Chapter 2

Addams stepped out from the tent, with Reese following loosely behind, into the fray outside and gazed out at the chaos that was once a paranoid sense of peace. From their location, and with all the dirt and dust flying everywhere, he could not see the resistance men. But he knew they were there, primarily from the pained shouts of his men as they were quickly and efficiently slain. Their desperate pleas, followed by vicious laughter.

"Well, it would appear as though Jake is having a great deal of fun right now, doesn't it? It'd be a shame to take it from him. Now. Keep going."

Addams had in fact stopped walking. How the whole situation had gotten away from him he could not understand. But now it was in the hands of Reese, and his men.

Pacing through the camp, forced to listen to his men cry out and the laughter of the maniac killing them, forced to see his men run to him for help and guidance only to be cut down before even having a bit of a chance. Minutes later the camp slowly calmed down in terms of turmoil. A large number of his men now dead, a fair number probably escaped or in hiding. Hoping by all means to not be found out. Their fool-proof plan, shattered.

Reese and Addams found their way to a small tent, ripped through with several large, shredded holes. The ground surrounding the tent spoke to that their had been plenty of moving and scraping. And digging. The wind whistled through the camp, causing the tent sides to flap and fold harshly, daring to break free, but restrained. Reese stopped where he stood, awaiting his allies. Addams just looked back to him, then to the ground, wondering the penalties of just making a run for it. Possibly to just be killed on the spot.

Addams smirked. They would need him for the next part. Yeah.. He would let them kill him, then be stuck until they could figure out another way to get their precious maps. His maps. Looking down a strafe between the tents to the fence perimeter, he estimated several hundred feet. It was a long shot, but if he couldn't have the relic, then sure as hell Reese won't either.

He ran. Bolting straight down the center, with all his might, legs screaming at the sudden high speed dash. He got a bit of distance. He could practically taste the freedom. But he barely got any distance. Suddenly a strong tug was felt on the back of his jacket, choking him slightly, before launching him back. Glancing over as he stumbled back, he saw a man looming over. Though not of extraordinary height, his reflexes and strength were the scary things. With a deep brown cloak, slightly frayed from being work, the hood swayed over his black hair and dark brown eyes. The cloak flapped strongly in the wind, but the man did not give ground. He just stared down with partial apathy and said nothing. A slight growl to his left as a feral wolf circled him as he lay there, approaching the hooded man before sitting and staying by his boot. The wolf his pet.

Watching the tall cloaked my pace around him towards his allies, Addams suddenly finds himself hoisted up painfully by the hem of his shirt. Dragged violently against the dirt, scratching himself against the stone and pebbles, he looks up past the dust at the other of the three men keeping him in place. Very tall and armored. With a BoS helmet covered in war scars, and an odd array of leather and metal plating covering his body, painted thick with more war scars and red, scratched off paint. His eyes could vaguely be seen past the sheen of the visor of the helm: and they were wild.

"Hah! What was that? I measly attempt at escape!? No fuckin' way, bro. No way." As he walked, dragging the man with ridiculous ease, he casually tosses him forward, spiraling to the feet of Connor Reese, who only looked down upon his shrunken state with a bemused expression. "Alright, boss. What next. How do we get this little ass-wipe to take us to their big, shiny vault then, eh?" Jake steps forward, crouching low, treating the man like an inferior mouse. "I have a few ideas."

"No need, Jake. We're here. All that's needed is to enter, open whatever vault they may have, and take what it is we came here for. The maps. That is all. Hear that, Sorient? Give us the maps peacefully and you can live."

"Whaaaaat? But why not?" Jake was upset by this promise. Even Alex, shrouded by his cloak, was not a fan of the arrangement. Alex's hound, Sassy, let out a sarcastic whimper when Alex told her the bad news. Not even the dog wanted this man alive. Which began to frighten Addams a bit.

Suddenly the backpack on Jake's back began to shuffle when the head and upper torso of a young boy in a white lab coat, with deranged eyes and unkempt orange/red hair. "What!? I want man dead! Me want man dead! Kill the jackass! Me want jackass dead! Rip off his nose, shove up his man-gina! Cut off hand, make finger pizza! Mmmmm!" Dexter began shaking in a disturbing ecstasy.

"Quiet, quiet, quiet... If we don't draw a line somewhere, what makes us any different from the bandit scum?"

Jake said, "we're sexy, that's goddamn what."

Dexter said, "I like fingers! Mmmmm!"

Alex said, "... I can jump into a radscorpion den and NOT get eaten."

"Hm... What about Shadow's opinion then?" Reese inquired. Speaking into an intercom blue-tooth attached to his ear, "Shadow. You getting any of this buddy?"

Suddenly a loud bang went off and Addams dropped to the group howling in pain, cupping the left side of his head, blood gushing out. Behind him, slowing down in spiral against a thick metal plate was a sniper round and the remnants of Addam's left ear. Jake bent over and picked the round out of the plate and looked it over with a grin.

"He put in an inscription. It reads:"

KILL HIM." Jake looked up with a smile.

"The man is a genius." Jake chuckles and flicks the bullet round against Addam's face where it rebounded down to the ground. Addams flinched and looked back in forth for mercy. He found none from these men.

"Oh settle down. Fine, a compromise?"

Silence for a moment, then a unanimous: "Fine."

With an exception of Dexter's: "Mmmmm, fingers..."

"Ok. We don't kill him. But! You each get a single hit to any place of your choosing. Any means, anywhere. It just cannot be fatal." Into the intercom, now, "you got your turn, Shadow."

Another blast and a bullet slammed through Addam's right, dominant wrist, without exiting, causing Addams to drop in pain, crying. Stepping forward Jake grabs Addam's hand with a lack of care and violently pulls the bullet out with his metal coated fingers and yanks it out. Addams bursts into pain filled whimpers as Jake read the inscription:

"I'M NOT OK WITH THAT."

Into the intercom, "Get over it." There were no ensuing shots. "Ok, we cool with this plan?"

A moment..: "Fine."

With Dexter's: "Hmm... Finger BURRITOES! Ohohhoh, mmmmm... Hm, hmm!"

"Alright! Glad we came to a decision. Now. In we go. After you, Sorient." Reese glares at him with a smile as he raises the tent wall with one hand and beckons the childish man within. Slowly gathering himself and hobbling inside, the other three follow as well. The tent is small, but a hole leads down like stairs a small distance before leading to a torch-lit vault. Reminiscent of a bank safe, only without any dials or levers, or the like.

"Now... The problem... Without a special property, an overwhelming force... You cannot enter this weight triggered safe... Didn't see that coming did you... Connor Reese?" Reese stares at the safe in thought.

"Hm... Alex? Can you do this?" Beckoning to the cloaked man, whose primary fighting style was either a P67BJ893 – or PBn'J – lazer pistol, or his own fists, tempered with spiked gauntlets.

Stepping forward Alex looks over the safe's mechanism, a flat barrier on its front with multiple scratches and dents from previous openings. He tests the metal and the mechanism itself, looking over the dents on it and the scratches. The way they were configured.

Looking over, Jake questions to Addams: "How the hell did you even get this thing down here? And why? And how did you plan to remove it?... And how'd you even get a safe like this made, to begin with?"

Addams looked at Jake as tears brimmed his dry eyes. "It took a lot of effort, that's for sure..."

Jake blinked a few times, then looked away, somehow satisfied with the answer he received.

Alex stepped away from the lock without even trying, his eye line steady.

"Alex? Did you look into the future or what?" Jake is confused a bit and irritated, tempted to punch the mechanism himself.

"Well? Think you could punch it hard enough?" Reese inquired, wanting the reason for the lack of even trying.

"No. I cannot. But... He can." Raising his hand, swaying his cloak to the side revealing his under clothing, he points his metal covered finger at Addams. "He can punch it hard enough." Addams was stunned.

"Hm... Possibly. After all, I did see a glimpse at your ability back in the interrogation tent, remember? When you were going to make an attempt at killing me? Your hand went through some kind of... Metamorphosis. It changed its shape. And I'm guessing strength, correct?"

Addam's eyes flitted back in forth at the realization that they had realized the truth behind the lock, and his ability. "Well... Y-yes. B-but! But. My wrist was shattered by your foolish sniper, so I guess I can't punch it then..."

Alex suddenly stepped forward and grappled Addams by the collar. "If you can clench your hand, you can punch." Throwing Addams forward, causing his forehead to collide with the mechanism, breaking the skin slightly, he glares at him with unforgiving, apathetic eyes. "Punch it."

In fear of the pain, tears beginning to muster on this once oh so proud bandit, he raises his fist slowly, transforming it into its dark brown/gray shape, covered with miniature mountains and plateaus, he braces himself before slamming his fist halfheartedly into the mechanism. Pain filled his entire system as the sound echoed through the dirt hallway. The door did not budge.

"Hah... Hah... You.. You see? I can't.. Do it anymore..."

Suddenly Alex steps at him again and grabs him by the face and turns him, staring into his eyes. "I said fucking punch, or so help me I will break every bone in your body that does not hinder the ability to punch in any way. One. After. The. Other. And believe, there are a lot. So now," Alex grabs his wrist, causing him more pain, and raises it for him. "Punch. The fucking. Door. As hard as you fucking can. Now!"

Addams shuddered in fear, and began nodding towards him. Alex stepped away and Addams braced himself yet again, turning his fist into the odd stone yet again. "Ok... Hah..." Lunging slightly this time, he punches the mechanism with as much force as he can muster. On impact an extremely audible crack, pop and splinter echoed as what was left of his wrist and lower forearm was destroyed, painfully. "Gahh!" Addams dropped to his knees and began sobbing, gripping his wrist in silent prayer as only screams escaped his throat. The sound drowned out the squeak and clank and rustle as the door slid inwards, revealing a moderately sized room filled up with maps and charts, with a table decorating the middle with several devices as well as some odd circle keystones which were glowing a bright yellow and red through ancient etchings.

"Aha...! Very nice, Sorient!" Reese clapped his shoulder as he passed into the room, looking at the charts and table. "Oh, and what is this? You have keys!? Oh, isn't this just a special occasion? I didn't know you had these, oh no I did not..."

Dexter jumped up and down, "pretty keys, pretty keys! Like doughnuts, glowing doughnuts! Haha!"

"Ohh yes... This'll do just fine. Gentlemen. For this find I say we let the man run with what energy he's got left. I'd say we've got enough here, don't you?"

While seeming uneasy about it, wanting their hits, they ceded.

"It seems you got off this time, you panty-waste. Now get out of here." Jake said sternly, disappointed but at least glad at the self inflicted blood show he was able to see Addams perform for his personal amusement.

Almost relieved, Addams jumps up, gripping his destroyed arm, and bolts for the outside world. After he left, the group went to work filling their bags with as much of the actually useful and prominent charts. Primarily the pre-war ones, which Reese filtered through quickly.

"We hit the big one today, boys. And tonight we drink."

"Alright!" Jake was the most excited. Alex smirked, but didn't exclaim.

Dexter's mind was else where as he filled Jake's backpack with maps and charts and the keys surrounding himself as he sat within it too. All the while mumbling something or other about "putting the lotion on the skin" and other inaudible ramblings which Jake, 4 inches away, zoned out.

Once their bags were full and the only maps leftover were the either ruined, inaccurate, or completely irrelevant – or even copies of their own maps – Reese was pleased with the find and led the group back above land. As the exited, the world seemed somewhat fresher somehow. Though the dust and sand flowing past their noses made the sensation immediately disappear from them. Squinting slightly from the wind and buffeting sands they step out into the sunlight's harsh rays and looked about.

"Alright.. Now back to Shadow's outpost and to hop in the cruiser and head home, then." Reese stepped forward towards the rocky hillside to the east of the encampment where Shadow could hardly be seen among the stone, but they all knew he was in fact there. But that was when they stopped in their tracks by the sound of angered growling and a sickening screech of hunger. They all turned slowly, Dexter slowly raising the flap of the backpack to have a peek for himself.

It was Addams, standing over by what seemed to be a large metal cage of sorts. "Oh boys! You really didn't think I'd just up and let ya leave, now did ya?" He was still holding his hand, still in pain, but he sucked it up, lurching over on his left knee. "Now that just won't do. Now will it? Boys, I'd like you to meet my baby girl, Roxanne!" Addams slowly unlatches the cage and allows the door to slowly sway open. The inside was dark but the smell of raw flesh emanated from its contents. Slowly, a dark brown shape emerged from the cage. The group could hardly believe what they were seeing. The creature had a broad muzzle and several very large, black horns jutting out then forward from it's skull. It stood on hind legs, covered in black talons and claws, with long, powerful arms, as well equipped with black claws. It was a Death Claw. And a really big one at that.

"Ho-ho-ho-ly shit! What the hell, man!" Jake was becoming agitated and quite frankly a little bit hyper. Everyone stepped back slowly, except Jake. Several rounds suddenly penetrated the Death Claw, two at its legs, three on its chest, and one bounding off its skull. The creature faltered from Shadow's shots, but it did not give ground. It shrugged off the pain.

"That just won't do, fellas! Not even the infamous Night-Watch can take down a mother Death Claw with enough calcium injections to keep it's bones as hard as my goddamn dick, haha! Now! Roxanne! Its dinner time!" Addams shouted off the command at his pet. But it didn't move. In fact it tilted it's head slightly, and curiously, glanced towards Addams with a gleam in it's dark, manifested eyes. Suddenly lunging down, the Death Claw bites Addams and swings his lower body in the air, sending his legs flying up and back down behind the group a ways. Addams didn't even realize what happened before he died, and his upper body chewed up like a piece of steak and swallowed. The Death Claw leans its head forward, the evident mistreatment shown on it's forehead where lied dozens of scars and indents of the skull. As if one last hit could just about kill it. And only Jake was the only one to notice it. He smiled at the beast as it roared loudly and did an all out bull rush at their group.

"Crap, run men!" Reese, Alex, and Sassy both turn tail and bolt towards the hillside.

"Jake-man! Jake-man! We run! Run, run, run now!" Dexter was shouting in fear of his own safety now for his ride to make haste. But Jake just smiled wide, not see-able, but feel-able by his aura of intent.

"C'moooon, baby! Show me what I wanna see, girl!" Jake took off at a full out sprint towards the charging Death Claw.

"W-w-w-whaaaaa!?" Dexter freaked before twisted out of the backpack and falling to the dirt below. "Bailout!"

Jake kept a full on sprint, then just before reaching each other, Jake suddenly jumps as high as he can and slams his hardest punch on the top of Roxanne's skull. His hand sizzling and steam raising from the metal, a large pulse of force explodes off the hit point as both parties fall straight to the ground in a cloud of dust and sand. The group stopped and turned back, watching with full-on confusion and surprise. The dust settled, and all that was was Jake looming over the fallen Death Claw with his bloody fist raised high in a fist pump. The mother Death Claw's skull was completely caved in, releasing smoke as the tips of skin were burnt entirely like jerky.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Jake was proud, and the rest would leave it at that. "Wait a minute..." Jake suddenly enters into the cage for a moment, having noticed something of interest. "Hey... Dexter! I found something neat!"

"Neat!? Neat! Neat, neat, neat, neat, neat! Neeeeat! Show me neat thing!"

Jake suddenly emerges holding an odd light brown egg over his head. "Death Claw babies! Can we keep it, can we!?"

Dexter got excited, and Reese sighed before turning his back after saying: "Just make sure you tame it, ok?" Gathering up, Jake holding onto the egg as Dexter climbs into the bag while carefully examining the egg – the specimen – and becoming even more excited.

"I will name it Alma!"

"What if its a guy Death Claw?" Alex asks calmly with a smirk.

"Then Bacon, it is!"

"I don't care what you name it, just keep it from humping things, ok?"

"Ok! Ok, ok, ok, ok! Oookey dokey!" Dexter hops around within the bag with glee.

Once the gang reunited around the hillside, their other companion skidded down the rocks to them. Dressed with an NCR Ranger gas mask, a hooded leather jacket, and a spiked bracer, the man was definitely intimidating. For being the youngest member of the group, younger than Dexter by a few months, that is. Though he also had a small pendant around his neck of a young girl, of whom he never talks about, but solemnly refers to as Lilly. His SV98HS silenced sniper rifle hung loosely around his shoulder, and a machete was strapped horizontally on his lower back, he paced up to the group. "... What the hell was that?"

"You mean when I epicly punched in a Death Claw skull, followed by an epic pose? It was nothing."

"Uh huh... Anyways. Got what we came here for?"

"We sure did. Much more than what we came for, in fact. They had two keys in their custody."

"Damn. Good call then."

"Of course it was." Reese turns away from the group towards their large jeep that was parked a short distance away and began a stride towards. "Alright men. We did good today. Now lets get home and crack open a few beers. And I believe at least two of us have women who haven't been pleased recently, have they?"

Alex chuckled, as he was one reference, and Reese himself was the other. "Heh, no sir."

"Well, get to it!"