To those of you that were reading this story a few months ago, nothing has been changed in the first four episodes, however I have decided to restart work on Chapter Five, as the one line Bard says ("NO, YOU ARE POOP") is driving me insane, and I know I can do a better job.

Chip-Toss Dillinger

VENDETTA ONE

Pilot

? The rain poured heavily onto the streets of the Vegas Strip, some dripping into the Lucky 38 as it's doors opened. In walked five men, four of them wearing light purple suits and hats, carrying Tommy-Guns in there hands. Leading them was a man in a checkered suit, hair slicked back, obsidian eyes scanning the empty casino.

? "Are you sure he's here Benny," one of the henchmen asked. Benny did not respond as he looked around the casino a little more.

? "I know he is," Benny said as he began to walk toward the elevator, "This tower is where he and I made our pact. Knowing him, if he truly intends to bring a end to things, this is where it will be." His finger pressed the button, the elevator's doors sliding open. His henchmen stepped in first, hands gripping there guns tightly as Benny followed, pressing the button that indicated the top floor.

? "Would if he's got some traps boss," another henchmen said as the elevator began to move up, sweat dripping down his forehead, "Maybe he has some robots on his side? Old renmants of Mr.Hou-"

? "Any of that senior citizens creations were destroyed when our boy and I decided to take over. We ensured they wont come back." Benny gave off a smirk as he looked to the henchmen. "This is just one man we are dealing with. He's cheated death twice, but... well... you know what they say." The doors slid open, Benny stepping out. "Third times a charm."

_____

? His green eyes looked outside the window, examining the little drops of water pounding on the glass. It was extremely rare to see rain in the Mojave. This was the first time he had ever witnessed it his entire life. The gray clouds, the quiet sound of a saxophone playing through the speakers in the room, and the empty steets below. They fit the mood perfectly for him.

? He took the time to examine his reflection. Rough brown hair that curled on his head. He wore a white collared shirt with buttoned sleeves, black pants and boots below his waist. A brown belt was wrapped around him with a holster attached, the red handle of a revolver sticking out. Finally, the most noticeable feature on his tan skin was a scar on his forehead. Right above his left eye, round and barely visible.

? He flipped the red poker chip in his hand, catching it, and flipping once more nervously. Despite the emotionless, calm look on his face, he was very nervous. A sickening feeling rested in his body and it felt as if he was shaking. Suddenly, a loud chime came from the round hallway up the stairs behind him. His stomach did a back flip as he heard a all to familiar voice speak.

? "Third times a charm." Footsteps began to echo, heading in his direction. "Funny," the voice of Benny could be heard saying, "I would expect him to be in the computer room." The footsteps came closer, as did the voice. "Perhaps he found it necessary to pay the senior citizen some respects before he joined the old man." The voice was now coming from up the stairs behind him.

? He could see Benny and his henchmen standing behind him, Benny's hand raised up to stop his men from shooting. With a smirk, the man slowly turned from the window, staring Benny directly in the eyes as he slid his poker chip into his pocket.

? "I never did care for Mr.House, Benny, you know that." His voice was calm, mocking, daring. "You and I both saw him for the lying manipulator he was. That's the reason why we put him to rest, is it not?"

? Benny gave off a amused chuckle, closing his eyes and bowing his head before speaking. "Indeed it is. I see you still carry that little poker chip of yours. Going through with your word to take it with you to the grave, are you? Chip-Toss Dillinger, isn't that what they called you a year ago?"

? "Unlike you, I go through with my promises," Daniel closed his eyes as Benny's opened. "So tell me, Benny. Why did Veronica have to die? Was she to smart for your taste, or did you forget who your friends were?" Daniel opened his eyes to stare directly at Benny.

? "She had to die Daniel. She was becoming a burden," Benny said, his voice growing louder then usual, "Veronica Santenglo was becoming far to much of a problem. She was making issues with the alliances im forming. Killing the wrong people. Your little girlfriend was not so keen on forgetting old feuds and welcoming our new friends."

? "Our new friends? You mean to tell me that Mars and the rest of the Legion deserters are to be apart of The Chairmen?"

? "Allies, more or less Daniel," Benny gave off a sigh, sliding a hand into his suit, "You know. You were like a brother to me. We had been through so much together, accomplished more together then I ever could alone. It's a shame that it had to end like this, Daniel. Had you not gone on your little massacre against my boys, we could be drinking together."

? "Yeah," Daniel said calmly as he watched Benny grip onto something in his suit. He had seen this routine before, but unlike last time, Daniel's hands weren't tied. "Instead of drinking together," he took a deep breathe. "We will die together." His hand suddenly dove for his gun-holster as he leaped to the right, sliding his pistol out and opening fire.

? The Henchmen wasted no time as they raised there guns, Benny diving down the stairs and pulling his silver pistol, Maria, from his suit. Gunshots emitted from everyone but Benny whom was lining up the shot. Daniel began strafing to the left and shooting each henchmen, one bullet each as there bullets whizzed past him, some grazing, one slamming into his unused arm.

? The glass shattered from the poorly aimed bullets, The Henchmen collapsed dead. Daniel stumbled back from the bullet that hit him as his eyes went to Benny. He quickly raised his red revolver, two bullets left. Benny was quicker however, firing three shots at Daniel's chest as Daniel fired two, both of them missing. He backed out of the room, toward the ledge of the Lucky 38 as his unused hand gripped onto the bullet wounds in his chest, he ignoring the pain in his arm.

? "Almost Daniel," Benny shouted over the wind as he stepped onto the ledge, the rain pouring heavily on the two. "You had to be the ranger and try to kill all of us though... and now look... Veronica has been beaten by Maria."

? Daniel gave off a grunt, collapsing on his knees. He could hear his heart beating. His body began to shake. His breathing grew heavy. The grip on the ammo-less pistol in his hand weakened. Benny was beginning to blur, and for some reason the rain began to feel warm.

? "Benny," Daniel said calmly, though his grunts of pain were destroying the act. "You better make sure you kill me this time. If I get the chance to return, I will make sure your empire crumbles."

? Benny holstered Maria, sighing as he began to walk toward Daniel. "And to think, we had been through so much." He pulled Daniel up by the collar with ease, the two staring at each other as the rain dripped from Benny's head onto Daniel's. "Goodbye... brother."

? Daniel felt himself be thrown over the ledge. His body tilted back as his blood covered hand pulled itself from the wounds. His grip on the pistol remained even as his vision began to fade. And then... a warm feeling swept through Daniel's body as he felt his breathing fade.

Four years later...

? "So many people tonight," Igo said to himself as he slid a drink across the counter, looking his bar over. It was a decent place built by his father, about six miles south of the Mojave Wasteland. Inside, four round wooden tables were well near the bar. Six booths were attached to the walls, and opposite of the entrance doors was a small stage. "Why are all of you people crowding around my bar this week?"

? "Lotta duststorms be ragin," one of the patrons responded over all the shouting and laughter, "Well that and the fact that nearby towns and farms are being rampaged"

? "Rampaged?" Igo wiped some dust off his blue over-alls, running a hand through his gray hair. "Your telling me raiders are at work?"

? "Not raiders," responded the patron, taking a gulp from his flask, "Little thugs from New Vegas. Some gang that calls themselves The Red Fang."

? "The Red Fang? Christ, it's going to be Hoover Dam all over again." The patron looked at Igo with a face that seemed to be asking 'Are you a idiot?'

? A amused snort emitted from near the patron Igo was talking to. The two looked to see another man had plopped himself in a stool. His eyes were a green color, his hair roughly short and of a black-brown combination. On his body was a purple polo shirt and black pants with a belt wrapped around it, a holster with the red handle of a revolver sticking out included.

? "Somethin funny about my concerns for the future, Ranger-Boy?" Igo passed a glare to the man. He had lived through to much in his life to be considered a fool by young fools. The newcomer looked to Igo, giving off a smirk. He looked to be at the end of his twenties... not as young as Igo had originally thought. Still young though!

? "Just the fact that you think The Red Fang are capable of doing anything on a scale as large as what happened five years ago," he responded calmly, "The Red Fang is nothing more then a bunch of goons that got together because they were to afraid to go in the dark alone. They are, if anything, a wanna-be replacement of The Latin Kings. "

? "The... The wha?" Kings? The only King Igo knew of was King Caeser... come to think of it, was Caeser a King or Emperor? Igo couldn't tell the difference.

? "Oh come on grandpa, you don't know who they are? Or were," the man gave off a sigh, looking to the stage. A look of interest formed on his face, Igo looking to see what had caught his attention. A brown skinned man was sitting himself on a stool, the tavern growing quiet as the man cleared his throat. "Well, maybe this bard will help enlighten you on what has happened in the world outside your bar."

? The entire tavern went silent as the man on stage observed the patrons. He gave off a smirk, sliding a cigar from the red vest he wore over his red shirt and placing it in his mouth, "One moment please," he said, pulling out a matchbox and beginning to strike matches against it. On the seventh try it lit and he set the flame against the cigar. Closing his eyes, the man took a deep breathe... and the smoke blew from his mouth as if he were a chimney. "Thank you for waiting. Let me tell all of you men, and woman of the night, a story. The story of the Mojave Wasteland."

? "War." The bard blew more smoke from his mouth, closing his eyes, "War never changes. Five years ago, a series of events would occur that would lead to a year long war. It all began with the takeover of New Vegas, briefly before the battle of Hoover Dam. Little is known about the details of said take-over, however the facts are plain as day."

? "Mr.House was assassinated by the leader of a group that had gained his trust known as The Tops. This leader, we know today as Benny, leader of The Chairman faction, Ruler of New Vegas. With the help of a close friend, Benny had managed to unite much of the Mojave Wasteland into a unity in order to free themselves of NCR opression, and the threat of the approaching armies of Caeser."

? "Driving the New California Republic from the city Benny claimed as his own, he called for a gathering of the tribes and factions that seeked to aid his cause. The Boomers, The Great Khans, The Powder Gangsters that had great hate for The NCR, and all of the gangs that dwelled in the city of New Vegas came together at Nellis Airport. Though tensions were high, Benny and his friend managed to convince them that by working together to drive out the bigger threat, they could all reach there own goals in the future with much more ease."

? "For the first time, those that called The Mojave there home had been completely united, whether for there own benefits or survival. In a desperate attempt to stop the uprising, the New California Republic had all power going to non-NCR outpost from the Hoover Dam be cut. This proved to be there downfall as Benny and his loyal friend lead a large-scale attack on as many NCR bases in the Mojave as possible."

? "Emperor Caeser saw this diversion as the ultimate chance for his forces to strike. He sent forth nearly all of his armies to the Hoover Dam. The surprise attack on two-fronts resulted in a battle that lasted for no more then one hour. In that hour, a high ranking member of Caeser's Legion known as Vatris Mars killed General Lee Oliver."

? "The Republic forces at Hoover Dam had no choice but to retreat. As they ran from the Dam however, they found themselves running into Benny's forces. Many surrendered. Those that didn't were executed. As Benny's armies marched toward the Dam, Vatris Mars took control of Caeser's forces due to him being the highest ranking member alive. Upon seeing the united armies of the Mojave marching toward the Dam, Mars began to issue defence orders."

? "Those orders would never be heard over the roar of planes as The Boomers descended upon The Dam. In two hours, the armies of the Mojave pushed back the forces of Caeser and claimed the Hoover Dam as there own. Mars took his remaining soldiers and retreated east. The NCR sent in a dozen special squads in a final attempt to end the rebellion, but ultimately failed."

? "Over the next week, the armies of the Mojave pushed out any renmants of the NCR and Caeser's Legion. Finally, after much bloodshed, the fighting came to a end. The climix of the war came to a end. In the months that followed, the Powder Gangsters and Great Khans were driven out. The Boomers headed North to find more technology."

? "Benny would take many members of The Tops, Gammorah's, and White Glove Society and with them form his own, newer version of The Chairmen. His friend would live in solitude as Benny expanded New Vegas, cleaning out old gangs such as The Latin Kings. For five years, much would change in the Mojave. New factions would rise, old ones die. Towns expand much like New Vegas... but... in the end, no matter who is fighting it, what they are fighting for, and how, the fact remains."

? The Bard tossed his cigar on the floor, looking to everyone in the bar. "War. War never changes." Cheering and clapping echoed as he stood from his stool and walked backstage.

? "Bah, maybe your right," Igo said, beginning to turn toward the green eyed man he had been talking to earlier, "What the hell is a Khan any-" Igo stopped, realizing the man was not there. He looked around with a confused look on his face. Did the man teleport?

____

? The Bard walked out the back door of the tavern, closing his eyes with a sigh. It was never easy talking for so long, especially when so many people had there eyes on you. He wiped the sweat from his head as his eyes opened, looking at the moon-lit plains to the south.

? "You are quite the story teller Bard," a calm voice said from behind The Bard. He turned quickly to see a green eyed man leaning on the wall, a smirk on his face. "Though I think you left a large amount of holes in it. For one, Benny's friend was known as The Courier. Another thing. What was with the ending? It seemed rather rushed, don't you think?"

? Bard gave off a irritated grunt, glaring at the man. "You would find yourself in a rush to if you had the hounds of death chasing you, Mr.Dillinger."

? "On the contrary," the man responded, pulling out a red poker chip and beginning to toss and catch it repetitively, "I find that when Mr.Reaper is trying to catch me, I slow down and take a nice stroll. The name is Daniel Chip-Toss Dillinger by the way. Mr.Dillinger robbed banks. I have no banks to r-"

? "ENOUGH OF THIS! I don't have time for you to satisfy your ego, Mr.Dillinger!" Bard looked to the south again before looking back to Daniel. The two stared at eachother for a moment, the sounds of the wind and crickets emitting around them. Bard then spoke, much more calmly, "I seem to have upset someone. A very special someone."

? Daniel raised a eyebrow, smirking. "Your wife?"

? "She unfortunately was killed in a accident involving Sugar-Bombs and Nuka-Cula," Bard replied, the patience in his voice weakening, "No Mr.Dillinger. I am being hunted by the one whom brings forth war. It seems Benny is unaware of things that I am. Things that the Warbringer intends to set in motion."

? Daniel's face lost that signature smirk it always had. Replacing it was a frown as his eyes narrowed toward Bard. "Your telling me that you pissed off Mars?"

? "That is one way of putting it."

? Daniel shook his head, sighing, "Well that isn't smart now is it? Look, as much as I would like to help you with that problem, I have other things to do."

? "Then why have you sought for me," Bard shouted as he slammed a fist against the wall. Once again, there was a moment of silence as the two stared at eachother. Daniel took notice of the sweat forming on Bard's head, the shaking throughout his arms.

? "Wow, you really did piss off Mars. That's hard to do. Ill make my business quick then so you can get back to running." Bard gave off a grunt, beginning to calm down once again." I'm looking for someone. A low-life raider that calls himself Reco. A friend of mine in Primm is offering a nice sum of money in exchange for me bringing the ape back. Know where I can find him?"

? "Half a hour west of this building. You will find a cave. Inside is the man you hunt, though I dare not call him a man anymore."

? Daniel raised a eyebrow, scratching his head. "Bard I don't know how the hell you come across this information, but Lady Luck bless you."

? "Always quick and straight to the point you are. One more question. Where are you going to go, what with Mars chasing you? I see you looking to the south."

? Bard gave off a sigh, looking to the south once more. "That is where every bone in my body tells me to go. Unfortunately for me, there is someone I am supposed to meet at Novac within two weeks. I can't put them at risk by having Mars go after them for information on my whereabouts, for they surely will bring up my name." Bard turned to see Daniel was already walking west. He gave off a irritated grunt, looking to the north.

? "Oi Bard," Daniel called out, raising a hand, "Ill see you in Novac in about a week. Don't get killed."

? "Damn desert always has to be cold at night," Daniel muttered to himself as he lay on his chest, trying to light a cigarette in his mouth. He was laying in some tall grass ontop a hill, thorns poking through his shirt. At the bottom of the hill a bonfire burned, four men gathered around and poorly dressed. "Damn raiders always have to travel in group- ow!" He pulled a thorn from his thumb, svcking on it. "Why are plants always homicidal?"

? Daniel took a deep breath, beginning to crawl down the hill. Thankfully his night vision was better then his foes due to them being so close to a light source. They also seemed to be very focused on some game they were playing.

? A angry scream suddenly emitted from the camp, Daniel's hand immediatly going to the handle of his revolver as he froze completely. Had he been caught?

? "YOU LITTLE BOZART," the sound of skin being smacked could be heard followed by a yelp of pain, "I saw you hesitate! Your a no good cheating... cheating... CHEATER!"

? "Well maybe if you chose differe- OW, different games to play!" Daniel slowly lifted his head out of the grass to see he was only three yards away from the raiders. The one he hunted, Reco, could be seen laughing with a friend at the two others whom were rolling on the floor punching eachother. "Just because you svck at the one game you play in the wo-"

? "I DO NOT svck AT ROCK, PAPER, AND SCISSORS!" The one that was screaming was now on top the other, hitting him as hard as he could.

? Daniel gave off a smirk, slowly sliding his revolver out of his belt. "This is going to be to easy." He pushed himself up, the only raider noticing him being Reco. Daniel quickly took aim at the raider sitting near him, squeezing the trigger. A loud bang echoed as Reco's face was covered with the blood of his now dead friend whom had aquired a hole in the back of his skull.

? "Get up now!" Reco immediatly grabbed a rock and began to run toward Daniel. Wasting no time, Daniel took aim to the bigger of the two raiders that were wrestling and squeezed the trigger just as the two began to charge. The big guy collapsed on his chest, howling and gripping his now bleeding knee. Daniel quickly aimed for the second just as the two came within a few feet of him, about to tackle. He squeezed the trigger.

? A click was the only sound that came. Daniel felt his stomach do a backflip as his eyes widened. He let off a string of curses as the two raiders leaped on him, making him drop his revolver as the two began to struggle onto his body over who got to kill him.

? "Rock! Rock!"

? "I have a rock, if you will just move!"

? "MY KNEE! HE SHOT ME IN THE NAK-SHACKIN KNEE!"

? Daniel reached for his pistol, feeling the tiny fear of defeat leave him. The great thing about fighting idiots was the fact they could not agree on anything, even who killed the enemy. His hands wrapped around the barrel of the revolver as he gave off a grunt of pain, feeling someones elbows dig into his ribs. Daniel quickly swung the handle onto Reco's head. Reco let out a loud yelp as he fell off Daniel, allowing the mercenary to hit the second raider with more force.

Daniel wasted no time. As the second raider fell, Daniel scrambled backward and dug into his ammo pouch he had strapped to his belt. Reco was beginning to stand back up along with his friend, the two stumbling. Wasting no time, Daniel slid a bullet into his revolver as fast as he could. Just as the two stunned raiders looked like they were about to attack again, Daniel lined up his shot upon the second raider. He squeezed the trigger, a loud bang crackling throughout the night.

The raider didn't even hit the floor when Daniel pushed himself up just in time to see Reco running at him (with poor coordination), gripping a rock in his hand. Daniel pulled his arm back before swinging his fist forward with much force. Reco's face was hit directly, and the raider collapses. Daniel looked about, glancing at the raider he just shot. His eyes then went to Reco, who was waving his hands in the air and groaning loudly.

? "My knee... you shot me in the knee... my knee... you shot me in the knee." Daniel looked to the big raider whom was rocking back and forth, his hands covered in his own blood. "My knee... you shot me in my knee... my knee." Daniel quickly holstered his pistol, going to Reco and lifting the raider up. He turned north and began walking, grunting heavily.

? "Why do raiders have to be so heavy?"

____

? "So your telling me that the client wants to meet in Primm? That wont be to much trouble. Have your little courier send him a message saying my boys and I will be there with the goods."

? "The merchandise is not your common gear, Coyote. It is important that you do not lose the contents inside the briefcase, and let no one but yourself and the client see it. If word got out that we were in possession of something so valuable, The Chairman would have all of our heads."

? Coyote gave off a chuckle as he ran a hand through his short greasy black hair, brown eyes looking outside the window of what was once the home of The Latin Kings. His tan hand gripped onto the dog-fang necklace he wore.

? "I have no intention of letting The Alpha down," he replied, "The Red Fang are my family. I am honored to have a chance at showing my worth, and I swear that I wont fail you."

? "Good," the wise voice of a tan gray haired man said as he placed a gloved hand onto Coyote's shoulder. "As your Alpha, and father, I have high hopes for you Coyote. Depart now. Ill send word that you are en route to Primm."

To be continued

Episode 2

Problems in Primm

? The sun shined brightly upon the Mojave Wasteland. Crows circled the sky, cawing loudly. The wind whistled as Daniel walked forward on a cracked road. A yard infront of him walked Reco, Daniel's revolver aimed at the raiders back.

? "Hey, uh, my vision is getting blurry again," the raider said, looking a little toward Daniel.

? "Not my fault," Daniel said through grit teeth, wiping sweat from his forehead. For the past three hours since Reco woke up, it has been whining session after whining session. If it weren't for the fact that a handy reward was being offered for the raider alive, chances are the raider would not have the right dose of life in him to talk, let alone walk.

? "Well, it kind of is since y-"

? "Look pal, I am dehydrated, have a headache, and for the most part not in a good mood. If you don't quit your whining, I will give you something to cry about. You dig? Good, look straight."

? Reco grumbled under his breathe as he turned his head straight. About ten minutes ahead, Primm could be seen.
___

? "Right, so let me get this straight," Becky said as she looked at the list of rooms availible. As the manager, receptionist, and cook of the Bison Hotel, it was her job to ensure that all guest received a comfortable, welcoming treatment. That treatment seemed to be out of the question with the request at hand however. ? With a sigh, she closed her eyes. "Alright. So your telling me that there is eight of you staying in Primm today?"

? "Correct," a calm, yet impatient voice responded. Punks that talked like the world owed them everything always managed to get on Becky's bad side, but she was not in the mood to scold today.

? "Eight of you, and you only want one room?'

? "Correct. Is there a problem with that?"

? "No, though you may find it quite crowded." Becky grabbed a quill from her desk and dipped it into a nearby ink bottle, "Alright then, I just need a name. For messengers."

? "Coyote." Becky raised a eyebrow, looking up. Standing before her was a tall, tan man with greasy black hair. He looked to be about in his twenties. On his body he wore a necklace with some animals tooth, black shirt, pants, boots, and leather jacket.

? "What kind of name is- nevermind." Becky peeked to the other seven men in the room, all of them wearing black suits with a red fang tailored somewhere in them. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

? "Nah. Thanks for asking." Coyote turned, making a gesture for his friends to follow. As they began to exit the hotel, one of them carrying a AK-47 on his shoulder looked to Becky and gave her a wink before following.

? "Damn kids," she muttered, setting a cigarette in her mouth and lighting it. "I don't get payed enough for this dongo."

___

? "Let go of me!" Reco was struggling to pull away from two well dressed men as they dragged him out of the hotel room. Daniel shook his head, leaning on the wall with his arms folded and legs crossed as Reco let off a string of slurs. The door to the room shut and in walked Sheriff Myers, adjusting his hat and taking a seat on the bed

? "I can't believe you still use a hotel room as your office," Daniel said, looking to Myers as the Sheriff slid a bottle of vodka from under his bed and tugged the cork off. He took a long drink of the poison before lowering the bottle and looking to the window.

? "I can't believe you fall from a building taller then this one and live, but I don't complain now do I?" Myers ran a hand through the rough beard he had grown in the past three years. "When are you going to tell me the details of that anyways?"

? "Never," Dillinger looked straight, giving off a grunt, "It's in a past life. What happened then means nothing now. Are you going to pay me the three thousand or not?"

? "Yeah, yeah." Myers pulled himself from the bed, lying down and sliding his hand under it. "I just need to do my hourly bird-watchin." Myers slid out a hunting rifle with a scope, walking to the window and sliding it open.

? "You are the most paranoid man I think I have met." Daniel looked around the room, grunting at the reek of alcohol lingering. "The most paranoid, broken man that is. Does the idea of kidney failure inspire you?"

? "Nah, but the idea of dying when I pass out and never having to wake up in this world again does. I told you Daniel, im tired of this world. The killing, sixual assault, and all the other dongo that goes on."

? "Well you are doing a wonderful job of changing it. The Booze Brigade they will remember you as." Daniel pushed himself off the wall, going to one of the cabinets against the wall and opening them. "If I can just have my money, that would be swe-"

? "Hang on, who the hell are these guys?" Myers gripped onto the rifle, turning it a little to the right.

? "Don't shoot them," Daniel muttered as he threw a pair of green-stained underwear behind him.

? "Nah, Daniel come over here. Check this out."

? Daniel sighed, going to Myers and pushing him out of the way. He grabbed the rifle and looked through the scope. "What the- why are..." He could see eight men walking into the Vick and Vann's Casino across from the hotel he was in. Paint shing on the back of who appeared to be the leader's jacket was a red fang. "Myers, you didn't piss anyone off did you?"?

"I piss everyone off the moment they smell me," he responded, going back to his bed and beginning to search under it.

? "What are you do- nevermind. Those are members of The Red Fang, a gang from New Vegas."

? "Why is a gang in my town?" The Sheriff emerged, a brown tied sack in his hand. He tossed it to Daniel, Daniel catching it reluctantly. "Do I have to shoot them?"

? "You disgust me," Daniel muttered as he slid the sack into his pocket. "I wouldn't recommend it. There members are not the brightest, but you can bet they have alot. I hear they have been going a little rampant down south, so the leadership is obviously not the best."

? "Tell you what Daniel. I know your going to that casino to talk to your friend anyways. If you come across anything interesting regarding the group that involves my town, I'll give you three hundred caps for it."

? "Alright, but on one condition." Daniel pushed the door open, looking back to Myers. "The money better not come from under your bed when you give it to me. Throw out that underwear while your at it, it looks like someone used it to wipe a ghoul's ass!

"You know Coyote, one day you have to calm down and just relax," a member of the Red Fang that went by the name of Manny said as he took a bite out of his brahmin steak, munching loudly. He sat at a round table with Coyote across, the rest of the gang members messing around throughout the casino.

A man with a hat worn over his eyes could be seen at the slot machines near Coyote's table, seeming to be very hesitant on pulling the lever. Seated at one of the tables placed near the entrance was a rather elderly looking man. His face was wrinkled, his eyes held a tired look, and gray hair was combed. The man wore a red shirt covered in grime and brown torn pants. The thing about him that caught Coyote's eye the most was a vast amount of metal parts the man was working with.

"I have no time to relax," Coyote finally replied, looking to his henchmen, "If I am to join the council, I must make sure every job im involved in goes perfect." He wrapped his hands around the glass of milk he ordered, taking a sip. A grunt of disgust escaped him as he gulped down the putrid liquid.

"Ehh, I see no point to it boss." Manny had finished his meat and was now drinking from his glass of water. "When you become a councilmen, you seem to lose the ability to walk outside. Just look at your dad. Lost a finger to assassins the first time he walked out of our building in months."

"I don't want it for myself... well.. for the most part." Coyote leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily. "No friend, I wish to impact the Mojave. While Benny and those apart of his alliance expand the city, settlements suffer. Raiders all over, water that is not safe to drink, and monsters that seek only to hunt."

"If I recall correctly boss, aren't we part of the reason some settlements suffer?"

Coyote narrowed his eyes as he stared at the ceiling, hands behind his head. What his friend was saying was certainly true. Many members of the Red Fang Council sought to only gain more power. They had members loyal to them pillaging towns all around the outer Mojave Wasteland.

"From what I understand," he began, looking to Manny, "Some of the higher ups are trying to re-enact how Caeser's Legion came to be. The execution is poor however, and will certainly be there downfall if I prove not to be."

Manny gave off a snort, setting his water down. "Re-Enact Caeser's Legion? Last I recall, it did not end well after the second battle of Hoover Dam. Wasn't there something about a massive revolution in the east followed by many of the legionares migrating here?"

Coyote nodded silently, thinking about the subject. The rumors surrounding it, the legends told of what occured that caused a massive amount of Caeser's Legion to break away and join Benny's Alliance. There were many myths to it, many words said, and yet none have been proven fact... except for one. That of a man, a butcher, 'The Devil of the East' some people called him

"Vatris Mars," Coyote muttered silently. A chill crawled up his spine as he heard the name from his own lips. "I can assure you Manny, something of that level will not happen with the Red Fang. Unlike the Legion, we of the Red Fang are taught some things about honor and virtue. I will make sure we do not forget these things."

"Heh, I hope so," Manny replied, looking to the entrance as the doors open. In stepped a elderly man with a cane gripped firmly in his hands. He wore round sunglasses, a brown business suit, and a black hair. "Hey boss, it looks like our client is here."

Coyote eyed the man, somewhat surprised. He had expected a much more intimidating person, someone that looked like a soldier or man of vast wealth. The suitcase that Coyote was transporting was treated with so much importance by his superiors, it was only fair to assume that someone whom looked important would be taking it.

"Goes to show that we are all humans," muttered Coyote as the client slowly hobbled over to the table.

"You must be the one called Coyote," the man said weakly, extending his arm. Coyote grasped his hand tightly, shaking it. "Good to meet you. You can call me Bolt."

"A pleasure to meet you as well." Coyote slowly stood, pulling the suitcase to his side. "I have bought us a room to conduct our business, in the interest of making sure no one would that would want the items of business can have the chance to get them in some rather... questionable ways."

"Ahh, good, good. Let us get going then shall we?"

Coyote nodded, gesturing for his men to gather as he, Manny, and Bolt began to exit the casino.




They failed to notice the man wearing a hat at the slot machines slowly pull the accesory off his head, turning himself around and keeping his green eyes locked on all the members of The Red Fang.

"Bingo," Daniel said to himself, sliding a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. "I wonder what could possibly be in that suitcase." He stood from the seat, beginning to exit the casino. As he passed the old man whom was working with mechanical parts near the entrance, he muttered. "Hey Cog, Ill talk to you in a bit. I have some more investigating to do."

"Rightyo," the old man replied, "Don't shoot that elderly guy I saw walk in. For some reason, he seems familiar to me."

"Ill try not to." With a flip of his red poker chip, Daniel made his way back to the Bison Hotel.

"My, how this place has changed," Bolt said as he hobbled up the stairs, Coyote leading with suitcase in hand, henchmen behind. "Back in my day, we didn't have all these Legion Deserters serving them mobsters up in The Strip."

"Indeed, it seems things are never the same as they were a year ago," Coyote muttered as they made there way down the hall. He noticed that the hotel was much more cleaner then it had been when he came here so long ago. There was no clutter on the floor, the doors were locked and not a blood stain was in sight, though bullet holes could still be seen in the wall. "This is our room," he said, pushing open a door and gesturing for Bolt to enter. He then looked to his henchmen. "Stay out here and make sure no one comes down this hall. Manny, your in charge."

"Got you boss," Manny said as the henchmen began to take positions, "Orders if someone causes trouble?

"Don't shoot if you can. We aren't here to cause a war," Coyote stepped into the room, shutting the door and setting the suitcase on the bed before looking to Bolt. "Forgive the hike up the stairs. This was the cheapest room availible that provided privacy."

"Understandable," Bolt responded, sliding a hand into his pocket and slowly pulling out a bottle of pills. He set it on a nearby table, smirking. "That is part of the payment your superiors expect. I can tell you where the rest is as soon as I see your end of the bargain fulfilled."

Finally Coyote thought to himself, turning to the suitcase and beginning to unlatch the locks. I will finally see what is so damn important. His orders had been simple. Do not open the suitcase at all, no matter what, unless the client wished to see what was inside. Whatever it was, it had to be really valuable. His curiosity had been eating away at him for the past few hours as questions ran through his mind.

Was it a weapon? A map? Gold? Energy cells? Whatever it was, someone found it valuable enough to be willing to give a closet full of medicine for it. Coyote had to know what it was, and now he was going to find out. He pulled the final latch, his body flowing with anticipation. Slowly, he pulled open the suitcase, his eyes widening at what lay inside.

"What in the world is- this can't be right," he said quietly as Bolt came to his side.

"My god, how did you folks come upon something so valuable?"

***


"I don't care how innocent they seem, I want to know what's in that suitcase!" Myers slammed a fist in the wall, Daniel giving off a grunt as the two stared at eachother. "Daniel, if I have little punks trading something dangerous in MY town, under MY nose, then I have a problem!"

"The only problem you have is a drinking one," Daniel responded back coldly, "If you took a break from the booze for a minute, maybe you wouldn't need people like me to do your dirty work."

"Shutup." Myers went to his hunting rifle, grabbing it and gripping onto the scope. "Your right about one thing. Its time I take matters into my own hands." He ripped off the scope, tossing it to the side and walking to the hall, pushing Daniel to the side.

"Don't be a moron, you saw how many men were in that group!" Daniel followed after Myers, "Calm down dammit, your getting angry for no reason!" They made a left turn. The two came to a stop as they found themselves facing a group of seven. "Myers, don't do I-"

"Alright, clear out you buffoons, NOW."

The group looked to one another. "Manny," one said as he looked to a rather young looking member, "What do we do?"

"Let me handle this," Manny responded, stepping into the center of the hall and looking at Daniel and Myers. "You two should leave now. Your already pushing your luck, coming here with a rifle pointed at me and my boys."

"It isn't pointed yet," Myers snapped as he raised his rifle, poorly aiming it toward Manny despite Daniel's protest. The Red Fang members immediatly pulled out pistols from their holsters and jackets except for Manny and a man with a assault rifle.

"Your outnumbered and outgunned," Manny replied, trying to appear calm despite the shaking his body was doing. "Listen green-eyed boy, its best that you get your friend under control before something really bad happens."

"Im working on i-" Daniel never finished his sentenced as a loud gunshot emit from Myers. Daniel's eyes widened as he saw Manny collapse, and for one second the two groups simply stared at the bleeding man. Instinct took over Daniel as a hand dove for his holster. He quickly began to back up toward the wall he had turned.

Just as he pulled his revolver out and got behind the corner, several gunshots began to emit. A bullet slammed right into the corner that Daniel had his back pressed against as he swore under his breathe. He glanced to the left just in time to see the barely recognisable corpse of Sheriff Myers hit the floor, a pool of blood forming underneath his bullet riddled body.

"Can't let them escape. To dangerous for the town," he muttered, pulling on the back trigger of his revolver. "Guess I'll have to finish what you started. Dammit Myers, you stupid drunk."

---

"I don't- how is this valuable?" Coyote stared at the contents of the suitcase in disbelief. All that was inside was some rocks to make it heavy and a piece of blue paper with some drawings on it. Suddenly, some shouting could be heard in the hall. Coyote almost went for the door out of instinct, but then rememberedthat he had Manny handling things outside.

"My friend, you wouldn't understand," Bolt responded as he lifted up the paper, a grin on the old mans face. "This here is the schematic to the final ingredient I need in order to get a mobile-aircraft-carrier moving again."

"A...what?"

"Its a enormous vehicle that ca-" Bolt never finished his sentence. Gunshots were suddenly emitting in the hall mixed with shouting. Coyote's stomach did a backflip as he quickly drew a 9MM pistol, feeling his body shake.

Who could possibly be shooting at us? He looked to Bolt, giving off a grunt and going to the door. "Stay in here. Don't leave until I get back." Coyote then pulled open the door to see six of his men aiming down the hall, a blood covered man collapsed, and lying down in between gripping his bleeding chest.

"Manny, no!" Coyote dove toward the young henchmen, grabbing onto his hand, "Hang in there ok? We have medi-"

"LOOK OUT BOSS," one of the henchmen suddenly pushed Coyote onto the ground before a gunshot ran, Coyote feeling warm blood splatter against his cheek. His heart skipped a beat as he got on his chest, watching the henchmen that pushed him collapse with a hole in his neck, right where the jugular vein was.

He looked straight just in time to see a green eyed man running across and opening fire. Over the gunshots, screams of pain began to emit from behind Coyote. He wasted no time pushing himself up and beginning to run back, opening fire on the man.


---

Daniel continued to shoot as he saw the leader began to stand. Just as he used his seventh bullet to kill the fourth henchmen, the other two began to fire, one with a assault rifle. Daniel quickly ducked and began to ran for the corner once again, bullets wizzing by and smacking the floor his feet had been on less then a second ago. He dove behind the wall, emptying his revolver and beginning to reload.

"Grit, Coyote, get outta here. This kid is a straight-shot, and I know you two don't have the best aim. If you miss once, your dead. I have a chance with this baby though."

Daniel slid the fourth bullet into the revolver, thanking Lady Luck that his enemies spent to much time talking instead of shooting.

"You better not die," Coyote could be heard saying, "We are going out the back door, down the rails. Catch up quick."

The seventh bullet slid into the revolver. Daniel took a deep breathe, closing his eyes for a moment. He would have to be quick and precise. His enemy was ready this time.

"Come out you co-" the man never finished his sentenced, Daniel diving from his cover and beginning to aim. His enemy raised his assault rifle, bullets spraying against the wall and floor and wizzing past Daniel. Just as the bounty hunter landed, he squeezed the trigger. The shot hit the gunner in the shoulder and was quickly followed by four more. He collapsed on the ground, still squeezing the trigger as he screamed in pain. Behind him, Coyote and the last henchmen could be seen running down the hall.

"Not a chance," Daniel muttered, standing and looking around the bullet covered hall. He glanced to the unrecognisable body of Myers, the hunting rifle still gripped in his blood covered hands. "Ill keep your town safe, don't worry."

---

"How the hell did one man just kill all of our friends," Grit said as he and Coyote pushed open the back door of the hotel, finding themselves ontop a destroyed roller-coaster track. "One man and everyone is dead, not a si-"

"Just run, we are way out of our league on this." Coyote had felt fear many times in his career, but never like this. The moment he saw the green eyes of that man, he felt helpless. Now, running across the tracks and away from the hotel, Coyote remembered why. "That man," he said in between pants, "that man was none other then the Green-Eyed Tiger of the Wasteland! He who has beaten deat-"

A loud gunshot interrupted Coyote. He saw Grit suddenly collapsed, gripping his now bloody hip and howling in pain. Coyote came to a stop, turning to try and help his friend. Before he could do anything, another gunshot echoed and he felt a sharp pain on his left knee before collapsing on his back.

"Boss!" Coyote looked to Grit before a third gunshot emit, the henchmen's eyes widening as a bullet slammed directly onto the left side of his chest.

"How... how can someone aim so well?" Coyote felt himself become very calm as he looked at the bloody mess that was his leg. For some reason, the pain didn't bother him. He felt no anger, no need to fight back. He only felt sad. "I... i'm... i'm never going to save The Red Fang now." His eyes began to water as he looked down.


---

Daniel gave the trigger a third squeeze after giving himself a good few seconds to aim. He let go of the rifle, backing up and giving off a sigh. The moment he knew Myers was dead, all emotions shut off and the only thing Daniel could think of was killing every single person involved. Now that it was done though...

He looked to the blood covered wall, glancing at the corpse of the old man that had been making a deal with the Red Fang. Regret filled Daniel's heart as he closed his eyes, sitting himself on the bed.

"Forgive me Veronica," he whispered quietly, "I could not control myself. Im sorry that I did this... please.. please forgive me." He opened his eyes, trying to bottle down the memories and emotions rising up in him and looking to the suitcase. Inside, a blueprint was visible. With a guilty smirk, Daniel slowly took it. "At least I got Cog a present."


***

The elevator doors slid open with a ding. A servant slowly walked out, wearing a light-pink suit and holding a tray of food. She gave off a sigh, looking around the Penthouse.

"I understand that the Red Fang are becoming uncontrollable," a mans voice could be heard in the room to the servants left. She walked toward it gracefully, trying to be quiet out of respect for the meeting she knew was going on. "Rest assured, I have everything handled. Trust me fellow Councilmen, everything will be swill and dill, you dig?"

"So you say," a low, authority filled voice could be heard saing through what seemed to be speakers, "However, how can we be certain? The White Glove Society is taking much damage from these low-lifes while you sit in the Lucky 38 looking down upon us, like ants. Tell me Benny, when The Chairmen moved into that building, did they forget that they to were once just another card in someones hand?"

"Baby, your killing me," the man inside the room said. The servant smiled weakly as she entered, looking from above a tiny balcony to see a large amount of monitors setup near the window. Three of the monitors were lit up with symbols of the Casino's that were built in the strip, the rest blank. Sitting before them was a man in a checkered suit. He had a tired look on his face, which appeared to have not been shaven for days. "I told you its handled. Its handled. A message has been sent to the Red Fang already. They have five days to calm down and give us a response, or else... well, look at what I did to The Kings when they got rebellious."

"You mean what your little lacky did", the low voice said, the monitor with the White Glove Society's symbol lighting up. "Even if you sic your little hound upon the Red Fang, that still does not answer my other question. What are you going to do to help us recover those blueprints?"

The Servant slowly walked down the steps, going to Benny's side and setting the tray down. He gestured for her to bend toward him a little, she doing so.

"Do me a favor?" He spoke very quietly.

"That is my job, dear."

Benny handed her a envelope. "Take this to you-know-who. Tell her I need a response as soon as possible. Be safe, its a little dangerous in the wasteland in case you haven't noticed."

"I understand," The Servant responded, taking the envelope and kissing Benny gently on the cheek. "Good luck with the meeting."

"Benny, im waiting," the impatient voice of The White Glove Society's speaker could be heard saying.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, your little blueprints," Benny responded, major agitation resonating with each word, "It's not my job to babysit you! If you can't keep a hand on your toys, that is your problem... normally. However, I understand that these blueprints you lost are very valuable. As I said before, my left-hand man will take care of it."

Benny grabbed a bottle of wine that had been brought with the tray of food, pulling the cork off and drinking right out of the bottle. The stuff tasted awful, however his predeccesor seemed to have valued the crap. Mr.House valued alot of strange things it seemed. Despite the bad taste, Benny couldn't deny that the drink did a good job of helping him calm down. He often found himself stressed these days, and this morning was certainly no exception.

"You know, you franchiados really need to have some more faith in my soldiers," Benny said, leaning back in his chair. "True, he may have once been apart of the Legion, but you can't deny the facts. Vathris Mars may not be what Daniel Dillinger was, but he sure does know how to keep our enemies in line. Speaking of Mr.Dillinger, this brings me to my next subject."

Benny took another drink, giving off a sigh. "I hear that the NCR have sent a Ranger Veteran on over to Goodsprings. Apparently, Mr.Dillinger has been sighted in the area. If any of you have business there, I strongly advise you postpone it until I say otherwise because I can assure you this much. When the Tiger and the Bear meet, everything caught in the crossfire will burn. Everything."


Until next time, Mojave Ranger.

Episode 3

The Bear and The Tiger

A hyena could be heard howling loudly near the town of Goodsprings, marking the coming of night. Trudy looked toward the hill it had come from as she stepped toward the door of the Prospector Saloon. She gave off a uneasy grunt. The wild life had been very active near the town for the past few weeks. Just a week ago there was a Deathclaw prowling near the window of her saloon. She probably would of left if not for the fact that the woman was practically being held hostage. With a sigh, she pushed open the door and entered her saloon.

"You're late," a voice said. Trudy could see a man sitting at one of the booths alone. A cold feeling swept through her body as she slowly walked over to the table, looking down to it's inhabitant. If someone saw the man from far away, they could of easily mistaken him for a robot. He wore on his head a obsidian-black helmet and gas mask. His eyes could not be seen past the red visor. Over his dark armor was a brown, bullet-riddled trenchcoat. Not a inch of skin showed on the man's body, and to make matters worse his voice sounded like it was coming out of a radio.

This was definetly a Veteran Ranger of the NCR, and not a kind one at all, as Trudy had come to learn over the past few days. "I was unaware that I was on limited time," Trudy responded, her voice holding no kindness in it. "I understand that you have business here, however I will not allow that to interfere with my daily life Mister... mister... what did you say your name was?"

"I said you may call me Beta." The Ranger did not even look at her as he adjusted his leather gloves. Trudy gave off a irritated grunt. Oh how she wanted to give this brat a piece of her mound. If it weren't for the fact that she valued her life, Trudy wouldn't even be bothering to have this conversation right now, but when you are under threat of death you really do not have a choice. "Sit down. I have questions for you."

"You have already interrogated m-"

"Sit down." With a sigh, Trudy scooted herself onto the booth opposite of the ranger. She could feel his eyes staring a hole into her through his visor. "You are to cooperate with me. You will do as I say, as soon as I say it, and how I tell you to say it. You will not talk back to me. You will not give me a attitude. Do I make myself clear?"

"Now ho-" Trudy suddenly found herself face to face with a silver revolver, the barrel pressing against her forehead. Damn this guy has some agility. Shoot, that gun is pointed at me. Now look what you have gotten yourself into.

"Do I make myself clear," Beta repeated, pulling back on the hammer of his revolver as he leaned a little closer to Trudy.

"Yes... sir." There was a brief moment where the two stared at one another in silence. Trudy gave off a shiver as she felt her arms begin to shake, her eyes looking around. The saloon was empty, so no one would help her. She highly doubted they would anyways, considering who it was that they would have to deal with. Relief swept through Trudy as Beta slowly pulled the revolver away from her, setting it down near him.

"Now then, let us begin. Five years ago, you came in contact with a man who had been shot in the head, correct?"

"Yes."

"Ever since then, the two of you have kept in contact over the years like friends, correct?"

"No sir, he only spoke to me during his visits to Doc Mitchell. We were aquaintences, nothing mo-"

"Regardless, the two of you continue to speak with one another. Is that correct?"

Trudy gave off a grunt. She couldn't remember the last time she had spoken to the man that Beta was talking about. It had to be seven months by now, when she informed him that Doctor Mitchell had died of natural causes. Even if she had spoken to him recently, Trudy didn't know whether she would tell Beta or not.

"I can't say we do," she responded, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, "All I can say is this. If you are looking for Dillinger, keep your ears on the radio. You're bound to hear about him soon enough, whether his name is spoken or not."

Beta shook his head. He grabbed his revolver and slid out of his seat, holstering the weapon. "That is all for tonight. I have other things I need to tend to, so you are lucky."

"I'll be lucky the day you leave us alone." Trudy looked toward the Juke-Box. It had been silent for weeks, ever since Sunny Smiles had left the town to head north to god-knows-where. Just as Beta was about to leave the Saloon, a question escaped Trudy that had been brewing inside her for the past few minutes. "Why the hell do you want Dillinger so badly?"

Beta came to a stop as he pushed open the door. He stared outside for a few moments before turning his head to Trudy.

"Five years ago, two hundred good men lost their lives due to the selfish motives of one person. Instead of justice being brought upon him, everyone looked to him as a hero. A revolutionary. The very people that I saw my friends die for looked upon them as fascist, as villains. Mr.Dillinger must have justice brought to him, whether it be by the people closest to him or the people that he betrayed."

Beta walked out of the Saloon, leaving Trudy alone with her thoughts.

***

"Do you have any idea what it is," Daniel said to Cog, the old man he whispered to the other day briefly before the shootout that occured in the Bison Hotel. It had been three days since the massacre. Three days of insomnia for Daniel. At the time of the shooting, his emotions had shut down completely. He felt nothing when each of the members of the Red Fang collapsed dead. Now that the battle was over, Daniel could not keep the faces of those dead men out of his mind.

"It's a blueprint kid. A really useful looking one to," Cog said with a smirk on his winkled face. He reached into a pocket of his brown vest and pulled out a pair of glasses, sliding them onto his face. "If I am correct, this can teach me how to build a solar powered battery."

"Solar powered?" Daniel slid a cigarette into his mouth, digging for his lighter. "You mean like the panels at The Boomer's old home before they moved out?"

"Yes, but slightly different." Cog looked the blueprints over with much interest, unable to hide the joy he received in working with these kind's of things. "The device is much more resistant then panels are. The cache is that the device is also alot bigger."

Daniel took a drag as he closed his eyes. The memory of the old man that the Red Fang were dealing with pleading for his life before Daniel shot him flashed for a moment. He let off a sigh before coming back to the world around him. "How big? Those panels aren't exactly small you know."

"Well, I would say..." Cog looked around the Vick and Vann Casino, rubbing his chin. "A quarter of this casino. Maybe a little bigger."

Daniel blew some smoke to the side, giving off a grunt. "You have got to be kidding me. When I hear the word battery, I don't think about buildings Cog, I think about energy sources that can be replaced."

"Then perhaps your not thinking enough," Cog exclaimed, "This isn't meant to power your little laser toys!"

"I don't use lasers," Daniel muttered, slumping onto the table. "Those guns get way to technical when it comes to maintenance. Care to tell me what this Solar 'Battery' is supposed to be used for then?"

"Well... this is only a theory, but it's a damn good one."

"Go on."

"Over the years, I have learned much about things the millitary did before The Rapture happened." Cog pulled his glasses off, rubbing his eyes before continuing. "From what I have dipped into, I think the Governemnt had funded a project that revolved around transportation. Big transportation."

"Big enough to need something the size of a quarter of this casino," Daniel asked cooly, letting off a yawn that allowed his cigarette to fall from his mouth. "What were they transporting? Mountains?"

"Shut up for a second and I'll tell you." Cog flicked the cigarette off the table, glaring at Daniel. "As I was saying, this was big transportation. Really damn big. From what I have seen, it seems like the millitary wanted to make mobile airports."

"Mobile... airports?" Daniel scratched his head, trying to imagine Nellis Airforce Base with legs. "Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not, but you seem to be taking it the wrong way. The planes they would be towing around weren't meant to be like the giant ones used for civillian transport. From what I have looked at, the transport's were meant to carry no more then three to four planes at a time. The planes would bo bigger then the middle of this casino, and were powered by nuclear energy."

"Right. Well." Daniel continued to rub his head, trying to imagine all of this in reality. How would any of this work out was beyond the bounty hunter, but the tone of Cog's voice made it apparent that the old man was serious about what he said. "That is very interesting Cog."

"Yeah, yeah," Cog waved a hand toward Daniel as he looked away in annoyance. The expression on his face changed suddenly. It looked grim as Cog turned back toward Daniel. "Anyways... there is something we need to talk about."

Daniel let off a sigh. He knew that this was coming. He was surprised that Cog didn't bring it up sooner, considering how Primm's residents took it. "Get on with it then."

"Daniel, are you going to be able to keep yourself under control? After that little massacre at the Hotel, it's become obvious to me that you have some major issues when it comes to watching people you know die."

"Well what do you expect old man?" Daniel pulled out his cigarette box, digging through it knowing that it was empty. "When my friends die, I can't let anyone involved get away with it. Thats just how it is for me."

"You need to change then." Cog slid a box of cigarette's from his vest, offering it to Daniel. "Benny betrayed you four years ago. It's time to let go of the pa-"

"Don't mention Benny around me." Daniel slid a cigarette out, sliding it in his mouth and lighting it. He took a deep drag before blowing out smoke, giving off a long sigh. How Cog was able to read Daniel so well was behind him, but he felt disturbed. The old man somehow knew what triggered Daniel to show no mercy that day. Not only that, but he also knew what created that trigger. "I know that the past is the past. I am well aware of the fact that there is nothing I can do about it."

"Then why are you letting it haunt you kid? Is it because you don't want to move on, or is it because you would feel guilty doing so?"

"I have moved on. Do you see me trying to kill Benny anymore?" Daniel took another drag. Memories began to clog his mind once more. He could picture himself falling from the Lucky 38 so clearly, even after four years. The last words that Benny shared with him rang through his head.

Goodbye, brother.

"Not directly, but don't think im blind. I know the real reason why you went after that raider for Meyer's." Cog stared directly at Daniel, holding much authority in his voice. "You were looking for your friend Bard, were you not? The moment you heard from that ex-legionare that he was being hunted, you went chasing right after him. I know why. You wanted to see if there was anything you could do to cripple Benny, didn't you? You wanted to see if Bard had information regarding The New Chairmen that could let you take a potshot at them, am I ri-"

Daniel had heard enough. He slid from his seat and began walking to the exit, trying to keep his anger from taking over. The bounty hunter took a drag from his cigarette, pushing open the door.

"You're letting what happened to Veronica control your life," Cog could be heard calling out, "Would she want you to be a revenge-thirsty maniac?" Daniel came to a stop as another memory suddenly came to him. Words that had been said long ago by one of the two companions he travelled with before the second battle of Hoover Dam, the woman he had developed a strong bond with.

"In the end, when bad things hit us, there is no point trying to hit back. That is just giving those things a chance to hit you again, harder then before. The best thing to do is recover and move on. Endure the worst things so that you can enjoy the best things."

Daniel threw his cigarette to the ground, stomping on it and turning to Cog.

"About Bard. I told him I would see him in a week. He is on the run from some old enemies." Cog seemed surprised by the sudden change in attitude Daniel took on. "In five days we otta get heading out. See if we can help the poor bozart. Are you in?"

"I... uh..." Cog scratched his head, muttering under his breathe. "Yeah, sure. No point leaving a old friend to suffer. Let's make a trip to Goodsprings soon though. I need to get some new parts from Chet."

"Alright." Daniel walked of the casino, deciding he might as well try to get some sleep. The memory of what Veronica said did a nice job in calming him down.

If only it wasn't weighed down by the guilt of failing to save her life.

He was falling from the Lucky 38. Thunder boomed in the gray clouds above as rain and wind assaulted his broken body. Suddenly, everything went black. He could feel something cold engulf his body. A flash of lightning shined within the darkness. A distorted thunder boomed as Daniel began to see lights dance infront of him, pain leaving his body. Suddenly, a familiar, gentle female voice echoed in the cold darkness around him.

"All that matters is that we endure everything. No more what emerges to fight us, we can survive... the two of us can survive." There was another boom, a flash...

---

Daniel awoke with a loud gasp! He clutched onto his chest tightly, trying to regain the breathe that seemed to have been lost. His body and bed was drenched in sweat, as was his hair. He continued to pant for a few moments, clutching onto his bedsheets and gathering his thoughts.

"Im... not dead yet," he said with a sigh, looking around the room. His clothes could be seen tossed against the wall, his revolver lying nearby. A twinge of guilt struck Daniel as he looked to Myer's hunting rifle leaning against the wall near them. He ran a hand through his hair before getting out of bed.

After de-odorising his clothes, (thanks to a special powder his father taught him about), Daniel made his way down to the reception desk with Myer's rifle strapped against his body.

"Evening Becky," he said calmly as the receptionist looked up. Daniel immediatly noticed that she wasn't sporting the usual scowl she carried for everyone.

"Hello there Mr.Dillinger. I assume that you are checking out?"

"Ehh?" Daniel raised a eyebrow, staring at her. "How did you know?"

"You never stay in one place for more then two weeks. I know you kiddo, you don't stick around anywhere for long. Don't want that Bootstrapper to find you, right?"

"I...I guess." Daniel hated the fact that people looked at him as if he was running. Fugitives don't stay close to the territory of their enemies unless they are being captured or taking the fight to them. Daniel knew he had no intention of shooting up the Lucky 38. He told himself that it was pointless and the situation could handle itself. "Anyways, erm. Have me checked out already then?"

"Yes I do. Have everything you need? Poker chip?"

Daniel nodded quietly, thinking of the red poker chip in his pocket. He had swiped it out of the Lucky 38 back when Mr.House was in charge. Both of his companions protested heavily, Boone and Veronica. The three of them were about to kill someone for stealing a chip from Mr.House after all... or so they thought. Plans changed drastically.

"Well, don't let me keep you," Becky's voice broke through his thoughts. Daniel gave off a grunt, nodding in response again before turning to walk out. "Hey Dillinger. Nothing is your fault. You have done more good for the Mojave then any ass in a suit!" Daniel came to a stop, the men he slaughtered the other day flashing through his head.

"If that was the case, Myer's wouldn't be six feet underground right now. I wouldn't be in this business. Ill see you in a few months." Without another word, Daniel made his way to the Vick and Vann's Casino.



Upon arriving, Cog was already prepared to go. He had a large bag strapped against his body, most likely carrying ammo, tools, blueprints, and other items. The old man waved to Daniel as he entered, offering a plate. On it was a cooked Brahmin Burger wedged between cut Cactus-Apples.

"You know kid, one thing I love about Primm is the food. Goodsprings can keep it's good water, im eating here!" Daniel gave off a smirk as he seated himself, sliding the plate toward him.

"I suppose. Never been much of a fan when it comes to eating plants, but to each his own. Anything interesting happen?"

"Nah. Well... actually, yeah. You keep coming up on the radio." Daniel took a chomp out of the burger, enjoying the juicy combination it provided. Munching loudly, he looked to Cog with a face that said 'go on'. "The radio boy basically mentioned the shoot out here two days ago that you were involved in. He didn't use your name. Referred to you as The Green Eyed Tiger."

Daniel swallowed his food, giving off a loud burp. "Huh. Well that is irritating. How the hell did the news get around so fast?"

"I hear the folks at Black Mountain pay a nice sum for some interesting information to talk about." Cog shrugged his shoulders, adjusting the glasses on his face. "Anyways. I figure since our old friend Bard is looking for some help, we otta start heading to Novac first. Goodsprings can wait for a couple weeks, it's not going anywhere."

"I suppose." Daniel stretched his body with a sigh, looking at the roof of the casino. "Should we get going then? We have quite a few miles to travel in four days."

Cog gave off a nod, rising from the table. "Oh!" The old man opened the bag he carried, digging through it. He pulled out four tiny circular containers, seven bullets sticking out of each of them. "I made these for you. Honestly, im surprised the Red Fang didn't turn around the corner and gun you down. From what you told me of that shoot-out, you are really lucky."

Daniel gave off a smirk, taking the containers and sliding them in his ammo pouch. "What can I say? Death and I have a healthy business relationship."

---

The Deathclaw slowly walked under the desert sun, eyes scanning the hills around it. The area could be considered empty if it wasn't for the abandoned cottages surrounding it, and the sound of a saxophone echoing. The creature knew this sound only to be a sign that prey was near.

A bright light shined from one of the cottages suddenly. The Deathclaw turned, hissing loudly as it glared in the direction of the light. It could see the sunlights reflection near a broken window. Something about it wasn't right however. The light seemed to be swaying slightly.

A loud bang suddenly echoed over the music. The Deathclaw collapsed on the ground, leg's twitching as blood trickled out of it's skull.

"Bulls eye," Beta said to himself inside the roofless cottage, lowering his precious sniper rifle. The gun was Beta's favorite, having served him well for the past five years. It never failed him, especially when it came to dishing out vengeance. For Beta, that seemed to be a theme in his life. He sat himself near the radio, listening to the gentle sound of the saxophone echo throughout the cottage.

The song came to a end, Beta beginning to clean his rifle as he listened to the day-host of Black Mountain Radio, Vince Burns, discuss bits of news. The White Glove Society was hosting a art show. The Expanse, a newly built distriict of New Vegas, had a new restuarant open up. Rumors about Benny going around. The same nonsense that Beta had no interest in. He reached toward the old radio to shut it off.

"And for those of you that haven't been around in the past few days, Primm's Sheriff Myers and many other men were killed in a shootout three days ago. According to our report, only one man came out alive. A lucky green eyed cat with a red revolver strapped to his hip. The Red Fang are said to be involved."

Beta froze, his eyes widening as his heart skipped a beat. He pulled his hand from the radio, running through the facts. A red revolver, green eyes. Beta only knew two people capable of being the sole survivors of massacres such as the one that Vince was speaking of. Benny didn't match the description of the survivor, but Beta's prey certainly did.

"There is no way you would stay in town after hearing that Daniel," Beta said to himself, grabbing his sniper rifle. He exited the cottage, walking south. "Enjoy today. It will certainly be your last."

The two had been walking across the Mojave for several hours now. The stars hovered about Daniel and Cog, twinkling brightly as a half-filled moon lit the desert. During the entire trip, Daniel had many things to complain about. Cog remembered with severe agitation one of his partner's whining sessions. Daniel had complained about the heat of the Mojave briefly before discovering that his lighter was out of liquid. Upon trying to make it work, he exclaimed loudly for all vultures, geckos, and stalkers to hear, "We should use the sun as lighter fuel!" Cog was not amused.

The complaining about the heat came to a end when night came two hours ago. It slowly changed to tantrums about how cold the wasteland was. Sometimes, Cog had the idea that Daniel was only complaining to amuse himself by observing Cog's reactions; As a matter of fact, Cog could strongly recall seeing a grin form on his companion's face after Cog lost his patience and snapped on the moron! Thankfully, the first half of the trip was coming to a close. The duo's first destination, Nipton, was in sight.

"Meh, it looks like a dump," Daniel said as he and Cog stared at the large town before them from the hill they stood on. The years following the pillaging of Nipton at the hands of Caeser's Legion had done much good for the town; Where once there was a tiny town with a bar, brothel, and barricades, now stood a bigger town with... more bars, more brothels, and more barricades! Concrete walls surrounded the south, west, and east sides of the town, a gate built on the west. The north road that lead toward Novac simply had a gate made out of metal scraps.

The cause for Nipton's intense renovation was strongly linked to the interest of the White Glove Society, one of the three head families of New Vegas. After the second battle of Hoover Dam, the leaders of the White Glove Society all came upon the agreement that investing in the town's well being could bring about heavy profit. Merchants and migraters from the west would most likely wish to visit the town on their way to New Vegas. What better a way to relax then hiring a lady of the night and taking her to one of the many taverns located in town?

Renovation's certainly paid off; Daniel and Cog could both agree on this fact as they stared at the torch-lit town before them. As the two began to walk toward the south gate, memories began to leak back toward Daniel. His first visit to Primm, a very eventful one thanks to Caeser's Legion. He was simply passing through when events forced him to change his plans.

---

"The hell is this?" Daniel slowly stepped through the smoke covered streets of the small, ravaged town. Crosses could be seen set on the sides of the street, members of the infamous Powder Gangers hanging crucified upon them. Daniel tightly clutched his Varmint Rifle in his hands as he looked toward the blood-covered town hall. A group of six men could be seen, looking as if they had just emerged from a time machine that took them back to the Roman Empire. They all wore crimson-red clothing, Daniel unsure whether the red was from dye or blood. He assumed the latter. His eyes went to who appeared to be the leader of the group, a wacko wearing a dog's head on his own and sunglasses over his eyes.

"Don't worry," the wacko said, his voice cold, sinister, "You won't be lashed onto a cross like the others. If anything, you should feel honored. You are among the first to lay witness to the fate that Lord Caeser has deemed worthy to the wicked."

Daniel gave off a nervous grunt, feeling sweat roll down his forehead like a waterfall. The smell of burnt corpses that was lingering was certainly not making this experience any more enjoyable. Quietly, he responded, trying to hide the fear and nervousness in his voice.

"Hon-honored? Why the h-hell would I feel honored to witness this... this atrocity!" Every bone in Daniel's body urged him to pull the trigger of his rifle, to end the life of the monster that stood before him. The other thing stopping him was the five other soldiers, all of them glaring toward Daniel. Some gave off grins... proud grins.

"Perhaps you are to ignorant to understand," the wacko said, giving off a chuckle. "That is ok. It is the Legion's job to bring enlightenment. You may call me Volpas. I lead these soldiers that you see behind me."

"I don't care who you are!" Daniel raised his rifle, his eyes darting to the many headless bodies and burnt skeletons that lay around him. "You... you killed innocents. A entire town of innocents."

"Is that what you call them?" Volpas gave off another chuckle, Daniel feeling a chill travel up his back. The wacko paid no regard to the fact that he had a gun pointed right at his face. "These people? Innocent? Amusing, really. No traveller, that is not the case. The inhabitants of Nipton were wicked. This was a town of sin. Woman sold there flesh to corrupt officials and well-paying travellers. The people of Nipton housed the very same rats that you see crucified around you, welcoming them with open arms. This is not a town of innocents traveller, this is a town of heathens. Now, get that toy out of my face. You know as well as I do that you have no intention of pulling it."

"Do I re-really now?" Daniel kept his rifle raised, feelign his entire body shake. The two stared at eachother, Volpas's eyes narrowing. The wacko seemed to be losing patience. Just when Daniel thought he was about to receive the sharp end of one of those machetes he saw the soldiers holding, a loud voice shouted from Daniel's right.

"Ave, true to Caeser!" Daniel and Volpas turned their heads to see another crimson-dressed person running toward them. This one appeared to be no older then fifteen, and much enthusiasm could be seen on his face. "Word from Cottonwood Cove, Volpas!"

"Hmm, what is it?" Volpas turned to the child, Daniel staring in disbelief at what he was witnessing.

"Centurion Vathris Mars has arrived with his warban-" the child was interrupted by a strong smack to the side of his head, Volpas grabbing him by the collar of his outfit. Daniel felt his right hand twitch as a strong flare of anger lit in him. If only he wasn't outnumbered.

"Fool," Volpas hissed, much fear visible in the child's eyes, "Do not dare utter the surname that Caeser had Vatris abandon years ago! Later, you will tell me who dared to tell you of that name! Be thankful that I am feeling merciful and that we are not in the presence of the other centurion's, lest you not value your life!"

"Y-yes sir, I did not know. It shall not happen again!" Volpas threw the child to the ground.

"For your sake, it better not." Volpas looked toward Daniel once more, the child doing the same.

"Is he the winner of this town's lottery," the boy asked, Daniel passing a glance toward him. To his disbelief, the child was glaring at him, much hate visible in his eyes. Hate, and fear.

"No, he is merely a witness. Traveller, the arrival of Centurion Vathris means that I must cut our little meeting short."

"I... I assume he is very important then," said Daniel. He figured that if he played along, his head would not wind up like the ones that he saw lying around without bodies.

"Important," the boy exclaimed, "That is a understatement! He is the Demon of the East! The Reap-"

"Enough," Volpas said loudly. He looked directly at Daniel, slowly pulling off his sunglasses to reveal eyes that made Daniel feel even more nervous then he already was. "Let me make myself clear, traveller. I do not spare your life today as a act of mercy, or compassion. Had you been in this town before us, you would be another participant to it's lottery." Daniel did not like the sound of this lottery one bit. Judging by the state of Nipton, nobody in it was really lucky. "Since that is not the case however, I giev you one simple task. Speak about the fate of these sinners to all you encounter. Tell them that Caeser's Legion shall soon descend upon them, and that all whom dare defy Lord Caeser's will shall feel his wrath. Look upon the fate of this town, traveller, and let it be known that soon all of this pathetic land shall meet a similiar fate."

"I... no... that's..." Daniel took a deep breathe, trying to gather his courage. "I don't care who's wrath is coming. If you honestly think your boss can take over a region protected by both, The New California Republic, and the creations of Mr.House, you are obviously not thinking much.

Volpas chuckled loudly. "You shall see soon. We have no other words to exchange, traveller. Farewell." Volpas turned to his soldiers, pushing the boy toward them. "Legionares, get in formation! Messenger, you will walk behind me. Let us go!"

Daniel watched as the group began to walk away. Oh how he wanted to put a bullet in every single one of them! If only he had something other then the Varmint Rifle, Nipton would of been avenged here and now.

"They will know justice one day," Daniel said quietly, more to the bodies around him then to himself, "I swear it. I will make sure that these... monsters have justice brought upon them."

---

"Kid... hey kid! Snap out of it!" Daniel opened his eyes to see Cog standing over him. A few other people could be seen surrounding Daniel, whom realized that he was lying down on the ground. Giving off a grunt, the mercenary pushed himself up and looked around.

He was on the exact same street that he had met Volpas at so many years ago. It looked completely different now! The road had been paved, and the crosses removed. The town hall that was once there had been transformed into a saloon it seemed, many patrons coming in and out. The saloon had a large sign on top, red letters glowing to spell out "The Wrangler's Saddle"

"Are you alright son," a old man wearing a cowboy hat said as Cog gently pulled Daniel onto his feet. "You looked pretty pale when your pal pulled you into town! We weren't sure if you were gonna wake up."

"Erm..." Daniel passed a glance to Cog, noticing much concern on his partners face. "Yeah, I'm all fine. Just dandy." He looked to the many people surrounding him, the crowd beginning to disperse. "Any idea where I can get a lighter here?"

"Go on into the Wrangler's Saddle behind me," the old man said, pointing to the saloon with his thumb, "It's a nice little place for us gentlemen. Just watch what you drink, or you may wake up in the morning not remembering where you put your pants."

"Right, uh, thanks." The old man tipped his hat and nodded to Daniel before walking off.

"So what the hell just happened," asked Cog as he and Daniel began to walk toward the saloon.

"You tell me."

"We were just walking toward Nipton. I was asking you questions, and you kept ignoring me. When you finally responded, you seemed to have no idea that I asked you anything, then you went ahead and passed out! Started muttering something about monsters and justice."

"Ahhh, yeah." Daniel scratched his head as the two reached the doors of the saloon, coming to a stop. "I uh... was reminiscing on the old times I guess. Remembering what this town was like when I first came here."

Cog gave off a grunt, glaring to Daniel. "Flashbacks from the damaged implant again? When the hell are you going to have surgery done on that thing?"

"Don't worry about it Cog." Daniel pushed open the doors, Cog following as he stepped in. The two found themselves entering a room occupied with many men and woman, chatting, laughing, arguing, smoking. A banjo could be heard echoing as a gruff looking man sang on a stage that had been built in one of the saloon's corners. Smoke drifted from the bar. "Now this is my kind of place."

"Kid, I don't think you should be here right now," Cog said as the two seated themselves at the bar. "After what just happened, do you really need to be drinking anything?"

"What better way to wash down memories then with some booze?" Daniel slid a cigarette out of a nearby box someone had left lying around, "Hey, can someone light me up!" He slid it into his mouth, a nearby patron kindly lighting the deathstick for Daniel. Taking a drag, he gave off a sigh and leaned back. "Cog, I would of thought that you are used to my little moments by now. We have been together for four years now have we not?"

"Are you two married," asked the bartender as he approached them. Cog gave off a grunt, paying for some drinks before responding to Daniel.

"Damn bozart thinks we make a lovely couple. Time doesn't matter Daniel! What are you going to do when you have a flashback that you don't wake up from? Are you going to keep reliving the death of Veronica for eternity?"

Daniel gave off a irritated grunt as the bartender slid two full pitches toward the duo. Daniel gripped onto one, gulping down a quarter of it before sighing. He could see why Cog was so concerned. Ever since the incident with Benny four years ago, one of the implants that Daniel had implanted in his body was causing much problems with his brain. For the past four years, he would randomly blank out or go into flashbacks. They usually were not a problem, only happening once every couple months... or so it used to be anyways. The past three months had been different. Daniel would find himself being yelled at by someone for ignoring them when he honestly had no memory of them asking him anything.

Sleep paralysis was also something that seemed to be developing lately. Where once Daniel would only have a dream that brought him nasty memories, he now found himself waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to move. The sound of gunshots and explosions would echo around him as he saw Veronica huddled up and weeping on his bed, or Benny gripping onto Daniel's severed head. Sometimes, he even saw Vatris Mars... no, the less he thought about it the better.

"Daniel, did you hear me?" Cog shook Daniel by the shoulder, bringing him back to earth.

"Yeah, yeah. Listen, I'll be fine, ok? Don't talk about Veronica around me either, I thought I made that clear." Daniel gave off another heavy sigh, taking a drag from his cigarette and a sip from his stein. He then remembered something that had been nagging him the entire walk to Nipton. "Anyways, about what we were talking about in Primm the other day. I have been thinking. Let's assume that this... mobile airport of yours exist. Hell, let's go ahead and assume that we get the thing running. How would the two of us keep that thing moving? I imagine it's pretty big."

"Well, yeah," Cog muttered, scratching his head. "From what I understand, many maintenance robots are supposed to be built inside the thing. That being said, I imagine that many of them don't work anymore... so... what I was thinking of was this. Maybe we should form a crew."

"A crew? You mean like a pirate crew?" Daniel took another drag, giving off a amused snort. "Captain Cog. A nice alliteration, don't you think?"

"First thing is first, I won't be the captain. That job would rest on your shoulders. Second, pirating is a profession we should steer clear from. Though they may not be around here, the NCR do control much land outside the Mojave."

"Are you implying that we will be leaving the Mojave one day?"

"Well... yes. That wo-"

"That is out of the question," Daniel took another sip from the stein, not even looking at Cog. "This place is my home. It always will be. I intend to stay here for as long as I breathe."

"Do you think Benny will allow that, Daniel?" Cog gave off a sigh, shaking his head. "The moment The Chairmen get word that a giant vehicle is driving around the wasteland, they are going to want it. If we stay here, they will get it."

"Then I guess that will give me the chance to blow Benny up with your little airport." Cog gave off a irritated grunt, slamming his fist into the counter.

"Enough about killing Benny!" Many of the patrons passed the old man a glance, murmuring amongst eachother before going back to their business. "It's not happening! The faster you accept that you can't reach him in his tower, the faster you can work on fixing your damn brain! When you are done being a past-clinging shell of a man, come find me!" With that, Cog stood from the bar and stormed off, pushing a fair amount of patrons on the way out.

"Obnoxious old man," Daniel muttered, pressing a hand against his cheek and taking another drag.

He spent the next few hours thinking and drinking. After the second stein, Daniel had switched his beverage to some nice, refreshing, dirt filled water! His thoughts constantly went to Bard, wondering what his old friend was up to right now and whether or not the idiot was even alive still. The music grew louder and louder as the patrons began to dance together, Daniel sometimes observing with a smile as he continued to smoke.

At one point, a nice looking lady asked him to do a little swing-dance to a fast-going song. He kindly refused, trying to not think of his old companion at the same time. Eventually, the saloon turned so wild that a re-enactment of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam occured! Daniel found himself chuckling as a fat man ran around with his red shirt wrapped around his neck, screaming about how he was the Duck Legate.

Just when Daniel was about ready to rent a room for the night, the unexpected happened... the unwanted.

He was talking to the bartender about some of the bounties he had carried out recently. The band that was playing music was now relaxing amongst the noisy patrons, their music being replaced with the jukebox, which was playing the song Big Iron.

"So the idiots were busy playing some game when I snuck up on them," Daniel said to the bartender, "Rock Paper and Scissors I think. I swear, you could of mistaken these guys for super mutants in costumes." The bartender gave off his thirteenth chucke for the night. Just as Daniel was about to get to the action of his story however, he saw the color drain from the mans face. At first, Daniel was confused, wondering if the guy had a phobia to Super Mutants. He then noticed that the bartender was not the only one that had suddenly changed.

The entire saloon suddenly seemed to go quiet, save for the radio. Gone, was the shouting and laughing of it's patrons. The only sound that Daniel could hear behind him was shuffling feet and murmuring... scared murmuring. Suddenly, he could hear footsteps unlike any other he had heard all night. The sound of boots touching the floor echoed throughout the saloon continuosly, slowly. Daniel could feel his heart beat strongly with each sound of the boots touching the floor.

Closer and closer they came, the sound coming directly toward him. Just as they seemed halfway toward their destination, the footsteps came to a stop. Daniel stared straight across the bar for several seconds, feeling many eyes upon him... and then, it happened. The voice that would ruin his night spoke.

"Daniel .J Dillinger," it said, cold and seeming to be coming from a transmitter. "Wanted for treason against the NCR, the murder of General Lee Oliver, and so many other things that it all couldn't be put on one list." Daniel took a deep breathe, slowly turning to look at the person addressing him. There he stood, trench coat flapping from the wind that blew from the still open doors of the saloon. Daniel could feel eyes glaring at him from under that red visor that he looked directly at.

"Well," he began, talking very calmly as he took a drag from the cigarette in his mouth. "It's good to know that the Republic remembers my name."

"But do you remember mine, Mr.Dillinger?" Daniel gave off a grunt as his stomach did a backflip. He knew this man? How? The only member of the NCR that Daniel could remember was Ambassador Crocker, and that was only because the dumb ass had a ten million cap that he owed Daniel! "It doesn't matter. What matters is this. I have been looking for you for so long, waiting for the day that I can bring down justice upon you. That day has finally arrived!"

Daniel took another drag, his eyes narrowing. "Alright then buddy, shoot me. I dare you to do it, right now." The Veteran Ranger did not move a inch. Not even a twitch! "Well... that's disappointing."

"Don't take me for a fool. I know all to well the consequences of killing someone apart of a crowd, Daniel. The trick is to do it from a far distance. Be the last thing that your target never sees." Daniel felt his heart do a back flip. Where the hell had he heard that before? It did not matter at the moment... and yet, it seemed very relevant. "The only reason you are still alive is because unlike you, I have a sense of honor. Unlike you, I am willing to offer you a choice for how you wish to die."

"Well I feel honored, big guy."

"You can either meet me in the graveyard three hours from now, or I can snipe you when you least expect it." Daniel gave off a sigh, stretching his arms and legs. A plan for how he was going to kill the Veteran Ranger had already cooked up in his brain. The execution simply needed to be carried out right now.

"Alright then... i'm not in a good mood, so let's save the small talk. I'll see you in three hours, yes?"

The Veteran Ranger stared at Daniel for several moments. Suddenly, he took a step forward... and turned, beginning to exit.

Now is my chance! Daniel's hand shot for his gun-holster, quickly drawing the revolver. Just as he clicked the safety off, a loud gunshot rang throughout the saloon. Daniel's eyes widened in horror as he stared at his empty hand, quickly looked to see that the Veteran Ranger had pulled out his own silver revolver, smoke still rising from the barrel.

"Please," the Ranger said, much amusemant in his voice, "I know all of your tricks, down to how you win your games of caravan! Tonight, you may call me Beta. Three hours, Mr.Dillinger. Three hours." With that, Beta turned and left the saloon, all the patrons remaining silent.

Daniel slowly looked to his revolver, it still intact as it lay near the bartenders feet. He looked back toward the doors of the saloon, before giving off a loud, irritated groan.

"Why do I always have the near death experiences!"

"A NCR ranger? What did you do to make them mad?" Cog slid Daniel's revolver across the wooden table. As soon as the confrontation in the saloon ended, Daniel immediatly found his partner and told him about what happened. The two bought a room in The Wrangler's Saddle, where Cog fixed up Daniel's revolver while he explained in detail what happened.

"I have done alot of things that would make them angry Cog," Daniel responded as he looked outside the window of their room, sweat rolling down his forehead. Nipton seemed to be a ghost town now. As soon as word of a Veteran Ranger being present spread around, the saloon emptied along with the streets. Everyone was either at home, or getting as far from Nipton as possible. "Thanks to Lee Oliver's stubborness, my actions ended the lives of many soldiers during the Second Battle. I imagine many families would be angry at me."

"Yeah, but why now? Why would the NCR wait for five years before sending a Veteran Ranger after you?" Cog gave off a heavy sigh, leaning back in his chair as Daniel grabbed his revolver, looking it over. "Five years kid. That is more then enough time to send a hit-team or something! This doesn't add up at all. It's not like you are a threat to the NCR, for as long as you stay away from the west you can't really do any damage!"

"There is a saying that my daddy taught me when I was young," Daniel said as he examined his gun, aiming toward the door with it. "Gruesome Grudges. If you harm something strong enough, the pain you caused it will linger for the rest of that somthing's life. That something will be haunted every day, and eventually it will snap. The only thing that something will be able to do to ease it's pain is quite clear." Daniel squeezed the trigger, a loud click emitting from the revolver! He slowly lowered it, giving off a grunt.

"Still, it doesn't make sense." Cog stood up, going to the wall and examing some paintings of Pre-War Vegas that were set on it. "You aren't the only person that was involved in Benny's Rebellion! What about all those other tribes, or Benny himself? I'm sure the NCR would want to make a example out of more people then just one guy that is always getting shot at. What makes you special?"

"Well, I am quite the charmer. Benny hardly had anything to do with bringing those tribes together anyways, most of it was the work of Veronica, Boone, and me." Daniel gave off a sigh, collapsing on the bed and staring at the roof. He really could go for a smoke, but was lacking a lighter.

"Even if you hold more guilt then anyone else involved, it still doesn't add up! From what you told me, that man was talking to you like he was a old friend. For crying out loud Daniel, he knows about your luck with Caravan!"

"Maybe he knows Ambassador Crocker? That doofus owes me more money then I owe my mother mi- ahh, forget where I was going with that."

Cog raised his eyebrow, giving off a somewhat nervous grunt as he scratched the back of his head. A long pause followed before he spoke again. "Right... uh... anyways! Whoever he is, Daniel, he seems to know alot about you. Alot more then some random ranger would! Are you sure this isn't someone you know? Maybe you can just have a nice little chat with him?"

"A nice little chat?" Daniel gave off a chuckle, shaking his head. "Nah. He would probably end up shooting me in the throat the moment I said something that slightly annoys him! You should of seen him, Cog, the guy moved as fast as lightning." Daniel gave off a sigh, looking the revolver in his hand over. "One second I was holding this. The next, my hand was empty! The only person I have ever seen that can aim that swiftly and hit his target is-" Suddenly, Daniel felt his heart skip a beat. His eyes widened as a thought hit him in the brain harder then Benny's bullet! Cog took noticed, passing a concerned look as Daniel raised a hand to his forehead and clenched onto it tightly.

"No... that can't be." Daniel slowly slid off the bed, letting go of the revolver.

"Are you ok kid? Not having another flashback are you?"

Daniel shook his head, walking to the door. "Nah... I... I have to go meet him. It's about to be three hours."

"Woo, hold up!" Cog went to the bed, grabbing the revolver and raising toward Daniel. "You'll need this and some bullets, won't you?"

Once again, Daniel shook his head. He opened the door, giving off a heavy sigh. "Hey, Cog? Make sure it's not a securitron that digs me up will you?"

Before Cog could say anything, Daniel shut the door. By the time the old man opened it, his partner was already gone. "What the hell is that kid getting into?"

***

The night was cold, very cold. Daniel did not mind the air however, his thoughts focused on what lay before him. He was without weapon, and without hope, for anyone whom dared to battle a Veteran Ranger would certainly meet their end if untrained. Indeed, the odds seemed aimed directly against Daniel, as if Lady Luck wished to have him removed from the game.

Still, he walked! As mist began to roll onto the streets of Nipton, as dust swirled upon the wasteland outside, Daniel walked. Hands in pockets, he made his way down the small hill that would lead to Nipton's graveyard. Upon reaching his destination, Daniel took immediate notice of a obelisk-shaped memorial that had been built in the center of the graveyard, the only area the mist seemed to be avoiding.

Making his way to the structure, Daniel's footsteps echoed throughout the rows of tombstones with each step. He came to a stop upon reaching the top of the tiny steps leading to the obelisk, his eyes adjusting to the dark as he read the words upon it.

This memorial is dedicated to the citizens of Nipton and many other innocents whom had lost their lives to the atrocities of Caeser's Legion. Listed below are the names of the deceased. Let their souls rest, knowing that justice has been done.

Suddenly, loud footsteps could be heard behind Daniel. He slowly turned to see Beta emerging from the mist, red visor glowing brightly within the darkness. Daniel's eyes narrowed as he took notice of a scoped rifle in the Ranger's hand.

"Lies seem to be what this entire world is built upon, and that memorial is no exception," Beta's voice echoed throughout the graveyard. "Tell me, Mr.Dillinger. Do you think that justice has truly been done? That the many people whom lost their lives or loved ones to the Legion can rest in peace?"

"Can't say I do," Daniel responded, his voice calm. It lacked any scorn that he would normally hand over to his enemies... instead... he spoke as if he was talking to a old friend! "As a matter of fact, I think that is far from what has really happened. Instead, I ask you this, 'Beta'. Do you think such a thing as justice truly exist in this world? That anything can be simply spread out between right and wrong?"

"No. What you say is true, Mr.Dillinger! Our world is lacking in justice, honor, and many, many other things. Do not try to negotiate with me however, Mr.Dillinger. Your crimes are still just that in my eyes. Crimes! If you believe that you can talk your way out of this situation like you have when so many other strangers were pointing their weapon at you, then think again!"

Daniel gave off a smirk. A chuckle escaped him as he stared directly toward Beta's visor. "Well, I suppose I do need to stop talking to strangers, mother taught me better then that. The thing is, 'Beta', you are no stranger to me! No, if you were completely intent on killing me, you wouldn't have lured me out here. You wouldn't have even entered that saloon! If you were certain that you wanted me dead, then I would be dead, wouldn't I?" Beta's hand seemed to give off a twitch as Daniel spoke, the ranger glancing around the graveyard. "No Beta, you aren't seeking to condemn me, are you? You have come this far because you seek closure with me! Isn't that right Beta, or should I call you by your true name?" Daniel took five steps toward Beta, the smirk on his face being replaced by a strong frown as he glared toward the ranger. "Boone!"

A hyena could be howling in the nearby wasteland. The moon cast it's bright glow upon the two as the clouds pulled away from it. The mist within the graveyard slowly began to roll away, Daniel and Beta staring at eachother silently for the longest time. Finally, as a gust of wind blew his trenchoat, Beta slowly raised his hand to his helmet. He pulled the lower-part off first, followed by the top.

The face revealed was oh so familiar to Daniel, and yet... much had changed. Where once Boone had not a hair on his face, a rough beard had been grown. His head was still bald, however it to had changed. Many scars could be seen from it, seeming to come from something really sharp. A knife, a blade?

"So you figured me out then," Boone said, his voice just as cold as Daniel remembered. "You always were a observational one, Daniel. Could of made a good sniper, had you chose not to betray the people that called themselves your friend."

"Do you think I wanted to kill them, Boone? Do you think I take major pride in the fact that my actions costed hundreds upon hundreds of lives? I'm not proud of what my actions caused, but don't you dare try to say that I am the only guilty one here!"

Boone gave off a grunt, giving Daniel a glare that could freeze the detonation of a nuclear bomb. "What are you trying to say? That my sins make up for yours? It doesn't work that way."

"Perhaps it doesn't, but the same thing can be said about what your doing! Do you honestly think that by killing me, you will be making everything right? I'm not the one that demanded his soldiers stay put even when I saw that defeat was imminent! That was Lee Oliver, was it not? Did I not warn him? Did I not give him a chance to surrender?"

"It doesn't matter what you did Daniel, it matters what you didn't do," Boone shouted loudly, pulling his silver revolver out and aiming it directly at his target. "Why didn't you kill Vatris Mars when you had the chance?! Why did you let that abomination live?! Was it because Benny was offering you a hefty sum? Did you have a deal with Caeser to? TELL ME!"

"Do you honestly think I don't regret that decision?" Daniel gave off a grunt, gritting his teeth. "I wanted to kill him Boone! I wanted to be the one to end Vatris! You don't seem to understand that I had no choice. If I went against Benny, I would of died, or worse, Veronica!"

"How did that work out Daniel?" Boone pulled back on the hammer of his revolver, "How are things between you and Veronica now? That's right, she has nothing left either! Who's fault is that?"

"IF WE ARE GOING TO PLAY THE BLAME GAME, THEN WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN TO ME THE STORY OF YOUR WIFE!"

Three gunshots cracked throughout the graveyard! Daniel and Boone stared at eachother in silence, smoke still rising from Boone's revolver. Blood trickled down Daniel's cheek... as he pressed his hand against the area on his head that the bullet had grazed him. His eyes widened as he saw Boone began to shake, the ranger collapsing on his knees.

"Don't you... don't you dare go there," Boone said with a shaken voice, "Don't you dare talk to me as if you know anything about that! I would do anything to have her back, Daniel, anything!"

Daniel gave off a grunt, taking a step forward. This was his chance to strike, and yet... the man he saw before him was not his enemy. It was a friend. A friend in need.

"Boone... you didn't come after me because of Hoover Dam, did you?" Daniel's thoughts were focused on the scars that Boone had on his head. How had he aquired them? "You didn't come after me because you want to kill me, did you? I'm not the man you are really chasing after, I'm just the only connection you have to him, correct?" There was only one person that Daniel could think of whom was sadistic enough to leave burn and blade scars on a mans head, and then let them live. Only one man, if he could be called that, existed in Daniel's life that was capable of doing such a thing. Capable of making Boone break down. "You are looking for him, aren't you? You are looking for Vatris Mars!"

Boone looked toward Daniel, still gripping onto his revolver. "Always the observational one. Yes... I want to do what you failed to do to him, Daniel. I am looking to kill Vatris Mars." Daniel let off a sigh, shaking his head.

"Idiot. I would of gladly aided you!" Daniel stomped toward Boone, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him up so that the two were face to face. "I owe Vatris some pain! All of us do you moron!"

"You're not the one who's wife was killed by him, right before your eyes." Daniel's eyes widened as the thought slammed into his head. Boone... he had confronted Vatris personally... and his wife was there? "She was alive, Daniel. Broken, sorrow filled, and in shock... but she was indeed alive. Vatris was leading some of his soldiers through NCR territory, on Benny's behalf no doubt. My squad was sent to assassinate him."

"Only one of us escaped the ambush that was waiting," Boone closed his eyes, breathing heavily. "Richard Greeves... a good man. One of the best soldiers I have ever served with. If it weren't for him, I would be dead by now."

"Boone," Daniel slowly loosened his grip, letting the ranger drop. "What happened? What was Vatris doing so far from the Mojave?"

"Looking for something." Boone set himself in a sitting position, still gripping his revolver. "They never did find it; Greeves lead a unit against the warband that forced them back here. When we were ambushed and taken hostage however, Daniel... I saw her. I looked her right in the eye, and you know what happened? She screamed. She screamed for me to help her, to save her! She was begging me Daniel."

Daniel felt empty. The thought of hearing Veronica beg... it killed him. The fact that she was already gone was bad enough, but at least her death was quick. Daniel had witnessed it himself! He knew that she did not suffer. But Boone... his wife. Daniel did not wish to think of the nightmares she had to go through, being enslaved by the Legion, and then brought under the captivity of Vatris Mars and his warband of Legion Deserters. That had to be true hell.

"When I tried to save her, Vatris caught up to her first," Boone continued, looking directly at the ground. "He told me that he was doing something he should of done a long time ago for her, and then... he... he..." Daniel did the one thing he could think of. He placed a hand on Boone's shoulder, looking directly at his old friend.

"Boone... you aren't the only one to lose someone. Like you said... Veronica... I failed to save her as well."

"But you moved on, Daniel. She would be proud of you if she saw you today. Strong, cleaning this wasteland of filth! Me? My wife? She wouldn't even recognise me. She hardly recognised me when I was captured. Now?" Boone gave off a sigh. Daniel could feel the shaking in the man come to a stop as his breathing began to slow down. "No, Daniel... I have failed to kill Vatr-"

"Then lets work together! You and me, we can put a end to the abominati-"

"No," Boone said strongly, tightening the grip on his revolver. "I was given my chance to kill him. I failed." He looked directly toward Daniel, no emotion visible in his eyes. "You though... you may have a chance, Daniel. Find Vatris Mars... kill him. Do what you should of done so long ago."

"And what about you?"

Boone gave off a smirk, chuckling quietly to himself. "Me?" He shook his head, looking around the graveyard. "I'm going to do what I came here to do. Bring myself to peace."

It all happened before Daniel's eyes. He could do nothing as Boone suddenly raised the revolver in his hand, pressing the barrel to his temple. Just as Daniel tried to grab his wrist, a loud gunshot rang throughout the graveyard. Blood burst from Boone's head onto a nearby tombstone, the ranger collapsing into Daniel's arms as the mercenary stared in horror.

"Boone, no! BOONE!" Daniel tightened his grip around his friend, blood trickling onto his arms. "No, no, no! I don't kno- Boone, don't you- GOD DAMMIT!" Daniel shook Boone as his skin turned more and more pale. The twitching became less frequent until finally, it stopped completely.

On that night, Boone's name was added to the obelisk that served as a memorial for the victims of Caeser's Legion.

---

"So now what," Cog asked Daniel. The two were seated at the bar of The Wrangler's Saddle, Daniel taking a drag from his cigarette. "You don't have a Veteran Ranger chasing you anymore, so that's good is it not?" Daniel did not respond, staring off into space. "Hey, uh... kid? Can you hear me?" Still no response. Just as Cog was about to give up and go for a walk, Daniel pressed his cigarette into the counter.

"Bard is waiting for us," he said quietly. Boone's blood was still stained onto his sleeves. Daniel did not mind, it served as a reminder to one of his many failures. "He can't wait for much longer. We need to get going within the hour Cog."

"Ehh, why the sudden rush?" Cog slowly stood from the bar, getting ready to pack up. "I do agree that we should meet our deadlines, but don't you think you should take a few hours to rest?"

"Can't rest." Daniel turned in his barstool, looking toward the exit. He slid his red poker chip from his pocket, flipping it with his thumb and catching it. "I can never rest, Cog. Not until Vatris Mars answers for his crimes. Him and Benny... they both must die."

Ride the sunshine, cowboy.

Episode Four

Prehistoric Era

Daniel exited the elevator, entering Mr.House's penthouse. Outside the great windows, the night sky of New Vegas could be seen, lit up brightly and beautifully. Daniel had no time to admire the scenery however, for he had been summoned by House very unexpectedly. He quickly made his way into a room where a large terminal had been setup, many monitors visible. All of them were displaying the words, "Connection Lost" on their screens.

Daniel stepped toward the monitor, sliding his red poker chip from his pocket and beginning to flip it casually as he waited, a calm look on his face. Suddenly, the screen flickered. In shades of green, the face of a very handsome looking man came up, presumably what Mr.House looked like. Daniel was not sure if those looks were in the past or present, considering this was the closest he ever got to having a face-to-face conversation with House.

"I see you still have that chip with you," a calm, wise voice said through the speakers, "Honestly Mr.Dillinger, it would probably be a good idea to throw that thing in a garbage bin. You seem to like toys just about as much as someone else I know!

Daniel gave off a smirk, though massive guilt swam through his body as he did so. Despite the fact that he was planning to rip apart Mr.House's plans, Daniel had grown to admire the man very much. House had given him so many things over the past three weeks, and had obviously considered Daniel as a friend now, if not a godson of sorts.

"What can I say," Daniel asked, catching the chip and looking directly at the virtual eyes of House, "I like to entertain myself! You know someone else besides me and Benny? That comes off as a surprise, seeing how you are cooped up... wherever it is you are cooped up all the time!"

"Despite popular belief Mr.Dillinger, I should have you know that you are certainly not the only one to enter this building within the recent centuries!" Daniel ended up dropping the chip, stumbling about and collapsing on the floor. He gave off a groan as he slid the chip back into his hand, scratching his head and standing back up to look at the monitor with narrowed eyes.

"Well now, that comes as a surprise." He scratched his head, clearly impressed. "I honestly thought that you had no friends. Who else could have come inside this building, and why don't you have them do your work instead of me?"

"Regarding your comment on my friends, I can assure you this much," House said, much irritation resonating with each word, "I have more then friends, Mr.Dillinger. You could say I have a... very closely knit family of sorts."

"Family? Sorry, but Jane doesn't count as family, boss." Daniel gave off a smirk, glancing to the mam-bot that was lurking on the platform behind them.

A heavy sigh resonated throughout the rooms, followed by a long silence. That cocky feeling he usually carried had left Daniel as he realized that Mr.House was being as serious as possible. Then again, wasn't he always?

"Yes, I know the idea is hard to believe," House finally spoke, retaining a calm voice, "but the fact remains. Family is more then someone you share blood with! There are a very select few indivuals whom I have deemed worthy to be called apart of my family, Mr.Dillinger. There exist four, if you wish for me to go into detail! One is older then yourself, and another is within your age." Daniel sat himself down, finding himself very intrigued by this new information. Never before had he imagined Mr.House to be much of a family man, and yet here he was, spilling this secret out to Daniel without a care in the world. "Shall I go on?"

"Please do."

"Very well then," House responded, something in his voice causing Daniel to feel somewhat scared. For the first time in his life, Daniel could hear enthusiasm in Mr.House's tone! "The one older then you has helped me very much when it comes to dealing with the NCR. Having a wonderful taste in music and art, he can be considered the best friend I have on this forsaken earth. He is actually the reason why I have called upon you tonight, Mr.Dillinger, but that business can wait."

"The second one is... tragic, to say the least. He and I do not get along well, however we have obtained a mutual respect for one another, a task not easily done when it comes to dealing with members of Caeser's Legion!" Daniel felt a wave of confusion as he tried to process those final words, giving off a grunt.

"Wait, hold on," he exclaimed, "You have a spy in the Legion and didn't bother to tell me? Care to explain that bit to me!"

"He found a way to contact me. Seeing much potential in him, I found that it would be a good idea to take him on as a student in hopes that I could use him to eventually obtain control over The Legion. I was not being so honest with my reasoning when you offered to kill Caeser, Mr.Dillinger. The truth is, I am grooming this student of mine to overthrow the fool and take over one day. A heavy gamble, I know, but I have more then enough to be able to place the bet!"

Daniel gave off a sigh, scratching his head. Mr.House had to be losing his marbles if he thought anyone in Caeser's Legion would listen to him... that, or he had obtained a very powerful card to play. Knowing him, Daniel assumed the latter.

"Perhaps you will meet him one day, Mr.Dillinger, but let us move on to the third member of my family." As House continued, Daniel noticed another presence within the mans tone... it almost sounded like... he was proud of someone? "This one is my favorite, I must admit! As I am sure you are aware, I have a knack for collecting snowglobes. This third member of my family shares a similiar habit, seeming to adore anything related toward cats.

"Erm... cats?"

"Yes. We all have hobbies don't we, and his involves cats. He may be a fairly young one, but I have high hopes for this child! The boy has a knack for catching on to new ideas quickly, and is quite the puzzle solver. Indeed, I can say proudly that he is my favorite amongst my family. That being said, Mr.Dillinger, there is one final member of my family that I think you should know about. While he can not replace my third, simply because I love the boy to much, he certainly has earned a bond from me."

Daniel didn't know if he could take anymore of this. Not only did the idea that Mr.House could love people terrify Daniel to the core, but after hearing that last bit, he could feel the guilt in his heart begin to swell. House had no idea that no more then thirty minutes ago, Daniel, Veronica, and Benny had been sitting together discussing how they were going to kill the old man. Daniel was the one that offered the most information, and even told Benny that he could have the honors of "Killing the senior chum any way you see fit, as long as I don't have to pull the trigger." Now, hearing Mr.House talk about a family, everything felt wrong.

"This one is much like my second in so many ways," House continued, his tone taking a more caring, gentle turn, "and yet, so different as well. He has a way with words that is unlike any I have ever seen, always able to talk himself through situations. The initiative that this man holds inside him is outstanding, perhaps rivaling that of my second's. Though he and I may be very different, I could proudly call him the God-Brother of my third."

"Say," Daniel said quietly, scratching his head. "Why do I get the idea that I know this guy?"

"I was hoping you would have that feeling." There was a long pause, Daniel simply staring at the monitors. "While you may not be like my third when it comes to putting puzzles together, Mr.Dillinger, I am proud to look to you as my fourth, and final."

Daniel's stomach clenched tightly, the guilt in his body bursting all over. His eyes went to the floor as the words bounced in his head, stinging worse then any bullet or poison. He felt disgusted with himself, absolutely disgusted. All this time, Daniel had viewed Mr.House to be someone that was manipulating him. He always had the idea in the back of his head, that when Mr.House no longer needed him, he would have Daniel disposed of. Now... to be called a member of his family?

"I... I don't know what to say," Daniel said quietly, not even daring to look toward the monitors. "It's... I... You make me feel honored, sir."

"You should feel so, Daniel. You have proven to me that you are indeed a man of honor, and I have no doubt that you shall do great things for this world! Now then, we can get personal again later. It is time to move on to business!"

***

Daniel and Cog found themselves looking upon the town of Novac from a nearby hill, the sun shining brightly upon the trading outpost. The past five years had done very little to change the town. The only new addition that could be seen was a large barbed-wire fence that surrounded all of the shacks and cabins that made up the town. Ontop a hill was a large replica of a green dinosaur, a shop built inside it. Across from the dinosaur was a two-story hotel.

"Bard should be here," Daniel said to Cog as the two eyed the place. "Let's find him, and figure out what it is he knows that is so bad, it has him on the run from Vatris Mars!"

"Aye, sounds like a good plan kid," Cog began, looking through a pair of binoculars. "There is just one major problem with it."

"And what would that be?"

"Simple," Cog handed the binoculars over to Daniel, pointing toward the hotel. "Look in that direction, top floor."

Daniel pulled the binoculars over his eyes, doing as instructed. He gave off a loud grunt as his teeth grit, suddenly feeling very nervous about entering the town of Novac. Standing right infront of the hotel that he had intended to get a room at was none other then about a dozen men. All of them wore black leather jackets. Each jacket shared a certain feature that would make anyone nervous upon seeing it.

A red fang was tailored on the back.

Daniel and Cog had made their way into Novac, the two taking notice that there seemed to be a member of the Red Fang standing around every corner. All of the merchant-stands seemed to be empty, save for the infirmary. Daniel couldn't help but wonder if he was being hunted by the Red Fang, thanks to the little ordeal he had with them a few days ago. The image of Myer's corpse flashed through his head once more, causing Daniel to shudder.

Suppose I get more people killed here? Maybe we should leave before I cause more bloodshed. Is Bard even here still? Daniel and Cog came to a stop behind a empty shack, the two not exchanging a word to one another. A dog could be heard barking in the distance as murmuring echoed throughout the streets, no doubt from patrolling members of The Red Fang. If I am the target, a alarm would of been raised by now! That's a relief... but why are they here? Did Bard do something to piss them off to?

"Ey, kid," Cog murmured, gesturing his head toward three gang members that were making their way toward Daniel and Cog. "We have company. Try not to shoot first and ask questions later, please?"

"I don't go looking for trouble." Daniel turned to face the approaching men, giving off a heavy, exhausted sigh. "Trouble just comes for me." The two went silent once more as the three came to a stop before them. The leader of the trio, a grime-covered, brown skinned man with a black buzzcut, looked Daniel and Cog over for a few moments before his face contorted into a scowl.

"You two don't look like you're with The Scorpion."

"Scorpion?" Cog looked around, scratching his head, "I like to think that we aren't in the vicinity of a giant, mutated, flesh eating creature!"

"Old man, now is not the time for humor. I speak not of animals or giants, no. I speak of a monster that is snapping right upon the heels of my brothers and I!"

"Monster ehh," murmured Daniel, sliding his poker chip out and beginning to do his habit, "You doggies seem to be running something, tails tucked in between your legs! Care to fill us in?"

"Normally," began the leader with mild irritation, "I would have your sorry ass shot into a meatball for such disrespect! As it stands however, The Pack is looking to avoid trouble for the time being. The Scorpion we speak of is indeed unlike the armored ones that you have most likely encountered in your travels. This one travels only on two legs, and is far deadlier then anything you have ever encountered, for it is a demon! That is what some of my brethren refer to him as, anyways."

"Him, ehh" inquired Cog, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "So it's another man?"

"If he can be called that. We know little of our pursuer, other then this. He once served under the filthy wretch, Caeser, as one of his greatest soldiers!" Daniel's eyes widened as he felt his stomach clench tightly, his heart beginning to pound relentlessly against his chest.

No... no way. It can't be possible! I can not be this lucky.

"You have probably heard the stories of Benny's monster," continued the leader, grimacing, "The one they call The Demon of Arizona. Vatris Mars himself!" Any feeling that Daniel had before was now replace by a empty, hollow one. A feelinng of dread toward the inevitable.

Vatris is after this group? All logic says I should run, but it does not tell me in what direction. Toward him, or away?

"Now hold on," Cog's voice said wisely, "You mean to tell me that a rag-tag bunch such as yourself have done something to provoke Vatris? I know little of the guy, but what I do know is that he is a very, VERY busy man! You folks are just some gangsters running around and extorting folks."

"We were, until recently," the leader responded, sighing heavily. "If you will please excuse us, we must continue our patrol. We merely approached the two of you so that we could confirm if you were speis of The Scorpion or not."

"Wait!" Daniel caught the poker chip as it fell, sliding it into his pocket. "We are looking for a friend of ours. A paranoid angry man that goes by the name of Bard. Know hi-" Before Daniel could finish his sentence, he and Cog found themselves staring at the barrels of two 9MM pistols, the henchmen of the trio gripping them tightly! One of them pulled back on the hammer, about to pull the trigger!

"HOLD YOUR FIRE," a loud, angry voice echoed from behind Daniel and Cog. Had a gun not been aimed at him, he would of turned to see who the speaker was. Apparently, whoever it was had strong authority amongst the gang, for the two henchmen lowered their weapons and the leader of the trio walked past Daniel. Daniel and Cog turned to see five other gangsters standing, four of them gripping Tommy-Guns tightly in their hands. The fifth stood in the middle, a tall, white skinned man wearing a sleeveless black shirt, and pants of the same color. His hair was very dark and cut into a mohawk, with sideburns and a rough beard completing the appearance. He appeared to be the one that yelled.

"Lord Kardos," the leader of the trio said with much respect, and fear, in his voice, "These two appear to be spies to The Scorpion!"

"And tell me, Marvin," spat the one addressed as Kardos, "What gave you the idea that SHOOTING THEM would be excellent for our cause? Are we as trigger-happy as the accursed King's that we spilled so much blood to replace?"

"N-no, my lo-" Marvin was interrupted once more by his superior's yelling. As he was being scolded, the two henchmen that had been ready to kill Daniel and Cog made their way to the group of Red Fang. Daniel looked to Cog, ignoring the yelling that was going on and speaking to him.

"Think we should run?"

"From who kid?" Cog passed a glare to Daniel, the mercenary immedietly understanding what was on his partner's mind, "I know you want to kill Vatris more then anything right now, but can we keep our eyes on the current goal?"

"Relax old man. Im vengeful, not suicidal."

"Let's keep it that way," Cog looked toward the direction of the group once more, "Heads up, we have company." Daniel looked to see that Kardos was walking toward them, the rest of The Red Fang staying behind and glaring in Daniel's direction.

"I apologize for the major inconvienance that I am sure we are causing," Kardos said as he reached the two, Daniel noticing many scars on the man's arms and face. He had obviously seen much combat in his life. "I am pleased to tell you this, however. We have been expecting you, Chip-Toss Dillinger!"

Crap! Daniel felt his right eye give off a twitch as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead, He knows that I was involved in the Primm shootout, doesn't he? The words that Kardos said next brought both, surprise, and relief to Daniel.

"We are protecting your friend, Bard. He has told us that you may be coming, and to take you to him if we see you!"

Daniel and Cog shared glances with one another, Daniel unable to hide the smirk forming on his face. He then looked to Kardos, giving off a chuckle.

"In that case, lead the way!"


***


Daniel walked through the streets of Freeside, glass crunching underneath his shoes. The ruined streets that surrounded him were empty for once, no sign of thugs or refugees. He came upon a large, brick building that was missing the roof. Approaching a perfectly intact door, Daniel withdrew from his pocket a key. He unlocked the door and entered the building, his eyes greeted by the sight of a woman slumped against the wall. Her body was covered by brown robes, and her face by a brown hood. Little strands of dark hair could be seen sticking against her forehead.

"At least you can rest," Daniel muttered quietly, shutting the door and locking it once more. His body gave off a shiver, Daniel realizing that there was no heat source inside the cold, ruined building. He quickly made his way toward the woman, sliding his back down the wall and pulling out a lighter.

"You know," a gentle voice said to his side as he slid a cigarette into his mouth, "We don't have to sleep in this building if your to much of a baby to handle it." Daniel glanced to the woman he thought was sleeping, her blue eyes looking back to him as she gave off a kind smirk. "It's not even that cold tonight Daniel, do you really need to smoke?"

"Sorry Veronica," Daniel responded, lighting the cigarette and inhaling. "Ever since Checker's had the nerve to put a bullet in my brain, I haven't really felt things the way I should. It can't be helped. Say, where is he anyways?"

"Benny is trying to work a deal with The Kings," Veronica responded, looking up to the sky. "How was the meeting with Mr.House? I'm guessing he gave you another mission?"

"Yeah," Daniel closed his eyes, recalling the sudden amount of emotion House had shown him earlier, "But I don't think that was the reason why he called me over. If he wanted to give me a task, he could of just done it through a securitron."

"Oh? What was it then? Did you two talk about anything special?"

"We did actually." Daniel inhaled once again before shaking some of the ash from his deathstick, "Did you know that he has a family, of a sort?"

"A family? Isn't he a bit to old to have relati- oh! You mean like how I used to be with the Brotherhood of Steel before... before... you know."

Daniel nodded quietly, sliding the cigarette back into his mouth. "Yeah. Apparently there is four of them! A old man that is currently spying on the NCR, and, you're not going to believe this, someone inside Caeser's Legion!

"Caeser's Legion?" Veronica looked to Daniel with much confusion. "Did you hear that right? Last I checked, the Legion was just a bunch of-"

"Children that hate anything with wires, I know," interrupted Daneil, "Those were my thoughts exactly, but... well... this is Mr.House we are talking about! If he is able to take a bunch of tribes and make this out of them," Daniel said as he gestured toward a light-covered portion of the sky, "Then it shouldn't be a surprise to us that he can make something out of one legionare!"

"Still, whoever it is has to be a good actor. This is Caeser's Legion we are talking about Daniel, a army of ass-kissers that will jump when told to jump! Anyways, what about the third and fourth?"

Daniel scratched his head, not sure what to say about the one Mr.House called his third. "Well, he didn't tell me much. Said that the guy was younger then me, probably 19, and had a hobby of putting together puzzles and collecting cat relating items."

"...Cats?"

"It's weird, I know."

"Yes, ve-" Veronica was interrupted by a loud howl from outside the building that sent chills down Daniel's spine. He looked toward the locked door nearby, Veronica giving off a heavy sigh. "You know, stray animals are more scary then a molerat in Power Armor."

"A what?"

"Nevermind, tell me about the fourth person."

Daniel gave off a grunt as his mind raced, trying to put together the words he wished were never uttered to him. After much hesitation, he finally spoke.

"Well... the thing is. I am the fourth one." Daniel looked to Veronica, his eyes pleading for advice. She stared back silently, before giving off a understanding nod. Just as she was about to say something however, the door to the building opened, and in stepped Benny. He was wearing his checkered-suit, much dirt staining the white squares, and some facial hair could be seen growing on his face.

"Any of you lovebirds have a razor," he said as he shut and locked the door, "I could really use one right now. Daniel, how did the meeting go?"

"Fairly well," Daniel responded, feigning confidence in his voice, "Mr.House wants me to somehow persuade the NCR to not attack Cottonwood Cove, something they have been planning to do for some time."

"Well forget about it," Benny responded, looking to Daniel and Veronica as he slid a cigarette into his mouth, lighting it. "Your days of working with the senior is over, Danni-Boy, because tomorrow, Mr.House cashes in!"

A very sickening feeling erupted throughout Daniel's body as he let the words sink in. Tomorrow was it, the day that he would have to betray Mr.House. Had he been given this information a few hours earlier, Daniel would of been able to use real confidence in his voice instead of fake, but now? It was taking every ounce of his self-control to not shoot Benny on the spot. Why couldn't he just do it? Why couldn't he just finish the first task that House had given him weeks ago?

"Benny," Veronica said as she suddenly stood, pulling Daniel up with her, "I think he got into a bad drink or something. Daniel has been shaking a bit ever since he got back, so I am going to take him on over to the Old Mormon Fort."

"Can't hold in your drink smoothshot?" Benny gave off a sigh, shaking his head. "Whatever. I was hoping to talk to you tonight about our plan, but it can wait. Get well soon, you dig? I mean it, I need you in working condition so we can finish this part of the game already!"

"Y-yeah," Daniel said weakly. He realized that Veronica wasn't lying, he really was shaking badly. "Don't worry about it Checkers, I'll make sure Mr.House is dead before tomorrow is over."

"Let's go," whispered Veronica, setting a hand on Daniel's back and beginning to walk forward.

The Red Fang had escorted Daniel and Cog across Novac, toward the tiny, two story hotel across from the dinosaur. Kardos had been fairly silent the entire trip, as were most of the Red Fang. He occasionally passed a glance toward Daniel, Daniel unable to help but feel as if he was being glared it.

Is it possible that he knows about my involvement in the Primm shootout, Daniel thought to himself as they made their way up a small set of stairs, approaching a door with two Red Fang henchmen flanking, How much information did the person that sent in that report to Black Mountain radio give away? My eye color? The gun I use? Furthermore, why can't people keep there damn mouth shut in this wasteland for at least a week! He couldn't help but feel a tinge of paranoia as Kardos came to a stop in front of the door.

"Leave us," Kardos said to the henchmen that had followed, as well as the guards. A few gently nodded before making their way toward the courtyard that lay between the large building used for the hotel and the smaller cabins nearby the dinosaur. Daniel had expected Kardos to open the door, but instead the man turned and looked directly at him. "Daniel Dillinger, you are walking on a very dangerous edge. Coyote was the son of The Alpha, our leader, and a very well respected member of the Red Fang. Not only that, but he was also my student!"

Daniel simply stared, deciding from the look that Cog was giving him that it would be better if he kept his mouth shut for once. Kardos continued to speak, looking to Cog now.

"I see that you are in a way, the mentor of this one?" Cog scratched his head, coughing quietly.

"Erm, I suppose you could say that," he muttered, looking around nervously, "I am more or less just a business partner. He does the shootin, I do the tech-work, we both make money."

"Either way, one of you must be the thinker amongst your crew," Kardos shot a glare toward Daniel, "I highly doubt it is this one, judging from the stories that Bard has told me."

"Bard is a bozart," Daniel said as he looked toward the large amount of henchmen standing around in the courtyard, "Anyways, are you going to continue berating me, or are we going to get down to business? It is obvious that you have some use of me, otherwise I am sure your puppies would of taken a little nip out of me by now."

"Kid, can you keep your damn mouth shut for once?" Cog smacked Daniel against the shoulder, giving off a sigh as Kardos tapped a finger on the handle of a combat-knife sticking from his belt.

"Enough," he said, turning to the door, "Bard must fill you in." He turned the knob, pushing the door opening and stepping into the room. Cog followed with Daniel behind, Daniel closing the door as he entered.

The room was very small, made to fit only one person, or a couple and their child. A TV lay on top a dresser, turned off and cracked. A fridge could be seen at the back of the room. In the center, propped against a wall was a poorly made bed that could fit two people, and ontop sat Bard. He was wearing a white shirt with a red vest over it, and black pants upon his legs. Daniel felt a chill run down his back as he noticed a large cut on top his friend's bald head, some burn marks visible.

Vatris got to him before I did... so... how did he escape?

"It is about time you arrive, Chip-Toss Dillinger," Bard said quietly, not even looking at the three. "You to Cog, you're always welcome to help."

"Of course I am," muttered Cog, crossing his arms and looking to the floor. He seemed to always be a side dish when it came to meeting Daniel's friends! "It's good to see that you shaved that god-awful ponytail."

"He didn't sha-" both Daniel and Kardos began, only to be interrupted as Bard slammed a fist into the wall, glaring at the three.

"YOU ASS HOLES ALWAYS HAVE TO BRING UP MY SENSE OF STYLE, DON'T YOU? While it's alright for Caeser's Legion to wear skirts, and you Red Fang franchiados to prance around in your leather jackets, the entire world comes to a screeching halt the moment I try new things WITH MY HAIR!"

Kardos seemed to be unable to decide whether he was amused, or insulted by the comments said. Meanwhile, Daniel was facing the wall with his face turning redder, while Cog seemed to suddenly have a coughing fit.

"As for my hair Cog," Bard continued, rising from the bed and pulling out a 9MM pistol. He aimed it toward the fridge, "It was blown away, ALONG WITH MY WIFE, in a horrible accident involving Sugar Bombs!" Three gunshots cracked through the room as the fridge was penetrated with bullets. Daniel at this point had collapsed on the floor, bawling with laughter as Kardos drew his knife and gave off a loud shout. As for Cog? That coughing fit seemed to just be getting worse.

---

"I don't know if I will be able to go through with this Veronica," Daniel said quietly. Veronica had taken him to The Ultra Luxe, where they had rented a room for the night. He was now sitting against a bed, still dressed in the same clothes he had on earlier. Veronica had pulled her hood off, letting her dark hair fall down as she stared toward the Lucky 38 from the window that was inside the hotel room. "When I planned to kill Mr.House, I was under the impression that he merely saw me as a expandable pawn in his game. Never would I have imagined that he regarded people as family, especially not myself!"

"Peace, Daniel," Veronica said quietly, closing the blinds and giving off a sigh. She turned from the window, approaching him and setting a hand on his shoulder. "You let your thoughts dwell far to much on the intentions of Benny, and not your own. I understand that you feel guilt toward what you are planning, but is it to late to cancel your deal with Benny? You owe him nothing! For crying out loud, he shot you in the head no less then two months ago!"

"I wish it was that simple Veronica, but we are to deep into this business now. Had I brought a end to his life when the task was given to me, then no consequence would there have been to suffer. Now however, we find ourselves in a pit filled with hungry dogs, and he is the one that holds onto their leashes!"

"Perhaps so, but are you not the one that feeds the dogs their meal? They have far more respect for you then anyone else. The Boomers, The Great Khans, and even those that you intend to take from all respect you. What does Benny have? A nice suit and shiny toy, and perhaps a fancy way with words? You are not his slave, Daniel. If you feel that your loyalties are to Mr.House, then I strongly insist that you finish the mission that he had given you!"

Daniel fell back against the bed, staring at the roof. Veronica was right, Benny held not nearly as many cards in his hand as Daniel did. For crying out loud, was it not him that managed to break Benny out of the very citadel of Caeser's Legion? So why couldn't he do the simple task of doing the same thing that Benny did to him? A bullet to the head would solve all of his troubles!

But it wouldn't. Even if he killed Benny, it was to late for Daniel to go back. He knew that Benny was very paranoid at the moment, unable to trust anyone but his right-hand man Swank. Benny most likely was somehow contacting Swank still, giving him orders and information while he and Daniel worked. If anything happened to Benny, and the plot to kill Mr.House came to a sudden stop, all the evidence would be pointing directly toward Daniel. That wasn't what bothered Daniel however... no, not even close.

"Veronica, I don't want you to get killed because of me." Veronica looked toward Daniel, seeming slightly shocked (and flattered) by the comment. "As it stands, Benny has many people loyal to him, ready to shoot when he says shoot. He has been planning this out very carefully Veronica, for longer then I have even known of the existence of a Platinum Chip. You remember what your old family did to those doctors a few weeks ago?" Veronica gave off a shudder, looking to the floor.

"I try not to. What are you trying to say?"

"That could very easily be us if I go against Benny. Sure, a lot of the tribes we are uniting have respect for you and I, but do you think The Chairmen care? I don't want to see you get blown apart in front of me one day, because of my greed and Benny's!"

A long silence followed, Veronica fidgeting around. She paced the room a little, glancing to Daniel every now and then. Finally, after five minutes, she came to the bed and sat herself down.

"You know... I have been thinking a lot lately," she said quietly, staring toward the floor. "I know that when you and I met, I proudly proclaimed The Brotherhood of Steel as my family, but none of them has ever said anything that flattering before. Daniel, I told you about Miranda and me, and what the two of us had?" Daniel already knew what was coming. Veronica never talked much about her past lover, and when she did it usually lead to a deep conversation. While Daniel enjoyed sharing thoughts with her, he did not wish for Veronica to start growing more attached to him. At least not until the situation he was in came to a end.

"Save it Veronica," he said gently, pulling himself into a seated position and looking to her. "I don't want the two of us getting attached to one another... not right now anyways." A look came to her face that told Daniel he had hurt her, which in turn made him feel hurt. "It's not you, trust me. You are a very nice girl, and... eccentric? It's just that I don't want you to end up taking a bullet for me. Trust me Veronica, it's better that we don't give our enemies any ammo to shoot us with."

She gave off a sigh, nodding quietly. "Alright, sorry for bringing it up." A brief silence followed once more, Veronica looking toward the shut window while Daniel fumbled with the red poker chip he had recently swiped from The Lucky 38. "Well... I guess I'll get going. Get some rest, ok? If you need anything from me, I'll be in the room next door."

Daniel did not respond as she began to exit, even when she hesitated toward the door. He gave the poker chip a flip, letting it fall to the floor as he collapsed on the bed.

"Tomorrow, someone has to die," he muttered quietly to himself. Despite the wretched thoughts that were bouncing in his brain, he still somehow managed to fall asleep.




The next morning, Daniel was awoken with a knock at the door. He rose from the bed, staggering toward the door and pulling it open. A man in a light-pink suit stood before him, brown hair slicked back.

"Time to wake up sunshine," he said with a smirk, poking Daniel on the head. "The boss-man is waiting in his room for you. Get some new clothes on to. You smell worse then a mole rats ass."

No matter how much Daniel wished otherwise, one thought was pulsating strongly in his brain. Today, either Mr.House, or Benny would be killed by him.

The four were now seated in the courtyard of the hotel, around a circular wooden table. The stars twinkled beautifully above, accompanied by a full moon. Daniel was once again smoking from a cigarette, Kardos and Bard sharing the habit while Cog was repairing a Red Fang's watch. After Bard's episode, Kardos insisted that Daniel and Cog be fed before Bard told his story. As Daniel inhaled some smoke, he recalled the conversation that he had with Kardos while Bard was digging the bullets from the fridge.

"If the situation was not so dire, Mr.Dillinger, I would be carrying your head to The Alpha right now." Daniel had responded with a glare, flicking his chip toward Kardos' side of the table and yawning. "I want to know why you killed Coyote; he would never deliberatly start a gun fight, especially not in the middle of a town."

"Don't speak to me as if I enjoy the fact that everywhere I go, people seem to die. I was not the one that started the gunfight anyways, it was a very drunk Sheriff Myers; he had been on the verge of break down for such a long time, his death really did not come to me as a shock. If you are looking for apologies from me, Kardos, you will find none. I have absolutely no respect for The Red Fang, or any gang for that matter. Your friends have been causing major problems for colonies in the South Mojave, or so Bard has told me."

"The stories that get spread about us are often lies," Kardos had slid the poker chip from the table and tossed it back to Daniel, whom caught it as he rolled his eyes, "The truth is, The Red Fang seeks to bring peace in The Mojave. Certainly, we have a few poorly taught members that have caused misery for some lives, but unlike other organisations, The Red Fang strives to become better every day. The people are not our worst enemy, Mr.Dillinger, nor is The Chairmen that control all of Vegas, though they certainly are a runner up."

"Is this the part where you try to make me sympathise for your cause?" Daniel had looked toward the window, watching the sun set, "Tell me then, Kardos, what does a wolf perceive as its worse enemy? Who is it that hunts your lot?"

"None other then the man that Bard told me you have battled before, if he can be called that," Kardos narrowed his eyes toward Daniel as he slid his combat knife out, slamming it into the nearby wall. He spat on the floor, speaking with much contempt in his voice through grit teeth. "Vatris Mars, and his followers that call themselves The Heretics! Deserters of Caeser's Legion whom claim to swear loyalty to The Chairmen, when they work upon their own agenda."

"Vatris?" Daniel's interest had been caught now, as a spark of respect lit toward Kardos, "What did he do to pull your tail?"

"The Red Fang have been around longer then what is publically known," Kardos ripped his blade from the wall, going to the window and observing his soldiers in the courtyard. "Many of our members are adopted from The Great Khans, and the rest of us are the survivors of a once powerful tribe that existed to the east for many years, until Caeser forced us out." He shook his head, closing his eyes and giving off a deep sigh. "We played our part in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, whether or not anyone knows this. While the battle within The Dam was taking place, The Alpha and I sprang a sneak attack on The Fort."

"Caeser did not see us coming, and therefore had little time to . Our pack came down upon his citadel fiercely, hungry for vengeance! The Alpha and I stood side by side, our true blades far surpassing their machetes of scrap, cutting our way through any legionare that dared to approach us! Unfortunately, we failed to reach Caeser, for Legate Lanias had fallen and Vatris Mars had taken control of the forces. When he ordered the retreat to The Fort, it was like we were being ambushed.""

"The blood of our brothers began to flood Fortification Hill. For the few hours that Legate Vatris held power, he had made sure to show both, his comrades and his enemies, why he deserved the title. He even went so far as to battle The Alpha, a fight that should be kept in the scrolls of history for all of eternity. The Wolf fought well against The Scorpion, however, our foe was deceiving and cunning. When Benny's Legion attacked Fortification Hill, Vatris ordered his men to retreat behind ours. The Red Fang was caught in the crossfire, mistaken as followers of The Legion.'

Kardos gave off a growl, turning to look Daniel directly in the eye. He raised his knife, flipping it in his hand.

"I am not bitter for that, wars are meant to kill after all. What fuels The Red Fang's hate toward The Heretics is this: After Caeser demanded that Vatris and many soldiers be executed, Vatris took those that were loyal to him and brought them to Vegas. He somehow managed to make himself Benny's right hand man, a role that I have been informed was once yours. Once Vatris and his followers had gotten themselves settled, they began to kill off many members of The Red Fang, despite the fact that we were declared a peaceful tribe at that point."

"Vatris declared war upon us, just so he may lynch our dead upon the east side of The Colorado River as a warning to Caeser's Legion. He took our order that had been so intent on bringing peace throughout The Mojave, and forced us into a war that had no purpose other then to supply him with banners. Despite this, The Red Fang lives on! We have built our stronghold directly within Freeside, and wage war against The Heretics from the heart of their employers power. For four years, it has been a long stand-off, Benny not wishing for the public to think that he needs the aid of former legionares to keep his streets clean of his enemies. Vatris has not dared to attack our citadel, and we have not made a plan to attack Fortifaction Hill, the home of Vatris."

Daniel's respect for The Red Fang had been completed after Kardos had finished the story. From that point on, he had taken a kinder tone toward Kardos, telling him the details of Coyote's death and explaining that his actions had been haunting him for the past few days. Finally, night fell, and they found themselves sitting at the round table under the stars.

"Bard," Kardos said as Daniel blew smoke in his direction, "It is time. Tell The Green Eyed Tiger what you have discovered to invoke the wrath of The Scorpion!"

Bard looked to Daniel, putting out his cigarrette and tossing it to the side.

"It was no more then three weeks ago. I managed to sneak into Fortification Hill..."

***

"Daniel," the voice of Mr.House scolded, "I could of sworn that you were supposed to be doing a assignment right now. I highly doubt that the deed is done, considering my securitrons spotted you and Lady Veronica entering The Ultra Lux!"

Daniel did not utter a word as he stared at the monitor. His entire body was shaking as his heart pounded against his chest, counting the seconds. Benny's messenger had told Daniel to find where Mr.House was hiding, and kill him; Benny had aquired the layout of The Lucky 38 (thanks to a bug Daniel had planted that proved far more successful then those from other factions), and discovered that a secret elevator was located within the penthouse. His messenger had informed Daniel that five minutes upon entering The Lucky 38 today, that bug would tamper with Mr.House's signals and cause the elevator to open. The securitrons would be unable to do anything for as long as that bug tampered with the signal, allowing Daniel to slip in and do the deed.

"Mr.Dillinger, has something occured that requires my attention?" Judging from the signals your body is giving off, you are in a mas-"The screen flicked off suddenly, causing Daniel's stomach to clench as the words, "Connection Lost..." came up. He waited for a few moments, assuming that the terminal was simply doing the same thing it always did whenever Daniel and House talked. Suddenly, a loud scream emitted from the platform behind him, the voice of a woman shouting in panic!

"ROBERT! Something is wrong, I can't... I don't... my vision... blargh. I am dead." Daniel turned swiftly just in time to see Jane-Bot collapse on the floor, her monitor shattering from the impact. The many securitrons that surrounded him began to do the same thing, the lights inside the penthouse flickering off. Daniel's heart began to race as he heard a humming emit from one of the nearby rooms!

"Forgive me," Daniel whispered, rushing into action. He ran toward the direction of the humming, red lights beginning to turn on above him as a intercom activated, the voice of Mr.House speaking loudly throughout the halls.

"Never would I have thought you a traitor, especially after our little talk yesterday!" Daniel found himself looking upon a hidden room, a securitron knocked to the floor and a elevator built in the wall. He quickly made his way in, pressing on the second of two buttons inside. "This is indeed a surprise, Mr.Dillinger, and a very unpleasant one. I always saw initiative in you, but to pull a move as suicidal as this out of the blue? Have you come into contact with my second?"

The elevator began to descend, Daniel's entire body shaking as he gripped onto the handle of his revolver, taking in deep breathes. This was it. He was going to confront Mr.House, face to face at last. He decided that it would be better to not respond to Mr.House, unsure if it was the guilt in his heart that was making him do so or something else.

"You are clueless, Daniel! You do not know how to operate my technology, nor do you know how to operate a civilization! You are nothing more then a pawn, one that has become far to full of himself. " A loud ding sounded through the elevator, the doors sliding open. Daniel found himself standing on top a steel walkway, railings on the sides that formed a rectangle. He stepped forward to discover that the room had taken him into the basemant of the Lucky 38, a confirmable fact thanks to the many generators, steel platforms, and stairs that were built all around him. There was one feature that lay before Daniel's eyes however that was definitely not present anywhere else inside the basemant.

"I can give you everything, fool," the voice of Mr.House echoed throughout the underground maze, Daniel slowly stepping toward a giant capsule that was attached to a giant steel box, several wires running from it into the capsule. A terminal could be seen built inside a steel pillar rising from the floor, Daniel slowly going to it. "Killing me will leave you with nothing, along with this wasteland! What reason have you to do such madness?" Daniel felt disgusted as he recognized fear inside his former mentor's voice. "It seems as if the ghost of Benny has possessed you; his madness, has become your own. I should of predicted this, the moment I saw similarities between the two!"

Daniel came to a stop, taking in a deep breathe as he stared at the capsule before him. All he had to do was open it and finish off Mr.House, then Daniel would be free of any burden... right? Benny had said this was the most work that Daniel would have to do, but would that stay true? Why was he agreeing to this when Daniel knew that he had more feelings for Mr.House? The answer had just been spoken by his victim, despite how much Daniel wanted to not hear it... Benny and him were similar. They both tugged at the tail of death, they both took enormous gambles, and they both had no intention of being anyones slave; Daniel could almost call Benny his brother. The question that tugged at Daniel's head was simply who he owed more loyalty to... his brother, or father?

"I thought I could succeed with you where I failed with him," House shouted through the speakers, "I thought I could of made something out of you! Don't you see Daniel? By killing me, you will not only be dooming yourself, but the entire wasteland that you live in! Who will stop The Legion from invading if not myself? The NCR? Assuming they win, this wasteland will become another giant outpost for them to place their military! You were never meant to think, but I beg that for once in your life, USE SOME LOGIC! Don't let that which killed Benny kill you to, for I am willing to be- NO!"

Daniel's guilt was replaced by the same level of shock that House's voice now contained as he stared at the sight to his left. Before his every eyes, Benny had appeared out of nowhere, gripping his silver magnum in his hand and holding a amused look on his face as he looked toward the terminal.

"Chip-Toss Dillinger," he said, walking toward the terminal and beginning to work with the keys, "You have done enough. I want to be the one that puts a bullet in this dictator's head!"

"How could- how is it possible-" Mr.House seemed unable to form his sentence. Benny gave off a chuckle as he pressed the enter key, a loud alarm going off. "NO! This is not- the odds could never calculate something of this magnitude!"

Daniel was speechless as the capsule slowly slid open, mist rising from it. Benny stepped before the container, stroking the barrel of his magnum as he watched with that same, cold amused look.

"For once, he actually sounds stupid," he said out loud, Daniel backing toward the elevator as a crane rose from the capsule, carrying a horrifying sight. Had he not known beforehand what was inside the capsule, Daniel would of mistaken Mr.House for a skeleton. The ruler of New Vegas was paler then a ghost, with un-managed white hair growing all over his face, and no life in his eyes. "Certainly does not look as charming as the picture would have implied."

"You... you fools!" House's voice was weezy, gasping for air as he pointed a trembling finger toward Daniel. "I would of... I would of given you everything, and yet... yet you have the ignorance, the stupidity to attempt to wrest control of Vegas, FROM ME?"

"Give it a rest, pops," shouted Benny, walking toward House and placing his magnum against the old mans skull. "Your brain is your best weapon you say? I doubt that will be the case when it's splattered all over that nice bed you have been sleeping in for so long. You played one hell of a game, Mr.House, but it turns out that sometimes when you double down, the dealer will lose."

Daniel collapsed on his knees, gripping the railing as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to be in this room anymore, nor in Vegas. He wanted to run, away from Benny, away from House. He needed to find salvation... a protector... he needed Veronica right now. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud, hoarse cackle, followed by raspy coughs.

"Do you... do you honestly think, that you have won the game, the two of you?" Mr.House glared directly at Benny, a smirk coming on his face. "Certainly, you may have... you may have eliminated me today, but do you honestly think that I didn't... that I didn't expect to die soon? That I would let death destroy what I have worked my entire life for? Are you that simple-minded, BENNY? I have already informed Daniel of the three other players in this game. Vegas is not yours, nor will it ever b-"

A loud gunshot erupted throughout the halls, echoing for many seconds. Daniel gripped his ears, letting out a loud cry as he collapsed on his chest. He could feel his heart racing faster then a bullet, threatening to burst inside him any second! For several moments, Daniel lay on the ground, eyes and ears closed. Finally, after twenty seconds, he slowly opened his eyes and lowered his hands to see Benny standing over him, blood covering his face. The corpse of Mr.House could be seen dangling from the capsule, blood pouring out of the hole in his head.

"Daniel Dillinger." Benny extended a hand, giving off a smile. "Today is the greatest day of your life and mine. Put on a smile, for we have just finished our coronation."

Veronica looked outside the window of her Ultra-Luxe room, eying the crowds that have gathered outside the Lucky 38. Just a few minutes ago, a man had rushed into the casino downstairs and proclaimed that Mr.House was announced dead by the securitrons. Veronica had immediatly retreated to her room, where Daniel and her had planned to meet once either Benny or House was dead.

She went to the bed, seating herself with a sigh and pulling her hood off. A hand ran through her hair as Veronica took a deep breathe, hoping that Daniel was still amongst the living.

"If that idiot is dead, where the hell do I go?" She shook her head, groaning. The Brotherhood of Steel had exiled her and made it quite clear that she was not to interact with any outsiders concerning the information that the Brotherhood had given her over the years. She would have to flee far from The Mojave before being able to do any work for anyone else.

Suddenly, a rapping emit from the door. Veronica stood up and walked wuickly over, turning the knob. Relief swept through her body as she saw Daniel standing before her, not a cut on his face.

"I was worried sick you know," she said, "Some idiot came inside the casino and announced Mr.House dead. Are you ok Daniel?" Daniel did not respond as he walked inside the room, staring toward the window. Veronica slowly shut the door, passing a look of concern on over to him. "Daniel? Hello?" He glanced around the room before looking to her.

"Your hood is down for once," he said quietly, his voice lacking the usual sarcasm that it held. Veronica's hands shot to her head as she walked to the bed, groping around for the hood. Just as she grabbed it however, a pair of arms wrapped around her and she found herself pulled against Daniel's body. "What th-"

"I know that I am not exactly your type," he whispered quietly, squeezing her gently, "But you certainly are mine. How about we forget about this whole war and assassination nonsense... just for one day? Take this day for ourselves."

Veronica was speechless, feeling her worries replaced with... with something else. There was a very long silence between the two, a gentle saxophone playing from the nearby radio. Finally, Veronica wrapped her arms around Daniel and closed her eyes.

"You know," she whispered, "For a man that got shot in the head, that brain of yours sure does have a way with words."


***


"I don't care if Vatris Mars himself shows up at the meeting!" howled The Alpha as he slammed a fist into the desk, glaring at the messenger before him, "You take your sorry ass back on over to Padrig and tell him that I expect to see his face in that council room, TONIGHT! He can forget about taking command of those soldiers to, I want every window of this damn building to have a man aiming out of it!"

"R-right away sir!" The courier quickly fled the room, leaving The Alpha alone with a tall, bald man sporting the regular uniform of The Red Fang.

"You called me for me, my lord?" he asked, looking to The Alpha.

"Yes Ulrich, I have a task of major importance for you." The Alpha took from his desk a piece of paper, handing it over to Ulrich. "Read this over when you can, it will fill you in. I need you to head to the Novac area as soon as you possibly can, and tell Kardos to bring himself and his men back here. If you run into any other regiments of our men out there, pass the message along!"

"May I ask what calls for such a sudden gathering?"

"Read the letter and you shall see, for it appears that The Chairmen do not intend to give me time to mourn my sons death."

"Very well then, my lord." Ulrich took a bow before exiting The Alpha's chambers, giving off a heavy sigh. The Alpha had been on edge for the past three days, after hearing from the radio that his son had been killed in some massacre at Primm. Several scouts had been sent into the area for the sole purpose of finding a package that was supposed to be sold to a client. There had been no reports from the scouts as of yet, however something had clearly driven The Alpha into a mad state of paranoia. Ulrich had been seeing couriers zoom in and out of the building all day, each one with a look of fear on their face.

"What could possibly be bothering him so much, that it distracts him from the death of his own son?" Ulrich raised the letter he had been given, reading it over. His heart skipped three beats as his eyes widened, taking in every single word on the paper.

To The Alpha

I must say, you and your little club have done a magnificent job of keeping the streets of Freeside in good condition for me. I never would of expected my enemies to prove far more useful then my own allies, but you have proven me very wrong for the past few years! I would like to think that what we had was more of a business relationship then anything; you keep the streets of Freeside clean for me, I don't send in my soldiers to kill everybody sporting a jacket in that little building of yours.

That being said, it seems that you never did catch on to the fact that the only reason The Red Fang exist is because I let it do so. It has come to my attention that many of your soldiers have been increasing their efforts in disrupting my own business, and I simply cannot allow that. I am feeling very nice today, so I am going to give you and your men a chance to pull out of my city and never show their pathetic faces around these parts again.

You have precisely two days to do this. If you and your men are not out of Vegas by that time... expect a visit from Vatris Mars himself.

Signed
Benny


"Damn him," Ulrich muttered, sliding the paper into his pocket. He began to stride down the hall, intent on reaching Novac before the noon of tomorrow.

---

"Der be a reason dat Mr.House had THREE families, yeah know," No-Bark stated to the dozen men that stood before him. They all wore purple business suits and hats, some carrying Tommy-Guns and others gripping onto lead pipes. The leader of the group, a tall, muscular man with purple shades stepped forward, dropping the cigarette in his hand and stomping on it. "Yeh see here, Mr.House has three families because his actual family consist of three people! Maybe a fourth if you go counting the Lucky 38!"

"This idiot doesn't have any idea what he is talking about Maroni," one of the henchmen said, the leader of the group raising his hand.

"That doesn't matter," he hissed, "We have a job to do. Now, I'm not going to ask you again punk. The Red Fang, have you seen them in this area?"

"I saw a red fang on a wolf once," No-Bark replied, "The jaw was cut off though. Any who, I gotta get going. These folks that have come into town and are camping the hotel tonight, so I need to make sure that they don't go awakening any giant robots and what not!"

Maroni's face twisted into a grin as he turned to face his henchmen, looking all of them over.

"Looks like we are hunting some dogs tonight boys!"

Bark more than you bite.

Episode 5

Escalation

The Red Fang's councilmen had finally assembled around a long rectangular table. The Alpha looked outside a window that offered the best view of Freeside that the Red Fang building could bring, his eyes greeted by the many lights of Vegas. Casinos buzzed with activity down below, the sound of Vegas' crowds reaching all the way up to the fourth story of the building that the conference room was located in.

"Alpha," an agitated voice called from behind, "The other two councilmen are not showing up. Let's get this meeting over with, I have some trade to attend to!"

The Alpha turned to the table, looking at the half-dozen men seated. All of them wore the jackets of The Red Fang, though the edges had a scarlet trim. Standing at the walls of the room was about a dozen uniformed guards, carrying either assault rifles or pistols. In the center of the table was a gray ceramic bowl that The Alpha did not recognize. More than likely left behind by grunts gambling, judging from the several cards inside the bowl that were flipped.

"I suppose we have no other choice," The Alpha said, stepping to the table and taking a seat. "Gentlemen, we are hear today to discuss how we, as a brotherhood, are going to combat a threat to our very exitence. As I speak, Benny sends his lapdog, Vatris Mars to clean us out."

"Vatris Mars?" spoke one of the councilmen, "What? Is Benny to afraid to walk in here himself and take us on? He has to send those Legion rejects to deal with us?"

"Do not underestimate The Heretics," hissed The Alpha, "They are perhaps more deadly than any other force in The Mojave. It is said that Vatris killed four paladins from the Brotherhood of Steel by himself, using nothing more than the blade he carries around!"

"I was unaware that you listened to urban legend, my so-called leader," growled another of the councilmen as he pulled the ceramic bowl toward him, "Perhaps if you spent half as much time managing the casinos under our protection as you did listening and making up stories, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"It is not an easy task to manage this brotherhood," The Alpha began, his hands slowly clenching into fist as he spoke through clenched teeth, "Especially when NONE of my officers listen to my command!" His eyes went directly to the councilmen that had criticized him, whom was now sliding a card out of the bowl. "Tell me Jorvare, what have you been doing to help The Red Fang besides starting wars with petty gangs, and terrorizing towns to the south!"

Jorvare said nothing for a moment as he eyed the card he had pulled from the bowl, a blank expression on his face. He glanced toward everyone sitting at the table.

"How about I tell you what I haven't been doing," Jorvare said calmly, slowly rising from his chair and turning to the Alpha. He set the card face-up against the table, a couple nearby councilmen looking to it as a look of shock and horror formed on their faces. "I haven't been letting The Heretics walk right into our headquarters and setting their banners right in front of our noses!" He slid the card across the table, toward The Alpha's side.

"What are you talking about?" exclaimed The Alpha, slamming a fist against the table as he kept his eyes locked on Jorvare. A few moments passed before The Alpha realized that all of the councilmen were staring at the card that had been slid toward him. He ripped his gaze away from Jorvare, lifting up the card to examine it.

The Leader of the Red Fang felt all emotion sink from his body as he looked at the image printed on the card: A scarlet scorpion's tail bent inward with a violet back round... the same symbol that The Heretics hung from the walls of Fortification Hill. The same symbol Vatris Mars carved into the corpse of every leader he has claimed the life of.

"How the he-" The Alpha began, only to be interrupted by a loud BANG! The sound had come to his left, but in no more than a second he felt the cold barrel of a assault rifle pressed against his neck as someone's hand slammed the side of his head against the table, keeping him pushed against it. He could see the other councilmen in similiar situations, struggling to break free from the very bodyguards that had been assigned to the room! From the corner of his eye, The Alpha witnessed Jorvare be thrown to the ground before his attacker raised his foot and continued to bring it down on the councilmen, despite his pleas for mercy. After a few seconds, the pain-filled screams came to a stop. The only sound in the room was that of the councilmen breathing heavily.

"W-what is this?" The Alpha gasped, his eyes glancing toward the fear-filled faces of the remaining councilmen, "Why are you soldiers doing this?! Now is not the time for betrayal, we must stand united!

Suddenly, the doors to the council room were flung open. In walked two men whom wore sleeveless leather armor, their hair cut into a Mohawk. They both gripped large axes tightly in their hands. The same symbol that had been imprinted on the card that The Alpha had been eying no more than thirty seconds was tattooed into their left arms.

"The Heretics!" gasped one of the councilmen, whom began to thrash around wildly under the grip of his captor, crying out loudly! "NO! Please god no! I don't want to die like this! Not like this, anything but this!" A shoulder to the spine shut the councilman up, bringing about a eery silence in the room.

A few seconds past where nothing happened, The Alpha's forehead sweating rapidly as his heart pounded against his chest with more force than bullets spraying against a wall... and than...

Knock... Knock.... Knock... Footsteps began to echo into the room, emitting from the hallway. Knock... knock... knock. The Alpha looked toward the dark hall that lead out of the room, at first seeing nothing. Knock... knock... knock... the footsteps were growing louder. A silhouette began to emerge, The Alpha's blood going cold as he recognized the figure entering. He gripped his eyes shut, gritting his teeth tightly together,

Closing his eyes only made things worse, for The Alpha could now envision the approaching figure perfectly in his mind. For each footstep that echoed through the hall, The Alpha saw in his mind the long, black, leather boots of the approaching monster push against the floor, a town apart leather jacket of similiar color billowing around his body. Knock... knock... knock... the sound was coming toward The Alpha's direction.

Closer and closer it came. The Alpha could feel the man's presence behind him just as the footsteps went silent. He could envision the dark-purple tunic that the man wore over a white shirt, it matching the color of his pants.

"It seems that the wolf is all bark," a cold, sadistic voice said over The Alpha, forcing a shiver through the leaders spine, "but absolutely no bite. For all your talk of honor, you appear to show just how much of a coward you really are when the hand of death itself stands before you."

"Y-you said w-we would have t-two days," The Alpha hissed, feeling his enter body shake as the bodyguard that was holding him down slowly pulled his hand away, stepping back. "Typical of you to go against your word, Vatris Mars!"

A chuckle emit from behind The Alpha, spreading throughout the entire room.

"I said no such thing," the cold voice responded, footsteps moving slightly away from The Alpha, "You seem to be under the impression that I care about what Benny's interest are? Let me assure you, that is not the case. Rise, Alpha, and face me like the warrior you claim you are."

The Alpha reluctantly began to stand from the table, turning to face Vatris. If he was to die here, he would do so with the dignity that the other councilmen lacked. He looked to Vatris, the man looking exactly as he had in The Alpha's mind. Long dark hair swept to his shoulders, facial hair surrounding his lips. His eyes were of a mutated color... a burning orange. Strapped to his belt was a falchion, the violet-colored handle sticking out from the sheathe.

"Vatris," The Alpha hissed, "Abandon this quest for blood you have set yourself on! You are no longer apart of The Legion, so why do you persist to practice their wa-"

The sound of a blade being drawn screeched throughout the room, Vatris swooping upon The Alpha! Before the leader of The Red Fang could react, he found himself seperated by mere inches from Vatris, the cold blade of Vatris' falchion pressed against his neck.

"You claim that I practice the ways of The Legion?" Vatris growled, applying a slight amount of pressure to his preys neck. "The Legion are like children, amused by any action that the oldest of them carries out. They do not think for themselves, they do not act for themselves, and further more, they have not a plan for themselves... no ambition, whatsoever."

"Th-than t-tell me Vatris," said The Alpha through rapid breathes, "Ho-how are you different? Yo-you are as mu-much Benny's lapdog as th-they are Caeser's!"

"I already told you fool," Vatris responded, his voice calm, and yet cold. "I do not act on Benny's interest, I act only on my own. The only reason I have chosen to destroy your little club is so that I may make a point."

"Y-you can't continue li-like this, Vatris."

Another chuckle emit from Vatris as he applied enough pressure to draw a smile amount of blood from The Alpha's neck, leaning his head forward as a smirk crept on his face.

"You should see yourself, wolf. A dog cowering with his tail tucked between his legs, trying to make his predator stand down through pathetic little whimpers. Five years ago, your clan was a major force of reckoning in The Mojave... now look at your beloved brotherhood. Nothing more than a pack of mongrels waiting to be put down."

"Mi-mindless slaughter will get you n-nowhere."

"Mindless slaughter?" The smirk on Vatris face widened as he leaned his head away, "No, Alpha, consider it...strategic removal!" Without warning, Vatris slid his blade directly across The Alpha's jugular. Blood sprayed into the air as Vatris pulled his sword back before slashing off The Alpha's hands as they went to grip the wound. Had this throat not been full of blood, The Alpha's screams of pain would have been the worst that anyone in the room had ever heard in their life.

Some of the bodyguards cringed at the sight as The Alpha collapsed on the floor, drenched in a pool of his own blood. Vatris slowly turned his bloodied head toward the councilmen, wiping any blood near his eyes before opening them, a scowl twisting onto his lips. He looked to his two soldiers gripping their axes, they completely unphased by what just occurred.

"We already have Bard's whereabouts from Benny," Vatris hissed, wiping his blade with a nearby bodyguards jacket, "Execute these cowards as you see fit." The two heretics nodded, stepping toward the table. "As for you saboteurs," Vatris addressed the bodyguards, sheathing his blade as he strode toward the exit , "Tell Benny that the job is done."

The councilmen cried out as one of the axe men went to work.

"If Daniel was still around, you would never dare try this!" one of the councilmen screamed toward Vatris as he stepped out of the room, "Not after what you did to Veronica, YOU WORTHLESS COWARD!"

A smirk formed on Vatris face. If Kardos was still the warrior that Vatris battled with years ago, that meant that The Heretics will be intercepting what little remained of The Red Fang in Boulder City. If he moved fast enough, he could reach Bard before his soldiers killed the wretch... maybe even learn where Daniel is, after all, Bard and him had a history, and the witness that reported to Black Mountain Radio about the Primm massacre was more than happy to confirm to Vatris that Daniel was still alive.

Vatris could feel it approaching. A chance to tie up one of four loose ends.