AN: Alright another chapter! (It's about time I know.) to celebrate the return of my computer I'm putting up another chapter! Enjoy!
The King was watching yet another boring show on stage when one of his men came running through the door.
"What is it this time." He sighed stifling a yawn, his dog Rex mimicking his master's actions.
"You wanted to know when 'He' got here. He's just been spotted just outside the gates." The messenger panted.
The King pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed at his men incompetence. "Do I have to tell you morons to do every little thing? Bring him here!" he ordered.
The King could see the messenger was being a bit hesitant, The Courier had a knack for killing the messenger, but there was something else. "What? Is there something else?" he asked offering a chance for the man to speak up.
"He's with two others, one in power armor and the other with red hair and a pip-boy." He answered.
The King leaned back into his chair as his mind wandered about how 'entertaining' this was going to be.
"…This is New Vegas?" Amata asked a bit skeptical.
"More or less." The Courier answered. After stopping for the night at the Grub N' Gulp the trio continued once the sun dared to spread it's light over the horizon. Amata had pictured New Vegas as a shining beacon of civilization and now as she stood in front of the gates a sense of disappointment washed over her.
"Care to explain why the sign says 'Freeside'?" She pointed out a tad bit annoyed.
"New Vegas is inside, you have to go through Freeside to get there." Veronica clarified.
'So this is where he went. Let's hope he decided to stay for a bit.' Amata thought. Her thoughts was interrupted when a few thugs wearing pinstriped outfits stepped from behind the gates of Freeside.
"You, Courier. The King wants an audience with you." One of the thugs demanded.
"Not even inside the gates yet and you're already causing problems." Veronica muttered.
"King? There's a king here?" Amata asked a bit surprised.
"Not an actual king, just some jackass who calls himself that." The Courier corrected.
"Hey! Don't speak ill of the king!" One of the thugs warned.
"Don't antagonize them. We're only here so Amata can find her friend." Veronica advised.
"She has a point, I rather not waste any more time." Amata agreed.
The Courier gave them both a blank stare before letting out a sigh. "Alright, I'll decline politely." He turned and faced the three thugs.
"You can go tell King he can shove that invitation, we're busy. However I'm free between the times of 'No' and 'When I give a damn'." The Courier told them.
Amata slapped her hand over her eyes, It was stupid to think the Courier would avoid a confrontation, especially when asked to.
"Damn it, would it kill you to at least use a tiny bit of charisma when dealing with others?" Amata scolded as the thugs brandished straight razors and a 9mm pistol.
"To answer your question; yes, I die a little on the inside when I have to 'watch my step' around idiots. When I can simply just do this." The Courier pulled his Sequoia and in three quick shots the thugs were on the ground writhing in pain. With a twirl of his revolver he holstered it and continued pass the incapacitated thugs and into Freeside.
"For the life of me, I still can't think of a good reason you're traveling with him." Veronica sighed as she and Amata walked pass the thugs and into Freeside.
Inside the town looked a mess, trash littered the streets and junkies littered the sidewalks. Amata made sure to keep her pistol close by, she doubted those were the only thugs in Freeside. The Courier strolled through the town as if he owned the place and from the way people would clear the area Amata thought that could be a very real possibility. They were just rounding a corner when they ran into a bigger group of thugs, wielding pipes and wooden baseball bats. They were wearing pinstripes and jean jackets like the three they met at the gates. 'Tunnel Snakes' was the first thing to flash into her mind as some had a pompadour hairstyle.
'Butch would love to be in this gang.' Amata thought.
"We're here to 'escort' you to The King." One thug wearing a black jacket informed them.
"That won't be necessary, you see 'we' are not here to see the king." The Courier told them. While he was telling them this his hand was sliding down his side like a snake before resting on his revolver.
"You only got three rounds left in that thing, and as you can see we have the number advantage." The thug smugly told him.
"My, my, it seems one of the King's men have grown a brain. I'll be sure to use one of my three rounds to relieve you of your burden." The Courier countered.
Amata could see that the Courier's remark was only adding onto the tension as the thugs readied their weapons. Veronica cracked her knuckles and almost looked excited at the fact that they were about to get into a street fight.
(BANG)
Both the thugs and the Courier flinched at the sudden sound of gunfire. The thugs looked at one another checking to see if any of them had been shot, seeing that none of them were on the ground bleeding to death they looked at the Courier.
"Hey, wasn't me." He shrugged.
"It was 'ME'!" Amata proclaimed in a commanding tone with her pistol smoking in her hand.
"What if 'I' go see your king?" Amata she continued.
"He's not my king, he's The King." One of the thugs spoke up.
"And he wants to see the Courier, not some- (BANG)" the other thug was cut off with another round fired into the air.
"The Courier is working for me." Amata told the group.
"No the hell I'm-." The Courier was interrupted when Amata fired another round into the air.
"Until he's satisfied his contract with me, he's not going anywhere." Amata exclaimed.
"Contract? What- oof " Veronica elbowed the Courier in the stomach.
"Shut the hell up, and let her handle this." Veronica ordered.
"So let me be clear, I 'Demand' an audience with The King." Amata demanded.
The group of thugs huddled and spoke amongst themselves.
"Who the does this girl think she is?"
"She's hot but fucking crazy as Brahmin shit."
"Has anyone notice the Pip-boy on her arm?"
"Maybe the King might want to see her."
"Think she knows The Stranger? He did have a Pip-boy on his arm as well."
Amata could over hear them and the last statement caught her attention.
'The Stranger? Well it seems I might be on the right track, and I bet this King will know where to find him, but it looks like I got to sweeten the deal first.' She thought.
"If you idiots haven't thought it through yet, if I go the Courier goes. I see the King the Courier sees the King. Everyone gets what they want." She told them.
"Hey, you can go see The King by yourself, I'm not-" the Courier was cutoff again when Veronica slapped the back of his head.
"Ow, damn it Veronica you're wearing power armor. You could've knocked me out." The Courier complained.
"That was the point, looks like your skull has gotten thicker." Veronica told him.
"Alright, we'll take you to see The King. Make sure he's behaving himself." The lead thug offered.
"Oh, he'll be on his best behavior." Veronica said as she suddenly put the Courier in a headlock. "I'll make sure of that." She added tightening her hold.
"Ack- this is very uncomfortable." The Courier grumbled.
"That gives me small comfort in knowing that. Now come on." Veronica retorted as she began pulling him along.
The group of thugs led Amata through the streets of Freeside drawing the attention of the locals. Murmurs and hushed whispers could be heard as they wondered who this girl was and more importantly why the Courier was in a headlock. Soon they came to a building with a neon guitar with 'The Kings' spelled out on it.
'I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is there hideout.' Amata thought as they walked inside. As she was escorted to the auditorium Veronica finally decided to let go of the Courier's head.
"That wasn't necessary." He told her as he stretch his neck to relieve the strain she put on it.
"Yes it was, now be nice" She told him as she playfully shoved him.
Amata looked around the nearly empty room filled with empty tables and chairs. There was only a man in a white suit watching some lame comedian telling 200 year old jokes.
"The Courier is here but, uh this girl" the thug began when the man in the white suit held up his hand.
"I know." The King said as he turned in his chair.
"You may leave us." He added dismissing him.
As the henchman left the King turned his eyes to Amata.
"You got a lot of nerve… I like that." He smiled.
Amata let out a mental sigh of relief, it seems that the King wasn't prone to just shooting someone outright.
"Well, your honor." Amata started when the King quickly stopped her.
"Oh please, don't call me that. You can call me King. Beautiful." He corrected.
'You've got to be kidding me.' Amata mentally gagged.
"So what makes a girl like you, 'demand' an audience with me?" The King asked.
"Why do you need to see the Courier?" Amata countered.
"I got a job for him, in return I give him some information. It's how we do things in Freeside." The King smirked. The King eyed the Pip-boy on Amata's arm before continuing.
"You know I've recently met a guy with the exact same thing on his arm." He pointed out.
The King could see his statement instantly caught Amata's attention and now he had her right where he wanted.
"I'm guessing I'll have to do something in order to get the information from you." Amata concluded.
"You're a smart girl, you know that." He praised. Around this time his dog Rex walked up to him nosing his thigh obviously trying to get his attention. Amata was a bit put off at the half robot half German Shepard combination, mainly the brain that sat in its container.
"Oh don't mind Rex here, he just wants to go for a walk. Being cramped up in here irritates his joints." He said as he petted the cyberdog. The King looked at Rex then at Amata as if he suddenly had a bright idea.
"It's about time for his walk, how about you take him. A lap around Freeside should do the trick." He suggested.
"You want me to walk your dog." Amata said a bit insulted.
"And in return I'll tell you more about the guy with the pip-boy on his arm." The King added baiting her to accept.
'I didn't come all this way to walk some scientific abomination!' she thought.
'It's a simple and easy job, plus you get some information for your troubles.' She counter thought.
"Alright, but I want your word that that dog isn't going to bite me." She agreed.
"As long as you aren't wearing a hat or mention anything about rats. I see no reason why he would." The King told her.
"Now you be good for the young lady, you hear?" The King told his dog as he scratch behind his ear before handing him over to Amata.
As Amata was leaving the auditorium they walked pass the Courier who was being patted down next to him was a small pile of knives, guns, and bullets. Veronica was merely shaking her head in disapproval of his hidden arsenal. Rex growled at the Courier to which the Courier simply growled back causing the cyberdog to whimper.
"Sigh, don't mess with the dog." Veronica chided.
"Hey he started it." The Courier rebutted.
"Found another one." One of the goons who was patting down the Courier called out as he pulled a small knife from the Couriers sleeve.
"Damn that makes 13 and I just checked that side." Another goon complained.
"You going to make us check you a third time aren't you." The other goon muttered.
"Hey, you wanted me to come." The Courier sneered.
"Why the hell do you need all these knives?" Amata asked
"Never know when they might come in handy." The Courier answered. "So the King is making you walk his mutt." He pointed out. Rex barked at the Courier in response.
"He says you're an asshole." Amata jokingly translated.
"416 and a half on the account that he's a mutt." The Courier noted.
"He's not a mutt, aren't boy. Who's a good boy?" Veronica said as she patted Rex on his head. Rex barked happily in response and licked her cheek.
"Come on, let's go for a walk." Amata called patting her side. Rex excitedly join her side as they stepped outside.
"She going to have her hands full with that one." One of the Kings snickered.
"Why is that?" Veronica ask suspiciously.
"Because that dog always runs off leaving the poor sap behind." he laughed.
"Well wouldn't that had been something you should have told her?" Veronica chided.
"Why? It wouldn't be funny if I did." He answered.
AN: Thanks for waiting, now that I have my computer back in working condition I should be putting out more chapters a bit more frequently.