Factions, Armor, and Tactics

Summary – Twig wants to know about James's armor.

Note – AU; after Season 2

Disclaimer – I do not own or pretend to own anything from either the Fallout games or from Nuka Break, the web-series (but I'm very happy to be a huge fan!)

"So, James-"

The Ranger looked away from the mountain at Twig's voice, turning to focus on the vault dweller.

"-where'd you learn all that cool stuff? You know, the flipping Ben, catching my blade on your arm guards, shooting my sword?" Puffing slightly after reenacting their first meet up, Twig projected his questioning puppy eyes at the normally quieter man, ready to plead for the answer to awesomeness that was surprisingly forthcoming.

"I was a tracker in the Rangers."

"What?!" Twig stopped, his mouth opened wide enough to swallow a sand dune or two. "But...Ron said you weren't a Ranger! Which was good, I guess," he added, mumbling a little, "...'cause he kinda hates the NCR."

"I'm not a Ranger." Agreed James, dismissing the following echo of 'I'm not a ghoul' from his head. He took off his helmet, tucking it under an arm."I was, I got out, and here I am."

Scarlett wandered over, giving James a quizzical look.

"I didn't think that you could just walk off with NCR armor? Hell, I didn't think you could leave."

"I told the quartermaster I lost it." James and Scarlett shared a grin. "Only started wearin' it again when I was far enough away. After the enemies I made workin' for the NCR, least they could do was let me have it. And people do leave, just...normally in caskets."

"Being a Ranger sounds awesome though, besides the whole casket thing." Interjected Twig. "Why'd you quit?"

"Why does anyone stop doing what they like?" Mused James, giving a quick scan of the empty area around them.

"Money."

"No choice."

"They found something else?"

"It stopped being fun."

"Pretty much all of those reasons."

"So that's your armor then, and no one else's?"

James looked over at Twig, eyebrows raised at the extra stress on 'your'.

"Yes..." He drawled out slowly.

"What's your deal?" Asked Scarlett, looking over at Twig. "He said it was his armor."

"But he also said someone else was wearing it when he went into that den looking for Ben...so that mean's it's not his. Right?"

James stopped to light a cigarette, squinting to eye the sun's position.

"I wasn't lookin' for Ben there, I was lookin' for information about Ben - big difference. And there's a reason for not wearin' it. Have you ever heard the expression, 'don't kill the messenger?'"

Larry and Scar nodded while Bonnie and Twig shared a confused look.

"Rangers are NCR, right? Or at least they've been NCR for a long enough time to get the good armor."

"Right." Twig nodded. He definitely knew that.

"Then why the hell would I walk into a hangout full of thieves, murderers and slavers wearin' NCR armor?"James asked, shaking his head and smirking at the thought while Scarlett laughed outright. "It's a giant lit up sign sayin' 'please, shoot me now, I'll even stand still for you.'"

"So you gave it to your enemy?" Twig scratched his head. "That...still doesn't make a lot of sense."

"I didn't exactly give it to them. I knew I was gonna get it back. I left it on the path in front of them, got there first and then took it back by pretendin' to steal it, after I got the information I needed. If they hadn't takin' it, I would've gone back and picked it up."

"Oh." Twig nodded. "But..."

"What?"

"But you might not have gotten it back."

"It's my armor." came the patient explanation. "I would have gotten it back."

"What if the guy didn't want to give it up or something." Twig persisted.

"Again, it's my armor, not his." James said easily, taking the cigarette out of his mouth, and then dragging on it hard. "The only choice in the matter was if he was willin' to die for armor he just found. Most people aren't."

"And him?" Gulped Twig.

"He wasn't most people." James stated, accompanying the words with a steady stream of smoke.

"Right..."

"So, anymore questions?"

"Nope." Twig waved his hands and shook his head. "I'm good, nothin' else."

Larry snickered at the Vaultie's expression, and Scar laughed again; James too had to give a little smirk. Bonnie said nothing and hid her face, but shaking shoulders gave her away.

"With you here Twig, there's hope for the rest of us yet." The Ranger softened his expression, smiling at his trav- his friend. "Honestly, it's good there's still people like you around."

Twig opened his mouth to say something, then simply returned the grin...until Scar started telling James what Ben's response had been to Twig stealing the shishkabab.