A:N/ Lost count of how long it's been since I last posted on here. I think it was pre-covid if memory serves but I could be wrong. The sad part is that I've been working on stories, very slowly, this entire time but progress has been painfully slow. A lot has happened and I burned out in numerous ways.

In February 2020, I decided that I was going to write a bit of this story a day to get through it before moving onto other projects. This worked out really well, as you can see, given that it's nearly 3 years later. I wanted to finish this one off first as it's the one I found toughest to write or at least stay motivated to write. I don't regret starting this story but I didn't know if I'd ever finish it, were I not to make myself finish it by making it my number 1 priority. So I did.

I'll be adding chapters every week and trying to write chapters of Masters of War inbetween. I'd love to finish both of these as I'm eager to move on to post Fallout 4 stories.

Thank you for all of the feedback on my stories, during this time. It's really made me want to come back and finish what I started, all the more./

Self important Brotherhood drama... Hardin's favourite.

Honestly, he thought the Wanderer was up himself but these guys gave him pause. Still, he agreed with their point. Less weapons out there, the safer the people. After all, most of it ended up in the hands of the supermutants or raiders after a bit or even Talon Company.

He respected the sides of the Brotherhood that others didn't... the more conservative side made more sense to him. He didn't want a police force, who had no idea what they were doing. Megaton could police itself and any settlement that can't either doesn't need a police force or can die out.

Collecting the supplies and fighting the big threats? That's a job for an army. Maxson was completely right, no single settlement had it in them to fight the Mutant threat. The only man crazy enough to try would be Denis Callaghan but he was everything he hated about Lyon's Carebear approach to the Brotherhood of Steel.

Now they played the 'waiting game,' seeing if Arthur's speech was enough to win them over. Hardin doubted it but he wasn't a soldier. Maybe that's all it took to win over these bucket headed idiots. Maybe he needed more umph to it.

In those old movies him and his Pa watched, about the Old World army guys, there was always one strong jawed, chocolate boxed hair army hero who would give some rousing speech that won everyone over. It was the sort of thing that Denis could do... Something that seemed implausible to him as a very young boy and dangerous to him as a man.

He heard Jynx approach from behind, prompting him to glare down at her, she seemed rather anxious about this whole thing, moreso than him.

"Do you think it'll work?"

"Dunno." Hardin admitted, looking ahead. He'd been leaning against this wall for some time now, staring at the bit of corridor opposite, half heartedly trying to figure out what the shapes resembled.

"Do you?"

"These people are crazy... half crazed at least, been living out here for about five years now, chasing their weird cult ideals. I dunno if I want them at my back." Jynx admitted, quietly of course, not wanting to attract the attention of the crazy.

"I'd have anyone with a gatling laser or two by my side in this mess." Hardin shrugged, he'd side with Raiders to kill these mutants, another attack on Megaton like that could kill them, he wasn't risking that.

"Not at my back though... Maybe in front."

"Wasters!" Arthur called as he approached, buried in his leather battle coat as usual. It was a bit big for him but he seemed to be intent on growing into it.

"Please don't call us that." Jynx sighed, not liking that it made them sound like a pair of junkies or something.

They also had a home... A real one.

"Sherriff and Deputy then, I have news on our alliance with the Outcasts. They have requested that we meet with them at the heart of Fort Independence for a war room strategy meeting."

"Nice, we'll be... needed, why?" Hardin asked, not really caring for this bullshit. He wasn't a soldier or a strategist.

"You've fought them, first hand. You'll be able to tell them about what they have, report how they attacked the city and how you killed the Titan. You are the only one on record who has ever bested one in combat."

"Mrgh, fine." Hardin sighed, pushing himself up, so he was fully on his feet.

"Let's get to it."

This place wasn't the citadel, that much was clear to Hardin.

It was a bombed out office block, that you wouldn't even let your worst enemy shit in and yet these people were willing to fight to the death for it.

There was a lot of posturing and grimacing from the Outcasts, like animals marking their territory. It was almost endearing.

They entered the War Room, which was the biggest bombed out shit hole in the bombed out shit hole that they had. Maxson lead them through, standing up tall, with that look of self importance that only someone who was told they were some sort of Jesus figure from the second they fell out of the womb could have. Some kids acted like brats, even when they weren't bigged up like this. Christ knows why one would stroke an ego this much.

Hardin, Dirga, Kyu and Jynx followed in behind him. Few of them sharing Maxson's bravado or confidence.

A handful of dirty, tired brotherhood soldiers stood around in their decaying power armour. Orange paint differentiating them from the other assholes in power armour as if that made a lick of difference.

Hardin had a low opinion on the Brotherhood as one could tell. They were like a legion of Callaghan-esque heroism, only worse as they seldom really helped anyone. These outcast guys were a little better but he still couldn't stand their pseudo knightly bullshit, their 'better than you' attitude, because they were squeezed out in a bunker and had someone call them 'sir' from the moment they took their first step.

Hardin would prefer them all to fuck off back to California and let them live out their lives in peace.

At the center of the tired, battered faces was Commander Olin. Adorned in dark scribe robes that had seen better days and ageing a lot faster than most women her age would, due to the pressures of leading these outcasts.

Hoffman, the gate guard had seemingly returned to her post. A shame really, given the bond that Hardin felt they'd forged during her barrage of questions.

"I have some data from the Brotherhood's library. Information about Vault 87 that we've used in the past to eradicate them." Maxson declared, dropping several holotapes onto the wartable. "Unfortunately, no matter what's been sent there, these freaks just keep coming back in a greater number."

"They have a new leader... Shephard, right? A Master-like figure, who is gearing them up to be a more effective army." Olin added, taking a deep breath.

"If he's ventured out of 87, nobody has seen him. He might not even be a supermutant at all, maybe a Master-esque reject."

"Sorry, you guys keep bringing up 'Masters.' You mean those guys in black, with the pilot hats on?" Jynx asked, finding herself at a loss.

"No. The Master created the earliest batch of Supermutants on record, all the way out west. He was a... twisted abomination of flesh and tech that commanded hundreds of them, on a quest to wipe out the human race."

"A Vault Dweller, similar to the Lone Wanderer wiped them out. He too was a member of our order but vanished not long after."

"Well, unless we're willing to believe Caine's memoirs..." Olin sighed, in truth that old ghoul was such a black stain on Brotherhood history that most refused to believe anything he wrote, because of where it came from.

"So Shephard's another Master?" Hardin asked, cutting to the chase.

"In truth? That's not far off from what I've been thinking, though the Master was more like a God or paternal figure. This guy is more like a general."

"The raids on towns that he has coordinated have been better coordinated, since he took control of Vault 87." An older scribe interjected.

"They're using formations, attacking at opportune hours and hitting critical systems.

"In Megaton, they charged the gate. Nuthin' clever about that." Hardin shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"True but there's no other way to invade such a settlement. It has one entrance and they couldn't exactly bluff their way inside. Their attack on Arefu on the other hand? They attacked at night and nobody was able to react until it was too late. The only survivor was a boy, Ian. He hid in a closet and waited until they'd left, was found by some of those Kingsnake punks, a few days later."

"Kingsnakes?" Arthur asked, finding himself ignorant of that faction.

"Bunch of punks, who protect settlements and raid empty places for supplies. They're like a... Gang but they tend to help communities more than cause them trouble, not in a completely benevolent way, more like bouncers for hire." Jynx answered, figuring nobody else would know.

"They're not bad guys, though they've caused a few problems in the past. Whether they meant to or not."

"Huh, like Callaghan." Hardin grumbled, thinking on it.

"Ain't they ran by Callaghan? That was the rumour I heard."

"A dude in leather, carrying a pipboy." Jynx re-iterated, with a shrug.

"Could be Denis but could be anyone else too."

The two Megaton townies were cut off as the senior scribe loudly cleared his throat, hoping to bring their focus back to raiding the Vault.

"How are we getting in?"

"Way I see it, there's two entrances. The front door, which is irradiated to high hell and the bit under... I say we use them both." Arthur suggested.

"We can fend off the radiation in our power armour and down below, we can unleash a sneak attack, that they're not likely to see coming. Seems ideal to me."

"Seems workable but don't Vault Doors usually need some sort of pipboy interface or password to open?" Olin asked, finding herself back to square one.

"We won't be able to keep them busy if the door is sealed up tightly."

"Well, unless it's opened from the inside." Hardin offered, with a shrug.

"By the stealth team? It'd be rather tough getting that deep into the Vault..."

"Not for me. If I just dress up as one of those mutie cavemen, I could just walk in there, with my hands in my pockets, whistlin'." Kyu suggested, folding his arms.

"I'd just have to open the Vault door and let you guys in."

"Can you be trusted with that?" A Senior Knight asked, standing opposite from the Senior scribe and glaring at Kyu with distrust.

"I don't like the idea of putting our trust into this mutant's hands, Commander. We don't know if he's competent."

"Pfft, that's rich. Talking about competency, whilst living in a bombed out office, shitting into your own helmets. Didn't you guys run America's biggest military base once? Tell me more about how 'competent' you are."

"On that we can agree, mutant! If the Outcasts had remained at the Citadel, we wouldn't having this meeting. You probably wouldn't even exist as we would've destroyed you decades ago!"

"Instead, I'm having to listen to your horse shit. Do you see the consequences of your fuck up, Senior Ass-wiper Galahad or whatever the fuck your name is?" Kyu found this rather therapeutic, he doubted that this knight was expecting to meet a mutant who knew how to hold an argument or do smack talk. Seems he'd encountered his worst nightmare.

"Senior Knight Harrogate." The Knight corrected him, looking like he was suppressing some frustration.

"I'm not putting my men's lives into his hands, unless it can be demonstrated, that my trust isn't being misplaced. After the disappearance of Cutler's squad, a few of my people are already losing faith in their chain of command and I hardly blame them, Commander."

"Are you suggesting that it's my fault, that their team went missing?" Olin asked, a strict tone in her voice froze Knight Harrogate to the core and he had to reconsider.

"No, ma'am but given how many losses we've had and considering how many friends they've lost. I fully sympathize with their wavering trust. Their loyalty is unwavering but they are still human beings, they can only lose so much."

Olin paused, sighing heavily as she leant against the table.

"Are you bucketheads really debating if I can push a button correctly?" Kyu asked, sounding rather disgruntled.

"I'd be insulted but... Your opinion means fuck all to me."

Both the Knight and Scribe looked to Arthur for confirmation, who turned his attention back to Kyu.

"Kyu is disciplined in martial arts and is far more intelligent than most mutants that I've met. I'd be willing to put faith in him, that he could do this task and that he wouldn't betray us." Arthur offered, hoping that'd appease them as they thought highly of him, something the others wouldn't ever know.

That was the nicest thing that a Brotherhood of Steel member had ever said about Kyu or any supermutant. He wished he could get it in writing.

"We have a means to open the Vault... Our invading force on the surface can cause a major distraction before the stealth team down bellow make their way up to the atrium."

"What're they going to do from there? They'll be at the source of a nest full of mutants." Durga offered, feeling like they were more of a sacrifice than a vanguard.

"That's the part that we were hoping to brain storm about. We need intelligence on what is going on, on the inside." Olin admitted, taking a breath.

"The Master, for example, had telekentic abilities. It wouldn't surprise me if something like that killed Sarah and the rest of the Pride."

"So... I'll be going in earlier then." Kyu shrugged, not really minding that.

"I can get a layout of the land... so to speak."

"Can we give him a camera?" Durga offered, figuring that might be useful.

"A supermutant taking pictures would be quite suspicious. They don't have photographers." Harden interjected, prompting Kyu to plod on over to the desk and do a camera motion.

"Lookie here! BOX FLASHES! HA HA!" He roared, in his best impression of a Neanderthal. It went rather well, Harden genuinely believed that he was one of his moronic brethren.

"You've got a talent for acting, Kyu." Rayne said, with a faint smile. She kind of appreciated that he was the only one around here who wasn't permanently pissed off.

"Although, how will we get him and... the rest of us through Little Lamplight?"

"The Brotherhood of Steel have an agreement with the children there." Arthur assured her.

"They don't like 'Mungos' but they also don't like being eaten by supermutants. So long as it's supermutant business, they'll let us pass."

"I'm sure you Brotherhood guys won't end up abusing that at some point." Harden mused, slipping his hands into his pockets, with a sigh.

"They got a new breed of Supermutants now... New Kettle of fish." He added, prompting Olin to nod, holding up a file.

"The Titans? Yeah... We've fortunately avoided them but we've interviewed travellers who have seen them from afar."

"Only way I could kill it was with an energy weapon, a real powerful one. Outta this world."

"Where did you... Get such a weapon?" Knight Harrogate asked, raising an eyebrow and staring Harden down, prompting him to shrug.

"Callaghan left it in his locker full of goodies."

"Ah, how typical... A brotherhood paladin leaves a seemingly unrivalled energy weapons in the hands of a child, with an alcohol problem."

"Yeah, should've locked it away and let the town of Megaton die. That'd be better for everyone, wouldn't it, you medieval fair reject fuckup."

"Order!" Olin snapped, cutting the throat of the argument.

"Sherriff Simms, Knight Harrogate. We have a vault full of technical abominations, desperate for a chance to tear us apart and kill us. We do not need to turn on eachother!"

"I mean, it feels good." Kyu shrugged, struggling to find the logic in that.

"She's right though... Let's just be sensible and focus on the Supermutant threat." Jynx sighed, not wanting this to turn into a brawl of testosterone and power armour.

"So. To conclude, our plans have reached a halt until our mutant friend here..." Olin began, pausing at Kyu.

"Kyu." He interjected.

"Not name, rank. Hoping to advance."

"A martial arts rank? Interesting, that you'd tie your whole identity to it."

"I take it very seriously lady, about as seriously as Knight Buddy Boy there takes polishing his armour." He added, gesturing to Knight Harrogate with a shrug.

"That's admirable actually, hand to hand training is something we're limited in knowledge on. Even at the Citadel, we only have old Combat manuals and Pugilism Illustrated issues to teach us these things."

"I was taught by a real sensei, makes a hell of a difference. He taught me how to use my own bodyweight against me, could knock me on my ass with a single parry. Taught me discipline, taught me to speak, to think for myself... Makes me wonder if I'm unique or if we're all capable of it."

"To be honest... Rehabilitating the mutant populace wouldn't be a bad solution to the problem, assuming it could be done." The Scribe admitted, eyeing Kyu.

"If they already exist, putting them to work in our society would be... preferable to slaughtering them."

"Depends how you do that, Doc. Will they be in chains?" The Supermutant seemed very sceptical, Hardin hardly blamed him. These Brotherhood bastards had a long, sordid history with humans, never mind mutants.

"Hardly. I meant that it could be like back west, where the mutants integrated with the human populace or formed peaceful settlements... in a lot of cases. It depended on the supermutant, however. Some of them were insane, naturally violent or just evil in nature. Not all of them could be saved from their bestial side."

"Not unlike humans." The Pugilist mused, eventually ending with a shrug.

"Regardless... The Pint Sized sheriff and I will go to 87 for a scouting mission. See what we can dig up."

"I'll send some units to back you, they won't go too close to the vault, in case it blows your cover but they'll be nearby, in radio distance."

Harden couldn't quite believe it... The Brotherhood actually offering... help? What odd world had he stumbled into?

"Thanks. Time for me to get to it then." Kyu sighed, rubbing his bald head, with his large hand. A plan formed as he did so as he'd need to get a mutant's clothes and he had an idea on how he could do so.

He'd have to make a little detour, towards Vault 97...