Courier sighed solemnly. He had another meeting with leaders of other settlements. This was part of an independent New Vegas. He looked at the leaders of the settlements and sighed quietly again. Trudy; Goodsprings, Cliff Briscoe; Novac, Marcus; Jacobstown, Elder McNamara; Hidden Valley, Pearl; Nellis, and the King; Freeside. He had his work cut out for him; between paperwork, and helping smalltime folk around the wasteland, he was a busy man.
"Shall we begin?" Six asked calmly. After 7 content nods of approval, he continued. "I have received transmissions from several settlements east of here wishing to connect supply lines in order to strengthen each of our economies. The following are the wasteland areas wanting to connect; New Orleans in the Cajun Wasteland, Salt Lake City in the Mid-West Valley Wasteland, and Washington DC in the Capital Wasteland. Does anyone know anything about these wastelands?"
Six felt uneasy about one of those places he listed, he couldn't tell why or which one he felt uneasy about, it just did.
Trudy spoke up. "Seen the Salt Lake City once, place is huge and has a lot of food."
"Louisiana is big on weapons and building supplies." The King added.
"DC is where I sent Ramos and his squad, they are meeting with the east coast chapter and they tell me that energy tech and schematics are big over there, as well as a few other things." Elder McNamara intervened. "I sent them over there with a few vertibirds, if you wish, you can go to each settlements and agree on the alliance."
Six looked down in deep thought, trying to decide if he should just send one of his Securitrons, but decided against it.
"We can we leave, tomorrow if you like, we have much work to do, and little time to do it, I will return to Hidden Valley and let them know to prepare another vertibird." Six nodded.
"Anyone against making an alliance with the other settlements?" No one spoke. "Alright then. Have a good day everyone."
-Hidden Valley/Next Day-
Six was wearing his desert ranger riot armor he got from Zion, carrying the helmet under his arm. Around his other arm was a duffle bag full of MRE's, water, and his favorite weapons. He had a few weapons with him, a modified ranger sequoia, (instead of a golden two headed bear, it was two golden numbers, 21), his YCS/186, Lucky, his WW2 colt, and his Thompson. His melee weapons were strapped onto the duffle bag; a hatchet, a broad machete, a sickle, Blood-Nap, a combat knife, and his katana. A few passing brotherhood members gawked at his collection of pristine firearms and blades. He was quite proud to be able to show off. He stood silently as the Elder approached.
"Ready to go my boy? You have a long journey ahead of you. Anything you want to get before we take off?" The Elder spoke quickly, obviously nervous about letting Six take one of his last vertibirds'.
"Yes actually, there is somewhere in California I need to go, I need to get someone there, and could we land at Novac while we are at it?"
The Elder, obviously surprised by this, hesitantly accepted this. "Very well, I suppose, just…bring it back in one piece, please?"
Six let out a deep laugh. "Will do sir, will do."
He shook the Elders hand before stepping into the vertibird and letting the pilots take him to his destinations.
-Novac/ 10 minuets later-
"So you want me to come with you to all these new settlements, why?"
Boone seemed upset at the Courier's sudden appearance, he had learned about the freeside massacre a while back, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice, so he didn't blame him too much.
"Listen, I just want some backup, and the company would be nice too. Look, are you coming or not?" Six said, getting impatient.
Boone looked at the ground for a moment before smirking at Six.
"Why the fuck not?" Boone said with a rare smile.
"That's the Boone I know and love!" Six said with glee. "Lets go, we have somewhere else we need to go first."
-Vault City/ 2 days later-
Cass sat quietly in her dining room cleaning her caravan shotgun, humming tunelessly to herself. She heard a knock on the door and glanced at it for only a moment.
"Go away." She half yelled at the metal door.
Another knock.
"Go away!"
'BANG BANG BANG!'
She stood sharply and went to the door opening it to see Six and Boone standing there, an impatient look on Boone's face, and Six's face hidden behind his helmet. She quickly pulled out her .357 and got ready to aim it at Six. Six grabbed the gun and pushed up forcing her to shoot the ceiling. He pulled her to him, and lifted her shortly off the ground before throwing her down and pinning her.
"Get off me you son of a bitch!" Cass screamed, fury filling her being.
"Cass, I'm sorry for what I did, but you knew those people would have suffered, the children turned into slavers, the women made slaves, and the men killed or also slaved!" Six yelled.
Two years ago, she was just too angry to listen to reason, but now she was slowly calming.
"Not to mention, there was no way I could have taken out the legion, without those citizens dying, I had no sniper weapons with me, no element of surprise, and my Securitrons couldn't get onto the roofs of the buildings to take them out. I thought of everything, I tried I promise! I know what I did, and I have to live with myself everyday for what I did, I'm sorry." His voice, although deeper and distorted by the helmet, sounded sincere, and true.
He helped her stand and let go of her. She stood, expressionless for a moment before tearing up and quickly embraced Six. Sobbing quietly in his chest.
"I-I missed you everyday, I didn't w-want to leave, I was just so-o angry." She sobbed louder. Six picked her up and carried her inside. Boone shifted awkwardly and stared at the ground before speaking. "I'm gonna go back to the vertibird, come out when you are ready."
-5 hour later-
She had long since stopped sobbing, minus the occasional sniffle, and tear that would escape her eye. Silence had filled the room since Boone left and now Six sat on her torn sofa and stroked his hand through her long red hair. He placed his helmet on the floor a while back, closing his eyes and humming to her. She felt awkward about being babied like this, but she rarely got this as a child, and if she had known then, how comforting it was, she would have let the Courier do this a long time ago.
"Thank you Six. I really needed this." She said in a hoarse voice from crying. She sniffed and returned to the quiet.
"I have a mission for us, you, me, Boone, and an old friend of mine, go out to some eastern settlements and make alliances, I came here to see if you wanted to go." Six told her.
"A bold move if you knew how pissed I was at you." She said with a halfhearted smile.
He only smiled and her, waiting for her to answer.
"I would love to go, let me pack." Cass finally stated.
Six was about to say something when a bark caught his attention.
-1 hour later-
"Who's a good boy? You are! How have you been my little furry killer? Have you missed me, I missed you!" Six cooed playfully at Rex.
Boone and Cass were watching the sight with much amusement, waiting for Six to be done with his reunion with his old robotic friend. They spent the next ten minuets packing up the vertibird before Six spoke to the pilot.
"I need you to go to these coordinates, I wish to pick up one more person." Six said cooly.
The cute, petite faced, brunette, pilot for the brotherhood gasped as she read them out. "You want me to go to the Divide?! Are you fucking crazy?!"
"It's close to the entrance, don't worry. And to answer your question, yes, I'm a goddamn sociopath, so don't fuck with me." He stood and resumed his seat at the back in between Cass and the wall. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He soon did the same and slipped into darkness.
-Divide/ 3 years ago-
"Ulysses! We need to get out of here, NOW!" Six yelled as the missile began to rumble behind him.
Ulysses nodded and sprinted for the elevator. Six, soon to follow leaped into the elevator as the doors closed. The two couriers sat and caught their breath. Before long, Six spoke.
"You obviously knew, (pant, pant) me before I took a bullet to the head. What was my name, my past, anything?" Six asked exhausted.
Ulysses only shook his head. "I can now give you answers, but only to our given situation. Your past is yours to discover, not my place. You must discover it on your own, just as you walked the Divide."
Six, too tired to argue, simply nodded and waited for the elevator to open.
-Divide/ Present-
The vertibird did a sharp turn as it passed more wreckage leading into the Divide. Ulysses sat at his normal spot over looking the Divide, waiting for marked men to come his way. He looked up and saw the Vertibird come closer to him landing behind him. He stood quickly and pulled out his staff, nicknamed 'Old Glory'. He prepared himself for a fight, but eased as Six was the first to step out, followed by his companions.
Cass and Boone looked over Ulysses, he was intimidating to say the least. 'Wonder how Six knows this guy.' Cass thought to herself.
"Hello old friend, how are you?" Six spoke calmly and with caution.
"I am well, I still walk the roads of the Divide, from Ashton to Hopeville." Ulysses' spoke with strength, power, and authority that made Cass and Boone shiver. This was a strong man.
"I am traveling to other wastelands, to gather alliances and supplies, I figured you have traveled the country from coast to coast, maybe it would be helpful. We are going to the Cajun Wasteland, Mid-West Valley Wasteland, and the Capital Wasteland."
Ulysses' eyes widened at the last one. "Discovered your past, have you not?"
Six was confused. "I'm afraid I don't follow."
"The Capital Wasteland, it is your origin, your home. I know it is not my place to teach you your past, but guide you. Maybe."
Six sounded shocked. "DC, my home! I can discover my past!" Six shouted with joy. "This is perfect!"
Ulysses looked back over the Divide. He felt his name, his heart being pulled to another adventure, the Divide was gone, no longer was it his, or Six's, it was an old world graveyard, ever protected by the invisible fires of the wasteland. "I will journey with you Courier, this is a journey in which we must go together. You have walked your roads alone long enough, it is time we fight together, courier, and courier."
Six said nothing only smiled and brought Ulysses into a tight hug. The departed shortly after, disappearing over the horizon, forever leaving the Divide to itself, the echoes of the Marked Men radiating from it core. The Divide was finally put to rest.
-Legate Lanius' Tent/47 Miles away from the Capital Wasteland-
At the second battle for Hoover Dam, the Courier managed to talk down both General Oliver, and the Legate. After this embarrassment, Legate needed a new drive, something new to conquer; he had already began to receive reports of settlements in that area.
Legate Lanius smiled as he read reports about shambled settlements and no major forces to worry about, except for this, brotherhood of steel. But if those profligates back west could drive them into hiding, so could the legion, this was going to be fun.
