Why does it want my goddess?!

Bell tore through the streets pulling Hestia by her arm. A few minutes after Six left, an armor-clad Silverback had charged into the square the two were eating in. It immediately locked on to them, and Bell's futile attempts to fight back had resulted in nothing more than his blade bouncing off of the monster's durable skin. The two had fled for their lives.

Why is a monster from the 11th floor after us?! Why did Six have to leave?!

Cursing their rotten luck, Bell kept running. Before long, they came across an unlocked gate that led into a wide tunnel. It would not stop the enraged silverback from breaking through and reaching them if they were pursued down the tunnel, but it was the perfect opportunity for Hestia escape while he led it away.

Bell urged her to enter the alleyway, and knowing she wouldn't approve of his plan, he latched the gate shut rather than follow after her.

"Bell? What are you doing!" Hestia exclaimed almost desperately, gripping at the bars that separated them.

"I'm buying you some time, goddess. Get out of here and use this to contact Six. She can keep you safe," Bell explained, forcing the emergency radio he received earlier that day through the bars.

"What? Bell, open this door right now!"

"Goddess, listen to me. I can sneak away once I get it away from you, but I can't risk losing any more family." The boy turned on his heel and took off, doing his best to ignore his goddess's pleas for him to come back.

He ran, and the monster roared as it caught sight of him again. The staccato of his footsteps echoing through the narrow alleys was being dwarfed by the ever-increasing volume of the monster's bounding movement and the discordant clattering of the chains dragging behind it. Despite sprinting as fast as he could, the silverback caught up with him, and the sound of scraping metal was the only warning he received as the beast whipped its chains towards the boy.

Bell dropped into a roll, the blow evaded, and as the instinct to stay mobile firmly entrenched by the fear of a certain war hammer, kept running as the monster smashed barrels and boxes in its attempts to reach him. They were approaching a courtyard, and the monster lashed out again as they were entering the wider area.

Bell swung to the left of the alley and the attack went wide, and shortly after, the apelike monster charged into the area as well. Not expecting the sudden 3-foot drop that led to the lower half of the courtyard, the monster tumbled, and sprawled on the ground as it landed poorly.

Standing from atop the high ground, Bell looked down at the monster and gripped his blade. This is what Six meant when she said I need to learn to fall, he realized, and with determination, he grabbed his knife and leapt at the monster to try an land a crippling blow to the base of its skull.

"Bell!" came the voice of his goddess, and his aim faltered in surprise.

The monster turned its head, and Bell's dagger shattered on the metal that protected the silverback's eyes. The silverback howled as it threw Bell aside, trying to clear the stray shards of metal from its face, and Bell roughly crashed into a few of the crates dotting the area, and he staggered back to his feet. Standing to its full height, the silverback sniffed the air, and faced the newcomer. It reared back its chain, the dragging of metal sending a chill down the spine of both Hestia and Bell. Hestia froze as the monster was preparing to send her back to the realm of the gods, and Bell nearly collapsed in despair. He flashed back to the minotaur, and how he was just as helpless. Why did he have to lose another person close to him? He just wanted to be an adventurer. But, this is only natural. He's weak, and he couldn't even be there to protect his grandpa. How could he deserve another family?

"It's easy, kid. You take it. If you're too weak, you keep working until you can."

Six's voice echoed in his head. Before he knew it, his legs were propelling him forward. She's right. I need to take it. Especially if I want to catch up to HER. His helplessness turned into resolve, and he pushed himself harder than ever to reach his goddess. The monster lashed its chain.

Throwing himself forward, Bell managed to tackle his goddess away from the lethal blow, and the two tumbled down a set of stairs, crashing through a boarded-up entryway into another street.

After they landed, the two took a moment to make sure they were alright.

"Goddess… Why did you come back? Why didn't you save yourself?"

"You still don't get it do you Bell? There's nothing in this world that could make me leave you," Hestia declared with misty eyes. "You want to protect me, but I feel the same way about you. We're a Familia, Bell. We promised to never leave each other all alone."

"Yeah, but… Now, we're both gonna…" Bell choked out, on the verge of sobbing. A soft hand settled on his, and the voice of his goddess calmed him.

"It's too early to surrender, Bell. Six is coming, so we can't give up just yet. As long as we're together, everything will work out. Come on!"

Hestia stood up and pulled Bell to his feet as the sounds of the silverback making its way to them rise in volume. At the other end of the narrow street, the large monster smashes partially through a building as it catches their scent. Bell scoops Hestia into a princess carry and takes off, Hestia blushing and smiling as he sprints.

As they round a curve, it's only through sheer luck that Bell manages to spot a false wall. Thanking the gods, as well as the eccentric nature of Daedalus's mazelike design, the two briefly manage to lose the hulking ape as they enter the secret pathway. The very short alley leads to another courtyard, this time a spacious dead end that is surrounded by the walls of houses, secluded.

"It won't be long until it finds us…" Bell mutters as the monster passes the concealed entrance.

"Then we have to change our strategy! You've got to beat that ugly gorilla yourself!" Hestia says, oozing with confidence. "I'm going to update your status right now, and then you'll have more than enough power to kill it for sure."

"I can't do it. I just had a huge increase in my stats, but I couldn't hurt it with my normal attacks," the adventurer laments, looking at the handle of his broken blade. "Sorry, but there's no way I can win. It's impossible."

"Oh, please," Hestia tuts. "Since when did you ever think you couldn't do something? I've always believed in you, you know. Even that Courier does, if her teaching you means anything. The Bell Cranel I know is to busy daydreaming about Ais Wallen-whatserbutt that he can't even stop to worry about something like that. He can't lose to some stupid monster."

"But goddess…"

"I brought something for you," Hestia softly says, handing him the package she'd been carrying all day.

Bell unwrapped the purple fabric, and within was a black hilt and scabbard. As he drew it, blue flashed down the runes inscribed along the entirety of the 8-inch, black blade. The weapon was obviously of the highest quality, and left the boy speechless as he gazed at it.

"It's our weapon, Bell. It's called… the Hestia Knife. With this, you can win the fight. Believe in me, Bell."

"Right!"

Using the new weapon to prick the tip of her finger, Hestia carefully looks over the body of the shirtless Bell. Rather than her… usual reasons, this time it is with concern. Bell was bruised and battered all along his body, far more than he should be even from today's fight. Some of the bruises looked at least a couple days old, and rather severe.

"Bell… Are you okay? Are you pushing yourself too hard in the dungeon?"

"Wha- Oh the bruises? Don't worry goddess, those are from training."

Hestia felt nauseous. What has Courier Six been doing to him… There's training, but this looks more like brutality.

"Bell… I don't want you training with Six anymore. She needs to go easy on you."

Bell turned his head towards her in shock.

"But goddess! She's a good teacher! I've learned a lot, and besides, she pulls her punches. She doesn't want to break my bones again- Ahh!"

Bell winced in pain as his goddess brought her fist down in anger, accidentally hitting a particularly dark bruise.

"AGAIN?!"

"Well… it was an accident when we first met…" Bell trailed off, looking away as his goddess coldly stared at him.

"Bell. We are going to have a serious talk about what is worth mentioning and what isn't, but for now," Hestia stated as the sounds of the monster prowling the streets neared them, "we have a battle to win."

Without further ado, Hestia let the drop of her blood fall onto Bell's back, the hieroglyphs shifting as the Falna greedily drunk the ichor. A small gasp escaped the goddess's lips as the boys stats jumped higher than she expected, even with his Realis Phrase skill.

Bell breathed deeply, a surge of energy accompanying the status update. At the same time, the silverback clambered over the wall concealing the door, and dropped heavily into the courtyard. Catching sight of its quarry, the beast bellowed an enraged roar, before bounding forward to crush them. Answering the challenge, Bell darted out, his face set in a grim expression as he brandished his jet-black dagger.

The monster lashed its chains at the charging adventurer, the metal whistling through the air, ready to cave in the chest of the white-haired lad. Dropping into a roll, Bell could feel the wind of the attack as the chain was barely avoided, and he moved inside the guard of the ape. With a quick thrust, the Hestia Knife slid easily into the knee of the monster, causing it to buckle as it howled in pain. Bell hopped backwards, avoiding the retaliatory strike as the silverback slammed its fists down.

Every attack the silverback made was a devastating attack, heavy and slow, but full of power. Bell, on the contrary, was a flurry of swift, shallow cuts, with many of his attacks landing on critical locations, primarily at the joints of the monster's limbs and straps of its armor.

The silverback was slowing down as the fight went on, and crimson stains spread across its fur. Seizing the offensive, Bell severed the strap of the monster's armor with another slash of his dagger, and the protective metal fell from the chest of the silverback. Stepping into the beast's guard, Bell thrust his dagger towards its heart with all his might, and the blade easily slipped through its chest due to the stat increases Bell received.

The battlefield stood silent. The monster reached toward the dagger in its chest, and released a low groan, as if it had just realized that it was killed, before it crumbled into ash.

Bell breathed heavily as the silverback dispersed around him. He looked at the knife in his hand in reverence, before he was snapped out of it when the citizens taking refuge in the houses around him came out to celebrate the young adventurer's triumph.

Turning to his goddess, his smile fell and the cheering around him faded to concern as she wearily stepped forwards, and he rushed toward her as she fell unconscious.

Relieved that she was merely exhausted and not injured, Bell took his goddess in his arms before his thoughts turned to Courier Six, and he wondered what she was doing.

The sobbing girl flinched as the Courier reached her, and she squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation as the woman reared her fist back, and the winds picked up.

A loud crash echoed as a body careened across the street, yet it was barely audible over the howling of the winds whipping around in a frenzy. The crowd watched with a mixture of fear, anger, and hope as the Sword Princess stood stoically in front of the sobbing girl, and the Courier fell in a crumpled heap. Murmurs spread like wildfire, some thanking the gods that an adventurer arrived in time, some cursing the Courier, while others were simply annoyed, sure that any danger was past now. As the Courier rose to her feet, the whispering died down, and Ais took a stance before speaking.

"Run. I'll stop her."

The civilians did not have to be told twice. They turned and fled from the rogue adventurer, who stood oddly still after rising to her feet. Ais tried to reason with her, despite the anger she felt.

"Why are you doing this, Courier Six? What reason is there-"

When she spoke, the Courier's head snapped up to her, and without a word, she lunged at Ais, fist raised to crush her into the ground. Dodging to the side, Ais frowned. She's not fighting like she fought against the plant monster. There's no precise technique here, just rage. Her eyes widened when the wayward punch slammed into the street, and formed a sizable crater. Strong!

Six whirled around, fist swinging in a nasty hook that Ais leaned back to avoid. Raising her leg, Ais lashed out with a kick, catching the Courier in the chest. Ais pushed off, jumping high and using the winds to control her fall as the Courier was pushed back. Still standing, the Courier rushed forwards again, only for Ais to repeat the move.

This deadly dance continued for a while longer, Ais continuously repelling the Courier. Slowly, the adventurer grew relaxed, confident in her ability to avoid Six's attacks. Then, the Courier blocked her kick, before lashing out in a quick, devastating punch. The blow landed on Ais's side, and she staggered back as the Courier continued the assault. Jabbing her hand into the street, Six quickly flung it out, flinging a fistful of powdered cobblestone at Ais's face. While the wind kept most of the grit from her eyes, the surprise still allowed Six to close the gap. Six released a leg sweep, followed swiftly by a palm strike, both landing on the stunned adventurer, and the takedown successfully forced her back and down.

As Ais tumbled to the ground, she cursed herself for letting her guard down. She underestimated her opponent, and let herself fight like she was fighting a monster, not a foe who can, and will, adapt their tactics. As she glanced at where she had fallen, she saw a bald man unconscious nearby, next to a broken stall and a large sword. She could hear the footsteps of the Courier near where she lay, and prepared for the right moment to get up, and push the upper limits of her speed with her winds.

Six was about to kill a feral ghoul when she was hit by a truck. Or at least, that's what it felt like. She was sent sprawling from the impact, and that unnatural fury rose again. It covered her mind like the Could smothered the Sierra Madre, but through the dull pain from the impact, a faint voice was screaming for her to focus.

She rose, but before she could ponder the voice further, a voice spoke out. The feral ghouls surrounding her fled into the streets of New Vegas. A blurry figure with blonde hair in front of her spoke, the voice eerily familiar. Her mind almost managed to put the pieced together, before the figure snapped into focus. The blonde hair fell away, forming into a brown cowl, as the rest of the fairly light clothes formed a bulky, thick hazmat suit, with the metal latches rusted shut, sealing the wearer inside. The face melted into a gray heavy duty gas mask, the filters long corroded and eyes glowing an ominous green. The voice shifted, and a low, guttural breathing rang out as the ghost person tried to trick Six into entering the corrosive Cloud.

The anger flared, stronger than before. She had almost let herself be tricked! She wasn't in New Vegas; there were no feral ghouls around. Around her, the streets of the Sierra Madre Resort and Casino took form, and the toxic fog that covered the city rose back to its rightful place. Her outrage had drowned out the pleading voice in the back of her mind, and she attacked the ghost person who tried to murder her.

This particular ghost was more agile than others of its ilk. It was able to dodge her opening attack, and deflect the follow up she directed at it. Doesn't matter, she thought, ghosts are creatures of habit. Once it falls into a pattern, I'll finish it.

Six repeated the same series of moves, allowing her attack to be repelled by the ghost person. Neither side had sustained major damage, but Six planned to change that as soon as she saw an opening. There. The ghost's kick was slightly off-kilter, as it was already preparing for the next move Six was supposed to make. It was caught completely unawares as Six retaliated with a Scribe Counter, and she smirked as her opponent fell into her trap, and a devastating punch landed on the creature. The Courier quickly scooped up some of the road, crushing it to gravel in her fist. It was trick she learned from the Great Khans, a deft movement that allowed her to swiftly scoop and fling dirt into an opponent's eyes without leaving herself open. The trick worked, and, ignoring the quick hint of confusion and suspicion when it stunned the ghost despite the gas mask, she followed it up with a vicious Ranger Takedown.

The Sierra Madre inhabitant landed roughly on the ground, and lay there for a few moments. Six casually approached it, noting that it was still breathing. That was to be expected. No matter how much lethal damage a ghost person took, it would always shrug it off and get back up again after a few minutes. The only way to actually kill one was to remove its head.

Six stood over the creature, raising her fist to destroy its skull, however, she hesitated. During that brief moment of hesitation, the creature sprang like a snake. At a speed that put their earlier fight to shame, it dashed towards a corpse in the Cloud, going for the cosmic spear lying next to it.

It grabbed the spear, and turned towards the Courier, before tensing up again. Preparing for the strike, Six activated her implant GRX.

She flinched as she was assaulted by a wave of nausea. As her perception of time slowed, everything seemed wrong, distorted. The streets of the Sierra Madre flickered in and out of existence, and the ghost she was fighting appeared more and more human. Rather than the bullet time she was expecting, her sight took on a quality reminiscent of a camera lens smeared with grease, and the disorientation distracted Six from her opponent.

The winds howled deafeningly as Ais shot forward like a bullet. Pain registered again in Six's mind as the sword Ais had picked up sunk deep into her left thigh. Ais looked on in confusion as the sound of metal on metal was heard. It was a blow meant to cripple, but the metal bone enhancements that Six had, courtesy of her own research in the Big Mt, kept her standing. The pain brought the world back into focus for the Courier, albeit briefly.

"Ais?" Six said, her first coherent words this fight causing the swordswoman to back up, whilst watching her carefully and aiming the tip of the bloody greatsword at her chest.

But the pain from the wound wasn't strong enough, and the disorientation from the GRX's activation was fading. She recognized Ais, as well as the unmoving Gran across the road. However, she still felt the foreign influence in her mind, trying to cover her reality in a haze once more. As she felt her temper flare again, Six refused to lose control.

Digging her fingers into the wound left by Ais's strike, Six grunted in pain as she widened the wound. The mental fog receded to the corner of her mind, waiting for the chance to take over again. It won't stop until my body gives out, Six realized, and with that in mind, she creates a plan.

"Sorry," she slurred, slumping forward as the sheer sensory overload began taking a toll on her consciousness. She tosses her helmet to the side, and fumbling with her Pip-boy, the Courier manages to withdraw a bottle of some liquid and downs it, letting the empty bottle clatter to the ground.

Ais springs forward, aiming to take down the Courier with this next blow and detain her for her actions. Just as she lunges though, the rogue adventurer makes the first acknowledgement of pain that Ais has seen from her yet. Shortly after, the blade slams into her leg with force that would lay low even her Familia's captain, but rather than her leg buckling, the sound of metal scraping rings out as the blade is stopped and turned aside unexpectedly early.

"Ais?" Six asked, surprising her, speaking as if she were barely awake.

Stepping back, Ais kept her guard up, preparing for the Courier to either speak or continue talking. However, she was not prepared for the Courier to jam her fingers into the bone-deep gash that crossed her thigh. Does she have a skill that makes her stronger the more damage she takes? What is she trying to accomplish? Her thoughts were interrupted by the Courier once more.

"Sorry."

The Sword Princess took another step back as the Courier sluggishly reached up, and carelessly dropped her helmet. Ais noticed how dilated the Courier's eyes were, and the faint glow emanating from them. A second later, and the Courier downed a bottle, some potion, Ais presumed. Is she healing her wound? Preparing for round two? These thoughts echoed through Ais's head, as she watched warily.

The Courier shifted forward, and Ais activated her Tempest and threw herself back as far as she could in anticipation of some decisive attack. But once she landed, she noticed the Courier had merely fallen onto her face, appearing to be in a deep slumber.

Ais walked back, slightly embarrassed by the overly cautious dodge, a little glad that nobody had seen Orario's Sword Princess flee from an unconscious opponent.

Once she reached Six's side, she prodded the Courier with the tip of the borrowed sword to ensure that she really was out cold. After receiving no reaction, she prepared to field treat Six's wounds, yet when she examined her, she saw that Six's thigh had stopped bleeding and was even already beginning to heal. How could this be? If I had taken that blow, I couldn't have shrugged it off so easily. And it probably would have taken at least a week to heal without magic. Ais looked down at the slumbering Courier in suspicion, and prepared to bring her to the Guild for justice to be administered.

Lost in the void of sleep, the Courier dreamt.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

A male voice with a thick English accent spoke out, causing Six to glance at the only other occupant of the void. Inside of a glass tank atop a machine that pumps and circulates biogel sat a familiar looking brain, with scar tissue on the frontal lobe and various cybernetic augmentations.

"Hello, brain. Been a while," the Courier sighs.

"What was that? You lost yourself completely to those… emotions," the brain quivered in disgust.

"Cut me some slack," Six said, exasperated. "I think it was magic. Besides, you were at fault too. Where was my cold, calculative logic?"

"Oh, don't get me started on logic!" Fumed the brain, "Care to explain WHY, exactly, we are still here? Don't get me wrong, it's much nicer than the hellscape we call a home, and the forest is much nicer than the radioactive muck we crawl through, but what was all that about responsibility? You haven't even gone back into that Dungeon for quite a while! Now you're looking for a long-term residence, or a faction to join!"

Six stood silent, head hung. It's true, she thought. I could have tried to leave as soon as I learned that deathclaw was in the Dungeon. What reason is there for me to even be here?

"Oh, I bet it was those degenerate hormones," the brain ranted, oblivious to Six's thoughts. "First thing you do is shag some bloke, now you go around recklessly endangering yourself by getting exposed to some magic. Magic! Of all the illogical, fanciful things-"

"You're right," Six said, cutting off her brain.

"Don't you try to- Oh. I mean, of course I am."

"I haven't been taking this seriously. I've been reckless, I haven't even thought about taking precautions in case I encounter an enemy I can't handle. Today proved that. I was frenzied by some asshole going 'alakazam!' and if Ais aimed at my throat, I could have died. I'm sorry. I promised to take better care of us, and I let you down, brain."

"Oh. Well, good that you learned your lesson," responded the brain, before it sank a little. "You know, I DO care about your wellbeing, and not just because I'm inside of your skull. We're partners."

"I know," Six said, before slouching against the brain's tank.

"Now that that's out of the way, what's your plan?"

"Well," Six mused, "I guess I could head back, but, honestly, I'd rather explore Orario further. I wasn't just shirking responsibility while here. We may be able to learn a lot about some extinct plants or animals while here, and maybe there's some magic that can help rebuild the wastes a bit more."

The void around Six began to shift, and the brain tutted.

"It seems that your hallucinations are going to get much more intense. Really, what were you thinking, drinking that horrid cocktail of liquor, mother darkness, and dark datura? The concentration was almost enough to overwhelm your synthetic blood filter."

"Sleeping aid," Six grunted. "Sometimes, I can't sleep through the nightmares. But you already know that, being my subconscious and all."

"Only you would add a paralytic neurotoxin to a sleeping aid. Besides, don't the hallucinogens make the nightmares much worse?"

"Yeah, but I can sleep through them, at least."

Silence reigned. Looking back at the brain tank, Six saw that it was empty, before a laugh rang out from behind her.

"You're platinum, pussycat. Find yourself in a new town and what's the first thing you go and do? Forget every lesson I've taught you, no matter how painful. How'd I let you plant me in the ground?"

Spinning around, the Courier caught the smarmy gaze of a man clad in a gaudy checkered suit, with two bullet holes in his forehead, a trail of blood running down his face. Unconsciously, Six rubbed the scar on her forehead that matched.

"Benny. And what lesson was that?"

"Always look out for numero uno. Don't trust anyone. You'd think you'd learn after I betrayed you four times. And here you go, knocking yourself out instead of just finishing that broad," Benny remarked.

"Oh, great, I'm getting advice from a dead man. I tried to let you go over and over, but you kept 'looking out for number one'," Six dryly commented. "Then, I had to kill you."

"Don't think you're better than me, you damn gofer," Benny snarled, "You took MY legacy, MY plot. I should have been running Vegas, not some undead mailman." A deep breath later, and Benny regained his composure. "Sorry 'bout that, doll face. But, you're a loser, you know that, right? In fact, you'll probably get done in before you wake up. Put down like a rabid dog. Ya' dig?"

Six remained silent as Benny continued.

"How's it feel to know you'll never wake up?" Benny started shifting, his voice becoming less suave, and much raspier and strained, the words laborious. "Your own personal hell… a tartarus… for you… bleak… unending…"

The Chairman's face had melted, and the dapper schemer melting into the desiccated body of Robert House. Six sighed, resigning herself to facing the intensifying hallucinations, wondering when she would wake up.

"So, ya finished cleaning up that mailman's mess?" Loki asked, walking back towards the Twilight Manor, Familia members in tow.

"Yes. No civilian casualties, and the Courier is now arrested," replied the Sword Princess.

"You fought her, right? How strong was she?" asked Lefiya, curious and angered at the thought someone would attack her idol.

"She was strong. I was faster, but she was incredibly durable. I think I would have lost if it became a battle of attrition."

"No way you could lose Ais! Even if that Courier's got some cool moves," Tiona exclaimed. "How hard did you hit her?"

Ais thought for a moment before responding.

"My attack would have severed Lefiya's leg."

"Uwah!" The said elf protested, dismayed at the thought of her beloved Ais mercilessly slicing her leg off.

"Wow, that's pretty high praise coming from you. So what level do you think she is? She's clearly not level two," asked Tione, ignoring Lefiya's outburst.

"Wait! Why is my leg being chopped off a good measurement of strength?"

"I would estimate her to be a dangerous level five. I don't know what other weapons she could have, so I cannot be certain," Ais answered, also ignoring Lefiya's outburst.

The red headed goddess grinned. "So, she lied to the Guild? AND she reached level five outside of Orario? Well, now we have to get her."

The sulking elf frowned at these words.

"How can we trust her if she joins us? She's broken the law, lied, and attacked both miss Ais and bystanders. What if she just wants to hurt us?"

"Who said anything about trust? Ya know what they say about enemies and how close to keep 'em, right?" Loki's grin grew wider, and her eyes narrowed further. "I'd rather keep her where Finn, Garreth, Mama, and Ais can watch her, rather than her trying to ambush Ais in revenge for arresting her. Best case scenario, she fits right in and we have a new high level in the Familia."

"And the worst case?" Tiona pondered.

"She's stronger and angrier than we thought, so we arrest her again," Loki said, shaking her head. "Either way, I'd rather she was on our side."

"You just want anther girl to grope, don't you?" Tione deadpanned.

"Hey! While that does play a tiny, small part in my decision, it's not even close to the most important!" Loki breathed deeply, an introspective look on her face. "She's the biggest mystery in Orario in a very long time. No one else has ever been so deeply shrouded in secrecy. No name, unknown origin, foreign equipment, unidentified god. Sure, there have been cloak-and-dagger types in the past who remain unknown, but the strangest thing is, just how open with it she's being. I don't know what to make of her, and that is the most interesting thing I've seen in a while."

"Loki, just be careful," Ais said. "I don't know what she is."

"Oh? What's that mean, Ais?"

Ais hesitated. "When I checked her injuries, I noticed something. I thought I was wrong, so I didn't tell anyone. But she had no heartbeat. She still bled and breathed, but there was no pulse."

That got everyone's attention. Loki watched Ais with fully opened eyes and a Cheshire smile. "Oh. Anything else?"

"When I stabbed her leg, I think her bones were made of metal. The sound and feel of the impact… it couldn't have been anything else."

As Ais finished speaking, Loki laughed. "Looks like I'm going to the Guild tonight!"

I can't wait to get the answers I'm looking for, Loki thought.

Deep in the labyrinthian streets of Orario, a hulking figure drops into an alleyway and speaks to a hooded woman.

"Lady Freya."

"Ah, Ottar," the silver haired goddess purred, "you should have seen the boy. The fight was adorable."

She giggled to herself at the memory before continuing.

"I assume that you're done testing the Courier? How did she perform?"

"I apologize, Lady Freya. I did not test her. I was planning to have one of the Gulliver brothers fight her prior to her reaching the Silverback fight prematurely. Before I planned to order Dvalinn to fight her, however, she ran into trouble. Level five adventurer, Dix Perdix, of the Ikelos Familia wanted her dead."

This brought a frown to Freya's lips. "And you did not think to save her, Ottar? Despite knowing I was interested in her?"

"I was planning to, my goddess. But she said something that scared them. The five thugs approaching her, all of them a higher level than her, froze, and she was about to walk away."

Ottar took a second before continuing.

"I don't know what she said, but even Dvalinn seemed uneasy when he looked at her. When she got near Dix, he panicked. He placed both her and his own men under a curse to buy himself time to flee as they tore each other apart. This is where I was going to step in, but she didn't need it."

He looked his goddess in the eye as he spoke, voice filled with caution as he watched his goddess's eyes fill with excitement.

"She tore them to pieces. It took almost no time at all before she was the last one standing in the alley. She was about to start attacking a crowd of citizens when the Sword Princess arrived."

Freya was hanging on Ottar's every word, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts centered around the mysterious stranger that walked into her city.

"The two brawled on the street, and the fight seemed fairly evenly matched. Wallenstein eventually won once she landed a strike that would have crippled most level fives and some weaker level sixes. I believe this is when the curse wore off, and she was arrested. She cannot be only level two. My best estimation of her strength would place her as an experienced level five."

Freya tilted her head, pondering the implications of Ottar's report.

"What a delightful day this has been," Freya murmured. "Maybe I'll secure her release in exchange for her serving our Familia. How long should it take her to recover, Ottar?"

"From what I saw, her injuries are already healed. I checked the potion she drank before she lost consciousness, and it seemed to be some alcoholic mixture. I brought it for an alchemist to inspect."

Freya hummed in response. Strong enough to fight Ais Wallenstein, but registered as a level two. And she looks so frail to my eyes. And an alcoholic beverage? Did it heal her? I know she visited Soma, but what would that fool have concocted? Just what secrets are you hiding, my interesting little mortal?

The Courier woke slowly, her heart filters finally clearing the last of the ingested toxins. Mustering the will to move, Six lifted herself off of the low cot, and the phantom pains from her hallucinations faded, and she looked around, her mind finally completely clear.

She was in a cell. Iron bars, a presumably locked barred door, an uncomfortable cot, the whole nine yards. Pushing back a small wave of indignance, she checked her gear. Her Pip-boy was still attached, the biometric lock ensuring that the only was someone besides her could remove it would be if she died or they removed her arm. Her armor was mostly removed, with the exception of her armored pants and boots, and her pack was gone, along with her weapons. Well, the ones outside of my Pip-boy's storage, she thought sardonically. Looking at the lock on the door, Six reached into her hair and removed a bobby pin, tucking the now loose strand behind her ear.

Crouching down by the door, Six began feeling the internals of the lock out with the impromptu lockpick, and internally scoffed as she compared it to the heavy duty locks she encountered while exploring. She stood back up, and affixed her hair back into place, before taking a deep breath and shouting.

"HEY! IS SOMEONE GOING TO COME IN HERE, OR SHOULD I GO OUT THERE?"

She sat back down on her cot, composing herself into the very image of patience, as a pair of two arguing voices approached. Two familiar faces rounded the corner.

"For the last time, Misha! She! Is! A! Criminal!" Raged a brown-haired half elf.

"All I'm saying is that we need to hear her side of the story!" Misha defended.

"What, do you expect to find out that the innocent people she tried to kill were actually members of some death cult?!" Eina snapped back, and Misha whimpered.

"Hello Eina!" Six cheerful interjected, "Fancy seeing you here! I have a quick question about they pay for that job you gave me."

If looks could kill, there would have been nothing left of Six besides a smoking ash pile.

"YOUR PAY?! YOU TRIED TO MURDER A CHILD, AND THE FIRST THING YOU ASK ABOUT IS YOUR DAMN PAYCHECK?!" Eina exploded.

"So, I'm assuming that I'm not getting paid."

After Misha manage to calm Eina's fury, the pinkette looked to Six.

"W-we need to ask you some questions, Miss Courier," Misha said, pleading with her eyes for Six to be honest.

"Alright," Six said, slouching. The cheerful grin finally fell off of her face as she spoke again, "But to be honest, I don't remember too much about what actually happened. Christ, did I really almost kill a child? That's some heavy shit."

Eina finally relented, her scowl fading. "What's the last thing you clearly remember?"

Six shrugged, reflecting. "Let's see… I was running through the streets to find a silverback that was chasing Hestia… Oh! Bell and Hestia! Are they alright?"

Seeing the genuine concern on Six's face, Eina sighed. "They haven't been reported as casualties. There's a rumor about a white-haired adventurer killing a silverback… So, it was him… Anyway, continue. Your future is at stake, you know."

"Sure, sure… So, I was running through an alleyway, but I was stopped by a man named Dix Perdix. I could make some crude jokes regarding his name and his personality, but he wanted me dead. He brought four friends, one of them being Gran."

"Why would he want to kill you?" Misha asked, concerned.

"I freed some monsters he was selling as slaves, and I brought Gran to the Guild. He was convinced that I was working with the Xenos, and figured that he needed to either kill me or sell me."

Misha frowned as she looked at how casual Six was. "How can you talk so casually about… being sold?"

Six shrugged again, "I've killed a LOT of slavers. Almost caught a couple times myself. I was caught once, but he only tried to blow my head up. He had a very specific goal to achieve with his captives, no financial motive. Anyway, slavery is just a part of life I've done my best to stop."

While Misha was empathizing with Six, Eina focused on another topic Six mentioned.

"Monster slaves? Who are the 'Xenos'?"

"You don't know?" Six asked, tilting her head in confusion. "Oh yeah, I guess it was Fels that told me. I was told that the Guild keeps an eye on them. The Xenos are monsters that live in the Dungeon. They're just people, who happen to also be monsters. They claim to want nothing but peace, yet are hunted by adventurers and non-sentient monsters. Don't know much else, I'm afraid, other than that the Ikelos Famila has been catching and selling them as slaves."

The two Guild workers looked at Six like she was crazy.

"Sentient monsters? That's absurd," Eina scoffed.

Six simply shrugged. Her shoulders were getting a workout today.

"Believe what you want. But back on topic, I told Dix and his goons to buzz off, and it seemed like they would leave. But then, as I got near Dix, he said something, and everything went red. I lost my senses, and felt an overwhelming anger, like I was hopped up on Psycho. I vaguely remember fighting Ais Wallenstein after she stabbed me, and I forced myself to drink some… sleeping aid in order to knock myself out. Then, I woke up here."

"It could be a curse of some kind," Misha wondered, "We need to find Dix."

"It's not that easy," Eina sighed. "I know you want to think Six is innocent, but the only thing we have that supports that idea is her testament. Meanwhile, there are two dead adventurers and Gran isn't waking up. With her very public fight with the Sword Princess, and the clear issue that she falsified her information when registering with the Guild, not to mention, she just admitted to having killed 'a LOT' of people, it's not looking good for her innocence."

"So, this isn't going to just go away, will it?" Six sighed.

"No, it won't," Misha replied, "Even after your innocence is proved, the citizens of Orario are going to be wary of you. I don't know if you can find a Familia now."

The room grew quiet, and shortly after, the two employees excused themselves, and went to report the Courier's testimony.

Six was writing in a book she kept as a journal, thoroughly bored as she waited for something to happen. Considering opening the door and leaving crossed her mind again, but she brushed it aside this time as well. Not sure how much longer she could bring herself to sit patiently, she nearly jumped in excitement as she heard steps approach. She stashed her journal away, just as a rather plump elf rounded the corner.

He looked old, and wore a high-quality black suit. His portly build and fine attire immediately put Six on edge. In her experience, not many kind people could afford to be overweight and finely dressed in the wasteland.

"I am Royman Mardeel, head of the Guild," he said curtly.

"Courier Six," she introduced herself, extending her hand to the elf.

He looked at it with disdain, before shaking his head and continuing on.

"We have found an overwhelming amount of evidence that condemns you, 'Courier'. I have some questions before I sentence you."

"Shoot," Six groaned, resigning herself to escaping her inevitable execution.

"Firstly, why did you lie when registering? You clearly enrolled as a level two, what's your real level?"

"It seemed safer to me," she shrugged, resorting to half-truths. "How would the Familia's react if some mysterious stranger, an outsider from Orario, came to the city and claimed to be level five?"

"Hmph. While a valid concern, we could have hidden your level. Now, you've broken a Guild law. What is your real name, and who are you associated with?"

"Courier Six. Any other name I may have had is dead and gone. I have no memory of it, and anyone who might have known is dead. I guess you could say I'm affiliated no one, as well. I lived in the city of New Vegas previously, to answer your next question."

Royman scowled at her glibness. "Watch your tone, criminal. You claim to be from 'New Vegas', in the 'Mojave Wasteland'. For all intents and purposes, these places don't exist. They are on no maps, and not even the gods know of it."

Six shrugged. "I mean, I'm here, so it must exist. Not my fault I'm just more well-traveled than your gods."

Six's words only made Royman's scowl intensify. "Let's assume those places do exist then, for argument's sake. Are you here to represent it? We could declare war, based on your actions."

Six snorted. "Good luck. The last two nations that tried to take Vegas by force ended up bloody and battered, with a few new radioactive craters to boot. But nah. Everyone in Vegas is their own man. I only represent myself."

Royman paused, gathering his thoughts again.

"Perhaps you can explain how you came into contact with the Ikelos Familia. You encountered them on your first day here, and the only Familia that you contacted to join was the Soma Familia, which houses known accomplices to the Ikelos Familia's crimes."

"Pure chance. I ran into them in the forest, and freed their slaves," Six quirked a brow at Royman's words. "I thought the official party line was that the Ikelos Familia is only suspected. You know they're guilty?"

Flustered, Royman quickly rolled back his words. "Alleged crimes. I said the Ikelos Familia's alleged crimes." Quickly changing the topic, he continued. "Speaking of alleged, by slaves you mean those 'Xenos', yes?"

"Yep."

"We have dismissed those claims. There are no such things as sentient monsters. Refrain from spreading those rumors."

At his words, Six frowned. Everything else she said was met with suspicion. These topics received flat denial. He was hiding something. She felt the need to push.

"Of course," the Courier said, "I guess I was just imagining things. After all, how could a skeleton talk to me?"

Royman's reaction told her all she needed to know. The subtle flinch indicated that he knew about Fels, and his refusal to talk about the Xenos or Fels meant that they were supposed to be secret, even to other Guild members.

"Absolutely ridiculous," Royman agreed, before returning to his aloofness. "You mentioned to my workers that you have killed many people before. Care to elaborate?"

Six sighed. She still didn't have a great grasp of the morality of this city, but she was certain that they valued human life much more than the Mojave did.

"Well, most of it was self-defense."

"How many is most?"

Six shrugged. "Couldn't tell you."

Royman paled. "How many total?"

Another shrug. "Too many to count."

"How long ago was this?" Royman gulped.

"Some are pretty old. I only have memory of the last four years, so all of them happened since then. Besides the two I apparently killed while cursed, I only killed two other Ikelos Familia members in the forest just outside Orario, before I arrived. About a week ago, I killed a group of raiders, about twenty something?" Six frowned as she spoke. She revealed more than she intended to. Was she getting loose lipped?

"You… madwoman." Royman muttered, looking stricken. "Do you not feel regret? Basic empathy? How many loved ones have you left suffering?"

"Don't speak down to me, you punk," Six swore, ire raised by his words. "The people I killed, most of them deserved it. I cleaned the scum from the earth. Rapists, murderers, cannibals, slavers. The worst filled all those roles, often at the same time. You live in a pristine world, with green forests and plenty to eat. I live in a hellhole where the end of the world actually improved the landscape."

Maybe it was how recently she faced some ghosts from her past, but the rotund man's words cut deep. She couldn't stand to sit there and be judged by someone for her circumstances when they couldn't comprehend her situation.

"And you deserved to make that judgement?" Royman whispered faintly. "What about the ones who didn't deserve it? Why not leave it to the law enforcement?"

"I didn't have a choice. They wouldn't, they couldn't change, or repent. I had to protect my people, anyone who they killed was my fault if I let them live. And the ones who didn't deserve it… For the most part, it was business. Them or me. Most were soldiers, or they had to die so others could live. I'm not a wanton murderer. I never wanted to kill."

"What did the people you wanted to protect think?"

"Oh boy," Six dryly laughed. "They appreciate it, but it's hard to tell. They treat me like a weapon. Pointed me at what they wanted destroyed, and rested easy knowing the threat would be eliminated. They laughed, gave me fancy titles. 'Guardian of the wastes', 'Savior of the damned'. But when there was no enemy? Admiration turns into fear. I wasn't their protector; I was the one who singlehandedly slaughtered a gang of hundreds that plagued the Mojave for years. The titles shifted. 'Instrument of Ruin', 'Soultaker'. 'Lord Death of Murder Mountain'. I was an unstoppable force no one wanted to glance their way."

Six was quiet at the end. She never vented like this before. Have I felt like this all along? Did I just never have the opportunity?

After a pause, Royman spoke.

"That's why we try so hard to regulate adventurers. Why your case is so infuriating. They wield so much more power than the normal person, that we have to hold them accountable, and make sure they are even more responsible than the average person," Royman heaved a sigh. "The Guild finds you guilty of multiple cases of murder, attempted murder, and aggravated assault. If it was up to me, you would never see the outside of a cell again."

"But it's not up to you, is it?"

"For some unfathomable reason, the powers that be have decided that you will not be imprisoned or banished, but put onto probation, until you have paid the Guild a fine. They have allowed me to set the amount, so you may either accept the deal or choose imprisonment."

"'The powers that be'? You're the head of the Guild! One of the most important men in Orario! Wouldn't you be the decider for important matters like this?" Six flattered, her honey-laced words causing Royman to preen.

"Naturally, but for some reason, Oranos and Fels think that you-"

Abruptly freezing, Royman cleared his throat, unsubtly changing the topic with all the grace of a protectron.

"Are you going to pay your fine or rot in jail?" He challenged, unwilling to accidently reveal any more information to the silver-tongued devil across from him.

"How much is the fine?" Six asked apprehensively.

"One billion valis," a greedy glint shining in the elf's eyes as he spoke, a smug, sleazy grin on his lips.

Son of a bitch, Six thought. That amount is way too much to pay back. He wants me to choose imprisonment.

"How long do I have to pay it?" Six asked. "Failure to pay?"

"One year. Upon failure to pay, you will be imprisoned, and should you flee, you will be banished from Orario, and your debt shall be sold to a Familia who will hunt you down for the remaining amount you owe," Royman responded. "You will be put on probation, which means the Guild will decide on a god for you to work with that will ensure that you follow our regulations. You may not venture into the Dungeon without the approval of your handler, and you must be accompanied by adventurers who can match your strength and are once again, approved by the Guild through your handler."

"Wait," Six frowned, "it sounds like you're going to stop me from working on my own. How am I supposed to make enough to pay off my debt?"

"That's up to you and your handler," the old elf shrugged.

"And how do you decide on this… handler?"

"We actually have four deities who have expressed interest in taking your case. You will meet the chosen one after our discussion is finished."

"So, I'm just supposed to join this random god's cult until I pay off my debt?"

After this comment, both the Courier and Six were irritated.

"Careful, Courier. You should show the gods the respect they are due. They are our superiors," said Royman through gritted teeth.

"The only thing they're due is a New Vegas 'hello'. I ain't below anybody," was her dismissive reply.

"You disrespectful human…" muttered the Guild head. Clearing his throat, he answered Six's question. "You may not join another Familia at all, including your handler's, until the fine is paid."

"And, what exactly does the god get out of this?"

"Typically, after the fine is paid, then they recruit the adventurer to their Familia. They also gain higher standing with the Guild, not to mention the labor of the adventurer."

"The labor? If you expect me to be a slave for my handler, you've got another thing coming," warned the wastelander.

"Ease yourself. You aren't a slave. Such practice is frowned upon in Orario."

Six relented, slouching back on her cot. She contemplated her options, or lack thereof. I either follow these conditions or fight my way out of the city? I suppose I could set up the signal booster and leave after accepting.

"All right. Send in whoever my new boss is."