Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter and before we go any further let me start off by saying how sorry I am for not having this chapter up sooner. These past three months have the busiest and possibly the most stressful ones in my life. Having a work life sucks sometimes. I want to assure you right now that I have no intention of quitting on this story. I will push on to the end. Now that that's out of the way. I want to thank all of you guys for being very supportive of this story and for your amazing reviews. Onto the next chapter.
ALSO PLEASE READ THIS PART! Before I forget. People have asked me where I got the idea for the underground portion of Rebirth. Well if you've seen the movie Deep Impact, in the movie there is a massive complex built within the mountains that are capable of keeping 2 million people alive. So I got the idea of keeping 30,000 troops alive from that.
Reviews:
Nemo7777: Sorry you feel that way friend.
Eclipse Pheniox: I have more right here!
alanranks7: Thanks bud.
Guest: Thanks friend.
GuestDB: Thanks. When Rebirth comes knocking, the Courier will definitely be grateful.
Dragonbornwanderer: Thanks, to answer your question Sarah was killed in the second chapter, and you are correct, Vertibirds weren't used during Anchorage, but it was implied that there were one or two used. As to how the soldiers at Rebirth got their hands on them...General Chase is a resourceful man.
Coastierks: Glad to see you motivated Coast Guardsman!
InflatedChimp: I'm happy to boost your spirits.
Silberwolf64: Thanks friend, I really appreciate that!
CyberJordan: Yes Navy SEALs can be very deadly, but it's not them Marshes should be afraid of...:)
THESNH00: I don't know about writing a novel I don't think I'm that good, but thanks anyway!
Fortunate Son: You are correct about the P-80 Shooting Stars, as for the bombers, could be a B-52 or it could be a much more destructive bomber. Keep on reading friend.
Guest #2: Glade, Gallows, Colvin, Tristan, and the Lone Wanderer.
Guest #3: Thanks friend.
just a vault guy: Here is more.
Guest #4: The Lone Wanderer (Eric) was born on July 13, 2258. When Eric left the Vault at the age of 19, it was August 17, 2277. Eric will turn 21 on July 13. No the Enclave will not make any appearances.
Guest #5: I completely forgot about the friendly ants. I think I will include them.
OneTwo9th: Thanks, here's that next chapter.
silentwarrior99: Thanks, yes they should put those weapons back in the Fallout series.
Danger close: I'm glad you like the idea. I finally have Chapter 17 up.
Texwolf117: Thank you for the support friend!
IansInsane: Sorry my friend, it had to be done.
Nameless: Thank you friend!
Chapter 17: Sabotage and Preparations for War
5 Miles North of the Capital Wasteland: June 12, 2279. 5:13 A.M.
After the destruction of the Enclave, Eric and the Regulators were able to force the remaining raiders out of the Capital Wasteland. Even though D.C. and its surrounding areas were safe, raider gangs have been more brutal and stepped up their attacks on caravans and random wastelanders to the north of Old Olney.
A group of about thirty raiders had set up a small settlement 5 miles north of the Capital Wasteland. These raiders were without a doubt one of the most brutal band of killers in post-apocalyptic America. They loved chopping off limbs, castrating men, decapitating children, but the icing on the cake, they were merciless cannibals.
Recently this band of thugs had kidnapped over a dozen wastelanders, all women and children. They preferred women for their "entertainment" and children as their…source of food.
"Hey boss, how much longer do we gotta wait? I'm fuckin' starvin' over here." One raider asked his leader.
The raider boss took a long drag on his cigarette and looked at the other raider. "We'll eat when I say we fuckin' eat Joey. Not a minute before or after. Hear me?!" He growled as he blew cigarette smoke out of his nose in a way that made him look demonic.
He stood up and walked over to his captured wastelanders. Each one of them had their hands tied behind their backs and had a piece of old cloth shoved in their mouths to keep them quiet.
The raider boss knelt down next to the prettiest girl amongst the group and pulled the cloth out of her mouth. He licked his lips lewdly at her. "Ya know, my boys are gonna love you." He reached out to stroke her cheek, but the woman quickly pulled her head back to avoid his touch. This action angered the raider leader. He smacked her across the face then grabbed her by the throat and forced her to look him in the eyes. "Bitch you better learn to show me some respect or you gonna be my next meal!"
This woman however, was defiant. She spit in his face and growled. "Fuck you asshole!"
The raider boss wiped the saliva off his face with his free hand and tightened his grip on the woman's throat. "Guess what bitch? That's gonna cost ya!"
The woman spat in his face again. "Do your worst!" She gasped out.
The raider smiled evilly at her as he released his grip on her. "Oh I will." He turned his attention to a tied up little boy next to her. His evil smile widened. "Alright boys, snack time." He shouted as he grabbed the boy by the feet and dragged him through the dirt to the closest campfire. The boy began to cry as all of the raiders gathered around with big sadistic grins on their faces.
The woman's eyes widened. She started fighting to break free from her restraints. She wasn't the boy's mother. His parents died when feral ghouls attacked his settlement. The woman promised to take him in and take care of him like he was her own child. "You let him go!" The raiders either didn't hear her or they ignored her as they continued to gather around the young boy. The woman fought harder against her restraints. "Let him go now!" The raiders continued to ignore her while two of them held the boy's head down against a dead tree stump. The boy's sobbing got louder. "LET HIM GO!" She bellowed, finally getting their attention.
"You wanna shut that cunt up?" The raider boss asked one of his men.
The raider grabbed a set of brass knuckles, tightened them in his fist and walked over to the woman and punched her square in the face, breaking her nose and nearly knocking her unconscious. The raider didn't stop there. He began kicking her in the stomach repeatedly.
While the woman was being beaten to within an inch of her life, the raider boss grabbed a rusty machete that was covered in dry blood and gently set the blade against the back of the boy's neck. He looked to the closest raider. "Hey Joey, which part do you want?"
The raider scoffed like he was just asked a stupid question. "The head you dumbass!"
"Coming right up." The raider boss raised the machete up and before it was brought down, a gunshot rang out. The raider boss fell back and hit the dirt with a bullet hole in his head. The raider who was kicking the woman looked up and was met with a rifle butt being slammed into his face, making him fall back and groan in pain. The raiders all turned around to find a dozen soldiers dressed in dark green combat armor and green berets, armed with marksman carbines and infiltrator assault rifles.
The commanding officer took a step forward with his rifle aimed at the closest raider. "This is your only warning. Lay down on the ground with your hands behind your head. NOW!" He ordered with the most authoritative voice.
The raiders all exchanged an incredulous look. "Is this guy fucking serious?" One raider asked. "They don't got the balls." Another said.
Joey sneered at the Green Berets and went for his sidearm. "Kill those motherf-" The soldiers all opened fire on him and the raiders, gunning down most of them with just a single shot. Joey took four rounds in the chest before a he was taken down by a fifth shot to the skull. The raider that was knocked on the ground received three bullets to the face. The remaining raiders tried running away, but weren't fast enough to outrun the bullets that pelted their backs.
The Green Berets all stopped firing the second the last raider hit the dirt. The commander, Lieutenant Donald Mason ran forward and untied the boy, who ran back to his bloodied and battered adoptive mother.
Lieutenant Mason looked to his medic. "Corporal, take care of her!" The medic grabbed his med kit and rushed to the woman's side and began examining her before injecting a stimpak in her. Lieutenant Mason grabbed two of his men. "You two, untie the others! The rest of you, make sure these pricks are dead!" He ordered pointing to the dead raiders scattered across the field.
While the Green Berets started checking the dead, the two soldiers ran towards the group of tied up women and children who were frightened as they got closer. After they managed to calm them down with some reassuring words they pulled the cloths out of their mouths. One pulled out a combat knife and cut their restraints, setting them free.
One Green Beret armed with an infiltrator assault rifle came across a raider who took two bullets in the back and one in the leg. The wounded raider slowly tried crawling away from the soldier. The Green Beret gave the raider a forceful kick to the side, causing him to roll on his back.
The raider had tears rolling down his face and had his hands up. "Please don't." He begged. "Have mercy on me."
The Green Beret's blood began to boil from indignation. 'This asshole has some fucking nerve.' He thought. "Mercy?" He asked through clenched teeth as he lowered his assault rifle a bit. "You beat down and rape women, you slaughter innocent children, and you gain pleasure from all of it and you're asking me to show you mercy?" The Green Beret placed his foot on the raider's wounded leg and applied a lot of pressure, making him groan in agony. The soldier aimed down the scope and pointed the barrel right between the raider's eyes. "Fuck you asshole!" He spat as he fired three rounds into the raider's skull.
Lieutenant Mason grabbed a radio from his radio officer. "Command this is Wolverine One, staging area secure, you are clear to send in the grunts. Be advised we have a few injured civvies out here; we're going to need a couple more medics as well."
General Andrew Wells' voice came over the radio "Roger that Wolverine One. First wave of troops with medical detachment will arrive by 0720 hours. Until then, hold your position!"
"Copy that. Wolverine One out!" Lieutenant Mason handed the radio back to his operator.
"Lieutenant," A voice said from behind. Donald turned around to find one of his soldiers standing there. "All threats have been neutralized."
"Good, set up a perimeter and wait for our guys to show up." Lieutenant Mason ordered.
"Yes sir."
Lieutenant Mason pulled out a set of binoculars and turned his attention towards the Capital Wasteland. He couldn't see any enemy scouts which was good. In three hours several aircraft would be flying in to drop off troops that were eager to take on this power-hungry warlord and his army of tin cans. Lieutenant Mason couldn't deny that he himself was a little anxious to take on some of Marshes' men. For now he would wait.
But he wouldn't be the only one.
Agatha's House: June 12, 2279. 5:21 A.M.
When Three Dog had issued the warning for all wastelanders to evacuate the Capital Wasteland or to make their way to the Jefferson Memorial, Agatha had quickly buried her violin underneath her house. Instead of leaving her home, due to her fear of the wasteland, she took a syringe filled with Med-X and something else and injected it in her arm. She would lie down on her bed and close her eyes where she would pass away in her sleep. Her last thoughts were of her late husband and how she would soon join him.
Later in the day she was discovered by a couple Lost Hills scouts. They dragged her body out and away from the house and let a soldier with a flame thrower incinerate her so they wouldn't have to deal with the smell.
Now Agatha's house was being used as a major listening post for Lost Hills. Six Lost Hills Knights and two Initiates were stationed there to monitor all radio frequencies in the region. Four of the Knights were sleeping inside while the other two were standing guard by the entrance to the wooden rope bridge. One Initiate monitored the radio and the other was making sure the radio transmission tower was still functioning properly.
While the Initiate was checking the tower, she heard what sounded like footsteps coming across the bridge. She quickly glanced behind her and saw the two knights coming back from their guard shift.
The Initiate resumed her work. "Shift change already?" She asked the Knights.
"Something like that." One Knight said as he raised a silenced 10mm pistol and shot the Initiate in the back of the head. The Knight pulled out a small radio. "Outside's clear." Seconds later, six soldiers in black BDUs ran across the bridge, armed with infiltrator assault rifles. The Knight or Shadow Knight Lieutenant, call sign 'Receiver,' looked to the only female in his squad. "Sergeant Lloyd, get her armor on!" He said pointing to the dead Initiate.
"Yes Lieutenant." The Sergeant replied as she opened up the back hatch of the armor to pull its dead occupant out. Receiver and the other three Shadow Knights kicked the door in and walked into the house surprising the Initiate on the radio and waking up the other Knights. Lucky for Receiver and his men, the Knights took off their power armor so they could get better sleep on the cots they were laying on.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" One of the Knights shouted.
Receiver shot the Initiate in the eye, making his body slump back in the chair before pointing his pistol at the closest Knight. "You're being relieved of your duties." He said putting a bullet in the Knight's skull. The other Knights quickly scrambled for their weapons, but the Shadow Knights all fired their weapons, instantly killing them. "Alright boys, let's get set up here! Sanchez, Harrelson, clear out these bodies, the rest of you, get the armor on! I want two of you to stand guard by the bridge."
While Receiver's men did as they were ordered the Shadow Knight Lieutenant kicked the dead Initiate out of the chair by the radio. He sat down in the chair and inspected the radio, noticing a small piece of paper next to it. It had every Lost Hills unit names, positions, and radio frequencies.
Receiver smiled. 'This will definitely come in handy.'
Grisly Diner: June 12, 2279. 5:34 A.M.
When Marshes began his assault on the Citadel, he ordered some of his scouts to lay down plasma and frag mines from the Grisly Diner to Canterbury Commons to prevent any surviving Brotherhood soldiers from escaping downtown D.C. If left alone, this minefield would be a major problem for the US Invasion Force.
The abandoned raider camp in the back of the diner had been converted into a small scout post for Lost Hills where two Lost Hills Paladins were patrolling near the Grisly Diner, grumbling about not getting a better assignment.
"This is bullshit man!" One of the Paladins said. "Why is it we're stuck guarding the minefield when we could be off scouting the Western Border?" He asked taking a seat inside the diner
The other Paladin shook his head. "General's orders. Look I hate being stuck on bitch duty just as much as you, but-" Before he could finish his head jerked back and he fell to the pavement.
The other Paladin ran over to see if he was ok, only to find that a large caliber bullet had pierced his visor. "Oh shit!" He exclaimed as panic began to rise. He raised his gauss rifle and began scanning the surrounding area trying to find out where the shot came from. Afraid that he might suffer the same fate, he turned and ran in the diner to contact Fort Independence. When he got to the radio he took off his helmet and began adjusting the frequency. As he did, a soldier dressed in black BDUs came up from behind with a combat knife in hand. The second the Paladin found the right frequency, the soldier slammed a hand over his mouth to deaden his calls for help and stabbed him twice in the neck.
The Shadow Knight released the dead Paladin, letting his body fall to the floor. He used his jacket sleeve to wipe the blood off of his knife before putting it back in his sheath.
Twelve more Shadow Knights walked in the room and waited for their orders. The one who stabbed the Paladin in the neck grabbed his radio. "Command this is Semtex, we've located a hot potato field. Ready to harvest." The Shadow Knight Lieutenant said using code words to throw off any enemy soldiers that may be listening.
"Roger that Semtex, begin your harvest!" General Foster's voice replied over the radio.
"Roger, Semtex out!" Semtex looked to his men. "Alright boys lets get this minefield clear."
"Semtex this is Guardian Angel, do you copy?" Another Shadow Knight Lieutenant said over the radio.
Semtex grabbed his radio. "I copy Guardian Angel. How does it look out there for us?"
"You guys are in the clear. We'll keep an eye open for you." Guardian Angel led a platoon of Shadow Knight snipers that were well out of range of enemy personnel.
"Roger that Guardian Angel thanks for the assist. Out." Semtex looked back to his men. "Let's get to work."
Raven Rock: June 12, 2279. 5:58 A.M.
Captain Melissa Broadhead stood near the cliff of the destroyed Enclave Headquarters, now a refugee camp for wastelanders who escaped Marshes' onslaught. She looked out across the scorched and forsaken wasteland thinking, 'How? How could we have done it?' It was still hard for her to believe that the world she knew was long gone only to be replaced by a more dangerous world.
She remembered what it was like before the bombs fell, before going into cryo, before…
"Hey." A voice said from behind, startling her. She turned to find Eric come up next to her with two cups of coffee in hand. "Something on your mind?" He asked handing her one of the cups. "Thought you might like this, you look like you haven't slept in weeks."
"I always have a lot on my mind, which is the reason I hardly ever sleep." She replied taking the cup. "Thanks." She said taking a drink of the caffeinated beverage. "No sugar?"
Eric shook his head as he took a quick sip. "If you manage to find sugar or cream out in the wasteland I will pay you 100,000 caps." He said jokingly.
Melissa quirked an eyebrow and stared at Eric with a look of confusion. "Caps?" She asked.
Eric pulled a small bag out of his assault pack and took out a bottle cap. "Out here in the wasteland bottle caps are considered currency."
"Oh, no shit? Huh, I thought people would resort to trading things." She told him.
"Most wastelanders do trade, including me, but I find it useful to have some form of currency as backup." Eric said putting the caps back in the backpack. "Mind if I ask you something Captain?"
"Please call me Melissa. I hate being called Captain. It makes me feel old." Melissa told him with a chuckle.
Eric nodded. "Alright, Melissa. How come you're not in charge of Lieutenant Smith's men? I mean you are a higher ranking officer, so why aren't you in command of his Shadow Knights?"
Melisa sighed. "For a few reasons. The first is because Shadow Knights only follow the command of their Lieutenants. Captains and up are just tacticians and strategic advisors." Eric nodded and allowed her to continue. "The second reason why I can't command them is because technically I'm no longer a Shadow Knight, so I don't have authority over them."
Eric was about to take another sip of his coffee, but stopped when he heard her. He crossed his arms. His curiosity got the better of him. "What are you then?"
"Uh, heh…I'm an army firefighter." She said not wondering what he'd think.
Eric narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. "Firefighter? As in someone who runs into a burning building to rescue somebody or puts out a fire?" Melissa slowly nodded. A small smile appeared on Eric's face. "Hmm, you don't strike me as a search and rescue girl."
"Really?" She asked with a smirk, crossing her arms as well. "And what kind of girl do I strike you as?"
"Well, from what I've seen, the kind of girl that kicks ass and is willing to run headfirst into a gun battle." He said earnestly. "So what made you leave Shadow Elite?" Eric asked taking another sip from his mug.
Suddenly Melissa's smile vanished and her thoughts drifted to the Yangtze River.
Flashback: Yangtze River, February 4, 2077. 7:49 P.M.
It was a complete warzone. Hundreds of Chinese soldiers had ambushed and pinned down a platoon of Shadow Knights, four of whom had already been killed by heavy machine gun fire. Even with the bullets and missiles flying through the air, most of the remaining Shadow Knights would try and run out to retrieve their wounded.
Captain Melissa Broadhead (Lieutenant at the time) had taken two rounds in her left leg, one in her torso and one in her right shoulder.
"SOMEONE GET THE LIEUTENANT!" One Shadow Knight shouted before taking a dozen rounds to the chest.
A Shadow Knight taking cover behind a wall of rocks spotted a group of Chinese rocket troops. "INCOMING!" He yelled before a volley of missiles slammed into his position, blowing him to pieces and knocking a few others off their feet.
Two Shadow Knights ran forward to try and pull their Lieutenant out of the line of fire, only to be shot in the head by Chinese Crimson Dragoons.
Four Chinese Dragoons decloaked behind a light machine gunner that was ripping apart a Chinese platoon that crossed the river. One of them, armed with an officer's sword, swung the blade and took the Shadow Knight's head off.
One Shadow Knight had run out from behind cover at the speed of lightning with his 9mm pistol and emptied four rounds into the back of one Dragoon. He aimed and shot one in the back of the head and then fired at a third Dragoon, nailing him in the back of the neck. Before he could kill the one who decapitated his comrade, the Dragoon swung the officer's sword and knocked the gun out of his hand. The Dragoon swung again, hoping to kill the "American Scum," only for the Shadow Knight to grab ahold of his wrist and punch him in the face a couple times. The Shadow Knight followed up his attack by ramming his knee into the Dragoon's stomach then twisting his wrist until he relinquished his hold on the blade.
The Shadow Knight grabbed the sword and swung it back, connecting the blade with the Dragoon's neck, effectively decapitating him, just as the Dragoon had done to his fellow Shadow Knight.
The Shadow Knight didn't waste any more time. He ran over to Melissa who was slowly fading in and out of consciousness. "Hang on LT! I got you." He said as he grabbed the collar of her jacket and dragged her to cover. The Shadow Knight looked up and saw two Chinese inferno soldiers readying their flamethrowers.
Unwilling to allow his Lieutenant to die, the Shadow Knight stood in front of her as the soldiers unleashed a torrent of flames, igniting every inch of him. Instead of falling to the dirt screaming in agony, he charged forward and tackled the two soldiers to the ground and held them down as they both caught fire as well. The fire soon spread to their tanks, creating an explosion that engulfed them in a massive fireball.
Lieutenant Broadhead looked on as the Chinese was decimating her platoon. Two Chinese soldiers armed with assault rifles approached her with the desire to kill her. She reached for her sidearm when-
(End of Flashback)
"Hey you ok?" Eric asked concernedly, waving a hand and snapping fingers in front of her face, breaking her from her thoughts.
Melissa quickly shook her head to bring herself back to the present and looked to Eric. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about our current situation." She lied, not wanting to bring up her past troubles. "To answer your question, I left Shadow Elite, because, well…I guess I just wanted to save lives instead of taking them." She lied again, hoping Eric would believe her.
Eric slowly nodded though he could sense the hesitation in her voice as she spoke. He decided not to push the subject.
"There you two are." Melissa and Eric turned around to find Lieutenant Smith and Sergeant Weston. Ryan's eyes immediately spotted the coffee in Eric and Melissa's hands. "What none for me?" He asked pretending to look offended.
"You never asked. Besides I only had enough to make two cups." Eric replied as Melisa took another sip for Ryan to see as a way of rubbing it in.
Ryan pointed an accusing finger at Melissa. "You're a bitch!" He said trying to sound angry, but couldn't hide the smile on his face.
Melissa just shrugged off his comment with a smile of her own. "At least I have coffee." She stuck her tongue out playfully at him.
"I could easily take it from you." Ryan challenged.
Melissa arched an eyebrow. "Bring it Ranger boy." She said taking another sip.
Eric looked back and forth between the two with a big smile on his face. "So when's the wedding."
Those words made Melissa spew half of her coffee out and she began spluttering for air. Carter began laughing so hard from his friend's expressions that he doubled over and was holding his sides in an effort to catch his breath. Lieutenant Smith looked disgusted for a second before sending a glare towards Eric that would make most men piss their pants. Since Eric wasn't most men he remained unfazed by the fiery stare.
As soon as Melissa had finished her coughing fit, she slugged Eric in the shoulder…hard. "That was not cool Eric."
Eric was rubbing the spot that Melissa had hit. "Ow, what was that for?"
Ryan spoke up. "No offense Eric, but gross." Melissa suddenly pulled a hurt look on her face, but the Lieutenant knew better. "Shut up Melissa you know what I meant."
"I'm confused here!" Eric said loud enough to regain their attention.
"Ryan is my brother Eric." Melisa said.
Eric looked at the two Shadow Knights. "But you two have different last names." He stated matter-of-factly.
Ryan scratched the back of his head. "Well if you want to get technical, adoptive brother."
A look of realization came across Eric's face and was about to reply when General Foster's voice sounded over Carter's radio. "Pack Leader come in!"
"I got it." The Sergeant said reaching for his radio. "Command this is Insurgent, go ahead!" Ryan, Melissa, and Eric all waited as Carter listened to what the Shadow Knight General had to say. "Ok I'll tell them. Insurgent out." Carter put his radio up and looked to Ryan. "Good news. We've got extra help out there."
"Who?" Ryan asked his best friend.
"Guardian Angel, Semtex, and Receiver. Plus, guys from SEAL Team 5 have taken the enemy's place on the patrol boats surrounding the Jefferson Memorial. Guardian Angel is helping Semtex clear a minefield to the east while Receiver and his men listen in on enemy radio transmissions." Carter informed them.
"What about the staging area?" Melisa asked.
"Green Berets have secured a good landing zone and the first wave of troops will arrive in less than one hour."
Ryan smiled. "Alright." He turned back to Melissa and Eric. "Let's rally the others and see what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into today."
Ryan left to get the rest of his men with Carter following behind. Eric took one last drink of his coffee before dumping the rest out. He looked to Melissa. "I guess I should wake Amata and the others."
Eric was about to leave when Melissa stopped him. "Can I ask you something…ok two things?"
"Yeah sure." Eric replied.
"Where'd you get the Shadow Knight uniform?" Melissa asked her first question. She knew the same question was on Ryan's mind as well.
Eric checked himself over, examining his uniform. "I found it in a footlocker at Adams Air Force Base." Melissa nodded. "What else did you want to ask?"
Melissa asked her second question in a more serious tone. "Why did you keep going? Most soldiers in this situation would raise the white flag or turn and run. Why don't you walk away?"
Eric's face hardened at her question. "Would you?" He asked. He scanned her face to see if she was showing the tiniest expressions. He immediately knew the answer to that question when he saw her posture straighten and her facial expression become determined. She would be doing the same thing he was doing. "Exactly, I'm not most soldiers Melissa. I've watched enough innocent people die from the hells of the wasteland. I wasn't going to stand by then and I sure as hell don't plan on starting now."
With that Eric walked away, leaving Melissa alone to think about what he said. He was just like Ryan and his squad. Plus, he also reminded her of someone else. She reached into her shirt and pulled out her dog tags, but it wasn't the tags she was looking at…it was the little gold bands that was attached to the chain. Melissa sighed before stuffing the tags back in her shirt and leaving to join the others.
Temple of the Union: June 12, 2279. 6:14 A.M.
"That's the last of them Lieutenant." One Shadow Knight told Semtex as he stuffed three plasma mines in his bag. Most of Semtex's men and large bags filled with mines thrown over their shoulders. The Shadow Knights were surprised by the lack of mines that Lost Hills had placed between the Grisly Diner and the abandoned slave hideout. There were only 200 maybe 250 mines that they collected. Semtex figured that it was because Lost Hills either didn't have many mines or they didn't need to lay down that many.
"Alright guys, let's get back to the diner." Semtex told his men.
"Semtex this is Guardian Angel, pick up immediately!" Guardian Angel said through the radio.
Semtex quickly grabbed his radio. "What is it Guardian Angel?" He asked.
"We got a message from Receiver. He's intercepted an enemy transmission. There's a platoon of enemy scouts on their way to investigate what happened to their soldiers at the diner. If they discover the bodies this whole operation could be fucked!"
"Roger, how long until they get there?" Semtex asked
"You have ten minutes."
"Fuck. Understood." Semtex looked to the only two Shadow Knights in his group that had power armor training. "Hernandez, Mitchell, run back to the diner and get in those tin cans ASAP!"
Hernandez and Mitchell were already running back to the diner at full speed the second word "run" left Semtex's mouth. Along the way they had to take cover in a ditch to avoid being detected by an enemy humvee.
When they made it to the diner they could see a tiny glimpse of the patrol coming in towards the North from Old Olney. Hernandez saw the dead Paladin that Guardian Angel had shot and it took every bit of strength he had to drag the power armor clad soldier off the street. Mitchell saw that there was a pool of blood that had formed where the Paladin's head was lying and started kicking up and throwing handfuls of dirt to try and hide it. Mitchell made sure that most of it was covered up before running inside to get the other Paladin's armor on.
He ran to the back of the diner to find Hernandez was almost finished putting on his set of armor and already hid the body, but noticed some blood on the back.
Mitchell pulled out his canteen and started splashing water against the parts that were stained in blood.
"What are doing man?" Hernandez asked.
"Washing the blood off the armor." Then Mitchell noticed something. "Um bro, the visor on your helmet is fucked." He said pointing to the bullet hole.
Hernandez turned the helmet so he was facing the visor. "Oh shit." He quickly placed it on the table next to the radio and turned it so no one could see the visor. "Get your armor on!" He shouted in a whisper. Hernandez could hear the power armored footsteps getting closer to the diner. He turned to the radio and punched it as hard as he could without hurting his hand.
He got the results he was hoping for because the radio was no longer functioning. Hernandez sighed and let his head drop, but his eyes widened in panic when he saw the pool of blood left from the Paladin that Semtex had stabbed. "Yep, we're fucked." He said to no one in particular.
Thinking they were going to be found out, he didn't hear Mitchell come up from behind him until a dead mole rat landed on the blood pool. Hernandez whipped his head around to find his partner in crime had a nasty cut along the left side of his face and his armor was covered in blood. Mitchell was also wielding a bloody combat knife.
"What the fuck happened to you?" Hernandez asked in concern.
Mitchell pointed the knife at the dead mutant critter. "That fucking thing came out of nowhere and attacked the shit out of me!"
"Dunford, Connors you there? Call out Paladins!" A voice shouted in the diner.
"Back here sir!" Hernandez shouted back.
Seconds later a Paladin Commander and two Paladins came out of the diner and saw the two. The Paladin Commander was immediately suspicious. "Who the hell are you two? You aren't my men!" He said vehemently, completely ignoring the fact that one soldier was covered in blood.
"Negative sir, we just got transferred over here. We're just following orders sir." Mitchell said ignoring the stinging sensation from his wound.
"What unit did you get transferred from?" The Paladin Commander asked still keeping a firm look on his face.
"Bravo Company, Third Platoon." Hernandez answered using his old unit info from his infantry days. He had no idea what these soldiers unit names were, but he was silently praying to every God in existence that luck was on his side.
"They transferred you out of D.C.?" The Paladin Commander asked knowing the unit's current position. "How come I wasn't informed of this transfer and why haven't you checked in?"
"Well sir that's because this fucking radio won't work!" Hernandez replied with a bit of attitude in his voice as he smacked the radio again. He growled. "Fuck, maybe if the equipment we had wasn't worthless shit, you would have been informed sir."
The Paladin Commander was scrutinizing the two disguised Shadow Knights and was glowering at them, seeing if they would flinch or give off any indication that they were lying to him.
Back at the abandoned Temple of the Union, Semtex was looking through his binoculars praying that his men wouldn't be found out. His heart was racing faster by the second. A few minutes later, the Paladin Commander and his men left the diner and we're heading back to Old Olney.
"Semtex this is Smooth Talker, do you read me?" Hernandez's voice said through the radio.
Semtex swiftly grabbed his radio. "I hear you Smooth Talker."
"We're all clear."
Semtex and his men breathed a sigh of relief. "Copy that. Be advised Command has ordered us to pull back I need you to hold your position until further orders are received how copy over?"
"Solid copy LT. Holding position."
"Semtex this is Guardian Angel, we've been given new orders to scout the downtown D.C. area, but I'm going to leave a couple snipers to keep an eye on your boys!" Guardian Angel told his fellow Shadow Knight.
"Understood, thanks Jack. Semtex out!"
5 Miles East of the Potomac: June 12, 2279. 6:49 A.M.
The waters to the east of D.C. were calm and quiet. The only living creatures in that area were a bunch of mirelurks that had set up nests. The mutant crabs were wandering around the shores when a noise they had never heard before drew their attention towards the skies to the East. In the air were five U.S. Army Chinooks carrying a company of Recon Marines towards the mirelurk nesting ground. All Marines were dressed in dark gray combat armor and armed with scoped M16s similar to Eric's. The pilots in the lead helicopter spotted the mirelurks and remained hovering in the air.
"Major Dallas. We've got some…I don't know what the fuck they are. They look like giant crabs?" The pilot said unsurely.
Major Dallas, a ten year Marine vet walked to the back of the helicopter and took a good look at these mutants assessing how much of a threat they would be to him and his men. Judging by their large claws and menacing figures, these creatures were a serious enough threat that they needed to be dealt with. Major Dallas unslung his M16 and aimed down the scope, taking a shot at the closest mirelurk. The bullet harmlessly bounced off the crab's chest. The Major frowned and fired two more rounds. He got the same outcome.
Major Dallas sneered. "Come on and die you son of a bitch." He said aiming at the mirelurk's only weak point and taking a fourth shot, blowing a gaping hole in its face. The Major's eyes widened. "Bingo." He grabbed his radio. "Alright Marines listen up, we got a bunch of fucking mutant crabs roaming around the beaches. The only easy way to kill these fuckers is to shoot them in the face. So take precision shots." Major Dallas put his radio up and turned to the Marines seated in the chopper. "Ready to kick some ass Devil Dogs?"
"OORAH!" The amphibious warriors all shouted in reply.
"Good, as soon as we take out these fucking crabs we wait for the others to arrive before heading to D.C. When the invasion starts we're going to retake the aircraft carrier that the enemy have in their control." Major Dallas raised his voice to the pilot. "Get us on the ground!"
"Understood Major!" The pilot complied as the helicopter slowly started descending.
"Lock and load Marines!" The Major ordered. The Marines all loaded a thirty round magazine into their rifles and stood up from their seats.
The helicopters all landed, some of them crushing mirelurks that were dumb enough to walk underneath the aircraft, the Marines came storming out the back and starting gunning down the mirelurks with precision shots to the face. Though they were easily taking out the mutant opposition, several more mirelurks came charging out of the water.
Major Dallas gave an evil grin towards the creatures. He pointed his rifle at a mirelurk hunter that had set its sights on him. "Come get some you ugly fucker!" He challenged as he fired the M16 at full auto.
Raven Rock: June 12, 2279. 7:06 A.M.
Paladin Richards laid out a map of the Capital Wasteland and pointed at a settlement Eric was familiar with. "Marshes and his men have converted Big Town into a prison camp for wastelanders and some of our own soldiers. Why they are being kept alive is a mystery seeing as how Marshes men have taken pleasure in slaughtering our people."
Paladin Glade clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles began to crack which caught the attention of the Shadow Knights. Ryan and his elite warriors all started looking at all the Brotherhood soldiers in the tent and they could tell that they took their jobs as defenders of the Capital Wasteland very seriously.
Paladin Richards continued. "For whatever reason they're being kept alive, this is our chance to get them out. Our scouts have estimated about 60 wastelanders and five of our guys"
"But where would they go after that?" Ryan interjected. "We can't escort that many people all the way back here without attracting the attention of enemy scouts. Plus if Lost Hills was willing to send a hundred soldiers to reinforce Paradise Falls how many soldiers are they going to send to reinforce a prison camp?"
Sergeant Weston was next to speak up. "He's got a point. What's their nearest response unit?"
"Springvale. You'd have some time to clear out the camp and rescue out the prisoners…"
Eric could sense a "but" in that statement. "But?"
"But after what happened at Paradise Falls if any outpost reports that there's gunfire, nearby response teams will already be halfway there so…you better be able to blow through their defenses quickly."
The last bit of that statement drew Corporal Dallas Walcott's attention. The heavy weapons specialist smiled as he raised his Red Glare rocket launcher over his shoulders proudly. "I'm your man!"
Eric looked at the tall Shadow Knight and his preferred weapon before exchanging a nervous glance with Butch. "Don't you think that might be a little excessive?"
Dallas just shook his head and kept his smile. "Trust me Eric."
5 Miles east of the Potomac: June 12, 2279. 7:23 A.M.
"That was a bit messier than I expected." Major Dallas surmised.
There was over a hundred dead mirelurks and mirelurk hunters scattered across the beach where the Major and his Marines had landed. Four of his men had died by the mutant crabs and another twelve were wounded. One of the Marines was completely torn apart by a mirelurk hunter and another one's head had been crushed by a mirelurk claw. The other two that died were dragged into the water where they eventually drowned. Their bodies were now floating towards the shoreline.
"Sergeant Collins, get them out of the water!" Major Dallas ordered.
"Yes Major." The Marine Sergeant said slinging his rifle over his shoulder and running to the water to drag his fallen brothers out.
Major Dallas had taken some punishment himself. Blood was running down his left arm after one mirelurk had managed to clip him with its claw. He let out a long sigh. With four dead and twelve more out of the fight due to their wounds, almost an entire platoon was combat ineffective. He was about to use his radio to contact Command and inform them of the situation when he heard a familiar roaring engine. The Recon Marines all turned towards the water and saw over twenty Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicles approaching their position.
The amphibious transports drove on the shore, their tracks crushing many of the dead mirelurks with sickening crunching sounds. Seconds later, the backs all opened up and several power armored Marines came rushing out. Major Dallas was shocked to see one high ranking officer in a suit of armor. "General Michaelson?"
"Major Dallas, did you really think I was going to sit back at Rebirth while my boys and girls do all the fighting? I don't think so Marine." The Marine General said examining the bodies of the mutant crabs that were scattered. He turned his attention back to the Major and saw that he was injured. "Are you alright Major?"
"I'm fine General, but four of my men are dead and twelve more are wounded. I'm down one platoon for my objective."
"We'll take care of your wounded." General Michaelson turned his attention to another Marine. "Lieutenant Harris."
"Yes General?"
"I need you and your platoon to go with Major Dallas." The Marine General said.
"Yes General." The Lieutenant looked to his men. "Let's get moving second platoon!"
Major Dallas quickly thanked General Michaelson before leading his men on the five mile trek to D.C. where they would await the main invasion to begin.
U.S. Army Staging Area: June 12, 2279. 7:29 A.M.
Several U.S. Army helicopters began dropping off both regular and power armored infantry. U.S. Army General and acting commander of all military personnel at Rebirth, Andrew Wells had hitched a ride on one of the Hueys en route.
General Wells began advising where his troops would need to attack, where they needed to set up and what areas they should hit hard the most. It wasn't long after the troops had landed that a flight of Chinooks and Skycranes had begun delivering humvees, howitzers, and Patton and Sheridan tanks.
General Wells had requested that four Super Cobra attack helicopters remain at the staging area to act as a QRF (Quick Reaction Force) in case Ryan and his Shadow Knights needed fire support.
When Ryan last checked in, he told the General that Raven Rock was the main base being used by friendly Brotherhood soldiers. After the first company of troops had landed, he ordered Lieutenant Mason and his Green Berets to link up with the commanding officer there.
Andrew watched as the last helicopter took off. In another two hours the choppers would come back to drop off more troops and vehicles. His current invasion force was at 1,250 men, 10 humvees with .50 caliber machine guns, and 50 tanks.
Takoma Industrial: June 12, 2279. 7:42 A.M.
On the roof of the abandoned factory, three Shadow Knight snipers were watching everything that Lost Hills soldiers was doing. Guardian Angel watched as they demolished one building and were loading rubble from another building into the back of fixed up trucks.
"Gotta admire their efforts." Guardian Angel said.
"How do you figure that LT?" One of the snipers asked.
"This Marshes guy wants to rule the D.C. area, but what he sees doesn't exactly fit his empire. You see, he has a vision. In this vision he sees all these destroyed or unstable buildings gone only to be replaced with new established structures for a perfect empire."
Both of his snipers snorted and shook their heads. "Wow, who would've thought you'd actually sound philosophical." One sniper said.
"Laugh it up ladies. What else do you see?" The Shadow Knight Lieutenant asked.
One sniper looked through a set of binoculars. "There's a couple hundred soldiers guarding the Mall, along with a dozen battered but working Sherman tanks." The sniper looked to building rooftops. "Some old AA guns, snipers and machine gun nests on the roofs of the Museum of Technology…" He turned his attention to the top of the Washington Monument…What he saw caused his eyes to widen in pure terror. "Oh fuuuuck." He drawled out.
"What is it?" Guardian Angel asked.
The sniper pointed at the Washington Monument. "We got a problem."
Guardian Angel looked through his own binoculars and immediately knew why his sniper was horrified. "That's not a problem…that's a fucking nightmare times ten! Give me th-" The sniper was already holding out the radio for Guardian Angel who quickly snatched it out of his hand. "Command this Guardian Angel; I need you to patch me through to General Wells ASAP!"
"Guardian Angel this is Command, what's the problem?" Lieutenant Hawk asked.
"A fucking big one, patch me through now Goddammit!" Guardian Angel snapped losing his patience. 'Great. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse.'
Remember to leave a like or review...or both. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I hope to have Chapter 18 up much sooner.
NCRMC signing off for now!