They drove through the desert in a tight formation; the hum of plasma and laser batteries coming to life could be heard over the sound of sand under tires. Soon they drove over the Hoover dam and through the mountains into the ECZ. The eastern colonization zone was an area of about a hundred miles extending from the eastern bank of the Colorado River to its western bank as the river curved southeast. The Mojave forces had taken the territory from the legion remnants two years ago and had slowly begun moving people eastward to accommodate the influx in immigration. Twenty Mojave communities existed within the zone and three were in the direct path of the legion convoy. The personnel carriers were prepped and ready to evacuate all they could before fortifying the towns against the oncoming Legion raiding party. As they passed through the communities the personnel carriers dropped off and began their work loading civilians into the carriers before setting up energy barricades and taking positions to defend the buildings.
As they drove into the empty wastes beyond the communities Rex reached into his duster and withdrew a small silver locket and wrapped its chain around his hand and touched it to his forehead, before returning it to one of his duster pockets.
"Good luck charm?" Shepard asks from the back of the car.
Rex looks at Shepard in the rearview "It was my mother's; when I was a kid and she'd hug me whenever I got my ass kicked, the damn thing would press always into my forehead. It's become a ritual before I go into a fight; I press against my forehead, reminds me of safer days."
"Never took you for the nostalgic type" Shepard says loading her submachine gun and stowing extra clips on her belt.
Rex just laughs and lights another cigarette.
"Reinforcements from the Southern and Northern securitron divisions have been diverted and the remains of the eastern have shored up the gap with back up securitrons from Big Mt." Veronica interrupts, her ear to a receiver "The personnel carriers are already evacuating the communities in the path of the convoy, and the barricades will be set up and fortified in twenty minutes."
"Good, Status on Boone and rex?" Rex asks stamping out his cigarette in an ash tray.
"Boone's been medevacked to the medical center in serious condition; he's sustained damage to his right arm and left leg they may have to amputate" Veronica says angrily "And rex is gone; that poor dog's internal systems and organs were fried before the brain case was smashed."
Rex scowled and drew his pistol "I think it's time to put these fuckers down."
"Rocketeers assume forward formation" Veronica orders into the speaker phone and eight vehicles move forward into a line of four on each side of Rex's vehicle "All other units form claw formation."
One of the soldiers in each hefted rocket launchers onto their shoulders and steadied themselves. The missile launchers emitted an audible beep as their missiles armed. The remaining armored vehicles behind Rex's split and moved into position creating a wide half circle as they went. Veronica readied plasma rifle and opened the window port.
"You know I hate using guns" Veronica says adjusting the firing speed "so much easier just to punch it."
"Well unless you can punch out a moving semi I think your options are a bit limited" Rex replies laughing.
They crested a hill and descended into a rocky valley. In the distance they saw the Legion convoy; three massive armored rigs sporting thick slabs of black armor with mounted gun emplacements equipped with fifty caliber machine guns. Rex looks to the north and sees a large group of securitrons speeding towards the Legion while their counterparts to the south did the same. Already he could see them readying their missile systems and figured they'd be n range in less than a minute.
"Rocketeers ready your weapons" Rex's voice booms out of the loud speakers. The men take aim at the three Semis. Thirty seconds later and Rex yells "Fire."
The two legions of securitrons fire a volley of missiles at the sides of the semis, and at the same time the rocketeers fire their anti-armor missiles into the front of the three armored trucks. The smaller vehicles manage to swerve away and avoid the volley, but the trucks weren't as lucky, the front of the closest truck was shredded by the massive explosion causing it to topple into its counterparts which were sent sprawling and collided into each other in a mass of metal and flame. The smaller vehicles resumed their formation and increased their speed as they were enclosed by the half circle in the claw of the Mojave vehicle's formation and the oncoming securitrons to their sides.
Machine gun fire ricocheted off the armored fronts of the Mojave vehicles as they returned fire. Volleys of plasma and concentrated beams of red laser light collided with the vehicles ripping at the armor and making the metal go red hot. The two forces met and collided as some of the Legion vehicles crashed into the Mojave's but most swerved around each other, as they did Rex took out his pistol and fired into the neck of a Legion gunner. While ED-E fires a concentrated laser blast into the side of a vehicle exposing the driver and Jack fires her shot gun into the newly exposed driver causing the vehicle to swerve and crash into another Legion vehicle. Shepard opened a hatch on the roof of the vehicle and fires concentrated burst into the side of the vehicle bursting its back tire, while Veronica blasted plasma into the side a vehicle burning through the armored window and melting through it blanketing the driver with plasma.
They emerge on the other side of the fray and Rex cranks the wheel sliding across the sand before going into a U-turn while ED-E fires concentrated bursts of laser fire into the backs of the other vehicles cutting through their armor and exposing weakened metal. The Mojave forces were routing the Legion forces. Out of the dozen and a half Legion vehicles only a half dozen vehicles remained, the legion was still fighting hard though. In the middle of the battlefield a Mojave vehicle engaging a legion vehicle. The Legion gunner aims it gun and fires breaking through the armor of the Mojave vehicle spattering the interior with blood as the vehicle swerved and crashed into a rock.
Rex gunned the engine and pulled up beside the Legion vehicle which immediately began firing at Rex's vehicle. He drew his gun and began firing into the side window alongside ED-E's laser fire killing the driver and the passenger before slamming his vehicle into the side of the enemy vehicle causing the car to tip and slam into a rock flinging the gunner out and across the hard desert ground. Rex looked and saw one of the remaining Legion vehicles darting around the edge of the battlefield; the car was larger and more heavily armored and lacked a dedicated rifle mount. Glints of light emanated from slits on the side of the car as it fired into the Mojave vehicles on the battle field proper. Probably the commander Rex thought as he hit the gas and sprung forward flinging Shepard back into her seat where she strapped herself in. ED-E fired into the vehicle chipping away at the armor before a hatch opens and a grenade flies through the air, and then explodes next to a wheel shredding the rubber and causing Rex's vehicle to lean and roll before colliding with the Legion vehicle briefly before toppling through the sand.
When they stopped their roll, Rex was upside down and hanging from his seat by the straps. He turns his head and see's Veronica unconsciousness in the passenger seat hanging from her seat. Rex hears grumbling from the back and turns his head enough to see Jack groggily moving her arms around and Shepard hanging from her seat, unconscious. He unclasps himself thudding against the roof of the vehicle and crawls out of the twisted wreck. He tries to stand, bracing himself against the vehicle's side with his right arm and with his metal arm tries to grab for a stimpack in his duster but he falls to the ground after his arm gives way. His arm was bent in an unnatural direction, broken. His metal arm crushes the stimpack as he falls into the sand with a thump. From the ground he looks up and sees ED-E pinned under the laser turret ten feet away beeping rapidly and erratically as the turret's servos sparked and sputtered. Rex could feel blood flowing from a gash on his forehead into the sand near his face; he turns around and lies on his back before sitting up and crawling towards the wreck of his vehicle. When he reached it he turned around and sat against the car and tried to open Jack's door to pull her out when he spots movement from the legion command vehicle.
A figure emerges from the vehicle, a tall and muscular woman almost Amazonian in proportion, wearing red legion battle armor and a smooth black featureless mask. She seemed relatively unharmed having emerged from the undamaged side of the vehicle. She wipes blood off her mask and stretches before she looks towards Rex and draws a shining chrome sub-machine gun from a holster at her side. Rex reaches for his pistol and finds an empty holster; he looks behind him and sees the gun next the unconscious Veronica's hand.
"Ver…Vero…Veronica" Rex calls out in a hoarse voice as the woman slowly begins walking towards him oblivious to the battle still playing out around her.
"Ughm…ugh" Veronica whimpers from the passenger seat.
"Gun…slide me my gun" Rex croaks as the woman steps in front of him looking him over; She towered over him and must have been at least 6"11' "Now, now, now"
The woman grabs him by the neck and lifts him up with ease. She looks at him through the mask for a moment and holsters the gun before she touches the gash on Rex's face sending a bolt of pain through Rex. He yells out in pain and starts blindly punching the woman. His metal fist collides with the woman's stomach and she barely registers his attack. She removes her fingers and rubs her fingers together examining the blood. Rex spits blood onto the woman's mask before trying to claw it off with his metal hand before fatigue hits him causing him to go limp. He was almost at his limit, and his vision was rapidly fading to black.
"Stay awake Courier" The woman says tapping Rex's forehead before reaching into a pack on her belt and injecting a stimpack into his neck "You probably have a concussion."
"Fuck you lady" Rex spits as he slaps at the woman with his broken arm.
"Now, now calm down child" The woman says as she runs her fingers along the edge of Rex's face.
"Who are you?" Rex asks shaking her off.
"The similarity is striking" The woman says ignoring him "A little thinner perhaps but otherwise..."
She spies a glint of silver hanging from the duster pocket, and picks up the small silver locket.
"Give that back" Rex says struggling and reaching for it with his metal arm. The woman holds him an arm's length away while she opens the locket with one hand. She looks at the lockets interior and audibly laughs before closing it, and placing it back in Rex's duster.
"Don't forget your past courier" She says pulling his face close to hers "It's what defines you and it is what will ultimately destroy you."
The ground next to them explodes and the woman looks behind Rex to see Jack sprawled on the ground half way outside the vehicle wielding her shotgun. Her face was cut and bruised and her the fingers of her left hand were bent at an unnatural angle, but she managed to fire off another shell. This time the woman dodged around the car still holding Rex by his neck. Where Shepard waited with her gun trained on the woman.
"Put him down, now" Shepard ordered.
The woman throws Rex into Shepard and withdraws a small disk before throwing it on the ground causing the release of thick black smoke. When the smoke clears the woman is gone and Rex lies in near unconsciousness in Shepard's arms. She lays him down and loos around the area spotting the woman In the back of the sole remaining Legion vehicle as it speeds away. Three of the remaining Mojave vehicles drive off in pursuit alongside a handful of securitrons. Shepard squats down and wakes Rex up.
"Hey don't go to sleep" Shepard says lightly shaking Rex.
"Yeah, yeah just a few more minutes Veronica" Rex says drowsily "I've had a long day."
"Stay awake I need to get the others out" Shepard says moving to unclasp Veronica and carefully removed her from the car and placed her next to Rex who slumped towards her for a moment and then drowsily supports her as she slumps into his side. Shepard then walks over and finds Jack dragging her self away from the wreck with her good arm.
"Need some help?" Shepard says leaning down to help Jack to her feet and then helps her to where the others sat.
Rex had injected himself with a blood pack and another stimpack from a first aid kit from ED-E and was currently trying to rouse Veronica. ED-E had freed itself from the turret and was currently floating around Rex and Veronica emitting concerned beeps as it did. Rex's eyes were still glassy, but he seemed slightly more lucid than he was a few minute ago. Veronica was awake now too and was rubbing her head with tired look in her eyes.
"Next time I'll drive" Shepard says placing Jack next to Rex.
"By all means" Rex says injecting another stimpack into his broken arm "help me set this"
She helps him set the arm (with several colorful curses uttered by the both of them) and thanks to the stimpack his arm was mostly healed but still fragile. The cut on his face healed too in a fresh pink scar across his right temple. He tries to stand, but clunks back down dizzy.
"I'll get up in a few minutes" Rex says lighting a cigarette as a soldier walks towards them "Sir, are you and Miss Santangelo alright sir?"
"Yes we're fine" Rex says "Status report."
"We lost two vehicles with three causalities and nine injured sir" The soldier explains "the enemy's been all but wiped out with one vehicle and their commander retreating; we have a squad in pursuit."
"Good job" Rex says saluting from the ground "Tell the men to prepare the dead for transport and get some rest before we head back to New Vegas."
"Yes sir" The soldier says saluting.
Rex sits back as Shepard sits beside Jack and the quartet looks out across the smoking battlefield towards New Vegas.
?
Alyssa sat in the cool meeting room surrounded by other Mojave community leaders awaiting news from the front. She and the other leaders had been called into the secret meeting place under the Lucky 38 shortly after the assault began as the Mojave went into lock down. The other leaders stared at her as they chatted and discussed what was going on. Though they generally ignored her for the most part as status reports came in and aides brought newcomers up to speed. Alyssa had locked down New Columbia after word of the attack reached them.
She and her people had settled in what was once Nipton three days ago and were already settling in. Even though new housing was built shortly after the Second battle of Hoover Dam most people remained cautious of the area considering its history, but after two years of inactivity the cluster of homes, storehouses, and municipal buildings were finally alive again. Thanks to the amazing construction drones helping with construction and repair of homes the small community was set to thrive.
The capital wasteland survivors had buried themselves in work and tried to keep the pain of losing their home out of their minds. All that mattered now was making sure they could live their lives safely. They had to move on and adapt as they had always done, and adapt they would. A green house and several fields had already been set up and would soon be yielding fruits and vegetables while the various skilled workers were commuting across the Mojave to work for the government or private businesses.
Lost in thought Alyssa barely noticed Rex walking into the room nursing his right arm wrapped in a brace. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he sat down and gestured for Veronica to sit beside him. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table looking at the assembled leaders and sighs stamping his cigarette out into an ashtray.
"Two hours ago the Legion sent an armed vehicle unit to assault one of the incomplete areas of the eastern wall project, we lost eleven soldiers and Boone our eastern commander suffered massive damage to his limbs" Rex explains lighting another cigarette "I took the third vehicle division to attack them and we lost three more plus three vehicles."
The men and women around the table process the information for a moment before Sylas Reger, a small man with deeply tanned skin and white hair, stood:
"How'd this happen? I thought the eastern barrier was almost complete."
"They hit an exposed outpost near the center where the wall is still being constructed" Rex explains "We never anticipated they'd have vehicles in an organized force, and our borders forces were equipped with antipersonnel weaponry."
"Can we expect another attack?"
"This is the third Legion attack in less than a month I wouldn't rule it out, but we also have another problem" Rex says taking a long drag of his cigarette "we have evidence that points to NCR involvement in the Legion's first attack on the strip as well as the reports of anti-Mojave rhetoric from the NCR."
"Impossible the NCR what reason would the NCR have to work with the legion?" Gloria Venk, the leader of the eastern community of Glory "They were actively fighting them two years ago."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" Veronica says "we gave the NCR a black eye two years ago and they haven't forgotten it. If our information about what's going on in the NCR is correct there's a massive demand for retribution against the Mojave after we took the Dam from them and most don't like that we supply almost all of their goods and industrial materials."
"It's possible they're trying to get the Legion into a prolonged fight with us and when it's all over they kill the weekend victor and annex the Mojave and her eastern territories" Alyssa says speaking up causing everyone in the room to look at her.
"Exactly" Rex says "We have to consider the NCR an active enemy in this fight especially the military forces led by General Voorhees."
"We have reason to believe that most of the animosity towards us is being generated through rallies run by agents of the General." Veronica explains.
"Is there any possibility of a military takeover of the NCR?"
"It's possible" Rex says "We know most of the government is for our alliance, but a fringe group backed up by Voorhees is gaining traction amongst the public."
"What plans do we have to combat the New Legion?"
"The Midwest Brotherhood is already fighting them to hold the territory and we believe that right now the Legion is occupied with them" Veronica explains "Once the eastern wall is completed and manned we'll start sending scouting parties east to track down Legion camps."
"I say we go on the offensive" Brent Buxton, a large man with a crooked nose, said slamming his fist on the table "We have a standing force of three thousand not counting the securitrons and support staff I think we can take them."
"You forget that those soldiers are scattered across the Mojave amongst the communities protecting the other twelve thousand souls trying to make a living here" Sylas pipes up from his seat "Our army is barely more than a militia, albeit a highly trained one, but we're fragmented across the entire Mojave, and if we move them out there's no one to protect our ass from the NCR."
"As of this moment we need to focus on defending ourselves from both threats" Rex says standing "Right now we can't afford a massive campaign we simply don't have man power even with the securitrons and vehicles."
"Then I propose a draft be initiated" Buxton says "Any able bodied individual should be given a gun and marching orders."
"We don't want to give the NCR reason to attack us" Veronica says "If they see us bulking up our military power they'll say were prepping to attack them and have the perfect excuse to attack."
"Let them try, they don't have the man power either especially with our securitrons and other defenses" Buxton replies staring Veronica down "We can destroy any force they send our way once they move against us."
"I'd rather not start a war with our neighbors if we can help it" Rex says looking at Buxton, his intense grey eyes locked with the fat man's sending a shiver down Buxton's spine "Regardless of the NCR we can't make a sustained offensive into the east for two reasons: Land and numbers, There's a massive amount of empty space between our borders and the Midwest brotherhood that the Legion has had years to acquaint themselves with and if we assume the New Legion has absorbed the fragments of the old, which it has, then its forces outnumber us 3/1."
"Rex is right we need to focus on shoring up our own defenses as well as making sure the populace stays calm" Gloria Venk says "The eastern communities are in the direct path of an invasion and we need to make certain that our people are safe before we begin to even think about a sustained offensive."
"Cowards" Buxton says standing "If we don't counter attack now the Legion will rally around our weakness."
"That's exactly what our enemies want Buxton, if we waste time attacking the Legion the NCR is free to do whatever the hell it wants to the east" Rex says rubbing his left temple with one hand and tapping ash into the tray with the other "This attack was an attempt to see if they can break our defenses and to lure our attention towards them on a goose chase throughout the eastern wastes."
"Right now defense is the best offense" Veronica says.
"Trust me, we'll have revenge for our dead soon enough, but for now we need to focus on keeping our living safe and calm." Rex says addressing the table "And Buxton I don't want to see that "elite" special Militia of yours make a move across the eastern border without a signed order from me."
"Fine, I guess I can hold the boys off." Buxton says resigned.
"Good, I want reports detailing the security and evacuation plans of each community on my desk by tomorrow morning" Rex says inhaling the last of his cigarette "Once the wall is finished I'm going to start building defensive walls around each eastern community along with a secondary wall across the east to act as a buffer, any objections?"
When no one objected he continued "We're prepping the eastern border for construction as well and soon we'll be running communication lines to the outposts as well as installing automated defense systems where we can't stage regular patrols. In the coming weeks and months I want everyone to do all they can to secure and maintain their communities as well as the Mojave because I can assure you we have a long road ahead of us."
"Alright everyone please take your briefing packets on the way out" Veronica says to the group motioning for the guards to guide the collected leaders out as the exhausted Rex slumps back into his chair lighting another cigarette as he falls.
"Hold up now" Buxton says "We still have another matter to discuss two actually the first begin the load of refugees you've taken and given Nipton and that load of actual aliens you've been allowing to do as they please all over the Mojave."
"I wasn't aware I needed your permission to extend hospitality to paying guests or offering asylum to skilled individuals in need of a new home" Rex says stoically staring at Buxton.
"Erhm, well it seems there's a lot of risk taking these strays in like this" Buxton says averting his gaze.
"Keep in mind we're being reimbursed greatly by both parties and I have seen to it that they pose no threats to our overall security" Rex replies taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing smoke rings "and I really don't appreciate the term "stray" after all I was just a wanderer before I came to the Mojave, and if I remember correctly weren't you a traveling salesmen before you got voted in by the kind people of Serenity?"
"Point taken Rex I'll get the boys together and make sure the construction goes off without a hitch" Buxton says backing away from the table before walking out of the room.
The other leaders followed out after him chatting amongst themselves as they flipped through the briefing reports. Alyssa stood too and looked towards Rex who was silently sitting and smoking his cigarette with his eyes closed. He looked tired and beat up with several bruises all along his neck and a fresh scar on his right temple. His eyes locked with hers and he nodded:
"Hello Alyssa" Rex says his grey eyes softening "How are your people settling in?"
"We're doing fine, Thank you for this and everything you've done" Alyssa says rising "If you need us we'll be ready; we aren't afraid to pull our weight."
"Thank you" Rex says stamping out his cigarette "We're happy to have you here regardless of what some say and I look forward to what the people of New Columbia can do."
"Thank you" Alyssa says "I really have to get back Sarah and my assistant Sally will be needing me."
"No rest for the wicked" Rex says standing "Give me a call if you need anything."
"Will do" Alyssa says walking out of the room. When she was outside she let out a breath and looked back to see Rex looking away towards a display on the wall. She wasn't comfortable around Rex mainly due to the aura he gave off whenever she talked to him. On the surface he was charming and talkative even if he was a bit cold, but you could feel a dangerous almost predatory nature lurking underneath the courtesy and false smile. She couldn't put her finger on it but whenever Rex wasn't being directly observed he seemed to carry himself differently and was even more expressionless than his normal aloof expression.
When she exited the underground bunker through the back exit she took in the fresh air and began to make the walk to the bus station.
/?
The next morning Rex dragged himself out of bed and cleaned up before getting dressed and taking a transport to the small shack wedged into the side of a mountain. He places his hand on a small pad near the door and the door opens with a click. Rex walks into the cool dark interior of the shack and closes the door behind him before walking to the other side of the room where a bookshelf sits against the wall stocked with thick leather bound books. He takes one book from its place and replaces it with another form lower down on the shelf before reaching up and pressing a switch on the top of the shelf. The bookshelf slid sideways across the floor and reveled a stairway lit with sterile light from a single bulb. HE descends the stairs into a long hallway lined with rooms filled with guards and equipment. Rex walks down the hall lighting a cigarette as he goes nodding to a soldier guarding a thick black door at the end of the hall, the soldier opened the door and Rex walked through. He emerged into a large open room in the shape of a rectangle with a variety of testing and recording equipment in the center while the walls were lined with cells.
The personnel in this room wore grey uniforms and each flipped through records as they monitored the inhabitants of the cells with listening devices and small cameras. The warden of the black site, Tobias Cobb, saw Rex and motioned him over to his station in front of a much more heavily armored.
"How's our new guest?" Rex asks shaking the man's hand.
"Her nerves in both legs have been warped and fried and even with the stimpaks she's suffered permanent nerve damage leaving her crippled" Tobias says running a hand through his thin black hair "She's a fighter though, we've had three personnel sent to the infirmary in the last week."
"What have we gotten from her with the Mesmetron?" Rex asks.
"Nothing" Tobias replies "She has some kind of natural lenses in her eyes that protect her from the effects of the Mesmer."
"What? I've never heard of that kind of mutation." Rex says handing Tobias a cigarette and lighting it cigarette.
"We think she's been modified somehow" The warden explains as he takes a drag from his cig "I'd like to have a look at her blood, see if anything is different on a genetic level, with some of that new medical tech you've secured from those aliens."
"Get the samples to the medical center as soon as possible, what have we been feeding her?"
"Nutrient paste and distilled water"
"Let me make a call I might have a way to get her to talk" Rex says walking to a phone.
"How?" Tobias asks.
"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Rex says as the connection goes through.
An hour later an insulated container arrives at the black site and Rex carries it into the would-be assassin's cell. When he enters the woman glares from her chair on the other side of a small metal table the guards had set up in the cell. Rex places the container on the table and removes the lid revealing two covered plates, a six pack of frosty Nuca Colas, and silverware. Rex grabs both plates and places one in front of the woman and one on his side of the table.
HE places a fork and knife next to each plate and places his gun on the table an opens the plate revealing thick juicy steak, boiled potatoes and off the cob corn. Rex takes the knife and begins cutting his steak and popped the lid of a Cola and slid it across the table to the woman who glared in silence.
"I figured you might want something a little more flavorful than nutrient paste" Rex says examining the woman.
He hadn't taken a good look at her during or after the attack and now he examined the woman closely. Her face had a softness to it that seemed contradict the vicious cold look in her eyes. She had chestnut hair and a multitude of light scars all over her face and neck and green grey eyes. Rex couldn't quite place it but the woman felt familiar somehow; he put it out of his mind just as the woman made a lunge for his neck with the knife.
Rex grabbed his weapon had the muzzle against her chin and she stopped in place. The blade was only a half inch from his throat.
"Sit back down and eat, girl" Rex says steely eyed.
The woman retreats and Rex notices her eyes glossed over in grey smoke then they became Grey-green again. She opens her plate and begins to eat the food all the while glaring at Rex.
"I want you to talk to me" Rex says taking a bight of steak "I want to know a few things?"
"You may ask your question but I will not answer" The woman says.
"Okay, let's start small, what's your name?" Rex asks.
"I have no name; I am the shadow hand of Octavian"
"Sounds important" Rex says popping the cap of a Nuca-cola.
"I don't expect you to know the importance of my role swine" the woman says scowling "How could you know? You are nothing compared Octavian, he will come for me and burn you and your pathetic nation to the ground."
"If I had a cap for every time a woman threatened to burn my life down" Rex says chuckling "I'm not afraid of your Octavian or you, but I believe you could be very useful to me especially if you're as valuable as you say."
"I'll never help you" the woman says pushing the plate forward.
"We'll see my little nightingale" Rex says winking and waving two guards in and having the plates taken away.
The woman winces as the remark forces her to remember the night he destroyed her legs, and Rex rises and leaves the room and the woman silent. Tobias sits at a desk going over paperwork and reports of the other few prisoners.
"Make sure she gets real food" Rex orders as he lights a cigarette.
"Why?" Tobias asks looking up from his paper work.
"She might serve a use" Rex says "I'd like to get a legion assassin on our side, and if what she says is true then the information in her head is valuable."
"Whatever you say boss" Tobias says returning to his paper work.
Rex begins his walk and as he does something falls into place within his mind. Like a gust of chilled air he remembered another girl with grey-green eyes. A girl with shocks of red hair and a tendency to hum. He stops before reaching the exit door and looks back towards the main holding area.
"First the ghosts in my head now I'm projecting her onto random assassins" Rex mumbled under his breath as he turned and left the bunker "I really am going crazy."