The REALLY Wild Wasteland. (The Fallout RP!)

[Generic NPC 22]

Mister Enclave Vault: A Missus Clean Shiny Corridor

"Take me to the place you last saw your friends and we'll look for them from there. By the way, what's your name?" Asked Mister Talking Neck Man as he started following Sylphee through Missus Clean Shiny Corridor. He seemed kind of excited by the fact that she had mentioned Daddy Johnny Shakes and Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy and he was probably one of Daddy Johnny Shakes' or Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy's friends.

"WellMisterTalkingNeckMan,I'mSylph!" The Red Menace said before remembering that Mister Talking Neck Man seemed a bit confused when Sylphee started talking and so she obviously would have had to talk a little slower. Maybe since Mister Talking Neck Man was able to talk from his neck, he had problems understanding things. Remembering Mister Talking Neck Man's request to take him back to Daddy Johnny Shakes and Big Sissy Psyho Lucy Caboosy, Sylphee turned around and started skipping back towards where she thought that Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy's room was.

"Since --- you --- know --- Daddy --- Johnny --- Shakes --- and --- Big --- Sissy ---- Psycho --- Lucy --- Caboosy --- do --- you --- know --- Mommy --- Meryl --- Barrel --- also, --- Mister --- Talking --- Neck --- Man?" The Girl with the double pigtailed blue hair asked in super slow mo, taking a right into another Missus Clean Shiny Corridor.

"Can --- you --- keep --- a --- secret? --- I --- think --- Daddy --- Johnny --- Shakes --- likes --- Big --- Sissy --- Psycho --- Lucy --- Caboosy --- more --- than --- Mommy --- Meryl --- Barrel. --- Is --- that --- weird --- even --- though --- Big --- Sissy --- Psycho --- Lucy --- Caboosy --- isn't --- his --- kid?" The Red Menace asked as she took another random turn into another Missus Clean Shiny Corridor.

"Here --- we --- are --- Mister --- Talking --- Neck --- Man!!" Sylphee said as she started to open Mister Door to Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy's room only to stop as she heard a familiar voice seep through Mister Door.

"It's not everyday one gets a call from the Enclave." Said Mister Familiar Voice that caused Sylphee to freeze at the door.

"It's not everyday that one gets to talk to a supposed dead man." Said a not so familiar voice belonging to Missus Not-Big-Sissy-Psycho-Lucy-Caboosy, "It was difficult to ascertain your whereabouts."

"Which begs the question, how did you find me?" Asked Mister Familiar Voice.

"We're the Enclave and intelligence is my specialty." Responded Missus Not-Big-Sissy-Psycho-Lucy-Caboosy.

"I guess that's fair enough. I assume that you were looking for me for a reason." Stated Mister Familiar Voice.

"I two things. I have a problem that I need resolved and I have something that you might want." Said Missus Not-Big-Sissy-Psycho-Lucy-Caboosy.

"Ha! What could the Enclave possible have that I would want?" Asked Mister Familiar Voice.

"Well I have, in my custody, the very man who tried to put you in an early grave and the one who was sent to kill you by the very people you used to represent. In return for him, I want you to perform a little errand for me, Undertaker" Explained Missus Not-Big-Sissy-Psycho-Lucy-Caboosy.

"Don't call me that. I'm not a fuckin' Undertaker anymore." Interrupted Mister Familiar Voice.

"Fine. Henry. I'll send you the details shortly." Explained Missus Not-Big-Sissy-Psycho-Lucy-Caboosy.

Mister World sure was a small Mister World, Sylphee mused to herself as she left the door and started back down the hall, trying to remember where Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy's room was located.

*THUD!!*

Rounding another one of Missy Corners, Syphee found herself running face first into someone's chest. Looking up at Mister Heavy Plasma Vulcan man, it looked like Mister Heavy Plasma Vulcan man recognized her even though she didn't recognize him.

"Hi there Mister Heavy Vulcan Man!" Sylphee said just as Mister Heavy Vulcan Man's hand tried to clonk her in the face.

 

[Souplex]

Frank unsealed the bulkhead to Rivet City Market, and was met with...
...Landmines!
[Explosives]Frag mines (In the Gamebryo engine Fallout games anyway) had an IFF program that made them only explode on enemies. Frank was safe.
[Perception]The place was a scene of carnage. Countless mutant corpses filled the area. Only a handful of Rivet City guards though. Understandable. They had defensive positions, landmines, training, and knew the layout of the ship. Odds are they'd be able to hold against most any attack for some time.
Frank resealed the bulkhead.
[Tactics]Frank considered the layout of Rivet city and concluded that the best defensive position where they could also fit all the citizens would be the mid-ship deck.
Frank headed towards it.
As Frank walked, he thought of Pinkerton. A bitter, lonely old man spending his remaining years tinkering, and hunting mirelurks for food. His only human contact coming from occasional visits by Crazy Wolfgang to drop off stuff for him to work on, and have stuff built and repaired.
Would that be Frank in 30 years?
Frank put it out of his mind as he opened the bulkhead to the midship deck and was met with...
...A firing squad consisting of Rivet City guards with 10mm SMGs and a giant of a man with an Anti-Materiel Rifle at the end of a long hallway.
Frank knew that man, it was Morgan Bloom's bodyguard: Rudolph Julian.

Spoiler: Rudolph Julian.

Name: Rudolph Julian.
Age: 33.
Race: Human, Caucasian.
Appearance: If you were colorblind you might be forgiven for thinking Rudy was a Super Mutant. Being bald, 7 feet tall, 400 pounds, and incredibly muscled.

Personality: Not terribly bright, but aware of it. He's incredibly loyal to his employer as an incredibly stable source of very good income who treats him with a lot more respect than his previous mercenary contractors. He's quiet, diligent, follows orders, and will use violence the moment he thinks Bloom will allow it. He is very kind to those who show him and his employer respect.

Weapons: AM Rifle + ammo, Minigun + ammo, Bumper Sword.
Apparel: Advanced Combat Armor MK II (With helmet) with a dollar-bill green color scheme with am orange cartoon overweight cat on the left breastplate. (The color scheme of all members of the Fat-Cat mercenary company.
Other items: Stimpacks, jerky, water, rad-away, wine, -MB (Items marked with -MB are being carried for Morgan Bloom) Mirelurk caviar, -MB a folding chair, -MB and the (Now useless) keys to one of Bloom's limos which was sadly destroyed by the mutants outside.

S. 10
P. 6
E. 10
C. 3
I. 2
A. 6
L. 5
Primary Skills: Guns, (Of the big variety) Melee weapons, (Of the big variety) Armor.
Secondary Skills: Piloting, (He is often called upon to be Mr. Bloom's chauffeur, and has become quite good at driving his limos as a result.) explosives, unarmed.
Dump Skills: Science, Repair, Medicine.

Perks: [Toughness 2], [Strong Back], [Heavyweight], [Size Matters] (Improved performance with heavy weapons) [Stonewall] [Adamantium Skeleton] [Bloody Mess]

Traits: [Bruiser], (It was a trait in old Fallout that serves as the opposite of small frame) [Built to Destroy]

Bio: As a man of considerable size and strength, Rudolph made his living as a mercenary working for various clients. Most were cruel, unpleasant people. Many tried to cheat him out of his money, only to learn the hard way that you don't try and cheat a man who commits acts of violence for a living. Eventually he found himself working for the Fat Cats, where Bloom took notice of his skills and hired him as a bodyguard.

If Julian was here, so was Bloom.
"I'm here to help!"
"Stand down!"
The firing line lowered their weapons.
Frank knew that voice. Commander Danvers. Head of Rivet City security.
"Hello Frank." Please tell me the Brotherhood is here and the mutants outside are all dead?"
"I'm afraid not Lana. I do however have a plan to save everyone."
"What plan is that?"
"The best plan."
Frank un-slung the bag from his shoulder and revealed its contents.

 

[The Harkinator]

Sylph skipped at a surprising speed and William found it hard to keep up, especially as the Power Armour impeded him, he noticed he was beginning to sweat, the weight of the armour was tiring him and without proper training he didn't know how to work it properly.

As she skipped Sylph began talking about Lucy and Johnny in a very slow voice, she also asked William if he knew "Mommy Meryl Barrel" which he didn't. Turning this corner and that, Sylph led him into parts of the Enclave base he hadn't been before until, with a flourish she announced they had reached their destination and began to open the door they had arrived at. Then suddenly stopped. "It's not everyday one gets a call from the Enclave." Said Mister Familiar Voice that caused Sylphee to freeze at the door.

Two voices could be heard from inside, William couldn't really distinguish them too much, did he know them?

"It's not everyday that one gets to talk to a supposed dead man. It was difficult to ascertain your whereabouts."

"Which begs the question, how did you find me?"

"We're the Enclave and intelligence is my specialty."

"I guess that's fair enough. I assume that you were looking for me for a reason."

"I two things. I have a problem that I need resolved and I have something that you might want."

"Ha! What could the Enclave possible have that I would want?"

"Well I have, in my custody, the very man who tried to put you in an early grave and the one who was sent to kill you by the very people you used to represent. In return for him, I want you to perform a little errand for me, Undertaker"

"Don't call me that. I'm not a fuckin' Undertaker anymore." (Rude, thought William)

"Fine. Henry. I'll send you the details shortly."

Sylph had apparently decided this wasn't actually the right room. To be honest, without hearing a familiar voice in there it probably wasn't the right room. She doubled back on herself and led William round a corner, and skipped straight into someone. After trying to greet him, Slyph was about to get a punch to the face for her troubles.

"Hey hold it!" Shouted William, moving forward to grab the fist and deflect it to the side. The impact hurt more than William thought it would, though that was balanced by the extra power provided to William's return blow, a jab to the chest made his opponent take a step back. William adopted a defensive stance beside Sylph and issued a warning to his opponent.

"Stay away from the girl, I'm escorting her back to her room."

 

[Souplex]

Frank entered the capital preservation society where much of Rivet City was gathered with the intent of divvying the equipment Pinkerton had provided Frank.
Once there he saw something that made his stomach sink.
"Hello Frank."
He saw Gabrielle Rothman holding an infant.
"Please tell me that isn't what it looks like."
Gabrielle gave Frank a look that told him everything he needed to know.
"Meet Argyle. Our son."
"...Um... Hello."
"So this is what it takes to leave you at a loss for words?"
"I'm going to need a bit to process this. We'll talk about it if I survive."
"Of course."
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Krug liked being a Behemoth. The only problem was how hungry he got. He had to eat a lot. He liked eating though, so that was a plus.
Sure the sun was a lot brighter to his much bigger eyes, but the wasteland was always overcast anyway.
Suddenly he heard something.
"Tunnel Snakes Rule!"
Then there was a bright flash and a ringing in his ears.

 

[Generic NPC 22]

The Enclave Vault - Psychological Services | Two Days from Now - 16:00

*KLAK!! KLAK!! KLAK!! KLAK!! KLAK!! KLAK!! KLAK!! KLAK!! KLAK!!*

Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209 gritted his teeth underneath his standard issue Enclave Power Armored Helmet as its audio pickups sent the KLACKING of a Newton's Cradle, seated on a nearby stainless steel table, directly into his inner ear. Looking about the sparse office, Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209 noted a pair of mice (?) in a nearby cage, their owner, and the man that Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209 was here to see, having seen fit to place the creatures in a couple of miniaturized Enclave Power Armor suits. Looking closely at the pair, Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209 thought he saw the shorter one with a large head squeaking to the taller one, who was trying to run about in his wheel.

"*SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!*" The Rodent Squeaked until it noted that Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209 was watching the two. Giving Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209 a glare, the shorter one with the large head pulled a privacy curtain down, forcing Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209 to refocus on Enclave Psychological Specialist #5150.

"Vell Enclave Heavy Veapons Vpecializt noomber to-oh-nein. Tell vhy yoo have zis obzession vis zis fraulein un red. Yoo don't meind eef I call yoo Enclave Heavy Veapons Vpecializt noomber to-oh-nein do yoo?" Asked Enclave Psychological Specialist #5150 as he wrote down some notes.

"I'd prefer it if you called me E.D." Responded Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialist #209, "It's short for Enclave Dominator, you know, since we Dominate everything with our Plasma Vulcans."

"Ah, I zee. Vell again Heavy V - I mean - E.D. #209. Tell me about yoor obzession vis zis fraulein un red."

"Well it started a few days ago. I was patrolling -" E.D. #209 managed to start saying before he was interrupted by Enclave Psychological Specialist #5150 interrupted.

"How about we zztart vith zat day?"

"Oh man! Did you see that Ghoul's face? It was priceless." E.D. #209 said jovially to E.D. #300 as they walked down the corridor back from patrol.

E.D. #310, the runt of the trio looked a bit confused, especially since he hadn't gone out on patrol with the others.

"So #209 here corners a Ghoul on top of the OCD building and the freak pulls out, of all things, a 10 Millimeter pistol and starts waving it in front of him like it's gonna do something and what does 209 do? He gets all robot voiced and says 'Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply.' So the Ghoul drops the gun thinking that 209 here is gonna let him live and that's when he goes 'You now have 15 seconds to comply.' That's when the Face Biter starts looking for a way out. 'You are in direct violation of Penal Code 1.13, Section 9.' The Ghoul starts running around back and forth, looking for some place to hide but you know you can't hide from these Plasma Vulcans. Of course 209 here keeps it going. 'You have 5 seconds to comply.' That's when the Ghoul starts screaming from the top of that OCD building 'HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME!' 'Four... three... two... one... I am now authorized to use physical force!' Man I have never seen anyone shit his pants while getting Green Jello'd at the same time. It was awesome."

"Yeah it was." Added #310 and getting a stern look from both E.D. #209 and E.D. #300. It was obvious that even though the trio were Enclave Heavy Weapons Specialists, they weren't exactly cut from the same cloth.

"So you gonna go get some chow with #310 and me?" #300 asked as they rounded a corner.

"Nah. I'm gonna go get a bit of shut eye." E.D. #209 said.

"You mean you're gonna go look in the hole that you found that looks into #411's shower." #300 said before he and #310 started peeling away towards the mess hall.

"Wait. There's a hole in #411 shower?" #310 asked, his voice fading off in the distance."

The Enclave Vault - Psychological Services | Two Days from Now - 16:00

"Vait! Zere iz a hole in Enclave Intelligence Zpecializt #411's shower." Asked Enclave Psychological Specialist #5150.

"Uh. NO?" #209 lied before continuing with his recounting of that day, "Now where was I? Oh yeah -"

*THUD*

Something ran straight into E.D. #209's chest, something far shorter than he was and when he looked down to see what sort of blind idiot it was he saw HER! That damnable blue haired runt of a c**t that had been messing with him for the last few days. She wasn't going to get away this time.

Realizing that the corridor was far too narrow for him to whip out his Plasma Vulcan he sent a punch at her.

"Hi there Mister Heavy Vulcan Man!" The soon to be bag of broken bones little girl said.

"Hey hold it!" Said another voice as some guy moved in front of the Blue ***** and blocked his punch. "Stay away from the girl, I'm escorting her back to her room."

It was sort of at that point that things got really - weird.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Mister Talking Neck Man!" Said the Red Retard, pulling the White Knight by the shoulder, spinning him around and turning her back to E.D. #209 as if the two were going to talk in private or something, "I said that I'd help you go find Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy and Daddy Johnny Shakes but I didn't say that I would go do the bouncy bouncy with you."

As the Runt in Red said this, she pushed that White Knight Son of a ***** back a bit and took a step forward, making E.D. #209's second punch miss and dent one of the metal corridor walls. This, of course, infuriated E.D. #209 as he sent another punch towards the back of the Blue Haired Idiot's head.

"I mean you're nice Mister Talking Neck Man but it's weird that you talk from your neck and all." The Moron continued pushing the White Knight Asshole back once again and once again causing E.D. #209's punch to miss and strike the other wall, "It's also weird that you're named Mister Talking Neck Man. Did your mom not like you that she named you Mister Talking Neck Man?" *PUSH - WIFF* "Also, Daddy Johnny Shakes says that you should never do the bouncy bouncy on the first date or until you see the money." *PUSH - WIFF*

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!" Screamed the infuriated E.D. #209, the computer in charge of monitoring his vitals noted that there was a sudden and dramatic increase in size of a vein located on E.D. #209's forehead. Reaching out with a giant fist, E.D. #209 grabbed onto whatever he could, which was unfortunate since the first thing he grabbed was the barrel of an Anti-Materiel Rifle that the Red Hair Wench had been shouldering.

*KERBLAM!!!!!*

The next thing that E.D. #209 knew was that he was looking up at the ceiling, wondering how any of this was right or made any sort of sense.

"Oh hey look Mister Talking Neck Man! It's Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy and Daddy Johnny Shakes!!! Hi Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy and Daddy Johnny Shakes!" E.D. #209 heard his arch nemesis say before the world went dark.

The Enclave Vault - Psychological Services | Two Days from Now - 16:00

"An' zo yoo zpent foorty eight hourzzz in zee medical vard. Yoo know how lucky yoo are? If zee rifle vas loaded vith Armor Piercing roundzzz yoo wouldn't be here. And from vat I heer it vas catagorized az an acc-zident veapons dizcharge." Enclave Psychological Specialist #2150 said as he looked up at the clock. "Zas all zee time ve have. Oh. Mein Nurse says zat yoo have a message from Enclave Intelligence Zpecialist #411. She zays zat she vishes to meet yoo soon."

"Oh. Alright." E.D. #209 said as he stood up from the sofa, his eyes catching what Enclave Psychological Specialist #5150 had been writing.

"E.D. #209 - More like Erectile Dysfunction #209. Possible Penis Envy."

"Ahh izz mein next patients! Zee Maintenance Brothers!" Enclave Psychological Specialist #5150 said happily.

"And the Maintenance Sister!" added Enclave Maintenance Worker #3000 as she waltzed into the room.

 

[Souplex]

Frank's plan was very simple. The size of an eye determines how much light it takes in. An infant human has eyes of similar size to adult eyes because they are born fully sized. Nocturnal animals have much larger eyes than us because they need more light.
Everything on a Super Mutant was bigger than on a human with the exception of sex-organs. The average Behemoth stands at about 15 feet, with eyes the size of a human fist.
One of the things in the bag, was a buttload of flashbangs. The Behemoths would be blind.
The other part of the plan was something Frank had developed after the siege of Project Purity: The force rifle.
During the battle of Project Purity, countless scavengers had acquired force-field generators. Some of those eventually came into the possession of Crazy Wolfgang who traded them to Pinkerton.
While a Force Rifle could knock over a tank, it couldn't do lethal damage to anything. It was like smacking something with a big soft glove. The greater the surface area, the more of its push it could use. But it wouldn't pierce, smash, burn, or melt. Behemoths would have plenty of surface-area though.
There was also a replacement Rose-Cutter in the bag, and a bunch of Mirelurk meat but that wasn't relevant to the plan.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officer Lois Kaczmarek was shaking. She was selected to use one of the three force rifles that man in armor brought. She had some experience with energy weaponry. That's the reason she was selected to use it in the first place. But she was scared. She had seen seen her husband get eaten alive by one of those things, and there were apparently five of them out there.
She felt a rather colossal hand on her shoulder.
"Be calm. We can do it."
Rudolph Julius seemed relatively calm all things considered.
His calm seemed to help her maintain hers.
At noon on the dot, they would come out of the top of the tower and begin firing, while two other teams would come out on the flight deck and the city entrance.
"Let's hope this works."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank stood at the exit to Rivet City's market.
It turned noon.
"Go!"
The bulkhead was opened.
"Tunnel Snakes rule!"

Spoiler: After the grenade went off, Frank charged out and put on a song

The mutants were disoriented, and being knocked over by blue flashes.
"Perfect."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Krug was still blind, and his ears were still ringing. But through the ringing he though he heard something.
...Music, and...
[sub]"Shoryuken![/sub]
He felt three spikes jab into his head.
Then he felt warm.
Then he didn't feel anything.

 

[wilcoblackflame]

Marlon had trailed after Danielle, and quietly joined the meeting, feeling a little out of place among the paladins, but as Lyons made no objection to his presence he was content to sit by and pay attention. Besides, the mood in the room didn't look super upbeat for starters, so he was at least looking forward to seeing a positive response from Lyons regarding the swordfish blueprints once Danielle passed them along.

As Lyons went through the laundry list of bad tidings it became very apparent that there was very little good news on the table at all. The Enclave turning out might as well have been an invitation to the world's wildest party. Raiders, Ghouls, zombies, behemoths....a nuka cola monster? Eh, that one could wait maybe. Nuka Cola was awful. Give a man a whiskey any day of the week.

And then of course, the big news. Chinese Ghouls. Lots and lots and LOTS of chinese ghouls. Probably anyway. Still ominous even if they weren't.

Marlon listened as Danielle rattled off the names of the groups she was considering bringing into the temporary alliance to deal with the enclave. Some of them he'd heard of on his way here. Others he hadn't heard of, but what he was really waiting for was to see her reaction to Danielle's proposition. It was obviously still going to be a touchy subject to some members of the brotherhood, just as Danielle said, but at the end of the day, he wanted the outcasts in the ground and if they were going to be persuaded to take a few hits for him and the brotherhood, so be it, that'd just soften them up a bit more when the time to wipe them out came. If Lyons hated them as much as it seemed, he'd be happy to help.

As for the other groups, some of them sounded interesting...And if Danielle was proposing to run about bringing them under the anti-enclave banner then maybe he'd see if he could tag along. It was always good to meet potential buyers face to face after all. Hopefully enough of them would still be alive after all this.

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

There were a few reasons that Lucy chose to stay ahead of Johnny while they wandered the uninspired and ever-expanding corridor.

First and foremost, Lucy was genuinely worried about Sylph's well-being, doubly so in the heart of the Enclave. The protection of Sylph felt like it was her responsibility. Initially viewed as a burden, Lucy had made some amendments as to how she had viewed Sylph in their short time together -...the more she looked at Sylph, the more she saw of herself. If one were to boil their basic motivations down to the very core...they both wanted the same thing: justice/revenge, a family, a friend, a home and maybe even love. The duo merely had a 'different' set of problem-solving methods each. That's what she thought at least...one side was something of an enemy, the other side was the closest thing (and weirdest...really weird) she's had to a sister.

Secondly, The Editor had unnerved and even frightened Lucy to such a great degree that it was difficult to face Johnny and not imagine the twisted entity twisting his appearance for it's amusement. In a strange way, the Enclave's immediate presence served as a constant reminder of what she had set out to do. So she put aside her fear and channeled her frustration into a different avenue.

Walking down the halls with purpose and a strong sense of rebellion, Lucy started to notice the hallway's amount of personnel activity increase in volume as a commotion was heard but not seen through the sea of black power armor ahead of her -

**KERBLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!!**

Many soldiers, as did Lucy, flinched and directed their attention towards the unmistakable echo of a heavy weapon being discharged. And just for a moment, the crowd parted slightly to reveal a flash of red and ponytails...(Sylph!)...the problem arose as more soldiers exited nearby rooms to flood the hallway even more.

They were in the way of her Sylph.

"INVERT CONTROLS!" Lucy commanded fiercely.

Lucy had drawn her rifle and unclipped the scope from the rifle's rail mount. By this point, two small digital screens had flipped over and displayed themselves on either side of the frame: '(00:59)'.

"THE BEAST!!!"

Recognizing its command, the outer shell of the frame retracted backwards over the stock to enclose itself painfully around Lucy's wrist, effectively locking it in place. With the external frame out of the way, four symmetrical restraint-pylons on either side extended outwards and released its first external burst of steam while the rifle revved with power.

Audibly, Beast Mode had made her rifle growl, almost begging for release. Lucy, serving as the Beast's master kept it disciplined and amplified it's aggressively loud warning by dragging the rifle's muzzle along the ground behind her as she strode forward. The crowd quickly parted as they caught sight of her cold glare and heard the savage roar of her rifle echoing off the walls.

"Isaac's daughter-!" ... "Gauss Girl-!" ... "Isn't that-?" ... "Bob is nuts..." ... "She punched #411-!" ... "A Gauss Plus? Without a suit???"

Announcing her presence so dramatically had far exceeded her expectations and she was now subject to gossip easily overheard only a few feet away from various sources. Regardless, she continued her march towards the Red Menace, her eye piercing anyone that seemed intent on stopping her.

"Oh hey look Mister Talking Neck Man! It's Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy and Daddy Johnny Shakes!!! Hi Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy and Daddy Johnny Shakes!" She was even met with Sylph's version of fanfare.

Stopping in front of Sylph, Lucy smirked at the injured soldier and anti-materiel rifle being dragged away. Turning her attention to Sylph, her smirk remained as she placed her hand on her hip confidently. "We'll get you another one. In fact, we're going shopping now at the armory...on me, for free." She winked at Sylph, much more relieved that she was okay, while simultaneously being amused at the soldier's injury.

Two armored figures motioned to Sylph from behind but they quickly backed off when her Beast Mode expended another burst of steam. Lucy turned to the only figure that hadn't budged at all, a solitary soldier, he/she was met with a withering glare and even more of a cold reception. "She stays by my side. Take it up with Number One if you have a problem."

Raising her head slightly, the Eyepatched girl looked down her nose at the soldier with a visible level of contempt before turning her attention to Sylph and Johnny. "We passed an armory on the way here. We're getting restocked. I'm leaving with or without you. We don't have much time left."

Turning around completely, her rifle scraped across the floor as it's roar echoed along the walls once more. Halfway down the corridor, Lucy commanded Beast Mode once more. "Disengage!" One final burst of steam was expended before all the components resumed their natural position, her rifle seemed frustrated at not being used.

[hr]

10 minutes later: Enclave Armory #45-1

Lucy had made note of this particular armory as a halfway point between their destination and her room. It seemed a good a place as any to get prepared before heading out.

Stepping into a spacious room filled with weapons, utilities and unknown tech displayed along the walls Lucy was welcomed by a shout from a soldier relaxing with his feet up on a desk. Presumably the guy in charge here. "Asset Black? I just got the notice dat you'd be arrivin'..." The soldier tapped away swiftly at an advanced-looking Pip-boy on his wrist. "Take a look, the Big Guy upstairs cleared ya' for everything but the best."

As the soldier was talking, wall-wide holographic interfaces appeared, displaying every weapon available in the armory. Weapons were divided into categories such as: 'Small Guns, Energy Weapons, Big Guns, Melee Weapons, Unarmed...' with numerous and detailed statistics regarding things like ammo capacity and weapon weight, among others. A few weapons were crossed out displaying the words 'unavailable' or 'higher-clearance required'.

"Just add anything ya want to the wishlist and wait for vending machine to process the order."

"Thaaanks..." Lucy was in heaven, she was squeeing as she read about energy weapons she had never heard of. After a few moments of clapping and excited 'eeeeeeeeee's!', Lucy stifled her inner-dork and tapped the interface for:

- 1 Plasma Pistol
- An abundance of ammunition for her Plasma Pistol and Gauss Rifle.
- 4 Stimpacks
- 1 Katana (For Sylph...Lucy could always give it back if it wasn't to Sylph's liking.)
- 1 Reinforced 9-Iron Golf Club (For Beryl)

Lucy pondered what Johnny might have wanted, but she would rather let him decide.

Confirming her order, a few rumbles and tumbles could be heard and a nearby vending machine soon had all her new gear thrown together in a large tray, an automated voice muttered something about 'If you shop anywhere else I'll have you killed!'.

Packing her items into her backpack, Lucy waited for everyone else to make their decisions.

 

[nuba km]

Without another word Larry set up a workstation, he organised his tools and made sure there was a nice patch of dirt near his workstation. He looked over the salvage that was rounded up, near everything was broken 'do these people ever consider taking something out in a fashion that you can use it later' he thought to himself. He took the most intact replicant they had and took it carefully apart sorting the pieces and carefully placing them out next to the work station, he then did the same for an eyebot, a super-sledge, a de-powered power armour and a vertibird engine. Larry then wrote a list.

Spoiler

motor bike handles
soldering wire
wonder glue
any sort of pneumatic pump and things relating to it
any piece of technology that people will be willing to part with

He handed this list to the Mr.Handy, 'hey can you try getting me this stuff' Larry asked it. Larry then took a look and the blue prints from the lone wanderers supply cache 'This is something I could work with'. Larry then sat next to the patch of dirt near his work station and starting drawing parts of his designs ideas he needed to visualise in the dirt using his finger.

 

[TheDoctor455]

Lucy parted a crowd... by scratching the metal floors of the vault with a... growling sniper rifle... sorry... gauss rifle. What was Johnny thinking at that point? Well... put it to you this way: if Lucy then announced that she was going to walk into a funeral pyre with a bunch of dragon eggs... Johnny would ask her to hold onto a plate of brownies so that Sylph would have a snack.

Its also worth mentioning that the crowd that was parting... was full of Enclave. Some scientists, some rookies, but a LOT of hardened veterans in there, some still in Power Armor. And they were all cowering, scuttling into the shadows, practically trampling each other just to get away from Lucy. How awesome did Johnny find this?

Well, put it to you this way: after coming out of the pyre with three live dragons, and announced that she wanted to unite the former U.S. with her as its new president, well... Johnny would immediately sign up to help her out however he could.

But... then there was the growling rifle. It was a peculiarly specific sound to Johnny. It reminded him a little too much of...

Long dark hallways always getting longer and darker...

a spiral staircase that never seemed to end, always twisting down, down, DOWN... or was it up?

Was Johnny sinking? Or was the staircase g r o w i n g, e x p a n d i n g ?

Then, having accomplished her task, the bad-ass beauty snapped Johnny out of his shivering episode by giving him clear instructions that he could follow, and well...

Seeing Lucy getting a bit too serious again, Johnny joined Sylph in giving her a mock salute. (he also needed to relieve the tension from earlier) Or at least, he assumed he was joining Sylph in doing so, he wasn't really looking in her direction, but it felt like the kind of thing she'd do. At any rate, he put his middle and index finger on his nose while Lucy was still looking, and then stuck his tongue out when she wasn't.

"Well," he said, turning to Sylph, "I think its time to go shopping, sweetie."

He took Sylph's hand and led her towards the armory.

"Seriously though, Sylph," he said, a worried frown creasing his features, "You really had us worried there, you shouldn't just wander off like that. Though I am glad you left a note. That was a very good and smart thing to do. Thank you. And..."

He trailed off, realizing that 1. he was talking like a parent, 2. he was mentally thinking of Lucy as Sylph's other parent, and 3. he'd have to deal with Beryl at some point. He shrugged it off, and gave Sylph a comforting smile as they entered the armory. Then, he made what could very well have been one of the worst mistakes he'd made this year... he let go of Sylph's hand in the middle of a room full of weapons, some of which looked explosive. And why? Because he saw a gun he'd been looking for ages, ever since he'd found his trusty lever-action rifle. He'd found his baby rifle's older, hotter, and all-around better twin sister, the backwater rifle. He grabbed it, and checked the chamber, it looked it would use the same ammo... but since it was more durable, it looked like it might handle the kind of ammo he'd been wanting to try for a while now...

and turning to the rows upon rows of ammo crates... yep, the Enclave had it. Not only did they have nearly limitless supplies of 10mm rounds, but they also had the buckshot, and incendiary variants of it. But that wasn't really the issue here... no... they even had some of the almost legendary acidic rounds. Incredibly rare, and incredibly dangerous to handle without the proper training or knowledge, the acidic rounds were well... full of sulphiric acid. And the Enclave only had... twenty of those in their specially designed box. He grabbed it after making sure no one was looking. He grabbed a couple of bandoliers so that he could sling both of his rifles over his back, and then he found something he found truly incredible... a ballistic fist!

He knew it could jeopardize the mission but... he knew he'd never have another shot... plus, it'd be nice to have a well-hidden back-up plan just in case things went awry, or if they had to go toe-to-toe with a super mutant army led by a great voice actor.

Between the asshole, and Sylph... he wouldn't be surprised if they wound up fighting an army at some point.

Oh wait.

Sadly though... 'well-hidden' did not describe a ballistic fist... and Johnny couldn't even lift the damn thing from its perch. So he turned his attention to a collection of knives, and a very strange one caught his attention. It looked like it might have once been a great kitchen knife, but... now it seemed to be far too sharp for that, and it was glowing bright orange. Normally this would also make it hard to hide, but the Enclave had thought of that, and provided a sheath for it. Johnny grabbed both, put the knife in its sheath, and attached it to one of the bandoliers.

So... to recap, Johnny grabbed the following from the armory before meeting up with Lucy:

1 backwater rifle

1 super-heated cosmic knife

20 rounds of acidic 10mm ammo

70 rounds of incendiary 10mm ammo

100 rounds of standard 10mm ammo

4 stimpacks

1 large roll of gauze

1 medium-sized wheel of cheese he stole from the kitchens just one minute before Lucy was about to leave.

 

[Generic NPC 22]

Mister Enclave Vault | Place with LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of Guns and Stuff

"OooOooOOoOOOooOoOOO shiny Shiny SHINY!!!!" The Red Menace exclaimed as Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy handed her a REALLY LONG and REALLY SHINY Missy Hacky Slashy. Pulling the REALLY LONG and REALLY SHINY Missy Hacky Slashy out of Mister Wooden Sheathe, Sylphee amused herself by waving the REALLY LONG AND REALLY SHINY Missy Hacky Slashy around, letting the light dance off the sharpened edge making "VRREEOW! VREEEOOOM! CHREEEEECHACK!" noises as she did.

"Big Sissy Psycho Lucy Caboosy - I am your Sissy!" Sylphee said in a low low voice as she waved the blade in the air once again.

Now, the Blue Haired Girl really hadn't meant to do this, but it just sorta happened in a way that these things do when things happened around Sylphee. The Red Menace brought the REALLY LONG and REALLY SHINY Missy Hacky Slashy down from over her head and sort of lost her grip on the REALLY LONG and REALLY SHINY Missy Hacky Slashy.

"Ooops!" Sylphee exclaimed as she watched the REALLY LONG and REALLY SHINY Missy Hacky Slashy bounce off of the floor back towards Sylphee, hitting her most favoritest choker in the world.

*PING PING PING* Went the Red Jeweled Choker as it clattered against the floor.

"Seriously though, Sylph," Master Johnny Truant said, a worried frown creasing his features, "You really had us worried there, you shouldn't just wander off like that. Though I am glad you left a note. That was a very good and smart thing to do. Thank you. And..."

"You are welcome Master Johnny Truant, I guess the idiot can be taught new tricks." Sylph's cold voice said as she retrieved the accessory from the floor and placed it in the pocket of the uniform that had been gifted to her by Lucy Black. After admiring the Katana for a moment, the Blue Haired Murderer sheathed the blade before tucking the weapon through the straps of her pack.

Walking towards the Holographic Display marked Small Guns, Sylph ordered an Anti-Materiel Rifle and Silencer. Though she was used to the .22 Caliber Rifle that she had carried, she understood that it would have little effect on Power Armored Soldiers.

"I should mention that there was a Power Armored Soldier looking for you and Lucy Black." Sylph stated as she finished her preparations to leave the Enclave Vault before sitting herself next to the Enclave Soldier that was in charge of the Armory, her face appearing to be deep in thought, though no one could really tell whether it was the her trying to keep herself from killing the Solder next to her or thinking about something else.

 

[The Harkinator]

So close, but so far, you let her get away. William had been so surprised by Lucy's sudden appearance that he hadn't moved from his spot until she was gone, disappeared along with Sylph. Lucy had thrown some angry words William's way before she left, not realising who was under the armour.

The crowd of Enclave personnel that had parted to allow her to leave suddenly re-formed before William, his helmet display was flooded with designations of everyone in front of him. William thought he saw Lucy turn a corner with the distinctive hair of Sylph bobbing beside her. What are you going to do now, run after her? She'll look straight through you, or worse, look at you like she hates you. You're dressed like the Enclave after all.

No, not this time, not again. William fought through the crowd, pushing his way through scientists and soldiers alike. Some got out of his way, others didn't and were forced aside. In all the commotion William finally slipped out of the crowd and set off after Lucy.

William kept up a fast pace, occasionally having to back track when he realised he'd gone the wrong way. In addition, the occasional person would rush the other way thinking something was still going on.

So what are you going to do when you get there? Take off your helmet and say hello? That won't work, why don't you try informative placards?

Armoury, armoury, armoury. Where are you?

Armoury #45-1

THERE YOU ARE! FOUND YOU! William paused outside the door for a moment, not sure what he would say or do, then he opened it and stepped into the armoury. Sylph was sitting in the room, looking unusually subdued. Johnny Truant was also here, admiring a new rifle. But then there was Lucy, putting stimpacks into her backpack. William stepped into the room itself, taking in the incredible array of weapons, then cleared his throat.

"Lucy, hello I need to talk to you. It's an urgent matter, is there anywhere we can speak privately? .... Ms Black."

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

Enclave Armory: Liek OMG #YOLOSWAG1337MySpaceHashtag

Lucy's left thigh holster now housed her plasma pistol combined with a pouch below filled with the necessary energy cells. On her right thigh, a pouch housed her stimpacks in order to remove any clutter from her low-hanging backpack.

**SHIIIIIIIIIIING!**

Lucy prayed to the God of Decapitations for sparing her. Her hair however was not so fortunate. During Sylph's playing around with the sword, she had lopped off one of Lucy's pigtails in the process, giving her even more of an asymmetrical appearance to go along with the eyepatch.

Food! Something had to keep Sylph busy before the God of Decapitations decided that he was unsatisfied. Making one final order under the consumables section, Lucy ordered a large batch of Brahmin Jerky. Packing most of it away into her backpack for their journey, she kept two large pieces in hand.

Turning around, the difference in the shifted Sylph was easily apparent. Lucy quietly took a seat next to the unchained Sylph, the Soldier in charge of the armory seemed to pick up on the tension between the two and busied himself with work far away from the duo.

Lucy laid down a chunk of Brahmin Jerky and pushed it towards her, "Your note said you were hungry." Lucy desperately needed to decompress before chaining herself under the Asset facade once more, and she was in no position to be picky about who she tried to reach out to. So...

"See this?" Lucy pointed to an inner component in her plasma pistol with a smile that couldn't cover her heartache. "It's a magnetic accelerator. The problem is that the super-heated bolts travel at a slower speed than conventional bullets. This part eliminates the problem by speeding up the projectile..." Lucy took a breath, knowing that she was rambling. "I've only ever seen two. Dad would know all the technical stuff, he just told me what to do while we worked together."

Lucy leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice for only Sylph to hear. "Since my time here, I found the three men responsible for his death. Each time -" her fists clenched. "- I had a chance to pull the trigger, but I didn't. This morning I had the chance to end it all - but that would hurt all of you."

Lucy leaned back a little, looking upwards to reveal her face, she was visibly guilt-ridden during the confession. "I caused far too much damage by coming here. Not even a scratch on the Enclave...knowing them, none of us would be leaving this place alive. So I came up with the mission idea to get all of us out of here safely."

Lucy pushed her piece of uneaten Jerky towards Sylph. "This stopped being about me the moment I woke up on the Vertibird here. I was too late to realize it though."

With a brooding frown, "I'm sorry for what he did to you. N-nobody ever said that to me - " Lucy sighed hopelessly. "Then again, none of this really matters to you, but...isn't this what 'sisters' do anyway, confide in each other?"

Lucy hastily straightened up when the door to the armory had opened some distance off.

"Hope you like the outfit and the blade." The Gauss Girl concluded bluntly as she wrapped herself tightly in the Asset role once more. Taking a few moments to regain her composure, someone watching would have noticed her body shifting towards a more domineering stance while her facial expression grew defiant.

"Lucy, hello I need to talk to you. It's an urgent matter, is there anywhere we can speak privately?....Ms Black."

With her recent conversation still in mind, she honestly wished to destroy this new Enclave puppet on the spot, but this most likely had to do with their upcoming mission.

Hang on - 'Lucy', 'Miss Black'...her Asset status was always made abundantly clear in her time here. Perhaps she had earned some goodwill...in some backwards method.

While she could put on an act when the Fallout-Sector was concerned, anything below that was met with contempt. And she had made every effort to make this one feel unwanted and unwelcome.

If her glare wasn't enough, the way she walked right up to the soldier's suit, and the tone she had adopted certainly was. "My room. Whatever you have to say can be said in front of my friends. Your masters have taught you how to follow, haven't they?"

Maybe that was a little much, but she could hardly feel guilty for an Enclave dog's bruised ego.

"You walk a little funny, Enclave dog. I'll lead the way then."

Nodding towards her friends, Lucy made her way back to her room once everyone confirmed that they had finished here.

[hr]

Lucy's room: Overcapacity, don't cha' think?

Lucy loudly announced her presence by tossing Beryl's new reinforced golf-club on the table. "Auto-sweepers should trouble you no more." she declared callously.

Once the door was closed and everyone was present. Lucy glared at the soldier with impatience while her blood boiled at it's presence. "You can speak now!"

 

[Generic NPC 22]

The Enclave Vault | Place with LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of Guns and Stuff An Armory

"Your note said you were hungry." Lucy Black stated as she pushed a piece of Dried Brahmin Jerky towards the Stormy Eyed Homicidal Maniac and though Sylph lacked a large amount of empathy towards anything with a pulse others, she could sense that her "sister" was in need of an open ear. Picking up the preserved and salted hunk of Brahmin, Sylph took a small bite of the tough meat and listened to the frailer looking Lucy Black.

"It's a magnetic accelerator. The problem is that the super-heated bolts travel at a slower speed than conventional bullets. This part eliminates the problem by speeding up the projectile..." Lucy Black took a breath "I've only ever seen two. Dad would know all the technical stuff, he just told me what to do while we worked together."

Sylph nodded as she looked at the Plasma Pistol part that Lucy Black pointed out and nodded simply and made what she thought would be a look that expressed interest. Father hadn't taught Sylph very many things outside of the realm of weapons, their use and their maintenance. For Lucy Black to have taken the time to explain something to Sylph was a bit - confusing.

The topic of Projectile Acceleration via manipulation of Magnetic Fields didn't seem to be the topic that was on Lucy Black's mind however and it was confirmed when the Cyclopean Gauss Girl leaned forward to whisper in the Red Uniformed Menace's ear.

"Since my time here, I found the three men responsible for his death. Each time -" The Asymmetrically haired Sniper said with fists clenched. "- I had a chance to pull the trigger, but I didn't. This morning I had the chance to end it all - but that would hurt all of you."

The Admission that Lucy Black had opted to not complete her mission of vengeance due to the backlash that would come upon the group was a surprise to the girl that had been trained to follow through with her orders regardless of the result and yet it did call into question what Sylph had heard while Sylphee had control. Father wasn't dead. If Lucy was caring for Sylph due to Undertaker McGee's guilt, would she still be Sylph's "sister" if she found out the truth?

The world around Sylph seemed to fade into obscurity for a time as the - what was this sensation - fear? - took hold of the girl. If her "sister" were to find out the truth, that Father was still alive and that she had sacrificed her friend the Undertaker for a slight that never occurred, would Lucy Black still be so willing to accept the Red Dressed Death Incarnate or would she leave?

"Then again, none of this really matters to you, but...isn't this what 'sisters' do anyway, confide in each other?" Lucy Black said before standing to address the Enclave Soldier that had been looking for her and Master Johnny Truant.

"[small]But it does matter to me.[/small]" Sylph responded quietly as she watched both Lucy Black and the Unknown Enclave Unit leave the Armory.

Despite the fact that she was finished with her preparations, Sylph maintained her seat in the chair within the Armory, lost in thought.

If Father was still alive, why hadn't he come looking for Sylph? Would Master Johnny Truant still be her Master if Father was still alive? Would he still treat her the same? Would Mistress Beryl Craw? If any of them found out the truth, would they want anything to do with her or would they leave her or worse, give her back to Father? Should she have told Lucy Black, Master Johnny Truant of Mistress Beryl Craw that Father was alive and that he would be looking for them and that it was possible that Sylph wouldn't be able to help herself if Father told her to kill her new family.

Fighting back a sickly feeling in her gut, the Red Menace turned towards Master Johnny Truant.

"Master Johnny Truant? If you're done, I will meet you back at Lucy Black's room." Sylph said and waited for Master Johnny to leave the room before turning to the lone remaining person that shared the room with Sylph.

"Hey, mister. Fancy a roll in the straw? I'm about to get shipped out and - well - you know." Sylph said with a practiced smile to the Enclave Unit in charge of the Armory.

Giving the girl look up and down, the Enclave Unit nodded quickly.

"How about we take that thought to my quarters?" The Soldier asked, standing up quickly.

"How about we just take that thought and do it here?" Sylph responded as she gestured for the Soldier to remove his helmet.

"Oh hot damn." The Soldier responded as he took off his helmet. As he did so, Sylph reached out to run her hands through his hair before performing the practiced twist of her wrist.

*CLICK! THUD!*

[hr]

The Enclave Vault | Outside Lucy Black's Quarters

Leaning against a wall, Sylph tried to work the red stain out of the skirt of her dress while she waited for the others. As satisfying as the act had been, the Red Menace's mind remained - worried? - about what was to come.

 

[TheDoctor455]

Enclave Vault

After sorting out his equipment and supplies, Johnny left the armory and headed back for Lucy's quarters, figuring that would be as good a place as any to meet up with the rest. Great. More steel corridors... reminds too much of home.

He nodded to Sylph as he made his way out.

----
Outside Lucy's Room

As he approached Lucy's quarters, he caught sight of Sylph leaning on a wall, and cleaning a bit of red off her dress. Somehow, she had beaten him there, but then again, all of these hallways looked so alike... not quite as... interchangeable as some that he'd encountered... in his nightmares, but still not as distinctive as they could be. He fixed an angry glare in the general area that Sylph was in... but not at her per se.

"Someone attack you?" he said, his voice getting an harsh edge as he moved to lean on the wall next to Sylph, "Whose the asshole?" He paused for a moment as he seemed to realize something... or something whispered into his ear, unseen, "Oh... you picked a fight. Well... at least you won. But... Sylph? Why? I know you like to think of yourself as 'darker' and more 'mature' than your other half, but... that was pretty random and childish of you. So... why? Why do that?"

As he kept speaking, his voice softened, no longer showing anger, just concern... and disappointment. He waited for Sylph to respond, and then he sighed again.

"What am I going to do with you two? I worry about both of you, I really do. Well... I guess I should say, all three of you..." he added, remembering Lucy, "I know you have your secrets... parts of your horrible, painful past that you'd prefer to keep to yourself," he said, again, not a hint of anger or reproach of any kind in his voice, just... a kind of tender worry to it, "I get that, I really do. But if you think for a moment that whatever you have to tell us will change anything... well... I can't really speak for Lucy, but... I think she'd understand, whatever it is. But definitely won't change anything between you and me."

He paused, and gave Sylph a reassuring hug. Then, whispering in her ear, he continued, "If you want, I'll hear you out, listen to whatever you have to say, and if you want... it'll stay between us. If not well... I can only hope you'll find someone you do feel you can confide in, sweetie. Because... eventually, a secret held long enough... it'll tear at you from within... eating away at you. I should know... mine are killing me. And... yeah... I'm a hypocrite... I'm keeping them to myself. I'm... a bit selfish here... I'm just enjoying having the three of you around... having... friends... or... whatever it is we are at this point... its just been so long since I've had anyone that I could let my guard down around... at all. And..."

Johnny stopped himself, and let go of Sylph. "I love you as much as I love your other half, okay? You're two sides of the same wonderful coin."

It was corny, he knew, but... it was the best he could come up with. Reflexively, he reached around in his satchel for his lighter, which he found, and a cigarette or a blunt or something he could light up to take the edge off things. He only found the lighter. He flicked it a few times before putting it away again, sighing.

Lastly, he waited to see if Sylph was going to do or say anything else before knocking on Lucy's door.

 

[Generic NPC 22]

The Enclave Vault | Outside "Sister" Lucy Black's Quarters

"Someone attack you? Whose the asshole" Master(?) Johnny Truant asked, his voice breaking the quietness of the Enclave Vault Corridor, his voice was filled with a concerned anger that someone had made an attempt on Sylph's life. At least that was the case for a moment until his posture shifted and his anger became focused on Sylph, causing her to flinch internally if only for a moment.

"Oh... you picked a fight. Well... at least you won. But... Sylph? Why? I know you like to think of yourself as 'darker' and more 'mature' than your other half, but... that was pretty random and childish of you. So... why? Why do that?"

How could Master(?) Johnny Truant understand? Even now it seemed that there was a divide forming between he and the Blue Haired Murderer.

"What am I going to do with you two? I worry about both of you, I really do. Well... I guess I should say, all three of you..." Master(?) Johnny Truant continued. Sylph wasn't quite sure if the question was rhetorical or not but she let him continue, her lips staying sealed for the moment. "I know you have your secrets... parts of your horrible, painful past that you'd prefer to keep to yourself, I get that, I really do. But if you think for a moment that whatever you have to tell us will change anything... well... I can't really speak for Lucy, but... I think she'd understand, whatever it is. But definitely won't change anything between you and me."

"[small]Yes. It would.[/small]" Sylph whispered quietly, too quiet to be audible to anyone but herself and though she knew that she had spoken out loud, Master(?) Johnny Truant seemed not to notice but instead gave her a hug, causing the Storm Filled Sylph to tense, her eyelids squeezing themselves tightly and blinding her to the world. She waited for the always inevitable pain that would follow in the wake of one of Father's hugs. Only once again, Master(?) Johnny Truant continued to speak quietly into Sylph's ear.

"If you want, I'll hear you out, listen to whatever you have to say, and if you want... it'll stay between us. If not well... I can only hope you'll find someone you do feel you can confide in, sweetie. Because... eventually, a secret held long enough... it'll tear at you from within... eating away at you. I should know... mine are killing me. And... yeah... I'm a hypocrite... I'm keeping them to myself. I'm... a bit selfish here... I'm just enjoying having the three of you around... having... friends... or... whatever it is we are at this point... its just been so long since I've had anyone that I could let my guard down around... at all. And..." Pausing he released Sylph from the hold allowing her to breathe more easily, "I love you as much as I love your other half, okay? You're two sides of the same wonderful coin."

Leaning back against the wall, the Girl with eyes like a storm considered the words that Master(?) Johnny Truant had spoken. Could she tell him that he was in danger just by being around her? Would he leave her behind, abandoned? If they were to see Father out in the Wastes, who would she follow? Would he tell Sister Lucy Black that Father was still alive? Would Sister Lucy Black still be her Sister after she found out that her friend the Undertaker hadn't killed his brother?

"Not yet, Master Johnny Truant. Not yet." Sylph responded as she knocked on Sister Lucy Black's door.

 

[The Harkinator]

You can speak now!

William tensed up, Lucy was acting differently to when they had met in the Citadel. She had some very clear issues with the Enclave and had certainly enjoyed throwing insults his way and exercising what power she could over the Enclave.

"It's only been a few days since we last spoke Lucy, of course I look very different wearing all this. It's probably better to show rather than tell in this case." With those last words William reached up to his helmet and removed the seals around the neck, then he took off the helmet itself. The face was a little more haggard than last time, William hadn't shaved for a couple of days and his cheek bore three vicious claw marks but it was still William.

"Hello Lucy, did you miss me?" William could do nothing but grin at this point.

 

[Souplex]

[Flashback]2261. The Citadel.
[Perception]Frank heard a great deal of sobbing coming from his mother's room.
He tried to enter to see what was going on...
...Locked tight.
He knocked on the door.
"Mom?"
No response. Just more sobbing.
An old man in a wheelchair with a missing left leg, and a terribly mutilated right one wheeled up.
"Hello Frank."
"Hi Grandpa. What's wrong with mom?"
"My son did something incredibly stupid, and she's taking it about as hard as you would expect."
Ivan (Frank's grandfather) held a note.
"What's the note say?"
"It's what's got your mother so upset."
Frank snatched the note and ran.
Ivan would not be able to keep pace, so he simply sighed, and knocked on the door.
"Sophia, it's me. I'm here to help."

Spoiler: Once Frank reached a safe place, he read the note.

My dearest Sophia:

Since my father's crippling at the hands of the mutants, it has become increasingly clear to me that Lyons has doomed us all, and that Casdin was in the right.
While it pains me to go, I swore to serve the Brotherhood's mission, and I cannot do that here.
That is why I have left for Fort Independence to join the Outcasts.
I have taken Bernard. While Lyons may have poisoned Franklin and Danielle's minds at least one of my children will grow up learning the right values.
Know that I act not out of malice, but out of duty.
I doubt you will follow, and join the Outcasts, which makes this goodbye.
I will always love you, and treasure our time together.
-David Rose.

[/Flashback]

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

"Hello Lucy, did you miss me?"

The Enclave dog had revealed itself to be none other than William Knight, AKA: Prince Charming.

"Show but don't tell, huh?" Lucy's eye widened in disbelief as she raised her chin slightly to look down at him.

William, clad in power armor, had the gall to stand before her and smile. Just like FalloutJack, Bob, #411...

"Then allow me to set the mood." Lucy pulled her rifle slowly from her back and placed it in front of her. With the muzzle to the ground she rested her hands on the butt of the rifle. "Invert Controls."

- (00:59)

"Now, Prince Charming..." The Asymmetrical Eye-patched Gauss Girl declared fiercely. "...allow me to tell you what I see."

It should be mentioned that openly-displayed surprise, quickly associated with momentary vulnerability in Lucy's mind, had not served her well over her journey. Make no mistake she was most definitely surprised, but she could compensate by using a combination of her determination to live and a hair-trigger temper to form a personal defense constructed from sheer passion. Although it was easily misguided...

Depending on how much William remembered of Lucy from their previous reunion. The physical changes were obvious, but to an intuitive individual, William would notice that Lucy had presented herself completely differently in nearly every single department. From her stance, tone, choice of words to even how she chose to project her presence instead of hiding it.

This was the shape of someone that was broken repeatedly and forced to hastily piece the shards together, losing pieces of herself in the process, but also gaining a fair few efficiently jagged edges to go along with her new form.

"I see three men before me." Her eye was intent on piercing him with her unblinking gaze. "The first man was a savior, a man that carried my broken body to safety years ago, that man was a mystery. The second man discovered me at The Brotherhood of Steel only days ago. He was always favorably regarded as the spark that drove me to relentlessly hunt down my own answers. The third man stands before me bearing the same disgusting armor and smile of those that have lied and taken everything from me."

Lucy paused to momentarily decide what to believe. Instead, she left that answer in William's hands while she made a very clear statement of her own.

"The Beast!"

With Beast Mode locked to her right-arm, the initial low growl and frustrated release of steam from the restraint bolts was held firmly in place with the muzzle facing the floor. Lucy kept the rifle propped downwards while she raised her head to continue to stare at William.

"So tell me which man really stands before me?!" Lucy commanded coldly. "Or are you actually an Enclave spy keeping tabs on their 'Asset' over the years?"

 

[The Harkinator]

"So tell me which man really stands before me?! Or are you actually an Enclave spy keeping tabs on their 'Asset' over the years?"

Not the best situation to be in. Lucy was clearly angered at the sight of William in Enclave armour and could be about to shoot him with a Gauss rifle. William had only seen such a weapon in action twice before. The first time, somebody shot it at him and missed, though a nearby wall felt the pain. The second time, William saw a mercenary have a huge hole punched through his chest by the high velocity round. For clear reasons, William was in no hurry to get shot.

"The man who stands before you is the second one. The third man does not exist and the first man is long dead, metaphorically speaking. Lucy, believe me when I say I'm not with the Enclave. I never have been and I never will be. This? It's just a disguise for me to get around unseen. Look, it's still me under here." William began to take off his armour, revealing his clothes underneath, and of course the bomb collar.

"Now look at me again, who do you see this time?"

For the record as William looked at Lucy, he also saw a different person to the ones he had encountered when they had previously met. This Lucy that stood before him was hardened and stronger, though also more threatening. She also looked more dangerous with the eyepatch, what had happened to her that had changed her so? It wasn't just the eyepatch though, the way she spat the word "Enclave" and the way she stood. This was a new Lucy, one the Enclave had fashioned into a dangerous weapon, whether they had wanted to or not.