Fallout RP- Systematic Annihilation

Chasing Amy

"She's all done," said Eldon, putting away the last of his tools. The glider he'd hastily assembled rested on the flat outcropping at the edge of Devil's Canyon. "She's not much to look at, but she'll get us to the other side. MacGyver would be proud."

"MacWho?" asked Stark.

"Before your time, kid. Before mine, too, but we had this thing called reruns - well, there's no time to explain all that now. Time's a wasting. Let's go!"

"I'm not in that much a hurry. You can tell me about these reruns." Eldon glared at him. "All right, all right, I'm coming." The two of them gripped the strong iron bar beneath the glider.

"Hold on tight!" said Eldon unnecessarily. He and Stark ran to the edge of the cliff - and leapt off.

The wind caught under the canvas and hoisted the small glider up. "Oh God oh God oh God!" shouted Stark, clenching his eyes shut. "We're gonna die!"

"Nah, we're doing great! This is amazing! We're almost halfway there. Just don't look down." Stark opened his eyes and glanced below. "I said don't look down!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" A downdraft pushed the glider down. "No, I know I'm gonna be sick! Ahhhhh!" He lost his lunch, spewing it into the depths of the canyon.

"This is exhilarating! We're coming in a bit low, but we're almost there!" As the glider approached the southern edge of Devil's Canyon, another updraft lifted it slightly and it sailed over solid ground, just a few feet below Eldon and Stark's legs. A few seconds later their feet touched ground and they gradually came to a halt and set the glider down. "That was awesome! I want to do it again!"

"I don't!" Stark wiped his mouth. "You are completely nuts!"

"Come on, we have to track those two down and find out where they took Jack. Luckily it's not hard to follow a super mutant." Eldon pointed out the oversized tracks in the sand Mongo had left. Stark shook his head again and trailed along behind the ghoul.

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Amy walked over to Jack's pack and again withdrew a serum-filled hypo. She came back, stood over him, and waved it in front of him. "Come on, Jack," she said. "You know you want it. And you can have it, if you just say the word. You can't hold out much longer. You're losing yourself, I can see it. Another few minutes at most. Spare yourself this agony."

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Jack struggled to maintain a hold on himself, to bottle up the rage welling up inside him. He knew in his heart that Amy was right. He couldn't maintain his grip much longer. His friends were dead, and he had a choice to make. Redemption would take him, and he did not want to surrender to it. His only alternative was to surrender to Amy. As humiliating as it was, it didn't seem as bad. He was having trouble thinking; he could feel the disease's claws pulling at his brain. He whimpered, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"There's no shame in what you have to do," said Amy. "Is keeping your secret really worth going through this? You want to tell me. End your suffering. Let me help you."

"All right!" Jack growled. "I'll talk! Just give it to me! Hurry! I'll tell you everything!"

"I know you will." Amy calmly injected Jack in the neck, pressing the plunger down until all of the fluid entered his bloodstream. Already he could feel a sensation of calm start to flow from the injection site throughout his body. After a minute or so, his heartbeat returned to normal. The anger that had built up in him began to subside. Amy dropped the empty hypo on the cave floor, stepped behind Jack, and started massaging his shoulders. "Relax. It's going to be just fine. Mongo, why don't you go out and kill us some geckos or something for dinner while Jack and I have a little conversation?"

"Mmm, gecko," said Mongo, licking his lips. He lumbered out of the cave, leaving the two of them alone.

Amy came back around the chair and cupped Jack's chin in her hand. "Now then, darling, it's time to fess up. And don't even think of going back on your promise. I'd hate to put you through all that again."

Just the thought made Jack shudder. Amy had broken him once, and she could easily do it again. He would have to tell her at least part of the truth to satisfy her. "What...do you want to know?" he croaked.

"First, why did you kill Little Jesus Mordino?"

"I found out he and Angel Mordino have been working with the Enclave. In exchange, the Enclave provided the Mordino Family with a cure."

Amy took a step back and considered this. "That's heavy. Why should I believe you, though?"

"Why shouldn't you? If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Does any other explanation?"

"Suppose I do believe you. How did you manage to get that much serum from Vault City? Why are you going back to New Reno?"

"The answer to both questions is the same. I agreed to help them get a sample of the cure so they can make more of it themselves. The only place I know I can get it is New Reno. I agreed not only to help them, but to help myself - and to get some payback while I'm at it."

Amy brushed her hair back and exhaled slowly. "Now it is starting to make sense. I knew there was something else to this. No wonder they want you dead so bad. Why didn't you just tell me this the first time I asked? We could have avoided all this...unpleasantness."

"I didn't know where your loyalties lay, or whether I could trust you. I still don't. You sure are a piece of work."

"You're judging me? Isn't that a little like a ghoul calling a deathclaw mutated? How many people have you put in Golgotha?"

Jack thought a second. "I don't remember."

"That many, huh? Look, I know you're a hitman. I don't judge you for it. It's what you do. I find people. Sometimes I have to bring them back in one piece. Sometimes I...don't. That's what I do. None of that matters. What matters is-"

A man with greasy brown hair in a leather jacket and toting a Thompson submachinegun entered the cave and leveled his weapon at Amy. "Grab some sky, sweetheart!" he demanded.

Amy froze, slowly raising her arms and turning around. "Clem, you bottom-feeding guttersnipe! You've never earned an honest chip in your life! The only way you can collect a bounty is to steal it from someone else. Well you're not taking this one!"

"Shoot, Miss Amy, all I want's his head. You kin keep the rest of him. Take off your gunbelt, nice and slow." Reluctantly, Amy complied and let it fall to the ground. "And the rifle." Amy grumbled, but dropped the needler as well. "Now, against the wall!" He backed her against the cave wall, poking her belly with the barrel of his tommy gun. "Why should I do all the hard work of tracking Graves down, when I can just follow you and let you do it for me? I probably never would have found him my ownself anyway."

Now that Clem's back was turned, Jack started rocking himself in his chair, hoping to topple it. If Amy noticed, she certainly didn't let on. "I'm surprised you could even follow me," Amy retorted.

"I didn't. I followed that dumb brute you drag around with you. Then I waited until he left and got the drop on you." Jack's chair fell over with a clatter. Clem jumped back and turned his head for a second. Amy grabbed the barrel of his gun and yanked it upwards, but he smacked her in the cheek with it and aimed it at her chest.

With Clem's attention diverted again, Jack reached for the empty hypo with his hands, which were bound behind the chair. He managed to get a grip on it and smashed the end off. He then started to saw at the rope with the jagged glass, taking care not to cut his wrists.

"Now that wasn't very nice," said Clem. "I'd hate to have to shoot your lovely body full of holes. How come you didn't kill Graves yet, anyway? You sweet on him or sumpin?"

Amy snorted. "Him? Not a chance."

"Nice to know you're still available. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, Amy." He slung his SMG on his back, pinned Amy's wrists to the cave wall, pressed against her, and kissed her hard on the lips. Amy struggled and squirmed, but his grip didn't slacken.

"Mind if I cut in?" said Jack, tapping him on the shoulder with his left hand. When Clem turned his head, Jack sucker punched him with his right and laid him out cold. Amy tried to lunge for her guns, but Jack grabbed her and pushed her back into the wall. "Oh, no you don't. Nice try."

"Let go of me!"

"No, I don't think so. Hey, don't bother to thank me for rescuing you from that punk or anything. All in a day's work."

"Rescuing me? I had that situation under control."

"Oh, really? He would have banged you silly if I hadn't stepped in."

"You think so, huh? You don't know anything. Try it yourself if you think you can do it."

"Normally, I'd take you up on that offer, but chances are you'd get infected in the process."

"Don't worry, I won't. You won't get very far."

Jack dragged Amy to the chair she had tied him to, kicked it upright, and pressed her into it. "Now it's my turn to tie you up."

Amy tossed her head back, her braided hair swishing to the side. "Ooh, I can't wait." She slid her booted foot between his legs and rubbed it against them.

Jack knelt down to get the rope. Before he could, he heard a metallic SHINK! A blade sprang out from the toe of Amy's boot, the tip just poking him in the crotch. "Hurk!" he choked, holding himself motionless.

"Surprise!" Amy grinned wide. "I told you I had everything under control. Now, unless you want to start singing soprano you've got about three seconds to let me go. One..."

Jack released her and slowly backed off. Amy stood up, and the blade retracted back into her boot. Then she looked at her fallen gunbelt. She and Jack both made a dive for it at the same time. After a brief tussle, each of them came up with a Desert Eagle and pointed it at the other's head.

"Well," said Amy. "Looks like we've got us a Mexican standoff."

"You know," said Jack, "this is the second-most awkward first date I've ever been on."
 
The standoff at an end...

Jack circled around to the right and Amy followed his movements circling to the left. Jack was trying to distance himself from the cave entrance where he knew that the mutant would enter. He didn't want his back to the brute when he arrived or he would be in a world of hurt.

Amy now had her back to the cave entrance and smiled, "This is exiting! Good thing I took this job." She exclaimed.

Jack grinned, "Better put your gun down, I don't like killing beautiful women such as yourself."

Amy sneered, "But I like killing arrogant men!" She said dropping to the ground, firing off three shots before hitting the ground.

Jack dove to his right and rolled into the cave wall, he managed to escape two bullets but was grazed at his right shoulder by the last shot. He quickly stood up to see Amy escaping out of the cave.

Amy ran outside and into the barrel of a large plasma rifle pointed at her face.

"Where do you think your going missy?" Stark asked, his finger ready to squeeze the trigger.

"I'd drop that gun before my companion here melts those pretty features of yours." Eldon warned.

Suddenly Jack came barreling out of the cave, he didn't see Stark and Eldon standing in front of Amy in time to stop his charge. He slammed into Amy's back knocking her to the ground and sending Jack into the wasteland floor.

"Asshole!" She yelled.

"Bitch!" He yelled back rubbing his left elbow, the unfortunate part of his body that he landed on.

"Well, I guess you two must have been having quite a time in there without us." Stark replied.

Jack stood up and wrenched Amy to her feet, "I thought you guys would be pancakes at the bottom of the canyon by now." Jack said.

"Well we had a little... Adventure of our own." Stark said shooting an angry glare at Eldon who was quietly giggling.

"Where's the mutie?" Stark asked.

"He went off to fetch dinner." Jack replied.

"Oh, was he getting the candlelit dinner prepared for your romantic evening together?" Stark teased.

"WHAT!" Jack and Amy blared in unison.

"Just kidding, don't get your panties in a bunch." Stark replied with a laugh.

Eldon's eyes followed Mongo's tracks out into the wasteland. "Well looks like we should be able to get outta' here before the big boy returns."

"What do we do with her? Kill her?" Stark suggested.

"There's no money in it, and I don't kill for pleasure." Jack replied. He prodded Amy with the Desert Eagle and pushed her into the cave. The others followed inside.

"Now what?" Amy asked with a certain nervousness in her voice.

Jack smiled and Stark presented a large rope to answer her question.

****

Mongo entered the cave dragging behind him the bloodied corpse of a fire gecko that seemed to have been beaten to death. Mongo had a bite mark on his right forearm and a scorch mark on his chest. From the looks of it the gecko put up quite a fight against the Super Mutant.

Mongo sat down and began skinning the battered gecko. He heard some kind of muffled voice deeper in the cave, Mongo stood up and walked over to the source of the sounds. In the shadows of the cave there lay Amy hogtied and not happy. Mongo almost didn't want to take the gag out of her mouth because he knew that the words that would follow would not be pretty.

Mongo began untieing the ropes on his partner who was no doubt going to use every profane word imaginable at extremely loud decibels once she was free...
 
On the Road Again

To Mongo's surprise, Amy did not spew a stream of profanity at him when he removed her gag. "Thanks, big guy!" she said. "Boy, am I glad to see you. Hurry up and get me untied. We have to get a move on fast. This is bigger than I imagined."

The burly super mutant didn't bother with a knife; he just ripped the ropes apart with his bare hands and hauled Amy to her feet. "Where's Jack?" he asked, looking around.

"He escaped. His friends came for him while you were out. I thought that ghoul was road pizza. I don't know how he survived or how he and that Vault City guard managed to get across the canyon so fast." Amy hastily gathered her equipment.

"Who's dis guy?" Clem, still unconscious with a bloody and broken nose, lay bound and gagged in another corner. Mongo prodded him with his foot.

"That scumbucket is Clem. He made a living by letting other bounty hunters do his job for him, then bushwhacking them and stealing their bounties."

"You want I should kill him?"

Amy looked at Clem with disgust. "No, a quick death is better than he deserves. Leave him there to suffer and rot in this cave. Let's get going before the trail gets cold. We'll have to eat on the move."

The two bounty hunters emerged from the cave onto the trail to New Reno. The sun was already low in the sky. Amy quickly picked up Jack's trail and began to follow him again. "What Jack say?" Mongo asked.

"The Enclave has a cure for Redemption, and they made some kind of deal with the Mordino Family and provided them with the cure for their guys. That's why Jack is headed for New Reno. And now we have to keep him from getting his fool head blown off."

Mongo scratched his head. "Mongo confused. We help Jack now?"

"We're going to have to. The Enclave is worse than anything you can imagine. If the Mordinos are helping them, they have to go down." Amy smacked her open hand with a fist. "We're going to need his help to do that. And he's going to need ours, whether he likes it or not."

"But you said there'd be lots of chips. How we get paid now?"

"Oh, we'll get paid all right. We'll take our payment out of their hides!" Amy gritted her teeth in anger. "This is personal now."

"You seem different, Amy."

"I am different, Mongo. I had some time to think in there while I was tied up. To think about what really matters. I was this close to coming to an understanding with Jack when that fool Clem blundered in and ruined everything!"

Amy walked in front of Mongo so he wouldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes. Watching Jack struggling in vain against Redemption had brought back memories of Dave. He had been one of the first in New Reno to come down with it, and there hadn't been any serum yet in those days. She had had to watch as the only man she had ever truly loved slowly lost his mind. The final hours had been pure hell. She'd had to tie him up and stay with him as Redemption took him over. And when the disease finally won and he ripped apart his bonds, she was the one who had been forced to put him down. That had been the worst part of all.

What she had done to Jack back there in the cave...she had crossed a line. It had been like losing Dave all over again. It had taken everything she had to conceal her emotions from Jack, but she could no longer hide them from herself. She wasn't sure yet how she felt about Jack, but she realized that the two of them were not that different. And when Clem had attacked her, he had intervened on her behalf. She hadn't been in any real danger, but he hadn't known that. He could have slipped out and left her there, or got her guns and killed them both. But he had come to her rescue like some kind of white knight. Still, she didn't see how he could ever forgive her for what she had done to him. She couldn't even forgive herself.

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It was midnight. Jack stood watch at the campfire while Eldon and Stark lay on their sleeping mats. He peered out at the endless wastes, but saw no movement. Amy Velasco and Mongo were still out there, he was sure, still following him. He wouldn't be caught unawares again. How could he have let her get the better of him, even if only briefly? He resolved to stay alert. Nobody would get the drop on him again.

"You okay, buddy?" asked Eldon from behind him. Jack jumped, then nodded. "It's past time for my watch to start. You forgot to wake me. Something's on your mind. You're thinking about Amy, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "She's still on my tail, I'm certain of it. Someone like her doesn't give up. I don't know what her next move will be, though." He turned to face the ghoul. "She knows, Eldon. She...made me tell her about the Mordinos, the Enclave, the cure."

"She made you? How did she do that?"

"Easy. She just withheld the serum from me until I agreed to talk. It was brutally effective. Now that she knows, what will she do with that information? If she tells the wrong people, we're finished before we start. I don't know what side she's on. I can't figure her out."

"Are you in love with her?"

"What?! That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard! She tortured me, for crying out loud!"

"Doesn't mean you don't have feelings for her. When you've been around as long as I have, you know the signs."

"Look, I won't deny a certain physical attraction, but she is one sick puppy!"

"Maybe, but didn't you used to kill people for money until recently? Is she really any worse than you?"

"Yes! You weren't there, you don't know what it was like. Look, I don't want to talk about this any more. I'm just going to call it a night. We're almost halfway to New Reno now. When we get there, we'll make contact with the Wrights. If Amy gets there ahead of us and is up to anything, they'll get wind of it and we can go from there. Good night." Jack went over to the empty mat and lay down.

Neither Jack nor Eldon saw the black shadow that had been watching them from among the withered trees nearby. Amy wrapped her black cloak tighter around herself and smiled. Now she knew their plans. She hoped she could come up with a way to make contact with Jack without starting another firefight. She turned around and vanished into the night.
 
~As they continued thru the desert- The child seemed to be skidish around gabe- but seemed to be doing well - considering that he had watched his mother and father killed, and father eaten. The child had yet to reveal his name; or much about himself, but gabe wasnt going to press the child, anymore than required. as night fell, they came within view of Reno. He stoped and looked to the child~

(Gabe) Have you ever been to new reno?
(Child) With My... Perents...
(Gabe) I have to go to reno; I have to talk with someone- Do you know about this city?
(child) no; Why?
(Gabe) Reno; is, in some respects, more dangerous than the den.
(child) what?
(Gabe) You need to stey close to me, dont wonder off- Ok?
(Child) oh...ok...
(Gabe) Its... Easy to get lost...

~they stoped- on the platue that overlooked the city; Gabe Reached over his right shoulder- and removed his sun-beam laser rifle- he armed it, but left the electric safty on~


(Gabe) Lets Get this over with.
(Child) Ok....

~they then continued twards the city of sin and slieze~


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Jack's Back

Clem lay on the cavern floor. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but he knew he was dying. The thirst was unbearable, but somehow the hunger was even worse. It overwhelmed him, so much so that he needed to feed even more than he needed to drink. Inexplicably, he also felt a power deep within him, as if he could do anything. As if he could tear asunder the bonds that restrained him.

Having nothing better to do, Clem embraced this feeling. Even in his weakened state, he felt stronger than he ever had. He clenched his fists, tensed his muscles, and thrust his arms outward - and the ropes snapped. His arms free, he tore the ropes to shreds, bit through his gag, and spit it out. He got up on his hands and knees and tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a howl.

Again he felt the hunger and prowled around looking for food. He smelled it before he saw it. There, in the corner of the cave, slept a large mutated rat. Clem stalked closer, closer - and then pounced. He seized the creature in both hands and bit down on it. The rodent squealed and fought, but it soon went limp. Blood dribbled down Clem's chin, and his eyes glowed a faint orange.

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"Well, here we are," said Jack. He stood with Eldon and Stark on a small hill about half a mile from New Reno. The early morning sunlight illuminated the city sprawled out across the desert, filled with decrepit buildings and trash-strewn streets.

"Looks crappy," said Eldon.

"New Reno is one of those places that looks exactly like what it is. We're just a bit east of town. The Wright Family home is on the East Side, just south of the train station where they brew their hooch. It's too dangerous for me to go in just yet. Sergeant Stark, how about a little recon? You'd blend in best here, and besides, you're the most expendable."

"Gee, thanks a lot," grumbled Stark.

Jack handed him a folded piece of paper. "As far as anyone knows, you're just another tourist falling into New Reno's trap. When you get there, go to the Wright house and give that to Rachel Wright, Keith's daughter. That should get you in to see him and let him know I'm back in town. Arrange a meeting if you can, then come back and report."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad. This Rachel chick, is she cute?"

"Cute and dangerous. Don't piss her off, or any of the Wrights. You mess with one of them, they'll all mess with you."

"Don't worry, I'll play it smooth." Stark walked off into town. An hour later he returned smiling. "Keith Wright says he'll meet with us now."

"That was easy," said Jack. "Maybe too easy. It could be a trap. Any of the families might want to kill me, not just for the reward money the Mordinos would have to pay them, but also to one-up them and gain prestige at their expense for doing what they failed to do."

"You want to call it off?" asked Eldon.

Jack thought for a moment. "No, I'm going to have to take a chance. Without their help, we're probably sunk anyway. The Wrights tend to be true to their word. Let's go. So how'd it go with Rachel?"

"She shot me down," Stark admitted. "Not literally, of course, though she easily could have."

The three of them walked into the east end of New Reno and up to the Wright Family house. Children ran around outside pretending to shoot each other with their fingers, and two men with dogs stood out front. "Come on in," said one of the men. "Quick, before you're seen."

They hurried inside and passed through a large living room to a dining room. Two more Wright men stood there, along with a young blonde woman toting a sniper rifle. When she saw Jack, she fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Well, hello," she said. "You must be Jack Graves. I'm Rachel Wright."

"Well, hello yourself," Jack said, smiling.

"Go on into the study. Daddy's waiting for you."

Jack, Eldon, and Stark went through the door leading into the study. Bookshelves lined the walls, and behind a table sat a gray-haired man about sixty years old, cradling a shotgun in his lap. "I'm Keith Wright. Rachel showed me your note. I'm taking a big chance meeting with you. If the Mordinos find out..."

"Well, I'm sure not going to tell them," said Jack. "I'm going to have to level with you: there's big trouble brewing in New Reno, and the Mordinos are responsible for a lot of it. They've cut a deal with the Enclave, and are helping them manufacture Redemption in a facility just south of town. In return, the Enclave has provided the Mordinos with an antigen that cures the disease."

Keith didn't show any sign of surprise. "You obviously want me to do help you do something about it. That will mean war, and in a war between the Wrights and the Mordinos, only the Salvatores and the Bishops can win."

"You have to understand the Mordinos are already at war with everyone else. They're immune to Redemption. You're not. They're making more of it to spread around. Eventually they'll be the only ones left - unless we act first."

"You're right, of course. If it hadn't been for that fact, I never would have agreed to meet you."

Jack did a double take. "Wait a minute. You already knew about the Mordinos?"

"I only found out myself last night." Jack started to speak, but Keith cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Never mind how. I presume you have a plan of action. Let's hear it."

"My idea was to carry out a two-pronged attack," said Eldon. "We have two targets: the manufacturing facility and the cure. Vault City needs a sample of the cure so they can learn how to make it themselves. One group will attack the facility to the south. I'll be with that group. I already have the explosives needed."

"And the second prong?"

"If I know Angel Mordino," said Jack, "she'll keep the cure very close to her. That means her private chambers in the Desperado casino, on the second floor. That's the Mordinos' home base, and a tough nut to crack. Fortunately, once we hit the facility in the desert south of town, a number of them will head off that way. A bunch more are out in the wilderness hunting for me."

"That may be too tough a nut to crack. The casino is well defended. Even if we concentrated all of our forces in an all-out attack and the Mordinos' numbers were reduced and with the element of surprise, it could still go either way. A couple of extra men won't make that much difference. We need an edge. Fortunately, I happen to know someone who can help in that regard." He raised his voice. "Rachel! Bring in our other guest!"

Other guest? Jack wondered. Who could he be talking about?

He didn't have to wonder long. A minute later, Rachel entered the study. Behind her, Amy Velasco sauntered in. "Hey, sweetie," she said. "Did you miss me?"

"YOU!" roared Jack, moving in her direction. The sound of Keith Wright slamming his shotgun barrel into place against the stock halted him in his tracks.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," said Keith. "Miss Velasco is my guest, and as such is under Wright Family protection. And we're going to need her help."

"So it was you who told the Wrights!"

"Guilty," said Amy in a singsong. "I overheard you discussing your plan. What were you going to do? Full frontal assault on the Desperado, guns blazing? Shoot every Mordino in the place? And if by some miracle you made it upstairs alive, shoot the Mordinos there too? Slug your way into Angel's office and hope they haven't had a chance to destroy the antigen by the time you get to it? Then fight your way back out?"

"Well, no, I was going to come up with something a bit more subtle."

"So subtle you haven't thought of it yet? I can get us into Angel Mordino's room, armed, and all without firing a shot. After that the rest is up to you."

"That's a load of brahmin dung! I know the Desperado inside and out. If there were a way to do that, I'd know it."

"It just so happens, Mr. Smarty Pants, that I have a plan...but you're not gonna like it."

"If it's coming from you, I'm sure I won't." Jack sighed. "Okay, go on and tell me. You're clearly going to anyway."

Amy smirked. "You, Mongo, and I can just mosey on through the front door and up those stairs into Angel's chambers...if you're my prisoner."

"You're right. I don't like it. That is not going to happen!"

"Hear me out, darling. The wanted poster says 'Dead or Alive.' Now, that usually means dead, but on occasion I bring one in alive anyway. We'll go in after the facility blows and some of the Mordinos head out. You'll look like you're tied up, but you can easily slip out of the ropes any time you want. You'll have all of your concealable weapons hidden on your person. Nobody will search you, as they'll assume I've already done it. Mongo and I will be fully armed, of course. Angel Mordino will probably want to kill you personally, and if we're really lucky she'll order everyone else out of the room. That's your chance."

"No way! I don't trust you, especially after what you pulled at Devil's Canyon!"

"Look, I realize this may come across as hollow, but I'm really sorry about that misunderstanding-"

"You call torture a misunderstanding?!"

Amy put a hand on her chest. "I've hurt you terribly, I know. I don't expect your forgiveness, but we need each other. We're on the same side in the end. Back then, I didn't know the score. I hate the Enclave just as much as you do, maybe more."

"Hey, I like her plan," said Stark. "I can be in the casino in advance, scoping the place out, just another visitor sampling what New Reno has to offer. When the shooting starts, I start dropping Mordinos like a bad habit. Any of them make a move for the stairs, I waste 'em!"

"Yeah," said Rachel. "The Mordinos will know something is up if they see a large group of Wrights anywhere near the Desperado. But I can lead a small team and wait in the Cat's Paw across the street, ready to attack from outside when you guys go at it from inside. We'll hit 'em from both sides! And I'll be up on the Cat's Paw's roof. When the bullets start flying, I'll take out those two hulking bouncers in front of the casino." She lovingly stroked her rifle's barrel. "Any Mordino reinforcements won't live long enough to reach the front door, and I can cover your escape."

Keith nodded. "Your cousin Wilbur will go with Eldon and lead the bulk of our forces against the manufacturing facility. You four guests and Rachel's group can raid the Desperado from within and without against a reduced Mordino garrison. This plan might actually work."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second!" said Jack. "I haven't agreed to any of this!"

"You got a better idea, hitman?" asked Amy.
 
A plan worth dying for...

(Hey guys, I've been pretty busy this week and haven't been able to post for a few days. This is going to be my only post until Monday, got a wedding to go to. So I am going to set the stage for the First prong of the attack. Eldon's which needs to happen before Jack and the others can begin their attack. Just thought I would give you a heads up, so Monday on onward I will be posting more regularly.)

Rachel took Eldon into the back of the Wright compound where fifteen men waited fully equipped.

"These are the boys that volunteered for the factory attack. They are bringing along five rocket launchers just in case you guys run into any Enclave goons out there. Even if you don't those babies can clear out a nice chunk of occupied territory and fast." She said with a smile.

"Good, what can these guys do?" Eldon asked.

Rachel pointed to a large muscular bald man who carried an upgraded thompson (Tommy gun), the noticable upgrade was the extremely large barrel clip able to contain up to 500 rounds. The man lifted it like it was a normal assault rifle. Eldon gathered that the guy probably had some sort of strength enhancers implanted somewhere in him.

"Thats Garth, Garth why don't you tell the man what you do." Rachel grinned.

The enormous man let out a laugh, "I'm your tank, ghoulie. Ya' see, I was experimented on quite a bit by them enclave fellers about twenty or so years ago. See they were trying this kinda' super soldier program where they inject ya' with all kinds of chemicals and surgically implant mechanical components into ya'. Well I was kidnapped from my home as a boy and was one of their little ginea pigs. So I escaped one night and ever since I realized that most kinds of ammunition just don't penetrate my skin." Garth scratched his shiny head, "I can also lift a whole car over my head which has won me alot of drinking bets over the years, too!" He said laughing.

Rachel looked to Eldon, "Garth draws the enemies fire while you boys get to pick your shots. I saw him take a laser blast to the chest once and all it did was knock the wind outta' him."

Eldon looked up at the towering tragedy who must have stood at almost eight feet tall, "Good to have you on the team." He tried very hard to convince himself that what he was looking at wasn't a hallucination.

Rachel moved down the line, "This here is Red." She pointed to a man who was missing all but one tooth in the front of his mouth and didn't seem like ha had bathed in years. "Now, Red may not be much to look at, but he is the best damn sniper I have ever seen. He spends so much time in the wilds looking through a scope he doesn't have time for hygiene, not only that but he can repair even the most far gone, damaged equipment like a pro."

"Howdy, ghoul" Red replied.

Eldon nodded, "Hello"

Rachel turned to Eldon, "Thats it for the special guys, all the rest of these low lifes are some of the most ruthless henchmen anyone could ask for, and I trust each one of them. They won't fail you."

Eldon nodded yet again, "Well then, lets get this show on the road."

****

Valice Reins, overlord of the Enclave stood at the top of a cliff overlooking the Glow and the surrounding environment, much of it had become the base of operations for his re-organized forces. He gripped the hilt of his odd sword, his armor fashioned of bones set him apart from all of his men wearing Advanced Power Armor. Even the few wearing the new and improved Fusion Power Armor which took such a long time to manufacture.

A ghoul stood behind him, glowing a faint blue color, "We are on schedule. We are shipping the last containers of Serum 36 to the factory up north. They should arrive in the next few days."

"Good, 'Systematic Annihilation' will commence very soon, all the pieces are almost in place." Valice replied. Even become accustomed to his master's voice, it still sent a shiver down his exposed spine.

"Jarl, we are almost there, we are within reach of our destiny." Valice said.

"Your destiny my lord. I am just here to help you along the path." Jarl reminded.

"Yes... My destiny.... My destiny awaits." Valice said to himself. His glowing orange eyes were fixated northward in the direction of all those that stood against him.

(I still want Valice and the Enclave's true agenda to stay a mystery. For the time being.)
 
o.O.(I appolagize- my last post was short; I had to tap that out; on the road- I this was my first chance to post; and- ofcorse; as the fates show me! I cant! I will post on sat.)
 
(I didn't say you guys couldn't post. I just said I wanted to keep the Enclave's plans shrouded in mystery for a while longer, the purpose of the 'Redemption' virus and the cure thats all. This will be my last post until monday so have fun with the attack on the Mordinos, plus Stompie it looks like you got alot that you can still do as well. You are entering New Reno just as the fun is about to begin :)
 
The Wright Stuff

(Don't worry about not being able to post as much. I don't mind the slower pace, and I can't post all that often myself except on the weekends. The only reason I was able to write as much as I did the first week was because I had off from work that week.)

Wilbur Wright joined the small army about to set out from the Wright house. He was a strong, bearded man in his early thirties, carrying a rocket launcher on his back and an assault rifle in his hands. He surveyed his team. "We're all ready to go here," he said, nodding. He led them out towards the desert.

"Good luck!" called Rachel as they left.

"Have fun storming the castle!" shouted Keith Wright, waving.

Wilbur led Eldon and the others east of town and then turned south, following Jack's directions. A short distance from the factory, Eldon spotted some mines in their way and called for a halt. He defused enough of them to create a safe path through the minefield, and his team passed through it. They gathered behind a large dune a few hundred feet from the factory. It was an old windowless pre-war building, three stories high and of obvious military origin.

Red surveyed the facility through his scope. "I count..." he said, counting on his fingers, "uh, ten Mordino guys out there in metal armor, and one big mean nasty metal bug-looking feller." A few of the Wrights breathed a sigh of relief, either because there weren't as many men outside as they'd feared or because Red didn't need to take off his shoes.

"Enclave soldier," said Wilbur. "That's Advanced Power Armor he's wearing. Most weapons can't penetrate it, so he may present a problem. Fortunately, we've got a solution." He raised his rocket launcher to his shoulder. "I don't see any other defenses out here. Thought they'd have more than just a minefield and a bunch of men."

"Just because we can't see the defenses doesn't mean they aren't there," said Eldon. "My guess is the Enclave is relying on secrecy for security and they don't want attention brought to this place. Any defenses wouldn't be apparent until it's too late. This is just a tripwire force that can deal with everyday threats."

"Makes sense," said Wilbur. "You ready, boys?" The other Wrights grinned and readied their weapons. "Garth, you've got point, of course. Let's do this thing!"

The Wrights and Eldon charged to the crest of the dune and opened fire, whooping and hollering. Garth stood in front, raking the Mordinos with his tommy gun. Wilbur fired an armor-piercing rocket, hitting the Enclave trooper dead-on and knocking him off of his feet and backwards. The two Mordinos next to him were reduced to a thin red smear, and a couple others a little further off were wounded, one of them losing an arm.

The Enclave soldier regained his feet and spoke into a radio built into his armor. "***Zzzzzttt*** Unit one to base!" he said. "We're under attack by a large group of men with heavy weapons! We need fire support now! ***Zzzzzttt***" He opened up with his minigun, mowing down three of the Wrights. Garth caught several rounds too, but he wasn't even fazed.

"It's the Wrights!" said one of the Mordinos. A wounded man next him fell after Eldon's laser pistol burned a hole in him, finishing him off. "The Salvatores are with them too! I didn't sign on for this! I'm outta here!"

The Mordino took off running, but the Enclave soldier turned the minigun on him and cut him in half. "***Zzzzzttt*** Stand your ground!" he ordered. The other Mordinos, who were in the process of fleeing, suddenly halted. "They might kill you if you stay, but I definitely will if you don't! ***Zzzzzttt***"

Two more rockets struck the Enclave soldier, killing him instantly. The remaining Mordinos, now thoroughly demoralized, made another run for it. The Wrights easily mopped them up, though one or two got away. "Yee haw!" shouted Wilbur.

Garth led the advance to the factory entrance, a huge pair of steel gates. Wilbur grabbed the minigun and a large belt of 5mm ammo. Eldon inspected the dead Enclave man. "Nice job," he said. "His Power Armor's quite destroyed, but I think I can salvage this motivator." He knelt down, stripped out the part, and put it in his pack. "This may be useful one day."

"You can fix Power Armor?" asked Red, genuinely impressed.

"Fix it? Son, if I had a workshop and all the right parts and tools, I could build Power Armor. I helped invent the stuff, way back when." He heard a noise from above and looked up. A Vertibird rose up from the roof, its steel frame bristling with machine guns and missile launchers. He pointed. "We've got trouble!"

"I'm on it!" Red backed away from the building to get a clear shot, raised his rocket launcher, and fired. The Vertibird took the rocket in one of its rotors, which sheared off. The gunship spun around in circles as its pilot tried in vain to regain control. Then it crashed back down on the roof, exploding in a brilliant orange fireball.

"Great shot, Red!" Eldon said.

"Yup," said Wilbur. "Red's the best sniper there is in these parts. Rachel comes close, though. She's got other talents too."

"You really admire her, don't you?"

"Yup. We all do. Rachel's the glue that holds this family together. I'm gonna marry her someday."

"Wait, aren't you two related?"

"Shoot, ghoulie, we're just cousins! It's not like we're brother 'n' sister or something. Now that would just be sick!"

"Uh...right. Let's get inside before any more surprises crop up."

"Garth," said Wilbur. "Get the doors."

Garth smiled, stepped up to the gates, ripped them from their hinges, and tossed them aside. On the other side of the door was a large reception area with a blast door at the far end, flanked by two more Enclave soldiers. A dozen Mordinos looked up in shock and scrambled for their weapons. One of them standing behind a computer console was speaking into a radio: "They've breached the gate! We need backup n-AAAARGH!" Garth's tommy gun silenced him permanently, along with another Mordino standing between them.

The Mordinos returned fire at Garth, but their bullets just bounced off. The Enclave troopers opened up, one with another minigun and the other with a gatling laser. They cut through Mordinos and Wrights alike. Garth winced as a laser beam struck his shoulder. Then a volley of rockets passed by on either side of him and slammed the Enclave soldiers into the blast door and onto their backs. One was killed outright, and the other hauled himself upright just in time to get fatally blasted in the chest with another rocket. The rest of the Mordinos fell quickly.

Silence blanketed the slaughterhouse that the room had become. As the Wrights filed in, it was interrupted by a furious female voice on the radio: "Whoever you sons of bitches are, you're all dead!" Wilbur ran a finger across his throat. Garth nodded and picked up the radio. "Dead, you hear me! You don't know who you're messing w-" Garth crushed the radio in his bare hand.

"Well, they know we're here now," said Wilbur, examining the bloodstained console. "We've lost almost half our guys, but we're in. These monitors are hooked up to security cameras. We can see almost the entire base from here."

Eldon looked around. "I've...been here before,' he said. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to imagine it without the carnage. Then he remembered. "Yes, before the War. I've been here a few times, toured this place." He came over to the console.

Wilbur looked at the security monitors. "That'll be right helpful. What can you remember about it?"

"This was a military manufacturing center, for medical stuff. Mostly implants and the like. I was helping them work on a mobile Autodoc designed to work under battlefield conditions. Don't know if they ever finished it before the bombs fell. I know my way around here - and I know how to bring this place down."

"Yeah? How?"

"Simple. There are four steel support columns, one at each corner of the building. A Cordex charge on each of them will do the trick. We won't even need to set foot on the upper levels."

"First we have to get that door open. I can't find any way to do it with the console."

Garth looked the blast door up and down. The rockets hadn't even dented it. "Even I can't open that thing," he said.

"There's a numeric keypad here by the door," said Red. "Can you hack the code?"

'Probably," said Eldon, "but I might not need to. I doubt they bothered to change the old security codes."

"You remember it from that long ago?"

"They chose one that was easy as pi to remember." Eldon entered 314159 on the keypad. Motors whirred and the blast door slowly began to rise. "Easy as pi. Get it?" He was met only with blank stares. "See, it's a math joke. Nevermind, let's just keep moving." The Advanced Power Armor suits were completely wrecked, but he picked up the gatling laser, which had been flung clear of the rocket explosions and was intact. "Lock and load, baby."

The blast door opened, revealing a stretch of empty corridor. Eldon and the surviving Wrights advanced into the base.
 
The Death of a Monster, the Redemption of its Son

((I love the movie references and stuff. I hope this character isn't too over-the-top.))
Character name- Alexander Stowes, jr.
Age- 249
Place of Birth- Military Base

Features- Alexander is 6' 10" and weighs 346 lbs, but he looks normal other than his height. He of Afghan and American descent, so he has frizzy, black hair and a big, bushy mostouche. His fae has scars all over it. His main feature however, is his oversized arm.

Attitude- Alexander is hard and many would call him a monster. His identity is known to very, very few so he is somewhat mysterious. He has little concern for life and kills without mercy, but he takes no pleasure in killing others. Every person he kills cuts deeper and deeper into his soul and he is very near going insane.

Backround- Alexander Stowes was an experiment of teh US government. His father was the first Super Mutant created by FEV. His unusual size and mental instability labeled him as a failure, but Stowes, sr. was in fact a willing and cooperating success. Stowes, sr. was a genius and came up with most of the technological advanced during the War. Stowes, sr. was given a prositute to have his way with and was Stowes, jr.'s mother. When he was born, the US government siezed him and exposed him to FEV, to which he had an unusual reaction to. Instead of growing and becoming twisted liek his father, only his arm grew, which also doubled in strength, stronger than any Super Mutant. Alexander was raised by his motehr and tutored by his father, so Alexander is a technological genius like his father. After the bombs fell, Stowes, sr. helped found the Enclave itself, creating most of the Enclave's equipment. Alexander was forced to do many evil things for his father, including helping create the Master's Mutant Army. After he helped create Redemption, Alex fled the Enclave and was pursued by his father. When they caught up to each other, they fought in the desert for a decade and a half, and he enters teh story at the end....
----------------------------------------
Alexander couldn't believe it. After fifteen years of fighting, he had killed his father. The giant's corpse lay there, bleeding red blood and green pus. The last three days had come down to hitting each other with used and broken weapons, raided from caravans and travelers, and Alex had ripped out his father's eyes and fought the blinded man for another three hours before he hhad felled the man with a Gecko tooth. He used the most technologically advanced weapons to try and kill his father...And his killed him with a tooth. Alexander studied teh corpse and he became filled with anger. He hated Super Mutants, the Enclave, the Vault Dwellers-He hated everything about the United States of the Third World War. And he was the cause of most of it.

Alexander began to wander the wastes. He knew that the Sierra Army Depot was nearby. It was operated by some Mafia family. It had plenty of Autoturrets that would eventually kill him. But as he was walking, he heard the howls and screams of teh infected. He saw a group of five of them charge him. how perfect. He would be killed by his own creations.

But as the creatures bit and scratched at his flesh, he realized that he felt no rage, no primitive anger. He began to laugh. He was immune. He was a second-generation Super Mutant, was responsible for teh systematic murder ad forced transformation of thousands, and he was immune to the most feared disease of all time. Oh, how life was cruel. He ripped apart the Infected and let their corpses lay like his father. He walked towards the Army Depot. During this journey he saw the most peculiar sight. He saw a Ghoul and a large black man hang gliding down a cliff and as they glided down he saw a trail of puke follow them. He laughed to himself and continued on.

The Sierra Army Depot. He had sent dozens of robot designs here and had visited on several occasions. He noticed the turrets were activated. He tore their dual miniguns off and entered the base. There weren't any gaurds. Stupid mobsters. Anyone could have siezed the base without any security.

He went deeper and deeper into the base. His retina was registered in the computer, so he had unlimited access. He accessed Skynet.

"Hello, Alexander. It's been a while."

"So it has. Skynet, what is the status of the Enclave's plan?"

"Going smoothly. I have been playing my part to the dot. Are you satisfied with my work?"

"Very well done, Skynet. But I have a new order for you. I want you to cancel all of your projects that have to do with the Enclave."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Confirmed. Production of the Redemption virus and Annihilator Drones has stopped. Are there any more tasks you wish for me to perform?"

"Yes. Destroy all of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"My security robots are not enough to destroy the Enclave's drones, Alex."

"Fine. Set the base to self-destruct. I want all of those drones destroyed."

"We will have to wait two days until the virus vats here are destroyed."

"Fine. I have two days to spare. I have all the time in the world."

Two days passed until SkyNet had news.

"The virus has been successfully destroyed, but it has depleted my reserves of the antivirus. I also have reports of a battle at the Glow. How do you wish to proceed?"

"Set the auto-destruct sequence for thirty minutes after your brain has been removed."

"Sir?"

"You've done nothing wrong, you deserve to live. I'm putting you in one of the robots."

"I understand."

Alexander assembled Skynet's body quickly and inserted teh brain. After a quick escape, he watched the depot explode, destroying everything within it.

"I almopst feel sorry for the Wrights, they never made it past the first floor. They would rule Reno if they had gotten ahold of me," Skynet said.

"Skynet, I discovered that I'm immune to the virus. How is that possible?"

"Large quantities fo your blood were used in its creation. It's possible that the virus does not attack your cells, believing that your body is the virus itself."

"That makes sense. Come on, SkyNet. We've got work to do."
 
VAULT-TEC RECORDS

Character name- Ramses
Age- 25
Place of Birth- Los Angeles Bone Yard, Adytum

Features- Ramses a man of lean build, standing at 6'1". Tanned brown skin from the sun as well as his mixed heritage. Usually wears urban camo fatigues along with other tactical gear.

Attitude- Ramses is a consummate professional. The only things that matter to Ramses is his survival and his friends (the few he has). He isn't motivated by gold or even greed, but the simple need to survive. Dry humor and honor make up Ramses and he follows his own code.

Backround- Ramses is described as many things: Murderer, hero and mercenary. He is a mixture of all three. Raised by gunrunner parents and within the Bone Yard, Ramses grew up educated thanks to the Followers of the Apocalypse and adept in firearm lore by his parents.

He was very sharp, and also possessed a guile and cunning very rare, if not uncommon among children his age. His father a Gunrunner and ex-Ranger saw potential in his boy and trained him to fight.

He hunted with the scrappers and encountered deathclaws as well as some local gangers called the Rippers.

When NCR Regulators attempted to get a foot hold on the Bone Yard, it was a young Ramses at the age of thirteen who took his father's guns dual Kimber LAPD SWAT 1911s and sent them off to the grave. This of course, brought the Merchant Houses on the Bone Yard, who had tried to use the muscle to take over The Bone Yard.

When Ramses was eighteen, he struck out for the Hub and killed the Water Merchant responsible, slitting the man's throat in his sleep. This sent the message to the rest of the Merchants to stay out of the Bone Yard. Of course, this placed a high price bounty on Ramses and he was forced to flee from the law in the New Republic.

He found work as a mercenary and even did small jobs for the various families in Reno, but never committed to the Mobs, knowing that he would be clamped down for life. Also, his motives for doing their dirty work was just a means to an end. Ramses also did sometime in Vault City, but left seeing the populace too naive and stuck up.

Ramses now floats around the wastes, taking contracts and seeing the wastes. Right now, in the midst of the infection that scourges the wasteslands, Ramses is curious to the origins of this contagion and who is responisble.

Currently, Ramses is spending time taking care of a runaway slave he saved from some infected homeless and the dying slave masters.



**********

Inbetween Broken Hills and New Reno.

Farm houses, especially the abandoned kind were like waystations for travelers. Sometimes they were full, and you were often kindly told to stay away. In other times you found the family dead or just not at home.

After the encounter with the infected homeless, Ramses had taken a path towards civilization, hoping to find a haven to rearm and resupply, but with the slave girl following him, and obviously in need of water and fresh food; he needed to make a detour. Normally he would have told the girl to take what gear she could from her former captors and go her way, but he had a code of honor and it wouldn't be right just leaving the girl to fend for herself.

"Drink," He offered the slave girl, a tribal of some eastern clan a cool canteen of water. She reluctantly took it, her brilliant sea green eyes staring from the tactical uniformed mercenary with the cool amber eyes. Her small hands carried the tribal tattoos of her people and she looked at the yellow '13' labeled on the blue and silver canteen.

She placed the canteen lid to her dried and cracked lips and drank the soft, cool liquid down her throat. "Thank you," she nearly gasped in extascy. Ramses cocked an eyebrow, her speech was fairly concise and clear for a tribal. This wasn't because Ramses thought like the other bigots, he kne tribals were sharp, but in his experience with them showed that speech was fairly broken up, "I don't know who you are... or why you helped me, but my the Chosen One smile on you. My name is Terri. What is yours, sir?" She smiled cautiously, not sure the intent of this bronze fleshed man with such intense eyes.

Ramses smiled, but it wasn't a warm one. He was a lean, tall man adorned in a tactical outfit with urban camouflage pants and a cut sleeve olive drab shirt with a deathclaw skull painted in crimson on the chest and a Nuka-Cola bottle cap on the back. He was handsome, but he was also distrubing. Those eyes were calculating and had a predatory understanding to them. His hair was long and plaits adorned with a few ringlets and around his neck were teeth, trophies perhaps from his youth. From what she could tell, they were deathclaw teeth. Terri wasn't sure if these teeth were something he earned, bought or stole from another warrior.

"Your thanks isn't necessary or warranted," Ramses said, he sat on the edge of bed, appearantly the occupants were out or simply got lost out in the wastes, "My name isn't important. Just drink and eat up. I will see you off to the nearest city. From there you may do as you wish. Now sleep, I will make sure no one gets you."

He looked out the adobe window, his rifle a M4A1 Carbine with a recticle scope and underbelly M203 launcher. The way the man looked, Terri could tell he was some sort of soldier. Perhaps a ranger, since he showed some form of chivalry. Terri had known men and even men in her tribe who would make passes at her. One reason why she was in slavery. The Slavers had hoped she'd make a fine sex slave for Reno. But this man didn't demand her body for the night or anything. He gave her food and water and bid her to sleep.

Wonders hardly cease in the wastes.
 
The Lion's Den

Eldon and the Wrights surveyed the disused maintenance area in the northwest corner of the factory's first floor. They had encountered only minimal resistance on the way, and this area had the least guarded of the four support columns. The alcove containing the column was empty except for an old, broken-down Mr. Handy unit.

"Here we are," said Eldon. "I can synchronize the four charges to go off at the same time."

"And then the whole place explodes?" asked Wilbur.

"Actually, it implodes. They used to do this sort of thing all the time in cities before the War, to demolish old buildings and make way for new ones. They could level a huge building completely while leaving the surrounding buildings intact and unharmed."

"There sure were a lot of wonders back then. It's rare to find any still around. We were lucky to gain access to an old army base north of Reno a few decades back. That's where we got all this heavy firepower." He patted his rocket launcher. "Too bad we won't have time to really look around this place and get our hands on some goodies."

"The other three columns won't be so easy to reach. By the time we hit the second and third ones, they'll probably figure out what we're up to. I don't fancy our chances against what they'll have waiting for us at the fourth column." Eldon looked at the ruined robot. "It's a shame this unit isn't working. We saw a dozen of these guys on the security cameras puttering around the place doing various tasks. Nobody even notices them. It probably hasn't worked since the War. Several key parts are missing, probably cannibalized to maintain the others. It's beyond even my ability to fix."

"Let me take a crack at it," said Red, taking out some tools and a collection of spare parts. After a few minutes of tinkering, he managed to activate the robot.

"Yes, sir!" it said. "A Mr. Handy unit, sir! Ready for orders, sir."

"Good work, Red!" said Eldon. "Looks mobile enough. Now I can reprogram it to plant the other three charges. The other columns are in maintenance alcoves like this one, out of sight of any guards. We can return to the reception area and monitor its progress on the security system." The ghoul fiddled with the robot's innards for a little. "There, it's ready. Let me set the timers to give us enough time to finish up and get out of here."

Eldon armed all four plastic explosive charges, gave three to the robot, and sent it on its way. Then he planted the fourth Cordex charge at the base of the support column. "Let's go," he said. He led the Wrights back to the entrance. Once they were all through the blast door, he started tapping on the numeric keypad.

"Whatcha doing?" asked Wilbur.

"Changing the code," said Eldon. "Gotta make sure none of these nozzles can escape." He entered the new code of 102377: the day the world had ended. It was easy to recall, and nobody would guess it; few people even remembered that date anymore. The blast door slowly slid down, sealing off the interior of the factory. He chuckled, imagining terrified Enclave soldiers trying to enter the old code and firing uselessly at the blast door. Nothing short of a nuke could penetrate it. "Now, let's see how our metallic friend is doing." He went over to the monitors. "It's just placed the second charge. Won't be long now."

<center>* * *</center>
Rachel Wright crouched on the roof of the Cat's Paw, observing the entrance of the Desperado casino. Five of her brothers waited downstairs, each of them having come individually an hour apart. Nobody would notice or care that they hadn't left. A dozen heavily armed Mordino men in metal armor took off out the door and ran south down Virgin Street. Smiling, she spoke into her radio: "Crow's Nest to Raven. The chickens have flown the coop. Over."

Amy Velasco, who had been waiting behind some ruins just south of town, answered her radio: "Roger that, Crow's Nest. It's showtime. Raven out." She put the radio away. "Let's go, Mongo. Remember, wait until the gunshots start before you start kicking butt."

"Mongo remember," said the muscular giant. He picked up Jack, who appeared to be bound, in his arms. Then he and Amy walked into New Reno. The squad of Mordinos passed them on their way out of town, towards the Golgotha plains and, beyond them, the factory.

Amy looked at the Cat's Paw as she strode past it. She couldn't see Rachel on the roof of the brothel, which she supposed was a good sign. The casino bouncers, not that much shorter than Mongo, looked up and raised their Thompsons as they approached. "Howdy, fellows," said Amy. "I've got a present here for your boss."

The one on the left turned to his buddy. "She got Graves!" he said. Then he faced Amy again. "You'd better go right in. Angel Mordino will be glad to see you."

Amy tipped her hat as she led Mongo into the casino. The patrons and Mordino guards all watched as they headed for the stairs. So did Sergeant Stark, who stood at the bar nursing a beer. Amy pretended not to notice him and proceeded upstairs. She walked through the door to Mordino's outer office past some more guards. Mongo followed her, his forehead smashing a hole in the lintel above the door.

"Oof," he said, rubbing his head. "Dat smarted me."

"Somehow I doubt it," quipped one of the guards. The joke, unlike the doorframe, was over Mongo's head. "Duck next time, comprende?"

Another guard knocked on the door to Mordino's office. "What is it?" snarled a female voice from within.

"Boss," said the guard, "that bounty hunter Velasco is here, and she's got Graves with her!"

"Finally, some good news today. Send them in!"

The guard opened the door. Amy walked in, followed by Mongo, who remembered to duck this time. Mordino's private room was lavishly decorated. Angel Mordino, clad in her custom leather armor, sat behind a mahogany desk. Two tough-looking bodyguards flanked her. Mongo set Jack down in a corner.

"At last!" said Mordino, rising and rubbing her hands. She grinned the way a deathclaw would when looking over its prey as she eyed Jack. She then spoke to one of her bodyguards. "I told you she'd find him before your boys did. Pay up, Manuel."

Manuel dug into his pockets, counted out some gold coins, and put them on the desk. "You're good," he told Amy. "I won't make the mistake of betting against you again."

"Indeed. Excellent work, Velasco. I see you brought him in alive. I hope you're not expecting any extra payment for that."

"The agreed price of twenty thousand chips will do nicely, thanks," said Amy.

"I could use more people like you. You should come work for me. There will be greater rewards ahead...much greater."

"Thank you for the offer, but I must respectfully decline. I prefer to keep my options open. Joining up with one family tends to limit them."

"That's what I expected you'd say, from your reputation. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. Esteban, take our guests down to the casino and pay them." The other bodyguard nodded and walked over to the door. "Oh, just one more thing."

Amy paused, trying not to show her fear or her anxiety to get out of the room. Could Mordino somehow suspect something? "Yes?" she asked.

"You didn't happen to find my father's knife on him, did you?"

"No," Amy lied, knowing full well that Jack had the blade and several other weapons hidden on him. "I reckon he traded it for serum somewhere along the way."

"Too bad. That I would have paid extra for. If you happen to run across it in your travels, be sure to bring it by. It's worth a cool grand to me."

"I'll keep my eyes open. Goodbye." As Amy turned to leave, she patted Jack on the shoulder. "Have a nice death."

"Yeah, you too," he spat back.

Esteban led Amy and Mongo out. "Leave us, Manuel," said Angel Mordino. "And close the door behind you. I want some privacy."

"Is that safe, boss?" asked Manuel.

"I appreciate your concern, but he's no danger to me. Even if he weren't tied up I'm more than a match for him."

"It's your call, boss." Manuel walked out and shut the door.

Angel Mordino strolled over to Jack and looked him in the eye. "You gonna kill me now or what?" he asked.

"One would almost think you wanted to die," she said, "but you don't - yet. First I'm going to have some fun."
 
Jack and Angel face to face...

Angel Mordino moved around to Jack's back and began rubbing his forearms. "I have been looking all over the wasteland for you, lover. I told you that you couldn't get away from me."

Angel gripped his forearms tightly, "You could have had it all, it all could have been yours."

Jack scowled, "You wanted the world, Angel. You know its always been about business with me, when you sent me to kill your father, I had no idea that you had allies like the Enclave."

Angel sneered and walked around to the front of Jack, "He turned down the greatest opportunity that this family has ever had. I couldn't sit back while he let our future go to someone else."

Jack looked into her eyes, "You mean your father turned them down?"

Angel smiled and took a step back, "Why do you think I had you kill him. All you had to do was your job. But, you of all people had to have an attack of morality."

Jack finally realized that Mordino must have hidden the evidence in the safe so that he could protect it. Jack took a deep breath, he had murdered a man that was just trying to do the right thing.

"You could have had me! We could have taken New Reno for ourselves." Angel grabbed a plasma pistol that was on her desk.
"Now, your just fucked, lover!" She began to aim at Jack.

Jack smiled, "Baby, you have no idea!" With that Jack ripped his bonds off his wrists and they scattered behind him as he dived headlong into Mordino. She was caught off guard as Jack gripped her wrist and pointed her arm to the ceiling. She fired a shot in futility and it caused plaster to rain down upon the two.

Both fell to the ground, Angel's gun had fallen out of her hand and was out of her reach. Jack lay on top of her trying to stand up. Angel kneed him hard in the groin sending pain exploding through his body like a nuclear blast.
Jack had to put the pain in the back of his mind, he had to stand up.
Mordino rolled out from under him and recovered her footing.
Jack began to stand up but was met by Mordino's clenched fist. He fought to stand up, and he did.
Jack dodged several of Angel's swift punches and saw his opening, he used the only weapon that could reach her before the gap in her defenses closed, he charged forward delivering a massive headbutt to Angel's nose sending her staggering back and into the eastern wall of the office.

Angel shrugged the pain off and attacked with a high left kick toward Jack's cranium, he ducked it then came up fast, catching her leg over his shoulder. Her midsection was now open for attack and Jack relentlessly threw right hooks and right uppercuts into her ribs.

Outside, the guards sporting tommy guns could hear the commotion inside, they kicked open the doors and saw Jack pummeling their boss' ribcage, the wind being knocked out of her with each blow.

Jack heard their entrance and immediately swung Angel off the wall and into the line of fire. They unloaded for a moment sending Jack and Angel falling backwards, Jack hid safely behind her lucky enough that no bullets had torn through her and hit him. Angel's newly dead corpse lay on top of Jack the ex-hitman fished around the inside of his jacket searching for one of his hidden weapons. He retrieved his 10 mm pistol and unloaded on the approaching, shocked mobsters. Each one went down in a bloody heap and Jack took a deep breath before pushing Angel's twisted corpse off of him.

Jack stood up and stared at Mordino's tattered and bloodied leather armor. He reached into his leather jacket and produced the "li'l' Jesus" knife. It's red handle and shiny blade was a work of masterful craftsmanship. Jack placed it in Angel's right hand and stood up.

"You can have this, maybe you will be able to return it to your father in hell. I have a feeling I'll be joining you there soon." Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Shots were ringing out in the casino, as well as outside. Sounds like the Wright family and the others had begun the attack.

The fun was only just beginning...
 
~as Gabe and the child entered the outskirts of the city; he keped the sunbeam laser rifle visable at all times. the streets were consitered paved; though after 300 years of neglect; they had decayed into nothing more than grey agragate. the streets smelled of foul suage; and the scant inhabitants of the far outskirts seemed drained. theire eyes seemed emptie; their movements slow; hapless. As they continued thru the slums; he noticed the scent of death; and decay. he looked; to see the towns open aired grave. he looked; trying not to divert the childs attention to the grave; the top layer were mostly victems of the new era of gang war to befall new reno. as they continued; they cut thru a derilict building- quickly- gabe halted - ~

(child) what-
(Gabe) Shhh....

~As he quietly put his back to the wall; he began to listen to three voices on the other side of the wall~

(Unknown 1) I Told You... To Have my Money by monday!
(Unknown 2) But... but- You know that there was no way-
(Unknown 3) Comeon Grey; Gimme the word, Lemme Cap this fucker
(Grey) Coolit Deisoon
(Unknown 2) Just two more days grey! thats all I need
(Grey) Bullshit Ruthaford
(Ruthaford) But!
(Diesoon) You done fucked up Ruthaford
(Ruthaford) But.... There was no way in hell I could pay you that-
(Grey) You know what happens when you.. Cross the Mordino's...
(Diesoon) Bad Stuff happens....
(Ruthaford) But... 3000 coins?! my shop Cant produce that Bi-monthly!
(Grey) Well Ruthaford... Your Shit Out of Luck...
(Diesoon) *Chuckles- reaching down to his holester- withdrawling a handgun*
(Gabe) Kid- Stey here....
(Child) ...kay...

~Gabe grasped his Laser rifle- as he turned the electronic saftey off. he cradled the weapon in his arms; as he walked thru the derilict building's front building; he then approached the three men from behind the shop owner. he quickly assessed the threat. the one refered to as Diesoon was clad in loose leather atire; trying for the badass reutine; his hair black; eyes brown; he had shaved his head bald- in his hand; a .44 Desert Eagle mk.XIX- in the one refered to as Grey's left hand; was a 10mm Automatic pistol.. he was also clad in a leather bomber jacket- he was roughly 5,4' tall; short black hair- and green eyes. Ruthaford; the Shop owner; was unarmed- he stood at 5'7' his hair grey; his skin withered by old age. He wore clothing made from tanned Brahmin Hide.. His eyes were brown/amber colar. Gabe towered over ruthaford- weapon in hand looking at the two thugs~

(Diesoon) What the fuck do you want?!
(Gabe) Leave this man alone....
(Grey) Ahh... someone wants to play hero! A Mutie at that!
(Gabe) It... Is advisable to go back to your little club house; and to stop husteling shop owners...
(Diesoon) Do you know who's you's fuckin with?!
(Gabe)....Insects....
(Grey) You Must be new to this town...Let me give you a few words of advice... Dont Screw with the Mordino' family...
(Gabe) Let me give you a few words of advice... Supermutant Tells you to fuck off; and leave an inocent man alone... you abyde; and you end up going home tonight.
(Grey) Well! the Mutie Has a tounge! Diesoon... Shall we?
(Diesoon) Wait until the guys hear that we offed a mutie!

~Gabe- watching the two men readie their weapons- he quickly pushes Ruthaford to the ground-and quickly bludgens grey with the end of the laser rifle- knocking him out- diesoon had already gotten two shots off by this time- both direct hits; lodgeing themselves in gabe's center of mass- though they didnt cuase but flesh wounds. quickly- gabe jammed the muzzle into diesoon's face- and pulled the trigger- the laser weapon singed thru his skull; overpenitrating; and finding its way into a brick wall. he then kicked grey's weapon away; and turned to the shop owner~

(Ruthaford)...Th...Thank you!
(Gabe) Go Home...
(Ruthaford) but-
(Gabe) Go home; Human...
(Ruthaford) Thankyou!
~ruthaford began to sprint down the street- the gunfire hadn't drawn the attention of anyone but spectators; who were all seen lusting for blood. "Monsters..." he said- as he turned to the door- poking his head thru- "Hey Kid!" he shouted- looking for the child- he then walked into the building fraim- the child was no ware to be seen- "KID!" he shouted- looking for any signs of the child- Suddenly- an old codger arose from behind a hobo fire~
(Codger) HEY! MUTIE!
(Gabe) What?!
(Codger) You lookin for that there kid?
(Gabe) Yea!
(Codger) Mordino' boys took 'em
(Gabe) Shit! Where?!
(Codger) Casino?
(Gabe) Shiitt.... Thanks...
 
The Fall of the House of Mordino

"This way, senorita," said Esteban, heading down the stairs. Amy and Mongo followed close behind. When the plasma pistol went off, he snickered. "Heh. So much for Jack Graves."

Amy nodded at Mongo, who grabbed Esteban's head and twisted, snapping his neck. He dropped the body and it tumbled down the stairs. "Back upstairs," Amy whispered, drawing her Desert Eagles. Mongo took his flamethrower out from under his huge cloak.

"What's going on?" asked a guard at the top of the steps. It was the last thing he ever said. Mongo unleashed a stream of flame that consumed both him and the guard next to him. Then he and Amy opened up on the other goons who came at them from both sides of the hallway.

Rachel Wright fired her DKS-501 sniper rifle, hitting one of the bouncers right between the eyes and killing him instantly. The other one looked around for the source of the shot, only to have another bullet lodge itself in his brain. He collapsed in a heap. "One shot, one kill," she said. Then she called downstairs. "Go get 'em, boys!" Her brothers charged out the front door of the Cat's Paw and hurried north.

Esteban's corpse landed with a crunch at the bottom of the stairs, right by a guard's feet. "What the hell?" he asked, just as Stark whipped out his AK-112 and downed him with a burst. Then he vaulted over the bar as three more men came at him from the casino with submachineguns drawn and opened fire. He dropped behind the counter as bullets flew overhead. The hapless bartender was cut down, the bottle he was holding falling at his feet and shattering. He fell into a pool of beer mixed with blood.

Casino and bar patrons screamed in terror and ran for cover or the exit. Stark leaned the barrel of his assault rifle over the bar and fired blindly in the direction the enemy shots were coming from until the clip was empty. Then he pulled out his plasma rifle, rolled to the left, and leaned around the side of the bar. Two of the three Mordinos were down, and Stark blasted the last one, melting him to a puddle of slag.

Stark ducked back behind the bar as eight more Mordino toughs came towards him, flattening himself to the floor. Bullets and shotgun shells perforated the bar. He heard a clink and saw a frag grenade wobbling on the floor next to him. "Aw, hell!" he cried, rolling to the right. The grenade detonated, sending shrapnel into his metal armor and wounding his thigh. He heard more gunshots coming from farther away and shouts of surprise. He popped up and squeezed off a shot, observing that five of the Wrights had entered the casino and engaged the Mordinos from behind before he ducked back down. He didn't stay up long enough to see whether he'd hit.

Mongo took a few rounds during the firefight upstairs, with Amy shielded behind his enormous bulk. The Mordinos were getting smarter, staying out of range of the flamer. "This way, Mongo!" Amy called, rolling through the door to Mordino's outer office. The bodyguards were no longer outside, so they must have gone in. Mongo backed in after her, knocking another hole in the doorframe and laying down a lethal stream of flames.

Jack was rummaging through Angel Mordino's desk drawers when Manuel stirred and opened up with his SMG. He only just had time to take cover behind the desk as bullets riddled it. The bodyguard had only been wounded and had been feigning death. Manuel pulled out a plasma grenade with his left hand and pulled the pin with his teeth. Jack knew he had nowhere to run. Manuel cackled and pulled his arm back.

Amy burst into the office and shot Manuel in the arm multiple times. His hand involuntarily came open and the grenade dropped right at his feet. Amy flung herself back as it went off, incinerating Manuel and the other fallen bodyguards near him. If any of them had still been alive, they sure weren't now.

"I thought you weren't going to bet against me again," Amy said to Manuel's charred corpse as she got back up.

"Thanks!" called Jack.

"Nothing doing, darling. Find the antigen yet?"

"Still looking."

"The sooner you find it, the sooner we can get out of here. Keep searching. Mongo and I have your back." Amy reloaded her weapons and returned to the outer office.

Mongo ran out of ammo for the flamer and switched to his Ripper. He ran headlong into the group of Mordinos, slashing away and sending limbs and heads flying. More bullets struck him, and the wounds were starting to take their toll. When he finished off the Mordinos near him, he charged at another group of three men as they kept firing. One of the shots struck his spare tank of flamethrower fuel. It exploded, sending flames everywhere and felling the mighty mutant.

"Mongo!" cried Amy. "NO!" She ran towards him just as the three Mordinos rushed her, the flames starting to spread behind them. She took cover behind a table and emptied her pistols into the men, downing one of them. She hastily put away the empty Desert Eagles and grabbed the needler rifle from her back, shooting an armor-piercing needle into the second Mordino at point blank range and ending his life. The third tough, however, lunged forward and struck her with a cattle prod.

The jolt knocked Amy onto her back and against the wall, stunning her and causing her to drop the rifle. The Mordino gave her an evil, gap-toothed grin as he crouched over her to deliver the death blow. Right before he struck, Amy pressed the button inside her boot with her foot. The blade shot out, gutting the shocked man. He gurgled, spitting up blood and dropping the prod. Amy grabbed it and rammed it right into his family jewels. He let out a piercing, girlish shriek and crumpled into a whimpering heap.

Amy pushed the button again and the blade withdrew. She took out a stimpak from her backpack and injected herself. The stimulants helped her catch her second wind. She sprang to her feet, retrieved and reloaded her weapons, and rushed over to Mongo. He lay amid flames and smoke, barely breathing. "Don't die on me, Mongo," she said, her eyes watering.

"Mongo is just a pawn in the game of life," he croaked.

Amy squeezed his hand. "You did good, big guy. Real good." She wept as the super mutant breathed his last. But there was no time to mourn. The upper floor of the casino was aflame.

<center>* * *</center>
Robinson stood in the medical lab in the east wing of the factory's first floor, watching as Lopez lay on the operating table. She had been horribly wounded by the intruders, and the mere fact that she was still alive was a testimony to her toughness. The robotic doctor cut the last piece of Advanced Power Armor free from her burnt flesh.

"***Zzzzzttt*** What's the diagnosis, Robodoc? ***Zzzzzttt***" asked Robinson.

"She is stabilized," said the armored, mobile Autodoc, "but she has lost a lot of blood. I must retrieve some from cold storage." The robot trundled out of the lab and north down the corridor just as a Mr. Handy unit went past. "Halt, Mr. Handy! Your assistance is required!"

The smaller robot ignored Robodoc and continued on its singleminded task. Robodoc increased the volume on its vocal output and pursued it. "Priority override!" it bellowed. "You will halt now!" Still the robot kept going. "You have twenty seconds to comply."

The Mr. Handy unit kept following its programming, entering the maintenance alcove in the northeast corner of the factory. Robodoc entered right behind it. "What is your major malfunction, numbnuts?" it shouted. "Stop at once! You have ten seconds to comply."

Mr. Handy attached its last explosive charge to the base of the support pillar and pressed the arming button right before Robodoc opened fire with its gatling needler, shredding the little bot. It examined the plastic explosive briefly, then sped out of the alcove.

"Did it finish?" asked Wilbur, looking at the security monitor over Eldon's shoulder. "If not, will three charges be enough to level this place?"

"We'll probably need all four," said Eldon, "but I think it armed the Cordex. In any case, there's no time left to go back in and make sure. It'll blow in a few minutes. Let's get out of here!" The ghoul and the Wrights left the facility and put as much distance between it and them as they could.

Robodoc burst into the medical lab, waving its arms wildly. "Danger!" it proclaimed. "Danger, Will Robinson!"

"***Zzzzzttt*** What's wrong? ***Zzzzzttt***" asked Robinson.

"There is an explosive device in the building!"

"***Zzzzzttt*** Why didn't you defuse it? ***Zzzzzttt***"

"Dammit, Will, I'm a doctor, not a bomb disposal robot! It's attached to the northeast support column and will detonate in approximately 125 seconds!"

Robinson took off, abandoning Lopez to her fate. He knew there was most likely not enough time to reach and disarm the bomb, but even if he could it wouldn't be the only one. He ran for the exit, knowing he had less than two minutes to get out of the place. When he reached the sealed blast door, he quickly punched in 314159 on the numeric keypad. An angry buzz came from it, and the door was unmoved.

"***Zzzzzttt*** Come on! " said Robinson as he shook his head. "Not now! Not Now! ***Zzzzzttt***". He must have mistyped. He re-entered the code, typing carefully this time in spite of his rush. Again all he got was the buzzer. "***Zzzzzttt*** Screw it! ***Zzzzzttt***"

Robinson backed away from the blast door, raised his rocket launcher to his shoulder, and fired. The rocket slammed into the door, but all it did was ruin the paint job. He hurriedly reloaded and fired again. This time the door seemed to bulge slightly. As he loaded a third rocket, he heard a massive explosion. Three more came in rapid succession. The factory imploded spectacularly, the walls crumbling straight down in a cloud of smoke and dust. Tons of concrete crushed Robinson, Lopez, and everything else in the entire base, burying it all in a neat, flat ruin.
 
NEW RENO

Ramses and the tribal would-be love slave had entered the glitzy city from the south and we surprised to see the violence had just begun in the earnest.

One derranged individual, a jet addict by the look of it was busy mutlilating a body with what looked like the shattered remains of a gamma gulp bottle. When the bald headed, pj wearing psycho stood up, his eyes glazed and lost behind the sea of madness and endless rage, and it growled at Ramses. Now Ramses' response was swift with a single tap from the Kimber LAPD 1911 right in the face of the PJ man. The muzzle flash lit the street and pj man dropped like an old sack of potatoes into the street, his infected blood running. The face was probably a ruin, but Ramses didn't need to see.

The Tribal girl hung very close, "What is happening to these people?" She asked, Ramses, her body very close to his. It was like a dog sticking close to the master. Ramses decided the girl should probably have some teeth.

He reached in his waist band and produced a pistol, "This is a Colt 6520 10mm Autoloader. The trigger pull should be good enough for you. I take it you can use guns." He handed her four clips of 10mm jacketed hollow points with twelve catridge capacity.

She took the pistol carefully, making sure to face the muzzle down, "A-a bit. I had some back in the tribe."

"Excellent. If anything, point it at the widest area of your target and fire. 10mm is good enough to drop large game, I am sure these bipedal meat sacks will do nicely." He noticed some armor wearing folks. By the sound of the tommy guns and the direction of their fire, he could tell it was the Wrights paying back the Mordinos.

"Who are they?"

"The Wrights. Settling an old score it seems. Lets move. Standing here will only draw attention to ourselves." And so, the mercenary moved along the streets along with the tribal girl. Around them several acts of violence took place. he watched Pimps fend off the savage infected from their 'herd'. One man's gun jammed and Ramses watched with a species of amusement as an Infected bum took a crowbar to one pimp's face, literarly tearing the skin off with the hooked end and another fellow carving up his hookers. Reaching in his pocket, he removed an incendiary grenade. Popping the pin, he chucked it lightly near the mob that was tearing apart the prostitutes and their Pimp lord. A second later on the delay fuse and several infected men and women were either charred or being burned alive.

This city was really going to the dogs.
 
Trader to dealer to trader...

((Anyone notice that I just had teh Sierra Army Depot explode?))
Alex wandered into teh ciy itself. He could hear lots of gunfire down the main street. A sleazy character approaced him in an alleyway, offering him jet. Alex politely refused.
"C'mon, you don't even want to try a hit?" the man pressured.
"I'm very sure I don't wish to start, thank you, I'm only here to get a few things."
"Someone owes you money?" the man asked.
"You could say that, yes."
"Who is it, maybe I can hook you up! I'm well-contacted."
"I am aware of tehir present location, thank you. In fact, if I don't get there soon, my things may be destroyed."
"The Moridinos owe you money? Damn, how'd you do that?"
"How do you know-"
"The only place there's action right now. Everyone else is too afraid to go out. New Reno will be in hell once it's over."
"New Reno is already in hell," Alex said.
"I know it. I'm Carter by the way," teh man said.
"Carter what?"
"Just Carter. I'm a drug dealer, but before that I was an honest trader. Jet's too profitable to turn away, though. What's your name?" Carter asked.
"Alex."
"Alex what?" Carter asked, knowing the answer. Alex thought.
"Just Alex. And Carter, you've picked a good time to quit Jet dealing."
"Who says I'm stopping Jet dealing?"
"Because I'm about to give you sound economic advice."
---
After buying a .223 pistol (With 'Adolf' etched into the side of it) and a Sniper Rifle for SkyNet, Alex went to the Desperado while Carter gathered all of his Jet and money. He was excited to be the first to sell his stash, as the price of Jet was about to skyrocket in price, more to the civilized cities than to te druggies. Alex went off to start busting heads at the Casino. SkyNet soon realized that the Wrights were fighting the Moridinos, as apposed to the Bishops as he had predicted.

The battle was quite gruesome. Bodies were strown about in the streets. Alex found the Bouncers torn to pieces from the battle. This wasn't just a fight between Mafiasos, this was a full-fledged War. Alex and SkyNet simply walked into the Casino, which was still being fought over in select places. Alex hastened the Moridinos' fall by firing a few rounds at their soldiers, being careful not to tag any Wrights. Alex and SkyNet went up the stairs, wher they found Jack Graves scrummaging through the Moridino belongings. Alex went up to a wall and began tapping until he heard a non-hollow noice, where he ripped the wallpaper off. A safe was hidden behind the wall.
"Figures. Stupid soldiers let Angel use her own safe." Alex said. Jack was a bit stunned at how easily Alex found it.
"I trained a large majority of the Enclave officers. They're all nitwits."
 
Desperado, no more...

(Yes I know that the Sierra Army Depot was destroyed in your last post, but no one was at that particular depot the factory that Eldon and the Wrights assaulted only several miles south of New Reno. I realize that you are making Alex a major player in the story and thats great, but remember that the story still needs to flow at a certain speed and leave some open ended areas for other characters to grow as well.)

Jack realized that his search was quickly over as Alex revealed the hidden safe.

"Who the hell are you?" Jack asked Alex, his enormous arm scratching his back.

"Oh, I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself, My name is Alex." Alex extended his regular arm politely with a smile.

Jack shook his hand hesitantly, "Are you with the Wrights? I don't remember seeing you back at the compound." Jack asked.

Alex smiled, "No, I could feel the conflict going on from a distance and decided to join in. Your cause is most honorable."

Jack stood staring at the strange individual, "You know me?"

Alex laughed, "All I have to do is meet someone to know whats in their heart. Your cause is honorable, so I am helping you."

Jack was still quite perplexed at Alex's response but was glad that he at least had more guns in the fray.

"Plus, you are going against the Enclave I can smell it on you. 'Redemption', you have it. It coarses through your veins. The only serum you'll find in there is only part of the antigen you need to make the cure. You see there are two parts, and one is held within that safe. The other can only be found in the Glow." Alex explained.

Jack was surprised at the amount of information this person of obvious physical distinction was presenting. "How do you know this... Alex?"

Alex smiled reassuringly, "I worked for the Enclave for more years than your human form has endured in the wasteland. The other part of the serum is guarded by him."

"Him?"

"Yes, him. He is an abomination. He feeds on destruction. Thats why he had 'Redemption' created, he wants chaos." Alex answered.

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Jack asked shaking his head in disbelief of this mutated man with so much information it made his head spin.

"Valice, the master." Alex replied, "It hurts to be in his presence, he was born to lead the Enclave, I always knew. If ever there was an incarnate of pure evil, it is him."

Jack thought about it for a moment, could this Valice be the Enclave's new leader, he only hoped that Alex was exagerating about how bad the guy was.

"So this guy, you've met him?" Jack asked.

"Oh, yes. Although I will admit I wish I hadn't. He makes you feel sick when your near him, even a guy like me! He is so badly radiated that his mere touch can melt your skin. He was born infected with 'Redemption'; the first case, he was the test subject."
Alex explained.

"The first? The leader of the Enclave is infected?" Jack wondered how the man made any decisions at all. Just feeling the grip of 'Redemption' was enough to drive the strongest man insane.

"He was born with it and learned over time to control it, not only that, he uses it to his advantage. We could never figure out how. He is an oddity." Alex said almost losing himself in memories, bad ones at that.

Alex smashed open the safe with his mutated arm and dumped its contents on the ground, a small vial lay amidst money, drugs, and documents. Jack picked it up.

"So this is part of the serum, huh." He held the green liquid in front of his face examining it.

"Yes, now all you need to do is synthesize this with the other batch, and it will repress the symptoms of 'Redemption' within a matter of days. If you take that dose it will be ineffective." Alex detailed.

Jack shook his head, "It's never as easy as you want it to be. Looks like the Mordino's were getting screwed over by this Valice guy. He only gave 'em part of the serum and not the whole package. Looks like Angel never tested it. They were guarding one of the 'Redemption' factorys and never even had adequate protection."

"The Enclave doesn't need to help its allies, they only need make the poor sucker who's helping them think that they are getting something out of it." The mutated man bowed his head, "I know because I was one of them, and so was my father." He remembered the last angry look his father gave him as he ended his life in the wasteland only days before.

Jack smiled, "Well you seem to be trying to make amends for that. I won't judge you by what you did in the past, because your not the only one trying to be forgiven. Will you help us, we could use your expertise."

Alex laughed, "Why the hell you think I'm hear!" The two headed out of the office, the second floor was in flames and there was no way that they could escape without becoming barbecued.

Alex smiled and quickly ripped a large hole in the floor, big enough for any super mutant to fit through.

"After you." He said with a smile.

Jack shook his head still overwhelmed by this strange mutant and dropped down into the first floor through the hole. The casino was a slaughterhouse. There were dead bodies everywhere, Jack could see Amy crouched over Mongo weeping. Stark was multi-tasking, going between bandaging up his wounds and kicking downed Mordino's within his reach.

Several Wrights had been killed in the fight, and Rachel was moving from man to man placing coins over their eyelids. Jack read in an old book once about it, a person without money to pay the ferryman in the afterlife would never be able to cross the river into eternity. Jack thought it strange that such traditions still live on in the wasteland. He wondered, would anyone place coins atop his eyes when he died?
 
Woah, a fellow could live well on that much...

((Even so, an explosion that big would be notced.))
Alex looked down at Mongo's fallen corpse and remembered his father's corpse and skoffed.
The only good mutant is a dead one, he thought. Then he noticed how much Amy was crying. He looked at Mongo's fae and realized how much at peace and how happy the man seemed. He realized that this Mutant meant something to this woman. How, he didn't know. Alex hated Super Mutants for what they were: Just like him.
"Jack, there's someon I have to go get. Take SkyNet with you, he's a bit crazy but he knows his function: Protect the cure. I'm sure the Enclave will be here to snatch it away soon. I have a plan, though."
Alex left jack and found Carter again.
"Have your stash with you?"
"Oh, hell yeah! When are we going to Vault City?"
"We're not. I'm buying all of your Jet."
"What? Why? Vault City can make more antidotes with my stash!"
"But I can put it to better use."
"Alright. I hope you have the money."
"Money? Carter, I can make you the wealthiest trader in the region, possibly in the country. Name your price for this. I'll quadruple it."
"Damn boy! I can buy my own Jet still with that!"
"Then I want you to buy all the Jet stills you can, selling only to Vaut City and NCR about this. They'll pay big money to get all teh cures they can."
"I don't know the cure recipe!"
Alex hands him a small sample tube.
"Now you do."
"Fifty thousand for the whole lot," Carter said, admiring the sample.
"Two hundred thousand it is. You'll ahve your money in three days."
 
OOC: Just getting in line. Hope no one minds.

IC:
Ramses walked cautiously, guardedly into the casino, his unqiue rifle's adjustable butt against his shoulder, Terri flanking him. It was the the reddish interior of the Desperado Casino that caught his dark hazel eyes and the scattered and torn up bodies. The Mordino's had been scum, the highest order.

Ramses had done jobs before in Reno, and he did most jobs for any family but the Mordinos. He didn't like Big Jesus and company mainly for their possesive attitude towards help. Do a few jobs for them and they feel they own you. Sure the Wrights had been nothing but bootleggers in the beginning but he found that family far more attractive then the rest. The Salvatores were cool, just as long as too many questions weren't asked and the Bishops a bit too political for his taste. In short, Reno was a hole one could make a profit in if you were wise to play your part well.

Siding with one family had its perks, but that also made you a mark for everyone else in Reno who wanted easy prey.

Terri pointed at the lady laying coins over the eye lids of the dead, and Ramses found it fascinating. He had seen his father had done the same for the fallen as well. When he asked his grizzled Ranger of a dad why he did so, it was told to him that it was to pay the Ferryman for safe passage into the afterlife.

He noticed a man kicking a downed Mordino while dealing with his wounds. When Ramses entered, crossing over the body when the man reached for his piece and Ramses laid the red dot by his heart but decided to move it away and said, "On your side Parde... unless your a Mordino."

The man eased his draw, "I look like a fuckin' Mordino?" The man replied testedly. He looked at the man gear, which made him think of some hardcase from NCR or maybe even a tough by the looks of the Tactical gear and urban camouflage. "Who are you."

Ramses just gave a lopsided grin and shrugged his shoulders, "Just a Pilgrim trying to see my way through the plague."
 
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