Disclaimer: I do Not Own Fallout.
Author's notes are up here this time! Exciting! Anyway, I have some things to say. 1. when I started writing this, I was in high School and I made a bunch of strange decisions. For one, I didn't use the main characters' names for some reason. Two, I decided to go sequel first.
I've been following those weird decisions for a while, but I've decided not to, anymore. From now on, characters have names. I am not editing the previous chapters. It's just going to be a sudden thing, sorry. If the awkwardness of lacking names was what drew any 1 person to this, then I apologise, but also I hope you can still find something to enjoy, and I'm incredibly thankful for you sticking around this far.
Also, chapters are going to be lighter, since I'm really terrible with long chapters, I have learned.
As for 2. writing the sequel first, that annoyed me for a while, because I had to tell a lot by default. that will no longer be the case, as I have bitten the bullet and am writing a new story called "Groundwork." It can be described as a very continuous series of ficlets, because, again, I am bad at long chapters. If you ever get extremely bored and decide to read that, then you will find some things as being shown!
To leave off, I once again wish to thank anyone for reading this, and hope I can improve even one persons day!
Aiden had only just heard the thud of the Diamond City Gates closing behind him, when the radio crackled to life and filled the air. Shriller than ever, it lashed out -cursing the Brotherhood, and cursing him for ever having joined them.
Despite Travis's general attitude, Aiden knew firsthand that his news was reliable. If he had heard this on the road, he'd have taken it deadly seriously, and he knew to expect that from anyone else. The guards, at least, were definitely convinced. Their eyes drilled into his back as he retreated into the night, burrowing down like thin pricks of pain. He fully expected the tension to burst into gunfire, but, somehow, the world remained still.
They were safe, for now. Well, as safe as one could be in the wasteland, anyway. Super mutants, wasteland monsters, and raiders were still about, but if Aiden had to choose between all that and Diamond City security, he knew which option he'd take. Whether for good or ill, it was impossible for him to kill the innocent or misled. Not to mention that, while he could try to shoot their weapons out of their hands like in some comic book, watching Scout Blackwood spare all those raiders had given him a front row seat on the reality of mercy.
*Still, just because I can take them, doesn't mean I should.* Rather, avoidance was of the utmost importance. The next time they got into a nasty bind with the mutants, the minutemen wouldn't come to save them. After he'd betrayed them -to the Brotherhood no less - any altercations they had would be their responsibility alone.
If nothing else, though, he was determined not to make the same mistake twice. From now on, the suiciders always went down first, and he was always going to scope out the whole area. He wouldn't be surprised by a hostage, or a missile launcher, or brutish super mutant tactics ever again. There were going to be no more unpleasant surprises.
Naturally, there was an unpleasant surprise around 80% of the way back home. He'd done fairly well up to that point, reaching a far eastern settlement all but unharmed, but in the middle of their resupply, he noted a familiar silhouette. With a sinking gut he ran his eyes over the hats and glowing red muskets, finding without a doubt that the Minutemen were already present.
"We took protecting the settlements into our own hands once we realised you weren't going to."
Aiden very nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. In the time it took him to pull himself together, Preston had already turned him around with a rough pull.
He smiled nervously, "I thought you'd be at Sanctuary,"
Preston was far less happy, "after you failed to return to the Castle for over a week someone had to take over."
"Well if it's any consolation you were essentially the General anyway."
"Being the general isn't all about delegation, it's about hope, too. No one was better at stopping raiders or inspiring the people than you, while I already lost their faith at Quincy." His face set grimly, "do you want this to fall apart?"
"You're worrying over nothing."
"I'm worried about the survival of our community!" he hissed, "I'm unsure if it'll hold together after our leader has left us for a pack of invaders!" he threw his arm out towards Danse, "*Why * are you with the Brotherhood?!"
"Because they can build the teleporter that'll help me find my son."
He said it bluntly, without a hint of subterfuge. Really, there was nothing to hide. Just like Aiden, Preston had built his life around crossing the wasteland and saving lives. Sometimes, they were setting up a new settlement, sometimes they were protecting a different one, and sometimes, they were asked to rescue a kidnapping victim.
How could he possibly refuse Aiden that right?
He couldn't. As Aiden had hoped, Preston's anger was near instantly replaced by a tired acceptance. "...you did mention that when we first met," he sighed, rubbing his brow, "my fault for pulling this job on you, even knowing that, I guess."
Relief sank in as the atmosphere warmed up, melting into something more comfortable, "thank you, Preston."
"One more question, though," he added, raising a hand, "will you come back?"
"Of course." And perhaps, with time, he wouldn't have to leave either the minutemen or the Brotherhood. Perhaps he could spare the children, the doctors, the grunts...Danse.
Yet in that uncertainty hid an ice cold understanding. If push came to shove, then on pure ethics, he'd know which side to choose. Aiden didn't know if Preston had received all that, but regardless of how much he'd caught in the air, he nodded, and the two of them parted ways.
In that same moment, something flew between them and exploded, splintering the wall of a nearby shack. Soon after, the first scream filled the air and they flew into action. Aiden shot into cover, spotting Preston taking the opposite side out of the corner of his eye. Settlers fled into their houses, drawing weapons and peeking through empty windows, and even Danse fortified himself, power armour and all. He couldn't see Keynes, so for all he knew she'd run for the hills. That didn't seem like her, though, so for now he assumed she was hiding somewhere, waiting for the moment to strike.
As for whether that perfect moment would come sooner or later, Aiden wasn't altogether sure. Every time he so much as inched out of cover, raider cries rang out and he pulled back. He got the feeling that if he chanced it, his head'd be blown clean off, so going out there without a synchronised attack or distraction was suicide. Of course, doing either of those without proper info was *also* practically killing themselves. If the raiders had too many people, they could have surrounded them. On the other hand, if the settlement had more people, then they could pin the raiders down.
He had no idea which was more likely, but hopefully, the shine in his eye was glinting off the scope of a rifle. If there was a sniper on their side, then they could scan the area where he couldn't. After they'd gathered some intel on the raiders, their weapons, and positions, then they could decide how to fight. Until then, as at risk as he was, all he could do was stay secure and hold the perimeter-
"Yo, no need to overreact!" the voice tore out like sandpaper, followed by rattling laughter. It echoed through the settlement, over cover and through windows, but no one found any comfort in it. "That was just a welcoming shot! We come in peace!"
Across the way, he and Preston silently locked eyes. Welcoming shots weren't good signs, out here, but if they really were coming in peace, then it would be a perfect opportunity to figure out their troops. The only problem was that there was a 90% chance that whoever went out there was dead.
In the past, Preston would have given himself up in an instant. Over their time together, he'd thrown himself in the way blades, bullets, lasers, and even deathclaws. Yet, after all his sacrifice, Aiden had repaid him with betrayal, and even if they'd accepted it, he knew better than to expect such loyalty ever again.
That left one possibility. Sucking in a deep breath, Aiden squared his shoulders and started standing up. He was ready to drop as soon as he saw bullets, but, to his shock, there was nothing there. All he laid eyes on, standing in the open, was a group of foul looking men in rags with their guns pointed firmly down. A particularly scruffy one noticed his appearance, and waved lazily, advancing. Aiden tensed, eyeing his easy gait for any sign of attack, but he was open and confident all the way across. Stopping a few meters in front of him, he raised his hands "-like I said, just here to talk!"
Aiden trained his eyes on the men behind him. Far be it from him to be distracted from the real threat, "about what?"
"About this settlement!" he replied, "I've been keeping an eye on it, and I gotta say, it looks pretty naked! Wondering if it could use some, ah, protection!"
"The minutemen have it covered," Aiden replied coldly.
"The same Minutemen who just let some Brotherhood in?" his tone was heavy with scandal, and Aiden felt his chest pinch up at it, "I don't know if you've heard, but those guys aren't allies to anyone."
"We're not charging them for protection."
The raider grinned, "you aren't charging them for protection yet. And when you do, I bet it'll be much harsher. Come on," he sighed, "all we're asking for is a little food, a little water, and maybe a little work from all the people here!"
"But you're out to coerce them into it -Or is there a better explanation for why you dressed like a *raider?*"
"C'mon, you ain't about to kill us over something like that, are ya?" he took a step forward, men behind him suddenly raising their guns, "if you are, then you better move fast."
Naturally, Aiden dropped like a rock at that. The raider laughed, but even then, no bullets flew through the air.
"I can see why you might not trust us," he admitted, "but believe me, we aren't like those *other* raiders. We know you need to be alive for us to take your stuff, so our offer is *completely* real- So, who do you really want extorting you? Us or the foreigners?"
He spat out the last few words like a curse. They smelt like venom, so Aiden shifted away from it, suddenly aware that if the settlers decided on the former, he was completely defenseless. More importantly, if they did shoot, there was no way he was shooting back.
Right now, these raiders were doing something much worse than fighting, they were cornering him with words.
*Raiders can be killed easier than Brotherhood, raiders can be betrayed easier than Brotherhood.* from a pragmatic point of view, the only correct answer was the one that ended with him dead. The realisation set his arms to trembling, and his heart was beating like a drum. One moment. One decision. If things went wrong, he'd have to run for his life through a maze of flying shots.
Would he really make it?
Just as he thought he might go crazy from it all, a laser cut through the air, and the raider was reduced to dust. It floated over the barrier between them, coating Aiden in the ashy grey. After, a signal grenade was tossed to the ground, where it bellowed a plume of smoke.
"A pointless question!" Keynes declared, voice booming, "Whether it's the Brotherhood that comes shooting, or you, the Minutemen won't fail to protect them!"
Emboldened by her rallying cry, Aiden watched with wide eyes as Preston grit his teeth and shot up, raining fire on the raiders. With that second blast, the settlement erupted into a flurry of bullets and lasers, pelting the raiders and forcing them into cover.
From behind trees, rocks, or even just walls, the sky filled with a lightning fast exchange. The air danced with red light and black bullets, missing, grazing, and bursting into each other. They split against the houses, deafening his ears with firecrackers, until the sun blacked out.
Instantly, all gunfire died down. There, hovering above them with propellers like a thunderstorm, was a vertibird. Two giant shadows dropped from it, striking the ground with a thud that shook the world. Above them, the vertibird flew away, but if the raiders were happy its minigun was out of the way, they'd spoken too soon. The knights were armed to the teeth, and what raiders didn't flee after finding that fact were soon shot down.
Peace -for a moment -returned to the settlement.
How long that moment would last, however, was under discussion. The Brotherhood and Minutemen had only just finished the fight before they'd grouped up on two sides of an invisible line. There was no gunfire yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Danse cleared his throat. "We're leaving. That should be enough proof for you to ignore what that raider said."
Preston frowned, "will you leave any of the other settlements you've occupied?"
"That's not my decision to make, but if I were to say something, I'd recommend that, before asking that question, you determine whether you can protect them, yourself."
Following his lead, Keynes stepped up and started speaking. Her voice had the same authoritative tone she used in the courtroom, and most of the minutemen were taken aback just by the cadence of it.
"When our organisation approached those settlements, they were defenseless. They offered their services willingly in return for our protection, and if they rescind it, then we will of course pull out without incident. Do you not remember our very first announcement?" she asked, eyes piercing.
"Allow me to remind you," Danse continued, "I believe it was : our intentions are peaceful."
With that parting shot, Danse and the Brotherhood knights began to leave. Keynes followed them and, after a moment, so did he.
"Stay safe, Preston."
"...you too."
Not even an hour after they'd left the settlement, Keynes whispered something to Danse and collapsed. It was a sudden thing, as she hadn't shown any hint of weakness before this point. Knowing his wife, though, being a lawyer demanded you lie through your pain.
"One of the minutemen must have hit her in the crossfire." a knight commented, pulling her shirt up to reveal a burned hole. "They were using laser muskets, and god knows militia are terrible shots."
"Forgiving for you to assume it was an accident." the other said darkly.
"We don't have time to talk," Danse interrupted roughly, picking Keynes up and holding her in a fireman's carry, "we need to move faster."
Without a medic in the group, she'd bleed out if they didn't make it in time. Aiden did what he could for her, but as established, his knowledge of medicine was limited to "stick a stimpack in." A part of him considered heading back to the minutemen at the settlement and checking to see if they had anyone versed in medicine, but it might have wasted time they couldn't afford to lose. Instead, he moved ahead, killing everything that might slow them down, until they arrived at a possible vertibird landing site. Time was of the essence, so he was sure that Danse could explain why they needed another one so soon. If they didn't get one here, then they'd just need to wait for one at the airport, anyway.
Fortunately, Keynes still had one of those flares she'd thrown, he noted with surprise that this one was different from the usual fare. It had a single red stripe down the bottom, and when he used it, the smoke it produced was a slightly different colour. He guessed that it had to be either a new product, or an old one that had run out of productions, but either way it did its job. Not five minutes had passed before the vertibird descended, bringing with it three new soldiers. After a moment, they piled them all in, and started to fly high.
At their zenith, Danse cleared his throat, "I have crucial information on the situation regarding the minutemen. If possible, I'd like to arrive at the Prydwen as quickly as protocol will allow."
Aiden barely kept from registering his shock. While he might have been the minutemen's former general, which was an important issue, it didn't make him any sort of urgent war asset to be delivered at greatest haste. He had no real military intelligence, or value as a hostage, so he could have reached there this week or the next, as far as tactics went.
Even so, he felt like it'd be a mistake to contradict his friend. He didn't know why, and the fact itself swirled sickeningly in his gut.
"Understood, sir."
As soon as they arrived, that sick feeling transformed into a storm. Danse pulled him aside, ordering him to take Keynes to the medical wing as soon as possible.
"-and -now listen closely -don't even for a second leave her side. There's something I need to check on."
Once more, thanks for reading anyone who's reading, and have a nice day!
