Chapter Specific Characters: Paladin Danse, Scribe Haylen, Knight Rhys
About a week after killing the Concord settlers, Ash was running low on supplies and was, even with as nice as he'd made Sanctuary, starting to feel restless. It was time to do some more exploring, more hunting. Packing what food he had left and whatever other supplies he thought he might need, Ash set out. Once he crossed the bridge from Sanctuary, Ash used his Pip-Boy to remotely turn on a signal that would attract settlers to his home and then activated his defenses. Hopefully when he came back, he'd have a stock of new decorations to put up.
Having been practicing with his weapons, Ash felt better equipped to deal with the dangers of the wasteland. He'd also managed to scavenge a good deal of armor from the raiders in Concord so now he felt more protected as well. In addition to the weapon training and the new armor, Ash had been trying to build up his physical prowess. He lifted weights made from scrap lead and steel and ran often. In the old world, Ash hadn't been very athletic, there wasn't any real reason, but in this world, he'd need that extra strength or boost of speed if time tried to catch up to him.
On his way to wherever the roads took him, Ash came across a traveling merchant and managed to get some food in exchange for ammo he'd found for guns he didn't use. He also got more clear directions to Diamond City, adding that to the mental list of places he needed to go to. Ash and the merchant parted ways and Ash felt much more secure in his supplies, feeling strongly that he could travel the wastes longer now. He wouldn't stay away from his Sanctuary for too long though, no longer than a week, he thought, hoping that a week was enough time to get in some action.
A short walk away from where Ash had just parted ways with the merchant, action crossed his path in the form of a man screaming at a woman in a building. Curious, Ash walked up and frowned when the man aimed his gun at him. Ash was outnumbered since the man had a bodyguard, but that didn't stop him from resting his hand on the hilt of his new combat knife.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there, scavver. This doesn't involve you." The man said, surprising Ash by actually sounding a fair bit like he didn't want to have to shoot him.
"Clearly." Ash said blankly, glancing over at the building before returning his attention to the armed man. "What's going on?" He asked anyway, still curious. From what he'd heard, this man was a drug dealer and the woman inside the building, or more precisely her son, owed him money.
"It's a simple business dispute, got it? Trudy's sitting on a pile of goods that she owes me." The man started, keeping his gun raised. "I tried reasoning with her, but it looks like I gotta take what's mine by force." Eyeing Ash briefly, the man continued quickly. "Wanna make some easy money? Help me out. I could use another gun."
Humming softly, Ash looked back in on the woman. She was watching their conversation like a hawk, clearly waiting to see what would happen. Turning his attention back to the man, Ash nodded. "Alright." He agreed, waiting for the man to lower his gun before his arm darted forward to slit his throat smoothly. His bodyguard took a second too long to start firing and Ash managed to throw his knife at her hand before she could shoot him, causing her to drop her gun. Shooting the woman as she reached for her back-up weapon, Ash gave a content sigh. It was like drinking the first gulp of water after a rigorous work-out, spilling blood giving Ash that feeling of quenching a pressing thirst.
Picking his knife back up, Ash walked towards the building. He could hear the woman within laughing and saying something about crows but he didn't listen. Ash raised his gun and shot her in the head, watching her fall and hearing her son cry out in shock and grief before turning the gun on him too. Smiling serenely once it was all over, Ash went about looting the small trading post and then moved on, continuing on down the road he'd originally been traveling. At this rate, he was going to have a very productive walk indeed.
The next time Ash was stopped, it was because his Pip-Boy let out a chime, informing him that it had picked up a radio signal. Tilting his head curiously, Ash found some cover just in case and tuned into the signal. The fact that it had "military frequency" in the name made Ash a bit nervous. Was the government indeed still a thing and they'd simply decided Vault 111 wasn't worth the energy and resources to evacuate? If there was still a military, it stood to reason that there was still a government controlling them.
"Automated message repeating. This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization: arcs, fera, nine, five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we're running low on supplies. We're requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station. Automated me-"
Cutting the message off before it could repeat, Ash frowned to himself. He hadn't really understood the first half of that, not being very well-versed in military jargon despite having lived with a veteran. Ash did, however, understand that whoever these people were, it sounded like they weren't in any real position to deal with murder-happy teenagers. Using his Pip-Boy to track the signal, Ash realized they were fairly close to his location and shrugged, deciding to go for it. Best case scenario, he found some fun, worst case scenario, they shot him on sight. Win-win really.
As Ash neared the Cambridge Police Station, he heard gunshots and it made him pause. Was that whatever had made them sustain casualties or was that some other stupid civilian getting gunned down? Only one way to find out, Ash decided, drawing his pistol and walking through a side-alley that took him into the courtyard of the station. There he saw a man in power armor shooting what looked like if a human and a raisin had a baby and that baby had rabies.
Having never seen anything like it before, it made Ash pause. He stood there watching the way the odd savage creatures seemed to lumber clumsily one second before lunging for the throat the next. It was an interesting strategy that Ash would've been content to simply observe had more of the creatures not started coming from the streets, some of them coming for him. Crouching behind the barricade he was near, Ash started firing, all of that target practice paying off as none of the creatures managed to get to him.
Once it was all over, the man in power armor spoke to him in a firm, commanding tone that made Ash's hand itch a little. "We appreciate the assistance, civilian, but what's your business here?" He asked, at least having the decency to holster his gun as he spoke.
"I was just taking a walk and I heard the party you were throwing over here so I thought I'd check it out." Ash responded a bit sarcastically, deciding he didn't like this tin-man.
"I'd hardly call dealing with a pack of ferals a party." Tin-Man responded, scoffing a bit at the idea. "Are you from a local settlement?"
Ferals. Is that what these rabid raisins were called? Ash liked his name better. "Nope. Bit of a drifter." He responded, not about to tell Tin-Man about his home.
"An answer that I hear often." Tin-Man responded, giving a nod. "If I appear suspicious, it's because our mission here had been difficult. Since the moment we arrived in the Commonwealth, we've been constantly under fire." Tin-Man explained, apparently not noticing Ash's eyeroll. What was with the people he helped feeling like he needed their life-story? "If you want to continue pitching in, we could use an extra gun on our side."
Well that seemed sorta out of the blue. Pondering Tin-Man's offer for a moment, Ash shrugged. Despite his off-the-bat dislike for Tin-Man, he was still curious about what sort military they were. "Sure." Ash said, tilting his head a bit. "But first I want to know what you are." He stipulated, motioning at the insignia on Tin-Man's power armor. It didn't look like any military or government insignia he'd ever seen before.
"Very well. I'm Paladin Danse, Brotherhood of Steel." Tin-Man introduced, motioning to his side where a man and woman were huddled in front of the entrance to the station. "Over there is Scribe Haylen and Knight Rhys. We're on recon duty, but I'm down a man and our supplies are running low." Danse explained, quickly moving into too-much-information territory as Ash didn't care what they were doing before he got there. "I've been trying to send a distress signal to my superiors, but the signal is too weak to reach them.
That caught Ash's attention. Superiors. Like the government? Ash was about to ask when Haylen spoke up. "Sir, if I may?"
"Proceed, Haylen." Danse said, turning his attention to his scribe.
"I've modified the radio tower on the roof of the police station, but I'm afraid it just isn't enough. What we need is something that will boost the signal." Haylen explained, Ash realizing she was talking to him about half-way through what she was saying.
"Our target is ArcJet Systems, and it contains the technology we need: the Deep Range Transmitter." Danse explained, taking back over. "We infiltrate the facility, secure the transmitter, and bring it back here. So, what do you say? You willing to lend the Brotherhood of Steel a hand?" When Danse phrased it like that, it made it sound like a serious commitment and Ash couldn't help but "snrk" a bit at how serious he was.
"Sure, why the fuck not?" Ash responded, getting two thick brows knitted either for his attitude or for his language, Ash didn't know or care which.
Choosing no to respond, Danse stomped, because there really wasn't any stepping lightly in power armor, up the stairs of the police station and addressed his team. Ash tuned him out until Danse turned his attention back to him. "-civilian, it's time to prove your worth. Head into the station and resupply yourself, then let me know when you're ready to begin." Then Danse turned his attention back to his group, ignoring the way Ash scoffed and rolled his eyes at being bossed around. "Let's move out, people!" He ordered, going on ahead into the police station.
Being around Danse was what Ash imagined it would have been like to have lived with a soldier who actually had a spine instead of Nate. He was starting to regret his agreement to help and briefly considered simply leaving since the rest of Danse's group had gone into the police station as well, but decided against it. Whatever sort of military the Brotherhood of Steel was, they didn't seem affiliated with the government as Ash had known it but he was still curious enough to see this through. Letting out a deep sigh, Ash squared his shoulders and walked into the police station.
Taking Danse's suggestion, because thinking of it as an order made him bristle, Ash checked the station for supplies and then followed noisy footsteps until he found Danse. "Ready to go." He said, eyes traveling Danse's power armor in search of a weakness. Never know when he'd need to stab someone in a suit, didn't hurt to look while the one in front of him was friendly.
"Outstanding." Danse said, not seeming to notice Ash's wondering eyes. "Follow me and try not to lag behind."
Sighing, Ash started scratching his suddenly itchy palm. It'd calmed down but now it was flaring up even worse. "Whatever." He muttered, following Danse outside.
The moment they were outside, Danse started talking and Ash made a face at his back. Seriously? Rolling his eyes, Ash tuned Danse out, the chatter sounding distinctly like the kind of backstory, explanation shit he hated listening to. Instead of listening, Ash kept an eye out for things that might need shooting and places where he might be able to find supplies. It worked out well that way, the duo making it to ArcJet with only a few skirmishes that needed dealing with. Danse clearly hadn't said anything that required Ash's input because he was still fucking talking when they arrived. When Danse stopped in front of the door to ArcJet though, Ash tuned back in, looking up at him expectantly.
"Listen up. We do this clean and quiet. No heroics and by the book. Understood?" Danse said, voice stern and grating.
Laughing softly in a borderline-hysterical way, Ash tilted his head lightly. "Quiet? Alright, tin man, whatever you say." He snarked, aware that if Danse wanted to, he could wreck his shit, but unable to resist the chance to poke the proverbial bear.
"This isn't a joking matter." Danse barked, raising his voice just enough in a very practiced way. "This is a serious mission. No heroics. By the book. Do you understand?"
"Fuck! Whatever." Ash sighed, his age showing as he rolled his eyes for the hundredth time that day. "Can we just go?" Then Danse was suddenly in his face, not looking particularly mad, just very serious.
"I don't plan on rushing through the facility without extreme caution." He said, moving back a bit now that he was sure he'd finally got Ash's attention. "Contrary to what you might believe, I'd like you to remain alive during the course of our mission." Danse's voice was softer now, making Ash's angry expression waver even as his eyes narrowed. "Remember, our primary target is the Deep Range Transmitter. Stay focused and check your fire. I don't want to be hit by stray bullets."
Rolling his eyes as Danse turned away, Ash holstered his gun and pulled out his knife. If Danse was so worried about bullets, he'd go melee. Danse could go fuck himself with his "stay alive" bullshit. If something got through his armor and he died, oh well. He'd die pleased knowing that Danse would feel guilty about it for awhile. And if he didn't die, then that was a nice, fat middle finger right in Danse's stupid face.
Feeling ready for a fight, Ash followed Danse inside. As soon as they were inside, Danse started fucking talking again and Ash pursed his lips, trying not to laugh again as he tuned the soldier out. If he got the opportunity, he would kill Danse. Then he'd go back to Cambridge and take care of his team. When Danse stopped in the very next room, Ash did laugh, scrubbing his hand over his face. It was time for another chat, he could tell.
"Look at these wrecks. It appears as though the facility's automated security's already been dealt with." Danse said, pausing when Ash sighed.
"No shit." He said bluntly, glaring at Danse. "The fuck's it matter?"
"Look at the evidence." Danse said firmly, giving Ash the distinct impression that he was being tested. "There isn't a single spent ammunition casing or drop of blood in sight. These robots were assaulted by Institute synths." He concluded grimly, looking mildly annoyed when Ash gave him a blank look.
"The fuck's a synth?" Ash finally asked, realizing Danse was waiting for him say something.
"They're an abuse of technology created by the Institute. Abominations meant to "improve" upon humanity." Danse explained venomously, his hatred running deep and clear. "It's unacceptable. They simply can't be allowed to exist."
"That-that doesn't answer- you know what? I don't care. Whatever. I'll stab what I need to stab, security robot or "synth", I don't care." Ash said, moving past Danse and taking the lead in his frustration. He walked down the hall in front of Danse, ignoring the paladin's protests and came to a room that Danse decided was a dead end. Still ignoring the paladin, Ash walked around and found a working terminal. Beside it was what appeared to be the password. Ignoring the holotape, Ash crouched in front of the computer and got to work.
Thirty seconds later, the door was sliding open and Ash was straightening up. As the door opened, Ash finally got an answer to his question as several human-like robots stormed the room. They went for Danse since he was the closest and he seemed to handle them easily enough making Ash wonder why he was so distraught about them earlier. Danse didn't even seem to notice that Ash wasn't helping him as he jogged into the room Ash had just unlocked, shouting something or other as he took on the synths in the next room.
Switching back to his gun since his knife wasn't going to do anything to metal, Ash followed Danse leisurely, letting him take the brunt of the attack before he joined in and helped him pick the last few off. As Danse started climbing a broken walkway to the level above them, Ash walked over to a door on the main floor and found it locked. Crouching, Ash picked the lock fairly easily and then wobbled as the floor suddenly shook. He looked around wildly and found Danse standing behind him, making him jump.
"Fuck!" Ash yelled, glaring at Danse and clutching his chest a little dramatically.
"Good job on that lock." Danse said, ignoring Ash's outburst and patting him on the shoulder as he took the apparent shortcut Ash had opened up to their destination.
Mocking Danse silently, Ash followed along, trailing Danse up some stairs and then stopping when the soldier stopped. "What now?" Ash hissed, trying to peer around Danse.
"Turrets ahead." Danse replied, seeming to be trying to figure out the best angle to take them down without getting shot himself.
Groaning, Ash shimmied past Danse. "Fucking move, I got this." He growled, dashing past the hall with the turrets and into the adjoining room. He ignored Danse's shout and looked around briefly, finding a terminal and hacking into it easily. When Ash was younger, he'd gone on a school trip to a building like ArcJet. They'd mentioned their state-of-the-art security system and talked about how the terminal that controlled the system was heavily encrypted and guarded, making it near impenetrable. Ash figured most facilities like this worked under a similar premise and as he found an option labeled "turret control", he grinned to himself.
Turning off the turret system just as he heard Danse's heavy footsteps coming out into the hall, Ash stood up. Sighing as the small success helped with a bit of his tension, Ash walked out into the hall as well. Danse was standing there, looking disapproving and begrudgingly impressed. "Stuff it, soldier boy, I got the stupid turrets shut off." Ash growled, gasping as Danse suddenly pressed him against the wall, one massive hand enough to pin Ash's scrawny chest. All of his strength training hadn't helped to fill him out in any meaningful way, it'd simply given him definition so far. He was still as scrawny as he'd ever been, he just had some muscles between his skin and bones now.
"No heroics." Danse said firmly, not letting up. "You've been insubordinate this whole trip but I won't tolerate you refusing to follow orders."
"I'm not one of your lackeys, tin man!" Ash shouted, glaring at Danse darkly but not bothering to struggle. "You can't boss me around!"
"I'm trying to ensure your safety!" Danse shouted back, making Ash falter a bit since that was the first time Danse had actually yelled at him.
After staring at Danse for awhile, Ash looked away. "Right." He muttered, not liking one bit all of the conflicting emotions he was now feeling. A bit of fear, some sadness, anger mostly, just a sliver of arousal. That last one didn't help with the anger.
Sighing, Danse let Ash go, taking a step back. "Don't let it happen again." He grumbled, carrying on down the hall without waiting for a response.
"Whatever." Ash muttered, following Danse and trying to distract himself by thinking of all the different ways he could kill Danse or all the ways he could use his corpse as a decoration in Sanctuary. He'd never be able to lug Danse all the way to Sanctuary, especially not in power armor, but the thoughts were meant to be relaxing, not practical.
There was awhile where neither man said anything after that. Danse led the way and Ash followed. When Danse finally did speak, Ash actually listened instead of tuning him out like he had been for most of the trip. "Engine core's ahead. Should be our final stop." He said simply, walking through a door. As Ash followed, Danse spoke up again. "Watch your footing. Look's like the power's out in this section."
Flicking on his Pip-Boy's flashlight, Ash kept walking, refusing to say anything. Then Danse was talking again and this time Ash blocked him out, deciding he didn't care. When they reached the bottom of the stairs they'd been descending, Ash realized Danse had just given him an order and looked around. Seeing some open double doors nearby, Ash decided to take a shot in the dark since he hadn't been listening and wasn't about to ask Danse to repeat himself and went through the doors. When Danse didn't yell at him, he figured he must be on the right track.
Walking down a decrepit hall, Ash found himself in an observation chamber. Humming curiously, Ash looked around and found a button labeled "engine start". He looked out the window and saw the huge rocket right above Danse's head. Grinning wickedly, Ash walked into the other room, looking for a way to get the power online. He found it quickly, easily hacking the terminal he needed and starting the back-up power. Laughing softly, Ash ran to the other room and arrived just in time to see Danse getting beset by a wave of synths.
As tempting as it was to watch Danse struggle against the wave, Ash wanted much more to char Danse alive in his stupid suit. Grinning broadly, Ash pressed the big red button and watched eagerly. The countdown from five felt like an eternity and Ash was practically pressing his face against the glass of the observation window in his eagerness. When it reached one, he jerked back, realizing how close he'd gotten and not wanting to hurt his eyes too much. It was bad enough he was going to watch a rocket launch just so he could see Danse get charred, he didn't need to be right up on the glass too.
The engine firing was surprisingly less bright than Ash had thought it would be. Or maybe it was because his eyes were glued on Danse and he wasn't really looking at the rocket. Giggling as Danse took a knee and clapping his hands together as Danse's armor began to glow orange, Ash bounced on his heels. He couldn't wait for the rocket to die so he could go outside and see the char-broiled paladin up close.
As the engine stopped and the blast doors opened, Ash ran out, stopping just short of the testing room as he realized, with a sinking feeling, that Danse was clearly still alive. "Fuck." Ash muttered, screwing up his face in worry and running over to Danse. "Shit! I'm sorry, I didn't realize it would- I'm sorry! Are you alright!?" He yelled, surprised at how convincing he sounded to himself. He just hoped Danse bought it.
"Got- cooked by those flames, but- thanks to my power armor, I'm still in one piece." Danse grunted, still kneeling and in obvious pain. "The important thing is we're still alive- and we have a way to get to the transmitter." Huffing, Danse stood, his voice coming out surprisingly steadily as he apparently sucked up the pain. "Let's go."
Not saying anything and still trying to look sorry, Ash nodded and pressed the button for the elevator that was now working. It arrived promptly and he got on, Danse getting in after him and pushing the button for the floor they needed. Ash found himself incredibly uneasy for the entire elevator ride and wasn't sure why. Danse didn't seem to suspect that he'd tried to kill him on purpose, so he didn't feel like that was it. What other reason could there be? When they exited the elevator, Ash felt a wave of relief come over him despite the fact that there were more synths waiting for them.
Working together, Ash and Danse dispatched them easily enough, Danse in front acting like a bullet sponge for Ash despite his injuries. After looking around briefly, Danse swore and told Ash to check the fallen synths for the device they came for. It took all of Ash's self control not to say something rude and he instead simply listened, going up to the lifeless husks and checking them for irregularities. After a moment, Ash made a sound of triumph and held up a device that looked different from anything else the synths had on them.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Danse nodded. "Let's get out of here." He huffed, clearly relieved and ready to go. "We'll take the service elevator to the surface."
Holding the device in one hand, Ash pushed the button for the elevator with the other. He piled on with Danse and soon the elevator was moving up, taking them out of ArcJet and back into the wasteland. This ride was another tense one and Ash was beginning to suspect the elevators were at fault. Both men got out as the elevator doors opened and Danse muttered something about the coast being clear before leaving the building fully. Ash followed and saw that it was dark and raining outside. He smiled, relief washing over him with the falling rain, and made the mistake of sticking his tongue out for a raindrop, pulling his tongue back into his mouth quickly at the taste. It was like piss and battery acid. Radiated, Ash realized, sighing sadly.
As distracted by the rain as he was, Ash nearly bumped into Danse who had just turned around to face him. "Well, that could've gone smoother, but mission accomplished." He sighed, tone more than a bit judgmental.
Frowning, Ash scrubbed his hand over his face, certain that at this rate, his hand would never stop itching. "Whatever." He practically whined, hand dropping to his side in exhaustion. "I don't care what you think of me."
"Accepting constructive criticism is the best way to improve ourselves both physically and mentally." Danse recited, sounding alot like he'd read that in an old self-help book. "However, this doesn't diminish your role in the operation. Without your assistance, it could've been in jeopardy." He conceded, surprising Ash and continuing before the volatile teen could speak again. "That being said, I believe we have two important matters to discuss. First and foremost, if you'll hand me the Deep Range Transmitter, I'd like to compensate you for your assistance during this operation."
Frowning suspiciously, Ash handed over the transmitter. As far as he knew, that was the only item of business they needed to be discussing. What else could Danse possibly want?
"I think you'll find this weapon useful. It's my own personal modification of the standard Brotherhood laser rifle." Danse said, taking the transmitter and handing Ash a gun. "May it serve you well in battle."
"Uh, thanks?" Ash said, taking the gun and looking quite like someone who didn't receive gifts often. It sort of wasn't a gift, it was payment, but it certainly felt more personal than a handkerchief full of caps and some ammo or anything else that might qualify as payment in the Commonwealth.
"You're welcome, civilian." Danse said, not seeming to mind the hesitation or the questioning tone. "Now, as far as the second matter goes, I wanted to make you a proposal." He said, watching Ash more intently, seeming to be looking for a reaction. "We had alot thrown at us back there. Our op could've ended in disaster, but, for the most part, you kept your cool and handled it like a soldier. A slightly insubordinate soldier, but a soldier nonetheless." Danse said, even going so far as to sound mildly impressed.
Ash had to hide both his steadily mounting aggravation at Danse beating around the bush and his annoyance at being compared to a soldier. Before the war, he wouldn't have minded joining the military. Back then, he saw it as the only chance he'd ever get to live out some of his violent thoughts and urges. But now, in this new world of freedom, Ash knew he was better than a soldier, that he'd never stoop to taking orders and wearing uniforms in order to justify murder.
"There's no doubt in my mind that you've got what it takes." Danse continued, not seeming to think anything of the way Ash's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what was happening. "The way I see it, you've got a choice. You could spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place, trading an extra hand for a meager reward, or you could join the Brotherhood of Steel and make your mark on the world." He finished, raising his chin a bit in a prideful way, giving Ash the distinct impression that he thought he already knew what Ash's answer would be. "So what do you say?"
Well, when he put it that way: no! Fuck no! Not in a hundred years, not in another two-hundred years! But before Ash could vocalize all that, the proverbial other hand presented itself. If he said no, that would be it. Maybe he'd get to stab Danse and his little group but who was to say the rest of the Brotherhood, not desperate like Danse's group, would be so kind to a random civilian. Maybe the only reason Danse hadn't shot him at Cambridge was because they genuinely did need the help. The other members of the Brotherhood might've shot him. If he said no, that was it, but if he said yes, if he played nice for just a bit longer, he could gain access to the rest of the Brotherhood. Maybe if he played his cards right, he'd get to see their nest and take them all out in one go.
Humming a bit, Ash's face remained surprisingly neutral through his mental battle and then he nodded slowly. "I'm surprised you think I'm Brotherhood material, but-" He hesitated, the viscerally angry part of him flaring up again briefly before the colder, smarter side took back over. "-I'll join." Ash finalized, unable to go back now.
"That's what I wanted to hear." Danse said happily, proudly. "Meet me back at the police station and we'll discuss the details."
Nodding, Ash watched Danse turn and leave. Swaying a bit on his feet, Ash had to sit down. He looked around quickly, not quite wanting to sit on the muddy ground and instead parked himself on a nearby forklift. The rain felt amazing, radiation or not, and Ash closed his eyes as he thought about what he'd just done. Suddenly the real reason for his fatigue came to light in the form of his stomach growling loudly. How long had it been since he'd eaten anything?
Realizing it had been far too long, the night before, in fact, Ash quickly slung off his pack and got some food in his stomach. The water he chased everything down with was a far cry from the acid piss falling from the sky and before Ash knew it, he'd downed two whole cans. Sighing in relief, Ash laid back on the forklift, closing his eyes again so the rain didn't get in them. Eventually he started to get cold and tired and sat up, seeing that it had gotten even darker while he rested.
Sighing, Ash went back into the ArcJet service entrance, going in the opposite direction of the elevator and finding a good spot to hunker down. He closed the door and used some old shelves and barrels to barricade it and the elevator before stripping his clothes off. Ash hung his wet clothes on another shelf and then used the many cardboard boxes with their many ancient files to create a fire big enough to dry his clothes and keep him warm. Finally, Ash set out his bedroll, which was dry thanks to a waterproof covering Ash had wrapped it in, the same waterproof covering that had kept his pack and all the stuff within from getting drenched, and laid it out, laying down on it and gazing into the fire calmly.
After he'd rested, he would go back to Cambridge, get whatever information he needed to get from Danse, and then he'd make his way to Diamond City. He was excited to know what that was all about and after throwing some more files on the fire, Ash went to sleep. It had been a long day and he had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be even longer.