This story is inspired by Return to Sender written by PoeticPillock. I recommend you read their story as well.
And so The Courier who had cheated death in the Goodsprings cemetery had cheated death once again, and the Mojave wasteland was forever changed. The Courier, after reuniting the Enclave remnants, went off into the great unknown outside of the Mojave, where he searched for any other Enclave survivors scattered amongst the war-torn land. After a few weeks passed, The Courier stumbled upon the old ruins of an Enclave base in Navarro, California. There he met more survivors, and with his uncanny diplomatic abilities, convinced them to aid his cause and rejoin the remnants in the Mojave. Traveling back on vertibirds that remained, The Courier and the Enclave set out to free New Vegas and the Mojave from all outside forces.
The Second Battle of Hoover Dam was less of a battle and instead a massacre. Enclave vertibirds, with the help of the Boomers' rebuilt bomber, dominated the skies. Both rained death from above and easily destroyed the dam's artillery defenses, leaving the surface of the Legion and NCR's sides of the dam in flames and smoldering ashes.
The ground assault was effortless for the pre-war army. With their advanced power armor, superior military tactics, and destructive weaponry, the Enclave Remnants made quick work of both Legion and NCR soldiers. Although their army was nowhere near the size of their opponents, the bodies that fell that day quickly reminded both sides of the old-war faction. With the two major armies retreating from Vegas and the dam, peace fell upon the Mojave wasteland.
New Vegas itself became the staging ground for the reimplementation of the Enclave government, with The Courier being elected as its president. It was a unanimous vote as all remnants had come to accept the ways of the wasteland. Sgt. Dorian, a proud yet tough drill sergeant, spearheaded the retraining of all Enclave members and began immediate recruiting. Citizens of Vegas and Freeside flocked to the newly established Enclave training camp in Camp McCarran where the Enclave's army grew bigger each day.
The NCR was not so determined to be forced out of the Mojave by their archenemies. The forty or so years after the Enclave Oil Rig's destruction did not make the NCR forget the atrocities the Enclave committed against the wasteland, and so it fueled their determination. Various skirmishes occurred across the desert as NCR forces attempted to take back bits of the Mojave, one by one.
The attempt began at the Mojave Outpost, where a sizeable amount of troops were still active. They tried to set a foothold base in Nipton, assuming the Enclave wouldn't care for a town that brought no value to them. Oh, how wrong they were. NCR troops were immediately ambushed in Nipton by elite Enclave Forces known as Delta Squad, led by The Courier himself.
They then tried to expand their reach to the long-abandoned Fort but found it difficult to navigate the terrain with the wildlife and ended up in multiple firefights with Enclave patrols. Their efforts soon came to an end when some daring troops tried to take control of Goodsprings, given its non-existent defenses. The bodies that were left behind that day earned The Courier the title, 'Reaper of the Mojave.' Some NCR loyalists within Freeside and the Strip attempted to riot and overthrow their foreign invaders but were quickly put down by the Securitrons and Enclave patrols. Resistance died soon after, as the citizens of the Mojave knew that nothing could be done against the power of pre-war America.
Needless to say, raiders such as the Fiends and Jackals were quickly put down against the might of pre-war America. There was a heavy debate when it came to the super mutants on the mysterious Black Mountain, but The Courier assured his comrades that the worst was gone and that they only wanted to live in peace. The discussion was never brought up again. The Brotherhood of Steel, although still isolated in their bunker, took wind of the Enclave's return but still decided to remain neutral, which The Courier respected. The two factions were neither friendly nor hostile to one another.
Soon, every faction was under the rule of the Enclave. The Powder Gangers were swiftly captured and returned to the NCRCF under the new supervision of the Enclave, where no dynamite was ever provided to its inmates. The prison's security and infrastructure were significantly upgraded and guards assigned there we all given standard T-51 power armor and laser rifles to discourage any future attempts to escape.
Red Rock Canyon was instantly deserted, with the Khans having heard of the Legion's defeat and still sour over Bitter Springs, decided that they had enough and roamed across the American Wasteland, searching for a place they could call home. The Enclave didn't bother chasing them, deeming the pursuit a waste of time and resources.
The Strip was one of the few places in the Mojave that hadn't changed significantly, with the newly upgraded Securitrons and Enclave patrols, life had not been affected. However, the policy was changed so that there was no cap requirement to enter the Strip, only that visitors were to be relieved of their weaponry upon entering. The infrastructure was heavily revamped with the roads, sidewalks, and buildings being fixed as soon as the resources became available at Quarry Junction. The make-shift walls surrounding the strip were promptly replaced with proper concrete barriers, giving it a more modern aesthetic while also providing significantly better fortification and protection.
Freeside was a difficult situation for both its residents and the Enclave. The Kings were rightly suspicious of this new mysterious faction and were even more dissuaded by the acts of violence the Enclave and Securitrons committed against the NCR loyalists. The King, however, was optimistic about his relationship with The Courier outlasting the short-term rebellion. It was unfortunate to hear that the Kings were no longer the security force of Freeside and that more Enclave and Securitron patrols would become the norm, putting many of the King's members out of business. The Courier instead, hired the King and his men as informants for the more shady places in Freeside, paying them a hefty sum of caps each week for the consistent flow of information. Still, in the end, Freeside was finally at peace.
The Followers of the Apocalypse were angered by Arcade's deceit but soon came to the understanding as to why he had to conceal his identity. Julie in particular fought and defended Arcade's right to remain as part of the followers. The Courier quickly took notice of this and decided to make the mohawk doctor his head of Medicine and Medical Research of the Enclave. Arcade decided to instead focus on his new position as head of Research and Development for the Enclave, spending his spare time at Old Mormon Fort to provide his old friends with new medical equipment and medicine that the Enclave had been developing. He was later responsible for the development of the Advanced Power Armor Mk III, which became commonplace for most Enclave forces throughout the Mojave, with The Courier receiving a special variant.
Goodsprings hadn't seen any changes after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. After the attempted invasion by the NCR, the town was quickly reminded that The Courier did care for them and that he showed it through his actions. The town then received more visitors from those who wanted to visit the famed grave where The Courier had risen from. It helped with the town's economy and Judy's bar became more successful by the day. One day, Doc Mitchell was visited by a Securitron carrying multiple bags full of caps. There were enough bags for every person in town. Before the old doctor could ask the robot any questions, it scurried off down the highway. No one knew who it was from but the doctor had a fleeting suspicion and smiled at himself for his handiwork all those months ago.
The Boomers were quite thrilled over their success during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam and were quickly praised by the Enclave. Many began to leave the Air Force base now under the protection of their newly rebuilt bomber and began to readjust to the people outside of their base. The Courier offered the Boomers, to their surprise, to become a new branch of his army. 'The Demolitions and Artillery Regiment,' or TDAR. A meeting was held at the Air Force base which resulted in a unanimous vote to accept the offer. And so the Boomers, who had once feared the outside world, had become part of one of the wasteland's last-standing societies and one of its deadliest allies.
Like Goodsprings, Primm and Novac hadn't seen any changes to their way of life other than an Enclave Patrol here and there. But the people of both towns agreed that they had felt so much safer now that the NCR and Legion were gone.
Boone, accepting the loss of his wife, began a new chapter of his life. Instead of shooting Legionaries, he put down his rifle and began helping The Courier in more diplomatic situations, deciding to live the life he and Carla wanted all those years ago. Occasionally, he and The Courier would take days off to hunt strands of Legionnaires that still wandered the radioactive desert and reminisced about their past skirmishes. The NCR, however, didn't take too kindly that one of their retired, yet renowned, 1st Recon snipers had chosen The Courier over the republic. The news quickly spread throughout New California, from the Boneyard to San Fransisco. In the eyes of Boone and NCR citizens, the republic had become weaker after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam.
Veronica, although still heartbroken over the Brotherhood's rigid ways, found a new purpose under the guidance of The Courier and the Enclave. She eagerly joined Arcade in Research and Development, where they both passionately indulged themselves in the Enclave's superior technology. There she studied and produced new and improved versions of Stimpacks, Med-Xs, Rad-Xs, and other medicinal items that further increased their citizens' life expectancy but two decades or so. Doc Henry took her under his wing and became her mentor and the two got along well both inside and outside the laboratory, with Henry sharing stories and research notes during his time in Navarro while Veronica bounced ideas between the two that she wrote up while she grew up in the Brotherhood bunker.
Raul was finally a happy man. Having been convinced by The Courier to retake the role of the Vaquero, he roamed the wasteland, taking down any raiders he would come across. Tales would spread of the Ghost Vanqero that roamed the desert alone, occasionally joined by the Reaper of the Mojave himself. The duo dealt out justice wherever they went. The old ghoul had never been happier and could finally put his past behind him and properly give his sister the justice and peace she deserved.
Cass was… indifferent about the outcome. She didn't know what would change now under the Enclave but one thing she did know was that she was no longer mourning over the loss of her caravan. The NCR wasn't treating her caravan terribly by any means and anything was better than the Legion but now aligned with an Independent New Vegas, she felt free to do whatever she wanted. And that was a win in her book.
ED-E was ecstatic to finally meet his intended Enclave superiors, having shown the Navarro remnants his recordings, they thanked the eyebot for his service and in return repaired him back to his full state. He operated as The Courier's informant, keeping him up-to-date on the Enclave's Research and Development department. This resulted in ED-E becoming more advanced compared to when The Courier found him. Sporting newly advanced weaponry and cutting-edge armor plating, the spherical robot was a force to be reckoned with, becoming even more deadly than the new Securitrons.
Grandma Lily continued to take her medicine at half doses, so she could remember her grandchildren. The Enclave, with the help of Doctor Henry, continued their research into Lily's brain to find a way to safely restore her memories but for the time being, she continued to dream about her grandchildren. She would smother The Courier any chance she was given and took good care of Rex and all The Courier's companions whenever she wasn't being taken care of by the Enclave
Rex was able to successfully acquire a new brain from one of Old Lady Gibson's dogs. Paired with his recent adventures, Rex decided to stay with The Courier as his self-proclaimed best friend until the end of time. Surprisingly, Boone became very good friends with the cyborg dog and was sometimes caught playing with him in the Lucky 38 bar, playing fetch, or giving Rex a belly rub.
And so, The Courier's road came to an end… for now. In the new world of the Mojave Wasteland, fighting continued, blood was spilled, and many lived and died - just as they had in the Old World. Because war… war never changes.
…..
The Courier leaned on the railing, overlooking the Mojave from the Lucky 38 and sighed in contentment.
'Peace. Finally.' He thought to himself. Just a few months ago he had been lying in a grave with two bullets in his head but now? He ruled New Vegas. 'The Reaper of the Mojave,' is what they called him, the Legion and the NCR both. He didn't mind the title, found it quite fitting. Gazing across the mountains, the sunlight peaked across the edges of Jacobstown and pierced the bulletproof windows, straight to The Courier.
Shifting his eyes to Freeside, he could already see people walking about the streets, kids playing games with each other, and Enclave soldiers performing their regular patrols. The wastelander turned away from the windows and made his way to the elevator, acknowledging the Securitrons stationed sparingly throughout the penthouse. Entering the elevator, The Courier pressed the button that led to the newly constructed basement.
The basement had become the secret headquarters for his Research and Development department. It was where Arcade and Veronica spent most of their time these days. He would often visit to partake in research himself or to idly chat with his colleagues. The elevator dinged at his arrival and The Courier promptly exited and made his way down the hallway. Each aspect of the secret department reminded him of the Brotherhood's bunker, with steel pipes running amok against the walls and the amber lights that projected from underneath the walkway.
Reaching the heavily armored security door, two Enclave soldiers were posted on each side. The soulless yellow eyes of their power armor didn't waver and continued to stare down the hallway. The Courier brushed passed them and took off his glove, placing it on the biometric scanner next to the door. Said scanner utilized the same biotechnology as the Pip-Boy so that only authorized users could enter.
As the door closed behind him, letting out a distinctive hiss, The Courier was met with a large open room filled with desks, numerous sets of power armor, weapon display cabinets, and various Enclave personnel. One of the figures was a blonde-haired man, wearing a bleach-white lab coat and compact glasses. Arcade Gannon had thrived in his new position. Single-handedly spearheading the development of the Advanced Power Armor Mk III. The ex-Follower had become one of The Courier's closest friends.
"Finally. You're late," The scientist sighed in frustration. Although, The Courier would often test the man's patience with his tardiness. Arcade was currently occupied with a device on his desk which he was fiddling with a screwdriver. Separating The Courier and Arcade was a row of monitors. Arcade peered above the monitors, so that only his eyes were visible to his friend, "What kept you this time?"
"Watching the sunrise." He said curtly. His voice came out distorted and deep thanks to the Elite Riot Gear Helmet he was wearing. As The Courier walked around the desk, the object of Arcade's concentration was revealed to be the Transportalponder. Although, there was a noticeable change. One of the changes was that the blue substance in the clear cylinder was a darker blue. The rest of the changes were being made internally.
"Well, you got here just in time. And I mean on time. A second later and I would've gotten one of our interns to test it," Arcade scolded before closing the panel. He then flipped a small switch that was located at the back of the barrel, which sparked the device to life, "I present to you, the Transportalponder Mk II and just make sure you store it properly this time. It took a long time to get those bullets out. They just had to be .50 caliber rounds!" He exclaimed, visibly agitated.
The Courier nodded in silence before picking the Big MT device out of Arcade's hands. The scientist then switched his attention back to his personal terminal where he began typing away.
"What improvements did you make?" The Courier asked curiously while he inspected the device close to his helmet's eyes. The Transportalponder Mk II was cleaner than when he was gifted it by the scientists at the Big MT Although he had his gloves on, The Courier could tell that the material for the grip had changed. It had a rougher texture which gave it a better grip for him. The size was smaller, with a more compact design which made it lighter. Putting it in his inventory, The Courier checked the quality of the device. Sure enough, the quality was at 100%.
"As you can see, I've managed to make it significantly smaller so that it doesn't affect your carry weight. I changed the material for the grip so that it's less likely to slip out of your grasp. You'll also notice that the energy used to teleport you has been replaced with a new experimental version I've been developing in my spare time. It should make teleporting instantaneous and less nauseating when you use it." He lectured to The Courier, not taking his eyes away from his screen. However, The Courier noticed a small spark erupt from the lining between the see-through cylinder and the trigger
"So what makes this new fuel experimental?" He inquired to the head Enclave scientist. This caught Arcade's attention who immediately stood up and inspected the Transportalponder Mk II with a concerned look in his eyes.
"It's experimental because we haven't gotten it fully perfected. There have been complications while testing it on some of the raiders we've captured."
"Such as…?"
"Well, the raiders would… disappear." Arcade stated bluntly.
"Isn't that what they're supposed to do?" He asked sarcastically, with a small smirk hidden behind his helmet.
"No. They'd disappear from reality… I think. We injected each of our prisoners with tracking devices and each time we would pre-set the destination to be into an empty holding cell," The Courier nodded slowly, understanding his friend's story, "But when we'd teleport them, the signal would cease to exist and so would the raider." Arcade rambled on while snatching the device out of The Courier's hand unexpectedly.
"So why give it to me with such a big risk?" He asked, with a hint of suspicion in his words. Arcade rolled his eyes in response.
"Because I've more or less worked out the kinks. It should be 99.99% safe. The 0.01% you shouldn't concern yourself with," He handed the Transportalponder Mk II back to the heavily armored man, "So, I want to test it out to collect more data. You may want to collect anything you want to bring in case you end up at Black Mountain or something."
…..
The Courier then left and returned to the suite where he found Cass lazily slumped on her bed surrounded by bottles of various alcohol, mostly whiskey as was to be expected. Across from her was Boone's room. He spotted the sniper sitting at his desk, looking over a pile of documents. Rex sat on the floor next to him, eagerly wagging his tail when he spotted his owner walk by. This caught the cyborg dog's attention who promptly left the room and silently followed The Courier to his own, not alerting Boone to his absence.
As he switched on the lights, the ruler of New Vegas was met with a familiar sight. Sets of power armor stood to the left side of the room, all in different poses. To his right was his weapon wall which, unlike the other walls, was constructed out of metal. Shelves lined the wall, each level displaying different types of weapons. From super sledges to rifles, pistols, energy weapons, plasma weapons, knives, proton axes, and so on. From floor to ceiling, it was all covered in weapons The Courier had collected along his journey.
Four weapons caught his eye. A sniper rifle, an assault rifle, a large revolver, and a pistol. The sniper rifle was large, it was almost as tall as The Courier himself. Chambered in .50 BMG armor-piercing rounds, this sniper rifle wasn't the same one you'd see being used by NCR Veteran Rangers. The Courier had in his possession a custom-made Anti-Material Rifle from the Gun Runners, with an attachable silencer, a more efficient bolt for faster reloads, and carbon fiber parts that made it lighter. The Courier took his Anti-Material Rifle and slung it on his back.
His assault rifle at first glance didn't look like anything special, save for the scratched wooden ends with the word 'Stop!' etched into one side and 'ARRÊT!' on the other. Very few people knew the story behind this particular rifle, one of them being The Courier who was well versed in the previous owner's tale. The Survivalist Rifle chambered in 12.7mm jacketed hollow point bullets, was an old yet reliable weapon that The Courier had picked up during his journey through Zion and one he intended to keep and maintain in honor of the Desert Ranger of the past who wielded it. He swung the rifle onto his back next to his Anti-Material Rifle.
Next was the revolver. From a distance, one could mistake it for a big hunk of iron, but many in the Mojave wasteland knew all too well of its power. The Ranger Sequoia was loaded with .45-70 Gov't hollow point rounds. Its capability for destruction was feared among most wastelanders and for good reason. With the revolver easily able to turn any part of the body into a horrifying bloody mess with just two shots. Its void black texture was accompanied by golden lines that infected it. Brushing his thumb against the barrel, The Courier firmly placed the revolver into his right hip holster.
The final weapon was a .45 auto pistol entrusted to him by a dear friend in Zion. The friend had called it, A Light Shining in Darkness. To the untrained eye, it may look like a regular pistol but The Courier knew that its capabilities grew far beyond his expectations. Given the pistol's factory name, it was chambered in .45 auto rounds with The Courier choosing hollow point for better results against non-armored foes. He placed the silver and compact pistol onto his left hip holster. He double-checked his Pip-Boy inventory to see that there were weapons and ammunition stored inside just as backups with a certain superheated power fist included among those weapons.
He briefly glanced at his custom Advanced Power Armor Mk III and after a few seconds of contemplation decided to don the suit while still wearing his Elite Riot Gear armor.
The new power armor had a similar design to its predecessor but instead had a slimmer torso and waist, the torso armor plating in particular had been redesigned to multiple pieces rather than one plating to allow for better maneuverability. The shoulder plates were larger, the top end reaching the eye level of the helmet and the bottom point hovering over his elbow. The helmet's eyes still had their menacing and soul-less yellow glow and the mouthpiece had been equipped with a custom rebreather that could be used underwater or protect The Courier from toxic gasses. The back had also been reconstructed to have a slimmer aesthetic, removing the cylindrical-like backpiece in favor of a smoother and heavily upgraded armor plating.
The best feature to come out of this custom armor was its improved reactor core. Normally, standard issue Advanced Power Armor Mk III would consume one fusion core within two weeks if used at maximum capacity non-stop but for The Courier? His power armor could last a year without stopping. Now that's not to say that The Courier took it for granted, he still kept a plentiful amount of fusion cores in his inventory just in case. For security reasons and paranoia, which The Courier refused to admit, the armor was also outfitted with a biometric security system like his Pip-Boy so no uninvited parties could access his stuff.
Overall, this power armor was lighter, faster than any other model, could only be accessed by The Courier, and drained significantly less energy from fusion cores. Turning the valve, the suit whizzed and hissed to life, opening its outer plating which revealed a hollow interior for The Courier to enter. When he did, the armor closed around him with a loud thud signifying that it properly locked its joints. The suit whirred to life, its eyes glowing a menacing red instead of yellow to signify that it was The Courier underneath all that armor. Strolling out of the suite, he made a brief stop at the penthouse to inform Yes Man of his absence while Rex scurried off back to Boone.
"So boss, what great things do you have planned for today?" The screen asked excitedly. The face of Yes-Man was plastered across the giant screen that was once used by Mr. House.
"Arcade wants to run some tests in regards to the Transportalponder Mk II. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Boone's in charge while I'm gone." He informed the AI. Yes Man's face didn't waver at the statement as he was still programmed to agree with him. After The Second Battle of Hoover Dam, Yes-Man installed a drive that made him more 'assertive' which worried The Courier at the time. But a few weeks later, he realized that the drive was just to make sure Yes-Man only answered to The Courier and no one else when previously, the robot could help anyone who walked by.
"You got it, boss. Oh, by the way, Lieutenant Moreno came back with your request. Your new Gatling Laser is waiting for you on the first floor. He gave me a message for you." The smiling cartoon face was then replaced with the dark mold of a power armor helmet.
"Hey, Six. I made the adjustments to your Gatling Laser that you asked for. The beam should be less unstable and more accurate now. The new core I've made should reduce the amount of energy required per Electron Charge Pack. Contact me if you ever need any of your heavy weapons tuned up." Orion explained before the screen switched back to Yes-Man's face. The Courier nodded in satisfaction before opening the secret wall that once led to Mr. House's secret chambers. After he took control of the Lucky 38, The Courier saw to it that the extra space was to be remade into an impenetrable safe for his treasures and earnings which like most of his belongings, could only be accessed by him.
The room was filled to the brim with piles of caps, chips from various casinos, and the gold bars he collected from the Siera Madre. The Courier made a mental note to check up on Christine after Arcade's tests. Grabbing a discarded satchel on a shelf that was propped to his left, The Courier collected a few thousand caps and secured the satchel before handing it to a Securitron.
"Make sure Orion receives his payment," He ordered the Securitron. The dark navy blue robot gave his owner a rigid salute before rolling into a second elevator which was installed a few weeks ago. The Courier then turned back to his AI partner in crime, "I'll be off now, Yes Man."
"Alright, boss. Good luck!"
…..
After taking a brief detour to collect his package on the first floor, The Courier swiftly returned to Arcade who led him to an adjacent room that was cut in half by a thick wall of glass. At the end of the room was a single metal door that connected both sides of the room. There were other people present, namely a woman with distinctive short brown hair, an elderly man, and an Eyebot. The woman turned to the two as they entered and ran into The Courier's torso. She struggled to wrap her arms around his power armor but she didn't mind, instead, laughed at her attempt.
"Hey C, how have you been? Haven't seen you in what? A week?"
"Hi, Veronica. It hasn't been that long."
"For you maybe. But to me, it feels like it's been ages since we've talked." Veronica retorted. The Eyebot eagerly floated beside the wasteland scribe before letting out a series of happy beeping while bopping up and down quickly.
"Missed you too. How's the new body feel, ED-E?" He asked his trusty Eyebot. His eyes gazed over the floating ball that was known for its outward personality and deadly laser. It gave The Character a sense of pride and satisfaction seeing the eyebot he repaired in Primm now fully upgraded with a shiny and thick carbon fiber armor plating that could stop a .50 BMG round. The laser was upgraded to a new experimental hybrid between a plasma and a laser weapon. Orion Moreno had discovered a way to combine the damage output of a plasma launcher with the accuracy of a laser rifle. The result was a powerful green beam that could disintegrate almost any living being. The Courier then turned to the elderly man who stood behind his two companions.
"How have you been? Hope Veronica isn't giving you any trouble." He greeted the Enclave doctor.
"Hey!" Veronica exclaimed before pouting at The Courier, crossing her arms.
"Everything's running smoothly. We should be getting our Super Stimpack Mk II out of trial testing by the end of the week. Hopefully, we'd have mitigated all of the side effects by then. After that, we'll begin testing our RadAway Mk II." Henry explained while he shook The Courier's armored hand. Satisfied with their meetup, he turned to enter before he remembered something.
"How's Lily?" The Courier asked, his distorted voice filled with concern. The doctor's expression grew sour at the question before folding his arms and sighing in frustration.
"It's been difficult, to say the least. We've been able to limit her episodes to one every few weeks but in terms of her schizophrenia, I'm afraid we'll need more time." He somberly stated. The Courier nodded, still upset at the state of his favorite Nightkin.
"Did you manage to work out the problems of the Stealth Boy Mk II?" The change in subject brought the mood up, which was evident by the doctor's change in expression to a soft yet quizzical look.
"Yes, indeed. In fact, here's our latest design," The doctor revealed a small object from his lab coat pocket, before handing it to The Courier, "It should last longer than regular models, and I've also added a function so you can turn it on and off manually without having to wait out the inbuilt timer." He proudly stated. The Courier a small rectangular device covered by a black leather sleeve. The exposed side was littered with buttons, dials, and a singular switch. He inspected it close to his helmet before it disappeared into his Pip-Boy inventory.
"If that's all, then I suggest we begin the test." He stated bluntly before walking through the metal door and into the other side of the room. The mailman then equipped the Transportalponder Mk II in his hands before flicking the back switch, energizing the device. It hummed and buzzed in his hands passively as he looked toward the group parallel to him through the glass. Arcade stepped closer to the glass before pulling out a clipboard.
"Ok, first things first. I've linked the Transportalponder Mk II's navigational systems to your Pip-Boy's map. So just go ahead and mark your destination," The Courier nodded before switching his helmet's HUD to his world map of New Vegas. He contemplated his location for a few seconds before setting on Goodsprings. 'It has been a few weeks since I've visited, what with all the paperwork I've been drowned in lately.' He thought. After setting and confirming his marker, The Courier gave Arcade a nod, "Alright. Now it shouldn't be any more than just pulling the trigger."
"You sure?" The ruler of New Vegas asked, doubtingly.
"I told you, 99.99% sure that it'll work this time," The blonde said indifferently. Shrugging at his friend's vote of confidence, The Courier squeezed the trigger of the device before it began to spark its dark blue energy, "Wait. Henry, did we account for the Multiverse Theo-" But it was too late. For The Courier, Arcade's question was cut off as reality around him shifted into a blur of light and dark blue. He struggled to keep himself conscious and just managed to do so thanks to his improved brain for the Big MT The journey was over as soon as it began, with The Courier abruptly landing on a pristine dark grey floor.
"Fuck."
The MV-261 Orca dropship had just landed at the Gibraltar base. As the ramp lowered, a hulking figure was posted just outside the landing pad. Dramatically, as the dust settled, five figures emerged from the body of the ship. A cowboy smoking a cigarette, an Egyptian woman in a dark blue armored suit and yellow visor that covered her face, a muscular Russian woman with bright pink hair, a Haitian man covered in turquoise and white field medic combat gear, and a young South Korean girl wearing a tight skin suit with pink lining. The cowboy walked out first, meeting the large figure before him.
"Winston, it's been far too long." The man chuckled while blowing the smoke out of his cigarette. His hat blocked the sunlight from touching his face, keeping it in the dark. The figure walked through the smoke and dust which revealed a gorilla in a heavily armored snow-white suit with two jet wings on his back. He simply laughed before pushing his glasses closer to his eyes.
"I've missed you too, Cassidy." Both men divulged into a tight hug, laughing at each other before Cassidy pulled back to signal the other four to join him on the ground. All four stood in awe of the gorilla scientist that stood before him, especially the young girl who looked starstruck at the sight.
"I'd like you to meet the four newest members of the New Overwatch." Cassidy said before the four took a few steps closer. The first was the Egyptian woman, who promptly removed her helmet. She had a fair tan complexion with silk-black hair that stopped just below her ears. A noticeable feature of her was the hieroglyphic marking on her right eye.
"Hello, Winston. You're a lot bigger than the last time I saw you." She said. Winston gawked in surprise at the young woman.
"Fareeha? Is that really you? How have you been? Why are you here?" The scientist stammered, trying to collect his thoughts. Cassidy laid his hand on Winston's shoulder which calmed him for the moment.
"Relax, you old monkey. Ana told me where she was. I tracked Fareeha down and met up with her at Helix. After talking with her for a while, I managed to convince her to join." He explained to Winston with a smug look on his face. The latter only raised his concern.
"You found Ana? How? When? Where? We need to go find her." He rambled before he began to head for the ship. He was abruptly stopped by the cowboy again, who had both his arms out.
"Woah, Woah, Woah. Winston, Ana doesn't want to be found. She wants to be alone and we have to respect her decision." Cassidy stated to the scientist. Behind the two Fareeha scoffed in annoyance crossing her arms.
"Of course she does." The Egyptian woman said. Winston composed himself and turned back to Fareeha.
"Well, regardless, it's great to see you again and even better that you're joining us." He said with a soft smile. The woman couldn't help but give one in return before hugging the gorilla. Said gorilla then turned back to the other three.
"And who do we have here?"
The pink-haired muscular woman stepped forward and sized up the gorilla before holding out her hand.
"Aleksandra Zaryanova but you may call me Zarya." She said shaking his hand.
"That's quite the grip you have there, Zarya." Winston commented. The Russian couldn't help but smirk at his words.
"Well, of course. I wouldn't be titled the Strongest Woman in the World if my handshake was weak." She heartedly laughed at herself.
"So why did you decide to join?"
"Your cowboy friend over there," She pointed to Cassidy, "Helped me save my hometown, Novanskoye, from an omnic attack. He said that the RDF wouldn't miss one soldier but with you and the rest of New Overwatch, I could make a real difference," She recalled, remembering the battle as if it was yesterday. Winston couldn't help but smile at the story. 'Cassidy sure has a way with people.' Zarya brushed off the dust on her shoulders and then directed her finger to Winston himself, "But what really convinced me was what you and your team did in Paris. What you did there saved many people and that's the kind of thing I want to do." She stated proudly before placing both her hands firmly on her hips.
"I can't argue with that. I'm confident that you'll be of great help, not just to New Overwatch but to the world. And I have a feeling you and Reinhardt would get along just fine." He chuckled before moving on to the Haitian man.
"My name is Baptiste. I was a combat field medic for both the Caribbean Coalition and Talon." The man stated bluntly. Winston's eyes widened in surprise before moving between Baptiste and Cassidy.
"Talon? Cassidy, why did you bring a Talon agent here?" He asked in anger.
"Ex-Talon agent," Baptiste corrected Winston which resulted in a low growl, "I joined Talon because, in the beginning, I needed the money. Haiti wasn't exactly swimming in prosperity like other countries. I first joined the Caribbean Coalition to become a field medic and save those who were unfortunate enough to get caught in the crossfire, like myself during the Omnic Crisis." Baptiste said somberly.
The last few words came out as a whisper underneath his breath but Winston still heard them.
"My friends and I planned to use our money to build clinics in our neighborhood, to help others. But then Talon came along." He, Winston, Fareeha, and Cassidy all had dark looks on their faces and anger in their eyes as the mercenary group was mentioned.
"They promised us riches and easy missions. My friends and I were young and didn't know any better. The missions started off simple. They mostly consisted of mercenary interventions and rescue missions. But soon after, we were given orders that I regret that I followed to this day." Winston's frown didn't break and instead, he turned to Cassidy for his opinion of the man. The cowboy let out a long sigh before pulling the scientist aside.
"I know what you're thinking but trust me. Somebody gave me a chance once. When no one thought there was any good in me. Who are we to say he doesn't deserve a chance like that?" He asked his friend. Winston opened his mouth to retaliate but nothing came to mind. Everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what. Right? Nodding at his old friend, Winston turned back to Baptiste with a softer expression.
"All we want to do is to help and save people. And if that's what you want to do, then I see no problem with you joining New Overwatch. Welcome, Baptiste." He said, warmly welcoming the newest field medic to New Overwatch. The medic didn't say a word, only giving the gorilla a warm yet determined smile while he shook his hands. Last but not least was the Korean girl. She had chocolate brown hair, styled in a ponytail. Given her height and general appearance, Winston would've assumed that she was 16 or so.
"Woah! I didn't think that you guys were still around. It's an honor to meet you! I'm Hana Song a.k.a DVa," Hana exclaimed in excitement. Cassidy chuckled at the girl's attitude which reminded him of a certain British pilot, "I'm part of the MEKA Squad."
She then pointed back to the dropship and Winston's eyes landed on a bulky pink and white mech suit with a green visor, "And that over there is my MEKA suit. Cassidy and the other three helped out my squad and I in Busan while we were under attack by omnics. Afterward, he revealed that they'd come to Busan to see if MEKA was interested in working with New Overwatch. Myung, our team's captain, gave me the go-ahead. She'd sort things out with HQ, while I was assigned to work with New Overwatch, assess the Null Sector threat, and report back to them, so they could update their tactical response. I was so excited and accepted the new assignment." Hana recounted the tale with great detail to Winston.
"Well, maybe later we can test out your MEKA suit just to see how good you are." He offered the mech pilot.
"Is that a challenge? If so, then prepare to be amazed as DVa will show you why she's the best mech pilot in the world."
"If you're so good, then how come you aren't the captain of your team?" Cassidy inquired, teasing the young girl.
"Eh, Myung has to do all that paperwork. Me? I like to work on my suit and make improvements. The captain coordinates the team through communication when we're under attack and I prefer being on the ground or, um, the air in this case." The young pilot retorted nonchalantly. Winston moved back to beside Cassidy as all of them stood in front of Watchpoint Gibraltar's main entrance which silently opened up while they were talking.
"All of you, welcome to New Overwatch. I'm Winston, one of the many scientists you'll meet. Now, let's get you all inside. The rest of our group is in the leisure hall, all of you head there while Echo and I set up and assign your rooms."
As the group strolled inside, the four new recruits noticed the large Overwatch symbol built into the ground. Looking at each other, they all had determined smiles on their faces and their eyes hungry for adventure. Hana's face scrunched up remembering the gorilla's last few words.
"Wait, who's Echo?"
…..
Tracer stood by the holotable with Genji, analyzing holographic models of their fight in Paris. The cyborg ninja was deep in thought about his performance against their omnic adversary while the British pilot spoke adamantly about their success. Eventually, Tracer groaned in frustration as the conversation became one-sided which she did not appreciate.
"Come on, Genji. You can't keep mulling over problems that don't exist. Enjoy our victory! We kicked some major omnic butt out there and all you can think about is your sword stance or whatever!" She exclaimed to the green cyborg. But all he did was chuckle at his friend's outburst.
"Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems. There is nothing wrong with celebrating a win but we must continue to improve ourselves." He quoted the young brash hero.
"What? Is that something your brother would say?"
"No. Sun Tzu." He smirked behind his mask but Tracer could tell from the way he spoke to her of his misdirection and exaggeratedly rolled her eyes. A loud clang echoed behind them to reveal a man in a bulky and shiny chrome armor struggling to take it off while a younger brunette girl prodded at the suit with a wrench. The armored figure hastily removed his helmet to reveal an old man with a snow-white beard and a deep scar on his left eye.
"Ah, your father has taught you well, Brigitte. These improvements are beyond my expectations. You have the makings of a true crusader in my eyes!" The old man laughed heartedly to the young woman by his side.
"Papa always told me you would rush head first into battle. I had to be prepared to fix your armor at any given moment. Besides, you're the one who taught me how crusader armor works, Reinhardt." Brigitte huffed while tinkering with Reinhardt's armor joints.
"That may be so, but you truly are a special girl. Once we get your father, it'll be just like when you were ein kind!" He stated in full confidence. Brigitte only chuckled at her godfather's words before diverting her attention back to his armor. On the other side of the room was another pair. A Chinese girl wearing glasses and a puffy light blue climate suit with a blonde woman in a lab coat. The former was sitting on a pile of crates while the latter performed a medical examination.
"You're shoulder seems to be in good condition now, Mei. You're lucky I got to you in time or else it might've gotten worse," The blonde stated softly as she placed her hand on the girl's injured shoulder. A yellow mist formed in the gap between the blonde's hand and the girl's shoulder, glowing brightly, "Now, you'll need to rest your arm for a while. Keep your movements marginal and it should be fully healed within a couple of days."
"Thanks, Dr. Ziegler! It's such an honor to meet you, much less work with you!" Mei smiled in glee. The Doctor was infected by Mei's bright attitude and smiled at the girl as well.
"The honor is all mine, Mei. And you can call me, Angela," The two sat on a couch parallel to the holotable in the middle of the room, "I must say, your research on Earth's climates before you went into cryostasis has been very interesting. I'd be happy to provide you with an updated set of data." Mei's eyes snapped to her in surprise.
"You know about my research?"
"Of course. Winston and I have been going over it for some time now. I was hoping you and I could work together so our team's suits can be better prepared for the more unstable environments?" Angela inquired to the young girl.
"Of course! I'd be happy to help!"
The main door slid open and the four newest members of New Overwatch stepped inside. Hana's eyes bounced around in wonder at her new home. Cassidy entered shortly after them.
"Team, I'd like to introduce the four newest members of New Overwatch; Fareeha Amari, Hana Song, Jean-Baptiste Augustin, and Aleksandra Zaryanova." He presented the four new figures in the room. By now, everyone had congregated around the four, introducing themselves and asking questions. Hana's eyes were glued to Genji with curiosity.
"Wow, I've never seen this omnic model before. Is it custom-made?" The green 'omnic' laughed at her question, startling her.
"I'm afraid I'm not an omnic, Ms. Song. I'm still a man underneath my cybernetics. My name is Genji and it's a pleasure to meet you." Genji bowed to Hana whose face grew pink and flustered.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to call you an omnic." Hana quickly apologized to the cyborg in shame.
"It's quite alright, Ms. Song. Many have made the same mistake in the past. I can understand your confusion." He said comfortingly as he shook her hand. Tracer blinked through the two and appeared before Fareeha, giving the Egyptian woman a bear hug.
"Fareeha! Oh my gosh, you've grown!" She exclaimed excitedly. The taller woman quickly returned the hug, tightening her grip as she did so.
"I've missed you as well, Tracer, especially that bubbly personality of yours." Fareeha quipped. This made Tracer laugh as they pulled apart.
"Well, I have been known for my infectious personality. Wouldn't you agree, Genji?" The pilot smugly asked the green cyborg ninja.
"I told you, the point of meditation is to be submerged in peace and quiet. Chattering defeats the purpose!" He exclaimed in frustration. This only fueled Tracer's energy and laughed him off. The tallest woman in the room and the tallest man both firmly shook hands, respecting each other's strength.
"I thought I'd heard that name before. It is an honor to fight beside the strongest woman in the world." Reinhardt boldly stated to the pink-haired Russian.
"It's an honor as well. The German Crusaders and the tales of their strength were a big inspiration to me growing up. It is a dream come true to fight beside a living legend."
Reinhardt liked this woman. Another person of strength and honor that could match him was surely a surprise. He knew that from this point, they would get along just fine. Baptiste hung around the back of the group, not wanting to draw too much attention. Sadly it proved futile, as Mercy came over to him. The ex-Talon agent was flustered to be in the presence of his idol. Dr. Angela Ziegler stood for everything he believed in, but would she accept him given his past?
"You're Baptiste, right? I'm Dr. Angela Ziegler. You're a field medic?" The blonde introduced herself. The Haitian man stammered in the presence of the angel-like woman.
"Yes, that's correct. I was a field medic for the Caribbean Coalition… and Talon." He muttered the last part. Mercy raised her eyebrow in curiosity.
"Talon? Then why join us?"
"It's a… long story" Baptiste sighed while rubbing the back of his head in shame. He expected the doctor to scold him or even tell him to leave but to his surprise, she gave him a warm smile.
"Well, maybe you can tell me later?"
"That'd be nice. I have a lot on my chest."
Winston appeared from the barracks door above them, adjusting his glasses. Accompanying him was a floating white robot with a blue holographic face. Its figure was sleek and had many curves. On its back were a pair of wings similar to Mercy's Valkyrie suit but instead of yellow, they glowed blue.
"Alright everyone, Echo and I have assigned your rooms. If you'd like to follow her, she'll lead you to them and give you a tour of the base. After that, we can turn in for the night." He announced to the group. Everyone swiftly made their way to the upper levels and followed the elegant robot down the hallway.
…..
It had just struck midnight when Athena's alarms blared throughout the base. Genji and Winston were the first to get up, prepared for anything. Winston in particular was frantically putting on his battle suit and loading his Tesla Cannon. The rest of New Overwatch ran out of their rooms a moment later, some in their nightwear while others had their suits on and weapons drawn. Winston ran to his office where his computer was and Athena's warning had been plastered on the monitor. He frantically closed the notification.
"Athena, what's going on?" He asked worriedly. Winston's monitor glowed red with numerous warning notifications.
"Anomaly: Concentrated radiation and energy spikes detected in the Leisure Room. The cameras in the room have short-circuited. I can't see anything in there, Winston." The A.I. exclaimed. Winston pushed down on one of the buttons on his console before speaking into a microphone.
"All Overwatch members: an anomaly has been detected inside the Leisure Room. Athena informed me that the cameras in that room were short-circuited. Rendezvous there and we'll investigate. Stick together and proceed with caution, we don't know if it's a trap or if we're under attack," Winston said as he charged up his Tesla Cannon. He then let go of the button and directed his attention to his A.I., "Athena, close all exterior entrances and exits. We're going into lockdown."
"Understood. Engaging lockdown protocols." She stated. Soon after the windows in his laboratory were blocked off by a thick metal covering. Satisfied, the genetically altered gorilla went off to the Leisure Room, hoping he'd run into his teammates on the way. His prayers were answered as he rounded the corner, he found Tracer fumbling with her Chrono Accelerator as it snagged on her iconic brown pilot jacket.
"Tracer, thank goodness you're alright. Have you seen anyone else?" The pilot shook her head in response.
"Nope, was just on my way until this daft jacket got caught in the Accelerator again. I really need to get a new one."
"Now's not the time. Let's go!"
The two ran down a series of hallways, passing by various rooms, laboratories, and training areas. Tracer blinked ever so often to stay close to Winston catching glimpses of dark blue electricity zapping around the linings of the walls. 'Odd.' She thought before shaking her head and focusing on the task at hand. Eventually, the duo entered the cafeteria where they found Genji, Hana, and Fareeha.
"Oh thank god, you're all alright." Tracer sighed in relief. She noticed that Fareeha was now donning her blue Raptora jet suit and Hana had a pink plasma pistol in her hand. Genji's right hand held three shurikens that glowed green while his left hand gripped his wakizashi.
"What the hell is going on? One minute I was sleeping and then Genji burst into my room telling me we needed to go! And then there are sirens going off and there's blue lightning everywhere" Hana rambled, throwing glares at the green cyborg. Tracer's attention was brought back to the conversation after keeping watch of the doors.
"Wait, you saw that blue energy as well?"
"How could I not? It isn't exactly hard to miss."
Winston motioned the group to follow him into an adjacent room. The group then ran down a flight of stairs, Tracer almost tripping over after she tried to blink to the front of the group which earned a scolding from Winston. Exiting the staircase, they were now on the upper levels that connected to the Leisure Room and found everyone else waiting for them by the door. Cassidy couldn't help but smirk given the situation. Mei was visibly shaken by what was happening around them but Mercy was thankfully by her side, comforting her.
"You all certainly took your time." The cowboy quipped while lighting his cigarette. Agitated by his habits, Mercy plucked the cigarette from his mouth before dropping it and crushing it with her foot.
"Now's not the time for smoking, Cassidy." Mercy scolded the bearded man. Reinhardt equipped his Crusader helmet before grabbing his hammer.
"Are we here to stand around or to fight, my friends?" The knight asked tauntingly while he made his way to the door. Baptiste cocked his weapon before getting between Reinhardt and the door.
"Wait, we don't know what's on the other side. We need a plan before going in." The field medic stated before the giant armored man reluctantly retreated away from the door. Winston's eyes widened as an idea formed at the sight of Reinhardt and Brigitte.
"Reinhardt, Brigette. When I open the door, interlock your shields. Everyone else, behind Reinhardt and Brigitte. Mercy and Baptiste stay behind the rest of us in case anyone gets hurt." He ordered. Everyone sprung into action with the two shield heroes hardening their stance as the rest positioned themselves where Winston instructed them. Mei was the only one who looked visibly worried about the situation while everyone else had determined looks on their face.
"Winston, are you sure this is the best course of action?"
"Well, whatever's happening is happening in that room, and we're about to find out." He said stoically. "I'm opening the doors. Reinhardt, Brigitte, get ready."
The two armored heroes nodded in acknowledgment before the door slid open. Immediately they interlocked their shields which, unlike Reinhardt's shield on its own, was bigger and thicker. This meant it could absorb more damage and have a greater area for protection. They all moved inside the room, mindful of the lightning that struck around them. What they saw before them, was something they did not expect. At the center of the room was a sphere of electricity as big as Reinhardt. The outer layer glowed a bright light blue but every so often crack would open revealing a black void underneath. Sparks of energy and lightning shot out of the sphere, damaging the nearby furniture.
"Alright Winston, we found it. It's a bloody big ball of electricity. Now, what do we do?" The Brit asked, yelling at the top of her lungs. The gorilla was bewildered at the sight before him. He had no idea what could cause such an incident to happen. The laboratories and testing rooms were on the other side of the facility, so how could this be happening here? As he tried to scramble a plan in his mind, Mei called out from behind him.
"Winston, I don't know if it's just me, but I think it's getting smaller."
And sure enough, the climatologist was right. Just a few seconds ago, the sphere towered over the group like a statue but now it was roughly the size of Winston himself. But it was not all good news, however, as moments went by the intensity of the damage being produced increased as the sphere decreased. Lightning strikes became more frequent, and the room around them began to shake. The mysterious blue energy snaked its way across every surface it could touch. Winston suddenly remembered about his drop shield. Perhaps the sphere was small enough that it could be contained within it and have the two shield heroes provide extra resistance. Yes, it might just work.
"Brigitte, Reinhardt. You two drop your shields and recharge them. I'll trap the sphere in my drop shield. That should hopefully contain it. Then you two interlock again." He ordered. His hand clasped to his side revealed his signature drop shield. Pressing the activation button, the device began to blink rapidly. "Drop shields now!"
The wall of blue energy dissipated which allowed Winston an ample amount of time to slide the device across the floor, stopping underneath the sphere. A spherical shield expanded from the device, trapping the anomaly inside and thankfully containing the energy spikes with it. Everyone collectively let out a sigh of relief as they thought the worst of it was over. Unexpectedly, the ground began to shake with even more intensity and while the anomaly was contained within Winston's shield, its ferocity increased tenfold. To their horror, the sphere began to pulsate which made it even more unstable. Winston's eyes bounced between his teammates and the sphere of energy.
"Both of you, shields up now! Everyone brace for impact!"
Brigitte and Reinhardt hardened their stances, preparing for the worst while Winston covered as many people as he could with himself. The ringing from the sphere became louder and reached higher frequency levels until it was all over. As expected the sphere exploded, unleashing its pent-up energy in a full 360-degree radius. The resulting energy released acted as an EMP, disabling all electronic devices within the room.
Brigitte and Reinhardt's shields turned off before everyone was wildly thrown around from the resulting force of the explosion. Mei, Mercy, Tracer, and anyone else able to be covered by Winston held on to the gorilla for dear life as they were thrown across the room. Genji was one of the unfortunate few who were caught in the blast radius and consequently, his cybernetic body malfunctioned and slumped lifelessly against the wall. The green glow from his body disappeared but the man underneath was still fully conscious.
Reinhardt was able to withstand the blast but the same could not be said for his goddaughter, whose body was violently flung into a nearby couch that had luckily survived the lightning storm that ensued. As the chaos died down, everyone recollected themselves. Mercy in particular was the first to recover and made a beeline for Genji, frantically checking the cyborg.
A loud bang echoed in the room that snapped everyone out of their dazed states. Tracer was able to adjust her eyes to face a large figure that stood at the center of the room. It was hunched over but she could tell that it was just as tall – if not taller – than Reinhardt. It hissed and hummed like an old steampunk machine and its servos whirred loudly. With her limited observation, Tracer deduced that it must be an omnic. Out of everything she had seen in the past few minutes, the Brit did not expect it to speak. The voice was low, heavy, and distorted beyond recognition as it muttered one word.
"Fuck."