Credit to the exact same friends as before, I did in fact hug them, so that's cool.
Keeping her head down had become a practiced way of life for The Scout while in Maxson's Brotherhood, albeit a deceptively simple one. She had to hold herself high enough to be respectable, after all, she was still a member of the brotherhood, even if she was a very low ranking member, and had to present herself as such. Of course, she could never stick her chin up at a superior officer, regardless of whether he was superior due to merit or ass-kissing. Ranks in this society were as unimportant as her legendary track record.
This was why she kept the bounce out of her step as she traversed the airship. It was probably a wise move considering how suspicious it would be if anyone thought she was too happy, considering her spotty past. Rebellious backstory aside, she supposed she was lucky that years of stealth and combat had given her the ability to keep her emotions under wraps because today she was happier than she had been in months! Soon she'd be free of the anxiety of being miles in the in the air and finally able to sleep easy at night.
She did notice that it was more difficult to hide her feelings than usual and after pacing the hall and feeling the eyes drilling onto her back she figured out why. She was being watched, she would've ignored it as she was always being watched, being a traitor and all, but this level of scrutiny was still out of the ordinary.
Realizing that something must have happened she started trying to eavesdrop on a pair of power-armoured knights. Luckily for her they weren't being particularly quiet, so it wasn't difficult to listen in on their conversation.
Apparently the reports from Danse's squad in Cambridge had been causing quite a stir, The Scout didn't particularly care though. As even though Danse was a wastelander, he was a wastelander who was loyal to Maxson's brotherhood. She would sooner butt heads with him anyday than pay heed to whatever isolationist agenda he was trying to push. Of course, that didn't stop her from being surprised when she heard the actual report.
"Danse apparently picked up some locals, he's bringing them here."
Never in her entire life had the scout been more glad to be cool headed than in that moment; inwardly she reeled from the statement, torn between excitement and disbelief, but no matter how much she acted the uncaring disciple, she could not resign herself to the idea of Paladin Danse allowing any sort of wastelanders into the brotherhood.
Unfortunately, on the one day where she would've hoped for some elaboration on this little wasteland miracle was also the day the Knight Captain decided to pick up on the gossip in the hallways. They yelled that 'three soldiers of the brotherhood should have more restraint than to gossip like a bunch of rivet city nannies and get back to work', silencing the two knights exchange and alerting them to her presence.
Nevertheless, hearing the loud clang of the two falling over from shock while clad in full power armour brought her no small amount of satisfaction as she departed. Good thing too, as without that small victory she may have been bowled over by the sheer despair of the knight captain's next sentence.
"Oh, and you're to report to the med bay for an examination, Scout, no dallying now!"
After that the scout had no need to disguise the bounce in her step, for none remained, nay, the only thought in her head at that point was that the wasteland irrevocably hated her guts.
Sitting the test was bad for a few reasons: first off, the scout sitting the test meant that the brotherhood was suspicious. Secondly, this was the fifth time she'd sat the test… this year. Finally and most distressingly, The Scout was fairly sure that Doctor Cade was actually a secret police lie detector used by Maxson to weed out the traitors, though that was something he was evidently not very good at. (Not that anyone would ever dare to question the wisdom of the great leader Maxson.)
To her dawning annoyance, she began to remember other reasons as the test went on, like the questions, most of which were utterly pointless considering her shipgroundedness- mairshipgroundedness, god that word was a disaster.
"As a child, were you ever exposed to radiation for an extended period?" Came the first question.
If it's about my childhood than you don't need me to answer ten times sir. She pointedly didn't reply, since that'd probably find its way to paperwork and a lashing. Okay maybe not a lashing, waste of a good whip, she'd probably have to clean toilets instead. Gross.
"Yes sir," she said instead.
"Have you ever come into contact with a person confirmed to be carrying a communicable disease?"
Another "yes sir," though honestly she could see the point of this one, couldn't have rackjoint flooding the ship in hostile territory, right. Nevertheless, seeing as her records should have a pretty big note saying 'hasn't been on field in five long years due to executive meddling' she didn't really see the point. At this juncture, it would be more their fault than hers if she caught a disease while in an isolated ship 50 thousand feet in the air.
"Have you ever had any sexual relations with any species considered nonhuman"
Ooooh, he was smirking now. He probably still remembered that rumour. She still needed to find out who spread that so she could vividly imagine punching his lights out. Imagine because she probably wasn't allowed to punch his lights out, by now,k he was almost definitely a higher rank than her after all. Oh well. At least the only people who remember that shitfest have enough decency to not bring it up these days, including Doctor Cade it seemed, she'd have to remember that, thank him somehow, maybe, he probably wouldn't appreciate the thanks of a murderer.
Well at least I won't be remembered as the person who might've had… Relations with her adoptive sister. Damn disrespectful to us both, even if she did have a crush on me for what? Three days? The things people come up with I swear.
"Ahem." Came the cough, snapping her back to reality, the scout cursed inwardly, hoping that that scribbling noise wasn't the sound of 'slow' making its way onto her report.
"Huh- No. I mean no sir- Sorry." She responded, resisting the urge to slap herself for the instinctual apology.
The doctor gave her an odd look, and The Scout suddenly remembered that blushing, cut offs and stuttering were actually suspicious behaviour.
Dammit.
Oh wait, did she say that all the questions were utterly pointless? She lied. This next one was important, though it was the only one.
"Would you have any problems pulling the trigger on an enemy of the brotherhood, whether they're human, formerly human, or a machine?"
The answer to this one always came quick, easy and without hesitation.
"Of course".
After all, any enemy who threatened the peace, progress and coexistence of the Lyons Brotherhood was an enemy she'd cut down without any reservations.
It was a good way to lie.
The doctor held a straight face as she vacated the desk, and she had to give him props for that. Hearing about a wastelanders sex life is shocking, but hearing said wastelander proclaim that they would kill for you without an ounce of falsehood despite being the most infamous enemy of the pre-schism outcasts had to be messing with his head.
All said and done, The Scout was glad that the test was over as it meant she could leave the confines of the claustrophobic med bay and head back to her room. Her plans for the day were interrupted, however, because there, right behind her, stood a stranger of around 1.80m.
The Scout was ashamed to say that she might have fallen over. While she supposed it was understandable, considering her extended absence of field and suspicions making it hard for her to get clearance for training, the realization that she'd been outclassed on anything was worrying. All things considered, and the scout hoped that the visitors apparent ninja skills were a result of his own efforts and not just a symptom of her own weakness.
Speaking of weakness, The Scout remembered her surroundings, specifically a highly amused Doctor Moron, and hastened to save some face by pulling herself up only to be pleasantly surprised when the visitor apologized and extended a hand to help her from the floor. Not one to look a gift horse in The Scout took his hand and pulled herself up. The first thing she noticed was blue, the next was that there was no power armour on this person, instead he was hefting a hunting rifle and wearing a very familiar jumpsuit.
Well this person was just full of surprises wasn't he. Either way, The Scout decided that now would be a good time to make like a tree and get some space to think, saying farewell to the stranger and setting off toward the storage deck to process this new information and what it would mean for the brotherhood.
Reviews are appreciated since im entirely sure that there are problems, not grammatical ones i'd assume because my friends are amazing, but problems. (Only if you feel like it though)