"Put your helmet back on, unless you wanna lose your head" Kyle barked at the angered knight, not wanting to see the group begin to fight each other or to see the Knight go down from one lucky shot.


Kyle had never really liked the Western Brotherhood, almost all of them, besides Webster and the Gunner, seemed to have an air of arrogance about themselves. Even the ones he encountered in Kansas looked down on the locals. He knew this wasn't probably the real Brotherhood anymore, Lyon's had gone from procuring tech to playing with the locals.

Soon after this thought, he began to hear sounds from the ruined buildings around him, and unslung his Mosin-Nagant, watching the tops of the buildings on the left and praying the Mutants couldn't snipe with all the spots around as a one armed ghoul could get a good beat on you...

Suddenly, out of the D.C. Ruins, several Super Mutants showed themselfs, firing quick shots hitting no one, and then taking quick cover behind large pieces of rubble and other large objects scattered about the roads. Frank took cover, grabbing Initiate Layne and pulling him behind a slab of concrete with him. The gun fire continued. The Super Mutants were armed with cheap rotted rifles of different calibers. Some even had cheap assault rifles.

"Take your targets, and get some shots off. Don't expose your self longer than need be, Initate Layne." Frank said standing up, and taking a shot at one of the "Frankensteins". He quickly spotted five more running up the street, firing wild shots that flew over head. Already, there was the original six that were taking cover inside a ruined building across from the squad that was taking cover.

"Don't waste ammo, we'll still need this to reach the Mall." Frank said reloading his laser rifle, and taking another target. Several more Super Mutants: Brutes, Masters, and two Overlords came running down the same road. The damn "Frankensteins" had set up a ambush. Some how they had expected someone to come through here. Frank fired, hitting one, but not hard enough or in a vital area to kill the beast. It seemed as if more were on there way as two Brutes ran up behind some rubble and into a building to take new firing positions.

Richard said nothing but just put on back his helmet as he started heariing noises in the rubble. Richard pulled out his Laser Rifle and waited for the first sign of a hostile. Upon spotting the Super Mutants, Richard just started shooting with his Laser Rifle leaving five Mutants dead, and he threw a Frag Grenade into a window, killing one more. He yelled, "We just can't get a break, can we!", before continuing to shoot.

Kyle felt a burst kick up around him and felt a sharp pang as a round glanced through the damaged part of his suit. Confused he ran to a concrete block, one of the hundreds around, then tried to asses the situation when he saw the building to his right. He fired a couple bursts in the direction of the Mutants and darted up the second floor of the grey bombed out building. This wasn't the first time he had tried to snipe mutants, but this time he wouldn't be responsible for anyone dieing. He rested his rifle on the top of the long destroyed window frame and searched for the first target...

He saw the mutants in the nearby building and opened fire, one of the brutes took a slug to the head spraying gore all over his freak buddies. The other mutant returned fire, forcing Kyle to switch his position. He soon got a beat on the mutant and sent two rounds through it's shoulder. Kyle began to fire more shots into the mutants covers, going for the ones closet to the squad...

Kyle saw the overlord closing in on the initiate, and switch his fire to stop it. He fired two quick bursts form is M-16 into its legs, trying to slow it down but it didn't faze the massive beast. Now running from the building Kyle continued to spray the mutant with his rifle as it got closer to the initiate, who was prepping a grenade. Knowing he didn't have time to reload, and knowing the initiate didn't have time to throw the grenade, he dropped his M-16 and leveled his rifle. Kyle quickly sent the last two rounds of the Nagant through the Freak's head, hoping it was enough to kill it...

OOC: Max, it's up to you..

Caught absolutely off-guard by the ambush, Layne was lucky to have been pulled behind cover or else he was liable to lose a limb. He'd do as Webster said and pop out every few seconds from different positions, firing in patterns at the mutants. He'd aim for their arms first if they were holding superior firepower then the rest, aiming for the head after. He had severely underestimated exactly how organized and how all around tough the bastards were, emptying an entire clip of .45 caliber ammo into one of them with seemingly no effect.

It just so happens this was what the Scribes referred to as "Overlords", and Layne had caught this ones attention. "Oh [censored], oh [censored], oh [censored]!", he'd whisper several times under his breath before retrieving a grenade with one hand, and his ripper with the other. He'd look up over the slab of concrete to toss the frag when he saw the overlord glaring down at him, apparently covering the distance between them far quicker then he had anticipated. "Oh...[censored]..."

Richard saw Layne about to get killed by a Super Mutant Overlord and tried to get its attention by shooting it with hs Laser Rifle. It worked, except for the fact that now the Overlord was angry and started shooting at him with its Gatling Laser. Richard ran to a beaten wall, aimed with his Laser Rifle, and got it right between the eyes, saving Layne.

Frank shot at the Overlord that towered above them, firing two shots into his face, turning him into ashes. It was the second time he had encountered Overlords, and breathed a sigh of relief for just a moment before several rounds hit the concrete slab.

"This is totally [censored] up!" Frank yelled as he reloaded his laser rifle, and took aim at one mutant. The whole D.C. Ruins were crawling with "Frankensteins", but this was rediculous. More flooded down the main road, taking up postions and some just standing like idiots in the middle of the street. Others took cover inside buildings. The squad was becoming exposed. Frank didn't like this at all, he continued firing, pinning one Master behind a rock.

"This is really FUBAR guys!" Frank yelled again, checking the squad over quickly. "Initate Layne, cover me while I dart for that doorway. I'll cover you so you can get in as well." Frank yelled to the others, "Stand your ground, don't let up the fire for a moment. Everyone was under intense stress.

Layne would snap out of his momentary freeze, the massive mutant overlord corpse falling right before him catching his attention. "I owe you one Richard.", he'd say before reloading his handgun and taking aim at a super mutant roughly 20 yards away, scoring a well placed shot on the freaks left eye, downing it instantly. "Damn.. One clip left. I need to conserve my ammo like Web said." Layne would flick the switch on his ripper and begin sneaking behind a large over-turned bus, intending on sneaking up on a mutant that had been firing from this position for some time now.

After making his way to the freak, he'd lunge forward and jam the ripper into his chest and begin sawing upwards in a brutal jarring motion, still a little shocked at how easy it was to sneak up on the moron considering that particular weapon wasn't know for it's "stealthiness". The mutant was just a pile of yellow flesh and red gore when Layne was finished with him, spotting another not too far off and deciding this was an effective method to dispose of the freaks.

Layne would return to his original spot and hear Web's request for cover fire, whipping out his HK in one swift motion and firing off rounds toward the muties that were firing on they're position. "Over here ya yellow bastards!" He'd scream, effectively getting they're attention and providing the Paladin with a window of opportunity.

Upon hearing Paladin Webster's order, Richard started falling back while still providing covering fire for the others. About three more Overlords appeared and started shooting with Gatling Lasers and Tri-Beam Lasers. Richard shot one so many times that it turned into a pile of ash, while another fell with a hole burned clean through its head. Richard reloaded but spotted even more Super Mutants coming to repace the fallen. He was forced to the doorway and said, "These guys just don't let up.", as the Super Mutants got closer.

Chase dived behind a broken down wall as the muties opened up on them. He popped up every few seconds and shot one or two with his laser rifle, to seemingly little affect. He ducked as one of the Brutes took aim at him with it's assault rifle, and he could hear the bullets making his already small cover smaller. He took out the grenade he had been going to use earlier and tossed it over the wall, then looked over just in time to see the mutie's legs getting blown out from under it. I knew that grenade would come in handy.

He popped off a few shots at another Brute, before hearing someone comment about not ever getting breaks. "Well, you know what they say, no rest for the weary."

Then a strange sound attracted his attention. He looked to his right to see a grenade rolling towards him. He reached over to it and threw it back just in time, because it exploded in the air a moment later. He took another few shots at a Master, hitting it in the head with each shot, and watched with some satisfaction as it dropped to the ground. Then three more of the things concentrated their fire on him, effectively pinning him down. "FUBAR sir? This is a bit beyond FUBAR! Why the hell are there this many down here. I thought that was what the freakin fortifications were for, to keep them isolated! This isn't [censored] isolated!"

He put his laser rifle around a corner and shot blindly, knowing that he'd probably hit something anyway.

Seeing the flood of mutants pouring into the squad cutting off any chance of him to regroup with the paladin, Kyle had to retreat higher into the building and continued to shoot at the mass of yellow flesh. They were growing bolder or stupider as a few advance headlong into Kyle, who was able to dispatch them before they could cause any damage but he was forced to hold his position, unless he wanted to jump out of a window....

"This is what I get for wanting to be a sniper" he muttered as a few more mutants turned to fire on him...

(OOC: I have to go to bed so I'll post tommorow.)

Frank sprinted to the doorway, and checked the room quickly before looking back out towards the Super Mutants, and at Initate Layne.

"Hurry and get over here, everyone keep firing. We need to control this road!" Frank ordered with haste. He fired some shots, giving Initate Layne cover to run. It looked like the mutants had stopped coming, but still there were dozens infront of them. Most were outside, hidden well behind cover. This fight was not getting any easier.

Frank realized he was low on ammo, and this fight was getting to overwhelming.

OOC: I got to go, have fun. You should get your austrailian reinforcements soon

Layne would take a few deep breaths, knowing full well he was about to do something unbelievably stupid and incredibly dangerous, he'd make a mad dash for the door, noticing two super mutants that had previously remained hidden until this moment, as if they were waiting to catch the punk ass initiate off guard. Two grenades rolled directly in front of Layne, and out of either instinct or luck the initiate would dive over them and through the doorway, squirming behind a wall just in time to avoid an unhealthy dose of shrapnel.

"HOLY [censored] SIR! How'd they know we were coming for chrissake?! They gotta have scouts sir, it's the only damn thing that makes sense.", Layne would say while breathing heavily, using the adrenaline pumping through his veins to his advantage and busting off a few rounds with his handgun at the svckers that tried to turn him into jelly.

OOC: Yep, same for me. I'll make a post in the morning when I get up to go to work, if I have the chance. Please don't let my poor, pinned down soldier die, will you?

OOC: Ok Peter and Ambrose. Your character's will not be killed while you are away. This game is paused until my Aussie's log on, and start posting.

ATTENTION AUSSIE'S: Just start from where you left off, to where we are now. I'll try and get a post in before I go to work today, so I won't leave you all sitting wondering where I am.

Beckett stepped out of the metro tunnel and removed his hlemt. His features, before his accident with the mutants, had been rather distinctive. Wide jaw and chin, thin lips and low brow. If it weren't for the disfiguring scar running down the left side of his face and neck most people would have instantly realised whose son he was.

Leroy was distracted from his surveying of the area as he heard some of the waste-rats trying to say they were true Brothers.

"I didn't appreciate that, even if it was a joke that was uncalled for. I may not have been born in Lost Hills, or even just out West, but my fellow Wasteland recruits and I are just as much a part of the Brotherhood as you, and you should learn to respect that." said Richard.

This caused a rare smile on the face of Leroy 'Dog' Beckett.

'We've no problems with wastelanders, but when they try and say that they have the same training, the same devotion and the same skills as us, it is an insult to all true Brothers of Steel.' growled Beckett with a nod to Chase. 'I mean sure Lyons has turned from the true mission but he may well not be in charge for much longer, Paladin Casdin has the right idea I reckon, stay true to the mission...' Leroy was cut off by a bullet slamming into the wall beside him.

'MUTIES!' Roared Knight Beckett as he pt his helmet back on.

A mutant weilding a nailboard rushed him. Beckett raised his shot-gun and fired, nothing happened. Remembering he had used up his battery in the tunnels, reaching for his ripper, Beckett remembered he had given that to the Initiate. Having no options left, Beckett spear-tackled the mutant. When on the ground Beckett slammed his helmeted head against the face of the mutant, again and again Leroy drove the crown of his head into the face of the mutant.

Hearing Webster's order to fall back Beckett jumped up and sprinted to the building. Felling a mutant on the way with his friends nail board.

As he reloaded his shot-gun Beckett yelled over to the Paladin on the other side of the frame 'Haven't had us a rumble like this since Reno, eh Paladin?'

"Now this just isn't cool!" Chase yelled as one of the Overlords with a gatling laser focused it's fire on Chase's position, shredding the little stone wall to bits. Chase scrambled to his feet and jumped into a hole, which just barely gave him enough cover to still fire on the mutants. He noticed that everyone seemed to be headed for a building. Oh, sure. Just when I find adequate cover.

Chase unclipped another grenade and tossed it at the Overlord, but another mutant picked it up and prepared to throw it back. "Oh no you don't."

He took careful aim for only a moment, then fired. The laser streaked towards the mutant and hit the grenade in his hands, causing it to explode in his face. The mutant must have been carrying some grenades of his own too, because a chain reaction of explosions soon followed, tearing the mutant apart and knocking the nearby Overlord off it's feet. Chase took the opportunity to jump up from his position and sprint for the building. Just before reaching it, however, a grenade rolled under his feet. He barely had time to look down before it exploded, sending him flying. He crashed through a nearby wall, and hit the ground a little to the right of Beckett.

He groaned as he got up, then checked his rifle for damage. Luckily, there was none, but the grenade had filled his power armor with shrapnel. There wasn't any damage done to his body, yet, but power armor can only take so much damage before it gives in.

He got up against the wall, conveniently using the hole he had crashed through to shoot at the muties. "Man, Reno's a [censored] paradise in comparison. At least there was no blowing up and getting sent flying through walls in Reno. God I hate this place."

OOC: Seems like this one's moving a bit slower than most. Cool. Better matches my lack of time. Now, off to work for the next eight hours!

Layne would begin to stew after hearing Beckett's remark before the firefight started, deciding then and there that he'd make damn sure to keep an eye on both of the west coast loyalists, feeling at this point that friendly fire wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibilities from a puritan like him. He personally hated Casdin along with his sect of Knights from out west, who seemed to think that they had a right to complain about the circumstances of the east, when the dumbasses came here willingly. He'd make sure to let Beckett know exactly how he felt about "true brothers of steel" after this mission was completed.

Ryan walked around the corner and saw the two mutants hiding behind a piece of rubble, "Let him have it Talon!!" The sound of the minigun tearing through mutant flesh could be heard for miles, so it seems, "Giving supressive fire!" Ryan stood right out in the open, which wasn't a good idea really, he could hear some pings of his armor where the poorly inacruate muties shots were hitting.

((Okay, maybe I'd better step out. x.x. My hours don't match the rest of you guys, so I have to catch up with two pages of stuff before I can even post something new. Assume I got separated from the pack and am officially MIA or something, sorry!))

Richard poked his head out from behind a wall to see a Super Mutant try to bash his head in with a Sledgehammer. Richard ducked under its blow and shattered its right knee with his Super Sledge. The Super Mutant screamed in pain as it fell on its other knee. Richard finished it off by squishing its head with his Super Sledge. Then he returned to using his Laser Rifle to provide covering fire for the others.

Layne would continue to pop out from behind the wall and hurl grenades at super mutants that were close together, still conserving his ammo for his handgun. He'd hurl his last toward a Master, smirking it rolled directly between the fools legs. "Get ready for a third world castration...", Layne would say as the grenade exploded and shrapnel shot up through the poor bastards groin.

The battle seemed to continue on and on, never letting up with Super Mutants. Frank wondered where the hell all the "Frankensteins" were coming from, maybe Elder Lyon's was right, maybe they should try and find where the Super Mutant horde was coming from, and then take care of them. It would make it a lot easier to discover new technology, and return to the old ways of the Brotherhood.

But Frank couldn't think about that right now. They were surrounded by mutants everywhere, and they were running low on ammunition. It seemed that the "Frankensteins" had an unlimited supply of ammo. Frank just couldn't understand how it was possible, he thought all Super Mutants were dumb and all had low intelligence. It was different with these mutants.

"Everyone, keep up the fire. Don't let them breath!!" Frank hasitly ordered as he fired from one of the building windows. It was not looking good for the squad, low on ammo, and unknowing of their fate to some degree, Frank began to think this was the end. Mutant bodies lay in the road, lifeless and beginning to smell. Some were actually used as cover, absorbing bullets and laser rounds alike.

As it started to really look bad for the squad, suddenly a several rockets flew through the sky, almost in a slow motion. They flew through the air, hitting their unsuspecting targets direct. Two more rockets flew through the air, Frank couldn't see where they were coming from, but it was from behind the Super Mutants.

"What the hell?" Frank muttered to himself, and rushed out the building, taking cover in his old spot. Two more rockets flew, this time the Mutants were in total chaos and confusion, they didn't know what to do. Limbs flew through the sky, landing all over the place. Some bodies were compeletly obliterated, and only chunks lay on the ground.

Suddenly, Frank spotted the assailants. All the mutants were dead in the street, looking one way or another. Frank got out from his cover, and looked up at them. It was a search and destroy team from the Mall. Frank waved them thanks, and the group made there way down from off the "roof" and down to him. The squad seemed ok, but one was missing. It was the only woman in the group, Frank didn't learn her name fast so he couldn't remember what she looked like or what her name was.

The search and destroy team walked over, stepping through and around the dead mutants as they secured the area, and the team leader approached Frank.

"Are you from the Citadel?" The man asked, his resperator giving him a stranger voice than it already gave.

"Yeah, thanks for the rescue. We would have been mutant chow soon if you all hadn't come by." Frank replied taking his helmet off, and reaching his hand out to the man. The man took his helmet off, revealing a blonde haired, blue eyed man with rough features to his face. He had obviously been out in the Ruins for sometime know, he was no rookie.

"I am Paladin Vice, from the Mall. We were on a search and destroy mission when we heard the gun fire. We hurried, thinking it was some settlers fending off some mutants. But instead we found you all. Where are you headed?"

"The Mall. I was under the impression that our orders for our mission would be at the Mall, like usual?" Frank replied a bit confused.

"Yeah, you'll still get your mission orders at the Mall. But we've come under heavy attack, more than usual, and today was our final break in sometime. We'll help you get to the Mall. Its not far from here, just a few blocks. We've cleared a way that is guarded most of the time." Paladin Vice put his helmet back on, and started barking orders to his squad. "Ok team, lets get back to the Mall. We're going to assist them to the Mall. Lets move out!"

The team assembled, and started back the way they had come. Frank shrugged, and ordered his squad to follow. He put his helmet back on, and brough Initiate Layne with him. He was going to watch the Initiate at all times from now on until he was sure he could be on his own. Frank approached Paladin Vice, and kept pace with him.

"How long have you been out here in the ruins?" Frank asked, his resperator giving him a deep dark, almost asthmatic tone of voice.

"A few months now. My team and I were ordered from the Citadel to stay at the Mall, and fight from there. We have several radio's, so if you want to contact the Citadel for your orders. How long have you been out here?"

"We just got in, I was assigned a new squad earlier this morning. But personally I've been on several missions out here-" Frank paused, not knowing what Paladin Vice would think of him. "But I've been in many battle back West. That's where I learned most of what I know. What's the Mall like now, still being over run at times?" Frank asked hesitently. He didn't know if Paladin Vice had lost any friends, or had any for that matter still in the Mall.

"Yeah, its the same. But we don't get over run, at least in my sector. We mostly get attacked from all around, but rarely does our position get over run with the "Frankensteins"." Paladin Vice replied kindly. The rest of the walk to the Mall was silent between the two. In the rear though, it seemed that the squad was getting along with Paladin Vice's search and destroy team well. Frank didn't interfear, but just continued to the Mall.

OOC: I would like it if everyone could post from their last post where everyone was fighting, to here. My next post will be when we get to the Mall. Which I have several idea's for