Ash crawled out of the wreckage of the crashed vertibird. He reached forward and grabbed hold of a piece of metal that jutted out from the scaffolding. His blurred vision began to clear as the ringing in her ears faded away. He reached forward with his left arm, propelling his body slightly further out of the wreck. He groaned as he attempted to gather the strength to will himself to his feet. The ringing gradually disappeared but was quickly replaced by sirens. What the Hell happened? He asked himself.
Danse rushed past him and slammed his shoulder into a Brotherhood Knight. The knight rolled over the railing and plummeted out of view. Oh right. Ash thought to himself as Danse caught the butt of a laser rifle and turned the weapon on its previous master. We're on the Prydwyn
"Maxson!" Danse's cut through the air as Brotherhood soldiers swarmed into the loading area.
"You're telling me that the Brotherhood of Steel has written a protocol doctrine for this very situation?" Nathan asked.
"Not exactly, but it will work. These men and women have been indoctrinated to believe in the system." Danse replied.
"But Lyons did away with the original foundations, what changed?" James cut in. The three men stood in James's house in Sanctuary Hills. However, since many refugees had flocked to the settlement, sleeping bags filled the floor as refugees walked in and out looking for medical aid. James offered his house to them since he was no longer using it.
"When he reintegrated the Outcasts a few years ago."
"Dammit. I assume that was a condition?"
"Affirmative." James nodded and folded his arms across his chest.
"How are we going to get this thing to work then?" James asked. Nathan smirked as he flicked the Platinum Chip into the air with his thumb. It landed on the palm of his left hand and he closed his hand around it.
"Leave that," Nathan began "to me." He finished with a smirk.
A hand wrapped over Katherine's face, but she was ready. She pressed the barrel of James's 1911 against her attacker's abdomen. The hand removed itself. A light flicked on, momentarily blinding Katherine. Katherine's vision returned, revealing Dr. Madison Li standing hunched over Katherine's bed.
"Dr. Li, what are-" Katherine stammered. Dr. Li pressed a slender finger against Katherine's lips.
"Hush." Dr. Li said calmly. "We need to go. Now." She motioned for Katherine to follow as Dr. Li strode out of her room. Katherine nodded and rushed to the drawer by the window. Outside it stood the central elevator, Katherine always enjoyed seeing it as the first part of her morning. She opened the drawer and withdrew a small box with her wedding ring and James's shotgun. Why she kept it there, she doesn't know. But it felt right.
Katherine wandered into the empty hallway. Outside stood Madison Li with Nate standing next to her. Katherine nearly did a double-take after seeing Nate still alive after what Shaun did to him.
"N-?" Katherine began.
"No time." Dr. Li insisted. "Walk, I'll explain on the way." Katherine nodded and twisted a silencer onto her pistol.
"This is TR-8R. A new synth model based off of your deceased husband." Dr. Li spoke quickly.
"TR-8R?" Katherine asked. "Like Traitor?"
"I'm glad you have a penchant for humor. He said the same thing when I woke him." Dr. Li said, nodding her head towards the synth. Katherine gave Nate the once-over looking to see if this was the same man she knew as her husband.
"But Shaun-"
"Killed him? Yes." Dr. Li interjected. "He was very thorough. Your husband's genetic material was saved in order to further our research on cloning." The trio reached the end of the hallway. A door opened as Dr. Li waved a gray plastic card in front of what appeared to be a normal bolt in the wall. "I discovered this DIA closet the day I arrived. The Lone Wanderer handed it to me shortly before he died."
"Lone Wanderer?" Katherine asked. "James died?" Dr. Li looked at Katherine puzzled.
"Of course. He died back in 2277 at Project Purity. He gave up his life to save his son, James Jr." Dr. Li stated.
"But James said"
"Oh. So you have met him. He goes by that name now?" Dr. Li asked, bemused. "I figured that was a joke of Three Dog's. I assumed it wouldn't stick, but I do suppose it is fitting."
"What are you talking about?" Katherine asked. The elevator slowed to a stop at the basement.
"How do you think a name as cool as that was created?" Dr. Li asked with one of her rare smiles. "Junior doesn't have the creativity in him to make up such a name."
"Junior?"
"No matter. We must go."
"Go where?"
"Out. We are leaving."
"We?"
"I have seen enough of this place. Gathered enough intelligence."
"What?"
"I assume that is why you have come. You are with the Brotherhood of Steel, no?"
"Uh-"
"Hmm, Interesting." Dr. Li said as she typed furiously on the terminal. "Perhaps I was wrong about you."
"You!" a voice growled from behind. Katherine twisted to face the voice and raised her weapon as she did so. Nate had beaten her to the punch. Dr. Ayo stood, weapon poised to fire in the doorway.
"Well, look what we have here." He said with a smirk. "Looks like I don't have to find some way to kill you after all." Dr. Li ignored him and continued typing. "What do you think you're doing Madison? After what Father has given you? The chance you are throwing away by doing this?!"
"Subdue this man please." Dr. Li said quickly. Katherine aimed at Dr. Ayo's leg. He aimed at Dr. Li.
"Oh no you don't" he said through gritted teeth. Nate rushed forward, Ayo fired. The blue bolt slashed through Nate's arm, but he ignored it as if he had not felt it. He tackled Ayo into the wall cracking the white surface. Nate grabbed Ayo's firing arm as twisted it, creating a sickening cracking sound. Ayo began to scream but Nate smashed the man's head through the wall.
"That will leave a mark." Dr. Li commented. "I do suppose that does give the Gen 2s something to do now."
"Target neutralized." Nate said like a robot. He returned to a defensive pose and began to scan the room. The equipment, behavior, and mannerisms were the same but Katherine finally accepted that this thing standing in front of her was not her husband. Nate is dead. She finally accepted that single fact.
"It's done. The teleporter is active now." Dr. Li said. "We need to leave. Come." She affirmed. Katherine followed as Nate brought up the rear. Katherine followed Dr. Li into the blue column of energy and felt herself disintegrate. It looks like I do get to see you after all. James.
Ash smashed the bumper blade on the forehead of one of the armor-clad Brotherhood Knights. The helmet collapsed inward with a deafening thud before the man collapsed to his knees and stopped moving.
"This is Ash. South side terminals are secure."
"Good work, Ash." James responded. "Alpha, check in."
"Dusk, perimeter looks secure. Our assault on the Airstrip is about to commence."
"Colvin, in position. Looks like one of the Paladins are not having a good time down here on the field. I think he's sniffed out we're here."
"Understood. Hold position for Nathan's arrival." James replied.
"Wilco." Colvin replied.
"Glade, bridge is secure. No resistance." Ash perked up. The Bridge? No resistance? Why's that?
"Tristan here. Mess hall is cleared. Minimal resistance. Looks like our targets have bugged out."
"Any idea why?" Glade asked.
"Danse? Anything?"
"No response. I can loop back around. Check on his position?" Dusk said. Pause. Ash cleaned off the Blade of the East as he stared up into the full moon of the night. He sighed and realized that he was thinking of Yuri.
"No. We proceed as planned. Radio silence from here. You know what to do." James said as the radio cut off.
"Roger roger." Ash grunted as he slanted the blade against his back. He picked up his rifle and began to make his way to the airstrip. He saw the airstrip in the distance, its roof glinting off in the distance. Ash threw down his rifle and set up his spotting position. He dropped into a prone position and adjusted the sight. The gauss rifle whirred to life as Ash watched the Knights and Paladins patrolling in the distance. Overhead, the Prydwyn loomed ever the omnipresent sentinel. Ash sighed. They were going to bring it down. An explosion from the courtyard rocked the fround beneath Ash. The water shook and rippled as a blue field emerged from the airstrip.
"What the hell was that?!" Colvin asked.
"Shit, I think our cover's blown." Kodiak chipped in. Ash waved his rifle around, searching for a target. A huge metal hand shot out of the blue field as blue lightning erupted from the field.
"I have a visual on the target." Ash said. The shape materialized as it passed through the fog and energy field. "It looks like-"
"Liberty Prime." James suddenly interjected. "It's Liberty Prime."
"Liberty Prime Online." A voice boomed. Even across the bay, Ash heard the thunderous voice. "All systems nominal. Weapons hot. Mission: the destruction of any and all Chinese communists." A red ball glowed from the skull as Ash focused on the robot's head.
"Guys," he asked. "What's the plan?"