"The Director has decided to hear us out at the next Directorate meeting, which will be three days from now. Until then, The Institute will recognize you all as guests, though they won't be giving back your weapons and armor until after the meeting has been adjourned" James explained, sitting across from Colonel Autumn within The Institute's cafeteria. Just hours ago he was in a cell, along with the men who accompanied them to The Institute, but James had been quick in getting them released.

The Colonel smiled. "That's fine. I can't imagine we'd need them down here anyways, unless one of those Synths has a short-circuit." He said, observing the numerous Synths walking around in the same kind of uniform, a single stripe of color designating what department they belonged to.

James laughed at the thought. "They're almost as human as you or I, Augustus. Besides, they're all loyal to The Institute to a fault."

Autumn didn't respond, instead carefully observing his surroundings. Many eyes were on them, both natural and synthetic, though he couldn't detect any fear in them. Instead, it was a mix of curiosity and reverence. It appeared that James was indeed a man of importance within The Institute.

He really didn't want to waste three days waiting for an answer, but he was content in knowing that even at that very moment his other plans were in motion. Though he was unsure if they would be able to kill The Wanderer, he was certain that it would, at the very least, weaken him and his relationship with The Wasteland.


The Wanderer was not happy. The two Regulators who had guns pointed at them could tell that much, but the answer to whether they lived or died that night lied in how not-happy he was. So long as neither of them tried to reach for their own weapons, and neither of them lied to him, they had a decent chance of living another day.

"So, you seem to know who I am, but I don't know you two. By the looks of you, neither of you are new to Regulating, but I know for a fact that you two haven't been in the Capital Wasteland for long. Care to introduce yourselves?" The Wanderer asked, his revolver pointed at the head of one Regulator and his suppressed M1911 pointed at the other.

The two Regulators shared a glance before the one with the revolver pointed at him answered. "I'm Ghost, and this is my partner Emile. We were sent here from the West to make contact with Sonora Cruz, since she missed two check-ins. When we arrived she tasked us with finding you and.. bringing you in." He said, almost simultaneously laughing and crying at the thought of anyone 'bringing in' The Wanderer.

The Wanderer neither laughed nor cried. Instead, he asked his next question, his tone and the look on his face the same as before. "How far West?"

It was Emile who answered next through the skull balaclava wrapped around the lower half of his face. "We came from the Regulator HQ in Nevada."

The Wanderer filed that information away for later before sizing up the two Regulators in front of him. Ghost was a bit smaller than the average man and a bit leaner, but from the way he carried himself it was apparent that he was no pushover. He had a Type 93 Chinese Assault Rifle strapped to his back and a suppressed N99 10mm pistol in a holster on his side over-top of the signature Regulator duster, the same kind he wore over-top his own condensed combat armor, though he saw no armor underneath Ghost's duster. In addition to the firearms, Michael could see a minimum of four different blades on Ghost's person.

Emile was the opposite of Ghost. He stood at the same height as him, 6'5, and he had a total of four firearms on him and a single, large blade attached to his shoulder. The same kind of blade Michael had two of: a kukri-style knife. His firearms consisted of an Ithica M37 shotgun with a drum mag without a proper buttstock on his lower back, a highly modified hunting rifle strapped to his back vertically, a China Lake grenade launcher in a modified pistol holster on his left side, and a Smith & Wesson M29 on his right side. Underneath his duster was a set of heavy combat armor, painted black.

"So, Cruz sent you here to bring me in. I'm guessing that means by force if necessary. Why?"

The two Regulators shared another look before Ghost answered. "Honestly? We have no idea. In the event we made contact with Cruz, we were to be reassigned to her for a period of time before reporting back to HQ of our own findings. The same day we got here, we were sent to find you. The further East we traveled, the more we started hearing about you, so when we were told to find you and bring you in by any means necessary, it wasn't exactly like winning the lottery. She was also very insistent that you weren't one of us, though you wear the same duster we do."

"In the time we spent at their outpost, we figured something weird was going on with Cruz's faction, but we didn't have time to investigate. Her reasoning seemed to have something to do with Talon Company, though from what we've seen they're pretty much wiped out." Emile said.

The Wanderer's neutral expression turned into a small frown. "Cruz doesn't like me because I don't play by her rules, but she's never had the courage to pull something like this before. Either something changed or she doesn't like the fact that I'm almost done eliminating Talon Company for good."

Neither Regulator had a response to that. Even among the Regulators, Cruz was a bit of an unknown. She had earned her stake within the Regulators years ago by stacking up bodies, but since moving into the Capital Wasteland she'd been fairly radio-silent, only checking in when absolutely necessary.

They stood in silence as The Wanderer seemed to contemplate whether or not they would be walking away from that conversation, but after what felt like an eternity, he spoke. "I really don't have time to play this game with Cruz right now. I have actual, important things to do, which means I'm not coming with you two. However, I really don't like being spied on, so I'll compromise. You two will go to Fort Bannister and wait for me there. Once I get back, I'll go with you to see Cruz."

Ghost and Emile didn't know how to respond. They were ordered to observe and find the best time to bring him in. If they just left him alone, he could-

"Or, I can leave a message for the next pair of Regulators to find on your corpse, if you're still thinking of trying to use force. Most Wastelanders see me as some sort of do-gooder, but the people who take up arms against me are my enemy, and there's only one thing my enemies get from me, and it isn't mercy."

The Wanderer's words put things back into perspective for the two Regulators. He was a living, breathing legend, and they were barely enough to warrant a small bit of his attention. "Option A sounds a lot better."

The Wanderer's face twisted into a wolfish smirk, though from their perspective it was a lot more like if a Deathclaw were trying to smirk at them. He lowered his guns slowly. "Good. It won't be too long of a wait." With that, he turned away and walked back towards the Citadel, slowly disappearing into the black night. The two Regulators let out a sigh of relief before they felt a presence behind them. They turned, weapons drawn, only to see The Wanderer standing there, the smirk gone from his face. Neither one of them knew how he got behind them when, moments ago, he was walking the opposite way.

"I forgot to mention that if you two don't honor this deal, I'll hunt you down and pin you both to the Regulator HQ in Nevada with rusty railroad spikes." He said, his voice having a certain kind of echo to it. Seconds later, he disappeared from sight once again.

Ghost and Emile realized that breaking a deal with the Devil might be less terrifying than breaking a deal with The Wanderer. They were quick to be on their way to Fort Bannister.


Rivet City security's Vice-Chief stood on top of the beached Aircraft carrier overlooking the newly-righted section that had broken off from the rest of the ship decades ago. It had been a major undertaking and had been attacked almost every other day by either Raiders, Super-Mutants, or both. Because the Wasteland was so quiet, the sound of construction could travel for miles, bringing all sorts of attention that would otherwise be elsewhere.

It was her job to oversee the protection of the workers and make sure that any injuries or fatalities were due to the construction itself rather than gunfire, and she had done her job well. It wasn't finished quite yet, but the broken section had been righted and leveled, the hull of the ship had been patched, and all the water had been pumped out. All this had been paid for by an extremely wealthy anonymous third party, who not only paid for all the costs of resources and labor, but had also bought the broken section outright, meaning that a total of three people knew who what section belonged to. Sydney sighed and took a sip from a bottle of whiskey, happy that another long day had finally come to an end, yet sad that she had been turned down by Harkness yet again.

It wasn't as if they hadn't already slept together. After her 'retirement', she and Harkness had a good thing together. That is until she got restless and joined the Security force. Harkness called it quits after that, saying that he didn't want their relationship impacting his future decisions. Even still, she proved herself and rose to the Vice-Chief position quickly enough, proving herself to be reliable and trustworthy. She had hoped that doing so would allow them to reconnect, but if anything it only made the wall Harkness erected even taller than before. Now, he barely even joined her for a drink.

She'd been present when that crazy Doctor had his henchman attack Harkness, calling him 'property' and a 'machine', though she was pretty sure he was just on too many chems at once. She had blinked and almost missed what The Wanderer did to the both of them. It was a few days later she had decided to join the Security force, and the wall between her and Harkness had been steadily growing ever since.

The bottle of whiskey was grabbed out of her hand and Sydney turned to see a tan woman with pinkish-red hair. Emaline, her closest friend. She had come to Rivet City just a few weeks after she became a Security Officer.

The pinkette took her own sip from the bottle, looking at the same thing Sydney had been moments ago. "It was a bitch of a job, but we're almost done. Eh, Vice-Chief?"

"We're off-duty, Emma. Knock that 'Vice-Chief' shit off." Sydney said, snatching the bottle back from her longtime friend.

"You get another 'no' from our glorious leader?"

Sydney took a big swig from the bottle before answering. "Yep."

Emaline rolled her eyes. "You know.."

"No." Sydney said, not giving her friend the chance to continue her sentence. She knew what she was going to say.

Emaline pouted. "You don't even know what I was going to say!"

Sydney looked to her friend with a blank expression. "Yes, I do. And the answer is 'no', just like it was yesterday, just like it was two weeks ago, and just like it was two years ago. I love you, but not like that."

This served only to deepen Emaline's pout. "Fine! I guess I'll go try my own luck with him." She said, walking away from her friend.

Sydney, not really listening, rolled her eyes and made a waving motion with her hand. "Yeah, yeah. Have fu-" She blinked, Emaline's words finally reaching her inebriated brain. "Wait, what? You will not!" She yelled, chasing after her friend.


It didn't take long for Michael to get back to the lower levels of the Citadel, where Reilly and Sarah were. They'd been surprised when he told them that they had been followed, but they weren't all that concerned when he said he would go see what their stalkers wanted. When he returned, he told them about it all, keeping no secrets from them. However, Sarah did raise a good point.

"Wait, you told them to wait for you at Fort Bannister? How's that gonna look to the others when they show up and nobody knows who they are or what they're talking about?"

Michael smirked. "I'm not sure, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?"

The three of them enjoyed a laugh that echoed in the large room and through the halls of the Citadel. Above them, they were being observed by both Elder Lyons and Head Scribe Rothchild.

Rothchild made a disapproving noise before turning to his old friend. "It seems your daughter has gotten quite close to The Wanderer. They seem quite fond of each other. All three of them."

Elder Lyons nodded once in agreement with Rothchild's observation. "Indeed, they all seem to be quite close, even after Reilly's departure from the Brotherhood."

"Are you okay with that, Owyn? Former Knight-Captain Reilly turned her back on us and took some of our most skilled members with her, and The Wanderer.." Rothchild paused, unsure if The Wanderer had supernatural hearing along with all of his other 'perks' he had picked up out in the Wasteland. However, Owyn Lyons wanted to hear what his friend had to say, patiently waiting for his old friend to continue.

Rothchild cleared his throat and continued, though as a lower volume than before. "The Wanderer isn't just an outsider, he's one of the most dangerous people the Brotherhood has ever encountered. The records dating all the way back to the founding have only mentioned two others who might be on the same level as him."

Elder Lyons nodded again, one more agreeing with Rothchild's assessment. "Truly, he is a force of nature itself. I, too, have read the records, searching for answers to the questions not even he could provide about his aptitude, and as you said only two others might have been a match for him. Were he to turn against us, even if he fought alone we wouldn't have a good chance of winning. With all the support he's gained, that slim chance would disappear."

"So, you agree that he has no place in your daughter's life, then?" Rothchild asked, hope in his eyes.

However, Lyons turned to his friend with a bittersweet smile on his face. "While it's true that I had hoped Sarah would find a partner among the Brotherhood, I can't fault her if she's chosen him. She met him not long after he stepped out of his Vault, and she has worked with him the closest out of all of us. Obviously she has seen and can see him for who he is, and not just what he is." Owyn turned away, looking back to his daughter and The Wanderer. "He's been an enormous help to both us and the Wasteland. If I had to pick any man to stand by her side, it would be him."

"But- the three of them are obviously-" Rothchild was cut off when Lyons raised his hand.

"It is not my place, and especially not your place to stand in judgment over the three of them. If they are happy, that is enough for me, and it should be enough for you." The Elder said, his voice calm but firm. Then, he took his leave.

Rothchild hung his head in defeat. He had hoped that his old friend would be in agreement with him, but it seemed more and more that they were in disagreement on things that concerned The Wanderer. He decided in that moment that perhaps a bit of reflection would serve him well. As he left, he could feel The Wanderer's eyes on him, a gaze that told him everything that was said had been heard by the Wasteland's Messiah.


The early morning came too quickly for Sarah's liking. She'd be separated from two of the most important people in her life for an undetermined amount of time once again, though she took solace in the fact that there was a good chance that she'd be seeing both Reilly and Michael more often thanks to the agreement made with her father on behalf of the Brotherhood.

They stood at the gate of the Citadel as Reilly and Michael made last-minute gear-checks, ensuring they hadn't left anything lying around, though it was mostly an excuse to spend a bit more time with Sarah. Behind them, several Brotherhood members gathered to see the two leaders of the Rangers off. Even Knight-Commander Danse managed to sneak away from the infirmary to see them off.

The three of them could feel the vast amount of eyes upon them, watching their every move, though it wasn't in any way malicious, it made it difficult for Sarah to say goodbye the way she wanted to. The gate lifted and the Wasteland slowly revealed itself as the sun started to rise in the East. When the gate was finally fully raised, Michael made his move to ensure that Sarah wasn't left without a proper goodbye. In front of dozens of eyes, The Wanderer grabbed Sentinel Lyons by the waist swiftly and kissed her deeply, as if not a single person were watching them in that moment. Sarah quickly melted into the kiss and returned it wholeheartedly, forgetting all about the people behind her.

Small gasps and mutters could be heard from their position, but only Reilly was paying any attention to them, though she paid them little mind. She looked upwards to a newly-refurbished section of the Citadel to see Elder Lyons looking on at the scene before them from a window. Even he wished to see The Wanderer off on his trip back out into the Wasteland, though the expression on his face said that the scene before him wasn't entirely a shock to him. His eyes met the Redhead's and they both shared a small, knowing smile before he receded into the Citadel. The kiss broke moments later and the two Rangers headed out into the Wasteland once more.

Sarah stood in place until the gate closed and they disappeared from view.


Refortifying Fort Bannister was not going to be an easy or cheap task. Talon Company had relied on numbers to keep it secure, and yet a single man had been able to infiltrate their most secure location and slaughter over 100 people inside. That's why both The Wanderer and Reilly wanted to start building up fortifications ASAP, Sergeant Pepper saw that there were a few problems with that plan.

Firstly, Fort Bannister's perimeter was not ideal as a secure location. Though there was a lot of open space around them, making a full-on assault costly to anyone who might try it, they had proved that a nighttime infiltration with a small, well-trained group could do some serious damage. Even without The Wanderer, they could have probably taken the fort with the people they had. Fort Bannister would require walls, and cheaping out on them would be a bad idea.

Secondly, the interior of Fort Bannister could sustain well over a hundred people easily, but doing so would require supplies. What had been left behind wouldn't last forever, especially if their numbers grew too quickly. Fort Bannister was a good ways away from any caravan routes, and making a contract with a single caravan wouldn't cut it for very long. They would need a solid supply chain to keep Fort Bannister operational. Talon had largely relied upon their own members bringing back all they could take, whether it be from scavenging or from the bodies of Wastelands. They also had territorial disputes with Raiders which lead to them gaining a wealth of food, weapons, and ammo, but once word got out that The Wanderer's watchful eye was upon Fort Bannister, no group of Raiders would be stupid enough to go near them.

Thirdly, and most importantly in Pepper's mind, the Rangers didn't trust him or the boys. He had hoped that killing his former 'comrades' would earn at least a little bit of trust, but it seemed that the only two people who trusted him at all, other than Mason and James, were The Wanderer and Reilly herself. If they didn't trust one another, it would be just as bad Talon when it came to working together. While they went about their duties figuring out how to best return Fort Bannister to at least a shadow if its pre-war glory, the Rangers hadn't stayed in the same room as them for longer than they needed to, much less actively work with them. Conversations were short and largely passive-aggressive, and there didn't seem to be any real chain of command, which Talon was at least capable of, though The Wanderer had said he planned on correcting that.

Sergeant Pepper sighed, returning to his valve check. With the amount of gunfire that went on, he was surprised that there weren't more issues.


Four hours after they departed from the Citadel, Michael and Reilly arrived at the Ranger's DC compound. However, something was wrong. The door that lead to the interior was all smashed up, as was the terminal that was used to unlock said door. There was also a new, sloppily made grave in the couryard. They were quick to draw their weapons and prepared to breach their own compound. They stacked up on the right side of the door before Michael used his heel to kick in the door, causing it to crash open and into the parallel wall, the sound echoing around inside the interior.

They moved inside slowly with Reilly taking up the rear, and at the bottom of the steps a shadow lunged out from the supply closet to the left, knife in hand. However, The Wanderer was a master of shadows, and reacted too quickly for their attacker, grabbing the outstretched arm by the wrist, twisting, and using the attacker's own force and momentum to direct him to the ground, the knife falling to the floor harmlessly as he put his boot in the middle of their attacker's back.

After a moment, Reilly's eyes adjusted to see it was Theo, his face squished against the cold, grated metal floor.

"Your CQC needs work, Theo. As does your breathing. I could hear you from the top of the steps." Michael said, releasing Theo's wrist and removing his foot.

Theo groaned in response, feeling like he got hit by a charging mad brahmin. It took him some time to get up. When he did, he was offered a canteen full of water by Reilly. "What happened here, Theo?"

After taking a sip, he waved his hand, gesturing toward the door. "Jabasco happened. That fuck smashed up the terminal and kicked the door open. Didn't get a chance to come inside, though."

"Jabasco? How did he survive..?" Reilly asked, looking to Michael for an answer.

Michael shrugged. "He was one tough bastard to survive what went on that night. I was sure he'd bleed out, but I guess I should've just ripped out his heart like some of the others." The way he spoke so casually about what happened that night sent chills down Reilly and Theo's spines. He didn't bother to elaborate further.

After helping Theo up, they explained the plan to him. They'd pack up all essentials and lock up the DC compound for future use. Michael ensured that he's make it quite a bit more difficult for someone to break in before they left, but didn't explain how. Theo was glad to hear the operation was a success and even moreso to hear The Wanderer had accepted a leadership position within the Rangers.

And so, the three Rangers left behind their old base of operations, hoping that one day they could make use of the location when their numbers grew large enough. Nobody knew just how important that location would come to be in future events.


A/N: I wanted to get this chapter out by Christmas as a bit of a present to all you readers, but unfortunately I had to attend to other matters. So, this will be the first chapter for 2018, and hopefully the first of several. It's a bit short, but it felt like the proper place to end it. Happy New Year, everyone. I hope we all have a better year than we did last year.