The General: Reunions

Chapter 29: Getting a Clue

"Merde," Mason growled, holding a mongrel by the leg as he stabbed it. "How many of you baiseurs are there?"

Putting the knife away, Mason grabbed a mongrel by the snout, grabbing the top with one hand, and the bottom with the other.

"Back off!" Mason yelled, pulling the mouth apart, ripping the jaw off the mongrel as he dropped it, it whining in pain, panting for breath that would soon stop.

Looking back to Jackson and Nick, Mason found them looking at him surprised and merely gave them a questioning look, something they only knew because his head was tilted to the side.

"You ripped a mongrels jaw without buffout or psycho," Nick remarked. "Of course we're surprised."

"I figured the deathclaw was luck, but given your size and what you just did, I can see it wasn't," Jackson stated.

"He's fought Super Mutants plenty of time," Heather pointed out. "Never seem too much of a challenge for him."

As they looked more puzzled, Mason pulled his knife back out to collect what meat he could off the animals, not about to let it go to waste, especially in these times.

"Start collectin' meat," Mason told the others. "It wouldn't do us any good to let it go to waste."

"How can you carry so much?" Jackson questioned as they put the last of the meat into Mason's bag. "Even our strongest can't carry that much, and they aren't malnourished compared to the average wastelander."

"Combination of proper trainin', dieting, and having a 'Hercules Gene.' Basically, I can build muscle easier than others."

As they were walking, Mason heard a growl coming from ahead and held up a hand for the others to slow down and be on guard. Taking a deep breath, a familiar odor that he'd only run into a few times before hit him.

"Yao Guai," Mason growled, looking forward, realizing that somehow Alex had figured out how to put his prescription into the lense as he could see ahead clearly, even though he wasn't wearing any glasses.

Hearing the creature roar, Mason was about to put his knuckles on before he saw Jackson raise his rifle.

"Can you hit it?"

"Between the eyes."

"Alright."

Waiting for the Yao Guai to be more out in the open, Mason had Jackson time the shot.

BANG!

Firing his rifle, Jackson watched as the Yao Guai fell, seeing something further down.

"General, I think we got company."

Looking further down, Mason saw six people coming, all wearing familiar armor.

"Gunners," Mason informed them. "Heather, Nick, you two go right. Jackson, go left. Heather, you'll provide fire support for Nick from behind while Nick gets close with his pistol if things go south."

"What do you mean?"

"Gotta see if these are people willin' to listen to reason. But better to keep you guys hidden to catch 'em by surprise if need be."

As the others went into the woods or side, Mason kept Dogmeat by his side as they approached the gunners, three of them in the back immediately on their guard as Mason approached, the others keeping a calm demeanor as he approached. Probably confident in their abilities.

"Can I get directions to the nearest settlement?" Mason questioned as he approached them, the gunners eyeing him with suspicion. "Comin' from Diamond City, and they didn't provide much. Not enough to my likin'."