AN: Forgive me for the lack of updates, got work, college and playing video games. But hey at least I'm trying. Enjoy.
The sun had just set as the group returned to Novac, they could see some people heading back to their homes that were behind the hotel, getting ready for the next day of work when they noticed a different person, like Manny and Tasha, he wore a Red Beret, he had sunglasses on hiding his eyes, and at his side was a machete and on his back a scoped hunting rifle.
"Hey, is that…? No it couldn't be" Tasha said running over towards the man who was walking to the Dinosaur
"Boone, is that you?" Tasha asked, the man stopped for a moment and said without turning around
"I suggest you leave, I don't feel like meeting with other NCR" He said
"Boone it's been years, talk to me" Tasha said, "We were in the same squad together an-"before she could finish the man turned around and slammed Tasha in the gut with the butt of his rifle
"Never talk about that again, or so help me I will shoot you" He said, his tone dark, Tasha could barely tell through the sunglasses but he was giving her a look that he wasn't joking
He turned to walk away but Ean called out
"Hey, don't hurt my friend" He said, Ean walked over to him and grabbed him by his shoulder
"I'm telling you to stop" Ean said but Boone as it were grabbed Ean's hand and did an over the shoulder throw slamming him to the hard ground. All Ean could do was groan from the impact.
"Leave me alone, I'm not one to talk right now" Boone said continuing walking off but then Zero spoke up
"You know, at least my old comrades looked out for each other, no wonder the legion hates people like you" Zero said but he instantly regretted those words with Boone turning around and removing his sunglasses, his eyes were in a scowl and he looked over Zero
"You fucking asshole, you have the balls to come here, and insult me and the NCR" He said drawing the machete
"I will fucking gut you" He said running towards Zero with the intent to do just that but Tasha had grabbed him and slammed him down
"Calm down Boone, this one is on our side. I know it's hard to believe but it's true" Tasha said and Boone continued scowling at Zero
Zero sighed and removed his glove, in the nearby lights of the hotel Boone could see the scarring of Zero's punishment.
"You were crucified?" Boone asked his tone much calmer.
"Yeah, I have no intention of returning to the Legion, but I also have no intention of joining NCR. My loyalty is to Ean and his friends." Zero said
"Alright, get off of me" Boone said to Tasha who did as she was told. Boone got up and dusted himself off
"Alright, I'll trust you, for now." Boone said, he turned to leave but Tasha grabbed him by the shoulder
"Come on sit and talk, it's been years since we met" Tasha said to the First Recon
Boone sighed and sat down on a nearby stool
"Alright, I suppose I should at least talk to a former team member, any idea what happened to James, and Maria?" Boone asked Tasha
"Died, both of them got taken out by some smart fiends" Tasha said sitting on another bench
"Good snipers too, a damn shame" Boone said sighing" I assume you met Manny right?" Boone asked
"Yeah" Tasha said, "tell me what happened after we split up? Ever marry that girl you were in love with?" She asked and Boone sighed again
"She died" Boone said
"I'm sorry to hear about that, what happened?" Tasha asked
"…I don't want to talk about it right now." Boone said waving his hand in front of him
"Ok what's going on?" Ean asked finally, Cass remained silent and continued listening
"…Boone you want to tell the incident?" Tasha asked
Boone looked at Tasha and then nodded his head
"Ever heard of the Bittersprings Incident?" Boone asked
"I haven't" Ean said
"I've heard of it" Zero said nodding his head
"Not something I'm familiar with" Cass said.
Boone took a deep breath before continuing
"It was an incident that cost the lives of many innocent Great Khans" Boone said
Everyone was silent but then Tasha spoke up
"Our squad was sent in to help with the threat of Great Khans against the NCR. Me, Boone, Manny, and two others. It was going to be a simple mission, hold a perimeter around the encampment, we wanted the Great Khans to surrender to us rather than create unneeded bloodshed." Tasha said
"It was…but then we got a new order" Boone said
Ean was silent and deep in thought as the story was told.
[Flash Back]
It shows a young group of NCR First Recon, a young woman with curves that could make any man do what she says. Her short hair was blue and she was cleaning her hunting rifle. This was Tasha. She was reading a book entitled, "The Wasteland Survival Guide"
"I swear that Bren guy must have been through hell helping making this book" Tasha said licking her fingers and turning a page
Next to her was a young man, he wore sunglasses and his beret was removed to show his shaved head. He turned to her and smiled
"So Tasha, ready to win this battle?" He asked his tone cheerful and young. Tasha marked her place and shut the book, then turning towards the man.
"You know it, Boone you are getting married after this right?" Tasha asked the young man who was revealed to be Boone.
"Yeah, I'm even got the ring for her, cost a lot of money but it's worth it for her" Boone said proudly
"You always were such a romantic" Tasha said giggling
"Hey guys, we are getting a new order. They want us three to head to the east hills, scout ahead" They heard the voice of a young man with a slight accent. His skin was much darker and he had a forming mustache
"Alright Manny, but what about James and Maria?" Tasha asked
"They are taking the West side to support the troops, we got a small battalion to watch over on the east" Manny said
"Ok got it" Tasha said lock and loading her rifle. Boone grabbed his sniper rifle, but instead of a normal black one, it seemed to have a desert camouflage on it.
"Let's lock and load" Boone said pulling the bolt action back, he was ready to take out any Khans
"You ready for this?" Tasha asked Manny, well knowing of his heritage
Manny shook his head
"My brothers refused to cooperate with NCR, we have no choice. I hope we don't have to hurt them but if it comes to that I will do my duty as a soldier" Manny said in a dark tone and Tasha held his shoulder and smiled
"Don't worry, nothing bad will happen" Tasha said and with that Manny smiled
The trio made their way to the position; it was near the rear where one of the exits out of the camp could be seen.
Boone and Tasha were looking through the site of their respective rifles while Manny stood watch with his binoculars, ready to give them the signal if any soldiers come out to fight back
Behind them were a small battalion of soldiers
"So what are the orders again?" Tasha asked, it was five in the morning, no one had come out to face them
"We shoot on sight; any Khan who comes out must be shot." Manny replied after looking at a sheet of paper with the orders, the orders on the sheet were 66, before that was 62 which was just to keep watch.
"Hey hold up" Boone said holding his arm up, "I think I see something" Boone said, Manny went to his binoculars, and then gasped
"We have a small group of people" Manny said, the soldiers behind them could be heard lock and loading their arms
"Armed?" Tasha asked
Manny shook his head
"No, I see children and elderly, they must be trying to evacuate them" Manny said
Before Tasha and Boone could say anything, a gun shot went off and a scream from a child could be heard, "MOMMY!"
Tasha turned her head to an NCR Soldier with a hunting rifle who had fired the shot
"What the fuck did you do!" Tasha cried out
"Orders are orders, shoot on sight" The man said glaring at Tasha who gripped her rifle, she shook and then she heard more shots, and then a shot beside her, She saw Boone's sniper rifle barrel emit a small plume of smoke and the man behind the trigger look like he was going to burst into tear, but Tasha knew orders were orders. She took aim on a small child who held a raggedy bear in his hands as he looked at the bodies around him
"I'm sorry"
A shot was heard and the flashback shattered
Boone looked at Ean and the group
"So it wasn't soldiers, but elderly and children?" Ean asked after the brief moment of silence
Boone silently nodded his head
"We had strict orders…we had to follow them. I left the battlefield that night with Tasha and Manny then we went our separate ways" Boone said
"I left to go drinking and do some mercenary work." Tasha said shaking her head; the memories had her sweating a cold sweat as the sounds of the child crying for his mother still echoed in her mind
"Went home, back to my wife and we moved near here. I we were going to have a child as well but then…" Boone clutched his fist and then glared at Zero and then snarled
"Legion bastards took her" He snarled, his eyes even behind the sunglasses were full of fire and rage
Zero sighed
"I'm sorry for your loss…" was all he could muster
"What do you mean took her?" Ean asked
"I don't know how, but they knew where our home was and knew when I come here to do my night watches for the community here, but when I came home she was gone" Boone said
[Flashback]
"I followed their tracks" Boone narrated as it shown the now older Boone running, on his back was his sniper rifle and he made it to some rocks
"I tracked them to their camp, where they keep their slaves, I knew she would be there if they took her" Boone narrated
The scene moved to Boone looking down at the encampment near the river through the sniper scope. He had set up a small camp
"I watched for two days at my makeshift camp on the hill, planning how to take her back. I saw her suffering at the hands of those bastards and I felt so helpless not being able to help her from where I saw" Boone narrated and then the scene moved to an early morning
"But then a saw a man point her out, he was a buyer. I had no way to save her, so I did the only thing I could do to help her" Boone narrate, the scene shows view of the sniper scope zoomed in on the young yet pregnant woman and then her head exploding at the sound of the gun shot
"I saved her from a life of slavery, but with that moment I left my sniper and my past behind." Boone said putting the scene back to the normal area
"I'm sorry for your loss" Tasha said holding Boone closely and then she let go
"I returned her and got a room, Manny came her looking for work and we continued protecting this small town from Legion…but I'm still wondering. Someone here knew about where I lived. I know someone her betrayed me" Boone said, his fists clenched and his clutched his head, angry
"Calm down Boone, look, I'm willing to help you find who betrayed you. But what will you do if we do find them" Ean asked
Boone remained silent and finally uttered
"Give them the same fate as my beloved"
Ean was silent but said, "Very well then" He got up and thought
"So how will you do it when we find out who it is" Ean asked
Boone got up and handed him his Beret
"Find the person, get them in front of the dinosaur during my shift then put on my hat. I'll take care of the rest" Boone said moving to the dinosaur, he turned to the group and said, "Thanks"