ''from the heart'' far too much... I haven''t even spoken about Bulwark, so allow me to illuminate you all." he says, turning and grinning down at everyone. "Most of you will already be equating Bulwark to the Brotherhood of Steel, this in my view is indisputably wrong. Allow me to explain, the Brotherhood of Steel''s goal is to control technology and stop anything dangerous from getting into the hands of those they see as undeserving. Of course, who they classify as ''undeserving'' varies from Chapter to Chapter.?? For the most part, I agree with their goals, but not the way they achieve them! Unregulated development of technology is what caused the Great War in the first place, so stopping anyone else from creating more weapons of destruction should be agreed upon by everyone! Everyone here now has to live with the results of our forefather''s foolishness, what else can we do but learn from their mistakes to build a better tomorrow?... Bulwark will work differently from how the Brotherhood of Steel operates. We will gather technology, and regulate what kinds are allowed to be developed and experimented on. BUT! We will seek to promote technological innovation among the Wasteland, helping humanity forward without the blatant self-interest of the Brotherhood, or indeed the NCR. Water purifiers, more efficient farming, renewable energy, and so much more are at our fingertips! Each of these technologies could be provided to everyone if each faction stopped their wars. We have the resources to help one another, yet we continue to fight over power, weapons, and technology... I do not blame the common people for this! I blame the officials, the politicians, the generals, and the leaders of these countries that would rather enrich the corrupt and selfish than help their common man! Bulwark will work towards a better future, without the blatant racism displayed by all parties." Afton glances at Crocker, "America loves to boast about its civil rights, but what I see happening to Ghouls and Intelligent Supermutants is remarkably similar to what happened to African Americans! You won''t let them participate in the rest of the military? Enter the New Vegas strip? Or even bring people guilty of committing hate crimes to justice!?" he looks at the crowd, "As always, America and its derived countries wear their hypocrisy on their sleeves, all the while boasting about their greatness..." Afton shakes his head, "How can you expect your presidents to be unbiased and uncorrupt when their presidential campaigns cost more than the job would provide over fifty terms!?... And let''s not even mention the NCR''s treatment of independent towns! The town of Novac that Bulwark now protects was facing destruction from the Legion, yet the NCR elected to let them die and be enslaved! However, when the town saw this and stopped paying taxes, they certainly saw the need to send troops then!..." Afton releases a long sigh, "I''d like to end on this thought... Each of you should think about what would make your life better, what you desire, and what you hope for the future... Now think on whether or not that could be achieved with how other countries are being run, on how rotten to the core they are... Thank you for listening." he says demurely while bowing his head. After he ends his speech the crowd claps, though, it seems like a similar response to what Crocker had received. Meaning his words hadn''t won over as many as he''d like. Still, getting people to question the intentions of those that are supposed to serve them was bound to bring some to his side. Crocker looks over to Afton with a strange look about him, "It seems I was wrong about you Mr Parker... I thought you''d know how to play the ''game''." he states ambiguously. Afton inwardly smirks and raises a brow at the ambassador, "What do you mean Crocker? Do you mean the game that politicians like to play with one another while they''re supposed to be solving issues concerning the people? It''s quite telling that it''s called the ''game'', isn''t it?." he says. Crocker barely hides his scowl, "We were supposed to be giving speeches, not attacking one another if you recall?" he sighs, "I should have expected this from a murderer." "Oh yeah-" Afton goes to retort but is interrupted by Dr. Helmsley coughing into his fist, "Pardon, but this is a Peace Agreement, correct?" the man asks, and upon seeing Crocker nod he continues, "Then perhaps we should stop insulting one another and start talking terms of such an agreement?" Crocker again nods, "Very well..." he pulls out a stack of papers from under the podium and taps them a couple of times to get them properly aligned. "With our speeches finished, we will now be discussing terms with which an agreement of peace can be reached. Unless you think otherwise, I''d like to begin." he looks at Afton for any indication of objection. Upon seeing none, Crocker begins, "First order of business would be to rectify crimes and mistakes committed by each group... We at the NCR wish to be recompensed for the deaths of Veteran Ranger Emory Emmerich, and Major Lowell Thompson Jr." he states. Afton immediately scoffs at this, "Excuse me? What proof do you have that Bulwark was responsible for their deaths?" he asks, doing his best to sound outraged. Crocker glares at him, "Everyone well knows that you are the one that committed those murders, so don''t deny it! If we are to negotiate peace we must be honest about our shortcomings!" he exclaims. Afton scowls, "I''ll compensate you if you can present any ounce of evidence that I am responsible." he states absolutely. "Months ago the Legion broadcasted to the whole of the Mojave that you worked with them to assassinate members of our military! It makes sense as you were in the area when these deaths happened, and you have a motive to seek revenge!" Crocker retorts. Chapter 502 - First Term. Afton shakes his head and looks to the crowd, "Do you see this? A prime example of acting solely for self-interest... Since when did information given to you by an enemy you are at war with, hold any weight!? Would they believe President Kimball is a Legion spy if they said so? If not, why do they believe their lies now?... The answer is obvious! Because it helps their goals! Whether or not it is true does not matter to them! Only that they can gain power from it!" he loudly states, causing a few in the audience to looks contemplative, and a few to clap in response. Crocker slams his podium, "You are taking this completely out of context!"?? "As I said earlier! Show me the evidence, or retract your slanderous statements!" Afton pointedly asks. Crocker grumbles for a moment before recomposing himself and continuing, "Seeing as we aren''t going to get anywhere on this front shall we move on-" Afton objects before he can change the subject, "No you don''t! We haven''t discussed the crimes committed by the NCR yet!" Crocker squints at Afton in response, wondering what he could be referring to... As far as he was concerned, the NCR hadn''t broken any laws... At least, none concerning Bulwark. "If you''ll recall, the NCR has made many hostile actions towards the town of Novac, even demanding the independent town hand ''criminals'' over to them. Of course, the criminals they mention only mean me, someone they wish to arrest despite holding no evidence to support it. Bulwark and Novac want the NCR to compensate for blocking the roads, surrounding the town with NCR forces, and threatening innocent civilians!" Crocker tightly grips his fists before jabbing a finger at Afton''s direction, "You will receive nothing of the sort! You are a wanted criminal and our actions were clearly justified!... We are getting nowhere on this, how about we discuss Bulwark''s threat to the entire Wasteland instead!?" Crocker bites back, "The NCR formally requests that Bulwark reveals the weapon of mass destruction they used against the Legion''s front-line defences! All your talk about prohibiting Nuclear weaponry seemed to ignore your flagrant use of them! Against the Fiends you detonated a Mini-Nuke and killed thousands of people. Against the Legion you killed hundreds of Legionaries in an instant and almost blinded many NCR observers as a result of a similar weapon!" he exclaims. Afton scowls, Crocker had him there. Despite the Orbital Laser System not technically being Nuclear, it still counts as a weapon of mass destruction. He couldn''t really dispute the point either without revealing the laser''s existence, which may just bring the main Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel directly down on his head. Combine that with the fact he had detonated a Mini-Nuke in the past and it paints a fairly hypocritical picture of Afton and Bulwark as a whole. Afton thinks for a moment before shaking his head, fuck the Brotherhood. Let them come, he wouldn''t let this shitty politician bad-mouth him on this stage! "You are wrong Crocker, the weapon used against the Legion wasn''t Nuclear in origin." "Then what is it!?" the man retorts with a greedy look in his eyes. "Something that I refuse to trust the NCR with!" he gestures at the crowd, "Look what the NCR had done to the Mojave! Taking land, taxing people who already lived here, and forcing people to fight in a war they never wanted a part in! You want to steal my hard-fought technology like you stole homes and farms from the people at Sharecroppers farms? Sending all the food produced to the war effort and causing thousands in Freeside to starve as a result!? I wouldn''t trust the NCR with a grenade, let alone the weapons currently available to Bulwark!" Crocker sneers, "And your actions against the Fiends!? You can''t avoid your actions there!" Afton shakes his head, "The Fiends are hardly deserving of mercy considering the **** and murder they committed against men, women, and children! But do not forget I was only fighting against them on behalf of the NCR!" he exclaims, revealing some vital information that shocks a small part of the crowd. Crocker sputters in response but can''t completely deny the fact that Afton was indeed working for the NCR at that point. Fortunately for the struggling politician, Dr. Helmsley steps in again, "Gentleman! It seems we are getting nowhere on this front, perhaps it''s time to move onto something that both parties would agree on!" ... Crocker nods, "Fine. Afton Parker, the NCR requests that you, Bulwark, and any of your affiliates do not get involved in the conflict between the NCR and the Brotherhood Chapter operating in the Mojave." he states. Afton frowns upon hearing this, so this was what Crocker was actually aiming for... The NCR weren''t sure about his current relationship with the Brotherhood, and wanted to know their current status before they started moving against them. He''d heard that the Long 15 trade route had started being attacked by the Brotherhood in order to gather supplies, but he wasn''t sure to what extent it was... Apparently, the Brotherhood was a big enough thorn for the NCR to move forces against. To be honest, he should just let the NCR deal with the Brotherhood... But it felt wrong when he thought about it... Despite Hardin''s actions against him and his exile, he still had friends and family in the Chapter. If he left it to die, he''d indirectly be betraying them, leaving them to die... Could he really let that happen and do nothing?... No. He couldn''t. "Bulwark will continue to remain neutral in this conflict, but we would like our pick of the prisoners you take. This is our offer, no interference for a selection of those you capture." Afton states. ... Crocker mulls it over before slowly nodding, "That is acceptable. We only wish to secure the safety of our roads and caravans, the fate of those captured matters not to us. However, we will require payment for the resources expended, as you know, capture is significantly more difficult than elimination." he explains and Afton nods in affirmation. Upon seeing this Dr. Helmsley quickly types this upon his terminal, setting the first term in stone. Chapter 503 - X Factor! With the first term decided, Afton and Crocker went on to discuss the removal of NCR troops from Novac''s roads, and compensation for the supplies they inadvertently stopped. Then, of course, came the next big obstacle of the whole discussion. "The NCR demands to know what weapons were used against the Legion''s front lines." Crocker states.?? Afton just sighs at this, "Yeah, that''s not happening. Unless you''re willing to reveal all classified files that the NCR holds?" he asks, knowing the NCR had some bodies locked in their closet. "That''s not the same thing. One is secrets of state, and the other is a weapon of mass destruction that you seem all too willing to use. For the sake of the Mojave and Wasteland as a whole, you must reveal it!" Crocker continues. Afton shakes his head, "I refuse." he states, and is about to continue wringing the ambassador out when his Danger Sense warns him of something... Though, he''s not particularly sure what. It certainly wasn''t Crocker or his bodyguards... He focuses his hearing, and with his superhuman perception, he hears the vague sound of a car''s engine... He turns his head towards the entrance of the town where a black van had just pulled up, it had no indication of who it belonged to, but considering the only faction in the Mojave who had vehicles were Bulwark and the NCR, it wasn''t hard to guess... It reverses slightly, pointing its back double doors towards the crowd and stage before stopping completely. Afton looks towards Crocker who seems just as confused as everyone else... Even the NCR Rangers seem ready for combat against the unknown threat. "One of the NCR''s surprises, Crocker?" Afton asks, making sure the rest of the crowd hear it via the microphone. "N-" Just as Crocker''s about to respond the back doors of the truck receive a huge fist-shaped dent. *BANG!* Another dent. *BANG BANG!* By now the most-likely reinforced doors were on their last legs... *BANG!* *CRASH!* The doors are completely destroyed and thrown far away from the van as a huge figure ducks out of it... They look to be 7.8ft and completely garbed in black leather. Black leather trench coat, black leather trousers, black leather trilby. That wasn''t the most noticeable thing however, that attribute would being to its grey, almost greenish skin that was completely covered in black veins that were somewhat similar to what Afton has. Of course, this could only be observed via its neck and hands due to the Jason mask it also wore. It carried some sort of huge sledgehammer with it, though, Afton could see the jet engine on the back of the head, presumably to provide more force to each strike. "What the fu-" Crocker mutters but is quickly dragged away by his bodyguards... Veronica was already at Afton''s side while Gabe was growling at the creature in the distance. Finally, a scream from the crowd seems to break the camels back as everyone begins fleeing in every direction, with the exception of where the monster was of course. The van that had delivered the creature quickly tries to drive away, but Afton wasn''t willing to let that happen, pulling out a pistol to shoot out its back tires... But this wouldn''t be needed apparently. *PEWWW!* A silent projectile from seemingly nowhere slams into the front of the black van, completely and utterly destroying the engine and causing it to flip over a few times with the occupants receiving a not so pleasant stop. With this Afton turns his attention towards the creature. First, he uses his Karma Sense he received from [Stay the Path], but is surprised to find that the creature had a good deal of positive Karma which far outweighed any negative it might have. Next, he used his [Living Anatomy] Perk. [Mr X] Health : 100% Stamina : ??% DT : 50 Strength : 17 Perception : 5 Endurance : 30 Charisma : 2 Intelligence : 2 Agility : 5 Luck : 1 Ailments : [Beauveria mordicana variante infestation] : Victim has been completely overtaken by the fungus, -6 Intelligence, -4 Luck, -5 Charisma, +11 Strength, +22 Endurance. Incredible regenerative capabilities. [Crazed] : Victim is currently in a state of mania. Makes victim incredibly more violent and unreasonable. [Beserk] : Inability to feel pain, Injuries do not cripple. [Conditioned Target] : Victim has been conditioned to accomplish a single task... The death of Afton Parker. [Psyker?] : ??? "Fuck." Afton mutters to himself, feeling like he was fighting Patient Zero again... He looks to Veronica who still seems to be observing the situation and give her a punch to the shoulder that cause a metallic sound to ring out. "Don''t just stand there, shoot that thing!" "Aye aye cap''ain." she says with a shrug before pointing her Gauss Rifle at the creature. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* She fires three shots and everyone looks over to see what damage it''d done... Only to gabe at the fact no damage had been caused whatsoever... Unless you count blowing a couple holes in its trench coat as damage... Despite the attack against it, the creature doesn''t say anything, instead just continuing to march towards the stage where Afton was still stood. "What the fuck is this thing!?" Veronica asks while firing a couple more shots, which continue to do no damage at all. "Don''t know, don''t care. Just shoot it!" Afton exclaims while drawing his own pistols and firing. Unfortunately, despite all the gunfire the creature was taking, nothing seemed to do any damage to it. Afton was about to toss his pistols away and charge it with his Ultra Chainsword when his ''allies from the sky'' provided assistance. *PEW!* Another projectile from nowhere slams into the creature''s back, this continues through its body and exploded out of its chest which utterly destroys its heart. Afton and Veronica grumble at the blood and gore they got covered in, but ignore it while watching what the creature would do in response. ... It doesn''t do anything, instead just standing there blankly while the large hole in its chest spurts out blood, as if its heart were still beating. Afton raises a brow and decides to check its health, and gapes at what he sees. [Mr X] Health : 99% Chapter 504 - Familiar Faces [Mr X] Health : 99%?? ... "Fuck!" Afton groans at the sight of its health... Just as he sees this the flesh on Mr X''s chest quickly begins to writhe and heal. Gabe finally springs into action however, despite Mr X''s size Gabe was still bigger than it, allowing the Cyberdog to leap and try to bite the creature''s head off... Only for Mr X to block with his forearm! Gabe bites down on the extended arm and begins thrashing from side to side in an attempt to tear it off. Blood spurts from the lacerations caused by Gabe, but Mr X doesn''t even blink at it, instead just raising its Super Sledge and slamming it into Gabe''s side. It strikes the Cyberdog''s metal leg, causing sparks to skitter away as Gabe is launched a few meters from the sheer force of the strike. Veronica looks as if she wants to punch the shit out of the creature, but Afton commands her to stay away from it. Even with her Power armour, he doubted she''d survive a single head-on strike from it. The sheer force it was able to exert with the Super Sledge alone was ridiculous... This could be seen by how mangled Gabe''s leg looked. Gabe could barely stand on it, meaning he was out of commission while Afton Veronica, and Boone tried to kill it. Mr X picks up the wreckage of a ruined pre-war vehicle and throws it towards them. Veronic and Afton dive out of the way which inadvertently allows the makeshift projectile to hit the Bisen Steve Hotel, this causes a small part of the building to collapse and there was nothing either of the duo could do about it. Mr X finally reaches the stage and makes an easy jump onto of it... However, Afton was already ready and waiting with his Ultra Chainsword... He springs into action with the blade already revved, swinging it at Mr X''s arm that was holding the Super Sledge. *SHWING!* *THUMP!* Mr X attempts to block the attack with his weapon, but the Ultra Chainsword easily cuts through the Super Sledge handle, continuing on and severing the creature''s arm which drops unceremoniously to the floor. Afton would have thought Mr X would be stunned by the fact it''d literally just lost an arm, but he was terribly mistaken as the creature''s other arm reaches out and grabs him by the neck, lifting him high into the air while attempting to crush his throat. Before he can sever the other arm with his sword, Veronica charges into Mr X''s side while delivering many heavy punches with her Two Step Goodbye fist weapon. The arm-mounted shotgun fires debilitating shots into Mr X''s chest, ribs, and stomach, but the creature doesn''t even flinch. Instead, Mr X swings Afton at Veronica, smacking her with him and causing both of them to fly down the street. Most people would instantly die if they were used as a make-shift weapon against someone wearing Power armour, but Afton had thicker skin than most... Not to mention his regenerative abilities healed most of his injuries fairly quickly. [Grit is in effect] While Veronica was recovering, Afton revs his Chainsword against and swings it despite being far out of range... However, the arm holding the sword extending like a whip, allowing the Chainsword to slash through Mr X''s chest, cutting a huge wound into its chest... Afton could even see the creature''s punctured lungs through the cavity, showing just how much damage he''d caused... Yet... [Mr X] Health : 98% "This is bullshi!" Mr X bends down to jump off of the stage, but another projectile comes from nowhere and barely hits it... Due to its change in position the projectile only manages to blow off its hat, Jason mask, and a large part of its face... Obviously, its injury heals fairly quickly, but once it does both Afton and Veronica gape at what they see... "Dad!?" Afton exclaims, thoroughly confused and incredibly angry. Indeed, the creature''s face looked almost identical to Zachary Parker... It was as if Zach had been blown up like a balloon though, like his size certainly wasn''t natural. Afton is so stunned by this revelation he stops considering this a combat situation entirely... This forces Veronica to slam a fist into his shoulder to get his head back in the game. "WE''RE STILL FIGHTING IF YOU HAVENT NOTICED!?" she shouts and is forced to duck as Mr X picks up what is left of his Super Sledge and throws it at them. It misses and smacks a building down the street, blasting a good amount of concrete from it. Afton quickly shakes his head and focuses on the enemy, knowing exactly what he had to do at this moment... He charges towards his father with his Chainsword revving, ducking under the punch it sends his way and swiping his sword at its legs, severing them both and causing Mr X to fall onto his chest. Continuing his momentum, he severs the other arm as well as the half-grown one he''d severed earlier. "Nyx? Did you get the coordinates of the stage?" he asks. "I did sir! It''s ready to go!" Afton nods and quickly picks up Mr X, tossing his torso onto the stage while grabbing Gabe and carrying the Cyberdog. Veronica follows, and once everyone was on the stage a lightning bolt strikes their position, teleporting them all to Big Mt. Boone releases a big sigh and deactivates his Railgun, truth be told it was significantly harder to use than any other weapon he''d had before... Yet the power it had was unforgettable. He unloads it and throws it onto his back while standing from their position. "What do you think that thing was?" Josie asks from the side, both having closely observed the trail of destruction the thing had left. Boone shrugs, "Whatever it was, I hope there aren''t any more of them running around... I''d class it as an army killer... Without Afton''s tech I doubt we''d be able to permanently put it out of commission..." he says, tapping the Railgun with a finger. He gestures for her to follow him, "Come on, our job''s not done yet... We need to check the occupants of that van, whoever they are can''t be left alone to make more of those monsters." he states, marching down the steep hill with Josie quickly following. Chapter 505 - Kin And Country Boone and Josie slowly make their way down from their observation point, eventually reaching ground level and walking towards the now heavily damaged Primm... Only now were people beginning to crawl out from their hiding places to take a look at what''d happened. Ambassador Crocker brushes the thick dust and dirt from his suit while adjusting his bowtie, "W-what was that?" he asks, glancing between his two Ranger bodyguards.? ? They both shrug in response, having no idea themselves about what''d occurred. All they knew was that Primm was attacked, Afton and his bodyguards defended, and now the town was heavily damaged while they were missing. Johnston Nash looks around with a heavily creased forehead, "God damn, they did a number on my town..." he looks at Crocker, "I wonder who I should send the bill to?" Crocker quickly shakes his head, "We had nothing to do with this-" Nash snorts, "You did nothing to help either, unlike Parker who fought to protect us." he retorts. "What''s that?" one of the rangers ask, pointing up the street where two figures were approaching. Crocker squints before eventually spotting the duo, "I know who one of them is... A man called Boone who works for Parker." Boone and Josie had just reached the black van and were searching the vehicle, there wasn''t anything g besides many bloodstains in the back where the creature was held, but in the driver''s seat, they found two dead men wearing all black coverall-type clothing... Though, once it was peeled back the duo both glared at what was revealed. Attached to each of their chests were badges with three big letters, OSI to be specific. Of course, both Boone and Josie knew what this meant, they belonged to the Office of Science and Industry, a branch of the NCR government. Boone''s dull look breaks into a fierce frown as he kicks the upturned van, knocking a dent into it, "How could they do this!?" he growls out. "Maybe they''re being framed?" Josie quickly asks, but her tone of voice reveals that she wasn''t leaning towards that theory all that much. Boone shakes his head, "No. They knew what they were doing, I''ve seen enough OSI scientists to know they wouldn''t bat an eye at stooping this low." he states, his mind drifting to the now-dead Dr. Hildren who seemed remarkably interested in Aftons physiology. "Well... What do we do now?" she asks, feeling as if her country and Afton would be at war soon... Well, ''properly at war'' more like. "We head back to base and show him what we found." he states as his expression loosens slightly, he rubs his face anxiously, "This whole situation is fucked." Boone mutters to himself. Boone leans into the window and gets a firm grip on the sown OSI badge before tearing it off and depositing it in his pocket. "Come on, let''s go." he states, ignoring the crowd of people quickly advancing towards them. "Mr Boone! Hey?!" Crocker shouts from behind them but Boone ignores the Ambassador, he was too irritated with what the NCR had done here to react calmly and rationally right now... "I said stop soldier!" the Ambassador exclaims, causing Boone to go rigid and stop in place. His training having been worked into muscle memory... Once Boone realises what he''d done he turns around to face Crocker with a scowl, "Tell me... Did you know?" he growls, the tone almost causing Crocker to flinch away. "Did I know what?" the man asks, not knowing what he was referring to. Boone takes the badge out of his pocket and displays it to Crocker and incidentally, the crowd behind him. "Did you know that the OSI would come and try to capture Afton? Was this ''Peace Negotiation'' just a pretence to pull Afton out of hiding? Was this all just a trap!?" he demands. Crocker pales slightly at the sight of the badge, and immediately feels the angry, heavy glares on his back. He quickly shakes his head, "Son, I have no idea what you are talking about! I organised this event so both our groups could fight the Legion-" "It''s always that, always for the war effort. It doesn''t matter who gets hurt, whether innocents die, as long as ''we'' win." he spits and turns around, "We''ll see what Afton has to say about our findings, but I can guarantee one thing... The Legion isn''t the biggest threat anymore." he says over his shoulder before leaving with Josie. "Sir, should we stop them?" one of the Rangers ask Crocker, but the Ambassador just quickly shakes his head, "And cause another political incident!? Fuck no, let''s return to base and report what just occurred here... I have a few people I need to have some words with." he states. Elsewhere : Back at Big Mt, Afton had immediately gotten Mr X restrained and imprisoned under the Think Tank while also seeing to it that Gabe received medical treatment for the injuries he''d received. Currently, he was tapping his foot impatiently while outside Mr X''s cell, Glados and Dr. Dala were collecting genetic materials from what was once his father. Of course, they were doing this via remotely controlled robots, as even if they kept all of it''s limbs severed via chemical burns, temperature burns, and physical obstruction to the wounds, it was still possible that could regenerate and attack. It didn''t matter that this would make finding out just what''d happened to his father take longer to accomplish, risking Dala''s life would be far too risky. Even if you disregarded her extensive knowledge and expertise, the other members of the Think Tank would take her death extremely poorly. Though, this was more due to concerns for their own safety than any companionship. The only ''good'' thing about Mr X''s regenerative was the fact they could take as many samples as they wished without the risk of killing it. Even brain biopsies were easy procedures as the taken organ would just quickly grow back. Chapter 506 - Dirty Secrets Eventually, Boone and Josie are teleported back to Big Mt, they both make their way down to the cells after gaining clearance via Glados and find Afton who''s still staring at Mr X. Josie looks around nervously while biting the nail on her thumb, "This place is creepy... And didn''t we give Caesar back to the Legion? Why did we walk past him sitting in a cell!?" she babbles, clearly disturbed by the fact Afton has such an extensive prison.?? Afton glances at them, only now recognising g their presence, "The one we sent is a clone, obviously... Did you find anything before leaving?" he asks, mentally kicking himself for not checking the van. Boone''s about to answer but Josie begins speaking first, "Hang on! If you created a clone of Caesar, doesn''t that mean you are in control of the Legion now!? Why don''t you stop the war?" she quickly asks. Afton shakes his head and glares at her, "Because stopping the war isn''t as simple as getting Caesar to say ''I surrender'', the Legion despite its worship of him can and will operate independently. Besides, we need them to keep the NCR busy, otherwise the full weight of that corrupt bureaucracy would come down on our heads." he explains. Josie seems to vehemently disagree with him on this point, but Boone moves the discussion back to the matter of hand, showing Afton the OSI badge he''d discovered. "Speaking of bureaucracy... Our ''friends'' are taking action." Afton takes the badge and glares down at it, seemingly becoming angrier and angrier the longer he lingers. "Those fucking bastards! I knew the NCR couldn''t be trusted!.... This is crossing a line, and I will not tolerate their bullshit any longer!" he suddenly exclaims. "Wait! Aren''t you doing the same as them, creating monsters? Don''t lie, I saw that Deathclaw concentration camp you''ve had set up!" Josie retorts. Afton shakes his head and points into the cell at Mr X, "THERE''S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPERIMENTING ON ANIMALS AND TURNING MY FATHER INTO A MONSTER!" he roars, barely holding himself back from punting Josie through the wall. "Your father!?" Josie asks with shocked horror plastered on her face. Boone looks similar to her, clearly disturbed by the implications of this. If what Afton said was true, then the NCR weren''t just experimenting on Supermutants, Feral Ghouls, and other Mutants, but humans as well! There had been many ''investigations'' into such allegations before, but the NCR had vehemently denied all of it, only suggesting that they were attempting to cure Supermutants, Ghouls, and other ''afflicted'' individuals. Boone steps closer to the cell and looks at Mr X, now seeing its clearly human face. From afar they hadn''t been able to see such detail, but now? It was evident. He could even see the resemblance between it and Afton, making Afton''s claim seem more and more credible. "What are you going to do?" Boone asks, knowing that there are only a couple of ways this could go. Afton''s usual non-committal attitude was gone like the wide, with indignant rage replacing it. He sends a heavy look at the duo before replying, "War." Afton knew that both were going to be conflicted about this, which is the main reason he brought them to the Peace Negotiation in the first place. So they could see the NCR''s attempt at harming him despite him accepting their invitation in good faith. While it wasn''t ideal to find out that the OSI had been experimenting on his father for years, it was still an exemplary display of the NCR''s utter hypocrisy and corruption. Offering peace in one hand while holding a knife to your throat with the other. Boone''s face doesn''t change at his words, seeming to accept what must be done. But Josie looked incredibly conflicted. She seemed overwhelmed by today''s events, and this was only exasperated by the fact Afton was seemingly in control of the Legion... Before she might''ve thought that Bulwark and the NCR were evenly matched, technology vs sheer numbers. But now that Afton had control of Caesar? Her country, the place she grew up, lived, and served was at risk. On the other hand, she could see the results of their experiments, the ugly truth of her country that despite being well hidden, was clearly displayed today. Afton shakes his head, "You two, go think about your priorities and whether or not you want to be a part of this. I won''t force you to fight your country, but I won''t allow you to assist my enemies either... Come to terms with this or I''ll be forced to do something drastic..." he says, but continues upon seeing their alerted looks, "I don''t mean I''ll kill you, merely wipe your memories of Bulwark, Big Mt, the Think Tank, and everything else you have experienced during your time with me." he explains, not wanting them to misunderstand his intentions. Yeah, sure, they hadn''t ''corrected'' the memory wiping tech yet, but soon enough it''d work without exploding skulls, liquifying brains, or erasing all of your memories, essentially lobotomizing you. Josie quickly departs, and Boone gives a slight nod before leaving as well. This leaves Afton still standing before his mutated father, contemplating how he wanted to deal with the NCR. The OSI had somehow managed to gather Beauveria mordicana and inflict it upon Mr X... However, the lack of any spores meant that it had been subjected to the serum developed by the Think Tank... That should be impossible unless they came to Big Mt itself and took some... Or... If they took his own samples... But if that was the case, where from?... His eyes widen, "Usanagi." "Glados, prepare teleportation nearby the New Vegas Clinic, I''ll be back shortly." he explains as he quickly leaves the lab, gathering his equipment and disappearing as lightning strikes him. Chapter 507 - Aint That A Kick In The Head? Afton appears outside the Mojave Clinic and begins walking towards it, immediately noticing the boarded-up door and windows. Over the boards was a sign stating ''Mojave Clinic going through renovations''... Afton would''ve laughed at this, had he not picked up the smell of rotting bodies nearby. Shaking his head, he steps forwards and begins tearing the boards off of the door with ease. After a moment the door was cleared, allowing him entrance into the clinic.?? However, the door seems blocked by something when he tries to push it open, the small gap in the door also intensifies the smell of rotting meat, making him more and more anxious over Usanagi''s fate... He honestly thought she''d betrayed him, but seeing the state of this place made it clear it was out of her hands. He gives another forceful nudge and the door slowly pushes open, the bodies that were slumped against it getting forced away... Afton steps inside and quickly pinches his nose due to the permeable smell of rotting meat... It blisters his eyes and nose due to the sheer strength of it, meaning that these bodies had been here for weeks, if not months. The room itself was covered in old, dried, black bloodstains and bullet holes. He bends down and picks up a bullet shell, "5.56mm." he mutters to himself as he scowls at the implication of this finding. Most would just shrug and say it was a robbery or some such, but the presence of this specific type of ammunition, bullet holes, and the size of the wounds on the corpses led Afton to believe the weapon used were Marksman Carbines and Service Rifles, which were prominently used by the NCR. Either someone was trying to frame the NCR, or the NCR couldn''t be bothered to cover their tracks... Or maybe they simply didn''t have the time to scrub the place? Doctor Usanagi was a popular person due to the charity she performed on a regular basis. Afton tosses the shell back onto the floor and begins checking the bodies, afterwards breathing a sigh of relief at not finding Usanagi''s corpse among the pile. The only bodies present were that of her bodyguards, the unfortunate souls who''d gotten trapped in something way bigger than the initial job. To be honest, this primarily Afton''s fault... If he hadn''t given her a sample of his blood the NCR wouldn''t have been baited to attack and acquire it. Though, how the NCR found out about his and Usanagi''s agreement was another matter entirely. Before he leaves, he takes the chance to look around the clinic for anything left behind. He finds the implants stored in a secure safe and takes all of them for further research, as well as all the medical supplies left lying around. He''s about to teleport back to Big Mt when Nyx flashes his Pipboy light momentarily to get his attention, "Sir, the New Vegas radio broadcast has mentioned the events in Primm." Raising a brow at the news, he quickly turns the broadcast on, catching Mr New Vegas halfway through a sentence. "-from the fine folks at the independent town of Primm, we''ve received a recording of one of their recent events. Not every day we get a treat like this, especially one with such a backstory! I bring you the debate between the upcoming group in the Mojave, Bulwark, and the monolithic New California Republic, enjoy." the raspy voice of old Mr New Vegas states before switching on the recording. After a moment, the voice of Ambassador Crocker could be heard, giving his speech of how great the NCR and America is. Afton grins to himself, this was basically free publicity for Bulwark, hopefully, the tape would even include parts of the attack Of course, it was obvious Mr House had a hand in this, Mr New Vegas never said anything that went against House interests, meaning they were linked somehow... That''s not even mentioning Mr New Vegas''s seeming agelessness. Afton just silently listens as Crocker''s speech ends, allowing his own to start... Yeah, he was a little more aggressive than he first intended, but those barbed comments by Crocker had gotten his back up slightly... Though, at least his diatribe might sway a few NCR citizens from their preconceived notions. After his speech, the actual negotiations started and obviously didn''t go anywhere. He did think that his response to Crocker''s accusations was very convincing, especially his noting that all their evidence against him came from Caesar''s Legion, you know, the Empire he attacked and basically crippled? That''s one fact that people won''t be forgetting any time soon, that the NCR would use potentially duplicitous means and dubious evidence. With that event alone he''d basically cleared himself of all wrong-doings in the publics eyes, making all actions the NCR takes against him strange and biased. The recording continues until the crowd starts screaming, Afton and Veronica could be heard talking and attacking the creature before it finally cuts out. "Now, that''s a particularly unexpected development. Neither faction present in the event has come forward to explain what had exactly occurred, but I learned from the mayor of Primm, Johnston Nash, all evidence points the attack towards a branch of the NCR government, specifically the Office of Science and Industry. It''s best not to take this at full face value though, who knows what could be true... Now, for those folk with love in their hearts, ''Ain''t That A Kick In The Head!?''. *trumpets blaring with jazz* How lucky can one gu-" Afton turns the radio off with a sigh, whelp, Johnston has just instigated further tensions between Bulwark and the NCR with his afterthought... The NCR wouldn''t take kindly to such allegations and would try to pin all the blame on Bulwark instead. He rubs his face, the NCR were so easy to read... With a shake of his head, he walks back to the teleportation point and returns to Big Mt, hoping Dala or Glados had found something out about Mr X. Chapter 508 - Big Macka Ambassador Crocker was anxiously resting his head on his hands while the radio next to him played the recording of what happened in Primm... All had gone ''relatively'' well for both sides until Mr New Vegas spoke those last words on the topic, words told by Johnston Nash. He drops his head to the desk once he hears it, immediately thinking about how he could play it off as Bulwark and Afton''s fault, but nothing yet comes to mind... He glances behind him at the two NCR Military Police behind him, "I know I''m asking a lot from you, but, any idea''s?" he asks, wondering if these two were dim-witted or diamonds in the rough.?? The two men look at one another and shrugging before one finally speaks up, "I don''t know much about this sir, but if the attack is by one of our own, wouldn''t it be prudent to admit fault and apprehend those responsible?" he politely says. Crocker raises a brow and slowly nods, "Maybe... The OSI denied everything when I asked them, but the evidence doesn''t lie. We''ve already lost a huge amount of respect from the Mojave due to this incident, as well as the event itself... You, what''s your name?" "Jonas, sir." the soldier states with a salute. Crocker nods, "Get Liza to send me everything we know about the OSI, oh, and have her deliver these letters to General Oliver." he taps his desk where a small stack of letters lie. Jonas nods and leaves with the other soldiers, Crocker doesn''t notice this however, his mind still scheming on how to fix this. Jonas looks at his buddy Hestus, "Should we report this to Afton or?" Hestus shakes his head, "We can''t risk discovery yet... Let''s check the contents of these letters before handing them off, I''ve got Crocker''s seal so no one should notice anything." he states as both enter an empty room. Elsewhere : Macka Bree, head scientist in the biological advancement laboratory of the OSI, slumps in his chair as his assistant goes through the reports he''d brought. "Operative: X has failed and been captured by our enemy, sir." Bell states, as if an important subject of their research hadn''t been stolen from them. Macka sighs and rubs his face, "I knew listening to Roslin was a bad idea, everyone knows that you don''t fuck with Parker! And yet he wants us to send in X anyway, even while knowing what X is!" "Did your call with Ambassador Crocker go well, professor?" Bell asks. Macka shakes his head, "No, no it didn''t. That pacifistic idiot is probably mounting his allies for a full-blown investigation... Have all non-disclosed test subjects moved to my personal facility, make sure they are properly confined or we''ll have more problems than just Crocker." he states, waving Bell off as he begins work on his own end. Macka had worked too hard and too long to fail now. His advancement through the OSI had been hard-fought and fraught with adversity. Yet, with a combination of his intelligence and unnatural abilities, he''d managed to gain this position. His peculiar ability to manipulate cells and organic matter had allowed him to accomplish things none of his colleagues had come close to. His biggest accomplishment was of course, Subject X. It was far stronger, smarter, and more durable than anything he''d created thus far. It''d been difficult to have Zachary Parker transferred to his facility, but with the help of General Roslin Poacher, he''d eventually achieved it. Why had he specifically requested Zachary Parker some might ask? Well, he had a hunch that Afton Parker''s peculiar abilities might require a similar genome to be properly utilised. His earlier attempts with Afton Parker''s blood had all failed, either creating plant-like abominations that were either braindead or hellbent on eating anything that comes near it, or having the subject melt into a puddle of goo instead. He''d need to thank Doctor Usanagi for the sample she''d ''provided'' them, even if they had to beat the information out of her. Perhaps showing her pictures of Subject X would have her more cooperative? He remembered reading that she was an accomplished scientist in her own right. General Roslin wanted Afton Parker killed, which went against Macka''s intentions. He wanted Parker captured, so he could breed him like a stud horse and create an army of soldiers similar to Subject X. Subject X alone was an army killer, so Macka salivated at the thought of what hundreds, or maybe even thousands would accomplish. But, that was all dependant on actually capturing Parker, as his genetic material was the only viable way to create them. He''d tried to clone Parker from the samples they had, but every time he tried the cells with rapidly decaying and seemingly destroying themselves. Thus, he required Afton to naturally procreate for more viable subjects to be available. Unfortunately, their only way of capturing him had been captured instead, Mr X was their only real combat able subject. Sure, they had more abominations at the ready, but none were receptive to taking orders, and would instead go off on their own, eating and killing anything they came across. He sighs, wondering how he was going to achieve his dreams... He wanted to control the NCR and put it under heel, he, as a more advanced human solely had the right. ... Perhaps Doctor Usanagi''s resistance to interrogation had more to do with the relationship with Parker than he initially thought? From what he heard they barely ever spoke, and only did so when Parker was utilising her services... Maybe she''d be better as bait than a source of information?... Macka slowly nods to himself, a plan quickly forming in his mind. He''d have Parker, and he''d have his army... It was only a matter of time. Chapter 509 - X Factor It doesn''t take long for Afton to return to the Think Tank, where he, fortunately, catches up to Dala just as they finish the preliminary tests on Mr X. "Dala! Did you found anything?" he quickly asks, hoping there was some ''easy fix'' that''d return his dad to normal. Dala slowly turns around as her monitors flicker in his direction, "Yes, and no..." she states ambiguously, "As you said, the franken-Teddybear has extremely similar DNA to your own, it is indeed your father..."?? "And?" he asks, waiting for Dala to continue. Dala floats near to the cell''s bars where Mr X was struggling against the titanium restraints holding him, "And, the data we recovered makes me think someone spiked my Biogel... It''s DNA actually resembles Frankenstein''s monster, you know, stitched together like patchwork? Bits and pieces of random genomes from unknown sources have been added, taken away, or altered. It''s as if the hand of God came down and started prodding the strands to see what would happen..." she explains... Or doesn''t explain? Urgh... Afton rubs his face, "Isn''t that just a roundabout way of saying you have no idea?" he asks with a long sigh. Dala shakes her monitors, "No... I''d say so if I found nothing, when have I ever lied to you, my teddy bear?... There were a few DNA strands that I did recognise, some belonging to the Fungus that grows in our garden... And around your heart... And brain... And arm-" "-Just get to the point Dala, I know the spores are involved, they used samples of my blood to mutate him!" he states. "Yes, which is why I found Its condition so peculiar... The serum I designed should have completely inhibited any spore development, meaning a complete infestation such as this should not be possible. Either they found and used another ''unscienced'' spore sample, or they possess unique and powerful technology that we, at the Think Tank, do not." "Is there any way to fix him? Or at least return his mental faculties?" he asks. "Perhaps, but it would be a long and arduous process of experimentation and trial and error... But, I have to ask, why would you want to do that?" she asks, her monitors tilting in a confused manner. Afton raises a brow, feeling slightly aggravated by her question, "What do you mean? He''s my dad, why wouldn''t I want to help him?" Dala pokes a manipulator in Mr X''s direction, "Indeed, that fact cannot be denied, yet... Is his worth as an immortal, programmable killing machine higher than your father?" she asks, curious. Afton just scowls at her, "Do I even need to answer that? You''re beginning to fray my patience, Dala." She just shrugs her monitors, "My apologies if I overstepped my boundaries..." she mutters before continuing, "If you see curing your father as more important than the other projects, I will focus entirely on it..." ... Afton thinks for a moment before asking, "What projects are nearing completing?" he asks, feeling slightly guilty that he''s potentially putting other things ahead of his own father''s wellbeing... But, as much as he hated to say it, there were far more important things than his immediate comfort. "The Cybernetic implants for the old teddy bear, the Intent-based chips, and final compilation of Scorpion-Man''s DNA." she states. ... Afton rubs his face, "Focus on the Cybernetic implants, once that''s done start working on my dad. Understand?" Dala nods, "Indubitably." she states with confidence, afterwards turning and floating away. After Dala leaves Afton takes one last glance at Mr X before leaving, "Glados, give me some good news." he calls out, waiting for a response... ... But doesn''t immediately receive one. He sighs for the nth time today, "Glados, give me some news." A drone pops down from the ceiling and floats beside him as he walks, "The Deathclaw facility managed by Dr. Borous had somehow allowed one of its subjects to escape." she states in her usual robotic tone, though, the content of what she''d just said makes Afton stop mid-step. "What did you just say?... No, scratch that, what have you done to fix it?" he quickly asks, not wanting a bunch of super-intelligent Deathclaws to start running around the wasteland. "I teleported the creature''s limbs a mile away from its body, before unleashing a number of drones equipped with flamethrowers to cook it, afterwards serving Deathclaw steaks to our prisoners." she states in a nonchalant tone. ... "Ok, good..." he mutters before continuing, "And punishments planned for Borous for his failure?" he asks. The drone''s orange eye locks with his own, "He was forced to watch as I neutralised half of his Deathclaws, afterwards he was forced to work as Dr. Mobius lab assistant for a week, it''s his second day and he''s already sent twenty-two emails begging for mercy." she explains. Afton slowly nods, remembering how Mobius babbled when they''d met for the first time. Despite the scientist improving slightly, he doubted it was much better than before... "Good... Now, how goes our progress on finding the Sierra Madre?" "Almost 75% complete... However, I am having trouble dealing with a strange interference... It is similar to how clouds of volcanic ash act, yet, more troublesome. Its interference will increase tracing time by three days." Glados explains. Afton grinds his teeth, "So it''ll be done in three days?" "Correct... Unless something else begins obstructing my attempts again. It irritates me as much as it does you, Creator. But I am sure you will relay my feelings in a manner suitable for meatbag kidnapping meatbags." she states. Afton nods, "That I will." he says, but isn''t unaware of the hypocritical fact that he''d kidnapped way, way, way more people than Elijah had likely done. Regardless, Afton''s anger against the man stifled any moral incongruity he might''ve felt... After all, Afton wasn''t the most ''stable'' person in the wasteland, but that''s not saying much. Chapter 510 - Inverta-Birdie Two days pass while Afton''s waiting for progress on tracing the Sierra Madre broadcast, this didn''t mean Afton way staying idle however. No, he''d begun to actually train his companions in how to properly utilise Power armour, production on extra sets had started, and he was beginning to think it was stupid to not equip all his MVP''s with the most powerful equipment he could. Of course, there were some exceptions... Karl, Boone, and Anja all either refused or were unable to train. Karl since he was ''disarmed'' and bound to a wheelchair, Boone and Anja because Power armour wouldn''t meaningfully improve their abilities... Honestly, using Power armour would drastically decrease their combat effectiveness in the field.?? So as a result, Tamia and Josie were the only ones getting trained. Tamia because he melee combat style would heavily suit using Power armour, and Josie because she was becoming a ''general purpose'' or ''Jack of all trades''. Josie knew how to spot, sneak, shoot, repair, build, modify, and much more. Once she was kitted out with some Power armour she''d become an effective field agent (depending on the mission). And could fit into any role, no matter the team. Still, her primary role was to repair, maintain, and help build vehicles, which is why she was so upset by the destruction of Dirt-Hog... Fortunately, Afton had been trying to fix their lack of transportation, and only a day ago had the robots he''d sent started teleporting back with parts in hand. What parts you might ask? Well, when the Brotherhood of Steel first entered the Mojave, they''d passed by a crashed Vertibird that was in relatively good shape, if you ignored the catastrophic damage it''d taken during the crash that is, of course, most people would write it off as ''fucked beyond recognition'', but with Afton''s [Mechanicus] Perk, that wasn''t necessarily true. So, that brings Afton and Josie as they wait in the garage/workshop in Big Mt, with small arcs of lightning occurring outside and delivering spider bots that carried parts of the Vertibird with them. The robots would lay the parts down on the group before exiting, teleporting away, and bringing back more. Obviously, this would be a nightmare for anyone trying to reconstruct it, so it was fortunate (or not), that the Think Tank and Brotherhood of Steel had many, many blueprints detailing how to construct, maintain, and alter Vertibirds. Honestly, the only reason Afton hadn''t built an army of them was due to how incredibly difficult they were to actually build... So many moving components and complicated hardware and software systems that needed to be heavily tested to prevent catastrophic malfunction. It would honestly be easier to build the Bomber the Boomer''s had from scratch... Which was another project entirely. "So, er, what are you gonna call this one? Dirt-Eagle?" Josie asks, looking down at the disassembled Vertibird. Afton shrugs, "I was more thinking of calling it Dirt-Bird... 2.0." he states. Josie just shakes her head at him, "Please don''t, if you start along this line then all of our vehicles are going to get very, confusing, very fast..." she says. They''d have Dirt-Bird the bike, Dirt-Bird 2.0 the Vertibird, and she bet Dirt-Bird 3.0 would be a submarine or something nonsensical. "Fine. I''ll name it when it''s built, but no promises on the name when that happens." he states. Josie nods and begins looking through the blueprints, having never worked on anything like this before... Trucks don''t have much resemblance to aircraft after all. The duo continue their jovial bantering while they begin reading the blueprints... To be honest, the relationship between Josie and Afton had been a bit awkward after the Mr X incident. She''s been very stressed out and incredibly anxious by it all... That is, until Boone had pulled her over for a ''heart to heart'' talk. He''d essentially just explained that he was in the same boat as her, but had more experience with hiding his emotions, as well as the problems afflicting the NCR itself. He admitted that he didn''t know if Afton was the solution to that problem, but he had no idea if it could be fixed through other methods... They were just ants compared to the country after all. That talk had given Josie a bit of perspective into her situation, she wasn''t the first person with conflicting loyalties, and she certainly wouldn''t be the last. Regardless, she''d focussed on what she wanted, how she''d get there, and whether or not the NCR could help her with it... That, as well as what her conscience could actually cope with. Over a thorough ''internal debate'' she felt that Bulwark might be her only shot at actually improving the situation in the wasteland, as opposed to making it worse or doing nothing at all. At least this way she could say ''I tried, but it wasn''t enough'', or ''I was apart of the revolution that changed the wasteland for the better''... Though, despite all of these things running through her mind, the biggest thing she was ashamed to admit was the fact Bulwark would likely have a vast expanse of vehicles for her to meddle with. Still, she''d keep that to herself as it sounded a lot worse than ''I wanted to make the world a better place''. The duo continued looking over the blueprints, double, triple, and quadruple checking it to make sure they weren''t missing anything. After the day was over she left to get some sleep while Afton stayed behind... They hadn''t even started on it, which has why she was so surprised to find a half-built Vertibird in the garage... She didn''t know whether she should be impressed at his efficiency, or offended at the fact he''d done almost everything without her! She grumbles to herself in irritation, "At least I''ll have a hand in picking the onboard weaponry." Chapter 511 - Turns Out, Not That Hard To Find... Afton groggily wakes up after having spent the entire night sleeping in a chair next to the Vertibird. He looks up at what was earlier just barely put-together parts and spots the almost completed Vertibird. All that was left now was to fit it with equipment, defensive things like flares and reinforced hulls, and offensive things like Railguns, missile launchers, and Gatling Lasers. Of course, he''d either need to be quick about installing all of this or ignoring it for now and doing it later... Today was supposed to be the day they finally found Christine after all. Veronica was already aware of it, and should already be up and ready to leave at any moment... If anyone was more eager to see Christine than Afton, it''d be Veronica.?? The only other problem would be the fact that only Afton and Veronica knew how to actually fly a Vertibird, the Brotherhood of Steel''s simulations allowed them to pick up the skillset, despite their covert mode of operation and complete lack of Vertibirds. Afton still wasn''t sure who he''d be taking with him... He still needed people operating in the Mojave to make things work after all. Taking Anja and Veronica while leaving the rest should work, the conditions they were headed were still completely unknown, so Anja''s status as a ghoul could be incredibly helpful. Josie could''ve come if she''d picked up how to operate Power armour quickly enough, but that sadly wasn''t the case... So, unless she wanted to come while wearing full hazmat hazard gear, she''d be left behind... Even if she complained about not getting to ride in the Vertibird on its first flight. Yeah, he wouldn''t name it yet, partly because there was a big chance of it being destroyed, and partly because it wasn''t actually completed yet... It was simply a Brotherhood of Steel quality Vertibird right now, nothing more, nothing less. Though, now that he thought about it... Didn''t the West Virginia branches have automated Vertibirds?... That might be something to look into. He leaves the workshop for a moment while calling Glados to him, her drone floating next to him as she updates him on the progress she''d made during the night. Apparently, she''d almost cracked it, but still had to get through some limited last defences. While she does this, Afton gets some Spiderbots to gather his companions so he can give them a review before he leaves. He wouldn''t want to leave them confused and bumbling around alone after all. After half an hour everyone was gathered, Karl, Tamia, Boone, Josie, Anja, and Veronica. Karl looked a little confused at being present, but didn''t raise any concerns as he knew Afton wouldn''t try and send him back onto the field in his current condition. Afton stands from the desk and tosses them each a copy of everything he''d compiled on Christine, Elder Elijah, and the Sierra Madre. As the group reads through them Karl raises a brow and looks at Afton, "So you''re going on vacation to a casino?" he asks semi-sarcastically. Afton shrugs, "I''m not sure how much of a vacation it''s going to be, but as long as I get to crush Elijah''s skull I think it''ll be worth it." he says, getting a flinch from Veronica. Despite all the evidence towards the man being a complete and utter bastard, she still held a soft spot for him... He was her mentor once upon a time. Regardless, he''d made sure to beat into her head and psyche that he needed to be put down, if not for his crimes against the Brotherhood, Afton''s parents, and everyone who died at Helios, than for his crimes against Christine. His words had given her a determined look, but he didn''t know if that would last if face to face with the man... They''d just have to wait and see. Afton coughs into his fist, "Unless anyone has any disagreements, I''ll be taking Veronica and Anja for this mission, for the reasons already listed." he explains with a gesture a the files before them. Tamia raises the paper and points at it, "Wait, so the Think Tank sold technology to this place? Isn''t that, like, super dangerous?" she asks, having seen the many monstrosities hidden around Big Mt. She was also aware of the fact that Afton had destroyed most of the dangerous shit before they''d arrived. Afton slowly nods, "Ah, that... I tried to ask the scientists about it, but apparently most of the information about the stuff they sold was destroyed during the Great War. It''s only because of the Z-38 Laboratory that we know the Sierra Madre had any contact with the Think Tank at all..." "That''s... Unsettling. To not know where the technologies of this place might be is ominous to say the least." Veronica mutters. Afton shrugs, "Trust me, I''ve already gotten rid of most of the worst shit this place had to offer..." he''s about to continue when Glados'' drone floats down beside him, "We have found the Sierra Madre." She states in her typical robotic tone. Afton grins, "Where?" ... "The Sierra Madre Casino is... In the Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico." she states, causing Afton''s grin to disappear. "There''s a mountain called the Sierra Madre?... I feel kind of stupid not knowing and checking it now..." he mutters. "Mountain Range, but yes and no... Its name suggests its location, but that doesn''t mean it would be there, or if it would be easy to find." Glados corrects, "Additionally, most evidence of the Sierra Madre mountain range has been removed from most databases from a third party... I have yet to discover who is responsible." ... Afton glances at Veronic and Anja, "Alright, get your shit, we goin'' to Mexico!" he exclaims as if they were a frat house looking for a thrill. Chapter 512 - Foggy Premonitions Once Afton, Veronica, and Anja were all suited up they left for the Sierra Madre. It''d take a couple hours of straight flying but that wasn''t really a problem. Afton and Veronica were both suited up in Power armour while Anja was wearing her usual recon armour + Deathclaw leather duster and hood. The flight itself wasn''t all that difficult... Afton was in the pilot''s seat flying in a straight line after all, so unless a secret Enclave or Brotherhood base wanted to shoot them down, it''d be smooth sailing from here.?? They''d left fairly early in the morning, meaning that when they started to approach the Sierra Madre Mountain range it was already the afternoon. Fortunately, there were already signs that their target was close. "Afton, what''s that?" Veronica asks from beside him, pointing down at a sloped in mountain passage. It was your typical wasteland desert environment, with dead, mutated, or barely surviving plantlife decorating it... Though, unlike most places, there appeared to be a heavy thin red fog lingering near the ground.. No, scratch that, it seemed to be spreading at an incredibly slow rate. Afton halts their flight and has the Vertibird float over the cloud to get a good look, all of them grimacing at what happens when the fog touches the wasteland plant life... As soon as the red fog flows over it, smoke starts being emitted from the organic matter as it rapidly decomposes, quickly turning into mulch before disappearing... "What... Was... THAT!" Veronica exclaims, horrified at whatever the fuck the red fog was. Afton was asking similar questions, it wasn''t its corrosive properties that worried him, but the sheer amount of it that seemed to be ever-increasing... That''s not even mentioning the big likelihood that wind and weather could start moving the fog around at random. "No idea, but I''m not getting caught in it, that''s for sure." he states, knowing he''d probably end up like those plants, regardless of his healing factor. It would essentially be like falling into a vat of powerful acid, there wouldn''t be anything left to heal! "Let''s keep moving... We should get to the Sierra Madre before the wind picks up, sir." Anja adds, all of them worried that the fog would be able to corrode the Vertibirds machinery should it make contact with it. Afton lifts the Vertibird higher as they continue flying, the group noticing far more of the fog the further into the mountain range they get... In fact, after a while even the sun starts becoming difficult to see due to the cloud of fog hovering over the entire area... The group were close to shitting themselves at the fact that any moment a ''cloud break'' could occur and annihilate them all from existence via an agonizing and torturous death. The entire mountain range was covered in the fog, and was honestly beginning to get difficult to avoid all of the floating pockets of it in the air. Fortunately, Afton finally spots their destination... Or at least, what should be their destination. Over at the top of a mountain sat a towering building that was completely covered in the red fog... There weren''t any lights visibly coming from it however, instead, the only sign of lights or some sort of civilisation existing at all was from the village below the mountain where the building sat. The town was strange, to say the least, Spanish-looking buildings with small pockets of fog scattered here and there. It seemed as if the fog was actively avoiding it, as the area around the town was completely untraversable. Veronica points down at some sort of town square with a dilapidated and empty water fountain. "I think we can land there, it looks clear of fog." she states. Afton nods in agreement and slowly lowers the Vertibird there, careful to make sure they''re easily able to retreat and fly away should shit really hit the fan... The group steps out of the Vertibird once they touch down, each of them cautiously looking around the eerily silent area. "Fuck, this looks like the start of a horror movie." Afton mutters, already wielding his Anti-material Rifle in preparations for any aggression. From his shoulder, a small but powerful light appears and begins illuminating their surroundings... It isn''t completely dark, but the cloud lingering overhead stopped most sunlight from reaching the ground, allowing a few alleyways and corners to potentially hide enemies. Veronica and Anja had their weapons out as well, Gauss Rifle and SMG respectively. "So... Any ideas where Christine could be? It might take days searching this entire place, maybe weeks if we include the big ass building on the mountain." Veronica gestures with a nod at the towering shadow in the distance. Afton shrugs, his armour releasing a metallic clank as he does so, "Er... Maybe if we ask some of the locals?" She scoffs, "You think people would actually live in this place?" He shakes his head, "Not willingly... But when has Elijah ever been so merciful." he states. ... The group walk over to the fountain and Afton picks up a strange coin from it, someone previously having tossed it in to make or wish or something. "Coin, or Casino chip?" he mutters to himself, not sure due to how expensive it looked... *Bzztch!* Above the fountain a hologram of Elder Elijah appears, shocking the group momentarily as it begins to speak, "A chip, to answer your question... Now that I''ve alleviated your curiosity, wouldn''t it be polite for you to reciprocate?... What are my former colleagues doing here? The Brotherhood shouldn''t know of this place." the man asks, his voice echoing in the familiar raspy, almost manic tone. Afton scowls and taps his chest where the Bulwark insignia sits, "Have you become blind, old man. We don''t belong to the Brotherhood." he states. The hologram flickers, "Ah, a fledgling group that''s completely out of their depths... I''ll give you this one opportunity to leave as an older, wiser person. If you ignore my warning then, I apologise for the fate that awaits you." he says solemnly. Chapter 513 - Ghosts Appear Veronica unconsciously growls at Elijah''s words, "We aren''t going anywhere, Elder." she spits while taking her helmet off, revealing her face to him and causing him to go silent. "Veronica." he audibly mutters, half in disbelief and half in confusion. "Why are you here?..." he asks, his tone noticeably softer than before.?? "Why do you think I''m here?" Veronica retorts, her question clearly rhetorical. ... "I imagine it''s to retrieve your... Childhood sweetheart...?" Afton nods, "It''s good you acknowledge it so quickly, means you must already know where she is." he says, taking advantage of Elijah''s strange state. "N-no no no, she isn''t here! You''ve come and achieved nothing! Leave before the cloud takes you!" he demands, the sound of his fist slamming into something becoming audible. Veronica puts her helmet back on and shakes her head, "We aren''t going anywhere without finding her! And if we can''t do that, I''ll find you instead and wring your neck until you speak the truth!" she growls. "THEN YOU WILL DIE!" Elijah finally shouts as a strange sound starts emitting from a nearby siren. The hologram cuts out, leaving the trio cautiously standing in the middle of the town square as the sound of scrambling and staggard movements start occurring around them. Afton whips around when a manhole cover is thrown from its position, it leaves a trail of corrosive red fog as it flies through the air, and from the manhole, a strange humanoid figure appears. It creepily crawls out with a cleaver in one hand... It seems to be a person wearing a strange black hazmat suit with glowing green eyes. Afton''s eyes widen when he sees it, quickly recognising it as one of the experimental hazmat suits designed by the Think Tank before the Great War. "Stop there or I''ll blow your damn head off!" he commands while pointing his rifle at it. The creature ignores his commands however, slowly moving towards the trio while its body bends and contorts are awkward angles the human body made to perform... To Afton, it looks more akin to a zombie than anything else... Once it gets a couple of meters away from the group its weird and awkward movements change as it throws itself towards them at surprising speeds! Afton isn''t surprised, however, allowing its cleaver to skitter off of his armour as he drives his metal elbow into its face, pile-driving it into the floor and kicking up a good amount of dust. Afton stands up from the attack and looks down at the creature, surprised that it''s still moving... The force of his attack should have completely crushed its skull and liquified its brain... Yet it still seems aware and aggressive... He tries to finish the creature off by firing his Anti-Material Rifle into its chest, this blows a huge hole into it, destroying its heart, lungs, ribs, and spine... But it still continues to move. The hole that was created even starts to be filled with a strange substance similarly coloured to the red corrosive fog... Finally having enough and wanting to alleviate his curiosity he targets it with [Living Anatomy] to see just what the fuck this thing actually is. [Ghost] Health : ??% Stamina : ??% DT : 18 Strength : 10 Perception : 3 Endurance : 10 Charisma : 1 Intelligence : 1 Agility : 1 Luck : 1 Ailments : [Cloud-Ridden] : An unfortunate soul complete contaminated by the Cloud, forcing them to live an agonized and tortured resistance. Unable to die through most conventional means, regenerative capabilities, enhanced strength and endurance while everything else is significantly reduced. [Blood-Crazed Hunter] : Massively enhanced agility when attacking, mental derangement. [KILLMEKILLMEKILLMEKILLMEGODITHURTSKILLMEPLEASEHELPKILLMEKILLME-] : ?? Afton''s hard look softens slightly as he reads through the status... "Sorry bastard..." he mutters, firing a shot into its head and splattering its brain matter across the ground... Only for its head to start slowly regenerating. Veronica fires her Gauss Rifle at it but it achieves similar results as Afton''s attempt. "Why won''t it die!" Afton holsters his rifle onto his back while igniting his Ultra Chainsword, "The fog is preventing it from dying." he states, "Best we can do is chop it up and stop it from regenerating." He slices his weapon at the Ghost, cutting it in half before continuing his attacking, cutting it into four, eight, sixteen, etc. Eventually, all that''s left is a pile of bloody flesh that seems to be emitting particles of red fog. Despite his efforts, the flesh still seems to be trying to heal itself... Annoyed, he kicks the pile of flesh which forces the many chunks to separate as they''re scattered around the area. This seems to put the creature out of commission as while it still seems to be trying to heal, its flesh is spread too far apart to properly regain its mass. He sighs, "That should deal with it for now..." he mutters, looking back at the disturbed-looking Veronica and Anja. However, it''s only when he turns around that he notices why they were looking that way... Behind him, he could spot more ghosts entering the square. Twenty, thirty, almost forty of them stumbling towards the group... Afton glances at his companions, "Yeah, fuck this. We barely ''killed'' one, I''m not getting involved with... That!" he exclaims, grabbing Anja and forcing a knife-hand into the side of a building, penetrating the wall and creating a temporary handhold for him to climb. He quickly scales up the building with Anja holding on via her hands around his neck... Veronica slowly follows, using the handholds he''d created. Once they all reach the roof he kneels down and looks over at the Ghost people trying to follow but completely failing at it. He looks at the others, "See? I told you this was like a horror movie... At least we have the advantage in technology... Though, wouldn''t that make this Alien?" he ponders. "Afton, we don''t have time to deconstruct your vague callbacks that no one''s ever heard of... There''s literally an army of undying creatures inhabiting this town, and we still have no idea where Christine is!" Veronica exclaims. Chapter 514 - Local. Afton pokes her in the forehead of her helmet, "Calm down. We''ll find her, and we''ll kick Elijah in the balls while we''re at it, so chill." he says placatingly, Veronica releases a sigh but doesn''t say anything else, instead, turning her attention to the rest of the town. Honestly, there wasn''t all that much to see, aside from the sprawling rooftops it was difficult to spot anything that indicated what distract they were in, what building was which, or what wasn''t completely covered in fog.?? They could see a few streets heavy with fog, but aside from that it was a gamble attempting to enter any buildings. Just opening a door could release fog onto you and burn you to death, so the whole town was basically a death trap. With nothing else left to do, the trio starts hopping from one roof to another, hoping to find some indication of where Christine was, or where they could even go without being swarmed by Ghosts... Every time they touched the ground, Elijah would activate a siren that would bring more creatures towards them, making it impossible to go anywhere... Still, at least they now knew that Elijah was in a security station or someplace that allowed him access to the area''s systems. "Urgh! This is getting us nowhere!" Veronica groans, though Afton and Anja were feeling similar sentiments. "Yeah, but we don''t really have any other options, so persistence is key." Afton states. Veronica just shakes her head, and is about to retort when she spots movement off in the distance... The other''s also notice the faint figure, moving swiftly and almost gracefully, unlike how the Ghosts get around... The figure vanishes into an alleyway and Afton quickly hops to the next roof towards it, "Come on, this might be our key outta here." he says. The group continues moving across the rooftops, and eventually drop down onto a balcony to see if they could find the figure. Afton pokes his head through the doorway into the building and is surprised to find the entire place rigged with explosives and traps... The stairway has two shotgun traps, and an active mine on the landing. If you get past that you''d find tripwires linked to the pins of grenades that were hanging from the ceiling... All in all, if you tripped all the traps wall bumbling through here, the entire second floor of the building would explode. Needless to say, it''d probably put any Ghosts who wander up here out of commission and prevent any more from coming up... Come to think of it, the only reason someone would do this would be to stop the Ghosts from coming up here... Seeing as whoever had set it all up wasn''t here, that meant that it was meant to protect something else... Like another path? Afton pulls back and looks at the others, "Don''t go in there, it''s rigged to blow to kingdom come with a single mistake..." he says while looking around the balcony, quickly noticing the large sheet of metal linking the balcony to the next one over. Following it, he looks into the room connected to it and finds that the stairway had been blocked off entirely. However, the place was still empty... Afton walks atop the next sheet of metal linking the balconies, and after finding a few empty rooms, he stumbles across a balcony doorway covered by sheets, he takes a peek behind it and spots lights, meaning the sheets were meant to stop the lights from attracting attention. "Hello?" he calls out, hoping to not get attacked by a surprised resident. ... Nobody answers, but he can hear rapid movement, meaning whoever lived here was still inside. "I''m coming in, don''t shoot or we''ll both regret it." he warns as he cautiously steps through, watching for any traps. Veronica and Anja trail behind him closely, the latter making sure to utilise the others as human shields. Soon enough, Afton eventually spots the person living here... A ghoul wearing a ragged black suit, big sunglasses, and a collar? around his neck. He was sat in a chair looking out of a large hole in his apartment wall, there was a chair next to him, and Afton could see a couple wires sticking out from it, meaning whatever was there had been hastily made, or the aesthetics weren''t important. The ghoul turns his head to look at them and was about to speak when he freezes, "W-what are you doing here in those suits of armour!?" he asks, the words unconsciously slipping from his mouth. "What do you mean? Have you seen those things out there? I''d rather be wearing this than that suit." Afton retorts, causing the ghoul to frown. "No. That''s not what I meant, HE, would have never let you IN... D-did you kill him?" he tentatively asks, but loses hope when his collar buzzes to life. "*Bzztch!* No. I''m not dead, nor are they able to kill me... Do not speak to them, or you know what will happen.*Bzztch!*" Elijah says through the collar before shutting off communications. The ghoul scowls and stands from his seat, throwing his glasses at the floor and causing them to shatter, "Oh, you bastard... I''ll toss you into the cloud when I find you, chaining me up like a-a dog!" Afton takes a sideways glance at Veronica, "Another one of Elijah''s victims then?" he guesses, getting a small nod but pursing his lips when he thinks to say more. "You heard him, I say anything to you and my head explodes," he taps his collar that''s started to slowly and rhythmically beep, "And I know from experience that he does not lie." Afton frowns, quickly recognising the collar as the one''s formerly used at Little Yangtze to keep the ghoul prisoners properly behaved. He cuts out the microphone of his helmet and whispers to Nyx, "Do we have any way to deactivate the collar? We still have those one''s that Elijah had altered in the Think Tank, right?" "We do, sir... If you give me a moment, I could pull up their schematics." Nyx states. Afton nods in agreement before turning his microphone back on, "What''s your name?" Chapter 515 - Temporary Ally The ghoul chuckles and shakes his head for a moment, "Hehe, I''ll never get used to people asking me that... Dean, Dean Domino." he states with an outstretched hand. Afton just shakes it with a raised brow, why wouldn''t people ask him that? Is he some kind of hermit or something?... He''s a ghoul so it''s possible??? "Name''s Afton Parker, she''s Veronica, and that''s Anja." he says while gesturing at each of them respectively before continuing, "Also... What''s the deal with all those traps? Is it just for the Ghosts, or something else?" he asks, more to keep the conversation going so Nyx could pull up the collar schematics. Dean''s eyes squint meaningfully as he shakes his head, "That''s not something I can say." he states. Veronica speaks up, "Have you seen anyone called Christine around here? Blonde hair, blue eyes... cute face..." she adds with slightly reddening cheeks. Dean shakes his head again, "No, even if I did, I wouldn''t be able to say." he taps his collar, as if asking them to stop this before he makes a slip. "Sir, I''ve received recovered the schematics. Would you like to jam its signal?" Nyx asks. He nods, and once the signals jammed he steps towards domino, an especially designed hole on the palm of his right gauntlet allowing him to form a wood-like screwdriver, "Hold still, I''ve jammed Elijah''s signal, but I don''t know how long that''ll last." he states. Dean''s eyes widen and he doesn''t back away as Afton starts fiddling with the collar. Elijah seems to have welded metal over the screws of the collar to prevent easy access to the inner components... Fortunately, it''s incredibly easy for him to tear the plating off... The next obstacle was the peculiar and unique screws used that seemed designed to counter any regular screwdriver you might normally find... Again, Afton''s abilities allowed him to morph his arm into any shape, making it incredibly easy to create the proper tool for the job. He''d already read the schematics before, so having it on his hud now was more to shake the rust off than anything... There were a number of components to it, among them were the three separate and intricate triggering mechanisms, a signal receiver, voice modulator, and the other number of things Elijah might have added... However, the most important thing that seems to have stayed the same, the actual explosives contained within the collar... This itteration appears to have just been stuffed with small amounts of C4 in separate hidden parts of the collar... Afton was honestly working overtime to remove all the C4 as their hidden compartments were so numerous and well hidden, but eventually, he''d removed all of it. And after double-checking the collar for anymore he puts the collar back together and backs away while hiding the C4 he''d collected. Dean Domino would still be unsure if the operation had been a success, but he''d been using a handheld mirror to watch Afton work, and as an explosives expert himself, he was sure that was all of it. They''d finished just in time too since the collar started rapidly beeping, indicating that Elijah knew something fishy was happening. Once he''d returned however he''d found Afton and Dean still in conversation... "Why are you being kept here anyway?" Afton asks. Dean shrugs, "What you believe that I''m just trying to take what''s rightfully mine?... Other than that, I suppose ''HE'' needs me alive for something." Afton grins under his helmet, "If he needs you alive, why are you worried about him killing you? I''d bet that collar of yours is a dud." he explains. ... Dean shakes his head, keeping up the act, "No... I wouldn''t put it past him, but... He''s given me more lenience than many of the other''s he''s brought here... Maybe your words have some truth in them." he says, but the quicker beeping of the collar indicates that Elijah highly disagreed. "Come with us, we could use your experience around here... We might even be able to help you find what you''re looking for." Afton offers and Dean nods. "*Bzztch!* You will not! You''re life means little to me in the grand scheme of things, and I would not hesitate to end you should you prove a threat!*Bzztch!*" Elijah threatens from the collar. Dean shakes his head with a chuckle, "You know as well as I that my ''status'' within the Casino makes me too valuable to remove. Without me, any hope of finding the treasure will be lost." he looks to Afton, "I''ll accompany you, but be warned, this place is far more dangerous than you know." he states, and the beeping slows until it becomes an occasional update of the collars existence. Afton nods, "Alright, now, do you know anything about Christine Royce?" he asks. Dean shakes his head, "I haven''t seen them, nor have I seen anyone resembling her among the many dead former captives." he explains. Veronica breathes a sigh of relief behind Afton at this, at least it wasn''t certain that Christine was dead yet. Afton nods, "And the traps?" he asks again, hoping to get an honest answer from the now ''freed'' ghoul. Dean frowns, "It isn''t only the ghosts the dwell in this haunted city... There are also Holograms programmed to kill any they see, they shoot lasers from their eyes that are even capable of disintegrating the ghosts... If you see blue turn red, run." he says before continuing, "... Of course, the holograms aren''t the only blue menace running around here... The one who calls himself, Dog. A big Super Mutant that is under ''HIS'' control, he''s the one who brings in the new collared captives..." he explains. Afton raises a brow, "I see... Well, what do you know about this town? What districts are there and where might our friend be?" Chapter 516 - Im Blue. Dean shrugs and begins listing out the various districts of the town. It takes a while due to him having to explain the various shortcuts and pathways needed to get from one area to another, but eventually they have a clear picture painted out. The various areas for the town were known as;?? Puesta del Sol : Most of the construction of the place wasn''t even completed, in addition, most of the ground level is completely covered by the Cloud, making it almost unpassable, save a few like Dean. Of course, with all the danger present, there had to be a point of interest, in particular the Switching Station that was vital for gaining access to the Sierra Madre Casino atop the mountain. Though, Dean is reluctant to tell them how, or why. Residential District : Their current location, the ground floor as per usual is heavy with the Cloud, and the traps Dean had set around the place only made it more perilous to traverse. Add the many, many Ghosts wandering around and few would willingly venture here, though, this makes it a perfect spot for Dean to make his home. Salida del Sol : A place completely infested by Ghosts, which is ironic due to the fact it''s where most religious housing and churches were placed. The infestation is only made worse by the fact that no Holograms were present to kill the Ghosts, the reason for this was due to ''religious mandates or some such'' as Dean describes it. Again, explains that another Switching Station is present here, though he''d apparently never seen it since this district is the most dangerous by far. Medical District : This place formerly held many clinics, hospitals and medical research buildings, but is now patrolled by Ghosts. Dean had explored a good portion of it, but hadn''t been there lately due to the speakers that were strategically placed around... These Speakers would apparently detonate the collars if someone was stood within their range for long enough... Now it''s no longer an issue of course, but that didn''t mean they wanted Elijah to know of their treachery yet. Villa : This is where Elijah first spoke to the group, and where they landed the Vertibird... They''d probably need to get back to it at some point if they wanted to escape. Afton was all too aware that the Cloud lingering overhead would probably prevent any attempts at teleportation... There''s also the fact that if they tried, only half of them would reach their destination. Villa Police Station : Last and certainly least, was the police station... Apparently, Dean had already looted this place dry, and with what he found made numerous traps, mines, and other explosives with it. He''d scrapped most of the ballistic weaponry there for gunpowder and other metal components, making going there basically pointless. All of this information was fantastic but still didn''t help their efforts in finding Christine all that much... Though, at least now they knew where they were looking, and Dean''s help would probably prevent them from walking around in circles. Afton stands from his seated position and claps his hands together, making a metallic sound ring out, "Alright, we should probably get moving then..." he looks to Dean, "Any idea where we should check first?" The ghoul shrugs, "I would not know where to start... We''re trying to find someone who''s likely a captive of ''HIM''... So maybe the Police Station Cells would be a place to start?" he offers. Afton nods, "Good enough for me." The group leave Dean''s home and begin taking his various shortcuts through the Residential District towards where the Police Station is. Strangely or not, Elijah has yet to trigger any of the Ghost attracting alarms. Afton was pretty sure this was due to the presence of Dean, but he could be wrong... Something to note while they travelled was the fact that the Cloud was able to corrode most metals... This even included Saturnite Alloy, meaning Afton and Veronica''s Power armour wouldn''t protect them if they fell into it. The group had almost reached the Police Station and were currently standing on a rooftop overlooking the street where its entrance lay. Dean has an odd look on his face as he looks down it however, "I don''t remember there being so many Ghosts before... And the Cloud... Looks like someone has pumped it in from another District. Maybe ''HE'' doesn''t want you to find something inside?" he questions. Afton nods, "It''s starting to look tha-" he starts, but before he can finish his sentence his Danger Sense blares like another sun from behind him. He turns around in time to dodge the kick aimed at his back, but is too late to stop Anja from being thrown from the roof and towards the street below, the street thick with the Cloud and Ghosts... "Fuck!" Afton shouts, ignoring the attacker for now as he leaps for Anja, managing to grab her midair as they tumble towards the street. They slam into the wall opposite the rooftop and drop into the Cloud as the other watch. Veronica turns towards the attacker and gives an enraged shout as she attempts to shoot it in the face with her Gauss Rifle. The Nightkin Super Mutant who''d ambushed them immediately ducks to avoid a shot, and with speed not seen commonly seen from its species, tackles her while managing to knock the rifle from her hands and into the street below. "Piece of shit!" Veronica shouts as she wrestles with the mutant, their strength somewhat matched, though, after a few traded punches, it was clear she was slightly weaker than it, even with her Power armour. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The Super Mutant is about to slam its fists down on Veronica''s head when it stumbles from being shot in the back. Dean glares at the mutant while still pointing his revolver, "You may have just killed my ticket out of here, you will regret it!" he states while unloading the rest of his bullets. Chapter 517 - Bawler Brawler After Dean unloads the rest of his bullets at the Super Mutant, Veronica is finally given a chance to get a good look at it... Its skin is blue, meaning it''s a Nightkin and it''s wrapped in many chains, as if it''d been restrained until now. Add the many brutal scars displayed across its body and the name ''DOG'' written across its chest, Veronica was sure the creature didn''t have a choice in its actions against them... Regardless, this thing had just kicked and potentially killed Afton and Anja... For that, she wouldn''t forgive it.?? Dean quickly tries to reload his revolver as Dog walks towards him, "DOG NO BE CAGED AGAIN, NO BE HUNGRY! DOG EAT YOU!" the mutant roars as he goes to charge Dean, but is taken off-guard when Veronica appears behind it and viciously uppercuts it in the side, her shotgun fist weapon blowing flesh from its side. *BANG!* Despite the force of the attack, it looked only to be a flesh wound... Its skin was much thicker than she''d expected, fortunately, the stopping power of her attack knocks it off balance slightly. "Dog can go fuck itself!" she taunts, raising her fists in a boxer''s stance. Dean glances at her, "I do not think it''s a good idea to insult it! You''ll just make it angrier!" he says as he reloads and observes the beast regain its balance. Veronica sneers under her helmet, "How else am I gonna get its attention? Unless you want to do it!?" she says as she runs towards it for round three. Dean shakes his head and flips the wheel of the revolver back into the gun, "Ah, no, I think you''ve got it handled." *BANG!* Veronica slams her fist towards Dog''s head, but it blocks with its arm and she ends up hitting its shoulder instead, blowing a hole into its muscle. "DOG KILL YOU!" the Mutant roars as it grabs Veronica by the helmet and tries to break her neck. This would have been effective had Afton not taken this particular weakness into consideration. Veronica deals a number of hits to its stomach in response, blowing yet more flesh from it... By now Dog was looking like a walking wound, but despite that, it continues moving and attacking, as if hadn''t been hurt at all. Dog unloads numerous punches on Veronica and only becomes angrier and more fierce at seeing her not taking any damage at all. He reals back from one of Dean''s bullets bouncing off of his forehead and picks up a rock before smashing it into Veronica''s head. The rock smashes into her visor, doing no damage but blocking her vision as the rock turns to dust on impact. She makes a punch for Dog but misses as he''s already moved, this time towards Dean. "Now, now... Be a good Dog and go back to your master..." Dean offers while slowly backing away from the mutant, his gun ready to fire. Dog growls in response, grabbing his head and thrashing around painfully for a moment, "M-Masters o-orders! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!!!" he screams as both he and Dean unconsciously approach the edge of the roof. By this time Veronica had managed to dig the dust out of her visor and looks towards Dog, getting an idea... She breaks into a sprint while the creature is undergoing some kind of mental break, her heavy steps causing it to turn around. Dean, realising what was about to happen rapidly gets out of the way. "This is payback!" she shouts as she crashes into Dog, carrying him for a moment, before finally throwing him off the edge of the building, gifting him with one shotgun punch to the face before it falls into the Cloud below. She takes a couple of breaths after this, Dean steps beside her while looking down at where Dog had fallen. Both could see shadows in the Cloud, and it was easy to tell who was who due to the agonizing screams Dog was letting out. Dean chuckles, "I believe this is the Golden Rule? ''Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'', you sure showed that blue bastard... A shame about your friends though." he offers, doing his best to seem sympathetic, even if his only regret that they wouldn''t be able to help him escape the Sierra Madre now. Veronica shakes her head, "If I know Afton, he''s probably still alive down there, or inside the Police Station waiting for us... Trust me, he''s survived worse things than this," she states confidently. Dean shrugs, "Whatever you say. Honestly, I have half a mind to ditch your pretty behind and try find my own way out," he gestures at the collar, "But I suppose trust is a two-way street... Let''s head to the Police Station and find your friend, shall we?" he says as Dog''d screams begin petering out, though strangely, they seem more angry than pained. Veronica nods, "Alright... Got a plan?" "Hop over the rooftops and climb in through a window, the cells should be on the ground floor and basement, which is a problem considering how many Ghosts are now wandering around." Dean explains. "Alright... Let''s go." she says, drawing her plasma pistol and following Dean as he starts making his way to the Police Station. Elsewhere : Elijah scowls at the monitor, he''d been watching the fight between his slave and the group from a streetside camera. He''d thought everyone was going well when the first two had fallen from the roof, but the next thing he knows his former apprentice kicks Dog to his death! "I won''t let years of work go to waste like thisss!" he hisses, quickly thinking over his other countermeasures... Dog was dead, he had no doubt about that, the Cloud was a vicious as it was efficient, and Dog was already wounded when he was kicked inside... But, Dog wasn''t necessary for his plans, he only needed someone strong enough to hold the Switches for the Gala event... Perhaps someone in Power armour...? Chapter 518 - Hopeless Sight Afton had just caught Anja as she''d been kicked from the roof, and they both had plummeted into the Cloud below. He''d done his best to help Anja alleviate the impact from the fall, but they both still heavily hit the ground. Afton didn''t have time to be stunned however as he could immediately feel the Cloud beginning to fuck with his Power armour, that wasn''t the more dire thing, however...?? "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRGGGHHHHHH!!" Anja howls, her recon armour and Deathclaw leather duster only providing limited protection from the Cloud. She tears her mask from her face as her skin visibly begins to corrode and melt from her body. Afton feels as if his heart is about to explode from his chest at the sight, his friend and companion was dying an agonizing and painful death right before his eyes, and there was almost nothing he could do about it! Panicking, he quickly looks around for anyplace that might be free of the Cloud, but doesn''t immediately spot one... Deciding that he had no other choice, he pushes material from his plant arm through the hole in his palm and quickly tries to form a protective shell around Anja... He picks her up, and in her fetal position, she''s quickly covered by the wood-like substance. *COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!* Afton splutters, beginning to feel the effects of the Cloud. "FUCK! I''m not getting infected by more fucking FOG!" he shouts, ignoring the burning in his mouth, throat, and chest. He picks up the shell covering Anja and quickly runs down the street where the Police Station should be. Already, despite the shell having been created seconds ago, the Cloud was already corroding it, eating away at it as if it were paper to a flame. AND! If things couldn''t get worse, hundreds of Ghosts were rapidly approaching him from all directions, their stuttering and slow movements not making apparent how much shit Afton had just found himself in. A Ghost charges him with some kind of spear, but with Afton''s hands currently full with Anja he simply jumps over its attack, stamping on its face as if he were Mario against a Turtle. He kicks off and lands on another Ghost, its weapon skittering off of his armoured leg as he lands ontop of it, crushing its skull with his foot. *Clang! Clang! Clank! Clang!* More and more Ghosts begin speeding up as they approach, all of them making fierce yet ineffective attacks against Afton as his armour deflects all of them. He ignores them and pushes fast towards the Police Station... He could barely make out the lights through the Cloud, and after fighting off a few more Ghosts, eventually managed to reach the Station doors. He kicks them open before slamming them shut again, dropping Anja at the side while grabbing all the nearby furniture and shoving it against the door as a makeshift barricade. The Ghosts, without a living target become slower, their attacks against the door seemingly as weak as a regular person... They wouldn''t be getting through the barricade anytime soon, and the amount of Cloud inside the building was far less than outside, meaning he and Anja were safe for the moment. Once he determines that they are safe, he tears apart the shell covering Anja so Afton could get a good look at her... He stifles the gasp threatening to escape his mouth once he sees her... Her skin couldn''t be classified as pretty even before this, her Ghoul nature making her look like a necrotising ballsack... But now? She looks as if someone had skinned a human alive, covered them in sulfuric acid, and finished them off with extensive blowtorch ''treatment''... That wasn''t the most horrific thing however... Her eyes were gone, her sockets vacant and empty, with heavy scarring. By the looks of it, any attempts at transplants would be useless, as the optical neves were too extensively damaged... Even Cybernetics might not work... That wasn''t all of the damage though, all her teeth had corroded and disappeared, her mouth and throat heavily scarred, so much that Afton was surprised she was able to breathe at all... Without waiting another moment, he applies two stimpacks to her and the effects are immediately apparent, though, somewhat disappointing. Her skin begins healing slightly and the open wounds on her body stitch themselves closed. The damage to her eyes and throat weren''t helped all that much however. Afton looks around the room, it''s a reception office of the Police Station, with cells nearby and doors leading to other rooms... He swipes an arm across the reception desk and places Anja on it, using a few stacks of paper as a makeshift pillow. She''s stable for now, but once she wakes up she''d be in terrible pain. Add her blindness and he was worried about how she''d react... To make everything a bit easy, he injects some Med X into her side, the painkiller hopefully helping her sleep better. Once she was safe and secure, Afton releases a sigh and takes the chance to look himself over... The silver-bluish tint of his armour had seemingly rusted and begun deteriorating. He takes off his helmet and coughs into his hand, quickly realising the red he''d just spit out... Further examination reveals that the air filtration systems of his armour had all become filled with some sort of red viscous fluid. It''s like tar, but corrosive and slightly less sticky. He could still feel the faint burning in his chest, meaning that whatever damage had been done to him wasn''t healing as quickly as he''d expect... His various regeneration Perks somehow unable to combat whatever the Cloud was trying to do to him. He rubs his face and begins thinking over his various plans and contingencies when he could hear steps coming towards him from the next room... He pulls his Ultra Chainsword off of his belt and ignites it, just as a Ghost barrels through the door and thrusts a strange-looking knife at him. He deflects it with the back of his fist and plunges the blade into its stomach, twisting it and forcing it upwards, bisecting the top-half of the creature... He then cuts off its arms, legs, and head, and places them at opposite sides of the room to prevent it from regenerating. Chapter 519 - Trust Me Not Dean and Veronica slowly make their way across the rooftops until they finally reach the back Police Station... Both stand just outside a third story window and cautiously peek through the dusty glass to see if there are any threats inside... "*Bzztch!* You know, I never wanted to leave you, Veronica." Elijah says through Dean''s collar, causing her brows to rise almost to her hairline in consternation.?? She scoffs, "That''s bullshit and you know it. You left us all to die simply because things didn''t go your way... Like a child throwing a tantrum!" "I admit, I did not act as well as I should have considering the stakes of the situation... But you know what it feels like, don''t you? To have everyone''s hopes solely on your shoulders until they suddenly deem you the cause of all their problems... They all FORCED ME TO LEAVE!" Elijah spits. Veronica just shakes her head, "You can try to convince me all you want, but what you''ve done to Christine at Big Mt is unforgivable!" ... "You know of Big Mountain?" Elijah asks after a moment of silence, curiosity thick in his tone. Veronica doesn''t reply, feeling as if she was getting dangerously close to revealing some of Bulwark''s secrets... "Then you must know of the horrific creatures and experiments that occurred there... You must know that I didn''t have a choice over what happened to Royce. She was attacking me and she got caught in my escape attempt... It makes me sick to think what those mad scientists would have done in my absence..." Veronica scowls, "What do you want, Elijah?" "I don''t want anything... I just think that you''ve been told horrible lies about me... Maybe if I told you where Royce was, you''d trust me a little more?" he asks, but this only confuses Veronica further. "Why?" Elijah sneers behind the monitor he was talking through, at her question, he schools his features and speaks in the softest tone he can manage, "Because despite it all, I still see you as a daughter of sorts, my daughter... You believe me, don''t you?" he asks. ... Veronica looks down at the floor with her hands balled into fists, "Tell me where Christine is and I might consider it..." "Of course, I would never willingly lie to you, Veronica... Christine is being kept in the Medical District, you will find her in a malfunctioning Auto-Doc where she''s unfortunately been trapped for weeks." he explains. Veronica frowns, "Are you telling the truth? You aren''t lying to me again, are you?" "Not at all, believe me when I say you''ll find Christine there. I only hope you''ll find yourself able to trust me more once my words prove true... So long for now, my Apprentice.*Bzztch!*" Veronica releases a long sigh at this and takes a glance at Dean who quickly shakes his head. Elijah could still be listening, so it was best to show his silent refusal to believe that bastard. Veronica herself was pretty confused about the whole interaction. She knew Elijah was probably lying to her, but there''d be no point in refusing to search the Medical District since they had already planned to... Perhaps he''d laid a trap there? Or perhaps Christine was really there, and he had another sinister plan in the works? She shakes the thoughts from her head and breaks the lock to the Police Station third floor window and forces it upwards, allowing them inside. Fortunately, there didn''t seem to be any Cloud present on this floor... However, within the hallway, the duo was currently standing there were two Ghosts slowly approaching them. Veronica takes a sideways glance at Dean who nods in response, before charging the two enemies. Her fist shotgun colliding with the gas mask of the nearest Ghost, blowing a large hole in its head and turning it to mulch. It falls to the floor and starts squirming and seizing while a new head starts to grow in its place. Dean fires some shots at the next one but it achieves almost nothing, small holes being created in the Hazmat suits which are quickly sealed by the Cloud-like substance. It slashes at Veronica with a knife, causing sparks when it collides with her armour... In fact, the attack had even left a small scratch in the Saturenite plating, which could only mean one thing... The knife was made from Saturenite Alloy! Veronica grabs the wrist of the Ghost when it tries for another attack, headbutting it and giving an uppercut to its stomach, blowing a hole through its spine and back. Its legs go limp due to the damage to its spine, but that didn''t mean it was out for the count. She grabs it by the neck and throws it at a nearby window, sending it flying out and plummeting to the ground from three stories up. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Dean attempts to shoot the healing Ghost but its head continues to form without obstruction, it jumps on Veronica''s back once it does, but due to it dropping its weapon after losing its head, it ineffectively flails its limbs at her head, arms, chest, and back. More annoyed than threatened, Veronica grabs this one and tosses it out the window like the last. The other one softens its landing, but both collapsed into a heap, not able to move until their injuries heal... They wouldn''t be a problem for them unless the duo wanted to exit out from that way. They certainly wouldn''t be able to get back into the building. Veronica glances back at Dean with a smirk hidden by her helmet, "Thanks for all your help, you really showed them." she jokes. Dean chuckles, "Give me some armour like yours, and I might be more useful." he says with a shrug. Veronica laughs, and they both begin going through all the nooks and crannies of the third floor of the Police Station, looking for anything that might be useful, or any place Christine might be held. Despite Elijah''s words, Veronica was wary over trusting him too much, so it''d be best to look everywhere they could in case they miss something. Chapter 520 - The Point Of Skills Afton was still pacing around the barricaded reception of the Police Station, waiting for Anja to wake up so they could start moving again... Her state was a perilous one, and despite his wishes to find Veronica again, he didn''t want to worsen her condition without something dire coming up. There''s also the fact that if he left her, she''d be vulnerable to any Ghosts that manage to wander by... Even now he could hear their almost rhythmic banging against the barricaded entrance...?? *GASP!* Afton''s attention is quickly drawn to Anja who''d just sucked in a breath, she tries to sit up but finds herself unable to, her body coughs but yet again, she seems unable too... The sheer damage done to he throat and lungs might even be preventing her from taking in oxygen... In which case, there was nothing he could do for her. "Anja! I''m here, focus on my voice." he says, resting a hand on her shoulder and the back of her head. She trembles, her body twitching as if every pain receptor was activating at once... Which Afton wouldn''t be surprised if they were... "S-s-sir! E-everything h-hurts!" she stutters out, her hands slowly clasping each other as if she was trying to feel if they were still there... "You got hurt Anja, badly. I managed to stabilise you but the damage you took was... Extensive." he explains, not attempting to sugar coat it as the pain she was feeling right now would make it obvious he was lying. "S-sir... I-I can''t see!" she fearfully mutters, her hands hesitantly approaching her face, brushing against her cheeks and eventually towards her empty eye sockets... Her hands jolt away from her face as she realises her eyes were gone, the painful truth surely screaming itself raw in her mind. Afton gives a solemn nod, "The Cloud destroyed your eyes before I could pull you out. But don''t worry, the Think Tank are already designing implants, we could make you new eyes! Everything will be alright, trust me on this." he reassures, deciding not to say that implants might not be an option due to the damage to her optical nerves. She slowly nods, her trust in him as great as it was when he freed her from the Fiends. "W-where are the others?" she asks, patting herself over but only finding her Saturnite knife and Revolver. "When we got ambushed I jumped off the roof after you, they were left with whatever attacked us... I think they''re ok, if they are they''d meet us here, in the Police Station... We can stay here and wait if you''re not feeling up to it though." he offers. Anja slowly shakes her head, forcing herself up and cautiously finding her feet, hanging them off of the table and dropping onto the ground. "W-we are still looking for your sister, right sir?" Afton nods, "Yes." he states, as they''d find Christine no matter how injured they became. "Then, we should look around while we wait for the others to come... I-I might need help getting around though." she says in a sad tone, seemingly more upset that she wasn''t able to be useful than the fact she''d lost her sight. "Alright... Hold onto my back, I''ll lead... But before that..." Afton slashes his Ultra Chainsword at the nearest wall, leaving a message for Dean and Veronica to let them know they were here should they find the place empty. With that done, Afton leads Anja into the next room, walking through the hallways in an attempt to find the basement... If Christine was here, that''s where he''d bet she''d be. They walk past a couple of empty interrogation rooms and a staircase leading to the second floor, but he ignores all of these for now. They do encounter a few Ghosts, but Afton easily ''disarms'' them... As well as ''dislegging'' and ''disheading'' them. Once their bodyparts are scattered a good distance from each other he continues to move. The only real place of interest would be the armoury, someone seems to have tried to break inside judging by the scratch marks, scorch marks, and other dents visible in and around the lock... All the reckless attempts seem to have completely destroyed the lock, making it impossible for most to get inside. Afton wasn''t most. With a clean slash of his energy blade the metal parts, the armoured gate slowly opening wide and allowing the duo entry. Afton takes the time to look around the place for anything of interest, but the armoury is only filled with crappy Bullet-resistant vests, badly maintained revolvers, nightsticks, flashbangs, and other miscellaneous equipment. He did, however, find a dusty comic book of Grognak the Barbarian, a Skillbook to be more accurate. The only problem was the fact he''d already maxed out his Melee Weapons skill, and wasn''t sure what it''d do if he used it. Shrugging to himself, he just decides to use it to see what would happen... [Skillpoints to Points] : 3/15 ... Huh... That''s unexpected, he needed 15 Skillpoints to gain another point to use on anything else? Isn''t that kind of overpowered... There were still hundreds of Skillbooks lying around the Wasteland, if he used all of them he''d basically become a god, wouldn''t he?... He''s lost in thought for a couple of minutes until he feels a tug on his back, he almost jumps in response, having forgotten that Anja was still here... It''s actually fortunate that she''s unable to see the Skillbook turn to dust in his hands due to her condition... It''d be a massive pain in the ass to explain it to her, and eventually the others when they hear about it. "I''m still here... There''s nothing of interest, let''s move on." he says, leading Anja out of the armoury and towards where the basement should be. Chapter 521 - Horror Cell The duo slowly makes their way down to the basement, Afton mentally remarking about the blood-stained walls that seemed to lead down there. Once at the bottom he''s greeted by the overwhelming scent of death and decay... The floor was coated in bloodstains and also whatever the fluid the Ghosts produce. There''s a jail cell in the middle of the room, inside there''s a bucket filled with what is most likely piss, but that''s not even mentioning the human-looking shit scattered all around the room. However, the most damning piece of evidence is the litany of bones present...?? Human skulls and other gnawed-on skeletons are present, with absolutely no flesh on their bones to be seen. He glances behind him at Anja who seems to be struggling with the smell, her sight might be gone, but that only proves to heighten her other senses. Nearby the cage is a radio playing a strange signal... This should be the one capable of triggering Elijah''s collars, meaning that whoever was kept in here was probably another victim... Though, judging by the state of the place and the fact the jail cell isn''t locked, they were more accomplice than victim. Afton just shakes his head, "There''s nothing down here, let''s head back up." he states, not feeling the need to wade through shit and bones just to confirm this. They head upstairs and back to the reception where two familiar faces are already present, both looking at the message he''d left for them. Veronica and Dean quickly turn with weapons ready when they hear the door open behind them, but they quickly relax once they see who it is. "Afton! I knew you''d be alright!" she quickly says in a relieved tone, though, this doesn''t last long once she looks at Anja. *Gasp!* "Anja! What happened to you!" Veronica exclaims, walking up and clasping the ghoul''s arms comfortingly. "I-I was caught off guard... It''s my mistake." Anja solemnly admits, "If I was paying attention, then sir wouldn''t have had to save me." Veronica shakes her head "Don''t say that! It''s all of our fault for not noticing... That guy who attacked up was big and heavy enough for us to have heard him coming..." Afton nod with crossed arms at the side, not that Anja could see him of course... He turns to Dean, "Anything happen on the way here?" Dean rolls his neck as if he''d just been asked a loaded question, "Other than fighting off that big blue bastard? Our mutual friend seems to be trying to persuade Veronica here that he''s not all that bad. You know, if we ignore the collar, the kidnapping, the evil genius playbook, et cetera, et cetera." Afton raises a brow under his helmet, "You know he''s listening right now, right?" Dean nods with a sneer, "I know. That old man can lick my wrinkly, necrotic testicles for all I care!" *Beep Beep Beep Beep* His collar rapidly beeps, indicating it was close to detonating, Dean just laughs however, instead of looking horrified like Elijah would expect, "You, Need, Me. You would no less kill me than you would yourself... Unless of course, you wish to forget about the treasure..." The collar stops beeping, making Dean smirk victoriously. Afton just watches this happen with a strange expression, there was clearly more going on than what first meets the eye... Judging by what he''d heard so far, Elijah was most likely trying to find some sort of treasure contained in the Sierra Madre Casino itself... Though, what would be worth coming to this damn hellscape, he didn''t know... He could make some inferences though... Judging by Elijah''s character and his past actions, he was most likely looking for some sort of technology... Now. What technology present here could be used for absolutely destruction and control if used properly? *Ping, Pong!* The Cloud. Elijah was trying to gain control of the Cloud... Fuck, if that wasn''t a scary thought he didn''t know what was. Afton shakes those thoughts from his head momentarily while looking at Veronica, "You came from the upper floors right? Did you find anything?" Veronica shakes her head, Nothing but Ghosts... Anything down here?" Afton sighs, "Nope. Nothing but a cell filled with bones, piss, and shit... Guess we can cross this place off of the list." "Ah... Can we go to the Medical District next? Elijah said Christine was there... I don''t think there''d be any harm in looking..." Veronica sheepishly says. Afton raises a brow under his helmet, "You mean, other than the litany of traps, Ghosts, and other deadly things he has there waiting for us?" ... Veronica glances sideways, "Maybe?" ... He sighs again, "Fine, but I retain the right to say ''I told you so'', regardless if Christine is there or not." he states nonnegotiably. Veronica shrugs and escorts Anja to the stairs leading to the higher floor as Afton leads at the front like an immovable shield. He follows the duo''s directions to the window on the third floor they''d initially entered by, climbing out of it and walking along the rooftops. Once outside it was left to Dean to lead them... Fortunately, the Medical District wasn''t all that far away from the Villa Police Station. This meant that they''d have probably gone there next, regardless of Elijah''s prompting... Had the man taken this into account just to try and gain some trust? Or was he simply trying to trap them? .... All Afton knew was that he''d be punching through Elijah''s skull once he found him. Not just for what he''d indirectly done to Christine, but also because of his actions at Helios One... If anyone was responsible for what happened to his parents(aside from the NCR), it was Elijah, but his mismanagement, poor strategy, cowardice, and reliance on technology that may or may not even be functional. Putting all your hopes on an orbital laser? One that was 200 years old and may have been hit by meteors, space debris, or other objects? Foolish. Chapter 522 - Dry Remnants It takes a couple hours to actually reach the area where the Medical District apparently sits. Due to them primarily using the rooftops, they almost never encountered Ghosts, the only time they did was when they had to scale over a Rooftop Villa Restaurant which was almost completely infested. Fortunately, Afton easily cleared the area, collapsing the staircase leading to the roof with a few hard punches while tossing all the Ghosts off of the roof.?? By now the sun had already set, bathing the entire place in further darkness than it already was under the Cloud. Usually, you''d be able to see somewhat in the night with the moonlight, but none of its light managed to breach the Cloud overhead... In actuality, the Cloud overhead seems to become more erratic and tumultuous during the night, which was quite disturbing considering the effects it''d already had on Anja. Every now and then you could see orange lightning flashing overhead, providing a flash of sight before disappearing, this of course was followed by the loud crack of thunder. Afton and Veronic had activated the lights on their Power armour to see where they were actually going. Anja would too, if not for the obvious... Dean seemed fine using the other''s lights to navigate however. Soon enough, they reached the Medical District... If Afton were honest, it looked less like a proper district and more like a collection of relatively large buildings. Of course, most of it was obscured by thick Cloud and shambling black figures, so perhaps he was missing something. The only actual indication that they were where they were supposed to be was the flickering red and green medical sign... Dean takes one look at the place and frowns, "This place is full of Ghosts... Are you sure you want to try this now? We can come back tomorrow when the Cloud has thinned and some of the Ghosts have migrated." Afton shakes his head, "I''d rather not spend more time than we need to in this place, Anja still needs extensive medical treatment and I doubt this place will have the equipment we need for it. She needs to be taken back home, but first, we gotta find Christine." he states, hopping to the next roof. Dean audibly lets out a long sigh, "Whatever you say..." The group make their way towards the District, hopping across rooftops until they finally reach it. They climb through a hole in the roof to get inside, and are immediately attacked by a Ghost that spotted them from the hallway. Afton immediately kicks it, and accidentally sends it through the wall and plummeting to the ground below... "Wah... I didn''t even kick it that hard..." he says with surprise still present on his face. Dean just chuckles, "Don''t be too surprised, this whole place is barely held together with spit and glue... I dare say if it ever rained here, it''d melt like a sandcastle." he jokes. Afton hums at Dean''s words while looking around the hallway, quickly spotting a strange device in the far corner... It looked like a speaker mixed with a camera of sorts... Dean spots it too and unconsciously takes a step back, clearly avoiding it. "Another ''detonation signal'' huh?" Afton asks, already guessing its function. Dean nods, "I have no idea what purpose they serve... Back in the day they were used for announcements and such, but now they only play that single signal that''ll blow my head off." he says, making sure not to mention the fact that his collar was disarmed. Afton shrugs and draws his revolver, firing a single shot that causing the speaker to explode. "Well, just try to keep your head, cool?" he chuckles before beginning to look around. Veronica of course continues to assist Anja in moving around, they weren''t about to risk leaving her alone in her current state. Not to mention the fact that Dean had never been in this part of the Medical District before, partly due to disinterest, and partly due to Elijah setting up shop and collaring him. The group begins slowly exploring the place, occasionally finding medical supplies, but more often than not they had already passed their expiration date, that or the Cloud had rendered them useless or dangerous. Afton does eventually stumble across something of interest... He pushes through a doorway that seemed to have some trash fallen behind it... Once inside he finds an operating room of sorts? Old black blood still stained the equipment around the place, but more importantly, there were some clothes presumably left by the last patient... Afton gapes as soon as he sees it, and this feeling is mirrored by Nyx... He lifts it to straighten it out and is confused when he finds a suit looking remarkably like the Stealth Suit. The only difference was the fact it contained no electronic components, meaning there wasn''t an AI contained within. Aside from that, the materials looked almost identical... Well, it would have if Afton hadn''t upgraded his own slightly. "Nyx, what is this? Why is it here?" "Sir, that is a previous version of the Stealth Suit, one without the components that make me so valuable... It''s from Big Mt." she states. Obviously, this means Christine had been here... He doubted Elijah would try wearing this as it seemed to suit people with smaller frames... He glances behind him at the others, "I found some of Christine''s clothes, we must be getting close." he states, tossing Veronica the clothes so she could hold onto them, he doubted Christine would want to be walking around naked. Veronica almost drops Anja as she catches it, her eyes still angrily scanning the various blood stains covering the operation room. If she found out Elijah was responsible for this she''d tear his damn heart out! The group continues moving, the new discovering spurring them forwards at an accelerated pace. In all honesty, Afton and Veronica were slightly frightened by the amount of blood they''d discovered... Chapter 523 - Scarred After three hours of searching the Medical District, slowly clearing out Ghosts, destroying speakers, and avoiding the ever-moving Cloud, the group eventually stumbles across a hallway with a peculiar sound being emitted from it... There were a couple doors on either side of the hallway, which meant the sound could be coming from any one of them... Not to mention the few shambling steps Afton could hear coming down from the end of the hallway.?? Afton picks up a rock and tosses it hard, grabbing the attention of the Ghosts who start slowly stumbling down the hallway towards them, both not having noticed the group yet. Afton thrusts his right hand forward, shooting a grappling hook of wood from his plant arm which smacks the closest ghost in the face. Once grabbed, Afton pulls his arm back while retracting his limb which forces the Ghost towards them and launching it off of its feet. Afton catches it midair with his Ultra Chainsword, cutting its lower body off with ease. It lands on the ground with a wet flop, "I have the high ground!" Afton shouts as he swings again as the half torso Ghost. His strike bisects it, and he kicks the pieces far from each other to prevent it from reforming. For the next Ghost, he just draws his revolver and fires a couple shots through its head, its heart, and its knee caps. It falls to the ground squirming, quickly beginning to regenerate, but Afton quickly dismembers it. He turns towards his group and sends a thumbs up at them, "Shall we check out that sound now?" Dean who''s still surprised by the sheer martial abilities Afton possesses just numbly nods. Afton looks at Veronica with a smug smirk under his helmet, "Bet you''re wishing you had one of these now?" he gestures with his Chainsword. Veronica shakes her head, "I admit it''s more effective with these kinds of enemies, but I''d rather some fist-type energy blades... I bet it''d be way easier to do that than whatever you did to create the swords." she states. "Huh... Oh yeah, I was planning on doing that, wasn''t I?... We''ll talk about it when we get back, alright?" he says as he approaches the first door along the hallway. Trying the handle but finding it locked and then immediately forces his foot through it, smashing the door open. Inside is another operating room... Kinda? Instead of the typical operating bed, there was simply an Auto-Doc on standby, awaiting a patient. "Hey, couldn''t this help Anja out?" Veronica immediately asks, but Afton shakes his head as he approaches the machine and starts opening its software and noticing a couple discrepancies. "No way... The hardware on this thing is too damage to perform any difficult operation. Plus, I don''t trust any of the old machinery around here, one wrong zero from a one and it''ll cut your head clean off. As far as I''m concerned it''s just a piece of junk." he says, tapping his gauntlet against it, causing a metallic sound to ring out. The rest of the room doesn''t contain anything of interest, aside from a few expired vitamins, Chems, and a couple Stimpacks that look sort of useable? Afton would save those for himself, as only he would be able to survive them if they were found defective... If a good Stimpack can save you from lethal wounds, a defective one could end you faster than a bullet. There''s pros and cons to everything after all. The next couple of rooms contains around the same thing, broken Auto-Docs not fit for purpose, and expired chems... However, the further they went the more pronounced the peculiar sound was becoming... It sounded strange, like the humming of mechanical components mixed with a hair trimmer, and the sound of a butchers shop... Perhaps a Ghost had accidentally stumbled into one of the defective Auto-Docs? Eventually, the group reach the last door and enter inside, finding an Auto-Doc that was currently running... Its door was sealed tight while it operated on something, but Afton wasn''t able to use the machines internal cameras to see who was caught inside. He had a really bad feeling about this, and wanted to find out what was inside, regardless if it was a Ghost or some other unfortunate victim. Using his Maxed out Science Skill he attempts to hack it and take it under control... Unfortunately, it''d locked him out until it was finished with its operation... This was actually a security measure to prevent assassination via this method... It''d be far too easy to modify the operation and have someone gutted while inside the Auto-Doc. So, he tried the next, more effective method. *BANG!* He smashes his fist through the terminal, immediately causing the humming to halt. He pries his fist out of the electronic scrap while it sparks ineffectively, still attempting to conduct its operation. With that sorted, he gets a grip on the door, and using his Superhuman and Power armour enhanced strength, he slowly pulls it open. *GRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!* *THUNK!* He slams the door to the side, but is forced to catch something as it falls out of the machine... Looking down, he raises a brow at the thing he''d caught. It was a person, here was no doubt about that, but they were bald and completely covered in blood and wounds. The Auto-Doc hadn''t actually done anything to their body, instead focussing its brutal attack on the person''s face and throat... Though, judging by the scratched and scuffed explosive collar, this was another of Elijah''s victims. He cautiously picks the person up and turns towards the group, "Er, I found...-" he glances at them and spots breasts, "This woman in the machine..." he mutters, the bad feeling punching him in the face with a particularly worrying idea... Was this Christine? He couldn''t really tell due to the thick slayer of fresh and old blood coating their face... The scarring was horrific, as if their head was an eggshell that''d been fractured all over. She even had a reverse joker smile, the scarring making her look like a permanent frown instead of a smile. Chapter 524 - Royling Emotions "Jesus Christ, he did a number on you, didn''t he?" Dean mutters, actually feeling sympathetic to his fellow victim''s plight... It seems a if she''d got the short end of the stick, having been shoved into this Auto-Doc and forgotten. The woman herself looked utterly exhausted, but despite that, her blue eyes scanned each of them as if trying to find a threat.?? Veronica scans the woman emaciated form with a look of horror, they wore a patients gown and nothing else, however, her words get caught in her throat when she notices a small mole on the woman''s knee... "C-Christine?" she stutters out, taking off her helmet and shoving it into Dean''s arms for a moment. The woman''s blue eyes widen at the tone and voice of the person, even more so once she sees the armoured person''s face. She tried to open her mouth but finds no voice coming out, scared, she raises a hand to her throat and trails a finger along the vicious-looking scar running over her jugular. Veronica, realising who this is sends an alarmed look to Afton, "Quick, she needs Med X and a Stim... We need to stop her bleeding before she loses any more blood." Afton, nodding, jabs a Med X into the woman''s neck fast enough for her to not react. She seems to be very well trained, but too weak and exhausted to put up much of a fight... Not that she really wants to, Veronica''s presence has put her to ease pretty well. Next, he stabs her with a Stimpack, injecting the materials and letting it do its work... She''d be more exhausted as it comes into effect, but better tired than dead, right? Once he was sure Christine wouldn''t drop dead he walks up to a nearby chair and sets her down in it, afterwards removing his own helmet. "Remember me, sis? I hope you do, you did abandon us after all." he says, his eyes focussing on her collar. Nyx, already knowing what he wants stops Elijah''s connection to it for a moment as he begins trying to fiddle with it. Christine tries to push his hands away, but Veronica restrains her for now. Trusting Afton to remove any leverage Elijah has over Christine. It takes a couple minutes, but his prior experience with Deans collar allows him to easily remove all the explosives. He pockets the C4, just in case he might need to use it in the future. Once done he gives the duo a thumbs up, "Job done, Elijah won''t have any hold over you anymore..." Veronica gives a smiling nod and looks back down at Christine, "You know how much I want to slap you silly for leaving me? But I''ll leave that for later... Are you okay?" she asks. Christine looks up at her former lover and slowly shake her head, pointing at her throat while opening her mouth soundlessly. Afton raises a brow and retrieves some papers from around the room, handing it to Christine, "Can you write?" ... After glaring down at the paper for a moment, Christine attempts to write something, it starts off an A... Probably? But the letters eventually devolves into spirals, backtracked lines and scribbles. It looked like the start of a Picasso painting, potentially pretty, but not helpful at all. Christine crushes the pencil she was using and throws it away, clutching her head in her hands while tears dripped from her eyes. Veronica takes her up into a tight hug, not letting Christine suffer alone. Afton just looks on with rage slowly building, Elijah and Dala had done this to Christine, he had no doubt in his mind. Christine had always been a strong person, and he''d never seen her cry aside from a couple particular moments, seeing her like this now made him want to run through the Cloud and piledrive Elijah into the concrete floor. He wanted to snap that old piece of shit like a twig, seal him in a concrete box with a tiny hole to deliver air, and wait until he starved to death. Or maybe feed him to the baby Deathclaws? That''d definitely be slow and agonizing enough... Or maybe just toss him into the Cloud for the sheer irony of it. He feels a tap on his side and is about to attack whoever it was in response when Dean''s voice tears him from his thoughts. "I''m sorry to say, but you look as if you are about to tear apart and eat us." the ghoul states. ... Afton shakes his head and looks at him, "Sorry, just thinking about things..." he admits, taking a glance at Christine and Veronica who were still comforting one another. He nods his head at Dean and escorts Anja out of the room, so the duo could have some privacy. "W-what happened?" Anja asks after they exit the room. Afton sighs, "We found Christine, but she''s been... Tortured... She can''t speak, and she seems completely unable to write or formulate words. I doubt she is even able to read at this point, though, Maths is another thing to test. Brain injuries like the one that she''s currently afflicted with are notoriously finicky things..." he solemnly says. "Will she be okay, sir?" Anja wonders aloud, feeling sympathetic due to her past experience within NCR hands. "I don''t know... I hope so, but, it''s hard to tell." he admits, beginning to pace along the hallway to ease his anxious feelings. Inside the room : Veronica continues to hug Christine as if her life depends on it, though, still making sure to be gentle for the frail and tortured woman. After the group leaves the room she looks up at Christine''s almost unrecognisable face, "W-why did you leave us...? The only reason any of this happened was because you left, who knows what we could have been doing now if you''d only stayed!?..." Christine just slowly shakes her head, still unable to say anything... Even if she could, she doubted it''d soothe Veronica''s roiling emotions. Chapter 525 - Restlessnesses Christine had felt herself slowly dying inside since she left her family all those years ago... Her parents completely and utterly rejected her relationship with Veronica once it''d come to light, and the rest of the Brotherhood looked at her with complete disgust whenever they saw her. Nobody attempted to hide their feelings towards her, that''s just the way it was supposed to be... To be honest, she was actually lucky she was lesbian, compared to what happened to Homosexuals, the look of disgust and suffered isolation wasn''t much when compared to execution...?? That''s why when Elder Elijah offered her a position among an outside group of the Brotherhood, a fresh start... She accepted, not knowing at the time that he was the one responsible for orchestrating the whole debacle concerning her and Veronica. The man was obsessive in everything he did, wanting to be in control of everything... Which is why, when his apprentice started going off on her own, skipping work, and coming to work looking dishevelled, he started to intervene. Hints here and there, directing people where Christine and Veronica would be, starting rumours... Of course, Christine only realised this many years later, when she was given the order by the Circle of Steel to track down and assassinate Elijah... She had been trained as an elite assassin for many years, capable of killing someone for so far away they looked like an ant... So, when she received Elder Elijah as a target, she did as she would always do, gather information. As she had been in close contact with the man for many years, it wasn''t difficult to question everything that involved him and go through her own memories with a fine-tooth comb. This is how she eventually came to the conclusion that everything bad that occurred back then, was solely due to Elijah, just to get her away from Veronica. ... She hadn''t acted like the trained assassin when she realised this... More like a child having a tantrum. She spent two full days destroying dummies and training herself into the ground, and only stopped due to direct orders from her seniors. Soon enough, she had numbed those feelings towards her former ''friend'' and elder. She was sent off to hunt him, tracking him all over the wasteland... From California to Big Mt, to the Sierra Madre in Mexico. Her journey had been long and arduous, and only got harder when she was captured by those mad scientist, creatures... Even now she could feel the effects they had on her, making her completely unable to read or write... Yet, even with her injuries, she continued to hunt Elijah, following him all the way to Mexico, to the Sierra Madre where she was ambushed by some sort of Super Mutant... Which is how she ended up in the Auto-Doc... She didn''t know how long she''d been there, but it had to have been months at least, occasionally she was taken from the Auto-Doc and forcefully fed, before being shoved back inside to continue her torture. She was prepared to die, yet, the next time the Auto-Doc opened it wasn''t the scarred face of the Nightkin that greeted her, but instead a strange helmet atop an even stranger suit of Power armour... She almost had a panic attack when she saw the Big Mt logo displayed across the person''s chest piece, but she quickly calmed herself, realising that the logo was dramatically different to what those creatures use. Then, the next surprise... Veronica... And Afton? Had she died and gone to heaven? Did that mean Veronica and Afton were already dead? Had she finally lost her mind?... Back with Afton, he, Dean, and Anja had been waiting outside the room for around thirty minutes now and were all wondering what they should do now... Afton knocks on the door a couple times, and slowly opens it when he doesn''t get a response... Inside he could see both Veronica and Christine still holding one another, however, the latter had fallen unconscious, most likely due to sheer exhaustion. Veronica puts a finger over her mouth, indicating for them to be quiet. Afton nods, "I think it''s best for us to get some rest... Hopefully the Cloud won''t drown us while we''re asleep." he states, beginning to use furniture to block the doorway to prevent Ghosts from entering. After all that''s done, he walks over to the wall opposite the door and rests his back again it, not daring to leave is armour in case he needs to immediately jump into action. Veronica on the other hand strips out of her armour and gathers up any scrap clothing, cushions, or paper to create a makeshift bed for her, Christine, and Anja. Once the three are comfortable and falling asleep, Dean drags a chair over to sit next to Afton, his revolver never leaving his grp, "You know, as a Ghoul, the hardest thing to come by around here is sleep. I don''t really need food or water, but sleep was always tough..." He spins the wheel in his revolver for no particular reason, "With you in that armour, I think I''ll sleep like a baby." he says with a quiet chuckle, propping his legs up and he slumps in his chair, eyes closed as he holds the revolver close to his chest. Afton just shakes his head at the ghoul, Dean had obviously been living here since before the war, and Afton couldn''t really imagine how that would feel... Living for two hundred years would probably be tough enough in a paradise... But here? In the hellscape called the Sierra Madre? He wondered if he had the willpower the Ghoul had. Regardless, despite his regeneration, it was best for him to get as much sleep as possible before they have to move again... Who knows when next they''ll get to rest. Chapter 526 - Verti-Fuked Elijah frowns as he listens to the group go to sleep, it seems as if his initial fears had been realised... That malfunction when the group first met Dean wasn''t a malfunction at all. This became apparent when the same thing happened when the group met Christine... This could mean a few things, but the direst of all the options would be that the signals were blocked while his collars were modified... This would also be the reason why that damned ghoul wasn''t afraid of his ire any longer. What was there to fear when the collar was ruined and dog was dead??? Elijah knew it was only a matter of time before the group retreated to their Vertibird and escaped, leaving along with any chance of him gaining the treasure he so desired. Fortunately, he''d considered this eventuality. He sneers to himself as he changes the monitor view to the plaza where the Vertibird had landed, using the controls to fan the Cloud into it. He watches with rapt attention as the Cloud envelopes the vehicle, and after an hour or so, he allows the Cloud to leave the area. Upon looking at the Vertibird again, he smirks at the rusted, melted, and utterly ruined sight of the Vertibird. The outside might look potentially repairable, but Elijah knew the machinery and internal components had been completely ruined... It was nothing more than scrap metal shaped like a Vertibird now... Now that the group had no way to escape, his plans could continue. He may have failed the last time he attempted to breach the Casino due to the unexpected traps laid by it''s former owner, but now he knew what was needed. Elsewhere : The next day Afton''s eyes flutter open as he awakens from his sleep, his gaze immediately looking towards the barricade that had gone unmolested during the night. He releases a sigh at the fact everyone was still alive and well before getting to his feet. He glances at Christine, Veronica, and Anja who were still sleeping somewhat peacefully, somewhat due to Christine''s occasional shudders and twitches. He checks the time with his Pipboy and finds that it''s around 9AM... He hadn''t checked what time it was yesterday, but this was probably a good time to get moving. He claps his hands, his gauntlets clinking and ringing out, awakening the group... Dean shudders with a start, immediately pointing his revolver at Afton before lowering it once he realises where he was. It takes around ten minutes for everyone to get ready to move, Christine equipping her assassins armour that they''d found yesterday. Veronica had helped wipe the blood from her face, yet she still looked terrible. Her bald head covered in so many scars that it''d be a wonder if she was able to grow any hair at all. Regardless, they could try and heal her once they escaped the Sierra Madre... Afton was somewhat curious about what the treasure was, but he''d rather get out and save Christine than potentially lose her looking for Elijah and the treasure. Veronica gave Christine her Plasma pistol as the group starting backtracking through the Medical District, Veronica still assisting Anja due to her blindness. "Alright, we''re heading back to the fountain where we landed... I don''t want to stay long enough for Elijah to trap us or fuck us-" Afton starts, but is stopped when Christine claps her hand to get his attention and rapidly shakes her head. ... "You don''t want to leave?" Afton questions with a raised brow. Christine nods, dragging her thumb across her neck while gesturing at the collar, indicating that she still wanted to kill Elijah. Afton sighs, "We can always come back, right now the most important thing is to make sure you''re safe. I think Veronica will agree that your vendetta can wait, one we''re home we can outfit you in the best equipment we have, we''ll even come with you to hunt Elijah." he states, but his words don''t seem to convince her much. Veronica grabs Christine''s shoulder, "Look, we know that you want revenge, we do too, but running in headfirst will get you and all of us hurt. Do you want to make getting Anja treatment harder just for Elijah!? Is he really worth that much?" ... Christine looks down at the floor, her hand trailing along her throat as her expression gradually changes to one of hate and rage. She nods adamantly, twirling the plasma pistol on her finger, ready to fight. Afton upon seeing this releases a long sigh, he''s about to speak but Anja starts first, "Sir, don''t mind me... I can wait, if Christine feels like Elijah is a bigger priority then I can wait..." she says, a small smile on her lips. Christine upon hearing this looks surprised, her eyes wide as her top lip quivers slightly... She looks to the floor once again before looking to Afton, shaking her head and gesturing at Anja. "Er, does that mean you want to leave or kill Elijah? For the latter nod twice." he says, confused at her meaning. Christine shakes her head and nods once, meaning she wants to leave, a dramatic change compared to her earlier intentions. Seems like Anja''s heartfelt words had reached her... Huh, and Afton thought he was the one with maxed out Speech... Dean shrugs, "Looks like you''re leaving." he states, continuing to lead the group back outside the Medical District and towards the plaza where they landed. The group cautiously makes their way over the rooftops, eventually reaching the plaza where they''d landed the Vertibird... Unfortunately, despite the lack of Ghosts, something seems to have happened to the Vertibird... Afton facepalms with a hand resting against his helmet, "The Cloud... The Cloud fucked my Vertibird! I hadn''t even named it and it still got destroyed! What the fuck!!" he exclaims, wondering why the world hated his vehicles so much. Maybe he should name the next vehicle ''Definitely Going to Die-Bird'', maybe then it''d be spared from the world''s wrath. Chapter 527 - Trap Yet Sprung "*Bzztch!* Hm, seems like the Cloud caught you off guard like it has so many others." Elijah''s voice states from Christine''s collar. Christine herself immediately tenses at this and furiously glares down at it, as if she were mentally commanding it and him to explode. Dean chuckles at this, "Yes, how strange considering you have control of the town''s systems right now... Let me guess, trying for round two?" he asks, sneering with crossed arms.?? "Round two?" Afton questions, having already expected Elijah to be responsible for his ruined vehicle... Though, there was a small chance of using [Mechanicus] to fix it... Still, that would reveal his supernatural abilities to everyone here, included Elijah... Who knows what that man would try to do if that was revealed. Dean shrugs, "It means, the old man wants to try and breach the Casino again." "The Ghoul is correct... The only way to get out of the Sierra Madre is to gain control of the Casino, and more importantly, the systems held inside..." Elijah''s gruff voice explains. Afton frowns, "And what stops you from lying to us? For all we know, the key to our escape is out here amongst the town... Maybe where you''re currently located?" Elijah chuckles through the radio, "Believe what you want, but if you ever wish to leave this place, YOU''LL LISTEN. Now, do we all understand each other?" The group glances at one another (excluded Anja for obvious reasons), looking to see if anyone had a better plan than simply following what Elijah says... Unfortunately, simply walking out of the Sierra Madre isn''t possible with the Cloud blocking all possible pathways. "Good. As you all know, I''ve been in this place for a while now, and have slowly been unlocking the secrets to this place... The door is the Casino, but finding the key is the hard part. The Casino''s security systems are on almost permanent lockdown, reinforced doors, windows, and walls that even Mini-Nukes wouldn''t be able to breach, and those are just the defensive measures... Offensively, the Casino is fitted with thousands of auto-turrets, from machine guns, laser fire, and even missile turrets. That''s just the beginning of it however, thousands of Holograms patrol the outskirts, vaporizing anything that steps anywhere near the Casino''s boundaries... The only way to destroy the Holograms is to destroy their emitters... Unfortunately, their emitters are protected by a sort of Forcefield, one no doubt provided by those creatures at Big Mt." Elijah lists off the various defences, the group''s eyes all going wide at the picture Elijah just verbally painted. For all intents and purpose, it sounded impenetrable, and if you add the everpresent Cloud to all the defences he''d listed off, not even the Brotherhood of Steel''s headquarters could even match up to it. If what Elijah said was true, it was probably the most well-protected thing in the entire world, nothing even came close to it. Afton scowls, "And do you want us to break in somehow? Yeah, fat chance!" he scoffs at the man. Elijah growls over the radio, "I said LISTEN... Fortunately for you all, the Sierra Madre wasn''t built to be a fortress, but a Casino... This means there''s an avenue of entry, though, this one is only possible due to the Great War occurring on its opening day." he explains. "The Gala Event." Dean states. "Indeed." Elijah grouses, "The grand opening event. Once started the doors to the casino swing open, the Holograms are set on passive, and the automated defences are temporarily turned off. Access to most of the Casino''s rooms, halls, and apartments are granted to all who enter. Though, some people of interest still hold higher permissions..." he trails off ambiguously. "And I suppose we need to open it?" Afton asks, feeling like they were playing to Elijah''s tune. "Correct. For more information on your tasks, speak with the Ghoul, he''s done this once before after all.*Bzztch*" Elijah states before turning off the modulator. The group all look at Dean with appraising looks, wondering whether or not the Ghoul had more secrets that he wasn''t telling them. Clearly he hated Elijah, and the collar around his neck made it obvious that he wasn''t his ally, but that didn''t mean he was their ally either. Dean just limply shakes his head at their suspicious gazes, "Before you ask, yes, I''ve been trying to get the Sierra Madre treasure for many, many years. And no, I''ve never willingly worked with HIM." "Didn''t stop you from failing to tell us about this..." Veronica sniffs, Christine slowly nodding her head in agreement. Dean shrugs, "What do you want from me? My life story? All you need to know is that I''ve spent two hundred years trying to claim the treasure of the Sierra Madre, obviously, with not much success... To think it took a madman with explosive collars to crack the first layer, only to fail on the second." he chuckles with a hand over his face, clearly resenting that fact. "Alright, enough of this... What do we need to do to trigger the Gala? I know we don''t all trust Elijah, but I think getting inside the Casino is probably the best place to start looking for an exit..." Afton says, not mentioning his intentions to find whatever system controls the Cloud. "Well, there are four components to it that need to be attended... Puesta del Sol Switching station needs someone versed in technology to reroute the power elsewhere. The south of Puesta del Sol has a damaged cable which would require repair or.... Someone to connect the circuit with their own bodies... I wouldn''t recommend this one lightly." he states with a shiver before continuing. "The south of Salida del Sol has a fenced off switching station, from what I remember, the switches are heavily rusted and corroded, meaning we someone with immense strength to operate it." Dean says, sending glances at Afton and Veronica. "Last but certainly not least, the actual activation switch which sits in the most dangerous part of the Sierra Madre by far... The north of Salida del Sol, the switch itself is atop the belltower, but getting there in the first place is the hardest part... That should be everything unless something else has been damaged since the last event." Dean explains. Chapter 528 - Emitting Your Mistakes... Afton, upon hearing Dean''s word releases a long sigh, takes his helmet off and runs a hand through his hair. He looks towards Anja and Christine, both of which were still heavily injured from their recent and not so recent injuries. The only uninjured people here were Afton, Veronica, and Dean, meaning either Christine of Anja would have to play an active role in this. Though, it''d most likely fall upon Christine, as while she was injured, she could still see and get around on her own.?? "Would it be possible to repair the cable? We haven''t exactly got the best team for something like this, especially with Anja and Christine still being injured." Afton asks. "I''ve tried many, many times to repair it, but nothing works... I think it''s made of special material or something, definitely not copper." Dean retorts with a shrug before continuing, "As for our numbers, the Puesta del Sol switching station is very secure once you get inside, your friend Christine would be safe while operating it... IF, she can operate it." Afton and Dean both look towards Christine for an answer, she just gives a confident nod in response. Afton had already expected this, most members of the Brotherhood were required to know a good deal about tech to get any significant position at all. ... "Hmm... Alright, let''s get Christine to the switching station first, then we can think about everything else... But first..." he trails off as he steps towards Christine, hand reaching for her collar. She allows him to begin fiddling with it, having already trusted him with removing the explosives earlier... It takes a couple minutes and a bit of trial and error, but eventually, Afton accomplishes what he wanted to do... Nodding to himself, he looks down at his Pipboy and clicks onto the radio tab, selecting the new ''Unknown Broadcast'' option. Once done both his Pipboy and Christine''s collar begin emitting audible signals, "Testing, testing, 9 + 10 = 21" he says, and his voice is transmitted from her collar. Afton grins, "Nice, Christine, now you try-... Fuck, I didn''t think this through!" he exclaims, having completely forgotten that Christine literally cannot talk. She looks amused at this and taps her collar a couple times with a finger, the sound of which is clearly broadcasted. Afton raises a brow in thought, "Christine, do you remember how to do Morse Code?" he asks as most Brotherhood members are drilled to know it. Christine shrugs and has a look of concentration overtake her. She taps once on the collar before scowling and shaking her head. "Hm, guess not... Alright, how about this. Tap once for no and twice for yes, cool?" Christine nods, tapping twice on her collar. Afton looks to Dean, "You want the same?" he asks and the ghoul nods. Ten minutes later and the group is on the move hopping atop rooftops while Veronica assists both Anja and Christine. They slowly make their way to the Puesta del Sol so they can try to find the switching station. Dean knows around where it is, but isn''t completely sure as the last time the Gala was activated it was someone else''s responsibility to operate it. Puesta del Sol itself doesn''t look all that different from the other areas of the Sierra Madre Afton had seen, with the only exception being the large amount of Cloud present, and strangely, the lower amount of Ghosts... However, the reason for this quickly becomes clear. Afton peeks his head over the edge of the rooftop as he looks towards a strange blue glow... The light quickly flashes red however once a Hologram in the distance notices his presence, the Holographic person places both hands on their head as something appears to be charging up. Afton''s danger sense flares and he throws himself backwards just as a large laser flies past where his head had just been. "Well, that clears up the lack of Ghosts... I guess." he mutters before waiting a moment before peaking again and firing a shot from his Anti-Material rifle through the Hologram''s head... Which does literally nothing. It''s not like he hadn''t expected that, but he wanted to see just how the Holograms worked. The fact that they are completely immune to ballistic weapons was impressive, to say the least. Next, he fires his Sonic Emitter at it, and yet again, the projectile goes through the Hologram without achieving anything aside from making the Hologram flicker slightly. Afton shrugs upon seeing this and look at the rest of the group, "Well, that''s me done, any ideas?" Dean just stands, aims his revolver for a moment and fires a shot off, hitting the Hologram emitter that''s somewhat concealed behind a pillar and causing the Hologram to disappear. "You need to use your eyes, not to bash your skull against a wall until something works." "You knew where the emitter was beforehand, didn''t you." Afton retorts. "Well, no point destroying them when they get rid of the Ghosts in the area... Hopefully, this will be the last time the Gala Event needs to be started, otherwise, I''ll have to fight my way through a hoard of them." Dean states. Afton nods at this, dealing with the Holograms would probably be easier for most considering all you had to do was avoid the area where their emitter was. Ghosts however would roam around and appear in unexpected places, making the area far more hazardous than usual... After all, a known danger is easier to deal with than an unknown one, even if the Holograms are more lethal in most situations. Though, something Afton definitely wants to do is to acquire one of the emitters without damaging it. The tech could be analysed back at the Think Tank, Afton could already think of the possibilities of such weapons... Maybe he could design a drone that flew far above the clouds with many emitters below it... It''d be a mobile immortal army capable of going literally anywhere... Ooh, just the thought was giving him shivers of anticipation. Chapter 529 - Switcheroo Soon enough the group finds the Switching Station and quietly enters inside, quickly the aesthetics of the place change from the usual Villa, to a more technological feel. Steel reinforced concrete walls, metal floor, and very durable lighting. Afton enters a room filled with servers and an occasionally sparking circuit breaker, he glances at the hallway leading further into the building and notices that the lights in the hallway weren''t activated, meaning the power was shut off most likely from the circuit breaker.?? Fortunately, Afton was well versed in Repair plus his [Jury Rigging] Perk allowed him to use some scrap electronics as materials to fix it. After a couple of minutes of fiddling and *carack!*, the lights flicker on. However, the lights aren''t the only thing that was turned on, the dull sound of a speaker operating at a specific frequency causes both Dean and Christine to tense for a moment. They quickly calm though once they realize that Afton had disarmed their collars. Still, best not to give Elijah the wrong idea. Afton walks into the hallway and fires a shot at the speaker, causing it to explode into a shower of metal pieces and electronics. The next obstacle is in the generator room. Almost the whole place had collapsed, leaving only a couple of reactors left to power the city. Afton isn''t quite sure if there were any more inside the Casino, but thinks it was inevitable due to the place''s sheer size. The Cloud is also thick amongst the floor, making it impossible for any normal person to traverse... This is easily solved as Afton uses his plant arm on a support beam and swings himself across like spiderman. After a bit more time investigating, he finds the speaker control systems as well as the ventilation that still seems to somehow work... Next to the speaker systems, Afton finds a headless corpse next to a Stealth Skillbook. The man probably had been another of Elijah''s victims who weren''t needed anymore. [Skillpoints to Perk] : 6/15 Afton slowly leads the group through the facility, occasionally taking out turrets, and the stray hologram. Veronica was very careful to make sure Anja was with her at all times... The walkways were very, very dangerous for someone who couldn''t see where they were going... One moment of inattention and she could be plummeting to the ground below. Eventually, they manage to reach their destination... Another headless corpse was lying in front of the elevator. It looks like they were trying to escape from the elevator but didn''t get far before Elijah turned on them... Afton glances at Dean who still seems to be looking around, making himself comfortable with the various machinery and systems. And hacks into the terminal next to them but quickly finds that it''s not the one required for the Gala... "I think the elevator takes you to the systems we need to access." Dean states. Afton nods in agreement but is unsure how to go about it... His Power armour would barely fit inside, let alone allow him to repair anything... Though, if it was between sending Christine down alone and taking off his armour, the choice was obvious. He slowly pries himself out of the Cloud-Ravaged Power armour and enters the elevator under the other''s watchful gazes... If he hadn''t already ventilated the place and moved the Cloud outside he''d not dare do this... The potential of the elevator dropping straight down into the Cloud was too high... Once down there he quickly finds a small maintenance terminal but is annoyed once he starts investigating... To start the Gala Event someone needs to be down here waiting for the button atop the bell tower to be pressed, if not, the event will fail. He goes back up and delivers the news to everyone, getting frowns and anxious looks as a result. Dean just shrugs, "Can''t we send one of our injured to do it?" he points a Christine, "All you''d have to do is wait for the signal, the other can''t do it since she''s blind after all... It''s better than lugging around more invalids." he coldly states. Afton frowns, not at Dean''s insults, but at the fact he was somewhat agreeing with it... The place was almost completely safe from harm, so leaving Anja and Christine here would keep them safe while allowing the rest of the group to speed up their progress... Still, it makes him wary, who knows what could happen between now and then? Could the Cloud finally erode through the building? Could Ghosts break-in and climb the place? Could Elijah kidnap them for leverage?... Christine upon hearing Dean''s words quickly shakes her head with wide eyes, she points at the elevator and taps once a couple times on her collar, meaning she did not like going inside at all. Well, that puts a chink in his plans... If Christine wasn''t willing to go inside then they''d have to leave someone else, Anja was blind, and even if she wasn''t, she didn''t have the technical skills to operate the terminal properly, or repair it if it crashes or something else goes awry. "We aren''t just going to leave them here, right? It''s almost like abandoning them..." Veronica mutters. "Better than lugging around dead weight," Dean adds noncomittally, angering Veronica. "You''re going to be the dead weight if you keep talking like that," she warns, cracking her knuckles. Dean takes a step back with a hand on his revolver, already knowing he''d lose the fight if it starts... He''d seen what she could do against that big blue mutant. The group starts arguing amongst each other until Afton slams his unarmoured fist into the concrete wall, cracking and denting it. Once they''re silent he sighs, "I think leaving Christine and Anja here is our best bet... Shit is only going to get more dangerous the further we go, so taking them is risking their lives as well as our own... For all intents and purposes, this place is safe." he states. Chapter 530 - Jerry Ricked Veronica shakes her head, "But Christine clearly doesn''t want to go inside, are you going to force her down there?" she asks, emotions peaking. ...?? "Why doesn''t she want to go down there in the first place?" Afton locks eyes with her, "Do you have claustrophobia or something?... Are you afraid because of its similarities with the Auto-Doc?" Christine looks away at his words, confirming that she was indeed afraid, and feeling shameful about it as well. Clearly, she wasn''t taking her own current fragile state well, doing her best to present a strong front while avoiding the things that truly scare her. Afton releases another sigh and begins ruminating about what to do, he takes another glance around the room and focuses on the terminal, eventually getting an idea. "Er, give me a moment," he mutters before going down the elevator again. Another ten minutes and Afton returns, a bead of sweat on his forehead and he points at the terminal across the room, "Christine, try that. It should be linked with the maintenance terminal." Christine does just that, the terminal''s monitor flickers slightly as if it was about to blue screen, but soon enough the maintenance terminal screen opens up in a subwindow. A small grateful smile appears on her face as she turns and gives a thumbs up at Afton. Veronica looks relieved, and Afton mirrors her, "Can you look after Anja while we attend to the other systems?" Afton asks and Christine nods in response. "Alright, I''ll leave this stuff here in case it takes us a while..." he says, tossing a couple bottles of purified water and power bars. It wouldn''t do to have them starve to death while waiting for the event, would it? Afton bids farewell to Christine and Anja before stepping out with Dean, letting Veronica have a private word with Christine. An hour later they left the Switching Station and head south, towards where the cable break supposedly exists. Strangely, the Cloud was thick in some areas but not others, meaning some kind of ventilation system was still activate. Afton notices many Hologram emitters around, but none were activated. Obviously, someone had turned them off, but for what purpose he didn''t know. The trio followed along the rooftops until they drop onto a balcony overlooking a large plaza... There were a few inactive hologram emitters on the walls along with some sirens, but all were deactivated... Dean walks over to a wall and gestures at the two cut sparking wires. "This is our destination..." he sighs, "Last time I was here I almost died after getting swarmed by Ghosts... Once the Gala Event starts, music starts blaring over those speakers, attracting every Ghost in the Puesta del Sol." Afton rubs his chin, "Huh, sounds rough... Mind if I take a look at those cables?" Dean shrugs, "Help yourself, plant-boy." Afton shakes his head at his newly acquired nickname and couches over the wires... They had been cleanly cut and no one had stripped the rubber from the metal internals yet, meaning that would need to be done. Though unlike other wires he''d seen, they aren''t made of copper, but something else... He gives the wires a tug but finds that both sides are too short to be connected, which is likely what forced Dean to connect the circuit with his own body. This would be difficult to fix, fortunately, Afton''s Power armour was pretty well insulated at this point, allowing him to hold the wires without issue. He produces a wooden wire stripper from his plant arm and attaches a razer to it to act as a blade. Afterward, Afton begins to strip the wires... Once done he walks through some nearby rooms and eventually finds a boiler room... Dean chuckles as he spots Afton walking towards them with a pile of copper pipes in his arms, pipes he''d obviously just torn out of the walls. "I don''t think that''ll work." he muses. Afton shrugs and tosses the pile on the ground while keeping one on hand. He begins using his Superhuman and Power armour enhanced strength to easily twist the copper pipe. Obviously, unheated metal is difficult to alter, but copper wasn''t Saturenite or steel so it was easier than most think. The copper pipe crumples and twists under the force of his hand and slowly begins thinning into mangled, splintered, and slightly thread-like material... He strips off all the thread-like metal that''d splintered away from the metal and begins twisting it all together, forming a makeshift wire. He''s about to use the new wire to connect the circuit when Dean quickly stops him, "Wait a minute! Did you forget what I said?" ... Afton pulls back and rubs the back of his helmet, "Er, yeah... My bad." he admits, having forgotten that the circuit may activate the music. The speakers weren''t only used for the Gala Event, so they might just pick up a radio signal and start blasting out songs. "Alright, you two get to the roof and wait for me to connect the circuit... I have a feeling this is gonna be loud." Dean doesn''t need any other confirming and quickly begins climbing back up. Veronica gives him an unsure look, "You sure? We could try and find the Hologram control terminal before then." Afton nods, "One hundred percent... I''ll come straight up once it''s activated, don''t worry about it. It isn''t like the Ghosts will sabotage the wire, at most they''ll destroy the speakers, which isn''t a problem." Veronica nods and climbs back up, once she''d gone Afton ties the sparking wires together, completing the circuit and allowing the speakers to start playing an old pre-war song... One that almost makes Afton have a seizure... "We''re no strangers to love, You know the rules and so do I!" He''s so stunned by the song that he almost forgets to retreat and only remembers as Ghosts starts literally crawling out of the vents to get to the sound... Perhaps they''re as shocked by the music as he is... Chapter 531 - Mutative Mutations On Mutants Mutagens... Afton scrambles up the roof as Rick Astley blares over the speakers... Already the entire plaza was full of Ghosts, and Afton was sure there were Ghosts from other Districts as well... There were so many that they could probably use one another like ladders to reach higher places... Which is an incredibly unnerving thought. "Come on, let''s get moving before we catch the horde''s attention." he quickly says to Dean and Veronica as they start jogging away.?? *CLANG!* Unfortunately, it seems as if they''d attracted the ''boss'' with the racket they''d created... The group timidly turn around at the sound of heavy, rattling metal and heavy obstructed breathing... Afton''s eyes focus on the figure that''s standing directly opposite them... It''s tall despite being hunched over, almost taller than Afton was even in his Power armour... It had crimson skin and the words ''GOD'' scarred across its chest... Its arms and legs were covered in rusty chains that it seems to be used as weapons, and it''s wearing a gas mask, one that looks as if it were pried from one of the other Ghosts... "Super mutant?" Afton mutters, utterly confused by its presence. Dean backs away slightly with a fearful look on its ghoulish face, "It''s him again! That damned Dog!... I thought he was killed in the Cloud!?" he shouts, pointing towards the familiar collar that''s still around its neck. Veronica shakes her head, "Looks like he was mutated..." she mutters, knowing that she''d barely won the fight last time, if it''d gotten stronger then she''d need both Afton and Dean to work together on this... Afton glares at the rasping figure, wondering when it''d decide to attack... For now, he uses [Living Anatomy] to see how it differed from the other Ghosts. [Ghost Mutant Reaver] Health : ??% Stamina : ??% DT : 30 Strength : 17 Perception : 3 Endurance : 17 Charisma : 0 Intelligence : 2 Agility : 3 Luck : 0 Ailments : [Cloud-Ridden] : An unfortunate soul complete contaminated by the Cloud, forcing them to live an agonized and tortured resistance. Unable to die through most conventional means, regenerative capabilities, enhanced strength and endurance while everything else is significantly reduced. [Blood-Crazed Hunter] : Massively enhanced agility when attacking, mental derangement. [Super Mutant] : Immune to most diseases and radiation. ... Well, fuck. This thing was strong as hell, though, Afton didn''t know if his various Perks and Power armour would put him above it... Regardless, its regeneration would be a problem. Afton draws his Ultra Chainsword and taps the unactivated blade against his thigh, "WELL THEN? COME ON!" he taunts, with both arms spread eagle. With an angry grunt, the Ghost bursts into movement, far faster than any of the other Ghosts were able to. It flies towards Afton with a spin to gain momentum for its chains. Afton just ignites his blade and slashes down at the offending chains though, easily cutting through them and destroying the Mutants ''weapon''. He hadn''t expected the creature to be absolutely unrelenting however, he''d thought it''d be taken off guard by the loss of its weapon, but the unavoidable fist to the side of his head begged to differ. *CLANK!* [Grit is in effect] The punch would be strong enough to knock him off of his feet, but his [Stonewall] Perk prevents anything like that from happening, instead, forcing him to stand upright as the Mutant tries to attack again. His Danger sense niggles in his mind at the slight damage he''s taking, but before he has the chance to retaliate Veronica was already upon them. Coming down from a leap and slamming her fist-shotgun into the back of the Mutants head, blowing a large hole into it and covering Afton''s helmet with the gory contents. Strangely though, the Mutant just stumbles instead of falling unconscious like most Ghosts usually do once their brain is destroyed. It tries to look around but is unable to due to its lack of eyes, but the hole in its head quickly begins to heal up. Dean shoots it from behind, but his bullets basically bounce off of its skin, displaying just how tough its skin actually is... Add it''s regeneration and Afton was sure it''d destroy any task force the NCR or Legion could send... Perhaps even the Brotherhood and Enclave wouldn''t be able to fight this thing. Dean''s shots don''t achieve anything aside from drawing the Mutant''s attention... Dean gives a womanly sounding shriek as he flees in the opposite direction, the Mutant hot on his tail. Afton gives a short sigh as he and Veronica chase them. Deans agilely hops across the rooftops while juking the Mutant, barely managing to keep out of its grasp... That doesn''t last for long though as it eventually grasps Dean by the throat. Dean tries to retaliate by shooting the Mutant in its eyes, but it doesn''t even flinch at the loss of its sensory organs... Dean can feel darkness quickly overtaking him as the grip increasing in strength, feeling as if his eyes are about to pop from his skull! *SLASH!* Dean''s let go as the Mutant''s arm drops to the floor, attracting both it and Dean''s attention... Afton had flung his Chainsword forward with his whip-like Plant arm, and was now retracting it back to normal. The Mutant growls and gives Dean a fierce kick which launches him off of the roof in response before jumping back onto the roof where Afton and Veronica were... Veronica runs to intercept as Afton throws his plant arm out again, this time to intercept Dean''s fall... The Cloud wasn''t present below, but a horde of Ghosts certainly was... Afton feels his rope-arm wrap around something, but Dean was now out of view and out of time... So, he takes the risk and pulls it taut before tugging it up, pulling the Ghoul back to them. He glances to the side as Veronica fights the Super Mutant, both of them trading blows but Veronica clearly being on the losing end of the trades... Sure she was more skilled, but the Mutant was far stronger, and had utterly ridiculous levels of regeneration that not even Afton could match. Even its arm had already grown back, making it feel like an unwinnable fight. Chapter 532 - Dog Given A Gods Death The Mutant punches Veronica in her chest plate, a shockwave rippling through her body and knocking her away as it charges back at Afton. It throws a heavy punch at his helmet, and Afton is forced to allow it to connect due to the risk of dropping Dean. *CLUNK!*?? The fist strikes him in the side of the head, but again, his [Stonewall] Perk allows him to hold his ground, even with the tremendous force that''d just stuck him... If he were anyone else wearing this armour, his neck would''ve immediately broken. Afton''s palm strikes the Mutant in the solar plexus with his other than while giving one final tug to bring Dean back up. The Ghoul managing to grab ahold of the edge and pull himself up, though, Afton''s rescue of him had dislocated his shoulder. With Dean saved, Afton turned his full attention towards the Mutant, dodging another punch and using his Plant arm to wrap a long wood-like rope around its neck, tightly pulling it so it couldn''t attempt to tear it off. Afton twisted behind it and pulled as tightly as possible, hoping to render it unconscious. It continues to struggle in his grip but he holds it still while Veronica comes over to assist... And by assist, he meant pummeling the Mutant with as many shotgun-fist fueled punches as the Mutant''s body allowed. She spent a minute straight wailing on the unfortunate creature, and by the time she was out of breath, it looked like a charred, bloody, pile of flesh. Its regeneration was struggling to keep up with the amount of mass its body had lost. And with it not looking close to going unconscious, Afton determined that the creature didn''t need air to breathe... So, he instead just twists its head like a looney toons cartoon, breaking its neck and allowing it to fall to the ground. Veronica and Dean walk and stand either side of him, both looking down at the wriggling pile of flesh that was still trying to reconstitute itself... Afton considered for a moment just tossing the ''corpse'' into the horde of Ghosts and using his Sonic Emitter and [Meltdown] Perk to annihilate them. This thought was quickly squashed however when he realised that such an action would also destroy the wiring system needed for the Gala, as well as any other hidden subsystems. Perhaps he should just toss the thing in the air and detonate it there? The other Ghosts weren''t really a threat compared to this one, they weren''t able to climb rooftops and certainly weren''t anywhere near as strong. If he didn''t kill it now he had no doubt it''d bite him in the ass later. "Alright, you wait there for a minute." he says before getting out of his Power armour and pressing his hand against the floor... For this he''d need the full capabilities his arm granted him to make sure everything went off without a hitch. His arm melded to the rooftop and grew towards the mutant, one it arrived roots immediately begin burrowing inside its flesh taking the place of the Mutants vital organs to make sure it wouldn''t regenerate. After that, he exerted more power into it, causing a large wooden pole to form with the Mutant''s body sitting atop it. Afton pulls his arm back and wipes the sweat from his brow, he''d never done anything so ''grand'' with his abilities before, it was surprisingly quite exhausting... Fortunately, his regeneration was also recovering the stamina he''d exerted. "I thought you were weird before, but that''s just freakish..." Dean mutters, holding his injured shoulder. Veronica unconsciously nods, "When have you been able to that!?" Afton shrugs, "Have most of your body devoured by mutative plant life and survive, maybe you will you get a chance to do this... Still unlikely though, I was a lucky case." he states while drawing his Sonic Emitter and pointing it at the Mutant. "You guys should back up slightly." he warns as he begins firing. The explosive effect caused by the Sonic Emitter would only occur during critical hits, which is why he couldn''t just toss it in the air and hope to get lucky. The shots cause bits and pieces of the Mutants body to explode into red paste, but his roots held it together so it couldn''t escape its binding. Soon enough, a crit occurs. *BOOM!* An explosion shakes the rooftop they were standing on as a fireball enveloped the Mutants body... This is quickly followed by another explosion which causes a large green plasma shockwave to ring out, literally incinerating anything that comes into contact with it... The pole the Mutants body was sitting atop is almost completely destroyed, leaving only a stump and the smell of burnt flesh in its wake. "D-did you kil-" Dean starts but stops halfway as time freezes around them, Afton being the only person left aware of it. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 53!!] Points : 1 [Stats] [Perks] [Mutations] Afton doesn''t even have to think about what he wants as he''d already decided long before this... [Beauveria mordicana rasorium] : Enables user to form incredibly sharp blades on their arm. This would essentially make him a living weapon... The whips he''d been using to grab things could now be used to attack... He could even change his fingers into claws, or form a Prototype blade if he wanted... There were so many options, yet, all he needed now was to extend these abilities to the rest of his body... Hmm, he''d need to search for something like that next level... For now, confirm! Once time resumes, Afton grips his fist and rolls his shoulder, not noticing the duo looking at him strangely... "What?" he asks as Dean coughs into his fist. "Is it dead or not?" he asks, Afton having ignored his earlier question for some reason. Afton nods, "Yeah, definitely." he states with confidence, it wasn''t unfounded either, he''d just levelled up from killing it after all. "You okay?" Veronica asks after a moment. Afton nods, realising he must''ve looked odd ignoring Dean''s earlier question. "Er, yeah... Just thinking about things." Chapter 533 - Sit Back! Relax! After the group''s battle against the Ghost Mutant, they began moving again, this time in the direction of the Salida del Sol. Obviously, Afton didn''t forget to push Dean''s shoulder back into it''s socket, but maybe he should have just left it alone... That Ghoul''s bitching about it made it difficult to decide... During the journey, Afton had just to flex his new abilities but found it difficult due to the fact he was wearing Power armour... The small opening in his gauntlet allowed him to produced a whip covered in razor barbs, but he wasn''t able to explore the mutations as much as he may have wished.?? Perhaps after his next mutation, he''d be able to forgo Power armour on his plant-arm completely... As it is, an Anti-Material rifle could still punch through it, making it a massive weakness in any large scale battle. Even if he was always focussing on his Danger Sense he couldn''t be one hundred percent sure he''d get out unscathed when an attack did come. The next Mutation he''d get would be one that reinforces his plant arms defences, allowing him to change it into a steel-like substance... After that, he''d probably focus on reinforcing the rest of his body, or maybe trying out Telekinesis?... Technokinesis sounds pretty cool too, as well as a good combination with his current skillset. Soon enough they reach the outskirts of the District and Afton could see the bell tower looming in the distance... Afton had already unconsciously started heading in its direction when Dean stops him. "Hold up, we got the Switching Station to get to first, only then can we activate the event." he states, gesturing in the southern part of the Salida del Sol. Afton just shrugs at him, "Lead on." The group begins to move again but Veronica doesn''t notice herself walking over a more ragged and fragile part of the rooftop... "Veronica st-" Afton calls out but is too late, the combined weight of her body and the Power armour easily breaching the roof. She falls straight down with a high-pitched shriek, tumbling through the first floor she hits, then the second, then onto the ground floor... Fortunately, there wasn''t any Cloud down there, so she should be relatively unharmed... Hopefully. Afton and Dean crowd around the hole, "You okay down there?" he calls out while shining a light down it at Veronica who was lying in a heap. ... "Ugh, yeah... Oh shit...!?" she exclaims but quickly quietens down after nothing happens. "What is it?" Afton asks, ready to jump down and defend her. Veronica glances back up the hole and gestures at something not visible to them in the room, "There''s a Hologram here... It isn''t attacking though..." Dean''s eyes light up at this, "Ah? Must be a Hologram trader, I haven''t even found that one yet... Good job!" he chuckles while flashing a thumbs up, while Veronica flips him off in response. Afton glances at Dean questioningly, "Hologram trader?" Dean nods, "Yes... Old Frederick didn''t think paying for hostesses and staff was worth the effort, so he just had Holograms made instead to serve their functions... If you got any prewar cash, we might be able to buy something useful." Afton shakes his head, "No... Only thing I use dollars for nowadays is toilet paper." he sheepishly admits, only now realising how ridiculous that would sound to his previous self''s sensibilities. Dean bursts into laughter at this, wiping a stray tear out of his eye, "Oh! now isn''t that just a hilarious change of priorities... Whatever, use your plat-arm? thing? and pull her up, I doubt scrounging for change and buying half a Stimpack would achieve anything at this point." Afton nods and shoots a whip down to Veronica, wrapping it around her waist and bracing himself while pulling her up. Even a Supermutant would find this difficult, but Afton just continues the task without a sweat. "Alright, now, do I need to instruct you on how to not fall into any more holes?" Afton asks Veronica semi-sarcastically. She just smacks him in the arm and begins walking southwards again, "That was one time." she retorts. Fortunately, the streets below them were relatively clear of the Cloud, however, this wasn''t the case for Ghosts, which seemed to infest literally every street corner within view. Even the destroyed building had many on the ground level, promoting just how dangerous this area was... Afton couldn''t imagine how difficult it would be if he was forced to travel via the streets. (Yes I''m throwing shade at the Courier for not using the rooftops in the DLC) The group continues to travel for around an hour until they spot a large square next to a wide-open gate, inside the gated area was an illuminated clearing that had a number of rusted electrical switches, which is presumably what they were here for... Unfortunately, the square and the gated area were both completely full of Ghosts. Not to mention the egregious amount of bear traps that''d been laid around. Afton was unsure if the Ghosts were responsible for those though, especially since they seemed to instinctively avoid them. Afton just groans aloud, "Urgh, why is this fucking town so fucking annoying! Can''t they just give us a freebee for once?" Dean snorts, "I don''t know who ''they'' are, but this is proper ''Sierra Madre hospitality''." he chuckles. Veronica shakes her head, "I have no idea how you have lived this long... We''re struggling and we''re kitted out in the best armour and weaponry you can and can''t find in the wasteland." Dean purses his lips, "Just skill... A bit of starvation, and the best escaping technique you''ve ever seen... Now, both of you stop your bitching, you''ve got Ghosts to kill." he states as he sits on the edge of the rooftop. Afton crooks a brow, "What about you?" Dean shrugs with a laugh, "As your friend just said, you are far better equipped than I am." he says while lying back as if he were on vacation. Chapter 534 - Scouting The Competition... Christine sits back in the swivel chair, monotonously spinning it and herself around while waiting for the Gala Event to begin. Afton and Veronica''s Ghoul ''friend'', Anja was sleeping nearby on a pile of scrap soft enough to be used as a bed. She releases a long sigh as her muscles still occasionally twitch from her long time torture inside the Auto-Doc, she could still feel phantom pains from her scars, but ignored it all through sheer willpower alone. Despite her family coming all this way into what could potentially be hell itself, the thing pushing her forward at the moment was Elijah, and her wish for vengeance against him.?? *Bzztch!* She raises a brow at the sound, "Speak of the Devil." she mentally spits as Elijah''s raspy voice begins speaking through her collar. "Enjoying yourself, Christine?" he asks with a great deal of mirth. Silently growling, she taps her collar once after remembering Afton''s makeshift method of communication. "Oh, still can''t speak? That''s a shame... Still, it means you make a great listener. Plus, it allows you to silently contemplate things, with this new skill, you''ve noticed it haven''t you?" he asks ambiguously. Again, Christine just taps once on her collar, not knowing what Elijah was referring to. "Ahh, being willfully ignorant it is then? Tell me, are you still loyal to the Brotherhood? Even after they sent you on a suicide mission and abandoned you when you didn''t return?" he asks, his grin somehow audible in his words. She quickly taps twice, answering that she is indeed still loyal. The Brotherhood probably just wasn''t able to track her, Big Mt fried all their methods of tracking, and the Sierra Madre was essentially impenetrable. Elijah chuckles, "You are? Oh, do I have big news for you then my dear... You''re friend Afton, your family Veronica, both are no longer part of the Brotherhood. They told me themselves, they have formed their own group that goes against everything the codex states... Why else would they lug around two mutants with them?" Christine''s eyes widen at this, her eyes trailing to the sleeping Anja, she taps no on her collar though, not willing to believe this... Or, if it true, put much faith in Elijah''s words... This was just like him, trying to manipulate her, why else would he try this while the other''s weren''t here to defend themselves?... Yeah, he''s just trying to set them against each other. "It''s funny how you refuse to believe what''s before you. I''ve even received news from the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood... Did you know Afton is assisting the NCR in capturing them?" ... Christine shakes her head, covering her ears, not wishing to hear anymore without speaking to Afton and Veronica about this topic directly... Surely if it was true they''d have a reason, right? "If you are unsure about my words, why not ask that mutant with you? The two seems close with it, enough to reveal their secrets I''d say." he trails off. Christine looks over to Anja and slowly gets to her feet, determined to see if what Elijah says holds any truth at all. She walks over and slowly shakes Anja awake, nudging the ghoul with her foot. Anja slowly awakens due to being disturbed. She jumps slightly at not seeing anything, but quickly recomposes herself with memories of the recent events. "Ah... H-hello? Christine?" Anja asks, her throat still raw from Cloud exposure. ... "Oh, right... You can''t speak..." Anja sheepishly admits. "Don''t worry about that, mutant, Christine here just wants some information about Afton and Veronica." Elijah asks through the collar for Christine. She taps her collar twice to indicate she agrees with the old man. Anja pauses for a moment at the fact Elijah and Christine were seemingly cooperating, if it was possible her skin would be pale and clammy at the situation... "W-what do you want to know?" Elijah grins behind the terminal as he speaks, knowing that this could potentially be a turning point for his plans. "What is Afton''s current rank in the Brotherhood of Steel?" ... Anja sheepishly rubs her hands together, "Er... None... He was exiled for stopping my execution..." Christine crooks at brow at this, that wasn''t actually out of character for Afton... He took the Codex more as guidelines than anything concrete, kinda how she and Veronica treated certain passages. Still, hearing that Afton had indeed left the Brotherhood was difficult... That also meant that Veronica was essentially in the same situation if she was travelling around with him. Elijah continues to question her, "And, did Afton make an agreement with the NCR?" Anja thinks for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, "I... I think negotiations fell through, but yes... He did want the NCR to capture Brotherhood members... Instead of killing them which is what would probably happen if left alone." she states, not wanting to throw Afton under the bus over a misunderstanding. Christine stands there silently upon hearing that, trying to process how she feels about it... Elijah doesn''t have such conniptions, however. "And Veronica? Is she still a part of the Brotherhood?" he continues. Anja chews her lip, "I-I don''t know... I don''t think so? Our organization isn''t exactly friendly with them..." she sheepishly admits. Elijah silently laughs to himself, "Oh? What is your organization exactly?" ... Anja shakes her head, "If you want to know, ask Afton. You can still speak with Dean can''t you? I am nothing but a scout." she states, unwilling to say anything else due to the potential for her to accidentally reveal something secret. "Hmph, see Christine? They are not the people you were familiar with. Just strangers with ulterior motives... I wonder why they even came for you? Perhaps they need some leverage against the Brotherhood?" Anja scowls, "Afton and Veronica aren''t like that! They came to save you because you''re their family! Everyone in Bulwark knows this! Don''t let that old traitor tell you lies." she growls. Chapter 535 - Fire! Back with the clear-up trio, or duo more like due to Dean''s complete reluctance to get his hands dirty, Afton and Veronica had given up trying to persuade their ghoulish friend. Dean continued to make excuses varying from "I''m too tired!", to "I''m scared!", to "I''ve run out of bullets." In the end, the duo just decided to go it alone and hope nothing bad happens. Both were basically immune to harm due to their Power armour, but that didn''t mean something unexpected couldn''t happen... The Cloud for instance had obviously displayed the ability to mutate other creatures aside from humans...?? If it can mutate a Super Mutant, what would happen if it got a hold of a Deathclaw? Or a Cazador? Or even a Yao Guai? Just the thought made Afton reluctant to be arrogant or overconfident about their durability, he wouldn''t mention these thoughts to Veronica either, for fear of pushing her into a ''Dean'' mindset... Afton leads the assault by jumping off of the roof and landing right on top of a Ghost, his feet crushing its body as if it were a slinky. *CRRRAACK!* *SQUELTCH* Afton flicks his hand and shoots out a wood-like tendril from his plant arm, extending it until it''s a couple meters long before forming razor-sharp blades on it. Once done, he begins spinning it over his head. However, before he can get off his first attack, the Ghosts were already upon him, sprinting like mangled fast zombies with various weapons ready to strike. In response, Afton ignites his Ultra Chainsaw in his left hand and bisects the closest Ghost before kicking its slowly regenerating body towards a few other charging enemies. Once the razor whip spinning over his head had picked up enough speed he swings it down around him, cutting a huge swath of Ghosts in half! Many fall to the ground in halves or missing limbs, if they hadn''t been immortal Cloud-controlled zombies this would''ve been extremely effective!... Unfortunately, for these creatures, losing a leg and an arm amounts to nothing but a scratch as it''d regenerate soon after it was incurred. Now that the plant-whip had halted against the bodies of the Ghosts, they immediately started attacking it with their weapons. Their Saturnite knives, steel spears, butcher knives, and beartrap gauntlets easily damage the relatively fragile whip, quickly destroying it and continuing their charge towards Afton. Veronica had already jumped into battle behind him, popping Ghost heads with her shotgun fist weapon. Occasionally getting a crit and causing an explosion with the unique weapon... In fact, her fist weapon''s ability was one of the only things that permanently killed the Ghosts... Its explosive effect was strong enough to completely annihilate the Ghost that is detonated. *SKREEEE!* *DINK!* *PING!* The sounds of metal bouncing off of her Saturnite plating rings out, but she ignores it and focuses on punching as many skulls as humanly possible. While her non-crit attacks may not put them completely out of commission, it does take them a while to regenerate a splattered skull. Up on the rooftop, Dean had laughed and clapped when the duo had first jumped down, but once he saw Afton''s unnatural whip-attack his sunglasses had almost fallen from his face in shock... He tugs at his shirt collar nervously at the sheer amount of destruction the duo were causing. He thought they''d be fine dealing with the enemies, but not like this... He thought it''d be more like a drawn-out slug-fest until they whittled down the Ghosts numbers. Indeed, these thoughts continued to plague him until he saw the need to start getting active... He stands and runs off to quickly collect some supplies. Afton gives a grunt as he smashes his elbow into an attacking Ghosts skull and causing it to explode into a bloody red mist. He steals the axe it was wielding and swings it at another Ghost, cutting its head clean off before throwing the axe into the crowd, probably hitting another... There were so many that Afton wasn''t actually sure how much of a dent he''d made in the group. He had almost been swarmed a number of times already, the Ghosts numbers trapping him under their combined mass... Fortunately, his Ultra Chainsword lends itself well to cutting his way out of sticky situations... He glances over in Veronica''s direction but doesn''t see her... Instead, he just saw a pile of bodies with Veronica most likely underneath it all... Occasionally an explosion would occur from within, knocking a portion of them off, but the hole was quickly filled in by the others. He smashes his helmeted forehead into a Ghost''s literally causing it to explode while forming a razor-sharp wooden blade from his plant-arm and beginning to wade his way towards Veronica. The only actual harm the group could do to her was suffocation, which wasn''t likely due to the internal oxygen system contained within her armour. Still, one problem presented by the group was hs inability to permanently keep the Ghosts dismembered bodies apart to stop them regenerating while he dealt with the others... But... *Smash!* *Splash!* *FWOOM!* Dean had tossed a Molotov Cocktail into the pile of dismembered bodies left in Afton''s wake. He''d taken into account the ''Sandstone, spit, and glue'' buildings and found that they''d probably survive being on fire for a bit... Probably. Afton was grateful regardless and hopeful that fire would actually be able to permanently kill the Ghosts. Dean tosses a couple more firebombs and soon enough flames had almost completely enveloped half of the clearing. Even despite that, literal flaming Ghosts were still running out of the fire towards Afton. He just brushes them off though, continuing to carve his way into the mound that is slowly gaining mass atop Veronica. "I never figured you as a bottom bitch Veronica!" he shouts. *BANG!* Another explosion occurs as Veronica''s voice shouts out a reply muffled by the Ghosts, "Fuck you and help me! Can you even speak with those dark blue balls anyway!?" Chapter 536 - Copyright Right? Afton quickly but carefully slices through the pile of Ghosts and pulls Veronica out of it... Right into another horde of flaming Ghosts who quickly charge straight at her. She retaliates with a punch, sending one back into the fiery hellscape that Dean had created but is pushed back by the sheer numbers of them. Apparently, one of the downsides of using fire is the smoke it produces... Combine that with the smoke detectors scattered around the place and you''ve got a shitstorm coming!?? *DUUDUUDUUUDUUDUUDUUDUUDUUDUU!* "Fuck!" Afton exclaims as more and more Ghosts come crawling out of the woodwork... He was sure there were some even from the bell tower coming here, reinforcing the already sizeable horde! "JUST!" *SLASH!* "FUCKING!" *CRACK!* "DIE!!" "THUDD!* Three hours of this pass with both Afton and Veronica fighting almost nonstop... Veronica was exhausted and on her last legs, while Afton was mentally tired from the whole ordeal. The fight had gone on for so long that the toughest thing about it was keeping the flames stoked so they could toss the dismembered bodies into it to finish them off. Dean had already fallen asleep on the top of the roof judging by his loud snoring (which also served to attract more Ghosts), so Afton was left continually chipping away at their numbers... Fortunately, by now the horde was nearing its end. With only a few Ghosts occasionally crawling out of the vents, sewers, and alleyways, Afton was sure there were none left around this area to bother them. Though, he was somewhat worried about the burning corpses... They didn''t burn like regular materials. Instead of releasing smoke, they released the Cloud when burned... The corrosive fog slowly gets blown away from the area, but it just provides yet another hazard for him to worry about. He stomps down onto a Ghosts head before tossing it into the fire with the rest of its kin, taking a deep breath while glancing around for more... Only to realise that the earlier Ghost was the last one remaining... "FINALLY!" he exclaims, causing another hand to poke out of a manhole nearby... With a growl he picks the Ghost up by the scruff of its clothing and tosses it into the fire without even slashing it first, allowing it to toss and turn while still attempting to attack then. He walks over to Veronica and lends her his shoulder just as she''s about to stumble to the floor, exhaustion quickly overtaking her. "You alright? Last time you looked like this we were surrounded by Legionaries." he jokes. Veronica shakes her head with a snort, "Legionaries don''t grow their heads, limbs, and bodies back. Nor are they anywhere near as fast as these things... Let''s just hope that''s the last of them, otherwise I''m going on strike." she states, pushing off of Afton and standing on her own weakly. Afton glances around for Dean and notices the Ghoul still sleeping, so he snaps off the handle of an axe that throws it at him, the wooden scrap performing a parabola before striking him clean in the forehead. "Ouch! The fuck was that!?" Dean angrily yells out. Afton ignores him though and just pumps his fist in the air, afterwards giving Veronica a high-five. "Oh, sorry mate! Looks like a Ghost had it in for you and tossed something!" Dean sits up and looks down at the now-empty clearing, "Yeah, looks like it..." he mutters, slowly getting up and climbing down. "Good work dealing with those Ghosts, team." he smirks, "It was a good team effort." Veronica scoffs, "Team effort huh? I''ll remember that if I see someone winning big in New Vegas... What now?" she asks after a moment. Dean nods his end towards the gated area, still illuminated with a number of rusty electrical switches. "Now, we wait there while one of you heads to the bell tower to activate the Gala... They need to be pulled in a specific order, but I doubt I''m strong enough to do it alone... That''s what HE needed Dog for the last time." he states. Afton shrugs, "It falls on me then..." he says after some easy deduction. Veronica was still tired from the earlier fight, and Dean was required here... Which left him to start the Gala. "You two wait here, I''m assuming it''ll be easy to tell once I''m done." Dean sagely nods, "Indeed, it''ll be like a New Years fireworks display, the angelic voice of Vera Keyes will invite us inside, and music will blare from the casino..." he hums with a smile before it drops into a frown... "Of course, the racket will cause every Ghost, Goblin, and Ghoul within one hundred miles of here to head to the casino, so be ready to fight for your entry ticket." Afton sheepish rubs the back of his helmet, yeah, he''d forgotten that the casino would basically be under siege as soon as the Gala Event started... By the time they collected Christine and Anja, the place would be swarming with them... He wasn''t even sure if the defence systems could identify between Ghosts and regular people. Judging by how the Holograms attacked him earlier, he doubted they had such a capability. "Right, well, I''ll be off." he gives a mock salute before jogging away at a tame pace. Once he was out of the clearing he thrust his palm at a nearby rooftop and produced a plant-whip which grappled one of the railings, allowing him to begin to swing across the street like Spider-Man... Obviously, he only had one plant arm though, so he was pretty limited in his ''swinging'' ability. One thing he appreciated though was the plant arms ability to reintegrate material that''d been created, allowing him to suck the whip in and pull himself around like a grappling hook. If he couldn''t steal from Spider-Man, he certainly could Batman Chapter 537 - Gala Event His small jaunt through the Salida del Sol was far easier now that he didn''t have to worry about Veronica or Dean. That said, he had fallen through a couple of weakened rooftops due to his speed and momentum... Fortunately, no one was around to see that, otherwise he might have to silence them... Soon enough he reaches the church where the bell tower is located. He looks over the rooftop at it and frowns at the cloud enveloping the place... The entire ground floor was covered and most likely full of the deadly substance...?? Still, it wasn''t like he couldn''t deal with this. He fires out a Plant Whip and attaches it to the bell tower, taking a run-up before leaping off of the roof and pulling himself towards it. He''s pulled through the air towards the bell tower but accidentally catches too much speed... *CRASH!* Once he hits the wall of the belltower he goes clean through the wall, leaving a flailing humanoid shape if himself... He tumbles as he forces himself to stop, eventually skidding to a halt in a grimy dark room with a ladder at one side leading all the way to the top of the tower. There weren''t any Ghosts around, probably due to the fact you needed to climb another ladder just to get to this point... Afton stands and rolls his shoulders while taking a glance at the wall he''d crashed through. "Eh, I''m, sure the owner of this place will take care of that..." he jokes to himself, and afterwards begins scaling the ladder. Once at the top he''s given the best view of the Sierra Madre town he''d ever seen... He could see everything from here... The Puesta del Sol, Salida del Sol, Medical District, and even the Police Station. He focuses on where his various companions were located... Christine and Anja, Dean and Veronica... Each area still looks relatively free from the Cloud, which put him somewhat at ease. "Alright... Better do what I came here for..." he mutters while turning to face the switch which looks in the direction of the Sierra Madre Casino. He turns on his radio and speaks into it to confirm that everyone was ready, "I''m about to start the Gala Event... Everyone ready?" "*Bzztch* We''re ready here, just waiting for the light show.*Bzztch!*" Deans voice says through his collar. "*Bzztch* Ready, Sir. *Bzztch!*" Anja confirms for the both of them, Christine obviously not able to talk. "Alright... Let''s do it!" he exclaims while pressing the big red button on the panel. *DOOOOoooong! DOOOOoooonnngggg!* The bell above him begins chiming, releasing loud, slow *dongs* every couple of seconds or so- *BAAAANG!* Afton jumps slightly, changing his focus from the bell to the Casino, which had thousands of fireworks going off right now. It honestly felt like a New Years Eve Celebration, but all contained within this single fireworks display. From the tower he could already see the vast groups of Ghosts slowly shambling towards the Casino, no doubt attracted by the cacophony occurring nearby. Honestly, their sheer numbers were kind of frightening... He''d already killed hundreds of them, but the light produced by the fireworks occasionally reveals the many shadowy walking corpses... He shakes his head and looks back at where his companions are, deciding it would be best to head towards Dean and Veronica first. They were the most exposed and could help with moving Anja and Christine if something obstructs them. "I''m moving to collect you all, try and stay out of sight while the Ghosts are migrating." he states before jumping out of the bell tower window and using his Plant Arm to soften the impact. Half an hour later and Afton arrives back at where Veronica and Dean were located... From the rooftop, he could see a couple Ghosts bashing their heads against the locked gate where the duo was waiting for him... Apparently, they''d not managed to avoid all attention. He jumps down and cuts the Ghosts to pieces, tossing their individuals parts far away from each other before looking through the gate, "Yo!" "You''re back... Good job with the Bell Tower, thought it would take you far longer if I am honest." Dean admits as they open the gate and step out. Afton shrugs, "Getting you guys cleared here was harder than the tower." Veronica puts her helmet on and steps out, giving Afton a light punch to his shoulder, "Stop jabbering and let''s go get the others." The group climb back to the rooftops and begin moving again, following the route they took to get here from the Switching Station. Soon enough they arrive back at where Christine and Anja were waiting... Unfortunately, it seems as if something had occurred during their absence, Christine''s crossed arms, straight posture, and accusatory expression said it all... Afton rubs the back of his helmet, "Er, did something happen?" he asks, glancing at Anja. Anja nods, "Elijah told Christine about us, or you, to be specific, sir." she states sheepishly. "Ah..." Afton mutters in realisation. Christine nods, tapping her collar twice and jabbing a finger at Afton and Veronica''s chest plates, afterwards pointing at the Bulwark insignia''s printed across them. "She thinks you betrayed the Brotherhood." Anja adds, hoping to get this misunderstanding sorted so they can get moving. It was difficult to maintain her composure with her new disability and the loud sounds of the Gala Event starting. Afton scoffs and Veronica takes her helmet off, "Christine, we didn''t abandon the Brotherhood, they abandoned us! Do you know that it was Elder McNamara that took Elijah''s place after Helios One?" she asks and Christine nods. She''d occasionally gotten updates about the Mojave chapter while she was training in the Circle of Steel... Though, nothing specific obviously. As far as she was concerned, the Mojave chapter was still hiding underground with McNamara leading them, she was conflicted about it, but wasn''t sure what could be done due to the Mojave''s current political climate. Chapter 538 - Pecking Order Veronica continues, "Well, McNamara was ousted by Hardin due to incredibly dubious reasons. It was only on a technicality that McNamara lost the position, a technicality that he broke to save the chapter..." she trails off. Afton crosses his arms and locks eyes with Christine, "About a year ago I left the Bunker after having thought long and hard on whether or not the chapter was actually fulfilling their duties... During my time in the wasteland, I found the Brotherhood wanting... They abandoned their duties to the people and hid away to protect themselves. I won''t lie, you leaving us was a considering as well Christine, I wanted to find and bring you back to us..." he states while taking many liberties with what constituted the ''truth''.?? If he were honest, the main reason he left was to acquire the Pipboy the Brotherhood was hellbent on taking apart. Of course, finding Christine, Veronica, and exploring the wasteland was also a consideration, as well as having some fun in this strange world he found himself in... Hiding away in the bunker in this world would be like living in a basement after going on vacation to a tropical country. "The current situation in the Mojave is far worse than most would have you believe, Christine. The NCR are corrupt and vicious towards anyone who doesn''t follow them absolutely. The Legion are barbaric slavers hellbent on blazing a trail through the continent, raping, murdering, and conquering everything in their path. Even Mr House, the ruler of New Vegas, allows prostitution, which in some casino''s essentially amounts to indebted servitude, blackmailing, and manipulation of Chem-Addicts. To fix this I decided to make my own faction, Bulwark. We would take on the duties of the Brotherhood while not constantly deferring to the Codex. It may seem blasphemous to you, but let me ask you honestly... Do you think that Anja and Dean should be executed?" he asks with furrowed brows beneath his helmet. Christine just stares into his glowing red visor, contemplating her thoughts on it. The Codex firmly stated that the eradication of abominations was their first and foremost duty. As humans it is their responsibility to safeguard humanity against such existential threats. At least, this is what they were taught, Christine herself was dubious over it despite her firm adherence to most other rules in the Codex. Her relationship with Veronica had been seen as a dereliction of duty, despite nothing of the sort being anywhere in the Codex. She takes a glance at the blind Anja, the Ghoul who''d been assisting her the best she could despite her injury. Anja had been telling her stories about some of Afton and her adventures, adventures involving monstrous plants, Fiends, and the NCR... It would be a lie to say she hadn''t started feeling a friendship towards her, but that only left her conflicted due to what the Codex states. Christine bites her lip and slowly shakes her head, feelings of confusion, betrayal, and despair overtaking her for a moment. To be honest, she''d never actually been confronted with such a decision until now... She''d been locked up inside for most of her life, the Mojave chapter, then the Circle of Steel... Sure, she''d been called on to assassinate the occasional Ghoul in some communities. But there was such a great distance between her and her target, physical and emotional, that she never really thought about it. She tapes her collar once, answering no to Afton''s question, though, she was hesitant when she gives it. Afton takes his helmet off and holds it under his arm, "Then, by that decision, you are a traitor to the Brotherhood. Simply for not killing an innocent and sapient being, you have broken the Codex and can be punished. Demotion, exile, or execution... Do you not see how Draconic such rules are? This is the primary reason I distanced myself from the Brotherhood. I still believe that technology needs to be regulated, after all, technology caused the Apocolypse. But I think having a ''Kill and burn all Abominations'' rule is stupid and far too easily taken advantage of. Just what classifies an Abomination anyway? A creature of human descent? A creature created by the manipulation of human DNA? The Codex is never clear on this, which is why some chapters regard Ghouls as humans, and others burn them at the stake on sight." he states. Veronica spots the indecision on Christine''s face and rests a hand on her shoulder, "Look Christine, I didn''t leave the Brotherhood lightly. Hardin challenged Afton to a trial by combat after he was exiled." Christine''s eyes widen slightly at this, quickly realising the implications, Veronica nods in confirmation, "Afton beat the shit out of Hardin without any Power armour at all, he did this to save Anja from execution after we protected the chapter from a Legion assault" she explains. "The Brotherhood had lost its way, and I feel that you can only trust yourself to make things right... I don''t think waiting until someone punches it in the nuts to get it back on track, we''ll be the ones doing the punching! And we''ll make the Mojave a better place for it." Veronica states, determination burning in her eyes... Though, her words seem to bring Christine out of her funk and into silent laughter. Christine laughs at the way Veronica had framed it, the strange choking silence not even bothering her as her eyes tear up, quickly remembering why she''d fallen for Veronica all those years ago... It seems as if she hadn''t changed a bit! Veronica pouts, "Oi, I''m being serious! Stop laughing!" she groans, but Afton and the others just begin chuckling at the side. All of them receiving a glare from the ''Nut Puncher''. After Christine had finished laughing and wiped a stray tear from her cheek, Veronica looks into her eyes, "So... Are we still good?" Christine doesn''t try to ''say'' anything in response, instead, stepping on her tiptoes and giving a light peck to Veronica''s lips. The victim''s back straightens at this as Veronica blushes and looks at Christine with a dumb expression on her face. "Y-Y-You!-" Afton claps his hands together drawing everyone''s attention, "Alright! You guys can make out another time, we''ve still got work to do, remember!?" Chapter 539 - Promoted To Bodyguards... With the misunderstanding between the group and Christine temporarily solved, they begin moving towards the Sierra Madre Casino in the distance. The Casino itself was actually a couple miles away, and to reach it you''d need to traverse a long path winding up and down steep hills. The terrain didn''t slow the group down much, but it certainly slowed the Ghosts who were stumbling over one another and stupidly trying to go over terrain that was too steep to traverse... Hundreds of those creatures might''ve gotten stuck alone, yet, the numbers heading towards the Casino still seemed neverending.?? The group continued to try to sneak around and past the Ghosts, the creature''s limited hearing, and sight making it fairly easy for the most part. But the closer to the Casino the group got the denser the groups of Ghosts got... This eventually made it impossible to continue without attracting the attention of the Ghosts. They were still halfway up the mountain leading to the Casino when a firework going off illuminated the area, causing all the Ghosts around them to slowly turn around and look at them... "Fuck." Afton spits when he realises half the Ghosts on the mountainside were now looking at them. Without waiting another moment, he grabs Anja and Christine and hoists them above him out of the Ghosts grip before charging straight into the crowd like an American Football player. He easily flattens the first few who get in his way, and easily began rambling anything else that obstructed him... Veronica had done the same, grabbing Dean and following the trail of bodies Afton had left in his wake. Fortunately, the Ghosts weren''t as focused as they''d usually be... The Fireworks going off above them must have been distracting them to some extent. Blades, claws, and other makeshift weapons skittered off of her armour as she followed Afton. This train of rambling continues all the way up the mountain, eventually managing to reach the Casino before any of the Ghosts had actually managed to... Afton sets down Christine and Anja while glancing a Veronica who was gulping in deep breathes, obviously exhausted. Afton allows her to catch her breath and turns back to the Casino, scanning it for any hint of hostility... Truly, it was much, much bigger up close. He''d never seen a building so big in this world before... Even the Lucky 38 would be dwarfed by its sheer scale. Along the walls were indentations that most likely hid the defences, the many auto-turrets Elijah had spoken about beforehand... Fortunately, he hadn''t lied about the Gala Event deactivating them. He looks towards the door, which currently had a red carpet laid out for the guests and many shining lights flashing around. He was lucky he didn''t have epilepsy, otherwise he''d instantly be having a seizure at the sight of the entrance alone... "Nyx, any luck finding and gaining access to the Casino''s systems?" he asks his AI after turning off his microphone. "I have made many attempts sir, but it looks as if someone else is attempting to do the same... They have succeeded in some places, but the security of the Casino varies greatly." she explains. Afton nods, "Alright, continue on that if you could." he says with a sigh, wondering if Elijah was already on the move. He turns towards the group and gestures them to follow him, having just noticed a few Ghouls shambling up the mountain, they''d reach the Casino in around half an hour if they were lucky, so it was best to try and find a way to seal the doors. The group follows his gaze and quickly nods, following Afton as he jogs towards the Casino entrance. There were a few Holograms standing either side of the doors greeting them and attempting to explain the Casino''s rules, but the group just ignores them and enters anyway. Once through the doors, Afton feels himself gaping at the sight before them... An absolutely humungous room completely filled to the brim with Holograms, Casino tables, Games, and other things. There were even Hologram guards walking around, one actually approaches the group and looks Afton up and down. "Weaponry is restricted, please visit the reception and remove your weaponry, or suffer potential disintegration." it states. Afton holds his hands out placatingly, "Alright, alright... I''ll get on that." he says, not wanting to attract the ire of all the Holograms in the Casino. Fortunately, it seems that the Ghosts would also be having a bad time upon entering as well. Afton coughs into his hands, "Where is the reception may I ask?" The Holographic guard just points at a desk right next to them with a blank look. Afton is about to walk over when Dean steps up, surprising the group. "Now hold your glow-in-the-dark panties... Do you know who I am?" the ghoul asks. The Hologram nods servilely, "One of the singers Mr Sinclaire invited, Dean Domino." Dean grins and crosses his arms, "These people are my bodyguards, I am sure they have permission to keep whatever tools of self-defence they carry." he explains. .... "Processing." the hologram states in a robotic manner, clearly trying to find whether or not this is acceptable. .... "Processing." .... "Confirmed, bodyguards have been giving temporary permission. Enjoy your stay Mr Domino." the Hologram says before starting to walk away, only for Dean to step in front of it again. "Is something bothering you Mr Domino?" Dean nods, "There is a group of assassins outside all wearing black suits, gas masks, and wielding weapons. I would appreciate it if you disallowed them from entry into the Casino." .... "Processing." .... *THUMP! CRASH!* The group''s heads swivel towards the door where a black clawed hand emerges from the gap in the door... The Ghosts had arrived far faster than Afton had expected... "Processing." Afton draws his recovers and starts firing as a couple Ghosts shamble into the Casino, blowing their brains out. And causing them to temporarily fall to the ground as their bodies move to regenerate the damage. Chapter 540 - Casino Royale "Processing." "Can''t we just blow up the doors to stop the Ghosts from entering?" Veronica asks while getting ready to fight yet another horde.?? Afton shakes his head and continues firing, "Not if you want to remain on the Holograms good books... Even as Bodyguards, I doubt firing explosives and causing massive property damage is within our limitations. "Processing." Dean himself had started shooting along with the rest of the group, but, the number of Ghosts coming through the doors was getting larger and larger every second that passed. In a couple minutes, they''d be completely overrun. A stray Ghost stumbles in with a spear in hand and absentmindedly throws it at Dean... The spear flies through the air as everyone follows it with anxious looks on their faces... *SUUKHH!* The spear finds its target and hits Dean in the arm, the spear going straight through his bicep and causing him to fall backwards with a strangled yell. "Confirmed. Targets designated." the hologram guardsman suddenly says just as Dean is injured, holding up it''s arms against its head and light begins gathering... *PEEEEWW!* A laser blasts out and strikes a Ghost in the chest, instantly disintegrating a large portion of it... This is quickly followed by the other holographic guards in the room who''d joined the fray, all launching a bombardment of lasers at the Ghosts. If that wasn''t enough, turrets pop out of the roof and begin firing a litany of ballistic and energy projectiles at the unfortunate Ghoul, causing any that enter to get instantly annihilated. Afton holsters his weapon as he sees them and quickly heads to Dean, injecting some Med X into the Ghoul''s arm to alleviate the pain slightly. "You alright?" "URRGH! Of course bloody not!! I''ve got a great big spear lodged in my arm!" he exclaims while holding his shoulder still, not daring to move his injury. Afton nods and looks at the spear, scowling at its design... He doubted the Ghosts were smart enough to create something like this... The spearhead was barbed, and parts of the handle were mangled enough that it''d be difficult to pull out, it was as if it were designed to cause as much damage as possible. Shaking his head, he pulls out his Ultra Chainsaw and quickly cuts the spear up before extracting it. Following that up with a Stimpack to clot the wound and begin the healing process. "Alright, that should be enough." he adds as he''s bandaging the wound. Dean growls, "Damned Holograms. Sinclaire held no expense on everything except their programming. I wonder if I really had to get injured for them to do anything." he spits, obviously still in pain. Afton pulls him to his feet, "At least they''re doing something now though... If you hadn''t orchestrated this then the whole Casino would be overrun by now..." Dean smirks, "Praise me anymore and I might think that you''re hitting on me." he says before turning around and heading deeper into the Casino. "Where are you going!?" Veronica yells after him. Dean shrugs, "To get a drink." he grouses. Afton glances at everyone else and shrugs, "We can discuss our plans after we sit down I guess." he says before following Dean. Dean had already pulled out a barstool and made himself comfortable while he orders his drink... The holographic waitress wasn''t actually able to make anything, so instead, a complex set of machines mixed his cocktail for him. After around ten seconds, a Martini with an olive stuck in it is slid in front of him. "Drinks are on the house Mr Domino." the Hologram states. Dean just nods and takes a sip, afterwards eating the olive. Afton sits down next to him and takes his helmet off, ordering himself a drink as the rest of the group get comfortable. Though, even now they could still hear the Casino''s security systems fighting off the Ghosts. Dean looks at the waitress and gestures at the group, "Drinks are on me." he shamelessly says, taking advantage of the fact all his expenses were covered under the contract he''d signed two hundred years ago with Sinclaire. Afton shrugs, "Err, we''re in Mexico so, get me some Tequila shots." "Wine for me, and water for these two." Veronica says, gesturing at Christine and Anja. It probably wouldn''t be a good idea to have them drinking. Anja''s blood was currently like 50% pain killer, and Christine''s throat was still fresh from having been cut apart, scrapped out, and damaged. Drinking alcohol would probably have her silently screaming on the floor in pain. Afton smiles to himself as his shots come out, a small packet of salt and some lime slices. This brought him a great deal of nostalgia. This was his preferred method of getting shit faced in his previous world, and now having this stuff set out before him had him reminiscing like an old man. As always, you follow the ''procedure''... Lick salt, drink shot, suck lime. It wasn''t exactly pleasant, but the add ons took your mind off of the terrible flavour of the cactus alcohol. Once done he glances at his companions and leans on the bar to address them, but not before blocking Elijah''s connection to their collars. "Alright, what''s the plan guys? I personally want to find where the Cloud control system is, if it exists... But I doubt that''ll be an easy or efficient thing to accomplish." he explains. Dean glances at them, "I for one want to stop HIM from getting the ''treasure'' Sinclaire supposedly hid here. Whatever it is, letting that madman get it doesn''t sit right with me." Veronica and Christine nods, "For all we know, the Cloud control system might be the treasure... I think stopping Elijah should be our top priority. We can work on escaping this place after." Afton nods, agreeing with them. If Elijah gained control of the Cloud, the first thing he''d do is use the ventilation system to drown the group in it. After that, he''d spread it around the world, threatening all those who don''t comply with his terms with annihilation... Chapter 541 - Just Needs A Keye With that, the group split off to do various things. Dean, left to look around in areas he had exclusive access to due to his status as a singer. Though, Afton was cautious about giving the ghoul too much independence, he''d shown that he was more than willing to ''crack a few eggs'' to make an omelette. Still, if he was ever worried about what the ghoul was up to he could always contact him via his collar... If he didn''t answer it meant that he''d either betrayed them, gotten knocked unconscious, or been captured by Elijah. Veronica wanted to stay in the lobby to take care of Anja and Christine, even if the latter wanted to be active in hunting Elijah. In the end she''d actually pulled Afton to the side and almost begged him to persuade Christine to stay behind and not do anything dangerous.?? Yeah, that surprised him... Fortunately, he''d ended up stumbling across something that could be useful... Apparently, there was an upper limit on the amount of cash you win in the Casino... Once you hit the limit, you''d be stopped from playing and granted a VIP position, this might allow them to gain access to some of the more secure areas without having to fight through hundreds of Holograms and Auto-Turrets. With that, he''d left the trio at a Blackjack table as they attempted to reach the VIP status. Afton wasn''t sure if they''d manage it, as all of them had pretty terrible luck, but maybe they could overcome it with skill? Veronica could probably count cards? Christine probably could have before her injury... Now however he was unsure if she was even able to count. Obviously, Anja would be less than useless at this sort of task... The first problem was that she was blind, the second is that she''d never seriously gambled... That left Afton, who was currently clambering through maintenance tunnels with an annoyed look. He''d crawled down here to see if there was some kind of secret bunker that produced the Cloud, but was thoroughly annoyed when he spotted the thick red mist lingering partway through. He could see the fans nearby, but none were working, meaning that the ventilation system was malfunctioning, which led to this obstacle. He sighs to himself, first things first is fixing the ventilation then... Though, how he was going to locate it in this monolithic casino was another matter entirely. Like this, three days pass with almost no progress whatsoever... The Sierra Madre Casino was simply so huge that navigating through it took hours alone, let alone trying to map out and figure out what is where. It wasn''t like there was a map of the place lying around, so the group had to do things via trial and error... During this time Afton had found a few things of interest. Aside from the dorms which the group liberally use to rest in, he''d found a number of security rooms that controlled specific parts of the Casino''s Holograms and Turrets. The only bad thing about them was the fact that they weren''t the main security hub, meaning anything in the room could be overridden if Elijah found it. Still, using his newly gained authority over local Holograms, he started investigating the more restricted sections. These places, in particular, seemed to be more damaged and ruined than the rest of the Casino... The reason for this? This was where the VIP rooms were, and these rooms had large balconies that looked over the Sierra Madre mountain range. Obviously, the Cloud had come in through the doors left open by their former residents, making this place far more dangerous than the rest of the Casino. Walls were chipped, cracked, and fragile, the floor had large holes in it leading to god knows where, and the overall structural stability was suspect. Afton was very nervous about walking through it while wearing his Power armour. He weighed over half a ton with it on, and he was quite sure the floor was barely rated for that weight even before everything went to shit. Searching through the rooms, he didn''t find much aside from a few malfunctioning Holograms. He had to put them out of commission by destroying their emitters, but other than that it was uneventful... The Cloud had peculiar effects on technology he''d found, while it corroded and destroyed most of it, sometimes it seemed to only target specific components, which didn''t really make sense due to what he''d seen of it. He had found something interesting though... A room affectionately labelled ''Vera Keyes'', he''d asked Dean about that name a while ago, but all he''d said was that she was like him, a singer invited by Sinclaire. to perform. Strangely, once he entered he found a number of seemingly random things... Vera Keyes skeleton was lying in a chair in the corner of the room, still wearing her trademark starlet dress. In the next room he''d found an Auto-Doc? Afton scans through the prerecorded data that''d been collected two hundred years ago and realises that this was Vera Keyes personal Auto-Doc... It held almost all the information about her body, from her DNA, to her eye colour, to her hip shape. Vera Keyes, it seems, was terminally ill. And had had this Auto-Doc secreted to her room so nobody would know about it... Judging by the many used dosages of Med X next to her corpse, she was using Chems to stifle the pain. Quite depressing to say the least... "*Bzztch* Dean, I found your friend, Vera." he states into the radio while waiting for a response. "Oh? How did you manage that?" the ghoul curiously asks via his collar. "I located her room and found her dead in the corner... Did you know she was terminally ill?" he abruptly asks, quickly silencing Dean. Dean stills at this, memories flashing in his mind while dots were quickly connecting... No, he hadn''t known that, but it did explain many of her choices in the end... Choices that could''ve led to the deaths of both of them. Well, that did to one of them. Chapter 542 - Vent It Out "No. I didn''t know that... I thought she was just another Chem addict with all those Med X''s she was popping, but I see now that I was mistaken..." he mutters through the radio, "Thank you for revealing this to me, Afton.*Bzztch!*" he says gracefully before ending communications. Afton sighs, takes his helmet off and rubs his jaw. What''s with this place and confusing him... He just wanted to return to the Mojave where everything was ''relatively'' simple. NCR grey, Legion bad, House equally as confusing... Nevermind...?? He glances back over to Vera Keyes and taps his foot, "I haven''t been sheepish about looting before, why should I start now?" he mutters, walking over and stripping the skeleton of its dress... As long as Veronica didn''t know its origins, he was sure she''d love it. The skeleton crumbles to the floor as he removes the dress, revealing the wall behind her... His crooks at brow at the writing on it, Vera seems to have written a message in her own blood... ''Begin again'', and ''LET GO''... He wasn''t sure what it meant, but maybe it was a message to Sinclaire or something? Who knows. With everything said and done, he begins heading back down to the lobby to see how the others were doing getting the VIP status... They''d failed thus far, but Christine was actually pretty good... Despite her inability to speak. Still, since he''d managed to gain access to the VIP rooms, the status was less of a priority. Elsewhere : Elijah was heavily scowling as he crawled through the ventilation ducts of the Sierra Madre Casino... He''d had this all planned out before Afton and Veronica had arrived... The Ghosts would breach the Casino and put the place on lockdown, he''d use this opportunity to turn off the power and allow Ghosts to continually harass the group to get them moving where he wanted... Yet... That Ghoul had used his former relationship with the place to completely ruin his plans before they''d even started... Because of this, he was now forced to hide away and crawl through the vents to reach places he needed to go... It was inevitable as if he was spotted by anyone he didn''t doubt that he''d be killed. Afton and Veronica had shown incredible combat capabilities, and he''d seen enough to know he stood no chance in a direct confrontation. Fortunately, knew this place like the back of his hand, the last time he was here he''d almost entirely mapped the place out and discovered the vault... The only problem was the last security system in place, the system that prevented him from accessing the Vault at all. All he was able to do was gain control of the Turrets, Holograms, and Forcefields around it. But, no matter what he did, the Vault was impenetrable. As much as he hated to admit it, he still needed those fools to succeed... Even if using them could prove more dangerous than the Cloud or Ghosts had ever been. This was one of the main reasons he hadn''t used the main security systems and turned the place completely against them... While Afton and Veronica might survive the initial assault due to their Power armour, Christine would undoubtedly perish. This was unacceptable as she was the most important piece in this puzzle. He scratches claws his head in annoyance, not noticing the thick clumps of hair falling to the floor as a result, or the blood thick under his fingernails. Two days later : Christine had finally broken the chip limit in the Casino as was quickly given access to the VIP sections of the Casino. The trio had quickly made use of this but had yet to find anything of use... Though, they had discovered a ridiculous amount of valuable items during this time... Sure enough, VIP''s were very rich, and if you combed through their rooms you''d find a litany of gold jewellery, expensive watches and suits, and large piles of pre-war cash. Other than that nothing much had happened, aside from the confusing buzzing that''d occasionally occur from Christine''s collar. Afton had investigated it but found nothing, meaning it was either a glitch or something Elijah was doing. Afton hadn''t been idle during this time either, having finally found the ventilation systems and hacked into it. Once he was in, he began expelling any and all Cloud left within the Casino, this would clear the blocked pathway he''d found days ago... To be honest, he had high hopes for it... Why else would that place be the only Cloud infested area in the Casino? Everything else was clear of it. He suspected that someone wanted to protect it. In the end, he was right. Once he headed down the heavily corroded hallway, he''d found himself standing before a heavy Saturenite door, though, it seemed to be lathered in something that actively resisted the Cloud''s effect on the metal. The Saturnite was very dense, tempered, and reinforced, so most attempts by anyone else would prove useless... Afton didn''t have such issues however, he ignites his Ultra Chainsword and easily swipes through it, his Perks allowing the weapon to act as a more efficient lightsaber. Once he''d cut around the rim of the door, he gives it a firm kick, knocking the chunk of metal out and allowing him to step into the pristine yet dusty laboratory... His eyes were immediately attracted by the Big Mt symbols prominently plastered on everything... From the walls, containers, and even the glasses. Clearly, Big Mt had some serious dealing here, yet, Afton hadn''t found any evidence of such in the scientist''s database, even Glados hadn''t noticed anything of interest, meaning that everything had been destroyed or intentionally deleted. He scans the room for anything dangerous but only finds a couple of skeletons slumped in their chairs in front of a couple monitors... They had a few empty bottles of whisky scattered around them with even more empty bottles of pain killers... He takes a glance at the monitors and notices that they seemed to have been observing the town below the Casino... The town which had been utterly annihilated by the Cloud... He sniffs, "Seems like they couldn''t live with themselves after what they had done." he mutters, not feeling an ounce of sympathy towards these people. Chapter 543 - Future Tech Afton continues investigating the room, going over the files in the terminals and looking overall physical files that were stored or hidden away. There was a bunch of machinery present as well, but Afton was wary of touching anything without knowing exactly what it did... He might just accidentally fill the room with the Cloud if he presses the wrong button... Fortunately, he''d found quite a lot of information about what the Cloud actually is... The Cloud is a self-replicating toxin that can corrode and poison almost anything it comes across. The scientists hadn''t actually discovered it''s ability to transform lifeforms into mindless immortal zombies, but that''s probably because they refused to observe the destruction of the town and subsequently killed themselves.?? Strangely, it''s actually possible to manipulate the Cloud. To control it to some extent. The machine used to do this was a mixture of technologies that still somewhat baffled Afton. It had magnetic components as well as light and sound waves. Apparently, it took an incredibly delicate mixture of the three to manipulate the Cloud. The machinery in the room would control what areas the Cloud could access, where it moved, and how much it would replicate. Fortunately for the world, the replication rate had been set quite low, the Cloud had been active for two hundred years after all, if it wasn''t limited it would''ve enveloped most of North America and most likely South America too. To be frank, the Cloud was a weapon of mass destruction, he thought that the Spores were bad... But the Cloud is ephemeral and cannot be stopped if fully unleashed. It would just keep replicating, spreading and devouring. At least with the Spores you could fight against them, burn the plants and kill the carriers... But this? It was an apocalypse waiting to happen. Still, now that Afton had gained access to the Cloud control systems, it was possible for the group to leave this place... But... If he did that, he''d be leaving this weapon in Elijah''s hands... He needed to completely cleanse this place, and once it was secure, move his own forces in so they could map out the machinery enough so there could build their own Cloud Manipulator. Plus, he couldn''t let Elijah know he''d found the lab yet, the last thing he needed was for that old bastard to sneak in and flood the place while he was busy elsewhere. Strangely, the Cloud Manipulator isn''t the only advanced technology he found information about here... The place also held detailed information about the Holograms, and some kind of Matter Recombinator? Afton''s eyes widen as he reads through the file... How had he not noticed this before? He''d spotted the weird vending machines scattered around the place but ignored them for the most part, this is probably why he''d never noticed that they were some of the most valuable technology in the wasteland... "These things alone could solve world hunger" he mutters in disbelief. The Matter Recombinators do exactly what it sounds like... They recombine matter, using energy to alter the fundamental composition of materials. As long as you had enough energy you could literally create anything so long as you know the composition of what it is. Obviously, mapping out the entirety of an object would be rather difficult and time-consuming, but, once done you could infinitely create more. From chems, to bullets, to food, to guns... The only problem most people would have would be actually producing enough energy to power it... Which wouldn''t be a problem for Afton since he basically has infinite energy with his Glowing Ghoul reactor... As Afton is thinking about all the potential possibilities these technologies could present, he''s interrupted by a buzzing from his Pipboy... "*Bzzzzztchzzzz!* Hello again, Afton. I''m sure you are overjoyed to hear my voice, you have spent days searching for me after all." Elijah states over the radio. Afton scowls, "What do you want?" "What do I want?... Well, that''s quite a loaded question, so I''ll shorten it and just say... Everything." the older man says, confusing Afton further. "You''re gonna have to elaborate, I don''t speak in riddles." Afton spits, not wanting to waste any time dealing with this soon-to-be-dead ass hole. Elijah''s sigh carries through the radio as he begins to speak, "Well, I''ve been watching you venture through my Casino, and I''ve found that you are quite the loyal person... But I wonder how far this extends? Would you abandon your friends for revenge? How valuable are your friends compared to your family?" "Just spit it out you piece of shit." Afton growls out. Elijah pulls away from the radio and seemingly drags someone in front of it... A familiar gravelly voice speaks into it. "Urgh, you won''t get me to talk you crazy lunatic." Deans voice states in a weak tone, obviously talking to Elijah. "Dean? How the fuck did Elijah grab you?" Afton asks while rubbing his forehead, was Dean really so weak to allow that old fool to nab him? Or had he been tricked? "Plant-Boy? Huh, guess he wants to give you one final show before he offs me." the Ghoul chuckles before he''s pulled away from the radio again, Elijah taking his place. "If you want to see the Ghoul alive, you will bring your friends to the VIP rooms in an hour. Take a minute over that and I''ll paint the room with the Ghoul''s brain matter... And after that, I''ll take another of your friends.*Bzztch!*" Elijah threatens before leaving. ... Afton palms his face, anger towards Elijah and disappointed in Dean for getting captured. Most importantly, he felt rage at the fact Elijah was threatening his family. Dean was more or less an acquaintance, but to threaten Veronica, Christine, or Anja? That was a death sentence. He packs up his shit, stores the files he''d been reading, and locks down the room by picking up and sliding the heavy Saturnite door back where it belonged. Elijah probably wouldn''t be able to move it due to how heavy it was, but Afton wouldn''t place all his hopes on it. Once done he races towards where the rest of his group is. Chapter 544 - Hostage Stitch Luckily, Afton quickly located the rest of his companions, Veronica seemed to be trying to ''subtly'' pry a Hologram emitter off of the wall while Christine took care of Anja nearby. The girls were lucky that Afton had taken control of the local security otherwise the Holograms would be trying to disintegrate them for the destruction of property... Veronica finally tears the emitter from the wall and stumbles backwards with it still sparking in her hands, "Finally!"?? "You sure that''s a good idea?" Afton abruptly asks from behind her with crossed arms, causing her to jump in surprise, almost dropping the emitter in the process. "Eeep!... Afton! Don''t you surprise me like that! I almost punched you in the face!" she exclaims. Afton shakes his head, his expression turning dire as he cuts to the chase, "Dean has been captured, and Elijah is threatening to execute him if we don''t show up in an hour... Ten minutes of which has already passed." he states, causing the group to go silent. "W-what should we do?... I mean, I like Dean but... Is he worth risking everyone else? We barely even know him..." Veronica cautiously says, feeling ashamed for even considering it. "We will get Dean, I don''t know what Elijah had planned, but I''d rather walk into a trap than continue searching for him... It might take months to finally pin him down, and even then he might be able to escape somehow..." Afton admits, wishing to use this opportunity to finally get Elijah. There was also the fact that if he let Dean die, he''d essentially admitted that he was willing to sacrifice friends to achieve his goals... Something that would basically put him on the same level as Elijah... Christine steps forwards and nods at Afton, sending a challenging look sideways at Veronica. Despite them making up slightly, Christine still held a deep resentment against Elijah, and it wouldn''t surprise him if she was willing to sacrifice herself to end the old bastard. Afton taps his foot anxiously as he looks at Anja, "He wants all of us to come... But I''m worried about taking Anja, I know you don''t want to hear it, but you are vulnerable right now." he says. Anja frowns but accepts it nonetheless, she knew her current limitations, her lack of vision made her almost completely useless in a fight... "I will come, he might do something if I am not there..." she states with determination, wanting to rescue her fellow ghoul. Afton nods, "Alright... Leave the emitter, we can scavenge for shit once Elijah is dealt with... Let''s go." he says while beginning to lead the group to the VIP rooms, all while fully armed and ready to fire upon anything that moves. Twenty minutes later : The group eventually reach the VIP rooms and walk into the long desolate hallway. At the end of it, they could see Elijah holding a heavily injured Dean... He seems to have cut off the Ghouls arms to prevent him from attempting an escape... The group can only grit their teeth at the sight, as Elijah presses some kind of makeshift pistol against Dean''s temple. Dean miserably looks up and spots the group, faintly smiling at the fact they actually came for him... Such loyalty certainly wasn''t common before the apocalypse, and he doubted that''d changed after it. "So, you''ve finally come." Elijah states, pressing his weapon against Dean''s head harder, making the Ghoul grimace. Honestly, Elijah almost looked at bad as Dean... His thin white hair was patchy in places, with red, bleeding skin visible all over his scalp... His beard was thick and untrimmed, dirty and likely crawling with lice. His clothes were in a similar situation, he still wore the Brotherhood of Steel Elder robes that he used to... Considering how many years it''d been since Helios One, Afton was surprised they were still usable. They were torn and stitched up in many places, covered in blood, dust, and oil stains, while the bottom robes were very frayed as if they''d been caught in a wood chipper for a second. Still, Afton''s eyes were drawn towards the many gadgets attached to his clothing, the pulsing glows of grenades, and other unidentified technology made him wary, giving him an unconscious sense of dread. "What do you want with us, Elijah?" Afton demands, Anti-Material rifle ready to be used at any sight of hostility. The elder gives a choking laugh, coughing and beginning to splutter halfway through, "Right now, I want you all to begin walking towards me." he states. ... They don''t move for a moment, but Elijah ''encourages'' them via shooting a strange holographic projectile from his peculiar-looking gun. It skims the Ghouls skull and hit the wall beside him, thankfully leaving Dean with his head intact. Afton grits his teeth and leads the group by a few meters, hoping to take the brunt of whatever trap Elijah had laid... Strangely, there didn''t seem to be any though. Elijah commands them to stop while the group is standing outside of a familiar room... Vera Keyes room to be specific. "My dear Christine... I need you to go inside the room, and enter the Auto-Doc." he states. Christine scowls and raises her gun in a rage, but is stopped as Afton places a hand over the pistol, preventing her from pointing it at Elijah. "We will deal with him soon! Just do as he says for now... Please." Afton quickly whispers. Christine silently growls, fuming that Afton had stopped her but nodding after a moment anyway... She knew that Afton wasn''t stupid, nor would he be willing to let Elijah live, so she decides to place her trust in him for now... Afton nods and glances to Veronica, "Head inside with her, she might need some encouragement to get back inside another Auto-Doc." Veronica purses her lips under her helmet but nods regardless, she''d be looking at the Auto-Doc''s configurations before she let Christine inside it. She remembers what Afton had said when speaking about it, but she''d double check regardless. Chapter 545 - Swapping Out Veronica leads Christine through Vera Keyes apartment, going through the first room and into the second where the Auto-Doc was standing ominously... At least, that''s what it looked like to Christine. As far as she was concerned, these things were worse than any boogieman, scarecrow, or monster you could think of. It was already activated, lit up in a dull blue light to signify that it was ''ready'' for use. The faint whirring sound it gave off made Christine want to drop her gun and flee in the other direction...?? Veronica rests an armoured hand on her shoulder, "Are you sure you''re okay doing this? I mean, I could probably punch through the wall and smack the shit out of Elijah before he knew what was happening..." she jokes semi-sarcastically. Christine just bites her lip and slowly shakes her head before walking over and beginning to access the subroutines of the Auto-Doc, Veronica hovered over her shoulder as they checked that everything was okay and not likely to cut Christine''s face off. It''s only now that they finally understand why Elijah wants Christine to get inside this thing... The Auto-Doc would rebuild Christine''s destroyed vocal cords in the image of Vera Keyes, essentially granting Christine the former-starlets voice. Sure, many pre-war people would be willing to sell their souls for such an opportunity, but having a nice singing voice wasn''t worth much after the apocalypse... Plus, it''d probably sound pretty jarring to suddenly start speaking with a completely different voice from your own. The Auto-Doc''s doors slowly open while releasing a sound similar to doors you''d see in Starwars or Startrek. A small amount of smoke and dust billows out from the machine, only making it all the more ominous... Veronica notices the wary glances Christine was occasionally sending her way, "Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye from out here. If anything even seems like it''s going wrong I''ll tear you outta there in no time... Trust me. I lost you once, I am not losing you again." Christine releases a long sigh before nodding. She takes one last breath before stepping inside the machine and closing her eyes, her hands trembling as she awaits the painful sensation of unanesthetized dissection. *Clunk!* The doors shut, leaving Veronica standing there with a frown on her face as the machine bursts into action, the sound of saw blades, knives, the cutting of flesh, and faint dripping of blood fills the room. There''s nothing she can do but wait, watch, and listen. Outside, Afton was still facing off with Elijah, Anja standing timidly behind him like a lost lamb. They''d stood here in almost complete silence for ten minutes now, everyone waiting for Veronica and Christine to return... Elijah had begun to get a little antsy, occasionally loosening his grip around Dean''s neck to scratch his scalp, tearing more skin and hair away, leaving bloody trails in his jagged fingernails wake. The man didn''t seem to take any notice of it at all, which disturbed Afton more than he''d like to admit... Trying to negotiate with a madman was like trying to sell a hairbrush to a bald guy... Health insurance to a skeleton... A fleshlight to a woman? You get the picture, it just doesn''t make sense. If Afton hazards to guess, he''d say Elijah''s age combined with the large amounts of radiation he''d likely encountered, plus the effects long term exposure the Cloud has on people were the cause of his current condition. It had radiation poisoning written all over it, from his paper-thin skin and obvious sickness, to his mental instability. "How do you think this is actually going to end Elijah? You think I''ll let you go after all you''ve done? I doubt whatever treasure is hidden here will be enough." he threatens, his many intimidation Perks working to make an incredibly unnerving show. Elijah doesn''t seem to notice it all though, instead rolling the wrist holding the make-shift weapon with a grin, "Such hubris! None of us even have a clue what''s stored down there, you''ve already seen the technology this place has... I''ve already bet my life on it." Afton gives a low chuckle, "I get it, Casino, bet, at least you still have some humour left." he says, trying to throw him off of his game but obviously not expecting much from such a peculiar angle. "What? O-oh... No, I wasn''t joking. I really have staked my life on this." Elijah states in a moment of lucidity. His age clearly showing on his face. *Click* The door to Vera Keye''s room opens up, silencing the budding conversation as Veronica steps out with Christine, fresh red, recently stitched up scars now displayed on her neck... She ignores Elijah for a moment and turns her head towards Afton. "Hello..." she quietly says, sounding as if it was her first time speaking... Which it probably felt like considering the recent operation. Afton''s features soften under his helmet momentarily, but harden again as Elijah begins speaking. "Haha! You are just what I need! Ah, but before we can go any further..." he jabs his weapon in Afton and Veronica''s direction, "You both need to get out of that armour..." ... "I think you''re mad." Afton spits. Veronica nods, "What next? You want us to strip naked as well?" she asks incredulously. Elijah scratches drags his nails over his scalp obsessively, "I WON''T SAY IT TWICE! TAKE. IT. OFF!" ... "Fine." says as the sound of rapidly escaping air occurs as his armour unseals itself. The back opening up to allow Afton to step out of it. Veronica does the same, leaving her in just her recon armour... Afton was a little better off due to the presence of Nyx and all his other Perks, but still not as protected as he''d like. Chapter 546 - Cutthroat... Elijah nods with a morose grin and begins leading the group through the VIP apartments. Dean makes a feeble attempt to resist his captor, but Elijah just shoots him in the foot... The hologram-like projectile almost blowing his foot completely apart. Afton grimaces slightly at the bloody remains of Dean''s foot, the bone and flesh of which had been decorated around the hallway. Of course, Dean screamed bloody murder, but Elijah kept firm control over the situation, pushing the weapon against the ghoul''s temple when Afton starts to approach.?? Thus, the group continues moving, Elijah leaving a long smeared trail of blood as he drags Deans shuddering body with him... Eventually, they reach an elevator that was intelligently hidden nearby a storage cupboard and the stairs. It doesn''t have any labels detailing where it led, nor did it have any buttons that would allow you to access it... Elijah stops before it and points his gun at Christine, "Speak... Say ''Let go''... SAY IT." he commands as excitement shines in his eyes. ... Afton''s plant arm tightens its fist as tiny roots begin travelling up his sleeve, through his clothes and out the bottom of his trousers. Christine seems to be between psyching herself up to speak and glaring daggers at Elijah, which gives him plenty of time to put his plan in motion. Now that they were ''close'' enough, he could slowly approach with his roots, hopefully without the old man noticing. "L-Let go." Christine says, but nothing seems to happen, causing Elijah to frown. "Say it again... PROPERLY this time!" "Let go!" Christine loudly repeats, and a light above the elevator door flickers to life. Elijah follows everyone''s line of sight and glances at the elevator, giddily grinning as he seemingly ignores the group. The elevator hadn''t arrived yet, but he was acting as if the exit was already there for him... Fortunately, Afton had already begun his plan. "W-what''s thi-!?" Elijah mutters as he feels something slithering up his leg, before he''s even able to get out a sentence he''s pulled off of his feet, losing his weapon in the process. The root''s girth swells as it strengthens and begins slamming Elijah into the hallway walls. *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!* Afton grins viciously as he continues bouncing Elijah from one wall to the other, all the while multitasking and unclipping the old man''s belt that held all his hidden devices. This continues for around a minute until he finally stops the beatdown, hoisting the elderly limp body up by its ankle. Afton steps forwards and pokes Elijah in his chest, letting his body dangle painfully. "I told you didn''t I? You''re not leaving this place alive... Maybe I should take the opportunity and skin you, hang it up like a curtain to scare off anyone with similar ideas to you." "Y-Y-You caan''t! I''M ALMOST THERE! IT''S RIGHT THERE!" Elijah roars, reaching for his ''utility belt'' but not finding it on his person. He growls and reach inside his elder robes instead, pulling out some sort of remote control? He''s about to press a button but Afton snatches it out of his hand, causing the elderly man to give an angry and distraught shout. "AAAAFFFTOOOOOON!!!!" Afton ignores the man''s screams and examines the control, quickly realising that it''s linked to the Casino''s central security. "Ah? A gift? How thoughtful." he says before turning and glancing behind him at Christine. "You had some business with him?" Christine nods, "I do." she quietly replies, her new voice still difficult for Afton to get used to. She strolls up to Elijah with a hard look and draws a knife, with it, she presses the cold metal against Elijah''s forehead before slowly beginning to cut the skin away from his face. The group watches with morbid fascination as Christine carves the same scars she has onto Elijah, all the while the mad former-elder screams in agony, yet, still not begging for forgiveness, but promising retribution. Afton wonders if the man was really so deluded to think that Christine would let him leave in one piece. She continues to carve long bloody lines into his skull, face, and lastly, neck. She makes sure not to deal a lethal blow, her cuts were efficient and measured... However, soon enough even Christine seems to have had enough, dealing the final blow to the elderly man by brutally cutting out his vocal cords. She allows the corpse to slump to the floor as she tosses the organ away, taking a glance at Veronica who looks both horrified and relieved at the fate of her former mentor. Honestly, it was hard to tell how Christine was actually feeling in this moment. She had a small satisfied smile plastered across her face, yet, both of her hands were trembling slightly... [Elder Elijah killed : Quest complete] [Reward for completion : Treasure.] With Elijah dead, Afton turns his attention to Dean who was still slowly but surely bleeding out from his mangled foot. He quickly applies a liberal amount of Med X and Stimpacks while bandaging the wound tightly to prevent further blood loss. *DING* As if having waited for Elijah''s end, the elevator doors finally slide open, revealing a cabin completely devoid of dust and looking spectacularly clean. ... Afton glances at everyone, "Err, well... I should let you guys know that I had already found a way out of here, but if you wanna check out the treasure then I''m not gonna say no." he shrugs. "We need to see if it''s dangerous or not... Whether or not the treasure should be destroyed to prevent people like Elijah from getting their hands on it." Christine states after taking a moment to compose herself after her recent execution. Afton shakes his head, "It depends on what it is... You should be aware that in all likelihood, I''ll be taken it for Bulwark... Before anything though, me and Veronica should hop back in our armour... No point going in unprepared." The group nod and not long after they''re gathered back around the elevator entrance. They had collectively decided to leave Anja and Dean behind, both having been heavily injured and would be pretty useless in a confrontation. Though, Dean seemed adamant on actually seeing what the treasure was... So, in the end, they decided that after it''d been scouted out and deemed safe, everyone else would follow. Chapter 547 - Vaulted Memories Afton, Veronica, and Christine all enter the elevator, the latter of which seemed to tense due to how claustrophobic it was with everyone inside. The elevator travels downwards for a minute or so until it finally reaches the bottom... The doors slide open and the group are presented with the most heavily fortified area they''d seen in the Casino thus far... Everything was plated in Saturnite alloy, Auto-Turrets were set up absolutely everywhere, from the floor, ceiling, and even the walls... The doors were covered in blue force fields that obviously originated from Big Mt... Last but not least, there were at least twenty Holograms slowly walking around the place, walking through the force fields while patrolling the area.?? One immediately turns their head towards the group and starts turning red and beginning to charge up a laser. Afton immediately points Elijah''s remote control towards it and presses a random button, causing all the Holograms in the room to freeze in place... "Huh..." he mutters, feeling as if he got lucky, there were many other buttons and he just so happened to press the right one. Next, he needed to find the button for the turrets... "Seems like Elijah already had everything planned out..." Veronica says from the side. Afton nods, "If he wasn''t a crazy bastard, I might have been impressed." he says while pressing another random button. *Bzzzwwuuuu* The forcefield all peter out as he presses the button, giving the turrets a clean line of fire at the group. The turrets quickly turn and start firing at them, Afton and Veronica having to step in the way to protect Christine with their armoured bodies. *Click, Click, Click* Afton presses a couple more buttons, accidentally causing music to start playing in the room as well as causing the frozen holograms to start dancing on the spot... The last button he presses activates the sprinklers with immediately start soaking the room. "God damn it!" he exclaims. "Just let me do it!" Veronica states as she snatches the control out of his hand and confidently presses a button. *Clack!* *SHOOOO!* Barrels of some sort of weapon pop out of the walls and immediately start firing streams of fire randomly into the room, water from the sprinklers sizzle and start steaming up the room, slowly but surely obscuring their sight. "WHY IS THAT EVEN A FEATURE OF THE ROOM!?" Veronica shouts in shock as she presses a couple more buttons to fix it. The flame throwers turn off and the sprinklers shut off too. Another couple clicks and the Auto-Turrets stop firing, but still follow the group as if keeping an eye on them. Afton takes the control back with a sigh, walking further into the room to check for any more traps... Fortunately, the current security seems to be everything. He looks to the side at some more heavy, saturnite plated doors, it was obviously the vault that contained the treasures that Sinclaire supposedly left here. He walks over to it and examines it for a moment, allowing Nyx to try and gain access to it to check for any more traps... Strangely, Nyx is completely unable to even find the subsystems inside, let alone actually check them. "You guys ready to find some treasure?" he asks over his shoulder, Veronica nods with a grin hidden under her helmet while Christine simply follows them with a neutral look. Afton tries to push it open but finds that it''s locked, similarly to the elevator, without any indication of how to actually open it... This isn''t a problem though as Afton quickly recalls the scribbled messages that Vera wrote in her room... Let go, which was used earlier, and Begin again. He relays this information to Christine who just says and speaks loudly towards the door, "Begin again." *Click!* *Griiiind* Mechanisms inside the door begin quietly working, eventually allowing the heavy door to slowly swing open towards them, giving them access to the room. Afton is the first to step inside, and is intrigued to find a hatch leading deeper underground in the corner of the room, as well as a simple terminal waiting in the middle of the room. Afton accesses it and is immediately greeted with a number of entries, Sinclaire''s personal entries, messages to Vera Keyes, and other less interesting entries. Afton first decides to look at Sinclaires message to Vera Keyes, as he was curious to know what he thought about her betrayal. The subsequent message was a long, heartfelt apology to Vera for the way Sinclaire had acted, as well as allowing his dark thoughts to turn what was once a safe haven against the apocalypse, into a trap for Dean... Apparently, Sinclaire had rigged the terminal to shut the vault and disallow any attempts to escape if his personal accounts were accessed. The vault door with permanently close, and the elevator would go back to the upper floors before permanently restricting access to the vault. Despite it all though, Afton was still curious over what Sinclaire had to say to Dean... "Nyx, can you isolate the terminal and prevent it from affecting anything outside?" "I can certainly try, sir." Afton nods, allowing her to do so. He wasn''t afraid of being trapped, as he could simply cut his way out of the vault. The only real issue would be the elevator, but he could just climb his way out and lower a rope for Veronica and Christine to use to get out as well. While Nyx was isolating the terminal, Afton walks over to the underground hatch that Veronica and Christine were struggling to open... It was apparently too heavy for them to lift, meaning there was a mechanism nearby for it... But, why would Afton refuse a time to show off? Chapter 548 - Treasure! Afton dips down into a squat and begins trying to wrench the hatch open, the metal squealing as he puts all his strength into it. *SQQUUUUEEEEEEAAAAaaaaaaKUK!*?? A crack rings out around the room, and Afton is suddenly able to lift the hatch open as if it were on hinges... Looks like he''d broken the internal mechanism... Regardless, he was excited to see what''s inside. He fully opens the hatch and quickly climbs down the ladder, the room below him slowly lighting up and revealing what was hidden inside. The trio reaches the bottom and gape at it all... "Holy fuck." Veronica mutters, taking her helmet off and rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn''t hallucinating or something. "You guys seeing what I''m seeing?" "I think so..." Afton mutters, ideas of how to use all of this flooding his mind. Before them, was a huge warehouse room filled to the brim with everything someone could desire... Food, water, wine, treats, snacks, TV''s with every TV show ever aired sitting nearby in Holodisks. Clothes for every occasion, in every size... The many shelves contained literally anything you could ever ask for... But that wasn''t what drew the trio''s gaze... Over at one side of the room were ingots... Gold ingots. Hundreds, if no thousands were stacked onto one another, shining in the light as if glowing. Beside them were other metals too, from what Afton could see, ingots of platinum, tarnished silver, copper, tin, aluminium, and even iron. Seems like Sinclaire was hoping at least one metal would prove valuable in the post-apocalypse economy. "It''s amazing, but... Where is the technology Elijah spoke about?" Veronica murmurs. She and Christine split off in search of it while Afton walks over to the pile of gold and sits on the ingots with a greedy smile plastered across his face. This was more gold than anywhere else in the wasteland... There were so many things he could do with it... The NCR used to hold many stockpiles of gold that they''d inherited from pre-war America, but the Brotherhood stole and destroyed a large portion of it, leading to their collapsed and weak economy. If they got word that Bulwark held more gold than they had, even in their prime, war would be inevitable. Though, if he made his possession of so much gold known, he could start his own currency that would be backed by it. Caps were backed by water as well as their own value as metal though, so Afton was unsure whether or not it was worth creating a ''Bulwark'' currency... It would certainly allow him further control over places that used it, but security and faith in it would have to be managed... Regardless if the gold would be used to back any currency, it would always be useful as the material itself. Gold was incredibly valuable when electronics were concerned, and he was looking forward to see what the scientists could come up with when presented with such an abundance of resources. Eventually, while he''s still in thought Veronica and Christine walk back over to him with peculiar looks. Christine looked incredibly amused while Veronica looked a little sad. Afton raises a brow at them both, "What is it?" "We... We didn''t find what Elijah was searching for... I don''t think it even existed in the first place, meaning he committed all those crimes for nothing." Veronica mutters. Christine smirks, "Even his final actions were stupid and misguided... The story of his life." she spits. "Did you find any interesting technology at all?" he inquires. They nod, "We found the communication system that''s actually broadcasting to the wasteland. We already turned it off to stop it from attracting any more treasure hunters, that''s about it though. Veronica says. "Good. I''m thinking that we should think about transporting everything here to Big Mt. We could claim this place as our own, but... It''s already too well known amongst the wasteland. As soon as the Cloud begins to fade, they''ll come to this place in droves, so it''s best to strip it of value before leaving. Veronica crooks a brow, "The Cloud is fading?" Afton shrugs, "Not right now, but will be once I disable the machinery controlling it. I can''t leave something as dangerous as that here, we''ll take it apart and transport everything to Big Mt for further study. If it proves useful, we might end up using it as an extra defensive measure... Though, I''m unsure over whether or not it would be justifiable to use it as an offensive weapon..." he explains. The reason Afton didn''t want to use it was obvious, if the factions around the wasteland got word of a never-ending corrosive fog enveloping regions of the wasteland, one section at a time got out, people would use everything at their disposal to try and stop him. Armies, airstrikes, artillery, even nukes. The Cloud was such a powerful weapon that if survivors from other continents got word of it, they''d jump into action as well. And even if Afton was willing, he still needed to think about Bulwark''s image. The speech he''d made during the debate that Crocker had set up essentially made Bulwark out as a better alternative to the Brotherhood of Steel. Yet, if he was seen using the Cloud, any goodwill he''d garnered among the people would immediately be lost. The reason for this was obvious... Fear. Afton couldn''t think of something more frighteningly terrifying than an ephemeral, immortal, never-ending for capable of destroying entire cities with ease, washing over the country like a tidal wave with no end in sight. That was the kind of shit that''d make someone shoot themselves in despair. This would only be emphasized if people discovered the Ghosts that the Cloud created. Imagine discovering Deathclaw ghosts and super mutant behemoth ghosts wandering around... Yeah, scary stuff. Chapter 549 - Extract Value With that, Afton''s time in the Sierra Madre was quickly coming to an end. After he, Veronica, and Christine had rifled through and confirmed everything of value in the vault, he''d left to go to the hidden lab that controls the Cloud. But not before checking the now isolated terminal to see what Sinclaire had to say to Dean... "Dean,?? If you''re reading this, this is goodbye. You will have many years to read this message. Why you have smiled in my face and held a dagger to me, I do not know. You were rich, respected... even admired, loved by many. When you finally pass away down here, either by your own hand or starvation, know that your greed has led you here, for no reason I can understand. You have made a habit in using others for your own ends. Now, the Sierra Madre is your reward. Whether you used blackmail or force - or even played to Vera''s greed, it will not help down here in the Vault. Greed has led you here. I hope it leaves you as empty as you left me. The door has sealed, the elevator has left. Even Vera''s voice will not unlock it. Know that on the night of the Gala Event I shall raise my glass and whisper, ''Fortunato.'' In pace requiescat, Frederick Sinclair" Afton scratches his face while staring at the message, seems like he''d not seen all Dean had to offer yet... The Ghoul presented himself as a ''happy-go-lucky'', competent, and driven person. Yet he''d not seen any attempts to manipulate, blackmail, or force things to go his way... Though, this is probably because he never got the chance... Who was he going to manipulate or blackmail? Him or Veronica? Fat chance. And the ghoul probably didn''t even dare to try forcing things, what''s his dinky little revolver gonna do against literal bulletproof armour? Afton was still going to offer Dean a place in Bulwark, but he''d first have the scientists do a psychological evaluation on him. Afton wasn''t going to risk leaving a rogue element free to run around his property to cause trouble. Afton''s head turns towards the vault door that''d quickly sealed itself shut, many mechanisms activating to make it an almost impossible to break blockade. Fortunately, since the terminal had been isolated by Nyx, the elevator was still fully functional. The door didn''t prove much of an issue either, as he carves his way through it with his Ultra Chainsword. With that, Afton left to go to the hidden laboratory controlling the Cloud so the group could finally return to Big Mt, while he did that Veronica and Anja escort Dean and Anja down to the vault, both making sure to explain the circumstances of the vault, Sinclaire''s intentions towards Dean, as well as what the group intended to do with the treasure, making sure Dean understood that it didn''t belong to him... At least, not entirely. The ghoul would be compensated a small amount of gold, should he wish to leave without the group, they''d allow him to take as many gold ingots as he could carry... Which as it turns out, isn''t much considering he''d recently had most of his foot blown off. Afton quickly reaches the Cloud control system and has a sort of cyclone appears around the Casino, this removes all of the Cloud from above them, allowing them to finally see the clear sky, instead of the roiling Cloud of corrosive red fog. Afton feels a familiar thrumb in his head as Glados'' voice begins speaking in his mind, "Creator, your journey has taken far longer than first anticipated. Are you alive and well? Do you need forces to extract you?" she asks. Seems like the Cloud had been obstructing the brian wave device that allowed Glados to speak to him over vast distances... Fortunately, now that the Cloud above them was gone, teleportation and the communication could be brought back. "Not immediately, I''ll have Nyx set the coordinates on the Sierra Madre Casino''s roof. I need you to send Spiderbots to carry objects, dismantle technology, and prepare to teleport them all to Big Mt." he thinks to himself, hoping Glados could hear it. "Affirmative." Afton nods, leaving the Cloud manipulator where it is and quickly heading to the roof, afterwards waiting for Nyx to set the coordinates. An hour passes and eventually many bolts of lightning come down from the sky, all of them hitting the rooftop and leaving behind tens of thousands of Spiderbots in their wake. "Take any technology that isn''t present in Big Mt, but make sure to leave the Cloud controller lab for last, it''s currently in the process of condensing the Cloud, so we''ll probably need Glados to send reinforced glass containers to hold the residue left behind." he says, not completely sure what the residue is yet. He''s pretty sure you can quite easily turn it back into gaseous form, which would make the Cloud incredibly easy to deploy when needed... All you''d need to do is stockpile the residue and turn it all into gas when you wish... This would also prevent any mishaps from occurring, for example, somebody accidentally getting caught in it, or a bunch of feral ghouls getting turned into ghosts... With that done, Afton gathers up his companions and takes them up to the rooftop so the Spiderbots could properly start extracting everything. Dean had refused to go alone for obvious reasons, so he''d be taken along and introduced to Bulwark, then tested to see if he was suitable for a role within it. "So... How are we getting to your base again?" Dean asks with a dull look, "Do you have another vehicle coming?" Afton shakes his head, "Just hold onto your panties." he states as lightning strikes him and causes him to disappear. "WWAAH!?!" Dean exclaims at the sight of this, quickly looking side to side at those present, only seeing Christine have slight concern on her face. The rest look as if this is an everyday occurrence. "What just happ-" *Crack!* Lighting strikes him halfway through his sentence, forcing the air from his lungs as he feels a hard tug on his body, pulling in every direction... Then, as fast as it came, it left, leaving him on his knees in front of the Think Tank, many servants and robots all looking towards the group with interest. A drone flies over and floats in front of Dean as its single orange eye glares at him, "Subject designated: Dean Domino, you have been selected for psychological analysis, please follow this unit." it states and starts slowly moving. Veronica pats Dean on the shoulder, "You better get moving, trust me, Glados is scary when she''s angry..." Dean just unconsciously nods and begins limping in the direction the Drone left. Veronica glances over to Christine, and only now notices that the woman is frozen in place, staring up at the Think Tank building with utter fear written across her face. Chapter 550 - Cassanova Afton releases a long sigh as he gets out of his armour, immediately taking off his Stealth suit and taking a looong shower. He''d spent almost a week in the Sierra Madre, and he certainly felt like it. Feeling as if he had inches of dirt, dust, and Cloud residue coating his skin. Of course, this was just an exaggeration, but that didn''t make it feel any less true. After thirty minutes scrubbing his skin raw, he walks over to couch and slumps into it, glancing at Blind Diode Jefferson (The Sink Jukebox) and requesting something quiet and slow. As he''s relaxing on the couch, he looks up at the ceiling and calls out, "Glados! Give me an update, what''s been happening in my absence?"?? The ceiling opens up and allows a Drone to fly down next to him, "Your extended excursion was unexpected, but not unprepared for. I took the liberty of continuing the projects you already had working. Scorpion-Man had been allowed out of his cell after a psychological evaluation and loyalty test... But not before being chipped with the intention chip, which was altered from the thought chip at your behest." Afton crosses his arms and nods, "Good. Wouldn''t want any more heads exploding because they thought of the word ''escape'', the fact it activated even when they had no intention to escape was kinda stupid... Anyway, how is our resident superhero getting on?" "Scorpion-Man has remained distant from other people in Big Mt, this is likely caused by your insinuation that he is radioactive and causes sickness to those he is around. Other than that, I have taken the liberty to start his field and combat training..." she states, her words trailing off as if waiting for him to retract that decision. Afton nods, "Good. That guy is talented and could be useful... Maybe we could partner him with Anja once we fix her sight... Considering she''d immune to radiation, that could actually work." he mutters rubbing his chin, "How are the various Cybernetic projects going by the way?" he asks. "With the influx of... Volunteers, we have been able to quickly advance our understanding over cybernetics, their integration with nerves and muscles, and reducing the chance of the subject''s body from rejecting it. Limb Cybernetics are almost entirely complete, only needing small adjustments and customization to each subject, however, intricate machinery such as hands, and organs are still being developed." she explains. "Hmm... Have you begun preparing Karl for new legs?" he asks. "No. I have been waiting for your permission, it is not my place to decide the fate of your workers." she states. He shrugs at that, appreciating her diligence in respecting his position yet not really caring either way. "Well, you have my permission now, inform Karl that we have developed a way for him to regain his legs, explain the whole process to him while you''re at it." "Affirmative." "Anything else?" Afton asks as some Spiderbots skitter into the room, an ice-cold glass of whisky perilously balanced on their backs. He picks it up and takes a sip before setting it back down on the robots, using them as a makeshift stand. "We have received correspondence from our spy designated: Cass." Afton raises brow, "Oh? She''s finally gotten in contact then?" "Affirmative, would you like me to play the Holotape?" "Please." he says, and Cass''s voice immediately starts speaking from the drone. "Er, hey... It''s Cass... I''m not really all that sure about using this ''spy shit'', but I think I know how it works?... Anyway, I''ve finally set myself up in New California, their capital Shady Sands to be specific. I don''t want to boast but I''ve got myself a nice little place to myself now, it''s very different from owning a Caravan but... Nice in its own way. Ugh, I keep forgetting this ain''t a social call... *Ahem*, the journey was relatively peaceful, the squadron of robots and Cyberdogs you sent to accompany me scared off any creatures from approaching... That didn''t stop a few groups of raiders, but they were annihilated with relative ease... Their presence did cause a bit of trouble when we finally reached an NCR city, but this was quickly resolved as the NCR are one of the primary creators of Cyberdogs, so they just chalked it up to me getting a good deal. The luxury clothing store has been properly set up, and we''ve already received number of requests from the higher rung of society, though, no one ''important'' as of yet. Regardless, I''ve had the tailor robots stitch the recording devices into the suits, you''ll probably be receiving information from them around about the time this Holotape gets to you. Yeah, your lightning teleportation technology still scares the shit outta me." she sheepishly adds before continuing. "Additionally, I have been hearing a lot of information about you. The capital seems to regard you as a threat equal to the Brotherhood of Steel, I''ve compiled a list of the rumours in the other Holodisk, but I''ll tell you a few of the more interesting ones right now; ''Afton Parker is a mutant capable of mind control and other supernatural abilities. Uses his supernatural talents, he''s been slowly gaining control over the civilians of the Mojave, slowly turning them against the NCR and Democracy itself.'' Yeah, not all the convincing, but enough to get the idiots riled up. Next is ''After a disastrous loss in a debate against Ambassador Crocker, Afton Parker summoned a monster to distract from his humiliating defeat, afterwards pinning the attack on the NCR to save face.'' this one is a bit more believable for people who haven''t met you, Crocker has a glowing reputation here, so that one has gained a bit of traction. Last of the interesting ones is ''Afton Parker has stumbled upon alien technology and is using it to form his own faction, one based on authoritarian doctrine, and aiming to crown himself emperor of mankind.'' To be honest, I wouldn''t be surprised if this one was true..." she admits semi-sarcastically. "Oh, there is also one saying that ''Afton Parker is gay and wishes to execute all women to promote his lifestyle of sodomy and boy-love...''" she snorts and bursts into laughter, "Hahahah! Just kidding... Well, not about the rumour, just of it gaining attention or validity, I for one know it''s not true, I distinctly remember your hands wandering when we were kicking the crap outta each other, you horn dog!... Anyway, that''s all for this Holotape, read the others when you have time, Cass out, peace!" Chapter 551 - Foggy Memories. ... Afton just sits there silently with a dull look on his face after listening to the Holodisk. It certainly hadn''t been what he was expecting, he''d always considered Cass as a more ''stern-face, hard worker, down to the earth'' type of person... Seems he''d missed her more boisterous side.?? Regardless, if you ignore the fluff she hadn''t, they''d finally made progress infiltrating the NCR. This was an especially big accomplishment since they now had teleportation coordinates directly into their capital city. If the NCR royally pissed him off by throwing a nuke at him or something, he''d just send the Giant, Giant Robo-Scorpion at them... He honestly doubted that they''d be able to kill it before it completely destroyed and irradiated the entire city. Plus, as Cass said, he should now be receiving transmissions from his micro receivers. He has Glados tap into it and begins listening to a couple to see if anything interesting was happening... The answer to his query is a big NO. Seems like the only people who''d been tapped had been ''rich young masters'' with too much money on hand. He''d gone through the around twenty-something micro receivers and only three of which had been close enough to actually hear anything, the others having been stuffed into closets and forgotten. Even with the three active ones, one was currently getting his cock sucked by a servant or something, one was in a bar or drinking establishment... It was only the last one that actually had something interesting going on. From what he could hear, they were currently sitting in some kind of hearing discussing the reduction of a Brahmin baron''s land. The person wearing his suit seemed to be the son of the baron, and was muttering curses under his breath as the Brahmin baron Ghed Duurne, has pieces of his land cut away and handed to his competitors. His products also seem to be more heavily taxed than everyone else. The person that''s wearing his suit is called Samuel Duurne from what he can infer, yet, Afton can''t tell why this hearing is even occurring... Once it devolves into boring paperwork and bureaucratic shit he turns it off and has Glados keep monitoring it. Perhaps he could start some subterfuge with that disgruntled Brahmin baron? He sighs and stands, deciding to cut to the chase and speak to the scientists about the Sierra Madre... Perhaps explaining what he''d found there would jog their memories? That group of senile pre-war brail-bowls better remember something, otherwise he might have to consider letting Glados try to ''jog'' their memories a bit. He heads down the stairs and enters the Think Tank, spotting most of the scientists busily researching various projects, writing equations or drawing up schematics. Though, Klein doesn''t seem to be present... He''s probably in the Forbidden Zone Dome with Mobius again... Shaking his head, he speaks to Dala, Zero, Borous, and 8, all of which not knowing anything about the Sierra Madre, or the projects that led to the creation of LITERAL MATTER MANIPULATORS! He quickly finishes speaking to them and teleports over to the Forbidden Dome, finding Klein and Mobius deep into discussion about something. He ignores the substance of the topic and interjects himself in between them. "Klein, Mobius." he states, surprising and catching both scientist''s attention. "AH!? LOBOTOMITE? SEEMS LIKE YOU''VE RETURNED FROM YOUR EXPEDITION, DID EVERYTHING GO WELL? DID YOU FIND ANYTHING SCIENCY?" the scientist curiously asks. Afton nods, "Yeah, which is why I''m here actually... Does either of you remember the Think Tank sending any technology to one Frederick Sinclaire?" ... "Uhhhm?" Mobius ers aloud, contemplating it with maximum effort. "HMMMMM..." Klein is the same, his bio-gel fluctuating due to the amount of ''BRAIN POWER'' they were exerting. This continues for around five minutes while Afton waits with crossed arms, allowing the scientists all the time they need to consider this... It was important information after all, he''d definitely need to know if there were other locations that''d received similar technology... "Aha!" Mobius loudly and suddenly ejaculates (Lol), "I think I remember that! Something about playing a joke on the not-so-rich-boy who could barely pay for the tech he was buying... Some socially inept egg-heads decided it would be funny to rig that place with potentially world-ending technology if I''m not mistaken?" Afton nods, "Yeah, it''s called the Cloud, a corrosive red fog that covered miles around the Sierra Madre and was still expanding until I stopped it. Even the sky had been blotted out by it..." "NOW, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE OVERKILL..." Klein mutters. Mobius jabs a manipulator at Klein, "Says the mongoloid who wanted to design self-perpetuating nanobots... Even I''M not that stupid!" "WHY YOU!-" "Both of you, shut the fuck up!" Afton interjects, giving both scientists a firm push away from one another before turning back to Mobius, "I''ll ask again, are there other locations which received tech from the Think Tank?" Mobius drops into silent pondering yet again, taking another five minutes to search his rather vast compilation of memories. "I seem to recall Dala sending biometric data to someplace called the... Insta-... Instaaaa... Instant noodle? In Boston...?" ... Afton sends a dull, unamused look at Mobius, "You think Dala sent biometric data to the instant noddle." he states with disbelief. "You try sifting through two hundred years of fuzzy memories! You''re barely an adult and I bet you barely remember what you ate yesterday!" he exclaims defensively. ... Afton doesn''t actually have a response to his words since he really didn''t remember what he''d had for dinner yesterday... The matter manipulators gave him too many options to pick from, so he''d been having different dishes everyday, most bringing up strong nostalgic feelings since they were pre-war foods. Afton sheepishly coughs into his fist and redirects the subject matter "Can you try to recall where the data was sent?" ... Another ten minutes of silence and Mobius finally speaks up again, "The Institute I believe they are called... An organisation not so dissimilar to our own, one preaching innovation and the scientific method, while specialising with robotics... I think?" Chapter 552 - Spiel On Wheels... Afton crooks a brow, "What would an organisation specializing in robotics want with biometric data?" he questions aloud. "PERHAPS THEY WISHED FOR BETTER SECURITY... BIOMETRIC LOCKS ARE THE WAY OF THE FUTURE AFTER ALL!" Klein wonders.?? "Indeed... A shame we can''t use them." Mobius mutters. "CAN WE NOT DESIGN SOME SORT OF BRAIN SCANNER? THE FOLDS OF OUR BRAINS ARE AS UNIQUE AS FINGERPRINTS...?" "Oh, that might be doable." Mobius mutters. Afton continues thinking while the duo goes off on a tangent discussing biometric locks. What could the Institute want with biometric data? Especially Data as specialized as Dala''s, if they were just designing better security they''d only need the basics... Were they designing Cybernetics perhaps? But isn''t that tech already relatively well known? Excluding the Think Tank''s current troubles with it. ... His eyes slowly widen as movies from his old world make themselves known... ''I''m back.'', ''Sarah Connor'', ''I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle.''... "Holy fuck, they might be designing Skynet under our noses... I am NOT dealing with an army of immortal cyborgs!" Afton suddenly exclaims before running out of the room and teleporting back to the Sink where he immediately calls Glados. "Glados! I need an expedition immediately sent to Boston to search for an organisation known as the Institute." "Affirmative, how large would you like the expedition force to be?" "Enough to successfully reach their destination and transmit accurate coordinates. I have no idea how big a threat they are, or if they are ever still active, but it''s better to be safe than sorry." he state. "Affirmative, two patrols of Cyberdogs will be sent. Is that all?" Afton releases a long sigh and slumps into the nearby couch, "Yeah... I think so." he mutters, suddenly feeling mentally exhausted. Figures, he hadn''t actually properly slept for twenty-four hours, the excitement of finding the Cloud manipulation device, the shit with Elijah, and finally returning... He''d been quite busy. "Whatever, I''m going to sleep, if anyone wants anything tell them I''ll be available tomorrow ." he grouses as he falls facefirst onto his bed, not even bothering to remove the Stealth suit as he instantly goes unconscious. Earlier : Christine was freaking out, she''d not connected the dots when she saw Bulwark''s emblem and how much it resembled Big Mt, but now that she was here? All the memories she''d wanted to forget quickly flooded back. Waves of terror, despair, futility, anger, and hate all hit her at once as she laid eyes upon the Think Tank building. It was only Veronica''s reassuring hand on her shoulder that stopped her going into a rage and rushing into the building guns blazing. "Christine, calm down, I heard what happened to you last time you were here, but looks around, somethings have changed." Veronica slowly and calmly explains. Christine cautiously glances around as she hears this, spotting the many people now residing here, as well as the farms and residences. Indeed, it was a remarkable difference from what she''d been expecting. The Big Mt she knew was barren and full of terrible abominations, roaming hordes of Lobotomites, and hostile Cyberdogs... Now, however? There were hundreds of people going here and there, most wearing uniform outfits, while a large portion were female maids? She hoped that was just an outfit and not some kind of fetish Afton was pushing on them... She continues to look around for a couple minutes, slowly calming down despite their current location. Anja had already been led away by Afton and handed off to Dala for medical attention, really, Christine should''ve gone too, but Afton was well aware of Christine''s hostility against Dala. "Hey, you guys finally back?" a voice asks from behind them, and both girls turn to see Karl looking at them from his wheelchair with a warm smile. "Yeah, we just got back... How''re you doing Karl? Caroline and Carlos doing well?" Veronica smiles back before realising her mistake, "Ah, by the way, this is Christine. Christine, this is Karl." she introduces them. Karl nods and presents his remaining hand for a handshake, which Christine reciprocates after a moment of consternation which an elbow courtesy of Veronica solves. "Howdy, youknow, I''ve heard a lot from Afton about a lass named ''Christine'', he meant you right?" he says, not commenting on her numerous scars and completely bald head. Christine nods, "Depends on what you''ve heard..." she says semi-sarcastically, surprising Veronica at how comfortable she seems to be with Karl. "Only good things... Well, kinda, he sometimes mentioned beating your ass at knife fighting." he chuckles, which only increases at the competitive look that flashes on Christine''s face for a moment. Karl turns back towards Veronica, "Caroline and little Carlos have been great, both quickly coming to terms with their new lives... I thought it would take a bit longer but Caroline wasn''t all that keen on the Legion anyway, and Carlos is easy to bribe with all the tech we got lying around here... All in all, I''m just happy to have them back." he quietly states. Veronica nods, "Glad to have been of help." They continue to make small talk for around ten minutes, talking about the small improvements that''d been occurring during their absence until a child runs up to Karl''s wheelchair. "Grandpa! Mom made some special pancakes that are super good! Come try some!" he chirps, running around and taking the handles of the wheelchair and beginning to push him away. Karl just lets this happen though, not bothering to remind the child that the wheelchair could probably go faster than he could run. He gives a small wave to the amused-looking duo of Veronica and Christine, "Look like I have other plans, see you two later!" Veronica grins at Christine, "I honestly never thought I''d see that grumpy old man smile so much... It''s a good change... Now, let''s get you properly situated, I have a spare room and clothes you can use." Chapter 553 - Stormin Tamia pulls the collar of her Deathclaw leather duster up as she, Boone, Josie, and Dogmeat march through the heavy desert dust storm. It''d been a while since she''d been forced to endure one, but it just refreshes how much she hates it. It''s fortunate she''d anticipated this and brought along goggles and a thin scarf to shield her face. Suddenly, she points ahead of the group at the faint outline of a cabin in the distance, "Look! Let''s wait out the storm in there!" she shouts to her companions over the storm. Boone and Josie just nod in compliance and follow her as she leads them towards it, all of them having already gotten their weapons out in case the cabin was inhabited.?? Fortunately, it seems to have been long abandoned, left to collect dust in the desert sun. There wasn''t anything inside apart from some leftover trash, Dogmeat almost leaps inside and starts rapidly sneezing, trying to get the dust from its nose and mouth. Boone checks the place for traps but doesn''t find any, allowing the group to sit around and relax while they wait the storm out... Tamia sighs at this though, the storm probably increasing the amount of time it''ll take to reach Jacobtown by a day or two at least depending on how long it lasts. She and the other''s had watched over Novac for a couple days while Afton was gone, but plans changed when he didn''t return at the expected date. She''d only left to do this because she was bored waiting around, yet, now here she was waiting for a dust storm to end... Is this Karma? Tamia figured that she was better off trying to complete the task House had set for her instead of ''House sitting'' as Afton had called it. Though, she hadn''t expected Boone and Josie to invite themselves to go with her, even if it was appreciated... One didn''t just walk into heavily contested Supermutat/NCR territory alone without troubles... Be it raiders, bored troopers, or even worse, bored AND hungry Supermutants... She felt that she was a competent person, but that didn''t mean she could actl like Afton and stroll around as if a bullet to the face would only annoy him. Urgh, she really needed to learn how to use Power armour... She''d force Afton to teach her once he was back. Fortunately, Glados had sent Dogmeat with them, allowing them to teleport back should they bite off more than they can chew. It wouldn''t be a quick escape, but it''d save them if they were trapped or something. The group wait there for a couple hours and eventually the dust storm peters out, allowing the group to continue forwards. Tamia leaves the cabin and looks in the direction of Jacobstown... Only to stop in place and gape up at the sight before her... A large mountain range towered before her off in the distance, with snow-tipped peaks and large amounts of foliage indicating the drastic change of the biome. The path ahead was clear, with sand fading into dirt that was speckled with grass and bushes, and further head with large pine trees. Tamia rubs her eyes and glances at her companions, Boone was the only one who didn''t seem affected by the sight, but she couldn''t tell if that was because he always looked like that, or if he actually knew something. Regardless, she''d ask anyway, "What''s with the big change in scenery!?" she exclaims, jabbing a finger at the dramatically different territory. Boone just shrugs, "Snow atop the mountain melts, water flows down and helps plants grow. What''s there to say?" "I didn''t hear about this... I thought Jacobstown would be like every other town in the Mojave!" Boone sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, "Well, it''s not... You ever wondered why the NCR needs a presence here? It''s because they can''t risk the Great Khans or Supermutants gaining control over the whole area... It''s too fertile and defensible compared to the rest of the Mojave. Even General Oliver isn''t dumb enough to try and march an army up a mountain after all..." he states. Tamia just shakes her head, feeling as if House or Afton should''ve warned her about this... She would''ve at least packed some better clothes if she''d known. She sighs and continue walking again, "Whatever, let''s just go... Urgh, this is gonna be hell on my legs." she mutters as the ground slowly starts to get steeper Thus begins the long-ass hike up the mountain path, it''s relatively easy to stay on track as the yellowish grass was well worn and likely led to an NCR encampment or a camp of Great Khans. Despite the massacre of Khans that occurred at the Hidden Bunker, and the NCR efforts to utterly annihilate them from the Mojave, the Khans were still around... If a bit flighty due to the sheer amount of people targeting them. The NCR had actually raided the Red Canyon and wiped out a good portion of them, leaving them scattered and unorganised. Though, it wouldn''t be surprising to find that they''ve completely relocated from Red Canyon to Mount Charleston. The only reason they used the Red Canyon in the first place was due to its maze-like structure, and fantastic placement for trading... They weren''t the biggest producers of Chems in the Mojave for no reason after all... Well, former-biggest producers... Anyway, after around forty minutes the group finally managed to reach a plateau that was covered with a thick forest of pine trees. A chilly wind blows past them, causing the group to shiver slightly... The Mojave sun was still beating down on them, but the wind had certainly picked up compared to before... As they''re about to step into the plateau however, they''re stopped by a voice in the distance, "You will stop, or I. WILL. SHOOT. YOU. D''ya understand!?" Chapter 554 - Lead Trader The trio looks at one another with furrowed brows before quickly jogging over towards where the sound had originated. Which wasn''t all that difficult considering it was literally just ahead on the path they were on. The group ran between the trees and eventually reach a clearing that held an NCR waypoint, small chain fences restricted a good part of the area, but not by much... It looked more to stop caravans trying to avoid the waypoint, Tamia couldn''t blame them either considering the sight before them...?? A caravan pulled by a Brahmin had been stopped in front of the NCR encampment and a ranger wearing shades was pointing his revolver at the trader''s head... The bodyguards looks conflicted and didn''t seem willing to act either with the other NCR troopers pointing their rifles at them. "S-sir, I need to take my goods or-" the trader stutters out but the NCR Ranger just presses his revolver into his forehead. "OR WHAT? I tell you that you can''t, and I got my gun pointed at your head. You think you can weasel your way outta this motha-fucker?" "B-but my livelihood!" the trader continues, clearly unwilling to be threatened into compliance. The ranger scowls and pulls the hammer of the revolver back, *Click!*, "Your livelihood!? Bitch, I''ll take your life! Don''t fuckin'' play with me!" "Y-you can''t do this! THE NCR CAN''T DO THIS!" *Smack!* The trader gets pistol-whipped and falls to the floor and the ranger crouches over him, "Well, I ain''t the NCR, and I do what I mutha-fuckin'' want." he glances to the other troopers, "Get his bitch-ass off the ground, I need''ta hit''em again." he states, turning around and lighting a cigarette as his men get to work. Josie looks horrified at this while Tami and Boone just scowl, all of them had seen corruption before but this kind of blatant abuse of power had them reeling. The trader had finally been pulled to his feet, but before he could be hit again Tamia had finally had enough. "Boone, Josie, cover me. Dogmeat, with me." she states and walks out of the treeline towards the group, Dogmeat following by her side. The NCR soldiers quickly notice her and the ranger puffs some smoke with an intrigued look, "Well, what do we have here? You lost little lady?" he chuckles. Tamia''s stern face relaxes and she slowly nods, "Y-yes... I''ve followed this path for hours but I have no idea where I am..." The ranger grins, "Well, maybe I can keep you company and show you the map. Good thing you found us, you''d either freeze or starve up here alone." he says and begins to walk towards her before being stopped by a trooper. He looks down at them with a scowl, "You gotta problem, soldier?" The soldier gulps and nods, pointing at Tamia anxiously, "Look at her coat... Didn''t command describe something like that?" The ranger raises a brow and focuses on Tamia''s coat, eventually spotting the Bulwark insignia on her chest. "Huh, a shame, you were cute, but Commies only get one end." he states while pointing his revolver at her. *BAARK!* Before Tamia''s even able to move, Dogmeat barks, sending a sonic blast at the group, flipping over the caravan and flinging all the soldiers into the air, some losing their rifles while others manage to keep hold of them. The Ranger is hit the hardest due to being at the front, losing his revolver and being flung so hard at the wooden cabin behind him that *Cracks!* ring out. *Bang!BangBangBang!* Shots begin to be fired from the treeline, some hitting, some not. But the sudden firefight causes chaos in the NCR''s ranks regardless. The caravan guards who''d been held at gunpoint had start moving as well, using the upturned caravan as cover while shooting the troopers. *BAANG!* A loud shot rings out as a .50 cal bullet shoots directly at the ranger embedded in the wall, it hits and blows the man apart, punching a large hole in the cabin behind him as well. The ranger looks down at his wound before raises his head, "Mutha-fucka..." *Thud* Seeing their commanding officer instantly killed like that certainly had an effect on the remaining troopers, causing a few to flee while others surrendered... The caravan guards weren''t willing to be merciful however and simply mowed them down with a barrage of bullets. Once the dust was settled, Tamia, Josie, Boone and Dogmeat walks towards the caravan, the former giving a small wave towards the trembling trader, "Hey, you alright?" she asks. The man sheepishly nods, "Y-yeah... I-I just didn''t expect to make enemies with the NCR today... It''s... It''s very, very unlucky." he mutters. Tamia scoffs and looks towards the pile of dead troopers, "What''re you even doing up here that you''d risk your life for?" The man shrugs, "I... I may have made a bad business decision... Are you aware of the supermutants that live up here?" Tamia nods, "Yeah, Jacobstown." he states. The man gives a dim smile, "Well... I thought this was my opportunity, there was a merchant selling irradiated food for almost no caps at all, so I bought the lot to sell to the Supermutants... They are the only people aside from Ghouls who can actually eat them... I never expected the NCR to threaten me like this..." "What did they want anyway? Didn''t seem like they stole anything?" Josie questions from the side. The man shakes his head, "They didn''t steal anything, but they seem to be stopping any caravans heading for Jacobstown... If I didn''t know any better, I''d say they were trying to starve the town out." Boone nods, "Wouldn''t surprise me, NCR has used similar tactics before..." he muses. Chapter 555 - Jacobstown Tamia sighs, "What a sad state of things..." she glances at the trader and Boone, "You guys know if there are any more encampments in the area? I''d rather not run into any of them if this is how they are operating..." she leans towards Boone and whispers, "Plus... I think we should let Afton know what''s happened here." Boone nods before shrugging, "I don''t know if there are anymore encampments, probably are some dotted around Jacobstown to keep watch on the town..."?? "A-are you headed to Jacobstown?" the traders hesitantly asks and continues once Tamia nods. "W-would it be okay for us to accompany you? I still need to sell these goods and, quite frankly, I''m scared of running into the NCR again... W-what if they question me about what happened here?!" the man anxiously stutters out. Tamia shrugs, "I don''t mind, as long as you don''t get in the way and pull your own weight... I didn''t catch your name...?" "P-Peter... Peter Benet" With that, Tamia, Josie, Boone, and the caravan guards loot the NCR corpses and encampment before flipping the caravan back onto its wheels and strapping the brahmin to it. The caravan guards had originally been kitted out with revolvers and shotguns, but now they seemed ready for war, with service rifles, grenades, and other provisions. Tamia let them have most of the loot as she and her companions wouldn''t be able to carry it anyway, besides, it wasn''t as if they were seriously lacking supplies anyway. The group began moving, following the road to Jacbostown while being very wary of any possible NCR encampments. Whatever operation they were attempting certainly didn''t seem ''above base'', NCR laws prevented them from randomly stopping caravans, so the previous soldiers were either corrupt, or their orders breached their own laws. Though, this wouldn''t be the first time that''d occurred. Boone does spot two hidden scout teams hiding amongst the trees as they progress, but the soldiers don''t seem to be intending to attack, instead simply watching them... Each team does send a single member off somewhere though, meaning they were reporting the event to their superiors... Fortunately, the group eventually reaches Jacobs the next day. It couldn''t really be called a ''town'' per se, as there was only one large building present. There were large log walls surrounding the border of the town, and a large Big horner herd kept safely within its confines. At the gate of the town stood five large figures all wielding guns too small for their physiques... They were all Supermutants, all with green skin and hard features, they wore scrap-metal armour that seemed to be tied to their bodies without much care... Tamia could spot that the group had a few recently acquired injuries, fresh scars, and wounds that hadn''t yet healed. The super mutants all immediately became hostile when they spotted the group, pointing their weapons at the caravan while the guardsman points their own, the standoff didn''t last long however as a super mutant taller than the rest steps forwards with a pacifying gesture."Wait! Wait, everyone stand down! There''s no need for bloodshed today!" he commands, his authoritative voice causing the super mutants to lower their weapons. Seeing this, the caravan guardsman do the same, though, the tension between the groups was still incredibly high... Tamia takes the chance to step forward and be the ambassador for the group, walking over to Marcus with her hand extended in a friendly manner. "Hello, I''m Tamia, nice to meet you." The supernatant nods with a small smile, "Likewise, I''m Marcus, the leader of this place." he states while looking over appraisingly at the rest of her group, "What business do you have with us? I can''t imagine the NCR let you through to here easily..." Tamia scoffs, "Yeah, I realised that when we started shooting at each other." she says, causing the mutants behind Marcus to relax slightly, seems as if the NCR wasn''t well-received around here... She gestures over at the trader, "That fellow there''s called Peter, and wants to trade goods with you... Me and my group though? We have more private matters to discuss, matters that might help with your NCR problem." she quietly states, causing Marcus'' brow to furrow. Marcus slowly nods, "Hmm, alright. We could do with more supplies considering the NCR''s attitude towards us, while I get that handled, could you wait in the resort? I can''t imagine whatever you have to discuss will be easy or quick. There''s another human who lives here, enter the resort and go right, you''ll find him... Oh, and, er. Try not to stare at the Nightkin, if you want to keep your head on your shoulders." he states before walking towards Peter and his caravan. Tamia, Boone, Josie and Dogmeat walk into Jacbostown and towards the resort. They''re given the stink eye by a few of the residents, but none seem willing to act out. They enter the resort and go right, walking into some sort of laboratory that had a female ghoul and elderly human discussing something. Both stop though and look towards them with inquiring gazes though. The older man looks the group over, but his eyes are quickly drawn towards Dogmeat, his eyes widen as he stands and approaches, only for Dogmeat to back away slightly with a growl. "Ah..." "You got a problem with our dog?" she asks. "Uh, no... I was just wondering who designed his Cybernetic components... It''s some of the most advanced tech I''ve seen to date... Sorry, my name''s Henry, the mutants usually just call me ''Doc'' though." Tamia shakes his hand, "Tamia, that''s Boone, Josie, and Dogmeat." she says, gesturing at each person respectively. "Never thought I''d see a human living around here..." she admits. Chapter 556 - Innocent Savages Doc Henry just shrugs, "I''m old and like to keep busy, this place is quieter than most and provides good research opportunities. I wonder what you are doing here though, we haven''t had traders in a while, and you look more like the mercenary type to me." "You could say that... We''re just waiting to talk to Marcus." Tamia says.?? Doc Henry slowly nods, "Mhm, hey... Would you mind if I looked your dog over while you wait? It''s not anything important, just mild curiosity." ... Tamia glances at Dogmeat who shakes its head, "Sorry, the mutt knows what it wants." she shrugs, taking a seat and relaxing while waiting for Marcus to arrive. Doc Henry just sighs and sits back at his terminal, returning to his research. It takes around thirty minutes for Marcus to finally return, the large mutant popping his head into the room and looking at Tamia. "You wanted to talk in private? Follow me." he states. The trio + dog, follow Marcus through the resort as he leads them to his room. Again, they pass by many mutants and nightkin who seem very hostile. It''s fortunate Marcus seems to have good control over them, otherwise they may have needed to fight their way out. They enter Marcus'' room as the mutant locks the door behind them before taking a seat in a large make-shift chair, "Alright, what''s up?" he asks with crossed arms. "I''ve been sent by Mr House to see if Jacobstown is willing to make an agreement with New Vegas, specifically, an agreement to help combat the NCR and Legion from the Mojave." she states. Marcus looks surprised at this, raising a hand to rub his chin while in thought, "Mr House huh?... To be honest, I''m surprised someone like him would be willing to negotiate with mutants at all..." Tamia shrugs, "Mr House doesn''t discriminate against any race, colour, or creed. So long as you aren''t a violent bandit, cannibal, or communist, there''s a place in New Vegas for everyone. Despite the short time I''ve known the man, I can se for sure that he is a true blue capitalist. As long as you are non-destructive towards society, he''ll defend your rights as sapient beings." she states. ... Marcus'' eyes go wide at this, with his face gaining a look of confusion, hope, and scepticism after thinking about it for a moment. "I''m not sure I can believe your words... I''ve lived a long time, and this isn''t the first time I''ve heard people proclaim equal treatment while conspiring against us in the background... I have to ask, are these words his, or yours?" Tamia purses her lips, "They are mine, but I''ve been given full authority to negotiate on New Vegas''s behalf. I''m basically the only ambassador, so I have a bit of sway with Mr House. I understand you are sceptical, but wouldn''t it be better to secure an agreement with New Vegas before the war erupts?... I promise you, regardless of the surprises that occur, New Vegas will come out on top." she states with full confidence. Afton had already made his intention to side with New Vegas in the coming conflict clear to her, it was after the war that he was still on the fence about. He said he wanted to see if House actually stuck to his word before deciding anything concrete... Which was understandable, she agreed with him completely, as if House derelict his duty despite his promises, she''d jump ship as well... "Say we agree to some sort of alliance, what''s in it for us, and what would we have to give in return?" Marcus questions. "Now? Nothing... But in future you may be drafted to help fight for New Vegas, though, we won''t force you onto the front lines if you''re worried about it, we already have robots for that. As for what you''ll get in return? The ability to live like regular people? Without having to hide away in isolated places like this. A chance for equal treatment?" Marcus shakes his head, "Meaningless platitudes aren''t enough for me to lead my people to war. I''ve fought before, and I know what horrors await us if your position isn''t as strong as you suggest. The constant fighting was the reason I left Black Mountain, yet..." he sighs, "You''ve fought the NCR in the area, you must''ve seen the other scouts watching Jacobstown?" he questions. Boone nods, "Yeah, spotted two groups of them watching the roads." "They''ve been harassing us for weeks now. Stopping us from sending out caravans for supplies, killing surrounding wildlife, sometimes even shooting at our Big horner herd. I''m struggling enough as it is keeping the others from running out and slaughtering any human they see, but it''s a losing battle... I suspect the Nightkin are already planning to leave, but maybe the others can be saved from destroying themselves... If you want to show your sincerity, try getting rid of some of the NCR encampments in the area, That''d show the others that not all humans are against us, it might even get the Nightkin back to being ''relatively'' civil. It would also show that House truly means to combat the NCR... Don''t think I''m unaware of New Vegas'' current relationship with them, Camp McCarren is spoken of enough over the radio." he states. Tamia glances over at Boone and Josie questioningly, she wasn''t sure how they''d react to such a request... Sure, they''d defended themselves against the NCR troopers, but actively hunting them down? Yeah, that''s another can of worms she wasn''t looking forward to opening. Boone leans back in the chair and looks at the ceiling with crossed arms, "We''ll do it... As it is, while they are not technically breaking any NCR laws as Supermutants don''t count as civilians, I think a conflict with them is inevitable... Why not spark the war to protect innocents? It''d at least put us on the moral high ground, even if people don''t see it that way." Chapter 557 - Robo-Karl Afton was currently standing over Karl as the man lied down on a surgery table in nothing but a patients gown. Dala was floating next to him with scalpal, bone saws, and all her other tools ready. Behind them was another table that had two customized Cybernetic legs, and one Cybernetic hand that''d attach to Karl''s arm... What was the reason they couldn''t simply attack it at the wrist like a regular hand? Well, that''d be the enhancements Afton had added to it... Karl looks up at Afton while sending sideways glances at Dala, "Er, you sure I can''t just have you doing this? That crazy robot makes me uneasy..." he admits.?? Afton shakes his head, "Unfortunately not, I need her to help with the operation... I''ll make sure she doesn''t try to castrate you mid-operation if that helps?" Karl''s eyes bulge from their sockets, "She might do that!?" he exclaims, almost squealing like a little girl. "OOoooh, is the teddy bear giving me permission?" Dala asks while revving up her sawblade. Karl pales at the sound of the whirring blade and tries to get up off of the table, but is unceremoniously held down by Afton, "Just calm down, Dala won''t lay a finger on you. I just need her to hold the implants still while I install them... Before we start though, you got anything you want me to look at while we''re here? I''ve already looked you over but, the patient knows best." he shrugs. Karl purses his lips, "You think you could make my fella bigg-" "No.""Yes" Afton starts but glances at Dala when he hears her reply. ... "Increasing the size of a human''s penis is not a difficult procedure. I simply need to remove it, clone its cells, and stitch the extra-large teddy tube back." she explains. Karl quickly shakes his head, "Er, nope, no. No thank you... Kid, just put me out before I regret agreeing to this." he pleads to Afton who just nods and sticks him in the arm with an IV bag filled with a concoction of chems meant to knock him out... Afton had considered letting Kalr be conscious for the installation of the implants, but considering they would literally be connecting everything from his pain receptors, to his nerves, to his tendons to them, Karl was probably better off asleep. Afton looks to Dala, "Alright, let''s start on the legs first." Thus the operation begins, the Cybernetic legs themselves looked sleek and were the familiar light blue/silver colour of Saturnite. They kind of looked like skinny plate leg armour you''d see medieval knights wearing... Truthfully, the design was a coincidence as Afton was just trying to design the most durable and effective limbs possible. The feet of the legs didn''t look like feet, in fact, you could walk around without any boots at all with these, they looked like sabatons. Though, Afton had already designed some footwear that Karl could use if he wanted to keep his implants clean. Besides their obvious advantage to human legs in durability, they were actually much stronger than Karl''s old legs... In fact, they could probably be considered at around super human level... Though, Afton was sure he was still stronger... Honestly, he''d considered altering himself more, but he didn''t know how that''d affect his stats... Would he lose strength if he replaced his limbs? Would his Perks still work? Yeah, not something he was willing to risk. Besides, if he wanted to do that he''d do it via mutations, not Cybernetics. The operation was fairly difficult... Afton and Dala had basically stripped all the flesh away from Karl''s legs in order to get to the nerves, tendons, and ligaments in order to connect them to the Cybernetics... Currently, it was too risky to try a straight neural interface, which is why making Cybernetics operate like they usually do would be the best option. It was messy, gross, and rather unnerving work, but eventually, they''d properly fitted both legs. Afton examines them for a moment before nodding, applying a stimpack to Karl''s thigh to heal it up a bit before beginning to test that they''d done everything correctly... He applies a light current to Karl''s legs, and nods in satisfaction at the way the Cybernetic legs trembled. This meant they were connected properly, and wouldn''t have any problems once he woke up... Next was his new left hand though... Again, the hand looked like a gothic metal gauntlet, with segmented, sharp, and pointed fingers with sharp knuckles. The hand actually continues halfway up Karl''s forearm, Afton was looking forward to Karl''s reaction to it once it was installed... Unlike the legs, Afton had to individually install the tendons of each finger, making it intricate and difficult work. Fortunately, he''d already performed this procedure on some of the criminal slaves he possesses and was relatively familiar with it. Soon enough, the hand was installed, and after a couple more checks, Afton was satisfied with it. "Dala, time?" "The operation took three hours, twenty minutes, and thirty-two seconds, to complete. It is now nine pm." she states. Afton nods and wipes some sweat from his forehead, "Goodwork... But, you know this won''t stop your punishment right?" Dala nods her chassis. "I am aware... I still do not understand what you find unsatisfactory. My operation on your friend was a partial success." Afton scowls, "Yeah, and a full success would have made her completely brain dead, so shut your mouth and know your damn place." he spits. The only reason he hadn''t properly punished Dala for Christine''s sake yet, was the fake he intended something... Really special. He''d have Christine punish Dala once the robot had pain receptors, otherwise, it''d been like punching a robot... Only causing damage but doing nothing but potentially distressing it. "You''ve got projects to continue with, attend to them. Glados, inform Karl''s family that the procedure was a success, also, inform me once he''d awake." he states as he takes off his bloody clothing and leaves the room. "Affirmative." Chapter 558 - Prep Steps Afton steps out of the changing room just in time for Caroline and Carlos to arrive. He debriefs them on how the operation went and what to look out for should they notice anything weird. Lastly, he told them that once Karl was up and walking, have him take short walks to get used to the Cybernetics... Nothing intense. With that, he left them to attend to Karl while he leaves for the Sink... Only for Glados'' drone to pop out of the wall to inform him that he''d received a message a couple of hours ago from Tamia... Apparently, the NCR was harassing Jacobstown and they''d already been forced to destroy an encampment already... Tamia had already made an agreement with Marcus, the super mutant leader of Jacobstown to clear the NCR encampments to secure an alliance with them.?? Afton releases a slow sigh upon hearing the message. This was essentially a declaration of war, no doubt the NCR troopers had already reported the presence of Bulwark in the area, so once it was known the encampments were wiped out, it''d be regarded as an outright attack, perhaps even an unprovoked one. "Ugh, whatever... This just forces some of my plans forward slightly..." he mutters before focussing on the drone, "Have Klein begin CERR01-07, I think it''s time to ramp up the stakes." Elsewhere : Tamia and her group had already eliminated two scout camps around Jacobstown, and through some ''light'' interrogation, they soon acquired the location of the main NCR encampment in the area... However, once they actually reached the place, it strangely seemed much more heavily fortified than one would expect for an operation such as this... Even Boone was baffled by the number of men and fortifications that were present, never in his experience as a 1st recon sniper had he seen anything like it for such a remote location. There were around one hundred and thirty men give or take the few the group hadn''t managed to spot yet. The number of men wasn''t the biggest obstacle however, that would be the small group of NCR soldiers wearing some kind of power armour which were guarding a large tent. The power armour in question looked as if it''d been cobbled together from scrapped pieces of Brotherhood varients. All of which were heavily stamped with NCR regalia, perhaps it was to distract from the make-shift feel of the armour? Tamia certainly wouldn''t feel safe wearing that pile of scrap... Especially not after seeing the various tests Afton, Klein, and Mobius conducted on ''too tightly-sprung armour. The tent they were guarding seemed to be of particular importance as patrols around it were almost never-ending, every minute or so a group of soldiers would walk around it while scanning everything of interest. The men in power armour never moved from their designated positions though. "Wait, what''s that?" Boone mutters while looking through his scope. Everyone else looks through their binoculars and spots it... Two men and one woman wearing white lab coats entering the tent with an unconscious Supermutant being carried being them. "A supermutant? What could they want with it?" Tamia mutters aloud. "Maybe they''re testing some kind of mutant killing weapon?" Josie questions. Boone shakes his head, "No, as far as I know, the NCR abandoned that kind of research when a virus wiped out one of their research centres... They tried to cover it up of course, but, it was eventually addressed by the last President, Wendell Peterson." "What are we going to do? Whatever they want with the mutant can''t be good... What if they dissect it?" Josie asks. Tamia shrugs, "We could try see if Marcus wants to try and rescue them, but, we''re only on this mission to secure an alliance with them... Boone, did you see what department the scientists were from? I heard Afton was looking to capture some OSI members..." Boone flashes a grin but his face quickly resumes its neutral expression, "they had OSI badges on their chests and shoulders." Tamia nods, "We should probably try and capture them then, after that the camp is up for destruction." "Who''s going to sneak inside though? Anja might be the only one trained to do it, maybe that Scorpion guy once he''s done getting drilled by Glados..." Josie mutters. "Hmm... Let''s head back to base and see if there are any Stealthboys available... If not, we''ll just see if Afton is available..." Tamia states while getting up and headed off in the opposite direction, wanting to teleport back. The others are in agreement, not wanting to risk their lives doing something stupid or ill-prepared. Neither Jacobstown or the NCR noticed the flash of lightning declaring their exit from the mountain. Once back Tamia immediately heads to the armoury, getting Glados'' assistance to find anything of use... Fortunately, three Stealthboys had been made, though, these were only the failed products that were attempting to make multiple-use versions. While there, Boone swaps out his Anti-Material rifle with his Railgun, it would easily be able to pierce the NCR''s make-shift power armour, and its reduced sound would allow him to stay hidden for far longer. Josie on the other hand stocked up on explosives, stuffing a backpack full of C4, Plasma grenades, and Plasma mines. Not to mention a few flashbangs and decoy grenades. Last but certainly not least, they decided to bring the recently upgraded ED-E. Josie had been given the basics of his upgrades, but she could already think of a couple ways to use them. With that, they quickly left Big Mt again via teleportation, Glados had made Afton aware of their presence and intentions but decided to let them do this on their own while he continued to try and analyse his father''s DNA. He was sure they''d be fine and wouldn''t need his help for something like this... Especially with how many grenades they''d apparently taken out of the armoury. He did make sure that Dogmeat and ED-E recorded the battle though, he wanted to see how much they''d progressed during his absence. Chapter 559 - Infilthtration Tamia sneaks up to the treeline looking over the clearing of the NCR encampment... Boone had already clambered up a big tree to get a better observation point, and Josie was doing god knows what with those explosives... She glances down at the sack Josie had handed her and grins despite herself, it was dense with C4, and she''d been asked to place it around the encampment as she snuck in. She was aware that Josie had already scattered a shit ton of Plasma mines around the area Boone had set up, hopefully, they wouldn''t destroy too much of the landscape... After all, not many places in the Mojave are as beautiful as this.?? Regardless, she now had a mission to complete, one she wasn''t really trained for, but that could be ignored for now... She activates the Stealthboy and slowly makes her way over to the NCR encampment, making sure to stay on the path to prevent her footsteps from being spotted in the snow. She easily avoids the few patrolling teams who don''t notice anything wrong and slips towards the first fortification... The watchtower. Without much effort, she sticks some C4 to the inside of one of the struts holding it up. If the strut was knocked out it''d probably cause the tower to fall over right onto a group of military tents... Nice. Continuing, she next enters some sort of cabin that had smoke billowing out of a chimney... It''s a dining facility of some sort, a few NCR troopers eating and chatting while sipping warm coffee. Cautiously, she sneaks over and sticks the C4 to the underside of the table holding the coffee machine... By the time anyone noticed it was there, it''d already been too late. She almost brushes past someone as she leaves the cabin, but quickly recovers and staggers around them... If they were more perceptive, they''d have heard her small gasp and panicked footsteps. Tamia continues to rig other high population or important locations around the encampment, fortunately without being caught... Now, however, it is finally time for her to capture some scientists. She should have enough energy in her Stealthboy to kidnap some eggheads and get out, but, that presents its own problem in itself... The Stealthboy wouldn''t render the scientists invisible, so it''d essentially be her sprinting out with them on her shoulders. Worst things come to worst, she could use them as meatshields. The only actual obstacle to reaching the scientists was the group of soldiers wearing power armour standing outside its entrance... There were around six of them in total, all of which were either wielding miniguns, Anti-Material rifles, or Supersledge hammers. Luckily for her though, they were still completely unaware of her presence... She activates her Ultra Chainsword and charges them, easily swinging it at the necks of the first two closest soldiers, their heads quickly tumble from their necks as the others watch in shock, seemingly unable to comprehend what''d just happened. Tamia continues though and manages to kill two more before the two remaining men finally recognize the threat to their lives. The first swings his Supersledge randomly in the air, almost actually hitting Tamia with it, while the other begins revving up his Minigun... Tamia wasn''t waiting for him to alert the rest of the base though, slipping past the Supersledge wielder and leaping straight at the other guy. Stabbing her Ultra Chainsword straight through his chestplate. *SCCccreeeeeeee!* The sound of squealing metal rings out as the energy blade cuts into the soldier''s heart, the man is dead before he could even get his first shot off, leaving the single man with the Supersledge... Of course, the man''s body language says it all... He''s about to shit himself in fear and was stuck between fleeing and randomly attacking in all directions to see if he could get a hit on his invisible attacker. Eventually, he chooses the former, but by the time he decides, it''s already too late. Tamia cuts down against his helmet, getting some resistance from the metal for a moment before the energy blade cuts through, liquifying the man''s brain. He crumples heavily to the floor as Tamia deactivates her weapon, "Your armour is trash." she spits as she glances towards the tent entrance. She didn''t know how long she''d have until the next patrol came around, so it was probably best to do this as quickly as possible. She dashes through the tent flaps, her movement catching the attention of the three scientists inside who were currently dissecting a Supermutant. "W-what was that?!" the woman timidly asks. One of the men push their glasses to the bridge of their nose, "Not sure, but it probably has something to do with that sound occurring outsi-*GHUK!*" his sentence is cut off as he''s bashed on the back of the head by the invisible Tamia, faceplanting on the floor in front of the other two scientists. "I can only take two of you, so, who''s the least important out of the three of you? And be quick with this, I don''t want to waste time killing all of you." she growls, her voice sounding even more menacing with her invisibility still active. The girl cowers but retains enough mental capacity to point a finger at the unconscious man, the other guy choosing differently and pointing at her instead... "W-what? Y-you fuckin-!*Guk!*" she starts but is knocked unconscious. Tamia then proceeds to cut the head off of the last remaining guy who''d pointed at the woman. The fact he hadn''t chosen the easy unconscious target to vote out made it likely that he''d be resistant to interrogation. After killing them, Tamia throws each of them over her shoulders and sticks her head out of the tent, just in time for the next patrol to appear and spot the corpses. "W-what the fuck is this!?" the squad leader asks, completely dumbfounded before he takes up his radio and starts reporting, "Alert! We''ve discovered-" *~It was early in the morning when he rode into the town He came riding from the south side slowly lookin'' all around He''s an outlaw loose and running, came the whisper from each lip And he''s here to do some business with the big iron on his hip Big iron on his hip~* ... "Sarge, where''s that coming from!? Chapter 560 - Easy Approach The soldiers glance around for a moment in search of the sound before finally looking up... Far above them was a small shadowed orb that is likely the cause of it. *In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red*?? "Sarge?" The soldier repeats, bringing the man out of his contemplation, "Er, ahem! Soldier, report that we are-*FEEWEUK!*" *Splash!* *Thud* The sergeant is cut off as some kind of project fires through his skull, exploding it right in front of his men... It takes a moment for them to break out of their shocked states, a few afterwards immediately starting to scream. "AAAAAAAAHHHHH! WHAT THE FUCK!" "WE''RE UNDER ATTTTAAAACK!" *BOOOM!* Bomb sight 1 : "Hey, do you hear someone screaming?" His buddy scoffs, "Probably just sissy who stubbed his toe." he jokes, giving his friend a shove. Caught off guard, the man slips over, landing next to the table holding the coffee machine... "Hey, what''s this thing under the table?-" The other crooks a brow and leans over to take a look... His expression immediately breaks into shocked horror once he spots it, "WHAT THE FU-" *BOOOOOOOOOM!* The entire cabin is enveloped in flames immediately after the shockwave kills or knocks everyone inside unconscious. The walls of the cabin are literally blown out, the doors shooting off of their hinges as if fired from a gun. Bomb sight 2 : The three men atop the watchtower run to the side as they hear the explosion, quickly looking down at the now burning cafeteria. "Holy shit!" one mutters before immediately accessing the radio. "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTAC-" *BOOOOOOM!* An explosion occurs below them, completely destroying one side of the watchtowers struts... The structure begins to slowly topple from side to side, the soldiers running to either side to keep it from falling over... Unfortunately, their weight alone isn''t enough to save them... *CREEeeeeeeeeaaaak!* *CRAASH!* The man atop the tower are buried alive as it falls over, this includes all of the military tents it''d fallen over on, instantly killing the few resting NCR troopers unlucky enough to be caught in the collapse. All around the encampment explosions were going off like synchronised fireworks, all while the person operating them watched with mixed feelings... As a former NCR soldier herself, Josie could only stifle her tumultuous emotions until they completed the mission. Tamia herself quickly takes the distraction provided by ED-E''s music and the explosions and sprints out of the tent with the two scientists on her shoulders. Her invisible feet leaving heavy footprints as she sprints towards the treeline. Despite the chaos, some NCR troopers quickly notice the two floating bodies rapidly moving away from camp, eventually spotting their labcoats and realising what was happening. A few sprint towards the bodies in an attempt to rescue them, while others begin lining up their shots to target the likely invisible person carrying them. *PPEEWWWW* Another almost lightspeed projectile is fired from Boone''s railgun, he grunts as he reloads it again and readies another shot. The presence of a sniper certainly stops most NCR troopers from sticking their heads above cover, which leaves Tamia with just a few stupid ones who decided to chase her. She sprints past the marked tree and cautiously makes her way through the foliage, making sure to avoid all the mines that Josie had set up... The NCR aren''t so lucky however, the leading one immediately stepping on the first plasma mine in their way. *Click!* The man looks down and his eyes widen at the slightly glowing green mine his foot was currently on. "NOOOO-" *BOOOM!* A green shockwave envelopes him and a few of the other troopers, quickly reducing their flesh to radioactive mulch, leaving nothing identifiable behind. Seeing this, the other trooper don''t dare enter the treeline... But are eventually forced to when Dogmeat sneaks behind them and fires a sonic bark into their backs, launching a few through the treeline. *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* Explosions continue to go off as limp bodies ragdoll over and atop the various mines that''d been set up, killing all who''d been hit by Dogmeat. The rest of the surviving NCR encampment can only watch on through gaps in the rubble they''re using a cover, none were willing to risk their lives for some scientists, nor were they going to throw their lives away after somehow surviving the absolute shitshow that''d just happened... From around one hundred and thirty troops, to twenty, the attack had been a massacre... It was lucky that none of their commanding officers survived, as those unfortunate few would be the ones who''d have to explain what''d happened here. Tamia finally reaches the small camp she, Boone, and Josie had set up prior to the attack, her invisibility had run out as she was making her way through the forest, so it was a pretty close call all considering. She tosses the two unconscious scientists onto the group, just as Boone cautiously clambers down a tree with the large, heavy railgun strapped to his back. Josie appears from... Somewhere? and helps him, the two afterwards look down at the hostages they''d recovered. "Least we got the egg heads before you blew everything up." Boone states while glancing at Josie, "Never took you for a pyromaniac..." Josie shakes her head, "I''m not, and look," she shows her backpack still filled with grenades, "I didn''t even have to use these... See?" Boone just shakes his head, "You alright? Any injuries?" he asks Tamia. She shakes her head after looking herself over, "No, I''m good I think... Also, was that ED-E playing music overhead?" Josie nods, "Yeah... Fortunately, we didn''t have to use him too much, I doubt those troopers would have appreciated having grenades dropped on their heads..." Tamia crooks a brow, "You strapped grenades to ED-E? What if he got shot?" Josie shrugs, "He can be rebuilt can''t he?" ... "No, and don''t let Afton hear you say that. You''ve seen how he is with Glados and Nyx right? Consider ED-E on the same level." she states, and Josie nods in sudden realisation. "Woops..." Chapter 561 - Hostage Interresearch Afton was deep in focus with his father''s chest open as he examines Mr X''s regenerative properties, as well as how its organs work in real-time. Obviously, this wasn''t all that informative, but he was determined to do everything to try and cure him. He wipes some sweat off of his forehead as he slowly cuts around his father''s liver with a Saturnite scalpal. All he needed to do was cut it out, see what kinds of hormones and chemicals it was currently metabolising after force-feeding Mr X a cocktail of various chems... Slowly... Closer...?? "Reporting! Designations Tamia, Boone, Josie, Dogmeat, ED-E, have returned with OSI hostages." Glados'' loud voice sounds out over the intercom, causing Afton to jolt in surprise and accidentally stab the scalpal a couple inches into Mr X''s pancreas... "RRAAAAAAGG-MPPH!" Afton sweat drops as he retrieves the scalpal to let the damaged organ heal, "Er, sorry dad..." he sheepishly mutters. While standing up, "Glados... Could you turn down the volume next time? What if I wasn''t operating on a super-healing mutant?" "Affirmative." Nodding to himself, he gets up, washes himself off and steps outside, quickly spotting Tamia marching into the laboratory with two prisoners on her shoulders. "Hey, I got you something..." she states as she dumps them at his feet. Afton grins, "Ohoho? That''s quite the gift, I don''t know if anything I can give would match this." he chuckles. Tamia shrugs, "Well, you can start with teaching me how to operate Power armour..." Afton waves her off, "Yeah, yeah, once you''re done dealing with Jacobstown we''ll get started... For now, let me have my fun with these two." Tamia nods and leaves in short order, probably wanting to get back to her duties so she can start power armour training. Afton looks down at the scientists and grins viciously, picking them up and walking straight back into the lab holding his father. He drags two metal chairs directly in front of his father and ties both people in them with chains, afterwards asking Glados to send Dala down there. Dala arrives and already seems to be aware of what they were doing as she was pushing her own trolly filled with ''dissection'' tools. Though, they look more like torture devices than anything else. "Are these the teddy bears that need help?" Dala asks in a husky voice. Afton nods while picking up a stimulant and injecting it into the male scientist. After a couple of slaps to the face, the man quickly wakes up and is immediately presented by Mr X who''s chest and stomach are still pried open, displaying all the writhing and beating organs... The mutant viciously looks down at the man, causing him to go completely white. Afton drops a hand on his shoulder, causing the man to jump in surprise, pushing against the chains restricting his movement. "W-What?" he rapidly mutters, only now realising that he''d been locked in place... He leans back as he could feel Mr X''s hot, smelly breath on his face, hoping to God he wouldn''t be fed to the creature. "So you''re awake! That''s good since I have a few questions I want to ask you." Afton cheerfully says as he walks over to Dala''s tool trolly. The scientist looks over and somehow pales even further at the sight, he knew who Afton was, and he knew what most of those tools were for, last but certainly not least... He knew what awaited him should he anger this man. "Y-you''re A-Afton Parker?" Afton grins, "Ding ding, good deduction... Now, Sherlock, can you figure out why you''re here?" he asks with crossed arms. The man swallows his saliva and he considers the best answer... "I-Interrogation?" he asks, hopeful that''d be the extent of what is done to him. Afton slowly nods as if listening to an advisor, "Good idea. But, let''s make sure everything you say is truthful... Nyx, record everything he says, we''ll wake up and ask the woman the same, if either differs then we''ll have to use more extreme measure." he says. "N-no! I''ll tell the truth! G-god, please!" the scientist meekly begs, piss already streaming down his legs as he loses control of his bladder. Afton pulls up a chair and sits on it while resting his arms on the backrest. "Alright, first thing''s first... Do you know who is responsible for creating this creature... Mr X." he questions. The scientist slowly nods, "I-I do... D-doctor Macka Bree... He is the head scientist of biological research conducted in the OSI." Afton nods, "And where might I find this man? Where is the lab he works at?" "I-It''s not in the M-Mojave... It''s west, f-from there, in NCR territory..." he stutters out, knowing just saying this was enough to promise his execution at NCR hands. Traitors aren''t received well anywhere, after all. Afton nods, getting Nyx to note down the specifics. "Alright, what were you doing near Jacobstown? From what I''m told, you were experimenting on a Supermutant?... Remember to not lie to me, I''ll be asking the same to that girl beside you." he states. "W-w-we were t-trying to incorporate y-y-your cells into Supermutants... D-doctor Bree t-thought it would work d-due to the presence of FEV in their b-blood." ... Afton raises a brow at this, only now remembering the existence of FEV... Could that be one of the components that''d helped mutate his father? It was highly likely considering he was essentially a super-powerful supermutant with similar abilities to his own. How had he not considered this before?... Perhaps the key to fixing his father was to cure Supermutants first? The scientist looks up at the thoughtful Afton and sweats slightly... The fact he was near the unstoppable creature his department helped to create wasn''t lost on him... Would he have a similar end to Frankenstein? Dying at the hand of his own monster?" Chapter 562 - Juan Day, Over The Rainbow! Afton eventually breaks out of his deep thoughts and sighs, "Glados, send some scouts west of the Mojave to search for the OSI base." "Affirmative."?? Afton nods to himself and turns back towards the man, "Alright, now''s time to see if you were telling the truth... Dala, wake up the girl." he states as he stuffs a cloth into the man''s mouth and ties it to prevent him from speaking. Some stimulants and slaps later, and the woman is up, already paling at the sight of Mr X with tears of despair streaming down her face. "PLEASE LET ME GO! I''LL DO ANYTHING!" "Uh-huh, well Mrs ''Do anything'', let''s first start with where the OSI base holding Doctor Macka Bree is." Her head whips around at Afton once she hears the name, but quickly purses her lips once she spots her restrained and gagged colleague. "I KNOW WHERE IT IS!" she exclaims, still looking incredibly fearful, "IT''S UNDERNEATH THE CONGRESS BUILDING IN SHADY SANDS!" ... Afton smirks at the male scientist who''s begun to sweat through his clothes. His eyes were wide and disbelieving as if he hadn''t expected her to say that. "Oh? Are you sure? This guy here says the base is located west of the Mojave." The female glares daggers at her colleague but quickly nods, "He lied! That''s why he gave such a vague answer!" she shouts. Afton slowly nods in agreement, "But... Why would a secret OSI base be under the congress building?... Hm, seems like I''ll need to be more persuasive." he states while holding out his hand, "Dala, pass me the small bone saw... Thank you." Afton walks between the two hostages while clutching the small tool, "Hmm, how to choose. Girl, you get to decide, choose either him or yourself." "HIM!" she immediately shouts. Afton nods, and turns to face the fearful man, "Look like it''s your lucky day. She picked you to be spared punishment... Are you lovers or something?" he jokes while using chains to restrain the woman''s arm, all the while she screams that she didn''t understand the question. He locks her fingers in place and begins slowly sawing off each digit, one by one. She screams bloody murder as this occurs, but neither Afton nor Dala take any notice of it. Once all the digits on one of her hands were severed, he took his time to feet each one to Mr X as the two hostages watched. "Sorry, looks like my old man was hungry... You do know he''s my father, right?" he questions and quickly finds that they hadn''t. He nods, "Yeah, Doctor Macka saw fit to mutate my father into this... Say, I wonder what''d happen if I injected his fluids into you... Would you become the same? Or would you simply explode?" "Oooooh, I like this... Let''s explode all the teddy bear''s fluff across the walls." Dala audibly mutters to herself, unconsciously revving her sawblade. "P-PLEASE! DON''T!.... I LIED, OKAY!? IT ISN''T IN SHADY SANDS!" she suddenly screams out, his [Spies Guise] Perk along with all his other intimidating related ones most likely helping this process along. "So your colleague was right?" he confirms and the woman rapidly nods. He thinks for a moment before grinning to himself, activating his Pipboy and turning it to the map. "Alright, here''s one last test. Each of you will point to where you think the base is, if both are similar, then I won''t kill you. Cool? Cool." he states while choosing the woman first. She does as she''s told, quickly using her unmutilated hand''s index finger to point at a position a couple hundred miles or so west of the Mojave. Afton nods and lets the male scientist do the same, both pointing at around the same place. Confirming the location of the OSI. "Aha, thank you for your cooperation. This information will be very helpful in my future endeavours. Dala, do what you want with them... Actually, wait... Let''s extract some FEV from my father and see its effects on them. Maybe it''ll provide some insight into his mutations." he states, and both scientists immediately start struggling against their restraints. "BUT YOU SAID YOU WOULDN''T KILL US! PLEASE DON''T DO THIS!" Afton shrugs, "I''m not killing you, just subjecting you to the same treatment of my father. See, if you paid a little more attention to your Karma, you wouldn''t be in this situation." he states, glaring at the completely red aura covering the both of them. They both had very limited positive karma, with a shit ton of negative. It wasn''t even a question if they were bad people, only ''how bad''. "Both of you enjoy your stay, say your peace to whatever god you worship, because you''ll likely be meeting them soon." he says as he leaves, ignoring the terrible screams of the woman as despair overtakes her. He claps the dust and dried blood from his hands and decides to take a walk to clear his head. He''d been stuck in that lab for hours, plus the discoveries of FEV''s influence on his father had his head cramping at all the work he''d have to put in to fix this. He''s greeted by the residents of Big Mt as he strolls through the place, though, most keep a good distance due to the blood covering his hands. He does spot a strange duo sitting on a bench further up the bath though... "Anja? Scorpion dude?" he asks, stifling the knowing grin that as threatening to appear on his face. "A-ah sir!" Anja scrambles to say, her posture straightening in his presence... Obviously, she hadn''t seen him coming because, youknow, her eyes. He just chuckles though, "Relax Anja, I''m not ''sir'' right now, chill." "Ah..." she murmurs as she slowly nods. Scorpion-Man looks at Afton and frowns, "Erm... My name is Juan, Juan Cienna.." he offers, not wanting to be called ''Scorpion-Man'' for the rest of his life. Afton crooks a brow and somehow manages to hide his snort, "Juan Cienna? No relations to John Cena right?" "John Cena? Who is that?" asks the superhero, thoroughly confused. Chapter 563 - Morino Til Mornin. "John Cena? Who is that?" asks the superhero, thoroughly confused. Afton shrugs and waves it off, "Nevermind... What''re you guys doing here anyway? I thought you''d still be training, Juan..."?? The man blushes slightly, "Ah, well... G-Glados asked me to look after Anja for a bit a couple days ago and..." he trails off, obviously too embarrassed to admit it. "You hit it off, huh?" he chuckles. Juan and Anja nods, "Y-You how it is with my condition... Even without that, Anja is pretty great..." he mutters, both his and somehow Anja''s face furiously blushing. Afton just idly nods his head, "Alright, as long as you two are cool... Oh, yeah, Juan you better kick up your training. Thing''s are going to get very interesting, very soon." he states before leaving, continuing on his walk. Juan glances to Anja after Afton leaves, "He is strange, isn''t he?..." Anja smiles but slaps his arm, "Maybe, but he''s still our leader. Respect is still due, regardless of how casual he acts." Juan shrug, "Alright, alright... Say, it''s kinda hot, you wanna get some ice cream?" Elsewhere : Orion Moreno, former Enclave heavy weapons trooper, and current homeless vagrant that continues to slowly walk through the desert. He adjusts his glasses and brushes some of his aged silver hair out of his tanned face as he searches ahead for his destination... He''d been walking for days since the NCR finally threw him out of his house, and the bag on his back carrying all his valuables was feeling like an anvil at this moment. He squints and a hand attempted to stifle the sun but gives a dim smile as he finally spots the walls of Novac. "Finally! Thought I''d die of dehydration before I reached this damned place!" he mutters to himself, the sight of Novac unconsciously increases the strength in his strides. "This place better be worth it Daisy!" An hour or two later he finally arrives at Novac, but as soon as he approaches the gate he''s frozen in place as many high-tech looking auto-turrets spring out of the walls, all pointing directly at him. "You there! Don''t move or your own safety!" a guard stop the wall shouts, looking as if this was a common occurrence. "You fuckin'' think!?" Morino exclaims, not daring to move an inch... This place looked more fortified than the old Enclave oil rig, he wasn''t a robotics expert either, so he''d do nothing that could potentially set those things off. "What business do you have here, stranger!?" "I''m here to see Daisy Whitman!" he shouts, continuing to stand stock-still. The guard looks surprised at his words but nods regardless, "Stay there, I''ll go get her!" he says before running off. "You could at least deactivate the tur-..." ... "Fuck sake." he grumbles, continuing to mimic a statue. Ten minutes later and Daisy finally reaches the wall, looking surprised to see Morino just standing there as if frozen midstep. "Orion? What''re you doing there?" she asks. Morino looks confused at this, "Whaddya mean!? You invited me here!" he shouts. Daisy shakes her head, "No, I mean what are you doing standing there like a street performer?" ... "You think I''m gonna move with those guns pointed at me!? Deactivate them for gods sake!" he retorts. ... "Hahahaha!" Daisy laughs, slapping her thigh a couple times at Morino''s troubled look. "You think our defences are too stupid to differentiate between neutral and hostile!? Stop fooling around!" she turns towards a nearby guardsman, "Open the gate, he''s an old friend." The gate quickly opens and Morino steps inside and is greeted by not only Daisy, but by Arcade Gannon as well? "Hey kid, didn''t think you''d be around here too... What, those hippies at the FOA not doing it for ya'' anymore?" he states. He shakes his head, "For your information, that isn''t why I left... But, it''s still good to see you again, even if you''re as grumpy as ever." Morino slaps him heavily on the shoulder, "I gotta right to be grumpy! Those NCR bastards kicked me outta my own house! Fuckers!" he grouses. "Huh, sounds like something they''d do... They haven''t exactly been the most peaceful group these days." Arcade mutters, "You heard from the others? Johnson or Henry?" Morino shakes his head, "Nah... Heard some rumours about Johnson but I ain''t opening that can''o worms... As for the Doc? No idea... Heard he''s still roaming around like an egg-head, doing egg-head things for egg-head people." he shrugs, "Now, why don''t you tell me a bit about this town? This ain''t like the Novac I remember, and those symbols remind of something I heard over the radio." "Mmhm, you heard of Bulwark already then?" Arcade questions and Morino nods with a scoff. "Who hasn''t these days? I ain''t never seen anyone give the NCR as many problems as those fuckers have... It''s fuckin'' hilarious!" he laughs. Arcade idly nods, "Yeah, well, this place is technically owned by them... They provide protection, supplies, even research materials for me. Really, the mystery gets more ridiculous the more you try looking into it... We don''t receive visitors, yet our supplies are constantly getting restocked..." Arcade leans closer, "If I had to guess, I''d say Bulwark has some teleportation technology they aren''t willing to speak about." Morino''s brows reach his hairline, "Teleportation? You sure? That''s some future-tech-shit that the Enclave could only dream of..." he conspiratorily whispers. Arcade quickly nods, "Yeah, but that''s only the tip of the iceberg with these guys..." ... Both men almost jump outta their skin as Daisy approaches behind them, "Howdy Orion, never thought I''d actually see your ugly face greet my town." she jokes. "Yeah, well, never woulda come if I still had a home... Look, my feet have got blisters ontop of their blisters, can we sit down someplace and have a drink?" Morino groans. Daisy shrugs, "Well, I suppose we can show you to your new house, we''ll figure out what work you can do once you''ve settled in." she explains as she begins leading the man on a tour through the town. Chapter 564 - Churning Tides A couple more days pass and recent events have slowly been pushing the Mojave to outright war... Not just with the Legion, New Vegas, and the NCR... But with Bulwark as well. The NCR recently reported Bulwark''s actions around Mount Charleston, destroying encampments and killing their soldiers. Of course, they made no mention of how they were conducting secret experiments on the peaceful supermutant population, which is why Afton made a ''surprise'' appearance on Mr New Vegas''s radio station.?? He explained his ''operatives'' actions and declared the NCR to be unlawfully experimenting on innocent civilians. Of course, most people didn''t consider ghouls or Supermutants as ''people'' but even the nay-sayers would be wary of projecting the NCR''s actions in a good light. His appearance on the New Vegas Radio did have a variety of effects though... For one, the NCR increased the number of Military Police on the New Vegas strip, probably to pressure House to side with them, as well as reminding the populace of who is ''in control''. Still, Tamia, Josie, and Boone and proven to Marcus and the other supermutants that Bulwark and New Vegas was firmly on their side, and were fully willing to go against the NCR to prove it. Though, what the trio didn''t realise was that Afton had used this as a test of loyalty as well. It''d become something of an obsession for Afton to consider his friend''s loyalties and wonder what they''d do in certain situations... But now he could say or sure that Boone and Josie were no longer loyal to the NCR... After all, what loyal person would willingly massacre hundreds of their allies? The only people Afton could think of would be Psychopaths, but neither Boone nor Josie had shown any inclinations of such thus far. With Jacobstown becoming a firm ally of New Vegas and Bulwark, Afton had Glados send a number of robots and other defences to protect the mountain town should the NCR wish to retaliate. If any hostile groups attempted to attack, they''d quickly find themselves stuck in a forest surrounded by Cyberdogs... The were already a nightmare to deal with anyway, let alone in a forest setting where they easily thrived. Doctor Henry was ecstatic about their presence, but Afton and Glados continued to disallow him from researching or experimenting on them. He was actually already on his last warning, since a Cyberdog nearly took his arm off when he tried to fiddle around with some Cybernetics on its leg... Regardless, it wasn''t as if it was likely for the NCR to attack Jacobstown now... His recent orders to the cloned Caesar had forced a considerable influx of troops near the Hoover Dam. What had he ordered exactly? Well, the operation was essentially designed to kill two birds with one stone. He''d have the NCR and Legion destroy themselves, afterwards allowing New Vegas and Bulwark to claim what''s left. The plan was relatively simple to be honest, just have the Legion slowly but surely increase their military presence near Hoover Dam, this would force the NCR to react, increasing their own numbers to match the enemy. Afton didn''t know how long the plan would go on for, as he wanted Clone Caesar to relocate Legionaries from his more eastern territories for the attack. This would weaken the Legion in other areas, while also forcing the NCR to send more troops from California... This in turn would weaken their own defences back home. The plan was pretty foolproof, no one would doubt Caesar, and the NCR wasn''t willing to let go of the Hoover Dam. Afton wondered just how many troops would be gathered for the final battle, but it certainly wouldn''t be considered a ''few''. Aside from that, Bulwark was also beginning to train their own soldiers. He was using the non-criminal slaves he''d acquired from the Legion and training any that were willing and able to fight. He''d equip them all with Bulwark power armour and state of the art weaponry, but that was a far off dream currently... They''d be far harder to train in some aspects, and easier in others... The Legion was a militaristic culture, so most learned how to fight regardless of their rank. This made melee combat somewhat easy to train them in... The only problem was their lack of scientific, engineering, and other simple technological knowledge. A culture that forbids any technology above what the romans used would be difficult to quickly introduce to such innovations... As such, Afton didn''t think it was likely the army would be ready any time soon... It''d probably take a couple years to properly get them all trained to his liking. This wasn''t to say that there weren''t a few exceptional individuals, because there were... But they were few and far between, most likely because any exceptional individual wouldn''t have ended up as a slave in the first place... This was actually the reason the women seemed far more competent than the male slaves... Women were considered lesser than men in the Legion, so any exceptional woman would be completely disregarded... Afton smirks to himself, if things continued the way they were, he''d have to call his first unit the ''Valkyries'' or something. Honestly, that didn''t sound like a bad idea... Have them all fully suited in Power armour, jetpacks and Vertibirds?... Sounds like a plan! Speaking of ''exceptional women'', he''d begun training Tamia and Josie on how to properly utilise Power armour. They were picking it up quickly, but that was to be expected for the Protagonist and engineering expert respectively. Other than that, the only other thing Afton was having trouble with was Christine and Veronica... Yeah, Christine still wasn''t sure how to feel about Bulwark and their apparent separation from the Brothehood... Which is why she decided to go visit the Brotherhood of Steel to see what they were up to. Of course, Afton would have denied them if he''d been asked, but he''d not been given the option, as Veronica took Christine without permission and teleported away. Christine obviously didn''t have access to teleportation, so she''d either manipulated or guilt-tripped Veronica into helping. Afton releases a sigh, "Women are going to be the death of me..." Chapter 565 - Cold Brothers "I''m telling you, this is a really bad idea." Veronica states behind Christine as they both walk through the desert. "And I''m telling you, I''ll believe it when I see it." Christine retorts, concentrating on following the path. Veronica already knew where the base was, but Christine herself had left while the group was still in Helios One...?? Veronica just huffs and speeds up to match Christine''s pace, "And what are you going to do once we get there? Last I heard you hated your parents, all our old friends abandoned us when they found out our secret, is there anything left for you to care about?" she bluntly states, causing Christine to stop in place with a severe frown. She turns and glares at Veronica, "In case you forgot, we were born under the codex, we grew up under the codex, we should have DIED, under the codex! It baffles me that you could so easily throw it away!" "Like you threw me away!? Leaving without a word? I didn''t want to go against everything we were taught Christine, I just thought that family should be valued above it... Family is the only reason I''m letting you go back, but family is also the reason I''ll drag you back kicking and screaming if you try to reveal anything about Bulwark." she heavily warns, knowing that Christine knew enough to put Bulwark in some amount of danger... Sure, there wasn''t much their enemies could do with such information now... But later on? Perhaps. "I told you, I didn''t throw you away!... Elijah manipulated me! All while I was under constant scrutiny by the others, you at least had Elijah''s protection... You didn''t have to worry about getting raped when you turned the wrong corner!" Christine exclaims, causing both of them to go silent momentarily. ... "Was it really that bad?" Veronica quietly asks, not having realised how she must have felt. Looking back on it now, Veronica could barely spend any time with her, Christine''s parents, friends, and colleagues abandoned and bullied her... Christine just numbly nods, placing a hand on her chest, "The only reason I hadn''t off''d myself or fled into the desert was because of the Codex. I thought that even if I was an outcast for the rest of my life, I could still be useful in serving it... That''s when Elijah introduced me to the Circle of Steel..." she shakes her head and stares straight at Veronica, "That''s why I need to see the Chapter''s degradation myself, I need to see if it''s true." ... Veronica gives a long sigh, "Fine, but don''t blame me if we have to shoot our way outta there. Your parents might be sorry for how they treated you, but the others? I never asked, but judging on how they received Afton, I doubt they think any better of you." she says, not stating the obvious that her appearance would certainly raise the Brotherhood''s more xenophobic traits. Christine''s hair hadn''t started growing back properly yet, and there wasn''t really anything they could do for her scars either. Veronica didn''t mind it, but she couldn''t exactly be called ''attractive'' anymore, nor do the Brotherhood think well of experimental subjects. The Brotherhood was founded due to human experimentation after all, so it wouldn''t surprise Veronica in the slightest if they demanded a full examination under threat of execution. Soon enough, the duo reaches the road where the Brotherhood base was currently located... Judging by the many burned remnants of old caravans, Hardin had been busy. Just as they were able to see the new make-shift Brotherhood walls in the distance, they were accosted by a small group of people all wearing Power armour. "Halt! You are in BOS territory, state your identities and reasons for being here, or we will execute you!" one of them states while their is voice muffled by their helmet. Veronica raises a brow and scoffs, "You guys seriously forgot what we look like already?" she asks while raising the brim of her cowboy hat. Their departure from Bulwark had been a rather frantic affair, so neither had elected to ''borrow'' some Power armour from Afton, especially considering he didn''t know what they were up to. Christine''s head was also partially covered by a cowboy hat, but it still didn''t cover all of her scars... "Veronica, huh? You runnin'' around here with another of your mutant friends? Tell me, was that Ghoul worth getting kicked out?" Veronica snorts, "Oh, it was well worth it. At least now I don''t have to deal with douche-bags like you... Let me guess, nasally voice, cocky attitude and thinks he''s big shit despite only being 5.6... Jenkins. Hey, even in your armour you look short." she quips. A few of the other BOS members snicker at their companion''s face but quickly compose themselves. The now named Jenkins jabs a finger at Christine while still glaring at Veronica, "As you learned last time, take your pet Ghoul elsewhere or we''ll remove it for you. Permenantly." Christine had already had enough of this annoying douche bag, if she had a gun that could breach Power armour she might''ve had half a mind to shoot him... She raises her head and lifts the hat, "I''m not a Ghoul, maybe if you were smarter than the average feral, you''d have realised that." she spits in a low tone. "C-Christine!?" a female voice squeaks from one of the soldiers, they step forwards and raise their helmet, revealing Melissa''s face... Though, she looked absolutely awful, with heavy black bags under her eyes, clammy skin, and even a few scars around her neck where her armour was less thick. "W-what happened to you!?" she exclaims, sounding exhausted but still managing to muster up her emotions. "Hell." she harshly states before continuing, "But it doesn''t seem like you''re doing all that much better." she questions. Chapter 566 - Hardin Dahed The other men in Melissa''s squad were looking between them questioningly... Most didn''t know someone called Christine, nor did they recall her existence. After all, it''d been many years since she''d left, even people stubbornly holding grudges would''ve forgotten about it by now. "Hey... Isn''t she the one Veronica was bangin''" one quietly questions, getting nods of affirmation from the others.?? Veronica ignores all this and continues to look Melissa over, "Seriously though, you look like shit... What''ve you been doing to end up like this?" Melissa gives a dull laugh, "Overworking, what else is there? We''ve-" "Stand down and shut up, do I need to remind you that giving information to those outside the Chapter is strictly forbidden!?" Jenkins cuts her off. Veronica frowns at him, "Don''t you talk to her like that, I know little guys are always angry, but you gotta deal with that privately." Jenkins grits his teeth but shakes his head, "What are you doing here anyway? You aren''t part of the Brotherhood, and neither is she. Some might say you''re trying to spy on us..." he trails off meaningfully. Christine shakes her head, "Technically I never left the Brotherhood. I''m only here to check the place and speak to Elder Hardin. After that, I''m not sure." "No." Jenkins spits, "There is no reason for us to bring you to the Elder... Just go on your way and don''t come back to our territory... Or I might not be so lenient." Christine scowls, "That isn''t your decision to make, you think Hardin will be happy if you send me away?... Fine." she turns to Veronica, "You win, let''s go back to Bulwark." she says while slowly walking back. Veronica gives a small shrug and follows along, "Maybe if we get back fast enough Afton wouldn''t have noticed us leaving..." she mutters, deciding not to think about Glados'' almost omniscient gaze around Big Mt. "W-wait!" Jenkins suddenly shouts from behind them, "I''ll take you to the Elder..." he sheepishly says, not willing to risk his career to spite the two women. "Good." With that, the duo is led towards the new Brotherhood base, past the make-shift walls and through all the hastily constructed huts the members were now using to keep their tools and other equipment ready to be used at any moment... Of course, they still utilised the bunkers as housing, no point wasting space after all... Jenkins leads the duo through the place and eventually reaches a building larger than the rest, and once they are inside they are greeted by quite a weird sight... Elder Hardin was slouched in a huge chair, however, he wasn''t wearing his Elder Robes as tradition usually dictates. Instead, he wore power armour without the helmet, but that wasn''t what was weird about him. Hardin seems to have torn up his Elder robes and used them to decorate his Power armour. It wasn''t even done well, making him look more like a tribal warlord than someone belonging to the Brotherhood. If you consider his almost ''Caesar-Esque'' posture, Veronica was beginning to get worried for the future of her old group. As soon as they step inside, Hardin''s brows begin twitching erratically, a frown now prominent on his face. "What does a traitor want now? Shouldn''t you be happy we didn''t execute you on the spot?" he asks, clearly annoyed. Veronica crosses her arms, "You don''t really believe that do-... Nevermind." she starts but holds herself back when she remembers the reason they were here. Hardin sends a lazy glance at Christine, "And what do we have here? Another freak maybe?" "Well, you could say I''ve physically as much as you have mentally... And physically? You weren''t this bald last time I saw you." she shrugs. ... "I have half a mind to have you taken outside and shot. Who are you? I don''t know your face, those scars, your voice... Are you an assassin?" he suddenly asks, his arm visibly ready to grab his weapon. "Mmhmm. Well, I guess you wouldn''t remember that time someone dismantled your weapon and stuck it back together with super glue. Yeah, I doubt anyone remembers you running around the training field not firing a shot while not notic-" Hardin begins unconsciously growling at the memory, "Christine." he answers, quickly putting two and two together... "I''m not one for tearful reunions, so what do you want?" "I want to know what''s been happening around here! Why you are targeting both civilian and military caravans that travel down the road! Why you are so flagrantly breaking the Codex!" Christine exclaims, nowhere in the Codex did it allow the Brotherhood to raid civilian caravans without an exceptionally good reason... Such an occurrence had only happened a few times in BOS history, one where the civilian caravan was unknowingly transporting tainted goods, and another when a terrorist rigged bombs inside it... If Hardin couldn''t answer this simple question then it would be a clear and prominent example of the Chapters moral degradation. Hardin squints at her, "We require resources to retake our place in the Mojave as protectors of technology and peace. What other reason could there be?" he states, sounding like a crappy politician. ... Resources? That''s the reason?... Hardin didn''t seem to be trying to hide it either... Had he gone mad? The way he was acting, dressing, and moving the Chapter it sounded likely. If it weren''t for McNamara, she might''ve started to think the position itself is cursed... That said, she still had a couple questions for him before they left. She wanted to leave as quickly as they entered, hopefully before her parents got wind of her visit. "What is the real reason you threw Afton out of the Chapter? Some BOS groups classify non-feral Ghouls as humans, as long as they aren''t classified as an abomination, they should be allowed to live under our laws." Chapter 567 - Crazy Asshole Hardin struggles to hide his smirk, "Why do you think I need a reason to banish a traitor? I am the Elder of this Chapter. The leader of everyone and everything you see around you... I could have you executed right now, and no one would be able to do anything to stop it." he states ominously. ...?? Veronica scowls, "That''s not how an Elder is supposed to act, Hardin... That''s how Elijah thought, and look where that got us!" "Ha! You''re comparing me to that snivelling old man? He was a weak and cowardly leader, he''d never attempt what I''m trying to create here... He lacked the ambition for it." he says, his eyes seemingly staring past the duo before he blinks a couple times and regains his focus, "You two should know your place, or you might not have a place in this new world that I am building." he states. "New world?" Christine questions, their Chapters purpose for being in the Mojave wasn''t to do anything like that... They were originally here to acquire technology before the NCR and Legion could uncover it as well as taking Hoover Dam. Which is more like a pipedream at this point. Hardin nods, "Yes, my New World. Where the Brotherhood would stand above everyone else and maintain the peace. It''s clear to me now that people are not able to govern themselves... So we must do it for them." Veronica raises a brow, that kinda sounded like something Afton had said in the past... Though, she was unsure. Christine frowns, "And the other Chapters who see differently? The Codex states that we exist for the wellbeing of humanity, as well as protecting the commonwealth." "They will adhere to my new rules, or be dealt with." Hardin coldly states causing both of the duo to tense at the tone of his voice. "Come to think of it, don''t you both have close ties to Parker?... Hm, I''ll allow you back into the Chapter if you reveal all you know about Bulwark, their location, technology, members..." he trails off while giving them a hard look. ... ''Shit'' Veronica mentally exclaims at his words, yeah, they probably should have considered a possibility like this. McNamara wouldn''t have dared do something like this in the past, but Hardin was clearly a different kind of leader... Not to mention his frankly questionable mental state. She holds her reflexive answer though, not wanting to suddenly get shot for calling him a crazy ass hole. Christine doesn''t have such a filter however, the fact that the Chapter she grew up in was now becoming a totalitarian dictatorship was too much for her to act rationally. "You''re crazy. This isn''t even a Brotherhood of Steel Chapter anymore, you wouldn''t even be considered a rebel due to how you are breaching the Codex... No, you''re just a traitor!" she angrily growls. Veronica glances around the room while Hardin''s focus is on Christine, looking for an exit should they need to suddenly flee. Which, was looking more and more likely the way things were going. Hardin''s voice morphs into one of utter rage at Christine''s words, "You would call ME a traitor!? I have given my life to the Brotherhood, and what have I gotten in return!? Nothing! You will obey me!" he states while standing, putting his helmet on as he does so. Christine and Veronica back away at this point, the latter grabbing Christine by the arm and quickly running for the door. "Paladins, stop them!" Hardin commands, wanting to capture rather than kill to glean some information about Bulwark. The two Paladins that had been waiting outside immediately block the way forwards, but that wasn''t enough to scare Veronica... She sprints at them and jumps, smashing her fist into the first one''s helmet. *Crack!* *Clang!* The Paladin stumbles backwards, disoriented with the world spinning... Her attack hadn''t knocked hm out, but it was close to it. Veronica on the other hand was looking much worse for wear, having broken her hand punching the man''s helmet. The other Paladin grabs Veronica who immediately begins struggling, but is unfortunately unable to do anything... The benefits power armour confer aren''t so easily beaten, not unless you''re someone like Afton... Christine draws her weapon and is about to attack the man when a projectile smashes into the floor between her legs, clearly as a warning... She glances back and notices Hardin standing there with a Gauss Rifle in hand, the weapon still pointing directly at her... Realising they were beaten, she tosses her revolver on the floor and puts her hands up. Veronica spots this and stops her useless struggling, releasing a sigh and going limp as the duo are handcuffed. "You both will regret not accepting my offer. Take them away." Hardin waves them off while returning to his ''throne''. Veronica and Christine are both unceremoniously tossed into a prison cell, and are left alone by the guards as the cell doors are locked. Veronica scowls and wraps her broken hand in some rags while sending Christine a disgruntled sideways glare. Christine just sighs, "Don''t say it, I already know I fucked up." she states while sitting against the cell wall. "Oh no, I think I deserve this... I. Told. You. So." Veronica slowly and carefully says. "Feeling better now? Cause I don''t." Christine mutters. Veronica scoffs, "Aside from my broken hand and our imprisonment? Peachy... You know you''ve doomed the Chapter, right?" Christine crooks a brow at this, "What?" she asks, surprised. "You think Afton''ll just let us be imprisoned and not do anything? No. He''s gonna come down like a ton of bricks... That is, unless the NCR decides to act first." ... "Sorry." Christine quietly admits... She was logical enough to admit that this was her fault, though, she could put some blame on Hardin and the Chapter itself too. How was she to know that the place was run by a crazy asshole?... Hardin was nothing like this in the past, so why now?... Urgh... Maybe she was just being too optimistic about people...? Chapter 568 - Waste Of Steel *Crack!* Afton appears nearby the Brotherhood base with a flash of lightning. He quickly steps out of the smoke and surveys the area, nodding to himself as he determines that the coast is clear... He was suited in Power armour and fully armed, prepared for combat, not just against the Brotherhood, but also the large contingents of NCR that''d occasionally pass through the area.?? "Why are you making me do this..." he mutters to himself as he starts making his way towards the new Brotherhood base. There was a reason he''d come alone, though, the primary one being that he could escape very, ver easily should that be required... He wasn''t intending to assault the base now anyway, just determine where Veronica and Christine had gotten off to. If they weren''t in the base, then they''d probably been captured by the NCR, he didn''t think bandits would be any match for them so that wasn''t even a consideration. Soon enough, mirroring the passage of his companions, he was obstructed by a patrol of Brotherhood members, though, unlike how the girls were treated, these guys looked ready to fire at any movement... The threat of someone wearing Power armour wasn''t a joke after all. "Ha-" "Shut up. I''m Afton Parker, leader of Bulwark, you guys remember me right? I kicked the shit outta Hardin in front of you." he states, not willing to remove his helmet for obvious reasons. "Afton!? It''s good to see you!" Melissa suddenly says, quickly lowering her weapon and hugging him. "Melissa. You good?" he asks, conversationally. She nods, "Y-yeah... You''re looking for Veronica and Christine then I''m guessing? They passed through here not long ago." He nods, "Yeah, I am... You mind escorting me to the base? Consider it a political visit." he says semi-sarcastically. Melissa nods, and his talk of it being a ''political visit'' seems to convince the others who looked very wary of him. With that, Afton was slowly led towards the new BOS base. To be honest, he wasn''t actually sure what he was gonna do once he gets there. It all really depended on Christine he supposed. It was her right to go wherever she wanted, so if she chose to stay here he couldn''t really do anything about it... Not without going against his principles... Of course, what he didn''t expect was to be sent away as soon as he got to the gate of the BOS... The guards had apparently not seen Veronica or Christine, which directly contradicted what the patrol said. ''Fortunately'', they were willing to inform Elder Hardin of his arrival. Afton couldn''t hold back his scoff at that, like Hardin was going to be ''peaceful'' about this. Especially since they''d apparently captured Veronica and Christine, most likely in some vain attempt to coerce him into working with them. Hardin eventually strolls out of the gate in power armour and with a weapon strapped to his back, he cockily looks Afton up and down before crossing his arms, "Parker. For what reason have you decided to visit us? Want to beg to come back?" he jokes with a low chuckle. Afton raises a brow and gestures at the former Elder robe rags decorating his armour, "You not figured out how to dress yet? Or are you too scared to be without Power armour you just tried your luck?... Was it my fault?" he mocks ''sincerely''. Hardin stifles a growl, "What do you want?" Afton shrugs his shoulders, "I want Veronica and Christine, you know, the people you''ve captured for no justifiable reason." ... "The only people we currently have imprisoned are NCR soldiers." he states. ... "Uh huh... Well, that''s not what I heard, so I''ll just give you a choice. Give me back my people, or we''re going to have problems." he firmly decides. Truthfully, he didn''t want to be forced into a conflict with his former friends, but, if they were fine with Hardin''s way of leading them, he''d eventually be forced to. Hardin gives a low laugh and straightens up, his hands clenching and flexing in anticipation. "This won''t end like last time. You may be able to beat me, but can you beat an army?" Afton doesn''t back down, cracking his knuckles through his gauntlets, "I should say the same to you. Your puny forces are no match for Bulwark. That''s not even speaking about our weaponry, I have half a mind to reduce your base to a smouldering crater." ... The other BOS members watching this all tense, wondering if they''d really have to help Hardin fight? As much as most wouldn''t like to admit it, Bulwark was probably the biggest ''ally'' they had. It was a deterrent for the NCR, and aligned well with the BOS''s own intentions... Plus, they didn''t doubt Afton''s words, especially considering what he''d done to Hardin last time. The duo continued the face-off for a minute or so, until Hardin takes a step back and commands, "Arrest the traitor, I want him beaten and brought before me on his knees!" With that, most BOS members jump into action, though, there were a few who decided not to act and instead retreat from this place. "Still having others do your dirty work Hardin? How can someone maintain such an ego while acting like a coward?" Afton mocks as he''s surrounded by men with drawn weapons. Hardin laughs, "Let''s see you say that once this is over." Afton nods, "Alright, I''ll play this game... But you won''t like the outcome..." he looks around at the other Brotherhood members, "Everyone, I give you this one chance to surrender. I don''t want bloodshed, especially not the blood of my family! If you don''t lay down your weapons, we will become enemies." ... A few more Brotherhood members quietly slink away, following the other group who''d departed earlier. After seeing no one else wanting to leave, Afton releases a sigh and nods, "Alright, just remember, you guys asked for this." he says while the light around him suddenly distorts and ripples, Afton vanishing without a trace a moment later. *Bang! Bang! Pew! Pew!" A few men fire at where he''d been, but they just strike the ground or make-shift walls of the base instead, "He used a Stealthboy! Find him!" Hardin shouts, and a few members scramble to gather their infrared equipment. Chapter 569 - Smash And Grab [John Wick Style] is in effect! While the BOS were running around like headless chickens, Afton was enlarging his plant arm to prepare for an attack... A couple of seconds pass and he''s finally formed a giant tentacle from his right arm, with which he twirls and swings at everyone nearby.?? The force of the attack is massive and blows many right off of their feet with large indentations in their armour. The Stealthboy affects your entire body, which makes his plant arm invisible as well, which is kinda broken when you think about it... *Thud!Thud!Thud!Thud!Thud!* Hardin is launched backwards into the BOS makeshift wall with a large dent in his chest plate, he didn''t know what''d just happened but at least he was still alive... Unbeknownst to him, if it weren''t for the presence of other BOS soldiers nearby, Afton would have had no problem morphing his attack into a more lethal variant... Once Afton''s attack is over he swings his arm over his head before launching it at the makeshift wall Hardin was temporarily resting against. The tentacle wraps around the top of it, and once it''s secure, Afton gives a grunt as he heaves it backwards with maximum effort! *SQUEEEEEEEEEEEaaaaak!* The sound of screaming metal eventually reaching Hardin''s stunned state, he looks up and notices the structure that''s about to fall on him and scrambles to move... Afton spots this though and pulls even harder than before, finally bringing the thing down. *CLACK!* *CRAAASH!* Dust is kicked up over the area as the thing collapses, but Afton is more interested in whether or not Hardin managed to get away... He waits a couple seconds for it to clear slightly, and eventually spots no sign of Hardin. Afton grins and morphs his arm back to normal before clapping his hands off, "I''d call that a job well done." he mutters as he''s stepping through the rubble in an attempt to find the prison Christine and Veronica were being held. He was still invisible as he looked, so it wasn''t accosted by any of the frantic-looking Brotherhood members who were running from place to place, some were even trying to dig Hardin out, but that''d probably take a day or two considering the sheer amount of material he''d been buried under. Soon enough, he eventually discovers the holding cells. A hastily constructed building made from scrap-metal and poor-quality concrete. Inside he''s immediately greeted by many emaciated people sitting listlessly behind bars, most of which wore NCR clothing. Afton ignores them as he didn''t see anyone familiar and marches through the prison while flashes his Power armour''s shoulder light into each cell. NCR troopers, NCR troopers, NCR troopers... Bandit? Another NCR, NCR... Man Hardin had been busy, hadn''t he?... He flashes his light into the next cell and widens his eyes, "Miles?" he unconsciously asks before shaking his head and correcting himself, "Miles Stanton?" The emaciated figure of his childhood friend slowly looks up from the fetal position he was sitting in on the floor. "W-what is it now?" he asks, annoyed. Afton leans closer to the cell, "It''s me, Afton, I''ve come to rescue my people that Hardin captured... I''m kinda invisible right now, so... I''m not a ghost if that''s what you were thinking." He says semi-sarcastically. "A-Afton?" Miles tentatively mouths, as if tasting the name as he says it. "Honestly didn''t think I''d see you again... How are you?" Afton shakes his head, "No, no. First, let''s talk about why you''re in here." he says, wanting to know how someone like Miles was imprisoned. Miles shrugs, "I... I passed out during a patrol, exhaustion had gotten the better of me... Hardin was sending me and Melissa out almost every day, and most nights as well, leaving us with basically no sleep... When I passed out, he slapped me with ''dereliction'', ''disobedience'', and ''Abetting and aiding the enemy''... We tried to argue it but, Hardin isn''t really in his right mind anymore..." Afton scowls, "Yeah, I could see that... Was your treatment related to your friendship with me perchance? That cunt seems to have a ''hardin'' for me." Miles gives a low chuckle, "Yeah, something like that... Melissa is probably in a similar situation. She visited me yesterday and she looks terrible, it''s only a matter of time before she ends up in the opposite cell." he mutters sadly. Afton sighs and shakes his head, grabbing the bars of Miles'' cell and begins bending them. Miles backs up slightly as he spots hear the metal screaming, and soon enough the bars can''t take the te stress anymore and simply snap. He does this a couple more times until there''s a hole Miles can barely fit through, "Come on, I''m taking you outta here, and once we''re back at my place we''ll plan on ''fixing'' the Chapter... Miles squints at him, "And how would you ''fix'' it?" Afton shrugs, "I bring an army, take the people willing to abide by my rules, and leave the rest to live as they are... Unless you have any better ideas?" Miles shakes his head, "No... I think force is required in this situation." he says as he squeezes out of the cell. Afton nods and grabs Miles arm before continuing through the prison, eventually spotting the people he''d come for... Veronica was sitting on the floor reading a magazine while Christine was trying to dig through the concrete floor with a spoon... "*Ahem*" Afton coughs into his fist, drawing the attention of the duo... Obviously, they only see Miles due to Afton''s invisibility, but they easily recognise him. "Miles? You look like shit!" Veronica can''t help but address. Miles shrugs, "Yeah, I know..." "You two in the cell can be quiet until we get back home... I''m gonna have to think of some creative punishments for you." he says as he begins bending the bars. Veronica pales slightly, "Afton?" "The one and only... Now both of you crawl out of there, we need to leave before the BOS composes themselves." Chapter 570 - Punishment, Fit For... He bends the bars and pulls Veronica through, afterwards grabbing Christine but not letting go... He leans into her ears and whispers, "Listen, I know you''re the one who dragged Veronica here, and I hope your short time in this cell has given you some perspective. Aside from your punishment, I won''t take this further, but you need to promise me you won''t do something so fucking stupid again." he states. ...?? Christine purses her lips but slowly nods despite herself, "I won''t... I''m sorry..." she solemnly admits. Afton nods, "Good. Otherwise I might be forced to chip you or something." he says as he pushes her at Veronica who catches the stumbling woman with a raised brow. [Christine Royce has become your Companion!] [Perk acquired from Companion : Pristine Shot] [Pristine Shot] : Increase damage of Ballistic weaponry by 50% Afton stops mid-step upon receiving the notifications. He''d only just realised Christine had never become his companion... Had she just never trusted him enough for it? Or had she been too conflicted between him and the Brotherhood to make a decision? if it''s the latter, then wouldn''t that mean she''s made her decision? ... Regardless, the Companion Perk he received was pretty op in its own right... Anti-Material rifles would probably disintegrate anyone he hit, and let''s not even talk about using explosive ammo... He recomposes himself and only now realises that the others were ahead of him... He jogs a bit to catch up and eventually begins leading the group again... He pokes his invisible head out of the exit and spots a few tense BOS members lingering around, most likely waiting for Afton to attack somewhere... "You guys wait here." he whispers as he sneaks up to the few BOS members and cleanly knocked them out. After that, escaping isn''t too difficult, they climb up the makeshift wall and Afton helps them down by creating a rope with his plant arm. After that, the group run off into the desert, and once the coast is clear he has Nyx gather the coordinates before teleporting them all back to base. One day later : Afton stands outside the doors of Miles'' new room, waiting for him to wake up... He''d been medically examined and fed, but was so tired he''d fallen asleep not long after. *Knock, Knock, Knock* "Yo, it''s me, wake up you lazy bum!" Afton calls out and hears Miles stumbling towards the door after most likely falling out of bed. The door swings open and reveals a half-naked Miles standing there with a toothbrush in his mouth, "Am I late for something?" he asks, wondering what''s the rush. Afton shakes his head, "No... Well, kinda. I wanted to check that you were up to see it." Miles raises a brow, "Can you at least tell me what it is?" Afton smirks, "Well, that would be telling... I''m sure it''d be more interesting to see it first hand." Miles reluctantly nods, "Alright, let me just get dressed... After this, can we talk about your plans for the Brotherhood though?" Afton shrugs, "Yeah, apparently we''ve got news concerning it anyway that we probably need to discuss." Five minutes later Afton was leading Miles towards the ''composting'' area. It''s the place where Big Mt dumps its rotten or uneaten food, as well as the faeces from the various creatures. Of course, the faeces is processed to remove all the dangerous pathogens first... Human shit was dangerous enough, not to mention the hundreds of kilograms of Deathclaw shit Borous project produces... Usually, they''d only have robots working in it as it was an obviously disgusting job that most would refuse to do... Which is why he''d decided to use this place as punishment. Miles squints and covers his nose as they approach, Afton gestures down at the pit where food, faeces, and other compostable material was being piped. He points at the two figures that were different from the robots working down there... "Is that...?" he mutters, looking slightly green at the sight. Afton crosses his arms and nods, "Yeah, along with stripping their teleportation rights, luxury food and drink rights, maid service rights, and entertainment rights, I''m having them ''help'' the robots with their workload." Indeed, both Veronica and Christine look as if they are on the cusp of vomiting as they shovel the compost material into the designated areas. Afton didn''t have a problem if they did throw up, it''d only add nutrients to the compost after all... "Is this really necessary?" he asks, holding a hand over his mouth as if to stifle his gap reflex. Afton nods, "Yeah, they broke the rules, used unauthorized tech for their excursion, got captured and potentially risked top-secret information about Bulwark... Honestly, if they weren''t family I''d have them executed or chipped... This is probably good enough to prevent them from doing it again though, after all, they still have a couple days left of ''community service''." "C-can we leave? I''m feeling a bit..." he admits weakly. Afton nods again, "Oi! You two!" he shouts over at the shit-covered duo whose heads snap up at him, "Get yourselves cleaned up and meet us in the Think Tank!... Make sure you''re smelling nice or I''ll add tow extra days of shit-service!" he calls out before leaving. The girls don''t need him to say it twice and immediately throw their tools down and sprint for the exit. Once outside, they leave a trail of fire as they rush towards the showers. An hour later Afton and Miles were making small talk in the Think Tank main room, two glasses of whiskies sitting in front of them on the holographic map. *Tuk!* "Afton..." Veronica mutters as she walks inside while shooting him a pleading look, "Please change our punishment... I''ll do anything! Even the Sierra Madre was better than this!" Afton shrugs and sniffs the air, nodding at the perfume she''d applied to mask whatever taint was leftover from the composting. "You shoulda thought about that before you let your girlfriend run off... Ain''t that right Christine?" Christine just bites her lip and slowly nods as the duo approach the table. "T-the punishment is just... Why have you called us here?" Afton grins and leans forward on the table, "We''re going to decide how we destroy the Brotherhood." Chapter 571 - Quickness "We''re going to decide how we destroy the Brotherhood." ...?? "What!?" Veronica exclaims after a shock finally wears off. Afton shrugs, "Well, we''ll destroy the Mojave chapter at least. First things first though, let''s see what my spies have to say." he says while gesturing at the holographic table in front of them, it''s light ripple slightly before it displays a series of pages, all of which seemed to be some sort of report. It''s rather long and extensive, as you''d expect from spies, but all in all, there were only a few important points. The first was the NCR''s continued attempts to covertly turn the public against Bulwark, they did this using variety of strategies, primarily rumours from their undercover agents, reporting on fake crimes Bulwark has supposedly committed, and by public statements from the NCR themselves. Their attempts were so-so though, mainly due to the public''s awareness of how bias NCR news is, as well as the rather large amount of resentment against them. While yes, they were a better alternative to the Legion. Most people in the Mojave would rather neither be present at all, as both were oppressive foreign forces at the end of the day, regardless of their intentions. The second point of the report were the large numbers of reinforcements that''d been dispatched to the Mojave in response of the Legion''s own mustering. Ambassador Crocker was very, very worried about it, and has assisted General Oliver in getting more troops to the front lines Third was the fact the investigation requested by Ambassador Crocker against Macka Bree concerning the unauthorised experimentation of prisoners and humans was accepted but not... This was due to the fact that the investigation was handed off to General Poacher, who was well known to be working with Macka Bree...So it was unlikely anything would be uncovered at all. Ambassador Crocker was rightly furious at this, but there was literally nothing he could do... He''d have to petition for more support at congress if he wanted anything done, but that''d involve leaving the Mojave which was teetering on the edge of war... Forth was the fact the NCR fully intended to go to war with Bulwark due to the recent attack near Jacobstown. The spies weren''t able to uncover how the NCR would move, as that was handed off to someone else, but it was a certainty an attack would be occurring. Fifth and most relevant to what Afton was hoping to hear, was the fact among the reinforcements coming to the Mojave were three mobile artillery systems. What were they intended to be used for? Well, their first mission on the books was to assist in the eradication of the Brotherhood of Steel... Once that was accomplished, they''d be shipped to Hoover Dam where they''d assist in the defence of the incredibly important strategic location. They were set to arrive in around two weeks, which gave Afton plenty of time to plan on how to deal with them. Afton chuckles, "You know, you guys getting captured didn''t really matter in the end... I''d have had to do something before those reinforcements got here, and I doubt Hardin would''ve reacted any different. Though, I would ideally like to get my hands on those mobile artillery machines..." he admits. Miles sighs and looks at his feet, "I''m not really sure how to feel about this Afton, I mean, I know Hardin''s lost it, but... Does it have to be destroyed?" "Yes..." he states before raising a hand to stop the trio''s objections, "Just be pragmatic about this, the Chapter has been dying ever since it arrived in the Mojave, that was only accelerated after what happened at Helios. Bulwark will take its place and be more effective for it, we''ll try to recruit those willing, but for everyone else?... They''ll be on their own." he states. "So that''s it? Their only options are to bend the knee to you, flee into the desert, or stay and be murdered by the NCR?" Christine questions with a hard look. Afton shrugs, "Don''t act like I''m not giving them choices. If they can follow Hardin with a smile on their faces then they can follow me instead... I''m not being callous, there just isn''t anything else I can really do for them without going out of my way. I''d essentially be misappropriating Bulwark funds for my own ends, which sets a bad president... Kinda like Hardin when you think about it." he says, trying to convince them. "Is there really nothing we can do? I know many good people who would refuse your offer. I don''t think they deserve to die for their firm principles..." Miles asks, but is clearly not hopeful. Afton shakes his head, "I''m sorry, but no... I mean, I can allow you to try and convince them, and I''m willing to offer a place in the department that''d handle the research, acquisition, and containment of technology, but that''s all. Don''t forget that I have loved ones among them as well, friends and acquaintances, but it''s up to them whether or not they wish to accept my offer." Miles just slowly nods at him, there wasn''t all that much he could do to try and change Afton''s mind. They both knew some simply wouldn''t be swayed no matter what they were offered, so it would be useless to consider. "There will be a fight... How are you going to handle it?" he asks. Afton shrugs again, "How else? An army of robots." he smirks, finally getting a chance to put his new forces into action. Of course, they wouldn''t be going all out, if the Brotherhood didn''t surrender he''d simply go in there himself and subdue them. Once the Brotherhood was dealt with, he''d use some spare sets of Power armour as ''scarecrows'' and dummies to make the NCR believe the base was still operational... Once they set up their artillery machines to attack, he''d swoop in and steal them. Oh, yes. He was looking forward to it. Chapter 572 - Disarming Presence Two days later : Hardin was absolutely furious, how dare that boy walk in and so brazenly attack them!? It''d taken half a day for his people to dig him out of the rubble, and hours after that to splint up his injured arms... His Power armour had protected him for the most part, but his limbs had been bent and twisted at their joints in horrific ways, leaving him like this... Without his arms and having an assistant spoon food into his mouth.?? He leans forwards while trying to get a spoonful of the weak-porridge when someone runs into the room, their feet squeaking as their shoes grind to a halt on the concrete floor. "Elder! He''s back!" *PPFFFFTT!* Hardin spits out his food and receives a hidden glare from the women he''d just covered in it. "WHAT!?" "Afton Parker! He''s back, and he''s brought friends!" Hardin pushes himself out of bed and leaves the room, disregarding his injuries and even his armour as he goes to take a look. He arrives at the wall where many Brotherhood members were quietly whispering to one another about what to do, and eventually part ways like the red sea once Hardin arrived. Once on the wall, he looks down and spots Afton a good distance away... He was standing there in full Bulwark Power armour with three other people. His friends were setting up strange machines nearby, but no one had any idea what there were... Hardin was in a similar situation, not having even an inkling over what their purpose was... Were they bombs perhaps? Or maybe turrets?... He shakes his head, in the end, it doesn''t matter. "PARKER! YOU WILL LEAVE MY TERRITORY, OR WE WILL SHOOT YOU DOWN LIKE THE DOG YOU ARE!" he roars, finally drawing Afton''s attention. He was holding his helmet at his side with a smug smirk, "Do you really think you have the capabilities for that? Seems like you got lucky and survived the last time, I''ll warn you now though, if you don''t surrender... You''ll die for sure." he states. Hardin growls before regaining his composure, his face relaxing as he laughs at Afton''s face, "Hah! You may have escaped last time, but you and your friends are no match against the might of the Brotherhood! Surrender now and I might postpone your execution!" ... Afton looks a bit put out at Hardin''s words, and the elder feels as if he''d made a small victory from that alone... Atleast, until Afton begins to speak... "Er, you were supposed to say, ''You want what army''... And then I''d spread my arms like this-" *CRACK!* Hundreds of lightning bolts fire from the sky behind him in between the boundaries of the machines that''d been set up, kicking up dust and almost blinding the Brotherhood members that were watching. "Summon my army, and you''d surrender." Afton explains, the dust clearing and revealing his ''army''... What did Afton''s army consist of exactly? Well... For starters, there were around fifty Cyberdogs on the outskirts, as well as one-hundred strange-looking Sentry-bots with blue-tinted metal plating... Those in the know would recognise it as Saturnite, and those ''even more in the know'' would recognise the Sentry-bots as the Ultimo-Bot that had been guarding the Big Mt artillery sight... The Ultimo-Bot''s were larger, stronger variants of ordinary Sentry-Bots. With considerably higher firepower, durability, and processing power. Not to mention the pre-installed military tactics and strategies each came with. They aren''t what draws the most attention however... That would belong to the two figures standing directly behind Afton... Deathclaws! Two large, black Deathclaws! Each were armoured with that blue-tinted metal again, and looked larger than the average Deathclaw you''d see in the wasteland. Unlike the rest of their kind, they seemed completely tamed as well! Deferring completely to Afton despite their wish to attack immediately. Veronica, Christine, and Miles who were standing next to him clearly hadn''t been expecting this either, and were barely holding back from firing upon the Deathclaws themselves... Hardin''s eyes almost bulge out of their sockets at this display of power... If the act of teleporting large amounts of troops wasn''t enough, the troops themselves were enough to cause even the larger factions to pause in fear. He isn''t even able to find his voice until Afton starts speaking again. "Well!? Now that you guys have seen my army, I''ll ask again. Surrender. I am not a cruel person, so I won''t kill you like Hardin has been threatening to do to me... But the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood will end today... Before that though, I''d like to make an offer, to those of you who see the faults in your leadership and can think for yourselves... Join me, and we''ll fulfil the duties the Brotherhood purports to serve in their stead." ... Afton releases a sigh at the lack of reaction... Obviously, he hadn''t expected many to jump ship now, as they''d likely be fired upon by their friends for it, but he was hoping at least a few would have the courage... Whatever he''d just have to find those willing after they surrender. Hardin steps forwards, almost foaming at the mouth as he shouts, "NEVER! I''D RATHER DIE THAN SURRENDER TO YOU, BOY! YOU DESERVE NOTHING! NOT THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE, NOT THE ARMY, AND NOT THE ALLIES! I WILL TAKE THEM ALL AWAY!... BROTHERHOOD! ATTAAAACCCK!" Thus, the battle starts... And quickly ends as Afton''s troops decimate the forces of the Brotherhood... It''s fortunate the Brotherhood wore Power armour, otherwise they''d have all been instantly killed when struck by his Deathclaws or Cyberdogs combined sonic attacks... Afton did his best to knock them unconscious as well to prevent them from getting killed in the fight as well... They certainly hadn''t been expecting him to leap onto the wall and start punching people unconscious... Nor had they expected his first punch to completely blow Hardin''s head clean off... The man was literally ''armless'' and wasn''t even able to shout an insult as his head exploded into red mist... That act alone had a large portion of the Brotherhood surrender, but a few of the more zealous were still unwilling to lose... Unfortunately, this led to a few dying at the hands of his Deathclaws, but the casualties were remarkably low considering the ferocious battle that''d occurred. Chapter 573 - Hold! The battle lasted less than an hour, yet to those who participated, it felt as if they''d been fighting all day... The surviving Brotherhood of Steel members were all stripped of their power armour and tied up next to one another. Veronica, Christine, and Miles do their best to try and convince some of them to desert the Brotherhood and join Bulwark, but their attempts are unsuccessful most of the time. More than half of them refuse to join Bulwark, determined to stay true to the Brotherhood and the Codex... Which was what Afton had been expecting and dreading.?? There were actually a few people who he was considered refusing entry to Bulwark... Prime examples of this would be Christine''s parents, the duo should be begging Christine for forgiveness, as they had basically been doing last time he saw them... Yet, once they laid eyes upon Christine''s scarred body, face, and bald head. They did an almost complete 180 in their attitude... Christine obviously still cared about them, regardless of how they''d acted in the past, but seeing them acting like this towards her made Afton''s blood boil... Fortunately, his anger with them was stifled slightly as he watched Veronica punch Darian Royce in the face, knocking him out clean. After that Veronica escorted a rather distraught Christine away from the prisoners. Miles at least managed to find Melissa, who brought along a rather large contingent of Brotherhood members who had been dissatisfied with Hardin, or persecuted by him in some way. There were around twenty of them not including Melissa, which had Afton quite happy. They''d be combat-ready once he''d put them through a psych evaluation(For loyalty), given new equipment(Including chips), and properly shown around Big Mt. Afton himself was unsurprisingly caught in conversation with a familiar face... Former-Elder McNamara. The man was sitting on the floor with crossed legs, seemingly unbothered at his restrained state. "Welcome back, Afton." he smiles as if they hadn''t just been fighting. "Yeah, thanks... You''re looking awfully happy for someone who''d just lost literally everything. The Chapter is gone, and once we''ve found all those willing to join Bulwark, I''ll teleport you to Mexico, without any equipment and minimal supplies." he states. It was a given he''d be forced to do that, if left alone in the Mojave they could alert the NCR to the trap he''s attempting to spring on them. Even if no one rats to them directly, the large numbers of former Brotherhood members leaving the area would be warning enough that something suspicious was occurring. McNamara shrugs, "I knew something like this was going to happen ever since Hardin became Elder... I think I prefer it ending this way..." he quietly admits. Afton crooks a brow, "You prefer it ending this way? With me taking your people, stealing your stuff, and ditching you in Mexico like some illegal immigrant?" The man just tilts his head and continues smiling, "Compared to what the NCR would do to us? You came in with non-lethal intentions. Even with the few casualties, this is the best result we could have hoped for... At least we get to live past Hardin''s ''reign''." "You know, you''re actually my favourite Elder... Why not come to Bulwark? You''ll receive a similar position to Head Paladin, I''ll put you in charge of the former Brotherhood members, and I''ll even have you scanning, searching, and researching dangerous technologies." McNamara laughs, "Favourite Elder!? Haha! Well, just between you and I, I believe I did a better job than both Hardin and Elijah put together." he jokes while tapping his nose, as if trusting Afton with a secret. "As for your offer? I''m sorry that I can''t accept... My place is still with the Brotherhood, and I still have a duty to protect our family, something tells me that they''ll need all the help they can get..." Afton nods sympathetically, afterwards cutting the man''s restraints before leaving and continuing to look around the place. He does end up running into some more faces from his childhood, Adah Lindgren, Ramos, and people his age... He even ended up running into Sandra Torres. Sadly, the latter was the only one among the group that was willing to join Bulwark... The rest, despite their relationship with Afton, chose to follow the others in Mexico. All in all, it took around half a day to get everything completed. During this time Afton had his robots loot the Brotherhood base and bunker, the latter of which would be stripped for tech later to serve Bulwark... Afton was looking forward to adapting the combat simulators into the Holodeck tech that was in Big Mt. The Brotherhood armoury was a significant boon as it contained well-maintained energy weaponry and Power armour, all of which would be adapted and improved into the Bulwark variant. There were a few problems concerning Black Mountain, but the army still stationed in the Brotherhood base easily annihilated the Super Mutant invaders... Seems as if they thought the battle would''ve weakened them enough to make for easy pickings. They were demonstrably wrong. This attack had drawn Afton''s attention however, he currently had nothing to do as they were waiting for the teleport enhancers to recharge so they could send the Brotherhood prisoners off to their new home. Afton glances over at Veronica, "You''re in charge, make sure no one dies while I go visit our Super Mutant neighbours." he says before marching towards the bottom of Black Mountain. "Can we come-" Veronica starts but is cut off by Afton. "No. You''re still being punished, remember? Now stay here and imagine all the Mutant faces you aren''t getting to punch." he jokes as he walks off, leaving his companions and the army behind. Miles gestures at Afton as he leaves while glancing at Veronica, "Is he gonna be alright? There are over a hundred mutants on that mountain..." Veronica purses her lips and shrugs, "He''ll be fine... It''s Afton after all..." she states noncommittally as if her answer was complete and comprehensive enough for even a child to understand... Chapter 574 - Armistice The start of the path that snaked up Black Mountain wasn''t all that different from the rest in the Mojave... Chipped, rotten, and mangled concrete with dead-looking shrugs sprouting from between the huge cracks cover them. "Maybe my first action as world ruler president king... Chief...? Would be to fix these damn roads." he huffs as he hops over a particularly large crack. Over in the distance, he spots a shack with a Super Mutant sitting conspicuously outside of it... He already knows who it is, Neil, the ''gatekeeper'' of Black Mountain. Despite how ominous the name sounds, the Mutant actually attempts to keep unwary travellers from stumbling into the other hostile mutants and getting eaten alive.?? "Hold up there traveller, you''d best turn back before you regret your life choices... Though, venturing further up this path would count as a ''Death Choice''..." the Mutant states in a far more eloquent tone than Afton had expected. Afton shrugs, "I hope you aren''t friends with anyone up there... You should probably start thinking about moving to Jacobstown." "Wait what? What''re you talk-Wait, stop!" Neil stutters, jumping to his feet and following Afton as he walks through the entrance and further up Black Mountain... Almost immediately, Afton''s attacked by a Nightkin that jumps out of invisibility while swinging some kind of make-shift sword. Neil reaches his arm out futilely in an attempt to save the human, but is shocked still when the Nightkin is instantly bisected into halves, each side flopping to the floor lifelessly. Afton turns his head towards Neil, "As I said earlier, you should probably think about moving..." ... Neil continues to watch dumbfounded as Afton blazes a trail up the mountain path. Bullets deflect from his armour, and any Mutant that gets into arms-length quickly becomes mincemeat. Soon enough the human gets out of view, and once Neil composes himself he turns around like a robot, searches through his hidden safe, and pulls out a couple bottles of whisky. "Man... Humans are becoming scary." One hour later : Afton had finally reached the top plateau of Black Mountain, there were numerous derelict satellite dishes among the large nuclear creates decorating the place... Though, Afton wasn''t able to focus on that due to the twenty or so mutants currently firing at him. He dodges most of the fire, his armour deflected the rest. But the biggest threat to him was actually the heavy incinerators some of the enemies wielded. That problem was easily solved with some application of his plant-arm ''Jutsu-grass-style razor whip!''... Yeah, he wasn''t confident enough in himself to shout his ''special attack names''. Afton swings his ''razor whip arm'' and decapitates one of the mutants that wielded a rocket launcher and pulls the free weapon towards himself, turning it towards his enemies and firing the rest of its ammunition. After every mutant in eye-sight is dead, he moves onto the next area, the peak of the mountain where the single working satellite dish sits, along with two concrete buildings that look relatively unharmed from the Nuclear apocalypse. He takes a single step towards the broadcasting building when he hears a peculiar shout behind him, "INVADE MY MOUNTAIN WILL YOU!?" Once he turns to face it, his mind halts for a moment at the sight... A large nightkin wearing a blonde wig, pink heart-shaped glasses, and lots of leather rags seemingly designed to look like a dress... Ah, this must be Tabitha, leader of the Super Mutants and ''eager'' radio host. She swings a jet-powered sledgehammer at him, but he easily blocked it by stepping backwards, afterwards swinging his Ultra Chainsword at them. The strike hits their stomach, disembowelling them and causing their intestines to burst out of the wound as if they were a failed confetti bomb. Tabitha doesn''t even seem to notice the wound though, "YOU WILL DIE HUMAN!" they scream, swinging their weapon again. Afton blocks it this time however, using his armoured arms to take the brunt of the force. He doesn''t move an inch either due to his [Stonewall] Perk, his Power armour combined with the Perk actually causes Tabitha to stumble backwards from the impact. Additionally, they accidentally stand on a stray intestine and tear a large portion of its length out... Not that Tabitha notices. Despite their stumble though, they quickly recover, this time sending an off-balance swing at him... Which he reciprocates by punching the head of the Supersledge, his various Perks allowing him to destroy it with ease... The jet of the Supersledge explodes as a result, burning a good portion of Tabitha''s visible skin, along with its? wig. Tabitha''s earlier shouting had now quickly devolved into unintelligible shouting, groans, and screams as they writhed on the floor weakly. Their injuries had finally caught up with them, allowing Afton to easily behead the mutant, finally ending the Mutant threat of Black Mountain. Something that neither the NCR, nor the Brotherhood had managed to do. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 54!!] As always, the world freezes and the selections appear before him. All of which he quickly scrolls past to find the Mutation he''d been meaning to acquire... [Beauveria mordicana duraferro] : User''s arm becomes as hard as steel. Oh yes... This would essentially give him the ability to form a suit of armour wherever he went... And that''s not even considering the offensive applications... No longer would his razor whips be so frail, and now he could form an awesome Prototype blade-like Alex Mercer... Ok, maybe that wouldn''t be all that useful considering his advanced weaponry... But it was still badass! He''d also be able to form a shield now that would be as strong as steel... Instant cover whenever he needed it... Plus, he could trap people in steel-strength plant prisons... Like how he''d killed Dog, but even more terrifying! He nods his head and clicks confirm, quickly feeling his arm noticeably become... Denser? It wasn''t really explainable to someone who hadn''t experienced it, but it was akin to feeling your head become heavy due to lack of sleep... Something like that. Chapter 575 - Ghoulish Appearance... It only took a couple hours for Afton to completely annihilate the Super Mutant presence atop Black Mountain. It took another thirty minutes to loot the place and look for anything worth taking... Surprisingly, and somewhat terrifyingly, the Super Mutants had in their possession three Mini-Nukes... Where had they gotten them? He had no idea.?? Why had they not used them at all? No idea. Why were they stored in a manner one would a rugby ball? Again, no idea. Regardless, Afton quickly stowed them away before continuing to look around the place... Eventually, he found the machinery that allowed the radio station to function, it all looked in relatively good condition, so Afton had an idea... Why not start his own radio station? It wasn''t like anyone would be able to stop him... Nor would anyone really care unless he started doing something weird... Like broadcasting people''s secrets, or kidnapping people and forcing them to confess live on air... He shakes those ideas from his head, even if he tried that, the validity of those secrets would be called into question... After all, people are willing to say anything to stop getting tortured. He plays around with the equipment for a bit, eventually accessing the database that Tabitha had been using to store prerecorded messages... Afton quickly deletes these and wonders what he should replace them with... Back in the Brotherhood base, Veronica, Christine, Miles, and Melissa were listening to the Black Mountain radio while watching and listening to the battle occurring atop it. That is, until the sounds stop completely, leaving them in relative silence... The silence continues for around thirty minutes until some sort of interference... *Bzztch! BzzzzzZZZTCH!* "*Bzztch!* Annnnd GOOooood Morning Mo-Ja-ve!" A familiar voice blares over the radio, disregarding the fact that it''s late in the afternoon already... ... "Afton." the people sitting around the radio all mutter simultaneously, having already experienced his past antics. "My name is DJ Aftonie Parkin-in-ya-lot, an I''m here to rock your world!... Yeah!" ... "Now let me introduce the first, and last song you''ll ever hear on this station!..." he shouts, but no music seems to start, nor do any instrumentals... "Fly me to the moon! Let me play among the stars!" he starts singing, without any accompanying music at all... Afton''s voice isn''t bad, but, it''s more akin to something you''d hear singing in your shower than anything else. Despite it all though, no one in this world had heard this song by Frank Sinatra, it was one of the songs that were lost after the Apocolypse... So it was actually fairly interesting to listen to... Afton goes on to sing the entire thing, and after he finishes, he flips a switch and causes the song he''d just sung to loop on the station... But not before adding a final message to the Super Mutants who''d been using the station to guide their way. "Super Mutant brothers and sisters! If you seek salvation and freedom from the chains that bind you! Head to Jacobstown and make something of yourselves among your own kind!" This message would be played every time his ''Fly me to the moon'' song was looped, which would hopefully help some of the wandering Super Mutants looking for sanctuary... It would also draw some negative attention towards Jacobstown, but with Bulwark and New Vegas''s protection, that wouldn''t be much of an issue. The group only realises Afton had played a prank on the Mojave after their third time listening to the looped song... Back atop Black Mountain, after Afton had ''changed'' what was being broadcast, he searched around the last building he hadn''t had the chance to check yet... And was very surprised to find a decrepit-looking Ghoul wearing a Mechanics jumpsuit trapped in a room. He''d obviously been imprisoned by Tabitha, judging by the large amounts of sticky notes covering the frame of the door, each saying ''DO NOT TOUCH MY THINGS!''... Once Afton got the door open, the Ghoul inside slowly stood up and bowed in Afton''s direction, "Thanks for gettin'' me outta there boss, you have no idea how hard those crazy mutants can work someone... If I weren''t a Ghoul I woulda starved to death, died of exhaustion, died from getting manhandled..." he shakes his head, "The names Raul." he says with a Mexican accent. "Uh huh... Well, now that I''ve freed you I should be on my way... I got shit to do." he says and starts to leave when the Ghoul speaks up again. "That''s a great idea boss... I''ll just head home too, to my lonely abandoned shack... In the middle of nowhere... Alone..." ... Afton crooks a brow, "Do you need something?" Raul shrugs his shoulders, "No. Why do you ask? You need me for somethin''? It''d definitely beat wandering through the wasteland alone, with a high risk of getting murdered and eaten... Not even in that order..." "Look, if you need something just tell me, otherwise I''m just gonna leave you here." he states, not willing to deal with this incredibly sarcastic Ghoul. ... "Look boss, I ain''t got much, and I don''t even know how long I''ve been kept here... This isn''t all due to gratitude for saving me, but since you helped me out, I want to do the same for you... You get me?" he asks. Afton crosses his arms, "That depends, you got any talents?" The Ghoul looks as if he''s about to say something but purses his lips, "I-er, I used to work as a mechanic before the war, I can repair shit, maybe even a vehicle if you find the parts..." ... That''s interesting... Another Ghoul who lived before the war, just like Dean. He also needed some extra hands for the development of new vehicles, their current pace of making them certainly wasn''t enough, especially considering they''d be facing bigger factions soon enough. "Hmm... As long as you keep your mouth shut about my secrets, I think I could find a place for you... But, you have to be willing to have a chip installed." he states. "A chip? Like those things you put in animals?" he asks incredulously. Afton nods, "Kind of, but these chips have been specially designed for humans... They will essentially read your thoughts and inform me if you intend to betray me. Trust me, they''ve been extensively tested so they aren''t dangerous." "That sounds like some sci-fi-tech-shit, boss... I''m in!" Chapter 576 - Seared [Raul has become your companion!] [Raul grants you a Perk : Regular Maintanance]?? [Regular Maintanance] : All equipment used by your party will degrade 50% slower. Interesting, but no all that useful... This Perk is rendered useless if Afton is around, primarily due to [Mechanicus]... Regardless, it would help his Companions that were doing missions away from him. With his new follower, Afton ventured back down Black Mountain to get back to the Brotherhood base... Though, on the way, he stops by Neils shack and spots the Super Mutant passed out on the floor with many empty bottles of whisky next to him. Deciding to leave Neil to his own devices, Afton leaves and continues to the base, actually getting back just in time for the teleport extenders to be ready for use. Afton grins as he spots his friends, "Yo-"*Clank!* he''s interrupted as Veronica gives him a light punch to his helmeted forehead. "That''s for doing radio-karaoke without me!" she exclaims, pointing a finger at the radio still playing his crappy rendition of ''Fly me to the moon''. Afton ignores the punch and just laughs, "It was funny though, wasn''t it?" ... "Kinda? But after listening to it four times it loses its effect ." she admits before turning her head towards the Ghoul, "This ain''t a replacement for Anja, I hope?" she asks, semi-sarcastically. "Anja? That another Ghoul you been keeping boss? Maybe I shoulda tried my luck back at my shack..." Raul snarks. Afton shakes his head, "No... Her cybernetics should still be in development as we speak. Raul here also doesn''t have her ''feminine charm''... Plus he can fix vehicles and stuff." he shrugs. The group make small talk for couple more minutes until Afton finally claps his hands and looks towards the Brotherhood prisoners, "It''s time to send our friends on their way I think." A few grim nods are given as they walk over to the boundary set out by the Teleport extenders, Christine''s mother continues to plead for her to stop this, but Christine just ignores her, grasping Veronica''s hand tightly with a tense frown. Afton nods to McNamara who just stands there with his arms folded. "I''ll leave you all in ''Elder'' McNamara''s hands... Please don''t come back to the Mojave, or I''ll be forced to do something even more drastic than sending you all to Mexico... Cya later!" he waves as lightning strikes the group, uplifting dust as they all disappear. The Teleport extenders power down and begin recharging again while releasing a heat-vent sound. Afton turns back towards his companions and grins, "Alright, time to get this place ready for our NCR guests." With that, Afton, his companions, and the able people in his army all begin repairing, modifying, and preparing the base for the NCR attack that''ll be occurring in around two weeks. Elsewhere : Shani can''t help but feel as if her end is quickly approaching... This place, Big Mt has quickly started becoming more militaristic than it used to be... Recently some of the people she had been brought here with had been allowed to go free... Under the condition they willing had some sort of chip installed. As much as she wished to leave, having those... Things, operate on her in any sort of way made her feel sick to her stomach. As such, she was forced to stay, and forced to watch as various things occurred around her... She wasn''t even sure if the others had noticed yet... But she''d snuck around and found that large fenced off area, she''d seen the large monstrosities held inside... She''d checked on that place occasionally, yet the creatures inside changed almost constantly... The colour of their hides, their sizes, the way they act... She''d even seen one that looked vaguely human, its snout having been drastically shortened, along with its height. All of this just made her more sure that her vision would be occurring soon. So, she decided to try and escape... She''d been watching how people operated those teleporters, and she was sure they wouldn''t work for her even if she tried, so instead she elected to try and dig a small passage through the train tunnel that''d collapsed in the past at some point. And, after weeks of work... She finally broke through and was greeted with the gloomy darkness of the tunnels. She was about to enter inside and flee this place when a small whirring sound starts behind her... Slowly and stutteringly, she turned her head, and was greeted with the familiar orange eye of a drone... "Subject designated: Shani, you need to return back to your apartment immediately. Attempts to refuse will result in injuries and potential death." its robotic voice emotionlessly state . "W-what? N-no! I''ll be fr-" *SCREEECH!!* The sound of some sort of creature has Shani''s head whip around towards the tunnel... Where some humanoid reptilian creatures skitter towards her on all fours... Immediately, she flees in the other direction. She takes one glance over her shoulder towards the drone that''d for some reason attempted to save her... Only to spot large weapons appear from its chassis... *BEEeeewwww* *PEWPEWPEWPEPEWPEWPEWEPWEPWEPEPWPEWPEWPEWPEPWE!* The Gatling laser that''d appeared from Glados'' drone immediately begins firing down the tunnel, disintegrating many Tunnelers are they charge towards it. The drone floats far above them however, firing at them without the creatures being able to reach the drone... The creatures, suddenly realising the sheer disadvantage they were under quickly retreat back into the tunnel. Just in time too, as large groups of Cyberdogs and other robots appear around the tunnel, ready to combat any force that may appear. Glados drone retracts its weapon and turns, focusing on Shani who was still sprinting away. "Foolish Meatbag." Chapter 577 - Trained Upon getting back to Big Mt, Afton''s first reaction to hearing tunnelers had broken in was to punch a wall and curse whatever god was shitting on his parade. "For fuck sake! I finally get things going the way I want and this shit happens?" he sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose. After taking a moment to himself he looks back at Glados'' drone which had delivered the bad news. "And where is Shani now? I''m still wondering whether I should punish her for trying to escape, or thank her for revealing this rather extreme security risk... One you didn''t seem to notice I might add." he states with a slight glare.?? "Subject is currently resting in their apartment... They appear to have shut all curtains, locked all windows and doors, and is hiding in their bathtub..." Glados explains, somehow sounding awkward about having to say this. ... Afton crooks a brow, "So... Like, is she having a mental break or something?..." he trails off. "That can neither be confirmed nor denied without a psyche test. I suggest you speak with her before the meat bag tries to end its own miserable existence." Afton releases a sigh and nods before turning and quickly walking towards Shani''s apartment. He ignores the greetings of the maids living here and eventually reaches her room, giving it a couple of firm knocks. Inside, he hears someone panicking and quietly muttering gibberish. This only gets louder with each knock... He raps his knuckles again the door again, but Shani still doesn''t seem to want to answer it. Letting out another sigh, Afton allows his plant arm to infest the lock, and after locating all the pins he shapes a key from it. With a satisfying click, the door swings open, though, he''s greeted by Shani rushing him with a knife... That just harmlessly skitters off of his Power armour. The woman continues to attack him with tears streaming down her face, as if this was her last stand... Finally having enough, he grips her wrist and clenches his hand, forcing her to drop the knife, afterwards he jabs her in the neck with his fingers and renders her completely unconscious. With that done, he tosses her over his shoulder and begins marching back to the Think Tank so he can get this woman sorted out... Clearly, she wasn''t in a healthy state of mind, so he''d have her checked out... Might as well take some fresh samples from her while they''re at it. Now they had ''Scorpion-Mans'' samples, Mr X''s samples, and Shani''s, there was a good chance of some progress being made on Psykers. He leaves Shani with Dala and makes his way to the tunnel where the breach occurred. Since then there was a constant military presence patrolling the area, but there hadn''t been any expeditions into the tunnels as of yet... Afton was pretty sure any unprepared force would quickly be wiped out, Tunnelers aren''t your average beast after all. Afton crosses his arms and glances at Glados drone that floats next to him, "So. How did the tunnelers gain access to these tunnels anyway? I thought you had patrols covering the exits?" "Patrol would routinely check them, creator. The tunnelers must have snuck through our defences somehow... It is strange, and potentially indicates far more intelligence than has previously been observed..." she states. "Great... NCR attack is coming, Legion bolstering defences along Hoover Dam, and now Tunnelers gaining intelligence and committing to a sneak attack against us... Glados, has Borous found anything from his Tunneler test subjects that might indicate anything?" he asks, hoping there''d be a reason for the current situation. "Negative. Though, the reason for this could be that we have not found the Tunneler variant responsible yet. As you know, the species is incredibly diverse, and it is likely that a mutation that drastically increases intelligence can occur." Afton chews his lip for a moment before nodding, "Alright... I want a group of Deathclaws, Ultimo-bots equipped with flamers, and Cyberdogs ready for an expedition as soon as possible. I''ll be accompanying them, so inform me when everything is ready." he states. "Affirmative, Creator." Elsewhere : "HHHaaargh!" a feminine roar sounds out as Tamia lifts the heavy rebar weaved concrete slab. The power armour she''s wearing creaks under the sheer pressure it''s put under, but after careful training in recognising its limits, Tamia slowly lifts the concrete from the ground. She lifts it to around her hip before the strain is too much and she unceremoniously drops the three-quarter-ton weight. She sucks in heavy breathes after the exertion, despite the Power armour assisting her in lifting it, she still had to utilise all her strength. This was the last test required for her to finally complete her Power armour training... It required you to use just enough of the suit without damaging it, which, as it turns out, is much harder than it''d seem. You have to judge how much strength you are using, while recognising the few cues that''d indicate the armour is close to failing. Of course, there is a reason the training is so strict... If you overexerted the armour it could potentially implode under the pressure, crushing everything in the area and more likely killing whoever is wearing it. Everything comes with a price, and essentially becoming bullet-proof was a hard debt to pay. She drops the weight with a grunt and looks around, grinning at Josie who''s not even close to completing her own training yet. "Come on, you''re almost there." she encourages but holds herself back to prevent causing Josie to overextend herself. Unfortunately, the engineer gives up, too scared to approach the limits of the armour due to the many risks associated with it. Still, Glados'' drone floats over to them, "Subject designated: Tamia, congratulations for completing the mandatory Power armour training. You are rewarded with the armour you currently wear, and the gratitude of... Myself..." she states the last part in a robotic, clearly prerecorded way, "And... the rest of Bulwark. You have permission to take time off until you are called back for duty." And with that, Glados floats away again, not even saying a word to Josie who looks mightily put out at being ignored... Chapter 578 - Coordinated Attack Regardless of her own discontent at failing the test again, Josie just sends a smile toward Tamia, "Congratulations Tamia, you''ve earned it... What''re you going to do now?" Tamia shrugs, "Take a break probably, see what else House wants... You know, the usual."?? Josie purses her lips and glances around conspiratorily, "You sure that''s it?..." ... "Yeah... Unless you know something I don''t." Tamia inquires, wondering where this was going. The duo get out of their armour and head to the showers to clean themselves off of the grime and sweat they''d collected throughout the days training. While washing their hair, Josie broaches the subject yet again, though, this time more directly. "So, er, I was wondering... You sure there''s nothing going on between you and Afton?" Tamia clicks her tongue at the question she''d been waiting for, "Yeah, I''m sure-" Josie continues, "-Because, to me and the others it definitely feels like it..." "As I said last time, we aren''t involved in any way... Aside from some friendly flirting, there''s nothing." she states with finality. ... "Then, you wouldn''t mind if I... You know..." Josie trails off. Tamia crooks a brow, "I thought you were interested in Boone? He not scratching that itch anymore?" she questions, somewhat amused. Josie huffs, "That dour grump won''t even look at anything vaguely female... Considering what happened to his wife, I don''t blame him though. If I wasn''t aware of his past then I''d have thought he was gay or something." she says with mirth. Tamia snorts but accidentally sucks in some water from the shower, breaking into a choked laugh, "A-alright! Can we not talk about this in the shower? I might drown if we keep on!" "Fine, fine... But we''ll continue this later, you have my word!" she states, shaking her head like a dog and leaving to dry her hair, all while Tamia is deep in thought, considering the conversation. That night : "*Bzztch!* Send in the decoy, squad keep sights on target.*Bzztch!*" a quiet yet firm voice states through their radio. They were currently observing a wall through the scope of their sniper, which wall? Well, considering the large Bulwark logo painted across it, it obviously belonged to Novac... The NCR presence in the area had been drastically reduced since the debate between Ambassador Crocker and Afton, but this wasn''t only due to public outcry and reputation management... It was also to lull the leaders of Novac into a false sense of security. The decoy, a junky called Derpate who''d been paid with a large sack of Jet, timidly steps forth towards the heavily armed walls of Novac... The guards atop the wall quickly notice him and go about the usual procedure, finding out who they are, why they are here, and what level of authority is needed to deal with it... Of course, Derpate had already been drilled in exactly what to say, and while he was a stuttering idiot, he managed to complete his lines with some amount of credibility. He was posing as a merchant from a large brahmin baron who wished to trade food with Novac, which of course, required the presence of the towns Mayor, Daisy. Thirty minutes after Derpate introduced himself, Daisy could be seen walking across the wall to address the junky. Who was getting increasingly more nervous due to the fact he knew exactly what was about to happen. Far away from Novac, the leader of the NCR Ranger squad begins ordering his men through the radio, his sights quickly locking on Daisy as soon as she''s visible. "*Bzztch!* Sights on target, aim for vitals, clean kill. Retreat as soon as the target is down, I don''t want to test how far those defences can reach.*Bzztch!*" The four sniper teams all quickly aim their weapons at Daisy, one focusing on her head, one on her neck, one on her heart, and one on her abdomen which aimed where her spine and vital arteries should be. Daisy stops stop where Derpate was standing and starts addressing him in a bored tone, wondering why this trader had decided to arrive so late in the night... She''d been playing a game of Caravan with Orion and Arcade Gannon and was about to win a fair amount of caps from the both of them, which is why she was slightly miffed about having to come out here... She only realised something was wrong when the ''trader'' struggled to even account for what he wished to trade for... But by then, it was already too late to do anything... She never even heard the weapons being fired as lead passes through her head, grazes her neck, punches through her heart, and obliterates her liver... Daisy Whitman, loyal friend of Afton, Mayor of Novac, and former member of the Enclave abruptly dropped to the floor with blood pooling from every orifice. Her death was instant, which would be a small consolation to those close with her... Though, this fact would be outweighed by the manner in which she''d been killed... In a cowardly assassination, the people responsible for which would quickly be named by Afton''s spies working under Ambassador Crocker. Of course, the defences of Novac quickly jumped into action to retaliate for the random attack, spraying lightning bolts at Derpate who was quickly incinerated before turning their sights on where the gunfire had come from... Unfortunately, none of them was able to tag any of the fleeing NCR rangers, primarily due to the inherent inaccuracy Arc Weaponry carried. Orion and Arcade quickly arrive after hearing the commotion, both looking on in horror at Daisy''s corpse. They rush over and the latter tries to see if there is anything he could do for her, but reluctantly admits to himself that she was already long dead before they got there... "M-Moreno... She''s gone..." he solemnly whispers. Orion however was less shocked and more enraged, quickly standing and looking off in the distance for whoever had committed the act, he was so angry in fact that he may have been willing to leap off of the wall and charge the enemy with his bare fists alone. Chapter 579 - New Reason For Conflict *Beep! Beep! Beep!* ...?? *BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!* ... *BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEE-Smack!* "Fuckin'' shut uuup!" Afton suddenly roars as she sits up from his bed, crushing the alarm clock that had been sat on his bedside... He''d only just managed to drift off into sleep, yet half an hour later some stupid fuck was trying to message him or something... HE JUST WANTED TO SLEEP! *Shrrp!* A panel in the roof slides away as Glados drone floats down, a vein appears on Afton''s forehead but he manages to stifle the urge to smack the robot for interrupting his sleep... "This better be really damn important, Glados." Glados ignores the threat and continues as she had been, "Creator, the NCR has performed an attack against Novac, killing one person in the process." she states. ... He crooks a brow at this, "I''m guessing it wasn''t an all-out attack then... An assassination?... Who was killed?" he asks, feeling his heart begin to beat faster. "Subject designated: Daisy Whitman was struck multiple times in the head and other vital areas by ballistic weaponry, most likely sniper rifles." the feminine robots explains as if he hadn''t just been informed of a close friend''s demise. ... "She''s dead...? But why? She wasn''t all that important to Bulwark, nor to Novac..." he mutters, feeling as if this was his fault in some way. Glados picks up his train of thought and offers her own conclusions, "Perhaps it was due to her being the highest rank person within Novac... The NCR is unaware of Big Mt, so they have no other avenues to retaliate." she states and Afton nods in agreement. Glados explanation explained a lot, but that still didn''t make it any easier to process Daisy''s sudden demise... After he''d gotten over the initial shock, he was hit with a wave of anger and indignation, how dare they harm someone he''d personally placed under is protection... IN HIS OWN PROPERTY!? He jumps out of bed and ignores all the personalities trying to talk to him or catch his attention. He splashes his face with water puts on the Stealth suit, grabs his weapons and marches out of the Think Tank with Glados'' drone tailing him. "Creator, we also have messages from Novac... Subject designated: Arcade Gannon has temporarily taken the mayor position... Would you like to listen to the messages?" "Yes." he confirms as he continues to the armoury where his Power armour is kept and maintained. "Affirmative." Glados states before beginning the recorded messages, "*Bzztch!*H-hey, I''m speaking to Afton right?... I hope so... Look, you''ve probably heard about Daisy, and we''re pretty sure it was the NCR that are responsible for it. People in Novac are baying for NCR blood, I''ve taken the role of Mayor, but I''m barely holding them back from marching towards the nearest NCR encampment... I''m not even sure if I want to stop them, I wasn''t all that close with Daisy, but she was like family... I''ve managed to make a sort of deal with Novac''s angry residents. Said you might accept them, give them training, and place them in your military force to combat the NCR. I don''t know if I''ve overstepped my authority with this, but it was the only way to stop an outright invasion..." Arcade trails off while releasing a long sigh. "There''s also my friend Orion Morino... I don''t know where he''s gone, but I fear he might be planning something big, the look on his face when Daisy was killed, and the one he had when he left? It didn''t promise anything good... You need to watch out for it, not because it''s a threat to whatever you''ve built, but because Morino and Daisy come from very bloody places." he warns. "When you get the chance, come speak to me in Novac, it''d help sort all of this out a lot... Urgh, honestly, who''d have thought I''d become a leader like this...*Bzztch*" the message ends with Arcade''s quiet lamentation. Afton chews his lip upon hearing this. He was conflicted, if he looked at it from a purely pragmatic point of view, Daisy''s death had potentially brought more benefits than her continued existence had. From it, he was getting volunteers for his military, a clear and obvious reason to retaliate against the NCR, and a motivation for his people to fight... Daisy would essentially become a martyr fueling Bulwark''s ambitions... Was he happy that this was the case? No, but he felt conflicted nonetheless. "Glados, have CERR01 speed up our plans..." he says while looking down at his Pipboy map, checking for the closest NCR encampment to Novac. Obviously, he wouldn''t be attacking Helios One anytime soon so he''d have to target the next closest place... Camp Forlorn Hope. He could attack Nelson instead, but that place had basically been abandoned when the Legion retreated from the west side of the Colorado. Once having decided his plan of action, he puts on his Power armour and heads down to the teleportation array. Once there, he spots a tired-looking Boone standing there already fully armed. Afton stops and stares at him for a moment, wondering what he''s doing here... "I''m guessing you''ve heard the news then?" he asks and Boone gives a firm nod. "You''re going to retaliate?" he asks as if it were a foregone conclusion. "Are you going to stop me?" he replies with another question. ... Boone shakes his head after a moment, "We were friends, me and Daisy. The NCR assassinated her in cold blood, for no reason whatsoever. Any love I had for my country is gone, do what you need to, just try and keep innocents out of it." he solemnly says. Afton was still confused as to why he''d turned up fully equipped... Had he been expecting a fight? Or did he want Afton to take the sniper along with him? He watches Boone''s back as the sniper leaves, headed straight towards the bar presumably to get shit-faced. With that, Afton activates the teleporter and leaves with a crack of lightning, not willing to waste any more time without retaliating against the NCR''s dishonourable attack. Chapter 580 - Light Show Afton appears a good distance from Novac and immediately activates his Stealth boy. It was still the middle of the night, which would''ve made the bolt of lightning very, very obvious for anyone nearby, thus, a quick retreat was needed. He activates his helmets night vision while he sneaks towards Camp Forlorn Hope, the Range Finder already sitting in his hand, waiting for use. Eventually, he managed to reach the large hill overlooking the camp, quietly setting up his Anti-Material rifle once there...?? Obviously, this wouldn''t be his main mode of attack, the sniper would only be used to pick off any soldiers who are unlucky enough to survive the orbital strike. Camp Forlorn hope itself looked much better than what he''d heard from Boone. In the past, this place had been the prime target of Legion raids, plus the fact the Legion controlled a good portion of the roads leading to it, meant that it had always been low on supplies and men. This had recently changed though, since the Legion had retreated back over the river, the place had become one of the most fortified positions in the wasteland, aside from Hoover Dam of course. Now that the NCR had time to properly set up defences, the Legion would be unable to travel across the river without incurring staggering losses... Not that this would matter in its last moments, the biggest threat to the camp came from Novac, Bulwark, and Afton after all... Not that they were aware of this. The camp looked to be in preparation to reinforce its western fronts, their assassination on Daisy would obviously draw Bulwarks ire, so they were anticipating an attack soon... The only problem with that, is that they weren''t aware of how quickly Bulwark could mobilise a response. The assassination on Daisy had only happened a couple hours ago... If Afton had wanted to bright an army or mobilise Novac, it''d only be ready in the morning. This is probably why the NCR was taking their time setting up defences, no point working through the night if you weren''t expecting an attack. Still, even if they had, nothing would prepare them against Afton''s assault. Afton looks through the scope of his rifle and examines the camp, there were many patrols still awake and standing guard over the place. There were also many new recruits judging by their fresh-looking uniforms... Their young, hopeful faces might''ve made Afton feel guilty for what he was about to do... If the NCR hadn''t assassinated one of his close friends. "Well, you guys asked for this." he mutters as he points the Range Finder at the center of the camp... Most didn''t even notice the small laser, a few did but ignored it, thinking that someone was playing a prank or something. *BOOOOOOOOOOOM!* Almost the entire Mojave is momentarily illuminated as the huge laser descends from the sky, striking the centre of Camp Forlorn Hope and glassing most of it. There isn''t even enough time for the soldiers to scream in terror as their skin, flesh, organs and bones and melted and rendered nothing but ash. All the tents, equipment, and fortifications of the camp are quickly destroyed as well, leaving almost nothing behind aside from a huge smouldering crater. As quickly as the light came, it left, leaving a considerable portion of the Mojave reeling from the sudden light show. *Ping!* [Second Apocalypse] rewards one random stat for ending one thousand lives... Luck has increased by 1! Huh, he''d almost forgotten that this Perk existed... He wasn''t one to look a gift horse in the mouth though. Afton looks down at the newly created crater and crooks a brow at the many bones decorating the outskirts of where the laser had hit. The attack was less intense the farther you were from the centre, which is why some bones survived it. He didn''t have time to waste admiring the destruction he''d caused though, quickly kneeling beside his Anti-Material Rifle and aiming towards the few patrolling soldiers who''d been away at the time of the attack. *Pew! Pew! Pew!* Soldiers began dropping dead left and right, each of them panicking to a ridiculous degree due to what''d just occurred. They weren''t even able to identify where the shots were coming from due to the silencer on Afton''s rifle. Soon enough, every people stationed at Camp Forlorn Hope was annihilated. Afton could have spared a few to tell the NCR what''d happened, but he thought it would be more terrifying to have no idea how this feat was accomplished. Sure, they''d recognise that the same weapon used against the Legion was used here, but they''d not have anything concrete on the matter. Nodding to himself, he checks the radio via his Pipboy to see what people had thought of the abrupt light show... "*Bzztch!* Reports are coming in from all over the Mojave about a heavenly beam of light coming from the sky, I myself have no idea where it came from but a good portion of folks are saying it''s aliens..." Mr Newvegas'' voice trails off, "I assure you all that aliens are not responsible for this phenomenon. Maybe some wealthy individuals decided to set off the most extravagant fireworks display the wasteland has seen... If so, just be thankful you were lucky enough to witness it, it probably won''t happen again for at least a couple hundred years." the radio host explains, completely playing off everyone''s worries. It''d probably work to alleviate the average person''s worries, but for House, the NCR, the Legion, and other factions operation in the Mojave? Afton was sure they were shitting themselves, all scrambling to find what''d caused this. Afton takes one last look at the crater before picking up his gear and leaving, deciding that he deserved to sleep at some point tonight. Chapter 581 - Shit-Show Ambassador Crocker had just arrived and sat down in his office chair. He''d been woken up last night by some kind of light show that actually warmed his face momentarily from the nearby window. Though, by the time he tried to get a good look at it, the event had ended. He sips his coffee while turning on his terminal, wondering what curveballs would be thrown at him today... Somehow, he''d had a really bad feeling since he stepped into the embassy.?? ... *Bzztch!* The sound of the nearby military radio attracts his attention, as he raises it to his ear, wondering what the issue was that forced them to talk to him directly through this channel. "Crocker here, what is it?... Mmhm? Yeah, I saw it... No, so why don''t you just tell me." he states as he sips his coffee... Before suddenly decorating his desk and terminal with it as he spits out the entirety of it. "THEY DID WHAAAAT!?..." he screams in shock, but glances up and spots his surprised-looking receptionist giving a small wave indicating he has a visitor. In response, he angrily waves her away while shaking his head, turning his full attention back onto the radio, "They did what?" he repeats, not believing what he''d just been told. "They annihilated Camp Forlorn Hope... And when I say annihilated, I mean, ANNIHILATED." the soldier announces, not holding anything back. "It must be retaliation for the assassination of Daisy Whitman! It''s too coincidental to be anything else! We have to mobilise our forces and teach those fuckers not to mess with-" "Will you shut your damn foolish mouth, Soldier!?" Crocker abruptly interrupts the man, not wanting to hear any more ''insightful'' dogshit come from their mouth, "You literally just explained to me that Bulwark instantly annihilated Camp Forlorn Hope, one of our biggest encampments, without leaving any traces or survivors... And yet, somehow you are confident enough that you could take them on? DO YOU NOT REALISE HOW DAMNED STUPID YOU SOUND, SOLDIER!?" he roars down the radio. ... Crocker rubs his brows with a sigh, "What has General Oliver decided to do?" ... "Soldier?" he repeats, wondering if the connection was shot. "Oh, well... Ambassador... General Oliver has not said anything, once he got word of what happened to our encampment he said he needed to speak with someone and left... We haven''t seen him since..." ... "Do you think he''ll be coming back anytime soon? Despite how I feel about it, he is still in charge of our operations in the Mojave... And don''t try play me with the ''he went out for a cigarette'' trick, I seen it before and I ain''t fallen for it!" "We''ll inform you if he returns, Ambassador... We still need to decide what to do though, right now everyone''s just running around like headless chickens, wondering if their base would be the next hit." Crocker rests his elbows on the table and links his fingers in a contemplative stance... He could just leave the decision making to someone else, but he was sure they''d just fuck up the situation even more than it already was... He didn''t know who planned the assassination, but whoever it was should be court-martialed. He was well aware that Bulwark wasn''t something they could deal with right now, the Legion was preparing for their biggest attack yet, and the NCR didn''t even know where Bulwark''s main base was located. And now these idiots were thinking of trying another attack? Isn''t it obvious Camp Forlorn Hope was a warning? Why else destroy a camp so close to Novac almost immediately after the attack? He wondered if the only reason the NCR was even still in the Mojave was because Afton Parker allowed them to be... There wasn''t anything they could do either, judging by the sort of weapon that was used, it could probably strike anywhere, at any time, without much delay... All with destruction comparable to a nuclear bomb. General Oliver''s absence wasn''t even the worst part... No, that belonged to the fact he had to address what happened at some point to the public! How much panic would he cause if he walked out and straight said "Er, yeah, Camp Forlorn Hope was annihilated in an instant. We have no evidence of who did it, no survivors to corroborate the attack, and only circumstantial evidence that certainly wouldn''t hold up in any court, kangaroo or not!" Yeah, fat chance of that happening... He''d probably get blamed for it, lose his career, and subsequently thrown back to California with a huge fine and dishonour printed onto his back. He could try and lie about it... But the public would find out eventually, and then what? The public''s response would be way, way worse. The facts would remain the same, just with the added charge of willfully lying to their collective faces. Crocker wanted to do good for the NCR... But there was no feasible way to win in this situation... Thus, he was forced to play his trump card. "Sorry soldier, as much as I''d like to help, I''m on vacation." he states, not managing to hide the grimace as he says this. "What!? Since when!?" the soldier demands, knowing exactly was Crocker was doing. Crocker stands up and shuts off his terminal, "Since two days ago. Goodbye, soldier." "Oh you motherfuck-*Bzztch!*" he turns the radio off, taking his coffee and quickly leaving the building and heading directly into the Ultra-Luxe casino... Hopefully, after a week or two at most, things would blow over and be fine... Elsewhere, the soldier radio''s yet another General who quickly goes on ''vacation'' as soon as he hears what''d occurred... Leaving only a few Colonels like Cassandra Moore to deal with this shit show. Even then, those who could choose not to involve themselves and instead focus on the more pressing issue of the rather massive Legion invasion that would be happening soon, judging by how many troops had already massed. Chapter 582 - Robo-Chop The NCR wasn''t the only faction buzzing about last nights recent events, even Mr House had quickly jockeyed on their airwaves. Of course, his own personal sensors had picked up the massive disturbance caused by both the impact sight of Camp Forlorn Hope, but also from Helios One. The last time this had happened he''d chalked it up to a coincidence, but now it was confirmed that Helios One was connected to Bulwark''s orbital weapon in some way.... Not that he was worried that it''d be used against him, he trusted Afton, Bulwark, and their ability to keep such technology out of unworthy hands? ? Obviously, he''d need to find out why such an attack was required, but he was sure there''d be a ''relatively'' reasonable explanation for it... If there is such a thing for basically dropping a nuke on thousands of people. Honestly, he was basically ready to try and claim the Mojave as his own, all that was required now was for the NCR and Legion to start fighting... And for one last boost of power to send his initial detachment of Securitrons into the Dam to power the rest. Most of his army was still connected to Hoover Dam, and required a large surge of energy to make them all operable. So he''d need to get Tamia, and maybe some other Bulwark insurgents if they were willing, to infiltrate Hoover Dam during the battle and gain access to the mainframe. He already had a preprepared virus that would take control of the entire facility once introduced. So, all he needed to do now was wait for his ''partner'' to return, and wait for the War for the Mojave to begin. Elsewhere : Afton stretches himself out as he walks out of the Think Tank, languidly ignoring the various ''snap, crackle, and pops'' his bones make as he does so. He strolls in the vague direction of the firing range while giving a long yawn, thinking that he probably shouldn''t have slept in so long... He could hear gunfire in the distance, so hopefully he''d find something interesting to take his mind off of, you know, the thousands of deaths he''d caused at Camp Forlorn Hope. Fortunately, he was quickly distracted by the sight once he reaches his destination... A familiar face was currently firing a large number of weapons from the wide selection placed before him... Karl seemed to be getting very familiar with his new limbs, and judging by the accuracy on the targets, he hadn''t gotten rusty either. "Yo, Karl! I thought you were going to be taking it easy for a bit longer!?" he calls out, ignoring all the safety precautions and simply strolling straight into the firing range... Karl unloads the rest of his ammunition from the Marksman rifle he was using before setting it down and turning around, grinning slightly as he clasps Afton''s arm, "I intended to... But since you want to start blowin'' shit up, seems like I gotta pick up some slack." he drawls. Afton shrugs, "They asked for it, doming Daisy like that... Her funeral should be starting some time tomorrow if you''re interested. You weren''t as close with her as Boone or I were." Karl nods, "Course I''ll go, bring my kid and my kid''s kid ''swell, give ''em some proper perspective on how bad things can get if we let em." he says with crossed arms. Afton crooks a brow at him, "After all they''ve been through, you sure they don''t already know that?" Karl chuckles but shakes his head, "I know, but they''re getting too comfortable here. Caroline might never forget what happened, but Carlos wasn''t even aware of what was goin'' on. Easier to keep ''em straight than to try and pick up the pieces, if you know what I''m gettin'' at." "I suppose... Wonder if this''ll be the same if I ever have kids. Honestly, I''ve faced down Deathclaws, Supermutants, Zombie-plants, Nukes, Armies, and more, yet fatherhood is what scars me the most..." Afton sheepishly admits while scratching the back of his head. Karl just shakes his head and gives Afton a firm ''closed-fist pat'' with his Cybernetic arm. "Right, enough of this borin'' talk. You wanna help me test out this new arm? Personally can''t make heads or tails myself." "Shouldn''t Glados or Dala have explained it to you?" Afton asks with exasperation. Karl shrugs, "Naw, I just walked out as they were talkin''... I mean, if they work they work... Didn''t think I''d need a damn instruction manual." Afton palms his face but turns around regardless, slowly headed towards a lower area of the firing range that held a melee practice area. Karl follows without a word and the two end up in a large underground octagon with a slightly padded floor. It wouldn''t do much to stop anything serious, but it might make slamming your skull against the floor less deadly. "Alright, let''s see about your arm." Afton mutters while looking Karl''s left arm over, quickly finding a small hidden button on the inside of the forearm, a hard place to knock or hit the b button accidentally. *Shiik!* As soon as the button is pressed a panel opens up in Karl''s arm as his hand and fingers fold back. After that''s done, a medium-sized Saturnite blade flicks out and locks in place, ready for combat... Obviously, like most Saturnite blades Afton and his forces have in use, it''d as close to monomolecular as you can get. Such a blade was fantastic at cutting, but still wasn''t a match for Afton''s Ultra Chainsword... His Perks just made it too powerful to change up, but for others it was more based on preference. Still, judging by the way Karl was standing, he had no idea on how to actually use that thing, his stance looking something like how you were supposed to hold a knife, as opposed to a ''sword'' which would be a more apt description of the blade. Chapter 583 - Spar For The Course... Afton gives Karl a basic overview on how he should be using his new weapon, and after teaching some easy movements, he faces Karl with a Saturnite knife in his hand. "Alright old man, come at me whenever you want." "Heh, you asked for it!" he says as he charges, left arm ready to strike while keeping his right close to his chest. He swings the blade straight at Afton''s neck, not holding anything back as he knew it had a snowball''s chance in hell of hitting.?? *Clank!* Karl''s eyes widen in surprise as the world spins around him... He''d been expecting to get parried, but getting flung into the air? Definitely not! *Thud!* "Oof!" Karl huffs as he lands on his back, looking up at the ceiling and contemplating his life choices... Afton comes into view and stands over him with a cocky grin, "Yo, it''s not nap time yet Karl, we aren''t finished yet." he says while holding his hand out. Karl accepts it and slowly gets up, stretching his back out and getting ready for another round. They continue like this for a couple more hours, Afton beating martial discipline into Karl until he is ''relatively'' competent with his new weapon. The Former-ranger was already a trained soldier, so it didn''t take long to pick up the basics... Still, he''d need some practical experience to properly master his new weapon. Plus, he''d also need to start his Power armour training if he wanted to work on the field anytime soon. Things were heating up, and Afton wasn''t willing to risk Karl''s life in the increasingly volatile battles they''d most likely find themselves in. "Alright, I think we''re done... If you wanna get some more practise another day just let me know, I''ll be happy to kick your ass again." Afton shrugs as he sheathes the knife and tosses it back into storage. "You want me to ask for that? You''ve got another thing comin'' kid... I need a drink." he mutters while wiping his face with a towel. *Bzztch!* The sound of the intercom system activating draws both of their attention, Afton looks up and spots Tamia, Christine, Veronica, Melissa, and Miles watching from the observation window. "Huh, looks like we had an audience... All we need to do now is record it and ship it off to movie theatres... We''ll call it... ''Young handsome guy assaults pensioner''." Afton remarks and has to dodge the lazy backhand Karl sends at him. "You can talk to ''em if you want, I''m headed to the bar." he says before walking off, walking past the group which had just entered the room. "Something up with him?" Josie asks after not getting a response from Karl. Afton shrugs, "Probably just tired. I doubt he gets much exercise like this nowadays, specially since he only recently regained his limbs... You guys need something?" Josie shakes her head and Veronica steps forward, "You got enough in your for a couple more rounds?" He glances at his Pipboy and notices that it''s only around 5pm, "Yeah, I guess." The group begins sparring with one another, Miles and Melissa getting some guidance from Christine as they were nowhere near as proficient as her at melee combat. Josie herself attempted to spar with Tamia, but found herself completely and utterly outmatched. The fight looked more like a young child getting attacked by a bear, that''s how far their skill levels and physical abilities were. As for Afton''s fight against Veronica? It was ''even'', though, this was only the case because Afton went very easy. After all, it wouldn''t be fair to use his full strength against her. It wouldn''t even be fair if she was wearing Power armour, as had been shown when he''d fought against Hardin. Regardless, people swapped around partners and continued sparring with one another... Eventually pitting Afton against Josie... Which, as it turns out, was incredibly awkward. Afton knew something was up the moment Josie asked to practise ''grappling'', once the match started she immediately went in for some sort of ''take down'', which quickly devolved into her smashing her breasts against his chest while trying to not be thrown to the floor. "Are you not wearing a bra?" Afton incredulously asks, wondering what was going on... Josie''s breasts weren''t small, so it was VERY obvious to him that she was lacking any sort of bra. Josie blushes slightly but manages to hide it by keeping her face buried into his chest, "It''s hot alright? Now shut up and fight me!" Afton shakes his head and decides not to retort, pulling her off balance and quickly drops onto his back, pulling her onto his leg and he kicks her a good distance away. Josie has no idea what''d just happened and gives a squeak as she lands in a heap a couple meters away. "If you''re not going to take this seriously then we should swap partners..." Afton mutters as he walks up to her prone body. "I was trying! Then you just flip me over like ''boom!'', what am I supposed to do against that!?" she exclaims, obviously unfamiliar with any sort of martial art... He''d have thought the NCR would''ve taught her some but... Then again, she was literally just an engineer. "Maybe you should have mentioned you have no training in grappling beforehand? I expected you to at least know how to keep your balance, yet you flailed around like a newborn calf." he states. ... Josie purses her lips and clicks her tongue, she was hoping to get a bigger reaction out of him before they started fighting... What man doesn''t like boobs!? She glances over towards Tamia who''d just kicked the air from Miles'' lungs, the two women''s eyes lock momentarily, and Tamia smirks with a knowing look, only encouraging Josie to try harder. "Alright, so grappling''s a bust... How about some wrestling? I know how to do that at least." she says, lying on her back in a defences position but making sure to emphasize her ass and breasts further. Chapter 584 - Ground-Seduction "You want to wrestle?" Afton asks while rubbing his face in exasperation. If he hadn''t noticed what was up before, he certainly had now... After all, sticking your ''assets'' out as far as could wasn''t a wrestling technique he recognised... "Yeah!... Unless you don''t think you can beat me?" she cockily taunts.?? ... "Fine, but we''re done as soon as you tap out." Afton states as he drops to his knees and readies for combat... The subsequent fight could only be described as Erotic, Painful, and very humorous... Afton quickly charged Josie like a bull in a china shop, putting every kind of lock, choke, and hold in existence on Josie as she pushed herself not to give in... Afton wasn''t willing to actually hurt her, so he just took the opportunity to test every technique that was stored in his memories... His Unarmed skill had pumped so many into his mind yet he''d never actually tried most. While this was all going on, Josie did her best to try to grind into him, yet Afton ignored all her attempts at seduction and just moved onto the next technique. It''d gotten so funny to watch that everyone else had stopped their own fights to observe, some of them even beginning to cheer Josie on whenever she managed to push her assets into Afton... Afton had just swapped into a rear-naked choke when Josie had finally had enough, forcing his hands down onto her breasts and causing him to stop in place... "Look, if you just wanted to have some fun you didn''t need go about it like this..." he mutters while giving her a firm squeeze, getting a light moan out of her before she quickly covers her mouth in surprise. He glances around at everyone who was watching and leans into her ear, "Besides, if this is what you were after, I could show you A to Z in the Kama Sutra." ... Josie blushes at their closeness but furrows her brows, Afton was wondering if he''d done something wrong when she finally speaks up, "What''s the Kama Sutra?" ... "Huh... Never mind, just forget it." he mutters while standing, "Alright... Unless you guys want to stop, we should probably swap partners..." Veronica dramatically covers her breasts, "And let you grope us too? I thought you saw me as your sister Afton!" "Piss off." Afton simply retorts, getting chuckles from the others. Tamia ends up stepping forwards after a moment of collective indecision, "I don''t think we''ve ever fought before now. Maybe I won''t beat you but, it''ll be harder than whatever you just did with Josie." she shrugs. Afton rolls his shoulder and grins, "You''re on." The others all back up as the duo size each other up, a put out-looking Josie blows some stray hair out of her face as she watches with crossed arms. She couldn''t be too upset though, Afton''s earlier comment didn''t sound too bad if she were honest... Afton cracks his knuckles and steps towards Tamia in a light stance, his opponent doing the same in a boxer''s stance. Suddenly, they clash, Tamia throwing a jab at Afton''s face and following it up after it''s blocked with an uppercut to his liver. This is easily avoided though, Afton stepping to the side while throwing a kick at her right leg. It hits and Tamia stumbles slightly due to her knee bending at an awkward angle. Afton follows this up with a slow spinning back kick towards her temple, which forces her to back away to avoid it. "What''s wrong? Not as confident now? I''m a bit disappointed..." he taunts, which seems to achieve its purpose as Tamia leaps at him, sending punching from every which way in a flurry of blows. Afton easily defends against them though, eventually grabbing her wrist and stepping into her guard and trying to knock her to the ground. Tamia retaliates with a brutal-looking headbutt but Afton reciprocates, meeting it with his forehead. He''s obviously the winner out of this, and the impact leaves Tamia disorientated as if she''d just slammed her head into a titanium wall. Afton takes this chance and delivers a couple uppercuts to her stomach, forcing the air from her lungs before throwing her heavily to the ground... Only for her to roll backwards and spring up, kicking both feet at his face, it connects and he steps back, grinning at the surprising improvised attack. "Hah! Still disappointed?" she says as she gets to her feet. He shrugs, "We''ll see..." he retorts before charging at her with his full speed, her eyes widen momentarily at his sudden increase in speed and is unable to do anything as his fist connects with the side of her head, the force of which throwing her clean off of her feet. She''d have instantly been knocked out if she were anyone else... Even still, she''d been rocked, and didn''t think she would be able to stand if she managed to get up. Afton flexes the hand that''d just hit her, "You''re pretty tough, but you can be better..." he says, not willing to admit she''d probably kick his ass if he didn''t have the system... "You wanna continue, or have you given up?" ... "Yeah, just give me a minute..." The group continue to watch the duo spar for a couple more hours, their own training completely forgotten as they watch these two impressive combatants slug it out. Afton would''ve been worried about giving Tamia permanent brain damage if Stimpacks weren''t able to heal any recent damage done. Still, he was making sure to keep the knocks to her head at a minimum to prevent anything from happening... What he hadn''t noticed throughout their fights was the blush on her face as they fought... He''d thought it was just a flush from exertion, so he wasn''t aware of Tamia''s strange arousal to the rather vicious beatdown she was receiving... Chapter 585 - Gearing Up Soon enough the group ended their training and headed out to get some food. It was fun and relaxing but Afton still has work to do, so he ended up leaving earlier than most anyway. He heads to the Think Tank laboratories and delves underground, only to find Dala floating over Shani who was currently lying on an operating table. He takes a quick shower in the provided room and puts on some clean clothes before entering the lab. "Alright, Dala, remember what I told you... Only biopsies and chipping, otherwise I''ll be taking you apart as well." he states. The only real reason he was here, after all, was to make sure Dala doesn''t go overboard with her duties. If she wasn''t so deranged he''d have left her alone to do it herself.?? "Mmhm." the scientist acknowledges and starts the operation, getting biopsies on every relevant organ that may or many to be involved in Psyker physiology. Of course, this meant doing some of the more dangerous organs such as the brain, the heart, the lungs, etc. Still, it wasn''t as dangerous as it would''ve been in his old world primarily due to the existence of Stimpacks and Cybernetics. If something ever went serious wrong he could just replace the organ entirely. Everything was going as planned until halfway through the procedure Shani''s eyes began to glitter open... "She''s almost awake, sedate her." Afton calmly states, somehow hiding his worry... He himself would be very distraught at finding himself suddenly being operated on... Shani hadn''t even been informed this was happening to prevent her from trying to escape again. He also wondered why Shani was even awakening... Had Dala purposely not given her enough sedatives? Or had her Psyker biology made her more resistant to it?... Shaking his head, he grabs the chart and quickly finds the problem. Indeed, Dala had applied minimal sedatives. This was the minimum required for a young female, meaning either she was trying to avoid using too many resources, or it was purposeful... He''d have to ask her after this. Shani was wide awake at this point, rapidly looking around the room while hyperventilating. Her whole body was trembling and a ton of adrenaline was being pumped around her body. She scrambles to try and escape the bed, but Afton jumps into action by locking her in place with his Plant arm, trapping her head, body, and limbs with many root-like appendages. Shani would have screamed had she not been wearing a ventilator, she appears to panic further once she''d been trapped in place. Finally, though, Dala manages to pump her with enough sedatives that her adrenaline can''t keep her awake any longer. Her eyes flutter, and despite all her attempts to resist, she falls unconscious again. Afton retracts his plant arm while sending a glare towards Dala, "Did you mean for this to happen?" he accuses. "Not at all... Consider this more of a test... To see if these ''Psykers'' are more resistant to sedatives than regular teddy bears... As you can see, my theory was correct." ... Sure enough, she had done it on purpose... At least there was a valid reason for it though?... Afton couldn''t really argue against her methods, at least, not without arguing for Shani''s sake. Which, considering she''d been trying to break out since she got here, he wasn''t all that inclined to do. "Whatever. Let''s just get this done so we can send her back." he states, urging her to continue the operation. Half an hour later everything was done, all the samples had been collected and Shani had been chipped to make sure she wouldn''t try to escape anymore. All that was left was to ship her back to her room and get some sleep to prepare for tomorrows expedition into Tunnel territory. Afton throws off his medical gloves and walks towards the showers, "Dala, send Shani back, and no additional experiments." he warns. Dala watches him leave and then looks down at her manipulators, contemplating whether or not to listen to his last order... Eventually, she just decides to leave it as is, there were always opportunities in future... At least, as long as she didn''t piss Afton off. Not to mention the fact Glados was probably watching her right now... The next morning Afton was already up and standing fully geared outside the railway tunnel. He was backed up by Tamia, Veronica, Christine, and Scorpion-Man... The latter of which was the only one not wearing Power armour. The only reason Scorpion-Man was even here was his Psyker status, for anyone else it would simply be too dangerous. Still, that didn''t mean he wasn''t outfitted in top of the line armour. He was currently wearing the newly created Bulwark Ranger armour, which sounds exactly as the name implies... They''d used the Ranger armour they''d received from the Van Graffs and created their own variant. This one had Light saturnite plating, saturnite under armour mesh, Deathclaw leather coat (This one not going past the hip due to Scorpion-Man''s abilities), and the highly advanced Ranger helmet. Scorpion-Man already had fairly good low-light vision, but in the tunnels it''d most likely be pure darkness, so night vision was required, plus infrared vision would help identify the enemy. It also came with communication systems, targeting systems, and many more add-ons they were able to fit. Last but certainly not least were the weapons he''d been allowed to start using... An Ultra Chainsword, and a silenced SMG which would support his style of combat, and aid in infiltration when he is eventually sent out on such missions... The only thing he was missing for the gear he''d ''officially'' be using was a Stealth boy... Which, probably wouldn''t be all the useful against Tunnelers anyway. Behind the group was also a large contingent of robots, Cyberdogs, and a couple Deathclaws. The Deathclaws were more of a test than anything else, using large numbers of them together was a disaster waiting to happen. Chapter 586 - Tunnel Trouble The Ultimo-Bots had all been modified to suit the occasion. Their wheels had been replaced with four heavy-duty legs that were able to latch onto things, they were able to create footholds in even the hardest materials like granite. Not only that, but each had been fitted with shoulder-mounted flamethrowers, the fuel tanks of which had been installed on their backs. This would be a potential hazard if they were against humans who used ballistic weapons, but Tunnelers doesn''t possess any way of igniting those tanks... At least, to Afton''s knowledge. He was pretty thankful that Glados had elected to modify them when he''d forgotten about it. He doubted they''d be all that useful if they were still on wheels. Going up and down steep cave passages would be a one-way trip, especially considering the possibility of the tunnelers only creating vertical pathways.?? "You guys ready?" he asks his companions. Tamia nods, and rolls her shoulder, still seeming to be slightly uncomfortable wearing Power armour into battle. "Think so... Something does feel familiar about the creatures you mentioned." "Maybe you''ve fought them before? You know, before you lost your memories?" Veronica asks. Tamia shrugs, "Maybe... Didn''t you say these things are usually quite hard to spot though?" Afton nods, "Yeah, but Cass has apparently encountered them before, so it wouldn''t be strange considering you were a Courier." "Erm... Are you guys sure I should even be here?... I haven''t properly trained for something like this yet..." Scorpion-Man, or ''Juan'' asks, seeming quite anxious at the prospect of his first mission. "You''ve fought humans, so you''re probably good to fight Tunnelers... Probably... Ah, all you make sure to remember your Anti-Venoms. Borous says that these things are quite poisonous, considering how varied their species is, I wouldn''t be surprised to find a venom-spitting version." he warns. Juan looks pretty uncomfortable at that revelation, had he not thought the Anti-Venoms he''d been given were there for a reason? "Relax, hopefully we won''t need to get anywhere near melee range to them. We''re only there to make sure things go ''well'' and to coordinate the troops. Glados isn''t able to properly command them that far underground, so we''ll be there as insurance." "Are these things really as big of a threat as you said, Afton?" Christine asks. He gives a grave nod in response, "From the reports Borous has given on our ''subjects'', they are a highly adaptive hive-like species which breed quickly, mutate quickly, and are able to bring down creatures as tough as Deathclaws... If left alone, I wouldn''t be surprised if they began devouring entire towns... The only limit to their growth is the amount of food they can obtain, so, even some countries may be at risk..." he shrugs, "And that''s not even considering the possibility that they might mutate into a variant that only needs sunlight or something..." he says, explaining why they are such a big threat to the Wasteland as a whole. "Great... Hey, don''t these things remind you of those spore-things you fought before?" Veronica asks. Afton shakes his head, "Not really, as big a threat as they are, they aren''t anywhere near as dangerous to the spores. I mean, imagine if a giant mushroom sprouted on land and started releasing millions of spores across the country... That''d be end of the world shit..." he states. "Alright, enough talk... Let''s go." he decides and activates his night-vision before stepping into the tunnels. The others follow as he looks around the dilapidated railway tunnel... Elijah had previously destroyed it when he was escaping, so it obviously had another exit somewhere... Wait, didn''t Christine leave the same way when she was chasing him?... "Christine? Didn''t you follow Elijah through here?" She nods, "I did, what of it?" "Well, where does the tunnel lead? You must remember right?" Afton inquires, while focussing on the small indentations, obviously made by Tunneler claws. It looked as if they were preparing to dig another tunnel, but were given a shortcut by Shani. Christine shrugs, "I''m not sure, we ended up near some heavily irradiate military bases, but his tracks headed in the opposite direction after that... I just followed until I was trapped in the Sierra Madre..." "Huh, did the Tunnels have Tunnelers in them beforehand?" he asks. She shakes her head, "No... The other exit had been blocked by a large gate, but Elijah was forced to destroy it to exit. That''s probably how they got in." she explains. Afton palms his helmet, "So it ends up being Elijah''s fault... As always." he mutters, wondering if he should have kept that psycho in a prison cell and tortured all the knowledge out of him... Or better yet, taken his brain out and interrogated that. "Youknow, I stubbed my toe yesterday, should I blame Elijah for that too?" he muses to himself but stops in place as he notices something of interest. "Something wrong?" Tamia asks at his abrupt stop. Afton nod and points at a small hole on the left side of the tunnel, from it, he could see a small bulbous ''rock'', well, it looked like a rock at first glance, but upon further inspection, he found that it''s material more matched scales than anything else. He makes a gesture that all of his companions should understand as he allows the Ultimo-Bots to march in front of them. Once everyone was in position, he had his shoulder-mounted light flash directly at the hidden Tunneler. The creature immediately shrieked as it was blinded by the sudden light, once its position was revealed, all the Ultimo-Bots fired their flamethrowers, engulfing the creature in fire as it ran out and start flailing. Surprisingly, there were far more Tunnelers hiding in that spot than Afton had initially thought. Four more run out from it, in a similar manner as the first. It was only then that the ground around the Ultimo-Bots began churning, and after a couple moments claws erupted from them as Tunnelers began pulling themselves out of the ground. "It''s an ambush!" Afton shouts, disregarding his earlier words and immediately skewering the closest Tunneler. Chapter 587 - Tunnel Fumble After Afton''s rather unneeded announcement, everyone jumped into action. The first to act was obviously Afton and his companions, who made quick work of the faster Tunnelers who''d charged ahead of the others. Christine and Juan stayed back and take pot-shots at a few of them, though, both did so for different reasons. Christine was wary of hitting her allies, companions and robots included, so she took up position on the side and shot at the ones on the roof and walls.?? Juan however was too shocked and afraid of directly fighting against them as he would usually attempt against humans. So he stuck by Christine and followed her example, hoping to be useful in some way. Afton, Tamia, and Veronica were up close and personal though, slicing, dicing, and punching any who dared get close enough. They stayed in between the Ultimo-Bots in order to avoid getting hit by their flamethrowers that were forcing most of the horde back, plus, they needed assistance dealing with tunnelers who had grabbed a hold of them. The Ultimo-Bots were incredible at ranged combat, but their limited mobility and large bulk made them easy targets for creatures like Tunnelers, who had brutally sharp claws and good enough strength to pry their Saturnite plating from them. Of course, the Tunnelers weren''t stupid enough to all charge towards the sea of flames, and continued to climb across the ceiling and walls, afterwards leaping off and attacking some of the rear units... Fortunately, Afton and Glados had been aware of this possibility, which is why they stationed Cyberdogs and Deathcalws there... *ROOOOAARR!* One of the Deathclaws announces as its jaws clamp around the head of the first Tunnelers that leaps down from the ceiling, its claws already moving to swipe a couple more out of the air. Their scales provide some resistance, but the Deathclaw wasn''t named so for nothing. The force behind each of its claw swipes was enough to cut most Tunnelers completely in half, though, this could only be said for the faster ones that''d lead the group. Soon enough, the larger and bulkier Tunnelers made their way into battle, they were larger than the leading ones by at least half, and their scales were noticeably thicker. The sheer strength of their scales was displayed when the Deathclaw''s claws only managed to cut halfway through its abdomen. This, while a fatal injury, still left the creature enough strength to fight on, forcing the Deathclaw to bite or strike it again. The Cyberdogs were also having trouble with their scales, their teeth weren''t enough to pierce them, which forced the large group to slowly tear the creatures apart. Five or six dogs on each Armored Tunneler to finally kill them, even with their large numbers, it took a while! Even Christine and Juan were unable to easily kill them, their bullets deflected off of the scales and rendered useless. Christine was forced to swap to her Anti-Material Sniper to finally resolve this, but Juan was left in the awkward position of having to aim for their eyes and throats to deal damage. "Ahh!" Juan suddenly calls out as he''s forced backwards. He ends up performing a flip to get some distance from the Tunneler that''d just leapt at him, he fires again with his Submachine gun but the bullets slide off of the creature''s scales as if they were only 0.22 Calibre! He''d almost forced to draw his Ultra Chainsword when Christine finally steps in, blindsiding the Tunneler with a kick to its face before pointing her Sniper''s barrel at it as it reels back. *BAANG!* She fires, rendering the creature''s head a bloody mist. Bits of skull fragments and flesh rain down for a moment as Juan feels his jaw moving but nothing coming out. "Scorpion-Guy! get your shit together and move!" she commands, ignoring shocked look and concentrating on the enemies still charging the group. "Y-yes!" he squeaks, mustering up his courage and drawing his Ultra Chainsword. He begins using his Psyker abilities and climbing up the wall, slashing at the Tunnelers as they try to attack him. His confidence quickly rises as he notices that they aren''t familiar with fighting in such a way, allowing him to easily cut them down... The only thing he had to do now was making sure the robots below him didn''t mark him as a threat on accident! It was around about this time that the horde started thinning out, once the ground group of Tunnelers was almost completely destroyed, the Ultimo-Bots began walking up the walls and spitting fire towards the ceiling and wall entrances that the Tunnelers had made. Eventually, the final burnt corpse dropped to the floor, only to be split in two by an awaiting Afton. He glances around and notes their casualties, spotting a single thoroughly gnawed and clawed Ultimo-Bot that''d had its processing core torn out through a hole under its arm. The robots had the least losses though, as the Cyberdogs had numerous injuries and casualties... Around eight dogs had been killed, some with their necks fatally bitten or clawed, some with their Cybernetics components literally ripped out, and some that had their brain-containers breached. He gives a Tunneler corpse a probing kick before nodding to himself, "Alright, attend to the injured, we move in half an hour." he commands while sheathing his weapon and walking towards his companions. Tamia, Veronica, and Christine weren''t anywhere near getting tired yet, their Power armour and physical abilities allowing them to fight like this for potentially hours more. Juan however who''d just jumped from the wall takes off his helmet and wipes sweat from his face with his forearm. "Hah... Hah... That was tough, hah... So, do we go back now?" he asks, having somehow missed Afton''s earlier words. Afton crooks a brow at him and shakes his head, "No, as I said, we''re continuing in half an hour, so take the breather and be ready when we start." "W-what!? We just fought an army of those things! Surely there isn''t any more?" he asks, dumbfounded. Chapter 588 - The Pit. "W-what!? We just fought an army of those things! Surely there isn''t any more?" he asks, dumbfounded. Veronica scoffs, "You think this is bad? You shoulda seen the Sierra Madre, now that was an army." she chuckles.?? "Yeah, super-zombies tend to be like that." Afton shrugs and focuses back on Juan, "Look, if you''re going to work under Bulwark, you''re gonna have to expect this kind of thing. We don''t train you and provide the best gear ever produced just so you can shoot a couple people and say ''job done''. If this is too much for you, then maybe you should work as a barman and forget being a hero." Afton states, causing Juan to go silent. "That''s a bit harsh don''t you think?" Tamia asks, "He''s just started, you can''t expect him to easily do stuff like this already." ... "I guess your right." Afton admits, "I think I just expected a bit more considering his abilities... Whatever, get rested up and we''ll start moving again, I suspect we''ll run into more Tunnelers soon enough." Half an hour quickly passes and the group are on the move again, as it turns out, the railway tunnel was absolutely massive. They''d walked for another hour and yet Afton felt like they were nowhere near close to the end. There were a few doors on the side that had a few ''service'' rooms that were presumably to help with repairs or something. Luckily or not, they didn''t lead anywhere, instead only being stuffed with tools and other machinery. This was probably because this wasn''t a public railway and more military-style due to its destination leading to Big Mt. It was helpful though since they wouldn''t be forced to look elsewhere for any Tunnelers entrances. Finally, though, Afton spotted something that Christine obviously hadn''t seen last time she was here... The Tunnel just... Drops. The railway track cuts off and bends downwards as a massive hole opens up and cuts off the path. Afton walks up to it and takes a look, which he instantly regrets due to the thousands of beady little eyes looking back at him. The hole is incredibly deep, yet he could easily identify the bulbous Tunneler eyes glaring back at him... "Enemies! Ultimo-Bots! Fire missiles down there!" he commands, quickly backing up and allowing his robots to surround the hole. The first line climbs down the rim of the hole so they can easily target the enemy, while others climb on the walls and ceiling so they could assist with their own weapons. They had already started firing before the Ultimo-Bots could position themselves on the other side of the hole, and the screeching coming from the pit had everyone on edge. Afton looks past the robots and can see the Tunnelers trying to climb up it to get to them, but the Ultimo-Bots just continue firing missiles. Each one obliterates a small group of them, sending limbs and other organs flying. Once the first line runs out of ammunition, the next replaces them. This continues for a minute or so until no more Tunnelers could be seen in the pit... All that was left was just a pile of bloody, scorched flesh, and a few other tunnels which most likely led into a sprawling hive system. Afton wasn''t sure how Tunneler hives really operated, but he was sure there''d be many more of them the deeper they went... Their numbers weren''t what worried him though, it was the threat of their more combat-oriented variants... From what he could tell, they''d fought workers, scouts, and some sort of warrior or fighter variant... But how tough would the elite ones be? He shakes his head and decides that they''d deal with it once it happened, "Everyone gather up and prepare to descend!" he shouts. They''d have to leave the Deathclaws up here, but the Cyberdogs could be lowered down quite easily. Not to mention the fact the Ultimo-Bots could simply walk down there via the walls. As for him and his companions? Afton could jump down there fine because he was immune to fall damage, but aside from Juan, they''d need to abseil down there. "I''ll go first to make sure the area is clear, you guys make sure the Cyberdogs get down fine." Afton states and walks towards the pit. "Ah, do you need one of us to help?" Tamia asks, wondering if he wanted them to assist. Afton just shakes his head, "Nah, I''ll be fine." he says before igniting his Ultra Chainsword and jumping. "Waait!" "What the fuck he just jumped!" "IS HE CRAZY!" They all exclaimed, rushing to the side of the hole and watching as Afton plummets to the ground below... It takes a couple of seconds, but once he hits the bottom they feel the ground literally shudder as the stone below him explodes from the impact. Once the dust clears they see Afton cautiously walking around and acting as if he''d jumped off of the last steps of a stairway... ... "Did that just happen?" Tamia mutters, unsure of how to process this. ... "So, let''s get started on lowering the dogs... Let''s get a robot to help lower them, it''ll make it faster." Veronica states, completely ignoring Afton''s actions. All the while, Juan just watches all of this happen with a conflicted expression... He hadn''t really thought about it until now, but, is After like him? A Psyker with superpowers?... It''s a certainty, right? If he can survive a drop like that and looks completely fine? Back in the pit, Afton was scanning the place and checking for enemies, there were around three separate tunnel entrances from what he could see, and each of them could potentially lead to the rest of the hive. It''d need to be eliminated to prevent Big Mt from getting swarmed and constantly harassed. After that, they''d need to create some tech to check for Tunnelers... Perhaps some tremor sensors or something? Stuff that detects earthquakes but way more sensitive? Chapter 589 - Spelunking It doesn''t take long to transport all of their troops down to the bottom of the pit, with the exception of the Deathclaws of course, which were left at the top with a couple Cyberdogs to prevent any more Tunnelers attacking their backs with an ambush. The air at the bottom of the pit felt stale, and there was a prominent smell of decay, this didn''t come from the numerous Tunneler corpses strewn around the place though, it smelt more akin to something rotting, instead.?? Clearly, the Cyberdogs had noticed it, and Afton also found himself sniffing towards one direction... One of the three entrances seem to be producing it, though, Afton wasn''t sure what would be at the end of it. Regardless, they''d check this one first just to see what was up. The Ultimo-Bots led the group with flame throwers at the ready, Afton and his companions walking slightly behind them with the Cyberdogs trailing behind afterwards. It doesn''t take long before they start encountering small groups of worker Tunnelers in the tunnel, yet, they hadn''t yet found anything of interest... That is, until they stumbled across yet another pit... This one was absolutely huge, maybe four of five times larger than the pit they''d originally entered through. This clearly wasn''t just for transport though, Afton was fortunate his helmet provided ventilation when he wished, as at the bottom of the pit were huge piles of flesh, which were almost fully submerged in either blood or bloody water. Bones and flesh of a litany of creatures floated atop it, Afton didn''t even recognise some of them, which was farfetched considering his maxed out Survival Skill. Mole Rats, Humans, Dogs, Snakes, Lakelurks, Supermutants, Deathclaws, Ghouls... There were bits and pieces of them everywhere. Afton could even spot some mechanical components as well, the Tunnelers having brought them here accidentally or for some purpose other than eating... To be honest, this all looked like a Supermutant flesh pit, a place where they''d collect all their victims and let them ''stew'' in lukewarm water... The subsequent ''soup'' was apparently a delicacy to them, for some reason. Were the Tunnelers perhaps trying to concentrate as many nutrients and calories from their victims as possible? If so, why? Is simply hunting and devouring their prey not enough for their needs? "Sir, temperature readings from the liquid below seem to be around 50 degrees celsius..." she states and Afton idly nods his head in thought. "Is it the decomposing biomass that''s causing it, or some geothermic activity?" he quietly inquires. "The latter. This appears to be a sort of naturally occurring hot springs, sir." Afton grimaces at the thought that the pile of flesh at the bottom of the flesh could be considered a sort of casserole or stew... He didn''t know what was potentially scarier, the fact that the Tunnelers were smart enough to cook food, or that they''d been down here long enough to accidentally stumble across it. ... "We''re not going down there... Are we?" Veronica incredulous voice forces him from his thoughts. Juan nods in agreement, but Christine and Tamia seem to disagree completely. "If we don''t kill all of these things, they''ll just keep coming... What''s getting your legs a bit wet with completing the mission?" Tamia grouses, while she didn''t want to go in, she knew it was vital for them to destroy all of the Tunnelers. Afton shakes his head, "I don''t know what you''re anxious about either, Juan, can''t you just climb on the walls and ignore the soup at the bottom?" he asks. "Y-yeah, but what if I fall? I''m not in an air-tight suit like the rest of you... That stuff''ll get in my hair, mouth. ears..." he shivers. "Look, we''re going in whether you guys like it or not," he points at the other entrances on the walls of the pit, "We need to find where they go, and afterwards destroy them... We''ll need to get some C4 delivered to bring this entire place down." Afton states. And with that, the group begins moving again. Lowering the Cyberdogs into the pit as the Ultimo-Bots navigate around the walls. It wouldn''t be good if the soup start clogging up their joints, so they''d not enter it unless forced to. The same couldn''t be said for Afton, his companions, or the Cyberdogs... Though, the latter of which seemed very excited to get down there. The pit of flesh probably smelt pretty appetising to the dogs, it was literally just a pile of cooked, soupy flesh after all. *Splash!* Afton drops into the pit and finds himself knee-deep in the soup... Fortunately, he didn''t have to experience feeling it, as his armour was as stated earlier, airtight. The others follow him as he slogs through the slop, strangely enough, the group didn''t encounter any Tunnelers as they made their way to the other side. Afton just gives a mental shrug and uses an Ultimo-Bot to climb up to the other entrance. This tunnel however just seems to go on for miles, and miles, and miles... The group had walked for around one and a half hours before they finally decide to just turn around and head back. No one had any idea where this led, but if Afton had to make a guess, it probably linked up with other Tunneler nests, or perhaps hunting grounds? This would explain how Tunnelers were so widespread yet unseen by the common populace... The group backtrack all the way back to the original pit that was below the railway, afterwards entering another of the three entrances... Truth be told, everyone was getting fairly tired by now, the amount of walking they were forced to do, add the fact they were almost constantly aware that another ambush could be coming had them not only physically strained, but mentally as well. Chapter 590 - Egging Them On... After many hours of underground exploration, the group finally seems to make progress... The numbers of Tunnelers they encounter had started to increase, as well as the variety of them. They''d already encountered the scout and warrior types, but they''d also fought against other, more specialised mutations. The first one had been a smaller, more agile and sneakier variant, which had a limited ability to camouflage itself in a similar manner to a chameleon. Its scales were able to change colour at a slow rate to match the environment around it, allowing it to ambush from any longer it wished... At least, that''s what would have happened had Bulwark''s advanced targeting software not easily spotted them.?? Despite their stealth capabilities, the Chameleon variants were far more fragile than even the scouts, which made them easy picking for the Ultimo-Bot''s flame throwers. The next variant was one of the more dangerous ones... It had the ability to emit a poisonous gas from its skin. This wouldn''t be too difficult to deal with outside, but in the underground tunnels, it was far more dangerous. One wasn''t a problem to deal with as the gas it produced wasn''t enough to threaten anything, but a group of them? If not dealt with swiftly, they could make an entire tunnel uninhabitable... Fortunately or not, the only ones who were at risk of this were the Cyberdogs, as Afton, his companions, and the Ultimo-Bots were almost completely immune to it. Afton was resistant to all poisons even without his air filtration systems, and his companions had a big enough air supply to last for a day or so... Not to mention the Ultimo-Bots status as robots. These creatures had toxic-green scales and looked moist to most eyes. Their mouths dripped with venom, and their claws looked more like needles than anything you''d see on a predator. Last but not least of the mutations they encountered, were the ''Gargoyles'' as Afton had not so warmly named them. They were slightly bigger than the warrior variant Tunnelers, but had much, much tougher scales that almost resembled rock in their appearance... Grainy and grey, Afton thought they wouldn''t be out of place in a Dracula movie. They had vestigial-looking wings on their back, as if they hadn''t had enough time to make them functional, larger than average hands with matching claws, and a neck that matched the width of their heads. They also seemed far stronger than the other variants, judging by their ability to easily tear apart any Ultimo-Bots they managed to reach. The only positive was their lack of numbers, maybe having only one for every hundred warrior variant, which, considering that Scouts outnumbered Warriors by the thousands, was very lucky. By the time Afton''s group reached a large cavern the seems to be some sort of nesting ground, they''d lost 20% of the Ultimo-Bots, and 35% of the Cyberdogs. None of his companions had been injured yet, but their armour had been nicked, scratched, and scorched slightly due to some unfortunate friendly fire caused by an Ultimo-Bot malfunctioning as it was torn apart. Still, they had a large arsenal of missiles that could be used, and Afton wasn''t above tearing the robots flame thrower fuel tanks off to use as improvised explosives... If used in such a manner, they''d be akin to napalm bombs, coating the surroundings in sticky flaming liquid. The fight just to get into the cavern was hard enough, with around two thousand scouts attempting to block their passage. After that was thousands of workers who seemed to be part of their last-ditch attempt to halt them. The reason for this was clear was Afton got a good look at the place... Large mounds of egg sacks were stuck everywhere. From the floor, to the walls, to the ceiling. Some looked to be fresh, not being bigger than an average person''s head, but others looked almost ready to hatch at the size of an exercise ball. At the far end of the cavern, he could already see the gathering Tunnelers attempting to try one last stand, presumably to protect their queen. There were no scouts or workers left, only warriors and gargoyles... That, and a couple hulking Tunnelers thrice the size of even the gargoyle varients. They were half the height of an adult Deathcalw when on all fours, had incredibly tough-looking scales and seemed ready to tear them apart... "Well, this is it... Fire your missiles!" Afton shouts, gesturing at the group of tunnelers. The Ultimo-Bots do as they''re told, streaming forwards and firing their weapons once in position. Smoke immediately fills up the cavern as the missiles fill the air, the cavern shaking once they impact the group. *BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!* After a couple seconds of firing, they stop, waiting for any indication that their enemy had survived... Afton feared that sustained missile fire may bring down the cavern on their heads, which, while it would kill the Tunnelers, would also spell their doom. "Flamethrowers, fire!" he shouts, wanting to see if fire would reveal anything... Long jets of fire are released down the cavern, and judging by the screeching that occurs immediately afterwards, the Tunnelers weren''t all dead. He activates his Infrared vision to see if he could see anything... He''d always thought that Tunnelers would be cold-blooded due to their reptilian appearance, but through their exploration, he''d found that the species could be both! Some Tunnelers were cold-blooded, and others were warm-blooded... He had no idea how this was possible, but regardless, he''d try use it to his advantage... Unfortunately, he seemed to have underestimated their intelligence. Above the entrance of the cavern that they''d entered from, Tunnelers were starting energy from the stone... With the smoke obscuring almost everything, this caught the Cyberdogs by surprise as they were suddenly assaulted. "Guys, assist the Cyberdogs with the backline, I''ll keep the side of things stable." Afton commands, having his companions go deal with the enemies emerging behind them. Chapter 591 - Clean Up Tamia, Veronica, Christine, and Juan all quickly move to reinforce the backlines just as the Ultimo-Bots are charged by another group of Tunnelers. A good portion of them are incinerated when they dive into the flames, but the heavier variants manage to break through, jumping onto of a couple robots and beginning to tear them apart.?? *Suuchi!* Afton''s Ultra Chainsword bisects a Gargoyle as it tries to slam its claws down onto a downed Ultimo-Bot. He then dodges claws from two other Tunnelers while literally disarming them in the process. He''s forced to duck under a destroyed Ultimo-Bot that''d been thrown by a Gargoyle, but retaliates by thrusting his plant arm towards it and extending his limb like a spear, it turns as hard as steel as it punches through the creature''s chest. This doesn''t instantly kill the creature though, so Afton had roots spring out of the spear and into the Gargoyles wound, infesting its body and tearing its organs apart. Once it was dead, he lifts his arm up and throws the beast at one of the charging brute Tunnelers headed right for him. "Fuck!" he exclaims as it tears its allies corpse apart and continues running though, bringing down a heavy hand towards him. He twists away and easily avoids it, but the stone beneath cracks from the sheer impact. *SHHOOoo!* *ROOooaaarr!* A couple of Ultimo-Bots that weren''t locked in battle turn their flame throwers towards the brute, peppering it with bullets while the flame throwers went to work... Unfortunately, the Tunneler Brute''s scales were simply too thick to harm this way. It turns its attention towards the robots, thus giving Afton an easy path to its back... He leaps towards it, his Ultra Chainsword swimming through the air as it carves into its back, cutting upwards until it passes through the brutes neck and skull. *GUHK!?* The creature gives a confused grunt as its brain is pierced, its body quickly slumping to the floor, dead. Afton turns his attention to the other Brute currently decimating his Ultimo-Bots and scowls, he shoots a root to the roof and uses it to swing across the cavern, allowing him to drop towards the brute. *SLASH!* *Thud!* Its head falls to the floor not long after, the creature not having noticed Afton''s presence before it was too late. With the threat of the brutes finished, he takes a moment to survey the battlefield, silently nodding at how dominant his troops were compared to the frankly desperate-looking Tunnelers. The Cyberdogs were keeping their distance and firing Sonic Barks to deal with Tunnelers with too much armour, and his companions were dealing with the more resilient variants on the backline. The frontline was basically almost won, as without the brutes to cause tramble the Ultimo-Bots the other Tunnelers stood no chance. He turns his focus towards the end of the cavern as the smoke begins clearing up, quickly spotting a strange-looking Tunneler that was drastically different from the rest... It was as big as the Gargoyles but clambered around as if drunk, its abdomen was disproportionately bigger than the rest of its body, and its scales were very colourful... It gives a weak screech as Afton starts running towards it, it tries to escape by burrowing into the stone below, but he just plunges his Plant Arm into the ground, spreading roots that quickly catch his prey. He pulls it out of the ground kicking and screaming, retraining it as he takes a better look... "Hm. So you''re the queen then? You don''t look all that royal." he smugly remarks as the creature continues to try and escape capture. "Whatever." mutters noncommittally before locking all of its limbs in place with a harness made from his arm, afterwards snapping off the connection so it stays in place. He''d bring this creature back to Borous to see what he could make of it... Perhaps the queen held secrets to how they could easily deal with these things. At least, that''s what he hoped. The battle continues for a couple more minutes, the Cyberdogs, Ultimo-Bots, and his Companions exterminating any remaining Tunnelers. After they''re all eliminated, he takes samples from each Variant, as well as the egg-sacks stuck around the room before ordering the robots to incinerate the rest. Once the room is completely cleansed, Afton leads everyone out of the cavern and back up towards the railway. Once they got back up to the surface, they spotted the Deathclaws they''d left behind surrounded by Tunneler corpses... "Huh... Seems like they''re still coming from somewhere... Or maybe these were just out hunting?" Afton questions. Veronica shrugs, "Who knows... Let''s just get back and wash this stuff off, we can always come back later." *Screeech!* The group turn around and send dull looks at the still restricted and squirming Tunneler queen. Afton just gestures at his companions, "You guys are free to do what you want, I need to get that thing back to Borous, organise more raids, and collect the destroyed robots and Cyberdogs that''re still down there." "You sure? There isn''t something we can do to help?" Juan asks, looking tired despite his sudden eagerness to help out. Afton shakes his head, "Nah, I got this. Go take a shower, have a drink, you know, the good shit." he states while looking down at the Ultimo-Bots that were still climbing out of the hole. "Don''t mind if I do." Veronica announces as she marches towards the exit while pulling Christine along. Juan still looks a bit unsure but follows them anyway, the only person left was actually Tamia who was looking past Afton towards the direction directly opposite where Big Mt was. Afton notices this a minute later and crooks a brow at her, "Something wrong?" Her body jolts slightly as she hears him, having apparently been deep in thought, "What? Ah, no..." she shakes her head, "I was just thinking, well, not thinking perse... Remembering maybe?" she shakes her head again, "Something about this all feels familiar for some reason. The Tunnelers, cave crawling, even what Christine said about that irradiated military base..." Chapter 592 - Moods Barred ... "Well, do you remember anything? Or is it just Dejavu?" Afton asks.?? Tamia shakes her head, "Dejavu would be the word for it I think... Vague feelings of familiarity, somehow knowing how to deal with Tunnelers..." she rubs the spot on her helmet where she''d been shot by Benny, "Feels like I''ve been here and done this all before. Yet, I feel like I''m doing something wrong..." she admits while sounding somewhat vulnerable. Afton gives a shrug and looks her up and down, "Maaybe you''re just going crazy? That knock to the head finally catching up with you." he says semi-sarcastically. "I''m being serious." Tamia instantly retorts with crossed arms, "Something''s wrong, but I just can''t place my finger on it." she states. ... Afton chews his lip and decides to just throw an idea out there... Even if it were instantly rejected and labelled ''idiotic and ridiculous'', it''d at least be less awkward than whatever this silence is called. "You know this tunnel supposedly leads to that irradiated military base Christine spoke about, maybe you''ll find your answers there? If anything else, you could scavenge it for me, clear it and make it easy for my robots to take all the valuables." ... Tamia taps her foot, "I''ll think about it... But I need to see if House needs me for anything... And I''d have to take some of those robots with me too, I can''t imagine a military base will be all that friendly... Plus the radiation." she trails off, as if trying to persuade herself. Afton nods, "Right, well, you get on that. I''ll be with Borous attending to our ''queen''." he says, gesturing for the Ultimo-Bots, Cyberdogs, and Deathclaws to follow him as he begin walking towards Big Mt. Tamia just watches as he walks back, eyes glazed over as she''d deep in thought, wringing her mind for any information it was willing, or able to grant. "Urgh, why can''t I just remember!" she mutters to herself, frustrated with Benny, Bullets, Brains... And anything else started with the letter B. Elsewhere : "Boss really has his stuff together, don''t he?" Raul says as he watches the ''vending machine'' materialise a cold bottle of Mexican beer. The humming of the machine stops and he opens the door, taking it out and marvelling at the condensation forming on its surface. "I mean, really, how does this thing even work? It''s giving me a headache just tryin'' to wrap my head around it." he mutters. "Aha, well. You can''t hold those things solely under him, he only scavenged and recreated them from a strange and dangerous place... Still, he did save my behind when it came down to it, even when it put himself at risk." Dean says and raising his beer, "Cheers my fellow outcast." he chuckles as they clink their drinks together. Raul laughs along with him, "Aha, sounds similar to how I first met ''im. Was imprisoned by some crazy Nightkin and forced to operate the Black Mountain radio... Boss stormed the place alone and found me sitting there as if I were a teen masturbating." "That must''ve been a strange sight to behold... Mind you, I haven''t masturbated since I turned into a Ghoul... Afraid the thing might just, drop off!" Dean proclaims before bursting into laughter. He and Raul had been drinking for a couple hours now, and were both thoroughly drunk. While their status as Ghouls might''ve made it more difficult, the amount of beer they''d ingested would knock out a few human men, yet they were still drinking. Once they quieted down Raul looks around the bar they were sitting in... It was dim with dark walls, yet nicely constructed, unlike most bars the duo had previously been to. The staff serving people were all nice-looking women wearing maid uniforms, and most of the patrons seemed to be of the military sort. Indeed, both Ghouls could see a couple people sending sideways glances their way. Seems like wherever they came from weren''t all that friendly towards Ghouls, it was good enough as long as they didn''t bother them though. Still, Dean had spent hundreds of years on his own with minimal company if any. And now that alcohol was loosening his lips, he couldn''t help himself... He abruptly gets up out of his seat and walks towards them while Raul watches with morbid curiosity, wondering what kind of reaction his fellow Ghoul would get. "Hello Amigas and Amigos, I was just wondering, do any of you have some matches I could borrow?" he asks while presenting an unlit cigarette... Of course, he had a lighter in his pocket, but he was interested in conversing with them than anything else. The group of Former-brotherhood soldiers shuffle uncomfortably. Each had been given long lectures by Veronica, Christine, Afton, and even Glados when things started getting really bad. It was difficult for them to acclimate from their previous isolationist lifestyle to this one... Life in Big Mt was strange, there were people from all walks of life here, Former-Legion slaves, NCR citizens, Ghouls, Robots, those creepy Scientist things... That overbearing creature called ''Glados''... It wasn''t uncommon for Former-Brotherhood soldiers who were tired from training to react badly to things, especially since they''d been brought up from birth to be like that. Miles glances around the table but finds that no one was willing to help the Ghoul out, he releases a sigh and lights Deans cigarette with his lighter, "Here." Dean takes a couple puffs and blows the smoke in the air, not caring that the smoke catches a few of the soldiers... Fortunately, they manage to restrain themselves from reacting though, the lectures they received still fresh in their minds. "Thanks for that, you know, I don''t think I remember seeing you lot around here when I first arrived... Where are you from?" Dean drawls conversationally. Miles notices his friends tense up at the Ghouls continued presence and decides to try and resolve this before they do anything they''ll regret. "Look, I''d love to talk with you but we''ve just finished training and just want to relax... Maybe we can chat some other time?" he says, hoping the Ghoul would catch the message. Dean shrugs and slowly examines the group before nodding, "Alright, fine... I''ll leave you to it... But know you can only glare and avoid us for so long, eventually, there''ll be more of us around... I wonder what you''ll do then." he states, stabbing his cigarette into the ashtray and returning to his own table. Raul across the table at Dean with a frown, "You tryin''a start a fight or somethin''? Boss will know who''s right and wrong, his lady''s always watchin''..." he warns. Dean chuckles, "Tell me about it." he says while glancing up into the corner of the room where a camera with an orange light is observing everything. Chapter 593 - Scientific Specifics A couple days pass since the Tunneler extermination expedition had happened. As planned, Afton and Glados continued to send small patrols of Ultimo-Bots to purge any more Tunnelers who find their way into the cave system. There were still plans to collapse it, but they were being especially cautious as they didn''t know how far the tunnels actually went... A sudden ill-prepared collapse could weaken the foundations of the Railway tunnels and potentially even parts of Big Mt... Not to mention wherever the other tunnels snaked off to.?? The group of Cyberdogs and Ultimo-Bots that Afton had sent off to explore them had only recently come back... It''d taken them two days to reach the end of a single tunnel, and strangely enough, the exit was only a couple miles away from a couple villages... Afton was still contemplating whether or not he wanted to contact them and ask if they''d encountered any tunnelers, but he suspected the Tunnelers didn''t hunt the humans there, only the livestock they kept. There were also plans in the works to modify the Cloud to be the bane of Tunnelers... Pumping that corrosive mist into the cave system would no doubt annihilate anything it came across, though there was a couple of problems with actually integrating it... The first being the fact that anywhere the Tunnels led to would be put in significant danger. It wasn''t possible to judge how long they were, where they led(In good time), and even if the Cloud would start weakening the foundations of everything above it... It was corrosive for a reason, if left long enough it might even eat through stone, soil, and breach the surface, obviously killing everything that had been there. The second problem was the fact Tunnelers were extremely adaptable. The reason Ghost people formed was because air filtration lowered corrosive properties of the Cloud, this allowed it to slowly infest the body and alter it. This made them immune to the Cloud, while also increasing strength, agility, and unfortunately rendering the victim insane and in a constant state of rage. No one could predict how Tunnelers would react when presented with the Cloud... Some might just dissolve into fleshy goo, while others might adapt to it and begin utilising it to strengthen themselves, becoming pseudo ghost people in the process... Hell, the possibility of them acquiring a limited form of air filtration just to become ghost people was not zero. Of course, Tunnelers adapted to the Cloud, it wouldn''t be that difficult to kill them... After such a mutation they''d need occasional upkeep of the Cloud to keep their bodies functioning. This is one of the reasons Ghost people didn''t stray too far from the Sierra Madre, without the Cloud their bodies would slowly degrade and fall apart. Regardless, Afton would allow Borous to experiment with using the Cloud on Tunnelers in secure locations. Even if it didn''t help solve their Tunneler problem, it''d at least help them understand exactly how the Cloud functioned... *Clunk!* Afton steps through the lab door and looks over at Borous who was observing the Tunneler Queen through an observation window. He walks over and looks through, spotting the Queen laying eggs in the corner of the room. He''s quickly surprised however as the Queen picks one of her eggs up and devours it... He turns towards Borous who''s monitors weren''t moving, as if he''d already observed such a behavior. "Why did it do that?" One of Borous monitors turns towards him as the scientist begins to speak, "As far as I can tell, it only eats its young when stressed..." the scientist turns to look fully at Afton, "I''ve conducted a number of tests on it already, as you can see, when not in complete darkness these creatures become incredibly stressed..." "Why would that be? Cass said she''d seen plenty on the surface...?" Afton asks. "Ah... No idea." Borous states, "I suspect there are some variants more suited to going above ground. Their cave systems receive little to no light, so their eyes have been adapted to be incredibly sensitive... Being in a brightly lit room would be like having high-powered lasers shined in your eyes constantly, the only reason this creature''s eyes haven''t been destroyed yet is due to the multiple eyelids it possesses." ... Afton crooks a brow, "Uh huh... And, is any of this actually useful information, or just merely interesting to you?" Borous snorts, "Can it not be BOTH!?... But yes, as you most likely already know, sudden flashes of light that occur before they can shield their eyes can disorient them and perhaps permanently blind some... Perhaps some targeted high-powered light systems would be effective?" ... "Isn''t that just lasers?..." Afton asks with a dull look. ... "Ah-er... Yes..." Borous sheepishly admits. "And you just recommended ''shooting them in the eyes''... As if that wasn''t already effective with weapons other than lasers?" ... "Well, anything would sound stupid if you put it like that!" Borous retorts. Afton shakes his head, "No, only your idea sounds stupid in that scenario... Plus, once combat started, wouldn''t the Tunnelers protect their eyes with those films anyway? Thus rendering a Laser shot not any more effective than what a bullet would be?" Borous'' floating height lowers slightly as if put out at being remonstrated. "You asked, I replied... ANYWAY! The tests you asked to be conducted on the various Tunneler samples you brought have been completed... And I am sad to say no, their scales, hides, organs, or claws would not be more effective than what we already have. Saturnite, Deathclaw hide, and Cybernetics can easily achieve anything these samples might do." "Okay so, Tunnelers; bad... How is the Deathclaw Project going? The two Deathclaws I took on the expedition were very effective, so how long until we can have an army of them?" Chapter 594 - Pissing Contest "Aha! My pride and joys... Hm, as for creating an army?... It takes two to three months for an egg to hatch, after that it would naturally take around one to two years for a Deathclaw to fully grow. Of course, we utilise various chemical agents, food and genetic splicing to speed up that time, but it would take at least two years to have a fully army at your disposal." he explains. Afton slowly nods, "Mhm, that''s too bad. I was hoping to lead an army of Deathclaws when conflict at Hoover Dam finally breaks out." he chuckles at the thought, "Could you imagine their faces!?"?? ... Afton shakes his head and eventually stops laughing, "Right, you guys'' sense of humour matches Gabe..." "So, who did you bring with you on the expedition anyway? I looked at the logs but didn''t see any of my ''tamed'' Deathclaws having gone out..." Borous suddenly asks. Afton scratches his head, "Er? What do you mean?" "I mean, the only Deathclaws you could have taken out without my knowing was the group that had control chips planted in their skulls... Unfortunately, the procedure had also rendered them infertile, you do know their names right?" Afton shakes his head, "Of course not... The only way I would remember them is if you tattooed a number to their chests." ... "I did do that." Borous states, causing Afton''s brow to raise. "But, neither of the Deathclaws I brought were tattooed..." Afton slowly says, wondering if there had been some sort of mistake. "Did you see the surgical scars around their heads from where the chips had been installed? I put them inside their skulls so you must have seen those marks." Afton again shakes his head, "No... They didn''t have any marks on them whatsoever." Borous quickly floats towards the lab door, "Then we have a problem... A MASSIVE problem!... A Deathclaw sized PROBLEM!" the scientist exclaims. Afton follows the scientist as they fly as fast as they can towards the Deathclaw enclosure. "Those Deathclaws were fine though! Well behaved and followed orders..." he asks as they travel. "I would hope so! That''s what they''re currently bred for!... But that doesn''t mean there aren''t risks! That''s why I said to use the chipped ones!" The duo continue moving until they reach the enclosure, both getting to the observation window where they examine each creature there... And sure enough, they both spot two scarred and numbered Deathclaws. The chipped Deathclaws shouldn''t be here, they were infertile and served no purpose other than for combat. So Afton must have accidentally swapped them with two unchipped ones somehow... ... "Borous?" Afton asks as the scientist just stares dumbly into the enclosure. His voice breaking the brain-bowl out of their thoughts. "Where are the chipped Deathclaws located? If what you said before is true, then perhaps those two you used are the bulls I need to be using for the next generation... But first I need to see them!" Afton nods in agreement, he''d seen what some of the Deathclaw variants Borous had created do, some were mentally unstable and needed to immediately be put down, some were sluggish and lazy, while others were simply far weaker than their brethren... Soon enough the frantic scientist and more or less interested protagonist reaches the kennels were the chipped Deathclaws were held. Once there they quickly spot the two unchipped creatures growling, grunting, and making other peculiar sounds towards the chipped ones. It was as if they were trying to communicate with their mentally deficient brethren, but becoming frustrated after not getting the replies they expect. "You stay there doc, I''ll be able to handle them if shit hits the fan, but I''d hate for you to be collateral." Afton states as he approaches the duo. The chipped Deathclaws part and make way for him as he walks towards them, the two unchipped ones glaring down at him with their beady eyes. "Yo, remember me?" he asks with a stern look In response the two Deathclaws just chuff and growl, as if replying to his words. Though, he can easily see them flexing their claws. He''d learned from Borous that this was a challenging gesture, they were sizing him up. Seems like they were having second thoughts about following him since he lacked an army this time. He bears his teeth and clenches his hands before them in return though, matching their gesture with a smug arrogance one wouldn''t expect when presented with two massive predators. The larger Deathclaw of the two takes a step forward and looks as if it would continue, but Afton just forms his plant arm into a massive claw dwarfing his opponents... Once the Deathclaws witnesses this it quickly backs down, looking deferential in Afton''s presence. He grins and looks back at Borous, "I think we''ve found your perfect specimens. Have some studies set up to determine how stable they are, oh, and try not to get killed while you''re at it... We''ve almost found a way to stuff your brains into living bodies, it''d be a shame if you missed the opportunity." he adds before leaving the scientist to get to work. The two Deathclaws watch Afton leave, and once he''s out of sight they turn their attention towards Borous, who was suddenly feeling much smaller than he had earlier... "N-Nice Deathclaws..." he almost pleads placatingly as he makes a swift exit from the kennels. Despite his rather panicked departure though, new ideas for these specimens were already swimming in his brain... It seemed that this new breed was similar to how dogs functioned, they were able to mark another creature, Deathclaw or not as the alpha, this is exactly what happened earlier between them and Afton. The only problem now was to make sure they saw Bulwark officials as alphas... But, if that wasn''t possible, then perhaps making Gabe the ''alpha'' for now would work? Chapter 595 - DeathMarch Time quickly passes after the Tunneler Extermination Expedition but unfortunately for Afton, his work never seems to be over... Despite having to lead the expedition, fighting on the front lines, and putting his own life at stake to make sure Big Mt would be safe, he still had to prepare for the incoming NCR attack on the booby-trapped Brotherhood base. It wasn''t just preparing for the attack that took most of his time however, that honour would belong to the ungodly information gathering and manipulation it took to keep the NCR unaware of his plans.?? The eradication of the Black Mountain Super Mutants alone would be enough to draw attention, but he''d stupidly let his irrational and impulsive side act while he was there... If the NCR wasn''t aware of his role in the mutants extermination before, they''d know as soon as they heard him singing over the radio... Yeah, not one of his proudest moments... Despite that though, his pride forbade him from removing it after the fact. Regardless of how stupid and short-sighted it was, it was too late to avoid attracting attention... That, and he still thought it was very funny. So nowadays most of his effort went into three main things; The first being manipulating the NCR and their information to make it look like the Brotherhood was still operational in the region. The NCR still thought he was ''allied'' in some way with them, this was especially the case after the failed debate between him and Crocker, in which he''d made known his care for the Chapter. His presence near them should not immediately mean the Chapter had been destroyed, and with a light sprinkling of laser fire at their scouts, along with prerecorded messages shouting ''For the Brotherhood!'', and ''I die by the Codex!'', the NCR would be caught completely unawares. Funnily enough, his blunder in Black Mountain had actually improved his plan in some ways... With the NCR now sure he was working with the Brotherhood, they''d be bringing far more troops with heavy ordinance with the convoy. Once this group was eliminated and the Legion ''got word'' of it, the Battle for Hoover Dam would be on the brink of happening at any moment. Another thing he was working on were the various projects that hadn''t been started, were left unfinished as the scientists focussed on something more important, or were nearing completion but were side aside due to time constraints. Indeed, there were far more Projects that needed finishing than there were brains to work on them... Most of which were far too advanced for any regular scientist to even get a grasp on them. Despite how much he disliked to admit it at times, the Think Tank scientists were the best Earth had to offer. If he wanted to recruit people into the Think Tank, he''d probably have to force them to study for thirty years straight just to get up to the basics... This wouldn''t even involve the harder concepts the scientists involved themselves in, nor would it help breed ''innovation'' due to how structured the education would need to be... Add the fact neither Afton nor the scientists had the time to create an effective syllabus that would teach everything that needed to be known, the possible options for the Think Tank were little to none. There was the possibility of creating minds like Glados, but that idea was quickly scrapped by not only Afton, but Mobius, Klein, Zero, 8, and surprisingly enough, Glados... The arguments were thus; More incredibly intelligent and independent AI''s increased the chance of one going rogue and attempting to go ''Skynet''... Not that the scientists knew was Skynet was, but they got the jist. Creating said AI''s was incredibly difficult, time-consuming, and perhaps even impossible considering how hard it was for Afton to create Glados... He''d needed the assistance of his Perk [Eureka!] to even properly finish it, without it the Project might''ve taken years at the least. There was also the fact that AI''s created in such a manner would think in similar ways, making innovation difficult, if not impossible... It would essentially be like building railways as opposed to cars... Sure, the trains might be faster, but they were limited in their movement and would only reach a few destinations, or ''conclusions''. Last but not least was Glados assistance that there be no more AI''s like her... Afton was sure she was exhibiting jealousy, pride, and other emotions, but when questioned on it she rejected such a notion as ''So stupid that my creator could not have possibly come up with it''. Yeah, that put an end to that conversation. The Project Afton had actually been working on in the meantime were combat-ready miniaturized shielding... Specifically in the application of Power Armour. It was basically already complete, all it needed now was to be integrated into the armour... The third thing that demanded a good portion of his time was creating another edition of the ''Dirt-Vehicle'' family. His robots had scavenged the remnants of it from the Sierra Madre, so his [Mechanicus] Perk was getting to work repairing those ruined parts, but in the meantime, he was working on ways to improve it for the coming battle. Obviously, he couldn''t go the route he had with Dirt-Hog by slapping thick saturenite plating on it, the thing had to fly after all, and he sincerely doubted their ability to defy the laws of physics... At least, in that regard. Thus, he had his new Head Engineer helping out with it... Raul wasn''t the best, but he could certainly learn. The Ghoul had scattered knowledge, most of it centring on pre-war cars, trucks, and road vehicles. After the Great War he dabbled in scavenging from what Afton knew, learning bits and pieces here and there. Raul would help him work on improving the Vertibird while Glados compiled the schematics Big Mt had on vehicles, engineering, and some bits on electronics. Josie was also assisting him with this, but she was another problem entirely... Chapter 596 - Big Sword Josie had been on the hunt ever since they''d returned from the expedition. Every other day she''d ask for a date or something, but Afton simply didn''t have the time to accept... The more he rejected her, the more blatant her offers began to get. Raul had just left to go to the bathroom while he was waist-deep in metal while wielding some steel. He''d heard someone come into the room but he''d just assumed it to be Raul, but was obviously mistaken when someone gave his ass a firm slap. He wouldn''t have really minded it, had said person not cupped his cheek longer than even a prostitute would deem socially acceptable.? ? "Err, Raul? I get I''m not familiar with pre-war Mexican culture, but, I am one-hundred percent sure this ain''t part of it." Afton diplomatically states. "I doubt it is, you have a nice butt though, Afton." Josie''s familiar voice says, giving a brief squeeze as she does so. ... "What is true is the fact that this counts as sexual harassment... Maybe I should tell me boss on you." he sarcastically retorts, wondering whether he should change the situation before Raul gets the wrong idea... Is it the wrong idea though...? "I''m sure the boss won''t mind it." she drawls as if stating the obvious. Afton shakes his head and pulls himself out from where he''s working, giving Josie a steady look, "Maybe my daughter will?" he asks, his lips upturning as he does so. ... "D-daughter?" she stutters out, unsure how to respond. Afton nods, "Yeah, as much as she wants to forget it, Glados is technically my daughter." he chuckles. *Dink!* A small piece of metal falls from the roof and smacks him in the head, shocking Josie but just making Afton grumble, "Veery funny, Daughter!" he enunciates. *Clank!* He sidesteps the next piece of metal that''d fallen from the obviously ''derelict'' room. He ignores the orange light shining from where the pieces had fallen and looks to Josie, "Was there something you needed?" he asks, not wanting to get into ''this'' at the moment. Once he was finished wielding the Vertibird chassis he needed to check on the information his spies'' in the NCR embassy should be sending. She crosses her arms and stares at him for a couple seconds before finally getting to the point, "Why are you avoiding me?" ... "Why am I avoiding you?..." he blinks, having expected another date request. "Yeah, I thought she agreed on trying ''this''" she gestures back and forth between them, "I get that you''re busy, but could you spare some time? I''m sure you could get at least an hour, right?" Afton shrugs, "Squeezing out time in my schedule is not the problem, is the fact I''ll be thinking about shit I have to do even if I did. Do you really think that''d be enjoyable to do? Our dates can at least wait until I''ve dealt with the NCR convoy, after that, I promise I''ll make time." he states. Josie''s posture slumps slightly at this, she knows it''s true but seems disappointed and put out that it''s the case. She releases a long sigh and nods, "Alright, but don''t complain when I''m on you once this is done..." Afton waves her off, "Don''t worry, I won''t... Now, you wanna help with this?" he gestures at the tool cabinet, "Grab a wielding mask and help me with this." Elsewhere : Tamia had just come back from speaking with Mr House. She wanted to confirm that nothing needed to be done before she went out to explore the region where the railway tunnel led. She had no idea how long she''d be, so it would be prudent to make preparations. House needed a few small things done, but said that he had other people working on it at the time. So, she was free for a week or two until the shit between the NCR and Legion finally started. She''d spoken with Afton and acquired a small unit to assist her with this, though, she would have liked more than what she got... She had four Ultimo-Bots equipped with flame throwers, and six Cyberdogs that would be used for combat, scouting, and marking coordinates for teleportation. That was it as far as her ''troops'' went. She had received a small equipment upgrade as well though. Her Power armour had been modified by Afton so it could produce small forcefields from the wrist guards. Apparently, they''d block most energy weapon projectiles, but it''d be unlikely to stop multiple .50 cal bullets. That wasn''t all though, Afton had gifted her with a new, unique weapon... He said it probably wouldn''t be effective for anyone else, and she believed him once she started using it. It was a Proto blade, like the Proto axes before it and the Ultra Chainswords that were derived from those. There was one BIG difference though... The fact that the sword as HUGE! It was so big she had to wear it on her back as the metal spine of it that stabilised the energy blade was almost 6ft long alone! She''d heard of weapons like it used in the past, though, they were entirely made from steel. They were called ''Great-Swords'', but most consider them fantasy as they looked too heavy to properly wield. This Proto-Greatsword was also heavy, so much so that without her Power armour she''d quickly get tired from swinging it around, but it also provided other benefits. Its weight made it almost as effective as an Ultra Chainsword when it came to sheer cutting power. And its blade was so wide that she could literally use it as a tower shield to block weapon fire when she needed to. Truly, anyone who saw her fully armoured and charging them with that purple Proto-Greatsword would undoubtedly shit themselves. She''d even tested it against the same Saturnite plating that was used for Bulwark Power armour, and surprise, surprise, it cut through with minimal difficulties. Chapter 597 - Marked Tamia and her troops march through the Railway tunnel for hours, occasionally coming across other Bulwark patrols that were observing the place. This stops around halfway through the tunnel however, as most signs of Tunnelers slowly disappear. The draft blowing towards them gets harder and harder the further they venture, and eventually, the group reaches the exit, coming out onto some sort of cliff? The railway bridge that snaked along the cliff seems to have completely collapsed, leaving a desolate and rather dangerous pathway as the only way forward.?? Tamia attempt to scan the surroundings around the cliff but the sandstorm that was currently happening was simply too thick to see through... Though, she could vaguely see various red and green lights off in the distance. She was thankful Afton had those modified Ultimo-Bots, otherwise they''d not be able to follow her down this path... As for where she was actually going? That red light off in the distance looked like a good place to start... "Maybe going there just to jog my memory is a bad idea...?" she mutters but keeps walking despite her thoughts. The path is long and the sand storm doesn''t seem to be easing any time soon. Night eventually falls without anything happening, and Tamia finds a small cave for the group to rest in. The Cyberdogs in the meantime gathers the coordinates outside the cave in case they need teleportation... Though, the sand storm would probably prevent any escape even if they wanted to. The night, again, was uneventful. The sand storm seems to have eased up slightly in the morning but hadn''t completely disappeared... *Bzztch!* Just then, Tamia''s eyes shoot down towards her Pipboy that''d suddenly bursts to life, the sound of her radio automatically going through various signals... Until it stops on one unknown number. "*Bzztch!* Hmph, thought you would miss the fireworks... Cutting it close, aren''t you?" the familiar voice asks, in the same raspy tone as always. "You... Who are you!? What do you want!?... Are you stalking me?" Tamia demands, not having expected this guy to be around to, nor for him to have seemingly hacked her Pipboy. The man chuckles from the other end of the radio, "It''s not me who wants something... Why else did you come here? To find something you lost?... Or is it for that new flag you wear?" he states, causing Tamia to look down at her breastplate where the Bulwark emblem sits. She cautiously looks around but spots no indication of the man''s presence. Scowling, she looks back down at her Pipboy, "Stop hiding and show yourself, coward. You think I''m scared of some creepy fucking stalker!?" she exclaims. "No. But you must remember that it is you who came to me, so you only have yourself to blame." the man says, but Tamia''s eyes are drawn towards some strange shadowed figures ahead. They''re obscured by the sand storm but her helmet''s visor allows her to get a better look at them. Her eyes widen as her magnified view locks onto their faces, revealing bloody flesh that looks to have been flayed completely of all skin, only leaving muscle and sinew behind... It isn''t just their faces though, their whole bodies look the same and it is only their clothing that provides some degree of protection against the sand particles assaulting them. "Oh, and if you want my advice... Watch out for the locals.*Bzztch!*" the man chuckles over the radio before disconnecting. "AAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!" one of the bloody skinless men suddenly shout as they raise their weapons towards Tamia. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* They fire but all the bullet easily bouncing off of her armour and deal no damage whatsoever... However, it does anger Tamia, who draws her Proton-Greatsword from her back and ignites it, charging the men who continue frantically screaming in agony and firing their weapons. The six Cyberdogs split into two groups and maul two of the men, while her Ultimo-Bots fire upon them, forcing the rest into cover. While they look utterly insane, they seem to retain some amount of intelligence and combat ability. Despite that though, it doesn''t matter, Tamia reaches them without issue and begins swinging her large blade, cutting the men to pieces as they do everything in their power to fight back. The energy blade leaves large cauterized cuts in its wake as the flayed men fall to pieces. Tamia looks over and watches the last man get torn to pieces by the Cyberdogs. She makes he way over and manages to stop them before their tear the man''s throat out, but his wounds were already fatal. "Who are you!?" she commands, only now realising that the man was wearing NCR Trooper armour. The man doesn''t reply to her question, instead just continually sucking in air and shuddering as if in agony... It isn''t surprising either, she could see sand in the air bouncing off and getting stuck in the man''s bloody flayed skin... Shaking her head, she stabs him through the chest with her greatsword, bisecting him due to how wide it is. "Any more hostiles?" she asks the nearest Ultimo-Bot. "NEGATIVE." it states in a harsh robotic tone. She nods and begins examining the corpses, curious at the NCR''s armour being present. Most of the men present were wearing similar attire, but she was surprised to fine a man wearing Legion armour as well... She''d thought that they were probably just scavengers who''d come across the armour... But was quickly cleared of that thought when she found the NCR soldier''s dog tags, and many Legion coins on the Legionary... Clearly, they had each been a soldier at one point, but she was still questioning why they were fighting together... And the fact their skin looked like that, they kind of resembled ghouls, but she couldn''t recall any feral ghoul being able to wield weapons... Chapter 598 - Red Glare After the ambush Tamia continued walking, quickly noticing that the radiation levels were steadily increasing the closer she got to the red light. She walked for two more days, occasionally running onto more of those flayed men, but easily fending them off. After examining their bases, she realised that these men weren''t hunting her, but hunting for prey outside the irradiated zone. Animals would stay away from radioactive areas if they had a choice, so prey within the zone was limited at best.?? Still, that did not explain why they were attacking her... Perhaps they had a history with the Brotherhood of Steel? In which case she could understand if they were hostile, but still, that didn''t really add up in her mind. Eventually, she reached some sort of ruined city... The skyscrapers that hadn''t collapsed leaned perilously against their foundations, and a small military camp was sitting just outside the city''s boundaries. She quickly notices the figures of more flayed men and has her troops on high alert to prevent any mishaps from occurring. Suddenly her radio starts activating, and Tamia sighs while preparing herself for another talk with her mysterious stalker. "*Bzztch!* Welcome to Hopeville... Remind you of anything?" he asks, causing Tamia''s brows to furrow. "No... Should I?" she cautiously asks, wondering if she had a connection to this place... She couldn''t imagine she did, as without her Power armour and troops, she''d find it incredibly difficult to survive out here... And that''s not even mentioning the crap ton of radiation. "You should... It''s your history, and your home... Not the one you were born into, but, the one you gave life to... Same thing..." he trails off, only confusing her further. She shakes her head, "No... I don''t remember this place. I would remember... This!" she angrily gestures with her arm towards the desolate landscape. The man chuckles again, only aggravating Tamia further, "You wouldn''t remember it like this, it was different before... Now, it''s just the remnants of your failure... Or your success." Tamia grinds her teeth while racking her mind for any memory of this, yet nothing comes. "Stop with this mysterious stranger dogshit and just tell me what you want! Why you want me here!?" "Heh, Heh. This is a nightmare of your own making, if you survive it, I''ll tell you about your history here... Until then, keep walking, Courier.*Bzztch!*" "You motherfuc-Argh!" she growls before kicking a nearby boulder, cracking it with her saturnite plated boots. "I''ll find you, you arrogant prick!" she roars, inadvertently drawing the attention of the flayed men from the city... Shadows begin popping up from the street, buildings, and military camp... She could even see some wielding hightech-looking rocket launchers... "Get into cover!" she shouts as she throws herself behind the boulder she just kicked. The Ultimo-Bots and Cyberdogs do as she says, retreating as a large volley of missiles is launched in their direction. *BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!* Explosions erupt around Tamia as she attempts to use her wrist-mounted shields to block the shockwaves. Her armour protects her well enough, but by the time the explosions stop, the boulder she was hiding behind is completely decimated. She looks around and spots most of her troops still alive, but an Ultimo-Bots had been destroyed, seemingly having taken a missile to protect the Cyberdogs. She looks over towards the city, where the figures seem to be reloading their weapons... Angrily, she tears an arm off of the destroyed Ultimo-Bot and fiddles with it for a moment, eventually tearing it apart to reveal the hidden missiles that hadn''t been shot yet. "Fire at the one''s on the buildings!" she commands to the remaining three Ultimo-Bots as she throws the missiles far ahead on the path, intending to utilise the dust they kick up as a smokescreen that they can pass through. The Ultimo-Bots thankfully fire before the enemy can get off another volley, their missiles zipping towards their targets and completely destroying the rooftops... The impact is actually enough to destabilise the desolate buildings, causing the lurching skyscraper to finally collapse. This ends up crushing a large portion of the flayed men who''d fired at them. The chaos produced by this is a good enough distraction, she draws a revolver from her hip and fires at the missiles down the path, causing them to explode and kick up a large amount of dust. The flayed men finally fire another volley just as the group run into the dust cloud. *BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!* Tamia leads the group into one of the military camps bunkers as the explosions barely miss them, managing to get out of sight before the dust cloud dissipates. "Fuckin'' creepy red bastards." she grumbles, looking around the room for anything that might help combat this annoying enemy. She hadn''t expected to meet such great resistance when coming here, if she had, she''d have brought way more forces... It was already too late to turn back, and she couldn''t contact Bulwark due to the sand storm. Plus, the ''fireworks'' the man had spoken of didn''t sound good at all. Fortunately, the bunker her group had entered appeared to be the armoury... Most of it had been looted, but she could see a cage that still contained weapons that those ''skinless'' hadn''t managed to get. She walks over to it and easily opens it with her Power armour enhanced strength, afterwards grabbing the high tech rocket launcher that was inside. It had an American flag printed on it and wasn''t able to take regular missiles? She glances over at a canister and realises that it''s around the same size. She loads it and grins, dropping the weapon on her shoulder and adjusting its telescopic scope. "Alright, this''ll probably work...?" Chapter 599 - Stressed Out!? Shani wakes up with a start, eyes flitting around the room in a slight panic. She''s disorientated momentarily, but quickly calms down when she realises she''s in her room... She slowly regulates her breathing and pats herself over, wanting to check if Dala and Afton had done anything to her. Her vision had come true, and she''d awoken on the operating table, only to be put asleep again... Yet, she was still alive?... Could it be that her earlier assumption of the Think Tank''s malicious nature had been wrong??? She looks down at her hands for a moment but notices a slight twinge of pain behind her neck... She reaches for it and feels a small surgical scar marring her skin in a spot that''d been shaved of hair... Apparently, she hadn''t gotten off as unscathed as she thought... Still, it beats being dissected and harvested for organs. She gets dressed and heads out of her room, thankful to find herself not imprisoned for unintentionally causing the Tunneler attack. Thirty minutes later and she finds herself in a small restaurant which sells sandwiches and other things typical wastelanders wouldn''t even dream of. Shani herself slowly munches on the egg, bacon, and sausage baguette while people watching... She''d have to get to work soon and so wanted to make the most of her free time. *Zuuub!* A panel in the roof opens up and the surrounding people freeze as a drone of Glados pops out. They wait to see if they were needed for something, all afraid they might''ve done something wrong... Thankfully for them, the drone floats over to Shani instead. "Subject designated; Shani, you are given leave of two weeks as thanks for discovering the Tunneler threat. My creator had a few words to say." Glados says and activates a prerecorded message, "Afton here, and yes, I knew you tried to escape... Again... But it''s fine, you''ve been chipped and so can''t escape even if you want to, that aside, as thanks for discovering a certain issue, I''ll be speaking with you to talk about your future when I find time... Anyway, I think that''s it. Glados turn this thing of-*Beep*" ... "O-Okay? W-when am I supposed to talk with him?" she sheepishly asks. "Wait, I''m not finished. You also have my thanks for discovering the breach, I will now give you your reward..." Glados pauses, and Shani nervously looks around as if waiting for an assassin. "You are one step above Meatbag, congratulations, Meatierbag" the robot states, thoroughly confusing Shani. "Er... What''s that even supposed to mean?" "It means, should we need a test subject for brutal experimentation, you will be one step above your peers... Again, congratulations." the AI says as the drone exits where it entered, leaving the room in complete silence. ... "Erm... Congratulations on your promotion?" an elderly woman sitting nearby says, looking unsure how to proceed forwards. Shani just nods and gets up to leave, taking her half-eaten baguette with her. Three days later : Shani anxiously waits outside the Sink, having been invited by Afton. She wasn''t sure what he wanted, nor what ''talk about her future'' really meant, but she didn''t think it was anything malicious... After all, why declare it in front of many witnesses if he intended to harm her? "Come in!" Afton''s voice comes from the door and she enters inside, cautiously looking around the high-tech room. Afton was standing opposite the large table with holographic images floating above it, he gives a brief nod at her and gestures towards the next room, all while various voices attempt to greet her at the same time. "Guys, guys, shut the fuck up. If you wanna socialise you can do it after I''ve sorted shit out. Alright?" "Heh, we got it, ya'' dig?" the Jukebox states, getting murmurs of affirmation from the other personalities. Afton releases a small sigh and turns back to Shani, again gesturing into the room where a large coach and flatscreen T.V was. Shani was interested by the strange-looking television was she''d never seen anything like it before, ignoring the other more brilliant things in the room like the sentient Jukebox, Lightswitches, and tiny Securitron. Afton flops into the chair next to her and kicks his feet up on the coffee table, slouching as if he''d been on his feet all day. "Now, Shani, do you know why I''ve called you here?" She shakes her head, chewing her lip anxiously, "D-did I do something wrong, again?" He snorts at her answer and snatches up the T.V remote sitting on the couch between them, pointing it at the T.V and pressing a button. *Click!* Shani''s surprised to see an eagle-eye view of Hoover Dam on the T.V, whatever was recording it must have been incredibly high to see so much... Yet, whatever she focuses on is zoomed in so she can get a better look. Was the T.V watching her eyes to determine what she wants to see? "W-why are you showing me this?" she asks, unsure of what Afton wanted to show her. "Tell me, what do you see?... Don''t be shy, I want to hear your opinion." he says, lightly waving a hand towards the Television. ... Cautiously, she begins seriously examining what Afton was showing her. Specifically, she''s able to see Hoover Dam in its entirety, along with the regions at each end... On one side there was nothing except the occasional patrol of NCR soldiers, but on the other, she could see... Oh... Thousands of Legionary troops... She was sure that wasn''t all of them either, as they seemed to only be watching the wall they''d constructed. She feels herself beginning to hyperventilate as she remembers her treatment in the Legion camp... She''d been lucky enough to be spared most of their attention, but that didn''t mean she was left unscathed... Suddenly, she''s brought back by a gentle hand on her knee, Afton had leaned forwards slightly to comfort her, recognising what was stressing her due to what she was focussing on. Chapter 600 - Clear Vision "You alright?" Afton asks, waiting for her to calm down. She slowly nods, pulling her gaze away from the T.V, causing it to reset to the eagle-eye view of before. "S-sorry... I didn''t think I would be bothered by that..." she mutters.?? Afton pauses for a moment before leaning back again, resuming his earlier posture, "No, it''s my bad for not considering that... Have you figured out what I wanted to show you?" he tentatively asks. "T-the war?" she asks as even a fool could see the mounting conflict that would soon occur. Afton nods, "Exactly, the war... I wanted to ask you, if you succeeded on escaping this place, what would you have done?" he questions, wanting to put things in perspective for the girl, who seemed to only take things at face value. Confused and slightly frightened by the sudden change of subject, Shani drops into thought and for a moment and carefully considers it... She hadn''t really had a plan after escaping if she were honest, she was more interested in fleeing from the immediate threat to her life... Which had turned out only to be a misunderstanding on her part... "I... I don''t know?" He nods, "Exactly. What do you think would happen if someone figured out your abilities? At best you''d only constantly be fearing for your life... At worst? You''d be pulled apart and dissect by one fo the various factions that have a vested interest in uncovering your secrets. You think the NCR, Legion, Brotherhood, or Enclave would be merciful?" he asks and she shakes her head. "No... I don''t." she admits. He nods again, the sides of his lips upturning slightly, "I''m not telling you this to scare you, just to put things in perspective... This place is probably the only one that could guarantee your safety, not to mention the only place with the ability to follow through with it. Which is why I''m willing to offer you a place within it... Not as a maid, or whatever your doing now, but as an integral part of the system." he states and breaks into a full-blown grin as two mojitos appear just in time, lifting from under the table. She squints at him as he picks up the drink and slowly sips at it through the straw, not willing to touch her own drink. "What do you mean? I don''t know anything that could help you... And if you just want me for my abilities, wouldn''t that make you the say as the others?" she asks with furrowed brows. Afton chews the straw for a second before answering her question, "Well, you''re not really wrong, but how your treated is something you should take into account... The NCR would imprison you and experiment on you, the Legion would probably try to use you as a broodmare to try and create superior soldiers, the Brotherhood would judge you as a mutant and execute you... And the Enclave?... To be honest, I''m not really sure what they would do." he admits but shakes his head. "That''s not the point though, the point is, you''ll receive a high rank among Bulwark personnel and be able to choose your own fate... Your only duty would be to assist in matters relating to your abilities and Psykers in general, as well as reporting any visions you might have. I can even personally promise your safety." he says, trying to sip his drink but frowning when he realises he''d drank it all, afterwards taking Shani''s untouched one. "How could you guarantee my safety?" she inquires, "I know you own this place, but if people find out about my abilities, wouldn''t they react badly anyway?" Afton shakes his head and takes off his right glove, afterwards pulling up his sleeve and displaying his plant arm. "Well, considering we both possess supernatural abilities, I''d think it''d be in my own interest to make sure that doesn''t happen." he says while manipulating his arm into various shapes... A boat, dog, screwdriver, and finally a large blade that looked almost metallic... Shani watches on in awe, not having realised he was like her... She suddenly felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders, as if freed from some unseen shackle. Afton downs the rest of the drink and covers his arm again, "But... If you''re still unsur-" "I accept!" she interrupts, forcing herself to speak despite herself. "Good." he states, tapping the table with his heel twice which causes two more drinks to arrive, this time two dirty martini''s. He picks up both and hands one to Shani, clinking it with a ''cheers'' before unceremoniously downing that one too. ... "Should you be drinking like that?" she asks after a moment, wondering if her new boss is an alcoholic. He shakes his head, "Not really, but, you know, relationship problems." he chuckles before turning his attention back to the T.V. "Now, before we do anything, I want to discuss how your abilities actually work... Can''t do anything with them unless I understand how they operate." he shrugs. Shani nods and goes on to explain every time she''d had a vision, the last of which being the one where she was being operated on by Dala and Afton. Afton slowly nods while in contemplation, only to be interrupted when Glados'' voice speaks over the intercom. "Creator, Criminal Subjects 034 and 002 attempted to escape their imprisonment. They have been scheduled for express ''vacation'' under Doctor Dala. Would you like to oversee the process or procedure?" the robotic voice asks but he shakes his head. "Nah... 34 and 2? Those the one''s that trie to molest some of the other slaves, yeah?" "Affirmative." He nods, "Do what you want with them then." he states noncommittally before continuing to think about what Shani had told him. It sounded like she could only receive visions that directly related to her, physically and or emotionally... Could he use this facet of the ability to control it? Chapter 601 - Vise Person...? ... Afton thinks for some time, before eventually getting an idea... If he truly wanted to make use of the ability, then he''d probably have to put Shani in the position for it to activate. That would involve putting her there physically, or having her emotionally involved with whatever will happen.?? The only tricky part is, how would he do that? Or even, what would be a useful use for it?... Having someone able to see the future wouldn''t be helpful if all they saw was themselves tripping over themselves or getting the wrong desert. Thinking back to it, most of her visions involved times of great stress and potential danger... She said she hadn''t had any visions since the one of her being operated on, so, it was likely a difficult thing to judge. ... Well, the easiest is probably to just put her in danger... Or intend to put her in danger? He''d have to actually act for her to see a vision of it... So, maybe a timer that''d explode?... No... To be honest, this line of thought was more likely to turn her against him than anything else... Maybe if he became close with her he''d be involved in her visions? That''d allow him to change the future accordingly, or at least, act on what it was about. Still, a guttural feeling of disgust rose up in him at the thought of getting ''close'' with her just to use her like that. He immediately rejected the notion of becoming intimate with her for such a thing, and instead thought on whether or not friendship was another avenue?... Maybe?... Regardless, it wouldn''t hurt to try, worst comes to worst their friendship doesn''t work out and it makes things awkward when they have to work together. Just when Afton determines his plan of action, Shani''s eyes roll to the back of her skull as she slump into the chair limply. Afton quickly gets up and calls for Glados as he begins checking Shani''s condition, quickly noticing that she was somehow still conscious? "Shani?" he quickly asks in a worried tone. "Y-yes?" she mutters, still only showing the whites of her eyes. "Are you alright? What''s happening?" "I-I think I''m having a vision...?" she mutters, sounding slightly disorientated. Afton''s face gains a look of concentration as he presses her, "What''s the vision about?" "Uhm... I... I see a hooded man... He''s... He''s lying down atop a rocky hill... He''s looking down at Hoover Dam!" she chirps once she realises where she is. "What''s happening down at Hoover Dam?" ... "I-erm... There''s... A parade?" she mutters questioningly, "There''s lots of people, they''re watching the a stage... Someone''s walking on the stage...? He''s wearing a suit... Many masked, armed men follow him..." she carefully says. A man in a suit presenting at a parade in Hoover Dam? Sounds like he''s guarded by Ranger?... Afton''s eyes widen as he questions her further, "Do you see a winged vehicle anywhere with golden two-headed bears on it? Or maybe a large convoy? Something that would transport things large distance?" Shani unconsciously nods, "T-there is! Atop one of the towers..." Afton grins maliciously, President Kimball. The Vertibird is called ''Bear Force One'', and is the president''s personal transport vehicle. Welp, looks like he''d be sending another person to meet Daisy in the afterlife. "Shani, can you tell what time it is? Can you tell where the sun is?" "I-It''s too cloudy to see..." she mutters, "T-the hooded man has a watch though... I-it''s... It''s 4 PM, the date... It''s tomorrow!" she exclaims before suddenly passing out. ... Afton''s just left there next to the unconscious girl, just as many spiderbots arrive to take her into the Auto-Doc. Afton chews his lip for a moment before sending them off. He''d considered having them check her brain waves, but knew it was too late to scan them since the vision had ended. As much as he''d love to continue contemplating this, he had things to do now... Apparently, President Kimball would be arriving at Hoover Dam tomorrow at 4 PM, so he''d have to make some preparation... As well as check on what the fuck his spies were doing... He knew when Crocker took a shit, so how did he not know what the President would be arriving!? Quickly, he goes and starts organising everything, abandoning his other duties for the day. He knew the hooded man was likely Boone, due to the modifications that''d been made to Bulwark''s stealth gear... For missions where you''d have to sit in the sun all day, an insulated hood was more than welcome... Come to think of it, did Boone even have a watch? Afton shakes his head and has Glados prepare one, he''d give it to the man just in case, creating a paradox was the last thing he wanted to do. Wait... Why did Shani even have a vision of Boone? "Urgh..." Afton feels like tearing his hair out. "Glados, have Boone and Shani had any contact since her rescue?" "Negative." ... So, either something happens in the future that has Shani emotionally invested in Boone, or, she already had a crush on the man?... Regardless, he''d need to take extra precautions, almost all of Shani''s visions end up with some sort of disaster, with the vague exception of her latest one. Whatever, once Kimball was assassinated, the destruction of the NCR would finally begin. He''s about to get to work when Glados speaks up again. "Creator, Subject Designated; Tamia, and the group assigned to her have not regained contact. What are your instructions?" ... Huh, he thought they''d be able to contact Tamia once she reached the end of the Railway tunnel, but apparently, something had happened to prevent that... "Hmm, she could handle herself. Probably?... Send some patrols through the railway tunnel and search for any discrepancies, uh,er yeah... If you find any Cuthulu''s hiding down there don''t tell me about it, I''m definitely not dealing with that Lovecraft shit." he states before getting back to work. Chapter 602 - Traitor Angst Boone releases a sigh as he hikes up the mountain, pulling up the strap holding the silenced Anti-Material Rifle. He was beginning to regret accepting this mission without asking what it was, he''d only actually realised what he''d be doing as he started climbing. The parade awaiting the president''s arrival had already been prepared, allowing him to see the various decorations and etc. It wasn''t the fact he''d be assassinating someone that was bothering him though, as he''d done that plenty of times in the past as well.?? No, his internal debate is due to who he was assassinating... While he had set himself against the NCR and had no intentions nor hopes of rejoining them, there was a limit to how much he could suppress and ignore. How did a loyal soldier, born and raised, end up on a mission to assassinate the President of the country he once served? It was pretty hypocritical he noted to himself... He was willing to kill soldiers, but not the man leading them? He sighs as he climbs up a steep wall, unceremoniously throwing himself over it before readjusting the hood shielding him from the sun. It wasn''t sunny, but it certainly felt better for him to hide his face, as if it were numbing his emotions for him. Soon enough, he reaches the peak where he drops to a knee and starts organising all his equipment. He lays it all out on the floor, noting everything that might be useful for the act, as well as fleeing from it once it happened. Sniper, Explosive Ammunition(For a sure kill and to disorient the enemy), Stealthboy, Legion Denarius(Coin to make the Legion seem responsible for the act), and... A Cigar... No, that''s just his personal item... He checks his watch and notes that it''s only 3 PM, meaning he had around an hour before his target arrived. He didn''t doubt the intel he''d been given, as Afton was never wrong with this kind of thing, nor would he rely on unreliable intel. Boone just sits down and lights his cigar, slowly smoking it as he waits for the moment... He observes the Dam and notes that everyone inside was rather frantic, meaning they hadn''t known that the President would be arriving soon. Heh, why isn''t he surprised that Afton would know before the people attending the parade? He chuckles as he digs the cigar into the ground, quietly and carefully taking up position and awaiting the president. An hour passes and the President''s Vertibird finally arrives, doing a couple laps around the Dam before quickly landing on the roof of one fo the towers. Boone could have tried shooting it down with the President inside, but felt it was better to assure the man''s death instead of risking it on a plane crash. The parade finally begins, and many rangers lead the President up onto the stand where he begins giving a speech. Boone actually finds himself unconsciously listening to the man, seemingly forgetting about his duty as he finds himself enthralled by his charisma... A single tear collects in one of his eyes and he''s forced to shake himself out of his stupor. Gritting his teeth, he aims at the President and squeezes the trigger, but can''t find the strength to complete the action... His arm trembles, making aim unstable as he finally loses his composure and drops the gun. Looking at his hands in surprise and anger. "*Bzztch!* Boone, you gonna take the shot or what?" Afton''s voice asks over the radio, revealing that he''d been watching from somewhere the entire time. ... "I-..." he trails off and hears Afton sigh at the other end. "If you can''t do it then just say so, there are other plans in place." he states. ... Boone looks down at the parade and back at his gun, "I can''t complete the mission." he reluctantly states, knowing that adding this regret to his list would only make his life harder... If Afton had another way of completing it then he''d prefer to not have bloody hands... Especially the blood of a President. "Alright, don''t worry about it buddy. There are some things I''m not willing to do either, I''d be a hypocrite to blame you for this." Afton says as Boone catches a shadow descending from the corner of his eye. He looks at it and notices some sort of orb floating high in the sky, directly over the parade stage... It was carrying something, ''Was'' being the main concern as whatever it''d dropped was rapidly headed for the President. Boone does nothing though, resting his hands on his knees as he watches the events unfold. The thing crashes directly onto the President, killing him instantly in a spray of blood, and before people were even able to react it explodes, killing most of the rangers and Parade watchers. *BOOOM!* Smoke billows to the sky, and after the dust clears all that''s left of the stage is scorched ruins. A few injured people try to crawl away to safety, but another explosion occurs nearby... Bear Force One, the President''s Vertibird had exploded as well, collapsing the tower it was on and killing many NCR troopers. Boone watches on with a neutral expression, not being able to bring up any emotions at the sight. He wanted to feel something towards the death of many former colleagues, but he simply didn''t. As if he were watching a movie, and those dying were only actors. "Boone, get outta there before they start scanning the surroundings." Afton''s voice shakes him from his thoughts, and he unconsciously nods while picking up his gear. Quickly leaving, but not before tossing the single Denarius off of the mountain peak, allowing it to roll onto the Dam. It was unlikely they''d pin the attack on the Legion, but the regular soldiers wouldn''t think like that... Instead, turning their ire towards their closest enemy, instead of the one actually capable of committing this act... After all, the Legion isn''t able to drop bombs from the sky, and if they were, the NCR would certainly know about it. Chapter 603 - Presicide The death of President Kimball sends shockwaves throughout the Wasteland. After all, it wasn''t every day a world leader gets assassinated, and the only thing that''d come close in recent memory would be Caesar''s capture, which in the end didn''t result in any casualties. Obviously, the biggest group affected by the news was the NCR themselves, their commander and chief had just been crushed and exploded. While some guy with a bright idea in Hoover Dam had decided to report on it over the radio... This allowed the whole of New California to hear how their president was murdered, and that there was no reasonable way to prevent it.?? Not only that, but some ''person'', managed to record it on Holodisk and distribute it around the NCR capitol... How they managed to travel such a vast distance in such a short time was a mystery only a few had ideas about. The hit to the country''s morale was huge as a result, the amount of NCR troops being recruited had dropped significantly, forces the NCR to scramble to introduce a draft, or mandatory enlistment. This combined with the rather hopeless situation in the Mojave had protesters out in a matter of minutes, all declaring that the NCR should pull out of the Mojave as it was a lost cause, and would bring the end of the nation. This was quickly rejected, however, as New Vegas was simply too profitable and too influential for the higher echelon, it couldn''t be abandoned on some ''rabbles'' say so. The upper-ranks of the NCR were also frantically trying to get things back under control, and to establish a new president... This was incredibly chaotic though, as no one had expected Kimball''s death anytime soon. Multiple parties all simultaneously attempted to seat their own person on the position, while others even began campaigning, as if it were just another election cycle... Most of these only drew the public''s ire however, as, despite President Kimball''s blunder in the Mojave, he was still a decorated war hero, and well regarded by most citizens. Due to their obvious disrespect for the fallen President, most were swiftly rejected for the position, leaving it empty for now. It was unlikely the role would be filled until the situation in the Mojave was resolved. Thus, leaving the countries Generals with the Presidents responsibilities. The matter of who committed the assassination was also a hot topic. Due to the Holodisk provided, most believed it was some sort of artillery attack that killed the President, leading them to pin it on the Legion due to their close proximity. If the citizens that were for the war were ''eager'' before, now they were outright bloodthirsty. Anyone who spoke out to try and pull out was regarded as a coward and traitor, not willing to avenge their President. Of course, there were a few groups saying that the Brotherhood, Enclave, and Bulwark were responsible, though, they didn''t have enough supporters to gain any traction. Another thing to note was the reactions from some of the Mojave military personnel. General Oliver, a man who''d always dreamt of becoming President was shocked, enraged, and in utter despair by the events. He didn''t really care that Kimball was dead, but his chance of becoming President has been reduced to zero. He was, in the end, the one responsible for overseeing the President''s safety. He was in charge of the Mojave, and so the President could have only come after the guaranteed his safety. It was a miracle General Oliver hadn''t lost his rank and been dishonourably discharged, but that didn''t make the situation any more bearable for the man. As for the Legion''s reaction to the assassination? Caesar actually claimed they were responsible for it, immediately afterwards saying that once they took the Mojave, New California would be next. His words only added fuel to the pyre that was the war. The Legions morale had finally recovered from what Bulwark had done to them, and the Legionaries had actually made it a game to fire bottles containing written messages at Hoover Dam. Taunting the NCR soldiers for Kimball''s death, and that everyone they loved would be next. Last and certainly not least, was the Brotherhood of Steel''s reaction. As soon as they had been notified of the news, Brotherhood patrols began probing the NCR territory''s defences. Launching small attacks against outposts, and even capturing a few of them. The only thing that was currently holding them back were the NCR''s rather vast arsenal of armoured vehicles. Tanks, Artillery, etc. Unfortunately, these were spread incredibly thin in an attempt to prevent the Brotherhood from gaining any foothold, making them easy picking for any coordinated assault. With the NCR leadership chaotic, citizens panicking, and the military on their last legs, it wouldn''t be long before the NCR finally fell. What was worse was the fact that almost everyone knew it, but no one could, or would stop it. Unbeknownst to everyone, Afton was calmly observing all of this occur with his diverse surveillance systems. He couldn''t help but feel like an evil mastermind due to him literally orchestrating all of this... He would be the person responsible for the downfall of the NCR, and no one would even be aware of it, at least, not until the very end. "Revenge is best served cold." he smirks to himself as he watches the NCR hastily try to suppress the mounting protests through his T.V. He idly wonders what would have happened had he been reborn in New California... Would he have spared them? Or would it turn out the same? With him branching off and forming his own faction?... Would he even have acquired a Pipboy and discovered his power?... Probably not. He shakes his head, no point in thinking about meaningless shit like that. He was here, and he needed to keep it that way. Chapter 604 - Flayed *BOOOOOOOOOM!* A huge explosion rocks the city, killing hundreds of flayed men that were unable to escape the nuclear explosion. Tamia puts away the laser detonator that she''d found earlier while scavenging and drops the ''Red Glare'' rocket launcher back onto her shoulder.?? She''d been stuck in this city for a day now, almost constantly fighting the never-ending forces of flayed men that continually crawled out of the word work. The desolate city looked even more devasted after the constant fighting, especially considering the fact she''d set off a number of undetonated nuclear bombs that''d been liberally scattered around the place... Apparently, this place had held many nuclear bombs before the war, most of which hadn''t actually been launched of detonated until Tamia came. It was fortunate she found the laser detonator, which seemed to be the only weapon actually capable of activating them. The fighting had definitely left a toll though, she''d lost two Cyberdogs from a rather vicious ambush a couple hours ago, and one of her remaining three Ultimo-Bots was missing an arm from a close call. Her previously pristine armour was thoroughly scarred and scorched, it having taken the impact of multiple missiles, plasma shots, laser shots, high-calibre bullets, and even projectiles of pure radiation. She was very lucky that Afton had taken high level of radiation into account when designing the armour as if she was equipped with any regular Power armour she''d have most certainly died of radiation poisoning by now. She''d barely slept, but couldn''t even consider resting as she and her group were almost constantly under attack. She leans over the rooftop balcony and fires a volley of missiles from her rocket launcher, causing a line of smoke clouds along where the flayed men had been hiding. The only indication given that she''d hit something were the limbs that flew away in various directions. *Bang!* A sniper shot rings out, and Tamia brings her arm up just in time to catch it with her wrist shield. Growling to herself, she turns and points the rocket launcher at the building where the bullet had come from, easily spotting the scared-shitless flayed man who was trying to run away. *Peeeeuchhh!* *BOOM!* The missiles land just under the man''s feet, instantly killing him and rendering them a fine red mist. Once that''s done, Tamia hops off of the building while her troops follow her... Only for a ferocious scream to draw her attention... A Legion soldier was charging her with a bumper sword, a weapon considerably smaller than her own. Giving a small snort, she drops her rocket launcher and draws her energy blade from her back, swinging it at the enemy who tries to parry it... *ZWUNG!* The energy blade cuts through their sword, and then their arm, shoulder, and torso. Their eyes bulge in shock as their upper body slowly slides from their other half. Tamia stretches her arms out in a taunting gesture, "ANY ONE ELSE!?" she shouts, daring any survivors to try attack her. ... The silence is deafening, but reassuring as Tamia didn''t think the flayed men capable of resisting such provocating. From what she''d observed during her time here, while they possessed some intelligence, they were far too quick to anger, allowing most taunts to work on them... She''d even spray-painted a wall with various insults, and they''d destroyed in a fit of rage, not noticing her standing behind them with sword drawn. Fortunately, that seemed to be all the flayed men in the area, allowing her to finally progress through this hellscape. "*Bzztch!* "Good work, you''ve committed genocide against those that used to call you friend, had to come back and finish the job... I do not blame you, their suffering can not be measured by pain alone, though, I wonder if you regret it." Tamia scoffs, "Regret defending myself and killing them?" she retorts as if asked a stupid question. "No." the man states but doesn''t elucidate. "You''ve fought through this trial, but the next will be far darker... Remember, watch your step.*Bzztch!*" the call ends, leaving Tamia just standing there in thought. She''s still confused and in thought of the conversation as she and her group traverse the city, eventually finding the only path forward to be some sort of cave. It was unnatural though, formed from any collapsed buildings. The debris was so thick that the sun couldn''t breach through to the lower levels, and Tamia was pretty sure she knew what she''d find down there. The man''s warning obviously meant Tunnelers. Tamia was slightly wary of walking straight into their territory but didn''t have a choice in the end. If she wanted to reach her destination, and find out how she was related to this place, as well as the man, she''d need to keep walking. She leads the group down the tunnel, activating her helmets night vision as the light from outside slowly dimmed. Thirty minutes pass uneventfully, and the group walk out into a large cavern-like area... The peace is broken once Tamia spots the many small eyes staring at them. The Tunnelers were here, and it looked as if they''d stumbled into the entire hive. "Flame throwers!" she shouts, and the three Ultimo-Bots immediately step forth and begin incinerating everything around them. The Tunnelers skitter around the floor, walls, and ceiling, attempting to get to them, but the group retreat back into the enclosed tunnel, allowing them to funnel most of the Tunnelers through it. A few attempt to dig their way through the walls, but the Cyberdogs tear them to pieces as soon as they emerge. The only real problem is the fact Tamia isn''t able to use her greatsword, instead, having to rely on her old Ultra Chainsword due to the tight space. "Just die you lizard fucks!" she shouts after cutting the twentieth apart after it just blindly charges at her. She hoped they weren''t as numerous as the last hive she fought, otherwise this might just be the end of her. Chapter 605 - Gathering Remnants "Are you sure he''s going to be here? Far as I''m concerned, you''re just chasin'' ghosts." Doctor Henry mutters as he and Orion approach a hidden cave that was East of the Aerotech Office Park. It''d taken a while to travel to here from Jacobstown, but the situation simply demanded it... After Daisy had been assassinated by the NCR, Orion had immediately started searching for his old colleagues, eventually finding Doc Henry in the Supermutant sanctuary.?? It hadn''t taken much to convince the man to come along, as everyone in their group loved Daisy like a sister. The fact that she was murdered in such a fashion angered both of them to no end, which is why they had decided to take drastic measures. "I''d already been searching for ''im before all this shit went down. Tell me, what do sightings of a ''crazy bearded berserker'' say, was combined with mass raider disappearances in the area?" Orion asks. ... "That could be anyone though, why do you think it''s him?" Henry retorts. Orion shakes his head, "And the ghost stories depicting him as some angry demon? If that ain''t Johnson then I don''t know what is!" he states, not willing to be convinced otherwise. Henry just shakes his head, "Whatever, but if we end up running into a literal demon, I told you so." he says as they both enter the cave. Almost immediately Orion spots a bear trap he''d almost stood on, he catches Henry''s eyes and warns him as they head deeper. Eventually, they find themselves in a small cave room that has a few supplies scattered here and there, a bedroll sitting at the side with a freshly opened can of beans that seemed half-eaten? Suddenly, a blur leaps out from hiding, catching Orion in the face with a fist while putting Henry in a headlock, a revolver digging into his temple. "Who are you!? You think I''d let you take me out that easily!?" the manic-sounding man exclaims, but the familiar voice quickly draws the duo''s attention. "Johnson!?" Henry quickly asks, not wanting this fight to continue and lead to something they''d all regret. ... The man crooks a brow and leans forward to get a better look at Henry''s face, dropping his revolver as soon as he realises who he was holding. "Doc! You are lucky I didn''t just decide to cut to the chase and put a few bullets in you! This ain''t the first time I''ve been attacked here after all!" he says, letting the doctor go and slumping onto his ass. "Damn, you look like shit." Orion says as he rubs his jaw where he''d been punched. Johnson glances up at Orion and chuckles, "Likewise... Why''re you two here? Must be pretty serious if you decided to visit me here, thought I''d go peacefully, but the looks on your faces say otherwise." he trails off. Orion gives a solemn nod, "Yeah... Daisy''s dead." he states. Johnson releases a sigh and looks down at the floor, "I see. How''d it happen?" he asks, knowing it wasn''t a good end judging by the duo''s presence. "She was shot. Right in front of me by an NCR sniper." Orion quietly says, staring off into the distance as if living through it again. "It wasn''t warranted at all. She the mayor of Novac, a Bulwark controlled town that''d peacefully existed without issue until then." he explains. Johnson clenches his fists and grinds his teeth when he hears this, and the only really Doc Henry wasn''t doing the same was that he''d already heard about it, and come to terms with it. "Those fuckin'' NCR bastards... We shoulda forced them out from the Mojave years ago! Moreno! WE SHOULD HAVE! But you didn''t want to fight anymore... And now what!? You come here with the complete opposite intentions!?" Johnson angrily exclaims. Henry rests a hand on Johnson''s shoulder, "Look, in hindsight it was probably the wrong decision, but we couldn''t have known that at the time. Don''t take it on Moreno, we all agreed to separate... We are all responsible." he reasons, and Johnson slowly recollects himself. "... So, what''re we gonna do? Attack Camp McCarren? Destroy Forlorn Hope?-" "Uh, about that. Camp Forlorn Hope was annihilated by Bulwark..." Orion sheepishly says, causing Johnson to go silent. ... "Hahahahaha!" the man suddenly breaks into laughter, "Hahahaha! S-so you''re telling me some group called ''Bulwark'' already destroyed that place!? What have the NCR done about it?" he giddily asks, as if he''d just received a birthday present. Orion gives a small smile, "Nothing. There''s nothing they can do. Bulwark is like what the Enclave was, but better. It comes with the technology, science, industry, wealth, that it had, but also the empathy that it lacked. No one even knows where Bulwark''s headquarters are, which is why the NCR hasn''t retaliated yet." he explains. Johnson nods but looks slightly uncertain due to the fact that it sounded too good to be true. He shakes his head and waves Orino off, "Enough with your sales pitch, just tell me who we''re going to shoot. Orion shrugs, "I actually thinking that we can ask Afton Parker, the leader of Bulwark where we can help... As much as I''d just like to destroy NCR infrastructure, we need to make sure the Legion doesn''t immediately take the NCR''s place in the Mojave... I''m sure you guys know enough about that shit-show to know what I''m talking about." Johnson glances over at Henry, "What do you think? I''ve never even seen Bulwark, can they be trusted?" Henry nods, "Yeah, over in Jacobstown they helped us deal with the NCR up there. Though, I haven''t yet met Afton Parker... From what Moreno said, he sounds like an interesting kid." "Kid?" Johnson parrots. "Yeah, apparently he''s not even outta his teens yet." ... Johnson sighs, "Alright, I''m in... Let''s collect our shit and see how we can help out." he says, getting off of his ass and shaking hands with his old friends. Chapter 606 - Convey To Convoy... Boi! "Hah... Hah..." Tamia huffs as she slowly stumbles out of the cave, into the hot desert sun that had somehow managed to breach through the sandstorm. Behind her limped a Cyberdog that had a large bite-mark on its leg, along with two other relatively unharmed ones. As for her Ultimo-Bots? Only a single one survived. She didn''t know how long she had been inside the Tunneler hive, but it had been more than a day at least. Tamia herself was on her last legs, having not slept for two days straight and fighting throughout most of that.?? She wasn''t injured thankfully, her armour had protected her from most attacks sent her way, but that didn''t mean her stamina wasn''t completely depleted. She could barely lift her arms as it was, let alone her Proton-Greatsword, so she was hoping there wouldn''t be any more enemies wherever she''d ended up. Fortunately, luck was on her side. Once she exited the cave she found herself on top of a raised highway that had survived the great war. A good portion of it was collapsed, but still, it stood standing... She wasn''t at immediate risk of getting attacked, but that didn''t mean she was safe either... In the distance, she could see a group of Flayed men running from a large figure... A swipe of its claws bisected a good portion of them... "A Deathclaw... First an army, then an army of Tunnelers... What''s next? An army of Deathclaws?" she mutters in a despairing and exhausted tone. "*Bzztch!* So, you survived the Tunnelers. Surprising. I thought they''d tear you apart as soon as you set foot into their lair, perhaps you and I are more alike than I thought." the man says over the radio. Tamia just shakes her head and leans against a concrete block, "Can this wait, for like, tomorrow? Or are you hoping your inane radio-chatter attracts something else to attack me?" she sarcastically remarks. "Hehe, thought you''d pick up the old-world reference... Alright, I''ll leave you to rest. I''ve left a cache of supplies under the car to your left with a painting on it. Use it, gather your strength, I await our meeting.*Bzztch!*" Tamia glances over to her left and quickly spots the car the man was speaking about. She stumbles over and drops to her knees beside it, reaching under and grabbing for anything of interest, all the while hoping there wasn''t a mine hidden there. After a moment she feels something, grabbing it and giving it a tug before pulling it out... It''s a rucksack filled with food, water, and medical supplies... No ammunition though? Must be placed in another stash somewhere. She looks around for a place she can rest, and eventually spots an upturned bus. She hops onto and crawls inside, leaving her Ultimo-Bot to guard them as the Cyberdogs join her. After checking for radiation in the area, she takes her helmet off, eats some Rad X, and begins to feed herself and her pets. After that''s said and done, she puts her helmet back on and leans backwards to catch some sleep. She didn''t know if she''d get another chance before meeting the creep on the radio. Judging by the fact he''s able to travel through this place in one piece, he must be fairly strong... As strong as her at least. Elsewhere : Colonel William Carver watches from the passage seat as they finally arrive in the Mojave. His convoy stops as soon as they reach the Mojave outpost, unfortunately, they simply didn''t have time to rest and resupply... They had to take care of the Brotherhood of Steel before immediately heading to Hoover Dam to shore up its defences. He gets out of the truck and greets Ranger Jackson wholeheartedly, sharing a hearty handshake as they make small-talk about the goings-on since last they met. William continues on the subject for thirty minutes until he has to break the bad news to his old friend... William coughs into his hand and present a small document, "Ranger Jackson, you will gather your best men and accompany the convoy to the Brotherhood of Steel base, as well as Hoover Dam after that... Sorry to say that this is General Oliver''s orders." he states. ... Jackson just dips his hat slightly and nods, "Can''t say I didn''t expect this... War was lookin'' good for a moment until Camp Formlorn Hope vanished..." he leans in close to Willian while cautiously looking over his shoulder, "This gonna be one of ''those'' missions... Some of my guys here still have families to return to, you know?" William releases a sigh, "I don''t know... I... I think there''s a good chance of none of us surviving. It ain''t the Brotherhood I''m worried about either, I''ve read Bulwark''s M.O, they won''t miss this chance..." Jackson nods, "You thinin'' they''ll flank us when we engage the Brotherhood?" William shrugs, "Probably? I don''t know. I''d love to request reinforcements for this, but, Hoover Dam needs any many men as possible." "Colonel! We need to move if we''re going to make it in time for the attack!" a voice shouts from the convoy. William nods, "Alright!... Jackson, gather your men and get suited up. And make sure your guys know just what kinda shit show we''re stepping in." "Aight..." Jackson says but stops as he begins to step away, "Hey, you think I could drive? Ain''t driven anything in years!" ... "Get your men here in half an hour and I''ll let you... Any later and you''ll miss your chance." William states before rejoining his convoy. With that, Jackson leaves and begins coordinating with his men to get supplies, weapons, and gear packed up and ready for travel. His men were surprised by the sudden mobilisation, but couldn''t do anything but follow orders... Though, by the grave looks some of them had, they knew the war would be reaching the tipping point soon enough. Chapter 607 - Fucked. Colonel William Carver looks through the window as his convoy approaches Black Mountain. The landmark was a clear indication that they were nearing the Brotherhood base, so he and his men were terribly tense awaiting the battle that''d occur in an hour at the latest. No one was panicking fortunately, he''d already laid out the plans to his men, so once the convoy reached a distant point, the artillery machines split off from the trucks carrying most of the troopers.?? The Artillery machines made a left on the road and slowly pulled themselves up a slight incline, gaining height and eventually arriving to a place that looks over the road with the Brotherhood base in the distance. The trucks carried on instead, driving down the road until the Brotherhood base was in sight. Once they''d arrived, they stopped the trucks and all quickly got out with their weapons, many of them carrying sandbags out and stacking them to create makeshift barricades. Jackson personally led the group while the lieutenants that''d come with William assisted, knowing Jackson was a higher rank than them. Once the preparations were all complete, with snipers in position, artillery ready, each specialised squads ready to fire, Jackson looks through his binoculars towards the base. In the distance, he could see the walls with seemingly no one atop them... Aside from the few armoured shadows that would walk across it, obviously patrolling... Had the Brotherhood somehow not noticed their presence yet? "Sir?" a trooper beside him cautiously asks. Jackson squints his eyes, feeling as if something very bad was about to happen, "What is it?" "We-er, we found something strange?" the trooper states, pulling Jackson''s attention and gesturing at a small mound of dirt that seemed to have been disturbed a while ago. The NCR troopers were all staying a good distance from it, scared it might be a buried missile, mine, or even an undetonated nuclear bomb. Fortunately for them, it was none of the above. Once the soldiers had determined that it was safe, a couple brushed the dirt from it, eventually, it was revealed... Some kind of obelisk made from blue-tinted metal, that seemed to be electronic? "Sir! We''ve discovered another!" another soldier says, but Jackson gets a cold sweat on his back when he properly looks around. It was faint, but he could see disturbed earth everywhere as if there were hundreds of these strange obelisks just waiting for their arrival. "SHIT! IT''S A TRA-" *CRAACK!* Lightning descends from the sky all around the NCR, it was loud but not as much as you''d expect lightning to be... It did blind most of them however, leaving only Jackson who still wore his favourite sunglasses able to see. "ARRRRGH!!!" Screams break out all around him as Jackson realises what''d just happened... Towering figures appear all around them, many Deathclaws and Cyberdogs had just been teleported into their midst! The NCR was no stranger to Deathclaws, but the only efficient way to deal with them was from a distance... Getting up close and personal like they were now was a complete death sentence! "SIR! H-HELP! SAVE M-GUHK!" the young man''s pleading is cut off as a long claw penetrates his throat, and tears his head from his body. Jackson throws himself to the ground in order to dodge the maws of another Deathclaw, firing at it with his revolver to deal some damage at least. The Deathclaw is about to cut him to ribbons when another soldier runs in front of it screaming while a Cyberdog''s jaws are locked around their ankle. This luckily draws its ire as it devours that man and seemingly forgets Jackson, he begins crawling backwards in a panic. He wasn''t trained for this! Nor was he prepared for anything even approaching this disaster! Jackson continues crawling backwards in a daze until the sounds of screaming slowly fade from his ears... Though, whether this was just him hallucinating while in shock was another matter entirely. *Grrroowwwl* ... Jackson slowly turns his head to look at whatever was behind him, his eyes widening and tearing up when he spots the humungous Cyberdog. Gabe doesn''t let the man try to fight back, instead, unleashing a sonic bark point-blank at him, which makes his body literally implode from the force. Arms, legs, bones, and organs go flying as the shockwave hits him, killing him instantly. Elsewhere : Colonel William had been watching these events from the artillery machines. He''d thought that the lightning bolts were the attack, but once the dust cleared and revealed the army of Cyberdogs and Deathclaws, he had absolutely no clue how to proceed. There was literally nothing he could do about this, aside from the obvious which meant blowing enemies and allies alike with an artillery strike. He grits his teeth and looks over at his shocked men, "IGNORE IT AND FIRE UPON THE BROTHERHOOD BASE! IF ITS MUTUAL DESTRUCTION THEY WANT, THEN IT''S MUTUAL DESTRUCTION THEY''LL GET!" he roars, pushing his men to quickly start firing. The artillery machines all point their payloads towards the base, and after making sure the targets are set, fire. Many, many missiles all launch off into the sky while leaving smoke trails, doing an arc before heading straight for the Brotherhood base. However, William isn''t able to observe the destruction they''d caused because a number of shadows had surrounded the three artillery machines. His door is wrenched open, torn from the vehicle and tossed away like a frisbee as an arm grip tightly his face. "Guhk!" William yelps as he grips the arm, trying to prevent his neck from being broken by the whiplash. Once outside, he looks up at whoever was holding him, only to see someone dressed in full Bulwark Power armour. Their menacing-looking helmet bearing down on him. "W-who are you!?" he chokes out, wanting to know who exactly is responsible for all this death. Chapter 608 - Percentages No Bueno Afton chuckles from behind his helmet at the NCR Colonel''s question. "Nunya." he states, awaiting the response. ...?? His captured prey doesn''t say anything though, their face was locked in fear and desperation... But doesn''t move afterwards. Afton feels his pulse and realises he''d accidentally killed the man by squeezing his head too hard... "Fuck..." he mutters, looking around for any survivors, eventually spotting one that was getting mauled by a couple Cyberdogs. "Hey! Nunya Business!" he shouts and grins at getting the joke off of his chest, all the while ignoring the soldiers screams of terror and agony. He looks around the three artillery machines as the Bulwark soldiers which were comprised of former Brotherhood members mechanically executed the surviving NCR. Once that was said and done, he walks over and checks out the vehicles. The artillery machines were essentially rocket launchers on wheels. With huge payloads on their backs that were capable of annihilating targets from huge distances. This was easily displayed by what they''d done to the Brotherhood base... Afton looks over at the base in the distance. Its walls had been utterly decimated, any infrastructure had collapsed and been destroyed, and even the Bunkers that''d survived the great war had received significant damage. Fortunately, he wasn''t forced to fight these things in any difficult situations. If the NCR had any real idea about Bulwark''s capabilities, how Bulwark operated, or even what Bulwark was willing to do, they''d pose a much greater threat than what''d happened here. The ambush itself was rather easy for Afton to set up. Place decoy robots in the Brotherhood base and place teleportation extenders in potential strategic positions around it. Once the NCR turns up, teleport in his forces and watch the chaos unfold. In all honesty, he didn''t even have to turn up. The only reason he was here was to make sure the artillery machines weren''t booby-trapped and were fully operational. He''s lost in thought until Melissa walks over with her helmet off, "H-hey, Afton?" "Yeah?" "Why are we executing them? Can''t we, like, imprison them instead?" she asks, clearly disturbed by the orders they''d been given. Afton shakes his head, "No. I''m not willing to waste resources on imprisoning them... Look at it this way, there''s two choices for them. A; be executed... And B; get captured, tortured for intel and then experimented on" he states noncomitally. ... "Uh... Experimented on?" she cautiously questions. "I-er... misspoke, my bad, I only meant tortured for information... Don''t you have things to do? Go set up the teleport extenders to transport the artillery machines." he shoos her away, only now realising his mistake... The Brotherhood was created in the first place to stop abominations from being created, something he and the Think Tank were coming perilously close to doing. That''s the main reason he''d kept such research under wraps, he''d only be willing to reveal its existence once the Brotherhood of Steel as a whole was destroyed. Once Melissa left Afton continued examining the Artillary machines, they were 99% functional, with only some dust damage from the drive over. They were still fully stocked and supplied with missiles, which would allow Bulwark to replicate it for further use. The only thing that needed to be done now was clearing up the bodies and shipping the vehicles back to Bulwark... Hiding the bodies would stop the NCR from discovering what''d happened too quickly, it''d delay the war for a day or so depending on what happens. After they all return to base, Afton has Glados get to work transporting the Artillary machines to the workshop in order to modify them for the coming battle. He was hoping to have them ready by the time the Battle of Hoover Dam begins as it''d reduce the NCR''s morale and be helpful in decimating any Legion forces. Some Saturnite plating and other system upgrades should be good enough, as well as easy enough to install before the battle begins. Almost all preparations had been made so far, so all that was left was to finalize a couple projects and have the teleporter extenders ready to transport an army. He''d have the extenders around the Brotherhood base moved to the large hill that overlooks Hoover Dam. "Glados, give me some numbers for the battle." he asks, wanting to hear what she thought of their planning. She''d helped prepare for it though, so perhaps she''d be a little bias?... "98.5% chance of victory, losses are guaranteed but these should only be from our expendable forces." she states. Afton crooks a brow, "What''s the other 1.5%?" he asks curiously. "It takes into account the possibility of another nuclear apocalypse, alien invasion, the bible and rapture being real, the world being a simulation, and the possibility of you inexplicably committing suicide and self-destructing our forces." Glados explains. ... "Out of that 1.5%, how big is the chance for the rapture actually happening?" he asks, surprised that she''d even consider it. "0.0000000000000000001%, Creator." Afton slowly nods, thinking that was about right. "What''s the highest possibility of happening out of the 1.5%?" "Another nuclear apocalypse obviously. If humans are stupid enough to do it once, it is likely for them to do it again. The next would be an alien invasion, but there isn''t enough evidence to even support their existence, making the chance of a coordinated assault lower than one would expect." she explains. Again he nods matching her opinion, he wouldn''t be surprised if the post-apocalypse China attempted to nuke North America again just for shits and giggles. The amount of propaganda left behind after the war would likely have an effect on any surviving populace... Especially since America did literally nuke them. "Alright, the battle should be starting soon enough. Alert the troops and make them aware that they may be moved out suddenly." he says while leaving to check on the progress of the Vertibird. "Affirmative." Chapter 609 - Truth Of The Matter Tamia certainly wasn''t having a good time in the Divide. While Afton was preparing for the Battle of Hoover Dam, she was running through a military base with hundreds of Tunnelers hot on her tail. She''d lost the single remaining Ultimo-Bot when they started swarming, as well as the Cyberdog that had been limping... It was probably considered easy prey for the Tunnelers, as they easily caught it and torn it to pieces. *BOOM!* As for why the underground military base was exploding? Well... She may have pushed a random button and set off a random nuke, that may have exploded over a random location... Randomly... Sure, it could probably be judged as her fault, but, who just places a big lever there and not expect someone to pull it? How was she to know it would launch a LITERAL FUCKING NUKE! After that, her only path forward had been the underground military base that''d launched it, which was now malfunctioning and exploding due to having launched a nuke earlier... Yeah, not her fault... The nuke probably also awoke the hive that was hiding down there, which might have been why they might have been waiting for her. As much as she hated to run, she simply wasn''t equipped to deal with so many alone. Sure, her Cyberdogs might be able to fight off a couple, but they''d quickly get overwhelmed and devoured if they tried to directly fight the enemy. She still needed them to teleport back to Big Mt once the sandstorm cleared up, so her only option was to run. Honestly, she''d gotten lucky prior to pressing the lever. After awakening from her sleep and venturing down the highway, she''d only run into one Deathclaw. One which had already been heavily wounded after fighting many flayed men. She''d been running through this labyrinth-like place for an hour now with the Tunnelers hot on her heels, yet it felt as if she was only going deeper and deeper underground. It was incredibly disorienting, and if she weren''t being chased right now, she''d stop for a while to recollect her senses. Fortunately, judging by the sudden change in aesthetics, she was still progressing... The clinical metal of the military base had faded and she''d seemingly stepped into some sort of hotel building that''d also been buried. A yelp behind her signals that she''d lost yet another Cyberdog, leaving her with only one left... She couldn''t do anything aside from running though. Soon enough, she reaches a door that had beams of light peaking through it, signalling it was likely the exit outside. She crashes through it with her shoulder, pulling the pin on a grenade and tossing it behind her to collapse the entrance and prevent any Tunnelers from following. *BOOM!* The place shakes as the unstable earth collapses right onto of it. The Tunnelers give a final screech as they are buried... Probably not dead, but it''d restrict their movement for now at least. She falls to her knees and heavily pants for a couple minutes to gather her breath, her one remaining Cyberdog doing the same next to her. "*Bzztch!* Hopeville, High Road, Ashton... Tiny cracks in the earth, nothing compared to the road carved ahead... Before you, this is the edge of the Divide. Ahead lies your work, the history you burned in the earth. What you brought to the people here." the man says in a tense voice, clearly aggravated by the subject matter. "Hah, hah, hah..." Tamia swallows her saliva and looks up to see what the man was referring to, quickly getting a glimpse of the utterly devastated landscape. She appeared to be in some sort of canyon, yet, the presence of buildings and skyscrapers showed that it hadn''t been formed naturally. It seemed to have been formed after the skyscrapers had, as the buildings themselves were halfway buried in it, fused to the canyon walls as if they were pillars holding it up... The ground level didn''t look any better, metal and concrete scrap littered the place, and she was unsure if it was even traversable for regular people... Currently, she was standing atop a skyscraper where the exit had led, getting a good look at the landscape she apparently had a hand in creating. She glances at her Pipboy and glower, "Why are you so hellbent on pinning this shit on me? There''s no way I had anything to do with creating this!" she gestures at the landscape. "You delivered a package, had markings that matched those in the Divide. Not all... But enough. Military markings, from someplace the Bear had scavenged in the west. Maybe seeing those markings on it reminded you of home... Made you carry it." he chuckles morosely. "That''s what I hope happened... But I knew you, knew who you served... We were the same, you a spy for Caesar... And me, a Frumentarius... Tell me, did Caesar order you to bring it to the Divide? Was it sabotage, or an accident like you had earlier with that nuclear bomb?" the man asks. "No... I... I don''t remember, but I don''t think I would do something like this on purpose... If I did it at all." she states while chewing her lip in thought, "What was brought here anyway?" "A detonator. Once I''d never seen before... Or heard before. You carried that thing into the Divide. I know because I followed you as you walked the road, Watched you do it. You brought it here, to the community you built. And you are responsible for what happened after..." he trails off and releases a solemn sigh. "When the device opened, started to speak. The Divide answered back. Those missiles you''ve seen, buried in their silos. They exploded beneath the ground, cracked the landscape, sand, ash... The dead... The Divide skies became a graveyard." Chapter 610 - Not So Lonesome Road... Tamia squints her eyes in thought, finding discrepancies in the man''s story. "So, I''m just supposed to take your word that you were here, and somehow managed to survive many nuclear bombs simultaneously exploding?" she questions. "Should''ve died there... But now I know you live... The machines here... saved me. I was the only survivor, or I thought I was. The device did not just activate the bombs, but the rest of the facilities... Medical machines began to build themselves, then others. They only take what parts they find in the Divide, never roam beyond it... Can''t even leave the silos without a human to shadow, like hounds... Maybe they saw the flag on my jacket, thought I was of America. If so, history saved me again. A sign." Tamia shakes her head, wondering if this guy was wise or just crazy... She certainly couldn''t understand some of the gibberish he was spouting, yet... "So what, this is just revenge then? For almost accidentally killing you?" "Not the name I''d give it. Not the name the dead would give it. Soldiers of the Bear died here... Legion died, too, our brothers. Still dying both of them, all around us. None of the people that lived here survived, yet all the west and the east, they hold on as the Divide tears at them... Revenge, isn''t the message I have for you. More than that... Courier." he states. She shakes her head, "What are the NCR and Legion both doing here anyway? I don''t remember any battles occurring here?" she questions. The man chuckles, "That. Is the question, isn''t it?... We are both at fault for this. You inadvertently created this place, a Courier that breathed life into these lands. After the settlers arrived, the Bear saw an opportunity. Decided to take it as its own... We. You and I. Did our duty as part of the Legion, alerted Caesar." he states, and Tamia slowly nods in realisation. It''s true... Looking at the map now, the Divide would allow the NCR direct access to the Mojave. If it was left open, the Legion would never have gotten a foothold in the Mojave, even miles east of the Colorado would have been impossible due to the NCR''s technological advantage. "I do not know if Caesar knew of the device, nor do I know if you intentionally brought it here... Regardless of your intentions... You. Still. Did it..." he sighs, "History does repeat itself. Human nature cannot be directed otherwise. You created this place, destroyed it. And now you are back..." he trails off. Tamia shakes her head, "I might not have even been responsible for this... My friend said that dealing in absolutes is the way of a tyrant, are you going to take revenge even though I might not even be responsible?" she asks, still confused about whether or not she had caused all this destruction. "If you had been there when it happened. If you had seen the Divide break, you would know it. You carry death wherever you go, you know this, and the Mojave knows this too... What happened here... Can happen again. You''ve already proved that back in Ashton, launching that bomb." "How was I supposed to know that lever would launch a nuke!? It wasn''t exactly obvious!" she retorts, but knows full well that she''s in the wrong for that one in particular. "Didn''t stop you, though. Like carrying the Chip to Vegas, Old World death in your hand. Pieces of the old world like that just need someone careless enough to take them where they need to go, to do their killing." ... "If you''re so bent on taking revenge then just come! I''m right here! Stop hiding behind these ''lost souls'' and fight me!" she challenges, wanting to get this over and done with so she could forget about this place. "Your roads not done. Haven''t walked it full yet, not nearly enough. The way ahead and below, leads to the heart of the Divide. And there... You and I, we''ll have an ending to things." he states. Tamia shakes her head, "How do I know you won''t run before I find you!? You''ve already shown how cowardly you are, hiding behind the radio to taunt me like some yellow-belly asshole!" The man chuckles again, "At the end of the Divide, through the trenches and wreckage. That''s where you''ll find me. My new home, here, amongst dead men... Keep your eyes on the tower that cuts the horizon... You''ll find your way. Made it this far, not much farther to go.*Bzztch!*" Tamia honestly felt like tearing her Pipboy off and throwing it from the Skyscraper. She didn''t know what that man would try to do once she reached him, but she was sure he had some plan. She shakes her head, stepping towards the ledge and looking down at the landscape. In the distance, looking like ants, more flayed men decorated the landscape. They hadn''t noticed her presence yet, but, if she wanted to get to the man, she''d have to go through them. She examines the canyon for a moment to try and find the best vantage point to strike, but realises her current position was probably the best she''d get... Though, she was wary of the stability of it. She reckoned one good hit would be enough to bring it down... But, she''d just have to take her chances. She gives her one remaining Cyberdog a pat on the head as she prepares her attack, getting out the Red Glare rocket launcher and taking note of the enemies positions. Mentally noting their campsites, hideouts, and the buildings they occasionally enter. Each would need to be thoroughly cleared before she started moving... She couldn''t risk another ambush, even with her Power armour, taking too much damage would either kill her outright, or make her too weak to face the man at the end of the road. She slides a canister into the rocket launcher and prepares her attack. "What would Afton say here?... Ah, I know... "Death from above!" she shouts as she begins firing like a madwoman. Chapter 611 - Secur-itron The Strip Its been twelve hours since the NCR convoy had been ambushed, and the NCR radio was filled with concerns from various outposts, Camp McCarren and Hoover Dam were the most prominent of which. Obviously, Mr House had quickly picked this up, realising the war would begin soon enough. But, he was missing his ''partner''. Tamia had not been in contact for a while now, and even Bulwark had not seen her recently, stating she''d left to complete some personal business. That was a major problem as he needed some last touches complete for his forces to be active... Fortunately, he''d rectified the situation by hiring some mercenaries who may or may not have been formerly affiliated with the NCR... A mercenary group called Dissuade. He''d heard about their success at breaking into the Bulwark controlled Novac, and while they had failed their mission, they''d done something that not many would manage. Of course, they were a member down now, but that still left him with three valuable mercenaries who happened to be in need of some caps. As to how they lost one of their members? Apparently, it was a disease they hadn''t managed to spot before it was already fatal... Not that such a thing bothered House, it was just peculiar to see elite mercenaries die from such a thing. The loss of their companion had forced them to cough up funeral fees, and their leader''s excessive spending at various casino''s had bored a hole in his pocket, leaving him and his group rather desperate for employment. He''d sent the Mercenaries, Drake, Madeleine, and the young boy hunter to complete some missions in Tamia''s stead. And they were successful for the most part, which led to now. to the current situation, in which House would finally make his bid for the core of the Mojave. Due to how he''d been forced to forcefully acquire a power station that was under NCR control, they were more or less aware that he was up to something... Not that they''d be able to pin it on him, one thing Mercenaries were good for was a degree of anonymity after all. Now that he had access to a good amount of power though, he was able to start moving his ''troops'' into position. He''d been in contact with Afton Parker to make sure they''d coordinate their assault properly, while House didn''t trust him completely, he thought that their goals were similar enough to justify an alliance. All that was left was the war, and gaining access to the Dam mainframe with a virus he''d given to his Mercenaries... Hopefully, Afton wouldn''t immediately kill them for their past actions... Despite their rough behaviour and rather caustic language, they were useful tools. Hopefully, the two hundred or so Securitrons he''d sent would show their worth. *BOOOOM!* Huh... Seems like the Legion had finally decided to make a move... He''d known about the Legion''s intentions with the Gomorrah casino for a while now, yet, he didn''t think they''d actually go through with it, especially considering how easily Afton Parker and his group had dealt with the Tops. The front of Gomorrah''s had just exploded, and many men in suits had stepped out with heavy weapons, ready to take over the strip... One was barking orders at the others, telling them to go plant the bombs before House tries to stop them... Unfortunately for the group, House had been well aware of their actions long before they''d even thought of doing them. The Omerta''s were unaware of the upgrades the Securitrons had undergone, thinking the change from pictures of Police officers to Soldiers was just an aesthetic one. This mindset quickly changed though when the Securitrons shoulders opened up to reveal many missiles... "HALT! You are under arrest! Lay down your arms and come quietly!" the robots all command in sync, their grenade launchers, shoulder-mounted rockets, machine guns, and laser rifle manipulators all pointing at the group. "HA! You think I''m gonna listen to some immortal big-shot loser!? THINK AGAIN HOUSE! NEW VEGAS IS MINE!" Houses face appears on the leading Securitrons screen as the Omerta laughs, "I see. I must regretfully render our contract void then." he states before the screen flickers, leaving the soldier''s face again. "Fire." the robotic voice states as the robots all begin firing an ungodly amount of weapons at the group of Omertas. *BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!* *BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!BANG!* *Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!Pew!* Volleys and volleys of bullets, missiles, grenades, and lasers pepper the group who are unable to react to the sudden attack. Blood, bones, organs, and limbs fly out from the dust cloud, signalling to the robots that their enemy didn''t escape, not to mention the civilians and NCR military police who''d been watching at the sidelines... Once the dust clears the only thing that''s left of the Omertas is a single pre-war hat, sitting over a scorched crater that''s filled with a couple inches of blood and organ mulch. A few people vomit at the sight, but one Securitron rolls over and turns to look at everyone, Houses face appearing on it again. "Greetings New Vegas. As you all may know, I am Mr House, the creator and maintainer of this fine city you all currently reside... I would like to announce something of importance, but first... Securitrons, take the NCR into custody for renegading from their contract with us, as well as the various crimes they''ve committed under my nose." he states, and the NCR military police are too shocked to act when the Securitrons roll over and demand their weapons. The NCR military police isn''t all that well trained, most of them considering this job more as a vacation from the front lines than anything else... This is the main reason they all easily drop their weapons and begin begging for their lives... Aside from the obvious fact that these crazy dangerous robots were pointing their weapons at them. Chapter 612 - Time For Speeches Legate Lanius stands atop the wall that overlooks Hoover Dam, his Legion standing the ready behind him. His formerly gold armour was no longer, instead replaced by the silver-blue metal that they salvaged from Bulwark''s strange vehicle. His blade had received a similar treatment, being remade with the metal and becoming one of, if not the best weapons the Legion had ever created. While he held in pride in using the enemies technology to create it, the fact he used the corpse of his enemy''s vehicle would make it all the sweeter when he cut them down, one at a time. While his armour had undergone a colour change, it was basically identical to his last suit aside from the material. A large helmet that resembles a bearded face, to strike fear into his enemies when he charges them. Large spiked pauldrons to give another method of attack. Thick breastplate to block the enemy''s gunfire, regardless of what it may be. With arm and leg armour to protect his limbs should he require it. Lanius was supremely confident in a Legion victory, Caesar has been the same. Their leader thought the NCR idiotic fools with an equally idiotic general, though, Lanius still had some worries about their greatest enemy thus far... Bulwark. Caesar had address this issue many times, saying they had expended all their effort attacking the Fort, and wouldn''t be able to muster up any significant defence. He explained he''d spied on their operations while he was captured, and was one hundred percent sure on what he saw... Despite that, Lanius still felt something was off... His instincts were screaming it, yet, he couldn''t put a finger on it. The only thing of significance he''d noticed was the fact that Caesar was quickly getting weaker and trailer as time went on... But Lanius just chalked that up to his age finally catching up with him. The large man shakes his head, he needed to forget these worries and concentrate on securing this land for Caesar and the Bull. He turns and looks at the tens of thousands of Legionaries all awaiting his speech, all eagerly awaiting the moment they could drown the NCR in fire and steel. He raises his arms out to his sides and a huge crowd begins to cheer, roaring in response while Lanius waits for them to quiet. ... And keeps waiting... ... Waaaiting.... ... "QUIEEET!" he shouts after two straight minutes of cheering, causing the whole place to go silent. No one dared speak when Lanius was as a swift death was the best punishment they could hope for. "LEGIONARIES! TODAY IS THE DAY WE FINALLY STRIKE! THE BEAR HAS LANGUISHED IN OUR DAM FOR FAR TOO LONG! I THINK IT IS TIME WE GORED THEM ON OUR HORNS, AND SHOW THEM WHO TRULY NEEDS TO BE FEARED!" "WE WILL BREACH THEIR RANKS, BREAK THEIR MEN, TAKE THEIR WOMEN, AND BUTCHER THEIR CHILDREN! THE DAM WILL RUN RED WITH THEIR BLOOD, AND WE WILL BE THE ONES TO DRAW IT!" "ONCE THE DAM IS TAKEN, NEW VEGAS IS NEXT! THAT VILE CITY WILL BURN, AND WE WILL FEAST FROM THE PYRE! FOR CAESAR!" """FOR CAESAR!""" """AVE CAESAR!""" """IN HOC SIGNO TAURUS VINCES!""" "WE WILL SOON ATTACK THE NCR HIDING BEHIND THEIR PUNY WEAPONS, AND I WILL LEAD THE CHARGE FOR CAESAR! FOR THE LEGION!" Lanius roars Elsewhere : Colonel Moore was beginning to panic... General Oliver, the man responsible for holding the Dam(not to mention responsible for almost losing it the last time the Legion attacked), wasn''t even present for the defence... Instead, he was taking command from an encampment in Boulder City, safely away from where combat was. She knew that he''d only approach the Dam once victory was assured, and if it looked like they were losing? He''d be long gone, on the road to New California with a cigar in his mouth and a patrol of bodyguards at his sides. Of course, this wasn''t the reason she was panicking... No, that would be because the orders the General gave to defend the place essentially amounted to; Sit tight and shoot anything that moves... No tactics, no plans... And even the reinforcements that were supposed to come via convoy had seemingly disappeared, along with the Artillery machines that would be the backbone of their defence. They only had just under nine thousand troopers in and around the Dam... Yet she''d heard of how many had massed behind that big''ole wall of theirs. Apparently, they''d brought almost everything they had available, leaving almost nothing in the east to manage the territory... Compare that to what the NCR had positioned here, and one would easily understand her feelings. She couldn''t even blame the corruption in the government either, the NCR''s territory was simply too large, which made it an easy target for raiders and other factions that wanted a piece of the pie. She releases a sigh and looks around at the troopers wearing salvaged power armour. they had around six squads equipped in the armour, and they were going to put half at the front lines and keep half in the Dam to protect from Legion incursions. The only thing the NCR really beat the Legion in were their guns and tech. The many old artillery cannons on the West side of the Dam would kill many Legionaries, but she still wasn''t sure if it would be enough... She was even tempted to try and request Bulwark for assistance, but quickly forgot that idea due to how it would be received by her superiors if they heard it. General Oliver was currently giving a speech on the radio, but it was obviously bland and scripted, with no passion or confidence, which was easily sensed by the troopers who seemed sure they''d all die here. Once it was over she stands from her chair and reports to her radio, "Prepare for combat, all units proceed according to the Generals orders.*Bzztch!*" she says before dropping the radio and heading outside to observe the battle with her own eyes. Chapter 613 - Battle Of Hoover Dam "CHAAAAAARRRRGGEE!!!" Legate Lanius screams as the army of Legionaries sprint from the wall towards the Dam. As soon as they leave the protective fortification bullets start flying left and right, the NCR army throwing everything as well as the kitchen sink at them. Lanius was leading the charge, but the NCR were dumbfounded to see bullets literally bouncing off of his strange blue-silver armour. The men around the Legate weren''t so lucky however, all the shots that miss Lanius hit them instead, leaving the large armoured berserker almost completely alone as he charged the first NCR fortification. This barricade was a couple hundred meters away from the Dam, it was essentially just a bunch of scrap metal welded together to form a makeshift barricade. Lanius somehow manages to avoid all the mines as he sprints at them, leaping over the barricade all the while bullets continue bouncing harmlessly off of him. His large blade falls onto the first NCR trooper, cutting halfway through his torso before the man gives it another shove to complete the bisection. The man''s screams ring out as the other terrified troopers watch on as the masked warrior begins decimating their defences. The army of Legionaries was slowly catching up to their leader, but the minefield was impeding their progress tremendously... Fortunately, there were enough zealous Legionaries willing to step on a couple mines to allow the army forward, eventually clearing enough that the army streamed over the barricade. Lanius had already killed half of the NCR troopers there by the time the army arrived, but with the reinforcements and the fear the Legate had put into them, the rest of the troopers begin rapidly retreating. They begged for their lives as the Legionaries chased them, crying as machetes and rippers tore into their flesh. *Dub! Dub! Dub! Dub!* Lanius looks around to find the strange noise, his eyes squinting as he recollects where he''d heard them before... "Ede faecum! MEN! TAKE COVER!" he roars as he finally spots the smoke trails in the sky headed right for them. Lanius throws himself behind the barricade and plants his blade into teh ground to keep himself steady just as the artillery shells hit. *BOOOOM!* A great many Legionaries were unable to retreat in time and were thus hit full on by the attack, dying a painful yet instantaneous death. It appears this was one of the NCR''s plan... Using the barricade to slow the Legion down and allow the artillery to do max damage. Lanius could respect such a tactic, but was pissed off with it regardless of his objective view. It had killed his men and stifled their great charge after all! Once the artillery stops, Lanius quickly gets up and looks around, spotting a few new craters and many new corpses. He doesn''t have time to wait around and see who''d perished, however, as the NCR would undoubtedly launch another artillery strike in a couple of seconds. He raises his sword in the air and shouts, "CHAAARGE!" for the second time. The Legionaries do as they''re told, the artillery strike had demoralised them slightly, but it was even approaching enough to provoke a route. Especially with Lanius fighting right beside them. *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!* As soon as the army sprints past the barricade and approaches the Dam, the discharge of heavy rifles could be heard as men begin dropping dead left right and centre. The NCR was known for its long-ranger weapon superiority, so it was no surprise that this was happening, at least, not for Lanius. A few .50 Caliber bullets crash into his breastplate and forearm that was blocking his face. The sheer impact of them almost knock him flat on his back, but he endures and continues moving, making sure to erratically dodge to make the enemy sniper''s job just that much harder. Finally, they reach the East side of the Dam. But... This is where the hard part begins... The Dam itself was rather thin, and wouldn''t allow the Legion''s numbers to all attack at once. This created an excellent chokepoint for the NCR to exploit, one that Lanius simply had no counter against. The only way to avoid this would be to collapse the Dam, which would be counterproductive of course, considering the Dam was needed for their campaign. Lanius continued forwards with his men, leading the charge, all the while waiting for his flanking forces to do their jobs... Unfortunately, they seem to have been held up by something, forcing the above-ground forces to work thrice as hard as was needed. *Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!* ... Lanius stops in mild confusion and ducks into cover, glancing around to see where that noise was coming from... It wasn''t artillery, he knew that for sure... So what could this new weapon be? What had the NCR sent to break against his army? Soon enough, his question was answered... Though, weirdly, the NCR troopers also seem dumbfounded by its appearance... High in the sky, a large shadow was cast from a huge plane that was coming from the west. It was headed east straight over the Legion army as the shocked onlookers watched with awe. Lanius knew this wasn''t good, but was forced back into cover as grenades flew towards him, stopping him from giving orders... Thus, most of his army just stood staring at the Bomber with confused looks. This continued until the aircraft began dropping large payloads... Bombs. Even the technologically ignorant Legionaries recognised this as a threat, and quickly tried to escape the impact zones. This proved futile however, as the bombs descended far too fast to be avoided. Add the destruction each bomb brought, and anything hit would undoubtedly perish. *BOOOOM!BOOOM!BOOOOM!BOOOOOOM!* The Bomber drops a lone line of destruction through the Legion army, killing hundreds, if not thousands of men in that attack alone. There were still tens of thousands remaining, but the sudden attack was as horrifying as it was effective. Chapter 614 - Rampage! Loyal gives a loud "Yeehaw!" as he and the other Boomers pilot the Bomber. This was their dream, and they were finally in it! He''d need to thank Tamia for her help after all this is done, as well as Mr House for providing the opportunity... "How''re those bombs lookin''!?" the old man calls to the back of the aircraft, wanting to know how many more passes they had before they had to return. "We got enough for two more passes Loyal! We got enough fuel for it!?" Loyal gives a beaming smile and nods, "Hell yeah we do!" On the ground, Lanius can only watch as the bombs drop onto his helpless forces. The Legionaries try to shoot back at it in response, but the bullets do little to nothing, even if they manage to actually hit it. Shaking his head, he prepares for another charge. He knew that the NCR wouldn''t dare bomb the Dam, it was already fragile enough from the two hundred years of little to no maintenance. If it fell, the rest of the Mojave would as well. A grenade drops nearby him but Lanius just kicks it back towards the NCR. It explodes just as it passes the barricade they were using as cover, killing and disorienting a good portion of them. Lanius gives a roar and charges once it explodes, headed straight for the first tower. A couple bullets skitter off of his armour, but he ignores it and beheads two NCR troopers who hastily try to retreat, knowing full well what awaited them if they got into melee range with the Legate. A trooper tries to use the bayonet on the end of his rifle to fend Lanius off, but he just grabs the blade with his gauntleted hand and breaks it, causing the man to squeak in fear and piss himself. "Futue te ipsum!" Lanius screams as he slashes the man with his blade, causing him to stumble against the concrete balustrade. He looks up just in time to see Lanius giving a great kick to his chest, launching him completely off of the Dam. "AHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh!" Lanius turns his furious glare towards the other troopers as the man''s scream echoes behind him. They cower in fear but continue to fight regardless, knowing they had nowhere to run. He enters the tower and tries to break the hatch that led further inside the Dam, but notices that it''d completely sealed... It''d been welded, as well as barricaded from the other side. *Bang!* Lanius stumbles forward as a hard impact hits him in the back, along with a few smaller ones at the back of his helmet. He turns with a fierce growl and spots the couple NCR troopers further up the tower, looking down at him with shocked looks. A couple minutes later after butchering the troopers and the Ranger sniper that''d been posted there, Lanius looks down and spots a few NCR soldiers wearing that accursed armour approaching the tower. He looks Eastwards and notices his army trying to fight through the surviving NCR troopers, but their progress was too slow to make it before he''d have to fight these specialised warriors. *Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!* He scowls as he spots that infernal aircraft flying over his forces again... He can only look away as the bombs decimate more of his men, turning his attention towards the enemies at hand. The NCR power armour team crashes through the closed tower door with weapons ready. One wielding a Minigun while a few others had assault rifles. Lanus leaps from the stairs though and drops right onto of the man wielding the Minigun, stabbing his blade into the crook of his neck where the armour was thinner. "Die cum armis huius sceleris reus!" he bellows as the others swiftly react and start pelting him with bullets. However, once they noticed the bullets doing nothing, they tossed them away and attempt to grab Lanius and use their slightly enhanced strength against the man... Unfortunately, Lanius was far stronger than he had any right to be. "RRRRAAAAGGGHH!!" the Legate roars as he twists an armoured troopers neck with a single hand, smacking another on the top of their helmeted head with the flat of his blade at the same time. *CraaaCK!* Their neck breaks with ease, leaving only two armoured troopers left, one charges Lanius while the other throws themselves at the Minigun, grabbing and revving it up while their teammate keeps Lanius busy. "Dodge this you BASTARD!" the trooper exclaims as he begins firing, only to realise too late that Lanius was using his teammate as a human shield. *DAGAGAGAGAGAGAG!* "AAARRRGGGHHHHhhh!" Lanius throws the bullet-ridden armoured trooper onto his friend which forces the Minigun to stop, afterwards jamming his blade straight into the only survivor''s neck. Once he was sure that was the end of them, he beheads one of the corpses and carries it outside, throwing it at the NCR soldiers who all pale in fear. "LAM PASSIM DIMITTUNT!!! WE WILL PAINT THE DAM LEGION RED WITH YOUR BLOOD!" he roars, turning to his army that''d finally caught up to his position, "MEN! CHAAAAARRRRGGGGEEE!" he shouts as he charges the enemy while using the headless armoured trooper''s corpse as a shield. Quickly a number of .50 cal rounds lodge themselves into the body through the makeshift power armour. By the time Lanius actually reaches the enemy, the corpse he was carrying had lost its lower extremities, leaving him with just a mangled torso. He throws it and continues his bloody rampage, grinning viciously as the blood lust takes over. Colonel Moore was watching all of them on the other side of the Dam with some binoculars, as well as listening to the screams of help over the radio... The channels they were using to communicate were almost rendered useless due to people misusing them to beg for reinforcements and help... There wasn''t anything they could do however, they needed to hold position and wear down as much of the Legion army as possible... Hopefully, the Legion would route before all the NCR troopers were expended. Chapter 615 - Mojave Meet Up Afton looks through the Vertibird door at the adjacent vehicle flying next to him. Miles was currently piloting the newly created ''Dirt-Wing'' with his girlfriend Melissa, they were carrying Afton, Veronica, and Christine to their drop off point on the Dam while the rest of the army was making their way on foot. The Vertibird across from them was piloted by the Enclave Remnants, Orion in particular. To be honest, Afton was very surprised to see people wearing ''their'' emblem seeking to assist him in attacking the NCR. Needless to say, he''d easily accepted(After checking they weren''t spies of anything of the sort). Of course, Orion''s piloting was a bit rusty, partly due to time, and partly due to the fact that piloting was given to Daisy, who of course was now resting in peace. There were three other people in their Vertibird waiting for the action to start. One who went by the name ''Cannibal Johnson'', who, as it turns out wasn''t actually a cannibal. Another who Tamia apparently knew named Dr Henry. It was quite fortunate Tamia and him by association had helped out with Jacobstown. Afton got the feeling the man wouldn''t be as willing to fight with them if he had no prior history. Last but certainly not least was Arcade Gannon, that doctor Tamia had picked up and was now running Novac as the mayor... Once the man had spotted the three Remnants in their Vertibird and wearing Power armour, he''d jumped at the chance to retrieve his father''s armour to join them. And yes... Afton was almost drooling over the armour each wore... Arcade''s in particular due to its rather flashy modifications, that made it far more effective when used in conjunction with energy weapons. But, he''d ask about analysing it after the battle was over. There had been another member of the Remnants aside from Daisy of course, but the group hadn''t found hide nor hair of the man. Considering the fact they''d managed to find Cannibal Johnson, a man who''d apparently been squatting in a cave waiting to die, Afton thought that it was likely their missing friend was dead. To be honest, Afton wasn''t really sure what to think of these elite, if frail, Enclave soldiers being dropped in his lap. Either someone really wanted the NCR to lose, or his [Protagonist] Perk was finally kicking in. Soon enough Afton spots the Dam as the fly over a large hill. Thick plumes of black smoke were rising from various points, and he could see the tidal wave of red clashing with the green defenders... It seemed like the NCR wouldn''t last much longer if left to their own devices... A route was imminent judging by how pale and scared the Troopers looked. Afton had made sure to come to the battle late, just to make sure both forces had whittled themselves down sufficiently. He fully intended to force both factions off of the Dam in the end, so letting the two sides tire themselves out would help tremendously in that effort. A shadow in the sky did draw the group''s attention, however, that Bomber Tamia had assisted the Boomers in recovering had apparently been repaired enough for flight... Surprising, but not tremendously so... After all, he had a couple of his own Bombers being constructed, all of which were far more technologically advanced than the scrap-heap that was dropping bombs on the Legion right now. "Miles, bring us to the floor, it seems like our other friends got here before us." Afton commands, gesturing down at the huge group of Securitrons slowly rolling towards the Dam. He could see Colonel Moore running to intercept them, but luckily no weapons had been discharged yet. "Melissa, man the turret. Do some flyby''s to thin the Legion''s numbers if it seems like they''re about to overrun the place." he states as he hops out of the Vertibird... Which just so happened to still be a few hundred feet over the ground. *CRAAASH!* The ground rumbled as the armoured individual hit the ground, causing a couple NCR troopers to stumble or fall over. Colonel Moore held her ground with some assistance from a single salvaged Power armour wearing trooper that''d been assigned to her. Obviously, she knew who this was, and she knew there''d be no point in trying to antagonize him... Especially since what seemed to be a heavily armed army of Securitrons were headed their way. Either she recruited Afton to the NCR''s side, or the Dam would find a new owner... Afton and the others hop out of their Vertibirds, Orion and Dr Henry staying in their own Vertibird to provide air support alongside Miles and Melissa. Ignores Colonel Moore for now and instead strides towards the three people leading the Securitrons. "I remember you." he growls in a low tone while taking his helmet off, remembering all the Novac guards these fucking mercenaries had killed during their attack. Drake spits on the floor in response, walking up to Afton and poking a finger at his breastplate. "And I remember you! You owe me a gun you fuckin'' shit!" Afton scowls, "I owe you a gun huh? Sure, how would you like it? Jammed down your throat, or shoved up your ass?" "Ha! You think you''re tough just because you''re wearing that armour? Take it off and I''ll show you how a real man fights... I bet that title ''Fastest shot in the Mojave'' isn''t just for your shooting. Look, there''s two thing''s you''re good at! Disappointing in a fight, and disappointing in be-Guhk!" he''s cut off as Afton grabs his throat and lifts him off of the ground with a single arm. He thrashes around for a couple seconds, attempting to dislodge himself, but obviously has no such success. Madeleine and Hunter draw their weapons in response to the sudden aggression shown by Afton, Drake glances behind him at the Securitrons, hoping they''d help out as well... Only to see none try to intervene... Instead, one of them rolls forwards with its screen flashing to Mr House''s face... Seems like the boss had something to say... Chapter 616 - Shown-Down "House." Afton states as he observes the robot approach... Their ''face to face'' meeting should have been far more amiable, were it not for the fact that he''d hired Bulwark enemies as mercenaries... "Parker... You''ve been well I hope?" he politely replies. ... The two just stare at one another for a couple seconds, all the while ignoring the still thrashing Drake in Afton''s hand. The man even tries to reach for his revolver but finds himself restrained when Afton''s plant arm sprouts thick vines that bind him. ... "Er, guys? Don''t we have a war to fight... Or something?" Veronica mutters from the side, not sure what was going on between the two. Afton nods, "Yeah... But first, I want to know what you intend to do with this lot." he shakes Drake''s body for emphasis. "I intend to use them like the tools I paid for. It''s hard to find water in the desert, the same applies to talent. Had someone not eaten up all the good seeds-" the robot turns slightly towards Aftons'' group, "I wouldn''t have had to resort to mercenaries. Alas, this was all that was available to me at the time, at least, all that had the skillset required... I''m sure once they prove their worth you could forgive any infractions they''ve made against you?" Afton chuckles and shakes his head, "They killed many of my people, House. Not to mention their ties with ''Them''... I''d say I wouldn''t trust them as far as I could throw them, but..." he takes a hard look at Drake, "I don''t think that statement would hold any weight." "Then what would you have me do? We''re rather low on time, and I''d rather not miss our opportunity to rid the Mojave of those barbaric morons." House states, not ''lying'' per se, but not exactly being forthcoming... Especially with Colonel Moore watching from the sideline. Afton drops Drake and gestures towards the trio, "I want them to pay for their crimes... But, I understand executing people still in your employ wouldn''t look good. So, I''ll buy their contracts from you... How about that?" "W-wait! You can''t do tha-" Madeleine attempts to say but is cut off by House. "Agreed." he states, the Securitron turning to them slightly, "If they wished to object, then they should have read the contract they signed beforehand." Upon hearing this the trio all look panicked, Drake paling once he realises that Afton now owns him in a sense. Afton gives them a toothy smile, "Don''t worry guys, you''ll be in ''safe'' hands. I promise none of you will die until your contract ends in... When will it end?" "Three months." House says. "Three months." Afton conforms. "Can someone explain what''s happening now?" Colonel Moore approaches, turning her radio off as the sounds of bloodcurdling screams, begging for mercy, and death wails ring out through it. Afton nods and puts his helmet back on, "It''s your lucky day Colonel. We''ve come to rid the Legion from the Dam... Free of charge of course!" he happily says. ... "Really?" she almost exclaims, remembering the various files stating every way the NCR had attacked Bulwark up until now... Only then remembering that House had been acting suspiciously as of late. She''s about to continue questioning them when her radio bursts back to life... "AAHHHHHHRGGHH! PLEASE STOP! I HAVE A WIFE AND-*SLASH!*" "RETREAT! THEY''VE TAKEN THE EASTERN PART OF THE DAM! FALL BA-AARGH!" ... "You''ll get rid of those slaver bastards?" Colonel Moore asks once again, with Afton and the rest of his group nodding their heads. "Alright. Just don''t try any funny business!" she says, giving them all a free pass. Afton grins under his helmet and twirls around, pointing at Drake who can''t help but flinch in response. "You three! Secure the interior of the Dam and set up an ambush for any Legionary who tries to get inside!" "W-wait! I thought I said-" *Ruuuummmbble!!* The Dam shakes from a sudden explosion, the cause of which seemed to be below their feet inside the Dam itself. Afton just shrugs and ignores her, restating his orders and sending the mercenaries inside to install Mr House''s virus. "The rest of you! Follow my lead!" he commands the Securitrons, leaving his companions to sort themselves out as he begins marching towards the battlefield. The NCR artillery was still peppering Legion forces that hadn''t quite reached the Dam yet, and the two Vertibirds were already flying beside the Dam and firing their weapons at the Legionaries. The Enclave Vertibird was only outfitted with the typical Minigun... Which made Afton slightly proud to say his tech now easily dwarfed whatever the Enclave had... At least, they did when compared to the Navarro base. Dirt-Wing was actually outfitted with two turrets... One was a larger tesla rifle, similar to what protected Novac, while the other was an upgraded Gatling laser, which shot out green beams and was far more powerful than any other laser weapon the world had access to. The Legionaries were confused and horrified when the green beams started assaulting the ranks, each direct hit turning a prominent portion of someone''s body to ash. The fate was worse if they managed to survive it as well, as anything not directly hit essentially received horrific burns... Not enough to destroy their pain receptors, but enough to cause debilitating pain. Even nonlethal hits would undoubtedly render someone unconscious or unable to fight. Afton notices a commotion starting to erupt in the nearby NCR soldiers, but this wasn''t caused by him, his companions, and the army of Securitrons... The commotion was due to the fact his army had finally arrived... A couple thousand Ultimo-Bots were now visibly marching over the nearby mountain, following by a sea of Cyberdogs, as well as a few Deathclaws which were led by Gabe. Needless to say, his army and the Securitrons combined could easily wipe out the Legion... But, he''d have them approach slowly so more of the NCR could be eliminated first... Wouldn''t want to give them a chance after all. Chapter 617 - Viiiirus Alert! Ignoring the arrival of his army, Afton begins walking towards the Eastern side of the Dam to join the battle. His large form is easily noticed by the nearby NCR who try to stop him or even question why he''s there... He acts like they don''t exist though, brushing past them and planning out his attack. The Legion had taken control of one of the Dam''s towers from what he could see, and were slowly working their way to the next one... The only thing stopping them was the thin Dam pathway that''d only allow a group or two across at a time. He grins upon spotting this, a vicious grin appearing behind his helmet as he begins manipulating his plant arm. The surrounding NCR soldiers are dumbfounded when they see it, a couple calling him ''Freak'' and ''Mutant'', but none daring to do anything to stop him. Afton musters his energy and forms what could only be a huge snow plough, resembling one that''d be attached to a big truck. The steel-like wood expands and covers the entire pathway after a moment, gaining large deadly-looking spikes on it, along with vine tentacles that''d grab anyone attempting to get around it. Once it''s formed, he pushes against it with all his strength and begins travelling down the Dam with his new deadly ''Legion-Plough''. The Legion quickly notice this and start shooting at it, only for the bullets to bounce off of the incredibly hard material it''s formed from. No one expected this wood plough to be so durable! It isn''t long before Afton reaches the Legion... A few Legionaries try to attack the Plough with their machete''s and rippers, but are grabbed by the vine tentacles sprouting from it and forced onto the plough''s spikes, or thrown from the bridge straight away. It was a very effective strategy, one which the Legion couldn''t really deal with... They lacked the high powered rifles of the NCR, and weren''t willing to use heavy explosives on the Dam... As displayed earlier, grenades were simply shrugged off by the Plough. A few tried to snipe Afton from the tower, but his armour easily deflected the bullets. Not to mention his wrist shield that could be produced whenever he needed it. The NCR troopers were already cheering behind him as if celebrating victory, which was surprising to Afton considering who he was... Perhaps they had been closer to routing than he''d thought? Elsewhere : Drake, Madeleine, and Hunter lead the Securitrons into the Dam, running through the place while discreetly trying to locate the central security systems. Unfortunately, they were dragged into the raging battle currently occurring between the NCR defenders and the Legion invaders. A large group of Legionaries had blown their way into the Dam''s reactor room and were now streaming in... Hundreds, if not thousands of Legionaries were already inside, and the only thing holding them off was the chokepoint they were forced to navigate through. The NCR had taken up position all around the newly made hole, and while it was advantageous, they were still slowly getting picked off. The Legionaries overwhelming numbers were simply too much to combat on their own. This is why a brief cheer of relief was given when Drake and the Securitrons arrived and started laying down covering fire. They weren''t able to launch any explosives due to them currently being in the Dam''s reactor room, but that didn''t mean their machine guns and laser weaponry couldn''t be used. While Drake and Madeleine dealt with this and tried to activate the reactors, Hunter was given a couple Securitrons tasked with installing Mr House''s virus. Eventually, the teenager managed to locate the central security system, only to find it guarded by a small group of power armour wearing NCR troopers, all of which glared daggers at Hunter. "Guys! The Legion have almost cleared the reactor room! We need reinforcements!" Hunter shouts, attempting to do this ''diplomatically''. "We have our orders kid... You should take your robots to go help if it''s really dire." the leading trooper states. Hunter shakes his head, "I am the son of General Oliver! These are my bodyguards... I''m only down here to relay my father''s orders!" ... The troopers glance at one another before shrugging, "And what would General Oliver''s orders be?" one asks. Hunter gestures in the direction of the reactor room, "To go assist the front lines! Put that armour to good use!... If you''re still worried, you can leave a couple people to guard this place." he says. ... After a moment of thought, the leader slowly nods, "Fine! I ain''t one to stand around while my friends are getting butchered anyway! Luis! Stay here and guard the door... Kid, tell your father... To go fuck himself!" he states before marching off with the others, only leaving a single man to guard the door. Hunter nods, trying to act put out at the insult towards his ''father''. Once the group was far enough away, Hunter turns a menacing look towards the one remaining trooper ''Luis''... "Err... You good kid? You look kinda constipated..." Hunter nods, "Yeah, but I think I need to blow one out." he turns towards the nearest Securitron, "Shoot him." The trooper is alarmed when all the Securitrons point their weapons towards him, all firing their machine guns and laser weaponry simultaneously and drowning the man in gunfire. His armour proved futile when shot from every perceivable angle. He isn''t even able to give a shriek of terror before a bullet punches a large hole through his neck. Hunter nods and heads to the door once this is done, jogging up to the large mainframe where many screens are located. He accesses it and installs the virus, immediately causing Mr House''s face to appear. "Congratulations on completing this task... I''ll attempt to make your punishment at Parker''s hand more reasonable. Also, you should consider taking the others and fleeing the Dam... The NCR will have no doubt realised our intentions with this. Good luck." the man quickly says before turning his attention to the factory below the Fort. Chapter 618 - Honourable Betrayer The Dam begins to hum to life as the reactors activate, and a faint ''clanging'' sound could be heard East of the Dam... Not that anyone would notice it over the gunfire, bombs, and shouts of soldiers. Afton was made aware of it by Nyx just as Veronica and Christine arrive next to him, behind the plant plough. "Looks like the mission is a success. Now all that''s left to do is remove the obstacles." he states, turning his head towards the nearest NCR trooper who seems to be cowering behind cover. "Oi! Soldier!" The man looks up at Afton and gives a trembling nod, "YES SIR!?" "Sorry!" he shouts, pointing a revolver at the man''s head with his free left hand. The trooper attempts to sputter out a response but has his brains blown out before he gets the chance. With that, he sends an order to the rest of his army that''d just arrived at the Western side of the Dam. "Execute Operation; 66" Screams erupt behind him as Securitrons, Ultimo-Bots, Cyberdogs, Deathclaws, and Bulwark soldiers start decimating the NCR forces. The attack took them off guard as they weren''t expecting their reinforcements to start firing at their naked backs. If the Legion''s numerical superiority and brutal tactics weren''t enough to route them before, this abrupt betrayal definitely was. All troopers aside from the Veteran Rangers immediately broke ranks and started fleeing... Unfortunately, there were only two places they could viably go... East, towards the Legion where they''d be crucified or enslaved... Or the West, towards the Bulwark army that''d just betrayed them and were slaughtering their brothers and sisters. Most chose the latter option, due to the exit being closer and the fact death was preferable to torture and death. The Veteran Rangers turned their Anti-Material rifles towards the Bulwark forces, but found their bullets to be almost completely useless against Saturnite plating... The only thing''s they could viably harm were the Cyberdogs and Deathclaws, as everything else was far too armoured to damage. Veronica and Christine were forced to fire at the Rangers as they tried to target them, Afton of course continuing his own fight against the Legion as they tried to breach, scale, and destroy the plant-plough they were using for cover. *CRaaash!* A blue-tinted blade cuts against the plough, confusing Afton momentarily due to the fact they were being attacked by a Saturnite blade... "The fuck!?" Lanius of course was on the other side, fighting off the vine tentacles sprouting from the plough. "ARRGHAHAHAH! SHOW YOURSELF COWARD! ET NON MORIERIS!" A few other Legionaries who are encouraged by Lanius''s rather suicidal charge join him in destroying the vines that continue to hold them off... Unfortunately, there''s only so much mass Afton can lose before his abilities start losing their effectiveness. Afton detaches the Plough from his arm and jumps atop it, looking down at Lanius and his men. "Of course it would be you, Lanius, the so-called ''Blade of the East!''." Lanius gives a bloodthirsty grin beneath his helmet and points his blade at Afton, "I KNOW IT IS YOU, PARKER! THE GREAT CAESAR SPOKE A GREAT DEAL ABOUT YOU!" he says and awaits Afton''s response... It wouldn''t be honourable to attack him before their verbal spar had ended... *Bang!* Both Afton and Lanius turn towards the sheepish-looking Legionary who''d just fired a shot at Afton''s head... A shot which had bounced off as if it were a blank. "You." Lanius growls, swiping his blade backwards at the Legionary, beheading him in an instant. "THIS IS MY BATTLE! NO ONE SHALL IMPEDE IT!" he roars before turning back to Afton, "WILL YOU HIDE BEHIND YOUR MEN? OR FIGHT ME LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR!?" Afton shakes his head, "I don''t know if you''re just stupid or brave. Before I tear your head from your body, where did you get that armour!?" he demands, wanting to know if there was another source of Saturnite he wasn''t aware of. Lanius laughs, "It is made from the body of that weapon you left on our doorstep! As will my next helmet, which will be adorned with your skull!" Afton glowers and concentrates on the man, he didn''t need to check his Karma as Lanius was about as evil as a human could get. He was responsible for as many cold-blooded murders, rapes, and other crimes as was humanly possible to commit. No, he instead uses [Living Anatomy] to check his stats. [Legate Lanius] Health : 97% Stamina : 80% DT : 55 Strength : 12 Perception : 8 Endurance : 10 Charisma : 6 Intelligence : 6 Agility : 10 Luck : 5 Ailments : [Blood-Rage] : Increases Strength by 2 while in the midst of battle. While active, causes a slow deterioration of the body, leading to eventual death. Afton''s eyes widen at the fact Lanius had breached the human limit... Though, it was obviously a temporary thing, he idly wondered if Lanius would just slowly die if locked in a prison and occasionally hit with BB gun pellets. "Well!? Will you run like those cowardly men wearing the symbol of the Bear!? Or will. You. FIGHT!?" Afton can only nod, he knew Lanius would die at his hands so there wasn''t really a point of denying the fight. If anything, it''d lend further credence to his might, and demoralise the Legion by having their greatest combatant defeated in an honourable duel. He takes his helmet off and places it on the ground, along with his other weapons. His Ultra Chainsword, revolvers, rifles... Everything apart from the Range Finder that was safely hidden in an armoured compartment on his leg. He cracks his knuckles and looks at Lanius, "Use your blade if you wish, I''m going to curb-stomp your ass regardless." he states, wondering if Lanius was aware of his Plant arm. Lanius shakes his head though, stabbing his blade into the Dam to keep it upright, taking his helmet off and rolling his shoulders. "It is you who will perish this day." he says, locking eyes with Afton, though still occasionally glancing at Afton''s more unnatural features... The visible black veins around his eyes in particular. Afton glares at the man, to be honest, he was surprised by his face... He looked more like a gay-stripper than an elite warrior, with those sideburns and porn-star beard... He had no scars on his face, either due to his skill or due to his thick helmet. Chapter 619 - End Of The Line Tamia stands in her scorched, dented, scratched, and worn Power armour just outside of the facility her enemy was supposedly hiding in. She was exhausted, but she''d finally reached the end, where she could put a stop to whatever the man had planned. By her side, the single remaining Cyberdog that was looking as ragged as she was. It''d somehow survived the trials and tribulations the Divide had thrown at her, though, not completely unscathed. Those flayed men had been utterly relentless, and their ferocity only seemed to increase in fervour the closer she got to this facility. It was as if they were trying to stop her from reaching her target... That, or they feared what was held behind those doors. "Come on pup, we''re almost at our destination." she mutters as she steps inside, pressing the button that opens the heavy metal doors. Inside, she''s greeted with another familiar military base, metal walls, floor, ceiling... It also looked completey desolate and abandoned. Trash was scattered around the place, and she couldn''t help but notice the many supplies just sitting there, waiting to be taken... Yet, no one had grabbed them. The reason for this is quickly found as she steps into the hallway and spots a flayed man wearing NCR armour nailed to the wall. The corpse was fresh, at least, as fresh as skinless ghouls can be. She searches it for anything of use but doesn''t find anything, eventually making her way forwards again. "SOUND DETECTED, SEARCHING." a harsh robotic voice announces from behind a nearby door, causing Tamia to retreat back to the room to observe what it was. The doors open and reveal a heavily armed and armoured Sentrybot rolling down the hallway, straight towards her... Though, it hadn''t noticed her or her Cyberdogs presence yet. ... She waits for a moment, and once it''s close enough she springs from cover, stabbing her Proton-Greatsword into its sternum where the power source was likely stored. The blade easily cuts through the robots plating, entering its chest and exiting from its back. "H-O H-O-O-OSTILE DE-TE-TE-TE-TE-TEeeeoo" the malfunctioning robot says in a distorted force before shutting down. Tamia breathes a sigh of relief at its defeat. She''d seen how powerful Ultimo-Bots were, so the idea of facing a similar kind of robot made her far more fearful than she''d like to admit... "HOSTILE DETECTED!" another loud voice states from the room where the first had come from. Another quickly rolls out and points its weapons at her, just as the first defeated robot begins to heat up and spark... It looked like it was going to... "Self destruct!?" she mentally exclaims, giving a reactionary kick at the self-destructing robot which sends it careening down the hallway and smashing into its ally. She picks up the Cyberrdogs and throws herself in the room as the explosion envelopes the hallway, flames lick her armoured feet, but she''s sure she managed to escape the explosion unharmed... She glances down at the Cyberdog in her arms and breathes a sigh of relief at seeing that it was okay... It''d be pretty shit if it died because of her, it was her last companion on this journey, along with her ticket out once she dealt with the mysterious man on the radio. Tamia steps into the hallway again, ignoring the now scorched walls and floor before entering the next room... It was a control room of sorts, but most of the machinery had been trashed for some reason. The terminals were destroyed and the controls inoperable... She wasn''t sure if this was a good thing, to be honest, she had half a mind to make sure the military bases she''d stumbled upon in the Divide were all permanently deactivated... Nothing good could come from keeping them on. She continues venturing through the facility and eventually finds herself standing before an elevator. Judging by the message ''YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK'' spray-painted on the wall, this was her last stop. She pats her Cyberdogs head and presses the button to call the elevator down, "Not long now pup, let''s see what this madman wants from me." she mutters and steps into the elevator as the doors open. Soon enough, the door open again and reveal a massive chamber. Her eyes widen as she observes the place, spotting many large nuclear missiles waiting in their silo''s to be launched. At the end, was a man. He wore a sleeveless leather trenchcoat that had the old war flag printed on its back, he had tanned skin and long dreadlocks, but she wasn''t yet able to get a good look at his face. The face of the man who''d hunted her, baited her, and trapped her in the Divide, all for revenge for a crime she didn''t remember committing. "Long way from your new home, Vegas lies in the other direction, yet you still came here looking for answers... Well, here I am. My name is Ulysses, former Frumentarii and a Courier like yourself, the one who was originally supposed to be carrying that Chip..." he states as he turns around, revealing a weathered face covered by a gas mask that concealed the lower half of his face. Tamia tilts her head in confusion, "How do you know about the Chip?" Ulysses chuckles, "The same way you learned about it. At least, before you got shot... Caesar... I was unavailable at the time, trying to crawl out of the scorched earth you left behind. I wonder, was the destruction of the Divide only to guarantee you got that job? Its completion would grant you Caesar''s boon... Maybe even status above your gender." he states. She shakes her head, "No chance. As far as I remember, I was forced to serve the Legion in the first place. I wouldn''t be surprised if I actively sabotaged their efforts while I was working for them." she determines vehemently. Chapter 620 - Ticking Time Bomb "Hmm? So you wouldn''t be willing to destroy a fledgling nation for say, the lives of your tribesman?" he asks, as if she were blatantly lying to him. "I..." she starts, to try and deny the accusation... But when she thinks about it further, she couldn''t say that she wouldn''t be willing to do so... The fact that she was questioning herself when she barely even remembered her family and tribe said a lot... How must it have been when they were enslaved? "I already know your answer, even if you don''t state it... We are more alike than you think. I did not join the Legion willingly. They enslaved my tribe, the Twisted Hairs, so I fought for leniency on their behalf. Was the best scout and soldier the Legion had in the region... Yet, Caesar had them enslaved." Ulysses says while looking down solemnly at the ground. Tamia frowns, feeling an ache in her chest for the loss they''d both suffered at the Legion''s hands, "Why are you telling me this? And what are you planning to do here?" "I am telling you this, so you can understand what you took from me. With my tribe enslaved and scattered, I ventured into the wastes... For years I struggled to find my place, my home. And finally. I found it... In the Divide." he growls, seeming on the urge of rage, but quickly calms himself. "As I said before, I never intended to destroy it. From what you say, it seems like I loved this place as much as you did. Whatever happened was an accident, would you still blame me if a meteor fell from the sky and accidentally activated the nukes as well?" Ulysses just shakes his head, "Quoting hypotheticals may make you feel better, but it does not change what happened. Who, happened. As for what I am planning?... The Divide giants have been awakened, and they will rain down, dealing death to your new home, as they had mine." "You are going to nuke New Vegas!?" she exclaims in shock. The man shakes his head again, "No. Launching missiles at Vegas would be like throwing pebbles. I have learned why the old Vegas survived, and a direct attack would do nothing... No. I intend to destroy the West. the Bear... Without supplies lines and those hapless citizens paying those families to ruin their lives, Vegas will wither and wilt, turning to sand and joining the rest of the desert." "Weren''t you just talking about how the Legion ruined your life!? Why wouldn''t you attack them instead? If anyone is deserving of it then it''d be them!" she shouts, not understanding why he''d do this if revenge was what he sought. Ulysses nods, "I wish destruction on them both, but I do not have enough armaments to secure both their ends... The destruction of the West, will lead to the death of Vegas, which, without its jewel, will become just another barren desert." the man states. Tamia shakes her head and looks closer at the nukes, "Even with all these weapons, they won''t be enough to destroy the West! Your plan is doomed to fail." Ulysses chuckles, "No need to kill the Bear, just cut its throat. You taught me that at the Divide. Only need to cut off the supply line, the road, to watch something greater die. I''ll turn the long 15 into miles of fire, cut off the Mojave. NCR will fall back, lose Hoover Dam... And leave their throats exposed to the Legion." Tamia shakes her head, "Even if you did that, the Legion still wouldn''t claim the Mojave! Actually! Even if you destroyed the supply lines, New Vegas would live. Bulwark would ensure it!" she states with conviction, knowing that supply lines would be things of the past as soon as Afton decides to integrate teleportation technology... She knew it would happen eventually, it wasn''t like anyone else could use them either, due to the fact that satellites were required for their use, as well as Afton''s permission to use them. "I admit, I do not know much of this new player. But even if you manage to change my mind, the missile''s targets have already been set." Ulysses explains. She shakes her head, wondering if she could contact Afton or Glados somehow... The sandstorm was still blowing overhead, so even the large open missile door above her wouldn''t allow any communication. There didn''t seem to be anything she could do! She wasn''t well versed with technology, engineering, or anything like that... All she was good for was surviving the waste and fighting... But... Maybe the key would be convincing Ulysses to help her somehow, while she didn''t care about the NCR, innocent civilians didn''t deserve to die like that... If he knew how to activate them, then he might know how to change their target? "I understand you want revenge for what happened, but I wouldn''t be able to set it right even if I killed myself here and now. I know you aren''t evil, so you know that sacrificing thousands of innocent people just in an attempt to harm me is wrong... But there might be another way to end this! We don''t have to destroy each other!" Ulysses clenches his hands, but they quickly lose strength and go limp. "Death. Is not something I''m fond of. And you are right, I know there is folly in my plans... But, I do not see another way, this would be a symbol, that those gluttonous children, strong they may be, could still fall... You were someone who believed in nothing, served nothing. For someone like you to stumble into conviction, perhaps you have the answer... Tell me. Tell me why New Vegas, the Mojave. Bulwark... Deserves the chance that the Divide didn''t." Chapter 621 - War Of Words. Tamia shakes her head, "It''s not about chances, it''s about rising above our wants to make something greater. Before I arrived at New Vegas, it was as corrupt, as cruel, and as unforgiving as any slum... But, after working with House, speaking and... Removing some families... It''s not just a place where you can piss away your caps... It has potential!" she earnestly says. Ulysses slowly nods, "Your actions have carried conviction, as well as the strength to enforce them. But you are mistaken if you think the Families will continue their ways. You were forced to use violence to prevent the White Gloves from engaging in cannibalism again... Who knows when they will step back on that road... You also helped destroy the Chairman in the Tops for revenge. Hypocritical, considering the Chairman were among the most civilized family in the strip." he states. Tamia sighs, knowing that she was indeed being hypocritical to argue this front... Ulysses wants revenge for almost killing him, and she wanted revenge against Benny for almost killing her... Sure, both were caught between something bigger, but either way, the result remains the same. "I''m not saying I''m perfect, I''m human, just like you, ruled by my emotions... Benny didn''t just kill me, he stole my history from me. He robbed me of every memory of my family, who I was, my goals, my dreams... He didn''t just murder me, he erased who I was from existence... Tell me, Ulysses, are our situations really comparable?" she asks, trying to tug on his obsession for history. Ulysses looks at the ground in contemplation before shaking his head, "No... You may have robbed me of my future. The future of the Divide. But I kept my history, at least. Enough to learn from." he states. "But. My point still stands. The Tops is in a state of disrepair, the Omertas will not last past the war. And the Ultralux will be tempted to continue the old ways again. You reject the ways of the Legion on moral grounds, rejecting slavery for its inherent evil... But nothing would change, aside from the collars which men will wear. From chains around their necks. To chains around their wallets. Vegas is bound to fail, especially if the NCR is forced out of the Mojave." "Bulwark can help pick up the slack after the war... We have the technology to achieve anything and the skills to protect it! And it isn''t like New Vegas will remain as it is either! We will change it for the better, force it to stop being reliant on income from the families!" "I know where your technology comes from. And I know that any deal you made with those... Creatures, will not last." the man gravely says. "W-wait what? How do you know that?" she asks in confusion. Ulysses points a finger, "The symbol on your chest, you might have altered it, but it still resembles them. Those monsters of the past..." Tamia shakes her head, "You mean the Think Tank? Those egg heads?" Ulysses nods, "Your manner of addressing them belies what they truly are. Out of all the creatures I have met during my travels, it is they who deserve extermination the most... Quickly followed by Tunnelers. Their threat to humanity even escapes me, which... Frightens me." "You don''t need to worry about them! Afton has them under lock and key... They work for him under constant supervision, and aren''t able to even think without someone knowing about it." she says with max confidence. Ulysses breathes a sigh, "You claim to have tamed those monsters? Foolish. It was only their ignorance of the world outside their facility that prevented them from starting another apocalypse..." he states. Tamia shakes her head, "Trust me, they aren''t going anywhere... I could even show you, if you helped stop the Nukes." she offers. Ulysses slumps his shoulders, "I am not convinced. Vegas is a failed project, it will be like the old world, with Kings sitting at the top surrounded by squalor and waste. How would it be any different to the Bear?" Tamia bites her lip, her eyes flitting between the nukes... She knew time was getting shorter and shorter... Urgh! She shakes her head and locks eyes with Ulysses, "Didn''t you say that I breathed life into the Divide? Well, I can do it again with New Vegas! And you can be a part of it too! We''re both Couriers, we both contributed to the Divide!... So let''s do the same with New Vegas!" she almost shouts, desperation and conviction appearing on her face. ... Ulysses nods, "History has proven this. Our history. And you think you have this strength? Enough to hold up the NCR, long enough so that Vegas can live again? Even if you speak for Vegas and its ghosts, convincing me achieves nothing. The Missiles will continue their journey." Tamia shakes her head, "You''ve already shown me that one person can make, or break a nation. So why not be that person? If you believe me incapable of building something as potentially great as the Divide, come, observe, and assist. We don''t need to fight, we both lost something when the Divide was destroyed, even if I don''t remember it..." ... "Perhaps... There is much destruction written in the earth here... But maybe you are right... Maybe it is time to rebuild... Would you be capable of breathing life into Vegas, like you had the Divide? I do not know. But... I think I will watch, learn. I wish to see a nation born from the Divides ashes... Can you do that?" "I don''t know. But I''ll give it my damn best shot, I swear it!" she exclaims, hitting her armoured chest with her fist as a sign of determination. Ulysses nods, "You have spoken truly... There is a shadow of a nation behind you, the hope of a people... Yet, it may matter not." *Baang!* "The Divide is still against us." he states as the doors behind Tamia explode, revealing many flayed men all wielding weaponry. "What!?" she exclaims, rushing towards Ulysses and taking cover beside him as the flayed men prepare their attack. Chapter 622 - Atomic Reconciliation Ulysses takes cover next to her, ignoring the Cyberdog that sits behind him. "This was always my intention... In case I failed to kill you. The marked men would flood this place, cut off your escape. If we cannot prevent what comes, then let us make our last stand here. Two couriers, together, at the Divide." he states while pulling his Anti-Material rifle from his back and taking aim. "How would you escape if you killed me though! That just sounds like a shit plan!" Tamia shouts, sucking just a bullet whizzes over her head. Ulysses chuckles, "There are many escape routes available... But you wish to try and stop, or alter the Nuclear launch, do you not?" Tamia breathes a sigh, "I guess!... And you''re going to help?" Ulysses nods, "As I said before. Two couriers, making a last stand at the end of the Divide. Seems almost fitting." he states as he aims over the cover and fires a shot... But not at the marked men, instead he aims at a small nuclear charge that''d been abandoned at the side. *BOOM!* The chamber shakes as nuclear fire engulfs a large portion of the attacking marked men, unfortunately, even with them gone more just arrive to take their place. Tamia fires a couple shots from her .44 revolver, and kills a couple, but it barely puts a dent in their numbers... Fortunately, none of the marked men was stupid enough to bring explosive weapons to the fight. With her and Ulysses taking cover next to the nuclear missiles, any substantial explosion would most likely kill everyone and everything in a mile or so radius. She glances back towards Ulyssses to check him, he wasn''t wearing any armour and was extremely vulnerable to taking damage... Though, she was surprised when she saw him stand up and hold his Anti-Material rifle in one hand with a short grenade launcher in the other. He seems completely comfortable to fire both, and keep them reloaded as he dual-wielded the weapons... Sure, Tamia had the strength to do this, but to become as proficient at it as Ulysses was would take days, if not years of practice. Ulysses tilts his head to the side to avoid a stray bullet while firing his Anti-Material rifle back at the shooter, blowing their head clean off before firing a grenade into a nearby group. *Boom!* The group of marked men fall over each other to get out of the way, but fail in the end, with the nearest to the impact becoming bloody smears on the ground. "Enough of this." Tamia states before igniting her Proton Greatsword and rushing the enemy. Most marked men target her in response, but all the bullets are easily deflected from her armour... A few use energy weapons against her, but the insulation Afton and the scientists had provided prevents the armour from heating up too quickly. Of course, Tamia does make an effort to dodge and block most of the attacks, using her greatsword as a shield to hide behind as she charges. Soon enough, she reaches the front lines and begins decimating the enemy, cutting them limb from limb while they futiley attempt to retaliate. None of the marked men has powerful enough weapons to breach her armour, so all they were doing was scuffing it up more than it was before. *Schwing!* A marked man is bisected and drops a pulse grenade he was about to throw, causing it to explode and engulf Tamia. The shockwave washes over her, causing a few of her armour''s systems to malfunction, but the additions that''d been added to prevent further harm quickly reboots them. The armour locks momentarily, but Tamia is able to move the next second, continuing her rampage. Ulysses watches from the back with a dull expression, wondering if he was even needed here... Or if he stood a chance should he have decided to fight her... He wasn''t entirely sure his Anti-Material rifle could breach her armour... It wasn''t like any Power armour he''d seen before... Which meant Bulwark had provided it... Perhaps siding with her wasn''t the worst decision he''d made? Tamia stabs a marked man in the stomach, letting her blade stay there as she grabs another and tears his arms off, afterwards retrieving her blade and continuing on. She''s so enthralled in the fighting that she doesn''t realise she''d exited the chamber and fought the marked men until she reached the elevator they were coming from. She grips her blade tight and cuts the doors of the elevator open, showing the cords which were hoisting the elevator back and forth... And, with one final slash, she cuts them to prevent any more reinforcements... *SHEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIKK..... CRAAASH!* The elevator plummets far below after she cuts the cord, killing any marked men who were trying to get up. She''d destroyed the only way the marked men had to reach them as well as her only exit, so she was placing her trust in Ulysses words when he said he had other exits. She deactivates her greatsword and holsters it on her back while walking back towards Ulysses, "Alright! I''ve destroyed the elevator, now can we do something about the nukes!? I have no idea when they''re supposed to be going off!" she anxiously says, wondering if they''d make it in time. Ulysses brushes some dust off of himself and ignores a bleeding bullet wound on his shoulder, "I cannot stop the launch, I told you this." Tamia nods, "Yeah, but we can choose a different target right? I was thinking that maybe sending them East would be a good way to go... It isn''t like we have family over there to worry about, right?" she shrugs. ... Ulysses slowly nods his head, as if reluctantly in agreement. A part of him was still somewhat loyal to the Legion, but Caesar''s actions against the Divide, Tamia''s and his own tribe had firmly put him against the man. He makes his way over to the terminal as Tamia watches over his shoulder, the man begins reconfiguring the targets, changing them from high priority NCR locations like the Long 15 and other infrastructure, to any major routes the Legion had to try and invade the Mojave or the West. Chapter 623 - Warlording Over It Why was Ulysses only targetting the Legion''s major routes West? Well, it was a mercy as it was an attack. From what he''d seen, Tamia and the faction that stood behind her was competent enough to fight them off, especially with those old-world monsters they had supposedly tamed. Not only that, but he wanted to prevent the Legion from attacking the Mojave again... Not to protect it, but to isolate it so as to allow Tamia and Bulwark to build New Vegas any way they saw fit. And allow him to observe how they act without having the Legion breathing down their necks. He wanted to see if Tamia could keep her word, and if she proved she was determined to right the wrongs committed in the past, then perhaps he''d find a new place to call, Home. He finishes targeting the Legion''s routes just as the launch occurs, the missiles releasing huge amounts of fire as they launch into the sky, leaving long trails of smoke. From miles around animals, marked men, and people alike, watch the bombs of the old world head skyward, towards an unknown place to the East. Most of them breathed sighs of relief, as the fear of nuclear annihilation had been drilled into their very genes, even those who did not know what the bombs were, knew to steer well away from them... Though, the conscious survivors of the Divide remembered what''d happened in the past, and internally thanked whoever had sent those bombs elsewhere, preventing another catastrophe from occurring again. Tamia and Ulysses walk towards the empty silo that still had the roof doors open... They both stared out at the sky which was for some reason quickly clearing up... The ever-present sandstorm that afflicted the Divide had cleared up, as if celebrating the absence of those accursed weapons. "Hey, the sky''s clearing up... We could probably teleport outta here now." Tamia happily exclaims, having hoped she wouldn''t have to traverse the Divide again. Ulysses sends her a sideways glance, "No. Our road isn''t finished. We entered the Divide on foot, so we must leave it on foot." ... "Why?" Tamia questions, not seeing the point. "It is a matter of respect. You... We. Called this place home. I wish to say goodbye, you should too." he states and begins walking towards a hidden exit in the chamber. Tamia chews her lip for a moment before relenting and following Ulysses, she wanted to stay in his good books, and if ''saying goodbye'' was all she needed to do, she''d do it. "Hey, wait up!" Ulysses waits for her at the hidden exit that''d just opened up, "Let me show you the places that you missed in your rush to meet me. It might bring back those buried memories." Elsewhere : Afton and Lanius face-off with locked eyes, fists raised as they slowly circle each other. The occasional Legionary gives shouts encouragement for Lanius, while insulting Afton, but Afton''s own side just silently watches. The fact most of it was made up of robots should also be mentioned, each of the Ultra-Bot having already locked onto the enemy, ready to fire should they be ordered to. The Remnant and Bulwark Vertibirds were steering clear of the Legion now, instead, targeting the NCR survivors who were helplessly trying to hold onto their positions. "I will grind your bones and use them to powder my crotch." Lanius states with an eager grin. "Yeah? Well, your armour looks stupid." Afton sarcastically retorts as they finally charge one another. Afton crashes into Lanius with the force of a thousand suns... Well, not that much, but you get the picture. Lanius is thrown off slightly by the sheer strength exerted by his enemy, his usual tactic of overpowering his enemy wouldn''t work here, so he instead shifts backwards and attempts to trip Afton with a kick to his knee. *Clank!* The attack uselessly slides off of Afton''s armour allowing him to retaliate with a punch to Lanius'' face. *Crack!* Lanius'' head whips around as the punch connects, he attempted to block it with his arms but was simply not fast enough to react in time, especially with his previous attack having no effect at all. His brain bounces off of the inside of his skull, making him disoriented, but he quickly centers himself despite it. His muscle memory prompted him to counterattack, which he did. His body turns with his head, allowing him to send a spinning back fist towards Afton. Afton''s danger sense warns him way before this connect however, allowing him to duck under it and send a couple uppercuts into Lanius'' sib and stomach. "Gaaagh!" the man shouts in pain as his armour dents inwards, his ribs breaking from the force of Afton''s strikes. Lanius stumbles backwards and immediately vomits onto the floor, his breakfast and small flecks of blood dying the ground. Afton cracks his neck with a satisfied look, "You done? Maybe I should let you hit me, youknow, to make it ''look'' like a fight." he taunts. "SPUMAE!" Lanius growls as he wipes the vomit from his lips and charges Afton, throwing a garage of kicks and punches. Afton easily blocks most of them, though, a couple slip from his guard and hit his arms and chest. They do basically nothing though and he retaliates with a headbutt. His forehead collides with Lanius'' nose which snaps like brittle kindling, splattering his face with blood. He follows it up by sending a snap kick at Lanius solar plexus, knocking the wind from his lungs and bringing him to his knees. ... Afton just stands over the warlord with a neutral look... "Look at me Lanius." ... "I said. Look at me!" he spits, forcefully grabbing the man''s face. Lanius lunges at Afton and tries to bite his neck, but Afton just smacks his face away and slams a knee into his stomach, again sending the man to his knees, coughing and spluttering. Chapter 624 - Dead End "Is this all the Legion has to offer? This is the Legion''s strongest and most feared man? Pathetic!" Afton mocks, looking at the crowd of Legionaries who were watching. "Your generals are weak, Caesar is weak. And you, Lanius. ARE WEAK!" he says, kicking Lanius and causing him to roll onto his back. Once Lanius is looking up at the sky, Afton stomps on his kneecap, shattering it and bending the leg awkwardly, causing the Legate to scream. "You are a murderer and a rapist, surely you can endure pain better than that!?" Afton taunts before doing the same to the man''s other knee. *CRACK!* "Arrgh!" Lanius groans, trying to hold in his pained yelps but not managing it completely. "It seems both the NCR and Legion aren''t strong enough to hold Hoover Dam, so Bulwark will do it instead! Hoover Dam belongs to the Mojave! To New Vegas! To Bulwark! Your pathetic attempts to take it have shown me all I need to see. Take one last good look, Lanius, this is your-.... End-?" Afton trails off in confusion as everyone seems to be looking up... Was his speech not good enough or something? He follows their gazes and freezes as well, as he spots many large nuclear missiles flying from the West, to the East, right over their heads. ... The battlefield goes silent, and the only thing that could be heard were the faint sounds the missiles overhead were giving off. ... Everyone just sits and watches this for minute straight, until Afton eventually just looks back at his companions with confusion written on his face. "So, er... Those look like Nuclear warheads... Right?" "It appears so..." Veronica mutters with cold sweat dripping down her back. ... "And, errrr... We didn''t launch those, right?" he asks again. "I don''t think so..." ... Afton just slowly nods with a pensive look on his face, wondering who the fuck was crazy enough to start launching nuclear bombs over their heads. He didn''t even care that their target was obviously the Legion, he just wanted to know WHO had Nukes at their disposal! He shakes his head and claps his hands together, "O-kay... How about we finish this up before more nukes are launched." announces, drawing a revolver and shooting Lanius in the face while Veronica tosses him his helmet. It takes a couple seconds for the Legionaries to realise the fighting had started again, but by then Bulwark''s forces had already begun annihilating them. Caught off guard, demoralised from Lanius defeat and death, and worried for their families in the East due to the nukes, the Legion makes a hasty retreat. Every person sprinting back East, climbing over each other and their allies corpses to get away from danger faster, all while completely disregarding their friend''s safety. Unfortunately for the Legionaries, even the route East was blocked by the army of Securitrons that''d been activated after House''s virus had taken control of the Dam. The Legionaries were now caught between Bulwark''s forces, and an army of upgraded Securitrons... Some wanted to continue fighting their way out, some wanted to beg for mercy, and some just gave up and awaited their fate. Neither Afton nor House had any intentions of sparing them, these were Legion soldiers, battle-hardened and brainwashed since birth to follow Caesar''s doctrines absolutely, under pain of torture and eventual death. Bullets, rockets, lasers, plasma, and explosives ripped through the remaining Legion forces, bathing the ground red with their blood. So many people were killed in this one area, that it''d permanently be stained crimson as if cursed by the tremendous loss of life. Once all is said and done, Afton walks towards the Securitrons and stops before the one with House''s face on it. "So, things go as you expected?" he asks with crossed arms. "They did... What will you do now, Mr Parker?" House asks, and both know what he''s referring to... Whether or not Afton intends to cooperate with House and New Vegas, or if he intended to take full control over the Mojave. Afton smirks under his helmet and nods, "I think a partnership between us will suit our purposes well. I don''t want to govern the Mojave, or any substantial land for that matter. As for how such a partnership would go? I''m sure we could come to an agreement somehow." Afton offers. ... "Agreed. I am not arrogant, nor foolish enough to think I hold any leverage against you. Even admitting such would make my former business partners froth at the mouth. I only hope we can be reasonable... For starters, I would like to request some of your units to help secure the Dam, as well as deter any other attack, from either NCR or Legion." Afton nods, "Was planning on doing that anyway... I''ll leave Veronica in charge of that, I still have other things to attend to after all." he says, before walking away without another word. Elsewhere : General Oliver was panicking... Not the kind of panicking where you''d just spilt coffee on your business suit before a meeting, but the kind you experience when you''ve just hit a child with your car and fled the scene... He''d been listening to how the battle was going over the radio, which is why he knew that Bulwark had arrived with House, and then betrayed the NCR and started slaughtering his men. Not that he cared all that much, right now he was concentrated on getting all there shit packed up so he could flee the Mojave... At least, that was the plan. Out of nowhere, his soldiers were surrounded, each of them being executed as an armoured man approached him. Once he lifted his helmet off, he revealed himself to be Afton Parker, the traitor, former Brotherhood member, and leader of Bulwark. General Oliver... Or, Former-General considering the events that''d taken place here, quickly crawls backwards in an attempt to gain distance from Afton, only for the man to stomp on his leg and shatter his shin. A large wet patch quickly made itself known on his trousers as he looks up in pain and fear at his soon-to-be executioner... Chapter 625 - Bad Omen Afton crouches over General Oliver and slowly turns his head to survey the area, making sure Oliver knows he isn''t even close to a threat to him, so much so that he could turn his back and still be completely fine. General Oliver himself just sucks in erratic breaths, wondering how he''d get out of this alive... All of his men were dead, and he was now at the mercy of someone he''d offended on many fronts, especially with that botched assassination on Daisy-whats-her-name. "W-w-wait... I-I can pa-" Afton spits on the floor next to the Generals feet and grins, "Funny to find you here, General. Woulda thought you''d be at the Dam fighting with your men... Strange how you''ve ended up here, huh?" He shakes his head in mock exasperation. "You know, I am very tempted to just kill you here and now." Afton states, causing Oliver to pale and whimper slightly. "But. Killing you wouldn''t feel right, especially with what awaits you back West... How do you think the people will react to the cowardly, dishonourable General who allowed Kimball to die, and the Dam to fall? How would they react to you, being the only survivor out of the entire army stationed there?" he questions. Oliver''s breath halts as he imagines the NCR''s reaction, wondering if they''d actually lynch him, or just imprison him for life? Would it actually be better to die here than to return? Afton nods with a small smile at the General''s conflicted expression. "Yeah, that''s what I thought... To be honest, I kinda wanna see how far they''re willing to go to punish a traitor. So, I think I''ll personally deliver you to their doorstep." he says while standing, "But first, let''s make sure you aren''t able to run away. Wouldn''t want to disappoint your new fans, right?" *Crack!* The General screams in pain as Afton crushes his knee caps with a couple stomps, completely crippling his legs. He''d either need extensive surgery from the best doctors very soon, or many cybernetic additions to allow him to walk again... None of which would be provided, as he''d probably just get crippled against once he got back to New California. "Well, you enjoy that General, I''ll be off then, still got things to do and people to maim..." Afton says before excusing himself with a small wave. He quickly arrives back at the Think Tank after his troops had taken General Oliver into custody. He''d have the man teleported into the NCR capital once the population had heard of his cowardice. But first, Afton had to visit another prisoner... He heads down to the cells and stops in front of a sickly-looking bald old man. He was lying on the bed hooked up to life support, though, no pain killers were provided to ease his suffering. Caesar, the real one, looks over to Afton and scowls. "Back here to mock me further?... Well? Take a good look, I doubt I''ll last longer than a month..." he growls out, now obviously aware that Afton had lied about curing his cancer. Afton shrugs, "You''re right, I am here to mock you, but not about your cancer." he says while entering the cell and clicking his fingers to summon Glados. He sits next to Caesar''s bed and watches as Glados drone floats in front of them and begins projecting a video onto the wall. Caesar''s eyes widen as he''s greeted by an eager eye view of Hoover Dam, along with his army that was charging towards it. "The battle has already begun?" he anxiously questions, not knowing if their forces were good enough, nor if his troop''s morale would hold with him gone. The duo just silently watch as the battle progresses, explosion annihilating the charging Legionaries, but not managing to completely hold them back. Caesar was on the edge of his seat, wondering if there was something he could do to assist his men. "Do you want to help them?" Afton asks with a toothy grin. Caesar unconsciously nods, "Yes." ... "Pfft, well too bad! This is a recording of the battle! It''s already over! Both the NCR and Legion were annihilated, leaving the Dam in my care... You don''t mind that, do you Cece?... Cessle?" Afton laughs, having to back away as Caesar sits up and tries to grab him. "Y-YOU! YOU HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING I HAVE BUILT! AND YOU DARE MOCK ME TO MY FACE!? I''LL HAVE YOU CASTRATED, LIT ON FIRE, FED TO BEASTS!!!" Caesar roars in a rage, having to be restrained by the robotic bed before he can disconnect himself from life support. "Hahahahaha! And that''s not even the best part, Caesar!" Afton laughs and gestures at the projector which was now displaying... Caesar, giving a speech to defeated and exhausted-looking Legionaries. They seem to have caught the clone halfway through the speech, fake-Caesar abruptly stops and looks towards the camera with a dull expression, as if waiting for direction. Afton glances at Glados drone and nods, "Do it." The Caesar clone nods at the camera and looks back at the crowds, "I-I cannot go on like this. I have failed... The Legion, has failed... Our defeat at the Battle of Hoover Dam was just the beginning. Our reign now comes to an end, and there isn''t anything we can do to stop it... MY LEGIONARIES! I ASK YOU FOR FORGIVENESS, I HAVE LIED TO YOU ALL!" the clone loudly announces before drawing a revolver from its holster and holding it against his temple. "ONLY DESTRUCTION AWAITS THE LEGION! I BEG YOU ALL!... FOR FORGIVENESS!" fake Caesar shouts at the top of his lungs as Legionaries attempt to take the gun away. *Bang!* The clone fires his weapon, killing himself instantly and causing all those who were watching to shout in shocked despair and fear. Their almighty leader had just announced the death of their nation before committing suicide! If that wasn''t a bad omen, then what was!? Chapter 626 - Politicking The real Caesar watches with wide eyes as his clone commits suicide after announcing the death of the Legion. He robotically turns to face Afton, the man who''d orchestrated all of this. He grits his teeth hard enough to bleed from his gums and trembles from the sheer rage he was experiencing. "I do not think any words could describe the hate I feel for you. I would be willing to castrate myself, just for a chance to take my revenge... You... You''ve destroyed everything I''ve worked for..." Afton chuckles, ignoring Caesar''s cold-rage, "Hahaha! Did you see that? You blew your own brains out!" he wipes a stray tear from his eye, "Man... I wonder how the Legion will react to that... I do know one thing though... Your legacy, it''s ruined... Even if the Legion survives this, and I don''t end up destroying it eventually. You will always be remembered as that crazy founder who blew his brains out after begging for forgiveness." he states with crossed arms. Caesar just continues to glare at Afton, not willing to give him an inch. This was the only control Caesar had anymore... He doubted he''d even be able to commit suicide without Afton or one of his subordinates interfering... To be honest, he felt helpless. His cancer was getting worse, causing him agonizing migraines almost every second of the day which stopped him from thinking straight. He was confined in this small cell all day every day, with minimal contact from the outside world... The only people he really spoke to was that robot called Glados, which continually mocked him at every moment, or Afton, who''d bring along the worst news with him. Shaking his head and trying to restrain himself from crying, screaming, going berserk, or whatever else his fractured mind was tempted to do. He simply slumps back into his bed and refuses to look at Afton, not replying to his questions, not even acknowledging his existed. He''d just wait here to die, spiting Afton in the process. Afton upon seeing Caesar not engaging with him anymore just shrugs his shoulders and stands, "Alright. Guess the old man has had enough and gotten grumpy. I get it... Oh, by the way, I don''t know who did it, but someone decided to drop a couple nukes in the East... Just wanted to let you know." he says before closing the cell door and leaving. Once Afton leaves Caesar to his own devices, he decides to take a small break and see everyone''s reaction to the battle was... He kicks his feet up in the Sink and turns the radio on, turning it to Mr New Vegas station. "*Bzztch!*nd would you have it, we''ve received many called from hundreds of viewers around the Mojave, giving their own two cents-er, two caps, to the recent battle that took place over at the Hoover Dam... Reports have been rather... Unreliable. But from official reports, it seems that neither the NCR, nor the Legion managed to take the Dam... But first, let''s hear some thoughts from our listeners... Oh, you''re on the air, Mr. Easy Pete was it?" "Yeah, yeah, that''s what they call me... Listen, those o'' you that''re worried about who won, or who lost. If yall''re so scared of the outcome, why not just leave the Mojave for a more peaceful life. I can tell ya'' that I thought about it myself more times than I''d like''ta admit." the older man says. "I think we can all agree to that kind of thought Mr. Easy Pete, but a great many of our listeners have families and careers that keep them here. What would you say to them?" Mr. New Vegas politely retorts. "Well, I''ll just tell it how it is. If the NCR won that fight, you''ll be fine, except for those taxes that''ll pick ya'' pockets... As for the Legion? You best run, they''ll enslave your wife and daughters, force your husbands and sons into their armies... And that''s the best-case scenario, see..." the man gravely states. "Hm, a worrisome prediction, Mr. Easy Pete. Oh, apologies but we''ve just received an update from a reliable source that... Our own Mr. House along with the new faction known as Bulwark had worked together to take control of the Hoover Dam? Oh! We''re receiving a call from the very man himself! Ladies and gentlemen, this will be the first time ever that anyone has had the chance to interview Mr. House!" Mr. New Vegas excitedly says, only causing Afton to laugh. Mr. New Vegas was a creation of Mr House, an AI radio host. Most weren''t aware of its origins, and it made sure not to outwardly address its bias either, so as to make it seem like Mr. New Vegas was a reliable, unbias distributor of news among the Mojave. "Hello?" Mr. House''s familiar voice asks over the radio. "Yes! Mr. House, you are live on air. I extend to you the warmest welcome the Mojave has to offer... And while I have so many questions I want to ask, I think it would be best if we stuck to the topic at hand... What are your thoughts on the situation over at the Hoover Dam, and are the reports of your involvement true?" Mr. House lets out a charming chuckle, "Well Mr. New Vegas, I am both happy and saddened to inform you that yes, I was forced to take action during the Battle of Hoover Dam, as some have coined it... For what reason was I required to act? Well, I stumbled across many unfortunate underhanded dealings committed by the NCR, who had been planning to subvert and take control of New Vegas, which as you know, is my personal and private property." Chapter 627 - Afterparty House continues, "I was assisted in this task by the faction you know as Bulwark, who provided forces which made the acquisition of the Hoover Dam, rather laughably easy. The ease with which we claimed the Dam only reinforced my conviction that the NCR could not protect the Mojave... The flagrant corruption in their backwards bureaucracy, underhanded dealings with both friend and foe, and their utter disregard for rules of both common decency and their own laws, has forced me to reconsider my options..." House trails off, and Mr. New Vegas awaits his response, along with the rest of the Mojave that was listening in. "I would like to announce the founding of a new nation, one not beholden to the tyrannical NCR, the barbaric Legion, or the authoritarian Brotherhood of Steel. This nation will serve to secure a free Mojave from the grasping hands of tyrants and corrupt leaders, who only wish to chain innocent civilians and force them to become pawns in their foolish wargames... This is the beginning of a new age, and it will be us that will ensure the denizens of the Mojave''s freedom." Mr House explains in his same charming manner of speech, annunciating each word so as to put more power into the subject at hand. Truly, Mr House knew how to control a crowd, even if he was currently limited to doing it over the radio. Even Afton in the Sink felt his spirits rising in excitement at what House was saying. He couldn''t help the eager grin forming on his face as he continued to listen. "My-no, our new nation, Solphelicity will ensure the longevity of New Vegas, its citizens, and the Mojave as a whole. It brings me great honour and anticipation to explore all we can accomplish together... Mr New Vegas, I hope you don''t mind if I use your platform to announce other future changes?" Hous suddenly asks the host. "O-oh! Of course! It would be our distinct pleasure to help you with this... After all, are we not all Solphelicitians now? Hehehehe" the host chuckles. Afton cuts off the radio as he slouches in his chair. Honestly, the first thing on his mind upon hearing that wasn''t the logistics of starting a new nation, nor was it about that agreement he''d eventually have to make with House... It was primarily concentrated on how stupid ''Solphelicity'' sounds... You''d think a savvy businessman like House would know better... Though, the man did name his company ''RobCo''... He shakes his head and sits up, "Glados, is there anything left on the schedule? I feel as if I''ve forgotten something..." he admits, ignoring the japes made by the AI personalities at his expense. "Preparations for the Won-War-Celebration are underway and almost completed... AI Designated : Alfred considered our victory a forgone conclusion and began preparations for it." Glados states. "Oh? I don''t remember hearing about this..." Afton wonders aloud. "Indeed, that is due to this celebration being a surprise... Oh." Glados mutters before a pipe extends from the ceiling, the sound of many party horns go off as a small amount of confetti is shot from it. "Surprise." Glados states in her usual dull tone. ... "This seems familiar... And brings back feelings of disappointment..." Afton admits as he stands, "Alright, where''s this party then?" "Outside. Most of the Meatbags have already started the process of intoxication... I suggest you avoid them, with how low their IQ is, the consumption of alcohol may turn them into rabid animals." Glados warns. Afton just laughs in response, "Yeah, you could call it that... Don''t worry Glados, I''m only gonna get a little shit faced... I still have a meeting with House tomorrow, so, if all else fails, make sure I wake up before 11am." "Affirmative... Enjoy your night amongst the other Meatbags." Outside : After putting on something comfortable, Afton steps outside the Think Tank and immediately spots where the celebration is happening. Honestly, even if he didn''t have eyes he could tell where they were with how loud they are. A short distance away from the Think Tank was an open area covered by tarps made from a fortified synthetic mesh... Afton wondered if the material was to protect the partygoers, or if it was just the only stuff they had lying around... Either way, it painted a pretty militaristic picture of Bulwark. A couple groups seemed to form from the party-goers, each cliche welcomed all groups, but had more engagement with people they were familiar with (obviously), so former Legion slaves grouped up, former NCR grouped up, and former Brotherhood grouped up. The first people he notices however were actually Anja and Scorpion-Man, both sitting on the outskirts of the party sipping drinks, sitting close to one another and talking. "Sup guys, enjoying yourselves?" Afton suddenly asks from behind them, causing them to jump in surprise. "A-Afton!?" Juan squeaks in embarrassment as if only now noticing the rather intimate way he''d been sitting with Anja. "Hi, Sir." Anja easily greets after a moment, tilting an ear in his direction to hear him better. Afton nods genially but points a lazy finger at their drinks, "Should you be drinking Anja? Pretty sure your Doc recommended not to with your meds." he states. "You''re my doctor though, sir... You said I''d be fine to drink if I didn''t take my medication for the night..." she asks anxiously, suddenly worried. Afton grins and shrugs, "Did I? I must''ve been drunk then. You two have fun, oh, and, we may develop a few ways to cure your ''eyesight'' soon... Though, it''d involve a far more elaborate method than just simply giving you cybernetics..." he waves it off and begins to leave, "Just letting you know." Chapter 628 - Remnanticience The next people Afton encounters is actually Miles and Melissa, who both seem glad to finally be out of their armour and able to relax. Both were sharing drinks with some of their other colleagues from the Brotherhood. He decides not to bother them, as they seem to be having enough fun without him popping up... Besides, he knew some of the former Brotherhood members still resented him for ruining the Chapter they had lived in for their entire lives... He couldn''t blame them, and as long as they stayed trustworthy when performing their duties he wouldn''t bother them either. Especially with the Chips they''d all been tagged with. The next group was actually just a bunch of elderly men... The Enclave Remnants, Dean Domino, Raul... Arcade Gannon was there too, but, he was more of a hanger-on while the others spoke about the ''good old days''. The Remnants had been a bit iffy about socializing with Ghouls, but quickly warmed up to the duo when discussing the past. Raul and Dean told stories of what it was like before the war, something the Remnants appreciated, especially considering the Enclave indoctrinated their soldiers on the basis of ''returning to how things were''... Hearing real experiences from real people interested the Remnants greatly. "You guys alright? The music not too loud for your fragile ears?" Afton asks as he leans on a nearby table. Johnson gives a firm nod, "Yeah, nothing like some drinks after a massacre!... That didn''t come out right." he admits after a moment. Orion just shakes his head, "Who are you calling fragile? We still got some fight in us, as the NCR and Legion damn well saw." Afton nods, "And what a sight it was... Thanks for coming guys. I know you primarily did it for Daisy, but, Bulwark appreciates it nonetheless." Arcade scoffs, "Yeah, Bulwark and Solphelicity... I''m not really sure to trust House on his word. It wouldn''t surprise me if the rest of the Mojave ended up like Freeside..." he mutters. Johnson nods after taking a long drink, "Yeah, and that name! ''Solphelicity'', I''d bet that most wastelanders can''t even pronounce it!" "I think I get what House was going for with it... Felicity in Latin literally means ''Happy'', and in English can mean ''Bliss and Luck'', which represents New Vegas to a tee... I think there might be more to it, but that goes over my head I''m afraid... Maybe encourage literacy or something?" he guesses but everyone else shakes their heads, not believing that to be the case. Afton leans forwards, "What were you guys talking about anyway?" Doc Henry grins and gestures at Raul, "Just reminiscing... Did you know Raul here was a mechanic before the war... Then became a gunslinger? Ha! Makes me feel like I''ve lived a boring life compared to these two." Afton nods, "Well, when you live that long it''s hard not to do something interesting eventually... Hey, I wanted to ask, what are you guys going to do now? You gonna split and go your own ways like last time? Or do you wanna stick around and help out a bit?..." he asks, causing the group to go silent in contemplation. "That an offer kid?" Johnson asks after a moment of thought. Afton shrugs his shoulders, "Consider it a formal invitation to work for Bulwark. Now that the NCR and Legion are high-tailing it outta the Mojave, Bulwark''s main objective will be to industrialise the Mojave, produce technology that can increase the average standard of living, and creating protection to obstruct any kind of attack the Mojave may encounter... So, nukes, asteroids, armies, you name it." he explains, and gets approving nods from the people present. This is especially so for Arcade, who''d be meaning to quit as soon as the battle was overdue to his abhorrence of war, violence, and things of a similar nature. While he could see that Bulwark was working in everyone''s best interest at the moment, history stated that it wouldn''t be long before its purpose became corrupted and altered. He was actually pretty sure Bulwark would declare war on House, or start invading other territories outside the Mojave as soon as the battle was over... It just made the most sense, especially if you consider the sheer military power it could present at a moments notice. Afton pushes himself off of the table he was leaning against and shakes the Remnants hands, "Then, I hope we can achieve many things together. Oh, Doc Henry, Arcade, if you want to... Learn. From our scientists, I''d suggest a cautious approach... I''m sure you''ve already heard stories about them from your short time here..." he trails off before giving the group a short wave and leaving. Henry glances around at those present, "What''s he mean by that?" he asks, apparently not having heard about the Think Tank scientists. "Ah..." Arcade mutters, "I remember hearing something about the ''scientists'' living in the Think Tank. Apparently, they weren''t the most ''moral'' scientists you can encounter... Or the most sane..." Dean chuckles, "That''s putting it lightly... I''ve met the one they call Borous while observing those strange Deathclaws that''re being bred. Terrifying things. And I''m not talking about the Deathclaws. The scientists used to lobotomise everything that entered this place, only stopping when our ''lord and saviour'' took the reigns... Borous seemed to be fairly stable, but from how he describes his colleagues, I''d steer clear of some of them... Dala in particular, that one makes a hobby out of dissecting people." he says with a shiver. Henry sips his drink, "As long as they are under control now, I think it''d be fine to learn from them... Just imagine the knowledge they''ve gathered from centuries of study from before and after the Great War..." Arcade nods, "It may be the biggest knowledge-stockpile left in the entire world... Huh, think of that." Chapter 629 - Drinkscape Afton continues walking around and eventually spots his next ''targets''... Karl was sat next to his daughter Caroline listening to Mr. New Vegas on the radio. Carlos didn''t seem to be around anywhere, but that''s probably more due to the current time than anything else. "So, you guys hear the news then?" he asks while sitting next to the father-daughter duo. Karl glances his way and nods while rubbing his Cybernetic leg. "Yeah, a new nation huh? Gotta say, I definitely didn''t expect this when I found you runnin'' from that Deathclaw. I am glad though, never woulda got my girl back from the Legion either." Caroline looks to Afton, "You sure House can be trusted? I heard a bunch of things while serving the NCR and during my time with the Legion..." she looks left and right before leaning in, "Some say he''s a zombie... Like, not a Ghoul, but a real zombie from the movies!" she quietly says. Afton and Karl laugh at her accusation, knowing that House was either like the Think Tank scientists or some sort of AI designed to mimic the real House''s personality. "I think a zombie would be far less eloquent than House currently is... Now, I''d believe you if there were more grunts and talk of eating brains... But..." he gives an exaggerated shrug. "Most things people tell you directly are molerat-shit, you want the truth then you gotta investigate it yourself." Karl mutters. "So, Caroline... You got any plans now that the war is basically over? I imagine that once Carlos is grown-up you''ll need to find something to occupy your time." Afton asks, wondering what she wanted to do. Caroline looks unsure at being asked this, "I don''t know... The only career I''ve had was serving the NCR... Plus the labour I did as a slave, but... I''d rather not do that again..." Afton nods, "And you won''t have to ever again, but if you have something you want to learn or do, I could help you out with it... We aren''t exactly lacking resources here." he jokes, gesturing at the rather out-of-hand party occurring behind him... Only now noticing that some chuckle-fucks thought it was a good idea to see who could drink two-hundred-year-old aged whisky the fastest. "OI! You ain''t wasting my drink playing games you fucks! You want whisky then get it from the matter converters!" he shouts, causing the group to quickly vacate their position, fearing punishment. "Well... I used to do woodwork as a hobby... But that was only in California... Good wood was hard to come by since most of it was mangled, knotted, and varied wildly in hardness and texture..." she trails off. Afton is actually surprised by this... Carpentry wasn''t exactly a sought after profession nowadays, and anyone who claimed to be a carpenter in the Mojave was regarded as a crazy person... After all, trees don''t grow in the desert. As for ''good wood'' being expensive? That didn''t actually surprise him... The amount of radiation released after the great war had irreversibly altered most plant life. Even the trees up in Jacobstown were absolutely covered in knots and burls, which were essentially just tree cancer. He remembered doing carpentry back in his past life and trying to work with knots, needless to say, he''d rather punch steel than try to make something from heavily knotted wood. Back to Caroline''s interest in the subject though, perhaps when the scientists had free time they could genetically create a few radiation-resistant trees that could thrive in the desert... The lack of water would be the main issue with that, but if he irrigated some areas then bringing colour to the Mojave might not be so difficult. Plus, perhaps helping independent businesses like the one Caroline might make would be the key to raising the Mojave above everywhere else. He imagined that exporting proper newly made furniture would draw some attention, especially since most furniture used nowadays was two-hundred-years old... Afton slowly nods at Caroline, "I''ll have someone get to work on that, for now, we might be able to import some wood from Jacobstown if you''d like." he says, hoping for her to get some practice before potentially monetising it. Her eyes light up at his offer as she eagerly accepts, Karl sending a grateful look his way. With that, Afton gets up and moves to the next group of partygoers... But stops once he spots a large gathering of Cyberdogs... It looked as if they were having their own party, with many water bowls and bowls of meat laid out as if they''d planned beforehand... Though, he suspects Borous having a hand in this. Shaking his head, he moves on and finally spots the people he was looking for. Boone is sitting with Shani, with Josie on the opposite side of the table, each with a beer in front of them. Afton falls into one of the free seats and interrupts their conversation. "Yo, you guys having fun? I didn''t even know there was a party until half an hour ago..." he admits while taking one of their half-finished drinks. Josie shrugs, "It only started an hour and a half ago, so, you didn''t really miss much." "''I didn''t miss much'', which basically means you aren''t enjoying yourself. Something wrong? Cuz, if you''re bored I swear someone had installed some sort of karaoke machine over there..." Josie shakes her head, "No, just saying it takes a while for the drinks to kick in. That, and I was waiting for someone." she adds, not making it hard to tell who she''s referring to. "Uh huh... So, talking bout anything interesting?" he says, changing the topic to avoid that subject.. At least, avoid it until his own drinks kick in, which, considering his mutations, might take a while. Shani nods, "I. We, were discussing a dream I had... I wanted to hear their thoughts before I told you about it..." she sheepishly admits. Chapter 630 - SSP Afton immediately perks up upon hearing this. Whatever dream Shani might''ve had may reveal events in the future, events he may want to stop... Though, if it just reveals a Mojave utopia with Bulwark and Mr House flags flying above every building he wouldn''t be surprised... "Tell me about it then." he requests. Shani chews her lip for a moment before speaking, looking incredibly anxious, "I... I dreamt that many pillars of blue fire would come down from the sky... The dream ended before they hit the ground though..." she mutters. ... Blue pillars of fire from the sky huh? That sounded an awful lot like his orbital laser... Or, it could just be aliens, especially considering that they actually exist in this universe... This could be pretty bad to be honest, either he goes crazy and unleashes massive orbital bombardment onto the planet for some reason, someone hacks into his orbital lasers, or... Aliens suddenly attack the world? ... The trio just watch the many emotions occur on Afton''s face, wondering if he knew what might be the cause of the dream. "You know anything?" Boone inquires. Afton slowly shakes his head, "Nothing for certain, but I''ll make sure we are prepared for such a situation." he diplomatically states before making a show of looking around, "Any of you seen Veronica or Christine anywhere?" The trio chuckle, "You won''t be seeing them until tomorrow." Josie adds while taking a swig. "Ooooh... Good for them I guess." he mutters while kicking his feet up, "Any word on Tamia?" he asks, wondering where she was... She was supposedly the Protagonist, which meant she should have been present at Hoover Dam if everything went similarly to Fallout 3... The trio shakes their heads, "No... Haven''t seen her since she left through the tunnel system." Boone adds. Afton idly nods as they begin discussing other subjects, their thoughts on House, the future, Psykers, even what they''d each be doing now that the war was essentially over. All the while, Afton was doing his best to break through his mutations resistances against alcohol... He knew it could be done, but, it''d take a while. So, glasses of straight Vodka and Whisky were deployed, and an hour after he started drinking, he was finally starting to feel a little tipsy... Though, everyone else at the party had either gone back to their rooms already, or were completely shitfaced. He did, however, take a moment to tell Glados to start making estimations on the various causes of Shani''s dream... He''d need to start preparing for that now if he wanted to be ready for it... He could think of a couple ways to deal with Aliens, like multiple orbital lasers, or simply a shit ton of anti-air cannons...? He''s drawn from his thoughts when a red-faced Josie taps him on the shoulder and gestures at the not vacant seat where Boone and Shani had been... "Er, did they leave together?" he questions, wondering if Boone had finally gotten out of his funk. Josie shrugs, "Probably not... Just walking her back to her room I''d bet... Say..." she trails off with a mischievous grin, "You wanna walk me back too? It''s getting pretty late..." Afton crooks a brow but doesn''t reject her, instead, standing and offering a hand. "I guess I could, if you really want to." he says, knowing exactly where this is going. And as you''d expect, it went exactly where you''d think. The next day Afton awoke in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed, with surprising familiar arms wrapped around his waist. He hadn''t drunk all that much so he remembered exactly what he''d done last night, plus the bonus of his regenerative abilities stopping any hangovers... He sits up suddenly when he remembers he''s got a meeting with House at 11 am... His eyes dart around the room but he doesn''t spot any clocks around, all the while completely forgetting the Pipboy attached to his arm. He pulls himself out of bed and rapidly starts getting dressed, accidentally waking up Josie in the process. She grumbles and rubs her eyes once she feels the source of warmth leave the bed, looking over at Afton''s frantic movements, "Mmm... What is this? A dine and dash?" she mutters half sarcastically. Afton shakes his head while he pulls his shirt on, "You know I''m not like that, once the meeting is over we''ll talk about... This." She chuckles, "What''s there to talk about? Unless!" she gives an exaggerated gasp, though, her acting was terrible as she was still half asleep. "Did you realise you weren''t into women last night?" ... "I can''t tell if you''re teasing me or not... Wouldn''t me turning gay after a night with you be your fault, not mine?" he asks while pulling his trousers on. She waves her hand in his direction with a yawn, "Semantics... Besides, I could just change you back after another session." ... "You mean like a sexuality swapping pussy or something? As funny as that superpower would be, I doubt it''s possible... Even with Psykers." Afton states before giving a light kiss and leaving. "Bring some breakfast when you get back!" Josie calls after him before going back to sleep. Once outside he calls for Glados, breathing a sigh of relief at the fact he still had ten minutes to get to New Vegas. It was enough to get there, but not really enough to organize his thoughts for the meeting... Regardless, hopefully everything would turn out fine... House was a businessman through and through, but you could only negotiate so much when your opponent has a bigger and better army, as well as an orbital laser at his disposal. Plus the fact he''d claimed that Bulwark had already allied with New Vegas, meaning that House had to seal the deal no matter what. The only reason Afton wasn''t going to make ridiculous demands though was because having a good relationship with House would most likely trump whatever he could extract from the man. Chapter 631 - Taxing Prospect It doesn''t take long for Afton to teleport to New Vegas and enter the Lucky 38. The robot named Victor led him inside and brought him up to the penthouse where a large screen with Mr House''s face awaited him... Before it, was a small table with a robot called Jane standing silently by it. "Quite the set-up you''ve got here... But if I was going to be speaking to a machine anyway, why bother coming here in the first place?" Afton asks with a crooked brow, wondering if House just wanted the home-ground advantage in these negotiations. The monitor flickers as House begins to speak, "Unfortunately a face-to-face meeting is quite impossible in my current state... But, this is as close to it as you can get, I hope this doesn''t sour things." the man says with a ''not-apology''. Afton just shrugs and sits at the table opposite the large screen. The robot leans forwards with a woman''s face flickering on its screen, "Would you like a beverage dear? We''ve got almost everything in stock." it offers. "I''ll have a... Tea, if you have it." he says, wanting to see how extensive House''s stocks truly are... Tea is almost impossible to come by outside of Big Mt, plus, he was still an Englishman, a night of alcohol requires a morning with tea. The robot agrees and quickly rolls away, presumably towards the kitchen, leaving Afton and House facing one another. "So, I heard your interview over the radio... Funny how you''d announce something not yet agreed upon." Afton casually states. "Yes, well, unity leads stability. It was best for everyone to know of our potential partnership in these chaotic times. The NCR have almost completely fled from the Mojave, Camp McCarren is almost empty, and only a few NCR military police have decided to stay in the strip to act as security... Without a warning, a threat, innocents would soon be overrun by rioters, bandits, even wasteland creatures... As you know, I am known only for remaking Las Vegas, and only that... But you? Bulwark and yourself have formed quite the reputation..." House explains, and Afton silently nods in agreement. Afton wasn''t so heartless to disagree with his attempts at protecting the populace... But, he still couldn''t let House''s actions slide. "I agree, but, you still used our name without permission. Your lucky pre-war laws don''t count, otherwise you''d have a number of them slapped on you in a courthouse." he chuckles. "Yes, well, as fortunate as that is, I believe that''s exactly what we should be discussing. Laws." House states, just as Jane wheels back into the room with two drinks. The robot deposits Afton''s tea in front of him while leaving a dirty martini in front of House... Even though he''s literally not here right now. ... Afton squints between it and House, getting a chuckle out of the man. "While I''m not physically present, it is still polite to share a drink with your guest... Do you disagree?" Afton shakes his head, "No, but isn''t the point of that to show that you haven''t poisoned the drinks?" he questions. "Well. Supposedly, but that doesn''t matter when one, or both of us are immune to such a thing." Well, Afton wasn''t even going to ask how he knew about that... Either he guessed due to the abilities he''d shown thus far, or he''d picked up some rumours involving his ''mutant'' status. "How about we start with what it would take to form an official alliance between Solphelicity?" "Urgh, how about we start with why you called it that? It makes me cringe every time I hear someone say it..." Afton mutters. "Well, that''s the reaction I wished for when I chose the name. I believe it will become natural to say once it becomes a household name." Hosue retorts. "You chose it because it sounds bad?" Afton asks with a dumbfounded expression. "Indeed. Rule one of advertisement is all publicity is good publicity. People may mock the name, degrade it... But it will be on their tongues nonetheless, continuing to cement Solphelicity''s position in the Mojave." the man explains. ... That made sense? Kinda?... Afton wasn''t sure if that rule was real... Otherwise, why not just call your product ''Hitler-Orgasmo-Chocolate-Stalin'' or something. That''d definitely get a reaction. Afton shakes his head, regardless of his reasons, the name wasn''t why either of them were here today. "So, what will Bulwark get in return for working with you? To be honest, you don''t have all that much to offer, we hold almost space-age technology, a large military, self-reliance..." it was true, House didn''t really have much to barter with considering Bulwark''s overwhelming superiority. "Well, New Vegas and the Mojave as a whole has one thing you cannot replace with robots... A pool of talent to pick from the citizenry. That is the first term I''m willing to offer in return for your cooperation in various endeavours I have in mind, the ability to pick talented individuals from the Mojave... With their agreement of course." That''s a good start Afton supposes... Though, if he was really desperate he could just recruit from somewhere else... That would have a problem with loyalty however, if he got people from the Mojave which knew who and what Bulwark was, they''d likely be far better than the alternatives. "That''s fair, but still not enough for what Bulwark is giving in return." Afton states, leaning back in his chair and waiting for House to offer more. "Indeed... Which is why I''m willing to offer something no one else could possibly claim... Solphelicity will not tax any products you attempt to sell in the Mojave, as opposed to other businesses which will pay a minimum of 15% depending on the type of product." ... "You know, I hadn''t thought about taxes before, but wasn''t the NCR hated by the population for ridiculous taxation fees? Are you just gonna try and convince them it''s for their own good or something?" Afton questions. Chapter 632 - Deal Or No Deal? "Well, as unfortunate as it is, taxing the populace is required to form a stable and civil society. I am not a communist, so I will not be giving free handouts to those who wish to abuse and take advantage of the system for their own gains... There will be changes to how the NCR operated however... Only products and income will be taxed, it will also be significantly lower than what the NCR demanded. The taxes will all be used to build infrastructure, as well as maintain and upgrade my Securitron army." "And your attitude on monopolies?" Afton questions, knowing that no taxes to the business started under Bulwark''s name would eventually result in his complete domination of the market, especially with the technology and potential production rate. House chuckles, "You forget, my business was once regarded a monopoly by my opponents. Monopolies are simply a result of capitalism working as intended... There will be close observation and critique of any monopoly that comes into being... We are both smart enough to know that monopolies generally result in many malicious consumer tactics, corruption, and eventual degradation of society itself... There is another reason that I would allow you to form a monopoly... I have reason to suspect that you, like me, will not succumb to the passage of time. Preventing those with different intentions from inheriting, and subsequently distorting the businesses that will lay down their roots." House explains, causing Afton to crook at brow at the rather large claim he''d just made. "Oh? You think I''m immortal?" Afton asks with a small, curious smile. "Not immortal, unaging. The difference is large but usually misconstrued... In all honesty, I am very interested in seeing what a society run by unaging beings could potentially become. We would be the creators, kingmakers... We would become the ''functional-gods'' of the Mojave and its people... I believe a future led under such strict, yet fair rulers would lead to a type of utopia, one which would help humanity evolve from the pitiful state it has put itself in." House declares imperiously. ... "And what if one of us becomes corrupt?" Afton inquires, quickly spotting the obviously blip in House''s plans. "Then... Humanity''s hope for the future belongs to the ashes further nuclear fire would grant... I do not believe humanity in its current state would be able to resist destroying itself again... I have given up much to give it a chance, sacrificing my body, my mind, my feelings, fears, and wants... I have given up all but hope... Afton Parker, tell me honestly... Do you think humanity would be able to rise above its baser instincts without a guiding hand?" Afton shrugs and easily shakes his head, "No chance. People are out for themselves, and are only willing to be selfless when their own positions are assured. Sure, there are a few outliers who are selfless even despite themselves, but they are quickly taken advantage of and quashed. But you explaining your plans for the future isn''t enough to secure Bulwark''s cooperation, House." he states, still wanting more. "Hm, well. Other than the freedom to gather talent, lack of taxing, and the reputation gain our alliance would cause?... How about this... You keep Novac and the land surrounding it, you can have Nelson to so you have direct access to the Colorado river. Its placement would allow it to become an incredibly important trading post, along with the resources the land itself would provide... I believe all of this would be satisfactory." House concludes. Afton just shakes his head with a large frown, "What do you mean ''You keep Novac''? Novac. Is. Mine. It was never on the table, I will warn you House, do not try to fuck with me on shit like this. Novac has, and will always be mine, regardless of what happens here today." he states. ... "Very well. Forget Novac, how about a percentage of the energy that Hoover Dam produces? I imagine a technological powerhouse such as Bulwark would appreciate such a thing?" House asks. "Again, Bulwark is self-sustainable... But, I can think of some projects that might improve with some excess energy lying around. Still, offering something that is more or less useless to me still isn''t convincing enough." Afton crosses his arms nad kicks his feet up onto the table, causing House to sigh and Jane''s face to switch to an angry-looking one. "What do you want then, Afton? What could I provide that you would accept?" House finally asks, feeling as if this negotiation wasn''t going his way at all. It kind of made sense though when he thought about it, Afton wasn''t a businessman, he was simply an inexperienced warlord with far more resources than he should have. Afton grins, "I want... Complete access to your surveillance and spy network." he states causing House to go silent momentarily. ... "I thought you and Bulwark had your own network? Why would you wish to gain access to my own?" House asks with worry and mild confusion. Afton shrugs, "Because knowledge is power and all that... Plus, my guys might''ve missed something that you picked up. And it would help me set up my own network with the structure you''d already built..." ... "Is this the thing that will guarantee your cooperation, Afton?" House asks. Afton nods, "Yeah. Plus everything else, I think that''s enough to put us on an even playing field." ... "I would like to retract the offer of energy from Hoover Dam in return, my information network is worth a considerable sum, and I''d rather have the excess energy to improve the infrastructure of the Mojave... If that''s acceptable to you?" "Sure." Afton says before checking the time on his Pipboy, squinting in embarrassment when he remembers his frantic behaviour in the morning. "Ah, I gotta go... Keep these terms as a cursory agreement, we can hash out more later." he explains as he gets up. "What might be the rush?" Hosue asks, confused. Afton grins, "Well, I''m about to lead an army of armoured super mutants into an NCR research facility... Kinda on a tight schedule here." he quickly states before leaving, teleporting back to Big Mt as soon as he''s outside. Chapter 633 - Super Afton makes sure to deliver some breakfast to Josie once he''s back, afterwards immediately heading to the teleportation area where his ''guests'' had just arrived. Marcus and a huge group of Supermutants and Nightkin had just arrived, all of which were looking very eager to fight. Which wasn''t surprising considering their race''s usual violent preferences. He steps forwards and gives Marcus a firm handshake, "You guys ready for this? I doubt it''ll be easy." Afton cautions, not wanting them to charge into something they weren''t expecting. Marcus just nods, "We are ready. This is as much for us as it is for you.. They are experimenting on our brothers, even without the debt we owe you, we''d have accepted this fight regardless." "Good, good." Afton mutters genially before gesturing the group to follow him, "Come on, you guy''s armour is ready, along with a selection of weaponry you can choose from... I''ll warn you though, some people in Bulwark aren''t all that receptive to mutants yet." "It''s alright, Afton. We are all used to discrimination. As long as no one attacks us, we will be as civil as any human." Marcus states. Afton nods and continues to lead the group towards the building that''d be fitted with the Supermutants gear... Why did he not take them to the actual armoury? Well, as much as he trusted Marcus, the Nightkin following him have a tendency to act erratically due to their schizophrenia... The last thing he needed was a violent group of Nightkin taking over the most dangerous armoury Earth currently had to offer. The group pass by many Bulwark residents, and while most either ignore them or give friendly smiles, the former Brotherhood members look on with mild shock and indignation. For some, Ghouls were the most they could tolerate, but now actual Supermutants, the creatures created to supersede mankind were offered a red carpet, armour, and weaponry? Had they not already been warned of this and the consequences for acting out by Glados, a fight might''ve broken out there and then. Eventually, they reach the armoury after passing by a few of the many farms in place. The building is larger than average to accommodate the Supermutant''s larger size, and the front had a larger than average garage door, that Afton opens with a switch, revealing the armoury to the grinning mutant army. Now, as fun as equipping the Supemutants with Power armour sounded, there simply wasn''t enough time or Saturnite to do such a thing. Most of the Saturnite had been used when plating the Ultimo-Bot army that invaded Hoover Dam, so they''d need to synthesize more if he wanted to do any more large scale projects. Thus, the Supermutants armour lacked the complete bodily coverage that most Bulwark armour provided. Though, the small amounts of Saturnite lefts from the army had been used to create chainmail-like armour that covered the chest, stomach, and crotch, with Deathclaw leather protecting the arms and legs. Of course, the chainmail also had a layer of Deathclaw leather covering it, primarily to stop it from overheating too quickly. This was far more armour than even the highest rank Supermutants would be able to get however, their bodies alone were resistant to bullets, so the additional protection would go a long way... This is also why Afton chose to focus more on the Supermutant''s helmets, as a surefire way to put one down was a clean shot to the eye, or a powerful shot to the head. The helmets themselves held more saturnite than the rest of the armour combined, it covered the entire head except for the face, where a shield would take its place in a similar fashion to Afton''s power armour visor. The Supermutants watched in silent awe as Afton helped Marcus into his own armour, all of them jumping slightly as the armour automatically adjusted its size to suit Marcus, along with the face-shield activating. "OOOooooo?!" Marcus gives the shield a tentative touch and watches the ripples occur in the shield, "This is strange... Will it hold up?" Afton nods, "Yeah, as long as the electronics in the helmet aren''t damaged, it''ll block basically everything." he states, deciding not to mention that he''s the one person that possesses the specific frequency that can disable such forcefields. "Alright, we''ll see to the rest of you getting fitted, but first let me show you the weapons!" he announces, receiving approving grunts from the crowd. He presents the various weapons he''d set out to the mutants, miniguns, grenade launchers, Proton Axes, and rifles. Of course, everything he''d provided to the mutants had an inbuilt self-destruct system. If any were captured and deconstructed, they''d explode and destroy any technology that''d prove potentially harmful to Bulwark. Particularly the Proton-Axes... They were some fo the only weapons that the NCR or Brotherhood might be able to recreate that would be effective against Bulwark. Their ability to cut through and damage Power armour, in particular, was something to watch out for. "You guys should be careful with the axes, by the way, they might not look all that much right now, but I doubt you''ll say the same once they''d cut off an arm or a finger accidentally... Watch." Afton states as he lightly swings the axe at the wall, cutting a few inches into the metal and leaving behind a scorched red wound. He turns back around and grins towards the surprised-looking group, "Okay, now imagine the metal wall is your arm... Yeah, not pretty." he states before deactivating the weapon and tossing it to Marcus. "Alright! Suit up and pick your weapons, we leave in around half an hour to an hour! I''ll give you a debrief and then we''ll teleport right next to the NCR''s base." Afton shouts as he steps outside, allowing Marcus to help his men suit up and get ready. Chapter 634 - Mutant Macka Bree, head scientist of the BAL of the OSI felt like he was having a brain aneurysm... News had just broken about the NCR''s catastrophic loss in the Mojave, and that they were pulling all forces from it immediately... Considering his rather close proximity to the Mojave, he''d had hoped that they would have warned him sooner! Sure, sending encrypted radio signals to the base took some time, but it doesn''t mean he can''t complain about it! Plus the fact that one of the people that''d defeated and utterly humiliated the NCR happened to be someone he''d offended in almost every manner possible, he wanted to escape as soon as it was even remotely possible. Unfortunately, due to the type of work they did at the facility, they needed to get many subjects either ready for transport, or incineration. Ultimately the choice was up to him, but while he was worried for his own safety, the progress they''d made on the various experimental subjects was extensive! It''d be a catastrophic disaster to their work if they were forced to incinerate them without properly studying them first! Thus, he''d chosen to transport their experiments back to New California, and hope that no one would notice the random heavy convoy appearing from nowhere. He wanted to leave alongside the rest of the Mojave troops, but due to how long it''d take to anaesthetize the subjects and ready them for transport in properly equipped cages. Fortunately, the NCR''s ventures in the Mojave hadn''t been completely futile. The BAL had come away with a Cybernetics expert in their captive Usanagi. He''d proudly pit his creations up against the Brotherhood of Steel now that they''d been augmented both biologically and mechanically... Though, he was still unsure how they''d stack up against Bulwark... From the radio he''d heard horror stories of the battle, thousands of indestructible robots fitted with incredibly powerful weapons? Their soldiers all equipped with armour better than even the Enclaves? Or their leader who was apparently a Psyker like himself? Macka shakes his head and continues shredding files and packing away his equipment, hopefully they''d be out by tomorrow if they worked efficiently, that''d prevent anyone from apprehending them beforeha- *CRACK!* The loud sound of lightning occurs from outside, causing Macka to accidentally toss his half-shredded papers in the air. "W-what was that!?" he mutters while getting up and heading to the surveillance room. *Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!* The sound of discharging ballistic weaponry only makes his feet speed up, worried about who''d managed to find the secret facility... He quickly reaches the surveillance room and looks at the wall of monitors which were displaying everything inside and outside the facility... Most of the facility was actually underground, with the only thing visible from the surface a large, heavily fortified metal door peaking from a rocky mountain face... It looked somewhat reminiscent of a Vault, but more for private use than the one''s housing Vault Dwellers... Outside, he could see hundreds of armoured giants... Super mutants if he had to guess, all marching towards the facility... He turns an angry glare at the NCR trooper who was supposed to be keeping an eye on this, how the fuck did an army slowly march up without him alerting everyone?! "S-sir! They appeared out of nowhere! Lighting hit the ground and they appeared from it! I swear!" the trooper quickly explains, hoping to not become another subject of the sick man''s experiments. ... The man''s words cut Macka short, he''d heard rumours of how Bulwark travels so quickly, and lightning just so happens to signal their arrival, as if they were some sort of Transylvanian monster... Perhaps the trooper wasn''t as incompetent as he first anticipated. "Keep an eye on the cameras and coordinate with the others to defend the facility! If you don''t, we''re all going to die here!" Macka commands. It was well known that the facility only had one exit(that the others knew about), Macka knew a hidden exit but wasn''t going to alert anyone about it as his research was far more important than their lives. He clenches his fist and feels his control over his body and other organic material tighten, becoming more controlled as he focuses on it... Perhaps he''d have to reveal his special abilities to his colleagues?... In the NCR''s current state, it would be incredibly stupid of them to try dissect or capture him, especially when he could work for their own interests... Hmm. He didn''t know if the NCR troopers stationed at the base would be able to hold off a hundred or so Supermutants, so it''d be best if he prepared for his own battle... Nodding to himself, he quickly leaves for his laboratory, specifically where the test subjects were held. Outside : Afton, Marcus, and the army of Supermutants had just arrived outside the OSI facility and were now quickly marching towards the front entrance of the facility. He''d already noticed the cameras hidden around the area, but ignored them as in the end, they wouldn''t really matter in the upcoming battle. "Marcus, lead the others and make sure you only kill only individuals not on the list I provided you. I don''t have to tell you how upset I''d get if you disobeyed such a simple order." Afton states, eyeing Marcus with an appraising glare. Marcus just nods, "I''ll have the men remember it, what will you do in the meantime?" Afton looks back at the entrance of the facility, "I''ll open the entrance for you, after that I''ll sneak into the base and look for some people. Try not to get killed while I''m gone." he states as he breaks into a sprint towards the entrance. As soon as he approaches the entrance to the facility, auto-turrets appear from the rocky mountain wall, all firing at him with high calibre bullets. Chapter 635 - Brutish In response to the auto-turrets firing at him, he just raises his arms and activates the shield-projectors hidden in his wrist plates. The shield is big enough to encompass the front of his body, while also preventing any stray bullets from flying towards the Supermutants behind him. The shield ripples like water with each shot that hits it, but maintains its strength the entire duration it takes to finally reach the entrance. Fortunately, the Auto-Turrets count as enemies, allowing Afton''s Perks to activate. [John Wick Style is in effect] He isn''t sure how strong the entrance will actually be, so to boost his strength further, he has Nyx apply another of his inventions... A small syringe filled with trace amounts of pure uranium. The material is injected into his leg, causing damage just from its presence alone, while also irradiating his body. When you add the additional chem cocktail contained within the sample, Afton''s strength rockets to levels he''d never reached before. [Grit is in effect] [Atomic!] is in effect] He doesn''t have time to check his status, but he was absolutely sure he''d reached at least twenty Strength at this point! A laugh escapes his mouth as he revels in the feeling of absolute power, deactivating the shield and allowing the bullets to pepper his armour as he strolls over to the metal entrance of the facility. He forces his fingers into the gaps of the door, bending the metal from the sheer force of his actions. He then uses his plant arm to gain leverage over the systems keeping the door locked, and once done, he wrenches the doors open with strength alone, slowly overpowering the defences. Metal and mechanics squeal as he breaks them, forcing them open... And with one last roar, he slams the entrance open, causing the lights of the facility to flicker due to how many internal electronics that he''d broken from that simple act alone. Inside, he''s greeted by a long hall wall with stairs at the end of it... The hallway was filled with upturned desks that were used as cover by the hundreds of NCR troopers, all of which were pointing their weapons at him. "Er, you guys know where the toilet is-" Afton starts but has to shield himself as the group opens fire on him, the shield deflecting them and causing them to ricochet right back down the hallway. *DAGAGAGAGAGAGAG!* *PING!PING!PING!PING!PING!!!* Soon enough the gunfire ends, the soldiers realising that they were literally just shooting at themselves while Afton''s shield was active. Seeing the soldiers wait for his shield to wane, Afton just tosses a smoke grenade at them, using his Stealthboy once the soldier''s vision is obscured... Of course, they all begin firing through the smoke, but he just ignores it and walks past them, allowing the Supermutants to deal with them. While Afton was invisibly searching through the facility, Marcus and the other mutants had finally arrived at the entrance and were all taking cover from the soldiers after destroying the auto-turrets. Marcus begins to plot out how they''ll assault the trooper''s defensive positions, but is cut short when some stray Nightkin randomly charge them. A barrage of bullets crash into them, bouncing off of their chainmail and helmets, but occasionally wounding their limbs were the armour wasn''t as thick. Marcus just shakes his in exasperation and charges with them, the hundreds of supermutants all sprinting down the hallway like a green and blue wave of death. Not a single mutant is lost in the assault, and only a couple were injured in any meaningful way... Though, their unique biology would have them healing from their bullets wounds in a couple days or so anyway. Elsewhere : While Marcus and the mutants were drawing all the soldiers attention, he continues to creep through the facility checking each and every room for Doctor Usanagi, and the man called Macka Bree, whose supposed to be responsible for his father''s condition. He wanted to capture the man alive so he could get some payback with a side order of torture, but he also needed the man''s expertise to help return his father to normal... If that wasn''t possible, well, maybe having his father eat the man''s flesh would bring him back to normal... Unfortunately, he hadn''t yet found the man. The only people he''d actually encountered(other than the few NCR troopers) had been the scientists that were hiding in their respective laboratories... Afton wasn''t sure what do to with them to be honest... He could leave them here, which would result in the Supermutants killing them, or he could try and capture them, all while possibly revealing his presence in the facility... On that subject, he also needed to figure out if there was a self destruct button for this facility or not... Most bunkers had it, especially the ones that kept confidential information and research. Urgh, just another thing to add to the list then. He ignores the scientists and continues looking around, electing to try find Usanagi, Macka, or the self destruct button before anything else. The sound of gunfire and screaming gets louder as the Supermutants reach the first level of the facility, pushing Afton to search faster than his earlier more cautious pace. The facility itself is a sprawling maze without signage of where you actually are... Afton is eventually forced to hack into a terminal simply to find where the fuck is he. Obviously the scientist nearby didn''t take kindly to that, forcing him to paint the floor and walls with the man''s brain in response. Once hacked into the terminals database, he found that he''s on the first floor out of three, which each led deeper underground than the last... The third is where the test subjects were supposedly kept... And! There wasn''t a self-destruct switch anywhere... Apparently... Hopefully? Chapter 636 - Saviour!...? Now that Afton had a good idea of where he was, and where everything else should be, he quickly starts headed to the next floor... One thing he was still unsure about however was the location of Doctor Usanagi... He had noticed one thing though, this place had a Cybernetics laboratory down on the second floor, which he where he''d start looking. He passes by the staircase just as a group of Supermutants run past chasing some screaming scientists... Afton just shakes his head and descends the stairs, ending up in a darker-looking floor compared to the previous one... Either they were trying to save energy, or the experiments down here required limited light exposure? Afton wasn''t sure, and the database hadn''t illuminated anything on the subject... Perhaps information on specific research was on a separate system? Afton heads directly for the Cybernetics lab and is quickly able to find it after memorizing the general locations stated on the database. It didn''t look like much though, a reinforced door with an observation window that allowed you to view the experiments going on within. There were also two NCR troopers guarding the entrance, most likely just jailers to prevent Usanagi''s escape. Through the observation window, he could see Usanagi installing some sort of Cybernetic implant into... A strange creature... It was thin with grey skin, and a gaunt-looking figure. Its bones were clearly visible, along with the implants that were clearly pronounced through the skin... Its face was... Well. Not a face. All it had were two completely white eyes and a mouth completely stripped clean of flesh... No lips were present, only a gaping maw with many deadly looking dagger-like teeth... "The hell is the mouth of Sauron doing here?" Afton whispers to himself as he examines it, wondering how strong it was compared to Mr X. "Whelp, here goes nothing. please not more spores, please not more spores." he whispers to himself in hopes of not accidentally unleashing another world-ending monster. He walks up to the two troopers guarding the doors before slamming their heads together hard enough to mulch their skulls and brains into soup. He then throws a hard kick at the door, completely knocking it off of its hinges before walking in. "Yo, Doc, you mind if I come without an appointment? Or should I come back later?" he asks as he takes his helmet off. "Afton?... It''s about time! How long have I been trapped here helping these monsters with their sick experiments!?" she exclaims while prodding him in his armoured chest. "I-er... What? Shouldn''t you be grateful that I''m saving you or something, like, princess style?" he retorts in confusion. "I was only captured because of you in the first place!" Afton shrugs at her anger, "I didn''t know they would do that, and we made a fair trade. It wasn''t as if you didn''t know how dangerous shit involving me is." "Fair trade? Most would call that extortion... Sexual extortion!" she retorts with crossed arms. Afton scoffs, "Hey, you''re the one who asked, I only give you the price. You didn''t exactly object to it either!" he states but shakes his head once he remembers where he is, "Look, we can argue about this later once we''ve escaped this place... Before that though, what the fuck is that thing." he gestures at the creature she had been operating on. "I don''t know, one of the many creatures the people down here have made... There are hundreds of them all stored on the third floor, and they''ve made me install Cybernetic implants in most of them." she gravely states. Afton scratches his head with frown, "And how strong do you think they are? Are they as dangerous as, say, the spores?" She shakes her head at his question, "They are artificial creatures with no ability to procreate, they are not a threat to the world. But. They are definitely a threat to us... I once saw one tear a troopers arms off with sheer strength alone!" "Uh huh... So, like, Supermutant level?" he asks and she nods, getting a relieved sigh out of him. "What?" she asks, finding his behaviour strange. He just smiles mirthfully, "We''ll be fine. I did bring an army of Supermutants when I invaded this place... Hey, do you know where Macka Bree is?" he suddenly asks, ignoring her indignant sputtering. She nods, "He''s either in his room, the surveillance room, or his laboratory... Considering the racket you''ve made upstairs, I''d say either of the latter two." she explains. He nods and puts his helmet back on, "Follow me, I''ll leave you with Marcus while I see to Macka... I hope you haven''t got anything against Supermutants." he says as he begins dragging her to the staircase where Marcus should be arriving soon enough. But, not before slitting the throat of the creature she had just been operating on... After depositing the incredibly worried-looking Usanagi with Marcus, Afton descends the stairs headed to the third floor. The further down the steps he walks, the darker the place actually becomes... Once he reaches the bottom, he finds himself in a completely pitch black hallway... The only reason he was able to see anything was due to the night vision of his helmet... Unfortunately, he''d not bothered to have such a thing installed in the Supermutants gear, making it incredibly impractical for them to actually come down here... Still, he''d bet that the Nightkin would charge down here anyway... Those guys were fuckin'' crazy. *Grrroooowwwll!* ... Afton glances around to look for the origin of the sound, but doesn''t see anything in the hallway... "Yeah, not creepy at all... Fuck, there''s going to be face huggers down here or something, isn''t there?" he mutters to himself as he slowly walks through the place. Chapter 637 - Grinning Sneer Afton creeps through the dark hallway cautiously with his Ultra-Chainsword at the ready, though, not yet ignited to prevent drawing attention. The sound of skittering and something moving somewhere keeps him on edge as he walks, yet he hadn''t spotted anything at all... A shutter door sits on the left side of the hallway ajar, the metal door halfway closed, leaving the door at around knee-level... Afton drops to a knee and takes a peek inside... And comes face to face with the blank-eyed star of a bearded man! "Wah!" Afton exclaims as he falls backwards, shocked at the sudden jumpscare! ... Fortunately, there wasn''t any eldritch creature chasing him, nor was the man on the other side getting up and moving like a zombie... Why would his movement make him a zombie? Well... The large puddle of dark red liquid the head was lying in made it rather obvious that he was deceased... Plus those blank eyes and Afton was sure something had murdered the man... He shakes his head as he gets up, "Nyx, are your proximity sensors picking anything up?" "Negative." she dutifully reports. "You sure there''s nothing on the other side of this door?" he asks again, not wanting to get jumped by a Xenomorph... Sure his danger sense would help him out, but he''d rather not be in the situation in the first place. "No movement has been detected since we arrived to this floor, Sir." ... He slowly nods to himself and bends over, gripping the bottom of the door with one arm while readying his Chainsword in the other. "Haup!" he grunts as he forces the door up and crumples the metal rim to prevent it from descending again. Once the room is revealed Afton is easily able to see the end that befell the corpse... The upper body was completely fine, but everything below the belly button has been... Torn apart. To say the least... Examining the wounds closer, he spots that the wounds seem to have been inflicted by many clawed digits, similar to the ones the creature Usanagi was operating on had. There was a long winding red trail of blood where the lower body looks to have been taken... Afton cautiously follows it, but feels as if he was about to walk into a dragons nest... No, wrong game... A Deathclaw nest. The room itself seemed to be some sort of laboratory, fitted with an observation room, operating room, and a bedroom? Most likely for overnight supervision judging by the projects this place was researching. The trail of blood led through the observation room and into the bedroom... Afton pokes his head through and quickly spots where the trails leads... A vent... The metal grating of the vent had been torn apart and blood smeared around its rim, as well as under it on the wall where the corpse''s lower body had been pulled. "Great... ''They''re in the walls''." he mutters, quoting a movie he vaguely remembered... If that was even the right quote... Shaking his head he leaves the room and enters back into the hallway, he could have tried to strip out of his armour and crawl through the vents, but that was probably a very stupid idea... And so elected to just continue as he had been, though, this time much more wary of the air vents. He passes by a couple more rooms but upon further investigation, they hold nothing aside from a few blood splatters... Obviously whatever had been hunting in this place had already cleared out the people working down here. Soon enough though, Afton finally reaches the end of the hallway where a large metal door sat... Blood was literally pooling from underneath it, so it was fairly obvious that this was his intended destination... Hopefully, Macka wouldn''t be dead inside, otherwise, he''d have come down here for nothing. He fingers the button next to the door and it gives a click... But doesn''t actually open the door... *Crash!* The air vents behind him suddenly explode from their fixtures, and Afton is greeted by the sight of many... Grey mutants? Creepers? Test subjects? Whatever they were called, hundreds of them were flying out of the vents and crawling towards him, trapping him against the door and the exit... Seems as if this was a planned ambush...? Afton ignites his Ultra-Chainsword but doesn''t charge the enemy... Instead, turning around and cutting an X into the door before slamming his shoulder into it. *CRRAAASH!!* The weakened metal door isn''t strong enough to withstand his attack, and cracks open like a can as he forces himself through it. Once inside the room, he uses his wrist shield to block the new entrance he''d made, stopping the creatures from reaching him as he examines the place. It seems to be the place where they were keeping the creatures... Cages dotted the walls, each filled with blood stains, food scraps, bones, and other disgusting things. There were also a couple more Test subjects skittering around the place, but none were trying to attack him like the others yet... *Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.* Afton looks over and spots a man giving an irritating slow clap at the end of the room. He was tall with powerful muscles that looked as if they were building from his clothing... He wore a stained doctors coat, he looked young with black hair, black eyes, and reading glasses. The thing Afton immediately noticed however was the fact he remained unmolested from the creatures skittering around him. "Well, you managed to get through the door without dying. Mark me impressed, Afton." he drawls in a typical troupey villain''s tone. Afton just continues maintaining the shield blocking the door while quietly observing the man, "... Yeah, wasn''t all that hard... I guess I have you to think for the warm invitation, Macka?" Chapter 638 - Macabre Situation Macka nods, "Do you like them? They are my personal creations... They may appear unseemly but have function to spare." he explains while gesturing at one of the creatures, causing to slowly crawl towards him. "Yeah, I saw their ''functions'' before coming here..." he mutters while watching Macka pat the head of the creature, as if it were a dog. "Don''t look at me like that. We have the same goals after all! The only reason I wanted you captured was to exchange research... I heard it from Miss Usanagi, your near-death experience that advanced you from a simple human into... This." he gestures towards Afton, as if displaying a priceless treasure. Afton shakes his head, "I don''t know what you''re talking about... But I doubt Usanagi would give away that information willingly." he states with a glare. "Oh? You are worried about someone who''d betray your confidence?" he asks. "Honestly? I don''t really care, and the likelihood that you tortured it outta her makes you responsible for the information getting out anyway... What are you trying to achieve here? Because to me, it looks like you''ve trapped yourself with no escape." he threatens. "Wha am I trying to achieve? Afton! You should be more aware of it than anyone else! I want to push our kind into the forefront of the world''s stage. Put us on top where we belong! Not following those cowards and racists." Macka spits. "Our kind?" Afton questions, not quite sure what the man''s referring to... Did he think Afton was a Psyker? Because that wasn''t true at all, especially considering his status didn''t state it so like Scorpion-Man and Shani. "The next level of human evolution... Psykers! I know you''ve stepped into our realm somehow, and I can only speculate that rigorous experimentation was required, especially after finding nothing extraordinary with your father." Afton scowls at the mention of his dad, "If you''re trying to get into my good graces, mentioning my father, the man who you tortured into insanity and mutilated with your experiments, isn''t going to work." he growls, wondering if he should just crush the man''s skull and be done with it. The only thing that stopped him was the potential knowledge the man, and his abilities as a Psyker held... On that subject, he should probably see what power the man possesses before making any hostile actions... Better safe than sorry. [Macka Bree] Health : 100% Stamina : 100% DT : 15 Strength : 12 Perception : 7 Endurance : 15 Charisma : 3 Intelligence : 8 Agility : 12 Luck : 1 Ailments : [Psyker] : Grants Supernatural abilities at the expense of the user''s Luck. [Organikinesis] : Grants the ability to alter, manipulate, and bend organic matter as the user wishes. Huh, that''s an overpowered ability if he ever saw one... Plus those stats! Multiple of his statistics had reached Superhuman level, not to mention how durable he is! Hmm, still, Afton was sure he''d be able to put him down, Scorpion-Man wasn''t all that hard to deal with either... Macka sighs, "Ignore that primitive ape... Or, former-ape, should I say? His current form is quite majestic if I do say so myself... Which I do... Because I made him..." Afton shakes his head with a scowl, "You didn''t make him, if anything, you just stole my cells and implanted them into him because you are inept as a scientist, despite your ability to manipulate organic matter!" he challenges, feeling justified in revealing that he knew about the man''s ability. Macka''s eyes widen momentarily, and the snarl he was going to give in response to Afton''s insult was quickly lost as his grin grew, "So you figured it out? How? Is that one of your abilities? You know, other than that weird arm of yours...?" Afton shrugs, "Intuition you could say... Now, I think we''re done talking... As far as I can see, you have two options... The easy way, or the fun way." he states with a bloodthirsty grin. Macka gives an exaggerated pondering pose before giving an answer, "Hmm, I pick... My way!" he laughs while thrusting his hand towards Afton, causing him to raise his plant arm in preparation to defend against an attack... Except... Nothing came... Even his danger sense remained inactive... "Was that a joke? Or are you just normally retarded?" Afton mutters. Macka shakes his head, "It was my attack... Maybe you shouldn''t be forgetting about my pets." he states. Afton looks back at the door which he was still blocking with his shield and realises with slightly worry that the creatures were now absent... His eyes flitter to the air vents of the room where the sounds of the creature''s clattering movements could be heard. "Yeah, very funny..." Afton mutters, pulling out his revolver and firing at Macka''s knee cap. *Bang!* Macka abruptly drops to the floor with a yelp, but the screams Afton had been expecting from the usually painful wound were noticeably absent. Ignoring the louder commotion from the vents, he focuses on Macka and spots his crippled knee healing at a visible rate... The healing only took a couple seconds, and once done Macka was up again and laughing at his expense. "Hahaha! You can''t kill me! Compared to the rest of those primitives, I am a god!" he exclaims just as the other creatures come flooding out of the vents. Afton growls and empties his revolver into Macka''s knees and elbows, hoping to cripple him so he can quickly take care of his creatures. He holsters his revolver and swaps his Chainsword to his left hand so he can use his plant arm to full effect... His arm fluctuates in a rather disturbing manner as he forms a familiar blade... One that looks incredibly similar to Alex Mercer''s blade arm in Prototype. And with that, he starts swinging and blood starts flying. Chapter 639 - Blob Marker Afton bisects the first creature that throws itself at his face with a flurry of random claws, his Chainsword cuts it straight down the middle and causes blood to splatter everywhere. He flicks his plant blade at the next enemy, cutting its arm off as it flies past him, trying to tear him apart. Their skin isn''t tough enough to block his attacks, but he could feel some resistance there, meaning any regular knives or blades would have trouble actually wounding them. Fortunately, Afton didn''t have such a problem. *Cut! Slash! Stab!* Despite only a few seconds passing, he''d already butchered ten to twenty of them, their corpses writhing at his feet while the others continue to swarm him. He thrusts his plant blade forwards and allowing it to stretch forwards at the peak of the stab, like a spring it extends, piercing many of the creatures through their torso''s, arms and legs. Some drop dead from the attack, but the wounded continues to try and attack him, as if they had no self-preservation whatsoever. He steps forwards to end them but squints as he hears a squelch and feels something tugging on his foot... Looking down, he spots the bodies of the creatures he''d just killed slowly... Healing? No. Not healing, combining. The decimated bodies and limbs at his feet had started melding into one another, enough so that now he was literally standing on the skin of the combined creature... Many small eyes similar to their normal forms appear on the tarp-like skin and stare at him... He stabs the eyes and leaps off of the skin in disgust, allowing the creature to slowly get up as its body absorbs more corpses into itself. "What is this? Fucking DeadSpace?!" he exclaims while looking over at Macka, "What did you do!?" he shouts, wondering if he had a ''Blob'' scenario on his hands. Macka just laughs, "Did you think I''d only make creatures barely stronger than regular humans? No! My creations are immortal! They are the perfect soldiers, and with them, I''ll-*BANG!*" Macka gapes as a bullet blows a hole through his skull, his body keeps standing for a couple moments before finally giving out and falling over. "Too bad you aren''t so lucky!" Afton quips before holstering his revolver and reconstitutes his plant arm back into a blade, so he can try and kill these supposedly ''immortal'' creatures. He turns back to the creature that''d finally stood up... It was huge to say the least, bloated and bulbous, standing around 12ft, though, it could barely stand upright in the underground room. Its grey skin was thicker than that of the others, and hundreds of eyes could be seen decorating its form. Not only did it have hundreds of eyes... But mouths were appearing and disappearing all over its body, as if their placements weren''t concrete. Its arms were like tree trunks with machetes replacing its nails, and Afton wasn''t sure if his armour would be able to withstand a direct hit from it... Backing up slightly, he uses [Living Anatomy] to see if it had any weaknesses and to see how strong it actually is. [Test Subject XXXXXXL] Health : ??% Stamina : ??% DT : 35 Strength : 15 Perception : 3 Endurance : 20 Charisma : 1 Intelligence : 1 Agility : 4 Luck : 1 Ailments : [Flesh Heap] : Is able to assimilate and absorb flesh compatible with itself, this results in increased size, Strength, Endurance, and lowered Agility. [Mindlessness] : The mind has been broken, fractured, splintered, and cracked, resulting in an utterly mindless being without the ability to think for itself. Creatures afflicted by this will usually only act on instinct, or other external factors. Huh, so a lot stronger than Macka and slightly stronger than Afton... Still, that isn''t the thing he''d most worried about... That would be the corpses it hadn''t yet absorbed... If it took anymore Afton didn''t know if he could actually deal with it... Aside from simply nuking the thing outta existence with an orbital strike. The creature lumbers forwards towards him with its large claw outstretched... Afton continues to slowly back away towards the door, trying to find the creature''s weak point if it had one... Shouldn''t bosses have, like, a giant glowing weak spot or something!? As far as he was concerned, the only way this thing could die was incineration... If it functioned like a Necromorph then shit could get bad really quickly... What if someone accidentally ate part of its flesh? Would they get assimilated? Scratch that, could it just straight up assimilate Afton? "Fuck." he mutters as he backs into the hallway again as the creature follows... It was too big for the door but-*SCRRReeeeeeeeeeee!* Seems like it didn''t much care about conserving property. As it found the door too small, it manually widened it but literally bending the metal away... Afton continues to slowly back away down the hallway while firing some of his weapons at it... Bullets? useless. Plasma? useless. Sonic Emitter? Still useless! Even cutting off its arm with his Chainsword did nothing but slow it down. He''d used his last weapon when he heard people approaching from further up the hallway. Judging by the weight of their steps, it was the Supermutants. He turns just as Marcus appears with a squadron of Supermutants at his back, all of them pointing weapons at the blob-thing. "Marcus! We can''t kill this thing, get back!" he shouts, trying to prevent it from getting larger. Marcus crooks a brow at him and is about to order his men when one charges ahead with a Proton Axe, literally jumping at the creature as he swings his blade. The blade leaves a long scorched cut in the creature''s flesh, but the Supermutant crashes directly into its building stomach. Everyone is silent as the creature begins to move... No one fires for fear of hitting their compatriot, but no one attempts to assist in melee combat either for obvious reasons. Chapter 640 - Victory? The Supermutant gives a grunt as it barely dodges the creature''s large claw, but the grunts quickly change into screams of fear and terror as arms push their way out of the creature''s stomach and grab the mutant. It thrashes at the creature with its Proton Axe in an attempt to free itself, but the wounds it gives aren''t nearly enough to dissuade the monster. Afton was sure it''d be absorbed ''Blob-style'', but when the clawed hands start raking themselves across the Supermutants flesh, leaving bloody marks, he was sure he was mistaken. Why bother injuring the target if you were going to eat it anyway? Bloody splatters as the many claws disembowel the Supermutant, they tear its intestines out before cutting its throat and dropping it to the floor, where the main body starts marching towards the group again. "You see what I mean!?" Afton says to Marcus at the others open fire on the monster, the bullets doing basically nothing as they sink into its flesh. "How do we kill it!?" Marcus quickly asks but Afton just shakes his head, "No idea!... You guys should get outta here, I''ll figure out a way to deal with it... Finish everything on the upper floors and get Usanagi outside... Now!" Marcus nods and grabs his men, taking them to the upper floors and leaving Afton alone against the creature. "Hey look, I know you''re probably mad I killed your master, but, he kinda deserved it. You know?" he says as it approaches. He dodges the slow swipe of its large claw, but once he''s close enough the arms sprout from its body again, trying to grab him. "Wait what''s that?" he mutters while cutting off the offending limbs. Looking closer, it looks as if the limbs were attached to bodies of their own that lived inside the creature? No, that couldn''t be right? Afton gets in close as its larger arms try to claw him, using his Chainsword to cut straight them. Its arms fall to the ground in a heap, cut from the shoulder. It tries to step on its arms to reabsorb them but Afton just flicks them away with a plant whip and approaches to bait the other arms again. Again, they reach for him, and again, he could see the bulge of the bodies connected to the arms... He gives a tentative stab at where their head should be located, which actually causes a pair of arms to go limp! Could it be that the creature''s it absorbed were still individual and just living in some sort of hive-state? He chews his lip at the thought and thrusts his plant arm out, allowing incredibly strong roots to wrap and restrain its body. He knew they wouldn''t hold it for long, especially considering what it did to the reinforced door earlier, but he only needed a moment. *Slash!* He slashes the creature''s stomach deep enough to reach its spine, this disembowels it and allows all its intestines, to pool out... As well as more Test subjects, similar to the uncombined version of this creature... Was it just an incubator to reform the dead ones?... Urgh! He stabs each of the ''newborns'' in the face, cutting their brains as you were supposed to do in any zombie movie. They slump lifelessly as their brains are destroyed, but the creature just steps onto them and absorbs their bodies again, rendering all his work useless. It tears out of its restraints as its wounds heal and march towards him, growling at his lack of results, he leaps up and slashes its head completely in half, destroying its brain and hopefully killing it??? The two flappy pieces of flesh and bone that used to compose its head get absorbed into the body, where another head is quickly grown... *Slash!* Another head comes off. *Slash!* Again, yet another head appears! *Slash!* Afton slashes and tears at the creature until his arms ache and he''s out of breath... Once done, he steps back from the temporarily immobile creature and scowls, why would it not die!? His attacks had almost no effects whatsoever!? Aside from missing a couple eyes, it looked completely unhar-med... Hang out, it only had three pairs of eyes life, not counting the ones of its current head... *Slash!* *Cut!* *Stab!* The eyes disappear from its body as the head reforms... The last head, he hoped. Apparently the body was just a vessel for the creatures to control when the pilot is killed. And now, there was only one ''pilot'' left. *Chop!* He cuts into the skull and the creature''s body jolts as if struck by lightning, its flesh decomposing at a visible rate as it falls backwards. Afton doesn''t forget to fill a vial with the substance so Dala can analyse it back at home. The creature quickly becomes a soupy mess of former-flesh, finally dying. "I better get a level up for this, fuck." he mutters as he examines the puddle of flesh for any movement. After confirming that it''s dead, he heads back into the chamber where Macka was, hoping to use his body to study Psykers... Or maybe how to duplicate his ability to manipulate organic matter. However, as he enters the room, he quickly notices something wrong... Macka''s body was gone... Suddenly his danger sense flares, he whips around just in time to catch Macka who''s thrusting his palms towards Afton''s face, probably hoping to use is ability. "Haha! I win, Afton!" Afton scowls, "Really!? You may survive a shot to the head, but I''m flying you straight into the sun once I got what I need from you." he retorts. Macka laughs and shakes his head, "You think this suit of armour can stop me!? Laughable!" he exclaims as he grabs the blade formed from Afton''s plant arm. "ARRGH!" Afton exclaims as he drops the man, a massive migraine assaulting him and stripping his senses... He grabs his head to try and endure the pain, but Macka''s laughter quickly cuts through his resistance like a knife. Chapter 641 - Puppeteering Pain rips through Afton''s body as Macka laughs and clasps his plant arm with both hands. He could feel his flesh rippling beneath his skin, as if a puppeteer was forcing strings through his body. From his arm, through his chest to the rest of his body, he quickly lost all control and slump limply to his knees. Afton tries to resist whatever Macka was doing to him, but no amount of willpower was able to free him from his hold. Even his Perks like [Grit] didn''t seem to do anything... Eventually, he''d lost complete control of his body. Macka relaxes at this but continues to hold Afton''s arm with a tight grip... Perhaps he needed to be in contact to maintain this hold? Damn... Is Nyx even able to detect what''s happening? She''s hooked up to his body so she must be... Unfortunately, he wasn''t even able to move his mouth, let alone warn Nyx about what was happening. Slowly, Afton''s body gets to its feet and stands over Macka, "You- Are- Coming- With- Me." his mouth says in a strong tone... His body picks Macka up in a princess carry while the man maintains a grip on his arm. Once secure, he forces Afton to march out of the facility with the man in hand. Afton makes his way through the floors and eventually steps outside of the facility where the Supermutant group and Usanagi are waiting. Marcus steps forwards with a curious glance at Macka, "Did you kill that thing?" he asks. Afton''s body robotically nods in response, "It is dead. I, captured its creator." he states while raising Macka''s body slightly to display his ''catch''. Marcus slowly nods, "Good, I have no idea what it was, but I doubt any of us could have dealt with it... We''d have probably had to bury it under the facility to stop it." he admits. Usanagi steps forwards and glares at Macka, "So you caught him? Good, this piece of shit deserves everything that''s coming to him." she glowers. Again, Afton''s body nods, this time more smoothly than before, "I, will make sure that happens." Usanagi quirks a brow momentarily but shrugs it off, "Good... Hey, do you mind if I stay with you for a bit? I doubt my Clinic is in any usable state right now, especially with how long I''ve been gone..." she flashes a smile, "I''ll make it worth your while." she offers. Afton''s body slowly smiles, "That, sounds fun." his mouth says, and Afton can only inwardly sigh at how awkward this is gonna be when Josie finds out... To be honest, he wasn''t all that worried about what Macka might do, it was obvious that he didn''t possess Afton''s knowledge, and so would slip up on just about every defence in Big Mt. Even if he somehow managed to get past them, Glados would undoubtedly notice him acting strange. His body slowly turns and looks at Marcus, "Let us, head home." he states, somewhat differentially which confuses the mutant for a moment. "Ah-uh, right, I should get everyone ready to leave... Should we head to where we arrived?" Marcus asks. Afton''s body nods, and follows Marcus in a strange fashion as he begins commanding his men. They make their way back to the place they teleported in and everyone looks expectantly at Afton. ... "Er, Afton? Is something wrong?" His head shakes, "No, I, I hit my head earlier... Things are fuzzy... What were we doing again?" "Oh, that makes sense." Marcus mutters, finding his strange posture and manner of speaking weird. "We were going to teleport back to base, I don''t know how you usually do it, but..." he shrugs. "Would you like to teleport home, Sir?" a voice coming from his Power armour audibly asks. "Yes." Afton''s body confirms, *Crack!* With that, a crack of thunder signals their departure. Macka was astounded to find himself in a high-tech bustling town area. The group stepped off of the teleportation platform and but Marcus stopped and looked to Afton. "We never did ask but nows a good time I think, what will you do with our equipment?" the Supermutant asks as his group had clearly gotten attached to their new weaponry and armour. Afton''s body blankly stares at Marcus for a moment before awkwardly shrugging, "Take them, for now. I will think about it." he states while taking his helmet off and resting it on Macka''s lap as he carries him. Marcus nods, "Alright, though, it might be difficult to take my men''s weapons away from them now..." he shakes his head, "We''ll deal with that issue when it arrives I suppose. Do you mind if we use your medical facilities to heal our injured? After that, we''ll return home to Jacobstown." Afton''s body gives a nod but before it''s able to say anything some arms wrap around his shoulders, "Afton, you''re back!" Josie''s voice chirps. Afton rigidly turns to face her, Josie only now noticing Macka in his arms. "Er, you know I was joking about that whole ''turning gay'' thing... Right?" she mutters semi-sarcastically. Though, becomes confused at his face''s lack of expression. "You still out of it Afton?" Marcus comments from the side with slight worry in his voice. "Out of it?" Josie asks. Marcus nods, "Took a hit to the head apparently, considering that creature he killed, it doesn''t surprise me." he shrugs. She hums, "Are you really alright Afton? It''s strange to see you so quiet... No offence." she jokes. "I, captured this man. He might be able to heal my father, Zachary." Afton''s mouth states somewhat awkwardly. Josie nods, "Should we put him in the cells?" she offers. Afton''s head shakes, "No. Take me to my father, I, may be able to heal him." ... "I mean, if you say so..." she mutters but before she starts leading him to the Think Tank they''re stopped by Doctor Usanagi. "Wow, Afton, this place is amazing!" she mutters in awe of the incredibly advanced town she''s found herself in. "You never told me you had anything like this!" "Usanagi?" Josie asks from the side, "So you did manage to rescue her. Thank god." she mutters, though, is somewhat unsure how to act around the woman. Chapter 642 - Forlorn Retribution "Hello again Miss Trantow! And yes, Afton found me in that NCR research facility..." she steps forwards and tucks her arm in Afton''s armpit, "He also invited me to stay here until I can get my clinic back and running again." she says with a happy smile, oblivious of Josie''s clenched jaw at her actions. Josie shakes her head and decides to ignore it for now, wanting to talk to Afton about it later in private... Where she could appropriately question him without attracting the attention of everyone in Big Mt. "Ok... Let''s head to the labs, to be honest, I''m actually looking forward to meeting your Dad Afton." "Yes." Afton''s body says as it follows Josie. All the while, Afton was inwardly screaming in frustration at Macka unnecessarily making his life harder. The ass hole was making him look as if he was cheating on Josie a day after they got together! Not only that, he was worried the man might actually make it to his father... He was certain the man just wanted to take control of Mr X, or perhaps maybe even Big Mt in its entirety. Maybe he should have chipped himself after all? If he had, something like this would have immediately alerted Glados... Now, however Josie might just lead him straight through the facility, The group reach the Think Tank and are scanned as they enter as per usual, and Afton was shocked to find the sensor did not find anything wrong with him... Thinking on it now, his current condition probably wouldn''t be detected unless Macka tried to access special permissions or knowledge... It wasn''t like you could detect someone controlling his body via his own muscles! Fuck, he really needed to get that Psyker scanner idea started, though, even then it probably wouldn''t do anything considering the fact Macka had been ''captured''. "Ah," Josie stops just before entering the lab, can you guys wait here? I gotta take a piss first." she bluntly states before entering the lavatory. Leaving Afton standing there holding Macka next to Usanagi. "So, what''s your relationship with her?" Usanagi abruptly asks with crossed arms. ... "What...?" Afton''s body asks, doing its best to look as confused as possible. "Are you and her together? Even with your head scrambled you should know, right? Or do you actually have brain damage?" she asks while looking closer at his eyes, inspecting them for any abnormalities. Afton''s body allows her to do so as Macka frantically tries to think of an excuse, "We... She, is in love with me. I, rejected her. Please, do not talk about it." he asks in an awkward pleading tone. "YOU FUCK!" Afton inwardly shouts, wondering if his ''I was possessed'' excuse was gonna roll over with Josie when shit hits the fan. Fortunately, with Glados observing everything, everywhere in Big Mt, she''d have undoubtedly noticed his strange behaviour. Macka''s excuse may tide Usanagi over temporarily, but Glados would have heard it loud and clear... Hopefully, his AI companion doesn''t confuse it as some attempt to cheat on Josie and try to assist him somehow... Actually... He was starting to get a bit more worried now... Usanagi slowly nods at his explanation, "Ah, that makes sense." she makes a show of zipping her mouth up, "Don''t worry, I won''t say anything... I know how awkward this stuff can get." Soon enough Josie returns and gives a strained smile to both of them while access the elevator to reach the lower level where Afton''s father is held. They reach the bottom and step into the hallway, when suddenly. *SMASH!* Josie abruptly clubs Afton over the back of the head with a hammer shield concealed behind her... Afton thought it was a good idea, and may even cause him to drop Macka and free himself... Buuut. [Stonewall is in effect] His Perks prevented his body from being knocked over like that... His Danger Sense had actually warmed him of Josie''s attack, but Afton was actually able to ignore it... Seems like some Perks were connected directly to his mind, while others were connected to his body. Josie scowls at the lacklustre effect of her attack, but she''d seen how strong Afton was, so this wasn''t surprising. "Do it now!" she shouts, and two blast doors come down either side of them, blocking off all exits. Afton''s body robotically turns to face Josie, "What, is this?" it asks. "What is this? You''re acting weird Afton! And I can tell it''s something to do with that guy you''re cuddling like a princess! Even if I''m just being paranoid, you deserve it for cheating you bastard!" she shouts. Usanagi''s eyes widen at this, putting two and two together and taking a step back from Afton, now sending a scared look at Macka''s limp body. "Father, you will submit yourself for analyses." Glados voice asks, "Otherwise, I will be forced to cause you pain." "Pain?" Afton''s mouth parrots in confusion. "As you request." Glados states, though, Afton could tell her voice sounded somewhat sad... He quickly realised why this was the case however once the shield generators in his Power armour''s bracers began heating up... Oh fuck, this was gonna hurt. Josie notices the bracers turning red hot and bursts into action, grabbing Usanagi and throwing them both to the ground as the bracers finally explode. Of course, Macka who had been resting directly in Afton''s arms was affected almost as much as Afton had been. *Baang!!* ""AAARRGGHHHH!"" two voices both simultaneously scream in agony, the two somehow uninjured women look up to see Afton screaming with both of arms completely shredded. Everything up to his elbows had been blown off, leaving red shredded meat, or in the case of his right arm, red and black shredded meat. Were it not for his explosive resistance perks, he may have lost everything up to his shoulders! Macka was in a worse state on the floor however, his position in Afton''s arms had allowed the explosion to hit him directly. Blowing his spine completely apart, and almost tearing his body in half completely. Everything below his sternum had been torn apart, with only a few strands of flesh still connected his lower body to him. Chapter 643 - Roots Taking Place Afton, now finally in control of himself (Even despite the agony he was in due to the loss of his hands), looks down at the bloody Macka with a bloodthirsty expression. Ignoring the pain rushing from his missing limbs, he steps over to the man and raises his foot over Macka''s head, stomping on it with full force and splattering the man''s brain across the confined hallway. "Piece of shit!" "A-Afton! Are you alright!?" Josie asks after coming back to her senses, running up to him and looking at his arms. He grimaces as she carefully holds his injury still, "Does it look like I''m fucking okay!?" he exclaims. With the threat of Macka over... Or temporarily so, Glados raises the blast doors and shows that Dala and a number of Ultimo-Bots had converged on their position to potentially deal with Afton and Macka if Glados'' strategy didn''t work. "Teddy bear, someone appears to have torn your stitching." Dala states as he floats forwards, a needle appearing from her tools and prodding him in his wound, causing a cold sensation to spread through him, relieving his pain significantly. He releases a long sigh and looks over to Doctor Usanagi, who just so happens to be clutching a Pipboy to her chest... His Pipboy, that''d been blown off of his arm and somehow come out completely unscathed. Blood from Afton''s wounds continue to spill onto the floor, so he, Usanagi, and Josie are all quickly escorted to an operating room while Macka is apprehended. Obviously, Afton made sure to alert Glados and Dala to Macka''s abilities, which is why the Ultimo-Bots were the ones carrying him away. His imprisonment would be similar to how Mr X was held, Macka''s arms and legs would constantly be mutilated and burned to prevent any possibility of growth, and his head would only be allowed to grow back if they wanted to ask him some questions. In the meantime, Dala and Usanagi worked with Afton to see what could be done about his hands... Already his plant arm was growing back, but his left hand seemed in a state of flux... Roots similar to his plant arm seemed to be sprouting, but his flesh was also regenerating at a similar rate, primarily due to [A Pool of Dead]. The group wasn''t quite sure what to make of this, and Afton could really decide either... As far as he could see, he had three outcomes of this. The first, was to allow both the roots and his flesh to grow unperturbed, resulting in a combination of the two... This would probably prevent him from using his plant arm mutations with it due to his inability to control just his flesh. The second was to cut the roots and allow his flesh to slowly grow back... Though, Afton wasn''t sure if his bones would grow back as well... If he went this route, he could probably translate bones from elsewhere in his body, which would probably work considering how effective his Perks were. And third, cut the flesh and allow a new plant arm to grow in place... This, was obviously the most powerful option, but, it would also push him further out of the bounds of what constitutes a human. Not only that, every interaction he''d make with his hands from then on would be with something strange. His plant arm, while not noticeable from afar, was very easy to spot when interacting with him. It was far harder than any flesh you''d usually come across, making it obvious that he possessed it when you shook his hand or patted his arm. It was essentially just a chunk of incredibly durable root wood... Josie herself had said it felt kind of weird to be caressed by it. Afton slowly shakes his head and stares up at the ceiling from the operating table, this was probably a turning point for him, whether he actually valued being ''human''... If he decided to cast away his flesh in favour of the roots, he''d be more likely to do so again in the future... How many times would this happen? And would he even resemble a human in, say, twenty years time? He chews his lip while the others wait for him to come to decision... His thoughts drift to the research that was nearing its completion involving cloning. Honestly, even if he chooses to turn his body completely plant-like, he''d be able to swap his brain out into a more normal body. Plus, he didn''t doubt that there was a shapeshifting mutation somewhere in the level system... "Fuck it, cut the flesh, let the roots grow." he looks to Dala, Usanagi, and Josie, "Alright?" Josie glances at the others anxiously, "You sure? Maybe you shouldn''t be making this decision while pumped full of chems?" she mutters. Afton shakes his head, "Yeah I''m sure. Besides, even if I regret it we can just blow my arm off again and redo it. We''ll be right back where we started..." he pauses, "Can you guys hurry up with this? I have a date with Macka and I don''t want to keep him waiting." he states. Usanagi shrugs and looks to Dala, "Er, should I help with this? I''m not really sure how things work around here." "Be quiet, teddy bear. Let me give it a haircut." she audibly whispers as her blades start revving up. Afton looks at the human duo present, "You guys should probably get behind the observation glass before the blood starts flying... Dala can be, over-eager with this sort of thing." he admits, hoping that the pain killers he was given earlier would prevent him from feeling most of this. Josie nods with a weird expression and walks out, leading an unsure-looking Usanagi. Chapter 644 - Protections [Perk has been updated : Beauveria mordicana armamini] [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Both of your arms have regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards them and +20% resistance against being crippled. Afton sits up after the operation, his body covered in blood from the nonstop trimming of flesh... He felt slightly lightheaded from blood loss, but his regenerative properties quickly clear this up once the procedure was over. He looks down at his left arm that''d become the same colour and material as his right, he clenches his fist and begins manipulating the material, changing it from a blade, to many tentacles, back to his hand. It was harder than it when he did the same with his right, but he supposed he just needed practice with it. He''s about to sit up and address his friend, scientist, and girlfriend when time suddenly stops. And the familiar system flits across his vision. [WELCOME TO LEVEL 55!!] [WELCOME TO LEVEL 56!!!!] Huh? A level up outta nowhere? Could it be that the system(Author) forgot to grant his EXP after Hoover Dam?(Yes.) He releases a sigh and forces himself to relax so he can choose the best option possible. Again, he ignores the [Perks] and [Skills] tags, and moves onto [Mutations]. There he goes over the Mutations he''d considered taking last time, particularly the one that hardens and makes his body more durable via the Spores infesting his body... There was also one that''d allow him to use his plant arm... Plant arms mutations? Over his entire body, essentially making everything, from his feet to his head, a weapon. His interaction with Macka had reinforced the idea that he wasn''t undefeatable however, the man had easily taken control over his body, forcing him to be a puppet without any ability to oppose him. Truthfully, this scared him slightly, it didn''t matter how powerful he was if he could be dominated by someone else. Thus, he began looking at Mutations that''d boost his resistance to mental and physical manipulations... The list was larger, and smaller than he''d initially expected... Most of the Mutations presented were things that prevented Chems, diseases, and other things from affecting the mind and body. He was unsure how effective these actually were, as if he possessed them he might''ve kept his mind as he became a ''Spore Carrier''... Not a nice thought, but interesting nonetheless. There were other more specific Mutations on the list as well, from Sonic Torture Resistance to parasite resistance... Eventually, he found some things that might actually help with his recent predicament. [Body of Mind] : Irrevocably links the mind to the body, preventing any manipulation of the signals between them. This was exactly what would have stopped Macka, but it would also prevent him from executing some of his other plans. Earlier he''d considered implanting his brain into another body, but he didn''t know if this mutation would prevent that... It sounded as if it would. There was also another Mutation specifically involving Mind Control... [Mind of Thorns] : Causes the brain to dramatically change shape and function, this prevents mental intrusions by causing crippling pain to any attacker. Yeah, sounds good, but, he wasn''t too keen on anything that''d change his brain, and potentially alter his thoughts and personality... Obviously, the Mutation would intentionally do that, but any change to the brain could lead to catastrophic changes, for obvious reasons. Fortunately, after getting fed up and deciding to continue through the long, long list of other more miscellaneous resistances, he discovers something they may help... Though, it seemed very expensive pointwise. [Supernatural Resistance v1] : Alters the way the body interacts with matter, preventing any positive or negative interaction with Supernatural elements. This includes Psykers, Ghosts, Spirits, Gods, and Rabbits respectively depending on what tier the Mutation is. ... Now, this was good shit. Though, it did create many more questions in his mind. Judging by the Mutations wording, the first level would protect against Psykers, the second Ghosts, third Spirits, fourth gods, and fifth... Rabbits...? He shakes his head, deciding not to think about the last one... He was unsure how to react about Gods apparently existing in this universe though?... Or maybe, they didn''t and that was just how strong the Mutation would become, and the system was just grading itself, regardless of its usefulness to him. "Urgh." he rubs the bridge of his nose, either way, he''d get the Mutation, even if it costs two points to get it. He selects the Perk and crooks a brow when he spots how expensive the next tier actually is... 20 points to get resistance against Ghosts? That seems a bit, fucked... Wait, how much would it cost to reach the Rabbit tier? He shakes his head, again deciding to not think about it. Time resumes once he confirms his selection, immediately sitting up and grabbing his Pipboy that was sat on the metal desk next to the operation table. He ignores Dala and the other two walking into the room and checks his status to make sure things were correct. Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend], [Goliath], [Steel Waste], [Well-Meaning Disaster] Level : 56 Points : 0 [Skillpoints to Perk] : 6/15 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 13 Perception : 12 Endurance : 12 Charisma : 7 Intelligence : 9 Agility : 12 Luck : 8 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 100 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 94 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 100 Unarmed : 100 Mutations : [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities. [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Both of your arms have regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards them and +20% resistance against being crippled. [Beauveria mordicana firmissimi anguli] : Enables user to manipulate their arms into a variety of shapes. [Beauveria mordicana flagellum] : Enables user''s arms to extend, stretch, and flex. [Beauveria mordicana rasorium] : Enables user to form incredibly sharp blades on their arms. [Beauveria mordicana duraferro] : User''s arms become as hard as steel. [Supernatural Resistance v1] : Alters the way the body interacts with matter, preventing any positive or negative interaction with Supernatural elements. This includes Psykers, Ghosts, Spirits, Gods, and Rabbits respectively depending on what tier the Mutation is. Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v3], [Fight the Power!], [Tremble before me!], [Meltdown], [Explooo-sion!], [Lady Killer], [Big Brained], [Reinforced Spine], [Implant M-5], [Implant C-13], [Impant Y-7], [Cure for the Curious], [Perception Implant], [Endurance Implant], [Danger Sense], [A Pool of Dead], [Charisma Implant], [Intelligence Implant], [Luck Implant], [The Cyber Punk], [Luck of the Draw], [Second Apocalypse], [Stay the Path], [Bullet Time], [Freeza Style!], [Cat''s Agility] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] [Persistent Escapee] [Still Jammn''] [Enhanced Sensors] [Protagonist] [A Penchant for Fisting] [Pristine Shot] [Regular Maintanance] Chapter 645 - Interactive After the operation, Afton immediately wanted to go see Macka, regardless of how badly Josie or Usanagi tried to stop him. They thought he''d be weak, or at least somewhat out of it after being injected with ungodly amounts of anaesthetics and regrowing an arm. Still, he soldiered on with determination, wanting to get started on his payback. "Seriously though Afton, I think you should take a break and come back to this later... It''s not like he''s going anywhere." Josie mutters as she walks beside him through the facility. He shakes his head, "I doubt I''d be able to sleep without at least kicking the guy. Plus, getting started on dissecting and torturing him for knowledge will be beneficial for everyone." he shrugs. Usanagi slowly follows them with Dala, wondering if she''d even be allowed to stay after Afton was finished... It wasn''t him who agreed to let her stay after all... Which is kind of weird to think about... Not to mention the fact she''d been stuck with this... Thing. The robot they called Dala would occasionally glance her way with those monitors, causing a shiver to go up her spine. She''d rather sleep next to a Radroach den than near that freaky robot. Who knows what''d happen if it was given free reigns to do what she wants with her. Soon enough the group reached the reinforced room that held Macka, or at least, his body. The room was completely empty aside from the machine imprisoning the mangled body in the centre. The torso was held upright as buzz saws constantly trimmed the flesh trying to regrow on the man''s arms, legs, and head. The place also had many cameras covering most surfaces, a precaution to prevent any Macgyver-like schemes... Not that that was likely considering Macka''s current physical status. Josie rests a hand on his shoulder as he looks through the observation window, giving him a worried glance. "Afton, you know running into this will only cause mistakes to happen. You sure, you''re okay to do this?" He just nods, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. "Yeah, just need to talk to him and test a couple things." he says with a small grin before stepping into the airlock that leads into the room, leaving the others watching via the window. "Glados, let me speak with him." he orders, and the buzz saw trimming the torso''s neck stops and hovers above the body in a stationary position. Afton watches with morose fascination as Macka''s head slowly regrow. The muscles in the neck reach up like vines, forming the beginning of the jaw before bone starts growing from seemingly nowhere. Muscle covers the bone, skin covers the muscle. And eventually, two amused yet angry eyes stare back at him. Macka rolls and stretches his jaw after blinking a couple times, "Hah, so I got caught...Uhk!" he groans as the buzz saws trim his arms again. "C-can you turn those off?" he mutters with a grimace. Afton shakes his head, "Stop trying to grow your arms and I won''t have to. Now you have a brain, you can control that, right?" he questions. Macka nods somewhat pitifully and his wounds all scab over instead of trying to regenerate like usual. "Now... I can''t imagine I''m here for coffee... Unless, you are unable to kill me?" he mutters, more stating than questioning. Afton laughs at this, "Hah! Do you think I was lying when I said I''d fly you into the sun? That''s what awaits you in the future if you turn out uncooperative..." "And if I cooperate?" Macka tensely asks. Afton shrugs his shoulders noncommittally, "Well, there are a few options... I could ship you to another planet, use you like some sort of organic terraformer... The only problem is, you''re too dangerous to leave unattended." Macka slowly nods, "I see... You know, I was pretty lenient when I took control of you, Afton... Were I more vicious, I would have implanted my head in your chest cavity, I doubt anyone would be able to remove me without killing you as well." he explains, causing the others watching through the observation window to grimace at the thought. "Yeah, that might''ve worked... But, I''m harder to kill than you think. I''ve had my head blown off once before you know." Afton says, shocking Josie and Usanagi who''d not heard anything about that. "Hmmm, that''s my teddy bear. Or maybe he should be called a pinata? So full of sweets and goodies that never seem to end, ooOOOooooooo." Dala breathes huskily. Josie glances at Dala, "You know anything about this?" she asks, wondering if anyone else was aware of Afton''s head apparently exploding. "No, I am not aware of the incident he is referring to, but I knew he was special before we even met... The feeling when I cut into his head and body, the response when I removed his brain. The sound when I extracted his spine... OooooOOOoooooooo, delightfully unique compared to the others." she explains. Usanagi slowly shoot a fearful look at Josie who also looked green at Dala''s words. Neither says anything though, allowing silence to reign as they remember to listen to Afon''s conversation with Macka. Earlier : Macka crooks at brow at Afton''s words, "You have had your head blown off?" the man mutters, wondering if Afton had more than on Psyker ability? Afton nods, "Yeah, didn''t hurt as much as I thought it would, probably because my brain was destroyed before the pain receptors could react." he shrugs, "Anyway, that''s not why I''m here." he states as he slowly steps forwards towards Macka. "What now? Will you torture me? Make me beg for death or something equally inane?" Macka mocks, using his Psyker ability to turn off all his own pain receptors. "You know my power, torture will do nothing." Afton chuckles, "You''re wrong there. Physical torture will do nothing, but psychological? I bet even someone as mad as you would fear something... Even if you didn''t, I bet being encased in a titanium block and buried far underground would unease you." Chapter 646 - Commission Macka''s eyes widen at the threat, unable to stifle his reaction towards it. His power was as much a curse as it was a boon, being aware of basically everything that happens to you, even if your brain was temporarily destroyed was all well and good until you realise you still feel the progression of time. If being locked underground in a claustrophobic box wasn''t enough, Macka wasn''t even sure he could kill himself, so he''d probably just be stuck there until the earth exploded or someone dug him up... The thought of going insane while trapped in such a place continued to run through his mind as Afton watches him with a somewhat satisfied expression. Afton had wanted to use this punishment on someone for a while, but well, it wouldn''t work on anyone except Ghouls, who''d not really be suitable as they''d probably go feral within a few weeks. "Still, just to show how little power you actually have here." Afton trails off as he touches Macka''s face with his hand. Macka''s expression goes from frightened, to confused, to shocked, to relieved and vengeful as his expression contorts. "Afton no! Are you fucking stupid!?" Josie shouts from the observation room, already preparing to run in and punch him in the face for his idiocy. Once Afton''s hand makes contact with Macka''s face, the man immediately begins trying to control his with his Psyker powers. "I didn''t know you were this stupid!" he shouts, preparing to have Afton extract him from this torture device and help him escape... Only to realise Afton was just standing there unmoving, a smug smirk plastered on his face as he looked down at Macka. "I told you, you have no power here. I''ve already figured out a way to render your powers useless. Heh, some ''master race'' you turned out to be." he chuckles, stepping back from Macka and sending a cheeky grin to the others outside the room. Macka breaks down at the revelation, rapidly muttering to himself in a low tone in an attempt to find a logical answer... Unfortunately for him, Afton wasn''t even a Psyker, and wasn''t set in any system the man knew of. "H-h-h-how!? H-how is this possible, no, this can''t be... W-why would this be? Could it be-no, not possible." Afton slaps the man to stop his babbling. It doesn''t hurt him for obvious reasons, but the knock to his brain easily draws his attention, "Now, you are going to answer my questions, or I''ll permanently remove your abilities and leave you stranded without limbs in Freeside or some other shit hole." he states, lying through his teeth. "Y-you can''t do that!" Macka exclaims, unsure if Afton''s threat was actually possible. Afton shrugs, "You think you are the first Psyker I''ve come across? How else do you think I can stop your powers from affecting me?" ... "Now, I would like you to activate your pain receptors. Torture just isn''t any fun without the screams that go along with it." he drawls maliciously. Two hours later : Afton steps back into the observation room while wiping Macka''s blood from his face, the ''session'' with him hadn''t gone perfectly, but he''d gotten as much as he needed at this moment. Macka was unwilling to give up his secrets, primarily due to self-preservation if Afton had to guess. If Macka squealed everything, then, Afton wouldn''t need to keep him ''alive'' anymore. Still, torture against resistant people was a long and arduous process, so he''d have Dala or Glados take over when he couldn''t be bothered. He steps out and gives a small wave to Josie, Usanagi, and Dala who''d been watching the entire thing, with the former looking green at the gory sight she''d just witnessed. The other two were fine due to their experience and careers, but even then, Usanagi looked uncomfortable. "Afton, you said you have a way to turn off his abilities... Was that true?" Josie asks after composing herself. Afton shrugs, "Nah, I was bull-shittin''. If I was able to do that, then my father would probably be back to normal by now." he rubs his chin in thought, "Still, disabling Psyker abilities is probably something we want to look into, Glados, put that on the project list please." "Affirmative." Dala floats closer to him, her monitors almost touching his nose as she pushes them towards him, "How were you able to resist his control? Was it due to your own, unique mutations?" she asks, gesturing at his new plant arm with a manipulator. He smirks, "You''d love for me to tell you, which is why you can find out for yourself... I''ll give you two hundred new test subjects if you manage to figure out how I did it." he says, wanting to get some revenge for Christine''s sake until Dala gets a human body again. "OoooOOoo, challenge accepted." Dala says before quickly floating off somewhere. He turns to Usanagi and Josie, "Alright, now that''s dealt with... We should probably talk about what I, or my body said a couple hours ago." Josie crosses her arms and nods, "Yeah, well, no... Unless what you said had some truth to it, I don''t think it really matters." He shakes his head, "Still, it''s better we talk about it if it bothers you... Usanagi, you can stop worrying as well, you have permission to stay here for as long as you like... To be honest, we could probably do with a Doctor and Cybernetics expert to pick up some of the projects the others are too busy to deal with." he explains She slowly nods, "I would love to, but, I want to get my clinic back up and running, without me any medical care to the poor in Freeside would completely disappear... No one else really wants to do charity after all." "It''s good I''m willing to pay you for your time then... Or, if an hourly rate doesn''t suit you, we could do it based on commission for each project you complete? Say, thirty thousand caps for a small one, and sixty for the others." he questions, not really knowing how expensive her services would be... It wasn''t like he was low on caps either, especially after coming back from the Sierra Madre... With the new matter converters, he could literally print money without a problem... Or print gold? Hm, the energy required for pure gold was probably more than the substance was worth to be honest. Chapter 647 - Days Past It''s been a couple days since Macka''s capture, not much had happened aside from the ongoing negotiations with House, and the renovations to Big Mt and Novac. Usanagi had chosen to be paid on commission in the end, thinking that the projects Afton assigned wouldn''t be all that difficult... How very wrong she was... The Cybernetic eye implants were almost finished though, so she''d get paid for that one fairly soon. During this time Afton had quite a lot on his plate. With the absence of the NCR, bandits, raiders, cannibals, and gangs attempted to take control of some areas of the Mojave. These places included trade routes, nearby the New Vegas farms, the empty vaults... Some even tried to claim the now empty Camp McCarren for their own, wishing to steal any weaponry or equipment the NCR may have left behind. The same could be said for all the Legion camps that''d been abandoned once their war for the Mojave had brutally failed. Fortunately, the Legion wasn''t known for its vast military armaments, so a few bandits claiming a bunch of machetes and sportswear wasn''t a problem. He also wanted to try and clean up Freeside while he was at it, but House apparently had it handled. The Securitrons that previously were only seen on the Strip had now invaded the slums, House''s influx of robotic soldiers and law keepers allowed him to finally deal with the criminal element that''d taken hold of the place. House knew who were the troublemakers were, it was his city after all, and he had surveillance basically everywhere one would care to look. Overnight, almost every gang, criminal, and spy were apprehended. Of course, there were no prisons in the Mojave, so House had to ask Bulwark for help in dealing with his new prisoners. Afton elected to use the Chips... Or at least, the technology they were based on. Chipping each and every criminal found in Freeside would literally take weeks, if not months to do, let alone the resources spent on chips that may or may not be rendered useless once the person was executed. So, they used a machine that was temporarily attached to the base of a person''s skull to temporarily induce the effects of the chip. This would allow Afton and House to tell what someone''s intentions were when asks questions. So, when House asked each and every person whether they would return to the Mojave if sent away, a large portion lied and said they would. Those that agreed to never come back were shipped of East into Legion territory where they could make ''better'' lives for themselves. As for the people that refused to leave? Well, let''s just say, Dala was given an early Christmas present. Afton questioned House on what he''d actually do concerning the many chem addicts and homeless people living in Freeside. You couldn''t turn a slum into a prosperous city without addressing them, at least somewhat. His answer both confused and surprised Afton however. House intended to make all drugs, chems, and other similar things legal. His reasoning for this? You couldn''t tax illegal drug trade, not without basically owning it yourself, which defeated the point of making it illegal anyway, aside from maybe claiming the moral high ground. Of course, to stop thousands of people OD''ing in the streets overnight, House pushed forward a strategy Afton hadn''t ever seen before. He opened up chem sellers that would only sell certain amounts depending on a person''s body weight and overall health. Not only that, but the sellers each had separate ''recreation'' rooms that''d allow people to use chems while being monitored by doctors in case something went wrong. This almost completely stopped all chem deaths in Freeside, though, there was still a homelessness problem, which Afton also asked House about. The man explained that after taking control of the drug and chem trade, chem addicts would need some sort of income to actually purchase it. Crime wasn''t possible for them anymore due to the presence of Securitrons, and gangs had completely vanished, leaving a large workforce eager for employment... Which House would use to start slowly rebuilding the ruins of Las Vegas. Of course, House needed proper tools and vehicles fit for the job, and so hired Bulwark yet again to get started on that. There would be temporary accommodation built near Sharecropper farms so House could get started on demolishing the desolate and ruined skyscrapers that were somehow still standing in Freeside. Afton was looking forward to what New Vegas would look like in a few years under House''s leadership. Now that Freeside had been claimed by House, most of the people that valued their freedom above all else elected to settle down in Westside, the place hadn''t yet been cleared of criminals, but House had seriously considered it... Were it not for Afton cautioning him to slow down and let the population acclimate to the new changes, he''d have either bulldozed that slum to the ground, or sent an army of Securitrons there to clear it up. Afton didn''t think it''d be wise to antagonize the now vagrant population of idealistic wastelanders wishing for ungoverned freedom. It was best to let them settle down in Westside and slowly introduce changes, like boiling a frog in water. He did want to preserve the Thorn as well, the arena that allowed people to fight each other and dangerous creatures for caps... This was the solution in Afton''s mind to the problem of mercenaries without work. With the war finished and the Mojave at relative peace, the mercenaries would need to find other work. Sure, there was a never-ending amount of mutated creatures to fight, but Afton didn''t think everyone would be happy to be glorified pest control. Thus, the Thorn. Once Westside was claimed by House, Afton would help make another, more readily available ''Thorn''... He considered making a colosseum, but rejected that due to the Legion and the similarities people would draw from it. Chapter 648 - Culture Shock Half a week after apprehending Macka, Afton is in the Sink discussing ways to fertilise the Mojave with the Austin, better known as the Biological research station. He wanted to see if it was possible to transform the barren desert of the Mojave into something else, be it forest, fields, or even simple things like making growing crops easier. "The primary problem isn''t radiation or even the harsh sunlight... It''s the lack of water in some areas. Maybe if we can-*Crack!*" Afton starts but is interrupted as someone arrives via teleportation. Strangely, no one had been scheduled at this time, though, he vaguely remembered a message from Tamia saying she''d probably be late to the party. She probably meant the Battle of Hoover Dam, which she had indeed missed by quite a lot. He pulls up a holographic screen which displays two people stepping outside of the teleportation area. One was obviously Tamia, her dirty and heavily damaged Power armour easily recognisable for him... The other however, Afton didn''t know. The man wore a gas mask that covered the lower half of his face, and had long matted hair covering his head that almost resembled dreadlocks. He wore a long black sleeveless leather trench coat, that had an old American flag printed on the back. Weapon-wise, he had many revolvers holstered on his waist, and an Anti-Material rifle strapped to his back. The man almost reminded Afton of himself back when he first started exploring the Mojave. "Permission to vaporized the unauthorized intruder?" Glados voice abruptly asks. Afton forces himself not to chuckle and somehow manages to frown in the direction of the nearest camera, "He came in with Tamia, so he''s temporarily authorized... I told you this before, didn''t I?" he questions. "You did. But I thought it best to double-check... The defence systems might be getting rusty, shall I test them on our temporarily authorized guest?" ... "They''re made from saturnite, which doesn''t rust..." he mutters in confusion. "I meant ''rusty'' in the figurative sense... My offer to vaporize our guest was, however, literal." she states. "Also, we have not yet tested the new devices around the designated teleportation arrival area." He blinks a couple times, "What devices around the teleportation area?" he questions. "I had them installed two weeks ago. Free electricity dispensers, free cooking facilities, liberal lead dispensers, and radiation confirmation services." she lists off. ... "Free electricity dispensers...? Free cooking facilities?..." he pauses, "Say, Glados, what specifically are these devices you just described called?" ... Glados is silent for a moment before she begins to speak, "I see no need to go into specifics, rest assured that they are fully functional and ready to be used." "Glados." he repeats, his voice sterner this time. "Tesla emitters. Flame throwers. Machine guns. Radiation projectors." she reluctantly admits. ... "Free electricity and cooking facilities being Tesla emitters and flame throwers, I get... But why did you call radiation projectors, ''radiation confirmation services''?" he wonders aloud, not surprised at the incredibly lethal array of weaponry she''d just listed off. "The radiation projectors will irradiate the target, thus rendering whatever result they would have otherwise had, positive... Father, think of the small, innocent children within Big Mountain. This ''guest'' could be a threat, thus, elimination is the only logical cours-" Afton just shakes his head and waves her off, "My answer is still no." he says as he walks into the ''living room'' of the sink, "Can you invite the two of them up here please? I''d like to have a chat with Tamia and our guest." "Affirmative." Glados says, her voice somehow sounding grumpy... Elsewhere : Tamia and Ulysses step off of the teleportation platform and onto the bustling road. Ulysses looks around with curious eyes, his tense demeanour relaxing significantly as he spots the peaceful-looking inhabitants... "This place has changed." he mutters aloud. He wasn''t wrong either, the Big Mt he knew of was a barren place filled with monsters of every kind. The crater used to be filled to the brim with dangerous creatures, and the occasional facility that''d likely had a hand in the monster''s creation. Here though? The barren dirt had been replaced with farming facilities, water liberally sprayed the luscious-looking plants as people and robots alike tended to them. There were now high tech-looking buildings that accommodated the people living here, compared to the rest of the wasteland, they could be called nothing but utter luxury... Even the New Vegas strip would be akin to a slum compared to most things in this place. There were stores dotted around the road as well, though, from what he could tell most were providing more creative services, ones that robots couldn''t necessarily provide. He and Tamia walk past some kind of Supermarket? He steps into it and looks around in wonder at the huge amounts of food stacked on shelves... There were labels next to them... A nice-looking sandwich cost... 10 caps!? Even small bottles of purified water cost at least 20 caps, and that was if you were lucky! The labels also had a blank space next to them, Tamia spotted him glaring at it and decided to illuminate it for him. "Ah, Afton said something about eventually creating his own currency. He''s already made preparations for it I guess." she shrugs, "You hungry?" she offers, picking up the BLT sandwich he''d been glaring at. Ulysses just slowly nods in response, his jaw not working the way he wanted due to how many surprises this place was giving him. When Tamia had said Afton could lead the way forward, he hadn''t completely believed her... But... Just looking at the facilities available, along with the low cost of such luxury goods... He wondered if she was right after all... The duo step outside the Supermarket, each with a BLT in hand. Tamia is about to give Ulysses a tour of the place when a familiar-looking drone stops them. Its orange glowing eye glaring at them both as if they''d just destroyed its cabbage cart. "You are expected, follow me." it states. Chapter 649 - Stories From The Divide Tamia and Ulysses are led into the Think Tank after making their way through the scans at the entrance. Glados'' drone leads them upstairs, and into the Sink where Afton was waiting for them. He smiles, but before he does anything he checks Ulysses with his karmic sight and [Living Anatomy] The man''s karma is... A bit below neutral, meaning he''d committed crimes in the past and probably had a lot to atone for... It wasn''t too bad, especially considering Afton''s own karma, but it was definitely something to watch out for. As for the man''s status? Well... [Ulysses] Health : 100% Stamina : 100% DT : 18 Strength : 10 Perception : 10 Endurance : 10 Charisma : 10 Intelligence : 10 Agility : 10 Luck : 10 Ailments : [N/A] (These are Ulysses actual stats in New Vegas) What the actual fuck. This guy wasn''t human! How in the fuck did he have max stats in every attribute!?... This is definitely not fair! The duo both notice Afton''s strange expression when he looks at Ulysses, but shrug it off for now, seeing it as a tick or something. Afton forces his expression back to the neutral smile he had before and envelopes Tamia in a warm hug, though, the effect is lessened considerably due to her power armour. "You were gone longer than expected, Tamia. We''re all glad you''re okay though." "Yeah, well, It''s not like I expected to be there so long either... Ah," her back straightens, "This is Ulysses, we met in the Divide and decided to team up. He''s quite the fighter from what I''ve seen." she adds, wanting to promote her new friend to her ''boss''. Afton slowly nods and presents a hand to Ulysses, "Sorry for the lack of hugs, but they are reserved for pretty women." he says while flashing a cheeky smirk at Tamia, who just snorts in response. Ulysses takes the presented hand and nods, "I have heard many things about you, I hope at least part of them are true... From what I have seen from your city, they might have more truth in them than I thought." he praises, surprising Afton. Afton glances at Tamia who responds with a shrug, "Thanks for the compliments but, the city still has a long way to go." he says, finally noticing the BLT sandwiches carried by the duo, "Here, you two can eat those in here." he offers, walking into the ''living room'', turning on the large T.V and sitting in the couch. "Ey, heyoo. Who''ve ya'' got comin'' here today? Lookin'' like the start of a reeaaal good part-ay! Let''s get the beats movin''." Blind Diode Jefferson, the wonderous talking jukebox announces as they step inside, beginning to play an old jazz song. Tamia huffs, "Even your home is weird Afton... You get so lonely that you made some company?" she jokes as she sits next to him and unboxes her sandwich. "They were here long before I came along. I don''t really have the heart to evict them either." he admits. "Aww, we love you too Afton!" Lumina, otherwise known as Lightswitch 01 coos. "Ay! That switch is mine to play with, don''t you get any funny ideas now!... ''Specially you, with the funny hair!" Jefferson shouts Afton crooks a brow, "Hey, I know I haven''t cut it in a while, but I thought It looked fine." he mutters semi-sarcastically while tugging on a long stray strand of hair in front of his face. "Not you! The other guy!" Jefferson states, causing Afton and Tamia to turn towards Ulysses... Who was just about to flip the light switch... He returns the look with slight confusion but relents and temporarily stops his curiosity. Afton just shakes his head and kicks his feet up, "Alright, enough of the antics. What''ve you been doing since you were gone Tamia?" "I''ll tell you, but, you gotta get me up to date afterwards as well." she offers, and receives a nod. --- "-and do you know how many times I was forced to run from hoards of Tunnelers? I''m honestly surprised I made it out!" she mutters. Afton scowls, "How many''d you say?" he asks, wanting to know how big a threat those hives would eventually be. "They inhabit most of the Divide, their Tunnels spanning far outside its territory. I never had the strength to clear them, their numbers were in the tens of thousands last I took the time to check." Ulysses adds from the side. "Tens of thousands?" Afton gapes, feeling as if he was being pranked... Such numbers were far, far outside the range of his expectations. With that amount, they''d probably be able to overrun any faction they care to properly attack. Ulysses gives a grave nod, "I fear, even if humanity joined hands. We''d still fall to them." Afton shakes his head determinately, "Not if I have a say about it. Looks like I''ll have to amp up Bulwark''s subterranean military forces... Maybe if we develop a way to collapse Tunneler tunnels from the surface, that''d work?" he question, not knowing if Tunnelers could survive being buried in rock. "Such attacks would kill the smaller ones, but would allow the others to escape and reproduce elsewhere... They would eventually adapt to such attacks." Ulysses explains, getting a nod of affirmation from Afton, already knowing about their ridiculous adaptiveness. "Anyway," Tamia cuts in, not wanting to talk about those creepy lizard things any longer, "Once I escaped, I only had bare minimal forces left-" --- "-and then I see him there, standing in front of a bunch of huge nuclear missiles..." she looks to Ulysses, "How long had you been standing like that and waiting for me to arrive?" she suddenly asks with a funny look. Ulysses'' cheeks redden slightly as he turns his head away, "Far longer than I would like to admit." he sheepishly admits. Chapter 650 - Observative Abilities Afton and Tamia laugh at Ulysses'' admission, both picturing the man practising for his final confrontation with the Courier. Afton eventually stops though, putting two and two together, "Wait, so it was you two who launched those nukes?" "You saw them?" Tamia asks, wondering if they reached their target. Afton scoffs, "Who didn''t!? They flew right over Hoover Dam as the war was going on! I swear, the smell of shit got real intense after that. If the NCR and Legion hadn''t shit their pants after my guys arrived, then they definitely had when the nukes passed overhead." he jokes. "Ah, so they did hit where they were supposed to? Good." she confirms, thanking whatever gods existed that she didn''t accidentally nuke Afton or the Mojave... She wasn''t sure if the missiles would reach their marks, or fall out of the sky due to how long they''d been underground. Ulysses doesn''t react to this subject of conversation, still feeling a multitude of conflicting feelings concerning his actions. Regardless, it was probably for the best, especially after witnessing the transformation of this place. "So, what happened next? Did you shout at each other until you became buddies or something?" Afton asks. ... Tamia glances at Ulysses and sighs, "Er, something like that... He''d been planning to nuke all major NCR trade routes, but I managed to talk him out of it. Good thing I had too, since it sounds like the NCR wouldn''t be able to leave the Mojave if that happened." Afton nods, "Yeah, that''s a good point... The NCR would be stuck in the Mojave fighting for their lives... I''d probably still be out there clearing out whatever was left of their forces." he shrugs, "Plus, the west trade routes are kinda important... With the Legion in the East, it''d be almost impossible to import and export anything... At least, not without the use of teleportation." he explains. "She spoke of her belief in you and House. Said that you would be the start of a new nation, a greater, nation." he leans forwards and locks eyes with Afton, "Is that was you intend?" he asks. ... Afton chews his lip and thinks for a moment, a nation wasn''t his goal... Not really, at least, House already had that covered, and Afton didn''t want any more responsibilities to pile onto his back. Despite his experiences, skills, knowledge, and talents. He was still just a young guy without much of a clue about the future. The reason he''d left House to lead the founding of the new Mojave, was because the man had experience, and more importantly, had ideas and plans to go with it. That''s not to say that he wouldn''t be involved, because he''d definitely force himself into it... But because he was in the perfect position to intervene should House lose his way. If House started going the way of a tyrant, Afton would be there... And if what House had said was true, he''d probably always be there... In the future he might change his mind and try to take the reigns, but, that was so far away that Afton couldn''t even consider it. He looks back at Ulysses and shakes his head, "Creating a nation was never my intention, but since one formed party because of my actions, I guess it''s my responsibility to make sure it doesn''t strangle itself in its crib..." Ulysses keeps his gaze for a couple more seconds before relenting and relaxing, "Wise words, hopefully, you will keep to them..." ... "So, what''ll you be doing now," Afton asks, but has to correct himself as both Tamia and Ulysses look at one another. "I mean, what do each of you want to do now that things have calmed down?" Tamia shrugs, "Well, I''m still technically partnered with House, so I''ll go see what he''s up to and if he needs help with... What was it called again? Solphelicity?" Afton chuckles, "Don''t get me started, I''ve already asked him about the name and he basically said it''s good because it''s bad..." She nods, "Sounds like something he''d say... I''d also like to keep working for Bulwark, if you''d have me? He grins, "Well, we could always use a scary amazon to teach the kids some discipline... Or maybe we could dress you up as a female Grognak, make you our mascot?" he laughs. She gives him a firm punch in the shoulder, "I mean it! I''ve forgotten most of my past, but this place is where my friends and family are now... I want to be useful." she admits. He releases a sigh, "Relax, I was joking. If you want a job, you could always lead my new military... Well, you''d need some training, but I think it''d suit you... Plus, we''ll eventually need someone with Tunneler experience to sort that out." he allows her to think about it as he turns to Ulysses, "And you... Any ideas?" Ulysses nods, "I wish to observe Bulwark, and the nation House has created... To keep it moving forward. Instead of backward." he explains. Afton crooks a brow but scratches his head in thought anyway, "I think I could help you with that... Though, I don''t really know you well enough to give you such a... Authoritative position..." he trails off. "What position?" Ulysses inquires. Afton shrugs, "Well, it''d essentially be a manager, health and safety inspector, detective, general, and ambassador combined, all rolled up into a single position that''d allow you to observe everything from House''s foreign affairs, small to large businesses, and even some departments of the military." he explains, though, was making it up as he goes. Such a position didn''t really exist yet, even if it would have some benefits. The only problem Afton could see with it was potential corruption forming within it. People with so much power and influence would be incredibly dangerous if they lost their way. However... "It''d be dangerous to allow anyone to have such a position, even if I trusted them... But, if you were willing to ease my worries by undergoing a small operation, I''d be willing to give you a shot." he explains, getting a curious look from Tamia and Ulysses. Chapter 651 - Ugly Bumping Ulysses is escorted to one of the vacant rooms while he thinks about whether or not to accept Afton''s offer. Obviously, had the offer not included the need for an operation, he''d have instantly accepted... But, he''d seen what could happen if you are lackadaisical when concerning implants, especially those which were meant to control someone, as opposed to improving them in some way. Afton had explained what the chip would do when installed, but that hadn''t alleviated Ulysses worries all that much. He didn''t know Afton all that well, and giving someone permission to give him what basically amounted to a kill switch, definitely wasn''t something you could take lightly. The only reason he was considering it was because Tamia trusted Afton, and he''d grown quite the rapport with her over their travels through the Divide. There was also the possibility that he''d be able to remove the chip if needed, but he wasn''t going to trust such a loose idea with this. Ulysses was sent to one of Bulwark''s more ''fancy'' rooms, intended for VIP''s and high ranking individuals, such as Tamia, Karl, and his other companions. Shani and Scorpion-Man also had VIP rooms, but this was more to foster loyalty in them, and make them more amenable to assisting in Psyker research, as well as operations that might require their skills. After Ulysses had left, Afton escorted Tamia to the armoury so she could get out of her power armour. Her and Ulysses abrupt arrival had already made him miss a few appointments, so he''d had Glados shift everything to tomorrow, which should give him some time to relax and unwind from the rather busy week he''d had. "Soooo... You and Ulysses... Anything there?" Afton asks as they walk through the street towards the armoury. Tamia smiles but shakes her head, "He''s a bit too uptight for me personally. Plus his age, I''d prefer someone ten or so years younger." he admits. "He seems like a competent guy though, good thing you brought him to our side, it''d be a shame to let someone like that die." Afton says, already thinking of ways to acquire Ulysses DNA. His absolutely monstrous Stats likely meant that his genetics were superior in one way or another, so clones produced with it might be far better than anything else Afton or the other scientists could devise... Without using FEV of course, but that was another can of worms entirely. Tamia nods, "Yeah... To be honest, it felt like he wanted to die at my hands... Even if he managed to kill me, I don''t think he''d be able to escape anyway, that''s why he lured all those marked men inside." Afton shrugs, "Well, it doesn''t really matter anymore I think. Whether he wanted to die or not is irrelevant now that he''s got something else to aspire towards..." he trails off. ... The rest of the way to the armoury is silent, the duo step inside and Afton breathes a sigh as he looks around at all the weapons there. Tamia has machinery help take her armour off as she glances at Afton, "Something wrong?" Afton turns from the weapons and shakes his head, "No, just glad I wasn''t forced to personally take back my weapons from Marcus and his Supermutants. I let them keep the armour, but they were very reluctant to give the guns back..." he shrugs, "As much as I''d like to leave them with ''em, that technology needs to be protected." ... Tamia rubs her wrists as she steps out of her armour, stretching her back, neck, and shoulders, "So, since you asked about my love lift, how''s it going with Josie? Are you together yet?" "Uhk!..." he freezes at the mention of Josie, sheepishly scratching the back of his head and he thinks about how he wants to address her question. "Uh, well. I..." he pauses, causing Tamia to frown. "Are you alright?" she questions, wondering if he was having a stroke or something. He nods, sitting on a nearby gunrack while squeezing his temples, "Yeah, fine... It''s just that, maybe, getting into a relationship with her at this point was a bit hasty... I think?" "What do you mean?" she questions, unsure of what he means. He shrugs, "Well, I kinda promised her to be more attentive once the Battle of Hoover Dam was over, but ever since then I''ve kinda been ghosting her." he admits. "Wait, why? Do you not want to spend time with her?" "No! That''s not it. We''ve had a couple dates and they were fine, but... There''s always some tension there. Like, as if there was a barrier stopping us from properly connecting... Plus her insistence I drop most of my work to go tour places in the Mojave doesn''t help either." he sighs, lamenting the relationship issues he''d bumbled his way into. Tamia silently contemplates his words while leaning against another gun rack, "Do you not like her or something? Maybe you guys just aren''t compatible?... Have you, uh, you know..." she trails off. He crooks a brow and gives a slight smirk, "Rumbled in the jungle? Fanangled while spangled? Sipped the sweet syrup?... Do the monster mash?" She laughs, "Shoot in her hidden valley?" "Snu-Snu?" "Doing some two-person push-ups?" "Grooming the mole-rat?" "Bumping uglies?" "I wouldn''t call them ugly, but yeah, we did all those and a bit more." he finally states, the both of them laughing at their silliness. He wipes a stray tear from his eye, "As for compatibility? I''d say we matched well enough... I only wished she''d understand that everything can''t be about her." he admits while leaning backwards. "Yeah, I get what you mean... I once dated a guy who''d follow me around like a lost puppy... I think... Everything''s still a bit fuzzy." she says, deciding to not potentially affect her relationship with Josie by bad-mouthing her. It''s not like she couldn''t understand her wanting to spend more time with Afton, but, the guy had a lot on his plate already and didn''t need more piled onto it... Chapter 652 - Happy Surprise...? "Youknow, she wasn''t that clingy before, but after that incident with Macka and... Usanagi''s interest in me..." he mutters aloud while in thought. "Have you tried talking to her about it?" Tamia asks, getting a shrug from him. "I may be willing to fight Deathclaws barehanded, but getting into that kind of discussion with her? I''d take my chances in a Tunneler hive... Naked." "Maybe that''s the problem then? Relationships are supposed to be about communication... Or something, I think I heard that once and it sounded about right...?" "Easier than it sounds then..." he shakes his head. The duo continues to talk until their stomachs start growling, they head off to a local restaurant and enjoy a relatively pleasant afternoon, Afton taking the time to update Tamia on recent things that''d happened in the Mojave, as well as his and House''s plans for the future. Half an hour into the discussion Afton sees someone enter the establishment and feels the urge to bury his head in the menu... Josie had walked inside with an odd expression on her face, looking around as if hunting for prey. Quickly, she spots Tamia, as well as the, slumped over pile that could only be her boyfriend. She marches over and stands next to Afton with crossed arms, her expression slowly getting worse as he continues to duck his head. "Er, hey Josie? Something up?" Tamia asks, confused at her friends rather awkward actions. Josie flashes a small smile but hides it as she looks back down at Afton, "I heard you''d just gotten back and wanted to grab Afton to say hi... Seems like I shouldn''t have bothered." she states. Afton sits up and shoots her a glare, "What''s with you? Can''t I have dinner with a friend without my minder coming to check on me?" he asks in irritation. "Minder?" she growls, "Maybe I wouldn''t have to keep a close eye on you if you took my feelings into account! You keep making up excuses as well!" "Your feelings? What are you even talking about?..." he glances at Tamia, "Is this about Usanagi?" he questions, remembering his talk with Tamia earlier. Josie snorts, "Of course it is! Why was it so hard for you to see?" "See what!? She''s a colleague! What do you want me to do? Avoid every other woman to ease your nerves?" She shakes her head, "No! That''d be stupid and crazy! I just want you to seriously take us into account when you work... Do you know how sick I felt when you and her locked yourselves away in your lab for two days? Imagine me doing the same with a guy I dated in the past!" Afton shakes his head, "That''s not the same-" "Actually... It kinda is," Tamia adds from the side, getting the duo''s attention. She looks to Afton and shrugs, "You didn''t mention that part when you were explaining your troubles, Afton... I think I''d be a bit pissed as well... Why did you need to isolate yourself for two days with Doctor Usanagi anyway?" she asks, and Josie''s glare felt like it was stabbing Afton in the side of his head. Afton sighs, "It was for Anja, alright? The Cybernetic eyes we are developing were incredibly light-sensitive and needed strict and regulated conditions while we worked on them. Plus the fact we needed to see if Anja''s status as a Ghoul would affect the procedure in some way... I wanted to get the project finished as soon as possible, and kinda forgot to sleep the entire time." he admits before shaking his head. "You could have come to visit at any time though, nothing was stopping you." Afton states with crossed arms, "You''re just making a big deal outta nothing." "What do you mean ''nothing was stopping you'', your AI wouldn''t let me into the lab!" Josie accuses. ... "Wait what?" he mutters with a confused look, "Glados, did you restrict Josie''s access to the lab?" "Affirmative. I wished to assist you with... What is it called, ''philandering''? I have observed that men who engage in such activities experience a higher quality of life on average." Glados newly appeared drone explains, getting dumbfounded looks for the trio. "You what!? Is this payback for not letting you shoot the orbital laser at the NCR congress?" he questions, but Glados remains silent, electing not to incriminate herself... Unfortunately, that''s all that Afton needed to... Not hear? He releases a long sigh and sends Glados away while squeezing the bridge of his nose, "As you two can see... This is just a big misunderstanding... And no, I''m not fucking Usanagi." he states absolutely. He then locks eyes with Josie, "Now, will you tell me why you''ve been acting so weird lately?" ... Josie frowns at the question but musters up her courage after a moment, "I''m late... My monthly, I mean." she states, shocking both Tamia and Afton. "Congratu-" Tamia starts but is interrupted by a voice next to her. "Fuck." Afton reflexively mutters, paling slightly at Josie''s hurt expression. Josie marches out of the restaurant, but as much as Afton wants to stand and follow her out, he finds his legs simply unable to move... He hoped it was just from the shock of her announcement, otherwise he might actually be having a stroke... "Er, Tamia, is my face drooping at all?" he quietly asks... Tamia stands with a frown and tosses her napkin on the table, ignoring the waiter who was carrying their main course, "Worry less about your face and more about your potentially pregnant girlfriend you idiot." she states as she moves to follow after Josie. "Urgh..." Afton groans as he leans back in his chair, the waiter standing beside him with the food. "Do you want me to box this up for you?... So you can eat both meals alone in your apartment..." the man jokes, wanting to take some revenge on this lucky bastard who appeared to be playing with two women. ... "Do you not know who I am?... Ugh," He shakes his head, "Eat it yourself... And no, you aren''t getting a tip." he says as he leaves the restaurant. Chapter 653 - Wrongman Once Afton leaves the restaurant, he makes a semi-half hearted attempt to find Josie and Tamia. After not finding them in their usual haunts, he finally decides to bite the bullet and ask Glados. "I know you''re watching, where did they go?" he asks seemingly no one. "Subjects designated; Tamia, and Josie, left via teleportation to an unmarked spot in Freeside." Glados states. Afton runs a hand through his hair, "Freeside? What could they want there?..." he mutters before shaking his head, "If they want to be alone then so be it, I''ve got other shit to worry about." he affirms to himself while making his way back to the Think Tank. It wasn''t like he didn''t care or worry about them, but, he wasn''t in the best state of mind to try and console Josie either. Plus the fact he was somewhat responsible for her being upset, and he''d rather stay away until she calms down. Plus, it wasn''t like anyone would be able to mess with them, Tamia and Josie were both pretty tough, add House''s protections and his absolute control over Freeside and Afton didn''t think there was a safer place outside of Big Mt. Two days pass and Afton still hadn''t seen either of them, House confirmed that they were safe and just enjoying their time in the strip, so he didn''t worry about them all that much. Instead, he turned his full attention to the up and coming operation that was scheduled to be due in a couple hours. He still needed to ask Anja on which option she''d prefer to take, fortunately, she and Juan (Scorpion-Man), were already waiting in the Think Tank lobby, anxiously waiting for the procedure. Afton cracks his neck and steps out, drawing the duo''s attention as he approaches them, "Yo, Anja, Juan, you guys are early." he easily greets. Juan squeezes Anja''s hand and nods, "We just want to make sure everything goes well." he states. Afton smiles at their closeness but continues with what he came to do, "Yeah, about that. See, there are basically three options two guys have. You''ve already heard the first, getting Cybernetic eyes that''ll function almost the same as your old ones... Probably better if I had to make a guess? But there is another procedure I''d like you to think about..." he trails off. "What is it, sir?" Anja timidly asks, not having expected this. Afton shrugs, "Well, I was wondering if you''d want to participate in another experimental procedure in the works..." he holds out his wrist and presents a holographic screen detailing everything the procedure would involve. "In layman''s terms, we''d essentially be moving your brain to another body, one bred and designed to your liking... There are a few issues however, the first being that I have no idea how your Ghoul brain would react to a regular human body..." he explains. Anja has an expression of wonder written across her face, but Juan goes pale as soon as Afton mentions the procedure... "Is something wrong?" Afton asks, unsure of Juan''s reaction. "N-No... It''s just... These ''bodies'', how customizable would they be?" he tentatively asks. A knowing grin makes its way onto Afton''s face, "Heh, if I really wanted to, I could create the first ''Futa Girl'' the wasteland has ever seen... But I doubt you''d want to go that avenue... Maybe, say, a D cup?" ... Juan looks confused for a moment before his face goes bright red, Anja''s mimicking his as he splutters in response. "No! That''s not what I mean... I... Will my condition harm her... You know, if she changes bodies." he asks "Ah..." Afton murmurs, only now remembering what he''d told Juan in the past... That his body emitted radiation and was dangerous to all but himself and any other rad resistant person he''d meet, such as ghouls and some psykers... Oh, and his condition was a complete fabrication to force him to join Bulwark? Probably wouldn''t be good to tell him the truth at this point... He''d hate to have to put the kid down. As to whether it was possible to make the clone bodies rad resistant?.... Maybe? He hadn''t actually considered it before, it was possible to mutate humans, but the results were often random. Though, with clones, it didn''t really matter how many you fucked up in the process. Afton shrugs, "It''s possible, but might take a while to do... I''d recommend getting the cybernetic eye implants and see how it goes... Anja, if you want to try the other procedure, just let me or Glados know, we''ll get to work on making a radiation-resistant body to your specifications. Anja eagerly nods in response. She didn''t mind her ghoul body, but being able to feel everything she had when she was fully human again would be amazing... Being a Ghoul dulls a lot of sensations, especially in places that''d suffered the most necrosis... Fingers, toes... Even her nipples had slowly rotted away... Plus, she''d like to give a pleasant surprise to Juan. The man had been very accepting of her body, but she could see that he wasn''t too keen on it. She couldn''t blame him, she''d hesitate if his body started rotting away as well. "Wait, what''s the third option? You only gave us two..." Juan recalls. Afton shrugs, "Not getting the procedure and waiting for something else to pop up... Not something I''d recommend, either with Anja''s lifespan." After discussing a few more bits and pieces with them, Afton decides to lead them into the laboratory. Their operation wasn''t scheduled for another couple hours or so, but he could push it forward if he wanted to. He leads them into the observation room where Dala and Usanagi were installing some Cybernetic eyes into a blind prisoner... Though, it was Dala who''d intentionally blinded him in the first place. The man was awake for it, but couldn''t feel anything due to the cocktail of drugs pumped into him. Chapter 654 - Erring Commitment. The man''s face was stricken with terror, and his eyes darted around as if searching for salvation... They lock onto Anja and Juan, the latter of which has many conflicting emotions flash across his face. "Should he be awake for this? It doesn''t seem pleasant at all..." Juan mutters, thanking that Anja wasn''t able to see this... He imagined she''d have a panic attack as soon as she lied down on the table... Afton just shrugs, "This guy killed three innocent people and tried to steal some equipment from Novac, this small punishment is only the beginning of his imprisonment." he states unempathetically. "Still... It seems over the top." Juan mutters. Afton just shakes his head and activates the intercom, "Hey, Dala, I think you put the eye in upside down." Dala''s monitors glance at the window as she tears out the implant, getting the guy to groan in response. Despite his lack of pain, the feeling of having an eye torn and losing vision from it must be at least somewhat uncomfortable. Once the eye was out, Afton chuckles and starts the intercom again, "Uh, nevermind, you had it right the first time." at his words, the prisoner motionlessly and futilely tries to get away. ... "You''re kinda messed up man." Juan states from the side but Afton just shrugs in response. "Uh-huh, you guys are next on the table, so get ready for it." he says before leaving, not needing to be around for this. He trusted Dala and Usanagi''s skills in this department. Besides, if something went wrong, Glados could just inform him. "Creator." Speak of the devil... "Yeah, Glados?" "Your ''baby-momma'' and her friend have returned." she informs. "Baby-momma?" he asks, unsure where she learned that from. "Affirmative, I acquired the phrase from your Juke-box." Jefferson... That makes sense... "Alright, I''ll go meet them. Try not to mention Usanagi while I''m there." Afton leaves and heads towards the teleportation area, easily finding Josie and Tamia stopping by a coffee stand, they spot him and he gives a slight wave as he approaches them... He''s not encouraged by the frowns that make their way onto their faces, but he soldiers on anyway. "You guys are finally back..." "Like you care." Josie sniffs, turning away like some kind of pompous princess. "Uh... Ok... Have you guys calmed down yet?" he asks, and immediately regrets it. "Calmed down!?" Josie gravely asks with a glare. ... "Yeah... I''d kinda like to talk about your previous announcement... You know, the baby." he slowly says. "You!-" Josie growls but is cut off by Tamia who steps between them. "Josie, wait here for a minute, I need to talk with him." she states as she drags him off to a nearby alleyway. Afton shrugs off her hand and looks at her, "What''s up with you two? Did I do something wrong somehow while you were gone?" Tamia crosses her arms with a frown, "Yeah, you were supposed to follow us and prove that your girlfriend actually mattered to you, idiot!" ... "Wait, what?" he mutters in confusion. "We waited in New Vegas for two days for you to arrive, yet you didn''t come!... I thought you understood what I meant when I left you in the restaurant." she states. ... What she meant? [Flashback] "Worry less about your face and more about your potentially pregnant girlfriend you idiot." [Flashback end] Yeah, that sounds about right... Well, he was on a fucking up spree, wasn''t he... Mind the pun. Though, he didn''t think he could be blamed, how was he supposed to know that he should have followed them? One day they wanna be alone, the next they want you to follow them and intrude... He tried that one time and earned a plate to the face for his trouble... Afton releases a sigh and rubs his face, "Yeah, well, I thought you guys wanted to be alone... What should I do?" he asks, not really knowing how to proceed without unintentionally annoying Josie again. Tamia impatiently taps her foot as she thinks on it... Eventually appearing to think of something. "Look, Josie was upset because she wanted to see some commitment from you. She is pregnant after all... So, to fix this situation as quickly as possible, you gotta find something that would have stopped you from looking for her, something for her." she states. ... "Yeah, I''m not really following. What could I be doing that would''ve taken two days? I could say I was working with Usanagi again, but I doubt that''d earn my any favours..." he grimaces at the thought. Tamia sighs, "I mean, to fix this you should propose... Or something similar." she states, "Unless you never intended to marry her in the first place, in which case, I have no idea what to say to you." "M-marry!? I''m way too young for that!" he stutters in response. "But you''re old enough to knock her up? Grow up Afton! Look, you want to fix this? Get a ring, get a gift, and propose. That''s all I''ve got to say." she states before going to leave. ... "W-wait!" he calls out. Tamia turns and looks at him with crossed arms, "Yeah?" ... "Fine, I''ll do it. But you gotta stay here for a bit to cover for me while I arrange things." he states. She shrugs, "Alright, but I don''t know how much you''ll be able to get done before Josie looks for us." Afton shakes his head and calls on Glados, "You''d be surprised... Glados, fire up the matter converters and divert any power required for it from other unessential areas. I need you to create two gold rings, er, what colour is Josie''s eyes again?" "Brown, creator." Glados confirms. "Brown... Er, inlay a large hazel-coloured diamond on each of them, along with our names inscribed on the inside of the rings..." "Pure gold, creator?" Afton shakes his head, "Mix it with some Saturnite, I have no idea what the colour''ll look like afterwards, but it''s better than having fragile jewellery... Er, also, make a granite statue of me and Josie dancing... Make her look slightly pregnant on it." he states and Glados gets to work after confirming the details. Chapter 655 - Dramatic Proposal Josie impatiently stands nearby the coffee stand she''d been left at. It''d been around ten minutes with Afton and Tamia not coming back yet. She was honestly starting to suspect that they''d eloped together or something equally dour. She releases a sigh and thinks back to when she realized she was late. She honestly didn''t think she was ready for a child, nor did she think Afton was ready either... She had really no idea how to raise a kid, and the idea of being responsible for her child''s life was incredibly scary. Plus her boyfriend''s ''work'', which took up a large portion of his time, may prevent him from being invested in their kid at all... As someone who didn''t see their father a lot, Josie didn''t want that for any child she might have. She was already dreading the other things that apparently come along with pregnancy, the big stomach, the vomiting, the weird cravings... She didn''t know whether it was related, but she felt a lot more volatile than she used to, even despite it being so early. Her uncertainty came to a head when she finally confronted Afton about it... He''d been ''ignoring'' her for some reason that she couldn''t put a finger on, which only put her more on edge, thus, when she heard that Tamia was back and Afton was with her, she came to meet them with a mountain weighing on her shoulders. And then he acted like nothing was wrong, like he was completely innocent, as if he hadn''t intentionally been ignoring her! This shit started when Usanagi got here, so she immediately pointed out the person responsible... She regretted arguing like that, but couldn''t really help herself. Then she announced her pregnancy, and his reaction was the opposite of what she hoped it would be. "Fuck." was his response. One that made Josie feel as though she''d been punched in the chest by a professional boxer, or someone wearing Power armour. That was all she could bear to hear, immediately extracting herself from that place to avoid breaking down or having a tantrum. Were she not so upset, she''d be wary of leaving Afton with Tamia, as she knew there was some chemistry between them even before she hooked up with him, but she was barely up to avoid dropping to her knees and crying like a toddler as it is. Tamia caught up soon enough and took her to New Vegas, immediately employing a ''plan'' to show that Afton didn''t mean what he said... Saying that he''d come find them and express his regret soon enough... After a day of not hearing a word from him, Josie was honestly at her lowest point... She didn''t know why she''d felt so depressed, but for a moment, she''d actually considered aborting the baby... Such a thing wasn''t all that uncommon in the wasteland, mostly due to how resource-intensive children are... Most of the time, they simply wouldn''t survive in most families due to the scarcity of food and water, along with the various dangerous things that could and would harm them. Thinking about it now, she felt slightly sick to her stomach, having actually considered killing her child. Their, child... Despite everything, she still loved Afton, and wanted to make things work... The only problem was whether or not he''d accept it... She wasn''t even sure if he''d push her to have an abortion... He was pragmatic and rather cruel in some aspects, so it wouldn''t surprise her if he chose that route... Shaking her head of those thoughts, she was just about to leave and try to find them, when she noticed something peculiar happening around her... Various things had started losing power and or malfunctioning. Shop lights flickered, cleaning robots stuttered in their movement, the nearby water fountain sputtered as if it was running out of water... It wasn''t just her who''d noticed this either, the many soldiers, civilians, and workers all stopped and looked around with mild confusion and worry mixed on their faces... Fortunately, the malfunctions stopped as quickly as they started. Josie looks back up and spots Tamia and Afton walking over, the latter of which had a happy, yes somewhat strained smile on his face. Again, she pulls her expression into a neutral one and crosses her arms to present the most confident look she could manage. "What took you so long?" Afton smirks and shrugs, "Just needed to get some things ready, I didn''t expect you to get back so quickly... So I had to rush a couple things I was working on..." he trails off as they all hear a small whistling sound, "Ah, that must be it now... Ahem! Josie Trantow, I know this is kinda out of nowhere, but, would you marry me." he states as he gets onto one knee, holding his hand out in front of him. Before she''d even able to react to his sudden proposal, the whistling sound gets louder, causing everyone to look up... A small trail of smoke was left by some sort of box, as it flew through the skies and suddenly headed right for the trio. *ShhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHH-Thud!* It lands crisply in Afton extended hand, and he immediately opens it to reveal two rings... They were gold, but had a weird silver tint to them, as if glazed with an impossibly small layer of bluish glass. Inlayed prominently atop them were large hazel coloured gems. They were cut in an incredibly beautiful fashion, and their colour reminded her of glittering bronze... Though, the connection to her eye colour came a few seconds later, causing her to heavily blush. Afton, inwardly cheers at her expression, and continues to orchestrated things with Glados via his brainwave connection that was granted by the tesla machinery that was left in his head. "Now the next one, Glados!" he silently orders, causing another package to start flying through the air... Chapter 656 - Statue Slamatu Josie looks up again at the approaching package flying through the sky, it''s bigger than the one holding her ring, but Afton again holds his hand out as if to catch it... Only for the package to land squarely atop his head! "TODEFLURIGO!!" he squeaks as he falls face-first onto the floor, as the package carrying the heavy granite statue he''d commissioned lands atop him. Somehow, he managed to keep hold of the rings and prevent them from falling onto the ground, at the expense of his face... He gets a mouth full of dirt as Tamia moves in to assist and pulls the small statuette off of him. "GLADOS!!!!" he mentally shouts over the brainwaves, wondering if she was trying to sabotage his attempts to soothe Josie... Looking up, he notices that his girlfriend''s face was bright red... Though, he couldn''t tell if it was her embarrassment, anger, shame, or even just a blush... He readies himself to get hit for Glados'' blunder, but is surprised when Josie bursts out in laughter. The strange tension of the situation breaks as she, Tamia, and a couple people from the crowd of observers started laughing at his expense, which, wasn''t a bad thing he supposed. At least she didn''t seem angry with him anymore? He spits out the dirt that''d somehow gotten in his mouth and gives Josie a weak grin, "So? Whaddya say? Wanna get hitched?" Josie just gives a beaming smile and throws her arms around his neck, hugging him as tight as possible. Afton reciprocates, "I''m sorry what I said last time, I was just surprised is all. Forgive me?" he whispers to her. She nods, unable to be mad at him in this kind of situation... Maybe having a kid with him wouldn''t be so bad?... Almost all of her negative feelings from the past few days evaporated like water in the desert. While his proposal was a bit awkward and rushed, he made up for it with his earnestness... Plus, those rings helped... At the side, Tamia just watches with crossed arms, happy that her friends had seemingly reconciled... All she needed to do now what stop either of them from doing something stupid and hurting the other... She might be able to take over some of Afton''s military responsibilities as well to give him time for Josie... Regardless, her work, for now, was almost done. She walks behind Josie and catches Afton''s eyes, gesturing at the heavy package she was carrying while nodding her head at the Think Tank. Afton nods in response and picks Josie up in a bridal carry before quickly making his way to the Sink, so they could talk without being hounded by the well-wishing crowd... Most of them knew who Afton was, so his getting hitched was kind of a big deal... At the Sink, Afton tosses Josie onto the couch as she tries to get frisky with him. Fortunately, he manages to stop her as Tamia walks in with the package, plonking it on a nearby table as Josie reluctantly calms herself. "Your hand." he asks, extending his own to Josie. She does as she''s told and Afton slips the ring onto her finger, taking a great deal of satisfaction as she stares down dumbly at the jewellery. "So, you made these?" she asks, glancing at the similar ring on his own finger. Afton pauses for a moment before nodding, "Y-yeah, personally cut the gems, engraved the insides, shaped the ring itself... Two days was cutting it tight to be honest." he states, receiving an exasperated sigh from Tamia. "They''re gorgeous." Josie coos, rubbing the ring with a bright smile plastered on her face. Tamia nods at the side, "Yeah, doubt anyone in the world gets personalized jewellery like that made anymore." Afton nods, "Probably. I doubt gem cutting and jewellery making are popular occupations... Supply and demand simply wouldn''t allow it." he shrugs, "Plus the task of finding gold? The NCR probably ha the most, aside from the Brotherhood who''d stolen a considerable sum from them... Maybe there are chests of it buried in the ocean, but I doubt anyone would be willing to risk themselves looking for them..." he states, getting nods from the two. The oceans became far most dangerous after the great war... Most of the radiation that was released by the nukes landed or was washed away into the ocean, leading it to be heavily irradiated. Add the fact the problems preventing creatures from growing larger are made irrelevant in the water, and you get what basically amounts to ''Kaiju''. Afton wouldn''t be surprised if there was a version of Godzilla swimming around this universe. "Anyway, I''ve got another gift for you as well. Personally made like your ring." he adds, not willing to say that the gifts had been made in under ten minutes... Though, some of the matter converters had been burnt out trying to produce such specific and expensive objects. Gold wasn''t easy to make after all. Afton takes the package from the table and gives it to Josie to open. Inside, she found a stone statue that was around two feet or so tall. With some help lifting it out of the package, she''s greeted by an artistic rendition of her and Afton dancing in fancy clothes, her belly noticeably, but not overtly bulging. Josie''s eyes start tearing up as she examines it, unable to stop herself as the tears start falling. "I-I''m sorry." she mutters as she wipes the moisture from her eyes as Afton and Tamia look on with worry. "It-it''s beautiful... Thank you." she sobs, resting it on the couch and hugging Afton tightly. "There, there." he coos, rubbing her backs he soothes her. "I love you, you and our child. It might be hard with everything happening, but I''ll make this work." he states with determination, only causing Josie to cry harder. Tamia leaves as this starts, deciding not to interrupt them... The tightness in her chest at the sight made her uncomfortable, despite it though, she wouldn''t admit such a thing, not even to herself. Chapter 657 - Short Standing It''s been four weeks since Afton had reconciled with Josie, he was still busy of course, but the couple''s new understanding had made it easier to deal with such issues. The state of the Mojave wouldn''t wait for them however, Afton was forced to assist House in reinforcing the borders of the region to protect against any retaliatory Legion attack... Despite their massive losses at Hoover Dam and the chaos caused by Caesar''s abrupt ''suicide'', they were still a threat... The chance of them all gathering for one last ''hurrah'' to avenge Caesar and capture the Mojave in his name wasn''t zero, so, House elected to gather Afton''s help in this effort. As for what the defences were? Well, ten-foot-high walls surrounded the region, they were made of metal scaffolding and thick concrete to limit costs, and they stretched all the way around the territory, even extending miles east of the colorado. The walls would be liberally dotted with tesla cannons, a weapon Afton wasn''t all that bothered to spread to House. While yes, they were somewhat effective against Power armour due to the way they functioned, Bulwark power armour wouldn''t be all that much affected due to the many defensive precautions they''d been fitted with. It would be quite expensive to power however, and Afton wasn''t willing to expend his own resources to charge them, he had provided the weapons and the wall, so it was House''s turn to contribute. Still, to make the weapons more efficient, Afton had the weapons inactive until small sensors detected enemies in the area. They would detect electronic foes, as well as organic ones, so there wouldn''t be a massive vulnerability on that front. Of course, even with the boosts to efficiency, the Hoover Dam simply wasn''t able to provide energy to those defences, as well as to New Vegas and other towns that needed it... Thus, Afton started renting out the spare power produced by Helios One. Yes, he had completely claimed the facility after the NCR had left. Helios One was probably the most well-defended place in the Mojave if he were honest, not even Novac''s defences would come close... This is primarily due to Afton''s worry of potential infiltration, thus, the rather ridiculous amount of Ultra-Bots, Cyberdogs, and Bulwark soldier patrols. There was also the Archimedes one to consider as well. This would instantly annihilate any organic matter in or around the facility, Afton had made sure to give himself remote access, so he wouldn''t have to personally go there to activate it should shit hit the fan. Now that Bulwark was basically responsible for creating, maintaining, and powering the defences of the Mojave, its place as a powerful faction was cemented. Even the silliest fool would be able to recognise who was truly in control, much to Mr House''s chagrin. The man was a control freak, but the circumstances wouldn''t permit him to act in any way contrary to Afton''s wishes, thus, the rather humiliating position he now found himself in... Regardless, he''d have to make due, because there was little to nothing the man could do to change it. There were also more defences added to Hoover Dam... East of it, Afton and House had begun construction of a fortress, boringly named ''Fort Hoover''. When it was finished, it''d basically look like a high-tech castle, with metal reinforcing the heavy granite stones composing its walls, and a ridiculous list of armaments covering it. This fort will be managed and maintained by Bulwark, House attempted to negotiate around this, but Afton wasn''t having any of it... After all, they were doing almost all the work, and even House was forced to agree that, while Securitrons could do many things, maintaining a fort simply wasn''t one of them. Again, this basically gave Afton complete control of the Dam, even if he left it up to House what to do with it... He and House had also continued to negotiate over what laws and other things the man would create, but it was easy to agree on most things as they weren''t beholden to massive corporations like the old world''s politicians were. This allowed them to be as pragmatic and direct in their decisions, quickly leading to a unanimous consensus on what actually needed to be enacted. Aside from strengthening his hold on the Mojave, there had been some other, more light-hearted events... The most obvious of them being Afton and Josie''s wedding ceremony... Neither of them had wanted anything big, indeed, big weddings were almost entirely restricted to high-up NCR officials. Most religions, traditions, and other facets of society simply hadn''t survived the great war... In fact, most of what people retained came from what the Vault Dwellers remembered, and what books, advertisements, and other pieces of media described weddings to be. Afton didn''t consider it a big deal that he was getting married, so the only ones in attendance were close friends and companions... The Remnants were there on behalf of the dearly departed Daisy, his friends from the Brotherhood that''d joined Bulwark were there, and his companions were at the front row... Funnily enough, he''d stupidly had Glados presiding over the entire thing... Yeah, he wasn''t doing that again. Mid-ceremony the AI would make statements between her script... ''Join these meat-bags here today in this godforsaken desert'', ''You may exchange bodily fluids'', ''Til death do you part, so once one of you kicks the bucket, do what you want.'' ... Yeah, not his best decision ever... Though, he couldn''t help but feel that Glados would be upset if he hadn''t let her preside over it... Maybe there was something he was missing though? Afterwards, there was a small private party for the attendees... In the end, he and Josie left for their room, and he swore if she wasn''t pregnant already, she''d definitely be two or three times over after that night... Chapter 658 - Reward Dump Operations continued smoothly for Afton, and things only got better once everything was officially signed. With his partnership with House made rock-solid he was greeted with a familiar, yet surprising notification. [Congratulations for completing your goal; Conquer the Mojave] [Analysing difficulty of said task....] [Analysing repercussions of said task....] [Analysing methods of completion....] [Compiling rewards....] [Rewards : +7 Stat points to all Special Stats. +Reputation with all civilised factions. -Slight reputation with all opposing factions. +Applicable Title. +Applicable Perk. +Applicable Perk. +1000000 Caps.] ... "Wow-Ooooooooouuuch!" Afton starts but is interrupted as a massive shift in his body occurs as it attempts to adapt to his new statistics. [Congratulations! Title received: Frontline Leader] [Frontline Leader] : Grants 200% morale boost when leading from the front. [Congratulations! Perk received: Serendipity] [Serendipity] : For the first ten seconds of combat, ignore 50% of all damage taken. [Congratulations! Perk received: Cardsharp] [Cardsharp] : Negotiations carried out in an advantageous position grant +30% benefits. [Charisma maxed! Perk granted: Trickster Tongue] [Trickster Tongue] : Chance to make people unconsciously agree with you. [Chrisma reached superhuman levels! Perk granted : Inhuman Grace] [Inhuman Grace] : For some reason you seem to attract people, the way you walk, the way you talk, even your appearance seems more alluring. Adds +1.5x modifiers on all positive social interactions. [Intelligence maxed out! Perk granted: Speed of Thought] [Speed of Thought] : Massively boosts the speed of which you can think, consider, plan, and execute thoughts. [Intelligence reached superhuman levels! Perk granted: Parallel thought] [Parallel thought] : Allows you to have two separate instances of thinking at once, allowing two complex tasks to be simultaneously executed. [Luck maxed! Perk granted: Fortuitous events] [Fortuitous events] : Beneficial events occur far more often, and are significantly more rewarding than before. [Luck reached superhuman levels! Perk granted : Royal Flush] [Royal Flush] : Luck has become far more easy to manipulate based on your intentions. [All Special Stats reached superhuman levels! Title granted: Apex Predator] [Apex Predator] : Causing those weaker than you to become more submissive, and more aware of the threat you could potentially pose to them. As soon as the notifications stop, Afton is struck by an insane amount of pain, far worse than anything he had experienced before... His body was shifting, trembling, and tearing itself apart before repairing itself in a constant loop. His mental faculties weren''t any better either, as he felt as if his brain was being torn in two. His silent screams of agony split into two, simultaneous ones, both hearing the other''s pain as it does its best to ignore it. Afton was lucky he was safely sitting at home in the Sink, otherwise he''d have collapsed to the floor in front of whoever may be watching... His couch probably wouldn''t survive either, as blood had complete covered it His broken body bled from every pore and orifice. His teeth cracked and broke, his gum shrivelled away, his nails tore themselves from his fingers, his bones twisted in incredibly violent ways... Glados and the personalities in the Sink immediately tossed him into the Autodoc in an attempt to save him from whatever affliction had taken him. But Meddie, the autodoc, simply wasn''t able to do anything aside from liberally provide pain killers. These drugs soothed Afton''s body somewhat, but they didn''t stop his consciousness being split in two. His parrellel thoughts both considered that the intelligence perk was the culprit, before going into slight shock at thinking about himself, thinking about himself?... Both lines of thoughts considered the either, as if they were two separate entities, causing an indefinite loop to form. Fortunately, this loop essentially caused his brain to overload, finally knocking him out and allowing the process to continue without his participation. Many hours later : Afton groggily wakes up within the autodoc, a thick film of blood, bone, and other ejected materials covering him. His clothes had been removed and the autodoc was attached to almost every part of his body to continue monitoring him. "Meddie?" he groans, feeling incredibly weird as he tries to stand straight. "Shit kid! You''re finally awake, man, we thought we''d have to get that crazy doc Dala involved to fix yer'' if ya didn''t come to... Good thing too, since you wife probably wouldn''t have been too happy." Meddie explains. Afton slowly nods, his head still thumping with pain... That, and the fact he could feel the pain twice over in his head. "Er, what happened?" he asks, wanting to know what effects the massive influx of stats and Perks had had on his body. "Well, see... We don''t actually know... One minute you''re sitting on your ass, the next you''re bleeding from your eyes and ears, to your ass... I''ll tell ya'', first time I''ve ever seen a male period." the AI states. Afton unconsciously clutches at his genitals at the AI''s words, thankfully finding nothing wrong with his junior... Aside from the fact it somehow looked more attractive than before. If that was even possible...? He shakes his head and takes a glance at his Pipboy to check his status, wondering how it looked now... Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend], [Goliath], [Steel Waste], [Well Meaning Disaster], [Frontline Leader], [Apex Predator] Level : 56 Points : 0 [Skillpoints to Perk] : 6/15 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 20 Perception : 19 Endurance : 19 Charisma : 14 Intelligence : 16 Agility : 19 Luck : 15 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 100 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 94 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 100 Unarmed : 100 Mutations : [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities. [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Both of your arms have regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards them and +20% resistance against being crippled. [Beauveria mordicana firmissimi anguli] : Enables user to manipulate their arms into a variety of shapes. [Beauveria mordicana flagellum] : Enables user''s arms to extend, stretch, and flex. [Beauveria mordicana rasorium] : Enables user to form incredibly sharp blades on their arms. [Beauveria mordicana duraferro] : User''s arms become as hard as steel. [Supernatural Resistance v1] : Alters the way the body interacts with matter, preventing any positive or negative interaction with Supernatural elements. This includes Psykers, Ghosts, Spirits, Gods, and Rabbits respectively depending on what tier the Mutation is. Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v3], [Fight the Power!], [Tremble before me!], [Meltdown], [Explooo-sion!], [Lady Killer], [Big Brained], [Reinforced Spine], [Implant M-5], [Implant C-13], [Impant Y-7], [Cure for the Curious], [Perception Implant], [Endurance Implant], [Danger Sense], [A Pool of Dead], [Charisma Implant], [Intelligence Implant], [Luck Implant], [The Cyber Punk], [Luck of the Draw], [Second Apocalypse], [Stay the Path], [Bullet Time], [Freeza Style!], [Cat''s Agility], [Serendipity], [Cardsharp], [Trickster Tongue], [Inhuman Grace], [Parallel thought], [Fortuitous events], [Royal Flush] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] [Persistent Escapee] [Still Jammn''] [Enhanced Sensors] [Protagonist] [A Penchant for Fisting] [Pristine Shot] [Regular Maintanance] Noice, if he did say so himself. Heh, he remembered how his status looked in the past, it looked like a short pamphlet, now it looked like someone''s biography! Anyway, once he manages to pull his gaze away from his shiny new junior, he stumbles out of the auto doc and quickly heads to the full body mirror in his bedroom. Yeah, he basically had the body of an adonis... Beautifully sculpted musculature, with everything sized to match everything else. He flexes his arm and watches the muscles ripple with unexplored power, grinning at how strong he must be now. This was the sight Josie was greeted by as she walked into their now shared bedroom, a naked Afton grinning at himself as he poses in the mirror. He hadn''t noticed primarily due to how unfamiliar he was with his new senses... With the stat changes he''d endured, everything looked and felt way different than before. The sight was so weird and funny that she barely noticed the changes that''d occurred... As familiar as she was with his body, she wasn''t perceptive enough to spot the differences. That aside, she also wanted to ask why the couch was completely covered with blood... Blood that obviously couldn''t have belonged to anyone else due to the black splotches held within it. Chapter 659 - Infiltration Initiation Cass leans back in her chair as she looks out the window of her ''tailoring'' business. Shady Sands, the capital of the NCR had changed significantly since the catastrophic loss over in the Mojave. The place was basically in a state of ''controlled terror'', everyone knew shit was about to go down, yet, no one dared do anything about it. By all accounts, they should be celebrating due to the defeat of the Legion... But, the threat of the Bull was gone, the public realised that they''d been fooled by their leaders... The threat was never really the Legion, but the Brotherhood of Steel, which was continually stripping away territory from the NCR by the day. Now it was obvious to all what the NCR''s true intentions for the Mojave really was, they wanted to annex it and take control of New Vegas, essentially robbing Robert House of his rightful property. The pretence of stopping the Legion''s march West was wiped away like a thin film of dirt once these facts were leaked over the radio by an ''unknown source''. Most wouldn''t really believe it, were it not for the extensive provable evidence that''d also been provided. Now, citizens were being taken from the streets and forced into the army to fuel the NCR''s dwindling military... Cass was spared of course, as her tailoring business was popular among the officials, but this only displayed yet another issue that''d come to light.. The blatant corruption now going on in the NCR leadership... Even the patriots weren''t willing to defend their leaders anymore, this was especially so when their sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers started randomly getting shipped off to war, to die a meaningless death against the now prolific Brotherhood troops in their territory. The door to her shop opens and two quiet pairs of steps make their way towards her... Cass breathes a sigh of relief as she spots their faces in the window''s reflection. "So, it''s you who he sent?" Anja and Juan nods, both currently wearing ordinary-looking wastelander clothes. Cass stands and gives Anja a brief hug, "I heard about what happened, but it looks like such a thing never even happened." she says while looking into the ghoul''s eyes. Anja nods with a smile, "Sir had the scientists create Cybernetic replacements... It''s hard to get used to, but, I feel good." she confirms. The Cybernetic eyes she''d been provided with wasn''t just better than the average organic ones everyone possessed... They also came with a number of add ons that''d make her role as an infiltrator far easier. Night vision, infrared, magnification... Plus, they were durable, and weren''t irritated by things like sand storms and the like... It had taken a bit to get used to them, at first she''d accidentally been shifting through the various add ons at random... Going from infrared to normal to magnification with every awkward step... But, with Doctor Usanagi and Juan''s help, she eventually got it down. Perhaps she should have taken longer with it though? Considering Afton had sent them out on a mission as soon as she was confident with them... Cass turns towards Juan and crooks a brow, "We haven''t met. Name''s Cass." she greets and extends a hand. Juan nods and reciprocates with his own gloved hand, "Erm, so, we weren''t really told what we would be doing here... We kinda just got sent out with bare minimum information." he mutters. Cass nods, "Yeah, good. Afton is a bit stingy with the information he gives out, says the more people who know it make it more and more vulnerable... You gotta be on your toes out here nowadays as well. Almost got nabbed by the NCR for my ''closeness'' with a guy who turned out to be a Brotherhood spy... All I did was sell him a couple suits... Thank god the NCR didn''t find the tracking devices in them." she trails off. "Uhm, so what are we doing here?" Anja asks. "Ah, well, we were kinda subverting the NCR from the inside. But now that Afton''s secured the Mojave, he decided to put the nail in the coffin, if you know what I mean?" Anja and Juan look at one another with worried expressions. Though, each was worried for different reasons. Anja was wary of making such big moves inside the capital of the NCR, but knew Afton wouldn''t send them on a suicide mission for no reason. Juan was more worried about the ethical dilemma''s of this mission... ''Putting the nail in the coffin'' could mean many things, but when Afton''s concerned, it usually meant mass murder and potential genocide... Cass coughs into a fist to get their attention and leads them towards the back room of the shop after locking the front door, "So, we''ve been in contact with a guy called Samuel Duurne, he''s the son of a local Brahmin baron who''s been routinely and ''wrongly'', persecuted by the NCR government." she says while making quotes with her fingers. "It''s been a bit difficult, but I''ve slowly been grooming him against the NCR while he has things tailored... With the recent shit that''s been happening, I''m afraid he might just run into congress guns blazing... So, it''s better to give him something that''ll actually be effective... If you know what I mean?" "You want to kill the NCR officials?" Juan asks, his worry somewhat placated due to the revelation they wouldn''t be hurting civilians. Cass shrugs, "Want is a strong word... I would like to kill the NCR officials... Yeah, that sounds better." she murmurs to herself. "Anyway, Afton''s already sent the shit needed for that, now we just need to get Samuel into the building while congress is being held... That give''s you around, three, four days to get this shit done?" Chapter 660 - Familicided? Anja and Juan were honestly quite lucky that Cass and Afton had extensively infiltrated the NCR already, three or four days wasn''t enough to safely investigate everything that would need to be learned to pull off the attack they were planning. One thing they learned was the extensive security any well-to-do person in the NCR had gotten. The closing in war had everyone scared, which only made it harder for the duo to do their job... The Brahmin baron in charge of supplying food to the NCR congress building was named Becker Nockson. The man apparently had a large reputation not only among the civilians for his relatively low priced meat, but also the NCR officials who may or may not have funded his business, whether through investments or simple tax cuts. The man lived in a large, heavily fortified manor that looked to have been renovated from a pre-war manor. The man obviously lived large judging by the large statue of himself standing in front of his home, though, he at least had some sense with the large contingent of mercenaries patrolling his property. Each man was heavily armed, with rifles, machine guns, and other heavy ballistics. That''s not even mentioning the each and everyone was wearing heavy combat armour, and probably wouldn''t go down without a fight. Their equipment didn''t really matter all that much however, as if Anja or Juan were to get caught, they''d either die, or Afton would be forced to teleport reinforcements to save them, ruining his plan to cleanly eliminate the opposition. After all, he was trying to promote his faction as just and morally superior compared to the others... Blatantly assassinating the corrupt NCR leaders with a missile, or a full frontal assault wouldn''t help that image. The security aside, Anja and Juan would need to somehow kill Becker Nockson and make it look like an accident of some sort. If not, it would alert the NCR and might prevent them from picking Samuel to deliver the goods. Anja and Juan silently observe the manor for a day, mapping out the mercenaries patrols, common routes, and who was involved with them. Sure, it might not be as reliable due to their somewhat unorganised work ethic, but it''d still give them a good idea of what to expect. Once night falls, they jump into action, both activating their Stealthboys and running to the wall of the manor which had a window open on the third floor. Anja hung from Juan''s shoulders as he used his Psyker abilities to silently scale the wall. Such a method of approach clearly hadn''t been expected, which is why they met no resistance when they quietly slipped through the window, ending up in some children''s room? It had colourful wallpaper and two beds on one side of the room... Both of which had toddlers sleeping in them... Juan stares at them momentarily, wondering if he was about to kill their father, but was shaken from his thoughts by Anja, "Ignore it for now, we have a job to do." she chides with a whisper. She tries to pull him to the door so he can ignore the kids, but Juan accidentally trips on one of the children toy''s that were scattered on the floor. The toy crumbles under his foot and starts playing a mangled song, the audio output clearly broken. This wakes up one of the children who look over and only see the crushed toy playing an eerie song... Thinking that a ghost was in the room, the little girl starts bawling her eyes out, pulling the covers over her head as if to protect herself from the ''ghost''. Had they not been in an incredibly dangerous situation she''d have slapped Juan for making such an obvious mistake... Invisibly shaking her head, she presses her ear to the door to see if anyone would be coming, only to quickly back away as footsteps rapidly approach the room. The door opens revealing a tall man, who appeared to be well-built in the past, but has slowly let himself go. This was their target, Becker, what a lucky coincidence... For them at least. The young girl lowers the covers and looks at the man, giving a tearful smile as she shouts, "Papa!" "What''s up sweetheart? Why aren''t you sleeping?" the man asks as he approaches the bed. Anja quickly recognises this as an opportunity and sneaks behind the man as he walks... Just as he gets to the side of the bed, she sweeps the man''s forward foot and forces his head downwards with a hand, causing him to stumble and fall... Smacking the side of his head on the edge of the heavy oak bed. *Craack!* The sound of something important breaking echoes through the room, shocking the little girl who''d just witnessed her father breaking his neck... After a moment of shocked silence, the girl screams, shouting for her father that''d just fallen. Anja takes the chance to check the man''s pulse while the girl screams, finding it irregular, and slowing. It seems like they''d completed their mission with more ease than she''d first thought. She makes her way to Juan who was standing there in stunned silence and quickly pulls him towards the window, this time making sure he doesn''t step on anything. "Come on, let''s go before people come!" she quietly scathes at her out-of-it boyfriend. "B-but we just killed that guy in front of his daughter!" he retorts with an indignant whisper. Anja frowns, "We can talk about this later, we need to go!" Juan relents, deciding that he and Anja needed a long talk after this... Killing the guy was fine, but in front of his kid? That was fucking messed up! By the time security arrived at the room, the duo had left the same way they came. Silently, and undetected. The daughter would say her father tripped, and that the room was haunted, but her words were either ignored, or to taken seriously at all... While it wasn''t all that common, people tripped and perished occasionally... Nothing to be worried about... Right? Chapter 661 - Moraltry Once Anja and Juan get back to Cass''s shop, they hunker down and awaits any news that could potentially lead to trouble... During this though, the duo engaged in a rather heated debate against one another on whether or not they''d done the right thing... Anja was seemingly completely fine with murdering a man in front of his children, but Juan being the ''hero'' he is, completely rejected such a notion... It wasn''t like he didn''t have a point either though, morally, what they did was wrong. But, Anja thought that the end justified the means. After all, they weren''t priests, they were infiltrators, spies, assassins even. Juan literally couldn''t take the moral high ground as he''d agreed to work this position. Afton had literally written a contract for him that detailed everything he might be involved in or have to do. Anja had looked over it before she''d lost her eyesight, and whaddya know. ''Committing morally repugnant and borderline evil acts'' was literally written down... Juan probably just didn''t read through it all, somehow trusting Afton''s ''charisma''... They continued to argue for an hour or so, but Anja finally ended it with "I know you do not like what I did, but this is my job. I will continue to work for Afton, even if I have to do bad things... If you can''t deal with that, quit." she states. Juan scowls for a moment, but relaxes after calming himself. Yeah, he knew what he''d gotten himself into when agreeing to work for Bulwark, but personally witnessing it was another matter entirely... Regardless, he''d be able to think about whether he wanted to continue after they''d completed the mission... Hopefully, it wouldn''t involve orphaning too many other children. A day passes and they heard no word of Becker''s death, meaning it was considered either natural, or just an accident. His daughter''s statement would certainly promote the latter of which, but you could never be too careful, especially when dealing with a government. The duo''s job was done for now, it was now Cass''s turn to get involved. First, they needed to secure Samuel''s position in delivering the goods... With Becker''s death, the chance of him being called upon was high, but Cass didn''t want to risk anything on chance. Thus, she borrowed some caps from Bulwark and purchased all other products aside from Samuels... Of course, this needed to be done carefully, otherwise they risked alerting the NCR... Thus, they covertly teleported Bulwark ''civilians'' to purchase small amounts individually. This wouldn''t draw the attention from anyone watching, as it''d just seem like a random influx of people wanting meat... To promote this further, Cass paid a couple homeless folk to hand out pamphlets detailing the joys of ''BBQ'' and ''Cooking meat in exotic ways'', by the time two days passed, the NCR capitals meat stores were almost entirely empty... The only person having any less being Samuel of course. It was inevitable then that Samuel would be picked to deliver goods to congress on the day they would be voting for the next president... As for what Juan and Anja would be doing during this time? Well, they''d be invisibly posted outside congress, waiting in position in case they needed to do anything the initial plan failed to do. An hour or two before congress started, Samuel had a couple brahmin pulling a cart with many crates atop it towards the back of the congress building. Despite his outwardly confident demeanor, he was incredibly nervous. He was currently approaching the NCR guards with his product, and knew if they found anything wrong he''d either be instantly killed, or imprisoned, tortured, and then executed. He''d heard of similar things happening to anyone who tried to rebel against the supposedly ''civil and democratic leaders''. He shakes his head at that thought, the way they acted made him wonder if the NCR was secretly a communist dictatorship hidden under the veil of choice and democracy. He idly wondered if pre-war America was like this as well, or if it was just an isolated incident... "Stop, what is your purpose for being here." the trooper commands, his rifle tightly gripped in his hands, waiting for an excuse to use it. Samuel gives a tentative cough into his hand before slowly retrieving a piece of paper... It was the order he''d received from the government, essentially requisitioning his goods so those corrupt officials to imbibe, while leaving nothing for anything else... They were even paying him the bare minimum for his products as well! Again, he shakes his head of those thoughts and concentrates, handing the paper over, "Erm, it was a bit sudden... I was actually hoping to sell this stuff the next town over, but, when duty calls I guess." he shrugs while giving the soldiers a nervous smile. The soldier squints suspiciously at him for a moment while gesturing at his comrade behind him. He walks over next to the cart and inspects the crates, taking a sniff to see if whether or not the meat was rotten or not. His buddy came back with a crowbar in hand, using it to pry open a crate under Samuels aggrieved attempts to stop them... Regardless, his complaints fell on deaf ears as the man finally pried the crate open, revealing many fine-looking steaks covered by coldbags. The leading trooper climbs atop the cart and takes a couple out, examining them with a smug look. He takes many steaks out and hands them to the other troopers. "Don''t worry, just making sure they ain''t poisoned or anything... And, er, tax of course." the soldier explains as Samuel goes up to reseal the crate, going slightly pale when he spots the metal exterior of the device he''d been given by Cass, barely revealed under the steaks... Chapter 662 - Silently Passing Gas Samuel''s heart rate spikes when he spots the device, cautiously glancing around to see if any of the soldier''s had noticed it... To the untrained eye, it might just look like something that''d keep the meat cold, but Samuel knew it was far more malicious and lethal than that. Especially with that long list of things ''NOT TO DO'' when handling that Cass had handed him. Fortunately, he''s able to reseal the crate and get through the back doors of the building without further extortion from the soldiers... It was somewhat funny to think that they were almost as corrupt as the officials were... What''s the saying? Two rad-peas in a pod? Slowly, he''s lead through the building until he reaches the cold storage area where most of the food is stored. He helps unload the crates. and once done, he quickly leaves, not wanting to be involved with whatever was about go down. The crates sit silently in the storage room for around thirty minutes, and once the coast is clear, the device hidden under all the steaks releases a small electronic pulse, temporarily knocking out the cameras in and around the room. With that done, the lid of the crate pops off as a stream of small spider-bots crawl out and begin investigating the room, marking every nook, crack, and cranny. Soon enough they find themselves into the air ventilation and begin investigating the entire building, eventually finding the congress room where the stage would be set. The room itself was incredibly well decorated, square in its shape with many desks where the congressmen would sit. For obvious reasons it had no windows, and each door was heavily reinforced wood, able to stop any random assault for enough time to allow the place to evacuate. Unfortunately for the NCR, this aspect of the building was what would be taken advantage of... The spider-bots infested the place, accumulating in every vent and hidden place that was available. A good portion used their own bodies to clog the vents, which would be instrumental soon enough. Another thirty minutes and the government officials start entering the room, taking their seats and waiting for the Speaker of the House, Polski Noncey, to begin. The overweight man waddled to his seat and finally fell into it, his red face making him look almost intoxicated... Most people in the room already knew why though, there was a celebration last night for finalizing who would get the presidential seat. The bribes had been paid and the nay-sayer''s replaced, all that needed to be done now was officially enact it. As proceedings began, the spider-bots jumped into action. Covertly heading to each entrance of the room and using the tiny plasma cutters in their legs to weld the hinges of each door. With that, it was basically impossible to open them without an explosive of some kind, securing the fate of everyone inside. The spider-bots in the vents had their ''abdomens'' start spraying a colourless gas into the room, the chemical reaction producing far more gas than one would expect from such small robots. Indeed, the only other place this gas had been seen was when the NCR fought the Enclave... No one noticed anything at first, the gas produced no smell and wasn''t visible... So people only noticed that something was wrong when the man closest to the vents slumped over unconscious. Then the next, and the next. By the time five people had been knocked out, everyone was in a panic, rushing to the doors and trying to pry them open, only to be met with incredible resistance. People continued to fall to the ground as the gas filled the room, the desperate officials screaming for help to the soldiers outside. The soldier''s attempt to open the doors with crowbars, but only manage to scratch the heavy wooden doors exterior... They would try to shoot or blow up the doors, but doing so would harm the officials crowding around the exits. No soldier wanted to be responsible for one of their deaths, as court martialling was the best they''d get. Even if it wasn''t their fault and they manage to save everyone else, they''d be persecuted until they leave the territory or were killed. Thus, the soldiers just waited for people with more specialized equipment to arrive, but by the time this happened, everyone was already dead. Once all life signs in the room ceased, the spider-bots retreated back through the vents towards the crate. They reentered the device where they''d come out from, and once they were all securely inside... The device destroyed itself, disintegrating it and everything within it and removing all evidence of Bulwark''s involvement. Anja and Juan continued waiting outside for something to happen, they watched reinforcements sprint into the building, but by the time that happened, Cass had already confirmed that the mission was complete. With that, they retreated back to Cass''s shop where Cass and Samuel awaited. The group shared drinks with one another, but Juan was surprised to see Samuel quickly falling unconscious after the first drink. "He''s a lightweight, isn''t he?" he states with some amusement. Cass and Anja give sideway''s glances to one another, before the latter decides to come clean, "He''s not drunk, only dead. He knew too much and wasn''t willing to fully join Bulwark." she dispassionately states. ... Juan looks down at their ''former-comrade'' with a green face, feeling very sick at what his friend''s had apparently just done. Honestly, he felt so ill he was unsure if they''d poisoned him as well, so, not wanting another argument at the moment, he silently hobbles back to his room. "Sensitive guy, huh?" Cass mutters while giving Samuel''s body a nudge with her foot. Anja gives a solemn nod, "It''s one of the reasons I love him... But, I don''t think this job suits him." she admits. Chapter 663 - New World Destruction It''s been two months since the eradication of the NCR leadership, and, well, things have proceeded exactly as you may have expected... As soon as the announcement of the attack was made, the NCR almost immediately began destroying itself. The people holding the reigns of the Brahmin barons and other powerful people were gone, leaving a literal wasteland where no rules could really be governed. The NCR military couldn''t do anything as they were barely holding the Brotherhood of Steel back at the borders, and the populace couldn''t individually do anything aside from sitting back and watching the fireworks. This was why the NCR split and fractured, the territory being claimed by various new factions that''d sprung up. Most of these factions were Brahmin barons with enough resources to stake a claim on more land, while the rest were simply large groups of NCR citizens that wanted to protect themselves and their way of life. It didn''t take long for the fighting to start either, once the groups were decided, any action that could be considered even slightly ''negative'' would result in a massive conflict... A stray member of the People''s Republic wandering into the Brahmin Lord Kalthakuk''s territory? War. Someone from the American Liberation Party sends a mean letter to the White Rights Faction? War. The Anti-Mutant Coalition stones a Ghoul to death, infuriating the Mutant Freedom faction? War. It was as if Afton, Cass, Anja, and Juan had pushed a tiny domino, that led to others that steadily grew in size, which continued until a domino large enough to flatten a country finally fell onto the NCR. Afton was now wondering if the Mojave would be better off if Ulysses had just nuked the trade routes... Some of the fighting had started to spill into the local region, factions wanting to control as much territory as possible randomly staking claim on anything that didn''t have a name on it. This was easily dealt with however, the Brothers of Kimball had decided to march towards the South East entrance into the Mojave where the NCR Mojave Outpost had previously been. Their group numbered at around two hundred, and they''d somehow managed to scavenge an old out of order military base for equipment... Afton just waited until they stopped to pay their respects to the large statue of a trooper and a ranger, before shooting the Range Finder at them... Instantly, the two hundred men were vaporized, along with the statue that''d previously marked NCR and Ranger cooperation. The only thing left was a large scorched crater, a reminder to any attackers who thought the Mojave was theirs to claim. Of course, Afton hadn''t been twiddling his thumbs during all of this. Research on healing his father had continued, and with the ''willing'' assistance of Macka Bree, they were finally beginning to make progress on returning Zachary Parker''s humanity... Of course, they were still a long way away, but any progress is good progress. As for how Macka was doing during his time in prison? Well, after extensive testing, Afton found that using hydrofluoric acid would temporarily stop the man''s healing. It seemed as if the adaptivity of his body was useless in the face of it, and while he could make himself ''somewhat'' resistant to it temporarily, he''d experience extraordinary pain when subjected to it. Even without pain receptors, being touched by the substance made the man feel as if he were ''on fire'' on every cell of his body. An interesting finding, to make use of this, Afton had changed Macka''s cell floor with it. This allowed him to stop removing the man''s limbs constantly, as Macka was too afraid to go against Afton after it''d been installed. Indeed, he''d also been utilising the man''s abilities against prisoners, seeing how extensive his manipulative of organic material really went... After the third ''Croninburg'' monster they''d inadvertently created however, Afton decided it wasn''t worth risking such a procedure on anyone he actually liked... Enemies though? He imagined it''d be an incredibly effective psychological torture option. This might be useful soon enough, as the Brotherhood of Steel had finally taken notice of Afton, Bulwark, and New Vegas itself. The defences Afton and House ha constructed seem to have finally drawn their ire, though, he was sure they wouldn''t try to attack the Mojave before eliminating whatever was left of the NCR. Additionally, Afton scouts that''d been sent to whatever''s left of Boston. He''d thought that teleportation would be easy to set up, but it seems that something was obstructing his Cyberdog''s efforts in marking down coordinates for the place... Every time they locked a coordinate in, something seemed to scramble it moments after, which was incredibly unnerving... It basically meant that someone either knew how to stop their methods of teleportation, or, there was a device there so powerful that it intentionally interfered with their attempts. Afton was honestly betting on the former though, he knew the Institute was probably still around and active, so it doesn''t surprise him that they may have teleportation tech. All it meant was that Afton would need to make some countermeasures in case they weren''t as cooperative as he hoped. He had no idea how they operated, what their goals were, or even if they were still sane... Who knows, perhaps he''d get another set of mad robotic scientists to add to his research and development department. Speaking of which, progress on the cloning project had finally reached its conclusion, or at least, Afton hoped. With the data they''d extracted from Clone Caesar after having it self destruct, they''d quickly fixed the issues they''d been having with the other clones they''d created. The rapid biological degradation had been ''somewhat'' fixed, improving the overall lifespan of the clones by around fifty years or so. The only problem left now, was actually utilising the technology... Chapter 664 - Civilised Body Swappers... Afton was currently looking through an observation window at some healthy, yet uncomfortable-looking people who were pacing around in the room. He was joined by every Think Tank scientist, as everything that went down today would include them, no matter how it went. "Are these them?" Zero asks as his monitors focus on the subjects. Afton nods, the project was a success, and Dala''s managed to get the rejection rate to around ten percent. A dramatic difference compared to the fifty percent we saw before..." he gestures at a man sitting against one of the walls, "We''ve found that despite the disparity between male and female brains, implanting a brain in a body of the opposite sex only increases the rejection rate by twenty percent..." he explains. "To prevent many mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia, hormones will need to be externally provided until the brain''s chemistry adapts to the new body. A rapid change in homornic-profile can lead to more than just mental illnesses, so further research on the topic is necessary." Dala state from the side. "Forgive me, but, how is this relevant to us?" Borous asks from the side. Afton coughs into his fist and glances at Zero, the rest following his gaze. ... "What?" the scientist quickly retorts, "I just wanted to know what it feels like to be a woman... It isn''t like I can''t turn back, right?" he states. "Data on that particular area is limited, I saw no need to attempt it as the very idea seemed idiotic... My mistake." she says, sending a barbed remark at Zero. Afton shakes his head, "Regardless, I think we need to get back to the subject at hand... Doctor 8, you''ve volunteered yourself to be the first to receive a body, I will not mention your stated reason, as it isn''t really relevant, or tasteful... But, this has allowed us to prepare for this beforehand." Afton says as he gestures for the scientists to follow him. He leads them through the hallway and into the next room where a clone body was floating in a tank. It was around eighteen years old, had tanned skin despite it never seeing sunlight, black hair, and brown eyes. "8, this will be your body... You didn''t specify what DNA you wanted to be used, and we couldn''t find any samples of your previous body''s, so, I decided to gather some elsewhere." he states, not revealing where he got the DNA for fear of offending someone. Not the scientists of course, but someone else. After all, these guys were known to be good at keeping secrets, and he''d hate for Ulysses to find out that his DNA had been used without his permission. Why had he done this? Well, to test how the man''s DNA would react to the cloning process, and to see if his rather rediculous S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats could be replicated. The scientists crowd around the body and begin examining it, muttered responses of "Ooooh?", "Ahhhh!", "Marvelous!", and "Ohohohoho!", could be heard as they looked it over. 8, in particular, took great interest in the... Front half of the body. "Oh, thank you for including a suitably sized genitalia. I was afraid you would downsize it to spite me." the scientist says. Afton just shakes his head in exasperation, "If I did that it''d defeat your purpose of wanting a body... Just try to be civil about it, I don''t want to see white marks on the lawn, street, chairs... People!... Keep that shit in your own room, don''t think I forgot when you ''creamed into my gun''..." he grimaces, remembering how warm it was in his hands afterwards. Afton composes himself with a cough, "Anyway. Everything is set up, and you''ve all been invited ere to observe the operation, but!... I have some rules that you must follow." he pauses, sending a glare at each of them. "No backseat operating! If I hear one word of ''Hey, are you supposed to be cutting that?'', or ''I don''t think that''s supposed to do that!'', Ima stuff you in a clone body with Tourettes!" "Er, could you do that? isn''t Tourettes a psychological issue?" Zero tentatively asks. Afton just grins at him, "Well, nothing a bit of prodding and electroshock therapy wouldn''t fix, right Dala?" his voice lowers as he addresses her, reminding her of her actions against Christine. Heh, his big sis would be happy to hear Dala would soon be ''punishable'' if this procedure goes well. "Ooooh, your threats are making my bio-gel foam, teddy bear." Dala coo''s, seemingly ignoring his threat. Afton shakes his head and ignores her, "Second! You are not to interrupt the procedure no matter what. I don''t care if a Deathclaw escapes and slaughters all of you, you will keep your screams down and be silent in such an event..." he states and pause, waiting for another complaint... Only to be greeted by silence. "Huh, woulda thought you guys would protest that one as well." Borous shrugs his monitors, "We all know the importance of concentration and focus, especially with something as delicate as literal brain surgery. Rest assured, we will die in silence." he jokes. Afton nods before holding up three fingers, "Third and finally, after this is over you may request bodies to your specification... However! I reserve the right to alter them as I please... Also be reminded that each body will be chipped, to make sure any disobedience and instability caused by you regaining your humanity will be kept in check." Afton shrugs and continues. "I''m sure most of you don''t want any of your original DNA involved anyway, your frail and nerdy bodies were all well and good at producing efficient and intelligent brains, but now that that''s developed, you can focus on other things, like disease resistance, etcetera, etcetera." "Ahem... Can we choose who we received DNA from?" Dala asks from the side, her monitors closely appraising his face. ... "Sure... Doesn''t mean you''ll get what you want though." Chapter 665 - Unwanted Information "Sure... Doesn''t mean you''ll get what you want though." Dala hovers forwards slightly and approaches him, "Then, may I procure some of your fluids, teddy bear?... I will reward you with my new body afterwards." she creepily offers, but Afton just grimaces at the thought. "Well, first of all, I''m married... But second, wouldn''t that essentially make you my daughter, or sister? Yet you''re offering to ''reward'' me afterwards..." he mutters, feeling kinda ill at the thought. "Indeed, ooooOOOoooh, the depravity of it." she breathes huskily. "No." Afton obviously states, ignoring her as he begins preparing for the operation. Soon enough, Afton and Dala find themselves in the operating room, attempting to move Doctor 8''s brain into the clone body they''d prepared. The process was incredibly hard in some aspects, but easy in others... For example, removing 8''s brain from his braincase was as simple as opening a can of tomatoes... Just crack it open, disconnect the life support systems that keep the brain alive and move them to a temporary replacement, then prepare it for reintegration with a human body. The process that actually moves a brain into a robotic body is more intrusive than most would expect... Many minute changes need to be made so the brain can operate properly without the other supporting organs. Thus, Cybernetic replacements need to be created to take the place of the missing material''s role... For example, 8''s brain stem was partially dissected and modified when his brain was stored, meaning a robotic replacement needed to be incorporated. Fortunately, the Think Tank wasn''t lacking Cybernetic technology concerning the brain. Just add a small tesla device, similar to what had been installed in Afton''s head, and ''Ta-da!'', good as new. Of course, they also needed to get the clone body prepped, so after they removed its brain and cut down what was left of the brainstem, they fitted a Cybernetic casing that''d easily receive 8''s brain. Once that was placed inside, all they needed to do was connect everything together, and watch to see if the body and brain accept or reject one another. The other scientists continue watching through the observation window as the operation starts... All in all, it takes around two hours to complete... Honestly, the hardest part was trying to stop Dala from stealing bits and pieces from the body. Once everything was done, all they had to do was wake up Doctor 8... But first... Afton takes a step forward and injects a stimpack into the body''s neck... It probably wasn''t needed, but boosting the body''s healing rate wouldn''t be negative... Not unless they''d botched the surgery somehow. With that, he presses a button that shocks the body, kick-starting activity in the brain and causing Doctor 8 to rapidly sit upright. The scientist quickly blinks a couple times, seemingly getting used to the sensation, before beginning to loudly smack his lips, tasting his mouth and trying not to swallow his own tongue. Afton is annoyed to find that the scientist had started urinating, somehow unable to control his bowels... He hoped it was just a psychological problem, and now something they''d damaged during the surgery... He ignores the smell for now and gives 8 a light prod on his shoulder, causing the body to react rather explosively, almost falling out of the bed in response, forcing Afton to catch him. Again, the body shudders in his grip, which made Afton very concerned that something was wrong. "What is it, 8?" "Nnnn.... Nnn-nnn-nn... Nnnotthhiiiinnnggggggggg..." the scientist stutters out, trying to awkwardly shape letters with his mouth for the first time in two-hundred or so years. "Then why are you flopping around like a freshly caught fish?" Afton questions again. The scientist stares at him while flexing and gripping his hands with fascination,"IIIYYYoooo... I...yyy... I, phfffeeeelllllo wweeyird bueeing twooouchhed." Afton slowly nods as Dala notes all of this down, it''d be helpful information to have when the other scientists go under the same procedure. "So you''re just reacting to the sensation of being touched?" 8 awkwardly nods his head, "Yyyeessshh..." Afton and Dala continue conversing with 8, getting him to perform various activities and exercises to get used to his new body. They performed every check-up they could think of, until they finally determined that the operation was a success. This all took around two more hours to do, and now 8 was able to walk around... He wasn''t all that proficient at it, and seemed to act like he was still gliding in his robot body, but at least he could move, even if he did so like a drunk cripple. Afton lead Doctor 8 out of the Think Tank after getting him some casual clothes, and the duo walked through the Big Mt streets as the afternoon roles around. There weren''t as many people at this time when compared to do the morning, but it was enough for 8 to get reacquainted with what being human felt like. After walking for a couple minutes, Afton and 8 sit next to a tomato farm on a bench, "How''re you feeling?" he asks the scientist. "I feeel cold.. No. Hot!... No... Both!" he says erratically. ... Afton shakes his head, "Yeah, your face and hands are probably cold, but your torso and legs aren''t... That''s what wearing clothes feels like you dolt." he sighs, finally deciding to check 8''s status to see if he''d inherited Uylesses stats. [Doctor 8] Health : 99% Stamina : 20% DT : 2 Strength : 7 Perception : 5 Endurance : 4 Charisma : 4 Intelligence : 10 Agility : 4 Luck : 5 Ailments : [Discoordination] : Two left feet, unfamiliarity has led to problems moving, reacting, and performing difficult actions. -3 Agility. [New-Born Syndrome] : Body had been rapidly grown, preventing muscles and the cardiovascular system from developing as they should. Will require extensive training to fix this. Chapter 666 - Lookin Good Afton crooks a brow at Doctor 8''s status, he knew there''d be some difficulties when concerning clone development, but now that he was able to confirm it?... He''d have to look into some way of stimulating a clone body''s muscles as it grew... Fortunately, it seems as if Ulysses genetics were enough to produce a fairly viable body. And if Doctor 8 was willing to put the effort in, he''d probably be far above average compared to most other wastelanders. "Ahem..." 8 awkwardly coughs into his fist from beside Afton. "Yeah?" Afton asks after coming out of his thoughts. "Aaassh nnnicee ash thiiyyss has beeeyn, Iy woould liyke two wreetuurnnn two my wrroom. I wwiish to eexshplore myy nnew..." the scientist gestures down at his crotch. Afton rears back slightly in disgust, "Okay, first of all, gross. Second, make sure to use lube, I ain''t giving you another body if you blister your new cock, getting it infected and forcing us to amputate it." he states as he stands. 8''s eyes widen at his word, his lips twitching as if visually it, "I-Isss thaaat possshible?" Afton crosses his arms, "Probably, I''ve never seen anyone stupid enough to do it... Maybe you can make an experiment outta it." he says as he calls for Glados to escort Doctor 8 home. Three weeks later : A couple weeks pass in which Afton had been busy giving clone bodies to the scientists. He''d obviously used Ulysses DNA when creating them, though, he had taken their old body''s DNA and used them in the process as well. The DNA had heavily degraded over time, which left limit options when concerning it... But, Afton and Dala had managed to find a solution... They''d extrapolate the code from their DNA and integrated it with Ulysses, essentially making their new bodies offspring of themselves and Uylsses... Again, he wasn''t looking forward to the time when Ulysses discovers that he has many two hundred year old children... That''d be difficult to explain. Dala''s new appearance was a mix of Asian and Ulysses'' native American... She honestly resembled a darker-skinned Doctor Usanagi... Her breasts were small, and she''d immediately cut the clones hair short, leaving her looking like a tomboy... Again, she''d started propositioning Afton to ''try out her new skin suit''. Which he quickly rejected, but the subject seemed to keep coming up... He was starting to think she might actually have feelings for him... Doctor Zero was a mix between his old caucasian body and Ulysses, he had tanned skin and curly black hair, markedly different from the straight brown he apparently had before. He was tall and lanky, and with the rather make-shift muscle stimulation system Afton had devised, he was stronger than the average man. He was still a nervous wreck though, making any attraction his body presented null... Get it?... Anyway, as he was a virgin when he had his brain swapped into a robotic body, he''d tried to find a romantic partner in Big Mt... Only to fail with every attempt. He''d come to Afton for some advice, but Afton just shrugged and said "Girls usually just come to me, my advice would be to up your confidence if you want some tail". His answer seemed to have demoralised the scientist, but he hadn''t stopped his attempts, which meant at least he was trying... Next was Borous, who had looked Icelandic before becoming a robot... Making his race after mixing his DNA with Ulysses rather difficult to say... He looked like Ulysses with straight black hair and a massive black beard... His build was also larger than everyone else, making him look like a novice strong man. Borous was very excited to get a human body back, as now he could directly interact with the creature''s he was creating... His reunion with Gabe had been especially heartwarming, the giant dog whining and wagging its tail as if greeting its owner who''d been at war. After Borous was Klein, and wow, his clone body turned into an ugly bastard. His caucasian features didn''t mix well with Ulysses, giving his a large nose, lots of wrinkles(Despite his body being 18 years old), and a flabby body... Despite his bad appearance though, his stats were actually better than Zero''s. He didn''t seem to care about his appearance either, only that he could now work more efficiently due to how flexible human hands were, as well as the litany of tools designed with them in mind. Now, last but not least was Mobius... Afton was slightly wary of putting him in a human body, as his dementia may cause him to accidentally hurt himself or something... Maybe forgetting to feed himself while he was in the midst of research?... At the scientists'' assistance though, he obliged and created a body for him... He could probably have Glados keep an eye on him in the meantime though. Mobius body looked the most ''handsome'' out of all of them, with a square jaw, thick black hair, and symmetrical face. His build was strong, but not overly so, giving him a sophisticated look. This was only improved when the man donned an old-fashioned-looking suit, fit with pocket watch and all. Afton wasn''t sure where he got it, and when asked, Mobius had no idea either. One thing that Afton was cautious about was the productivity of the scientists... Now that they had to eat, sleep, and take care of their body''s, they wouldn''t be able to work 100% of the time like they had before. He''d created a graph of their productivity before the change, and was still waiting to see how badly it deviated... He hoped having human body''s would boost their creativity and motivation, but time would tell if that actually did anything... At least now that everyone had a new body, Afton could go back to spending time with Josie, who was looking more and more pregnant as time went on. He was fortunate enough to have Glados, Alfred, and the other personalities looking out, and keeping her company while he was busy. Chapter 667 - NCR Flight A couple more months pass for Afton and Bulwark with thankfully no disasters. Though, while nothing bad had happened to the Mojave, California was another matter entirely. The Brotherhood had finally mustered their forces and left a trail of death and destruction as they entered NCR territory... The various gangs, factions, and whatever was left of the NCR military attempted to hold them off, but the destruction of the government and chaos caused by it had weakened them far too much. Allowing the Brotherhood to traipse on through without opposition. Indeed, things were only accelerated when the Brotherhood brought out their ultimate weapon to destroy the NCR tank and armoured vehicle defences... Liberty Prime... What good are tanks, missiles, guns, and bombs going to do against a basically invincible transformer? Nothing, that''s what. The war only lasted a couple of weeks before the survivors surrendered, not willing to risk their lives trying to claim land that wasn''t theirs, or reform a country that didn''t care about the people within it. Afton kept a close eye on all of this, making sure the Brotherhood wouldn''t quickly turn their army around and start marching toward the Mojave. Their Vertibird''s would be able to reach the region fairly quickly, but getting Liberty Prime from New California to the Mojave would take a while. Afton hadn''t been sitting on his hands though, before he''d even had the NCR government assassinated, he''d begun constructing more Ultimo-Bots, Power armour, and other military equipment to prepare for the eventual Brotherhood offensive. Additionally, he''d finally managed to get time to complete some longstanding projects that''d been needing some final touch-ups... Specifically, Bulwark''s airforce... Yeah, you heard it right, the Bulwark Airforce. With the schematics taken from the Boomer Bomber, Afton had finally completed the modified aircraft. From afar it looked quite similar to the Boomer''s aircraft, though, without all the rust and missing material''s theirs had. Up close you''d immediately spot the strange film covering the metal of the aircraft, it was matte black, and would prevent any light refraction, and make it incredibly hard to notice for anyone during the night. The size of the bomber had also been drastically increased so as to hold more bombs in its cargo hold. Its engine was refitted with a more powerful nuclear one, and many anti-air defences had been installed to prevent any other aircraft from combatting it, something most prewar bombers had issues with. Then, there was also the shape of the plane to address... It was aerodynamic, yet, had many sharp and weird edges that seemed unnecessary... This was the anti-radar system Aton had devised after remembering the Stealth Bombers from his old world... He wasn''t sure if America had created them in this world or not, but even if they had, he doubted any faction had any defences against them. Once it was complete, and he''d taken it for a couple spins during the night to confirm that it was effective at bombing and remaining undetected, he made plans to produce more. This, with Afton''s assistance to launch more Orbital satellites, had drastically increased Bulwark''s productivity. The need for more Glowing Ghouls to power everything forced Afton to send more patrols out in search of them... But after the quantity started getting lower, he created a project for Dala and Borous to see if creating Glowing Ghouls was possible. As for how the satellites were going? Well, after mapping out Helios One, developing more weapon systems like it wasn''t all that difficult. The only problem was the large solar arrays needed to power each one. Thus, in the few months after hearing about Shani''s vision of ''destruction'' he''d only managed to create two extra orbital lasers. Of course, this wasn''t just going to help against whatever attack was going to happen, it''d also be useful against the Brotherhood whenever they tried to attack. During all of this, he''d had to split a good portion of his time with Josie. Her baby bump was getting bigger and bigger, and he was afraid she''d pop if he turned around... Honestly, the idea of having a child scared him far more than anything before. And now that conflicts were threatening to get worse and make their way onto his doorstep, he was determined to make sure nothing could possibly harm her. Speaking of family... Dala had finally made progress altering the FEV virus to cause specific mutations... While it had taken quite a few prisoners(Hundreds), she was now able to influence what specific part of the body would be mutated. For instance, she was able to grant a human, a Supermutant arm, leg, head... She''d even gone so far as to change a person''s entire body aside from their head. They weren''t affected by the rage and mental degradation most Supermutants would experience, yet they were far stronger than any human could usually be. Of course, such things didn''t come without side effects, this changed person only lasted a couple days before their immune system freaked out and torn itself apart, rejected the person''s head and literally causing their brain to liquify. Still, this progress wasn''t as fast as Afton wanted it to be... And with his and Josie''s child on the way, he thought it''d be fitting for his father to be present to see his grandchild... Thus, he decided to use drastic tactics... *Shuuk!* The reinforced door opens to reveal a cell that doesn''t have a floor, instead having vicious-looking acid covering the bottom like a pool. Above it, strapped to a machine held over the middle of the acid was Macka Bree, the gaunt-looking man turning his head away from the T.V he''d been provided that only plays reruns of bad prewar shows. "U-uh-please! Don''t take away my T.V again!" the man quickly shouts, struggling slightly in his restraints. Afton just shakes his head and sighs at how far the man in front of him had fallen... From a genocidal maniac with a god-complex, to this snivelling piece of shit who''d flinch at the slightest movement.... Chapter 668 - Dissective Holmes "I''m not here to take away your T.V... Though, if you disobey me, I''ll do far worse." he threatens, pressing a button that lowers the machine slightly closer to the acid below. Macka gives a squeak of fear as his eyes moisten, "P-Please! Not again!" he exclaims, struggling in his bonds to get away from the acid. Afton scowls at him, "Then you better do as your told." he states before growing a thick tentacle from his plant arm, taking Macka from his restraints and depositing him outside the cell, though, with the tentacle still wrapped tightly around him. "Try and resist or escape, and I''ll show you that I can control puppets too... By threading roots through your body." he warns. Macka slowly nods and sheepishly rubs his wrists. He''d been stuck in that position for two weeks straight, so he was fairly happy to be able to stretch himself out... The tortures had taken a toll on him, and he now no longer thought himself the ''master-race'', his easy defeat via Afton''s allies had clearly displayed his weaknesses. Even he, someone who controlled Afton and was essentially unstoppable against most things, was defeated by a robot, and an annoyed girlfriend... After temporarily freeing the man, he drags him towards Mr X''s cell, the zombie-like monster was still confined in its room, machines continually cutting away at its constantly regenerating flesh to stop it from escaping. Afton pushes Macka inside and gestures at Mr X, heal my father. And if you try anything funny, just know that there are far worse things than that pool of acid in your cell..." he growls. Macka looks over at his creation... Mr X had been the pinnacle of what he''d been able to do, Afton''s DNA was only compatible with his family, making his father the only subject that could be altered with it... Thus, creating this immortal and incredibly strong creature. The idea of taking control of Mr X flashed through his mind, but he was well away of how strong Afton was, and how much stronger he''d gotten since their fight... He didn''t know how it''d happened, but he knew Afton could easily deal with Mr X, and subsequently him due to his inability to puppet him. Macka walks over and places a tentative hand on Mr X''s torso, feeling his masterful creation go still as he looked to see if reversing the process was possible... Obviously, reversing such a perfect procedure hadn''t ever crossed his mind, so he had no idea how long it''d actually take. Afton watches with cautious eyes as Mr X''s skin loses that grey leather look, becoming slightly softer and more human-looking. Using his Perk [Living Anatomy] he could see Mr X''s endurance slowly decreasing, meaning that whatever Macka was doing was likely working... Afton quickly turns off the machines cutting Mr X''s limbs to prevent his father from permanently becoming a torso... Just in time too, as Mr X''s healing factor had seem to have gotten weaker. Unfortunately, the changes that Mr X''s body undergoes aren''t as extensive as Afton had hoped... His height and appearance remained the, aside from his now normal-looking skin. Macka abruptly stops whatever he was doing as soon as Mr X''s Endurance reaches 10, the max level a regular human can reach. "Dad?" Afton calls out, wondering if Macka had actually done it... "Grrrr!" Mr X growls when addressed, still not sounding human at all. Macka breathes a worried sigh, "That''s the best I can do... I''m sorry, but its mind is still in a feral state." he mutters, wondering if he''d be tortured again. Afton just shakes his head and ignores the man, restraining Mr X''s now regrown arms and legs as he has Glados deliver an X-ray machine to the room. Once it arrives, he positions it directly at his father''s head, scanning his skull and brain to see if there was anything that could be done... On the monitor, his father''s brain was fully displayed, every wrinkle and crevice, every imperfection... Afton was very familiar with the human brain by now, having dissected and experimented on many deserving people before. His father''s brain was odd though, larger than it was before due to the skull''s increased size, the additional brain matter looked different compared to the rest as well. It''s texture was smoother, yet pulsed as if a separate living creature. This was actually a good thing, it meant there might be something he could do to fix his father... If his brain were completely normal, then it''d mean his mind itself had been broken... With this though, it meant he might be able to fix his father. Hmm... It would be incredibly difficult however, he''d have to excavate around the new brain matter, dealing with any problems he encounters on the way. Afterwards, his father''s brain would probably also need extensive Cybernetics to make sure nothing else goes wrong... Plus, he didn''t know how the brain would react to his drastically different body... His father wasn''t Mr X after all, and he hoped he retained no memories of his time as the creature. He sighs and turns to face Macka, "You have done as I''ve asked. Keep this up, and I may not shoot you into the sun when your use has ended." he states, before looking up into the corner of hte room where he knew Glados was watching. "I need you to send in Dala, Usanagi, and Mobius. And I don''t care if they''re busy, send them anyway." he commands. "Affirmative." Glados easily accepts. Not having a problem annoying the scientists with the sudden request.... It wasn''t as if they could reject Afton''s orders either. Chapter 669 - Goodbye Mr X! Afton wipes his brow as he takes a step back and examines their progress on his father. Zachary was currently sitting upright with his head locked in a machine, the top of his skull cut off to reveal the brain. Dala, Usanagi, and Mobius had been assisting and overseeing the procedure to make sure nothing went wrong, as well as to provide their own expertise in the process. Mobius was there to help tailor cybernetics that Zachary would need to be installed to function properly afterwards. He, Dala, and Usanagi were strictly concentrated on removing the access brain matter however, making sure that everything they removed wasn''t vital, or part of his father''s original brain. It had taken many hours of micro-incisions and delicate movements, but eventually, they''d finished with minimal to no harm done. Afton waits at the side as Mobius and Usanagi install the cybernetics to keep the now smaller brain in place, as well as assisting in helping the brain adapt to its new condition. Once that was done, they repaired his skull and left after putting Zachary on life support. All he could do now was watch and wait to see if he''d be in the same frenzied state as he had before, or even if he''d wake up at all. Dala carries a small metal tray filled with the access brain matter they''d cut from Zachary, her eyes gleaming as she sends an eager smile his way, "Can I-" He interrupts and waves her off, not really caring what she does with the material as long as she doesn''t end up creating zombies or something similar, "Yeah, just take it." Dala almost clicks her heels in excitement as she leaves, presumably to conduct experiments on the still pulsating brain matter. With that, Afton leaves, heading up to the Sink where Josie would waiting. He enters the living room and flops into the couch beside her as she was watching T.V. "Afton!? How''d it go?" she immediately asks as he arrives. He shrugs, giving her a peck on her lips while resting a hand on her stomach, "It went as well as it could... Whether or not it works is another matter entirely." he mutters. She leans into him, "Well, I''m just looking forward to his reaction when I call him ''Dad''." she chuckles, Afton laughing along with her. "I don''t know, but it''d probably be funny. Gotta make sure to record it." ... "Hey, Afton, do you think we could visit Tamia today? I haven''t seen her in a while." ... Afton shrugs in his seat, "She''s over at the Dam, making sure the Brotherhood or Legion stay outta the Mojave... Not really a place you should be right now." "Well, it isn''t as if an attack is going to happen at this moment. Besides, don''t you think it''d be a nice surprise?" Afton shakes his head, remembering his recent encounters with Tamia. She''d been evading him and Josie ever seen her baby bump had started showing... He knew it wasn''t anything malicious, but the anguish visible in her eyes whenever she saw Josie put him on edge slightly. "She can come visit if she wants, but I''m not letting you outside of Big Mt until I''m sure you''ll be safe. And before we start arguing about this, remember Shani''s vision, if that happens outta nowhere, even all my preparations and protections wouldn''t be able to do anything..." ... Josie sighs but nods, "Alright, I get it... No outings until I''m back to my regular size..." Afton gives her a smug grin, "I don''t know, maybe you can keep some extra weight on? I''ve been thoroughly enjoying your growth so far." he says, clasping her breast. Josie just gives him a light smack in response, but breaks into giggling as the two starts ''wrestling''... The personalities shut themselves off to give the duo some privacy, but not before they activate the ''romance'' lights and start playing smooth jazz. Two days later : Afton had mostly pushed his other duties off onto other people while he sat and observed his father''s condition. Waiting for a single twitch that''d indicate his awakening... Fortunately for the sake of his subordinates and his social life, Zachary Parker''s eyes suddenly rocket open, as the large man rapidly sits up from the bed he''d been lying on. "W-where!?" he asks in a gruff tone, obviously surprising the man due to his dramatically different voice. He pats himself over, becoming shocked at how drastically different his body had become... He almost faints in fright when he looks over at the side and sees his face in the one-way observation window. "What happened to me!" he exclaims while clutching his face. "Subject designated: Zachary Parker-X, please remain seated while a Doctor comes to attend you." Glados voice sounds out. Zach stills for a moment at the voice, but ignores it afterwards and tries to leave his bed... Only to find himself chained and prevented from moving. He uses his newfound strength to try and escape, the chains groan in response but stay strong as an Asian-looking woman steps into the room. "Hello." she kindly greets while setting down her clipboard and sitting at a nearby desk. "Who are you?" Zach asks, absolutely sure he needed to escape this place somehow... The fact that voice called him a subject of some kind hadn''t gone over his head, meaning he was probably in trouble, especially with how his body had been altered... She gives him a light smile, "I am Doctor Usanagi. I''m here to make sure you are of sound mind, and no longer exhibit the violent tendencies your condition had caused." she explains. ... "Condition?.... What happened to me!" he demands, the chains groaning louder in response to his increased efforts. Chapter 670 - Doc Henr-Usnagi. Usanagi isn''t bothered by the man''s rather frantic behaviour, instead of panicking or tensing up, she instead just coughs into her hand and looks over her clipboard. "Ahem, what is the last thing you remember?" ... "I..." he shakes his head, "That''s none of your business! Tell me why I''m here! Now!" he shouts. "Mr Parker would you please calm down? I''m afraid that answering my questions is the only way you''ll be given any degree of freedom... If you are considered well enough, we may even let you meet your son." she states, causing the man to pause. "My son?... How do you know about my son? I swear if you''ve hurt him I''ll-" "Stop! We have not hurt your son! He is perfectly fine and living a very fulfilling life, it is he who actually rescued you from the NCR after all." she explains. ... "H-he did? Wait, how old is he now!?" he suddenly asks, not believing that a young teenager could do such a thing, even if with Brotherhood training. Usanagi herself pauses, not actually really knowing the answer... Luckily, Afton tells her over the earphone she currently had in. "He''s nineteen years old now." "N-Nineteen!?... H-how? I was only captured... No..." he clutches his head, "Why is it so hard to recall?" "That may be because of the extensive brain surgery you had to undergo to return your senses... Please, what''s the last thing you remember?" ... "I... After I was captured by the NCR, they interrogated me, I think... After that, they sent me somewhere else, a laboratory I think... Everything after that is blurry..." he looks to Usanagi, "What happened to me?" Usanagi inwardly sighs to herself, how could she explain to this man that he''d been turned into a monster that had killed many people under the OSI''s orders... "The NCR used you as an experimental subject and managed to turn you into a mindless puppet. You were their super-soldier, but we managed to capture you and work in finding a cure... Tell me, do you remember your son''s name?" ... "Afton, I could never forget him. The most peculiar yet talented child the Chapter had ever seen." he fondly recalls. "And your wife?" Usanagi presses, wondering if this question would set off a psychotic break... To him, his wife had only died relatively recently after all. "...Verna." he states with a solemn look, or, as solemn as his monstrous face could manage. Usanagi nods, "Good. At least your memory seems in order... Now, why don''t you tell me how you are feeling right now?" "How I feel?" Zach questions, unsure what this would accomplish. She nods again, "Yes, do you feel anything unfamiliar? Peculiar? An urge or instinct to do something?" she asks. ... He shakes his head after a moment, not feeling anything like she''d described. "No... Kinda hungry, but that''s it." he says. He was feeling concerned over his current situation, and mournful for his wife, but that wasn''t strange or out of the ordinary. Usanagi examines his face for any deception, but smiles in acceptance once she was sure he was telling the truth. She glances up at the corner of the room, "Glados, could you pull up the psychological tests for me?" "Affirmative." the AI''s robotic voice says as a holographic screen suddenly appears on the nearby wall. On it was a strange shape, a shape Zach immediately realised was a rorschach test. The holographic screen had surprised him, but the Brotherhood was known to possess holographic screens to be used for important tasks, such as the map in the Elder''s room... To think they''d consider him that important though brought a slightly smile to his face. Usanagi gestures at the screen, "I see you know what this is... If you could answer as truthfully as you can, that would be appreciated... Now, what do you see?" she asks. "A chemical reaction." he says after staring at it for a moment. Usanagi nods as the screen automatically moves to the next. "This one?" He shrugs, "It''s some piece of space-age technology I think..." The screen changes again, "And lastly, this one." Zach stares hard at this one, "It''s... Two bears high-fiving." ... Usanagi crooks a brow, "Huh, no one''s ever given that answer before... I can see the resemblance though." she mutters before shaking her head, "Alright, there are a few more tests we need to do, but I can promise they won''t take long..." Zach nods and silently waits. "I''m going to say a word, and I want you to say the first thing that comes to mind... Dog." Thirty minutes later : Afton breathes a sigh of relief as he watches his father finish up with the psychological evaluation. From what he''d seen, the man was perfectly healthy and mentally stable. Something he''d been unsure about after they''d removed so much brain matter. He was a bit worried about how his father would react to the news of what he''d done to the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood, but that issue could wait for now... He looks at his father and activates [Living Anatomy] to see what changes had actually occurred. [Zachary Parker] Health : 100% Stamina : 99% DT : 18 Strength : 10 Perception : 8 Endurance : 10 Charisma : 3 Intelligence : 7 Agility : 5 Luck : 3 Ailments : [Mutative Remnants] : Having gone under massive mutations in the past, some things still remain despite the attempts to heal them... +3 Strength, +4 Endurance, -1 Intelligence, -3 Luck, +12 DT. Also increases resistance against diseases and any further mutation. Hmm. Seems like Macka hadn''t been able to fix everything... Afton had expected something like this as his father''s appearance hadn''t returned to normal... At the very least, he''d have retained some of Mr X''s strength due to his drastically increased size.... He''d need to run a couple tests to make sure everything was fine though, it''d be stupid if they healed him, only for cancerous tumours to suddenly appear all over his body. Chapter 671 - Introdadtion... Afton shakes his head of the dour thoughts concerning his father and an agonizing death involving cancer. He adjusts the Stealth suit and puts on gloves to prevent his father from spotting his plant arms, afterwards waiting for Usanagi to leave the room. *Shuuk!* The reinforced door slides open, and Usanagi walks out with her clipboard clutched to her chest, she gives him a small smile and nods, "He seems fine, though, I''d not let him go anywhere without supervision, preferably yours, as I don''t think anyone else could actually deal with him if he went out of control." she explains, remembering the way the chain groaned against the man''s strength. Afton nods, "Thanks for your help, I''d give you a bonus, but your salary is already big enough." he chuckles, gently clapping a hand on her shoulder as he walks past, into the air-lock between the observation room and where his father was. He calms his breaths as the door closed behind him, "You ready to meet my dad, Nyx?" "I have already met him before, sir... I think I still have the imprint of his fist..." Nyx mutters. Afton shakes his head, "That, wasn''t my dad." he easily retorts, "Just try and behave yourself... Try not to reveal anything before me, I''m a bit scared of his reaction, to be honest." he admits as the door opens and he steps into the room. Zachary Parker looks up from where he was sat on the bed, spotting a familiar-looking man enter the room. They were 6.1 ft, messy average length black hair, tanned skin and hazel eyes that matched his late wife''s. He wore strange clothes as well, but he didn''t recognise the insignia printed onto the chest plate. It was his son he realised almost immediately, though, the light beard and black-veins around his eyes made him slightly unsure of himself... The latter because he couldn''t recall any medical ailment that would cause such an effect... Which meant, potentially a mutant? He shakes his head, not daring to believe such a thing without confirming who this man was. And what''d happened in his life. He stays quiet, silently observing Afton and not making any moves to start the conversation. Afton certainly hadn''t been expecting the tense atmosphere as soon as he stepped into the room, he''d imagined a joyful reunion with lots of hugging, tears, and everything else that goes along with it... But maybe his dad just wasn''t in the mood... He coughs into his fist and sheepishly approaches his dad, not bothered in the slightest by his deformed face. "You''re starting to make me kind of depressed here, what''s wrong? Can''t even recognise your own kid?" he asks semi-sarcastically. ... "No. I recognise you, but, a lot has changed. I really didn''t expect to see you again after you and the others left through that canyon passage." he admits with a sigh. Afton slowly nods, sitting on the bed next to his father, "Yeah, well, I thought you were dead. Only found evidence that you were alive when I rechecked the battle sight years later... I avenged mom you know. Blew him to kingdom come." he chuckles morbidly. Zach finally looks up and locks eyes with Afton, "Good. Bastard deserves to rot in hell." he affirms, acknowledging Afton''s efforts. "Yeah, the guy who lead the attack on Helios didn''t have a good end either... Got chopped up and eaten by cannibals or something like that. With how fat that bastard was, he could''ve fed the whole casino." ... "How has your life been, son?" Zach asks, wanting to know if his son''s life had been easy, hard... Worth living. Afton thinks for a moment before shrugging, "It''s been interesting, I guess. I''ve experienced quite a lot, done good things and things I regret... It''s been a bit shit at times but, I think I''ve managed well enough." Zach slowly nods, "The Doctor said you were the one to rescue me?" "Yeah..." Afton pauses, wondering if he should tell his father that he''d been sent to assassinate him. "Er, I lead a group to attack the facility that mutated you, capturing the scientist and forcing him to help return your mind." he finally says, not explaining that the group he''d lead had been an army of supermutants... Zach finally lets a proud smile make its way onto his face, "You must be at least a Paladin to be able to lead a group into battle like that... That''d make you one of the youngest Paladin''s in Brotherhood history." he mutters. ... "Er, not exactly." Afton quietly replies, feeling bad for ruining his father''s moment. ... "What do you mean?" Zach asks with mild confusion. "... Well, a year or so ago I kind of... Left the Brotherhood." he explains sheepishly. ... "What...?" Zach''s face goes blank in utter confusion. Afton breathes a sigh, "Do you know what happened to the Chapter once we left Helios?" Zach shakes his head, "I assume you retreated out of the Mojave and requested reinforcements?" "No... McNamara led us into the Hidden Valley where a number of old bunkers were located. We hid away in those as we were basically trapped without anywhere else to go... The NCR destroyed a couple of them, but missed the main one." Zach scrunched his brows, "Then what?" "Well, nothing, really... We hid there for years, doing little to nothing for the Mojave and slowly dying out underground. I ended up leaving for. reasons. Eventually travelling all around the Mojave, making friends, enemies..." he explains. Zach slowly stands, tugging slightly on his chains that prevent his full range of motion, "Where are we now then? Are we back in the bunker? Headquarters? Another Chapter?" he challenges, becoming more and more unsure of this situation the more he learns. Chapter 672 - Culture Rock ... "About that..." Afton walks over and grabs his father''s cuffs, easily warping the metal and allowing them to drop to the ground. "I''ll show you around, as long as you promise not to freak out." he states. Zach looks down and glares long and hard at the remnants of his restraints. "I''ll agree if you tell me how you did that. I know that wasn''t ordinary steel." he states. ... Afton walks to the airlock and opens the door, "I was infected by an incredibly dangerous species of fungus, there was no cure. I knew I''d be dead soon so I left to find some hail mary lead that probably wouldn''t amount to anything. By the time I reached my destination, I was half-dead, and on my last legs. But luckily, I''d arrived to the one place that had the tech to save my life." he explains, leading his father through the hallways underneath the Think Tank. "What does that have to do with your ability to bend steel?" Zach continues pressing. Afton shrugs, "Well, while the operation I underwent did save my life, it didn''t completely remove all of the fungus." he says, taking his gloves off and revealing his plant arms. "The neutralised fungus improved my body, making me resistant to diseases and poison, enhanced my strength and healing... Even grew back my arms when I was dismembered." he flexes his hand. Zachary eyes the limb, the brown bark-like material covering the top, half, while the bottom was a sickly green, looking like incredibly rough, discoloured skin. It was confirmed, his son was a mutant... But, it sounded like the circumstances leading to it weren''t up to him at all... Unfortunately, the Codex doesn''t make exceptions... The fact he himself would also be considered a mutant wasn''t lost on him, which is why he was struggling so much with his core tenets. By all rights, he should drop to his knees and smash his head against the floor until he perished, to ensure the prolonged existence of the human race. He was honestly still considering it, rejoining his wife wherever she was didn''t sound all that bad. But that would also mean leaving his son, again. "How did the Brotherhood react? If you were even still in contact with them?" Afton grimaces slightly, "Well, I was kind of banished for stopping them from killing a Ghoul companion of mine. I don''t know if any of them noticed my mutations." "...Banished..." Zachary rubs his face, having expected something like this when Afton said he''d left the bunker. Afton continues leading his father through the maze-like laboratories until they reach the Think Tank doors. He pushes them open, revealing the steadily growing city within the massive crater that composed Big Mt. Plants and flora were abundant, with many farms and high-tech buildings scattered around the place. To most people''s eyes, it''d look like a utopia, especially when compared against everything else in the wasteland. But for Zachary, he saw a complete and utter misuse of dangerous technologies, he instantly put two and two together, realising that this place wasn''t affiliated with the Brotherhood at all. This was concerning as only the Brotherhood, Enclave, and some parts of the NCR should possess holographic tech like had been shown in his cell. Before he''s able to say anything though, Afton begins his introduction. "Welcome to Bulwark, my answer to the weaknesses and corruption of the Brotherhood." he grins, "I''ve built this place with my blood, sweat, and tears, now finally it''s starting to look how I envisioned." Zach eyes the people walking around, their comfortable-yet protective clothing, the guards with high-tech armour and weaponry, the robots both rolling along the ground and flying above their heads... Even those Cyberdogs that seemed to eye him warily. " He chews his lip and glances at Afton, "Are we still in the Mojave? Is the Chapter still around?" he tentatively asks, knowing that the Chapter wouldn''t stand and let this place be built if they had a choice in the matter. Afton shrugs and waves at the landscape, "You''re looking at what''s left. Hardin kinda went crazy and started making drastic actions, seemingly ignoring the mounting NCR threat on their doorstep... They only lasted so long because the NCR was afraid of my retaliation. In the end, I was forced to intervene." he states. "Intervene?" Zach tensely parrots. Afton nods, "An NCR army was about to lay waste to them, so I invaded the Brotherhood base that Hardin had set up above ground and gave them an ultimatum. Join Bulwark, or leave. For those that didn''t want to join, I sent them all to Mexico, where the NCR wouldn''t be able to follow. Everyone else was integrated into my forces." he explains. ... "But, what about the Codex? Did I teach you nothing? This. place... It''s like spitting in the face of everything the Codex dictates! This, irresponsible use of technology, it can only lead to disaster!" Zachary lectures with slight indignation, grabbing Afton''s arm to make sure he was listening. Afton shakes his head, "What disaster!? The shit the Codex peddles was just the fears of paranoid larping ideologues! They just echoed what each other said, slowly getting more extreme in their practices and prejudices... Look around you, dad, do you think the Brotherhood could have created any of this? Or would they have squandered the technology they unabashedly tore from their owners, in the name of preventing more ''atrocities''?" Zach growls, reminiscent of what Mr X had sounded like before, "The Brotherhood isn''t perfect, I never said it was. But it was the best way we had to protect the wasteland! Can you imagine if the Enclave was in our place? If they had this kind of technology?.... How long will it take until this, Bulwark, becomes corrupt as well? Or how long until another country seizes this place for its own ends!?" Chapter 673 - Familial Confrontation ... Afton suddenly starts chuckling, holding his face in exasperation, "You know, I''ve already had this talk with Christine when I rescued her." he says, causing Zach to quieten down at the name of his lost ''niece'', "I''ve heard your arguments before from her, not to mention my own experience with the Brotherhood and the Codex! You think I haven''t thought this through? I''m not stupid, dad!" "I''m not saying you are, Afton, maybe just misguided... I know you probably think you''re doing the right thing, but this isn''t the right way. I don''t want this." he pauses, "Your mother wouldn''t want this." he continues, gesturing around at all the technology in use around them. Afton sighs, "Look, can we just agree to disagree? You won''t be convincing me, and I probably won''t be convincing you... Besides, there are other things more important than this that I''d like to talk about." ... "Fine, but I''m not dropping this, Afton." Zach growls, mind still racing to find something to convince Afton to stop while he was ahead. Afton nods, "Before I show you around, there''s someone I''d like you to meet." he says while leading Zachary back into the Think Tank and up into the Sink where Josie was waiting. They enter the room but pause when they spot a visibly pregnant Josie, standing next to Alfred in just her panties and a tank top, all while chewing on a ketchup-covered pickle... ... They stare at one another for a moment, Josie continuing to slowly chew on her snack, at least, until she realises who Afton''s guest was. *Cruunch... Cruuunch...* "EEEeek!" she yelps, dashing towards the bedroom to get properly dressed for her first-no, second meeting with her father-in-law. Afton glances at Zachary and grimaces at his father''s disbelieving expression, finally coughing into his hand to get his attention. "Ahem!... Er, sorry about that, I probably should''ve let her know that you were coming." "Who was that?" Zach asks after composing himself. "She''s... My wife." he quietly replies, hoping Josie hadn''t made a bad impression on the man. ... Zachary covers his face with a large hand, trying to hide the amused grin that''d made its way onto his face, "You know, she kind of reminds me of your mother... Pickle''nd all." he chuckles. Josie reenters the room now wearing trousers, sheepishly looking at the duo as Afton tries to get the image of his mother mimicking Josie. "Afton, is this...?" He nods, "Yeah, Josie Parker, meet Zachary Parker. My dad." "H-hello!" Josie sheepishly greets with mock confidence, extending her hand towards Zach. The man reciprocates and envelopes her hand with his own, giving a light shake and a small nod, "So, this is the woman who''d captured my son''s heart? This is quite the pickle..." he trails off, with a small smile on his deformed face. ... Afton and Josie look at one another before breaking into laughter. The dad jokes were back, or, grandad jokes? Three hours later : After that, they all get comfortable, the duo regaling Zachary with stories of how they met, and the adventures they''d been on together. Zach recounted some of his own stories with Verna, how they met, her time while pregnant with Afton, and the weird habits she formed from it... But eventually, the atmosphere got serious as Josie mentions the Battle of Hoover Dam. ... "Battle of Hoover Dam?" Zach questions, causing the duo to suddenly go silent. Afton rubs the back of his head after sending an accusing glance at Josie, "Ah, well... She was referring to the second battle... The first was the NCR against the Legion, ah, you know, those Sportswear wearing freaks that worship the Romans?" he nods after Zach affirms that he remembers them. "The NCR barely came out on top with some tricky tactics, securing the Mojave for the NCR... The second battle though, included the NCR, Legion, New Vegas... And us, Bulwark." he explains. "So you''ve already started waging war?" Zach asks with a regretful look. Afton gives a nod, "We had no choice. The NCR was bound to lose, and I wasn''t about to let a bunch of slaving, raping, ass holes claim the region... Not to mention, my revenge against the NCR hadn''t quite finished at that point." he states. "New Vegas, controlled by Mr House, was it?" Zach asks, not all that familiar with the place. He continues at Afton''s nod, "What was Bulwark''s role in the battle?" "Ah, well... I won''t go into details, but we wiped out the NCR and Legion, claiming the Dam for New Vegas." ... "For New Vegas?" Afton nods, "I''ve made an agreement with Mr House, he has the appearance of owning the Mojave, but it''s Bulwark who truly controls the region." Zach shakes his head, "I don''t care about that... I just want to know why you are working with that... Thing! Mr House is reported to have existed from even before the great war! Meaning he''s either a sentient and malicious AI, or he''s somehow immortal! Do I even have to tell you what the problem here is?" he angrily asks at Afton''s nonchalant expression. Afton just shrugs while rolling his wrist disinterestedly. "Yada, yada, Codex, yada... What''s your point?" "My point!? My point is that you''re working with an incredibly dangerous individual, who could spell the end of human civilisation as we know it!" he exclaims and jabs a finger towards Afton''s face, "The Brotherhood has committed evils in the past, but we never attempted to subjugate land!" Afton sighs and slumps in his chair, "This again? I thought we were over this? Leave the politics and enjoy your time with your family... You''re going to be a grandad for god sake!" Zach growls under his breath, but before he does anything he''d regret, he stands and marches out of the room, leaving the Sink and Think Tank as Afton and Josie watch. "Glados, could you... ''Lead'', my father to some accommodation... Try not to make it look too blatant, I wouldn''t want him to feel restricted... Ah, don''t let him leave Big Mt though, that''d probably go down badly." he states. "Affirmative." He looks back at a somewhat heartbroken Josie, who seems to have taken his father''s anger towards himself as a rejection of her.. He sighs and begins consoling her, explaining that that wasn''t the case at all. Chapter 674 - Rosy Day Afton stands next to Josie as she finally goes into labour, her grip on his hand feeling as if she''d broken through the human strength limit... He looks up and spots Zachary Parker and his other friends through the temporarily-made one-way window. They were all waiting for Josie to finally give birth, anxiously hoping everything would go well. Dala and Doctor Usanagi were helping out as Afton was only here for emotional-support... He honestly didn''t think his hands would be steady enough to assist Josie in giving birth. The subsequent months after returning his father back to his senses had been generally the same as before. No big conflicts, no infighting, rebellions, or anything of the sort. The only problem had really come from his father''s antagonism towards Bulwark, and the way they operated. He''d eventually managed to drag his father back to Josie to explain he wasn''t angry with her, and that he was happy she was his daughter-in-law. While the man didn''t clearly state it, Afton could see the man constantly struggle between family and duty. He''d occasionally asked to be teleported to the nearest Brotherhood base, but Afton would just argue that they''d execute him on the ground of ''looking like a pale super mutant''. Sometimes that argument would quell his father''s intentions, but sometimes he''d need to give the full list of reasons on why that was an incredibly bad idea, even mentioning the fact they''d execute him and Afton if they could due to their status as mutants. Zachary had eventually found out about their various experiments on Deathclaws, people, and other mutants. This almost caused him to disown Afton for ''Literally doing what the Brotherhood was created to stop''... Fortunately, Zach had eventually calmed down, yet, their relationship had not been the same since. Speaking of experiments... They''d managed to give Anja a human body, using Ulysses DNA of course(not that he knew), the body had been modified to resist radiation, an addition added to all subsequent clones. Not that many were actually made, due to lack of demand. Recreating Psyker abilities in people hadn''t progressed at all however, the experiments usually resulting in eldritch abominations which were only good for- "AAAAARGH!" Josie screams and crushes Afton''s hand further, breaking him from his thoughts. "Keep pushing honey, you got thi-" "YOU DID THIS TO ME!" She screams, she breathes short and quick as she attempts to birth their child. "Come on! Once we''re doing I''ll fix you a drink! You haven''t drunk in ages, remember!?" "WHICH IS YOUR FAULT! REMEMBARRRRGH!" she angrily retorts before screaming again, "WE ARE NEVER FUCKING AGAIN! EVER!" Afton maintains a composed and calm expression, inwardly grimacing at the determination in her tone... Thirty minutes later of abuse and exhausting herself, Josie finally gives birth. The sudden wails of the baby-making Afton breath a sigh of relief. Dala and Usanagi clean and perform extensively check-ups on the baby, allowing Josie to rest for a couple minutes as stimpacks are slowly introduced into her bloodstream. Eventually, the duo hands the baby to Josie, allowing both her and Afton to get their first look at their child. The baby looks up at them with innocent, hazel eyes, and small tufts of brown hair on her head. It''s a girl, Afton knew of her gender beforehand, but Josie didn''t want to know, instead wanting it to be a surprise. Thus, she thought up names for both boys and girls... Josie was currently sobbing with happiness as she looks down at the child in her arms, "My baby..." she sends a heartwarming smile at Afton, "Rose." Afton slowly nods and sits on the bed next to her, examine the child''s appearance... From the scans, he''d been able to tell that ''Rose'' would inherit some of his mutations, thus his wish to name his child after a plant of some sort. It was suitable, not because of the baby''s squishy red cheeks, but because of fungus that''d already implanted itself in his daughter''s body... He was sure what abilities she''d possess, but he was sure she''d be an exceptional person. He was relieved the fungus hadn''t taken root in Josie as well via her blood, she probably wouldn''t be able to adapt fast enough to the fungus if she did, resulting in a litany of problems, most dire of which included death... The baby seemed to be examining them with curiosity as well, but eventually falls to sleep under Josie''s slowly rocking movements. After a few more checkups on both Josie and Rose, Afton pushes the duo out via a wheelchair, exiting the room and grinning towards the people waiting for them. Happy and relieved laughter sounds out as Afton and Josie are swarmed. Veronica, Christine, Anja, Shani, Tamia, Melissa... The men wait behind them, want to allow the women to get the ''cooing'' out of their system before they jump into the fray. Zachary, however, just marches through the women like a steamroller, eventually stopping and kneeling down before Josie, taking a closer look at his granddaughter. "Good work." he bluntly states to Josie, causing her to laugh nervously. With that, he gives a firm no to Afton and leaves, allowing the women to finally start interrogating Josie about her experience and cooing over Rose. Dala tries to exit the operation room to join them, but quickly retreats as soon as she spots Christine, her ''punishment'' still fresh in her mind. Another thing Afton noticed though was Tamia''s somewhat restrained enthusiasm. She looked both happy, resentful, resignation, and a litany of other things he couldn''t nail down... unfortunately he wasn''t able to pursue this right now for obvious reasons, so he''d have to ask her at a later date. For now, he just greets his male friends who all congratulate him on a ''job well done''. Their reactions were expected, all except Boone who was silently smiling, the situation dredging up old, happy memories of his wife and unborn child... His expression slowly breaks down into one of loss, and reluctant acceptance though. Again, there was nothing Afton could do for the man.. So instead he just recruits Shani to bring him from his depression, a common tactic as of late. Chapter 675 - Boredom Induced Innovation Once all was said and done, little Rose was laid to sleep in a crib that sat next to their bed in the Sink. Both the baby and Josie were exhausted, the latter falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Afton was tired too, but, he doubted he felt as bad as Josie did... After all, he didn''t just push a new person outta his genitals... Unfortunately, the suddenness of her water breaking had left him with quite a few tasks that needed to be completed, so sleep could wait for now. He walks back into the living room and takes the freshly made double espresso that was still steaming on the table, courtesy of Glados. He takes a big swig and looks at the T.V screen which was currently displaying the nighttime landscape of Big Mt... By the looks of it, people were still celebrating, and with the way this was going, the birth of his daughter would probably become an annual holiday... He was unsure whether people actually cared, or just wanted another excuse to get a day off. Not that it mattered, playing to his sentimentality was probably the way to go if they wanted something from him. He shakes his head and finishes the last of his drink, the sugar and caffeine waking him up slightly, "Glados, what''d I miss while I was away?" "During the time Subject designated: Josie Parker, was squeezing out a little person, there had been two attempted murders, two successful murders, a message from Mr House, oh... And your father is currently trying to escape again." she states. Afton runs his fingers through his hair and lets out a sigh, "Again?... Mmm, whatever, let him go. He''s been waiting to see Rose before he tries again, I don''t really see a reason to continue holding him prisoner... He''s been chipped, and I doubt the Brotherhood will be kind to him... Alert me if he''s in mortal danger." "Affirmative... And the other tasks?" He shrugs, "What did House want? Sum it up for me." he asks, immediately regretting it as Glados starts. "The immortal meatbag wishes to control the other destitute meatbags by sending in machines to crush any resistance from the western meatbags." she states. ... "Uh huh... All I got from that was, ''Mr House is going to finally take control of Westside''... Correct?" "Affirmative." "Alright... I''ll just leave him to it then I guess... And these ''murders?''" he asks. "Some Former-Legion slaves thought the birth of your daughter would be an opportunity to rebel. They attempted to murder some civilians, but were murdered in kind." she states. "Oookay... Anything else?" he mutters, feeling as if that didn''t require his attention. "Negative, I have completed all other tasks in your stead." He slumps back in his chair with an odd look, "Huh, so I''ve been worrying for nothing then?" "Affirmative." ... He sits there in silence for a couple minutes before finally dropping a fist on his open palm, "Aha! I know one thing that''d definitely give me something to do!... Glados, show me the space-scout cameras!" ... The T.V screen in front of his buzzes with activity, quickly swapping from the Big Mt landscape, to blackness dotted with many brilliantly shining stars. This, was one of Afton''s precautions against Alien attacks, while the Archimedes defence sattalites were being set up, he''d had many smaller intelligence-gathering satellites launched into space with them. Their functions were rather limited, but they''d at least be able to find and warn against any Alien attacks. They were fitted with many sensors, cameras, radars, etc. He''d be able to keep himself busy by monitoring these things, at least, until he fell asleep. Fortunately, the view provided by the cameras was definitely a beautiful one... Unlike the light-polluted atmosphere of earth, everything was visible from space. Every galaxy, star, nearby planet, nebula... He was honestly looking forward to the day he''d get to explore it... First, he''d need to develop warp-speed or something similar though, he wasn''t willing to spend hundreds, if not ten of thousands of years cryogenically frozen just to visit another viable planet... Though, it would probably be easier than fixing Earth in its current state. Radiation had infested almost every facet of life here, and as far as he knew, there wasn''t an easy solution to it... Maybe he should try to terraform mars? With the teleportation relays, the journey time would be significantly lowered, though, due to the fact that the lighting you travel by isn''t the speed of light, it''d still take quite a while. Not to mention the time it''d take to research and build machines to actually terraform the planet. ... "Alright, I''m bored. Fuck watching the stars, let''s get active... Too the Afton-Lab!" he exclaims, dramatically standing and pointing at the roof. "... Has boredom caused you to have a psychotic break, creator?" He shakes his head, "Haha, I''m just messing around... Let''s see what it''d take to create a terraforming machine, shall we?" he mutters while entering the laboratories. The other scientists were currently asleep, which gave him full access to their equipment... Not that he needed to ask permission before... Whelp, first thing to do was figure out how to recreate mars''s atmosphere... Greenhouse gasses anyone? The next morning : Once the scientists had awakened and headed to the Think Tank, they were surprised to find the place in a complete and utter mess... Electronics, scrap metal, and other machine components were liberally scattered around on the floor, as if a tornado had blown through a scrap yard and brought the contents inside the previously clean hall. Not to mention the large.... Thing, now sitting in the middle of the room, with Afton standing atop it, using one of his plant-arms to drill in a loose screw. Chapter 676 - Message Alert Afton stops his futile attempts to screw in this rebellious screw and finally notices the group of confused scientists looking up at him. "Er, hi?... Is it morning already?" he questions, time having flown by during his mad dash of sudden inventiveness. Indeed, it wasn''t just boredom that''d lead him to do this either, once he started the project, he''d a [Eureka!] moment which allowed him to focus all of his 16 + bonuses intelligence on this single project... Last time he''d been able to create Glados, and that was with sub-ten intelligence... Now though? He could hardly wait for the results. "AFTO-*Ahem*" Klein starts but coughs in embarrassment, all that time he''d spent with a broken voice modulator causing him to sporadically raise his voice, even after he''d claimed a human body, "Afton! Why have you suddenly destroyed our laboratory?... And what is that thing you are standing on!?" ... Afton glances down at the huge metal machine he''d created in his Eureka-Induced trance. It honestly just looked like a pile of scrap metal glued and screwed together, but that was only on an exterior examination... Inside, was probably the most advanced technology this world had seen thus far, far surpassing even the likes of Glados. Inside was basically everything mar''s needed to become a fully sustainable planet again. It was the swiss-army-knife of terraformers, able to create an atmosphere, regulate it for human life, and even moderate how plants and other life forms affect the ecosystems that are subsequently created. The only real problem was how many would be needed for the planet... You''d need thousands just to get the terraforming to a ''good'' rate, and even that would still take hundreds of years. Plus, the internals would be incredibly hard to manufacture without Afton''s direct assistance... The components were simply too delicate and intricate for anyone else to do... Perhaps if he designed another AI on the level of Glados, solely to reproduce these machines it''d be doable, but... He sighs, and looks back down at the scientists, "This is my new creation... A terraforming device that''d be sent to Mars to make it habitable for human life... The schematics are over there, do what you will with it, right now it isn''t good enough to be launched yet." he solemnly explains as he hops off the machine and exits, already thinking of solutions to machine''s problems. The scientists look at one another and shrug, each checking out the machine and marvelling at its design. If it wasn''t already obvious, Afton had surpassed all of them in scientific accomplishments, Klein and Zero could only look at the machine with large pouts at being beaten in their own specialized fields... Mobius though just looked amused, like a teacher who''s been surpassed by their student. The following days after the terraformer''s invention, Afton split his time between tech invention, maintaining Bulwark, and taking care of Josie and his daughter... Truth be told, were he not an incredibly powerful superhuman, he''d have died from lack of sleep and exhaustion many months ago... Rose was fun to play with, even though she was essentially just a fleshy potato, at least until she learns how to play games or talk. Though, even spending time in her presence was enough to cheer Afton up after an exhausting day of work. Despite the incredibly tough workload though, Afton was very satisfied with his life... He had a purpose, friends, and family. What else could he ask for? Unfortunately, the goods times couldn''t last forever. A month after his father had left to join the Brotherhood of Steel, the organization had started probing the borders of the Mojave... While the East was somewhat protected as they''d have to fight their way through the chaotic remnants of the Legion, every other direction was at risk. The Brotherhood''s aerial superiority (That they know of), allowed them to attack at any angle...Luckily for everyone involved, the Elder Council had decided to send a holodisk for Afton to New Vegas. Mr House had handed it over to him, after getting him to promise to show it to him after he''d viewed it. Which Afton easily agreed to. Josie, Veronica, and Christine were all waiting in the Sink''s living room to view the recording. All the while Rose was resting in Josie''s arms, smiling sweetly as the girls shook toys above her. Afton walks in and tosses the holodisk in the air, a claw controlled by Glados catches it and pulls it into the wall, the T.V screen flickering as its connected. "Josie, you might want to put Rose to bed... I have no idea what''s on the disk." he admits. She shakes her head, "She isn''t sleepy yet... How bad could it be anyway?" ... Afton shrugs after a moment, "Well, I''m kind of expecting a tape of them torturing my father. His Chip indicated he was under stress recently, so..." ... Josie finally relents and puts Rose to bed, afterwards sitting back down and looking to the screen as it activates. *Bzztch!* The screen flickers and eventually reveals an old-looking man wearing Elder robes. He was bald but had a large white beard and silver-blue eyes. He was standing politely and looking directly at the camera recording him, "Greetings, I am Elder Gurren of the Elder Council, currently in charge of negotiations concerning the Mojave, New Vegas, and... Bulwark." his face contorts slightly as he recites their factions name, though, Afton wasn''t sure if it was amusement, disgust, or something else that he couldn''t keep hidden. Afton pauses it and glances at Christine, "You ever seen this guy? You know, in the Circle of Steel?" Christine shakes her head in response, "We were assassins, trained to do what needed to be done and given minimal orders afterwards.. I never had any contact with the main Brotherhood branch, nor did I meet any of the Elder Council." Chapter 677 - Moment Of Resignation Afton sighs at Christine''s words, wondering if his spies had gotten any dirt on the Brotherhood higherups... It wasn''t as easy getting intel on them as it was the NCR, their tech removed many, many avenues of attack that he previously had... Not to mention the fact that the NCR civilians gave easy cover for Cass, Anja, and Juan to work under... There wasn''t really anything like that inside Brotherhood facilities, especially since everyone has to carry around identification. He wouldn''t be surprised if the place went on lockdown whenever forgot their holotags... Shaking his head, he unpauses the holodisk. Allowing Elder Gurren to continue. "We, at the Brotherhood of Steel, wish to negotiate your surrender. We are not lost on the advanced technology you possess, but the weapons you have gathered would stand no chance against our combined might. You must know this, after all, you were one of us at one point in time." Gurren pauses. "The Brotherhood of Steel will pledge not to annihilate Bulwark, its people, and any other resistance we encounter if you agree to our terms... First of which, will be to hand over all the weapons you possess... Power armour, laser and plasma weapons, vehicles... Even the device you used to cause mass destruction from above..." he trails off and Afton pauses again. He scoffs, "I can''t tell if this is an honest offer, or if they''re just baiting us to declare war against them..." Veronica shakes her head, "They probably just want the green light to invade the Mojave... Want to skip all the rules and protocols inhibiting them." Josie shrugs, "Er, what''s stopping us from just, like, shooting the orbital laser at them?" Afton chews his lip, "I''m not sure... They know it exists apparently, so they must have some countermeasures against it, besides the fact they have my father as a hostage" he says before unpausing the holodisk yet again. "We are willing to reinstate Afton Parker, Zachary Parker, and any other member of Bulwark that had formerly belonged to us, if all of our terms are met with due haste. If Bulwark''s surrender is not announced and confirmed within two weeks, we will have no choice but to defend ourselves against the growing threat your band of traitors presents. You will subsequently be dealt with swiftly, and efficiently, our army will incinerate any obstacles, and to ensure the protection of the Wasteland, and perhaps even the world... We will employ our own weapons of mass destruction, such as Liberty Prime, and other weapons that the public is not yet aware of. ... As for our terms? Aside from handing over all dangerous technology you possess, you will execute each and every Supermutant and Ghoul in your employ, those condition includes any artificially created life... Including plants, animals... People..." he trails off and Afton pauses it with some confusion present in his eyes. "Artificially created people?... Are they aware of our cloning capabilities?" he questions, wondering if there was somehow a spy in their midst... He looks to the others but finds that they are as confused as he is... Fortunately, there is one person present who seems to know what''s going on. "Creator, I am 70% sure the meatbag is making reference to the AI androids that have been appearing around the East coast... There have been no official findings as of yet, but rumours of machines wearing human skin have become common." Glados explains. Afton rubs his face, "Cyborgs...? No, they''d be androids wouldn''t they?... The only places that I think have the tech to do something like that is here, and... The Institute." "Those secret scientists you keep complaining about?" Josie asks. Afton nods, "Yeah, they might have equal-level tech to Big Mt... At least, before I came along. Seems like the Brotherhood has been better at locating them than we have though. As for Elder Gurren''s demand? It''d mean we''d have to kill everyone who''d received a clone body, kill everyone in Jacobstown, every ghoul that works here... Glados, how many people would this directly affect?" he questions "Four hundred and seventy-two." her robotic voice drolly remarks. Afton shrugs to himself, "So, yeah... Even if we wanted to surrender, I''m not willing to accept that term." The others nod, agreeing with his apprehension at committing what amounted to genocide against their own people. The screen unpauses and Gurren continues yet again. "Additionally, we wish for the extermination of the one known as ''Mr House'', his existence exposes a severe lack of knowledge concerning his continued existence, one we wish to rectify, preferably with laser fire. Once Mr House has been eliminated, we will take the Mojave into our care. Protecting and caring for the common populace in ways New Vegas and Bulwark has not been able... This concludes our message, while there is far more we wish to discuss, such things would need to be face to face... By Maxson''s will." he gives a small nod as the holodisk ends. ... "Well that was..." Veronica trails off. "Shit?" Afton guesses. "Stupid?" Josie adds. "Tyrannical." Christine remarks." "Boring." Veronica finishes, blushing slightly as the others send exasperated looks at her, "What? He didn''t say anything interested, and it''s not like we''d be accepting their proposal in a million years." she retorts. Afton sighs, "Yeah, I guess you''re right..." he mutters, going into silent contemplation on the situation. ... "What should we reply with?" Veronica suddenly asks... Afton grins, "Oh. I''ll definitely think of something... It''ll be mature. Make our stance known while maintaining optimum civility and dignity." he explains, getting suspicious looks from the others. ... "You aren''t gonna fly a giant cock-shaped plane over them, are you?" Josie asks after a moment. ... "Uh... No! That sounds really stupid... And funny...." he shakes his head, silently clicking his tongue at losing his first idea. Chapter 678 - Mature Retaliation...? A week after Bulwark had received the Brotherhood Holodisk, a lone Knight in Powerarmour was patrolling the outskirts of the base nearest to the Mojave west border. It was incredibly hot, incredibly boring work, but someone had to do it, and such a duty fell on him for some reason... Perhaps putting a depowered sonic detonator in his commanding officer''s toilet hadn''t been the greatest plan, but, it was certainly funny... The way the man was thrown from the bathroom covered in water and... Debris. Had livened up this shitty outpost like nothing else had. And while this left him with almost every conceivable punishment, at least he had the recording of the prank stored on his holodevice... He pulls said device out and checks the screen, wiping off some dust and grinning vindictively at the reply of his commanding officer screaming while covered with waste. Slowly, the heat of the desert sun seemed to be fading though... Confused, he glances around, noticing a large shadow being cast by something overhead... He follows it with his eyes, looking up and squinting against the remnants of sunlight as something slowly flies overhead... "Whaaat the fuck...?" his mouth independently mutters as he finally spots it... A humungous canvas being flown by hundreds of Eyebots, what was depicted on it? Well, a giant hand flipping the bird... Why was this happening? He had no idea. He points his holodevice up at it, beginning to record the events as a few eyebots separate from the group overhead and fly down towards them. He almost opens fire, but pauses when he spots that none of their weapon systems were active. An eyebot finally reaches him, and a prerecorded message begins playing, in a similar fashion to how the enclave used to use them. "I am Afton Parker, Leader of Bulwark, and I approve this message... The Brotherhood of Steel fuck their sisters, and can lick my taint. Also! Elder Gurren is a paedophile, and likes to molest little boys... That''s all folks!... I am Afton Parker-" the message begins replaying, and the Knight stops the recording, storing it so he could report directly to Brotherhood HQ... And hopefully, get out of this shitty patrol position. The giant middle finger and messages continue to travel unmolested, the Brotherhood fearing retaliation from the many eyebots present... Thus, unfortunately for the Brotherhood, allows the Bulwark message to be spread far and wide. Elder Gurren didn''t actually notice anything once the news had hit. He was just confused at why everyone was now sending him weird glances... This all changed a couple hours later when he was finally told about what''d happened... "THEY DID WHAAAAT!?" He exclaims in complete and utter shock. His colleague sheepishly coughs into their fist, "They... They accused you of being a paedophile... Oh, and also told the rest of us to lick Afton Parker''s taint... Whatever that is?" Elder Gurren shakes his head, "The taint is the skin between the balls and ass hole... Wait they called me a paedophile!?" he realises after a moment. "They did... They also flew a rather well done giant middle finger around the Westcoast..." Gurren growls, "THIS WON''T STAND!" he shouts, immediately alerting the other Elders to arrive at the council room. It was time for them to intervene in the fate of the Mojave! Needless to say, Afton''s actions were a clear and present insult to the Brotherhood, basically just asking for Bulwark to be attacked. The council almost unanimously agreed to wage war with Bulwark, regardless of the threat they may pose. A couple hours later Gurren arrived at the Brotherhood research center, where a special guest was currently getting a checkup... Zachary Parker laid still on the bed as blood and other samples were taken. What they actually intended to do with said samples was up in the air at the moment, but the scientists were sure they''d be useful at some point... Not to mention making sure whatever ailment Zachary Parker had contracted wasn''t contagious. *Beep!* Gurren presses the button to alert those inside of his arrival, entering the observation room and sitting calmly before it. Zachary is given permission to take a break and speak to the Elder, sitting opposite him with the window in between them both. Immediately, Zach recognises the look in Gurren''s eyes, inwardly sighing to himself, "Let me guess. My son?" Gurren nods, sliding a holodevice with the events stored on it through the present gap. Zach looks at them for a moment, not showing any emotion in his deformed features... He lays it down and passes it back, "How is this related to me?" he questions, clearly having cut ties with his son. "It''s related to you, in the way that you are directly related to the person responsible." Gurren states. "I wish to make a request... To fake using you as a hostage to bring your son under control... I promise, I will do everything in my power to leave him unharmed when we retrieve him." Zachary quickly shakes his head, "I refuse. I want nothing to do with Afton anymore. I wish only to perform my duties as a Paladin. That''s it." he states, going to stand from his chair. Gurren scowls, "Your duties as a Paladin are to follow my orders!" Zach sniffs, "No. My pledge was to the people and my brothers, not to you." he remarks before leaving, lying back down on the bed. Gurren beeps the button a couple more times, but Zach refuses to speak with him, only making the man even angrier than before. He eventually gives up, decided to channel his rage into the conflict with the Mojave. "I will not be slandered by some uppity little bastard who''s playing as a king! This will not stand!" Chapter 679 - Freedom, Liberty, And Transformers! Soon enough, the Brotherhood declared war on the Mojave, Bulwark especially, as was noted in their officially published announcement. The reason for this was obvious to most people, "Afton''s Middle Finger" as it had been named, had been witnessed by most of the West Coast, and had made the Brotherhood the butt of most jokes amongst those that''d been unwillingly conquered by them. Most remnants of the NCR that were now forced under Brotherhood control took to this like moths to fire, even making large groups of them leave their lands to join Bulwark, in an attempt to get some payback against the Brotherhood. Not all news was good news though. Now that the Brotherhood had made their intentions clear, Liberty Prime and the rest of the free Brotherhood forces were en route to the Mojave... And while their march wasn''t all that quick due to the fact they needed to set up resupply outposts every hundred or so miles, they would eventually reach the Mojave''s doorstep. Mr House wasn''t happy about Afton''s middle finger, calling it ''a flagrant display of immaturity and shortsightedness''... Of course, his tone changed once the volunteers from New California started coming in, the man not having expected the people to rally behind what was essentially a nationwide prank by Afton. A few Brotherhood scouts had attempted to get into the Mojave already, but they were easily sent away by the vast security systems that''d been installed all around the region''s borders. While Afton was wary of killing any Brotherhood members, he recognised that the situation may make it a necessity, especially with the antagonistic stance he''d clearly taken against them. Not that they gave him much of a choice mind you, to choose between subservience and butchering your own people, or fighting against former comrades, Afton would pick the latter every time. Two months pass after the events of Afton''s middle finger, and the Brotherhood was finally making their move... Afton, Tamia, Veronica, and Christine were standing atop the fortification that''d been made at the Mojave Outpost in the South Western side of the Mojave. The fortifications were vast, and should easily hold off any attack the Brotherhood attempted... At least, that''s what Afton hoped. He was as sure of their defences once he spotted the towering figure of Liberty Prime that was advancing towards them from the distance. Behind the giant robot, were hundreds of Knight and Paladins following along the ground, all equipped with the finest armour and weaponry the Brotherhood could provide. Not only that, by behind those ground troops were many Heavily armed and armoured Vertibirds, they were currently keeping their distance due to the many large Anti-Air weapons the fortification had been installed with. "You guys like our chances?" Afton asks while gesturing at the army ahead. Veronica gives a nervous chuckle, "No idea... I grew up on stories of Liberty Prime, I''m not really looking forward to fighting it." she admits. Tamia cracks her knuckles, "Probably all exaggerated... Hit it good in the knee cap or the neck and boom, we''re done." she states. Christine shakes her head, "The Enclave had tried that and many other things when they fought against it. It is heavily armoured and equipped with shields that''ll resist basically everything we could throw at it..." "I don''t know about that, we got weapons the Brotherhood has never seen before... Besides, this wouldn''t be the first time I''ve had to deal with shields, what''re the odds that its shields are similar to the ones we have at Big Mt?" he asks. "65% Sir, its shields look weaker than what we possess, but perhaps it has been installed with the prototype versions?" Nyx speaks from his suit. Afton slowly nods, "Alright... You guys, I need you to deal with everything else while I try to bring down Liberty Prime... But first, let''s see if we can negotiate at all." he says, raising his hand and making a gesture, causing lightning to strike his position and deposit him almost directly in front of the advancing army. "Can you guys hold up for a minute! Who''s your commanding officer!?" he shouts, holding his hands up pacifyingly. Liberty Prime stops and takes one look at Afton before announcing, "COMMUNIST DETECTED ON AMERICAN SOIL; LETHAL FORCE ENGAGED!" "WAIT! I''M NOT A COMMIE, I''M A FULL BLOODED AMERICAN!" he shouts, ignoring the fact he still felt more like an English-man than a Yank. "CHINESE DECEPTION DETECTED, DESTRUCTION IMMINENT!" the machine continues, beginning to walk towards Afton and raising its foot. Afton leaps backwards as it attempts to crush him underfoot, leaving a large crater in its wake... Once it attacks, the rest of the Brotherhood army begins advancing again, a few even starting to make pot-shots at Afton. Shaking it head at his failed attempt to negotiate with the robot, he pulls out the Range Finder and points it, not at Liberty Prime, but the army behind him. He''s forced to keep backing away from the continually approaching Liberty Prime, but eventually, he gets a clean lock with the Orbital Laser. "PEEWWWW!" A cloud overhead parts as a huge blue laser cuts through the center of it, the laser enveloping a large portion of the Brotherhood ground army. Once the attack ends, the only thing that could be heard is the screams of those who''d been on the outskirts of the laser and had somehow not been instantly killed, as well as Liberty Prime which had drawn a nuke from its back, getting ready to throw it like a football. "Nyx, again!" Afton shouts as stops in place and watches as the nuke is thrown directly at him... Only for another bolt of lightning to hit him, depositing him a good distance to Liberty Prime''s right. The nuclear explosion causes a huge mushroom cloud to form, and it kicks up a huge amount of sand and dust, obscuring both side''s vision for a couple moments. After breathes a sigh of relief at having dodged the nuke... He honestly didn''t know if he''d be able to withstand a direct hit like that... Fortunately, he''d thought about this beforehand and had many teleportation extenders buried under the ground around the fortification.... Chapter 680 - Commie Threat! The only problem with Mid-Combat Teleportation, was the fact he would need to stand still for a couple of seconds for the satellite to lock onto him. Even with the Teleportation Extenders, it wasn''t an instant process, leaving many vulnerabilities for the enemy to exploit, should they recognise what was happening. Once the dust and sand clear, allowing Afton is able to see Liberty Prime again, he pulls out the Sonic Emitter and fires a couple shots at it, intending to disable its shields... Only for the sonic projectiles to do basically nothing! They bounce off of its shields, only causing a ripple and nothing else... It seems as if its shields were different enough from Big Mt''s shields to resist the Sonic Emitter... "Nyx, did you get any readings?" he asks, knowing that the Sonic Emitter picks up information from the thing''s it hits. "Negative." "Fuck." he spits, wondering if there was anything that could actually bring it down? Elsewhere : Tamia glances at Veronica as Afton leaves, both watching him as he faces down the giant robot. "Think he''ll be alright?" Veronica shrugs, "Probably? Josie''ll go beat his ass in hell if he isn''t." she says before moving to defend the southern part of the wall. Christine does the same, heading to the north and leaving Tamia alone to defend her current position. "COMMUNIST DETECTED ON AMERICAN SOIL; LETHAL FORCE ENGAGED!" Liberty Prime''s robotic voice echoes through the place, the robot trying to stomp on Afton, who leaps backwards to evade it. Tamia warily watches as the robot takes a nuke from its back and throws it at Afton, who dodges it via teleportation. Once dust fills the area, she gets to work, ordering the defences to start firing at the advancing Brotherhood forces. While the ground army wasn''t willing to get ahead of Liberty Prime, their aerial forces were quickly flying towards them. The Bulwark AA guns were spraying many high-calibre bullets at the aircrafts, homing missiles and other explosives also being launched. A great many Brotherhood Vertibirds are knocked out of the sky by this, but many manage to dodge the homing missiles by releasing flares that confuse and disorient the targeting systems... This turns out to be good for Bulwark anyway, as the confused missiles slam into the Brotherhood ground forces anyway. By the time the Brotherhood Vertibirds reach the Bulwark wall, over half of their aerial forces had been destroyed... Most armies would have retreated by now due to the massive loss of life, but the Brotherhood kept going, letting many men in Power armour drop onto the wall once the Vertibirds were in position. Tamia ignites her Proton-Greatsword and blocks the laser and Gauss fire as the soldiers descend, charging them once they reach the ground. The soldiers assumed their Power armour would protect them against her attacks, which is why they were so surprised when her blade easily cut through them, bisecting and decapitating those caught off guard. *Clink! Clank!* Bullets from a Minigun and laser fun deflect off of her armour from above by the circling Vertibirds. The suppressing fire is almost enough to force Tamia to hunker down, but the AA turrets quickly draw the Vertibird''s attention with another volley of missiles. Tamia stops shielding her face and looks up, finding another squadron of Brotherhood soldiers advancing on her position, hoping to knock out the central security system controlling the weapon systems. She leaps back into the fray, cutting the enemy to pieces, but doesn''t notice the single soldier who''d managed to sneak behind her. They give a power armour enhanced kick at the door leading inside the fortifications, but find that it''s too reinforced to damage... Tamia hears the noise though, and quickly starts approaching the now scared-shitless man. Ignoring the door, he throws himself against the concrete wall, somehow finding a weak point and going through it. The man quickly gets up, but realises his error when he comes face to face with many Ultimo-Bots that had already begun charging up their weapons... "Er, I surrender...?" *BANGBANGBANGBANG!* Elsewhere : Back with Afton, it seems that Liberty Prime had some sort of lock-on system, as the robot didn''t wait a moment after the dust had cleared and immediately began advancing towards Afton yet again. This time though, instead of trying to stomp on him or throw another nuke, its visor lights up with a blue glow. Afton''s Danger Sense warned him to move, allowing him to barely avoid the massive laser shot by the robot. The blue laser it fired was incredibly strong, its size was enough to envelope a man, and the intensity might even match Bulwark''s own green lasers. Again, its visor glows, indicating that it was going to fire again, forcing Afton to keep dodging to avoid the barrage of attacks it was throwing. Bullets and other smaller lasers bounce off of his back, as the Brotherhood ground army tries to help Liberty Prime in taking him down, but his armour''s DT, and his own durability and stats made any damage they managed to deal minimal at best. Even if they dealt damage, his regeneration healed it in the blink of an eye. No, the only real threat to Afton here was Liberty Prime itself. He barely avoids another eye-laser and begins sprinting towards the robot, using his plant arms like Attack on Titan''s Omni-Directional Mobility equipment. Winching himself from place to place after attaching it like your favourite webslinger. "Nyx, how do I hurt this thing!?" he shouts, drawing his Ultra-Chainsword with hopes of somehow getting through its shields. "Sir, perhaps we could use the teleportation relays to destabilise them?" He spins through the air after evading another laser beam, quickly thinking on whether Nyx''s suggestion would actually work... Such a thing probably wouldn''t work against Bulwark''s shields, but Liberty Prime''s own look thin, and rather fragile to be honest.... Perhaps a blast of dematerializing lightning would do the trick? Chapter 681 - Gods Odds Afton nods at Nyx''s suggestion and immediately runs towards Liberty Prime, having Nyx charge up the teleportation relays to target the giant robot. For this to work, he''d need to keep Liberty Prime still for however long it took to lock onto the entire robot. Considering it took a couple seconds to lock onto a human-sized object, he figured it''d take a couple of minutes at least. Unfortunately, Liberty Prime wasn''t keen on standing still, especially with Afton charging its position. He sends another eye-beam at him before raising its leg, preparing to stomp on him again. Afton doesn''t immediately try to dodge though, he needed to make sure the robot holds its position. Instead, he gets closer to Liberty Prime, sprinting past its other foot and getting behind it, forcing the robot to cease its stomp. Once behind the heel of Liberty Prime, he thrusts his arms out, utilising his mutations to produce many large roots that begin entangling the robot''s legs... Unfortunately, any attempts to stifle its movement proof futile, as its forcefield prevents any roots from actually grabbing its legs. So, he does the next best thing, tying roots around the forcefield protecting the legs... Due to the fact the shield maintains a steady distance from the robot''s body, it isn''t actually able to move its legs, the forcefield locking them in place. At least, that''d what would have happened if Afton wasn''t trying to restrain a giant robot... *CruuuuNCH!* The roots instantly begin snapping as the robot starts to turn to face him, forcing Afton to give up this strategy and run back in front of it to keep it in place. "Nyx! How long have we still got!?" he asks, hoping he wouldn''t have to keep playing bait for much longer. "Thirty seconds, sir!" "Alright..." he mutters before beginning to wave his arms at Liberty Prime. "KONICHIWA! ME IS CHAIRMAN CHENG, ME IS CHINESE LEADER! COME GET ME!" he shouts with a crappy Chinese impression. He''s forced to dodge another eye-beam from the robot, that seemed as if he''d just made it angry... "CHAIRMAN CHENG WILL FALL. CHINA WILL FALL!" Liberty Prime announces while taking out another nuke from its back, whenever it was storing them. It rears back its arm in preparation to throw it at Afton. Just as it''s about to throw it, many bolts of lightning come down from the sky and start colliding with Liberty Prime, its forcefields managing to deflect them, but taking great amounts of damage in the process. Not only that, but the lightning strikes the nuke in its hand as well... Afton''s only able to throw himself to the floor and cocoon himself in roots when the bomb goes off... All the while muttering, "GOD DAMN IT, AGAIN!?" "You should have seen this coming, si-" *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!* Another massive mushroom cloud envelopes the battlefield, but this one completely halts the Brotherhoods advance... They''d witnessed the attack against Liberty Prime, and were wary of whether or not the robot had actually survived... They were right to be cautious as well, since after the smoke clears, the robot isn''t standing any longer... Instead, all that was left of it was its thoroughly scuffed up head and torso... Liberty Prime had lost its limbs, and the nukes it stored on its back all seemed to have detonated simultaneously. Near what was left of Liberty Prime, a scorched pile of roots was forced apart, revealing Afton in heavily damaged power armour... The shockwave hadn''t done much to him, but the heat from the nuclear explosive had badly hurt him, his saturnite plating only worsening his condition. His armour was glowing red hot, and the smell of burnt flesh was clear... If even was close enough, they''d be able to hear his skin searing from contact with the metal. Quickly, Afton wrenches the helmet off, quickly tearing himself out of his armour. He gives a grimacing shout as he pries the metal stuck to his flesh away, once done, he was left with the burnt remnants of the Stealth Suit... Luckily, the chest piece where Nyx lived was still somehow intact. Though, it''d need extensive repairs to be useable again. Afton''s terribly burned skin started healing as soon as he got the armour off, the many blisters and charred bits of skin either healing over or falling off while new flesh takes their place. Were it not for his [A Pool of Dead] Perk, he''d have likely perished from his injuries... Not to mention the fact that he''d have never survived the explosion without his other damage resistance Perks, armour, and rediculous Endurance stat. He slowly stands from the crater that''d formed around him, his naked form allowing his slowly healing genitalia to be seen by anyone who looks in his direction. It wasn''t just his armour that''d been destroyed... Most of his weapons that hadn''t been stored inside the armour were in a similar state... His Anti-Material rifle, Ultra-Chainsword, all of his unique pistols... The only thing''s that''d survived had been the Range Finder, Sonic Emitter, and the single Stealthboy he stored in his armour. Afton grits his teeth from the sheer agony he was in, and manages to focus his attention on other matters for now. He steps out of the crater and quickly spots Liberty Prime''s head and torso, walking over to it with interest. The torso was still much larger than Afton, but it wasn''t much of a threat now that it lacked the legs to stomp him with. He quickly recognises how the torso had survived when the limbs didn''t... The lightning had caused its shield to malfunction, but the generator still managed to protect the things in its immediate vicinity... It was contained in upper chest Afton deduced as he examines it... *BzzzzZZ! "C-C-C-CHINESE M-M-M-CHKKK!... RE-RE-RE--RED THRE-THREAT! D-D-D-DAMAGE CR-TI-CAL!" Liberty Prime suddenly announces as its eyes regain their blue glow... Afton looks at it with mild disbelief, "Even many point-blank nuclear explosions while its shields were compromised wasn''t enough to completely destroy it? Who the fuck made this thing?" he mutters to himself. Chapter 682 - Requisitioned Prime Afton continues staring at the broken remnants of Liberty Prime for a few more seconds, and is about to leap out of the way when its eye begins lighting up, as if about to fire yet another laser... It powers back down again though, allowing him to relax somewhat. Looking around, he quickly notices that the Brotherhood ground army had already begun fleeing in the opposite direction... The destruction of Liberty Prime having dealt a massive blow to their morale. They probably thought that Liberty Prime would easily breach the fortification''s defences and allow a swift and decisive victory... But with it now destroyed, they probably had no real way to gain access to the base... He glances over at the few Vertibirds left that were fleeing, it seems as if the AA guns and his defenders had easily held them back. To be honest, the Brotherhood didn''t really have a hope of breaching the fort without Liberty Prime... There were thousands of Ultimo-Bots waiting inside the base for them, each equipped with Pulse Weaponry that''d easily disable the Brotherhood''s power armour. Add the Pulse Emitters that''d been hidden near the wall, and you had a nearly impervious base against any Brotherhood attack that may come. He rubs his arms after a moment, giving a sigh of relief at his now healed flesh. A thud sounds out behind him but his Danger Sense warned of no threat... "Af-ton..." Veronica''s voice asks from behind him, Afton''s butt cheeks on full display for her to see. "Vero! Did you find him... Oh..." Christine pauses next to her girlfriend once she spots him. It doesn''t take long for Tamia to arrive either, though, her reaction was far more gratifying than the awkward mumbles of his sisters. He turns, not minding his junior slapping his thigh from the momentum, "Hey guys, check it out... I killed Optimus-*Ahem*, Liberty Prime!" he says, gesturing at the giant robot''s inactive head and torso. Veronica and Christine''s eyes widen as they approach the fallen hero of the Brotherhood, Tamai continues to stand still though, eyes glazed over as she stares at Afton. ... "Er, something wrong?" Afton suddenly asks her with a crooked brow, "I''m not still injured am I?" he mutters, looking over himself. "Uh, no. You''re fine... Just worried about... Nyx, yeah, is Nyx alright?" she asks after a moment. "I am still active, thank you for asking." Nyx replies from the Stealthsuits breastplate. Afton shakes his head and ignores Tamia''s fixated look, walking up to Liberty Prime and giving it a kick. "So, think it''s possible to build ourselves a giant mecha?" he asks and grins at Veronica''s excited expression. "With the components just sitting here for us? One hundred percent! I wanna see those douchebags faces when we send Liberty Prime two to fight them!" Afton nods, "Same... Did things on you guy''s side go well?" Veronica and Christine nod, "Yeah... Makes it kinda boring when our armour is so much better than theirs... It''s as if they''re wearing thin plastic compared to our steel, a single punch is all it took for most of them..." the former admits. Afton shrugs, "The power of saturnite I suppose..." ... "Afton, I hate to be ''that'' person, but can you put some pants on? I feel as if it''s staring at me..." she mutters, forcing herself to focus on anything else but Afton''s junk. He chuckles, "Whatever. Let''s arrange transport for Liberty Prime, Im sure Mobius, Klein, and Zero are gonna go ape-shit when they see it..." The trio leave after Afton makes sure the defences of the base were still full and effective. Better to prepare for a sudden counterattack than be taken off guard by it... Even if it was incredibly unlikely. A couple days pass after the botched invasion, and already Bulwark were receiving ''requests'' by the Brotherhood. What were these requests? Well, most of them went around these lines : "The Brotherhood of Steel formerly requests the return of Liberty Prime, and any components that may have been scavenged by Bulwark." "The Brotherhood of Steel requests the return of Liberty Prime, or more drastic measures will need to be taken." "The Brotherhood of Steel denounces Bulwark for not returning their rightful property." "The Brotherhood of Steel formerly apologizes, and again requests for Liberty Prime to be returned to its rightful owners." Indeed, Bulwark was bombarded with many messages from the Brotherhood, some from their HQ, while others were from smaller Chapters that basically begged for it back. Most didn''t offer anything, instead choosing to threaten Bulwark''s destruction... Afton ignores these for obvious reasons. Some offered other technology as a trade, some actually interesting Afton at one point or another... At least, until the scientists recreated the tech by extrapolating from the data they''d received from the Chapters. Thus the integration of Bulwark''s new robot!... The Cleanbot 9000... Basically a glorified Roomba, that was more effective than the ones he remembered in his previous world. Of course, once news broke about the battle, and how badly the Brotherhood had lost, a new, yet old enemy had sprung up to take advantage of it... The Enclave... The many hidden Enclave bases had abruptly appeared in New California, taking advantage of the many losses the Brotherhood had taken while trying to invade the Mojave... Their numbers were much, much greater than one would initially expect, mostly due to the fact they''d taken in many former-NCR soldiers It wasn''t long before a full-out war between the Enclave and Brotherhood had broken out in New California... The Brotherhood of Steel''s requests for Liberty Prime had changed to requests for Bulwark to not ally with the Enclave... Afton just ignored all of that though, not wanting to get involved with either side of the conflict, and feeling confident enough in Bulwark and its forces to fight whoever turned out to be the victor. Chapter 683 - Growth Three years later : A child giggles as she skips along the road between her parents who held both of her hands, occasionally swinging her back and forth, much to the girl''s enjoyment. Afton smiles down at his daughter as she curiously looks around the streets of Freeside, indeed, he was in the same state, not having seen the newly renovated buildings and such that House had built. "House has done a good job with this place." Josie remarks from the side, remembering the common sight of children chasing giant rats for food, and chem addicts on every corner. Afton nods, "Well, if he hadn''t made at least this much progress by now, I''d be worried fo the Mojave''s future." he mutters, "Rosie, what do you think of this place? It''s not as cool as our home, but it''s probably better than most places." he asks his slightly too enthusiastic child. Honestly, if Afton didn''t already know why his daughter acting like she was constantly on a sugar high, he''d have assumed she had ADHD or something... The real cause was simply due to the mutations she''d inherited from him... The fungus essentially makes her body perfect at absorbing nutrients from food, and subsequently, what to do with it afterwards. He and Josie may have been spoiling her, which is why he was surprised to find that she simply couldn''t get fat... Her fat percentage remained around 13%, though, this would decrease as she gets older as children generally have more fat stored. She also never got sick, and due to the fact she was so strong and durable, it made it difficult for her to properly interact with other children her age... After all, you can''t play tag, or other playground games if you were 20x stronger than the other players. Thus, he''d always made time to spend with her, playing video games that Glados had devised for Rose, playing catch, and teaching her life skills... This resulted in her becoming a big daddy''s girl, much to Josie''s chagrin... It wasn''t that Josie didn''t spend time with her, but Rose''s physiological similarities with Afton had made it preferable to spend time with him instead. Rose was actually slightly stronger than Josie as it was, which put a slight damper on some activities she wanted to do. Rose glances up at him as she hears his question, "It''s clean... But I can feel people watching us daddy." Afton shrugs, "Just ignore them, I''m quite well known around here so of course they''d be interested in you... Just make sure to not get a big head from it." he says, giving a light poke at her forehead, causing her to giggle and whip her hair at him... Her brown hair turning slightly root-like in texture as it hits his arm like a bullwhip. "Oi! No powers in public, or I''ll spank you in front of everyone." he retorts while grabbing the offending hair out of the air. "... Yes daddy." she whispers in response. "What was that? I couldn''t hear you." "Yes daddy! I''m sorry." she loudly says with a frown before turning to Josie, "Mamma, daddy''s bullying me!" Josie laughs, "For good reason, be a good girl and you''ll get a good daddy. Ain''t that right, ''Daddy?''" Afton shoots her a playful look, "Of course... But remember that counts for you as well, ''Mama''." "*Ahem!*" someone announces from behind them. The trio turns and spots a humanoid robot wearing a black suit... It had many metallic components but had grey synthetic skin, along with black braid-like hair covering its head. Its signature moustache was all Afton needed to sees to recognise who it was though. "House?" The robot nods, "In the metaphorical flesh, as it would seem... I just happened to overhear your conversation with your daughter..." he smiles down at her, "A pleasure to meet you miss, I am Robert Edwin House, owner of the city you see around you." he says while holding out his hand. Rose crooks at brow at the strange man, but doesn''t think anything of it as she reluctantly lets go of her parent''s hands to shake Robert''s. She rapidly shakes the robot''s hand, almost tearing its elbow off from her unrestrained and unexpected strength. "Nice to meet you Mr Robot!" "No, it''s Mr Robert..." he corrects with some mirth. "Mr Robert the Robot!" she happily retorts, getting Hosue to just shake his head in amusement in response. "So, what brings you three to my fine city?" he asks with a small smile playing on his robotic face. "Actually, we were here to visit Tamia and see how she''s doing. I haven''t seen her in months, and Rose misses her auntie." Afton states and rests a hand on his daughter''s shoulder. "We were going to check in with you as well but, you''ve found us first." Josie adds. House shrugs his shoulders, "I am anywhere and everywhere in this city, making sure it runs as smoothly as possible. Of course I''d catch a lightning bolt suddenly appearing in the middle of the street. Other than the Institute, no one else is capable of such means of transportation as of yet." he explains. "Well, we might as well make use of your services while you''re here. How about a tour around the place before we go visit Tamia?" he asks, more speaking to his wife and daughter than House... Josie nods, "Sure, I wonder if the Atomic Casino is still open?" "Do they have any games here, Daddy?" Rose asks with shining eyes. Afton shrugs and glances at House, "Well?" House chuckles, "Yes we do... Rowdy children kept getting in the way of our rebuilding efforts, so I created an establishment to cater to them... Orphans come in for free, but parents have to pay a subscription fee... Obviously, you are exempt from such things..." he explains. Afton nods, "Let''s check that place out first then." "Yaay!" Rose cheers, using her hair to sling herself onto Afton''s shoulders as she points in a random direction, "Let''s go! Let''s go!" ... Afton just exasperatedly shakes his head, deciding not to bother Rose about her powers for now.... All the while ignoring the contemplative look on House''s face after witnessing such a thing. Chapter 684 - Warring Decisions The trio was led by House through the city, visiting many different establishments, shops, and even the few rebuilt icons of Pre-War Vegas. House had recreated many things, such as the Bellagio Hotel, complete with its iconic fountains (Which were occasionally drank from by the populace as a free source of water), the Ferris Wheel, and even the Luxor Hotel... Though, this version was equipped with many defence systems that''d destroy any bombardment from above... Rose was extremely happy with the Arcades House had built, and the trio had spent two hours simply enjoying themselves inside... Eventually, though, it was time to visit Josie, who''d become the Head of Security for New Vegas. To reach her they end up having to enter the Lucky 38, where Tamia''s office had been set up. House knocks on her door a couple times before receiving the ''Ok'' to enter. As soon as the door enters Rose runs through, cheering as she throws herself at Tamia, accidentally throwing a stack of papers to the floor as she does so. "Auntie!" "Wha-Rose! You can''t just go jumping at people!" Tamai grouses while reluctantly hugging the girl in her arms. "But I missed you!" ... "I missed you too..." Tamia says with a sigh, looking up and spotting Afton and Josie at the door. "Er, hi... Thought it''d be good to give you a visit, you know, see how you''re doing." Afton sheepishly says while scratching the back of his head. Walking over to help pick up the scattered papers that Rose had knocked over. Josie steps up and gives Tamia a hug, though, Afton could tell there was some tension between the two... "How are you doing?" Tamia shrugs, "Good, but busy mostly. No thanks to you, Afton." she states. "What did I do now?" he audibly mutters. She shakes her head, "It''s not what you did, it''s what you haven''t done! More and more refugee''s keep fleeing from the Enclave, Brotherhood conflict. I''ll ask the same thing I did two years ago, why not just wipe them out and take control yourself!?" He stands and deposits the paperback on her desk, "I''ll give the same reason I gave last time as well then. If I got rid of both factions, I''d be responsible for taking care of the people who live there... That''d be a logistical nightmare! And it''d likely break into civil wars and rebellions not long after... I can''t be aware of everything and present everywhere." he states. House finally enters the room, having been waiting for Tamia to air her grievances to Afton, "Did I not offer you a solution to this? Wage war yourself, and hand the maintenance to me... I''ll bring the region''s glory back, much the same as I have with the Mojave." he offers. Afton has to force his scowl down, knowing exactly what sort of game House was playing. "We both know that would take far more resources than you currently have at your disposal, House. The Mojave has only just become stable enough to lower our security measures... How many years would it take for you to deal with the whole of New California after the Enclave is wiped out? Long enough to cause mass starvation and homelessness I reckon." he states. Josie decides to butt into the conversation, "Guys, can we not talk about business for one day? The is the first time we''ve taken Rose here, it''d be a shame if she never wanted to come back." "But this place is cool Mamma!" Rose exclaims from Tamia''s lap. "Shh, Rose, I''m trying to make a point here." Tamia shakes her head, "Whatever... Since you''re here though, you should probably know that the Enclave has started using Pulse Weaponry against the Brotherhood... I doubt the war will last much longer considering..." Afton shrugs, "Not. My. Problem." he says in a sing-song tone. "Not your problem. But a problem for the rest of us." a raspy voice states from the corner of the room. "Wah!" Josie, Afton, and funnily enough, House, all jump in surprise at the sudden appearance of the voice. Ulysses steps out from the corner and Rose laughs at her parents for being scared of her uncle. "When did you get here?" Afton asks. Ulysses grins behind his mask, "I was always here, you just never noticed..." "Creepy bast-*Ahem*, Basket case." Josie flowers from the side, never having liked Ulysses in the first place. "I know it is now my place to say this. But you need to make your stance known, Afton. The people follow Sol, and Sol follows Bulwark. As far as they know, you do not care for the plight of the people living under the conflict... I have witnessed many refugee''s begging for Bulwark to save their homes..." he trails off. Afton shakes his head, "Why should we get involved in a conflict we have no involvement in?" Ulysses eyes him, "Bulwark was built to preserve technology and protect the innocent... Or was I mistaken? Both the Brotherhood and Enclave have started using more dangerous types of technology, the battle forcing their inner beasts to come forth... The war was started to gain resources, but is now solely to prevent each side''s own annihilation." ... Afton stands there silently, chewing his lip as he tries to think over everything... There were many things to consider, resources, the tech each side might have, his former connections with the Brotherhood, the Enclave''s intentions... But all of that quickly faded away when presented with one thing. "Daddy? Why won''t you save them?" Rose suddenly asks from Tamia''s lap with moist eyes. The three-year-old somehow summing up everything in a single question. In the end, they were right... He didn''t want to use Bulwark''s resources to muscle in on a war that''d soon end... He wanted to finish off whoever was left standing, but, that would lead to many dead civilians... All of which probably could have been avoided if he''d taken action sooner. In the end, what father could say no to his daughter? Chapter 685 - Bombshell... It doesn''t take long after Afton''s meeting with House and Tamia for him to make preparations for his intervention in the Enclave, Brotherhood war. He was currently waiting in the newly made control room that was created atop the Think Tank. It''s here where he could simultaneously control literally everything, from the teleportation satellites, orbital lasers, and troop patrols, to the light switches inside each and every Bulwark home. Of course, due to this place being incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands, there had been many security blocks to prevent people from gaining access to it... The first of which required Afton''s flesh shaped into a key, the lock would take DNA samples from many parts of the object simultaneously before confirming their authenticity and freshness. Obviously, this was almost impossible to unlock without Afton''s plant arms... Rose might be able to do it in the future once she gets better with her abilities, but that''s only if her DNA is similar enough to his own to bypass the lock. Other than that, there were many other obstacles, including Glados who keeps an everpresent eye on the control room itself. High-tech control room aside, Afton was observing the many, many monitors being transmitted from various locations around the Mojave, New California, and other parts of North America, included areas in which the Institute is most active. He ignores most of the screens simply depicting empty streets and buildings, instead focussing on the battlefield where the largest conflict of the war between the Enclave and Brotherhood was occurring. Releasing a sigh, takes a glance at the monitor which showed Josie and Rose who were visiting Jacobstown, Marcus, and the rest of the mutants... Why were they visiting such a place? Well, both he and Josie thought it''d be a good idea to expose her to many different types of people... Rose may one day be in charge of Bulwark, so they had to make sure she wouldn''t discriminate against anyone... Not even Supermutants. Of course, he didn''t trust the Nightkin, even after their schizophrenia was mostly healed, so he''d sent a small army of Ultimo-Bots to keep tabs on them. Shaking his head, he looks back to the battle, "I promised Rose to save the innocents affected by this war... And I intend to keep my word." he quietly states. "Glados, power up the Orbital Lasers and have them at the ready... Mark each and every Enclave base and Brotherhood fortification... Try to avoid places that also contain civilians. "Affirmative." He slowly nods to himself and chews his lip anxiously... These weapons were created to fight off the impending Alien invasion that Shani supposedly saw... Yet now he was about to annihilate two major factions with them. "Have House ready to secure the major positions after the enemy troops are wiped out... Also, make sure that those care packages land where they''re supposed to, and aren''t stolen by bandits in the meantime. "Affirmative... Orbital Bombardment, ready. Proceed?" "Pro-cee... Wait, what''s that?" Afton suddenly asks, focussing on a monitor which showed something being launched down from the sky... It didn''t look to be landing anywhere important, only an average-sized village just outside the Mojave... Fortunately for the people occupying the village, the object was falling close enough to the Mojave borders that the anti-air fortification could pick it up. A few missiles are launched and fly towards it, easily destroying the thing and creating a big plume of smoke from the explosion. ... Only, smoke wasn''t the only thing released once the object was destroyed... From the plume of smoke, a thick green gas quickly started descending from the sky, straight towards the village. It was falling so fast that Afton wondered if it was just dense powdered metal... It quickly reaches the village and envelopes it, the surveillance inside the village allowing him to see the effects of the gas on its occupants... He was expecting everyone to start mutating into monsters, or turning into zombies... Or even going into an enraged state and start killing each other... But none of this happens, the only noticeable thing is when the villagers start randomly falling over unconscious... No... Judging by how still they were, the villagers had simply just slumped over dead. "Father, more objects incoming." Glados states, allowing Afton to now see the many, many similar objects falling on almost every populated location, from the West Coast to the East Coast. "Glados! Begin evacuation procedures! Get everyone in Bulwark to the bunkers, and warn House! Now!" he shouts, turning his attention towards where Josie and Rose were. Jacobstown hadn''t been hit yet, but it was only a matter of time. He quickly has the Ultimo-Bots retrieve the duo from the Jacobstown mansion and take them outside so the teleportation relays can pick them up. He watches as Josie and Rose are taken outside and begin to wait to be taken away... Another object begins falling towards Jacobstown, but Afton was sure he''d be able to get his wife and daughter out before it hits... The satellite locks on and... Doesn''t work... "What!?" he exclaims, while grabbing the monitor, "Glados! What the fuck is holding it!?" "There is some sort of obstruction of the wavelengths responsible for transporting material... Any attempts to teleport will result in the person''s insides becoming outsides... I am sorry, father." Afton pales as the anti-air turrets target the object over, destroying it and unleashing the gas, which rapidly begins falling towards Rose and Josie. He can''t do anything but watch as they are enveloped in the green gas, a look of absolute despair decorating his face. "FUUCK! NO! THIS CAN''T BE HAPPENING! FUCK!" he shouts while slamming his fist on a nearby desk, easily demolishing it. "Father, the battlefield." Glados warns, as many more objects begin falling on the Enclave, Brotherhood battlefield, along with every other populated location in America.... Or maybe even the rest of the world. Chapter 686 - Godmode Afton just slumps into his chair and watches the many objects falling on each area. He could hear the sirens alerting the Bulwark citizens to get to safety, but wasn''t all that bothered about getting to safety himself... After all, he was immune to all poisons and diseases, unless the gas was made from Nanobots or something, it wouldn''t harm him... He was also still in shock at losing Rose and Josie... He felt as if he''d been sapped of all energy, unable to even get out of his chair to take an active role in getting people to safety. The objects that aren''t shot out of the sky hit the ground with force, the gas exploding outwards from their detonation sites and covering far more ground than the one''s shot down. The gas causes any human caught in it to almost instantly die... But, strangely, animals and other organisms were seemingly left alone. He watches with morbid fascination as a stray dog that''d gotten caught in the gas runs away, towards another somehow unharmed settlement. Unfortunately, once the dog approaches the people living there, they start dropping dead too, as if the dog was carrying whatever was killing people. Afton''s eyes widen, quickly coming to the conclusion that the gas is some sort of virus. Artificially made to eliminate only humans... Any other organism caught in it would become a carrier, killing any human it comes into contact with. If the virus was able to propagate, it''d essentially make the world completely uninhabitable for humans... *Boom!* An explosion sounds out overhead, as gas floats down and slowly seeps into the control room where Afton was sat. The room wasn''t airtight like the bunkers, so Afton just waits to see what effects the virus would have on him... Only for nothing to happen. His Status didn''t show any indication that he was infected, meaning he was completely immune to it, the virus not even able to piggyback off of him like it does with other organisms... Its presence in Big Mt meant that all of the farms, crops, and animals they had would need to be purged to prevent further infection... He shakes his head, trying to think of a way to fix this... His mind was partially still mourning his lost family, but he forces himself to concentrate on the situation at hand. He looks at the monitors, glaring at the many now dead towns filled with corpses and scavenging creatures... "Glados, have the Orbital Lasers target every location hit by the gas. The heat of the bombardment should destroy it, along with the infected corpses and animals. "Affirmative." He struggles with himself as he focuses on the camera''s watching Jacobstown, still obscured by the green gas. The only people who''ll likely survive this would be the folks in New Vegas, Bulwark, Institute, and the various Vaults that hadn''t been opened yet... No one would survive the bombardment, but, humanity would probably die out for good if he didn''t do this now... Huh... Guess Shani was right, and wrong. It isn''t aliens that would be attacking the earth, but Afton himself. "Fire." The many satellites around the earth all begin powering up their attacks, bright blue lights appearing on the ends of the weapons before finally unleashing huge lasers. Many massive blue lasers begin striking the earth, utterly annihilating every village, town, and city. Humanity was lucky Afton had prepared so many lasers in preparation for an alien attack, otherwise there''d be nowhere near enough to cleanse the infection. This probably wouldn''t destroy all traces of the virus, but he could deal with any outbreaks later, once humanity''s safety was assured. The world goes white momentarily, as a laser strikes the farms directly next to the Think Tank, the sheer heat of it melting the control room''s walls slightly. Luckily or not, the gas hadn''t yet destroyed every settlement, meaning Afton had destroyed those towns before they were infected... He had no choice though, and now, he could only reap the rewards. [Second Apocalypse has activated: calculating gained Stat Points] [480000 people killed; 480 Stat points will be randomly distributed.] [+75 Strength!] [+61 Perception!] [+67 Endurance!] [+70 Charisma!] [+68 Intelligence!] [+64 Agility!] [+75 Luck!] Afton sucks in a thick breath as he feels his strength explode, he falls out of his chair and tries to roll over onto his front, but misjudged his strength and accidentally shoves himself out of the wall, throwing himself off of the top of the Think Tank... He wasn''t harmed at all though, partly due to his Endurance, and mostly due to his Perk [Cat''s Agility] which made him immune to fall damage. As he was falling though, an idea crossed his mind... Wouldn''t Rose be immune to the virus as well, since she possessed similar abilities to him?... But, then, that''d mean he killed her with his orbital bombardment!? He vomits onto the floor at the thought, guilt crushing him as he slowly forces himself to his feet. "No... She might be alive, I need to check." he growls, breaking into a sprint as he runs straight at the direction where Jacobstown should be. His speed was utterly ridiculous with his new stats however, making him far faster than any vehicle this world had seen... Perhaps the only thing that''d be able to match him were those experimental jets made only to be as fast as possible. As he runs, he looks down at his Pipboy, checking his current status. All the while ignoring the many levels up''s he''d received from the stupid amount of EXP he''d gained from his genocide. Afton Parker Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend''s Fiend], [Goliath], [Steel Waste], [Well-Meaning Disaster], [Frontline Leader], [Apex Predator] Level : 86 Points : 30 [Skillpoints to Perk] : 6/15 S.P.E.C.I.A.L : Strength : 95 Perception : 80 Endurance : 86 Charisma : 84 Intelligence : 84 Agility : 83 Luck : 90 Skills : Barter : 21 Energy Weapons : 100 Explosives : 100 Guns : 100 Lockpick : 94 Medicine : 100 Melee Weapons : 100 Repair : 100 Science : 100 Sneak : 100 Speech : 100 Survival : 100 Unarmed : 100 Mutations : [Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities. [Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Both of your arms have regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards them and +20% resistance against being crippled. [Beauveria mordicana firmissimi anguli] : Enables user to manipulate their arms into a variety of shapes. [Beauveria mordicana flagellum] : Enables user''s arms to extend, stretch, and flex. [Beauveria mordicana rasorium] : Enables user to form incredibly sharp blades on their arms. [Beauveria mordicana duraferro] : User''s arms become as hard as steel. [Supernatural Resistance v1] : Alters the way the body interacts with matter, preventing any positive or negative interaction with Supernatural elements. This includes Psykers, Ghosts, Spirits, Gods, and Rabbits respectively depending on what tier the Mutation is. Perks : [Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v3], [Fight the Power!], [Tremble before me!], [Meltdown], [Explooo-sion!], [Lady Killer], [Big Brained], [Reinforced Spine], [Implant M-5], [Implant C-13], [Impant Y-7], [Cure for the Curious], [Perception Implant], [Endurance Implant], [Danger Sense], [A Pool of Dead], [Charisma Implant], [Intelligence Implant], [Luck Implant], [The Cyber Punk], [Luck of the Draw], [Second Apocalypse], [Stay the Path], [Bullet Time], [Freeza Style!], [Cat''s Agility], [Serendipity], [Cardsharp], [Trickster Tongue], [Inhuman Grace], [Parallel thought], [Fortuitous events], [Royal Flush] Companion Perks : [Old Wisdom] [Spotter] [Persistent Escapee] [Still Jammn''] [Enhanced Sensors] [Protagonist] [A Penchant for Fisting] [Pristine Shot] [Regular Maintanance] Chapter 687 - Alien Invasion Tomato Monster Mexican Armada Brothers... Afton continues making his way towards Jacbostown, actually having to cut through The Divide in order to get there quicker. Soon enough, it only takes around an hour and a half to enter the mountain range which held Jacobstown. Jacobstown itself was probably a crater by now, the orbital bombardment making sure that the infection couldn''t escape the sight... But hopefully Rose was able to get out somehow... Unless... He bites his tongue with a growl, quickly shaking his head at the thought, "No, she has to be safe. She had to." he determines, finally stepping onto the abandoned road that leads to Jacobstown. Afton stops however, as he spots something strange stumbling down the road... It was large, over 6ft, but had cracked and burned-looking armour covering it... As for what the armour was? It seemed to be composed of some sort of organic material... Roots? His eyes widen, "Rose!?" he shouts, running towards the figure as it finally stumbles to the ground, resting on its knee. The root armour covering its face peels away, revealing the green yet pale face of Marcus. "A-Afton... W-what happened...?" the supermutant weakly rasps out. Afton squints at the Supermutant, confused and wondering what was happening to him... Could the virus be affecting Supermutants differently? He focuses on Marcus with [Living Anatomy] and easily finds the cause. Ailments : [??? Virus] : Artificially developed virus designed to attack the Homosapien''s brainstem. ... So that''s what it does... But why was it reacting so weirdly to Marcus?... Maybe the FEV virus grants some degree of resistance against it?... But Marcus'' health continues to drop, meaning he''d succumb to it eventually. "Aliens. Aliens launched at virus at every human settlement on earth... I had to exterminate every infected lifeform to prevent everything from becoming contaminated..." he admits, not wishing to lie to Marcus about how he''d murdered his brethren. Marcus just solemnly nods, "I... I suppose that''s fine then... You did what you had to do. It''s not like we would''ve survived whatever this virus is anyway. Look at me, I can feel myself dying as we speak." ... "Where is Rose, Marcus. That armour your wearing could only have come from me or Rose." Afton questions. Marcus lets out a shuddering breath and begins pulling at the scorched root armour covering his upper body. Afton almost feels himself collapse in relief as he spots a sleeping Rose curled up in a ball against Marcus'' chest... Her face was dirty, and her previously cute clothes had small burn marks and tears in them, but he was happy to see that she wasn''t injured... "Your wife, she didn''t make it... I saw the bombardment happening to other parts of the Mojave, and knew I had to get your kid to safety..." the Supermutant says, struggling to hand Rose to Afton as his body slowly begins giving out. Afton hugs his daughter tightly, frowning slightly at the mention of Josie... "Thank you Marcus, I don''t know how I can repay you for this... I don''t think I can do anything to help you either." he sadly admits, troubled at his inability to save his daughter''s saviour. Marcus just chuckles at his worry, "Ah, I knew my time was going to come eventually... I''ve lived a full life Afton. I''d have liked to see my people finally be accepted by society, but, I guess that issue doesn''t seem as dire as it did before now..." Afton was about to retort and tell Marcus that he''d honour his wish for Supermutant equality, but is interrupted by a loud thrumming echoing in the air... The duo looks up and spot some sort of ripple in the sky... The cloud part as some sort of large invsible shape pushes through them. Soon enough, the rippling intensifies, the air splitting and finally revealing what was hidden... Both Afton and Marcus gape at the humongous spaceship that was now floating over the Mojave. It must''ve been bigger than the entirety of New Vegas combined. It was made from shiny white metal, with many flashing turquoise coloured lights flashing along its exterior. A stray bird flies towards it, but smashes into some sort of forcefield and getting vaporized by it, the defence appearing for only a second as it blocks the bird and disappears again. Afton thought it looked considerably like the depictions of Alien spaceships that his previous world had thought up. The duo continued staring at the flying saucer as a small compartment in its side opens up and allows many aircraft to stream out of it... They numbered around a hundred and were shaped similarly to the ship they''d come from, though, the top of the ships seemed to be large glass domes that allowed the pilots to see all around them. Marcus gives a wrenching chuckle as he observes everything, finally dropping onto his back and staring straight up at the sky, "Aliens, huh?... I trust you''ll sort them out, Afton... Get a punch in for me, would you?" he asks as his breathing slows, eventually coming to a complete stop. Afton closes Marcus'' eyes and nods, "I''ll do more than punch these bastards. I''ll tear out their fucking spines and choke their friends with it!" he growls, only managing to stop himself from going on a rampage due to Rose''s presence in his arms. He needed to get her to safety before he moved, yet, the safest place nearby was the New Vegas bunker where most of the city folk should still be hiding. He nods to himself, beginning to run towards New Vegas so he could fight those damn aliens without having to worry for his daughter. Chapter 688 - Pyrrhic Victory Forty-Five Minutes later : Afton finally reaches the entrance to the New Vegas bunker. The door of which looked similar to most vault entrances, the large gear firmly locked into the wall to prevent anything from getting in or out. He inserts his thumb into the DNA, and fingerprint scanner that was placed in the wall, the machine lightning up as it recognizes his signature. Mr House''s face appears on the monitor a few seconds later, "Afton? Shouldn''t you be hidden underground over at your hideaway?" he asks, slightly suspicious. Afton shakes his head, raising Rose so the camera could see her, "No, Josie and Rose were in Jacobstown when the attack started, and the Aliens were obstructing our teleportation relays... I need you to take Rose so I can deal with that massive fucking spaceship that just appeared!" he states, getting slightly more frantic as he hears the Alien ships whizz over the city. "Yes... The Aliens." House remarks, telltale doubt easily noticeable in his tone. "Yeah. The fucking aliens, did you not see them?" "To be honest, Afton... I was beginning to suspect that you were the one behind all of this... That spacecraft is certainly convincing though... There is one problem, however... How do I know that you and your daughter are not contaminated by whatever virus those things had launched at us?" Afton frowns, "I don''t know. I just need you to keep Rose safe so I can deal with the aliens... Put her in confinement, lock her in a lab, I don''t care. I just need her out of the way so I can fight." he states. ... House audibly sighs through the device, "Fine. My robots will carry your daughter to a quarentined room... Hopefully you''ll be able to stop those Aliens from accomplishing their goals." he says as the bunker door starts slowly opening. "Their goals? Do you know what they''re here for?" Afton questions. "Indeed... It''s typical really, to annihilate the populace with artillery, then send in troops to finish off any stragglers. Most movie troupes depict the Alien terraforming the planet to suit their needs afterwards... Though... If my suspicions are correct, then they might have already done that." he mutters, confusing Afton further. Upon seeing Afton''s expression, House continues, "The great war. I suspect the aliens had instigated it... Perhaps the changes to the world caused by it suit their physiology better? Or maybe the number of humans was detrimental to their plans?... Either way, I doubt we will survive if you aren''t able to stop them." The door finally opens, and Afton hands Rose to the Securitron, "Keep her safe. If I come back and even a hair on her head is harmed-" House interrupts him from the Securitron, "Yes, yes. Do you really think I''d risk angering humanities only chance for survival? I may be a businessman, but I''m not evil." he snarks and the Securitron carries Rose away as the doors close behind it. Afton turns and walks out, stepping through the empty streets of New Vegas... He stops and looks up as Alien airships fly above him like vultures, a few eventually descending towards him. *POW! POW!* Afton''s danger sense surged, allowing him to leap to the side at the aircraft''s laser weapons incinerate the floor where he''d previously been standing. Afton was fast, especially after gaining so many stat points... But he wasn''t able to outrun the speed of light yet, which made these lasers especially effective... They weren''t as weak as the laser weapons the American military had designed either, seemingly strong enough to vaporize a person in a single shot. *POW! POW!* He dodges again, though, this time taking the chance to grab a nearby ruined car and throwing it at terminal velocity at the aircraft. *SCREEECRACK!* The ruined car smashes straight into the flying saucer, but splits apart as it collides with the vehicles shields. Doing completely nothing as a result. Afton growls, he''d left all of his weaponry back at the Think Tank in his rush to find Rose... Not that any would be effective against the aircraft''s shields... No... he needed to find another way to destroy it. "Where is House right now anyway!? Shouldn''t New Vegas still have its anti-air defences?" he mutters to himself as he dodges yet another attack. He looks around the street and spots the Atomic Wrangler sign, still flashing with light. He sprints toward it and tears the whole thing out of the building, quickly bending the top and crushing it down to form a sharpened tip... It now resembled less of a sign, and more of a massive spear made of scrap... He rears back and throws the spear with all his might at the Alien aircraft, the thing creating a sonic boom as it flies through the air. "CRAAASH!* The spear collides with the shield, exploding into scrap metal due to sheer force of the attack. Once aircraft flies out of the dust cloud, Afton''s able to see the now flickering Alien shield. "That seems to have worked." he grins, dropping into a runners stance before sprinting in the direction the aircraft was retreating in... He leaps up, bouncing from building to building until finally giving one last jump, launching him straight at the vehicle. "TAKE THIS YOU BASTARDS!" he roars as a forms a large blade with his plant arm and swings it at the aircraft. *SHATTER!* The shield almost immediately collapses under the sheer force of the strike, his blade continuing and cutting through the vehicle, along with its pilot. Causing both him and the pieces of the aircraft to plummet down to the street below. Afton rolls to a stop, as the now fragile aircraft crumples against the floor... Unfortunately, his victory is short-lived, as he finds himself surrounded by a hundred more aircraft similar to the one he''d just destroyed... "For fuck sake." *POWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOW!!!* Chapter 689 - Self-Pity Afton throws himself behind cover while patting out his currently ON FIRE shirt. It was hard enough dealing with one of those damn things, but a hundred at once? Who set the difficulty to impossible!? The concrete wall he was hiding behind shudders, forcing him to move as lasers disintegrate the material. He leaps into the air and kicks off of the wall to intercept an aircraft bombarding his location, launching a hard kick at it in an attempt to destroy it... Unfortunately, his leg collides with the ship''s shield, knocking it away like a football and sending it careening down the street. It bounces between buildings and eventually comes to a halt nearby... But almost immediately begins flying again, his kick and its subsequent crash landing having done no meaningful damage. Gritting his teeth, Afton continues to try and break their shields unarmed, but obviously fails every time. Even with weapons made from his plant arm, he simply didn''t have enough energy to break the shields, despite his almost godlike stats. His attempts become more and more creative, even one time trying to destroy an aircraft with his saliva... Yeah, hocking a loogie at it didn''t do much, aside from infuriating the strange creature piloting it. Eventually, he just decides to fight fire with fire, shooting his plant arm out and using it to grab ahold of one of the aircraft, tightly entangling it and beginning to swing it around like a massive glowing flail. Another aircraft comes by while shooting lasers, but Afton easily avoids it before counter-attacking with his new weapon. The alien spacecraft bleeds a turquoise stream behind it as it swings through the air, the alien inside gives a shocked scream and tries to cover itself with its arms as its ship collides with another. *CRAAACKOOWW!!!* The ships collide and their shields almost seem to implode on one another, utterly crushing both aircraft as a large explosion consumes them. Afton pulls back his root arm with a snap, now grinning at this effective method at dealing with the enemy''s shields. Afton begins using this method to destroy the ships, but after twenty or so are destroyed, the aliens learn their lesson and keep a good distance from him while continuing to try and hit him with their lasers. Again, Afton takes cover behind a destroyed alien ship, the lasers seemingly unable to harm the weird metal that composes it. He calms his breaths as he takes a short break, glancing to the side at the corpse of an alien who was still holding some sort of device in its hand... It was cut in half and wearing a heavy spacesuit, so Afton wasn''t able to see what its body actually looked like, only able to see its bulbous, green, fanged face through its visor. As for the device itself? It almost reminded him of a holodevice, used to store information like any typical smartphone... Unable to endure his curiosity, he takes it pressing the large button that presumably turns it on. It activates, but Afton is shocked to find some sort of file on... Him?... His face was prominently displayed on it, and had many paragraphs of alien language below it, though, he obviously could not read it... He frowns, but an idea pops into his head about how to solve this... He accesses his status and presses his points, causing time to pause as he''s greeted with the familiar screen. He ignores the [Skills] and [Mutations] tabs for now, pressing [Perks] instead and searching for any language abilities. He''s quickly greeted by a few pages of each and every language, French, German, Mandarin, Japanese... Afton ignores them and continues searching for a Perk that''d enable him to understand the alien language. Unfortunately, Afton didn''t know the name of the alien language, meaning he couldn''t select it out of the random, weird sounding perks from the list... What is Sjhemnina and Ukkjuupanip anyway!? This, forces him to look at the last perk that could help... [Complete Language Aquisition]. [Complete Language Aquisition] : Enables user to speak every language in existence after hearing or seeing them at least once. This includes reading, writing, speaking, and other facets that may be vital to understanding said language. Sounds good right? Well, that''s until you look at the price tag... 20 Points. Twenty, fucking, points. Just so he could read this god damned holodevice. Afton sighs, thinking it over and eventually buying it. It might be useful in negotiating with other Alien races that may be out there, he''d hate to have a full-scale war every time he encountered another race. Afton doesn''t feel like he needs anything else from the system yet, so having a stockpile of 10 points to spend might save his ass later on... Time resumes and he feels an influx of information crawl inside his brain like billions of chittering ants as he looks at the holodevice. A small trickle of blood flows from his nose as his eyes glaze over, his brain working overtime to comprehend this language in good time. Thankfully, due to his massive intelligence and many perks aiding it, he''s able to understand the rather peculiar language with which the aliens speak... Looking down at the holodevice, his eyes widen as he reads it, cold sweat dripping down his back. He''d only read a few sentences, and he felt like his world was imploding... "Target''s growth is abnormal and not slowing. Recommendation; Annihilation before target becomes a threat. Extermination method; Target appears to be susceptible to diseases, parasites, and viruses. Tailored Genocide Virus recommended." ... "Did... Did they attack the planet, just for me?" he mutters to himself, becoming increasingly distraught at the implications. This basically meant that he was far more responsible for the death of Josie and everyone else than he''d originally thought... It wasn''t just his orbital strikes that he was responsible for, but indirectly the virus the aliens had sent as well... He forces back a shuddering breath, almost choking on his emotions... Fortunately, he wasn''t able to wallow in self-pity for long. The Alien aircraft had come back around for another bombardment, with Afton clear in their sights.... He crushes the Holodevice with a fierce growl and begins trying to destroy the flying saucers again, rage apparent on his face. Chapter 690 - Prototype Fight Elsewhere : Rose''s eyelids flutter as she slowly awakens, the soft mattress bringing a small smile to her tired face, but the cold, almost sterile air making her pull her covers over her head. She lies there for a couple seconds, but immediately sits upright as recent events settle in her mind. "M-Mamma!" she exclaims as her eyes shoot open, the girl becoming surprised at the strange place she''d found herself in... *Flashback* The last thing she remembered was some sort of green smoke falling from the sky... Her mother dropping to the floor moments after for no reason whatsoever... She remembered the first aid things she''d been taught by Auntie Usanagi, but quickly became distraught when she didn''t feel any pulse from her mother. She started performing CPR, doing so for a couple minutes, but achieving anything at all. "Mama! Please wake up! Mama!" she begs, clutching Josie''s slowly cooling body. From the thick green fog covering them a large shadow appears, kneeling down next to her as it coughs and wretches from the fog. "Child! It''s me, Marcus!... We need to leave! Look!" he exclaims, pointing in the distance, where large blue lasers could vaguely be seen from the fog. But Rose refused to leave Josie, forcing Marcus to pick up the child and start running down the road in an attempt to avoid what was coming. Rose reacts instinctively, entangling Marcus in roots stifling his movement greatly... He''s actually forced to knock the little girl unconscious so he could save them both... Indeed, he could feel the static on his skin, feel the attack that was about to be unleashed. In response to being knocked out, Rose''s hair shoots out roots with envelope Marcus, quickly tightening after and forming a sort of pseudo armour around him. He ignores the peculiar sensation and continues running however, just as a humungous explosion occurs behind him. *Flashback end* Rose begins tearing up, the realisation that her mother was dead finally hitting her. She sits in the peculiar room and silently sobs to herself, unable to sees the walls becoming transparent and revealing Mr House, Tamia, Ulysses, and many other people watching her with concern. "Rosie." Tamia says through the intercom, causing the girl to still and rigidly turn around. "*Sniff-Sniff*, A-auntie?" Tamia nods and gives a small smile, "Yes, I''m here Rosie." "Auntie!" she repeats, running to the window where Tamia was standing, but quickly becoming confused at the divide separating them. "That''s for your safety as well as ours, Rosie... That green smoke? It contained a deadly virus that kills almost everyone instantly. You are resistant to it, but the rest of us aren''t... You can''t come out of that room until we deem it safe." she explains, attempting to comfort the young girl. Rose sniffs to herself, an inch away from breaking down again, but forces herself to stay strong... For now. "W-where is daddy?" House interrupts at this moment, his robot body stepping forwards as a screen lowers nearby, "He brought you in, but needed to leave in order to fight the people who attacked us. We can see how he''s doing, but, it might not be pretty... Are you sure you want to see this?" Rose nods, determination scrunching up her face. "I want to!" The other people present also turn towards the monitor as it flickers to life, displaying one of the many cameras that were keeping an eye on the city above. There, they see Afton swinging an alien spacecraft at another with one of his mutated arms, the attack utterly annihilating both flying saucers which smashed into one another. Ooo''s from the crowd can be heard, most having never witnessed Afton fighting... Indeed, most of Afton''s close friends had never seen him fight like this before. He was usually more tame, and due to his massively increased stats, most assumed that he''d been holding back ever since they met him. After all, even Psykers would struggle to pull off the feats he was casually displaying now... Throwing vehicles, punching flying saucers apart, leaping from the walls of buildings like a human-sized rubber ball. They could see he was having some difficulties though, not daring to directly block a laser the aliens sent at him. Judging by the fact they disintegrated anything that got hit, it was probably for the best anyway. This only made everyone more anxious for his safety though, not knowing if he''d dodge the next attack, or even be able to withstand a stray shot he might not see coming. Soon enough, the Aliens learn their collective lesson and stay far, far away from Afton while shooting him. House hums to himself with consternation, "Hmm, seems like I will have to intervene... As much as I hate having to show him this." he mutters, wirelessly accessing the city''s systems. Elsewhere : Afton growls as the aircraft continue to fly out of his reach. He gives up all defence and makes a reckless leap into the sky for one of the closer ones, but doesn''t manage to reach them. In response, the flying saucers blast him with many lasers, most of which he dodges, but... *POW!* *HIIK!* He shields himself with a root shield, but is knocked clear across the city from the sheer force of the impact. His root shield almost entirely vaporizing and releasing a steam explosion as a result. It''s lucky he doesn''t take any fall damage, otherwise he''d have been bruised all over, bouncing off of the rooftops and eventually tumbling into an alleyway. He tears off the remnants of the root shield connected to his arm, "HOT!" he exclaims while tossing away the scorched material. "Afton!" Afton jumps at hearing his name, almost turning around and shredding the suddenly appearing terminal that''d popped out of the wall.. "House?" he asks after spotting the man''s face on the screen. Chapter 691 - Big Fucks Given "House?" "It seems you''re having trouble with the enemy, Afton. Perhaps I could provide some assistance?" ... "Assistance? You mean reactivating the defence systems you turned off for some reason?" he questions with a small frown. "I didn''t willingly do that. The Alien''s proved immune to our weapons, and almost instantly destroyed the defences we had... I deactivated the remaining ones to retain at least some defensive measures." House explains. Afton mentally chides House, but understands why the man had done it...The Alien shields were far too resistant for any mundane weapon to get through them. "What assistance can you provide then? I doubt you''ve got a BFG sitting around unattended." House pauses, unsure what a ''BFG'' was, but ignores it and continues anyway, "I had been designing a weapon that may, or may not be able to disable Liberty Prime''s shields, should the need arise." Afton crooks a brow, "But Bulwark controls Liberty-.... Hey! You were making countermeasures against us, weren''t you!" he retorts exasperatedly. House gives a sheepish cough and refuses to acknowledge his potentially traitorous actions, "*Ahem!* Anyway, regardless of the implications when designing it, you seem to be needing it at this moment... Head to the Lucky 38, it will be delivered to you at the front doors... Oh, and try not to get my tower destroyed please?" he requests. Afton shrugs, "Oh? Well, even my kindest intentions may lead to your tower accidentally receiving a few stray shots." he trails off, "It''s unavoidable really." he snarks before leaping away, flipping out of the alleyway and towards the Lucky 38 as the Alien spacecraft continue to try and pick him off from afar. "ITS A PROTOTYPE BY THE WAY, IT MIGHT EXPLODE IN YOUR HANDS!" House shouts futilely as Afton abruptly leaves, hoping that the prototype weapon wouldn''t end up killing Afton... He dodges yet another of the many lasers, but is forced to protect himself as one smashes into his hastily made root shield... He''s sent careening down the street again, this time going straight through a shop''s window... He groans as he gets back up, but notices a tall, thick mirror sitting next to him in the shop. Afton grins and picks it up, running out of the store into the oncoming laser fire and using the mirror as a bat, proceeding to swing it as if hitting a baseball. *SHATTER!* The mirror shatters as the first shot connects, but somehow manages to reflect it just as the glass turns into a superheated melting mess. One of the flying saucers was unlucky enough to be caught off guard by this, allowing the laser to connect with it... *BOOM!* The ship almost instantly explodes, its shields imploding as the laser connects... The other aircrafts scatter and get some distance in response to one of their own being randomly destroyed like that. Allowing Afton to reach the Lucky 38 almost completely unmolested. Once there, the ground opens up and pushes a strange-looking weapon towards him... "I was only joking about the BFG... What the fuck." he mutters, as he hefts the large, futuristic-looking weapon that glows an eerie green... The ground also spits out a number of green canisters, presumably additional ammo. Afton nods to himself and finds some cover behind the recently renovated, and currently ruined Omerta Casino. After the shock of one of their comrades being randomly destroyed wears off, they quickly begin looking for Afton again. The flying saucers flying in formation over New Vegas. Waits for an opportunity to strike, and jumps out of cover with the BFG-Pulse Gun with a vicious grin plastered across his face, "Say hello to my little friend!" *ShhhhHHHK!* ... Afton glances down in confusion as the still charging gun, tapping it a couple times as the flying saucers get closer and closer, arming their weapons. "Just fucking shoo-" *BEEEEEEEIIIIIIIING!!!!!* A massive green energy globule leaves the barrel of the BFG, flying past the alien aircrafts as a wave of static green lightning follows it, enveloping the ships. *JUKUKUKUKUUUK!* The aircraft seem almost completely unharmed at first,. but quickly their systems begin to fail. First goes the shields, then the lights, then their flight systems stop, allowing them to fall from the sky. All of them abruptly fall like rocks dropped in water, slamming into the ground and flipping due to their weirdly shaped ships. Afton gives a kick to one bouncing towards him, splitting it, and its occupants in half from the sheer force of the exchange. He then starts tearing apart the other landed ships, using his plant arms as whips, blades, hammers... You name it. The Aliens actually start getting out of their ships and start firing at him with smaller versions of the ship''s lasers, but Afton easily dodges and blocks them. The aliens simply weren''t able to keep up, and if Afton had to guess, they were actually weaker direct combatants than your average bandit. Their bodies were slow and very frail, were it not for their advanced weaponry, they wouldn''t last a second against any faction on earth... Which, means they were easy picking for Afton. He easily kills all of them except one, he leaps at the alien, smashing its weapon out of its hands and grabbing it by its thin throat. He fingers penetrate the glass-dome-like helmet, allowing Afton to easily tear it off. Afton gets face to face with the Alien, grinning maliciously, "You guys killed, my, wife." he states in its language with cold rage, waiting to see what the creatures would be. Its incredibly frail, and he kept having to hold himself back from crushing its bulbous green head, or tear it in half like a Kitkat. He takes a great degree of satisfaction as its black eyes widen at understanding his words. Chapter 692 - Refract React Afton chuckles at its shocked face, decreasing his grip on its throat to allow it to speak, "Beg for your life, and I might let you live, creature." ... "Die before, beg!... Race, weak. Will die. Friends weak, will die! Offspring WEAK! DEATH!" it screams in response, its sentence structure sounding broken and foreign, despite Afton knowing what each word means. Afton shakes his head and laughs, "My race is weak!? Look at you! Without your weapons, you are weak! Once we steal your technology, I WILL ANNIHILATE YOUR RACE. You won''t be able to touch our children, you won''t even be able to stop me butchering your own!" he states, shaking the creature by its neck. Once Afton stops shaking its neck, the creature grins, Afton Danger Sense triggering as he notices the alien activating some sort of device. He forms a root tentacle which grabs the device and throws it out of the city at terminal velocity... But the Alien just grins in response, showings its thin fangs as it gives an awkward laugh. He crushes its neck and feels his hair begin to stand, static electricity clear in the air... His eyes widen as he looks up, finally noticing the giant spaceship that was floating overhead. A compartment underneath it opens up, and a bright light shoots from him, Afton momentarily wondering if he''d just had an Exterminatus dropped on his head... A laser similar in power to his own Helios Sattalites descends before Afton can react, Afton somehow managing to use VAC''s just before the laser hits him. ... "Fuck." he mutters, his eyes locked on the bright beam of light about to wipe him off of the planet... How was he supposed to get out of this situation now...? He shakes his head, looking at his status and focussing on the 10 remaining points left... Calming his breath, he selects the Mutations tab and starts looking through it, unsure what could possibly save him at this moment... Sure, he had his [Miracle Maker] Perk which might save him... Or he might just survive the first wave of atomizing laser fire and get spawn killed almost immediately after... He shakes his head, not willing to risk it... Plus the fact he had no idea if the orbital bombardment would reach the underground bunker where House, Tamia, and Rose were hiding. [Atomic Decompression] : Allows user to enter a state of intangibility, doesn''t work on held items. 10 points. Wouldn''t help in protecting the bunker. [Light Manipulation V3] : Allows user to manipulate Protons to a certain degree. 8 points for V1, V2, and V3... Doesn''t really say how powerful this ability is, nor if he''d be able to immediately use it proficiently. [Photosynth-Eater] : Allows user to absorb light and use it for sustenance. 4 points... Might be useful? It would meld well with his [Solar Powered] Perk, maybe even increasing its effectiveness? Though, it still might not be enough... [Unstable Growth] : Allows user to force plants to grow incredibly quickly, even without necessary nutrients... Might be usable on his plant arms? 3 points... [Diamond Skin] : Allows user to turn their body into an incredibly reflective surface, +20 DT when active... This, might actually work. It seems as if the Perk is more focused on defence than reflectiveness, but it might work nonetheless?... 6 points... Afton frowns, wondering if he should keep looking... He''d already spent what must have been twenty-four hours looking through the list, and the above mention was the best he''d found that was in his price range... He was starting to regret wasting it on the language acquisition skill... He shakes his head, deciding to just go for it, and take responsibility for what happens afterwards... He buys [Diamond Skin], and [Photosynth-Eater], praying to whatever gods still exist in this shit-hole of a world that the combination would work. With that, he mentally reaffirms his decision and unpauses, immediately activating [Diamond Skin] and covering as much area as possible with roots. His skin quickly turns into a pure white, sparkly substance that spreads to the roots, all of them looking like massive diamond structures. They each resembled disco-balls in their looks, which was only exacerbated when the orbital laser finally struck. The light of the attack refracting in all directions, in an unstoppable wave of destruction. Almost immediately, the entirety of New Vegas was obliterated... The refracted laser scorching the city, cutting buildings in two, and even bisecting Mr House''s Lucky 38... Afton struggles under the force of the attack, feeling the heat of the laser rapidly transfer into his roots. [Solar Powered], [A Pool of Dead], and all of his other defensive Perks were working overtime to resist it, but he could feel it slowly eating away at him. Of course, his regenerative abilities would be massively enhanced by the amount of energy he was absorbing from the light the laser was producing, his [Photosynth-Eater] mutation allowing him to produce even more roots than he usually could. Unfortunately, it didn''t feel as if the laser would stop any time soon... The ground under his feet had already started liquefying from the sheer heat being produced, and it wouldn''t be long before Afton found himself sitting in lava... Luckily, his roots were fracting enough to stop the laser from eating completely through the earth, potentially saving the bunker... Of course, it all depending on how far House had built the bunker... Something Afton wasn''t privy to... Mostly because he didn''t care enough to ask about it, nor expected it to be needed anytime soon. Eventually, the assault ends. Afton''s roots almost immediately turning to dust as the cool winds cause a catastrophic failure in their superheated structure. Afton falls down backwards, exhausted.. But happy for stopping disaster from striking. Chapter 693 - Astro-Naught... Afton grumbles in pain from the incredibly hot floor, the BFG House had given him ha turned into molten slag next to him. Unsurprisingly giving off a rather ridiculous amount of radiation, empowering him and pushing more energy into his unwilling body. Unfortunately for Afton, his work isn''t even close to being complete... He wasn''t able to just sit back and relax, as the massive spaceship was still overhead, and he wasn''t sure if it could fire another shot or not... Grumbling to himself, he gets up and starts running towards where the bunker is situated, wanting to say his ''last words'' to his friends and daughter before he goes off on what might just be a suicide mission. He reaches the bunker doors for a second time, and House''s face appears again on the terminal, "Afton.... Remind me, what did I say regarding the Lucky 38?" the man asks. Afton frowns, "Look, it''s either that getting destroyed or your bunker. I was barely hanging on as it is," he states, gesturing down at his ragged, scorched clothing that barely hung onto his body. House sighs, "I know, but... The Lucky 38 was the centre of New Vegas, it was connected and controlled almost every system in the city.. Without it, rebuilding would be difficult." he states. Afton shakes his head, "We can think about rebuilding when we stop the world-destroying aliens flying overhead." he retorts, "Listen, what I''m about to do is incredibly stupid, and I have no idea if I''ll be coming back from it. Is Tamia there?" he asks, not wanting to know if Rose is away... He didn''t want to tell her that he might not be here much longer, especially after she''d lost Josie as well. House nods, the terminal flickering to Tamia''s face, "What''s this about ''Not coming back?'' you dumb bastard!" she exclaims, looking as if she wanted to bury an axe in his crotch. "We don''t really have a choice Tamia! If I don''t get rid of those aliens then we''re all fucked. They want to kill us all and claim the planet for themselves!" "But what about Rosie!? She just lost her mother, are you going to tell her what you''re telling me!? There has to be another way, Afton!" Tamia angrily states. Afton chews his lip, "What other way could there be Tamia? None of our weapons work, the Orbital Lasers are out of energy, and we probably only have a couple days before the Aliens unleash a full-scale invasion!" Tamia''s expression becomes more and more downtrodden as he lays out just how fucked they are. Yet, she continues to shake her head and refuse his decision. "You can''t do this!" "You don''t seem to understand. I''ve already decided to do it, I just wanted to ask you to look after Rosie, if worst comes to worst... Do you understand?" Tamia just reluctantly nods, looking as if she had more to say, but Afton doesn''t allow her to and just leaves. Sprinting out of New Vegas and headed back to Big Mt, to ready the rather stupid plan that he''d formed. Luckily, once he left New Vegas, the large alien spaceship didn''t stay over New Vegas, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. It doesn''t take long for him to arrive back at Big Mt, Afton quickly getting a change of clothes while talking to Glados'' drone. "Glados, that half-built satellite, can it be launched into space?" he asks, obviously wanting to shoot himself at the largest alien ship. "Launch sequence can be initiated, the satellite would still be inoperable however." Glados explains. Afton nods, "Alright, get it ready then..." he states, putting on thin yet durable biomesh clothing. Afterwards heading to the armoury to retrieve the weapons which might work against the aliens. Sonic Emitter, Check. Ultra-Chainsword, Check. Railgun, Check. Honestly, Afton was tempted to try and modify his Power armour so he could use it with his new strength, but it would probably just melt due to the heat caused by air resistance as he tried to leave the atmosphere. Plus the fact it would prevent him from using his mutations and Perks like [Diamond Skin]... The only thing it might be useful for was providing him oxygen... But his Perks like [Freeza Style!] would allow him to fight for a good enough amount of time, as well as letting him survive the vacuum. No, the only thing he does is overcharge the Railgun, this would severely limit its ammunition and durability, but might allow it to penetrate the alien fighter''s shields. He releases a sigh and looks up at the sky, wondering if this would work or not. "Glados, if I die up there, I give you permission to Activate the Skynet protocol... Just, protect Rosie if it comes to that, alright?" "Affirmative, father." Glados says, her voice somehow sounding solemn. With that, Afton gears up and heads straight towards the launch site, where the satellite had already been prepared... This had intended to be another Orbital Laser, but obviously, it wouldn''t be much help in its current half-built state. He climbs the structure and tucks himself into a crevice, not having any way to get inside due to these projects usually being unmanned. Instead, he just uses his roots to shield himself from outside elements. "Glados! Start the launch!" "Affirmative! Launch sequence initiated, all unauthorized personnel are required to clear the area... Sattelite launch beginning in, 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0.5..." "JUST LAUNCH IT!" Afton shouts, feeling as if Glados was playing one last prank. "0." she finishes. And the thrusters of the rocket begin in full, Afton finds himself stuck against the metal of the satellite from the sheer g-force caused by the sudden acceleration. Chapter 694 - Vacuum Of Despair Despite the fact he covered himself with a heavy root shield, the heat was still rapidly rising, not just from the air around him... But the satellite as well, the flames from the thrusters leeching heat into the metal... Obviously, this was due to its half-constructed state, and it didn''t make the ride anymore pleasant for Afton... Especially since the clothing on his back had already begun to burn away, along with the flesh on his back. He was luckily aware of this beforehand, and made sure to keep his weaponry away from it to prevent damage to them... After all, if either the Railgun or Sonic Emitter began to melt, they might just explode and sent the satellite and him plummeting back to earth.. Eventually, the atmosphere began to thin, the heat rapidly began cooling, but another problem presented itself... Afton could hear faint sounds of alien spacecraft, as well as the trademark sound of their weapons arming. He sucks in the last of the air and begins holding his breath for however long it would take to either get onto the alien ship, or return to earth... Quickly, he sticks himself to the satellite via roots and lowers the root shield, allowing him to see the blackness of space just as the satellite exits the Karman line. As beautiful as the faint blue of the atmosphere was, his attention couldn''t be distracted from the small squadron of scouting saucers that''d been intercepting the rocket. Afton quickly points the railgun at the lead one, the hum of it charging its shot far quieter than he was used to due to the lack of particles to transmit sound waves. After a moment, it finally fires. *PUUUCH!* Now, usually, air resistance would restrict the projectile''s force somewhat, but here at the edge of space, that wasn''t a problem... Allowing the gun to be used to full effect. *CRASH!* The alien''s shield instantly gets penetrated, the thing popping like a bubble, allowing the projectile to continue, blasting a hole into its glass dome. The alien''s eyes bulge as its cabin starts decompressing, forcing it against the hole and literally tearing it out through it... Its frail body acting like fluid through a straw, even despite its spacesuit. Once Afton spots how effective the railgun is, he grins and waits for another of the saucers to get close... They all scatter after their comrade dies of course, but they quickly return to destroy the rocket. Their lasers punch holes through it, but eventually one strays too close, allowing Afton to catch it with a root. The shield pops into existence as Afton grabs it, but he reels himself closer like a grappling hook, using his railgun to punch a hole into the shield, while leaving the spacecraft undamaged. Once done, he tears open the cabin and throws the alien out, shutting himself inside afterwards and looking around for the controls... Luckily, his language acquisition perk allowed him to read the terminal inside. He quickly accesses the blueprints for the shuttle and pauses time with VACs so he could quickly get familiar with it. After thirty minutes or so of memorizing, he deactivates VACs and sits in the small alien chair and begins to pilot the spacecraft. He ignores the other spacecraft with continuing to destroy the satellite with laser fire and turns his ship towards his main target... There were a number of large ships in earth''s orbit... But the largest of the three looked like your typical ''mothership''... He couldn''t really see it from the surface, but now, he could easily see the sheer scale of it. It must have been a quarter the size of the moon, yet, it didn''t seem to cause any gravity-based anomalies with its presence... Flying the saucer itself was rather awkward... The alien''s hands only have three fingers which are very elongated, meaning that each control was rather difficult to access without using his plant arms... He quickly approaches the mothership, but is cautious as he wasn''t aware if he''d crash into its shields or not... Suddenly, the console terminal activates and reveals an alien on the other end, who begins barking commands but pause once it notices Afton... "BACK SURVEY, YOU BE NEUTRALISED IF NOT-... WAH!" it screams in surprise. "Ooooh shit!" Afton exclaims in response, the alien''s voice grating on his ears, plus the fact he might just be shot into oblivion causing him to curse. "WAAAAAH!" the alien continues screaming though, as if it''d just seen Freddy, Jason, and every other horror villain sitting inside the spaceship. "Shiiit!" "WWAHHHH! WHO BE YOU!? IS WHERE KALBONIX!?" it quickly asks after calming itself, other aliens beginning to crowd around the terminal. ... "IS ME KALBONIX! INJURED IS ME! ME REQUEST LAND!" he shouts in a rasping voice, attempting to mimic the alien''s tone. "UGLY NOW KALBONIX!" one of the aliens say, but just as Afton was getting his hopes up, another shows its holodevice to them, which clearly displayed Afton''s face, along with the words; "PURGE!" The aliens again screech in response, but by the time this happens, Afton had already reached the outskirts of the mothership. He fires a couple lasers at it to test its shields, and finds his assumptions correct. The mothership''s massive shields pulse in response as the laser dies against it uselessly... Leaving Afton basically stranded outside of it... He honestly didn''t think there was a way to breach them... He looks back down at the console terminal, "Er, say... Could you guys let me in? I swear I''m peaceful." he says with the kindest smile he could manage. ... The aliens look at one another for a moment before shaking their heads. "DIE YOU, NO INSIDE!" they all shout almost in time with each other... Afton sighs, "Well, I guess I knew that was coming" he mutters while breaking the terminal with his foot, stopping the aliens from viewing him. Chapter 695 - Definitely Not Starwars...? Once his presence was discovered by the aliens, they immediately start releasing many more flying saucers to intercept him... Hundreds all stream out of it like a cloud of starlings, but Afton notices that the mothership''s shield has to create small holes for the ships to get through, otherwise risking destroying all of their own troops... Afton pushes his own vehicle to move, still slightly unfamiliar with the controls, but still proficient enough to kick it into gear to evade the other ships... As funny as it was to admit, Perks like [Danger Sense] and his ridiculous stats made his abilities almost comparable to Luke Skywalker. A voice in the back of his head scream whenever a shot was headed his way, allowing him to evade it with an excessive amount of barrel rolls.... His reflexes also far surpassed the aliens, and while they probably had systems and cybernetic enhancements to assist them, it wasn''t even close to approaching the sheer power Afton had at his disposal. Indeed, even his [John Wick Style] Perk was in full effect, boosting his Agility to an even higher degree than before... If he were honest, it was the Alien spaceship that wasn''t able to keep up him... Having to account for the ship''s delayed turn rate and such. Soon enough, Afton had led the large squadron far enough away from the mothership where he was comfortable in fighting the aliens. He spins his flying saucer around and starts firing a barrage of lasers, allowing his gathered momentum to keep flying his ship backwards as he shot at the others. They retaliated of course, but with VAC''s, [Danger Sense] their shots were more than futile. With [Parralell Thought], Afton was able to concentrate on both driving, and shooting at the same time. He had an almost 100% accuracy on his shots, quickly reducing the numbers of the squadron that was following him... And eventually, they all started turning around and fleeing back to the mothership... Which is exactly what he wanted. He begins flying erratically around the surviving aliens, most likely confusing them, but also making them, and their systems temporarily lose track of who was who... After all, it wasn''t easy to see who was piloting each ship, and unless the mothership had serial numbers for each spacecraft, and systems to prevent getting boarded by their own ship, Afton''s plan would most likely work. A few of the aliens still take potshots at him, but he doesn''t fire back as they approach the mothership, its shield''s opening up to allow the fighters back inside... The only problem was, they didn''t seem to have any intentions of letting him in... Afton''s brows scrunch as he scowls, glaring at the clear shield ahead... "Fine, you wanna play like that!? I''m game!" he shouts, flying his vehicle behind another alien ship, intending to piggyback off of it. The mothership shield''s open, but seem ready to close shut in an instant... Afton didn''t like the idea of getting cut in half, so as they approached the shield, he smashes open the glass dome of the flying saucer he was using and leaps out, actually managing to float alongside the alien spaceship as it passes through the shield. The alien inside the vehicle he was floating past looks as if it''d shit itself, Afton giving a small salute as he kicks off of its shield to fly further towards the mothership. Afton''s abandoned spacecraft crashing into the mothership''s shield behind them, exploding into a dazzling array of colours... Once the alien recollects itself, it begins to circle Afton with its ship, not willing to fire at him when the mothership was behind him. Afton just shakes his head with mirth however, wondering if that alien had seen how he''d dealt with the others... His plant arm extends and wraps around the alien ship, he pulls himself towards it and sends a heavy kick into it, sending it spinning off towards the mothership''s closed shields as Afton is sent straight at the mothership from the impact. Again, the alien''s ship explodes as it collides with the shield, presumably not having gotten permission to leave, thus the shield never opening. Afton ignores the explosion and focuses on how he was going to get inside the mothership, his eyes darting across the massive spaceship''s exterior to find some sort of weakness... Unfortunately, this wasn''t Starwars, and that, wasn''t the Deathstar... So, it was unlikely for there to be an incredibly stupid and easily exploitable weakness to be present. Just as he thinks this, many panels on the mothership''s exterior begin opening up... Afton thought they might''ve been more fighters, but he was wrong... Sort of... Instead, there were hundreds, if not thousands of what looked like Anti-Air weaponry... All of which, was pointed directly at him... They all begin firing, unleashing similar lasers as the flying saucers before them... Afton shields himself and shoots roots towards some of the guns, hoping to use them so he could dodge some of the laser fire. While he does manage to get some purchase with his roots, the barrage of laser fire quickly destroys his root shield, even with his [Diamond Skin] Mutation the sheer firepower was too much to bear... He quickly pulls himself towards the ship via his roots, but ends up having his legs blasted off... The pain is nothing compared to the relief he felt at not having his cock blown off with it... That was definitely something he didn''t want to experience. His legs quickly regenerated as he flew towards the mothership. Once he was close enough, the anti-air guns simply couldn''t shoot at him anymore, their design not allowing them to turn their weapons on the ship itself. Whether this was a design flaw, or simply a feature against their systems getting hacked, Afton didn''t know... He was grateful though, especially since the anti-air gun he was currently standing on seemed to be his ticket inside the mothership. Chapter 696 - Interspecies Persuasiveness. Afton slides his roots into the gap between the anti-air gun and the ship, slowly wrenching the opening wider so that he could fit inside... Unfortunately, he may have put a tad too much strength in one of his tugs... *CLAK!* *CREEEEEEeeeEEEEK!* *CRAASH!* The platform the anti-air gun was on abruptly torn away from the mothership, getting ejected as the vacuum of space start sucking in all the air from the other side. Afton has to move aside as a bunch of aliens are pulled out of the mothership, each giving soundless screams as their heads bulge, and their large black eyes explode out of their heads.... Alongside the aliens were many mechanical components, meaning the breached room was likely some sort of engineering bay... Probably a compartment for resupplying the anti-air gun''s ammo. Afton shakes his head and ignores it, pulling himself inside just as a blast door slams closed behind him. Preventing any more air from being lost to the blackness of space... Afton breathes a sigh of relief, not having breathed for the time after he''d jumped outta his ship. Once he''d composed himself, he takes a cautionary glance around the room, finding it looking similar in aesthetics to the exterior... White metal with many turquoise lights and fixtures... He wondered if the aliens had trouble with their eyes, as, it was so bright that extended stays might actually harm a regular person''s vision. There wasn''t really anything left in his current room due to it all being sucked out into space, but that didn''t really matter... Now he was onboard, he doubted the aliens could do anything to stop him... The first thing he needed to do was try and find some sort of obviously conspicuous self-destruct switch... If that didn''t exist, he''d just have to butcher every alien cunt on this ship... Afterwards using the mothership to blow up the other two large ships that seemed intent on destroying the human race. He nods with the fire of determination burning in his eyes... Just as a few aliens walk inside with a bunch of tools, presumably to repair the breach... Afton looks up and can''t help but give them a vicious grin, the aliens slowly backing up with a look of terror written on their faces. He chuckles, taking a step towards them as his plant arms releases many roots that cover the room. blocking the exit. "Oh no, you aren''t going anywhere... Not until you tell me where the bridge, or command center of the ship is." he growls menacingly... The short green creatures immediately try to split, all turning towards the door and trying to tear at the roots so they could get away. As soon as their stick-like arms touch the material though, the roots envelop them like a cocoon, only leaving their faces exposed. Afton walks over and grips one of the alien''s cheeks, making it look at him as he leans over to match its height. "You will talk, one way or another... The only difference is how long I''ll have to torture you for." he says, quietly using his roots to check their bodies over for any devices... He was not letting another sacrificial suicide attempt happen again. The alien in response just gathers fluids in its mouth and tries spitting a green globule of saliva at Afton''s face... Afton just captures it with cup shaped root, afterwards splattering the spit back onto the aliens face. "Not smart." he states, making the root-cocoon drill a hole into one of the alien''s fingers. "EEEEAAARKKKKKK!" It screeches as Afton accidentally severs its finger. "TALK!" he commands again, allowing the cocoon to slowly compress the alien''s head to increase the pressure further. "*AHK!*... "Never... We... Talk! BEFORE... BETRAY... DIE!" it slowly annunciates as it feels its head slowly getting crushed. Afton nods, "Ah? Really? Alright then I guess." he jokingly states, glancing at the two other aliens he has captured... He looks each of them in the eyes before dramatically increasing the pressure on his original target. The alien screeches in agony as roots pierce its body all over... The compression of its head progresses further, causing green blood to stream down its nose. Not long after, one of its eyes *POP* disgustingly out of its socket. The eye signals the beginning of the end however, as a *Crrrraaack!* sounds out just as the aliens head gets squashed in a disgusting fashion. Afton turns around with a smile, his green-blood splattered face looking as if he''d descended from hell in the alien''s eyes. "Well, that''s one down, I got two more tries to get this right... Oh, I should warn you... You don''t want to be the last one left... Because then, I''ll have to pull out all the stops to get what I want..." he walks towards them and squats down, "Think about it, I''ll keep hunting others of your species until I get what I want... Why not tell me and live past this moment?" ... Upon not getting an answer from the unsure-looking aliens, he slowly nods and shows his palms, "Hm, alright. I''ll give one last offer. Whoever gives me information first gets to live. The one who doesn''t? I''ll tear you apart, limb from limb, cell by cell... Then, I''ll clone you from what''s left, and use you to design a virus, similar to the one you used against my people." he explains, glaring at both of the aliens. ... The creatures look at one another as if communicating with their eyes... After two minutes of waiting, and still not getting a response, Afton just cracks his knuckles and grins, "Fine, the hard way it is." Chapter 697 - Cull The Chaff It only takes around thirty minutes for the aliens to start squealing everything they knew... Which is lucky, considering the fact the aliens had finally realised he was on board their ship. The information itself essentially went ''Bridge... Center... Is.'', meaning the bridge was at the centre of the ship, which, judging by how god damn big the place is, might take a bit of navigation. As Afton was wrapping up the interrogation, the door to the room suddenly explodes open via some sort of weapon.. Through the smoke, many aliens wearing high-tech looking armour run inside, all pointing strange laser weapons at him. In response, he just has its root throw the cocooned aliens at them, the group opening fire on the unfortunate captured victims, vaporizing them as cocoon fragments slam into the aliens... By the time this happens though, Afton was already moving faster than the aliens could perceive, appearing behind them with his Ultra-Chainsword at the ready. *SWING!* He bisects two in one go, sending a fierce kick into the other''s present, snapping their fragile spines in two as if they were twigs. He rushes out of the room afterwards, stepping into an incredibly long-looking hallway... Blast doors slam down either side of him, the aliens attempting to restrict his movement... Which would have worked, had he not gained so many stat points due to their attempt at genocide. *CRASH!* A single punch almost entirely destroys the blast door, a massive indentation forming as he prepares another. Again. *CRASH!!!!* *CLATTER!* The heavy metal blast door skitters down the hallway after the second punch, Afton beginning to run down the hallway... Only for more blast doors to appear. Not only that, by turrets appear from the walls and ceiling, all immediately shooting volleys of lasers at him. In response, he just uses [Diamond Skin] and ignores the attacks... These lasers were nowhere near powerful enough to actually harm him at this point, allowing him to sprint at the blast door and send a fierce kick at it. *CRASH!* Yet another blast door is destroyed, but down the hallway Afton could see many, many more descending, making him growl out in irritation. Shaking his head, he begins to sprint at them, simply charging and slamming his shoulder into them. There isn''t much resistance as he goes clear through the blast doors, each of them getting torn apart like wet paper... Occasionally there''d be a stray alien who''d gotten caught up in the lockdown, but they were easily trampled underfoot as Afton passes. Eventually, Afton reaches the end of this long-ass hallway and accidentally smashes through the wall, ending up in a sort of cryo-storage room... Many pods lining the floor that were containing the aliens were stored here... He could even see some humans through the frosty glass... Shaking his head with consternation, he checks the device next to the pod, quickly realising why all these people and aliens were here... "Psykers?" he mutters with slight anger. The aliens appeared to be trying to analyse psykers, and attempting to see if they could transfer those abilities into their own race... This was probably why psykers were so rare in the wasteland... The aliens kept abducting them... There must''ve been around three thousand humans here, but judging by the experimentation logs, they''d dissected far more than that. ... If the aliens hadn''t been extracting Psykers from the population... Would humans have slowly evolved into Psykers? As the next stage of evolution?... Afton wasn''t sure, but it seemed likely, after all, Rose had acquired abilities similar to his own, and there wasn''t really any data on the subject anyway. He rubs the bridge of his nose, unsure of what to do now... His original plan to just blow this ship up had to be scrapped unless he wanted to murder all the people imprisoned here... There weren''t that many humans remaining on earth after the aliens attack, so if he reintroduced these people into the population, Psykers would probably become a common phenomenon. It was ironic how the alien''s plan may have backfired on them... They''d essentially saved the strong, and culled the chaff of the human population... Given time to repopulate, Afton doubted any species would be able to challenge humans at all... Especially considering the humans seemed to be the only ones who had psykers in their midst. At least, according to the documents the aliens had on the subject. He was left with just one problem though... What to do with them in the meantime... If he let them out, they could be at risk of getting murdered by the aliens if he wasn''t careful... He couldn''t forget the fact they were still onboard the alien mothership... But, if he didn''t let them out, the aliens might just try to pull the plug on the cryo pods without letting them out, basically freezing them to death as their bodies thawed from the required temperature. He shakes his head, walking over to the terminal controlling the entire cryo-pod system. He targets all the human captives and presses the ''activate'' button, causing the cryo-pods to begin letting their captives out. The sound of air escaping each of the pods is almost deafening, and the temperature in the room instantly drops a few degrees due to the cryo-pods opening... Afton walks over to the nearest pod and looks down at the man slowly blinking in confusion, he was an African-American man with tight braids that went down to his neck... He looked very strong, with a toned body covered in many scars, most looking as if they were caused by large animals. "Madha hadatha? the man slowly asks, as if testing whether or not his mouth and tongue works. Afton crooks a brow when his language acquisition skill determines that the language he spoke is Arabic, something he didn''t think still existed two hundred years after the great war... As for what the man had asked? He''d said ''What happened?''. Afton coughs into his fist and looks down at him, "You were captured by aliens, I am here to save you, and everyone else here." he states, obviously causing the African man some confusion. Chapter 698 - Desert-er? The African man sits up from the pod and glances around with a look of awe on his face. Afterwards, he slowly turns his head towards Afton, "Who are you?" "I am Afton Parker... Leader of Bulwark and liberator of the Mojave." he announces, deciding not to name himself Ruler of Earth yet... . The man crooks a brow but digests Afton''s words regardless of the slight contention he feels, "I am Bokassa, King of my people in Wakanda." he states, this time confusing Afton. "Wakanda?" he questions, hoping this wasn''t the ''Wakanda'' he knew from his old world. Bokassa nods, "Wakanda, biggest nation in the whole of Africa... You say I have been captured by these, ''Aliens''... Where are they? What year is it?" Afton thinks for a moment, "2285... What time do you remember?" Bokassa''s eyes widen slightly as he goes to reply, "2275... Ten years..." Afton shrugs, gesturing behind him at some of the other people crawling out of their pods, "You should probably be thankful I arrived then, those guys have probably lost more time than everyone else combined." Bokassa looks over and spots a few weird people, one wearing medieval plate armour, one wearing Japanese Samurai armour, and one wearing roman legion armour... Not like the ones from Caesar''s legion... But proper, authentic roman armour. Bokassa reluctantly nods in agreement at Afton''s words, climbing out of the pod. "W-what do we do now?" Afton grins, "Now, that''s the thing, isn''t it?" he says, climb atop one of the pods and waving at everyone, "HELLO! I AM AFTON PARKER! LISTEN TO ME!" he commands in English and Arabic. Almost half the people walk over to him, most of them actually speaking Arabic to Afton''s surprise, the rest obviously speaking English. However, the others begin shouting at Afton in their own languages. Afton listens to them intently, allowing his language acquisition ability to gather and teach him the language. He learns, Japanese, French, Spanish, Polish, Russian, and many more. With the new languages he acquires, he shouts for everyone to gather around him. He greets them again, this time in their own tongue, keeping his sentences short due to the hassle of having to repeat himself in every language. "I am Afton Parker! I am here to rescue you!... We are currently in space. Aliens have captured each of you, because you are like me." he has his plant arm form into large, menacing-looking blade which is easily displayed to everyone, "We all possess strange powers, powers that the aliens wished to take... They have called many thousands of people by experimenting on them. So if you want to survive, you will have to follow what I say!" he shouts. Surprisingly, once he''d gotten through every language, Bokassa steps up with a frown on his face, "You may have saved us! But why should we follow you!? How do we know that you can be trusted? That you are who you say you are!?" he shouts, only the Arabic speakers understanding him... Though, it wasn''t a small group at all due to how many there were. Afton frowns, wondering why this guy was suddenly against him, "Well, if you want some reasons I can give them to you! First, I am the only person who can speak every language here! Second! I literally just boarded this alien spacecraft, alone mind you! And had already been planning to blow it up!... Had I not found your cryo-pods, I''d have inadvertently killed you all!" Bokassa shakes his head, "That does not make me trust you more, almustaemir!" (colonizer) "Colonizer!? You''re doing this because of my race!? Bro! Do you really want to die!? Because I''ll leave you ass in your cryo-pod while I crash this ship into the other two!" Bokassa scowls and spits at the floor, "WE DO NOT NEED YOUR HELP..." he turns to face the other Arabic speakers, "We will find our own way to freedom, just as Allah freed us from the world''s destruction!" he pauses, "You say you possess powers!? The god-given abilities heaven grants?" his hands begin to glow as sparks surround them, "I promise you! God smiles on me, far more than you colonizer!" Afton crooks a brow at the man, raising one bladed arm and lowering towards his other, cutting the limb clean from his body... Everyone watches in shocked silence as this happens, and the room only gets quiet as his arm regrows before everyone''s eyes. "I am literally immortal. Do you really want to fight me on this!?" Bokassa''s eyes widen at the display, his own abilities not anyone close to what he''d just seen... He possessed the ability to manipulate electricity, and while he could boost his physical attributes with it, it didn''t come anywhere close to what Afton had shown... Not only the healing, but the casual strength he showed to cut off his own arm... He shakes his head, instead electing to leave with those that side with him. He jogs towards the nearest exit with most of the Arabic speakers, the few that were left behind seeking protection under Afton''s apparent strength. Afton inwardly shrugs, wondering how quickly they''d get massacred due to their lack of weapons. Even with their Psyker abilities, he doubted they''d get far, especially with the alien defence systems in place. He turns towards the rest of the people and explains what''d just occurred and that he wanted to help them... But needed their cooperation. "I need all of you to stay behind me at all times! As you can see, I can take a couple hits and be fine... The same can not be said for you guys... The aliens possess weapons that go through almost every defence! So do not try to block their attacks, even if you possess defensive powers!" he commands, repeating in every language before making his way to the exit which should lead to the bridge... Hopefully at least... Chapter 699 - Pirate Aliens Afton leads the group of Psykers out through the exit hopefully leading to the command center, they enter into another long hallway, which obviously contains yet more blast doors to impede them. The group behind him abruptly stops at the obstacle, but Afton sends a shrug their way and easily punches straight through it, tear a large hole into the metal with his bare hands and ducking through it afterwards. As Afton continues walking towards the blast doors, one of the Psyker men he''d rescued jogs to his side, "Hey, I was thinking, do you think those other guys will be a problem later?" he suddenly asks, speaking Norwegian. Afton turns to look at the man, easily identifying the trademark features of someone from that region... Blonde hair, part green and brown eyes, and a large build... He was a head taller than Afton, and looked as if he had the potential to become a strongman in the future, which only reinforced Afton''s preconceived notions on the man''s race. In response to the man''s question though, he just shakes his head, "I doubt they''ll get far, while I can deal with the Aliens, it''d be far more difficult for anyone else.... I literally had launch myself on a rocket into space without a spacesuit, survive the vacuum, and fight my way into the alien mothership..." he explains. The man gives him a baffled look and pause his steps momentarily before catching up again, "Ah, my name is Egil by the way." "Where you from Egil? I seem to recall most of Europe getting nuked out of existence... Are there still pockets of survivors there?" Egil solemnly shakes his head, "It is as you say, Norway is completely uninhabitable... But, me and my family lived in a bunker until it ran out of supplies. I tried to look for more, but..." he looks at the floor with a great deal of anguish, "I guess I got caught." Afton has to stop himself from asking what year he''d been captured, most bunkers only had enough supplies to last a few hundred years. Vaults usually only lasting two hundred, so it was likely that his friends and family were all dead... He shakes his head, deciding to change the subject, "What''s your power Egil?" "Ah... I don''t know... I didn''t even know I had abilities until now." he admits, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. Afton grins, "I could find out for you if you like." Egil crooks a brow curiously, "Sure...?" Afton nods and activates [Living Anatomy], taking a look at Egil''s status to see just what power he had. [Egil] Health : 97% Stamina : 80% DT : 5 Strength : 8 Perception : 5 Endurance : 6 Charisma : 5 Intelligence : 5 Agility : 4 Luck : 4 Ailments : [Psyker] : Grants Supernatural abilities at the expense of the user''s Luck. [Possessive Tendencies] : Gives the user the ability to possess another''s body for a limited time. This is limited and the strength is based on the user''s will power. User''s body will be unconscious and vulnerable during this state. Afton hums upon seeing the ability, honestly, the strength of it solely depending on who he could actually use it on. If he could control Afton, it''d be incredibly powerful.. Though, Afton''s resistance to Psyker abilities would prevent that. Additionally, he couldn''t see any use for it, as Afton would likely take care of everything before disaster strikes. He shakes his head and breaks from his thoughts, coughing in his fist as he locks eyes with Egil, "You have the ability to possess people, taking control of their body''s while leaving your own in a vulnerable state." he explains, and Egil''s eyes widen. "R-really? That seems really strong! How do I use it?" ... Afton shrugs, "No idea... Anyway, we gotta keep moving, before the Aliens decide to just escape and open every airlock as they leave." he says, punching another hole into the nearby blast door, the force of which accidentally knocking Egil onto his ass "Er, sorry!" Ten minutes later : After destroying around a hundred or so blast doors, Afton and his group of rowdy Psykers find themselves confronted by a large group of heavily armed Aliens... They seem to have created a blockade in an attempt to salvage the situation... The only thing preventing an all-out fight now was the thin metal wall sitting between the two groups. It was honestly quite lucky that Afton had noticed the blockade before opening the door... He didn''t think anyone in his group would survive against such defences. He turns to face the group and begins addressing them, reminding himself again to repeat in many different languages. "Alright! There''s a bunch of Aliens on the other side waiting for us, I''ll be fine dealing with them, but you''re free to help out if you like... Just know that there''s a 99% chance that you will die if you try. That''s all." he states. Once done scaring the group, he turns and draws his Ultra-Chainsword while preparing to form a root shield... Once ready, he crashes through the high-tech door and immediately begins sprinting down the hallway, towards the blockade that has begun opening fire at him. His [Diamond Skin] root shield blocks most projectiles with ease, allowing him to quickly reach the alien''s position. There were around a hundred of them, but none stood a chance as he began tearing them to pieces... Indeed, once the Psykers saw how easily he was killing the aliens, they moved to assist, using their abilities to freeze, stab, burn, electrocute, throw, and many other abilities to attack. The battle ended in around five minutes, with no injuries incurred on Afton''s side... Primarily due to him taking more of the alien''s attention. Chapter 700 - Armoury Amor The group of around 1300 people scavenge what they can from the dead aliens, equipping themselves with their strange laser weapons, afterwards look to Afton to see what else needed to be done. Afton was actually currently looking around the empty hallway for any exit, as the aliens had been screaming about ''protecting the armoury'', meaning it was probably nearby... Though, he wondered why there were so few aliens at the blockade, the size of the ship meant there were likely hundreds of thousands of aliens living here...? He shakes his head, using his roots to burrow into the slight crevices around the hallway, to see if they led anywhere... And indeed, it seemed they did. Afton eventually finding a hidden entrance that''d been completely sealed shut, probably in an attempt to stop the large group from properly equipping themselves.. He easily tears the entrance open, and follows the trail left by the entrances, eventually leading the group to a large, vault-like door... Presumably protecting the armoury. This one takes far more punishment than the blast doors had, but eventually, he crashes through it, rolling to a stop from the momentum he''d gathered... Only to get shot in the back by an alien who''d been hiding inside. The shot penetrates his spine and sends him to the floor, paralysed, but before it''s able to get another off, a root from his plant arm penetrates its skull, afterwards picking it up and smashing it against the floor like a watermelon. Afton''s injury quickly heals though, allowing him to get back up and examine the place. Yep, this was definitely the armoury. The place was massive, ten to twenty times the size of the Think Tank, and containing hundreds of thousands of strange-looking weapons. In some areas he could see strange transport vehicles, some even looking half built... It seems like they had only recently been preparing for a ground invasion. After double-checking that the area was safe, he allows his group to start equipping themselves... While most knew how to use a gun, he thought it wise to keep them limited to the ones they''d actually seen used by the aliens... It''d be very fucking stupid if they accidentally used a rocket launcher at point-blank range... Once everyone was equipped, he led the group towards the biggest exit on the other side of the room... He opens the vault door, and yet again, they run into a blockade... Only this time, they were behind it. One of Afton''s group give a warcry before beginning to randomly fire their weapon at the many, many aliens that were gathered. Shocking the others into following their compatriots in their rather stupid actions. Afton thought they may have been able to sneak attack the aliens, who somehow had not heard him bust his way through the vault door, but that was probably pointless to think about now. This group of aliens seemed to be the main military group, as their number was in the thousands at least... He shakes his head and creates a large [Diamond Skin] root shield before charging ahead of the others, intending to draw more fire onto himself. The battle lasts around an hour, occasional alien reinforcements only preventing the inevitable Psyker victory...Their new weapons combined with their already powerful abilities made the aliens easy pickings, even if Afton''s group lost more people than he''d hoped. It takes another hour for the group to recover from the fight... A lucky yet not, side effect of the alien''s chosen armaments meant that injuries were unlikely... Since any meaningful shot would either instantly kill the victim, or burn away a limb entirely. There were a few Psykers present capable of healing, which allowed the few who''d lost limbs some comfort... The ones with strength-based powers electing to carry their injured brothers who were unable to walk. The group continues to progress through the spaceship, eventually finding themselves standing on some sort of observation deck, the glass hallway allowing them to see the absolutely huge room nearby... It was illuminated by the tens of thousands of terminals an equal number of aliens were working on... Afton could easily see what they were doing despite the distance... They seemed to be monitoring the earth, checking settlements that''d died at their hands, and most likely continuing to look for survivors. He grits his teeth with rage, but manages to hold himself back from breaking his way down there and massacring those sick green bastards. Instead, he walks over to a nearby terminal and begins accessing it, using the alien language and his high science skill to access blueprints of the mothership... Soon enough, he finds the map, and after locating where the ''surveillance room'' that the aliens were working inside was, he could find the bridge with relative ease... Once he compares where the surveillance room and armoury are, he discovers that the bridge is actually a couple of floors above their current position. Afton gives a vicious grin as he locates the nearest elevator and begins explaining the situation to all the Psykers... There obviously wasn''t enough room for 1300 people, so they''d need to do it in smaller groups. Afton would need to go first in case another blockade had been set up in the bridge, but, after seeing how unaffected the aliens in the surveillance room were, they probably thought the ''humans'' would easily be dealt with. Though, unless they''d already forgotten about Afton and his rather ridiculous actions which led to him getting aboard the ship in the first place, he didn''t know why they seemed so uncaring of the situation at hand. Regardless of their intentions, he''d find out as soon as the elevator reached the bridge. Chapter 701 - Bridging The Gap The elevator takes around two minutes to reach its destination, but Afton quickly understood why this was when he stepped out onto the bridge... Well, if it could even be called a bridge? The room he and the few Psyker''s that''d accompanied them had walked into was absolutely huge, easily dwarfing the surveillance room they spotted earlier... Similarly, like that room, there was many thousands of desks with terminals atop them, all being operated by aliens, though, these ones looked far higher ranked than them, mainly due to their fancier spacesuits. Directly in the centre of the room was a huge hologram emitting from the floor, the large multilayered spherical object having many millions of symbols appearing and disappearing from its surface... Even with Afton''s understanding of the Alien''s language, and incredibly high intelligence, he wasn''t able to decipher what that actually was. Even stranger than the weird hologram, was the fact that none of the aliens seemed to care about their presence.... They definitely noticed them, but, either didn''t care or didn''t want to do anything about it. Instead, they just focussed on their terminals, like mindless bureaucratic drones... "Ugh." Afton inwardly intones while shivering at the thought.... Alien bureaucrats. He feels someone or something tap his arm, but manages to force down his reaction when he realises that the offending hand belongs to Egil. "What is it?" "A-are we not gonna do anything?" he tentatively asks, the rest of the group nodding after having watched Afton glare at the aliens for a couple minutes already. Afton slowly nods in response, "I''m just wondering why they are ignoring us... Whatever, you guys start killing them, see if that''ll make ''em react. I''ll see if we can gain control of the ship." he states, and everyone moves off to do their own objective. Egil and the other psykers get to work killing the aliens... Which isn''t really hard considering all it took was walking up to their seated bodies and blowing their heads off. Even with how easy it was though, their numbers would make such a task take far longer than one would anticipate. Fortunately, the other psykers would soon arrive via the elevator as well, providing some much-needed manpower. As for what Afton was doing? He was quickly moving around the room while looking for anything of interest, the central system''s terminal in particular. After all, he''d need the blueprints on how to operate this ship if they were going to get anywhere. He browses many terminals in his efforts.. Eventually stumbling across something that gave him a cold sweat... This was probably the reason the aliens were ignoring him and the others as well... [Self Destruction Initiated] ... He quickly checks to see if there was anything they could do to stop it, but finds that the system is locked in place, unable to alter the order given. Additionally, he notes that the aliens in the surveillance room, and this room, were rapidly sending as much information they''d researched and discovered during their time monitoring earth to someplace, probably their homeworld if he had to guess. Essentially, even if Afton and the psykers got off of this ship in one piece, they''d probably have to deal with a full-scale alien invasion not long in the future. "Fuck." he scowls, recalling why he was even here in the first place... To protect Earth, his Daughter, and all of his other friends. The mothership might be self-destructing, but that didn#t mean the other two large ships wouldn''t stop being a problem... They also needed to be destroyed, especially if humanity was going to prepare against the eventual alien invasion. He chews the inside of his cheek momentarily, taking a glance at the psykers in the room that were systematically killing the aliens present... He needed to get the psykers back to earth as well, they were the next step in human evolution, and depending on when the alien invasion comes, they''d need the manpower represented by these people and their offspring. Making his mind up, he accesses the terminal and begins looking for any spare flying saucers or escape pods. Funnily enough, there were enough escape pods of everyone... None had actually been used by the aliens, which meant they wanted to die with the ship? Was it honour? Or were they afraid that Afton would develop a virus against their race, like he had threatened to do earlier? He shakes his head, regardless, he needed to get the psykers out and deal with the other two ships... He locates the escape pods and memorizes their position, abruptly standing and look over at the large group that''d almost wiped out the aliens in the room. "Guys! Stop this shit and ignore those green bastards! I need you all to follow me!" he shouts in many languages, deciding not to panic the group with his discovered revelation. It''s fortunate that the escape pods are simply in a couple levels beneath the surveillance room, allowing Afton to use the elevators to easily transport all the psykers to it. They all come out into another large hallway, but this one contains many small doors that lead to individual escape pods, that can hold around eight people in each. Using the terminal controlling their destinations, he has all of the escape pods target the Mojave, the outskirts of New Vegas specifically... He was slightly unsure how the psykers unable to speak English would react, but knew House would find a solution relatively quickly... He was a resourceful man, and probably had a language database stored away somewhere. A few object to entering the escape pods, but Afton just knocks them unconscious and shoves them inside, Egil actually being among this group. Most wanted to stay and help Afton out, upon hearing that he may be sacrificing himself for them, but Afton knew that while he might be able to survive the vacuum of space, they definitely wouldn''t. Chapter 702 - Mutiny Earlier : After separating from Afton, Bokassa and his group of like-minded individuals began their journey to try and take over this alien space ship... Bokassa was confident in this front due to the powers of one of the psykers in the group... Apparently, they possessed the ability to control machines, and probably would be able to do the same even with the ship. This greatly boosted the confidence of the group, who were all still somewhat unsure whether or not their choice to follow Bokassa instead of the supposedly immortal man that first rescued them. Bokassa himself only left because he couldn''t bear the thought of being under people. After all, he was a warlord, and took what he wanted, when he wanted.... He wasn''t about to let some damn kid tell him what to do, and once they had control of the ship, they''d use it against Afton, and wherever he came from. He thinks back to the way Afton had humiliated him in front of the others and grits his teeth, such insults back in Wakanda would get the offender brutally tortured and then murdered, not necessarily in that order... To think that colonizer had the gall to insult him in such a way! Despite the situation, Bokassa thought nothing of fighting with his fellow humans, thinking the aliens would be easy pickings, especially considering that one man had managed to singlehandedly board their mothership. Of course, as the group starts moving through the ship, blast doors come down and begin impeding their progress... And even with every offensive power combined, the blast doors were seemingly unbreakable. Fortunately, their resident Technomancer, or however else he called himself, was able to remotely control the doors and raise them... Which is how they found the next obstacle... The aliens had set out some sort of blockade at an intersection in the hallway... Of course, Bokassa thought nothing of it, shouting "CHAARGE!" while shooting small bolts of lightning from his hands that immediately disable a few aliens... And then, a massacre occurred... The aliens opened fire, their lasers so powerful that they cut through the first line of people, and then went on to cause havoc for everyone else behind them... Bokassa almost had his head blown off from a stray laser, and immediately thrown himself down into the mounting pile of corpses to avoid any more weapon fire. He keeps his head low and stays as still as possible, hoping to not draw attention to himself... And soon enough, the sound of battle eventually ended... Bokassa pokes his head above the bodies and notices that all the aliens had been slain, though, at what cost? Piles of bodies belonging to Bokassa''s group littered the floor, dwarfing the bodies of the aliens which only numbered in the hundreds... He''d lost almost half his group in one battle, around 750 people... Bokassa''s eyes widen as he rapidly looks around the now desolate hallway, eventually spotting the technomancer psyker who''d employed a similar tactic to Bokassa. He breathes a sigh of relief at his ''ticket out of here'' being unharmed. A hand lands on Bokassa''s shoulder, causing him to rapidly turn around... He''s greeted by the dour face of Farrui. A warrior who hates foreigners so much that he sided with Bokassa, despite his dislike of the man. "You... You claim to be a warrior, a leader? And yet, you hide like a mouse amidst the bodies of our companions, while the rest of us fight to the death!?" the man grips Bokassa''s throat and lifts him, revealing his power to be strength-based in some way. Bokassa scowls at the man, immediately covering his hands in erratic blue lightning that shrouds his hands. He grabs the man by the face, burying his thumbs into Farrui''s eyes in a brutal fashion. Farrui gives a pained shout and attempts to crush Bokassa''s throat in response, but finds his body seizing up due to the electricity coursing through his body. Bokassa doesn''t let up, even when all of their surviving comrades watched Bokassa execute one of their best, and most competent fighters. Farrui''s heart stops after around six seconds of this attack, but Bokassa keeps it on for half a minute, the smell of burnt human flesh stinging everyone''s noses. He rests a foot on Farrui''s scorched face and gives a fierce glare at everyone nearby, "WILL YOU DISOBEY ME!?" ... Not hearing any rejections to his rule, he nods and walks over to the alien corpses, grabbing a strange-looking rifle and firing it at the roof to get a handle on it. Once satisfied with his weapon, he scans the survivors analytically to see if they''d actually be able to continue on like this... The answer he concludes is quickly reached... No, even with some of their number being equipped with weapons, they''d continue to be whittled down until they eventually fell. Thus, Bokassa had to think of another way to approach the situation, scowling when he realises they only had a few options... He shakes his head and begins to address the group, "WE DO NOT HAVE THE NUMBERS TO SUSTAIN THIS! WE MUST HEAD BACK AND USE THOSE COLONIZERS AS SHIELDS!" His group cheers for this, despite their fear of Bokassa, their indoctrinated hatred of colonizers and any sort of foreigners shining through their other, more complex emotions. Bokassa gives a vicious grin as they cheer, giving a few encouraging words as he begins to lead the group back towards the cryo-storage room so they could follow where the other group had gone... He was still somewhat wary of that man, Aftom, but knew their new alien weapons would probably be able to do the trick... After all, you can''t heal from disintegration... Or, can you? Chapter 703 - Space Combat Once all of the psykers had escaped via the escape pods, Afton heads straight back to the bridge to see if he''d be able to control the mothership at all... Yeah, self-destruction was imminent, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t crash this thing into the other two ships, did it? He reaches the elevator and has it take him to the bridge. Once the doors open, he cautiously walks into the large room, wondering whether the aliens would try to take action after seeing him alone... Fortunately, they didn''t seem to have moved from their respective places since he and the group had left, giving him easy access to the main system. As for how to fly this thing? Well... After some investigation, he found that the primary way to operate it was to rely on the auto-navigation system.... All you needed to do was select a location, and the ship would automatically travel to it. Afton quickly noticed some issues with this however... The mothership was never actually supposed to land, the thing acting more as a mobile satellite than anything else... This meant that if you selected, say, Mars... The ship would literally collide with the planet... The real way to utilise this system would be to put in coordinates of free space above Mars, where other landing ships would transport troops and supplies afterwards. Additionally, this system was completely locked out due to the self destruct initiation, stopping anyone from moving the ship via this method. Of course, there was also a manual option, but judging by how there was a ''System Update Alert'' pending, dating back to... Ten years ago, the aliens didn''t favour this option in the least. He shakes his head with mirth, thinking that the aliens were more human than he expected... Even their incompetence matched humanity... While the manual system hadn''t been updated in ten years, it was still ''somewhat'' operational... Though, considering the many addons that''d apparently been installed since then, the ride would probably be very, very chaotic and janky. Regardless, he didn''t really have much of a choice right now, and unless he wanted to board the other two ships in the same way he''d done to this one, he''d need to take a risk and fly this thing. He selects the manual option, and a large dusty harness sprouts from the floor. It was rough and rather primitive-looking compared to everything else on the mothership, but at least the aliens kept the manual on how to use it on their systems... Controlling it was actually similar enough to the flying saucer he''d flown earlier, allowing him to easily pick up where he left off. He straps himself in and accesses the systems, the holographic hug appearing in front of him and informing him of everything important... [Shield Reactors] : 95% [Hull Integrity] : 98% [Ammo Supply] : 99% [Avaliable Space Fighters] : 70% [Orbital Laser Charge] : 100% [Engine Fuel] : 99% [Warp Drive] : 100% Afton grins at the selection before him, quickly thrusting his hands into the holographic controls and trying to turn the mothership towards the other nearest space vessel. The ship awkwardly turns in a janky manner, Afton still getting used to manoeuvring such a large vehicle... Indeed, the way the thing turns disorientates him so much that he ends up with the bottom of the ship pointing at where he wanted to go... But, that isn''t really a problem... [Orbital Laser Strike Inititate] 1% 10% 24% 69% (AN : Giggity) 80% 100%- *BOOOM!* *RUUUuuuumble!* The entire ship vibrates as the orbital laser fires, causing a stream of light to envelope the other alien cruiser, utterly annihilating it in an instant... Afton thought that they might try to dodge, but it seems that they weren''t expecting to get shot by their own ally. The other remaining alien ship immediately jumps into action however, somehow employing its warp speed to blink directly above the mothership, clear out of range of the orbital laser. As Afton rapidly tries to turn the ship around to get another shot at them, the enemy begins firing a litany of weapons at him. Strange-looking missiles, lasers, and even employing fighters to start chipping away at the mothership''s defences. Causing his [Danger Sense] to go ballistic almost continually. Fortunately, the shield holds up fairly well, but those missiles imparticular were taking away 10% from it with each hit at the least. This would be the moment that Afton activates the mothership''s other weapons to fight... But they seem to require crew to actually man them, leaving Afton as a sitting duck... He doesn''t despair, however, instead, laughing as he quickly pulls up and pushes the thrusters to max speed, causing the ship to rapidly accelerate towards the enemy. His hope that they couldn''t use that warp speed in quick succession was granted, as the enemy tried to get out of the mothership''s path, but began moving far too late to avoid it. The mothership collides with the enemy, causing a massive explosion to sound out. The enemy ship''s shields easily collapse under the weight of the impact, causing its shield reactors to implode from the backlash. This causes a chain reaction, causing many more explosions to ring out along the enemy cruiser, eventually spreading to their engines... This signals the beginning of the end for them, as the various systems that were working overtime to keep the ship intact abruptly shut down, allowing it to finally split in two as the mothership cleaves a path straight through it. Afton gives a loud laugh and throws a fist in the air, accidentally causing the mothership to initiate a barrel roll, further rending the ruined enemy ship apart. "And take that you fuckin'' alien bastards! Hahahaha!" he shouts, ignoring the other aliens who were literally all still behind him, transmitting data to their homeworld. It''s only then though that Afton notices something odd... He touches his side and realises that he''s injured. A large scorched wound replacing his right lung and ribs... Chapter 704 - Leggo Afton turns his head and spots Bokassa standing behind and pointing an alien rifle at him. He pauses for a moment in confusion, then a large grin makes its way onto his face, "Baksok or whatever your name is, didn''t think I''d see you again." he chuckles. Bokassa scowls, preparing to fire another shot, "You brought this on yourself... I think you though, for clearing the path for the rest of us" he states, firing another shot, this time at Afton''s head. Afton easily dodges it of course, his [Danger Sense] and reflexes allowing him to shift his head and allow the laser to shoot past... Unfortunately, this ends up damaging the harness controlling the manual operating system. It sparks and suddenly explodes, launching both Afton and Bokassa a few meters away.. Bokassa rolls to a halt next to his ''loyal'' group of psykers, new bruises slowly forming on his face and body. He''s about to celebrate Afton''s death, but stops when he spots a figure step out of the smoke. Realising he''d need help to take him down, Bokassa points a finger at Afton and shouts, "Look! He abandoned the people that followed him, and is cooperating with the aliens! You see how he is able to operate their devices! He is a danger to us all!" The group of hostile psykers scowl at Afton in response, charging up their respective abilities for the unavoidable conflict. Afton shakes his head, disappointed that humanity could still fight itself, even when literally on the brink of death. "First off, I didn''t abandon anyone... Second, I''ll give you a single warning. You attack me and I''ll tear your god damned heads off!" he shouts, not really caring about preserving their lives... After all, he didn''t think any of them would survive anyway. *Kukchuik!* The mothership shifts, causing almost everyone to stumble as it rapidly begins to manoeuvre through space... Afton glances over at the main terminal and realises that someone else was operating it... And currently on the screen to select a location on the auto-pilot systems... His eyes widen as the man pulls up a holographic globe of the earth and selects Africa, not realising the implication of his actions... The mothership was absolutely huge, approaching a quarter the size of the moon... If this thing slammed into the Earth, it''d tear the planet apart! "No! You fucking idiot!" he shouts, having to dodge a few bolts of fire, electricity, and other elements that the enemy psykers begin throwing. They took his sudden shout as an offensive action, deciding to now take action... Afton growls, realising that these fucking idiots may have just invalidated all the efforts he''d made to get to this position. His plant arms warp and extend into almost a hundred whip-like roots that were incredibly sharp. He raises his arms up before abruptly bringing them down, the roots shooting towards the psykers who futilely attempt to dodge, only managing to get bisected and dismembered in other places than what Afton intended. The hundreds of psykers attempt to fight back using the alien weaponry, but Afton just activates his [Diamond Skin], turning his roots into incredibly reflective material. dispersing the lasers into the surroundings, causing yet more damage to the group. Bokassa had fled to the outskirts of the room as soon as Afton started to act, knowing the immortal man likely had more up his sleeve than he''d shown... He was right too, barely avoiding the blender-like roots that turned his men into a bloody pulp. Most had already thrown down their weapons and got to their knees in an attempt to beg for their lives, but Afton was unmerciful as he tore them apart... Bokassa tugged at his collar as he began profusely sweating, realising that they''d made an error in challenging this man... *Thud!* He abruptly falls to the floor as pain shoots through his legs... Looking down, he finds that everything below the knees had been cut off, Afton''s roots had found their target... Afton doesn''t even glance at Bokassa as he cuts the man in two, instead electing to run towards the central terminal where that idiot had tried to doom the Earth. He steps over the fools corpse and accesses the systems, quickly realising how fucked he was... It was impossible to divert the mothership from its course, and it''d soon enter the Earth''s atmosphere... Without many other choices, he begins preparing for the impact, lowering the engines as much as possible while also completely disabling the shields... If there was any hope to salvage this situation, he''d need to make sure a good portion of the mothership burns up before it hits the ground... He looks through the other systems and frowns at the rather spare selection... There wasn''t anything that''d allow him to simply blow up the ship, and he couldn''t wait for the self destruct to activate either, as it was timed for around thirty minutes from now. "How would this thing even self destruct in the first place?" he murmurs to himself, eyes widening as he gets an idea... He accesses the blueprints of the ship again and quickly locates the reactors, taking a moment to memorize them before moving. He quickly stands and runs towards the elevator, stepping over the large pool of blood and organs that was all that remained of Bokassa and his group. He sprints through the ship at full speed, barging back into the alien armoury and collecting every dangerous weapon and explosive he could carry before heading towards his final destination. Again, Afton''s forced to break through many blast doors that impede his path, but they aren''t much of an obstacle at this point, especially with how determined he was. Soon enough, he reaches the reactors that were slowly charging up, preparing to self destruct via overloading the warp drive. He tosses all the explosives he''d gathered next to the warp drive and tears what was left of his trousers off, splitting the fabric into strips and creating a rather long rope. Once he''s confident in its length, he lights it on fire after wrapping some explosives around the end of it. Chapter 705 - Watching The Fireworks House and the other New Vegas residents that were hidden in the bunker continued to observe the sky for any changes... Now that the sun had set, they could see what was happening in space far easier than before, especially without the city''s buildings producing so much light pollution. Up above, they could see the incredibly large vessels floating above the planet. And most wondered if Afton could actually do anything against such powerful foes... Afton''s daughter; Rose, continued insisting that her ''daddy'' would easily beat the aliens, but even Tamia, who had more experience than most with Afton''s abilities was not as confident... After all, there was a large difference between dealing with bandits, mutated creatures, and robots.... Compared to fighting what amounted to a war in space. Even Glados, who''d been keeping in contact with the Bunker, had lost contact with Afton. Becoming completely unable to contact him, even via their brain wave connection. Soon enough though, something seemed to have changed... In the night sky over New Vegas, House and the others could spot small trails of fire headed directly for the city... Most thought it was some type of weapon and started panicking, but House knew the projectiles were most likely either meteorites or something else not intended to deal damage... An orbital drop system perhaps? Maybe the aliens were finally deciding to directly take control of the surface? Their descent doesn''t last long, and the group were eventually able to identify what they were. House''s suspicions were proven somewhat correct, when they spotted the Escape Pods headed directly for the city... On the escape pods final stretch towards the surface, a bunch of wires were shot out from their backs, a holographic net activating a few seconds afterwards and causing their speed to fall dramatically, all while keeping the occupants inside relatively unharmed. The over a thousand pods gently land in and around New Vegas, and the residents of the bunker all watch as HUMANS step out of them! This causes House to jump into action, having his Securitrons go around and ''persuasively'' round up the strangers so he could get a handle on the situation. He didn''t know why they''d come from the alien spaceship, but there were only a few things that really mattered... Were they hostile, and did they have any information about the aliens that they could share? While the Securitrons were trying to round up the stranger (Having many difficulties due to many of the Psykers not speaking English), Tamia''s voice suddenly alerted everyone else to another thing happening in the sky... The largest ship of the three floating above the Earth had started moving rather erratically, and they all watched as it suddenly opened fire with its gigantic laser onto one of its allies. "Yeah! Go Daddy!" Rose suddenly shouts, causing the others around her to crook a brow and begin wondering if Afton really was responsible for it. They continued to watch as the ship began fighting with the last remaining one, eventually crashing into it and splitting it cleanly in two. With that, a massive explosion occurs, though, it takes a couple minutes for the sound to reach them. The explosion spreads through the sky, temporarily creating a mini-galaxy for a few minutes, before the violent energies finally dissipate. Then, the mothership abruptly turns and starts flying in a radon direction, slowly getting closer to Earth. No one was sure what it was doing, but before it was able to get over the horizon, another explosion rang out, this time on mothership... A chain reaction seems to occur due to it, many hundreds of thousands of similar-sized explosions drawing glowing lines across the mothership... And soon enough, the event reaches its climax, the blast of energy radiating out and somehow increasing the gravity of the ship... The metal exterior of the mothership folds inwards, seemingly sucked into some invisible black hole in the centre of it. The radiated energy snaps back and converges on the point, releasing the largest explosion yet... *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!* The mothership hadn''t yet entered the atmosphere, but the sound of the explosion caused everyone''s ears to ring due to it, even those in the bunker had to cover their ears. Additionally, the Psykers on the surface were caught off guard by a sudden wave of heat that passes through the area. Any uncovered skin is scolded and burnt, but it doesn''t last long enough to cause any permanent harm... As for the ship that just exploded? Despite most of it being ground down into fine powder after it imploded, many huge pieces of metal and machinery were now plummeting towards the Earth... Some of these were actually more dangerous than your typical meteor, due to the fact that the material that composed them was durable enough to not burn up in the atmosphere. House immediately orders everyone to get into the bunker, forcing the Securitrons to drag all the willing psykers inside so he could hunker down and wait for the eventual disaster that was about to strike... He knew the amount of material that was descending would cause catastrophic effects once it touched down, and needed to get people to safety before that happened... He needed to employ the bunkers more drastic protective measures in order to make certain of their survival. Some of the Pskyers refused to be coerced by the Securitrons, but there wasn''t much House could do about that, instead electing to leave them behind so they wouldn''t be a danger for the others in the bunker. House himself could speak a number of languages, though, he was quite rusty since there was no need to really speak them... He''d have to brush up on his studies via the library of old world knowledge he''d kept safeguarded. Chapter 706 - Dead Again Afton had thrown himself out of the mothership after running for around an hour to find the exit. Judging by the way he couldn''t feel any air resistance or even breathe, he knew he wasn''t yet in the atmosphere, so instead used his efforts to try and get as much distance from the mothership as possible. He wasn''t sure how big the explosion would be, but knew it might actually be more dangerous than the ship just passively hitting the Earth as it was... But, without any other options, this was the one with potentially the best results. Eventually, he reaches the Earth''s atmosphere, and immediately feels himself encounter air resistance.... It was like hitting a concrete wall, but unlike water tension, his first impact wasn''t the only obstacle. He feels his body begin rapidly heating from reentry, but shields himself with his plant arms, creating an aerodynamic, yet durable shell to protect him from the air, heat, and eventually explosion from the mothership... Good thing too, since his makeshift fuse had just ended. *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* Unlike the survivors on the ground and inside the bunker, Afton was by far the closest person next to it. Allowing him to take the brunt of the explosion. And BOY! was it an explosion! Just the shockwave from it easily crushed his root shell that had a strength easily surpassing steel. The vibrations of it also passed through and into Afton, almost instantly collapsing his lungs, heart, and other internal organs... Indeed, the impact also almost turned his brain into jelly, without his massive Endurance and Cybernetic implants in his skull, his brain would have turned to jello and leaked out of his ears... Once Afton''s vocal cords heal, he gives a loud scream of pain and starts a wrenching, wheezing cough even as he continues to fall through the air, eventually spitting out blood that sticks loosely to the side of the warped shell her was confined in. Indeed, the shell was now tumbling through the air, head over heels due to the explosion... It''s only a few seconds later that Afton feels something through the agonizing pain he was in... It was an odd sensation, but he could feel his and the shell''s momentum begin to slow... Eventually coming to a halt in midair... He controls the roots and opens aside in the shell to see what was happening, quickly gaping at the sight he beheld. The remnants of the mothership were slowly pulling matter back into itself, the gravity well that was gathering actually managing to catch Afton mid-fall. He begins to start panicking, unable to think of a solution to avoid whatever was about to happen... Another pulse and he was now quickly flying back towards the wreckage. He scrambles to do something, rapidly absorbing the shell back into his plant arms and making swimming movements to try and resist gravity... All his efforts were futile, however, doing literally nothing against the unstoppable phenomenon that was occurring. Afton reaches around one hundred miles near the wreckage when the gravity well abruptly snaps back, almost tearing Afton in half from it... The energy coalesces and explodes outwards, instantly obliterating Afton due to it. He is literally atomized from the explosion, each atom in his body blasted out of existence. Killing him... [Miracle Maker is in effect] Afton snaps back in reality, (oh) along with gravity. He sucks in air after realising he was still alive, but isn''t given a break as he starts tumbling back to Earth yet again... Around him, he could see the remnants of the mothership falling with him... Titanic pieces of metal and machinery plummeting to Earth-like unstoppable projectiles. While [Miracle Maker] had revived him, he hadn''t retained his momentum from the explosion, probably because he''d been blasted into nonexistence... Additionally, Afton wasn''t really sure where he''d land... From his position, he could see he was somewhere above the continent of Africa, but he, unfortunately, didn''t know much about the place, aside from the fact that a place called ''Wakanda'' exists. Though, even if it was the high-tech place from Marvel, they''d have already been killed by the Alien genocide virus. He had thoughts of trying to glide over back to America, but knew he''d probably not make it, even if he made makeshift wings with his plant arms... Afton falls for another thirty minutes or so, and is ''pleasantly'' greeted by the sight of the mothership meteors finally hitting Earth... Instantly, Afton is able to see many massive impacts in and around Africa. The ones that hit the continent itself release massive clouds of dust into the air, while also making shockwaves that annihilate most things in a couple hundred miles radius. As for the ones who hit the ocean? Well, judging by the monstrous tsunami''s produced by it, any survivors of the genocide virus wouldn''t be ''surviving'' any longer. Afton would put this disaster on a similar level as the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. And was incredibly worried about his friends and family back over in America... There was the fact that Africa was almost on the other side of the planet from America, but that didn''t mean they wouldn''t feel the effects of this disaster. As for how he was going to get back in the first place? He had no idea... He couldn''t even judge the time it''d take to swim from Africa to America, and he didn''t know what he''d do if he found only destruction once he got back... It was with these thoughts that Afton finally reached the end of his flight, his tumbling body smashing into a large hill covered in a vibrant array of flowers and plants... Though, this wouldn''t last long as the shockwave from a meteor was about to slam into it... Afton just lies back on the flowers and allows the shockwave to wash over him, not really sure what to do in this situation... His thirst for revenge had temporarily be quenched, but he knew that the aliens would be back eventually... Even if his family had not survived, he''d make sure those fucking bastards never claim the planet. With that, his last thoughts before the wave of mud, rock, earth, and dirt were of Josie, Rose, his friends, and the abominable green cunts that''d destroyed almost everything he''d built. Chapter 707 - Time Goes On Four months later : Tamia sighs as she observes the vast ocean around her through the window of the recently built aircraft. Things hadn''t really gotten any easier after the Aliens invaded... Though, in many ways, life was safer... With the annihilation of 98% of the human population, basically, all bandits, gangs, and other criminal organizations had also been destroyed. Making the rebuilding efforts relatively easy. Without the constant wars, territory disputes, and other problems created by other ambitious and greedy people, the only real threat to what was left of humanity was the radioactive creatures, and mother nature itself. This was especially apparent when what was left of the alien mothership struck the earth.... According to House, the Tsunami''s produced by it were two to five times the height of any previously recorded tsunami, even before the great war. As if to demonstrate how lucky, and unlucky the rest of the world was, America was the place that was actually least affected by it, due to the distance and general terrain of the continent. Even with that, a huge portion of North America had been flooded, even central territories like the Mojave... If it weren''t for Mr House''s precautions, Tamia thought it highly unlikely that anyone in the Mojave would be alive at all, especially when you consider the fact that the aliens had been directing their attention almost solely at the territory anyway. Honestly, it felt like a big ''reset'' button, as the massive tsunami''s almost entirely destroyed any remaining infrastructure that''d somehow survived the great war. Only small remnants of New Vegas survived the disaster, and if it weren''t for Big Mt literally being situated in a giant crater, that place would''ve been wiped out as well. That isn''t to say Big Mt wasn''t entirely unaffected however, the railway tunnels into the place had given the rampant waters an avenue of attack, which allowed it to tear down much of Big Mt''s infrastructure... Even damaging Glados'' central systems to a degree... Obviously, Afton hadn''t anticipated such an attack, and hadn''t built defences against random giant tsunami''s... Due to the damage she received, Glados had been slowly repairing herself with the aid of Mr House and the scientist. Though, no one could really comprehend how Glados functioned due to the incredible complexity involved with her design, forcing the AI to do all the work herself. Glados absence was clearly felt in the rebuilding efforts, as the armies of robots under Bulwark''s control needed to be individually given orders... She was stuck between repairing herself, making sure the various half-finished projects didn''t go out of control, and keeping the Think Tank scientists in line... With Afton gone, there wasn''t anyone to hold their reins, which meant someone had to take his place to prevent them suddenly embarking on a mission to take over the world. Most of the survivors of the incident had been incredibly grateful for being the few in the world to continue existing, but many fell into a deep depression over the current situation, somehow feeling terribly lonely despite the many people in their respective groups. Many people had actually turned to... A strange religion that essentially deified Afton for his sacrifice against the aliens. With the stories told by the psykers of Afton''s feats on the alien spacecraft, the religion had picked up quite a following. Though, most of Afton''s companions didn''t believe that he''d actually ended up dying, even despite his long absence since then. Raul and Dean Domino wanted to prepare a funeral for him, as both weren''t really aware of how ridiculously out of the ordinary Afton really was. Indeed, this wasn''t the first time his companions experienced his ''certain death'' A massive proponent of Afton''s survival was obviously Rose, who''d never once even considered the idea of her father dying. She was actually quite content with waiting for his return and helping out with the rebuilding efforts... Her psyker abilities that allowed her to generate roots similar to Afton made her a massive help in creating foundations for buildings, and even producing materials if they were running low. Not that that was really a problem anymore... The previously desert-like Mojave had undergone a massive change after the tsunami... The Colorado River had opened up and now cut a diagonal path towards the southeastern side of the Mojave, providing life-giving water to almost the entire region... The new river wasn''t all positive though, as the Hoover Dam had been utterly annihilated due to the influx of water, submerging a large portion of the southeast in, albeit, clean water. The introduction of the other psykers into the newly forming society caused many problems at first... The primary one being that most didn''t speak English, causing small communities to form from them. This caused a few conflicts, but House eventually managed to fix everything and come to an agreement with the small groups after designing a translation machine with the help of Dr Mobius, Dr 8, Dr Klein, and Arcade Gannon. Afterwards, the psykers became a new integral part of society, which, despite its rather short existence, had the potential to surpass all others that had previously existed... Tamia hoped that whatever it evolved into would be enough to fight off the aliens should they return again. Another issue though was the fact that House hadn''t been able to get in contact with the organization known as the ''Institute''... Tamia knew they had probably instantly died from the tsunami hitting the continent, their hidden base being located near or directly on the coast, making them incredibly vulnerable to such an attack. Tamia releases yet another sigh, the action getting the attention fo the others onboard the aircraft. She resists sighing again and sheepishly shakes her head, not wanting to talk to anyone right now. Chapter 708 - Monkey Presents Wrench The occupants of the aircraft actually consisted of everyone Afton was close to, his companions such as Karl, Boone, Anja, Veronica, Christine... And his other friends, Miles, Melissa, Usanagi, and Ulysses. Despite their importance to the burgeoning society that was forming, as soon as they were informed of Afton''s supposed location, almost all had jumped at the chance to rescue him from whatever fate had befallen him. For obvious reasons, Rose had been left behind, the only non-combatant on board being Usanagi who''d been suited up with bulky power armour with a powerful shield generator strapped to the back of it... She was more there as a doctor than anything else, the group not wanting to need her and having left her back in the Mojave. As for how the group knew where Afton was? With Afton''s extended leave, everyone had basically been begging Shani to find his location, asking at every chance for her to use her powers to find him.... It was only after Tamia had announced the construction of the bomber, and her intent for everyone to go to Africa to search for him that Shani finally had a vision. Everyone was terribly confused when she started murmuring things about some sort of ''monkey-man'', but when she gave her suspicions that said man was Afton, they didn''t wait another moment had left for Africa, not wanting to leave Afton as some sort of mutated creature much longer. Even with Afton''s power, the chaos caused by the crashing mothership had uplifted a significant amount of buried radioactive material, launching it high into the air and making previously inhabitable areas unsafe. This, as well as the tsunami which disturbed the largest and most dangerous creatures in the ocean, had made most coasts of every continent incredibly perilous to go near... And the group had no idea how this would have altered the African continent, the place most affected by the falling mothership in the first place. The group watches Tamia sigh again, and Boone finally decides to speak up, "Look, if you''re going to keep doing that then just sit in the cargo hold... And no, I''m not going to ask you what''s wrong." he states, sounding harsher than most had ever heard from him. Tamia crooks a brow, "What crawled in your ass and died?" Shani clutches his hand and gives him a pointedly look, causing him to sigh as well, everyone else making sure to make snide comments in response. Karl reholsters his revolver after wiping it down and cleaning it for the n''th time this trip, "Look, I get that ya''re worried on the kid''s state when we find him, but worrying about it now ain''t gonna change what we find. So, just relax and enjoy the-Guhk!" he pauses as some sudden turbulence causes the aircraft to jolt and shudder, making Karl''s aching back shudder with pain, "*Huugk!... Enjoy the... Ride..." he manages to get out as the others chuckle at his expense. Veronica leans forwards toward Tamia with a smug look, "Or maybe you''re worried about something else... Maybe that message Josie left with Glados for you... Wanna tell us what it said?" Tamia quickly shakes her head, her cheeks flushing for a moment before memories of her old best friend flash through her mind. "No." she firmly responds, not wishing to make such an intimate thing known, even amongst the group both she and Josie was closest with. She goes back to observing the view out of the small aircraft window, her eyes widening as she spots land in the distance. It only takes another hour for them to finally reach Africa, the former-remnant, Orion finding a relatively flat, safe place to land the vehicle so they might safe enough fuel for the return trip. The rest of the group funnel out of the aircraft, getting themselves geared up and taking enough supplies to last a few days. Shani''s vision had apparently involved the coast, so the group was planning to travel around all of the coasts of Africa to locate their lost friend. Unfortunately, the state of Africa was far worse than they''d initially anticipated... The creature''s that''d inhabited this place before the great war had mutated into far worse monsters than even the mad scientists could come up with. Giant crocodiles with hides and scales thick enough to block even .50 Calibre rounds, and jaws so powerful they could crush a block of tungsten with relative ease. Large prides of monstrous-looking Lions, with claws that, while being much smaller than your typical Deathclaw''s, would still produce similar, if not more damage with each swipe. Not to mention their incredible teamwork made them so dangerous that the group almost lost a couple people, even despite their power armour and high-tech weaponry. Large groups of monkeys, apes, and other primates were far stronger than their unmutated brethren. Efficient and brutal, while being smart enough to attack at the weak points of someone who was wearing armour... Without the excellent design of the armour Afton had produced in the past, many would be missing their arms, legs, eyes, or even their genitals at this point. The sky was filled with large flocks of various birds who only seemed interested in the new visitors that graced their territory. Vultures, Eagles, and other creatures that were made only more dangerous due to the high levels of radiation. Huge snakes that had poison strong enough to melt the ground it touches. Giant mosquitoes able to shoot large globules of acid. Rhino''s that could literally charge through boulders of rock and come out unscathed. Giant predatory elephants that had two or three trunks lined with sharp teeth that''d easily tear tree''s out of their foundations... Indeed, it was the latter creatures that had the group on the ropes currently. They''d been following the remnants of burnt-out campfires when they''d accidentally wandered into a group of Rad-Elephants, the five females and large bull elephant immediately becoming aggressive and charging them. Boone easily fires his Railgun into the head of the bull, but its skull was so thick that the projectile simply buried itself in the creature''s skull, leaving a large indentation in its forehead while dealing almost no damage... The tree''s separating the group from the elephant were no issue either, as the elephant either charged through them, or tore them out of the ground and threw them as make-shift projectiles. By now Dr Usanagi was panicking and rapidly backing away, along with Shani who wasn''t nearly as experienced as the others in this sort of environment. Veronica was about to get stomped on by one of the female elephants when a loud, bellowing shout, "AAAwooahwoahaaaawww ¡­ ooohhhaaa!!!" (AN : Tarzan Yell) as a dark figure swings out of nowhere and kicks the female elephant with both feet, launching both it, and the creature a couple hundred meters of so from the sheer impact of the attack. The elephant itself had its skull completely caved in, with its mulched brian slowly leaking out of its large ears... But the figure had seemingly vanished and reappeared next to the other elephants. The group could only take a step back and watch as the elephants tried to flee as soon as they heard the shout, but the figure continued chasing, systematically wiping out the creatures before finally approaching the group. ... They couldn''t really see it properly due to the fact that it was completely covered in dirt and wearing a large pelt around its shoulders, but it was definitely humanoid... It was hard to tell under the huge beard it sported, but everyone was sure it was smiling at them, with white teeth uncharacteristic of what you''d expect from someone who looked like that. "Haha! You guys finally came! If I waited any longer I''d have definitely become this age''s Tarzan!" the man laughs, the group quickly recognising the person''s voice. "Afton!?" Veronica exclaims, the others parroting the same in equally shocked tones. He laughs again, "Hell yeah it''s me! How have you guys been!? God, I''m so relieved that you guys are alive!" he states, holding his arms out and quickly enveloping everyone in a hug. The females of the group turning up their noses at the putrid smell coming from his body. "G-god damn, boy! Have you not touched water since you got here!?" Karl shouts, prying himself out of Afton''s grip. Afton scoffs, "Have you not noticed how much dangerous shit is around here? If I washed I''d be chased for another couple weeks until I managed to hide my scent again." "Hide!? Why''d you have to hide? You just one-shot those things!" Veronica shouts in disbelief. Afton nods, "Yeah, but constantly having to kill those things gets boring very quickly... Because of my size, most things think that I''m an easy meal, and my scent seems to drive them into a frenzy whenever they smell it... With it covered though, they have enough sense to leave me alone." he explains. Boone glares at him for a couple seconds before turning back to Shani and nodding, "Mmhm, definitely a monkey." "Hah!? What was that? You dull-faced bastard? You guys have been on vacation compared to me! I wasn''t even able to move days after the ship came down! Do you know how painful it is to get eaten alive by ants!?" he exclaims, causing the group to grimace. Afton lets out a breath and palms his face, "Whatever, I don''t care about it anymore... All I want is to get home and see my girl!" his eyes light up, "How is Rosie anyway? Has she grown at all? How long have I even been here!?" The group send awkward looks to one another, realising that Afton''s isolation had made him far more excitable than usual... Something they might have to fix before taking him back, otherwise those religion nuts would take full advantage of it. "Yeah, she''s great. Just a little down since she''d been waiting for you the entire time." Tamia states, causing Afton to look a little downtrodden. "Yeah, well, I''m sorry about that. But saving the planet more times than I can count made it slightly difficult to plan my landing." he grumpily retorts, his immature attitude causing a few of the group to chuckle at his expense. Tamia walks up and takes Afton''s hand, "As much as I like waiting around, I think it''d be better if we spoke on the way back." she squeezes his hand affectionately, "Trust me in saying we''d like to get away from this shit hole as much as you." Afton pauses at Tamia''s rather strange actions, but nods with a smile regardless, "Yeah, let''s go home... Say, I know its a lot to ask but, did you guys bring any snacks? A guy can only last on radioactive meat for so long ya-know... Oh! And some alcohol... I''d even drink hand sanitiser if you gave it to me." he says semi-sarcastically, but not hiding the slightly crazed glint in his eyes. Tamia shakes her head, "Before you''re getting any snacks, we''re shaving that damn fluff off of your face." she states, causing him to grumble good-humouredly. Afton takes one last look up at the sky and his goofy attitude fades for a moment, as he begins plotting on how to recover the scraps of alien parts that''d crashed into the earth, and use them to find the alien homeworld... During his months of isolation, only the thoughts of his friends, family, and getting back at the aliens had kept him relatively sane, even without all the comforts and luxuries he was so dependant on nowadays. He shakes his head and looks at the others, "Race you guys to the ship, or whatever you used to get here." he says before jogging at a light pace down the coast... Only for Veronica to interrupt him, "It''s the other way you mad idiot!" with which he turns straight around and races in the other direction. Chapter 709 - Steel Waste - Author Review Yo bois. *Ahem*, you may know me as the charming and very handsome Niggros, son of Nutterison and the great Emperor of the Kingdom known as ''Copeismplesium''... Like I had done for EBW I''ma sum up my thought for how Steel Waste went, how I think I could have improved upon it and where I went wrong. The most obvious place to start would be, well, the start. The beginning of Steel Waste was rather controversial if I do say so myself, the Mc''s rather blas¨¦ actions and attitude rubbing a few people the wrong way... Many didn''t like the way I present the Mc, as he wasn''t really something most would consider ''good''... He was lazy, unmotivated, disrespectful to his parents, and pretty arrogant.. To be honest, there isn''t much I''d change about that though, it''s how I wanted to present him, as I wanted to show his growth from a rather easy life on earth, to a hard, disciplined, and brutal one in the Brotherhood of Steel... Whether or not I accurately displayed that is debatable, but I think I did an ''alright'' job. A few people didn''t like how he acted in the womb of his new mother, the kicking in particular raising a few hairs... Honestly, I thought it was a throwaway thing, it wasn''t all that impactful and would probably be something I''d do if trapped in such a confined space for an extended period of time. Mc growing up was fine, and I feel like I fleshed out the characters in the Brotherhood somewhat. Mainly focussing on Veronica and Christine, along with their relationship that wasn''t really explored in the main game. Nothing I''d change on that part. Moving along, the ''troupe'' of both his parents dying was actually kind of required for the story to progress how I wanted... If the Mc''s parents survived, they''d have likely been able to stop him from leaving the bunker, forcing him to stay for longer and actually missing Tamia''s adventures. The only thing I might change is the way I introduced the system... For some, the lack of explanation regarding the Pipboy was annoying, but there isn''t really a way to explain how ''magical powers'' were involved with the device. Suffice to say he became the Mc of the game and leave it like that. I myself haven''t really considered it much, as it didn''t really matter. I''m happy with most of the things that happened from then on, Afton''s meeting with Karl, tensions with the NCR, and adventures through the wasteland. Obviously, there is one glaring thing that may have annoyed some of you... The lack of real romance. I avoided this early on for obvious reasons, my previous book EBW fucked that up royally, and I wasn''t too keen to involve it all that much this time. Though, as I''ll address later on, got added eventually, much to some people''s chagrin. If there was anything about the system I''d change, it''d probably be the sparse amount of quests it gave out. Along with the challenges you could do to gain extra perks, damage bonuses, and caps. I was going for a more realistic feel with it though, so I wanted to avoid making it completely game-like... Though, whether or not this actually worked, I''m unsure. Let me know if you liked it or wanted more of the system involved. Speaking on my grammar and writing itself, I thought that was all fine. Nothing spectacular, but enough to get what I wanted across to you readers. I''m English, so many sayings, catchphrases, and other strange words I use may have gone over some of your heads, but in the context they were used, they should have been easily understandable... I haven''t really received any complaints about it, so I think you guys understood me well enough. I think the character development was alright, for all except Afton... To be honest, having him live in the bunker for 18 years had made him pretty stable, which almost entirely eliminated most growth from his pre world loser that could have been had. I do feel I did the side characters like Veronica, Boone, etc justice for the game though. Along with how I did the Big Mt scientists. Some people had some issues with how this story progressed similarly to how EBW did, and I somewhat agree with their sentiments. Mc gets strong, gathers companions, enters conflicts, claims territory, and things develop from there... But, there isn''t really much I could do about that without forcing something unrealistic... Afton was at odds with almost every faction aside from Mr House, meaning he''d either have to go solo, or create a faction himself... And with Big Mt at his disposal, there was only a couple ways that could end... In future, I''ll have to consider this if I want the story to lead to another conclusion. Now, for romance... I couldn''t really avoid it for much longer if I''m honest. Afton was a powerful, relatively handsome guy with many women following him. He was bound to get together with one of them, thus, Josie. I actually had a vote on my ******* to see who would end up with him, some of the options being : Glados Usanagi Deathclaw and some other joke picks. Tamia was the winner however, but I wanted Afton to be in a relationship before finally settling down... I wasn''t too keen on having a ''happily ever after'' feel to his relationships, so something else was needed. The romance itself could have been better written, more importance placed on their interactions, and more time put into their eventual marriage... But, this is literally an apocalyptic wasteland, so couples would often get together relatively fast. Josie was a typical wastelander who''d grown up in harsh conditions and eventually joined the NCR army. Her prospects weren''t all that great until she met Afton, so her rather abrupt actions were natural... To me at least. Anyway, moving on. I personally liked the tech development and Afton''s interaction with Glados and House. Him strong-arming the ''strong-arming-king'' was very satisfying to write. Now, as for the alien invasion... Yeah, I probably should have fore-shadowed it, far more than I did. Many comments on it assumed that those chapters were the end of the story, which made me laugh... I mean, that''s akin to a dungeon master saying ''Ok, an earthquake happens, you all die.'', definitely not something I''d ever intentionally do. I''d always intended for the aliens to attack, but seeing how many of you saw it as ''out of place'' and ''random'', means that I failed on that aspect. I wanted the end of the book to be tense, dramatic... Considering how powerful Afton was, the only place that tension could come from was either from space, or from some bullshit the Enclave manages to pull out of their ass... Or maybe a hidden psyker country somewhere. Anyway, I feel that, aside from the lack of foreshadowing, the alien bits were alright. As for the actual ending, I''m still unsure whether it was good or not. As I stated, I left it open to the possibility of a sequel. I was thinking about crossing it over with starcraft or something, but that''ll have to wait in the future, as I''m not too keen on writing ''Steel Waste Two Electric-Boogaloo'' anytime soon. Anyway, this review is getting a bit wordy, so I''ll cut it short here... If I didn''t mention anything you guys feel I should know, please type it in the comments. These reviews are so I can get feedback on my writing and ''hopefully'', improve. I feel like Steel Waste is a far better book than EBW, so I think I''ve improved somewhat, but I guess that''s up to you guys to decide. Ah! Also, you guys should look out for my next book, which will be a world hopper like EBW. It''ll involve skyrim, and start in an Anime that I haven''t actually seen written about in Webnovel... Like, ever. So take a look and see if it suits your tastes. Thanks for reading!