The remaining NCR forces at Camp McCarren marched out of the base along side trucks loaded with injured troops. The securitrons that waited outside moved out of their way and silently observed the soldiers leave.
Among the soldiers in the trucks was Colonel Cassandra Moore. She was in charge of the troops stationed at Hoover Dam but since the fight Colonel Hsu has taken full command of her soldiers so she could rest.
She was on a stretcher for she was injured in the battle for the dam. A bullet struck her arm and shoulder so she wore a sling and some bandages. Fortunately, it wasn't an injury that would make her any slower like she had when she was a ranger before her current rank. When she was a ranger, she received an injury that made her inadequate for being deployed into the battlefield but she was a great leader. Overall, she was no doubt going to get back up once she was fully recovered.
Cassandra raised her head up as the truck moved away from Camp McCarren. She gotten a glimpse of the securitrons that pushed her men out of the dam. She tried to raise her body up but this caused her slight pain. She laid back down again.
God damn tin cans. They had to ruin the show at the dam. We were really giving it to the Legion. God, if I wasn't messed up I would've like to destroy some of them.
A medic noticed her movements while they were dealing with another troop who's forearm was torn apart from the strikes of a legionary wielding a machete. The medic came to Cassandra but she didn't acknowledge his presence. She was too deep in thought.
Can't wait to lead a counter-attack. This new threat must be crushed like the Legion. I need to get back in action soon.
The trucks found themselves on the path towards west with soldiers marching along side. Most of the soldiers were relieved they were able to live to see another day and were going to see home again.
Meanwhile, the Courier with his friends entered Freeside. Securitrons were at every corner in the area. The locals kept their distance from the machines whenever they wandered by. The group walked through Freeside until they were outside of the Old Mormon Fort, the headquarters of the Followers of the Apocalypse. On the street, there laid a dead body of a Freeside thug whose corpse was being picked at by a crow before it flew off after Rex barked at it. To the left of the Courier was two securitrons who cornered a man armed with a bloodied straight razor against a brick wall of the many derelict buildings. The man stood next to the dead body of a bearded man whose corpse was slouched against the wall. The man had his throat slit along with various cuts on other parts of his body. The Courier and his companions silently observed the scene.
"You are under arrest, citizen. Please drop your weapon and follow us for criminal processing." One of the securitrons said to the man.
"C'mon fellas, I dun nothin wrong. He was like that already. I found him like dis! I just wanted to shave his head." Said the quickly man before he twitched, "Honest!"
The Courier quickly deduced the man was likely high on chems, probably jet.
"Please do not resist, citizen, or lethal force will be utilized. Drop your weapon and have your hands up." The securitron replied.
"Uh, fuck it. Go to hell, you TV freaks!" The man yelled before he rushed at the securitrons but before he could get close he was quickly disintegrated into a pile of ash. The two robots immediately dispersed.
While the Courier observed the incident, a securitron controlled by Yes Man approached him.
"Hello!" Yes Man exclaimed.
"Hi, Yes Man. Is there anything happening?"
"A matter of fact, yes. I came to tell you that there is a bit of a problem. There's an abandoned store where a group of Freeside troublemakers barricaded themselves. I was going to allow the securitrons to use their missiles and grenade launchers to convince them to leave the store, but Julie Farkas demanded I don't. Something about Freeside residents getting hurt in the crossfire even though I explained to her that our securitrons are most efficient. Knowing you, I am sure you wouldn't want any problems with the Followers so I complied with her demands not because she told me to. Oh, she also wants to see you." Yes Man stated.
"Thank you. I'll take care of it, Yes Man."
"Awesome. I'll mark the location of the troublemakers on your pip-boy before you go see Julie. Take care!" Yes Man said as he quickly transmitted the coordinates to the pip-boy before he exited the body of the securitron, allowing it to return to its normal routine.
"Let's go, guys." The Courier said before releasing a sigh. He couldn't believe he almost forgot about the Followers. Gannon told him about the situation back in the Lucky 38.
Meanwhile, a man in combat armor inside one of the many ruined buildings assembled a sniper rifle on the floor. He took out the pieces of it from a small case he carried. It was somewhat light to carry since the parts of the rifle were made of carbon fibers than the standard material. It was a modification he personally made for his profession which took him to many places. Finally, he inserted the clip into the gun. It was ready to kill.
Back to the Courier, he moved down the street near the entrance into the Old Mormon Fort. The large doors were slightly opened, allowing for one to peer inside. The Followers were more busy than usual, moving from tent to tent treating more patients than usual. Makeshift beds were set up under shade stands outside of the tents.
The Courier then caught sight of Julie Farkas, who saw him as well. She was talking to a patient on the bed who was stabbed in the stomach. Julie left the patient and headed straight for the Courier who also walked toward her. The Courier's companions stayed close behind. As soon Julie was close enough for the Courier to hear, she spoke.
"I been meaning to speak with you. Things haven't exactly been great for the Followers here in Freeside."
"Yes, you are low on medical supplies. Arcade Gannon told me about it earlier. What happened?" Asked the Courier.
"Freeside criminals attacked anyone deemed NCR citizens. Locals were hurt along side them. Although, the most current issue is that a few Freeside residents are barricaded inside a building and your securitrons wanting to blow them out of there. Them using missiles doesn't help us rebuild Freeside. The people inside are chem addicts trying to feed their habit, and from what I know they are extremely paranoid from the mixing of drugs. I'd like you to calm them out."
"I apologize for the trouble. I'll handle it."
"Good. Please see me when it is resolved." Julie ordered while she turned around to go back to treating patients. The Courier briefly stood there and sighed before proceeding to where the abandoned store was.
While the Courier and his companions navigated through Freeside, the man with the sniper rifle looked at a sheet of paper as he leaned back against a wall with his rifle beside him. He looked at the top half which displayed "Private Contract". Under those words were the statement of a bounty being worth 6,000 caps.
The rest of the paper went at length with various details of the Courier and recommended course of actions in killing them. The man was an assassin and a personal contact provided him an anonymous client that wanted the Courier dead. Apparently there are other assassins interested but luckily he was closer to New Vegas. That bounty was his and it be enough for him to start fresh. It was also great that the bounty didn't require any personal possession of the Courier since it was stated in the contract that word would spread.
The Courier arrived outside of the abandoned building. Four securitrons waited on the street while be watched by a few Freeside locals from a distance.
The Courier turned to his companions and ordered for Boone to wait outside while he entered the building with Rex and Cass. The Courier and Cass kept their weapons holstered to avoid any provocation.
They slowly entered the building by cracking the door open, allowing one person at a time to squeeze through. The interior of the building was a mess like any other building one may find anywhere in the Wasteland. There were empty shelves and layers of dust from all the years of neglect.
As soon as the Courier entered, two addicts came out from behind the store shelves and one came out from the counter. They were armed with knives.
The most noticeable thing was that they wore explosive collars and they were visibly frighten. The one behind the counter spoke.
"Sorry, man. We got to kill ya before we explode. Nothin' personal. We don't wanna die and need a fix." The man said while his hands shook with the knife he had pointed at the Courier.
"Wait, I want to help you guys. I can disarm those collars if you let me. No one has to get hurt." The Courier quickly replied.
"Don't know..." The addict responded with more distress in his voice.
"Please tell me what happened?" The Courier proceeded to ask. Rex was closely next to him and gave out a low growl. Cass was feeling slightly tensed and was focused on the men, ready to defend herself if things went bad.
"Some guy, man. He got us when we were sleeping after he gave us some chems. Something was in the stuff because it knocked us out. Woke up with dis on. Guy told us to do what he said or we die. If we kill you he give us some more chems but better. Can you help?" The addict desperately asked the Courier.
"I will but I'd like everyone to put those knives away. I'll disarm the collars."
"Okay, man. Better not mess up."
The addict at the counter gently placed the knife on the counter and slowly approached the Courier.
In the meantime, the assassin with the sniper rifle burned his private contract with a lighter to avoid it being discovered if he failed the job. As he observed the flames consume the paper up to the tips of his fingers that held it, he looked out the partially boarded windows and quickly noticed there were other people near the abandoned shop. He saw when the securitrons arrived but he didn't recognize the figure of Boone.
The assassin dropped the paper which it then completely turned into ash in midair. He grabbed his rifle and looked down the scope of the rifle to get a closer look. He observed Boone and quickly recognized him from a list of accomplices the Courier had. The beret Boone wore gave him away.
The sniper quickly deduced that the Courier was nearby which was convenient for him. He didn't need to look around all day.
The sniper silently watched through the scope, patiently awaiting the Courier to exit from wherever he was.
Back to the Courier, the addict nervously stood, facing away from the Courier while he looked at the collar. He was sweating profusely from the anticipation of the collar going off. The device had a blinking red light that seemed to taunt everyone present.
The Courier had opened a small panel and was looking at a complex set of wires that were colored blue, green, and red. He was thinking heavily of which wire handled the receiver which usually triggered the explosive. If there was time, an alternative would've been to find whoever put the collars on the addicts and take the remote control. It was also riskier since the perpetrator could be observing from a distance and detonate the explosives.
Cass watched on, hoping the Courier knew what he was doing.
Better not get us killed. She thought.
The Courier took a deep breath and made a decision. He tore out the blue wire and the collar popped open, falling to the floor.
Everyone was briefly still before they all gave out a sigh of relief, except for Rex who gave a cheerful bark instead.
Although, the light on the collar still blinked, suggesting it could still explode. The Courier gently picked up the device as the addict he took it off of scrambled to a corner of the store to get away from the collar. The collar was then placed behind the counter inside an empty safe, which most stores luckily had.
The Courier gestured to the other addicts to come to him. He took their collars off each at a time and again placed them into the safe.
The addicts expressed their gratitude.
"Thanks, man! I tought I was a goner." One of them said.
"You're welcome. Also, please head to the Old Mormon Fort for your addictions. It's how you guys got into this situation." The Courier told the addicts.
"Definitely will. Thanks!"
The three men quickly moved the things that partially blocked the door leading outside so they could leave. The Courier, Cass, and Rex followed behind them into the street. The addicts quickly ran their way to the Followers.
The sniper continued to observe the street and spotted the Courier. A smile formed on his face. He lined the scope on the Courier and held his breath. The assassin aimed for the Courier's head carefully for he was moving on the street, approaching Boone. When the Courier came to a stop, the sniper moved his finger to the trigger. Unfortunately, when he made his shot, the shoulder of a securitron had gotten in way. The bullet ricocheted into the ground.
Fucking unbelievable! The assassin thought. He proceeded to rapidly fire at the Courier who was already seeking shelter behind a bus stop along with Cass. Rex went behind a ruined car. Boone looked down his scope and aimed at the direction of the shots. Boone managed to see the blast from a window on the second floor of a three story building down the street. Without hesitation, Boone fired back. He missed two shots but one bullet managed to hit the sniper's right side, at the stomach.
The sniper stumbled away from the window and grunted in pain. He quickly moved toward the staircase which was wise since at that moment a missile shot at the window, exploding the front of the building. One of the securitrons had fired it while many securitrons nearby surrounded the building.
"Hey! No missiles!" The Courier shouted to his machines from behind cover.
The sniper had fallen down the stairs when the missile made its impact, and he was on the floor. His ears were ringing and he was in extreme pain. He was covered in bits of debris. He had also dropped his rifle which was next to him. He tried to reach for his rifle but his back shot out an intense wave of pain, indicating it was broken.
The securitrons stopped outside the building and remained idle. The Courier with his companions were running toward the building.
The sniper managed to grab his rifle and cocked it. He aimed the barrel to his head. He was compromised and wasn't going to let himself get captured. There was no escape, not with his injury. He hesitated to pull the trigger but he mustered the courage. He was a dead man walking anyway.
Just as the Courier and Boone kicked in the door, the assassin shot himself, leaving no information for his target. The Courier and his friends looked for any clues about the man but it was futile. They all were back out into the street and the securitrons returned to their positions.
Who the hell was that? The Courier thought.
Then, down the street, a man dressed like the typical Freeside local crossed the street while smoking a cigarette. They had a dirtied rancher hat on and made inconspicuous glances at the Courier and his friends.
I guess it is best to do things myself. I almost lost the bounty to another. The man thought. Next, he proceeded to leave the area before he detonated the explosive collars since they were of no use anymore. He wasn't going to bother retrieving them, and he had another plan to take the Courier's life. The man went to his safehouse to prepare.
The Courier's job was finished and so he was set on heading his way back to the fort with his companions. Once they got there, they found Julie Farkas near the entrance.
"Hello, Julie. I'm back." The Courier announced to Julie who stood with her arms crossed.
"Thank you for not spilling any blood but what was with the explosion?" Julie asked.
"A securitron shot a missile at a sniper who was shooting from a second story window. No one got hurt."
"Very well... Now let's get to other matters. As mentioned earlier, we don't have much supplies to provide the amount of patients that we have. We likely have a few days before we run out, that's if we are lucky."
"I will look into trading with caravans as a solution or maybe..." The Courier pondered on the rest of their options until Yes Man took control of a nearby securitron and approached from behind.
"Excuse me but I would like to make a suggestion!" Exclaimed Yes Man while he raised a hand into the air.
"Oh. Well, go ahead Yes Man."
"I can have a few securitrons set to roam about the Mojave to find medical supplies to junk that can be used to make medical supplies. Due to their upgrade systems, it be really easy!" Yes Man happily informed the Courier.
"That sound's really helpful." The Courier said as he turned to look at Julie to hear her response.
"It would be helpful in buying us lots of time but there can only be so much to salvage out in the wastes. We need a long-term solution. I'll take it for now and await for you to deliver up on a steady supply line." Julie said.
"Awesome! I'll have several set to roam with that in mind." Replied Yes Man happily.
"See you soon, Courier." Said Julie before she turned around and went back to helping her fellow members care for the wounded. The Courier turned toward Yes Man.
"This is exciting! Hooray for progress! Also, this may sound like a random thought but does Julie's hairstyle look off or is it just me?" Yes Man said which made Cass crack a smile and the Courier feel awkard. Boone maintained his composure but he did share a similar sentiment to Yes Man.
"That's not relevant, Yes Man. Thank you for your continued help. I'll see you later." The Courier responded as he looked around. Yes Man's question threw him off but he did agree that Julie's two untouched strands of hair at the front sides of her face look weird with a mohawk. Still, the Courier tired not to judge since people have their own ways of expressing themselves.
"Bye!" Yes Man said before he left the body of the securitron which returned to work. The Courier looked at his friends and spoke to them.
"Let's get going, guys. We got the Kings to see." The Courier said which lead to Rex panting with excitement who was previously owned by the leader of the Kings, named simply as The King.
They continued to head to the King's School of Impersonation. Meanwhile, the assassin responsible for the collared addicts was inside one of the old derelict buildings of Freeside, changing his ragged clothes for a Pre-war business suit. He equipped himself with a couple of stealth boys, a frag grenade, a silenced .22 pistol, and his trusty combat knife. He'll find the best time to strike when the Courier is most vulnerable.
Soon, the Courier stood outside the headquarters of the Kings. A few members of the gang relaxed outside, talking to a securitron for laughs. Although, as soon as they saw the Courier, they placed all of their attention toward him.
"Welcome!" They would say in their typical, greaser-style fashion.
The Courier, along with his companions, entered the building. The King had been expecting him.