Summary: Atreus was born a slave of the mighty Legion, chained to the will of the Caesar that he dearly loved, before Arizona was fully tamed by the Bull. He was given to the army at the age of ten, and molded into the perfect soldier before ascending to the position of Legate. He became Bellum, Legate of Conflict. He believed he would die in the name of the master that had created him, but a shot to the head, a shallow grave, and a smooth talking robot gave him a second chance at life. For the first time, he had no chains. He went to the Bear searching for purpose, only to find greed and corruption. He went to the Ghost of America and found death and pain in the city that had been preserved from nuclear fire. The Legion he once loved would only greet him with death should he return, as a reward for his failure. So he created a fourth option, neither the East or the West would take the Mojave, he would be the guardian these people had been searching for. The Battle of the Dam was only the beginning, the war to free the west had just begun.
Chapter 1: No Gods, No Kings, No Masters
The vertibird shook as it flew ever closer to their drop off point, the sound of exploding shells were nearly deafening to him. He took a deep breath, trying to desperately calm his beating heart. This was it, there was no looking back for him anymore. He glanced around at the team he had assembled for this mission, he snorted at how ridiculous this plan seemed to him. Old men dressed as metal giants, the vertibird could barely hold the Remnants in their intimidating black power armor with the Enclave symbol proudly emblazoned on their chest pieces. They had once been feared, proud and strong soldiers of the U.S. military. Back when the west was still wild and untamed, when they had a real chance to conquer the country they had once destroyed. But that strength was almost gone, this would be the last time the Devil's Brigade would fight together like this. One last hurrah before age claimed them.
Atreus pulled off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at his reflection through the green tinted lenses of the helmet. Bronze skin and oily black hair, his features contrasted the icy blue of his eyes, the scar where Benny had shot him in the head still remained, red and fresh as the day Doc Mitchell stitched his skull back together. He swept his messy hair out of his face and adjusted his armor. The desert ranger armor he had found in Zion had served him well, but it had suffered wear and tear over these last year or so. It had taken constant care to maintain it, but it was both strong, light and flexible, unlike that bulky power armor the Remnants had wanted him to wear. He would make do without it.
He glanced at Arcade sitting across from him, his friend's face was completely blank as he was loading up the plasma caster he had been given by his father's comrades. But Atreus still noticed that the doctor's hands were shaking, the large metal helmet was sitting next to him and it was almost comical at how out of place he looked in his father's tesla armor. Arcade was never cut out to be a soldier, but yet he had insisted on doing this, insisted on living up to the legacy he had been running from all this time. Christine's words echoed through his mind. Begin again, but know when to let go. She still haunted his thoughts, the jailer of the Sierra Madre. He often wondered what had happened to their so called "team." The brotherhood assassin had remained to keep the secrets of the old world out of human hands, the newly healed Dog, devoid of memory struck out east in search of his long lost past, and Dean had decided to see the new world in all its glory.
The vertibird suddenly jerked again and his head hit the metal wall behind him, bringing him back to reality. He went over the plan one more time in his head, Yes Man needed them to divert power to the Fort in order to activate the army of MK.2 Securitrons hidden there. If they were lucky, the Boomers would hold up their end of the bargain and clear a path to the Legion camp so they could get to Lanius. The only way this battle would end is with his death, without their leader, the legionnaires would be forced to retreat. With the legion out of the way, the securitrons would be able to easily deal with any remaining NCR soldiers.
Daisy called out from the pilot's seat, "get ready boys! We are going to be reaching the drop off point in three minutes!" The squad of soldiers began to ready themselves, Arcade and Atreus slipped their helmets back on while the rest of the team began checking their weapons, making sure they were loaded and armed. Atreus carefully checked over his own gear, his revolver and his handgun were in his dual hip holsters. The revolver, what had Hanlon called it?
The ranger sequoia, that was it, it was a beautiful piece of black steel engraved with gold and had the NCR bear carved into the handle. He remembered how it glistened red with blood after Haldon used it to blow his brains out to escape the repercussions of his actions. That was the first time he really started to see how corrupt his new "friends" in the NCR really were. Even the best men at the top of their civilization were still just looking out for themselves, not too different from the Legion he supposed. The second pistol he kept with him, was the last gift Joshua Graham had left him before he returned from Zion, a reminder to never let sin blind you like it had once blinded him. A Light Shining in Darkness, the pistol might have been small but it was extremely powerful and had become a godsend for him on his journeys. He checked to make sure they were loaded one more time before slipping them back into their holsters.
Next was his survivalist rifle in a holster on his back, it wasn't the most powerful gun in the world but it was reliable, the last gift the Father in the Caves had left for his children, not like they had chosen to make much use of it. Atreus had a proton axe that he had found in the Big Empty strapped over his shoulder in case anyone got too close. The last weapon he brought for this was Elijah's holorifle. The large energy cannon was sat across his lap, the only gift that insane bastard had given him, but it was no doubt a powerful weapon, using tech that Elijah had stolen from the Big Empty, it had become his baby in his journey's throughout the wasteland. He checked it over one last time before they reached their destination.
Moreno and Kruger opened up the sliding doors of the vertibird, the ship was flying in circles above the battlefield, giving them a clear view of their targets. At the far end of the dam, the Legion had set up a forward base to stage the attack, that will be where Lanius would be while his men fought and died for his glory. The nearest entrance to the dam was just a few hundred feet below them, right in the center of the conflict.
Atreus saw the devastation that the battle was causing, hundreds of dead NCR and legion men were strewn all over the battle field. He could see The Fort raining down artillery fire on the dam from across the lake. Sending concrete and soldiers alike flying through the air. The NCR had constructed large blockades out of rusty metal and wood in order to try and slow down the advance of the legion. Hundreds of fresh recruits were being mowed down as they tried to rush these blockades while Caesar's Centurions gave them covering fire from behind.
Judah spoke up, "what's the plan Atreus? This is your party after all." He stared at the chaos below them, the armies were too busy killing each other to notice the vertibird flying above them right now, but that wouldn't last very long. "The plan is to get to the heart of the dam and wake up the cavalry, we will need to cut a path through both the NCR and the Legion to do that. Moreno, Johnson and I will lead the charge, I want you, Henry and Arcade to cover us from behind and keep the snipers off our backs.
Kreger nodded, everyone took positions with Moreno, Judah and Atreus on the right side of the ship while Doc Henry, Kreger and Arcade sat on the left side. Everyone opened fire on the troops below them, unleashing a volley of death upon them. Both factions were so surprised at the sudden appearance of a new foe that many couldn't even react before being cut down in a hail of energy and bullets. Dozens of NCR and Legion men fell before the Enclave remnants and their new leader, blue waves of concentrated light burst from Atreus' Holorifle which added into the chaos and bloodshed just below them. The team cleared out a landing zone in the center of the fight, forcing both the Legion and NCR to back off. As soon as the ship dipped down low enough for them to safely jump out, the team landed on the concrete structure smoothly. They gave enough covering fire to keep their enemies' attention off of Daisy as she pulled back up into the sky. As soon as she was clear of the dam, she began to fly into the distance, dodging and weaving to avoid the artillery fire.
But as soon as the vertibird was gone, the soldiers were immediately assaulted by fresh waves of enemies. The Remnants formed a defensive wall around their leader, using the power armor as a shield as he started to break down the door behind them. Most didn't get anywhere near them but waves of bullets were striking the Remnants, the suits could handle a pounding for a short time but they wouldn't last long if they just stood there. Atreus continued ramming against the door and with one final kick the door's lock broke and exposed the deserted lobby inside. However, his blood ran cold at the sound of a scream behind him after a loud gunshot. He turned and saw Moreno screaming, his entire left forearm had exploded into fragments of bone and ragged flesh, blood was pouring out of the wound and the old man had dropped his gatling laser in order to try and staunch the bleeding from the stump. Atreus looked up and spotted an NCR ranger holding a large anti-material rifle in a watchtower just across from them, he took aim with his rifle and fired. The energy blast struck the soldier in the head and it exploded into burned chunks. "Everyone inside! NOW!"
He screamed over the gunfire and everyone piled in through the entrance. Kreger and Johnson covered them as Henry and Arcade helped Moreno through the door. As soon as they were clear, Johnson slammed the doors shut and knocked over a nearby cabinent. Blocking the main entrance so the NCR and Legion couldn't follow through.
Atreus sighed with relief and turned around, Doc Henry had climbed out of his power armor and was currently pulling Moreno out of his. Moreno was pale and looked like he was in shock, he was mumbling under his breath and clutching his bleeding stump of an arm. Henry pulled off his satchel and started taking out gauze and disinfectant. "You are goddamn lucky I brought my supplies with me you foolish bastard. Any longer and you would have bled out." Henry poured the disinfectant over Moreno's stump. The old man screamed again as his wound was cleaned, but as soon as it started, it was over. Henry began wrapping gauze around the stump and tied a tourniquet around Moreno's bicep. The sudden pain seemed to have snapped Moreno out of his daze, "you goddamn son of a bitch! Warn a fella before you decide to set his fucking wound on fire like that!"
Henry ignored his comrade and turned to Atreus, "Moreno should live through this but he won't be able to press on after a wound like that. A man of his age can't afford to lose that much blood." Moreno protested, "shut up Doc! I'm… I'm fine. I just- I just need a minute." Atreus looked over Moreno, the old man was pale and shaking. He looked like he could barely stand, much less continue fighting. Atreus came to a decision, "Moreno, you and Doc Henry will stay and guard the door. Make sure no one comes after us. The rest of us will go on and carry out our mission."
Moreno snarled, "if you seriously think I'm just going to sit on my ass and let the lot of you take all the glory-." Atreus snapped at him, "we don't have time for your bullshit right now, Orion! I need someone to watch this door to make sure the NCR doesn't follow after us and realize what we are doing. We need to keep the element of surprise in order for this to work. You would only slow us down in your condition." The old man glared daggers at him before breaking eye contact and hauling himself to his feet. "Fine. Have it your way, tribal." Henry helped his comrade hobble back over to his suit of armor and climb back in, Moreno snatched the old doctor's plasma pistol off his hip just before climbing back into the power armor. Henry shook his head in annoyance and turned back to Atreus, "the rest of you should hurry on now. We will only be able to hold this door for a short time if either the NCR or Legion tries and get through."
Atreus nodded, "okay. Kreger! Johnson! Arcade! Into the service elevator. We need to make this quick!" The four men piled into the elevator which groaned under their combined weight, he just hoped this thing didn't give out under them. His last glimpse of Henry and Moreno were of them taking a defensive position against the door. He could make out the entrance shuddering from the force of someone trying to break it down and Henry aimed his plasma rifle while Moreno aimed his pistol in preparation for what was to come.
The elevator slowly took them deeper and deeper into the heart of the Hoover dam. Atreus slipped the holorifle onto his back and unholstered his handgun. The tight confines of the dam would make the large energy cannon difficult to use. The elevator dinged as they reached the lowest level, the team aimed at the door, ready to cut down anyone on the other side. However, to their surprise, no one was there guarding the elevator. The tight corridors were devoid of any sign of life, slowly, Atreus and the Remnants walked out. The halls were just large enough for them to walk two by two and just tall enough for their helmets not to scrape the ceiling. With each hallway they passed and with the continued lack of resistance, their paranoia grew, where the hell was everyone?
They inched their way through the corridors and finally reached the door they had been looking for. This room held the control panel which directed the flow of power from the dam to it's destination. The large service door opened and the answer to their questions was lying before them. A massacre had taken place in this room, technicians filled with bullet holes, decapitated soldiers, the burned bodies of the elite rangers were all piled up in the center of the room. Blood spatters lined the walls and floors, spent bullet casings and evidence of a fire fight were all around them. The team slowly walked in, edging around the pile of bodies. He heard Arcade mutter in utter disgust and horror, "who the hell did this?"
"It always amazes me at how trusting these NCR dogs are if you just wear the right uniforms." The team turned and aimed their weapons at the intruders behind them and blocking the entrance, about a dozen or so men dressed in the pristine brown uniforms of NCR soldiers. Each man held a service rifle or a shotgun aimed directly at him, not even bothering to glance at the Remnants. The only unarmed man was standing in the very front, Atreus growled in disgust, "Vulpes. I should've known a snake like you would show up." The spymaster smiled sadistically, "Legate Bellum, how nice it is to see you again. I was afraid that I wouldn't have the opportunity to punish you for your betrayal after the mighty Caesar so graciously gave you a chance to return to the fold. But it seems to me that it is my lucky day. I get to kill you and put this infernal dam out of commission in one fell swoop."
Atreus aimed his pistol at Vulpes Inculta's head, both groups of men began to grow more and more agitated as they pointed their weapons at each other. "Give me one goddamn reason why I shouldn't blow your brains out all over your lackeys behind you." His former comrade smiled, if he had heard the threat than he made no indication of it. Vulpes opened his hand an exposed a small detonator, I can destroy you and this entire facility with a push of a button, including that very room you and your friends are standing in. Drop your weapons and I might be merciful enough to make you into slaves instead of killing you like Caesar wanted."
Atreus stared at Vulpes, even though his eyes were covered by his sunglasses, he knew his foe was doing the same. He slowly lowered his pistol and slipped it back into it's holster, before raising his hands up in a non threatening gesture and taking a small step forward, "easy Vulpes. You don't want to do this." Inculta cocked his head in amusement, the same smug grin didn't leave his face, "and why would that be?" Atreus took another hesitant step forward, "because we've got an entire platoon of NCR soldiers coming after us. They will be here any minute, you might win in a firefight with us and complete your mission, but there is no way in hell you will be able to escape them."
Vulpes' grin faded away and was replaced by a deep frown, "that's impossible, I made sure to take everyone out here as quietly as possible. No one even knows we are here except for the lot of you." Atreus took another step forward, he was almost within arm's reach of Vulpes at this point, "sure you might have been able to sneak in quietly, but we sure didn't. We came in guns blazing and drew all sorts of attention, we even had to leave two members of our squad behind in order to delay them long enough for us to get here."
He could see the Legion soldiers glance at each other in a mixture of fear and confusion, Vulpes still looked calm but his voice had become shaky "You- you must be lying! You're just trying to save your own skin!" Atreus grinned under his helmet but Vulpes couldn't see it, "maybe I am. Or maybe not. But are you really going to take that chance?" Vulpes snarled but dropped the detonator, "this is your goddamn lucky day, traitor. You might have escaped Caesar's wrath for now, but we will have our revenge." Vulpes crushed the detonator with his boot before turning and pushing past his men and leaving the room with his troops hesitantly trailing after him.
Atreus sighed with relief and heard Arcade laughing in relief as well, "I still don't understand how you have gotten so good at bullshitting your way out of a fight." He shrugged, "hey, I've had a lot of practice." Atreus turned and walked over to the large console, there was a small monitor in the center along with a bunch of dials and buttons and a small opening for the override chip. There was a large window that showed the massive generators in the plant on the ground floor below them. He pulled out the silver chip Yes Man had given him and inserted it into the opening. The chip slid in smoothly and suddenly the console sprung to life, Yes Man's cartoony face sprung to life on the dashboard. He heard his companion's chipper voice over the dam's speaker system. "Great job boss! I now have full control of Hoover dam and all of it's functions." Atreus smiled, "nice work Yes Man, it's time to wake up our boys and put them to work." "Oh boy! I can't wait to see how this plays out! Get topside and see the fireworks for yourself!" The generators below them went into overdrive, they began to spin rapidly with electricity arcing into the air.
He turned and addressed his team, "good job men. Kreger, I need you to stay here and guard the console just in case Vulpes or anyone else comes sniffing around. Arcade, Johnson, you two are with me. It's time to go deal with Lanius." Kreger nodded, "give em hell boys. I'll try and get in contact with Moreno and Henry, let them know to fall back here if they can." Atreus nodded in understanding and motioned for the last two members of his squad to follow after him. Yes Man's face appeared on monitors lining the walls of the facility as he brought it back to full power and directed them to the elevator closest to their target.
The team piled in and they were sent rocketing back up to the surface, it took nearly half the time it took to reach the bottom thanks to Yes Man's help. The elevator door opened with a ding, exposing another deserted lobby. The trio took position in front of the main entrance, Atreus slowly opened the door exposing a familiar sight. Another blockade, it seems the fighting was beginning to wind down, only a handful of soldiers remained on both sides. However the fighting stopped when a whining sound began to grow louder and louder. Atreus looked up and gasped in amazement, the ancient bomber he had helped the boomers recover was slowing flying across the sky high above them. As soon as the plane was directly over the blockade, bombs rained down upon it. He was knocked back by the impact of the explosions, thankfully Arcade managed to catch him, the blockade and the soldiers surrounding it were reduced to ashes and rubble in a flash of light and fire.
He stuck his head out and saw it was clear, he looked back up and saw the boomer plane was circling around, preparing for another bombing run on the other side of the dam. "Let's go! It's clear!" The team sprinted out of the door, they sprinted towards the Legate's camp at the base of the eastern side of the dam. A small path led up to Fortification hill, he stopped in amazement at what he saw. The fort was up in flames, he could see gouts of fire were springing up everywhere, now that they were closer he could hear screams and explosions. The securitron army was awake and tearing apart the Legion's base. He smiled, this stupid plan was actually working! The team continued on and reached the base of Lanius' camp. Other than a few straggling legionnaires, it was completely deserted at this point.
Arcade melted a hole for the three of them to climb through in the metal gate of the camp, the trio climb through and began making their way up to the top of the small hill where Lanius' tent sat. They dealt with any legionnaire foolish enough to try and stop their assault, but for the most part they were fully unhindered. They finally reached the top, he finally saw him, Caesar's butcher was looking down upon his crumbling armies at Hoover dam below, he listened to their cries and screams as they fled in terror before turning to look upon the three of them. He had only met Lanius a handful of times in his thirty years on this earth, and each time had been equally terrifying.
The man was almost seven feet tall, clad head to toe in bronze and steel armor with a red cape flowing behind him, the finest creation of Caesar's best blacksmiths in Arizona. An ornate steel greatsword hung on his back, the giant warrior turned and faced him. He had to make sure not to flinch at the sight of Lanius' helmet, a bronze horned helm with soulless black eyes moulded into the face of a dour bearded man. This was finally it, the final trial to separate himself from his past.
"Arcade, Johnson. Wait for me at the bottom of the hill, make sure no one interrupts us." Both men looked like they thought he was insane, Arcade voiced his concerns, "Atreus you cannot be serious! Fighting him alone is suicide!" Atreus kept staring at Lanius, the Terror of the East said nothing, only stared. "It's not a request Arcade, this is not something meant for the eyes of outsiders. This is something only for sons of the Bull." Hesitantly, Arcade complied and followed after Cannibal Johnson, leaving Atreus and Lanius alone.
There was few moments of silence, save for the blowing wind and the slowly quieting screams from the fort. Both Legates stared at each other, but it was Lanius who finally broke the standoff, Lanius' voice was deep and cold, "salve, frater Bellum. Have you come to finally face judgement for your crimes?" Atreus shook his head, "no Lanius, I have come to end this. By right of conquest, I have claimed New Vegas as my own territory. The Legion and the NCR will both be leaving my lands after this day." Lanius chuckled, it sounded like steel grinding against stone, "your bravery is commendable brother, but you will fall like all of the self proclaimed kings and chieftains I have slain in Caesar's name. I will bring your head to him as tribute and we will impale it on the top of that tower of yours on the strip as we burn that cesspool to the ground."
"Not this time, beast. Caesar's might is broken, your invasion force has been slain, the Fort is lost. Only you remain, and once you are gone, the Bull will finally fall. The east will fall." Lanius laughed, deep and guttural, "you really don't know do you? You really think this war will be over after today? Caesar lives, Bellum. He has fled across the river, returned to Phoenix to regather our armies. I may fall today, but the Legion will endure."
Atreus' heart sank, it couldn't be true, after all this death, all this destruction, and Caesar still got away! He was shaking with rage, his victory had been all but assured and it had been stolen from him. "It doesn't matter, it won't save you from my wrath." He grabbed the proton axe off of his back and activated it, the purple blade sprung to life in his hands. Lanius cocked his head, "you are so arrogant to believe that you can defeat me yourself, boy? I have slain ten thousand men, conquered nineteen tribes in the name of Mars, I have tamed Colorado. Your entire tribe, the white-manes, fell beneath my blade and Caesar's chains, yet you believe you can challenge me?"
Lanius unsheathed his longsword, the blade of gleaming steel glinted in the sunlight. "You will die a traitor's death Bellum, your name will be struck from history, all that you will love will die, and the Mojave and NCR will be assimilated."
Atreus charged with a roar and swung his axe at Lanius, the Legate blocked his proton axe with his sword causing sparks to fly in all directions. Atreus dodged under a blow that would have taken his head off, and slammed the handle of his axe into Lanius' stomach. The blow glanced off of Lanius' steel armor doing very little to slow the giant down. He had to roll out of the way of a downward swing and scrambled to his feet. He charged again and every time he swung his axe, Lanius' sword met it, a hail of sparks flew around them with each strike, creating a rain of fire around the two warriors.
Atreus was caught by surprise when Lanius struck him with a punch to the head, his helmet protected him from most of the damage but it disoriented him and hairline cracks formed on the outer shell of the mask. He stumbled back and blocked another blow just in time to avoid being cut in half. But his axe was knocked out of his hands and sent him scrambling after it. He reached to grab it but had to recoil in order to keep his arm as Lanius swung down and stepped in between him and his weapon.
The two men circled each other, but every time he tried to get close to his weapon. Lanius would charge and drive him back, luckily he had the speed advantage over his foe, the metal armor Lanius wore was slowing him down just enough for Atreus to stay ahead of him. Lanius charged him once more, he dodged yet another swing but was surprised by a kick to the chest. He didn't even realize how close he was to the edge of the cliff before he went tumbling down it. He cursed as he rolled down the hill and landed in the center of a group of tents. The rest of his guns went flying as he fell, leaving him completely defenseless. He winced as he climbed to his feet, his gaze was suddenly blinded by something metal gleaming in the light, his eyes widened, a discarded machete. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing. He grabbed it and his head was nearly taken off as Lanius' sword cleaved through the red cloth of the tent. Sending Atreus scrambling backwards with his prize.
"Enough running boy! Stand and fight!" Atreus swallowed the lump in his throat, he dodged under another swing and struck with the machete at Lanius and the blade instantly snapped in two while barely leaving a scratch on the butcher's armor. "For fuck's sake!" Atreus turned and ran back towards the hill, Lanius was close behind him as he clamored up the dirt and finally reached the top. He finally got his hands on his axe, and turned just in time to block another blow and deflected it away. Lanius left just enough of an opening for him to ram his blade into the giant's side, he pulled the blade out showing blackened skin beneath the armor. Lanius roared in rage, the man's arm struck out like a viper and grabbed the proton axe and wretched it out of his grip. Lanius snapped the handle in two, destroying the advanced weapon. Atreus stumbled backwards and fell on his ass, he crawled backwards as Lanius slowly walked after him. He could hear the man's discomfort from the wound in his side but it did little to hinder him. Atreus was desperately trying to come up with a plan, he couldn't die here, not after everything he did to get to this point. He should have died in Goodsprings, but he didn't. The Sierra Madre should have killed him, yet he still overcame the toxic city and returned. He should have died with the Happy Trails caravan in Zion, yet he was still here. He refused to die now.
His hand suddenly brushed the broken handle of the machete, his eyes widened. He had dropped in order to grab his axe. Time seemed to slow down, Lanius raised his blade over his head and swung downwards, ready to kill him, he could see the exposed flesh in between Lanius' helmet and his armor. He gripped the broken hilt tightly, he dashed to his feet and Lanius' sword knocked his helmet off, sending it cascading over the cliff edge. While Lanius was exposed, he drove the broken hilt into Lanius' neck. The giant seemed to freeze for a few seconds, when he pulled the hilt out of Lanius' neck, blood sprayed out and covered his face. The sword of the east fell from Lanius' hands, the man fell to his knees, for a few moments it was quiet again. Lanius stared eastward, back to the Colorado river and his home and people that were so very far from here.
Atreus was panting, utterly exhausted, but he still had to move. Lanius made no move as he reached down and claimed his enemies' blade, he lifted it up with two hands, it was lighter than he had expected from a blade that looked so large and it was extremely well balanced. He raised it above his head, ready to cut down Lanius once and for all. "Have I died well, Bellum?" the question had caught him off guard and he froze, Lanius' voice was weak, the man would bleed out in a few minutes at most. He didn't owe him anything, yet he still replied, "yes. You did brother. You died very well." Lanius nodded, satisfied with that fact, "promise me. You will send me back home, to the Legion, to Caesar, do not leave me to the wolves and birds." Atreus slowly nodded, "I will make sure of it." Lanius fell quiet again, slowly the man raised one of his large fists up to his helmet. The arm shook with tremendous effort to pull off his helmet before falling back down to his side and dropping the horrifying helm he had worn for so long. Slowly, Atreus lowered the sword and just looked.
He didn't know what he expected to see, what deformed monstrosity that the terror of the east looked like beneath his mask. But Lanius was not a monster, just a man with dark hair, bronze skin, tired eyes and scars beyond count. The helmet rolled and landed by his feet, Lanius stared across the river, seeing what few remnants of the once mighty legion fleeing the Hoover Dam. Finally, Legate Lanius, Butcher of the East, Terror of Colorado, slumped over on his side. The mighty Bull was finally dead.
Atreus stooped down and grasped the helmet by a horn, he was in a daze. He tied it to his belt and finally sat down next to Lanius' body trying to catch his breath under the setting sun. It was finally over, the battle was over. He looked over the sword in his hands, it was beautifully made. A five foot long steel blade with gold and silver engravings, two entwined silver vipers surrounding a golden bull. The silver pommel was carved in the shape of a bull, it had a curved bronze crossguard and a handle of wood and brown leather.
He glanced over at Lanius once again, sighing, he climbed to his feet and walked over to the war tent a few feet away. Using his sword, he cut off a large piece of cloth and used it to cover the body of his foe. He would get a securitron to collect the body and prepare it to be transported back to Phoenix. He slowly walked down the hill after grabbing Lanius' sheath and attaching it to his back. He slipped the blade into it's sheath and went around the large camp collecting his fallen gear and putting them back in his holsters. Before finally grabbing his helmet, the helmet had a large gash from where Lanius' sword had struck it, and one of the glass eye sockets had been shattered, so he just chose to attach it on his belt next to Lanius' helmet and continued walking back over to the entrance.
The sun had finally set by the time he found Johnson and Arcade sitting next to one of the wood walls smoking a pack of cigarettes one of them had brought. Both men were surprised to see him, but it was Arcade who asked, "is it over?" Atreus didn't even have the strength to say anything anymore, he just nodded. The two Enclave soldiers climbed to their feet and flicked away their cigarettes. The trio were walking back to the main gate when it suddenly exploded, a dozen NCR rangers poured in out of the smoke and surrounded the three men. Then he appeared, General Lee Oliver stepped through the entrance in his pristine uniform, the two headed bear emblazoned on his cap and coat, not a speck of blood or dirt or sweat was on him, he had been content to watch the violence from somewhere safe and swoop in at the last second to claim the glory for himself.
The man had a smug smile on his face, "nice work boys. Very nice indeed, I have no idea what you did but it was goddamn impressive seeing the Fort go up in flames like that. I wish I had a few hundred of you, just spread you out over the NCR and we wouldn't even need an army!" The dust cloud finally cleared and Atreus smiled seeing what was behind the general, "I wouldn't be so quick general, you still haven't met the rest of my friends." Lee raised an eyebrow, "friends? What are you-" He turned and saw hundreds upon hundreds of MK.2 securitrons behind him, they were completely surrounding the camp. "Oh. Those friends. Where did they-?" Atreus smiled, "General Lee Oliver, as leader of New Vegas, I am officially declaring the Mojave as an independent state, the NCR is to pull their armies out of our territory immediately or risk open war with us and our forces."
The general slowly turned around with a look of absolute fury on his red face, but his voice was deadly calm, "you think this is some kind of joke, kid? Poking the bear isn't a smart move. If you think that after all the resources we sank into protecting this shit hole of a territory, after all the money that got bled out of us by those bastards on the strip! That we will just happily hand our new land over to some snot nosed tribal courier savage with a stick up his ass!"
Atreus crossed his arms, "you are in no place to make demands, Oliver. You are surrounded and outgunned, most of the army that you stationed here in the Mojave has been decimated by this battle. We don't want your protection or your bullshit laws and rules anymore. The Mojave will take care of itself from now." Oliver looked like he was about to explode, "you think this is some kind of game, kid? You think Kimball and the council are just going to take this lying down? You think building a nation is easy? They will come for you and this land, they will throw everything we got to kick you off that pretty little tower of yours on the Strip and take what's ours and I will make sure personally that you hang for this!"
He shrugged, "threats aren't very professional of you, General Oliver. And if you haven't noticed, we don't put much stock in the words of some NCR snake. Get out." Oliver's shoulders sagged, but he motioned for his rangers to follow after him.
He felt like he was in some sort of dream as he walked through the rows of robotic soldiers with their cartoony army faces. Vegas was finally free, he was finally free. NCR and the Legion will almost definitely retaliate. But this time they would be ready for them. He could see his city in the distance, shining like a candle in the dark. It would take years of work, but they could make a better world, a better country then what the Bear and Bull had offered him. The real work was about to begin.