Mountains. Good for snipers. Good for spies. Good for hiding supplies, or just hiding. Bad for walking.

Boone grabbed a ledge and pulled up. He didn't mind climbing. He was, or, used to be 1st Recon, after all. When you're a sniper, you have to get a good view. Boone climbed as naturally as he walked. Brandon, on the other hand, was not as good at climbing. He wasn't terrible at it, but he obviously didn't like it. The frown on his face. The occasional grunt.

Boone didn't know where they were going. Brandon usually didn't tell him. That wasn't a good sign. For all he knew, Brandon could have been leading him into a trap. Any moment, they could turn their guns on each other. So far though, Brandon hadn't done either of those things. Boone couldn't say the same for himself. Mojave Outpost came forward in Boone's thoughts, and a fist was the first thing he could remember...

The two wanderers stared at each other. It had only taken half an hour for more tension to rise between the two. Boone's fist clenched.

"Tell me you killed them."

"I did not."

Now Boone's teeth clenched, and his fist was almost trembling. He spoke in a strained voice, resisting the urge to punch the man in front of him.

"Why not?"

Brandon spoke in a smooth and calm voice.

"Because I want to destroy the Legion."

Boone looked at him. For the second time that day, he was confused.

"What?"

"Caesar's Legion. I wish to dismantle it. Like you, I want to make sure that it is wiped off from the face of the Earth."

A few minutes ago, after reporting to Ranger Jackson, Brandon had been talking to Ranger Ghost. Boone listened closely, and kept an eye on the pistol at the former courier's side. Ranger Ghost had asked Brandon if he could find out what happened at Nipton. He said he had already been there. What Brandon had said next had shocked both Ghost and Boone.

"The Legion killed everyone there."

This worried Ranger Ghost because of how close the Legion were getting, and yet all she could do was sit there and watch. Boone, however, had another reason for being worried. Brandon had not said what he had done to the Legionaries there. After walking back down the ramp, Boone had confronted him, leading to...

"You're going to gain their trust?"

"We cannot simply go up to their army and attack them head-on. I will infiltrate their faction and then betray them when the time is right. This way, there will be no chance of failure."

Boone saw the logic in Brandon's plan, but he would rather kill every Legionary he saw. There wasn't anything else to say though, so Boone just stopped talking, besides one last thing.

"Lead the way."

They were almost there. Boone put his hand on one of the peaks for support as he climbed up to the top. He went up and stepped onto the top of the mountain, about to-

No.

Boone stared at the sight before him. It couldn't be.

Brandon climbed up and stood next to Boone, both of them overlooking the small settlement below them. It was made up of small tents, one or two small buildings, and a couple of campfires. An upside-down NCR flag was flown in the settlement, and Boone, seemingly stricken, continued to stare at the sight with eyes wide-open. Bitter Springs.

Bitter Springs. Old memories that he had tried to forget came back in vivid detail. He had not forgotten anything.

Bitter Springs. Boone quickly turned towards Brandon and slammed his fist into the side of the man's face. He heard something that was a mix of a grunt and a yell, and saw Brandon roll down the side of the mountain facing Bitter Springs. The former courier had been trying to get inside his head ever since they had met, and now he had gone too far. Brandon knew that Boone had an aversion to this place. That he had memories of it.

Boone shut his eyes as one of those memories, painful and red, came to mind. And then another one...

Brandon opened his eyes, and saw Boone standing over him. Boone looked down at him, the usual frown on his face. There was no expression on Brandon's face besides that hint of worry, which had become indiscernible to Boone by this point. Amazingly, Brandon's sunglasses had managed to stay on Brandon's face despite what he had just gone through. Silence managed to stay in the air for an eternal minute or two. Boone managed to speak in his usual flat voice.

"I don't know why you brought me here. If this is your idea of pity or some kind of 'quest' to make me redeem myself, I told you: That part of my life is over."

Brandon looked at him, his face still mostly blank. Boone's punch had left a bruise on the side of his face. As far as Boone could tell, there wasn't any emotion in the man's voice.

"This is the closest friendly location that I know of. I know that you and that NCR did something here. Something curious." Brandon raised himself up on one elbow as he spoke, and then stood up. He seemed to analyze Boone from behind his opaque sunglasses, and continued explaining. "However, I did not come here to see your reaction. I came here to see if there was any way I could repair the damage."

Boone said nothing. Although this could have been the closest resting place, he didn't completely believe what else Brandon had said. The former courier had been trying to get inside his head from day one. This would have been a good way to do so. Also, although Brandon did have a habit of helping out whoever needed it, Boone doubted that he did so without compensation. Boone looked at the settlement again. It seemed raggedy and disheveled. Brandon wouldn't get paid here, and Boone knew that Brandon was smart enough to figure that out. There had to be something else he was looking for. The two of them climbed down the mountainside, planning to go to the main building. Boone had too many memories of Bitter Springs. And he didn't want to make any more.