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Sunset came down upon the earth to witness a new destruction, a slave camp unaware of plans being made upon it for a long time coming. The guards were ever-diligent for any lone wanderers out on the wastes, potential traders or victims to be a part of their livestock as the spanning former park reserve stretched out behind them, former trees ripped out by their roots to become oppressive gates and watch towers. Middle Fork's security waited for night shift to come round with fresh eyes and rigid hands on guns. None of them however expected to hear a monstrous roar come very close to the rear camp's walls. "THE FUCK WUZ THAT?!" "I DUNNO, SOUNDED CLOSE!" "SH-SHIT, GET THE GUARDS DOWN WESTWARDS!" The sounds of battle ensued briefly as metal-armoured mongrels rallied towards the western side of the slave camp, without expecting what it was they had to face before seeing one watchtower suddenly get cracked hard out of joint, torn apart at the middle by a beastly pair of claws that suddenly came up from beyond the wall, sending it down hard forming what was nearly a perfect barricade to trap guards off from one section with rubble. Screaming clamours and guns firing wildly came from the back, where half the garrison now situated itself at. It was the perfect time for the main cavalry upon the horizon. Roaring from the northeast, came a mighty iron beast, come hurtling down under shade of twilight not bright enough to be seen but not dark enough to require light. The guards at the front entrance were too distracted until too late to see a huge bus come crushing through their gate, destroying two watchtowers in the process of wrought iron twisting and scraping hard to be broken forcefully. The bus was well-fortified with heavily-built steel armour welded onto its sides, as well as a single piercing cowcatcher big enough to run over a deathclaw if need be. Inside the bus itself, now screeching hard inside the front area of the camp, were fifteen Brotherhood of Steel members running out with guns blazing immediately onto the scene, as well as two robots rolling out the back ramp exit of the bus. Jerry was out front and centre from the bus seat, along with Diana who stuck close to him with her own handgun ready to shoot. Her eyes stood fierce with determination as Paladin Jeffries rolled up on his own motorcycle, one of two that had been employed for the mission before getting off and wielding his Jackhammer. "ALRIGH' WE'RE IN!" he barked. "DELGADO, TAKE GROUP ALPHA AN' DESTROY THOSE TOWERS! GROUP BETA, FOLLOW ME AN' DIANA, THE SOONER WE GET THOSE SLAVES OUT THE FASTER WE'LL WIN THIS!" "OOORAH!" "LET'S DO THIS!"

Jerry ran off to the north along with Jackson, who had come along for the battle promptly along with Roosevelt, who went with Jeffries and Diana to the west to where the slave cages were being held. With such a small division against a well-armoured force, they had to act quick in order to not be overwhelmed, using the chaos itself as their defence. Delgado had noted the watch towers from afar and quickly began to target weak spots whilst firing off his laser rifle at any incoming enemies. His weapon pierced through scrap metal straight for the heart, charring skin and penetrating through the bone to diffuse violent hot energy. Blood had never smelt so sweet until it singed from five raiders that came charging towards them, the knight ghoul taking down two with headshots whilst the other three were taken down by Jackson, who did not need much introduction, peppering down a whole force of six men with his new-and-improved gatling gun, ripping apart their very armour to dull shreds as bloodied metal chunks was all that would remain of them, coldly remarking: "Those dressed as beggars shall crawl like them." "JACKSON!" shouted Jerry. "TAKE THAT TOWER OUT, HIT THE BOTTOM LEFT STRUT!" "Gladly." Turning hard on his three legs with perfect refined steering, he brought up his left-armed rocket launcher and fired at the spot indicated. The tower fell in a blaze of fury from the bottom, falling back onto the camp with a scream from the top and crushing down upon another sentry force of slavecatchers almost perfectly well-planned. At least eight of them were trapped underneath to bleed out from crushed skulls and ribs, before the Alpha team moved on to the next assisted by six other warriors. One fighter stayed back to guard the bus and move it forwards as cover. Beta team were running along the less-guarded side, following Diana's guidance with nine in total amongst them. Roosevelt was their main fighter, up-close and personal to anyone that came near as occasionally the guards would spot them from watchtowers amidst roaring firelight smouldering across the entire campground, the former forest reserve burning like the sun itself. Four watchtowers were on either side of the camp, with five remaining following another explosion came from the other side signalling Jackson's destructive path, as Roosevelt cried: "_ONWARDS MEN! CHAAAAAAAAAAAARGE! _" Spearing one raider through the skull with a propulsion-lunging thrust, the sabre wrenched through his socket before his other two swords swung out harshly to knock down a club-wielding woman, his one central blade swung upward to cut at her throat. The third received a striking cut across the face before two stabs in the leg and a final throat-plunging wound. Diana stayed back alongside Darryl, popping off handgun shots whenever she saw an enemy out on their own ready to come fighting in. Two of them would never see the light of battle when she capped them dead in the ear or on the cheek.

The paladin however was much more brutal, rushing forwards to slam down a much stronger superior guard before shotgunning them in the chest, a burst-fire round of three shells cracking off like fireworks. A broken chest crushed inwards by metallic splints and buckshot destroyed his heart to bleed inside out, before Darryl cried out: "DIANA, WHICH WAY?!" "OVER THERE!" she shouted pointing southwest. "THERE'S A HUGE-ASS DOOR NEXT TO THUH ARENA AREA, THAT'S WHERE WE ALL GOT KEPT!" "ALRIGHT, HEAD SOUTHWEST EVERYONE, ROOSEVELT, KEEP OUT FRONT ON GUARD!" "FINE ORDERS COMMANDER!" roared Theodore jubilantly. "I'LL HAVE THEM OUT BY-AAAARGH! HHHHOHOHOHOOOO, rumbumptious little beggar aren't you!?" He said this to one cocky helmet-clad raider packing a brush gun hunting rifle, cracking a shot off to dent Roosevelt's back who simply turned hard and swung all three swords upon one single point. Left and right came crunching down upon the diaphragm's sides not as well guarded as the other parts, as the man gasped heaving from the half-deep cuts. Then the third sword lanced upwards straight from his belly slipping expertly inbetween his shoddy armour. Roosevelt made certain his last breath was made before returning back to Jeffries, who was experiencing a terrible volley of rifle-fire from the slave encampments ahead of them. It took not as long to reach them as expected, but the main garrison who now stood at the arena armed and waiting upon a clear wide circular area, were keeping their livestock well-guarded. Twenty-five of them at least hammering down upon their cover, killing three Brotherhood members who fired back desperately with rifles. "WHERE THE HELL'S JAMES?!" roared Darryl. "I THOUGHT HE HAD THE DISTRACTION PLANNED!" "HE DID!" shouted Diana. "HE TOOK ONE OF THE WATCHTOWERS DOWN!?" "WITH WHAT, THIS THING GOT FUCKING TORN APART BY CLAWS, HE CAN'T DO THAT RIGH-" " RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGH!" A terrifying sound of beastly proportions came from the far north, suddenly cracking down another watchtower with the sound of metal tearing asunder by a horrendous strength. No explosion, no rapidfire bullets, just sheer unadulterated strength that tore one foundation from the central column before a screaming fall came down onto the central arena, killing four of the garrison as they forced themselves to split up in the chaos. Diana shot one runner in the leg who went down hard shrieking, a woman who fired out her assault rifle desperately to kill someone. Jeffries took the hit and stood in front of Diana readily absorbing the rapid-assault fire to his power-armour, grunting before rushing straight towards the wounded guard and shotgunning her face. The finger still kept on the trigger clicking empty even after her head had turned to mulch upon the bloodstained sand. The slave holding pens were not far away, as Diana ran underneath the cover of chaos to slip behind an open iron door that lead towards the captives, with Jeffries keeping cover beside it. "DIANA WAIT!" "WHUT?!" "DON'T GO RUNNIN' IN BLIND, TAKE ROOSEVELT WITH YOU!" "ALRIGH', MISTAH, COME ON WE GOTTA FREE 'EM!" "RIGHT BEHIND YOU MY CHILD!" cried Theodore. "STAY CLOSE TO ME! I'LL GIVE 'EM A GOOD EARTH BATH OR TWO!"

Jerry had seen the heavy fire from Darryl's direction, moving somewhere southeast of the arena's location and readied himself to shoot down another watchtower all whilst his formerly-six men kept fighting back with expert cover training. Sticking behind crumpled walls and thickened steel plates, only two of them had died under his command as Jackson acted both as a shield and main destructive force with his gatling gun and rocket launcher duo. He was warned however to be sparing on the rockets, requiring them for their main objective as Jerry shouted "WATCHTOWER, UP AHEAD, TAKE OUT THE CENTRAL BOTTOM STRUT!" "Lights out!" Firing another rocket towards the weakest part of the structure, three watchtowers now remained which only added further to the grand discord of the slave camp's operations, the senior knight ghoul keeping fire back with his laser rifle's potent piercing capability. Jackson simply turned every enemy that came upon them to dog food, the gatling-gun packed with a completely maxed-out capacity of one thousand bullets. He had barely even touched the three-hundredth that he had fired as the watchtower came down upon another invading garrison killing six more out flat. The slavecatchers were shrieking with both blind fury and horrid confusion at this turn of events, half their forces wiped out as their voices pierced the burning air. Jerry's force were destructive enough as not only was Jackson clearing the floor with Jerry sticking near to constantly repair him of anything potentially dangerous to his vital functions, but he also had the one supermutant knight, a brutishly orcish hulk who, the only reason he did not wield a gun, was because they were too small to fit in his freakish hands. But he clearly did well enough with a sledgehammer sculpted from the remains of a traffic light, the guards screaming: "GET THOSE FUCKING ROBOTS ALREADY!" "KILL THE GHOUL, THAT FUCKIN' ZOMBIE TOOK DOWN HALF OF GROUP-ONE!" "WHERE THE FUCK IS KIERAN, THAT FUCKSHITTING ASSHOLE BETTER NOT HAVE RUN I SWEAR TO-FUUUUUCK!" That last particular comment had been interrupted by the bus driver, a paltry pale recruit with sturdy arms and a well-honed sniper rifle snapping one former guard's leg completely in half, right through the shin like a dagger at the speed of sound. The bus could only reach as far as the second set of watchtowers, the debris turning far too great as the driver turned round to make certain that an exit would be swift and safe once the slaves had been all gathered up. Seeing the garrison start to weaken from the destruction of their watchtowers, another taken down by Jackson upon the far northeast sector, Jerry cried out: "JACKSON, HODGINS, CLEAR A PATH FER THE BUS TO GO THROUGH!" "YUSSIR!"

The mutant known as Hodgins joined Jackson in pushing through the debris to formally clear a path, tearing off metal and broken steel ripped apart by their very strength, muscular flesh and pneumatic force rippling together to clear a route. Jerry had taken a few hits during this whilst guarding his two heavy movers, shot a few times in the upper chest and left arm but nothing a stimpak could not soothe thanks to his recon armour. The three other Brotherhood members kept ducked behind cover taking cautious potshots against another force of men. Jeffries had managed to clear out half of the garrison in the arena, the crushed watchtower now lying half across the entire circle as he was down to five men. One unfortunate soldier got a solid gut wound and despite doing her best to slump forwards against the cover and prop up her rifle, she barely took down more than two guards before her wounds had overcome her. Darryl pulled her back and gave her rest before taking her rifle, a better weapon for long range than the shotgun he wielded. Diana saw that indeed the slave cages were still guarded by a good seven thugs, all of whom were not wielding guns but cruel machetes as Roosevelt went charging in. One cleaver came down on his left, blocked by an upwards strike of superior robot strength before another came down on his right, which was yet again blocked by another strike. The third sword always remained absolute, carving out to gut through one's throat in a spray of blood before swinging round to cut the other opponent down. Not dead yet from the lancing strike to his neck, the machete-wielding thug roared and tried to strike back before a sabre went into each of his legs, screaming as he fell from the shinbone twisting upon the bladetips. Three more blade-wielders came running to try and take down the former president but his eye glinted wickedly with mechanical glee of battle as he charged straight towards them. A strike to the sword on his right, a carving swing blocked from his left, his central sword twisting horizontal to block the cleaving force of the third assault in front of him. Pushing forwards hard onto the thug in front of him, his propulsion boost put his left and right attacks out of sorts swinging at empty air before he spun viciously hard in a circle, roaring as blood flew from all around him. A brief ballet of blood to coat upon his body, the force of his spinning torque giving greater strength to his bladetips that carved into one chest, severed an upper thigh and completely cut off one hand. He wasted no time in systematically shanking all three at once, repositioning himself front and centre straight beneath their throats just where the torso met, before he spun once more with a mighty effort. Twisting into the upper ribcages of the three wounded slavecatchers, Roosevelt brought them down to their deadened knees as blood poured onto their armoured chests.

Diana took this opportunity to run to the slave pens themselves and began freeing each and every one of them with a special toolkit Delgado had given her. Whilst Roosevelt distracted the guards, she snapped the locks off through the use of a small laser cutter barely the size of a penknife, shaped like a tiny hacksaw that simply sliced through the lock with energy-powered refractions. The energy cell glowered within the handle warmly, as the bedraggled slaves in poorly brown-and-mulch clothing blinked on with amazement at the scene unfolding before them. "Wh-who is tha-" "What's going on?!" "Is that a robot murdering them?!" "W-wait that girl!" "That can't be, no-" "Who is she?" "I swear I know her somewhere-" "Is that that girl from...no." Of the nine cages big enough to only house somewhere around ten humans to full capacity, it was the fifth one she stopped herself at. She knew this was the right cage, and almost risked cutting her thumb off from pure anticipation as she sliced through the lock. Destitute sunken-eyed humans barely holding themselves up on stilted knees, crippled hands and harsh ribs showing upon their chests in the most worst examples among them. The smell of famine was not one she had missed. But there was another scent that she did. A dark-skinned woman, wrapped in two cloth sacks that barely covered her arms and knees with black hair down to her midriff. Their eyes met for but a moment before the slaves began to rush out, crying out for freedom as Roosevelt slayed their last oppressor. Men, women and children piled out in droves, a large hovering crowd of filth and bedragged flesh almost beyond hope of moving further. Diana screamed through the crowd, eyes straining from both the awful familiar stench along with boiling emotions.: "MOM, MOOOOOOM!" "...D-...Diana? Is tha-...is that-no it couldn-" "MOOOMMYYYYYY!!!" "iDIANAAAA!!!" She rushed into the pen and never stopped running, not until she was in her mother's arms once more as she clutched tightly onto her body. She was no longer able to stop herself from crying, tears rushing down onto her mother's cloth as she hugged in return, gasping sobs shaking from the woman's body, hair covering down upon her child's face. "H-hoh...oh g-god...Diana, you-...hoh god Diana you-" "I'm here...I'm here mom, I...I g-got back to you, ah told you I'd be back, ah told you didn't I?!" "...you did. You did and I...but h-how, I thought-" "We can't stay here." She pulled back briefly with great effort from her mother's embrace. "We have to move, we're gettin' outta here." "B-but, is this...is this it?" "Yep, we gettin' outta here, come on we gotta free thuh rest of 'em!" "B-but wait Diana!" "Mom come ON!" Dragging her mother firmly but not harshly to not hurt her, Diana pulled her mother out from the pens as Darryl Jeffries pulled back firing his rifle at any targets he could see before ducking behind the iron gate. Seeing the mass of slaves behind, he called out: "IT'S OKAY, I'M HERE TO SAVE YOU, ANYONE HERE GOOD WITH A GUN!?" "...I am," said one former slave. "HERE!" He handed the gun to one steel-eyed slave of Hispanic descent, his features gaunt and malnourished with faded hazel eyes and not a trace of hair on his head. But the moment he gripped the rifle he went into action, not taking any chance of missing this opportunity as he ducked out beside the gate firing back at his former captors. Another explosion rocked through the foundations of the camp, another watchtower come crumbling down directly behind the slaves as they panicked and almost ran before Roosevelt cried: "EVERYONE BEHAVE, YOU ARE PERFECTLY SAFE JUST STAND WITH US AND YOU SHALL ALL BE SAFE!"

Indeed the watchtower did not fall onto them, but was instead pulled away viciously by an unseen pair of claws ripping backwards, creaking screams of agony as only the one watchtower was now left. And it too had been finally taken out as they heard the sounds of a rocket explosion from the other side of the camp, followed by yet another explosion obliterating the main garrison in the arena. Jackson came roaring up with a heavy spread to kill off any survivors out of range, shrieks of dissent being heard from the other side of the door. Theodore came up to Jeffries saying: "The left watchtowers are out of print, what next good sah?!" "We get the slaves outta here," said Darryl, "Roosevelt, you and Diana lead them out along this wall back to the bus, we got you covered. JACKSON, SCOUT OUT FOR ANY LAST STRAGGLERS THEN GET DELGADO, REGROUP WITH US!" "YES PALADIN!" roared Jackson. The few enemies that had survived were soon meted out by Jackson's scout around of the area, the few who did remain out on the battlefield not surviving long as they finally began to meet up in the large arena. The slaves were frightened, understandably as a good score of around 87 people looked fearfully upon the small battalion that approached them. Two robots, one ghoul, a mutant and a ragtag group of humans. As the sounds of battle fully died off, the flames crackling the only thing to be heard in the dying sunset, Jeffries asked the horde of slaves: "Who is your representative? Do you have one?" "I can speak for all of us," said one wizened pale-skinned female of brown hair. "...who are you?" "My name is Darryl Jeffries, I'm the Junior Paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel Midwest Division." "The...brotherhood? They don't ever come down this far south." "Not 'til now, we heard about you and got a rescue operation up, we're here to rescue you." "I would hope so, considering you let us out of our cages with a former child of ours who most surely had been killed. I almost expected she had become a ghost after our great delusions of any freedom finally caught up with us." "She definitely ain' no ghost," said Diana's mother hugging her still, "she-...I dunno who to thank for even savin' her h-how did you even get out?! I thought you-" "Can we jus' get outta here first?!" said Diana panickedly. "I don' wanna be here no more, we can talk abou' it when we's safe an' not here." "Oh...o-okay then...god I'm...I'm sorry jus-..." She became overwhelmed once more with feelings of shock and joy before hugging Diana once more, the girl hugging back and failing to hold her own emotions back once again. Jackson came up beside Jeffries before saying: "The perimeter is clear, no enemies are left within the area for now." "Good," said Jeffries. "How's your ammo?" "Around three-hundred-fifty. This certainly beats the Dutch any day." "Don't let Martin hear you say that!" crowed Roosevelt. "He's the only good Dutchman I ever knew, he can handle it." "Hmhmhaha...wha-WAIT, THERE'S A MAN UP THERE!" High above the arena on what was clearly a throne seat, the shadow of a dark-skinned human being gleamed down upon them, the sentry bot readying his rocket launcher aiming to kill. But then something unexpected happened. The man pulled back the throne seat itself, tugging on the backrest before an enormous gatling turret came pulled up from the floor underneath it. He readily sat behind and the telltale sounds of a chaingun warming up alerted everyone as Roosevelt immediately began coralling them to safety along with the rest of the Brotherhood's members. "GET TO THE BUS NOW!"

Jeffries roared at the horde of slaves who desperately began to ran, as the unknown human burst with a vicious swathe of bullets hitting all across the wall above the slaves escaping. Screams of panic and horror came as unfortunately, his aim rectified itself good enough to slaughter twelve people, two of which were Brotherhood soldiers desperately firing back at the assailant. Diana did not join the fleeing group hurrying back to the bus as her mother grabbed at her. "DIANA NO!" "LET GO!" "I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!" "YOU WON'T, JUST GIT TO THE BUS, AH HAVE TO STOP HIM!" "YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE GIRL!" "I'M NOT A GIRL! ...I'm a woman. You told me that right?" Hearing such a thing turned back on her was enough to loosen her grip before Diana ran back, gripping her handgun and readily ducking down beneath cover on the right-hand side of the arena. Her mother was swept away by the crowd hurrying to the bus, screams fading as the turret couldn't turn far left enough to gun down any last stragglers. The moment the man spoke with theatrical awe, she knew exactly who it was. With short shaved hair and a strange enigmatic suit of pink, red and yellow custom-fit to his own heavier metallic armour underneath, he called out to the remaining Brotherhood defenders hiding behind broken parts of the watchtower's remnants. Jackson behind a pillar on the far left, Jerry and Jeffries in the centre, and Diana on the far right. "IT APPEARS SOMEONE WAS UNHAPPY WITH THEIR PURCHASE! A LITTLE GIRL COME BACK TO ME FROM THE DEAD, AND EVEN BROUGHT ME SOME NEW TOYS TO FUCK WITH!" "AN' WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" roared Jerry. "YOU MIGHT KNOW ME AS KIERAN, THE MASTER OF MIDDLE FORK! AND I AM HERE TO TELL YOU, THAT I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO MOVE FROM THIS FUCKING TOWER I MADE FOR MYSELF, MY THRONE ROOM SHALL PROTECT ME JUST FOR THIS OCCASION!" "Is this the biggest toad in the puddle?!" shouted Jackson. "You think you can cry yourself as savage as the meat axe but all you are is piss proud!" "THE FUCK DOES THAT EVEN MEAN TINMAN, NOW YOU GOT ONE CHANCE TO BRING BACK MAH GOODS, OR ELSE I'M GONNA FIND SOME NEW HEADS FOR MY WALL!" "You are hardly in a position to make demands!" "SAME TO YOU, CONSIDERING I GOT MYSELF A MUTHAFUCKIN' MACHINE GUN UP IN THIS BITCH, YOU THINK YOU CAN EVEN STAND UP TO THIS, FER REAL?!" "YOUR SLAVES ARE GONE!" replied Darryl. "IF YOU LET US LEAVE NOW WE WILL NOT ATTACK YOU!" "I DON' FUCKING THINK SOOO! YOU MURDER MAH PEOPLE, YOU TAKE MAH STOCK, AN' NOW YOU WANNA CALL PEACE?! WELL TOO FUCKIN' BAD, I RULE THIS WASTELAND, _AND I AM NOT, GONNA LET, YOU WALK AWAY, FROM MY FUCKING KINGDOM! _"

That was their cue to fight back, as they readied their weapons to shoot back cautiously knowing the chaingun was most definitely going to eviscerate them regardless of their armour. Even worse was the fact that the chaingun itself had been set up like a tank driver's seat, well fortified with gunmetal that once been the throne's armrests, now his protecting cover to be almost impossible to hit. Jeffries knew he wasn't able to do anything other than distract, but Diana thought she saw a gap on the slave camp leader's left side she could be able to hit. Jerry and Andrew Jackson however had some advantage with much stronger weaponry, the sentry bot firing one rocket from out of cover hoping the explosion would cripple their new foe. Unfortunately Kieran was a little smarter and ballsier than most, turning towards the rocket and firing upon it with an absurdly rapid firing rate, a literal storm of bullets obliterating it to explode in mid-air. Delgado's laser fire, while pointedly accurate, was not strong enough to pierce through the actual gunmetal itself but he did have a scope setting allowing him to be more accurate, hoping for a way to wound the man behind the turret. The grand cackling of the slave camp leader came before the brutal peppering of psychotic chaingun firing, powerful enough that it was actually able to destroy any cover if focused on for a good while. Jeffries got wounded in the arm by a bullet pushing through, gasping as he rolled to another cover in the field of debris that once was the arena. It was only then he noticed Diana on the far left side trying to aim her handgun, missing completely by pinging off the undercarriage of the main gun which simply alerted him to her presence. She ran straight towards Darryl before her cover was completely crumpled in and torn apart like paper in a storm-drenched river, the paladin grabbing onto her tightly to protect her as he harshly murmured: "What are you DOING here?!" "I'm here to fight!" "No, you are SUPPOSED to go back with the other slaves!" "I ain't gonna walk away from this fuckhead, he gonna pay fer whut he did!" "This is not a mission of vengeance, this is a rescue operation!" "You let me have a gun, now ahma 'bout to show you WHY I have one!" Pulling from his arms hard, she fired two shots before ducking to another safe spot, before Jeffries could even stop the bravely stupid defiance of the young girl as Kieran came gunning down hard upon where she was. He wasn't able to fully hammer down on the mostly-protective cover however due to the firing squad-assault of the Brotherhood's remaining superiors, along with Jackson. Nothing was tearing through, despite the combined force of a gatling gun, a rocket launcher, a laser rifle and shotgun. They needed a diversion. "THE FUCK HAS JAMES GOT TO?!" shrieked Paladin Jeffries. "I DUNNO!" roared back Jerry. "BUT WE GOTTA DEAL WITH THIS FUCK NOW!" "Alrigh'...Jerry, move over to the right, distract him with yer laser rifle shots. Jackson, when you see that fuck turn all the way to his left, fire yer rockets, got it?" "Understood," said Andrew Jackson.

Delgado ran towards the right side of the arena, ducking behind debris and firing off his laser rifle somewhat-accurately to annoy their new foe, along with Diana's own handgun petering out shots above the rising flames. The camp was in ruins, but Kieran was determined to keep what was left of his legacy as undefeated above all as he turned and fired a cutting swathe viciously towards the ghoul. Jerry ducked desperately for cover, but he knew it would not last long as the shelling began. Once he had turned all the way, it was time for Jackson who rolled out from cover and fired two rockets towards the throne room. The first rocket was heard as Kieran tried to turn round fast as possible, the mechanised swivel of the chaingun not fast enough to stop the rocket itself, but certainly fast enough to block it as he fell back with a roar of shock and pain. Fire exploded in his face, a hot wave that slammed him back and crippled his chaingun somewhat. But it was not out of commission just yet. Quickly getting back up as his metal armour absorbed most of the impact, he stumbled hard and fired without looking with hands on the trigger. The first rocket had broken the gun's muzzle positioning, sending bullets twisting off all over the place in random directions which while made it uselessly inaccurate, also made it just as dangerous for being absolutely unpredictable. Dangerous enough that it took down rocket number two as well as brutally gun down half its shots upon Andrew Jackson himself, roaring a mechanical cry as pain shattered through his circuits. Oils and transmission fluids leaked down from his chest, several new holes pockmarked like worthless medals as his chaingun began to twitch violently with latent fury. His voice suddenly began to rise with unmitigated rage, blackening as a touch of his old "voiceless" self came pouring in. "You- bzzrrt...worthless DEGENERAAAAAAATE! _" He rolled forwards as logic began disappearing, despite Jerry's cry of panic towards him beckoning him to stop before unleashing all that remained of his gatling gun ammunition. He screamed above the noise of his whining rattling machine arm as well as his own voice flickering back to basic functions. "_I SHALL SEE YOU HANG BY GOD! I WILL- ZZRRZRZRRT -SEND YOU TO PERDITION, AND NOT ONE SINGLE PIECE OF YOU, SHALL BE LEFT- RZZZZT -UNCHARRED, WHEN I AM DONE WITH YOUUUU! _" Jeffries could do nothing to stop it, and Jerry tried to use the opportunity to fire back laser rifle shots along with Diana pinging shots off the less-protected side of a fully-turned-right vulcan gun emplacement. The only saving grace that did not totally obliterate Jackson off the face of the earth, was the fact the chaingun's barrel was now warped enough for most of its shots to fire around him. "YOU STUPID _FUCK, HOOHOOHAHAHAHAHAHA WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO THINK YOU CAN COME CRAWLIN' UP MAH ASS TO GET A TASTE OF THIS THRONE HUH!? MAYBE YOU FUCKED UP MAH AIM BUT I'LL CERTAINLY BREAK YOUR ASS LIKE I BROKE MY STOCK IN TO SERVE ME!" "THEN I GUESS IT'S YOUR TURN!" "HUH!?"

A voice from above suddenly called out, freshly strong with an English accent before something came hurtling down past his vision. A blur of brown before the white-hot strike of piercing twin blades scraping down the length of the gunbarrel's absurdly thick girth towards him, shearing sparks hotly off the top of it as Kieran could only watch at first with confused shock before realising. The creaking groan of his vulcan gun signalled that it had suddenly been cleaved in half straight down the middle, split in two like an iron V as two clawed feet planted on the gun turret's guard. James smiled from above them as he winked at Kieran's well-fed face, twitching with slowly-growing outrage staring up at the raptor dressed in leather armour who simply said: "Remember me?" "Y-you...wha...th-the FUCK?!" "I just wanted to drop by and say, Mr. Black has some unfinished business with you. He should be knocking on your door about...now." At that very moment, a sudden vicious length of cold steel tore through the back wall of the throne room, Kieran's panic growing as he fell and cried furiously before seeing a watchtower's strut impale through his turret brutally. An unknown force of pure strength had lodged it straight through the wall and knocked the turret to flip down and fall upon the arena's sand, throne seat and all underneath gilded in fake gold-encrusted steel. To those watching from below, they simply saw James standing before Kieran as something huge and monstrous climbed through the breaking gap, scrabbling for Kieran in its vicious claws the length of a human leg each. Jerry was first to speak amidst the silent fear that all but one of them was now experiencing, seeing the silhouette of a demon above the slave camp ruins. "...th-th-...that's...it can't be." "It is." Jeffries' stern voice belied a fear in him, one he had rarely felt except that of pure admiration of the uncontrollable beasts created by the wasteland. Grabbing the slave camp leader in one hand holding him up high for all to see, was a ten-foot-tall monstrosity they all knew as the Deathclaw. James simply stood watching his friends down below happily waving back saying: "IT'S ALRIGHT, HE WON'T HURT YOU!" "JAMES, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM IT!" "NO NO HE'S COOL, HE'S A FRIEND OF MINE!" "A FRIEND, IT'S A FUCKING DEATHCLAW!" "WHO ELSE YOU THINK BROKE ALL THOSE TOWERS HUH?! I DIDN'T, YOU WANTED A DISTRACTION YOU GOT IT, I TOLD YOU I HAD IT ALL PLANNED THE MOMENT WE SET THINGS OUT HE WAS RIGHT IN THE AREA! Right, Gruthar!?"

The beast simply turned its head towards James with a slight sneer. " You said that you would allow me to introduce myself properly." "Oh...sorry dude, just need to get them to know you to calm down." " Humans have the need to familiarise their contempt with name. I understand. As for you..." He turned back towards the panicking suited human panting his last breaths. " This arrangement between us is now permanently over." "WH-WH-...th-th-the fuck you talkin' about PLEASE, DON' KILL ME!" " I am pleased to see you have learned one thing, human." "WH-WHUT'S THAT?!" " ...you echo the same words your dear livestock have said to you...once." "N-no, NO PLEASE, NO! NOOOAAAAAAAARRRRR-" He barely had a chance to complete his scream once Gruthar twisted his neck off with a single crunch of neatly-placed jaws, wrenching half the spine out of Kieran's pulsing twitching body before crunching the skull within. James admittedly was a little cringing to hear the noise of bone being devoured in the beastly pale jaws slipping back what remained of Kieran's spine into his mouth before gulping heavily, leaving one dead slave camp leader to the side before saying: " I will leave the rest for later...now...you promised that you would let me introduce myself to your friends did you not." "I did," said James, "and I DON'T mean that in the creepy 'guess who's coming for dinner' kind of thing I do mean like, legit 'let's be friends and not kill each other because we totally won't hurt each other if the other doesn't shoot', that is if none of my friends plan to shoot you...riiiiiight?" He simply grinned a little maniacally at his friends who slowly began to put their guns away. Diana was first immediately trusting with Jackson last due to his needing maintenance badly. Jeffries however did not go quietly saying: "ANYTHING happens, I will not fuckin' hesitate to shoot either of you, I got no reason to trust a thing tha-" "It talks, sir," noted Jerry. "Yes I KNOW, I can HEAR it." "Him." "Don't you start." "I'm just saying he DID kill that guy fer us an' Jim DOES know him an' he DID say that it took down those watchtowers fer us. I mean how long ago was it we even had deathclaws of our own to train with?" "Very long back, and this is different, that's a FULL deathclaw, not some mutt so listen. Campbell, if anything happens because of your association to this thing, I WILL not hesistate to shoot." "Duly noted, Paladin," said FG. "So...would you like to explain how you are friends with...a deathclaw, of all things?" " Hmmm...what was it you said to me James before this little plan of yours? Crocs of the leather stick together?" "Heh, yeah," said James, "something like that at least, but we can talk more once we get ourselved sorted, the slaves alright?" "Mostly...we lost a few but we definitely have enough to rebuild ourselves with." "Alright...shall we get to work?" "Gladly."

Two months had passed since Operation Roadrunner, and already the sun shone a little brighter and a lot less harsh upon the people. With a grand population hitting past 60, the small town of Beech made a lot of improvements to itself by not only extending new homes, renovations and better defence, but also having a whole horde of new recruits and civilians to assist in any way possible. The remains of Middle Fork had been taken down piece by piece, scraps of metal ripped apart to be reused elsewhere, transported by bus back to Beech. "HERE COME THE PITCH!" James stood in the middle of a solid white diamond, chalk in the dirt as he hurled the ball straight at Mrs. Watterson's head, cracking it hard with the bat as it went flying off to the northeast. The dark-haired mother of Diana was barely recognisable from her old self, filled out with a sturdy midriff and a clean set of clothes as she powered across the bases to the cheers of a dozen watchers of the ballgame. James simply watched his team of six struggle to catch the ball, two ghouls and four humans scrabbling to throw it back to him. By the time he got the ball back, Mrs. Watterson had already cleared herself from the game. "SAFE!" "WHOOOO YEAH MOM!" Diana was cheering from the team dugout next to a mutant and three humans, a small shaded area amidst the new field clearing that had once been the junkyard that James had faced Ramona at. The pit had been risen to be the ballfield itself, the scrap now cleared away to be given better use for expanding further on Beech. It wasn't a big crowd today, but it was a sizeable portion of the town population as two robotic voices came blaring out from a small watchtower box overlooking the field, Martin Van Buren starting with: "AAAAND that was Mrs. Jemimah Watterson clearing the entire diamond like a nightstalker clearing its plate, good gravy we have quite the live-wire up against the clawball himself!" "INDEED!" crowed Theodore Roosevelt. "A fine example of good legging for the team and the Reds are down for this season! Looks like it's time to tuck tail between their legs and go home!" "Metaphorically speaking that is, we had quite the play here today, a surprising fumble from Hodgins of all people early on that nearly cost the Blues a running start, but that little rascal Diana managed to speed her way up to victory with her mother following up! Can the Reds get a chance to lick their wounds before the end of this inning?! Let's watch!" James knew that his team was already losing, but he at least wanted to soften the blow a little as he readied his claws on the baseball at their last batter to face. A wily-looking Asian female, he recognised her as the one Crow had been straightening out on their first meet and clearly she had taken his advice on confidence, gripping the bat fiercely as if ready to break someone's head in. Jerry was the umpire standing behind the batter, the catcher another ghoul waiting for the ball. The raptor chuckled toothily with a grin before swinging it brutally fast. "STEEEEEE-RIKE!" She flinched from instinct, couldn't help it, ball went past as the bat went up wrong to her left elbow, wincing as nothing came. Jerry smirked but nobody else wanted to for fear of thinking she was being mocked. The ball got thrown back as James readied himself once more. He knew he had been beaten, but at the very least he had one chance to humiliate the Reds with a curving pitch. "STEEEEE-RIKE TWO!"

Another flinch, this time not as strong but James had curved the ball enough inwards that even if she had struck it, there would not have been enough swing to drive it out towards the field. There would be no mercy for this one. The catcher threw him the ball back and slowly he began his next pitch. Risky but straight ahead, if she cracked it it would go far. She closed her eyes once before quickly opening them in defiance, right as the ball came whilst swinging with all her strength. She heard the crack of pure force from velocity, the ball trembling vibrations down her arm as she heard Roosevelt's joy from the balcony. "HOLY MOSES THAT ONE WENT THE DICKENS!" "INDEED!" cried out Van Buren. "The crowd's going wild as that ball shoots straight for the atmosphere, a most amorphous little thing spinning its cumulonimbal qualities like the perfect little sphere heavenly above the-" "This is a ballgame not the senate Martin, now pay attention! Left field is running fast, ready to pounce on that ball and-OOH not quite, the ball bounces back, caught second time! Maeda is running fast around, she sees the ball and stops on second base BUTWAIT! SHE'S RUNNING FOR THIRD IS SHE GOING TO MAKE IT! Parkinson throws the ball back from left field, Campbell's ready to catch...BUT NOOOOO MAEDA CLEARS THE FIELD!" "And WHAT a game that was, what a truly stellar game in all of the five games we've had of the BeechBall Championship Tournament. Congratulations to the Blues, you have indeed thrashed your opponent plenty with old hickory, and I don't mean my dear friend Andrew!" "HAH," laughed Theodore, "I hope not, that batting arm should be illegal!" "This has been another fine day down at the Beech, where the ball starts flying because we have no bullets left!" "And hopefully never again! Bully for you good sirs and ladies, now get home safely!" "Jeez," said James to himself, "at least they use less big words now." Hurling the ball up in the air before catching it, he walked over towards Diana and Jemimah who were excitably babbling away to each other over today's play, easing himself in with: "I can see where your girl gets her feet from." "I hope that's a compliment!" said Jemimah. "Hahahaha...seriously, great game." "Likewise."

She shook hands sportsmanlike as did Diana who smiled beaming like a cat with a huge fish on her plate, before saying: "Looks like you ain' got NO chance with both of us here now." "Yeah yeah...heh...say uh I wanted to ask you two, um, now that everything's back to normal I guess." "Yah?" "You think I could get you two in a recording for my journey, I mean I plan to go one day when everything's real safe I mean, so um, just before I do." "You really gonna leave sumtahm?" "Well yeah I got promises to keep, not sure how long but-" "Will you come back?" asked Jemimah. "Maybe, hopefully, but I wanna save the memory of you two as well as other people round here." "Okay, sure." "Awesome, alright then." He started up his omni-tool which glowed eagerly towards them as he stepped back giving a good view of the shanty town behind them, the desert wind a mild hair's breadth on their cheeks giving them a cool sensation always, perfect for the apocalyptic summer. "Alright we're rolling, so uh introduce yourselves for me." "Hiiii, I'm Diana, an' this is my mom!" "Jemimah Watterson...hmhm, the diamond killer." "Oh that's your nickname now huh?" said FG. "Well I mean you DID get wrecked today." "Well how was I supposed to know you had a sweet batting arm?! Anyways, what do you two do for a living?" "Ah go to school," said Diana. "An' kill people." "Diana!" said her mother. "Not ALL thuh tahm, jus' when anyone gonna hurt us!" "Well...even so, let's make this a nice memory for him, anyways I work at the general store in town taking inventory." "And how's life going for you?" said FG to both. "It's...ever since we've been rescued I mean how can it get any worse, it's been fantastic. My health is back, most of my friends made it, I have my daughter with me and I feel protected for once, these...people all around me are such good people and wonderful friends I'm so very glad to have made to come rescue me...and...well...thank you too James." "Wh-what?" "Well you DID save my daughter...even though I still don't know how you quite managed that." "He drugged me," said Diana truthfully, "made me look like ah wuz dead an' took me waaaaay up here to Beech, then we got all up on plannin' a way out to save you!" "I know, but...this is very weird still I mean, two months is not enough for me to say thank you." "I had a promise to keep," said FG, "I wasn't going to break it so I'm just glad all's okay." "Hmhm...oh, I better head back, need to make sure the store's doing okay without me." "Alright, this'll do nicely for a memory. Thanks you two." "Thank you...James." Turning off the omni-tool, the raptor headed off to check on what else was needed. He also planned to grab other possible interviews now that he reminded himself, on meeting with the rest of his friends with plans on leaving soon. No reports had come in concerning any violent local groups or any particular migrating hordes, and for all intents and purposes there was peace in their time. James had also taken the time on clearing his omni-tool's memory of all traces concerning anything related to the anomaly, as well as the Scissoraptor.

Good times were the only thing he would carry along with him, building up a small but venerable list of introductions and summaries on those he had met, giving them all a private personal space to be themselves in. Except the robots who almost always stuck together and gladly bantered with unity. "My name's Jerry Delgado, I'm a senior knight fer the Brotherhood of Steel, an' I like to fry things with lasers. Also bikes." "I am Martin Van Buren, the former ninth president of the United States of America. Master controller of the digital dignitary and all things not of digitigrade preference." "And I was his predecessor, Andrew Jackson, formerly the eighth president. I now serve to protect these people with a gun damnably large enough to sink through the earth." "And last but certainly not least at least usually, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., twenty-eighth former president and a man of action, woodsman, explorer and commander of these wretched wastes when able to!" "I've been around fer at least two-hundred years, wandering the wastes hopin' to find out who my father was...can't remember if he was a ghost lion or an evil guy in a black cloak or maybe just a really big black guy with a voice that could melt the polar ice caps if he REALLY wanted to. Nah I'm just kiddin', I just wander around hopin' to be in a safe place, turns out I found one here with my ol' pal Darryl." "All of us have been dead essentially for some time, in absentia postmortem for over at least five hundred years. But you can't keep a good man down which is why me, Theodore and Thomas are all still about. Jackson I...don't really understand why he came back." "Because unlike you Martin I have a backbone." "Of what? Hickory?" "Don't." "You made me your vice president you knew what you were getting into my volatile master of precedence." "Now now lads, this isn't the debate, we can quarrel some other time but as for James' radio visuals I must stress that we were revived ceremoniously with the intent on teaching a future generation all the merits of this great land. Suffice to say our chance did not come soon enough once the wretched fates above blew the skies apart with scorched fire and whatnot, I daresay there are few who would ever want to share the experience of having one's soul bound to this steel coffin. But at least unlike an eternity box this one can damn well move and fight, taking blood from the egregious villains who dare take and enslave the lives of others! They say I only have one life to give for this country well DAMN THAT LIFE I HAVE THREE ARMS TO GIVE AND ALL OF THEM DRAPED WITH VICTORY!" "Iiiiii think that's good enough," said FG. "You guys really give a big show when you're on camera." "A man must not look weak before a crowd, that soon can turn ugly." "Please don't talk about the bullet," murmured Jackson. "Did I ever tell you James that I was shot during a speech?! Damn thing hit my papers and dug into me but I damn well kept going, takes more than that to take down a bullmoose!" "Hahahah seriously?!" said FG. "Wow...um, hey, where is Jefferson anyway?" "Ahhhh," said Martin sadly, "yes I noticed he heard about your wanting to interview people for the sake of public recording yes?" "Ah huh?" "Well he...always had a problem with public speaking, terrible nerves when feeling pressure from more than one audience, tragic really." "Seriously? A president who can't speak in public?" "Not so much he CAN'T rather that he WON'T, see back in his day when he was flesh and blood there was little existence of televised operas and radio transmissions, everything was all out written, so he had quite a few speeches made by other people. Said something of how he found the pain of a little censure, even when it is unfounded, more acute than the pleasure of much praise." "I...does that...mean-" "Disapproval hurts him," said Andrew, "badly, moreso than any pleasure he obtains from being praised for good pedagogy." "Okay he is NOT one of those!" "...do you even understand what that means? Ridiculous." "...um...I-i don't-" "Don't," said Martin, "please, before you dig your own grave any deeper with him. Thomas will be fine, he's busying himself in the conference room poring over maps, letting himself loose in knowledge. The man knows words as if they are one's mistress." "Especially if they're called Sally!" remarked Roosevelt. "SNRRRKHA! Ohhhh you are cruel, let's not have him hear that shall we?"

After a small roundabout trip around the Beech making sure the folks were happy, James went up to the main office where the paladin was, the halls now cleaner than before surprisingly as he stepped up to the office door. Jefferson he had noticed was staying away from the public eye busying himself away with the Li'l Pip's data making referrals on all its calculus, so he let him be and decided not to ambush him with a small interview. But before he could knock on the paladin's door however, Jeffries roared from inside: "I'M BUSY!" "UH, um...sir?!" "WHAT!?" "...did I come at a bad time?!" "I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING, IS THIS IMPORTANT?!" "N-no um, just wanted to ask about leaving!" "TWENTY MINUTES, BE AT THE BUS!" "Yes sir, sorry!" Running off before his head got chewed off, he nervously stumbled off before hearing: "WAIT, WAIT!" He turned back upon hearing the paladin shout out. "Come...come in." Cautiously opening the door he saw Darryl Jeffries leaning back on his chair, clearly wracked with pain of some sort judging by the feverish sweat running down off his head. One of his arms, his left, was now exposed from the suit of armour taken off partially to reveal only up to the shoulder, where a large stimpak of a much more powerful design was impaled in. A leather belt strapped the needle in, pumping something into the muscle itself as James feared the worst. "Is...shit are you alright?" "Just," murmured Darryl, "just need...to let it go through me." "...what is that?" "Super stimpak...causes...sickness when used but...hhhhh fuck...need it." "Are you...um...do you need help? Cuz this doesn't look right." "What doesn't?" "I mean-" "It's not drugs. Least not for recreation, I have some problems medically that I...require treatment with, and of course it...does make me sick." "Oh...um, not that I assumed or anything but-" "Just...give me a hand. See that bottle over there?" He pointed over towards a jar labelled "BUFFOUT" which James gently took. "Hand it over." "...these are steroids." "Yes...hand them over." "...okay, sir? I just wanna ask you this because I trust you." "Wh-what? D-dammit Campbell don't do this I'm VERY sick and the Buffout balances out th-the sickness of this THING in my fucking arm, and I'm only doing it because I THOUGHT after all we've done I was able to do this fucking procedure myself without Sally or Jerry around babying me like some fucking patient! NOW...what is it you want to ask?" "...this is entirely medicinal, not some meth or anything right?" "Yes. I promise."

He sounded exasperated, annoyed more than anything but he certainly did not see any implications of deceit from the paladin, giving him trust by handing over the bottle after opening it. Jeffries popped a few back and gulped shuddering as something took hold of him, snarling like a beast before grappling the desk with his free unmedicated right hand. The sound he made was hoarse, agonising as a chemical compound reaction was surely going through an insane combination inside of him, desperately looking up at the raptor with feverish eyes. "Qui-...quickly, g-gimme that." "Huh?!" "F-Fixer, li'l blue-yellow box...NOW!" The raptor rushed over to grab the Fixer just out of reach, another set of pills in a box he handed over before Jeffries swallowed back the required amount. He grunted violently sharp, squeezing the desk with one hand groaning and almost began sobbing fiercely, squeezing tears out of his eyes as the feminine tone of his voice began disappearing briefly, a deeper almost masculine voice overwhelming. "HHHHhhh...uuuuuhhh...GHHHH...f-fuck...f-fuck this..." "Wh-what's happening? Did I fuck up?!" "N-no...you didn't...you......thank you. That medicine you got saved my ass." "What exactly is...wrong with you, I can get the doctor and-" "No...they're over at Middle Fork, thought I didn't need them...jesus ffffuck..." "...your voice." "Just...side effects...buffout causes...testoster-...hh-hhhh..." Darryl put a hand to his face weeping all of a sudden, gasping as he struggled to maintain composure but wracked with something clearly affecting deeply inside him. It was most certainly a pain of some sort but James had to wonder just what sort of pain was severe enough to even bring a paladin to his knees. The raptor asked: "Should I get Delgado, sir?" "...no...hhhhhno jus-...I'll be down at the bus in about an hour, go...busy yourself until then. Don't tell him, please. Far as you know this has never happened, you got that?" "I...understand sir but if you have any problems-" "I-...I-i-i...no...I'll be fine. Thank you for your assistance, Campbell." "No...problem, sir. And uh...thank you for the promoting me to Knight, after everything." "We'll talk later, just...go, please." Taking his leave cautiously, he wandered his way back down towards the main grounds where another of his new tasks was to be planned. Sitting on the doorstep of the bus entrance half-in half-out of the shade along with Jerry, they waited for their commanding officer to come down looking rather frayed with nervous hands, straightening himself up before climbing on the bus. "We ready to go?" "Yessir," said Jerry firmly, "everyone's ready...hey you alright?" "Just the usual business, forms to file out and whutnot." "Ahhh okay." "We good to go?" "Sure, hop on boss, we got some scrap in the back too so let's roll out!"

James did not question it as him and 20 other members, mainly new recruits of the former slave camp, took off on the bus heading out across the wasteland. James however took a motorbike to act as both personal guard as well as rapid messenger for any immediate emergencies. It barely took them even two hours to reach the former Middle Fork slave camp, the passing of time across the wastes just simply rolling by made easier by rousing songs of dubious intent, the land just a little more tolerable to deal with for all involved. The former slave camp had now been more or less rebuilt in a much less oppressive fashion. The entirety of two months' hard work with many helping hands, bottlecaps for services and scrap materials was slowly but surely making it all work out. It was not completely built, but one day it would be as the de facto leader, the old woman of brown hair and pale skin, orchestrated the redesign of the as-of-now-unnamed new town. Darryl mainly came along to check on the Brotherhood division that had been left to guard this place, as well as to see on any amenities they required. The slave pens had been cleared to become a farming area due to the already-plenty waste of former captives contributing to the nurturing of soil, the arena now a communal open ground for meetings and debates. The throne room had been torn down and reassembled to a more-humble looking town hall of sorts, the gun turret now becoming the door to protect the elder of this village. Guards' quarters now housed the former slaves, storefronts and residential areas much more opened up with only three watchtowers keeping check on all regions. All in all the place had turned itself around nicely, the smell of death had been all but eradicated from the area, and James also saw that Sally Sobhack had been busying herself setting up a medical centre especially. With new machines and a veritable supply of medicine the former inhabitants had kept greedily for themselves, it was well-stocked and well on its way to handling the 50-strong populace of the new town. James stopped by along with Jerry who happily grabbed her rear seeing she was not busy. "GRABBED BY THE GHOULIE!" "AIIIIIIIE JERRYYYY!" "Hahahaha, miss me doll?!" "G-GET OFF OF ME PUT ME DOWN YOU DUMB SACK OF-EEEH!" "Now now...I ain't got that much skin left to take yer harsh words li'l Sally, don't hit me too bad." "Hhhhh...ohhh you." She calmed down and hugged him gladly, a kiss from the ghoul's bony lips to her cheek as she blushed gladly whilst James waited outside to eavesdrop patiently, unbeknownst to Jerry. "Sorry I haven't talked in a while." "It's okay," said Sally, "I know you gotten busy, what with all your big maintenance like a big burly man." "Hey I still got muscles, might as well use 'em fer what I got left." "You know the brain is a muscle too right?" "Yeah well I lost that years ago so I'm just keepin' all my other ones intact." "...I meant your BRAIN, not your-" "So did I? What you think I'm this stupid naturally? In my time I was the president of the united states with a mind like I had!" "Hahahahha, yeah, I don't believe that the FIFTH time I heard it, not from you." "Damn...those robots got to you before I did, the robot uprising is upon us! Quickly, we must flee tonight!" "JERRY NO!" "RUN MY MISTRESS, BE FREE BEFORE THEIR CLAWS GET YOU!" "S-stop, sto-op!"

She batted him away politely as he tugged on her arm half-jokingly, smirking at her with a wide-cracking grin as they sat down and talked properly, the knight ghoul being more serious once they got on the topic of Jeffries as Sally asked: "Is he doing alright?" "Treatment's good, saw him walk out before getting to the bus, li'l shaky like always but hey, must've done it himself. I think he's getting better." "I hope so...we're the only ones he trusts, he's got no one else." "Yeah...heh...didn't expect him to trust you but-" "I know. But we survived Momence together. All three of us." "ONLY all three of us." "Don't talk like that." "Sorry..." "You've known him longer than anyone else has, you know he listens to you it's just that he's a higher rank." "I know I know, don't harsh me jeez...I used to worry about him, but after what we pulled through what with Roadrunner, I think he'll be alright. He used to be rather scared of things not that he ever showed it, needed not to, trying to get everyone on Beech under his side an' that was what, three years ago when we came to Beech?" "Yeah...do you think it still haunts him?" "I don't think so," said Jerry, "not after we got this place, if anything this proves he can still fight to protect people, he still CAN protect people. I think the reason he was afraid to leave beyond Beech was because he never wanted to miss a chance again of anyone coming to attack. And to be fair, we stuck to this place when the Vipers came and attacked." "Good," replied Sally. "I hope so...we don't blame him, it was a bad situation and he made the best of it, we got out because we could." "Yeah, I mean no way in hell am I letting him get rid of me, I'm like a freakin' ghost at this point just hauntin' his ass." "You were the one to make him realise what he was, right?" Her hand placed itself on his, feeling the bone knuckle rub oddly smooth against her fingers. He smirked and smiled softly, almost looking away with a humble blush growing from what remained of his cheeks. "Only cuz no one out here ever heard of sumthin' like that." "I sure didn't, I never thought that existed but I wasn't going to question if he was so sure." "Exactly. Hokay, I better check on things, so you good an' stocked here?" "Yep, actually really good, you don't have to worry about me I'll just be here feeding an' bleeding." "Heh...like always. Yer the only one that knows how to make that stuff he wants. Well, needs." "You'd be surprised what you learn with raiders like I used to, even if half the stuff I made wasn't really safe." "HALF of it?" Jerry crossed his arms looking at her suspiciously, raising an eyebrow as she rolled her eyes. "...okay ALL of it, I never took an oath before then so I'm not a hypocrite, I mean they wanted to get high and snuff themselves that ain't my problem, they were jerkwads and I got all their money, I didn't want anything else." "Yanno I don't give a shit right, I know all that." "I-I know! But...just...yanno..." He grinned with a dark chuckle as he gently got up, pulling her up with him in turn before holding each other's hands. "Hehehehe...I love when you get all devil on me. But I'm glad we found you way out before Momence went." "I'm glad too...you showed me a real better life out here. Both you and Darryl. I'm just really glad I'm able to pay back for it." "You always do. Later doll." With a cli-click and one fingerpoint like a gun Jerry headed out the door as James wandered his way back towards Jeffries, as well as the old brown-haired woman that now became the leader of this village. The two were walking along the central arena taking in the sights, as they discussed ideas planning out for their new home. "The farming has been slow," said the old woman, "the plants are not coming out right." "Jefferson can help you with that," replied Jeffries, "he's an expert on agriculture, we can have him come and direct you further." "We have understood his basic principles, but things are getting complicated. Perhaps human waste is not as sumptuous for earth as expected." "You need bighorner waste for that, it's the most fertile, we can supply you with some." "Thank you, Paladin." "Is everyone feeding well?" "Yes, your scribes' nutrient mixtures have helped us recover surprisingly faster than expected, we haven't even lost anyone from exhaustion since the rescue." "I'm very glad to hear." "...are you alright, you seem peaked." "The ride...I'm not used to riding something like a bus." "Hmhmhm, the paladin's greatest foe, a bad suspension." "You try wearing power armour on that thing, it rattles you like a mouse being shaken in a cage." "Yes...I know the feeling." "That was inappropriate, I'm sorry ma'am." "No no," said the old lady, "I don't care, I have thicker skin than that...from being rattled in a cage of course." "Heh...alright, so Jefferson can come down and help, we'll get some pounds of manure, anything else?" "I believe we require some more steel, the west side is rather lacking in thickness and I would like that to be straightened out." "Very well." "Also, may I speak with your knight, Mr. Campbell?" "Alright, CAMPBELL!" "Yes sir!?"

James hurried over with a salute, his refined leather garments rustling slightly with every movement but keeping him feeling very free and unrestricted. The elder of the new settlement bowed politely saying: "We did not have a chance to introduce before in all the chaos and rebuilding. My name is Genevieve, I am not sure if it is my original name but that's what everyone calls me." "James Campbell, is there something you need ma'am?" "Well...as you know we are of course having some of us settle here, despite its dark origins but we can make this place work." "Yeah, I'm kinda surprised you want to stay here, I mean-" "Why not? There are still walls, garrisons, plenty of weapons and armour from those you've slain, it would certainly be a lot less strain on resources with our fellow township of Beech." "Well yeah...I mean if you guys are happy here then that's fine I mean, some of you guys came back with us anyway." "Indeed so I must ask permission of you...we have several names voting for a new name of this town, and one that seems to be taking the lead is that of Jamestown. Named after you." The raptor blinked as if suddenly deafness had taken him, not quite registering the series of words that went as Paladin Jeffries simply stood back and watched James struggle at this honour. "You...a-are you...are you se-...you...DO realise that's my-" "-name yes," replied Genevieve, "considering you are the one who saved Diana Watterson, and took her to Beech whereby you alerted our host Paladin to our struggle, we consider you to be the progenitor of this saving grace we are given." "B-but...I wasn't even in most the battle, I mean why not Jeffriesburg or...something that's not me-I didn't do anything!" "I disagree," said Darryl, "you stuck to your guns and worked your way up the ladder in Beech to do everything you can to get us down here. You risked your life to keep a promise to these people, through Diana, which I have to commend even after all the bureaucracy around our actions. I would have done this sooner but we were not prepared yet." "That," said Genevieve, "and anyone who is able to tame a savage beast such as a Deathclaw, even one able to speak like men is...rather extraordinary regardless of your unusual species." "But you-" stammered James, "I mean...is that really what you guys want?" "Yes, it is one of our choices. And should that happen, I must ask your permission that we rename this place to Jamestown in honour of you. Would that be alright?" "...I...I-i-i don't know what to say. I mean...never had anyone name something after me." "It is not absolute yet but it-" "If you guys want to name this after me, then go ahead I mean wow...just...really can't believe it, I...thank you." "No. Thank you, and thank the paladin for your saving us. We will never forget this." "I know. I won't either. Um, hey uhh Paladin?" "Yes?" replied Jeffries. "Do you need me for anything else? It's just I promised...Gruthar I'd go see him if I was in the area next time an-" "You are dismissed. Much as I am wary of him I've seen no reason to not trust him in the past two months since our most intriguing conversation. Never had a chance to talk to something like him before." "I just wish he came round to like, be with you guys." "We understand his reasons for not being with us, I won't push. He chose to be a hermit and that's fine by me, I will not force anyone to join my army. You may go see him, I'll be leaving in two hours once I've finished talks with Miss Genevieve and I won't wait." "Got it sir, thank you."

With one last salute he headed off on his bike back towards the usual place, the old ruined chapel cemetery that Gruthar now laid beneath. It was an odd sensation running down a road he had been familiar with but now driven by speed, walking distance almost completely erased from him as he arrived easily within the next half-hour. Gruthar had heard the telltale sounds of a machine nearing him and slowly came out expecting trouble, but soon relaxed as he saw James slip off his bike neatly parking. "Hey there big fella!" " Good to see you James," replied the monstrous beast. " How are things faring with the human slaves?" "Ohhh pretty good, they got the place built up all nice, and guess what, they even wanna name the new town after me! After ME! Isn't that...AWESOME?!" " A namesake? Hmmmm...a great honour indeed, please come into the shade away from this blighted sun." "Gladly." Heading in to see the familiar cave construct, they made their way to the main living region where Gruthar's map still hung on the wall, next to a neatly burning fire for the sake of some lighting within. It was barely any different to when he last saw it two months back, nervous no longer of being in the monster's shadow, his haunched figure slowly carving out small details on his grand cartography. " What name will they now give their new settlement?" "Uhhhh they said Jamestown but it's not official yet, just one of several names they have in mind." " I shall name it nonetheless......there." His scratchings had now replaced Middle Fork with that of Jamestown, the raptor feeling rather admired and bashful all of a sudden as the creature deeply chuckled. " Modesty does not suit you." "Says the ten-foot walking demon." " It is difficult to be humble when you are considered to be Death himself on these wastes." "Heh...true. So uh...thanks. Again." " Hmm?" "For helping me out, like...you came to help me free those slaves knowing you could've gotten shot and I know that you said you'd rather not be involved but-" " I consider it a debt repaid, for your urge to keep living now reborn within you. You are a much stronger different beast to that of one I had known many months ago, wasted in misery at the very prospect of death." "I know...thank you. I feel I haven't done a lot for you but-" " Your presence is all I need to not feel lonely my young James. It was good to help others for the first time in my existence." "You never helped anyone before?" " Creatures of these wastes do not see charity as a necessity, except for those within families or groups living together. Being a...hermit, as your human Jeffries had called it, I have very little need for it." "So...why did you help me?" " Because I was given a mission to assist you. A mission I can now finally relate to you." "Huh?"

Gruthar walked over to a small steel box of relics he had kept over the years before eventually pulling out what appeared to be a small pendant. The moment it glistened in the firelight James swore that he recognised it. Then he did. His eyes went full with shock at the dull stone that never gleamed quite right, the unknown mineral of perfectly useless value and black as night. It was the stone Dar-Ma had given him, that he lost long ago. "...how...h-how did you-" " I saw you," explained Gruthar, " the first time I saw you enter this world through a strange portal...an anomaly not meant to be. I followed you, curiously from a distance, watching you lament and shriek to the heavens of your fate, before disposing of this tone in that fire long ago. I kept it...I was curious. Then I had lost track of you briefly before smelling a much darker scent of blood upon you, knowing I should not interfere in your changed state." "You...y-you knew about all this? You...darker scent, wait does that mean-" " I am aware of your demon's curse, yes. But not until I was told by a spirit of your miserable self did I understand it. This spirit has followed you, guarded you best as it could, protecting you." "Tha...no...can it...did it have a name?" " None that it gave me, nor a gender I could identify. Creatures such as me are sensitive to the ways of existence, it could tell as it spoke to me beseeching my help. You...are of great destiny that shall save many people. And I saw that you were able to clearly from the way your path has made itself back to free these people." "So...someone told you about me...and you hid it from me? Why?!" " It was the spirit's request, I do not know anything else." "Well why did you follow it then?! There was no reason to, did you...what reason did you have to even do what it told you, you could have just not, you said you don't care about people." " Because......hmmm." Gruthar was at a loss for words gently rolling the pendant around in his huge claws glinting cruelly in the firelight. A deep sigh came from him as if the bellows of the earth had exhaled. " I do not know. Perhaps, somewhere in this beast lies the heart of sentient kindness as my father gave me. The lessons that he took from the Chosen One, the great saviour of this wasteland long ago. Perhaps...I thought you would be my chosen one. For me to feel as if my...my life had purpose. As a mitigator of fates." "Wait I don't...you just...you thought you had some great destiny helping me?" " The spirit said that you had potential to save many, far more than I could comprehend. It pleaded me, begged me to protect you, and for that I chose never to eat you or hurt you as a promise. I had no intention truly and the spirit in turn gave me a gift greater than I expected." "What's that?" " ...to hear my father once more through dreams of my darkness. It searched him out through the great aether and so I spoke to him...he gave me a far greater peace than I expected, and for that I no longer fear death or loneliness...because now I know, that my father will always wait for me. And so shall my children."

James gently creased his lips struggling to not feel emotional, gasping softly as he understood pulling back the tears in his throat. He didn't like the secrecy, or the fact he was once again a pawn in something's game, but the fact that he had made a friend out of it who more earnestly was willing to help, as well as all he had accomplished, made things better about this conspiracy around him. He gently took the pendant back from Gruthar and slowly placed it back on feeling it gently hit his chest. Somehow that subtle tap of the useless stone made him feel complete. He now understood what he had been missing all this time. "Thank you...Gruthar." " And thank you...for being my only friend, James." "Heh...you know all those people back at Jamestown will wanna be your friend too." " Let us not assume so quickly. I am not accustomed to social gatherings so easily." "Heheh, you shy?" " More discerning. It's quality, not quantity that matters to me." "You talking about your friends or your food." " Both." The beast grinned wickedly with a dark chuckle that would have made FG nervous, but knowing his manner he simply laughed with him as he slowly made his leave heading back out the cave passage. Gruthar accompanied him to the exit as they made their farewell. "I am planning on leaving soon. Out of this world that is." " I know, you have mentioned this in your last visit." "Right. So uh, just need to get back and say bye to everyone cuz I feel I've done everything I can out here." " Before you go...I have a message from this spirit to you." "Huh?" " That is, do you have any place elsewhere to go?" "...not...really, I don't have a destination in mind." " Then this shall help you." A message written not in his hand on a piece of paper, before offering to James allowing him to read it. He had never seen such handwriting before, so clear and cursive he had to wonder what sort of spirit was able to scribe such penmanship.

A portal lies yonder, one not of your construct An old friend you shall meet and whom one day shall save The path shall open and there I see That your journey lies home in Ivalice free.

James could only squint at the piece of paper out of curiosity, but the moment he saw the word underlined he felt his head began throbbing slightly. That telltale sign of being pulled to the next world flickering from his central processing unit, thickening as the word repeated endlessly inside his head. "...I...what?" " That is the message I have for you." "But this...what is Ivalice?" " Your next destination, or so she told me. She stressed that-...apologies, I was mistaken." "W-wait, she?!" " That is all I can tell you, for now go back and bid your friends farewell, I am sure you shall reflect most promptly on what I have said to you. Farewell James." "Um...okay, yeah, I guess...see ya Gruthar. Goodbye." With a simple handshake to the giant beast, his claws clearly dwarfing the raptor's own within them, he controlled his thoughts for now and simply headed back out towards the new settlement unnamed before meeting back with Paladin Jeffries. The group soon headed back by bus to obtain supplies from Beech as well as Thomas Jefferson, whose expertise was needed to handle agriculture. But just when he thought he had no loose ends left, there lied one he had missed and soon revealed itself the moment they got back to Beech. A fuse, deadly and uncertain that brought death to the wasteland once more.