Chance
Chapter 8: Reunion
Hours went by as the pair made their way towards the old pre-war airport. Nothing much was said between them, as they were both preoccupied by their own thoughts. As they approached the building, their attention was drawn upwards. Tethered to an old radio tower of sorts, casting an ominous shadow over them, was a large airship.
"Impressive, but not surprising," Roulette muttered, half to herself, and half addressing the man beside her.
The space around them seemed to buzz with activity as they came closer, becoming engulfed by the airship's massive shadow. Before they came too close, however, the duo were stopped by a Brotherhood member clad head to toe in power armor.
"What is your business here?" he sternly questioned.
MacCready was about to give a reply, though he was shot down by Roulette as she began to speak. "We are here to speak with Initiate Catherine Thomas and Elder Arthur Maxson," she stated, her tone growing somewhat stern as she clearly stated their intentions.
After a moment of thought, the power armor-clad figure stepped aside, allowing the two by. Roulette gave what vaguely resembled a thanks as she and MacCready continued on their way. As they came still closer to the airship, the pair encountered another man clad in a suit of power armor, though he was not wearing his helmet. The man seemed strong, and well experienced as he addressed them.
"Ashley Thomas, I presume?" the man questioned.
"That's me," Roulette answered.
The man nodded. "I am Paladin Danse. Initiate Thomas asked that I escort you up to the Prydwen and to the meeting arranged between yourself, Initiate Thomas, and Elder Maxson," the man informed the pair.
"Let's be on our way, then," Roulette stated. She forced herself to remain calm and levelheaded, trying not to seem annoyed at once again having many addressed by a rank. Even hearing her own name was annoying, in a way.
The Paladin nodded and lead Roulette and MacCready up to the Prydwen. The three made their way through the passageways as their steps echoed off the metal walls around them. Eventually, they came to a stop before a set of marked doors. Danse ushered the two through the doors and into a large room. As Roulette and MacCready entered, the Paladin hung back by the door.
MacCready felt out of place as he and Rou approached the only other people in the room. Meanwhile, Roulette's posture straightened out as they came closer. It was a subconscious act, still ingrained into her mind from her time with the Brotherhood.
Before them stood the tall figure of Catherine, clad in the same dull orange and gray uniform she'd been in when they first met. Next to her stood an even more imposing figure. The man was roughly Catherine's height, with a strong build, and clad in a black and olive uniform, over which he wore a black and gray, somewhat battered coat. The man's hair was cut very close to the sides of his head, and the top was longer and slicked back, allowing the scars on his face and his bright blue eyes to be on display.
"Catherine," Roulette addressed. She turned to the imposing man, ensuring she was pulled to her full height, though the man still towered head and shoulders over her.
"Glad you could make it, Ash," Catherine replied. "This is Elder Maxson," she added, motioning to the man beside her.
"I've heard quite a bit about you from Initiate Thomas," Maxson said, his voice gruff and commanding.
"Such as?" Roulette prompted, giving no effort to address the Elder with the same respect anyone currently in the BoS would.
"Ashley, respect! You're talking to a superior officer, an Elder, no less," Catherine interjected, sounding as if Roulette had just slapped the man.
"What does it matter? You're the one who's active with these guys, not me," came Roulette's reply.
"As I've heard," Maxson interrupted. It was obvious to Roulette that he wouldn't let an argument start between Catherine and herself, at least not while he was in the room. "You abruptly left the Brotherhood, two years ago, now?" the Elder went on, his tone hardly leading on to the fact that he was actually asking a question.
"Yes, I did," Roulette answered.
"Why is that?"
"I realized that I didn't agree with the values of the BoS, and so made the decision to leave."
"And you neglected to inform any superior officers of your departure."
"What does that matter?"
"Without having formally left the Brotherhood, it means that you are still an Initiate within our ranks. With that considered, it also means that you can also be subject to disciplinary action."
"That makes no sense," MacCready butted in. "She left years ago, what would it do to punish her for it, now?"
"According to our records and procedures, Ashley M Thomas never actually left the Brotherhood of Steel," Maxson told him. "Meaning her leaving is counted as insubordination, already a serious charge. That coupled with what she may have done while not associating herself with the Brotherhood, that charge could be the least of her worries," Maxson's tone had shifted as he spoke, becoming colder and more serious. His hard gaze fixing itself onto Roulette, almost as if he expected her to squirm under the weight of his words. The only ones doing so, however, were the girl's companion and sister.
"You can't just-," MacCready began to voice his objections further, only to be abruptly cut off by Roulette.
"Stay out of this, Mac," she told him. "I half expected this. Knew there had to be some sort of catch to this little reunion," the girl stated, aiming a cold glare at Catherine.
"Ash, I swear, I didn't know about this," Catherine offered.
Roulette gave no reply to her older sister. "Do what you will with me, Maxson, but ensure that my friend is kept out of it," she stated, looking up the the imposing man.
Maxson gave a curt nod, and turned to Catherine. "Initiate, escort the civilian down to ground level," he ordered, before turning to Paladin Danse, who had witnessed all of this from the doorway of the room, while saying nothing. "And Paladin, bring her to the brig," he told him, motioning to Roulette.
"Yes, sir," came their reply, both voices seeming to echo off the bare metal walls, into the heavy silence which had fallen over the room.
After Roulette and MacCready were lead out, nobody uttered a word. MacCready was lead back out and to solid ground, while Roulette was practically marched deeper into the Prydwen, stripped of her weapons and armor, and detained. The only thing running through the minds of MacCready and the sisters; So much for a peaceful reunion.