Chapter 10: Guardian

The three of us marched in silence, traversing through the wastes observantly. For hours we followed a broken highway through long abandoned neighborhoods, our only interaction the occasional gecko feeling cocky enough to take on humans. It was only on our second night, when we had set up camp and were sitting around a fire that we decided to have a conversation.

"So how do you use the bathroom with that thing on?" I asked, calmly chewing on gecko meat.

Tyler and the paladin glanced at me.

I blinked and raised my hands, "What?"

"He obviously takes it off first, dumbass." Tyler sighed.
"That can't be right." I pointed at him. "I haven't seen him take that off the entire time we've been out here. He's got to have, like, a panel or something on the crotch."

"That'd be all kinds of unsanitary. Plus, how would he shit?"

"Excuse me."

Tyler and I stopped arguing long enough to look at the paladin. He hadn't spoken a word since he had hired us, so the sound of his voice was sort of surprising.

"Is this important to the mission?" He asked.

I paused before shrugging my shoulders. "Not really. Just curiosity."

"I would rather not have to address such private issues if they do not affect the parameters of our mission. I will say, however, that you will not have to worry about my going to the bathroom during our raid."

"Oh, well that good." Tyler scoffed. "I was worried you'd drop your pants and have to shit in a corner."

"You will not have to worry about my pants coming off as well. Ever."

A thought crossed my mind. "Why don't you ever take off your armor?"

The paladin twitched, pausing to think. I was about to say sorry for asking about what must have been another private matter before he spoke up.

"I cannot take off my armor as, without it, I'll die." He said almost reluctantly. "I have a rare genetic disorder. My immune system is practically nonexistent. This armor keeps me alive."

"How?" I asked.

"My air is filtered and my water purified through my helmet. My armor is vacuum sealed, protecting me from any diseases or radiation the wasteland may offer. Everything I eat must be sterilized. Do you have any more questions?"

"Yeah, one. Are you going to be an asshole the entire time or just now?" Tyler asked.

I ignored him and said, "What's your name again?"

"Oh my god, here we go."

"What?"

"What is your fixation with knowing people's names?" Tyler asked, throwing his hands up. "Can't we just call him the paladin or the fag in shining armor?"

"I told you, it'll help get to know each other better."

"Says the man with the fake name." Tyler snickered loud. "I mean, who in their right mind would call themselves the Guardian?"

"It was a name bestowed upon me by the slaves I swore to prote-"
"Bestowed?" Tyler interrupted with sarcastic awe. "Fancy fucking words coming from a bookworm. You know what I'd do if I had the name Guardian, kill myself. You should look into it sometime."

"Excuse me," The paladin said, drawing our attention, "are we still on the subject of my name?"

Once again, the paladin's words broke the two of us away from our arguing and, once again, an awkward silence followed.

"Oh, sorry." I said, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck. "What was it again?"

"My name is Malachai, paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel." He said. "Now, if you have no more questions, I believe it is time we earn some rest. Tomorrow, we'll reach the facility."

"Hang on; what're we searching for again? Not to sound like a douche, but I want to know what it is where going to get." Tyler asked.

Malachai didn't respond, instead crossing his arms over his body as he lay down on his back. Tyler stood up and yelled, "Hey, don't ignore me, asshole! I'll fuck you up! You bitch-ass faggot!"

I grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"Uh, he doesn't like to be ignored." I sheepishly grinned to Malachai. Malachai just laid there without responding, motionless.

"You're not going to be able to do anything to him with that armor on." I whispered to Tyler, appealing to his psychotic side. "Not that you should anyway. Tomorrow, we'll go in and get what he's looking for,-"

-"Ignore me again and I'll see how long you'll be traveling with us… piece of shit." Tyler blurted out.

"-and then find more people for our mission." I just continued. "And if what he's looking just happens to be some sort of powerful super-weapon…"

Tyler pulled his arm away and walked off to his tent. After climbing in, Tyler peered out and said, "Still don't like that asshole."

Malachai, still staring at the night sky, raised an armored hand and flipped him the bird.

…

The next day, we reached the facility. Placed on top of a steep cliff, the building was high enough to have a good view of Ruf a couple dozen miles away. The building itself was relatively intact, it's five stories protected by its lack of any windows. Chipped, white paint was the only thing on its outside, with no logo to be found.

"Is this it?" I asked.

"Affirmative." Malachai answered, checking something on his pip-boy. "According to my intelligence, this was an old government facility created in secret. What I'm looking for should be in there."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Tyler said before turning toward the facility.

"Hang on." Malachai interjected. "It is necessary to do an inventory of our weapons before we begin the mission."

Tyler let out an exasperated sigh, turning back around. "Alright, start us off."

The paladin pulled out a pistol and said, "One N99 10mm pistol with full clip of 12 bullets."

"Didn't bring much, didja?" Tyler asked.

"My power armor is enough to handle most threats." Malachai answered. "Besides, that is why I have hired you two to accompany me and handle threats."

"Should I go next?" I asked.

"Go ahead."

I took off my utility belt and began to list the compartments in order. "I have…four grenades, three energy cells, one laser pistol, three wingsticks, assorted medicines, and a stealth boy."

Tyler glanced at me. "Where'd you get a stealth boy?"

"It was one of the things I managed to get out of my hideout before we blew it up." I answered. "Your turn."

"Three grenades, one Python, five clips, and a power glove." Tyler listed off quickly.

"Good. That should be enough to fulfill our mission and get what we're here for." Malachai said.

"Again, I ask, what-the-fuck are we looking for?" Tyler said before walking through the two front doors. "I guess I'm alone here."

Malachai glanced over at me and asked, "Is he always this impulsive?"

"He triggers the mines." I shrugged.

The inside was like many of the other office buildings I had snuck in to scavenge. A skeleton sat behind a desk, skinless fingers draped over a computer's dust-covered keyboard. To our left stood a square of cubicles. To our right, two elevators and a door leading to the stairs. Tyler had already found his way to the door and was now cursing as he fumbled at the locked doorknob.

"Can you lock-pick it?" I asked.

Tyler quit jingling the door handle and said, "Nah it's a code lock. Can you hack into it?"

I looked back at the secretary's desk. "I could probably get the codes to the doors, but without power, they're useless anyway."

A terrible screeching pierced our ears as it echoed through the lobby. Covering our ears, Tyler and I looked over to see Malachai forcing the elevator doors open.

Malachai stopped when he had it fully open, turned to us, and said, "There is a back-up generator downstairs. Turn it on and we can proceed."

Tyler grabbed a flashlight from his belt and jumped into the shaft without a word, grabbing onto the cable inside and sliding down.

"Give me ten minutes," His voice echoed from the bottom of the shaft. "Fifteen tops."