-Back in Your Backyard-

It has been two hours since our departure from Vault 22, after hectic events with almost turning to a Spore Carrier and surviving a fiery explosion. Though missing one companion, Kip, after sacrificing himself to keep Natalie safe, times are a bit tough right now without the little chittering reptile. But, luckily. just as we were about half a mile from the vault, a caravan traveler manage to stop by with a big carriage and asked us to take us to our destination. "Hey, sir." Veronica spoke from the front of the carriage. "How long are we going to take to get to Novac?"

"It'll be a while, ma'am." The caravan merc replied as he walked right beside his Brahmin. "I wish I can have ol' Timbuk here get to Novac in a flash, but he's getting into the years. The poor soul might have about one or two years in his life to go. Can't get any younger you know."

"Yeah, wish I can say the same to my little Kip." Natalie spoke softly while hugging her legs. She hasn't been the cheerful Natalie me and Veronica know ever since Kip risked his life for us, Natalie most importantly. "Well, I hope his little soul is floating around me and the sound of his chittering faintly echoing in my mind."

I placed my hand on Natalie's right shoulder, having her head raised up with her her brown eyes staring at me. "Hey, you'll be find, Natalie. You can't let all this negativity get the best of you if you are going continue being with the NCR. What if they need you for something, and you are like this?"

Natalie grinned and leaned back on the the wood of the carriage. "Yeah, I would be an easy, open target. Like my father, I can't let Kip's name die in vain. I'll honor him like I have with my father as long as I keep wearing his 1st Recon beret." Now that's the cheerful Natalie I am waiting for.

"I don't know about you guys," Veronica said, leaning against the front part if the carriage with her hand on the back of her hoodie. "but I am really hungry. I wonder if there is some food around here that we can eat."

I glumly eyed Veronica. "It's been about more than two hours since out last meal when you ate some of that cactus fruit you picked off when we left Vault 22. How can you be hungry again after a short amount of time!?"

"Well, we do need food in order to survive out in the barren wasteland." Natalie replied. "Without that and water to keep up hydrated, we are just another lost soul lying in the Mojave. Even the animals need those two things to stay alive, just part of our daily lives.

Unexpectedly, the whole carriage bumped into something and made us all jump, holding on tightly to the borders of the carriage. "Sorry, young ladies," the merc alerted us. "it appears that I ran over some pot hole on the road. I hope you three aren't hurt. Ah, we're here!" We released our tension from the unwanted event that just happened when I noticed the Dinky the Dinosaur statue appearing when we passed up the apartment to our left. "I hope you enjoy the little ride I offered."

"Of course." Veronica hopped out of the carriage from the side. "Beats running our feet down to the bone from the vault to here." She stopped and eyed the little town of Novac, where it is home to one of our companions: Craig. "Hmm, so this is Novac? Very nice town!"

Natalie got off the carriage from the back along with me. "Thanks for the ride, sir!" She gave the merc about 100 caps in a small bag before he left to go west for traveling. "If I remember correctly..." Natalie turned her head slowly left and right until she stopped at the direction where the statue is. "I believe Nelson is up that road past the Dino statue thing."

I remained quieted, dead silent when the nostalgia from the little town brings back memories from the time I've met Craig in the Dino statue. And for an odd reason, my heart began to pound rapidly with my cheeks blistering from the heat, even though it is dark out here. "I'll go check to see if someone knows Craig and Eric walking through here."

"Who?" Natalie and Veronica said together.

I didn't have to answer quickly, my whole body moved on its own as I started running towards the motels to find Manny, even though I detest how he treated Craig by forcing him to join with me on the mission to rid of the REPCONN Test Site of the ghouls. I got closer to one of the motels until I stopped to see a recognizable face that came out of one of the rooms. "Chris!" I yelled.

The apparent "ghoul" but human Chris is a scientist that me and Craig met at the test site, devastated that he turned out to be human and not one of the ghouls. "Well, if it isn't Lady Smoothskin. So nice to see you again." Even though he put on a smile, I can tell he was being sarcastic through that ghoulish, hoarse voice of his.

"Cut the nicknames crap, Chris." I barked. "I'm here to find Manny to know if he has spotted a couple of comrades that ran through this town to go and deal with some Legionnaires near Nelson. Is he in his motel room?" I heard both the footsteps of Veronica and Natalie coming towards me from behind.

Chris just shook his head. "Sorry, Lady Smoothskin." Again with the fucking nickname!? "Manny is not here. He left about a few hours ago with that toughskin friend of yours and another smoothskin with an eye patch." Probably referring to Eric, no doubt. "Said he will be assisting his friends right by the camp past the statue."

"So," Veronica spoke. "what this Ranger Milo said on the radio about a third person in the cell could be that Manny that is captured by the Legion?"

"Wait, Manny has been captured!?" Chris seemed surprised at the new. "When did that come about!?"

"Three hours ago." The three of us answered simultaneously.

Chris groaned and scratched his nearly bald head. "I take it you three are going to rescue him and the other two, right?"

"Apparently it is against orders to go into NCR business when it comes to the Legion at any point in time," Natalie verified. "but, since both 1st Recon and Eric are part of our five-man battalion, we will do whatever we can to rescue them safely. Even if it means we have to bend the rules a bit."

Chris gave us a short nod. "And I wish you all good luck on your rescue mission, and hope you'll stay safe against the enemy." He turned around and walked into his motel room, closing the door behind him.

The three of us stood in silence for a while, but I was the one that broke it by scuffing my boots against the gravel beneath me as I turned to the other direction. "Hey, wait Crimson. Where are you going?" Natalie called out.

I stopped and lifted my right arm up, pinching my thumb and index finger on my bottle cap and lift it up for me to glare at the blue glow of the star. I kept staring at it, thinking of the time Craig gave it to me as a little present back at the test site. Emotions swirling in my head, the glow faintly lit through the shrouded nighttime atmosphere around me from the full moon, I clenched the bottle cap in my hand tightly, but not too tight to make it bend. "Craig..." I whispered his name, dropping the bottle cap to have it dangle in my upper torso before walking forward.

"Crimson, wait up!" Veronica yelled, her footsteps and Natalie's grew closer to me. "Have you thought of a plan on rescuing them from the Legion?" I knew that question might pop up into play.

We kept walking, making our way past the statue and towards the bridge. "We meet up with Ranger Milo near Nelson. Ask him for assistance in dealing with the Legion. Once there, we eradicate whatever number of those bastards down until there is none left, that will give us better space to roam and search for the three." I took my laser rifle out of its holster, holding it with both my hands. "The Legion are tough, but we will pull through of we do this as one unit."

I saw, on the corner of my left eye, Natalie taking out her shotgun and loading two bullets into the barrel while we walked. "They will pay for taking our comrades and make them their hostages. It is unforgivable in my books." She placed it back in the holster.

Veronica readied her Power Fist and cracked her knuckles. "And me, ill do what I can to protect my new band of friends. No pansy, skirt wearing men are going to make a slave out of any one of us." Just as she finished talking she sprinted her way down the small incline to some sort of body lying on the ground with some garb that is highly familiar. "Hmm, a dead Legion body."

Me and Natalie ran to where Veronica is standing at. "Legion, no doubt." She knelt down and placed two of her fingers against the neck. "Hmm, no pulse, coloration is still there but small, and a hint of warmth still left." Her head slightly moved up with her brows pushed down. "Bullet hole on the left temple. Definitely a sniper's famous point to kill. Bit overall, judging by how this body looks, it has been recently killed." She pushed herself back to stand up. "Learned all the techniques from my father, by the way."

I pondered for a moment and looked to my left and notice another dead body resting against a charred hunk of metal in the middle of two perpendicular roads. "There's another one." I, with my two companions at my tail, ran up to the second body, but this time wearing some mask with goggles I've seen back in Nipton. "I'm guessing we are on the right track, huh?"

Natalie nodded. "Correct. We are on the right path towards Nelson. The rest of the way, we will meet an incline to the camp." We all continued our pace, at a sprinting matter, and followed the road forward with Natalie leading us there. We notice two more Legion bodies lying on the ground as we pass them, one with and one without a mask. "There is is." We looked forward and noticed some small barricade with two NCR soldiers and someone in ranger attire from afar.

The one with the ranger attire turned and noticed us, running towards us. "Stop right there you three!" He yelled, making us stop just yards away from the barricade. The ranger jogged his way to meet with us, but I doubt there will be any friendly confrontation here. "I don't know why you three decide to run up over here, but this area is strictly locked down by the NCR military until we dislodged some Legion snakes from Nelson." His eyes shift to the right, eyebrows lowered with concern. "Unless you haven't heard from the emergency radio a few hours ago..."

"We did," Natalie answered. "but a couple of our companions are there, and we are here to rescue them. Both 1st Recon Craig Boone and Eric Scottsdale along with another 1st Recon name Manny. I would like details with the trouble from the Legion, sir."

The ranger crossed his arms and stared sternly at her. "I doubt you are a 1st Recon as well, judging by your demeanor and no rank symbol on you, Boots. But hell, what ain't the trouble with the Legion?" He shrugged his shoulders. "This time, they jumped the camp in Nelson while the troopers were setting up. Captured a bunch if gear and took the town. Couple if troopers, too. Got 'em crucified down near the center of town."

"As usual..." Veronica spoke. "Any way that the three of us can help you assess the problem at hand?"

"Maybe," the ranger nod his head to the side, keeping his arms crossed. "but I'd like to know who I am dealing with, first. I am Ranger Milo, who might the three of you be?"

"NCR recruit Natalie Sanders, sir." Natalie bellowed out, noticing her standing at attention and saluting. "I have along with me Veronica and courier Crimson."

"Courier!?" Milo spoke, turning to me. "Oh, heck. I've heard of you from the radio nit too long ago." He gave out a slight chuckle halfheartedly. "Suppose to be some regular hero, ain't that right?" He chuckle even louder, irritating me a bit. "But maybe a you're little, too...'reputable' to get involve in some dirty work for the Repub-"

"Okay," I interrupted him. "are you going to fucking crack some jokes, or are we going to get this damn Legion problem off your hands!?"

Milo's eyes widen, baffled at my come back. "Well, I'll be damned!" He smirked. "Looks like you've got some dirt in you after all. Of course for a lowly courier like you, you've got quite the attitude and the reputation the NCR have seen. If you had a few doses of Psycho on you, maybe we can pep these weepy troopers into charging down to Nelson and taking back the camp. But," he placed his hands on his hips. "since that's not likely, you three can help me take out the Legion's trooper hostages."

"Wait, take them out!?" Natalie gasped. "Why would you want to take out the hostages instead of freeing them!?"

Milo shook his head and sighed. "The troopers won't go down into camp with their comrades at risk. Dirty game the Legion likes to roll out whenever they get the chance. Problem is, Ranger Milo- yours truly - doesn't want to play like that. If we take out the hostages, they've got squat for leverage."

"So, why not rescue them, then?" Veronica asked.

"Back in 'Ranger School', they taught us not to run headlong into a battle when you're outnumbered ten to one." Milo answered. "You three want to go down there and try to haul them those crippled boys off those posts, you're dumber than you look."

Everything went silent for a while, hearing his answer about taking out the NCR hostages and all that makes me think of Craig's 'mercy killing' maneuver. How he dealt that with his wife when she was taken as a slave made me want to refuse his decision and go with my plan. I opened my mouth to protest back to him. "Fine, we'll do as you ordered, sir." Natalie's grave decision left me flabbergasted big time.

Milo smiled at Natalie's decision. "Good. We clear out the hostages and they lose their advantage." He took out his rifle from his holster. "They're down in the clearing, crucified ones are on telephone poles. I'll cover you three from the ridge. Just make it quick and make sure to put those boys out of their misery, though they won't be plinked to death with some old varmint rifle. And don't get any dreamy notions about playing hero and dragging those boys out. You'll get swarmed." He turned around to head toward the ridge.

Something about Milo just doesn't seem right. He has never mentioned anything about rescuing Craig, Manny, and Eric from the Legion, only talked about killing off the hostages. "Come on, guys..." Natalie spoke softly. "better do as we are ordered." With her shotgun out, she and Veronica ran forward through the road.

I took out my laser rifle out, figures Natalie can't back down a direct order from the NCR soldier and rank above her, I think. Without saying another word, I sprint my way to catch up to Natalie and Veronica, who is just at the head of the incline. I noticed something red that past by me a few feet behind me. I turned around, seeing what appears to be a 1st Recon beret lying on the ground. "Huh?" I ran back and grabbed the beret, placed it in my pocket without stopping my running towards the incline.

"Take this!" I heard Natalie yelled from afar, killing off one of the Legion men standing near a hill in the middle of the road. I caught up the them, shooting off a stray drag mine in the middle of the road. "Nelson is just up ahead. We better take out the hostages as or-"

"No!" I growled, having Natalie step back away from me. "We are going with our plan as followed to the end. Plus, have you fucking noticed Milo hasn't said one damn word about our friends and Manny!?"

Natalie eyeballed me, her face riddle with confusion. "Now that you mentioned it, he didn't say a word about them. Though, I am only following orders to the T, no questions ask." Natalie notice Veronica and me staring blankly at her. "What, I have to! Part of being an NCR soldier."

"Yeah, we kind of figure that out too much. But, don't you think not mentioning our battalion companions is a huge concern?" Veronica noted, bringing up the huge point on my topic. "Like you said, both hulk and hunter are part of our team. And we will do whatever we can to rescue them. Remember?"

Natalie lowered both her head and her arms with the shotgun in her hands. "Yeah, I guess I forgot I said that back in Novac." She raised both of them back up, her face with determination. "Alright, the three of us will split up and eradicate the Legion in three separate corners. Veronica, you flank near the western part of the camp. I'll go search in the center, while Crimson, you go flank at the eastern sector. The faster we clear out of the goons, the more time we have of finding our friends."

We all nodded at her plan, and give no reply as we ran down the rest of the incline towards the camp, spreading into three separate ways. I veered slightly to the right and take aim on a Legion recruit yard from me, shooting the red beam at his arm twice. "Take that, Legion scum!" I yelled, taking a third shot to the head as his body disintegrates to ash.

"Take this, profligate!" I went to turn to the direction of the voice, only to have my left shoulder being shot at by a Legion with a familiar gun in his hands. His head suddenly got blown off, probably from Milo near the ridge, and dropped down with a thud. I ran to get the gun from the dead body, noticing a scope on top of the rifle with wrappings on the wooden end of it.

"That Craig's rifle!" No wonder why I was shot on the shoulder with sheer precision. I grabbed the rifle with my right arm, while holding my laser rifle with my limping left, and placed it in the holster do now before taking out my hunting knife. "Gotta find him, and quick!" I turned back around to the direction in suppose to go and ran through there, killing off a dog right through the head just as it lunged at me. I scanned the rest of the area carefully, but noticing no other Legion guys in my aide of the camp.

"Crimson!" I heard Natalie yelled from the center of the camp. I quickly made my way there, just as soon as Natalie got finished with killing a Legion member near the sniper post from afar. "Veronica has spotted both Eric and the Manny guy in the building beside me, but no sign of Craig." She took out her switchblade and pierced the dog right through the skull. "Check over by the cliff side and see if he is over there. Me and Veronica will wait until you get him over here so we can further proceed with the mission."

I nod, giving her a signal before she proceed towards the building with Veronica. I turned around and head for the northern part of the camp. "Damn, my shoulder..." I murmured to myself just as I slightly opened the gate in front of me.

"You've got a lot of guys to come this far, NCR soldier." A faint voice echoed from beyond the wooded barrier just a few feet from me. I sneaked quietly and peered over the right, seeing someone wearing centurion while standing two feet from none other than Craig near the edge of a cliff.

"You bastards think you can get away with it, can you?" Craig growled. He's now wearing a while shirt, black pants with some kind of gray cloth wrapped around his neck. His face has been bruised, like he has been punched so many times. Kind of odd how I can spot that from afar in this darkness. "Doing a cowards way of crucifying those troopers just to teach them a lesson, I wish I could have my rifle with me a-"

"SHUT UP!" The centurion slapped Craig hard to the ground with a back hand before pulling Craig back up to his knees. "You think you and your NCR brethren have what it takes to mow down the Legion with just the three of you? And without your precious sniper rifle, you are no matched while your wrists and ankles are ties up."

I heard a soft chuckle coming from Craig. "Just come a bit closer and let me fucking bite that disgusting face right off your head!" By that remark, the centurion kneed him on the stomach, making him fall face first on the ground.

I growled through the center of my throat, taking out Craig's rifle from my laser rifle holster, replacing it with my weapon, and lied on my belly. I scoot in closer so I have a clear view of both the centurion and Craig in the scope's sight. Maintain position...I repeated the words Craig told me that time we left Novac. I had no choice but to move my wounded left arm and have my hand hold the barrel up to keep it steady.

The centurion brought Craig back onto his knees, holding some huge sword from the ground and rest it on the left side of Craig's neck. "Now, you worthless piece of scum. Have any last words before I execute you and toss you off the cliff?"

Craig's eyes moved towards my direction and twitched. A smile stretched across his face as he looked up at the enemy. "Yeah, go fuck yourself!" He turned his head to my direction. "NOW!" He yelled, rolling to the left to give space for me to shoot the centurion.

I took a deep breath, and just as the centurion eyed me I took one single shot at his forehead. He staggered backwards until his whole self went over the edge and disappeared out of sight. "Die in hell." I murmured, lifting myself up with just my right arm before running down to meet up with Craig.

Craig got up onto his knees, but his face went blank as if he has seen some kind of ghost before him when he first saw me in a long time, about a days worth of it. "Crimson!?" He gasped. "What are you doing here!?"

I got close to him with his rifle dropped beside me. I took out my hunting knife and knelt down near him. "Rescuing you, what does it look like?" I carefully, and slowly, slid the knife in between his wrists and swiftly cut the first string of the raggedy rope to free him. "We got the news from both Hsu and Milo about your disappearance and your capture from the emergency radio just as we left Vault 22." I went behind Craig and cut off the ropes on his ankles. "Natalie and Veronica are with Eric and Manny, rescuing them both from one of the building at the epicenter of the camp."

"Good, what about the crucified troops over there?" Craig asked. "Have you dealt with them yet?"

I shook my head. "We haven't. But we mowed down those Legion bastards roaming around up the camp. Figure get rid of the problem before proceeding to other things." I grabbed his rifle from the ground and gave it to him.

"Hmph," Craig grabbed his rifle. "and I thought I was expecting a guardian angel to fly by here." He got up on his feet and placed his rifle in his holster. "But, instead it had to be you of all people. Again with the both of us happened to be together in the most random times of any day.

I exhaled sharply and shook my head. "Well, I'm no guardian angel, whatever that is..." I said. "but be glad that I happened to have save your ass before your head was about to get chopped off by that centurion's sword."

"You got a point there, I'll give you that." Craig scratched his head, then groaned because of that. "Great, apparently my beret fell off my head when those damn bastards jumped me and the other two from behind. Now I need to head back there and find it. Hopefully it's not torn up or full of holes..." He growled under his breath.

A grin stretched across my face, digging into my coat pocket to bring his beret out. "I guess I beat you to it, huh? Found it just as soon as I enter down the incline." I reached my hand with his beret out and offered it to him.

"Thanks." He replied, taking his beret off my hand and placed it right on his head. "I hope it was not much of a problem dealing with those legionary bastards out there without me. I noticed a few more down to the west of here I you want to come with me and deal with it."

"Never a problem at all." I replied with a grin. "In fact, I believe the both of us cleaning the camp away from the Legion happens to be a solution to our problems."

Craig's face lit up as a crooked smile formed from my reply. "Damn right. You and I, we are just a couple of problem solvers." His eyes shift to the left, brows lowered at my gunshot wound. "Legion shot you?"

"With your gun." I replied smugly. "The ranger near the ridge popped his head off its shoulders. That gave me time to retrieve it in case I find you, along with your beret."

Craig brought out his rifle and nod once. "Then we better head over to get deal with the last bit of the Legion before we meet up at the center of town with the others." A few gun shots echoed from that same direction once he turned there. "Or maybe someone has already dealt with them. Let's just head back up to the camp."

"Yeah, the troopers are our main priority." I went to turn to walk up the incline to the camp, but a hand grabbed my right wrist. Glad it's not my left arm, otherwise I'll yell from the pain in my shoulder. "Yes, Craig?" It doesn't take a dim witted, amnesiac person to know that Craig would act like this if me and him are completely alone or if something between the lines of saving one another. I turned myself around to meet his soft gaze. "If you got something to say, make it qui-"

Craig, out of nowhere, yanked me to wrap his strong arms around my neck. I felt a hand clench lightly against my messy hair along with his head resting on the right side of my face. "I don't know what to say, but thanks for saving my life. I didn't think I would be able to see you again if I were to be executed."

I felt his heart beat against my upper torso, tapping in a smooth rhythm unlike my quick tempo heartbeat. "Craig..." I spoke softly. The warmth in his arms is somehow making my mind become blank. Everything but his soft breath toned out on me, made me have an instinct of wrapping my arms around his body, like my whole body just moved on its own. What's...going on? I thought. Why am I feeling like this?

"Stop right there!" A known voice from the west direction made us seperate and divert our attention to one if the Legion members holding a rifle at us. "No sudden movements, or I'll shoot you both!"

I pulled my knife off its sheath, using myself as a shield in front of Craig to keep him from being hurt. "You! You're that guy from Nipton you and your guys burned to the ground and killed everyone for your lesson! You're that Corwin person!"

The Corwin guy, masked and all, carefully walked closer to me and Craig with his weapon still armed at us. "That voice, you're that woman Vulpes ordered me to knock you out and keep alive." He stopped just a few feet from me, dropping the gun from his hands. "No...it...it can't be! It is you!"

I held my life closer to my body. "Whatever the hell you are talking about, I am not the person you are looking for! Take one step and I'll slit your throat! If you are going to kill of my friend, you're going to have to go through me first!"

"Crimson?" I can barely hear Craig saying my name from the wind whistling through my ears.

Corwin took the eyewear off and showed his bright, hazel eyes with black, bushy brows raised all the way up. "It is you..." He grabbed the top part of his mask and slid it off of him quickly, revealing a pale face, mustache and skinny streak of black hair down his chin, and swept back, shoulder length black hair shining from the moon above us. He also has a small, red scar hovering over his right eye. "Do...do you remember me?"

"Crimson," Craig called from behind me. "what is this damn bastard talking about!? Do you even know him?"

I stood silent, maintaining my stance between him and Craig. "No, I d-AURGH!" I dropped my knife down, clenching both sides of my head and eyes closed shut with the massive, inflicting pain throbbing in my mind. An image of that same guy in front of me showed up in my vision, wearing different kind of garb as he was approaching me from afar.

The guy in my vision only had short hair and just that little streak of hair down the median of his chin. His attire consists of some clothing one of the mercs wear and a bandana on his forehead. His hazel eyes gazed at me with a hand extended out to me. "Hey, are you okay-" the vision and the pain in my head faded away before it can finished what he said.

"Crimson, say something!" Craig yelled. "What was that vision about?"

I opened my eyes and stood straight up, glaring at the enemy in front of me. Mass confusion overcame my whole subconscious about the vision as I stared directly at Corwin. "You...why are you in my visions!?" I spoke, feeling even more confused than before.

What in the fuck is going on here!?

((Remember Corwin from chapter nine? Crimson can tell it is the same guy from Nipton because of the voice. Shocked about the ending? Well, you'll find out soon enough in the future chapters. Thanks for reading and see you guys in the next chapter! -CS))