The wind roared past my head as I sped down the crumbling roads east of Vegas. It was surprisingly smooth sailing, despite the several centuries of disrepair. My bike was practically gliding over everything. It was a wonderful feeling really, riding. It'd been too long since I'd had the machine running, felt almost like a dream to have it going again. The roar of the reactor and whine of the turbine like sweet music. Every shake, bounce, and vibration is a long remembered thrill. Made me wish I hadn't waited so long to put it all back together in the first place.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing bringing a smile to my face.

Cass wrapped her arms tighter around me from behind, as we coasted down the road. "You can go faster!" She shouted over the wind "Come on! Throttle up!"

"I'm trying to conserve fuel!" I shouted back "We've got to make the return trip too. Don't want to stop while we're towing a bounty behind us."

An unfortunate necessity of things. I had some medical bills that needed paying, and the only thing that I knew would pay was getting back on the bounty trail. Though, strangely, I couldn't remember what those medical bills were for. Every time I tried to think, my head got foggy and…

I revved the engine slightly, keep us at a good pace. Gotta make hay while the sun shines, gotta go fast. I could hear Cass laughing behind me.

Simple job: track down our target, collar them, and trail them back to the office. Also, potentially, pummeling them into submission to get the collar on them in the first place. Most people don't take kindly to being fitted with an explosive leash, speaking from experience. But it gave them a reason to not waste time getting back to the office either. If they behaved, I'd even give them a lift back. NCR was paying good for live bounties. Helped rebuild their labor force, I suppose. Helped that most of them were either some piece of work, raider scum, or some mix of the two. Would feel a smidge worse condemning someone to hard labor if it wasn't the case.

The one we were going after now was a real piece of work. Hard to make heads or tails of them. Lot of assault charges, and hunting without a license. Would almost count it as vigilante work, except they weren't registered with the NCR as a licensed hunter. Had an inkling that's what this was really about. NCR not being able to collect tax on the bounties they were handling. That's what it was all about anyway, money.

Last I'd heard tell, she'd been making her way closer to Vegas. Picked up her trail just outside the Gun Runners. A quick chat with the vendor said she'd been planning to make for Freeside. A peaceful enough ride, saved us the trouble of trying to get my bike onto the Strip. Would hate having to waste time trying to get another boot off it.

A short while later, we idled to a stop at the Freeside gates, waiting a moment for somebody to let us through.

"So where do you think we'll find her?" Cass asked, resting on one of my shoulders, perching to look over me.

"Good question." I answered, had been mulling it for a while "She'll probably steer clear of the Followers if she can, the Kings too. They might like the help, but she strikes me as a bit of wild card. King might not take kindly to it."

"Right, because he had a problem when you were doing it." Cass said.

"It's luck of the draw." I answered, shrugging.

"A gamble." Cass agreed.

"A little bit." I nodded.

"About how you play your cards." Cass said.

"…" I reached a hand up and gave her arm a squeeze. Yep. She was there. "…Can I just say how much I missed you?"

Cass chuckled. "Not like you've ever been that far away. But next time? I drive."

The gate slid open, wheels squealing the whole way, and we slowly idled through it. We had to move through Freeside at a more sedate pace. More foot traffic meant having to dodge people or, more accurately, having them dodge us. I'd rather not have them putting another bounty on my head because I accidently ran over someone's foot. Was glad enough to be making some extra cash as it was.

After we rolled down the street a little ways, I pulled up to the intersection where Anthony stood. He'd been the crier for Mick and Ralph's since I'd first stumbled into Vegas. Made a good lookout, got to keep an eye on the city when I wasn't there. See all the strange people rolling through. I slipped him a few caps and told him who me and Cass were looking for. Said he'd seen her blow through a few hours beforehand. Had bought him a snack, said she was going to take in a show. They wandered off in the direction of the Atomic Wrangler. Few guesses what kind of show she was going for, and I didn't know any of them. Hadrian had left for the Tops months back. But it wasn't any more difficult of a ride, smoother even. Nodded and waved to a couple of the King's men as we rode by.

"You ever wonder if he pays them?" Cass asked.

"Sometimes." I said, shrugging, "But it's probably not much."

"Mm, little more than a royalty." Cass said, smirk in her voice.

I chuckled. Wasn't a bad one.

We trundled down the street a short distance from the Van Graff's former place of business. Nobody out front now. Hadn't been since a couple contingents of NCR troopers had raided the place a few weeks back. Heard some mutterings that the charges weren't going to stick. We'd see, Cass had let the matter go, but I'd keep my word if matters came to it.

My bike ground to a halt just out front of the Atomic Wrangler. I swung my foot back and caught the kickstand, canting the bike to the side before setting it to rest. We dismounted, and I adjusted my armor. Making sure my cattle prod was an easy draw, and my pistol even easier if needed. Cass did something the same, cycling the action of her shotgun. Strange though, there was something fuzzy about it. My eyes were playing tricks, couldn't really see it.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Bet on it." Cass bubbled.

Together, we pushed into the Wrangler.

The atmosphere was about what I could remember it being. Dank, dark, dirty, and with the faint odor of turpentine in the air. Would like to say I'd walked into better looking ruins, but that would be doing Primm a disservice. The main lounge sat open, the lights turned low except near the bar. The stage was lit warmly, the curtain a pleasant crimson. The tables were full and, as expected Hadrian was nowhere to be seen. It was easy to see there was still a show on the way. Shame we weren't there for it.

But I could see what we were there for.

She was leaning up against the bar, haggling with the bartender. Some black haired girl with a headdress of some kind.

Cass and I strode up to the bar right before the conversation started escalating.

"For the last time, I don't want whisky!" Our target snapped "I just want a glass of mil-"

"Mojave Red?" I asked.

Our target froze. From where we were standing, there wasn't much of her. A scant young woman wearing a cloak, stained in the blood of more than a dozen and a half kills. That we had record of. A thick hood was pulled over her head. It quirked slightly as her head swiveled towards us. Couldn't see her face through the shadows of it.

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"Who wants to know?" 'Red' asked.

"… Mojave Express." I lied "I've come to deliver a cease and desist for Trademark Infringement."

"… Say wha-?" Red asked.

"The Mojave Express has recently trademarked the fictional character of Mojave Red for advertisement purposes." I continued to lie "Your use of the name is under NCR copyright law statute 4a-20, sub article sixty nine."

A brief silence fell over the three of us, four if you counted the bartender. Red was clearly trying to puzzle her way through what I'd just told her. The most I was expecting was for her to be confused long enough for me and Cass to really get the jump on her. However-

"Are you serious!?" Red squeaked "I filed for it first!"

"… Yes, very serious." I lied.

"AAGH!" Red groaned "Dang it! I paid a fortune for that!"

I really wasn't sure what to say. The fact that it was working was actually fairly surprising. I could hear Cass trying to stifle laughter behind me. If she didn't keep it down, she'd blow our cover.

"Hey, easy does it Red." I said, watching the way she turned towards us. "We're just issuing the notice. You come with us, we can go back to the office and get this whole mess sorted out."

"… Really?" Red asked, reaching up to her hood "You'd help me?"

"Naturally." I said smoothly "We'd just need your full-"

Red pulled her hood down, and she was smiling at me. She was a pretty young thing alright. Had to have been in her late twenties at least, with a lean face, slightly rounded jaw. She had a bubbly smile, her hair black and fading to a red at the tips, cropped short but unevenly to one side. As her hood fell down, her cape opened, revealing a fighter's attire. Leather bodice over a buttoned shirt, combat skirt over sturdy pants and combat boots. All in shades of dark and crimson. But most striking of all were her eyes.

A warm silver.

"… Ruby?" I asked, feeling something jar loose in my head.

Red/Ruby looked at me funny "Ruby? I'm Mojave Red! I haven't gone by Ruby since I was a baby."

"… Huh?" I said, still trying and failing to understand.

Cass was still laughing behind me.

"Oh, hey, before we go, can I get my drink?" Ruby asked, turning back to the bar, scowling like an angry puppy that'd grown into a cuddly dog. "My milk. Gimme, I already forked over the caps!"

"For the last time, we don't serve milk!" The bartender snapped, her voice…

I looked at the top of the bartender's head, my vision felt like it was clearing. She looked older than memory served too, but it was her. Same shape to her head, and a curve to her hips, even in the uniform. An angle to her brow that spoke of sharp wit and pitiless humor. Her hair was shorter, long black tresses cut into a short bob that didn't even reach her shoulders. But the things atop her head were what sealed it. That wasn't a headdress, those were cat ears!

"… Blake?" I muttered, head rattling like dice in a cup.

Then there was a squeal from the stage. Feedback from a microphone. Unconsciously, I felt my head turning towards it. James Garret was on the stage, clearing his throat.

"Ladies and Gents, Wanderers and Wastelanders, please put your hands together for the newest member of the Atomic Wrangler family. You know her, you love her, you've heard her voice on Radio New Vegas a dozen more times than you could bear, Please welcome: 'Snowflake' Schnee!"

As James said the words, another familiar looking young woman found her way up on stage. She was decked head to toe in white, almost blindingly white. I have no idea how she could've managed it in a place like the Mojave, but she did, pure as fresh snow. Her figure was rail thin and lithe, a dancer's build, wrapped in a sheer cocktail dress, a small jacket hanging off her shoulders. Her hair was done up in a fancy braid that ran to the small of her back, big, voluminous. There was a hunger in her eyes and a dazzling smile on her lips. She didn't look a day over twenty-five but something about her spoke of life and experience.

Then Weiss began to sing. The band coming in slowly behind her.

(**BGM**: Why Don't You Do Right, Amy Irving)

'…What!?'

The rattling in my head was getting worse. Something wasn't right. They shouldn't be here, they should've been back on Remnant, why was Weiss a lounge singer? When did Blake learn to bartend? When did Ruby- where was her scythe!?

I began rubbing the side of my head. Hoping the sensation would stop.

Nope. It got worse.

"… Uh, Six?" Cass asked "You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, Cass, head's just pounding suddenly." I answered, breathing deeply, trying to focus.

"… Cass?" Cass asked, sounding confused and off tune.

"…"

I turned around, and almost did a double take. The pain in my head reached a fever pitch.

Cass didn't have a mane of blonde hair.

"… Yang?" I asked.

…

My eyes snapped open, strangling a snore mid-nore. My eyes felt gummy and heavy, in a moment they'd start to itch too. Hated when that happened.

I craned my neck, shifting my shoulders slightly. Let my eyes adjust to my surroundings. I was outside, in the woods. Just a short way outside of Beacon, if memory served. Looking down at my legs, yes, I was still a stumpy version of my normal self. Once again, adjusting from the world of dreaming to waking was a pain. Looking just past my feet, I could see where I'd had my campfire previously. The light falling over everything was the dying amber shade of the evening sun. It'd been about mid-day when I'd made camp, as I recalled. Having to give the dorms a wide berth because of… lava floors?

That still made no sense to me, but nothing did, it seemed.

After setting camp, I'd come across Port and Oobleck, doing some personal filmography. We'd shared a brief conversation. Then Velvet showed up, and after some brief awkwardness, we'd started in some rather pleasant conversation. For a time at least. I must have nodded off somewhere in the middle of it. A shame, I was enjoying talking about the period of Remnant's history when they'd transitioned into steam power. Much easier, when you didn't need to boil water to make it happen.

"Mmn…"

I felt something shift next to me, and looked down.

My vision cleared up immediately, as Velvet shuffled closer next to me. Her eyes were completely shut, and she was breathing softly, relaxed. No doubt she'd fallen asleep too.

But that did not explain why she'd chosen to start cuddling me.

A moment passed, and Velvet grimaced. Then she yawned, a soft little note, and her eyes fluttered open. Bleary, half-lidded, beady brown eyes looked up at me. They locked onto my for a long moment, before trailing down to the space between us. Or the lack thereof.

In the space of half a second her face was as red as a bighorner's. Her eye snapped completely open, and a sound like a whistling tea kettle escaped her.

"Um… afternoon?" I offered.

Within the half breath it took me to say it though she'd bolted, taking off like a shot. Barely leaving a Velvet shaped cloud of Dust behind her.

"… Well, more dinner for me then." I muttered.

Seriously, what the hell was happening?