Underworld was deep in what was once a museum dedicated to more than the Greek mythos' depiction of an actual supernatural underworld. It was fitting that the path to reach it was darkened, somber. That was before.

Now the lobby of the Museum of History was alight. Minutemen Marines were camped out all over, prepping for the push south that would connect this spike of territory from the Republic of Rosie down to Underworld with Rivet City. Once an overland supply route supplemented the more vulnerable water route that ran by Jefferson Memorial and the Project Purity held within, the first true assault on a Brotherhood of Steel stronghold would begin.

MacCready noticed Minutemen mixed in with the Marines. Two ran up to him. "You find those two spots on your team, yet?", Sydney asked. "Yeah, MacCready. After we get through with this, you're gonna bring us on Special Forces - right?.", Emaline followed up.

"And what exactly is 'this'?", the major asked.

"Serving as guides for Colonel Bridget's marines.", Sydney answered. "Most of downtown's collapsed and areas are blocked off from each other. To get ground secure enough for civilian supplies, let alone a ground force through, she's gonna have to take the subways. Easy to get lost down there if it's your first time."

"Where's the General?", MacCready asked.

Sydney smiled. "I'll tell you if I can get a spot in your squad."

He glared at her.

"She's in the city proper. Major.", Sydney conceded. "But I'm serious."

"I am too.", Emaline added. "Your team is pure hard asses. We're experienced personnel. And you're going to need people who understand the Capital Wastes."

"You've already joined the Minutemen.", MacCready pointed out while already walking to the entrance of Underworld. "With your reputation, you could end up Sheriffs in no time if you keep your noses clean."

Emaline scoffed.

Sydney explained. "We're not the sunrise to sunset types, looking for a place to settle. We get the mission done, then we get drunk, then we get laid, and then we get the next mission. The only outfit in the General's Minutemen that isn't going to be camped out somewhere or turning domestic is yours."

Emaline nodded. "We're mercenaries, Major. With the General declaring that illegal, you're the last boat in the lake. Sure, there's this subway tunnel rat job. But after that, we're either going to be Special Forces or eating our guns."

"If it's that bad, why aren't you fighting on the Brotherhood side of all this.", MacCready asked.

"'Cause she's right.", the two replied in unison. Emaline looked to Sydney. "I see the change she's brought to just this strip of towns. Plus, the Commonwealth has to be something bright to bring all this to the party.", she said gesturing to the Assaultrons and synths and host of equipment surrounding them. "If she's not the future the clients ought to be paying us to fight for, who is?"

MacCready stood a little straighter and put his hands in his pockets, considering them. But with his hands in his pockets, he was reminded.

"Look - dismissed. I don't have time for this right now.", MacCready stated.

"Yessir.", the two women accepted.

MacCready and his team strode toward the entrance to Underworld. "We know that the reason you keep turning them down is a lack of our MARINE ARMOR.", one of his soldier told him.

"And what? You want I should hand them yours?", he replied.

"Yeah."

MacCready stopped.

"We signed on for this because the Capta...General needed us. But our lives are up in Far Harbor. I don't know about these guys, but I could deal with getting back to it. Now I'm not going to leave you in a lurch and a woman down. But if one of those two wants my place, and their decades of experience can back you up just as well as I can..."

The man held up his hand. "That's you. Are you speaking for everybody?"

"Hell no.", one of his Far Harbor born soldiers stated. "I like it. Get to see the world. And shoot at it."

MacCready nodded. "Alright. If you can figure out which two are going back home, I'll get your armor on Sydney and Emaline. Now let's keep in mind why we're actually here."

They continued in relative silence to the gate guard. The ghoul in the Minutemen uniform looked them up and down. "Gonna have to check those weapons.", he garbled casually.

"Minutemen, I'm Major MacCready/"

"It's not his say.", rasped a vicious looking ghoul with bright red...well, not hair. It may have been hair once, but it wasn't like a hair style or a full head of hair on her head.

Willow continued. "I got the General in here, and I hear she's carrying nuclear triggers. So I have to let her carry weapons in.

"Then I got Colonel Bridget in here. Her marines aren't nearly as...disciplined as regulars.

"But I'll be damned if I go three in a day on letting every smooth skin that asks carry weapons into Underworld."

The Minutemen ghoul agreed. "Constitutionally she's right, Major. Local law enforcement, local determination of residency on top of it."

MacCready turned back to his people. Then he turned to Willow. "Look, sheriff...?"

"It's just Willow.", she rasped back.

"Alright, Willow.", he conceded. "Can you just ask one of your people to tell the General that Major MacCready is here, and has urgent need to debrief with her?"

"Ain't got people.", Willow replied.

MacCready huffed. "Then can he go and get the General and we'll mind the exterior watch?"

Willow gargled until the humans realized she was laughing. "Oh, I'm getting a trip out of you Commonwealth folk. Anyone from the Capital Wastes would have mistook my saying that I don't have people for having ghouls helping me, like there was a difference.

"Hey, Cerebus! Get your bucket of bolts over here. Make sure no smooth skins come past while I'm gone. I suppose that goes for you too, Minuteman.", she rasped at the ghoul serving as the exterior guard. "I'll go get the General."

A Mr. Gutsy floated over to where Willow had been standing. It scanned the Minuteman guard. "Oh great, another corpse I can't put in the ground where it belongs."

MacCready's team was taken aback but the guard didn't even seem to notice until he noticed their expressions. Oh, right. Well, it's programmed to defend ghouls. Just can't get the pre-war programming out of him. So don't pay him any attention."

Cerebus revved his buzzsaw. "If I could cut you down you would pay attention."

After a few minutes, the General walked up. Then MacCready's face fell - because she was accompanied by Colonel Bridget...and Mayor Barrows along with Willow.

"What is it, Major?", the General asked.

MacCready looked to Bridget and the civilian leaders. "I was thinking of some personnel changes.", he stated. "There's some new recruits that want to try out. Sydney and Emaline."

The General and colonel stood still. The awkward silence continued until Barrows rasped, "They're a good sort for someone in your line of work." The group turned to him. "What? I'm a doctor."

The General returned her attention to MacCready. "Major, I trust your choice in personnel. If they aren't in Colonel Bridget's command, update Colonel Preston of the change. I have to get back to/"

"He said he had to debrief you.", Willow blurted out.

"Excuse me?", the General asked.

"That's term he used when he told me to come get you.", she continued. "And that means he's got something juicy from a mission to tell you."

MacCready nearly groaned aloud.

The General turned back to MacCready. "Okay. Carry on, Robert."

She followed his gaze to Colonel Bridget, who looked like she was already heating up. "Major, the colonel out ranks you. And if it's Dr. Barrows you think you're concerned about, he can appoint someone to the council the Minutemen report to. So out with it."

"Fine.", MacCready resented. He pulled out several SYNTH COMPONENTs. "Littlehorn turned out to be an Institute agent. They set him up to sew chaos in the Capital Wastes by hiring criminals to kill anyone he thought was 'good'. And make it more difficult for the Marine Corps to make headway. We only found out by taking every single one of his people out."

"What?!", Bridget spat. "Those feckless...I'm gonna/"

"Do your damn job.", the General told her.

"The Institute didn't make this man to interfere with you or your people.", the General lied. "They've been experimenting by putting synths in places they could reach for some time before they joined the Commonwealth, or surrendered to the Minutemen. Of course they told me of this danger. Why do you think I sent Major MacCready to remove him from the map to begin with?"

"Because one of his crew harmed one of their precious new synths.", Bridget spat.

The General nearly let out a sigh of relief. "See? If the Institute was trying to have Littlehorn get at you or your men, why would his only chance at a surprise attack been one of their new synths? He would have first gotten as close to you as he could. Then he'd nab one of your men to copy. And only then would he have had someone take a shot at their synths to throw off suspicion. I was a lawyer - I do know how these things work.

"So despite MacCready's attempts at deductive reasoning, this is nothing. And you all have jobs to do. Colonel Bridget: you have an underground expedition to oversee. Major: you have some personnel to interview. And mayor, you need to pick a representative."

Barrows nodded. "Did the Institute set up the Regulators as well?"

"Who?", MacCready and Bridget asked simultaneously.

"uh...", the General let out. "I don't pre-emptively discuss targets before I brief the people actually addressing them, Mayor Barrows."

Willow pointed at MacCready. "Your Special Forces commander is right there."

"And he's considering changing his team. Considering that they are Special Forces, they understand for intelligence to be on a need to know basis.", the General covered.

"MacCready. Is the vertibird still outside?"

"Yes, ma'am.", he answered.

"I'm taking it back to the Commonwealth. I expect a report when I get back."

Bridget spoke up. "But we were/"

"Do your damn job.", the General spat. "Colonel. You have machines of war, both pre-war and Institute provided, as well as fully combat ready force with integrated local guides. Clear the subways and open a land path for supplies to Rivet City and give me a report on your success when I return and am I understood, Colonel Bridget?"

Bridget pursed her lips. "Yes, General."

The General sighed. "Thank you. Good hunting."

After the woman left, MacCready commented. "I've never seen her like that."

"I've seen Colonel Cypress like that.", Bridget lamented.