Preparing for War

I drove through the quiet streets of New Vale City, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The SUV's engine hummed beneath me, powerful and smooth.

Even though it was the middle of the night, my mind was running at full speed.

The Black Fangs were officially a problem.

I had killed two of their men. The third had escaped. That meant retaliation was inevitable.

If I had a week or two, I could have stayed under the radar. But now? They'd come looking for me.

I needed to prepare for war.

My apartment was compromised. I couldn't go back—not when the Black Fangs knew where I lived.

That meant finding a new base of operations.

I mentally went through the novel's map of New Vale City.

Several locations came to mind:

✔ Warehouse District – Too open, hard to defend.✔ Old Industrial Complex – Good for scavenging, but overrun with squatters.✔ Abandoned Subway Maintenance Tunnels – Hard to access, easy to fortify.

The subway tunnels were my best bet.

In Endless Ruin, they were one of the safest hideouts in the city, at least until mutant creatures started appearing in Month Two. If I fortified them before the apocalypse, I could hold out for months.

I turned onto a deserted road and headed toward the city's underground maintenance tunnels.

The entrance was exactly where I remembered—an old maintenance door behind an abandoned train station.

I parked the SUV a block away, grabbed my Glock 19 and Arc Stun Baton, and approached carefully. The metal door was locked, but rusted. A few hits with my multi-tool, and it creaked open.

Inside, the tunnels were dark, damp, and smelled like old metal and dust. I activated my tactical flashlight and stepped forward, boots echoing against the concrete.

The tunnels stretched for miles beneath the city. I just needed one secure section to set up a makeshift workshop and armory.

After ten minutes of exploring, I found what I was looking for—an old storage room with reinforced steel doors.

Perfect.

I moved inside, sweeping the area with my flashlight. The place was filled with old tools, rusted lockers, and broken equipment.

No signs of recent activity.

This would work.

For the next two hours, I began securing the storage room.

✔ Bolted the doors shut from the inside.✔ Cleared debris to create workspace.✔ Scanned for ventilation access points.✔ Mapped emergency exit routes.

I unloaded my weapons and scavenged supplies, organizing them into piles.

This would be my lab, my armory, my safe zone.

Now, I needed to start building.

Project 4: Riot Armor – Prototype Combat Suit

Concept:A lightweight, reinforced suit designed for urban combat and mobility.

Materials Needed:✔ Kevlar Sheets – Found in old security gear.✔ Titanium Scrap – Salvaged from junkyard car frames.✔ Exoskeleton Support – Partial hydraulic assist for strength boost.

Key Features:✔ Bullet-resistant plating.✔ Shock-absorbing impact resistance.✔ Integrated stun defense – Can discharge electric shocks on contact.

Project 5: Automated Turret System

Concept:A self-operating turret using salvaged firearm components and a motion-tracking system.

Materials Needed:✔ Old security cameras – Used for targeting AI.✔ Tripod-mounted firearm system.✔ Motion sensor and microprocessor control unit.

Key Features:✔ Auto-tracking mode.✔ Manual override for precision aiming.✔ Linked to a secure defense grid.

If I could get two or three turrets online, I could hold off an entire gang attack without lifting a finger.

I didn't just need weapons—I needed defenses.

I left the hideout just before dawn, making my way toward an abandoned security office a few blocks away.

Security stations usually had body armor, old firearms, and surveillance equipment. If I was lucky, I'd find everything I needed for my armor and turret system.

The streets were still quiet, but the tension in the air was undeniable.

People could feel that something was coming.

The first awakenings were less than two weeks away.

And when they happened, this city would turn into a war zone.

I moved quickly, slipping through side alleys and backstreets.

When I reached the security office, I checked the locks—broken.

Someone had been here before me.

I stepped inside, gun drawn.

The place had been ransacked, but I still found what I needed.

✔ Kevlar Vest – Slightly damaged, but usable.✔ Security Cameras – Perfect for turret targeting systems.✔ Old Shotgun & Ammunition – Extra firepower never hurt.

As I packed my bag, I heard movement outside.

I flattened myself against the wall, listening.

Footsteps. Two people.

I peered through the cracked doorway.

Two men. Black Fang jackets. Armed.

They were looking for me.

I moved silently through the office, positioning myself near the entrance.

I grabbed a loose metal pipe, balanced it against the doorframe, and placed a tripwire from an old security cable.

Then, I took cover behind a filing cabinet.

The first guy stepped inside.

SNAP.

The pipe swung down, smashing into his knee.

"AHH—"

The second guy reacted too slowly.

I stepped out and fired twice.

BANG! BANG!

Both men collapsed.

I took their weapons, ammo, and radios.

Now I knew for sure—they were actively hunting me.

I needed to hit them first.

Back at my hideout, I spread out my new supplies.

✔ Weapons upgraded.✔ Body armor acquired.✔ Turret components secured.

The next step?

Building everything I needed for the coming battle.

The Black Fangs thought I was just some scavenger.

They had no idea I was an engineer.

And by the time they figured it out, they'd already be dead.