"Boss, you might want to tune into Radio New Vegas, they're about to report the senator's verdict." Said Raul[1], as he cleaned the barrel of his .44 magnum. Him and Six were at the NCR Ranger safehouse performing maintenance on weapons and armor. Access to the safehouse was granted to Six as a thank you for all the help they'd given to the NCR in the Mojave.
"Oh right! Thanks Raul, shame I can't be there. I'd love to see the bastard's face when he hears he gets a life sentence." Six brought his pip-boy and tuned into the radio station.
"-ight we're about to hear senator Albert's verdict. Let's tune in."
"Think he'll receive parole, boss?" Raul asked sarcastically.
Six chuckled at the thought. "He'd be lucky to not get the death penalty."
"Has the jury reached a verdict?"
"Yes, we have, your honor." "Please read the verdict."
"In the case of Shady Sands vs Albert Drew we, the jury, find the defendant, Albert Drew, not guilty."
The silence was deafening at the words. Raul sighed deeply at the news and put down the gun, not in the mood to clean anymore. Six turned off the news immediately, rested their elbows on the table, crossed their fingers and rested their head on them, going deep in thought.
After a minute or two of silence, Six spoke up. "Raul, did we overlook something? Maybe we missed a crucial piece of evidence? If I'd gotten someone to admit to something and recorded it maybe it would've helped?" Their tone, calm but the same calm you feel before a storm.
"I'm not sure, boss. I know you went through everything with a fine tooth comb and this was still the result. Maybe this was going to happen no matter what we did. Could be the corruption runs so deep that we couldn't change the outcome. But what's got me worried is your reaction."
"What do you mean? I'm calm."
"Every time you sit like that, it's always followed by a big decision. Often involving corpses."
Six looked at an NCR flag on the wall and frowned. "Must be a habit. One I should break."
Robert was in the hotel room reading a magazine on popular up and coming devils when knocking came from the door. Activating the stealth field, silently approaching the door, he looked through the peephole to see six people dressed in clothing straight out of a fantasy movie.
Someone must've followed me home. That's what I get for not constantly having the stealth suit look for people following me. They knocked so it's unlikely they're hostile. Then again, I've knocked on people's doors and blasted a twelve gauge when they got to the door.
"We know you're there. We just want to talk."
Nice try. I've used the 'just want to talk' trick too.
"Just a moment! I'm getting dressed!" Robert then began laying a tripwire by the door, rigging it to a sawed off shotgun on the floor, then placing a fire extinguisher across from it. Grabbing two flare guns off the bandolier, rigging them both, duct taping one above the door, the other across the room on a chair aimed at the door, and scattering caltrops[2] on the floor behind the tripwire.
Robert walked to the door, left hand in their pocket ready to pull the teleporter's trigger, pushed the door open just enough for a hand to fit through, making sure to block the view of the traps behind it. "Hello there, I'm Cao Cao[3]. I came to speak to you about those healing items used in the rating game by Rias Gremory's peerage."
"I do know Rias Gremory and that she used something similar to phoenix tears in her rating game but what makes you think I have anything to do with them?
"We know you pretend to be a student at Kuoh and have been visiting regularly. Isn't that interesting? Even more interesting is that you only go there to interact with Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. On top of that everyone we've talked to has no idea where these healing items come from. Even our black market connections can't get us anything. So here's what I think. I think you're the person who sold them to both devils there as part of one of their pacts. I want to buy them, anything else you have but more importantly, I want you to join us."
"Alright, let's talk inside." Robert disarmed all the traps and fully opened the door.
"So, who are your friends?"
Inside, the group introduced themselves one by one—Jeanne[4], Heracles[5], Siegfried[6], Leonardo[7], and Georg[8].
"Name's Robert House. I've got no problem sellin' you stimpacks but tell me more about whatever it is you want me to join."
Cao Cao spread his arm out pointing to everyone he came with. "We're the hero fashion. We are the heroes humanity needs. We stand to defeat the devils, fallen angels, and gods who exploit humanity. Devils sell their services to anyone who pays. Stray devils consume humans. We aim to stop all that."
"Now it's not that I don't believe you but can you show me any proof? I'd be much more convinced if you showed me something."
Cao Cao nodded in understanding. "Of course. Georg?" Georg then pulled out a book with the cover showing a crudely drawn circle with a cross in its center, most likely a crosshair. When Georg opened the book it displayed an image of a young teenage couple sitting in what appeared to be an old world station wagon late at night alone. The image then began to move, coming to life showing the two talking, laughing, holding hands, and occasionally kissing. A few seconds later a car parked behind them and someone approached the couple's car with a flashlight.
The individual then flashed a gun and ordered the two out of the car. When they were both exited, the boy was shot in the back of the head. The girl flinched in fear and began running. Her adrenaline kicked in and she ran as hard as she could. She was then shot five times in the back, fell to the ground, blood forming a pool beneath her.
The page then flipped to another young couple in a car late at night. A car parked behind them, someone walked out and approached them, calmly pulled out a nine millimeter pistol, and shot both of them.
The pages flipped again showing a young couple this time lying on a blanket having a picnic. They watched the mother duck and baby ducks travel across the remote spot at the lake they had chosen. Someone approached them wearing a black hood over their head, sunglasses, and a circle with a cross in it drawn over their shirt. The individual approached them at gunpoint, then calmly asked them boyfriend handed them keys, the gunman tied up both of them, put away the gun, and drew out a knife, stabbed the man six times and the woman ten.
The page flipped again this time showing a man in a taxi driving someone to their destination. The taxi driver was on the phone, smiling at whatever conversation he was having. When he parked the car at the destination, the backseat passenger shot the man in the back of the head with a nine millimeter pistol, killing him instantly.
The pages flipped again and again. Each time showing a different person who was killed for seemingly no reason. Some were lucky and died instantly. Others bled out to death, their final thoughts most likely regret and fear.
Georg closed the book and looked Robert straight into the lenses of his helmet. "The murderer for these crimes was never found. He made a pact with a devil to alter his appearance before he went to commit these crimes. His hair color, fingerprints, blood type, skin tone, weight, even height was different. We know this because the devil wrote a book about it and sold it, making him rich in the underworld. Then made a pact with another human giving them a few details about the story to make a book in the human world about it. This is just one well recorded example of possibly thousands, maybe even millions of cases that haven't been recorded."
Robert stared at the book for a moment, took a deep breath in and out. "What about other factions?"
"Their power is too great. They pose a huge threat to humanity. Humans should decide their own fate, not someone else."
"So what's your plan for protecting humanity?"
"Simple. We kill the leaders of each faction. The resulting power struggle of everyone trying to become the new leader will make them fall apart from within."
"That's not a bad plan but it could be better. Think about it, what if they don't fall apart? What if they have a clear line of succession and nothing happens or gets worse? What if you can't kill the faction leader to begin with? We won't be around forever so we need something else. If we're going to help humanity we need a more long term and permanent solution."
"What do you have in mind?"
"What do all these factions also have in common? Something they all share even if they've never even interacted with a human?"
Everyone was silent, unsure of what so many different pantheons could possibly have in common. Robert then showed them the magazine he was reading. It showed a muscular black haired and violet-eyed man.
"This here is Sairaorg Bael. He didn't inherit his clan's signature ability, the Power of Destruction. But why? Why didn't he inherit it? If my guess is right, it's due to genetics. He didn't inherit the genes that everyone else in his clan has that allow them to use the ability.."
"So what?" Asked Heracles, who was beginning to grow bored with the conversation.
"If the Power of Destruction is genetic, that means all of magic is genetic. I know certain individuals who could take advantage of this and maybe, just maybe, we can create a virus that can make it so none of them can use magic."
Cao Cao eyes lit up at the explanation. "That is a far better solution but how do we know these people you speak of can create this?"
"Because they created this without any magic." Robert crouched, activating the suit's stealth field, making him invisible.
Everyone's eyes widened at the display. "I can confirm, Cao Cao. Whatever he's doing uses zero magic." Said Georg as he analyzed Robert intensely. "But that's not all. His heart, spine, lungs, other organs, and his brain are different. I'm not sure how but… I think they're mechanical."
To think people can analyze me just by looking at me. This better pay off.
"You're right. Various parts of my body have been upgraded but we're getting off track. Whaddya say Cao Cao?"
"I agree, your solution is far better. What do we need to do?"
"We need to obtain either a blood sample, saliva, a hair follicle, or a cheek swab of Sairaorg along with those of people with similar cases to him. Samples from at least one god from each pantheon. After that, we make the virus and spread it. So you guys can continue doing what you're currently doing for now but keep that in mind."
Robert sat down, not wanting to stand the whole time. "One last thing about my place in your faction. I will join but we should keep it secret. I have good relations with the devils here and can work as a spy for us. I've recently gotten some intel about the fallen angels, they're here in Kuoh under Kokabiel's orders."
Jeanne leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. "Fallen angels? What are they doing here? This is devil territory."
"Kokabiel has convinced a fifth of all fallen angels to join him in his goal of restarting the great war. I'm thinking of helping him so that the three factions kill each other but remember, all factions have called for a cease fire. The leaders will want to keep it that way so someone will be sent to stop him. It doesn't matter if he succeeds or not. What we need is a DNA sample from him or even better, capture him alive."
Cao Cao nodded then handed Robert a small earpiece. "Use this to talk to call us when Kokabiel gets here."
"First things first, congrats on the win Miss Gremory."
"It being your first game makes it an even bigger achievement." Chimed in Sona.
"Thank you, thank you. Robert, your aid has been invaluable. Especially those stimpacks."
"Gotta thank you too. The fight has served as the perfect ad. Hopefully people will want to buy them."
Rias chuckled. "Glad to hear it. I've got some good news regarding your payment. Here." Rias handed Robert a red keycard with the Gremory symbol on it.
"When I told my brother that you were the one who helped us he instantly agreed to give you access to our private train. Just go to any train station here in Kuoh and wave the card over the panel. It'll take you straight down to a train station then to the underworld. As for your familiar, Sona is going tomorrow to get a familiar and has accepted to take you with her."
"Thank you Miss Sitri and here you go, ten stimpacks for each of you. Thanks for invitin' me here, but I gotta go."
"One last thing Robert, the books will be delivered here in two days. It's ten crates worth of books so I don't mind lending you Saji and Yura to move them."
"Good to hear Miss Sitri. If that's all folks, I should be on my way. You two have a good day."
Robert left the building, found a dark alley nearby, changed out of the school uniform imitation into the Stealth Suit Mk II, threw on the Elite Riot Gear helmet and Duster.
Now to keep searching for Freed. There's been no word of him. I've searched a few abandoned warehouses and asked around at some churches but nothing.
Six walked towards another church to ask them the same questions an annoying amount of times. Then heard a man's scream come from the church. Picking up the pace, Six threw open the door and found a familiar face standing over the corpse of a dead priest.
"Oh you're still kicking? I hope you weren't planning on confessing your sins to him." Joked Freed.
"Nah. I've been looking for you. I was looking to get in on the next set of fun you're gonna jump into. I've also got some intel for you."
Freed pulled up his hand to his ear. "Let's hear it, pumpkin."
"Rias Gremory recently had a rating game against Riser Phenex. I sold her and Sona Sitri about forty stimpacks in exchange for all the books in both their own and their parents' library. Issei Hyoudo possesses the boosted gear and Kiba the Sword Birth sacred gear."
"Nice of you to share but riddle me this, why tell me you aided the enemy?"
"So you know I'm a neutral mercenary. I've got no problem selling stimpacks to you or who you work with. All I want is my payment."
"So this is your sales pitch?"
"Along with this." Six tossed Freed a syringe. "It's called Med-X[9]. Basically, it makes you feel less pain and reduces your emotional response to pain. Just be careful, it's possible to become addicted and even overdose."
"Now that's what I like to hear, welcome aboard! These days I'm having fun with the priests in town but sooner or later we'll be getting visitors from outta town."
"Care to tell me 'bout 'em?" "Not yet. I'll keep it a surprise."
"Fine, but what 'bout these priests? I get the feelin' there's more to it than just doin' it for fun."
"All in good time ol' pal. For now, let's go priest hunting." Robert nodded and the two went off to another church in town. About half an hour later they came across their first victim. The fight itself was easy as the priest was a weak exorcist. The two stood over the bruised and beaten man.
"Freed, before we kill him, we should interrogate him. You never know what he might intel on." "Oh, alright." Freed proceeded to kick the man in the balls as hard as he could. The man shrieked from the pain and bent over placing his hands over his groin.
"Damn, that felt good. Tell me what you know and you won't have to explain to your wife why your balls are flatter than pancakes."
"OK, OK! I was sent here to infiltrate this town. Someone has stolen something important from the church!"
"Oh you mean this?!" Free then unsheathed a longsword from his back. The blade then began to glow gold.
The priest was shocked at the sight of the sword and began stumbling over his words. "Wha-I hear- he gave the Excalibur fragment to you?!"
Robert lifted his foot over the priest's privates. "It's only going to get worse if you don't tell us everything. I know there's no way you're here alone."
"Two more exorcists are coming here in three days! They both have an Excalibur of their own!" Robert then lightly placed his foot on his hands.
"Who ordered them to come? I want the name of both the exorcists and the one in charge."
"Their names are Irina Shidou and Xenovia Quarta. Michael sent all of us here, wanting to recover the swords before tensions rise."
I'm guessing he's the sword's creator. This would be the second time someone named Michael creates things.
"What type of Excaliburs do they have?"
"Irina has Excalibur Mimic and Xenovia Excalibur destruction. Excalibur Mimic can morph its shape into other weapons and objects. Excalibur Destruction has the most raw power out of all seven Excaliburs."
Morph its shape? Perfect for sneaking it into places. Real question is how the hell can it do that.
"Good to know. Freed, may I have the honors?"
"Oh, alright but I get dips on the next one!"
Robert pulled out a bowie knife, got closer to the priest and stopped. "Freed, someones watching us! Over there, behind the corner of that building!"
Freed immediately took off running and the second he turned his back, Robert slammed his fist into the priest's jaw, knocking him out, pulled out the transportalponder, a pencil, scrap of paper, wrote down: 'lobotomize him', and sent him to Big Mt. Then went to join Freed.
"No luck?"
"Nothing. Shame too. I've been wanting to test this baby on a devil ever since I got it."
"Goes to show how stealthy they were. I'm guessin' it's one of those devil's familiars. That just means we gotta find our next one even quicker."
"That's the spirit! Don't forget, the next one is mine!" Freed began skipping as they went on their way to their next victim.
Robert nodded and followed."Who am I to stop a man from having his fun?"
He reminds me of the Fiends. He's got the same ecstatic grin they do when he fights someone. We're pretty similar in that regard, the only difference is, I can hide my grin.
The next couple hours consisted of Freed and Robert finding Exorcists, Freed killing some, Robert doing his best to distract or trick Freed so he can send more priests to Big Mt to be experimented on. After roughly five hours, they encountered twenty one priests. Freed killed thirteen, Robert sent six to Big Mt, and the remaining Robert had to kill to not arouse suspicion. The two were on their way to Freed's hideout. While Robert reflected on the Priests.
Most of them don't look like they're from here. So how do I understand them perfectly? I guess there's some sort of translation magic. I need to read up on those magic books, I've only read a few four to five hour long books.
"Oh honey, I'm home!" Freed cheerfully announced as they entered the warehouse.
Inside stood a man surrounded by various tables with books scattered on them, scrolls in boxes, a full scale chemistry set, and a scanning electron microscope. His hair turned gray from age, wore round glasses, black pants, a black long sleeve shirt underneath a white priest's robe.
"Robert, meet old man Valper. He's the guy working on mass producing blessed bullets."
Robert walked to Valper and offered his hand. "Very happy to meet you Valper. I'm very excited to meet the man working on that."
Valper turned away from the table and shook Robert's hand. "As am I. Freed showed me those stimpacks of yours and they are quite the marvel. I've tried everything to recreate but got nowhere, a rarity for me."
"Then you'll love these." Robert pulled a med-x syringe and handed them to Valper. "This is a powerful morphine. You won't find 'em anywhere else."
"Fascinating…I look forward to you working with us Robert."
"Old man, the church is going to send in two exorcists. One with Excalibur Mimic and the other Excalibur Destruction."
"I thought so. Michael would prefer to not escalate the situation if he can."
"So we'll just wait until they show up?" Valper nodded and Freed did an exaggerated sigh in response.
"Understood. I'll prepare and come back here in two days, early in the morning." Robert left and returned to the hotel to sleep. He spent most of the next day reading a book about familiars until school neared its end, swapped into his Kuoh uniform imitation, grabbed the umbrella to cover his helmet, and went to the school.
When Robert arrived he met Saji at the school gate who directed him to the student council room.
I need to find a way to adjust the teleporter so I can go anywhere instead of always being sent back to the damn park every time I come to Kuoh.
When they arrived at the student council room Sona greeted him and made a teleportation circle, sending them to a huge forest. Filled with reddish brown trees that have no leaves, a full moon, and a sky with blood red clouds.
That sky brings back stressful memories.
"Where exactly are we?"
"A forest where we obtain our familiars." Answered Sona. "I get that but where is this forest?"
"We're in a huge forest in the underworld. It's about twice the size of the town of Kuoh."
"Which leads you to me, Zatouji[10], the familiar master! You won't find anyone else to guide you to familiars faster!" He said on top of a tree's branch.
"Robert, you get to go first. Then Saji will follow."
"Alright. Do you have an encyclopedia of familiars?" "Of course, here you go. Choose one that you'll be proud to show." Then tossed a catalog to Robert.
Unicorn, dragon, undine, hydra, griffin? What the hell am I reading? These are just things you see in a Grognak the Barbarian comic.
"I'd like either a doppelganger, shapeshifter, an intelligent familiar, or one that can transport me somewhere quickly."
"Doppelgangers and shapeshifters are a rarity, but thanks to magic I can show you where they are with clarity!" He then pulled out a small hand held device that looked like a calculator.
"This'll show what wild familiars are a doppelganger or shapeshifter in disguise. Until then we best help the other young lad find his familiar before sunrise."
"Fine by me. Let's get goin" we've only got so much time." The group then went looking around for familiars. Encountering slimes, lizards with whip-like tongues that can change colors, humanoid crocodiles, giant jaguars that can magically make no sound even when stepping on sticks, a horse with the horns of a bull, even a snake with skin of steel.
Robert looked at each familiar with confusion.
I just don't get it. Where the hell do these things come from? I'm not buying into this magic excuse. I'm willing to bet this place has its own Dr Borous.
When the group came across a three headed cobra. It had turquoise scales, a pink underbelly with repeating black lines, and blue eyes.
"Zatouji, have you ever seen a shapeshifter or doppelganger?"
"I've seen a few transform before. To find it we may have to go to the hooded area of the forest and explore."
"Why didn't we go there from the start?"
"The area is very treacherous. It's home to the hydra who's very dangerous."
"That's fine. As long as I get my familiar." The group then headed further into the forest, coming across an area where all the trees were more abundant, closer together, and larger than normal. Although they still had no leaves, the sheer amount of them still blocket out any light from entering.
They eventually came across a clearing where the moonlight shined through, reflecting on a large pond of water. In front of it stood a nine headed hydra, all heads peacefully drinking from it. Zatouji held a finger up to his lips, telling everyone to be silent then began quietly walking past it.
How can anything like that survive? It would need to eat so much everyday to live.
As Robert walked to follow the others the Hydra then transformed itself into an undine.
What the-
"Zatouji, over here. The hydra is the shapeshifter." Zatouji came over and after a quick scan with his device he confirmed it.
"So now what? How do I make it my familiar?"
"You need to find a way to tame it. If you've got the intelligence, try to convince it to join you using our wit."
Worth a shot.
Robert then slowly walked over to the undine. It noticed Robert approaching it and prepared to fight him.
"I know why you were pretending to be that hydra." The undine backed up, remaining cautious, displaying a face of anger to ward off Robert.
"You think if you can scare everyone else off no one can ever hurt you again. But look at your situation. You have nobody to help you. Nobody to confide in." The undine's expression softened, turning from ferocity to neutral.
"I can help you. Yeah, we're strangers. But so is everyone who becomes friends with someone. Here take this." Robert then tossed a bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla[11]. The undine popped off the bottle cap and took a sip. Its eyes widened at the taste.
"I've got lots more of that. I'm not saying you should join me for drinks but for making memories with someone you can learn to trust." The undine drank the rest of the bottle and threw it back.
Damn it. I guess it's not interested.
The undine then walked away from the area, going behind a tree.
Zatouji walked to Robert and placed a hand over his shoulders. "Don't be ashamed. If it were me I'd be glad to be tamed." Then behind the tree appeared a humanoid figure. It had red eyes, a green and black duster, black boots , a white chest piece over a black bodysuit with white accent lines on the sides.
What the?! It's me!
Robert quickly put his hand in his pocket where the .45 pistol sat.
"Ok. I'll go with you." Spoke the other Robert, surprising everyone.
With help from Sona and Zatouji, Robert made a contract with the shapeshifter.
Thanks for reading! I'd love it if you told me what you'd like to see in a future chapter, what I could've done better, and what you liked. If you'd like to support me I'd appreciate it if you looked me up on Ko-Fi at ThatGuyAlex2077.
I'm thinking of uploading twice a month. Tell me if you'd rather have a monthly ten thousand word chapter or a bi weekly four to five thousand long chapter.
[LINKS]
[1]Youtube: Raul Has Some Funny Dialogue & Quotes In Fallout New Vegas OR Fallout Wiki: Raul Tejada
[2]Fallout Wiki: Caltrops (Far Harbor) OR Youtube: Fallout 4's Most Underrated Gadged is… OR Youtube: THE CALTROP - pointy nastiness through the ages!
[3]High School DxD Wiki: Cao Cao OR Youtube: Boost Boost Boost (Issei vs Cao Cao) - High School DxD Hero Episode 5
[4]High School DxD Wiki: Jeanne
[5]High School DxD Wiki: Heracles
[6]High School DxD Wiki: Siegfried
[7]High School DxD Wiki: Leonardo
[8]High School DxD Wiki: Georg
[9]Fallout Wiki: Med-X
[10] Fallout Wiki: Other Characters/Devils Note: In the official Light Novel he's named Azh. This is because he's a parody of Ash Ketchum who's Japanese name is Satoshi hence, Zatouji. Zatouji is also said in the sub and in the dub he's called "toji".
[11] Fallout Wiki: Sunset Sarsaparilla OR The Storyteller: FALLOUT S2 E13 - Sunset Sarsaparilla
