Chapter 688 - Pyrrhic Victory

Forty-Five Minutes later :

Afton finally reaches the entrance to the New Vegas bunker. The door of which looked similar to most vault entrances, the large gear firmly locked into the wall to prevent anything from getting in or out.

He inserts his thumb into the DNA, and fingerprint scanner that was placed in the wall, the machine lightning up as it recognizes his signature. Mr House's face appears on the monitor a few seconds later, "Afton? Shouldn't you be hidden underground over at your hideaway?" he asks, slightly suspicious.

Afton shakes his head, raising Rose so the camera could see her, "No, Josie and Rose were in Jacobstown when the attack started, and the Aliens were obstructing our teleportation relays... I need you to take Rose so I can deal with that massive fucking spaceship that just appeared!" he states, getting slightly more frantic as he hears the Alien ships whizz over the city.

"Yes... The Aliens." House remarks, telltale doubt easily noticeable in his tone.

"Yeah. The fucking aliens, did you not see them?"

"To be honest, Afton... I was beginning to suspect that you were the one behind all of this... That spacecraft is certainly convincing though... There is one problem, however... How do I know that you and your daughter are not contaminated by whatever virus those things had launched at us?"

Afton frowns, "I don't know. I just need you to keep Rose safe so I can deal with the aliens... Put her in confinement, lock her in a lab, I don't care. I just need her out of the way so I can fight." he states.

...

House audibly sighs through the device, "Fine. My robots will carry your daughter to a quarentined room... Hopefully you'll be able to stop those Aliens from accomplishing their goals." he says as the bunker door starts slowly opening.

"Their goals? Do you know what they're here for?" Afton questions.

"Indeed... It's typical really, to annihilate the populace with artillery, then send in troops to finish off any stragglers. Most movie troupes depict the Alien terraforming the planet to suit their needs afterwards... Though... If my suspicions are correct, then they might have already done that." he mutters, confusing Afton further.

Upon seeing Afton's expression, House continues, "The great war. I suspect the aliens had instigated it... Perhaps the changes to the world caused by it suit their physiology better? Or maybe the number of humans was detrimental to their plans?... Either way, I doubt we will survive if you aren't able to stop them."

The door finally opens, and Afton hands Rose to the Securitron, "Keep her safe. If I come back and even a hair on her head is harmed-"

House interrupts him from the Securitron, "Yes, yes. Do you really think I'd risk angering humanities only chance for survival? I may be a businessman, but I'm not evil." he snarks and the Securitron carries Rose away as the doors close behind it.

Afton turns and walks out, stepping through the empty streets of New Vegas... He stops and looks up as Alien airships fly above him like vultures, a few eventually descending towards him.

*POW! POW!*

Afton's danger sense surged, allowing him to leap to the side at the aircraft's laser weapons incinerate the floor where he'd previously been standing.

Afton was fast, especially after gaining so many stat points... But he wasn't able to outrun the speed of light yet, which made these lasers especially effective... They weren't as weak as the laser weapons the American military had designed either, seemingly strong enough to vaporize a person in a single shot.

*POW! POW!*

He dodges again, though, this time taking the chance to grab a nearby ruined car and throwing it at terminal velocity at the aircraft.

*SCREEECRACK!*

The ruined car smashes straight into the flying saucer, but splits apart as it collides with the vehicles shields. Doing completely nothing as a result.

Afton growls, he'd left all of his weaponry back at the Think Tank in his rush to find Rose... Not that any would be effective against the aircraft's shields... No... he needed to find another way to destroy it. "Where is House right now anyway!? Shouldn't New Vegas still have its anti-air defences?" he mutters to himself as he dodges yet another attack.

He looks around the street and spots the Atomic Wrangler sign, still flashing with light. He sprints toward it and tears the whole thing out of the building, quickly bending the top and crushing it down to form a sharpened tip... It now resembled less of a sign, and more of a massive spear made of scrap...

He rears back and throws the spear with all his might at the Alien aircraft, the thing creating a sonic boom as it flies through the air.

"CRAAASH!*

The spear collides with the shield, exploding into scrap metal due to sheer force of the attack. Once aircraft flies out of the dust cloud, Afton's able to see the now flickering Alien shield. "That seems to have worked." he grins, dropping into a runners stance before sprinting in the direction the aircraft was retreating in...

He leaps up, bouncing from building to building until finally giving one last jump, launching him straight at the vehicle. "TAKE THIS YOU BASTARDS!" he roars as a forms a large blade with his plant arm and swings it at the aircraft.

*SHATTER!*

The shield almost immediately collapses under the sheer force of the strike, his blade continuing and cutting through the vehicle, along with its pilot. Causing both him and the pieces of the aircraft to plummet down to the street below.

Afton rolls to a stop, as the now fragile aircraft crumples against the floor... Unfortunately, his victory is short-lived, as he finds himself surrounded by a hundred more aircraft similar to the one he'd just destroyed...

"For fuck sake."

*POWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOW!!!*