AN: Welcome to the New Year! My resolution is to finish this story! So that I may begin work on the next!
Amata was walking down a long dark road with only the light from the moon and stars to help her navigate the rough pass. She had lost track of how long she had been walking, in fact she couldn't recall seeing anyone on the same road. As she walked on she noticed a small faint orange glow in the distance, or to be more accurate a light from a lit cigarette. As she walked closer she could see the silhouette of a man leaning against a sign.
"Hey, can you tell me where I'm at?" she called out to him but got no answer. She figured the individual didn't hear her and moved closer.
"Hey, did you hear me? Do you know where I'm…" she was cut off with a loud gunshot, the stranger had drew his sequoia and fired before Amata had a chance to react. She instinctively grabbed her stomach where the bullet impacted and looked down at her own blood before looking back at the stranger. The light from the cigarette revealed that the stranger that had shot her was the Courier…
…
Amata's eyes shot open and soon regretted the action as the artificial light blinded her and a sharp pain in the back of her head promptly made itself know, as if it didn't want to be left out of welcoming her back to reality. She greeted them both with a miserable groan.
"Well somebody's back amongst the living." The Lone Wanderer said.
"W-where am I?" Amata asked as her eyes adjust to the light.
"Let's see… a ceiling, concrete floor, four walls one of which is made of bars. I'm going to say jail." He sarcastically guessed.
"How long was I out?" she asked as she sat up.
"Judging from the clock on my Pipboy I say It's been a day, the time now is 7:15am." He informed her.
Amata suddenly remembered what had happened as she rubbed the back of her head.
"That son of a bitch!" she yelled in anger.
…
"Well hello there sleepy head, you look like you had some fun last night." A bubbly happy robotic voice said to the Courier. He was sleeping off a binge of Med-X and alcohol and was hoping to sleep through the hangover but that was not to be.
"Damn it, Yes man leave me alone." He mumbled as he tried to block sunlight from hitting his face.
"Well normally I would, but an urgent matter needs your attention." Yes man replied.
"Shit, what is it now?" the Courier muttered still not budging.
"There are three NCR rangers outside waiting on you." Yes man informed him.
"You know the protocol." The Courier said turning over trying to fall back asleep.
"Well, about that. Do you think it's wise to tell them to 'intercourse with themselves'? I mean what they have to say might be important." Yes man reasoned.
The Courier sighed as he sat up, the beautiful sight of all of New Vegas greeted him from the top of the Lucky 38 casino, but it was a sight that was wasted on him as he begrudgingly stood up.
"One, the correct phrase is 'Go fuck themselves'. Two, why can't they tell you what it is and you simply relay the message to me?" he pointed out mildly annoyed.
…
"So, think he'll come down to talk? Or better yet maybe he'll invite us up." Collins asked nudging Williams with his elbow.
"He'll probably tell us to go fuck ourselves." Lieutenant Williams guessed with a sigh. The two rangers had been greeted by a securitron with a cartoonish face when they buzzed the door, and after insisting numerous times that the information they had could only give to the Courier directly. The securitron had disappeared back into the Lucky 38. Major Wright had gone on ahead to the NCR embassy to informed Ambassador Crocker of the highly likely threat from the Legion.
"And if he does?" Collins asked.
"He won't, or more as a matter of fact he can't due to the fact that he stands to lose a lot more than the NCR does." Williams answered.
"Stand to lose what?" the Courier asked through a small crack in the casino's doors. Williams couldn't help but notice that he was trying to keep out the light as if he was a creature of darkness. She began be removing the latches on her helmet.
"What are you doing?" Collins asked a bit surprised.
Williams ignored him as she took off her helmet revealing the woman inside of it. She looked at the Courier with piercing grey eyes.
"The NCR needs your help." She pleaded.
"The NCR always needs my help. Help! The Legion is attacking! Help! The Fiends are raiding our caravans!" the Courier mocked in a high pitch voice.
"This is serious! The Legion are setting their sights on New Vegas. If we don't act quickly they'll overrun us in no time." She told him.
"You're the 212th person to tell me 'this is serious!'. Everything dealing with the NCR, New Vegas, or the Mojave in general is serious and this is no different." The Courier said with a yawn, Williams could see she hadn't won him over.
"What if I told you that the Legate has taken off the kitty gloves and has amassed a massive army, that they have the numbers to put McCarren and New Vegas under siege." Williams told him.
"Well I can see where that would be problematic… just not for me." The Courier retorted nonchalantly.
"You can't be serious, you do know what they'll do to you?" Collins asked a bit taken back by the Courier's lack of empathy.
"89th person to wonder if I was serious, and I am well aware of the threat that the Legion poses to New Vegas." The Courier answered.
"Then what do you plan to do?" Collins asked a bit ticked.
The Courier only answered with a blank stare. It was then Williams came to realize what the Courier's intent could be.
"You're going to hang us out to dry…" she muttered disheartened.
"…A very interesting guess ranger." The Courier answered as he slammed the door closed.
"Williams, what the hell just happened?" Collins asked shocked and confused.
"I believe he just told us to go fuck ourselves." She muttered.
…
Inside the Lucky 88 the Courier began his walk back toward the elevator and was soon joined by Yes man who had been standing out of sight eavesdropping on the Courier's conversation with the NCR rangers.
"Yes Man, is there any truth to what they said?" he asked.
"Yes, securitrons sent to monitor the large foot traffic in Red Cliff Canyon have gone offline. Seems someone doesn't want us to know what's going on in there." Yes Man replied.
"Damn, it's just one thing after another." The Courier sighed.
AN: Alright first chapter of the New Year! (let's just hope I can finish this story before next year!)