Chapter 9: Advance Scouts and Retake the Bridge
I know, it's been a while since I last updated this story. I've just been highly unmotivated to update this particular story and I apologize to every one of my readers for taking so long to update. I'll try and do better with this story, but please bear in mind that I am quite busy and probably won't be updating as regularly as I would like to. Anyway, I hope you guys and gals enjoy this Chapter!
I do not own Fallout New Vegas, that belongs to Bethesda and Obsidian
Pain; it was the one constant in Joshua Graham's life. People, family, friends, beliefs, allegiances, all were fluid and inconsistent for the man, constantly changing and morphing for him. Even his name would change; the name Joshua Graham was lost during his time in the Legion, instead having been christened as Legate Augustus by his former ally and friend Caesar. It had taken Joshua a while to get used to being called by his birth name upon his exile from the Legion, as was being forced to constantly wearing bandages. Everything else seemed to change around the man, but pain was always the same for him. Whether he was experiencing it or inflicting it upon others, pain seemed to be something that was intertwined with the life of Joshua Graham. The only change for Graham now was that the pain was never-ending, from the moment he awoke to when he went to sleep, his entire body groaned in agony, begging for some sort of relief.
While most other men would become bitter about this fate, cursing any deity who would listen with flurries of curses and swear words, Joshua Graham wasn't like most men. He knew he deserved this, after the atrocities he had committed in the name of Caesar and his Legion. It was the burden he would have to bear for the rest of eternity, for the sins he had indulged in in this life. No, Joshua could not complain. It would seem…hypocritical to curse his luck, after the hundreds of lives he had helped to destroy. No, Graham had no right to complain about his punishments; the Lord had decided that this was Graham's cross to bear, and he would carry it until the end of days.
"The righteous person may have many troubles," Joshua muttered, as he reloaded his .45 pistol. "but the Lord delivers him from them all."
Rose of Sharon Cassidy hated to admit it, but she wasn't feeling particularly confident about this mission. The former caravaner wasn't someone who particularly liked to take risks, given that risks in the caravan business usually meant death, so she couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy here. Taking out a group of tribals by surprise was one thing, but this? This definitely was a bit of a challenge for the both of them, as Cass turned to face her companion.
"Not lookin' particularly good for us." Cass admitted. "You don't happen to have some grenades on you?"
"We have a few left, but we're too far away to throw them." Courier Charlotte answered. "But I think we can take this bridge from those White Legs, easily."
"You think so?" Cass inquired, eyebrow raised. "There's only two ways onto that bridge, and both ways are covered by them tribals and bear traps; no offence meant, but I think we might be a bit fucked."
"Yeah right now we might be fucked, but I'm sure I can come up with something." Charlotte muttered. "We can do this, I know it."
"Yeah well no offence, but I think we hit a dead end here." Cass retorted. "Especially since we ain't got Boone or ED-E to snipe those fuckers from a distance. We'd need a fuckin' miracle right now, and I doubt Lady Luck is gonna help us out right now."
The Courier fell silent at that, as she started rummaging through her pockets. A confused look soon appeared on her pale face, as she slowly pulled out something from one of her pockets, revealing it to be a stealth boy. Charlotte stood staring at the stealth boy for a few seconds, as if studying every nook and cranny of the object, before a wide grin soon appeared on her face.
"Oh boy, that ain't good." Cass stated, staring at her lover. "That look on your face, I know that look. It means you're gonna do something fuckin' crazy, ain't ya?"
"Cass, trust me on this, please." Charlotte answered, an excited tone to her voice. "It might be crazy, but I am absolutely sure that this idea will work. I'm gonna use this stealth boy and sneak up onto the bridge, and start throwing grenades around!"
"That's fucking crazy." Cass retorted. "You expect me to be okay with this?"
"Just trust me, please. It's dangerous I know, but I know I can pull this off." The Courier answered, a determined tone to her voice. "My tribe were experts on explosives and the like, so I know how to handle them."
"…Fuckin' hell, I might regret saying this." Cass muttered. "But I trust ya, Char. Just be careful, kay?"
As Cassidy hid under the bridge, bored out of her skull, she couldn't help but dread what this 'signal' would be. Knowing Charlotte, it definitely wouldn't be something you'd miss, but it'd also more than likely be something that was fucking dangerous and could possibly kill her. The girl just had a knack for landing herself in dangerous situations, like the Fort or the Sierra Madre. Cass might act like she didn't give a fuck about most things, but the safety of her lover was definitely one thing she cared a fucking lot about.
Cass quickly found her train of thought derailed, as the sounds of screams and explosions filled the air. The former caravaner quickly scrambled from out of her hiding spot and made her way towards the end of the bridge, as she took in the carnage in front of her. Explosions were sounding off from everywhere, with planks of wood and body parts flying everywhere, with the bridge being stained a deep red from all the blood that was being spilt.
While some of the White Legs stood their ground and were shooting at whatever was moving, most of the tribals turned tail and were running, trying to get away from all these explosions. Unfortunately for some of them, they didn't notice the bear traps they had left down until the rusted metal snapped down onto their ankles and shattered their feet. Cass couldn't help but wince slightly, as she saw the tribals trying to rip open the bear traps and free their mangled feet. As Cass lifted her weapon and started firing off bullets at the downed White Legs, she could only imagine it was a mercy killing for them; she highly doubted that the tribe would be coming back to help these guys out.
It seemed to only last a few seconds, as soon enough the entire group of White Legs laid dead on the ground, their bodies twisted and mutilated beyond recognition. She may have been a hardened woman, but even Cass had to admit that this was a fucked up scene to view, as she turned and noticed the air nearby was shimmering.
"I admit it, that was a fuckin' good idea." Cass stated. "Just never do it again, kay? I don't want ya to get shot."
"Don't worry, that was my last stealth boy." The shimmering air retorted. "It was just desperate times calling for desperate measures, is all."
"Once again, I have brought honour to my tribe." Waking Cloud stated. "The Father in the Caves would look proudly on us today."
Boone could only nod his head at that, as he surveyed the nearby area. Bighorner's Bluff, previously a camp for the White Legs, now stood in ruins. ED-E, Boone and Cloud had massacred the White Legs here, not even giving the tribals a chance to retaliate. But Boone had to admit…he didn't feel as uneasy as he should, when shooting down the tribals where they stood. Memories didn't flash before him, memories of that day at Bitter Springs, where he sniped off Great Khan after Great Khan and staining the sandy ground with blood. He felt…kinda at peace, if Boone had to be honest, and it was a sensation he was surprised he could still feel.
"You are most quiet, Boone." Waking Cloud said, breaking Boone's concentration. "You remind me of my husband; he likes his silence as well, thinking many thoughts."
And if something could break his sense of peace, that was definitely it. The idea of being similar to this woman's husband…yeah, that definitely didn't sit easily with Boone. The sniper could hear ED-E beeping loudly in the background, but decided to ignore it for the time being.
"Is that so?" Boone inquired.
"Very so, yes." Waking Cloud retorted. "My husband might be a quiet man, but is he a strong man, who loves very big. That is why he is off fighting the White Legs, to protect his tribe and the people he cares for. He is truly a good man, my husband."
"What's his name?" Boone asked.
"It is Ahmik, a strong name for a strong man." Waking Cloud answered, a sorrowful tone to her voice. "Our children do miss him, as do I…"
"Something wrong?" Boone inquired.
"I…I suspect something is wrong, with Ahmik." Waking Cloud admitted. "We have heard no word from him, and I fear he…he might have perished. But Daniel would have told me so, if such a thing had happened, so I should not fear as much. Now, we must be on to our next fight, Boone of the Mojave."
The NCR sniper stood there silently, as he watched Waking Cloud turn around and walk away. It seemed cruel in a way, to be paired with this woman. Not only did she have a partner who was currently missing, but she had kids too. And while nothing about Akmik was confirmed…something within Boone was telling him to expect the worst. Boone didn't wanna believe it, but his intuition had been more often than not right. As Boone holstered his rifle and made his way towards Waking Cloud, he made a decision; as soon as he got back to the Sorrows Camp, he'd be having a talk with Daniel.
And Chapter 9 of Seeking Redemption is done and dusted. I'd like to thank HappinessIsBlau, Fanfictionfan3601, Mandalore the Freedom, Starship King and JKrlin for all of their reviews and support. Anyway, I hope to see you guys and gals at the next Chapter!
Love,
The Desert Dancer
