A/N: Midwest Brotherhood is a semi-canon faction, so I'm pretty much going to make it like I want to

God and The Snake: Thanks man! I'll work on making it clearer, but It was somewhat meant to be fuzzy; it's the Wastes after all! And, I think Walkers is the only one who knows the answer to that o_O

Abandoned Enclave base

Chicago's Outskirts

Chicago… I heard there was a huge war around here, many years ago.

The city's still smoking.

I look up at the four airships, floating around twenty meters over us, the Cargo's crane lifting material into its belly while the two transport Vertibird carry crates of weapons and ammo in the Cruiser.

Talon Company is becoming a well oiled war machine.

Sitting on the top of the truck I watch Walkers as he carries two of those large plates of armored polymer the Enclave uses to set up barricades.

"Can't you fucking help, sir?" He groans, throwing the stuff in the back of the truck.

I take a drag on my cigarette.

"Why would you want a mungo to help you? Too heavy for you?"

"With all due fucking respect sir… Uh, who are these guys?"

I look over my shoulder and spot four men in power armor coming toward us from the road. I've never seen a model like that before.

My guess? Enclave.

"Get inside… NOW! Hurry! Go get the others!"

He spots them too:

"FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!"

He had a few run ins with the Enclave already, still traumatized. Can't blame him.

"All units, come in!" I bark in my radio, getting only statics. "Comm. units, signal's shit: Clean it up!"

"That's useless, we are jamming your frequency." A calm voice mocks, with a light southern accent.

"What the fuck do you want fuck-tard!" Most diplomatic answer I could find.

"This is our land, you are looting on our territory; whatever you found in that bunker is ours."

The guy stops using the radio, since he's standing right next to me anyway.

God damn! What armor are they wearing? Looks like Advanced MK II but in more organic.

"Really now, and who might you fuckers be?"

"We are the Brotherhood of Steel; what, you've been living under a rock or someth…"

He gasps and they all turn to aim their weapons –Gauss Rifles- at the First Airborne boys, coming out of the bunker, plasma rifle in hands.

Protector Casdin and his Outcasts, who insisted on seeing the bunker, come out a second later.

"Midwest Brotherhood…" He spits. "How dare you call yourselves Brothers of steel, you're barely more than over-equipped Raiders!"

But they completely ignore the Outcast, instead focusing all their attention on the ex-Enclave commandos.

Apparently, they are just as perplex about the Commandos' armors as I was about theirs.

"Maybe we could work something out afte all, uh?" I don't even try to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

They stare at each others and the apparent leader nods. They won't pass on that kind of tech.

"Please follow us to our camp; you'll have to meet the elder."

Yeah, right.

"Nah, don't feel like it."

"This was not an offer either you obtain the right of passage from the elder or we will mark you as invaders, you are on our territory, we have the number, tech and terrain advantage, fighting us would be a stupid idea.

I scratch my nose. The First Airborne Lieutenant taps hi comm. antenna lightly, as if trying to get a reception, then nod once.

Perfect.

"Sure, my boys will continue the salvage operations here while I accompany you to your camp, how's that sound?"

"Good."

Damn does he sound pissed. I like it that way, more likely to let some intel slip.

"Lead the way bro!"

The guys all turn around grumbling, except one that seems to be staring at me for a few seconds.

"Got a problem, buddy?" I ask as I walk past him holding the look it's bright orange optics give me."

"Yeah" A female voice answers, not a hint of hostility in it, "You have access to that kind of Advanced Power Armors, but you wear a Combat Armor, why?"

Heh, that is a good question, truth is, I just don't like Power Armors, not reliable enough and they make you clumsy and careless, with a combat armor, you stay alert, you react faster that you would if your senses were dulled by a false feeling of invincibility.

"… Plus, I've had this one since my first day as a Merc, it got me trough hell and back at least five times now. Loyalty isn't something that applies only to living being; 'If it ain't broken, don't fix it' and all that shit, you know?"

She nod and I can hear a smile in her voice.

"Absolutely, that's a thing most Paladins just don't seem to understand; take care of your gear and it'll do the same for you, throw it away like garbage each time you see a toy that looks better and it will always break when you need it the most."

She extends her hand.

"I'm Initiate Falco."

"Captain Cole." I answer, shaking her armored hand.

"You're a Merc?"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

The one of the men walking in front of me turns his helmet toward us.

"Cool; Khadi –Initiate Falco- and I wanted to be Mercenaries when we were young, but most merc crews in the area were either destroyed or assimilated by the BoS, so we joined the Brotherhood instead."

"You two have known each others for a while?"

He scoffs "She's my retarded twin sister."

Heh, I got a feeling the trip to their camp is going to be interesting.

We walk for almost an hour, talking about some of the battle we fought –Or the one I fought, since the Midwest Brotherhood hasn't seen any real combat for seventy years- before reaching a large concrete structure built in the side of a mountain with a door large enough for one of our airships to fly trough. Well, there used to be a door, but it was gutted by some high-explosives, apparently.

"The fuck is this?" I breathe.

"Brotherhood's Main base in the area, Vault 0."

Shit.

As I walk trough the blasted door, I count seventy-two Paladins guarding it and discreetly tap on the TALK button of my radio;

Two longs, five shorts, three longs, a pause, one short, two longs, two shorts and one long.

To anyone not as well trained as I was, I'm just tapping a tune on my chest-piece, to Calico; I just gave most necessary tactical data for an attack on this place.

The Falcos are the only one who caught on what I was doing, seeing as they both glare at me, but they keep quiet about it, unless they are using private communication channels.

We walk in what seems to be an airplane hangar buzzing with activity and filled refurbished with Jeeps, tanks and APCs.

Sixteen jeeps, six APCs and four tanks. For Christ's sake that's more firepower that what the Enclave used to have.

We reach a freight elevator and the twins take off their helmets, obviously relieved to be home.

Damn, they're barely over fourteen, what kinda bastard sends kids like that on four men patrol? I mean, I have kids their age in the company too, but they are either mechanics, GENIE or cooks.

"So," I ask, leaning on the elevator's wall, "Who's the CO in this place?"

"Robert Nelson, We call him The Warrior."

Riiight, I should find myself a sweet name like that; How about The Mercenary? Or The Contractor?

Fucking self-important tin heads.

The elevator suddenly stops and the two silent Paladins growl in annoyance.

"They are going to kill you." Khadi's brother whispers while his superiors are busy.

"Uh huh, I guess so." I mutter back.

"You know it's a trap?" Khadi breathe, apparently annoyed.

"You're Tin heads, predictable, plus…"

"…I won't let them." The Lieutenant's voice finishes for me.

They look around for a second but can't find the Commando, who's training and stealth boy generator have allowed to follow us since we left the bunker.

Both Initiates are a shade paler than they used to be.

Their base is being infiltrated and they helped it without knowing about it. I expect they'll start screaming right about now, but Khadi just shrugs and press something on her wrist.

"If you're so sure…"

Then the elevator resumes its ascension.

'If you're so sure…' Am I? Once again, I only acted on instinct; of course, I know there's the whole company out there ready to come charging if the LT tells them and I know his comm. system is jamming-proof; he told me.

But the whole plan, the actual reason I want to meet the Elder is simply beyond me, I guess I'll find out once I get there, even though they plan to kill me and the rest of Talon Company as soon as they decide we are of no use to them.

The fuck am I getting myself into this time?