James trudged along the path. Clouds loomed overhead and lightning and thunder seemed to occur more and more frequently. James scanned the horizon for his target and found her.
"Marie!" he shouted. "Storm's coming, we need to find shelter!" His voice carried across the underpass of the bridge. Marie seemed to understand him and ran ahead to scout. James quickened his pace but unslung his carbine rifle. The underpass was once a raider hub, old habits die hard.
As James neared the underpass, droplets of rain began to pitter down on his baseball cap. James groaned, "This is so gonna ruin the jacket." James ran for the underpass and managed to reach the shelter the hulking metal structure just as rain the size of baseballs began to pour from the skies.
"It's like Heaven opened the floodgates." James commented. He turned to find a few bloody rags and a fresh blood spot next to a concrete divider. Bullet holes dotted the walls and rusted cars around him while casings clinked with each step. "Marie…?" James called cautiously.
A green blur shot out of the doorway and James fired a burst at the blur. The blur tackled James off his feet and shoved him against a storage container.
"Who are you?" The super mutant growled, holding James's gun arm high above his head.
"The guy about to blow your fucking brains out." James growled back holding a custom short barreled shotgun at the mutant's neck. "You'll probably tear off my arm once I do, but I will pull this trigger if you don't let the girl go when I'm done counting to five."
"I kill in three!" the mutant responded. James was impressed.
"Wow, you can talk!" He said, the mutant was taken aback and relaxed its grip. James pulled the trigger and was treated to a glorious vision of buckshot obliterating the mutant's entire left face. The image almost seemed to travel in slow motion as the slug tore the muscle off its face and took bits of jawbone with it. The mutant began to fall backwards as its remaining eye rolled into its skull.
"What have you done?!" another screamed as two more ran out into the open. James clicked his tongue as he aimed his rifle.
"Not smart, kids." he said as he fired. The first burst tore into the mutant's legs. The armor piercing rounds took chunks of muscle with it, with at least one making direct contact with bone. The mutant howled as its brother charged James with a machete lifted high above its head. James already had the gun poised to tear our the mutant's eyes while his right hand held a concussion grenade. Though the blast would have disoriented him, he had long activated Alpha Squad's Emergency Beacon. Due to their close proximity to Hangman's Alley, a Verti-Assault Squad would be in the area within minutes.
"Marie, run!" he shouted as the grenade flew from his fingers. The blast through James into the air and off the road. He rolled backwards first watching the sky roll under him before Cambridge across the river became clear, then ground fast approached his sight. He smashed into the ground, cracking his back, but James allowed the momentum to throw him backwards as he poised his feet for stopping.
James rolled back onto the soles of his feet with an aching back, and quickly lifted his rifle up. The mutants, predictedly chased him down the slope as well. Two bursts resulted in two more dead mutants. Sudenly the road became lined with mutants, too many for James to count.
"Okay…." James said warily, flitting his eyes from left to right in an attempt to count the mutants. "This is going to be a little harder than usual." he said as he slid another magazine home. The first mutant roared as James chambered the first round and lifted his rifle.
"STOP!" a gravely voice bellowed from the sky. James looked up.
"What the-?" James asked. The mutants froze in their tracks and the ranks stepped aside to make way for a larger, lighter colored mutant. This mutant was different in that he wore some kind of glasses and had various armor pieces that appeared to be designed and functional. Much more so than the typical Commonwealth variant of mutant armors.
"Who are you, wastelander?" the tall mutant asked, its glasses whirring and shaking as if they were focusing on James. James had his rifle ready to fire, but all of the mutants had lowered their weapons.
"I don't think names matter at this point." James said warily. "How come you can talk?"
"It's not just me," The mutant said defensively, while still calm at the same time. "We all can."
"You're kidding." James responded, skeptical of the idea of intelligent mutants.
"You killed our brothers!" one shouted.
"We shall avenge them!"
"Okay, so you guys can talk." James replied. "This is definitely good for me."
"We need to de-escalate the situation." The mutant that appeared to be leader said. "Let's talk."
Suddenly a flood-light rained down on the mutants as three vertibirds flew into the airspace.
"This is the Enclave! Nobody move!" a voice called from above. Meanwhile the vertibirds stabilized themselves as Power Armored Troopers rained down from the hovering aircraft. At the same time three P-80s directed a low flyover, causing a painfully loud soundwave that unsettled all the mutants.
Now flanked by troopers armed with tesla weapons, the mutants appeared to shrink from their previously dominant stances.
"This is Enclave Commander, everyone stand down." James said into the microphone stiched into his jacket. James shouldered his rifle and walked up the slope. "I agree, let's talk." He said, smiling at the mutant.
The mutant and James sat across one another at a campfire. The sun had set, and the vertibirds still hovered overhead. Every so often, the P-80s flew over, ensuring that mutants understand that air support was always nearby.
"So, Marcus…" James began. "You're how old exactly?"
"Well, it's hard to exactly how old, but I'd guess anything upwards of 200 years, now." Marcus said with his distinct gravely voice.
"You don't know how old you are?" James inquired.
"Well, to be honest, the early years are quite fuzzy now." Marcus answered, rubbing his chin as if it would help him remember. "The years before I evolved were always fuzzy, but now… even more so."
"Hmm." James grunted in acknowledgement. The idea of an intelligent mutant fascinated him. He almost wished he stayed longer in New Vegas the last time he was in town. "So where is your merry band of giants headed now? Traveling through the Commonwealth isn't safe for your kind anymore."
"And why is that?" Marcus asked. He glared at James, but only enough to be threatening, nothing more. "Are you attempting to threaten me?"
James laughed and crossed his arms. He and Marcus were seated in patio chairs overlooking the Charles River, with Cambridge in the distance. Patrols were moving about by this time and people were starting to wake up. You could see the glittering vehicles moving around as the military camps began to mobilize for training. Though everything was said to be better in the Commonwealth. James couldn't help but notice that the only thing moving about besides traders were military academies and militias. He couldn't help but wonder if things really were getting better in the wasteland.
James gestured and waved at the scenery around him.
"Just look at the place." James said passively. "I have no doubt, you can kill me at this distance before I can reach my rifle. But after me?" James waved at the Power Armored Troopers talking to the mutants in the distance. A P-80 rocketed past overhead as a Vertibird dropped off a few Sigma Squad members. Marcus eyed all of them carefully and huffed.
"True enough I suppose." Marcus relented. "We may overpower your men." Marcus and James watched together Glade and Kodiak fix up a mutant with a prosthetic leg and let him lumber off. The men and the mutants cheered and chest bumped one another. The mutants roared in approval. The men cheered once again and smashed open a few bottles of beer.
"-Or maybe not." Marcus nodded in approval before looking back at a receptive James.
"The Enclave is different from the one you know, Marcus." James began to spoke while Marcus inspected James's dress and the technology around him carefully. "The Commonwealth also isn't your normal kind of Wasteland." Marcus sniffed the air and looked up to the skies as another squadron of P-80s flew over.
"They don't let up, do they?" Marcus asked.
"Not when a band of mutants has them up and raring no." James replied. "Cambridge is just across the Charles. Towns and settlements of now what are hundreds of people are up and about, going through with their day with no knowledge that you're here." James looked back at the bumbling town. He almost laughed at how picturesque the town seemed. Especially compared to what it used to be. "How do you think a military organization would respond? When their families live less than half a mile from a large band of what they think to be to savage mutants?" Marcus seemed to ponder this for a few seconds.
"I suppose that is a fair point." Marcus finally answered. "Judging from how you have refused to utilize your overwhelming firepower to overwhelm me and my people, I would guess you are a human worthy of my trust." Marcus stood to his feet, making the ground shift and crack as he did. He raised himself to his full 11 feet stature.
"You're still quite tall for an old mutant." James commented. Marcus chuckled and looked back at James.
"I'm of a more durable breed." Marcus replied. "My people and I plan to establish a haven for mutants. I have tried many times. But thanks to an old friend of mine, I sometimes get 'itchy feet' as humans call it."
"Itchy feet?" James inquired.
"I-, sometimes get this feeling that I need to move. To walk. To wander." Marcus began. "I cannot help it. It's irresistible. I can set up all the settlements I want. I can make them as successful and stable as I want. But the wasteland always calls me home. It's siren song pulling me every time." Marcus turned from the view of Cambridge and back to James. "I can't resist it. Can you?" James smiled at the personal answer to his question.
"Not every time." James admits. "Is that why you're here?"
"It's part of the reason, yes." Marcus replied. "I hear of a glowing sea of radiation out here. A place where only my people and a few other 'evolved' individuals can hope to survive. I'd like to visit this place." He said resolutely.
"Well, I can't exactly take you." James chuckled. "I'm not quite so 'evolved' as you say."
"Just point the way." Marcus replied. "And we'll go."
"Well, I hope you can understand if I have to send some men to accompany you." James said. Marcus frowned, or at least made a face equivalent to a super mutant's frown.
"You don't trust us to move about without pillaging and raiding your homes?" he asked darkly.
"I'm here to prevent people from starting a war out of misunderstanding." James replied, just as firm. Marcus seemed to accept this and turned away.
"Just follow the birds, and we won't have any problems." James said again.
"Have you really learned nothing from our conversation, human?" Marcus asked. James stood and smiled, patting the arm of the mutant.
"What? Are you kidding?" James asked. A vertibird began to slowly descend and make its landing. "I think, it's you who has a lessons of your own to learn."
"Human!" Fawkes roared as he stepped out of the vertibird, clad in his own set of X-02 power armor.
"Impossible…" Marcus muttered under his breath.
"Hey, he can hear you." James whispered to his new mutant friend. "Stole the plans for this suit off of Hale, I hear you know him."
"Know him?!" Marcus laughed. "HAH! Hale's my drinking buddy!" Fawkes lumbered forward and hugged James, with a massive bear hug.
"It is good to see you!" Fawkes.
"Just saw you a few days ago, buddy!" James groaned, still subjected to the bear hug. Fawkes let James down gently before facing Marcus. Despite Marcus's immense height for a super mutant, Fawkes seemed to stand tall over Marcus. They stared at each other for a few moments before suddenly bursting into laughter together. James looked at both strangely.
"It's good to see that mutants are represented well out here!" Marcus laughed.
"It's good to see I am not the only one of my kind!" Fawkes replied similarly. James smiled and threw his hands into his coat pockets.
"Ready to get going?" James asked. Marcus turned with Fawkes in arms.
"Where to, human?" he asked.
It took a few hours to move the entire band of merry mutants past settlements without being seen. Along the way, Enclave patrols would cordon off streets and alleys, just to make sure the mutants could pass through without trouble or notice. James noticed, for the first time, how the buildings were coming together. What used to be entire mazes rubble, crooked houses, and terribly decaying roads and infrastructure was now replaced with glistening new houses. Well, houses completely restored from recycling old and decayed houses, but they really did look quite beautiful for houses built from trash.
Marcus was absolutely transfixed with the architecture and the repairs. Fawkes was apparently unfazed. When asked, Fawkes replied simply.
"At home, Megaton has done the same with many districts. But Vault-Tec doesn't like so they replaced Megaton. Now most of the city has been recycled just like here."
"Vault-Tec? What do you mean?" James asked as he walked alongside his old friend.
"The Vaults banded together to form a tribe. Then other tribes fought, now war rages in the Capital Wasteland." Fawkes replied.
"Dammit. I knew this would happen. I thought I told Butch to do things right in Megaton!" James replied.
"Butch left long ago too." Fawkes said. James stopped and turned Fawkes to face him. The convoy lumbered ahead without them.
"What?!"
"He is here." Fawkes said simply, scratching his helmet. "I thought you already knew."
"No, he was supposed to stay in Megaton!" James replied. He squeezed his brow and paced around. "You know what, no. It's not worth it. It's not fault, Fawkes. Just tell me where he is."
"That I do not know, friend." Fawkes replied. "Perhaps, MacCready would be more helpful?"
James frowned and began to fiddle with his jacket as he started walking again.
"Oh this is just great." James muttered to himself. "Ask him to do one thing!"
"Human, have we arrived?" Marcus asked. James looked up to answer and found it. The underpass that served as his main way to get into the Glowing Sea. Next to the road was an Enclave patrol checkpoint, but there were only a few lightly armed guards. They didn't expect to be attacked. Scientists took samples and worked closeby.
"Yeah." James replied as he stepped in front of the mutant band. "Yes we have."
Marcus stepped forward and sniffed the air, then he stretched as a radioactive breeze passed by.
"Sir, step back!" Glade's voice called from behind him. James didn't move an inch and watched Marcus saunter forward before looking back at the mutants.
"We're home!" Marcus bellowed. It was soon followed by a flood of cheers of mutants and a loud thundering. A radioactive mist filled the air as mutants began to lumber into the Glowing Sea.
"Storm's coming, sir." Glade said as he handed James a radiation cleanser. It was a repurposed rebreather than would filter the radiation out of the air. James would still need to enter a detox chamber soon but the breather would help for now.
"What are you going to now?" James asked. Marcus looked at James and then back out at the herd of mutants walking in. There were so many, that the ground shook and thundered from their steps alone.
"Probably make a home for my people." Marcus replied simply before smiling at his people entering their new home. "Then move on. Probably." James nodded before watching the mutant leader leap off the rock they stood on and seamlessly entered the hourde of mutants entering their new homeland.
"You know the Council's not going to like this." Marie said. James gave her a face.
"Suddenly, you're the political commentator?" James replied sarcastically. "Where have you been this whole time?"
"Just watching. I told you, I like these kinds of things." Marie replied simply as she watched the mutants happily enter the land. "In fact, I think the land of the giants is about to have quite the shake-up."
"Why do you that, kiddo?" James asked as Marie leaned into him for a side-hug. The first she'd done since he had awoken.
"The mutants were being led by a smart mutant, one barely smart enough to talk. Now there's a smarter mutant. It's gonna be a battle of the tribes now." Marie said.
"Yeah, well. My money's on Marcus." James said quickly.
"Yeah, but Strong's got behemoths." Marie said, looking up at James. They finally something meaningful to talk about.
"Strong? What's that?" James asked. Marie looked at James funny.
"That's the other mutant leader." Marie said matter-of-factly. "Didn't you know?"
"No, I didn't." James replied as the mist began to thicken and the last of the mutants entered the Sea. "But something tells me Strong's going to have quite the hard time fighting Marcus off."
Then the last mutant entered the sea, while the mist enveloped the entire.
"Time to clear out, people! Move, move, move!"