Chapter 5: Fiends
Traveler watches as the raiders pick through the belongings of the dead NCR soldiers. From his vantage point atop an empty ruin, he has a clear view of almost everything outside of the nearby NCR Stronghold, Camp McCarran. He spotted the carrion birds circling overhead whilst he and Veronica were approaching the outermost of the ruins. Internally he is chastising himself. Thus far he has had little trouble with raiders and thugs in the Mojave. There were a few small groups, but they are nothing compared to the armies that once inhabited most of DC.
He nearly walked right into this little trap point. If he hadn't stopped to think why the birds were still circling instead of feasting, he certainly would have ended up in a firefight. Having never faced the local raider type, he is unsure how hard a battle with them would be, and he isn't all that keen to find out. Idiot, think, don't get comfortable. This place is just as dangerous as the rest of the world, if not more so. From everything he has gathered from listening to traders and the Caravanners he has signed on with, the raider population in the New Vegas area is highly concentrated in the ruins surrounding the neon oasis.
The bastards here are known as fiends. They are not only junkies, but actually worship the high. They are led by some sick, twisted believe that to die while on a high is to get straight into something they call the eternal. They are dedicated to their mayhem, and they are all psyched up on some serious chems. Looking down at the group below him, he can believe it.
All of the fiends are clad in mismatched leather and metal. They have adorned themselves with animal skulls and bones. One of them has a belt of scalps hanging from her waist, another sports a collection of ears, and just from looking, one appears to have decided to collect fingers and eyes. These are gruesome warriors, and he can tell they enjoy battle. The group has a wide selection of weapons. Between the five of them, he can see six pistols of various calibers and makes, two lever action rifles, and even what appears to be an energy weapon. Someone is supplying these bastards.
"I don't have much love for the NCR, but this is just wrong." Beside him Veronica's face has taken on a slightly green coloration. At first he was worried that she would loose her stomach at the first sign of combat, but so far she has kept it together. Brotherhood training must be strict out here. "What are we going to do?"
Traveler considers. He is well equipped for a fight, he always is, but Veronica is still an unknown factor. So far she has done exactly what she promised she would when he took her on. She has carried her weight, and despite the nearly constant chitchat, she has learned when to shut up. However he has yet to see her in a fight and his unsure how best to use her skills. It would be best to just circle around the fiends and hope that this group make up the whole of their presence in this specific section of ruins, but that is a long shot. "We go through them, but we need to make this quick. Melee only, gunfire will draw too much unwanted attention." Veronica nods and activates her gauntlet.
Traveler reaches over his shoulder and draws his katana. The feathers tied to the end rustle slightly. It has been a while since he has used the sword, and it is hungry for blood. He can already feel its rage and lust for combat flowing through him. A steadying breath is taken, and then he launches himself out of the ruin and into the air. The blade sinks through the top of a raider as he lands, driving the fiend to the ground and impaling his sword into the earth. Before the others can react he stands and whirls, cleanly slicing off the head of another fiend.
Veronica steps into the fight, swinging her fist into the face of a fiend. The sound of the man's face splitting and crunching beneath the attack sounds along the road. One of the remaining fiends opens fire with a laser rifle, forcing Traveler and Veronica to take cover behind some ruble. The other fiend grabs a metal pipe and runs at Traveler from the side. Traveler braces himself, and when the fiend reaches him he kicks his feet out and uses the man's own momentum to throw him against a wall. Before the man can regain his senses Traveler sinks his sword into the fiend's chest, twisting to make sure he dies. A laser beam sears the wall next to his head and he ducks back down.
He rolls to the side and puts his back against a wall. More laser beams slam into the brick, sending up clouds of rust and burning mortar. He hears Veronica let out a pained cry and looks just in time to see her take a volley of laser bolts. Adrenaline rushes through him and he abandons his cover. Blood rushes through his ears as he charges forward, covering the distance between him and the fiend in a matter of seconds. The fiend's face is surprised as Traveler's blade bursts up through the side of his neck. He looks down to see the hilt flush against his stomach. Traveler holds the man's gaze as he dies. No one feels any pain when Traveler kills unless he wants them to. He twists his blade slowly. The fiend feels it.
Wrenching the blade out of the man and leaving him there to bleed out, Traveler rushes to where Veronica is lying prone on the ground. He rolls her onto her back and she moans in pain. She has taken three blasts. One along the side of her chest and two in the leg. Her chest wound is of no concern, it is cauterized and no bleeding, just burned. Her leg however is bleeding way more than it should be. He sheaths his katana and instead draws his hunting knife. Quickly he slashes open a section of her robes. A grimace crosses his features as he looks at the hole in her leg.
Lasers usually cauterize the flesh where ever they strike. The burn is extremely painful, but there is no risk of bleeding out. Sometimes though, the bolt can be under powered and not have enough heat to burn the wound enough. That is the case with Veronica's leg. Not only that, but it is far to close to the artery in her leg for him to ignore for now. Using a stimpack would be pointless, most of the stim cells will be swept out with all the blood she is loosing. He has to staunch the flow somehow. He can either remove her leg and attach a tourniquet, or...
Leaping up he runs to the now dead fiend and grabs the laser rifle from his hands. The dial on the side is set wrong, no wonder the weapon malfunctioned. Tweaking the dial up as far as it will go he returns to Veronica's side. She is conscious now and looking around in a haze. She locks eyes with him just as he aims at her. She instinctively throws up her hands to shield herself.
The red beam flashes through the air and Veronica screams in pain for just a moment before passing out again. Traveler tosses aside the laser rifle as the weapon starts to smoke, now useless. He grabs her leg and stretches it out its full length. The bleeding has stopped now, but the burn will be far worse now and it will likely scar permanently, but at least she keeps her leg. Shouldering off his bag he digs around until he finds his medical supplies. With the bleeding stopped he applies a stimpack, now the cells will be able to do their work. That should help with the burns. Veronica lets out a soft whimper and her eyes flutter momentarily. He has to get her to a doctor with real medical supplies. The nearest place is McCarran. Any plans of avoiding the NCR are abandoned as he pulls Veronica to her feet and drapes and arm around his shoulders.
As the limp up the road towards the camp his eyes are constantly moving. Scanning for any and all signs of movement among the ruins. That fight hadn't been nearly quiet enough to not get noticed. Someone heard it, and someone will be coming to investigate. Every shadow seems to be hiding a fiend. Every brick a gun waiting to be fired. The sound of distant feet stops him dead in his tracks. Up the road is a group of people. They are moving in their direction fast. Traveler pulls Veronica behind an overturned mail drop box and draws his revolvers.
The group is large, at least ten people if not more. Traveler is good, but even he cannot contend with that many at once. Thumbing back the hammers on his revolvers he gently pushes Veronica down further behind the mail box. The least he can do is draw whoever's attention that is away from her. Hopefully she will come to and be smart enough to get herself to McCarran. All he has to do is wait until he can identify the group. His eyes narrow, they don't look like fiends, and their formation is too uniform to be mercenaries. As they pass a lamp post that somehow has power he makes out the armor of the NCR. Apprehension fills him, but he knows he has to get their aid. Raising his guns above his head, he steps out into the road.
A soldier at the front of the group shouts an order and they come to a stop with weapons raised. "Freeze," A woman wearing a red beret shouts, as if he was moving in any way, "identify yourself!"
"I am a Traveler. My friend and I were headed towards New Vegas in the hopes of finding some work. We came upon a scene where some of your men have been ambushed just down a road a ways. The fiends saw us and attacked. My friend is hurt and needs medical attention."
"How many fiends where there?"
"Five, none escaped, but the fighting was loud enough to have drawn some attention." The woman in the red beret barks some orders to the rest of the soldiers. The group splits into two parts. One surrounds Traveler and helps Veronica up to her feet and the other continues down the road in the direction of the fight.
"I am Corporal Betsy, First Recon. You and your fiend there will be escorted to McCarren for questioning." Without another word the woman turns on her heal and rushes after the group headed towards the attack sight. Traveler regards the men left to escort, or actually guard, him and Veronica. Two of the four look like green recruits, one is a solid soldier, and the fourth looks to old to be running around and fighting. The NCR must be on its last legs if it has soldiers like this deployed into the field.
As they enter McCarren, the sorry state of the NCR only becomes even more obvious. The entire complex has a shambled look to it, as though it is only being held together by sheer force of will. From the looks of things, that willpower will fail here soon. The faces of the soldiers are all somber and bleak. Guards are slouched at their positions, fatigue showing one their faces. Recruits go through the motions of training, but it is only halfhearted. The rest all lay about with forlorn expressions. Like Veronica, Traveler has no real love for the NCR, but he has served with them, and seeing them like this is not exactly easy. "Trooper," he turns to one of the men escorting him, "who is in command here?"
The soldier regards him with suspicion. "Colonel Hsu." Traveler is, well he wasn't expecting that. Suddenly the state of the NCR has gone from bad, to worse. He knows Hsu. The man cares about his men, much more than many other officers do. If this is the state of his compound, then bad times must be an understatement.
"Whichever of you give your report to him, tell him that a friend from Two Bears is here." The soldiers are clearly confused, but do not question him. They take Veronica off in the direction of a field hospital and lead him into the actual compound. Seams McCarren was once an airport. The Terminal building operates as their base of operations. Inside he is lead to a small room with a two way mirror set into it. They sit him down in a metal chair and leave, not even bothering to take his weapons. Either they don't think he any danger to them, or they are careless.
With nothing else to do, Traveler begins to clean his weapons. He dismantles them expertly and spreads all the parts out along the floor. Soon most of the space in the room is taken up by weapon pieces. Time ticks by and he has cleaned all but one of his revolvers when the door opens and in walks a face from his past. Colonel Hsu enters the room with a folding chair in his hands. He sits down directly opposite Traveler and crosses his arms, worry making his otherwise youthful face seem old and weathered. Traveler remembers him full of energy and with a spark in his eye. Before him now is the person who has seen too many good soldiers die. Traveler supposes that he too once underwent that change. Everyone does.
When Hsu finally speaks, his voice is quiet and tired. "I don't have any living friends from Two Bears." He sits forward and studies Traveler's face. "Two Bears was a massacre. Fifteen good soldiers went in there, accompanied by three rangers and at least four private contractors. The clan they were meant to negotiate peace with took their numbers as an act of war and attacked before the negotiations even started. The narrow pass where the clan lived offered them an excellent firing range. The soldiers were torn apart, only three made it out, one disappeared and another died from their wounds. I was the third. So tell me, who are you to say you are a friend from Two Bears?"
Traveler steels his face. "First off, there were only ten NCR soldiers, one ranger, and two mercenaries, as well as a prisoner picked up along the way and dragged into the fighting. To call him a private contractor is an insult. As for the fight, the officer in charge of the operation never wanted peace. He went into the field looking for a fight and did nothing but provoke the clan leaders. The conflict is his fault, and no others. Those men died because of him. During the fighting, that prisoner managed to get his hands free of his bonds, grabbed one of the wounded soldiers as well as the officer in charge and carry them both to safety while bleeding from a wound to the side. That prisoner left them both in the hands of nearby NCR outpost before leaving. He was never supposed to be there, but lucky for you, commanding officer, he was."
Hsu's face is unreadable, but his eyes betray the deep sadness and regret that are at that moment tearing him apart. "So it is you. I live with the guilt of that day every hour of my life. I have tried to do better, I have changed, but here you are. So what is it? Here to make me pay for what I did to my people? Here to claim some revenge for dragging you into the fight instead of cutting you loose like I should have? What damn you? What?"
Traveler lowers his head and chuckles darkly. "That wasn't the only time we met, Hsu. We crossed paths twice afterwards, only you didn't know it was me. See I took the gear from that ranger that died, easiest way to cross territory controlled by the republic is too look like one of your legends. You and your men were actually saved by me a second time out in the Mojave. It must have been your fist combat experience with the Legion because once again you and yours were in trouble."
Hsu sits forward. "You still have not answered the question, why are you here?"
Traveler cracks a small smile. "Like you said, I am a private contractor. I am looking for work."
Hello eveyone and their friends! Sorry this one took forever, midterms and all that jazz. Some of the referances made in these last few chapters will soon be appearing in Dusty Old Stories, no I have not abandoned that idea, and I hope you will check them out. As always leave a review, your feedback is most welcome! Also, I am accepting requests for cameos from NCP's that you like from the game.