Stealing Independence

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The door opens on a cloudy day in the Wasteland, one that smells vaguely dank and unpleasant. There isn't a Metro entrance anywhere in the DC area that smells good any more, though, so that's all right. "This seemed like the safest place to come through," Ellen says to her new arrivals. "This is Anacostia Crossing. Rivet City's up at the top of the stairs, in the river, so if you guys need anything else we can go there before we start into the tunnels."

Comments

[aeons_crackshot]

"I think I'm good," Annabelle says with a grin. She's trying out the new armor that Ellen got her, and carrying the sniper rifle, the ripper, and both her pistols.

[basic_powers]

"I think I brought enough." He's already wearing his special armor, helmet, today-is-a-bad-day-for-my-enemies utility belt with two knives, an unusual looking rod with mechanics attached, and three guns, one of which looks more like a flaregun than anything else. And goodness only knows what is in that knapsack and pockets.

The miniraptor is busy just patrolling about. It remembers the way this world scans, and it knows that it will be very busy shortly enough.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen's backpack only has a little food and water and some emergency supplies in it. This is probably just as well, because the majority of her back is taken up by a motorcycle fuel tank; if she's going to be in tunnels for any length of time, she's bringing the Shishkebab with her. She's also got a large, complicated-looking rifle, and her usual laser pistol and a number of homemade Nuka-Grenades on her belt. She's not really worried about them being a radiation source, as she's wearing her power armor, so...

"All right, then," she says, and lights up her Pip-boy's lamp. "There's a few spots in the tunnels where emergency systems are still running on prewar batteries, but for the most part we're bringing our own light on this one. Light tends to get the ferals' attention. I don't like wasting ammo on shots at something that moves that fast, so I'll be using this-" She indicates the Shishkebab blade at her side. "For anything that gets close enough."

[aeons_crackshot]

"I suppose it's the ripper for me, then," Annabelle says with a sharp grin. What do ghouls look like when they get hit by a chainsaw? They may find out soon enough.

[basic_powers]

"Before I forget," Moon Shadow replies, unhooking the rod from his belt and opening up a pocket. "Here's a couple of tracking devices. They're more to tell some of the things I'm carrying that you're allies...not targets."

Two little discs, each about the size of, and a little thicker than a quarter with a dark crescent on them are held out to Ellen and Annabelle.

"I've got some new settings for the Daffy Putty I reallly want to test out."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen peers at the little devices, then nods. "Can I put it in one of my belt pouches or does it have to be out in the open?" she asks.

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle takes one of the devices and waits for Tyler's answer. "Interesting little device," she says with a grin.

[basic_powers]

"In your belt pouches would be just fine, anyplace where they'd be hard to lose would be best." Moon Shadow just grins back. "They've been extremely helpful."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"All right," says Ellen, and tucks the device away. "Now, let's see..."

The Metro tunnel entrance areas were pretty well reinforced way back when they were made. Something about impromptu fallout shelters in the line item budget for the DCTA. It scarcely matters, though; the important part is that the tunnel roof and walls are intact as the group picks its way over broken tile and down towards where the-

"BLAAARG!"

-actual train tracks used to be. Heads up, there are things coming out of the darkness.

[aeons_crackshot]

It's a shame that Annabelle isn't familiar with modern movie culture, or she'd recognize the iconic nature of attacking things like this with a chainsaw.

Annabelle turns the ripper on, and a familiar buzzing roar fills the air. That ghoul didn't need it's head, did it? Too bad, cause it's coming off.

[basic_powers]

Annabelle can have the chainsaw... Moon Shadow here is just going to be cracking right through the skull of one with his nice electrified extendable rod. The little black and gold thing? Is screaming right back at the ghouls, after getting brushed off from a leg shot, before leaping right up to claw into one's face.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

There are about five of them, and they move awfully quickly for things that look like they should have been in the ground years ago. Ellen doesn't even waste breath on shouting about them; she just lights up the Shishkebab and starts swinging.

We apologize for the smell. It's an unavoidable side effect of fighting with fire.

[aeons_crackshot]

The sound of a chainsaw hitting bones is unpleasant, we're afraid.

One ghoul gets cut off at the knees a second before his pal gets decapitated. She swings the ripper back around to finish the job.

"Good job little guy!" she calls out when Winston starts in on a ghoul.

[basic_powers]

"GnnarrRaaarrrgghGRRRBBLRRGRRRLL!"

His ghoul is... ..well. There isn't much left of the head right now. Non-dead human skulls just aren't meant to put up much of a fight to alloy-enhanced claws and teeth.

"Good boy, Winston."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"That can't be good for him," Ellen says when the last bits of ghoul hit the ground. "This isn't exactly the healthiest meat in the world to put in your mouth, aside from it having been human once. Um, can someone keep an eye out for others while I at least get these straightened out?"

They were, after all, people; they are entitled to final prayers.

[aeons_crackshot]

"He can digest organic matter?" Annabelle says, surprised.

"I'll keep watch," she assures Ellen.

[basic_powers]

It looks like he's eating it...for all of five minutes before the little raptor is rubbing his mouth with foreclaws and spitting the stuff out, making some very disgruntled noises.

"...He'll eat almost anything made of meat. ...except for a ghoul apparently. C'mere boy..."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I don't want to think about what'll happen when he gets to the dead supermutants," says Ellen soberly. She's got the others mostly laid straight.

Dogmeat pads over to Annabelle's side; he's got the remains of what might have been a radroach in his mouth because Cam forgot to include him in the fight. Ellen just bows her head and murmurs something a little too low to hear before looking up. "We'd better move on," she says. "Up ahead, there's an intact staircase that leads down into a northwestern tunnel. That's our route."

[aeons_crackshot]

"He's been busy," Annabelle says with a quirk of her lips as Dogmeat shows up.

"Sounds good to me," Annabelle replies with a nod.

[basic_powers]

"Lead on, Ellen." Moon Shadow replies, nodding after he's made certain Winston doesn't have anymore ghoulbits in his mouth.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods and starts into the dark, sword and Pip-Boy lighting up the rusted, long-ago seized-up steps of the escalator down. "I've been through here before," she says. "This was how I originally got to the Museum of History, so don't be too surprised if we run across corpses."

[aeons_crackshot]

"I see the local ambiance is much the same as always," Annabelle quips.

"I'd be more surprised if we didn't run into corpses, frankly."

[basic_powers]

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing." Moon Shadow remarks quietly, the shock-rod casting it's own glow.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I meant- never mind," Ellen says. "You're probably...."

She was going to say you're probably right, but she's trailed off. Far ahead in the tunnels is a sickly greenish-yellow bobbling light that appears to be getting brighter.

"I have a feeling that's a Glowing One," Ellen mutters. "A ghoul that's so irradiated it can actually give off radiation pulses as an attack. Kill it first, then worry about any of the others."

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle stares at the glowing ghoul. "Sometimes I hate your world, I really do," she says, grumbling.

"Unless you want the glowing one, Moon Shadow, I'll take it out."