Chapter 24: Buried under a mountain of his own ambition

Chapter 24 - Buried under a mountain of his own ambition

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Navigating the tunnel of the partially collapsed makeshift bunker, Six and Rebecca found it ended at an elevator. Unwilling to risk being fish in a barrel, Six took a Mini Nuke from Rebecca and, using his new tinker ability, turned it into a timed explosive.

As the elevator doors clanged shut, the ticking Mini Nuke descended into the depths, disappearing into the darkness. Six and Rebecca exchanged a brief glance, both knowing that the countdown had begun. They sprinted back through the tunnel, the weight of the bunker ceiling pressing down on them as if it could collapse at any moment. The faint echo of the elevator descending grew fainter with each step, replaced by the rising tension in the air.

Once they cleared the bunker's entrance, the pair dove behind a cluster of rocks, hearts pounding as they braced for the inevitable. Rebecca held her breath, gripping her launcher tightly, her eyes locked on the bunker's remains.

Seconds passed.

Then, with a deep, subterranean rumble, the ground trembled violently. The sound of metal twisting and stone fracturing reverberated through the air, followed by a massive shockwave as the Mini Nuke detonated far beneath the surface. Flames shot up from the elevator shaft, and the entire bunker collapsed inward, disappearing into the earth as dust and debris shot skyward like an eruption.

A shockwave of dust rolled toward them, choking the air as the ground trembled cascading up to the hills.

Six sat up, wiping dust from his face.

"That should do it. No way Leon's coming back from that."

Rebecca stared at the imploded ruins of the entrance, her breathing ragged, but her face a mix of satisfaction and grim determination.

"He better not. We just buried him under a mountain of his own ambition."

They stood in silence, watching the destruction they had unleashed settle into a stillness that felt final.

"You think it's over?"

Six asked cautiously, eyes scanning the valley for any sign of movement.

Rebecca's fingers flexed around her weapon, her face hardening.

"If Leon's still alive after that, he's a ghost. But this feels different. He's gone."

She slung her Fat Man over her shoulder, her expression shifting from battle-hardened to resolved.

"Come on. We've got to meet up with Ron and the others. Goodsprings is still waiting for us, and there's plenty more to do."

Ding!

Nuka Chemist Perk:

Nuka Chemist is a perk that allows the player to gain the crafting recipes of Nuka-Cola and its special Nuka-Cola varieties. Recipes;

Nuka-Cola

Nuka-Berry

Nuka-Cola Victory

Nuka-Cola Quartz

Nuka-Bombdrop

Nuka-Cide

Nuka-Cooler

Nuka-Frutti

Nuka-Hearty

Nuka-Lixir

Nuka-Love

Nuka-Power

Nuka-Punch

Nuka-Ray

Nuka-Rush

Nuka-Sunrise

Nuka-Void

Nuka-Xtreme

Nuka-Grenade

Nuka-Breaker:

A two-handed blunt melee weapon consisting of a partially functioning Nuka-Cola neon sign mounted on a pole with an electric cord wrapped around the top, and tape at the bottom, still partially functional owing to a self-contained power supply. It deals significant damage per strike, deals the second-highest amount of critical hit damage (along with the cattle prod) at the second-highest critical chance multiplier of all blunt melee weapons, but also has the third-highest AP cost. It also has the highest caps value of all blunt melee weapons.

Ding!

Upon accessing the skill screen, Six was now level 9, he decided to continue enhancing his SCIENCE skill to 59 then proceeded to Perks. He chose Toughness Rank 2; the second rank of this perk grants a permanent +3 increase to your Damage Threshold.

After reviewing the potential perks available, Six decided to go withFinesse, a perk that permanently increased his critical chance by +5%. Given his preference for precision and the sheer versatility of being able to land critical hits in combat, the choice seemed obvious. Whether dealing with raiders, mutated beasts, or the inevitable chaos of the wasteland, landing those extra damaging shots could easily turn the tide in his favor.

With a satisfied grin, Six closed the perk screen.

"More crits? Can't complain about that."

He muttered to himself. Every edge mattered out here, and with his enhanced abilities from his father's genetics, the additional critical chance would make him even deadlier.

Rebecca, noticing his self-satisfied smirk, raised an eyebrow.

"What did you get this time?"

"Finesse."

Six replied, flexing his trigger finger for emphasis.

"More crits. More damage. Makes taking down bigger targets a bit easier."

She grinned back.

"Just what you need, huh? You're already a walking tank, now you're gonna be a crit machine too."

"Exactly."

Six said with a chuckle.

With his perk locked in, the wasteland suddenly seemed a bit less dangerous—and a lot more fun.

"Let's just hope we don't have any more surprises waiting for us on the way."

Together, they descended the hills, leaving behind the collapsed bunker and the life of Leon, the tyrant who had terrorized the Mohave.

Rising, they dusted themselves off and walked determinedly towards the main group, hoping to avoid any attacks from hidden creatures until they joined the others. However, luck was not with Six; shortly into their journey, he stepped on unusually firm sand. His eyes widened as he looked down.

Just in time, he retracted his leg, narrowly evading the small Radscorpion's stinger. Six was uncertain about the potency of its venom, but he was confident he'd survive with his power armor.

Retreating swiftly, he aimed his Desert Eagles at the creature and fired, obliterating it in a spray of yellow gore. Six grimaced as he cleared the viscous fluid from his visor.

In the distance, a luminous spire pierced the night sky—New Vegas. Catching a glimpse of movement, he turned to see a 10-foot scaled humanoid with massive claws charging towards them, bellowing a roar that Six identified as a Deathclaw.

Without hesitation, Six and Rebecca unleashed their Anti-material rifles. The beast's scales shattered under the barrage, and blood gushed from the grievous wounds, yet the Deathclaw remained undeterred. As Six scrambled to reload, the creature seized the opportunity to advance, forcing Six to fend off a lethal swipe aimed at his neck.

For a single moment, he thought that the rifle might've held it back, but it cut it in two halves like it was a KitKat and damaged his T-45 breastplate. Though he didn't panic from the danger he was in... Not because he was fearless, but because Rebecca changed her clip for armor-piercing rounds. With the Deathclaw being so close, she easily blew a hole in its skull.

The Deathclaw's hulking body crumpled to the ground, its claws twitching as it finally succumbed to the fatal shot. Rebecca exhaled slowly, lowering her rifle, though her eyes remained sharp, scanning the area for any more threats. The adrenaline still pumped through her veins, but she felt the satisfying weight of survival settle in.

Six, still recovering from the close call, wiped the sweat off his brow, inspecting the damage to his T-45 armor. A deep gash marred the surface, and while the armor had protected him from the worst, the Deathclaw's strength was undeniable.

"That was a little too close for comfort."

Six muttered, catching his breath.

"I thought I was toast back there."

Rebecca shot him a smirk, her rifle still at the ready.

"You owe me one. Again Big guy."

Six chuckled, though he winced as he adjusted his breastplate.

"Yeah, yeah. You always like saving my ass and you know it 'Becca."

The two paused for a moment, both taking in the eerie quiet that followed the brief but violent encounter. The air was thick with the acrid stench of the Deathclaw's blood, mingling with the ever-present wasteland dust. The looming spire of New Vegas in the distance served as a reminder that their journey was far from over.

Rebecca reloaded her rifle, the sound of the magazine clicking into place echoing in the night air.

"We're not too far from the others, but this stretch isn't getting any easier. Radscorpions, Deathclaws... who knows what else is lurking out here."

Six nodded, his focus sharpening.

"Let's stick to higher ground where we can spot anything before it spots us."

As they continued, the glow of New Vegas grew brighter on the horizon, casting long shadows across the wasteland. The pair moved cautiously, the intensity of their encounter with the Deathclaw serving as a harsh reminder of the dangers they faced in the Mohave. Every rustle in the bushes, every shift in the wind, made them tense, their hands never straying far from their weapons.

But there was also a sense of purpose driving them forward. Leon was gone, the mercenaries were decimated, and now they had one mission left—reunite with Ron and the others in Goodsprings and ensure that their next steps would secure the safety of the wasteland.

As they crested a ridge, Rebecca glanced over at Six, her expression softening slightly.

"You good to keep going, Big guy?"

Six gave her a lopsided grin.

"After everything we've been through? Yeah, I'm good. Let's finish this."

Half a day later, they rejoined Ron and the others, setting up camp near Quarry Junction, which meant they were at least two days away from Goodsprings. The quarry had come under the ownership of the New California Republic, becoming the main source of limestone for mixing cement and producing the concrete used by NCR engineers in their construction projects.

As the sun began to set behind the jagged hills surrounding Quarry Junction, the group gathered around the newly set-up camp, the fire crackling and casting long shadows across the rocky terrain. Six and Rebecca, weary from their journey, dropped their gear near the camp perimeter and exchanged nods with Ron, who was busy sharpening his combat knife.

Ron looked up, his grizzled face etched with concern.

"You're late."

He said, his voice gruff.

"We were starting to worry something had happened."

Six left his power armor and shrugged, tossing a piece of scrap wood into the fire.

"Ran into a few problems on the way. Leon's not a problem anymore, but we had a close encounter with a Deathclaw. Could've gone south real fast."

Level: 9

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: 59

SNEAK: 30

SPEECH: 27

SURVIVAL: 27

UNARMED: 30