Nuclear Winter

Ten minutes after carefully making their way down the mountain, stopping now and then for Alex to say 'Ouuu a piece of candy' before picking up a gun or something other from a dead legionary, waste not want not after all.

Alex and Boone can be seen slowly making their way up to the first tents in the legions camp at cottonwood.

"Keep your eyes open Boone, one or two might have hid rather then run. Last thing we need is for one of the bastards to pop up like some kind of evil surprise."

No sooner did Alex say that was he proven correct when a recruit legionary popped up from a tent while holding a machete, and ran for Boone.

"RETRIBUTION"

*Pewffft*

*Thud*

"See what I meant! Stubborn lil fuckers I'll give em that." Alex kept his 10mm at his side and didn't bother to put it away after the legionaries body hit the ground with a bullet hole in his forehead. The Gobi mk2 disappeared, it's size wasn't great for close combat as he found out earlier, still has the boot mark as proof.

Boone simply wiped the bead of sweat off his brow. "Yeah thanks for the save, you got a close range weapon for me?"

Alex being the hoarder that he was simply smiled.

"Whad'daya buyin? Hehehe"

Suddenly a 9mm pistol and a 10mm Submachine gun appeared in Alex's hands fully loaded, both spoils he liberated from the legion.

"Seriously? You're going to make me pay in a situation like this?"

Boone raised an eyebrow at Alex's shrewdness.

"Ehhem, no I'm not, it's just something an old merchant I know used to say too desperate goody two shoes who needed ammo and herbs. Here take one." Alex felt like crying at the fact no one would get his references in this wasteland. So much potential and only he could enjoy it, and enjoy it he will!

"Right, well I'll take the 10mm sub machine gun, thanks." Boone quickly snatched the weapon and flicked the single shot switch while giving Alex a wary look, after checking to make sure it was loaded and the safety was off both Boone and Alex continued to work their way through the camp. Occasionally a legionary would pop out but Alex or Boone would simply put them to eternal rest the moment they did.

After making their way through most of the tents with no other nasty pop ups due to most of the tents closer to the center of the camp being blown down.

Boone and Alex came to the clearing around the main building, or more aptly the crater that WAS a building. The burning wreckage and debris laying about and lightning up a good portion of the camp in an orange glow.

Seeing the black charred remains and shattered cinderblocks laying about Boone let out a whistle, looking over at Alex he had a 'remind me not to piss you off' look clearly visible on his face.

"Enough of the fuck me eyes Boone, let's shimmy past the big bonfire and head to the slave dock." Alex simply rolled his eyes and began to walk around the burning crater and smoking remains. The sooner they get to the slave pens near the left dock the sooner they could get out and Alex could begin to explore the wide open world.

The heat from the crater was bearable but the smell of charred brick and other 'stuff' made Alex want to gag.

"I'll be the first to admit though… may have used a wee bit to much boom putty."

Boone simply scoffed and gave him the 'are you serious?' Look.

"Anyways let's pick up the pace, already deactivated the collars before the fire and brimstone explosion, we need to get out of camp before a scout can report the legions loss here." Boone nodded.

"We can head to searchlight once we get on the main road, NCR's got a large outpost there. Once those bears find out what you did here they're gonna lose their shit."

Noticing Alex slightly flinch when he mentioned that, Boone felt like something was up. He didn't want to pry on the man's life so he decided to push it to the back of his mind. Alex however steeled his nerves and let his thoughts out, wanting to hear Boones take on his memories and thoughts.

Raising his face wrap to stop the smell, Alex let out a long sigh as they finally made it to the opposite side of the camp and could see the slave pens in the distance, one for men and one for women.

"I'm not a part of the NCR anymore."

Those words made Boones eyes go wide, the legendary Reno Reaper! Kimball and Oliver's fuck around' find out ranger of death…no longer a part of the NCR? How the fuck did that come to be?

"You're probably wondering why right? Let's just say Kimball needs political friends and funds more then he needs a dashing yet slightly unhinged Veteran ranger. So when a very rich Brahmin barons entitled son asks for a high rank in the military, he gets it. When the entitled fat fuck wants a girl that's with someone else already, yup you guessed it! When that girl decides a life of extravagance is better then waiting for the news of her childhood friend/lovers death while he's on a mission in Arizona, yup you guessed it. The NCR is a rotten fucking mess and I'll make them regret choosing that fat bastard."

Boone simply looked at Alex as he stopped and turned to look at him, a glow in his eyes that wasn't from the fires he caused to the legions camp. He wanted to pity the poor bastards that pissed Alex off, but after bitter springs… he was glad someone else had enough of the NCR's shit.

"Might not be much but when the people back in California find out that Kimball ostracized you? Well his political career is done for. You're a hero to quite a few soldiers, if and when they learn what he did or if he didn't at least try to prevent, he'd be lucky if he doesn't end up swinging from a lamppost in Shady Sands."

Alex let out a scoff.

"Doubtful to be frank, I'd be more worried about My father. He might just ignore the legion and wage war on Kimball and the NCR politicians."

Boone cocked an eyebrow at that statement, Alex just paused for dramatic effect.

"My old man, loved a woman outside of his marriage. Later after my mom's death, he found out the truth about me in a letter she had sent to him and he kept me hidden, his wife was from a very terrifying background and would have 'corrected' his mistake if you catch my drift. But he still loved me, I was his only son out of half a dozen daughters and I wanted to impress dear ol'dad, so I became a soldier, then a ranger, then a veteran ranger. Of course when he found out that there was no longer a need for me back in California, he sent for me to be brought out to this nice little slice of hellfire called the Mojave. Well I spent most of my time at camp golf or killing legionnaires who hadn't covered their tracks on this side of the Colorado. Eventually we got word that a ranger had gone traitor and was giving info to the legion. Fucker ran over to the enemies side when we found out, but dear dad didn't want the grunts to see that shit go unpunished. So after a long debate and back and forth he decided to show some faith in me and he sent me after him to bring back the bastards head so that it could be displayed on the dams ramparts."

Boone looked over the tents as they walked and talked, trying to digest the information he was receiving, not saying anything, it seemed Alex needed to say it out loud to get it off his chest.

"Two months tracking that bastard down seeing the worst the legion had to offer till I finally found him, he pleaded and begged but the info he traded got at least 30 good men killed so it fell on deaf ears and swift hands, so after I took his head and hoofed it back to Hoover. Watched as dad gave a speech and placed the head facing Caesar's little tent fort, made my way back to relax in the embrace of the girl I loved, only to find her in the bed of a man ten years older and a hundred pounds heavier. Beat the fucker as he squealed like a stuck pig, she bawled and told me to stop, that she loved him because he could give her a good life and that I would never be more then a blood soaked attack dog for the NCR and that he was my direct military superior. I laughed at that, shot him in both his knees, then left the camp before anyone could stop me.

All those years, all that time, I loved her and cared for her, yet in the end it came down to some caps and a few pretty dresses for her to turn her back on me. Heh, well fuck that noise, I'd hate to be those two when my very protective and prideful father finds out, I'd be surprised if he doesn't give em the Joshua Graham special."

Boone nearly tripped when Alex said that, who the hell is this father? The more Boone thought about it the more crazy it got and his mind began to wonder.

Alex looking back at Boone, smiled and decided to tell the quite sniper his secret, a secret only a handful of people knew. "Alexander Sinclair, my mothers maiden name was Sinclair. But if you wanted to know if I ever took my fathers last name it would be… Alexander Oliver."

The name Oliver rang in Boones ears, a bell toll that got louder and louder. Out of all the people in the New California Republic to fuck with, General Lee fucking Oliver was not one of them any sane man who liked using his lungs would choose.

An audible gulp could be heard as Boone spoke up. "Um so I'm not gonna wake up dead for knowing this am I?"

Alex chuckled. "You kidding me? My dad finds out you helped me and cleared out cottonwood cove with me! He'd give you the rank of major and a hefty monetary reward." Alex kept walking and they got within range of the slave pens. "However I'd recommend never saying anything about this, the legion ain't the forgiving or forgetting kind." Alex came to a sudden stop.

"Here we are, let's get them out of here, we can have a chat about why we're so fucked up once we get back to civilization." Seeing many slaves in both pens standing up and looking at him and Boone, Alex could see a few had signs of being hit by a concussive blast and felt a little guilty.

"CRAIG!!!" Suddenly turning his head, Alex was floored by the bombshell blonde beauty with blue eyes, large perky breasts and a weep taken care of figure. No taller then 5,5 with pale soft skin. She was obviously pregnant and couldn't be older then 22.

Boone must have saved an orphanage of puppies from burning down in his last 99 lives to land a girl like that.

"Carla, stand back!" Rushing over to the pen, Boone shot the lock and opened the gate. Moments later a little blonde rocket crashed into Boone and started to sob.

Alex smiled under his face wrap, she was brought here yesterday and hadn't suffered under the legion yet thankfully, but If he hadn't been at that overlook, Boone would have done something he would have regretted for the rest of his life.

After a few moments of the girl crying and telling Boone she knew he'd come and how much she loved him, a dark aura enveloped the girl. "Jennie-may, that bitch! Babe she sold me to the legion! She laughed and said a city girl like me would do fine as a legion whore. That I wasn't good enough for you and that you'd find someone else after awhile, while I'd spend my the rest of my days on my back."

You could hear Boones jaw clench and his teeth grinding from the Capital Wasteland after she said that. His eyes were that of a man who woke up and decided violence was a healthy way to start the day.

Sometimes silence was a virtue, especially in volatile situations like this, a wise man once say 'a man who should say nothing yet speaks is surly an idiot'.

"She sounds like a real wonderful woman, I hate her already." Everyone meet Alex, our idiot.

"Huh? Who's this Boone?" The inquisitive little blonde asked with a confused look as she tilted her head back to look up at the man. Alex couldn't help but chuckle at the cute gesture, raising his hand up he pulled down the face wrap and let down the black hood of his armor.

"HOLY SHIT YOUR AlIVE?!" A middle aged lady in her late 30's standing behind Carla and Boone cursed out loud when Alex revealed his face.

"Yeah! And you still got a potty mouth you old hag!"

The lady moved at a quick speed that should have been impossible for someone who was human and grabbed Alex by his ear.

"OwOwOwOw I'm sorry please let go! I was joking, your still young and incredibly beautiful!" Alex decided it was best to be shameless.

"Hrumph, you bet I am you lil bastard, you made this lady cry for almost a whole hour when I thought you died!

"Damn it Cassandra, you got a death grip. Why do you have to be so violent?"

Cassandra Moore simply scoffed at the tall handsome man in front of her, how his stupidity hasn't gotten him killed yet was the worlds greatest mystery. "Well enough of the chit chat, let's get out of this camp and back to searchlight. We need to have a talk in private Alex." Cassandra gave Alex a glare, he should be dead but was standing right in front of her.

"Sure thing colonel, alright everyone! Follow the grumpy looking Brooding man out of the camp!" Alex gestured towards Boone.

"Why me? Ain't you coming with us?" Boone asked Alex and couldn't hide his worry, seemed he really decided to become Alex's friend after what he's done.

Alex simply smiled. "Something I have to do, also got to make sure they don't ever try to use this place again." A gleam in Alex's eyes could be seen briefly by Boone, he decided to drop the subject and simply nodded his head in recognition.

"Alright everyone, let's get out of here. It's only three hours walk to searchlight, it's night so we should make it before the sun rises."

Alex raised his hand as multiple blue lights flashed and a dozen guns and armors fell out of his inventory, everyone gawked at him and the gear he Houdini'd out of thin air. "Grabbed this from the legion armory, bunch of leather and NCR armor and weapons, Cassandra I trust you know who too give it to, should help you all get to searchlight safer. When I'm done here I'll quickly make my way to you, promise!"

Cassandra simply nodded with a complicated look on her face causing Alex too raise his eyebrow. Suddenly rushing over she gave him a heavy hug, it would have been nice with her breasts pushed against him but Alex grimaced, she smelt like a weeks worth of sweat and grime, not like he probably smelt any better mind you. He just sighed and enjoyed the contact. Reminding himself to buy some soap from the federal store to take a dip in the river after everyone left.

"You promised, so you better show or I'll hunt you down and drag you back you hear?!" Taking a deep breath in Alex's chest Cassandra tightened her hug on Alex.

"Duly noted colonel, now hurry on up and let go, I'm sure I smell bad." Alex gave Cassandra a head pat and backed off from the girl.

Shaking her head Cassandra quickly replied to Alex's quip. "Actually you smell like freshly peeled oranges for some reason." Cassandra looked at Alex with a forlorn look after she had let go, she didn't understand why she wanted to hug him again but she fought the urge.

"Excuse me, but I'm still wondering who you are?" Looking over at Carla Boone, the blonde quickly lowered her head with a slight blush when she saw Alex's face.

"Your husband will fill you in on the way back to safety, right Craig?" Giving him an uncomfortable smile in hopes Craig would hurry the fuck up and leave with everyone, Craig didn't disappoint and nodded.

"Alright then! After I'm done here I'll make my way back to searchlight too make sure you all made it safe!"

After thanking Alex profusely, The men and women Cassandra chose to defend everyone geared up and they all left the camp post haste.

Alex was standing by the dock looking at the water for a few moments before turning around and walking about 40 feet between the dock and the slave pens. All alone as a shovel he had taken from the legions main building appeared in his hands and he started to dig in a seemingly random spot, however if a few of the former slaves saw him digging here they would immediately understand what he was doing.

After five minutes Alex felt the shovel tangle with something, looking down he could see some razor wire tangled with the shovels head. Getting out of the shallow hole Alex walked over to a collapsed tent and pulled out his boot knife, cutting out a large section of the cloth. Walking back to the hole he neatly splayed it out before going in the hole and moving more dirt with his bare hands, gently moving away the razor wire. A few tears hit the Mojave's sand and Alex quickly wiped them away before gently lifting and placing what he had dug up on the cloth, gently wrapping her he picked her up and hoped it would work. Opening his eyes to see, he let out a long sigh before opening his Evo and looking under quest related items to see the item 'Samantha's remains'. Looking at the quest associated with her Alex let out another heavy sigh before feeling the need to sit down as his legs grew weak.

Quest: A heavy smile

Samantha Smiles patched you up after you sustained wounds from a legion ambush and subsequent capture, a caring and loving young girl who shared half of her rations with you during your recovery and heard your story without judgment. After coming to care for the girl you had to watch her tragic death unfold before your eyes, after in a fit of rage you brutally killed the Decanus responsible, at the cost of your own 'death', now too close this chapter and to show your gratitude to the girl, you must return her remains to her sister Sunny in GoodSprings.

Standing up, with a heavy look on his face Alex pulled his rifle from his inventory. Using the scope he began scanning the mountains around him until he eventually saw what he was looking for and began to hike towards the area.

After almost an hour of hiking and climbing up the steep mountain, Alex came to a campground/overlook of cottonwood cove. Turning his gaze he could see the sun starting to rise, but quickly ignored that and looked instead to a large cargo semi that had Poseidon energy and military markings on its faded metal hull. The back end of the semi was hanging off the cliff towards cottonwood cove, no way in hell Alex was getting out and opening the trailer so he decided on a different course of action.

Opening his inventory Alex pulled out a couple grenades, mines and a satchel charge he looted from the legion armory. Carefully he shimmied under the trailer until he reached the axel that was hooked on some rocks, preventing the trailer from plummeting towards the cove below.

With extreme care Alex dug a small hole at the base of said rocks and placed all the explosives, sitting the remotely detonated satchel charge on top. After quickly yet cautiously scooting out from under the semi's trailer, Alex nodded and started his trek back to the snipers overlook. He needed to be away from the trailer and have the cover from the advantage point, so an hour and a half later as the sky began to glow with the early morning dawn Alex finally made it to the overlook, walking to the rock outcropping covered in spent shells, Alex took the same spot he was in earlier. Placing down his rifle he moved the tinted glass scope cover over the end of his scope to prevent a glare from giving him away too soon. Placing a remote detonator beside him he settled in and waited.

\\\Vulpes Inculta - 2 hours later///

After getting orders that in a day he would leave for cottonwood cove, before making his way towards the town of searchlight and then Nipton to stir up some trouble and do some damage towards the moral of the Mojave and weaken the NCR , Vulpes was instead awakened in the middle of the night by a pretorian guard.

Told that cottonwood cove had not radioed in with their status update for over five hours and that a large explosion was heard near the cove itself, Vulpes soon found himself floating down the Colorado with 300 legionnaires towards cottonwood cove.

At first he thought it was ridiculous, no one had the balls to attack cottonwood, surly not the NCR. Those insects were to busy rotting away from corruption and in fighting to stage something like an attack of that size, not when they could be fortifying the dam. Maybe a few years ago but definitely not now, so who would? Or could? Vulpes was eager to find out.

He knew Cottonwood cove was important to the Legion, after all while the NCR was busy sending everyone and thing to the dam the legion was preparing Cottonwood cove for the real invasion. A small force would attack the dam while the bulk of legion forces would land in the cove from Dry Wells and march towards the outpost at I-15. Hence Vulpes mission to take down searchlight and Nipton, removing any town that could be fortified, also the reason Dead Sea had taken half of cottonwoods men and secured Nelson. An extra offensive and defensive position when the NCR realized what was really happening. When they take the outpost at I-15 and hold it they could slowly destroy the Remaining NCR in the Mojave as they would have no new supplies or recruits.

Such a defeat would cripple the NCR and make them easy prey for the legion. A brilliant plan Caesar had formulated after the first battle of Hoover dam, realizing that the dam would only be harder to take by the time we regained our strength. So he looked at another landing point and slowly began to prepare it, but now it seems to have been attacked. Maybe the NCR figured out the legions plan and sent some mercenaries? It was the only logical conclusion Vulpes could make.

"Sir the camps in sight."

Vulpes looked at the legionary in question and wanted to slap him, of course he knows it's in sight he can see it, fuck half the Mojave could see it with that giant black pillar of smoke rising up from it in the morning sun.

A few minutes later after all the small boats had landed Vulpes ordered all his men to fan out and check the camp for survivors or traps. He himself walked over to the smoldering ruins of the main building, now a two meter deep and 75 meter wide crater. Black charred body parts and burnt flattened tents were everywhere. Occasionally a dead legionary could be seen splayed out on the ground with a single bullet wound in their center mass or head.

It was odd to say the least, taking out his binoculars he began to look at the surrounding cliffs and found something that began to explain what had happened. Dozens of dead men could be seen all over the mountain slope west of the camp. Unlike the ones in the camp these men had multiple gunshot wounds in the back and extremities. Clearly attacked from the back unaware, Vulpes noticed the turrets that had been deactivated when the building exploded.

Piecing together what he could see, he knew the turrets had to have been hacked, looking over at the slave pens he saw all the slave collars on the ground. It was at that moment Vulpes realized that this was most likely the work of a small group, his admiration for these individuals clear in his eyes. If he could capture them and turn them over to the legions side then the losses here would have been worth it.

However fate was a cruel bitch and a large explosion took him out of his thoughts.

*BOOOOOM*

Looking at the mountain on the opposite side of the camp Vulpes saw a huge dust and smoke cloud followed by a large semi's trailer plunge down the mountain side and into the rocks below. The trailer twisted and exploded open sending a dozen bright yellow barrels towards the camp, many of the said barrels busted open releasing a brownish green sludge onto the ground that started to cause the sand to…melt? However it was the four large pipes that flew out and busted open revealing six dull blue rods each that made Vulpes start to turn and run.

"RUUUUUN!!!!!!!!"

Vulpes shouted as he broke out into a full sprint towards the docks. Only a few legionaries followed suit with pale faces. Soon the legion mongrels that the legion brought with them began to whine and growl, before struggling out of their leashes and running in the opposite direction of the crashed trailer.

"Why are you running!?" A recruit legionary shouted out only to stop and begin to wobble. Soon the man fell to his knees and began to screech in agony as his flesh began to bubble and slide off of his body. Dozens of legionnaires ran to the man to help him only to fall and tumble before more screams could be heard. Over two hundred legionnaires witnessed this and soon pandemonium broke out in their ranks, however it was to late.

A cacophony of screams and pleas for help could be heard as an invisible wave of atomic death began to cover the camp at an astonishing pace. Hundreds of men fell to the ground as they tried so hard to make it back to the docks, or simply out of cottonwood some other way, however it was futile as the radiation skyrocketed to the point a super mutant would question if it was safe to pass or not.

*Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang*

Suddenly Vulpes and 19 of the only men to make it back to the boats began to hear gunshots thinking the camp was being attacked, only to go pale when they realized it was their own men ending their lives to stop the pain they were suffering from. The gunshots hit them like hammers over the screams of pain and death, Vulpes could feel his heart racing as the three boats with survivors got safely away from cottonwood.

Reaching up he could feel some tear streaks on his cheeks as he looked out over the camps riverbanks at the 280 men he left behind.

Horror soon filled his eyes as the screams stopped however as about 27 men slowly stood back up and began to jitter, looked out at him and the others before letting out loud guttural screams and sprinted to the river bank before stopping to stare at him with melted faces and dead eyes.

Overcome with rage Vulpes began to shout and rock the boat as the five legionnaires with him tried to steady it with the oars.

"YOU BASTARDS!!! ENJOY THIS VICTORY FOR THE LEGION WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU HAVE DO——"

*PFFFT**SPLASH*

Feeling a warm viscus fluid splatter over his face, smelling heavy with iron the legionary looked up to see a hole the size of a cue ball in the back of Vulpes Incultas head, Vulpes slumped over the edge of the boat and flopped into the river before resurfacing, the clear water started to turn red in front of the legionary as he felt a warm golden liquid travel down his legs.

///Alex - Snipers nest\\\

Taking a deep breath Alex slowly stood up as a few wisps of smoke came out of his rifles barrel. He hoped whatever that legion fuck was shouting was worth being his last words. Not bothering to take another look at cottonwood cove Alex turned and made his way down the opposite side of the mountain until he reached the road.

Slowly raising his foot and placing it on the now sweltering tarmac, Alex smiled "Heh not this time bitch." Stepping fully on the road he began to walk along it till he saw a crude lamppost with three choices, Searchlight, Hoover dam or New Vegas.

Taking a deep breath he made his choice and began walking towards the massive radio tower/ flight tower in the distance with a gentle whistling tune escaping his lips.

A smile forming on his face with ever step he took, growing more and more till he looked positively mad, a single thought in his head.

'So it begins, I hope you're ready for me Mojave.'