CHAPTER 40: MOVING ON.

The wanderers waited for a few long minutes just to make sure Demon didn't have any life left in it. Ezrah climbed on the massive chest and drove one of his arm blades in the heart area, hoping that would get rid of any doubts. Wayland finally got his strength back to walk with some of them staying close in case he felt weak again. Hiromi went beside the head and gave it a kick with his heel, stamping it hard enough to leave an imprint with his boot.

"God, what a day." Louis said to end the dead silence. Some of them muttered in agreement.

Wayland suddenly remembered Thaddeus and his lair, the fight had made him completely forget about everything up until now. "Wait! We have to find the scientist first!"

"Who?..." asked Radcliffe, not really showing an interest.

Wayland started marching at a quick pace to the nearest exit to retrace his steps back up to the lab. "There's no time! We can stop them if we hurry!" he said before disappearing into the dark hall.

"Dammit! We're in no condition for anymore fighting!" Doug stated with a slow pace to his steps.

The wanderers had no choice but to follow Wayland through the twists and turns of the dim halls. He picked up the pace with the others not too far behind, Cavall was the only one pacing a bit faster than them. After the last flight of steps that they needed to go up, Wayland slowed down so they could catch up and catch their breaths after realizing he wasn't the only one waking around with injuries or exhaustion.

"How...much...further?" Inez panted out, leaning against the wall for support.

"We're almost there." Wayland assured. "The lab is just down-"

A loud rumble shook the entire hall, the lights above flickered and bits of concrete dust rained down. The group reached for their guns out of reflex before seeing there was no danger coming for them.

"What the fuck was that?" Joe shouted out loud.

"That sounded like an explosion." Asimov simply stated.

"I don't like this. Let's move!" Ezrah stormed on ahead with Wayland following close beside.

They finally came up to the lab door and saw black smoke billowing out from the edges. Upon closer look they could see that the door had warped, one of the three hinges had broken from the frame. Ezrah grabbed the handle and pulled it open to be greeted by more black smoke that filled the hall. Everyone coughed and backed off as Ezrah went in, the filtration system turned on as soon as the internal sensor detected the smoke. The helmet light flicked on and barely lit through the darkness. Whatever was inside the room was completely destroyed, nothing but smoldering and melted items all around. He went in more, the light was only enough to see a few inches as he stepped over what he assumed was a table, a terminal, and something else he couldn't make out. He looked down and saw a far more darkened area that might have been the center of the explosion. The smoke cleared away enough for Louis to stick his head in and wave his arm around with the Pip-Boy ticking faintly.

"No doubt an explosion did this. But I'm not picking up any radiation. So whatever did this, it wasn't nuclear." He said to assure there was no danger.

The smoke finally cleared enough for them to start coming in, Wayland was the first to start looking around and found nothing, despite already figuring that out. Anything that Wayland and Ezrah hoped to find had literally gone up in smoke. Wayland walked out of the room with a deepening frown of defeat. Once in the hall he pounded the wall with the side of his fist before walking away to cool off for a bit.

After Wayland left they called it a day and spent the night inside the power plant since it was almost dark. First they took the time to rest for awhile and then broke off into small groups to start scavenging for ammo and supplies and anything else they could use. To their surprise they found plenty of ammo in a room that turned out to be a poorly organized armory, along with plenty of guns to spare, although a lot of them weren't in the best of conditions. They even found some ammo for those who had energy weapons, which surprised Ezrah because from his experience the Super Mutants he battled usually don't care much for energy weapons since they are hard to find as it is and take a lot of care to maintain. The room that acted as a makeshift medical area stank of blood, burnt flesh, filth and other things they couldn't figure out and probably didn't want to know. But despite the horrid smells they managed to find a number of useful medical supplies like bandages and gauze and some stimpaks that were thankfully unused.

Time ticked by as they found more things the Super Mutants had gathered over the years since they holed up in the power plant. It took hours before they finally regrouped, they picked the cafeteria as a place to go through the things they found since the room still had plenty of tables and was mostly untouched. They started an ever reliable barrel fire to help light the room more since all the old flickering lights weren't enough. Piles of ammo and other supplies littered the tables as they reloaded magazines and found new ones they could use. The more the better. Everything else was put away to sell while anything of great value was going to be taken by the settlers.

Joe was seated and looking at each bullet that was compatible with his guns, slowly twiddling each one with his fingers. "Anyone else find it strange the Super Mutants have a decent amount of supplies?" he asked while finding another bullet safe for his Webley.

"It's not unusual for some Super Mutants to actually be so organized with the things they find. Or in most cases...take." Ezrah sat at the other end of the table with his Power Armor standing stationary in the corner. "How they act varies from group to group. Some are very organized with a strong chain of command, and some are small clutters running around with pieces of wood or pipes as their only weapons."

Radcliffe sat not too far from them, but on a folding chair with his legs resting on the end of the table. "I don't care how organized they are. The only thing that matters to me is that they can die."

"I hope that doesn't include Wayland." Inez said to him from across the room. "He's fought his own kind right along side us. In case you forgot."

The Raider glanced over to her. "I didn't mean it that way. He's cool by me..."

"Hey, we all did our fair share in this fight today." said Louis as he finished loading a magazine for his AN-94. "We saved hundreds of people and put an end to this place making more Super Mutants. So I think it was worth the aches and pains we're probably gonna have in the morning."

"I'll say..." Chloe agreed, rubbing her shoulder.

Hiromi finished checking his equipment and placed his rifle down on the table. "I just hope everyone got home safely. Moving that many people in the open is never safe."

"Better than what was about to happen to them a few hours ago." Victoria said to him. "We literally got them out of their cells moments before the gas went off."

Louis looked at his Pip-Boy strapped to his wrist, thinking back to the plug clamp he used and when it seemed to know what he wanted. "Yeah, it was a close call. Let's hope we never have to do anything like that again." He quicky regretted his words when he saw Vic's face, thinking he was talking about her. The look of shame in herself for not being able to help much. He turned away and looked at his device again as an idea came to mind on how to help with her illiteracy.

Soft thudding footsteps came from the hall as they turned and found Wayland standing at the entrance. "Hey, everyone." he spoke low and walked to a single chair that seemed it would support his weight and sat down. It creaked for a moment so he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees to take some of the weight off. "Sorry if I made you all worry, I just needed some time to myself."

Ezrah pulled up a chair of his own and sat down right across from him. "Wayland, I know you've been through a lot. But I need get your side of the story in all this. Only you know more than anyone."

Wayland shifted in his seat. "I know. That's why I came back. This is what happened when I was captured..."

It took an hour to tell his story. He told them of his fight against the Super Mutants while keeping out the part of his radiation power. Then about the unusual Super Mutants called ogres that took him down and dragged him off to the lab. Followed by what he saw inside the lab to the best of his abilities from what he could remember. Finally he told them about Thaddeus, the scientist and Al, the albino Super Mutant. Everyone stayed quiet until Wayland finished telling what transpired, the last part he told them was when Thaddeus let him go and there was no need to tell anything else beyond that point.

Ezrah ran a gloved hand through his spiky blonde hair, his mind racing with questions. "I...I don't believe it. This can't be true!" he wanted to ask Wayland more questions, but wasn't sure what to ask. "There's actually someone helping the Super Mutants? And that albino from earlier, I've never seen one like that before."

"He was nothing like the others at all." Wayland said. "He was a lot like me."

"Yes, a sentient type." Ezrah leaned back in his seat in thought. "They're rare, but I've never heard of an albino. Could that scientist have created it?"

"Whoever or whatever it is, it was a true asshole." Louis rubbed his sore throat with his fingers, remembering when Al held them by the necks. "It was taking us to the gas chambers before you guys found us." he lowered his hand to pat Cavall on the head, his tail already wagging with excitement. "And thank you for tearing that big jerk up for us, boy."

"That bastard was having fun straggling." Victoria said, wondering if Louis and her were gonna have bruises. "Any harder and he would have broken them."

Chloe crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "So from what we've seen and learned, there's a strange man with an albino Super Mutant, and other strange ones called ogres? And somehow they've been living here with a full science lab? I gotta say, this is way more than we signed on for."

"And we still don't know what they were really doing." Joe reached for a smoke in his pocket. "I'm no genius on genetic engineering, but I get the feeling this Thaddeus is responsible for whatever the hell happened to that leader."

"Joe's right, it had to be that man." Louis said. "From what Wayland described, all that equipment sounds a lot like things I can find back in my Vault in the science lab."

"But the real question is where did he get all that stuff?" Inez said next. "Any of that equipment is next to impossible to come by in working condition and worth a fortune in caps. And this guy just blew it up? That's insane!"

"She has a point." Asimov agreed. "Someone who can come across equipment like that must be well connected."

"Fuck, what did we step in now?" Doug asked himself, knowing Louis wouldn't let something like this go.

Most of what they said went over Hiromi's head. In the end he only cared about the threat to his colony finally gone. "I think for now we should focus on another issue. We've found out there's other Super Mutants bringing in people, and they don't know their leader and the rest are dead. As soon as we get back, I'm gonna put together a task force and set up ambush points to take them out and rescue any of their captives."

"He's right." agreed Ezrah. "If they come back and find none of their kin waiting for them, then I fear their captives will end up becoming their next meals."

"Wait, Super Mutants eat people?..." Radcliffe asked as he looked to Wayland while scooting away in his seat.

Wayland took offense to that and frowned at him. "I don't eat people!"

"We can deal with this once we return to the settlement." Ezrah stood up from his seat. "I doubt any Super Mutants will be coming back tonight or tomorrow. So let's get some sleep and head out at first light before they decide to send people to look for us."

"Ezrah's right, enough has happened for one day." Louis said as he went towards Wayland. "But first we need to tend to you and your lack of...well...everything." he gestured his hand out to the fact he was almost naked.

"Yeah, what's the story behind that, Wayland?" Doug asked.

"My armor was torn to pieces when they caught me." Wayland looked down at his body, the only thing that was left was a ragged pair of old leather hide pants that only went a little past his knees. "Where am I gonna get new armor?"

Louis grinned to that. "Follow me. We found something of interest that I think can help you."

Louis and Wayland, along with Doug, Victoria, Inez, Cavall, Joe, and even Ezrah, who left his Power Armor behind but brought his laser rifle for protection and headed to the place they discovered earlier while the rest stayed behind. They went down some flights of stairs and a few halls until the group came upon a dark room. Louis flipped the switches and the lights came on a few at a time, some crackled with electricity or popped sparks but stayed on with a light hum.

The room was easy to figure out once anyone looked inside. It was littered with sets of armor, or pieces that was in the process being made. The materials were just as diverse, they saw countless types of metal taken from all over. Some were almost new looking while others were so rusted that they could crumble to dust. The other materials consisted of rubber from vehicle tires of many sizes. Along with leather and bones used as armor pieces, ceramic, plastic, vehicle parts and even some ballistic fiber from body armor but torn into pieces. There was also material to hold the armor together like wires and bolts, ropes and chains, and several brands of super glue and nylon thread.

As they walked in, the group couldn't help but admire the vast resources laying before them. Ezrah looked around and picked up a piece of metal in the shape of a shoulder part off a nearby table and looked it over. When they discovered the room earlier, his first thoughts were to tell Hiromi about it, no sense in letting it all go to waste. He knew the settlement needed every bit of useful materials they could get.

"Look at all this stuff!" Louis commented. "There's enough scrap to make armor for a few dozen or more people!"

Cavall sniffed around the room, checking everything over one at a time. The smell of filth was thick in the room, almost overwhelming the large canine. He found a torso armor in the corner and lift his leg to piddle on it.

Inez found a table with some tools and picked up a hammer and screwdriver. "I get the feeling that scientist also helped them find and gather all this stuff."

Victoria sat on the corner of a nearby table. "I hate to say it, but it's amazing how resourceful these Super Mutants are."

"I suppose they are." Joe looked at an incomplete body armor with human skulls mounted around the neck area. All of them the skulls of little kids. "Like a bunch of sadistic vultures."

Wayland went over to another long table and started grabbing pieces of armor while looking them over. "This is perfect, I can make anything I want with this stuff!" he said with a big smile, eager to put his skills back to work after so long. "It's been forever since I last did any metalwork."

"You actually know metalwork?" Ezrah asked intrigued. "You continue to surprise me."

"And I'm excited to help build you a new pair of armor." Inez said as she rolled up a welding tank and began to unravel the tube. "I've always wanted to get into making body armor. I could only fix so many things back at Garry's shop before it got boring..."

"And I got some ideas too." Louis decided to stay and help. "The more hands, the better."

Doug walked up to him. "I'll help as well." he looked at Louis, in truth he had some questions to ask him. "As you said, the more hands, the better."

"Then work safe." Joe said with a wave. "I'm gonna catch some sleep. Don't be up too late."

"He's right. We leave at first light." Ezrah said before they turned and headed out the room.

"Have fun." Victoria waved as Cavall followed beside her.

Once they left, Inez cracked her knuckles outward and went to work, happy to get started after days upon days of being on the road. They started by taking measurements of Wayland, there was plenty of tape measurers for them to use. Louis jot the measurements down on an old notepad, one that was frayed from age but didn't fall apart as he wrote. They started with leather and fabric to go under the new armor while Wayland started gathering metal parts and began working them using a metal press and his own strength as Inez started drawing out armor patterns, using the measurements they took.

Louis and Doug went to the far end of the room to gather tools. At that point Doug made Louis tell him everything that happened during his rescue of the captives and to chew him out a bit for going off on his own in the first place.

"And so after that the clamp closed back up and the Pip-Boy cable plug went back to normal as if it never happened." Louis finished explaining, showing him the plug and rubbing his thumb on the metal point. "And I don't know how to make it happen again."

Doug stood speechless for a moment. "Shit, are you sure this Pip-Boy didn't come with a user manual?"

Louis looked back at it. "I wish it did." he went back to gather materials. "This is getting more complicated than I thought it would be. Besides the constant dangers of the Wasteland, I'm beginnin' to think we've gotten in way over our heads by following this signal."

"Yeah, I've been saying that since day one." agreed Doug. "But no turning back now, right? Can't go home empty-handed or your Overseer will never let you leave the Vault again."

"If that happens will you come visit me?" Louis asked with a small smirk. "I suppose it can't be helped. I know this sounds reckless and irresponsible, but I'm sure I'll figure this thing out."

"It is reckless and irresponsible." Doug agreed again. "But I guess it's your only option until you figure out how that thing works."

"Yeah, I guess so." Louis sighed and started carrying the pieces over to the table where Inez and Wayland worked.

Hours started to tick by with the sounds of metal being hammered and drilled, machines pressing and bending, and a side project that Louis and Doug came up with. Finally, a bit passed midnight, they finished Wayland's new armor with a few surprises for the rest of their team. The four arrived to find everyone still awake for the most part since the wanderers were used to sleeping in shifts besides Radcliffe.

Louis was the first to enter the room and get their attention. "Glad you guys are up. We just wanted to show you Wayland's new and greatly improved armor!"

Just as he stepped aside, Wayland stepped in with his new armor lightly clattering. He stood like a wall of metal, all of it polished up for a cleaner look. They kept the design simple, mostly because all the metal they used was scrap pieces anyway. The armor covered Wayland's body from around the neck and down to his new leather wrapped and banded boots. His new pants were made of dark fabric stitched together with leather patches on the outside with a big belt to hold it up. He had a new loose shirt with sleeves down to the elbows and made of the same materials as his pants with big gloves made out of industrial grade ones. Each piece of armor was fitted and shaped for his burly body and fastened together with cords and bolts underneath with padding for comfort and straps to take the armor off. At his waist hanged a helmet made from sheet metal and padded on the inside and fit his head snugly, it had a big slit for the eyes and several slits for the mouth and a few holes on the sides for the ears.

Joe gave him a thumbs up. "Lookin' good, big guy."

"I'll say..." Radcliffe woke up just in time to see his new armor. "It's always good to get behind someone who's got a lot of armor on."

"I think what Radcliffe means is that we're glad you don't have to walk around completely uncovered." Asimov stated plainly.

"And we whipped up something else." Inez carried something in her arms and placed them down on a nearby table and held one of them up. "We made some body armor for you guys. We used ballistic material scraped from old police vests."

"Although we had to use what we had on hand." Doug came in carrying the rest. "So we couldn't make one for everyone. Basically this is more or less a patchwork so don't expect this stuff to protect you like Power Armor."

Victoria laid against Cavall's side like a massive pillow. "They look thin enough to wear under or clothes. That way it won't look so obvious from afar."

I got my combat armor, so I'm good on that." Chloe said.

"And I like what I got." Radcliffe leaned back in the seat he was sleeping on. "I made it myself, piece by piece."

"And you're still alive? That's amazing..." Joe spoke sarcastically.

"Shove it, burnt leather..." Radcliffe responded with his middle finger up high.

Louis stretched his arms up and spoke before the two started going at it again. "Well it was a fun night of making Wayland a new set of armor. So I'm turning in."

"Inez is already ahead of you..." Asimov said to them. She fell asleep at the table where she sat, head down with her hands under her face, snoozing lightly. "You all should get some rest before the night is over."

"I'll stand watch for a bit." Wayland held his hand up. "I'm still wide awake."

The wanderers soon drifted off into a deep sleep quite quickly, only Wayland and Asimov stood watch. Ezrah sat against the wall with his back to it near his Power Armor, training gave him the discipline to sleep in rough environment and to awaken quickly when there was too many sudden noises. The butt of his laser rifle rested between his crossed legs with the barrel laying against his right shoulder, ready for him to grab.

Wayland's real reason for staying up was because his mind raced with questions of what he discovered. He never really wondered about how he came to be, but now after everything he witnessed it was all he could think about. It was clear he wasn't any normal Super Mutant, an unknown strain and the only man with any answers was long gone. The only thing he could do for now is wait and see if Thaddeus and Al would come after him at some point in the Wasteland.

April 9/2296

Day came and the wanderers woke up as the sun was rising. Wayland barley got any sleep from thinking all night but still got ready like the rest. He adjusted his armor and secured his weapons, the ammo backpack of his minigun took a few attempts to make it comfortable, along with his quad-barrel missile launcher and sledgehammer hanging from his back and the AK-47 strap hanging over his shoulder. The wanderers threw on their vests under their clothes and headed out, leaving the power plant behind, happy that they will never see it again. They walked at a steady jog, keeping their eyes out for danger as always. Soon they came across the body of the first Behemoth they killed, showing that they were almost halfway back. They could tell that creatures picked at the Behemoth's body through the night as the crows pecking on its back flew away upon seeing them approach but would soon return once they were gone.

About a mile from the colony they spotted a number of people coming their way. It was reinforcements, and most of those that came with them were in the lead. Once they saw the group returning they stopped and stood surprised for a moment before cheering their safe return before turning back. Not long after they finally came upon colony and given a hero's welcome by everyone else, including the hundreds they freed. All cleaned up with new clothes and already settling in to their new home.

That day the settlers celebrated with a large but modest party, for both their freedom from the Super Mutants threat and to welcome those who were saved. Just about everyone went to Super-Duper mart for the celebration. Before the wanderers could join in, Hiromi had the armory spare as much ammo and supplies as they could for them as a reward for everything they've done. After that they joined in, many of the people bombarded the wanderers with questions about the entire battle. Radcliffe had the biggest crowd around him, he had them buy him beers as he told the story, a greatly embellished story, all the while becoming more drunk with each passing minute. Many meals were made to feed everyone, they had to dip into their reserves but it was worth it to them.

Ezrah left his Power Armor in his room and joined in on the celebration. He sat down on a chair and watched as the people he protected over a year finally be at peace and look forward to a brighter future. Hiromi came and sat down next to him on another chair.

"I don't remember the last time I saw everyone so happy." He began to say. "After everything I never thought we would ever have peace. Sure the Wasteland still has its dangers, but we can finally build towards something good."

"And I'm glad you all can be happy once more. We've avenged everyone you all lost." Ezrah said as he looked to his left and spotted Wayland in the crowd with several people talking to him. "If I recall, you said you wanted Wayland gone the second this is over, right?"

Hiromi sighed and looked towards the Super Mutant. "Yeah, I remember. But after everything he did, I'm willing to let it go." He spotted the children that looked up to Ezrah wandering around in the crowd, wanting to get to know the wanderers more. "I take it you will be leaving us soon. They will miss you, you're their knight in shining Power Armor."

Ezrah knew the day to leave would come sooner or later. "I wish I could stay, I do. But I have to keep moving. I can't help others by staying here. That's what I believe the Brotherhood of Steel should be."

"Well, if you ever find yourself in these parts again you're more than welcomed here." Hiromi leaned back in his seat and continued to watch everyone celebrate.

"You'll all do great. I know you will." Ezrah smiled and leaned forward in his seat as the kids finally came towards him to ask endless questions about the battle.

Ezrah felt sad for having to leave so soon. But he had to keep moving in case the Brotherhood was after him for taking the new Power Armor and abandoning them. But first he was going to ask the wanderers what they were really doing out in the Wasteland.

Hours went by until it was late in the afternoon. The celebration died down and everyone went back to their usual rounds and tasks while getting the new people settled in places to live. The wanderers had spent their time getting ready to leave but decided to stay another night to rest a little more. During that time word of Ezrah getting ready to leave also went around, many of them came to sat their goodbyes or tried to convince him to stay to no avail.

Around that time, Victoria headed back to their room after Louis told her to meet him there in an hour to talk about something important. She gave the door a small knock to alert him before walking in and found him sitting at the table with his trench coat hanging on a nearby peg.

"I'm here, what did you want to talk about?" She asked walking over.

He stayed quiet for a moment, he spent over an hour thinking about what to say as he gathered the things he needed. He didn't want to offend her or make her feel stupid. "I know you felt bad for not being able to help me back in the power plant. But I want you to know I was never mad or upset with you. I know people with any reading or writing skills is rare out here." At a young age he was told that any form of education was scarce in the Wasteland. Most people could only learn in settlements with what little they had and the rest only worried about surviving to see the next day. "And if you want, I can teach you how."

Louis pulled out a thick notepad he got from one of the trade stands. They were happy to give him the supplies he asked for as thanks, because now that the Super Mutants were gone they hoped to start trade routes. He placed the notepad down and then placed a few colored pens next to it.

Victoria walked over reluctantly before pulling back her seat and sat down. "I don't know if I can, it's been so long since I started learning how."

"Nonsense, we'll take it step by step." Louis said while opening the notepad, inside he already wrote down the alphabets with both higher and lower cases. "I'm no teacher, but I can teach you everything I know." he picked up the blue pen and began to write. "We'll start with something simple, your name, here's how to spell it. V-i-c-t-o-r-i-a. E-v-a-n-s. Victoria Evans. All names start with a capital letter. Now you try it, take your time."

Victoria took the pen and turned the notepad around and started to write. Slow at first, trying to keep the letters within the faded lines and trying to mimic Louis' handwriting until she finished. A small smile appeared on her face as she looked at her name. It was a tad messy but it was a good enough start. "I can't remember the last time I ever wrote something. It's so strange to see my name on paper."

"And you'll get better as you practice. There's no need to rush it, you two can learn as we go." Louis said as he took the notepad back and started writing. "We'll start with some easy words."

"Wait, the two of us?"

As if on cue, Radcliffe walked in with a slight stagger. It was almost night and he was working off an early hangover from drinking all day. "Fuck, sleepin' tonight is gonna be a bitch. I'm here by the way..."

"Radcliffe, nice to see you finally arrive." Louis expected he would take his time.

"And half drunk..." Victoria said quietly.

"Hey, be glad I showed up at all." He said while walking over. "I don't see what good learning to read is gonna do. Can't eat it, can't kill anyone with it. So why should I bother?"

"Because for all you know, learning how to read might help you with something." Louis answered. "You might even enjoy it if you just try. We'll start the same way I did with Victoria. Spelling your name. R-a-d-c-l-i-f-f-e. Radcliffe. do you have a last name?"

The Raider sat down at the table. "It's just Radcliffe. Where I came from we didn't even have those last names."

"It's called a surname." He told him.

"What's the point of a 'surname' anyway?"

"It's how families could stay together. There was a time when common people didn't have it, but as time went on while civilizations developed and populations grew, families began taking surnames." Louis explained briefly.

"Are we learning how to read or gettin' a history lesson?" Radcliffe asked, growing impatient.

"Speaking of last names, I don't think I know you and Doug's last names." Victoria pointed out.

"You don't?..." It suddenly dawned him that he and Doug haven't told any of them their last names. "Huh, I never noticed. But I guess it doesn't hurt to know how to spell all our names. My full name is Louis Darwin. And Doug's last name is Wake." He spelled the names out and showed it to them.

"Write out everyone else." Victoria said. "I want to know how to spell their names."

"Not a problem." Louis went at it right away. "Although I don't know Joe's full name. I don't think that's his real name."

"Best not to ask." Radcliffe said. "Ghouls from before the war usually don't like to talk about their old lives."

"Right, we'll just stick with Joe for now, which is very easy to spell." Louis finished writing down everyone's name on the page. "Okay, now that you guys have seen all our names, let's start with memorizing and writing our alphabets. And once you two get that down we can start with words."

They spent the next few hours practicing until everyone finally turned in for the evening to get up early to start back on following the signal.

April 10/2296

The day came and the wanderers prepared themselves to leave, they packed up their new supplies and said goodbye to the many people that wished them well. As they made their way to the gates of the settlement, Ezrah soon came softly marching to them. The Gatling laser magnetized to his back on the right side and within reach along with a big duffle bag filled with supplies hanging from the back of his waist. He held the laser rifle in his left hand with the barrel slung over his shoulder. He even polished it up a bit last night as he often does.

"I see you all are ready to leave." He said to the wanderers.

"Yeah, we wanted to get an early start." Louis replied. "Places to go and such..."

"I see..." Ezrah nodded as he saw Hiromi and several others approach him.

"We're sad to see you go. All of you." Hiromi said to Ezrah and the wanderers. "But you will always be welcomed here. So safe travels to you all."

"And good luck to you all as well." Ezrah replied. He looked to Hiromi's side and saw the children who followed him around, all with sad frowns and one even on the verge of tears. "I best say goodbye to them as well." He positioned his Power Armor before it went still in place and opened. Ezrah stepped out and paced over and kneeled down to their eye level.

"Do you really have to go?..." Sid, the lead of the young band asked him.

"We...we want you to stay..." Emily said next.

Wally wiped the tears brimming at his eyes. "You protected us, this can be your new home."

The other kids said their heartfelt pleas for him to stay, along with a few more kids saying anything they could think of. Once more he really wished he could stay, but it really wasn't possible. The last thing he wanted was the settlement to get involved with him and any ugly business with the Brotherhood if they found him.

"Kids...there's nothing I want more than to stay here." Ezrah began to say, having a hard time finding the right words. "But what happened here, what you all have been through, things like this still go on in the Wasteland and much worse. That's why I have to move on, so I can help others to live a good life in this harsh world. Knowing that you are safe is what gives me the strength to go on. And who knows, perhaps we'll see each other again one day, and I'll look forward to the people you grow up to be..."

Before Ezrah knew it, Sid threw his small arms around his neck and held tight. He smiled and returned the hug, the other kids came in and hugged him tight to the point that he needed to loosen them to breath.

"He sure has a way with children..." Louis commented to his friends.

"They're really gonna miss him." Victoria said in agreement.

"I'll admit he was a good alley to have on our side."Doug said next.

After the kids finally let go, Ezrah said his goodbyes to them and found Hiromi with his hand out to shake it before returning to his armor. After their firm handshake, Hiromi went down the line of wanderers, shaking their hands as well. Even Cavall joined in as he playfully held up his massive right paw as Hiromi passed by. Finally he came across Wayland and stood there for a moment. The Super Mutant thought he was going to say something unpleasant before Hiromi held out his hand out to him. That gesture took Wayland by surprise before he reached out his armor clad hand and shook it in kind. Their shake was a bit awkward, Wayland's hand was massive and Hiromi looked like a baby holding its parent's hand.

The crowd watched the wanderers and Ezrah leave, waving to them as the gate slowly closed behind with only their voices reaching over the walls. They walked for a bit down the street until the settlement was far in the distance. The wanderers noticed right away that Ezrah was still following right behind them steadily.

"Anyone notice that metal man is following us?" Radcliffe finally spoke to break the silence.

"Yes, Radcliffe, we noticed that too..." Chloe said with a sigh.

The wanderers stopped and turned to him. "So are you followin' us or just happen to be going the same way we are?" Joe asked him while fishing around in his coat pocket for a smoke.

Ezrah stopped and thought about how to approach this. "It's true, I am following you because I'm curious to know where you all are heading."

"Like we said, places to go and such." Doug spoke a bit defensively.

"Like following the signal on your Pip-Boy?" He asked while looking to it around Louis' wrist.

A worried look went across Louis' face as he lifted his arm. "How do you know about that?"

"Forgive me, I didn't want to cause any concerns." Ezrah held his Power Armor hand up. "It's just that night I heard you talking about it."

"You mean eavesdropping?" Radcliffe asked.

"Eavesdropping implies intent. I overheard. And I simply wanted to know why you all are following it."

Louis looked back to his friends for a moment. "Why do you want to know what we're doing?"

"I ask because you're all out in the Wasteland, following a signal, that, from the sound of it, you don't even know what it is." Ezrah answered. "And I know for a fact that America alone is filled with secrets long forgotten and buried. And many people search for them to use them for whatever purpose, usually terrible things. And that's why I want to know if the signal you're following has anything to do with it."

Louis thought over Ezrah's words for a few minutes and looked to his friends as if they could tell him what they're thinking just by their faces. "The truth is I don't know what's at the end. Or even how far away it still is. This trip started with just me and Doug from our homes in Maine before everyone you see here came along at some point. All I know is a strange alarm went off at my Vault, which the supercomputer revealed this Pip-Boy in a hidden storage compartment that nobody knew about and for some reason I'm the only one that can get it to work. And even I still don't know what this thing is capable of. It's an unknown model and every now and then it does something odd. So as I said to Doug, we're kinda irresponsibly diving into the unknown."

"I...see..." that amount of information made Ezrah's head spin for a moment. "That's a lot to take in. But if that's the case, if it's a weapon or something like that, what do you plan to do with it?"

"We'll get rid of it." Doug answered before Louis could. "No matter what it is. A weapon, a nuke, something biological or whatever you can think of, if it's dangerous, we'll stop it."

Ezrah stood still as a statue as he thought everything over. "It's rare to see such selflessness, especially from so many people in one group. I could tell this wasn't your first time helping others in need. That's why if it's okay with all of you, I want to join and find what's at the end of the signal. If you'll have me. I can help you and others along the way."

Louis was surprised by the offer and couldn't help but answer right away. "I don't mind at all if you come along. That is if it's okay with everyone else."

"We're doing this again?" Doug said. "Sure, why not? Come along."

"There is strength in numbers." Chloe stated. "At this rate we're gonna be our own mercenary group."

"And the bigger the group, the bigger the targets." Joe said to himself.

"I'm cool with it. A guy in a big metal armor, I can get behind that." Radcliffe winked while pulling out a flask and screwed it open. "Well, I've heard worse excuses to drink. So here's to you!" He then started slowly gulping it down.

"Like you need an excuse to drink..." Inez scoffed at him.

Wayland was also happy Ezrah was coming along. "I also think it's good he's coming. We're stronger together."

Asimov raised his hand up before speaking. "You know, we should start moving again to keep ahead of time. Now that we've added one more to the group."

"He's right, we'll give Ezrah the full welcome later today." Louis said while checking the direction of the signal. "It's pointing this way. If we're lucky we can reach the next state in a day or two."

"Lead the way." Ezrah said, and they did just that.

The sun shined on them as they moved, Ezrah was glad he could leave the settlement knowing it was in good hands and finding a new purpose to drive him through the harsh Wasteland while helping those in need. And now he could move on to his next journey with new allies, wondering where traveling with them will take him next.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

The power plant had an eerie, if not haunting silence to it now that all the Super Mutants were dead. The bodies already had many flies starting to come in droves to feast on the rotting flesh. Demon's body was still in a pool of its dried blood. The fight had left the area horribly damaged, chunks of concrete everywhere and damaged equipment ruined beyond use. Water dripped from the ceiling throughout the night, leaving a large puddle of water streaming across the floor.

Just then something broke the dead silence. A shallow splash echoed in the room, as if something fell into the big puddle. But there was nothing that fell in. Another shallow splash came as something that looked like a boot print spread the water apart yet there was still nothing visibly there. More splashing came at the pace of someone walking through the water as the next splash came with the sound of electric crackling.

A boot became visible then, the visibility slowly traveling up the leg as another boot became visible with a trail of electricity going up the legs. Soon the waist became visible, followed by the body, then the arms and finally the head as the person came to a stop several feet away from Demon's massive body.

The person standing there was a man, as one could tell from his physique. His body was covered from head to toe in a form fitting material, light black with tiny square patterns. Dark gray armor plating covered the body but was much lighter at the joints for flexibility and movement. Each piece of armor was intricately mechanical with parts shifting and sliding on the surface. Small flat dials spun at a slow pace at various junctions of the plating. A complex system of wiring and cybernetic implants connected the armor and body suit together, making it fit naturally like skin. The head was covered in armor as well with a black visor over the eyes and round dials at the ears. The covering over the face had no distinct features or designs, making its blank expression far more intimidating than one would think at first. On the back, connected by a small mechanical arm system was a long rectangular casing that covered the spine plating down the back. At the top was two hilts with a rubbery grip texture, making the casing a kind of strange sheath. A smaller, similar rectangle sheath rested against the side of the left leg, housing a smaller blade. On the back of the waist was another rectangle box that was slightly thicker but didn't show if there was anything in it.

The person took another silent step with only the barely audible whir and clicks of his mechanical armor. He turned his head slightly, looking at the fallen body of Demon and tapped a finger against the round dial on the right side of his head. It opened with a slight hiss as a thin wire reeled out with a flat rectangular piece at the top. The visor over his eyes displayed a number of diagnostic scans and scrolling information, including a sort of satellite signal connecting him to his contact.

"Saber reporting in." He spoke with a chilling voice mixed with a synthesizer tone. He was the very same person that found Alden dying in a building. "It's as you thought. Thaddeus and Al are nowhere inside the power planet. I believe they had fled, but I don't fully know the cause. He will most likely contact us as soon as he is settled in one of the fallback bases." The strange man looked around again as if expecting to find something. "Also, I haven't found the one carrying the signal. The last time it pinged, it came from here just the other day. What are your orders?..."

The one called Saber stood still, listening carefully to his next orders. Only he could hear who spoke to him on the other side thanks to his cybernetic implants in his head and ears.

"Yes...Yes...Yes...I understand...Yes...I will...And if I track down the one carrying the signal?" He listened for a minute before answering. "I understand. I will observe and report what I find..."

"Okay, let's start setting up. Hiromi wants the first squad to gather any usable resources while the rest begin setting up attack points." A male voice said from down the hall. "Hiromi and Ezrah believe that more Super Mutants transporting prisoners could be coming back here. We're gonna wait for them to arrive and ambush them."

Saber turned his head sharply as he heard more people speaking to each other. "I hear voices coming down the hall." he reached for the hilt of one of his blades and pulled it out a few inches. The hilt had a guard that blended in with the dark gray blade. The edge started to glow a faint blue. "How should I proceed?" A few seconds passed before he sheathed the blade back in. "Understood. I will continue on."

After that his link disconnected and the antenna retracted back into his helmet. Saber looked down at Demon's body one more time before turning away. Electricity crackled across his body before fading from sight. There was no shimmer like from a Stealth Boy, no waft of ozone, just complete invisibility with no sound to his footsteps like before.

The settlers in the power plant had no idea of the silent death that could have ended them all.