Chapter 25: Fixin'

This day was going to be a busy one for sure. I had many plans formulating in my mind, most of them involved getting into The Fort without having to face and army of well dressed football players. House's plan of pretending to be a recruit was probably the best so far, but forgive me if I didn't want to roleplay a sadistic asshole. I also doubt I'd be able to sneak in and out of their camp, but I'll keep an eye out for any Stealth Boys, just in case.

And as for today, let's go through it step by step though, and first in line is Ahyoka. I'm sure she and I have many things too discuss.

I was just about to stroll down the Strip when my belly rumbled loudly enough to wake up the dead. It was only then that I remembered I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's party. It's not like me to skip breakfast, but I was kind of in a hurry this morning. Thankfully for me, New Vegas is littered with all kinds of street vendors, most of which sold food. On the pavement, right outside a place named "Eden's Garden" which was just across from The Lucky 38, a small stand with two grills was placed before a couple of plastic chairs and tables. A short and chubby man with a hairy mustache and Arabic features cooked some meat-sticks on said grills, letting the smell of seasoned meat carry me to his stand.

"Great day for some steak, eh?" said the Arabic man, with was likely his opening card. He wore blue and white stripped shirt, a long white smeared apron, and to top it all off, a tall cooker's cap "What will it be for you, friend?"

"Uh… let's see…" There were plenty of options laid out on the grills, and a couple more on the menu. These prices screamed tourist traps, but they were definitely better than the stuff the casinos had to offer, and it's not like I was lacking caps, at least not anymore. "I'll take two Brahmin sticks and uhhhh… oh, I'd love a some Bighorner ribs."

"Coming right up!" He smiled and jumped into work, flipping some patties and turning the meat with impressive agility. I love to cook whenever I get the chance, so I know there's a certain art to making food, and I already recognized this man as an artist. As the meat roasted and the fat dripped, he added all kinds of seasonings and herbs to the meat, some of which I didn't even recognize. Maybe this guy and I should trade recipes later.

When the food was done, he dropped it all on a plate and slid it across the counter, which stopped right in front of me with calculated precision. I had to be careful not to drool all over the meat, because by God it smelled amazing!

"Oh man, this looks so good." I thought out loud.

The cook must have caught that, because he laughed from his position on the grill. "Hahahah, I'm glad you like it. Please, take a seat and eat, nothing pleases me more than to see my costumers satisfied!"

And I was about to do just that, but before I made for the tables, I gave the man one question. "Might I ask whose food I had the pleasure of consuming?"

He turned to me and grew a wide, fat smile. "I am Amjad, friend. Enjoy the food, and please, do come back."

Being interrupted during a nice meal is somewhere on top of "the most infuriating things in life" list, at least in my humble opinion.

There I was, sitting all alone in that plastic table, stuffing myself with was possibly the best meat I had ever tasted in my whole life, when a strange man in a brown suit and fedora took a seat on my table, right across from me.

He just sat there, head down so the fedora covered his eyes. He didn't utter a word or move a muscle. He just sat there!

I remained frozen in place, slowly chewing on my food. My mouth was too stuffed to say anything, so it took a little while before I was able to swallow. " *Gulp*… uh… can… I help… you?" I muttered slowly, too confused with the situation I was in right now.

"Oh, please, do not mind my presence." Spoke a calm and soothing, but at the same time cold voice, a voice I had already heard before, one I never thought I'd hear again, because I didn't want to. A voice I was sure I would never forget. "I will await as you finish your meal. I must say, the smell is quite intoxicating."

The man raised his head, revealing a long, slightly wrinkled complexion with a thin shin, pointy ears and deep, brown eyes. He was wearing googles and a fox cowl when I first met him, but the rest of his face was embedded in my brain, as strong as the bullet scars in my head.

Casually sitting across from me was Vulpes Inculta, Frumentarii of Caesar's Legion.

As fast as I could, I reached for my Peacemaker and aimed it at him below the table.

Vulpes wriggled his indicator left and right. "Upupupupup, not now profligate, or would you prefer it if I called you Court Tempest?"

He smiled as I frowned with anger. "Listen here dickhead, you're going to tell me what are you doing here, how do you know my name, and why I shouldn't put a bullet in you, right here, right now."

"Two of those questions can be answered just by looking around, Mr. Tempest." He said, subtly pointing around us, at the other costumers. Most of them dressed similarly as Vulpes, and all stared at me with cold or angry eyes. Vulpes snapped his finger twice, and all those people looked away from me, engaging in some regular activity like eating, talking or reading. "Now, violence won't be necessary, I did come here only to talk after all."

Talk? What could I possibly have to talk about with this monster? "What do you want?" I asked him through grinded teeth.

"I think a better question is what do you want Mr. Tempest, or better yet, what does the man up in the tower wants."

God fucking damn it. Of course he knows about me and House. "Let me guess, you were spying on me."

"That's is what I do best." He smiled proudly. "But of course, I'm not alone in this task. The Legion has eyes and ears all over the Mojave. We've been watching you ever since you left Nipton. It feels like quite some time, doesn't it?"

"Why?" I asked, ignoring his question. Giving him any pleasure was the last of my intentions.

"At first, we just wanted to see how you and your ghoul would react. To no surprise, you two did exactly as we expected, warning that NCR Ranger and moving on. Despite that, I decided to keep an eye on you too for a little while longer, and I must admit, you peaked my interest after what happened the REPCONN Test Site. I still don't believe what my scouts reported." He sat up straight, both hands on his lap.

You better believe it, asshole. At least that's what I wanted to say. But instead, I said: "What then?"

"Well, I was around the area and judged it would be better to see you with my own eyes, and might I say, I was most impressed. The show you've provided me in Boulder City was spectacular."

Every word he spilled out of his mouth made me angrier, but the idea that he was there at the massacre was the most infuriating thing of all. I could picture him laughing as the Khans were being gunned down.

"So I was just show for you?" I almost shouted at him, granting a few looks from Vulpes's friends. "I'd think the Legion had better people to spy."

"Funny you'd say that," he smiled even more. His smile was so thin and wide it was almost like a snake with teeth. "I was thinking the same thing. I thought that maybe you were just a drifter with an a very twisted luck." His comment brought up the memory of when Doc Mitchell's Vigor Tester broke down after attempting to measure my Luck. The Pip-Boy still displayed a different number every second on the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. screen.

"What changed your mind?"

He pointed his finger across the street, to the Lucky 38. "You walked in there. You walked into the one place no one has been in centuries like it was nothing." Weirdly enough, he sounded surprised, and not only that but he looked impressed too. "I won't even bother asking you why or how, but I'm sure it was on Mr. House's request. I have no doubt that you are working with him, and that sooner or later, that will bring you to our territory, namely The Fort."

"… You know of the bunker?" I asked, worried that it was too late for Mr. House's plan.

He gave me a look of victory, one I imagine a spider gives a fly when she sees it entangled in her web. "We do, but you mustn't worry, it's still as locked as the day we found it. It was designed to withstand all the nukes of the Old-World, so whatever we have has been of no help in getting inside."

Good. That means the plan is still up. "And you're telling me all this because…?"

"Is it not obvious?" He mocked, turning his palms up in a are you serious? sign. "Caesar wants what's inside, or better yet, he wants it destroyed. Whatever kind of technology House has hidden down there is surely a sin to this world. Probably another mean to kill his enemies while he sits in his luxurious casino."

They want to destroy Mr. House's tech? "Wouldn't it be better if you just took what is in the bunker to use against him?" I don't think it was wise to discuss strategy with the Legion, but my damn curiosity keeps getting the best of me.

"A war must be fought in blood, Mr. Tempest." He began lecturing as if he had it all memorized. "If not, the cost of human life is brought down to a point where it stops mattering all together. That is the lesson humanity taught itself when it brought down Armageddon." He turned his head towards a Securitron patrolling in the distance. "It seems as House has forgotten that lesson."

He sort of raises a good point. If killing someone was as easy as pushing a button, which in plenty of cases, it is, life would mean nothing. It's even worse when the killer is free of consequences, and people like that usually come in the shape of the powerful. Man like House, Caesar and Kimball are surrounded by man (or robots) willing and commanded to die for them. What is the life of a person in their eyes?

On the other hand, if the same button was laid in front of someone good, righteous, someone like God himself… then maybe it would be good to have that power. Evil could finally be cleansed of this wasteland… and maybe people would finally have a shot at a good and peaceful life.

"I think I see the picture here." I finally concluded. "You think I can open the bunker for you, so you can destroy it."

Vulpes nodded with that rattlesnake smile of his. "Glad to see we are now on the same page Mr. Tempest." He stood up from his chair and shoved his hand into his coat. A second later he pulled out a steel chain with a small iron square in one end, and then placed it right in front of my plate. The square was engraved with the Legion's insignia: A bull in a running pose viewed from the side.

"What's this?" I recoiled in my seat, eyeing the strange necklace. "You giving me presents now?"

"It is a gift, yes," he explained. "One you will need once you decide to come to us. This is the Mark of Caesar, and will allow you safe passage through our territories."

"And what makes you think I will come to you?" I challenged him.

He let out a creepy little laugh as he turned his back to me. "Simple," He said, turning his head to the left so I could see his grim smile. "you don't have a better choice. Go to Cottonwood Cove when you make up your mind, and do remember to wear the mark. We wouldn't want to mistake you some random traveler to be preyed upon."

With that, he walked away from the tables, quickly disappearing into the crowd. One by one, his spies inconspicuously left their places and too merged into the wave of tourists. I was now left alone, with an ugly necklace and a plate of now cold food.

What a lunch.

I'm sure the angst and anxiety that visit left me messed up my hunger. I couldn't eat anything for the next ten minutes, and instead just kept poking the meat as thoughts flooded my mind. Eventually I gave in before the flies did, and consumed what was left.

Thanking Amjad once more for the delicious meal, I left the Strip and made my way to Tasunke Stables. On my way, I passed by the King's school, which looked the same way when I fist saw it. A couple of Kings talked and laughed around, catcalling every cute chick or sometimes fella that passed on by.

Part of me urged to walk in there, see how things were going, mainly how the King was doing… and at the same time, the rest of me knew it wasn't such a good idea. Not because of the King mind you, but because of me.

And so was back at the stables, right in front of the tent where we fist met Waya. The man was inside, trying to open a bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla with his bare hands.

"Come on ya little-" He grunted, twisting the cap with all his might.

"Need some help with that, sir?" I offered out of the blue, which turned out not to be a good idea.

"Wha- who is?!" He shouted as he turned around and stumbled over some chairs. "Jesus fuck Court, ya scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry sir, didn't mean to." I apologized with an awkward smile. "Let me make up for that." I reached for the bottle and he handed it over. I dried the cap with my sleeve and tightly held it with my right hand. With a sudden and powerful twist!... the cap remained in place.

"Hmn… this is a tight one." I reached into my pockets and pulled out my switchblade. I forced it under the gap between and pried the thing open… still nothing. "Damn, what a stubborn little bottle this is." I could hear Waya giggling at my misfortune.

"Gimme that." Someone called out behind me, swiftly taking the bottle from me. "It's not about raw strength, dummies," Yoka criticized as I turned to her. "It's about manner" She pulled out her own knife, a military combat one, and used it as a lever. In one swift and graceful moment, she popped it right open, grabbing the cap and holding it between her fingers, like a coin. "I opened it, I keep it." She flicked the cap in the air, took it again, shoving it in her back pocket.

Waya took the bottle from her and took a long, refreshing chug. "Ahhh, thanks honey, nothin' like a cold bottle for this hot and sunny day, am I right?"

"That you are, pa." She was once again wearing her red flannel shirt and jeans, which made me question where the Ranger armor went.

The father gave her daughter a quick and casual side hug, and than a soft slap to the back off her head, sending her hair (Which was now free from the pony-tail) flying. She responded in a soft and innocent giggle, looking like someone completely different from the cold woman I met yesterday.

Once they were done with their cute little moment, Waya took another drink and sighed. "Well, you two have fun today, I gotta check on them animals." Waya told us, leaving the tent, shouting from the outside "Lova ya, baby girl!"

"Love ya too, pa!" She shouted back with a smile, which quickly died out when her eyes set down on me. There's the Yoka I know. "Took you long enough."

"Hey, I was hungry!" I didn't say, simply because it wasn't a good idea. There was also the unexpected visit, but I hadn't decided yet if it was worth sharing with others. The Mark of Caesar still weighed heavily in a hidden pocket I have in my duster.

"Who's going first?" I asked her, crossing my arms.

"You are, but not out here." She left the tent without waiting for me, so I had to pick up the pace.

We walked down to the abode across from the stables, a two-story medium sized house made of dark wood. It was a lot more well maintained and sophisticated than the buildings around it. As a matter of fact, it looked somewhat new, like it had been built just a few years ago. We walked up a porch and past the front door, walking into a short corridor that separated into the kitchen and the living room. Both rooms were connected by a open wall that served as a counter and table, and opposite to that was the staircase that lead into the second floor. In regards of decorations, the place looked like a typical mountain shack. Paintings of landscapes where hanged over some of the walls, and there were a few stuffed animals here and there. Most notably where little statuettes made with a many types of colorful rocks, similar of those found in Yoka's necklace. The statues came in two form: strange formations with strange marks inscribed on it's surface, or ragged humanoid shapes in battle stances, some carrying primitive weapons, others carrying guns.

I approached the one nearest to me, a small warrior with a long spear in his hands stood on a simple coffee table. This one was made of a black and white rough stone. "Hey Yoka, did you make these…"

By the time I had turned away from the statuette, she was halfway through the staircase. "Yoka?" I asked again, but with no response. She was gone.

Oh well, might as well make myself comfortable. I took a seat in the greenish sofa by the same coffee table. It didn't take long for the woman to come back. In her hand, she had a small box, no bigger than a palm. She set the thing down on the table and sat across from me.

"Alright, here is how we're doin' this." She began. "You tell me what the fuck is goin' on with your life, and I'll tell you what's happenin' with mine. Have we got ourselves a deal?"

Straight to the point huh? Maybe with her, I'll be able to avoid the usual melodrama I get from House, Benny and Vulpes. "It's a deal, but you gotta promise not to tell this to anyone else."

"Done" She simply said, leaning in on her seat.

And so I told her everything, and I mean everything until the point I left House for the last time today. I kept Vulpes out of it, but just because I was saving it for later. Yoka barely twitched as I told her my tale, not even at the Nipton or the REPCONN parts. I gave extra emphasis when explaining House and the missions he gave me. I was hoping Yoka could give me an alternative when it came to getting into The Fort.

"Wow Court, I must admit, never thought of you as the kind to go through so much shit." She commented, resting back on the sofa.

"I know, right!?" … "Wait, what is that supposed to mean?"

She didn't answer, instead, she remained in a deep, silent thought. I knew better than to interrupt her, so I just waited patiently once again. I couldn't help but wonder what was in her head right now. Judging her by the little info I have, I'd say Yoka is very calculated and realistic, so I imagined she was making a plan or something, maybe processing all that I told her.

"We'll figure that whole Legion situation later." She let out of the blue, startling me as I played around with one of the statuettes. I almost dropped the damn thing, but my fear for Yoka's wrath was greater than the pull of gravity. "First, I own you a story."

She reached for the small box she brought down earlier, flipping the seal open. Inside was a smal steel plate connected to a chain, laid carefully on black cushion. A Dog Tag.

Taking a closer look, the tag inscribed three things:

GATOGEWI

AHYOKA A.

1846835

O NEGATIVE

NCR 1ST RECON

I wanted to laugh.

Of course she was 1st Recon, why wouldn't she be? It explains her skills, it explains the gun, the suppressor , the armor and some more. I didn't even need to say anything, she already knew what my first question would be.

"No, I am not kiddin' you."

And I believed her. Why wouldn't I? There was so much evidence it's incredible I didn't figure it out earlier. And yet…

"Does you father know?" I chose as my first question, remembering the cute moment they had outside.

She looked down at her feet, and took a short breath. "Yes, he does, but I'm sure he'd rather not."

"Why?"

"As you might know, becomin' 1st Recon ain't easy, and one thing it takes from you is time. The years I spent away were tough for him." She explained. "He didn't want me to go in the first place, feared I'd have the same fate as mother… but I was stubborn, and left as soon as I hit eighteen. I don't mean to drag this old story out, so let me sum it all up. I joined as fresh recruit, hardened up in the rough military life, climbed up the lower ranks until I showed great proficiency, enough to get the 1st Recon's attention. The trainin' might have been the worst thing I faced in my entire life, other than my mother's death, but it was worth it. For thirteen years I served, and for thirteen years my father struggled alone, only having my young brother for company." She paused for a second, sucking in all the emotions she didn't want out. For how long has she been doing this, I wondered, bottling up her feelings? "When I finally came to my god damn senses, I returned home… and pa loved me all the same… he's a good man… and didn't deserve what I put him through." She paused again, although I think it was actually a conclusion.

"… I see." I murmured, bringing my hands together. "Sorry if… brought up some bad memories."

"There ain't no such thing as a bad memory." She spewed out coldly. "Only lessons to be carried."

A long and unnerving silence took over us, flooding the room like tar, heavy and dark. There was one question I wanted to make… but I knew for a fact I shouldn't. At least not now.

Instead I decided to move things along, preparing myself for what I was about to ask. My hesitance wasn't a question of pride you see, but a question of guilty.

"Yoka…" I called out in a low tone. She looked up at me, awaiting for the rest of the sentence. "…I need your help."

"With the whole House situation?"

"That too, but… what I really need right now is… to find Daniel and Sam." I managed to spill. "You saw what a disaster I was yesterday… I think you understand why I'm asking for your help."

"Strange, I thought you wanted to do things alone." She recalled.

"I know I said that," I replied, angry at yesterday's me. "but I was wrong. And not just because I didn't know House would ask so much of me, I needed help even before that… I was just too damn stubborn and stupid to admit it…" saying that felt like losing a game, a game I was playing against myself. But soon after, I felt somewhat relieved, like I had just puked something incredibly intoxicating.

"Do you feel bad for what you said to them?" she asked, almost as if she was interrogating me.

"Do I really need to answer that? Of course I feel like shit." I threw her an incriminating look. "You saw me waste myself at the Atomic Wrangler."

"Yeah, that I did…" she commented.. wait, was that a smile on her face? If it was, I had just missed it. "And what would you tell them if they were here?"

Despite the odd question, I didn't even have to think to answer it. "I'm sorry. I know it's not much, but it's all can think off. It won't erase what I said, but maybe, just maybe, letting them know that they were right and I was wrong is enough to make up for it."

"Heh, that was well said." She laughed and looked up past me, towards the kitchen. "Did you guys get all that?"

Hold up, you guys? What in the hell is going-

"Tell him that fat bag of caps he brought in would help with the apology!" a rough, hoarse and gravelly voice shouted from behind the kitchen, under the counter.

"Oh, maybe he'll buy me something nice to make up for it!" Proposed another voice, this one cheerful and playful.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I looked at Yoka and gave her a very angry frown. It's the kind of look I give when I realize I've been played. The woman on the other hand was doing her best to hold in a laugh.

"You goddamn-" I fought hard to build words. "For how long have they been here?"

Daniel and Samantha both rose from the kitchen, the two wearing such sly smiles it almost made me mad.

Almost.

"In Yoka's house?" Dan asked, making his way to me. "Since yesterday, after the party."

"As for behind the counter." Sam continued. "Ever since you got here."

I still didn't have any words to say. Those two devious little...

I couldn't be angry at them, as a matter of fact, I soon found myself laughing. "My God, I can't believe you two-"

"Don't point fingers at us," Daniel protested, nodding his head towards Yoka. "It was all her idea."

I turned to her, looking her in her grey eyes, which didn't seem as cold as before. "…Why?" I asked, still having difficulty to take grasp of the situation.

"You were actin' stupid yesterday." She told me, but not in a mocking way. "And you kept actin' stupid until you passed out on that floor. It would only have taken a pint of bad luck for you to have gotten yourself killed."

"So…" I wondered, trying to piece this idea without it sounding awkward. "You're saying you were worried?"

"Heh." She laughed ironically. "Don't put yourself on a high horse Court, I was curious. I wasn't sure why you three wanted into the Strip, but it sure wasn't for tourism."

She's got that right. The stakes were high before but now they're through the fucking roof.

"So there you have it Court." Daniel stepped, waving his hand around to point at everyone in the room. "A small possy to help you. Are we getting any complaints?"

"Look, Dan, I'm sorry for what last night, I won't make any excuses-"

"It's alright Court," Samantha interrupted me. "We forgive you!"

"No, don't." I refuted. "I fucked up and must own that. Don't forgive me, but give me another chance, a chance to make it up to you two."

"Hmn." Dan hummed as he scratched his chin. "I don't know, you did make a good point when you said there was no reason to stick around, I mean, facing the Legion isn't really gonna be cheap."

"Daniel!" Sam scolded him, giving him a nice punch in the arm.

"Woah, relax Sam!" he cried out, recoiling from the hit. "I was just shitting with him."

"Hah, I thought so." I commented, smiling wide at the friends I had ahead of me. I might have not shown it as much, but was I glad to have them back. "But it's true: I didn't have anything to give back to you guys, and that bothered me. But now…" I puled out a small bag of caps, which was filled to the top with caps. There must have been around three hundred of them in there. "This is just drop of what House has already given me, and he's promissed much more."

Everyone's eyes shimmered at the sight of the bag and the possibility of more, even Yoka, who seemed to care the least about the money.

Sam picked up the bag and weighed it on her hand. "Do you think he'll pay us all?"

"I'm sure he will. As a matter of fact, he encouraged me to get you guys on board." I explained. "He knows this ain't gonna be a walk in the park."

"Seems like even someone who has been locked away in a tower knows the might of the Legion." Daniel pointed out. "Speaking of House, is he really a giant computer? It does explain his age."

"That's what I've been thinkin' too." Yoka said, crossing her arms and relaxing back on the sofa. "What do you guys think he is, one of those AI things?"

"It's a possibility," Daniel offered "But I honestly have no idea what he could really be."

We didn't realize it at first, but we all had our heads turned towards Sam. Everyone knew that if someone had a good theory, it would be her. And she indeed seemed to have something in mind, as she just sat there, staring off in the distance. It took her a while, but she began muttering. "An AI… that is a possibility, but that would make him the most advanced Artificial Intelligence in the world, at least the ones I know of. To have such knowledge and personality and control all the Securitrons at the same time…" She paused, back to formulating more ideas. "…Maybe… no, that would be silly…"

"Hey Sam," I called her out. "Any and all clues are welcome here. And after all I've been through, nothing is too silly."

She hesitated for a while, but eventually gave in. "This will sound very unreal, something out of a Sci-Fi flick, but trust me, it could be true." She paused once more. "My dad and I are crazy for technology, you guys might have figured that out already." She told us with a quick and proud smile. "Other than fixing and creating stuff, we like to collect blue-prints, plans, instructions or anything related to machines and alike. We do it like some people collect comic book or special bottle caps, or-or fingers."

"Fingers?" Daniel asked, half curious, half disgusted.

"It's a long story." She waved him off. "Point is, we once bought some papers a guy from the East Coast found, and they seemed to be some Vault-Tech blueprints. One of the prints had unfinished instructions on how to build a preservation pod."

"What's that?" Yoka asked.

"It's exactly what it sounds like." She continued. "A pod that preserves whatever is inside for as long as it can manage, and that one was made specifically for a human being."

"So your theory is that the original Robert House is still alive," I concluded. "because of one of those machines?"

"Hey, the technology does exist, at least on paper." She argued. "RobCo. was at the top of robotics and engineering back in the day, so there's a chance they were the ones who developed the preservation pods for Vault-Tech in the first place."

"House did love Las Vegas." Daniel mentioned. "I remember hearing about it back before the bombs. He was born and raised in this city, and it grew into the colossus it was and still is with his help. He'd throw parties, events and even parades for celebrities and generally important people every month, aside from many events related to science."

Really? Strange, I don't see House as the parting type. Although, maybe he only did them to raise his fame and power. Now that seems more like the House I've met.

"Yeah, that's what I heard." Samantha complemented. "The fact that both Old-Word House and giant computer House both show lot of love for this city is more evidence that they may be the same person."

Sam raised good points, aided by Daniel's history lesson. Is it really that hard to believe we are really looking at an ancient man who's somehow found a way to cheat death? I mean, look at what he has accomplished so far, both before and after the war.

"In the end it doesn't matter if we're looking at the original Robert House, or some AI copycat, or whatever." I concluded, taking the lead of this conversation. ''What matters is that he has the power, the caps, and the resources to rule Vegas, something he's apparently been doing for quite some time now." I slowly looked at each of them in the eye as I spoke. "Now I don't know about you guys, but he offers quite an opportunity here, and I'm not just talking about the caps."

"They are a nice extra though." Daniel quickly interrupted.

"Of course," I happily agreed. "But caps won't mean shit if we're all to busy being hung up on a cross. The Legion is coming to take Hoover Dam, and I'd much rather have some stuck-up old capitalist than that imperialistic fuck from across the Colorado ruling this city."

"I think you speak for all of us." Sam commented, followed by nods from the rest of the crew.

"Does that mean I can count on you guys?" That question felt like hot iron as it spilled from my mouth. I have to admit, I was anxious to hear their answer, and I was quickly reminded how much I hate that feeling.

Thankfully for me, Yoka grew a large and wide smile on her face, which was as scary as it was energetic. "You think I'm gonna pass up a chance to fuck with the Legion? Not in a million years."

"I'm with Yoka on this one." Dan followed.

Sam didn't even need to say anything. She just jumped up from her seat with big and loud "Yoooohooo! Super Anti-Legion squad is a go!" She grabbed Yoka by the hand and pulled her across the room, all the way to where Dan and I were. She then wrapped both arms around everyone's shoulder and locked us in a large hug. "This is going to be super fun!"

"Ok, ok! I think that's enough Sam!" Daniel flinched as he was squeezed between her arms and us. Once she finally let us go, Dan caressed his neck where she had pressed on the hardest. Turning to her, he gave a worried look. "Look girl, I know this is exciting and all, but do remember what we're facing here. The Legion does not play around." He threw me a quick glance, which confirmed that he was thinking of the same thing I was.

Nipton.

"I know, I'm sorry." She apologized, ashamed. "It's just that I-"

"Hey, relax." He interrupted her by messing her dreadlocks around. "You don't need to justify. Just promise you will be careful."

She smiled and nodded. "I promise." And with that, the ghoul smiled back.

With that cute little moment done, I once again got everyone's attention. "I think we're all set then. I say we begin planning our next steps after everyone gathers what they'll want to take with them."

"Wait," Sam questioned. "Where are we going?"

"Well," I replied, thinking of the things House offered. "I think It's best if I introduce you all to your new boss."