Lucyfer
If beauty's pain, aren't you miserable enough?
The sun was too bright when Aelia exited the Lucky 38. Despite that, her gaze still went up toward the cloudless sky when she stepped out – not to look directly at the sun, but to look away from the eyes she felt fall upon her as soon as she stepped out. ‘The only human to ever enter, and exit….’
She took a couple of steps down before averting her gaze back to a more reasonable level. People were still staring, but Craig Boone had risen from where he sat on the stairs, and he stepped up to join her, dashing his cigarette underfoot. “C’mon,” he spoke under his breath, “that friend of yours probably knows what’s up by now.”
Aelia nodded, intending to let Boone act as a shield for anyone curious enough to try and approach. He had constant ‘resting bitch face’, and more than that, looked far more intimidating than her, even if he wasn’t decked out in leather armor like she was.
The red beret said a lot.
They both moved to head up the street towards the Tops, its colorful signage obvious further down the street, but they didn’t get far from the Lucky 38 steps, before an all too familiar voice reached her ears.
“The eyes of the mighty Caesar are upon you.”
Aelia whipped around, a hand going to pull her magnum from the leather at her hip, but Boone was quick enough to put a hand on her wrist to stop her from committing a crime that even House may not have been able to overlook. She imagined Boone hadn’t quite heard what the man said, though, or he wouldn’t have stopped her.
Every word he spoke was crystal clear to Aelia as he approached, cold eyes still gleaming with a maniacal fire, “My Lord requires your presence at his camp, at Fortification Hill,” the man said, no longer in his coyote hood, but dressed in a suit, as if he belonged on the Strip, and not on a cross.
He pulled a golden medallion from his pocket and offered it to her, “His Mark will guarantee your safe-conduct through our lands.” Aelia reached for it, in spite of herself, heart hammering in her throat. Boone saw the emblem, and it was his turn to try and pull his rifle off of his back, and Aelia’s turn to catch the strap of it and keep him still by pressing it into his shoulder.
“How did you find me here?”
The man in front of her scoffed, “I am the greatest of Caesar’s frumentarii, tracking you was not difficult. I learned of your history. I know who you seek. Your destination was clear,” his lips quirked with the hint of a smirk, “I wish you happy hunting, Courier. Caesar would reward such determination. You ought to consider paying him a visit. Any and all crimes against the Legion will be…overlooked. Including Nipton.”
‘That was your crime!’ Aelia wanted to shout, but she refrained, holding the frumentari’s gaze with a wild glare, as he took a step back, touched his hat with a short inclination of his head and body.
“Until then, vale,” he dismissed himself, and turned from them both, but Aelia didn’t move her hand off the strap until the man was gone through the gate, to Freeside.
Boone reached for the medallion, but Aelia quickly closed her fingers over it and pulled it away from his attempt. “What are you doing?” he hissed.
“Boone – don’t you see what this is?”
“A trap.”
‘Point.’
There were good odds this was a trap. Although Aelia didn’t seek out legionnaires to kill, she’d definitely killed legionnaires with Boone. “Maybe,” she said, “but if it isn’t – this is a way to cut to the heart of the Legion!” she spoke in a hushed whisper.
Boone scoffed, “Yeah. Because they’ll let us through after we shoot our way through Cottonwood Cove.”
Aelia frowned, but shook her head, “No—we don’t shoot—”
“I’m only shooting,” Boone insisted, “I thought you understood that. There’s no negotiating with the legion. There’s no talking to the legion. The only good legionnaire—”
“I understand,” she tried to placate, moving to pocket the medallion, “but some things require subtlety and tact. There might be a better way than just—”
“No.”
“Boone—”
“No!” He said it with far more vehemence, enough that Aelia went rigid, though she held her ground in front of him. The eyes returned to them, as Boone’s voice carried, the weight of the disagreement obvious to their audience, even if they hadn’t heard the exchange of words.
“I’m going to see Caesar.” Aelia said, straightening her posture.
“Then you’re going alone.”
Aelia stared straight at Boone’s sunglasses, seeing through the dark tint to his eyes. She imagined he looked afraid, as they stood for a few seconds, waiting for the other to take back their stance.
Waiting for the other to give in, and admit the partnership was worth more than this fight.
Neither of them did.
“Fine.” Aelia said at last, breaking the silent tension by pulling her hazel eyes away from him, “Good luck out there.” She saw some of his rigid determination falter as she turned away, but he didn’t call after her.
He didn’t try to persuade her further – or if he did, she was too far gone by the time he tried, her own heart beating hard against her eardrums, as doubt made her fingers go cold, and she lost some of her pallor.
Boone was right about the Legion. She’d never claim they were good. But to completely miss an opportunity to meet Caesar? Even if it was a trap, it was a trap worth examining! Striding through the Strip, she barely realized when she was suddenly in front of the Tops.
‘Right. I still need to finish this.’ Perhaps after she put a bullet in Benny's head, she could find Boone and apologize. It might clear her head just enough for her to realize her own stupidity. She could start to actually think about everything presented to her. House calling her, the Legion offering a mark to a woman -- all of it was too crazy, it was no wonder she wanted to talk things out with even Caesar just to make sense of everything!
“Aelia? Aelia is that you?”
An NCR ranger approached, much to her surprise. She didn’t know their face, “Uh—yeah.”
“This is for you,” he offered her a letter, and she took it, feeling almost dizzy at receiving something from the NCR right after being approached by the Legion. “Ambassador Crocker would like a word with you, as soon as you can spare it.”
The letter was suddenly as heavy as the medallion – and she had no one to lean on. The foundation that Boone had become, post-Nipton, was suddenly gone, and she was starting to feel that loss all too keenly as everyone tried to pull her in every direction.
Except, the one she wanted.
The one right in front of her.
“I’ll visit later,” the words didn’t even sound like they came out of her mouth as she walked by the NCR ranger, who made some pithy plea, before the noise of the Tops encased her completely.
‘Finally.’
She tried to just waltz in, but her confidence was shot, she couldn’t pull off the look of belonging before someone was calling to her from the desk.
“Helloooo baby!” the stranger called, “lovely piece you have there, but you’re going to have to leave those here, doll. No weapons on the floor, but don’t worry – we’ll make sure no harm comes a single hair on your pretty head.” The sleaze oozed off the chairman at the front.
Aelia meant to walk in, and be cool about everything, but instead, she approached the man at the counter, pulled Benny’s lighter from her pocket, and put it on the desk, “I have a package to deliver,” she said, “directly to Benny.” She let her hand clear off the lighter so the man at the counter could see it.
He let out a low whistle, “Benny’s old lucky charm? Where’d you pick that up?”
“I’ll answer to him,” she said, “would you get him for me?”
The man hesitated, but in the end, put on that plastic smile, “Sure doll, sure – hey! Charles! Go see if Benny’s here.” And ‘Charles’ walked off on his fetch quest.
~***~
Craig Boone was not at all pleased with what had just transpired.
He hadn’t expected Aelia Schaeffer to pick The Legion over him. Hell, he knew what she went through with the Legion and Nipton, so it made no sense that she’d trust them. She’d seen one of their traps, first hand! The Legion hated women. There was no good ending to this. His fists clenched helplessly at his side as she turned away, but he didn’t call out.
He just thought, very loudly, ‘I won’t be there to put a bullet in your head when they make you an example for New Vegas.’ The thought put a heavy weight in his gut, as she left his sight, heading for the destiny she’d been marching towards since they met – the confrontation with Benny.
He should be there.
But his anger got the better of him, and he turned on his heel, ignoring the looks that now followed him in the midst of his rather public ‘break up’ with the woman who just walked out of the Lucky 38.
Not a great ending to his day.
And now what did he have? ‘Nothing.’
Well, he had a rifle, and some ammunition. He had a few caps, as well, and although he could spend them on the Strip, he intended to make his way back to Freeside and spend them there.
Drink, a bed, and then in the morning, he could go find Cottonwood Cove, and put a bullet through as many legionnaires as possible before they took him down. Perhaps his actions would reflect on Aelia, and she’d never meet Caesar.
Perhaps not.
‘Or you can hunt down that frumentarii bastard.’
He headed into Freeside. How hard could he be to follow? With that rather single-minded thought, Craig let his pace step up as he passed through the gate, and through the securitrons, skimming the area for any sign of someone who looked too well-dressed for Freeside.
Of course, that led him to pause, some distance from the securitrons, as he came to a literal crossroads, and had no idea which way to go.
‘…damn.’
That directionless sensation dug its claws into him.
Without Carla, without Novac, without Aelia…he really wasn’t sure what he was doing, at all. He was cut loose to make his decisions – he’d avenged Carla, and he’d taken Aelia as far as they could go, but now, there was just a terrible emptiness that craved to be filled with blood.
And he couldn’t even find the bastard who’s blood he wanted first.
“Tch.”
He turned, deciding to make his destination the drink – the Atomic Wrangler.
The sun was too hot to stand out in for much longer, anyways.
She took a couple of steps down before averting her gaze back to a more reasonable level. People were still staring, but Craig Boone had risen from where he sat on the stairs, and he stepped up to join her, dashing his cigarette underfoot. “C’mon,” he spoke under his breath, “that friend of yours probably knows what’s up by now.”
Aelia nodded, intending to let Boone act as a shield for anyone curious enough to try and approach. He had constant ‘resting bitch face’, and more than that, looked far more intimidating than her, even if he wasn’t decked out in leather armor like she was.
The red beret said a lot.
They both moved to head up the street towards the Tops, its colorful signage obvious further down the street, but they didn’t get far from the Lucky 38 steps, before an all too familiar voice reached her ears.
“The eyes of the mighty Caesar are upon you.”
Aelia whipped around, a hand going to pull her magnum from the leather at her hip, but Boone was quick enough to put a hand on her wrist to stop her from committing a crime that even House may not have been able to overlook. She imagined Boone hadn’t quite heard what the man said, though, or he wouldn’t have stopped her.
Every word he spoke was crystal clear to Aelia as he approached, cold eyes still gleaming with a maniacal fire, “My Lord requires your presence at his camp, at Fortification Hill,” the man said, no longer in his coyote hood, but dressed in a suit, as if he belonged on the Strip, and not on a cross.
He pulled a golden medallion from his pocket and offered it to her, “His Mark will guarantee your safe-conduct through our lands.” Aelia reached for it, in spite of herself, heart hammering in her throat. Boone saw the emblem, and it was his turn to try and pull his rifle off of his back, and Aelia’s turn to catch the strap of it and keep him still by pressing it into his shoulder.
“How did you find me here?”
The man in front of her scoffed, “I am the greatest of Caesar’s frumentarii, tracking you was not difficult. I learned of your history. I know who you seek. Your destination was clear,” his lips quirked with the hint of a smirk, “I wish you happy hunting, Courier. Caesar would reward such determination. You ought to consider paying him a visit. Any and all crimes against the Legion will be…overlooked. Including Nipton.”
‘That was your crime!’ Aelia wanted to shout, but she refrained, holding the frumentari’s gaze with a wild glare, as he took a step back, touched his hat with a short inclination of his head and body.
“Until then, vale,” he dismissed himself, and turned from them both, but Aelia didn’t move her hand off the strap until the man was gone through the gate, to Freeside.
Boone reached for the medallion, but Aelia quickly closed her fingers over it and pulled it away from his attempt. “What are you doing?” he hissed.
“Boone – don’t you see what this is?”
“A trap.”
‘Point.’
There were good odds this was a trap. Although Aelia didn’t seek out legionnaires to kill, she’d definitely killed legionnaires with Boone. “Maybe,” she said, “but if it isn’t – this is a way to cut to the heart of the Legion!” she spoke in a hushed whisper.
Boone scoffed, “Yeah. Because they’ll let us through after we shoot our way through Cottonwood Cove.”
Aelia frowned, but shook her head, “No—we don’t shoot—”
“I’m only shooting,” Boone insisted, “I thought you understood that. There’s no negotiating with the legion. There’s no talking to the legion. The only good legionnaire—”
“I understand,” she tried to placate, moving to pocket the medallion, “but some things require subtlety and tact. There might be a better way than just—”
“No.”
“Boone—”
“No!” He said it with far more vehemence, enough that Aelia went rigid, though she held her ground in front of him. The eyes returned to them, as Boone’s voice carried, the weight of the disagreement obvious to their audience, even if they hadn’t heard the exchange of words.
“I’m going to see Caesar.” Aelia said, straightening her posture.
“Then you’re going alone.”
Aelia stared straight at Boone’s sunglasses, seeing through the dark tint to his eyes. She imagined he looked afraid, as they stood for a few seconds, waiting for the other to take back their stance.
Waiting for the other to give in, and admit the partnership was worth more than this fight.
Neither of them did.
“Fine.” Aelia said at last, breaking the silent tension by pulling her hazel eyes away from him, “Good luck out there.” She saw some of his rigid determination falter as she turned away, but he didn’t call after her.
He didn’t try to persuade her further – or if he did, she was too far gone by the time he tried, her own heart beating hard against her eardrums, as doubt made her fingers go cold, and she lost some of her pallor.
Boone was right about the Legion. She’d never claim they were good. But to completely miss an opportunity to meet Caesar? Even if it was a trap, it was a trap worth examining! Striding through the Strip, she barely realized when she was suddenly in front of the Tops.
‘Right. I still need to finish this.’ Perhaps after she put a bullet in Benny's head, she could find Boone and apologize. It might clear her head just enough for her to realize her own stupidity. She could start to actually think about everything presented to her. House calling her, the Legion offering a mark to a woman -- all of it was too crazy, it was no wonder she wanted to talk things out with even Caesar just to make sense of everything!
“Aelia? Aelia is that you?”
An NCR ranger approached, much to her surprise. She didn’t know their face, “Uh—yeah.”
“This is for you,” he offered her a letter, and she took it, feeling almost dizzy at receiving something from the NCR right after being approached by the Legion. “Ambassador Crocker would like a word with you, as soon as you can spare it.”
The letter was suddenly as heavy as the medallion – and she had no one to lean on. The foundation that Boone had become, post-Nipton, was suddenly gone, and she was starting to feel that loss all too keenly as everyone tried to pull her in every direction.
Except, the one she wanted.
The one right in front of her.
“I’ll visit later,” the words didn’t even sound like they came out of her mouth as she walked by the NCR ranger, who made some pithy plea, before the noise of the Tops encased her completely.
‘Finally.’
She tried to just waltz in, but her confidence was shot, she couldn’t pull off the look of belonging before someone was calling to her from the desk.
“Helloooo baby!” the stranger called, “lovely piece you have there, but you’re going to have to leave those here, doll. No weapons on the floor, but don’t worry – we’ll make sure no harm comes a single hair on your pretty head.” The sleaze oozed off the chairman at the front.
Aelia meant to walk in, and be cool about everything, but instead, she approached the man at the counter, pulled Benny’s lighter from her pocket, and put it on the desk, “I have a package to deliver,” she said, “directly to Benny.” She let her hand clear off the lighter so the man at the counter could see it.
He let out a low whistle, “Benny’s old lucky charm? Where’d you pick that up?”
“I’ll answer to him,” she said, “would you get him for me?”
The man hesitated, but in the end, put on that plastic smile, “Sure doll, sure – hey! Charles! Go see if Benny’s here.” And ‘Charles’ walked off on his fetch quest.
~***~
Craig Boone was not at all pleased with what had just transpired.
He hadn’t expected Aelia Schaeffer to pick The Legion over him. Hell, he knew what she went through with the Legion and Nipton, so it made no sense that she’d trust them. She’d seen one of their traps, first hand! The Legion hated women. There was no good ending to this. His fists clenched helplessly at his side as she turned away, but he didn’t call out.
He just thought, very loudly, ‘I won’t be there to put a bullet in your head when they make you an example for New Vegas.’ The thought put a heavy weight in his gut, as she left his sight, heading for the destiny she’d been marching towards since they met – the confrontation with Benny.
He should be there.
But his anger got the better of him, and he turned on his heel, ignoring the looks that now followed him in the midst of his rather public ‘break up’ with the woman who just walked out of the Lucky 38.
Not a great ending to his day.
And now what did he have? ‘Nothing.’
Well, he had a rifle, and some ammunition. He had a few caps, as well, and although he could spend them on the Strip, he intended to make his way back to Freeside and spend them there.
Drink, a bed, and then in the morning, he could go find Cottonwood Cove, and put a bullet through as many legionnaires as possible before they took him down. Perhaps his actions would reflect on Aelia, and she’d never meet Caesar.
Perhaps not.
‘Or you can hunt down that frumentarii bastard.’
He headed into Freeside. How hard could he be to follow? With that rather single-minded thought, Craig let his pace step up as he passed through the gate, and through the securitrons, skimming the area for any sign of someone who looked too well-dressed for Freeside.
Of course, that led him to pause, some distance from the securitrons, as he came to a literal crossroads, and had no idea which way to go.
‘…damn.’
That directionless sensation dug its claws into him.
Without Carla, without Novac, without Aelia…he really wasn’t sure what he was doing, at all. He was cut loose to make his decisions – he’d avenged Carla, and he’d taken Aelia as far as they could go, but now, there was just a terrible emptiness that craved to be filled with blood.
And he couldn’t even find the bastard who’s blood he wanted first.
“Tch.”
He turned, deciding to make his destination the drink – the Atomic Wrangler.
The sun was too hot to stand out in for much longer, anyways.
