The last will of a Lonesome man (Parts 1 - 5)

(Part 1)

*Ulysses sat above the Divide, watching over his old home. He thought about what he and The Courier had done, the debate they had back in the silo, front of that Old World flag. Ulysses went on another walk down the High Road, then to Aston. He wanted to see what was done one last time, before he'd go to create it again. The strip, then the West. Perhaps the East, depending on what little sympathy he had left for his brothers. The Mojave was already burning with anarchy and independence. The Courier had left each leader a gift, one they all shared. A bullet to the head. Caesar, Lanius, Kimball, Oliver, House. All buried in the land they so desired. Ulysses chuckled at the thought. Courier 6 can survive a head shot, but five powerful men fall with ease. The Courier came back to the Divide. He had no more reason to be there than Ulysses. Yet he came back, to ask Ulysses about his last message on the holodisk. After some time, Ulysses explained his plan. He was going to map out the remaining silos with active payloads, and use ED-E to launch the remaining missiles. The Courier asked,* "Haven't we said enough?". *Ulysses responded*, "Enough perhaps, the West is one giant trap. The Bear suffers, needs to be put down". *The Courier thought for a moment, then spoke,* "You don't like many groups, do you? What about the Enclave, do you approve of them?". *Ulysses thought back to the past, when the Courier brought ED-E to the Divide. He saw a symbol on it, like the one on his back.* "I've heard rumors. Saw their symbol. No doubt they were once from the Old World. They may have the strength to get things done, but even they have the same issue as the rest". *The Courier asked,* "What issue?". *Ulysses answered,* "They try to bring Old World values to the wasteland, when it does not need them anymore".

*The Courier said he'd help Ulysses, as long as Vegas isn't targeted. Ulysses agreed to that term, it didn't matter as Vegas' lights would go out eventually. Most likely when the Courier passes away. But with the implants from Big MT, he's no different than House.*

*They arrive at a new silo, ready to change history.* "Are you sure you want to be a part of this?". *The Courier nodded. Ulysses replied,* "You can go home, Courier". *Courier answers,* "I did. I am home, we're home. Here at the Divide". *Ulysses sighed, then said,* "That is true, isn't it? Alright. Let it all end..." . *The Courier responded with the same,* "Let it all end..."

(Part 2)

*One would expect to be vilified by such an action, butno onee was left to vilify it. Ulysses and the Courier closed the book on the Mojave, allowing it to become the graveyard it was meant to be.*

*They weren't the only ones left. An old, rouge elder stood atop the Helios One tower. For once in a lifetime, he smiled. Aside from atomic fire and radiation, ablood-redd cloud began to shroud the Mojave. Beams of light striking down from the sky could be seen every now and then. Holograms and the undead Ghosts roamed their new home. Fights between Ghosts and Marked Men were occasional. Like many, the Tunnelers made their way into the Mojav, but were quickly removed by the immortals that hail from the Madre.*

*Most of the area northwest of Vegas was left untouched. Jacobstown was intact and still operating, it also became a haven for not only mutant, but humans and ghouls too.*

*Arcade Gannon, along with the rest of the Remnants, locked themselves away within their old bunker. Arcade and Kreger attempted to contact any other Enclave survivors, but all they heard was static. Furious with the Courier’s actions, Arcade made his way toward the Divide entrance to question them.*

“I don’t even know what to say to you. I tell you how I want Vegas to be independent and you go ahead and blow it all to hell? And who’s that guy with you?” *Arcade asked angerily.* *Ulysses replied*, “That does not matter, I sense you wouldn't care to learn my history either. If you want answers, ask the Courier.” *The Courier took a deep breath and looked at Arcade*, “This is the way things are now, Arcade. If anyone was smart enough to survive, they probably made their way to Jacobstown. Though, if there’s still people down there, they won’t make it much longer when Elijah starts doing his shit.” *Arcade asked*, “Who the hell is Elijah?” *The Courier answers*, “He’s a mad, rouge Brotherhood elder who’s obsessed with tech and gold and mass genocide and all that cool stuff. Oh, and he hates the NCR a lot.” “So what, the Mojave is run by madmen now? Is that seriously going to be the end we get?” “Look around Arcade, everything’s on fire, most of everyone is dead, the Strip still stands because I own it and Ulysses tried to not destroy it. But hey, at least there’s no more Cazadors or Deathclaws, right?”

*Ulysses broke the awkward silence*, “Arcade, you are a member of this so-called ‘Enclave’?”, *Arcade responded*, “I was, yes. But the Enclave is long gone. Far as I know, all that's left of it is me and my friends.” *Arcade went on to explain for quite awhile and Ulysses is able to form his opinion. The Enclave weren't the right way either. Ulysses started to lose hope, perhaps the day he sets his flag down it’ll be over his body. The Divide, before it was destroyed, it was perfect. And the Courier fucked it all up. Didn't matter now, all that was finally over. The Courier speaks*, “Welcome to the end of the world, boys. An end where we’re never gonna see a blue sky, a friendly face, or a safe place, ever again. Who wants some booze to celebrate?” *Ulysses declines*, “I don’t drink, prefer to stick with what I got.” *Arcade agreed with the Courier, saying* “At a time like this, it wouldn't hurt to have a drink or two. Or 5. Maybe 10.” *The Courier laughed*, “Cheers, to the apocalypse!”

*Elijah taped into the Courier’s pip-boy, and used it to speak*, “Partying without me? We were partners in this you know, together the three of us brought upon this great ending of things.”. *The Courier greeted Elijah*, “Oh, hey. You want a beer? Whiskey, vodka, scotch? I got all the good shit.” *Elijah responded*, “After all this, perhaps I’ve earned a treat. Where are you?” *Ulysses answered*, “Canyon Wreckage, south of Goodsprings and west of Primm.” *Elijah was slightly shocked*| *to hear Ulysses’ voice*, "Ah, is that you Ulysses? Haven't heard from or see you since Big M.T, and you damned me to the Sierra Madre. But, it turned out to be a good thing. I didn’t think you’d actuary drop those bombs, but I also nearly didn’t think I’d win either. We both achieved our dreams, wouldn't you say?” “Thank the Courier, not me. They brought us all together, what their intentions or motives are is a mystery, but whatever such self-agenda was, it caused all this.”. *Elijah speaks again, but to Arcade*, “The doctor, is he there with you?”, *Arcade replies*, “Yeah, want do you want?”, “You’re the one from the Enclave right? Funny, McNamara could do many things, but finishing a job wasn’t one of them. Without the NCR, the Enclave might have still stood strong. Though you and your friends don’t have to hide anymore, both the NCR and the BoS are gone. Dead, even.” *Arcade says*, “Great, I guess that's nice to know,” *Arcade whispers to himself*, “nice coming from a schizophrenic…”

*The Courier, Ulysses, Arcade, and Elijah speak together in near unity*, “Let it all end…”

*And so it was, that the final chapter was finished. A new age fell upon the Mojave. Ulysses had peace, the Courier became the ruler of the apocalypse, Elijah got control as well, and Arcade stayed with the Courier. He didn’t really have anyone else that he cared about other than the Remnants, and after all the time they had spent together, Arcade and the Courier were close. How close, no one knows, but when you’re in Vegas, it’s probably the usual closeness. The kind of closeness that Mr New Vegas always talked about, that warm feeling of love.*

*Things got really silent soon after it all happened. The day turned to night, Ulysses sat awake while the other two slept. Ulysses thought over all that had happened, from when he was a child all the way to now. The last will of a Lonesome man, fulfilled and over. The old Courier 6 delivered his last message, a gift from the Old World. The missiles that burned everything from here to the far ends of New California.*

*Ulysses smiled, and slowly fell asleep. No longer haunted by a bygone history, or anything else for that matter…  Courier 6 could finally rest from walking too long down his Lonesome Road…*

(Part 3)

*Where was home? The Divide? Wolfhorn ranch? Dry Well? Ulysses never truly had a home, but yet he wondered, what or where could he call home? All that's really left is the Divide, but did he really want to stay there? Forever? He lost everything. His tribe to Caesar, his home to the Courier, and the rest to history.*

*The sun had risen, the fires were almost gone and the general sight of everything had changed. The Mojave looked similar to the weather of the Divide, but with a red coloring. By now, the other 2 were awake. Apparently, they slept together. Ulysses couldn't tell if they were drunk or had actually intended that. Either way, he didn't question it.*

*Ulysses had more important things to do. He let Arcade and the Courier know that he was leaving for a short time. He walked the hell that became the Mojave, going too far would certainly make going back hard, but he had to know.*

*During this trip, Ulysses was stopped by the voice of someone familiar. Well, they were rather something than someone. The cold, ruthless voice gave Ulysses a chill. He turned around to see the figure, clad in golden steel armor, with a helmet that only furthered the fear. The armor must have suffered damage from fire, since it was clearly scorched in some spots. It spoke,* “Ulysses, long time no see. To see a fellow brother is one of few reliefs that is left in this new world.” *the figure pauses then continues*, “Caesar is dead, the Legion has fallen. But some of us still hold up in the east, waiting for me to arrive and take control.” *Ulysses speaks,* “Lanius, I told you the Legion would fall, much like the NCR and everything else.” *Lanius gets angry,* “The Legion only fell because of the Courier, Caesar is dead because of the Courier. I almost died, but it’ll take more than a mailman with a gun to kill me.” “The west was never meant to be alive, to be inhabited. I finished what the Old World started. Even though we may be brothers in Legion, I can not let you conquer the west.” *Lanius understands, but is angered more anyway,* “Mark my words Ulysses, when the Legion is at it’s pinnacle, I will lead my army to con-”.

*Lanius stops, he looks past Ulysses to see a man standing in the distance. He’s holding what looks to be a gun, aimed at the floor. A second later, the man raises his arm, aims in Lanius’ direction and fires once. The bullet hits the left side of Lanius’ chestplate, in the area where his heart is. Lanius begins to walk toward this new figure, and shouts,* “YOU THERE, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU HAVE JUST DEFIED? ARE YOU WANTING TO DIE BEFORE MY BLADE!?” *The mysterious man walks close enough for Lanius to see him, then raises a hand implying Lanius to stop moving. This new person was also familiar, but in a bad way. They wore some sort of jacket with the letters SLCPD on it, their arms and face wrapped in bandages. They began to speak,* “Of course I know who I am defying, that’s why I shot you. I know just the sight of me makes you want to tear me limb from limb, but believe simply my word that that is a bad idea.” *Lanius was at the brink of rage, the fact that he was listening to a sworn enemy of the Legion angered him even more,* “How so? Killing you would not only bring pleasure to me, but perhaps to Mars as well. Explain your reasoning Graham.” *The man of faith did just that,* “This world has been abandoned, it is dangerous for the unprepared. We should stick together, put the past behind us, like Ulysses did. Look at us, Lanius, we 3 are some of the very best of the Legion. I was one of it’s founders and first commanders, you are it’s most respected legate, Ulysses is one of the best Frumentarii the Legion ever saw, aside from Vulpes.” *Lanius thought it over. Graham wasn’t wrong, but that doesn’t mean anything, not yet. Graham continued,* “We each have a road we followed. You still followed Caesar, loyal to Mars. I had found my way back home in Zion, and took up Christianity. Ulysses had made his way through places, with his own philosophy and meanings. And now, now it’s time our roads came together. You may have a bloodlust, but we can all come down to a mutual agreement, right?”.

—

*Arcade and the Courier are still at Canyon Wreckage, Arcade speaks,* “Sooo, where exactly did he say he was going?” *The Courier, who has no clue whatsoever replies,* “How am I supposed to know? He painted a blue flag on a rock, told us he was going on some journey to figure some shit out, and then left. He’ll be fine, I’m sure. If he can live in the Divide without issue, the Mojave won’t be any different.” *Arcade thinks to himself for a bit, he blushes slightly and starts talking again,* “Do you want to… Talk, about last night?”. *Courier replies, “*What, first time?” *Arcade blushes more and starts breathing a little heavier,* “I uh… I don’t exactly let my guard down like that, you know? I’m a member of the most vilified group in all of the world and I’m gay. With the NCR around and their opinions of that kind of stuff, It’s just dangerous to be yourself in an area filled with people who’ll kill you if you say the wrong thing. I joined the Followers because they were good people and I wanted to help make things better, and Mormon Fort happened to be just out of NCR jurisdiction which means I could actually breathe without fear. And thanks to you, Ulysses and that schizo guy, the west side of the United States has ended in fire and toxic clouds, and there’s nothing left that could harm me. And even if there is, you wouldn’t let anything hurt me. Yes, I have the Remnants, but I don’t want to lock myself away in a government bunker/refueling station.” *The Courier was a bit shocked to here Arcade opening up like this, nonetheless they tried to comfort Arcade,* “Hey, it’s alright. If anything harmed you, I’d kill everyone on this damned planet. I already took care of the West coast it seems.” *they both laugh, Courier continues,* “It’s ok Arcade, I mean it. In a hell where you can’t trust nobody but your gun, it’s really something special to put trust in someone you know. Though, we don’t just know each other…” *Arcade finished that sentence,* “We love eachother. Right?” *the Courier smiled with a slight laugh,* “Yeah, we do. So, want more beer?” *Arcade replies,* “Are you serious? We just got drunk last night and ended up sleeping together. Just a minute ago, we became a couple. You eager to find out what happens if we get more drunk? Please, lets go slow for now. Besides, I don’t feel like vomiting my guts out again.”

—

“So be it. What do you propose, Graham?”, *Graham replies,* “Head east if you want, find the remaining Legion in Denver. Or stay here, though you’ll certainly die in this calamity. I will stay in the Mojave a little longer, then head back to Zion. Fortunately, Zion has not been harmed by Ulysses’ missile launch nor the Cloud. At least not yet. The Sorrows and Dead Horses will need me. Even though they could handle themselves after I taught them the art of war, the tribes could be overwhelmed without a commander. And Ulysses, I assume you’ll stay here in the Mojave?” *Ulysses looked at the Burned Man, and spoke,* “No point in going anywhere else. Everywhere from here to New California was bombed. Though, after all of this, even with my own philosophy I could not find an answer because the answer had not yet existed. But it does now, I asked the right question, or rather asked by doing. The bombs were a representation of my curiosity, their detonation was my answer. My home is here, now, at the ending of things. The whispers of the Old World had not been silenced. Elijah, the Think Tank, and myself, perhaps others, had heard these cries of history. Those whispers made me their voice, they spoke their pain and wants through me. By giving the Old World mercy, I had allowed myself to finally be free.” *Graham seemed happy to know that Ulysses found peace, Lanius comprehended little of it but understood to some extent. Lanius thought about killing them now, but he knew well that both Ulysses and Graham are powerful men. They all were Legion, their own beliefs reinforce that strength. Lanius spoke,* “If neither the Mojave or the West can fall under the Legion banner, I wish a slow painful death to it. I shall make my way East and rally together the remaining Legion members. Graham, live what's left of your life to its fullest. Same to you, Ulysses. I have a feeling we all will meet again on the next battlefield.” *Lanius began to walk away, slowly fading into the red cloud. Graham looked at Ulysses and asked,* “What happened to your tribe?” *Ulysses responded,* “Same as all the others, destroyed by the Legion.” “Why didn’t you take your revenge on Lanius?” “I thought about it, but decided not to. Killing him wouldn’t change anything, and Legion doesn’t hurt Legion.” *Graham was confused,* “Is that so? I was Legion and Caesar lit me on fire and tossed me into the Grand Canyon.” *Ulysses explained,* “You failed Caesar, and failing Caesar is failing the Legion. You were punished for such disappointment. I left the Legion, had not done anything to anger them. Either Lanius or I could try to harm one another but it’d go against what he stands for, what I stood for.” *Graham says one last thing before heading back to Zion,* “You carry the memory of the Twisted hairs and the Twin Mothers. Don’t let them die with you, honor their history and spread it. You’ve done us all good, Ulysses. I wish you luck.” *The Burned Man handed Ulysses a .45 auto pistol,* “And while you're at it, carry ours as well. Consider it a remember me gift.” *Graham walked away toward Zion.*

*—*

*Arcade spoke,* “Do you think we could use Big M.T to establish contact with the Enclave?” *Courier replied,* “I’m sure that’s possible. The Think Tank can think of something. But the Enclave might want to take over Big M.T once they find it. I don’t want to let it fall into bad hands, do you know anyone in the Enclave that is responsible enough?” “Yeah, I know of a guy. When I was at Navarro, I heard some talk about an Enclave scientist and his son. I don’t know the scientist’s name, but I know his son was called Augustus Autumn. They both lived on the Oil Rig before it got nuked. The Rig got some sort of message from the east coast, D.C I think. The scientist and his son, along with a number of other Enclave personnel flew to Raven Rock to meet this new ‘President’. Though, some say about 4 years ago that Raven Rock was destroyed by the Brotherhood. If Autumn is still alive, I bet we could contact him somehow and bring him back to the west.” *The Courier asked,* “Ok, but how do you know he isn’t bad?” *Arcade replies,* “He actively and openly opposed the power of a president of the United States. I mean, Eden was downright evil just like Richardson. Autumn wanted to help people, not murder them. He was a loyal member for the Enclave, but he wouldn’t stand with Eden. That’s how I know Autumn is a good man.” *The Courier wonders how they can get a man from D.C to Nevada,* “So How do we bring him here?” *Arcade looks at the Courier as if they were stupid,* “We go to Big M.T and try to establish contact. But for now, let’s wait until Ulysses gets back. Both of you know Big M.T better than I do.”

—

*Ulysses arrived at the Divide’s entrance, he started to walk up the hill. It was very dark, although it was dark all day and night now. As Ulysses made his way up to where he and the Courier made camp, a strange voice in the darkness caught his attention.* “It’s not over, Ulysses. You might not agree at first, but we both know you won’t truly rest until you’re covered in my blood.” *Ulysses felt a rage build up within,* “I thought you died, how are you here?” *The person walked toward Ulysses and stopped near him. The person was wearing a torn Legion uniform, it looked sort of scorched, perhaps from the bombs or the fire afterwards. Their face was slightly burned, and they wore some sort of fox head which also seemed scorched to an extent. It was Vulpes. “*I nearly did. When I saw the first few detonations, I escaped to House’s Securitron vault. After the noise settled, I made my way back to the surface to see The Fort destroyed and burning. I’ve been wandering ever since then.” *Ulysses thought to himself for a moment, then spoke,* “Maybe you’re right, I do want to watch you die. But not right now. I suggest you go away, and get as far as you can. Because I’ll find you and make you regret ever stepping foot in Dry Wells.” *Vulpes chuckles and backs away,* “I’ll be waiting…”

*Ulysses reached the camp. The Courier asked,* “Well? What took you so long?” *Ulysses didn’t know where to begin, but he tried to explain as best he could. “*Wait, did I miss something?”*, the Courier looks at Ulysses confused then understood,* “Ah, well… We’ve all had an interesting day.” *the Courier looks at Arcade then down to the floor,* “It’s late, I think we can continue this in the morning.” *Arcade and Ulysses agree. After some time, Arcade said goodnight and fell fast asleep. The Courier and Ulysses sat by the campfire, the Courier asked,* “Are you alright? Something you want to talk about?” *Ulysses hesitated, then spoke,* “Lanius and Graham are alive.” *Ulysses’ voice grew colder,* “As well as Vulpes. He paid me a visit Just before I got here. Judging by his appearance, he didn’t fair well when the missiles fell. I thought I could rest, but I was wrong. In the future, our score will be settled. But for now, I need to rest again.”

*The Courier made their way to bed, laid down next to Arcade and slowly fell asleep. Ulysses grabbed a transmitter he took from Big M.T and broadcasted a message that would repeat. “We’ll settle this at the Silo, deep within the Divide. Come alone, Vulpes.”. Ulysses then signed it as Courier 6. He grabbed a flare gun out of his pocket, aimed it at the sky and fired.*

*Ulysses whispered to himself,* “Only one of us will walk away alive. I’ll avenge my tribe or die with honor…”

(Part 4)

*The Courier spoke,* “Take me with you! You could die if you don’t have backup!”, *Ulysses replied in a stern voice,”*No, you are staying here. And do not think about following me. I made my decision, I must do this alone.”

*Ulysses made his way through Canyon Wreckage, to the entrance of the Divide. He walked through Hopevill and the High Road, then Aston, then the Silo. Vulpes came shortly after.*

“Are you ready to die, old man?” *Vulpes said. Ulysses readied himself, Old Glory in his hands. Vulpes was surprised,* “Ah, wish to settle this the Legion way? I respect that. I had a feeling that’s how it’d happen, so I came prepared.” *Vulpes pulled out a modified machete. The blade seemed longer and sharper, it also had a golden Legion bull insignia on it. The handle was also longer and was wrapped in red cloth.*

*The two frumentarii began their judgment fight. A slight breeze blew within the Silo, causing the Old World flag to wave a bit. Time seemed to slow, for minutes or perhaps hours the two had fought one another. Metal clashed against metal, anger against pride, history against ignorance. Vulpes managed to strike Ulysses down, though one of the eyebots immediately started distracting Vulpes. Only a handful of seconds later did he pierce the bot with his blade. As Vulpes turned around to finish off Ulysses, he got whacked in the head by something hard. Someone else was in the Silo.* “Now now, Vulpes. That’s no way to treat a harmless little robot.” *Vulpes tried to get up, but the person kicks them in the stomach,* “I didn’t ask you to get up, did I? Do me a favor and wait there.” *The mysterious helper lended a wrapped hand to Ulysses and helped him up, Ulysse said,* “Graham? Why are you here?” *Graham replies, “*I heard your broadcast. I know it wasn’t meant for me, but I found it strange that you were willing to take on Vulpes yourself. Have you gone suicidal?” *Ulysses says,* “Not exactly, but he must die right here, right now.” *Graham is uncertain, but willing to help,* “But what about the rules?” *Ulysses replies,* “Forget the rules. One of us dies and the other lives.” *Vulpes got back up, glad to kill 2 traitors at the same time.*

*—*

*Arcade looked at the Courier and said,* “Is he crazy?” *the Courier responds,* “I have no idea. I’m sure he’ll be fine. I hope.” *Arcade thinks for a few seconds, then grabs something out of a duffel bag. It looks like some sort of device, it was black with some silver accents. The top of it had a silver Enclave logo on it. Arcade opened it and showed the Courier. The Courier asked,* “What is that?”. *Arcade responds, “*It’s similar to what was inside ED-E. Except it’s a manual switch to the Silo’s in the Divide.” *The Courier doesn’t know what to say,* “Was it made post-war?” “No, it was made before then. My idea is that we take this to the Divide, preferably near or in Ulysses’ Silo so we can get a god connection and-” *The Courier interrupts,* “Arcade, are you fucking crazy? That’s too dangerous!” *Arcade replies,* “Please, listen to me*.*” *Arcade explains further, the Courier regretfully agrees to the plan.*

*—*

*Right when things couldn't get more interesting, Lanius joins the battle. Graham says to Ulysses, “*We could handle Vulpes, but Lanius? This won’t be easy.” *Ulysses starts to slow down,* “I, I don’t think I’ll make it out of this.” *Graham tries to help Ulysses,* “Don’t think that way, don’t give up.” *Suddenly, the Courier and Arcade bust through the door and also join the fight. Arcade gets somewhere safe and starts tampering with the device, the Courier takes on Lanius with Graham while Ulysses* doubledowns *on Vulpes. The longer they all fight, the more time seems to be meaningless. Vulpes disappears, leaving Ulysses confused. The Courier and Graham manage to defeat Lanius, and keep him down. The Courier turns around and yells, “*Yeah! We did it! Wow guys this is gonna be one hell of a sto-*”, the Courier coughs and gasps at the same time. They feel a horrible pain in their torso and try to grasp what seems to be a wound, but feel a bloodied blade instead. Vulpes reappears behind the Courier holding the handle to his machete that impaled the Courier, he must have used a stealth boy. The Courier whispers,* “Not like this…”*. Vulpes rips the blade out and laughs. Ulysses and Graham are frozen with disbelief and fear, Arcade rushes to the Courier. He falls to his knees and starts crying, he tries to speak, “*It’s gonna be alright, don’t leave me. Please, oh god please just stay with me!” *The Courier replies in a soft and quietish tone, “*Arcade… Don’t worry about me, I… I’ll be f-fine… Finish t-this fight for m-me, ok?” *Arcade nods,* “I will. I swear I will.” *Arcade stands up, grabs a Bowie knife out of his pocket and walks up to an unsuspecting Vulpes. Vulpes turns around confused and Arcade punches him in the face, the Legion frumentarii falls to the ground. Arcade kneels down, and holds Vulpes down.* “You Legion son of a bitch… You better go to hell.” *Vulpes grins, Arcade slams the knife into Vulpes’ throat. Lanius got back up and runs at Arcade. Arcade stands up, turns around and knocks off Lanius’ helmet. A second later, he pulls out his Plasma Defender and fires a shot at Lanius’ head. The legate falls to the floor. Arcade walks quickly to the Courier and says,* “You still there?” *the Courier responds,* “Yeah, I’m still here. Wanna take me to the nearest Auto-Doc?” *Arcade agrees,* “I’ll carry you there. You better take some Med-X. 2 shots I think, maybe 3 depending on your pain.” *The Courier accepts,* ”I won’t exactly need it, but if you insist. I got a bunch of implants, remember?” “Yeah, yeah, but you can’t always rely on tech. Besides, that’s what ended the world.”

*Ulysses looked at the old U.S flag hanging in front of a recently replaced missile. It had previously been still the entire time, but yet another breeze made it wave just a little as if it were saying something. The wind blew harder, causing the flag to wave towards the missile behind it. Ulysses whispers,* “Again? No, I can not do that.”. *The flag then waves in the direction of Arcade’s device. Ulysses walks over to where Arcade left the manual control thing. He examines it, then asks Arcade how it works.* “Ah, that thing? Do you really want to do that?” *Ulysses responds,* “I do not know. Part of me just feels like it is what I should do. But saying goodbye to the Divide like that, it will not be easy for me, but it’s want it wants.” *Arcade is confused,* “What? That flag? Are you serious?”. *Ulysses says,* “I can not explain. The Old World speaks through me, I can hear it’s whispers. And it’s telling me that this is the right thing to do. Even though this became something like a home, I must do it.” *Arcade doesn’t know what to say,* “Alright, that’s not the craziest thing I’ve heard. Well, if you’re going to activate it, you need to hurry to the exit with us.” *Ulysses declines,* “No, I will stay here. You go with the others, do not wait for me, just go.” *Arcade activates the device, then commands every silo to launch and detonate what payloads they have left either full missiles or spare warheads. Arcade then leaves it in the Silo and starts running for the exit with the Courier and Graham. The Courier stops, turns around and looks at Ulysses and nods, they whisper to themself,* “Goodbye, Ulysses.”, *the Courier then leaves. Ulysses yanks down the Old World flag, wraps it around himself and falls to his knees. “This is how it ends.”, he thought. He heard the explosions throughout the Divide and within his own silo. Was this really the end? Did it have to happen this way? He had no idea. Just following what history told him. Ulysses closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and accepted his fate.*

*After it all settled, the Silo was full of rubble. Enough to crush a person or even 100 people. The eyebots survived and were looking all over for Ulysses, but they couldn't find him. Then they spotted part of the U.S flag and what looked like a hand still holding it. The eyebots tried to shoot the debris out of the way, which kinda worked. The medical eyebot injected Ulysses’ arm with a built-in stimpack. A few seconds later, he started breathing again. Ulysses crawled out of the rubble to an open spot, and grabbed the flare gun out of his pocket. He aimed at the silo opening in the ceiling and fired once, then fired a second time. Exhausted and in pain, Ulysses flipped himself over onto his back, and looked up at what few stars he could see through the harsh sky… He said to himself,* “I hope they can see how far I’ve come. How I did all this in honor of them.” *He was referring to his tribe, the Twisted Hairs.* “Most of all, I hope they are proud of me.” *Ulysses closed his eyes to rest, hoping that the Courier would come to rescue him.*

*This was a new legend, a new story. One that few would know, but it’d be known nonetheless.*

*Because war, war never changes…*

(Part 5)

*Lanius had apparently survived, as well as Vulpes. Ulysses got up and passed the legate and straight towards Vulpes. He gripped Old Glory and bashed Vulpes in his gut, then his head. Vulpes coughed up blood,* “It’ll take a lot more than that to -”, *Ulysses wacked Vulpes in the face again and continued to beat his body with the staff. Ulysses eventually stopped and rested the end of Old Glory on the left side of Vulpes’ chest. Then he grabbed an Anti-Material rifle, rested it on his shoulder and aimed it just right, Ulysses spoke,* “I said only one of us would leave here alive, and I meant it.”. *Lanius got up and charged at Ulysses, the old courier pulled the trigger. A .50 caliber bullet shot out of the long barrel and hit the legate in the head. Vulpes said,* “What are you waiting for? Do it.”. *Ulysses walked over Lanius’ helmet and picked it up. He moved it somewhere that’d he’d remember, then walked back to Vulpes. Ulysses readied himself, gripped Old Glory one last time, then drove the staff into Vulpes’ heart. Ulysses noticed a man he recognized, it was the Courier.* “What are you still doing here?”, *the Courier answered,* “It’s always me and you, at the end of everything.”, “I suppose so… How do we get out of the Silo?”, “I don’t know. But I’m sure we’ll find a way.”.

*A nearby radio crackled, then tuned on. Mr. New Vegas spoke,* “Whoops, better put on my newsman fedora here. Folks across the Mojave report feeling a large rumbling earlier today, as well as sounds of distant explosions and fire in the horizon. Most say it all came from a place called the Divide in the west. I sure wouldn’t want to go anywhere near there, and I bet none of you citizens of New Vegas want to either. In other news, due to the bold arrival of Enclave Remnants at the Second Battle for Hoover Dam, citizens have since been a bit on the edge knowing that the Enclave still lives among them. However, Mr. House’s successor, the Courier from Goodsprings, has assured the people of New Vegas that the Remnants mean no harm and pose no threat. Well, let’s get back to the music.”.

—

*There was once a tale of two couriers. One was once a tribal and was always fascinated with history. The other couldn’t remember, but they were willing to relearn. If they had anything in common, it was creating more history. Ulysses had walked his road, more than he ever should have. He never rested, drove by rage and the blinded need for revenge. In the end, the Courier managed to help Ulysses, free him from the curse he inevitably gave himself, and told the old Courier 6 to go home. This very day, the story of Ulysses and the Courier finally, truly, came to a close. The Twisted Hairs were avenged, the two couriers brought upon an ending to things. Or, at least they did what the Old World failed to do.*

*Over time, Ulysses had heard and watched as the Courier destroyed and rebuilt the Mojave. A New World, built up from the Old World.*

*So much had changed… More adventures and stories awaited, and such will be told…*