Chapter 8: Adamantium Skeleton
Unfortunately, even though the fight was over it wasn't time to rest just yet.
We still had to deal with the bodies immediately because if we didn't the corpses might attract something unpleasant if they were left alone too long. So, despite the fact that the sun had already set everyone who was able started picking up the dead Powder Gangers and dragging their bodies into a large pile a couple hundred feet outside of town.
It was tough and disgusting work and by the end of it I was completely covered with blood and guts. And wasn't ashamed to admit that I vomited more than once since even people like Sunny and Yoruichi threw up once or twice while moving a severed head or pair of intestines it was just that gross. But, no matter what it had to be done and by the end of it I was pretty sure I was scared for life.
Once we finally finished gathering up all the bodies and chunks of flesh it was time to light it up. We used some scrap wood gathered from around town along with a few old tires to get the fire going.
And for the first time in my life, I was actually thankful for the smell of burning rubber because it actually helped overpowered the horrible scent of blood that filled the air.
With that done everyone went back to their homes exhausted ready to get some well-deserved rest because they still had a lot of work to do tomorrow. Several of the townspeople died in the fight but, they weren't burnt in the fire. Instead, they were moved to cellar and wrapped in a thick layer of cloth to stop them from decaying and keep from attracting scavengers. Trudy told me there was going to be a mass funeral for them in a couple days once everyone recovered a bit and the damage to the town was repaired.
I probably wasn't going be in town when that happened but, that was probably for the best since I doubted they wanted outsiders at something personal like that.
It was starting to get late and I knew I should probably get to bed myself but, I couldn't quite find the motivation to move and just sat there silently in front of the burning pyre. I wasn't doing anything interesting like contemplating the meaning of my existance or having any other complex thoughts like that I was just staring blankly into the fiery void.
The last couple days had been incredibly draining there was something oddly comforting about the flickering flames.
My eyes shifted as I heard someone taking a seat beside me and I was a bit surprised to see that it was Yoruichi. She didn't say anything and just rested there next to me and watched the fire too, her bright blue jumpsuit was stained red and her golden eyes seemed a bit dimmer and I could tell that moving all those corpses had taken its toll on her as well.
"You know you don't need to feel bad about their deaths right" she eventually whispered?
"I know" I sighed "It's just this was the first time I've ever killed someone so I guess it's getting to me a bit."
"Hmm" she quietly hummed. "You know, since I've lost my memory as far as I know this was the first time I've ever killed someone too. But, I honestly don't feel all that bad about it. It was hard seeing all those bodies up close and knowing I was the cause of it and I wish this didn't have to happen. But, I can't bring myself to regret what I did since they were the ones who started this." Yoruichi looked up at me with sad eyes "Does that make me a bad person?"
I hesitated a moment before answering "I don't think so" I frowned "I've always heard people say that you have to feel bad after killing someone otherwise you're a monster but, I'm not sure if that's 100% true. As long as you keep a clear head and only kill to protect yourself or others then I don't think you're a bad person."
"I see" she went silent thinking about my words.
"By the way" I eventually asked " How are you doing? I know you were pretty close to that massive explosion earlier."
"I'm fine" she rubbed her ear "I got to cover just before it went off so I dodged the worst of it but, my ears are still ringing a bit from the blast."
"That's good" I nodded before going quiet again.
Glancing over at her I thought about how strange this all was. Even though so much had already happened it had only been a little more than a day since I first woke up in this world. And despite what I knew about Yoruichi or more accurately what I knew about her anime counterpart. I realized that she and I were still very much strangers and that I knew absolutely nothing about who she really was. And honestly had no idea how exactly I was supposed to talk with her especially in such a heavy atmosphere.
"So, what do you plan to do now" she whispered softly?
I didn't respond immediately and leaned back and stared at the full moon shining in the sky above me.
"I don't know" I sighed truthfully.
Even though I knew that I should probably start traveling with her on her revenge trip to make sure the Legion doesn't accidentally win. But, after everything that just happened I wasn't sure I really wanted to do that. Compared to what I knew was coming in the future the bloodbath we just endured could barely even be considered a fight.
"I see" Yoruichi brightened slightly "If you don't have any important plans then I'm going to cash in on that favor you owe me."
"Huh" I tilted my head a little confused?
"What did you forget already" she giggled? "I killed more Gecko than you yesterday and you lost our bet and now I'm cashing it in."
My eyes widened a bit when I remembered out bet, I'd honestly done it half as a joke and had completely forgotten about it after everything that's happened.
"And what exactly do you want me to do" I narrowed my eyes?
"Easy" she gave a cheshire grin "I want you to travel with me!"
"What" I blinked not expecting that though I probably should have!?
"Yep" she crossed her arms and looked out into the darkness "Because if even half of the things you and Sunny told me about really exist out there, then I'm going to need some back up. And from what I've seen you're fairly strong, so I thought why not bring you with me!"
"So let me get this straight" I face palmed "You want to use that 'friendly' bet we made to force me to follow you across a radioactive desert filled horrible monsters, deranged raiders, and evil armies?"
She simply nodded and stared at me innocently with her golden eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.
"There's no way out of this is there" I sighed knowing that I had lost?
"No there isn't" she answered as her grin became even wider.
"Fine" I shook my head exasperated and bitterly smiled "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Alright" she jumped to her feet and fist pumped excitedly "Now you can help me hunt down that bastard that shot me in the head!"
I laughed a bit and got to my feet as well and cracked my neck "We can talk about this more later. Right now, we're both exhausted and dirty so let's get some rest and meet up at the Saloon tomorrow and figure things out then alright."
That seemed to bring Yoruichi back to reality as she looked down at her blood covered jumpsuit and over at the pile of burning corpses before nodding.
"Yeah... we can talk more later after we clean up a bit."
After that the two of us went our separate ways and I headed back for another night at the gas station and idly thought about what just happened.
Surprisingly despite how I felt just a couple minutes earlier about all the death and destruction I knew was coming. I honestly wasn't all that upset about Yoruichi deciding to drag me along on her adventures. Maybe it was because her excitement was infectious or that I was too nice a person to let her go out there all on her own when I could easily help her.
Or maybe it was just because she was hot.
Either way since I had already agreed to help it was already far too late to turn back. I could only do my best to become stronger so that I could protect the both of us when the shit inevitably hit the fan.
Thinking about it right now our biggest obstacle was getting passed Primm the next town over and all the Powder Gangers who had taken over the place. In the game there were maybe twenty or thirty of them there, which was really really bad. Since in the game only five or six Powder Gangers attacked Goodsprings but, more than three times that number appeared in reality.
So, at best we should be prepared to deal with between 60 to 100 Powder Gangers.
Just the thought of that made me want to feint!
"Yawn" but, that was a problem that could wait for tomorrow after a nice long nap.
Entering the gas station, I saw Ringo leaning up against the wall with a duffle bag over his shoulder.
"Took your sweet time didn't you" he shook his head and fished something out of his pocket. "Whatever" he scoffed and tossed me a small bag that jingled when I caught it. "That's your payment" he said while pushing off the wall and readjusting the bag over his shoulder "200 caps even. You'll get the rest if you ever make it to our HQ near Freeside"
The second I caught the bag I heard a familiar music ringing in my ear and knew I leveled up again. It must have been because I completed the Ghost Town Gunfight Quest after accepting Ringo's payment.
Which reminded me how strange it was that I had never actually seen a Quest prompt or waypoint a single time during this or the "Back In The Saddle Quest" I did before.
'Whatever' I shrugged I would deal with that tomorrow too since I was way too tired to deal with complicated stuff like that.
So, to move things along I quickly used my system to double check that Ringo gave me the right amount and then looked up to see him heading out the front door of the gas station.
"Where are you going" I asked?
Ringo smirked "I've been trapped in this dinky little town for way too long, so now that Joe Cobb is gone. I'm not planning on spending another night in this crappy gas station."
"You can't tell me you're seriously planning on leaving back to New Vegas like this? You didn't even want to fight with Joe Cobb but, now you're brave enough to try and travel by yourself at night?"
Ringo snorted "Don't underestimate the Crimson Caravan kid! As long as I can make my way to one of our safe houses, I can easily survive there until another Crimson Caravan caravan passes then I can just hitch a ride with them back to HQ."
"Okay, fair enough" I blinked not really sure what I was expecting.
"See you around" Ringo waved one last goodbye before stepping out the door and into the night.
With Ringo gone I now had the gas station completely to myself and made myself at home in the little corner he used to occupy. My sleeping bag fit perfectly on the old mattress he left behind and I couldn't wait to lay my head down and rest but, unfortunately there was one last thing I needed to do before I could sleep.
I needed to change out of my bloody armor and into the new pajama's I just bought.
Thankfully with my Pipboy it only took a couple clicks before I was out of those disgusting clothes and completely blood free in my new sweats and t-shirt. There wasn't even a spec of blood left on my skin it was almost like I had taken a bath and washed everything off.
Thanking my system for being so convenient I finally laid my head down and almost instantly fell asleep.
The next morning, I woke up in a cold sweat gasping for air I'd had a horrible nightmare! Just remembering it made me shiver In my dream all of the dead Powder Gangers crawled their way out of the ashes of the fire and attacked the town dragging people out of their homes and ripping them apart. And Joe Cobb even snuck into the gas station and attacking me while I slept even now I could remember how disgusting his rotten and burnt face was and the very obvious bullet hole in his skull!
"Yep, I'm definitely traumatized" I sighed!
Doing my best to forget that horrific nightmare I focused on getting ready for my day. I brushed my teeth with some simple charcoal toothpaste and a brush made brush bighorn fur which were part of the necessities I bought yesterday and used a tiny amount of water to wash my face before combing my hair.
Even if I was living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland now that was no excuse for me to stop paying attention to my personal hygiene, especially if I was going to be traveling with a pretty girl. I'd forgotten to do all this yesterday with the impending attack and all but, now that that was out of the way I finally thought to do it.
Now that I was cleaned up, I used my Pipboy to eat a quick meal and decided to wear my Army Fatigues today since the military ones I wore yesterday were still covered in blood. After that I put on the rest of my equipment and was about to head out the door when I remembered something.
Walking back over to the mattress I slept on I kicked it aside to reveal a hidden floor safe beneath the counter.
It was only an easy level lock, so it only took me a moment to pop it open. Inside I found a couple stacks of pre-war money along with a 9mm Pistol and some ammo. It wasn't much but, I swept it up anyway even the money since for whatever reason in Fallout 4 you could recycle pre-war money into cloth. Meaning I could use it to craft a few extra sets of clothes at the Workbench.
With that done I finally headed out to face my third day in the Mojave.
Surprisingly, the sun had only just risen above the horizon meaning that I didn't sleep in for hours like I did yesterday. I was expecting to wake up around noon because of how tired I was and how late I stood up but, I guess my nightmare woke me up early.
And I wasn't the only one up either.
From what I could see a good chunk of Goodsprings population were already out and about. They were busy fixing bullet holes in the side of buildings and filling in some of the craters caused by the dynamite. It was actually kind of impressive how hardworking they all were but, I guess that was to be expected. To survive in a world like this especially in a barren desert like the Mojave you have to be proactive and efficient because lazing around would probably just get you killed.
My first stop after leaving wasn't to the Saloon instead I made a pit stop back to the Pyre just to make double sure there weren't any zombies around. I knew I was being stupid but, maybe I just wanted the closure of seeing the ashes. And just like I expected all that was left was just a pile of smoldering embers and disgusting stench that lingered in the air.
Once I confirmed the bodies were all gone, I felt a small weight leave my shoulders and started back towards the Saloon to meet Yoruichi.
The two of us had a lot to talk about.
I'd already decided that I was going to let her take the lead for on this adventure because it was her revenge trip and she was the protagonist after all. But, I would also use my knowledge to give her advice and help us avoid getting into too much trouble too early.
The inside of the Saloon was the same as always and with only a few people around enjoying a simple breakfast. And after glancing around I saw that Yoruichi wasn't here yet, so I decided to just take a seat and order one of the iconic Nuka Cola's. I hadn't had one yet and was dying to try it.
I thought it would be the same as a Coke but, was surprised that it actually tasted nothing like that!
It was actually kind of fruity and EXTREMELY sweet so sweet that I could almost feel myself getting cavities after just a single sip. Though that didn't stop me from finishing the thing.
It did make me wonder though were there any dentists out here?
As far as I knew most of the medical professionals here were basically general doctors that focused on treating things like gun shots and broken bones. You know things that would kill you sooner rather than later.
Something to look into later I guess but, that random train of thought did remind me of something.
I'd forgotten to level up to Level 3 after completing Ringo's Quest last night! Opening up the panel I knew instantly what Perk I was going to pick and didn't hesitate to choose the Adamantium Skeleton Perk.
The reason I picked that perk specifically was because of what happened yesterday.
During the gunfight there were several times a bullet landed withing literal inches of me and I was honestly astonished my only injury was when I got hit by a piece of shrapnel especially with my low luck. That made me realize how easy it is to get killed a single bullet to the face would have been enough to end my life.
If I was hit in other places though even if it was a serious injury as long as it didn't kill me instantly I would have a chance to survive. All I would need to do is find some cover and use a Stimpak and I'd be out of danger. It was only getting hit in the head that worried me because if my brain was destroyed how would I be able to do anything?
Which is why I picked Adamantium Skeleton.
My goal was to turn my skull into an impregnable fortress that no bullets could penetrate. Of course, the first rank of Adamantium Skeleton only reduced limb damage by 30% which was nowhere near indestructible but, it would hopefully be enough to stop some low caliber bullets from taking me out in a single shot.
Once I confirmed my choice the familiar warmth returned and buried itself in my bones. At first, I was calm since I had experience this once before and didn't think anything bad would happen but, soon enough I noticed that something was wrong. The warm feeling soon turned into a burning sensation, and it felt like a million tiny ants had crawled inside my body and were gnawing on my skeleton.
I'd never felt pain like that before and it was honestly beyond words. I didn't even have the ability to move or scream in agony. All I could do was tense my body up and silently endure it while hoping that no one in the Saloon noticed anything wrong.
The last thing I needed was to be taken back to Doc Mitchell's house to be poked and prodded while he tried to find a problem that didn't exist.
Thankfully the pain left as abruptly as it came and I let out a sigh of relief that it was over. I wasn't sure exactly just happened but, I felt like I needed to step outside for a moment to get some air. But, the second I got out of my seat I noticed something strange.
My body felt a small bit heavier than it did before it was a very slight feeling but, it was definitely there.
That's when I realized that the Perk actually did exactly what it said it would!
Thinking quickly, I opened up the Perk Panel again and reread the description of Adamantium Skeleton.
"Your skeleton has been infused with indestructible metal, reducing limb damage by 30%."
When I picked the perk I didn't think about it too deeply and only assumed it would strengthen my skeleton the same way Toughness strengthened my body. I didn't actually think it would replace my skeleton with actual metal and turn me into Wolverine!
Now that the danger was gone and I knew exactly what happened I calmed down a bit and went back to me seat.
The feeling of having metal in part of my skeleton was strange. Despite the fact that I could clearly feel the difference in my weight it didn't seem to affect my strength or agility at all and my movements were just as accurate and steady as they were before.
I could only shake my head at the weirdness of my system and just be thankful that I had become stronger again.
Anyways I was glad this happened now while I was in a safe place. And felt a trace of fear imagining what would have happened if I leveled up in the heat of battle and picked a powerful Perk to help turn the tide only to end up doubling over in pain and turn into a sitting duck.
I would have to be careful in the future and only pick a Perk once it was in a secure location.
"Hey, Ethan" I heard a familiar voice and turned to see Yoruichi entering the Saloon.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone