2 chapters in one day I'm feeling very generous. Thank you for all the reviews.
Stephanie blinks repeatedly trying to adjust to her surroundings. Her head throbs and her mouth feels dry.
Her eyes adjust to view a brotherhood of steel logo on the wall. She is comforted by her surroundings, glad to know she is at the Citadel. Stephanie closes her eyes once more then after a quick second they shoot open again when she remembers her situation. She left DC a long time ago. This isn't hers.
"I have to get back." She murmurs trying to make a run for it. She is held back by something strong. They have chained her to the wall.
An older female tuts from the corner and walks into Stephanie's view.
"Hello Vulox." She mocks."Comfortable ?"
"Fuck off and get me an elder." Stephanie is beyond angry, they do not understand what they have done. What they have taken her from.
"You can't talk to me like that." The woman spits. She's in power armour but she is only a paladin.
Stephanie gives a harsh laugh. "I can I outrank you. Now go and get me a fucking elder."
The female smirks "This isn't the legion your position means nothing."
"I wasn't talking about the legion ranks." Stephanie's voice is sing songy and mocks the woman who is clearly confused.
Just as the woman is about to respond the door opens and an other member walks in nodding for the other woman to leave. This new soldier is a tall male and is looking at Stephanie in disgust.
"We need you to answer a few questions."
Stephanie doesn't respond. She doesn't feel like wasting her time on this man. She needs to get home.
"You have committed some pretty serious crimes."
He waits for her to respond. She doesn't.
"You have killed and enslaved tribes. Stole information from the NCR, Independent Vegas, Boomers, Necropolis and many others. Your actions have led to the deaths of many innocent men and women."
Now she can see why he looks disgusted. Of course he would be from that side of the table.
"You act like I had a choice."
The response startles the man who frowns.
"You were given clear access out of Legion territory. No collar. No followers. You could have left if you wished."
"Not all collars are electronic."
The man frowns once more and opens his mouth, Stephanie assumes it is to speak of more of her actions.
"If you had truly researched me you would know that."
"What do you mean ?"
"What is my name ?"
The man cocks an eyebrow and splutters "Excuse me ?"
"Did I stutter ? What is my name ?"
"Vulox Inculta." The man speaks proudly as if this is valuable information.
"Wrong."
The man quickly frowns and looks up to the left. Cameras, Stephanie concludes. She's putting on a show.
Stephanie turns to look at the camera finding it red and flashing.
"You kidnap me when you don't even know your information." Stephanie shouts "Now you can collect your facts then we will talk but right now you have to take me home. You've made a pretty big mistake. If they believe i've ran away a certain chain of events will happen. If it does I will be pretty angry and I will kill every last one of you. Is that clear ?"
Stephanie turns back around to her interrogator and gives a warm smile.
"Can I go now ?"
The man is clearly started and his interview plan has been destroyed. The only response he can think of isn't very thought out.
"No."
The brotherhood of steel members behind the screen begin to shout amongst themselves.
"What rank is she talking about ?"
"We gathered the appropriate intel ! That is her name !"
"What kind of collar does he have on her ?"
"I don't understand. Is she a wife or a slave ?"
The courier stood next to Veronica the brunette scribe watching the arguments take place.
"Do you know anything about this Ronnie ?"
She shook her head. "Every part of information we have originates from 2081. As far as we know she has always been legion. They were married before you were shot in the head."
The courier almost laughs at how bluntly yet innocently Veronica puts it. She's like the little sister he never had and his sheer trust in her lead him to the Brotherhood of Steel base to examine Vulox.
They had heard a great deal about her, she had smiled warmly to him when he visited the fort. She had offered him food, a bed and had obeyed Vulpes orders. He had assumed she was a slave until she became notorious at killing men. If he could find the motivation for these attacks he could use it to gain Vuloxs' trust. She would have the information needed to wipe out the legion completely.
"Do we have any information about what Vulpes has against her?" The courier called out to the small crowd.
A scribe to his left shook their head.
"She's a slave. She is just following orders."
"A slave without a collar. That's what she said. He has something. Find out what it is."
Veronica's head perked up "She's protecting something!"
The courier frowned but turned to her to listen intently "What do you mean ?"
"Think about it. She's acting like Arcade did. Giving out small bits of decipherable information. Enough so that YOU can work it out without her being connected."
"So she wants to be saved ?... But can't do it out right herself."
"Without harming what he has against her." Veronica gave a smug grin. She knew she had worked it out.
"Find it out !" The courier called once more before turning back to Veronica "What about the rank what was she talking about ?"
Veronica frowned in thought "Not a legion rank, she said that herself. Could she have been brotherhood ?"
"Do you recognise her ?"
"Not at all. She wasn't with us that's for sure."
"What about others. She said she was a high rank. Which other Brotherhoods are organised enough to have a hierarchy."
"A few... Boston.. DC.." Veronica went to continue her list until the courier interrupted her.
"You have men from DC. If we sent them to her maybe she would know them. Maybe we can get her to tell us the information that way."
"How could we be sure they would know each other ?"
"It's worth a shot."
The elder who had been listening intently to the conversation nodded his approval.
"Send in Big Red." He called to Veronica.
Stephanie stood on the bed she had been chained beside. She was tugging on her chains. Her left wrist was loose and could easily slip out, her right just needed to be turned slightly. Stephanie turned it to feel the chain fall and clang against the wall. She sighed in relief. Sometimes malnutrition worked with wrist bounds, skinny wrists.
She sat down on the bed ready to head over to the terminal that locked her door, when the door opened.
A tall figure strode in until they stopped upon seeing Stephanie's face. Stephanie herself sat speechless. It couldn't be.
He slightly held out his arm as if wanting to embrace her and his figures twitched.
"Stephanie" Charon whispered.
Then she attacked him.