A/N: Got the next chapter done. Remember to review and whatnot. Criticism is welcomed and appreciated.

The sun's light was scattered by the thick trees that towered over the worn road, their branches crisscrossing to form a canopy above. Dark leaves hung motionless in the still air. It was hot like always, yet the shade underneath the trees kept the temperatures tolerable.

A day had passed since our daring rescue in Indy, and we had put much distance between us and the hostile city. A prominent member of the Disciples had been killed and no less than a dozen guards lost their lives trying to stop us. I made a note to avoid the city from now on. It would be quite some time before I could show my face there without fear of execution.

"Are we going the right way?" mumbled Drew, sweating from the heat.

"There are a few settlements down this way," I told him, too tired to argue. "Some of them are pretty big. Unless the bastard plans to keep her for himself then he definitely went this way."

"Pfft. The last town we passed was little more than a row of houses."

I looked pass Drew towards the kids. Cooper led the march down the road, Adam close to her side. A few steps behind were Alex and Jessica, her nose deep insider her book. Bot hovered above them, beeping incoherently every so often.

Cooper had been beyond thrilled to find her friends, yet her mood quickly soured when one failed to turn up. Assuming that the slavers had continued east we had set off after them. There was no proof that this was the right direction. The slavers could have gone to any number of settlements, though the larger ones seemed more likely. Chicago was little more than a hole in the ground and we had not come across any slaver heading west. That left the settlements along the Ohio River and those farther east.

I hoped that we were on the right trail. I could tell that the girl was strong, but she also took responsibility for her friends' lives. If something happened she would never live it down.

"Are these trees still alive?" questioned Adam out of curiosity, rubbing his hand against the bark of one that grew close to the road.

"I think they are," I told him. I wasn't for certain but dead trees usually did not have leaves. Weirder still was that this was no lone occurrence. It was an entire forest. A deathly quiet wood absent of any wildlife. I checked my Pip-Boy. The Geiger counter pinged every now and then. "This area is irradiated."

Cooper shrugged. "Aren't we all by now?"

"Good point."

The masked man came to a stop. I asked him what was wrong but he held a finger up to silence me. He turned his head slowly, scanning the forest around us.

Then I heard it. A faint yell in the distance.

The masked man trotted off the path and into the wood. We followed closely, pushing pass brush and stray twigs that poked at our skin. The shouts grew louder with each step. An unintelligible cry for help.

"That's her," breathed Cooper, running off ahead.

I tried to stop her from going off alone but she was already gone. I sped after her, followed by the others. It wasn't long before we found the clearing. The remains of a small camp lay abandoned, the fire having died out long ago. Cooper was on the other side near the wood, nearly sobbing beside a lanky tree. Tied to the trunk was a girl.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" cried out the girl as Cooper freed her. No longer bound she jumped up and hugged her friend tightly much as Cooper had done the day earlier. "I knew you would come and save me!"

"I helped too," Adam said, going ignored.

I looked over the small camp: two sleeping mats, a campfire, food and supplies. "Where are the slavers?"

Still latched to Cooper, Hunter said, "They chased after something in the forest. That was a couple of hours ago. I think I heard their rifles."

Drew was shaking. "Hell. We got the girl now let's get our asses outta here."

I started picking through the abandoned supplies. The masked man did the same. "We need food and water. The slavers had more than enough. I'm sure they won't mind."

Drew's voice was low. "Something's going on here. Don't ya feel it? Like we're being watched."

"You're paranoid." I loaded my satchel with some dried jerky that I found. It smelled good enough and I assumed that it wasn't human. If it was, then I didn't want to know anyway. "The slavers probably got spooked by some animal and went after it only to run into something bigger. The girl's lucky she didn't become lunch."

A branch snapped somewhere nearby. The magnum was in my hand in the blink of an eye. The masked man had heard it as well and stood ready, the bolt of his rifle drawn back. Drew didn't bother grabbing for his weapon.

"What is it?" asked Cooper quietly. "Are the slavers back?"

"Maybe it's the animal?" threw out Hunter.

"Does it matter? They're just gonna shoot whatever it is," stated Jessica, still reading.

Something was watching us. Moving towards us. I could hear it now. Heavy footsteps and the crack of dry twigs. But I saw nothing. There was no one, human or otherwise.

I kept my magnum raised and stepped towards the tree line. The masked man crept along with me, both of us on high alert. Then I saw the shimmer, as if the light filtering down through the canopy had hit a crystal glass. Alarms went off inside my head and instinct told me to run. I had never doubted my instinct and had no plans to do so now. I jumped back without a second thought.

The ground exploded where I had just stood, spraying dust and dirt into the air. I saw the shimmer and then was hit with what felt like a brick wall. I flew from the ground and hit a tree far across the clearing. The pain was horrible though not unbearable.

The masked man dove for safety as the ground churned towards him. There was an angry roar, human but not human. A monster.

"Get out of here!" I yelled, spying the shimmer of light and emptying my revolver into it. The bullets struck something dense and metallic, denting in on themselves before bouncing into the dirt. I heard the roar once again and saw the shimmer grow ever closer.

Drew and the kids ran from the clearing. I chose another direction, hoping to draw whatever faced us away. There was an angry shout and the trunk of the tree that I had struck exploded into wooden shards. Something reached out for me but I was too fast. I made it to the center of the clearing. I forced myself to remain calm and reloaded. Panic would only get me killed.

The masked man rolled for safety, a second shimmer close behind him. It went after the man, a garbled threat leaving a guttural throat that I could not see. The man raised his rifle and fired, but nothing happened. The gun had jammed.

I fired towards the thing that threatened the man. Several shots bounced off but one passed through. Blood sprayed into the air as the thing screamed in pain. The shimmer became static before fading away entirely. Now I could see the thing. The monster. A mutant having lost its humanity: as large as a brahmin with skin that had become a sickly shade of grey. It gripped tightly at its own throat, stemming the blood that flowed freely between its sausage like fingers. Its eyes, cold and filled with unbridled rage, stared deep into the masked man's visor.

The man stepped away from the snarling beast. It was not true fear, only apprehension, yet even this seemed foreign to him. I could not easily picture the man any other way except for foolishly brave. Even when confronted with death he had marched on without a single care. Seeing him now I came to realize that despite my fantasies the masked man was only human, and like any human he was prone to the emotions that defined our humanity.

I'm not entirely sure why but I was glad. The man no longer seemed so terribly distant. We were the same. We are both human.

The creature reached out for the man. I snapped back to focus from my fanciful thoughts and, with no time to reload, charged forward. I planted both feet into the mutant's side, knocking it to the ground with a hard thud. I landed on all fours and pushed myself up into a run, grabbing the masked man as I went. He didn't hesitate and we fled the clearing.

The things chased after us, barreling through the wood like stampeding elephants, tearing apart stray branches and destroying helplessly small trees. I ran as fast as I possibly could, afraid of what would happen if those things caught up to us. The masked man grabbed me and forced me to change direction along with him. A few more times and we had manage to lose our pursuers, yet still I heard them combing the wood after us.

"Hey," came a low voice. I looked over to see Drew hiding behind a small tree, his handgun out and shaking in his hand. He waved us over and we joined him and the kids in hiding. "Just what the fuck was that thing?"

I took a moment to catch my breath before answering. "Super mutant... I think."

"The fuck's a super mutant?"

"I'm guessing it's a mutant for starters," stated Jessica, turning a page of her book.

"Travelers from out west told stories about them," I explained, reloading my revolver. "As strong as a deathclaw and dumber than a mole rat. Not a good combination. Never heard of them being this far east though."

"So what do we do?" asked Cooper, ducking down as a shout tore through the wood.

I reached into the man's satchel and found an ink pen and some crumpled paper. "We're done. You have your friends now go home." I wrote on the paper as best I could and handed it over to Drew. He was unsure but took it anyway. "There was a town not too far back from here. Get them there. Consider that payment."

Drew looked at the paper. "Ya autograph?"

"Didn't you want it? When I become a legendary badass of the wastes you can say you knew me."

A chuckle escaped from Drew. "My cousin's not gonna believe this. Always told me this story about how his ass was saved up near Gulch. Raiders held him captive, and this girl walks in and takes every single one of those bastards down. Nearly shit himself. Too afraid to even say thanks. Ya know, I think he's the one who started that whole Angle of Death moniker."

"That idiot was your cousin? Thought your stupidity seemed familiar."

"Thanks. Ya a bitch, by the way."

"Good birds don't last long."

"Huh. Anyway, I'll get those kids somewhere safe. Ya gonna be good?"

"Please. From what I've heard super mutants are dumber than you are."

"Still a bitch."

"I know." A short pause. "Make sure nothing happens to them. And don't touch any of them or I'll have to come back and shoot your ass."

Drew gathered the kids together. I gave them some of the food and water that I had found. Cooper thanked me as she took the flask. There was a tear in her eye as she thanked me again, this time for helping her to find her friends. I told her to keep them safe. She nodded, and led the group into the forest, back towards the road.

I checked my revolver and turned to face the masked man. "You ready?"

The man nodded. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and took out his combat knife.

"That gonna be enough?"

The man gave me a look that put to rest all doubts of his effectiveness.

I shrugged and raised my revolver, aiming for the sky above. I fired three times, each shot echoing in the lifeless forest. I replaced the spent rounds and we waited. It wouldn't be long before the mutants zeroed in on us.

I looked over to the masked man. He had his back against a tree, ready for the monsters to show themselves. "You got anymore mines?" I asked him. He shook his head. "Damn. Would've been fun to blow the bastards up."

There was bark in the distance as something grunted orders. At least one had enough sense to try and take command. Not necessarily a good sign. I fired one more time, aiming into the wood where the mutant had been heard. Another grunt and a shout. The snap of twigs as several rushed towards us.

"They're coming," I said lowly. The masked man said nothing.

A tree branch snapped near the man. He spun around the trunk and slashed his knife, slicing upwards with the pointed tip. Crimson blood fell to the ground as the camouflage the creature used stuttered and died. The man threw his weight against the mutant, bringing it down to its hands and knees. He stood atop it and plunged his knife deep into the base of its skull. It growled once more and then went still.

Saying that I was impressed was an understatement. "Sorry I doubted you."

I saw a shimmer of light approach the man from behind. I raised my revolver and fired twice, estimating where its head may be. Both rounds found their target and the monster stumbled. Its camouflage died as well, leaving it exposed to several more shots that finally killed it.

I reloaded. "That was too easy."

The man nodded in agreement.

There was a shout of anger and the brush around us exploded with activity. Mutants charged at us, forgoing the technology that had kept them hidden from our eyes in favor for an all out assault. I counted four mutants in total, each brandishing bone breaking clubs and sledge hammers.

My speed kept me alive as the monsters swung madly. The first strike dug into the ground near my feet and I rolled back from the second's wild swing. The hammer missed me and struck the first mutant, but it was in too much of a mad fury to care and charged ahead recklessly. I took aim and fired three rounds into its kneecap, pulverizing the thick bone. It stumbled and fell, nearly foaming as it spouted garbled threats at me. The second came next, swinging wildly once again. I ducked under its attack and rolled behind it, bringing my magnum up and firing the remaining rounds into the back of its skull. It stumbled but survived, its thick skull having deflected most of the damage.

The masked man moved fluidly around the two mutants that targeted him. He dodged each and every attack with grace, yet could not get close enough to strike with his knife. The mutants stood opposite him, one on either side. They both screamed a vicious battle cry and charged at the man. Proving that intelligence almost always beat brute strength, the man threw himself to the side, allowing the mutants, already too invested in their mad charge, to crash into one another.

I snapped the cylinder of my revolver open, allowing the spent casings to fall to the dirt. I had enough time to reload a single round before the crippled mutant threw itself at me. I sidestepped and allowed the crude club to break itself on the hard ground. I raised the magnum level with the thing's oozing maw and fired. The back of its skull blew out and the thing fell dead.

The second mutant rushed me, swinging madly. I ducked low, the hammer missing my head by inches. It continued in its swing and brought the sledgehammer back around for a second strike. The thick head plowed into the ground near my feet, shearing away dirt and rock and stumbling me. I threw myself back, away from monster. It raised its weapon high and brought it down with enough force to shatter every bone in my body. I rolled to my left, narrowly avoiding the fatal hit.

The thing planted its heavy boot atop me, nearly cracking my ribs and pinning me firmly beneath it. It stared down with boiling rage, raising its massive hammer for a final strike. The masked man came fast, blindsiding the mutant and using his weight to wrench the sledgehammer from its grubby hand. The thing turned to snarl at the man. I reached into my pocket for the small knife I kept hidden on my person, jabbing the razor sharp blade into the foot of the mutant. It screamed in pain/surprise and relented just enough for me to slide away. The masked man spun towards the howling mutant, swinging the sledgehammer and slamming it into the mutant's head. There was a dull crack and the monster fell.

The final two mutants charged. The masked man dropped the unweildly hammer and readied his knife, rushing to head off one of the mad beasts. I managed to reload three rounds into my magnum before diving to safety. The mutant turned as sharply as a tanker truck and ran full speed towards me, a rusted car axel held high over its head. I fired once, striking the thing in its thick fingers. The axel fell from its hand with a hard crash, catching the mutant's feet and stumbling it. The thing landed hard, rolling on its back and staring in confusion up at the tree canopy. I stood atop its massive chest and fired the remaining two rounds into its head.

I quickly reloaded and turned to aid the masked man. He moved quickly, sidestepping and pioretting away from every attack the monster launched. He saw me taking aim and shook his head; I hesitated before finally lowering my revolver.

The mutant swung low, targeting the man's feet with a dented alluminum bat. The man leaped over the attack and brought the knife down, slashing the thing's arm and drawing blood. It yelled out in rage, striking at the man with an elbow. He ducked low and stabbed the blade up under the thing's ribs. He removed the knife and stabbed again, higher into the neck. The mutant tried to pull away but was brought down by the masked man. A final strike of his knife severed the thing's spine, ending the battle for good.

I approached the man as he cleaned his knife of blood, wiping the blade clean with the tail of his long coat. "You think that's all of them?"

The masked man sheathed his knife at his side. He raised his head and scanned our surroundings, looking for any sign of danger. Nothing moved beyond the trees. Like before all was quiet.

"Travelers from out west never reccommended getting close to super mutants, let alone with a knife. Guess you know how to handle yourself, huh?"

The man shrugged before heading over to the nearest fallen mutant. He studied it briefly before deciding that it possessed nothing of value. He did the same with the others, finding nothing worth looting save for some old Nuka-Cola bottle caps.

I stood beside the masked man. "Think Drew got them there?"

The man thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Hmmn. Alright. Lead the way then."

The man nodded once and quickly found a path through the wood. I followed closely behind. We reached the road and continued eastward, heading towards a destination that only he knew of with me at his side.

It wasn't long before we found the slavers. Or at least, what was left of them.

In Loving Memory of Mom