They had made it to the stairs when a Nukalurk vaporized internally, leaving a hard shell to roll away in front of him. Wayne saw the cause, a power armoured warrior. They were home free, just a couple remained. Stan was taking care of one, Wayne could handle the next and the last one could be handled by the reinforcements.
It charged Wayne, 'C'mon you ugly asshole!' He said under his breath, he had a new found energy, perhaps from the knowledge that it would all be over soon, the creature charged, Wayne pulled out Stan's sawn-off and his revolver. As the creature got close he fired into the beasts knee with his revolver, causing into to stumble to one knee in front of him, it's claws facing outward to balance itself. In a burst of anger he then rammed the sawn-off into the Nukalurks mouth and fired. Blue blood sprayed from its mouth, lightly sprinkling Wayne's face. The creature spasmed and fell to the floor dead.
Finally it was over. He looked accross the roof, strewn with bodies of humans and abominations alike. If he hadn't grown accustomed to such attrocities he may have broken down at the sight.
Turning to the power armoured man he felt nothing but disapointment. 'Is this all we get?' Turning to the well dressed man he continued, 'Do you see how many people just died? Do you know how much ammo I just used up? I've only just got here god damn it!!' He yelled, anger flooded his body. He tapped at his Pipboy and waited for his robobrain to show up, hopefully it had been left untouched since it had been stood still. 'It's gonna take some compensation for all these consumables I just used, not to mention labour costs.' He looked up at the man with a hard stare to drive his point home.
Walking down to the iron man he gave him a tap on the chest. 'Thank you fella' he yelled out loud and slow. He had never spoken to anybody in power armour before and wasn't sure if it affected their hearing. 'You got any friends nearby? I got a feeling something big is coming this way?' He shouted again, like somebody would shout at an elderly person with trouble hearing.
Elder Lyons, upon seeing her, started walking down the hallway towards Lucy, her power-armor making audibly heavy sounds as they echoed off the walls. The door behind her had quickly been shut upon exit and the Elder looked like she was in no mood for pleasantries as she squared up to Lucy. The Elder spoke in an utterly frustrated tone, "Usually, these soldiers are committed to secrecy, but this guy is strangely allowed to gab...to a point. I don't like it, and I don't like him. He wants to speak to you alone."
Lucy was still rather shaken from the abrupt escort; the soldiers had seemed to take some sort of sadistic pleasure out of frightening her. Lucy had held her breath, expecting some sort of verbal or physical reprimand for some transgression she had no idea she had committed, but to her avail, it did not arrive.
Lucy was simultaneously relieved that she wasn't being punished, yet her curiosity was shot down by her growing anxiety as she replied, "He? What exactly are you talking about? I'm a little in the dark here. No pun intended." she noted the dim lighting sheepishly.
A vicious glare from the Elder seemed to projects thoughts of Lucy's stupidity in that moment and how she had ever managed to survive in the Wasteland. Her cold reply that followed was simply bone-chilling.
"FalloutBob."
Any trace of her headache due to the overindulgence of vodka earlier had vanished. Any inkling of concern for Shifty, Frank, Marlon, Vikki and William had vanished at that point. Her thoughts rushed back to the feral and inhumane version of herself, not too long ago, screaming on the battlefield.
That wretched name had twisted her emotions around her heart, consumed her thoughts and sought to guide her subsequent actions from that point forward. Without any sense of trepidation, she looked at the Elder directly with a mixture of fiery passion and cold detachment. "What do you need of me, specifically? Because this man has a lot to answer for."
The Elder ran her hand through her hair in thinly-veiled frustration,"To put it simply, learn what you can from him. Trouble started when I tried to question him about your father, Isaac Black. But more importantly, I need to know what exactly The Brotherhood is up against. I can't even risk scouting the possible coordinates of their base in a fly-by because I'm sure they'll just be shot down. Do what you have to, and do NOT trust him. Just because he's tied up doesn't mean he's safe."
He stopped at the questioning of her father? Wait, why was the Elder asking about him as well? She shook her head and tried to calm the tempest of thoughts, she would save them for Bob. "If he's eager to talk to me, then he's got something to reveal...And believe me, Elder. I watched this man murder my father in front of me and beat me to a bloody pulp. I know more than anyone else, that he is not one to be trusted. I have an angle, I think, but we can't be monitored." And with those words, she started walking towards the door, where Bob was held, stopping for a moment. "I'll tell you everything, absolutely everything once I'm done. FalloutBob is not the only one with a confession to make." That was the very last thing she said to the Elder, before putting her hand on the door, catching her breath, making her way inside and slamming the door behind her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The room was fairly spacious; chairs were on either end of a steel table in the center of the room and finally, torture devices ranging from sinister blades to cattle-prods to medical equipment were laid out on a table to the side of the room. But where was Bob? It took her a moment to look up to find him suspended from ceiling via a web of chains, resulting in a metallic cocoon that looked like it allowed the body absolutely no room for movement. The only accessory was a hockey-mask he wore, to which she had no idea why that was there. He had begun to speak as she stepped towards him, hearing the door bolt closed behind her.
"Hello Clarice..."
There he was. The very man that ruined her life, murdered her father and home.
The very man that made her shoulder a debt she still did not understand to this day.
She had shouldered a guilt for so communities that she previously never cared for.
Yet here he was, chained and masked, but his form unmistakable from what she saw on the battlefield...even if it was his naked form. But she couldn't let her rage throw her off now, she had to channel this elsewhere, like her Mother taught her to...
Taking a deep breath, she sighed heavily in order to calm her nerves, "I asked for us not be monitored."
She pulled the steel table just below Bob and slowly perched herself on top of it; she reached up and slowly lifted the crude hockey mask off his head, keeping it in her lap. "Enclave Asset Unit-08 reporting in..." she hated those words, yet she continued with the facade by using her anger to mask her real intent, "I never thought you would make house-calls, you definitely make a girl feel special." she paused, her tone shifted and she glared at him with utter contempt "You gave me a job, you're here and that's coming dangerously close to blowing my cover."
"Needs drive, Asset. The boss-man ordered an immediate action on the Behemoth problem. The Doc is a disgruntled lunatic of the old regime and must put down." He snorted in disgust and continued "Turning DNA into spaghetti for his own desires is insane and it pollutes the goals of the Enclave! The coordinates of his stronghold must be found and used towards his destruction!" Despite his gesture, his tone was upbeat and...optimistic!?
She tried to remain jovial with this monster, but he was too happy, too content for a man in his position. It was both unnerving and more than a little infuriating, yet she stifled those emotions and feigned a grim smile and slightly less upbeat attitude. Instead opting to be the helpful informant she was recruited to be, "The Bro-hood is also looking out for The Doc, running completely blind, might I add." she paused and cocked her head quizzically to the side, "Honestly, what is the old regime and what exactly are the goals of the Enclave? I wasn't exactly given a handbook or a tour when you...recruited me." she said this last part with a slight chuckle, trying to make light of her own tragedy. Her hand was behind her back, balled into a fist and shaking out of equal rage, fear and disgust. "I'd kinda like to know more if I'm going to continue helping you and the Enclave in the future." that was it; she hated herself at that moment, but continued to smile regardless.
FalloutBob shifted his head (as best he could) and barely contained his laughter as he spoke. "You haven't seen the flyers? The recruitments? The announcement over GNR? Damn, you miss out!" He whistled at Lucy's detachment to the outside world not too long ago, shaking his head as he did so. "There was an old and ultimately-stupid Enclave that was trying to play government when it was ultimately an army. Number One saw this and decided at once to take over. The current Enclave reflects his views and standards. I thought everyone knew this much, as was I sure that nobody could miss - thanks to Eden - that the Enclave wants the country back. It's just a matter of HOW!
She nodded as she listened to him, he sounded like a man with complete conviction, belief in whatever twisted way his organization worked. "I was a bookworm, hated the radio, never got out much...before, you know...." her voice trailed off and she looked down for a moment, contemplating her next words "Number One obviously being your boss, so compared to the old-Enclave, a militant dictatorship...how is the new Enclave any different? Besides, you'd be surprised how little people know these days. They still see the Enclave as, well, the old-Enclave, you know?"
FalloutBob sounded very frustrated at this point, but his voice was layered with absolute belief in what he was saying. "There is just no teaching some people, is there?!" He sighed heavily and continued more seriously, ?The notion of Number One is that there is NO government that exists at this time! The NCR, the Legion, the Brotherhood, and even the old Enclave trying to be the American government is one big ass LIE! The only thing that is NOT a lie is who has the right to transform it BACK into a ruled land! Not primitive despots, not cowboys and Frontiersmen. Only those who command the technology!
He proceeded to chuckle to himself at this point, almost manic in his behaviour.
That battle over the Hoover Dam? Pathetic! The bid to control Project Purity? A waste of resources! Vaults purify water for a large population by use of a single chip. This land can be tamed by the production of enough GECK units. Whole cities can be restored instead of looking like junk heaps. Who is going to do that? Them...or US!?
She was actually impressed at this notion, if she weren't sitting in front of the man that literally murdered her father , she would probably ask where the recruitment centre was. This had helped to sell her fake admiration though, "That's a goal I can get behind, it's honourable, it has direction and no-one is waving their dicks around while trying to claim their territory instead of taking an active role in bettering the lives of others instead of themselves." she smiled up at Bob, "That's admirable... It really is, but what happens to The Brotherhood, other settlements and factions in the process of all this? How do you plan to cleanse the wasteland of them or will you try to integrate them? Besides, do you guys have the aerial and boots-to-the-ground manpower to even do all this?"
Just out the corners of the mask, she could see something about his face had shifted a smile perhaps?
You're getting rather interested, aren't you, girl? Still, I don't actually care much for those decisions. I'm an enforcer. You wanna talk to JACK about that. Me, I'm surprised you haven't asked the BIG QUESTION!
"I like to know who I'm into getting to bed with..." Her expression darkened and her tone had dropped to a near growl, "So, you requested to see me about Isaac Black..." she wanted to tear out his throat, he sickened her, but she couldn't give in after coming so far. At least she would be making her Mother proud. Through gritted teeth she hissed, "Now I'm not your enemy, since after hearing your story, I'm pretty much convinced the Enclave has the right idea, but I'm sure you can understand my frustration and goddamn confusion!" She looked at Bob with a withering glare that she had never given anyone else, rage and heartbreak were clear in her eyes and scowl, "Why was my Father so important to you, who was he REALLY and why the HELL did you have to fucking kill him?!"
Bob's tone had grown darker and all amusement had left his body. The effect was rather unnerving.
"You ready for this...?"
"Well, I wasn't privileged to such information until after my induction into the Fallout Sector, but what I did learn was that Number One has been cooking them for a while. This is not their first generation. To get this good, they must first have predecessors. The well-trained train the next generation to make them even stronger, and then eventually step down.Still, to the man who instigated the new regime with their help, there could be no greater insult than the desertion of...FalloutIsaac."
"Isaac Black did not agree with the coup, that we should purge ranks of the people who screw up our organization - the old regime - in the takeover. Isaac and his protégé had an argument; he was stripped of command and rank. Unfortunately, he still commanded influence unofficially for a while and eventually got his hands on that rifle of yours. That was an inconvenience, but the insult was the betrayal and desertion itself. Number One's anger was palpable. And so, he ordered the most brutal manslayer available to take care of matters. He sent me."
At this point, Lucy couldn't muster a single word, her voice cracked as the tears had welled up in her eyes. Tears had started streaming down her face as her world was turned upside down, she wiped away at them hopelessly as she whimpered for a moment, trying to regain her composure, but failing miserably. "I'm sorry, it's just difficult to hear and to finally find out...the truth. I should want to kill you, but ironically you're the only person that has ever just told me the complete truth and in a weird way, I can only thank you for that...you were just doing your job after all."
She hugged herself as she sat there in silence, not even looking at Bob, she needed to regain her composure, yet she knew that was impossible after what she had just heard...She could channel her grief into two things she knew well, deception against the Enclave and revenge against Number One and everyone involved.
"I want to make up for where my father failed, I'm already an asset, but I want to join your ranks...my father, was never really around to even be considered a father. In a way, you unshackled me. I understand now what you mean by - " she choked on these words "...repaying his debt." She paused and looked at him with feigned sincerity, "My father was a liar to me and now he's a traitor to a cause I now believe in! I want to help. How?"
Of course she would never help him, she wanted to kill him, she wanted to burn the Enclave to the ground. She just needed to keep lying more, so that she could abuse this position later. "I need to leave soon...unfortunately, I'll have to hit you...make it look like I flew into a rage...what bullshit do you want me to tell the Elder?" she could only muster these last few questions because her emotions were deadening as she was going into emotional shock, ready to explode unpredictably.
"We want to know where the Behemoths and the Doc are located. An enforcer stands ready where we thought his transmission came from, but it was only a mutant camp.Tell Lyons that Isaac worked with the Enclave Underground, our equivalent of the Brotherhood of Steel in this sector. Oh, and use a chair. Otherwise, I won't even feel it through the chains."
Lucy shakily stood up and put the mask gently over FalloutBob's face again.
"Of course." her fingers lingered over a nearby scalpel, grabbing it, she pressed it to his temple and slowly slid the blade down to his cheek, poking under the mask and further to his chin. She took it slow, digging the blade into his jawline. She was enjoying this, but she had to keep up appearances as much as it frustrated her not to slice open his neck.
"I'm sorry about that, nothing a stimpack or two won't fix, but I had to make it believable. The Elder is aware that you killed Isaac." She dropped the bloodied scalpel, turning to the side to hide her smile of contemptuous joy at finally getting to hurt this monster. "I'll succeed where my father failed." which is by taking all of you down. She picked up the chair, weighed it in her hands to get a good grip. "Bob, one last thing...thank you." And with this, she finally slammed the chair into his head, ramming it into his stomach with all the strength her little rage-filled body could muster and finally slamming it into his face again...She wasn't thanking him for anything he did, she thanked him for revealing everything and for allowing her the chance to get up close and personal...She winked at him, reassuring him and finally threw the chair against the opposite end of the room. Against the door, this was swiftly unbolted as three guards rushed in. She turned and gave a devious smile as if to say "Don't worry, I'm on your side" when it actually meant "Don't worry, I'll burn your precious Enclave to the ground."
She slowly trudged her way out of the cell. Her emotions giving way as all her facades had come crashing down around her as she walked away from the cell. Equal part self-hatred, mourning, loss, grief, anger, sadness and sadistic pleasure in torture had taken full control over her mind in that moment. Emotionally overwhelmed and physically weak, she walked down the hallway before slumping down the nearby wall as she openly wept.
She had just had the most difficult conversation of her life.
"Hey! Silly-Armor Lady! Keep up the shooting, please. We can only kill so many nukalurks before we get bored of it, you know?"
[Armor 85/50][Success!]Silly? What was silly about power armor? It put several layers of protection between the wearer, and a hostile, uncaring world. Not wearing it would be silly.
A hail of bullets and lasers obliterated the remaining lurks.
Danielle switched off the scope, and reloaded.
The man dressed as a cowboy walked up to her, and tapped her on the chest. 'Thank you fella. You got any friends nearby? I got a feeling something big is coming this way!
The man spoke loudly and slowly, as if trying to talk to a non-English speaker, or someone hard of hearing.
[Unarmed 35/25][Success!]Danielle forcefully grabbed the cowboy's wrist in a fashion that was quite unpleasant for him.
[Black Widow]"If you want to paw at a girl's chest, buy her a drink first."
She released his arm.
"I've got friend's relatively nearby, but not super-nearby. I helped because I was in the neighborhood on my way home. If something big is coming you're probably going to have to deal with it without me; I'm in a bit of a hurry, and I'm not sticking around. If something comes up while I'm here though, I'll help.
Danielle gave the cowboy a slap on the ass, turned around and started walking out.
A smattering of ribald ruffians, five bodies and nine arms between them, with their sagging packs and gritty tools, perhaps a hard day's work lies ahead? Or perhaps it's all an act between the flophouse and the bar?
THE DOCTOR: "Boys, boys, boys. At last you have arrived. Come bask in the fire, while the embers last; such comforts are few and far between nowadays, wouldn't you say?"
GESTURES TO FIREPLACE
The boys are cautious, they fear some mechanism of their demise, skilfully obfuscated by the Doctor's charming demeanour.
The doctor conducts himself with the poise and graces of a classical gentleman, a bottle of some fine vintage - doubtless one of many - reclines on a side-table within his reach. Receiving his guests with a rare joviality; a true egalitarian, turning not the humble, coal-dusted workman of the lower classes from his threshold. Also he is a Walrus.
THE BOYS: "..."
THE DOCTOR, with a flourish: "Ah, but I beg your pardon for my rather forthcoming greeting, but I have been expecting your arrival, and I could not but prepare to the best of my ability. Forgive that I cannot offer you cigars or fine wine; ah! but I misunderstand your tastes, I am almost certain."
THE BOYS, amongst themselves: "...This the package?"
The Doctor is rapt to something unseen.
BOYS: BRING WEAPONRY TO BEAR
BUTCH: "The fuck is this?"
ROY: "The fuck that is is the fuckin' package. Looks like we's goin' home early."
FITZ, or perhaps it's BUTCH again, it is hard to tell them apart: "How we gonna shift that thing? Might be a 'lurk but I don't see any legs. No pack mule's gonna take that thing fer more n' half a mile without snappin'."
The doctor appears agitated.
THE DOCTOR: "You know, where I am from, it is considered the height of rudeness to speak amongst oneselves in company above your station."
The soldier grabbed Wayne's wrist and twisted it painfully.
'If you want to paw at a girl's chest...'
...It was a woman? Not only had he just been saved by a woman, he had also just been put in pain by said woman, Wayne felt his blood boil. He took a breath and calmed himself, this woman had powerful weaponry and advanced, strength enhancing armour. Of course she would be capable of rescuing everyone.
His Robobrain arrived, unscathed, and followed him as he headed back to the roof, looking through the dead bodies. 'Well these guys won't be needing these any longer, catch' he said as he threw a box of shotgun shells to Stan, knowing he would need them for his sawn-off.
No ammo for Wayne though. He felt in his pocket, just enough to load up both guns with about 5 rounds to spare. Picking up a 10mm pistol he decided it best to save his own weapons for a desperate situation, at least until he got to a trader. Luckily there was plenty left over to trade. He loaded up and headed to the soldier. 'Mind if we tag along? Reckon we'll be safer with you. An' I'll part ways when you get where you're goin'. I got things to do'
As Wayne began walking to the stairs he took a long hard look at the shell of the Nukalurk that had vaporized internally. He turned to look at the soldier, then back to the shell. He picked it up and examined it, unusually lightweight, and he knew it was tough. 'Maybe I can find a use for this' he muttered. He looked around, sweeping up the other pieces that made up the legs and arms of the deceased Nukalurk, and crammed them into the cavity of his Robobrain, it was definatley full. The torso, however, would need to be carried. Grabbing some wiring from some nearby scrap electronics, he lashed the torso section to the back of the Robobrain. He would probably have to avoid riding on the seat for now, to stop it becoming over encumbered.
Once I get to a workbench with a few more materials, I'll have me a nice piece of protection, might even have a little somethin' for Stan. he thought to himself.
Barry awoke in the bathroom of citadel. His face felt recently scrubbed and his armor was a different shade then he remembered. He was more than a little bit perplexed about what had happened. He remembered falling out out of the Vertibird. He vaguely remembered waking up in a hospital bed. Now he was here. These events didn't exactly fit together in any real way. He then noticed he was sitting in a wheelchair. This made his memories even more perplexing to him. Unbeknownst to him a certain raider leader was about two miles away tied to a tree...with his own intestines. "What happened while I was out? That girl I met on the vertibird would know? L...Lu...Lucy. There we go. The old noggin hasn't failed me completely just yet. Then I could ask her to be part of my superhero team. OF JUSTICE. FIGHTING EVIL!" He left the bathroom impassioned like no man exiting the bathroom before him! Then he realised he had absolutely no idea of where she was. Or where HE was for that matter. Or who anyone here was besides her and maybe Shifty if he was around. If they were both alive. This did not deter him in any way whatsoever. He was going to wheel around until he found them. It just may take longer than he thought.
Danielle felt her skills had improved from dealing with the Nukalurk situation.
Skill points were divvied as always, and a perk was taken.
Lead by example: When using a weapon, companions gain a bonus with their weapon based on how similar their weapon is to yours. (Example when using a laser rifle: Companions also using a laser rifle have a full bonus. Companions using a non-rifle laser weapon, or a non-laser energy rifle receive 75% of the bonus. Companions using a non-energy rifle get half the bonus. Companions using Brass knuckles get no bonus.)
'Mind if we tag along? Reckon we'll be safer with you. An' I'll part ways when you get where you're goin'. I got things to do'
[Perception]The cowboy had a limp, and a poor disposition.
"I'm not sure you're going to be able to keep pace if you're as lame as you seem. (Haha, literal use of phrases!) I'm in a bit of a hurry, and I can't slow down for anything not urgent. Also, they don't just let anyone into the Citadel. You could try walking with me there, then breaking off and heading for Rivet City, or you could try to become Brotherhood initiates. We always need more, because we've got a terrible mortality rate, so you'd be perfect!"
Danielle stepped out the door.
"If you want to try to tag along, you're welcome to, but I'm not slowing down."
Wayne didn't take kindly to how the soldier spoke to him. 'Lame?' He thought to himself? 'Who the fuck does she think she is?'
Deciding it best not to confront somebody hiding behind power armour he turned his thouhts to the choices he had been presented with. Brotherhood initiate? That could be one way of getting himself some power armor, but he doubted it would be as easy as 'Welcome to The Brotherhood, here's some power armor, do as you please.' Besides, if they find out he was looking for someone with ties to The Enclave, it might cause some friction.
Rivet city then? Must be some kind of settlement. Surely somebody there would be able to help him, and hopefully there would be a trader there too.
'Rivet city it is then' he said aloud, reaching into his pocket he pulled out some coyote tobacco chew and put it in his mouth, the injected a shot of med-x into his leg to hold off some of the pain. 'Try to keep up' he said jokingly with a laugh, and set off out of the entrance to the building, quickly slowing down upon realising he didn't know which way to go...
One of the Brotherhood soldier's that had been stationed at the door had taken the liberty to manhandle Lucy and wrench her up by the arm.
"We're going to see the Eld-"
"No!" she shouted angrily at the soldier, proceeded to wrench her arm free and push against his chest-plate with all the strength her little body could muster at that point. He took a total of two steps backwards, so much for strength. "Would you people just give me a break? Please!? I did what was asked of me, I got more out of him than your dear Elder did."
The soldier merely looked in her direction, or so she thought, she could never really tell with the helmets. Surprisingly, he gave the smallest of nods and lifted his hand up apologetically.
She appreciated this gesture, but a sudden thought hit her as she noted the various cells along the hallway, with FalloutBob's at the very end. She peered inside a nearby vacant cell and motioned towards it. "Mind if I have a little privacy? By the way, are there any holotapes I could use for recording in the cell?"
"Go ahead. There should be a few on the table."
"Thanks." She wasted no time making her way into the room, shutting the door behind her and taking a seat while playing with the holotapes functions. She set aside two, one for The Brotherhood and another that was personal.
She opted for audio settings for both.
She started with the Brotherhood report and hit the record button.
"Elder Lyons, this is Lucy Black creating a report on my findings with FalloutBob, I recorded this in order for you to review my message and use it as you wish.
When I was 19, my home of Springvale was attacked by the Enclave, killing my father and almost killing me. Days later, after my recovery at Megaton, I revisited the ruined Springvale. I was savagely beaten by a higher-up member of the Enclave, FalloutBob, and forcefully recruited as an Enclave Asset in order to pay off my father's debt. I took the Gauss Rifle which belonged to my Father, Isaac Black. Not understanding its relevance.
At the time, I didn't know what this meant; however my work was to report to Enclave patrols or Eyebot's about what certain settlements knew about the Enclave. Megaton, Rivet City, The Underworld and even The Brotherhood were to be reported on, lest they be destroyed according to FalloutBob.
The Enclave has a ranking system, one in particular is called the FalloutSector, and this is where the Elite are trained. The Enclave of today is under the rule of a new leader, called Number One. He seeks to restore the Wasteland with mass production of GECK units and those who oppose him will most likely be destroyed. FalloutBob knows little or does not wish to share information on their strength or specific plans as he says he is just an enforcer. The individual that knows all the details seems to be one called Jack, most likely called FalloutJack.
Another section of the Enclave still exists, called the Enclave Underground, they oppose the Enclave's current ideals yet still belong to the old regime which everyone is aware of. Whether they can be allies or remnants hoping to rebuild, it remains to be seen.
Going back to my Father, Isaac Black, who was he? A simple trader, getting attacked by a member of the FalloutSector? No, my father was known as FalloutIsaac. Isaac did not agree with taking over the old regime through violence. This led to him being stripped of his command and rank. Isaac betrayed and deserted the Enclave at that point and this lead to his murder. He had also taken the very Gauss Rifle I possess.
Currently, there is a man named The Doc, experimenting and twisting the DNA of Super Mutants, Behemoths and creatures alike. This man belonged to the old regime and the Enclave seeks to destroy him and his creations. They also don't know anything on this matter, yet he wishes for me to report anything if the Brotherhood finds out.
As a fake asset, I can freely interact with the Enclave at a limited scale. This could be advantageous. Isaac Black may have been a part of the Enclave, but he left to properly raise me and help the Brotherhood. I wish to aid the Brotherhood in whatever way I can, as Isaac would have wanted."
"End of recording."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucy took a deep breath, feeling better now that all that information was conveyed properly in case her emotions get the better of her in front of the Elder later. She pulled the second holotape towards her, her personal recording and after a few minutes of silence, she pressed record and started talking.
"My name is Lucy Black. I am by no means what anybody would consider profound, however, maybe the information I've gathered will help the Brotherhood at the very least. This is a personal recording.
When I was 19, my home of Springvale was attacked by the Enclave, killing my father and almost killing me. I revisited the ruined Springvale, attacked by FalloutBob again, and forcefully recruited as an Enclave Asset in order to pay off my father's debt. I took the Gauss Rifle which belonged to my Father, Isaac Black.
Turns out my father used to be known as FalloutIsaac, take that as you will.
I never acted within the Enclave's interests, I was never aligned to them and they will always be my enemy.
I've met some interesting people along the way, people who have become dear to my heart in different ways, yet I fear that my quest for revenge by using deception has lead me down a darker path. So if something were to happen to me and this holotape be discovered, whoever finds this, I wish you to pass it along to the beloved who will be mentioned. I'll try to keep it short.
"Frank Rose: I've never met anyone as crazy or brave as you. You've saved my ass on multiple occasions and it's been an honour fighting alongside you. I grew to trust you very quickly, since you belonged to the very organization I dreamt of joining as a child. Yet I look past that and appreciate you for the considerate, funny and brave person you are. You fight on to this day, even with all you've had to suffer through. I don't pity you, because I know that's not what Frank wants. I do, however, respect you and wish to stay by your side in battle. Thank you for respecting me, a mere Wastelander."
"Shifty Mcgee: The Illustrious Undertaker of the Wasteland, I think I've said enough when it comes to my respect for you and your profession. Initially, I saw an undertaker and it wasn't long before I trusted you as a person. Dashing, eloquent, a true gentleman, impeccably dressed and cheery in nature, I think we met under the strangest of circumstances since you found me wailing like a banshee not long after I greeted you with a hail of gunfire. I would presume you are rarely appreciated; now while macabre in nature, I would love no greater honour than to have you bury me, dear Undertaker. I hope our time wasn't short. Yet it will forever remain sweet."
"Barry/Flash: When we met, you survived a freaking mini-nuke blast. Like I said back then, you're the amazing one here! Even though that entire battle was a mess of emotions, I want you to know that I was happy to make a friend, become an equal-rights-partner, join a superhero duo and subsequently become Power Girl. Thank you by the way...we just have to work on my outfit and cleavage. Anyway! IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE, as you would put it, I hope we defeated evil side-by-side. You probably don't remember, but I used all my stimpacks on you in that trip, 4 or 5 if I remember correctly. Completely worth it, sidekicks do whatever they can for each other."
"Marlon Van Graff: Dude, I totez blew up your car. You didn't comment on my weight when you carried me. Thanks bro."
"William Knight: You're the reason I survived when I did, I was meant to die that day, According to Moira, like most men, you left the next morning. You had your reasons and you took a gamble by wasting time on me. I wish our time wasn't so brief, I wanted you to get to know me - or I wanted to get to k-know you. You can't leave me; I have your babies...That was a joke, because - ugh, I'm rambling. Just - I hope we got to see one another more; it's about time I helped you out for once. I'll never forget what you did for me, literally the first person to show me unconditional kindness since the attack. You're an honourable and kind gentleman that much I know about you. By the way, first date: Blamco Mac & Cheese. Kidding...kinda..."
"Thank you everyone...keep my Gauss Rifle safe."
~~~~~~~~~~~
She ended the recording and put the personal holotape into her backpack. The formal holotape, however, she kept in her hands and left the cell. She was feeling a lot better now that she was able to let her emotions out. She then proceeded to wait outside the cell.
A difficult conversation with the Elder was ahead of her, how she will react to her Enclave ties, especially to that of FalloutBob himself, she did not know. Lucy feared being banished from the Brotherhood.
She was growing anxious again, yet she waited patiently.
Stan had mostly mulled around, being oddly quiet. Something had him spooked. He did not like 'lurks in the first place. He like the crazy, heavily-armored ones even less.
Eventually, he shook off the spooks, and went to find Wayne, only to see him preparing to leave with the lady in the silly armor.
She was lecturing him about them not letting people into the Citadel or something? Stan wasn't paying very close attention, and her armor made her voice terribly irritating.
"Oi, tin-can." he called to her. "Thanks for the offer, but I know the way to Rivet City well enough. Been there a few times. And I don't know about getting mixed up with your Brotherhood types. Not everything I've heard has been good, ya dig? So, it's been fun, and thanks for the assist, but this is probably where we part ways."
He looked at Wayne. "Unless, for some reason, you want to go with her, pal." he said with a sigh. He figured Wayne'd want to go with her. Brotherhood had something to do with the Enclave if he remembered his gossip correctly. They were enemies maybe? He couldn't remember. But either way, Wayne would probably want to go with her and grill her for info on his missing pal.
"Unless, for some reason, you want to go with her, pal."
"Well, we're all heading east initially anyways, so let's go.
Danielle resumed her journey home, and let her mind wander as she walked.
[Flashback]"Happy birthday Dan!"
"...Dad? What time is it?" "5 AM."
"Why are we up so early?" "Because we're going to do something your mother won't approve of."
"What could possibly be worth sneaking behind mom's back this early?"
Her father pulled out a laser pistol. Now that you're five, I think you should learn to shoot. My dad taught me on my fifth birthday, so now I'm teaching you.
"Thank you dad!" "Times wasting, to the courtyard, double-time!"
"Yes sir dad!"[/flashback]
We rejoin our most beloved players in much the same state as we left off, The Doctor was most welcoming, the boys much less so, but perhaps they are unaware of what they tread on. Who knows, perhaps our narrator is rather overstating the importance of The Doctor's threshold? Ah but that remains to be spoken for.
A bent and somewhat shrouded figure enters (STAGE LEFT)
The bent one is hopped up on some liquor and it visibly agitated, shoulder to the doorframe and hoisting considerable weaponry to his nose, though it seems he can't decide which eye to close, and so he appears to be blinking light from his eyes.
ABE : "Now you baws, you baws I tole y' again n' again n' some more n' again; this here? This Abe's private property, the county up n' gave this patch for ol' Abe tah work, and only Abe shall work it. So ah tell you again, GIT. OUTTA. MAH. YARD."
There are, of course, many boys and fewer Abe, but it appears that he has them at a disadvantage. A few firearms clatter at feet, but some of those boys, to their eternal credit, aren't so naive.
FITZ, a quieter one, with an untouched, effeminate face: "...uh...that gun isn't loaded."
ABE : "...yeah it is."
FITZ: "No, it's..."
ABE : "Yeah it is."
FITZ : "No, it isn't, you just pulled the trigger, we heard the click."
Abe looks somewhat embarrassed. For once, he doesn't have any words.
ROY, with a cruel grin : "...It's only the package he wants alive, right?"
The boys scramble for their armoury, but now the Doctor has found his words again.
THE DOCTOR: "Boys, Boys! Boys! Let's dispense with the act, shall we? It was I that you wanted alive, was it?"
The doctor produces an ancient repeater from somewhere around his seat, and places the barrel in his mouth.
THE DOCTOR: "nurr yurr tuuf mff hrrnd thrr, n yrr rurrd ss gnn."
The boys draw blanks. Abe looks confused. The doctor realises, in time.
THE DOCTOR, removing the barrel from his mouth, and resting it on his temple, flushed slightly with embarrassment: "Uh which is to say, the bent one is with me, harm him, and as you can see, there shall be no reward for you."
BUTCH: "An' how do we know you ain't shittin' us with that cannon?"
THE DOCTOR: "ah, but I'm not a red-nosed old sot with a dicky leg, now, am I?"
THE BOSS finally speaks up, moving to the front of the group, and consequently turning his back on the Doctor: "LISTEN UP! First one to shoot, one, they ain't gettin' their fuckin' share, an' two, they ain't comin' away without a bullet in the eye, YOU UNNERSTAND ME, COCKSUCKERS?!"
ROY : "Fuck it! He talks too good fer a 'lurk, we kin still find a buyer fer all that meat!"
BUTCH : "Hey fuck you man! I want my three grand caps!"
FITZ, quietly, almost to himself: "Two grand."
BUTCH: "What?"
FITZ: "Two grand, it was two grand caps, and it was between us."
BUTCH, to THE BOSS: "...Two grand? Between us? I wouldn't whore my muddah fer two fuckin' grand caps, you fuckin' weasel!"
BUTCH and THE BOSS go for their guns. THE BOSS finds his first. Now it really is a shame that it jammed. Not the case with BUTCH. Now THE BOSS is no more.
ROY: "...well, now that's two grand between three."
There is a moment of loaded silence while the remaining boys make the calculations in their heads.
SOUND: ENFILLADE GUNFIRE.
Now those boys be nimble, those boys be quick. But safe to say only as quick as each other. Now everyone's got an equal share of holes in the skull.
THE DOCTOR, somewhat nonplussed. : "...I...I can't believe that worked..."
"I've got a little itch, just here." William smiled with half of his mouth to indicate the cheek with scratches. "Do you mind?" He said, slowly raising his hand to his face, the Captain didn't move, her face remained the same expressionless mask as it had done before. The plasma pistol stayed exactly where it was.
'Her hands aren't shaking at all, it's like somebody froze her, no distractions, no expressions, nothing. They train them well in the Enclave.' His hand now to his face, William scratched his cheek, sending the itch away. "Now then Captain, our interests may actually align. I still wish to get inside the Enclave base, you might be able to help me with that. While I'm there, I would be better placed to do something that might help your interests. Think about it, if you get me into that base I can help you. If I die in there there is nothing that can connect me to you so you lose nothing."
"I'm not telling you to let me go, but consider the benefits of letting me loose inside the Enclave base."
============================================
Dudley was walking towards the exit, hoping Evan would follow him. While Evan hoped that being considered good stock meant survival Dudley had a different idea. Just get out. This was a bad situation and it was time to say no. Dudley could hear Evan trying to catch up to him and expected to hear the sound of somebody else catching up to him.
The way out was just there, keep walking and maybe they won't stop you. You haven't been stopped yet, the exit is getting closer, just keep going and you'll make it.
The Nukalurk problem appeared to have been resolved for the moment, at least in the eyes of Emerson Estabahn. He had indeed used a radio to call for help and, as a result, GNR had made a public announcement of the factory being under attack. That wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but fortunately there had been the additional assistance of a BoS member, clearing out the Lurks and allowing him a moment to return to his office for a drink and a smoke. Outside, things were cooling down and that some were even starting to leave...though there was that persistant rumble. Just what the hell was that anyway? Gas pockets? Nobody seemed to know...until the ground where the Lurks had originally popped up began to shift. A mound of dirt began to form from under, and then it grew...and grew...and grew...with rumbling much more obvious and apparent now. And then, as Estabahn came to the roof once more, it broke the surface!
Estabahn: What is it?! What is that thing?!
Niko: It's NUKAZILLA!!
We harken you back, ladies and gentleman to around 300 years ago, when the wasteland was so wild and badass that the giant scorpions were able to pick up cars and bash them together. If they died out, then they died out, but not all of these radioactive monstrosities would. Some would merely slumber, waiting for the right catalyst to awaken them. Some might even propagate via the release of a ton of young that would be tiny, eventually grow REALLY FAST in radioative material or something similar, and wreak havoc. The Nukalurk was a product of alot of Nuka Cola mishap. But how had they gotten so far from the water? Easy. Underneath the factory grounds slept a monster that had burrowed there. Somehow, Nuka Cola Quantum had reached it and it had somehow in its sleep gotten entangled with the equipment. This allowed its spawn to enter the drink and thus cause the problems... But now things had progressed as they had, the creature had woken up, and it was...hungry.
It was a giant Nukalurk, armored even in the face like the other recent creatures. It was bigger than a Behemoth, relatively slow-moving, but very much like a walking tank. Niko looked at his sniper rifle, then back at it, and just snorted. He wasn't gonna penetrate it like this. For the record, there had been a moment where Twig, Scar, and Ben had walked out while having an argument...and then as they saw the creature, they wisely chose to get back inside. NUKEZILLA! saw things moving on the ground in front of it. It saw Stan, Wayne, and Danielle. It let out a monstrous screech...and began to lumber towards them, looking for all the world like the Nuka Factory wouldn't protect them from its relentless gait.
"I am in no position to be any threat to you, Captain."
That's what he man said to her, but Alice wasn't convinced. She thought in terms of avalanches. Right now, William was a pebble, small and inconsequential...so far. But you know how this works. Basic physics. The pebble adds to the pile like every other pebble to act its small force on a larger whole, moving things down and causing other pebbles to shift as well. Soon, actual rocks begin to roll and enough weight and motion will even roll them boulders until half the mountain bears down on you. Alice was big on thinking ahead of the consequences. That's one of the reasons they were still alive. William was now attempting to convince her that it was a waste of resources to shoot him and have to deal with the body. She didn't wanna be the one to tell him that they'd grind and pulp him for use of fertilizer at their growing personal garden, the one they proposed to use to support their food needs since raiding carried with it many risks and dubious returns.
"I've got a little itch, just here. Do you mind?"
Alice: Go ahead. I'm not that cruel.
He started talking about his mission, which apparently he was sent to handle things with the BIG Enclave, rather than theirs. It annoyed her that he thought his work was somehow better an more important than those who lived here and knew all the scores already while also being under threat from much of the world, thanks to their position. But he seemed both insistant and naive and he'd probably get his ass melted, so what the hell.
"I'm not telling you to let me go, but consider the benefits of letting me loose inside the Enclave base."
She sighed, holstered her gun, and then looked him in the eyes.
Alice: One of the benefits is that you finally leave me the hell alone, so fine.
Naturally, he was still under observation, but at least it was progress. She went back to a wall and leaned on it.
Alice: As a rule, we don't have a direct way in. The sealed-off areas of Fort Knox are our domain and we guard the walls to make sure nothing's going to come through it. There are service ducts too great in size for a powersuit, so anyone coming through there is very dead. You could try to make your way through one of those, but I am going to require a little insurance.
She stepped towards him again.
Alice: You will be outfitted with a bomb collar that holds a two-way transceiver on our frequency. We will know what you're doing at all times, unless of course you're keen on chunky salsa for a head. Understand, Mr. Spy or whatever you are, this is not a gain of trust and you didn't ask for that. You will instead be prevented from giving us away by virtue of saving your neck. Now, follow me...
She headed out of the room and the guards bid him to follow. Well, Mr. Knight, you're not gonna die. That's good news! Now, onto Dudley and Evan. There had been a quick discussion between them on how to deal with this situation, such as how to get out and how to survive. Dudley attempted to make a courteous exit by excusing himself in the kindest of manners and walking for the door. Evan Ramsey chose not to move. He may have been a Scribe, but he was a tactically-gifted-enough Scribe to know when to move and when not to. Dudley had at least the good sense not to run...as doing so would've twigged that something was wrong to the yard full of soldiers, but it wasn't quite good enough. Before he reached the gates, six powersuits with Super Sledges walked up and stood before it in a perfect line. He could hear Jack escorting Evan behind him.
Jack: Nooot so fast there, Dashwood. You guys are gonna have to be processed. Standard procedure when normal people start to look a little suspicious. We're going to just head on over to yonder guard station and have a pleasant chat, make sure you aren't bluff-checking me, that sort of thing. After that, maybe we'll see how you guys fancy doing us a favor, that is...assuming you guys don't feel inclined to joining us.
Jack never drew a weapon, not yet. He was blocking their exit, but he was being good natured about it. This was either a ruse or the right protocol when dealing with unknown strangers who don't APPEAR hostile.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Not that he would know of its history, but Andale was very much improved over time previous when a Lone Wanderer had discovered the canniballism in this smalll town/neighborhood, pretended to agree with the families involved, and then shot them all in the back in one swift action. With that done, the remaining residents were surprised to see other people interested in developing here, and now Andale was about as developed as, say, present-day Oil City. Not bad, really. Stilll, Storm wouldn't know the history of this place. He just knew it as a little town of wasteland America in which he was currently heading through. Storm was a man on a mission, several of them in fact. He had a list, specially prepared.
This was a hit-list. He expected to killl any of these on sight. It was a liiittle more Paladin-y than the BoS was even, but you could tell that he was a driven sort of guy. He being an armored dude heading into town, someone noticed him immediately and had to question his arrival. Storm was in NCR Ranger armor, among other things, so he had to either be in with the good or the worst of the bad. Of course, the one thing that REALLY caught the eyes of anyone around was his eyes. Glowing, they were... A man with a rifle soon intersected his position to speak to him.
"Sonny, you are a sight out of nowhere like no other. I don't even know where ta' begin. No wait, yes I do. Would you mind stating your business, and perhaps identifying your young self?"
Ah, the friendly approach. He wasn't pointing his gun...yet, but it was clear this man was not wholey pleased by sudden weirdness. Or perhaps...something else?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This was about as much as a man could take. You take a couple of people into your group to give them escort - or to allow them to help guard you - in your caravan, and what happens? Well, first of all, the old lady demands to ride the brahmin because she's an older woman and she doesn't like to walk. Annoying, but fine. She said she relied mostly on public transportation and wanted to pick something up a....what? The Scrapyard? The Armory? Come on... He just wanted to get to Megaton! And the other one? God, the other one is just as irritating 'cause she doesn't say much that's bright and she won't shut up!
Dear god, let me trip on a mine that the BoS left here by accident.
They were traveling through Minefield, you see. It'd been largely de-mined, but you never know... Well, still, this was the caravan's trouble, these two extras at an otherwise group of five. It was a real pain to take them alone, but hey...at least Beryl and Sylph here weren't in the same state as...Johnny-boy!
Yes, you see, Johnny Truant had been wandering around when there had been a small...problem. Ghouls. Not just normal ghouls either. They were ghouls in robes carrying robes and apparently being escorted by a pair of mutants with wires poking out of their skulls. They had spotted Johnny at the time, shouted "CRUSH THE NON-BELIEVER!!", and given him chase into this two-story Minefield-resident house. He was alone in there, and the ghouls were guarding the only exit, trying to figure out whether to go in after him and risk a trap or wait for him to starve or something. And they were all JUST in sight-range of a caravan...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ENTER: THE RED GUY!
Regardless of whatever those two were hopped up on when they saw this little scenario of Talon Company mercs killing each other, here was the reality: They were in the wasteland, they were among a bunch of dead and lootable bodies (with guns, ammo, food, etc.), and they were in the glow of the Red Guy. Who was he? Oh, he was that red glowing ghoul with the white eyes that talks like Cobra Commander. And currently, he was leading an entourage of ghouls in cloaks...and one brahmin. This group stopped to look on at the scene now.
"Whoa now... One's a soothskin and the other's...the other's..."
All of the ghouls minus the Red Guy looked at Dr. Crawver's walrus-ness and then bowed to the ground.
"HAIL THE WET ONE, GREAT LORDS OF THE DEEP! HAIL THY MASTER, THE ONE WHO SLEEPS!"
What.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Time had passed at the BoS Citadel, enough for people to have gotten much work done. Marlon had done his thing, Shifty had done this thing, Lucy had done her thing, Barry was rolling around in a wheelchair, and Frank was asleep. This is how it would begin. At around the same time, Sara Lyons had specifically asked for a pair of her guards to go find them all and bring them to the briefing area. This included Barry. It was time to get down to business, as scouts had reported more Behemoths and some guy in a jeep being chased by three of them ON FIRE.
So, Barry was rolling along when two powersuits came up behind him and started to push him in a promising direction.
"Come with us please, Mister Flash."
Shifty was poked by a Scribe and pointed over to the two men waiting for him, and they would escort him along.
Lucy was found similarly and was treated in the usual pushy manner. These things happen.
Marlon was given a "Yo!" and a two guys asked him to come with them, taking him to the same place.
Frank was wrapped in his sheets and toted along, a Scribe collecting his gear later.
They were all taken to the room in question and put in chairs...except for Barry, obviously. They had a display up on the area of...the Bethesda Ruins. Sara Lyons was, of course, right there with the soldiers that had just escorted them. She glared at the ones that brought in Frank like that, but they just shrugged.
Sara: I think you all know why I've called you here. The Behemoth situation is getting out of hand. Word has spread even farther than the Capital Wasteland and I expect there to be mutants incoming to get big from all over the place. It's turning into a nightmare and has to be stopped.
She stood up from where she was sitting and began to pace.
Sara: We have vertibirds and munitions for them. That's enough to lower the numbers of any mutant population in the area we believe to be their base. However, their numbers aren't as important as handling this so-called Doc. He and whatever means he is using must be your prime targets, and that must be in one of those buildings. Now, we can't collapse the buildings with our bombs, but we can raise hell enough to give you time to get inside. Any questions?
[OOC: If I missed anybody, you have to let me know.]
Beryl squinted into the distance, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. 120 yards, she thought to herself. She looked down at the golf ball at her feet, nestled between the cracks of some godforsaken road. The slightest of breezes. She adjusted her grip on the 9 iron and exhaled slowly. Full stroke. Watch the follow through. She slowly pulled the iron back and visualised the swing. Focus.
"IS THIS GOING TO TAKE ALL DAY?"
Beryl flinched, and glared back at the caravan master.
"Feel free to go on ahead if you like," she said. The punk didn't budge an inch.
She looked back down at the golf ball, held her breath, and took a swing. With a delightful PLAP!, the ball went sailing through the air in a steep, graceful arc. After what seemed like a small age, it finally came back to earth. There was a distant ting as it came down right on top of a mine. A second later and the ground began rumbled with earth shaking explosions. As the mine blasted, it set off a cluster of others around it, along with the atomic reactors of a couple of scrap cars, for good measure.
Beryl watched the mushroom cloud dissipate, 9 iron resting on her shoulder. As the fireworks came to an end, Beryl permitted herself a single, minuscule fist pump, and joined the caravan.
"The path is clear for now. Move on!" she shouted.
"It's me who gets to say that," the caravan master said, bitterly.
Beryl ignored the whelp and clambered onto a Brahmin, to the cheering of the other travellers.
"Not bad!" shouted one of them.
"Oh, I could have done it." said the caravan master, "and it wouldn't have taken me sixty three golf balls to get it right, either."
Beryl placed the last few golf balls into her suitcase. She had asked the caravan master to fetch the stray balls from the minefield, and sadly, the miserable ***** refused to go. She'd have to get rid of him some other way.
Before they could move on, there was the sound of some distant commotion. She held up a hand to silence everyone. Was someone else passing through Minefield?
Johnny risked a quick peek around the corner. And... yep, there were ghouls there. Johnny looked behind him, no ghouls there yet, but he could hear... someone approaching from that direction, and swore he could see their shadow on the wall. He checked the door directly behind him. It led into a dark room. He could see a window to the outside in there. A possible means of escape, but at the very least... a confirmation that he wasn't in thehouse. He hesitated for only a moment before one of the weird mutants with a cranial insert came up the hall to his left. Then Johnny rolled into the dark room and found cover beneath what looked like, at first glance, a heavy counter. Closer inspection revealed it to be an altar.
Great, just like the cult in Indiana. Man, those were a wild bunch. Less blood-thirsty though. Still, gotta give some love to that cult in Indiana. Taught me judo, anyway. Or something. What? Oh come on. Do you have any idea how hard it is to remember that stuff when you have crazed ghoul cultists screaming 'unbeliever' at you? Did I mention the ghouls have guns? No, no I didn't. They have a variety of objects that could be loosely described as knives. Now... those weird barbed-wire mutants? I think I'll call them Spike from now on. Anyway, the Spikes have guns. Not just any... frickin' laser rifles! No fair! That's cheating! All I have is a shoddy lever action. Oh well. Better here than... elsewhere.
maninahat said:
Before they could move on, there was the sound of some distant commotion. She held up a hand to silence everyone. Was someone else passing through Minefield?
'Passing through'? Is that what they're calling getting shot at for the apparently unforgivable crime of taking a nap in what you thought was just an empty house? Euphemisms these days. Minefield, that the name of this deathtrap? Fits I guess. Hmm.. I'd better focus on the ghouls and Spikes coming my way.
Johnny started firing at the cultists trying to get in through the only door in (1), shouting such witty lines as, "She was knocked up when I got there! I swear!" and, "I know, my rifle IS awesome. It's okay to be jealous, but... no need to shoot me over it." and, "Hey! Stop trying to kill me! Give peace a chance! Or at least sit still!" and, "I wonder if I should've downed that ultrajet last night!"
He kept firing until his gun was empty, then he ducked beneath the altar and reloaded, hoping an opening would present itself.
She did not sign up for this, in fact she did not sign up for anything, period. Those were her initial thoughts.
However, she had responsibilities and obligations now. So she wasted no time in stepping forward to address the Elder, yet speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.
"What about the Enclave?" she spoke firmly and continued, "The Doc is apart of the Enclave, the old regime, to be exact..."
She proceeded to explain to everyone the differences between the Enclave of the past, the dictatorship that wished to rule the Wasteland as a government and the current Enclave, under the rule of the eponymous Number One. She explained how the organisation was divided, what was left of the old regime, known only as the Enclave Underground. She explained how this was all the result of a coup against the old regime in order to fit the ideals and values of Number One. She concluded her explanation with how The Doc is going against fundamental Enclave values that even certain enforcers wish to put a stop to.
She conveniently left out any involvement of her father, the Elder would find out soon enough, but it was still her story to tell.
"...so that leaves us with the Enclave also hunting for this man. They have a dog in this fight, so what do we do with that dog? Because with such a large initial assault, isn't that going to attract their attention? They learn't about the Behemoth's pretty quickly and sent an enforcer, they still need to find out about The Doc's rough location..." she paused, not wanting to have to abuse her asset-benefits just yet.
"I'm just saying, we can try and misdirect them with false information so that they don't interfere when we're busy..." her expression grew even more serious as she held up the holotape for the Elder, hinting that there was more to her capabilities that would be revealed on the holotape.
Stepping closer, she spoke softly enough for only the Elder to hear her. "I recorded all my findings with the...interview earlier. Everything is on here, the complete truth from me and FalloutBob, even Isaac as well." she dropped the formal tone for a moment and out leapt the 22 year-old woman that she was in her voice, "Thank you for giving me that chance, for giving me answers."
She laid the holotape on a nearby table and nudged it closer to the Elder.
Stepping back in line with her friends, Lucy finally spoke, "I'll do whatever I can for The Brotherhood of Steel." she was beginning to feel where her true loyalties lie. This was also a blatant hint towards the Elder as she pointed towards the holotape.
"You have my full support with this mission, I just need to restock at the armoury if that's at all possible...please." she stood up straight and smiled to herself, finally feeling as if she was doing something good for once.
Like Isaac wanted. By supporting The Brotherhood.
>>>>>>>>
"Be fierce Lucy!" Amy Kane shouted to her daughter as she dodged a sledgehammer being swung by a bandit foaming by the mouth. She could see her daughter not too far away, another bandit had her hand around Lucy's throat as he twirled a knife between his fingers, cackling with laughter.
He failed to notice Lucy's hand as she thrust her new plasma pistol into his stomach and pulled the trigger three times.
"That's my girl!" Amy shouted as she watched her daughter's attacker liquefy from the waist down.
Lucy, however, was not so joyous over the prospect of conquering her opponent in such a manner. She was just a little girl after all...
Upon arriving at the entrance of the town of Andale Storm dragged his much beloved bike beside him in a dust cloud, it had ran out of fuel ever since he passed into the Capital Wasteland and it was a miracle that he has walked this far with it, although a pack of raiders did try to make a pass on him. "Fuel ... why did it have to run out!?" Storm cursed to himself as he made a fist in his right hand.
Looking at his Pip-boy he could see that this town was Andale. "Hmm, Andale huh..." Storm looked over to the sign and confirmed the location. When he walked up to the entrance the guard asked him who he is and his intention, the dust cloud behind him had faded into the distance and Storm Lowered the bandana around his mouth and took off his glasses.
Then all of a sudden he waved his hand back and his duster flowed with the wind. "Citizen of the capital wastes, I am but a humble traveler walking his path to accomplish his goals ... you may call me Storm." Storm said as he took off his hand and bowed in front of the guard in a polite manner. Pulling up his hit list he wanted to make his goal obvious, "I will not say I am just a traveler passing through, I shall ask you something. Have you seen any Enclave, slavers, raiders, people with a special nuka cola bottle or anyone like that? If not, I would like to inquire about a bed." Storm said to the guard in a bold but yet polite manner, and he was still smiling.
Storm had already made a note in his mind that the guard is overlooking him carefully, but it could just be due to his weird appearance. If he had the luck of getting into town he would observe the citizens carefully to see their reaction to him, would they find his appearance weird or something else? If he couldn't pass onto town he would have to try bribe the man or camp out. He would try to sneak into the town but his eyes would easily give away his position and may lead him to a bad situation like many before.
"(I do hope they have some fuel for my bike.)" He thought of his secondary goal, he was travelling place to place and see if anything is weird or dark. Though his ultimate goal is almost impossible to accomplish.
Frank was rudely carried to the Elder's office by a pair of Paladins while he slept.
"It's 6 AM, if I'm gonna be awake at this hour, I need coffee. Iced, black, one sugar. Otherwise I'm just gonna kind of not process whatever you say."
[Perception]The gang's all here. As is some crippled fellow. Unfortunately the "Gang" included Swordfish and the Necrophiliac.
Elder Lyons and Mattie said something or other. Frank wasn't in a state to process.
"Mattie? Elder Sugar-tits? I just had this dream, except you were wrestling in butter. I don't think we have any butter. Mmm butter."
This may take a while.
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[Perception]That's a big Nukalurk.
[Lead by example][Inspiring Presence]"Kneecap this overgrown crab!" Danielle switched on her scope.
[Energy Weapons 100/65]Danielle fired a yellow laser into the lurk's left knee, which caused it to make a pained noise. She then unleashed a flurry of red lasers to no effect.
[Tactics 95/15][Success!]"Retreat!"
Danielle began to run to the other side of the nuka-cola plant.
[Tactics 95/40][Success!]It takes approximately 7 seconds for her rifle to fully charge. One shot every 7 seconds would not be enough.
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