Chapter 2

The Signal

Danse looked over his X-01 armor one last time for anything that needed fixing.

He'd taken great pains to repair and polish it as much he could using skills he'd picked up from watching Ingram at work.

The thought of the frequently grumpy but undeniably brilliant woman with hair the color of fire caused him to come to a complete stop.

He missed them. He missed the Brotherhood more than he could ever say. Danse would always be one of them in his heart even if now he was to be shot on sight.

After a brief glance over his work, the synth sank to the ground and leaned back against the weathered cut stone of the high outer walls.

The Castle was a nice enough place, better than where he'd originally intended on spending his days. Nate had put a stop to that almost immediately once Maxson had departed and instead sent him to live among the Minutemen. He still hid from his brothers from time to time in order to stop any senseless bloodshed but now had a semblance of a life again.

It had some perks, one of which was Haylen who'd often came to see him under the guise of liaising with the Minutemen.

He knew that Arthur would never forgive him. Would never believe him.

Not that it mattered now. Although Danse had much left to be proud of within the Brotherhood. The young soldiers who'd been under his care were now all flourishing in the aftermath of the Institute's defeat. He'd even witnessed Nate rise to the exalted position of Sentinel, something he thought Arthur would never allow happen again. Not after...

Danse shook his head in a vain attempt to free himself of the intrusive thoughts.

It served no good to think of her. He remembered the tortured young man who had replaced the normal controlled Maxson in the months following her departure. Even when he was finally assigned the task to discover the source of the anomalies in the Commonwealth, Arthur couldn't let the opportunity go by even though much time had passed. He'd called Danse aside and gave him an order that was solely for his ears. He was to see if she still lived.

Danse had tried and yet found no sign of her. She was as gone as she had been three years before. Shortly after the Prwyden had arrived, Maxson had again talked to him in private. He remembered the brief flicker of pain on Arthur's face as he told him of the nothingness he'd found.

Perhaps that was why he appointed Nate as Sentinel. Maybe Maxson finally accepted that she was gone and never going to return to at least explain why she did those terrible things before fleeing.


Thoughts of his estranged family led naturally to Nate who'd nonchalantly informed Danse the day before of a raid planned against a Super Mutant holdout. Leaving his power armor in the secure grip of the docking rig, Danse meandered to his small corner of the Castle and the equipment he'd set up there. He knew most of the frequencies the Brotherhood used and often would sit and listen, cheering them on from a distance.

A brief scramble through the myriad frequencies led to the right channel. He sat back and listened to the voices of soldiers he knew and respected all playing their part.

Idly, he started to drift his fingers across the tuner. He hadn't thought of that particular frequency in a long time. What harm in just checking he thought before briskly typing in some familiar numbers. Danse unconsciously held his breath and listened.

Static. The almost comforting hiss of nothingness. That held breath escaped it's confinement as the tension left his body. It was what had he expected he mused. Danse reached over to set the channel back when there came a beep. His hand stopped in the air, shaking as another beep rang out.

He shot out of his chair so fast he nearly knocked the entire table he sat at over.

The beeps kept coming. Faint and with long uneasy silences in-between but it was there.
Danse rattled through the possibilities. Sure it might be someone else but unlikely. She'd always used the most obscure range so as not to be confused among the more heavily trafficked routes.

He needed to go investigate this and now.

Thoughts of the firefight were pushed aside as Danse ran back to his gear and made ready to go. He couldn't wait for his friends. He'd do this alone. One last mission for the Brotherhood.


"If you don't mind me saying, sir, but you appear a little worse for wear."

"Thanks, Codsworth. I feel it too," Nate chuckled as he walked slowly over the wooden bridge towards the settlement of Sanctuary with his ever loyal robot at his side.

The fight had been tough but thankfully they made it through with minimal causalities. Nate had been used to death long before the Great War. What happened in the Vault and afterwards to his family... well, it tends to change a man. Nate tried his best to help everybody but sometimes you need to place the greater good above all else. Shaun had inherited that streak too but applied it in a different manner than his father did which led only to what happened a few months ago. Sometimes the explosion that tore apart the old CIT and the underground monolith of the Institute was all that Nate dreamed of. The light and the heat burning away what had become of his family.

"Would you like to take a nap, sir? I've changed the linens myself prior to departure."

Nate rolled his shoulders, wincing at the cracks as his bones and ligaments snapped into their proper places.

"You know what... I think I will."

"Splendid, sir! I shall inform the other inhabitants that you are not to be disturbed and-"

They both stopped as the music stopped from Radio Freedom that was playing from Nate's Pipboy and the now familiar deep voice of the host echoed out.

"This is a message for the General. Please return to the Castle as soon as you can."

Nate sighed. "I think you can hold off on that one, Codsworth. Stay here for now. I'll be back hopefully by tomorrow."

He picked up his small bag with caps, stared regretfully at how close he was to rest before he started his journey southeast.


"He left a few hours ago, General. No word since. Wouldn't let any of us join him."

"Shit. What direction did he head off in?" Nate quickly replied as he finally put his bags down.

The young Minutemen recruit in front of him pointed southwest. "I saw him going in the direction of that old high school east of here. Matt was on patrol near University Point and spotted him there too. Danse mentioned something about tracking a signal."

"Huh... thanks."

Nate pondered for moment before he quickly headed to Danse's chosen quarters. He'd helped set the damn thing up for him, finding bits of equipment all over the Commonwealth while Danse kept himself restricted to the Castle and its surrounds.

He was still angry at Maxson over the whole thing with Danse but in a way he respected the decision the younger man had made. He stuck to his ideals and what had happened with Danse was a betrayal in a way. Not consciously made – at least by Danse – but one from within the Elder's inner circle. Not something Maxson would forgive but he'd actually allowed his former comrade his life albeit with conditions. That was something at least.

A brief search through Danse's regimentally neat quarters revealed no clues. Nate turned his attention to the receiver on the old table. The last frequency was still loaded and he quickly turned his Pipboy to the same.

The now familiar beeps of a locator beacon started to chirp rhythmically.

"Right. That's a start at least," he mumbled to himself before he headed out on the same trail that Danse obviously followed.


It was wet and miserable as another thunderstorm rolled in.

Nate kept up a constant jog just to keep his fingers and toes from freezing off. Rain was as least better than the horrible radiation storms that blew in from the Glowing Sea from time to time. That was something he doubted he'd ever get used to.

The beeps led him past Quincy, even past Murkwater until he reached the railroad not far from Somerville. Finally he spotted Danse in his bulky X-01 armor crouched low near an abandoned rusting car.

"Danse!"

His friend immediately waved at him to come over to him and fast. Nate sprinted across the distance before he slid into position behind the car.

"What's the situation?" he gasped out between pants.

"Vertibirds," Danse said simply. "And not the Brotherhood's."

Nate frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Look over there. See for yourself."

Nate peered over the hood of the car and spotted at last what Danse was observing. Two Vertibirds on the ground with an insignia that he didn't recognize. They were surrounded by eight or so heavily armored soldiers decked in a livery that wasn't familiar but, from the way Danse was tensed up beside him, his friend clearly know who it belonged to.
"Who are they?"

"Enclave."

"Who?"

Danse shifted his position a little to get a better view. "I'll have to explain later. Just know they're after the same thing I am."

"The locator beacon."

Danse frowned at Nate. "How did you-"

"I checked your quarters, Danse. The guys were worried that you'd taken off on your own. Especially with the Brotherhood stepping up patrols."

"You should be all more worried about that," Danse replied, gesturing to the group they were observing. "They've searched every damn pile of junk between here to the Somerville Place. Still haven't found who they're looking for."

Nate popped his head up once more and scanned over the soldiers. "Tesla power armor?"

"I've tapped their communications. Take a listen."

His Pipboy hissed and grumbled before starting to spill out myriad voices.

"-no sign yet."

"Well, keep searching. Colonel West wants that kid back in the cells and we've got barely an hour left before those jokes arrive to stop us."

"SIR! I think I found him!"

Nate and Danse glanced at each other.

"We need to stop them! Are you ready, solider?" his friend said quickly.

"As I'll ever be!" Nate replied before they both launched themselves into the fight.