Chapter 6

"Suspicions"

Sarah couldn't help but marvel at how much there was. If it was a weapon it was there, energy or ballistic, melee, or explosive. Oh, want armor? Power, combat, even simple plate carriers. Equipment of all kinds, night vision goggles to rifle slings. There was enough to easily outfit an army that dwarfed the Brotherhood. She could see why the Pre-War US were such a force to be reckoned with. Now it was all for them to use.

"And this was all locked away by a simulation?" Sarah asked the Scribe in charge, Olin. She vaguely remembered her, or at least her nose to the grindstone attitude.

"Yes, the Army locked it with a code that only one of their own knew, but as a failsafe left it in the simulation if completed. But considering the one to do so would need a Pip-Boy and to spend virtual weeks in some of the heaviest combat conditions in the liberation of Anchorage from the Chinese.

"It was more likely they'd be getting it open with their code than somebody getting through the simulation. Especially when they deactivated the safeties so if you died in the sim you died for real," Olin explained.

"Virtual weeks? The guy you had was in there for weeks?" Sarah couldn't help but ask.

"Keyword, Virtual, weeks went by for him, but only a couple days went by in reality. I was amazed he made it. That said he got shot and blown up a few times, at least according to him. But it wouldn't surprise me, heavy casualties on both sides so he'd be bound to take a hit or two," Olin told her as Sarah looked over one of the many assault rifles.

"You believe that?" Sarah raised a brow, looking up from the gun.

"By the spikes I saw in his heart rate and the brain activity I'd say he was injured one way or another. And more than once, not to mention the fact that he put Sibley down when he had no stake in our fight. So, in short? Yeah, I believe him," Olin stated. Sarah nodded as she set the rifle down.

"He give a name?"

"No, but we didn't ask either. Why, think you know him?"

"Doubt it, was just curious. Not everyday a waster helps someone, let alone something like that."

"He wasn't your everyday waster."

"Obviously."

"So, how much of this have you inventoried?" Sarah asked getting back on track.

"It's only been two months, so a little under half. But with some of your scribes we should make short work of it."

"They're your Brothers and Sisters too. You know that right?" Sarah asked. Olin hesitated before nodding,

"Right… its just- well its been so long since we stood together." She straightened her robes, a new set of red robes just like the fresh steel and blue paint on the Knights and Paladins newly returned. If it weren't for the attitudes it would be hard to know they were once split.

"I know, it's gonna take some time but I think we can fix this."

"I hope you're right."

Sarah, did too.

She patted Olin on the shoulder and moved for the exit. So far things had been better than expected. The former Outcast members were quiet, they disagreed on plenty of fronts, but they never acted upon it. They seemed to care about, "The Re-Forging of Steel," as the Scribes had taken to calling it.

Proctor Jameson coined it, and so it was being written. What flowery words and descriptions of brotherhood the Order of the Quill would use Sarah expected would paint a much more glamourous picture than it was proving to be.

She stepped out of the massive armory onto Fort Belvoir proper. It was a lot more impressive than "Fort" Independence that Casdin's splinter squatted in. He was a fighter and a tactician, his vision was narrow, all he thought about was how his Knights and Paladins could defend the location, not whether it had facilities for the Scribes to run tests or experiments.

Or was livable, which from the accounts of the former Outcasts, it wasn't until most left with McGraw for Belvoir. McGraw was the one it had hurt to lose. Casdin had been the one to spark the fighting that led to the split, but it was McGraw that could keep them afloat. Casdin had the charisma and McGraw the brains.

Why they split she didn't know but clearly it was a disagreement. One that led to there current endeavors. So, it worked out in their favor.

They had reinforced the fort while half the former Outcasts came back to the Citadel. McGraw didn't want to leave his men at the fort but her father convinced him otherwise. So now Head Paladin Tristan was to stay and oversee things. At least for now.

Sarah looked around what had at one time been a rather civilian military installation. But quickly became one ready for war to come knocking down the door. Probably why it had stood up so well against the bombs. If she could give McGraw nothing else, he knew where to set up a base of operations.

They couldn't hold the entirety of what was once Fort Belvoir but they could hold the pertinent part. In time with recruiting maybe they could take back the whole of it. Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

She headed for the range to see how the rest of the Pride were liking the new firepower. Crossing the ravaged pavement of the streets she looked around at the buildings that still stood, concrete and brick made them up. They stood against the tests of time, not to mention a nuclear war.

The walk wasn't too long, and soon Sarah was looking at tables loaded with energy weapons and guns aplenty. Not to mention a huge grin on Glade's face.

"I guess the weapons are to your liking?" Sarah asked rhetorically.

"Oh, you bet your ass, boss lady!" Glade exclaimed; his grin almost comical.

"I don't know that that's an appropriate way to address your commander, Paladin."

"HA, girl I helped Tristan teach you how to shoot a rifle, not to mention who was it that taught you all the little tricks of fighting in power armor?" Sarah opened her mouth to respond, "Oh, or who taught you how to use a mini-gun?" Glade inclined his ear toward her with a smirk.

She refused to play his game. "'Uncle Glade! Teach me how-"

"Shut up." Glade smirked wider. "Just- just shut up…"

"Roger, Sentinel."

Sarah sighed as he laughed. The others looked between each other, likely unsure what to do with the new information.

"Anyway… I don't know how McGraw found out about this place or who they got to crack it open but this solves any munitions problems we had. Not to mention the amount of firepower we can lay down now," Dusk reigned in.

"I think we may have gotten our equalizer. With all this and more Brothers and Sisters out there the muties aren't gonna know what hit 'em," Kodiak suggested.

"Gotta agree with the cub, this just might get us on top," Glade agreed.

"Well, that's something. Thoughts on our newly returned Brothers and Sisters so far?" Sarah asked sitting down on a table next to a huge sniper.

"Seem like they're in it for real," Dusk shrugged taking a seat as well.

"Yeah, I mean they're still on the fence with the whole protecting the people part but otherwise they seem sincere," Kodiak stated, leaning his massive bearlike frame against a pole holding up the roofs for the lanes of firing.

"I was thinking the same," Sarah agreed with her fellow young guard members of the Pride.

"It's only a matter of time before they've had it. They're patient now, but given time there's going to be a sink or swim moment. Either they'll stick with us or go back to being Outcasts," Gallows spoke up. That caught all of their attention.

"How do ya figure that, spook?" Glade asked leaning on his knees from his spot sitting down.

"Same reason you call me that, Circle of Steel taught me what to look for in dissenters. Only have to adapt the philosophy to match the Elder's, and it can be used for our current Chapter," Gallows explained.

"Well, you're the expert. How worried should we be?" Sarah wondered.

"Very."

"When do you think that sink or swim moment will come?" Vargas asked.

Gallows shrugged, "More than a month, less than three." That was more specific than she expected.

"Think you can give us a heads up when they're getting ornery?" Sarah requested to which he nodded. "Alright, so in light of that, anybody got any ideas to help keep them in the ranks?" The Pride all leaned back as they thought on it. Sarah gave them the time.

Hell, she didn't have anything either. Whatever they did it should promote Chapter cohesion. Which given the Outcasts having taken the first step it was on them to make the next. They were already involved in patrols and missions into the ruins. So, it wasn't like they were strong arming them.

"Why not bring on one of the prior Outcasts into the Pride?" Colvin suggested.

Glade perked up at that, "Whoa wait a minute, I think our preacher is onto something."

"Alright, sounds promising enough. Walk us through this, Colvin," Sarah agreed.

"I say we go to McGraw with the idea, after all he's the one who facilitated this. If anybody wants us to work together it would be him. So, we ask for files on his best Brothers and Sisters. See what they have to offer, field one and if they pan out, they're in.

"His fellows see that we're willing to bring on one of them into the most elite group we have and perhaps they give us the benefit of the doubt," Colvin gave the rundown.

"We could certainly use another member. I think it's a good idea," Vargas offered.

"I don't know, would they even have anybody who could keep up?" Dusk asked.

"Kid, a lot of McGraw's boys were fighting before you were a glimmer in your daddy's eye. Most of the Outcasts were old guard like us," Glade reprimanded, pointing to himself, Vargas, Colvin, and Gallows.

"We keep up just fine," Vargas stated, folding his arms.

"I like the idea personally," Kodiak threw in his two cents.

"Alright then, I'll bring it up with my father and then see about getting McGraw involved. Nice thinking, Colvin," Sarah conceded to the idea.

"Thank you."

"So, any idea where we're going next?" Glade asked.

"Well, D.C. isn't exactly running out of muties. I'm sure we'll be back to ruin crawling, or clearing the metro's out. Again," Sarah figured.

"What about that lead Gallows followed up on. Something about the old days, way up north?" Dusk butted in.

"Nothing there, it was a rumor that didn't pan out," Gallows dismissed himself.

"Well if it was a rumor what exactly was it about from the old days that made the Elder send you out there to follow up?" Dusk insisted. She'd always been nosy, to her 'curiosity killed the cat' just meant the cat was onto something and didn't try hard enough.

"Dusk, it didn't pan out. Let it go," Sarah tried to dissuade. She'd rather not pull rank but if it came to it, she'd get over it.

"Sarah, you can't tell me that doesn't make you suspicious. What exactly was it from the old days that made-"

"Not your concern, Knight-Captain," Sarah cut her off. She could see the anger in Dusk as she let out a frustrated huff.

"Cool it, Dawn." Glade scolded, in a rare moment of seriousness. If anything would get her attention it was the use of her real name.

Which it did as she snapped around to stare at him, but the stony look he gave her shut down anything she might have had to say. Sarah sent him a look of gratitude that he returned a nod. Her mind drifted back to the idea of a new member of the Pride. Who it would be, how they'd meld with the others? It was a daunting prospect, but she knew it was the best play in the end.

She only hoped that it would keep things under control, maybe help the Outcasts swim, when that moment came. If they sunk, it was possible they might drag the rest of them down with them.

Now that was a scary thought…

Canterbury Commons, the trading hub of the Capital Wasteland. The large compound created from what was once a condominium. They'd built a wall around the place, a pretty huge area in comparison to other settlements. And with a committed well-armed guard force they weren't a town to be trifled with.

But the place was certainly not perfect, being the trading hub meant they attracted many of the… unsavory variety. They were willing to do business so long as someone had the caps. The only product they didn't allow was slaves, but anything else was fair game.

And with a recent rise in raider activity, and a certain fiasco pulled straight out of a comic book, security was a high priority. And the ones who had the man and firepower to keep things safe was the friendly neighborhood mercenary companies.

And who was the biggest, the strongest, and the best funded? Well the shadiest one of course.

Talon Company.

But it was only recently that they took the lead. Took a big enough one to have their own garrison in the town. They had their talons in more than half of the caravans that passed through and operated out of Canterbury.

Hence Lucifer deciding it to be a good place to start. He guessed with the fact that raiders seemed to be beating the shit out of all the caravans that weren't under Talon's protection that it was a reasonable place to start. He needed to know what their endgame was. They were raking in a shitload of caps.

Why?

Sure, they were mercs and caps is the reason they're in their line of work. But the amount they were roping in wasn't an amount from professional greed. Mainly because they weren't extorting them for more, or bleeding them dry. Their rates were high, but not impossible to meet and keep a profit.

Constant flow of caps was what he was seeing. And since Burke mentioned needing caps it was obvious, he'd begun to get them. But other than his twisted idea of 'helping' the wasteland, Lucifer didn't have anything to go on. Not that it would do much good if he did. Without proof there was no way he could break their hold in Canterbury.

Roe was a business man, first and foremost. If that meant offering supplies to raiders, slavers, then so be it. Hell, if he could sell to the super mutants he would. But in the same token he'd sell them to any settlement, the Regulators, and all at fair prices. In short if they had caps and kept their dick in their pants, both literally and figuratively, he would do business.

Much as he didn't like it, Lucifer couldn't really tell him to stop. Without him many of the settlements wouldn't get supplies. Yet he also supplied the ones who would try and kill them and take theirs.

Life in the wasteland was a lot more complicated than the vault, that was for certain.

Lucifer entered the settlement and immediately felt the eyes of the security forces. Unlike Rivet City whom he'd done more than a few things for, earning their trust. And the personal confidence of the Chief. Canterbury and him had a rocky start.

The simplest explanation would be that John and Lucifer shared an opinion on Canterbury.

So, their original visit involved using them to hunt down different raider gangs. They didn't have any real proof of him and John having a hand in it, but it was pretty easy to figure out. Neither of them denied it either. But Roe would need proof of somebody screwing with a deal or pulling something outside of a deal before he'd sic security on them.

Which was why Lucifer needed something to convince Roe that Talon was merely waiting to stab them in the back. Why else would they garrison mercs there? But somehow, he needed to find out, and was going to need proof of it when he did.

He had his work cut out for him.

The compound was pretty extensive, and housed a bit more than a hundred. At a time, it likely would have been a nice enough place to live, perfectly cut grass and manicured shrubs and bushes. Condos in nice condition, windows clean enough it was hard to tell there was even glass in them.

Now there wasn't in most. The windows were boarded up, the grass was dead, mostly sand now, and any other vegetation was little more than burned-out husks. But since all of the structures were sound, and the furniture still in place, it was in good shape by wasteland standards.

At the center, with the biggest parking lot was the caravan barracks. The condo at the far end housed the men, the parking lot was fenced in to create makeshift brahmin pens. Troughs sloshed with water, and tarps covered large swaths to help with the sun. Packs were lined up, and untouched. To touch another caravan's pack was liable to get you shot in Canterbury. Or worse.

Lucifer felt the eyes of burly caravan guards and suspicious proprietors watching his every move as he passed the area. To them he looked like trouble, but considering the odds of those with their own guards it was only natural they'd watch anyone. Well, except for those that dealt in weapons, they were the ones you didn't fuck with unless you wanted to be killed in very unique and interesting ways.

Talon wouldn't be getting to them anytime soon.

He ignored the traders and moved to the caravan check in/recreational building. It had been a club house of a kind before the war, even had a pool and tennis court in the back. Now it was for Roe to keep track of the caravans, and their R&R. Which mainly meant a bar and food. Not terrible. The brothel was on the opposite side of the parking lot. Right next to the security barracks.

Whores, booze and testosterone. The perfect recipe for terrible decisions. Lucifer headed inside the building and off for the bar. If there was any place that he might find something it was the possibility of alcohol loosened tongues. Especially since Talon members stationed at the garrison in Canterbury spent most of their time and caps there.

Like any time he entered a crowded room, it quieted. The gazes were a mix of surprise and suspicion. The latter from security personnel, the former, members of the caravans. Then there was the anger from the group of black fatigued members of Talon Company at the back of the room around a table. They all knew he didn't discriminate between them and raiders.

They'd no doubt love to put a bullet in Lucifer but Canterbury didn't tolerate murder without cause. And cause didn't extend outside of the settlement. So even if he slaughtered a group of them at the gate, no dice on retribution in town. Well, unless they were caravan guards of course, then it wouldn't matter where you did the crime, your death was encouraged.

"Buy a girl a drink, big guy?" a husky feminine voice spoke up from the bar as he walked by. Lucifer turned to set his eyes on the woman who possessed the attractive voice.

"Don't know, it isn't a ploy to get me in bed for an extra two hundred is it?" he asked raising his scarred brow.

"Calling me a whore already? What a gentleman," she joked with a smirk on her full lips.

"Never claimed to be one," Lucifer said with a shrug.

"It's written all over your face though."

"How do you figure?"

"I just do."

"That's not an answer," Lucifer stated with a glare.

"But it's the only one you're going to get," she assured with that same smirk. She pushed back a stray lock of blonde hair as she appraised him. "So, how about that drink?"

Lucifer stared into her green eyes, searching for anything that might give her away. But they were as unreadable as stone. His caps clanked down on the bar.

"Another round for the lady."

Her smirk widened, "Now I never claimed to be a lady…"

"Gee, thanks for the drink, mister," he imitated.

"Are you always such a stick in the mud?"

"More like a knife in the ribs."

"Ooo, so scary. Got a name, killer?" she asked.

"Good guess."

The woman rolled her eyes, "You just got a lot more boring."

"Not here for your entertainment."

"Then what are you here for, killer?" she asked, leaning on the bar while her drink was refilled.

"The lovely scenery."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Sarcasm."

"Ouch, if you listen closely you can hear the wind rushing out of my ego," she joked. It got a grunt of amusement from Lucifer. "But really what are you doing here?"

"Standing, as you can see," Lucifer deadpanned. She sighed and rolled her eyes again.

"Are you always this difficult?"

"Are you always this nosy?"

"Fine, be that way," she stated turning back to her drink.

Lucifer sighed, "Name for a name?"

"You may have to sweeten the pot," she said leaning towards him and looking up at him through her thick lashes.

"Lucifer." She raised an eyebrow at that.

"Satan, huh? I like it." She offered him another smirk.

"Your turn."

"Eve."

Lucifer folded his arms, "Very funny."

"Wasn't joking." She shrugged and went back to her drink.

Lucifer looked the tall woman over, she wasn't overly dressed, a black tank top, jeans and a dark pair of buckled boots ending just below the knee. By the USP in the holster on her leg and mag pouches on her belt she seemed ready for a fight. The muscle tone of her arms showed such as well.

That nagged at him, she wasn't just fit, her build was too precise. She exercised, intensely from the looks of it. Her body wasn't the byproduct of a life, or goal. It was a tool to live that life, or achieve that goal. He could count the type of people in the wasteland on one hand that would have such a body. Then there was her skin tone.

She was pale, not like the vault, it would be nearly impossible to keep that skin tone in the wasteland. But if she had lived her whole life outside, she should be darker than she was. Perhaps she had also lived in a vault? But then where did the body come from?

"See something you like?" she asked with a raised brow, interrupting the train of thought. Lucifer cleared his throat and looked back to her eyes. That smirk was back.

"Trying to figure out your angle," he stated honestly.

"World domination," she deadpanned.

"Place is a shithole you sure about that?" Lucifer asked with a ghost of smirk himself.

"It might be a shithole, but it'll be my shithole," Eve dramatically put it, jabbing thumb and all.

"You aren't from here, that's a given. So it begs the question, what are you doing out here?" he explained leaning against the bar.

"Plenty of wanderers out there you know."

"You're no wanderer, body like that doesn't lie." Lucifer glanced down for emphasis.

"What about my body?" she asked leaning into his personal space and batting her lashes at him. Lucifer never got to answer when his senses got rattled, and shattering glass showered him. His vision went fuzzy as he stumbled away from the bar and fell to a knee.

The Talon Company merc who'd hit him with a beer bottle sneered down at him with the jagged remains still clutched in his fist. He really should have seen that coming when he walked in…

"You know I was talking to him, right?" Eve asked with an unimpressed look on her face. The merc merely shrugged.

"Yeah, and now you're not. Tough, sweetheart." She was thoroughly unamused by that. Her boot shot up into his manhood with graceful precision, yet ferocious impact. The merc crumpled before her, jagged bottle forgotten.

The opposite boot drove his face into the floor, with an unsettling crunching sound. His buddies suddenly rushed over, looking for blood by the expressions. And she was clearly willing to show some.

Grabbing a nearby stool, she jabbed the legs into the first to rush over's gut. When he doubled over she swung down hard for his head. The Metallic thud as it rebounded made it clear he wasn't getting back up soon. Another was reaching out to grab her as she finished, but a side kick to his solar plexus stopped him cold.

The next swing of the barstool both mercs in front of her ducked under. She didn't have time to recover when they tackled her to the ground. Eve grunted but didn't lose her head despite her predicament. Instead she quickly kicked the knee out from under the man atop her. Her hand quickly twisted his wrist to get him to release her.

She slipped out and was back on her feet before they could go on the offensive. They never got to as security finally stepped in. They didn't try to fight as they were led away by the uncompromising guards. Talon or not they'd not hesitate to put them down.

Lucifer shook his head, still trying to drive out the daze. He wasn't looking forward to the probable headache in the morning but he'd take solace in knowing the mercs would have it worse. They glared at him and Eve as they gathered up the two unconscious men.

Eve sauntered over to him and cast her gaze down on his kneeling form, pursing her full lips.

"My point exactly," Lucifer muttered with a wavering jab of the finger.

"Gee thanks for saving my ass from those mercs, miss," she mocked. She just couldn't help turning something else on him? He pushed to his feet with a stumble but kept them under himself.

"Had it under control," he lied. It earned a laugh from the beautiful woman that managed to be infuriating, yet incredibly attractive at the same time. That went for both the woman and the laugh.

"You are something else, you know that, devil?" she asked with a grin.

"I've been told." It got another chuckle out of her.

"I think you need a drink this time."

"I don't drink."

"Well, maybe you should start. Can't impair your senses anymore than they already are," Eve proposed with her smirk.

"Was distracted," Lucifer stated as he felt the back of his head gingerly.

"So I distract you, huh?" she asked, eyes narrowing on him. The way she did so reminded him of a predator. He refrained from a response. Eve looked him over and without saying anything headed back to her spot at the bar. He sighed to himself and headed over to reoccupy his own spot.

"Those boys aren't going to be happy with you after this you know," Lucifer addressed.

"Do I look worried to you?" To emphasize her point she finished her drink.

"Roe won't lift a finger if they take it outside of Canterbury."

"That's where this comes in handy," she said patting her USP.

"Talon's a lot of things, stupid isn't one of them. If they want a piece of you, they'll get it. You're lucky they underestimated you, they like to fight and they're not slouches when it gets up close," he assured.

Eve raised a brow, "And what do you suggest I do about it, devil?". She twisted a blonde tress around her finger, waiting expectantly.

"Well, they've been taking over the security business with the caravans recently. Every one of their caravans is safe as could be out there. But oddly enough, anybody who hasn't hired them has been seeing a shitload of raider attacks," Lucifer began.

"You think they're hiring the raiders?" she asked.

"Or highly encouraging, maybe even doing it themselves. Point is they're fucking with Roe's business. And everybody knows you don't fuck with Uncle Roe's business."

"So, what? You're gonna tell him your unproven suspicion?"

"Do I really look that dumb or desperate?"

"Point taken."

"If you know or have heard anything about Talon around here, I could use it to get them off your back. Anything shady that could help get them on the wrong end of Roe's wrath. Hopefully in support of my theory."

Eve shook her head at that. "Sorry, devil. Not privy to Talon's plans."

"Damn, guess I'm on my own then. Have to get some proof, which is likely hidden in that garrison of theirs," Lucifer considered.

"What, you want to sneak in and search around?"

"Not now, but at a point it's the best way to get my hands on some evidence."

"So, what are you gonna do now?"

"Though hard proof would likely be enough, I want more solid ground to stand on first. And a surviving caravan would likely be more than willing to back me up. I may have spotted a raiding party in what was once Little Paint Branch Park, little over eight and half miles south-southwest of Canterbury."

"That's off the main roads," Eve disputed.

"But you pass pretty damn close. A group hits you from the flank, pushes you into the woods where another group is waiting to either kill you themselves, or box you in and they do it together." Lucifer used his hands to better show it.

"That's pretty well thought out for raiders."

"Caravan raiders," he corrected, "They aren't like the ones you find squatting in ruins, or aimlessly wandering. They're smart, and well-armed, have to be to take down the caravans going through the Capital Wastes. Hence why they'd be willing to strike a deal with Talon, so long as they're paid or armed. Hell, if they actually banned together they could pose a serious threat like the mutants or mercs."

"Where'd you learn so much about them?"

"Guy from out west, and the bragging of an old raider in Megaton."

"Bet he's got stories to tell."

"Get a couple drinks in him or show him a decent pair of tits and he never shuts up about them." Lucifer could still hear Jericho's raving if he thought on it. "Anyway, one of the caravans is due for their visit to Arefu. I figure help them fight off a raider attack and suggesting who was behind them would get a pretty strong ally."

"Well, you've convinced me. I'm in," Eve asserted out of the blue.

"I'll be fine on my own, trust me."

"If these caravan raiders are so dangerous you could use the back up," she argued.

"I can handle them. I prefer to work alone," Lucifer rejected. They didn't call him the Lone Wanderer for irony's sake.

He'd bet half the wasteland didn't understand the concept for starters.

"Come on, you could use someone with a… feminine touch." Lucifer didn't see a point in arguing it any further. Her mind was already made up clearly. He sighed to himself.

"Fine, I assume you've got a room for the night."

"Whoa, slow it down, big guy. We just met." Eve smirked. Again, Lucifer sighed.

"You're jumping to conclusions. The caravan leaves tomorrow, we'll need somewhere to stay," he droned in an unamused monotone.

"Alright, fine. Yes, I have a room and you can even spend the night there." Lucifer grunted in amusement.

"That's cute, you thought you had a choice in the matter."

"Hey, I'm helping you. That doesn't mean I have to let you stay with me," she argued indignantly.

"I don't recall asking for your help in this," he refuted. Eve sighed then and motioned for him to follow.

"Come on, let's go."

They left the bar and headed around the building. They passed the mostly empty pool and decayed tennis courts. Lucifer couldn't help that his paranoid sectors began to gauge and analyze Eve with a scrutiny to leave any fine-toothed comb thoroughly miffed at being scoffed at and cast aside. What actually worried him was the lack of answers he had about her.

Namely why she decided to jump on this mission with him. Sure, there are those people seeking adventure and fortune. But this didn't involve either. Instead it involved poking Talon Company, who weren't known for their understanding and proportionate retribution, with a particular large branch.

Because a stick just wasn't Lucifer's style.

The condo used as a hotel of sorts wasn't quite as large as some of the others but it was better accommodations than most settlements. Heading into the one Eve occupied he took in anything he could. It was neat and organized, the Obsessive-Compulsive kind. Everything perfectly straight and even if a nuclear war had been through it looked damn nice. He nudged the nearby lamp to test the theory.

Eve walked off and set her belt along with the pistol still attached on a table next to an MP5SD3. Now that was a telling weapon. Quiet, compact, practical. It said more about her than anything he'd gleaned from her person. Same with the fight, the speed she managed to get the merc off her was reflex, she'd spent time grappling.

"Well, here we are. Guess you can make yourself at home," she announced.

"Right, how's the shower?" Lucifer asked. Megaton preferred to conserve their water with the fact their processer was in rough shape. Meaning weekly showers there, and if you weren't there on Sundays. Well, your SOL. Which he wasn't so he had to go another day without.

"You won't be seeing any steam but its not cold." Eve shrugged. He had no problem with that.

"Works for me." With that Lucifer made for the bathroom. Much as he missed enjoying a shower in the vault it was one luxury that couldn't be afforded anywhere but that damn tower. He could take his time in Canterbury but it wasn't exactly appreciated.

When he emerged freshly scrubbed, with his hair still damp he finally felt relaxed. He dropped his things at the foot of the couch and glanced over to the lamp. It was right back where it started. He felt a smirk take him at that.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Eve spoke up from the kitchen.

"Meet the leader of the caravan and offer some free help," Lucifer stated.

"You think anybody would accept free help? That's a huge red flag, at least when someone asks for pay you know they're at least being mostly straight with you."

"Trust me the caravan we're going with doesn't share everyone else's paranoia. Which in the long term you'd think would have gotten him killed but he's still kicking out there."

"Which caravan is it?" He'd clearly piqued her interest. He smiled to himself.

"Crazy Wolfgang."

Author's Note: Well, that gap was unintentional but hey, its over now. As seen, the Anchorage Armory is a shitload more expansive then in game. I really don't see something so important as simulations being housed at a corporation.

After all this was an America at war in constant espionage with its enemies. It should be on a military base, which with some paranoia could easily be then tied to the armory or one of the armories on said base when the world ended.

Anyway, till next time…