AN: Prinzessin Mia were you hoping for more Vulpes? Yes? In that case, you're welcome :) as for your suggestions/suspicions, I guess you'll have to find out the old fashioned way :D I'll definitely try to update on a regular basis ^^
As for the pardon, it's done... I just assumed they'd radio the answer in xD
And I'll NEVER get tired of people telling me that they appreciate my work 3
Si vis pacem chapter 9
After an very uneventful night, Syrus told Sian what the frumentarii did, and how their training looked like, all the while leading her towards Novac. For the most part Sian would listen, occasionally commenting on an infiltration technique or battle maneuver he was describing. Syrus had been the right choice of escort, as he and Sian got along incredibly well. Her acerbic wit and sarcasm made it increasingly hard for the young frumentarius to keep up the aloof façade that was expected of him...
It broke apart completely when Sian, with a wide grin, plucked a random yucca banana and chucked it at the back of his head. He spun around, and stared at her angrily for a moment. She wasn't impressed however and just laughed at him and that was when the battle proven soldier and the skilled fighter became the children they should have been. He chased after her through the wastes, both of them laughing gleefully. She was a lot faster than Syrus had expected, it was actually challenging to keep up with the shorter girl. Neither of them noticed Eddie starting to play his battle theme.
They had run straight into a raider camp without noticing, but recovered with practiced ease. Syrus unsheathed his gladius, while Sian drew her .45 and a combat knife. They charged into battle, sure they would win.
Syrus tried not to stray too far from the girl, having been told to protect her, after all, but even with the robotic assistance, the raiders proved unexpectedly tough. Out of the corner of his eyes, the boy saw a raider getting Sian in the side with a knife and his vision flashed red. He sprinted towards the trash who'd attacked his charge, driving the blade in his hand through the man's throat. Sian ignored her injury, thinking it not particularly dangerous, and the two of them gained the upper hand, greatly thanks to Eddie. But suddenly, Syrus collapsed next to her. The girl whipped around, blue hair flying, and raised her gun. With a wicked smile, she shot the last raider right between the eyes, splattering herself with his blood. She panted in the sudden silence, her hand pressed against the wound on her side.
"Fuck! Syrus? Are you alright?!"
She flew over to him and knelt beside the legionary. Rolling him onto his back, she saw that his temple was split open but he was still conscious. She looked around and saw the iconic dinosaur, Syrus had told her about. It wasn't far and they could make it. But she couldn't drag a wounded Legion soldier into the small town...
"Okay.. Okay. Syrus, come on. We have to get you outta that skirt."
He groaned, and struggled to sit up, his hands fumbling with the latches on his armor. Meanwhile, Sian ripped some cargos and a shirt of a raider, then helped him strip off the compromising clothes. He was able to dress himself with some assistance and Sian pulled him to his feet, slinging his arm around her shoulder, placing her own around his waist. Syrus was a few inches taller than her, and heavy, but not bulky and she was strengthened by worry. Pulling her companion along, she felt her shirt getting drenched in her own blood. Her wound was deeper than she originally thought and the pain radiated through her entire torso.
Syrus' head felt like it had shattered apart. He could feel the blood spilling from the wound on his temple. He tried not to lean on Sian too much, surely he must be too heavy for her to support, but it became more and more difficult to simply place one foot in front of the other. Syrus desperately tried to push away the blackness on the edges of his mind, but it was no use.
Sian's knees buckled when Syrus fell unconscious and it took every ounce of strength to not fall over. She was almost there, the goddamn lizard was right in front of her. She tried to drag him along but he was far too heavy and Sian felt her grip on him slipping, her side feeling like it was on fire from the strain.
"Hey! We need help! Someone, get out here!"
Two men were attracted by the racket she was making, and she felt the weight being lifted off of her. One of the men scooped her up before she could protest, and she was only semi-conscious when she was carried into a tent.
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When Sian awoke a few hours later, it was dark and she was alone in the tent with Syrus. Her ribs hurt and she felt exhausted. By some kind of bad joke from the universe, that damn raider had gotten her right on the bruise. She slipped off the cot she was laying on and staggered over to the one occupied by her companion. His wound had been stitched up, but he was very pale and he still seemed to be unconscious. Sian examined him closer and found an injection mark on his his arm.
Aww, fuck.. Legion doesn't use chems... He'll be out for a day, at least... Got to let his team know, how to do that?
Sian was thinking hard, trying to remember everything he'd said today. The raid camp he was supposed to return to, it wasn't too far from here he'd told her..
The idea struck her out of nowhere. She saw an old gas station just outside the tent, grabbed her bag and walked over, steps getting surer all the time. She'd leave Eddie to keep watch over Syrus, but Aurelio traipsed out of the tent with her. Sian grabbed a few bottles of turpentine and, after some searching, lucked out and found a lighter. Quiet as a shadow, she took the back road out of town and trekked back to the raider camp. Aurelio was jumping along beside her, the rattling of his tail reassuring in the darkness.
It had taken a lot of strength, determination and quite some time to pile the corpses together on the road. She did her work coldly and efficiently, then sat down and grabbed paper and pen from her bag and sketched out a quick note, without greeting or signature. It only stated what had happened and where Syrus was. Sian gathered up some stones, set them in a circle in the dirt, a few feet away from the meat mountain. The Legion uniform was still where she'd left it, and she laid the folded clothing and armor into the circle. Sian fastened the folded piece of paper to the chest guard and began dousing the corpses with turpentine, making sure to soak the clothing in it. She managed to light it all up, and hoped the human bonfire would catch the attention of the other frumentarii. A quick glance at her PipBoy told Sian it was almost four in the morning. She'd been out here for nearly two hours and she felt more tired than ever before. She only wanted to get back to the tent and sleep.
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Syrus should have been back by now... Even if they were dawdling, he should have been back hours ago.
Vulpes had come back to the raid camp after his other business was concluded, just to find out, his newest recruit had apparently messed up somehow. He'd chosen the boy, because he and the mystery girl were about the same age, but clearly, he should have picked someone more experienced. He lay on his back inside his tent, his arms crossed behind head, when one of his men stuck his head in.
"Sir. There's something you should see.. We don't really know what to make of it.."
"I'm coming."
Vulpes groaned and got to his feet. Whatever the hell it was, at 5 AM, it could be nothing good. He stepped out of his tent, and head towards the hill where one of his men stood with a pair of binoculars. Before he made it to the top, the head of the frumentarii already smelt it. The wind was in his face and with it, the faint scent of burnt flesh wafted towards him. What the hell...
He grabbed the binoculars that were held out to him and searched the hillside near Novac. He saw the pile of burning bodies. This was no coincidence, and Vulpes knew he had to get over there. Giving his men some short orders, he went to change into his suit, knowing that he'd come dangerously close to a ranger station. When he was done, he grabbed his .44 and left for Novac. His recruit and the girl could be in trouble and Vulpes made haste, hoping that he'd be able to resolve the issue quickly.
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Sian couldn't sleep, but she rested until a woman came to her, introducing herself as Dr. Strauss.
The doctor had told her that Syrus had a bad concussion and might be out for a day or two, but would be alright in the long run. Sian herself had a rather deep gash above the waist that had been stitched up and bandaged tightly. While treating the girl, the doctor told her about the fire some ways out of town, speculating about what might have happened and Sian listened with feigned surprise. She had been asleep after all..
Sian asked Dr. Strauss if she knew who had helped them and was told it had been one of her own guards and one of the town's snipers. Having found and thanked the guard, Sian made her way to the motel, in order to find the other man who had helped them. She felt the need to express her relief and gratitude, however foreign that might be for her.
Sian found the right room at the motel and knocked. Nobody opened, but a gruff voice told her to enter and the girl did so hesitantly. The room was dimly lit, empty scotch and whiskey bottles littered most surfaces and a bulky, tired looking man sat at the table, a half eaten steak before him.
"What do you want?" He sounded tired as well, but more.. tired of life, not lack of sleep. Sian pulled off her shades, and came a bit closer. She recognized him now, he'd been the one who carried her to the doctor's.
"I wanted to thank you for helping me and my friend," her eyes fell on a dried bloodstain on the carpet, a bloody knife lying next to it.
"What.. What happened here? Are you okay?"
Sian had no idea what made her ask that. But seeing these things, as well as the evidence of the alcohol abuse... Something bad had happened here.
To her surprise, the man did not yell at her or chuck her out. Instead, he locked eyes with her, sizing her up. He seemed to try and figure out if she was just nosy. Sian kept her gaze open, letting the compassion she felt, show upon her face.
The man gave a long sigh, took a swig of the whiskey before him and started talking quietly.
"You're not from here.. Maybe you can help me. Some time ago, when I was on night shift, the Legion came and took my wife. They knew when to come, knew which route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone here betrayed us."
Sian's stomach lurched. Thank god, she had gotten Syrus out of his uniform. This could've ended very badly...
"So, you're trying to find your wife?"
"My wife is dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her."
Sian said nothing. He wanted revenge, understandably so. Her face was stoney and her eyes blazed with blue fire.
"What do you need me to do?"
The sniper looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. He hadn't expected her to offer her help so readily, it seemed.
"Find out who betrayed us. Nobody here will look me in the eye anymore.. Find out who did it, bring them in front of the dinosaur at night and put on my beret. I'll do the rest. I'll make it worth your while."
Seemed like she had some Intel gathering to do..
"I'll get you your target. And I don't want anything for it. My name is Sian by the way. What's yours?"
The girl smiled at him, and while the man didn't drop his scowl, he answered.
"Name's Craig Boone. You should go now. I need some sleep. And we shouldn't talk anymore until it's done."
Sian just nodded, took the beret from him and left the room.
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Sian spent the entire day subtly questioning the citizens of Novac. She'd started out with the other sniper. Manny tried to rope her into checking out the disturbance at the old Repconn facility and she knew he'd not tell her anything if she didn't do this first. He also hadn't kept his dislike for Carla Boone a secret. There was no way in hell Sian would trek all the way over there with fresh stitches. So,instead, she opted to break into his room and look for clues. The girl found nothing pertaining to Carla, but she found a new lead on her would-be killer. When she was done here, she'd be off to Boulder City.
She then checked on Syrus, who was still unconscious. Sian sat with him for a while. But she still had other people to question.
A talk with Jeannie May Crawford made her skin crawl. This woman rubbed her all the wrong ways. And she had been very adamant that Carla had left in her own.. Sian had noticed the safe behind the counter immediately. She'd have herself a little midnight excursion tonight.
Next up were the McBride's. They didn't know anything and Sian believed them. They did tell her about the dead Brahmin in the perch. The girl told them she'd check up on it if she had the chance and left them. She wandered around town, deep in thought. She had a little chat with No-Bark Noonan, who was insane, but made a good point about trustworthiness.. Sian had a general suspicion, but it still needed some fact-checking.
She wandered around town some more, trying to make sense of all the information crammed into her head. She was heading down the street to the west, aimlessly walking. Eddie came hovering up behind her out of nowhere, because Sian was heading out of town without noticing it. Turning south, she planned to circle the town when she made contact with solid air. Startled, she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her butt.
She scrambled backwards, when the air shimmered and a super mutant flickered into existence. Letting out a shriek, she fumbled for her gun and Eddie already started his laser onslaught. Her scream had attracted the citizens, who came running as she planted an entire magazine into the mutant's head and torso and it fell forward, almost burying her underneath its massive body. Dusty McBride found the holotape and everyone listened as it played from Sian's PipBoy. Well, that explained the Brahmin slaughter...
The McBride's insisted on giving Sian a reward for finishing off the mutant, while she protested it had been sheer dumb luck. This was settled by Alice shoving a small pouch of caps into her hands and simply going back home. Sian didn't have the chance to follow, because Dr. Strauss insisted on checking the girl's stitches, to see if they still held up.
After that, Sian finally had some peace and quiet. Strauss had banned all people from the tent, and had left shortly afterwards. She really didn't believe in looking after her patients that much...
Sian knelt next to Syrus' cot and watched him. He had gotten some color back and the unconsciousness had changed into sleep. Relieved that he was looking a lot better than this morning, Sian left the tent. She finally needed some time, alone, to think about the job she was doing for Boone. She walked south, intent on getting just outside of town where she could sit and plan her next move. The sun was only just starting to set, but the girl's eyes had darkened in her tiredness, something that she never noticed. She was deep in thought as she passed a giant boulder and nearly screamed as a hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her behind it.
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Vulpes had taken as many shortcuts as he could, but it took until midday before head reached the smoldering remains. The stench didn't bother him as he examined them. This had been a group of people, nine or ten he'd say, but there were no details left to discern. He stood there a while, trying to figure out what had happened here, when an unusual rock formation caught his eye. The Fox strode over to the stone circle, immediately recognizing the clothing as Syrus' uniform. He grabbed the piece of paper attached to it and began to read.
Got attacked by raiders. Killed them all. He got hurt, taking him to town for medical care.
This wasn't Syrus' handwriting. It had to be the girl's. No greeting, no signature, no names. At least she was careful. He thought about his next move. He didn't want to go into town if he could help it, knowing that some ex-NCR snipers guarded it and a former ranger lived here. Vulpes decided to stick to the edge of town, hoping to catch sight of either Syrus or the girl. He did catch a glimpse of the deep blue hair that he recognized immediately. She was headed for the dingy motel and didn't return for a while. When she did come back, he watched her enter various houses and talk to all kinds of people. Had she been alone, he might have walked up to her.
Vulpes watched her, and when she finally headed off alone, he crept around the edge of town, keeping out of sight. When he heard the girl scream, however, he nearly broke cover. The man darted around the side of a building, seeing her sitting before a huge mutant with an equally huge gun. The frumentarius drew his .44, when the little robot, he'd only just noticed, started to attack, followed by the girl emptying her clip, killing the beast. All the commotion attracted the townspeople, of course, and Vulpes drew back, a frustrated groan escaping him.
If I have to stand around here much longer, I don't care anymore.. I'll just march in there and drag her away if I have to. Who does this brat think she is? I have other responsibilities. I'm the greatest of the frumentarii and I have better things to do than stand on the edge of this Mojave shithole!
Vulpes was angry. He could've gone into town, he was almost absolutely certain that no one in that town could possibly know him. But he'd thought that once before, in an equally small town, and it had very nearly cost him his life. In a big city like Vegas, he was simply a face in the crowd, here however, every new face stood out. He was so lost in thought, he almost not noticed that the girl was walking towards his hiding spot. And she was finally alone!
She walked past him, oblivious to her surroundings, and Vulpes wrapped a hand around her upper arm and yanked her towards him. He saw that she was about to scream and clamped a hand over her mouth, slamming her back into the boulder with more force than he'd wanted. She stared up at him, eyes wide and frightened. Dark blue, like her hair..
Then, her eyes narrowed in recognition and she bit down on his hand, hard enough to draw blood. He swallowed a curse and fought the urge to slap her across the face. He pulled his hand away from her mouth, but kept a firm grip on her arm and standing too close for her to move away.
"What the fuck happened? Where is Syrus?" Vulpes hissed at the girl menacingly. It was only then that he noticed the bloodstain that was forming on her shirt. Apparently, Syrus hadn't been the only one to get hurt..
The girl ignored it though. Vulpes could tell that she was afraid of him, he saw it in her eyes, but she hid it extremely well.
"I'm not sure what happened exactly, I didn't see, but I think he got a rifle smashed to his head. The doctor said he has a bad concussion, but he'll be fine. But she gave him a stimpack and some MedX and he's been out of it all day." She sounded apologetic and Vulpes growled. He had hoped the boy would be awake, but if they drugged him, it might take another day.
"Why did you let them? He must've told you that the Legion doesn't allow chems?" She got angry at this. He could feel her bristle against him, her temper flaring quickly.
"I hardly even remember being carried to the doctor after he collapsed onto me! So sorry that I fell unconscious before giving her a rundown on Legion medical practices! Shall I write it on my forehead next time?!" Sian was getting louder all the time, her anger getting the better of her.
"Be quiet, you stupid woman. How did this even happen? I sent him with you to answer your questions, not for you to nearly get him killed. What did you do?" Vulpes spat the words at her with venom. It had to have been her fault.
Sian stiffened. She had distracted Syrus, and her guilt served to make her more furious. And right now, she had a wonderful target for her anger. The beast inside her reared its ugly head and pushed her fear to the back of her mind.
"What did I do? I killed the one who hurt him. I made the head of that raider filth explode. That's what I did. I had his back, as he had mine."
"Then why, pray tell, is he wounded and poisoned. Not a very good job on your part, wouldn't you say?" His voice was dangerously low, but Sian ignored all the warning signs. She had done what she could. It wasn't her fault that she had been hurt as well and no longer capable of overseeing Syrus' medical treatment. But it is your fault, said the little voice at the back of her head.
His derisive sneer fuelled her rage and her free hand snapped back as she slapped him with incredible speed. Vulpes was shocked for a split second, before he felt a blinding fury course through him. He grabbed a fistful of her long hair and pulled her head back viciously, his body pinning hers against the rock. His gaze was feral and his long fingers clawed into her hair didn't allow her to look away.
"Wrong move, you little profligate whore." His voice was deadly now. Sian realized she'd made a big mistake, all the anger leaving her in an instant. She hardly understood why she'd hit him. What demon possessed her to actually slap him across the face?
Images flooded Vulpes' mind, flashes of what he could do to her. He could beat her right here, drag her back to the camp and have her whipped, keep her and make her pay for the disrespect she'd shown. His grip on her arm and hair was painfully tight and he felt a sick pleasure in knowing that she'd have a hand shaped bruise on her arm tomorrow. Time had eased itself to a standstill as he stared into her eyes. They were the darkest blue now, and were torn open with genuine fear. He felt her chest heave, and that she tried desperately to reign in her panic.
And seeing that fear, Vulpes realized he wouldn't be able to do anything he had thought about. He didn't release her, though. What was it about her, that made him so utterly docile? He reveled in the fear of others, hers made him feel wrong, somehow. Vulpes noticed a wet patch on his stomach and looked down, seeing her blood soaking his suit. Whatever wound she had, had been reopened by him. He untangled his hand from her hair and stepped back. The girl immediately relaxed, even though his hand was still on her arm. The grip had lightened, however.
He started guiding her into town, under the cover of darkness. He spoke to her, but didn't look at her any longer.
"I'm taking the boy with me now. It's too dangerous to leave him here."
They entered the tent together, and he released the girl, stepping toward his young recruit. Sian went over to her cot, pulled on her jacket and the shawl, holstered her weapons and pulled on her bag. She felt his stare on her as she grabbed Aurelio and placed him in her bag gently. She turned to him, meeting his gaze.
"I need to do one last thing here, it will take maybe half an hour. Wait that long, then get Syrus out of here. The doctor won't show up, so you needn't worry. I'll have the sniper distracted and you can slip away unnoticed."
She grabbed some gauze and medical tape and then head out of the tent. Before she stepped into the night, she said in a soft voice.
"Tell Syrus, I'm very sorry. And that I look forward to meeting him again, his honesty was much appreciated."
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Sian slipped into the Dino-Dee-Lite front desk and quickly set to work on the safe. She pushed all her thoughts of the night away and focused on the lock, and it snapped open very soon. She grabbed the money and the caps, stuffing them in her bag and grabbed a folded piece of paper. It was a bill of sale...
Jeannie May, you goddamn bitch.. You're going down!
Sian swiftly walked over to Crawford's house and shook her awake. In an urgent, panicky voice, the girl told her to come follow her to the Dinky statue. And she did, without protest. Leading the woman out of town, Sian saw Syrus being carried out of the tent by his boss and quickened her pace, Eddie hovering alongside her. She positioned herself in front of the dinosaur and slipped the beret onto her head when her target appeared. A gunshot rang through the still night and Jeannie May's head exploded in a fountain of blood and brain matter. Sian motioned for Boone to come down. She wanted to leave tonight. And she planned on taking the sniper with her before he drank himself to death in this shithole.
Vulpes adjusted the boy on his shoulder, and looked back toward the bridge. He could see the girl standing there, looking small and fragile in the distance, her hair and skin shining in the moonlight. She slipped something onto her head as the other woman appeared and he was startled by the sudden gunshot. The older woman's head exploded from the sniper round and the girl appeared unfazed, she had known this was going to happen. Moments later he saw a tall, bulky figure approach the girl and she laid a hand on the new man's arm. He shrugged and Vulpes heard soft laughter drift through the night. His stomach clenched at the sound.