The Legend of the Courier
Chapter 7: A Long Road Home
After days of travel the four arrived on the outskirts of the first (and last) raider bastion to survive Caesar's Legion, New Juarez. New Juarez was founded on the principle: If you can get away with it, do it, and if you can't get away with it, kill those who would dare come after you. The town seethed with hate, rage, and a love for wonton destruction and murder. Veronica stared in horror at the bodies strung up along the wall of the city, warnings to those who may intrude.
"Despite all my hatred of the Legion, I'm surprised Caesar didn't have this place put to the cross." Boone uttered.
"He tried at one point.", the Courier explained, "The Legion came here with a large force that was intent on a wholesale execution. The Raiders managed to slow them down with traps and surprised the Legion with their sheer ferocity."
"That usually never stopped the Legion though." Cass said as she polished off a bottle of whiskey and threw it towards the city."
"It didn't this time either.", the Courier continued, "They laid siege to New Juarez and stayed camped outside the walls for a week, waiting for them to starve."
"Looking at the bustling community of human train wrecks, I'm going to guess something diverted the Legion's attention." Veronica said as she finally stopped examining the city.
"The battle at Hoover Dam called them to its fight.", the Courier proceeded, "After the Legion's first loss at the dam, New Juarez went to the back of Caesar's mind. It became one of those things he never got back around to doing."
"Which leaves us today with the capital of Hell on Earth." Cass sneered.
"How do you know so much about this place Courier?" Veronica questioned.
"Shortly before I came to Whispering Rock, I stumbled upon this place," the Courier began as he sat on a nearby boulder. "I would have just passed by, but then I saw eight kids being hauled in at gun point. I couldn't knowingly let anything happen to them, but I also couldn't take on a city by myself. I stashed most of my gear and weapons at a camp over on that other ridge. I approached the gate only with A Light Shining in Darkness, and managed to talk my way into the walls. I found out the children were going to be sold to slavers. I approached the leader, Ax Man, to see if I could plead for or even purchase the children's freedom. Ax Man agreed to release them if I paid 2,000 caps. I went to camp retrieved the money and returned an hour later. He had the kids lined up and his men circling the courtyard. I approached Ax Man and the children with a sack of caps. He raised his arm and then I was surrounded, subdued, and bound. As I was on my knees he explained to me what I told you guys, and that they hadn't survived this long with compassion and compromise. He took my sidearm and said since the kids were already paid for that he didn't have a use for them. One by one he executed six of the children. He ran out of ammo before he could kill the last two, and just decided to keep them as servants. They stripped me of everything, even my clothes, and walked me through the town and then threw me from the walls of the city. I got up and began to flee towards camp, they started to fire around me, and I took two bullets. I made it back to camp, patched myself up, and left the area. I still carry the memory of those kids with me."
"I'm so sorry." Veronica said as she looked at the ground.
"What do you want to do about it?" Cass sharply asked as she pumped her shotgun.
Boone pulled his hunting rifle and looked at the Courier, "A single man may not be able to take down a city of raiders, but we took on the Fort. I think our little team can handle this."
"Alright then," the Courier agreed. "Boone, find a way into a watch tower near the Mesa Hotel courtyard. Cass, plant some of this C-4 at the base of the other towers and in some places where it'll make the biggest bang."
"What about me?" Veronica asked intently.
"You're with me," the Courier said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "The small fries don't carry guns, but I don't do well with my hands so anyone who gets close to me dies. Everyone clear."
"Got it," the other three responded in unison.
"Suit up guys. We're going to war."
A young man and woman stood at the gates as the Courier approached in his elite riot gear and Veronica in her power armor. The guards raised their weapons, but lowered them as the Courier held up his hand.
"Aren't you two kind of young to be raiders?" the Courier said as the two put their weapons on the ground.
"Me and Fox here have been doing this since we were little. We don't know much else," the boy said as he gestured towards the girl.
"Yeah, me and Razor had to grow up as Ax Man's bitches," Fox said as she spat on the ground.
"Wait, how long ago have you been here?" the Courier asked quickly.
"I dunno...close to seven years now," Razor said as he scratched his head."Ax Man just last year said we were old enough to start guard duty, which is helluva lot better than bustin' our asses for everyone here."
"There were eight of you...at the beginning when you were brought in," the Courier stated quietly as a concerned look appeared on the teens' faces. "The other six...were executed in front of the man that tried to save you."
"How the hell do you know that!?" Fox shouted as she grabbed the Courier's vest.
"I'm...I'm so sorry," the Courier apologized as he removed his helmet and Fox released him in shock. "I'm sorry I couldn't save them...I'm sorry I couldn't save you two from all this."
"You're here to burn this shit hole down aren't you?" Fox said as she put her hand on the wall.
"Here's your chance to make up for the past," Razor said as he tossed the Courier some keys. "Most of them are celebrating a good haul at the Mesa. If you get there without any alarms, you can wipe most of 'em off the planet before they can do anything about it."
"What will you two do?" Veronica asked.
"Live off the land I guess," Fox said, shrugging her shoulders.
"No," the Courier objected as he reached in his pocket and dug out a bag and a paper. "East of here is a town called Crying Rock. Go there and talk to an old guy named Gary. Tell him Doc sent you and that you two are good hunters and servers. Here's two hundred caps and the directions. They'll make sure you have a good honest life."
"Thank you mister," Fox said as she took the caps and paper. "Good luck in there."
"Take care you two," The Courier said as they walked pass him. "Let's go V."
What few sentries Veronica and the Courier came across swiftly crumpled like organ filled paper bags beneath Veronica's pneumatic gauntlets. It was nearly a mile inside the walls when they finally reached the exterior of the Mesa Hotel. The noise from inside the building allowed the Courier and Veronica to get into an adjacent building. They peered out a window to look for Boone and Cass. While they were looking, something grabbed the Courier's shoulder, to which the Courier responded with a quick gun draw. Realizing that it was Cass who he had just shoved a gun barrel towards, he quickly retracted.
"I see age didn't slow you down Courier." Cass responded as she took a step back.
"Are we all set?" the Courier whispered.
"No need to whisper, the guards aren't going to be a problem," Cass said at a normal tone. "Yeah, we're set. I have explosives set up along those guard towers, except the one right the right of the door here; that's where Boone is set up. I also have some set up along the hotel walls."
"All right, good," the Courier said as Cass handed him the detonator. "Cass, wait on one side of the building. Veronica, take up the other side. If anyone comes out, send them to hell."
The women crept out and across the courtyard. When they got into position, the Courier stepped into the courtyard and fired a round from his automatic rifle into the air.
"AX MAN!" the Courier shouted, "COME OUT ALONE, AND I WON'T LEVEL THE REST OF THIS TOWN!"
"Some balls you must have to just wander in here and expect me to just do whatever the hell you want," Ax Man said as he wandered about with four raiders even larger than himself. "Well your certainly dressed like you're ready for some shit to go down. Too bad you have to die; you would done a helluva good job as..."
"I don't think so," the Courier said as he raised his hand in the air; which followed by four cracks of a rifle and Ax Man's bodyguards hitting the ground.
"The hell just happened!?" Ax Man asked in shock while looking around at his men. He then turned towards the hotel. "Get your asses out here now."
"I don't think so," Cass said as she blew away the first raider to set foot outside.
"Don't even try!" Veronica yelled as she rammed two more into the wall. The shock caused the remaining raiders to back further into the building.
"Courier, now!" Cass shouted as she signaled to Veronica to run like hell. As they ran the Courier hit the detonator and brought several towers down. Then the walls of the Mesa Hotel exploded, gutting the old building over the people inside. Muffled yells of pain bellowed from within but slowly faded.
"Holy shit!" Ax Man yelled as he drew A Light Shining in Darkness, "Who the hell are you?"
"Seven years," the Courier said as he removed his helmet and dropped it by his side. "You took that gun from me and killed six children in front of me."
"You were that softhearted fool that tried to buy the kids freedom."
"You're right," the Courier said as he fired a round into his shoulder, causing him to drop the gun. "But to you...I'm the goddam angel of death. Veronica, Cass... hold him."
"Please show some compassion," Ax Man pleaded, "This place will clearly never recover, so why do I need to die as well?"
"For justice," the Courier said as he picked up his old sidearm. "This was given to me by the Burned Man over twenty years ago. He dedicated the rest of his life to finding repentance, after he got a second chance at life."
"I can do the same. Turn my life around...start helping people, and..."
"Did you think that meant I was going to let you live?" the Courier interrupted as he fired a a shot into Ax Man's other shoulder, and another into his thigh. He let out a cry of pain.
"PPLLEEEEAAASSSEEE!"
"Four more for the other kids you murdered," the Courier said calmly as he fired two more shots, one in his other leg and another in his abdomen.
"Three...four."
"PLEASE DON'T LET ME DIE!" Ax Man screamed as blood shot out of his mouth, only to be shot again in the right side of his chest.
"That's five," The Courier said as he pressed the barrel to the raider's forehead.
"I'm begging you, don't kill me," he whispered as he fruitlessly tried to draw air into his punctured lung.
"I'm sorry, but the last time I checked...you guys didn't survive off of compassion," the Courier said as he pulled the trigger, sending a geyser of blood, brains, and skull ten feet behind the freshly made corpse. "That ends that I suppose."
"Should we burn this place?" Cass asked.
"No Cass, I think this would serve better as a new community for those looking to survive off of each other, instead of plaguing the land."
The four walked out of the town. The few raiders who were left simply backed away from them. They disappeared into westward horizon, leaving behind a town purged of hatred and devoid of life. They continued on their road, closing the gap between them and the hope to slay an ever growing beast.
