(Three hours earlier)
Arcade and Veronica were in Freeside, heading towards the Old Mormon Fort. Both were carrying satchel bags, Veronica's containing tools, among other things. "So…are you really okay with everything that just happened in the Penthouse?" Veronica asked the Followers doctor, making sure that there was no one close who could overhear them.
"With what? The name thing, or everything else?" Arcade asked in return. "Well, you already made your thoughts on the name thing known, so everything else, really." Arcade readjusted his glasses and did his own looking around for eavesdroppers. "Well, honestly, independence is kind of what I've been hoping for."
"The Legion are basically raiders, no matter how fancy they speak or dress themselves up. The NCR, they're too imperial. All they want is the territory and the taxes that they could collect on them. They don't really care about the people out here. As for House, well, while New Vegas is nice in its own way, he was a relic that should have died with the bombs."
"And while Mark is just effectively replacing House, he at least has the rest of us to keep him in check. Not that I think that he would go mad with power, given what he's seen in his life, but at least he had the forethought to put in safeguards." "Yeah," Veronica responded, "after butting heads with McNamara for years on the direction of the Brotherhood, it's a refreshing change of pace to see someone in power actually doing something to help people for a change, instead of just looking out for their own self-interest."
"The Brotherhood could have done so much more, been so much more, but instead they chose to stick their heads in the sand." She sighed and shook her head. "Oh well, I guess. They made their choice, and I made mine." "It sounds like you have some regrets," Arcade said. She shrugged.
"Don't we all? In this case, however, I regret that they're going to end up in Mark's crosshairs if they try to pull their usual bullshit once the NCR and Legion are gone. If he hears about them seizing weapons and whatnot from travelers, he's going to come down on them, hard, and they'll deserve it. Well, most of them. Not everyone there is a giant asshole. Maybe, like, five percent of them aren't."
"Do you think that Mark would have the perpetrators killed?" he asked curiously. Veronica didn't have an immediate answer. Would he have them killed? She didn't really know. "I'm not sure, Arcade. I would hope that he would consult us before he did anything like that. Hopefully McNamara can keep the rest of them in line, so we don't have to find out." Neither knew that a situation like that had already occurred, as Mark had not informed anyone else about what had happened near Abby's former home.
Arcade simply nodded as they entered the Old Mormon Fort. He led her to the back right corner of the compound, where the generator they were having trouble with was. As they walked, a couple of people greeted Arcade, who returned the greetings. The generator in question was disconnected from the rest. "So, what is wrong with it, exactly?" Veronica asked as her eyes roamed over it.
"I can explain," came a feminine voice from behind them. They both turned around to see Julie a couple feet from them. "Julie," Arcade said in greeting. "Hello, Arcade, and to you as well, uh, Vicky, was it?" she said a bit unsurely. "Veronica, actually. Nice to see you again, Julie." She looked embarrassed. "Oh, my apologies, Veronica."
Veronica waved her off. "It's fine. Can't expect you to remember the name of everyone who comes through here. So, what's wrong with our patient here?" she asked again, gesturing to the generator. "Well, it's got fuel in it, but when we start it, it sputters out after a few seconds. Our techs have looked at it, but they can't seem to find out what's wrong, so they decided to disconnect it from the rest until they could. You think that you can figure it out?"
Veronica didn't answer, instead pulling on the cord to start it. It was as Julie said, it started, but then sputtered out. Possible causes and fixes started to run through her head, no longer paying attention to the other two. Arcade answered for Veronica. "She has a way with machines. I'm sure that she'll have it up and running in no time. While she's doing that, I need to talk to you. In private."
She nodded and the two made their way over and into her office. "So, how are you doing Arcade? How's life in the Lucky 38?" He smiled and chuckled. "I'm good, and well, let's just say that things there are never boring," he said as he set down his bag and opened it. "That's good," she replied. She paused for a moment. "So, uh, I heard on the radio about vertibirds landing there. Anything you can tell me about them?"
He shook his head. "Not my story to tell. All I can say is that we got some help." He pulled a couple of holotapes and three books out of his satchel bag and handed them to her. "Those holotapes have medical data from the 38's systems, and the books are copies of medical texts that I found. I skimmed them, should be useful to you."
She smiled. "Thank you, Arcade," she said as she put them on her desk, "I'll go over them later. So, what did you need to talk to me about, since I'm guessing the books and holotapes weren't it." He shook his head. "No. What I need to talk to you about is that Mark has requested a meeting with you at the 38, tomorrow if possible."
Julie raised an eyebrow. "And what is this meeting about, exactly?" she asked, curious. "It's better if you hear it from him. I'll just say that it is extremely important that you attend." "Are you sure, Arcade? It's kinda busy around here right now, and with no one due from California for a while…honestly, I've been really tempted for a while to recall you back here."
"Well, Julie, if you did recall me, then I would be tempted to quit the Followers." She looked a bit taken aback. "Quit? But didn't you join the Followers because-" He interrupted her. "I joined the Followers because I wanted to help people, and they gave me the best chance to do that. But now, with Mark and them, I have another option, and what they're doing is extremely important. I'm too heavily involved to just go back to sitting on the sidelines here. I need to be with them, if for no other reason than to monitor Amata's pregnancy."
He paused. "Julie, I don't want to quit, but if you make me choose…" he trailed off, not needing to elaborate. She was smart enough to know what he was going to say. She sighed and rubbed her face. "I don't want to lose you either, Arcade. Alright, I'll come to this meeting. What time should I be there?"
"Uh…" he started before he trailed off. Mark hadn't actually told them a time. He gave an embarrassed chuckle. "You know, he never actually specified a time. Just let me go see Veronica. She can contact him on her pip-boy and-" "Arcade?" came Veronica's voice from below them. "Speak of the devil," he said quietly. "Up here, Veronica," he called out.
Footsteps pounded up the stairs, and moments later Veronica appeared, grease stains on her arms and across her shirt. "Is there an issue, Veronica? Were you not able to figure it out?" Julie asked. "Oh, no, there were no problems. It's all fixed, good as new, or as new as anything can be these days." Veronica answered.
Julie looked at her in shock. "You fixed it already? Our best techs have been trying to figure that out for weeks, and you fixed it in, what, ten minutes?" Veronica grinned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I'm sure that your techs are great, but, and forgive me for bragging a bit, I'm better." She was feeling a lot better about herself after not being able to fix that damn satellite.
Julie chuckled. "Apparently so. I'd ask you to join our staff, but I'm guessing that, like Arcade here, you're already committed elsewhere, so I won't. Now, I should give you something for your work. We don't have any caps to spare right now, but-" Veronica shook her head. "It's fine, Julie, you don't owe me anything. I was happy to help." "No, I insist. You performed a service for the Followers, and considering you fixed something that no one else could, you deserve something."
She tapped her chin as she thought. "Ah, I know what to give you!" She went to her desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a file folder. "Every so often, my mother sends me a care package from home, you know, clothes, and food, and the like. However, in the last shipment, she sent me something odd. A weapon schematic. Apparently, it is for creating a grenade out of microfusion cells."
She handed the file to Veronica, who opened and looked at it. Arcade looked over her shoulder. "I have no idea where she got it or why she sent it to me. I've been sitting on it for a couple months with no idea what to do with it. I figure that you'll get more use out of it than I will."
Veronica looked over the schematic, intrigued. It didn't look all that complicated to put together, and it looked powerful. "Well, thank you, Julie. This definitely looks intriguing," Veronica said. She then looked at Arcade. "You ready to go?" "Um, actually, we need you to contact Mark, as he never specified a time to meet Julie. And now that I think about it, we might want to get the King involved, considering the nature of the meeting. So, uh, do your thing," he said gesturing to her pip-boy.
She nodded and handed the folder to Arcade. She went to her pip-boy to contact Mark, but after multiple tries, there was no success. She then attempted to contact Amata. "Amata, you there?" A few seconds later, she got a response. "Hey, Veronica, what's up? Everything okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine. We were just trying to contact Mark, but he's not answering. Is he around?" "Oh, yeah, he's out of range of our pip-boys. He took Cass to get her heart fixed, so he won't be back for a while. Why?" "Well, um, he never gave us a time to meet with Julie tomorrow, who is right here, by the way, and we think that we should involve the King as well, you know, given what's involved."
"Oh, hi Julie. And yeah, just let me contact him. I'll get back to you in a few minutes. Amata out." She cut out, leaving the room in silence. "So, uh," Julie said after a moment or two, "you can talk to each other on your pip-boys? I've read up on them and don't remember them having that capability."
Veronica shook her head. "They don't. Not normally, anyway. Mark was able to modify a few. He's good like that." Julie looked impressed. "Wow, that is amazing. If we could get our hands on some, do you think he could do that for us? Not to communicate with you guys, just for us. It would be a huge time-saver." "Well," Arcade said, "he holds the Followers in high regard, so I don't think that he'd be opposed to it, it would just be a matter of you, you know, actually getting some."
"True," Julie replied. The room went silent for a few moments before Veronica broke it, sounding a bit nervous. "Uh, Julie, is, um, is Emily Ortal around right now? I promised her a drink and I'd like to make good on it." Julie looked at her curiously before shrugging. "Well, I guess she made a good impression on you when she helped you with…what was it again?" she asked.
"While I was out of town she stopped by and gave Amata a checkup," Arcade answered. He was aware that something else had also happened while she was there, but he still hadn't been told the full story. "Oh right, that's it, although I remember that she was gone an awfully long time for a simple checkup, and she didn't really elaborate on what happened. Oh well, I'm sure that she was just being thorough. I believe that she is on her break right now, and she usually spends time at the Wrangler."
"Uh, yeah, thanks, Julie. I'll just, uh, yeah," Veronica said a bit awkwardly. She was saved from any further awkwardness when her pip-boy beeped. She looked at it, seeing a message:
He said yes, see if the King can attend. As for time, he said around two. Hope that helps.
She looked up at Julie. "Two o'clock good for you?" Julie thought for a couple moments before nodding. "Yeah, should be fine. I'll have to move someone from the clinic to here to cover for me, but I'll be there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back out there." They all walked out and went their separate ways, Arcade and Veronica heading for the King's School of Impersonation.
As they walked past the street where the Atomic Wrangler was located, Veronica looked down that way for a few seconds, something that did not go unnoticed by Arcade. The meeting with the King only took a few minutes. He agreed to stop by, as he urgently wanted a resolution to the food situation.
After exiting the Kings HQ, Veronica turned and headed back to the Strip. "Uh, Veronica, where are you going?" Arcade asked. She turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, back to the Strip, you know, where we live?" He chuckled. "I know where we live, Veronica. What I meant was that Emily Ortal, the reason you supposedly came with me, is in the other direction."
Veronica was suddenly looking anywhere but at Arcade. "Oh, um, right, I forgot about that." She laughed nervously. "You know, we don't have to do that right now. We need to go back and tell Amata and Mark the news, and I promised Abby that we'd play a board game-" Arcade rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, dragging her in the direction of the Wrangler.
"Arcade! Let go of me!" she exclaimed, trying to wrench her arm out his grip, which was surprisingly strong. "Nope. You're not avoiding this," he responded. Veronica dug her feet in the ground, forcing them to stop in the middle of the street. She was then able to wrest her arm from his grip. "Seriously, Arcade, what is wrong with you?" she asked, arms akimbo.
"Oh, there are plenty of things that are wrong with me, but none of those things really apply to this situation. The real question is, what's wrong with you?" Before she answered, they saw a group of people coming down the street, so she grabbed him and went over to the other side of the street.
"There's nothing wrong with me, Arcade. You were the one who grabbed and dragged me." "Only because you're dodging the issue at hand, namely your attraction to Miss Ortal." Veronica blushed, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned around. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about." "Oh, I think you do. The way you talked about her earlier, there is most definitely a hint of attraction there."
She huffed and turned back around. "Ok, well, so she's not…unattractive. But beauty isn't everything. She could be a horrible person deep down for all I know." "Well, while I haven't spent a large amount of time with her, I can guarantee that she isn't a horrible person. The exact opposite, in fact, and I think that you know that already."
Veronica didn't respond, instead looking up the street in the direction of the Wrangler. He put a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Veronica?" She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm just-I'm just scared, okay? My sum total of romantic relationships is two separate stints with the same person, and they both ended in heartbreak. I don't think that I can take it again." At this point, tears started to fall.
"Veronica, look at me," the Followers doctor said in a soft tone. She did so. "Veronica, heartbreak is a part of life. We all experience it at some point." She sniffled. "I'm guessing that includes you." "Oh yeah. A few times, but life doesn't stop just because you want to curl up into a ball and cry. Yeah, it hurts for a bit, but I kept picking myself up and trying again."
"So, things didn't work out with Christine, and sure, there's no guarantee that things will work out with Emily, but if you don't try, you'll never know, and you'll always be left wondering." Veronica wiped her eyes. "You-you're right. I've faced the Legion without blinking. I can face Emily." She smiled, which Arcade was relieved to see. "Thank you, Arcade. I needed that." "Anytime. Now, come on."
The duo made their way to the Atomic Wrangler. Looking into the large window, Veronica saw Emily sitting near the stage with a beer in hand, looking at the performer. Getting confirmation that Emily was in there, she went to the door, but didn't enter, and started to talk to herself to psych herself up.
"Ok, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…I can't do this." She made to turn, but Arcade wasn't having it. He grabbed her, opened the door, and shoved her in, hearing her yelp. He grinned, dusted his hands off, turned around, and headed back towards the Strip. 'My love life may be doomed, but I'll be damned if hers is,' he thought, whistling "Heartaches By The Number," as he walked.
Moments earlier, back at the Wrangler, Veronica stumbled in, nearly falling, but was able to right herself in time. The only person who seemed to notice was a woman standing behind the bar in a grey suit. "You alright?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tripped over my own feet," Veronica answered, mentally vowing revenge on Arcade, as well as realizing that she still had grease all over her. "Alright. What's your poison?"
Badly needing a drink, she was about to order a beer when a voice called out to her. "Veronica!" She turned around to see Emily approaching her. Veronica panicked a bit, eyeing the door, but Emily got to her before she could make a move. "Veronica, it's me, Emily Ortal. From the other day, remember?" Veronica couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah, Emily, I remember you. How are you?" "I'm good. Did everything work out with Mark and all that?" Veronica nodded. "Yeah, he's back home, all in one piece ('plus an additional few pieces attached,' she added mentally)." "Oh, well, that's good. So, what are you doing here?" "Uh, well, I went to the Old Mormon Fort to look for you, and Julie said you were here," she said, blushing a bit. She didn't think that Emily noticed.
"Looking for me? Why?" Emily asked, confused. "Well, I promised you a drink, didn't I? If for nothing else than for helping us. You we instrumental in helping us find him, after all." Emily smiled. "Oh, well, that's really sweet of you, Veronica." At this point, Veronica knew she was hooked, and her face was now on fire. There was no way that Emily didn't notice.
"Veronica, are you okay? You look a bit red." Veronica waved her hands in front of her face rapidly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit warm in here. So, uh, how about that drink?" "Oh yeah, I'll have a beer," Emily replied. "Sounds good. You go sit and I'll bring it over." Emily nodded and turned around. Veronica turned to the bartender. "One beer…and whiskey. Whole bottle." She was going to need it.
(Present)
The trio of John, Cass, and Mark stepped off the elevator. Cass stood in between the two men, with John holding his daughter around the waist to help stabilize her. She was still a bit tender from the surgery, and while she said she was fine, John insisted on helping her. The normally stubborn and independent cowgirl only put up a token resistance. Truthfully, it felt nice to have her dad take care again, like when she was little and had gotten hurt or sick.
"C'mon, Rosie, let's get you to the kitchen, we'll pop open that whiskey," John said. "Thanks, dad. One thing I gotta do first." She stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Rugrat! Get out here!" she yelled. A few moments later, Abby came out of the game room, teddy bear in hand, ED-E following her.
"Auntie Cass?" "C'mere, rugrat," Cass said, motioning with a hand for Abby to approach her. The young girl did as she was told, looking a bit confused. "Is everything alright?" Cass got down to one knee as Abby got closer. Cass smiled at her, putting her at ease. "Everythin's great, rugrat. Got some news fer ya. Ah got ma heart fixed, Abby. That means no more attacks."
Abby's face morphed into a look of shock. "Really?" she asked hopefully. "Really," Cass responded. Abby looked like she was about to cry as she hugged Cass around her midsection. Cass winced a bit but ignored it. Amata and a couple Brotherhood members came into the hall to see what was going on. After about ten seconds of silence, Abby pulled away and looked at Cass.
"Can you come read to me, please?" she asked. "Anything ya want, rugrat." Cass looked over her shoulder at her dad. "Gonna need a rain check on that drink, dad." John grinned. "No problem. I know a better offer when I see it." The two went into Abby's room. Amata came up to Mark and kissed him. "Everything went alright, then?" she asked. "Yeah. The surgery went well. She's fine now."
She then lowered her voice to a whisper. "What, uh, what happened between her and Elliott?" "Not sure," he whispered back. "Had to go to the ship to fix something. He was acting a bit weird, but I didn't ask." She looked disappointed, but nodded. "Alright. I'm gonna head up to the Penthouse. Got something I wanna look over."
She nodded and gave him another kiss. "Ok, have fun," she said before she went back into the kitchen. "Well," John said, "since my daughter dumped me for your daughter, I think that I'll join you. Got nothing else to do." "Yeah, sure, no problem," Mark said as they went back to the elevator.
A few moments later, they stepped out into the Penthouse and walked into the office. Aside from the Securitrons, they found Doc Henry sitting in a chair along the back wall, reading a book. "Doc," Mark said in greeting. Henry didn't look up from his book. "Don't worry, I haven't touched anything."
"Good to know," Mark said as he headed for the console. "Oh, by the way," Henry said, "I had a chance to examine that cyberdog of yours. She's in excellent shape. Didn't see any neural degradation. Where'd you find it?" "Well, the dog is a "she," not an "it", and I found her around. Why? Do you know about cyberdogs?"
He nodded. "That was among my areas of work with the Enclave. Been quite a few years since I last saw one, but I still know what to look for." Mark looked at the former Enclave scientist curiously. "What have you been doing since you guys split up?" "Floated around for a while. Ended up at Jacobstown, been helping the super mutants and nightkin up there."
Mark nodded, remembering hearing about that place on the radio. "What are you helping them with?" "The nightkin suffer from schizophrenia from excessive stealth boy use. The town's leader, Marcus, asked me to help find a cure for it." John, who up until this point had been silent, became alert when he heard that name. "Wait, doc," he said, approaching the man, "did you just say that the town's leader is named Marcus?"
The doctor looked at John, confused. "Yeah, why?" "Is he well-spoken, maybe wearing orange and white pieced-together armor?" Henry again answered in the affirmative. John looked to be in shock. "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me," he said in a barely audible whisper.
Mark then realized why that name sounded familiar. "Wait, is that the mutant that you traveled with?" John nodded. "Yeah. He disappeared after Broken Hills was deserted. No idea what happened to him. I don't think that he knows what happened to Jack. Kid, I-I need to see him."
"John, I can pull up live satellite footage of Jacobstown. If it's really him, we'll take a ride up there, alright?" John nodded. "Thanks, kid. I appreciate it." Mark looked over at the doctor. "I'm gonna need you to vacate the floor. State secret, I'm afraid." Henry sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Can I take the book?" Mark nodded. John and Mark waited in silence until Henry had left the floor.
Mark then turned to the console. "Yes Man, is there anyone else on this floor besides us?" "No, sir," the AI replied. "Good. Connect me to the ship, please." They waited a few moments before the ship appeared, Sergeant Daniels sitting in the captain's chair. "Captain. What can I do for you?" the former soldier asked.
"Well, first, this is John Cassidy, Cass' dad. John, this is Sergeant Eric Daniels, former US Army." Daniels looked slightly surprised but composed himself. "A pleasure to meet you, sir," he said. John nodded. He wasn't sure what this ship was, but he would get an explanation later. "Likewise." "Alright Sergeant," Mark said, "I'm sending you some coordinates. I need an overhead view."
He pressed a couple buttons on his pip-boy. A couple of moments later, Daniels looked to his right. "Coordinates received. Just give me a few seconds…done." An overhead shot of a large pre-war resort appeared. It was surrounded on three sides by snow-capped mountains. There was a wooden fence that surrounded it, with a road that led into what was probably a gate. At the far back was one large building, with a lake and several smaller buildings to the right.
On the left were many bighorners in a pen. There were also several mutants milling around, some green, some blue. John's eyes scanned the screen at a rapid pace. Suddenly, his eyes lit up in recognition. "There! Bottom of the screen, near the gate!" he exclaimed, pointing to the screen. Mark ordered Daniels to zoom in on that area. John couldn't believe it. He didn't think that he would ever see Marcus again.
He turned to look at Mark, seeing him looking at the screen, a look of shock on his face. "Kid? You alright?" There was no response from Mark. The mutant that was apparently Marcus was talking to another mutant that stood out from the rest, one that Mark recognized instantly. It was Fawkes. Sarah had told him that he had left DC to do some traveling, but what were the odds that he would end up here of all places?
John shook him by the shoulder, bringing Mark back to himself. "Kid, you with me?" Mark nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, just…shocked, really." "At what?" John asked. "The mutant that Marcus is talking to, that's Fawkes, the one that I told you about." John rubbed his chin. "Well, what're the odds, huh?" "Yeah. Well, looks like we're taking a ride. Daniels, clear the screen and cut the connection. Yes Man, where's Sarah?"
"She is currently in the gym, sir," the AI answered as the screen went blank. "Wait, kid, can't we use those things that you used to get us from the Big Empty?" "I only like to use those when absolutely necessary. Don't need anyone finding about them accidentally." John nodded in understanding. The two men went to the elevator and rode it down to the gym. They stepped off the elevator and looked around. There were various members of the Brotherhood and Rangers working out. Mark spotted Sarah running on a treadmill, pointing her out to John.
They approached, seeing her covered in sweat, wearing a t-shirt and khaki shorts, her hair up in its usual ponytail. "Sarah!" Mark called out as they approached. She looked at them and nodded, continuing to run. "John, Mark," she said, huffing a bit. "Sarah, I need a favor," Mark said. "Sure, what did you need?" "I need you, or anyone, really, to fly me and John somewhere." She didn't immediately respond, instead pressing a button on the console and hopping off.
"I can do it. Where do you need to go, exactly?" "Place west of here in the mountains, called Jacobstown. It's a mutant settlement. We just discovered that Fawkes is there, along with an old friend of John's." Sarah looked mildly surprised. "Wow. Are you sure? How do you know?"
John answered. "That Enclave doc mentioned something about working for a mutant named Marcus. Traveled with him ages ago. Got visual confirmation a few minutes ago that it was him." "Alright. Just give me ten minutes or so to get changed and I'll take you there. Be nice to see Fawkes again."
She then turned around. "Tristan! I gotta run an errand. Keep everything going." The man in question nodded. "Of course, Sentinel." The trio then headed to the elevator. Sarah got off at her floor first before the two men got off at the Penthouse. Mark went to the kitchen while John went into the game room.
Veronica and Amata were standing at the counter next to the stove, talking about something, while Judah Kreger was sitting at the table looking through some papers. There was a large pot on the stove, a radio on the counter playing softly, and Amata was chopping something while Veronica stood next to her. As he got closer, he heard a snippet of what they were talking about.
"-so yeah, I think there is something there," Veronica said. "Happy for you, Veronica," Amata replied, moving something to her left. "Happy about what?" Mark asked, interrupting. "Oh, nothing," Veronica said, realizing that Mark had joined them. "What're you making, babe?" Mark asked, seeing various ingredients on the counter.
She put down the knife and gave him a kiss. "I'm making a stew. Since we have several new guests, this was the only thing that I could think of to feed them all." She turned back to the counter and grabbed some carrots, putting them on a board. "Uh, babe, you know that they're adults and they can get their own food, right? You don't have to cook for everyone."
She started chopping the carrots. "I know, but it's their first day here, and I want to make them feel welcome." She paused for a moment. "And, you know, as a thank you for, well-" "Eventually helping taking out a murderous, sexist, misogynistic slaver army," Veronica deadpanned, looking down at her pip-boy. Amata shrugged. "Well, in not so many words, but yes, what she said."
"Did you take care of whatever it was you needed?" Mark's face lit up, remembering the reason he had come up here. "Oh yeah, Amata, you're never going to believe what I found." "Well, if it was coming from anyone else, I probably wouldn't, but given that it's you, I generally do. Go ahead, tell me what you found."
"You remember me telling you about Fawkes, right?" She chuckled. "Only nearly every day. Kinda hard to forget when you talk about your super mutant best friend. What about him?" "Wait," Kreger said, looking up from his papers, "you're friends with a super mutant?" The trio all looked at him.
"Yeah, I am. I consider him my brother. Is that a problem?" Kreger shook his head. "Moreno might, but I don't. Just curious. Over in Westside there's a friendly mutant called Mean Sonofabitch that helps guard the place. Nice fellow. Never really bothered me." "Well, if Moreno has an issue, he'll have to deal with it." Kreger just shrugged and went back to his papers.
"Alright," Mark said, "so anyway, I found Fawkes. He's here. Well, not "here" here, but in the Mojave. He's in a super mutant settlement up in the mountains. Sarah's flying me and John up there." "Yeah, not surprised. It's great that you found him, and I would finally love to meet him, but why is John going with you?"
"Well, incidentally, the leader of the town, Marcus, is a mutant that used to travel with John and my grandfather." "Your what?" Veronica asked. "I-I'll tell you later, Veronica," Amata said, Mark having told her what John had told him. "Well, I'll set some stew to the side if you're not back by the time it's finished. Now shoo, I've got work to do."
He kissed her on the cheek. "Love you, babe," Mark said as he ran out of the room. "Love you too," Amata called out, moving the chopped carrots onto a small dish. "Alright, make with the grandfather info, chop, chop," Veronica said, pointing at Amata.
The two men met Sarah, who had changed into leather armor, on the roof, and were in the air shortly after. Mark sat next to Sarah up front while John sat in back. "So, you excited to see him again?" she asked through her headset. "You know it. And I can't wait for him to meet Abby and Amata."
She nodded. "Do you know if Abby has ever seen a mutant before?" Mark thought about it. From what Abby had told them, she had never really left the area around her home, so it was unlikely. "I don't think so. She may be a little freaked out at first, but once she sees how nice Fawkes is, I think she'll be fine."
Sarah adjusted their altitude a bit. Mark looked behind him. "You okay back there, John?" he called out. John nodded and gave a thumbs-up. Mark then turned back to the front. "Where are we landing this thing?" Sarah asked him. "There's a road that leads up the mountain to the resort. Land a couple hundred feet from the entrance. Landing in the middle of the place might not end so well. She chuckled. "True."
Their heading brought them towards the resort from the north so they wouldn't fly over the place and worry the residents. As Sarah brought them in for a landing, Mark observed that the gate to the resort was closed, with two mutants with miniguns standing guard outside. Sarah killed the engine, and the trio disembarked.
Approaching the gate gave Mark a better view of the mutants. They were wearing scrapped-together metal armor and had headsets on. They watched the trio intently as they approached. Once they got about thirty feet from the gate, the mutant to their right called out to them.
"That's far enough, humans. What is your business here?" They stopped. "We're here to-" Mark started, but John held up a hand to stop him. "I got this kid," he said. Mark nodded. John looked back at the mutant. "We're here to see Marcus." The two mutants looked surprised to hear their leader's name.
The other mutant moved his minigun to his left hand, bringing his right up to his headset. "Marcus, come in," he said. There was a momentary pause before he spoke again. "Sir, there's three humans at the front gate. One of them asked for you by name." There was another pause, and then he looked at John.
"What's your name, human?" John grinned. "Tell that old bastard that it's John Cassidy." "Sir, he says his name is John Cassidy. What are your orders?" He went silent for a few moments. "Sir, do you copy? Sir?" About five seconds later, the front gate swung inwards. Walking out was another green-skinned mutant wearing cobbled-together armor with one orange and one black shoulder pauldron and a headset. He also had a few scars covering his body.
When he saw Mark and John, he stopped in his tracks. "John? Jack? What the-what the hell is going on here?" John laughed and approached him. "Marcus, you old bastard. How the fuck are you?" As soon as John got close, Marcus reached out and touched him. "Oh, good, you're real. I guess that means that I'm not going senile. How the hell are you still alive?"
"That was a bit of an accident, really. Put myself on ice for three decades. Only woke up recently. By him," John said, thumbing over his shoulder. Marcus looked over at Mark. "Jack? How do you still look so young?" "It's Mark, actually. Mark Franklin. Pleasure to meet you," Mark said, approaching the two.
"Marcus," John said, "that's Jack's grandson." His voice then took on a somber tone. "Jack, he-he died a few years after we split up. Broken Hills had already been abandoned by then, and no one knew what happened to you." Marcus sighed. "Well, that's sad to hear. Guessing you don't know what happened to the others, then?"
John shook his head. "No. Sulik was young enough that he could still be alive. Vic, well, he was getting up there in age, and you know he wasn't in the best of shape to begin with. Unless the same thing happened to him that did to me, I doubt it." "Yeah, that's what I figured, too." He went silent for a few moments, staring off into the distance, as if he was remembering something long in the past.
Eventually he looked back at the group, seeing the third member. "Forgive me, who are you, miss?" Sarah stepped forward. "Sarah Lyons." He then noticed the Brotherhood logo that had been tattooed on her upper right arm. "Brotherhood?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah. Sentinel of the DC chapter. Is that an issue?" she asked, ready to defend herself if necessary.
He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Far from an issue, actually. Knew a Steel Knight a long time ago. Named the town after him," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the sign. "There's a story there, I'm guessing." John grinned, having heard this before. "Oh yeah. Long before I met this geezer over here, I was wandering and came across this fool wearing power armor. Name was Jacob, of your Brotherhood."
"He'd sworn some oath to destroy all muties. We fought for, like, God, two days, maybe. Then, suddenly, we just both started laughing." Sarah raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe. "Laughing?" "Yeah. We both realized that there was no point in all the fighting. We became friends, started traveling together."
"Then, other people started following us. I guess if they thought that they weren't safe with a mutie and a Steel Knight, safe just wasn't going to happen." "And then?" "Founded a town near an old uranium mine, called it Broken Hills. Ghouls, humans, mutants, all living in peace…well, most of the time. He stayed through the first winter to make sure it survived, then went his own way. Never saw him again, although I think things turned out okay for him."
"Eventually, the mine ran dry, and the town fell apart. Found my way here, founded this place as a safe haven for mutants, a place we could call our own. We're far enough out of the way where we don't really get bothered." He let out a breath. "Well, I bored you enough with ancient history. So, is there a specific reason that you're here, exactly?"
"Well, we're here because-" Mark started before seeing a very familiar mutant exiting the lodge. He took off running, not noticing the other mutants eyeing him warily. "FAWKES!" Mark yelled out. The mutant in question looked up when he heard a voice he hadn't heard in quite some time.
Realizing that it wasn't a figment of his imagination, he ran towards him. "MARK!" he yelled out, running to meet his friend. Once they reached one another, they hugged, with it being a bit awkward due to the size difference. A couple moments later, they let go.
"Fawkes it's-it's so goddamn good to see you again. What are you doing out here?" "It is good to see you as well, old friend. As to why I am here, well, let's just say that I had a feeling you would need my help again, so here I am. We were on our way to Vegas when we were told by a kindly traveler that a mutant would likely not be welcome there, so we were directed here. I have been here for two days, planning out how to meet with you again."
"Wait, how did you know I was in Vegas? The Brotherhood only got that information a few days ago. And who is "we?"" Mark asked, extremely confused. "Well, my traveling companion can answer both of those questions, someone you apparently know." He looked to his right. "God!" he called out.
A nightkin with a large sword holstered on his back, one who had been looking at the bighorners in their pen, turned around. The name carved into his chest was the dead giveaway that it was the same mutant form the Sierra Madre. He looked different, as the heavy chains and dog trap had been removed.
"Hello again, human," he said as he approached them. "It appears that our paths have indeed crossed again." "Wait, you two ran into each other?" Mark asked. "Indeed," Fawkes answered. "I came across him while on my way here. He mentioned Vegas and decided to accompany me." "Uh, well, it's good to see you again, God. You're looking much better. How's everything between you and Dog?"
"Much better," the nightkin answered. "I let him out occasionally to keep the peace. I have been able to temper his violent urges, so he is no longer a threat to anyone." "Well, that's good. So how did you two meet, exactly?"
While the three of them talked, John, Marcus, and Sarah had observed them from afar. "Seems familiar, doesn't it?" John asked Marcus, a nostalgic look on his face. Marcus chuckled. "It certainly does, John. Almost like…like he's here with us again." Sarah, meanwhile, knew she was missing some key information about what was going on, but she was happy that Mark and Fawkes were reunited.
Marcus instructed the mutants at the front to keep an eye on the vertibird and then went into the town, John and Sarah following him. As they got closer, they heard a bit of what was being talked about. "Well, that was a hell of a coincidence," they heard Mark say as they got closer.
Fawkes looked over. "Sarah! You are here as well? How wonderful to see you again. How are you doing?" "I'm well, Fawkes. And you?" she responded. "Much better now," he said, looking at Mark. "So, is there a specific reason that you all came up here?" Marcus asked again. John answered.
"Well, Doc Henry is staying where we are, and he mentioned you. So, the kid got some satellite to scope out this place to confirm you were here, along with finding out his old friend was here. Couldn't pass up that opportunity now, could we?" Marcus nodded.
"Yeah, Doc Henry took off in a hurry a few days ago. Wondered what that was about. Now I know." "Marcus," Mark said, looking around the place, "if you're so isolated up here, how does the town support itself?" "We trade bighorner meat and hides with the caravans. Have to meet them at the base of the mountain, though. They won't come up here. It's not ideal, but they leave us alone, and we get caps and supplies. Plenty of bighorners around here, easy enough to replenish the herd."
"Huh. Well, um, have you ever had any dealings with New Vegas?" Marcus shook his head. "No. Heard it's a paradise in the wasteland. Never been there myself. Doubt they'd let a mutant in." Mark grinned. "Well, it just so happens that Vegas is under new management, one that has no problem with mutants."
"You, I'm guessing?" Marcus asked. Mark nodded. "Yup. I would have no problems with mutants coming into or trading with Vegas. In fact, I would like to try and improve relations between our peoples. If we can show the people at large that a mutant and human can be friends, we might be able to start changing some hearts and minds."
"Well, you certainly aim big, I'll give you that. If you're working towards improving relations, you might have already gotten a head start on this end," Marcus said. "What are you talking about?" Mark asked. "Kid," John said, "look around you." Mark turned in a circle, looking around the town. Every mutant outside, and some inside, were watching them with interest.
"Kid, you willingly ran into a town populated solely by mutants and then ran up and hugged one." "He's right," Marcus added. "It might not mean much now, but seeing that might just help towards your goal, ambitious as it may be." "Marcus," Fawkes said, clasping Mark on the shoulder, "when my friend here puts his mind to something, he usually gets it done. Believe me on that."
"What about the conflict between the Legion and NCR, though? Wouldn't that complicate things?" the mutant asked. Mark shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I'm planning on taking them both down and setting a new course for the Mojave." Marcus chuckled. 'Jack, your spirit is definitely flowing through him,' he thought.
"Alright, Mr. Franklin, I think we can work something out. While I can't speak for Fawkes and God here, given their recent arrival, the rest of us have decided to remain neutral. The mutants here have had enough of fighting and want no part in it." Mark nodded. "That's fine. I wasn't planning on asking you to fight." He then looked at Fawkes. "Are you aware of what is going on out here?"
The meta-human nodded. "I am. I have listened to the radio, and Marcus was kind enough to fill myself and God in on the situation. As usual, it appears that you are heavily involved." Mark grinned. "You ready for one more adventure, Fawkes?" He grinned back. "Just try and stop me, my friend." "Alright then. Let's head back to Vegas. I'll introduce you to the family. Me and Amata adopted a daughter, you know?" "I look forward to meeting her, Mark. Let me gather my things and then we can depart." With that, Fawkes headed towards one of the smaller buildings to their right.
"Kid," John said, "I'll make my own way back. Think that me and Marcus have some catching up to do." "That we do," Marcus added. "I look forward to working with you, Mr. Franklin. You are always welcome here. Come, old friend." He and John turned and headed into the lodge. "God, you're more than welcome to join us at the Lucky 38 if you want," Mark said to the nightkin.
"I will have to decline, human. I wish to spend some more time around my own kind. However, I will keep an ear out, and when the time comes, I will join you for the upcoming battle. If for no other reason than to erase my debt to you for freeing me. Until then." He went back over near the bighorner pen.
His departure left just Mark and Sarah standing in the shadow of the lodge. "I'm guessing you left a lot out of that briefing you gave us," she said, looking questioningly at Mark. "I only told you what was necessary. Nothing more," Mark responded. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, keep your secrets." Fawkes came back over a few minutes later, carrying a rucksack and his trusty gatling laser. The trio made their way to the vertibird and into the air.
Mark sat in the back with Fawkes, telling him about Abby and how she came to live with them, as well as about Amata's pregnancy. Night started to fall as they approached the city, the lights on the Strip shining brightly against the darkness. Eventually, they landed on the roof of the 38. Fawkes stepped out and wandered over to the edge, gazing down at the city.
"I had only seen the lights from a distance," he said in wonder to his companions, "but seeing them up close is another thing entirely." After a few more moments, they went back down, Amata having already been forewarned about their arrival. She was standing in the middle of the hallway, Abby standing in front of her. Arcade, Veronica, and Cass were standing around them, wanting to see the infamous Fawkes for themselves.
She looked at Fawkes, being only slightly taken aback at his size and appearance. Sure, Mark had described him to her but seeing him was another thing entirely. However, she knew that despite his outward appearance, he had a heart of gold, just like Mark. "Hello. You must be Fawkes. I'm Amata, this is Abby, and these fine folks around us are Arcade Gannon, Veronica Santangelo, and Rose of Sharon Cassidy, although she prefers Cass. Mark has talked so much about you that I feel like I know you already."
Fawkes smiled. "Mark told me much about you as well, Amata, although he could not accurately describe your beauty." Amata blushed. "Well, thank you Fawkes. You're too kind." "Fascinating," Arcade said, his scientific curiosity kicking into overdrive. "Holy hell, you're huge," Cass said. "Nice to meet you," was all Veronica said.
Fawkes then looked at the small child in front of Amata, seemingly looking upon him in wonder. "Young miss Abby, your father told me all about you. It is a very special pleasure to make your acquaintance." He got down to one knee in front of her, extending his right hand to her, palm facing up. Abby approached him slowly, putting a hand in his. He gently closed his hand around hers, eliciting a smile from her. "Hi," she said.
Everyone looked upon the scene with a smile. "Okay," Amata said a few moments later, "the stew is almost ready. Would you care for some, Fawkes?" "I would love some. It smells delicious." She clasped her hands together. "Well then, let's go eat, shall we?"
They were heading to the kitchen when Mark's pip-boy beeped. He looked down to see the visage of Yes Man. "Sir, we have a problem," the AI said. Everyone stopped to listen in. "What's the problem, Yes Man?" Mark asked. "Sir, Goodsprings is under attack."
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Veronica has a new love interest, Cass' heart is all fixed, Fawkes is back, and we get a cliffhanger to finish it off. Until next time, and reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.