Wrong Place, Right Time: A Hero's Story

by DLTA-BOT

The journey of a hero doesn't always start where they expect. It doesn't always happen to those who expect it. Damon was never interested in being what SPARTANs represent: an implacable force for good standing as humanity's shield. Like most other third-generation SPARTANs, the war took everything from him. All he wanted was to return the favor. Sometimes we don't get a choice.

58. Chapter 58: Visions of the Past

A/N: Welcome back! Apologies for the day late post, I didn't plan ahead and had… an interesting day yesterday. But that's in the past and now, we're here. This upcoming segment of story was a fun write. A lot of changes happened/are happening and there's a few surprises in store too. I've said it before but I think it bears repeating, I've always felt stories are only as good as the characters in those stories. It's why I've put so much work into writing the characters. Not saying they're perfect, but I hope they're good. Anyway, enough of my rambling, leave a review if you're so inclined and, as always, enjoy!

Chapter 58: Visions of the Past

"Are you surprised?" Isaiah was sitting on a worn-out chair, bouncing a ball he'd brought with him (for some reason) off the wall to his left.

Even now, after having woken up in this hellhole months ago, it was odd seeing the place like this. The Hansons weren't close with Nate or Nora, but they'd been here a few times for neighborhood gatherings. Tyler was a great cook, maybe the only one the ex-soldier would compare to his wife. He was also kind of snobby. Bri was more down to earth though, and Nate knew she and Nora would spend time together.

Nate could see people gathered in the living room, drinking, eating, laughing… living. Now all that was left was a house ravaged by time. Time and nuclear fire. They'd patched up some of the walls, and there was some furniture, which they were using, as well as a few beds.

It wasn't the same.

"Yes", the ex-soldier said as the ball bounced again. "We aren't dead. That's a good start."

"'We aren't dead'." Jackson's face said everything else for him.

Nate huffed. "Do we really need to re-litigate the decision? Again?"

"Wow", Corey said, laughing, "where did you pull 're-litigate' from?"

"As far up my ass as I could reach." That wasn't the whole truth. It was one of Nora's words. She used it a lot. Probably too much, if Nate was being honest.

"How long do you think we'll be sitting here now?"

Jackson leaned back on the worn couch where he was sitting, craning his neck toward the ceiling. "Probably not too long. After that talk with Ellie and Nick- eh, they're gonna make a decision either way soon enough." Head still canted back toward the ceiling, the dark-skinned man's eyes found Nate. "Or he'll make a decision soon enough."

"It isn't entirely his call", Nate said. It was technically true, Preston made that clear enough, but unfortunately, this 'plan' hinged on getting everyone's cooperation. And the ex-soldier doubted the newly minted Minutemen would work with them if he decided he wouldn't. "But I agree: whatever happens, it's gonna happen soon."

"Do you think-" Kris started, but she was cut off when the sunlight streaming through the doorway dimmed.

The six of them turned in unison to see the armored form of Damon slipping through the door closely followed by Valentine.

"Like I said", Jackson muttered.

Nate stood as the SPARTAN came to a stop in front of him. As usual, it was impossible to tell what the towering soldier was thinking. His body language was about as readable as hieroglyphics and, without being able to see his face behind the golden-yellow visor, the ex-soldier had nothing to work with.

"Perkins and Valentine believe your story", Damon said. The words were clipped and almost seemed to drop from his mouth. A small, wry smile managed to slip onto Nate's face. You don't sound happy about that.

Not that the ex-soldier could blame his friend.

And regardless of how the SPARTAN thought of it, Nate would consider Damon his friend.

"But you don't."

Damon nodded sharply. "You played me before. You were played before."

"That's true… I'm not gonna lie Damon, you wouldn't be here unless you made a decision." Nate motioned to the other former Institute personnel around him. "We're all ready to do whatever we can to help, but everyone here knows that doesn't happen without your say-so. This might be Preston's show, but they need you."

The armored titan didn't reply, not immediately. His helmet cocked to the side the same way it usually did when he found something amusing, interesting, or had a question. Nate wasn't dumb enough to put money on that first option.

"You say your people are ready to help. How?"

"Isaiah is a phenomenal analyst", he said, pointing to the young man. "He along with Corey are two of the best the Institute had." The ex-soldier turned to Kristin. "We made a computer simulation of you to help train", Nate shot a glance at the SPARTAN but he didn't react. "Most of the programming refinement was done by her. She's very good with anything technical you need help with. Sturges would find her services very useful." Last he turned to Jackson and Trent. "These two are the Institute's most experienced non-Synth personnel in the field. Jackson has led several missions himself. He's a good fighter and helped train others too." The ex-soldier turned back to Damon. "They can do whatever you need them to."

"And what about you?"

"Me? Well- I don't think you need any education on me." He offered a smile, but it didn't quite reach the smaller man's eyes. He'd meant it as a stab at himself. It came off a little too close to home.

Instead of responding to the jab, Damon looked around the room at the others. As the silence extended on, Nate began growing more and more nervous. Yes, the SPARTAN was here, talking with him, but that didn't mean he hadn't chosen the 'torture you for everything you know' option.

"Can't read minds here, Damon", the ex-soldier said once the silence had grown so thick he could run a finger through it.

"If your people want to help, have them talk with Preston about it." The armored supersoldier looked back down at Nate. "We're going to Boston."

The smaller man blinked.

Then blinked again.

"I'm coming with you?"

"Diamond City and Goodneighbor."

Nate's mind pulled in two different directions. The first was relieved, and maybe even a little excited, the SPARTAN had decided against torturing him. For now. Even more than that, Damon wanted the ex-soldier to come with him on whatever new objective he had. Nate wasn't stupid enough to think that meant Damon trusted him again, the opposite in fact, but it was at least an opportunity to do something.

On the other hand, that meant humping across the goddamn Commonwealth. Again. It meant going back into the city.

It meant more fighting.

A lot more.

They may have gotten better, but the episodes were still there, still nagging at him, still constantly threatening to pry open old, painful memories.

He wasn't too proud to admit he was afraid. Acknowledging that fear got him through plenty of rough situations.

This was different. Constantly feeling like he was fighting to remain in control again was bad enough. The fact that it happened in combat of all places was even worse. He hadn't had a breakdown since their mission to 'recover' Sam, and that was after the fighting had ended. The encroaching panic wasn't as imminent as it had been that first time with the Supermutants. But it was there.

I need to do this. Even if it isn't necessarily him giving me another chance, Damon is providing us with an opportunity to help. We can't waste that.

"And you're bringing me because… you don't want me around my people, and you need someone who has more personality than a Deathclaw."

The SPARTAN shrugged. "Let's go with that."

Helpful…

He may not be torturing Nate, but the ex-soldier had a feeling this wouldn't be much easier.

"We're leaving in four days."

Nate nodded. "Alright. Until then, are we free to leave the house?" He looked around what was left of the Hansons' house. "It's nice for a cell, but I'd like a little sunlight."

Damon motioned toward the door. "Get your assignments from Preston."

Without waiting for a reply, the armored titan turned and marched back out of the house. Nick lingered for a few more seconds and shot Nate a lopsided smile. "See? I told you he likes you."

"Yeah, that greeting was a lot friendlier than the bullet he put in me last time."

"Most things are."

"That's true", Nate replied. The old Synth nodded before following Damon into the morning air.

Even if he'd said it sarcastically, the ex-soldier wasn't joking, not entirely. The SPARTAN could have killed him and Jess, but he didn't. Nate knew the reasons Damon had told him, but if he'd wanted the two of them dead, it was just two more trigger pulls. Maybe there was a part of the armored man that wanted to forgive Nate.

And maybe that's wishful thinking. Do I deserve it? I betrayed him. In more ways than one. How the hell am I supposed to ask for forgiveness after the Railroad? The ambush?

The answer was easy: he didn't.

The ex-soldier wasn't sure what he'd have to do to make up for that, but whatever it was, he had a long way to go. It's something he can't worry about right now. Now they know what they'll be doing and it won't be getting tortured.

"And did that go as well as you wanted?" Jackson asked.

Nate shrugged. "It's a very… Damon decision. Keep things separated and manageable." He smiled again and, again, it didn't reach his eyes. "Better than torture."

The other man huffed. "You don't sound convinced."

"Oh, I'm not. Traipsing back across the Commonwealth? To Boston? Not high on my list."

The other man looked out the door. "Do you think he'll do something when you're away from Sanctuary?"

It wasn't like Nate blamed him for the distrust. Even if most of them were on board with cooperating, he knew very few in Li's group wanted to work with Damon. Jackson had been one of the most vocal advocates for this course of action, but now they were here, face to face with the SPARTAN, he was having doubts.

Grant… The image of the man laying in the middle of the dead Synths, half of his head gone. It was one of the deaths that happened so quickly, so suddenly, it felt like he could reach out, grab that moment, and take it back. That, had a few things happened differently, he'd still be alive. Hell, they'd been sitting in the safehouse joking with one another a few hours before. They'd just pulled off a successful raid-

And then he was dead.

And Damon was the one who pulled the trigger.

More than that, between the firebombs and other engagements, he'd killed a few dozen others at the same time. Yes, Nate and Jess were the only ones who'd been there, but everyone saw the scouting mission's videos.

They didn't do the 'fight' justice.

But Damon hadn't known Grant was part of the Railroad's efforts. It- it doesn't make things better, intent rarely does to the victims, but it does explain his motivations.

Besides, Nate did trust the SPARTAN, regardless of whether he trusted the ex-soldier. Maybe that was a mistake on his part, but it's the least he could do for his friend.

Nate shook his head. "No… I don't."

Everyone else in the room turned to look at him.

"Why not?" Isaiah asked. "If he's trying to save face with the settlers here, wouldn't it make more sense to take you somewhere else and torture- or kill- you."

The ex-soldier frowned at the analyst. "Give these people more credit than that. They know Damon, they trust Damon. If he decided torturing me was the best course of action, they might not like it, but he's done enough for them they'd accept it."

"Give them credit?" The younger man cocked an eyebrow. "It sounds like they're following along if that's the case."

"Maybe." That didn't sound right. For either the people of Sanctuary or Damon. The SPARTAN doesn't play politics; he does what he feels he has to. Nate didn't spend much time around Preston and the small original group, but even then they had a lot of pride. They didn't seem the sort who would follow along out of blind trust.

Corey waved for Isaiah to toss her the ball. Once he did, she started bouncing it off a wall herself. "Are you sure that's what's happening here? It sounds like you're the one trusting Damon."

Nate nodded. "I can't argue with that."

He'd never hidden his desire to reconnect with the SPARTAN, to try and make amends for what happened. They were too intelligent and he owed them better than to try.

The ex-soldier smiled to himself. Maybe he's trying to help the armored titan.

That's a topic he'd rather not think about. There's a lot of work to do, and Damon wouldn't react well to it. Not anymore.

"We know what we need to do. I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen, but sometimes your best strategy is trust."

"That sounds like a bad strategy when you're dealing with something like Damon", Jackson grumbled.

Sometimes 'bad' is the best available option.

"Let's go find Preston."

Freed from the house, the six of them enjoyed the late morning sun as they searched for the Minuteman. Most of the settlers gave them stares that lasted a little longer than normal. They were suspicious, or nervous stares with narrowed eyes and tight jaws.

That's something else the ex-soldier could understand. This is their home and, in their eyes, his organization had just attacked them. Hopefully, their help would earn a few points.

Just like sitting in the Hansons' house, walking through his old neighborhood was an… eerie experience. They'd only lived there about 18 months when the bombs fell, but it was their first real house. It was the first one they'd bought off of a military base, and where they intended to settle down.

To raise Shaun.

The ex-soldier swallowed hard as that morning flashed through his mind. It still felt like it had just happened a few days ago.

Not 200 years.

Cook had helped him move.

18 months was all the time he got. Then the bombs fell and this nightmare started.

This was the first time since he'd left with Damon a few days after waking up he'd seen his old home. The changes and fortifications they'd made were remarkable. The eight-foot wall that surrounded the place. Firing platforms, armor outposts, and reinforced houses. Crops growing in almost every available spot.

They walked by the dozen or so planters arranged along the south side of the main street, a young, gaunt kid working on them. Everyone else gave him a wide berth and he worked with shaking arms as though no one else was around.

Nate didn't know much about it, but he'd read enough in field treatment manuals to recognize the signs of advanced radiation poisoning.

As they passed by, something shifted behind one of the planters and a large German Shepherd loped toward them.

"Oh hey Dogmeat", Nate said as the black and brown-haired dog sniffed at him. The dog was still hanging around. That, despite everything, put a genuine smile on the infantryman's face. It only took a few seconds for the shepherd to start barking excitedly. The ex-soldier scratched behind his ears, trying to keep Dogmeat from jumping on him. "Calm down bud." He laughed.

Dogs always managed to amaze him. It had been months since he'd found Dogmeat and almost as long since Nick and Ellie brought him up here. And Dogmeat still recognized the ex-soldier.

"At least you're excited to see me."

"Nate!" someone called from in front of them. The ex-soldier turned to see Alexandra sitting at a table with her son, Julian, and Perkins in the Lees' carport. Or what used to be the Lees' carport. "Good to see you out and about." She waved them over. Dogmeat trotted along beside them, tail wagging happily.

"Morning Alexandra. How-"

"Alex."

He blinked. "Gotcha. Yeah, Damon gave us the stamp of approval."

She snorted. "I doubt that. He walked by a few minutes ago. That tin can doesn't make it easy to see what he's thinking, but he looked about ready to break something."

"Oh yeah?" The ex-soldier cocked an eyebrow. "Where'd he go?"

"Went toward Sturges' workshop", she pointed at Linda's house, a small one-story that, when they'd moved in, had been the same blue as his and Nora's. She was a younger businesswoman who'd recently moved to Boston. He never learned what she did but, apparently, she made good money doing it. She was single, raising a son who'd been born just before she bought the house. Nate couldn't remember seeing her without a brilliant smile on her face.

They didn't know her history but both he and Nora liked her. A lot.

Alex laughed. "Could have driven a truck through the space everyone made around him."

"Sounds real trustworthy", Trent muttered.

That, apparently, had been the wrong thing to say. Alexandra's smile disappeared and she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Now, don't get me wrong, Damon can be an ass, but he's always done right by us and the other settlements around here." She looked at Nate. "Even when we first met."

It wasn't hard to figure out what she was referring to. The first night after Nate had woken up in this hellhole, Raiders had attacked Sanctuary. It didn't have anywhere near the numbers it did now, and nothing that could be considered defenses. The SPARTAN kept all- almost all of them alive.

"He wasn't trying-" Nate started but the woman waved him off.

"We're all adults here", she looked at her son. "Almost all adults here. Don't lie to me." Alex turned to Trent. "A lot of folks around here are nervous about him, but those same folks are grateful."

Trent grunted. "It's hard to trust someone who killed a friend."

Oh great… The ex-soldier rolled his eyes. "We aren't here to argue about this."

Ellie smiled and decided to join the conversation. "I don't blame anyone who doesn't trust Damon. He's… a difficult person. A good guy, but difficult. Give him a chance." The smile faded. "But I'm sorry about your friend. Whatever happened, I doubt he would have done it if he knew they were part of your group."

A good guy but difficult. That's a pretty good way to describe the SPARTAN.

"Thanks", the ex-soldier said before anyone could say something else. "Grant was a good friend. It's… difficult to get past."

She nodded. "No doubt about that." There was an understanding in her voice that could only come from experience.

The ex-soldier glanced around at the small group. Their reluctance would take time to overcome. It wasn't just their doubts about Damon.

They'd all lived in the Institute their entire lives. Everything they'd ever known was gone and now they were stuck in the middle of the Commonwealth surrounded by a bunch of strangers. They couldn't go back. Not until they found another way.

And that was something they'd need Damon's help with.

If they were going to get past that, the best way to do it would be to get to know some of the folks here. Everyone is a stranger. They might feel more comfortable if that got fixed

"Do you know where Preston is?"

A mischievous smile spread across Alex's face.

"Uh…" Julian said, shifting in his seat. "He's… at Sturges' workshop."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "How about some breakfast."

"Yeah- yeah breakfast sounds great", Nate replied. One of the settlers had already brought them food but, well, he may not think Damon would do anything, he was clearly unhappy with the situation he's found himself in. The last thing Nate wanted to do was give an already irritated supersoldier with a tenuous grip on his new sense of morality another reason to torture him. And he's gonna be stuck with the guy for who knows how long.

Isaiah pulled up another table and, once they'd gathered chairs, the six of them sat with the three settlers.

"What, you afraid?" Alex teased.

Afraid? Of Damon? "I… wouldn't say I'm afraid", the ex-soldier said slowly. "More like rationing my exposure."

Jackson coughed trying to cover a laugh. It didn't work. "Yes. He's afraid."

Afraid was probably the wrong word. Uncertain would be a better one.

"Do you think he'll do something?" Perkins asked.

"No." Nate shook his head. "I don't think he will but-" the infantryman faltered. "It's like I said last night…"

"Ah." The secretary didn't add anything else. She didn't need to.

"I'm still figuring that out", Nate said. "I want to try, but there are people in our group who don't want anything to do with him. I can't blame them."

To the SPARTAN, Grant was one body among many. He didn't seem all that upset about it. The ex-soldier could understand both perspectives. While his body count was a fraction of a fraction of Damon's, it's easy to start seeing people on the other end of your gun as not much more than paper targets. Combine that with what happened when he was a kid, how he was conscripted and trained since he was five, and spent his entire life fighting since it isn't a surprise he doesn't have much remorse for his victims.

It's hard to form an appreciation for the value of human life when your only experiences tell you it doesn't have much.

But that wasn't entirely true anymore, was it? Damon clearly cares about the people in Sanctuary. He cares about the Railroad. He cares enough about Cass, Tommy, and Julian to throw away his only chance to get back to his universe. Maybe he does see the value in it, that scope is just extremely narrow.

"You feel guilty about betraying him", Valentine mused.

Nate scoffed. "How could I not?" He looked down at his hands clasped in front of him. "It wasn't- well it mostly wasn't the ambush. It was how I didn't recognize the change he'd made. And I couldn't see the right decision when he could." Nate shook his head.

"You helped him make that change", Perkins said. "That's something you should be proud of."

The ex-soldier offered her a weak smile. "I guess you could say I am. Doesn't mean I didn't force him to test that change in the worst way possible. Doesn't mean I didn't stab him in the back."

She nodded. "I'm not saying it does, but there's something about you that triggered that in him."

"You sure?" A lot happened in their time traveling together. Nate might have contributed to the change but… was he the trigger. "I don't know. All I know is there are people out here who need help and he's the one trying to help them." He shrugged. "I'm not sure I deserve forgiveness. I want it, but if I can contribute and, at the end of it all, he still hates me, I can't say I blame him."

"Don't be stupid", Ellie said, her voice suddenly harsh. She leaned forward in her chair, eyes drilling into the ex-soldier. "Damon doesn't hate you. He asked me to do this because he doesn't know what to think. I don't know if he consciously wants help, but I think subconsciously, he knows he needs it. Besides", the secretary relaxed again and her voice softened, "he isn't the only one you can help. There are a lot of people who could use you out here."

A smile flickered across the ex-soldier's face. "Yeah. I know."

"He might be angry but you'll never convince me he hates you", Perkins said.

"I know."

"What about us?" Corey asked. "He killed a friend, someone all of us were close with."

The woman pursed her lips. "It's… hard to explain if you haven't experienced this for yourself. Damon doesn't know much besides fighting. He's been doing it all-" the words caught in her throat and she looked at Nate. Why? It isn't like he has any authority over who tells his story.

He shrugged.

"I don't expect this to help. Damon has trouble empathizing with other people, whether they're friendly or not. I've seen this a lot from people in Goodneighbor, the ones who grew up fighting, even killing, for scraps." She met Nate's gaze again. "Give him some time though. He's come a long way since we first met."

Alex blew a raspberry. "Ain't that the truth."

"How much time does it take to forgive someone for killing a friend?" Jackson asked. There was an accusation in the question.

"I can't answer that for you. If you don't want to think of it as working with him, I'd suggest thinking about it as you working with the people here." Perkins motioned to the settlers bustling around them. "Your experience and expertise could offer a lot to these people. You aren't working with Damon, you're working with the Minutemen."

Damn… she's good at this. The night before, most of what she did was listen. Damon asked her to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. The infantryman supposed he owed the otherworldly soldier thanks for not going straight to torture… Now she had control of the conversation like she'd planned it.

"That's why we're here", Jackson replied, most of the heat in his voice gone. "It still entails working with him."

"And if you can't find it in yourself to forgive him, that's fine." She nodded. "He did kill a friend of yours."

The answer seemed to catch Jackson off guard. His mouth opened and shut a few times before he gave up on a response.

It did bring up a question: had Nate forgiven Damon too readily for killing Grant? Yes, he was upset at the SPARTAN for it, but he understood the fog of war better than most. He also understood Damon's unique perspective better than most. He rarely did anything out of emotion. Killing Grant hadn't been payback, it had been the armored titan accomplishing his mission.

But… is that an excuse? Intent rarely matters to the victim.

"You won't know now", the secretary continued. "And no one else can tell you how you should feel. I hope you'll do everything you can to help the Minutemen though. There are a lot of good people here."

"We will", Trent said quietly. "It's just… hard."

Alex grunted. "The way I look at it, Damon's an asshole. He's impatient, doesn't know how to talk to people, and doesn't like most people. But he cares about them. Ellie's right though, if he killed a friend of yours, there's nothing wrong with holding that against him."

They were being… awfully understanding considering their relationship with the SPARTAN. Then again, they know Damon.

"Thanks", Nate said. "A lot of people liked Grant. Including me."

All three of the settlers nodded.

They talked for a few more minutes as more and more settlers went about their tasks around them.

Eventually, the hulking armored form of Damon appeared between Linda and the Yates' house. His visor, gleaming in the sunlight, locked onto the ex-soldier for an instant before he turned and headed south.

"I guess that's our cue", Nate said and began standing. "Thanks for 'breakfast'."

"Anytime", Alex said.

They had four days before Damon dragged the ex-soldier back into the Commonwealth. That's four days to figure out exactly how this is going to function.

Probably not long enough, but they'd have to make it work.

X

While Nate appreciated being out of the Institute and away from the crawling suspicion someone would stab him in the back at any moment, he did miss the beds. As the ex-soldier awoke laying on the hard, lumpy rectangular thing they called a mattress, he couldn't help but think about the queen-sized bed in his apartment. Well… his former apartment.

It was still early morning and the sky was dark. With very few artificial lights outside, the room was dark too. That was fine by him. The ex-soldier needed a moment of peace and quiet to think. It was something he hadn't had since escaping from the Institute.

He stared up at the ceiling, barely able to make out the shambles that had once been the ceiling and wooden joists beyond. This is a mess… That might have been the largest understatement he'd made in a long time. There were so many parts of that mess, it was difficult for him to nail down which he was struggling with the most.

Obviously, Damon was at the top of the list.

On one hand, he still had doubts about this. Forcing- no, 'forcing' probably isn't the right word. Or was it? He isn't really giving his people a choice but to work with Damon considering their course of action. Okay, so he was forcing them to work with the SPARTAN. The SPARTAN who had killed Grant, someone all of them liked. Nate would be lying to himself if he said he didn't hold some animosity toward Damon too.

But, on the other, the ex-soldier wanted to make amends with him. That wasn't only for personal reasons either. Damon was a force of nature in combat, an indispensable strategist and tactician, and had the ear of both the Minutemen and the Railroad. Saying he made everyone's lives easier was an understatement.

Then there were the personal reasons. The supersoldier had gone through a lot to reunite Nate with Shaun. Even if it wasn't the way any of them wanted. And along the way they, somehow, became friends. They trusted each other.

And then Nate ruined it.

There was no one else the ex-soldier could blame for what happened. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was try to make things better now.

That being said, Damon wasn't the only complication. The Minutemen had reformed. That was a good thing, something they could focus on, something they could build off of. They already had a growing network before they adopted that name too. Between the dozen or so settlements Sanctuary was connected with, they had a significant (for the Commonwealth) production base. It would give Li's people still in the Institute a foundation to build from. Better equipment, weapons, and training go a long way when you already have a ready-made population.

Add in the Railroad, who were now cooperating with the Minutemen, they had something here.

The ex-soldier grunted as he sat up in the bed, sheets falling to his waist. The others were still asleep. He checked his Pipboy.

0430.

Yeah, sleep wasn't coming back.

It wasn't all good news.

Part of the reason they left was that Shaun and Ayo were getting close to the splinter cell. They needed a way to take some heat, and suspicion, off Li and the others. That would only last so long. They also knew Nate would tell the Minutemen everything he knew about the Institute. If they're smart, and they are, they'll be changing tactics, moving safehouses, and adjusting their strategies to prevent the intel they have from interfering with Institute operations too much.

And the Brotherhood is still an unknown. Yes, they have information on their troop movements, but they hadn't been able to put together their strategy yet. They have pieces of the puzzle, but not enough to put it together.

Nate carefully pushed himself out of bed and slipped his boots on.

The air was cool and crisp. Another thing he'd have to re-acclimate to: sleeping without the 'modern' wonder of climate control.

Standing, he crept out of the crowded room and down the hall toward the front door.

Outside, unsurprisingly, was Damon's hulking form.

If the implication of the SPARTAN standing there wasn't so uncomfortable, Nate would have smiled.

A dozen different quips came to mind, but the ex-soldier didn't give any of them a voice. Not only did it not feel right, Damon probably wouldn't have received them well. Not anymore. He was already watching Nate when he emerged into the front room. The impassive gold-yellow visor never left the infantryman as he exited the house and stopped beside its owner.

It was like no matter where he went or what he did, the SPARTAN followed. Not literally, of course (except for now).

More things to say came to mind, most of them probably less stupid than a quip about sleep. Nate didn't say any of those either.

The moment almost felt like the first time the two of them had met. Key difference was, back then, Damon didn't have a reason to actively distrust the ex-soldier.

The SPARTAN had taken it upon himself to make sure they didn't do anything to the settlers here. In a very… Damon sort of way, that was a thoughtful gesture. A gesture because, regardless of what the towering man thought, they were there to help.

Maybe, in a way, he was complimenting Nate. He thought so highly of the ex-soldier, Damon felt it necessary to personally ensure they weren't a threat to Sanctuary.

That thought did draw a smile out of him.

"You flatter me", he said quietly.

No response was forthcoming from the younger man. Instead, he continued staring holes in the side of Nate's head.

"You think you need to be the one constantly on guard against us doing something. That means you think we're capable of doing something that requires an immediate response from you."

Nate looked up at the larger man and offered a weak smile. "Sorry, it's just amusing is all."

"I don't find it amusing", Damon responded. His voice was its usual monotone, but something was lying underneath. The ex-soldier wasn't sure what.

"Yeah, I know." Nate nodded. His eyes drifted around the neighborhood. His neighborhood.

200 years. The ex-soldier's mind still struggled to process the thought. It had been, what, three, almost four months now. The houses all looked like they'd gone that long without any upkeep. The roads were cracked and cratered. The cars, or what was left of them, were unrecognizable rusted husks.

But Nate could still see Jamie and Haley running through the streets, Terrance watching them with a smile on his face and lemonade in his hand. He remembered the Fourth of July celebration the neighborhood had put on a few months prior. He remembered taking Shaun inside early. The ex-soldier told everyone it was because he didn't want the boy's ears to be hurt.

The 'celebration' was one he wasn't interested in participating in…

Maybe… Maybe he just needed a few minutes. "You mind if I take a walk?"

Why was he asking for the SPARTAN's permission? It wasn't like they were prisoners.

Yeah, right.

He didn't have any weapons or equipment on him. That didn't mean Damon wouldn't suspect something.

"I need a few minutes. Memories are coming back and-" huh, that was probably one of the few things the SPARTAN could empathize with. "And it's hard."

But Damon was probably considering the ways Nate could betray him again in that damned blue and gold bucket. How the ex-soldier might try to stab him in the back. Because of course he would, that's how the guy thinks. What if Nate just wanted some time to walk around his old neighborhood? Have a few minutes to himself, maybe try to remember some of the good times he had here. Not everything has to be about who's gonna attack who, that isn't all there is to-

"Leave that here", the towering man said, pointing at Nate's Pipboy.

The ex-soldier cocked an eyebrow. He wasn't about to allow Damon to change his mind though.

Undoing the latch underneath his wrist. Nate slipped the bulky device off and handed it to the SPARTAN. Either he was trusting the infantryman wouldn't do anything, trusted the Minutemen here to handle whatever attempt he made…

Or decided the threat he posed to the rest of Nate's people would be enough to keep the ex-soldier in line.

It was probably the third option.

It doesn't matter. I'm not doing anything besides walking around.

As he started away from the house they'd been given, Nate wasn't sure exactly where he wanted to go. Their old house on the northwest side was the armory now. He wasn't sure he wanted to see the place he and Nora had settled down to start a family turned into that. Again.

His feet carried him west across the street toward the Porters' house. An older couple with three teenage kids. A few settlers were out on patrol. They offered him nods, but their eyes were narrowed. The people here were suspicious of him. Good, they should be after the attack. It wouldn't make for good survivalists to not have a healthy skepticism.

Not going back to his house didn't help. Walking through the Porters' backyard, now crowded with chest-high plants, memories were still flooding in. They weren't unpleasant ones, the opposite really. That's what made them painful. The Porters inviting them over for dinner a week after he and Nora moved in. After finding out one of the ways the two of them kept in touch during his deployments was tabletop and board games, Paul brought them into their group.

Here he was after all this time, after trying so hard to keep what he'd done in the name of this damned country away from his family, it found its way here anyway. There hadn't just been the nuclear fire. Once the world had bathed in radioactive flame, the remnants started trying to kill each other again.

And that's to say nothing of what it did to his family.

Nate stopped.

Bringing Shaun home for the first time. It was late, he was exhausted, and the 10-mile drive felt like it was across the country. Cook and Miranda were waiting in the living room. He'd only seen the large man cry twice. The first was at Nora and Nate's wedding. The second was after he lost his leg. Their squad had gone, leaving the two of them in his room alone.

As soon as Nate placed Shaun in his former battle buddy's arms, tears started streaming down his face. They'd been trying to have a baby for a year but hadn't been able to.

"Hey Shaun", the dark-skinned man whispered, voice so thick it was barely intelligible. "I'm Uncle Cook."

The only thing that had stopped Nate from laughing at the man using his last name was how sincere it was.

He looked up into the mostly overcast night sky. The sun wouldn't be up for a few more hours.

Continuing past the Porters', Nate meandered through other areas of the settlement. He did his best to stay out of areas that seemed private. Every house he walked by brought a new memory.

He wanted to enjoy them but… how could he? When the ex-soldier told Damon he was looking for what he was fighting for, it was one of the truest things he'd ever said. Yeah, his experience would be invaluable to the Minutemen. Helping them was probably the right thing (though a lot of what he and the others were doing was helping the splinter cell) to do too.

None of that mattered.

Nate stopped in the southeast corner of the settlement.

17 years. The ex-soldier put his time in. His entire adult life. Funny part about it is, looking back, he didn't know what he'd been fighting for then either. Nate was a good soldier, he followed orders (mostly), protected his brothers and sisters, and did his job right.

Now he was in the same place he'd been for the first few years he was in. No Nora, no Shaun. Back then he just needed to get away from home. How he did it didn't matter.

No. It isn't the same. The infantryman's gaze ran across the makeshift wall the Minutemen had constructed. It was a collection of steel plates welded together. He couldn't see how it was secured. No doubt they'd built it on a frame with piles driven into the ground beneath it. Otherwise, something that heavy wouldn't still be standing on the perpetually damp ground beneath it.

That was one constant irritation with living here: everything was always trying to corrode.

The current situation wasn't the same because, back then, he hadn't had Nora and Shaun to lose. Back then he still had a life ahead of him.

He had hope.

What did he hope for now? That he'd be able to serve the people around him?

Yeah right. The bitter thought slipped through his mind like a dark tar. It wasn't virtuous or selfless, the things, he assumed, a good leader was supposed to be. It was the opposite. But he wasn't going to lie to himself anymore. The idea of doing something just because 'it's the right thing to do' didn't sound as good as it used to.

What he's done to this point he did… for some leftover sense of duty, maybe.

That only lasts so long.

Am I really going to stop? Leave Madison and the others in the lurch?

Nate tilted his head back and looked at the clouds again. It's what life had done to him, why should he pay something forward when he was never paid in the first place?

Again, probably not a great thing to think but…

Footsteps crunched on the broken pavement behind him. Nate turned to see a large, red-haired man approaching cautiously. He was someone the ex-soldier had worked with during the attack. His name… Vincent? He liked to go by Vince.

"Hey", the ex-soldier said quietly. "How's it going, Vince?" His voice was its usual, genial tone. The same one he always put on…

"Sorry, don't mean to be disturbin ya", the man replied in his strange accent. Nate wanted to say Scottish but it was off, not strong enough. He couldn't place it.

If that's the case, why are you here, disturbing me? "Don't worry about it." The infantryman shrugged. "What can I do for you?" Hopefully it isn't anything that takes more than 10 seconds.

"Nothin' more than you already have." He stepped beside Nate and looked at the perimeter wall. "Ann's done a great job setting this up for us. Won't mean much if we don't know how to use it."

Nate flashed the man an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. You lost people and I know that… was hard to hear."

"Oh? What are you apologizing for? You helped us. If it weren't for you and Danse, things woulda been much worse for us." Vincent met the ex-soldier's gaze. "You aren't responsible for what Damon says or does."

"No… I guess I'm not."

The other man grunted. "Besides, he's right. We can't rely on him to pull us out of the ditch every time we're in trouble. And-" Vincent's voice broke and he looked away. "And I can't lose people like that again." He cleared his throat. "Don't mean to take too much of your time. I know you and your people have had a less-than-welcoming arrival, especially from Damon. Thought I'd show a bit of appreciation."

There's a reason for that. "Thank you."

Vincent nodded before turning back and marching toward the center of the settlement.

A bit of appreciation. The ex-soldier grunted and turned back to the wall. What they did was worth appreciating. That didn't mean the appreciation felt deserved.

Maybe he was just being hard on himself. It was hard to tell at this point.

Funny enough, he almost wished Damon had followed him. The SPARTAN knew him. The SPARTAN understood what he'd been through. Nora had been the ex-soldier's best friend, his piece of normalcy. She knew everything about him. Even though he was deployed for most of it-

Nate's brow furrowed. He'd messed that up…

Even though he'd been deployed for most of it, they'd been together for almost 15 years. She knew.

Cook was someone who understood the other side. Both Nora and Miranda knew that was something the two veterans shared.

No one else here had that. Sure, they fought for survival. Nate wasn't going to shortchange them, these people were resilient and focused.

That isn't war though. Not the kind of war Nate fought his entire adult life. Not the one Damon fought since he was a child.

He almost turned and marched back toward the house. Is that what he needed? Someone who could understand how he was feeling? Someone who could understand that, after everything, he felt like he'd done it all for nothing?

Damon wouldn't empathize. Maybe he could, but he wouldn't. It still felt like the SPARTAN was in a perpetual struggle to stop himself from breaking Nate's neck. If he was being honest with himself…

It sat a little wrong with the ex-soldier to share that kind of moment with someone who'd shot at him. Who'd shot him. Who'd killed a teammate- a friend.

Even considering the circumstances.

Dammit Nora… A small smile slipped across his face. Like most these days, it didn't reach his eyes. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to be?

Nate stood there, staring at the wall, ghost of a smile plastered on his face. He didn't know how long it was for, but the sky was brightening when a new voice appeared beside him.

"Hey."

The ex-soldier had to stop himself from jumping.

"Oh- sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you", the person said, taking a step away.

"No, no you're good", Nate replied, waving the concern away. He turned to-

"Oh!" The infantryman's smile turned a little more genuine. "Hey Cass!"

The teenage girl returned his smile. "Hi. I heard you were back. I…" she trailed off.

Last time he saw her, Cassandra and Thomas- they were staring at him. Their expressions, a mixture of terror and confusion, were almost as painful as the bones Damon had broken in his arm.

They hadn't seen each other since.

"Cass…" how was he supposed to say this? 'I'm sorry'? That was cheap considering what he'd done, the danger he'd put them in. How he betrayed their trust.

"Don't worry", she said, still smiling. "Me and Tommy were never angry at you for what happened."

That was a relief but- but-

"Why not? It was my idea to hit the Railroad."

"But that didn't happen."

Yeah. "Because Damon suddenly grew a conscience."

She shrugged. "You wanna get some breakfast?"

Breakfast? He blinked. "Sure."

The two of them wandered toward the Lees' house. More of the settlers were awake now, starting their day. A dozen or so were milling around in the street. Some talking to one another, some working on houses, and others heading to whatever task they had for the day. They all still seemed to carry a weight over their heads. Most walked quickly with their eyes down and shoulders hunched. None of them held eye contact for more than an instant.

"It's hard", Cass said as they neared the yellowing house. "I know I should be angry at you." She glanced at him. "But you and Damon cared about us. I know you didn't want to hurt us."

But I did hurt you.

They reached the small, one-story house. Inside, the kitchen was stocked with dishes and there were three refrigerators full of an assortment of harvested fruits and vegetables. There was meat in one, but they didn't take anything from that one.

Once they had their food, the two found a table under the carport.

"Maybe it's because you and him came when I didn't have anything left", the teenager said as she finished chewing a mouthful of mutfruit. "Damon saved us from the Supermutants and both of you looked out for us." She took another bite.

"That doesn't excuse what I did", Nate replied.

"No, but we aren't mad at you." Cass swallowed the fruit. "You made us feel like things could be normal again while we were all at the church."

Nate hadn't touched his food yet. "I'm glad I could do that much. More than I could do for my son."

She frowned. "Speaking of which, Damon never told me. What happened with him?"

"He, uh", Nate rubbed the back of his neck. "Turns out I was on ice a lot longer than I thought. He's 60… and the leader of the Institute."

Cassandra's mouth hung open.

"Holy shit", she said and put the half-eaten mutfruit back on her plate. "I'm…" the teenager trailed off again.

"Yeah." The ex-soldier nodded.

"Is- did that have something to do with what happened?"

She's an attentive one… That wasn't news to Nate. He'd known that since he watched them on the Prydwen.

"Yeah", he said again. "Not an excuse though."

Cass shook her head. "No, but sometimes… sometimes we can't control those sorts of things…"

It almost hurt to hear her say that. To see whatever memories she had about her parents, then the Supermutants, play out across her face.

Whatever he was feeling, it wasn't fair to wallow in his pity. It wasn't fair to her, Thomas, or Julian. It wasn't fair to Li's people.

For all the complications that swirled in their friendship now, it wasn't fair to Damon.

He reached a hand out and set it on her forearm. The teenager's eyes shot up to him.

There might not be a good reason for the ex-soldier to go with this, he had something he could latch onto. That's enough for now.

"I'm sorry, Cass", Nate said. "Even if you aren't mad, I'm sorry. You've been through enough without me adding to it."

A careful smile spread across her face. "Thank you."

Things weren't good, not even okay. But he could help. He could help Cass. He could help Tommy.

He could help Damon.

The ex-soldier could grab onto that. What came next… he didn't know. That's a question he'd deal with when he had to.

X

Just two days left.

Two more days of manual labor.

Nate was standing on the hill above Sanctuary, looking over his former home. His new home, at least temporarily. The sun was setting behind him to the west casting long shadows from the trees around him along the ground.

"Do much ditch digging in your former life?" Henry asked.

"Yeah." The ex-soldier snorted. "I was in the army. The only ones better playing in the dirt were the Marines."

When he looked at the other man, he had a confused frown across his beard-covered face.

"Sorry, old military joke. Yes, I did a lot of digging."

"You'll have to explain it to me sometime." The settler sounded as tired as Nate felt. "You see that cable Sturges is gonna lay in here?" Henry motioned to the trench they'd just spent the entire day digging. It ran from the Vault all the way to the armored shacks they were building to flank the existing one. It was a little over a hundred yards and took five people to make.

Nate shook his head. "Nah. I just dig the holes." He smiled at his company.

"Let me guess", the slightly younger man mused. "A joke about how you're supposed to follow orders in the military."

The ex-soldier's smile broadened. "Bingo."

"See? I'll get there." He turned his gaze down to the settlement. "Think it's time to get some dinner. I earned a bit of extra Brahmin tonight."

"I doubt anyone would argue."

Henry nodded and headed down the hill. That left Nate alone on the hillside, watching the oranging landscape. If he turned right, he could see downtown Boston, what was left of it. The view wasn't unlike what he remembered after emerging from the Vault for the first time. Another moment he wasn't fond of remembering.

Just like then, he wasn't really alone on the hillside.

Sure enough, when he glanced back, Damon was standing 20 yards away watching the ex-soldier.

You'd think after a few days…

"You can stop standing over there staring at me", he called. "It's just the two of us up here now."

As expected, the towering supersoldier didn't budge.

Nate tried to be understanding, it wasn't like he could do anything about Damon following him. It was getting really old. Even if he knew why the SPARTAN was doing it, the perpetual eyes on his back were aggravating. Especially considering how heavy Damon's stare was.

What am I gonna do up here? It didn't matter and the ex-soldier knew it. Damon doesn't trust him and, apparently, has a significantly higher opinion of Nate's abilities than the infantryman.

It wasn't going to change anytime soon. Not like the supersoldier's suspicions were unfounded.

The ex-soldier took a deep breath and turned back to the settlement. They'd done a lot of work in two days. Most of the scars from the fighting had been repaired. The main project was modifying the wall to the southeast and northwest to counter potential sniper positions. They were making those points taller with several hardened firing positions. He hadn't been privy to their other preparations on that front, but he did notice several settlers working in the hills. Three new raised platforms were also under construction on the water side of the neighborhood. Foundations were still being built for more.

A few new faces had shown up in town too. He wasn't familiar with most of the people there, so he couldn't pick faces out. What he did notice was those new people being as unfamiliar with the settlement as he was. The ex-soldier counted nine or ten and two of those he recognized from his time at the church.

A lot had changed in not much time. They were already sending people to reinforce Sanctuary. Damon seemed convinced these people were competent fighters. That means this place would be much better prepared for the next attack.

After a few more minutes of standing, staring at the town, Nate's legs began to ache harder and his stomach churned.

"Dinner's a good idea", he muttered to himself.

As the ex-soldier started down the hill Damon, predictably, followed. It struck him odd the SPARTAN was so adamant about staying with him. Sure, he didn't trust Nate, but that doesn't explain him following the infantryman for the last day or so. Asking wouldn't do any good, Damon would only say he's making sure he didn't do anything.

It hadn't taken Nate long to realize there were really only four things to do in Sanctuary: eat, sleep, work on security, and talk. Because of that, he'd gotten to know several of the settlers in the few days since he arrived. Vincent talked with him a few times after that first night. Corey, Kris, and Isaiah said the bearded man had done the same with them. Talking with Nick and Ellie was nice too. The two of them hadn't changed much since they met when Nate and Damon first arrived in Diamond City.

Anna and Sturges had talked with the group several times. Of course, Preston made himself available.

Nate stopped at the north end of the bridge, Damon a few paces behind him.

Then there were the people the Minutemen assigned to 'guard' them. The two most common people were a tall, well-built woman named Brenda, and a slighter man, Corey. It didn't take Nate more than a few seconds to figure out the two were an item. The last time he'd heard two people give each other as much shit in good faith as they did was Cook and Miranda.

It took even less time for the ex-soldier to realize the couple was good people. Yes, they had a job to do. Despite the tacit agreement to let Nate and the others help, they'd still recently arrived from the Institute. Damon's overzealousness notwithstanding, caution was completely understandable.

Even so, the two guards, especially Brenda, had been nothing short of downright friendly.

The ex-soldier took a deep breath as he scanned his old neighborhood. It was hard not to think of their mad dash across this bridge as the bombs fell around the world. The combination of emotions swirling through Nate's head as he and Nora ran up the hill toward their supposed salvation.

He glanced behind him toward both the SPARTAN and the path beyond.

As usual, Damon only watched the ex-soldier.

Even if he was aggravated with the supersoldier… Nate couldn't blame him. At the end of the day, Damon trusted him and he betrayed the SPARTAN. Nate was probably the first person he'd trusted in a long time. Now he has other people he trusts and cares about, the last thing he'd want is for the person who already betrayed him once to take more people away.

Taking a deep breath, Nate started across the bridge.

Just two more days of manual labor.

X

"Hold that line Phillips, make sure it's secured to the rigging", Anna said.

They were guiding a large wall into position behind one of their new elevated firing positions over the southeast corner. That was most of what Nate had been doing for the last 24 hours, helping assemble the settlement's new fortifications. He was grateful they had plenty of spare clothes and even a few baths in Sanctuary. He'd been pouring sweat.

This was the last piece they had to assemble, a steel wall that had been assembled using two shipping container walls around welded-together scrap metal. It wasn't perfect, but they said it would stop anything they needed it to.

It must have weighed over a ton and, by design, was the heaviest piece they had to put in place.

With that in mind, they'd conscripted Damon's help for this particular piece. He was standing below the ex-soldier, in front of the house they were hoisting it over, holding a tow line to move the armored panel into place once it was high enough.

Nate, along with three other settlers, was standing on the platform, ready to secure the final after Damon had it positioned between the adjoining walls. After that, they could build the roof on their new firing position. It would give them a commanding view of the river and some protection against attacks coming from the forest.

This was, supposedly, the last raised platform they'd be building. With the other three already done, the settlement's response forces would be able to put 20 people in elevated, well-armored positions. On top of that, it gave them quality observation posts if they decided to use them for watch.

Jesse had returned late the day before along with a half dozen people from the Railroad. Damon had convinced them to abandon their primary position at the bunker and disperse around the Minutemen's settlements.

How the big bastard managed that he didn't know, but it probably involved killing something.

"Alright, starting the motor", Anna called from just behind Damon. A few seconds later, a low whine pierced the air and the armored panel started to shift. It was pulled from its side into a standing position, then off the ground entirely. The motor groaned, but it kept pulling.

Seconds passed as it was raised toward them. The SPARTAN started shifting, turning the wall so it wouldn't hit the platform on the way up. As it did, an ominous creaking emanated from the rigging above them, but it was something Anna said would happen. She, Sturges, and another settler had fabricated it and, according to them, it was designed to support three times the weight of the wall.

All Nate could do was trust their competence at this point because, if the rigging collapsed, that 2000-pound wall was going back down the fast way.

Granted, it wasn't over them yet.

The last piece of the puzzle was two other settlers, who were standing by with a quick release line. It was in case of emergency, but pulling that and letting the wall drop if the structure began to give was better than it falling on them.

30 seconds after the arduous journey started, the top of the wall raised above the edge of the platform. Another 15 seconds later the bottom did. Once it was a few feet clear, one of the settlers with Nate, a taller, well-built man waved his arms and shouted, "we're clear!"

As the motor's groaning stopped, Damon pulled his guide rope and maneuvered the massive armored panel into place.

It took the SPARTAN a few tries, twice he bounced it off the western wall. Once, the wall twisted dangerously to one side before he managed to correct it. There was a small part of Nate that, for some reason, enjoyed watching Damon struggle with something. Most of what the armored titan did was fight, and he's exceptionally good at it. There aren't many times Nate saw him struggle with something outside of personal interactions. Seeing him wrestle with the massive hunk of steel was almost… relieving.

He killed the speculation as Damon finally got the wall into place. The settler called for Anna to lower the wall and the three of them went to work using the temporary fasteners to secure it.

A few minutes later, it was attached and they undid the large carriage cables.

"Good work everyone", Anna called as they climbed down from the perch. "That was a lot smoother than the last time."

"Aye", Vincent called. "Louis wasn't the one with the guide rope this time."

"I heard that", one of the two men manning the disconnect line said. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Maybe, after giving me a good bruise."

"That bruise was already there."

"Semantics", Vincent retorted.

"Alright men", Anna interrupted, "we'll be done welding that in place in an hour. Get to work on the roof if you don't want to be working on this when it's dark. I'm not giving you any lights."

"Aw c'mon Ann", the other man, Phillips apparently, said, "why no lights?"

"You'll make an easy target", Damon said from behind them.

Nate almost jumped. He'd almost forgotten how the man could be so quiet it was like he wasn't even there. Which still made absolutely no sense.

The engineer frowned. "I… was gonna say it wastes power we don't want to waste, but yeah, I guess if someone wanted to shoot you, you shining a light around would make their job easier…"

It sounded like she was trying to comfort the rest of them. The thought of being shot while standing on top of the exposed platform probably wasn't comforting.

He's so bad at making conversation most of the time… Nate smiled to himself. "Thoughts of being shot aside, let's get going. I don't want to work into the night." The ex-soldier looked up at Damon. "He's gonna have me up at the ass-crack of dawn to head into Boston."

"That sounds like your problem", Vincent said after a short laugh.

"I'll make it yours too if I go to bed and this thing isn't done." A lot of the settlers around Sanctuary kept Nate at a distance. That was understandable. It wasn't just because he was new, and from the Institute, but the ex-soldier got the sense there was more to it. A lot of these people lived on their own or in smaller settlements, from what Nate could gather. That would breed inherent distrust when you live in a world where it seems as though everyone and everything wants you dead. Including that world with its massive amounts of radiation.

"Alright, alright, let's put the rest of this damn thing together", Louis said and the dark-skinned man started toward a stack of supplies beside the house. They'd organized everything they needed to build the roof on the platform so, once the raised post had all its walls, they could get moving.

It felt like Damon was staring at him while they picked through their supplies. Almost because, with that visor in the way, it was impossible to see what the armored soldier was looking at. It felt like his eyes were on the ex-soldier though.

Constructing the roof went slower than they thought, which wasn't a surprise. In Nate's experience, any project takes about twice as long as you expect it to.

That was fine, he'd always enjoyed working with his hands, building things. What surprised him was Damon's proficiency. The SPARTAN worked quickly and quietly, setting panels in place and securing them with the same steel straps they'd used to temporarily fasten the wall to the platform.

Maybe it was his status as a 'supersoldier', but it felt like the man was working as fast as the three of them combined.

After he took a few moments to mull it over, the fact Damon is good at putting things like shelters together shouldn't be a surprise. Nate had been through enough survival training to know the first, and most important, thing someone can do is build a shelter. Without one, you're exposed. He had little doubt the SPARTAN had gone through his fair share of it.

By the time they were done, the sun was almost touching the trees to their west.

And they were all exhausted.

"Aaaaaand we're done", Nate said as Damon finished tying off the final corner.

Anna shrugged. "For now. We still have a lot of work to do to get this place ready for a fight, but I'm satisfied for tonight."

"Oh", Vincent said, wiping sweat from his forehead with a rag, "your majesty, I'm glad you're pleased with our work." The large man bowed far too dramatically for it to be anything other than mocking.

"You're damn right I'm her majesty", the young engineer shot back, "this is my project."

Vincent held his hands up. "I mean no disrespect." That still sounded sarcastic. Anna took it in stride.

"Good. Now go get some dinner."

Dinner. Nate wasn't going to lie to himself; dinner sounded phenomenal. He had one thing he needed to do before dinner though. Something he wasn't excited for.

"Damon", he said as the other turned to head toward the commons. A few of the settlers, including Anna, glanced back at them as they went.

"What?" came the towering man's customary response. It was even more terse than normal.

"Who else are we bringing besides Cass? Has Preston given you anyone yet?"

"Brenda."

Brenda? Interesting choice. "Why does he think she'd be useful?"

"She's good with people. Knows some of the settlers in Goodneighbor. Has experience in the field."

This was going to be a long mission… It wasn't like he could blame the SPARTAN for his resentment. What he could do is blame him for his immaturity.

"Damon, look, you said I'm coming on this mission with you. If you want this to work, we need to cooperate. This isn't gonna go well if we're at each other's throats the whole time." Nate had no intention of being at the armored man's throat, but it sounded better than if he said Damon was the only one.

"Really", the man in question replied. Apparently the SPARTAN didn't see things the same way. "Don't pretend you don't know why I decided that."

"No shit I know why, I spent too much time around you to not know how you think", he held up a hand, "and before you say it, yes, I know. I know enough to know you don't want this mission to fail. Your best chance is to let me work with everyone."

He cocked his head. That wasn't good. "Or a good way to sabotage it."

If Damon was operating on the assumption Nate was working for Shaun, letting the ex-soldier involve himself in the mission would be the last thing he'd do. "... Fair."

"We're also banned from Diamond City."

Nate squinted at the towering man. "Let's not treat each other like the other is stupid. You aren't gonna send Brenda or Cass anywhere without support."

The SPARTAN didn't respond, standing stock still. If Nate didn't know better, he'd have thought the futuristic suit of armor was empty.

"Look…" The ex-soldier took a deep breath. "I don't need to tell you this, but I don't expect you to trust me, but I know you don't want this to fail. I know you're too goddamn competitive to let this fail. If you're worried about me doing something to sabotage the mission, shoot me. If you feel like, at some point along the way, I'm trying to do it, shoot me. I want to help."

More silence from the young man- teenager. That's still something Nate struggled with. The MK18 was, as always, slung in front of him. If he was going to take him up on that offer, it wouldn't be difficult.

After another handful of quiet, tense seconds, Damon shifted. "If you want to help, don't give me a reason to."

With that, the armored titan walked around Nate toward Sanctuary's main street. The ex-soldier turned to watch Damon leave. There were two things he left unsaid in that statement: he would put a bullet in Nate if he felt it was necessary, and he opened the door to help. It was barely a crack, but Nate was going to seize on it like his life depended on it.

Despite the changes the SPARTAN had undergone since they'd first met what felt like a lifetime ago, he knew killing Nate wouldn't be beyond the man. It was probably because of those changes he'd do it so readily, in fact.

Nate followed after him and turned toward the commons. A half dozen people were there, talking and eating. The sun had almost set and people would start turning in soon. Whatever happened, the next few days… or weeks would be tense and dangerous, and that wasn't because of Damon. They'd be placing themselves firmly in the Brotherhood's gunsights, on purpose, while trying to get cooperation from Diamond City and Goodneighbor.

On top of that, the SPARTAN would definitely want to hit the Institute safehouses in Boston. Nate didn't doubt he'd already memorized where they are from the map. The more they do that, the more Shaun and Ayo would have to focus on them which is what the otherworldly soldier wanted. That one's on a clock though. No doubt they'll be moving those with Nate defecting.

All to buy the Minutemen time to train and, hopefully, expand. It wasn't a bad idea, but it relied heavily on Damon's ability to act as a lightning rod. Nate would be lying if he said the SPARTAN wasn't phenomenal at pissing people off, but he has to do that while also trying to establish relations with two settlements that had banned him. And they hadn't just banned him for making a scene or something simple, they did it because he was involved in massive fights in both. One of which left innocent people dead.

That was an incident Damon never talked about. The ex-soldier got the sense it was one that, if he could redo, he wouldn't have done it. It had been, maybe, the first time he'd seen the SPARTAN regret killing someone. Or someones more likely.

He sure as shit hasn't seen any contrition about Grant's death.

"Hey Nate", Anna said as she walked out of the house with a plate full of food. "Good to see you're still alive."

He slipped his smile back on. "It's always a toss of the dice."

She sat at a table and set her plate down. "You think he'd do something?"

"Absolutely", Nate said, nodding. "Give me a sec." He went into the house and, likewise, got a plate full of food. It was mostly vegetables, but they'd apparently started making bread a few weeks ago. It wasn't very good, but it was bread.

The ex-soldier returned to the table and sat with the young engineer.

"You're saying he'd kill you?" she asked.

He nodded again. "If he thinks I'm a threat to the Minutemen, yes."

Again, Nate still thought of the SPARTAN as his friend, but he was under no delusions about what that man was capable of. It was… sad if Nate thought about it. Damon would, and has, thrown everything to the side to complete his objectives. While that objective is different now, being supplied by the SPARTAN himself, he still approaches it with that same mentality. Something that undoubtedly stemmed from his past.

Anna finished chewing and swallowed. "Seems a little extreme."

"It may be, but that's how he operates." The ex-soldier shrugged. "I don't think he wants to."

"You think he would though?"

"Yes."

She looked down at her plate and, slowly, took another bite of some sort of fruit. "That's kinda sad if you ask me. You aren't upset about it?"

Nate shook his head. "I know him too well, and what made him the way he is. If anything, I feel bad for him. Besides…" he trailed off, looking down at his own plate. It isn't like he wouldn't be justified. "I wouldn't trust me either."

"But that doesn't mean you'd kill… you." She frowned. "Right?"

"Would I if I were in his shoes? I honestly can't say."

"Oh…"

The ex-soldier smiled again, this time a little more genuine. "Don't worry too much about it. I don't plan on giving him any reason to shoot me. That type of thinking is something you're engrained with if you spend enough time doing whatever you have to do to complete a mission."

"And you did that?" the engineer asked.

He nodded. "I was in the military for almost two decades."

She blinked. "What? Like, the Brotherhood?"

Oh… she doesn't know- "No, the United States military. Army." He pointed toward the Vault set in the hill overlooking Sanctuary. "I was in the Vault, frozen, for over 200 years."

Anna's eyes went wide. "The United States army? You're from pre-war?"

The genuine shock at his revelation was amusing, even if it was understandable. "Yes. Watched the bomb fall on Boston…" That wasn't something he enjoyed recalling. Or what happened afterward.

"I- I didn't know. There are so many questions I want to ask but- well that would probably be rude of me, right?" The engineer offered a small smile.

"One day, after all this is over, I'll tell you about it."

She nodded. "That sounds good to me." After taking another bite, Anna met his gaze again. "So you think you can help him? Going off to get Diamond City and Goodneighbor on our side isn't going to be easy. And Damon is…"

The ex-soldier's smile grew. "Damon?"

Anna returned his smile. "Don't get me wrong, I like him, but he's horrible with people."

"On that, we can agree." He nodded. "If he lets me, I think I can help. And he's Damon. He's too pragmatic to let emotions get in the way for too long." And, like I said, too competitive.

"What about you?"

What about me? "What do you mean?"

"I mean you say you want to help us. You're putting your life at risk to do it. Why?"

If only I had an answer…

The hours of pondering came back to mind as he considered the question. For now… he'd keep moving. If he stopped- He didn't want to know what would happen if he stopped.

"It's complicated. I can't sit on the sideline and do nothing though, not when I might be able to help." He met her gaze. "I'll tell you about that one day too." The ex-soldier took a bite of mutfruit and leaned back in his seat. "What's your story? Pretty young to be heading up construction projects."

Anna huffed. "Everyone always says that. I didn't decide to do it, okay? Sturges asked me to."

Apparently he'd hit a sore spot. "You're right, that was inconsiderate of me." The engineer offered a curt nod in return. "How did you end up in Sanctuary?"

"Family was in Appalachia. Grew up in a farming settlement in the mountains. The area was pretty dangerous, so we figured out how to make hanging fields. Basically platforms that we used to plant crops hanging off of the mountains." There was no small amount of pride in her voice. "If you're wondering, that's where my experience comes from." She took another moment to chew through a bite of corn. "I left a few years back. No reason, really. A group of us started heading north. Found out very quickly how dangerous the outside world can be. Also found out I'm not one for fighting." She frowned. "When we found our way into the Commonwealth, most of 'em went to Diamond City. The place was too big for me. I asked a caravan to take me somewhere safe. Ended up here."

A drifter then. The ex-soldier could empathize with that. "Looking around this place, they're lucky you fell into their laps."

She nodded. "That's what Sturges and Preston keep saying." The engineer took another bite. "I can't fight and I'm not good at farming", she smiled, "ask Vinny. What I can do is make sure the people who want to fight have what they need to do it, and the people who are good at farming get the infrastructure they ask for."

"Damn straight", Nate said. "This place doesn't stay safe without the fortifications you all have built."

"And it doesn't stay safe without the people who use them."

"And it doesn't matter if it stays safe without the food to keep people alive."

The two of them met each other's gaze and Anna smiled. "Guess you could say we've started our own little community here."

The ex-soldier took a deep breath and nodded. They had, but now things are out of their hands, for the time being. They were relying on Damon and everyone going with him to keep the Institute and Brotherhood distracted. They were relying on them to get some sort of support from the larger settlements. If that didn't happen, even with how far Sanctuary has come, it's small with very little support and no heavy weaponry. They won't make it through what's coming.

"We're doing our part", Anna continued, eyes drilling into him. "You and Damon need to do yours."

She understood. Hell, most of the settlers here probably did. It was… reassuring she included him in that sentence.

"We will."

"Good", the young woman said with a nod. She finished the last of her food and stood. "I have to go review some plans with Sturges." The engineer paused, looking over Nate's head. When he turned, he saw Damon talking with Preston across the street from them.

"I hope you're telling the truth", she said. "If what happened the other day told me anything, it's that we need all the help we can get."

As Anna walked back into the house to put her plate away, the ex-soldier watched the two men. Preston was nodding to something, but Nate couldn't make out what they were discussing.

The question, in the infantryman's mind, wasn't whether he was there to help, it's how much he can do to help.

After finishing his food, Nate began back toward the house that had been their prison. The sun was down and Damon wanted to move out early. It had been a long two days helping build fortifications. The days wouldn't be getting any easier out in the field, so he was going to enjoy every second of sleep he could get.

Jesse was sitting in the living room with Jackson. They both turned to the door as he entered. They both had the same expression on their faces.

"Let's get this over with", Nate said. He dropped into one of the chairs they'd dragged from one of the rooms. "Why shouldn't I go with Damon?"

"You're gonna go with him", Jesse said, "trying to talk you out of it won't work, we know that."

And it doesn't matter if you talk me out of it, you'd have to talk Damon out of it. Good luck with that one.

"All I wanna know is if you really think this is worth it. If you think Damon is someone we should be working with."

The easy answer to that would be 'obviously'. The SPARTAN is their best chance at winning this fight. That wasn't what she was asking though.

"I do. You don't need to like him. I don't expect you to, but yes, I think he's someone we should work with."

His two allies- his two friends exchanged a glance before meeting his gaze once again and nodding in unison. "Alright, we'll make sure we handle our end of things here."

The ex-soldier smiled. If he could say anything about the people he and Madison had picked for this, it's that they're focused and determined. "Good."

"Just bring yourself back in one piece", Jackson replied.

"I'll do my best."

The two of them exchanged another look.

"Maybe try a little bit harder than that…" Jesse said, smirking.

X

Nate liked Brenda even more now than the few days she'd spent 'guarding' him and his people. She was no bullshit and didn't seem nervous around Damon. The two of them were familiar with each other and, while she wasn't very experienced, the woman knew how to take cues.

As for Cass, whatever training the Railroad had given her was good. Like Brenda, she was inexperienced, but she was attentive and careful.

Dogmeat had decided he was going to tag along. Apparently, no one, not even Damon, had an issue with that. A mile or so in, the ex-soldier realized why. It had been a few months since he'd seen the German Shepherd last. It's easy to forget things with how much has happened in that time. After creeping through a large rock outcropping, taking cover from the open hill face to their south, he remembered. The dog was better than any of them, except maybe Damon, at moving quietly. Head on a swivel, ears constantly twitching, and pausing to sniff at the air every once in a while, Dogmeat was well-trained and experienced.

It was almost enough to make Nate smile.

Following Damon across the wasteland to the west before turning south, they made good time. Nate wanted to say it was oddly nostalgic to be doing this again, back to where their journey started, going from Sanctuary to Diamond city, but it wasn't. This was different and it would be dishonest to pretend there wasn't a different dynamic at play. Back then they were strangers, now… well the ex-soldier didn't know what the two of them were.

They did very little talking throughout the day, stopping every hour or so to take a break. By the time the sun was setting, they were nearing the western edge of Boston proper. The SPARTAN led them to a crumbling building that, before the bombs fell, had been a department store. It was an interesting choice for a place to hold up for the night, but once they entered the dilapidated structure, the reasoning became clear. Damon directed them around the variety of traps he'd rigged, from IEDs to tripwire-fired guns. There were a few the ex-soldier didn't recognize, but he didn't want to test the lethality of any.

Cassandra was panting as she slid down a wall in the employee lounge, dropping into a sitting position. Before leaving, Damon pulled a handful of chem-lights from a small crate against the back wall and gave them to Brenda.

"I didn't think that would be so hard", the teenager muttered, pulling a canteen from her pack.

A smile tugged at Nate's lips. "Welcome to the life of a soldier. Walking, more walking, a little bit of waiting, and then some more walking."

"This isn't really what I thought it would be."

"That's what I thought about patrols until we started doing them", Brenda said. "Then I learned it's more about staying alert than anything." She glanced at Nate. "Getting bored is a good way to get someone killed, right?"

The ex-soldier nodded. "It's a different kind of boredom you have to learn to deal with, one where you have no choice but to stay focused on the thing you're bored doing."

Once Cass had drunk enough from her canteen, she capped it and shoved it back into her bag. "I'm guessing tomorrow's gonna be harder. That's why we're stopping here for the night?"

"Yeah, the first time we did this we got shot at a few times on the way to Diamond City. If we had the right gear, moving at night is actually safer, but Damon's the only one with night vision." Supermutants, Raiders, and whatever small settlements are in the area probably don't, but the Brotherhood and Institute do. They're the ones they have to worry about.

As his voice faded from the room, the three of them drifted into silence. The ex-soldier was tempted to go find Damon who was patrolling their temporary haven. Nate put that idea away after a few moments of thought. Not only would the SPARTAN not appreciate the distraction, or the company, but Nate had no clue where the traps he'd laid were. He could probably find the path they'd used to come in, but he'd rather not try unless he absolutely had to.

This was probably how the armored titan had ambushed them at the hospital.

"Hey, Nate", Brenda's voice drew him out of his thoughts.

"What's up?"

"I'm probably gonna need your help in Diamond City. I know some people in Goodneighbor, but I haven't been to Fenway since I was little."

He cocked an eyebrow. "The last time I was there, we sort of got kicked out."

"Oh I've heard the story", she replied, a small smile on her face. "Still, you've at least been there. Recently. And I know Preston thinks I can do this but I've never done anything like this before."

That's something the ex-soldier could understand. "We're all in unfamiliar situations", he said. "You'll learn pretty quick, you just have to make what you've got work the best it can." Nate shrugged. "Sometimes it doesn't go all that well, but it's the best we can do." He leaned forward and lowered his voice, cupping a hand over his mouth. "It's a lot better than shooting everything", he said in a stage whisper.

Brenda's smile grew wider and Cass snorted.

"But what if you're really good at shooting everything?"

The ex-soldier leaned back in his chair. "Then you bring mortals like us to deal with other people for you."

"Have you ever seen his face?" Cassandra asked.

"No."

"How do you know he's, you know, human then?"

Damon? Not human? He laughed. "It's definitely possible."

The teenager smiled. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks so."

As they spoke, the brick that had been hovering over the ex-soldier's head throughout the day felt like it got smaller until he could almost ignore it. The two of them were at least comfortable around him. That was a relief, especially with Cass. In all honesty, Nate had been avoiding her since she and Damon returned to Sanctuary. He wasn't sure how she'd react to him. Like Damon, if she despised him for what he'd done, he couldn't blame her. That would have hurt.

She didn't though. It felt like it had the few weeks he'd spent with her and Tommy in the Railroad's hideout under the church.

The same went for Brenda. She barely knew him. All she did know is he'd betrayed Damon. She wasn't as open as Cass, but she'd grown more comfortable throughout the day.

It might be because she doesn't know me. That was a possibility, but did it really matter? His concern shouldn't be whether they should trust him or not, it should be what he can do to earn their trust.

Dogmeat was… Dogmeat. He might have been stalking the store with Damon, but he was still friendly. Hell, the big German Shepherd was still downright happy every time he saw the ex-soldier.

Then again, he's a dog. Not like he knows what the infantryman had done.

The evening dragged on into night while the three of them talked quietly. At one point, Damon had stopped by again and handed Nate a piece of paper. It looked like he'd sketched several routes through the store to avoid traps.

Nate smiled. How thoughtful.

The SPARTAN hadn't said anything when he did, and the ex-soldier could feel the intensity of his stare through that omnipresent golden-yellow visor. Nate wouldn't be surprised if the otherworldly soldier could hear everything they were saying.

A lot of it was joking at Damon's expense.

Eventually, exhaustion began taking hold and, one by one, the three of them drifted off to sleep. Nate was the last man standing. Again, he was tempted to find Damon. And again, he decided against it. What was he supposed to say? The last few days were ones he'd been thinking about ever since the hospital. There were so many conflicting thoughts and emotions. Fear, happiness, relief, and anger. The SPARTAN was alive, and still kicking an unimaginable amount of ass.

But one of the people who'd been caught in the supersoldier's, admittedly, wide arc of violence was Grant. Despite how he felt about reuniting with Damon, that was still a sore spot. Not just for the others who'd come with him, but Nate as well.

How was he supposed to reconcile his desire, almost need to make amends with his friend with the fact his… indiscriminate attitude toward killing resulted in the death of a friend. That may be a little selfish considering how many people Damon has killed since they met, but he learned a long time ago he'd go insane if he worried about every person who died in combat.

As much as Nate wanted to figure it out, he knew he wouldn't do it sitting there. What he needed to do was sleep. A full day on the move was exhausting, but they still had a lot to do. Making it four miles through the city to Fenway would be even more difficult.

Then the hard part starts.

The ex-soldier climbed out of the chair he'd been sitting in, careful not to make too much noise, and settled against the wall opposite the door. The green glow of the chemical light would dim over the next few hours and be out by morning. He had another tucked in a pocket just in case.

Despite everything, an odd sense of peace settled over him. If there was anyone, besides maybe Cook, he'd want to watch his back in this hellhole, it's Damon.

A/N: So we're back on Nate's perspective. I hope the reason I decided to do that was clear in this chapter. Damon isn't the only one going through difficult times. It's always struck me odd how little the story of Fallout 4 paid attention to the Sole Survivor's history. The guy spent his entire adult life in the military. Just when he starts getting his life together, the world blows itself to hell. Add in the complications involved with how I've changed the story… So, we're just about back to the normal schedule. I'm still working on one last rewrite (chapter 62) so I'm gonna skip the first week of December, but after that, we're back to weekly posts. I'll see everyone next time!

Next Chapter: 12/9, Urbane Allies