AN: Sorry for the wait! (I've been busy lately!)
The Courier slowly stirred as he began waking up. Suddenly a cold bucket of water splashed against his face snapped him back to reality. A bit confused as to what had happened a sharp pain in his jaw caused him to slightly groan.
"Welcome back." His captor said as he set the bucket aside, the individual wore combat armor with a wastehound hood over his head obscuring his identity, but the Courier knew who he was. He also knew the red headed female who leaned against the wall looking at him with crossed arms.
"I'm going to make this simple." The Lone Wanderer told him.
"Tell us where the Platinum chip is and we'll leave you be." He offered.
The Courier ignored him as he surveyed his surroundings, he immediately recognized the familiar surroundings that was the Cocktail lounge of the Lucky 38. He tried the restrains on his hands but they offered little to no room to maneuver.
"You're not getting out of those, believe me I should know." The Lone Wanderer commented as he watched the Courier try to get his bearings, he would've tried the same thing if their roles were reversed.
"Well I guess you're the one who tied me up, your friend couldn't tie a knot to hang herself." The Courier jested. The Lone Wanderer glanced at Amata.
"And you wanted to keep him alive." He said as he delivered vicious backhand to the Courier's face almost knocking the chair over.
"Just tell us where it is. There's no need to take this any further." Amata told him, but her offering only served to make the Courier laugh.
"What's so funny?" Amata demanded feeling insulted.
The Courier managed to get his laughter under control so he could explain.
"The NCR sends me after this guy and what do they end up doing? They send the very same guy after me." He said as he erupted in laughter once more.
Amata had to admit that the Courier was right but she wasn't going to acknowledge it, more importantly she wanted to know how the Courier knew that the NCR sent them.
"Yeah, Karma can be a real bitch sometimes." The Lone Wanderer told him.
"What makes you think the NCR sent us? For all you know we could be doing this to get revenge for what you did." Amata questioned.
"Oh, come on! It's not rocket science. The only people who are even aware of what the Platinum chip does are the higher ups in the NCR, yours truly, and the Legate…" the Courier paused as a moment of realization came to him.
"You idiots don't even know what the damn thing does!" He said before laughing again.
"Then maybe you should tell us." The Lone Wanderer demanded as he grabbed the back of the Courier's neck in a vice grip.
"Now why would I do a thing like that?" the Courier goaded.
The Lone Wanderer released his grip and kicked the Courier in the chest knocking him onto his back and pulled a black and gold revolver he kept tucked behind his back and pointed it at the Courier's face.
"Is this a good enough reason?" he answered.
"Sigh, you do know such a gesture is pointless. You haven't learned the whereabouts of the chip or what it does. You do however get an 'A' for effort." The Courier noted.
"You're right, and I doubt you will ever tell us no matter how much pain is inflicted on you. So why don't we skip the unpleasantries and just put one between your eyes?" the Lone Wanderer concluded.
"Well it wouldn't be the first time." The Courier muttered.
"Amata, if you have anything else to say to him, I strongly suggest you say it now." The Lone Wanderer told her as he sat the Courier upright. Amata grabbed a nearby chair and placed it in front of the Courier and sat in it.
"What is this? Some new interrogation technique?" the Courier mocked. Amata ignored the obvious ploy to get under her skin as she studied his body language. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence she could see the Courier slightly avert his eyes to avoid looking at her hazel brown eyes.
"I've never done anything like this before… I don't really know where to begin." She finally told him.
"Well people usually monologue on and on about how I ruined their lives or what they plan on doing to me before and 'after' my life leaves my body. So I guess you can start there." The Courier suggested nonchalantly.
"You were a pain in my ass and you gave me quite a few headaches but I can't say you've ruined my life, and I definitely have no plans for you what so ever…" Amata paused as an idea came to her.
"I don't think I've ever properly introduce myself." She told him. The statement seemed to raise questions in the Courier's mind as he tried to figure out her angle.
"I am Amata Almodovar, may I ask what your name is?" she courteously asked. There was an awkward pause as the Courier looked at her incredulously before finally deciding to simply return the gesture.
"I'm…" was as far as he got before his mouth got stuck mid speech as if what he was about to say was suddenly plucked from him mind. He recomposed himself before trying again.
"My name is…" again he got stuck, with a sigh of resignation he started once more.
"I'm Courier number six. Some people call me the Courier, I allow certain people to call me Six, and you… well you seem intent on calling me an asshole." He said forcing a smirk. Try as he might to play it off, Amata could see right through it.
"An asshole to the very end." The Lone Wanderer sighed as he pulled the hammer on the Sequoia and aimed at the Courier's head.
"I guess so." He replied.
…
"Stop!" Amata shouted surprising the both of them.
"Why?" they both asked in unison.
"I have to know your name." she simply demanded.
"Well tough shit, I don't know it." The Courier retorted.
"How the hell do you not know…" the Lone Wanderer stopped as he came to the same conclusion as Amata.
"You don't remember your name or your past for that matter. Do you?" she stated.
"I remember a lot of things… up to a certain point." He said dismissively.
"Then what do you remember about your past?" Amata asked, she could see the Courier tense up as a vivid memory replayed itself in his head.
…
The Courier remembered kneeling in a shallow grave at the top of the hill overlooking Goodsprings. A full moon shone over the Mojave wasteland. He remembers the bright lights of New Vegas shining just over the horizon but soon his view of the city's lights is obstructed by a man in a black and white checkered suit with greased over hair. The man's words is nothing but background noise to him as the Courier thinks about how he gotten into this mess, and then he sees it as the checkered suit man pulls it from his inner jacket pocket. The Platinum Chip, it was that damn chip! The reason he was bloody and beaten by two thugs and was forced to kneel in his own grave was all for a stupid chip. The next thing the checkered man pulls is shiny just like the chip but deadlier. A silver chrome 9mm pistol. The last thing the Courier hears the man say would be something that would stay with him forever.
"Truth is… the game was rigged from the start…"
A gunshot causes the nearby geckos to scatter…
…
The Courier returned back to reality returning Amata's stare.
"You remembered something… didn't you." She inquired, she knew the look, the look of coming to a revelation with one self. However the Courier didn't seem to like the feeling as he shifted in his chair. Another moment of silence pass until the Courier broke eye contact and looked the Ranger Sequoia in the Lone Wanderer's hands.
"You still plan on using that?" he asked. The Lone Wanderer released the hammer and tossed it aside.
"No." he simply said.
"So what now?" Amata asked out of options. She would soon get her answer as an explosion went off in the town of Freeside. Sending up a large pillar of smoke against the backdrop of the setting sun.
"Alert! Explosion detected." A robotic voice announced as a securitron entered the room, this one had a cartoonish face on its screen.
"I can see that Yes Man." The Courier retorted mildly annoyed.
"Wait, where the hell have you been?" the Courier demanded.
"I've been monitoring the Legion's movement. They are currently heading this way." Yes Man answered.
"Oh, great. Just what I needed." The Courier moaned.
"I think you're forgetting something." Yes Man mentioned.
"And what would that be?" the Courier asked clearly stressed.
"What about your two guest?" Yes Man pointed out.
Amata and the Lone Wanderer were eying the robot with an air of caution and looked at the Courier who simply returned their gaze.
"They're not a threat if that's what you're asking." The Courier answered.
"Oh good, I'm glad to hear that as I am incapable of violent actions." Yes Man informed him.
"Yeah, remind me to get that pacifist programming replaced." The Courier.
"What was that explosion?" Amata asked.
"Analysis says that it was an improvised explosive device. Detonation site: Mick and Ralph's storefront." Yes Man answered.
"Any info on who set it off?" the Lone Wanderer asked.
"Oh sure, feel comfortable asking my robot a thousand questions." The Courier noted.
"Highest probability: Frumentarii of the Legion. Likely to weaken defenses before their main force comes." Yes Man answered.
"Well just piss in my Nuka Cola why don't cha." The Courier muttered.
"I am incapable of 'urinating' but I can spill oil-"
"It was a figure of speech!" the Courier yelled reaching the end of his rope.
"Nevertheless, what is the course of action you want to take?" Yes Man inquired.
"Well I'm going to kill every single one of those bastards obviously." The Courier answered.
"That's going to be a bit hard even for you." Amata told him.
"And why would that be?" the Courier asked.
"Cause you're still tied up." She told him nodding towards his restrains.
"Of course I am." He sighed.
"Tell you what, you tell us where the Platinum chip is and I'll cut you lose." Amata offered.
"Not this again." The Courier groaned.
"The Platinum Chip? Yes! Now would be an excellent time to activate the others." Yes Man suggested.
"Others? What 'Others'?" the Lone Wanderer asked.
"You want the Platinum Chip and don't know what it does, well isn't that just silly!" Yes Man said.
"Tell them what it is Yes Man." The Courier ordered.
"In simple terms." He added.
"Very well! The Platinum Chip is actually a hard drive reprogrammed to act as a key. A key to a whole army of Securitrons! If the army is activated in time it should be no problem wiping these legionaires off the map!" Yes Man answered.
"They want to hand it over to the NCR." The Courier added.
"That would help them in fending the legion off, right?" Amata asked.
"Oh, without a doubt. However it is what happens afterwards." Yes Man answered in a matter of fact tone.
"Tell them what is most likely to happen if the NCR gets there hands on it, again in simple terms." The Courier ordered.
"Once the NCR gains possession of the Platinum chip and thus the army of Securitrons. They will most likely augment them into their main forces. Coupled with their need for expansion they will bring the entire Mojave under their flag in a matter of weeks. Once finish here they will begin to expand East within the next 5-10 years. Less if they manage to reverse engineer the technology used to create Securitrons." Yes Man explained.
"Hey I just remembered. You two are came from the East, didn't you?" the Courier sarcastically asked.
The Lone Wanderer and Amata exchanged glances before looking back at the Courier.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Amata asked.
"Well first, cut me loose, and then go do whatever the hell you want." He told her.
"And you'll let us off the hook just like that." The Lone Wanderer noted.
"I think I have bigger problems then you two." The Courier answered.
Another explosion went off in the distance.
"Detonation detected. Detonation site: Cerulean Robotics." Yes Man announced.
"See what I mean?" the Courier pointed out, it was enough for Amata as she went over and untied him.
The Courier stood up from his chair and stretched, he walked over to his Ranger Sequoia that was laying on the floor and picked it up. He looked at Amata and the Lone Wanderer and holstered it.
"I trust you two can at least see to yourselves." He told them as he headed towards the elevator. He pressed the elevator and with a 'bing' the door opened for him.
Another explosion went off, this time a bit closer as it managed to knock some of the dust off the ceiling.
The Lone Wanderer and Amata came running up behind him.
"What now?" the Courier demanded.
"There was another explosion." The Lone Wanderer told him.
"Yeah, I kinda figured that out." The Courier retorted.
"At the Atomic Wrangler." Amata told him.
AN: Thanks for reading! (I think this is the longest chapter so far!) I hope you enjoyed it.