Heart of Steel
Chapter 6: Shoring Up the Cracks
They, the initiates, had been safe the day before. Now, the Brotherhood had other plans for them. Plans that put them back in harms way yet again. The fighting over Galaxy News Radio had escalated. More super mutants were filling into the surrounding area nightly. What once was Early Dawn Elementary School now proved to be an obstacle as the gutted remains gave safe haven to the combatants of the Brotherhood of Steel. Their mission, as had been explained by Paladin Bael who was appointed their guardian in absence of Paladin Bruce, was to close off any entrance into the ruins from the first floor.
The temporary victory over the Enclave had given a technological hegemony in the Capital Wasteland to the Brotherhood. The Enclave had developed and utilized pulse field technology to prevent entrance into certain areas. However, this need large amounts of energy and operation terminals, two items that were not easily expended. The Enclave had left behind a lot of scrap metal, particularly from their prefab portable base kits, that could be jury rigged into barricades. It was with this shipment of scrap metal, a pressurized rail gun, and a modified flamer that the initiates found themselves behind enemy lines.
They were standing next to the open doorway of Earl Dawn Elementary, super mutants were above them shooting into the courtyard of GNR plaza with hunting, assault, and Chinese assault rifles. The Brotherhood paladins and knights were taking cover behind sandbags and the fountain of the plaza from where they returned fire with laser and plasma based weaponry. The initiates had maintained their weapons, except for Schieber who was repairman on this mission.
"Move it!" Ordered Paladin Bael from behind their backs, "get your asses in their and shore up the cracks to prevent others from joining!"
Dan kept on ducking, being the first near the entrance several bullets would hit the door frame sending dust and splinters into his face. He turned back to the others, looking them in the eyes, his promotion was on his shoulder pad. He breathed heavily, leaned forward and took two grenades from a satchel on over Lolli Pop's shoulder. He pulled the pins of both grenades and threw them past the entrance into the main room. After the explosion he and the initiates ran in, guns drawn.
The super mutants on the first floor were stunned from the grenades. Those on the ground were easily taken out with pot shots from the initiates, those on the level above them had to be met at the same level, or distracted for the Brotherhood shooters outside. J.R. ran to the nearest stairs, Zach behind him, and as they got to the top step both knelt and fired upon the super mutants. The needed distraction allowed the well equipped Brotherhood members outside to finish off the last four super mutants above the initiates head.
LaCroix and Newton carried in the first metal panel to the hole closest to the stairs. Several knights joined the initiates inside, helping to secure the Elementary School before the super mutants returned. Schieber leveled the pressurized rail rifle and shot four metal spikes into the corner of the metal panel to secure them to wall. He then took out the modified nozzle of the flamer and began to melt the metal to ensure it stayed in place.
"Bring in the beams," yelled Schieber, to which Newton, Pop and LaCroix started to carry in rusted I-beams; Schieber buttressed the metal plate with the I-beam and secured it to the tiled floor with another spike before welding the I-beam and metal plate together.
The whole process had taken nearly half an hour and the Brotherhood was mobilizing to defended the porous Elementary School. Knights were standing on the second level facing Chevy Chase East. An hour had passed since they school had been taken, only two holes of the ten had been secured. Alvarado and Roe had set themselves in the middle of the school to keep a vantage point on everything. Schieber was moving as fast as he could without sacrificing security. J.R. and Zach caught up with Alvarado and Roe.
"We're sitting ducks here," stated J.R., "Schieber's got four more hours of work left."
"At least we'll have the sun," said Alvarado.
"WE'VE GOT MORE MUTIES!" Yelled out a knight in a metallic voice, "coming up from the ruin, guard the entrance."
"You heard the man," shouted Paladin Bael, "get to those defenses!"
Alvarado, Roe, J.R., and Zimm made there way to the entrance way facing the east side. The knights and paladins above them held their fire, waiting for the mutants to get out into the court yard that used to be a playground. Alvarado and Roe knelt in the entrance while J.R. and Zimm stood behind them. They began to fire in three shot bursts, aiming for the super mutant chests to slow them down so a knight or paladin could take them out with their energy weapons.
"Keep it up initiates!" yelled out Paladin Bael as he continued to fire down in the playground.
Schieber and the others continued to shore up the school. The pace was slow as Newton joined the others to assist in taking down super mutants. LaCroix and Pop continued to haul in metal sheets and I-beams to secure the holes. Three were done in an hour and a half, and the team was moving to the forth hole when a the first break through occurred.
A super mutant with metal strapped to it's chest widened the forth hole and stepped through. LaCroix drew her weapon and fired into the open flesh for the green stomach. Pop followed and fired into the same area. The mutant swung it's super sledge hammer and knocked LaCroix off her feet. Schieber took out the pressurized rail gun and fired two shots, the first missed and the second hit the mutant in the bicep and pinned it's arm to the wall.
The mutant, realizing it was pinned to the wall, decided it was better to be with one arm than stuck and forcibly ripped itself from the wall. It's large green arm hung there like a mounted trophy as the beast charged forward. Schieber leveled the flamer and fired into it's stomach, cutting a hole through the beast, the fire traveled through out the body cavity and hollowed out. The remaining green flesh crumpled over, the mutant was a dead husk.
"Check on Anna and get me a metal sheet," ordered Schieber as kicked the remains out of the way.
The playground was filling with bodies, green flesh was everywhere. The mutants just kept on going, filling the yard as they were cut down. A large mutant with a minigun rounded the corner and opened fired. Two knights were knocked off the second floor. They landed but were still alive, the initiates ran to them and dragged them away, the power armor making it a slow process. The continued fire from the minigun hit the facade of the Elementary School continuously.
The Brotherhood suffered it's first casualty, a knight that was jumping down got caught in the bombardment. He fell, hitting some of the ruins and got a piece of reinforcement bar caught between his armor and helmet. When he rolled onto the first floor it jammed straight through his neck, he bleed out in the entrance way. This inspired the Brotherhood to keep on firing, but the minigun prevented them from any prolonged combat. They resorted to fire and hide tactics, as the super mutants slowly made their way forward.
Schieber had finished the fifth hole by they time the knight had died. Halfway done, he turned his attention to the entrance where the majority of the fighting was taking place. At that moment there was another breach through the sixth hole. This super mutant ran to Schieber as he was distracted and struck the tank of the flamer with his sledge hammer. Schieber fell on his face and quickly rolled to the side. He unstrapped the tank and kicked it to the super mutant.
LaCroix returned at that moment to see Schieber kick the dented broken tank at the super mutant. She took out her gun and shot the tank that was between the super mutant's legs. It exploded upwards, destroying the super mutant. The flames washed over Schieber, who was lightly singed, and disappeared quickly. Anna ran over to Quin and patted out the small fires on his combat armor.
"Are you okay?" She asked as she helped him stand up.
"Yea," said Schieber as he shook his head, "now I need something to weld with."
"Shit," replied LaCroix.
Schieber ran to the front line. The other initiates were guarding the injured and dead. Roe looked up as Schieber ran over.
"Where are their laser rifles?" Asked the repairman.
Roe pointed to the pile against the wall. Schieber picked up on and several microfusion shells before running back to the sixth hole. He knelt down and took out his tool kit. Quin opened the breach and began cutting into the firing the mechanism to alter it for a continuous burst.
"What are you doing with that rifle," asked a knight as they passed by to bring supplies to the entrance way.
"Making it into a laser welder," replied Schieber as he continued to tinker.
Back at the entrance Roe and the others guarded the doorway and the wounded. The super mutants were starting to make their way through the playground because of the covering fire from minigun wielding mutant. J.R. was smoking, puffing on his drag furiously as the bullets were flying into the tiles and cement.
"We need to take him out," said J.R. as he lit another cigarette with the dying one.
"We can't shoot from up top, or from down low," said Zimm he checked his ammo again, nervous.
"We have to get around then," stated Alvarado in a matter-of-fact like tone.
J.R. stood up, tossed the cigarette and stomped it out. He walked over to where Schieber and the others were. He checked the weld job that was being done to the sixth hole, nearly closing it up. J.R. yelled out for Schieber to stop.
"I need to go out there and take care of business," J.R. said as he looked over Schieber as LaCroix and Pop brought more supplies.
"Second I close a hole it stay's close," commented Schieber as finished the weld.
"I'm counting on it," said J.R. as he took his rifle and clanged the bolt back, "if I'm not back before the last hole is closed...."
"I'll send a search party," replied Schieber as he started moving to the seventh hole with the others.
"No," said J.R., a cold look in his eyes, "if I don't come back consider me dead, no one else needs to lose their life for me."
Schieber nodded as they reached the next hole and J.R. ducked through the rubble. LaCroix looked at Schieber and he just shook his head. She nodded and placed the metal sheet on the hole. Schieber took out pressurized rail gun to secure it. He held his hand on the metal before taking out laser rifle and welding the metal.
"Get me a beam," yelled Schieber.
Outside, J.R. noted that around the school was relatively calm, the majority of the fighting was occurring at the entrance way. He walked forward before he felt a stinging sensation on his shin. He looked down and saw a gooey material sticking to the shin plate of his combat armor. He quickly ripped the plate of armor off and scanned the ruins to find a centaur. The centaurs were sentries for the super mutants.
J.R. demolished the creature with several rounds from his R91. He moved forward slowly, waiting for the super mutant that was certain to be there. The lumbering form of the green monster came into view just as J.R. stepped over the dead centaur. He fired instantly, aiming for the head. The close range of twenty feet made his shots hit true, though the toughened hide took several rounds to be a death shot for the monster. He continued down the side tunnel next to the ruins and school.
The rubble jostled around, J.R. had to balance himself as he lost his footing in the loose rubble. The light was a few feet away now, J.R. emerged from the tunnel, on the far side of the playground on the hill of ruins that blocked the streets from being connected. He looked around briefly, checked that it was clear and knelt. He slowly aimed at the larger-than-average super mutant. He looked down his site with both eyes open.
J.R. held his breath for a second, and exhaled slowly. He controlled his breath, timing it with his heart beat. Aiming for the gun of the beast, knowing he couldn't drop it this far away with even a full clip. Better to disarm than distract, he thought rationalizing what he was going to do in the prone position.
He squeezed the trigger slowly, hitting the minigun with three shots, before squeezing again to hit it another time. He kept firing his R91 before he could see it stop firing it's 5mm ammo as it fell from the super mutants hand.
The super mutant yelled in pain as several fingers were now on the ground along with the heavy minigun. The roar attracted the Brotherhood knights and paladins, who popped up from their cover to take down the large super mutant. It's roar was ended in a gurgle as a plasma blast ripped it's throat open. They Brotherhood was back in the fight and the playground was the shooting gallery.
"Who is that on the hill!" Yelled out Paladin Bael.
Roe took a peek from behind the battlement as Schieber started to finish up the ninth hole, "Shit," he said under his breath as he saw J.R. outside.
Alvarado, Roe and Newton ran over to Schieber, Pop, and LaCroix; they left Zimm behind to guard the fallen. Schieber was starting to weld the I-beam, as Roe turned him around.
"Did you let J.R. through the tunnel?" Asked Dan as he held onto Schieber's chest plate.
"He asked too, Roe," said Schieber as LaCroix and Pop nodded.
"Don't cover that last hole for awhile," said Roe as he turned to look at Newton and Alvarado pointing to them and then himself, "we're going to go get him."
Schieber reached out and held Roe's bicep, "he said not to, but I'm not going to stop you, just get back in half an hour."
Roe nodded and ordered the others to follow him through the last hole. The ran through tunnel, stomping through the form of a dead centaur and then a super mutant. They got to the end of the tunnel and emerged to the light. J.R. was in front of them, not fifty away. But there were two super mutants that had broken off from the playground to get the lone soldier off to the side.
"J.R., Watch out behind you!" Called out Roe as he pointed behind J.R. shoulder.
J.R. turned to see who was yelling at him and saw Roe. He followed his hand and looked the other way behind his shoulder. Just as he did, the super mutant pounded his fist downward on J.R. face. The initiate was knocked out instantly and fell to the ground like a rag doll. Alvarado pulled out his gun and was about fire as Roe pushed it upwards into the air.
"You'll hit J.R.," he yelled, "we need to get closer!"
They began to run to J.R. and the super mutants. The one that punched him kicked him over the hill to fall in the middle of the playground. He slid down the rubble and hit the merry-go-round before coming to a halt. The super mutants jumped down the hill as well. Roe stopped the others as they saw the super mutants picked up J.R. and made their way to the building they poured out from to playground.
Roe guided Newton and Alvarado down the hill. The only thought in their head was to get J.R. back. The playground was filled with dead green flesh. Paladin Bael and two knights came running from the entrance. They caught up with Roe, Newton, and Alvarado by the entrance to travel through and around the building.
"Hold up, HOLD IT I SAID," he yelled as he stopped the initiates.
The initiates turned to Paladin Bael, "we need to get J.R.," said Roe.
Paladin Bael looked at the death and destruction around them and nodded, "follow us, we'll need the support."
Roe nodded and understood. Paladin Bael motioned for them to lead the way. Protocol needed to be followed, and the initiates could not run out into the unknown by themselves. Roe went through the entrance first. Only a year ago had the Brotherhood of Steel used this area as a staging operation to take the school back from the super mutants, with the assistance of the Lone Wanderer. The moved forward and around the corners, the super mutants had evacuated the area quickly.
They made it through to an open area that was a combination of trenches and ruined buildings. In the trench were two super mutants with their weapons drawn. They covered the third that had J.R. on his shoulder as he ran away. The two were quickly taken care of by the initiates and the energy weapons of Paladin Bael and the two knights.
Roe rushed through as the bodies were falling, running faster than the others could keep up. The super mutant was running down a straight path to an open metro tunnel. J.R. was dangled over his shoulder, still unconscious. Roe knelt, aimed low and fired at the back legs of the super mutant. Chunks of green flesh were blown away.
Paladin Bael caught up, knelt and started to shoot his laser rifle as well. The left leg of the super mutant was removed from the knee down. It fell forward as it tried to plant it's missing leg. J.R. fell off it's shoulder and was thrown to the side of the tunnel entrance. Roe and Bael ran forward, the others catching up with them now, to recover J.R.
The super mutant turned over, took out it's rifle and fired from a sitting position. Several rounds hit Paladin Bael, but the power armor deflect it, one ricochet grazed his neck, leaving an open wound and burn mark. He stopped running to keep pressure on the wound as Roe continued and unloaded the remainder of his clip into the super mutant's head and chest, riddling it with bullets. As he ran closer Roe took the opportunity to kick the super mutant in the head as it was taking it's last breaths.
J.R. was on the ground and recovered by the Brotherhood of Steel of easily. One of the knights cracked a little packet and held it under J.R.'s nose. He awoke with a jerk, coughing as regained consciousness.
"He'll be alright," said the Knight with a metallic voice.
"Better get him to the Citadel anyways," said Paladin Bael, "call for an evac."
"Will do, sir," said the Knight he called back to Citadel Control for an evacuation vertibird.
"What the fuck happened," said J.R. as reached for his cigarettes.
"You were taken by the big uglies," replied Bael as he checked the bandage on his neck, "Roe here, breaking every rule in the handbook, rushed after your ass."
"Where's Schieber," demanded J.R., "I told him not to send a search party."
"Be happy he did," said Bael as he slapped J.R. on the back, "or else we wouldn't have gotten you back. Good job taking that minigunner out, by the way."
"Thanks," said J.R. as he inhaled the cigarette deep, turning his attention to Dan, "you should have just let them have me."
Dan sat next to J.R., the Knights and other initiates secured the area, "couldn't repeat what happened at Dupont Circle."
J.R. nodded and passed Roe a cigarette, who took it but was unable to light it as the vertibird began landing. Roe helped load up J.R. with Paladin Bael, both returning to the Citadel. The vertibird had already picked up the wounded and dead from the school. It took off, back to the Citadel, in hopes of saving lives. Roe, Alvarado, Newton and the Knights are left outside the metro tunnel as the vertibird took off.
"Citadel Control want's us out here for defense until the area can be sealed off," commented a Knight.
"Then we wait," said Newton as she began a walk to the perimeter.