Nuclear Winter

Chapter 7: Ch7. A Shit Your Pants Kind Of Day



~A very awkward situation in Searchlight~

"Alex, hehehe" *inhale* "you smell like vanilla?" Kendra was burying her face in Alex's chest as her arms wrapped tightly around his strong back, a few pops could be heard in the office they were in.

"Kenny!!! Please!! Let go!!! Need air!!!" Alex's face could be seen going from red to purple as Kendra only tightened her grip on Alex.

"Damn it I can't get her off you!! Hold on Alex, don't head to the light!" Cassandra was pulling her sisters waist as hard as she could but Kendra would just keep kicking her away only to tighten her hold even more.

"I don't wanna let go! He'll run away if I let go!"

Tiny tears could be seen in the corner of Kendra's eyes as she buried her face further into Alex.

Looking at the situation unfolding opposite of his favor, Alex decided to break out the big guns.

"Hey Cassandra, did Kendra ever tell you about a guy named Stephan?" Kendra suddenly jerked up straight and let go of Alex before giving him the stink eye.

"You wouldn't dare mister!"

Giving Kendra a flick on the forehead Alex chuckled.

"Oh but my dear Kenny, I would, and in excruciatingly fine detail at that!"

Backing up and fidgeting with her uniform, Kendra looked beet red in embarrassment.

"That's not fair Alex, you owe me and I just wanted to collect."

Alex could only smile a faint smile at how cute Kendra was acting, the girl was like this ever since basic training.

"Umm hate to be a bother but who's this Stephan? Now I need to know!" Cassandra crossed her arms under her breasts pushing them up, revealing a fair amount of pale white cleavage causing Kendra to frown at her sisters poorly veiled attempt to get Alex to look at her 'assets'.

"A douchbag, plain and simple." Alex just flat out replied while looking past Cassandra and her large breasts, they were nice! But that wine bottle was calling to him! Walking over, Alex grabbed the bottle that was nearly empty. Raising it, he took a small sip and sat down before letting out a loud sigh.

"So anything you two wish to ask me?" Alex decided to break the awkward tension and let these two lovely headaches ask him some questions that were most likely on their mind.

Kendra moved around to her seat and sat down as Cassandra dragged a chair over near Alex. Sitting down see mulled over her decision and decided to ask Alex something that was bothering her.

"How are you alive?"

Feeling like the question was gonna be asked at some point Alex let out a sigh.

"Guess I'm just to angry to die." Letting out a chuckle Alex took another sip of wine before deciding to reveal his body's former owner's memory to Cassandra.

"To be honest though.. Dominic Varden. When I went on a mission into Arizona for general Oliver awhile back, I nearly got caught. But Varden, or Sirus Draxis as he's know in the legion, saved my ass and hid me. Helped me get info and find the whereabouts of my inquiry, before getting me a window of opportunity alone with said inquiry. Imagine my surprise when after I was captured after leaving camp golf, I find out that he was at Cottonwood cove as their doctor, ensured to make sure all slaves were healthy enough to be transported… or when after I was crucified after killing that Dacanus, he declared me dead. A good ruse that… You see we had made a deal, he'd give me a tonic that'll make me seem dead and dump me out of the camp to wake up, in turn I'd find a way to kill Caesar if I could, he knew I was a man that got shit done after all." Alex recalled the event in his head, he felt bad for the doc. However the guy should have checked his dosage, because it actually killed the old Alex as far as he was aware.

"Was he still there when you attacked?"

Alex shook his head at Cassandra and took another drink from the bottle.

"I checked to make sure, but he was sent back too Dry Wells once he made sure all the slaves were still healthy."

The shock of Cassandra's face made Alex smile big, leaving the girl speechless.

"But why risk so much to free you and kill Caesar?" Kendra couldn't help but ask, she couldn't understand why some legion doctor would risk his neck for an NCR veteran.

"That's not really a happy story, and one that often repeats in todays wasteland. Let's just say you can give a man as many new names as you want, but when you take the only thing he cherishes in this world and proceed to destroy it in front of him, well he won't exactly roll over and take it." Taking one last sip from the wine bottle as it was emptied, Alex wiped a drop from his lip.

"Quite a few legionaries hate Caesar but fear death more, however when he's gone the whole Legion will collapse in on itself. Most of the high ranks in the NCR and Legion know that, It's just a few don't want to wait for time to do what idle hands are more then capable of."

Both Cassandra and Kendra looked at Alex as he began to fidget with his right arms armor plating, eventually unlatching it and taking it off.

"Kinda hungry, mind if I yoink some common clothes and grab a shower? Then a bite too eat before picking this back up?"

"Yeah I'll go to the quartermaster and get you some basic fatigues." Both girls nodded and Cassandra got up and left to get Alex some NCR fatigues.

After she left, Kendra got up from her seat and slowly walked around her desk, dragging her finger on the lacquered wood as she came in front of Alex.

A beautiful smile plastered on her face as she then sat on his lap and nuzzled into him with her arms wrapped around him.

"Do you need company in the shower? If my memory is still good, you use to love our shower dates, using me to 'clean' your body."

Alex let out a wry smile, gently rubbing his hand up and down Kendra's back.

"You're still as bold as ever Kenny. I take it you haven't forgotten then." When Kendra heard Alex bring it up she smiled before leaning into his neck and gently kissed it.

"If you're not ready I can wait you know, there's no rush. Better keep your promise though, now you're single again you're mine!" Remembering how she confessed after basic only to learn Alex had got a girlfriend after he went on leave made her scrunch her face, she was pissed that she waited so long to tell him only for it to be too late, but his promise that if it never worked out with the girl that he would be hers if she was still available made her happy. Everyday she wished that he would leave her, finally learning of what happened between them she was happy yet a little pissed, still now it's her turn but she won't force him, not until she's out of the military.

"Well how about I give you something to remember to keep that promise?" Smiling, Kendra slid off Alex's lap and down onto her knees. Reaching out she unzipped his pants in glee, eager for her reward.

*whoosh*

"Ah before I forget, Alex what sizes do you wear? Else the fatig——…."

Quickly opening the door a little while later after remembering that she forgot to ask Alex what size clothing he needed and rushed back, Cassandra was stunned silent. On her knees between Alex's legs, Kendra had half of Alex's member down her throat and a glazed look in her eye.

"WHAT THE FUCK KENDRA!!"

Glancing over to her sister out of the corner of her eyes, who was rudely interrupting her meal, Kendra took the rest of Alex down her throat before hearing him grunt and release her treat. Pulling her head back up and off she smiled and wiped away her drool.

"Guess we have to stop before we even began, oh well." Standing up and leaning over to whisper in Alex's ear, Kendra nibbled his earlobe.

"If you want to continue, come by my quarters in the old school building tonight after 9pm." Moving back she stuck her tongue out to Cassandra and giggled.

"Stupid big sis, why do you got to be a cockblock!" Cassandra's face went red after hearing her little sister utter such vulgarities, seriously where the hell is her bumbling, fumbling, half dazed sister gone!

"Alex~~~ wipe that stupid look off your face, zip up your pecker, and move your ASS!" Cassandra felt her face getting hot, she couldn't stop staring at the impressive specimen that was semi erect hanging out of Alex pants. Even only at half mast it was already an inch bigger then the only other one she's seen. She just wanted it to be put away before she too fell into her baser instincts, her husband might be a cheating, gambling, alcoholic scumbag with the body of a Brahmin, but Cassandra was loyal, call it womanly pride?

Standing up Alex took hold of his clam hammer and gently put it back in his pants, zipping it up slowly, not to put on a show but to avoid the dreaded zipping of the pecker head that every man fears. After the danger had past and all was where it should be Alex took a deep breath.

"Alrighty then, Kenny I'll see you later for a chat?" Kendra smiled and nodded her head before poking the inside of her cheek with her tongue in a lewd gesture and winking at Alex.

"Mmhmm, clear your schedule, gonna be a loooong chat Alex." Looking down at Alex's mid section, Kendra bit her lip.

"Ahem* am I a fucking ghost? I'm still here you know!" Stomping over towards the shameless idiot, Cassandra grabbed Alex by his collar and began to drag him out of her sisters office, her face burning red as she heard her sister loudly laughing and saying some very inappropriate things about enjoying the pounding she was gonna get later. After slamming the office door, Cassandra gave Alex a glare before grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the building, ignoring the stares and giggles of the female conscripts and the approving nods of the males.

"Um, you seem a little angry?" Feeling Cassandra tighten her hold on his hand, he heard her let out a scoff.

"Me! Angry? Not even a bit! Nope not at all, not at that absolutely shameless display just now, not at the fact Kendra always gets what she wants, or that my husband is a useless fucking prick or that our marriage is loveless." Cassandra felt Alex move and pull his hand from hers, it made her sad until she felt his arms wrap around her and she was pulled into his chest. He began you stroke her hair and her lower back, Cassandra felt a shiver up her spine and a light tingling in her abdomen, Alex's warmth made her face go as red as a tomato.

"W-what are you d-doing!?!?" Feeling like she was about to melt into his embrace, Cassandra pushed away from Alex, hiding her face in her hands, she could feel how hot her cheeks were getting.

"Hm? Sorry, just seemed like you needed a hug." There it was, that damn innocent smile that he would always do. He didn't look like a hardened warrior with that smile, more like a concerned husband or lover.

He wasn't the most charismatic man when you first meet him, but the more time you get to know him the more the layers begin to slip and the gentle, quirky yet adventurous soul underneath is revealed.

Looking into those beautiful deep green eyes and that pearly white smile, Cassandra felt her thighs heat up and a wetness on her panties. Alex was by all accounts incredibly good looking, his chiseled features, dark wavy hair and beautiful dark green eyes could make any girl swoon. If only he didn't walk around with a look devoid of emotion most days at the dam or camp golf, Cassandra was sure there'd be a spike in pregnancies at both places if he had smiled more.

"Earth to Cassandra?" After a minute of waving and calling her name Alex finally saw the girl stir from her thoughts, only for her to blush and turn away from him.

"S-sorry! Just didn't expect that! L-let's go get those clothes and get you something to eat, then I'll show you to the communal showers." Quickly walking ahead of Alex, Cassandra subconsciously put a swing in her hips, hoping that Alex would look.

After a minute of walking Alex and Cassandra stopped in front of a church, a short stout man patrol armor was sitting at a desk in the half ruined building.

"Hmm? Oh colonel! What can I do for you?" The man stood up abruptly and saluted Cassandra for three seconds before sitting back down.

"Peters, I need a set of army fatigues for my friend here, also a pair of boots if you can spare them." The man known as Peters nodded and handed Cassandra a light blue form.

"Please file this requisition form while I go get the clothes and boots ma'am." Looking over at Alex, Peters gave his body a judging look before nodding his head. "I believe I know the size you need." Turning, Peters opened a hatch in the ground and walked down the steep steps into a sub basement of the church.

After Cassandra filled the form, Peters came up from the hatch he went into and handed over the outfit and proceeded to take the form before turning and placing it into a filing cabinet.

"Alright, now that that's all done! Let's go get you some food." Cassandra grabbed Alex by his arm and dragged him out of the church and down the road towards Searchlight airport where he could see at least thirty large mess tents and a large terminal building as well.

"How many men are stationed here exactly?" Alex wanted to know out of pure curiosity, in the game it could be no more then fifty, but this town was huge with way more buildings and people moving around.

"Hmm from what Kendra told me…about 500 civilians plus the new 113 freed slaves bringing that to 613, and about 1,250 soldiers. This is a major supply point and it keeps the highways towards the Mojave outpost and up to the 188 trading post as secure as possible. It has plenty of amenities and trade shops, it's one of the few places in the Mojave that truly flys the NCR flag, also kept the legion at Cottonwood in check along side Camp Forlorn." As she was about to continue explaining, both her and Alex were interrupted by a shout.

"HEY! YOU!" Turning to see the source of the noise Alex saw four girls of varying ages, most notable being the short blonde with a swelling baby bump.

"Hm? Oh you're Carla right? Alex inquired only for the blonde to deeply blush and quickly nod her head like a hen pecking grain. Amused and waiting Alex chuckled.

"So Ms.Boone, care to tell me why you called out or you gonna keep nodding?"

Realizing she had called out to him without thinking of anything to say Carla's brain short circuited. She owed her life to the man before her, especially when Craig confessed what his plan actually was, and that Alex was the reason her brains were still in her noggin. She may have over reacted and started tossing things at him, including her wedding ring, but can you blame her? Instead of a rescue her husband was going to kill her and their unborn child! Eventually three of the other girls she was rescued with dragged her away to calm down, maybe her father was right and she should have stayed in Shady Sands.

"Um uh… thank you…" suddenly the girl rushed over to Alex and hugged him tight. To be honest Alex was getting a little tired of all this hugging nonsense, did he look like a damn teddy bear?

The answer apparently being a big fucking yes as the other three girls suddenly sprang forward to also hug him…wait…

'who the hell just grabbed my ass!!!' Alex began to panic as one of the girls started to get a little too handsy.

However this was only the start of Alex's problems….

~Bravo squad- NCR 1st battalion scouting ops, outside Cottonwood Cove~

"Sir? Mind me asking, but what the hell we doing out here? Why the rush?" A man walking along the desert sand a little over a mile from Cottonwood Cove asked the man in the lead of him and 15 others.

Sighing, the man in the lead looked back at the private ranked radio technician Hammond sent with him and his men to keep her updated. "Major Hammond and most of Searchlight saw and heard that blast, if we did then so did others, so we need to rush so we can get the situational intel first. This might give us a good opportunity to strike at or even occupy Cottonwood, or at least go unnoticed as we gain some intelligence on their base."

A second man lugging a missile launcher on his shoulder spoke up a few seconds later. "Forgive me for being blunt sarg, but what the hell does command expect for us to find? A bunch of dead legionaries? More importantly, why the heavy weapons for a simple scouting mission, this shit is heavy."

Rubbing the center of his forehead, the Sargent felt a headache coming on. "Well it's because a massive explosion took place in an enemy camp only a couple hours walk away, only for a large group of freed slaves too show up at our doorstep, so for the first time in a long time the brass took their thumb out of their asses and sent us to poke around and report what we find. However, the noise most likely attracted some other less savory kinds, so best to be prepared for whatever we find, whether it be a fully functional legion camp or a super mutant, super fun, super meat party."

A few of the men chuckled at that and tried to imagine it only to chuckle some more. "Major Hammond seemed pretty stressed lately, and now we have an unknown situation in Cottonwood. I for one feel like todays gonna be one of those days…" a man holding an LMG spoke up from the groups flank.

A sniper walking about ten feet behind him spoke up in a sarcastic tone. "Ouuu and due tell, what kind of day do you think this day shall be Marty?"

Looking back at the sniper wearing a brown face wrap and holding the standard issue bolt action .308, the man identified as Marty replied in an equally sarcastic tone. "The shit your pants kind of day Leroy."

Leroy let out a muffled laughed and tapped his rifle. "Yeah for whoever goes down range of me and daisy here you mean."

Marty let out a soft smile, and simply choose to ignore Leroy and his remark.

After about 20 minutes the group slowed their approach and kept low as they moved towards a large hill and rock out cropping on the right hand side of the road leading into Cottonwood cove.

"Leroy, take a rifle with you and go up that hill there to give us over watch." Nodding Leroy tapped the shoulder of the man next to him with a rifle and both of them left and scurried up the cliff side.

"Marty, take six men and go to the other side of the road, keep your eyes on the road ahead of my side and watch the cliff and outcroppings, we'll do the same for you. Check your aim and fire, only engage when engaged first. I'd rather fall back then fall into a trap so keep your heads on a swivel.

Marty nodded before everyone checked their weapons and set out down the road split into two groups, one group guarding the other as they slowly moved along the road. As they came within a few hundred meters of the camp a horrible stench prevailed on the right of the Sargent ahead of his group, after passing some rocks one of his men vomited as the others began to curse under their breath.

A massive pit of unburied corpses in various states of decay and at least two dozen large crosses with rotting bodies strapped to them, Rage filled the Sargent as he looked on over the open pit at dozens of bodies of men, women and even a few children covered in flies.

"Fucking savages."

Raising his hand he motioned for his men to continue to move. A few minutes later they were passing the sign that welcomed visitors to Cottonwood cove when the Sargent heard one of his supporters shout for them to halt and fall back, quite loudly at that causing the man to jolt and look around for an enemies that may have heard them.

However Marty and the six men with him rushed over and began to drag them back as the Sargent heard a tell tail clicking noise coming from a device strapped to his supporters waist and his face went pale.

After falling back by nearly 100 feet the Sargent looked over at the supporter.

"Tell me Zeke, how bad was it?" The man named Zeke took a deep breath before looking out at the legion camp in the distance.

"Bad Sarg, real bad. Another hundred feet and we'd be goners for sure, with those levels I'm quite confident sir…Cottonwood Cove is no longer a threat to the NCR…nor will it be ever again."

All the men sucked in a deep breath as they heard Zeke speak. What the fuck happened here?

"You think it was maybe a mini nuke? I mean a large explosion and now the vast amount of radiation…seems to fit right?" Marty asked out loud towards the Sargent in hopes of an answer, however the Sargent simply looked at the radio operator.

"Send a message to command, Cottonwood has fallen, designating classification /Scorched Earth/."

Everyone went silent as the radio operator called it in, Scorched Earth was only ever given after a battle where all enemies were killed and the land was considered unusable. This designation was only ever given a handful of times in NCR history, and only in the case of nukes or dirty bombs.

After a few moments a females voice could be heard, "Sargent Astor! Please report!"

After Astor had sent Alex off to meet the Major he and his men were immediately sent to scout out Cottonwood. They made quick timing to get here to grab anything that could be used to destabilize the legion on this side of the Colorado river.

"It's bad Major, nothing left alive out here and the camps to heavily irradiated to go and gather any intel." After sending his report the radio crackled again as the woman's voice was heard.

"Figured as much, alright Sargent! Make your way back for some rest. You and your men earned it, Hammond out." After the radio died out, Astor turned towards his men.

"You all heard the Major, let's haul ass and leave this accursed place." All his men agreed and began to walk back up the road, however Astors short range walkie beeped. Picking it up he pressed the talk button.

"Report?" Astor waited a few seconds before he heard Leroy's quite voice report back.

"Sarg…I have legion activity in the camp, more importantly a man just walked out almost 150 from you towards the legions camp…but sarg, something ain't right with this man, something is very wrong, please fall back…"

Feeling a creeping sense of dread and foreboding crawling up his spine, Astor slowly turned towards the camp with the rest of his men. "Impossible."

A legionary could be seen 150 feet ahead of them, but something was horribly wrong with the man. He kept shaking and jittering, his head lolling to one side or the other rapidly. His skin was all but melted and his muscles could be seen, exposed to the Mojave air.

"Aim your weapons, but back up very fucking slowly, don't make so much as a peep you hear me?" Astor flicked the safety off of his service rifle and slowly began to back away along side his men.

However one of his newer squad members in a scared state didn't watch his step and tripped over a stone jutting out of the ground and fell.

*BLHAM*

A gunshot rang out as the soldier fell on his ass and accidentally pulled the trigger on his service rifle, firing a round that hit the sand near the twitching legionary in front of everyone.

"Perkins you fucking dumbass."

*GRAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*

Letting out an unholy screech the legionary jerked and turned towards Astor and his men, before letting out a loud grunt and full tilt sprinted towards him and his men. Astor raised his rifle and took aim at the man's chest before sending five shots that caused the man to slow his sprint but not stop, each shot causing the abomination to let out a loud grunt as it got closer and closer, it's horrific visage revealed as all the men looked on in horror at the melted remains of what should have been the man's face.

A second later the legionary's head however exploded in a shower of blood and bone followed by a gunshot echoing through the hills. The body hit the ground and skidded a few feet do to momentum before twitching a few times and dying finally. Looking up at a nearby cliff Astor could see Leroy give him a wave, but then point to the camp and make a binocular signal with his hand.

Taking the hint, Astor pulled out his binoculars and looked out towards Cottonwood Cove, only to suddenly regret that decision and for his blood to run cold as dozens of silhouettes could be seen running fast towards his direction.

"Firing line! Take position! Heavy weapons on the ends, missile launcher in the center! Call out your reloads so the man beside you can cover you! Swarm of bogies inbound and imminent! Launcher, aim at the ground in front of the largest concentration of enemies you can, beware of back-blast. Riflemen, aim for the head, single shots, one shot every second!" Taking his place near the end of the right flank, all the men moved and raised their weapons.

Seconds later the sound of feet's hitting the ground and running followed by pained grunts could be heard as a large group of feral legionaries came running past the sign for Cottonwood.

"Launcher fire at the sign!"

Astor gave the command as the launcher called for a clear, the man beside him looked back before tapping his helmet to let him know that no one was behind him, the man yelled that he was firing before he pulled the trigger, the missile launcher jerked back after the missile left the tube and streaked towards the sign, reaching it in the blink of an eye and exploding, sending shrapnel from the sign in a 360 degree ark.

The blast sent out a shockwave that caused many of the ferals to fly off their feet, killing about ten and crippling almost six others. However many were still running over their fallen and towards Astor and his men. "Get ready, aim….FIRE!"

The sudden wave of gunfire saw almost eight more ferals fall as another in the backs head exploded from Leroy's sniper coverage.

Now only six crippled and two runners were left, Astor once again yelled fire and all the rifles roared once more as the last two still standing fell to the dirt.

"Alright I want everyone to fall back, we're getting the hell out of here!" Astor shouted out to his men.

"Sarg, what about the crippled ferals?" Marty asked Astor and the others looked over at him.

"What about them? I said let's move out!" Picking up his radio, Astor told Leroy and his guard to meet them where they split up.

After everyone checked their gear they fell back to the crossroads where they split up.

After everyone met up, they began to hoof it back to Searchlight in silence until Perkins, the soldier who fell on his ass spoke up breaking the tension and causing everyone to laugh.

"Hey I think Marty was right about the kind of day this was gonna be, pretty sure I shit myself back there."


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