Chapter 31: All In
"What a beautiful night" Alexander said as he inhales the night air "Ah… Just smell that air"
"Yep" Rufus replied "These nights kinda make me a bit nostalgic"
"About your younger years in this wasteland?"
"Yep… I used to sleep under these conditions before… Staring at the stars… Thinking about the stuff that happened in my life…"
"Really now… By 'stuff that happened in your life', are you talking about 30 years ago?"
"Yeah… That faithful night at Vault 101… Venturing the unforgiving wastes just to look for dad… To think it all led to me destroying an entire faction… A lot happened in just a short time frame…"
"You still haven't told her, have you?"
"I don't think she needs to know just yet… Besides, we have more pressing matters at hand"
"That is true… But I do hope I can start calling you by your REAL name soon"
"You mean, 'Marcus'?"
"You and I both know that is not your real name"
"Haha! Maybe someday, Alex… Maybe someday"
Alexander chuckles as he continues to stare at the dark horizon in front of him
"Rufus" the general said as he tilts his head forward "I'm not the only one seeing movement, right?"
"I see them too" the ranger replied as he readies his rifle
"I just love it when the enemy underestimates me… Gives me an opportunity to really hit them where it hurts… By the way, turn off the lights"
"True that…" Rufus replied as he turns all the lights on the elevated positions off "Rangers. Look alive. We got a few wannabe infiltrators here"
At Rufus' command, the rangers get into position
"Hey!" Rufus shouted using a megaphone "We can see you, assholes! Walk away or this gets ugly"
Compromised, the enemy troops open fire upon the rangers
Despite hundreds of bullets flying towards them, Gusurg couldn't help but laugh.
"Dumbshits" he said as he aims his rifle "Blind firing isn't gonna help you bastards"
The rangers quickly return fire and easily takes down several enemy soldiers.
"What do we have?!" Ellie said as she emerges from the ladder
"We got it under control" Alexander replied "These pussies are radroaches compared to my rangers"
"They're retreating" Jericho reported
"Told you" Alexander said as he pats Ellie's back "Don't sweat it, kid. We have your backs now"
"R-Right…"
"I'm guessing you're still trying to adjust to us"
"I'm still trying to process everything that happened actually… Why did you decide to defect? And why so quickly?"
"You mean, why I decided to defect even though I was only betrayed for a couple of hours?"
"Yeah…"
"Kid, let me tell you something… We, soldiers, fight to protect either our nation, ideology, etc. We have different reasons why we fight but collectively, we fight to protect the NCR. We made an oath that we'd protect the NCR from any threats and that includes threats from within or at least that's how I see it"
"Threats from within?"
"Politics. No government is immune from the corrupting power of politics. The NCR started out great. President Tandi was a great leader but nothing stays in this world forever… As the years went by, more and more greedy bastards started finding their way into the government… I saw this happening firsthand when I was promoted to this position back in 2280"
"So the NCR was already like this since then?"
"Exactly when the NCR started declining, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that it's here and someone's gotta stand up to it"
"But why only you? Or why did the other troops wait for you to say it?"
"Kid… Walk with me"
"O-Ok…"
NCR Barracks:
Ellie and Alexander enter the barracks where dozens of NCR troops were standing by. Some were sleeping, others were chatting with each other, and the rest were checking their weapons and armor.
"Look at these men" Alexander whispered "Each and every one of them has a family. Some have wives, others even got kids, while some only have their brothers, sisters, and parents to return to. I wonder… Up until yesterday, how many of these troopers did you kill?"
Ellie couldn't respond as she knew she killed a significant number of them… All she could do was lay her face low…
"I don't hold it against you, kid. We also got our own share of kills. Deep down, we're not that different. Tell me, did all of the rebels support your cause immediately?"
"Not all… Some needed to be persuaded or we had to make them realize that they had to take arms if they want to maintain their independence"
"Exactly. The same goes for these troops. All these soldiers have friends and family they want to protect. Even if they don't agree with command's ideals, they have no choice but to follow since they believe that they're too few or are too weak to do anything"
"So… You showed them that they're not…"
"Yes. These people don't want to take away your independence as much as you'd want to keep it. They had the drive, all they needed was assurance that they're not alone and they can actually make a difference if they do something. You get me, kid?"
"I-I guess so…"
"Don't worry. You're still young… More or less… You'll get it as you interact with people of different beliefs and ideals"
"That's a bit reassuring but how do you deal with those who have ideals and beliefs that you don't agree with?"
"Simple answer to a simple question"
"Huh?"
"Respect"
"Respect?"
"Yes. You respect my belief, I respect yours. We may not look alike or feel alike or even agree with everything but that doesn't mean we should hate each other"
"Right…"
"Don't stress over it too much!" The general said as he slams his palm on Ellie's back "Come on. We got a long night ahead of us!"
"R-Right…"
2 hours later:
"Looks like we have another wave" Chloe reported as she scours the area with her night scope
"Another one?" Jericho lazily said "Give me a fucking break… It's the 9th fucking wave already… They're still doing the same old tactic as before… Haven't they learned anything…?"
"Wait…" Chloe said "Something's wrong… I'm seeing power armor among them"
"Power Armor?" Rufus said as he looks through his rifle's night scope
"What do you see?" Alexander asked
"Well shit… We got T-60s and X-01s…"
"Looks like they amped their game!" Alexander said "Got any armor piercing rounds?"
"Already loaded!" Rufus answered
"Wait…" Alexander said as he hears a loud noise echo throughout the area "… Did you hear that?"
The group stays silent as they try to hear the noise…
"Oh shit…" Rufus said as he looks up "MORTAR!"
Seconds later, a mortar shell lands right behind the rangers, destroying a nearby weapons cache.
As the rebels wake up to the sound of the mortar's impact, the enemy soldiers in power armor activate their jet packs and begin to attack the base with their miniguns.
"Fucking sons of-" Alexander said as he runs to the command room
Command room:
As the general enters the room, he finds his men are desperately trying to make sense of the situation as several troopers begin to send in casualty reports.
"What's the status?" Alexander asked as another mortar shell lands near the front door, severely injuring several officers "Shit… Someone tend to those wounded! You! Mobilize the troops!"
Alexander quickly grabbed the radio.
"All units! This is General Alexander! We're under attack! Move to your assigned positions! Be advised! The enemy has mortars! I repeat, we are under attack! Also, I want every single artillery and mortar we have to start firing!"
Meanwhile:
"You're gonna be alright!" Ellie said as she tends to the wounds of a NCR trooper
"M-My arm… My ARM!" he shouted in agony
"Your arm?" Ellie said as she checks on the man's nearly detached right arm "Holy shit… MEDIC! I need a medic here!"
"I-I'm a medic…" a NCR trooper said as he approaches to the mercenary
"Good. Can you take him somewhere safe?"
"I-I can! Julyan! I need a stretcher!"
"R-Right…" a female trooper said as she prepares a stretcher and extracts the injured trooper
"Ellie!" Dallas said as she approaches Ellie "We got more wounded! Come on!"
"Fucking hell! Let's go!"
Frontlines:
At the same time, Rufus and the other rangers struggle to keep the enemy at bay as the power armored soldiers slowly got closer to their line
"Focus fire on the power armor!" Rufus shouted as he manages to land a head shot on one of the T-60s
"There's too many of them!" Jericho shouted "These bastards are slippery!"
"Right side! Right side!" Chloe shouted as the other rangers notice several enemy troops, including a few in power armor, were about to breach the line
"Suppressive fire!" Rufus shouted as the rangers lay down heavy fire on the right flank "General! I need more men in the frontlines!"
"I'm trying to direct as many men to the front as possible!" the general replied "But those mortars kinda cut our fighting force in half! I already sent word to the other two camps! Reinforcements should arrive in about 10 minutes!"
"Fuck! Nothing takes 10 minutes!"
"We have to make do with what we have! Just hold your ground!"
"What's the status on the delivery? Shouldn't they be arriving soon?"
"I just received word that the package will be ready in an hour!"
"An hour?! You're shitting me, right?!"
"No bullshit, unfortunately! We gotta hold out for another hour!"
"Fucking shit! Roger that!"
"Black suits!" Chloe shouted as she notices the distinct uniform of the soldiers in the distance
"That's just perfect!" Rufus shouted as he takes aim
Meanwhile, Ellie and Dallas struggle to transport the wounded to a safe zone as the mortars continue to land around them
As they begin to transport another wounded soldier, a black suit lands nearby.
Acting quickly, Ellie confronts the enemy soldier, taking the full brunt of the soldier's tackle.
"Round 2 then…" she muttered as she signals Dallas to go ahead
The Black suit then does a right hook, which she blocks using both her arms
The force of the impact sends her flying a few feet.
"Wow… This motherfucker is tough…" she muttered as the black suit does a high jump
"Wide open!" Ellie uttered as she rolls to the side
As the black suit lands, creating a huge hole in the ground, Ellie quickly lunges at the black suit and begins to furiously stab her opponent using her hidden blades
After several stabs, the black suit manages to grab Ellie's arm and twists it until her bones break!
The mercenary screams in pain as the black suit goes for her left arm.
But before the Black suit could grab her arm, several bullets manage to hit its helmet, causing the black suit to flinch, giving Ellie an opportunity to escape.
"Ellie!" Dallas said as she continues to shoot the black suit with her AK-74u "This way!"
Holding her broken arm, Ellie quickly makes her way towards Dallas.
"Come on!" Dallas said "This way!"
"Where are we going?" Ellie asked
"Trust me!"
"Alright!"
The duo then made their way towards the Command room, with the black suit following close behind.
Dallas fires several bursts from her gun but only manages to momentarily stun her target.
As they neared the Command Room, the black suit does another high jump.
Dallas quickly aims her gun at the black suit.
"SHIT!" she shouted as she realizes the magazine is empty
"Damn it!" Ellie said as she grabs her M1911 and aims it at the black suit
But before she could pull the trigger, she notices a small object near the black suit
"A Baseball?" she uttered as she notices a bullet hit the ball, causing it to explode
The black suit is caught in the explosion and lands a few meters in front of the duo
"Phew… 3.5 seconds faster than my last attempt!"
Ellie looks behind her and sees a familiar face "Rufus?!"
"Hi!" the ranger said as he walks past the duo "That's one you owe me"
"Did you shoot that baseball just now?"
"You got it. Thanks to V.A.T.S."
"V.A.T.S… Not many people are capable of pulling it off… Not bad… for a wastelander"
"Hehe… I'll take that as a compliment"
"Shit!" Dallas shouted "Rufus! Look out!"
Rufus then looks behind him and sees the black suit was about to crush him with its fists
The ranger blocks the attack with his left arm. The shockwave causes the ground around him to crack but the ranger didn't even flinch and manages to push the black suit back.
"What the fuck…?" Ellie uttered as Rufus looks at her and gives a confident smile
Rufus then walks towards the black suit, who attempts to grab his face.
But the ranger quickly evades the attack and does several kicks towards the black suit's torso, causing it to fall back into a defensive position
The ranger then grabs a piece of concrete and slams it on the black suit's head, causing it to be momentarily stunned.
Rufus then used this opportunity to land a punch on the black suit's helmet, causing it to break apart.
"Shit…" he said as he sees the disfigured face of his opponent "… May the Lord give you rest…"
To Ellie's surprise, Rufus picks up his pistol and shoots the black suit several times in the face within the span of 7 seconds
"The fuck…?" she uttered "How could he move that fast?"
The black suit drops to the ground, dead.
"You two ok?" Rufus asked as he approaches the duo
"Rufus… Are you human?" Ellie asked
"Well… That's a great question actually" Rufus replied as he scratches the back of his head "I was born human, that's for sure but I guess the wasteland has a way of taking away your 'humanity', if you know what I mean"
"You're not infected with any kind of FEV?"
"FEV? Nope. I do know exactly what happened to me but if I try to tell you, you'd most likely not believe me and may even think I'm crazy"
"Try me"
"…Well as much as I'd love to continue this interrogation" Rufus said as another mortar shell lands nearby "We've got other problems"
"…Figures…"
"Now then… About your arm"
"Oh right…" Ellie said as she quickly twists her arm to its normal position "There good as new"
"Well. Well"
"You're not the only one who's got tricks up their sleeves" Ellie said as she stretches her left arm
Command Room:
"Where are my mother fucking artillery?!" Alexander said as the ground shakes around him
"Sir!" a NCR trooper responded "We're taking heavy fire from enemy mortars but we've reached the howitzers. 8 are operational. The other 2 suffered severe damage!"
"Goddamn it!"
Just as the general crushes his lit cigarette with his fist, a transmission goes through the radio. "General Alexander!"
"This is Alexander. Identify yourself"
"Paladin Vasquez. Rebel commander, eastern Brotherhood of Steel"
"I hope you got some good news for me, kid"
"I do, actually. I got several vertibirds ready to assist! And the main force is only two minutes away!"
"Well send those vertibirds in!"
"Roger that! They're coming in hot!"
"All units! This is General Alexander! Be advised! We got friendly vertibirds coming from the south!"
Minutes later, several allied vertibirds arrive and begin to hammer upon the enemy forces.
"General!" the howitzer operator said "We've managed to move the artillery! We're awaiting the order to strike, sir!"
"I copy! All units! Pop smoke on the enemy! You know the drill! Let's return the fucking greeting!"
Meanwhile:
"You guys heard that?" Rufus said as he prepares his smoke grenade
"Popping smoke!" a NCR ranger said as he throws a smoke grenade
Within seconds, the frontlines is littered with colored smoke.
"That's danger close!" the howitzer operator said "Will fire in 10 seconds! All friendlies evacuate from the area immediately!"
"You heard the guy!" Rufus said as he gathers the surviving troopers "Let's get outta here!"
Seconds later, the howitzers rain down artillery shells throughout the frontlines, decimating the attackers and causing much destruction in the area.
As the smoke clears, Ellie spots the enemy mortar crews in the distance
"Guys!" she shouted "the enemy still has mortars!"
"I got em" Alexander said over the radio "Alright boys. Let's return the favor! Blow those bastards to hell!"
"With pleasure sir!" the howitzer operator said as the artillery fire upon the enemy mortar teams, decimating much of the area
"Fine work, boys!" Alexander said "Mortar crews are down!"
With the latest wave defeated, Ellie couldn't help but sit down from exhaustion…
"Damn…" she uttered with a sigh "… They're getting tough…"
"I'll say…" Dallas replied "… This attack caused a lot of casualties… Hopefully, it won't affect morale"
"With Alex in command" Rufus added "You won't have to worry about NCR morale"
"Hey Rufus" Jericho said as he examines one of the enemy's power armor "You might wanna see this"
Rufus, Dallas, and Ellie walk closer to the body
"Huh…" Rufus said as he notices a Brotherhood of Steel insignia on the armor "… I knew these rubes would make their move sometime…"
"Wait a minute" Ellie interrupted "Why is the Western Brotherhood interfering directly? Aren't they supposed to be covert or something?"
"This just means that our enemy is getting desperate"
"Ellie!" Paladin Vasquez said as he jumps down from one of the vertibirds
"Paladin! Nice of you to join the party!"
"Sorry we're late!"
"No problem! Party's not over anyway"
"General!" the Paladin said "Reinforcements have arrived"
"Copy that, Paladin! Reinforce the frontlines!"
"General. This is the entire attack force. I think we can start pushing for Raven Rock now"
"Not yet. We're still waiting for a few 'packages' to arrive"
"Packages?"
"Just trust me! Get your men to position and be ready to defend the area and mobilize at a moment's notice!"
"Copy that! You heard the general! Get to position! Medics, tend to the wounded!"
"Yes, Paladin!" the rebel reinforcements said as they go to their respective tasks
A short time later, the ground begins to shake
"What the hell?!" Ellie uttered
"All units!" Alexander said over the radio "This is not over! All able bodied personnel, prepare for another wave!"
As the rebels prepare for another wave, the shaking grew fiercer.
"Something's wrong…" Chloe uttered
"… Just be ready for anything…" Rufus uttered as Ellie notices a worried look in his face
"What the fuck is that?!" a NCR Trooper shouted as a giant mutant, the likes of which none of the soldiers have ever seen before, emerges from the mountain.
"I can't believe they're stealing every single piece of my research!" Ellie angrily shouted
As the giant mutant gets ever closer to the base, several squads of enemy troops, including power armored soldiers, began pouring from Raven Rock.
"Oh shit" Ellie muttered as she picks up her radio "General. I think we'll be needing more firepower than those howitzers…"
"I know" the general replied "I got backup arriving very soon!"
"Uh… How long do we wait? Cuz I don't think we have enough time. Besides, don't we have vertibirds?"
"They're grounded till further notice"
"Grounded?! Why?!"
"Just trust me! I know what I'm doing!"
"What the actual fuck?!"
"Ellie!" Rufus interrupted as a missile hits part of the frontline fortifications "Damn it! Someone work on that hole! Get the wounded out! Ellie! We have bigger problems to worry about!"
"Motherfuckers!" Ellie shouted as she opens fire
"Artillery!" Alexander said "Focus fire on the giant!"
"Copy!" the howitzer operator answered as he signals the other artillery to fire
The artillery fire directly hits the mutant, causing it to take two steps back. It recovers quickly and cries out a loud roar
"General!" Ellie said "Those howitzers are BB guns compared to that giant! You'll only succeed in annoying the living shit out of it!"
"All the more fun!" Alexander answered as another barrage of artillery fire hits the giant
"What?! Are you fucking serious?!"
"I never kid around during a battle! Bring the rain! Yeehaw!"
"Are you insane?!"
Before Ellie could say anymore, several enemy soldiers, in T-60 power armor, land just behind the mercenary.
One of the enemy soldiers then punches Ellie in the face, causing her to flinch.
"You caught me at a bad time…" the mercenary uttered as she spits out some blood
As the soldier attempts to grab the mercenary, Ellie quickly dodges the attack but relents landing a hit on her adversary.
"Stay still!" the enemy soldier said as his attacks are easily dodged by the mercenary
"Typical…" Ellie uttered as she quickly moves behind the soldier "… rookie mistake"
She then turns the valve behind the armor, causing it to open.
"Shit!" the soldier said as Ellie hijacks the armor
Before the soldier could recover, Dallas grabs him by the throat and knocks him out
"Been a while since I've used one of these…" Ellie muttered as she charges towards the other enemy soldiers.
Meanwhile, Alexander changes the frequency of his radio and begins to transmit.
"Hey Sparrow!" he said "This is Papa Bear! Looks like everything is going according to plan! But they'll catch on soon enough so we gotta execute the next phase!"
"I copy, Papa bear" a male voice replied "Delivery will be complete in one minute. Prepare your men for the final assault"
"Righto! We'll keep the enemy busy until then!"
Back in the frontlines, Ellie and the other rebels struggle to defend their position as more and more enemy soldiers begin breaking through their lines.
"Oh Fuck…" Ellie muttered as the giant was dangerously close to the camp "General! We got a huge piece of shit dangerously close! Your howitzers can't do shit now!"
"Don't worry!" the general replied "Everything is going according to plan!"
"Plan?! Don't tell me… You fucking backstabbing piece of-"
But before she could reply, Ellie sees a large chunk of rocks landing within the base
"Son of a-" she uttered as the giant was about to crush them
But to Ellie's surprise, the giant stopped midway, almost as if something had grabbed both of its arms
"What the?" she muttered as she notices several sparks in the area
Seconds later, the sparks intensify.
A giant robot then uncloaks, revealing that it grabbed the mutant's fist
"What the hell is that?" Ellie uttered in surprise
"Liberty Prime" Rufus answered confidently
"Chinese forces detected" the robot said in a loud, menacing tone "Probability of Communist Victory… ZERO!"
The robot then pushes the mutant back and punches it twice in the head, causing it to lose its balance.
Liberty Prime then fires its laser weapons at the monster until it dies
"See" Alexander said "All according to plan"
"General?" Ellie replied "What do you mean?"
"Well… I think someone else is more suited to explain this than me so I'll patch you right to him. He's quite enthusiastic to greet you, actually."
"Greet me?"
"Ellie!" a familiar voice said "It's been a while!"
"That voice…" Ellie uttered as her eyes widen "… Arthur?!"
"Haha! That's right!"
"Arthur?! H-How? A-And where are you?"
"Look up!"
"Look up?"
As Ellie looks up, she notices several sparks in the sky.
Seconds later, a large airship and several vertibirds suddenly appear in the sky
"What the actual fuck…?" Ellie uttered
"Sorry we're late" Arthur said as the vertibirds and Liberty Prime begin to eliminate the enemy stragglers
"You took your sweet time!" Alexander replied "I had a feeling that some of my new allies thought I was about to stab em in the back!"
"Sorry. Sorry" Arthur replied "The Prydwen wasn't really designed for speed"
"Oh well… Better late than never, I guess"
With the enemy forces in full retreat, the vertibirds begin to unload more troops into the ground, with some wearing various power armor from T-45s to X-01s.
"All units!" Alexander broadcasted "Looks like Oliver wanted to send us a certain message… How about we give him our reply… EN MASSE!"
It didn't take long for the rebels to shout a battle cry as Alexander continues his speech:
"That's what I want to hear! We're not just some fucking doormats that can be easily stepped on! We once held our own guns against each other! Once having different beliefs and origins! NCR, Rebel, Mercenary, Raider… It doesn't matter right now! We are united under a common cause: to right the wrong that has spread throughout the wasteland! So let's show Oliver and his pussy-assed 'soldiers' what real warriors can do!"
The rebels shout another battle cry!
"Now then! It is my great pleasure and honor to both be a member of this revolution and issue this order… All units! Storm the fucking metal gates of Raven Rock! Show them your resolve! Your dedication! Your power! Your FURY!"
With a loud battle cry echoing throughout the area, the rebels charge towards the rocky slopes of Raven Rock, supported by Liberty Prime and Allied vertibirds & howitzers.
Ellie attempts to get to the frontlines using her stolen power armor
"Wait!" James said as his vertibirds lands near Ellie
"James" Ellie responded
"I think you'd prefer to use this" James said, wearing a T-45 power armor, as he exits the vertibird
Ellie's eyes widen as she sees a familiar object in the vertibird. "Is that…?"
"Your old power armor" Audrey answered while wearing a T-51 power armor
"But where did you find it?"
"Does it matter now?" Coby said as his verrtibird hovers above
"Coby! You're alright!"
"Yep! Arthur and Elysse are in here too! So put on your old power armor and let's get to the ass kicking!"
"Yeah!" Ellie said as she exits the hijacked power armor and enters her old Enclave armor
Quickly accustoming herself to the old controls of her armor, Ellie couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
"It's been decades…" she uttered as she practices moving her arms and legs "Damn… This feeling…"
"Looking good!" Sithis said as his vertibird hovers nearby "Now that you're ready, let's get to the action already! Me and Jayce are itching here!"
"Alright" Arthur, wearing a T-60 power armor, said "Pride! This is it! The moment we've been dreaming for the past year! We've lost a lot of good friend to reach this moment… Let's see it through to the end! For Kodiak! For Vyse"
"Yeah!" Everyone shouted as Ellie boards James' vertibird
Raven Rock; Courtyard:
10:30pm:
The vicinity of Raven Rock runs ablaze with gunfire as both sides furiously open fire upon one another.
As they neared the battlefield, Ellie notices that the vertibirds are keeping a certain distance from Raven Rock
"Why aren't we getting closer?" she asked
"The enemy has anti-air turrets set up!" the pilot responded "We're waiting on Liberty Prime to take em out!"
As Ellie provides support using the vertibird's minigun, Liberty Prime walks every so closer to the enemy stronghold.
"Communism is the very definition of failure!" the robot announced as he throws a nuke, like a football, towards the enemy base
"Anti-air defenses are down!" Arthur said over the radio "All units move in!"
The rebel vertibirds then move in closer to the base, providing better support to the rebel ground forces.
"Watch out for enemy missile launchers" a vertibird pilot announced over the radio
"Whoah!" another pilot said as his vertibird narrowly dodges a missile "We got a missile trooper! 2 o'clock!"
The vertibirds then began to drop in rebel soldiers, in power armor, in Raven Rock's courtyard.
"Take us closer!" Ellie said as the pilot complies
But before they could get into position, a bullet punches through the vertibird's windshield, piercing through the pilot's head
"Jerry!" the co-pilot said "Jerry's down! I repeat, Jerry's down!"
"What?!" Ellie said as she sees a black suit, with a Barrett .50 Cal, in the distance "We got a black suit!"
"Fuck!" James said as he exits his power armor "I'll replace the pilot!"
"Be careful…" Audrey muttered "… James"
"Fly in as close as you can to that black suit!" Ellie said as James complies
The black suit fires another shot, pushing through the windshield.
"Fucker!" James said as he tilts his head to the side "That nearly got me!"
Before the black suit could fire another shot, Ellie uses the wrist mounted guns on her armor to suppress the black suit.
She then jumps out of the flying vertibird and uses her jet pack to land close to the black suit.
Ellie then activates her wrist mounted blades and charges towards the black suit
Meanwhile, Rufus and the other NCR rangers encounter heavy resistance by the base's gates.
"Should we call in air support?" a NCR ranger asked
"No" Rufus responded "They're too entrenched for the vertibirds to do anything. Besides, the enemy has missile launchers. The last thing we need are more unnecessary casualties"
"Jericho! Chloe! Gusurg!" Rufus said "Layers of fire!"
"Roger!" the three responded
"The rest of you. Focus fire on the enemy positions! Don't give em a chance to breathe!"
"Moving!" Gusurg shouted
"Move!" Rufus responded as Gusurg quickly moves to Rufus' right
"Set!" Gusurg said as he resumes firing his rifle
"Moving!" Jericho said
"Move!" Rufus responded as Jericho moves past Gusurg
"Set!" the ranger said as he resumes firing
"Moving!" Chloe said
"Move!" Rufus responded as Chloe moves past Jericho
"Set!" she said as she resumes firing her rifle
"Check!" Gusurg shouted
"Ok!" Rufus responded
Gusurg then reloads his rifle and shouts. "Ready!"
"Moving!" Rufus shouted
"Move!" Gusurg responded as Rufus moves past Chloe
The team proceeded to repeat the same tactic over and over again until they finally reached the enemy lines and easily defeated the enemy soldiers.
"Nice work, Rangers" Rufus said
"Who knew those pre-war recordings of some guys training firearms would come in handy" Gusurg noted
"Yeah… What were their names again?" Jericho wondered
"I think it was two guys named Hailey and Costa…?" Chloe replied
"Cut the chatter" Rufus said as he signals the rest of the men to move in "The battle's not done"
"Roger!"
Meanwhile, Ellie manages to pin the black suit to the ground
"Gerard has a lot to answer for…" she uttered as she stabs through the black suit's mask
"Ellie" James said over the radio
"James" she replied "How are you holding up?"
"The vertibird's taking small arms fire… We're gonna displace somewhere, we'll meet you inside the courtyard!"
"Roger! Be care-"
Just then, Ellie notices an enemy trooper holding a missile launcher with a lock-on feature.
"JAMES!" she shouted "Missile!"
"Oh fuck!" he said as he attempts to dodge the rocket
The trooper launches the missile and hits one of the vertibird's engines
"Shit!" James said as he struggles to maintain control of the vertibird "We're hit! Vertibird's out of control!"
"James!" Ellie shouted
"You!" James said as he struggles to get into his power armor "Get that parachute! We're jumping out!"
"Y-Yes sir!" the co-pilot responded as they pull themselves towards their targets
"James!" Audrey said as she reaches out for the Paladin
"Audrey!" James said as he grabs her hand
Audrey then pulls James in and helps him enter his power armor. With his power armor on, James then assists the co-pilot in getting some weapons and a parachute.
"JUMP!" James shouted as the trio jumps out of the vertibird, seconds before it crashes and explodes
"James! James!" Ellie shouted "You alright?!"
"We're ok!" James responded "But we've got enemy troops crawling everywhere! We could use some backup!"
"On my way!" Ellie responded as she headed towards James' position
Minutes later:
"Bring him with the others" Rufus said as two NCR rangers escort a captured enemy soldier
"Rufus" Alexander said over the radio "Give me a sitrep"
"Courtyard is secured" Rufus answered "But the enemy locked themselves inside Raven Rock. The steel doors are strong as hell. We're forming up and restructuring the squads for the final push"
"So what's the plan?"
"Arthur proposed we send in only small squads into the base. A large force would create more casualties and make it harder to fight in the tight corridors"
"Alright. So how will you break through the door?"
"Ellie still remembers the floorplan of the base. We'll use C4 to destroy part of the base's walls and we'll insert from there"
"Who's inserting?"
"Me, the rangers, and Lyons' Pride. Also, one of the rebel leaders is here. He wants to enter the base with his own squad too"
"Who want to enter?"
"Johannes"
"Johannes… huh… You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I think so"
"Interesting… Go. Let him come with you. Execute the plan and be prepared for… the 'unexpected'"
"Hahahaha! Copy that, general"
5 minutes later:
"Are the preparations done?" Rufus asked
"Almost…" Coby responded "… Done!"
"Good…"
"Johannes" Ellie said "Are you sure you want to go in with us?"
"I'm sure" the rebel commander replied "I want to end this with my own hands"
"I haven't had much contact with you in a while… I guess I missed a couple of stuff while I was gone"
"You sure did"
"Alright" Rufus said "We punch a hole into the base! NCR General Lee Oliver is our primary target! He MUST be taken ALIVE"
"Right!" everyone answered
"My Pride will take point" Arthur said
"We'll be rear guard then" Rufus added "Commander Johannes, what's your plan?"
"I only have a two men with me so I'll just go with the Pride"
"Alright then"
"Coby" Arthur said as the squads prepare themselves "If you please"
"I thought you'll never ask" Coby responded as he detonates the C4
"Go! Go! Go!" Rufus said as the squads move in
Raven Rock; Hallway:
"We got about 4 shooters in the hallway!" Audrey assessed as James opens fire on the enemy
"Suppressive fire!" Arthur ordered as Rufus and his men move to another room across the hallway
As more enemy soldiers arrive, Arthur throws a frag grenade, eliminate a few troopers
"Ellie!" he said "You go with Rufus and his team!"
"What? Why?" the mercenary wondered
"You're the most knowledgeable about the base! You'll guide Rufus and his men to where Oliver would probably be!"
"Alright"
"Let me come with you" Johannes added
"Commander? Why?" Arthur asked
"I want to be the one who captures that filthy NCR commander, no offense"
"None taken" Rufus replied "So Arthur, will you let him come with us?"
"Alright. Be careful commander"
"I will"
Raven Rock; Level 2
A few minutes later:
"3 tangos on our right!" Chloe said as the squad opens fire on the enemy troops
"X-01s!" Jericho shouted as the enemy power armored soldiers fire their miniguns
"Motherfuckers!" Rufus shouted as the squad takes cover
"Everyone" Ellie said "Take off your helmets!"
"What?!" Rufus responded
"Just do it!"
"Alright"
"On my go, cover your ears"
"Uh ok…"
"NOW!" she shouted as she fires a grenade from a compartment under her right arm
Ellie quickly shields her eyes as the grenade detonates, blinding and deafening the enemy soldiers.
"Quick!" Ellie said as she prepares to fire her wrist mounted guns "Open fire while they're stunned!"
"Right!" Rufus said as the squad breaks cover and opens fire on the stunned enemy troopers "Nice job, Ellie! Let's move!"
As the squad moves forward, a metal door suddenly closes in front of Ellie, separating her & Johannes from Rufus and his men
"Ellie!" Rufus said from the other side
"We're ok!" Ellie responded "We'll find another way around! Just keep moving forward! You should come across a big metal door! It'll lead you to Level 4! Oliver is probably there!"
"Roger that! Be careful!"
"You too!"
"Alright" Johannes said "So where do we go?"
"This way" Ellie said as the group moves to the left, leading them into a small hallway
As they traverse the hallway, Ellie notices a door. Despite it appearing like the rest, she could not help but feel as if this door was special
"Ellie?" Johannes said as he notices Ellie had stopped and started staring at the door "Ellie?"
"Wha?! Oh…" Ellie responded as she goes back to reality
"What's going on?"
"Hold on… I want to investigate this door"
"What's so special about it?"
"I'm not sure…"
Ellie then opens the door and sees a familiar room. Inside was a small bed, a terminal on the left, and several laboratory equipment in most parts of the room
"I knew it…" she uttered "This was my room… 30 years ago…"
"Your room?" Johannes wondered
"Yeah…" Ellie replied as she exits her power armor and checks on the terminal
As she correctly enters the password, Ellie scans through the various files in her old terminal and spots several files that caught her attention…
"The Mind reader…" she muttered as she opens the file "September 4th, 2168. It turns out that those rumors on that mind reading artifact may have some truth in them… I have to admit that I am still skeptical about the authenticity of this artifact but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't curious. And so through some 'research', I managed to find evidence of the existence of this artifact… I wonder, should I report this to the president? Maybe once I get enough evidence, I'll report it…"
As Ellie finishes reading the files, she couldn't help but move on to the next
"My Mission…" she uttered, opening the file "June 5th, 2238. After years of research and covert reconnaissance, I finally had enough evidence for the existence of not only this mind reading artifact but many other artifacts with varying abilities. I reported my findings to President Richardson who was gracious enough to let me in on the Enclave's inner circle. Now I understand why we do what we do and it only strengthens my belief in the Enclave's mission! Although, the others will view us as cold-hearted murderers, I hope that one day, we may reveal the truth behind our genocidal mission throughout the wasteland so that the survivors will at least understand that everything we did was for them, for humanity… Glory to the Enclave!"
As she reads the last line, Ellie couldn't help but feel nervous…
"What the hell…" she muttered "… What's this mission? Why can't I remember it…? And what is this inner circle? What's going on?"
Wanting more information, Ellie was prepared to look through all of the files
"Ellie!" Rufus said over the radio
"Rufus?" she responded "What's going on?"
"We found Gerard at Level 4! But he's closed the door on us. He says that he'll only open it for you! You need to get here"
"… Alright… I'm on my way"
"We'll secure this level" Johannes said
"You're not coming along?"
"I'll be coordinating the others! We need to secure the entire base!"
"Alright! I'll leave that to you!"
Ellie then enters her power armor and quickly heads towards Level 4.
Raven Rock; Level 4
A few minutes later:
"I'm here" Ellie said, arriving at the area
"Right" Sithis said as he shouts in the intercom "Hey! Asshole! Ellie's here! Open the fucking door!"
"Still an impatient hothead…" Gerard responded "… I'm opening the door but I want only Ellie to enter"
"What?! You scheming pile of shit! You-"
"That's enough, Sithis" Arthur said
"I'll go in" Ellie said
"You sure?" Rufus asked "This could be a trap"
"Trap or no trap" she replied "I gotta face him someday"
"Leave some for me!" Sithis shouted "I also want a piece of that good-for-nothing piece of shit!"
Ellie then looks at Audrey, whose face tells Ellie she wants revenge.
"I'll go in alone…" she said again
"Ok" Arthur replied "Be careful"
As the door opens and Ellie enters, Sithis and Audrey couldn't help but feel frustrated
"Why?" Sithis asked "Why'd you let her go alone?"
Arthur did not respond
"Hey!" Sithis shouted as he walks closer to Arthur "Why the fucking hell did you let her go alone?!"
"It's because I know what's gonna happen next" Arthur replied
"What?"
"Sithis… I think it's time I tell you and Audrey what actually happened on that day…"
"What do you mean…?" Audrey asked as she walks closer
Raven Rock; Command Room:
As Ellie walks into the big room, filled with terminals and a big screen in the middle
"Finally" Gerard, wearing a highly customized X-01 power armor, said as he appears on the top balcony "It's nice to see you again in person, Ellie"
"I can't say it's a pleasure…" Ellie responded
"Still defiant… Tell me, what do you hope to accomplish by bringing down the NCR offensive in this region?"
"Huh?"
"Do you actually think this would stop the Western Brotherhood? Or even prevent future NCR offensives? This war will keep on going… All the way to the north…"
"What are you saying?"
"All I'm saying is that even if you succeed now, that won't be the end of it. Will you still fight knowing full well that your action wouldn't amount to anything?"
"… You do know that all this 'talking' is pointless, right?"
"I guess you're right…"
Gerard then fires several shots from his wrist mounted guns. Ellie instinctively activates her armor's shield, blocking the bullets
"… Time for action then!"
Gerard then uses his armor's jetpack and flies above Ellie. He then drops down and attempts to crush his adversary
Ellie quickly moves to the side as Gerard lands, creating a big hole in its wake.
Ellie then activates her wrist energy blades and attacks Gerard, who does the same.
"Come on!" Gerard said as he parries Ellie's attacks "Where's the drive?!"
"Just warming up!" Ellie responded as she pushes Gerard, who quickly recovers
Gerard then fires another few rounds from his wrist mounted guns as Ellie activates her shield and slowly walks closer to Gerard, who continues firing.
"Come on!" he shouted "Give me some thrill here!"
"You want some thrill?" Ellie said as she fires a stun grenade at Gerard "I'll show you thrill!"
Gerard is momentarily stunned by the grenade, giving Ellie enough time to run and grab the front of his power armor.
"Nice move…" he said "But not enough to beat me"
Gerard then jumps out of his power armor.
"Son of a bitch!" Ellie said as she sees Gerard throw a pulse grenade at her
The grenade detonates, causing her armor to shut down
"Gerard!" she shouted "You dirty little piece of-"
"-Shit?" Gerard interrupted as he places his face near Ellie's helmet "In a battle, brute force alone will not give you victory… Sometimes you have to be a little bit cunning"
"Bitch!"
"Ooh… Scary… Hahahaha! Now then, what should I do next?"
"I think you should reconsider underestimating me!"
"What was that?"
"I said" Ellie shouted as she forces her armor to open with sheer brute force "To not fucking UNDERESTIMATE me!"
"Wow… It's on then!"
"Round 2!"
"Bring it ON!" Gerard enthusiastically shouted as Ellie lunges towards him
Ellie flicks her wrists and attempts to slash her target using her hidden blades. But Gerard easily dodges them.
"Hey no fair…" Gerard playfully said "I don't have a weapon…"
"Sucks to be you then!" Ellie said as she does several strikes that Gerard easily dodges "Hold still you fucker!"
"Nope…" Gerard said as he jumps high and lands on the top balcony
"Get back down here, asshole!"
"Don't worry" her opponent said as he picks up a cane "I'm just levelling the playing field!"
Gerard then drops down and attempted to strike Ellie with his cane but the mercenary quickly parries his attack.
Ellie then jumps high and attempts to pounce her adversary but Gerard uses the top part of his cane to redirect the mercenary's arm, causing her to miss.
Recovering quickly, Ellie resumes her assault on Gerard, who hardly flinches as he parries the mercenary's attacks.
It did not take long for the two fighters to end up in a deadlock.
"Come on, Ellie" Gerard taunted "Can't you remember any of the good times we all had back in the golden days of the Enclave?"
"Those days are gone!"
"Don't say that… There is still hope for the Enclave. Why won't you join us again? After all, you believed in the 'American Dream' too"
"Shut up!"
Gerard sighs. "I guess with everything that happened… It looks like you've been influenced by these wastelanders… A pity… But I guess the Eleanor Neumann that I knew is long dead…"
Gerard then twists the top part of his cane and quickly unsheathes a hidden sword and attempted to stab Ellie but the mercenary quickly dodges the attack.
The two then resumed their duel with no clear indication of a winner…
"Tell me, Ellie" Gerard said as he parries one of her attacks "What's so special about these irradiated mutants? Why are you trying to protect them?"
"It's because I lived with them! I bled with them! They're no different from you and me!"
"What makes you say that? They may act human but they're no longer human! Take those ghouls and super mutants as an example!"
"That may be true but sometimes, even 'non-humans' are more capable of humane than normal humans besides…"
"Huh?"
"A wise general once told me. We may not look alike or feel alike or even agree with everything but that doesn't mean we should hate each other!"
Ellie then proceeded to with another attack.
Satisfied, Gerard smiles as he drops his weapon
"What?!" Ellie shouted as she stabs her adversary in the torso
Gerard reels in pain as he collapses to the floor.
"Gerard!" Ellie shouted "What the fuck?!"
"Hahaha…" Gerard said as he coughs out some blood "… I guess this is over…"
"What do you mean?!"
"Hey!" Gerard shouted "I've unlocked the door! You can get in here!"
Upon hearing that, Rufus, Arthur, and the others enter the room and surround Ellie & Gerard
"Gerard…" Sithis said "… is it true?"
"What's true?" Gerard asked
"Were you forced to do all those things?"
"Hahaha…"
"Answer me, you sick fuck!"
"Would it matter? I did a lot… of heinous things to so many people…"
"What do you mean?" Ellie asked
"Gerard isn't who you think he is…" Arthur responded
"What?"
"He's your older brother, Ellie…" the Sentinel answered
"What?! No… That's impossible… I don't even remember him being my brother…"
"It's true…" Polonsky added "… He asked us to make sure you don't remember him even after we restored part of your memories…"
"Why?!"
"Because you're a liability…" Gerard answered
"Liability?"
"I lost faith in the Enclave years before you were captured… I was planning to defect but I was caught… They didn't want me executed since I contributed a lot to the organization and with the destruction of the Oil Rig, they couldn't afford to lose an asset…"
"So they forced him to work for the Enclave from there…" Arthur added "Using you as their hostage"
"But how?" Ellie asked
"They secretly sabotaged your FEV research. And when you underwent that operation back in the Commonwealth, they used that as an opportunity to place something in your head…"
"Something in my head…?"
"Basically" Gerard answered "They made you into a ticking time bomb… They threatened that if I don't follow orders, they would activate whatever it was that they implanted on you and make you go on a rampage… A rampage that would end with you either being gunned down or slowly and painfully dying from the effects of the implant… I couldn't bear to have you experience that so I had no choice…"
"No…"
"Then Morris and Nora…" Sithis said
"I had to kill Nora in front of you and Audrey… I had to make it convincing too…"
"Gerard…"
"But now…" Gerard said as he smiles "I see that you've grown, Ellie… I can leave this world knowing that you won't let that implant get the better of you…"
"What made you say that?" Ellie asked
"Everything I did… Killing innocent people like Nora, slowly driving you mad… All of it… I did for you... To protect you and also ensure that you grow as an individual… You are our hope…"
"Hope?"
"Haven't you gone to your old room yet? You should have at least checked the terminal and read about the 'mind reading artifact'…"
"What of it?"
"That artifact and many other similar artifacts are the root cause of this conflict… And you are the only person who knows where they are… Ellie… You must stop him…"
"Him?"
"The true manipulator… The man behind all of this…"
"Who? Who's behind all of this?"
"Johannes…"
"Johannes?!"
"Yes… The man you people identified as one of the rebel leaders… He's the man behind all of this… He must be stopped… He thinks that these artifacts would help create the utopia that the Enclave envisioned… He's wrong…"
"Why? Why are you only telling this to me now?!"
"Because I wanted to make sure that Johannes had no strings on you too… That he couldn't use the implant against you…"
"I don't understand…"
"I sent Dallas to make sure you grow the way I'd hope… And she did her role really well…"
"Dallas?"
Gerard gives a pained smile. "Good work, Dallas… Your mission is almost complete… Ellie… I had entrusted all of the serums and samples of your research to her… Including the serum that would eliminate all of the inhibitors you placed on your FEV…"
"What? Gerard… I-I don't get it… Wh-Why…?"
"There's no time… Go! You have to find Johannes and stop him… Sithis… Audrey… I-I won't ask for your forgiveness… I knew what I was doing but I hope you understand why I did all this…"
"Gerard…" Sithis said
"You killed my parents…" Audrey said as she walked closer "… you bastard… You killed my parents, caused so much misery, and now you're telling us all this?!"
"Audrey…" James said as he rests his hand on her shoulder
"…Audrey… It's true that I killed your mother… But your father… He's still alive…"
"What?!"
"He was captured during the fighting… Severely injured but alive… I made sure he was treated for his wounds… But I instructed him to stay away from you until everything is finished…"
"Then where?! Where is my dad?!"
"Back… to where we all met…"
"Chicago?"
"Yes… He's waiting for you to find him in Chicago…"
"Gerard…"
"I'm sorry that this is all… I could do… But I guess, no evil deed goes unpunished…"
"No!" Ellie said "I won't let it end like this! Dallas, please I need you to-"
"No" Gerard said as he grabs Ellie's arm "I'm satisfied… I've been dead inside for decades… I'm satisfied…"
"Gerard…"
"Don't cry… Ellie… Remember that pendant I gave you all those years ago? The day I gave that to you, I told you to be strong and believe in yourself… So don't cry… I'm happy… Happy that through all the evil that I've done, I managed to secure a bright future for all in the wasteland… I'm satisfied… I'm happy… Little Sister…."
Gerard then closes his eyes as his right arm drops to the floor…
"Gerard?" Ellie said as she shakes his lifeless body "Gerard?! Gerard!"
Ellie cries for a few minutes before putting down his body…
"Let's go guys" she said "The mission's not over"
"She's right" Polosnky said "We have to stop Johannes"
"Right!" Rufus said "Me and the Rangers will capture Oliver! You guys go hunt down that bastard!"
"With pleasure!" Audrey said as she and rest move to Level 2.
Raven Rock; Level 2
Ellie's Room:
Ellie and Pride enters the room and finds several Rebel soldiers guarding the area
"Hey" Ellie said "Where's Commander Johannes?"
"The Commander?" the rebel soldier replied "He just left a moment ago"
"What? Where did he say he was going?"
"Not really sure, ma'am… But I guess he's planning on returning to the Citadel"
Ellie then quickly checks her terminal
"Shit… My files are all gone…" she said
"What?!" Arthur responded
"That fucker… So that's why he wanted to stay behind… Let's go! We gotta hurry to the courtyard!"
Raven Rock; Courtyard
A few minutes later:
As the Pride exits through the main door, they find a lone vertibird lifting off.
"Shit!" Sithis said "We missed him by seconds!"
"Get me a vertibird!" Arthur said as another vertibird lands nearby "The vertibird can only support a few of us. So me, Polonsky, and Ellie will go after Johannes"
"Argh…" Sithis said "Fine…"
"... Make him pay for what he's done…" Audrey said
"Don't worry… we will" Ellie responded as the vertibird lifts off
Ellie's vertibird quickly catches up to Johannes.
"Johannes!" Ellie said over the radio "Where do you think you're going?"
"Ellie?" the rebel commander said "I'm headed towards the Commonwealth to give my thanks to the Minutemen"
"Are you sure that's what you're gonna do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Weren't you supposed to go back to the Citadel?"
"Well about that… I wanted to thank the Minutemen first since they helped us out of such a tight situation"
"You know, Johannes. Gerard told us an interesting story… That you were behind all of this"
"The enemy commander told you that and you actually believed every word?"
"Johannes. My terminal was wiped clean… Every file I had there was gone… Do you know how that happened?"
"I-I dunno…"
"Are you sure? Cuz you were the only one who knew about my terminal"
"I…"
Johannes then sighs as his vertibird opens fire upon Ellie's vertibird
"I guess I've been found out" the rebel commander said as his vertibird continues to fire "Yes… It's true…"
"So you're the fucking the spy, I reckon" Polonsky said
"That's true too"
"So then, everything that happened the past year…" Ellie said "… was your doing?"
"More or less…"
"Well then, I guess that's enough info… I'm gonna fucking smoke you, you son of a bitch!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
Ellie then mans the minigun and begins to open fire upon Johannes' vertibird.
"Increase speed!" Ellie said "I want to slice that bastard myself!"
The vertibird quickly picks up speed as it receives machinegun fire from the enemy vertibird
Minutes later, Ellie find herself completely parallel to Johannes, who taunts her with several bursts from his rifle.
"I guess Gerard was really a good-for-nothing traitor after all…" Johannes said "But he was useful for a couple of decades… Thanks to you, Ellie…"
"I'm gonna make you eat those words!" Ellie shouted as she grabs a grappling hook and fires it on his vertibird
She then uses it to reach Johannes, who was ready for her.
Ellie lands the first hit with a punch to Johannes' head but her adversary quickly recovers and punches her in the stomach, causing her to recoil.
"You know…" Johannes said as he picks up a detonator "… I had high hopes for you, Ellie. You were the most loyal Enclave officer I had ever known and now, you're throwing that away… Oh well… Say goodbye to your sanity"
"Shit!" Ellie shouted as Johannes presses the button
The mercenary is quickly bombarded with excruciating headaches as she struggles to maintain her composure.
"You piece of… shit!" Ellie said as she struggles
"Gerard thinks by helping you 'grow', you can overcome the implant I placed? For a former Enclave officer, he sure is stupid to believe in something like that"
"D-Don't you… dare talk… shit…about him!"
"And what will you do? Swear me to death?"
Johannes then turns the nob in his detonator, intensifying the effects of the implant.
Ellie collapses to the floor of the vertibird as she tries to resist the effects of the implant.
"You know, this is getting boring… It's too easy…"
Ellie didn't respond as she struggles to maintain her composure…
"Oh well… Can't have you going berserk in my vertibird"
Johannes then pushes Ellie overboard.
The mercenary lands at the shallow part of an irradiated pond
It didn't take long for Polonsky and Arthur to catch up.
"Ellie!" Arthur, wearing power armor, said as he approaches the mercenary
"Shit…" Polonsky said "The implant's been activated!"
"Damn it!"
"A-A-Arthur…" Ellie said with a pained tone
"Ellie?!"
"L-Leave me behind… S-Stop J-J-Johannes…"
"Fuck!"
Seconds later, the familiar sound of another vertibird can be heard
"Another vertibird?" Polonsky said as he sees two in the distance behind them "Who's piloting that?"
"Hey!" Sithis said over the radio "Arthur! Polonsky!"
"Sithis!" Arthur said "You guys followed us?"
"No shit! We can't have you get all the action!"
The two vertibirds then land nearby and the rest of the Pride gather around Ellie
"Shit…" James said "… What do we do?"
"D-Dallas…" Ellie muttered
"What?" Dallas said as she comes closer
"Th-The s-serum…"
"The serum? Wait… No! It'll release all of your inhibitors! You don't know what'll happen to you!"
"D-Doesn't m-matter… I-I'd go m-mad e-either way…"
"Ellie…"
Ellie then musters enough strength to crouch…
"Dallas…" Ellie said "Please…"
Dallas thinks to herself for a moment before pulling out a green serum from her first aid kit.
"You sure about this?" she asked
"D-Didn't my brother send you to help me…?"
"That is true… Alright… Godspeed…"
Dallas then hands over the serum to Ellie, who injects it on her neck.
The shaking stops and Ellie closes her eyes as the Pride looks on.
Seconds later, Ellie opens her now green cat-like eyes…
"Ellie?" Arthur said
"I'm fine now…" she responded as she stood up "I'll deal with Johannes…"
"Ellie" Sithis said as he gives the mercenary a thumbs up "Give him hell!"
"I will" the mercenary replied as she dashes towards the direction Johannes went
"You think she'll be fine?" James asked
"I don't know…" Dallas answered "She may be fine for a few days or maybe even years but without those inhibitors, she'll be consumed by the FEV eventually…"
"Well… all we can do now is just wait and see what happens..."
Minutes later:
Ellie quickly catches up to Johannes' vertibird
"Commander" the vertibird pilot said "Radar's picking up something behind us"
Johannes then checks the outside and sees Ellie, running in close pursuit
"Don't know when to give up…" he muttered as he mans the minigun "Circle around! Use every weapon we got! That bitch goes down today!"
The vertibird then circles around as Johannes opens fire upon Ellie, who outpaces the 5mm rounds.
Ellie then does a high jump, landing in front of the two pilots. Without giving time to react, Ellie breaks through the windshield and stabs both pilots with her hidden blades.
As the vertibird spins out of control, Ellie then lunges at Johannes, who dodges her strikes.
He then punches Ellie, who doesn't even flinch
"So you've chosen a slow death eh…" Johannes said
"Well I got some unfinished business!" Ellie answered as she attacks Johannes, who either dodges or parries her attacks followed by a counterattack.
Eventually, Ellie manages to grab Johannes' throat and punches him senselessly. She then jumps out of the falling vertibird as it crashes into the ground.
As she stares at the burning wreckage of the vertibird, Johannes emerges, with only cuts and bruises.
"You little shit…" he said "… Don't realize that I'm doing all this for the Enclave?! For America?!"
"I still have gaps in my memories… But what I do know is that despite the Enclave's noble purpose… Our methods are unacceptable…"
"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you… YOU of all people!"
"I'm a different person now… I'm no longer the same person 30 years ago…"
"You FOOL!"
Johannes then charges at Ellie, who readies herself for the fight
She dodges Johannes' right hook and attempts to slash him with her right blade.
Her adversary blacks her right arm and sucker punches her straight in the face but she didn't even flinch.
"That all you got?" she said with a confident smile
"Don't get cocky" Johannes replied as he kicks her in the stomach, sending him back.
The fight then resumes with Ellie charging towards Johannes, who utilizes a Taekwondo-like fighting style to parry her strikes and perform counterattacks.
Minutes pass by and the battle shows no indication of a clear winner…
"You any tired yet?" Johannes taunted
"Not even close" Ellie replied
"So do I" Johannes answered as he resumes his attacks
After being hit in the head several times, Ellie could feel her aggression and adrenaline course through her body.
She soon noticed that time had slowed all around her, as if she had just taken jet.
She uses this to her advantage as she grabs Johannes' leg and breaks it.
She then punches him in the head, causing him to fall to the ground.
As he opens his eyes, Johannes sees Ellie's berserk red eyes as she positions her right hidden blade above his throat.
"You're running out time…" he muttered with a defiant smile "… In the end, we'll both die…"
Ellie did not respond as she was breathing heavily
"Come on. End it already"
Ellie then pulled her right arm back and prepared to stab her adversary.
But as her blade was about to pierce through his throat, a hand grabs her right arm.
"Don't" a familiar voice said
Ellie looks to her right and sees a familiar friend. "Vyse?"
The knight sergeant smiles as he shakes his head
Ellie then puts her arm down as Vyse helps her up.
"Vyse…" Ellie muttered
"Killing Johannes won't correct all this. You know what you have to do"
Before Ellie could respond, she is attacked by a seizure.
Johannes smiles as he sees Ellie struggle. "Looks like your time has come. Letting go of all those inhibitors… Fool"
As Ellie squirms on the ground, Vyse picks her up and injects her with a strange syringe.
Ellie immediately stops struggling and falls unconscious.
"What?!" Johannes uttered "What did you do?! How are you alive?! Marina was supposed to make sure you died!"
"I did 'die'…" the knight sergeant answered "But there's more to my story than meets the eye…"
"What?"
"I was one of Ellie's experiments. I was infected with her experimental FEV. Initially, it caused me to 'die', which labelled me a failure and was disposed of. But I really didn't die. The virus just had a different side effect on me"
"Impossible… I was there during her initial research! How?!"
"Well I guess the world can be big sometimes. And to answer your other question, I just gave her restrains back…" the knight sergeant replied as he stands up and brings out syringer and fires it at Johannes
"Gah! What is this?!"
"So that you don't escape. Your FEV has been 'cured'"
"Cured?!"
"It's gone… Which means, once I do this" Vyse said as he shoots the former rebel commander several times in the legs and arms "You won't regenerate"
"Damn you!"
"Ellie should wake up in a minute or two… You won't bleed out… I assure you"
Vyse then turns around
"Hey! Where are you going?!"
"I've been 'dead' for decades…" the knight sergeant replied "… I think it's time I disappear from the limelight…"
He then crouches and caresses Ellie's hair.
"Goodbye, Ellie" Vyse said as he kisses her forehead "I hope you're a better person now than you were 75 years ago…"
The knight sergeant then walks away and disappears into the dark windy night…
Johannes attempted to crawl but the pain of caused by his injuries was just too much for him to move.
He then hears the sound of several vertibirds in the distance. Knowing it was over, the former rebel commander couldn't help but laugh…
Following the battle of Raven Rock, the NCR was forced to withdraw from the region.
With the capture of General Lee Oliver, the dark secrets of the NCR were revealed to the public and were outraged by the revelation.
*With the rebels successful in repelling the NCR, the remaining factions decided to unite under the same flag and formed The Union, composed of factions from the Capital Wasteland, Virginia, New Carolina, and the Commonwealth.
*Following the formation of its own government, the Capital Wasteland once again became the paradise it was described to be during its 'Golden Years' and the NCR was forced to withdraw back to New California as the rebellion inspired other groups to fight for their own territories.
*General Alexander returned to New California following the formation of the new government. Although he was initially arrested for treason, he managed to turn the tides of justice against the NCR government. Through the information he gathered over the years, Alexander revealed the truth behind the corruption of the NCR government. The resulting outrage forced many officials, including the President himself, to resign in shame. Following the elections, the NCR, according to Alexander, was now under proper leadership.
*Arthur Maxson and Elysse returned to New California as well. Appearing before the grand elders of the Western Brotherhood, they sought to change the isolationist ideology of the Brotherhood. After several years and a few 'disappearances', Arthur was named as the new Elder of the Western Brotherhood. Applying the teachings of Owyn Lyons, the Brotherhood has become a prime example of the selflessness displaced by their founders. Arthur and Elysse married shortly after he became Elder and had two children, a boy and a girl.
*Coby remained in the Eastern Brotherhood, becoming a drill instructor for new recruits. He was 'infamous' for his strict and 'inhumane' drills. But he claims that these are merely necessary since the recruits may face a difficult battle in the future.
*'Rufus' resigned from the NCR Rangers and opted to remain in the Capital Wasteland while his other squadmates returned to New California. His identity as the Lone Wanderer was never revealed to the public. Feeling nostalgic, the Lone Wanderer decided to visit his old home, Vault 101, one day. To his surprise, the Vault door opened and he was welcomed as a fellow Vault Dweller. Seeing his old friend, Amata, the Lone Wanderer couldn't help but chuckle and say "It's about damn time" before walking into the vault he left 30 years before…
*With the threat of the Western Brotherhood gone, Sarah Lyons passes away in her sleep, shortly after Arthur was named the new Elder of the Western Brotherhood. She was given full military honors and was finally buried next to her father's grave. In her gravestone, a quote was placed saying: "A Lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep".
*James Lyons succeeds his mother's position as Elder of the Eastern Brotherhood. He continued his mother's and grandfather's work, creating a better Capital Wasteland. Following his marriage to Audrey, the two also had children. Twins. A boy and a girl.
*Before marrying her fiancé, Audrey returned to Chicago to look for her father, with James as her companion. After several days, she finally finds him, waiting at the same barracks where she spent her childhood. It was a tearful reunion.
*Sithis and Jayce returned to New Carolina. With his war days over, Sithis retired to a small cabin in a hill overlooking Gleamist. From there, he lived a quiet life, reminiscing the days he had spent and "he spent them right…" as he would say it. Jayce, on the other hand, became the chief of Police in the territory of New Carolina.
*Through Fawkes' leadership, the super mutants lived peacefully along with the humans and aided Dr. Barrows in his research. Thanks to their efforts, Dr. Barrows managed to create a cure preventing ghouls from going feral as well as a serum that helped repair some of the damages to the brains of the super mutants.
*Jack, the leader of the once infamous Talon Company, stayed in the Capital Wasteland. Through his alliance with Senora Cruz's Regulators, they formed a powerful police force for the Capital Wasteland. Despite Jack's constant flirting and rumors on the matter, Senora denies any romantic attraction towards the Talon company leader, stating that she still distrusts the mercenary group as a whole.
*Polonsky left the Capital Wasteland one day. No one knew why he suddenly left but rumor has it that he has a mission to fulfill and despite the NCR's defeat, it is not yet finished
*Dallas followed Polonsky in his travels. She was last seen in The Hub at New California, headed north to what was once known as Washington State. She was never seen again…
*Ellie, with her memories fully restored, has come to realize the true nature of the conflict she was involved in. Wanting to make amends for her sins, the young 'mercenary', disappeared from the Capital Wasteland. Rumors persist on where she went. Some would say she went north to the Commonwealth, other claim they saw her in Arizona. Nevertheless, one thing all these rumors could agree on is that she is hunting for someone or something…