A/N: Have you ever thought 'hey that was pretty rough, what I need now is even more depression in my life'? Yeah, that's this chapter. I promise I'm not going for maximum feels here (that will come later), it's just how this part of the story came out. Unfortunately for our main characters, these kids and what happened to them hits awfully close to home. As always, please leave whatever feedback you'd like and enjoy!

Chapter 16: The Best Laid Plans

As uncomfortable as it was, I stayed with the trio while the Brotherhood searched the neighborhood for- whatever they're looking for. Their situation, this town, what happened here for who the hell knows how long, it was all too analogous. The memories of that day swirled through my head like a tropical storm. The thing that aggravated me most was I had been through this, yet I had nothing I could offer these children besides my protection.

I didn't pay much attention to the soldiers and scribes bustling around the collection of houses. It didn't concern me: at the end of the day, I'm only tagging along for now.

Except that wasn't completely true anymore; whether they knew it or not, Cassandra, Thomas, and Julian were all relying on me. I couldn't let them stay with the Brotherhood. I'd seen, and killed, child soldiers fighting for Innie outfits. That's what these kids would become if the Brotherhood raised them.

They were still searching long after the sun had fallen behind the horizon. It wasn't long after the sky darkened when Cassandra finally told them.

"Hey-", she said before breaking off. Her voice was barely over a whisper. "Hey guys." I turned back. The young girl was kneeling in front of them, face wet with tears once more. Thomas and Julian were looking at her, confused.

"So-", her voice broke again, and I couldn't help the pit in my stomach. "Uhm…" Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment, and my mind flashed back to the shuttle I evacuated on. It was one of the few emotions I couldn't sympathize with her. I never grieved. As I rode the shuttle up to a freighter, still covered in my mother's blood, I was empty. The only emotion I felt, once my mind began processing them again, was pure, unbridled, burning anger.

But I still felt for her. For the two boys as well.

"Damon", she looked at me, pain so clear on her face and in her deep brown eyes, I could feel it, "Damon didn't find your parents. They didn't survive."

Silence bloomed over the immediate area. It was so complete, even the bustling Brotherhood members barely registered. It wasn't peaceful. It felt like it would flee at any moment, like a dam breaking open and allowing whatever it was holding to flood out. Haylen was staring at the teenager, wide eyed and horrified. For their parts, the two younger kids both looked utterly, and completely blank, like they couldn't register what Cassandra had said. I know how that feels.

"What", Julian asked quietly. "What do you mean?"

"Your mom and dad-" the girl choked out a sob and it was a moment before she managed to find her voice again.

"Your mom and dad are gone."

The silence spread across the five of us once again.

And then it clicked all at once.

There was no preamble, no pleading, no denying, and that may have been the worst part about it.

Julian and Thomas both burst into tears, shattering the thin veil of tranquility in an instant. Cassandra pulled them into a deep embrace, and even Haylen's eyes glistened with tears.

This time, a familiar rage found its way through the wall of painful memories.

It wasn't about my past this time.

The crying slowly faded into quiet sobs as the three of them held each other. The scribe glanced at me a few times, but she didn't know what to do.

Like I do.

The only use I had was keeping them safe. As much as I wished I could offer more.

No more words passed between them as they all mourned. It was odd, like the entire world tilted toward their grief to the point I felt their sorrow past my own.

A decade seemed to pass standing there, guarding the grieving trio, but eventually the rest of the Brotherhood members returned to the Vertibirds and we began the flight back to the Prydwen. I rode with the trio, Haylen, the scribes and Paladin Danse while the other five soldiers loaded into the other VTOL.

The kids stared out of the doors as the darkened city raced by underneath, milky blackness occasionally interrupted by a campfire or the blazing perimeter lights from Diamond City and Goodneighbor. This would definitely be the first time they'd ever ridden in a Vertibird, probably the first time they'd ever been off the ground. Their eyes were as large as they could get and, despite everything, they all gazed at the passing landscape with open astonishment. I guess some things can overcome even that misery. It was an innocence I wish they could keep.

The three of them looked even more surprised when we reached the airport, Prydwen hovering over it, bathed in light from below, with its own powerful spotlights searching the perimeter for any intruders. The Brotherhood had more illumination than Goodneighbor and Diamond City combined, twice over.

Once docked, Haylen led the kids down into the large hangar and off to the starboard side where an infirmary had been set up. I followed behind, despite Danse saying something in objection. I didn't care enough to listen.

Their eyes never stopped flying around the massive room, taking in the technicians and soldiers working on weapons or armor.

The infirmary was equally impressive, with enough room for a dozen genuine hospital beds and at least as many medics. The walls were lined with cabinets, probably full of medical supplies, and at the back, there were even a few machines that looked like primitive life support systems. From what I've seen of this version of Earth, this would have been a high quality medical suite before they blew themselves to hell.

A taller woman with dirty blonde hair tied back, wearing an outfit similar to Haylen's without the tac-vest and armor approached us from the other side of the infirmary. "Scribe Haylen." Her voice was soft, but clipped.

"Hello Scribe Rayna, these are Cassandra, Thomas, and Julian", Haylen replied, motioning to the trio. "They were captives in a Supermutant camp. We'd like to give them a full checkup."

"Of course." The medic smiled at the trio of kids. "Come on, first thing we need to do is get you some new clothes."

I went to follow as Rayna turned to lead them away, but she held out a hand. "Some privacy would be nice."

Every fiber of my body was screaming. I looked down at Cassandra. She was watching me with a worried expression. Was that because she wanted me to come with them or not? They barely know me, but I was the one who found them. And even if they don't know it, I'm the one who wants to keep them safe.

My uncertainty must have come across in my posture because Haylen stepped toward me. "They'll be alright. Rayna is a great doctor."

That wasn't my concern. But what am I going to do? Forcing the issue wouldn't do anyone any good. It isn't like if I let them go here, they'll disappear.

Probably.

I nodded. "I want to know when they're done."

The Scribe squinted at me, but relented after a moment's hesitation. "Okay."

All three were looking at me, Cassandra uncertain, Thomas and Julian on the verge of tears. Could they feel my discomfort? Were they nervous about the Brotherhood? Or am I overthinking this, and they're just kids who watched their world torn apart a few days ago? I don't know; I barely remember how I felt, or acted afterward.

Standing there awkwardly with the five of them staring at me wasn't going to get anyone anywhere. "I'll be around. Come find me afterward."

My legs were carrying me back toward the infirmary entrance before I knew what was happening, or before any of them could respond. I could feel their collective gaze on my back as I walked. I didn't know where I was going, probably to find Nate, but I couldn't stay there. I wouldn't leave if I did.

A pair of armored Brotherhood soldiers were waiting for me outside, but I barely noticed them as I walked by. This was a new kind of anger… maybe not new, but one I hadn't felt like this in a long time. It was the same anger that drove me to join the SPARTAN III program. The same anger that drove me to my breaking point over and over and over again during training. The same anger I took out on my first Sangheili. But I'd gone numb to it over the last half decade.

It was back now, in a way I didn't understand. Mine, I could do something about my situation. But these kids, I couldn't do a goddamn thing for them. I know what they've been through, and yet all I could do was say 'come find me when you're done'? I know what other people are probably going through as I sit on my ass up here.

I know what I have to do to stop it, but I'm not doing it.

I didn't do it much before either; I fought more Insurrectionists than Covenant. So what's different now?

That was easy: I'm not just seeing it this time. And I don't understand that either, but it is different. Right now, I'm not angry at the Covenant for what they did to me, I'm pissed off at the Supermutants for what they did to those kids.

"Hey!"

My head whipped around toward the shout. It was Nate. He was trudging toward me in his new suit of power armor.

"I heard you were on an op with Danse." He stopped in front of me, a mixture of excitement and concern on his face. "In a day or so I might be good enough in this thing to help out."

His sarcasm did nothing to help my mood. After what I just saw, the last thing I needed was his jokes. But the ex-soldier didn't know what happened.

Nate must have realized something was wrong when I stared at him without response for what was probably an uncomfortably long time. He looked at the two Brotherhood soldiers effectively standing guard behind me, amusement draining from his expression.

"Did something happen?"

Did something happen… Yeah, something fucking happened.

"Yes."

The ex-soldier's eyes narrowed. "Did something like Goodneighbor happen?"

My hands balled so tightly I could feel the muscles in my forearms strain with effort. Why the hell had I wanted to find Nate? He seemed to be doing just fine without me.

I brushed by him and headed up the stairs, out of the massive, bustling room. The last thing I needed was to be around a few hundred people I didn't know and would probably be trying to kill soon enough.

Once I got out into the docking area, I paused to take a few deep breaths. My 'escorts' were still just a few paces away, and while that aggravated me under the best circumstances, now it was putting me on an edge I didn't trust myself to not fall over. I don't think I'd do anything stupid, but I didn't know, and that made me even more uncomfortable.

"I need some space", I said, turning to them. They were both standing just outside the bulkhead door.

"Sorry, we have our orders", one of soldiers replied. From the voice I'd guess it was Carter. I could feel their eyes drilling into me from behind their small eyepieces.

And that irritated me even more. It seemed like everything was at this point.

"What am I going to do out here? Jump? Give me a few goddamn minutes alone." If these two were Carter and Grant, they knew exactly why I wanted some time on my own. They might not understand why I was so upset, but they didn't need to.

Would I leave me alone in this situation?

I don't care what I would do in this situation, they aren't me.

"Fine", Carter relented, eventually, "but stay in sight of the door, and don't go near any of our birds."

My eyes rolled almost involuntarily. And what would I do with a Vertibird? I don't know how to fly one. Whatever.

I stalked away while the two armored soldiers remained by the door. There wasn't anywhere to go, really, the far end of the docks was maybe 50 meters away, but I needed to be somewhere away from people. I didn't know what I was going to do with that space, but I couldn't sort this mess out with the constant pandemonium down in that damn hangar.

Without many places to go, I found myself standing in an empty docking station, leaning over, hands grasping the railing in front of me. The last few weeks have been far too chaotic. Being thrown into a completely unknown and ridiculous situation, that was SOP, but all these memories and emotions... I needed to get back under control. I couldn't keep going like this if I wanted to maintain any semblance of operation viability.

But then I think about the Supermutants and my logic goes out the window.

I have to remember why I'm here: get to the Institute, find out if I can get back to the UNSC. If there's time to deal with the Supermutants, I can do that along the way. Fighting the Brotherhood is more likely since they're at odds with the Institute.

… Dammit. Goddammit. I wish I could justify going after the Supermutants. I can, morally, but morality has never been my purview. It doesn't progress mission objective.

The sound of the bulkhead door clanging open reached me, and hushed voices followed a moment later. Then came the heavy thuds of someone in their ungainly power armor approaching me. The slow, unsteady cadence wasn't what I'd come to expect from the Brotherhood soldiers. That meant this was probably Nate.

A quick glance confirmed it was the ex-soldier. Great. The guy who has a habit of digging up memories I'd rather keep buried is the perfect person to be around when I'm trying to get my head back on straight. Again.

He stopped next to me, but instead of saying anything, which is what I expected, he followed my gaze into the darkness, looking out over the outline of a destroyed Boston skyline. We stood there for a few minutes, the only sound coming from the bustling ground forces below. I couldn't feel it, but I could imagine the crisp night air.

Eventually, the quiet was too much for Nate to take.

"Haylen told me."

I nodded.

"She didn't say as much since she doesn't know, I'm guessing, but it sounded a lot like what happened to you."

"Yes", I replied through a sigh.

The ex-soldier paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry for joking around back there."

I nodded again.

"So what do you want to do? With those kids I mean. I take it you don't want them here."

"No. This place would only make things worse."

"We could try to get them to Diamond City, but we don't know anyone there. Well, except for Nick and Ellie, but I don't think they'd be able to look after them."

That was a good question. I'd only thought about getting the three of them away from the Brotherhood and their fanaticism, but where would they go?

"How about Sanctuary? You think they'd take the kids?"

I met his gaze for a moment before turning back to the darkened city. "Sanctuary?"

I saw him nod out of my periphery. "It would be a pretty long hump, but we know them, and they seem like good people."

"Hmm." I leaned on the railing again. "I doubt the Brotherhood would let us take them. And I don't want to lead these people there."

"Yeah well…" The ex-soldier paused. I glanced at him; his face was contorted in a grimace. "I think about those kids, and I see Shaun. I couldn't let him grow up in a place like this. Plus, I understand why you don't want them here either." He met my eyes. "We'll figure something out."

We stood in relative silence for a while. I tried to come up with a strategy to get the three kids away from the Brotherhood, but I couldn't think of any that wouldn't involve a lot of shooting and put them and Nate at risk.

There was nothing we could offer outside of manpower, and that wasn't a bargaining chip; they expected that. The Brotherhood clearly wasn't hurting for resources, and any army always needs more people. Sharing information on the Institute was out of the question as well. I had no reason to protect them beyond what they could offer, but I'd be damned if I gave the Brotherhood a leg up on anyone. Except Supermutants.

"I have an idea", Nate said, after what must have been a record long silence. "I need to talk with Maxson though." He glanced at me. "It would probably be better if you weren't there."

As much as I wanted to argue, I knew exactly why he suggested that. And I agreed.

"What?"

"Classic public relations." He smirked. "The Brotherhood wants people to stay out of their way so they can go after the Institute. Well, people around here already distrust Synths and such, so the Brotherhood is starting out on the right foot. Add in the story about their soldiers bravely marching into a Supermutant settlement, wiping those bastards out, and saving a few innocent children ready to be slaughtered? Hell people will practically throw themselves into the fight to help."

I cocked my head. I think you're getting ahead of yourself.

The ex-soldier chuckled. "Okay, that might be a bit much, but it would be a good start."

"Getting them to Sanctuary without the Brotherhood interfering will be difficult."

"Yeah", the soldier's armor moved in a rough approximation of a shrug, "I'll leave that up to you, it is your area of expertise."

No, my area of expertise is killing people, as you keep reminding me. But yes, I can figure something out.

Before I could respond, the low groan of the bulkhead door signalled someone else coming out onto the docks. I turned back to see Thomas and Julian emerge, closely followed by Haylen and Cassandra. Grant and Carter, still standing guard at the entrance, stopped them and began talking with Haylen. The three kids look like they'd showered and were in the same orange jumpsuits most of the techs in the hangar had been wearing.

My jaw clenched. I could imagine them being lectured about why the Brotherhood was righteous and the ultimate force for good. I could see them being trained to fight, and kill the enemies of a militia that only saw them as a means to an end. Those jumpsuits were a clear declaration of what the Brotherhood had in mind for them. I'd seen enough of it to know how this goes.

After a few moments of quiet conversation, the armored soldiers allowed them to pass. The two young boys hurried over, wide eyes locked on me. I didn't know what to think, watching them. I was glad I'd found them, but what happens to the kids now? There were so many possibilities, I couldn't even begin to imagine what comes next.

But I know what can happen.

I knelt to greet them as the two ran up to us. They stopped just outside of arm's reach, both looking excited, but unsure. Thomas, who now that I looked was probably the younger of the two, half hid behind his brother. Both were about the same size, with dark brown hair and round, still puffy faces.

Julian's eyes dropped to the ground for a moment before looking back up at me. "Cassandra said we should thank you for saving us." His voice was quiet and a little nasally, which was probably from all of the crying.

No response came to mind. My chest felt like it had been put in a press and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to just say 'your welcome' again.

But Nate came to my rescue. "Damon isn't good at these sorts of things. He's happy he was able to. The big guy makes a habit out of helping people; he's saved me a bunch too."

I cocked an eyebrow. It was true, I'd dragged the ex-soldier through a half dozen situations that would have gotten him killed otherwise, but that wasn't how he'd seen it at the time.

Cassandra stopped behind the two boys; she looked much better. Her hair was clean and tied back, face no longer covered in dirt and dried blood, and the teenager held herself upright and relaxed.

"This place is incredible."

That's one word for it.

"Yes."

She looked from me to Nate and back. "So what's next? They wouldn't say what's going to happen to us."

"That depends", I replied, standing. "There's a settlement, Sanctuary, that can take you in, but we have to clear it with command."

Cassandra frowned. "You can't take care of us? It seems like there's enough people and supplies around here for three kids."

You don't want them to. To her credit, the girl was asking the right questions. It was interesting considering she's less than four hours removed from almost being slaughtered.

"The Brotherhood could, but there are better options. For you."

"I thought you said you'd protect us as long as you were able to." Her voice wasn't accusing, but it was close.

How did I say this without saying it? Could I count on them staying quiet if I told them?

"This is part of him doing that", Nate answered for me. "The Brotherhood isn't a good place for you; it's going to get dangerous very quickly and the last thing we want is for you to get caught up in that."

"And who are you?"

"Oh, sorry", the ex-soldier smiled, "I'm Nate. We've been travelling together for a while now."

"Were you there at the-" she paused, voice wavering ever so slightly. "Did you help kill the Supermutants?"

He shook his head. "No, I was back here learning how to use this." He motioned to himself and his armor.

"Wait, are you new?"

"Yes."

Cassandra looked at me again. "And he said you've been travelling together for a while?" I nodded. A smile crept across my face. She's sharp.

"That explains why your armor looks different", she muttered. "So you're new here. Why should I trust you any more than them? Rayna said they'd make space for us."

I glanced down at the two younger kids. I couldn't explain anything to them without risking it getting back to the other Brotherhood members. Cassandra might be able to keep it under wraps, but Thomas and Julian would probably blurt it out to the first person they could talk to.

So maybe I take a minute to talk with Cassandra.

"Nate", I said, turning to the ex-soldier, "do you know where the mess is?"

The ex-soldier arched an eyebrow but nodded. I motioned my head at the two boys and he made the connection.

"Come on guys, I need to get out of this, and I'm hungry. You want to grab something to eat too?"

"No", the teenager barked before either could respond. "We're-"

Nate offered a gentle smile. "It's okay, I understand." His voice carried something strange. I'd heard it a few times, but I couldn't place it. "I'm out here doing everything I can to find my son. I know how much staying together means, but we're here to help you. I promise." Was it pain?

Cassandra faltered again. "Your son?"

"Yes. He was kidnapped. I want nothing more than to see him again. To know he's safe and happy. Knowing what happened to you, I know if there's someone out there looking for you, they want the same." The smaller man hesitated a moment. "And I can tell you Damon", he motioned to me, "has more reason than anyone else to help. If you can trust anyone about this, trust him."

My past isn't your story to tell. I glared at the ex-soldier, but he pointedly ignored it.

The teenager looked from him to me. "Why?"

"I'll leave that up to him to say, but you two should have a talk." He looked back down at Thomas and Julian. "Let's grab some food."

They both looked to Cassandra. She still seemed unsure, but after a few heartbeats of silence, she knelt and hugged them. "Go with him, I'll come find you in a bit, okay?"

"Are you sure", Julian asked.

She glanced up at me, then Nate. "Yeah. Plus, I'm sure if anything happens you can take care of your brother, right?"

The young boy smiled. "Yeah."

"Good." She let them go and stood. "Don't let them run off, okay? They like to… explore."

The ex-soldier nodded. "I'll never leave their side."

"Okay then." The teenager took a deep breath and turned to me. "Let's talk."

I waited a moment as Nate trudged away with Thomas and Julian. Why had he brought up my childhood? The attack? It wasn't his place, and now Cassandra would be curious.

"So", she said as they disappeared through the door to the airship's interior, "what don't you want the rest of the Brotherhood to hear? Aren't you with them?"

"They're going to turn you into child soldiers."

The girl scoffed. "We've all had to fight."

"Fighting for survival and fighting a war aren't the same thing. These people are fanatics. I don't want to see you, Thomas, and Julian indoctrinated."

Her eyes narrowed. "So why did you join them?"

"To help Nate find his son." Explaining I needed to get to the Institute for my own reasons would probably only make things worse.

"Uh huh." Silence settled back over us as she studied me. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but I didn't blame her for being hesitant. Outside of finding them, she had no reason to trust me.

"Your friend said you want to help us more than anyone else. Why?"

… And there it is. Goddammit Nate.

"Because I know what you're going through."

The teenager blinked slowly. "What do you mean? That happened to you too?"

Now it was my turn to hesitate. What am I supposed to say? Besides not wanting to deal with the inevitable questions that would follow whatever I told her… sharing that with someone again didn't feel right. The images flashed through my head once again, too many of them looking like what I'd seen in that town.

"Something like that."

"What happened to you afterward?" She sounded worried.

"I was trained to fight. I became a soldier." A child soldier. It was odd… when I told Valentine and Nate what happened to me, I didn't bat an eye about what ONI had done. Sure I was trained to be a weapon from five, but that was because we were fighting a war of extermination, and I had nothing left. What makes these kids different? They've lost everything, Cassandra twice. Now they were on their own, and the Brotherhood, sans their war with the Institute, would undoubtedly be their best chance for survival. If they were going to live in the destroyed wasteland that had been Boston, they'd be at risk of something like that happening again.

But the thought of them being brainwashed to dogmatically follow the Brotherhood's directives, whatever they may be at the time, made me angry.

That's the difference isn't it? I didn't need brainwashing. I hated the Covenant. No one had to tell me they were the bad guys.

"By who", Cassandra asked.

"A group you haven't heard of. It isn't important. You, Thomas, and Julian can't stay here."

"And can you promise we'll be safe wherever you take us?"

I shook my head. "No, but I can promise if you stay here they'll conscript you, force you to fight, and use you until you're broken or dead."

"Is that what happened to you?"

What? Is that what happened to me? No- I'm still fighting, and I doubt that's going to end anytime soon.

That doesn't answer the question.

My well-being isn't the issue right now.

"No, but I've seen it."

Cassandra fell quiet once again. She turned to look out over the broken city, tapping a hand against her thigh. I could almost see the dilemma playing out across her face; she didn't know who to trust, or what to do. The only thing she had left was keeping Thomas and Julian safe. It was a lot for someone that young.

I say that like I'm not around the same age.

Yeah, if only that were all that mattered.

And do I know what she's been through?

"I don't know what to do", Cassandra finally said. "I don't want to believe you, I want to stay here. This place feels… safe." She looked up at me. "I can't think of any reason you'd lie though. And you two sound too sad to be making this stuff up." The young girl paused again, taking a deep breath. "What do I do?"

"I can't make that decision for you, but if you want the best chance, you'll listen to me."

She chewed on her lower lip, gaze never leaving my visor, eyes meeting mine through the reflective nanolaminate.

"Okay. Okay. I'll trust you."

A wave of relief washed over me, and I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I nodded. "Good."

Cassandra smiled. "Can we get some food too? I'm hungry and I don't want to think about the trouble those two are getting into without me."

While the others stayed in the mess, I found a quiet corner to eat. I wasn't going to take my helmet off around these people. That led to another issue: I hadn't slept in two days. It wasn't the first time, nor was it the longest, but I would rather not hump across a heavily irradiated wasteland with animals named 'Deathclaws' wandering around while running on fumes. Since it would take at least two days to make the trip, and I probably wouldn't be sleeping until we were done, I needed to get some shut eye. All of that is assuming we won't be escorting the kids to Sanctuary beforehand.

When I returned to the mess, Nate was still sitting at one of the tables with Cassandra, Thomas, and Julian. He was deep in conversation with them; from the pieces I caught as I entered, he was talking about our 'adventure' so far. Other than the four of them, there weren't many people eating, which made sense considering it was past midnight. A small group of Brotherhood soldiers were tucked into the opposite corner. Each of them watched me as I entered. It wasn't the same gawking stares most people who see a SPARTAN for the first time have.

"Holy crap", Cassandra said as I approached the table, "you killed Kellogg?"

I glanced at the ex-soldier who responded with a shrug.

She knows who Kellogg was? "Yes."

"I've heard so many stories about him, the guy was every small settlement's boogeyman." She sounded amazed. "It was like the guy was invincible or something, no one thought he'd ever go away." The teenager looked back at Nate. "And you fought your way into the Triggermen's vault too? I don't know as much about them, but I do know they were one of the bigger organized gangs around here. Even the folks in Goodneighbor didn't want to mess with them after they set up shop there."

"Yeah", I asked, turning to my companion, "what else have you been talking about?" I already have enough people looking for me, I don't need these rumors spreading around any faster than they already will.

Cassandra smiled. "That you also broke into Goodneighbor."

"Goddammit", I muttered under my breath.

It must have been loud enough for Nate to hear because the smaller man offered me a sheepish smile. "What can I say? She's good at asking questions."

That doesn't mean you need to answer them.

"Besides, outside of Kellogg, it seems like people would probably already know most of what you've done. Gotta say, they make for some pretty- interesting stories."

I can't wait to hear the insane spin Thomas and Julian come up with. Kids have some… adventurous imaginations.

"I need to sleep, did they give you quarters?"

Nate gave Cassandra an exaggerated eye roll. "See what I mean?"

What do you mean? I cocked my head.

"Oh lighten up, it's a joke. Yes, we have temporary quarters until they clear a spot for us in the airport." The ex-soldier stood, followed by the three kids. "It will be a bit cramped for all of us, but it'll work for a night or two."

We followed him out of the mess, down to the workshop that was still bustling with activity, and into a small room tucked into the aft, starboard corner. Inside was maybe 4 meters square with two cots lined next to each other on the far wall and not much else. I wouldn't be using the beds, so the others could figure that situation out.

I sat, sniper rifle across my lap, back propped against the wall opposite from the bulkhead door, as the four of them got settled. It was as much to put a bullet through the Brotherhood power armor as it was to keep from damaging the weapon. I still don't know if it will, that armor plate is pretty damn thick. Tomorrow would be… educational, both to see if Nate was good enough to get the kids out of here without having to resort to more direct methods, and what those direct methods might be. I still hadn't given much thought to how we would get them to Sanctuary without a Brotherhood tail. That could wait until the morning, right now shut eye is more important.

The sleep wasn't exactly peaceful. It was difficult to fall asleep completely with how restless Thomas and Julian were. I couldn't blame them, they'd been through- well they'd experienced something that breaks people. I know better than most. So I settled for a close approximation of sleep.

But the images of the attack, my attack still managed to find their way in.

This time I was standing with the only survivors, three other kids, all of them a few years older than me, in the middle of what had been my living room. Now it was covered in blood and body parts. It looked a lot like the house I'd found these three in. I was shaking uncontrollably, staring at the floor, standing in a pool of- someone's blood, it was impossible to tell anymore. There was no knowing what the Covenant were going to do with us. Would they butcher the four of us? Was I going to feel teeth bite into my neck, like my mother had as she died screaming? It's something I wouldn't think five year old me would have to worry about, even now, after everything I'd seen the Covenant do. After everything I'd done. I stood there, trembling, terrified, not knowing what to-

I jolted awake, grabbing for the sniper-

Only to see Julian scrambling away from me.

Shit.

I stopped myself and held my hands out to my sides. The others were all still asleep.

"Sorry", I whispered.

"I- I didn't mean to scare you." The boy sounded terrified.

"It's fine."

Julian hesitated a moment, staring at me with dinner plate sized eyes. "Were you having a bad dream?"

A bad dream? You could say that but… "Why?"

He pointed at my lap. "Your hands kept moving."

I cocked my head. "Were you watching me?"

He nodded sheepishly. The poor kid looked so scared I couldn't feel anything but awkward.

"You could say that."

"What was it about?"

It was my turn to hesitate.

What harm is there in telling him?

He starts spewing it to everyone he comes across. That's my past. No one else needs to know it.

Nate and Valentine know it.

Those were different circumstances.

I know what he's feeling right now, I know what he's thinking, that he doesn't have a future, that he's going to die too. He needs to know there's going to be a tomorrow, no matter how difficult that might be.

What, did ONI train me in psychology instead of combat?

No, but there is no shrink here, just me. He doesn't need someone to fight right now, he needs someone to help him.

And that's me?

More than anyone else.

But am I the right person to help him? I mean… I never took the time to come to terms with what happened to me, how am I supposed to do that for him?

By trying.

"I…" I trailed off before I could start. What do I want to say? What would have helped me?

"I- my home was attacked when I was a little younger than you. I lost everyone I knew. Including my parents. I was dreaming about that."

"Oh…" The boy's face fell.

Good fucking job.

"I know how you feel and… as hard as it is right now", I paused. Can I say this when I never did it?

No time like the present.

"As hard as it is right now, you can still…" Be happy? Be safe?

"You can still keep living. I'll help you guys however I can, but you need to know you can still keep living."

Julian slowly looked back up at me, eyes glistening. He sucked in a breath, and in the next instant, a sob exploded out. The young boy stumbled toward me, tripping over the large rifle in my lap. I caught him to keep the kid from breaking his nose against my chest plate, but he didn't seem to notice. He wrapped his arms around my neck and began crying quietly into the side of my helmet.

A new memory flashed through my mind. This time, I was laying in my bunk shortly after beginning the SPARTAN III program. I had the incredibly itchy wool blanket pulled up over my head. I was crying into my pillow. I cried for hours. I didn't know how long it had been, but I dimly remember hearing footsteps around me. They weren't the loud, pounding boots of one of the DI's, but the patter of bare feet. Someone pulled the blanket off and I turned over to see a half dozen other recruits standing over my bunk, looking down at me.

One, a girl, maybe a year older, put her hand on my shoulder. She said something as she did. After a minute or two, I slipped out of the bed and sat on the floor with them. We didn't talk. We all sat in the dark silence. None of us knew what time it was and all of us were exhausted. We knew the next day would be just as bad, but that didn't matter. No one needed to say anything; we were all victims of the War, and we all knew what the others had been through.

When Mendez swung the door open and flipped the lights in the barracks on, he saw us, but didn't say anything about it.

"Time to get started", he barked, "if you ladies aren't outside with those bright, glowing faces after all this sleep in five, you'll be running double for warm up!"

I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, and the DI's pushed us hard that day.

But it was the easiest day I had during training. Now that I think about it, that was the first time I felt like I wasn't alone there. One of the only times.

Pushing the memory away, I took a deep breath. That was then, what's important is now.

I set the sniper rifle on the ground next to me and placed a hand on the crying child's back. The only thing I could think to say was what that other trainee had.

"It's going to be okay, I promise."

After a half hour of quiet sobbing, Julian fell asleep again. I gently pulled his arms from around my neck and carried him back to the cot he was sharing with Thomas. He was so small, barely more than an arm's length, but what he'd seen… had I been like this? I was even younger than him when the Covenant attacked.

I placed him back on the cot with his brother and paused to look down at the two young boys. This all hit too damn close to home. I didn't know what to do with the emotions these memories keep bringing back, but I couldn't put them away. At least not as well as I used to.

Maybe this was always going to happen at some point. It just happened to be here.

Yeah, maybe.

As I turned to walk back to my spot on the wall, I realized Nate's eyes were open, and he was watching me with an expression I hadn't seen before.

Oh great.

I slid back into my sitting position and glared at the ex-soldier.

"What", I whispered.

He sat up, ignoring my irritation. "That's something I never thought I'd see from you."

Neither did I.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, it's hard to reconcile the image I have of you in my head, tearing people apart, with watching you treat him so… carefully." My companion offered a sad smile. "I don't think anyone else could have said what you did with that kind of emotion."

"Emotion?"

"Yeah. I've never heard anyone sound so- oh- matter of fact? Sincere?" He chuckled quietly. "You don't know how to say anything besides what's on your mind, as annoying as that can be at times, and it came out there in a way I never expected. It was really good."

It was? Only time will tell. "We'll see."

I rested my head against the wall and did my best to clear my mind. Maybe I could get a few more hours of my approximation of sleep.

The docks were too busy, so I stayed in the small room to eat while the others went to the mess. Once they were done, Nate brought them back before leaving to talk with Maxson. By that point, I'd spent the better part of 6 hours in that cramped room. The thought of sitting in there until the ex-soldier had an answer was enough to get me past my aversion to associating with the Brotherhood.

"Come with me", I said to the trio of kids as I stood, slipping the sling for my new combat rifle over my neck, and the large caliber sniper across my back. The aluminum frame meant I couldn't use the mag clamp.

Cassandra looked up from Thomas who she was playing with. "Where are we going."

"Nate will be a while, I want to have a look around."

"A look around?" The girl looked confused. "What do you mean."

I sighed. Why does everyone question everything? "The base below."

"You really are new."

"Yes."

She shrugged. "Come on guys, let's go have a look."

We left the room and entered the deluge of bustling technicians, servicing, repairing, and even building equipment. I scanned the bay, looking for Proctor Ingram, and eventually found the armored woman working talking with a group of Scribes in front of several suits of T-60 on the far side.

"Hello Damon", she said as we approached, "what can I do for you?" The question was hurried, but her voice was polite.

"I'd like to take a look at the airport."

Ingram frowned. "Can I ask why?"

"If I'm going to work with you, I'd like to know what resources I'll have access to." It wasn't the best excuse, but it was reasonable enough.

"I can give you a rundown."

I shook my head. "I prefer having eyes on."

"I see." She shrugged. "I can understand that. Give me a few minutes, I need to finish something up here and I'll give you a tour." The Proctor looked down at the kids standing next to me. "Are they coming too?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm glad to show you around too, if you're going to be staying with us." She smiled.

Shit. I glanced down at Cassandra, but she only nodded back up at Ingram.

"Wait up on deck, I'll be there after I'm done and get a driver to take us down."

The few minutes we waited for the Proctor to finish her work were… uncomfortable. The only things I had to focus on were yesterday's events and the Brotherhood. While I would enjoy planning how to take them apart, right now my thoughts were more focused on the kids.

Eventually she joined us on deck and soon after we were in a Vertibird heading toward the airport's main building. I don't know much about mid 21st century aviation, but I know the basics of fluid dynamics (important when you're planning how to blow something up). With the very old engine and wing technology they would have had access to, their planes would have needed a long approach to get airborne.

That knowledge didn't prepare me for how truly massive the airport would be. The size was difficult to judge from the air, but it was easily more than a kilometer square. The broken tarmac, accommodating several scrap piles that used to be planes, took up most of it, but the Brotherhood had claimed a large portion of the less cluttered areas as well as the terminals.

Their operation here was impressive. It was enough to support several thousand soldiers and support staff along with equipment and aircraft. This fight will be more fun than I thought.

The Vertibird set down near the main building and Proctor Ingram began the tour. It started in their vehicle pool, half of which was in a large hangar, with around 60 Vertibirds and a full maintenance staff. There were no ground vehicles. Was that because they weren't able to transport them here, or they didn't have access to any?

Our tour guide shrugged at the question. "It was too difficult to transport them with us. The Prydwen is an impressive machine, but with the amount of equipment and supplies we have, it wasn't feasible to bring any ground transports."

Ingram led us through an adjacent hangar that looked like it served as an expansion of the main level on the Prydwen. When I asked, she explained everything that happened on the airship was either critical work or R&D. Anything going on down here is general maintenance and upkeep. With the amount of equipment in the bay, the Brotherhood would be able to support a protracted battle with a respectable standing force. Any group in the area that engaged them in a conventional battle would lose. Badly.

Cassandra, Thomas, and Julian were staring at everything in wide-eyed wonder. It was almost the same look they had the night prior while we were on approach in the Vertibird. I doubt they've ever seen infrastructure like this.

The Proctor led us through the barracks, and mess, but stopped short of taking us to the hangars on the opposite side of the tarmac.

"Sorry", she said, "but everything going on over there is need to know only. Most of the ground pounders down here don't know about it either, so don't feel left out."

On the contrary, knowing there is something over there is more than enough. It was certainly a strange experience to be given a walkthrough of a soon to be enemy's base of operations by said enemy.

By the time we were done, the sun was well on its way to noon. As we flew back to the Prydwen's docking station, my mind was already forming plans for destabilizing their operation here. Unfortunately, they had no supply line since all of their resources were here. That meant it would be very difficult to starve them out; there were no weak points to hit or supply bottlenecks to clog. On the other hand though, it meant their supplies were largely limited to what they had brought with them. If I could destroy those, they go from a well equipped, cohesive fighting force to a relatively well trained version of everyone else. That's still dangerous, but a lot easier to deal with. Of course, this is all provided they don't establish some form of infrastructure in the area which, if they were smart, they would.

I caught sight of Nate as the Vertibird made its docking approach. He was standing at the door in his new armor and I didn't need any form of magnification to see he was pissed off. As soon as the VTOL settled into the docking clamps and its rotors began spinning down, the ex-soldier was thudding his way toward us.

"Take a field trip without me", he asked incredulously while I climbed down to the walkway.

"Tour of their facilities."

"I see."

I couldn't tell if he was upset about being left behind or not. If the ex-soldier was, he could shove it.

He glanced at the trio exiting the Vertibird behind me. "We need to talk."

So the meeting didn't go well then.

I nodded.

We waited until Proctor Ingram took her leave and headed back inside, followed by the pilot, before Nate turned to Cassandra.

"Can you wait by the door for a few minutes?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Is this about us?"

"Some of it."

"Then I want to hear it."

The armored man shook his head. "The fewer people who know about our… plans the better. I'm not saying this about you specifically."

She glanced between Nate and I. The teenager looked like she wanted to argue, but after a moment she relented. "Fine."

As she took the two brothers toward the door, the ex-soldier turned back to me and cleared his throat. "So a tour."

No. I'm not playing this. "What did Maxson say?"

He huffed, annoyed. "They'll let us take them, provided we seed that 'heroic justice' story I was talking about. We can't do it now though."

"Why?"

"They want us to find the Institute first."

That isn't what I wanted to hear. "He wants us to report back on them."

The smaller man nodded. "We're supposed to be informants. Once we've made contact, we can move the kids off base."

So Maxson was trying to get as much leverage as he could. He knew I wanted to get those three away from here, so he has something he can lean against. Once we began feeding him information about the Institute, he would be able to destroy that relationship at any time, whatever that looks like. The Elder couldn't know why I wanted to get in touch with them, but he knew if he had some control over it, he had limited control over me.

This type of backstabbing wasn't my style, but the strategies the Brotherhood leader was using were much closer to something I'm comfortable with. Oh, I can play this game too, Maxson.

"When are we leaving?"

Nate looked shocked. "Wait, you're okay with this?"

I shrugged. "Maxson is being cautious; he doesn't trust us. We need to do this carefully."

"You're fine with leaving them here?"

My gaze shifted to the trio sitting by the door, still wearing their orange and white jumpsuits. I hated leaving them there. As much as I didn't want to let the Brotherhood anywhere near those kids while I wasn't around I had to be realistic: they wouldn't do anything to them in the few days we'll be gone. Maxson still wants my cooperation, and no matter how fanatical the man is, he's also intelligent and manipulative. The Elder wants to think he's in control of the situation. I'll let him think he has a trump card.

"No, but that doesn't matter. They'll be fine as long as we operate by their rules."

"What?" The ex-soldier blinked slowly. "What if- oh. You really think they want you that bad, huh?"

"It wouldn't make sense to risk an asset over a few kids."

The smaller man fell silent. Cassandra wouldn't be any happier about this than either of us, but our only option is to play this slow.

"Son of a bitch", Nate spat. "Alright. Maxson said they could have someone fly us to the edge of the Glowing Sea whenever we're ready, but the area itself is a no fly zone. The electromagnetic interference and constant, I think he called them Rad Storms, make it damn near impossible to get through, apparently."

I wanted to get moving ASAP, but there was no way the ex-soldier would be useful in that armor after a day and a half of training. "How long until you're combat ready?"

He nodded. "I can go now if you want." He motioned to himself. "This thing is easy to use."

I cocked my head at the smaller man. "Really…"

Nate shot me a glare. "Of course, why would I lie?"

Because you're in a rush to get your son back? I held his gaze until the ex-soldier relented.

"I'm good to go, I just need real practice and I won't be getting that standing around here." He turned to look back at the trio; Cassandra was watching us closely. "And I want all of this over with."

The Glowing Sea was an interesting choice of name, I probably would have just called it 'Hell'. As our Vertibird approached the southern edge of Boston, the buildings progressively grew more sparse. It wasn't because the area wasn't as densely developed; the structures were turned into rubble and vitrified glass by the nuclear strike. Nothing aside from rolling hills and the occasional pile of rubble obstructed the horizon east to west as far as I could see from the VTOL. It reminded me of a planet I'd deployed on in the Gliese 221 system a few years after the War ended, except this wasn't a planet 60 light years away. This is Earth. What ground wasn't covered by glass was broken and sickly looking. The numerous pools of water scattered around the area had a horrible shade of brownish orange, and the air was thick with haze.

Yeah, 'Hell' describes this place perfectly.

I checked my weapons one more time. Proctor Teagan had given me a MOLLE satchel carrying enough ammo to keep both rifles fed for the trip and then some along with several MRE's and a large canteen. The bag was larger than the one I'd left Sanctuary with, but I was able to arrange it so my large caliber rifle was still accessible. Another, smaller bag was hanging from my left shoulder. It was a short range radio transmitter we'd used to call in for pickup once we were out of the no-fly zone.

Nate was standing behind me, helmet on and looking back toward the city. He had several pouches strapped to his armor's thighs and one over his left side, just below the chest plate. I hadn't seen that type of kit on any of the soldiers we'd seen, but with the amount of ammo and medical supplies he was packing, it was necessary. They'd offered him one of their laser rifles, but the ex-soldier opted for one of the 7.62X51 mm combat rifles I had. Apparently it was similar to the service weapon he had while he was active duty.

Cassandra hadn't been happy when Nate told her what we were doing, but it was our only option. That still irritated me. Maybe not as much as it had a few days ago, but I still chafed under the idea I had to go along with these people's orders for the time being. I couldn't complain about it though, I'd chosen to tie myself to the armored man behind me and the three kids.

Besides, I was beginning to enjoy myself. It wasn't the same as my normal… enthusiasm. I know how to play the game Maxson is dragging me into, but I've never done it. My SOP is much more direct. This is a slow burn, and the thought of lure someone, or in this case an entire militia, along was exhilarating. Almost as much as the idea that they're trying to do the same to me.

Our ride set down in a barren parking lot just north of where the pilot said their no-fly zone began. As we dismounted, I felt the ground give ever so slightly under the weight of my armor. The dirt beneath the lot's asphalt was oddly spongy, like it was more air or water than solid land. If I'd thought everything looked brown before, the Glowing Sea took that to an entirely new height, while taking the liberty of adding an unhealthy green tinge to it.

The Vertibird lifted off as soon as we had our boots in the dirt and circled once before heading back north toward the airport.

"Well this place looks inviting", Nate quipped as the pounding rotors faded in the distance. His voice was distorted through whatever ancient speaker system that suit used.

I nodded my agreement. It was even more bleak than the rest of this damn place.

After finding an alcove in what looked like the remains of a house to stash the transmitter, we began our journey into the foreboding hellscape of irradiated pools and whatever strange life was waiting for us.

A/N: So that kinda sucked, right? Just because of the way I write, these kids weren't actually even in the story until the chapter before they were introduced. Once I thought of the idea and put it down in writing, I liked how it started and continued rolling with it. I hope the start of this story element is up to your guys' expectations, it changes some stuff down the road for our favorite SPARTAN too. Oh, as a quick side note, we are now officially the largest Halo/Fallout x-over (by length), so again, thanks so much for all the support. Anyways, I'll see everybody next time!

Next Chapter: August 6th, Into the Breach