The Broken Banks [Closed] [M] [Slow]

Coil had never been one of Sage's favourite students, or one of his brightest when it came to academics. This conversation quickly became a little boring for him and he searched for a reason to leave.

"Aha... well uh.. it's been great to see you again, Coil, my man but I uh... I have to go to the Sixth Street Tavern and get myself a drink. All this spy-chasing is making me thirsty"

He had lied. He didn't even believe it himself when he words left his mouth. Sighing, he moved through the huge crowd with no ease and much discomfort, aside from when his hands brushed against the buttocks of the many women in the thick, bustling crowd.

'You old sea dog', he thought to himself, quoting an old book he had read once.

After washing up out of the tide of people onto the beach that was the Sixth Street Tavern's doorway, he gave it one look and remembered the time he'd lost three of his teeth there. He chuckled, and began to walk further downs the streets. He made it to the Fourth Street Hotel where he had free bed and board (courtesy of the wolves). A little drunk and a little tired, he wandered inside and didn't even give the receptionist a look. Yawning and bumping into a few people on the way up to his room, he eventually reached the top of the what felt like a mountain (the stairs). After fumbling with the door handle for a second, he entered his heavily-furnished room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a couple enter the room to his right.

'This could get interesting' he thought with a smile.

As soon as he entered he yawned loudly and lay on his bed for a while, awake. He heard the woman say "What will you do with me...?", and laughed devilishly to himself.

'Kinky' he thought.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Since I got forfeited while doing my exams, just say Eugene sat back and listened for this round. I don't have any more to add to Sage's part anyway)

"No firearms? An interesting variable for Vault-Tec to use. I knew that your Vault existed from my own previous research, but I was unable to find any information regarding it's experimental purposes."

William listened to the faint sounds of celebration from beyond the mansion. It was a strange sensation, listening to the sounds of enjoyment. How could they be happy with conditions so poor, with attacks on their holdings by people more savage then themselves. It was something he had not considered, as animalistic as the previous lost were.

"We were migrant tribals, with most of us hailing from the Eastern Dust Bowl, Ohio Valley, and Dead Virginia."

He looked to Marilyn, nodding. She seemed to have answered his minds own question. They could not be called civilized – not truly, not while they still used firearms – but tribals could be a fitting term. A step below a Kingdom surely, but not beyond elevating. He stopped to listen though, truly intrigued by the history of the Wolves.

"The tech here is all salvaged. When I met them, the Wolves owned nothing but tents, clothing, and guns. Everything we have now has been reclaimed or bartered for. We were not lucky enough to find any caches of top tier armor yet. And yes, William, Manteo Mansion sits on top of a Vault. Vault 88, to be more specific. We did not utilize the G.E.C.K. as Vault 88 never received one. It's purpose was much more sinister than sustaining human life.”

William wondered what sinister purpose the vault could have held. Their ancestors were truly lost individuals, destroying the world, ensuring the suffering of other people. It was sickening, but there was nothing to be done but strive for a better future.

"And as for my own equipment, I am descended from a group of people who possess the most advanced tech in the Wasteland. Vertibirds, Trucks, Tanks, a Mobile Fortress, and more weapons than you could imagine. They manufacture their own armor. This particular model, given to me when I became a squad leader, is modified. Their knowledge and equipment is unmatched in this world, my friend. But unfortunately, William, they are evil. I saw the errors of our ways, and chose to stay with the Wolves in hope of aiding their survival and advancement towards a strong nation, one made of strong individuals. The kind of nation that could survive this Wasteland and resist people like my own kin."

"More than evil..." Angel spoke up softly. Her words told a deeper story, ith the emotion there, but none of the knights dared ask out of respect. “They are some of the most brutal and sinister people of..."

William looked concern has Angel seemed to space out for a moment, standing there quietly and awkwardly before downing a large gulp of Nuka Cola. It was odd behavior, and William was sure something had happened.

"Sorry," She said after gulping down a swallow. "I occasionally suffer migraines..."

For William, that was a good enough explanation, though Marlon's thoughts were much more concerned. Unlike the other knights, Marlon was much more fascinated by Magicians and the science surrounding them as he had already shown. His mind formed words as though he were speaking, though they did not leave his mouth. My lady Angel . . . I know it is personal, but perhaps. . Is this a side effect of your abilities? Some Magicians in Camelot had similar problems when they were younger. . . Marlon waited for continuing, hoping that the foreign 'magician' was paying attention.

William continued on in his discussion while Hardwin maintained his silence, still lost in thought about the implications that the Wolves would bring to his beloved home. William seemed thoughtful, and rubbed his chin as he continued to study the map.

“Advanced. . . You are referring to the Enclave. . . .” It was not a question.

----------------

Sir Walter indeed took the lead, boots crunching through the mud, dirt, and branches that were underneath them. His eyes fixed ahead, face shrouded in darkness by his hood. His hand clenched into a fist briefly as he considered something, and then the fingers opened again. It was something Walter seemed to do a lot, as if he could catch ideas and truth in his grasp. He did comment once however, choosing to respond to the Paladins comments on guns.

"Of course the world is filled with them Paladin. Lesser men always use lesser tools to do their work. Our armor will protect us from their blasphemous weapons." His voice had taken on the strangely soft tone it sometimes did, and then fell silent while Bronwen and the Paladin spoke.

"I don't like dealing with all these freaks and their guns. Maybe some of them are civilized but.... How can some ever be called anything but Lost?"

Walter didn't laugh, and his response was simple. It was also a tad bit harsh. "You see Paladin, it doesn't matter if they're lost or not. What matters is that we can use them. Also, do not presume that I care if you like our methods or not. I am a Magician, and I have been tasked by the King to do this, no matter the cost." This last part carried over to the others, his point being made clear.

Sir Adam had no questions for Walters devotion. He had been right there with him when they had all been 'forced' to down that awful 'food.' And he had no illusions that neither of the Magicians had any doubts about their methods. They were better prepared for such tasks then him. He simply wanted to make sure everyone remembered that it [/i]was questionable, even if necessary.

"Do not presume to mistake our foes as 'weak' Sir Adam. Weaker than us? Certainly. But those cannibals did not get their meat by living a content and happy lifestyle, free of conflict. While you and your brothers in arms were whacking eachother with wooden swords in training, these men and women were struggling to survive in a hostile world. They are cunning."

"They are bestial. The Lost survive, disfigured and primal. An animal survives. That does not make them anymore cunning then-"

Bronwen interrupted Sir Adam. "He did not say they were civilized, Sir. A wolf stalks his prey, hunts them, circles the victim, before the pack strikes down their target. You would not call a wolf weak, Sir."

Adam frowned under his helmet. "A wolf uses claws and teeth. It does not press a button to take it's prey"

"Now stay on your best behavior. We are here. Sir Adam, send a Knight forward to announce that we are here. I'd prefer not to get shot at."

"Of course, Sir Walter. I believe we've had enough of that for a lifetime, this trip."

He fell back as they neared the gate, speaking with one of the knights that had been sent to scout the area. In short order, the man headed back to the front of the column with Sir Adam, passing to the front and unfurling a blue and white banner with a fort overlaid with sword and shield. The banner of Camelot.

The knight raised his voice as they approached the gate, and the entire party felt relief when no one began shooting at them. Their introduction had been rehearsed for the Storm Troopers, after scouting and gathering information.

"Hail, Storm Troopers. We are Knights of Camelot, sent by the Great King Richard the II, and we seek an audience with the Fuhrer."

Bronwen did not speak, but Walter would hear her words nonetheless.

'And so the game begins again...'

Alphonso ignored the muffled words of the wolf, and instead tried to focus on the actions of the hauser. He took one last stroke of his cigar, and then let it rest on his lip. Alphonso's head was buzzing thinking a few moves ahead of the situation, he figured he could fool the armed soldiers with the 'ol Delta trigger, a technique he had thoroughly conditioned his squad mates in...the Stormtroopers would have no chance of retaliating.

Roberts grip stationed firmly on the soldier of the wolf, his eyes locked with those of the hausers as he did so.

'Brave words, Commander, but I would expect nothing less from the wasteland's master race. From a fellow human. Were I born a simple wastelander into a backwater settlement, I would fear you. Had I grown up half-naked and huffing healing powder with the most complicated weapon available being my father’s old pipe rifle, then I would allow you to keep your prisoner and be on my merry way'

Alphonso cared little for the spiel from the Hauser, but he kept his eyes on the movements of his soldiers, it was imperative to watch them to successfully orient the Delta trigger. he saw one of them, Muller, reach for a plasma grenade and then throw it to the parched ground below them.

Alphonso - who wore no helmet - held his hands up in front of his face, but continued watching the enemy troopers as the crackles of the grenade lit up the surrounding area.

"Pulse grenade!" Alphonso bellowed to his fellow soldiers, he unsheathed his cutlass and pointed to the tall grass where the troopers had ran.

The troopers appeared to have forgotten the wolf, accordingly Robert used the wolf as a human shield in a last-ditch effort to negate the effects of the bomb -although to little effect- he then tossed the wolf to the ground, and planted his boot firmly on the chest of the wolf

Fido on the other hand, was thoroughly distraught by the blast, and with speed took off into the bushes (not the same bush where hauser and his men went.)

Nalania, Meatpoochie, Robert, and Claudia (excluding Alphonso, Stephen, and Fido - they do not where power armor helmets-) quickly pulled their power armored masks off after hearing their leader shout, they were conditioned to do so in order to avoid messing with malfunctioning optics. With the removal of their helmets Alphonso sharply pointed with his cutlass to the brush where the troopers had scurried to.

Alphonso yelled again as he raised his saber "Heavy rise, Rest lay!"

The ranks all went down into prone, with their respective rifles weapons trained on the bushes, the only two not in prone were Meatpoochie, and Stephen, Meatpoochie took a wide stance with, and pointed his Gatling laser firmly at the bushes where Alphonso had pointed, Stephen on the other hand was facing in the opposite direction scratching at the dome of his Enclave scientist helmet baffled that Fido had taken off in such a manner.

Alphonso -on the ground in prone- smiled, but his grin quickly turned to disgust he looked up at Meatpoochie and spoke "Meatpoochie, Unleash hell!"

Meatpoochie began to quickly spray lasers upon the bushes, where Alphonso had pointed. While doing so, Alphonso rose to just his knees, and with all of his strength pitched his cigar as close to the brush as he could. He lie back down in prone he smirked and thought to himself. 'If we can't shoot them out, we'll burn 'em out.'

(OOC: Ok Endi's forefitted his turn. I count a day. So I'm done editing. Meta, you can go if you like, waiting for or skipping Steel if you please. I leave it up to your discression. Let's get this awesomeness train rollin')

Alpha watched Seth mourn the loss of her men, and a hellish grin crept across the Alpha Wolf’s face. Crawling through the bloody sand and taking in the horror of her companions, the leader of the Bandits reminded Alpha more of a lost teenager. The woman chuckled as she observed Seth's temporary devastation.


And as she waited for Seth to take a weapon, waited for Seth to make a foolish attempt at vengeance, something happened that the woman once known as Lita did not expect. Rachel Seth rose to her feet, gazed straigth into her eyes, and said the on word that had usually pissed Alpha off more than anything other.


“No.”


Waves crashed on the beach to the East. Somewhere, a gull cawed. Alpha studied the Leader of the Bandits for a long moment, absorbing the woman’s defiance. Cade, one of the heavy weapon specialists in Alpha’s Team approached her from the group. The man was great with a grenade rifle. She held her rage for Seth temporarily, giving him a softly raised eyebrow.


“Yes, Cade?”


“If I may,” he began, “giving her the pleasure of death needs to be avoided, if only temporarily. Killing her would be something of a bad omen for the current stability of our people… if you get my meaning… It would be wise, for now, to simply follow the orders given to us. And then perhaps, you can finally show her the death, as her home burns to the ground.”


Alpha looked to Cade with her usual expression, one of bored disinterest in politics and public relations. The woman then sighed, knowing the soldier was right. “Big, bind Ms. Seth. Clint, grab the weapons. Looks like we’re headin’ to Manteo. “ she said as Clint returned his leader’s camouflage power helmet. Before putting her helmet on, Alpha gave Seth one last look as she spit on one of the corpses.


Big’Un approached Seth from behind, taking the woman’s wrists gently and binding them. The mountain of a man finished binding Rachel Seth. He then placed his giant hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him slowly.


“Are you going to walk quietly with me or do I have to carry you?” the man asked in a deep seriousness, wearing a blank expression on his large, brown face. The metal mask he usually wore sat atop his dreadlock covered head. The mark of the Wolves had been seared into his large, uncovered bicep. As the evening wind blew lazily, he waited for Seth to respond.


“Cade.” Alpha said as she locked her helmet and adjusted her gear. “Up front with me.” The woman turned to her team.


“Den. Move.” And with that, Alpha Team and their now single prisoner changed course and began in the opposite direction of Kill Devil Hills. They were now headed for Whalebone, then on to the Capital City.









"I'm not like most Bandits, because I wasn't born into them, rather, I was taken captive. When I was young, my father was a travelling doctor, and the Bandits seized him, and his little son, myself. He was forced to work for them, and he didn't like it of course. He taught me most of what he had learned, probably to be able to take care of myself, and make a living if I ever got released from the Bandits. He killed himself one night, the Bandits gave him shit, a lot of it. Rachel...she saw something in me, I don't know what, but she made the Bandits respect me. I still don't like them though, which is why I'm willing to hand out this information freely."


Tila studied Frederick for a moment, and then smirked. “No, I don’t suppose you would enjoy the company of the swamp bandits.” she said quietly. “They made you and your father work for them… I’m sorry.” she said honestly. “They... the Wolves are just distrustful of you… and I know what it feels like to be a slave…“ The young woman told Frederick.


“Girl, shut up.” Metal Face said from the door. It sounded as if he was losing his patience.


Oxford entered the room with a Nuka-Cola in hand, chuckling. “It seems Rachel Seth has been caught. She’s demanding an audience with yourself and master Darwin.” the strange man said.









“Do you ever feel like that, Thiago?” She had asked.


Thiago just stared at her. “Nah.” He said flatly, he’d never thought that was the case. “There are relatively few things I actually know in this world… The sea, and the monsters from it. I grew up in the harsh sand, travelling up and down the coast. I dunno if it was like that back in the Old World.” Thiago awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “I feel like I sorta do belong in the wasteland. Never felt at home anywhere else. Does that make me weird or somethin’?”


"No." Jade said as the approached they bar. "It's a great thing, to belong." she said quietly. Jade then asked Thiago if he was ready to enter the bar she had led him to. A pair of Wolves walked by, briefly looking at Thiago before continuing by with drinks in their hands. Jade waited for the fisherman's response patiently.


“Yeah, sure.” Was Thiago’s only reply. He hadn’t really talked with anyone like this extensively for quite a number of years. He was pretty used to being alone, in his boat, with a moody bird that tried stealing meat despite him giving it the leftovers from the carcass. The situation made him feel uneasy, somewhat out of place. Jade picked up on this, and took his arm as they entered. She gave him a wink as they walked into the dark establishment


Thiago glanced around a bit. He noticed the sort of change from wolves to contractor establishment. It felt almost familiar, since he’d spent a lot of his time in similar places closer to home, he guessed there must’ve been similar places across the Banks in Wolf territory… though he wondered how well contractors were treated in some places. Thiago glanced over at the barmaid and gave a half smirk at Jade’s request.


After he sat down across from her, he looked up at the barmaid. “I’ll go with the flame roasted blueshell, and a glass of whiskey.” Thiago said, giving a sort of nod, before taking off his hat and his big padded coat. As he took it off, he revealed a hidden blade strapped across his lower rib, inside a leather pouch and his dull white shirt, with the collar removed. He quickly took the blade off and wrapped it up within the coat, as not to alarm anyone and sat it on the chair besides them. With the exposed skin, Jade could see a whole host of scars he’d gotten in his time from various fauna.


The barmaid nodded to Thiago. She struck a match from her apron and lit the candle in the center of Jade and Thiago’s table. All the occupied tables glowed with similar candles. “I’ll be right back with yer drinks.” she said before turning and making her way back to the bar. Jade took this time to survey the man’s scars as he removed his coat, wrapping his weapon in it. Blueshell claws and Needle Fish bites. The young woman thought to herself. Painful.


The barmaid returned, setting a Nuka-Cola and a Whiskey on the table. “Grub will be jus a minute.” she said as she left them again. Jade kicked back in her chair, swilling her Nuka-Cola and enjoying the music. She guessed the man on guitar and the one on the piano were artistic contractors, and the girl was thankful for Darwin’s appreciation of music.


“So, do you like the music, Thiago?” she asked, replacing the Nuka-Cola on the table and leaning forward again. “It’s not like the stuff that plays on the Old World radios. Up beat, isn’t it? We have a guy who plays this stuff back in Kitty Hawk, but he’s not this good.” the young woman commented while, looking to her companion. She took a moment to brush her wild hair with her fingers, embarassed at how it must look. The bar patrons continued to drink and laugh around them. A muffled explosion was heard from nearby, followed by muffled cheers and howls.


“Festival is in full swing.” Jade said, watching Thiago nurse his whiskey. “We needed this. So far, this year has been tough for us. I mean, the contractos are working well. You’re contributing more than your share, buddy.” she said with a playful grin. “But the caravans… more and more often they don’t return with the supplies we need. And with Darwin shifting us to a defensive state on the Banks… who knows how much we’ll be seeing supply wise. We need more yeast, grain, energy cells, furs, sugars, and such...” Jade continued, pushing back her heavy brown hair. “We make what we can, but we consume more goods than we can make ourselves… There I go, rambling again.” She said sheepishly. Jade took another swig of her Nuka-Cola, then fell silent.


Her green eyes met Thiago’s. Just as she seemed to muster the courage to speak again, the barmaid interrupted.


“Here ya go.” the woman said as she approached, balancing a steaming plate in each hand. Before Thiago she placed a sizzling tray of Bluesheel meat. The white chunks steamed with heat and wafted with a spiced aroma. Before Jade, she placed a long plate of Thrasher tail meat. The large chunks set in a shallow pool of bubbling butter. A bowl of cooked greens was sat near the candle. ( A type of wild cabbage on the Banks. The Wolves just call them ‘greens’. ) Placing old, stainless steel cutlery beside each of them, the woman nodded. “Just holler if you need anything else.” she said as she turned and was flagged down by another table.


“Mmm. Smells great” Jade said, enthusiasm coming back into the young woman. Slowly, the drugs were wearing off. She was once again becoming the talkative, eccentric girl Thiago remembered her as from his previous visits. The guard picked up her fork and her knife, nodded to Thiago, then began cutting her Thrasher meat into slivers.


“Dinner’s on me, T. It’s the least I can do tah repay you. I probably would have caught another bullet, or been fish food.” she said matter-of-factly as she stuffed a chunk of meat into her mouth. She seemed to have regained her appetite.


“Anmph ah dun want nuh argumeph ovah dah bill.” she said with a mouth full of Thrasher tail. She gave the fisherman a bashful smile afterward, chewing the rest of her food and swallowing it quickly. The cut on her head was no more than a scab now. The chems were working quickly. “S’cuse me.” Jade suddenly realized she was now self conscious about her manners in front of the Fisherman, although she couldn’t think of a good reason to be. Patrons of the bar continued laughing and drinking around the couple. They were oblivious to Jade and Thiago’s presence.


“How long are you planning on staying on The Banks?” she asked after eating more Thrasher and drinking the rest of her Nuka-Cola. The question had been bothering her for some time now. Perhaps selfishly, Jade did not want the contractor to return home to the Southern Shores anytime soon, but she knew he would.

Roanoke Island
Manteo City Streets

As Ling walked the crowded streets of Manteo City, she was surrounded by festivities and lights. Music came from all over the city, and laterns hung from every building. The increase number of guards and soldiers was nearly unnoticeable among the crowd of Wolves and contractors in the streets. The streets were still damp with the days rain, but it had been nearly and hour since the rain had stopped. The city was beginning to dry up. And it's people were beginning to loosen up.


The woman rounded a corner, and passed by an open window. Inside, a prostitute smiled at Ling. The girl's name was Helena, and the hooker had agreed to keep an eye on Ling's boys when they were around the eight street area. And if one of the boys got frisky with any of the contracted girls, Helena told Ling about it. They were friends, but had never been close. Helena waved as Ling passed by, then continued attempting to attract clients from the street.


A garage was open nearby, and inside Wolves were fighting in bare knuckle matches. Caps were being thrown down around them as they traded blows. It seemed quite a deal of money was on this particular match. The spectators cheered as one Wolf hit the concrete heavily. The cheers were lost behind Ling and in the general crowd.


A Wolf spotted Ling making her way down the street and hurried to catch up with her. When he made it to her side, the Wolf adjusted the strap holding his weapon and smiled. "Hello, Ling." the man said amiably. His short beard framed him chin well, and the light combat armor her wore was adorned with a blue wolf paw painted on his back. The man had known Ling for some years, but had been posted out of Manteo City for nearly a year now. Until Darwin had made the call for increased security.


"How are the boys?" Orlando asked.

North Carolina Wetlands
Somewhere near the Alligator River

Herb and Gerb stepped back into the muck quickly as Paxton began to scream again and throw grenades. Only after the grenades failed to explode did Herb approach them and pluck the from the mud. Gerb waded up to his brother sheepishly, peeking around his twin at Paxton. The young man continue to scream, and his psychotic rambling echoed through the damp swamps.


"Ah ayunt nevar seent no ghust laydee." Herb responded when Paxton was finished. "Nope. Nevar." he reassured himself.


"Dost Ady?" Gerb questioned as he made his way to a broken stump. A Blackwater Fly buzzed out from the broken tree. It flew towards Gerb quickly and landed on his shoulder. Before it could bite the Native, Gerb smashed it with his fist. Twisting his heavy eyebrow in discomfort, the mutant wiped the slime on a tree nearby. Pausing for a moment, he then went on to examine the contents of the stump with great care.


"We wust nut foolowings you. You come en dis grove uh bang un yell un woowee!" Herb said as he examined the grenade in his hand.

Roanoke Island
Manteo Mansion - Observatory Room

"More than evil..." Angel spoke up softly. Her words told a deeper story, ith the emotion there, but none of the knights dared ask out of respect. “They are some of the most brutal and sinister people of..."


William looked concern has Angel seemed to space out for a moment, standing there quietly and awkwardly before downing a large gulp of Nuka Cola. It was odd behavior, and William was sure something had happened.


"Sorry," She said after gulping down a swallow. "I occasionally suffer migraines..."


Darwin regarded the girl with a questionable look. He wanted to know what was happening to her, but it was not the time. Nodding to Chau, Darwin returned his attention to William. Marilyn gave Angel a thoughtful look before returning her attention to William. Chau handed Angel a box of fancy lad cakes, mistaking her strange actions as her usual behavior. His hollow eyes studied the girl with a blank expression on his face. Slowly, he raised his eyebrows.


"You okay?" Chau asked in a whisper. Although the strange wolf seemed to posses as much charisma as a stone, he did posess a quality that Angel had grown used to. Chau treated her like a Wolf. An equal. Some Wolves feared her, some were infatuated with her, and some regarded her as no more than a girl who lost her mind. ( And some Wolves thought she was Darwin's lover, aiding Marilyn in keeping their lord satisfied. In Wolven society, many couples are poly-amorous, so the idea was plausible. ) Chau, however, treated her with a touch of indifference. He treated her like she was a Wolf, no more and no less. As close as Chau stood to Angel, his thoughts formed easily in her own mind. You should have one of the doctors examine you. Tumors are common among humans exposed to FEV. How Chau knew this, why that was the only thought in his silent mind, and whether he knew Angel could hear him or not were all mysteries.


William continued on in his discussion while Hardwin maintained his silence... William seemed thoughtful, and rubbed his chin as he continued to study the map.


“Advanced. . . You are referring to the Enclave. . . .” It was not a question.


Although William's knowledge of the Enclave's existence was unexpected, Darwin did not show his surprise. Instead, he gave William a smirk followed by a single nod. "Yes. I was born Enclave and raised Enclave. I have only been with the Wolves for about nine years now. They saved me as much as I saved them." Darwin said. Walking around the covered table in the center of the room, his power armor servos whispered quietly.


"Fortunately for myself and the Wolves, I was on a search and salvage mission all those years ago. We were looking for a Vault near the border of the Dust Bowl, south-west of the Ohio Valley. Vault 81, I believe. Between the various raiders, the hostile environment and storms, limited supplies, and a group of deathclaws, my team and our support quickly dwindled to only myself."


"I found the Wolves... or they found me. Either way, something about them planted a seed in my mind. These tribals, they appeared to possess many of the important building blocks of a society. Respect and Loyalty was strong among them, even if generally nonexistent to outsiders. They took a liking to me, I took a liking to them, and I soon realized that the Enclave had been wrong. I had been wrong. I realized that all other human beings, even the tribals and the vagabonds, deserved a chance to live in a place free of famine and constant struggles for survival. So left the Enclave and their distorted ideals behind... and I led the Wolves here. That was eight years ago. Darwin paused beside the table, before his wife, Angel, Chau, and Ghost.


"And so the Enclave is where my armor came from, but i have abandoned the Enclave and their twisted campaigns. I can't help but wonder though, William, how did you acquire your power armor?"

Coast of the Albemarle Sound
Currituck Caverns

The old woman was filled with mother's joy, her wrinkled face resembling an old apple with a faced carved into it. She slipped the mercenary's grip and embraced Amos in as large a bear hug as an old woman can muster, running her withered hands over the crevice-ridden flesh covered rock Amos Moses called a face.


“Baybee”, She replied warmly. “Gi’ momma sum sugah now”.


The mutant took a knee, then went on to embrace his mother carefully. Amos used his left arm to hug his mother, fearing the strength of his right arm may damage her aging bones. The Native let out a deep grunt of satisfaction, resting his squared chin on his mother's head. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of masculine body odor, swamp muck, gator guts, and smoked meat.


The other mutants in the cavern kept quiet, knowing an interruption would anger Amos Moses. None of them cared to catch a clout to the skull anytime soon. They began to turn their attention to Tigru. Whether he was a Wolf, he was a still human. Therefore, he was not welcome in the Currituck Caverns, as far as the Natives were concerned. The Native holding the shotgun took a slow step towards the mercenary, licking his broken and blistered lips. Another Native, this one sporting a machete and a walking stick, poked Eugene with the makeshift cane. He grinned at the man, showing his remaining four teeth.


[Grandma] hugged [Amos] a little more, but soon became conscious of the other mutants and their ragged, wheezy, giggling breaths. It would not do for the mercenary to die here. The Wolves would trace the body back to them if they found it, and those boys needed little excuse to let off a few rounds into some poor Native out frog catching. Breaking the hug, Grandma banged her stick rhythmically against the rock beneath her. The cavern seemed to moan like a cadre of ghosts, the echo carrying well through the stale air.


"Nah y'all prick y'ears up!" Grandma addressed this to every mutant, seen and unseen, lurking in the cavern. She spoke like she would to a dog or a child. Simply and with authority. The old woman hoped it would be enough. “Y’all’s is not ta touch dis Misser n'any wrong fashion, y’all geddit? Dis is a good Misser. He done got ol’ Grandma here frum Nag. So no shootin', bitin', hollerin' at him or nothin'.”


Grandma banged the side of the cavern again for good measure. When it came to getting the Natives to listen to her, the old woman's record was notoriously fifty fifty. It depended on the Natives in question. Whether they considered her alarmingly un-Native like appearance a blessing - or a curse. Hopefully, having her son - her hulking, rippling cyclops of a son - standing by would stack the deck in her favor. But there were no guarantees with Natives.


The other mutants in the cavern shifted around, but said nothing. One of them eyed the mercenary suspiciously, running his knife down his pant leg so that it made a dragging noise across the rough fabric. Another mutant shifted near Eugene, sniffing the less mutated Native. As Grandma turned her attention back to her son, a hand extended from the darkness. It attempted to touch Grandma's hair.


The Native in the shadows was siezed by his wrist, then dragged into the dim light of the torch. The mutant squealed in terror as Amos drug him into the circle of surrounding Natives. With a grunt, Amos twisted the swamp folk's arm. A crunch was heard, and Amos released the touchy Native. Cowering away to the corner and cradling it's broken arm, the disfigured and dirty man sobbed heavily.


Amos growled, and it was a deep, rumbling sound. It reminded Tigru of the sound Swamp Trashers make.


"If any mo' of yuh er stupid 'nuff tah touch mah momma or dat human, Ah'll rip yer jaw kuhleen off." The monstrous mutant bellowed, glaring into the circle of swamp folk with his one remaining eye. Fortunately for Amos, the drafty cavern and the cool night air were keeping his body temperature under control.


"Dat one's ah wolf-man!" a scratchy voice protested as it's sausage-like fingers pointed out Tigru. The mercenary shifted uneasily, but did not go for his weapon. Amos turned and planted his right elbow into the rasping Native's face, busting him in the lips. As the Native toppled over and held his lips, he hissed. Amos raised his right fist high above his head. The Native below him squealed, "No! Didunt mean noffin. Ah'm sorry, Amos!" The moutain of a man lowered his arm slowly and scoffed. When he turned to the rest of the swamp folk, they gave Amos, Grandma, Tigru, and Eugene a great deal of space. Many of them wandered back off to whatever it is they were doing before Eugene's and then Grandma's arrival. Amos turned to his mother, leaning his heavily muscled and dis proportioned back against the cool cavern wall.


"What's eatin' at you, baybee," Grandma asked her son, ineffectually scrubbing the bloodstains on Amos's shirt with spit on her thumb. "Why'd yoo go draggin' yo' Momma outta bed now?"


"Aww Momma..." Amos said sheepishly. Tigru thought the behemoth's child-like tone was comical, but had enough wit to keep his amusment to himself. The mercenary waited patiently beside the mouth of the exit tunnel. He produced a muti-fruit and began to peel off it's thick, carapace-like skin. One of the remaining mutants licked it's blistered lips greedily, but stayed on the other side of the cavernous room.

"...ah jus' wanted yoo tah be safe." Amos explained, running his left hand over his bald head. "Me an' some ah mah boys are gunna hit the wolf-men hard tomorrow. Danks to hour friend ova dare, I lurned Wolfs are expectin' a big caravan tahmorrow. 'Spose tah be loaded with goods, un escorted by new Wolfs. We gots a radio and fizzy drank and 'splosives and many stuffs last time, momma. We gone hit 'em hard 'morrow. Choke 'em like I chokes da gators. Ah wanted yah safe, and I need somone with medicines and the healing stuffs." The mutant concluded.


Tigru took another bite of the sour Muti-Fruit, observing the conversation quietly while spritzing his short beard with fruit juice unintentionally. The man noted the dramatically different way that Amos spoke to his mother again, versus how he spoke when she wasn't around.


Amos turned to Eugene, looking down to him with one bloodshot eye. "Yah slipped mah mind. Why are yah here? I don remembuh seein' yah before." the Native said in a rumbling voice. Tigru watched quietly as he finished his dinner.

Roanoke Island
Manteo City - Fourth Street Hotel

“The Fuhrer generally frowns upon rape. Sexual contact with a tribal renders one unclean – perhaps diseased – but since you are only a collaborator, I imagine we should be fine.” Zoller said as if they were merely discussing the weather. Scarlet regarded him with a look of disbelief and mild shock. ( Mild only because the darkness of her mind had whispered the evil idea already. )


The man made his way to her window and opened it, allowing the soft coastal breeze to flow inside. Zoller seemed to stare down into the crowd for a long moment, observing the streets of Manteo City. Studying the Capital of the Wolves. Scarlet located glasses and liquor and junk on the shelf with shaking hands as he returned his attention to her.


“It would bring me no pleasure,” Zoller insisted softly, “such a crime… it tears at the spirit. Whilst I would unquestioningly forfeit my soul for the Fuhrer’s glory, I would really rather not.”


Zoller’s finger fiddled awkwardly with the plasma pistol in his hand. At first he approached Scarlett with alarming speed – almost a march – but when their faces were inches away from one another Zoller seemed to settle. Scarlet inhaled and her stomach sucked inward. The woman desperately sought to melt into the wall, and then into nothing. He raised his plasma pistol slightly. Then, standing unnaturally close to Scarlett, he took her hand and slowly, gently laid her down on the bed. Strawberry blonde locks settled beautifully on the bed’s lumpy pillow, as the Commandant practically lifted the contractor into bed with all the softness of a father. Zoller lay on top of her, trying for all the world to look non threatening. His own fear regarding what may have to be done went some of the way top achieving the affect.


“Once my business in Manteo is concluded” he said quietly “you will be released safely. I am not interested in hurting you. Asking the wrong questions to the wrong man is no crime for me to punish.” Scarlet sunk into her bed, looking up into the man's eyes with silent horror. She had never felt so helpless and frightened. Zoller's action has stunned the woman, shattering her guard and her persona. As Zoller reach his hand to her, Scarlet turned her head and attempted to bury her face in the pillow. The gravity of the situation was overwhelming. Raising his head and blinking his tired eyes, the woman's dog gave one loud bark. Scarlett gave the canine a panicked wave ( fearing Zoller would kill the dog if it continued barking ), and her pet again attempted to find sleep.


Zoller brushed the stray hair from Scarlet's brow, and sat up bolt up right, scooting forward to the edge of the bed. He turned his back on his prisoner, whilst keeping the plasma pistol lazily trained on her. From the right angle, they looked like new lovers. One reclined on the bed, the other on his knees like a sinner.


“The Wolf Chieftan.” He said. “The armoured one… “Dar-Win”. Formerly Enclave or Brotherhood. Where is he? Where does he rule from? Do you have access?”


Scarlett looked at the back of Zoller's head. She did not dare attempt to flee, mostly for fear of being shot. "Darwin? He's... usually here, on Roanoke Island. The Manteo Mansion... that's where he "rules" from... I..." Scarlet wanted to lie to Zoller with all her heat, but her fear of Storm Trooper was already strong. "I.. know of a way into the Mansion."


He let that hang. His fingers pounced on two dirty glasses and threw them both onto the pillow next to the red-haired contractor.


“Our intelligence reports that the Wolves possess a mutant. A reader - one who sees the truth of things, and knows the unknowable. Who is this mutant, what can it really do, and where do we find it?”


The woman hesitated. It had been made clear in her contract that betrayal of the Wolves warranted death or worse. And as frightening as Zoller was, the thought of what the Alpha Wolf would do to her caused Scarlett to physically cringe. She had seen what happens to those to plot against the Wolves. Some were beaten then hung in various coastal gallows. Some were downright executed at point blank with firearms. Some became slave laborers. In women's cases, usually sexual slaves without rights. And some... some were fed alive to the beasts of the Banks. Scarlett had seen most of these punishments first hand. She had even participated in some, via her job.


"I don't know who the mutant is. Rumor is that it's locked away when not in use."


Zoller sat with his back to her for a while - business concluded - but couldn't quite let the enquiry stop there. He turned round and knelt beside her, with the curiosity of a child.


“There is another matter. In the street. You knew I wasn’t a Wolf. What gave me away?”


Scarlet observed the man in confusion. The question didn't make sense to the woman at first. After a few moments, the contractor's personality began to solidify again. Strongly attempting to regain control of herself, the woman sat up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them like a child. She met Zoller's curious look with one of serenity.

"Well... Zoller... It's my job to notice things. You walk differently than most Wolves. Your steps are more deliberate. Your body language is too tight for a comfortable Wolf. They are taught exercises during training that emphasize flexible, natural, and fluid motion. They apply it to their daily lives. Wolves are usually relaxed and calm people anyway, believe it or not. I mean yeah, their high tier soldiers are stiff, but the rest of them... they have a kind of natural slinking gait. I mean, I don't know... That's just how it seems in my head..." Scarlett replied as she attempted to subdue her inward fear. Leaning over the bed slowly, she took a box of matches and a pack of cigarettes from her bed-side table. The first hit of the cigarette cause her bed sheets to temporarily glow a similar color as her hair.


"You seem fairly well groomed. The Wolves see facial hair, whether well trimmed or untidy, as a... natural thing. As such, most Wolven men don't shave. Most of them keep... neatly trimmed, short beards. Also, you became more tense upon spotting the Wolven Soldier. Although that man, who's name is Geoff by the way, is not a spotter like myself... even he could sense something about you that didn't seem right. You saw it in the way he stopped. He was on to you." Scarlett continued, attempting to enjoy the smoke and still attempting to rebuild her guard.


"The way you speak... maybe you haven't noticed it, but you carry an uncommon accent. It has been dirtied, no doubt, but I can hear it. Maybe a Wolf would confuse it as from the Northern Wastelands. I recognize it for what it is." She said with the first smile since the bar. "You're like me. Like Darwin. The Old World is still a part of us. In our speech, our minds, and our hearts. I don't know how else to explain it... it makes much more sense in my head." Scarlet concluded, snuffing out her cigarette in a nearby ashtray. Leaning to her bed-side table again, she lit another match and touched it to an odd lamp sporting a finely painted boat. As the wick began to burn something inside began to rotate slowly from the heat, giving the appearance of moving waves beneath the tiny watercraft. The woman sometimes watched it until she fell asleep at night. It made her feel better about life, though she had never came up with a valid reason. The odd lamp cast soft shadows around the room. Shadows that danced slowly.


Tilting her head to one side, the woman in the silky dress looked at Zoller with an expressionless face. She awaited his response, and feared what the Storm Trooper would do next.

Roanoke Island
South of Manteo City

"Pulse grenade!" Alphonso bellowed to his fellow soldiers, he unsheathed his cutlass and pointed to the tall grass where the troopers had ran.


The troopers appeared to have forgotten the wolf, accordingly Robert used the wolf as a human shield in a last-ditch effort to negate the effects of the bomb -although to little effect- he then tossed the wolf to the ground, and planted his boot firmly on the chest of the wolf.


Ding-Ding had been stunned by the pulse and flash of the electro-magnetic explosive. As Robert threw him down and stepped on the Wolf's chest, the stunned guard let out a painful grunt. The boot weighed heavily on his ribs, and Ding-Ding struggled to breath easily. As the chaos continued, the Ding-Ding watched as Robert studied the situation. The Wolf's hand slid stealthily into his vest pocket.


Nalania, Meatpoochie, Robert, and Claudia (excluding Alphonso, Stephen, and Fido - they do not where power armor helmets-) quickly pulled their power armored masks off after hearing their leader shout. [...] With the removal of their helmets Alphonso sharply pointed with his cutlass to the brush where the troopers had scurried to.


Alphonso -on the ground in prone- smiled, but his grin quickly turned to disgust he looked up at Meatpoochie and spoke "Meatpoochie, Unleash hell!"


Meatpoochie began to quickly spray lasers upon the bushes, where Alphonso had pointed. While doing so, Alphonso rose to just his knees, and with all of his strength pitched his cigar as close to the brush as he could. Fortune was not Alphonso's side, today. The sea-grass and brush was naturally moist due to the environment near the water, and the rain storm that had just passed left the flora soaking wet. The cigar failed to do anything other than sizzle and go out.

Ding-Ding removed his hand from his pocket as the soldier's boot pressed painfully into his ribs. The Wolf found comfort in knowing that soon, it would all be over. Soon, he could rest. Soon, he would be with Jive again. Pulling the trigger, a shining rocket ripped out from near Robert's boot, sending a radiant red flare high into the dark sky above them. The flare climber high above the dunes and the grasses, illuminating the battleground below. Ding-Ding laughed. Jive would have been proud.

Roanoke Island
Manteo City - Guard Barracks #2

Sting sat in his cluttered office alone, staring at the cracked ceiling above his chair while wearing a blank expression. His boots were propped up on the seat of another chair. His long, brown hair hung over the backrest of the torn leather chair. A cigarette hung from his lips, it's smoked rising lazily to the ceiling tile above the guard captain.


The door to the office was flung open, and a young Wolf slid inside. "Sting."


"Yes?" Sting asked, not bothering to break his staring contest with the aging ceiling tile.


"We've spotted a signal flare." the guard said quickly.


Sting slowly turned his head and met the young man's troubled eyes. "Where?" he asked, sitting up in his chair. A fan blew quietly beside him, causing the collar of his shirt to flap lazily.


"Just south of Manteo City. Also, Jive and Ding-Ding have been gone for a couple hours. Erik said they left to "check the beach.""

[ COMPLETE. ]

Cade watched silently as Alpha followed his advice. He knew his advice probably bored and somewhat angered her, but it really was for the best. So when she spoke, he had a moment of relief. The last thing the Wolves needed was some war for power amongst them. He knew it was inevitable, and that he’d have to pick sides. Alpha was to be his choice. She was somewhat of a hot-head, but she listened to reason.

He watched as Big Un bound Seth. It seemed oddly gentle for a wolf, let alone for a prisoner such as Seth. Beyond that Cade thought none more of it and turned back to the others, just as Alpha called him towards the front. It’d make a nice change from hanging in the rear, but he felt there was somewhat of a reason for it. Was he in trouble? Regardless, he followed orders and trudged up to Alpha and then began moving forward. He didn’t outwardly let on that he was curious as to why Alpha wanted him there, though inwardly it sort of wracked his brain.

“I would apologise for what I said,” Cade began after a while of silence. “Though I believe I would have done you a disservice, had I kept my mouth shut. So for that reason, I will not.” He stated this firmly, whilst looking out across the land, not looking at Alpha, but keeping her in the corner of his eye.


“The music?” Thiago asked, having not actually realised there was music at first. He’d been too busy thinking of food, and talking to Jade that he’d barely even given the sounds of the place the time of day. For the first time he listened and then sort of smiled, “yeah sure, it’s quite nice.” He rubbed his beard with his hand, thinking of the small wooden radio that sat on his bedside table. He wouldn’t have minded if this music played once in a while… if he could get a good signal out on the beach. He guessed he needed to find one of those metal things he saw on some roves way back. Boost the range of it or something. Tech wasn’t Thiago’s specialty… Hell, he didn’t even know how to use a computer… not that he’d ever been confronted by one.

Thiago had gave the barmaid a quiet “Thanks” as the glass came down on the table. He took the glass in his hand, sliding the base of it across the table and staring into it for a little while. “I think I know the guy you’re talking about. I’ve visited that place a couple of times when I’m in town… though that isn’t often.” Thiago commented.

Thiago smirked as she gave him a compliment, to which he gave a sort of gracious nod in thanks. But then he became more serious at the news about the caravans. He had a few friends with the caravaneers, some brought him stuff to buy every now and then. A few even had knowledge of his traps so they knew how to get to his home without falling into a hole with a mirelurk. They were good guys, most of them anyway.

“Hopefully,” Thiago began, “with the bandits just about dead, the contractors will be having an easier time. That being said, there’s always someone to fill the power vacuum… Eh, I dunno. Who knows. You Wolves have a knack for finding what you want. Perhaps you’ll overcome your problems if you look in the right places.” Thiago said in an optimistic tone.

It was then the food came and Thiago grinned, “Ah, thanks!” He then began eating. Truth be told he was starving. He’d never planned to be away from home so long, so he hadn’t bought any food with him. As such, he hadn’t eaten since he left his boat… however long ago that was. Thiago hadn’t really any idea. So he dived into his food, chomping on whatever he put on his fork.

Sometime into the meal, Jade dropped the bomb that she was gonna cover the meal and he raised his eyebrow and went to protest. “What?” was all he could get out, as she enforced her side by telling him she didn’t want to argue. Well, how could be argue with a girl recently shot. He sighed heavily and shook his head. “Fine, but next time we go to dinner. I’m paying. No arguments.” He said matter of factly.

Thiago gave a sort of shrug to her question, as he finished a mouthful of food. “Not entirely sure. I want to make sure you’re better first. Maybe get you home, then I’ll head home. I’ve got a corpse in my storage closet…. A mirelurk one, I mean. Not… ya know.” He gave a sort of snort, realising how that sentence could’ve sounded. “Ideally I want to get back before it starts rotting. I’ve probably got a few traps filled… and then also I’ve got the ‘Jaw to deal with. Not entirely sure what I’m gonna do with it. Butcher it I guess.” Thiago knew how much work he had on at home, though he did feel bad for wanting to go back and sort it out, whilst Jade was still hurting. “So yeah… Soon. Though. I’ve got some space, not a lot. If you need someone to look after you for a few days…I suppose you could come stay with me and the gull for a few days.”



Ling smirked up at Helena. “I hope you’re not behaving yourself young lady.” Giving a half joke to the lady of the night. Ling was under no illusions as to the woman’s work, hell, Ling sort of backed it. So long as the woman was safe, she didn’t care what the girl did. Ling was known somewhat in that group of women, for breaking the hands of the assholes who got too rough with the girls. She knew what it had been like in that sort of situation, only she had half a lifetime of it before the Wolves. So she protected them, even if she’d never walked exactly that path.

Ling carried on walking, though, not wanting to be mistaken for a client. As she came across the bare knuckle fighting in a garage, Ling stopped and watched for a few minutes. Her boys sometimes did this, she wasn’t too fond of it herself, but it was a way of releasing some tension… and making a bit of money. Though it wasn’t too long before she wanted to get moving again, and so she did.

“Ah, Orlando.” Ling smiled, turning towards the wolf who she had heard come up behind her. “Long time no see. The boys? Ah they’re good…. Well, I assume so at least. Feng and Tai are with their families. Micah and Han are god only knows where under Darwin’s orders. Cade’s with Alpha, poor guy.” Ling didn’t exactly dislike Alpha, though she hadn’t actually met her, she just knew how hard she’d have pushed Cade sometimes, given her reputation. “Grey’s at home.” She smirked. “Had a girl around and thought I wouldn’t notice. I hope it’s the same girl though. It’s about time he tied the knot and got outta my house already…”

Ling then sighed heavily. “And then there’s Chang. I took that idiot out training, and all was good… Then we were returning home and what does he do? He sticks his foot in a puddle full of leaches.” She rolled her eyes and gave a hopeless chuckle.

“How about you? Been out of town for a while, glad to be home?”

I hear ya. I'll try to reply soon. Working on a promotion at work.