Chapter 2 – Warm Welcome

Max turned in surprise towards the mini mushroom cloud erupting in the next street. It sounded very much like a car had exploded. She tucked her 10mm away and started towards the building she had just alighted from, now genuinely worried about Codsworth, when he appeared, hovering in the gap.

"Very invigorating, mum." He pronounced before gliding down the fallen rubble towards her. She met him at the gate and looked him over in concern. He had acquired a new dent on his bulbous dome, but other than that he seemed fine.

"A couple got by you, buddy" She admonished lightly.

"Yes, mum" He apologised sincerely, "there were quite a few more than I had anticipated, I fear. I dispatched them with an automobile. A blue Corvega in a sad state of disrepair, I doubt the owner will miss it." He sniffed disapprovingly.

She grinned and patted him affectionately on his dome.

"Good work, buddy." She congratulated him on his innovation. "With me. Let's meet these new friends."

She turned back to the soldiers and approached the one she thought to be the leader. The one in Power Armour. She heard Codsworth trailing behind her greeting the other two soldiers as he floated passed them.

"Madam... Sir…"

The one in power armour lifted off his helmet to reveal a wary frown and distrustful eyes.

"Explain yourself, citizen." He demanded in an authoritive tone.

She snorted and stopped before him. "Thank you kind stranger for coming to our rescue." She intoned in a deep mocking voice. "Oh, you're quite welcome, large metal man." she continued in her own voice. She gave him a head waggle and cocked an eyebrow at him in expectation.

She heard Codsworth tut to himself behind her.

The frown on the man deepened further. "Your assistance was not required. You were foolish to plunge into the conflict with no warning, you could have been shot."

Her lips hitched up on one side in an amused smile.

"First up Captain Cosmos, You guys asked for help…" She tapped her pipboy for emphasis and noticed him cast a quick look at his people behind her. "Secondly, I didn't just plunge in. I thinned the herd from a covered position first, leaving it only when it was compromised with hostiles. You were too busy dancing with that lot… (she waved her arm around to encompass the piles of bodies littering the ground) to even notice me let alone shoot me. And thirdly. Rude! Didn't they teach you manners in whatever outfit you're with?"

"Here, Here." Codsworth added behind from her. She turned her head and flashed a grin at him, before turning back to the other guy.

The man looked hard at her, his frown wavering a little. She looked back up at him, her lips still turned up in that crooked little smile.

"… and I'm still waiting in awkward silence for that 'thank you', big guy." She added.

"I am Paladin Danse." He began formally. " … on behalf of the Brotherhood of Steel and the individuals of Gladius Squad, I thank you for your timely assistance and I also apologise for my rude welcome."

"Hey, no worries man." She beamed, chuffing him on the arm and eliciting a dull clang. "I was in the neighbourhood anyway."

She looked around the compound and noted the dead soldier by the wall and the injured one by the door being tended by the other. They were in a bad way it seemed.

"The message said you were running low on supplies, can I help you out again?" She asked casually.

The Paladin cast another more frustrated look over at his people. He clearly had no idea that a message had been sent into wasteland.

"No, thank you citizen." He replied curtly. "I must check on my people."

He thudded over to his team, leaving Max to her own devices. She wandered through the mass of bodies. She wouldn't loot them, well, not while that lot were watching anyway. She stepped over detached arm and hunkered down in front of the dead soldier. She removed the guys holotags. Dog tags were important to soldiers, Nate had worn his until the day he… well. Her own were in her jewelry box on her dresser before the bombs came down.

She wandered back over to the squad.

"So uhhh…" She began, "I don't mean to intrude on family affairs and all, but I was wondering if, in exchange for lending a hand, my friend and I could bunk down here 'til the morning."

Danse paused for a moment, considering

"I see no issues with that." He said. " As long as you're not disruptive."

She grinned impishly "Sweet. We can have pillow fights and tell scary stories…" She turned and pushed through the doors to the station and continued on " and braid each other hair and snuggle and roast marshmallows…"

Paladin Danse rolled his eyes and immediately regretted his decision as the door closed behind her, cutting off the sound of her voice as she continued to list off her ridiculous intentions. He reached down and helped Rhys to his feet.

"Sir, do you think that's a good idea?" Rhys asked, he looked at the closed door with open dislike.

"We can hardly turn her out into the night after she helped us." Haylen said, more forcefully than she normally would have and eyeing Rhys with disappointment in her eyes.

"She seems harmless enough," Danse replied, "and Haylen is right. She aided us. The least we can do is offer her a bed for the rest of the night and a meal in the morning."

Rhys was led into the building. The woman was sitting cross legged on top of a sleeping bag against the wall, her Mr Handy excused himself as they came in and headed out the door. She watched the trio limp inside and lower Rhys into a chair.

Danse turned and looked down at her as Haylen took over Rhys' care

"You have a Pipboy." He started carefully as he approached her. "Are you a vault dweller?"

She smirked up at him. "Is it time for the bedtimes stories?" She asked before answering. "Yes, I'm from a vault… and no as well. I wasn't born in a vault but I spent some time in one."

His brow furrowed again and she gave an exaggerated frown in return.

"You've also had some type of Military training." He pressed.

"I've picked up a few tips here and there about how to get by in a combat or survival situation…" She quipped back.

He ground his teeth together. She was being deliberately obtuse. Was she actually incapable of answering a simple question satisfactorily?

The robot re-entered the station, an impressive 50cal. sniper rifle swinging from his claw.

"Excuse me sir, don't mean to interrupt." The robot said politely as he intruded in on their conversation. "I found it, mum." He continued to his mistress, releasing the weapon into her grasp. "Now, would you like me to brew you lovely hot cup of tea?"

She smiled affectionately at the Mr Handy. "No Codsworth, thank you. You can shut down for while if you like. I'll reactivate you in the morning"

The robot made an affirmative type of nod and drifted off to an unobtrusive corner before cooling his jet and descending to the floor with a clunk. She made sure he landed with decorum before turning her attention back to the Paladin who had watched the exchange with his seemingly trademark frown.

"You talk to that Mr Handy like it were a human." He observed, a little sourly.

"To me, he is." She responded with a little edge in her voice though her crooked and amused smile was still in place. "Look, it's late. And I've been on my feet all day. You can continue your interrogation in the morning, OK?"

She didn't wait for a response. She adjusted the shotgun on her back into a more comfortable position and curled up into a ball facing the wall, holding the rifle to her like a lover. And promptly went to sleep.

She and the robot had similar shut down systems it seemed. Danse retreated from the woman and joined his squad on the other side of the room. Rhys was well on the mend now that Stimpaks had been administered, he would be almost perfect again when morning rolled around. He cast distrustful looks at the back of the woman rolled up on the floor. Haylen sat by their working terminal, holding onto a set of Holotags.

"You retrieved Keanes tags, Scribe." Danse approved.

"No sir," She replied, nodding towards the strangers sleeping form, "she did."

He glanced back at the woman in surprise. If she wasn't Military, he'd eat his helmet.

"But you did send out an unauthorised transmission." He put on his commanding officer voice and addressed a worrying subject. "Giving out our position. You let the Commonwealth know that we are vulnerable… while knowing that we cannot contact the Brotherhood for support."

Haylen lowered her eyes, accepting the dressing down. "Yes, Sir"

Danse looked over at the woman who had heard that message and turned the tide of their predicament. "In light of the circumstances, however, you will not be punished, though it will be noted in my report".

"Yes, Sir, Thank you sir." She replied again. "If I may sir…"

Danse nodded his head for her to continue.

"The lady seems competent," Haylen continued, "She may yet be useful to us. With Rhys temporarily out of action, might we not explore the possibility of asking her assistance in retrieving the Deep Range Transmitter. It would expedite our communication with command."

"I'll consider it Haylen." Danse replied, noting that Rhys looked unconvinced.

Danse dismissed the remaining members of his squad and took up watch.

'The remaining members of his squad.' When they had arrived in the commonwealth, they were a squad of seven strong and capable members of the Brotherhood of Steel. Now they were just three and floundering in this hostile wasteland.

Brach & Worwick felled by raiders in his misguided arrogance that the Brotherhood were invincible in their ideology and with their superior technology. Yet failing to see the raiders innovation in making effective weapons from scrap and in setting deadly booby traps.

Dawes; Felled by supermutants. Danse closed his eyes in shuddering memory. He hated supermutants.

And now Keane. Feral ghouls in small numbers were of little notice, but when they horded and swarmed, they could overwhelm even the most well equipped of forces and his team were not well equipped. Not anymore. He had led them to disaster and each of their deaths weighed on his conscience. If he lost Rhys & Haylen as well, it would end him.

He looked once again at the stranger, sleeping on top of Keanes sleeping bag. She murmured something in her sleep and rolled towards him. Her helmet, which she still wore in her sleep, clonked on the floor but she didn't wake and she held that rifle to her in a death grip.

Getting that transmitter and calling for reinforcements was the only option available to spare his team and she could help him get it, though he was hesitant to enlist the assistance of a civilian, even one as 'competent' as she. He needed the other two to hold this position and he couldn't go out alone into hostile territory. He ran his hand over his jaw, the scrape of his beard alerting him to his unprofessional appearance and reminding him of their low resources.

He would ask her in the morning for assistance, offer a reward of some kind if she was resistant. He detested Mercs but they were the means to an end… a better end than if they didn't get that transmitter.