Chapter 4
Pragmatism
Tensions rose as the leader of the group of men harassing Tomoe and Leina got closer to the Courier, intent on doing bodily harm. He was a big fellow, Marcus observed. He was burly and his head was shaved. The guy looked like a miner.
"What did you say to me boy!?" he snarled angrily as the Courier turned to simply look his opponent in the eyes with an uncomfortably blank stare.
"I asked you to leave my companions alone. You really do not want to start something here." Marcus answered quietly, almost bored out of his mind. "My companion has just been reunited with a friend and I am trying to drink in peace."
"And what if I says no?" the leader said "You don't scare me"
"Yeah kid, you best watch out for Derrick here!" One of the group, Eric, spoke eagerly. Marcus was immediately reminded of a ferret. "He'll smash ya flat!"
"Oh…? They say that the dog who barks loudest has the weakest bite." Marcus taunted the man, Derrick he was called "Your blustering doesn't scare me at all."
"You smug little bastard-" Derrick grabbed at Marcus's coat but the Courier knocked his hand away. The group of thugs got closer and Leina got ready for a fight.
"Don't touch me" Marcus told the thug quietly. The big man just snarled and threw the first punch.
The Courier dodged with mind numbing speed and his gauntleted hand shot out quick as a snake. Tomoe almost missed it as the Courier's fist cannoned right into Derrick's face with the force of a hurricane; the brute staggered backwards crying out in pain. The Courier moved forward kicking the man's knee forcing Derrick down and then promptly sent the large man flying with a knee to the face.
He was knocked out before he even hit the floor.
Irritated Marcus rubbed his knee, the bastard had a hard skull. Everyone at the bar was speechlessly looking at him.
"D-Derrick!" One of the miner's friends exclaimed in panic. Another one of the bunch had drawn a knife and was brandishing it at the Courier, screaming profanities. As he advanced, Leina stepped forward, bashing her shield against his face. The third man from Derrick's group went to accost her.
With surprising strength and agility, surprising even Marcus Tomoe hammered her elbow into the side of the ruffian's head and he went down like a rock.
"I would advise the both of you not to try anything else." She said officiously to the two remaining men. "Otherwise it will end most painfully for you."
The two stood unsure of what to do when another female voice cackled behind them. "Yeah you better listen to what Miss Tomoe says, otherwise you're gonna get hurt."
/
The newcomer was a young bright purple haired woman about the same age as Tomoe but unlike the more conservative Musha-Miko the newcomer was wearing an extremely revealing purple garb. But the most distinguishable aspect of her…outfit was her headband which had two horns sticking out of it.
Marcus did not pay attention to the impressive amount of cleavage she was showing, rather he was focused on the scythe with the chain, the throwing knives, and the short sword she had on her person. Much like him this chick had a lot of weapons on hand and she knew how to use them.
The newcomer had apparently noticed and she gave a cheeky grin "Like what you see?"
Marcus narrowed his eyes, keeping his guard up.
Shizuka smirked as the man tensed. She was impressed that the guy actually kept his cool around her; most men would have been drooling by now. But not this one, he actually looked like he can do something. His clothes were strange too and judging from how his left arm was in his jacket he was probably handling his own weapon.
"Hey come on now, take it easy" Shizuka said stepping over the two fallen ruffians, both were knocked out and the other two had fled the scene. They were probably getting reinforcements. "I'm Miss Tomoe's friend, Shizuka." The guy looked way too serious for his own good, he was cute too so that was quite a shame.
The guy said nothing but he just kept up his stony mask, and Leina noticed. "There's no reason to be so unsociable" she scolded her quiet companion. "You must forgive him Miss Shizuka, this is Marcus. He's a Courier from…Where are you from again?"
Marcus blinked and looked at Leina. "Like I said before, that is not something to discuss here openly because that guy is pissed." He then jerked his head at the infuriated looking innkeeper who was approaching.
/
"Dickhead" Marcus muttered as they were pushed out of the inn.
"Like we wanted to start that fight" Shizuka said grumpily "I should've cut him down, racist bastard. He was giving us some really bad prices for the rooms just because we're foreign."
"Tis land is lawless. But that does not mean we should add to the people's miseries Shizuka," Tomoe admonished her companion "It seems that the Queen is not doing what is right for the people by keeping the peace."
"Well…What's done is done" Leina sighed "We're probably going to end up camping out anyway, should we find a good clearing Sir Marcus?"
The Courier shrugged "Might as well," he answered Leina. He kept a wary eye on her two friends then looked around town to see if there were any other threats incoming.
They managed to set up close to a small hot spring. As Marcus sat tending to the fire, he let the women go rinse up at the spring. The Courier was sorely tempted to peek sure but seeing that all three of those girls were adept at swordplay he decided that keeping himself intact was the better idea. Besides...he had to pay attention in case anyone else tried anything. So with that in mind the Courier shrugged off his pack and sat down to stretch his legs.
He sharpened his machete idly with a whetstone.
/
"Ah…" Shizuka sighed leaning her head back. The water was nice. Now if only she and Miss Tomoe hadn't run out of sake then this would have been perfect.
"You have a very strange companion, Leina" Tomoe said "He seems…a bit off."
"Yes, he does seem like that but he is a good person." Leina answered "He's…well he isn't exactly from here, in fact he's not from the same plane as we are." Tomoe's eyes widened as she considered the implications of what Leina said. A man from another world...it was nothing short of outlandish.
"He is human right?" Shizuka asked Leina leaning forward staring at her blonde companion "I mean don't get me wrong, he's pretty nice to look at but those eyes of his are emptier than a doll's. I've seen corpses more livelier than your travelling companion Leina"
"Indeed," Tomoe added "In addition to that fact I felt some very dark chi coming from him. Is Sir Marcus a fugitive perhaps?"
Leina, seeing that she knew almost nothing about the Courier, shook her head a little confused not to mention a bit worried. Marcus didn't talk much to her. But he did help her out on the road, and he did fight off that wraith when she had been incapacitated. Was he hiding something from them? Some dark and perhaps tragic secret that he didn't wish to divulge to anyone he didn't trust?
"No" Leina said firmly. Whatever Marcus wanted to hide, that's his business. Oh well there was that one thing he had mentioned. "He did say that he was going off to fight in a war, he didn't mention many details." That was another thing that made Leina a little wary of her stony faced companion, he liked being as obscure as possible.
Shizuka raised a brow "A soldier, him? But you said he was a Courier didn't you?" she asked "Kinda weird for a Courier to know how to fight."
"Indeed," Tomoe added "His movements were practiced…Too practiced for someone who just has to defend himself from the occasional bandit or two."
/
Marcus counted at least six guys...and they were headed straight for the hot spring that Leina and company were occupying. These weren't part of the rabble back at the inn, they looked like small time but their armaments spoke of experience around these parts, swords and axes mostly and the leader had a cutlass that Marcus was interested in. Marcus palmed the Stealth Boy then decided against it. No time for tricks. This was going to be an old school ambush.
The Courier could only hope Leina wouldn't get angry at him for what he was about to do. Silently he unlimbered the Big Boomer from his shoulder and slipped two twelve gauge shells into both barrels then moved at a crouch, silent as a mouse.
/
"Look who we have here boys!" Leina narrowed her eyes covering herself up as six armed men approached from the bushes. "I don't know about you but I like having eye candy while I bathe!" His cronies guffawed raucously.
"You better close your eyes little man" Shizuka snarled. "Or else I'll pluck them out."
The lead bandit really was going to say something witty, all of them were wearing big grins and Shizuka was immediately reminded of the attack on Tomoe's shrine. As she got ready to move out of the water she saw something behind the bandit leader, she caught the glimpse of two blue eyes before there was a loud thump. Blood sprayed in copious amounts staining the grass as the bandit leader blinked and looked down at the large hole the size of a dinner plate in his torso before collapsing into a dead heap. Shizuka's jaw dropped and Leina gave a small gasp as Marcus ponderously aimed his strange weapon at the next bandit and blew his head off, his weapon making a loud thumping noise. The headless corpse stood for a few seconds, nerve endings shot, before finally falling backwards after registering the fact that it was dead.
With their leader dead the remaining four tried to run for it but the Courier simply drew another weapon from his coat, this one smaller, and put them down in succession. Six shots and four men dropped like rocks. The inhuman nature of the act was not lost on Leina and she was about to give the Courier a stern talking-to when he gestured at her...lack of clothing.
"You're all kind of naked," he said his iron mask muffling his voice but he sounded amused, not exactly a good reaction from someone who just killed six men in cold blood, and Marcus turned around "I'd suggest getting dressed before talking to me. Wouldn't want you to get a cold"
Two girlish squeals later sent him running as Leina had hefted a rock to throw at him in her embarrassment.
/
"What was that!?" A fully dressed and armed Leina demanded of the stony faced Courier who was busy cleaning his weapons, in particular he started with the 'sawed off' as he explained it. He was cleaning out the two barrels gently with a brush like a mother bathing her child.
"A textbook ambush" Marcus answered not looking at Leina "And you're welcome by the way."
"That still did not excuse the fact that you just killed them all, you could have won that battle without killing Marcus!" Leina spoke aghast at how her ever stony faced companion would be so willing to kill just to come out on top. How right she was...
"You're right it doesn't" Marcus said softly finishing up with Big Boomer's second barrel. He then reassembled the weapon with practiced hands and put it up next to his rucksack, the barrels glinted dully in the firelight "However..if things went downhill would you expect those men to treat you with the same courtesy? Why should I let bandits, rapists and slavers live? Why should they be allowed to continue ruining other people's lives?" When he saw Leina had no answer he sighed.
"I can understand your concerns, Leina" he spoke quieter now as though he was tired. "But where I come from trying to be nice to bad people often ends up with you being dead." He gave her a cynical smile as he took a sip from his canteen. "I've shot and stabbed a lot of people if that disturbs you then I apologize. But I can't change what path my life has taken or how much I have endured." The look on Leina's face said it all, she didn't like the fact that he had killed those men. Marcus shrugged and looked down away from Leina's eyes, what else could he say? She was a good person, the one thing that Marcus tried and failed to become.
Shizuka uncrossed her arms and tried to defuse the tense situation "Well, he's got a point Leina." She spoke to the blonde gently "Killing's a nasty business. Unless you're well cuckoo nobody ever recovers from it."
"It still does not have to happen" Tomoe said then looked at Marcus "I don't know what kind of place you hail from Mister Marcus but I will be watching you." She tried to pity the man but considering how well armed and well trained Leina claimed him to be she didn't want to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"If that makes you feel any better go ahead." Marcus said to the stoic Musha-Miko then as though a switch had been thrown he sat up straighter "You all go ahead and rest, I'll be up for quite a while."
Tomoe and Shizuka looked at each other then nodded bidding him good night. Leina sat down to unpack her own bedroll. "I still think you're a good person Marcus." she said softly "I just wish that you would act like one."
"An old friend once told me that he didn't enjoy killing" Marcus answered "But even when it was done righteously, it's just a chore. I was disheartened to find out that he was right." Leina just blinked at him slowly, then curled up in her bed roll. Marcus exhaled then he continued keeping watch.
/
The next morning Leina found Marcus already geared up and ready to go, his face hidden behind the metal mask that he wore on occasion. She noted that he was a lot more subdued. He only nodded when Shizuka greeted him. After a small breakfast the group decided to move on towards the capital. The atmosphere was not as friendly as before and Leina glanced behind her at the Courier who walked stiffly, but he did keep an eye out as though he expected something to happen. He needn't worry so much, she mused. Apart from that blue haired angel nobody should be following them.
And he did take care of those bandits, that was at least one good thing that came out of the incident last night. Leina blushed shaking her head, why was she thinking after the man? Sure he was a troubled but charming young man and also strong fighter he wasn't like many of the males she had encountered. Other men would only leer at her and their compliments on her looks were shallow. Marcus made no such comments. He didn't leer, that was another point in his favor. Leina shook her head clear of such things. They had only met a couple of weeks ago! She was not some foolish maiden trying to fall in love!
Marcus only tilted his head as he saw Leina flustered with something. She looked like she had a fever or some such. He shrugged. Whatever, it wasn't his problem.
"Seriously..." Marcus muttered as he turned the map over again. They had taken a break and seeing as the area around them was pretty rocky they set up camp on a good looking hill with lots of cover. There was not much to do apart from the occasional spar and the card game of Caravan. After a few bouts Shizuka one-upped Marcus at every turn, so much so that the women found out with amusement that Marcus was not a very graceful loser.
"How the hell did you two ever get through this place with this kind of map?" Marcus handed the scroll back to Shizuka, still grumpy over his bout of losses in Caravan. Wearing a Cheshire grin, Shizuka just took the map back and rolled it up.
"Oh...we were lucky" she said emphasizing the word lucky. Marcus narrowed his eyes at the insinuation that his luck in card games was horrible and the Hinomoto ninja just chuckled. "But it was pretty fun, despite the fact we nearly died a couple of times. Tomoe has a...very bad sense of direction" Marcus raised a brow.
"Well she has a good companion to keep her on her way at least." Marcus said shrugging his shoulders.
Dimples appeared on Shizuka's face "You know how to flatter a girl, Marcus I like that." The Courier just shrugged again. The kunoichi found Marcus to be a rather interesting person, if a bit quiet. She learned much about his place of origin, the Mojave Wasteland.
"It's a civilized place" he had said "But trust me, it's also bloody."
He told them all that he had fought in a war before between two groups known as the NCR and Caesar's Legion, and sitting in between them was the enigmatic Mr. House who ruled the center of the Mojave, New Vegas.
She learned that the NCR was a more benevolent faction than the Legion and that the Legion would enslave anyone who stood in their way. She also learned that the NCR had its own problems: corruption, greed. Marcus had no love for either group but he decided to help the NCR because they were the better option. He didn't trust Mr. House because he was a "conniving bastard". She learned of his wanderings, the colorful characters of the Mojave and the places he visited. From Goodsprings to Novac, from Freeside to Zion to the Divide Marcus had walked the Mojave Wastes from one end to another. Now he was here because of a freak sandstorm he still had a lot of work to do. The first thing on his mind was to get back home, because the Legion was still out there and the NCR, specifically General Oliver, needed his expertise. It was something he resented.
"Folks in the NCR call him General 'Wait and See'" Marcus told Shizuka. Then he scoffed in annoyance "He was one of the reasons why the Republic was doing so badly in the first place."
Shizuka grinned "Typical male bravado, he thinks he knows what he was doing wasn't he?"
"Yup." Marcus said nodding slowly then took a peek around. Leina and Tomoe had been gone for quite a while now, they should have been back already from gathering food. Even though they already had enough food, Leina said she spotted some deer. Marcus advised against it but Tomoe offered to go with her and with that they set off.
Marcus idly looked at the clock on his Pip-Boy and was now a little concerned, well he was mostly concerned about Leina. She was a kindly sort but slightly airheaded not like Tomoe. He sincerely hoped the priestess would steer Leina from straying off too far.
Shizuka blinked as she heard something. "Hey...Hush up for a bit mister Courier," she said as she got to her feet listening. Marcus obeyed, hearing something as well. It sounded like steel clashing.
"Bugger-fuck..." Marcus muttered pulling his metal mask over his head "And here I thought that we'd have no trouble for the day."
"It makes the trip less boring if you ask me" Shizuka said "Let's get going I'm sure Miss Tomoe's giving some goons a thrashing or two." She took one step back and flipped acrobatically off their camp and sped off. Marcus didn't imitate his flashier companion and just jumped down, following her at a relaxed pace seeing as he wasn't a goddamned ninja in the first place.
Damn...When Shizuka ran, she went all out.
/
The assassins were fast and they used the terrain quite well as though they knew it. Tomoe and Leina looked around waiting for their enemy to strike. They had just lost the deer and was about to head back when they had been attacked by several leather bound warriors. One in particular Tomoe recognized quite well. Her eyes burned coldly as she scanned the area. It was rocky and filled with many places to strike from. They had to be careful.
"Blast it, how can they blend in so well?" Leina asked as she kept her shield up. "Who are these people?" With a grunt Leina blocked one strike from an assassin at her flank and swung her sword but the strike went wide and the female warrior simply pulled back, disappearing into the rocks.
"They are the Queen's personal assassins" Tomoe said "We've met before, the one with the blue hair is a devious foe. I would be careful Miss Leina-"
And just like that Irma, the Captain of the Queen's personal assassins, landed to the left. Her red eyes were cold and calculating and Leina was quickly reminded of their ever stony faced companion.
"We meet again, priestess of Hinomoto" The woman's voice was just as cold as her glance. Two more assassins flanked her, weapons drawn. Though quite a few of them had been knocked out of the fight their morale did not waver. Such was the strength of the Fang assassins whose loyalty to their Queen was second to none.
"Indeed," Tomoe answered "It seems that you did not learn your lesson last time. Leave or I may be forced to cut you down."
Irma just smiled coldly drawing her sword and dagger. "That is not going to happen I'm afraid" she said and surged forward like a hurricane. Tomoe held her katana in two hands as Leina gave a war cry and engaged the other two.
The lead assassin went low aiming for Tomoe as the Musha-Miko stepped back and made to swing down on Irma's head. With surprisingly feline grace Irma sidestepped the blow and reverse the grip on her dagger and went for a crippling blow. Tomoe parried the attack striking again and again with Irma outright flowing in between attacks.
"Gah!"
Tomoe smiled gratefully as Shizuka got the drop on the one assassin that had Leina in a headlock. The other one, who was about to deal a heavy blow against Leina, got tackled by the Courier. Wearing his metal mask Marcus looked down at his victim coldly before knocking her out with a single punch to the face.
The Musha-Miko then focused on her opponent blocking an over head strike. Tomoe swung her katana again but Irma ducked, knocked Tomoe off balance and went for a swing but was forced to evade it as Leina went in swinging her sword at her. Irma deftly jumped back onto a boulder, clearly outnumbered. Marcus drew his pistol and took aim. He squeezed off two shots at the blue haired assassin, aiming to keep her distracted, but she ducked back behind the rock, disappearing post haste.
"Left or right" Marcus muttered, loud enough for Shizuka and the others to hear "Or she could come from above."
"Then let her" Leina growled "I'll just beat her down like the rat she is."
"She's smart," Marcus said "She uses the terrain like a local. She could ambush us anywhere if we follow." He flicked the safety on his pistol and holstered the .45. He looked around and noticed that the other assassins had disappeared as well. Including the ones Shizuka and Marcus had blindsided.
"Great," Shizuka groused "First bandits, now the Queen's assassins are after us. Again."
"That pretty much describes my own luck at the moment" Marcus said pedantically taking his helmet off and scratching his black hair. "Dinner anyone?" Predictably Leina's stomach growled and Shizuka laughed at her expense. Leina gave the kunoichi a playful shove.
