novelraw Chapter 169: SNAP!
Chapter 169: SNAP!
Motor-Runner lunged, his chainsaw roaring like a beast starved for flesh. He swung with all his might, aiming to carve Six in half.
Six didn’t move.
The roaring chainsaw came down, screaming toward him with all the force Motor-Runner could muster.
CLANG!
The impact should have ripped through flesh, but instead, it met something far harder.
Sparks erupted.
Six had caught the chainsaw’s spinning teeth.
With onebare hand.
Motor-Runner’s eyes went wide as he felt the blade struggling against Six’s grip, the teeth screeching uselessly against his fingers. No blood. No flesh tearing. Nothing.
"What? What the fuck—?!"
Six’s fingers tightened.
Screech!CRACK!
The chainsaw’s motor whined in protest before the entire weapon snapped in half like a brittle twig. The top half clattered to the ground, its spinning teeth still twitching uselessly.
Motor-Runner staggered back in shock. He barely had time to react before Six’s fist came up—
BOOM!
A single punch to the gut launched him like a cannonball. His body tore through a reinforced steel wall, smashing into the Vault’s reactor chamber. Metal groaned, pipes burst, and sparks rained down as he crumpled against the ruined machinery, coughing violently.
Rebecca watched through ED-E’s video feed and let out a low whistle.
"Damn."
She muttered, swinging her legs from the War Bus’s hood.
"He’s not even trying yet."
Six stepped through the gaping hole, his form illuminated by the flickering red emergency lights.
Inside the Vault, Motor-Runner gritted his teeth, pain surging through his battered body. He forced himself up, spitting blood. His ribs were cracked—maybe broken. But he wasn’t going to die cowering.
His shaky hand reached for a plasma pistol holstered at his side—
Six was already there.
A crushing force slammed down on his wrist.
CRACK!
Motor-Runner howled as his bones snapped, his fingers twisted at unnatural angles. The plasma pistol clattered to the floor, useless.
Six crouched before him, his glowing eyes burning like molten embers. His presence was suffocating. Unstoppable.
"You wanted to see if I bleed?"
He murmured, voice cold.
Six’s fingers curled around Motor-Runner’s throat and lifted him effortlessly into the air. The Fiend leader gasped, struggling against the grip, his feet dangling inches off the ground.
"Let’s find out—"
And then Six squeezed.
Motor-Runner’s struggles became frantic, his limbs kicked weakly. His one good hand clawed at Six’s iron grip, nails digging in—futile. His vision darkened, lungs burning for air.
But Six wasn’t interested in a slow death.
Then, with a single flick of his wrist—
SNAP!
His body went limp.
Motor-Runner’s neck twisted unnaturally.
Six released his grip, and the corpse crumpled to the floor like a broken puppet.
Silence.
The Fiends of Vault 3 were no more and the vault belonged to him now.
Rebecca’s voice crackled over the radio.
"You done, big guy?"
Six exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he stepped over the dust from the fiend’s bodies as he turned toward the exit.
"Yeah."
Outside, Rebecca leaned lazily against the War Bus, flipping a coin between her fingers.
She arched an eyebrow as Six emerged, blood splattered but calm.
"So..."
She said, hopping onto the War Bus’s hood.
"Are we looting the place or just blowing it all up?"
Six glanced back at the ruined Vault.
He smiled.
"We’re taking the Vault as our territory along with all the Fiend’s captured lands. We’ll discuss this with the higher-ups in Camp McCarran, once we take all the captives."
Rebecca raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips curving upward into a grin.
"Taking the Vault, huh? Bold move."
She said, letting the coin flip once more before she pocketed it.
"Look at you, still playing politics."
She teased, crossing her legs atop the War Bus’s hood.
"I like it. But you’re sure you want to deal with all the chaos that comes with it? The Fiends remnants won’t be exactly... subtle when it comes to us taking their turf."
Six’s smile didn’t falter. He cracked his knuckles, the calm demeanor on his face betraying the ferocity of his next move.
"Chaos is something we can manage. The Vault’s going to be a hub of power, and with the Fiends out of the picture, it’ll be prime territory for us. We’ll use it to draw in the more... resourceful types. But first, we make sure no one escapes."
His eyes narrowed as he looked back at the Vault, and wiped the blood from his knuckles.
"I’ll make sure all their intel, weapons, and any captured assets are secured before we deal with the rest of the fallout."
Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh darkly.
"You always have a way of making everything sound so... easy."
Six tilted his head slightly, his gaze distant for a moment as he considered the path ahead.
"It’s the clean-up that matters. Once we’re done with Vault 3, the rest is just details."
She gave him a sidelong glance, smirking.
"And what do you want us to do with all the... captives? You sure you’re in the mood to play nice with those survivors?"
Her tone was playful, but there was an edge to it, an unspoken understanding that Six wasn’t the type to leave any loose ends.
Six’s expression hardened, but the fire in his eyes was unmistakable.
"We’ll handle them as we see fit. No mercy if they cross us, but if they’re willing to work, they’ll find a place in this new order."
He gestured toward the Vault.
"But we’re not letting anyone escape. Everyone inside is a liability until we’ve got their intel and weapons secured."
Rebecca nodded, turning toward the vault with a look of determination crossing her features.
"Alright. I’ll make sure nobody slips through the cracks while you do your thing. You know where to find me."
Six watched her for a moment, his gaze as cold and calculating as ever, before he gave a simple nod.
"Stay sharp. We’re not done here."
Rebecca grinned, hopping off the War Bus and moving toward the entrance of Vault 3, the weight of her Punisher reassuring against her shoulder.
Six followed, his mind already working out the next moves. He would need to ensure their claim on the Vault, deal with the captives, and strengthen their position in the region. Once they were done, they’d turn the Fiend’s twisted empire into a resource-rich territory to fuel their expansion.
It would be brutal. But nothing worth taking came easily.
As they approached the entrance, the dim lighting from the ruined Vault’s interior flickered ominously. The silence was almost deafening.
Six’s footsteps were methodical, echoing off the vault’s walls as he prepared for the next Chapter of his plans. The Fiends were finished. And now, the true work was beginning.
Sometime later, the surviving Fiends in the area were already surrendering, dropping their weapons as Six’s droids rounded them up. Some still tried to run—only to be cut down by the turrets mounted on the War Bus.
Six watched as his forces secured the area, systematically clearing his newly conquered territory. The captives—civilians, traders, and NCR personnel unlucky enough to have been caught—were being led to Camp McCarran, their expressions a mix of shock and relief.
A weary NCR trooper, still bearing the bruises of captivity, stumbled up to Six.
"You... you’re not with the NCR, are you?"
"Nope."
The trooper frowned.
"Then why the hell are you helping us?"
Six shrugged.
"Because I can."
Before the trooper could respond, the War Bus’s radio crackled to life.
"Six, this is Colonel Cassandra Moore. Just got word from our guys near McCarran. They’re seeing explosions at Vault 3. That you?"
"Yeah. Vault’s ours now. Tell them we’re coming to talk."
"Copy that. Should I let them know you’re bringing prisoners?"
Six glanced at the group of bound and beaten Fiends being rounded up.
"Yeah. And tell them to have extra body bags ready."
Rebecca let out a low whistle.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Six smirked, stepping onto the War Bus.
"Let’s go claim our new territory."