What is happening people? It has been awhile. Thanks to CyberJordan for reviewing! One of the best authors on this site and a personal favorite of mine, if you haven't read his Fallout stories you should, they are awesome. Also thanks to The Altrox for reviewing as well, check out his stories as well. Now, on with the fic!
Zephyr looked at his blade. Instead of the clean steel, it was covered in blood. Warm and sticky blood that started to drip from his blade.
"Holy shit, I've seen some crazy things in this wild wild wasteland, but never something like that! Damn stranger, you one flashing steel sword cutting cowboy, aren't ya? Cut down two of those damn Powder Gangers like they were nothing!" Sunny exclaimed, her rifle holstered and Cheyenne barking.
"Thank you stranger!" Emily said, wincing as she stepped on her bad leg.
"We need to get you to a doctor. Sunny, can you get her to Doc Mitchell?" Zephyr asked politely. Sunny nodded and looped Emily's arm around her neck.
"Oh, before I forget, go see Trudy at the Saloon. She's the town mayor and my aunt. She wants to meet the man that got shot in the head and managed to survive. She would be crossed if I didn't!" Sunny let out a short laugh.
"Anyway, see you soon stranger!"
"Thank you stranger!"
Zephyr just looked in shock as the two walked away, still staring at his blade. He could not believe it. Just mere minutes after he had exited the Doctor's house, he had already killed somebody. Two people. True, both were murderers most likely, but he had taken a life.
Zephyr looked around, the still forms of both Powder Gangers on the ground. In the distance, along the highway, most likely going west, there was a man. He had a furious expression on his face, and he was flanked by three men in the same armor that he wore. He had a bullet proof vest over some blue clothing, and he was black. A dangerous looking revolver was at his side, looking shiny and very powerful.
"YOU MOTHA FUCKER! YOU KILLED MY BROTHERS! YOU KILLED MY BROTHERS! YOU AND THIS WHOLE TOWN IS GONNA PAY! YOU HEAR ME? PAY! AS SOON AS JOE COMES BACK, YOU AND THIS TOWN IS GONNA GET BURNT TO THE FUCKING GROUND! YOU GONNA BE NAILED TO A FUCKING POLE LIKE SOME CAESAR'S LEGION FUCK!" he said angrily, shaking his fist at Zephyr. He was angry, Zephyr could practically feel the fury and rage being directed at him, but he was angry as well, and he could not place his finger on it. Finally, he said the thing that he had wanted to say. What bugged him.
They pronounced Caesar with a soft c.
"It's pronounced Kaiser, not Caesar," he said back, saying Caesar with a hard k, instead of the soft c. Instantly, the Powder Ganger's expression went from one of fury and rage, to one of confusion.
"What the fuck did he just say?" he asked to another Powder Ganger. The man shrugged and said something that resembled, "how the fuck should I know" and the lead Powder Ganger turned back top Zephyr.
"Well, whatever the fuck you said, it is not fucking funny!" he threatened and in turn, Zephyr simply shrugged and started to walk back, the four Powder Gangers looking at him, still confused.
He looked at the morning sun, basking in its golden rays. The desert was a dangerous place, but he faced no dangers, as he walked towards the small town. He saw the Prospector's Saloon and he suddenly felt the craving for a drink. Or two.
He walked up the steps, wincing with the steps as they creaked, and opened the door, again, letting the wave of booze and cigarette smoke wash over him. In the dim and cool Saloon, he saw several Goodsprings settlers, people that were hardy and sufficient. But he saw a flash of silver and a fabric of blue. He went back into the bar area, looking into it, when he saw a woman, looking to be in her thirties, but she was strong and her hair straight.
And the man in front of her was a Powder Ganger, almost identical to the man that had yelled at him from afar.
"You don't give me Ringo and I'll come back with my boys. We will burn this fucking town to the ground. And I will make sure that sweet ass of Sunny's is mine, unless you deliver. Understand bitch?" he asked very impolitely. Trudy, Zephyr assumed he was, just leaned back, her arms going across.
"Listen Cobb, for the last time, he isn't here. He bugged out and went north. Now, threaten me again, and the only thing your boys will come for, is your body in a bag. Now if you ain't gonna get something to drink, get the fuck out of my bar!" she yelled. Cobb looked at her with fierceness, but he retreated, deeming it unwise, seeing that several of the settlers were reaching for their guns, and he left off with a warning.
"Remember, give me Ringo, or this town is gone."
And then he left.
"Well that did not end well," she muttered before turning to Zephyr.
"Well, you've made quite stir in town. I saw Emily with Sunny, heading to Doc's. What the hell happened?" she asked.
"Mam, we were clearing out the watering holes when two Powder Gangers attacked. She suffered a broken leg before I killed them," he said with complete cool.
"You killed two Powder Gangers? Well shit. Even if we did hand over Ringo, he would ask for you, and then ask for more shit. Fuck me in a dozen different places," she swore.
"Your name is Trudy, right?"
"Yes, it is. Sunny send you to me right?"
"Yes. I have a few questions about those Powder Gangers. Where are they from?" he asked politely.
"They are from a prison a few miles away. It was a NCR prison, but they managed to escape. Now, they control of this entire part of the I-15, from the outskirts of Goodsprings, to some of Hidden Valley, to Primm. It's dangerous on a good day here, and those convicts on the loose means that the Mojave Wasteland just became a more frightful place," she said.
"A prison? Well that explains the armor. Also, what is this Hidden Valley?" he asked, curious and because he wanted to get all the information he could about the surrounding area.
"Hidden Valley is an area between the prison and Black Mountain. Its near the prison and there are rumors that the Brotherhood of Steel is in control of the area, but I think it is a load of shit since I haven't seen no power armor around these parts," she said with contempt.
"What are the Brotherhood of Steel?" he asked.
"They are a bunch of power armor wearing soldiers that can probably clear that prison pretty easily. If they still existed. They worship tech and all kind of weird things. What else do you want to know?" she asked patiently.
"Two things. One, do you know of the man that shot me?" he asked seriously. He wanted to know what the hell was going on, why he was shot, but it seemed obvious that Trudy didn't know why he was shot.
"He was one of those city folk, from New Vegas, wearing a checkered suit, and was a dainty looking man. He was traveling with a bunch of Khans, low life sons of bitches that made my son's life hell when he joined the NCR Army a few years back, and one of them accidently bumped into me. They said they were on their way to Primm, probably to head to New Vegas since they can't head the way they came from. What's the other thing sweetie?"
"Where is Ringo?"
Soon he was walking up the hill, heading towards the abandoned gas station, after fixing Trudy's radio, which happened to have a few busted wires, nothing he couldn't fix, in order to fix this whole situation. He had no idea what the hell Power Armor was, or who the NCR and Caesar's Legion was, but he had a feeling that he would soon learn.
There was a vending machine nearby, advocating something that involved a sunset, when he knocked on the door of the gas station.
"Hey Ringo, you there?" he asked loudly.
Two bullets were his answer. They went wide, one zoomed over his shoulder, the other, barely, just barely, missing his groin. He thanked whatever Gods there was, before looking through the bullet holes in the door to see a slightly disheveled Asian man wearing what was commonly known as a Courier's bag and a red shirt with spots on it, dark black pants, and a pair of goggles around his neck.
"You take one more step Cobb and I will put two more bullets in your head!" the man screamed. Zephyr sighed before opening the door.
"Really dude? Come on, I didn't wake back up from the dead, just to get shot again. In the head. Again," Zephyr said sarcastically. The man chuckled a bit.
"Sorry about that, I am just jumpy. I mean, you are wearing blue," he said.
"Yeah. I heard about your little Powder Ganger problem," Zephyr mentioned. Ringo chuckled.
"Yes I do. I mean, even I deal with Cobb's crew, there is the problem with the prison. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like messing with about forty plus convicts. Eddie won't let Cobb attack though. Not yet. He will have to wait a bit. Wait for more men and more hardware. Once Eddie supplies Cobb with that, then he will attack," Ringo muttered angrily.
"Goodsprings doesn't stand a chance against the prison. Is Eddie the one in charge of this entire Gang?" Zephyr asked. He made a mental note to scout out the prison later. He had a varmint rifle and a pistol, plus a very dangerous sword, to keep him company.
"Yeah he is. Eddie will probably send Dawson and his crew. Dawson and his crew number about ten, while Cobb has about eight to ten men. We can't take twenty men, me and you. Even with the town behind us," he mumbled.
"I'll think of a plan. If Cobb isn't going to attack now, then we have some time. I have a plan, but it all involves you getting the town behind you. If you have the town behind you, then Cobb will probably delay his attack. I can scout the prison and thin their numbers," Zephyr said with confidence. If the town could rally behind Ringo, then that meant that Cobb would delay his attack. And that meant more time for him to act on his plan.
"Alright stranger. By the way, what is your name?" he asked. Zephyr gave a quiet chuckle.
"You know, you are the first person besides the Doc to ask that."
Zephyr walked into the General store, a large building that was run by a guy name Chet, it seemed. The air was musty as he saw a man in the same outfit that Ringo wore.
"Hey, how can I help yo-" he stopped when he saw Zephyr's face.
"You here to pick up your hardware?" Chet asked, crossing his arms. Zephyr looked confused.
"My hardware?" he asked, confused.
"Yeah, the suit and the rifle. I had it custom made by the Gun Runners. You already paid for it. Its in the back. Follow me," and Chet motioned for Zephyr to follow him into the back of the store. Zephyr did, still confused as hell as to what the hell was going on.
In the back were several crates, wooden crates about as big as him. A fridge was prompt up in the back and Chet started to open a crate with a crowbar.
"You know, I wasn't expecting you back until you delivered that package to New Vegas. But the package arrived today, and it seems that you want it!" Chet said with excitement. The crate's opening went open and Chet pulled out a suit of armor it seems. But the armor that he was expecting was way different.
This armor was dark black, with the words, U.S FIRST ARMORED CAV, written on it, with a dark green duster covering it. The helmet had a built-in gas mask and the eyelids were dark green, giving off an eerie vibe. Green tubes were attached to the gas mask, while an antenna and a flashlight were strapped to the side. And on the back of the duster was a snarling black dragon, with fire coming out of its maw.
"The duster has reinforced shoulder plates and the pants have inbuilt armored knee guards. Its one badass piece of work. The duster also has some Kevlar woven into the arms, making it easier to fire a rifle or a shotgun, and it also make sure that you got some protection. You made some pretty caps for this. The helmet has advanced optics and a night vision mode and enhanced perception. It is pretty badass if you ask me," Chet chuckled. He then gave it to Zephyr.
"GO put it on. I will vacate the back for just a little bit. Don't touch the items!" Chet called out before leaving the back area. He put the armor on, tugging in the rodeo jeans and the duster on over the armor, various straps and other things, before placing the helmet on.
Suddenly he felt something weird. A pinch went into his wrist, a flare of pain from where the Pipboy was.
"Fuck!" he cursed for the first time. But as he stopped from focusing on the pain, his eyes felt...different. A HP bar was on the right of his vision, several markers below it. An ammo count came from where his gun was, which was his Varmint Rifle.
"Holy crap."
"I know, the armor is so badass!" Chet repeated, before sweeping back into the room.
"And now, the gun that you have been waiting for. I custom ordered it from a gun dealer near Camp McCarran, a rifle that it is called This Machine," Chet said, digging back into the same crate that had housed the armor.
The rifle was at least a foot long. The stock and the actual rifle were a light brown color, patterned for the desert it seemed, and as the rifle was passed into his hands, he was handed several magazines of what appeared to be .308-6 rounds. And on the side of the rifle, the words WELL THIS MACHINE KILLS COMMIES, was written, clear as day.
"Six magazines of .308-6. About forty eight rounds. If you want more, then you got to buy them!" Chet cooed.
"I want ten more magazines. I am willing to trade in this vault suit and my varmint rifle," he said, letting the discarded armor and rifle slide into Chet's hands.
"Deal," and soon ten more magazines were clicked to the straps and pockets of the armor. The Courier's bag accompanied him and the man walked out, the afternoon hours soon coming.
The day had turned into night and the nocturnal predators of the Mojave were out. Scorpions of all sizes, Deathclaws, giant mutated ants, were all seen. But a dust storm was coming out of a valley, raging for hours. It hindered anyone trying to see into the valley, while people in it were safe from prying eyes.
It was how a woman dressed in brown robes managed to escape detection from three Powder Gangers that were patrolling right next to the gate that lead into the valley. She sighed, before wiping her brow clean. She was sweating. Usually, she would have dealt with the threat, but with a heavily fortified prison right next to her, she did not want to draw attention to herself.
She crouched low, shuffling on the road as she continued past the prison. She didn't want to get caught, but she had to go at night; her other routes were blocked by the Super Mutants that inhabited the nearby Black Mountain. She needed to got at night.
The prison had several guard towers, several men armed with rifles and searchlights looking for any threats may appear in the night. As she crouched near a burnt out car from a different era, she breathed in and out, slowly and carefully, when she heard two Powder Gangers talk about something.
"You hear about what happened in Nipton?" a Powder Ganger asked his companion. Both were armed with shotguns, single shot weapons that could tear through skin and bone with a press of a trigger.
"No, what happened?" his companion answered.
"Some Legion fucks tore the place to shreds. No one is alive. Heard there was a lottery to see who would live," the Powder Ganger informed his friend.
"Damn, Boxer was there with his crew. Ten men, dead. Damn, that means only the men here, Dawson's crew, and Cobb's crew is left. And I hear that two of Cobb's guys bought it today. Some dude in a vault suit. Bastard beheaded Rodgers and his best friend," and the two shared a laugh.
"Hey, do you think we can get the bitch behind the rock now?"
And the woman froze when she saw two guns being aimed at her, ready to blow her brains out if she moved.
"Alright princess, this is going to be easy. You see, if we brought you to Eddie, then you'll passed along everyone, before heading back to us. But if we cut ya right now, then we can make sure that you are ours for a night before we bury you in some unmarked grave," the lead Powder Ganger said, his disgusting voice and breath drifting into her nose and mouth. Before she could retort, a bullet entered her left and right arm, tearing into her flesh like a nail being driven into Jesus. A knife cut her hamstrings with blaring speed, making sure that she didn't run. She couldn't scream, her fear taking over.
"Ok sweetheart, this is going to be very painful, very nasty, and I'm gonna enjoy this," the man slobbered, before ripping her clothes off. She was soon in undergarments, and she whimpered. Fear was taking over, panic, death was evident.
"Get read-" but before he could, a bullet, muffled by a silencer, entered him, spraying the desert ground with blood, brain matter, and death. He hit the ground right next to the woman, his eyes already rolled back. His companion looked around, his eyes shifting to try and find the perpetrator that had killed his friend, before he felt two more shots enter his own body, exiting out of his cavity chest and he fell to the ground, dead.
The woman tried to look up, but she couldn't, the pain of two bullets and knife wounds making it to painful for her to move.
Suddenly she was up in the air, being carried away by two arms. She tried to whimper, but she couldn't. Fear was a powerful weapon it seems, and it had grasped her by the throat. She saw the man, or whatever it was, start to carry her towards Hidden Valley, towards her brothers. All she saw were green lenses, dead set on the area in front of her.
"Take me...to Paladin Alexander..." she managed to say and the man looked down at her. She had her power fist still operational, her 10mm pistol abandoned near the scene of the crime. The man opened the gate with ease and entered the area. The dust storm was getting crazier, but the man could see four faint outlines, in a regular patrolling fashion. He saw them as clear as day, all of them armored up in some steel, armed with weapons that seemed to be laser based.
He started to walk towards them, the woman's body still in his arms. He felt her breath, short and labored, due to the shock and the fear that she must have felt, and he saw the four outlines raise their weapons, before dropping them and run towards him, one of them shouting, "STOP!"
He stopped and the four outlines surrounded him, their weapons raised. One of them stepped forward, his weapon on the magnetic strip of his armor in the back, but his arms and hands threatening.
"Why do you have a half-naked woman in your arms and are wandering? You will die soon my enemy. Die of you do not explain yourself!" the filtered voice said angrily.
"This woman said to bring her to a Paladin Alexander. I presume that is you? She was out and hiding behind some rocks when two Powder Gangers shot her with a 9mm pistol and cut her hamstrings. Add the shock and fear that she has felt, I say that she has gone in shock," the man said easily, explaining what had happened.
"She was attacked? My baby sister was attacked by Powder Gangers. No. I will not stand for it. Orders or not, I am not going to let this pass. What is your name stranger?" the Paladin asked.
"My name is Zephyr," Zephyr said. The Paladin then took his sister's body from Zephyr's arms and placed them in the hands of another Paladin.
"Thank you Zephyr. Watts, take Veronica down to see the Senior Scribe. The rest of us, we are going to do some payback," and he then pointed at Zephyr." And you are going to help us."
That went fast! I am sorry that I am speeding things up, but we need to get out of this whole Powder Ganger business and head to kill that bastard Benny! I will be back tomorrow! Most likely about two more chapters on the whole Powder Ganger Goodsprings things, and then it is time for more action! Tune in next time!