In the small town…

The kid shot the officer, splattering his brains over the wooden stands. His disfigured head now lay on the cross, as if being judged by corpses that hang above it. The kid breathed heavily, then began to cry. Tears glistened down her cheeks as she lowered her pistol to her waist, then worn out from battle and grief fell to her knees and began to sob over the ones she had lost. The courier walked up to her, taking his cowboy hat off and slicking back his hair. He looked to the bodies with a look of reverence, then placed the hat on the kid's head. She turned around still crying.

"Stop crying kiddo, you're an outlaw now, just like us. We don't cry on the job, not in front of our clients at least. First of all what is your name so I don't got to keep calling you "girl." kinda gets annoying if see where I'm coming from." Clyde said grabbing her arm, picking her off her knees. She looked at him wiping her eyes, smiling at the generosity of the traveler.

"My name is Kei, Kei Kannagi. Thank you… very much for your help." She said with gleaming eyes as she stood up and faced the miscreants behind her.

The crew looked at her with the look of approval, except Boone who was still hung up over the idea of letting a child into their ranks. They had now one real problem which was apparent to everyone. Kei, Boone, Clyde, Veronica and Cass looked around at the massacre that had also lay waste to the horses in the stables.. "How the hell do we get out of here?" everyone said simultaneously. The crew looked frantically around for a fast means of escape for they all knew that a mini-nuke was hooked up to the toaster in the sink.

Kei looked to the brothel and saw behind them there were a set of private stables. "Hey guys maybe we can use the horses at the barracks . I don't think they liked the soldiers much anyways." She said pointing at the former troop housing. "Okay, then that settles it! Cass and new girl, you two set the horses up with a wagon and Boone, Veronica and I will get the lockers by the sink. Let's go, we only got like an hour thirty until the sink goes up if flames." Clyde ordered. Everyone looked at him, then ran to their posts realizing that now wasn't the best time to grill him on "who made you boss."

Twenty minutes later…

The carriage was set up and the gear was in the back and Clyde, Boone and Veronica hopped in as well. Cass knew well enough how to drive a caravan, and figured steering horses is not so different from brahmin. "So where do we go now?" Clyde asked Kei. "Well My father always talked about a man named Froyd who could forge paperwork and get out of the country, for a price though." She said looking at the courier. "Personally I'd like to know about the place I got stuck in and I'd also like to start move CASS!" Clyde yelled leaning back to face her. "Yeah, yeah asshole I'm going." Cass cringed. Kei giggled just a bit, making Boone smile nostalgically.

About an Hour on the Road Later

The caravan of the outlaws carried on to the north to the Imperial capital in their wooden wagon. Kei began to talk about the Empire with a look of hatred in her eyes. She spoke of how the Empire was like a plague, its influence spreading nation to nation, killing any who dared question it. The Emperor was but a puppet for the prime minister, whose psychotic rulership saw to the people becoming nothing less than slaves. She grit her teeth and told of how her father was once the mayor of the town who was the most merciful man ever. She had a sister who was going to study medicine and a mother who would cook for the sick and poor. They were a rare type, but loved people amongst the fishing village.

After Esdeath's men came in however, the city was turned into a living hell. Poor and sick became target practice while the able bodied were made psychotic soldiers, or died as slaves turning the town into a military base. Her family did not stand for their ideals so they attempted reaching out to night raid, only to be tortured and killed as traitors.

"What about you, you're still alive. They couldn't have let you live without using you somehow. After all, they seem too pragmatic to let you live." Clyde asked, earning the anger of Boone and Veronica. Kei clenched her fists and grit her teeth looking down. "I was to spread the message as a sole survivor. An example for those sick bastards." She said withholding a yell of anguish.

"I see...ha...ha ha ha… this is great…" Clyde laughed with a evil grin. Everyone looked at him as if he was a sadist.

"Alright kid, I think I am starting to like this place more and more by the second. You see me and my friends here come from a place where scum-sucking fiends are what one in five identify themselves as. You call them Imperials, well we here from New Vegas call them "Caesar's Legion," and Miss Kei, our business revolves around putting them six feet under. Now the rest of you, whether it be for the loot, the moral solace, or for the sake of your own personal pleasure, I'd say we got one more quest to complete before we retire…" Clyde yelled. Cass smiled and tilted her hat down, Boone loaded his rifle and Veronica armed her power fists. Kei Smiled as if she had finally seen a glimpse of freedom and justice for the first time in her life.

"Folks I'd say that consensus votes yes on the bringing some good 'ol fashion wasteland justice to this hell hole." The courier said smiling. His pose, however, was cut short by the rock they hit on the road, falling on top of Veronica who once more kicked him on to the hardwood floor of the carriage. "Say, anyone got the time?…"

Back at the Town…

At least two divisions of reinforcements were sent to the small village to see what had happened. Squads were at work digging a mass grave for the hundred or so men dead in the battle. "Th...there were four people and… and a girl, only four, five sorry. They c...came out of that disk... thing over there with guns and... and. The...they took cover in the restaurant and lured us in. after that they… they... " The wounded soldier said erupting into tears of shock. A scribe in front of him took account of his words and ran to the general who sat on his horse observing the town.

.

"Sir the survivor said that they came from the weird disk over there *pointing to brushes* and carried firearms, many of them." The scribe told the general. "Gather a squad and investigate that object with caution, I don't want to waste men over a dumb trap like these buffoons." The posh commander scoffed. "Yes sir!" The grunt replied.

Two squads of men creeped up onto the hatch on the side of the Sink. One of them touched the door and fell back in shock after it opened automatically. The squad walked in the quiet, empty room when they suddenly heard a loud laughing. They pointed their rifles at the doorway to the kitchen area. And approached slowly, focused on the doorway. The squad bursted through checking all sides. "OH MY GOD!" one of the soldiers screamed. The toaster was jury rigged with two dozen mini nukes and continued to laugh at them. The men dropped their guns and ran, only to get caught in the doorway.

"HA HA HA HA HA! TREMBLE NEW WORLD, BEFORE MY ELECTRIC HEATING COILS OF DOOM!" The toaster yelled, arming the mini nukes and activating the emergency reactors in the sink.

The peaceful skies of the forest, the birds chirping and butterflies flapping their vibrant wings a half mile away, were eradicated in the flash of light. The soldiers in the town were turned to dust and the general was tossed away in the blast like a wet sock. Trees were blown forward then pulled back and the houses were leveled to the earth. A pillar of fire half a mile high was given the form of a mushroom and all sentient life in a five mile was annihilated. The toaster had been given his martyrdom he had longed for all his life. A thermonuclear farewell to the courier and the big empty.

Night Raid HQ

The members of Night Raid were horrified yet awestruck at the mushroom cloud miles away. Mikami looked not in awe but in question. "Who detonated it? Why did they detonate it? Why was there a nuclear blast in a world without nuclear weapons?" Night raid looked at her with a look of suspicion while Najenda looked at her with fear. "Are these the weapons you spoke of?" She said with a cold sweat on her forehead. "Yes, this can be nothing but a Nuclear bomb, I am sure of it." She said looking at the blast with anger. "Mademoiselle Mikami, should I hand out Rad-X?" Curie asked. "Yeah do that just to be safe." She responded.

" This… thing is like nothing I have ever seen before. I have never seen Imperial arms or any conventional weapon that can amount to this much destruction. Can you explain this weapon Mikami? This 'Nuclear Bomb?'" Najenda asked looking to the wastelanders. "Boss, I think I can explain what it is, after all I spent more than my share of time with Tinker Tom." Deacon interjected. Mikami nodded her head in agreement to his offer.

"Let's start at the beginning of the story *ahem*. The nuclear bomb was meant to destroy cities and large targets with the push of a button. It's power came from, or was a byproduct of the element Uranium, which if disrupted on a molecular level, could annihilate miles of land at a time. Are you getting this so far?" Deacon asked presenting them with a whiteboard with picture book drawings on it. Lubbock raised his hand politely. "Why do your pictures suck so bad?" She asked in his blunt fashion. Deacon threw a marker at him and continued.

"The weapon is known to have multiple stages. The first is a blinding light that is so intense, it can turn people near it to ash. The second is a blast wave that throws anything in its path like they were rag dolls. The last of which is the radiation, which causes cancer and triggers mutations that can change people into… things that aren't human or animal." He told them. All of them were in fear of the weapon, knowing what it could do was enough to make them break into a cold sweat.

"What about the radiation, is there a cure for it?" Tatsumi asked in fear. "Yeah, the pills Curie handed you should lessen if not cancel their effects, you took it right?" Deacon asked. The rebel group was already in the process of taking the pills and Leone was asking for seconds.

40 miles from the blast zone…

"YOU RETARD!" Cass yelled at the courier, punching him in the face. Veronica grabbed his collar and picked him up. "You nearly nuked us! How many mini-nukes did you put on that stupid toaster!" she yelled. "Well my inventory is empty so I'd say all of them." The courier said nervously. Kei was still staring at the cloud the explosion created. Boone handed her a bottle of Rad-X, to which she nodded in gratitude.

"Well the only benefit is that we can take a short break from riding so fast. I swear this guy goes overkill too often…" Cass breathed out. She looked at the distant, tan hill that blocked the view of the city and took a drink from the couriers flask, which she swiped back at the gates of freeside.

A few hours later.

It was just about sundown and Akame was preparing a feast for the new guests with Tatsumi in the kitchen. Lubbock, Sheele and Najenda sat at the table sipping tea while Leone, Deacon and Bulat enjoyed a bottle of fine sake. Curie was reading a stack of medical books, drooling while indulging in knowledge. Mikami stood at the window smoking a cigarette enjoying the breeze after a long shower which she had forgotten the pleasure of.

Mine walked up to her and poked her in the back "Ummm so I was kinda out on a job when you arrived here. I am Mine, the sniper of the team." She told her. Mikami turned to see a girl in a pink dress. "Comes in all kinds I guess." Mikami smiled looking at her height and clothing choice. Mine cringed for a moment but then returned to a neutral look. "Look I heard from the boss what your story is, and as unbelievable as it sounds, I think you might have what it takes to join us. However you are below me servant so stop blocking the breeze!" She commanded.

Suddenly Lubbock's hand twitched and he looked out the window. "Hey Najenda, we got visitors…" Lubbock said with a grim tone. The aura changed around the room; it seems that everyone was on the fringe and ready to kill at that moment. Mikami looked at her compass and drew Kellogg's revolver and a combat knife. "Seems like our nuclear cowboy has just arrived."

Author's note: Okay! I can feel the rush to keep writing now! If this keeps up I may get a good two more done by the end of the week! See y'all next chapter!