Chapter 10: The Girdershade Uprising

Girdershade Inn, 4:15pm:

The troopers gather at their room to discuss the events that unfolded nearly an hour before.

"So the NCR's sayin that Laren and a couple of other guys are responsible for the kidnappings and murders?" Vyse said, starting the conversation

"You think the NCR's framing em?" Marina suggested

"Could be" Ellie answered "But all we have is this holotape as evidence. As if that's enough"

"True that…" Vyse replied "…What should we do? The NCR's bound to either ship Laren & the others somewhere or worse, execute them!"

"We don't have much time then…" Marina frustratingly muttered "…Damn it! We have to find more clues! I say we raid the NCR outpost outside of town!"

"We can't do that…" Vyse rebutted "That outpost is heavily guarded, especially right now because of the prisoners…"

"So we just sit here and wait till the NCR uses them as scapegoats?" Marina frustratingly replied

The room was silent. What should they do? Should they take the risk and raid the NCR outpost for clues?

"I think we should call the commander" Vyse suggested

"Good idea" Marina replied

"Wait" Ellie said as the knight sergeant turns the radio on

"What?" he asked

"I got an idea" she said "Let me infiltrate the NCR outpost"

"You'll infiltrate it alone?" Marina said with a skeptical tone

"I can do it" the mercenary said with conviction "While I infiltrate the premises, you guys gather clues around town"

"You expect us you can do something like that?" Marina said "I know you're skilled and all but"

"You sure you can do this?" Vyse asked as he puts his hand in front of the sniper

"I can" Ellie said with a confident smile

"We'll do what we can" the knight sergeant replied "What time will you commence the operation?"

"In 1900 hours" she answered

"Good luck!" Vyse said as he gives the mercenary a spare portable radio

NCR Outpost, Near the Yao Guai Tunnels

7:15pm:

Crouching on top of a big rock overlooking the outpost, Ellie scouts the enemy base

"Can't see a thing" She thought to herself as she activates her 'eagle vision'

She spots several figures covered by a red aura. But one figure catches her eye. Instead of a red aura, he was covered by a golden aura, this was the first time she ever saw a golden aura around a person.

"Should I…?" She thought "Eh. What the hell"

The mercenary then performs a leap of faith and lands just behind a medical tent. Amazingly, none of the troopers were able to suspect the infiltration.

Attaching a silencer to her 9mm pistol, the mercenary sneaks from cover to cover, trying to get close to her 'golden' target. Using ammo crates, barrels and sometimes, even standing behind enemy soldiers, she slowly stalked her target as he arrives at his tent.

She made her way to the side of the tent and overhears the man's conversation over the radio.

"Sgt. Ramirez reporting in" the man said

"What's the status on Girdershade?" the man on the other end asked

"We have a total of at least 20 missing townsfolk and about 12 confirmed deaths, with all of their bodies being crucified when they were found." The man reported

"Is there any progress on the 'murderers'?" the other man said

"Yes sir" the man replied "We have arrested 5 people, one of which is an elderly man by the name of Ronald Laren. We have reason to believe that these men are behind the kidnappings and are using them as a means to stir the masses against the NCR"

"Believe…?" Ellie silently muttered

"Have you uncovered any evidence?" the other man asked

"Mostly circumstantial" the man replied "We have letters, statements and even from his own tongue, a few weeks ago, that he was anti-NCR"

"Good. Find enough evidence to convict these people and maybe we can finally bring some peace & quiet to that town and show those people we actually mean no harm…"

Having heard enough, the young mercenary proceeds to the prisoners' pen, just a short distance away.

She neutralizes the 2 guards by choking them until they fall to the ground unconscious.

She approaches a sleeping Laren, who was tied up to a pole, along with other prisoners.

"Hey" she whispered as she taps the old man's cheek

"Huh?" the old man muttered as he wakes up "You"

"Mind telling me why everyone thinks you and these guys are the murderers?"

"I dunno" the old man replied "But I did overhear one of the guards talking about the 'ghoul problem"

"Ghoul problem?" Ellie wondered "You know the guard?"

"Yeah… He's a ranger. Look for a guy wearing an overcoat and some weird mask. Last I saw him; he was headed south, exiting the camp"

"Right thanks" the young mercenary replied "Let me get ya out of those restrains"

"Don't bother" the old man said "If you let me and these guys out, it'll just make us even more guilty so you better find evidence that'll prove our innocence and make it fast"

"Alright…" Ellie reluctantly said "…I'll get you out, I promise!"

The mercenary then proceeds to the direction the ranger went.

Thanks to her 'eagle vision', the mercenary quickly locates her target, who was also covered with a golden aura…

In a few minutes, the man enters the Yao Guai tunnels.

Yao Guai Tunnels:

Once inside the tunnels, Ellie notices that the entrance is tightly guarded.

She knew she could neutralize the guards but in doing so, she could arouse the suspicion of the troopers inside.

She then notices high up in the wall, a hole that could easily fit her and it appears to extend further into the cave.

Wasting no time, the mercenary effortlessly climbs the wall and enters the hole. It was better than she thought. Her elevated position gives her a much wider view of the cave and this enabled her to stalk her golden target without worrying about being spotted by the guards.

Minutes later, the ranger meets with 4 other soldiers, one of which Ellie recognizes almost immediately.

"Gusurg…" she muttered silently

The former Lyons' Pride trooper, wearing a highly customized metal armor, was there and it seemed that he had a hand in the disappearances in Girdershade.

"So, how are those 'murderers'?" the traitorous knight asked

"Incarcerated" the ranger answered "Command is looking for evidences to be used against them"

"Good…" the knight said with a sinister tone "Now to Phase 2. You now what to do, right?"

"Yes…" the ranger replied

Gusurg and the other soldiers then open several crates. Using her binoculars, the mercenary sees that they were leather armor, all of which had the insignia of the Sons of Liberty.

"We ravage that little town tomorrow morning!" the former knight said with a sinister grin

"They're planning on attacking Girdershade!?" the mercenary thought "I need to tell the others!"

As the mercenary was about to make her exit, a bullet whistles just in front of her. Turning around, she sees Gusurg fired his Service Rifle.

"You think I haven't noticed you there" the treacherous knight said with a grin

"Kill her!"

Immediately, the other troopers began to open fire on the mercenary.

Acting quickly, she jumps down from her position and plunges her hidden blades on 2 troopers. She then draws her Varmint rifle and quickly eliminates the trooper to her right before he could even raise his rifle.

Quickly turning around, she lands a bullet on another trooper's head as the rest of the soldiers converge on her and begin hammering her position with lead.

Hiding behind a rock wall, the mercenary is pinned down by enemy fire.

She then hurls a frag grenade towards the troopers attacking from the entrance.

Breaking cover, she quickly fires a shot at the troopers coming from deeper into the cave, and lands a bullet on a trooper's knee.

Throwing another frag grenade at them, the mercenary quickly runs to the entrance.

Once she was outside, the mercenary is confronted by the treacherous knight.

"Gusurg…" she muttered

The former knight simply chuckles as he says "Well, well, if it isn't the rebel from the east…"

"You son of a bitch!" the mercenary shouted "I'll kill you!"

"Oooh. Scary" the knight mockingly stated "Well then, why don't you try?"

Both soldiers then cock their respective rifles and prepare for their impending fight.

Gusurg fires the first shot as the mercenary quickly jumps sideways. She then returns fire with her rifle which Gusurg narrowly dodges. Both soldiers then hide behind tall rocks, opposite of each other, all the while firing potshots from time to time.

Eventually, a squad of NCR troopers, about 5 men, arrived; they had heard the gunshots from the outpost.

"What's going on?" one of them asked

"An insurgent!" Gusurg responded as he points at Ellie's position "She's hiding behind that rock!"

The NCR troopers began to form a perimeter and begin hammering Ellie's position.

"Damn it!" she muttered

The mercenary's attempts to find a grenade were futile as enemy fire became fiercer by the minute.

"SHIT!" she shouted as she holsters her rifle and pulls out her pistol "Looks like am gonna have to shoot my way out!"

Seconds later, the bullets stopped flying. The area was silent. Ellie knew, from the sound of the footprints, the NCR troopers were slowly making their way to her. She cocks her pistol and prepares for a tough fight.

"No one lives forever…" she muttered as she breaks cover

To her surprise, a bullet lands on one of the NCR trooper's head, the mercenary hadn't even pointed her gun yet. A second bullet then whistles past her and pierces the throat of another. The remaining troopers then scramble to look for the source of the shots while one points his rifle at the mercenary, who promptly drops her weapon and raises her hands, leaving her fate in the hands of whoever was shooting. In the ensuing chaos, Gusurg disappears into the darkness of the night.

It didn't take long before another bullet hits a trooper by the knee. The man screamed in pain but before his partner could help, another bullet lands on his chest. Alerted, his partner quickly turns from side to side, desperately looking for the shooter. One could feel his anxiety and hear him breathe as if he had finished running a 15km marathon.

Seconds later, the man spots a shadow in a small hill and immediately, shoots at it like a panicked civilian. Putting his rifle down, the trooper turns his flashlight on to see the target he had just shot.

To his dismay, it was a dummy. He had no time to feel despair as a bullet drills through his skull, seconds later.

After his body reaches the ground, a person emerges from the shadows. Seeing the unknown individual, the last trooper raises his rifle, his hands were clearly shaking.

"D-Don't move!" he shouted as he aims his rifle "P-Put your hand in the air!"

"Requista im pace" the figure said as he quickly draws his silenced pistol and lands a bullet on the trooper's head.

With all of the troopers dead, the figure walked closer and the light of the moon revealed a hooded individual wearing a mask. His clothes were something the mercenary had never seen before.

Long robes, that looked like the robes worn by Brotherhood Scribes, with a weird hood, which was designed to cover the upper part of the individual's face. It was the first time she had ever seen such clothes before.

"Thanks for saving me" the mercenary said as she picks up her pistol "So who are you?"

"A friend…" the hooded figure replied "You're looking for proof of the innocence of those men, right?"

"Y-Yeah" Ellie answered

"Here" the figure said as he hands over a holotape and some documents "This all the proof you need"

"Uh… Th-Thanks…" the mercenary nervously said as she listens to the contents of the holotape

"Is the deed done?" a man with a deep voice said

"Yes it is" another replied, the mercenary quickly realized the other voice is Gusurg, "Those poor saps are gonna have a rude awakening tomorrow when they see that poor bastard's body hanging on that cross in the morning!"

Gusurg then laughs almost as if he sad a funny joke.

"Good…" the man replied "Once the townsfolk begin to 'talk to each other', plant these evidences on the people on this list"

"Are they anti-NCR?" Gusurg asked

"Yes" the man answered "They're the few anti-NCR residents that we've confirmed. And if this plan flies, we'll snuff out the flame of rebellion in this place and solidify the NCR's grip in this area"

"You're a sly bastard, Dominic" Gusurg said

"Haha. By tomorrow, the NCR would have either killed or incarcerated every single one of those insurgent loving assholes" Dominic muttered as both men laugh and the recording ends.

"The NCR is not directly responsible for these crimes" the figure explained "They were orchestrated by an independent group of men"

"Independent group of men?" Ellie wondered

"A group of power hungry individuals who manipulate the system" the figure said "But you don't need to know that. For now, freeing that town is your highest priority, right?"

"Y-Yeah…" Ellie replied "But if the NCR isn't behind those kidnappings and murders, then how will we inspire the people to revolt?"

"I said the NCR is not directly responsible" the figure replied

"What are you getting at?" the mercenary asked

"Come with me" the figure answered "It's easier if you see it yourself"

Despite her doubts, this man did save her life. So the young mercenary decided to follow him.

On top of Girdershade:

A few minutes later:

The mercenary and the figure look down upon the town from the destroyed highway. Despite the NCR's curfew, the townsfolk were gathering at the square.

"What's going on?" Ellie asked

"While you were gone, some 'insurgents' have started to riot around town" the figure replied "If we don't stop this, the NCR will use this as an excuse to purge the town"

"Huh?" Ellie wondered "How did you know about that?"

"I have my ways" the figure answered "For now; see that man in the center"

The figure then points downward towards a man standing in the middle of the crowd, he was wearing pre-War business attire & was addressing the crowd like he's leader of the rioting townsfolk.

"What about him?" Ellie asked

"He's our target" the figure answered "He's the mastermind behind the murders"

"What!?" Ellie uttered

"That's Dominic" the figure continued "Bastard is planning to send most of these people to their graves!"

"But killing him in front of all those people" the mercenary nervously said "I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I need to get in contact with my teammates!"

"No time" the figure replied "We have and can do this ourselves! Now follow my lead"

Following the hooded figure's lead, Ellie drops down from the destroyed highway and lands on a roof, a few feet down. They then jump from roof to roof, post to post, attempting to reach a far away location at the edge of town. All the while, the young mercenary couldn't help but be impressed by the figure's athletic ability, despite wearing a robe.

Near a small shack, Northeastern edge of town:

The two individuals rest in a roof of a building standing near a small shack.

"What's in here?" the mercenary wondered

"That is shack connects to the speakers around town" the figure answered "We simply neutralize the guards and the operator and play the holotape on my signal"

"Alright" the mercenary said "So how will we deal with-"

But before she could finish her sentence, her radio suddenly came to life. Lowering the volume, Ellie answers the call.

"Ellie where are you?" Vyse said on the other line

"Vyse?" she said "What's going on in town? Why's there a riot?"

"Some guy suddenly began rambling about how the NCR was behind the kidnappings and murders!" the knight sergeant answered "A lot of the townsfolk believed him and rioted because of that!"

"Really?" Ellie replied "Where are you? Where's Marina?"

"I'm inside the inn" he answered "Marina's gone off somewhere!"

"Where did she go?" Ellie asked

"Sorry" he replied "I don't know… But she did say something about the speakers"

Ellie then looks at the figure who simply nodded at her.

"I think I have an idea" the mercenary said "You sit tight in that inn and prepare for a fight"

"Roger" Vyse answered

"Marina should be here…" Ellie said as she looks around but fails to find her teammate

Wasting no time, she activates her 'eagle vision' and spots an individual covered with a blue aura, nearing the shack.

"There she is!" Ellie said as she points at Marina's direction.

"Let's move" the figure said

The individuals then converge on Marina and successfully meet up with her.

Landing in front of the sniper, the mercenary says

"Marina, what are you doing?"

"Out of my way, Ellie" the sniper answered "I found these holotapes incriminating those NCR bastards and I'm gonna broadcast it for the town to hear."

"The NCR?" the mercenary wondered as she looks at the holotapes

"Where did you find these?" the figure asked

"Who the hell are you?" the sniper said with an intimidating leer

"He saved my life" the mercenary answered "He gave me evidence that the man leading this riot is behind the kidnappings, not the NCR"

"Bullshit" the sniper angrily uttered "Why would he do these heinous crimes and then rebel against the NCR?"

"These holotapes" the figure said "They're fakes"

"What makes you say that?" the sniper asked

"This" Ellie answered by showing the holotape the figure gave her.

"How sure are you he can be trusted?" the sniper asked "He may have 'saved' your life, but what if it all was a trick?"

Caught off guard, the mercenary could only utter "I…uh…"

"It's up to you" the figure said as he turns to Ellie "Just remember, whichever recording you play will have a profound effect in this town's future"

The figure then climbs the wall of the building, leaving the mercenary alone with the sniper.

"So" Marina said "Do you trust his word?"

What should she do? Should she trust this man who she just met?

She pondered for a while but she eventually said "I trust him"

Surprised, the sniper uttered "You do!?"

"Yes" the mercenary answered "A few people have told me that the NCR isn't completely evil. And I have seen that there are also evil people outside of the NCR. It would be unfair to antagonize the NCR in something they did not do"

The sniper stood there silent. It was almost as if she was remembering something. She closes her eyes and says "You're right…"

The sniper looks up in the night sky and reminiscence some very old memories…

I lied about my age. I'm actually more than 40 years old. I was born in New California. My mother and father were roving traders, they owned their own caravan. For most of my life, we would travel around places and sell the shit my parents find in ruins and old vaults. It was a happy time despite the fact that we were nomads.

Then in 2281, while we were travelling in the Mojave, the caravan was attacked by a group of legionnaires. These guys were the regular foot soldiers of Caesar's legion. I think Vyse has already told you about them.

Long story short, they captured us and I watched in horror as those bastards crucify my parents. It was painful. Seeing your loved ones die a slow and painful death before your eyes. I was supposed to be handed over as a slave but later that night; a legionnaire opened my cage and escorted me out of the Legion's fort.

From there, I travelled from place to place until I was recruited into the Brotherhood of Steel…

"The fact that the victims were crucified brought back such painful memories to me" the sniper continued "The feeling of helplessness as people around you die… I didn't want to experience that again…"

"Well" the mercenary said as she places her right hand on the sniper's shoulder "You don't have to face it alone. You got your teammates who are always looking out for you. We'll solve these murders and bring these guys to justice"

The sniper smiles as she gives a reassuring nod to the mercenary.

Wasting no time, the mercenary climbs the side of the building.

"hey" Marina said "Thanks"

The mercenary did not utter a word and simply smiled

"Oh and one more thing" the sniper said "Next time, make sure you guys check the volume of the radio before contacting someone"

"Y-You heard it?" Ellie said nervously

The sniper simply gave her a wink

With that, the mercenary proceeds to meet up with the hooded figure.

"You ready?" the figure asked

The mercenary simply nodded as the hooded figure moves closer and neutralizes both guards with ease. Breaking down the door, the figure throws a dart, which hits the operator's neck and he passes out.

Inserting the holotape into the player, Marina catches up to the duo.

"Perfect" Ellie said "You play the holotape once I radio in"

"Right" the sniper replied as she changes the frequency of the ham radio

"Let's go" the figure said as the duo make their way to the town's square

Girdershade Town Square, 8:30pm:

Standing in the roof of a large building, the duo observe as the crowd becomes more unruly as NCR soldiers flock to the area and attempt to pacify the uprising. Their target, Dominic, was standing in the middle of the crowd spouting anti-NCR speeches to the crowd.

"This is getting out of hand…" Ellie said "It's only a matter time before this ends in a bloodbath"

As the duo silently observe the crowd below, the hooded figure notices a man, armed with a cowboy repeater, stand in the roof across them.

Acting quickly, the figure grabs his silenced Sniper rifle and fires a shot. The gunman was hit in the chest. Unfortunately, his body drops down onto the crowd. That one body was enough for the crowd to take their riot to the next level.

"NCR bastards!" shouted one of the individuals as the crowd charges towards the NCR troops like a Spartan army charging towards the Persians.

"This is bad…" the figure said "We need to pacify this situation"

It did not take long before NCR troops began to fire their rifles.

"We need to find Dominic!" the figure said

"How about the crowd?" The mercenary asked "They're getting massacred!"

"Signal your friend to broadcast the holotape!" the figure quickly replied "Hopefully it'll calm them down!"

"Right!" Ellie said as she grabs her radio "Marina! Start the broadcast!"

As the sniper begins broadcasting the holotape, the duo begins their hunt on Dominic, with the help of Ellie's 'eagle vision'.

They spot him escaping the crowd and headed to the town's crop fields, along with 2 other soldiers.

Girdershade Crop Fields:

Like a pair of cheetahs chasing their prey, the duo ran as fast as they could to catch up to their target.

"Assassins!" Dominic shouted as he sends his two guards to attack the duo "Get them off my back!"

The two soldiers then began to open fire with their assault carbines on the duo.

The duo splits up as Ellie goes prone and uses the crops as cover while the hooded figure hides behind a makeshift barn house. The two soldiers do the same and split up as they continue to hammer Ellie's and the figure's location.

The mercenary quickly draws her rifle and tries to take a shot at her attacker.

She misses and after quickly reloading, the soldier continues to unleash his fury upon the mercenary.

The mercenary then activates her 'eagle vision' and aims down her scope. She sees the familiar red aura coming from behind the crops. She aims carefully, hoping this shot would hit. If she were to miss, it would spell the end for her.

Meanwhile, the hooded figure leans by the barn's edge as the soldier draws closer. Acting quickly, he breaks cover and grabs the soldier by his shirt. The soldier responds by quickly raising his rifle, only to miss his shot after the figure swings his right arm on the rifle. He then unleashes a flurry of punches on the man. But the soldier still stood strong and drew his pistol. The figure quickly grabs his hand and rested control of the firearm from the man. And like a football player, the figure rams the soldier, forcing him to fall to the ground. Before the soldier could recover, the hooded figure drew his .45 auto pistol and embedded a .45 +P round on the soldier's head.

On Ellie's side, the enemy soldier drew closer to her position as she still struggles to adjust her aim.

"I got you now…" the soldier uttered

Taking a chance, the mercenary squeezes the trigger and her rifle unleashes a single 5.56mm bullet from the muzzle. Amazingly, the bullet hits the man in the chest. Still alive, he fires his fully automatic rifle on the crop field. Quickly rolling to the side, Ellie draws her 9mm pistol and drills another 9mm round on the enemy's chest, the soldier drops to the ground dead.

Recovering from the attack, the duo quickly resumes their hunt.

Forsaken Dunwich Ruins:

The duo tracks down their target inside the 'haunted' building and gave chase.

Reaching the terminal, containing the Herman Granger entries, the ruins echoes with the voice of their target.

"So they send in two to eliminate me…"

"Show yourself asshole!" Ellie shouted "I got a bullet with your name on it!"

"Ooooh" he tauntingly uttered "Never thought I would be tracked down…"

Using his voice to pinpoint his position, the duo looks through a hole in the roof and spots their target.

"You were careless" the hooded figure said "This is the end!"

"A minor setback" he replied "But can't say the same for you"

The room is then filled with the familiar cries of a certain irradiated monster.

"Bastard!" Ellie shouted

"Good bye, Assassins" he said, taunting the duo, as a horde of feral ghouls

"I'll hold them off!" the hooded figure said "You go after Dominic!"

"You sure?" the mercenary asked

"I can handle myself" he replied

"Ok. Don't die" the mercenary said as the hooded figures gives her a boost up.

Virulent Underchambers:

Chasing after her target, the mercenary maximizes her skill in parkour as she jumps over obstacles and climbs walls.

Soon, she corners her target at the obelisk. Despite the area being highly irradiated, Dominic opts to make his land stand by the obelisk.

"It's over" the mercenary said

"It's never over" he replied with a sinister smile "Cut me down, there will be more ready to replace me! Like a hydra!"

"What do you mean?" she asked

"You don't get it" he replied "All of this. We are the architects of the world! Soon! There shall be one world order! And the pure-blooded humans will reign over this depraved world!"

"No" the mercenary said as she raises her pistol "You're just a madman"

She fires one shot but Dominic manages to dodge it. He brings out a syringe from his coat and shouts "ONE MIND! ONE BODY!"

He injects himself with the unknown syringe and almost immediately, he begins to convulse and throw up. He was mutating and Ellie knew that she had to end him before his mutation is completed.

Grabbing her rifle, the mercenary zeroes in on the creature's head and fires a shot. Unfortunately, her bullet lands on what appears to be a tentacle.

"Shit…" she frustratingly muttered

She was too late. Dominic had mutated into a huge muscular creature. He grew to the size of a Super Mutant Behemoth. His hands have become something akin to hammers and his body is swarming with tentacles.

The creature unleashes a loud roar before charging towards the mercenary. Ellie quickly dodges to the left and opens fire with her rifle and pistol but her bullets hardly faze the abomination.

For the next few minutes, she would fire potshots at the beast while dodging all of his attacks. The cave then partially collapses and a couple of stalagmites fell to the cave below with some managing to hit the creature.

"Damn it!" the mercenary muttered "What does it take to bring this bitch down!?"

Her attention was then drawn to a voice calling to her, "HEY!"

Behind the creature was the hooded figure.

"Hey!" she shouted "Little help here!"

"Conventional weapons are almost useless on it!" the figure said "Step back!"

The figure then brings out a fatman and fires a mini nuke, hitting the monster by the groin or what looks like the groin…

But even with the awesome firepower of the nuke, the creature was still standing!

The creature unleashes a roar as it grabs the hooded figure and throws him into the cave. Hitting the wall, the figure drops the fatman and the mini nukes scatter all over the place.

"You alright?" Ellie said as she checks on the figure, whose mask is still keeping his identity a mystery

"I'm fine" he replied "Use the fatman! I think it can hurt that bastard! Go!"

Wasting no time, the mercenary grabs the fatman and fires one mini nuke, hitting the creature in the chest.

The monster steps back as he feels the impact of the nuke but whatever damage he received merely made him even angrier.

Running towards the obelisk, the mercenary picks up another mini nuke and fires it, the nuke hits the giant barely close to her position and her Geiger counter began to beep loudly and her body begins to feel the negative effects of radiation poisoning but the mercenary notices that the creature was getting weaker.

Ignoring her pain, the mercenary grabs another mini nuke and carefully aims the weapon.

"Rot in hell" she said as she fires the fatman

The mini nuke then lands on the monster's head, blowing it to pieces.

With the head gone, the entire body falls to the ground dead.

With the threat gone, Ellie returns to the figure.

"Y-Y-You ok…?" she asked as her Geiger counter warns her that she was close to the maximum radiation threshold.

"I'm fine…" the figure answered "But you need to do something about those rads…"

"I-I-I'm fine…" she said while trying to hide her pain

"You don't have to act all strong, here" the figure said as he hands her some Radaway and Rad-X

Taking the chems, Ellie felt a little bit better. Although her Geiger counter still indicates that she has a total rad count of 260.

Vicinity of Girdershade,

12:15am:

The mercenary and the hooded figure look over at the town and they notice something new…

The flag, which stood at the entrance, has changed.

From the flag of the two-headed bear, it was now the flag of the Sons of Liberty.

"Looks like Girdershade is part of the Sons of Liberty now" the figure said

Seeing the flag, the mercenary couldn't help but smile at the sight. The hooded figure then turns around and begins to walk the other way.

"Hey" Ellie said, noticing the figure was leaving "Where are you going?"

The figure turns his head and says "I got other things to do. Good luck with your rebellion"

Ellie smiles as she says "Thanks. I hope we meet again. What's your name?"

"My name?" the figure uttered "It's not important. May we meet again…"

"Right…" the mercenary said as the hooded figure walks into the wasteland