AN: Welcome back! Wow 20 chapters already! (This is becoming quite the story.) Enjoy.
"I can't believe him!" Lt. Williams fumed as she and Collins headed towards the NCR Embassy.
"I can." Collins added. It didn't come as a surprise to him, the Courier had a reputation to turn people down especially when they were in dire need. Why would he be any different towards the NCR?
"I was completely sincere, even took off my helmet to prove it!" she ranted.
"So that's what that part was about." Collins noted to himself.
"Of course it was! Argh! Now what are we going to do?" Williams asked. She had mistakenly bet everything on the Courier agreeing to help fight against the Legion, and now that he had shattered all the proverbial eggs in a basket, they were left with nothing.
"Look I'm sure Major Wright will come up with something, he's always has a backup just in case." Collins said trying to reassure her.
"I hope so. I honestly can't think of anything else." She admitted.
Back at the NCR Embassy Amata and the Lone Wanderer had been moved to an interrogation room with a dim light dangling above them. Their hands bounded behind them as the interrogator questioned them in turn. Amata had answered any question they had to the best of her knowledge however the same couldn't have been said for the Lone Wanderer.
"Sigh, alright for the fifth time. What is your name?" their interrogator asked pinching the bridge of his nose.
"And for the fifth time, and let me say this slow so you can understand. I. Don't. Know." The Lone Wanderer answered pronouncing each syllable.
Amata had found this routine funny the first three times but now it was just getting sad.
"He really doesn't know, he has amnesia." She cut in before the cycle could begin again.
"Well you seem to know him very well, speaking of which what is your relation to him? Siblings? Lovers?" the interrogator asked.
Amata looked at the Lone Wanderer who looked back at her wondering the same thing.
"We're not related." She answered both of them.
"So… Lovers?" The Lone Wanderer asked with uncertainty.
Amata's face flushed red before quickly answering with a resounding 'No'.
"Well I got nothing." The Lone Wanderer told the interrogator. Amata could see that the headache the interrogator was nursing was being compounded with stress.
"I going to go see what Ambassador Crocker wants to do with you two. In the meantime I suggest you reflect on your questionable actions." He said as he stepped out of the room leaving them alone.
"So what else 'Do' you know about me?" The Lone Wanderer asked.
Major Wright let out a sigh as Williams and Collins informed him of the Courier's decision.
"Well I guess we can't force him to cooperate." Major Wright sighed. He scratched the bottom of his chin in deep thought when Ambassador Crocker called them into his office.
"Alright, I've been informed of our current situation and has sent word back west about securing more reinforcements. Now it has come to my understanding that they may not make it in time and I do hope you had some luck with the Courier." He inquired folding his hands on his desk.
"I wish I could sir but no such luck, Sir." Williams told him.
"Well I figured as such. Major Wright you've been the NCR's main contact between us and the Courier, do you think he might need a bit of convincing?" Crocker asked.
"The Courier isn't someone who'd take any type of convincing lightly." Wright answered. Ambassador Crocker nodded his head in agreement. "I agree, so the problem is how do we proceed from here?" he asked.
1st Lieutenant Williams moved to close the door cutting them off from any nosy passersby before returning to the conversation.
"I've been thinking…" she started.
"I told you I hate it when you do that." Collins told her.
"Just hear me out, everyone in this room knows the Courier has his own army of Securitrons." She stated.
"The NCR is well aware of this Lieutenant. Where are you going with this?" Crocker asked.
"Well, what if we didn't need him, just what he possess?" Williams asked leaving breadcrumbs for them to follow.
"You mean the Platinum Chip." Major Wright said following along.
"Exactly, if we can get ahold of it. Then…" Williams continued.
"Then there wouldn't be much use for the Courier." Collins noted.
"Well yeah but I'm leaning more towards using that army to bolster our forces." Williams corrected.
"But 2nd Lieutenant Collins does have a point." Ambassador Crocker pointed out.
"Now hold on a minute Sir, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Major Wright asked as the conversation took a dark turn.
"I'm merely suggesting dealing with an issue the NCR has had for a while… and if that means a courier is to meet an unfortunate end…"Crocker began.
"Not 'A' courier, 'The' Courier! We're talking about assassinating an individual who has helped the NCR in the past, as well as a combat veteran." Wright protested.
"It is true that he has helped us secure Hoover Dam as well as other assets but it seems he no longer wishes to assist us further. Such individuals are of no use to the NCR." Crocker stated.
"If this fails, there will be hell to pay and then some." Collins pointed out.
"There's no way I'm risking NCR soldiers for this." Wright noted.
"And there will be no blood on the NCR hands, we simply have to find someone with the capability and motive to carry the act out. We would simply be beneficiaries from such an unfortunate event." Crocker informed them.
"I-I feel a bit sick." Williams said fighting the urge to hurl. She didn't mean to suggest assassinating the Courier but things were starting to snowball out of her control.
"And that is why I sit behind this desk, to make the decisions a soldier shouldn't." Crocker told her.
"Well that's all good and all but where are we going to find someone who's willing to take on the Courier?" Collins asked, and as if on cue an individual knocked on the door.
"Not a word of this gets out, that's an order!" Crocker told them as he called the individual in.
It was the interrogator coming to inform the Ambassador on the two prisoners in detainment. It was then Williams saw the two dots connect in the Ambassador's mind.
"I'll will have a word with them… alone." Crocker said standing up from his seat. The interrogator was about to protest but the look on the Ambassador's face told him he should forget everything he knows about the detainees.
"There was this time when I killed a twenty feet tall super mutant." Amata went on.
"I can see it, yet I can't believe it." The Lone Wanderer said trying to relive the memory in his head. It was at this time the door to their interrogation room opened and a man in a pre-war business suit walked in eyeing the two of them.
"Amata, do I know a Mister Burke?" the Lone Wanderer whispered.
"Not that I know of, why?" she asked.
"Nothing, just got a bad vibe with this guy." He retorted.
"I take it the interrogator wasn't too hard on you." The man began.
He only got stares in return, so he took it as his cue to continue.
"Introductions are in order, I am Ambassador Crocker. I represent the New California Republic here in the Mojave. From what I gathered you two are in quite the predicament, well I just so happen to have a ticket out of it." He told them. Amata could see the cogs turning in the Lone Wanderer's mind, a possible way out of this mess but she knew no offer of freedom was free.
"What are you asking in return?" Amata asked suspicious of the Ambassador's intentions.
"In return we, the NCR, would like you to retrieve something from someone." He answered vaguely. Amata wasn't liking where this was going but they had no other choice from her point of view.
"What is it that you want and who has it." The Lone Wanderer inquired, he had already made up his mind that no matter what the task is he'll do it as long as it meant he and Amata were free to go.
"I like your attitude young man, and I have no doubt that you will be able to complete this task without incident." Crocker complimented.
"Cut the shit and tell me what the job is." The Lone Wanderer demanded.
"Very well, the object in question is a Platinum chip." Crocker answered.
"What does it do?" Amata asked.
"Nothing you should concern yourself with." The Ambassador retorted.
"Alright then, tell us who has it." The Lone Wanderer inquired.
Crocker cleared his throat before answering. "The Courier."
Amata suddenly got a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she could see the Lone Wanderer already forming ideas in his head. It seemed his memory may have been lost but his shrewd strategic mind was intact and in full swing.
"Any idea where he is at this moment?" the Lone Wanderer asked gathering information.
"He's currently inside the Lucky 38… I take it you accept?" Ambassador Crocker asked.
"We go and retrieve this Platinum chip, we return it to you and we're free to go. Just that simple?" Amata asked a bit skeptical.
"Just that simple." He answered.
"You don't expect him to hand it over without a fight, chances are either I kill him or he kills me." The Lone Wanderer concluded.
"It is a possibility." Crocker simply answered.
"What if we can get it back 'without' killing him?" Amata asked wishing to avoid bloodshed.
"If you can you are more than welcome to try." Crocker said with a halfhearted smirk.
"But I doubt you're that good." He added.
"Nevermind that, there is one thing I request to do this." The Lone Wanderer said.
"And what would that be?" Crocker asked with mild intrest.
"I'm going to need a stealthboy."
The sun was beginning it's decent from it's noon position when Amata and the Lone Wanderer exited the NCR Embassy. The feeling in her stomach wasn't going away and she had a feeling it wouldn't for a while.
"Are we really going to go through with this?" Amata asked the Lone Wanderer.
"Yeah, we are." He answered coldly.
"You do understand that this can't end well." Amata pointed out.
"So what would you have us do?" The Lone Wanderer asked checking the stealthboy on his hip.
"I don't know just get as far away from here as possible?" she retorted.
"We'd spend the rest of our days looking over our shoulders and wondering when a sniper's bullet is going to pierce our skull. I rather not live like that. Besides this guy has it coming, you said it yourself earlier." The Lone Wanderer rebutted.
"I was angry at the time but I've had time to think things over and yes, I agree wholeheartedly that he's an asshole who needs his ass handed to him, but I rather we not become some lapdog of the NCR." Amata said as they neared the tower that was the Lucky 38.
"So what? You want us to get the chip without hurting him?" The Lone Wanderer asked.
"I never said anything about not hurting him." Amata answered as she climbed the steps of the Lucky 38.
The Courier had just managed to doze back to sleep when Yes Man interrupted his slumber.
"It seems you have no shortage of visitors today." The securitron stated.
"It's probably the NCR again, you know the drill." The Courier muttered.
"Actually it is a young red head, she appears to be by herself." Yes Man informed him.
At the mention of the red head the Courier sat up with another sigh. "The NCR must have let her go with a fine and a stern warning. Probably expects me to help break out her boyfriend." He muttered.
"Shall I turn her away?" Yes Man asked.
"No, I'll do it. Least I could do." He said stifling a yawn.
'It was about time I got up anyway.' He thought noting the setting of the sun.
As he rode the elevator down a sense of guilt mixed with nervousness gnawed at his stomach.
'Why the hell am I feeling this way?' he thought.
'She was part of a job, nothing more.' He dismissed as the elevator dinged announcing its arrival to the ground level. The doors opened up to the dark abandoned casino floor and he proceeded towards the door.
'She's going to be pissed.' He thought
"Wouldn't be the first time." He mumbled to himself. He opened the door enough to see her standing there with a smile. Her smile caught him off guard to the point he didn't notice the shimmering being standing behind her.
"We're going to need that Platinum chip." Amata demanded.
"W-what? How do-" the Courier began but he was cut off when an invisible fist crashed into his face knocking him from the door. When he looked back at Amata he could still see her in the doorway only slightly distorted. Another punch floored him, his mind raced to connect the dots and soon the answer came to him. His attacker was using a stealthboy. He tried to get up to defend himself but his attacker floored him again with a kick to the ribs. The invisible intruder grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close to his face as the effects of the stealthboy faded away revealing the Lone Wanderer with a menacing look on his face.
"I told you we'll meet again." The Lone Wanderer told him before delivering a blow knocking the Courier unconscious.
AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Things are about to start picking up in the later chapters as the legion draws near!