After the group's battle against the Ghost Mutant, they began moving again, this time in the direction of the Salida del Sol. Obviously, Afton didn't forget to push Dean's shoulder back into it's socket, but maybe he should have just left it alone... That Ghoul's bitching about it made it difficult to decide...
During the journey, Afton had just to flex his new abilities but found it difficult due to the fact he was wearing Power armour... The small opening in his gauntlet allowed him to produced a whip covered in razor barbs, but he wasn't able to explore the mutations as much as he may have wished.
Perhaps after his next mutation, he'd be able to forgo Power armour on his plant-arm completely... As it is, an Anti-Material rifle could still punch through it, making it a massive weakness in any large scale battle. Even if he was always focussing on his Danger Sense he couldn't be one hundred percent sure he'd get out unscathed when an attack did come.
The next Mutation he'd get would be one that reinforces his plant arms defences, allowing him to change it into a steel-like substance... After that, he'd probably focus on reinforcing the rest of his body, or maybe trying out Telekinesis?... Technokinesis sounds pretty cool too, as well as a good combination with his current skillset.
Soon enough they reach the outskirts of the District and Afton could see the bell tower looming in the distance... Afton had already unconsciously started heading in its direction when Dean stops him.
"Hold up, we got the Switching Station to get to first, only then can we activate the event." he states, gesturing in the southern part of the Salida del Sol.
Afton just shrugs at him, "Lead on."
The group begins to move again but Veronica doesn't notice herself walking over a more ragged and fragile part of the rooftop...
"Veronica st-" Afton calls out but is too late, the combined weight of her body and the Power armour easily breaching the roof. She falls straight down with a high-pitched shriek, tumbling through the first floor she hits, then the second, then onto the ground floor... Fortunately, there wasn't any Cloud down there, so she should be relatively unharmed... Hopefully.
Afton and Dean crowd around the hole, "You okay down there?" he calls out while shining a light down it at Veronica who was lying in a heap.
...
"Ugh, yeah... Oh shit...!?" she exclaims but quickly quietens down after nothing happens.
"What is it?" Afton asks, ready to jump down and defend her.
Veronica glances back up the hole and gestures at something not visible to them in the room, "There's a Hologram here... It isn't attacking though..."
Dean's eyes light up at this, "Ah? Must be a Hologram trader, I haven't even found that one yet... Good job!" he chuckles while flashing a thumbs up, while Veronica flips him off in response.
Afton glances at Dean questioningly, "Hologram trader?"
Dean nods, "Yes... Old Frederick didn't think paying for hostesses and staff was worth the effort, so he just had Holograms made instead to serve their functions... If you got any prewar cash, we might be able to buy something useful."
Afton shakes his head, "No... Only thing I use dollars for nowadays is toilet paper." he sheepishly admits, only now realising how ridiculous that would sound to his previous self's sensibilities.
Dean bursts into laughter at this, wiping a stray tear out of his eye, "Oh! now isn't that just a hilarious change of priorities... Whatever, use your plat-arm? thing? and pull her up, I doubt scrounging for change and buying half a Stimpack would achieve anything at this point."
Afton nods and shoots a whip down to Veronica, wrapping it around her waist and bracing himself while pulling her up. Even a Supermutant would find this difficult, but Afton just continues the task without a sweat. "Alright, now, do I need to instruct you on how to not fall into any more holes?" Afton asks Veronica semi-sarcastically.
She just smacks him in the arm and begins walking southwards again, "That was one time." she retorts.
Fortunately, the streets below them were relatively clear of the Cloud, however, this wasn't the case for Ghosts, which seemed to infest literally every street corner within view. Even the destroyed building had many on the ground level, promoting just how dangerous this area was... Afton couldn't imagine how difficult it would be if he was forced to travel via the streets. (Yes I'm throwing shade at the Courier for not using the rooftops in the DLC)
The group continues to travel for around an hour until they spot a large square next to a wide-open gate, inside the gated area was an illuminated clearing that had a number of rusted electrical switches, which is presumably what they were here for...
Unfortunately, the square and the gated area were both completely full of Ghosts. Not to mention the egregious amount of bear traps that'd been laid around. Afton was unsure if the Ghosts were responsible for those though, especially since they seemed to instinctively avoid them.
Afton just groans aloud, "Urgh, why is this fucking town so fucking annoying! Can't they just give us a freebee for once?"
Dean snorts, "I don't know who 'they' are, but this is proper 'Sierra Madre hospitality'." he chuckles.
Veronica shakes her head, "I have no idea how you have lived this long... We're struggling and we're kitted out in the best armour and weaponry you can and can't find in the wasteland."
Dean purses his lips, "Just skill... A bit of starvation, and the best escaping technique you've ever seen... Now, both of you stop your bitching, you've got Ghosts to kill." he states as he sits on the edge of the rooftop.
Afton crooks a brow, "What about you?"
Dean shrugs with a laugh, "As your friend just said, you are far better equipped than I am." he says while lying back as if he were on vacation.
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Christine sits back in the swivel chair, monotonously spinning it and herself around while waiting for the Gala Event to begin. Afton and Veronica's Ghoul 'friend', Anja was sleeping nearby on a pile of scrap soft enough to be used as a bed.
She releases a long sigh as her muscles still occasionally twitch from her long time torture inside the Auto-Doc, she could still feel phantom pains from her scars, but ignored it all through sheer willpower alone. Despite her family coming all this way into what could potentially be hell itself, the thing pushing her forward at the moment was Elijah, and her wish for vengeance against him.
*Bzztch!*
She raises a brow at the sound, "Speak of the Devil." she mentally spits as Elijah's raspy voice begins speaking through her collar.
"Enjoying yourself, Christine?" he asks with a great deal of mirth.
Silently growling, she taps her collar once after remembering Afton's makeshift method of communication.
"Oh, still can't speak? That's a shame... Still, it means you make a great listener. Plus, it allows you to silently contemplate things, with this new skill, you've noticed it haven't you?" he asks ambiguously.
Again, Christine just taps once on her collar, not knowing what Elijah was referring to.
"Ahh, being willfully ignorant it is then? Tell me, are you still loyal to the Brotherhood? Even after they sent you on a suicide mission and abandoned you when you didn't return?" he asks, his grin somehow audible in his words.
She quickly taps twice, answering that she is indeed still loyal. The Brotherhood probably just wasn't able to track her, Big Mt fried all their methods of tracking, and the Sierra Madre was essentially impenetrable.
Elijah chuckles, "You are? Oh, do I have big news for you then my dear... You're friend Afton, your family Veronica, both are no longer part of the Brotherhood. They told me themselves, they have formed their own group that goes against everything the codex states... Why else would they lug around two mutants with them?"
Christine's eyes widen at this, her eyes trailing to the sleeping Anja, she taps no on her collar though, not willing to believe this... Or, if it true, put much faith in Elijah's words... This was just like him, trying to manipulate her, why else would he try this while the other's weren't here to defend themselves?... Yeah, he's just trying to set them against each other.
"It's funny how you refuse to believe what's before you. I've even received news from the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood... Did you know Afton is assisting the NCR in capturing them?"
...
Christine shakes her head, covering her ears, not wishing to hear anymore without speaking to Afton and Veronica about this topic directly... Surely if it was true they'd have a reason, right?
"If you are unsure about my words, why not ask that mutant with you? The two seems close with it, enough to reveal their secrets I'd say." he trails off.
Christine looks over to Anja and slowly gets to her feet, determined to see if what Elijah says holds any truth at all. She walks over and slowly shakes Anja awake, nudging the ghoul with her foot.
Anja slowly awakens due to being disturbed. She jumps slightly at not seeing anything, but quickly recomposes herself with memories of the recent events. "Ah... H-hello? Christine?" Anja asks, her throat still raw from Cloud exposure.
...
"Oh, right... You can't speak..." Anja sheepishly admits.
"Don't worry about that, mutant, Christine here just wants some information about Afton and Veronica." Elijah asks through the collar for Christine. She taps her collar twice to indicate she agrees with the old man.
Anja pauses for a moment at the fact Elijah and Christine were seemingly cooperating, if it was possible her skin would be pale and clammy at the situation... "W-what do you want to know?"
Elijah grins behind the terminal as he speaks, knowing that this could potentially be a turning point for his plans. "What is Afton's current rank in the Brotherhood of Steel?"
...
Anja sheepishly rubs her hands together, "Er... None... He was exiled for stopping my execution..."
Christine crooks at brow at this, that wasn't actually out of character for Afton... He took the Codex more as guidelines than anything concrete, kinda how she and Veronica treated certain passages. Still, hearing that Afton had indeed left the Brotherhood was difficult... That also meant that Veronica was essentially in the same situation if she was travelling around with him.
Elijah continues to question her, "And, did Afton make an agreement with the NCR?"
Anja thinks for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, "I... I think negotiations fell through, but yes... He did want the NCR to capture Brotherhood members... Instead of killing them which is what would probably happen if left alone." she states, not wanting to throw Afton under the bus over a misunderstanding.
Christine stands there silently upon hearing that, trying to process how she feels about it... Elijah doesn't have such conniptions, however.
"And Veronica? Is she still a part of the Brotherhood?" he continues.
Anja chews her lip, "I-I don't know... I don't think so? Our organization isn't exactly friendly with them..." she sheepishly admits.
Elijah silently laughs to himself, "Oh? What is your organization exactly?"
...
Anja shakes her head, "If you want to know, ask Afton. You can still speak with Dean can't you? I am nothing but a scout." she states, unwilling to say anything else due to the potential for her to accidentally reveal something secret.
"Hmph, see Christine? They are not the people you were familiar with. Just strangers with ulterior motives... I wonder why they even came for you? Perhaps they need some leverage against the Brotherhood?"
Anja scowls, "Afton and Veronica aren't like that! They came to save you because you're their family! Everyone in Bulwark knows this! Don't let that old traitor tell you lies." she growls.
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