//------------------------------// // Day 3 Part 3 // Story: Dark Wanderings // by ed2481 //------------------------------// Day 3 part 3 Cassandra sat at a familiar round table with the sound of a man singing distantly flickering in the back of her mind. Sitting next to her was The King, she’d come here seeking his counsel. To be honest The King was one of the few people (outside of those who followed her) she actually trusted. “So the legion boys think that they can move in while you’re out chasing ghosts?” The King asked. “That’s the only thing I can think of. They know that I don’t trust Benny and that I’ll disbelieve anything that he says. So they’ll want me to realize that and stay here, but if they know that I’ll think that then they’ll actually be doing something important out there which means that I’ll have to go and deal with it which means that they’ll try and do something when I’m gone. In other words I’m dammed if I do and dammed if I don’t.” Cassandra said furrowing her brow. “I wish I could give you something to lay your mind at ease, but I can’t think of anything.” The King said with a frown touching his face. Before the conversation could go any farther there was a commotion at the door. Pacer walked in. “Boss, there’s some NCR puke out here demanding to talk to the Courier, should I shoot her?” Pacer asked with a hopeful grin, The King sighed and turned to Cassandra who shrugged. “Bring her in, it’s not like my life can get even more complicated.” Cassandra sighed. A woman in NCR officers clothing walked into the room and eyed Cassandra and The King warily. The woman’s blonde hair was cut far longer than most women in the military and fell behind her in a long ponytail. Her blue eyes darted around the room taking in all the possible threats, her eyes stayed on Cassandra the longest (for obvious reasons). “I’m General Susan Murphy; I need to talk to the Courier.” She said calmly. Cassandra looked her over again and noticed that her uniform was indeed that of a general’s (albeit one that was stained with the dust of the road). “A female general in the NCR, color me impressed.” Cassandra said with an archly raised eyebrow, Susan smiled back at her thinly. “I worked hard for this position Ma’am, something that I’m sure you of all women appreciate.” She said taking the seat next to Cassandra offered by The King. “I wasn’t mocking you, just those you represent.” Cassandra replied and received a nod from Susan. “So tell me what brings you to me?” “I’ve been sent to oversee the construction of a new fort in the Vegas area and I’ve been told that that is impossible without your signature.” Susan said calmly. “Oh and I wanted to compliment you on your treatment of General Oliver, he’s an ass.” She added and her lips twitched into a genuine smile. “I did enjoy strapping a bungee cord to his leg and throwing him off the damn, although personally I liked shooting him with the BB gun while he was like that more.” Cassandra agreed with a smirk. “Trust me you got nothing but good sentiments from the act, but what about the fort?” Susan asked bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand. “Where would this fort be located?” Cassandra asked calmly. “In a canon north of Goodsprings.” Susan answered confidently. Cassandra looked at her for a few seconds to see whether or not she was joking, the General kept a straight face. “Are you insane?” Cassandra asked startling the General. “Not at the moment.” Susan replied with a shrug. “You are aware that that entire canyon is full of Cazadors aren’t you?” Cassandra asked and the General shrugged. “They’re just bugs.” “Yeah and deathclaws are only lizards.” Cassandra replied archly. “Be that as it may the canyon controls a direct route to Vegas; with it safe we can make money off of trade and protect the populace of Goodsprings.” Susan said. “Well I can’t really see a reason against it as long as you remember that any active service men not on leave will be shot on sight by the securitrons.” Cassandra told the General who nodded respectfully. “Of course Ma’am.’ She said hopping to her feet and giving Cassandra a salute. “I’m not your superior officer, but thanks.” Cassandra said. “Now you’d better go before Pacer tries to kill you.” She added with a small smirk. “Perish the thought.” The General replied with a chuckle. *** Celestia sat on her bed once again reading a book, this one was about a pony’s dreams to go into the wild and live off the land. She was bored; then again she was always bored. The change was that it was Saturday and there would be no report from Twilight to help break up the monotony. Luna had already gone to bed leaving Celestia no one immortal to talk to besides Discord and she didn’t want to fall back into that particular habit…again. So instead she put her book down and turned to review some of the requests for aid from the citizens of Equestria. The first was a pony asking her what the kingdom’s zombie plan was. Celestia sighed, for some reason ponies just didn’t understand the fact that if word ever got out of a zombie infestation then he zombie plan would’ve already failed. If such a horrible event were to ever occur then Celestia and Luna would (with heavy hearts) cleanse the infected area with fire until there was nothing left but ash, survivors be damned. She turned to the next one, some intelligent pony wanted to know what would happen if vampires attacked. Luna would don a black cowl and head to the place of the attacks. She would then kill absolutely everypony there in as bloody a way as possible to cover up her secret shame at having created vampires in the first place. The next one was about werewolves, Celestia facehoofed her guards must have been feeding her the things to distract her. The Equestrian Werewolf Association was fully capable of looking after their own and they certainly wouldn’t appreciate the help of either princess. She moved onto the next item on the list and groaned loudly, it was about the income tax! “Is there something that you need your Majesty?” One of her personal guards asked peeking his head into the room. “A large chocolate cake, a large bottle of wine, and a team of mares to ravish me.” Celestia said with a sigh, the stallion chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do about the first two your Majesty.” He replied, from outside the door she heard the other guard chuckling as well. “Thanks Artos, be a dear and kick Rudy in the shin for me.” Celestia said with a smirk as she heard the other stallion yelp in surprise. At least there was something good about being a Princess… Oh and the cake was good too. *** “Alright Sparky we’re heading out.” Ethan told the unicorn who looked at the gathering darkness apprehensively. “Are you sure Ethan, it’s getting dark?” Twilight asked. “Sparky if you don’t know how to fight in the dark then you’re as good as dead. Now remember your pipboy will show you any enemies as long as you’re looking in their direction. They can still sneak up on you if you aren’t paying attentions so watch out.” Ethan told her with a smile as he pushed open the doors of the museum and they began their sojourn into the night. “Alright Sparky we’re going to the Capital Building, the mutants always use it as a staging point and I can’t think of any better place for them to prepare to assault the Citadel from.” Ethan said pointing at the large domed building. “So you’re bringing me to what is probably the biggest concentration of enemy forces in the region…” Twilight said slowly. “Yep.” Ethan replied with a grin, Twilight shrugged. “What could possi-” She began but was stopped by Ethan’s hand clamping her mouth shut. “You NEVER say that Sparky! Remember what I said about grenades? It’s just asking the wasteland to bitchslap you!” Ethan told her sternly before releasing her jaws. “Sorry.” Twilight said in a small voice, her face looked suddenly pale and Ethan thought he saw a familiar freighted look cross her face. “You know what, I’ve decided that we won’t go tonight, we’ll room with the Brotherhood at the Monument.” Ethan told her with a chuckle and Twilight’s face immediately regained its normal shade of purple. “Thanks Ethan.” She said quietly. “I’ll teach you about night fighting later, although we may still have to kill a few muties on the way.” He told her but Twilight just nodded and followed him as he set a rapid pace across the mostly destroyed wasteland. To Ethan’s surprise the short mare ate up the distance and easily kept up with despite his longer legs. They were a few feet from the doorway of the Monument when a supermutant popped out of the trench. “Surprise!” It shouted before opening up on Ethan with a Chinese assault rifle. Ethan took the bullets without comment and drew his shotgun. He pulled the trigger once and sent a load of buckshot into the mutant’s face shredding it completely. “Game over!” Another mutant shouted as it ran in from Ethan’s blind side. Twilight turned and began to rapidly fire her plasma rifle unfortunately all but two of shots missed and they were only grazes. Twilight stopped to reload and the supermutant grabbed her in one meaty hand. “Fresh meat!” It shouted ecstatically as it squeezed her throat. Twilight struggled futilely against it for a few second before leveling her horn with its head and sending out a very slim concentrated wave of force. A large hole appeared directly through the front of the mutant’s face and it dropped Twilight to the ground with a thud, not before of course her face and mane got covered in its hot blood (that would be too much to ask of the Wasteland). Before she knew what was happening someone was dragging her away from the mutant onslaught that was pouring out of the trench. “Guys open the door it’s Ethan!” Ethan shouted over his shoulder. The metallic doors slid open easily and Ethan threw Twilight inside hopping that she wouldn’t be hurt by the fall. “Shut them I’ll be right in front.” He called over his shoulder and the doors immediately slid shut. Ethan turned to confront the supermutants of whom there were close to 20. A grim smile slid onto his face, they’d hurt Twilight, now he was going to annihilate them. With the Novasurge in one hand and the Blackhawk in the other Ethan charged the mutants. The first time he pulled the trigger of the plasma pistol a glowing green light arced out and slammed into an approaching supermutant master’s head reducing him to glowing goo. A line of Chinese assault rifle rounds slammed into his chest but his duster stopped them cold while Ethan returned fire with the Blackhawk smashing in the skull of the closest mutant. His choice of weaponry wasn’t really a very smart choice considering the close quarters (also using a magnum one handed hurt like a bitch) so after he’d killed a few more of the mutants he swapped them for his shiskibab. A master wielding a super sledge charged him and Ethan ducked under the mutant’s swing before stabbing the flaming point of his sword into the mutant’s chest and executing it with a quick downward slash. He pulled away from the mutant in time to meet the next mutant’s normal sledgehammer, with a simple stoke he cut the shaft of the hammer in half before kicking it the kneecap forcing it to crouch in pain. Ethan removed its head with a simple stroke and turned to the next mutant who had somehow managed to find a bumper sword. Ethan jumped backwards avoiding a blow meant to cut him in two. The mutant wielding the bumper sword was none other than a Nightkin overlord. The giant blue mutant glared down at Ethan eagerly, to Ethan’s surprise the other mutants had fallen back. Ethan smiled, he always liked mook chivalry. “Sup?” Ethan asked casually as he and the mutant circled each other. “I have ORDERS to take you ALIVE!” The mutant shouted. “Well that makes things interesting don’t it?” Ethan asked with a grin as he feinted to the left. The mutant ignored the feint. The mutant bull rushed Ethan but Ethan slapped its sword aside long before the mutant had reached him and sidestepped allowing the mutant to pass by him harmlessly. With practiced ease Ethan slashed his blade at the ankles of the mutant as it thundered past and to his pleasure he got a violent scream for his efforts. The mutant turned to confront Ethan its glare was filled with even more intense hatred then before. “Do you know what I don’t like about you mutants?” Ethan asked the hulking blue mutant as it growled at him unintelligibly. “Your whole philosophy, you could do so much good but instead you waste-” While Ethan had been talking he’d been paying careful attention to the mutant’s movements and he interrupted himself long enough to block the downward swing. If his bones hadn’t been reinforced he was pretty sure that the arm would’ve been broken. “Hey I was monologing!” Ethan protested before blocking another stroke by the mutant. “I do not CARE!” The mutant screamed at him before it committed itself to a frontal charge. Ethan stood stock still; he needed to time this perfectly. Just as the mutant reached him Ethan sidestepped to the right and brought his blade down on the bumper sword right where the blade met the shaft. With a high pitched whine the flaming sword cut through the weak metal and the blade of the bumper sword fell to the ground with a clang. Without hesitating a second Ethan stepped forward and plunged the flaming sword into the Nightkin overlord’s cavernous chest. When the blade was yanked out of his hands by the struggling mutant Ethan calmly drew his shotgun off of his back and open fired point blank into the mutant’s head obliterating it in a shower of red mist. With his free hand he jerked the flaming sword out of the dead mutant’s chest and one handedly snapped off a shot of buckshot into an approaching mutant’s chest before pivoting and driving the sword into another mutant’s neck. Then he ducked a mutant’s clumsy swing and dropped into VATS. Time froze around him and he took a moment to appreciate how fucked anyone but himself and three others would be at this point. There were still around twelve supermutants left but thanks to VATS he knew he would win this handily. He allotted one action point into shooting the mutant standing next to him in the leg. Then he placed a sword point into the next closest mutant’s chest before finally selecting a third mutant’s head with the shotgun. He finished the VATS selection and with practiced ease allowed the technology to take over his body. He blasted the closest mutant’s kneecaps off causing it to fall to the ground in a bloody heap. Before the first body had hit the ground he was stabbing the next mutant in the chest with the flaming sword. The he pivoted and shot the third mutant’s head off, god dammit that hurt his wrists. He was left with nine more supermutants to take care of. The mutants however were looking at each other in fear. Not one to let the enemy get away Ethan charged. He’d holstered the shotgun and instead drew his trusty shock sword. The first mutant’s head was cut off with an arc of electricity. The next had its arm cut off by a flaming blade before being kicked to the ground. The third tried to raise its super sledge in defense but Ethan simply beat it away with pure strength before plunging both blades into the mutant’s neck and decapitating it. The fourth died before it knew what was happening one second it was charging the human the next its intestines were spilling out of its stomach. He killed the fifth and the sixth with one slash each. The seventh and eighth charged him but he avoided their blades and stabbed them both in the stomach simultaneously. The last one began to run but it only got a few yards before Ethan jumped forward and stabbed the shock sword into its back. He whipped his blades clean before making his way back to the monument. The doors opened immediately and he rushed through to be confronted by a young initiate tending to Twilight’s wounds. “How bad?” Ethan asked. “She’ll have some bruising around the throat for a day or so but besides that she’s fine. Although I never studied equine anatomy so I could be missing something” The initiate said with a shrug. Ethan nodded and then lowered himself down to one knee next to Twilight who was looking at him her eyes wide. “You okay Sparky?” Ethan asked, she nodded and gestured at her throat before giving Ethan a hard glance. “Oh right, sorry Sparky.” Ethan said with a good-natured chuckle. “God I could eat a whole brahmin!” Ethan exclaimed happily as he turned to the knight sitting behind the desk who was staring at him in shock. “What?” Ethan asked noiselessly the Knight gestured towards a small viewscreen. Ethan peered at it and to his surprise he saw his battle against the mutants taking place on the screen. “Sir what you did out there was impossible!” The knight said trying to control his voice. “I’m the Lone Wanderer kid.” Ethan replied with a smile (the irony that the knight was at least ten years older than he was wasn’t lost upon either of the two). “You wouldn’t mind giving to travelers a bed to sleep in, or a fridge loaded with food would you?” Ethan asked with a grin. “They’re all yours, sir.” The knight replied curtly. “Excellent!” Ethan replied with a smile.