David silently staked out the lobby from behind the canteen's tent for Jeannie to leave. The time he invested in the case had overtaken his initial plans for the day; he hoped it was worth it. Jeannie locked up the lobby before heading home shortly after he considered giving up.

David went to the lobby door to pick the lock inside. The lock was child's play, thanks to his training from a particular woman through his father. It was surprising locks didn't change much over the centuries.

David started behind Jeannie's desk for any form of shady looking paperwork or files. All was normal thus far after two minutes, but her floor safe must have some goods inside that could be what he's looking for, locked of course. With his superhuman perception helping him again, David played with the safe tumbler with a keen ear placed on it; infiltration wasn't that much of a problem.

Success ensued; inside the safe were small amounts of bills and money of all factions. A note of a recent sale was tucked away under some junk. David read it silently in his head.

We, the representatives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day bargained and purchased from Jeannie May Crawford, of the township of Novac, the exclusive rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one thousand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps.

The receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. We warrant the slave and her young to be sound, healthy, and slaves for life. We covenant with the said, Jeannie May Crawford, that we have full power to bargain and sell said slave and her offspring.

Payment of an additional five hundred bottle caps will be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be guaranteed by possession of this document.

M. Scribonius Libo Drusus et al.

Administrators of M. Lincinius Crassus, Consul Officiorum ab Famulatus.

Officiorium ah Famulatus.

David finally got the evidence he needed on Carla's kidnapping; Jeannie May Crawford sold her to the Legion. Slave trafficking was just diabolically evil. David took the document and left with everything a mess, with no time for cleanliness. In the worst-case scenario, Jeannie may not even need the office where she's going; he'll see to it she leaves town in a body bag or to the proper authorities.

It was dark outside; down the neighbourhood was a road with rows of homes on each side. Luckily for David, he caught Jeannie outside her home. Bidding his right time to subdue her, he quickly stopped her before she found the keys to her house.

At the point of face to face with a heartless cow, David tried to find something to stall her though he couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her head and forced her into a chokehold. She went limp after the mildest struggle; David was surprised the woman lost her breath so quickly. David carried her on his shoulder towards the Dino Bite gift shop.

Jeannie was starting to wake outside the T-Rex and within the nest's field of view. David stood her upright and slapped her face, hoping he didn't have to hold her as much, but he still kept her close. "What happened?" she asked, with a tireless mumble.

"You collapsed outside your home. Don't worry; I'm going to take care of you..."

Jeannie sighed. "That's a relief."

David put on Boone's beret. "It'll be over soon anyway."

"What will be over soon? Where'd you get that beret?"

"Found it."

Suddenly, Jeannie's head exploded off her shoulders after a gunshot from the nest. David looked away from Jeannie; the heavy calibre blew her head into slush, splattering his face and neck in her blood. Her body fell, slumped to the ground out of his grasp, gushing blood from the stump of her neck. There wasn't much of her head left after the shot.

With Boone's beret in his hand, David places it against his chest in bitter respect, he never liked killing humans, but justice knows no bounds. Eventually, it gets easier after every kill; David understood that all life is sacred at the end of the day, and there was a responsibility involved. Some people, however, forfeit their humanity under certain crimes. With a pause, David went to the nest to see Boone. Cliff wasn't there even though the door to the gift shop was open.

"That's the son of a bitch then?" Boone said with genuine surprise. "Jeannie… How did you know?"

"I got a tip that led me to the lobby. I found a bill of sale in her safe." David handed Boone the file he found.

Boone quickly scanned the file before screwing it up. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's like them to keep paperwork and tabs on individual business acts." He faced David, handed him a caps bag, and took back his beret. "I think our dealings here are finished."

"What will you do now?"

"Nothing is sure right now, except maybe hunting down the Legion one prick at a time – could take a while. I might end up wandering the Mojave…"

"I'm wandering out there right now. Why don't you come with me?"

"You don't want to do that."

David shrugged. "Why not? I served long enough to know snipers work best in teams; not the best with a scope, but my senses are good for spotting, at least.

"I don't know..."

[Perception 6] "I covered wars, you know."

[Success] "Yeah. Being a loner is a lot less effective; I should know. Walking with me won't end well."

"Does anything end well anymore these days?"

"Good point." Boone put his beret back on and followed David strictly behind him. "Let's go."

"Won't anyone miss you here?"

"My partner has been slacking off on me lately, and roaming with you is a good enough motivation to leave it all behind. Nothing has been going on in town, and I'm just tired of it all, and most people are catching up on it. They won't miss me."

Just like that, David had another partner or even a companion. Being a sniper and having a military background, Boone would be perfect to keep close. Just like Tom Pearson; shame he'll never know how he died.

Boone and David paused outside the Dino gift shop. They stood under the fluorescent light. "Where are we going exactly?" Boone asked.

"New Vegas. I'm going to see an old friend from my past – so he says." David leapt down the stairs and looked back at Boone. "Is there any place you want to go in particular?"

"Not right now; wandering does me fine." Boone walked down the stairs past David and carried on. "Kill a few legionaries along the way here and there, and I'm happy."

"If we're lucky, we'll reach the 188 trading post by midnight."

Boone continued his walk out of Novac. "That's a long march; better get going. Come on." David caught up with him and matched his travelling speed.

The road leading outside of Novac was still intact, long and full. The night was a bit warmer than you'd think at the time of ten o'clock at night. Trekking down the middle, David and Boone had plenty of time to talk about the qualities they share, anything to break the ice.

"My name is David Wesker, by the way. Tell me about yourself, Boone."

"I'm not that kind of guy."

"Well, what kinda guy are you? You in the N.C.R.?"

"I was part of a sniper battalion; we moved around all over the Mojave back in the day. I still care about my old team but I left after wanting a slice of something slower."

"How does one join the N.C.R.?"

"You get picked out, depending on how good your skills are at boot camp, got to prove yourself to the big bosses. I was picked out by General Redfield just over six years ago at Camp Golf."

"Redfield?" David whispered to himself.

"It was worth the pain and suffering."

"Is that why you wear that beret?"

"Yeah, it's been a part of me ever since I joined First Recon. Even though I don't work with the N.C.R. anymore, I still keep it for the memories. What about you? What's your story? You a merc?"

"Law enforcement. I was a pointman for STARS, but that was only for two years."

"You were the one to take point and protect the civilians?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Never heard of them."

"Yeah, I shouldn't expect you to; it was a long time ago. But, I did spend some time in the military; that's all I can say."

"Okay. What's your skillset?"

"I'm a master at hand-to-hand combat. I know a few fighting styles with some weapon use at close quarters, my preference being blades and handguns. Combined with my perfect health and superb reflexes, I can be quite formidable up close."

"I was trained and disciplined enough to be the best in my group; a scope and clear sight is all I need to prove it. Keep punks out of my face, and I'll make them dead quick."

"Nice to know we cover each other's shortcomings."

"Good for us. As long as your spotting is on point."

"Close or far, they're dead."

The road leading outside of Novac was still intact, long and full; trekking down the middle, David and Boone had plenty of time to talk about the qualities they share. They properly introduced each other, Boone coming from N.C.R. First Recon and David from S.T.A.R.S. - not a bad pairing. A sniper and a pointman always work well on the field.

The two weren't making enough time; David and Boone would be lucky to reach the 188 by midnight. No time for lunch or rest stops; the next time to catch up for leisure will be at the 188. Just walking in the middle of the road on track through the midnight dark, walking that far and long did a number on their feet. The night was warm and ended coldly; it felt nice after hours of scorching heat during the day.

When they arrived at the 188 trading post, it was empty, judging from the time everyone must be in their beds by now. The post consisted of a small bar with a caravan full of sleeping material, plus an N.C.R. tent nearby; it was N.C.R. territory. David and Boone went straight to the trailer to snatch some makeshift beds.

David woke up rested. He struggled to get up and about after some deep thinking about how he arrived in the Mojave. He overheard Doc Mitchell mention the days he was bedridden, and if his calculations were correct, he arrived on the 27th of February. That would mean it's his first week anniversary.

It didn't feel like a week, which got him off the poor man's bed, a common, dirty mattress. Boone was outside already at the bar. With a bottle in hand and some by his feet, he was drinking for quite some time.

David sat by him, took out a whiskey bottle from his sack, and joined him at the bar, hoping to find out why Boone's already drinking. It's an unhealthy lifestyle he wouldn't wish on anyone. Just too early to get sauced.

"Morning," Boone mumbled.

"Morning. Drinking already?"

"My first one…"

"And those by your feet?"

Boone looked down at the bottles by his feet with surprise. The empty bottles clinked round under his stool. "Yeah... those were there when I got here."

"Cool." David opened his whiskey and took a slight taste. "Long day?"

"Now that I'm not at Novac, I'm glad that I've got some time off. I work so many nights there; I cannot do anything outside to enjoy myself."

"Why?"

"I work nights, remember? You caught me after I got coaxed into doing a full day; glad I left that behind." Boone took a quick chug of his scotch and spoke slowly under his breath, "Last time I cover Manny."

David licked his dry lips. "What you got there?"

"Scotch. You can't seem to find gin in the Mojave for some stupid reason; the Capital isn't any better. I wouldn't mind some decent ale right now. I'm not going to the Commonwealth just for a drink any time soon; not bloody worth it."

"I could do with tall pint myself. But, unfortunately, all I have is always whiskey now these days."

"Better than what I got." Boone finished his scotch to the last drop and pulled out another from the bar. "Can I be alone for a while?"

"You don't want me around?"

"I'm drinking to forget. There are some bad memories and dreams I want to ignore; you sitting there isn't making it easy. No offence."

"Okay." David took another taste of his whiskey and stood from the bar, and looked back at Boone.

"So that you know, drinking isn't always the answer."

Boone chuckled. "Heh, that's what they all say."

David's heart stopped briefly with a sudden thought. His life story wasn't an easy thing to say. "I had a wife too; she isn't around anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks. I'm also sorry about Carla; losing a wife is just… it can be a lot. I understand, is what I'm saying." David patted Boone's shoulder. "I'll catch you later, yeah?"

"Yeah..."

"If you need anyone to talk to, give me a call; I'm not a stranger. I'm just gonna stretch my legs; I'll be back."

"Let me collect my thoughts." David wandered away, leaving Boone at the bar. "Damn…"

David walked over to the overpass, behind the bar where a woman was; she wore a brown hooded robe. He had to stop to check her out because he's a raging womaniser. She was cute and friendly, all alone by the overpass - David's kind of signal. Looked like she was in his age group, maybe a year off somewhere.

The woman smiled. "You're looking well, stranger, very well kept. Bet you've travelled some long roads with the wind brushing your hair with plenty of time to look good doing it. How do you do it, and where'd you come from?"

Fucking hell that's a lot of words. David felt a crude smirk running across his chiselled face. "The past…"

The woman chuckled. "That's a good one. My name's Veronica Santiego. You?"

"David Wesker."

"Wesker? That's... a strange name..."

"Please don't."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Some weird people in power armour seem to be the norm around these parts now suddenly; I'm kinda scared of them. Have you seen any of their types here recently?"

"Weird people? What do they look like?"

"I don't know how to describe them; said that they were called the Brotherhood of Steel. Walking around in big bulky armour firing lasers an' all that can be quite distinguishing, right? Know anything about them?"

"Nope. Kinda new to the Mojave; don't know shit around here."

Veronica was relieved; she patted her chest and took short breaths. For a minute there, she thought her life would be in danger; David could've been a Brotherhood enemy out to kill her or something like that.

"That's okay; I wouldn't expect anyone to know them. They seem very reserved and protective of their ideology. So you going out?"

"New Vegas. Mr House is expecting me."

"Oh damn, that's awesome! What is it? Some red carpet treatment?"

"I should hope so. That would be cool."

"You're straightforward… Can I come with you? Please?"

"Why?"

"I'm just waiting for the right person to take me to Vegas; it's too dangerous to be alone. I'm just not tough or smart enough to walk that road alone. Care to lend a woman a hand, handsome?"

David reluctantly waved his hand and agreed. "If you're coming with me, pack your bags; we're leaving soon. I'll get Boone."

"I haven't been entirely honest about the Brotherhood; I'm a Brotherhood Scribe. Before you jump on the Brotherhood hate, we have a lot of enemies, yes, but I want to help change some of that. I just had to test you; for all I know, you could've come here to kill me. Can I still go with you?"

"Sure, I have no problem with the Brotherhood. But, please be honest from here on out; that's all I ask for."

"No problem. Ready to go?"

"You got everything? Already?"

"I'm not exactly rolling in caps right now. So all I got right now is myself."

"Then come on. I'll introduce you to Boone while we're at it." David walked Veronica to Boone, catching him still drinking at the bar. He sobered up more since the last talk he had with him.

"What is it?"

"We're leaving now."

Boone slowly stood from the bar, which he hadn't done for hours. He was shaking with a slouched posture; if his sunglasses weren't on, he'd have some serious baggage under his eyes. Still, he stood firm, as usual. "Right behind you."

David was concerned with Boone's health, though he wasn't any better than the average guy who had the modern equivalent of a keg in a single sitting. Surprised he wasn't vomiting from all the alcohol. "You able to walk?"

Boone huffed. "I'll walk it off."

"Great… This is Veronica. Veronica, this is Boone. She's coming with us."

Veronica held out her hand to shake Boone's. "Nice to meet you."

Boone was either confused or just too drunk; he had withdrawn Veronica's hand and left her hanging. He tucked his fading white tank top into his trousers. "Okay with me."

Veronica smiled and retreated her arm slowly. "Strong silent type, nice…"

"I hope you know what's out there, ma'am. The land can be dangerous."

"Not a problem." Veronica lifts her robe and exposes a holstered 10mm pistol. She spoke with forced confidence. "I'm packing."

David felt good, hearing she had a better handgun than him. 10mm as opposed to 9mm. "Alright…"

Veronica rolled up her right sleeve, exposing a powered gauntlet over her forearm and fist. A great clunky contraption, it looked hefty enough to break bones with a single punch. "What can I say? I like breaking things and people with blunt instruments. Power fists do a good job of that."

"Guess you can say it packs a punch." David laughed.

Boone strayed away. "Come on, let's go already."

Veronica followed after Boone. "I'm coming."

David was alone. "Aw, come on! I can be fun too..." He sighed and followed after Boone and Veronica. Catching up quickly, he forced the ice to be broken and tried to understand Veronica better. "Is there any place you need to go in particular?"

"Hmmm. No, not really. Just to see the Wasteland, not very tempting when you're all alone like I usually am."

"Gets dangerous out here. You'll be okay with us."

"That's what I like to hear. Thanks for saying that, Mr Boone." She looked back at Boone and smiled at him.

Boone threw Veronica a quick glare back. "Sure…"

"Do you know the way to Vegas, David?"

"Double road northeast; from there, you can't miss Vegas. So I'm told…"

"Planned it all? Great! Bet it's already marked down on your Pip-Boy's map."

"Of course, it is. Either way, it's a long walk. Care to tell us about yourself?"

"Suck it up and deal with it, miss," Boone said, "he has to know."

"I'm twenty-seven years old and a Brotherhood Procurement Specialist. I primarily just scavenge and salvage high tech scraps town to town, as boring as it sounds."

"Any family in the Mojave?"

"The Brotherhood is my family. Family's ancestors reach quite a way within through for over two hundred years. Though my parents…" Veronica sighed and lost some of her peppy tone, "They… They aren't around anymore. They both died in the same battle holding off the N.C.R. from something important at the time when I was a kid…"

Boone felt like a real jerk; it was just a damn shame to hear. The battle for HELIOS One was an N.C.R. victory and a terrible loss for the Brotherhood. Lots of people died on both fronts. "I'm… sorry…"

"Their efforts won't be forgotten, and we'll all learn from their mistakes," Veronica said grimly.

"My parents are dead too, probably suffered a lot at the time. The feeling's neutral around here; we all lost someone important to us."

"Say it because it's true," Boone said, opening a bottle of scotch and taking small sips. That bitter reminder just made him want to wet his lips.

"What does the Brotherhood do around here?"

"Good question; right now, it's hard to say. At first, it was to secure technology from unworthy sources and protect them from humanity. It's their way of ensuring it doesn't destroy us, just like the Great War. Now it's more personal; they seem to protect it more than their very lives, quite territorial if you ask me. They refuse to move on and are more comfortable rotting in a bunker than changing."

"Any good organisation will adapt with time."

"Time is so limited right now…"

"How'd you become a member?"

"I solicited sexual favours to the elders more times than I can count…"

Boone adjusted his sunglasses with great surprise. "Excuse me?"

Veronica laughed. "Calm down, handsome; I'm just kidding… I'm not that easy."

David nudged Boone. "Now that's a good one. Right?"

Boone smirked. "Funny..." He chuckled slightly, inching his face away from David so he could have a faint chuckle. Still, he began to smile more often after Veronica's humour.

"To get in the Brotherhood, you must be born into it. Although, from what I heard about the chapter in Chicago, some exceptions can be made. Sadly, you only get to leave as a child or in death, but it's home, so most people would choose to stay."

"Do you like being a member?"

"At first, it's horrible as a teen or a young adult. Now when you experience the honour of protecting people from themselves, the proof is in the pudding; it's a good cause - getting side-tracked is a big problem sometimes, though. But when your family ties to the Brotherhood since the Great War, you owe it to yourself to carry their legacy. You get what I'm saying, David?"

"Crystal clear."

"Through experience alone, I know that there is no easy job; a job is another responsibility itself. Some people may hate working, but when you do a good job for the people, you'll find it's almost hard to stop and can be enjoyable at times. Find a job you like, and you'll never work a day in your life."

"I couldn't agree more, David. There's more to everything now these days. A good job is its own reward in the end."

The walk with their new friend Veronica was jolly and mellow. She was a kind and spirited woman with a knack for taking people and things apart, people being her favourite of the bunch. As far as members of the Brotherhood of Steel go, she was sound and humble. It wasn't all peaches and cream for her, though; she lost her parents recently against the N.C.R. and had difficulties at home; Brotherhood was falling apart from the inside.

Veronica honed her optimistic attitude and marched on with David and Boone. Two solid guys understood the pain of losing someone close; there were no other people she wanted around. Behind that glittering smile and under that brown hood of hers, there was some sense of comfort; she was ready to move on. The guys were pretty good looking, too, totally her type. You never know.

Later towards the east side, Vegas wasn't far, just like an hour or so to walk now. The three crossed the overpass back to the barren wastes again out of the 188. David felt a connection alongside Veronica, an intimate relationship he felt around Sunny only a bit weaker.

She was a very charismatic woman with a unique charm, like many he had known before her. But, if she was ever going to hang around with the big boys, she needed to be clear on her capabilities and get to express herself.

A tiny settlement beyond a small stone bridge comprised a small hut with a makeshift campsite with a small open campfire. Next to it was a brahmin pen and two traders outside, middle-aged bearded man and a woman in her mid-twenties, both selling meat and clean water.

David and company huddled around the campfire to share a few drinks of his own with Boone and Veronica, just water, though; enough alcohol has been drunk for now. A soft drink was a good start to feel the appreciation, though they all hit the road later that afternoon. Boone knew the land well enough to drag David on Highway 95 straight to Vegas at the top a mile away; you could never stick around too long in the open. David enjoyed the odd drink around the roaring fire, but Boone was right.

Carefully following the remains of an overhead road - which looked like it was more than willing to collapse - it was stable enough to walk under without any fear of health towards the life of the Mojave. A long walk to New Vegas was ahead of them.