Chapter 3 – To Diamond City

Not knowing where to find Kellogg, Marcus and Codsworth decided to head to Diamond City, to see whether there was someone there who knew anything. They made their way across the bridge and headed east towards Concord. They reached the old Red Rocket station, now a small communications outpost used by the Brotherhood of Steel. As they passed by, a giant man in dull power armour tracked their movements, his head turning with a mechanised hum. The Brotherhood flag waved in the wind, a faint fluttering overlapping the sharp whistle of the breeze. Marcus took a moment and nodded to the man, who replied in kind.

With the outpost so close to Sanctuary, Marcus had traded for supplies and weapons with them, even going so far as setting up a small scavenging operation within the Red Rocket outpost, under the express supervision of the one of their field scribes.

He had found them to be a reticent group which suited him perfectly. There was no inquisition as to his life and in turn, he respected their privacy and boundaries; a mutual agreement.

As he walked towards Concord, Marcus thought about the first time he encountered the Brotherhood. He remembered the alarm blaring and being woken by Preston. Together, they climbed the East sniper tower by Sanctuary's main gate and saw the source of the disturbance. Silhouetted against the moonlight, the distinct shapes of three vertibirds had been spotted hovering in a wide circle around the small farmstead to the south. As they watched, two broke away and headed towards them. One at the Red Rocket station to the east whilst the other stayed in the air, circling Sanctuary. Over the roaring wind, Marcus could make out the words coming from the vertibird's speakers.

'People of the Commonwealth. Do not interfere. Our intentions are peaceful. We are the Brotherhood of Steel.'

At the mention of the Brotherhood, Marcus saw far below in Sanctuary, how some of the settlers cheered as if they had finally been rescued from some terrible ordeal. Others however, simply huddled together, eyeing the airship with suspicion.

Marcus watched the ship circle for a time, its message of peace repeating monotonously, battling the noise of the wind. He began to climb down the tower when Preston called him over. That's when he first saw it.

They called it the Prydwen. A forty thousand ton war machine built for a single purpose. To dominate the Commonwealth. Arriving in a show of power with a full retinue of vertibirds escorting it, the giant vessel instilled fear in all who saw it. As it passed by Sanctuary, on its way to the Cambridge outpost as Marcus later discovered, he could hear the screams from the residents far below him on the ground. He watched as they scurried back inside, some brave enough to peer from their windows whilst others merely stood with their mouths agape, frozen in place by the sight of such a ship.

The Prydwen had gone on to anchor at the old airport, and the vertibirds which landed close to Sanctuary quickly garnered sufficient trade relations with Marcus and the residents, but he had never trusted them completely. Something unnerved him about their unwavering belief in Brotherhood doctrine. Some, he had found, even bordered on zealotry and fanaticism. He had no time to think on this further as Codsworth spoke, pulling him out of his reverie.

'Sir, I believe we have company,' he said, raising his buzz saw appendage to point ahead.

Marcus realised how far they had walked as he looked around him and saw that they were in the middle of Concord. At the end of the street, just before the Museum of Freedom, was a small group of people heading towards them. The two in the back in full T-60 power armour were clearly Brotherhood knights. The other two however, were different.

The man had close-cropped hair and seemingly wore a permanent scowl. His deep-set eyes were dark, contrasting his unusually sallow countenance. His orange and grey uniform was worn under a set of leather armour which had been scratched and ripped extensively. Marcus noticed a bloody bandage on his left shin.

The woman however, looked fresh and lively. Her auburn hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and a warm smile was etched onto her face. A thin sheen of sweat reflected off her face and revealed an angular beauty to her other undistinctive features. Her armour, which Marcus knew to be that of a field scribe, was in pristine condition.

Marcus recognised them both.

'Knight Rhys,' he said, addressing the man as the group came to a halt a few feet away. The two armour-clad knights stayed on either side of the street, scanning the area for hostile movement.

'Civilian.'

Rhys' reply was cold and uninterested, as it always was, but Marcus sensed something more. He ignored it for the time being however, and focused his attention on the woman, a smile widening across his face.

'Haylen,' he said, as she came closer. 'You look as lovely as ever.'

She embraced him fondly. For a second, he could smell the familiar, sickly sweet odour of RadAway. After a moment, Haylen stepped back sheepishly, her cheeks slightly tinged red. His eyes wrinkled as he chuckled softly. Rhys' scowl deepened but he looked on, a mask of indifference painted on his face.

'It's good to see you again Marcus' said Haylen. She looked over his shoulder at Codsworth and looked at him expectantly.

'Codsworth, this is Field Scribe Haylen,' he said, gesturing to Haylen as she gave a little wave. 'And this is Knight Rhys.'

Rhys continued to look away. Codsworth didn't seem to notice however, and the excitement was evident in his voice.

'A pleasure to meet you both. I must say, I didn't realise Mr Howard had so many friends! Will you be accompanying us to Diamond City, then?'

Haylen raised an eyebrow as Marcus sighed, looking at Codsworth with a weary expression.

'Mr Howard?' said Haylen playfully. She let the awkwardness linger for a moment before putting Marcus out of his misery. 'What you looking for in the Great Green Jewel?'

Marcus' jaw tightened slightly as he answered.

'Answers' he said quietly, letting the wind take the word.

Haylen noticed the change in his demeanour but stayed silent. She took the time to root around in her bag for something before pulling out a small metal tag.

'Here,' she said, offering the tag to Marcus. 'You should take this. It's a holotag which gives you some privilege with the Brotherhood.'

Rhys began to protest but was quickly waved away by Haylen, who continued to speak.

'The Cambridge outpost is on the way. Take the south road and head past Lexington. You should rest up and resupply if you need to.'

Rhys went back to scowling as Marcus took the small metal tag. Turning it over in his hands, he saw the inscription – 'In Vitam. In Mortem. Semper Invicta.'.

'Thanks Haylen' he said, flashing her a wide grin. Rhys suddenly turned and began to walk away. One of the knights followed him, heading back to the Red Rocket outpost. Marcus and Haylen watched as he turned off the main street.

'A surly fellow, isn't he?' Codsworth commented, his wry observation making both Marcus and Haylen chuckle.

'He is a bit worse than usual,' said Marcus. 'What happened? A deathclaw get him where it counts?'

Still laughing, Haylen did her best to give him her best disapproving glare.

'That's not funny. We ran into a nest of mole rats just up the road,' she said, gesturing behind her, back past the Museum of Freedom. 'He got bit and he just-'

'His left leg' said Marcus, interrupting. Haylen looked at him quizzically. He chuckled before explaining. 'I saw the bandage'

'Yeah, I patched him up as best I could, but he refused to take any RadAway. He kept telling me to take it and-'

'You took it,' he said, analysing the state of her armour once again. 'Even though you weren't attacked.'

He remembered the torn and shabby condition of Rhys' armour and suddenly realised.

'He was protecting you' he said softly.

A blush began to creep its way onto Haylen's cheeks and her gaze was firmly placed on her boots. He cleared his throat, breaking the tension.

'You should go back to him,' he said. 'Make sure he's okay.'

She smiled and nodded. He put the holotag around his neck and loosened the strap on his rifle sling.

'Thanks for the tag, Haylen' he said, as they embraced a final time. 'Stay safe.'

'Yes, do stay out of harm's way, Miss Haylen. And tell that surly chap to stop being so stubborn and get proper medical attention, will you.'

'Thanks Codsworth,' she said as both she and Marcus laughed. 'And thank you too, Mr Howard' she said, turning to Marcus with a wolfish grin. She turned to leave but instead placed a hand on his shoulder and adopted a more solemn tone. 'I hope you find your answers in Diamond City, Marcus.'

He nodded and watched as she turned and headed up towards the Red Rocket outpost, the hulking knight following a few paces behind, still scanning the area. He watched as she turned the same corner Rhys had before making sure their provisions were in order.

'What a charming woman, Sir!' came the emphatic observation from Codsworth, his excitement for being out of Sanctuary still fresh.

Marcus smiled in reply and together they turned and headed down the road in the opposite direction.

At the Museum of Freedom, they took Haylen's advice and followed the road south. As he walked past the museum, Marcus looked the old church beside it. Its door was long gone and the dirt of the road formed a natural carpet inside. Even from the road, he could see the white paint flaking off the wooden boards and remembered a time when the building was freshly painted.

On either side of the road stood houses, not unlike his own back in Sanctuary. The wind whistled through the empty road and the crunch of gravel underfoot echoed slightly alongside the creaking of the old houses. He shivered inwardly at the knowledge that these houses once contained families just like his. He closed his eyes for a moment to steel himself. Everywhere he turned, there were remnants; reminders of a past long forgotten. He shook these thoughts from his mind and continued along the dusty road.

Reaching a small curve in the road, the pair stop before an old billboard. Most of the panels had fallen off and the ones that remained had faded into different shades of grey. It towered above them from the left side of the road, but their interest was held by something else. A sign ahead was swaying slightly in the breeze. As they neared, Marcus was able to read the faded letters:

Drumlin Diner – Open 24/7!

'Oh, look Sir! A diner!' said Codsworth, already heading for the entrance. 'You can't beat a good home-cooked meal!'

Marcus sighed as he trudged up the road after him. He had barely gone a few steps before he heard Codsworth's voice from inside the diner.

'Sir! You'd better come and see this.'

Drawing his pistol, Marcus covered the ground quickly and headed into the diner. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim light and he could make out the distinct shape of Codsworth hovering to the left. He looked around and saw that none of the dining tables remained but were instead replaced by rubble and debris. Bullet casings littered the floor and Marcus was sure that someone, or something, had died here. The smell was unmistakable.

Walking over to Codsworth, he saw what the robot was looking at. Three bodies had been unceremoniously dragged over to the corner of the room and were slumped against the wall. Marcus scanned the area warily before holstering his pistol. He looked at the bodies and grimaced. There was a middle-aged woman, a boy in his late teens, and a tall man in raider leathers. From the smell, he knew that they had been dead for a few days at least.

He checked the pockets, trying his best to ignore the grisly scene. As he suspected they were empty, and a quick scan of the rest of the diner revealed that the entire place had been picked clean. The safe behind the counter had even been pried open and the contents removed. Marcus had begun to leave when Codsworth called him back.

'Sir, I believe I've found something.'

He walked over to the robot and took the holotape which was gripped by his claw appendage. Plugging it into his Pip-Boy, he transferred over the data before placing the holotape down. He found the file on the main screen and tapped the play button. An unfamiliar female voice filled the small diner:

'Trudy didn't pay in the end. Not that it matters now. Killed her and that snot-nosed brat of hers. Wolfgang took his time with the boy. He was so busy he didn't see me take the knife outta my boot-'

The audio began crackling and screeched back into life suddenly:

'-everyone pays their debt in the end. Simone out.'

The audio finally cut out and the sun began to fill the diner through the broken blinds. Marcus realised how long they had spent there. Leaving, he saw that the sun was high and the day had grown hot. Midday. Tying his jacket around his waist and making sure his rifle was properly secured in the sling, he set off once again, Codsworth hovering at a steady pace behind him.

They continued south, heading past a large pylon. The air around them still crackled slightly and Marcus could feel the ground vibrate softly. Following the road, he spotted an old house to the right, with a sign in front:

Doc Anderson. Caps up front. No exceptions.

'Having someone with medical knowledge would be a great benefit to Sanctuary' he thought to himself.

He decided that they had already wasted enough of the day however, and made a mental note to check back on his return journey. He swiped to the map screen on his Pip-Boy and added the location. Around the map, he saw a few smaller markers indicating settlements and places of interest, not that he had ventured out into the Commonwealth much. Sanctuary was enough for him. Had been enough for him. He wasn't sure what he wanted anymore.

Again, he shook the thoughts from his mind and continued south.

Ahead of them, in the middle of the road, there was a derailed train car on its side. On either side, Marcus could see the other train cars strewn about the landscape, some even jutting out from the ground like giant metal teeth fixed in a crooked grin. His mind took him back to when he flew over this very spot. Back then, he was coming home on shore leave, and he remembered the fields stretching out and the trees climbing high above the houses. Everything was so green. So full of life. So peaceful.

A distant explosion brought him back to reality and he sighed at what the world had become.

'Sir, are you alright?' Codsworth hovered next to him, his eye lenses whirring slightly as they focused on his face.

'I'm fine Codsworth,' he sighed. 'Just a bit tired.'

'We've only been walking for a few hours but perhaps you're right. A break might be in order.'

Marcus shook his head.

'No. We keep moving,' he said, looking up at the sky, his gloved hand shielding his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. 'We've still got a few hours of light left. We should be able to make it to Cambridge.'

His hand instinctively reached for his pocket and his fingers traced the edges of the holotag Haylen had given him.

'Great,' he thought, moving at a steady pace towards the train car. 'Another habit.'

Reaching the train car, the pair soon found a way around. Codsworth hovered with ease around the narrow gap, whilst Marcus had to inch his way through, careful not to fall down the steep slope to the left. At the base of the slope there was another road, which led to Lexington. Marcus had been there in his old life, before he was Marcus, but had no need to go there since.

Travelling merchants and talkative members of the Brotherhood however, told him that Lexington was a place best left off the map. Taken over by raiders, feral ghouls, and god knows what else, it was a constant warzone. He could hear the whooping of raiders even from such a distance away and his stomach turned. He knew that anything that meant the raiders were celebrating was sure to be bad news. He could feel the bile rising to the back of his throat.

'Come on Codsworth.'

Having avoided the train car, they followed the road, bypassing Lexington completely. The old Corvega plant loomed before them as they reached another old overpass. Marcus had just been enveloped by the shadow of the crumbling highway when a loud whirring began.

Recognising the sound, Marcus dove to nearby cover – an old rusted cargo container.

'DOWN!' he shouted, just as the first beams hit the ground beside him.

A barrage of laser fire thudded against the container, the maelstrom of sound reverberating loudly. Codsworth began hovering erratically, heading to the cargo container where Marcus had hunkered down, his jacket back on and Reason unslung and held ready.

'I believe someone's firing at us, Sir!' shouted Codsworth over the growing din.

'Thanks Codsworth, you'll tell me if they hit us won't you?'

Suddenly, the barrage stopped and the dust slowly settled around the pair. Marcus took the opportunity and positioned himself to look over the small concrete barrier beside the cargo container. Through his scope, he could see a man standing atop a bombed out house. His combat armor was almost black with filth and in his hands, he held a gatling laser. As he watched, the man called out, his shouts reaching Marcus faintly.

'You gon' made my babies mad now, boy!' Marcus fell back behind the low wall, expecting another attack. But none came.

The silence continued for a moment before he heard a scuttling growing louder. Peeking over the wall, he saw a group of large radroaches scurrying towards them, covering the ground with incredible speed. He counted five of them. Three were average sized and scurried behind the other two at a normal pace. The other two were hard to miss. Glowing a sickly shade of green, they were larger than any radroach he had seen before. They were also gaining on his position at an alarming rate.

Lifting Reason over the wall, he steadied the rifle and fired a shot, hitting one of the smaller radroaches square in the head, sending small fragments of bloody carapace flying out in all directions. The man began to scream loudly, babbling a string of curses incoherently as the gatling laser began to whir once more. Marcus ducked down behind the wall and crawled back to the cargo container, the impact of the lasers hitting the wall showering him in dust and debris.

As the remaining radroaches reached the wall, one peeled away from the group and headed straight for the cargo container, its mandibles clacking loudly. Marcus cursed as he saw the green glow creeping along the sides of the container and scrambled back, cornering himself inside as he drew his pistol.

Outside he could hear Codsworth cry triumphantly as his sawblades made short work of the remaining bugs but his focus was on the giant glowing monstrosity slowly slinking into view at the entrance to the cargo container.

He began to fire, shot after shot ricocheting off the armoured shell of the creature as it began scurrying towards him. As the last shot rang out and his magazine was empty, the creature was upon him, screeching in pain as its irradiated blood began spurting from its neck. Its mandibles began clacking wildly as its death throes overwhelmed Marcus. As quickly as they had begun however, they ended, and an eerie silence descended.

Pushing aside the dead radroach, he reloaded and holstered his pistol. He picked up Reason and slowly edged his way outside. Two radroaches lay dead by Codsworth, their shells no match for his titanium sawblades. The remaining glowing radroach had begun to tire and its movements became slow and cumbersome. As the sawblade came down, it didn't even try to move and was sliced in two by the sheer force of the attack.

The man in the house screamed as he saw his final pet fall, and began firing once again. A stray laser caught Codsworth and sent one of his eyes flying away in a shower of sparks. As Codsworth began to hover erratically again, the man cheered, revelling in his newfound accuracy.

Taking the opportunity as it arose, Marcus steadied Reason and exhaled deeply as he squeezed the trigger. Time seemed to slow down as the bullet flew through the air, striking the man just above the right eyebrow and plastering the wall behind him with gore.

Realising how exhausted he was, Marcus sunk down and sat for a moment as his breathing returned to normal. As his heartbeat slowed, he got up and checked on Codsworth, noting that the laser had melted the eye joint, making a clean cut. It wouldn't be too difficult to repair but he didn't have the tools or materials at hand. He knew the Cambridge outpost would be sure to have the supplies they needed and, gathering everything once again, continued on.

They passed the bombed out house and Marcus took a moment to investigate. The smell was atrocious and he guessed that the man had kept the radroaches as pets with him. There was heavy graffiti all over the words but two words had been scribbled in a childish script across the top:

Regi's Roaches

Marcus checked Regi's body and took whatever he could find. A few caps, some stimpaks, and a small pack of RadAway. He decided that the gatling laser would be too heavy to carry all the way to Diamond City; even carrying it to Cambridge would be an ordeal. He took the fusion core powering it and found two spare cores in a small crate by the threadbare mattress in the corner of the house.

Finding nothing else, they decided to head out and hoped to reach Cambridge by nightfall. The walk was uneventful and Marcus, remembering Haylen's advice, was able to bypass the feral-infested College Square. Reaching the Cambridge outpost, they were initially greeted with cold resistance, but Marcus presented the Brotherhood scout on duty with the holotag from Haylen.

'I have to remember to thank her when I get back' he thought as he entered the compound.

The knights eyed both him and Codsworth suspiciously but they were willing enough to trade and allow him use of their tools and materials as long as he had enough caps for the privilege. Trading away the spare fusion cores he acquired from Regi's house, he had more than enough caps to repair Codsworth and bought some more ammo before switching Codsworth to a low power state. Asking around, he found no answers about the mysterious Kellogg and eventually grew tired. Paying a few caps for a bed, he dropped onto the rough mattress in exhaustion and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Waking up early, he was surprised at how quiet the outpost was. He knew the Brotherhood forces were spread thin across the Commonwealth, but he had only seen a handful of knights and only the field scribes and scouts were defending the exterior on rotation. He noted the fact and checked on Codsworth. After a short session to calibrate the new eye alongside the others, he was happy with the repairs.

They took their supplies and left with only a few nods to acknowledge their departure. Taking the advice he had received the night before from a particularly talkative knight, Marcus headed down the south road until the pair reached a bridge. The knight had warned him about the raiders who had taken residence in an old wreck trapped in the middle of the bridge. With Reason at hand, he scoped the area.

A small rusted tugboat had been unfortunate to become trapped as the bridge came down, snapping the topmost cabin and holding the entire boat in place. He could see a series of makeshift walkways connecting the bridge and boat, leading to a barge downriver. Movement caught his eye and through the scope, he counted three raiders on patrol. One had an attack dog and was sitting on a plastic chair, miserable carving something in his hand with a switchblade. Marcus knew he could take the dog and the three raiders quick enough to avoid any alarm, but he didn't know how many others were around.

The appearance of a large raider in improvised power armour sealed his decision and he strapped Reason to his back and walked away from the boat. Going around the bridge, he walked down to the bank and surveyed the river. It would be a short swim but he knew well enough to watch for mirelurks – even the small river by Sanctuary sometimes had to be cleared out.

'Sir, you aren't thinking about swimming in that, are you?' asked Codsworth, his eye lenses narrowing slightly.

Marcus just laughed and took a small pill – white and red – and popped it into his mouth, swallowing it with a quick swig from his canteen.

'RadX should hold me for a while,' he said, a smile appearing. 'And you can just float over!'

With that, he climbed into the river, making sure to keep Reason above the water. The swim was short but the cold had seeped into his bones, making him shiver as he clambered onto the bank opposite. Codsworth floated over the water with ease and hovered beside him, waiting to carry on their journey.

With Reason once again at hand, Marcus did a quick sweep of the bridge through his scope and, finding nothing out of the ordinary, continued on. He deftly climbed over the concrete railings and up the stairs. With a final glance at the boat, they set off down the south road once again.

As they made their way down the avenue, Marcus watched the buildings like a hawk, Reason ready and waiting in his hands. He had always hated how vulnerable these narrow streets made him feel. Even when he had come home from the war, he had expected enemy soldiers to be on every rooftop and jump out of every door.

A small grin played across his face as he realised how right his suspicions could be in this new world of raiders, mercenaries, and mutated creatures.

They had reached the edge of the city and began to walk around to the entrance when he realised something was amiss. The knights had told him to look out for the guards stationed at the end of the street but looking around, he saw no-one.

A sudden explosion followed by the staccato sound of gunfire caught his attention. They were close by.

Without thinking, he raced towards the sound, Codsworth following as quick as his thrusters allowed. As he neared, the sounds grew louder. The gunfire was joined by shouting and cursing, all of which were drowned out as a familiar howl rang out, sending a shiver down Marcus' spine.

'Mutant hound,' he thought, dreading the battle to come. 'That means the muties won't be too far behind.'

He rounded a corner and took in the scene at a glance.

Three hulking super mutants had entrenched themselves in a nearby building and, with the advantageous position, were holding off a group of armed survivors. By their armour and distinctive helmets, Marcus recognised them as Diamond City guards. A mutant hound lay dead close to the building where the super mutants held their ground and the other, the one he must have heard howling, was barrelling towards the guards as they retreated, firing shots inaccurately as the panic set in.

Raising Reason, he focused his scope on the hound as it swiped at the legs of a guard, bringing him down. He fired just as the creature was about to finish off the guard, and its mouth snapped shut as the bullet found its way through its neck, burying itself in the wall behind.

The guard watched helplessly as Marcus turned his aim to the building and fired off a series of shots, each one finding its mark. Seeing the super mutant fall, the guards rallied once more and in a hail of bullets, and a few well-placed shots from Reason, they made quick work of the two remaining mutants.

As the dust settled, the guards gathered around Marcus and commented on his superb marksmanship skills. Codsworth arrived a second later and, ignoring the dead mutants, was eager to set off as soon as possible. The pair made their leave but were stopped by the guard who had been pinned by the mutant hound.

'Thank you,' he said, his voice thin and reedy. 'You… you're the sniper of Sanctuary, aren't you?'

Marcus laughed and patted the boy on the back.

'I like that,' he said. 'The sniper of Sanctuary. Has a nice ring to it.'

He left the young guard and made his way down the path. Following the signs, the pair finally reached the entrance – a large makeshift cover open high above the long tunnel into the city itself.

'Well,' he said, turning to Codsworth with a small laugh. 'We made it. Diamond City.'

'Indeed sir,' came the reply, Codsworth zipping along the tunnel at a speedy pace. He turned around, his eye lenses wide. 'Are you coming, Mr Howard?'

With a smile, Marcus followed the robot through the dark tunnel and soon disappeared from sight, enveloped by the deep shadows.

A/N - Wow, this chapter has been an uphill struggle! There's only so many variations of 'they headed south' you can write before your mind just snaps!

And playing the entire section from Sanctuary to Diamond City twelve times to get the descriptions right and add to the realism really doesn't expedite the writing process! XD

The good news though, is that university is over! No more exams! No more coursework! I will be completely free to write and will be devoting all my attention to Broken Mask (and some other smaller projects).

I want to thank everyone for the reads, reviews, favs, and follows! They're all much appreciated! :D I also want to thank you guys for being patient as hell waiting for this chapter! I'm still trying to find the right balance between writing mind-numbingly slowly and not rushing! I'll try my best not to force you guys to spend an eternity waiting for the next chapter but also not to rush it out half-finished!

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'll aim to get the next one out by next week (I realise how bad I am with deadlines so I'll just say the next chapter should be done by the end of May!) XD