"Would our guest like some more dinner, sir?" The Mister Handy floating nearby was trying to find anything to do. It had done every task given by its master before they ran off a long while back. "Master Naruto is still quite busy, I am sure he will return home soon."

Nuka-Cola in hand, with a magazine in his lap, sat Itachi. "He will, he told me in about a week he'd be ready to bring me along to finish things with the Enclave. Until then, I'm fine. You've already given me enough to eat and drink. If you wish for a task, then may I ask if you have any weapon cleaning programs?"

Almost as if its processors were overclocked, it rotated its available appendages and the mounts it was carrying to present many tools to the task. "Why, of course, sir! I am adept in cleaning and repairing weaponry of all kinds! Ballistic, energy, explosive, and of course more hand to hand combat tools. The Master has brought home arsenal's before and would require going back out to finish a mission whilst I stay behind to guard the homestead! Given my desire to be of assistance, he granted me the knowledge and tools required to clean and repair such things so that I may be of service no matter how long he is gone!"

"I figured he'd plan ahead, always would be a step ahead of the game. Still, if I'm to wait for another week, might as well enjoy the benefits." Producing his weaponry to the table, he laid before him two long rifles and three different pistols. "This rifle? You only make clean. It's already in perfect condition, and I do not like my sight's to be touched and worked over. Everything else can be done thoroughly, so clean and repair to your mechanical heart's content."

"Right away, sir! The .308 will see very little change besides a good sparkling clean-up. Proud to serve!" With that, the robot took one of the pistols and floated over to the kitchen area to grab some cleaning supplies before beginning its work.

Sipping his soda some more, the one-eyed man began reading again. "Bet he's already being given a mission by the Elder… Just don't keep me waiting, blondie."

XxX ~xxx~ XxX

"And then, they broke the terminal in my room, to torment me!" It was a bit enthralling to learn how exactly Fawkes was able to be so articulate. It gave some perspective to the young brunette woman.

"Is the reason the Mutants outside are such brutes because they just chose not to become intelligent? It doesn't exactly match what Naruto found…" Realizing she was trying to remember the exact message because the one who has it now was miles away. "No, Naruto's not wrong… Can't be, I must be seeing things differently. Focus, girl!"

Before she could fully realize they were a little too silent, Cross chose to ask her questions. Knowing the history of things back out west, after all, was key to her understanding of the Mutants here. "You said you knew the Brotherhood? You just mentioned only ever being stuck in this Vault, why do you know of us?"

"Same reason as my speaking habits. Terminal has a database, but also security footage. Still active, none of my brethren cared to turn it off. I had heard much about their anguish facing 'humans of steel' from time to time, learning that you are not exactly the nicest group out there."

"It's… much more complicated than that. Individuals, as you are very aware yourself, tend to believe certain things. I'll willingly admit we have many in our ranks that are just blinded by disgust for anything that is not human out in the harsh wastes. But the ones more in charge are still caring to those who are not threatening or violent towards us."

"I would never assume otherwise. I never met one of your group, and only heard from my brethren, who locked me away and tormented me for my choices." Rounding another corner, the trio had been slowly getting closer to their objective. "Makes me wonder if I can ally with you. As much as I am the same as my fellow Meta-Humans, I am also very different. And it is clear they would rather I perish and go mad. I would rather find like-minded individuals, or allies, that would accept me."

"Well, you have us now." TenTen smiled as she looked at him. "Whether or not the Brotherhood accepts you is one thing, but I can still be your friend too."

"I very much appreciate it, TenTen." making their way into an open room past some more machinery, the group stopped as Fawkes put an arm up. "Wait… I think there are some ahead… Get ready for battle."

Already having their weapons ready, in case Fawkes turned on them, the women slowly got up ahead. Only for Fawkes to step up and put arms in the way. "Let me show you… Who I side with." With that said, he ran up the stairs with a roar. "Your Meta-Human brother is here to play!"

Giving chase, TenTen and Cross both his the doorway to the stairs ahead, and with little context as to how, they witnessed a Mutant fall and snap their necks on the stairs, twisting their heads around before falling flat on their back and dead. Racing over the dead body and up to see what was going on, TenTen witnessed Fawkes wrestle with one of his kind, arms thudding into each other as they tried to hit each other without really succeeding.

That was until another Mutant came in to tackle Fawkes to the wall, giving the other one enough room to throw a punch and hit flat against the Meta-Human's face. Though it was obviously a hit, Fawkes roared with no pain. With arms still free, he slammed both into the stomach and sides of the Mutant in front of him keeping him pinned, making them back up from such pain for a moment. Enough so that, as Cross came to witness the fight, he grabbed the neck of the Mutant and rose him up at the same time, slamming their head into the ceiling and then letting go, rearing back with a sharp kick to the bent overhead and causing his fellow Mutant to fly back and flip.

This action was beneficial, as the first Mutant had gotten barreled into and staggered, enough of a chance for Fawkes to knife-hand and chop the neck with ferocity, causing the Mutant to gag silently, unable to breathe from their crushed windpipe. No mercy from the Meta-Human, as he did it again, and then a third time until the neck was chopped into by brute force enough to sever the spine from the front, and ending the fight with that Mutant.

The second Mutant was getting up and wobbling, vision blurred from a surprising concussion. Fawkes walked up and grabbed their head, and just like before, mercilessly did the same trick several times until he got his kill, this time slamming his knee up into the head he pulled down, crushing the skull in his grasp and ending the life of one of his fellow Mutants.

Not exactly seeing that kind of fighting before, TenTen was impressed. Cross even more so, as she checked the three dead Mutants over. "You're not like your others… They are more of the brute strength and wild brawling types. You have shown precision striking against weak points. Did the Terminal also teach you combat techniques?"

Giving a nod, the Meta-Human could only feel proud of the praise. "Yes. Much was in the database, including combat simulations and videos on how to fight an opponent. I trained myself in a few of those techniques, and have never had the chance to use them before. For years I trained, not knowing if I would ever find such an opportunity."

After that was said, it was then TenTen remembered the tape. "I get it now… The Mutant threat!" Turning to Cross, she realized why Fawkes was different. "It's been getting lesser, hasn't it? The Brotherhood came to DC and were on a similar footing with the Mutants here. The Horde, with some strategic minds among them, made it hard for you to push very deep into the city proper. But as time went on, many Mutants started dying, and the replenished numbers were not as huge a militaristic threat. Right?"

That gave Cross pause for a moment. But it was kind of true. They still were not able to fully push back the dwindling threat of the Mutants, but it was much easier than the brutality they came into contact with at first. "I suppose so. Why?"

Recollecting what she heard from the tape, the bun-haired woman explained. "Project France! The DC Strain of the FEV, Naruto mentioned it was different than the ones out west. He said that one of them tried to make highly intellectual super soldiers. And this one, in DC, was different in that it only affected growth and muscle structure. He said it left all brain activity alone. This means Fawkes is so smart because he CHOSE to learn and become smarter. That's why he's unique. Not because of any difference in the FEV, but because he wanted to become better himself. So as long as the current Mutant population stays rock dumb, it'll be the end of their threatening presence."

Knowing she was right was one thing, but Fawkes already knew something she did not. "I may be smarter because I wanted to be and learned to be, but I am not the only one. The group here drove out many of those who were changed and were smarter than them. I do not know what became of my fellow learned brethren, but I am not the only one… I am only the one they locked up because I refused to leave."

"The real question, if this is true… becomes 'What kind of threat would the smarter ones still alive be' if they chose to get revenge. Lyons already suspects a very powerful army matching the former Master's to come bearing down on the DC area, if this is true then his fears are warranted." Cross was starting to become concerned.

"Maybe…" The two women were thinking way too much for the time being, one thinking of potential allies, and maybe seeing how a Brotherhood of combined allies of different makeup looked like. The other, about potential threats, ones that may be as predestined as her Elder saw.

Not wanting to waste much more time in the Vault, Fawkes nodded. "There is much to discuss, and even more to wonder about, after we get out of this Vault. And the faster you obtain the GECK, the faster we can all leave, yes? Let us not waste too much time."

Snapping out of her thoughts, TenTen nodded. "Right. Let's get going." Thankfully, the Vault was now quiet, and the trio was able to make it to what looked like a HEAVILY irradiated zone, full of glowing green gunk.

Turning to them, Fawkes smiled best he could. "Wait right here. I will return shortly with the GECK."

It did not take too long, as the women stayed put to wait and heard his footsteps thunk the metal floor and squish the green goop here and there. As he returned with the case, he produced it slowly. "It is dangerous to have, though truly all I know is what I read in our terminals. It works, but to what extent I do not know. It may not even do exactly what you want it to, but I hope you can make the best of it."

Getting hold of the case, TenTen wiped some of the dust and grime off. "As long as my father was right… it will be best for a lot of people."

Coming up to the large Meta-Human, the Paladin offered a hand. "I guess you're a Mu-... Meta-human of your word. Thank you, Fawkes. You'd be welcome to speak to our Elder if you ever decide to meet him. We will have to find a way so none of our newer and more bigoted recruits shoot you on sight."

"I appreciate the sentiment. And whilst I too would love to see if more would be friends and allies to me, I must decline. At least for now. My goal is to explore the outer world beyond this Vault and see more of what the Wasteland is. I cannot help others if I do not know what kind of conditions they live in."

"Well spoken, Fawkes. Just do keep north of the Citadel, the ruins of the Pentagon, and of course the main city ruins." Thankfully, to TenTen, the two were having a good talk.

As she saw this, she turned. "I'll meet you going back through the cave, Cross. Will need to warn the kids a Mutant will be passing through peacefully."

"I will follow shortly."

"I will see you again, someday. I will be parting company as soon as we are outside."

With that said, TenTen made her way back through the Vault. She was smiling, her mission a huge success. "I came into a Vault of Mutants, hardly froze up, and made it through to clear out their entire Vault of hostile creatures. And we even grabbed our prize! A GECK! Naruto would be shocked!" She giggled to herself, wondering and trying to imagine the face the blonde would make given all she did without him. Though she knew she was still not able to go it alone, just yet.

Her happiness at her complete mission was not to last. As she entered the large room with pipes above, she was met with a small object falling in front of her and beeping. "What… Oh, CRA-!" A bang and fizz shocked her, causing her body to spasm almost into itself before the shock wore off, her ears ringing and the blinding white light fading to show her body on the floor. She could feel her chest convulse every now and again.

From the other door, opening up for her to see, marched in five different Enclave soldiers, one in armor that had shoulder guards of electrical energy fizzing around pods of glass, two of the soldiers with heavy weapons and packs on their backs. The sixth person was someone very familiar. Her ears were still ringing, and she was constantly phasing in and out of the strange event of seeing time pass slower and also at normal speed. Not even realizing it herself, her body was hardly getting any air, so her vision started to darken until she became unconscious.

Outside the room, Cross and Fawkes were standing in secret. They had heard the loud bang and rushed to see what was going on. And they witnessed several Enclave soldiers in heavy gear storm to surround a fallen TenTen.

The man in the coat and no armor spoke. "Get the GECK into my Vertibird, on the double. We'll need it deployed to the Memorial soon. Is the girl unharmed? She's having quite the spasm."

"Sir, it's just a small shock from the disruption grenade. She'll be fine, we can make sure of her status when we pack her into another Vertibird. We can have her quickly back on her feet and conscious when we get back to base."

"Good, then do not take too much time. We will need to make sure of all our assets by tomorrow."

"Autumn, Sir! We'll be ready by then."

Seeing them leave, Cross scoffed and turned to see the empty room. "I should have just stormed in…"

"Wrong move. I also wished to save her, but they were no simple enemies. Laser weapons, plasma rifles. They seem very dangerous to take on in hand-to-hand combat. We must make our exit and find her, and then find a plan of attack."

Nodding, Cross turned to the Meta-Human. "Alright, if you can try and get out the front door. Last we checked it was unable to be opened, but maybe you can do it. I'll head out the back way and try and find out where they are taking her. We meet nearby. Understood?"

Getting a nod, the two started their way out, without making any potential enemy wary of them.

Unbeknownst to them, standing on a high hill looking over the area the Vault was, stood Naruto. Thankfully the amount of Enclave was light in this area, the blonde was almost certain the only real force mobilized was the Hellfire Squadron, as most checkpoints were few and far between anywhere near the Citadel.

He had noticed that the Enclave was trying to break into Vault 101, and he assumed the crazy old man from Megaton was already gone from Megaton, which was probably on lockdown because of it all. "They don't have enough forces to demand anything out here, either they are only focused on appearances, or they aren't as big a boogeyman as we thought out here." He had no time to find out, he was already wondering why five Vertibirds were around the exit to Lamplight.

Using his powered helmet's optics system, he was zoomed in and watching. All the kids were standing outside, having been disarmed. He wondered just what they were going to do with them. Before he could wonder about their fate, he noticed the Colonel step out of the caves, and growled in disgust. "Fucking bastard… how the hell did you survive that trap. Must have been a secret injection or something."

He also saw one of the soldiers carrying a case, which looked quite like the GECK, as both entered one Vertibird and it instantly took off. As it left, heading southeast, he figured they were on their way to the Memorial.

Wondering if this meant they had found the GECK due to it being their target, or if they had gotten it from TenTen's interference, he made sure to hide a little from the flying craft. As it did and he returned to recon, he noticed his answer being dragged out of the cave. "FUCK!"

TenTen, unconscious, was dragged right into a Vertibird and as a few of the Soldiers climbed in it was taking off, alongside another one that took to the air north of their position. "Ravenrock… Damn it. Now we have two large issues." What troubled him, however, were the facts that the Memorial was still a deathtrap, and it would take them forever to figure out how to work the system, yet they were probably going to try anyway and waste the GECK.

"And of course they had to take TenTen to Ravenrock, now it's going to be even harder to rescue her. But… Strange, they left with her and her alone. I didn't see Cross' body coming here, so… Is she dead and cleaned up? Or did she manage to hide? That's not her style, not unless it was her alone against every soldier, she'd have been somewhere else and understood it wasn't worth risking her life to save the girl. I wouldn't have blamed her. She's probably going to, if alive, head to Lyons and try and get troops for an assault."

Two figured came from the cave system. With teeth-gritting harshly, the blonde saw the raven-haired asshole he was very much familiar with. "Sasuke…" The Commander of the Hellfire talked to some of his troops before he, and the one with him, climbed into a Vertibird and started off, eastbound this time.

The last Vertibird had to be cleared out if they planned to take the kids. And there were only two Enclave soldiers there on the outside. "Three soldiers, I can clear that out."

Grabbing his rifle, he started making his way to them and was not quiet about it. He knew he had to hurry to save them. "Mac, you better not be slouching!"

Making it to the Vertibird, he planted himself on the other side for a moment to catch his breath. With his eyes red and his body pumping with adrenaline, he charged in… Only to see as Cross was crushing the skull of the last Enclave member who happened to be the pilot who got out to deal with her.

With the three Enclave dead, Cross huffed and put her hammer on her back again. "Alright, everyone! That leaves the entire Vault, and cave system, clean! You're safe to head back into your home."

"Well, well. Cross, you are very much alive. Good to see you again, Ma'am." Taking his helmet off, Naruto smiled wide. He was still smiling, even as she reached for her hammer.

"Naruto… You're still alive too. Not for long, if you think you're dead on sight order is revoked."

"Might wanna tag the BoS emergency frequency, just to be sure."

That made her confused for a moment. Looking to his shoulder, it was not a crossed-out symbol anymore. Activating her Pip-Boy, and setting it to BoS channels, she was surprised hearing the new incoming report, mid-way through. "-maki is now considered a member amongst our ranks yet again. His exile was never to punish him for his misdeeds, not in our eyes. He chose to exile himself for a failure that was never his fault, to begin with. I repeat, the order to shoot a soldier's crossed symbol, to shoot Naruto Uzumaki, is revoked. Every member of our order that was let go is reported to be in red and black coloring, anyone who is this color is now a true Outcast. No other BoS exile is to be shot on sight, only the newly recolored exiles." Repeating the transmission gave the rest, but it did not matter. The order was clear.

With a smile in return, Cross came up and offered an arm. "Welcome back, Paladin."

Locking arms, the blonde gave a big nod. "Same to you, Star Paladin. So…" Turning to the kid who came up to them, he sighed. "Sorry, I couldn't make it in time, squirt. I hope you lot are alright now."

The kid, MacCready, punched the power armor, but not enough to hurt himself. "You Mungo's always giving us trouble! That's it, no more are allowed in our camp!"

"Sorry to have been troublesome to you." Cross gave a soft bow. "It will never happen again. We now know of this place, and will steer clear of you, give you the peace you deserve." After a thought, she had to say something. "I would like you to understand, though. There is still a single Mutant left in the Vault. He is not hostile, if he comes back through the caves, give him a chance to pass. He is named Fawkes."

That gave Naruto a hell of a case of whiplash. Hearing Cross suggest a Super Mutant be not hostile, and allowed peaceful passage? He had to wonder what kind of being this one was. He didn't have time, though, and he realized he had to move and quickly. "Cross. I saw TenTen get taken by Vertibird northbound. And the damned Colonel Autumn with the GECK went southeast."

"I see…" Thinking about the possibilities, Cross was wondering just what to do. "Will they be able to activate the project anytime soon?"

"Doubtful. The code to start it died with James, and any attempts to activate the thing releases lethal radiation into the chamber. The Enclave must have had something that stopped Colonel Autumn from dying, cause he was in that chamber when it hit him with the radiation levels. So unless they have enough of that stuff to save them over and over again to brute force the entire thing, which would take months, then it's safe to say we have time to ignore the Memorial."

With that in mind, Cross knew what to focus on. "Then, we need to return to Lyons and get enough of our forces to Raven Rock on the double. With enough of us, we can get in and get TenTen out."

Whilst that was a great plan, rescuing TenTen, the whiskered man shook his head. "Not an option. Hellfire Squadron's on the loose, they went east. Our best force is the Pride, and right now they are north of the main city, so I am going to assume they are the target of the Hellfire. Besides, even if we took our entire offensive force to Raven Rock, we're attacking highly advanced militaristic strength with defenses like a brick wall to a dog. A smaller force can penetrate given the right gear… And I have an idea."

"Enlighten me, then. I am not about to let my charge get captured and tortured without rescue on the way."

"During my travels in Exile, I have gained a substantial amount of armor and weapons, enough to bring down to bear anything in my way. A full-out assault is not ideal, but I do have some very interesting gear. A fully functional Chinese Stealth Suit, full Stealth Field coverage. I'll use that to get inside, and some of my smaller, but powerful, weaponry to get to her and get her out."

"How many? Maybe we can get in together." Cross was not going to let this go, she wanted badly to make right her error in letting her charge be captured.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, Naruto shook his head again. "Only one, sorry. Look, there was no way you were going to outfight a couple of dozen Enclave soldiers. You did the right thing, survive to fight another day. Now, you need to get back to Elder Lyons, inform him of the situation, and send an emergency broadcast to the Pride about their potential incoming enemy. After that, you can figure out how to go about the next steps for this upcoming fight. Ma'am, trust me to bring back our resident Vault Dweller."

Though painfully true, it didn't stop Cross from feeling useless in this situation. "Alright. You make sure you don't fail this time, Paladin."

Giving the proper salute, Naruto showed he still was very much a part of their order. "Steel be with us both, Ma'am."

Though they did not leave, not yet anyway. Cross made her way up to see about a halfway point where she might find Fawkes, but as time passed it was obvious he did not come from the entrance.

Coming back down, she noticed he was out and was talking to Naruto. "You are… Not a normal Human. I smell the FEV in you, but you do not take the form I do."

"Different strain, several are across the wastelands of this country. Mine is more benign, but I still have your benefits. Fawkes, was it?"

"Yes, I am. The other Brotherhood one, did she tell you of me?"

A nod, and then a turn of his head, suggested it was so. "Yeah, and she's back. We've figured out what we're going to do about finding someone who was captured."

"Ah, yes. TenTen, my new friend. We must save her! I will do anything to help! I MUST help!"

"Take it easy big guy." Naruto was grinning a little, but almost ecstatic inside. Finding an actual well-mannered Mutant was almost proof this was not just a bad strain for brutes. "We have a plan for this… I go get her, alone. Cross is returning to the Brotherhood to get things moving for when I do get TenTen back. You, I have no idea what you're going to do but try not to cause too much trouble. Not exactly a welcome sight, given your brothers' actions thus far."

"This, I know well. But I still want to rescue my friend! Please, even if it is extremely dangerous, I will gladly do my part. I may not be able to sneak around, with my size, but I can still fight!"

Cross had some first-hand experience with seeing his fighting skills. "He is an exceptional fighter, self-taught himself how to use techniques from hand to hand combat videos from old servers in his Vault."

Seeing the pride from such grace, the hardened man hummed in thought. Nothing came to mind just yet. "Alright… If you're that determined to help, I'll fit you into the plan somehow. But not here. We need to hurry, so let's make our way to Megaton. I'll tell you where to hide out until I get everything we will need to save her. Got it?"

Seeing Fawkes nod, he gave one back and the Brotherhood members exchanged confirmation of the plan. With that, the three left with a quick pace. Naruto knew he had to talk about Sasuke to his brother, and knew he had to figure out what to do about the fact the Hellfire Squad was eastbound. "The board is set… But how many pieces are missing from this battle? Things are at too large a scale to take anything for granted now. If Itachi can stop his brother, we'll have a chance."

XxX ~xxx~ XxX

"What a drag…"

"Keep talking like that, and you'll find my frustration even greater, Shikamaru." Sasuke was fiddling with his gun, anxious and angry.

The Vault was clear, the woman was captured alongside the GECK, the kids were going to be killed off, and their entire plan was working. The Enclave was that much closer to taking control over the populace in DC. Shikamaru, however, was less than pleased with the situation, and Sasuke was pissed that, again, his target was elusive. "We knew he never returned to the Citadel, did you expect him to have been with her this entire time if she came for the GECK alone?"

"Something still doesn't feel right about that, she was the one using the 5.56 rounds, but she doesn't have the raw strength to crush our men with brute force." Iruka was sitting there with arms crossed, keeping himself calm through the flight.

"It doesn't matter. She was apparently alone in that Vault, so maybe whatever ally she had was temporary and only there to get her past the checkpoint. Several known Brotherhood members could have used the crushing strength."

"And the Mutants we passed who's also been stomped out? Some even blasted by a laser rifle that was not on the girls' person?"

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke was having no more talk about it. He was seething. "Our objective is finding Naruto! Whatever happened had happened, but he was last seen in Dupont, and that's where we go! Gear up, and get ready to drop. We follow ANY clues, and if we turn up dry we get back to base at Raven Rock. After Autumn is finished with that girl, we take a crack at her and figure out where her blonde associate is by any means required. Got it?"

Seeing his men look around at each other, he snapped. "Do I make myself clear!?"

A resounding 'Sir, yes sir!' came and he scoffed harshly. Somehow, he had a very bad feeling about everything. Like this entire endeavor was going to be nothing but a nightmare. As the horizon flew past, his vision started to blur, and he touched his cheek. Seeing the redness, he closed his eyes and slipped his helmet on. "I cannot hold out much longer… I HAVE to have that strain, or my body falls apart."