Now, the conclusion of Layla's troubles in Red Rock Canyon. Enjoy dear reader, enjoy.

P.S: I thought I should add something just in case I get sued. I know it's been 34 chapters, but better late than never: I don't own Fallout or anything to do with Fallout. I do however, own Layla, and will not take kindly to anyone using her without my permission.

Showdown in Red Rock Canyon

The first thing Layla was aware of when she regained consciousness was pain. Pain in her joints, pain in her jaw, pain in just about every part of her body. Though most of it was a dull, easily ignorable pain now, it was still quite noticeable. She felt like she'd been caught in an explosion. As her head cleared, and her mind started to wake up, she realised that she had been caught in an explosion.

Her memory was fuzzy, but she could just recall a frag grenade landing next to her a second before she'd fallen unconscious. Recollection of that incident caused her to remember further back, to when Karl had thrown a spear at her. On instinct, she looked at her right arm, the arm that the spear had skewered, and found that it had been bandaged.

That observation brought her fully back to reality, and caused her to look at her surroundings. She was lying on a filthy, but still fairly comfortable mattress, in what looked to be a tent. The tent was exceptionally dark, so she couldn't see too much of it. What she could see however, told her two things. 1) this tent hadn't been used in a while. It was extremely untidy, and dust covered everything that she could see. 2) This tent belonged to the Great Khans. She could just make out the dust covered wall to her left, and saw familiar Great Khan graffiti.

As her eyes started to adjust to the gloom, she started to get to her feet, and saw a figure on the other side of the tent. The side of the tent that the figure stood on was the darkest, and looking at it was like looking into a black void, through which no light could be seen. She started to walk towards the figure, the shadow, and seemed to attract its attention. The shadow turned its head, seemingly looking at her, and immediately bolted for the tent's entrance flap.

She ran after it, eager to know the identity of her saviour. Still slightly lightheaded, she didn't notice the oil lamp on the floor of the tent until it was too late. She tripped over it, and landed face first in a heap on the tent's floor just as the shadow exited the tent. Swearing mentally at herself, Layla climbed to her feet and ran after the shadow. She burst from the tent a few seconds later, to find that it was night time. She looked around, but saw no sign of the enigmatic shadow.

As she swore under her breath, she saw that the tent was on the outskirts of Red Rock Canyon, lying almost a mile away from the actual camp. It must've been abandoned quite some time ago, which explained its current state. Knowing she had no chance of following the mysterious shadow, Layla went back inside the tent to collect her thoughts.

Fortunately it seemed she hadn't knocked the oil lamp over when she tripped on it, so the tent hadn't been set ablaze yet. On closer inspection, she saw that the lamp was very well made, possibly an antique, as it was made of gold and quite heavily engraved. It definitely hadn't been here when the shadow had arrived. Where her saviour could've got it from she had no idea. Since the lamp only illuminated the side of the tent where Layla had woken up, she turned on her Pip Boy light to bring brightness to the other half of the tent. Once the tent was fully illuminated, she began to take stock of the situation.

She saw that she was in her small clothes, and her bag was gone. She found said bag in the corner of the room, next to a writing desk that the shadow had been standing near. All her supplies were still in the bag, so nothing had been stolen, though her sword was nowhere to be found. Her combat armour lay next to the bag, but it had seen better days. The armour was cracked and wrecked, plus it was covered with burn marks, no doubt due to the explosion she'd been caught in earlier. It would seem that her combat armour had saved her life, at the cost of its own life. Her Great Khan jacket and shorts lay next to the armour, and were surprisingly still in one piece. The shorts were fine, but the jacket was quite badly scorched, though still wearable.

Wondering just what had happened after the shadow had saved her, Layla sat on the bed, before beginning to think. On impulse, Layla looked at her Pip Boy and saw that it was the day after the day she'd arrived in Red Rock. She'd been unconscious for around 24 hours. As she realised this, Layla saw a piece of paper on the writing desk next to her bag, and went over to examine it. The letter was written on an average piece of paper, but in fairly neat handwriting. She realised the shadow must've written it, and eagerly began to read.

*Letter*

If you're reading this, then you awoke in time to save your friend Regis. Tonight he is being executed for 'betraying' the Great Khans. The execution will be taking place in Red Rock Canyon's arena, and Karl will be watching from the longhouse, along with a few bodyguards from the Legion. Word of your 'escape' has not gone unnoticed.

I do not know how Regis will be executed, but I know it will be happening at midnight. After rescuing you last night I treated all your wounds, so you will be able to fight. Despite this, you must not try to rescue Regis. To do so would mean your death. You are skilled, but even you cannot fight off a small army of Great Khans; especially if you don't want to hurt them.

A better way would be to go after Karl. If you can retrieve his journal, you can convince the Khans of his lies. This will be the only way to save Regis and clear both of your names. You must do this before midnight, or Regis will perish. I have left two tools to help you. They're in a bag under the bed. Good luck.

P.S: Karl has taken your sword as a trophy. One of the tools I have left you should serve as a suitable replacement.

*Layla*

The shadow had left no signature, further confusing Layla as to its identity. It seemed she had bigger things to worry about though; namely saving Regis. A look at Layla's Pip Boy clock told her that it was 11:43. Shit! She thought anxiously. Less than 20 minutes to save Regis. Remembering the shadow's advice, Layla made her way over to the bed and looked under it. Sure enough, an unremarkable duffel bag lay under the bed. She quickly opened it, and found the shadow's two gifts: a throwing spear and a machete, both very finely made. She could vaguely remember the shadow using both weapons to slay her Khan captors, proving their killing potential. Taking both gifts, Layla made her way over to her bag and began to equip herself for the mission ahead.

*Regis*

Regis had to admit, he'd definitely been in better situations. He currently knelt in the middle of Red Rock Canyon's arena, arms tied behind his back and surrounded by screaming Great Khans. They stood all around the arena, and sat on the spikes that made up the arena's walls, shouting insults and crying out for blood. Several torches had been placed around the arena, illuminating the entire area. His jacket was gone, taken by the Khans, leaving him in only a simple cloth shirt and ripped jeans.

Despite this, Regis was not worried. He knew what the Great Khans did to traitors; they made them fight a chosen warrior from the gang, a loyal member of the Khans, to the death. Regis knew everyone in Red Rock Canyon, and knew he was more than capable of defeating any of them. He'd been fighting since before most of them had been born, and knew no Khan in the canyon could defeat him in single combat.

Still, he worried about Layla. Last night the trailer she'd been hiding in had been blown to kingdom come by a frag grenade, though somehow Layla had survived. Karl had ordered her to be thrown off the canyon's highest wall, and dispatched two Khans to carry out the task. Once again, Layla had somehow managed to cheat death however, as word had gotten out that she'd escaped. Regis knew of her brash nature, and feared she'd storm the arena, trying to save him. He knew that such an act would mean the end of her, and silently prayed that she wouldn't do it, that just once she'd come up with a plan instead of rushing in, guns blazing.

Now was not the time to be thinking of that however. He knew that it was almost midnight, meaning his battle would be coming soon. He mentally prepared himself, getting in the proper mindset for combat and readying himself for the fight ahead.

*Karl*

This was a great day. Not only had Karl managed to retrieve his journal and prevent the Khans learning of the Legion's true intentions, but he had convinced the Khans to exterminate the biggest threat to his plans. Now they were perfectly loyal to him, and an alliance with Caesar's Legion was practically ensured.

In addition, he'd finally shown that bitch Layla her place. He'd heard of her reputation, and the fact that a woman could be so respected by Legion men made him sick. He'd been waiting for a chance to knock her down a few pegs, and she'd handed him such an opportunity by stealing his journal. That idiotic action had cost the bitch her life. At least, it would have if those imbecilic Khans hadn't fucked up and allowed her to escape.

The fact that she still lived angered him, but he knew she was no threat. It was obvious that she'd try to save Regis, but she stood no chance of succeeding. The arena was surrounded by a small army of Great Khans, an army she didn't even want to kill. Trying to storm the arena would be suicide. If she decided to go after him, then she'd have similar success. Not only was he clad in full Legion armour and armed to the teeth, he was also being guarded by 6 legionaries, who were spread out by the paths to the longhouse to make sure that the bitch stood no chance of reaching him.

Now he stood directly in front of the longhouse, flanked on both sides by a Legion warrior. From his position he had a perfect view of the arena, and of Regis' demise. Though he despised most of the Great Khans' savage traditions, he had to admit that this execution tradition was one of the better ones. He was looking forward to the upcoming battle. Regis' death would be his ultimate victory, and Layla's sword, which he wore on his back thanks to a makeshift holster, was the ultimate trophy. As Karl savoured his supposed victory, he didn't see a legionary near the arena fall dead.

*Layla*

Very few knew of Layla's stealth capabilities. Since she constantly rushed in and fought without subtlety, most thought of her as a mindless brute, completely incapable of formulating a plan. None of them knew that Layla could be very stealthy when she wanted to, a skill she'd learnt from her mother back at Bitter Springs. Elisa had been a stealth expert, and passed all her skills onto her daughter. Layla had used these very same skills to silently murder the first Legion soldier with a machete to the spine. The Legion wouldn't like her killing their men, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them as far as she was concerned.

The soldier had been standing guard close to the arena, right next to the path leading up to the longhouse. Using her binoculars and a quick dose of Cateye, Layla had seen that there were four legionaries standing guard on the path leading to the longhouse, three now since Layla had 'dealt with' the first. That coward Karl wasn't taking any chances. Layla had considered sniping him using a scoped hunting rifle she'd recently acquired, but knew that if she did that she'd never be able to get close enough to get the journal without being spotted. It seemed she'd have to kill Karl up close and personal, which was just fine with her.

Layla was clad in her shorts and scorched Great Khan jacket, a light outfit that provided perfect freedom of movement and was almost entirely black. She also wore a headband on her head. The machete left by the shadow was tied to her belt (Though currently it was stabbed into a Legion soldier's back), and she wore her thigh holster on her leg with That Gun in it. In addition, she had her combat knife and two throwing knives tied to her belt, and the shadow's throwing spear in the makeshift holster on her back that was usually occupied by her sword.

The soldier fell silently to the ground a few seconds after Layla stabbed him, and she quickly pulled out her machete before making her way up the path leading to the longhouse. Just a few feet up the path she saw a legionnaire, standing guard on a small hill. The path continued behind him, leading further up the side of the cliff towards the longhouse.

Though most Legion soldiers were deadly focused almost 100% of the time, this soldier clearly wasn't one of them. He was obviously bored, as he constantly paced back and forth, whistling to himself as he did so. Staying low, Layla crept up the path, staying in the darkness as much as she could. When the guard's back was turned, she crept onto the hill and approached him. His whistling was abruptly cut short as Layla drove the machete into the back of his neck, spraying blood everywhere. He tried to scream, but Layla covered his mouth with her hand, silencing him. A few seconds later, his muffled screams went silent, and Layla let the corpse drop to the dirt before continuing upwards.

As she made her way further up the path, Layla cast a glance at her Pip Boy clock, and saw to her horror that it was 11:59. The clock had a timer showing the seconds passing by, revealing to her that it would be midnight in mere seconds. Layla panicked for a few seconds, then she remembered the Great Khan's tradition concerning the execution of traitors. Instantly her mind was put at ease, as she remembered back to Bitter Springs.

One day the father of one of Layla's friends had been discovered to be a traitor. She'd been 15 at the time, and had been allowed to watch the execution. The traitor, a middle aged man by the name of Hank, had been made to fight one of the camp's warriors to the death. Layla's father had immediately volunteered. Though Elisa had feared for his safety, Layla hadn't been worried. She'd seen her father in action, and knew that very few could take him in a fight. Sure enough, her father had beaten Hank to death with his bare hands. Thought most of the camp's females had found the fight disturbing, Layla had greatly enjoyed it.

Layla knew for a fact that Regis was just as skilled as her father in close combat, if not more so. There wouldn't be a single Khan in the entire camp that could defeat him. She was certain he could hold his own until she retrieved the journal. Her mind now at ease, she continued up the path.

*Regis*

Regis knew that midnight had arrived when all the Khans around him went quiet. They all looked overhead, waiting for Karl to speak. Regis followed their gaze, and saw the emissary standing in front of the longhouse. He was wearing a full set of Legion armour, and a legion soldier stood on either side of him. Legion bastard. Regis thought angrily, spitting into the dirt as Karl spoke.

"My friends, the time has come!" Karl shouted to the assembled mob of Great Khans, his voice filled with fake enthusiasm, and enrapturing the Khans as he spoke. "At last, you shall have justice! Your greatest warrior, the mightiest Khan, will fight Regis to the death! He shall be slain for his betrayal!" Resounding cheers filled the canyon as Karl finished his speech, and Regis knew that the battle was imminent. A single Khan quickly entered the arena and untied Regis, allowing him to fight, before hurriedly leaving the arena. Before Regis wondered who he would be facing, a familiar voice shouted loud enough to be heard throughout the entire canyon.

"REGIS!" The assembled Khans made way to allow a familiar warrior to walk towards the arena. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL MAKE YOU FUCKING PAY!"

"No..." Regis thought out loud, his voice a whisper of dread and disbelief. "It can't be. Not him."

"I'LL HAVE YOUR FUCKING HEAD REGIS!" Papa Khan bellowed as he entered the arena, earning cheers from all the assembled Khans. Regis could just see Karl smiling out of the corner of his eye. The bastard. Papa Khan stood almost 7ft tall and was a solid wall of muscle. Add to that his great bloodlust and ferocious temper, and you had a highly dangerous combatant. Regis doubted his chances.

"My friends, Papa Khan has returned to bring death to the traitor! Your leader was away on a raid, but once he heard of Regis' betrayal he came back here, eager to enact justice!" The Khans cheered even louder, and Regis backed away from Papa, fear showing on his face for the first time since being thrown in the arena.

"Papa, you have to listen to me." Regis said urgently to Papa Khan, but the giant ignored him.

"Listen to you? Why would I listen to a goddamn traitor?" He said, his voice and facial features filled with unimaginable rage.

"I'm not a traitor. Karl is lying to you. He's lying to everyone."

"BULLSHIT!" Papa Khan roared. "You've hated Karl ever since he arrived, and now I know why. BECAUSE YOU'RE A FUCKING NCR DOG!" He began to stomp closer to Regis, his giant feet creating booming footsteps that echoed with every step.

"Papa, just listen..."

"NO!" Papa Khan interrupted Regis midsentence, clearly tired of talking. "How could you do this? You were my friend, my advisor. I've known you for years. I...trusted you." The hatred in Papa Khan's eyes grew, until they looked like the eyes of a bloodthirsty beast. He clearly had only one thing on his mind now: ripping Regis limb from limb. "THIS IS HOW YOU FUCKING REPAY MY TRUST? I'LL MAKE YOU PAY YOU LYING BASTARD!" With that, Papa Khan stopped stomping towards Regis and took off his jacket, leaving him completely shirtless. He threw his jacket to a Khan outside the arena, before flexing his huge muscles. As Regis readied himself, Papa Khan rushed his former friend with murder in his eyes.

*Layla*

Is that Papa Khan? Layla wondered to herself as she saw a huge man enter the arena. From where she was standing, she had a fairly unobstructed view of the arena, allowing her to examine Regis' foe from afar. There was no doubt; that was definitely Papa Khan. Papa's appearance caused Layla's previous panic to resurface. Papa Khan was known to be a powerful fighter, probably the most skilled fighter in the entirety of the Great Khans. She remembered her father saying that not even he would be able to beat Papa Khan in a one on one fight. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Regis wouldn't last long against Papa, which added a short time limit to her mission.

I have to get that journal. She thought to herself as she looked at the path ahead of her. She had almost reached the cliff on which the longhouse stood, the only thing in her way was a pair of legionaries that stood guard right at the end of path. All she had to do was get past them, and the longhouse would be in reach. The only problem was that these two looked far more focused then the last two Layla had dispatched.

She considered using a throwing knife, but the Legion armour made knives almost useless. Knowing she'd need something bigger to penetrate the armour, Layla reached for the throwing spear that the shadow had left behind. The taller of the two legionaries was gazing out towards the arena, which meant he didn't see the spear flying towards his head. The spear easily impaled his skull, and before the other Legion soldier could react, Layla rushed him. He tried to draw his weapon, but before he could do so Layla sliced off his hand. She placed her free hand to his mouth to silence his screams, then stabbed him in the neck with the machete in her other hand. His death was almost instantaneous, and Layla kicked his corpse to the ground before picking up her spear. She returned both machete and spear to their holsters before continuing to follow the path.

Less than a minute later she finally arrived on the cliff on which the longhouse stood. Karl was in sight, still flanked by two legionaries and completely focused on the battle in the arena. Layla crept behind a nearby tent to avoid being spotted, before drawing her throwing spear. She slowly left the cover of the tent, confident that nobody would spot her, before carefully taking aim. As she saw her sword holstered on Karl's back, Layla's rage grew, and her grip tightened on the spear. Layla stepped forwards to get a better aim, and was surprised when she stepped on glass. It seemed a drunken Khan had left a beer bottle on the ground outside his tent, and Layla had just stepped on it. The thick combat boots she was wearing smashed the bottle easily, causing Karl and his legionaries to immediately turn towards the sound.

"Shit." Layla muttered as she was spotted.

"Bring me her head." Karl said to his two men, and they immediately charged. Layla threw her spear at the closest Legion soldier, but he rolled to the side to dodge. The second legionary wore a power fist, and quickly closed the distance between Layla and himself so that he could make good use of his weapon. Layla drew her machete as the soldier approached and attempted to slash him. He darted back to avoid the slash however, before aiming a punch at Layla's face with his power fist hand. Layla ducked under the blow before trying to slash the legionary in the gut. He rolled to the side to dodge the attack, before sweep kicking Layla. She was taken by surprise and knocked to the floor. The legionary immediately took full advantage, kicking Layla's machete away before climbing on her and attempting to punch her in the face. He readied his fist, but before he could strike Layla managed to grab a shard of glass from the bottle she'd stepped on a few seconds ago. She immediately stabbed the legionary in the eye. He cried out in pain, and Layla used the opportunity to grab his neck. Before he could so much as squeal, she twisted, snapping his neck easily.

The legionary that had dodged Layla's spear didn't pause to consider his companion's death, instead leaping towards Layla and slashing downwards with his machete. Layla rolled to the side to avoid being beheaded, before picking up her machete. The legionary quickly got to his feet before rushing Layla's crouched form and slashing with his blade. Layla parried the blow with her machete seconds before it hit her, and got to her feet before kicking the soldier back. Though she was now armed, he didn't hesitate in the slightest, instead going for her throat. Layla managed to deflect his blow, before aiming her own slash at his chest. He jumped back slightly to dodge, but while he was doing so Layla rolled towards him. He was surprised by this action, and was unable to counter as Layla rolled into a crouch and stabbed him in the gut. He managed to ignore the pain, and viciously kicked her crouched form. Layla grabbed his leg mid kick with her free hand however, before stabbing him in the thigh with her machete. This time he reacted to the pain, crying out before falling to the ground. Layla put him out of his misery by slitting his throat.

With Karl's only protection gone, Layla got to her feet and turned to face the emissary, a look of hatred in her eyes.

"If you want my head Karl, then you're going to have to come and get it yourself." Karl smiled confidently in response, before drawing Layla's blade.

"I must say Layla, I'm impressed. Those two were veteran legionaries. They're the best of the best. Not bad for a woman." Layla ignored his taunt, instead rushing him with her machete. She was unused to fighting her own sword however, and struggled to dodge as Karl slashed with her blade. She barely managed to block the attack, and while she was doing so Karl rushed her, closing the distance between the two. Layla's blade gave Karl a superior reach, and she had to back away as he slashed at her again and again. Eventually she found herself at the cliff's edge, and Karl readied her sword with a look of anticipation in his eyes. "Members of the Legion are taught to be proficient with any weapon Layla, even an oversized blade like this one. I'm better with your sword than even you are." With that last taunt, Karl suddenly slashed with the sword. Layla barely managed to parry, but the impact knocked her machete flying from her grasp, sending it tumbling off the cliff and down to the ground far below.

Karl smiled sadistically before letting loose one final slash. Layla was ready for this however, as she'd noticed one critical detail. Though Karl was skilled with her sword, he lacked her upper body strength. Thus, he attacked very slowly. Layla used this to her advantage by ducking under Karl's slow slash. Before he could attack again, she rushed him.

He tried to slash her, but he was far too slow, and she was far too fast. She unleashed a roundhouse kick that knocked her sword from Karl's grasp. He frantically reached for the machete on his belt, but while he was doing so Layla launched a second roundhouse kick, this one aimed at Karl's face. The blow hit its target, knocking Karl flying. He landed painfully on his back, but quickly got to his feet. He briefly looked towards Layla, and upon seeing her pick up her sword, he ran for the longhouse. You're not getting away that easily you bastard. Layla thought angrily as she gave chase.

*Regis*

Regis damn near fainted when Papa Khan's fist went to his face. Papa's strength was almost inhuman, and Regis found himself being knocked flying by the blow. He landed on his back, blood dribbling from his mouth, and slowly got to his feet. Papa wasn't going to give him a moment to recover however, and quickly rushed him. The second Regis got to his feet, Papa punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The giant then grabbed Regis by the throat with both hands, and lifted him off the ground. The cheers of the crowd reached a deafening crescendo as Papa threw Regis across the arena.

He landed face first in the dirt right next to the arena wall. The wall wasn't exactly difficult to get over, but the huge amount of Khans outside made such an action pointless. Desperately trying to recover from the previous blows, Regis got to his feet again. Papa began to stride towards him, a confident look on his face. Only just managing to keep standing, Regis got into a fighting pose as Papa neared.

Instinctively, Regis looked up to the longhouse, to see if Karl was enjoying the show. He was surprised to see that Karl wasn't there. In his place was Layla, and she was running towards the longhouse. Clever girl. Regis thought proudly as he realised Layla had used her head for once, going after the journal instead of trying to save him. He had to hold on just little longer, until Layla could get the journal and bring it here.

He turned to Papa Khan again, a purposeful expression on his face. On seeing Regis' determined look, Papa stopped stomping towards him and picked up the pace, running towards Regis with fire in his eyes. He let loose another crushing punch, this one aimed at Regis' face. This time however, Regis was ready. He batted Papa's fist away mid strike with his forearm, before punching Papa in the throat. The giant stumbled back, momentarily dazed from sustaining an attack to such a vulnerable area. While he was stunned, Regis darted behind him and kicked at his leg. The blow made Papa lose his balance slightly, but he managed to stay on his feet and tried to elbow Regis in the face. His former friend ducked low to avoid the attack however, before aiming a jab at Papa's face. The giant saw this coming however, and grabbed Regis' fist mid punch. A sadistic gleam appeared in his eye as he began to crush Regis' hand in his vicelike grip.

The pain was unreal, and Regis struggled to break free. He tried to pry Papa's fingers loose, but such an act proved impossible. Papa rewarded him for his efforts by striking his former friend with the back of his free hand. The blow made stars appear before Regis' eyes, but he was brought back to reality as the pain in his hand intensified. He knew that if he didn't break free soon, Papa would break his hand. Knowing that there was no point fighting fair in a battle for his life, Regis reached down and scooped up some sand using his free hand. Papa was grinning now, as Regis' hand got close to breaking. Barely managing to keep the pain in check, Regis gripped the sand in his hand firmly, before throwing it into Papa's eyes.

The technique was called the Khan Trick, and was taught to all Khans during their training. Because it was deemed cowardly, all Khans were taught to only use the Trick if there was no other choice. This situation definitely qualified. Papa swore profusely as the dirt blinded him, and in his haste to wipe his eyes clean he forgot that he had been holding Regis' hand. Regis took full advantage of Papa's confusion. He leapt into the air before punching Papa in the face. Regis put most of his strength behind the blow, and it proved sufficient to knock Papa to the floor of the arena. The cheering of the crowd suddenly went silent as Papa was floored. Before any doubts could even begin to form in their minds however, Papa began to get to his feet.

His recovery was much quicker than Regis had hoped, and his only lasting injury was a split lip. Quickly taking a second to wipe the blood from his mouth, Papa cast a gaze on Regis that could scare the dead back to life. The sheer hatred in his eyes was almost paralysing. Papa roared loudly like some kind of feral beast, before rushing his former friend again. Taking a deep breath, Regis steeled himself as Papa charged him with the force of a freight train.

*Layla*

Layla tightened her grip on her sword as she kicked open the door to the longhouse. The interior of the longhouse was almost pitch black, the moonlight shining through the shutters acting as the only illumination. Layla cautiously stepped into the building, turning on her Pip Boy as she did so to light her way. The Pip Boy's light didn't extend to the entirety of the longhouse, so there were several areas that Layla couldn't see. She knew that Karl was undoubtedly hiding in one such area.

"It really is unbelievable." Karl's voice said from the shadows. "To think that Caesar would enlist the help of a woman to help defeat the NCR. Truly ridiculous." Due to the size of the longhouse's main room, it was impossible to tell where Karl's voice was coming from.

"I've had enough sexism to last me a lifetime Karl, so let's just skip to the part where I kill you." Layla said impatiently.

"Why are you even here Layla? Why are you risking your life to save a bunch of ignorant savages? The Great Khans are scum and you know it. They deserve to be eradicated." Layla felt her blood boil, and she barely resisted the urge to charge into the darkness, an urge that would probably earn her a machete in the back. Karl was just trying to goad her. She struggled to remain calm, as she cast her eyes over the dark interior of the longhouse, trying to find some clue as to Karl's location.

"They're my family Karl. I'm not about to let you destroy my family." A torrent of mocking laughter responded to her statement.

"Your family? Please. They're a gang. Nothing more, nothing less." Layla gritted her teeth in exasperation, barely managing to keep her anger under control.

"You're wrong!" Her anger was evident in her voice. Karl's response was in a blatantly mocking tone.

"Am I?" Before Layla could think of a response, she heard a quiet sound, like small object had landed at her feet. Layla just had enough time to see the incendiary grenade that had landed at her feet, before her survival instincts took over and she dived towards the shutters that the moon was shining through. Seconds later, the grenade exploded, and a torrent of flame burst into existence. Immediately some of the dining tables set ablaze, providing a small amount of light for Layla to see. With this added illumination, Layla was able to spot Karl on the other side of the longhouse, though by this point he was already running towards her. Karl slid under a dining table, before rolling to his feet in front of Layla. The second he was on his feet, Karl used a Legion unarmed technique. Layla had seen Lucius practicing it with the praetorians, and had heard it called the Legion Assault.

Karl ran towards Layla, before leaping into the air. While still in mid air, he thrust his right palm out towards Layla. She darted quickly to the side to avoid the attack, and Karl found his palm connecting with the hard wall. He managed to recover quickly however, as he rolled to the side to dodge Layla's next strike, a horizontal slash that cut into the wall as it missed its target. Karl quickly went on the offensive again, rushing Layla with his machete held in a reverse grip.

His first slash was quick and powerful, but Layla managed to parry it. Karl's unusual style of machete fighting caught her off guard however, and she was unable to block the next slash. Karl caught her with a horizontal slash aimed at her stomach. The machete sliced through Layla's Khan jacket easily, but the cut itself was shallow, leaving Layla with a bloody, but mostly harmless cut. Karl wasn't finished however. His next slash was aimed at her leg. Layla blocked the attack with her blade, before fanning the giant weapon around her, forcing Karl to back off and giving her some room to breathe.

Now finally off the defensive, Layla aimed a stab at Karl's face with her giant blade. Knowing he couldn't parry a blow from such an oversized weapon, Karl ducked low to avoid the blade. He circled around Layla, until her back was facing him. Not wanting to be struck from behind, Layla quickly spun around, holding her blade out to her side in a horizontal slashing motion as she did so. Karl saw what she was doing just in time, and backed off seconds before the slash took his head off. Instead, all he got was a shallow cut on his neck from the blade's tip.

At this point the fire from Karl's incendiary grenade had spread, consuming most of the dining tables that covered the middle area of the longhouse. Several of these dining tables were behind Karl, and Layla began to slash at him viciously, attempting to push him back. After a few seconds of dodging backwards, Karl found himself dangerously close to the flaming dining table. Seeking to get out of his desperate situation, he saw a nearby chair which was also ablaze and kicked it in Layla's direction. Layla sprang backwards to avoid the flaming projectile, but the chair managed to brush past her left knee, scorching the skin. Layla hissed as the pain hit her, but ignored it as Karl rushed towards her again, going back on the offensive.

Now tiring somewhat, Karl's strikes got a lot more vicious, as he sought to end the battle quickly. He let loose a brutal kick at Layla's burnt knee, making her cry out and causing her to lose her balance slightly. Seeing his chance, Karl attempted to stab her in the throat. Unable to bring up her blade in time to defend against the blow, Layla leant her head back as the blade neared, causing it to miss its intended target and instead sail over her head. Before Layla had a chance to breathe however, Karl punched her in the ribs. He then struck her with the back of his hand, before grabbing her by the hair and pushing her towards the flaming dining tables. Layla landed on her back on the floor mere inches away from the burning furniture, and as she slowly got to her feet Karl rushed her.

Her anger having reached its zenith, Layla felt a red mist descend over her as Karl drew close. Easily raising her oversized blade, Layla effortlessly deflected Karl's first strike. Before he could deliver another blow, Layla punched him in the side of the head. Karl stumbled backwards as the blow dizzied him, but quickly snapped out of it before unleashing a barrage of slashes. Layla blocked every blow before unleashing her own, a sudden attack that sent Karl's machete spinning from his grasp. A look of amazement covered Karl's face, and Layla quickly capitalised on this by aiming a diagonal slash at his chest. Layla put all her strength behind the strike, and Karl could only look on in horror as the powerful blow sliced straight through the chest piece of his armour, and he cried out as the blade cut his chest. Layla quickly sliced the straps of the legion armour's chest piece, causing it to fall to the floor.

Karl glared at Layla, clearly enraged, and recklessly rushed her. He aimed a strong punch at her face, but Layla ducked under the attack before elbowing Karl in his now unprotected ribs. The blow knocked the wind out of him, and he was unable to react as Layla struck him in the face with her sword's hilt, breaking his nose and knocking him to the floor. A smug look appeared on Layla's face as she stomped on the emissary's throat, preparing to bring her blade crashing down on his face.

"Still think women are inferior?" She said cockily, a sadistic gleam in her eyes.

"This battle isn't over yet...you whore." Karl replied defiantly, though clearly with some difficulty.

"I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there." Layla countered, before raising her blade high over her head.

"You would, having the inferior mind of a woman." Karl snarled vehemently before kicking Layla in her bruised knee again. The sneak attack took her completely by surprise, and Karl took full advantage. He shot to his feet before punching Layla in the face, aiming at the same area where he'd struck her with the back of his hand earlier. The blow knocked Layla to the floor, leaving her dangerously close to the spreading fire and making her drop her blade. Karl immediately picked up her blade, before climbing onto her lying form and bringing the blade stabbing down. Layla grabbed the side of the sword seconds before it perforated her neck, and desperately tried to push it back. With her superior strength, she managed to keep the blade away from her, but as she did so, the fire began to spread. She knew that if she didn't get Karl off her soon, the fire would touch her hair, which was spread around her head like a bloody halo. However, though she could keep the blade from skewering her, she couldn't push it away from her completely, and as she found herself locked in a stalemate, the fire began to spread over the wooden floor of the longhouse, getting ever closer.

"You've failed Layla. You will die for your interference, and the Khans will join you in the afterlife once the battle for Hoover Dam has finished. It's over."

"I won't let you." Layla growled in response, but Karl just laughed.

"How? How will you stop me woman? You stand no chance. Your insolent existence ends now." As Karl spoke, Layla noticed that a burning chair near her had come apart, and a scorching chair leg was within her reach. "I'll be doing the Legion a favour by ending your pathetic existence!" He said confidently as the flames neared Layla's hair.

"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you." Layla taunted, before taking a hand off her sword and grabbing the scorching chair leg. Ignoring the pain of the burning wood, Layla grabbed the leg firmly before swiping it at Karl's face. The effect was instantaneous. Karl immediately got to his feet and screamed in pain as the chair leg singed his face. Layla took action immediately, getting to her feet before pressing the end of the burning chair leg against Karl's cheek. His screaming only intensified as the leg continued to burn his skin, and his cries of agony echoed across the longhouse. After a few seconds, Layla dropped the leg, freeing her hand from the pain of holding it, before grabbing Karl by the throat. Before he could react, she kneed him in the stomach with all her strength, before headbutting him viciously in the face. That last attack did it, as it knocked Karl against the back wall. As he slipped into unconsciousness, his limp form slid down the wall, until he lay spread-eagled on the floor.

Layla took a brief second to catch her breath, injecting a quick vial of Med X to help her ignore the pain in her burnt hand as she did so. Once that was done, she knelt down next to Karl, and began to search his person for the journal. She quickly found it in a satchel tied around Karl's waist, and ripped the satchel off before tying it around her own waist. With that done, she got to her feet and walked over to her sword. As she picked it up, she tried to decide what to do with Karl. Killing him herself was the most obvious choice, but as she thought about it, Layla came up with a much better idea.

*Regis*

Regis flew back as yet another powerful punch from Papa Khan knocked him off his feet. He landed painfully on his back, and struggled to get to his feet as Papa stomped closer.

He had most definitely seen better days. His left eye was swollen shut, and a trickle of blood was pouring from the corner of his mouth. He was covered with bruises, and he was fairly sure a few of his ribs were cracked. He swayed unsteadily as he got to his feet, and a triumphant grin began to spread across Papa's face as he realised the fight was over. Regis punched the giant in the chest with the last amount of his strength, but Papa didn't even flinch. Instead he grabbed Regis by the throat with both hands, and raised his former friend off the ground. As everything started to go white, as Regis' life started to fade away, he heard a voice that echoed throughout the entire canyon.

"STOP!" The voice was familiar, and Regis realised who it belonged to as a female figure he recognised burst through the crowd of Khans and vaulted over the arena wall. Papa Khan saw this female figure too, and he dropped Regis to the ground before turning to the intruder.

"Layla." He said loathingly. The crowd began to shout insults at Layla as Papa continued. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I want to break you in half with my own hands you traitorous little..."

"Karl's lying to you!" Layla interrupted him. Papa just laughed humorously in response.

"Bullshit. Regis here said the exact same thing. I don't believe you, and now I'm going to rip both of your fucking heads off, starting with his."

"Think about it Papa. Who are you going to believe? Karl, a guy you've only known for a short while, or Regis, your most trusted friend and advisor, who you've known for years?" Layla's words caused the crowd to go silent, as they started to ponder what she was saying.

"It doesn't matter who I believe, Karl has evidence. You and Regis stole his journal, so you could find out Legion and Khan secrets, then present them to the NCR."

"No, we stole the journal because it revealed Karl's true nature, as a lying, self loving piece of shit."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Papa Khan stomped towards Layla threateningly as he spoke, but Layla stood her ground bravely.

"If you don't, then read this." Layla took Karl's journal out of the satchel on her waist, before pushing it into Papa's huge hands. "It's Karl's journal, and it'll prove everything we've said." Papa looked at her dubiously, then looked at the book, as though he was considering whether or not to throw it away. "If I'm lying, then there's no way I'm getting out of here in one piece. Just read it, you've got nothing to lose." There was silence as Papa stopped to consider this. Both Regis and Layla breathed a sigh of relief as he opened the journal and began to read.

It didn't take long for Papa to fully read the diary, but the expression on his face continuously changed as he did so. At first his expression showed curiosity, then boredom as he read over Karl's written descriptions of every day he spent at the camp. It was only when he started reading Karl's personal notes however, that Papa's expression changed most obviously. As he read through those pages, and learnt Karl's true feelings about the Khans, Papa's expression began to get angrier and angrier. The enraged expression on his face continued to grow and grow in its intensity, until it looked like his head was about to explode. When he finished the book, and closed its back cover, Papa shouted to the heavens, letting out all his rage in one burst. He shouted solidly for over a minute, before going silent, and dropping the book to the ground.

"I...I can't believe this." He said in shocked disbelief "That bastard Karl...he..." Papa stopped, clearly unable to articulate his thoughts, instead turning towards Regis, then towards Layla. "Regis...Layla...I'm sorry." Layla couldn't believe her ears. Papa Khan was known to be frustratingly stubborn, and had a reputation for never apologising. He walked over to Regis, before helping his friend to his feet. "Regis, I..."

"You don't have to say anything." Regis interrupted, struggling to stand. "Karl played everyone for fools."

"I assume you killed him." Papa said to Layla, the urge for vengeance obvious in his voice.

"I was going to..." Layla replied, a sly smile appearing on her face. "...but then I got a much better idea."

*Karl*

The first indicator that something was wrong was the cheering. As Karl returned to consciousness, his ears were filled with booming cheers. The second indicator came as he opened his eyes, and saw that he was in the middle of the Red Rock Canyon arena. His cheek still stung from being burnt, but he ignored it and started to get to his feet.

"Welcome Karl." A familiar voice said. Seconds later, Layla emerged from the crowds outside the arena and immediately climbed in.

"What the hell's going on here Layla?" Karl said in a voice that was defiant, but obviously fearful.

"The Khans know everything Karl. They know that you were going to have them killed once they outlived their usefulness, and they know that you tricked them. You betrayed them Karl, and you know what the Great Khans do to traitors don't you?"

"What the hell are you..." Karl stopped midsentence however, as he realised what Layla was saying. "No..."

"Yes." Layla said in a triumphant tone. "Papa, he's ready." A sadistic smile appeared on her face as Papa Khan entered the arena, rage and bloodlust burning intensely in his eyes.

"No!" Karl shouted, and he tried desperately to look for a way out.

"You're not going anywhere Karl." Layla said with a sadistic grin as she walked up to Karl.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" He shouted desperately, and Layla just laughed harshly.

"Why not? You were going to." Before Karl could react, Layla whipped out That Gun and shot him in the kneecap. Karl cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, and Layla walked away. "Have fun." She said as she passed Papa, and the look in his eyes said that he definitely would.

*?*

The fight lasted less than a minute, and Papa Khan looked fairly disappointed as Karl breathed his last. Unbeknownst to him and everyone else in Red Rock however, someone was watching them. A figure, a shadow, stood on the highest point of one of the canyon's walls, watching everything through a pair of binoculars. The man was dressed entirely in black, and wore a black hood so that nobody could see his face. As he watched Karl die, a rare smile appeared on his face. Layla had done well.

He'd half expected her to simply rush into the arena and get herself killed, but she'd played her part well. The only reason the shadow had saved her was because she was far too useful to let die, and he'd wanted to test her. By killing Karl, she'd passed the test. It proved she could be discreet, which is exactly what he needed her to be when she worked for him.

Of course Layla would never know who had saved her; knowledge of his identity could ruin everything. Wheels upon wheels had been set into motion, and he couldn't have her ruining that. She was an unpredictable one, but she was useful, if used correctly. After watching her tonight, the shadow knew exactly how to use her correctly.

She'd have no choice but to do as he asked; she couldn't very well refuse his request given what he knew about her involvement in Caesar's death. That had been an unexpected occurrence, but it fit in nicely with the shadow's goals. With Caesar dead, only Lucius and Lanius stood in the way, and they'd be easy to deal with. All the pieces were falling into place, and soon everything he'd worked for would be achieved.

His smile took on an animalistic quality, like a fox. Rest well Layla. Soon you'll have a very important part to play. With that final thought, the fox put away his binoculars and walked away.

What are the fox's intentions? Only time will tell.

For those wondering, I have learnt that I will get a personal computer at university, which means I should be able to keep updating frequently once I go (On the 23rd of September for those who care), so no worries in that regard. However, I don't know how long the next chapter's going to take. It's a tricky one, and I haven't got it fully planned out yet. Patience would be appreciated.