A/N: I was actually planning on making this chapter the battle chapter but... that kinda didn't happen. So next chapter, the assault on the Jefferson Memorial begins!

"You're not wearing armor."

Mark looked up from his spot at the lockers, busy tying off his wrists with some borrowed tape from Gallows. "Darlin', they have yet to make a proper armor that fits me." He chuckled, shrugging his arms into the old and worn, but still usable brown leather duster one of the soldiers had procured for him. He turned to her directly, letting her see he wasn't completely without protection. He was also wearing leather pants that had been treated in order to make it more durable. If he was shot in the thigh, he was fucked. From the knees on down, his boots protected him somewhat.

"Nice plate." She finally said, managing a grin and tapped the bullet proof vest she glimpsed beneath the duster.

"Well, it won't stop a missile or anythin' but…" He shrugged it off, studying her and nodded, glad they had equipped her properly. The Recon armor was technically supposed to go beneath the Brotherhood's power armor but had been adapted somewhat to be worn on its own. Basically it was a padded, full body jumpsuit that was integrated with the interface for the power armor's servo and heat dissipation system. Which meant she wasn't going to have to worry about burning to death, quickly. It would disperse and THEN burn her. It also offered some protection from minor weapons and bullets. And to top off the vision, there was also a hood that went along with it, though she had opted for not pulling it on.

"How soon do we leave?"

"No idea, Rothchild is still trying to persuade Lyons to not use the robot."

Frowning, she began smoothing back her now shoulder length hair, knowing it needed cutting again but there was no time. Hell, she thought, I might not live long enough to even WORRY about a haircut. She tried not to find that morbidly amusing, but it was. "Well, they ain't doing anything without the code, not even with the G.E.C.K."

"Speakin' of, where is it?"

She frowned.

"Faith?" Mark did not like the sinking feeling in his stomach. She had gone out and risked her life for the damn thing and the look on her face was telling him she didn't have it.

"Well… I found it…" She offered.

"But…?"

"The… Enclave took it from me when I was caught and I never managed to retrieve it." She admitted, unwilling to say Austin had taken it personally. "They're probably installing it right now."

"We need to talk to Lyons."

"We have to go at once!" Owyn practically bellowed, it was fairly impressive, when he found out Faith did not have the G.E.C.K. He had already known Austin had taken it from her, he had just assumed she had taken it back. "Why did you not tell us this last night?" He demanded angrily.

"Because with everything else going on, it slipped my mind." She replied coolly. "Look, it's not going to do them any good, they don't have the code to get the Purifier going."

"They can crack it." Owyn waved her off, still scowling.

"No, they can't." Faith allowed herself a smile as she remembered giving Austin a false code. His man in the Memorial had wound up dead from trying to use a fake code; and Austin had beaten her damn near senseless for it. She filled everyone else in on that little fact.

"Well, that's one thing in our favor." Sarah said, feeling a bit more hopeful now that she knew the G.E.C.K. was fairly useless to the Enclave, for the moment.

"It's decided then." Owyn's shoulders slumped as he turned to his only child, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sarah, you will take the Pride and use Liberty Prime as support. Faith and the Undertaker will accompany you."

"What about the rest of you?" Mark demanded, not too keen on being sent out on a suicide mission. The Pride consisted of seven damn people, plus a robot that may or may not work, him and his wife.

"We cannot risk losing the entire Brotherhood. It is sad that we can send so little men, but it is the way it must be." Leadership was about taking responsibility for the decisions nobody else wanted to make. It was a heavy burden but one Owyn shouldered. "I do not just risk you and your wife, but my own daughter as well."

Before anything could get anymore sentimental, Sarah stepped into the circle, taking over. "Alright people, we move out within the hour, get your shit and let's go."

"Nervous?"

"Nope."

"You don't lie very well, you know that?"

Faith had finished the ammunition check, making sure all her guns were ready to go as well as spare ammo in the satchel she would carry over her back. Stimpaks as well, lots of Stimpaks. "Listen, if I don't make it to the Purifier, the code is-"

"You WILL make it because I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Mark interrupted, crouching down so he was staring into her face. "So quit with that right now, understand me?"

"Please Mark, just in case?"

"No."

"But if something happens and nobody else knows the code-"

"Then you best make sure nothing happens, got it?"

Kane was in the Citadel courtyard, watching as Brotherhood of Steel Initiates practiced training in their power armor. He was aware when Faith walked up behind him but didn't acknowledge her. Then he heard ripping and turned around, his eyes widening. "What are you doing?"

"Tearing up your contract." She said simply, finishing shredding the papers. "I won't have your death on my hands, Kane. I release you from your obligations to me."

He watched as the pieces of paper drifted towards the ground, floating away from them before settling on one of the many worn pathways. "Why'd you do that?"

"I just told you."

"You don't want my help anymore?"

"It's not that I don't, I just don't want to feel guilty if something happens to you."

He actually managed a smile, which looked very wrong on his rotting face. "Nice to know you care." Kane had no idea what to do next, he was so used to the idea of always having an employer and following orders… the idea of freedom was… strange.

They were both distracted by a shadow, a large shadow, passing over them. Automatically, they turned to watch as Liberty Prime passed overheard, being hoisted by a crane.

"That thing is huge."

He nodded his agreement.

"I just hope it fuckin' works." Faith glanced up at him. "Wish me luck?"

"I'm coming with you, you won't need luck."

"Cocky bastard." Mark grunted, joining them. "Time to move out."

"Pride, let's go!"

All three stepped aside in order to avoid being crushed as Sarah and her elites hustled past, heading for the Citadel gates. Prime was already being lowered down outside of the Citadel.

Kane shook his head and began following, Mark and Faith trailing behind him.

"You okay?" Mark asked, knowing that even if she wasn't, it was officially game time and there was no turning back. Not for her, not for him. This was something that had to be done and he knew Faith would want to see it through.

"Actually, I think I might puke."