The Misadventures of Gladys and Jack: Part 2

I don't own fallout

A massive explosion rippled violently through the unknown vault. Wolfe, Jack, and Gladys ran through thick smoke as super mutants roared curses and anger at them. Wolfe yanked a grenade from his coat as Jack activated frag mines from his. Gladys provided cover, backing up and firing her shotgun blindly as Wolfe hurled the grenade. "Move!" he shouted as he grabbed Gladys shoulder and ran for it, her close behind as they passed Jack and he dropped the frags following after as they beeped their activation.

Rotten flesh and freshly dead bodies permeated throughout the vault, meat bags hung from several rooms and there were even dead super mutants, poorly mutilated and wearing raider rags. They had been capturing and building an army of mutated Raiders. How had yet to be answered, but now the whole vault was in chaos.

Jack, Gladys, and Wolfe had found their hideout. A vault with no number. They found rooms stuffed with live raiders and dead raiders. And of course, the super mutants themselves. They found 'Clubba' a massive super mutant, not quite a behemoth, but swinging around a thick stone stalagmite… they had planned to blow the entrance to the vault and trap them all inside… but then shit hit the fan in the form of a raiding party dragging back a dozen mad raiders.

Hence the Chaos.

Jack, in a moment of surprising brilliance, freed the captured Raiders. And while he had to shoot a few they soon turned their craziness on their super mutant captors. Now they were deep in the vault, shooting Mutants and Raiders alike.

"Ammo?" Wolfe asked as they caught their breaths. Jack tossed him a box, and he checked it frowning. "…Shit." There was really only enough for 1 more reload… and judging from the sheer number of super mutants running around that wasn't going to be enough. He emptied and loaded his sequoia as Jack and Gladys did the same for their guns.

"There's got to be an armory of something in this hell hole." Jack said as a raider wielding a machete and high on (probably) jet charged at them. Without hesitating Gladys's shotgun pumped his chest full of shotgun and he went flying back dead, his machete, already bloody, spinning away into the vault.

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Gladys said already replacing the cartridge she used.

"Vaults don't have heavy weapons; shit we need to bust out." Wolfe said quietly, then… slowly he shook his head. "…I'm sorry I brought you here. I should've called for reinforcements."

"Shut up. Apologize when we're dead." Jack replied, unloading into a distracted super mutant as he went down under a handful of raiders hacking and shooting. "Look. They're all killing each other so let's find a good spot to bunker down. Preferably with ammo, and we'll work it from there!"

Wolfe grinned and, firing a sequoia round between the eyes of a super mutant nodded, "Fair enough. What explosives do we-" suddenly Gladys hurled a collection of grenades into a crowd of hostiles and ran the other way. "Right." Wolfe said as Jack grabbed his collar and they ran for it again, ignoring the screams and explosions.

"Armory!" Gladys said, tapping the wall as she found the word. "Come on! Dépêchez-vous!!" the wall sparked as a bullet barely missed her head, immediately the three located the direction and opened fire, a super mutant stumbling back and over some railing as he screamed. "Go!" she repeated as they dashed following the arrows.

Unfortunately and apparently, some raiders can read. A good dozen of them stood banging outside the secured doors as the trio skidded around the corner. "Hey! They aren't giants!" one shouted, pointing to them as their meager weapons came up.

"Get their toys!" shouted a female as Jack's revolvers made a few fresh holes in her chest.

Like a horde they came down at them as Gladys and Wolfe joined Jack in firing on them, their backs to the wall as one hurled a machete at Jack. Jack dodged by darting into a corridor…

But he released a horrifying pain-filled scream as he was sent hurtling and bleeding through the air and back into the open, sprawling on the floor his face covered in blood as a huge armored super mutant with a rebar club stomped between the remaining raiders, and Wolfe and Gladys.

"Jacques!" Gladys shouted in dismay, before glaring at the mutant. "CONNARD!!" she screamed lifting up her shotgun at the mutant as Wolfe dove to Jack, dragging him out of harm's way as the remaining Raiders swarmed the angry mutant.

"Jack? Jack!" Wolfe turned Jack over, "Ben?" But Jack was knocked out, and his face was a mess, even Wolfe knew immediately that his left eye was incredibly damaged… it would take a miracle of the old world to get it working again… but Jack was breathing. That was a miracle unto its own so he'll take it. He took the last of the stimpaks that they had and injected Jack. Sweet sciencey magic, don't fail him now.

Jack groaned and that was better than nothing, Wolfe took one of Jack's revolvers, and duel-wielding the guns he shot the rest of the Raiders as Gladys shoved her shotgun barrel into the dying Mutant's mouth and splattered his brains on the wall. Violently kicking the beast.

"Putain de bâtard! Un morceau de merde!!" Wolfe grabbed Gladys as she violently kicked the corpse, dragging her away.

"Gladys! Gladys, it's dead! Jack is still alive! Now help me!" Gladys looked at Jack's damaged face with a hint of dismay, but she helped Wolfe lift him up, his arms over their shoulders as they dragged him to the armory door. Locked by a computer.

"Give me a minute." Wolfe said, activating and beginning to hack it as Gladys gazed apologetically into Jack's bleeding face.

"…Is it bad?" he moaned softly, "…It feels bad…"

Gladys grinned as Wolfe cursed to himself. "I-I'm glad you're alive."

"…That bad huh?" he glanced at her and frowned, closing his right eye for a moment, then opening it again. "…I can't see… out of my left eye." He said sadly as the door clanked and hissed open.

"…It's fine. You'll be fine." She said firmly, as they entered the room, shutting the door behind them."

"You're still damn handsome Jack." Wolfe said, trying to find a light switch in the darkened room. "It'll make you look badass when you kill people with one eye... Hah!" The room lit up and luckily it seemed to have been untouched and undisturbed… but Wolfe's cheerful face, fell slightly.

Jack, leaning against the wall, stared at the room blinking his good eye. "…I don't think you can fit those in your sequoia…"

A dozen mini-nukes lined secured the far wall over a fatman. Below those were 2 dozen laser pistols and energy charges. Below those were another 2 dozen 10mms and the ammo boxes for those. Gladys however found a small crate of shotgun shells and immediately began to load up, stuffing Jack's coat with his preferred revolver ammo.

Wolfe however, holstered his sequoia and took a couple of the laser pistols. "…Any medical supplies?" he asked as Gladys did a quick search, setting Jack down on a chair to rest before shaking her head angrily.

"No. Nothing. Just more ammunition."

Wolfe however turned his eyes back to the fatman and the mini-nukes. "…What the hell were they going to use those for?" he said sadly.

"At least the mutants didn't get those." Gladys said, sitting down on the floor. "I'd hate to think what they can do with them."

"…We can't leave these here." Wolfe said as Gladys shook her head.

"Jacques is hurt, we are low on ammo, and it's not like we can put those into our pockets!"

"…We still need to blow this place to hell." Jack said suddenly and they both turned to look at him as he tore a piece of cloth from his raggedy shit and began wrapping his head. Covering his bloody eye. "…And we need to find what they're using to mutate the raiders. We NEED to blow this place to hell." He drew out one of his revolvers and waved Wolfe to come closer. "…Give me one I'll carry it. We find the mutagen or whatever and we… I don't know, set up a timebomb or something. We did not step into hell to walk out without pissing in the fire."

They both looked at him confused at that… but Wolfe nodded. Gladys, taking a satchel from a cabinet tossed it to him with a smile. "Why take one when you can take more?" she asked as, carefully, they packed in paper and three mini-nukes. 'Perfectly secured'.

…Or at least as secure as it is going to get in the wasteland.

Jack took the bag, swinging it over the shoulder carefully and nodding. "We need to find the source of the mutation." Wolfe said, already powering up the laser pistols. "…We don't leave until we do."

Together. The three nodded determinedly. Before opening the armory, doors and started firing. Wolfe sealed the armory behind them and fired at the computer, he wasn't going to let anyone have the rest of those nukes.

Together, door by door they made their way deeper into the bloody vault, battle still echoing as explosions could soon be heard. However… the noise seemed farther away now, only the loudest of booms reaching them. Jack was walking easier on his own, his face still bloody however as they came to a massive door with ritualist markings painted on it in blood. However, three letters could be identified immediately. Big and bold.

F.E.V.

"…Fuck me." Jack mumbled as Wolfe approached a nearby computer, easily opening the door as it gave an ominous hiss. "Is this real?" he asked as a large looming catwalk appeared before them over a large ominous vat of an unidentifiable but obvious liquid bubbling beneath them. Halfway down the catwalk, where three supermutants could easily walk down shoulder to shoulder, it extended out to the side like a plank on a pirate ship, a crane rested on the very edge of it applied with chains and harness… obviously for dipping.

"…This has to go." Wolfe said firmly as the farthest end of the catwalk suddenly lit up, there was a sort of computer console, but it had been crudely ornamented with odd effigies and markings, into a crudely made throne, or even more likely a place of worship.

"We're not alone." Gladys said suddenly as two laser pistols, two revolvers, and a shotgun were all raised up.

On the throne was a supermutant, but not one they'd ever seen before. Its skin was yellow, but while other mutants were wrinkly or callous, it was sleek and smooth. His eyes were bulbous and blood red and stuck out oddly like a bug. And his hands were big, with long spindly fingers that flexed on the console, but most importantly was its cranium, it seemed bigger and rounded… like it had a very big brain just waiting to burst out... it looked... alien. Or more likely an Alien dipped in FEV.

He raised one hand slowly up, and it pointed at them. "Who. Are. You?" it asked. Slowly. Its voice hissing snake-like around the chamber. "The Man. Not the mutates."

"NCR Ranger Kelly Conner Wolfe." Wolfe said coldly, priming the pistols.

The creature slowly nodded, "A. Ranger?" it hissed as if tasting the word, and it disturbingly smiled at them. "You will make a FINE mutant." With absurd speed, it was off the throne charging down the catwalk. Shotgun blasts, revolver bullets, and laser pews shot at it but with amazing reflexes it was darting wildly around the catwalk, its body contorting and writhing to dodge to missile weapons before it was on them. It shoved Gladys and Jack away as they grunted onto the floor and quickly wrapped their hands on Wolfe's face, knocking away the laser pistols with lightning quick as it glared into Wolfe's face.

"Indeed. A Fine mutant." It hissed and screamed as Wolfe rammed a knife under its arm. It dropped him, clutching at the deadly blade as it ripped it from its body. Its teeth bared in anger as Jack and Gladys got to their feet and Wolfe drew his sequoia filled with two more bullets, with uncontrolled rage it swung at Wolfe in a mighty backhand. The speed of a highwayman's nuclear car, and the power of it hitting you at full speed.

"WOLFE!" Jack and Gladys shouted together as he slammed against the railing of the catwalk with an ominous CRACK as the mutant released an unbearable shriek up the hallway they came from. But quickly stopped.

The sequoia spiraled next to Gladys' feet, and with surprising skill, she kicked it up and into her hand. Aiming it right at the shrieking mutant before firing its deadly bullet right into its brain. Freakish and new: It clearly wasn't immortal… its body collapsed under its own weight on the catwalk…

Then they heard the battle cries behind them. "Shit." Jack growled, dragging Gladys through the doors and kneeling next to Wolfe. "Don't worry buddy I got you. I-"

Wolfe was rolled over, but unmoving. He gazed at the both of them smiling sadly. "…Can't feel my legs guys…"

Gladys shook her head, "Ben, carry Him. I'll…"

Wolfe shook his head slowly, "Jack…. Lift me up. Give me that laser pistol." Jack did as he asked, handing him the pistol as Wolfe took the bag of mini-nukes.

"Kelly." Jack said seriously, as Wolfe shook his head, making sure the pistol was loaded as the supermutants beyond the door began to bang against it.

"… It's alright." Wolfe nodded to them both. "…This is on me. Get back to the NCR. Tell them what we found. Tell them what happened." He eyed his sequoia that Gladys held in her hand out to him, and smiled at her, "Keep it." he said already setting up the mini-nukes side by side next to him.

"Wolfe come on, we're trapped in here and-" but Wolfe pointed to the far end of the catwalk.

"There's a door that way… might lead you out." He said, "I might have glanced it on a map on the way down here… but if I'm wrong, you'll at least might survive the boom." He gazed at both of them fondly. "…Go on." He said as Jack nodded slowly, standing back up and taking Gladys by the arm, leading her on. There was resistance at first, but as the supermutants banging on the door picked up, she didn't resist anymore.

Wolfe reached into his coat, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a laser pistol blast. Once Gladys and Jack reached the far door and passed through it, then he reached into his coat again, pulling out an odd recording device. "…This is Kelly Conner Wolfe. NCR Ranger. Final Log-" and the door shut behind them.

They entered into a long, smooth hallway, that led to stairs, then another hallway, and stairs. But it had seen little to no use, but they kept going, kept walking…

…Then they heard the echoing booms and felt the shake. They heard the very ground collapse beneath them seconds before they reached the very edge of the tunnel into a deep cave with a natural light at the end of the tunnel. With seconds to spare it seems as if the very tunnel collapsed behind them.

Jack sunk to his knees staring at the wasteland as the ground beneath him suddenly collapsed as well by several feet. Obviously, the vault was collapsing on itself. "…FUCK!!" he roared out angrily as Gladys stared at the sequoia in her hand. She sniffed, before placing it in a deep pocket, she'll find a holster for it later.

"Come on." She said abruptly, getting to her feet. "…Back to the NCR."

Jack took a deep breath, standing up and taking off his hat to place it over his chest. Staring at the crumpled tunnel and door. "…Later Wolfe." He said mournfully, giving him a moment of silence before donning his hat, adjusting his cards, then promptly following Gladys out of the cave… back into the wastelands. Back to the NCR…

…The present.

The towering behemoth fell… its body riddle with holes as the group of rangers reloaded their various non-sequoia weapons. Their leader reloaded her sequoia patiently "COUGH!!" she shook her head before shouting clearly "Jefferson! Maxine! Karlson! Wu! Raven! Report!"

"No injuries Ma'am!" they all replied together as Jefferson, her massive second in command stepped forward, hefting his 'secondary' weapon, a modded minigun, as easily as breathing.

"Are we to set camp ma'am or continue the march?" he asked. She thought about it before shouting

"…Raven!" a native American former tribal approached her, his long black hair tied back in a warrior braid and his eyes dark and stern. "Scout ahead. Try to find a shorter path." He nodded silently, hefting his sniper rifle and running forward, silent as the night.

"Karlson!" a burly, handsome blonde man with long wavy hair approached her now. A freshly fired shotgun on his back, "See if there's any shelter nearby." He nodded and obeyed.

"Wu! Maxine!" A fit Asian man with a sharp and deadly Chinese officer sword, and a wild-looking woman with short pink hair, a shapely frame, and an assault rifle with a bayonet saluted. "See if you can acquire fresh meat for dinner." then went to fulfill her orders.

"Jefferson. keep watch." She noted absently, as he loyally obeyed her orders. She walked over and sat callously down on the dead super mutant behemoth, firing a round into his head absently and as easily as breathing. Then as she often did in times of deep thought. Pulled out a burnt recording device and pressed play.

"…Thi* is Ke---Conner Wolfe N—R-ang-r Final Lo-…" and listened, as she often did. To the rest of the broken recording…

End of Chapter.