Alright, this is the third and final story in the Bonds of Steel Trilogy, appropriately named Bonds of Steel. Enjoy.

Bonds of Steel

The Elder looked up and sighed in annoyance as Veronica and Layla walked back into his office. Layla assumed her previous position, leaning on a column to the side, while Veronica talked to McNamara.

"What is it now Veronica?" He sounded incredibly exasperated.

"McNamara, we've found proof that the Brotherhood is going in the wrong direction." Veronica said, an enthusiastic smile on her face.

"This better be good."

"My friend here has on her Pip Boy, data about advanced farming technology." Veronica motioned to Layla as she said this. McNamara looked unimpressed.

"And how will farming help the Brotherhood?"

"Don't you see? With this data we can provide a sustainable food source to the Brotherhood. We'll finally be able to make our own food. This proves that there is important technology out there besides weapons and armour. We should be interacting with the people of the Mojave instead of isolating ourselves here in this bunker."

"Veronica, what does the codex say about this matter?"

"The codex says nothing more than a useless pile of bullshit. We can't just blindly follow the codex; we have to think independently if we want any chance of surviving."

"Veronica, that's enough." McNamara stood up, a serious look on his face. "I will not hear any more about this. The Brotherhood is being hunted. We have to stay here and outlast the NCR. The people of the Mojave cannot be trusted. We're not here to make friends Veronica; we're here to gather important technology. That is the Brotherhood's goal. Only by staying isolated can we survive and hope to complete this goal. This is the last I want to hear about it. Is that clear?"

"Yes." With that, Veronica spun around and walked out the door. Layla followed to find her friend leaning against the wall of the corridor, looking utterly crestfallen.

"Are you alright?" Layla asked in a concerned tone, trying her best to comfort Veronica but not knowing quite how. The concept of comforting someone was alien to Layla, and she had great difficulty with it.

"I just can't believe it." Veronica's voice was filled with disappointment. "The evidence was right in front of him, proof that we're better off interacting with the world than staying here, and he ignored it. I thought I knew McNamara, but it was like talking to a stranger."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure if there's still a place for me here. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I left. I suppose I could go out and share my knowledge with the Followers of the Apocalypse, god knows they could use the help. I could do some good for the people of the Mojave. But this is my home, and I don't know if I want to leave it." She turned to Layla, and looked into her eyes. "What do you think I should do? Should I leave the Brotherhood, or should I stay?" Layla was surprised to be asked her opinion, and honestly had no idea which option was better.

"I'm terrible at making choices." She said nervously. "I can't decide this for you. I think you have to make this choice."

"Not even a hint? Wow thanks for the help." Veronica said sarcastically, and stopped to decide. A long silence followed, when Veronica suddenly made up her mind. "I think I have to stay."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"This place is my home, and these people are my family. They may be a highly dysfunctional family, but they're still my family, and I can't just abandon them. I guess I'll have to stay here until the inevitable happens and they all die." A tear welled up in the corner of Veronica's eye, but she quickly wiped it away.

"Are you going to be okay?" Layla asked, placing a comforting hand on Veronica's arm as she did so.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Veronica said, forming a smile as she did so. "I think I need some air. Come on, let's go." They made their way to the entrance of the bunker, and eventually came to the warehouse area leading to the exit where they'd left Rex. Rex was growling aggressively as they arrived, and seemed to be pointing to the bunker's entrance. "What's his problem?" Veronica asked as she saw Rex's unease.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this." Layla replied before getting That Gun out of its holster. With Rex following they walked through the steel blast door and out of the bunker, to come face to face with four Brotherhood of Steel paladins, all armed with laser rifles. I'm going to need a bigger gun. Layla thought nervously as the paladins pointed their laser rifles at her.

"We heard Veronica talk to the elder. We're not going to stand for this." The paladin in the middle, who Layla recognised as their leader, spoke angrily.

"What the hell is your problem?" Layla said just as angrily.

"Veronica dares to question the ideals that made the Brotherhood. Her preaching defies every teaching we have, and spits in the face of every knight, scribe and paladin that makes the Brotherhood what it is."

"Look, just back off." Layla's grip tightened on That Gun as she spoke. "This isn't your place. You're not the Elder or the Head Scribe, so you don't have the authority to put a gun to Veronica's head. Back...the fuck...off."

"The Elder and the Head Scribe are weak. Their sentimentality prevents them from doing what needs to be done. Veronica defies the codex, and insults the laws of the Brotherhood. We cannot allow her spreading of dissent to continue. This ends now." The paladins prepared to fire, and Layla's eyes scanned the area for a way to escape. That proved difficult, as there was currently a sandstorm going on. It was also the dead of night, making visibility zero. "Execute them." The lead paladin said without any emotion, and the paladins opened fire.

As the paladins fired their laser rifles, two things happened. The first was that Layla slide tackled the lead paladin, sliding under the lasers and sending him to the floor. The second was that Veronica leaped at the nearest paladin, jumping over the shots and punching the paladin in the face with her power fist, knocking him flying across the desert landscape. It took the paladins a few seconds to realise that two of their members had been downed in the space of a few seconds, and Layla took full advantage. She jumped to her feet, leaving the lead paladin on the ground, then swapped That Gun for her club, and swung the club in a horizontal arc. The swing hit the only two paladins who were standing and knocked them flying. The lead paladin suddenly got to his feet and struck Layla with the barrel of his rifle, knocking her to the ground. As she hit the desert floor, she saw to her annoyance that the two paladins she'd just hit were already getting up. Thanks to that damn armour, my club doesn't even scratch them. She thought angrily. It was then that she realised she had bigger problems as the lead paladin stood over to her, and aimed his laser rifle at her face.

Before he could fire however, a loud growl filled the air and Rex leapt at the lead paladin. He knocked the paladin to the ground and bit at his face. If not for the helmet the paladin would've had his face chewed off. The paladin shot Rex at point blank range with his laser rifle, knocking Rex flying off him. Rex hit the ground with a yelp, then lost consciousness.

"Rex!" Layla yelled, then angrily got to her feet and swung her club at the lead paladin. The paladin was too busy dealing with Rex to notice and the club hit him right in the face. The impact knocked him to the ground and knocked his helmet clean off. The paladin was bald and devoid of any defining features, but looked very angry. Layla stood on the arm that held his laser rifle, and prepared to bring her club down on his umarmoured head. Before she could finish the attack however, the lead paladin pulled a laser pistol out of a pocket on his armour using his free hand, and fired two shots at Layla. The first shot blasted straight through her leather jacket and scorched the skin on her stomach, making her recoil in pain. The second shot hit her exposed left arm (Since her leather armour didn't have a left sleeve), and burnt straight through her bandages.

"Dammit!" She yelled as she clutched her arm in pain. The paladin used this moment to push Layla off his arm and get to his feet. He pointed both the laser pistol and laser rifle at Layla's head. "I just finished healing from the last time somebody burnt my left arm you prick!"

"It's over." He said in an emotionless tone, and his fingers moved to the triggers of both guns, preparing to fire.

"Is it?" The lead paladin turned around to determine the source of the voice and saw Veronica. Behind her the other three paladins lay dead. She smiled sweetly before punching the lead paladin in the face with her power fist. The blow instantly broke the paladin's nose and sent him flying towards Layla. She hit the paladin with all her strength as he flew into her, knocking him flying to the ground. Before he could get up, Layla pulled out That Gun and shot him four times in the head.

"The first bullet was for threatening Veronica, the second was for shooting my dog, the third was for shooting me with that damn laser pistol, and the fourth bullet was for being an overall prick." Layla said triumphantly as she stood over the paladin's corpse.

"I can't believe it, they attacked me." Veronica said in stunned awe.

"And me." Layla said, clutching her burn wounds as she spoke. "And Rex." She motioned to Rex who was lying injured a few feet away, a burn mark on his underbelly.

"I can't believe they'd do that."

"You said yourself that there are a lot of jackasses in the family."

"Yeah, but I didn't think they'd go this far." She sat down on the desert ground, her head in her hands. "I can't believe they're all so opposed to going out and interacting with the wasteland. They're all so dead set on staying here isolated, and they're so blinded by their dedication to the codex that they've lost all free will."

"Come on, they can't all be as bad as those four paladins."

"Maybe not, but they're still pretty bad. I never had any hope of convincing any of them, I realise that now."

"So are you still going to stay?" There was a brief pause as Veronica considered the question.

"Yeah...yeah I think I am. They're my family, and I can't abandon them. I've got to help them any way I can."

"Are you sure they'll accept you? You did just kill four paladins."

"Three technically, you killed the fourth, and it was in self defense. Besides, we killed the witnesses." She grinned mischievously, and Layla found the grin infectious.

"I like the way you think." She said. They spent the next 30 minutes bandaging their wounds and burying the paladins, which was made more difficult by the fact that they didn't have a shovel but made easier by the fact that Rex was highly skilled at digging. They took a second to get their breath back once the digging was done, while Rex rolled around on the ground, not tired at all.

"Well that was exhausting." Layla said tiredly as she leaned against the side of the bunker.

"Can we not kill any more paladins?" Veronica replied, equally as tired. "I don't think I can take the exertion necessary to bury any more."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now then, what do you say we get back to the Lucky 38 suite?"

"Sounds good. I need a freaking bath."

"I'll meet you there. I have some business that requires my attention."

"Oh. Okay I guess. I'll see you there." With that they went their separate ways. Veronica and Rex went back to the Lucky 38, while Layla went to deal with some unfinished business.

A few hours later

Layla stumbled into the suite, incredibly glad to be home.

"I'm back!" She shouted tiredly, before making her way into the dining room. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey out of the fridge, and Veronica walked in a few seconds later. Layla realised that this was the only time she'd had actually seen Veronica fully clothed in the suite. She was wearing her usual hooded robes, but had taken her boots off and wore a towel as a turban in her hair.

"And where have you been?" She asked, an expression of curiosity on her face.

"I just went back to McCarran to see Thomas Hildern and Doctor Williams. You know, to tie up loose ends."

"That sounds fun." Veronica said sarcastically as she sat down at the dining table. Rex walked into the room, a bandage covering the burn on his underbelly, and rubbed against Veronica's leg. She scratched his ear absentmindedly.

"I convinced Dr Williams that Keely was still alive, and she gave me 800 caps."

"You scammed her?"

"Not really. We did technically find Keely, so I thought we should be paid for it."

"I don't approve."

"Duly noted." Layla took a big swig from the bottle of whiskey she held in her hand, then continued. "And I had a chat with Hildern.

"Did you kill him?"

"No! At least, not right away. He gave me 1200 caps for finding the data, and I convinced him to give me another 600 caps by threatening to give the data to someone else. Then I killed him." Veronica sighed and shook her head.

"Did anyone see you? Is Camp McCarran still standing or did you burn it to the ground?"

"It's still there, unfortunately. I quietly threw a throwing knife into his skull so nobody heard me."

"Great. Well, I guess that settles that." She sat back in her chair. "Not only did you get to kill a load of people, but you cheated two NCR scientists out of their money, gave one of the scientists data about experiments that created killer plants which they'll probably try to replicate, killing loads of their personnel with brainwashing spores. Plus you killed one of their scientists."

"It was a good day." Layla yawned loudly then finished the last of the whiskey. "Well, I'm incredibly tired so I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Wait." Veronica got to her feet and walked over to Layla before she could walk out the door.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to thank you for helping me with this. I know it must've been a pain in the ass, and you probably would've preferred to be killing NCR soldiers, but I greatly appreciate it." Veronica had a big smile on her face.

"Don't mention it Veronica. You're my friend, probably the only real friend I've ever had, and I'd do anything for you." Tears welled up in Veronica's eyes and she hugged Layla tightly.

"Thank you."

"You're...welcome." Layla said, feeling a little uncomfortable now. She wasn't used to physical contact. She broke the hug and went to bed, leaving Veronica alone in the room with Rex. She sat down at the dining room table, a happy smile on her face.

Aw, a happy ending to the trilogy. I'm such a sap. Anyway, more chapters coming soon. I'm not sure when though. It's difficult because I'm actually playing through the game with my Layla character, and the stories are based off her experiences in the game. So I play a bit, then run off to write a story, then play some more. I sometimes play more before I've finished a story due to writer's block, leaving me disoriented. I actually wrote another story that comes later in the canon before writing this one, and I've got two more that need to be finished yet. Damn writer's block. Anyway, I'll upload more chapters as soon as I can. There's some exciting developments coming up.

Also, I like reivews and comments, so any and all opinions would be greatly appreciated.