"Pstt…. Rose."
"Roooooseeee."
"Oh for crying out loud. * Impetum in base." Arcade hissed through his teeth.
Without another word being said Rose was on her knees with a gun in her hands. Her black hair was in a mess that clung to her neck from sweat. She was only in her cropped gray top and dark grey shorts. Crawling out of bed she slipped on her combat boots and made her way outside to see Rex growling into the darkness and Arcade pointing at the same direction that Rex growled.
The only light that was glowing was from the fire that sat in the middle of the camp site, her eyes adjusted to dark when the figure stepped closer to the light.
"Inculta." She spit out with a growl.
"How feminine of you, Miss. Rose." He mocked her; his hands were at his side along with his weapons. No sudden moment was made by anyone only exchanged looks between Arcade and Rose.
"**Quid faciemus et nos ?" Arcade asked in Latin.
"No point in speaking in Latin at the moment Arcade, he understands more than we think." Her eyes never left him.
"Allow me to explain myself, it would only be fair, but well, I guess fair is not in your nature, Miss. Rose?" His words spoke truth to the courier making his lip twitch upward for a slight second.
Moments after the words being said Arcade stroked the fire and Rose took any weapon Vulpes would have on him.
"Is this honestly necessary?" He spoke with annoyance in his voice.
"After that ambush when I went out to grab some water, then yes it is." She pulled his guns out of his belt, taking away his bag he carried, when she reached for his machete his hand stopped her grabbing her wrist roughly.
"I keep the machete." He growled tugging her closer, he saw her smile.
"No your not, the Legion are trained mainly in hand to hand combat or any power fist, knife, or super sledge. Letting you keep your guns would be better than letting you keep your machete." Arcade came around quickly pulling the machete out of the sheath and took a seat across them with it in his lap.
"Smart man, what is he doing with a women like you?" Vulpes asked as she yanked her wrist out of his grip.
"We all hit a low time in our life." Arcade chuckled adjusting his glasses.
"I'll skin you alive, doctor." She glared at him sideways.
Vulpes sat down on the log alone, his weapons all gone along with anything at could have been in his bags. Rose sat on a log across from him with Rex at her side while Arcade sat between them on a log. The Fire crackled and burned into the night sky as Rose stared at Vulpes. The fire affecting his features, with a bright orange and red tint to his skin. While Arcade emptied out all the ammunition out of the guns .
"Do you plan on putting on any more clothes?" Vulpes asked raising an eye brow.
"If it makes you uncomfortable, then no."
"I never stated that, not a perfect view but hideous either. It is rather chilly isn't it?" His eyes glanced down at her chest where her shirt was the tightest.
Rose, also looking down noticed a sudden tightness in her shirt. Seeing two little bumps poking her shirt. Her face flushed red for a moment before regaining her confidence. 'He will not win this game. I won't let him' She thought to herself.
"Well I maybe a bit exposed physically but at least I still have everything to win a fight, isn't that right Inculta." She said holding her chin high.
"Don't underestimate me; I don't need profligate weapons to win a fight." His leaned on his elbows while his wolf hat shaded his eyes making them look darker.
"But then why use them?" She challenged back standing up. She then felt hands on her shoulders pulling her back down on her seat with a 'thump'. Arcade then pulled off his jacket and placed them on her shoulders.
"You might want to ask him why he's here. We both know you could win in a fight, if you think straight, but he's not here to chit-chat. He probably has real business to discuss." He leaned in and whispered in her ear before grabbing his book and sitting back down.
Rose wrapped the jacket around her tightly, the scent of Arcade filling her nostrils. She then focused on the man across from her, thinking about what she was going to say.
"What are you doing sneaking out our camp site?" Rose demanded folding her hands in her lap.
"I had some information passed down to me and I felt as if you might be in danger, or spied on I should say." His ice colds eyes stared at her green ones.
"We all know that I am capable of handling anyone, or thing for that matter." Rose didn't buy the 'you're in danger and I must protect you' cliché. Especially if that is coming out of Vulpes.
"Yes we all know that but what if that danger is a little too close to home hm?" His statement raised a question in the courier's mind.
"What are you talking about Vulpes?" Her voice grew aggressive, as if on cue Arcade looked up from his book raising an eyebrow.
"The legion has many spies spread across the Mojave. Even in the strip and Free side. A few have notice activity has been on the rise after you left in Freeside." He stopped to see if she could figure out the rest.
"The Kings." She whispered earning a nod from Vulpes.
"Not possible, I have been gone for one day. They can't take over all of Freeside that quickly or even cause that much damage." She shook her head side to side.
"Oh no, Freeside is safe, well as safe as Freeside gets. It's you they are looking for."
Rose snorted when he said that earning a smile from her. "I'm safe and my companions can fend for themselves, they can mess with us if they try, but it will end badly for them."
"Listen profligate, we all know that you have been associating yourself with them for a while. You have been helping them gain power, in such words, and they believe that you are their ticket to get inside New Vegas, to own New Vegas. They will stop at nothing now for it." Vulpes paused his eyes darting between Rose and Arcade before continuing. "When you left Freeside they sent out one lone king in the general direction you were heading, then moments later 3 large groups were sent out. To where we have some ideas but no one is certain." His eyes showed no concern for the situation, only informing.
"I have no relatives what so ever, that I remember, so I still don't see a problem." Rose shrugged her shoulders.
"Goodsprings, Primm, Jacobs Town, Old lady Gibson, Novac, just to name a few."
Rose's eyes dilated at the sound of those towns being named. Sure they may just be some other towns to anyone else, but to the courier, they were home. They helped her get back on her feet when she had to restart at life after getting shot in the head.
Arcade then cleared his throat before speaking up, "What do you propose we do Rose." He looked at her for an answer only to find her staring into the fire lost in her thought.
"Most of those towns are able to fend for themselves, Primm got a new sherrif that kills before ask questions, Novac is pretty tough with the sniper left, Jacobs Town and Goodsprings are the real problem and I believe lady Gibson has life time of experience. We can go to Jacobs Town when the sun rises to ensure their protection, we are not that far, but it will still be a long journey." She thought out loud.
"No, you must visit Caesar." Vulpes spoke up.
"Do you honestly believe that I would give up some innocent people's lives just to visit Caesar?" She asked tilting her head to the side.
"From the story's I have heard, then yes." He answered earning a glare from him.
"Well you heard wrong, these are my people, the closest thing I got." Standing up from her seat she checked her pip-boy looking at every location and scrolling through her inventory making sure everything is there.
Arcade got up with her walking over to her side.
"Whatever decision you make I will agree with, well one is better than the other but." She silenced him with a hand on his shoulder.
"I know Arcade, and I thank you. But now it is your turn to sleep and mine to stay on watch, I'll be fine and plus you look exhausted." She finished off with a smile as he nodded his head and went to his tent.
"Goodnight Rose." He closed the flap of the tent.
Rose sighed, buttoning a few buttons on Arcades Jacket she walked over to a log closed to Vulpes and sat down. Watching him as he stares into the fire.
"Why inform me about this now? Why not wait till after the meeting with Caesar?" She leaned forward and whispered.
His head turned slowly to look at her, his jaw tighten before he spoke.
"Because they would all be dead by then. The Kings are not powerful as people but as a group. They only obey the King and would carry out any order he says." Vulpes explained
"Just like the Legion? Or the NCR? Or robots? Everyone got someone they follow, someone they obey." She pointed out earning a glare from him.
"That is correct, but only those who follow a intelligent and strong leader will survive and know right from wrong."
"Says a legion." She mumbled under her breath. Her wrist was suddenly caught in his hand and he pulled her close, inches away from his face.
"One word profligate."
"Back at cha' Inculta." She whispered with her gun under his chin before he let go.
"If everyone follows someone, who do you follow, Miss. Rose?"
"I follow and lead myself, but this conversation was not meant to be talked about this night, was it?" She didn't turn her head but let her hair cover the side of her face, only black strands of hair danced around her face.
"Then what do we have to discuss?" He sighed.
"About the fact that we are changing directions and heading to Jacobs Town in the morning." She looked at him to see him roll his eyes.
"Typical, but I cannot return empty handed to Caesar." His words were clear.
"Don't fucking ask me to help. You could join us if you don't try to kill me and the doctor."
"Join you? Oh please, I rather follow a fiend than follow you." He snorted and turned his head away.
"Then return home to your precious leader and inform him on where I have gone and deal with all the complications of it or follow me to visit these towns and make sure everything is alright and tell Caesar that we had to make a detour due to complications. Either way if I'm there you will be fine." She explained quickly.
"Then from Jacobs town where do you want to go? To Goodsprings then to Novac and Primm? Make Caesar wait a few weeks to meet you?" Vulpes explained his voice getting louder and louder.
"Well just Jacobs Town and Goodsprings. Look on the bright side, you can help 'convince me' to side with the legion better than Caesar or any other legion dog." She lied. Knowing that if she painted a picture in his head of the legion winning the war that he would be convinced.
"Then I have no other option do I have? Fine, I'll go on this pointless journey along side you and the doctor, but if any one of you make a move I will kill you." He warned before standing up.
Rose stroked the fire and got up with him, watching him scan the area.
"What are you do-" She was then cut off by his hand to her mouth.
"Someone is watching us right now. Hand me a gun." He whispered to her ear watching her nod her head side to side stubbornly.
"I am trying to protect us and the information we just shared. So hand me a damn gun." Vulpes growled as he watch her slowly move to her bad pulling out a sniper rifle and a hunting rifle,
She threw the gun him and looked through the scope of the sniper rifle looking around in the darkness seeing few movements then seeing an arm from behind a rock.
"Movement at 3 o'clock."
"Take the shot."
"Cant no head no body just an arm, won't do any damage and we both know it." She zoomed in closer and looked at what the hand was holding.
"INCULTA GET DOWN." She threw the sniper rifle aside and jumped behind some rocks with Vulpes right behind her. The grenade went off causing smoke and debris fly all over the air. The thick clouds made it too hard to see through the night sky that was once clear.
Still in her cropped top, shorts and Arcades jacket, she covered her face as much as she can and waited for the dust and sand to settle.
As it did she looked around and realized, that the person who tried to attack them, was gone.
"Damn it! Bitches are gonna' die tonight." She exclaimed getting up from where she sat and slung the sniper rifle on her shoulder.
Arcade and Rex appeared from the dust, Arcade with weapon drawn.
"Over there to the left a shadow of a person , by the tent." Vulpes observed.
"Rex you heard him go after the shadow!" Rose shouted hearing Rex bark in agreement and watching him chase after the shadow.
"Maybe having a Frumentarri as a partner is not going to be as bad as I thought." She smirked at Vulpes who instantly rolled his eyes.
They waited until they heard a slight sound, Vulpes and Rose had walked slightly as possible to where they saw the shadow, while Arcade not being the type to sneak around stayed behind yawning as he sat by the fire gun in hand.
A sudden howl got there attention, followed by a growl, a yell and whimper as they started to run. They followed the sound to behind a large hill with a large formation of rocks around. Sliding down the hill she spotted Rex growling in a direction and limping on his legs.
"Rex, you alright boy?" She inspected his leg before continuing, "Smug bastard broke your leg so you wouldn't chase after him, I swear I will cut this persons throat and hold their head down in a tank of acid." She growled as she watched Vulpes inspect the area.
"You tend to have a list of the most gruesome deaths for people do you?" He asked picking up a ripped piece of cloth and looking at some footsteps.
"Only when they fuck with me or my companions, especially Rex." She spoke in rage, while laying rex down.
Vulpes walked back to her dropping the cloth and Jet in front of her, then bending down to pat Rex on his brain tank.
"This dog is not so useless after all. He ripped off a piece of clothing from the attacker and he left behind some of his chems." He watched as Rose picked up the objects and rage that followed after.
"This is from a Kings uniform and the Jet makes it obvious on who is following us. Its fucking Pacer. The one who was so worried about me is now trying to kill me." She laughed quietly to herself before putting the objects in arcades jacket.
"This is going to be fucking great." She stood up with hands crossed looking down at Rex who whimpered.
"Don't worry buddy, we will have Arcade look at you and when we get to Jacobs Town we will have the doctor take a look at you again just in case." She smiled and looked back at Vulpes with pleading eyes. Vulpes looked at her and raised an eyebrow in suspension.
"Vulpesssssss, can you please help me carry Rex back to camp?" She pleaded rubbing her metal arm.
"No." He stated as quickly as the question was asked.
"But whyyyyyyy?" She complained look strait at him.
"You got two arms, well ones metal too, and two legs. Be a big girl now." He laughed as he saw her face went blank.
She stood there patiently as he starred down at her, as quickly as she could she pulled back her metal arm and swung forward with all the force she had to be stopped by his palm, which will have a bruise in the morning for stopping a metal fist.
He smirked then started to walk away back to camp. Rose stood there taking a deep breath before walking back to Rex and picking him up with all her strength.
"Don't worry buddy, I got this I can carry you back to camp. I'll never leave you behind." She hulled him as far as she can and slowed down a bit making sure not to touch his injured leg. "Almost there buddy, don't you worry about it." She continued talking to the dog as he whimpered.
Vulpes watched from a distance how she struggled carrying the large half metal dog. Stopping at some points to breathe then continuing forward step by step. He liked watching her struggle, it gave him entertainment. 'The Queen of New Vegas' 'The One who rose from the Dead' 'The immortal one' 'The Courier', all of these nicknames yet she struggled with a simple task like this? It's as if she needed a male in her life for certain tasks.
Without thinking he walked towards her until he was face to face to her while she stopped to take a breath.
"Came here to laugh at me? What a surprise." She commented until she felt the weight being lifted off of her and watched Vulpes carry rex. He had to admit Rex was heavy for a dog, but that most likely due to the metal. But he would never say that out loud.
"You know I could have done it myself." She would grumble under her breath as she walked next to him.
"Yeah maybe so, but it would be morning by then." He sighed.
Sorry for the long pause, computer was messed up and slowed me down. I hope you are enjoying the story and stay till the end! I tried to give Vulpes a more nice(er) personality when he is with Rose but in front of others (Even Arcade) he would be Rude and like a typical Legainary. Thank you for reading and please leave a review if you can!
* Attack on base!
**What should we do?