A radio was playing an upbeat instrumental piece nearby. Sea birds were calling overhead and a crisp wind whistled occasionally over the Pip-Boy. Guns fired steadily nearby but there was no other sound of an actual battle. Instead people chatted happily down below where Ryleigh was perched. The sporadic shouting of Paladin Gunny at Brotherhood Initiates not meeting his expectations confirmed that she was in the Citadel. Ryleigh's voice was peaceful.
"We did it."
She laughed happily as she took a drink. She groaned with pleasure and smacked her lips.
"Fuck. You forget how good clean water actually tastes. This is better than the usual purified stuff. This is mom and dad's hard work come to fruition."
She took another long sip and poured some of the water into a metal bowl at her feet. Boomer lapped it up noisily.
"Ok, so I have a lot to cover. Fawkes, Charon, Boomer, and I all made our way back to the Citadel as fast as we could. We stopped over in Megaton long enough for us to buy more ammo and repair our gear but otherwise it was a non-stop run. The Enclave had the G.E.C.K. and based on the conversation I overheard while Colonel Autumn interrogated me, they already had people at the purifier trying to crack the code.
And if I thought the Brotherhood looked tense trying to pretend Charon wasn't in their base you should have seen their faces when I showed up with Fawkes. Didn't help that he is more eloquent than their smartest scribes. Half of them were clearly torn between dissecting him and getting into a proper debate on morals and humanity."
Ryleigh chuckled mischievously.
"When we arrived Sentinel Lyons was trying to get her father to agree to storming the Jefferson Memorial. The Enclave had fortified the area with massive proton-charged barriers. Elder Lyons was convinced it would be suicide but Sarah wouldn't give in. She wanted to go in with her elite squad, the Lyon's Pride. I told them the quick version of what had happened and let one of the scribes copy my last recording. The fact that the Enclave had the G.E.C.K. was all that Sarah needed to convince the Elder it was time.
Sarah made me an honorary member of the Lyon's Pride, complete with my own set of power armor. Normally I would have gone for recon armor but if we were about to charge the Enclave I figured I wanted the extra protection."
She spoke with a sense of awe, leaning against a metal railing as she looked down on the Citadel courtyard.
"And then Elder Lyons ordered Scribe Rothschild to fire up Liberty Prime. I had seen them working on the massive robot. Dr. Li was instrumental in getting it functional. When it powered on though… it was terrifying and amazing all at once. It was still programmed to talk about killing Chinese communists which was a little funny until it fired lasers from its eyes that took down a vertibird in one hit. It was fucking amazing. It threw warheads from a special chamber on its back and tore through the few troops stupid enough to get in our way."
She paused as Fawkes' voice carried from down below. It sounded like he was either performing a monologue or beginning a lecture.
"Ah yes, my metamorphosis destroyed a good deal of my long term memory. However, I can recall being in that place when it wasn't the macabre laboratory that had become. I remember walking around and seeing other humans in white lab coats and blue jumpsuits. But that is all I can recall. For the rest of my knowledge I used the vault's extensive database of works to better myself and my understanding of everything around me. It gave me access to the history, literature, science and fiction book files…"
Metal creaked slightly as Ryleigh leaned over the railing to look down at the super mutant. She chuckled.
"Three Initiates and a scribe. And I think that Knight is listening too. What a world."
She laughed again, leaning back from the edge and taking another sip of water. Her tone shifted, becoming darker and tinged with hatred.
"Colonel Autumn was waiting for us in the rotunda of the memorial. I tried to get him to stand down… sort of. I mean, I did try. And then he raised his pistol and I shot him in the head."
Her matter-of-fact inflection did not hide her smile. Boomer barked happily and she scritched behind his ears.
"That was for dad."
Boomer barked again. Ryligh gave a satisfied sigh and started walking along the metal ramp. Her footsteps were heavier than usual, metal on metal instead of her regular leather boots.
"We cleared the area and started to walk up to the purifier but the radiation levels were off the charts, even in our power armor. Dr. Li called us on the intercom and explained the purifier was close to exploding. Someone had to vent the radiation and turn on the purifier. Sarah looked ready to give her life for the wasteland but I stopped her. Charon had stayed by the door with Boomer to make sure nobody snuck up on us but Fawkes had overheard the conversation. Super mutants are immune to radiation. I could tell Sarah was sceptical when I suggested it but Fawkes was more than happy to 'repay his debt' to me."
She paused, her voice pitching slightly higher with concern.
"It must have hurt like hell in there, even for Fawkes. We closed the airlock and opened the door to the main terminal and he staggered. He keeps insisting he's fine but for a moment there I was afraid I had just sent him to die. He activated the terminal and turned on the purifier. The code was 2-1-6… mom's favorite Bible quote. Revelation 21:6. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely."
Ryleigh fell silent as she finished walking down the stairs. A sad sort of contentment filled her voice and Boomer whined softly. Her power armor creaked as she bent down to pet him on the head. When she continued talking the confidence and happiness had returned.
"There was a power surge that knocked us out. Next thing I know I'm waking up in the Citadel clinic with Elder Lyons watching over me. He explained they had found us and gotten us all back to the Citadel for treatment. I had been out for two weeks. Sarah is still unconscious but the scribes all say she will be fine. Elder welcomed me into the Brotherhood, bypassing all the usual fanfare and procedure, and said once I was feeling up to it I would be sent out to track down the remaining Enclave forces. Apparently they aren't as defeated as we would like. Slimy bastards."
Ryleigh huffed in frustration but quickly returned to a more congenial tone.
"Charon left while I was out. He gave Fawkes a note to pass on, saying I could go find him in the Ninth Circle back at the Museum of History."
She paused for a moment, waiting as people in power armor marched past. They greeted her warmly and there was a soft tink of metal on metal as she gave a half-hearted salute. When they had passed Ryleigh grumbled softly.
"Can't really blame him for wanting to get away from the Brotherhood. If it hadn't been blatantly clear the Fawkes is the one who saved everyone and actually completed the mission then I bet he would have been bullied out as well."
The annoyance in her voice turned to pleasant surprise.
"As it is there are a few soldiers who actually nod or say hi whenever our favorite 'meta human' walks past. Baby steps."
She chuckled again and Fawkes' voice grew louder as she approached. He was talking about his belief that everyone should live their lives mindful of the present but was interrupted when a soldier in power armor ran up to them.
"Knight Ryleigh! Scribe Rothschild would like a word with you."
Her voice was respectful but it still held the slightest hint of a smug smile.
"Thank you, Paladin. We'll go see him immediately. You coming big guy?"
Fawke's voice boomed proudly as he clapped his massive hand on Ryeligh's shoulder. The impact on the power armor rang like it had been punched and she stifled a pained groan.
"Of course, my friend! Let us be off."
*Click*
