Henry woke with a startle, immediately aware that he was in trouble, bound and groggy against the pulsing wound across the rear of his scalp, his shirt torn and his pants still unbuckled in the mad frenzy that had preceded the state he found himself in.
The mercenary bitch had turned herself into a corpse without knowing it, knocking him out and leaving him alive instead of killing him while she had the chance. Thankfully his eyes quickly adjusted to the low light of his own apartment, the safe behind the epic portrait of some old world battleground, Gettysburg it had been known-was untouched.
What had she been came here for he wondered through the agitating efforts of trying to reach the slip blade he always kept on the underside of his wrist brace, an ornate piece stolen from a mad raider he'd been rescued from by Gustavo.
He'd have to let the chief know that the bitch was probably still in the tower with the rest of her crew…
Her crew! Christ forgotten they were a hard looking bunch, rough edged and deadly as a 308 between the eyes, he'd been stupid to think they'd delivered the vault kid just like that.
His hands were freed by his rhythmic sawing in a few tense minutes; his feet after in moments, suddenly incensed at that fool thinking he could come to his Henry's own home and try something, then he was going for his pistol-unloaded save for the one pristine 10mm bullet he kept always on the inside roof of his bedside cabinet.
Feeding it into his pistol Henry near ripped his handle free of the door to access the outer hallway of Tenpenny's most premier accommodations, realising immediately that the guard stationed near the old man's was no longer present and had been replaced by a red smear on the now mostly pristine lavender felt walls, distinct only to his keen scrutiny.
He could have immediately checked inside for the outgoing chief; too slowly outgoing by his estimation, but instead chose not to risk something so overtly dangerous. He made for the lifts instead to find Gustavo and his security team, because after all, if someone had decided to use the vault dweller and his baser desires against the tower, then someone would have to stay around to lead them towards civilisation.
It had all been going so well, the thought drummed itself through his head as he depressed the ground floor button on the gleaming innards of the elevator system. They'd had a minor setback in Megaton, where the vault brat had went against all sense of propriety and attempted to save the lice ridden no hope almost tribals inside, further still when he'd managed with the help of some others to kill a passing team of Talon mercenaries Henry had set upon him when he himself had been forcibly ejected from the squalidness that was the 'bomb town'.
It had been always a perfect sequence of events since then however, and Megaton had turned out to be a small matter. Only three weeks ago the senior most captain to commander Jabsco of the company had approached him in a deal worth thousands of caps; thousands in an amount that would dwarf his own small fortune for a simple logistical demand on the commanders part.
It had started by allowing Talon Company mercenaries to use unused suites in the tower for ranging missions, against the so called 'outcast' brotherhood members who were uncomfortably close to the tower in every approach he'd expected.
A week later and the mercenaries were arriving in droves larger than he'd ever seen, buying up goods and select 'services' offered by the towers more appealing members, all of them eventually marching away from the outcast positions towards the D.C ruins in some form of assault that he'd be loath not to take advantage off.
It had been completed by the final payment of his rather enjoyable levy for services rendered, the tower happy and prosperous if somewhat under supplied, and a final-more appealing offer to himself and Mr Tenpenny from a black garbed military man in some strange cut of uniform he'd never quite seen before.
'We hear you're a nice clean blooded man Mr Burke' he'd been complimented on the first meeting with the stern faced fellow, who'd been complimented himself with the darkness in his silver pupils that gave a somewhat chilling property to him, 'We have requirements of men who have the abilities and motivation to bring this land back from the anarchy and violence that had inhabited it for so long. We hope we can count on your support-in times to come.'
They could he told them, in no uncertain terms, he'd offered captain 'Lew' an appealing suite below his own in an expansive level mostly uninhabited by residents.
That all evaporated the instant he opened the lift to the elevated lift entrance, to find a battlefield in the towers sweeping ground floor that had shredded every form of relaxation and atmosphere that the place once personified.
The walls were scored black; the lamps and hanging lights shattered to flickering bulbs, tables were ripped apart by bursts of automatic fire, bodies riddled and scorched streamed blood across the polished gold oak flooring.
Burke heard the sleck sleck sleck of R91's traded with the twfst twfst of what had to be an energy weapons; ducked as a ripple of blind fire cracked against the wall above the elevator. Tucking himself against the gap he shouted into the frenzy "Gustavo! It's Mr Burke, what's going on?!" but another hail greeted him before he decided to snap close the elevator doors and plot his next action.
Return to his suite and pull his savings, use the fire escape and hope he wasn't found by whoever had attacked? Was it these new military types who'd invaded and used his favour to try and overthrow the security team, Lew had been on the ground floor and had planned to stay there he'd told Burke, was it something else entirely he couldn't yet gleam?
A grainy discharge struck the outer door and his hand went swift to the number where the security detail resided on, two below himself and Alistair, it had to be one of the safer places in the towers now that the ground floor and adjacent security room where compromised, unable to help finding the idea of fleeing so easily too sour a taste in his mouth.
Pistol ready but feeling insecure Henry kept himself to the wall as much as was allowed by his slight form and wide lift, thankful to find the quiet of a corridor unmolested by the violence at the base of the building.
Lightly making his way forward Burke caught a crack in one door; Joaquin's, one of the talon mercenaries he'd hired after the youth had came to the tower weak and battered by a capture mission gone wrong near Evergreen Mills.
Cracking the door inch by inch he saw three figures immediately recognizable; in the corner was Elsa the boy's sister; young and supple, bright eyed and beautiful, who was racked with what looked like panic by her balled fists and rapidly reddening eyes. Joaquin was hunched over the third form, slender himself but with some noticeable meat to add to his large frame, the dusky hands of the man gripped roughly against the face of 'Burke's bitch'.
She was a cute little number; not as pleasant on the eye given her olive greens were now unseen under two swollen eyes, but Burke could remember the pearly smile that was so unnatural even in their little part of civilisation, with her womanly frame that he'd noticed even under her thick leathers and bulky underclothes.
He'd have preferred the gorgeous bloom of Elsa with her vigour any night or any morning but Ramona had been a delight, until the moment where she played with his neck lightly before clubbing him over the head hard.
"Mr Burke" Elsa breathed in sudden alarm as he entered the room, immediately aware that everything that had been conspired against her wishes in Megaton was about to come full circle and land her and Joaquin in further trouble, making it every part involved.
She inched closer to the wall as Joaquin turned and gave him a worry filled gaze that had turned from a scorn at his sudden approach, the boy idolizes me Burke knew smug as it was to consider.
"Sir, I caught her trying to roast Elsa while I was in showering myself down" he explained as an indication to his unruly black locks and sweaty brow, if not obvious for his half upturned undershirt and un-tucked pants, "She's working with the brotherhood sir, they tried to trick you like you tricked them."
Burke felt as if he'd been slapped right across the mouth, with the metallic taste of blood there with him biting his tongue in surprise, an old habit from his childhood days.
"The brotherhood, here?" he hissed while striding forward to get over the girl Romona, barely able to stop him whipping his gun around and beating her until she was a pulp, Elsa unconsciously tensed as she realised the woman was already battered and at their mercy, Joaquin had been as vicious as any other man she'd seen in his own interrogation.
"Why are the brotherhood here?" he asked as tight he was coiled, "Why!" he was down over her balling his fists and then striking them into her flesh, eliciting almost pleasure inducing groans off pain from her as he struck once-twice-three times in a barrage.
"Stop" Elsa pleaded but Burke paid her no mind, putting down his weapon and forcing the elder woman to see the pick of his steel now in hand, "Tell me or I start making you a lot less easy on the eye my darling" it didn't hurt that the point of his steel was getting very close to her left pupil-
"Wait! Mr Burke-I'll tell you, I'll tell you" Elsa persisted in a drastic removal of any reserve she held, like a wilting flower he thought even under the stress of the situation, "Yes my girl?" he asked while not moving a hair or an inch away from Ramona for emphasis of his point, only her eyes showing any indication of understanding.
She explained it through half truths and barely contained dread Burke could see, and it was as fine a tale as could be spun by any of the mad stories he'd heard Alistair tell him in those stupors of his.
It started with Burke's own move; spreading it far and wide that he'd captured the vault dwellers friend, Elsa herself by enslaving her own brother after Joaquin's failure to capture him on a previous occasion of chance. Really it had been Joaquin's own idea, a dastardly one to use something of Tenpenny's own vernacular; giving himself as the 'victim'. So that his sister would go along and send for the vault dweller, who Burke had heard word of through his newest and best ally, the only thing shocking Burke being just how quickly it had taken.
An oversight on his behalf, given how quickly he was taken with the formerly alluring mercenary squirming below him semi-conscious, and the beaten up state of his object of distain had been.
'You'll suffer enough to make that lip of your looks like a pleasantry' Burke had promised to the swollen faced youngster, now he felt he should have just stopped gloating and shot the bastard, all the while Elsa had stood unspeaking to the reversal of treachery she'd been forced to adopt, still culled by Alex's friend Jericho executing two of the men sent with her on her seeming fool's errand.
She'd been duped, his team guarding her had been also; overpowered in a twist of fate by a squad of power armoured brotherhood who he had gained in friendship just as they attempted to wrestle him out past the gate.
Elsa had no idea how he had gained such powerful friends other than guessing he'd offered something only a vault dweller could, had he stolen something from the power armoured soldiers in the death masks? One of those plasma rifles she'd seen cut melt a secured permalock in the Jefferson while she'd hid like the days gone by in her Usaria homestead.
She hadn't got the chance to ask him before Burns had whipped him across the face with his heavy handled revolver as Elsa had got Alex's guard down, trying to keep up her disgusting façade of relief at seeing him alive, she hadn't when he'd turned on her with all the betrayal she thought he'd muster as things went against her.
She had to return with her brother home, it was the reason why she'd accompanied Alex and Gunney out into the wastes, "Alexander and the brotherhood threatened they'd kill your man, Burns the one who they put into some sort of induced coma" she got around to saying after the shock wore of his face, she'd thought she was so strong like her grand mother Teresa, but she felt more and more pitiful as she explained herself to this monster.
"They wouldn't tell me anything about their plan, only that they were going to use Burns to get inside to find out what you knew about the Talon Company and some other group, I think they were called…the enclave." Burke eased his hand but realised the girl knew far too little to get anything less than a severe-very severe reprimand for this disaster.
If she wasn't so natural and unique to find even in a tower full of beautiful whores Burke would have shot her right then, and her brother for being so stupid to get them into this mess, that brat from the vault too keen and quick for these two doltish tribals.
How hadn't he seen it?
"So I now know that the brotherhood were on to my plan, that they know I've been working for a group I didn't even know the name off…" Burke gave his volunteer hostage an almost hateful glare "and now they are here and for all we know have killed Gustavo and all his men?"
"There were only a few of them in power armour" Elsa defended herself somewhat, as if it would matter if Gustavo and his men hadn't had the weapons ready to deal with those sorts of enemies. Burke tightened his hand around the throat of the woman beneath him and watched her begin to gain and squirm fiercely under him, he'd make sure this one wouldn't be around to gloat over him.
Feeling her arms tremble Elsa looked to Joaquin to mouth some form of protest, but she saw that her brother so strong and proud like their father stood watching almost transfixed, and not appalled. She realised he'd changed so much in that instant to become almost-almost unrecognizable as the proud and stubborn boy she'd cried over the day he'd snuck out from their little enclosure.
She was moving forward even as Joaquin's eyes protested before Burke went any further until a bullet snapped them all towards the doorway he'd left swung open, standing there with the hammer drawn back on a 10mm pistol was Alex.
The shot had been buried just over Burke's shoulder into a mantelpiece at the far end of the room, cracked now over a long since useless electric fireplace and settling Burke in a tense pause.
Composed behind his now swollen and cut face; his slit lip, welted left cheek and thickly split right eye, the vault kid she'd met just weeks ago looked aged by years, his worn colourless fatigues dirty and stained over a wraith like figure, that led her to question that it had been days rather than years, how could it have just been days?
"Just give me a reason to kill you Burke" Alex said to the back of a man whose face scrunched up in barely contained rage, so palpable that Mr Burke growled from his place on the floor.
"You are a fool boy, surrounding yourself with idiotic idealists and knuckle dragging wasters" Burke replied snidely, still stiff and coiled with his hands in warning over the woman's throat that Elsa knew Alex trusted enough to help him outwit Tenpenny's mastermind.
Taking steps towards Elsa rather than Joaquin, Alex caught sight of Ramona's battered face and immediately volleyed a curse towards them, her the most cutting, "Here you are Elsa with your tribal love; standing by with your scumbag brother while this disgusting piece of trash strangles a defenceless woman." Joaquin stiffened as he met Alex's accusatory gaze, didn't dare move even as he was insulted in a way that made his hands tremble.
"Your father would be ashamed of you" Alex knew it was effective, saw the dark hollows that served as the man's eyes narrow into pearly slits, "He saved your family; saved you, fought all those years as long and hard as they were and for what? Just so you could run off and become a hired murderer". It gave Alex a perverse sense of pleasure to see Elsa's brother shake in that way only a partially tribal type could, all righteous indignation and fury, but he couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction as he was able to tear Joaquin down with his words if not the heel of his pistol.
"Fuck you…" Joaquin breathed in response, angry to the point of losing any reason beyond the idea of getting a chance to beat the vault kid's brains across the floor with Ramona's for good measure.
How could someone come from a family like that which Alex had witnessed in the almost peaceful enclosure; honour bound and helpful if not secretive and reclusive, to work with Burke, when Elsa had been everything you could expect, from a girl of good if not righteous upbringing, Joaquin being the very worst.
It only made it hurt further that Elsa who'd stood by him the longest save Gunney, who was now his only real friend, or have been in the wastelands, was ready to have him sent to be butchered for Burke's amusement to save her brothers scaly skin.
'How can't you understand, after all the things you went for to find your father' She half asked; half accused him when he had her along with Burke's remaining man thrown in the Megaton jail house the night before they'd hatched a plan to infiltrate the tower, 'My father wasn't a murderer' he'd responded as coldly as his reserve had permitted.
"Stand up Burke and get against the wall" Elsa saw her brother waiting to pounce as Alex kept his weapon on Joaquin even while he ordered Burke up, fear welling in her chest as she thought the naïve; borderline ridiculous vault boy she'd met just weeks ago looked willing, relishing the idea of shooting her brother.
"Alex, please don't shoot my brother" she begged suddenly, gaining a vital inch so that she could have leapt forward and threw his aim off for the precious moment needed. Could she do it, would she expose Alex to the danger Burke presented with his pistol lying beside him that she couldn't mention.
A dull thud pounded in her chest as Burke smirked around at Alex, "You win, just give me a moment to get up." Burke took a longer than necessary hand to the floor, knee propped, then rising awkwardly as if working out a stiffness-
Joaquin ducked wildly to the floor in a swift drop towards Burke's pistol and Alex's gun trailed his movement at what could have been a clear kill, but Elsa leapt forward and caught his wrist dragging it upwards in a surge of lithe strength.
Alex attempted to wrestle her off but recovered no further, Joaquin's snap shot perforating her friend-enemies shoulder; whipping his left side back the way of the shock waves that Gunney had educated her about. If it was his shoulder then the bone would splinter and he would stagger as horribly as he did while falling from her grasp, but he'd be on the floor rather than retreating dumbly if it had been near his heart.
That's what she had to think, a horrible thought that sent her back against the wall numbly as Joaquin dry fired his pistol a trio of times before realising the pistol of Burke's concealment was dry, "Good shot my boy, I think you may have killed him" Burke complimented to Joaquin's sudden ease, relaxing on the floor suddenly as outside they could hear Alex's frantic attempts on a doorway down the hallway.
Elsa turned and leapt towards the man in a sudden frenzy that he couldn't evade; feeling the snap of his nose under the cuff of her palm that snapped his head back for a moment in a stream of anger that she couldn't control.
She only felt the room around her as she was lifted clean off Burke and thrown free onto the floor, aware only a moment later that Joaquin was holding Burke back from attempting to get to her with blood streaming down his face.
"You keep that little bitch in front of you" Burke warned after struggling against Joaquin and finally shoving away in a rage, turning panicked as the snap of a doorframe came from where Alex was still alive. Still alive and kicking she thought of an old prayer, lord, praised for your mercy upon us-me.
"I'll take the whore. Now get in front of me" Burke crudely grabbed Ramona and kept her in an awkward grip that would protect him if he backed to the elevator, bloody coward "Come on Elsa, we need to get out of here" Joaquin persisted, appalling Elsa to her very core.
Aware that she was as bad as him now, who else would have watched him batter the woman now looking so weak and pathetic in the arms of the cruellest creature she'd ever met, who would go along with it any further?
Elsa stopped at the door when she caught sight of the blood trail that swept around to her blindside on her left, away from the lift and the perfect occasion for Alex to execute her on her exit before Burke was even in a wisp of danger.
"I won't go out there" Elsa stopped and turned her accusatory glare at Burke, slapped off Joaquin's hand and twisted away from the pair of them, "You go first" she told Burke, aware that he was so pathetic, holding a barely conscious woman in his arms for protection against a wounded boy.
Joaquin was angry too, holding Burke's pistol that had been loaded with only one bullet in a ruse to of put a wounded kid, "Let's go" Burke ordered Joaquin out who agreed like a trained lap dog would, Elsa's stomach rolled but she still kept close, aware she was the only thing that could stop Alex murdering Joaquin.
She didn't know how far she would go to save him, but she knew it would have stopped with Burke's death.
If Alex popped around the corner where his seeping blood trail led then he could kill Burke and have done with it finally.
"I'll leave you the corpse" Burke shouted as he neared the lift, but Elsa recognised the light drifting upwards before he did, only turning with his bloodied snake eyes as the bell chimed.
It was she didn't know how many pounds of heavy metal plating; ceramic joint guards and intervening Kevlar fibre-weave that appeared as the doors receded, a military grade laser rifle in hand slung almost carelessly over the shoulder in a careless gesture of superiority.
Burke recognised the superiority in an instant, slipping under the figure that stalked forward confused for a single moment, unable to stop the roughly dressed Tenpenny resident as he cleared into the lift that the armoured giant had exited enough to allow it.
"What the-" The door closed behind the soldier and began ascending to whatever escape route Burke had in mind, before he turned rifle now levelled on Elsa and Joaquin, both of them rooted to the spot and wide eyed.
"Where's the kid?" the grim visage asked with its weapon awaiting the wrong answer, but mercifully at least for now, it's question was answered in the only way to be satisfied.
"I'm here Kodiak" Alex answered weakly from the far end of the hallway, appearing to them as a staggering mess of blood hidden mostly by a torn up and hastily woven shirt come pressure application. He felt like he had lost every drop of life from his emaciated enough frame, the room he left confirmed it; covered in slick crimson as he'd taken refuge behind the bed, panicking frantically to stop his wound while keeping his pistol nearby, a poor tactic in a frantic rush.
"Alex…" Elsa started even as her hands could around his throat a moment ago-might as well have been for what she'd done. "Don't! Don't you dare!" he snarled as best as he was able, closing the distance with his pistol half raised in the relative steadiness of his right hand, feeling like the last time he'd given blood for the stores in the vault and found he was temporarily anaemic.
Amata had given blood that day as well, after they'd sat in his dad's waiting room and played a game of chance for the precious non-replicated biscuits…
"You look like shit kid, what happened" Kodiak asked weapon still half asking for response against his two enemies, aware probably in his laziness that neither of them could have posed a threat even if they had a AER9 rifle themselves.
"I've done myself a mischief" Alex managed the wry response even as he felt like one touch from death, attempting to marshal himself through all the tough talk Gunney had instilled into him after so many long nights and days in the merchant trails.
'Nothing tastes better than a two hundred year old beer after being shot at by some prick, knowing they just pissed you off but didn't hit the sweet spot. Taste the victory in every breath kid' was one of the man's favourite maxims, as close to a career soldier as you'd find in the wastelands.
"The pride and the bore are holding downstairs" Kodiak informed him, very proud for the first and meaning Atermis for the last, "These pricks had an honest to god enclave captain in their fashion salon trying to woo some back biter, we're getting out of here while we have the advantage."
Alex noticed Kodiak's visor turn to the pair between them even subtly before he asked the critical question, "These two, what's the verdict?" A question asked by a man in Alex's opinion fairly moral and committed to the Lyon doctrine, but he could guess the cold thoughts hiding behind the almost malevolent aspect of the brotherhood.
Alex thought he would have visibly shook with anger if his body could have thought of anything but fading strength, "Pick up Ramona both of you" he said stonily, rather than acting on any dangerous thoughts circling his teetering mind, "If she dies, you die." He made that a promise to himself rather than the virus that stood before him.
Elsa obliged first, not meeting his eye or looking at him at all, instead dumbly looking picking up Ramona up with Joaquin's reluctant help. She at least had the sense to look ashamed, she should have been horrified, did he care that under her hazy olive gaze tears began to form?
"Get moving" his voice hard still against his weakness said no, inside he cursed his own self for the fragile nature in which he was raised.
'Always do more good than harm' his father had intoned to him, but what harm could he have done in that hole in the ground?
"We'll go all together but it'll be a squeeze" Kodiak stepped first into the left and stacked his weapon under his arm, "Alex first. You two are the grinder meat." Alex stepped in behind, Elsa and Joaquin squashed in nervously with Ramona between them.
The smell was horrific, the ride tense and appalling even in the usual condition most of them found themselves in, Alex most of all. He could still remember the sterile cleanliness of the vaults, only a hint of sweat permitting the lowest and dankest levels of the facility, opposed now in his memory by the sudden sweltering heat, blood and other fluids that congealed together into a horrible stench.
"The security team here was suppressed in the lounge area, the sentinel is holding easy at the boutique" Kodiak said in the assured tone that came along with being an elite warrior, "Ha-a bloody boutique, these people are fools."
The people were nowhere to be seen as the lift opened, probably all afraid and holding each other in their private rooms as Kodiak bustled forward, "I've got the kid sentinel" Kodiak offered out to the response of a scattergun across his field of attack, only for his weapon discharge to settle accounts towards the lounge in a casual burst.
"Kodiak, we're at your left rear" a voice; maybe Glade's announced in the shattered room, Alex peered over the side and saw the destruction was complete, Tenpenny Tower wasn't safe from the reality of the wasteland any longer.
Swaying slightly Alex felt a hand grab him at the flank of his black fatigues, Kodiak had began to descend the stairs to keep whatever remnant of Gustavo's force remained, "Get your hands off me" he hissed at her, unable to remove it unless he tucked his pistol in what scant clothing he had covering his modesty.
"You'll fall over" she replied not convincingly, sounding unnervingly like he had another lifetime ago; when James had found him under a running shower with an empty scotch bottle beside, I really didn't mean to open your best bottle.
It hadn't fooled James and this didn't fool him, but all the same he protested but didn't pull her hand away, hated the fact that he wished her other hand would encircle him, she'd be protecting him like she always had and he could do the same for her.
Gustavo the hard faced mercenary chief of Tenpenny Tower finally opted for diplomacy it seemed, "Look, we can't take anymore of this!" he almost screamed in sheer panic, Alex saw two bullet riddled power suits standing erect and geared in the direction of the voice, "You surrender?" the Sentinel asked, professional and clipped.
"I'll not surrender this tower to anyone" Gustavo replied no less stressed, "But I know when I can't put someone down easily. My men have loaded their weapons up with armour piercing shells and rounds, this can get very ugly if we need it too" That didn't sound anyway convincing to any of the brotherhood Alex could tell as Kodiak humhped "You leave and we'll not catch you on the way past."
Alex had 'met' the man on his arrival to the tower, not seeming to care for anything Burke had planned for him, he was a man simply put-doing his job.
"Okay, you have yourself a deal" the sentinel replied easily, not aware of how much grief surrounded Tenpenny Tower and its leaders or perhaps simply not caring enough.
Kodiak shrugged in response and turned up to peer at the trio at the tip of the elevator, "Alex, you two, get down here." Feeling stronger suddenly, Alex managed the stairs with his weapon cautiously drawn, stopping and turning it on a figure he knew none of the brotherhood could see.
"Easy smoothskin" the raspy voice behind the auto scattergun offered, making Alex's arm stop rising as Joaquin scrunched up his face in disgust, "Zombie" he hissed in his own smoky tone, causing Alex to curse him quiet.
"We okay over there kid" Kodiak turned and immediately levelled his weapon at the ghoul, "Problem?" he asked confidently, not worried that the scattergun that was turned on him suddenly.
"I'm not here to fight your brotherhood" the ghoul said defensively, watching Alex attempt to right himself, not being able to help the draining feel beginning to course through him. The pride marched together from their place of defence; around the tattered stairwell and into the main space of the torn up tower, Alex noticed they stepped around the bodies rather than over them as he had noted with the super mutants.
"I told you not to follow us" Artemis said while holding a suspiciously familiarly dressed man in dark kaki's and dress shirt, listing to the side as blood pulsed down his face from his bloody temple, the ghoul grunted in response.
"You needed a way into the tower and I obliged" the ghoul responded with defiance in his grave tones, aware that he was outnumbered save for the growling Alex could hear just beyond the dank corridor behind…
"What?! is that you Phillips" Gustavo suddenly shouted still unseen, clearly enraged "You can't let that skin sucking prick in here. You've killed all my men." The sentinel was unmoved, "You shouldn't be taking in enemies of the brotherhood then" she dismissed him.
"I have no quarrel with your brotherhood" the ghoul Phillips reinforced, but even as Alex was slightly nudged towards the door his voice stayed for those ominous sounds.
"No, I'm not leaving" Joaquin said suddenly pulling away from his sister and levelling a stern gaze on the paladins and knights, "You can take him if you want but I stay with Gustavo. These ghouls will slaughter everyone in this tower"
"How can you be sure?" Alex asked while keeping his eyes on the ghoul, joined suddenly by another craggy face who was still like Phillips, aware and unferal.
"Look, those bastards have shot and killed travellers who go south, they hate anyone who isn't a ghoul-I swear it!" Gustavo protested rather than Joaquin, sounding so panicked now Alex was unable to discredit the man, "I'll give you the god damned caps of the security pension, just don't let that crazy bastard in here."
"This isn't our prob- Artemis started; having to turn suddenly as Joaquin shoved Alex aside to face the knight, "You'll kill every person in this tower, you people are meant to be helping the wasteland!"
"Back off scum" Artemis warned as Elsa went forward herself to calm Joaquin, leaving Alex to face the suddenly ever more dangerous looking ghoul, who began unsettling his jaw in motion of ill-patience if not anger.
Kodiak landed forward to rip Joaquin away roughly but Alex's gaze remained on the ghoul; steely with a murderous glint under his white soaked eyes, "What do you want here?" he asked over the commotion suddenly very aware of the ghoul's look-very murderous.
As if idle he responded "A fair share of the tower" very reasonable Alex reckoned…save for that shrill echo behind him.
"And the ferals you have behind you. I suppose they were coming along for what, rest and relaxation?" His mind clicked a moment too late, maybe the brotherhood hadn't been paying enough attention to notice or their hearing had been impaired in the fighting, whatever the case Mr Phillips smile vanished as soon as Alex's words hit home.
His pistol came up in reflex and slugged the wall orifice around Phillips impotently, driving the ghoul back in curses as well as dragging some from the brotherhood as well.
"What the fuck kid!" Dusk who'd been unusually subdued shouted as they could hear the ghoul backpedalling through the maintenance opening he'd originally emerged from, "you got something against the zombies now?" was she feeling exposed with her lack of power armour in her mercenary garb?
"Not enough to call them zombies" Alex replied turning to the faceless faces of the pride and straggler Artemis; even to Elsa and Joaquin in the grip of Kodiak, "The ghoul had ferals waiting behind him to attack the tower, we need to fend them off"
The brotherhood were used to hordes of super mutants; mercenaries and raider bands, enough to make them suitably arrogant and condescending at the thought of the emancipated near dead sub-terrain sewer dwellers assaulting them.
The hoarse cries of an unknown myriad of ghouls gave some concern however, and when it reached a fervour pitch high enough to reverberate through the closeted walls of the tower it sent a shiver through him.
"I've not got enough ammo left in my rifle" Kodiak announced before shouldering his energy weapon, turning and looking aimless for a second before seeing a shotgun lying free near a body of one tower security guard.
The screams of the ferals announced their assault; Kodiak shoved Joaquin behind him, handled Elsa who held Ramona before grabbing Alex gentler if only slightly, "Get your weapons ready" the sentinel beside ordered quietly, Alex noted all of the brotherhood released the clasp that held their elongated last resort knives, more the length of a classic short sword really.
"Stay behind me all of you" Kodiak ordered moments before their line was struck, "Get out here and fight for your tower!" the Sentinel ordered Gustavo, who true enough appeared with just a trio of weary men in behind.
An unforgettable wave of rotted flesh and malice hit them a moment later in the wrecked home of the rich and haughty a moment later; tearing apart all the ideas of rivalry between anyone who had a mind remaining.
The surge consisted of dozens of feral ghouls in all their madness and ferocity, struggling at their fellows in a dash to pour from the tunnel and receive the disintegration awaiting them. Alex could have only hoped that the brotherhood would have regulated their firing better, but the first half a dozen bodies whistling away looked sweet before the onslaught began.
Gustavo and his men waded in with buckshot and focused ironsights, added too by Kodiak bravely stepping forward to blast away into the ghouls before using his weapon as a makeshift baseball bat, Dusk the claimed sniper used her laser pistol from a 'slight' afar while the Sentinel and Artemis took a flank each.
The loose line lasted perhaps thirty to forty seconds before a ghoul waded out between in midst of his brother corpses, different in the way of having some makeshift device red plastered with a warning look upon it on first sighting, Alex hadn't even had a chance to fire his pistol yet.
Elsa was far enough from the blast to only receive partial whip back as it exploded, knocking her onto her backside with an unexpected thud, adding to the feeling criss-crossing her already fragile form.
She wasn't built for the wasteland life as much as she protested; too slight, too caring, too human for the wasteland, she would have thanked Joaquin in her most drawling tone if she wasn't so momentarily overwhelmed in seeing him safe and unharmed.
The moment her farther found out he'd left struck a chord in her mind suddenly; the great beast of Magdera wounded so gravely, enough to make his wife's passing a trifling matter, 'I'd kill and maim and murder just to see my boy home' he'd huffed and sobbed in a drink induced stupor so clear in her mind to still make her wince.
Joaquin was beside her scrambling for Alex's pistol which lay away from him, Alex who lay unmoving who had been standing so stubbornly between them unarmed and the brotherhood paladins.
She was frantically over him hoping those few proud yards hadn't cost him his life while Joaquin took aim at whatever remnant of the ghouls remained, so did the suddenly vulnerable looking brotherhood and tower guards who were able to stand.
It was more silver dented steel than sand coloured body armour, the ghouls were numerous enough that the steel soldiers pulled their knives free in their oft hands.
Below her Alex lay in an almost serene silence with his eyes unmolested and shut tightly like he was attempting to shut out the pain, his shoulder didn't pump and she thought he looked strong if only for a moment before she caught sight of his near flesh vacant stomach.
If he died now she'd be haunted forever she realised, more so than she ever had in the time they'd experienced all the trials of the D.C ruins and beyond together, or even when she'd went and betrayed him to get her brother back home when she thought that he'd shun her forever.
She wanted him to open his eyes and have them flutter; look at her and smile, tell her that he wanted her-needed her.
The thought of how much he truly meant to her vanished the moment his eyes did open and he looked alarmed rather than relieved, pained to that same horrible moment where he'd caught a ricochet off a 5mm round in the siege of GNR.
"It's okay" she told him against the battle going around him, Joaquin beside her fumbling at his pants for an additional magazine as the ghouls swarmed again.
He always came alert and fretted when he awakened as she'd seen a hundred nights before, his head caught sight of the melee and he attempted to move only for Elsa's hands to grip his shoulders one more firmly than the other.
"Lay still" she told him to his obvious displeasure, as he tried to rise only to be pulled into a semi-sitting position of bare exposure.
"Let go of me" he hissed futility, as Elsa saw the ghouls tip the balance before the brotherhood surged forward in a wave of laser fire from their pistols and knife thrusts, neither a man nor a beast can stand a good thrusting motion…a slash on the other hand…were her grandmothers words to her once upon a time, "Stay still" she ordered back.
The messy torrent peaked and reduced after a last grasping group of ferals were slammed and sliced to pieces, leaving a truly shattered room where there had once been the very lap of luxury in the capital wastelanders-in the entire wasted world maybe.
"Go after that ghoul" The Sentinel said behind her blood swamped visor, to a team that were equally reddish as dull grey, "My hydraulics across my left are broken" the towering brute Kodiak replied.
"My weapons dry" the other female in the group announced, "I only have my pistol left" another told the senior though slighter brotherhood soldier.
"I'll go after him" Gustavo the man who looked to be the only one left standing from the tower guard cut in, cutting away back into where he and his men had originally took cover before returning with a tin box of shotgun shells.
Elsa saw from the newly shelled tin that the rounds had came from the Pitt up north, "So will I" Joaquin announced, standing away from Elsa who couldn't move to stop him while the brotherhood member holding the now terrified looking enclave captain tossed his prisoner into another's arms.
"I'm going with you two" the soldier announced with his laser pistol in hand, "Get ready to move Sentinel, this won't take too long."
To Alex it felt like an eternity, his wound beginning to pulse beyond its former pain as delirium set in around his peripheral vision, clouding his view and lifting him to weightlessness as he felt Elsa set him down for what reason he didn't know.
She left him feeling pathetic; so utterly condemnable in his own mind that he could have tore his own flesh off if he wasn't reduced to a body near that state in those that littered the floor alongside him.
This mission began to rend itself asunder he realised as he felt hands drift along his chest, removing the bandaging he'd tore together. Then he realised a puncture in his arm and shoulder releasing a numbing, almost euphoric feeling, from an algesic no doubt-something confirmed by the appearance of Elsa's short blonde locks drifting into his view.
Could the enclave really have allowed one of their captains alone in the middle of the wasteland without back-up from one of their lightening quick aircraft? Not a chance he knew, they were-to guess Kodiak, lifting him just to die on the outside of the tower rather than inside.
The thrown up dust; panicked weapon fire or frantic running didn't occur at his first instant of reaching the blinding, almost inescapable sun of the capital wasteland dunes however, and neither did it after what was a period of perhaps minutes, hours or days for all the knowledge his lapsed vision allowed.
Abruptly he was deposited onto the hard surface of a rock face that gave him a face full of Tenpenny tower at a considerable distance, dotted around with skeletal pre-war outcroppings of civilisation long since abandoned or scaved; highway passes, discount stores, municipal buildings and the like, leaving only the thick Robco facility upright and imposing.
Leaving a distinct impression of a needle embedding itself into his arm, Alex looked up to see Elsa covering over him with a look of concern upon her lightened features, saying words that made no sense in his stupor until the world began to blue back to him in a near instant overflow of the senses.
Coming back to the world of the living meant the dull thud of his left shoulder through to his arm persisting under the now rising heat of the wasteland, adding to the irritation of a rapidly dehydrating throat along with a headache that pulsed behind his eyes.
Summoning strength from the reserve gathered from the now tightly knotted sinew of constituted his wiry frame, Alex rose up with a hand under the arm from Elsa which he could not even dream of getting away from.
"Shit" he muttered, as the day looked to be shaping up as bad as the night before them had been, but with more threat. There were no rabid ghouls or even well armed security guards this time, it was worse; blood red, sable black, two upsetting colours painted ominously across the faceless faces and thick plates of T-45d power armour.
The brotherhood outcasts had engulfed their small party close enough to initiate a melee combat through to a duo of armoured figures wielding anti-armour rifles, atop positions to their bearing towards Megaton on a cliff shelf; another on a rocky outcropping to the immediate north.
A trio of the outcast members were in close proximity with two hardened, very well worn looking mister gutsys; a heavy treading sentinel bot some twenty yards in behind, prominent across the small bar which separated Alex and Elsa from the rest of their party. They faced Kodiak; the Sentinel, Artemis, the un-armoured Dusk and Glade, the futilely pompous enclave captain and Joaquin who still had Ramona thrown over his shoulder, the brotherhood members with their inferior R93's mostly trained on their castaway brothers.
"Those weapons won't do much good against this armour" the lead dust and soot soaked soldier told an already aware crowd, Alex knew it well enough himself in the half a dozen conflict he'd seen power armour turned out in, "Put your weapons down, you can't win this fight…Sarah." The casual mention of a personal name did not, if aimed; slacken the Sentinel's focus, she appeared as steady as ever.
"Over my smoking body Casdin" she replied icily, the very personification and embodiment of what her father had remained in the ruins to fight for, "You might have the numbers with your 'brothers in arms' behind you, traitors the lot not counting the rust buckets, but you've given up your advantage by coming getting so close to gloat. Let's see the scavengers in behind get to us when we're throttling you or your tin cans dedicate fire when we're in the melee."
She failed to mention the heavy duty weapons carried by the outcast members, the leader Casdin holding a weapon alien to Alex's eyes but allowing him to know it's severity by the tri-longsighted arc as it's 'muzzle', those other two of his number behind holding the snub nosed tri-beam laser rifles that could melt power armour as well as anything he'd ever seen knowledge off.
"You talk tough, but let's see how you stand up to these" the leftmost outcast soldier spoke up, brandishing her weapon which was held in an arrogant grip, "Natives in whatever shape go down just as nicely."
"Bring it on" Kodiak intoned fiercely, holding up one of the scavenged weapons but looking ready to pull free his huge knife to pick the female members optics out lens by lens.
"You can't win this fight Lyon's" Casdin repeated again more finally, setting a switch on his weapon so that it seemed to engage for whatever damage it was designed to inflict, "Now we want to know what went on in that tower, what you were doing there; who that man is" it was clear as to who he referred to, startling the captain from his look of resignation, "and why Lyon's pride is so far out in the wastes." The tension seemed palpable as both the outcast and brother levelled their weapons for what would be a savage exchange at such a close range, "These rock dwellers will die on the second discharge of this caster, your two fellow traitors who're un-armoured will follow. Now put your weapons down."
"I'll see you in the grave Casdin, aim for the traitors eyes" The sentinel raised her weapon and the moment approached finality, Elsa struggled to get towards Joaquin but Alex held her by the strap attached around her waist suddenly knowing she'd die in the crossfire if they weren't summarily executed after.
If his father had been alive to explain what happened next he'd a miracle into the equation, something that always seemed so reaching and mindless from one of the most educated men in the post-apocalyptic world. But when Elsa attempted to throw him off and inadvertently activated his pip-boy broadcast receiver tool, the situation was suddenly saved if only for a moment.
The familiar, conforming voice of Three-Dog blared through the speaker of his pip-boy.
"-eyes and ears tell me the big bad government Big Bad Government has taken over that big machine thingy at the Jefferson Memorial. You heard it here first, my friends -the Enclave is on the scene. I've got reports of flying ships and shock troops in high-tech power armor."
"And, when the Man showed up, a bunch of scientists went running. With them was Rivet City's own Dr. Madison Li, and that crazy kid from Vault 101. They're safe and sound now at the Citadel. Praise Jesus! Praise Jesus! No sign of the kid's father, though. Here's hoping James is okay. Well, boys and girls, what can I say. Looks like President Eden wasn't completely full of shit after all. Me thinks we are screwed."
The leader of the outcast perked up, heard the report with a quirk of his head before asking "Is that a pip-boy you have?" Glade in the midst of the brotherhood with his tense shoulders unlocking turned to give Alex an incredulous stare, "Yes it is" Alex replied timidly considering the situation.
Casdin quite suddenly and un-expectantly held up a hand to ease his soldiers and programmed bots, "Are you a vault dweller? That idiot Three-Dog seems to think so" Alex replaced Elsa in moving forward into the midst while she made for the seeming comfort of her brothers waiting embrace.
Alex ignored the sight and got to within striking distance of the former brotherhood-current brotherhood soldier, "I'm from vault 101. Where nobody ever enters, or leaves." Casdin ignored the additional comment.
"So you can operate that pip-boy?" why was he so interested Alex wondered, "Of course, all vault…people know how to use them" Alex was now as perplexed as everyone in his party seemed, weapons still aloft but behind surely questioning stares.
If the man could have appeared more relieved he did not know, but instead Alex switched off his radio as a song bleated from his speaker and Casdin told him, not asked "Then you're definitely coming with us, we've been looking for someone like you." Alex's immediate reaction was surprise, why where they looking for vault dwellers, what was the significance of the pip-boy?
Did any of that matter that, with the idea apparent Casdin seemed to pull his focus from subduing the Sentinel and her men-and woman.
Sacrifice in Alex's family seemed to be a genetic trait that none of them could prevent or get away from Elsa realised from Joaquin's worried arms as she saw Alex size up the opportunities available to him, "You need me to come with you? fine. But if you're expecting me to come along willingly and help you while you gun down my friends you're sadly mistaken. Let the Sentinel go her way with her soldiers and we have a deal."
Suddenly the enclave captain spoke up "Sir, I'd like to extend an opportunity of a lifetime to you" he began before the knight beside him attempted to shut him up with a butt stock to the guts, only for the outcast weapons came up again in defence.
"Let him speak" Casdin ordered and glade with visible disgust complied as the Sentinel woman waved him off.
"If you take me with you then I can discuss terms with you, in relation to a non-aggression pact between your organisation and mine" the captain offered suddenly invigorated under his dishevelled features, "We have much in common I'm sure that we can discuss." It was enough for the man that made all the brotherhood she'd met direct their anger towards rather than her brother or herself-scum as they were.
The moment seemed too long before Alex turned on the Sentinel, "Let him go Sentinel, get your men and women back to the citadel. You've gutted enough super mutants and ghouls; crooked security guards, even managed to bust up Tenpenny Towers." His easy grin appeared in a small flash of memory towards the younger man she'd left in her headless escape from the Jefferson memorial, and she realised she'd never could expect to see that person again, leaving such a depth of guilt and remorse in her she near choked up.
"This isn't done Casdin" the Sentinel intoned tiredly and finally to her opponent, before looking at Alex behind a faceless mask which Elsa expected to be as grave as Glade the knight appeared.
"We'll not forget about you 101" she told Alex fiercely, taking a step forward to place a fibre weave grasp onto his stronger arm, "thank you, from all of us"
"I'll see you again kid" the largest and suddenly human brotherhood member spoke definitively from the far side of their rank, "You better believe it Kodiak, take care of our friends, and stuff it to those enclave pricks."
That was it, suddenly the enclave captain was shuffling forward into the outcast ranks while Alex shared a few words with the brotherhood, Elsa moving through them as he turned away quickly without looking over her to turn off with the outcast.
"Alex, Alex!" she started after him with intent to get something from him, any form of closure she could gleam from under his anger if not cold indifference.
"What?" he asked quietly while turning back to her again, bloody and battered; bruised and swollen across his chest and face, a wastelander from the golden glint in his eyes to the confrontation trapped across his frame.
He isn't Alex from vault 101 anymore, not your friend, and he doesn't even want to be your enemy Elsa realised, unable to say anything to him under his painful neutrality.
It shocked her to feel a sudden anger at him, that he could be so cool and composed when she was rolling with sickness brought on by her own actions. Burke had said to her once, against all thought she had known then; that Alex was the same mould as all vault dwellers were when considering wastelanders.
We aren't real people to see them, just radroaches hiding under false skin. None of them, not even the kid from 101 will ever really care about you or anything.
Maybe the bastard was right in one thing, maybe she was just a distraction to him, and if she hadn't been, didn't she prove she was just as worthless as all those other wastelanders that she'd seen Alex shrug off.
"Good luck" was all she said, watching him nod slightly before turning off into the robo and heavy laden foot tracks of the outcasts.
She turned to see that the brotherhood had left as well, leaving Joaquin and her alone in the wasteland without a weapon or destination except home.
"Let's go home Joaquin" she said after a heavy moment of silence between them, siblings reunited.
He turned his gaze almost longingly on the tower they'd just left, she remembered Gustavo kicking him out the door as he pleaded with the man to let him stay and explain things to Mr Burke.
"No, not yet" he started towards the northern passage of free ground, seeming suddenly positive again, "I've got a better idea, I stashed a weapon and some supplies nearby in case anything every happened in the tower." Elsa suddenly picked up behind him as a wild wind began to pick up around them.
"Then we return home?" she asked to his back.
"No, then we go to Fort Bnnister. I've got some money to collect from Talon company" he answered, "Then we go home, I promise little sister."