I tried to ignore the fact that we were leaving behind the bodies behind, but Rebecca had pointed out that they had no way to take them with us…at least not yet. So now we were making our way topside; I could feel my heart beating like a drum in my chest as I began up the stairs. Luckily my uniform still fit; but as I was putting the service uniform on Rebecca had stopped me.
"I found a set of armor for you in one of the lockers." She had said, handing over a set of olive-drab armor which bore the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. "You can still bring your uniforms, I've got a pack you can use."
I had accepted the offer readily, not wanting to leave my uniform in this pit. It still had meaning to me and maybe…to someone out there.
The sunlight burned my eyes and I winced slightly, raising my hand up as I stood and gazed all around me. The White House was gone, the once beautiful lawn now covered in the ruins of the old world. In the distance I could see a group of soldiers standing around; most definitely Brotherhood soldiers as Sarah explained.
"Sergeant, hurry, the radiation is still heavy right here." Rebecca explained, hurrying past me, Sarah on her tail. "We're gonna take you to the Citadel and introduce you to Elder Lyons; find out what to do with you."
At her words I felt more like a freak science project instead of a man. I followed on their heels, looping a thumb under my rifle strap. The bunker had been supplied with a few of such rifles and other necessary supplies so at least I had some semblance of being a Marine. Running a free hand over my head I vowed to find a barber as soon as possible.
When we neared the power armored soldiers, one with a beaten laser rifle turned, his visor staring directly at me. "This is what we ran over here for?"
"Yes, Knight-Sergeant, this is Sergeant Becher of the…United States Marine Corps." Sarah almost choked on the words 'United States'…I'd have to ask her about that later. "I don't want to hear anything about you giving him lip; he doesn't know about the situations in the past."
The knight-sergeant nodded, turning to face away just in time for his head to explode outward. Blood and brain splattered the front of my armor and I threw myself on top of Rebecca before the corpse had fallen.
"Contact front!" A voice cried out, the sound of laser rifles and miniguns whirring to life. There came another distinct thump as one of the heavy gunners crumbled to the ground; a round hole in his chest.
"Take cover, Pride!" Sarah shouted, firing her rifle at something in the distance.
Rebecca promptly shoved me off of her and her rifle was in her hands; three round bursts spitting out like a trained soldier. She glanced down once as if to see if I was still alive. "Sergeant, stay on my ass, you don't want to get lost here."
My training kicked in and I followed her to a pile of sandbags, my rifle barking as I fired a burst over my head. Rebecca reached into her belt and changed magazines with precision before taking a knee and firing again.
"What's the situation, Sarah?" Rebecca shouted above the noise of gunfire, I noticed a radio bud in her ear as I took a knee beside her and provided a few rounds downrange.
"No idea where they came from, but we've got Enclave. Kodiak, tighten the perimeter, I'm calling in for support." Sarah's voice cried out from the Pip-Boy on Rebecca's arm. "How's our new guest?"
I fired a series of bursts and smiled when a black form tumbled forward like a puppet having its strings cut. I didn't know who this Enclave is, but they were shooting at me so I shot back. Made plenty of sense to me.
"Doing fine, get to work on that support, I'll take care of him." Rebecca barked, her gentle demeanor from earlier gone replaced by some kind of warrior-woman I read about in a book long ago.
We traded gunfire back and forth with the Enclave; trading one Brotherhood soldier for three of theirs. I felt a stinging in my arm as a laser beam sliced through the sleeve of my fatigues; a minor graze. Replying in kind, I held the trigger down and grinned when the rounds penetrated the armor of the shooter; he crumbled into the dirt twenty yards from my position. The idiot had tried to charge and he paid for it dearly.
I quickly reloaded and my finger tensed on the trigger when I saw a woman stand up in the distance; her lips moving rapidly as she shouted at her troops. Their fire died out shortly after and I lowered my rifle when she pulled a megaphone to her mouth.
"Survivors of the White House bunker, my name is General Autumn, and I am a member of the Enclave. Do not believe the lies that these rebels have undoubtedly told you. We are the restored United States of America." Her voice, while cultured, made me feel like she was trying to feed me some bullshit…kinda like a used car salesman I knew once. "We have come to rescue you and take you to the President."
My eyes widened at those words. My orders were to link up with the surviving government and to find the President. I couldn't help but think that this would be my chance to get some aspect of my life back. I hesitantly looked over at Rebecca, her eyes holding only disdain as she peeked over the sandbags.
Noticing my stare, she slowly shook her head. "Andrew, these people are lying to you. The Enclave is a menace to the Wasteland and have been doing anything to force it under their boot. I can explain more later, but please…you must trust the Brotherhood and I."
I shifted uncomfortably. I quickly thought it over and nodded. If these people wanted to kill me they would have done it while I was still unarmed and asleep. Standing up, I shouldered my rifle and let out a short burst in the direction of Megaphone lady; ducking down as several laser beams came at me.
"Very well, make your peace with God you Brotherhood scum." The woman said before a grenade came soaring through the air.
A Brotherhood soldier frantically dove out from cover, but didn't escape the blast of plasma. His armor melted as super-heated plasma burned it like tissue paper; his screams ending a second later.
"You bastards!" I heard a voice scream out followed by a series of laser blasts.
Looking over, I could see Sarah firing rapidly, not even thinking over cover. She managed to wing one Enclave soldier before she took a blast to the shoulder and dropped back behind cover. I shook my head at the sight of the soldier losing her cool. Stuff like that gets you killed.
I stood to fire only to dive back down as a pair of rockets streamed over our heads; slamming into the Enclave's position; blowing them away in a fiery shower of gore and rock. I secretly hoped that Megaphone woman was there; her voice was more annoying then he thought.
A vertibird, of all things, flew straight over, pulling up and turning to unleash a long blast from the chin guns; the 5mm rounds tearing the ruins up and sending a cloud of dust into the air. A second vertibird landed directly in front of my position; the ramp lowering as a pair of soldiers ran out, one carrying a missile launcher. The man turned and blasted the Enclave's position…suppressive fire at its best.
"Get aboard!" Rebecca vaulted over the sandbags and ran up the ramp. I followed, nodding to the two soldiers who covered our withdraw. Another Brotherhood member threw himself onto the ramp; scrambling inside, I could see the rest of the members running out of my view. I guessed the first vertibird had landed.
"Lift off!" One of the soldiers twirled his finger in the air as the ramp closed. Sealing shut, the interior pressurized and a dim red light winked on. The light reflected off the sweat-drenched face of Rebecca.
Pulling off her glasses, she wiped her brow with a shaking hand; blowing out a long breathe a second later. I could feel the vertibird lift off and gain speed; the noise of the rotors muted inside. Turning to Rebecca, I leaned forward, my rifle barrel up between my legs. She glanced up at me; as if she was waiting for me to speak. I did.
"So, care to explain this clusterfuck?"
Xxxx
I groaned, opening my eyes and realizing that the dream wasn't real. I dreamt that I was back home in downtown D.C. my parents and brother were all sitting around the television watching the news from Anchorage. I had finally gotten back from the frontlines and I sat frozen, watching them.
Shaking my head, I rose off the old mattress, the springs creaking. The Brotherhood had given me a small room in their barracks and I had fallen asleep as soon as my head it the pillow. Making my way to the sink I gazed into the cracked mirror, the face staring back at me a stranger. The beard definitely had to go…
I had just finished shaving and had taken a pair of scissors to my hair when I heard the door open. Turning, I reversed the grip on my scissors, ready for action. What the door revealed was a beat-red Rebecca standing in the doorway. She was wearing her hair back in a simple ponytail; a simple pair of cargo pants and tank top completing the image.
"Uh…sorry to interrupt…" She stammered, averting her gaze.
Confused, I looked down, realizing I wore nothing but my skivvie shorts and dogtags. Turning red myself, I quickly grabbed my pants and pulled them on. Shrugging to try and break the ice.
"I'm-"
"Look-"
Rebecca laughed as we both tried to talk at once, she pushed her glasses up on her nose. She walked in, closing the door and holding her hand out.
"I learned from a friend how to cut hair…I'm not the best but I think I can do better than you at the moment."
Looking in the mirror, I laughed at the sight. Half of my head was missing a large chunk of hair and the result made me look like some kind of weird rock star. Grinning, I held the scissors out.
"I don't know, I think I had the situation well in hand."
Groaning, Rebecca pulled a chair from the corner and sat me down, taking a ratty washcloth and covering my shoulders. Immediately she began cutting. I watched in silence as the hair fell to the floor. I stood still as best I could even though she had to pull me every which way to get a clear look at my head.
"You know, I could try for a high and tight, if you'd like?" She offered kindly, but I could tell that she was trying to make me feel like nothing had changed. That I had just been asleep while the entire world burned around me. My family, friends, and my platoon members. Men and women I had let down. "What's wrong?"
I hadn't even felt the tears going down my face. Wiping my face, I just nodded my head. "High and tight it is."
Taking the razor and shaving cream she began, it was tedious work and the sight of her tongue sticking out as she concentrated made me want to laugh. She noticed my smile and shot a playful glare at my reflection.
"Holding a dangerous weapon here." She muttered, waving the straight razor around.
"Ha, sure it is." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"No really, I was captured by some raiders during my first few months out of the vault after my dad…anyway, they caught me and took all my stuff." She explained, wiping the razor on the rag and beginning again. I noticed her pause and figured that either she wasn't on speaking terms with her father or something worse had happened. "So here I am, tied hands behind my back and a bunch of drooling raiders surrounding me. Just the thought sends shivers down my spine."
"Are these men, uh, raiders really all that dangerous?" I asked, curious about gaining some knowledge.
"Well, they weren't all men…but yes, they are drug addicted bastards." She spat out, her words dripping with venom. "They kill whatever and whoever they please and do terrible things to those who live through the attack. I would kill any that I get my hands on."
Turning slightly, I looked up at her and her hands went to my cheeks, turning my head back forward, but I had seen enough. Despite the intensity in her green eyes I could tell that she didn't truly mean those words…at least I hope not and that I wasn't reading her wrong.
"You kill a lot of people?" I asked, feeling her cut the last of the hair and pat me on the shoulder. Standing, I wiped the back of my head with the rag and threw it into the sink. "I'm guessing you have to out here."
Sighing she wiped her hands on her pants; looking me in the eyes. "Wow…you look a lot different." She almost whispered, giggling…actually giggling when she looked at me. "Sorry, just it's definitely a better look then the hermit look you were going for."
Laughing again, I proceeded to get dressed in my old uniform. The ribbons and chevrons made me feel like home as I buttoned them up and tucked the shirttail in. I cursed to myself when I realized that my cover was most likely destroyed two hundred years ago so I'd have to be going without. Oh, well…think no one will notice here.
"Again, wow. Is that what all soldiers wore before the War?" Rebecca asked as we walked out of the room; buckling my sidearm as an afterthought. She led the way through the endless hallways as we spoke.
"No, I'm a Marine."
Shrugging her shoulders, Rebecca asked. "What's the difference?"
Laughing I remembered my mother asking the same difference. It was the day my brother had enlisted in the Army and I gave him shit for joining the wrong branch.
"Marines are different because we have pride, tradition, and the best training. Every Marine is a rifleman and that is part of our title. We earned our place." I explained, passing a few Brotherhood members giving me more than a few odd glances at my uniform.
"Sounds a bit cocky to me." She replied, a smirk on her face.
"Yeah, I've heard that before, just true." I said, winking as we stopped at a door and Rebecca knocked.
"Come in." An older voice came from within. Looking at Rebecca, she gestured before turning and walking back the way we came.
"Hey, where ya going?"
Turning, she kept walking, a smirk on her face. "Don't worry, Marine. You'll see me around."
Winking, she disappeared around the corner and left me alone outside. Sighing, I brushed my hands on my pants and clutched the cool door handle. The door squeaked open and I found myself in front of an old man dressed in dark blue robes; a pristine laser pistol lying within reach on his desk.
The man looked up, setting a paper down and clasping his hands together. "So you must be Sergeant Becher."
Clasping my hands behind my back, I looked the man in the eye. A full grey beard and balding head made the man look more like a wizard from a Grognak comic than the leader of some paramilitary force, but new world, I guess.
"You must be Elder Lyons." I stated, watching the man tap his forefingers together in thought.
"Yes and we, my friend, have many things to discuss."
Here we go, another chapter down. I hope y'all liked and I will be getting into the reason the Enclave didn't get Becher's frozen ass in the first place.
Read, review, and tell me what y'all think.