A/N: Hey all! I'm back with another installment of When Ashes Fall. Thank you to Pirate King James for your review, and everyone who favorited/followed/just plain read this. You're all amazing! Anyway, without further ado, chapter 2 of When Ashes Fall!
Warnings: Same as last chapter!
~~~xxx~~~
"That was Billie Holiday with "Crazy He Calls Me," Three-Dog crooned through her Pip-Boy's radio. "And now for you other faithful listeners, here's an update on our friend. I'm talkin' about the kid from Vault 101. Just 19, and this babe has been in some serious shit. And there ain't no sign o' stoppin'! The Enclave's not-so-secret base way up in the northwest just went kablooey! And I have reports, damn good ones, that Eden didn't make it out alive! Sure enough, the Enclave radio station is officially offline. Hell, check for yourself if you don't' believe me! And if that weren't good enough news, word is our old friend from Vault 101 made it out of there in one piece. Keep fighting the good fight, kid! We're with you all the way!"
Mags grinned through gritted teeth. Her father had passed less than a week ago, she'd dealt with the children of Little Lamplight – sassy as they were – and somehow managed to survive not only entering Vault 87, but also Enclave captivity.
Oh, and her new best friend was a Gatling laser wielding, intelligent Super Mutant named Fawkes. That was going to go over so well with the Brotherhood. But hey, she managed to convince Eden to off himself (itself?) 'Whatever,' she thought to herself. That ought to buy her some brownie points.
Mags knew she wasn't acting like herself. She'd long since grown to care for the Wasteland as a whole, stepping entirely out of her comfort zone to help its citizens whenever necessary. But now? All she felt was cold, harsh indifference coursing through her veins.
'That's what happens when you watch your own fucking father take a radiation bath,' she thought to herself.
'For fuck's sakes, brain, we don't have time for a pity-party. Save that for after you save the godforsaken Capital Wasteland,' another voice piped up. Secretly, she agreed with it.
And so, despite her injuries, Mags found herself trekking back to the Citadel, Fawkes in tow, injecting Stimpaks whenever necessary. After some very odd looks from two Power Armor clad gate guards, she soon stood in front of Elder Lyons and his daughter Sarah.
"I have the G.E.C.K.," she said simply, displaying the object in question. Sarah's eyes widened as she and the Elder took in the item that would save the entirety of the D.C. wastes. The Elder simply nodded, his sage face seeming even older.
"And the Enclave?" he asked quietly. The man possessed a quiet voice, but it carried easily. It was the voice of a leader, Mags had grown to know. A voice like her father's, so different from the shouting or overdone sweetness of the Overseer.
"In a frenzy, I'd imagine. President Eden is dead," Sarah and a few scribes gathered around gasped. Scribe Rothschild and Star Paladin Cross looked on with pride. "I suppose I should say that he's offline. He was a computer program the whole damn time. He wanted me to sabotage Project Purity with the FEV virus, but…I couldn't…"
It wasn't just about the love she had for the Wasteland's people. It was for the mother she'd never known, and the father she hadn't had enough time with. The project had been their lifeblood, and she'd be damned if she allowed her father's death to be in vain.
"I see…I suppose it would be proper to thank you, but I know you will accept no such thing." The Elder replied easily, holding his hand out for the vial in hers. She passed it over without a thought, knowing that it would never be used for evil.
Sarah stepped up now.
"Mags, I haven't known you for long, but I am incredibly thankful to both call you friend and have you battle at my side. With this, I ask you now to join the Lyons' Pride."
Mags couldn't help but crack a grin.
"You know, we could've avoided all the ceremonial crap if you would've let me join when we first met." She joked. Sarah muffled a chuckle.
"That's all well and good, but as your commanding officer, I have one thing to say – bite me, you brat." Sarah sniffed. The 19-year-old grinned at her new commanding officer. Sarah motioned behind her to a full set of Power Armor.
"Suit up, kid. It's time," Sarah ordered, a mask of seriousness overcoming her face. Mags stood straighter. "Liberty Prime is being powered up as we speak. If there's anyone you'd like to say goodbye to, now would be the time. We might not make it back."
"Roger that." Mags murmured, eyes sad. She knew she may very well be following her father headlong again, this time into the void. She performed an about-face, forgoing the armor for the time being, and sought out the person she knew would be the closest.
Dr. Madison Li stood over one of the control panels currently booting up Liberty Prime. She jumped when Mags tapped her shoulder.
"Mags…you're back. Is it safe to assume you succeeded?" her words were succinct and emotionless, but Mags could see the hope welling up. She nodded silently, swallowing around the lump suddenly clogging her throat.
"Yes, Dr. Li. In just a little while, Project Purity will be…complete." Mags's eyes watered as she continued. "Thank you. I just – I needed to say that. Thank you. You've done so much in the short time I've known you. I never would have found Dad without you. I wouldn't be a part of this without you. I wouldn't be able to finish this piece of Mom and Dad's legacy without-" she cut off abruptly when the scientist pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Shut up, Mags, just shut up. Don't thank me. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't save James. I'm so sorry…" she trailed off. Mags gave a watery laugh into the taller woman's chest.
"Now it's your turn to shut up. You could never control what Dad did…no one could. He was a source of power all his own. God, I miss him so fucking much…" Mags swallowed convulsively. "I just wanted you to know how thankful I am to have known you…just in case."
The older woman pulled away to brush both tears and messy hair from Mags's face. She likened the tender touch to that of the mother she'd never know.
"Don't talk like that, Mags. You'll be back. I know it. Now, go. I know there are others you want to say goodbye to, even though you don't need to." With that, the scientist turned back to the control panel, and Mags gave a small smile before turning on heel and marching to the other person she needed to speak to.
~~~xxx~~~
Arthur Maxson was watching the soldiers amassing with both alarm and awe when he felt a tap on the top of his head. Not bothering to turn around, he tilted his head up to see the Lone Wanderer, the woman, the legend, Magdalena Frost looked down at him amusedly. Her face was still somewhat pink, and tear tracks decorated her cheeks, but still she smiled.
"H…hello…" he mumbled, cheeks pink. Her smile only widened.
"Greetings to you as well, Squire Maxson." She placed both hands on his shoulders and turned him around. He stared up to her, wide-eyed.
"I came to say goodbye, before the battle. I suppose they'll tell you in time it's always safer to say goodbye before leaving…you don't know how these things will turn out…" she trailed off, eyes downcast and sad.
He found his body moving forward of its own according, wrapping himself around her midsection tightly. She jumped slightly in surprise before returning the embrace, just as tightly. When he pulled away, the front of her jumpsuit was damp with his tears.
"You're my hero, miss. I want to be just like you when I grow up!" he proclaimed tearfully, but meaning every word. She grinned down at him, though her eyes were growing wet once again.
"I hope you grow up better than me," she said as she wiped his face. "I hope you grow up smarter, faster, stronger, but most importantly, I hope you, Squire Arthur Maxson, grow up kinder."
With that, she planted a kiss on his close-cut hair, and bid him farewell with one final squeeze. He watched her leave and called after her.
"Don't get hurt! …Please…"
~~~xxx~~~
"Ready, Knight?" Paladin Vargas questioned. She nodded.
"Affirmative." She answered, combat rifle heavy in her arms. They were nearly at the entrance to the Jefferson Memorial, and secretly, she hoped Colonel Autumn had survived the explosion, just so she could kill him herself. Revenge was a dish served best with a heavy helping of lead.
Breaching the doors proved easy enough, considering what they'd already been through. Inside the purifier, Mags found what she'd been hoping for.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you." Mags exclaimed before Autumn could get a word in edgewise. His lackeys grunted stilted laughs.
"You're in over your head, I'm afraid. But this is the path you chose for yourself. Tell your father I said hello."
Before Autumn could so much as lift his weapon, blood splattered on the glass of the purifier. A look of shock crossed his face milliseconds before he went down, one shot piercing between his eyebrows. Mags always had been a crack shot.
The scuffle between the remaining two Enclave soldiers was quick and anti-climactic, but nonetheless necessary. Mags walked up to the lifeless colonel and spit on his body.
"By the way, your accent was fucking annoying." She muttered before moving on the entrance to the purifier. Madison's harried voice hurried herself and Sarah along.
"Hello? Hello?... Is anyone there? It's Doctor Li. Something's wrong with the purifier... Please, someone answer!" Madison's voice cried through the intercom.
"Madison! We're here; what's going on!?" Mags exclaimed.
"I don't know! If you don't activate the purifier right now, you're all going to die!" Madison shrieked in reply. Sarah and Mags shared a look, and the ex-vault dweller nodded.
"Sarah, it's been an honor to know you, and to fight by your side." Mags said, a little too calmly, and a little too formally. Sarah nodded stiffly.
"The same to you, Magdalena Frost." The blonde replied.
"Why haven't you started the purifier? Please, do it now!" Madison screamed. Mags squared her shoulders and walked to the emergency switch.
"Tell them I died bravely. I died a hero. I'm with my dad now." She called over her shoulder as she pounded the switch. The glass swept open and shut as she hurried to the console.
2-1-6. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him who is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely.
As she slid to the floor, vision darkening around the edges, she wondered silently what the Enclave had done with her father's body.
'Mom…dad…I'm coming home.
~~~xxx~~~
Miles away, a gray-hair man woke gasping. He checked his skin once again for signs of rot, but once more found none. But how?
James knew the level of radiation should have killed him. But here he was, in mostly one piece, missing only a Pip-Boy and a daughter. And where the hell was he? He assumed the Enclave had dumped him off somewhere, but…where?
As his eyes adjusted to the harsh light, a ghoul approached him. The man wore a white t-shirt spattered with old blood, the quintessential uniform of a wasteland surgeon.
"Nice to see you're awake, friend. It's been over three weeks since Marcy found you laying in the middle of nowhere. It's luck you weren't Super Mutant fodder by then. I was growing a bit worried we'd overdosed you on Rad-Away. You had one hell of a case of rad poisoning." The man explained, and James's mind raced to catch up with the doctor's explanation.
"Where am I?" was the first question rasping out of his mouth. A nurse handed him a bottled water, and he drank greedily.
"Underworld," the doctor replied. "City of ghouls. Thought you'd be one yourself by now." James clutched the nearly empty bottle in his hands when the thought hit him with all the energy of an angry Yao Guai.
"Wait! Water! This is pure water! Where is it from!?" he shouted. The nurse raised what should have been her eyebrows. The doctor looked unphased.
"Jefferson Memorial. Heard through the grapevine that those Brotherhood buffoons kickstarted the old purifier after taking it back from the Enclave. Galaxy News says it's been up and running for two weeks now." The doctor replied easily.
"They're doing their best to distribute, now. Some of the traders that deal with us had it in abundance." The nurse chimed in. James's head was spinning.
Project Purity had been realized. He knew Mags had to have had a hand in it.
"I need to get to the Citadel!" he declared urgently. Mags had to be okay. She was sitting pretty at the Citadel, he knew it, but he needed to see her with his own eyes, check her over, ascertain her health.
"Whoa, pal. I don't think so. You'll get there, but not today. You'd get eaten before you can say deathclaw. Rest up a bit." The doctor pushed him back to a laying position none too gently, and injected his shoulder when he tried to protest.
Once more, he faded back into the void, this time with his daughter on his mind.