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81.66% Steel Waste / Chapter 579: New Reason for Conflict

Chapter 579: New Reason for Conflict

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

...

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*

...

*BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEE-Smack!*

"Fuckin' shut uuup!" Afton suddenly roars as she sits up from his bed, crushing the alarm clock that had been sat on his bedside... He'd only just managed to drift off into sleep, yet half an hour later some stupid fuck was trying to message him or something... HE JUST WANTED TO SLEEP!

*Shrrp!*

A panel in the roof slides away as Glados drone floats down, a vein appears on Afton's forehead but he manages to stifle the urge to smack the robot for interrupting his sleep... "This better be really damn important, Glados."

Glados ignores the threat and continues as she had been, "Creator, the NCR has performed an attack against Novac, killing one person in the process." she states.

...

He crooks a brow at this, "I'm guessing it wasn't an all-out attack then... An assassination?... Who was killed?" he asks, feeling his heart begin to beat faster.

"Subject designated: Daisy Whitman was struck multiple times in the head and other vital areas by ballistic weaponry, most likely sniper rifles." the feminine robots explains as if he hadn't just been informed of a close friend's demise.

...

"She's dead...? But why? She wasn't all that important to Bulwark, nor to Novac..." he mutters, feeling as if this was his fault in some way.

Glados picks up his train of thought and offers her own conclusions, "Perhaps it was due to her being the highest rank person within Novac... The NCR is unaware of Big Mt, so they have no other avenues to retaliate." she states and Afton nods in agreement.

Glados explanation explained a lot, but that still didn't make it any easier to process Daisy's sudden demise... After he'd gotten over the initial shock, he was hit with a wave of anger and indignation, how dare they harm someone he'd personally placed under is protection... IN HIS OWN PROPERTY!?

He jumps out of bed and ignores all the personalities trying to talk to him or catch his attention. He splashes his face with water puts on the Stealth suit, grabs his weapons and marches out of the Think Tank with Glados' drone tailing him.

"Creator, we also have messages from Novac... Subject designated: Arcade Gannon has temporarily taken the mayor position... Would you like to listen to the messages?"

"Yes." he confirms as he continues to the armoury where his Power armour is kept and maintained.

"Affirmative." Glados states before beginning the recorded messages, "*Bzztch!*H-hey, I'm speaking to Afton right?... I hope so... Look, you've probably heard about Daisy, and we're pretty sure it was the NCR that are responsible for it. People in Novac are baying for NCR blood, I've taken the role of Mayor, but I'm barely holding them back from marching towards the nearest NCR encampment...

I'm not even sure if I want to stop them, I wasn't all that close with Daisy, but she was like family... I've managed to make a sort of deal with Novac's angry residents. Said you might accept them, give them training, and place them in your military force to combat the NCR. I don't know if I've overstepped my authority with this, but it was the only way to stop an outright invasion..." Arcade trails off while releasing a long sigh.

"There's also my friend Orion Morino... I don't know where he's gone, but I fear he might be planning something big, the look on his face when Daisy was killed, and the one he had when he left? It didn't promise anything good... You need to watch out for it, not because it's a threat to whatever you've built, but because Morino and Daisy come from very bloody places." he warns.

"When you get the chance, come speak to me in Novac, it'd help sort all of this out a lot... Urgh, honestly, who'd have thought I'd become a leader like this...*Bzztch*" the message ends with Arcade's quiet lamentation.

Afton chews his lip upon hearing this. He was conflicted, if he looked at it from a purely pragmatic point of view, Daisy's death had potentially brought more benefits than her continued existence had. From it, he was getting volunteers for his military, a clear and obvious reason to retaliate against the NCR, and a motivation for his people to fight... Daisy would essentially become a martyr fueling Bulwark's ambitions...

Was he happy that this was the case? No, but he felt conflicted nonetheless. "Glados, have CERR01 speed up our plans..." he says while looking down at his Pipboy map, checking for the closest NCR encampment to Novac.

Obviously, he wouldn't be attacking Helios One anytime soon so he'd have to target the next closest place... Camp Forlorn Hope. He could attack Nelson instead, but that place had basically been abandoned when the Legion retreated from the west side of the Colorado.

Once having decided his plan of action, he puts on his Power armour and heads down to the teleportation array. Once there, he spots a tired-looking Boone standing there already fully armed.

Afton stops and stares at him for a moment, wondering what he's doing here... "I'm guessing you've heard the news then?" he asks and Boone gives a firm nod.

"You're going to retaliate?" he asks as if it were a foregone conclusion.

"Are you going to stop me?" he replies with another question.

...

Boone shakes his head after a moment, "We were friends, me and Daisy. The NCR assassinated her in cold blood, for no reason whatsoever. Any love I had for my country is gone, do what you need to, just try and keep innocents out of it." he solemnly says.

Afton was still confused as to why he'd turned up fully equipped... Had he been expecting a fight? Or did he want Afton to take the sniper along with him?

He watches Boone's back as the sniper leaves, headed straight towards the bar presumably to get shit-faced.

With that, Afton activates the teleporter and leaves with a crack of lightning, not willing to waste any more time without retaliating against the NCR's dishonourable attack.


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 :

ShinAmazake

Kingsprovince

Michael Jarrett

Nazlican Erdem

Tarlock

Justin David

Chapter 580: Light Show

Afton appears a good distance from Novac and immediately activates his Stealth boy. It was still the middle of the night, which would've made the bolt of lightning very, very obvious for anyone nearby, thus, a quick retreat was needed.

He activates his helmets night vision while he sneaks towards Camp Forlorn Hope, the Range Finder already sitting in his hand, waiting for use. Eventually, he managed to reach the large hill overlooking the camp, quietly setting up his Anti-Material rifle once there...

Obviously, this wouldn't be his main mode of attack, the sniper would only be used to pick off any soldiers who are unlucky enough to survive the orbital strike.

Camp Forlorn hope itself looked much better than what he'd heard from Boone. In the past, this place had been the prime target of Legion raids, plus the fact the Legion controlled a good portion of the roads leading to it, meant that it had always been low on supplies and men.

This had recently changed though, since the Legion had retreated back over the river, the place had become one of the most fortified positions in the wasteland, aside from Hoover Dam of course. Now that the NCR had time to properly set up defences, the Legion would be unable to travel across the river without incurring staggering losses... Not that this would matter in its last moments, the biggest threat to the camp came from Novac, Bulwark, and Afton after all... Not that they were aware of this.

The camp looked to be in preparation to reinforce its western fronts, their assassination on Daisy would obviously draw Bulwarks ire, so they were anticipating an attack soon... The only problem with that, is that they weren't aware of how quickly Bulwark could mobilise a response.

The assassination on Daisy had only happened a couple hours ago... If Afton had wanted to bright an army or mobilise Novac, it'd only be ready in the morning. This is probably why the NCR was taking their time setting up defences, no point working through the night if you weren't expecting an attack. Still, even if they had, nothing would prepare them against Afton's assault.

Afton looks through the scope of his rifle and examines the camp, there were many patrols still awake and standing guard over the place. There were also many new recruits judging by their fresh-looking uniforms... Their young, hopeful faces might've made Afton feel guilty for what he was about to do... If the NCR hadn't assassinated one of his close friends.

"Well, you guys asked for this." he mutters as he points the Range Finder at the center of the camp... Most didn't even notice the small laser, a few did but ignored it, thinking that someone was playing a prank or something.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Almost the entire Mojave is momentarily illuminated as the huge laser descends from the sky, striking the centre of Camp Forlorn Hope and glassing most of it. There isn't even enough time for the soldiers to scream in terror as their skin, flesh, organs and bones and melted and rendered nothing but ash.

All the tents, equipment, and fortifications of the camp are quickly destroyed as well, leaving almost nothing behind aside from a huge smouldering crater. As quickly as the light came, it left, leaving a considerable portion of the Mojave reeling from the sudden light show.

*Ping!*

[Second Apocalypse] rewards one random stat for ending one thousand lives... Luck has increased by 1!

Huh, he'd almost forgotten that this Perk existed... He wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth though.

Afton looks down at the newly created crater and crooks a brow at the many bones decorating the outskirts of where the laser had hit. The attack was less intense the farther you were from the centre, which is why some bones survived it.

He didn't have time to waste admiring the destruction he'd caused though, quickly kneeling beside his Anti-Material Rifle and aiming towards the few patrolling soldiers who'd been away at the time of the attack.

*Pew! Pew! Pew!*

Soldiers began dropping dead left and right, each of them panicking to a ridiculous degree due to what'd just occurred. They weren't even able to identify where the shots were coming from due to the silencer on Afton's rifle.

Soon enough, every people stationed at Camp Forlorn Hope was annihilated. Afton could have spared a few to tell the NCR what'd happened, but he thought it would be more terrifying to have no idea how this feat was accomplished.

Sure, they'd recognise that the same weapon used against the Legion was used here, but they'd not have anything concrete on the matter.

Nodding to himself, he checks the radio via his Pipboy to see what people had thought of the abrupt light show...

"*Bzztch!* Reports are coming in from all over the Mojave about a heavenly beam of light coming from the sky, I myself have no idea where it came from but a good portion of folks are saying it's aliens..." Mr Newvegas' voice trails off, "I assure you all that aliens are not responsible for this phenomenon. Maybe some wealthy individuals decided to set off the most extravagant fireworks display the wasteland has seen... If so, just be thankful you were lucky enough to witness it, it probably won't happen again for at least a couple hundred years." the radio host explains, completely playing off everyone's worries.

It'd probably work to alleviate the average person's worries, but for House, the NCR, the Legion, and other factions operation in the Mojave? Afton was sure they were shitting themselves, all scrambling to find what'd caused this.

Afton takes one last look at the crater before picking up his gear and leaving, deciding that he deserved to sleep at some point tonight.


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 :

ShinAmazake

Kingsprovince

Michael Jarrett

Nazlican Erdem

Tarlock

Justin David

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