Chapter 70: Deal with the Devil

Chapter 70 - Deal with the Devil

Ding!

The next day, Six gathered all the townsfolk of Novac at the dilapidated town hall, just across from Dinky the Dinosaur. They trickled in reluctantly, whispering among themselves, their faces a mixture of wariness and curiosity.

Some clutched old rifles or service pistols—reminders of the dangers they lived with every day. Boone, Raul, Rebecca, and ED-E flanked Six like a protective wall, their silent presence reinforcing the seriousness of what was about to be said.

Six stood before them, arms crossed, his expression grim.

"Alright, listen up. Manny Vargas gave me a job—to clear out some ghouls holed up at the REPCONN Test Site."

He began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of bad news.

"The thing is, it's not just ghouls. There's a wholearmyof Nightkin hiding out down in the basement."

Murmurs erupted among the crowd, faces growing pale at the mention of Nightkin. They knew enough from stories—or firsthand encounters—that these weren't just mutated monsters. They were invisible, armored giants with guns and swords—and a thirst for blood.

"And if that wasn't bad enough."

Six continued.

"There's a group of ghouls calling themselves the Bright Brotherhood. They want me to clear out the 'Demons.'"

He said, using air quotes.

"So they can use some launch controls buried in the place. Whatever that means, I don't care. What Idocare about is what happens if those Nightkin break loose and come this way. They'll tear Novac apart."

The room fell eerily silent. Everyone knew he wasn't exaggerating. If even one Nightkin could nearly overwhelm a well-armed group like Six's, a whole army would be a death sentence for Novac.

"But here's the thing."

Six's voice grew colder.

"I'm not taking this job—unless you make it worth my while. You want me to risk my life and my crew's to clean out a nightmare? Fine. But I don't work for free. I want rights to this land. Full control."

His demand hit the room like a hammer. Angry muttering rippled through the crowd. A wiry old man with a sheriff's badge—a relic from before the war—spoke up.

"This land's always been ours. We don't give it up to outsiders, not even to the NCR."

"I get it."

Six replied with a shrug.

"You folks are proud. But pride won't mean squat when those things are tearing your doors off. Look."

He motioned toward Boone and Raul, who dragged out the Nightkin's corpse on a tarp and dumped it onto the floor with a sickening thud.

The sight of the dead mutant—its blue-gray skin stretched over grotesque muscles, the jagged bumper sword still clutched in its mangled hand—sent a ripple of unease through the room.

Six crossed his arms again.

"That's just one. You can bet there are dozens, maybe more, waiting down there. You want to trust your shotguns and bolt-action rifles againstthat?"

He gestured at the corpse.

"If those things break loose, the NCR won't get here in time to save you. But I can. I've got the gear and the firepower. You need me."

The crowd exchanged uncertain glances. They could see the truth in his words, but the idea of signing away control over their land gnawed at them. Someone in the back spoke up, voice shaking with both fear and resentment.

"You'd really leave us to die?"

"If it's not worth my time, yeah."

Six answered bluntly.

"I'm not a charity. And I don't take guilt trips."

He turned toward the door, his boots echoing on the creaky wooden floor.

"You've got until I leave this town to decide."

For a long moment, silence hung in the air like a weight. The townsfolk whispered furiously among themselves, faces tight with anger, fear, and indecision. They were good people—honest, hard-working, protective of their land and their neighbors. But they also weren't fools. They knew what was coming.

Six reached the door, placing one hand on the rusted handle, when an old farmer finally broke the silence.

"Alright! Damn it... We'll sign."

Another voice piped up.

"Better Six in charge than the NCR."

One by one, the townsfolk reluctantly nodded their agreement. A woman who had been applying bandages the night before rubbed her tired eyes and sighed.

"What choice do we have?"

Six turned back toward them, a small, satisfied smirk on his face.

"Good. Then let's make it official."

The townsfolk shuffled forward, grumbling under their breath, as Six unrolled a pre-written contract—a document as simple as it was binding, granting him governance over the land and all decisions within Novac. One by one, they signed, some more bitterly than others, but they all knew it was better than the alternative.

When the last name was scrawled on the paper, Six rolled it back up and gave a curt nod.

"Smart choice."

He glanced around at the weary faces.

"You won't regret this. You've got my word—Novac's gonna thrive under me. And those Nightkin? They'll be dead by the end of the week."

Boone, Raul, and Rebecca exchanged brief, knowing glances. The stakes had just been raised, and they knew Six would deliver.

As the townsfolk dispersed, muttering among themselves, Six pocketed the contract and turned to his crew.

"Well."

Rebecca said with a grin.

"looks like we've got ourselves a town."

Six chuckled.

"Yeah. Now all we gotta do is keep it from getting eaten by mutants."

With that, the group walked toward their War bus, the REPCONN Test Site looming in their future. They had a promise to keep—and an army of invisible monsters to wipe out.

Six raised a hand, signaling the crew to stop just outside the entrance to the REPCONN Test Site building. Inside theirKnightmarepower armor, their visors glowed ominously, and the hum of their systems was a comforting reminder of the sheer power they carried.

Rebecca checked the barrels of herPunisher'sminigun, Boone tapped hisanti-materiel rifleagainst his shoulder, and Cassidy slammed a fresh magazine of shotgun slugs into place. Raul merely gave a tired grunt, shouldering his plasma rifle.

Feral ghouls had been no match for them on the approach—plasma bolts vaporized them mid-charge, shotgun slugs blew through brittle bones, and anything that survived the barrage had been crushed underfoot or ripped apart by Rebecca's storm of .50 cal fire.

They moved like a nightmare come to life, their landspinners kicking up dust and leaving trails of mangled bodies in their wake.

Standing now at the entrance, Six scanned the building with his helmet's sensors.

"Be ready. Whatever's waiting for us in here... it's not just ferals."

He warned through the comms. The crew nodded silently, gripping their weapons tighter.

The moment they pushed through the doors, the dark, musty air hit them. There was a heavy silence, broken only by the faint shuffling of ghouls in the distance and the occasional hum of old machinery. Just as Six was about to take the lead, an old intercom crackled to life.

"Hey! Over here! Are you listening? Go to the big room on the east side of this building and take the metal staircase all the way up. And hurry."

The unfamiliar voice was laced with urgency, and the static hissed like a warning. The crew tensed, exchanging glances through their visors.

"Trap?"

Boone asked, his voice calm but sharp with suspicion.

"Or someone actually needs help."

Rebecca said, her tone half amused, half unconcerned.

"Either way, we're ready."

Six mulled it over for a second. If someone was giving directions, it meant there were eyes on them—or something worse waiting up ahead.

"Alright."

He said finally.

"We follow the directions. Keep comms open and guns ready."

He led the way down the hall, his boots thudding heavily against the cracked tile floor. Plasma burns and old bloodstains marred the walls, evidence of past battles. Occasionally, a ghoul wandered into view, snarling mindlessly, but it never lived long enough to be a threat—Rebecca's minigun or Boone's rifle made sure of that.

They reached the large room the intercom voice had mentioned. It was a cavernous chamber, filled with broken machinery and rusted platforms. The distant sound of ghouls shuffling through debris echoed off the walls, but none were in sight—yet.

"There."

Six pointed, his visor highlighting the staircase in the far corner of the room.

They moved fast, landspinners activating as they streaked toward the staircase like juggernauts. Any ghouls that stumbled into their path were either blown to pieces or crushed underfoot without slowing them down.

Boone methodically took out anything too far ahead with his anti-materiel rifle, the crack of his shots echoing like thunder.

At the base of the metal staircase, a pack of feral ghouls emerged from the shadows, shrieking as they charged.

"Got 'em!"

Cassidy shouted, unloading slugs into the closest ones, and splattering them across the walls.

Raul chuckled darkly.

"Old man's still got it."

He fired a burst from his plasma rifle, melting the lead ghoul into green sludge.

Six raised his rifle and blasted the rest with pinpoint shots.

"Let's move!"

They ascended the staircase in a thunderous rush, metal groaning under the combined weight of their power armor. Rebecca took up the rear, mowing down any stragglers trying to follow them.

As they reached the top, the intercom crackled again.

"You made it! Good... Now, just stay calm. The demons... They're restless, but they won't attack if we stay out of their way. I've been working on making peace with them. My name's Jason Bright. I need your help."

Six paused at the top of the staircase, processing the message.

"Bright... Brotherhood."

He muttered to himself.

"The hell kind of peace do you make with Nightkin?"

Boone growled.

"Let's find out."

Six replied grimly, switching his plasma rifle to a fresh cartridge.

"If he's lying, we'll tear this place apart and leave nothing standing."

Rebecca grinned beneath her helmet.

"Now you're talking."

The crew moved deeper into the REPCONN facility, ready for whatever madness awaited them next.

Level: 18

NAME: Six XI

GENDER: MALE

STRENGTH: 10

PERCEPTION: 10

ENDURANCE: 10

CHARISMA: 10

INTELLIGENCE: 10

AGILITY: 10

LUCK: 10

BARTER: 100

ENERGY WEAPONS: 36

EXPLOSIVES: 36

GUNS: 100

LOCKPICK: 39

MEDICINE: 100

MELEE WEAPONS: 39

REPAIR: 100

SCIENCE: 100

SNEAK: 39

SPEECH: 68

SURVIVAL: 39

UNARMED: 39