Cass followed me out of the bar, taking a sip of whiskey. I walked over to where ED-E was still floating. He started beeping like crazy when he saw the two of us. It was safe to assume he was scolding me for taking forever, if the way he bonked my head was any indication. I chuckled.

"Yeah yeah, sorry I took so long. I made a new friend by the way. Cass? This is ED-E. ED-E? This is Cass." I said, gesturing between the two of them.

Cass took a long look at him. "Cute robot you got there. Where'd you get him?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Found him in Primm. Granted he was more run down when I got to him, but he's doing fine now." I said. ED-E chirped happily... I think. I motioned for them to follow me. "Come on, we got a long walk ahead of us." I said. Like that we were off. As we exited the outpost, I spotted a traveling merchant walking up. I just realized that I had a bunch of stuff to sell. I looked at Cass.

"How about we get you an upgrade?" I asked, walking over to the merchant. She just grinned in response.

After some bargaining, as well as a lot of trading, we walked away from the merchant with a nice amount of caps, as well as some new toys.

Cass was now sporting what the merchant called a trench gun. This thing was apparently built somewhere in Denver. It looked like a hunting shotgun, except for the fact that it was painted black, the stock was shorter and the barrel had a bayonet on the end. Suffice to say Cass loved it. I on the other hand, had bought a good old fashioned sawed off shotgun. What can I say? I could use a backup weapon. Besides that, I upgraded my clothing a bit as well. I mean, I can't just run around and get shot in a shirt and jeans now can I? I was now wearing some rather comfortable leather armor that was surprisingly light.

With that out of the way, the three of us walked down the highway. Granted there wasn't much to worry about... okay that's a lie. There's always something to worry about in the wastes. There was a thing with some giant ants, but with how much firepower we were packing, they didn't cause too much trouble. Hell, thanks to Cass we were able to get some meat off of them. Now the three of us were walking along... well floating in ED-E's case, to Nipton.

As we were walking, I had spotted a few wrecked buildings, along with something much more obvious. I held up a hand, Cass and ED-E stopped cold. I pulled out some binoculars and stared ahead.

"What is it?" Cass asked, looking around us. I pointed to the building in front of us.

"See down that way? The building on the left." I said. Cass peered.

"Yeah... why?" She asked. I handed her the binoculars, aiming her view. She groaned. "Is that what I think that is?" She asked.

I nodded. "Unfortunately it is. Viper ambush. You think these morons would learn to hide better, but how much credit can you give raiders?" I asked rhetorically. Cass snorted.

"So... what's the plan?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Fuck it. They don't look too well armed, so that means any shots they do land won't hurt as bad. Besides, I'm trained medically so no worries." I told her. With no other true option, we began to walk. Cass loaded her new gun with slugs casually and I did the same with my shotgun. As we got closer to the building, I could hear the Vipers becoming more and more restless.

I vaguely started humming a song I had heard from up north. As soon as I started humming, shit hit the fan. A Viper charged forward, meat cleaver in hand. Cass's shotgun boomed, blowing the poor bastard's arm off. He fell back screaming but was quickly silenced when the shotgun boomed again, blowing his head off. That's what opened the floodgates really.

From behind us a woman came screaming out of cover, brandishing a knife. I ignored her in favor of the two men I was currently facing. One was armed with a 10mm pistol, and the other one charged forward with a golf club. I aimed for the one with the gun first, bigger threat to worry about you know? VATS kicked in, and I was shown a lot of options to target. Let's see... I went for the arm holding the gun, blasting it off. I quickly aimed for the guy's head, blowing it open before he could scream. VATS shut down, and time began to flow normally. Cass had already taken care of the guy with the knife, and ED-E had disintegrated the woman behind us.

I holstered my shotgun, looking at the others. "Well... that went better than I expected. You okay?" I asked Cass. She gave a thumbs up and ED-E beeped happily... I think. Anyways.

We quickly went around looting the bodies, finding a couple bags of caps, some ammo and a few small guns among other things. After tossing those in the duffel bag, we continued on our journey. Soon the town of Nipton was in sight, and it did not look promising. Fires were spread out everywhere, and I couldn't see anyone. Wait a minute... I saw someone running out of Nipton, whooping like a madman. Against my better judgement I approached him.

"Yeah! Who won the lottery? I did!" He told me, waving a ticket around. He took a deep breath. "Smell that air! Couldn't ya just drink it like booze!" He continued, cackling. I took in his appearance. Wait a minute.

"Are you a... Powder Ganger?" I asked, noticing that he was wearing armor like Cobb was. The man looked confused.

"Powder Ganger? What? I mean, yeah, used to be, sure! But not no more! Powder Gang is small-time, man! I'm a winner! I won the motherfucking lottery!" He yelled out, waving his ticket again. Cass raised her shotgun slowly, but I put a hand out to stop it. He was crazy, yes, but he looked harmless enough.

"Are you... feeling alright?" I asked cautiously, praying he wouldn't snap. The man looked confused again.

"Are you kidding me? Never felt better!" He said with a grin. Okay, I want answers now;

"What sort of lottery did you win" I asked him, slowly reaching for Lucky.

"What lottery? The lottery, that's what lottery! Are you stupid? Only lottery that matters! Oh my God smell that air!" He cackled out. I slowly stepped around him, urging the others to follow.

"Riiight... We're just... going to go now." I said, walking away from the obvious lunatic.

"Later!" He yelled, taking off in the direction we came from. Cass shook her head.

"The fuck was up with that guy?" She asked me. I shrugged as I walked forward.

"Hell if I know. Maybe we'll get some answers as soon as- Wait... what's that smell?" I asked, taking a sniff. It smelled like something... charred. I heard Cass gasp, and I turned to look at her. She looked like she was going to be sick. She pointed at something to the left of me. I turned to see... What the fuck?

It was the body of a man, half burned. That wasn't the worst thing, no. He was held up by a cross, with nails driven into his hands. I looked away from the scene, trying to see if there was anything else we could find. I passed the general store and... and... oh God.

Down both sides of the street, people were hanging from crosses. All of them were tied to crosses, with nails driven into their hands and wires wrapped around their wrists. I could see it wasn't just Powder Gangers hung up. No, men and women were hung up as well. Even a boy, couldn't be older than 12. I slowly moved towards one of them, noticing something. The man I was staring at was looked dead. I jumped back when he moved his head, gasping for air.

Oh god, he's still alive. He looked at me. "K..kill...me..." He whispered out, closing his eyes.

"Shouldn't... shouldn't we cut him down?" Cass asked. I shook my head.

"He's already dead." I said. If the wires or spikes didn't kill him, the blood loss from removing them would.

I heard a sigh behind me. "Beautiful, isn't it?" A man asked me. I tore Lucky out of it's holster, aiming at the voice. Cass aimed her shotgun, and ED-E primed his laser. The speaker had come from the town hall. He was surrounded by a pair of dogs, as well as half a dozen men, some armed with spears and machetes, others with rifles. All of them were dressed in red and black. Their armor looked like old sports equipment, and they all wore what looked like leather skirts and sandals.

The one who had spoken up stepped forward, and I could finally see him. He wore the same armor as the rest of the group, only his seemed reinforced. On his back was a small tattered cape, fluttering in the wind. His head was adorned with the top half of a coyote head, like some messed up hood. I couldn't see his eyes because they were covered by some weird looking goggles, but I could tell he was staring at me. His left hand was on the hilt of a sword, the other raised wagging a finger at me, like I was some disobedient child.

"None of that now. If you lower your weapons, you won't have to worry. I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates." He said. I shuddered at the voice. It just sounded... wrong, on so many levels. I took a look around, realizing we were surrounded. A dozen more people were coming out of the town hall, all wearing the same black and red armor. I holstered Lucky, much to Cass's shock.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at me. I looked at her.

"I don't want to get shot. We can't win this, so lower the gun." I hissed back. Cass relented, moving her hand from the trigger of her shotgun and raising said gun in the air. Dog Boy clapped, like we just did a nice little trick. Asshole.

"Excellent. Now to business. It's useful that you happened by." He said, grinning smugly. He gestured around us. "I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then, when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here today." He continued.

I growled. "Who the hell are you?" I snapped out. Probably not the best thing to do at gunpoint, but I wasn't thinking straight. The man smirked.

"I am Vulpes Inculta, of Caesar's Legion. I serve my master as the greatest of his Frumentarii. We Frumentarii are soldiers of a different stripe, capable in battle, but skilled as infiltrators and agents as well. This is but one of the many lessons we have taught to those that oppose us." He said, every word spoken calmly, without remorse. This was a man who reveled in the violence.

"And what...'lessons' did you teach here?" I asked, trying not to snap at the man in front of me. He tilted his head, as if trying to remember the exact details.

"Where to begin? That they are weak, and we are strong? This much was known already. But the depths of their moral sickness, their... dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson." He said. Oh great, monologue time. "Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers, so long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores. For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too.." He continued, relishing in the fact that both Cass and I were staring at him in horror.

"We took everyone... save a few, and herded them to the center of town. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty." He smiled, staring at the figures on the crosses. "I told them that when Legionaries are disloyal, some are punished, the others made to watch. And I announced the lottery. Each clutched his ticket, hoping it would set him free. Each did nothing, even when "loved ones" were dragged away to be killed." He continued, still smiling.

I stared at him, mouth agape. Then my eyes fell on the kid. "You... All these people... you slaughtered women, children, innocent civilians... to prove a point?" I asked. This... he couldn't be serious could he? Vulpes laughed... no he cackled. It sounded so out of place with how he spoke.

"Innocent? Hardly. Cowardly, though. They outnumbered us, yet not once did they try to resist. They stood and watched as their fellows were butchered, crucified, and burned, one by one. They stood and hoped their turn would not come. Each cared only for himself." He said.

Something I hadn't felt in a long time was simmering inside. Rage. Pure unadulterated rage. I so wanted to do... something. Gouge his eyes out, rip him limb from limb, anything. I was tempted to end this monster right now... but I couldn't. Then my eyes fell on Cass. Any other time, if I was just by myself I would have gone for it. Now I had someone to watch out for. Couldn't play by the same rules as before. My eyes must have betrayed me, because Vulpes chuckled.

"If you feel strongly about it, attack us, and soon you won't feel a thing." He warned, and the men behind him aimed their rifles. I shook my head.

"I'll... I'll do as you ask." I said, the words tasting vile in my lips. Vulpes walked up, patting me on the cheek.

"Good profligate. Then I bid you "Vale" - until we meet again." He said, gesturing to the legionaries and walking away. As they passed us, I saw a young girl chained up, a slave collar on her neck. She saw me... she silently pleaded with me to do something, but I couldn't. I was still watching as they passed by us, leaving the town.

Me and Cass stood there, not speaking for who knows how long. Finally I snapped.

"FUCK! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" I roared, kicking a random building. Finally all the tension built up released. I feel to my knees, tears pouring out. I didn't sob. I wasn't going to give anyone that pleasure.


Cass and I spent the trip back to the Outpost in silence. Even ED-E was silent. I mean, what could we say? But damn if the silence wasn't awkward. Granted I was on a hair trigger right now so I wouldn't be a good conversationalist. We finally arrived, still not speaking.

I nodded towards the monument. "I'll be right back. Wait over there." I said.

Cass nodded and made her way over. I walked up the plank leading to the roof of the bar. Ghost stood up when she saw me.

"Hey Strife, you-" She paused when she saw me. "Shit, you okay?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I checked out Nipton... it's been razed to the ground. Legion attacked the place. No survivors." I told her, the words sounding hollow to myself. Ghost shook her head, passing me a bottle of alcohol. Just what the doctor ordered. I started chugging it instantly.

"Legion this far West? You're fucking kidding me." She asked incredully. I finished the bottle and shook my head. Thankfully I was a bit calmer than before. The booze helped.

"Nope. I know what I saw, who I saw. It was them. Led by some asshole named Vulpes Inculta." I told her. Ghost held her chin in thought. Guess she didn't hear that last part.

"That's not outside the border, they're moving in - and fast. Nipton wasn't the most friendly town, but..." She muttered. Then she realized something. "Wait a minute... did you say Inculta?" She asked. I nodded. She groaned.

"Ah shit. I've heard of him. He's the leader of Caesar's spies and assassins. Rangers always told stories about him. He was there during Hoover Dam apparently. Whole platoons were wiped on overnight because of him. Anybody whose ever seen him usually winds up dead." She said, glancing at me. I shrugged.

"He wanted me to send a message. He... he wanted me to tell people what happened." I told her. She nodded grimly.

"All right - thanks for checking on that, wish it set my mind at ease, now I'm more on edge than ever." She muttered.

"Did... you have any friends there?" I asked. Ghost, despite the situation, chuckled.

"In Nipton? Hell no. Town was a shithole, asking to be burned. Just not by Legion. Nobody deserves that." She said. Ghost turned out towards the desert. "Well, thanks for hoofing it there and back, even if it was bad news. Hopefully this will get people moving, but I doubt it. Fucking Mojave's going to hell, and all I can do is sit here and watch." She sighed. And there goes the mood again. I nodded.

"Well if that's all, then I... I guess I'll get going then." I said, turning around and preparing to leave. Ghost grabbed my shoulder.

"Hold on. I promised you a drink didn't I? Figured you could use it." She said, pointing to the bar. I smirked.

"Sure... why not?" I asked. She walked down the ramp and I followed her.

Despite what some people said about her, Ghost was actually pretty good company. We sat in a secluded section of the bar, drinking some scotch. We kept up a decent conversation, but in truth we were only there for about ten minutes. While I hated to leave, I still had a job to do. I finished up my drink, leaving some caps behind.

"Thanks for the drink Ghost." I told her. She smirked.

"Any time. Good luck out there Strife." She said, handing me something. I glanced down at it. It was a radio. I looked up at Ghost.

"If you need assistance, just call. NCR will be happy to help." She told me. I nodded.

"Appreciate it. Until next time Ghost." I told her. Like that I was out of the bar.

Cass was leaning against the monument, dozing off. She got more alert when I approached.

"Bout time you finished. What happened? You get lucky or something?" She asked. I shook my head.

"Nah, just needed a drink. Here." I said, giving her a bottle of whiskey. "It's for the road. Come on, we have a long walk ahead of us." I told her, walking off into the Mojave.

For the next few hours, it was just walking. We traveled for quite a while, making sure to just avoid Nipton entirely. There was an incident here and there with the usual raiders, but nothing major. Finally we came across a peculiar sight. A giant fake dinosaur, with a sniper barrel poking out of the mouth. Next to the dinosaur was a sign. It used to say No Vacancy, but since most of the letters were scratched off it simply read NO VAC, thus the name. Time to see if Suit was here still. Knowing my luck, I highly doubt it.

AN: So... sup. Yeah don't really have much to say, so hope you guys are enjoying the story! And while it's no pressure or anything, I would definitely appreciate it if you guys left reviews. That's the kinda what gets me going. Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!