New Vegas: Role-Play

All we quiet..or so it seemed.

The smoke of the destroyed city rose high into the air where it was caught by the subtle breeze, that wafted it gently into the horizon stretching the carnage for miles. Vulpes' boots crunched heavily against the remnants of fallen buildings and burnt wood, the smell had that unmistakable tang of charred flesh to it that would set a normal persons stomach into a frenzy. But not them of course. His blues eyes narrowed dangerously as he glimpsed from side to side at the crucified Powder Gangers, still grovelling for mercy. "Disgusting," the man muttered before marching off towards his Frumentarii squadron. Nipton had been disheveled and all that it was now lay in ruins beneath the Legions feet, Vulpes watched with a satisfied smile as his men quickly began to raise the flags into the air to signal their victory.

"It looks like everything went according to plan?" The woman, who had until now merely watched as he did the work, spoke from the shadows. Her lithe form leaning lazily against the dilapidated shop, her arms casually crossed over her chest.

"Yes, it seems so," he gave her little attention and continued to stare at the red flags now whipping in the wind softly.

Natalia walked along the road to Nipton casually, ED-E chirping happily behind her. Nipton wasn't her destination, but she had hoped to stop there for a rest and to resupply before continuing on. However as she neared the town, she saw smoke rising from its buildings. Knowing that the smoke meant nothing good, she broke into a run and hurried along the road in order to see what was wrong. As she approached the gate, she almost collided with a man dressed in a Powder Ganger outfit.

"YEAH! Who won the lottery? I DID!" The man yelled happily at the bewildered Natalia. "Smell that air! Couldn't ya just drink it like BOOZE?!"

"A-are you feeling alright?" Natalia said uncertainly.

"Are you kidding me? Never felt better!" the man replied cheerfully.

"...Alright then. See you later, I guess"

The man ran off, and Natalia watched him disappear into the horizon before turning back to the town. As she entered, she let out a gasp; severed heads impaled on sticks had been placed by the entrance of the town, and she could see skeletons lying on top of burning piles of tyres. Slowly, she approached the town's main road and looked down it towards the town hall. She saw more impaled heads and burning corpses, along with people hanging on crosses, and felt herself swaying slowly on the spot.

"I don't feel so good, ED-E..." she said faintly. The robot beeped sadly.

Natalia let out a loud cry of shock as the man jumped out at her and shouted in her face, the backed away quickly as he tripped and fell at her feet. ED-E beeped angrily at him.

And I thought the other guy was weird, Natalia thought.

Natalia backed away from the men surrounding her until she backed into the wall of one of the town's few buildings still mostly intact. Instinctively, she placed her hand on the pistol at her hip, her eyes narrowing at the man in the wolf's skin hood.

Her reaction was flavoursome and sunk in well with Vulpes, he smirked briefly and suddenly stamped down hard on Kori's arm causing the man to flinch upwards and flail away. "I'm sorry Boss," the 'things' winy voice echoed in Vulpes' ear making him suddenly wish he had stamped on his head instead.

"Yes, you are," the leader of the Frumentarii flicked his wrist out and gestured for Kori to fall back in line. Kori eagerly obliged and fled behind the high up legionnaires, his head popping out from behind a man to stare at Natalie. Vulpes looked at Natalie, his eyes trailed from her face down to her had which rested on a pistol. "Don't worry, I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates, it's useful you happened by."

Mary stepped out from the building Natalie had been leaning against, closing in on the girl. She reached out and tapped the woman on the shoulder, trying to make her jump.

How on earth can I be useful to bastards like you? Natalia thought, her eyes fixed on the man standing in front of her. ED-E hovered by her side. Suddenly, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder; she gasped, whirled around and tightened her grip on her pistol. When she turned, she came face to face with another woman.

Natalia let out a soft groan as she regained consciousness. Her whole body ached, but the part of her face where the woman had smacked her hurt the most. After a few moments, she realised that she was lying on carpet. She opened her eyes. Some of her long hair had fallen over her face, but through it she could see that she was lying on a Persian rug. She could also see the boots of some men standing nearby. She let out a gasp, quickly got up into a kneeling position and looked around. She was in a tent, surrounded by men in Legion armor. Among them was the man in the wolf skin hood and the woman who had knocked her out. And directly in front of her, sitting on some sort of throne, was a bald, middle aged man who was looking at her intently.

This is all I need, Natalia thought, fear rising in her chest. First I get shot in the head, and now this?

Once again, her hand went to her hip, but all she could feel was the fabric of her skirt. Her pistol had been taken off her. Without her pistol and ED-E by her side, she felt very vulnerable, a feeling that was not helped by the fact that some of the men were staring at her like she was a piece of meat.

Caesar stared at the young woman kneeling before him for a few more moments before speaking.

"Are you sure this is the "famous" courier? She seems too... timid."

"One way to find out," Mary walked forwards and bent down to Natalie, she reached out and grabbed a fistful of the woman's hair, yanking her upwards and thrusting her head back. Her grey eyes scanned the top of her head and face, looking for any signs she had been shot. There it was, a circular indentation near the girls temple, it still looked fresh in Mary's eyes, causing her to lift up her free hand and prod ruthlessly at the healing scar. A sickening smile spreading across her face as she prepared for the delicious noise.

Vulpes watched all, still silent, but to be honest rather in awe of the way Mary dealt with things. He watched for Natalie's reaction to such brutality.

Natalia let out a cry of pain as the woman grabbed her hair, and let out a louder one as she poked her tender bullet wound.

"Why you little-!" she snarled, reaching up and attempting to scratch the woman's face.

Caesar watched to two women with an amused expression on his face.

Caesar tilted his head to one side and looked at Natalia again.

"Come a little closer," he said to her. She shuffled closer to him on her knees, her eyes wide.

"Now then," he said, leaning forward "the time is fast approaching when my Legion will assult the great dam and invade the west. What was inside that package you were delivering might just be the key to my victory."

"I don't have it anymore," Natalia said bluntly.

"I know you don't," Caesar said coldly, "but I know who does. His name is Benny, and he was the one who shot you."

Natalia looked surprised.

"He runs The Tops casino in Vegas. I want you to go to him, kill him, take back what he took from you and bring it to me."

"Alright, I'll do it," Natalia said softly, knowing that this was the perfect excuse for her to get her revenge.

Caesar smiled.

"Sweetness?" Natalia said, looking at Mary with a very confused look on her face.

"Someone put her in a tent for the night," said Caesar, waving Natalia away with his hand.

Natalia let out a little yelp as Mary grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the tent.

"Mary will, along with one of your Frumentarii," Caesar replied in response to Vulpes's question.

Caesar leaned back on this throne for a moment, carefully making his decision.

"Korbin," he finally replied.

Meanwhile, Natalia looked mournfully at the tents Mary pointed out to her and nodded at what she was saying, unsure of what to say back.

"Of course I am sure!" Caesar snapped, looking at Vulpes angrily. "Now go and tell him of his new assignment."

Natalia stared in awe at Mary's wardrobe and vanity table, resisting the urge to dive in and touch everything.