Rivet City’s riverbank was thankfully quiet. The guards and waiting Enclave pilots were glancing over every now and again, but Fluttershy did her best to ignore them and watch the mirelurks below.

Caliban, the representative from Underworld, had taken the opportunity after the big meeting to explore Rivet City, so his ride home had been pushed back until after Rainbow and Pinkie had completed their mission at the Capitol Building. It wasn’t much of a problem for the city residents, but it meant that Fluttershy was stuck having to stand around in front of people in her new midriff-baring getup without a potentially deadly mission to distract her. Hopefully Rainbow’s mission would be over soon.

As Fluttershy tossed a small apple into the water for the mirelurks, a wave of multicolored light blazed overhead with a colossal boom. The sudden lights and sounds themselves made her jump out of her skin, but the blast of magic caused a chain reaction of crazy effects all around Rivet City. Fluttershy herself inadvertently ponied up along with several of the nearby guards, the river blazed with all manner of colors as the mirelurks were worked up into a frenzy, Rivet City itself flashed and glimmered like some sort of massive disco ball, and the metallic plants growing through and around it all sprouted fruit or burst into bloom at once.

“What the heck?” Fluttershy stared in shock at the random phenomenon overtaking the city. Some of the nearby guards, the ones who weren’t freaking out about ponying up, quickly got on the Embark Center’s intercom to make sure that everything was alright on board the ship. From what Fluttershy could overhear of the replies, it seemed that the security officers were already mobilizing to make sure that there wasn’t a panic.

As she dithered, unsure whether to go inside and try to help or not, Fluttershy heard the ship entrance open and a trio of people exit, one of them wearing a suit of power armor. She eagerly trotted over to wait at the bottom of the Embark Center as she listened to the trio approaching.

Soon enough, two ghouls stepped out of the building, one swathed in thick robes that covered every inch of skin with only a narrow slit exposing his dark green eyes, and the other wearing well-used leather armor and carrying an equally well-used shotgun. Fluttershy fought not to wrinkle her nose as the smell of decaying flesh stung her nostrils. Adam lumbered out after the pair, a plasma rifle and a missile launcher slung over his back, a laser pistol at his hip, and his helmet tucked under his arm. It was only when Adam’s eyes widened and Fluttershy smelled a rush of hormones that she remembered her modified outfit.

She blushed furiously, but thankfully the robed ghoul distracted her by speaking up, “Knight-Sergeant Fluttershy, I assume? I am Speaker Caliban of Underworld, and this is my bodyguard, Charon. Forgive my haste, but if this magical surge has touched my home as well as Rivet City then I need to get back to my people.”

“I understand,” Fluttershy replied quickly before glancing back at Adam. “Do you think the City Council will want someone on hand who knows about magic, or…?”

Adam stared blankly at her for a second, then blushed and spluttered when he realized that she was talking to him. “I, uh, yea- no. No. President Shoichet is advising them on it, so Elder Lyons said we’re good to go.”

“What about Rainbow’s mission?” Fluttershy reminded him.

“They contacted the Elder not long after that magic wave hit. It was successful,” Adam replied a little more professionally.

Fluttershy nodded, biting back a sigh of relief. “Good. Um, I suppose we should let the pilots know that we’re ready to go then.”

The pilots were happy to leave immediately, so the group piled into the Vertibird and strapped themselves in. A few pre-flight checks later and they were in the air.

“I think you’ll like Underworld,” Adam told Fluttershy as they got underway. “It’s pretty quiet, and even me and Fawkes didn’t get stared at all that much despite how much we stood out.”

“Ghouls know what it’s like to be singled out and alone in a crowd,” Caliban said gruffly. “Most of us don’t see any point in inflicting that on others.” His robes rustled as he looked over at Fluttershy. “Are there ghouls in the world you came from?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Radiation back home works completely differently to how it does in this world.” She cocked her head to the side as she thought. “Come to think of it, Sunset was surprised when she first learned about ghouls back in Megaton, so I’m pretty sure there aren’t any in Equestria either?”

“Equestria? What’s that?” Caliban asked

The rest of the journey passed in amicable conversation about CHS and what little Fluttershy knew about Equestria. Caliban was understandably interested in traveling between different realities, though he was skeptical about how ghouls would be treated no matter what reality they were in.

It wasn’t long before the pilots announced that they were nearing the landing zone just outside the Museum of History, where Underworld was located. The group waited patiently as the Vertibird descended, its ramp already lowering before they even reached the ground, and quickly piled out the moment they felt it land with a bump. The scent of blood hit Fluttershy in the face the instant she set foot off the ramp. As soon as everyone was out the Vertibird took off again, the pilots eager to get away from the dangerous Mall as quickly as possible.

Fluttershy made sure they were safely gone before turning to face the Museum. It was an enormous building, and going by the large set of ancient escalators in front of it leading down into a metro station, it had once been an important one. Stylized stone faces were carved around the base of the building, while tattered old posters and flags hung from its eaves. A ghoul carrying a particularly clean and shiny laser rifle was standing guard at the entrance. She ambled up to the group as they approached. “Welcome back, Speaker. What’s with the tour bus?”

“They were just giving us a ride home,” Caliban replied. He glanced back at Adam and Fluttershy. “Are you two sticking around, or are you going to head straight to the Ranger Compound?”

Willow raised a splotchy eyebrow. “If they’re looking for those smoothskin mercenaries then we’ve got a pretty mangled one here that Mason’s scav team picked up earlier. Barrows is looking after her in the Chop Shop.”

“That must be whose blood I can smell,” Fluttershy noted.

The ghouls all stared at her in surprise. “You can smell blood?” Willow asked.

“Barrow’s your resident doctor, right?” Adam cut in. “Do you think he’ll let us talk to her?”

“Um, shouldn’t we follow the trail to where she was injured first? If one of them was hurt, then there’s a chance that others were as well,” Fluttershy pointed out.

Adam paused before nodding. “Good thinking. Can you follow the trail?” Fluttershy nodded back at him. “Okay, then that’s what we’ll do.” He put his helmet on and glanced back at the ghouls. “We’ve gotta go. Thanks again, Caliban.” The Speaker raised a hand in farewell as Fluttershy and Adam turned to the Mall proper.

Fluttershy immediately took the lead, following the scent of blood away from the Museum of History, along the edge of the Mall for a short way and around to the north. A street or boulevard led the way away from the Mall. Not far along it, near another grand building of some kind, the pair found a patch of compacted and blood-soaked snow. A trail of blood and uneven footsteps led away from the patch and further into the ruins.

“This must be where the scavenger team found the Ranger and gave her first aid,” Adam said quietly.

“It looks that way.” Fluttershy let Adam inspect the site and focused on the trail leading away. It followed the street until it disappeared into a ruined building, and going by the amount of blood, the Ranger had clearly been very badly injured.

Just as Adam rejoined Fluttershy, both of their Pip-Boys let out a sound that meant they were picking up a radio signal. Adam toggled the frequency on his and a second later an anxious voice crackled out of the speakers, “To anyone receiving this message. This is Butcher of the merc company Reilly’s Rangers. We’re in danger and need help. We’re trapped on the roof of the Statesman Hotel by a large contingent of Super Mutants. We are low on ammo and running out of time.”

“You were right, the Rangers are all in trouble.” Adam unslung his plasma rifle and jerked his chin at the trail. “Let’s go kick some Mutie ass.”

Shepherd slammed a fist against the wall in rage. The Glimmerwitch’s tech was supposed to make Zap nigh unbeatable, instead both him and Lightning were dead, and the Rainbooms had barely even taken a scratch. Of course, Shephard had a set of Glimmerwitch tech as well, but it would only be used as a last resort. It was going to take more than one powerful warrior to win this war. The Super Mutants needed to rebuild their numbers, and fast.

Shephard turned to glare at the Mutant that had brought the message. “Bring me Tiberius! I don’t care if his new FEV strain needs more testing, we’re using it!”

Next Chapter: Chapter 186 - Reilly's Rangers Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 35 Minutes