"Come on! You can do better! You're wearing power armour dammit!" Paladin Gunny barked, making Sarah smirk from where she sat, watching the initiate trainer walk around the two initiates now in their power armour as they punched the iron sacks hanging from the steel bars that had been erected on the training yard.
The trainer kept ordering the two unlucky sods about even as Sarah noted some sort of commotion over by the entrance, the white of her father's beard catching her attention. Heck, even some of the training initiates seemed to look up at it...which instantly earned them a long harangue of insults from paladin Gunny that sent most of them hurling themselves to the ground to do push ups.
Moving past the training initiates Sarah frowned at the odd sight. Owyn flanked by a pair of knights was confronted by an odd bunch of people...doctor Li? Sarah had met the woman in Rivet city some time ago...and she had of course heard of the woman being in that odd work with the brotherhood back at the memorial...but what was she doing here? Didn't she hate the brotherhood? And who was that standing on the side? Was that...? Oh you got to be...
Now jogging she found Li leaning against one of the steel beams keeping the walls of the citadel open while gasping for breath: "Enclave...took the memorial...killed James!" Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. The enclave? She had heard reports about armoured strangers over in the wasteland...but she hadn't really believed they were really there! Wait...James? Wasn't that the name of John's...?
Looking over to the man at the side she found John walking back and forth. A plasma rifle was in his hands, though it wasn't loaded...the barrel still smoking slightly from the last shot. He seemed a little better than last time she had seen him, a little more meat on the bones, though the scar across his face was new... He also looked surprisingly collected for a man who had just lost his father, a concentrated frown on his face as he continued his pacing.
That couldn't be good...
Forcing herself to focus back on the conversation she saw her father take a few steps forward and gently put his hands on Li's shoulders. "It's alright now Madison, you're safe now. If the enclave has appeared and is hostile as you claim, we will fight them." That's her father, never giving voice to his doubts until he was away from the men...Sarah smiled tightly. "Now you know as well as I do that the purifier doesn't work."
"That's..." The woman gasped, placing a hand on Owyn's arm. "That's not true! James...he got it working, or, we can get it working...need...GECK...." She wavered. The others seemed no better, though since none was talking to them they had simply sat down and seemed more dead than alive as they stared down at their feet in dismay. "But...now enclave has it..."
Sarah blinked, then gasped as she realized what the doctor was saying. The purifier...working? Pure water, for all. And then the enclave. That was huge! So huge she almost felt dizzy...no wonder Li looked ready to collapse... "Does the enclave know about this?" Owyn frowned, the idea of a new power arriving into the wasteland was disturbing enough...but one with access to the only reliable source of pure water as well...
It was enough to make one shudder.
"I...I don't know..." The woman moved a hand up to her head, rubbing her temple as her eyes fluttered. "It seemed so convenient to come that fast...but it's not finished...I...I..."
"Okay, that is quite alright." Owyn patted her, making her relax, though it was probably more out of exhaustion than anything else. "You are of course free to stay...knight Torez." He gestured for one of the knights to lead the others to the bunker of the citadel. Turning to Sarah, as always knowing when she was around, he frowned the way he always did when talking work. "The enclave radio transmission, while not overly hostile, clearly indicate their goal of taking over the area. Their actions speaks the same, as such I want to alert all brotherhood patrols to take defensive postures when around such forces."
"It will be done." Sarah nodded, knowing better then discuss the full meaning of what they've learnt in front of the men. "What about him?" She nodded towards the still pacing man, his feet having made a slight dent in the dirt by now. Was he ever going to stop clutching the rifle like that?
"Yes, what about the wasteland hero?" Owyn turned over to the man. "John wasn't it?" At the mention of his name the man stopped and turned to them. Sarah blinked. The rage she'd seen last time was there, though it seemed dimmer...warped into something she couldn't put a name to. "First of all, I am sorry for the loss of your father, he was a good man and friend..."
An odd noise approaching a snort escaped the man, the hands gripping his rifle going white as he squeezed it harder. His face didn't change though, a mask of neutrality. Sarah wondered if he was keeping the façade up for their sake...or his own.
Owyn hesitated, apparently having expected some sort of answer. "As I said, you have our sympathy. Now..." He frowned, a hand going to scratch his beard, he didn't really want to ask whatever question he was pondering...
The man cocked his head to the side, he still looked oddly neutral, he didn't even seem to notice Sarah standing next to Owyn either. In any other situation she would have been insulted...but it was understandable right now...and by the look on her father's face she didn't really want him to look at her anyway. "Yes?" John's voice was just as neutral as his face, revealing nothing.
"We are still tied up fighting the super mutants, and with the enclave apparently about to advance everywhere we cannot spare any men for a long expedition into the wasteland. Especially not when I suspect the enclave to originate from somewhere around there..." Owyn glanced over at Sarah who just shrugged, it was impossible to judge the man.
"You wish to hire my services." It wasn't a question.
"That's right." Owyn answered with a nod, smiling slightly. "Or rather...we would appreciate if you continued to try and fulfil your father's wishes."
For a horrifying moment Sarah was sure John would lash out, fist, blade or gun...then he simply shrugged. "I care for not my father's wishes." Sarah wasn't convinced, and the look on Owyn's face told her he shared her opinion. "I will not do this for nothing."
A mercenary now? Sarah was taken aback, the hero of the wastes...the story of him never spoke of a man doing anything for his own sake. One could expect it of anyone else...but not him. Still, Owyn simply smiled that weak little smile telling her that he had considered such a scenario. "We are the brotherhood of steel and have quite a lot of resources, what can we give you for your help?"
The man begun to pace again all of a sudden, hands still closed around the rifle, as if he was walking on patrol. He didn't look at them as he walked. "Three things, first: I need a suit of power armour with the training for it. If I'm going out into the wasteland with enclave about to attack on sight I need better armour."
"Considering the circumstances I suppose..." Owyn muttered, him and Sarah exchanging glances, to teach one outside the brotherhood...did he realize what a request that was? Still, it was a small price.
Not noticing their looks the man continued his walk. "Second, I need more ammunition for this gun." He raised the plasma rifle. "I don't want to be caught emptying three clips in each enemy I kill."
"We have quite a lot of that yes..." The father and daughter exchanged another look. The first demand was difficult to meet, out of ideals more than anything else, but it wasn't something the man could really earn caps out of. Neither was the ammunition thing, especially if he was going to expend it in fighting...the demands didn't fit a mercenary. "And the third thing?"
"I want you to put a garrison in Megaton." What!? Sarah took half a step backwards, confusion obviously written across hers and her father's face since the man stopped his pacing, gaze affixed on them. "This is not negotiable."
"Why?" Sarah blurted out before she caught herself.
The man looked at her. Uncaring and hard eyes...she shuddered. "The enclave is coming out, they are apparently hostile, I don't want them to attack Megaton. What's confusing to you?"
"N...nothing."
Owyn smiled. "I would have done so either way, the protection of the people in the wasteland is a high priority for us and-"
"Great, then we are in agreement." John nodded, apparently satisfied. Reaching back he finally put his rifle over his back. "I assume this and all you've heard will require some discussions, as such I will accept to wait an hour before you've arranged for me to begin the training for the power armour."
"Well..." Owyn glanced at Sarah, who just shrugged in confusion. "...it's a bit short on time but we could make it work-"
"Good." John interrupted the arguably most powerful man in the wasteland a second time, unblinking and uncaring. "Then if you excuse me, I will take the time to go grieve."
"Very well..."
Without acknowledging them anymore the man turned and marched off towards the citadel bunker. Muttering something under his breath Owyn walked away as well. Sarah remained still though, frowning as she watched John walk away, head hanging low and hands deep in his pockets, apparently unaware of the many people staring at the legend walking past them. "You're a very strange one..."