>>>Freeside, October 24, 2282<<<


When Arcade entered the suite in the Lucky 38 the next morning he found Vincent doing chin-ups in the kitchen doorframe. Vincent turned his head, then let himself drop to the ground.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning”, Arcade replied much more cheerfully than he felt. Cocktail sampling was the perfect way to achieve a perfect hangover. “I’ve got some good news and a bit of bad.”
Vincent crossed his arms. He was bare-chested, and Arcade was happy not being forced to see his mutilated nipples. He pushed his glassed up his nose.
“Dylan found an almost complete set of armour in Primm.”
“What is missing, then?”
“The helmet.”
Vincent’s mouth turned into a thin line.
“Dylan has me ask you for hints or leads as to where he could find Legion stashes”, Arcade hurried to say. “If they had hideouts or anything that hasn’t been burned to the ground.”

Vincent turned around and picked up his shirt hanging on the back of a chair. “Difficult”, he said slowly. “I know for sure that Cottonwood Cove has been razed. The Legion had a small hideout southwest of Nipton, but little equipment was kept there.” Then he looked up at Arcade again and shook his head.
Arcade scratched his temple. “There has to be something”, he said.
“Tell Dylan to look in Nipton”, Vincent said then, somewhat hesitatingly. “As far as I know, no one has ever set foot into the town after ...” He broke off, and with a tight jaw, slipped the shirt over his head.
“I know”, Arcade said gently to spare Vincent talking about it in any detail. “I’ll tell him.”

“What else?” Vincent asked after a while.
Arcade shrugged. “As far as I know, the helmet is the only thing. Dylan told me he has even found a brush gun for you.”
Vincent nodded. “Well and good. If a helmet hasn’t been found within the next few days I will set out without it. I cannot afford to lose any more time.”
“I agree with you, but isn’t that dangerous?”
“Of course”, Vincent said simply and met his eyes again.
Arcade shuddered, and tried not to think about what Vincent was going through.

x-x-x-x-x-x

“Nipton, huh?”
Arcade shrugged.” It was the only possible place he could think of.”

Presently they were alone in the canteen, and were still talking in whispers, their heads leaning towards each other.
“That place is a ghost town full of rats and coyotes, man. And I mean... if I’m lucky it’s only coyotes.”
“What?” Arcade feigned surprise. “Afraid?”
“No, dumbass.” Dylan straightened up and lit himself a smoke. “Anything left there is sure to have been ruined by now, is what I mean.”
“Sorry”, Arcade mumbled into his cup.
“Anyway”, Dylan went on as if Arcade hadn’t said anything. “I’m leaving at once. Fuck. If only I’d thought of that myself in Primm I could’ve saved myself a shitload of trouble right now.”
Arcade patted his hand. “Don’t worry”, he said. “If you make it back, I’ll be here to patch you up again.”
After knocking his coffee back Dylan mumbled something intelligible into his cup.
“Excuse me?”

Dylan gave Arcade a lopsided grin. “Was trying to get some courage together.”
“What?” Arcade felt something fluttering in his stomach. “For the trip?”
“Nah.” Dylan tapped off his ash. “That... you know. This. Us.”
Us. What a little word. And what effect it had on Arcade. “Uh... well. And... what were you thinking of that requires courage?”
Dylan shrugged, avoiding his eyes. “Don’t wanna be called a fag, ya know.”
Arcade felt a hysterical giggle rise in his throat and managed to turn it into a chuckle. “I don’t know what you expect, but here, in New Vegas, it isn’t so bad.”
Dylan looked up at him. “What? Being called a fag? Or being one?”
“What do you think?”, Arcade gave back with far more bravado than he felt. “Anyone can buy anything here for their tastes. Makes people... more tolerant, I guess.”