"War! that mad game the world so loves to play." ~Jonathan Swift

Chapter 7 : Reunion

Defender Anne Marie Morgan had seen many strange sights during her tenure as the Outcast sentry, the occasional stupid raider that charges the automatic defense turrents, or Yao Guai chasing some screaming local. Stuff like that made standing around for ten hours bearable, but nothing prepared her for the two battered and injured Outcast soldiers that limped towards the fort. Blood was slowly dripping from one of the injured defender, while the other defender, had lost her helmet.

"You look like hell." was all Anne managed to blurt out.

"Good to see you too Marie, sorry for bleeding on your pretty little piece of real estate, but we could sure use some stimpacks!." Farsight yelled, prompting Anne Marie to run back to Independence. Aside from doubling as a base defender, she was also probably the closet thing to a medic on the team.

As Defender Morgan vanished through the doors of independence, Fitts and Colt ran out to greet their comrades, with Colt taking the wounded Kesler off of Farsight's shoulders and propping him up, dragging him towards the fort while the squad walked.

"Take it the locals weren't too friendly?" Fitts nodded towards Kesler, noticing the bullet-sized hole in his chest plate.

Farsight rolled her eyes. Geez, thanks for making me feel at home captain.

"I guess they didn't appreciate all the 'rock' comments Colt keeps spewing out." Kesler coughed.

Defender Farsight added her own report. "We had a run in with the Enclave, then a whole new can of worms with Raiders and Talons." She proceeded to go over the details of the last few days, how Kesler and her had avoided increased Talon patrols in the area, after narrowly escaping the rocket explosions. Damn Raiders and Talons had managed to upgrade their equipment.

"The Enclave? They finally stirring out of their little hideout in Raven Rock?" Colt remarked.

Fitts nodded, taking in the report. It was a disappointment, and a relief at the same time, he didn't lose any of his squad mates.

"This is nothing new, we've been expecting this for some time since Morrill made his report."

"Well I'm glad you're both intact, because we got a job to do." The Protector nodded towards Colt, who was armed with a tri-laser rifle even as he supported Kesler on his shoulder.

"In a few days of course, first we'll have Kesler treated with some stims, a good night's sleep and we should be good to go." Fitts smirked, timing it just right so that Defender Farsight wouldn't have time to get into another one of her screaming fits.

"Aw." Colt shook his head in disapointment, it had been days since he shot anything.

"Just shut up will you….. Col-" was all Kesler managed to say before a black curtain suddenly shrouded off his vision.

Defender Kesler wasn't sure how many hours he had been under. The wound in his chest was still throbbing, but the fever, the fever he had caught made it worse. His vision was reduced to blurs, his power armor long removed, he felt around his chest for the bandage that was applied over the gunshot.

He sighed, each breath bringing more pain into his chest. Then he heard more sounds, another presence in the room next to him. And he turned to see the sight of Defender Farsight, in the same battle scarred power armor but without her helmet.

"So how're you holding up?" Farsight asked, nodding her head towards Kesler's wounds.

"Be thankful, without your power armor, that bullet would have liquefied your internal organs, probably explode your torso."

"And I thought I was the morbid one here." Kesler groaned, wiping the sweat off his head. "How long was I out?"

"Two days." She lifted up two fingers, "Colt's getting antsy around the base, shooting up giant ants and the occasional raider. He seriously needs to get his rocks off." Farsight snickered at her own joke.

"The Protector?" Kesler asked, no doubt Fitts was just as disappointed that they couldn't leave.

"Oh don't worry, he doesn't mind. Says we can't do our mission without you. But he also said that we'll be working together as a squad of four going forward."

Kesler nodded. Though that meant he would no longer be with the Outcast Wraith Squad, they were under Casdin's direct command anyway, and in good hands

"You've been watching over me this whole time?" Kesler asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I didn't think that bullet made it that far down your skull. We took turns, it just happened to be my shift."

"Glad to see I'm so loved by my team mates." Kesler remarked.

"While we're on the subject of teams, I just realized something. I don't think any of us know your real name." Farsight mentioned almost offhandedly.

"Why's that important? I cover your ass, you cover mine. That's as much as we need to know." Kesler sighed, realizing this was perhaps the longest conversation he's ever had with a fellow Outcast, but then again, no one bothered to chat up an Outcast Spec ops member.

"No, I figured we're working together, we may as well know each other. You know that thing called trust? Works well within squads." Farsight said nonchalantly.

"Cassandra Farsight, nice to finally 'meet' you." She reached her hand out to Kesler mockingly, but he shook his head and chuckled.

"Cassandra, the far-seeing prophet, fits you." Kesler smirked, remembering the old pre-war books he used to read back in California.

"I'd be flattered, if Cassandra wasn't seen as some insane crazy person." Farsight took a second to appreciate the look of surprise on Kesler's face. "Yes, I read books too."

Kesler shrugged. "If the shoe fits…."

A quick jab in his ribs quickly sent Kesler reeling back in pain. "Not smart for someone whose supposed to think three steps ahead huh?" Cassandra said mischieviously. "Now, I told you my name, tell me yours."

"No." Was all Kesler said.

Farsight simply shrugged, putting back her power helmet back on. "Oh well, worth a shot. To be honest, I'm enjoying this conversation, this is the most I've heard you talk since you joined us, we should get you shot more often."

"So let me get this straight," Colt said as he ate another scoop of pre-war cram. "We're going to be heading into Brotherhood territory, running in the crossfire between the mutants and the Brotherhood, all just to get…."

"An important piece of technology." Protector Fitts finished off. "Something we'll need for our assault on Bannister, and perhaps tip the scales in our favour against the Brotherhood."

Fitts then pulled up a makeshift map of the D.C ruins, outlining his plan.

"From the information we received for Reilly's Rangers, there is a cache of weapons located in this area to the North East. We'll take an old underground sewer route to avoid detection."

"Reilly's Rangers?" Colt was the first one to ask, they never heard that name before.

"A local mercenary team, specializes in scouting."

The rest of the squad took the information in disbelief. "You mean we're going on the word of a local? I didn't know Casdin was that desperate."

"They are the best of the best." Fitts managed gruffly "Besides, better to have them risk their asses than ours. And they do provide good intel."

"Before we go however," Fitts continued. "Casdin wants us to scout the Falls Church area for some extra technology. Word has it the Brotherhood is starting patrols in that area, he wants us to get there first, and strip the area of any valuable tech before Lyons' men can get their hands on it."

"Does this mean bullets? Cause I'll tell you sir, Kesler had one a few days ago and from the looks of it they don't digest too well." Farsight snickered, to which Kesler simply grunted.

Fitts nodded, rolling up the makeshift map. "We'll get our fair share of combat for sure, that is why Casdin is entrusting this mission to us, and not any other squad."

Colt was the next to voice his concern. "You do know that also means we'll be going through ghoul infested sewers. On top of going through the Brotherhood and Super Mutants, them I don't mind but I can stand ghouls." The defender almost cringed in disgust at those abominations. Supermutants, they were fun to see their heads explode, but ghouls, they had an eerily human quality to them.

With a surprising speed, Fitt's threw one of the power armored helmets to Colt, almost knocking the Outcast back in his chair as he caught it. The spoon and cram the Colt was previously eating from fell unceremoniously to the floor.

"War's a bitch Colt. Wear a helmet." Fitts latched on his own power armor helmet.

"We move out within the hour. I suggest you say your goodbyes to some of the squads, because we're not going to be back here anytime soon."

Protector Casdin watched with detached calm as the next Outcast squad set out from Fort Independence to scout the Northern regions, taking it all in as he inhaled the next puff from his cigarette. The sun was setting, casting a deathly crimson red over the horizon, signaling to the wastelanders that it was time to bunk in. The only time that the Capital Wasteland became even more dangerous, was when the Deathclaws went out hunting at night. Flicking the cigarette off his fingers, he saluted Protector Morrill, recently promoted after the battle of Fairfax. He would try again to reach Fort Constantine, perhaps even investigate the rumors of a lost Oasis up north.

This operation in the Capital Wasteland was stretching them down to the last man. With the last batch of patrols sent out, plus the garrison at the outpost, Casdin perhaps had less than a dozen men and women on hand to hold Independence; this was after he detached Fitt's squad to the D.C ruins.

He tried to picture it in his head, the abundance of equipment and knights Lyons had under his possession, and he was throwing all that to waste to defend a few tribals. Now, his own men were struggling out in the dirt, trying to accomplish the original mission, while the Brotherhood's soldiers slept snuggly with a roof over their heads. It sickened him.

Power armored steps on concrete sounded from behind him, and Casdin turned to see a fully armored and heavily armed Protector Fitts and Defender Colt standing behind him.

"Hail Protector." Both Colt and Fitts greeted Casdin, saluting.

"At ease soldiers, are you set?" Casdin said as he placed his own power armor helmet on.

"Armed to the teeth sir." Colt blurted out, brandishing his AER9 class 6 Tri-laser rifle. "Although I want to go on the record sir that I'm pretty sure we're all gonna die." He said with a hint of sarcasm.

Casdin chuckled. "On that subject, how is your squad doing protector?"

"We've been better, but ready to go." Protector Fitts nodded.

"What are your thoughts on this mission?" Casdin had gone over the plan for hours with Fitts, but he was interested in hearing it from the rest of the squad.

"As long as the only interaction with the locals we have is from the bottom of my rifle, we're fine." Colt replied. The Brotherhood of Steel had historically been an exclusive and isolated society, Colt's viewpoint was not uncommon.

Casdin shrugged. "Something we can't avoid unfortunately."

Several more minutes were spent going over the last details of the operation, until the conversation took another turn.

"So, where are you both from?" The Protector asked.

Colt was the first to answer. "Came from Lost Hills sir, like most of us. My parents thought it would be a waste of my talents to be stuck underground for my life, so when they wanted kids to go with Lyons to establish a presence in the East, they signed me up. Not that I was old enough to understand."

"You regret it?" Casdin asked.

"Nah, not so much, mostly because of the heavy weaponry I get to shoot." Colt chuckled.

Next was Fitts' turn.

"My Parents were both Paladins, we came from Shady Sands."

The mention of the city was enough to send shivers done the Outcasts' spines.

"NCR Territory." Casdin remarked quietly. All of them knew of the recent NCR-Brotherhood war that had been going on. One of the reasons Lyons was sent eastwards was to locate some technology to help their brothers in the ongoing war.

"Yup," Fitts said flatly, as though he were tired of retelling the event. "NCR demolished our bunker there, killed them. The Elders in Lost Hills took us in and set us with Lyon's group. The rest is history."

Casdin nodded, knowing when to leave something well enough alone.

"Well, I'm proud to have you both in this outfit, I know we've all lost a lot of friends and family in this, but I promise you, their sacrifices will not be in vain."

"It's why I'm here sir." Protector Fitts nodded, then he gestured towards Farsight and Kesler, both heading towards him. "Think it's about time we move out now."

"Steel preserve you Protector. "Casdin saluted, which Fitts returned, as he and Colt set off eastwards towards the DC Ruins.

The silence in the last few hours could have been broken by a pin drop. The four person squad made their way past the sewer waystation. They were heading to a place called Grayditch, recently cleared of mutated ants by a mysterious third party.

Bored out of his mind, Colt decided to turn the radio on again, listening to the crazy rantings of Three Dog.

"This, faithful listeners, is the story of a little boy. A little boy... named Bryan Wilks. You see, Bryan's from Grayditch, a small settlement that was recently overrun with overzealous Giant Ants. Bryan, sadly, was the sole survivor. That's where the kid from Vault 101 comes in, and where our story, thankfully, gets better. You see, not only did Miss Vault 101 stop the Ant problem, she also found little Bryan Wilks a new home. So if you see Bryan and his new parents, wish them all good luck. Oh, and 101? Nice work."

"That kid again." Colt muttered under his breath as the radio went to another rendition of 'Maybe'. Although the Outcasts officially didn't care, he'd heard rumors being passed amongst his fellow Outcast defenders about this vault dweller. There was even word from the patrol at Megaton that they saw this vaultie making rounds between the town and Rivet City.

"That opens up Marigold as an option. We can head to Fall's Church from there." Protector Fitts nodded, obviously listening in on the radio as well from his helmet.

"No fire ants any more, but don't be surprised if some ghouls have moved in." Fitts reminded his squadmates.

The team nodded. Farsight already prepping a hunting rifle for close quarters combat, while Kesler and Colt charged up their tri-laser rifles.

The metro tunnels were dark, covered in ruins of old pre-war metro cars amidst the debris of humanity and scraps that had accumulated over two centuries. Bones, dead bodies, both long decayed and fresh, littered the old steel rail lines. They were a mixture of wastelanders, talon company, and raiders, their bloody corpses serving as a grim reminder that there were those that lived beneath the surface who called this place home, and they did not take kindly to intruders.

The metallic sound of steel scrapping and hissing on concrete echoed through the empty chambers, sending sounds for miles around, alerting the inhabitants that there were newcomers onto their territory. Claws and monstrous arms flexed in the darkness, following by a slew of wailing screams and inhuman snarls. Dozens more took up the cry, and from the wreckage, shifting figures, protruding exposed muscle and bone, and tattered clothes sniffed into the darkness, opening their eyes.

They wailed in unison, quickly making their way along the tracks. The sounds of more movement attracted the rest of the inhabitants, eyes glittering with hunger, and their irradiated hearts pumping adrenaline as they eagerly set out to attack.

The Ferals tasted blood.

"Oh Lordy here they come." Colt said with a sense of urgency as he and Kesler quickly took up firing positions. Fitts himself was standing to provide Farsight with cover while she aimed her scope down the tunnel.

Already the voices, raspy screams and hisses of the feral ghouls echoed the darkness, as though surrounding the Outcasts from every direction, but all of them knew where to aim.

"Frag out!" Fitts yelled, and both Kesler and Colt immediately pulled the pins off their grenades, one frag, the other plasma, hurling them down the tunnel with all the extra strength their power armor could afford.

The two grenades landed in the middle of the pack, and within a second, detonated. Flame and green plasma energy filled the narrow Metro line, throwing the thin, decayed bodies of the feral ghouls into the air. The fortunate ones caught in the middle of the blast had their entire bodies instantly disintegrated into bloody sacks of flesh, while others were simply reduced to irradiated plasma puddles.

"Fire at will!"

Farsight took a shot at a Glowing One, the tougher variant of the feral zombies which served as living conduits of radiation. In the darkness of the tunnels, they were the easiest to spot, and the highest priority to take out before they reached the squad.

The air shattered within the tunnels, echoing for miles around as Farsight's rifle literally shattered the head of the glowing one into pieces of jellified flesh. More laser fire erupted from the Outcast line, burning through concrete slabs, ragged armor, and flesh. The ghouls continued onward, oblivious to the pain, or perhaps, having long lost the ability to feel anything.

They fell as they were hit, some losing limbs and heads. But even after they fell, they stumbled and crawled forward. They advanced steadily into the hail of laser and gunfire, eager to satiate their basic need to feed.

"Don't fall back! Advance!" Fitts yelled in grim determination. Kesler pulled out his combat knife, even as he was firing his laser rifle one handed into the chest of the nearest ghoul. The monster stumbled as the laser fire kick started a chemical reaction in its body, instantly flash frying all the moisture in bones, organs and skin. The ghoul burned a bright orange as it fell backwards, reducing itself to ashes and cinders. Two more roamers attacked, these ones wearing shattered remnants of Talon company armor.

Although feral ghouls appeared rotting and malnourished to the outsider, in reality they were quite strong, their heavy radiation poisoning and mutation granting their DNA the ability to regenerate at an alarming rate. This was why they were able to live for centuries, much longer than the lifespan of any human. But this didn't make them any less killable.

Quickly grounding his feet, Kesler took the Ghoul charge head on, dislocating the neck of one of them with a power armored punch to the fist, while the other had a combat knife dug straight into its heart. Another ghoul leapt at Kesler, almost knock him off his feet until an armor piercing round splattered his head to pieces.

He turned to see Defender Farsight giving him a wave, before aiming for the next glowing one.

The dark metro tunnels lit up in a brilliant flash of red and green, as Fitts fired his plasma rifle with Colt's tri-laser beam, which scythed down more ghouls, burning a hole through three in succession.

Another ghoul crawled forward towards the Outcast, this one's body completely severed from the hips up. It dragged itself towards its prey, intent on feeding to the very end of its life. It had been a woman, once, still wearing the tattered remains of a pre-war dress. Lord knows how long she had to live down here like this. Decades…centuries even.

Fitts face softened under his helmet as he saw the ghoul, and watched as it dragged its eviscerated guts along the floor in some vain attempt to feed on them.

He stepped forward, unholstering his pistol and aiming it straight for the malnournished ghouls face, even as it reached out pitifully towards him.

"I'm sorry this had to happen to you."

He pulled the trigger, blasting the brains out of its skull.

More sounds, fire and laser filled the tunnels, piling up more bodies as the ghouls finally backed off from their prey. The armored ones had proven too difficult to kill, to consume. They would break off for now, and search for easier prey, weaker ones who wandered in the other parts of the metro, after all, the pack still needed blood.

A silence soon filled the tunnels, along with the bodies of the ferals, which now carpeted the floor.

"Alright Outcasts, let's move. Falls Church is just around the corner."

"Sir!"

DSVII : And so we get some more clues as to our Lone Wanderer. Originally, I was thinking of making the LW a guy, but after reading so many good stories with the LW as a girl, i've decided to give this a shot. Look forward to see when they might cross paths :)