Wasted Lands – 18
Jessica found a quiet corner away from the Raider horde and set the child down. there were empty cots with ratty, threadbare blankets around them and she quickly bundled the child up. "What's your name?"
The child didn't speak, just stared up at her with wide, frightened eyes. The little girl was quivering and pale-faced. Jessica sighed and pulled her new little friend into a hug, feeling the warm skin, soft hair, and little worried face pressed into her neck. The simple human contact lit a little warm fire in her soul, and when she next spoke it was with a gentleness and earnestness she had not felt in a long while. She said, "don't worry. I'm going to get us both out of here, but I have to hide you for a little while. Can you stay very quiet? I'm going to find you a place to hide."
The child nodded slowly. Jessica wrapped her in the blanket and huffed, lifting the little bundle into the air. She carried the child through the raider stronghold, striding as confidently as she could. A few Captains of the Furies gave her solemn nods; Rag had passed his orders down and they knew what was coming.
She entered the Psychokillas' headquarters and surveyed the scene. Raider men and women in varied states of dress and sobriety were scattered across rotting mattresses. A few at the far end were at a table, cleaning their firearms.
Jessica carefully began to pick her way through the crowd towards an open door. The bundle over her shoulder began to shift and squirm.
"Wazzat?" A raider lying amongst scattered inhalers stared blearily up at the bundle, watching it squirm. Jessica smiled down at him and dropped a new Jet inhaler beside his head. The man fumbled with it, but managed to get it to his mouth, squirming bundle forgotten. "Thanks…" he mumbled between puffs.
Jessica picked up her pace and entered the room, which was thankfully empty. She closed the door and unrolled the bundle to reveal the little girl, who immediately crawled underneath the bed. Her eyes were wide and she was shivering. Jessica knelt down and offered the girl a comforting smile, but her new friend just, retreated even further into the shadows.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here soon." The Courier promised her. It didn't seem to have any effect. She said, "I have to go away for a little while, but I'll be back. Can you hide here?"
The little round eyes were wide and fearful, but the girl nodded.
"Good. You need to be very quiet." Jessica pulled the blanket off the bed and passed it to the girl, who pulled it into the darkness and wrapped herself in it. Jessica felt a tense knot in her stomach; this had been the easy part. She had planted the evidence. Now she would have to talk to King Krong himself.
In the ruins a block away, Septimus glared at Jericho. "You left her in there?"
Jericho shifted uncomfortably, "yeah. Bosses' orders."
The Centurion turned away, red-faced. He tried to collect himself but failed and whipped back around, jabbing a finger in the former raider's face, "Miss Chase is an Immune! The right hand of Caesar himself! There is no one in this wasteland more valuable!" They both heard his guards shifting uncomfortably outside of his little office.
"An' yer scared o' getting' in trouble…" Jericho laughed.
"Protecting her is a matter of Honor!"
"Boy, do they got you brainwashed."
In a heartbeat, the Centurion's blade was at his throat. "I will not hear one more word against the Legion, Profligate. The Immune may tolerate that kind of aberrant behavior for her own reasons, but I will not!"
Jericho cleared his throat, hands raised as he stared into Septimus' burning eyes.
"Alright alright, cool off, pal… but if she's so damned important why didn't you stop her when she was telling ya tha plan, eh?"
Septimus knuckles whitened against the handle of his machete, and Jericho smiled. "Da boss is a tough Gal ta say 'No' to, eh?" The raider admitted, "I think it's them pretty green eyes…"
The Centurion blinked and slowly lowered his sword. Her eyes… Septimus could see them when he closed his own; full of humor and mischief. As if she were always sharing a secret, just for him. Just for the two of them. He admired her flawless skin, perfect cheekbones and pouty lips which were always smirking or smiling. She was burned into his mind, her confidence and playfulness, and Septimus realized that there were few things in the world he would deny her. The former raider likely felt the same way.
"If she's as good as you say then yeh shouldn't need ta worry, right?" the former raider asked.
Septimus let out a slow breath and let the machete hang loosely from his grip. He grimaced and said, "I need to gather my men and attack. We must retrieve the Immune and keep her from harm. The mission comes second."
"There's over a hundred raiders in dere, plus a Supermutant Overlord." Jericho told him, "great plan, chief."
Septimus paled. He had encountered an Overlord before. The abomination had taken nearly half a Centuria of firepower to bring down. Many good men had died. The few locals which the Legion had trusted as guides and contacts told stories of the Lone Wanderer fighting the creatures with a combat knife, of defeating them single-handed. Septimus felt his blood boil even thinking about the man, but the sheer skill required to perform such a feat… it demanded his grudging respect.
Such a monster's presence changed things.
He knew the tactically sound choice would be to withdraw. Inform Vorenus of what they faced and come back with a full centuria, and much heavier weaponry to clear out the infestation… but he couldn't leave the Immune inside of there by herself.
"Da boss had a plan of her own, though." Jericho said, "she's gonna make all'o the raiders fight each other. Then you move in and mop up."
Septimus stared, "a frontal assault on the raiders is still difficult, Profligate. They have mines on the approach, and-"
"Yeh can get over the roof of the hotel next door. Over the fallen radio tower." Jericho told him, "Catch'em from above and below. Boss gonna have'em fightin' eachother, too. We just gotta wait for da fireworks ta start!"
Septimus frowned thoughtfully, chewing his lip. He sheathed his machete and brought a hand up to rub his chin. His respect for the Immune was growing by the hour, as was an unfamiliar warmth in his chest. A gnawing hunger for her company. A need for her approval. A longing for her touch. He blinked it away and said, "Okay… let me fetch my men. We will need to be ready to safely extract the Immune and put down whatever is left of this infestation."
Krong's lair was dark, filled with gore bags and bloody bones. It was unguarded; who would tangle with the grotesque supermutant?
Jessica stepped into the shadows, trying to keep her rising terror in check. She reminded herself of Marcus and the mutants of Jacobstown; she had negotiated with supermutants before. There was no reason Krong would be any different.
Yet he was. The sight and crackling sound of him biting into the screaming prisoner's face played continuously across her inner eye. Yes, Krong was very different. Everything was different here in the Capital Wasteland. More hostile. Deadlier. Vicious beyond rhyme or reason.
The King of the Kassle was hunched over in the corner, chewing on someone's leg. Jessica fought down her disgust and bile, and took a few steps towards him. She cleared her throat, "Hello Krong." Her voice, usually full of confidence, came out raspy and forced. Watching the creature's enormous bulk shift, Jessica found herself unable to manage her usual friendly flair.
The monster slowly turned to face her, ichor and spittle dribbling from its chin. Jessica took a step back, feeling the blood drain from her face as the creature drew itself up to its full thirteen-foot height. The monster stood nearly twice as tall as her, and was nothing but knotted muscle, dull intelligence, and boundless rage.
"K-Krong…" Jessica tried again, forcing herself to smile at the creature as it dropped its snack and raised a hand to scratch itself, "I am Jessica."
"Wot yoo want?" the monster barked in broken, barely comprehensible English.
"I uh… she faltered and stepped back further as the creature leaned towards her.
'I uhh… have some bad news for you, my King." She dropped to one knee as respectfully as she could. Its hands hung down to its knees, and each was easily the size of her head. The monster could crush her like a bug and she knew that if she did not act quickly it would either grow bored, hungry or angry, and none of those options could bode well for her health.
"…Bad…" the monster belched the word out.
"The Psychokillas – the raiders… they have stolen your food!" jessica stared up into the creatures brutish, beady eyes. "They took your food and hid it!"
A few seconds ticked by as the information worked its way through the monster's sluggish brain, and then its horrific face twisted in anger.
"Braaaaahgh!" the hands curled into fists as the monster roared. Jessica pressed her lips together and tried to look as unappetizing as possible.
With a cantankerous bellow the monster rushed forward, grabbed her by the chest and slammed her into the nearest wall, knocking all the breath from her lungs and bruising the back of her head, causing her to yelp in pain and surprise. It pressed its face up to hers, so she could see its blackened teeth, and every welt, pore and wrinkle on its tough green skin. "Who steal Krong food?!" the creature's breath was horrendous, enough to make her gag.
With its fist pressing her up against the wall, Jessica fought for breath. "I'll show you…" she managed to wheeze out, fingers grasping the monsters thick, craggy skin.
"Show Krong. Krong eat thief or Krong eat you!" it let her go and she slid into a hacking, gagging heap on the floor.
"Wise and fair." Jessica coughed, "very fair, Lord Krong."
"Go now! Show now!" the creature roared at her.
Up on the second floor, the raiders scattered ahead of the mutant overlord like a school of fish fleeing a ravenous shark. Some peeked out from doorways, their curiosity overcoming their fear. Many of the Psychokillas dropped to their knees in prayer. Many more raiders just vanished entirely, too frightened of their monstrous God-King to be in the same area as the creature. A few of the more heavily inebriated raiders were too slow and inattentive to notice the monster's heavy approach. One of them failed to move out of the way in time and died when Krong's indifferent foot went right through her ribcage. Jessica strode forward as confidently as she could, hearing the heavy loping hulk following right behind her.
In the shadows and amidst the congregation, the Furies gathered, weapons in hand.
Jessica led the giant stomping creature right into the Psychokillas' den, where they were confronted by Noxy, the leader of the Raiders, and Krong's high priest.
"My Lord, Krong…" Noxy exclaimed, his voice wavering as the supermutant turned and peered down at him, "my Lord, you are… out of your home…"
Jessica pointed an imperious finger at Noxy, mustering as much confidence into her voice as she could, "it was him, Krong! He stole your food! The Raiders stole your food!" Kill them! Eat them!
A moment passed, and seemed to take a lifetime as the supermutant's slow-wits caught up with her speech. Noxy let out a confused grunt. "What is… who da fuck is-?"
"I'll show you, my Lord!" Jessica said, cutting him off and entering the sideroom where she had stashed the child. Behind her, Krong let out a long roar, "you! You steal?"
"King Krong, I dunno what- what da fuck is happening…?" Noxy spluttered.
Jessica knelt by the bed and looked underneath it. Her heart froze; the girl was gone. She swore under her breath and looked around the empty room. Both other beds were empty, and the battered, dust-covered desk under the open window had no shape huddling underneath.
"YOU NO STEAL KRONG'S FOOD!" the Overlord declared. The monsters voice was shaking the walls.
"My King we would never!" she heard Noxy insist, beyond the open door, "Who da fuck is dis woman? I ain't never seen her before an' I know all da raiders in you'ah Kassle!"
Seconds… Jessica had seconds at best before this turned really ugly. Her heart pounding, she took another look around the empty room, scanning for differences even as the entire raider hive gathered outside her door.
Then she spotted it; the dust disturbed on the surface of the desk; a footprint, glinting in the light of the open window. Jessica leapt forward onto the desk and threw the window open all the way.
The child was standing on a small grey ledge between the windows, clinging to the wall of the building. She stared at Jessica with wide brown eyes, silhouetted against the crumbling ruins beyond. Below them was the front door of Krong's Kassle, with the mined alleyway, the gun emplacement, and the fallen radio tower.
The Courier reached a panicked hand out to her, "come on!"
The child shook her head. They could both hear the monster inside, and Noxy's tone turning from confusion to anger.
"You have to come or we're both dead!" Jessica hissed, leaning out and grabbing the child's shoulder. The girl struggled and nearly lost her balance. At the same time, the monster roared in frustration, and Jessica heard heavy footsteps approach her from within the room.
Desperation taking hold, Jessica looked the child straight in the eyes, pleading, willing the waif to obey her. "Come here or we're both dead!"
The little girl's eyes seemed to dull in the afternoon sunlight, and a wave of lethargy flowed through Jessica, as if she had just sprinted the length of the strip, or woken up after a night of drinking with Cassidy. She barely heard Noxy exclaim, "come'ere you lying cunt!" right before she was forcibly pulled back inside the building. Rough, angry hands gripped her by the throat and shoulders, forcing her to her knees before Noxy and Krong. A boot hit her in the gut and she double over, gasping for breath as her eyes filled with tears. Limbs barely responding, she was not able to fight back regardless. The voices sounded garbled and distorted, as if underwater.
"Liars!" Noxy declared, his gaze filled with blood and madness, "liars and thieves!" he pulled a switchblade from his pocket and grabbed Jessica by the hair, screeching at the roof, "For you, my Lord Krong, a fresh sacrifice!"
The courier's head swam and she grasped weakly at his arm.
"Krong Eat! Krong Eat!" the supermutant roared happily.
"She was a Liar, Lord, but I am True!" Noxy said as the knife bit into the soft skin below Jessica's ear. At the same time, she felt a warm trickle of blood oozing from her nostril down onto her upper lip.
Silence suddenly fell across the room as the light was blocked.
The child was standing on the desk in front of all of them, her dull eyes barely seeing the world before front of her.
Noxy and the other raiders in the room fell silent, staring at the tiny figure. His knife clattered to the floor. Jessica stared down at it, fighting back the dizziness and lethargy.
"What da fuck…?" Noxy murmured, still staring at the child.
At that moment, Krong burst into the room, "My food." The monster's angry, yellowing, bloodshot eyes turned on Noxy, "you lie!"
Noxy raised his hand to protest as the giant monster reached for him. "My – my lord-Auuugh!" the giant monster bit into the raider's throat, cutting off his scream with a strangled yell.
"Holy fuck!" "He just killed Noxy!" the raiders all around them began yelling, some pulling out weapons and others scrambling to get as far away as they could.
The child's dull eyes slowly cleared as she slowly came to her senses. It took her but a moment to absorb her situation: standing on the desk in plain view of four raiders and the giant monster which was chewing its victim's head off, and Jessica on her knees before them. The child screamed, her voice echoing out through the open window and across the ruins of downtown D.C..
All hell broke loose. Gunfire rang out and bullets thudded into the monster's side as one of the Pychokillas panicked and let off a volley.
The scream snapped Jessica out of her own daze, and she snapped up the switchblade, leaping once again for the window. One of the raiders grabbed for her out of reflex, even as Krong responded to the volley by crushing two of them against the wall with a swipe of its arm.
Jessica cut the man's hand and he pulled back, only to be struck by Krong's fist. More gunfire thudded into the creatures back as the Psychokillas reacted to the deaths of their fellow clan members.
Jessica grabbed the little girl and pulled them both out the window. It was a fourteen foot drop onto hard concrete, but there was no other way to escape, and she found herself rolling into empty air. She snatched at the windowsill with one hand, the child hanging below her as the second story of the building exploded with gunfire, ripping through the rotting walls and shattering what was left of the windows. She could hear the clang, crash and thuds of melee battle as the Furies fell upon the Pyschokillas. The raiders were shouting at one another and above it all Krong roaring as it charged into the fray, killing every raider it could reach.
Hanging as they were from the window sill, the child screamed and kicked and struggled, loosening Jessica's grip. "Stop!" Jessica snarled, "stop or we'll both go down!" her hand tightened on the child's wrist and at that moment of skin to skin contact, a suddenly flurry of images overtook her –
A smiling older couple, wearing rags, handing down to her a tin can of dirty water and a quarter-serving of Blamco Mac and Cheese…
The couple sitting beside a radio. They were smiling, and laughing, their feet tapping in time with the chipper music. Jessica on the woman's lap, being bounced gently up and down. She was giggling.
The same older man pushing Jessica and the woman towards a basement door as he hefted an old hunting rifle. She could hear shouting from somewhere beyond their little concrete shelter…
The smell of gunpowder. Limp shapes and blood pooling on the ground as a raider, one of the Furies, stared down at her, reaching towards her with a grubby hand…
The Supermutant Overlord staring down at her – saliva dripping from its blacked mouth. Hunger in its bloodshot eyes.
The basement of the Kassle, watching in terror through the bars of the cage as the Briggs the Butcher hacked up a body.
Jessica fell, the sill slipping away as her consciousness drifted into the realm of memory.
The fall was both instant and yet lasted an eternity. They both landed hard on the pavement. Jessica's knees folded up, under her, but her ankle flared up with white-hot pain. She felt a click in her wrist and her right arm went numb.
The child seemed to have more luck, landing neatly and scampering off into the ruins.
"Wait!" Jessica wheezed out, lying sprawled across the hot concrete. She made to follow, but her wrist wouldn't support her and she collapsed again.
A couple of raiders came rushing out of a nearby doorway, led by Rag. The mighty raider was carrying his auto-axe, and he approached her at great speed, revving the monstrous machine. "You fucking liar!" he shout over the gunfire and cries of agony. Jessica inched backwards as best she could with her broken wrist and sprained ankle.
The raider said, "Krong's attackin' everyone! Whole thing's gone ta shit and no friends! Never shoulda listened to ya!" he raised the auto-axe just as a gunshot rang out. The skull of the raider behind him was splattered against the wall of Krong's Kassle. Rag turned, only to be bodily tackled by Septimus, who was leading a group of eight Legionaries. They raised their rifles and pumped seven more rounds into the raiders, killing them all. The auto-axe landed beside Jessica with a clang.
Rag and Septimus were grappling on the ground. They rolled back and forth, exchanging blows and struggling for a solid hold. There were a few more uncertain seconds before one of the legionaries caught up to Septimus and landed a heavy blow on Rag's head with the butt of his rifle. Another Legionary pulled him off of their Centurion. They emptied three more rounds into the clan king's chest and another in his head, executing him as Septimus half-crawled over to Jessica, "Immune!" he said, laying a hand on her good arm.
"Hiii…" she managed. Dull pain washed across her body as a dozen different bruises began to form, and her ribs checked in to let her know that yes, they'd felt the fall too.
"Are you alright? Tell me what hurts." His hands were gentle as he felt along her neck and sides.
"Arm. Foot." She wheezed, "Jericho?"
"Leading my Optio, Antoninus Fabius, and the rest of my legionaries down into the hospital through the second-floor. We're to hit them in a pincer!" the Centurion pulled a pouch of powder, and a flask from his side, "I am relieved to see you safe, Immune! It was a mistake to allow you into the compound."
Six of the seven legionaries surrounded them in a tight cemi-circle, taking up sentry positions. Many of their guns pointed at the entrances, windows, and a few out into the wider wasteland. The seventh ran to the building's corner so that he could see the adjacent hotel.
"It's my job." Jessica grunted, watching him open the healing powder. Septimus pulled out a small knife and began to cut away some of her clothing, but she gently placed a hand on his wrist, "wait…"
"The powder will take the worst of the pain…" the Centurion told her, pouring some into a damp bandage and tying it around her forearm as the shots and clangs of battle rang out over their heads.
The pain in her arm dulled a bit, but she still could not move it. She let out a long breath and tried to sit up. The Centurion helped her, his strong hands gripping her at the waist and shoulders.
"There was- ow!"
"Careful with the arm." He said, cutting a long piece of cloth from the shirt of one of the dead raiders and fashioning a crude sling for her.
"There was a… a little girl…" Jessica leaned back against the wall, her head throbbing as he tied the sling around her neck.
"Probably long gone. The Wasteland is full of waifs and strays," Septimus told her. She still felt that strange, exhausted lassitude which had swept over her right before the fall. It was overtaking her again and she found herself drifting into echoes of the visions which had scorched across her mind. She could see the waster family again, cracking open an old, burned pre-war book. She recalled staring at the symbols on the page, wondering what it meant as the man's comforting voice filled her ears. She curled up in his arms, caring far more for the warmth and comfort of a loving parent than the book he was reading to her.
Septimus laid a hand on Jessica's shoulder and gave her a gentle shake as her eyes began to close on him, "Immune?"
"Mmm?" She blinked away the visions and looked up at him.
"Sir," a Legionary tapped him on the shoulder and he glanced up.
"Team two is in position and ready to breach, Sir." The Legionary reported. The scout at the building's corner was holding his fist up in the air as a signal.
Septimus nodded and grabbed his rifle, "Legionaries Decimus and Flavius, get the Immune to safety and defend her with your lives! Everyone else prepare to enter on my mark."
From the second floor they could hear the Overlord roar in rage and agony, the noise mingling with the cries of the wounded raiders, and their panicked comrades.
Two of the Legion troops grabbed Jessica and gently but firmly guided her to her feet, holding her up with an arm under each shoulder. She tested her ankle and found that she could put weight on it, though the pain let her know that doing so was a bad idea. She yelped as the two legionaries actually picked her up, linking arms at her back and under her knees in a fireman's carry. She could tell immediately that though her protectors Decimus and Flavius were the same rank, the older soldier Flavius was in charge. Septimus had already joined the signalman at the building's corner and his troops were stacked up behind him, grenades, rifles and machetes at the ready.
Jessica's new protectors took off at a jogging pace, running past their comrades and towards the safety of the Legion encampment, even as Septimus kicked open the hospital's side door and entered the building. Jessica saw that Legion troops were already moving across the fallen radio tower and entering the hospital's second floor.
Then they were passing the subway tunnel entrance. Decimus, the younger, larger and stronger of the two legionaries took Jessica into his arms while the other, older solider shouldered his rifle, moving a good five feet in front of them and keeping out a wary eye for threats.
Behind them she could hear the roar of the supermutant and the sounds of gunfire. Shouts of surprise began to sound from the remaining raiders right before they were silenced by strict volleys of Legion rifle fire.
She said, "we have to help them."
The soldier named Flavius shook his head, "due respect, but no, Ma'am. Centurion Septimus gave strict orders to keep you safe."
Jessica's head was swimming too much to form an immediate counterargument, and in another thirty seconds they were at the Legion's empty camp and Jessica was deposited carefully onto the desk in Septimus' office. Flavius and Decimus took up positions at the door, rifles at the ready.
Jessica watched them for a moment, and then reached down under the desk with her good arm and tried to grab the bundle of her clothing, weapons and supplies she had stashed there. Flavius saw what she was trying to do and came over to help, lifting the package easily onto the desk beside her.
She watched him as he worked. The man's hair was greying at the temples and his face was covered in scars. "Does Septimus know the names of every man in his Centuria?"
"Yes ma'am." The soldier untied her bundle and unrolled it, revealing her courier's duster, her pistol, some snacks and a package of stimpacks.
"As any good Commander should..." Septimus is better than good.
"He's the best, Ma'am. No one in the Legion I'd rather serve under." The soldier told her immediately. At the door, Decimus glanced at them with a raised brow, surprised by his comrade's sudden openness. Flavius continued, "We've been with him since before the Legion's campaigns against the Whiteface Tribes of Chimney Rock and the Indiana Dunes Lake Dwellers."
Jessica said, "and yet here we are, abandoning him." He's outnumbered and outgunned. The pounding in Jessica's head doubled. Several more shots rang out. She pulled a stimpack and jammed it into her ankle. Almost immediately the pain subsided. She could hear the boom of Jericho's shotgun and the cries of dying raiders. Krong was still alive as well. She slipped carefully off the desk and tested her ankle. It protested a little, but she could walk on it, at least.
"He trusts us, Ma'am. We've been with him all the way back from Black Powder campaign." The awe in the soldier's voice was palpable as he added, "…now he has ordered us to protect Caesar's Immune. There is no greater honor."
Jessica slung her bag of stimpacks over her shoulder. She grabbed her 10mm pistol and a few magazines of ammunition, and turned back to him, "well you're going to have to come with me to follow those orders. I'm going back in."
"No, Ma'am." Flavius said respectfully, "we are to wait here for the battle to end. If Septimus does not return in twenty minutes we make a tactical retreat back to Rivet City."
"A tactical retreat?" Jessica said, allowing a little arrogant haughtiness into her voice. The Legion aren't cowards! Her headache increased further and she grimaced, glaring at the soldier.
"With the utmost respect, the Immune is more important than the mission, ma'am. Septimus' orders."
"I outrank him." Jessica took a few steps forward and he grabbed her by the arm. She spun around and turned on him furiously, "how dare you lay a hand on Caesar's Immune!"
The Soldier recoiled as if stung and Jessica continued, ignore the sharp pains which were tearing her skull apart, "We are going back in. Now."
"I…" Flavius gulped, but young Decimus was already standing at attention, rifle at the ready.
Having lived his entire life under unquestionable authority and so lacking the mental vocabulary to resist, the older soldier simply folded up as she knew he would, "very well, Ma'am. But please stay behind us."
She allowed him that victory at least, and the three of them set back out for the hospital. As the throbbing in her skull faded to a dull roar, Jessica could feel another trickle of blood flowing down onto her lips. She wiped it away and readied her pistol, checking the safety.
The sounds grew in volume as they neared Krong's Kassle. Bullets whipped out of first and second story windows, causing Jessica and her guards to dive behind what cover they could find as they approached. Decimus and Flavius returned fire, covering Jessica as she sprinted to the wall of the hospital and out of view of the raiders above. Having killed several of the attackers, the two soldiers followed her shortly.
The giant bay windows of the hospital's ground floor reception area had been blown out. Jessica's team crouched under them, moving quickly for the front door. The cries of raiders, the sharp orders of Septimus' team, and the rage-fuelled roars of Krong echoed out across the ruins all around them.
They entered the space and the two legion soldiers immediately took up positions ahead of Jessica, moving from cover to cover as they escorted her across the hospital reception towards the staircase to the second floor. Septimus had been both efficient and merciless in his assault. The floor was covered in dead raiders from all three clans, and Jessica's shoes were soon covered in blood, causing her to slip and slide against the tiles. She spotted Briggs the Butcher amongst them, and felt a small amount of pleasure at the cannibal's passing.
A few of the raiders were still breathing, staring up at her in shock, anguish and disbelief, but they had all been maimed too badly to continue the fight. A raider emerged from a back hallway, limping slowly forwards, and Decimus immediately cut him down. The two soldiers adjusted their strategy, with Flavius in the lead and Decimus trailing, keeping a close eye on their rear. The sounds of the second-floor battle were changing. There were fewer and fewer raiders. The cracks of the hunting rifles were constant – somewhat diminished from their original strength, but putting up a respectable fight.
They came upon their first dead Legionary halfway up the stairs. There was a black star-shaped hole where the man's eye should have been. Flavius stepped carefully over him. Jessica found herself feeling regret as she knelt down beside the dead soldier. He had been a face in a crowd during the ghoul fight in the train tunnel, and a guard at Septimus' door before this had started. Jessica did not know his name, but she wondered what his life had been before the Legion had taken his identity. Was he, like herself, a former tribal? Had he regretted his induction into the Legion? Had he even remembered a life before them, or had it been a New Beginning – a Day One, like waking up in Goodsprings had been for her? Jessica rose slowly as Flavius beckoned her forwards.
With a bellow of rage a gigantic shape crashed through the upper floor window above the reception desks, and onto the ground floor of the hospital, crushing several old-world chairs. It was Krong, the supermutant overlord. He was bright red, covered in blood from hundreds of tiny bullet holes, but somehow still alive. There were a few more rifle cracks from the second floor and then they ceased and all that was left was the moans of the dying as the King of Krong's Kassle rose from its knees to face Jessica and her companions. The beast's eyes were mad, crazed beyond comprehension.
But he recognized her.
Without hesitation, the monster let out an earth-shaking bellow, picked up one of the broken chairs, with its sharp metal edges, and whipped it straight at Jessica. Decimus shoved her out of the way, and the chair ripped across his chest, tearing his armour open and leaving a horrid deep gash across his belly. The momentum tipped him over the staircase railing and onto the floor below.
Flavius turned and let out three quick shots into the beast, but it had kept a forearm across its face, shielding its head from the rounds. Its thick flesh did the rest.
The monster charged towards them, crushing the bodies of the raiders beneath its feet. Jessica found herself frozen on the staircase, watching her oncoming doom, even as Flavius dragged her up the stairs by her collar.
She heard a sudden cry from the second floor, "Immune!" Septimus leapt out the second-story window, landing on the creature and rolling to one side. The monster slowed, trying to turn and face him. The Centurion landed three devastatingly heavy machete blows across the monster's back and arm. "Run, Immune!" he called out, dancing back to dodge swipe after swipe.
"Bring'em down, Boys!" Jericho called out from the second floor. He and four Legion soldiers were lined up on at the smashed second floor window. Hunting rifles cracked, accompanied by the steady blam of Jericho's combat shotgun, tearing chucks of flesh from the monster's head and shoulders.
It swung blindly, slowly, whether due to exhaustion or damaged muscles Jessica didn't know, but Septimus ducked under it, narrowly avoiding a bullet from one of the legionaries as he slit its arm open, severing the muscles completely. The limb fell limp against Krong's side, opening the beast up to another full volley. The final shots tore its skull open and it fell to its knees. With a final roar, Septimus brought his machete down on the beast's exposed brain, cleaving the monster's face nearly in two, and King Krong flopped to the floor, stone dead.
The Centurion fell to one knee, breathing heavily.
Jessica could hear the Optio barking orders at the legion troops as they dispersed throughout the building. Occasionally a rifle cracked as they found a raider who was still alive, or needed to be put out of his misery.
She stumbled slowly down the steps, even as the Centurion rose to his feet and marched angrily towards her. Flavius had taken up station behind her, but he was shifting uncomfortably and eyeing Decimus's shadowy, immobile form.
Septimus gave Jessica a furious look, but then spotted Decimus lying in the shadows and softened, rushing right past her. The Centurion slid to a halt on his knees. With shocking gentleness, he rolled the young man onto his back.
"Fuck… I gave you an order, Decimus." The Centurion grunted, staring down at the man's grievous wounds.
"I protected the Immune!" the young man rasped, smiling up at his commander. Blood bubbled in the corner of his mouth.
"You shouldn't have been here!" Septimus grasped at his own belt and growled in anger, "Healing Powder!"
Flavius left Jessica's shoulder and joined his commander, pulling a pouch from his own belt and they began to treat their comrade's wounds.
Jericho arrived at the top of the staircase and took them two at a time, coming to a halt beside Jessica.
They were alone – Septimus and Flavius were occupied with Decimus, and the rest of the Legion were spread throughout the building, executing the dying and finishing off what resistance was left.
Jericho tapped Jessica on the shoulder and nodded towards the open door, through which dusty sunbeams streamed.
With a shock, she realized she had a chance to run. They could just leave, or hole up somewhere in the hotel and wait for Septimus' patrol to give up their search. They could sneak into the basement and find a way further into the ruins. Lose their tail, and set out into the wasteland. Perhaps to Fort Bannister and the Talon Company holdouts… it was the best chance they had, and they both knew it.
She swallowed and shared a thoughtful look with him. The raider raised his eyebrow and she glanced back at Septimus.
The Commander's face was painted with anguish as he crouched over Decimus. He was gripping the young man's hand and saying soft, comforting words.
"Boss…" Jericho whispered, knowing time was running out.
Jessica swallowed again, watching pained tears flow down the wounded soldier's face. She looked back at Jericho and said, "we're not going yet."
"Boss?" he said, his brow wrinkling in confusion.
She moved towards Septimus and the old raider followed. Jessica knelt beside the Centurion, "Septimus?"
Decimus' head was lolling to one side as the two legionaries poured desperate amounts of healing powder onto the black gashes across his belly. The Commander didn't answer her. A small muscle in his jaw was twitching madly as he sprinkled powder down on Decimus.
Jessica pulled out a stimpack and made to inject it into the wounded soldier, but Septimus grabbed her wrist, "no!" He snapped, "no old-world chemicals!"
Flavius grunted an agreement and she shot him a dirty look. "It'll help!" Jessica said, shaking her hand free. Septimus glared at her, "You were supposed to wait outside! All three of you were supposed to wait at the camp!"
"We came back to help you." Flavius said.
"My orders." Jessica added as Septimus's mouth snapped open in rage.
"We didn't need it!" the commando snarled, turning his attention on her with teeth clenched, "I have seen too many of my men die, Immune! I've served with Flavius and Decimus for near a decade!"
"Shut up!" Jessica shot back calmly, "if you care so much and don't want to lose him, then stop poking your hands into his guts. You haven't washed, and you'll give him blood poisoning! How about you let me do what I can?" Decimus let out a horrid whimper as his comrades did their best to hold him down.
"You've done enough, Immune." He glared across his fallen soldier at Flavius, "We'll deal with your insubordination later."
Acting mostly on impulse, Jessica slapped him across the face. The Centurion stared at her in shock and she realized she had seconds to take control of the situation, so she shot to her feet, "You forget your place, Centurion! You're addressing Caesar's Immune!"
Septimus stared up at her in shock. Jessica radiated cold fury and she felt the pleasure of rank and power flow through her. She did not know where the words were coming from, but they poured out of her with all the righteous fury of a Queen, "I am Daughter of the Legion! Tribes have fallen at my feet, surrendered to Ceasar's might without a shot fired. I speak for Caesar himself. I am His eyes, His ears, His voice, and His will in this world! You don't want to lose more men? Disobey me and I'll have your entire Centuria decimated! How dare you?!"
Her headache returned in full force as she glared down at the Centurion.
Septimus was watching her with a careful, shrewd expression. He rose slowly to his feet, bloody hands clenched at his waist, his head bowed respectfully, "I apologize, Immune. In the heat of battle I forgot myself and I beg your forgiveness."
"I don't want forgiveness, I want orders obeyed!" Jessica hissed. On the stairs above them, many of the remaining Legion patrol had gathered, and were watching curiously. Jericho was grinning with satisfaction.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed and his cheeks grew red, "as Caesar wills it, Immune. What do you wish of your Legion?"
Jessica glanced down at the wounded soldier. "I want… I want you to collect the wounded and bring them upstairs. Take the stainless tables from the kitchen and scrub them down with water and abraxo cleaner. Find the cleanest room in this hospital and bring the tables and all of your wounded there. Handle them as carefully as you can. Select the two Legionaries with the steadiest hands in this patrol and have them join me. They are to follow all of my commands immediately and without question. Collect any bandages, syringes and pill bottles you find. Med-X, Stimpacks, antibiotics. All of it and bring it there. Boil water. Bring it all there. Everything you can find in this hospital. Bring it all there. All to me."
"Immune," the Centurion began to protest quietly, "old-world medicine…"
"You are free to provide your opinion when asked, Centurion." Jessica snapped, cutting him off with a wave of her hand, "but I'm not asking. Get it done. Now."
Septimus met her gaze one more time with a confident, professional air, and let out a short, quiet breath. He saluted, "as you command, Immune."
With clipped, professional movements he turned to the congregated Legionaries and began issue instructions. She watched him for a second or two more, a smirk twisting the side of her mouth as the Centurion barked her orders.
Oh yes, she could get used to this… no demands, no negotiations, no dangerous favors. Just orders to be obeyed…
"Damn, boss!" Jericho chuckled, "yeh really laid it on'im."
She blinked and looked back at Jericho, feeling the sting of shame as she remembered Nipton, and Camp Searchlight. No, it was wrong to give orders – to simply expect obedience, and even worse to have orders obeyed without question. How many terrible things had occurred before and after the great war? How many atrocities committed by men who were just following orders?
As painful as the process made every goal, perhaps on balance it was better to have to fight, to argue, to negotiate and debate and discuss every choice. Maybe that process allowed cooler heads to prevail. Maybe that was the true difference between civilization and the type of strict order the Legion imposed upon its world. Their veneer, their… their masquerade of civility hid – excused depths of human cruelty which few others were willing to plumb.
She wondered what she would be capable of – how far she would be willing to go – without the check and balance of others. How much would her conscience allow in a system where those counter-structures simply did not exist, and all obeyed her? Would it be enough to stop her? Had it been before? Or had she simply assumed that her actions were Ceasar's will and therefore inherently righteous? Had she been following orders when she destroyed Hopeville? What had she been trying to do with the platinum chip before Benny's thugs had gotten ahold of her? What would have become of the Mojave?
…Who had Jessica been before she had woken up in Doc Mitchell's house in Goodsprings?
Who was she now?
She said, "Jericho, can you please help them? You know drugs much better than these men do. Help them get it organized."
"On it, Boss!" The man hauled off, dragging two younger legion soldiers with him. She found herself wishing for a moment that the man would have offered some resistance. A question at least, but he was already away.
The former Raider hadn't even taken a second glance at the door. He could have walked away from her, but he had chosen to stay. To continue risking contact with the Legion, working with them. Was that because he wanted to for himself, or was he just too loyal to her to question her choices?
"Immune?" Flavius was staring up at her.
Jessica tossed all of her ruminations behind the proverbial couch and gave the soldier a comforting smile.
She knelt down, and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Decimus will not die today." It was a promise, and she realized that she would hold to it with everything she had. She reached into her pack and withdrew with a stimpack syringe in hand. Flavius was pressing a bandage down over his friend's chest. Decimus had slipped into unconsciousness. Jessica pressed the syringe into his side and pushed the plunger, allowing the healing fluid to spread through her patient.
"ma'am, if I may…" Flavius was pale and fearful as he addressed her. He stopped there, waiting for her permission to speak.
"What's your concern, Legionary?" she asked.
He spoke quietly, apologetically, "old world medicine is bad. Tainted by the depravity and corruption of our forebearers. It is evil magic, Ma'am. I don't… I don't want my friend tainted."
"he'll be alive." Jessica said gently, "I know the Legion culture is about building a better world and going back to our roots, but I would not deny you your old-world rifle. It is a tool you use to impose Ceasar's Will upon the world. Do not deny me my tools. It is Ceasar's will that Decimus live, and I am his instrument. You will not lose another brother today, Flavius." Everything will be okay. Everyone will be saved. You will survive this battle. You will survive this war…
The legionary smiled back at her, the fear and worry in his fading from his face. There was a quiet noise from the upper floor and she looked up to see Septimus staring down at her over the railing of the second floor.
His expression was strange; unreadable, but not at all hostile. "Preparations have been made, Immune." The Centurion called down quietly, "what is Caesar's will?"