“I am going to fucking kill the Think Tank.”
Those were the first words out of my mouth when I realised I was not where I was meant to be. I was meant to end up in the Mojave Drive-in, not in some dank forest that looked as though it hadn’t been touched by the bombs.
My first thought was that I was somewhere in Zion. It certainly seemed green enough, but there weren’t even any signs of the national park that used to be there. Definitely wasn’t the Sierra Madre (thank god) or the Divide (thank god again). As if to make matters worse, my Pip-Boy 3000 couldn’t tell me where I was. Seeing that it uses old Pre-War satellites, not surprising.
At least I knew that death was not going to happen. A set of Elite Riot Gear, a silenced 12.7mm submachine gun, a marksman carbine, a Ranger Sequoia and a Displacer Glove. Some people might call that kind of weaponry and armour overkill. I call it being better safe than sorry, a lesson I learned the hard way. That thinking had been what kept me alive when I was helping the NCR win the Second Battle of Hoover Dam.
Suppose I’d better introduce myself, huh? I run the Lucky 38 casino in the New Vegas Strip. I wiped out the Fiends. I put down the Powder Gangers. I walked into Caesar’s tent and put two holes in his head as his entire elite guard watched. I beat the Monster of the East to death with his own helmet. A lot of people just call me The Courier, though, even after all this time. Legends die hard because, in the Mojave, that’s what I am to a lot of people. A living legend.
No map, no radio, no idea where the fuck I was. Great start to what seemed like what would be a good day. Should have known that was just first sign. And, as if to add insult to injury, I fell on top of the Transportalponder when I landed. So not only did I have no idea where I was, I had no way back. I wasn’t the sort to just sit around and wait for something to happen, though. The compass on my Pip-Boy still worked, so I headed north-west. Don’t know why, just felt like it.
Things went by uneventfully enough, which was both good and bad. Good because I wasn’t using ammo, and bad because my paranoia was at the highest level since shortly after I’d managed to escape the Sierra Madre. I had to keep a gun under my pillow for weeks after that just to get some sleep. Didn’t help when one night it went off and nearly put a hole in my head.
Eventually, I heard a roar. My first thought was that it was a Yao Guai. I hate those things. I also heard what seemed to be screaming. Whatever the thing was, it was attacking someone. As I had learnt before, the best way to make a good impression on a community was to save a member of it. So I headed in that direction.
At first I thought I’d ingested a cocktail of Psycho, Jet, Turbo and Hydra, then washed it down with some moonshine. After all, what I was seeing was easily the strangest thing I have ever seen. This coming from the man who has talked to a brain in a jar with a disturbing fascination with the human body.
It looked like a bright blue one-headed brahmin with wings and a rainbow on its head was trying to fight off what seemed to be the lovechild of a radscorpion, a cazador and a coyote? As if to make the whole situation even weirder, something that probably shouldn’t have been possible, the brahmin-thing seemed to be screaming, actually screaming, for help. If we could speak the same language, I’d be willing to bet my Pip-Boy it was actually saying ‘help’.
I’ll admit, I don’t always think things through before acting. That’s the main reason that crazy fuck Elijah managed to get me to the Sierra Madre in the first place. So I pulled my submachine gun off my back and lined up the shot. Not once did I think that this might not be the best idea I’ve had. Definitely up there with that time I woke up in the middle of Freeside in a dress. No I will not tell you what happened. What it did teach me was that Jet and absinthe do not mix well. It’s a miracle the King didn’t have me shot.
ANYWAY. I lined up the shot on the weird radscorpion-cazador-coyote thing, which I later found out was called something along the lines of ‘manticore’, and squeezed the trigger.
What a lot of people don’t know is that the 12.7 has a rather large kickback, powerful enough to send a weaker man onto his ass. By now, I knew how to compensate for it, but it still pushed you back a bit no matter what. I didn’t have an even footing, so I did fall over. Right into a patch of the strangest blue flowers I’ve ever seen. Turns out they were poisonous in some way, but being completely covered and wearing a filter as part of the helmet meant that nothing bad happened.
The manticore went down. Turns out I’d missed the head and only hit it in the torso. I still killed it, so no biggy. At the time, I regretted not using VATS, but at least I didn’t hit the brahmin thing. And then something in my brain started screaming at me, telling me that I did know the right word.
As I was picking myself up, it poked at the creature I had just killed with what was a hoof. It was weird seeing human expressions on what looked so much like an animal. I thought talking to the Think Tank (still need to kill them) was strange enough, but they were once human, so it wasn’t as bad. Then, just as I stood up and decided to get a better look at it, it screamed.
Turns out killing something was not the best way to go when it came to making a good impression. Never mind the fact that I had just saved it from becoming lunch to that thing. It looked around as it tried to figure out what (or who) had been responsible. Must’ve thought there was a ghost or invisible monster responsible. (I hate Nightkin. Especially the way they appear three feet in front of you with a freaking sledgehammer!)
That was about when I remembered what the proper word was. Horses! I remember seeing that word in the title of a book I gave to Papa Khan to motivate him to build a nation instead of just being another tribe. Then I noticed the thing looking straight at me with vivid red eyes. I had said that aloud. And it had heard me.
Fuck.
Rainbow stared at the strange thing, the pain in her wing forgotten. The way its eyes glowed a menacing red were, in a way, hypnotic. It looked like nothing she had ever seen before. It had the same basic body shape and posture of a Diamond Dog, but stood much straighter, making it seem taller. It appeared to be wearing a lot of clothing, most of it made of material she didn’t recognize. What was most frightening, though, was the thing it held. The strange box had spat out a number of... she didn’t know what, but it had torn through the chest of the manticore like it was paper. If it turned the thing to her...
All I could really do was stare. After all, the small winged horse seemed to be hyperventilating. Again, not really thinking, I slung my gun back onto my back and stepped closer. It stepped back. I didn’t want to hurt it. After all, I had just gone to the effort of saving its life. Maybe it thought I only saved it so I could kill it instead?
“I am not going to hurt you,” I said as loudly as the helmet would let me. Thinking back, wearing something that muffles your speech isn’t exactly the best idea. For good measure, I raised my hands, showing they were empty.
Rainbow blinked. The creature had just emitted a series of growls and groans that might have been speech. With its hands raised, it seemed as though it was... surrendering? But why? She had seen, first-hoof, just what it could do. Maybe... maybe it didn’t want to hurt her?
Before she could ponder any further, there was a loud roar to her left.
And that’s when another of those manticore things decided to show up. This one seemed thoroughly pissed off. Had I killed its baby? I don’t know and I don’t care, even now.
As it turned out, it was no bigger than the first one, though the tail did seem longer. I could tell it was going to attack. Wandering through the Mojave gives you a knack for that kind of thing. So, before it could even get near I managed to draw my Sequoia and fire off three shots. Two missed.
I felt like a complete idiot. After all, the ammunition for those things isn’t exactly ten rounds a cap. More like ten caps a round, if you’re lucky. The third shot, though, tore a nice big hole in its wing. Didn’t know it at the time, but I was using hollow-point rounds. What did this mean? It meant a hole the size of my head, a lot of blood and a very pissed off animal.
I thought Deathclaws were fast. Those things have nothing on these guys. With a Deathclaw, I’d be able to get a least another shot off before it would strike. I’d barely even raised the pistol when it smacked me with a paw. I must’ve flown a good ten feet before I hit the ground. Thank god for the kevlar on this thing, it would’ve ripped me open.
Now, you see, one does not simply hit the Courier. No, if you hit me, you can expect to get hit twice as hard. And that’s exactly what I did. It had pounced at me, thinking I was down. I had managed to ready my Displacer Glove. I planted the knuckle plate right in the middle of its face.
Rainbow watched in shock as the manticore went flying, an loud boom coming from the thing strapped to the creature’s arm. She watched as it picked itself up and charged, actually charged, at the manticore. She would have been terrified, but this was among the coolest things she had ever seen.
What came next made her jaw drop.
Now, you get the idea that I pummeled the crap out of that thing, right? Good, because that’s exactly what I did. No, I won’t go into the specifics. I punched it. A lot. What kind of detail do you need about that?
In my rush to kill the thing, I managed to completely forget that it had a scorpion’s tail. I’d expected my armor to stop it getting through, but I guess the fucking thing got lucky. Radscorpion poison isn’t the most pleasant thing, true, but whatever the manticore was packing made it feel like Med-X. Oh god did it burn! Being hit with a Flamer has nothing on that, I swear. It felt even worse than a Cazadore’s sting, and that is saying something.
I went down screaming. Don’t look at me like that, what else was I meant to do? Still, I managed to get one last hit on it before I collapsed from the sheer agony I was going through. Turns out that was enough to kill it. Thank god too, I did not fight at Hoover Dam to end up in the stomach of some animal!
Courier
SPECIAL
Strength: 8
Perception: 7
Endurance: 9
Charisma: 7
Intelligence: 8
Agility: 10
Luck: 6
Author's Notes:
This courier is based off my Level 50 Uber-Courier. Yes, you can get those SPECIAL stats. It ain't easy, and it requires a mod.
Don't expect this to update much. This was written on a whim, so updates will come on a whim.
This was pretty interesting.
I hope the next whim comes soon.
Interesting :) a bit silly but still enjoyable :)
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Tracked.
(I hate Nightkin. Especially the way they appear three feet in front of you with a freaking sledgehammer!)
Trust me, I'm right there with you bro.
Almost wish the luck stat was lower. That way you can justify bad things happening to him by him being naturally unlucky.
Nice.
I know how you feel about the nightkin bro. I've been there.
This is my first Fallout new vegas crossover. I will be expecting results.
more please
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Let's see where this goes.
Do continue this. It is certainly an interesting concept, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the pony community reacts to the courier, especially as over-armed as he seems to be.
This is gewd
Normally I try not to get into Fallout Equestria sidefics. Last time I did, Hroizons happened, and I'm still reading that one.
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385600 That's supposed to be a government secret! Oh, whoops... He... He... Disregard my comment.
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Very interesting I hope you decide to update it soon :D
Hmmm, potential...
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[Insert BRILLIANT Image Here]
My only qualm is that you didnt use the Dinner bell with 4/0 handload buckshot. YOU FOOL!
386208
I'm sorry, which is cooler, shooting a manticore with a shotgun, or PUNCHING IT TO DEATH!?
This is absolutely one of the most interesting crossovers I've read- and I'm definitely going to track this. It's got a lot of potential. One thing I'd like to ask, though, is that after having played Fallout: NV to level 50 several times (as well as knowing a few people to have done the same) , what kind of Courier doesn't carry around ridiculous amounts of Antivenom for when those damn Cazadors decide to show up and ruin everyone's day?
Joking questions aside, I wonder how Rainbow Dash will react if or when she finds out that she's no longer the only thing capable of producing a Sonic Boom, due to the Courier having that Displacer Glove of his.
I must say it's an interesting concept. I will wait for the next chapter now...
i need moar!
Got in expecting a great Fallout: New Vegas crossover.
Was not dissapoint.
Your Courier sounds like an ultimate badass... Oh wait, he is an ultimate badass! Because, well, anyone that pummels a manticore to death using only his/her fists/hooves (Sure, he used a Displacer Glove, but whatever!) deserves that title.
Wonder what effects the Poison Joke will have on our (second? Depends) favorite wastelander. Ponyfication, perhaps?
Also, if this was written in a whim, I'd love to see what you'd put real effort into. Can't wait for an update!
All i can say is this
DIS GON B GUD
This is marvelous! Heres hoping for more
I bet someone's regretting that he didn't keep the artificial heart from the Big Empty. Total poison immunity would have been a godsend there.
Tracked and added to favorites. Eagerly awaiting more.
386406
He does has Antivenom. A Cazadore's sting hurts like fuck, but it doesn't make it feel like your veins are full of napalm. How does one manage to fight that sort of pain long enough to get antivenom out?
Courier Y U NO inject super stims!
am liking the story so far.
388388 You make a valid point... I guess he's really kicking himself for not taking that artificial heart, as Helios II said. Or, he would be, if he wasn't laying on the ground in agonizing pain.
386370 I Approve this statment and/or service
What mod were you using to get those stats?
Definitely earned the Comedy tag.
Fuck YES. Mods, or CONSOLE COMMANDS
VERY GOOD. A STACHE FOR YOU!
Surprisingly good, actually, though I think I'm biased because I'm a New Vegas player. Although my criticisms are probably useless when you've already written like ten more chapters since, I would like to add that I while I have played the main game, I haven't gotten around to the DLCs yet, and this has given me a bit of insight with regards to the exposition; namely that you try to give too much information about your Courier's moral choices and quest paths at once, and I think it would have been better to learn exactly which choices he went with over a number of chapters, but conversely you don't give enough exposition on some other elements, and though I do know about the characters and settings of the DLCs from reading about them, having not played them, I am slightly lost when the Courier describes some of his DLC related adventures, and I think someone who only ever played the main game exclusively would be even more lost.
That said, this is a small criticism and borders on nitpicking, and overall this was pretty decent, if uneventful. Going ahead with the rest of the story now.
His luck should lower by the look of things.
Love the snarky narration, and your fight scene was great.
(I love how our hero's reason for saving Dashie was basically, "Well, why not?")
"A set of Elite Riot Gear, a silenced 12.7mm submachine gun, a marksman carbine, a Ranger Sequoia and a Displacer Glove. Some people might call that kind of weaponry and armour overkill." You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means. Overkill is Gannon Family Tesla Armour and so many weapons that a piece of scrap metal will make you overencumbered. With the pack Rat and Heavyweight perks.
657162
Well, if you play with the Harder-than-Hard mod made by J.E Sawyer, that's pretty much all you can manage, even with max Strength, Pack Rat, Heavyweight, Strong Back and Burden to Bear. No, really. Not to mention that food and water drops are that much rarer.
it was enjoyable.
Everything you said that the courier did was exactly what i did when i played through my game.
385489 I'm not sure this counts as Fallout: Equestria. It's just Fallout. And ponies.
385156I would have to say about the same. Although when you have to fight off an entire fucking army of them, you start to get good at noticing the shimmer that their cloaking device gives off. Still, I'm there with you when I say: "Fuck you nightkin!"
Excellent....
"A set of Elite Riot Gear, a silenced 12.7mm submachine gun, a marksman carbine, a Ranger Sequoia and a Displacer Glove. Some people might call that kind of weaponry and armour overkill."
You call THAT overkill? Grab the All-American, then we can talk.
Sorry, I just have to point this out.
Your Courier's stats that you claim can't be obtained without a mod:
SPECIAL
Strength: 8
Perception: 7
Endurance: 9
Charisma: 7
Intelligence: 8
Agility: 10
Luck: 6
Here's your Courier's SPECIAL stats without using any mods or counting bonuses from your gear.
SPECIAL
Strength: 6 + 1 (Implant) + 1 (Spineless)
Perception: 6 + 1 (implant)
Endurance: 8 + 1 (Implant)
Charisma: 3 + 1 (Implant) + 3 (Intense Training)
Intelligence: 7 + 1 (Implant)
Agility: 8 + 1 (Implant) + 1 (Completing Lonesome Road)
Luck: 3 + 1 (Implant) + 2 (Intense Training)
That still leaves room for the Small Frame trait (+1 Agility), switching to Reinforced Spine instead of Spineless (+1 Strength), five more ranks of Intense Training (+5 points in any distribution), plus temporary enhancements from gear/perks/traits. In short, your stats are completely legit and still below the maximum attainable total of SPECIAL points; you've got 55 out of a possible 61. Your SPECIAL would also have a +1 CHA from your Elite Riot Gear and + 2 PER from your Elite Riot Gear Helmet.
657162 964811 Overkill is sneaking up on your target(s) in Remnants power armor armed with Mercy while having 100 Explosives, 3 ranks in Demolition Expert, having Splash Damage (and every other static damage boosting perk I don't feel like listing), then doping on Slasher and Yao Guai meat, popping turbo or the GRX Implant and unloading hell on an area. You can actually take out the the legendary Bloatfly before the turbo effect wears off with that set up. Alternately, use that same set up with any mini-nuke launcher or the Holy Hand Grenades if you don't mind a rather high chance of killing yourself in the process.
Okay, with that out of my system I can get on to actually commenting on the story.
I've enjoyed the pacing. You've managed to keep things flowing quickly without getting bogged down by the less interesting or unimportant details. It really feels like someone telling a story who's sticking to the highlights. You've kept the ponies in character so the story feels believable. The Courier is awesome, as he should be. I like seeing him with a dark sense of humor; it fits his origins and the Fallout style of black humor. He's abrasive, yet sympathetic, so even though he is a proper badass he still feels human. It's especially fun getting to see bits of the story from both the ponies side and the Courier's.
It's not often that I'll read 38k words in one sitting and still be wanting more, so please keep this coming.
O.M.G. This is, like, twenty times better than.....(seethed) Fallout Equestra. GOD that fic needs a good whiplash.
1003872 What's wrong with Fallout: Equestria?
386406 Big MT perk. Heartless, I believe. makes you impossible to be poisoned. as cazadors love hugging me, I found it a gift from the Lord himself, along with the Strength bonus of Spineless.