Chapter 23: Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds

Chapter 23 - Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds

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Ding!

Elite Riot Gear+ Helmet:

The Elite Riot Gear stands out as a distinctive and highly advanced model of L.A.P.D. riot armor, surpassing the pre-War 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment riot armor in superiority. Compared to the advanced riot gear, this set includes additional attachments. It also features a canteen on the belt and a chest-spanning bandolier with a pouch strap. The gray duster, greener than its dark brown counterpart, boasts reinforced shoulder plates and armored knee guards, unique to this Riot Armor variation. Additionally, its arms are interwoven with recoil compensation materials, facilitating easier aiming and target neutralization with firearms.

Upon accessing the skill screen, Six was now level 8, he decided to continue enhancing his REPAIR skill to 100 and used the rest of the point raising MEDICINE to 42, than proceeding to Perks. He chose Stonewall: Increasing his Damage Threshold by +5 permanently, and cannot be knocked down during combat.

He was about to move on, until a system notification stopped him.

Ding!

Half of Tinker's ability, needs SCIENCE maxed to fully unlock ability.

Tinkers are distinct from other parahumans in that their powers don't work through them so much as they enable them to fabricate things. They can create devices or alter existing devices well beyond the usual restrictions of education, knowledge, resources, or physics. Most Tinkers have a specialty, an area of technology in which they operate either exclusively or better than others. Some draw on real-world technical knowledge while others rely more on instinct.

It took the population half a day to pack their belongings, scouring the facility for anything salvageable as Six activated their dismantling ability. Steel and machinery crumbled at his command, creating a pile of valuable parts and materials that could be repurposed in Goodsprings. With each piece stripped away, the once-thriving factory became a hollow shell, but the hope of a new life ignited the spirits of those who remained.

Finally, as the last container was filled, the group gathered at the facility's entrance, ready to leave behind the remnants of their former home. Ron stood tall at the front, clad in a custom T-45 Power Armor, its glossy exterior glinting in the waning sunlight.

Three more individuals, equally armored in T-45 Power Armor, flanked him, forming a formidable barrier between the group and any potential threats.

"Let's move out."

Ron commanded, his voice booming through the helmet's speaker.

"Stay close, and keep your heads down."

As the population began their journey toward Goodsprings, Six and Rebecca exchanged glances. They had a different mission, one that weighed heavily on their minds.

"Do you really think we can find him?"

Rebecca asked, her brow furrowed with concern. Leon's location uncertainty gnawed at her.

Six nodded, their determination unwavering.

"I got a lead on his location. The mercenaries fought hard, but they still gave up his location; he might still be in the area. If he is, we need to take him out before he attacks."

They broke off from the main group, slipping into the cover of the desert that lined the path. The sounds of their journey faded behind them as they ventured deeper into the waste, each step heavy with purpose.

As they moved through the scorching wasteland, Six kept his senses sharp, listening for any signs of trouble. The Mohave felt alive, but it was the quiet kind of alive—an unsettling silence that hinted at danger lurking just beyond their vision.

"Do you think he'll be alone?"

Rebecca asked, keeping pace beside him.

"It's hard to say. He's a lunatic, but he might have picked up trouble along the way. We'll have to be ready for anything."

They continued through the desert, their minds racing with thoughts of Leon's fate. As they reached a clearing, he paused, scanning the hills where the fight had taken place.

"Over there."

Six pointed spotting the remnants of a small skirmish—a few bullet casings scattered on the ground.

"We're close."

With renewed urgency, they pressed forward, their hearts pounding with hope and apprehension. The thought of finding Leon and slaying him pushed them onward, through the remnants of chaos that surrounded them.

As midnight approached, Six and Rebecca reached the tallest hill, panting from the ascent. The moon hung high above, casting a pale light over the valley below, illuminating Leon's camp. The sight sent a jolt through Rebecca's veins—mercenaries were scattered throughout the area, their postures tense and alert, seemingly waiting to ambush Ron and the main group traveling to Goodsprings.

Rebecca's heart raced with anticipation as she readied her Fat Man, the iconic shoulder-mounted launcher gleaming in the moonlight. She checked the Mini Nuke nestled snugly in its chamber, a weapon of mass destruction that could turn the tide of any battle. This wasn't just another skirmish; it was a statement.

"Are you sure about this?"

Six asked, his eyes narrowed, scanning the mercenary camp.

"We don't know what kind of firepower they have. They might retaliate before we can grab Leon."

Rebecca grinned, a fierce determination burning in her eyes.

"This is for Eastwood. He used the same weapon against innocent people. It's time he got a taste of his own medicine."

She activated the hand-held catapult, the mechanism clicking into place with a satisfying sound.

With a shrill whistle, she launched the Mini Nuke into the air. Time seemed to slow as the bomb soared, leaving a bright trail against the night sky before plummeting into the center of Leon's camp. The impact was immediate and catastrophic.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!

A blinding light erupted from the explosion, followed by a deafening roar that reverberated through the hills. The mushroom cloud blossomed outward, engulfing the camp of slavers in the flames of nuclear fire, obliterating everyone in sight.

As the dust and debris settled from the nuclear blast, an eerie silence hung over the valley. The once-tense mercenaries were now nothing more than shadows burned into the ground, and the once-bustling camp was reduced to a smoldering ruin. Rebecca lowered the Fat Man, her expression unreadable, though her hands still shook from the aftermath of such destruction.

Ding!

The G.E.C.K.:

Garden of Eden Creation Kit is a terraforming device created by Future-Tec, a division of Vault-Tec Corporation, to ease the process of harnessing the post-nuclear wasteland for vault dwellers. A fully self-contained terraforming module, it was capable of creating and sustaining life in a post-War environment. The kit included seed and soil supplements, a cold-fusion power generator, matter-energy replicators, atmospheric chemical stabilizers and water purifiers.

Six exhaled slowly, his eyes fixed on the G.E.C.K. and the devastation below.

"Holy Shit! That was... a lot."

He muttered now in T-45 power armor, shaking his head in disbelief while Rebecca laughed maniacally at the destruction she caused.

"Muah hahaha hahaha!!!"

"Do you think we got him, Big Guy?"

He didn't answer right away, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the wreckage. He knew Leon had to be down there, but something gnawed at his gut—a sense that this victory might have come at a greater cost than expected.

Six crouched beside her, still watching the valley with cautious eyes.

"Let's move before anyone else decides to check out the fireworks. If Ron and the others are on schedule, they won't be walking into this or any other mess."

"Kay choom."

Rebecca nodded, though her mind remained elsewhere, as she was so turned on that she wanted to jump him right there and then.

The explosive end of Leon's camp felt like retribution, but not closure to Six. Something about the silence that followed the blast felt too clean, too easy.

"Come on."

He said, standing tall in power armor while she stood gripping her launcher.

"Let's find out if Leon's really dead—or if that cockroach somehow managed to crawl out of this alive."

Six shouted, breaking the momentary daze. They charged down the hill, adrenaline surging through their veins as they rushed toward the chaos below.

As they descended, they put down any surviving mercenaries now ghoulified amidst the wreckage. The glow of fires illuminated the shadows, casting an eerie light over the disarray.

Six kept his weapons ready, prepared to fight if necessary.

"We need to discover if that gonk survived quickly before any faraway reinforcement realizes what happened here."

He said, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of Leon.

"Over there!"

Rebecca pointed as they reached the camp's edge, making Six notice a small group of reinforcements nearing the blast radius. They attempted to rally the remaining mercenaries outside the Mini Nuke's explosion, their faces a blend of anger and confusion as they surveyed the destruction.

"Hahaha!"

"Come on, come on, let's go!"

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

As Rebecca stormed into the fray, her M249 roared to life, spitting a relentless hail of bullets toward the reinforcements. The mercenaries, caught off guard by the sudden and brutal assault, scrambled for cover amidst the smoking ruins of the camp. The staccato burst of gunfire mixed with her maniacal laughter, a primal release of energy she had been holding in check for too long.

Six followed close behind, more deliberate in his movements. He picked off targets with precision, his own weapons twin 50 cal desert eagles, a sharp contrast to Rebecca's wild onslaught. The reinforcements were well-armed, but they were disoriented, and their leadership obliterated in the nuclear blast.

Rebecca, fueled by adrenaline and rage, moved with reckless abandon, mowing down anything in her path. A mercenary lunged at her from the side, but she swung the barrel of her M249, smashing it into his face with a sickening crunch before unloading a full clip into another cluster of enemies.

"You think you can rally now, Fucker?"

She screamed, her voice hoarse from the effort.

"After everything you've done? Not a fucking chance!"

Six caught up, his eyes sweeping the battlefield.

"Rebecca, focus! We need to discover if Leon died. This isn't just about wiping out his crew."

Rebecca paused, her chest heaving, staring down at the bodies scattered at her feet. For a brief moment, the fury dimmed in her eyes, replaced by a cold clarity.

"Big guy I love you, but there's no way anybody survived that blast. Plus they deserve every bit of this."

Suddenly, a shout cut through the chaos. One of the reinforcements, bloodied but defiant, pointed toward the remains of a makeshift bunker, half-collapsed from the blast.

"Leon's not dead yet! He's in there, regrouping!"

Rebecca's eyes locked onto the bunker, a dark smile curling at her lips. She switched out her spent M249 clip with a smooth, practiced motion.

"Then let's finish this."

She growled, starting toward where the center of the camp was with a deadly purpose.

Level: 8

NAME: Six XI

GENDER: MALE

STRENGTH: 10

PERCEPTION: 10

ENDURANCE: 10

CHARISMA: 10

INTELLIGENCE: 10

AGILITY: 10

LUCK: 10

BARTER: 42

ENERGY WEAPONS: 27

EXPLOSIVES: 30

GUNS: 100

LOCKPICK: 27

MEDICINE: 42

MELEE WEAPONS: 27

REPAIR: 100

SCIENCE: 42

SNEAK: 30

SPEECH: 27

SURVIVAL: 27

UNARMED: 30