"Ever heard of the Brotherhood of Steel?," Vulpes asks as the pair stop for lunch.
"Heard of them in California," Agnes says between bites of cold beans. "They got pushed out by the NCR many years ago. Why?"
"There is a chapter here in the Mojave and you have been tasked to check it out."
"Wow," Agnes says. "I heard that they are really, not outsider friendly. Close minded could be considered a compliment."
Vulpes smirks as he pulls out a map of the area.
"We believe the bunker to be somewhere around here," he says pointing to the map. "Ever couple days, a small squad of soldiers comes out, gather supplies and return."
"That's not too far from the NCR Prison that got overrun by the Powder Gangers," Agnes says, mouth full of food. "Those men are dangerous."
Vulpes scoffs, "They are an inconvenience at most. Bunch of troublesome idiots, we don't need to worry about them right now."
.
The pair stand on the sandy outcropping that overlooks what appears to be abandoned bunkers.
"Hidden Valley," Vulpes says. "Somewhere down there is the Brotherhood of Steel. Your mission is to contact them and gain their trust."
"How am I supposed to that?," Agnes asks.
"You love your family don't you?," Vulpes says in a way that makes her very aware of his close proximity.
"You know I do," she responds, forcing herself to not look away.
"Then you'll find a way," he says firmly. "Meet me here in ten days, same time. Mars be with you, Courier."
"And with you," Agnes mumbles, watching Vulpes walk away.
.
Agnes fumbles with the lock on the metal door.
"What ever is behind this door should be good," she mumbles to herself, watching her PipBoy go through codes in order to override the security.
She found it odd that this bunker has power while the others don't. Thoughts of large stockpiles of PreWar military loot begin to gather in her head. PreWar military gear was way more valuable than the mundane items typically found in the deserted Vaults.
"I got spurs that jingle, jangle, ji...," she sings to herself as her Pip Boy lights up, the metal door gives a slight click.
"Bingo!," Agnes smirks, disconnecting her PipBoy. That three thousand cap upgrade was certainly worth the expense.
"Now, to see what's behind Door Number One," she announces to the empty room.
To her surprise, the door slides open with a quiet hiss and she is meet with the barrel of a Plasma rifle.
"No way!," Agnes exclaims, hiding her shock behind a huge smile, "is that a Q35 Plasma Rifle?"
A large metal hand snatches her thru the open doorway.
...
The large hand belongs to an even larger metallic creature. It drags her down a short flight of metal stairs before throwing her to the grated landing. Agnes lands on her shoulder, rolling to her feet, her knife in hand as the metal creature strides forward. Appearing out of nowhere, another metal creature disarms her, pushing her against the wall. With surprisingly nimble fingers, Agnes is quickly searched. Three in total, she counts. Studying her captors, she notices markings etched on their shoulders. Not markings but names she realizes. Agnes is flipping around, her face pressed into the cool metal wall as the search continues, hands patting her down. With a strong yank, she is flipped back around, facing not strange metallic creatures but soldiers in Power Armor.
Agnes smiles, she did it, before her stands the Brotherhood of Steel.
She is marched into a nearby room.
"Sit," the soldier instructs pointing to a nearby chair, before removing its helmet.
It comes off with a hiss and a man's face comes into view. His dark brown eyes are piercing as he stares her down. He looks slightly older than Agnes. The other two soldiers remove their helmets revealing another dark haired man and a blonde woman with short hair.
"Who are you and how did you find us?," the man asks.
"My name is Agnes and I am a prospector," Agnes says nervously.
"How did you find us?"
"It looked like an Prewar military installation and thought I could find some good loot. I didn't know that it was still being used, I swear I didn't know. Who are you people?"
All the soldiers share a knowing look.
"What?!," Agnes says, adding a tremble to her voice, looking at all three in quick succession.
"Oh my God, please don't kill me. I swear on the life of my firstborn son, I won't tell a soul!"
The man questioning her quirks an eyebrow at her beginning hysterics.
"Perhaps she can be useful," the woman ventures.
"Anything!," Agnes says with conviction. "I can hunt, track, repair. I know where things are. I'll do anything, just don't hurt me."
"Gees lady," the woman mutters, "keep it together."
"We do have that issue in Building Four," the other man adds.
"I'll do it!," Agnes says quickly. "Whatever it is, I can help."
Her interrogator looks at the others before nodding his head.
"Okay," he says.
Agnes smiles. "Great, just point me in the right direction and watch me go!"
"Not so fast miss, we need to speak with someone first," he replies
"Okay," she says hesitantly, "Where is this person?"
"Dala, you can take over from here," the dark haired man says before motioning to the other man.
The woman sighs, "Yes sir."
"With less attitude," the man adds, eyeing Dala. "We'll be outside," he states before leaving the room.
Anxiety begins to build as the door slides shut behind the men.
"Sooo?," Agnes ventures, "What's going on?"
"You're going to disrobe," Dala states.
"But I was already searched!," Agnes cries.
"Those are the rules," the blonde woman crossing her metal arms.
"But," Agnes stammers.
Dala simply raises an eyebrow. "One way or another, you will disrobe."
Agnes hunkers down in her chair, unwilling to comply.
The woman releases a heavy sigh.
"Look, I know its unusual but we don't know you. This is just a safety precaution."
Agnes pulls tears, feeling dampness gather in the corners of her eyes.
"By the Gears," Dala swears. "Look, don't cry. I'll stay with you, nothing's going to happen. Ramos and Thomalson are good guys. It'll be fine, I swear."
...
Agnes is led thru the artificially cool air. The cold metal floor on her bare feet brings a chill to her body. All activity stops as she is escorted to see the Elder in only her underwear and chest binding. Holding her head high, Agnes tries her best to ignore their stares.
...
Sitting behind a massive desk on an elevated platform, is the Elder. Elder McNamara is a stern looking man with a head of solid silver hair.
"Stand up straight," Ramos says, poking her in the back.
McNamara regards Agnes with a stern look.
"Is this the intruder?"
"Yes Sir," Ramos answers.
"How did she get past our defenses?"
"With this, Sir," Ramos says, presenting her Pip Boy.
"A Pip Boy?," McNamara almost spits in disbelief, looking over the device. "Are you from a Vault?"
"No... Sir," Agnes says. "I'm a prospector, a kind doctor gave it to me in GoodSprings."
"And you broke into our home using this PreWar tech?"
Agnes feels her face flush under his intense gaze.
"Well, it has been modified to do more than originally intended," she stammers.
The Elder studies the PipBoy before handing it back to Ramos.
"Usually we just shoot intruders," McNamara says, steepling his fingers as he studies Agnes with feverish intensity. "But lucky for you, we have somewhat of a need right now for such a person like yourself."
He gives an unfriendly smile.
"What's your name?"
"Agnes, Sir."
"Agnes, we are in need of some assistance. We have an unexpected and certainly unwanted guest in Building Four. I want you to get rid of them immediately."
"As you wish," she says with a bow.
The Elder regards her with a curious glance.
"Where did you say you were from?"
"I'm from the Wastes," sir, she responds.
"Where exactly?"
"Just outside of New Vegas, sir."
McNamara looks to Ramos, "Remind me to speak with you about a special project once our guest has completed her first task."
Ramos simply nods.
"And one more thing," the Elder adds. " You're going to be wearing this when you do it. "
Agnes watches as the Elder opens a drawer, placing something circular on the metal desk. Her blood runs cold when she realizes what she is looking at.
A bomb collar.
"Put it on," the man commands.
Agnes begins to stammer, earning a hard glare from the man. He slams his fist on the metal desk causing Agnes to jump and Ramos to stiffen.
"I said put it on!"
Agnes audibly gulps as she approaches.
The Elder holds the collar up, smiling as Agnes takes it with trembling fingers. She studies the device for a moment before placing it around her neck and fastening the collar. A high frequency buzzing is heard as the device become active. Agnes fights back her tears, struggling to keep her face neutral.
"Once we can trust you, this device will be removed," the Elder says firmly. "Rest assured Wastelander, one false move and all your troubles will be over. Do you understand me?"
"Yes Sir," Agnes responds in a low voice
"Good," he says. "You are dismissed."
Agnes gives another short bow before walking back to Ramos.
As they leave the office, Agnes wipes her face with the back of her hand, brushing the wetness from her face. Ramos gives a soft sigh.
"I'm sorry," he says to her. "I didnt know that was going to happen. Don't worry, I'm sure it will be off very soon."
At the end of the curved hall stands Dala and Thomalson, talking with a third man.
"What the fuck?," Dala says when she spies the collar around Agnes' neck.
"See what I mean?," the third man chimes, motioning to the collar. "Madness!"
Ramos regards the third man with a hard glare.
"Get out of here Hardin, we have work to do."
Hardin returns the hard glare before walking away.
The task was easy enough. A NCR Ranger had set up camp in Building Four, effectively stopping all above ground movement. All she had to do was get rid of him. The mere mention of Powder Gangers has the Ranger fleeing back out into the Wastes.
Agnes is surprised to meet Elder McNamara on the landing when she returns. He gives her a lopsided grin when she informs him her success. As promised, he removes her collar with sure and steady fingers. Agnes rubs her neck, pleased to have the explosive device off of her.
"Follow me Agnes, we have much to talk about." the Elder orders.
Agnes is relieved, she had passed her first test and was deemed worthy by the Elder. There would be another meeting in the next few days but until then she is given permission to move freely around the Bunker and provided with a cot to sleep in. In the barracks, she introduces herself but gets the notation that she was as welcome as a Radroach in the Vaults.
...
Ten days seem to pass in the blink of an eye, her days full of testing, paperwork and endless introductions.
Being underground for so long left Agnes feeling cranky and oddly sick. Senior Scribe Schuler prescribes her time to sit in front of some sort of lamp but it was a far cry from actually being outside.
Agnes welcomes the warmth of the Sun, laying upon a large rock as she awaits the arrival of her Mentor. She grunts in frustration when a shadow covers her face.
"Oh look, you're still alive," Vulpes greets flatly.
"You know, with that tone, it almost sounded like you were concerned for my wellbeing," she smirks, still laying on the warm rock.
Vulpes gives a toothy grin before dragging his finger tips from her knee to hip. She bolts upright with a squawk as he snickers at her reaction, sitting down beside her.
"You could have just asked," she scowls.
Vulpes gives another smirk, "Where's the fun in that?"
He gives Agnes a once-over, "What have you learned about the Brotherhood?"
"Staying underground for five years will make a lot of people cranky," she begins. "The Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood is led by a man called Elder McNamara. After their defeat at Helios One, he led the survivors back to Hidden Valley and initiated a lock down, only coming out for supplies. Apparently the previous Elder had disappeared during the skirmish over Helios One, the NCR inflected heavy casualties on the Brotherhood. "
"McNamara's main concern is the NCR presence in the area since they lost about half of their forces at Helios One. They only come out at night, using these giant fans to create a sandstorm for cover. It's quite impressive."
Vulpes scoffs at the mention of the NCR.
"Apparently the Brotherhood used to run this area before the NCR showed up, so I understand then not wanting to share. Believe it or not, the NCR run the Brotherhood out of California. I was surprised to hear that. With all that high grade tech, I figure it would be deciding factor but the NCR has the upper hand in regard to troops. One by one, this chapter lost touch with the others. Besides the ones out East, these guys may be the last Brotherhood chapter on the West coast."
"So there is some discontent?," Vulpes asks.
"Yes, a soldier called Hardin is quite vocal amongst the soldiers but like I said, none dare speak publicly. McNamara is a hero to them."
"Any idea on how many?"
"About a hundred plus children."
"What else?," Vulpes asks, pulling a bundle from his bag.
"Their food is awful and I miss seeing the sky," she finishes.
"They been treating you alright?," he asks.
"Well enough," Agnes responds. "They gave me a physical and said I was in decent shape for a Wastelander."
Vulpes nods, focusing on unknotting the bundle he set between them.
"I got to wear a bomb collar," she says nonchalantly, watching him work.
His fingers pause for a brief moment before continuing.
"How'd you like that?"
"I hated every moment of it," she spat.
With a flourish, Vulpes opens the bundle, revealing a clutch of tiny apples. Agnes gasps as she reaches out to grab one.
"Not so fast," he says, slapping her hand away. "These are for handing out."
"What?"
"You talk to anyone?"
"Only a few..."
"Anyone important? ," Vulpes clarifies.
"Ramos is Head of Security," she offers.
"Excellent! Give him a few and nobody else. See if you can cultivate his favor."
Agnes wasn't certain about any of it but nods in agreement.
"Meet me again in two weeks," he instructs. "Cultivate and grow relationships, Agnes. Find out all you can, are these people useful or are they a problem to be dealt with later."
"Yes Dominus, I will do my best."
Vulpes smiles and hands her an apple.
"I am glad to see you," he says, watching her take a bite.
"I'm glad to see you too," she says around a mouthful of tart apple. "I think this is the most I've talked in a few days."
"How do you mean?," he asks, taking an apple for his own.
"Its hard to explain, its just...its like, most of them ignore me. I'm not part of their group, so I don't exist to them. It's so strange to me, a totally foreign world and I don't know how any of it works. I feel so out of place."
"You'll be okay," Vulpes says, patting her shoulder.
...
Her next task has her running around the Mojave like that raving lunatic of a man that won the "Lottery" in Nipton.
The Elder had tasked her with locating the three teams that were sent out into the Wastes on secret reconnaissance missions.
"These are their last known coordinates and all attempts to contact them have been unsuccessful," the Elder says with a grim look. "I'm hoping they are simply inconvenienced."
.
Agnes looks down on the pair of metal bodies as they lay at the bottom of a crater, appearing like little toy soldiers discarded after playtime. Sliding carefully down the gravel embankment, her PipBoy steadily ticks at the presence of radiation. Remembering how Senior Knight Lorenzo instructed her, she connects her PipBoy and begins the download the reports from the closest body. Ever wary, she looks around and spies a set of unusual tracks that circle the bodies and base of the crater. It appears to be dozens of human hand prints. Agnes wrinkles her face at the thought of the soldiers being attacked and killed by humans with no legs. Her PipBoy beeps as the download is completed, dislodging her thoughts of how such people could even wield weapons. Approaching the second body, Agnes notices pitting and discoloration on the chest plate of the Power Armor. Some sort of acid? she ponders as the second download begins.
A faint gurgle catches her attention, causing Agnes to squat down between the bodies while peering up at the edge of the crater. Drawing her pistol, she glances at her wrist, dismayed to see the download at only eighty percent complete. Hearing the beep of completion, she releases a sigh of relief as she disconnects and cautiously stands, eyes focusing on the crater's rim. Hearing nothing but the wind, Agnes turns to climb out of the crater when she hears another gurgle, this one much closer than before. Whipping around, Agnes sees the bald head of a man peering down at her. She opens her mouth to call out a greeting but stops cold. It's not a man but some sort of monster. Whip like tendrils flow from the creature's mouth as it opens its maw wide, issuing a glop of thick mucus. Agnes dodges the spit, almost twisting her ankle in the rocky gravel. The sound of soft hissing along with a corrosive odor is immediate as she watches the "spit" begin to eat into the Power Armor of the body beside her.
"What the fuck!," she calls, raising her pistol.
More of the creature comes into view as it crests the rim, causing Agnes to hesitate. It had a man's face and torso but no arms at the shoulders, instead its arms were bend grotesquely under the body, supporting its weight. Disgust and horror flood her brain at the sight before her. The creature opens its maw again as Agnes takes her shot. With a groan, the monster falls head first into the crater, allowing Agnes a better look at its horrible entirety.
"Oh my God, " she whispers as the beast rolls down the embankment, resting in a heap of soft flesh. The presence of so many human looking arms disturbs her greatly. Pulling her shotgun, Agnes approaches with great caution.
The creature is massive, almost four feet long with six human arms instead of legs.
"Explains the handprints," she muses.
Bulging growths cover its sides and trail down its back. Agnes rationalizes that at one time, this creature was once a human as she studies its still features. Burns marks cover the chest area of the beast, the wounds ooze with a sickly pink liquid.
"Must be from the laser rifles," she says to herself.
The monsters red rimmed eyes shift to her as one of the tendrils flickers to life. Agnes shouts as she jumps back, unloading both barrels into the creature's head.
Thank God the blood wasn't corrosive, Agnes thinks as she quickly walks back to the Bunker.
.
Agnes stands in awe of the sight before her.
In the REPCON building, lay an absolutely stunning display of the solar system, complete with tiny rockets and spinning planets. For the umpteenth time, Agnes wishes she had been born before the War, to see and experience at the wonders that now lay in ruin. She talks to herself, promising to bring Vulpes, to show him the world that lay beyond the desert. In a nearby closet, she finds a keycard from a long dead employee and sets off into the building.
She finds the second team, one crushed by the fallen ceiling, the other killed by the Mr. Handy that guarded the heavily restricted VIP offices. Luckily, Agnes had been able to obtain another key card that would give her access to the third floor. Downloading the reports, she spots something that makes her pause. The names stenciled on the chest are the same. Agnes surveys the scene before her, one soldier lay under the rubble while the other was slumped nearby, hands almost touching. She wonders what the relationship was. Married? Parent and child? Siblings?
Before leaving, Agnes places their hands together and says a silent prayer.
.
The final location is in a place so impossible, it might as well be on the Moon.
Agnes sighs, surveying the flattened, broken landscape that surrounds Nellis AFB, home of the trigger happy, heavy ordinance throwing, xenophobic Boomers. She had heard tales of these dangerous people, of course the Brotherhood would be up here. Agnes thinks hard as to how she can look around without getting blown to smithereens.
"If only I could be invisible," she muses.
"Ah ha!," she exclaims as an idea pops into her head.
Agnes pulls out a souvenir from her venture into the nightmare inducing REPCON Rocket Testing facility, outside of Novac. The Stealthboy is almost as large as her PipBoy as she straps it onto her other arm. The device is simple to use: put it on and push the button. The effect should work for up to one hour, uninterrupted.
Agnes hesitates, remembering the Nightkin and their paranoia caused by excess Stealthboy usage.
"Better than getting blown up," she tells herself as she pushes the button.
Its odd to not see yourself, she realizes as she slowly walks through the crater dimpled ground, careful not to kick up too much dust. Kinda like that one time she used Jet for the first time with Boone. They had gotten high and fucked like Molerats. During that time, Agnes had shed her heavy, earthly body and went soaring around the room before flying out the window and over the Mojave. Of course, she really hadn't but the experience was very real. The next day, she felt terrible but at the same time, it was the best she had ever felt in her life.
Something shiny catches her eye off in the distance, bringing her focus back to the present.
.
The Elder is saddened to hear about the loss of all three teams. He dismisses her without another word.
...
Her next task has her running around the Mojave yet again but this time, the people she talks to are alive. In hard to reach places but alive.
Agnes is delighted to hear that the Brotherhood think so little of the NCR as well.
"I can't wait to tell Vulpes," she whispers to herself as she slides down the rocky embankment. The final scout was so close to Nelson and Forlorn Hope, it was ridiculous. How the NCR nor Legion never noticed was beyond her.
...
"They want me to assist them repair their air filtration unit," Agnes says, telling her Mentor about her upcoming mission for the Brotherhood.
"How long is that going to take? "
"No idea, apparently I have to go into the Vaults to find parts, hopefully they are still there. Maybe a month, month and a half?"
Agnes watches her Mentor think, evaluating the next move.
"Forget about that task, it is time to rid the Wastes of the Brotherhood of Steel," Vulpes says.
"No," Agnes hears herself say. "They've done nothing wrong."
"Innocence has nothing to do with it," he replies. "You've told me that they would be unwilling to help our cause."
"They dislike the NCR as much as we do," she retorts.
"They do but they would be unwilling to join willingly."
"I never asked them."
"Agnes, I did not ask you to broker an alliance with the Brotherhood. You told me that they only care about two things: themselves and tech. From they way you describe them, they are very unlikely to adapt to Legion ways and as such, are a potential threat that should be resolved now rather than later."
"But they have children," she counters.
"As had the others that refused to join," Vulpes says firmly. "They will be no different."
"Let me talk to them," Agnes pleads.
"And tell them what? Join or die?"
"They could leave," she offers.
"And go where? They have children," he mocks.
Agnes frowns, despair welling in her stomach. Vulpes also frowns at the look upon his protégé's face.
"You need to think with this," he says, jabbing her forehead.
"Not this," poking her in the chest.
"This," he says, poking her harder on her breast bone, "Will led you astray every time. You want to be a good agent? You need to control your emotions. This isn't personal. I don't even know these people but based upon experience, if we don't get rid of them now, it will be a hassle."
"But," Agnes stammers.
His blue eyes crackle as Vulpes bears down upon her, grasping her forearms tightly.
"Despite my best efforts in trying to talk sense into Caesar, he continues to think that you are a gift from Mars himself, our sure fire way to winning the Mojave," Vulpes says with a cruel sneer. "It's my duty to ensure that you complete your tasks to the utmost of your abilities."
Agnes opens her mouth to interject when he squeezes her arms painfully tight, pulling her closer.
"You will give it your all or by Mars, you will suffer dearly. Do you understand me?"
Agnes is shocked by Vulpes' crazed expression and can only blink as she stares into his eyes, snapping out of it when he gives her a rough shake.
"Answer me!," he snarls.
"Yes Dominus," she stammers. "I understand, I...I...will find a way to be destroy the Brotherhood."
"Very good," Vulpes says, smiling easily as he backs away.
"You have ten days to complete your task, I'll be waiting for you. Don't disappoint me."
Agnes slinks back to the bunker with despair in her heart.
...
"You ok?," Ramos asks at dinner
"I'm fine," she says plainly.
The look on his face indicates that he doesn't believe her.
"Something happen out there?," he asks. "You were fine this morning."
"I'm just not feeling the best," she offers at his continued scrutiny.
Ramos studies her for a moment.
"Maybe you should go see Schuler, perhaps you're coming down with something?"
"I'll be fine," she says. "I'm sure its nothing."
...
On the tenth day, Agnes acts.
She kills her friend first, poor Ramos.
He didn't suspect a thing until she slices his throat.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she cries at the betrayal on his face, cradling him as he bleeds out.
Wiping the tears from her face, Agnes hacks the system. Following the prompts, she arrives at what she was looking for.
Activate auto targeting of Brotherhood personnel?
Y or N
At first, Agnes was in disbelieve when she orginally found this option.
"Who would put such a command there?," she asks herself, struggling to come up with a good excuse.
"God forgive me," she says, pressing Y.
Within seconds, the sound of rapid fire laser blasts are followed by screams and yelling. It seems to go on forever. Agnes covers her ears and screams, joining those around her.
After a long while, Agnes sneaks down to the corridor, bodies lay strewn on the ground. The screams from earlier were replaced by crying and the whirling of the automated turret guns as the machines track her movement. She had yet to see any survivors as she continues down the metal corridors, the sight of so much death smothering her soul. Agnes wishes for nothing more than to run away, to stop this madness. Perhaps she will engage the Self Destruct sequence and take her rightful place amongst the bodies.
A loud alarm fills the air, deafening her at some points. She runs up the winding corridors, a desperate dash to the surface. Frightened young faces stare out of doorways as Agnes runs by. She wants so badly to stop, to save just one but continues on. Her feet move automatically, taking her back to the surface. The automatic turret tracks her movement as she continues her climb. Agnes runs until she falls upon the hard packed earth, her breath ragged. A strong hand grasps her arm, pulling her up. Agnes follows, too distraught to look at who has her. Vulpes drags her onto a hill that overlooks the compound, letting her crumble at his feet.
A deep rumble is heard and felt as dark smoke begins to rise from the ventilation shafts. Watching the dark smoke drift into the clear blue sky, Agnes feels tears running down her face. This was all her fault, her doing. Yet more people die by her hand.
Let me kill your family to save mine.
Vulpes looks upon her proudly.
"Well done", he says as the smell of acrid smoke and other burning things envelope them. Watching her quietly sobbing, he notices that her arms and chest are covered in blood.
"There's blood on you," he states.
Agnes wipes her nose with the back of her hand.
"Ramos," is all she says.
"Ahhh," Vulpes replies.
The pair stand in silence, watching the dark smoke drift away.
"We need to go," Vulpes says. "All this smoke is bound to attract attention."
Offering his hand, he nudges her, "Come on."
Agnes takes his hand and without looking back, she follows Vulpes into the Wastes.
...
The alarm blares and she can smell smoke, Agnes was back in the bunker. Fear surges thru her body as she struggles to get to the exit. Her legs move sluggishly as grey hands reach for her. She thrashes as the hands hold her fast. Unseen faces call her name.
"I'm sorry." Agnes cries, "I had to."
"Please," she whimpers as they pull her down into the thick smoke.
Warm tears roll down her face as the inky darkness covers her.
Agnes wakes with a gasp.
Pale slivers of moonlight cut into the darkness, illuminating a worn dresser and desk.
"Hey," a voice says softly next to her.
She bolts away and promptly falls off the bed. Soft laughter could be heard as a head peeks over the edge of the bed. Agnes lays on the carpeted floor.
"Where am I?"
"We", the voice stresses, "are in Novac. I figured a night indoors would be good for you."
"Vulpes?" she asks.
"The only," he responds. "Hope you don't mind sharing a bed. That couch is most foul, though probably cleaner than that carpet you're laying on."
She frowns but doesn't move.
"This is where I belong."
Vulpes frowns at her words.
"Wanna do something fun?," he asks, still looking down at her dark form.
"Depends on what you mean by fun."
Agnes can feel him smile in the dark.
"Trust me. Nobody will get hurt, I promise."
...
Fun was driving a small herd of Brahmin onto the Helios One grounds.
The small hard was "liberated" from a ranch on the outskirts of Novac. The chain link fence that surrounded the back half of Helios One was deftly cut and the herd driven inside. The fence was quickly threaded together to appear whole. Vulpes and Agnes watched from the shadows as the brahmin wandered around, waking the sleeping soldiers and causing general mayhem. They stayed as long as they dare before running away, their laughter floating on the night breeze.
"It gets easier," Vulpes said as they lay next to each other in bed.
"That's sad," she responds.
"How so?"
"Because your statement implies that there will be more tasks to complete."
Agnes nestles against him in the darkness of their room. Sleep found her easily, leaving Vulpes alone to think.
...
Agnes wakes up alone.
Her bag was gone, a ratty satchel in its place. There was a note written in his neat handwriting, Meet me at the Fort.
In the satchel was three bottles of water, food, her googles and gloves, a rusty 9mm with ammunition, and a bowie knife. Agnes threw a fit.
"That motherfucker Legion bastard stole my damn gear!"
She stops mid rant to check her jacket.
"And my fucking chems!"
She couldn't wait to give him a piece of her mind.
Agnes mutters as she put her boots on, "Already tracked one fucker across the Mojave, what's another?"
She opens the door, promptly running into a solid chest.
"You've got some nerve," she shouts.
A gravelly chuckle responds, causing her to look up.
"Boone," she smiles.