Guess Who I Saw Today

Note: Sorry guys, I know I promised once a month and it's been 2 and a half. I didn't want to rush this chapter, and like I said I'm working on two at a time. I may be late with the updates, but don't worry I am not abandoning this story. Enjoy.

Marcus lead the three humans into Dr. Henry's research lab in the main ski lodge of Jacobstown. While it was nowhere near as equipped as the Citadel or Rivet City labs back home, it was still impressive considering it was in such an isolated location.

"Doc Henry, I'd like for you to meet Marcus Lincoln…..Maximilian's grandson."

The doctor turned around and looked the Lone Wanderer up and down. He was an older man with white hair, big framed eye glasses and lines in his face. It appeared to the Wanderer that the doctor had tensed up when Marcus announced his name, but he quickly composed himself and spoke. "I assume you're here for something important. You're interrupting my research."

'All business, I see.' The Wanderer thought. "Marcus told us about your search for a treatment for the Nightkin and we'd like to help."

There was silence in the room as Dr. Henry's eyes once again scanned the group of companions before him. "You don't look like scientist."

"We're not." Sarah said. "But if there's anything you need we can get it for you."

Dr. Henry began rubbing his chin. "Hm. Actually, there is something you can do for me. Are you familiar with Night Stalkers?"

Both Sarah and Marcus looked to Follows-Chalk, but the young tribal shook his head.

"No we're not."

Dr. Henry let out a sigh. "They were created by splicing together rattlesnake and coyote DNA. They're the same size as a regular coyote and bark and whimper like one, but they're tail, head and fangs resemble that of a rattlesnake. They have excellent night vision, and their venom is extremely deadly."

The Wanderer stood in stunned silence for a few moments as he took in what the doctor had just said. "Are you telling me that some mad scientist decided to take DNA from two of the most deadly predators on Earth and make them one?"

Dr. Henry didn't flinch. "That's about the size of it."

The Wanderer let out a sigh. "Great. As if Deathclaws weren't bad enough."

Moira's avatar suddenly appeared on the PIPBOY's screen. "Now that's a creature I just have to study!"

Dr. Henry's eyes shot wide open. "What in sam hill is that?!"

The Wanderer positioned the device so that he could see. "Doctor Henry this is Moira Brown. She's an A.I., and a scientist….in her own right."

The doctor took his glasses off and took a closer look at the avatar. "Astonishing."

Moira smiled. "Ahhh, you're sweet!"

"Anyway doctor," Sarah interrupted, "what do these….things have to do with finding a cure for the Nightkin?" Sarah asked.

"For some reason the Nightstalkers in these mountains have some kind of natural stealth capability."

The Wanderer rolled his eyes. "So they're invisible, too. Great."

"I know it's dangerous," Dr. Henry said, "but if I can analyse a Nightstalker's brain I might be able to determine how their stealth field works….and hopefully use what I learn to cure the Nightkin."

"How do you know the Nightstalker's stealth is natural?" Moira asked.

Dr. Henry looked down at the avatar. "You're not suggesting that Nightstalkers are running around with stealth boys, are you?"

"No….but maybe they ate some stealth boys."

The doctor's eyes narrowed. "That is the most ridiculous theory I've ever heard."

Moira looked like she was about to cry, and the avatar blinked out. The Wanderer was visibly not happy with Dr. Henry insulting her, but he decided to let it go….for now.

"I know this is a lot to ask," Marcus said, "but without those specimens the doctor cannot finish his research. If you want some extra muscle, I'm sure Lily would accompany you. The Nightstalkers killed several of her bighorns, and I know she would love a chance for revenge."

The Wanderer wasn't sure if brining along a mentally unstable Nightkin was a good idea, but since he'd never even seen one of these monsters, it might be good to bring someone with experience fighting them. "Alright, we'll take her with us."

Follows-Chalk turned to Marcus. "Do you know where their lair is?"

The mutant took a moment to think. "There are caves just to the north overlooking the town. I would start there."

"I have experience tracking coyotes in the caves of Zion. I should be able to track these Nightstalkers, too."

The Wanderer nodded. "Okay….looks like we're going hunting."

After getting their weapons and gear together Marcus, Sarah, Follows-Chalk, Dogmeat and their new companion Lily, made their trek into the mountains overlooking Jacobstown. The snow was knee deep in some places, and Follows-Chalk was grateful for the ski suit he was wearing. The tribal didn't know what skiing was, but apparently people wanted to be warm while doing it. The young tribal was leading the pack, and as he approached one of the caves his fist shot up, telling the group to halt. With his bow and arrow at the ready, Follows-Chalk cautiously made his way inside of the cave's entrance. He appeared to sniff the air, and a musty smell hit his nostrils. The tribal then kneeled down and found a pile of scat.

All of the indicators were there. This was a Nightstalker's nest.

Follows-Chalk waved the rest of the group on, and he lead them into the cave. They immediately noticed the temperature increase, and all of them were relieved to be out of the bitter cold.

Marcus turned on his PIPBOY light. "Are you picking up anything, Moira?"

The avatar appeared on the screen. "I'm picking up several contacts but I can't get a lock on them. I'm betting that's because they're cloaked; which means this is the nest."

Both Marcus and Sarah locked and loaded their repeating rifles, and Lily drew a rather large sword off her back. A moment later, Dogmeat began to bark and growl.

"Easy boy, easy." Marcus said

The team slowly made their way deeper into the cave, which turned out to be a series of tunnels and chambers. Marcus had taken the lead so that the group could make use of his PIPBOY light, but so far they had seen nothing. They eventually made it into a large central chamber when Dogmeat began growling and barking. It was clear that the canine could smell something, but no one could see it. A low hissing sound from behind caught Marcus' attention, but before he could turn around a large shimmer leaped out of the shadows. Follows-Chalk fired his arrow and the shimmer was knocked to the ground inches from Marcus. The creature's stealth had worn off, and the group got their first look at the nightstalkers….and they were more ferocious looking than Dr. Henry had described.

"Look out!" Sarah yelled as she raised her rifle. Marcus turned and spotted two more shimmers charging at them, and both he and Sarah opened fire. The first nightstalker was dropped like a stone, but the second was almost on them when it was cut in half by Lily's massive sword. "No one hurts my grandson!" the Nightkin growled.

More of the abominations seemed to come out of every nook and cranny in the caves, and a ferocious fight ensued as the five companions tried to stay alive. Even though the Nightstalkers were stealthed they would make a hissing and rattle sound before striking, and this aided the group in the battle.

Follows-Chalk was preparing another arrow when he was knocked flat on his back by a Nightstalker. The tribal drew his tomahawk and began frantically hacking at the creature while trying desperately to keep its fangs from his throat, but the scales on its body were as tough as chainmail. At the last moment he was saved by Dogmeat, who charged at the Nightstalker and knocked him off the tribal. The two animals began clawing and tearing into each other, and Marcus (who remembered that the Nightstalkers were poisonous) dropped his empty rifle and drew his sawed-off shotgun.

"Dogmeat, get out of the way!"

The canine didn't listen, and Marcus looked on in horror as the Nightstalker plunged it's fangs into Dogmeat's back. He yelped in pain as the burning venom was injected into his body.

"NOOOOO!" Marcus screamed, and he managed to fire a single shot which struck the abomination in it's hind leg, crippling it. Lily grabbed the Nightstalker by it's neck and threw it against the cave wall, cracking its skull.

Marcus ran over to Dogmeat, and it was clear that the venom was already having an effect on the canine. He laid down on the ground and was panting heavily. The last attacking Nightstalker was taken care of by Lily. The Nightkin seemed to be in a frenzy as she chopped the abomination with her massive sword long after it was dead. When she finally stopped, Lily was breathing heavy and growling, and though everyone noticed it with concern, their main focus was trying to save Dogmeat.

"He need's anti-venom." Marcus said as she tried to comfort the animal.

Sarah rushed over with her first aid bag and quickly removed a syringe and a pouch of the anti-venom that Waking Cloud had made for them. Everyone breathed a sigh of relieve when the life saving remedy was injected into the dog.

"There you go, boy." Sarah said in a comforting tone. "He's going to be weak until that kicks in."

Marcus gently stroked the canine's back. "You and Follows-Chalk take him back to the cave entrance. Lily and I are going to make our way deeper into the cave and find the alpha."

Sarah couldn't hide the concern on her face, and she leaned in closer to whisper. "Are you sure that's smart? You saw what just happened."

Before Marcus could answer, Follows-Chalk spoke up. "I can take care of Dogmeat. You two go with Lily. The Alpha will most likely be guarding their pups."

The Wanderer wasn't sure about leaving the young tribal alone, but despite his youth, Follows-Chalk had proven to be an excellent warrior. "Okay….but if we're not back in half an hour take Dogmeat back to Jacobstown and alert Dr. Henry and Marcus."

Follows-Chalk nodded, and the rest of the group headed deeper into the cave. Even though the musty smell was getting stronger, they hadn't run into anymore of the creatures.

"Hey Lily." Marcus said.

"What is it, dear?"

The Wanderer took a deep breath. "You seemed to have….lost control for a moment while you were fighting those Nightstalkers."

The Nightkin seemed to hang her head in shame. "I'm sorry about that, Jimmy. You see….grandma has a sickness. Leo tells me to chop things, and though the medicine helps me to not hear him, I don't always take it."

Both Marcus and Sarah stopped dead in their tracks and shared a concerned look. "Who is Leo?" Sarah asked.

"Leo's a very bad man, dear. Yes you are Leo! Don't deny it."

"But…." Marcus said. "...there's no one there, Lily."

"Of course there is. How else could I hear him."

Now the two humans were beginning to understand. She wasn't just suffering from dementia….she was hearing and seeing people who weren't there.

Sarah tried to maintain her composure. "If the medicine helps you, why don't you take it?"

"Because the medicine makes me forget things I don't want to forget."

Marcus took a moment to think of what to do. He knew it was useless to try and convince her that Leo wasn't real, so he needed a different approach. "Well Lily, instead of listening to Leo tell you who to chop, why don't you listen to me?"

The Nightkin appeared to be deep in thought and let out a grunt. "Leo won't like that pumpkin….but I'll try."

Lily turned and the group continued to go deeper into the cave. When the mutant was out of ear shot, Sarah leaned in closer to Marcus. "So not only is she demented, but schizophrenic too?!"

Marcus let out a sigh. The more he learned about these creatures, the more he pitied them. "All the more reason for us to find this cure."

No more words were said, and the trio finally make it into the heart of the nest. They almost gaged as the stench of rotting flesh overwhelmed them, and it didn't take them long to find the source. Carcusses and bones of bighorns, Nightkin, Super Mutants, and even a few humans littered the chamber.

Lily let out a low growl. "Oh, these Nightstalkers are very, very bad."

As they looked at the gory scene they immediately noticed something else: dozens of large eggs in a makeshift nest.

Sarah swallowed hard. "I don't want to be in here when these things hatch."

Marcus spoke into his PIPBOY. "Any luck on locating the alpha, Moira?"

"I still can't get a lock, but we're definitely not alone in here."

Marcus readied his rifle. "Everyone keep your eyes and ears open."

It didn't take long before they could hear the tell tale hissing and rattling of a Nightstalker ready to strike. The three companions stood with their backs to each other, straining to see the creature before it could strike.

"MARCUS!" Sarah screamed as she swung her rifle towards him.

Marcus turned to his right and spotted the large shimmer in mid-air heading right for him. He tried to get a shot off but was struck in his right shoulder and knocked to the ground.

"JIMMY!" Lily yelled and the Nightkin quickly rushed over to protect Marcus as Sarah took aim and opened fire. The shimmer was fast; faster than any of the previous Nightstalkers they'd encountered. Sarah fired again and again until finally she managed to score a single hit, causing the shimmer to yelp. It's cloak wore off, and they got their first look at the alpha. It was almost twice the size of the other Nightstalkers, and it's fur and scales were darker. The abomination growled and hissed before charging again, only now Marcus was on his feet and he fired his gauntlet, striking the Nightstalker in it's left side. The alpha yelped again and fell face first mortally wounded.

Lily looked at Marcus. "Can I chop now, Jimmy."

"YES, LILY! FOR GOD'S SAKE CHOP!"

The creature was barely conscious when Lily lifted her bumper sword and decapitated the alpha.

Sarah immediately checked on Marcus. "Are you alright?"

The Lone Wanderer winced in pain as he checked his shoulder, and saw that the Nightstalker's claws had penetrated his Ranger armor and left a bloody gash. "I'll live."

As Sarah began to remove her med kit, Lily walked over to them and saw the wound. "Oh Jimmy, you're hurt. Here, grandma will kiss it and make it all better…."

"That's okay!" Marcus said as he backed away. "That's okay, Lily. Sarah's got bandages and medicine for me."

Lily looked over at Sarah, and then back to Marcus. "Oh….I understand, Jimmy. You want to look tough in front of your girlfriend. That's okay, grandma is here if you need anything."

Marcus rolled his eyes as the Nightkin walked away, but he couldn't help but notice Sarah giggling as she tried to bandage his shoulder. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Sarah smirked. "She knows you too well."

Marcus couldn't help but chuckle. Once Sarah was finished treating his wound, Marcus saw something shiny on the ground next to the remains of a dead Nightkin. "Is that what I think it is?"

Sarah bent down to pick it up. It was broken and mangled, but there was no mistaking what it was. "It looks like a….stealth boy."

Marcus took the object and studied it. "Yeah….a half eaten stealth boy."

Sarah let out a sigh and shook her head. "So Moira was right?"

Marcus looked over at the dead alpha and drew his combat knife. "There's only one way to find out."

The Lone Wanderer dumped the blood stained stealth boy pieces on the table in front of Dr. Henry.

"What's all this?"

"Half-eaten stealth boys." Marcus answered. "We found them inside the stomach of the alpha. We also brought back it's head…."
Lily held up a blood stained sack and grinned. Dogmeat, who was feeling better thanks to Follows-Chalk and the anti-venom, let out a low growl.

"...but I think it's safe to say that the Nightstalker's stealth capability is not nature."

Dr. Henry looked to be perplexed as he picked up one of the stealth boy pieces and studied it. "Yes…..I think you're right. It a….looks like I owe you an apology."

Marcus shook his head. "You don't owe me an apology, doctor. You owe her." Marcus practically shoved his PIPBOY in the doctor's face - and a very smug Moira was standing with her arms crossed. "I'm waiting."

Dr. Henry shifted uncomfortable before finally clearing his throat. "I'm….sorry, Ms. Brown. You're um….theory was correct and I….should not have been so quick to dismiss it."

Moira continued to stare at the Dr, with her arms crossed, as if she was waiting for him to say more. Then, just as the Dr. was beginning to sweat, a huge smile appeared on her face. "You're forgiven."

Satisfied, Marcus pulled back and the doctor quickly changed the subject. "Yes well, while it's extremely helpful that you were able to solve the mystery of the Nightstalkers….I'm afraid it means we're back to square one."

"Isn't there anything else you can do?" Follows-Chalk asked.

Dr. Henry stood up and walked over to an office safe in the corner of the lab. "There is one more thing I can try….but it's risky….which is why I was hoping I wouldn't have too." After opening the safe, the doctor removed what looked like a different model of stealth boy. "This is a stealth boy mark II, an advanced prototype designed just before the war. It uses more power and allows the user to be in stealth mode for a longer period of time….which is why this experiment is so dangerous.

"I will need Lily to use the Mark II while I monitor her brain functions. This should give me insight into the effects of the stealth boy's radiation."

Alarm bells went off in Marcus' head. "What are the potential risks to Lily?"

Dr. Henry took a deep breath. "Possible immediate, permanent mental damage. There's a reason the Mark II's never got past the prototype stage."

"Why Lily?" Sarah asked. "Why not some other Nightkin?"

"Lily's eccentric, certainly, but I never felt she was dangerous. More importantly, she asked if she could help in some way."

The more Marcus listened, the more he was not liking this idea, and he turned and walked over to the Nightkin. "Lily, you heard what Dr. Henry said about his experiment?"

"Yes, dear."

"And….do you still want to go through with it?"

"Of course, dearie. I know it's dangerous, but it'll all turn out for the best, you'll see."

The Lone Wanderer, along with everyone else in the room, couldn't help but admire her optimism. He still wasn't sure if someone with a mind like Lily's could truly comprehend the risks, but if she was willing to take them….

"Alright. Let's do it, doctor."

It took only a few minutes to hook up all of the equipment and sensors. Lily was standing against the wall with several wires hooked up to her head, chest and arms. Doctor Henry was sitting at his main computer console and would be monitoring her brain functions, and his assistant, a female ghoul named Calamity, would be monitoring Lily's vitals.

"The equipment is hooked up and ready." Calamity said.

Dr. Henry nodded. "Thank you." He turned to Marcus. "You're welcome to stay and observe but please stand back….I don't want there to be any erroneous readings."

Marcus and his companions took a few steps back, and everyone held their breaths.

Dr. Henry braced himself. "Okay, powering up the stealth boy, Lily."

In the blink of an eye the Nightkin disappeared. "Urgh….feels strange. Strange but, good."

"Interesting. Try thinking about aggressive thoughts now. Think about smashing a radscorpion."

A moment later a menacing growl escaped from Lily. "Grrr. Lily smash! Haha!"

An alarm began to sound from Calamity's station. "Her heart beat is increasing doctor."

Lily began to growl some more. "Grrr. Leo's telling me to smash. Smash everything! KILL!"

Marcus took a few cautious steps forward and began to speak to her. "Lily it's….Jimmy. Don't listen to Leo. Listen to me."

"Urgh. Leo's voice is so loud. Getting louder!"

Another alarm sounded from Calamity's station, and there was no hiding the concern in her voice. "Her adrenaline levels are spiking doctor. Her aggression is getting worse."

Marcus turned to the doctor. "Shut the damn thing off!"

"Not yet. We need these readings for a little longer."

Marcus clenched his fists and turned back to Lily. "Lily, focus on my voice, not Leo's. You don't want to smash us. We're your friends."

Lily began shaking her head. "I'm trying but…..Leo's too….strong…."

"You're stronger than him, Lily. Listen to me. Focus on me. My voice. You don't want to hurt us. You don't want to smash."

As Calamity studied the readings at her station, her eyes suddenly shot wide open. "I don't believe it. Her adrenaline levels and heart beat are returning to normal." She turned to Marcus. "Whatever you're doing, keep going."

"You see, Lily, you are stronger than Leo. Just keep focusing on my voice. You're almost done."

After a few more agonizing moments, Doctor Henry finally said what everyone was waiting for. "That's it, we're finished. Shutting it down."

The stealth boy was turned off and Lily reappeared. "Oh…..I liked having it on."

Marcus and everyone in the room let out the breath they'd been holding. "You did good, Lily."

"Thank you, dearie."

Sarah walked over to him and gently rubbed his back. "You didn't do so bad yourself." She said with a slight smirk.

Marcus didn't say anything. He let out another breath and gently squeezed her hand. "Did you get what you needed, Doc?"

Doctor Henry's eyes seemed to be glued to the screen. "More than enough. This information should prove invaluable to finding a cure. The most fascinating thing was seeing you talk Lily down. I've never seen anyone be able to do that with a Nightkin….especially one under the influence of a stealth boy."

Their moment of triumph was interrupted by a loud banging on the double doors to the lab, and when they burst open three Nightkin stormed inside. One of them was wearing red and black body armor, and he appeared to be the leader of the group.

"Uh, oh." Dr. Henry mumbled. "It's Keene, the leader of the Nightkin."

Keene looked to be as large as a Super Mutant Master, and though he was unarmed, he was still intimidating. "My request is perfectly reasonable," He growled. "Give us the specs to the Mark II, and there will be no need to splatter the room with your insides."

Marcus calmly stepped between the doctor and Keene. "And what do you plan to do with these specs?"

"There are caches of stealth boys out there. With the Mark II in hand, it shouldn't be difficult to upgrade every single one of them. Now….hand it over!"

As the Nightkin took a step towards the doctor, Marcus raised his gauntlet, and the weapon was glowing blue indicating it was primed and ready to fire. Sarah and Follows-Chalk locked and loaded their rifles, and Dogmeat snarled and showed his teeth.

It was a stand-off….and all it would take was one false move for things to explode.

"You're not getting it." Marcus said.

Keene growled and clenched his fists, and seemed to be bracing to attack.

"Think about it, Keene. If you and your kind take the Mark II and go on a rampage in the Mojave, then the NCR will come here and slaughter everybody. Is that what you want?"

Keene showed his teeth….but he didn't attack. After a few very tense moments, the Nightkin's leader relented. "Fine, human. We will continue to wait for a cure." He shot Dr. Henry a death stare. "But will not wait for much longer." With that, Keene and his Nightkin turned and left the lab. Everyone let in the room lowered their weapons, grateful that things hadn't turned violent.

"Thank you." Dr. Henry said. "I didn't think you'd ever be able to talk them down….though seeing as how you were with Lily, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Two days later, the Lone Wanderer and his companions were ready to depart from Jacobstown. As promised, Marcus allowed them to store their power armor at the settlement, and both he and Dr. Henry met them on the steps of the ski lodge to say goodbye.

"Do you have everything you need?" Marcus asked.

The Lone Wanderer nodded and shook the mutant's hand. "Yes. Thank you for letting us rest here for the last few days."

"You more than earned it. The help you've given doctor Henry will go a long way to finally curing the Nightkin."

Sarah turned to the doctor. "How closer are you to finding that cure, doctor?"

"It'll take time to develop a serum, but thanks to the data you provided I'm confident it will be soon. Which is good, considering the Nightkin are getting restless."

The mutant cleared his throat. "Marcus, you've already done so much for us, which is why I'm reluctant to ask you for another favor."

The Wanderer didn't hesitate. "What do you need?"

"I would like for you to take Lily with you."

That was something the Wanderer was not expecting. "Um….shouldn't she stay here and receive treatment?"

"I've adjusted her medication, and as long as she takes it her mood swings should be kept to a bare minimum. I understand she doesn't like to take it because it causes her to forget things, but these modifications should negate that. And….the truth is she listens to you, unlike anyone I've ever seen."

"The simple fact is," Marcus chimed in, "Lily traveling with you would be better treatment than her sitting around here while the doctor develops his serum."

Dr. Henry could still see that the Wanderer and his companions were unsure, and he decided to sweeten the deal. "If you agree to do this, I'll give you the name of an old colleague of mine that can help you both to….disappear, so to speak. Marcus told me about how you don't want the NCR or Brotherhood to know your true identity."

"And even though this is NCR territory, there are still Legion agents and assassins to worry about. From what you told me, you didn't exactly make them friends on your way here."

Sarah cocked her head to the side. "How can he help us with that?"

"He's a physician, and he can do everything from change your hair and eye color to plastic surgery. He may even be able to point you in the direction of someone who can create false identity papers."

The Lone Wanderer, Sarah and Follows-Chalk huddled together. "What do you think?" Marcus asked.

Sarah shrugged. "I admit, the idea of taking a schizophrenic mutant with us doesn't make me feel warm and cozy."

"True," Follows-Chalk said, "but she is a very good fighter. She may come in handy in the days ahead."

The Wanderer considered both their arguments. "There's a risk, no question but….remember we took a chance with Fawkes, Uncle Leo and the rest of the Super Mutants back home. We should give Lily the same benefit of the doubt. Besides….if this friend of the doctor could help us to change our identity, it will make our mission a lot easier."

Though it wasn't easy, Sarah eventually relented. The Lone Wanderer turned back to Marcus and Dr. Henry. "We'll do it."

The mutant smiled and shook his hand again. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to us."

Dr. Henry handed him a piece of paper. "Here is the name of the doctor who can help you. He lives in a settlement called Goodsprings. Just give him my name and he will give you anything you need. It also has our radio frequency, encase you need to contact us." He shook the Wanderer's hand. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome."

As they turned to leave, Marcus called out to the Wanderer one last time. "Marcus."

The Wanderer turned around.

"Even though we have only just met, I can tell you with certainty that your grandfather would be proud of you."

The Lone Wanderer gave a respectful nod. "That means a lot to me, Marcus. Any chance you'd want to travel with a Lincoln again?"

The mutant grinned. "It's tempting but I have to keep my eye on things here. But like the doctor said, if you need us, use that frequency on any ham radio and we'll do what we can. Good luck."

After saying their goodbye's the three companions and Dogmeat met Lily at the front gate of Jacobstown. Taking a deep breath, Marcus approached the Nightkin and smiled. "Are you ready to leave Lily."

A huge smile appeared on Lily's face. "Of course, dearie. This is going to be so exciting."

They walked through the gate with Lily in tow. "Now listen Jimmy, it's dangerous out there so remember: don't talk to strangers, and always hold grandma's hand when you cross the street."

As Sarah and Follows-Chalk turned red from trying to contain their laughter, Marcus sighed and shook his head. "I won't forget, grandma."

Lily smiled. "That's my little pumpkin."

Goodsprings Cemetery:

His head was spinning as he finally regained consciousness. He tried to move but soon realized his hands were bound. As his vision began to return to normal, he could make out voices nearby.

"You got what you were after. So pay up!"

"You're crying in the rain, palie."

He managed to sit up and looked at his three captors. Two of them he recognized as Khan, the other was a man in a checkered suit he had never seen before.

"Guess who's wakin' up over here." One of the Khans said.

The man in the checkered suit took one last drag from a cigarette and tossed it on the ground. "Time to cash out."

One of Khans spread his arms out. "Will you get it over with!"

The man raised up his finger, indicating he wanted silence. "Maybe Khans kill people without look in'em in the face….but I ain't a fink, dig?" He lowered his finger and pulled what looked like a poker chip out of his jacket. "You made your last delivery kid." He placed it back inside his jacket….then pulled out a 9mm pistol. "I'm sorry you got twisted up in this scene.

"From where you're kneeling it must seem like a run of eighteen karat gold bad luck." He pointed the gun towards his captive. "The truth is….the game was rigged from the start."

The Courier spit at the man's feet before the muzzle flashed.