Reading the last chapter's reviews and it seems like not a single person sides or sympathizes with Fouquet. I get that Six is main character but I don't think she's meant to be completely wrong as some readers think. Then again I'm the writer so maybe I'm just biased.

Since some people expressed interest I'll put down Six's stats here:

Level: 50

S.P.E.C.I.A.L:

Strength:8
Perception:7
Endurance:10
Charisma:6
Intelligence:7
Agility:9
Luck:7

Skills:

Barter:80
Energy Weapons:90
Explosives:100
Guns:100
Lockpick:100
Medicine: 90
Melee Weapons:100
Repair:100
Science:100
Sneak:80
Speech:80
Survival:100
Unarmed:70

Yes, it's not an optimized 10 special 100 everything build, but I didn't want to make him yet another Isekai protagonist. Six is really good at combat here but can often find himself lacking in some other areas. His speech in particular means that he can't do some absurd shit like make the commander of the opposing army turn around or he might need to get violent or threatening to get his point across.

"Best I can give you is 20 silvers."

"Come on, you can give me more than that."

Six brought a recently washed hand through his hair and sighed. He went his separate ways from Matilda when they arrived at the village, him going to the shop to sell their (far too small) loot while she took the kid back to his mother. He wanted to be their, if only to make sure Matilda didn't demand the woman's clothes on top of everything else, but he got the feeling she wouldn't be too keen on it. He was lucky she even let him ride the horse with her and didn't make him walk back.

Which left him here bargaining for a price when he only half understood how the currency of this place worked. From what he gathered there were three ranks of money with sou first, denier second, and ecu last. Copper, silver, gold. One silver was worth 12 coppers and one gold was worth 20 silvers. Not really sure how the conversation rates worked exactly but he'd deal with it.

Well, work as well as he could considering he was being ripped off.

"Look, I haven't been here long but I know when I'm getting the rug pulled from under me." He leaned across the counter. Not enough to intimidate, just to just show he was serious, "There's near a dozen guns here. No chance this is word just one of those ecu things."

"Yeah, and what use is a dozen products if I can't sell them?" The shopkeeper leaned forward too. He was a young man, probably younger than Six, but his eyes were shrewed as he eyed him up and down, "I dunno where you got these from, but I can tell when something was picked up 'free of charge'." Six's eyes narrowed. He hoped that wasn't an accusation of being a Raider, "I'm not gonna ask questions, but these things aren't just gonna fly off the shelves. Considering the risk I'm taking I think the price is worth it."

"...Add a blanket, map and some food and water that'll last me a couple of days and we have a deal." The two stared at one another for a few more seconds before the guy eventually nodded. Six pushed himself off the counter and sighed again. Matilda probably could've gotten them a better deal. Oh well, he'd get used to it. If he could get used to Chet after a bullet to the skull he could get used to this.

The shopkeeper went to grab the silver while Six looked at the one gun he decided to keep from the pile, "Hm..." He picked up the rifle and practiced aiming away from the shopkeeper's direction. In a sea of flintlocks and muskets the rifle stuck out. The insides had more than one bullet in the chamber and the sound of its firing reminded him of a BB gun. An air rifle, if he was right. He read up about it on the history section of Guns and Bullets once.

A weird find, but the fact that a Legion Centurion had it made him somewhat worried. So far he hadn't seen a single person who had anything more than flintlocks and muskets. Even the shopkeeper refused to buy it since he had no idea what it was. He'd check more on it later. Last thing anyone needed was the Legion having guns no one else had.

"Here." The shopkeeper handed him a small pouch of coins along with the supplies. Thankfully ED-E didn't need much of anything and he'd still be powered up long after he was a corpse in the ground.

"Cheers." He left the shop and breathed in deeply. Matilda said she'd hand him his share of the money later. Honestly he didn't care all that much but she seemed like the type to hate being given charity from people she didn't like so he didn't argue.

Meant he was free for now, at least.

The village was a bit larger than the last one they visited. Place reminded him of Goodpsrings. No Victor or Doc Mitchell, but it still had a bar. Hopefully the beer was good here. He walked into the shabby building and immediately got assaulted by the smell of wood and body odor. Place had seen better days but he wasn't too picky where he got his booze. He'd Least this place had an actual roof.

"Give me whatever's gonna put under the table." He put one silver on the counter and smiled at the older, bearded man on the other end. Alcohol cost a couple of coppers on average but he knew from experience that a little extra tips made it easier to chat. The bartender nodded and set down a cup of what smelled like vodka in front of him, "Thanks...hey, can I ask ya something?"

"Can't hurt, I guess." The bartender shrugged.

"This Legion...what's the situation like in the rest of the country."

"Those barbarians." The old man scoffed, "Been hearing all sorts of things about them. Got a niece from another village and you know what she says? Says those red bastards treated them better than the old lord did."

"Really?" Six took a long gulp of the alcohol and let out a quick breath. Yeah, definitely had a kick, "Guessing you don't agree?" He wasn't too surprised. He hadn't really gone into Arizona proper (he made plans before being taken here), but from what he heard the 'civilized' places under Sallow could live pretty well as long as you did exactly what the Legion wanted.

"Bah, those savages!" The old man practically spat the words out, "I ain't a dog to the old lord like the rest of the people here, but with him I knew where we stood. Those savages can preach about freedom from our old masters as loud as they want, end of the day they're just replacing one bastard for another."

"So what's your deal then? No gods, no masters?" He had a chance for that back in the Mojave. He didn't take it. He wasn't conceited enough to think that he could rule that desert like some kind of wasteland overlord and anarchy wasn't inherently better despite some claims. From what he heard from Raul Arizona was a shithole even before the Legion and that was the definition of anarchy.

"Why not? Most lords don't do anything and they drag us to their wars whenever one of them gets angry. To helheim with them all, I say."

"I have a friend I think you'd like." He smiled wryly. Those days leading up to the battle for the dam were the worst. As much as Arcade said he was okay with the NCR taking over it was clear that at the end of the day it was just a compromise. His disappointment in the days after was palpable and it didn't take him long to say he was going back to NCR territory to be teacher with barely any warning.

Six thought that what they had between the two of them would have stopped...nah, it was stupid. People like him weren't built for that kind of commitment. Wouldn't have worked out for him any more than if he'd ended up with Cass. Who'd want to get into a relationship with someone who was gone for days or weeks chasing after one risk or another?

Six set down another coin for a full bottle this time and took it and the mug to a corner table, letting out a tired breath, "Hm." He unfurled the map from his pack and scanned through it. Felt odd looking at an actual piece of paper instead of his pip-boy's screen but until he fixed it he'd have to make do. First things first he needed to plan a route and figure out future plans. As much of a bastard as the Legion was here just taking them down was pointless, though he'd do it if he had to. Anarchy had its flaws but he'd take it over the band of marauding, slavering rapists.

His focus was interrupted when a pair of footsteps drew closer. He looked up and his brows furrowed slightly when he saw Tiffania standing there awkwardly, "...You kinda stick out, kid." He took another drink of the hard liquor. Everyone around here looked haggard at best, which made sense considering everything that happened. Having a pretty blonde, even if she was far too young for everyone here.

"Mmm, yes." Tiffania fidgeted in place and took another look at the darkened interior. The inside reminded her of how their home looked after those Legion men tried to take them. A couple of the people nursing drinks looked her up and down and she fidgeted again, hands nervously tugging at the brim of her wide hat to further shield her ears. Her sister didn't know she was here and the longer she stayed the more likely it was they'd be interrupted.

"What are you doing here?" Six asked. Despite what he and Matilda went through he looked none the worse for wear. She had no idea why they suddenly decided to split up. All she knew was that her sister suddenly came back and told them in no uncertain terms that he would be going a separate way once she received payment. Any attempt to get an explanation was met with nothing but stony silence.

And so she came to find him on her own. Whatever happened between them she knew Six was a good person and she couldn't live with herself knowing she'd trapped him here away from his home and the people he cared about.

"Big sister said you were leaving?"

"Yeah. She finally got tired of me, I guess." He poured another serving of the foul smelling alcohol and drank it all in one gulp, "Don't worry too much about it. I'll find my own way: I always do."

"I know, that's not what I..." She looked down with a pained frown. As much as she wanted to claim this was all selfless it was far from the truth. She hadn't known Six for very long but she knew she could trust him. Her sister...she didn't care for the rest of the children like she did. Twice now she'd broached the idea of leaving the rest of them behind and without Six's presence she'd only try harder.

"Can't read minds, Tiffania."

"I don't want you to leave," she said, surprisingly firm. She looked up and met his eyes, "I...I don't think Matilda understands. We need all the help we can get."

"Didn't sound like it from how she put it." He finished off the last of the alcohol, "Listen, you're a good kid and all, but she made it pretty clear that she didn't want me around and I'm not gonna try to convince someone who looks like she's a hair's breath from burying me underground." He already went through that song and dance twice, and that was two more times than was healthy.

"I'll handle it. Please trust me."

Six looked down at the unfurled map long enough to make her nervous before he eventually stood and packed it up, "Alright, but if she throws a rock at my head I'm blaming you." He put the map back in his pack and coughed, "Come on, let's get this over with."

Her sister's face soured when they returned to the house she and the rest of the children took shelter in. The merchant was nice enough to lend them his own place and she was thankful for it. Matilda said they'd likely be camping for the next few days of the trip and so this would be the last time in a while they'd a roof over the children's heads.

"Tiffania. I assume you went to say your goodbyes?" Matilda looked pointedly at Six. Six looked back apathetically while the flying golem chirped and floated back to its masters side.

"No, he's..." She gulped. The children were in another room, thank small mercies. She didn't want them to see a fight, "I...I want Six to come with us."

Her older sister was silent for a moment before she sighed and sat on a nearby chair. It didn't make her feel better. Ever since she'd yelled at her once when she was just a child Matilda swore to never lose her temper again, "Tiffania, we talked about this-"

"No, we didn't," Tiffania cut her off, surprising even herself. Her older sister's eyes widened as she continued, "You told me that he was going to leave, that's it. You won't even tell me the reason."

"You don't need to know."

"She's scared because I killed every Legionnary in that camp," Six said. Her older sister's glare was chilling and Tiffania shivered even though the gaze wasn't directed at her, "Don't give me that look. You can say it's because of logic all you want, I saw your eyes when you went back to that camp. You're scared."

"Wouldn't you in my place? A normal person isn't capable of such things."

"You mean someone who isn't a Mage? Funny, I saw you bury people alive but you don't see me accusing you of doing that to me." Her older sister stood while Tiffania quickly rushed so she stood between the two of them, "Look, your sister said she wants me to stay. She went and asked even after you told her our 'partnership' was over. If she's that determined you should probably listen to her."

"...Damn it." Matilda pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated breath, "Tiffa, you heard what he said. Do you want someone like that following after us?"

"I doesn't matter what I want, sister. What I want is to go back home, but we can't do that anymore..." She didn't even know what their goal was. Leaving the country, of course, but what happened after? Would they keep moving from one village to another or would they find some place to settle down again? "And this isn't just about what I want. You're strong, sis, but you can't take care of all of us by yourself. And I'm not leaving anyone else behind even if it guarantees my safety."

"Tiffania, you're being a child. How long did you think this could last? You can't protect them forever."

"Then what about me?" Tiffania balled her hands into shaky fists. "Would you leave me behind if it meant getting to safety?"

"Of course not! How could you even ask that?! Tiffa, we're family-"

"So are they!" She was shouting now, though she couldn't make herself stop or even lower her voice, "Maybe to you they're just some kids I 'picked up,' but I've been with all of them for months and years; some almost as long as I've been with you. I can't leave them behind, and unless you can tell me that you can do the same with me please don't say that it's different or that it 'makes sense'."

"Tiffa..."

"...Should I leave and let you two talk alone?" Six asked.

"No, just..." Her sister groaned under her breath and turned around, arms crossed. She was conflicted, but would it be enough to change her mind.

"Alright, let's make this clear: you don't like me, and honestly I'm not your biggest fan either." Tiffania looked at him, agape. What was he doing, "But you know what? We don't have to be friends. I've worked with people like that before. I can deal." He shrugged, "How about this? I'll go with you guys till you make it off this country. At that point the Legion should be off your back and you won't have to scramble as much."

"Wait, but I need-"

"I'll find my own way back, kid. Said it once and I'll say it again. And if I don't? Then I don't. Someone else can do what I did back home and this place doesn't seem too bad. Besides the Legion showing up for some reason."

Tiffania bit her lower lip and was half tempted to argue back when her sister spoke, "Till we leave the country?" Six nodded, "...You have to do everything I say. No more going on killing sprees or trying to do charity work. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves."

"Only if you don't get on my ass about looting. I know it must hurt your delicate sensibilities but I can't afford to be picky with guns and essentials. We can't all flick a wand for magic to come out."

*beep beep*

"Yeah, what he said."

"Wha- you do get that none of us can understand what the hel that thing is saying? And frankly I'm not even sure you do."

"Take that as a yes." He smiled wryly. Ever since she knew him she never saw him smile normally. It was always pained, ironic or awkward for one reason or another, "Guess you can add this to the pile." He tossed Matilda a small pouch of coins that she took with some reluctance, "Not much, but I didn't get a lot of chances to top up."

"Just don't get us killed picking through corpses and I won't say anything." She frowned and looked to Tiffania, "...I was planning to do this later, but if you're certain about him staying then I suppose we have a bit more leeway. I have to leave for a bit."

"For how long?"

"A few days at least." She looked to Six again, "Take care of them while I'm gone. Anything happens to them and I'll bury you alive."

"Sure, wouldn't be the first time that's happened." Six scoffed. Tiffania looked at him in shock while Matilda looked a cross between scared and annoyed, "...What?"

"Nevermind, just...don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

Despite her previous rush it took them nearly a week - which was 8 days here, apparently - to finally leave the village. That was how long it took for Matilda to come back from wherever the hell she went.

It was early morning when she finally showed up again. Six packed up the last of their things and kept an eye on the kids while the two sisters went off somewhere, "Make sure you've got everything. We won't be coming back here." He adjusted the straps on Reks' and Clarissa's shoulders. He only vaguely knew about the kids. Reks was 12 and Clarissa was 9, "Remember we'll be camping out too."

"We got it." Reks nodded. He was a good kid. Kinda quiet but he tried his best to help. Reminded him of Nora. Hopefully she was having fun traveling with Cass. Keeping a kid around wasn't exactly safe considering how many assassins he had after him.

He led the kids outside and was met with Matilda and another girl he didn't recognize, "...Got another tagalong?"

"This is is Tiffnaia." Matilda said. Six raised a brow, "That thing I spent almost a week getting? An amulet of illusion." She tapped the dull silver necklace on Tiffania's(?) neck, It should keep her ears hidden and make her draw less attention.

"If you say so." He looked at Tiffania's new face. Her golder blonde hair turned into a dark blonde, almost brown color and her features changed enough that if he wasn't told ahead of time he would've never connected the two together. She looked up at him with her now brown eyes, "You alright there, kid?"

"Y-Yes." Well, her voice was still the same. He knew a few ghouls who'd kill for something like that, "Do I...look weird?"

"Nah, it's fine." Tiffania went to introduce herself to the kids again, leaving him with just Matilda, "...How much did all that cost?"

"A lot." Six gave her a sideways glance and she scowled, "I had to give up that necklace and a decent chunk of what money we have, but I didn't have a choice. Least now Tiffania won't have to look over her shoulder whenever we get near a town. A necklace is far harder to knock off than a hat."

"Guess so." ED-E peeked up from inside his backpack and chirped, "No, ED-E, we talked about this. You can't be flying around while we're in public."

*beep beep*

"You can fly back out when we get Tiffania and the rest out. Just be patient for now."

"You were serious about only staying till we reached the port."

"Yeah? Did I give you a reason to think I wasn't?"

"I suppose not." She put up her hood as the sun began to peek through the dark clouds, "Come on, let's go."

The next town on the map took three days to get to. Not a lot of trouble for him and Matilda, but Tiffania and the kids were a different story. They had to stop every few hours when the youngest kids got too exhausted and camping out wasn't easy. It was obvious most of them weren't used to it and more than once he woke up to a few of them crying or Tiffania singing a lullaby to calm them down.

Six looked up at the starry sky. The last kid finally fell back asleep and he heard footsteps, "Mr. Six? Are you awake?"

"Sure. Don't really sleep much." He sat up and coughed. It was just a couple of hours till sunup. "What's up?"

"Um..." She chewed her lower lip before reluctantly sitting next to him, "I'm sorry again for dragging you into this."

"Apology accepted." He'd given up on trying to get her to stop apologizing. At this point he just rolled with it, "But you didn't talk just to apologize, right?"

"No, it's..." She wrung her hands together nervously and looked down at the dry grass, "I just realized that even after all the time you've been here we didn't really have a chance to talk."

"About what?"

"About anything, really. You've helped us so much but I know almost nothing about you. Your friends, family, home...I only know a few things you told us. Would you...mind if I asked?"

"Why not? I'm an open book."

He spent the next couple of hours answering whatever question she had. He didn't try to hide how nasty the Mojave could be but he didn't go out of his way to traumatize her either. Thankfully she didn't ask him about the desert a lot. It was mostly about the people who was with him. He didn't hold back there. Despte knowing that going their separate ways was for the best a part of him still missed them all.

"So your friends all left except for Eddie? That's kind of sad..."

"That's life. I mean..." He looked to the still sleeping kids, "You're a smart kid, Tiffania. At least some of those kids are going to go their own way."

"Of course. Some of them want to adventurers, treasure hunters, wandering knights." She giggled, "I won't stop them from trying to achieve their dreams, but I will be sad when they leave."

"What about you? Anything you want to be?"

"Oh, I...never really thought about it." She rubbed at her now round ears, "I...I know I can't rely on big sis forever, but I'm still scared. If anyone found out about who - what - I am then..."

"Don't worry, I get it." He patted the top of her head somewhat awkwardly. He wasn't exactly the best person to talk to about emotional stuff. Sure he helped Boone and a few others, but those cases had some bad guy to shoot to help make it all better. This wasn't that, "...Hey, maybe you could be a courier. You make some decent cash and you get to see the world."

"Is that why you became one?"

"I think so. Don't really remember much," he pointed to the scar on his forehead, "I do know I've got a wanderlust. Can't stand being in one place too much. Gotta keep moving."

"Just...moving? What about home?"

"I've got a place to stash everything I need, but I'm not really a homebody. Always something else to do."

"Sounds lonely."

"Maybe, but it's good enough for me."

They continued talking till Matilda finally woke up and they continued on their way. The village was close now and they'd need to resupply, maybe find another job to do to shore up their funds. Matilda wasn't lying when she said that necklace cost a lot.

They were near the outskirts when Matilda held up a hand, "Wait." She took out her wand and cast a spell. Nothing happened except for her squinting in the village's direction. A minute passed till she lowered her wand with a scowl, "Damn it."

"What's wrong."

"I saw a couple of those Legion barbarians manning the gate and a few more inside."

"They sack the place?" Six asked.

"I don't think so. There were people inside and they didn't look enslaved. They must've taken over the town recently." She stowed her wand inside her cloak, "We can't all go in. A group of 14 people will attract attention no matter what."

"Can we go around them?"

"We can, but we need supplies. We can't make it to the next town like this." She looked back at the kids and Tiffania, "We'll have to go in, buy what we need without drawing attention, and leave. That means most of us will have to stay behind."

"You and Six should get everything. I'll take the children and hide over there." Tiffania pointed to a thick batch of trees away from the path.

"Sure I shouldn't stay behind?" Six asked.

"Like big sis said, we can't draw attention." She tapped the wand hidden under her cloak, "If anyone gets close I can cast a spell to fog their memories. It's better than killing them, right?"

"She has a point." Matilda clicked her tongue, "We have to be quick, and a man and a woman traveling alone together draws less attention."

"If you say so." He tapped his backpack and let ED-E out, "Hey, watch over the kids while we're gone, alright?" He left the rest of his guns too aside from the concealed 1911. If they got into a fight there then they were already screwed.

*beep beep*

They were near the entrance when the sentries took notice and called out to them, "Halt! State your business!" the one to the right shouted. Suddenly he was reminded of Cottonwood Cove. He half expected to see slaves caged up somewhere.

"Kind sir, we've simply come to buy some much needed supplies." Matilda raised both hands and made a show of looking meek. If he didn't know what she was like he might have been fooled, "Please, we won't make any trouble."

"Yes. My wife and I had some trouble a day prior," Six added, resisting the urge to clock the sneering Legionary in the nose, "Rai- uh, bandits took us for almost everything we had. We were lucky to make it here."

"Bandits? I thought we exterminated that filth." He looked between them then nodded, "Fine, you may enter. Stir up any trouble and both of you will be on the cross. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Matilda walked past them with practiced nervousnes while Six followed. While Matilda kept her eyes laser focused on the shop Six took a quick look around. Place looked...peaceful. No slaves, no crosses...guess everyone here got with the program right quick.

There were a few Legionnaires wandering around - town guards, most likely - but apart from that it didn't look that different than the last places they visited. Was this what the towns in Arizona looked like, he wondered. Well, before Sallow died and Lanius was left baking under the Mojave sun. From what he heard after the Legion splintered most of them stopped caring about protecting the civilized towns and just treated them no different than the tribals.

He did feel at least some guilt about it. As much as leaving Sallow and Lanius alive wasn't an option he didn't like the thought of innocent people suffering just because of where they were born. NCR wasn't gonna do anything about it either - they were already overstretched enough as it was - and House didn't see the point in doing anything but shoring up Vegas' defenses.

And as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't do much either. At the end of the day he was just one person. For as much as Ulysses prattled on about how one person could make or break nations the reality of it was that an individual just couldn't change so much in so little time.

They got the supplies and quickly shuffled out of the town. Matilda looked constipated as she handed over almost all the money on their pouch, leaving them with just a few silvers, "Brimir damn it all," she muttered under her breath, "This'll just stall us even worse."

"Something tells me we're not gonna find another desperate noble in need to give us a payday."

"I still have some contacts I can rely on. We're just a few days out from the capital. I'd hoped to avoid going there, but beggars can't be choosers."

"You know you keep mentioning these contacts of yours and I still got no clue what the hell you do." She stayed quiet, "You afraid I'll judge you? Turn you in? I don't even know how the government here works. Like it or not we're partners, least till we get the rest of you out of this place. Can't help you if you don't give me anything."

She still didn't answer him. Six decided to cut his losses and let her have her secrets when she suddenly said, "...I'm a thief." She looked ahead pointedly, "I steal things from nobles, relics, magical items, sometimes just mundane luxuries such as jewelry or paintings."

"You know I wanna say I'm surprised but the signs were there."

"Don't tell Tiffania. The last thing she needs is to blame herself for something that isn't her fault."

"Sure. Your secret's safe with me." He didn't say anything about the thief being against looting the people shooting at them, "...Could you at least give me an idea of how thigns work here? All I know is that the people with the magic have all the money and they rule over everyone else that doesn't. I get that right?" Not too different from back home, really. Just replace magic powers and money with guns and money.

"Nobles rule the land as is our birthright." She scoffed, "Before the Legion came around the Albion royal family ruled this country. The other countries are the same except for Germania. Over there they don't much care what you have flowing in your veins. So long as you have the money and know the right people anyone can become a noble. Many of the other countries consider it savage, but I don't much care either way."

"What about the country you're going to. Tristain, was it?"

"Yes. Right now it's under the rule of Princess Henrietta de Tristain and her regent Cardinal Mazarin. They're not much different from Albion before the Legion took over but it'll give us some breathing room, at least."

"Princess, huh?" Last one of those he heard about was from that old holo movie he and Veronica watched.

"Mmmm. I don't know much about her - I tended to avoid the royal family for one reason or another - but I heard some rumors about the princess. Apparently there are whispers that she might be a bastard. No one's ever seen her casting magic in public and she doesn't have a royal Familiar like most other Mages her age. Probably just hearsay, though. Too many people like to see things that aren't there."

They joined up with the rest of their group and made camp a fair distance away from town. Six just looked up at the twin moons, half-asleep, and tried not to let his mind wander. So this place ran with some kind of monarchy like in the history books. As much as he hated the Legion he wondered if the other side was worth fighting for. Even from the relatively short time since he woke up in that grave he understood that things were rarely black and white. Sometimese it just came down to picking the lesser evil.

His musings were cut off when he heard footsteps. ED-E chirped next to him and floated up in the air, "Shit..." He grabbed new rifle he got and aimed at the torches slowly creeping closer. Just two of them, and when they got close enough he spotted the telltale crimson of a Legionnairy.

The pop of the air rifle was loud in the quiet forest. Six dropped the gun and grabbed the bowie knife from its sheath. The second Legionnaire barely had time to scream before he tossed the blade and it punctured through the center of his neck. He fell to the ground, a pool of blood growing around him, and desperately tried to grab for the knife before Six stomped on the hilt and drove it in deeper.

He crouched and grabbed the bloodied knife just as Matilda rushed in behind him, "What's the hel's going on?"

"Legion." He wiped the blade on the ground and ignored blood coating his fingers and palms, "Recognized these two? They're from the village."

Matilda peered down at their dead faces and hissed, "Damn it, they must have followed us." She brought a hand through her hair and muttered a string of curses under her breath, "I was right. You killed that camp and now every single one of those barbarians is wary of every stranger."

"Oh of course, it's my fault, right? Not the fact that maybe your acting skills weren't up to snuff or that maybe they caught a glimpse of your wand." He stood up and met her glare.

She looked like she wanted to argue but eventually just shook her head, "We don't have time for this. Go back and tell them to pack up. We can't stay here, that's for certain. I need to bury the bodies so there's no trace we were here."

"First things first." He looked them over quickly and found one of them carrying a pouch with at least a few silvers, "Here. We can use this, right?"

"I suppose." She took the money with just a little bit of digust. Progress, "Now hurry." He walked back to camp while she cast a spell to bury the bodies, wiping away both the former Legionairres and the blood spilled.

It took them almost ten minutes to pack everything up and get moving again. They didn't know where to go, and it didn't help at all when it started to rain an hour in. Six pulled up his cloak and winced as the droplets of water hit against his face. If he ever got back to the Mojave he was never gonna complain about the heat ever again.

Eventually they finally had some luck and they found a cave. After making sure there wasn't a bear inside waiting to eat them they managed to get everyone inside and Matilda raised a rock to cover the entrance as a makeshift barrier. There was still a bit of space left so they could walk outside if necessary, but if any other Legionnaire was following them they'd have a hard time getting in.

"Everyone alright?" Six asked.

"Y-Yes, I think so." Tiffania shivered and huddled around the children for warmth. Even Matilda was freezing, as much as she tried to hide it.

"Feels like lady luck hates us right now." He grabbed some kindling from the bag Clarissa was carrying and flicked his lighter. The warm fire wasn't nearly big enough for all of them, but it helped, "You should all change out of your clothes to something dry. We don't wanna get sick.

The cave wasn't so large that they could be picky about where they undressed. Six took up a corner and quickly shucked off the brown shirt, grabbing at another one he bought. The shadow next to him shifted and through a sideways glance he saw Matilda toss her shirt over her head onto the floor. Even with the dim firelight he caught a glimpse of what was underneath.

Six shook his head and continued changing. He was too cold to even pretend he was interested.

The rest of the night passed by slowly. Rain continoued to pelt on outside while they were forced to just wait or at least try to sleep. Six spent the next few hours sitting against a wall just watching the rest of the kids. Most of them managed to to sleep the rest of the way. A few others kept waking up every hour or two while a couple coughed and sneezed. Shit. He really hoped they weren't sick.

Matilda managed to sleep an hour in, tucked in on her own corner with her cloak as a blanket. She was a thief, she said. Was she used to sleeping in places like this like he was?

He tucked his knees to his chest and closed his eyes to sleep. By the time he woke up the bright morning sun shined through the cracks, "Ugh..." He sat up and stretched, trying to get rid of the annoying stiffness across his limbs, "ED-E, keep an eye on everyone. I'm gonna head out of a bit." He coughed and wiped away the last of the dried blood that still stuck to his palm.

*beep beep*

He slipped through the crack and covered his eyes. Really bright out today. He picked up one of the last few cigaretttes he had and lit it as he walked a short distance away. This was hardly the worst situation he'd been in - the Madre would stay at the top till he died - but it still wasn't ideal. This was probably the longest time he'd traveled with a group of more than six people and most of these ones were kids too.

Still, he wasn't going to abandon them. Not when they still needed help.

Six was about to turn around and go back when he saw a cloaked figure collapsed on the ground. The shade of the trees and the fallen leaves nearly blocked them from sight, "That's new." He stomped the cigarette nub underfoot and drew closer. Didn't look like a trap but he could never be too careful, "Hey, you alive?" He turned them over on their back and checked for a pulse.

Faint, but it was there. A guy too, looking closer. Even through the dirt and smudge the guy was a cut above the rest of the villagers he'd seen. His features were delicate despite the wounds and his blonde hair was matted with dried blood.

"Hey, wake up." He slapped his jaw lightly. Nothing, "...Alright then." He took out a stimpak from his pouch and looked for a vein to inject. Effects were always stronger when you got it from there.

He stabbed his right wrist with a hard jab. The blonde man's eyes opened and he shot up in a panic, "Hey, woah, woah! Easy now!" Six held his shoulders as the man coughed and struggled for breath, "It's alright. Not gonna hurt you."

"Wh...Who are you?" His voice was dry and raspy.

"Just a stranger passing by." Six grabbed his canteen and raised it to the other man's lips, "Can you drink?"

"Y-Yes..." He drank down the water in messy, greedy gulps. By the end of it the canteen was mostly empty and his breathing had turned to something almost normal, "Th...Thank you..."

"Don't mention it." Six smiled and helped him to the base of a nearby tree so he could sit easier, "You got any wounds I should look over?"

"N-No, these are old. I just...I was exhausted and collapsed."

"When was the last time you ate anything?" No answer. Always a good sign, "Here, take this then." He took out a thick loaf of bread and some cheese from his pack and offered it up.

"Please, you've already done enough."

"Not from where I'm standing. Now come on." The blonde man eventually accepted the offered food and, contrary to his previous refusal, scarfed them down greedily. Six took out his own loaf of bread and sat across him. He waited till he finished off all the food before asking, "So I'm guessing you haven't had a good time of things, huh?" He smiled wryly.

"No, I suppose not." The man laughed under his breath, "Thank you for aiding a stranger in need."

"It's no big deal. I know what it's like to have a stranger save your life." He wondered how Doc Mitchell was doing. Still helping people in need, he guessed, "I'm not gonna ask where you came from. Seems like that's a bit personal." His clothes were torn and haggard but they were finely made. A noble of some kind, maybe? Someone trying to escape the Legion no doubt.

"Yes, thank you for understanding." He smiled weakly, "I was supposed to meet a contact in the village back there but by the time I arrived the Legion had already taken over.

"Hope you've got a backup plan..."

"I managed to find the location my contact left me. I had energy to make it when that rainstorm suddenly hit. I couldn't find shelter in time." He took a deep breath, "I thank you for your help, stranger. I'm sorry I can't do anything to repay you."

"How about a name?" He offered a hand, "Name's Six...uh, yeah, weird, I know."

"Ha, far be it for me to call my stranger odd." He shook his hand in a surprisingly firm grip, "My name is Wales. Pleased to meet you, Six."

"You need any more help?"

"No, I should have energy to make my own way." He stood up shakily while Six did the same, "Thank you again for all your help. Perhaps if fortune smiles upon me we can see each other again."

"Sure. See you around." Six watched him go till he was out of sight then walked back to the cave. Whoever that guy was he hoped he'd make it out alright.

Six setting up plot points like a true RPG protag. Anyway, next chapter might have some side-missions cause Six and Matilda need moneh and they can't be too picky of where they get it from.

Question:

1. I wonder if people who wanted romance still want a Six/Fouquet pairing after how they're interacting. Some people have expressed interest in the alternative options (Henrietta or Cattleya) that I mentioned before and those do allow for different romance dynamics. Six and Matilda would be Partners in Crime while Six and Cattleya would have a more Lady and her Knight vibe.

2. Going back to a previous question, any specific side quests you guys wanna see? Besides just attacking Legionnaries, I mean. Might be fun to have Matilda play more of a guide role here with Six as her sidekick.

Review Answers:

The Disquieting One - Being a murderhobo is kinda off in a less apocalyptic setting.

Sperance - To be fair we see in this chapter that villages that don't fight back just get taken over and protected provided they do what the Legion says. So yeah, she kinda has a point that they might just decide to salt the earth in response to this instead of taking over.

GrumpyGrue - I mean it's less a high horse and more her not wanting to draw attention.

nantono - Yep.

Loken Lupercal - Trying to avoid flashbacks since previous stories had readers dislike them. From his comments in the chapters he went for an NCR ending but managed to have Mr. House wilfully have the strip annexed instead of killing him (which as an actual cut ending).

ChroniclerOfChaos07 - Yep, he went through some mods :) The biggest ones mentioned are Someguy mods and the ones by th3overseer. Marko and Ulysses are why he hate ranting villains who never shut up.

Golden Nova - Even if he has knowledge he doesn't have the tools or blueprints to make stuff. I have added more 'modern' guns but their presence is more worrying than just a cheat Six has.

1 - Uh...I think Chaotic Lawful isn't possible. As for Six, I'd peg him as Neutral Good. He doesn't seem to care about Law or Chaos. He says in this chapter that he doesn't inherently value anarchy over rules and he did side with NCR (and House to a lesser extent). On the other hand he's not too stuck up on rules to say he's Lawful either.

LaughingMan: If Matilda has her way the 'screwing the Legion' quota will be an absolute minimum. Also, as Six himself points out, he's just one person. As incompetent as the NCR can be they still have an army keeping the Legion busy. Without an army to oppose them the Halkeginia Legion can recover their losses since Six can't kill them fast enough as just one person.