Chapter 55: Broken Dreams

Joseph stooped down to lay a hand on Rosa's head. He stuck two of his fingers underneath her chin. A faint pulse, more than enough. If he didn't move deliberately, however, she could very well experience brain death.

"Joseph…" Kim growled. "What did you do?"

"…Broke a stalemate," Joseph explained. "Rougher than I intended, but the situation was dire."

"Did you kill Rosa?" Kim hissed.

"No…" Joseph shook his head. "Not yet. We still have time, but not much. I need you to help me move her before…"

A shriek within the caves echoed through the tunnels. Kim tried to pull up her machinegun, but the strain on her shoulder was too much to bear. "…That is going to be a problem," Joseph stated the obvious. "As will the two gunners who left. As will the giant snake, as well."

"What giant snake?" Kim asked incredulously. A rumble within the caves shook the tunnels to their foundations, debris and dust falling around them. Kim groaned under her breath as she hoisted Rosa under her arm. "Following your lead, blind man."

"Thank you for your faith, Ms. Baxter," Joseph smiled as he made his way though the tunnels.

"Lieutenant," Kim corrected.

The torrent pummeled her as she stumbled through the miasma of fog and mist. Scarcely able to breathe, Rosa coughed out the dreck that seeped into her mouth. Any more water around her and she would have to swim the rest of the way to… wherever she was going.

A light shone before her. It could have been miles away, but as she approached, she found herself on the doorstep before she realized it. Looking up at the neon sign, she could see the letters "Br_ken Dr_ms" shining like a beacon in the dark. Grateful for some kind of respite, Rosa forced her way into through the door.

As she entered, the sudden warmth inside shocked her. As Rosa looked for a towel rack or something of the like, she realized that she was also completely dry. Super convenient. She then looked at what she had stumbled into.

It was a cross between a tavern and a diner, not quite an establishment on the level of even the Atomic Wrangler, but something about it came off as… cozy and safe. The foyer, she believed she was in, led directly to a bar. Along the walls were posters and photographs, maps of roads and cities and landmarks and one of what looked like a family tree. A man in a duster sat on a stool while an old guy in a bowler hat polished off a glass behind the counter.

She heard a burst of static, turning to see a sandy-haired blond guy giddily listening to the radio, his restless legs tapping violently against the floorboards as he barely stifled his laughter. Rosa had very often seen such conditions from gamblers who just knew they were on a hot streak.

Curious, she approached the man as she began to make out the female voice on the radio.

"…usurped by what appears to be a paramilitary force that has taken control of the Lucky 38 casino. Local marshals have been called in to assist in rescuing the Governor, but have thus far been stymied by multiple crises, including a mass prisoner uprising at the Sierra Madre Supermax, an incursion by mercenary forces to the north, as well as what appears to be a gang war on Bishop territory between those loyal to Boss Gavino Bishop and those of an underboss named Jake Freeman. In other news, despite multiple witnesses, there have been no further sightings of a rogue deathclaw that has escaped captivity and caused seventeen fatalities with thirty-eight injured…"

"I just love good news," the man purred as he leaned back in his booth, resting his head on his hands.

"What kind of program is that?" Rosa asked. "Some kind of alt-history drama?"

The man peeked an icy blue eye at her. "…News parody?" she kept guessing. "Blooper reel?"

"…What are you doing here?" the man asked.

"I…" Rosa's words died on her lips. "…I can't remember," she confessed.

The blond stranger opened both of his eyes then. He forced his torso up to get a better look at her. "…Hm…" he stroked his chin. "You almost seem familiar."

"Have we met?" Rosa asked.

"…No," the man shook his head. "I don't believe we have, but you have a rather… distasteful presence."

"Sorry," Rosa scoffed. "Didn't think we got off on the wrong foot."

"Oh, that particular foot never had a chance," the stranger grinned. "Sometimes things are beholden to events set in motion long ago, isn't that right, Tom?"

The bartender continued to ignore him while the other man kept staring into his drink.

"Who are those guys?" Rosa asked.

"Those are… shush, girl, it's back…" the stranger warned as he began to fine-tune the radio.

"…in other news, tensions continue to escalate between the Allied Expeditionary Group and the Cabal, a united front of anti-California factions outside the walls of Circle Junction."

The man sitting at the bar rose his head at that.

"A truce has been temporarily declared between the sides, as leaders from both parties have agreed to come together to discuss terms. Heading the negotiation on the AEG's side is Commissioner Natalie Boone, while Nemesio del Juarez, accompanied by Kenzie McGrath, will represent the Cabal on behalf of their de facto commander Vulpes Inculta…"

"HA!" the stranger screamed as he leaped from his seat. "A-HAHAHAHA!" he cheered as he jumped in celebration and glee. The stranger at the bar merely glanced at the bartender, who unconsciously poured a generous amount of whiskey into his cup, leaving the bottle as he continued to clean the glasses.

"What's so funny?" Rosa asked.

The man could barely stifle his giggling. "Oh… you wouldn't get it," he tittered. "…He's something of an old friend of mine."

"…You two go way back?" Rosa asked.

The man's icy blue gaze bore into her. "…Like you wouldn't believe."

"Miss," the man from the bar patted on the stool next to him. "Don't give him too much of your attention. He can be rather insufferable when he's in a mood like this."

"Don't you wish to celebrate in the festivities, old friend?" the first stranger asked.

"Nah. Knock yourself out. For all our sakes," the man on the stool muttered under his breath.

Rosa left the celebrator to his revelry as she went to the bar. Taking a seat, the bartender poured her a drink before she could even order. Rosa took the glass, sniffed it, and downed the whole thing. It burned her to her core and woke her up, stinging her senses out of the haze she had been in. "Holy shit," she exclaimed. "Just what the doctor ordered!"

"This place tends to do that," the man beside her explained as the bartender began to pace.

"…What is this place, anyway?" Rosa asked

"The Café of Broken Dreams," the bartender announced. "Or so the owner told me."

"Huh," Rosa breathed. "And who and where is the owner?"

"Can't say and don't know," the bartender stated, flatly. "He only requested that we abide by the house rules," he pointed to the sign above the mirror set behind the bar. Said rules were as followed.

Don't act feral. Civilized folk get civilized treatment

Clean up after yourselves

You can drink as much as you want, inventory will be restocked

You may stay as long as you want

When you leave, you can never come back

"Kinda a buzzkill for repeat business, don't you think?" Rosa mused aloud.

"Considering we drink for free, I'm not of a mind to complain," the man sitting next to her sighed.

"…Who are you, anyway?" Rosa asked.

"…Nobody important. I just kind of… drifted in here," the drifter explained. The bartender stifled something that sounded like a cough.

"Well, Drifty One, you got a name?" Rosa asked as she settled in.

The drifter allowed a laugh to escape. "You know what? It's funny. I can't remember the last time I used it. Normally I'm just called whatever I was doing at that particular moment. Chem pusher, scumbag, murderer, traitor, savior, Elite, Interfector, but I think I prefer Drifter," he admitted.

"At least it's better than Brat or Bitch," she playfully complained.

"I'll drink to that," the drifter rose his glass as they shared a shot.

"So, name?" Rosa asked once more.

"…If you must know, it's…" Vulpes let out another whooping holler as the news reported that the Pelt-Brutes had taken up skirmishing with the reconnaissance elements of the AEG. Rosa looked to the Drifter as she mulled over what she had been told. "Huh. Never would have pegged that name for you." The Drifter shrugged. It was what it was.

"…You going anywhere?" Rosa asked as she got a better look at him. He seemed familiar, almost understanding what the blond guy was talking about. His features resembled someone she knew, she felt, except around the eyes. Sad ones, the kind where one hadn't smiled, really smiled, in too long.

"…I got somewhere to be. Folk waiting on me," he admitted as he looked out the door. "…I'm not looking forward to it," he admitted.

"So, you're just going to drink yourself to death in some random bar in the middle of nowhere?" Rosa playfully heckled.

"…It'll be a bit of a challenge," the drifter almost laughed. "Tom here has been keeping it steady since I got here, and I haven't even needed to piss."

Rosa turned to look around, realizing that there weren't any bathrooms. The blond was currently punching the air, ecstatic over the negotiations breaking down, calling Inculta a "prodigious machine after his own heart." The bartender just grimaced at the man before returning to the drifter. "Looks like someone is enjoying their retirement," he joked.

The drifter chuckled. "Should we all? You, girl, you got a story?"

Rosa gradually began to remember fragments of some kind of past. Growing up in a tower. Her two best friends. Mr. Bones. Her uncles. The fights she got in and the hearts she broke, usually her own. And she remembered going on a journey to the east.

"…Sounds like you've been busy," the drifter almost smiled as he took a sip.

"…I just wish I could remember more," Rosa admitted. "What about you? What's your story?"

"…I'm a man who got hurt real early and lost too much. I went looking for a new home and found it. And not long afterward I discovered a new purpose and burned that home to the ground," the drifter explained. "I had everything I thought I wanted. Power. Purpose. A chance to strike back at that which made me what I was." He took his glass and toasted it to his reflection. "Bottoms up," he quietly and sarcastically cheered as he poured the drink onto the counter.

"Dude, what the shit?" Rosa complained as the liquor seeped over the counter, the bartender already grabbing some rags, having expected the outburst.

"Listen to me, girl," the drifter turned to her, his eyes serious. "People make mistakes. Small ones, big ones, shallow ones, and deep ones. And often they make decisions that are very hard to take back. However, if one makes a mistake and gives it their all to try and make up for it, what would you do?"

"…Depends on the mistake, I guess?" Rosa offered, confused. "I mean, you'd have to fuck up royal to be beyond redemption."

"Define royal?" the drifter asked, curious.

"I mean… depends on how many bodies," Rosa half-joked. "Slavery also seems like one of those things that most people understand shouldn't have to be told is bad, so anyone who engages in it is kinda…"

"…So how would you define redemption, I wonder?" the drifter asked. "By our standards or… by a higher one?"

"…I don't fucking know," Rosa shook her head. "Ask Joseph if you ever see him, or Arcade or someone who thinks about this shit regularly. I'm not smart enough to give you a good answer!" she whined. She thought for a moment. "…But to answer your first question, if someone wanted to make something right and really REALLY meant it, I guess it would be worth a shot, no matter how many times they fall."

"What makes you say that?" the drifter asked.

"…It's how I'd want to be treated," Rosa replied, quietly. "And that's really the best I got for stuff like this," she said as she looked at the mirror. She saw her reflection. And sitting next to her was a crimson-faced ghoul. Her face snapped back to the drifter, who only chuckled mirthlessly. "Fancy mirror," he half-laughed as the bartender walked in front of it to grab a bottle, his reflection a mass of glowing green ooze.

A sharp series of knocks rapt on the doorframe. "Rosa? Hey, Rosa!" a harsh and raspy voice called out from the storm. "Puta Madre, this shit comes down heavy!"

Rosa turned to look at the two figures standing in the doorway, just outside the entrance. "Mr. Tejada, mind your language," his stern partner chided. "Ms. Perez, we've been looking for you. It's time for you to leave this place."

The drifter seemed to recognize the voice. "…Joshua?"

The two seemed to stare at one another for what seemed like a minute. "…It's been a while, old friend," the figure greeted. "Can't say I'm surprised to see you here."

"…Nor I you," the drifter said. "Our kind weren't meant to live too long, were we?"

"We survive through our actions. For better or worse," the figure stated. "…You've been here a while, haven't you?"

The drifter turned away from the figure, staring into his cup. "…When it rises again, I shall leave and face my judgment," he said. "That's the deal I made."

"…And what of you?" the figure asked the bartender.

"Waiting for a friend," was the response.

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite legate," the blond man strolled around the doorway. "It has been far too long."

"Of course you would be hiding here," Graham growled.

"Oh? Are you not happy to see me? Would you wish to amend that yourselves?" the blond chuckled.

"Smartass," the raspy voice spoke up. "You know we have to abide by the rules, cobarde. We left eons ago and you're still hovering over that radio like the roach you are!"

The blond took a theatrical bow. "I don't bore easy, friends. It was nice to see you two, now be off with both of you."

"…The longer you remain in this purgatory, the less say you will have when you are removed," Graham said. "The day is coming when another old friend will arrive. I'm sure the two of you will have plenty to talk about," he added, ominously. The blond merely returned to his booth, tuning the radio.

Rosa, while this conversation had been going on, found her attention drawn to one of the posters on the walls. It looked like one of those family trees that Arcade had shown her during his lessons to her about genealogy. Starting from the mushroom cloud at the top, she watched the descending names as they split off and connected and added. The first name that struck out to her was Albert Cole, somewhere in the middle. Joined by Patricia, they gave birth to a daughter named Rashika, who would later give birth to a son named Narg of the Ashbark. From there, two different women would give birth to his sons named Gavino and Makode.

Rosa felt her head begin to ache in pain as she looked further down the family tree. She saw Judy and the many names beneath her, James who stood next to her, and finally, there were the names under Makode and his two women. Duncan Schmitt and Rosa Perez. "…Who the hell names their kid Duncan?" Rosa muttered as she faded from the café, the two figures departing as they left the guests to themselves.

"…by proclamation of the newly installed Caesar Scorpio, the Senate of Dallas has been ordered to convene to officially recognize the new reign in light of the death of Caesar Lanius. In other news, the Legios Amazonia has been driven out of Laredo by forces loyal to the new Caesar. The Oracle, as of the time of this report, has yet to be located."

"YES!" the blond cried in jubilation. "THAT IMBECILE LANIUS IS DEAD! A-HA!"

Kekos and the Drifter looked at each other. "…Should we break it to him?" Mr. Kekos asked. "Nah, let him figure it out on his own," the Drifter countered. A few moments later, he very well did.

"…ah, damn it…"

Rosa's eyes began to flutter open. The lights blinded her and the muffled voices blurred together into a cacophony of murmurs and indistinct utterings. There were some lights above her, and shadows crowding around her. Slowly, she could make out a voice.

"…Kid…Rosa…can you hear me?"

"…Mom?" Rosa breathed out. Slowly, her vision returned and she saw the grey-haired cowgirl looking over her. "Oh…Sharon, right? What the… where… am I in heaven?" she continued as she groggily looked around her. "…Aw, shit, Dalton's here. This must be the other place."

Dalton flipped her his remaining middle finger. His right hand was down a middle and trigger, the bandage keeping the amputations covered. Melody was darting between him and Baxter, dressing a wound on the soldier's shoulder after digging out the bullet. Kim winced as the stimpak sealed her wound, then relaxed as the pain began to dull. Elsewhere, Jimmy realized Rosa was awake and bounded up to her. "ROSA! YOU'RE OK!"

"Yeah, Jim, yeah, I'm feeling peachy," Rosa coughed as she struggled to get up. "…Never been so glad to see you guys," she smiled.

Jimmy laughed as Melody let out a sigh of relief, wiping the blood from her hands after having to alternate between two separate injuries from two separate patients. Her "assistant" had flat out refused to help with Dalton, though it allowed her to focus on helping keep the pressure on Kim's wound. Seeing the soldier, Rosa remembered the situation that had been left off. "What happened to-"

"They started a fight after your blind friend… knocked you out," Kim replied, unfamiliar with the nomenclature. "They took off down the tunnel and probably killed each other by now."

Rosa thought back to her first meeting with the woman who gave her life. To kidnap your own child for the bounty, suddenly the old man's irritation with her questions about where her- where Ariel was made a lot of sense. Even so, some part of her hoped for the best and that Ariel would come out on top of the fight against Asshat, if only for Carla's sake. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned to Lt. Baxter and smiled. "…Looks like I owe you one."

"I think we're almost even," Kim chuckled as Melody wrapped her injured shoulder in gauze. "If we're not, I'll just dump my tab onto you when we reach Vegas."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Rosa laughed, brushing wordlessly past Larain as she walked over to Dalton. "What happened to you?"

"Deathclaw tried to eat my hand," he spat. "Almost got half."

"Think your fighting days are over?" Rosa asked.

"It'll be fine, I'm a lefty," Dalton snorted.

"Since when?" Rosa asked.

"About a few minutes ago," Dalton shrugged. "You really missed out on one heck of a fight. Abel there can give you the details, provided you still aren't interested in castrating him."

"Abel? Who-" Rosa turned to see Larain trying to duck behind some ammo crates to minimize his profile. Ignoring him, Rosa then turned back to the grey-haired cowgirl. "…What brought you all the way out here?" Rosa asked.

"You," Cass replied.

"…That's an awful long way for a girl you just met in a shitty town bar," Rosa replied as she folded her arms.

"Not long enough when you're the kid of the Governor," Cass smirked. "Your old man and I go way back."

Rosa closed her eyes and fought back the urge to vomit. "Oh, great, another of the old man's booty calls."

Cass burst out laughing. One of the Mexicans guarding the entrance to the storage area peeked in to see what caused it. For Cass herself, the catharsis meant the world to her. She looked back at Rosa and smiled. "…My name is the Rose of Sharon Cassidy. You can call me Cass."

Rosa felt her jaw drop. Cass was a legendary figure, spoken of with reverence by everyone including Uncle Arcade, the Boones, to even the Governor himself. A wastelander of such renown and talent that only the Governor in his prime could have eclipsed, someone who fought alongside him at Hoover Dam and one of the few survivors of the mythical Battle of the Big MT before it vanished. It had been drilled into her head for years that the Rose of Sharon Cassidy was a primer badass, and now here she was in the flesh before her.

Amy looked out from the corner of the crate she hid behind. She didn't know who was worse, Dalton or Rosa. Everything went wrong when those two had entered her life, and now she found herself in their presence once more. She just had to keep a low profile, maybe sneak away while the rest of the group was distracted. Find Cade. But until the opportunity presented itself, she would have to wait.

Larain had recognized Amy not long after he had moved Dalton into the supply cave. They had gone back years in the McGrath Clan, though they were hardly friends. Larain had spent most of his time with the other gunners and a new girl every few months or so, whereas Amy was largely associated with the clan as someone in Daphne's menagerie of working girls via Cade. Which reminded him that she played a role in the whole Cade Disaster back at the Res-by-the-Res.

As much as he wanted to put the girl on blast, this cave was full of people who would either happily blow him away or barely care enough to stop them. Though Rosa was now deciding to explicitly ignore him, Jimmy had been pressing a shotgun against his head until Rosa's unconscious body had been dragged in, with Dalton in no condition whatsoever to intervene.

So, he decided to keep his cards close to the chest and confront Amy later, if ever. Right now he did not have any excess goodwill, if any. The only thing he knew was that there was a giant homicidal lizard somewhere in the caves, and the more guns he had between himself and that, the happier he could force himself to be. And at least none of these fuckers were Legion.

"…Wait, where the hell is Joe?" Rosa finally asked, looking around.

Melody let out a brief chuckle. "After bringing you back, he said he had another urgent matter to take care of and took off. You know, the usual crap he pulls."

Rosa seemed to relax. "Well, let's not keep him waiting. Anyone who doesn't want to stick around here, let's fucking bounce!"

"Who do you think you are, giving orders?" one of the Mexican guards heckled.

"If you guys got something better to do, I won't stop you. Besides," she paused as she looked directly at Larain. "It's not every day you get a second chance."

The minotaur came barreling out of the caves, clutching the girl to his chest. "QUINTAS!" he screamed as he set the child down. "COME!"

Quintas rushed beside the Legate, looking down at the girl in disbelief. "By Mars itself, you actually found-"

"HEALING POWDER, NOW!" Barabbas screamed, disinterested in sentiment.

Overlooking the scene were the other riders, surrounding the two prisoners on their knees as Damocles and Uriah held their blades to their necks. Kyra and Frost were trying to negotiate with Drago, explaining the circumstances that led to the fight, but were currently stumbling over one another verbally and failing to create a more compelling argument than that of the image of an infuriated Legate.

From the mouth of the cave, Falco and the Amazons came stumbling out. When Barabbas had intercepted them, Sophia and Ferra both fell to their knees in official reverence. Falco tried to explain the situation but Barabbas merely ripped Pariah from Hypatia's arms and charged away, the safety of his little sister being of the utmost concern for him. When they finally exited the caves, they saw Barabbas hovering over the prone girl while Quintas did his best to wake her.

"…She lives, my Legate," Quintas explained. "Perhaps some rest would be best for her-"

"This is a coma," Barabbas interrupted. "She only gets like this when she overextends and… this is just like back at that wretched Res city," he scowled as Kyra picked up on what he said.

"NOOO!" a voice screamed from the caves. A frenzied and desperate old man came stumbling out into the light, his eyes frantic as he scrambled and tripped his way towards the Legate. Sophia and Ferra immediately tackled him, dragging him to his feet as Ferra hissed and howled at him while Sophia castigated him. "YOU MISERABLE OLD BASTARD, SHOW RESPECT FOR THE LEGATE, YOU CUR!"

"I CAN'T…I…Leg-," Dinero looked to the minotaur hunched over little Marcy. The monster rose to his feet, glaring down at the old man as he stormed up to him. Dinero gulped as he watched the massive heaving shoulders rise and fall as the eyes behind the helmet bore down on him. "…You," the behemoth rumbled. "You were there too."

"Give her back," Dinero pleaded with tears in his eyes. "She's all I have left. Please."

Barabbas stuck his arm out and enveloped Dinero's neck with his fist. Sophia and Ferra both backed away as his old frame was lifted, gasping off the ground. Falco attempted to intervene, only for Hypatia to block him. She of all people understood what happened when one interfered with Barabbas's moods.

"…I'll gut you along with the other two," Barabbas snarled as he began to squeeze, Dinero's eyes starting to bulge as his face turned purple. Tobey, Carla, and Kyra all turned to look away. Frost reluctantly pulled his camera out. Disgusting as the sight was, he may very well have only one opportunity to record something like it.

"Hello."

Barabbas immediately looked into the cave to see what new interloper would earn his wrath. As the figure emerged, he felt the shock and dread creep up his back. Barabbas dropped Dinero and began to back away. Falco looked in as well and followed suit. Hypatia, Sophia, and Ferra looked and saw a blindfolded man in a tattered preacher hat tapping with his cane as he slowly left the cave entrance.

"Oh," he stopped momentarily as he felt the sunlight on his skin. "Morning already? How delightful," he grinned as he "looked" over what was before him. "Excuse me, em, ladies," he said as he brushed past the women while Barabbas immediately hurried over to Pariah and shielded her from the threat.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Barabbas screamed as Joseph scratched his bandages.

"Peace on Earth and goodwill for all humanity," Joseph answered. "But that might be a bit much. Tobey, Carla, how are you two doing?"

"Been better," Carla strained to admit while Tobey nervously glanced at Drago glaring over him.

"And Mr. Frost, a pleasure to make your acquaintance again!" Joseph smiled.

"Mr. Young, I never thought I'd see you so far out here!" Frost hollered back as Sulla tried to grab the camera.

"Small world!" Joseph laughed. His demeanor grew serious as he turned to Barabbas. "Yet again we meet and nothing changed. You're still brutalizing my friends."

"GET BACK!" Barabbas screamed as he held Pariah's body tighter to his own. "I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, PREACHER!"

"Nor I you," Joseph answered without humor. "…I see the two of you have finally reunited. I'm happy for you, truly."

Barabbas held tightly to his little sister. Pathetic as the sight may be to the men witnessing it, he knew a fight with the blind preacher would be an ugly one with no guarantee of victory. And after having come so far to fall before someone so… anathematic. Barabbas growled as he held Pariah's head into his shoulder. "…What do you want, preacher?"

"Civilized conversation!" Joseph twirled his cane. "Always so delightful! I would like to propose a truce between your group and mine. A ceasefire while we all get our bearings and go our separate ways. Would this be an acceptable term?"

Barabbas nodded. Joseph stared ahead, blankly. "…Yes," Barabbas finally verbalized, contempt dripping from the syllable.

"And I also propose that you surrender all hostages to us, should they be so willing," Joseph continued.

Barabbas glared hatefully at the two marshals. Tobey coughed up some blood while Carla stared at him with her remaining eye. Frost found himself backing away while Kyra was mouthing something to herself. "…there too… just like the Res…"

"…They harmed someone I care about. They require judgment," Barabbas hissed.

"It was all that guy in the black hat's fault!" Carla tried to get out, only for Uriah to smack the back of her head with his machete.

"They will endure judgment, as will we all," Joseph explained. Barabbas scoffed and tried to ignore the preacher. The preacher then proceeded to crack his knuckles. "…Drago," Barabbas relented. "Cut the prisoners loose."

Damocles, having grown steadily furious over seeing the Legate bullied, finally had enough and pointed his rifle at Joseph. Joseph held out his hand and motioned away from him. Damocles shot wide, just enough to almost graze the preacher, but accurately enough to blast the knife out of Sophia's hand as she prepared to stab Joseph in the back. As the Amazon winced and clutched her scalded fingers, Joseph looked over the rest of the men. "…That's right. The gifts I possess rival that of your Oracle. And I know you are all wondering the same thing; which of us is stronger? My answer is yet another question; do any of you really want to find out?"

The binds of the marshals were cut and the two retreated next to Joseph. "That was clutch, Joe," Tobey grinned through his wheezing. "Mel is one lucky girl," Carla grinned.

"And I'm blessed to have her," Joseph nodded. Meanwhile, Dinero had recovered enough to begin crawling to Marcy. Barabbas merely picked up Pariah and took her into the city. "…If no one from the tunnels fires upon you, do not allow yourselves to harm them," he ordered. "…Come, Kyra, I require your assistance."

"…Yeah, I'll bet," Kyra muttered under her breath as she followed.

Sawney dragged his face against the rock, trying to dull the burning. A mess of molten scales hung from the side of his jaw, exposing the charred nerve and bones of the side of his face. His right eye hung past his nostril, dislodged from the skull itself, held only by a nerve.

Blinded and maddened, Sawney brought a single claw up to his face. Wincing as it touched the nerve, Sawney braced himself as he snipped the eye from his socket, letting out an anguished howl. Collecting himself, Sawney took a brief moment to look down and gently picked up his eye. For a moment, he stared at himself.

How many creatures on this planet had this opportunity, Sawney found himself wondering. The ability to see their own eyes? He was the only one he could think of. Come to think of it, he wondered if he could see his own rear? Not tail, rear. Where his poop came from. There wasn't a creature in this world that could. If Sawney could, then perhaps he could say he could very well do anything? He would be king of all that could stalk and bleed. He could even kill Poppa.

Sawney popped his eye into his mouth. Definitely the first creature to willingly consume their own eyeball. Still hungry, Sawney was feeling less and less picky. As much as he wanted to keep hunting his personal prey, he would have to look for other opportunities.

His instincts told him he was being watched. Sawney readied the carcass he carried. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too mangled for the scary humie. And if it was, he could always just eat him. Sawney turned his back on the new presence, pretending to ignore it. As he felt it draw closer, Sawney immediately turned around and chucked the body against the creature. He watched as it bounced off its nose.

Sawney stared at the creature as it flicked its tongue out at him. Sawney was tall enough to have to crouch even more than usual. This new creature was just big enough to fit inside the walls. There was enough room, however, for the creature to open its mouth and expose its fangs.

Sawney turned and ran. The Massasauga followed, having returned to its lair to see if any food had arrived. Lucky beast it was, deathclaw was its favorite.

Ariel was barely able to stumble back to where she had set up camp. Something had burst through the walls, crushing and trampling over the bodies of what was left of her team. Clutching her ribs, she found the remains of the party eye-bot that had accompanied them this far. Reaching into the storage compartment, she pulled out a first aid kit and began to work on herself, stitching the wound shut as she tried not to think about the fate of her team. Of her friends.

Ariel had gotten started on the outlaw path long ago, alongside her older brother Eduardo or Two-Gun Eddie as he had gone by. After making a name for themselves in Texas, long before it fell to the Legion, they went on a trek to the west with two others, a ghoul and an overdressed fixer. Two-Gun Eddie would be killed fighting the Iglesias de la Santa Sangre, and Ariel would take command. Following that would be almost two decades of fighting, raking in stacks of caps, and burying her friends. The Nutso Young Guns were the last tether to her old life, her oldest friends. Now gone. She propped herself against the wall of the cave, waiting for him to approach.

Cade rounded the corner, looking upon Ariel. Ariel wordlessly pointed her pistol at him and pulled the trigger, the tinny clicks echoing through the silence. Cade looked over the carnage surrounding her. "…And that's why I prefer to work alone," he said to himself.

Ariel dropped the gun to her side. "…Dunk, if I die here, I want you to know that I always… ALWAYS hated you."

"I know," Cade nodded as he approached the fallen eye-bot. As a utility robot, it largely stayed out of the way of most gunnery matters, therefor Cade never really saw the value in it. He did notice, however, a blinking light just under the busted television monitor the RMX installed in it. Someone had sent a message. Giving the machine a quick boot, the audio kicked in as the recording played.

"…ah, fuck, it's finally on. Hey, listen up! Levi Glasser speaking, so yank the wax out of your ears and listen! I just got off the line with the Securities Committee, and we have an update for all relevant teams in the area. As previously mentioned, there has been a bounty placed on the head of Rosa Perez, daughter of the Governor of New Vegas. However, as the situation has developed, we are now in the middle of a direct subjugation of New Vegas. In addition, due to a regime change in Dallas, we have assessed that Rosa Perez is no longer a relevant asset in our future operations. Therefore, we are suspending the bounty. So, if anyone wants to kill her, fine, but don't expect a payout. Thank you for your understanding. Now fuck off and make me some goddamn money."

Cade and Ariel stared at each other. Ten seconds later, Cade lashed out, pummeling the eye bot with the stock of his rifle, snarling venomously as he screamed over what a waste of time this whole venture had been. Ariel just sat and watched. The sight of what she was seeing in front of her made her feel something she hadn't expected to feel. Almost exactly ten seconds later, Cade stopped, as calm as he had been before. With the rage out of his system, he looked over to Ariel. "…Looks like you won't be needing this, anymore, right?" Cade asked.

Ariel began to giggle. In tiny bursts, even as her ribs were agitated, she couldn't help but continue as the laughter grew louder and louder. All of her men were dead. All of her friends had died. All to find a daughter she hadn't wanted anything to do with. And now the reason for all the bullshit was up in smoke. She couldn't help herself. Her giggling became full-on hysterics, even as her stitches began to bleed and pain shot through her body, tears streaking down her face.

"…I'll take that as a no," Cade replied as he lifted the remains of the eye bot from the ground. "I'm going back to the McGrath Clan. You feel like coming?"

"HA-HA-HA! GO TO HELL, DUNCAN! HAHAHAHAHA!" Ariel continued to bawl as she convulsed on the ground. Cade carried his new prize outside as he left Ariel Ximenez to wallow in her own madness.

A/N: Two things to go over. First, the character of the Drifter was loaned to me by, you guessed it, Interfectorem. Secondly, starting sometime next week I'm going on a trip and will be using that opportunity to take myself offline for a week or so, so don't expect any updates or messaging for that duration. I hope this chapter was enough to sate you in the meanwhile!