Rock Hemsley knew something was wrong when Jabasco didn't return from his little trip to the DC ruins. He had argued against Jabasco himself going out, seeing as the last fifty or so guys they've sent at The Wanderer and Reilly's Rangers never made it back, but Jabasco was nothing if not stubborn. Jabasco assured Rock, his second-in-command, that he was "going to squash the Wanderer and his ilk like bugs" and would be back before dinner the following day. Obviously, something had gone wrong.

His suspicions were confirmed when one of the guys sent on Jabasco's operation came back bloody and terrified. The kid was one of their recent recruits, one who showed quite a bit of talent. Now he was in their isolation room, missing the lower half of his right arm and clearly out of his mind. They had gotten their 'resident' surgeon to do what he could for the kid's arm, but there wasn't anything they could do about his state of mind. All they got from him was that they had The Wanderer cornered, trapped like a rat, and then they were attacked by some kind of monster that was smaller, quicker, and more deadly than a deathclaw. When asked about Jabasco, the young merc was totally unresponsive. Rock could only assume that Jabasco was dead and now he was in charge.

He sent runners to call back their deployed troops. If Jabasco was dead along with over a hundred of their men in the past week, they were more exposed than ever. Perhaps a change in management is what they needed. The following night almost all of their men were back home, all but a few guards outside assembled inside the large, dimly lit common room. He made a speech about Jabasco's passing and their diminished numbers. He told them what they wanted to hear: Less competition meant more money for those still around.

Moments before he ended his speech, the entire complex's lights went out. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, usually just evidence of the generator running out of fuel because someone assigned to it decided to take a nap. However, Rock was on high alert ever since The Wanderer took down the first batch of troops they had sent his way.

In slightly panicked voice, he called out to the new second-in-command. "Adams, take a group and go check out the generator. Everyone else, I want this base searched from head to toe. Double time!"

Talon Mercenaries weren't new to changes in management, but rarely were they commanded to search their own compound. In fact, the only time they ever were was during Jabasco's coup. Acting quickly, they made their way through the somewhat extensive corridors of the facility. However, screams and the sound of gunfire directed the majority of troops back towards the common room. Several dozen troops filed back into the room through multiple entrances only to witness that, during their short time apart Rock and the small detachment of guards he ordered to stay with him were slaughtered.

The guards had gotten slashed and stabbed, where as Rock himself was pinned to the wall, several feet above the ground, and impaled by railroad spikes in various places. They knew of only one person in the Wasteland who used a weapon that was capable of that. Before they could react to the scene before them, an explosion rocked the facility and the above-ground alarm sounded. As they ran towards the exits, simultaneously trying to escape what they knew was inside with them and confront whatever was attacking them outside, the people left inside the base were unknowingly condemned to a fate worse than most experienced in the Wasteland.

Before they could all escape, the automatic doors leading outside locked shut suddenly. A sadistic laugh echoed all around them. Then the screams resumed.


Miles and Kilo were looking down upon a target-rich environment. With the new plan, they could freefire until they were out of ammo. Rounds left the barrels of their rifles and impacted mercs in various places, most commonly center-mass. As they fired down upon the seemingly endless stream of Talon mercs filing out of the facility, Gallows was next to them taking out whoever decided to fire at the two snipers.

Seeing a Talon Merc break cover to fire at Reilly and Sarah's group, Miles sent a round through the brainpan of that particular merc. Beside him, his partner spoke. "Nice shot."

Meanwhile, Dusk and Colvin were doing the exact same thing. As they had no primary targets, they were free to engage whatever merc that happened to get in the crosshairs of their scopes.

"Yo Dusk, what about a wager? I bet I take down more than you by the time it's over. 100 caps." Colvin said, pausing shortly to look over at his partner.

Dusk let out a laugh, clearly believing herself to be the better, quicker shot. "You're on, Colvin. Prepare to go without beer money for the next month."


Sgt. Pepper felt somewhat guilty putting down his former comrades, but he knew what he signed up for. His guilt was somewhat vindicated as the men stationed at the east watchtower were willing to give up their allegiance to Talon company in exchange for their lives. They were two of the few guys he knew that would be open to parting ways and even betraying Talon Company if it meant a better way to make a living.

"Alright, let's open up on 'em. They won't know it's us until it's too late." Pepper said, pulling back the charging handle on his Type 93 Assault Rifle.

"Sarge, we're gonna make it out of here, right? They ain't gonna kill us just for being Talon, are they?" The younger of the two, James asked. The kid was barely 20, but he was a good fighter. Used to following orders.

The old Sergeant hadn't considered that. The Wanderer hadn't guaranteed the lives of his guys this time. In reality it might be the Brotherhood or the Rangers who decide it's not worth taking them in. Pushing the thought aside, he spoke to the two kids with him. "Don't worry 'bout that. Worry about keeping yourself alive."

James nodded and began firing down upon his now former allies. Mason, the older of the two, had complete faith in Pepper. Joining the other two, he began reigning lead down onto the Talon Mercs below them.


Seeing gunfire come from the eastern watchtower, this signaled Donovan to send Bolts up the middle. As Bolts moved forward, so did Paladin Glade. As Bolts bust through the front fence, Glade got up behind it and began mowing down those to the sides of him, the lasers burning straight through their armor and then through their flesh.

Donovan set Bolts to a stationary mode, giving Glade a semi-permanent cover. A bit of pride welled up inside of him as he saw his pet project function flawlessly. Originally, Michael was going to send Bolts up the middle. With the plan changed, Donovan got to be the one to throw the metaphorical switch.

Donovan then resumed firing upon the Talon mercs in front of him and his group. As rounds buried into the flesh of the Talon Mercs, he felt little remorse. Beside him, Reilly and Brick were letting rounds fly just as freely with Sarah and Vargas positioned on opposite ends, ensuring that it fire at the group is drawn to the sides meaning more chance at missing.

Sarah and Vargas were the cornerstones of their formation, their Laser Rifles and Power Armor being more effective at putting down Mercs and drawing their fire, keeping the others safe. Beside Sarah, Brick went down. Reilly checked on her quickly to see that a stray round had impacted her shoulder.

"Pack some dirt in it and get back into the fight, Brick!" She yelled, her voice coming clearly over the gunfire. Brick winced but nodded, getting back up to resume her high-volume fire via Minigun.


Back inside the facility, Michael carved a bloody path through the ranks of the Talon Mercenaries stuck inside with him. He had snuck in via Stealth-Boy and set a small timed charge to go off on the generator. Then he crept his way into the common room and waited. As they spread out to find him, they left their new Commander wide open, only a small detachment of guards staying by his side.

Before they even knew what was happening he had already cut through two of them. As they had blindly fired at the position he had been previously occupied, he used his agility and flexibility to get behind them. His impaling of two of them simultaneously elicited a scream from the new Commander, only to be silenced as Michael quickly grabbed his throat and lifted him up several feet off the ground and holding him against the wall as he quickly drew and fired his Railway Rifle at him, pinning him to the wall. Three more shots and he was dead.

Some Talon mercs got back into the room quickly, but the alarm and explosion outside paired with the sight of their new Commander slaughtered like an animal created enough chaos that cutting through their ranks became child's play.

Now, he was doing what he did best. Hunting in the dark. He could hear whispers, yells, cries, and screams. He could see the fear in their eyes as they scanned the dark rooms and halls, not seeing past his cloaking, only for their fear to turn into both terror and surprise as he appeared out of thin air before them and attacked with a savagery they had never seen before. Many of them cried for mercy. Unfortunately, The Wanderer wasn't feeling like giving them any that night.

Pulling his blade out of his latest victim, he scanned the area around him. Totally quiet. No whispers, no sounds of breathing, nothing. Deeming this area to be clear, he cloaked once more and made his way to the other side of the underground facility. The night was still young, and he could still sense people alive down there.


It wasn't long before ranks began breaking off to retreat backwards, out of the compound. Several groups had supposedly escaped that way. What the currently engaged Talon mercs didn't know was that Paladin Kodiak was waiting for them. After they ran past the rock he was hiding behind and had gotten just out of sight of normal eyes, Kodiak opened up on them with is Minigun. They were far enough away that the darkness would conceal their bodies, ensuring that any Talon mercenaries retreating had no reason to be suspicious of this route.

On his short-range radio in his helmet, he got a transmission. "Kodiak, this is Sarah. We've got another group heading your way. Approximately 20 strong."

He smirked. This was, by far, the most interesting operation he had ever been a part of. "Copy that. Stay safe out there. Kodiak out."


"That makes 23" Colvin said while reloading his rifle.

Dusk let out a huff before replying "You mean 22. It's your fault Brick got hit."

Colvin sighed. Dusk was right. If he hadn't been trying to show off and go for headshots, he would've taken out the Talon merc before he got off a shot on Brick. "Shaddup."

Dusk smirked. Getting one over on Colvin always brought out a satisfying feeling. As she let another round fly, she blushed. Although nobody in the Brotherhood knew it, she had developed feelings for her partner. Confusing, frustrating feelings. Grunting, she shifted her rifle and fired again.


"Please, please no! I don't deserve this!" Came the cry of a young Talon Mercenary within the facility. He was in a panic, pressed up against a wall after watching his entire group get decimated by one man.

The Wanderer slowly walked towards him, a dripping blade at his side. Every step he took felt like an earthquake to the Talon merc, only fueling his terror. "I didn't sign up for this! It was just a way to make a livin' and feed myself! Wasn't meant to end like this!"

The Wanderer was directly in front of him. Trying to act quickly, the merc drew his 10mm pistol. The Wanderer was quicker, pulling out his own firearm, his signature revolver, and letting out two rounds into the merc's shoulders. The merc screamed and dropped his gun. He cried, tears streaming down his face. "I don't want to die!"

The Wanderer crouched down, leveling his face to the merc's. A rough hand took purchase in his jaw, as if the Wanderer were examining him. A grunt escaped the mask before the Wanderer pulled out a leather-bound book. Opening it to the proper page and turning on his PiP-Boy light, he turned the book around so that the Talon merc could see it.

It was a picture of his face and a list. A list of his crimes. Twelve murders, three rapes, and several people tortured. The Talon merc's eyes widened. "No! No! They made me do it! It was to join! PLEASE! I DON'T WA-"

Michael silenced the merc's screams by pushing his blade into his chest. He watched as the merc let out a death gurgle, blood rising up and out of his mouth, trickling down his chin. Turning his head, he looked towards the door he came in from.

"Jimmy! Jimmy, you here?"

Another merc, looking for Jimmy Watkins. Perhaps his friend. "Come on, Jimmy, this ain't funn-"

The merc stopped dead in the doorway, looking at the scene in the room. He saw his dead friend, a blade in his chest, and the form of a crouched Wanderer. His brain catching up, he raised his rifle and fired. "You motherfucker!"

The sound of bullets hitting flesh filled the room alongside the sound of gunfire. The newcomer fell backwards, three new holes in his head. The Wanderer stood and reloaded his revolver after pulling his blade out of the other man. He chided himself, he shouldn't have allowed the merc enough time to bring his rifle up, much less fire. He looked to where the rounds impacted the floor, seeing that if he were two inches to the left he'd be dead. Hearing additional movement, he turned off his PiP-Boy light and resumed the hunt.


Back at the Ranger HQ, Theo sat alone. He'd been kept behind in the interest of keeping their current HQ secure. Still, he felt that he could've been used better in combat. He wasn't a bad shot and he knew how to handle himself. Hearing a banging at the door, he immediately changed his opinion. Perhaps it was a good idea after all. Grabbing his Combat Shotgun, he checked to make sure there was a round in the chamber and went to the door. The banging got louder and more intense.

For a split second, he thought that maybe everyone was back and something had gone terribly wrong. But they would know the password to unlock the door. As the banging got more powerful, dents started appearing in the door. Theo raised his shotgun and pointed it at the door.

The door swung open with one final kick of the heel, revealing a badly injured Jabasco. Jabasco's mouth hung open, not expecting any of the Rangers to be there. He had watched as the Wanderer and the Brotherhood marched in the direction of Fort Banister, hidden from view. He planned on breaking into the Ranger HQ and planting a big trap for them when they came back.

"Motherfu-" was all that came out of his mouth before Theo let out three rapid-fire rounds of Buckshot into him, finishing him off for good. Theo approached cautiously and kicked his feet before observing his wounds. Jabasco was seriously messed up, probably only surviving on will alone after that night.

"Best to make sure" Theo pulled out his sidearm and put a round into Jabasco's brainpan. Sighing, he figured he should drag the large man out of their doorway. Reilly would have a fit about it if he didn't.


The final round outside of Fort Banniser was fired by Reilly, ending the life of the last Talon merc standing. Taking no chances, she ordered a full sweep of the area. Ranger and Brotherhood alike checked to make sure no Talon merc was alive.

"Donovan, you, Bolts, and Glade check the west. Colvin, Dusk, and Vargas, you take the east. Miles, Kilo, Gallows? South." That left her and Sarah for the North.

"Brick, I want you to sit tight. Anyone other than Pepper and his guys move, I want you to light their ass up." Reilly said, patting the dark skinned woman on the back.

"Got it, boss. What about The Wanderer?"

Reilly's face shifted to a grimace. "If he's not outside by the time we finish the sweep, I'll go in after him. Should be pretty safe."

Hearing this, Brick nodded. She assumed that there weren't too many Talon mercs inside since there were 'a whole fuckload' of them outside.

Pepper and his guys walked up to Reilly slowly, being sure to keep their weapons down. "So we're good, right? My boys aren't gonna get the ax?" he asked, being sure to keep his body in front of them if the answer turned out to be a 'no' followed by gunfire.

Reilly sized the two newcomers up. A young kid and a man who looked to be around her age. They had come through in the clutch and betrayed Talon. Still, the fact that they were Talon left a bad taste in her mouth. "I'll leave that up to Michael. Until he comes out, you guys sit tight. Stay with Brick, she caught a round and shouldn't be up and moving until we can look at her."

The youngest merc there perked up at her words. "I can look at her. I'm no doctor but I've always been the team medic." Suddenly he felt very small as both Reilly and Sarah turned to look at him. After some contemplation, Reilly nodded.

"Just be careful. She doesn't like Talon mercs."


One hour later, Reilly and the others stood at the entrance to Fort Bannister's underground complex. Michael still hadn't come out yet. They had swept the area twice, not finding any other Talon mercs other than Pepper's boys alive.

"You don't think he's dead, do you?" The younger, now former Talon merc asked. His Sergeant shook his head, letting out a sigh.

"Nah. Kid's too tough for that. Don't matter how many people were in there. He's probably enjoying his game of hide-and-seek."

James shuddered. He wasn't new to killing, but The Wanderer was the stuff of legend. He didn't want to think of what would've happened if he and Mason weren't stationed on the tower.

"Pepper, just how many guys did Talon have?" Reilly asked, curious as to how many were locked in with Michael.

Pepper shrugged, not quite sure himself. "I dunno. I saw some numbers on Jabasco's desk before, but they might not be all that accurate. Ain't no way to know fer sure until we go in."

"Make an estimate." Reilly said, clearly not happy with Pepper's answer.

Pepper rolled his eyes. "Well, we've got about, what, 150 out here? Took out most of my group and Jabasco's group, and that's about another 150. If the last numbers I saw were right, there should be around another 150 in there, give or take."

Brick blanched at the number, as did Reilly. "No way. I know he's good, but The Wanderer ain't a god. No way he takes out that many guys on his own in close quarters." Brick exclaimed, speaking what many present were thinking.

Pepper shrugged. "You must've heard the broadcasts, too. The Wanderer is good, really good out in the open. Better than anyone. But in close quarters, he's a nightmare. He'd make a game out of hunting Talon mercs all across the metro system. After the other night I ain't gonna doubt him."

Despite the Sergeant's good points, Brick still couldn't believe that the Wanderer could handle that many guys. Neither could Donovan, but he wouldn't voice his opinions on the matter. Before she could speak again, the sound of the door's locking mechanism releasing drew everyone's attention.

Almost before anyone could react, the door shot open and black blur ran out. It was a Talon merc, slashed up real good. Obviously not concerned with them, he kept running. He made it about six extra yards, just a few yards past them, before a shot rang out from inside the facility and dropped him. Reilly leaned to the side, peering into the darkness. She couldn't see anything, nor could anyone else.

Michael appeared then, disabling his Stealth-Boy, a revolver in his hand. He walked outside, ignoring them, and put two more rounds into the head of the merc. Turning back to them, he spoke. "Sorry about that. Didn't know you'd all be waiting for me."

Many of the people present stared at him. However, their stares stopped when Reilly stepped forwards. "So, how many were in there?"

"138." He answered quickly.

This shocked many of the people there. Not only did he take out that many people, he also kept count? Brick voiced her thoughts on the matter. "Nope. No way. There ain't 138 people in there dead."

Michael shifted his head and looked at Brick lazily. Her constant disbelief was beginning to irritate him. "Technically, you're right." Brick opened her mouth to speak, but Michael stopped her. "There's 137 dead inside. This one here" he said, pointing his gun at the Talon merc he had just taken out "makes 138. Sorry to mislead you."

Reilly could see where this was going. Brick still didn't believe in the legend. "Alright, well let's get our bounty. Miles, Kilo, I want you scavenging the bodies outside. Donovan, I want you to take some extra rope and tie the scavenged bodies to Bolts. It should be able to move at least ten at a time."

Turning she looked to Pepper and his boys. "You three scavenge the bodies inside. Also, count them. After that I want all the bodies pushed into that crater over there" the redhead ordered, pointing to the large impact crater left behind by a nuclear warhead.

"Sarah, Michael, we need to talk." Reilly finished, looking at the two of them. Both Michael and Sarah had an idea as to what it was they needed to talk about.

Colvin stifled a laugh. "Ooh, someone is in trouble."

"Can it, Colvin." Dusk replied, though she agreed that the situation between those three must be complicated at the very least.

Vargas took charge, nodding to Sarah. "Alright everyone, we're on security detail until they get this place mopped up. Move!"

In the back, Kodiak sighed. He hated security detail. He hated it with a fiery passion.


Michael, Sarah, and Reilly were stood around the front gate to Fort Bannister. They all knew this topic was going to come up sooner or later, but neither Michael nor Sarah expected it to come up this soon.

"I figure we're all adults here so I'm not going to pussyfoot around" Reilly started "I'm sure you both know what this is about."

Sarah nodded slowly while Michael shrugged slightly. "I figure this is about him," Sarah began, pointing to The Wanderer, "and us. So I can only assume at this point you two have already slept together."

Reilly's face quickly changed color to match her hair. Though she was one of the toughest women in the entire Capital Wasteland, she couldn't help her bashfulness. "Yes. And pretty much everyone we both know, knows about you and Michael being somewhat of an item as well"

It was Sarah's turn to blush. In the back of her mind she wished she had kept her helmet on so neither of them could see. Pouting slightly, she spoke "It's not even fair. Those rumors started before he and I even-" Sarah stopped herself, unable to continue that line of thought as Reilly burst out laughing. This in turn caused Sarah to laugh and even Michael to chuckle a bit.

After calming down and regaining her composure, Sarah resumed speaking "So, yeah. We've both slept with him. What now?"

This surprised Reilly. In the past, Sarah was possessive of anything she deemed as 'hers' and would fight to keep whatever it was she wanted. She assumed that it would be the same with Michael.

"Well, I can't say this is something I've dealt with before. I suppose this isn't something we can just play rock-paper-scissors over"

This elicted another chuckle from Sarah. Reilly was right, though. They both knew that The Wanderer belonged to the Wasteland before he belonged to either of them. He wasn't something that could be bartered, traded, or exchanged. As if thinking on the same wavelength, they both turned to Michael, looking at him expectantly.

"Well?" they said together. For a short moment, Michael felt like he had entered an alternate reality. Choosing his words carefully, he spoke.

"This is a pretty strange situation. For the longest time, I felt alone in the Wasteland. I lost my home, then my father, and then I almost lost you," he paused, taking Sarah's hand in his "In a way, I felt like I did lose you. There wasn't any sign that you'd wake up. So I took the fight to the Enclave. When I was standing on top of that self-destructing Land Crawler, I thought that I was done."

"But then I saw the Vertibird. And I saw you. That's when I knew that I wasn't done, and I still had something, someone to fight for. And that night was the first night I slept soundly since I got out of the Vault" Michael squeezed her hand, assuring that she felt it. "And then I had to go. There was a lot I still had to do. Even still, there's a lot of work for me to do now. I spent a long time away. You know that. Every day, the thought of you kept me sane. Kept me from losing my mind out there"

He let go of her hand and nodded out towards the Wasteland. The three of them knew that too much time alone in the Wasteland had nasty effects on a person's mind, and it seems the Wanderer wasn't exempt from that.

"I came back a few times over the past few years. Allowed myself some rest. Recharged my batteries with you. But I could never -can never- stay for too long. So, I always go back out. When I first found Reilly, I had just gotten back from The Pitt."

They both knew of The Pitt. Sarah was just a child when her father lead the Brotherhood through there. She knew that Michael had gone to The Pitt several times. But hearing that he made that trek alone never made her feel good. Even the train tunnel is a long, dangerous journey, even for an entire Brotherhood Platoon in Power Armor.

"I went to Underworld to drop some supplies off and crash for the night. But when I went to speak to the Doctor, I saw Reilly" He took her hand now, looking into her eyes. "You were beat up pretty badly. Quite honestly, it was a miracle you survived. So I stayed to treat you" Reilly gasp, not before having heard that Michael was involved in her recovery. "Barrows knew that I had some medical experience. So he put me in charge of you. Just over a week, I took care of you. Then you woke up and wanted my help. I couldn't turn you down."

He let go of her hand, thinking back to that day. "I don't know what it was about you, but I felt drawn to you in the same way I was drawn to Sarah. And you know the rest. Even after I let myself slip and got Butcher killed-" Reilly winced. She didn't blame him for Butcher's death. He knew that, but he put the blame on his shoulders anyways. "-you didn't yell. You didn't blame me. You just wanted to be held. You needed to feel safe, and in doing that for you, you helped bring me back. Until then, I wasn't how I am now. What I had to do in The Pitt changed me, and it wasn't for the better."

Reilly and Sarah didn't know what he was he had to do, but they weren't going to ask. Not now. If it got under his mile-thick skin, it was obviously pretty bad. But it must have been necessary, otherwise he wouldn't have done so.

"But you brought me back from that. So, if you two are wanting me to choose one of you, I can't. You're both important to me in ways that neither of you can begin to comprehend. You two are the reasons I can still consider myself human. If it weren't for you, the both of you, I probably wouldn't be here now. If I were to lose either of you, the only two people I care about, then.." He didn't continue. There was no need to, and he didn't want to continue that line of thought.

Sarah and Reilly didn't expect this to be his response. Michael was many things, but what he wasn't was emotional. At least, he wasn't up until now. They could both feel the sincerity in his voice.

"Well then you don't have to choose." Reilly said. She understood. Michael was using them both as the foundation to keep his humanity. Sarah understood as well. She wasn't planning on trying to make him choose between them.

He looked at them both, a genuine smile on his face. "Thank you. Both of you."

"I suppose a love triangle might be fun." Sarah said, causing Reilly to spit out the water she was drinking.


That evening, everyone left alive from the assault on Fort Bannister was gathered in the common room. They had worked tirelessly in cleaning out the fort of the bodies and blood. Even Sarah and her Pride had helped after her discussion with Reilly and The Wanderer. Now, they stood in a circle.

"So, what do you guys think of your new HQ?" Sarah asked, looking to the Rangers.

Reilly was quiet for a moment, mulling over the details. "I suppose Talon kept the Fort from falling into complete disrepair. It'll take some work to get the smell out, but I guess you shouldn't look a gift brahmin in the mouth."

The other Rangers muttered in agreement. It was a vast improvement from their HQ in the ruins of DC. Out here, they wouldn't need to worry about some Supermutants getting smart and following them home. No need to set traps for stray Centaurs. Of course, Fort Bannister had it's own problems. Above ground, it was pretty wide open. It was also quite a ways away from most important landmarks and settlements. That meant longer treks for supplies and jobs. In addition to that, it meant that they were more exposed should an attack come upon the fort.

Of course, the fort has vast amounts of room. More than the current Rangers could use. That meant they could start recruiting without worrying about having space to house their new prospects. Plenty of beds in the bunk rooms supplemented the corridor which housed individual rooms, almost all set up with larger beds and furniture reminiscent of studio apartments or deluxe hotel rooms of the pre-war world.

They also now had a surplus of equipment for their future recruits. Plenty of ammo, armor, weapons, and other gear. In addition, they had accumulated a mass of caps both from scavenging the bodies and Jabasco's safe, which held all the caps that came from the jobs they've completed that didn't go to the people who completed them. They had already given both James and Mason, Sergeant Pepper's boys, their signing bonus and payment for their assistance in the assault.

The smell of food hit the noses of everyone in the room as Michael entered, a large tray full of different meats, fruits, vegetables, and even noodles on each hand. "First order is up. Next one should be done in a few minutes." He said, placing the food on the large table in front of them. While Sarah knew Michael was a good cook, it came as a surprise to the others. They looked at the bounty before them for a short moment before, one by one, they picked something out to eat for the first time that day. Nodding, Michael went back to the kitchen. Talon left behind a fully working kitchen and stocked larder and he intended to get a good amount of use out of it today.

Even the Brotherhood soldiers present ate, having exited their power armor frames to do so, the T-45d and T-51b armor facing the wall, standing freely. "Damn, The Wanderer knows how to cook." Dusk said, voicing the thought on everyone's mind as they dug in. It was true, back in Vault 101 Michael had learned how to cook for Amata, having taken private cooking lessons from both his Father and Jonas, his father's assistant.

Michael re-entered the room with two more trays full of food, placed them on the table and took a seat in-between Reilly and Sarah, an action that didn't go unnoticed by anyone at the table. "So what's the plan concerning the DC compound?"

Reilly swallowed a bite of brahmin steak before answering "For now we'll just have to lock it up and hope nobody breaks in. This place needs more people stationed here before we can even think of manning both facilities. There's no telling how many more Talon mercs are out there on their way here."

Michael nodded in agreement. It was a good call. "You planning on doing a recruitment drive? I know a few people that might be up to joining across the Wasteland."

Reilly took some time before answering, looking down to her plate. "I was hoping, actually" she began, still looking at her plate "that you'd be taking that position I offered. That by itself would help recruitment quite a lot."

Several people at the table looked up in both surprise and interest. What was she talking about? What position? Did she ask him to join? Internally, Michael sighed. He had hoped that she wouldn't approach this topic with anyone else present. His reasoning for turning down the offer the first time still stood. He needed to be out there in the Wasteland. He still wasn't good with groups. All those simulated months he spent in Anchorage, the basic training, the special ops training, even the officer training didn't change the fact that he was the Lone Wanderer.

However, before he could answer one of the new members of the Rangers spoke. "Wait. The Wanderer is actually a part of the Rangers? This ain't just a mutual benefit sort of thing? That's so fuckin' cool." James said, a broad smile on his face. Across the table, Pepper had his face in his palm. The kid meant well, but he had no tact. None. Not even a little.

Next to Michael, Sarah leaned in and whispered in his ear. "You know, you're technically a Brotherhood Paladin. A member of the Pride, just below myself and Vargas. That fact alone has helped drive our own recruitment. The same would probably help the Rangers. Maybe even more so if people knew you were one of the two leaders of the group."

Michael sighed. So, as he feared, Reilly and Sarah had spoke of this during the cleaning of the fort. Whispering back, he responded. "Yeah, and I'm also technically a member of the Outcasts. And the Family. But you know as well as I do that Reilly doesn't want me to technically be a leader."

Next to Michael, the redhead in question could hear the whisperings of the two. She figured that he might not feel up to it, or that he might say he can't be tied down like that would make him. Still, she held out hope that, at least on some small level he'd be her partner in leading the Rangers.

"Listen, it's not that I'm not honored. But I travel a lot. It's what I do. Even I can't be in two places at once." Michael said, no longer trying to whisper as the other people at the table were staring. Hearing this, James' expression dimmed considerably.

"... Well, maybe you don't have to. Be in two places at once, I mean. What I'm getting at is that you don't have to be chained to a desk or anything like that. You don't even have to go out on jobs with everyone else. But you know things we don't. You obviously have some advanced training that even the Brotherhood is lacking in-" This remark brought a scowl from Vargas "and if we're going to be a force fighting for a better world, or at least a safer Wasteland, we need every advantage we can get." She paused, poking at what was left of her meal. In a small voice, she continued.

"I'm not asking you to be by my side every day. But you could offer us something nobody else could. And, in turn, you'd always have a home to come back to and people who are more than happy to go to war for you-" Now, it was Brick who was scowling. Even with all the Wanderer has done for them, she still held resentment for the man behind the legend. "and I know you have that all across the Wasteland. Megaton, Rivet City, even the Brotherhood. All good examples of people that you've helped and that can help you in return when you need it. But here, you can help train people. Make it so you don't always have to be on the road. Give the Wasteland a group of people that can react to Raiders, or Supermutants, or whatever, without having to hope you're in the area to always protect them."

Michael could see her point. More well-trained people with a decent moral compass as a guide would mean less time spent on what he believed to be minor problems. Less time spent on Raiders and Supermutants, more time spent on actually rebuilding and retaking the Wasteland. Still, he wasn't sure about this. The Brotherhood was, more or less, what Reilly was envisioning. Although with more restrictions on reaction time, deployment time, and recruitment.

The more he thought about it, the more it began to make sense. Where the Brotherhood was a slow, heavy fighting force almost constantly engaged in the high-danger zones of the ruins of DC, the Rangers could be a quicker, larger reactionary force. At a large enough scale, it could be comprised of hundreds, or even thousands of individuals. They might not be as well equipped or armed as the Brotherhood, but it would help take the pressure off Elder Lyons' desire to protect the people of the Wasteland. Give the Brotherhood more room and allow the people of the settlements to always have a well-trained task force to protect them should a force similar to the Enclave ever come knocking again.

He thought back to the rumors he heard about the West Coast. An entire civilization, moved past the apocalypse. Cities full of people that weren't primarily concerned with making it from day to day. A governmental system set up that has it's own military which protects both it's people and it's land. A little bit of the old world doctrine protecting the new world.

"I mean, it's not that the Brotherhood aren't a force for change, but they're tied down in DC because of-"

"I'll do it."

Three simple words stopped almost everything at that table. Nobody present, not even Sarah thought he'd agree to it. In fact, the only person still eating was Pepper, who was too hungry to care about things above his pay grade.

"I'll do it," he repeated "but there's a few conditions."

"Name them." Reilly said quickly, a brilliant smile on her face.

"Firstly, we're partners. Full partners. Fifty-fifty. No more, no less. I don't want our future recruits second-guessing me." He said, Reilly's smile causing his own "Secondly, we establish a proper chain of command. What you have now works okay for a small group, but in the future it wouldn't work."

Reilly nodded, agreeing to the first two conditions. "Thirdly, we'll need to inform both the Brotherhood, Outcasts, and the settlements of our planned expanded operations. I don't want to blindside anyone. I don't want any reason for our guys to be turned away or shot at for no reason."

Reilly knew he had a point. If they suddenly expanded into a large force, it'd put a lot of people on edge, especially the Outcasts. While they weren't hostile to the Wastelanders, they weren't overly friendly either. A group of ten heavily-armed mercs approaching a settlement would also, if not warned prior, provoke a potentially hostile reaction if their intention wasn't clear. They themselves had experienced that when they first formed. If it weren't for Sheriff Simms, Megaton might've fired on them.

"Lastly, everyone who joins and everyone already in adheres to a strict training regimen. Brotherhood Training is nice and all, but you were trained to fight slow and heavy, relying on weapons and armor. While that in itself isn't terrible, we won't be able to outfit everyone in Power Armor. So I'll have to teach you all what I've learned in a short amount of time so you, in turn, can teach others."

Once again, The Wanderer had a point, much to Brick's chagrin. He somehow had attained a substantial amount of training to go with his experience. He was faster, stronger, and smarter than everyone in the room and they all knew it. But the fact that he was offering to personally train them was a surprise.

"I'm no fool. I won't be around forever. I don't want what I've learned and experienced to die with me. Until a few minutes ago, I didn't even know I already had a way to impart people with the training they need in the same way I was trained."

Now they were curious, even the Brotherhood present. How was he planning on training them? How was he trained? "Wait. Back up. What are you talking about? How were you trained?" Colvin asked.

Michael smirked. "This PiP-Boy isn't just for show. It allows direct interface with almost all pre-war technology if you have the know-how. In DC, the Outcasts have a bunker. It was full of pre-war tech. I opened it by completing a VR simulation."

Kodiak gawked. "So you gave them access to tech by, what, playing a game?"

The Wanderer's expression turned grim. "Not exactly. The simulation it self went on for months. I felt everything that happened. I received basic, advanced, and special operations training. In addition, I went through officer training that clued me into battlefield tactics and strategy. Then I fought in a simulated Anchorage, Alaska." He grimaced, remembering the pain he felt.

"It was extremely painful. If I was shot, I felt it. If I was stabbed, I felt it. I might not have been bleeding in that pod, but it was real enough. If I died in that simulation, I would've died in the real world, too."

Sarah's eyes widened. She had a run-in with a few Outcast members a few years ago that spoke of somehow getting access to a load of tech, but she passed it off as a lie. Now she knew it must've been the result of what Michael had done.

"So, what? We're gonna walk up to the Outcasts and say 'Hi, can we use your game to train everyone we recruit' and hope they're okay with it?" Brick asked, clearly not buying into the idea.

Michael pointed to his PiP-Boy. "No. You'd need one of these to get it to work, anyhow. It links to your nervous system the first time you put it on. But I have the program itself. I can modify it at a terminal to suit our needs. Make it less intensive and focus more on teamwork." He smirked again "In fact, I even have the VR pods I need. I can train up to 12 people at a time, all in the same simulation, with myself present or a virtual representation of myself if I'm elsewhere."

Sarah was stunned. She had no idea that Michael had access to such advanced technology. "Where are the pods located?"

Michael's next words came out quietly. "Vault 112. Where I first found my father after leaving Vault 101. Originally, it was an experiment set up by a scientist. Eventually, he became corrupt. The pods sustain life indefinitely. He was over 200 years old, as was everyone else present. I had to kill him to get my father out of the pod when he went in looking for the location of a G.E.C.K. This caused everyone else to die. Still, the pods are usable and I can reprogram it's purpose easily. Plenty of PiP-Boys for anyone taking the training."

"In fact, Vault 112 would work as a compound for the Rangers fairly well. Plenty of room. Actual rooms, beds, a kitchen, dining room, doctor's office. The works. It's main chamber is where the twelve pods are. The Overseer's office is where the control pod is located."

This revelation was new to everyone else at the table. None of this was told by Three-Dog on the radio. For good reason, too. Access to a Vault is something that many in the Wasteland desire, from a jet-addicted raider to the Brotherhood itself.

"That's another thing. When we expand, we can't be housing our troops in easily-accessed areas. We need to have areas that can be locked down and protected if we have another event like the Enclave Invasion happen. There are several other Vaults that we can use and quite a few forts. Scattered enough to give us good coverage in the future."

Michael turned to Sarah, looking at her intensely. "I can give the Brotherhood the coordinates to these locations and access to them, as well. Freedom to come and go as you please. I've got caches of weapons, armor, and supplies in all these locations. In return all I ask is that you keep it within the Brotherhood. I don't want the Outcasts banging on our doors in the future."

Sarah nodded. He was entrusting them with a lot. Michael brought up his PiP-Boy and wrote down the coordinates and necessary passwords to to the locations on a piece of paper. Handing it to her, he squeezed her hand. She knew what it meant. He was trusting her, and in turn trusting the entire Brotherhood. That set quite the responsibility on her shoulders.

"In the future, I want the Brotherhood and Rangers to work together. No sub-contracting bullshit. A real, honest working relationship between the two groups. I'm hoping that you all will help that happen."

Everyone at that table knew that was a huge task. Historically, the Brotherhood never worked well with others. In fact, Lyons' chapter was an outlier. Typically the Brotherhood were much more like the Outcasts, a secluded bunch that trusted very few and didn't play nice with others.

"Alright. I'm stuffed." Michael said, standing up from the table. "Sarah, you and the Pride should stay the night. You don't want to be caught off-guard this far away from DC."

Sarah nodded. She wasn't planning on leaving that night, anyways. She had a few things to take care of before leaving.

"You're all welcome to any of the beds or rooms that aren't occupied. Personally I'll be taking room 7 at the end of the first corridor of rooms." Michael said, stretching his sore body. With that, he left them, retiring to his newly claimed room.

For a few minutes, everyone left at the table participated in small talk. Colvin bragged about beating Dusk in their bet with Dusk saying that he only won by two, Miles and Kilo spoke to Kodiak, and Vargas about recent goings-on in the Brotherhood. Glade and Brick swapped details on their weapon systems. Pepper and his boys spoke with Donovan about Bolts, never before having seen such a heavily-modified Sentry bot.

Sarah and Reilly shared a look before both excusing themselves from the table and leaving. Colvin tried to make a witty remark, but an elbow in his side from Duck kept him quiet. What they did on their own time was their own business and nobody else needed to butt into it.


Michael was busy drying off from the shower when he heard his door open and close. He figured it must've been someone who didn't look at the number on the door. When he exited the bathroom, however, he stopped dead in his tracks.

There, in his room, stood the two most beautiful women he's ever seen in his life, side-by-side. Not only were they in his room while he was in little more than a towel, they were in a similar state of undress, the only thing covering their bodies small bits of underwear. A familiar feeling of lust spread throughout his body, creating a tent in the towel.

Sarah walked forward slowly and deliberately, swaying her hips for added effect. She pressed her body against him and planted a kiss directly on his lips, her breasts pressing against his chest, allowing him to feel her hardened nipples. He responded in kind, grabbing her quickly and returning the kiss.

After a few moments, they came apart for air. Reilly joined them, her body pressing to his side as she kissed him. He wrapped an arm around her waist as she leaned into him. After their passionate exchange, Reilly and Sarah shared a look.

Michael watched as the two most important women- the two most important people in his life shared a kiss similar to the two just had by himself moments ago. They broke apart and looked to him, equally lustful looks on their faces.

Sarah spoke, a sultry grin coming to her lips. "Like I said. A love triangle might be fun."