Another non-kink kink meme fill. And I know I should be working on 'Tunnel Snakes Ain't Heroes' but I've hit a roadblock. Slowly working through it, though, so that's not dead.
Anyhow, the request for this was 'Post-Hoover Dam battle. The NCR loses to the Legion, but not because the Courier wanted it that way. A string of bad luck (or something worse) led to the NCR's defeat, and the Courier is ready to take some names/ set things straight. The Courier goes into the Arizona/NM territories and becomes the Legion's worst fucking nightmare. He/She becomes a kind of Legion urban legend a la the "Burned Man".' I don't think this is quite what the requester wanted, but I figure it works, since like three people seemed to be trying to fill it.
Anyhow, enjoy.
"We're going to get caught."
"Of course, because you keep whining. Quiet."
The three young legionnaires slid down the rocky hill, away from the camp. It was strictly forbidden for them to leave the camp, especially at night. But one of them, Antonius, had brought up the idea. He'd dragged his friend, Villius, with him and one of the other kids, Curius, had followed. Now, they were far from the camp. They could still see it, but they were far enough so that it was distant.
"We'll get in huge trouble," Villius whispered, clinging to Antonius' arm. He was the baby of the group, only seven, a year younger than Antonius. "Huge, huge trouble. What if they crucify us?"
"They only do that to profiligates, stupid." Antonius tugged Villius towards the river. "Come on, we're just having a look. What's the problem? You scared?"
"N-no. I just..."
"I wouldn't think less of you if you were." Curius had finally spoken up. He was the oldest, at the age of eleven, and marked as a possible frumentarii. He did have a gift for storytelling, and stories were basically elaborate lies, something that was essential for any frumentarii. Antonius figured that he was about to tell one, and interrupted.
"You don't have to start talking about the Burned Man or whatever myths you're about to ramble about. Villius is gonna wet his skirt if you do."
"Don't be silly. The Burned Man is a myth. And even he is less terrifying than..." He paused for dramatic effect, then said, "No, it's too scary. You'd both wet your skirts."
Now that it'd been phrased like that, Antonius changed his mind. "I'm not a wimp like Villius. What are you talking about."
"I'm talking about... the Courier."
"Never heard of him. Isn't that someone who delivers packages?"
"Yes, but this Courier... she is so much more than a mere delivery girl."
"A girl? Come on, like a girl could ever be dangerous."
"She was more than dangerous. They say she was inhuman. That she rose from the dead and hunted down the man who left her buried there. That she did not serve anyone, that she was not one of the NCR, but a profligate nonetheless." Curius smiled, before gesturing across the river. "She did many great but terrible feats during the war between us and the NCR. She slaughtered the camp at Cottonwood Cove, with only the assistance of a man in a red beret, a devil with 38 caliber bullets, and a strange floating sphere that played ominous music during battle that chilled the hearts of her enemies."
Antonius snorted, while Villius listened with wide eyes.
"The three of them, the courier, the man with the beret and the floating sphere, they attacked the Fort and killed Caesar himself. They did many such feats, and did more damage to the Legion than the entire company of NCR. But it wasn't enough.
"They fought during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, and lost along with the NCR. During that battle, the man in the red beret was fatally wounded. The courier could do nothing about it, and so her comrade died because of the Legion.
"He was not the only comrade of hers to die. There were others that died during the battle, they say, although lesser known than the man in the red beret. Others such as the hooded woman who could punch as well as any praetorian—"
"Oh, seriously?"
"—and a doctor who wore armour made out of lightning."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Defeated, the NCR left the Mojave forever. The courier, however, did not. She went on a roaring rampage of revenge against the army that had slaughtered her comrades. A rampage that never came to an end. Even to this very day, she wanders the wasteland, unable to rest until her revenge is complete and every last legionnaire, from the strongest praetorian to the most cunning frumentarii, down to the youngest legionnaire-in-training. Exacting her brutal, bloody revenge on them." Curius paused, looking around as if listening for something, then saying, "The only warning that anyone ever receives before she destroys them is the ominous music coming from the floating sphere that is her one and only companion. That is the last thing they ever hear."
As Curius said that, a strange humming floated through the air.
Villius shrieked and jumped back, away from Antonius. Who had been humming. Antonius broke out into peals of laughter as Villius started shaking.
"T-that's not funny," he protested.
"It's a little funny," Curius said.
"It's hilarious. And seriously, if you believe that garbage then you deserve to be terrified. I mean, really? Men made out of lightning? Ominous music? A woman killing fully-trained legionnaires? Your stories are normally good, Curius, what happened?"
"Some of my stories are exaggerated, it's true. But that one? Is fact."
"Can we go back now?" Villius whined.
"Urgh, you're such a wuss. Fine, I don't want to hang around with you idiots. Let's go," Antonius grumbled. They started stomping back.
They were halfway back (and by this time, trying to be quiet) when Villius whispered, "Seriously, Antonius, stop it. It's not going to work a second time."
"What are you talking about?"
"The music. Stop it."
"I'm not humming, idiot."
The three of them stopped. Everything was silent. But on the breeze, if they listened really carefully... they could just hear faint music. A faint, tinny fanfare. Nothing like any music the Legion had.
Antonius and Villius looked at each other. Villius looked terrified, and suddenly Antonius didn't feel so confident about how invalid Curius's story was. Even Curius looked nervous.
Without a word, they sped up, sprinting back to camp. Only Antonius looked back.
He thought, for one second, that he saw something. A shadowy figure in the distance, walking along and holding a rifle. With a spherical object trailing behind her, hovering in the air. But he blinked and there was nothing there.
But he could still hear the music. He swore he could.
He shook his head before following the others. It was all garbage. The whole story was garbage.
Wasn't it?