Chapter 66: Devils Gather

Dalton had traced out a rough sketch of the encampment. Likely having been a pre-Legion settlement years ago, most of the buildings were intact, though the Liberty Clans had brought their own tents and supplies with them, making the situation more complicated. Nonetheless, with help from Amos, Larain, and Cassidy, he had drawn up the best plan he could think of at the moment. Or rather, the best plan that didn't involve leaving these folk to themselves. He held his tongue as he looked at the motley team surrounding him. Surely there was folk out there who could do more with worse, he thought to himself.

"…Ok, at zero hour, me, Cassidy, Jimmy, Carla, and the brat are going down there and heading for here," he circled a large barn in the middle of the settlement. "That is likely where the majority of the captives are being held. Pelt-Brutes like to keep their spoils in the same place, they don't get to divvy their stuff until they're in friendlier territory."

Cass nodded. "They also enjoy a good revelry after a victory, and having figured they scared the Clans off they won't be on their best behavior."

"Nonetheless," Dalton interjected. "I want Larain and Tobey on overwatch with that fucking Cali cannon. Carla here tells me you're a decent shot."

"I mean," Larain began. "That was when I had her for a partner."

Carla pointed to her wrapped eye. "I kissed my depth perception goodbye some time ago."

"Right," Larain looked away. "Right."

"Admit it," Tobey punched Larain on the shoulder. "I'm her twin. I'm just as easy on the eyes."

"Focus!" Dalton snapped. "According to that runner, the Liberty Clan on the eastern side will have one of their own gunners on overwatch, giving us as much coverage as we can on such limited terms. Better than nothing. In addition, Baxter and the Mexicans will be held out in reserve in case things go sideways. The moment the Pelt-Brutes realize that we aren't a random group of do-gooders and that the clans are with us, we can say goodnight to the hostages."

Rosa sat some distance away, sharpening her machete blade as she listened half-heartedly to the briefing. She had known the gist before he started, get to the barn, secure it, and keep her head down for the duration of the firefight. Everything after that was just a matter of keeping quick and quiet.

"Not all the hostages are going to be in the barn."

Rosa turned to see Amy sitting beside her. "The chieftains love to separate the choicest morsels and keep them in the leadership's dwelling."

"How would you know?" Rosa asked, suspicious but calm.

"I once serviced a Pelt-Brute chieftain," Amy explained. "When it became apparent that he wanted a broodmare, I rejected him. He didn't like that, so he tried to force himself on me. Then my pimp showed up."

"Cade, you mean?" Rosa almost spat. "Let me guess, he single-handedly carried you away with one arm while using the other to massacre the entire tribe with a gun before he loaded it, and it all culminated in a romantic evening where you gave someone else an Over-Easy while he watched from a closet?"

"No, he challenged the chieftain to a duel," Amy corrected. "The Pelt-Brutes are simple and savage, but they do have some weird sense of honor, especially when they think they have the advantage. You challenge one to a one-on-one fight, so long as they believe it's a fair contest, they will honor it." She remembered the sight of a battered and bloody Cade wrestling the chieftain to the ground, arms wrapped around the chieftain's neck as he ultimately broke it. The rest of the Pelt-Brutes screamed and hollered in protest, but by then Cade had picked his guns back up and was already telling Amy to get dressed and leave.

"So, if I waltz my happy ass down there and pick a fight with the chief, we can just end this like that?" Rosa said as she snapped her fingers in punctuation.

"Like they'd risk losing everything they stole in one fight. Someone strolls in unannounced and picks a fight with a random asshole, that someone is liable to get jumped afterward regardless. Pick a fight with the big boss, however, and he won't have a choice. Any backing down or interference on his part will break his standing among the tribe, and challengers will have long memories regarding anything that resembles failure on his part."

"Hm," Rosa scratched her chin.

"And of course, if you fail, you'll- "Amy was about to continue.

"I think I get the picture, thanks," Rosa scoffed as she looked over to her situational companion. "So, a fair fight of they think they have the advantage? Mind telling that to the others?"

"You can inform them if you wish. I doubt Dalton would risk everything to save a handful of LC bitches when he can secure the bulk of the captives in one fell swoop. I just told you because I think you're more…"

Rosa rested her hand on her machete.

"…Idealistic."

"…Just make sure everyone staying back here doesn't get lonely," Rosa replied as she sat up. "If I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn that you were trying to be helpful."

Amy looked away. "…Daphne has always been good to me. I figure I may as well try to do right by her if anyone."

"Well, I'm down for as few surprises as possible," Rosa stretched as she walked to join the group. Amy looked to the setting sun as Kyra walked past, looking agitated as she made another round among the group.


On the eastern perimeter, Hoss Hooper was bellowing commands and orders to the rag-tag assortment of Liberty Clanners who had he had command over. Having linked up with one of Kenzie's old deputies on the other side of the valley, Hooper wanted to make it especially clear that this ship would be run tight. No information getting out, everyone on duty and where they were supposed to be, and absolutely no blind spots!

"I want eyes on the camp and on every pass on the way up here!" the sweaty Clan boss ordered as his men hurried around him. "Amos says he has some kind of team ready to get our folk out from there, and by the Almighty I ain't passing no opportunity to lose out on gitten one of mine as the Sovereign! I don't even want no snake gitten in here without me know'n about it!" he bellowed as an unfamiliar figure unceremoniously brushed past him. "HEY! JUST WHO IN THE FU-" he stopped as he recognized who he was talking to. "Oh, uh, glad you're on our side, ah, Cade."

Cade stared at the Clan Boss. "…Where's Gavin?"

"Wrangling a few more gunners up north, I reckon. Hey, while you're here, would you mind helping us with some last-minute duties before we…"

"A direct attack is going to get our people down there killed," Cade answered bluntly.

"Obviously! But Amos says he found a team that'll get our folk out without setting off any alarms!"

This caught Cade's attention. "He has?" the gunslinger cocking his head to the side.

"Yep! And we got one of ours on overwatch for this side of the valley for when things pop off real bad!" Hooper beamed.

"Who did you get?" Cade asked.

"A kid after me own heart! Matty!" Hooper smiled.

Cade abruptly turned about face and stormed towards what had to be the sixth most optimal position from which to oversee the valley. As expected, a Liberty Clanner was fiddling with a sniper rifle, fumbling the ammo into the magazine and humming to himself a long-forgotten battle hymn he couldn't remember the words to. A few seconds of having a shadow looming over him weren't enough to make him realize the presence hovering above him, so in a magnanimous display of formality Cade decided to clear his throat.

"Huh? Oh, dude! Sorry, I didn't see you there!" the hippy-looking cowboy drawled out, betraying his lack of awareness.

"Hoss Hooper says you're the best gunner in his clan," Cade began, clearly not impressed.

"Damn straight! I've plugged suckas from, like, three baseball fields away!" Matty grinned.

"Oh my," Cade replied. "A professional."

"Yeah, I'm kinda a big deal around here. When this is all over, I'm gonna lay some serious pipe in that Daphne babe. I dig older chicks, brah. Wait…" Matty narrowed his eyes as he realized who he was talking to. "…I know you."

"Finally," Cade muttered.

"You're that creepy-looking son of a bitch who pimps out that Amy chick! Nice! She around here? I could go for an oral exam, if you catch my drift?" he stood up and began nudging Cade in the chest.

"…Are you fully prepared for the mission, Matty?" Cade asked.

"Abso-damn-lutely," Matty smiled.

"Accounted for the wind?" Cade asked.

Matty popped his finger in his mouth and held it up. "Pretty cold."

"Have you memorized the ingress?" Cade asked.

"Dude, I think they, like, went extinct, brah," Matty replied, clearly downcast.

"Is the safety off?"

"Yes, the safety…*click* Yes, the safety is off!"

Cade slowly reached out his hand, grasping the weapon by the receiver. In an instant, he snatched the weapon away before Matty even realized what had happened. "Wha- DUDE! You coulda killed me! That's a loaded weapon! That's dangerous!" the hippy cowboy whined.

"…I believe I saw one of your fellow 'brahs' carrying some of the, what was it, "good shit," and were talking about making sure you didn't get any," Cade spoke.

"Those… aww, those dudes were supposed to be my friends!" Matty nearly burst into tears. "Putting bullets in dudes is super stressful! They know I need something to take the edge off!"

"Well, you'd best be confronting them, dude," Cade replied, stretching out the last syllable in contempt.

"I will!" Matty marched away, leaving Cade to properly position himself for the upcoming mission and wondering to himself who in the hell Amos had suckered into pulling off this suicide job.


Daphne knelt, her hands bound and her eyes downcast. Beside her were two of her girls, Audrey and Willow, as well as two others, Irene and Sally, from the other clans. They had been quiet and obedient, all working together to ensure that nothing, absolutely nothing, would set off their captors. Braxus entered the pavilion, raw juices dribbling down his chin as the rest of his war council stood to greet him. The bear-headed warrior glanced around his little fiefdom, filled with trinkets stolen from the Liberty Clans. He began speaking Peltish.

To the girls in attendance, it sounded like an angry pack of wolves intermingling with a large family of mountain cats, accompanied by the occasional braying of a bighorner. Somehow, whatever conversation had unfolded caused what looked like half the war council to pick up their arms and leave. Braxus then turned to the largest of his warriors, his brother.

"Mongrel, I am taking my finest out on a hunt. When I return, we shall feast and rut to our hearts' content. Until then, I leave my hearth in your capable hands."

Mongrel grunted as his older brother left the pavilion. As most of the warriors filed out, Mongrel turned to the women, licking his chops. The women averted their eyes, bowing their heads in submission near the back of the tent wall. "Just don't look them in the eyes, girls," Daphne whispered. "We'll be OK, I promise. Just don't give them something to focus on."

They felt hot breath wash over them. The man wearing a super mutant pelt sniffed them, looking for one that would suit his fancy. He decided to settle on the quailing mop of blonde hair shivering closely to the older brunette. His large mitt shot out and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her away from the other girls as they screamed in shock and horror!

"TAKE ME!" Daphne bawled. "WHY WON'T YOU TAKE ME, YOU FUCKING DEGENERATE?!"

"HELP ME!" Sally wailed as Mongrel forced her onto the ground. Daphne couldn't watch. She turned away as tears stung her eyes. She could hear Sally begging and pleading for help as the monster inched ever closer to her neck. The last words she ever spoke were a cry for her father, right as Mongrel's teeth tore out her throat.


The first few sentries had been caught sleeping. Two knives made short work of them, the rest of the team hiding one of the bodies while the other was propped up nearby. A Pelt-Brute left his tent to take a leak, and almost let out a cry of alarm when a switchblade was buried in his neck, the tribal letting out a gurgling moan as he fell to his knees. Jimmy checked the tent to see if it was empty before rolling the body back inside.

Atop the hill, Larain kept his eyes peeled on an approaching patrol. "I got six guys on foot just to the north of them."

Tobey activated his radio. "Hey, sis, six assholes above you."

From below, they watched as Carla motioned for the team of five to hold back, letting the patrol pass on unmolested, before continuing their stalk forward.

"Nice teamwork," Larain complimented.

"Almost like we've been doing this our entire lives," Tobey replied as he looked through the binoculars once more.

Dalton saw the edge of the barn from above the tents. "Ok, so when we get to the barn, flash the lights after we secure it, and the rest of the fight will be out of our hands," he said as he pulled out his gladius.

"They're not all there," Rosa interjected. "You know that there are more hostages near the center of the camp."

"I'm not surprised, but we don't have the people to pull it off, kid," Dalton retorted.

"I'm not about to risk who we can save for folk who might already be dead," Cassidy admitted as she checked around the corner of a tent, watching two Pelt-Brutes shooting up some kind of concoction that seemed to mellow them out."

"Then don't, we can split up. You guys can secure the barn, I'm going to get those girls back," Rosa said.

"You're insane," Dalton hissed.

"I'm coming with you," Carla said to Rosa. "Letting those women in the crossfire is a death sentence."

"They could be as good as dead," Jimmy countered. "Or so bad up that they may as well be."

"We're here for everyone," Rosa shot back. "Or are we only supposed to help when it's convenient?"

"It ain't like that," Cassidy growled. "It's five against a few hundred."

"Then I'll make it my life for theirs," Rosa replied. "You three can go on, Carla, you're with me."

"This is nuts," Jimmy growled. "…I'm coming, too. Dalton, Cass, you two lock down the barn. If things go sideways, give the signal and start the attack."

"Damn kids," Dalton muttered as Cass looked over the three. "…You're lucky I have enough experience with stupid plans to not stop you," she admitted as she joined Dalton and continued towards the barn.

"Idiots," Dalton muttered. "All of them."

"Insane," Cass concurred. "Like taking on three armies and winning."

"Don't you fucking remind me," Dalton snapped.

"Not going to lie, I almost went with them," Cass admitted. "We're out of Larain and Tobey's line of sight, so all we got on our side is the other sniper. Like having our own secret guardian angel," she scoffed.

Cade kept his line of sight on Cassidy. He felt his finger tense around the trigger. Kill her and he finally completes a long outstanding contract. Do so and throw the whole of his current mission into anarchy. Choices. He relaxed his finger and turned his gaze upward, following the breakaway team as they neared the Pelt-Brute pavilion at the center. The largest shelter, the former Liberty Clan infirmary had been taken by Braxus and his men, the former occupants having been disposed of in typical Pelt-Brute fashion. Enclosed all around, Cade couldn't see any way the three below could sneak in or out secretly. Unless…


Kim stood back with the Federales as she fished out a stick of gum. Needing to do something, anything to keep her occupied, the most she could think of was working her jaw and maintaining her weapon. Taking a rag and wiping her brow, she leaned forward in a ready position, ready to lead the charge if… oh, who was she kidding, when things went sideways. All she needed was to make sure that little idiot down there got out safe and sound.

"So, when are we supposed to look for them?" Kyra asked as she knelt down beside Kim.

"Look for who?" Kim asked.

"The blind guy and his wife," Kyra said. "No one seemed worried when they disappeared before, but they've been gone for a while now."

Suddenly, Kim realized that Joseph and Melody were gone, and had been all this time. The thought of their disappearance hadn't registered for her mentally all throughout the afternoon, as if something had pushed that realization out of her reach. "…We need to ask the others where they went," Kim decided, taking Kyra to ask any of the Clanners if they had seen anything.

As they did, Larain and Tobey kept their eyes trained on Rosa, Carla, and Jimmy. The three had stopped and were conversing with one another. "…That's an argument," Tobey gulped. "Something's going wrong down there."

Larain felt his throat tighten as Carla and Jimmy tried to convince Rosa to go along with something. No. As they tried to convince her to NOT do something. "Tobey, ask your sister what the hell is going on down there."

Right as Tobey got on his radio, Rosa left the shadows of the tent they were hiding behind, charging forward to the front entrance of the pavilion. Carla tried to reach out and grab her, only for Jimmy to grab the marshal and shove her back into the darkness. The two Pelt-Brute sentries immediately caught the charging figure coming towards them, only to lose a leg and an arm between them for their trouble, Rosa finishing both with a coup-de-grace in short order.

"Please don't be that insane enough to…" Larain pleaded as Rosa tore open the tent flap and walked right inside.


Mongrel tore into the arm as his packmates helped themselves to the roasted meat before them. All that remained was the better part of a torso, the arms above the elbow, and one leg above the knee. As he was about to rip off another chunk, the meal was disturbed by a sudden intruder. Mongrel rose his eyes up to castigate the unruly whelp who forgot their place amongst them, only to see that it was not a Pelt-Brute who trespassed.

It was a young girl wearing a wastelander jacket and a red bandana across her forehead that peeked from under her short black hair. On her hip hung a scabbard and from her hand a bloody machete, the iron-scented residue dripping onto the dirt floor as she pointed her weapon towards the half-dozen tribals. She saw the corpse suspended over the fire and buried her revulsion as she singled out the largest of the tribals. "You the bigwig, Kemosabe?"

Daphne watched as Mongrel slowly rose from his seat and chucked his meal towards the newcomer. The newcomer in turn dodged the severed arm, using most of her effort to not gag. "…You guys…" the girl began to ponder as she paced in front of the entrance. "…You guys are called… what was it… Oh, right! The Felt-Butts! Right?"

Mongrel kicked the charred carcass over the fire, letting out a snarl as he grabbed his deathclaw skull-mounted club. Rosa noted the size of the weapon. Plenty of reach, but there would be too much recovery time per swing making it especially vulnerable to counters, not to mention that the pavilion had limited space. That just left the peanut gallery.

"You and me, big boy. That sound good?" she taunted as she took up an exaggerated combat stance. "I came into your house uninvited, didn't I? You need to punish this insult yourself, if one of these other assfucks gets to me, well, then I guess that would make them the real head honcho, wouldn't it?"

One of the other Pelt-Brutes, a big one with a mountain lion hide, screamed as he charged Rosa. The big one wearing a super mutant grabbed him by the arm and howled in his face. As the other Pelt-Brute seemed to protest, the one wearing a super mutant immediately slammed his skull into the other. And then again, and again, until the only movements from the challenger seemed to be spasms. Mongrel then tossed the insubordinate behind him, where the rest of the pack decided to help themselves.

Looks like everyone's distracted, Rosa thought as Mongrel rose his club. You two better work fast.


Dalton and Cass had their knives at the ready as they approached the barn. Sure enough, they saw that there were some guards posted, some carrying spears while others were armed with rifles. Dalton and Cass fell back to confirm the best route of approach.

"Split up?" Cass suggested.

"We're already outnumbered. A combined front would be much better. And so much easier if we had the other three with us," Dalton hissed.

"Quit your welching," Cass shot back. "We take it nice and quiet. When we take out the guys on the ground, we open up on the two on the roof. Then we make the signal before the others realize what happened."

"Fair enough," Dalton groused. "On three?"

Cass nodded. Dalton readied his gladius as he braced himself. "…Three!" he hissed as he and Cass rounded the tent, just in time to see one of the Pelt-Brutes fell to his knees as the fumes from the rag sapped his consciousness. The cloaked figure then threw the knife at his partner right as he realized what had happened, the other figure dropping to the ground as he let out a strangled gurgle. The woman then proceeded to scramble up to the roof of the barn, another knife in her teeth as she continued her work.

Dalton and Cass returned to their hiding spot. "…Friend of yours?" Cass asked.

"Hardly, but I think I recognize her from back at the caves. She looks like one of those Amazon bitches," Dalton groaned.

"…The Legion's here," Cass completed. "…We need to work fast. Take care of the rest of the guys on the ground. We'll confront her when we clear the place," she decided as she rounded the corner again, catching another of the Pelt-Brutes on the ground off-guard as he came to investigate his two fallen comrades, right as the figure on the roof began to gas the two sentries to death.


"Hoss, we got a contact!" one of the gunners screamed as the camp was stirred to high alert.

"Wha- Who is it? Gavin? Cali? A raid?" Hoss thought aloud as he grabbed his shotgun.

"Nah, it's some guy riding a dog! He's… he's got a white flag!"

Sure enough, the two riders atop the hound steed trotted into camp. The one in front, a burly legionary in sporting gear, held aloft his stick with a white T-shirt at the end. "Peace! This is an envoy of peace!" he declared as his passenger leaped from the dog and charged towards the overlook, camera at the ready.

Hoss approached the snarling hound and its rider cautiously. "Uh… you're Legion?"

"Ave, true to Caesar," the legionary saluted with his arm across his chest. "My name is Veteran Decanus Drago, chosen man of Legatus Barabbas. I come with a message. The Legate has heard of your plight and shall seek to aid you. One of ours has been sent to find and rescue your hostages, and upon confirmation, the Legate himself shall oversee the destruction of your enemies. We only ask that you not fire upon any dog riders who join the battle."

Frost found the absolutely perfect overlook. He dove alongside the other as he set up his camera, checking his settings as he muttered to himself about action shots and tracking. Truly, going with Drago was the best call of his tenure out east, he was going to collect all the footage he could ever want. He was so engrossed in his work that he completely ignored the hairy eyeball Cade was giving him before turning back to his own task and watching the encampment below.


Larain and Tobey could make out the faintest shadows from within the pavilion. The smaller one was dodging and weaving around the larger one, and both were going almost too fast to track. Tobey felt the blood trickle from his lip as Larain began to sweat. "FUCKING SHOOT!" Tobey let out in panic.

"If I do that," Larain replied in a strained voice. "The others in there will jump her, and the entire camp will know what's going on. She's the only one who can get her out of the mess she got herself in."

On the other side of the valley, Cade watched in amusement as the blond mobster and the cycloptic slut snuck around to the back of the pavilion, likely believing that's where the other hostages were located. He watched as the mobster pressed his ear against the tent wall, beckoning the cop to pull out a knife and start cutting.

Back to the other end, Amy watch the ongoing scene as a slow smile crept onto her face. That idiot bought it, hook line, and sinker. So eager to martyr herself that she would throw herself into the fire for the sake of her own pride and ego. She couldn't wait to tell Cade when she next saw him. If he couldn't collect the bounty on her head personally, then at least Amy could orchestrate her demise from afar. He'd have to take her back in that case.

A series of howls came up from behind the group. The Liberty Clanners were caught unaware by the sudden appearance and charge of a hunting party that found its prey. A tribal warrior wearing a Yao Gui pelt let out a roar as he set himself upon the Clanners, his two clawed gauntlets cutting through the gunners as the rest of his tribe followed suit. Guns popped off, spears and arrows were thrown, and Kim immediately leaped into action, sweeping her machine gun and plugging away at the oncoming horde. "KYRA, KEEP BEHIND ME AND- KYRA!" Kim screamed as Kyra bolted from her towards the supply cache. "Where is it, where is it," she hissed to herself.

Upon establishing this camp, Kyra had asked one of the Clanners if she could stash her revolver with the rest of the equipment, having felt safe with the numbers around her enough to leave it to the side. As she found the bag, she tore into it. "…Where is it? I put it… It's not here. It's not here!" she let out in a panic.

The Federales had joined up in a squad and began to push back at the Pelt-Brutes as the Clanners struggled to recover. Gael watched as the head of one of the oncoming tribals basically disintegrated into a hazy mist. A thoroughly agitated Tobey and Larain had joined the battle. "WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH YOU!" Tobey screamed as he plugged some shots into a Pelt-Brute who was pulling his spear out of a fallen Clanner. I really hope you have your side of the situation under control, buddy," Larain thought of his eastern counterpart on the other side of the valley as he went about his battle.

As Kyra desperately tried to find somewhere to run, a massive figure wearing a bearskin suddenly leaped in front of her. Braxus looked down at his future breeding stock and was reminded of his first-ever raid. Twenty decades ago, he raided a weak tribe, scattering their warriors and helping himself to one of the girls he had caught, rutting right in the middle of the carnage. And this girl looked just like that other one. He licked his chops as he grabbed Kyra by the back of the neck even as she screamed and tried to push him away.

Another howl came up, this one less human and alone. A dog with a rider came charging into the camp, the rider holding aloft a white flag as they looked around at the carnage around them. Kim looked up at the rider and wondered just how much worse her day had to be. The rider turned to see Kyra being dragged away by a hulking tribal. "YOU THERE!" the rider screamed out. Braxus stopped to see this new challenge dismount her dog, throwing down the white flag she was carrying and instead drawing her gladius and buckler. "You will face me, profligate!" Hypatia growled as her dog immediately began mauling another fleeing Pelt-Brute.


The club came down, barely missing Rosa as she dove away. The other Pelt-Brutes brayed in anger at her refusal to directly fight Mongrel, who in turn was angry the little broodmare wasn't staying still and letting him kill her. Rosa took another gander at the audience, both the tribal warriors screaming for her death and the bound women who were watching in fear of what would happen next. Behind the brunette, the cut had finally drawn back the flap enough for the marshal to peek her head in. Grinning, Rosa went back to her fight, diving through Mongrel's legs as she nicked his calf with her blade. The guy was big and slower than her, but he wasn't exactly getting tired, she noted with some level of dread.

Daphne felt a hand around her mouth. "Keep quiet," Carla whispered. "We're getting you all out of here. Is this everyone?"

Daphne looked away. "…There were five of us," she said. Carla saw the burnt carcass on the ground and felt angry. "One after the other, we're all heading to the barn, now." One after the other, the girls filled out of the rip. After the last girl left, Carla wanted to try and signal Rosa to evacuate. Only for one of the Pelt-Brutes to choose the worst possible time to look back and see a Marshal in place of their living loot. He let out a scream of alarm, only to be silenced by the sudden blast from a Sequoia revolver. As Mongrel turned to see the new intruder, Rosa immediately went with her plan B. Darting from end to end of the tent, she sliced at the cables.

The whole structure began to collapse, the heavy leather canvas falling inwards and on top of the occupants. Carla managed to slip out in time, right as Jimmy pulled her out and began firing at the Pelt-Brute that tried to follow after her. By now the entire camp was stirring, with angry growls and screams erupting throughout the village.

"Where's Rosa?" Jimmy asked as he watched the center of the tent begin to catch fire. Rosa crawled out from under the fallen canvas on the other side. Looking around, she saw Carla and Jimmy on the other side. Right as she was about to call out to them, a hand grabbed her by the leg. Mongrel tried to drag her back under the tent. Rosa responded by severing his hand from his wrist. The resulting yell alerted every Pelt-Brute that their chieftain's brother had been assaulted, and reprisal was expected. Immediately, dozens upon dozens of Pelt-Brutes began converging on what had been their leader's tent.

As Carla and Jimmy were about to call out to her, Rosa took off in another direction, diverting the majority of the mob to follow her. Jimmy and Carla were left to look between their fleeing friend and the four battered and bruised hostages they had only barely managed to liberate. "…FUCK!" Jimmy spat. "Get gotta get back to the barn and signal the counterattack! It's the only way we can help her!"

Rosa darted through the camp. As she ran she could see emerging tribals exiting their tents. An arrow zipped past her, instinctively causing her to change course throughout the labyrinthian settlement. As she turned, a tribal wearing the skull of a brahmin swung at her with a sledgehammer. As she attempted to defend herself, a sudden impact zipped through her attacker's neck, the tribal falling to his knees before collapsing on the ground. Was that Larain or… was all that Rosa could think about before realizing the horde that was still pursuing her. She broke out into another sprint, another blast behind her taking out a runner's legs, the resulting pile-up taking out another half dozen of her pursuers. A figure appeared behind a tent ready to throw a spear, only to be shot in the forehead. Another tribal would lose an arm as he tried to grab at her, followed by another shot to follow up the damage her machete did. She made another turn and watched as two ambushers were put down by a single bullet. Either Larain is a better shot than I expected, Rosa thought as she slashed behind her, taking some fingers off a hand holding a fire axe, or I owe this other guy a "thank you fuck" whenever I see him. Cade cycled another round into his chamber and continued to fire.


Dalton and Cass held their blades out before the strange woman. The woman held her hands up and motioned for them to take something from under her cloak. Pulling out a scroll, Cass read it aloud.

"To whom this may concern, my name is Ferra Grimaldi Konstantopoulos, a sworn sister of the Legios Amazonia, under her mystical Oracle Sybil. If you are reading this, you are either a friend or I am dead. Should the former be true, know that I seek no quarrel with you, and know that you may enjoy the privilege that is common cause with the might of Imperial Dallas. In such an event, I hope we may become fast allies during whatever crisis it is that brought us together." Cass looked up to see Ferra smile, baring all her teeth.

Jimmy and Carla returned with their four hostages in tow. Cass made a quick headcount. "Where's…"

"Just get in the barn and launch the signal!" Carla screamed as some Pelt-Brutes closed in on them. Cass and Jimmy shot at the pursuers as Dalton ushered the women inside the barn with the rest of the captured Clanners, mostly children and elderly. Ferra, meanwhile, reached under her cloak and pulled out a jar. Cracking the seal open, she launched her concoction onto a nearby tent. It erupted in a green flame, its noxious-looking smoke billowing into the sky.

"There's the signal," Barabbas said as Falco pulled out a bighorner shofar. Barabbas, Falco, Damocles, Uriah, Quintas, and Sulla all charged toward the camp.


Braxus and Hypatia circled around one another as the rest of the fight unfolded around them. Kim forced a tribal that was biting her arm off before unloading on his torso with her weapon. Javier took an arrow to his chest, falling as Toni was racked across his back by another. Amy had found a wounded Pelt-Brute while she was holding a large rock. Tobey shot a Pelt-Brute that had tackled Larain while he was saving Amos. Kyra stood by Hypatia's dog, keeping close to her. None of this registered to the duelists.

Hypatia's reinforced garbage can lid buckler had been shredded. Braxus was limping thanks to a fortuitous stab that nailed his leg. Neither wanted to back down. "…No wonder you lot left the Legion," Hypatia began to taunt.

"You got something to say to me, meat?" Braxus growled.

"The old me would have despised you for your treason, desert trash. But now I see that we truly were stronger without you and your kind," Hypatia continued. "Cannon fodder is the most you and yours can hope to achieve. Brutalizing other profligates when they pose no threat to you? Tasks only fit for the least of us! Duties we give to children before they are properly able to become legionaries! And that's all you can master!"

Hypatia saw Kyra hiding out of the corner of her eye. "…Stealing bitches like that is about the most you'd be able to handle. Though I shudder to think of what she could possibly have for you. Wouldn't give you anything a ghoul hadn't already taken."

"IT WAS JUST ONE TIME!" Kyra screamed out.

Braxus felt sick. The image of a rotted corpse copulating with the other woman immediately entered his mind. He felt queasy as he began to drop his guard, his knees buckling at the thought. Hypatia charged forward. Unfortunately for her, Braxus was quick to recover. He readied his gauntlet and struck his counter. Simultaneous hit.

Hypatia felt the gauntlet sink into her ribs as she stabbed her blade forward. Braxus watched as his enemy locked eyes with him, ignoring her own wound. A true warrior. Red filled his vision as blood dribbled down his lips. Hypatia drew back her blade, further slicing through the neck of the chieftain. The bear-skinned man fell on his back, neck snapped open like a broken carrot.

His warriors immediately lost heart at the sight of their beaten leader. They fled, ignoring the shots that followed them in reprisal, the Clanners having no mercy for those who showed them none. As Amos continued to direct fire, Hypatia strolled back over to the white flag and picked it up as she clutched her wound with the other arm. "…We of the Legion wish to aid you… don't shoot any of the dog riders… this is by order of Legate… Barabbas…" she winced as she stuck her flag into the ground.

"Hypatia…" Kyra began to say as she approached her.

"You lost the gun I gave you. Fucking typical," Hypatia tried to sneer, but her wound held her back. She gripped back onto her sword and began to completely sever Braxus's head from his neck.

"Your wound…" Kyra tried to say.

"I'll be fine," Hypatia snapped as she coughed. "I've been hurt worse," she lied.

"What are you doing?" Kyra asked as Hypatia took the head of Braxus and placed it to the side, now dragging his body towards her ride.

"Ever read the classics?" Hypatia asked. "The Iliad? Achilles versus Hector? As good a finale as I can think of," she explained as she pulled some ropes out of her saddle bag.

"Just stop!" Kyra cried out as she saw the blood seeping from her wounds. "Kim, Tobey, anyone with first aid, get over here and stop the bleeding!"

"I'm fine," Hypatia coughed up some more blood. "I'll… I'll make it."

Kim grabbed her and dragged her away. Two Clanners swarmed around her and began putting pressure on her wound while another went for a stimpak. "Get off of me!" Hypatia snarled. "I need to link back up with the others!"

Kyra watched as Hypatia thrashed and struggled against those who were trying to save her life. "…Amy," she turned to the girl. "Help me tie the body to that dog. Don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't bite."

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

Kyra knelt down and picked up the head by the hair. "Giving the Pelt-Brutes a show they'll never forget."


Rosa kept running, but the Pelt-Brutes kept growing closer and closer. She would swipe and her guardian would shoot, but the numbers were not on her side. She was slipping, stumbling, and she had almost been dog-piled and ripped apart more times than she was comfortable with. But she would not stop fighting. As Cade watched her, he felt something he hadn't expected to feel. Pride for someone else.

A weird horn noise cut through the howls and screams of the Pelt-Brutes. As Rosa turned to look, she saw a massive brass bull riding atop a giant dog barreling down the dirt path she was on. The brass bull reared his massive cleaver back and took a wide swing as he charged her. Rosa immediately ducked down, narrowly avoiding the blade as it sliced through throngs of mad tribals that had been pursuing her.

Rosa sat back up as she saw the brass bull continue his charge down the camp, swinging away at any being unfortunate enough to not escape his reach. "…WATCH WHERE YOU'RE SWINGING THAT THING, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Rosa screamed after him, flipping him the bird as another dog pulled up beside her. A hand reached down and pulled her up to her feet. "Ms. Rosa, a pleasure to once again make your acquaintance," Falco smiled as he pulled out his revolver and shot down a fleeing tribal.

"Never thought I'd be glad to see the fucking Legion," Rosa couldn't help but let out a relieved smile.

"Yeah, we get that a lot," Falco chuckled as he pulled Rosa behind him. "We sent some of ours up early to parlay with those who I guess would be your allies. As such, allow me the liberty of ensuring your safe return."

"Not yet!" Rosa demanded. "Get me to the barn! I need to have my friends yell at me!"

"…As you wish," Falco replied as he motioned for his fellow vanguard to support Barabbas on his rampage.

Atop the eastern valley, Drago was bouncing on his saddle. "You can see me, right?" he asked, giddily.

"Just let me set it up…Ok, now, go!" Frost said as he readied his camera. Drago let out a scream as his mount charged down the valley, alternating between hopping and sliding. As he reached the bottom, Drago immediately began swinging at any Pelt-Brute unfortunate enough to be near him.

"…So gory, it's going to be a bitch and a half to get this through ratings certification, eh?" Frost muttered to his overwatch partner, not even looking over. Cade just sniffed as he took another shot at a Pelt-Brute, only to see the Great Golden Bull himself fighting his way to the center of the camp. With the words of the rider fresh in his ears about the ceasefire, Cade growled as realized this would be yet another bounty he would have to pass up for the sake of convenience.

"The signal!" one of the Clanners announced. "They're flashing a light from the barn, that's the signal!"

"You heard'em boys!" Hoss Hooper notched a round into his shotgun! "Don't shoot our people or the dogs or their riders! Other than that, LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOO!"

The Clanners let out whoops and hollers as they charged down the valley. Cade stole a look at the opposite end of the cliff, seeing only a single dog rider gingerly making their way down a cliff. The odd things that stood out to him, however, were that it was clearly a woman, she didn't seem to be wearing any standard Legion uniform, and it looked like she was carrying a head in her hand while dragging the rest of the carcass behind her. As she approached the encampment, however, wails of despair seemed to emanate from where she passed by, so there seemed to be some method to her madness.

As the crossfire began cutting down the panicked and leaderless Pelt-Brutes, scattering them and cutting them off, Cade realized that he had a golden opportunity in front of them. Battlefields were chaotic, and accidents were not only expected but inevitable. He figured he'd only have one opportunity to make a shot like this. So, who to choose? Barabbas or Cassidy? To that, he decided that business should come before pleasure, and he zoned in on Barabbas as he continued cutting through the mass of panicked tribals.

"Accidents happen," he muttered as he prepared to shoot. Then the ozone above him started to burn. Frost was the first to notice the phenomenon and immediately backed away. Cade, however, was so engrossed in his new task that he didn't realize what was happening until the screaming man was literally upon him. The body crashed into him as the round went off, soaring over the horns of Barabbas like an Old World goalpost. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE SHOOTING, YOU RANK AMATEURS!" Barabbas cried out as he grabbed a Pelt-Brute by the neck and threw him onto another.

The two men writhed in pain on the ground. "…my back," the older man wheezed as he picked himself off the ground. "My head," Cade welched as he took off his hat to rub it. He turned to look at who threw off his shot. The man wore a black hat much as he did, only in nicer condition. He also wore a duster with the number 21 printed on the back. Strangely, he also seemed to be wearing a tank top and boxers underneath. The man turned to Cade and gave the sniper a similar appraisal. "…Who the hell are you?" Lars and Cade asked simultaneously.