So pneumonia happened. I discovered that it's next to impossible to write with a raging fever, so no chapter happened. My apologies. But here we are now, the fever broke, and I wrote this. Enjoy!

June 16th, 2280

22:20

The Fort

Ava stood awkwardly next to Knox as an elderly man adorned in red cloth lined with dog fur appraised them with a critical eye. She didn't like the way he was looking at her in particular. She felt the same fluttering feeling in her stomach as when Mr. House addressed her directly. As to why, she was unsure. House was a giant television. Caesar was an old man. She doubted he could fight off a bloatfly let alone one of his own Legionaries.

And yet they still followed him blindly. An army acting on his word. Sure Ava had the power to destroy a city if she were so inclined. Knox did too. It was just a matter a time, effort, and blood. Lots of blood. But here in front of her, this geriatric warlord could end a city with a few words. So, despite her best efforts, she was nervous. Nervous enough to start drumming her fingers on her hilt, a tell she didn't want displayed at the moment.

Knox and she were in a precarious enough place as it was. She didn't need everyone in the room (including the "Son of Mars") to know she was uneasy. Ava opted to clasp her hands in front of herself to stop the twitch. At least until that nervous feeling fucked off.

"So…" Caesar opened, his fingers clasped together across his stomach as he leaned back into a garishly decorated throne. "Are you going to say anything, Courier? Or are you going to just stand there wasting my time? Do you have any idea what hour it is?" Caesar growled the last question at Knox, his irritation plain.

"Would you prefer I genuflect, oh mighty Caesar?" Knox asked with a slight bow just bordering mocking. "I've been busy. Your communique didn't reach me at the most convenient of times. I have other things to go do."

Caesar raised an eyebrow in surprise. "And you think I care? One day your loose tongue in my presence is going to go too far. And then you'll be nailed to a cross."

Knox shrugged, completely unconcerned. Next to him Ava felt her knuckles groaning as she increased the pressure of her clasped hands. Whatever game Knox was playing, she didn't like it. Bandying sarcastic words with the head of the largest slaver army in the Wasteland seemed like a fucking, poor idea. She'd expected his act to be more respectful and less like… well, how he usually acted.

"If you crucify me, I guess I'll never be able to find a certain someone for you," Knox said with a wry grin. He emphasized his point by tapping the butt of A Light Shining In Darkness. "And I hate leaving a job unfinished."

Caesar barked a short, bitter laugh as Ava's face twisted into conclusion. Caesar's eyes flicked over to her.

"You're friend seems confused. Perhaps you should fill her in on our arrangement. But first, actually, you can tell me who the devil she is." Caesar waited expectantly, his gaze never breaking from Ava. True to form, Ava stared him down with her nails digging into her palms.

"Caesar," Knox said with a dramatic flourish, "May I introduce-"

"A woman," Caesar said, cutting him off. He glanced at Knox briefly and then back to Ava. "You introduce a woman. To me." Caesar shifted in his seat and leaned forward to address Ava. "Tell me, my dear, what could have possibly possessed you to walk into my camp of your own free will? It's certainly a novelty I'll admit. I'm far more used to your gender being dragged screaming before me. But here you are. Calm as ever. Why?"

Ava fought the urge to reflexively swallow. Show time. It was the Wanderer's turn.

Ava shrugged, imitating Knox's nonchalant exterior. "He said you'd guarantee our safety."

"And you fell for that?" he asked incredulously. "Really? Because I'm going to have you killed now. Something such as yourself doesn't deserve to look upon me."

Well, fuck. That didn't work out as planned. Apparently nonchalance was not the correct façade to wear. Knox had been taking serious liberties with his speech, so she supposed she'd have to try that as well. Caesar, prepare to be spoken plainly too.

"Your funeral then."

Three words and every praetorian in the room stiffened. Three words and Caesar cocked his head to the side and looked at her with new eyes. Three words and Ava could see the corner of Knox's mouth twitch upwards once.

Caesar leaned back into his throne once more, his face adorned with a bemused grin. "You really think you can kill me before my praetorians cave in your skull?"

"You think they can even touch my head before I cut yours off?" Ava replied, stony faced and absolutely serious.

Tense silence filled the pavilion for a few moments before Caesar burst out laughing. "HA! Bold! I like that. Relax," he commanded, "I'm just fucking with you." He waved a dismissive hands at his guards and they all loosened up. "Where in the Wasteland did you find her, Courier?" Caesar smiled broadly, shaking his head in fascination.

"Well, not in this Wasteland," Knox replied. "My friend here hails from the East coast."

"The East coast?" Caesar asked shrewdly. "The last I heard that had become Enclave territory."

"Not anymore," Ava said, a savage grin brightening her face.

The laughter of Caesar once more filled the tent. "Oh that is just WONDERFUL! First the Courier, and now you, girl. How life creates such spectacular weapons is beyond me. If I may ask, what inspired your war?"

"Revenge. Survival. Both," Ava replied tersely.

"I too fought for survival once. But I realized survival wasn't good enough. And now I lead the most powerful force in the Wasteland!" Caesar said with his arms thrown out to the sides, his gesture encompassing the whole room. "And now you get to fight for more than survival as well." He paused for a moment. "Or are you as deplorable as the Courier? Another mercenary."

"Money's good," answered Ava with just the right amount of greed in her eyes. "How else am I going to fund all the little sins I like?"

Caesar rolled his eyes. "Great. You're as bad as your partner," he said morosely. "I sit here all day trying to craft something beautiful and I have to use such dirty pawns as yourselves." He shrugged. "Oh well."

Knox looked like he was about to reply, but Ava beat him to it. "At least we get results."

Caesar wagged a finger at her. "You haven't done anything yet, girl. The Courier has."

"And I assure you she'll accomplish plenty for you. She's as good as me. Well, maybe not as good, but a close second," Knox said teasingly. Ava snorted and rolled her eyes.

Caesar stared at the two thoughtfully. "Well, a close second will have to do. But Courier," he said warningly, "I've never had a problem with you seeking other work. As long as it doesn't prevent you from completing my goals. If your fascinating companion doesn't equal up to your measures, she will die and you will be flayed. Am I clear?" he finished sternly.

"Absolutely."

"Crystal."

With a smile, Caesar clapped his hands together. "Excellent! As long as we're understood. On to business! Do you know what I'd like you to do?"

Ava raised her eyebrows and waited for the answer to Caesar's rhetorically asked question.

"Get the fuck out!"

Knox inclined his head in a slight bow. Ava quickly followed suit.

"It's nearly midnight," Caesar continued, his voice loud. "You can go do whatever it is that's so pressing for you," he said, pointing at Knox. "And you can return in the morning. You've kept me awake long enough."

And with that, Caesar rose from his throne and walked away, deeper into the tent. Lucius stepped in front of Ava and Knox and gestured towards the exit. "A tent has been prepared for you," he said flatly to Ava. "You will be summoned tomorrow." He stared at them grimly until they took the signal and exited the tent.

As they walked down the hill back into the camp, guided by a faceless Legionary, Knox clapped Ava on the shoulders.

"So that wasn't a bad business meeting!"

Knox and Ava were led to a large tent at the base of the hill that Caesar's pavilion. The Legionary guiding them pointed at it before giving Ava a dirty glare and muttering a bitter, "Vale."

Knox's face broke out in a grin as Ava didn't even acknowledge the soldier's distaste. She just pulled aside the flap to her tent and walked in.

She cast a critical eye over the sparse furnishings. A battered bed, a footlocker sitting at the base, a large basin full of water and a bucket, and of course a Legion flag pinned to the back wall. The whole tent was illuminated by a lone lantern hanging from the roof. Harsh shadows fell as Knox entered the tent and closed the flap.

"Roomy, isn't it?" Knox asked cheerily. He stepped up next to Ava with his thumbs hooked into his pants pockets. "I really like the bull flag. It brings the whole décor together."

Ava sat down on the edge of the bed and began removing her weapons to be stored in the footlocker. "You seem to be in a good mood," she said as she checked Maria and Perforator.

"What's there not to be in a good mood about?" he asked, giving his mustache a twirl. "Caesar didn't have us shot or crucified… or shot and crucified. And! I have another riveting boat ride with Cursor Lucullus ahead of me tonight." He cast a quick look at his watch. "Not to mention it's eleven o'clock."

Ava perked up at that and began rummaging in her bag. Knox watched her curiously as she tore through the contents of her backpack until with a victorious grin she pulled out what she'd been hunting for.

The orange light of the lantern tinted blue-white as Ava withdrew her hand with flourish. She held a bottle of Nuka Cola Quartz aloft to Knox.

"Be still my heart," Knox said as he accepted the bottle from her. "Where'd you-"

"I nicked it from the Tops," Ava explained. She shrugged sheepishly. "I figured you'd need a pick me up since you have to walk all night while I get to sleep in this," she poked the grimy mattress with a finger, "…spongy and disgusting bed." She cast an eye between the bed and the dirt. "I might just sleep on the ground."

Knox nodded with a small smile. He was genuinely touched by the small act of giving him the Quartz. Ava's normal method of expressing care usually included the corpses of enemies. So this was a very big step in the right direction.

"Well, I best be going then," he said, stowing the bottle of soda, "And I'll be seeing you in two days." Knox started to back out of the tent, but paused halfway out. "Stay frosty."

Ava waved a few fingers at him to bid farewell. The two of them had never really said goodbye to each other before, so this awkward exchange of emotions was probably going to be as good as it got. No sense dwelling on something they were both bad at.

Ava sat on the edge of the bed listening to Knox's footsteps slowly disappearing into the night. She threw herself back onto the bed once they were gone entirely. She pursed her lips and puffed up her cheeks, letting the air escape slowly.

Two days.

Two days not to go crazy and kill everyone here.

She could do that.

What she could not do, however, was sleep on this mattress. She rescued her backpack from the footlocker to use as a pillow and slid to the ground. And it was there, curled up and halfway under the bed frame, both hands on her sword, that she fell asleep.

The Fort

June 7th, 2280

11:00

"Do you enjoy sleeping in the dirt?"

Ava's eyes cracked open swiftly and she drew Clarity out of its sheathe a fraction. She felt the puddle of drool sticking her face to her pack. As the night had gone on she'd slowly wedged herself further under the bed and away from the entrance to the tent.

The voice that had woken her belonged to Vulpes Inculta who was wisely standing far enough away to be out of slashing range. The frumentarius was holding the tent flaps open and allowing the Mojave sunlight to spill in directly onto Ava's drowsy face.

She squinted angrily up at him and slowly slithered out from under the bed. "What time is it?" she asked sourly, scrubbing at her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up.

"Eleven," Vulpes answered, holding the tent flap open even wider to allow more sunlight into the tent. "Caesar has called his war summit. Your presence is required."

Ava sighed and began rummaging around in her footlocker for her belongings. "I'll just be a moment."

Vulpes nodded and began to back out of the tent, but hesitated a moment with a sly grin on his face.

"You know, Legion women aren't allowed to sleep in beds unless a man invites them. Is that why you chose the dirt? I'm sure any of the men here would be happy to join you."

Ava's only reply was to hurl the tent's lantern at him, but the frumentarius had already disappeared to head for Caesar's tent. She stuck Clarity into her belt and grabbed Maria and Stab-happy before stomping out into the camp. Squinting against the bright sunlight she started for Caesar's pavilion

Several praetorians stood guarding the exterior and stood at attention as she approached. The two closest to the tent flaps leaned over to hold them open for her entrance. Ava had to say one thing for the Legion's marshal idiocy, the higher the rank the less they tended to insult her. Caesar's word or some other stupidity probably. Whatever it was (perhaps the praetorians simply didn't talk), Ava didn't even glance at the soldiers as she stepped inside.

Caesar was seated in his throne once more, but instead of the large open space before him from the night before a large table had been brought in and covered in maps. Lucius and Vulpes were standing along one side. Several other members of the Legion were present at the table as well, all wearing the armor of a centurion.

Every man in the tent glanced at her as she entered. Caesar nodded at her, Lucius stared at her stony faced, Vulpes gave her a smirk that she refused to acknowledge, and the collective centurions stared at her in confusion. The last member to turn and look was the centurion standing closest to the door. As he turned, his eyes widened in recognition as he gaped at the girl he'd wanted to murder in Arizona.

Ava mimicked his expression as she started to swear, "Fu-", but her expletive was cut short as Maximus lunged at her, hands raised to her throat. He wrapped his fingers around her neck and lifted her from the ground, spinning around and slamming her down onto the table.

He tried to lean over top of her and crush her, but Ava managed to get a foot up and into his chest, keeping his weight off. She pulled Stab-happy out from under herself in order to bring it down into Maximus's skull, but the centurion released one hand from her throat to grab her wrist.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Caesar thundered, rising from his throne and slamming his fists down on the table. "Get off of her!"

Maximus looked wildly between Ava and Caesar. "My lord, she-" he started to say, but Caesar didn't let him finish.

"Do you question the Son of Mars!?" Caesar shouted, his face turning red with anger. "I gave you an order! Now remove yourself from her before she kills you!"

With an angry growl, Maximus slowly released his fingers from Ava's throat, but didn't step back from her or release her knife hand. Probably good that he didn't. She was still planning on stabbing him.

"As if she could kill me," Maximus grunted, staring down at Ava. She glared right back up at him.

"She's about to shoot your balls off, Maximus," Vulpes said softly while examining his fingernails disinterestedly.

Maximus looked down, and sure enough, Ava had drawn Maria and had it pressed against his codpiece. With a sneer Maximus pushed off of her, once more slamming Ava into the table. He stepped back and away from her, his chin held high. Ava ruefully sat up on the edge of the table, gun and knife still drawn.

"What the fuck was that about!?"

Ava looked at Caesar as she slid off the table back to her feet, gingerly massaging her throat. "We've met before," she said acidly. "I don't think I made a good first impression. Or was it something else?" she asked Maximus coolly.

"Do not speak to me," he growled. "We are not equals."

"That's why I was trying to shoot your balls off. That way you can be a woman too."

A vein twitched in Maximus's neck, but he refused to speak further to Ava. Vulpes disguised a laugh as a cough into his glove. The rest of the assembled centurions seemed wholly unable to decide how to react. Here was this girl who had one of their own elite dead to rights and was now continuing to insult him while surrounded by his comrades. They all looked to Caesar.

The old man sighed wearily and rubbed his temple with two fingers. "As… amusing as it is watching you two bicker, you will keep a civil tongue in your head," he instructed. He narrowed his eyes at Ava. "Both of you."

Ava shrugged at him and stepped up to the table. After a moment of furious jaw-clenching, Maximus stepped up next to her.

"Good. Then we can begin." Caesar sat back into his throne. "Vulpes," he instructed, waving at the maps before them.

The frumentarius bowed and leaned over the table, flattening out two maps in particular. One was a map of the Mojave as a whole, the other a hand drawn map of New Vegas. Red X's were drawn at the maps at various locations.

"Three locations, Wanderer," Vulpes stated. "Hidden Valley," he pointed to one X, "Nellis Air Force Base," he pointed to another, "And the Ultra Lux," he pointed to the third. "Caesar requires you to deal with groups in these locations."

"Deal with?" Ava asked, looking Caesar as she examined the maps.

"You do not question Caesar, girl," Maximus snapped from his position next to her. "You do as ordered… as a woman should."

"You know, it's not really fair if I'm the only one making an effort to be civil," Ava said hotly.

Caesar slammed his fist on the table once more. "Both of you. Shut up! Wanderer…" Caesar winced and rubbed his temples once more. Apparently the meeting was getting on his nerves. "I want the Brotherhood destroyed, I want the Boomers' stockpiles, and I want a union finalized with the White Gloves. Can you manage that?"

Ava smiled with confidence. "Of course I can," she said as her brain rattled off 'not destroying the Brotherhood, who the fuck are the Boomers, and FUCK the White Gloves are dealing with the Legion!'

She tapped the map of New Vegas. "What about these other marks?" There were several other X's in and around the cities walls.

"Those are not your mission," Caesar stated simply. "Is that clear?"

Ava nodded her head. So trust was apparently finite. That's alright. The majority of the X's seemed located at the Gomorrah. "Absolutely clear."

"Excellent… I…" Caesar once more pressed his hands to his forehead. "I want…" He grimaced in pain. Most of the centurions looked on in confusion. Lucius was already moving to his lord's side. "All of you get out," Caesar said quietly as Lucius helped him to his feet. "I said get out!" he ordered louder.

As one the Legionaries stood to attention and thumped their fists to their chests before turning on their heels to exit. Ava hesitated and watched as Lucius half-carried Caesar out of the tent. Caesar caught sight of her and his face filled with a mixture of rage and pain.

"I said get the fuck out! Move, before I order my men to breed you like the bitch you are!"

Ava quickly spun out of the room, the cold shiver of the threat running down her spine. Oh yeah, Knox couldn't hurry back fast enough.

Ava sat in the dirt outside Caesar's tent, her knees hugged to her chest and her chin resting on top of them. Vulpes Inculta and Maximus stood vigilantly to the side. The three of them were waiting silently to see if they'd be summoned again, but so far no one had exited the tent. Ava would have been more than happy to return to her own tent and hide away from the Legion, but the X's on the Gomorrah were still haunting her mind.

Caesar wanted to broker a deal with the White Gloves, but what did he want with the Omertas? She'd hoped to figure out more, but then Caesar had his… whatever that was.

Her brow furrowed as she thought about it. Something was wrong with the old man, but she didn't know what. Sure she'd found out some useful info, but there was so much unanswered as well. She doubted House would be satisfied with half the possible intel and she only really had until Knox got back tomorrow night to get her work done. She didn't want to have to rely on Knox.

She could do this on her own. The opportunity just had to present itself. It was all just a matter of patience. And that brought her back to why she was sitting in the dust outside of Caesar's tent.

The fabric of the tent flaps rustled, drawing her away from her thoughts. Lucius stepped out. He looked from Ava sitting on the ground and over to where Maximus and Vulpes were standing. Ava pretended not to look at them, but was watching out of the corner of her eye. Lucius walked up to Maximus and conferred with him quietly. The head praetorian looked around a few more times (jeez could he be more obvious?) before he handed something to the centurion. Maximus nodded and started to walk away.

Ava hopped to her feet, quickly dusting herself off.

"And where are you going?" Lucius asked suspiciously.

"My tent," Ava replied as she walked away down the hill. Behind her she could here Lucius instruct Vulpes to follow her. Ava grinned as she walked. How painful it must be for the Legion spymaster to have to work for someone so blatantly obvious. And even more unfortunately for Vulpes, he was now going to unwittingly be her alibi. She couldn't sneak off if she was under guard, now could she?

Without even looking behind her to see if Vulpes was still following (he was), Ava entered her tent. She immediately crossed to the back of the tent and activated her stealth suit. She pulled up the edge of the tent and ducked under it back into the camp. As she settled the tent wall back down, Vulpes rounded the corner, probably hoping to catch her in the exact act she was performing.

No dice.

Vulpes shrugged and walked back around to the front of her tent to settle in and stand guard. Invisible, Ava walked right past him back the way they'd come.

Maximus hadn't made it far and Ava caught up to him quickly enough. The centurion was acting just as suspicious as Lucius was. He kept glancing over his shoulder and adjusting his pace. Soon enough he was at the edge of camp and kept on walking.

Ava couldn't contain her glee as she silently kept pace with him. Whatever it was that Lucius had given him, Maximus's package had to be important with the amount of cloak and dagger (pitiful as it was) that they were going through to move it. And it was all the sweeter to see that it was above Vulpes Inculta's paygrade to deal with it. The frumentarius would have at least made it a challenge to tail him.

But no, whatever it was that Lucius was sending out, it required someone as high ranking as a centurion to be the messenger. That screamed important.

Maximus approached a cluster of boulders. He rolled one out of the way to reveal a lockbox sunk into the ground. Reaching into his shirt, he withdrew a key. He knelt down and unlocked the box. Once more looking around a few times to see if he was being observed even as Ava was perched on a boulder in front of him, Maximus finally pulled out what Lucius had given him.

An envelope.

Ava smiled as she stared at it. A secret communique. Exciting!

Maximus seemed to be about to stow it in the dead drop, but he hesitated. Was he going to open it? Ava nearly had to cover her own mouth to stop herself from cackling in glee. The idiot was thinking about it! She wouldn't even have to steal it! She could just read it now.

However, the Legionary inside was stronger than his curiosity and Maximus dropped the letter into the box before his resolve could weaken. He locked the box with his key and quickly hid it under the boulder again.

Ava decloaked once Maximus had disappeared back into the Fort. With a sigh she pushed the boulder away, once more revealing the dead drop. Guess she'd just have to pick it.

Crouching in the dust, Ava fished a hairpin out of her hair and pulled a screwdriver from her belt. She threaded the two into the lock and began to tinker around. Almost immediately the hairpin shattered. Ava frowned.

Shit.

Maybe she was going to need Maximus's key after all.

The only question was how. And she doubted she'd be able to sleep her way to it. Not that seduction had exactly gone swimmingly the last time she'd tried it. She'd literally died.

No… this was going to take something else.

Ava sat back onto her butt and crossed her arms, pouting unhappily. And it had seemed to be going so well.

And done with the chapter. I guess you'll all have to wait until next time to see how Ava solves the problem. Except not! Next time we get to see what Knox is getting up to! Leave a review if you're kind!