Chapter 417: Bully
The arena where Afton and Hardin were supposed to be fighting wasn't how he'd expected... He'd thought he'd be thrust into some kind of Mortal Combat arena, but instead, he's just in the center of a room surrounded by people.
The trial begins as soon as Afton steps forwards, he and his opponent beginning to circle one another. He could hear people talking about the unfairness of it, forcing him to fight without armour.
Indeed, it would be unfair if Afton didn't already have advantages... Still, this brought up a couple questions... His brow rises into his hairline when he puts two and two together. "Hardin, you knew I would be at a disadvantage once I officially resigned from the Brotherhood, which is why you challenged me..." he says, loud enough for most of the room to hear.
Afton was sure Hardin's face would've been set as a scowl, but he couldn't see it through his helmet. "You may think what you want, traitor, but there is only one place the likes of that abomination should exist. Since you wish to ally yourself with it, maybe you should join it!" he shouts, running at Afton to attack.
Of course, Afton didn't even have to rely on his Danger Sense to know this was coming. He easily dodges Hardin's charge and ducks under the reflexive backhand after he misses. As he's crouched, he drives a fairly strong uppercut into Hardin's armoured ribs, causing a large metallic *Ding!* to ring out around the room.
"Heargh!" Hardin groans as he stumbles backwards from the unexpectedly painful strike. He glares at Afton and quickly looks down at his armour to check if it'd been pierced or breached in any way... The metal was undented... But why then did it feel like he'd taken the full brunt of the hit?
"What is this? What did you do?" he angrily asks, suddenly feeling like the winner of this fight was undecided.
Afton shrugs with a grin on his face, beginning to hop on the balls of his feet while throwing out a few jabs, "I'm the second coming of Bruce Lee, bitch." he states as he drops into a flagrant-looking stance.
"I don't know who this 'Bruce Lee' is, but after I beat you I'll take the technology he holds!" he growls out as he approaches Afton again, this time more cautiously.
Tamia looks at Veronica with some confusion, "Who's Bruce Lee?"
Veronica just shrugs and continues watching the fight, "I don't know... I think Afton said the name once when we were training, but I never asked."
Hardin steps forth and tries to kick at Afton's hip in an attempt to deal some damage, but Afton just raises his foot and blocks the strike with his heel. "You're too slow old man, you sure you're fit to be Elder? Well, I guess Elder would be the correct name for someone of your age." he taunts.
Hardin responds to this as you'd expect... But giving a roar and attempting to throw a haymaker at Afton. Honestly, if it were any other man Hardin would have crushed their skull and splattered their brains across the room.
But, since this was Afton, he simply dashes in close and uses Hardin's momentum to throw him on his back. The Elder lands with a large *Crash!*, but he quickly gets up, his armour leaving him unharmed from the throw.
"This the best you got? My Ghoul friend fight better than you do!" Afton taunts again, easily dodging the flurry of back-breaking punches Hardin begins throwing. Both of their fists even meet at one point, but it's Hardin who comes loses that clash, even despite his armoured.
Afton's knuckles are slightly bloody, but they quickly heal up... Hardin on the other hand broke two fingers in that encounter, and it took all his focus not to scream out as it occurred. His pride wouldn't allow him to show weakness in front of HIS new Chapter.
"Alright Hardin, I'm done playing around, I'll give you this chance to surrender or you aren't gonna like what comes next." Afton offers with a smug look.
"Just shut up and fight!" Hardin roars, but it's Afton that attacks this time.
He dashes forwards at speeds impossible to reach for most of the Chapter, leaping in the air and delivering a kick to Hardin's head. The attack almost knocks the man out cold, but he manages to throw himself backwards to alleviate the force somewhat... Still, he was rocked and had difficulties standing.
Afton wasn't finished however, he dashes forwards gain as Hardin tries to defend with his arms, but Afton just drops low and strikes Hardin in the liver a couple times, bringing the man to his knee's and allowing Afton to knee his helmeted face.
*Bang!*
*Crash!*
Hardin crashes to the floor on his back, wheezing and trying not to vomit from the world spinning before his eyes. He hears a muffled voice from somewhere but can't make it out... It's only after a couple times hearing it that he translates what it's saying... "Do you surrender?"
"N-NO!" he quickly shouts, forcing himself back to his feet, even while his legs wobble beneath him... Even with the Power armour assisting him, he wasn't in any condition to keep moving.
Afton just shakes his head "Alright then, I guess..." he says as he jumps in the air and brings his heel down on Hardin's knee, not holding anything back... The results of course, are obvious...
*CRAACK!*
"AAARRRGGHHHH!" Hardin screams out in pain as his leg bends inwards from the strike, his knee shattering entirely as the metal from his Power armour bends and breaks into shards that imbed itself into his leg. He'd honestly had been better off not wearing the Power armour in this instance, as all it was doing now was rending the flesh from his leg.
Afton looks down at his opponent with a blank face, even as medics pick the man up and carry him away to the med bay... The room was completely silent, no one daring to make a sound after the beatdown they just witnessed...
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Niggross
Niggross Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
Joseph Suh
Chris Lindsey
Kingsprovince
Chapter 418: Purged
As Afton stands cross-armed in the middle of the room a notification pops up in his peripheral vision...
[Return to Bunker to install ventilation systems complete?]
[Optional quest complete : Defeat the Brotherhood of Steel Elder]
[Title gained! : Steel Waste]
[Steel Waste] : They say it is best to be feared than loved if you cannot be both... Well, after your brutal actions against a member of the Brotherhood fear comes naturally... +50% more notoriety gain, +50% at intimidating members of the Brotherhood of Steel.
[Brotherhood of Steel Rep : Unpredictable]
[New quest : Install ventilation system.]
[WELCOME TO LEVEL 49!]
Huh, honestly didn't expect to level up right now... He shrugs to himself and puts all the points into Lockpick. Unfortunately, he doesn't receive a new Perk due to this level being an odd number...
Regardless, once time resumes he looks down at his Pipboy and checks his status for the first time in a while.
Afton Parker
Title : [Executioner of the Wastes], [Free Sheriff], [Fiend's Fiend], [Goliath], [Steel Waste]
Level : 49
S.P.E.C.I.A.L :
Strength : 11
Perception : 10
Endurance : 10
Charisma : 5
Intelligence : 7
Agility : 10
Luck : 5
Skills :
Barter : 21
Energy Weapons : 100
Explosives : 100
Guns : 100
Lockpick : 64
Medicine : 100
Melee Weapons : 100
Repair : 100
Science : 100
Sneak : 100
Speech : 100
Survival : 100
Unarmed : 100
Mutations :
[Beauveria mordicana symbioticca] : A mutated strain of a very deadly and infectious fungus. Makes possessor immune to all diseases and poisons, grants +1 End, grants regenerative abilities.
[Beauveria mordicana armamini] : Your right arm has regrown and become stronger than before! +4 DT against damage dealt towards the arm and +20% resistance against being crippled.
Perks :
[Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated], [John Wick Style], [Toughness], [Stonewall], [Sniper], [Bug Stomper], [Lord Death v3], [Spies Guise], [Quick Draw], [Adamantium Skeleton], [Ranger Tactics], [Ranger Targeting], [Ranger Awareness], [Mechanicus], [Jury Rigging], [SuperHot Block], [Solar Powered], [Miracle Maker], [Unnerving Presence], [Living Anatomy], [Agility Implant], [Masterful Movement], [Blur], [Uncivilized Weapon], [Rad Absorbtion], [Tough Guy], [Nuclear Friendly], [Explorer], [Eureka!], [Atomic!], [Grit], [Alertness], [Abominable v3], [Fight the Power!], [Tremble before me!], [Meltdown], [Explooo-sion!], [Lady Killer], [Big Brained], [Reinforced Spine], [Implant M-5], [Implant C-13], [Impant Y-7], [Cure for the Curious], [Perception Implant], [Endurance Implant], [Danger Sense], [A Pool of Dead], [Charisma Implant], [Intelligence Implant], [Luck Implant], [The Cyber Punk]
Companion Perks :
[Old Wisdom]
[Spotter]
[Persistent Escapee]
[Still Jammn']
[Enhanced Sensors]
[Protagonist]
[A Penchant for Fisting]
Afton honestly wasn't sure what to make out of his new title... He didn't really want to be feared by his family but, he supposed this was the consequence of his actions. Speaking of the quest to reinstall the ventilation systems, he doubted he was going to do it.
For one, he wasn't even in the Brotherhood anymore, not to mention the fact that the Brotherhood is likely going to surface relatively soon, meaning they wouldn't need it in the first place... Plus, he doubted whatever EXP gain he'd get would be worth the trouble.
He looks around the room at the quiet crowd and smirks at them while giving a thumbs up, "Looks like I, as well as my friends are free to go. A pleasure doing business with you all!" he says before walking towards his group.
Slowly, people start shuffling out of the room to go back to their respective duties. He could spot a teacher trying to corral his students back into a classroom while a few of the soldiers still sent glares at Afton and his group.
"Afton! You did it!" Veronica happily calls out as his approaches, the rest of his group sending him respectful yet surprised looks.
"Yeah, I didn't think you had it in you..." Josie mutters, walking up and squeezing his bicep, "I mean, I thought you were strong but, not that strong... Why don't you have arms like Grognak the Barbarian if you can fight like that?"
Afton just shrugs, "Because my name isn't Arnold?"
...
"Who's Arnold?" Veronica asks, but is cut off by Tamia.
"No, who's Bruce Lee?"
"Err... It's another name for... Jesus... Yeah, Jesus." he quickly bullshits, preferring not to mention that he's a Chinese martial artist... That certainly wouldn't go down well, especially after they helped nuke the world into... this.
"Afton." someone calls out, when he turns he spots that it's Miles again, though, this time not wearing his power armour.
At his side was a familiar face, Melissa.
"Hey guy-" he's interrupted as he catches the slap headed for his face... Apparently, Melissa didn't appreciate his disappearing act. "If you wanted to give me a hand, you could have at least clapped after I beat Hardin." he jokes.
"You left without saying a word! Now let me slap you for payback!" she shouts, attempting to slap him again.
Giving a sigh, he allows her to slap him a couple times... His Endurance and other Perks made the hard strikes feel like nothing, but he supposed if he were a regular human he'd be left bruised all over. "You done?" he asks after the twentieth or so slaps.
She gives him a glare before pouting, "Yeah, I guess." she pauses and frowns again, "You left the Brotherhood! Permenantly! Why!?"
Afton shrugs, "I didn't really have much of a choice, they wanted to execute a friend of mine. I wasn't going to stand for that... Though, I doubt Hardin is going to stand anymore either." he chuckles.
"Did you have to hurt him that badly? I mean, it's only a Ghoul." Melissa says, clearly displaying how indoctrinated the Brotherhood had made her.
Afton fights to keep the scowl off of his face as he shakes his head, "Despite what you've heard, not all ghouls are feral monsters. Anja is quite nice when you get to know her. You wouldn't execute a child with a deformity, so why treat a Ghoul the same?"
Mellisa looks away, "Deformities are also classified as mutations. You should know that Afton."
...
"What?" he asks, having not heard anything about this before.
Miles shuffles uncomfortably at the side, "You don't know? Children with deformities are... Purged. To prevent it from becoming commonplace, genetic diversity in the Bunker was harder and harder to maintain, so it was necessary." he says, but Afton notices he isn't as nonplussed by it as Melissa is.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Niggross
Niggross
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
If you like my content or want to read ahead please go to : https://www.p.atreon.com/Nagross, I'd appreciate it.
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
Joseph Suh
Chris Lindsey
Kingsprovince
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
6 Power
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