Wasteland Conqueror

Chapter 110 On The Road Again

"Alright, I'm all set now. Let's get ready and prepare to head out before it gets any later." I announced.

"...Are you sure? Shouldn't Alice and Rei heal you for a bit?"

"That won't be necessary. I got through this level up pain-free this time, surprisingly."

"Really?" The three young women asked simultaneously, as if they were all in sync.

"Yup, so let's go downstairs and get ready to leave."

It was obvious the trio was expecting me to go through another round of difficulties, but my stats had grown and improved so greatly that the usual flood of information was turned into nothing more than a blip. Although they were surprised at how easy this level up went in comparison to the one before it, where I literally died, revived, and was hanging on for dear life by a thread for who knows how long, they had come to learn that conventional thinking wouldn't work with me. Hence, they simply released a collective sigh of relief before getting up and following my figure out of the emergency room.

Once my close-knit lovers and I cleared the door, we proceeded right to the elevator and descended to the ground floor where I then led the three of them to the loadout armory. The location wasn't right by this particular elevator, unfortunately; therefore; we had a bit of walking to do before we would reach it, so we discussed the details regarding our future adventure today to pass the time. Most of these subjects had already been covered previously, but it kept me and the girls entertained whilst we meandered through the network of industrial-sized hallways.

"So what's the plan for when we face a threat we can't handle?" Mary asked as we turned the hallway's corner and the heavy reinforced blast doors of the loadout armory came into view.

"I highly doubt there's going to be a situation like that, given the level of power I've just gained... at least anytime soon."

"You're that confident, aye, big guy?"

"Yes, fully... But to answer your question, if such a situation were to ever occur, I obviously can't bear to lose you or any of you girls for that matter, so I would cover your retreat by either holding the danger there until the three of you are safe and out of harm's way or by leading whatever it is away before attempting to flee myself."

"Well, if you can't handle them, the three of us certainly won't be of any help... At least not yet." Alice agreed with my rational thinking, but she made sure she got her own concerns across, particularly those that pertained to me. "However, I hope you'll prioritize your own safety as well because just as you can't bear to lose us, we also can't bear to lose you, dear."

"Yea, what she said. What am I supposed to do if you kick the bucket before I've had a chance to have a go at ya? I mean, I can't exactly put a baby in the oven all on my own, you know." Mary stated matter-of-factly, not acting the least bit reserved whatsoever about what she really wanted in life.

My two lovers would've been surprised by Mary's forwardness, but they've already gotten a chance to get well acquainted with her and figure out what type of gal she is.

"I will if at all possible, but I'll take as many hits as I need to ensure you three are able to get away." I responded completely, ignoring Mary's provocation and vain attempts to rile me up.

Rei wasn't particularly fond of this subject, so she decided to change it. "~Ara~, you must really like us then, huh, babe?"

"Do you even have to ask, you fox?" I shot back at the playful vixen.

"Mmm, I suppose not... But I know you like it when I poke and prod." Rei followed up, eyeing me with those sexy, alluring dark onyx eyes of hers.

Looks like I will be in for a hell of a time tonight especially when I stack on what I have planned at the top of Mt Irish... Mm, she's going to be hard to keep under control no doubt but I'm going to enjoy the process immensely.

Although the sexual tension was brimming just beneath the surface, I had no intention of breaking that layer and releasing it since it was time to introduce the girls to their new and improved suits and gift Mary her very own protective wear… Though that wasn't to say I wouldn't later on tonight.

"That may be, but the games will have to be delayed till later because right now we have more important matters to attend to." I countered, not yet revealing what lay beyond those hefty armored doors ahead of us.

"Moh." She complained playfully as the four of us strode up to the door.

The instant we came within feet of the loadout armory's blast doors, they sprang to life and opened automatically before swiftly retreating to the sides, as if beckoning us inside. I had the surprises placed right where we kept our individual loadouts, so not long after we entered the place, we cleared a row of heavy duty lockers and saw three sets of Aegis Combat Suits, each of which was customized to the girls' personalities and specific measurements. Alice's and Rei's remained mostly the same as their Heavy Trooper Armor, but Mary didn't have any such kit before this point.

"What are those?" The lass inquired about the three mostly jet-black suits of armor, that were standing upright all on their own thanks to their EXO components.

"Are those what I think they are?" Rei followed up, getting a little excited.

"No, but they shouldn't be far off, right?" Alice responded before directing her own and the other two's attention towards me.

"Correct, it's not quite power armor, but it's not that far off from it either." I said as I approached the three pieces. "These are the new standard armor sets I've designed for the troops: the Aegis Combat Suit, and these three in particular are designed specifically for you three beauties. As I'm sure you and Rei already know, seeing how they have the exact same customized features as your old armor."

"I guessed as much." Alice commented.

"I wasn't too sure at first since you seemed to have added an additional feature to mine, but it does give me a sense of familiarity." Rei followed.

"Well, I've come to learn how truly mischievous my little fox is, so of course I had to add a set of ears and a nice long tail to complete her."

"~You don't say." My busty Asian fox chimed as she circled around the new suit. "I hope they're not just for show."

"Not at all, the ears will enhance your sense of hearing, and the tail has its own built-in AI, that will assist you in keeping your balance."

"~My, you've put in quite a lot of hard work, babe. I suppose that means I'll have to make sure I dote on you extra tonight.~"

Not wanting to engage her switch fully before needing to head out in a tight enclosed space, I disengaged whilst I still could. "Well, if you're offering, obviously I won't say no, but it'll have to wait until tonight because now it's Mary's turn to get hers."

"W-what? I'm getting a suit too?" The cowgirl sputtered, surprised.

"Why wouldn't you be? Did you think I would leave you out after all this?"

"Well, no, I'm just surprised to see it happen so fast, is all."

"Yea, that's kind of what happens around Dom here." Alice remarked, placing an arm on me.

"Mm, mm, it was surprising when I first met handsome over here, but you'll get used to it and very quickly at that." Rei agreed.

Mary was somewhat bewildered by the speed at which Dom delivered on his promise, but she didn't pay it too much mind at the end of the day. "If you say so... Oh, and thanks, Dom. I'll be sure to return the favor one day... Soon."

"Don't worry about it; let's just get you introduced to your new gear." I said last before doing just that with my two lovers and soon to be third.

Following that last bit, I brought out my own custom suit of armor and showed all three of them how to operate it, and once I was positive they had a proper grasp on what to do and how to handle the new equipment, I let them begin equipping the much heavier protective gear. The overall equipping process wasn't very complicated by normal human standards, so after no more than 15 seconds had passed us by, my lovers were done donning their armor, including Mary, who was checking out the feel of her very own custom EXO suit.

"I look good, right?" The southern belle giddily asked as she struck a pose in her spiffy new suit.

Aware of what I needed to say, I looked her tight, shapened, armor-covered body up and down and paused for a moment before answering. "It fits you like a glove and shows off your curves and assets wonderfully."

"And..."

"And the wily horse ears I gave you further enhances your innate charm, especially that rambunctious wild trait you have... Was that good enough?"

"Mm, it was good enough, but I expect to see further improvement next time, though..." The rambunctious cowgirl shot back jokingly.

I had considered adding a cowgirl hat or something that looked like it beyond what I did already, but it just seemed too ridiculous, especially for an EXO suit that wasn't that far off from becoming power armor... Though that might've changed if I had more time to develop some features that would've justified its existence.

I was about to continue fussing and playing around with Mary, but Alice and Rei couldn't stifle their giggles anymore, so our back and forth came to a close there. Following their chorus of laughter which the wildflower joined in on, I made sure we had everything we needed for this outing by checking their loadouts and mine, and once I was doubly sure that we had absolutely everything we would need to raid Fort Kern and take out its mechanical inhabitants, we set off for the loading area next. 

Taking the lead as per usual, the girls' steps, heavier than usual, thudded audibly behind me through the expansive halls of the stronghold as we cut through the facility, meanwhile mine were as light as a prepubescent child's thanks to | Weight Management |. The magical ability was amusing for a moment or two but it wasn't something that could keep me enthralled, so I kept the girls entertained with chatter whilst I managed my forces across the berth of this wide valley and played around with my new weight control within the limits of what the hardened reinforced concrete floors below my feet would allow.

Time went by rather quickly as we passed by my busy bees going about their assigned tasks, and soon we came upon the loading area. "Alright, we're going to head for that Wolverine over there and load up. Let's go!"

My female companions' eyes followed where I was directing their attention, and no more than a split second later their gaze fell on the heavily armed and armored combat vehicle sitting there waiting for us. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!"

"~Ara, look how excited you are, Mary."

"Says the girl who's been waiting and anticipating this trip the most." My wife, Alice, added just before the three of them began sprinting for the vehicle like a group of young kids ready to go on an adventure.

The excitement radiating off the girls was palpable, making it clear to me just how hyped they were for this outing. "And there they go."

Glad to see them so amped for this raid, I picked up the pace and chased after their fleeting figures. The moment we arrived at the lowered rear door of the hybrid combat vehicle, the whole bunch of us quickly boarded the Wolverine and made our way to our seats. As soon as everyone was seated and locked in, I plopped into the driver's seat, enabled the perks I had turned off, such as | Shadow Lurker Rank 3 |'s stealth field, and began steering us out one of the many loading bays, that dotted the south side of the Cornerstone Stronghold.

From there, I passed by a number of busy groups of robots who were continuing their important work on the perimeter wall and drove directly to the enormous, heavy armored gate at the rear of the base, which had begun its opening procedure. The instant it had fully retreated into the ground and was out of the way, I moved beyond the safety that my partially constructed fortifications provided and entered the field of my hidden turrets and spider mines that numbered in the tens of thousands.

It has been a long 18 years since I've last explored Fort Kern or, really, the wasteland for that matter... Nevertheless, I'm excited to really ramp up my venture through the parts I know, and later I hope to go beyond the limited bounds of game series and explore all this world has to offer.

That said, quite a lot occurred in just those three titles alone, so I'm going to have my hands full here in Nevada for a good while, let alone those other parts of the United States. But when I finally begin venturing beyond what was covered, I'm sure I'll encounter all sorts of interesting events and intriguing mysteries in my travels, alongside a myriad of battles and confrontations ranging from uneventful small firefights with local outlaws to wars of epic proportions.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if some of my future conflicts covered an expanse the size of a whole state or even greater, though that would require an equally large unknown power. The wasteland is a big, big place, so there could be more than a handful of such entities lurking here in North America alone...

My mind remained on this subject for a short while longer as I envisioned all sorts of fantastical and gruesome scenarios, but eventually I called it quits and focused on my current objective, getting to Fort Kern.

Well, that's enough about that. I better focus on the road and what lies ahead.

Though I was certain this was going to be one hell of a fun trip for both me and my girls, I recentered my focus on the dusty dry road and the surrounding environment while my flocks of Sparrows scouted ahead and provided an even clearer picture of what was going on around me.