—————
Ability slots and synergies: 3/5
Slot #1: Create water
Slot #2: Concrete Conduit Physiology + Claws = Tyrant Talons | Obsidian Fusillade | [Splitcore Bombs]
Slot #3: Ace of All Trades + High Specs + Jack of All Trades + Time Accel (Mutation—Mind only) = [Prodigy Engine] | Instant Adaptation
Slot #4: Empty
Slot #5: Empty
—————
Time skip — 20 minutes later
As I was driving down the road, dodging vehicles, bloatflies, and a few geckos along the way. Passing a rather large cargo truck I started to see Primm coming into view. Driving straight towards the- "Huh!?" I shout, my expectation to see the NCR road block shattered by the small caravan moving across a still semi-intact bridge. The bar gate that should have been closed wasn't now, and there were even little shops open on the way leading to the bridge into Primm. There was even a little rest stop for people to stay where the NCR command tents were. Slowing my motorcycle enough to just walk it through, I moved to pass the bridge. I got caught up in my thoughts, not noticing a group of what I could only call trouble makers make their way to me.
"Hey! Get a load of this!" The person in front spoke loudly to his friends. "This guy's got an actual working motorcycle!" He continued, his friends following his lead in showing their appreciation for it. He stepped closer, trying to reach out and touch the side of it.
Woosh! Click.
I pulled my 10mm fast enough that he couldn't react and pulled the hammer back, shoving the barrel into the guy's face. He froze, realizing too late that he might have let his greed get the better of him. I slowly turn my head to look him in the eye, before slowly retracting the gun and lowering the hammer back into place. Placing it back into its holster, keeping my eyes on him, I slowly start moving forward before turning my head forward again.
"Jesus…" I heard the guy say before the sound of him falling back into his friends reached me.
"Sorry, not sorry dude, I'm not in the mood for this shit right now." I mutter, rolling across the bridge while ignoring the stares from others, moving it up to the sidewalk next to the Mojave Express. Pushing the kickstand out, I dismount the motorcycle and pull the fusion core out. Checking it, I calculate that it will barely last until Novac. Not knowing when I'll be able to find a new one in decent condition, I decide to stay here and scavenge the vehicles under the bridge or around the area if none of them have a good enough fusion core. "'Last for a lifetime' my ass." I mutter, shoving the fusion core into my pocket.
Shaking my head, I turned to the entrance of the Mojave Express and entered. Walking in, I see Nash tinkering on ED-E in the front counter. He looks to be having no luck in finding out how to fix the thing. He smacks the thing with his wrench in frustration before noticing me.
"Oh, didn't see ya there, what can I do for you?" He asked, setting his tools to the side and pushing ED-E to the edge of the counter. Staring at ED-E for a few seconds longer than I should, I turn and address him.
"Actually, I'm a courier on a job right now," I said, pulling out the delivery form that I was given and handing it over before continuing, "I was wondering what the best route to New Vegas would be?" I ask, watching as he squints, trying to read the form.
"Hmmm, ah, you're one of the couriers on that odd job the bot gave, aren't ya?" Nash asked rhetorically, handing the form back to me, as he does he pulls out a map and begins explaining.
Time skip — 10 minutes later
Ding! Fix and upgrade ED-E so he can speak basic phrases and sentences like Bumblebee does!
1x Silver Familiar ticket acquired!
I barely glance at the message, to focused on the information I was given. Apparently, there's a migration of a few mutants from both the South and East, not enough for things to be deadly to everyone but enough for it to be a problem. First, Jackal Fiends, half humans fused with some kind of canine DNA, they're like feral ghouls and wild dogs in the way they act and move. They've been spotted being used by the Legion as attack dogs, though some have escaped into the rest of the Mojave and taken root in places.
Next are the Glasswing Swarmers and Gamma Cicadas, both are a problem and both come from Baja, the place the Veteran Rangers are currently stationed. Starting with the Glasswing Swarmers, they are rather harmless unless you disturb them. The Gamma Cicadas however, are literal radiation absorbers, and they carry that radiation with them. If they are killed they spread that radiation around them and leave the region covered in the radiation for a while. Overall though, they are a rather helpful insect, until they move through towns when searching for more radiation to leech on. The Glasswings though, are much deadlier when they are disturbed, they move towards anything that shines or gets too close and swarms it. They are called Glasswings for a reason because they are most closely likened to flying glass and shred things they get close to, making them a rather deadly opponent to scavengers and laser/plasma gun users.
There are others, but they are only in a few places that are rather easy to avoid. The Cinderbacks, massive tarantulas that act like those burning enemies from Fallout 76, mostly found near the old nuke testing site, though they can be found in small pockets that most won't go to. They slash with their legs, shoot out burning hairs, and bite with radioactive burning poison. Then the Shellmongers, a mutation of hermit crabs that…DO. NOT. STOP. GROWING! The only thing making me feel better about them is that they haven't been seen to grow larger than a washing machine or motorcycle side car. Staying near water sources, Hoover Dam being the most obvious.
The thing taking most of my attention though, the new tab on my Pip-Boy, a 'Mission' tab with three missions already in it. The first mission title, "Big Game of the Badlands". The contents said I had to hunt down legendary animals and mutants across the Mojave, but all of the mission objectives were blank, likely waiting for me to learn of them. The second mission title, "Relics of Ruin". That one said I had to find all the legendary artifacts across the Mojave…and I don't know what that means. I'll likely learn about it later.
The last one however, did have a location, and the name of the mission is "The Wretched and the Wise". It pointed me toward Jacobstown, though like the others, it didn't have any mission objective beyond 'Reach Jacobstown'. The description however, gave me pause. "You have found yourself a part of a growing group of people; Mutants. Being a fellow mutant makes you rather unappealing to certain sections of the world, whereas others may not care at all. Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to help these people out of their bad situation."
'Does it mean my Concrete Conduit Physique? Do others see me as a mutant because of it- WAIT!' my thoughts came screeching to halt, 'are there more people with abilities out there!?' I scream internally, thinking of all the examples I can remember off the top of my head to give me something to work with. 'There was that kid at 188 Trading Post that has some kind of precognition and the immortal old man in Fallout 4 that has some level of telekinesis and mind reading.' My thoughts continue, flipping through information one after another trying to remember if there was anything else.
"*Crackle* ♪ Sometimes I wonder... what I'm a-gonna do... ♪—" I heard from my right, looking I spot ED-E, looking at me before his speaker played again, "*Crackle*♪ I'm so lonesome I could cry... ♪—" He finished, his speaker cutting off. It took me a second to understand what he was asking until I put the pieces together.
"Yeah, I'm OK, just trying to understand what preparations I should make for the rest of the journey." I said, deciding to do as I said and look around at the new shops in the intersection. Preferably wanting to find people that will take all of the stuff I looted up to now. ED-E's speaker crackled again, indicating his preparation to speak again,
"*Crackle* ♪ Gonna take a sentimental journey… ♪— *Crackle* ♪ Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative… ♪— *Crackle* "Let's roll!"—" His speaker sang.
Time skip — 30 minutes later
I moved back to my motorcycle, 1,500 caps heavier from the loot I offloaded, and started rolling it to the Bison Steve Hotel before parking again. I entered, seeing a person at the front desk, dealing with someone before they walked off with a key. Walking up myself, I address the receptionist.
"Hello, how much is a room for the night here?" I ask, taking off my mask and smiling. The receptionist, a woman, blushed slightly before responding,
"I-It's fif- twenty five! Twenty five caps, yeah." she stuttered, trying her best to stay composed and failing. I smile a bit wider, pulling out the caps and hand them over to her.
"Thanks, miss…?" I begin, asking leadingly.
"Joyce! Joyce Christain, 22 years old, single!—" she spoke loudly before cutting off abruptly, blushing, and handing me the key to my room. I chuckle, walking away before hearing ED-E's speaker crackling again.
"*Crackle* ♪ Why don't you do right, like some other men do? ♪— *Crackle* Well, ain't that a kick in the head…— *Crackle* Nice work!—" He said, making me chuckle harder, apparently liking my deceit of the woman for a cheaper room.
Time skip — The next morning
Moving out of the hotel, giving the receptionist a smile and wink as I left. I walked up to my motorcycle, inserting the fusion core and getting on. Before I started on my ride however, I checked my Pip-Boy's mission tab to double check the missions it gave only to see another one below it.
—————
Crushing the Chain Gang
Objective 1 (Optional): Rally the towns defenders
> Convince townsfolk to join
> Persuade NCR troopers at Mojave Outpost for backup.
> Convince Sheriff McBain to join
Objective 2 (Optional): Prepare for Battle
> Gather weapons, ammunition, healing supplies, and explosives from Primm
Objective 3: Launch the Assault on NCR Correctional Facility
> Storm the gates at dawn/dead of night.
> Completely wipe out the Powder Gangers (Optional)
> Capture the leadership (Optional)
> Destroy the defences (Optional)
Reward: 1x Random Silver ticket with help ~ 1x Random Platinum ticket without help
—————
Looking at the mission, I rub my chin over my mask, wondering how the missions themselves are made and why. If they are given because I wanted to do them, or if they were given because there's something interesting that I'd otherwise miss there. Shrugging, I select the mission and insert the fusion core into my motorcycle, deciding to make a show of leaving Primm.
*Screach!*
Hitting the accelerator and pulling the front brake, I spin out slightly before launching out of town the same way I came in through. As I leave I can hear ED-E's speaker crackling to life over the wind, playing a rather fitting song for what I'm about to do.
BGM: Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)" – Vaughn Monroe
Listening to the song, I grin, pushing my bike even faster since I didn't have so much stuff weighing me down any more. It also reminded me of something,
Rolling 1x Silver Familiar ticket.
Ding!
[Evil and Intimidating Horse]
|Trash Familiar|
An otherwise regular, incredibly healthy thoroughbred horse with great genetics but is very intimidating and evil.
Gazing at the roll in bewilderment, I came to a stop before checking my Pip-Boy to see if it gave me a new tab, and it did. The tab was aptly labeled 'Familiars', showing only one familiar…the [Evil and Intimidating Horse]. Deciding it couldn't hurt to take a look I brought it out. Covering my eyes as a flash came from in front of me, I blinked before seeing-
"I don't know what I was expecting…" I said, looking at the very normal horse in front of me. Dismounting from my motorcycle I came in front of the horse, patting its mane before sending it back. It had a saddle, but riding him when I could get there faster on my motorcycle would be stupid…maybe riding him when I attack the Correctional Facility?
Time skip — One hour later
After turning down the road to the NCR Correctional Facility I decided to take out the northern Powder Ganger camp first. Pulling up just a bit away from it, I dismount and pull out a pair of binoculars I bought at Primm and look down at the camp. Seeing about eight Powder Gangers mingling around a campfire and passing bottles of some kind of alcohol around to each other. Pulling the binoculars back and leaving my backpack with the motorcycle, taking just my guns and ammo minus the Service Rifle. I adjusted the sawed off shotgun I also got along with checking the holster I bought for Maria on my left leg. I had to adjust where I put my ammo but it all ended up in the right place eventually.
Checking the synergies and changing my synergies from Prodigy Engine to [Instant Adaptation] and Splintercore Bombs to [Obsidian Fusillade]. Feeling the swap, I move over the ridge, obsidian spikes forming on the tips of my fingers. The feeling of being able to switch to the Tyrant Talons and Splintercore Bombs in an instant in the back of my mind. Raising both hands, I fire, sending shards of concrete flying at the closest Powder Gangers.
Alternate POV — Joseph (Powder Ganger)
Reaching for the bottle, I take a swig before passing it to Rick. Looking at the fire and stocking it a bit I speak, "So, when do you think we'll be able to storm Primm? Eddie said it'll be a good hit for us, but I don't know, hitting it will either force outside help to come in or for the NCR to actually care about us." I say, receiving less thoughtful looks than I'd like to. 'I mean, they think attacking a primary trading post will be an incredible idea just because no one's come for us yet, but what happens when a massive source of caps gets cut off?' I think, clenching my fists.
"Man, fuck the NCR! They ain't gonna do shit!" Edd slurred, clearly having too much to drink. He looked like he was going to say more but-
*Kersplurt! Splurt!*
His head got pierced, punching through and impaling me in the leg. Everyone shot up, drawing what they could as weapons. I tried yanking out the piece of concrete only to see Drake and Rick get pierced by so many I can barely tell who they are. Brad seemed to be able to see the guy attacking us, but before he could say anything-
*Kerboom!*
He was blown up by a glob of concrete that was launched at him, catching Harold and Chase in it, killing Harold and launching Chase a few feet from me. I watched, finally seeing the thing that attacked us, a person. He was just walking towards us…MENACINGLY! Mark rushed him with an axe, swinging down from behind him, making me think we had a chance-
*Woosh Splurt!*
The thing whirled around, massive claws forming on his hands and swiped at Mark. For a second, nothing happened, before he just fell apart into pieces. I watched in horror as the thing turned back and walked towards me. Chase screamed, making me flinch, forgetting he was there.
"What are you!?" He screamed, raising his shotgun and firing. As he did the thing drove its claws in the ground before raising them up, bringing a wall of concrete along with it. The shot impacted like water against steel, then, the thing did something, sending four claws across the ground at Chase. He was diced like Mark, the concrete flying past him before crumbing to pieces. Looking back at the wall, it crumbled like the claws did, showing the thing with concrete hovering around his arms and moving down into massive gauntleted claws. The claws shrunk back into the gauntlets, reforming to look more like hammers with spikes on the ends as it walked towards me.
I felt my bowels being voided as he reached me, it kneeled before speaking.
"Greetings! If you would be so kind as to tell me about your base's defenses and the number of defenders I would be very grateful!" It spoke, sounding like a kid asking an innocent question.
Time skip — 45 minutes later — Issac POV
I stood, standing behind a shack overlooking the Correctional Facility, using the binoculars to scope the place out. Like the guy I interrogated said, there were six towers, the entrance building, the main building, the courtyard, and the building that used to hold the prisoners. Standing on the rocks overlooking the place, sedimentary rocks mind you, I turned back to the little camp I made and waited for night to come.
Time skip — 11:38 pm
Standing across from the entrance, far enough so that the lookouts can't spot me, I get down into a sprinters stance. Willing my concrete to cover me like armor, similar to how it was done in the game, and adding claw-like spikes across parts of it. Finishing, I shot off at the entrance, my steps thundering across the sand and demolished roads. My steps pulled the attention of everyone still up, it took the ones on look out a second to understand what they were looking at before they opened fire on me. Their bullets pinging off my concrete armor like it was nothing. Coming a few feet from the entrance, I brace myself for impact.
*Boooom!*
Demolishing the front door I continue forward, turning slightly as to not kill too many people in the initial attack. Halting my charge in the center of the courtyard, I dissolve the concrete around me into Splintercore Bombs and hurl them at each of the towers, watching as a few outright fall over, and the occupants of the rest are killed on impact. Swapping to my Tyrants Talons, I preemptively send claws flying into the entrance of the cell blocks, destroying the entrances and keeping most trapped there until all of this is over. Turning back to the entrance and not seeing anyone of note, I hurl two Splintercore Bombs at them, killing the rest inside.
Moving my attention to the main building, I sprint towards its entrance and burst through the door. The action throws several people trying to make it through back into the room. Sprinting past, I drop a delayed Splintercore Bomb behind me, like those roped fire bombs in Dark Souls. Hearing the explosion as I run up the stairs and come face to face with the man I was looking for, Eddie. Seeing his eyes widen in horror and fear as I grab him by the throat and begin to encase him in concrete. He tries to speak but is cut off as the concrete envelops his head, his form a twisted imitation of what he used to look like, his men standing petrified by what they saw.
Turning to them, I say, "Now that the big man's out of the way, I can really start having fun." I speak, truly starting to pull on all the concrete and rock around the facility.
Time skip — 9:48 am
Ding! Destroy and rebuild the Correctional Facility to better hold prisoners, capture some of the important Powder Gangers, and let no one escape!
1x Random Diamond ticket acquired due to rebuilding the facility!
Standing outside of what's left of the Correctional Facility, I look on in pride, seeing my handy work. The facility, what was once basically a repurposed junkyard, now stood as a true concrete compound for keeping inmates inside. A complete concrete prison looking rather jagged due to Claws affecting their creation. I left a note on the concrete bound forms of the Powder Gangers I let live for the NCR when they get here, because they are going to come here considering I didn't try to be discreet. Though now I need to get moving, and I don't want to be known for this just yet. Mounting my motorcycle, ED-E's speakers crackled again.
"*Crackle* ♪ Ain't that a daisy! ♪— ♪ Nothing's gonna stop us now… ♪— *Crackle* Let's put another nickel in the jukebox, and keep on rolling!— *Crackle* Onward! *Creak!*" His speakers crackled before playing a new track for our journey.
ED-E BGM: Wanderer
Listening to the song and smiling, I rolled the ticket I got.
Rolling 1x Random Diamond ticket.
Ding!
[Ghoul]
|Elite Trait|
Race(Tokyo Ghoul) - You are a ghoul, a flesh-eating superhuman with a powerful and flexible unique organ named a Kagune of your choosing. As a ghoul, you also possess formidable regeneration. But as a downside, you cannot digest anything other than human flesh and if you don't dine for longer than two weeks you will slowly enter a feral state.
"…huh?-" I begin to speak before being cut off-
*Screech! Woosh CRASH!*
…I just crashed my bike…
[Chapter End]
A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the wait. It took me a while to properly organize everything, and I don't even know if I did it all correctly. I hope I did but if not then please tell me. Beyond that there isn't much for me to say.
So for now, thank you for reading this far. I hope that you (and even those who haven't read this far) have a wonderful rest of your day/night.