A/N: Hellooooo everybody and welcome back! It feels like ages since I posted a chapter... kinda weird to have a three week gap. Anyways were here, and it's time to get back to it. We've got some complicated emotions running around now, and the last few chapters have been hard on our group here. The BOS is now an open enemy, they aren't allowed in either of the major settlements, and Julian is gone. Lucky for them, they still have a few options. This one was interesting to write because, obviously, the story has to keep moving, but those emotions don't just go away, especially with how deep rooted those issues are in our heroes' lives. But I think that's enough rambling, leave a review to let me know what you think and, as always, enjoy!

Chapter 23: The Road to Hell

As I sat in our temporary haven, a large shed in the sparsely 'populated' outskirts of what was Boston 200 years ago, I wondered if walking, and most likely fighting, on a sprained knee was a good idea. The damaged joint was throbbing in time with my heartbeat, lances of pain shooting up my leg along with it. My suit's gel layer had compressed it to keep the swelling down, but the pain was still aggravating. Throughout our slow, arduous march I'd done my best to compensate for the compromised joint, but there's no doing that in a fight.

My armor's first aid system hadn't informed me of any severe ligament damage, it was probably just a bad sprain. It would heal on its own in a few days. Until then… hopefully we didn't have to deal with anything demanding.

My knee wasn't the only problem. The pace over our 15 kilometer hike had been painfully slow. It was bad enough even Nate was getting impatient around the eighth time we turned to backtrack.

To minimize the risk of picking up a tail, we'd used the mostly collapsed subway system to exit the city, with Deacon's guidance. Once it deposited us near the edge of the city proper, there was a kilometer of suburban landscape to cover before entering the 'countryside'. There was always the risk of picking up a tail later, and it would be easier for them to watch us from a distance, but in bad situations, you can only control what you can control.

We made it a few klicks into the desolate landscape around the city by the time the sun had set, and continued on for another hour before finally stopping. I'd have preferred to keep going, but Nate didn't have night vision and, as much as I didn't like it, my knee was bothering me enough to oblige. Besides, the more I rest it, the faster it will heal, and I've never been one for that macho bullshit. If I'm not at 100%, my operational effectiveness is degraded, and that's a larger blow to my pride than admitting I'm injured.

And now I'm here, sitting in what's left of a shed large enough to be considered a barn, surrounded by rusted shelves, tools, what looked like it had been a large farming vehicle, and rotted wooden boxes, buried in my own thoughts.

My mind kept replaying the instant the Brotherhood soldier rammed me, sending up both tumbling from the Vertibird. What could I have done differently? There's always- always some way to do things better…

I couldn't find one though. That soldier, and the one I'd thrown out on their own, both committed to removing me from the VTOL, and in that close a space, there was no way to avoid them.

The answer was simple then: I needed to dig further back. Wherever I screwed the pooch wasn't in the bird, it was before that. How far bad did I need to go? What would I need to correct? There were so many variables… how am I supposed to narrow it down?

The silence pervading our shelter was deafening; I wasn't the only one wallowing in guilt.

Usually this would be the point Nate would say "can I ask you something", and I'd do my best to give him an answer that would get him off my back without revealing too much. Now though, he was sitting opposite me, staring at his lap. Not having him pester me with annoying questions felt… odd. What could he have done though? That kind of fight-

No. That's bullshit. He isn't a SPARTAN, but that doesn't matter.

How does it not-

Because he feels he should have done something. He probably could have too. Maybe not during the ambush, but the same way I needed to do something different along the way, Nate probably feels he could have as well. He's probably running the last few weeks back in his head trying to find something to change. I'm not doing him any favors by trying to absolve him of blame, he wouldn't appreciate it and it would be disrespectful to how much he's put into this.

… Right. He had taken it upon himself to act as the public relations portion of our program. In many ways, that was probably the better option for a situation like this. Does that mean I should have listened to him more? That I should have followed his lead? Was that my mistake?

The ex-soldier finally looked up at me. "How's your knee?" The question was robotic, almost like he was asking out of some habitual courtesy.

"Fine."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Two days after falling from a Vertibird and it's fine? You're fine?" Some of his customary sarcasm found its way into the question.

That wasn't very far. My mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile. I remembered one drop in particular: a solo insertion with an SOEIV drop pod that had malfunctioned. It blew its chute, but the brakes didn't fire, so instead of slowing over the final 50 meters, the pod began accelerating again.

The onboard computer said I hit the ground at about 45 meters per second, close to a regular human's terminal velocity. The pod's hatch was warped so badly, the explosive bolts only half worked. Once the partially blown hatch stopped spinning, I broke it the rest of the way off. That turned out to be a mistake. I had several severe muscle strains, a ruptured kidney, and was bleeding internally.

Still finished the operation though, once my armor's then fully functional facilities stabilized the injuries. That had been the assassination of a group of United Rebel Front leaders. I think there were… five? Pretty sure I had a concussion too. But between them and their security details, I think that had been one of my most 'successful' deployments. Per ONI.

Yet healthy, I couldn't save one goddamn kid from a group that wouldn't register on the URF's radar.

And continuing to berate myself won't help. How do I get him back? How do I keep it from happening again?

I did a lot wrong. Where did I need to change to do that?

Nate's stare drew me out of my musings. He was still waiting for an answer.

"I'm fine. My knee is going to be a problem for a few days, but I can work around it."

The ex-soldier scoffed. "As usual, I find myself wondering how someone would make somethi- one like you."

"A lot of training and a few hundred years of technological advancement."

That drew a small smile out of him. "Right."

I climbed stiffly to my feet, the MedX injection pens sitting in the pouch on my waist feeling more and more enticing.

"Let me know if we're getting shot at", Nate said as I began walking toward the hole that used to be the shed's door.

That night and the next day were just as arduous and boring as the first, trudging through the remains of a forest full of dead trees, rocky outcroppings, the occasional sickly looking stream, and a whole lot of dried dirt. Sometimes a house or small neighborhood would break the monotony, but those were few and far between. To be fair, boring was probably good considering the circumstances. On a few occasions, more of those giant hairless rats, a pack of dogs, or something of the sort would attack. Firing a weapon, while not uncommon out here where every so often a distant burst of gunfire would sound, was a great way to draw attention. So Nate and I dealt with the infrequent encounters the old fashioned way. Guy's handy with a knife, I'll give him that.

We wound up stopping in a small collection of houses for the night, less than five klicks from our target. As much as I wanted to keep going, with how slow we were moving it would be another hour and a half, all at night. It still felt strange to think moving in the dark is a bad thing.

As with the first night, Nate remained quiet. He took watch for a few hours to allow me at least some sleep. It didn't come easily. Nightmares have never been an issue, but they were that night. More of the same: the Covenant attack, a few fleeting memories from my earlier operations, and the Brotherhood ambush.

By the time Nate came back in, I was tired of trying to sleep. The next day couldn't come soon enough. Odd thing was I didn't know why. Sure, the sooner we get to this R&D facility, the sooner we figure out if it has what we need, the sooner we get back.

But then what?

I don't even know if what we're planning is possible. What if the teleporter doesn't work? What if it does and the Institute decides it has better things to do? I'm used to dealing with variables, it's why I always put contingencies in place, but now… I've got nothing. I have no backup plan for a primary I don't know will work. And all of this to save someone for no other reason than I want- no… that isn't right, need to save. Hell, getting to the Institute was barely a matter of returning to my own reality at this point. It was in the radar, but the more pressing matter is rescuing Julian.

I almost smiled. My comfort zone was long gone.

An hour and a half after restarting our march, the sun was separating itself from the mutilated ghost of Boston's skyline to our east, and we were studying our query from the cover of a small group of houses. It was a wide, squat building situated in the center of a very large neighborhood and looked like any other research center I'd seen on the colonies that had the pleasure of my visits. Two stories, at least 100 meters a side, and besides the portions crumbling into dust, featureless. This area was devastated just like everywhere else in this hellhole, but because of the low buildings situated in rolling hills about 40 kilometers away from the impact, it wasn't as bad.

Most of the houses surrounding the large building were half collapsed, but more recognizable than many of the ones I've seen so far. Our target itself was largely intact, probably shielded by the multitude of houses to the south that took the brunt of the hit.

"I got offered a job here a few years before- you know", Nate said quietly. "Paid good, not as good as Nora, but good enough."

I glanced at him. The smaller man crouched next to me had the same forlorn look on his face I saw every time he discussed his life before this humanity blew itself to hell. He noticed my gaze and shrugged.

"Hard not to think about it, you know. Shit… that was only, what, a month and a half ago for me? 200 years. More. Sometimes- sometimes it still sucks." He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, don't mean to get off mission."

The ex-soldier looked back at our objective to the north, fighting anguish for control over his features.

He gave me an out, one I normally didn't need. He knew my MO well enough to know I didn't appreciate distractions while in the field.

Normally.

Now though, the look of helplessness was something that dug deep. Strange enough, my mind was pulled to the endless nights Fourier, Amanda, and Liam all put into socializing with me, even when- especially when I avoided the rest of the IVs. Which was most days. Why? Did I feel bad? At the time it aggravated the hell out of me. I knew each one of them knew I'd rather be alone, but they continued trying. Did they feel bad for me? No… I never felt pity. It was something else.

As much as that annoyed me, after what's happened… I understand why they did it. And now- it would be a welcome relief.

"I get it."

Is this what he meant when he said 'I get it', after the Gunners ambushed us? The solitude on his face, separated from his family, and everything he knew. I've known about it since the moment I met him, but after everything that's happened over the last two weeks, especially a few days ago… there's a difference between knowing something and feeling it.

Nate's eyes went wide, and he slowly, almost reluctantly tore his gaze from the building in front of us.

"What?"

He's going to make a big deal out of this.

"Feeling lonely. Detached. I get it."

He nodded slowly, face still locked in a surprised stare. I couldn't blame him; this was certainly strange.

"I guess you would", he finally said. The smaller man sighed as he turned back to the large building. "Do you think we'll get to the Institute?"

I followed his gaze. "Too many unknowns to say."

He grunted. "You could lie sometimes you know."

"You're the one who said I have terrible bedside manner."

He responded with a low chuckle. "You said 'you'll be fine' as you plugged a hole in my chest."

"I didn't lie then either."

I lied when I told Cassandra I'd get Julian back though.

True, but the question is am I lying now? I hate not knowing. I hate not having enough information to predict what would happen, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting that information.

To that end, it's time to get back on mission. "What do you know about this place?"

"They made a lot of specialized equipment, usually government contracts." Nate looked down at the bulky device on his wrist. "The circuit board assemblies and capacitors shouldn't be difficult to find, if they've survived. The antenna array and PLC though… that's got me worried."

If this place housed such valuable equipment, I can't imagine it would have been left alone after 200 years, but it's possible. In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, sensitive electrical components wouldn't be on someone's shopping list for daily survival. Hell, someone would be more likely to scrap whatever they found now I think about it. If that's a risk though, we need to be sure the area's clear before we move in. Especially since this would be an HVT for the Brotherhood.

"I'll stay here", the smaller man said. He must have been thinking the same. "I'd rather keep eyes on the southern approach while you recon. I don't feel like getting ambushed by the Brotherhood again."

I hesitated. Leaving him alone out here? That wasn't my idea of playing it safe.

He's right; if the Brotherhood attacks, it will probably be from the south.

And that's why he shouldn't be here. If he gets caught out, he's screwed.

So blind myself to a potential attack? Or have him scout the perimeter?

Neither of those were appealing.

He isn't a SPARTAN, I'm not going to get that type of support here, I need to start using what I have and deal with the complications.

"Agreed." I slipped the sniper rifle's sling off my shoulder and offered it. I can handle myself without the large caliber weapon; he'll need the extra firepower if the Brotherhood do make a house call.

The ex-soldier eyed me incredulously, but took it after a quiet moment. "If you insist." He collected the extra magazines before I left the small, dilapidated house.

It didn't take long to find signs of traffic. 20 minutes later, after I'd circled through the devastated neighborhood surrounding our target to the north end, I spotted a path cleared through the rubble, broken wood siding, and trash into one of the building's entrances. Problem was it was all so wind eroded, and the ground still caked with pieces of the large research center, and destroyed houses, there's no telling when it was moved. At the very least it meant we would have to be cautious.

That was the only one though. Over the next half hour, I didn't find any other external signs of habitation, which was promising and worrying. Either no one was here, or whoever was made sure not to leave tracks.

All the while, I was vigilant for any other forces, especially the Brotherhood. I was being paranoid and I knew it; the only people who would come here would be after us and the likelihood the Brotherhood would try again after their first attempt was low.

But I'm not getting caught off guard again.

By the time I circled back around to Nate, I was comfortable saying no obvious indications of occupation threw up any red flags. That isn't to say there wasn't anyone inside.

We moved through the crumbling neighborhood, full of destroyed houses, dead trees, and cracked streets to one of the many holes in the building's exterior. Nate had gotten better over the past few weeks, but his footsteps still fell too heavily in the near silence draped over the devastated suburb. I still couldn't understand how people, with regular shoes and unencumbered, could produce louder footsteps than me and my heavy, titanium armored boots in almost a half ton of armor.

That being said, mine still weren't up to my normal standards. Thank my knee for that. It was more stiff than anything now, but it still didn't let me move like I wanted, or usually do.

After a quick check for any traps, I slipped inside and scanned the surprisingly intact interior. Sure, most of the walls were crumbling from disrepair, and the ceiling tiles were scattered across the floor, but they were still recognizable as such. This place had survived a near nuclear strike pretty damn well.

With the early morning sun trickling through the dilapidated exterior walls, it was bright enough to see without NVS. The place looked like it could have been any of the various administrative buildings or research centers I've been in. What was left of the walls, floor, and ceiling were white washed and, despite their decrepit state, still held onto some of their sterile atmosphere.

As we crept through the building, through several office spaces, what looked like a small production lab, maybe for prototyping, and what might have been a cafeteria, I was starting to feel better about our chances. Most of the equipment was still intact, and might have even functioned.

That was also a problem.

Nate had been here on a meet and greet, but he hadn't toured the massive facility, so we'd be searching the old fashioned way. With only two of us, there's no way we'd be able to secure it either. With that in mind, before getting any further into this search, we need to check the building for any occupants smart enough to hide their tracks.

"You know what would make this easier", Nate said as we stopped in a crumbling room that, at one point about 200 years ago, had been a common area, "if they have an inventory catalog."

Yes, that would certainly help but… "You think something like that would still work?" It was technically a question, but I didn't ask it like one. I've seen a lot of crazy shit since coming here, but a computer working after hundreds of years of disuse would probably be the best so far.

"I do… sort of remember their administrative offices. If there's a working computer, and their servers are still up, we might get lucky." He glanced around the dilapidated walls that, while now yellow with weathering and age, were easy to imagine as their white washed, sterile former selves. "Would be a good idea to take a look around first and make sure we're alone."

Either the ex-soldier was just as skeptical about our chances as I was, or he was as paranoid as I was. The suggestion worked for me regardless. "Agreed."

Stalking down another hall, I glanced behind me at the smaller man. He wouldn't admit it, but I got the feeling the ex-soldier's mental state was… fragile at the moment. Nate held it together during the ambush, but combining the stress of that with how close we were to getting to his son, any potential gunfight could trigger another episode. Aside from it complicating the mission, if it did happen during a battle, it could get him killed.

"How are you feeling?"

He looked at me, confused. "What do you mean? My wife's dead, my son is kidnapped, we let the Brotherhood get Julian, and now we're off chasing a hope and a prayer to fix two of those things. Other than that I'm peachy."

Sarcasm. The more time I spend with him, the easier it is to identify when he's being a smartass, and when he's hiding something.

"Your episode with the Supermutants."

"Oh", the smaller man trailed off. He hesitated a moment, expression melting from confusion to concern. It was only a few seconds before he shook himself like he was getting rid of a bad memory. "I'll deal with it."

"If-"

"I'll deal with it", he snapped.

It was my turn to hesitate. I- do I have the right to say anything? I almost attacked him during one of my own. The moment had rattled Nate, but he moved on anyway.

"Sorry." My attention snapped back to the smaller man. He looked at me, apologetic. "You asked me to trust you, all I'm asking is you do the same. I just need some time to figure it out."

Some time to figure it out… That's always it, isn't it?

I nodded.

"Thanks."

It wasn't until we searched both the western and southern wings of the facility before we ran into a problem. It wasn't the problem I was expecting.

"Ma'am", Nate said from behind me, desperation tinging the edge of his voice, "please, put the gun down, we're just looking for something." Knowing him, he was worried I'd put a laser through her head. If she tried anything stupid, I'll probably prove him right.

The woman in question was taller, with dishevelled brown hair, a gaunt, wide eyed stare, wearing a heavy jacket and what might have been the chestplate from a Gunner's combat armor.

She was also leveling a bolt action rifle at me.

It was about a minute and a half ago, searching through the massive research center, when I found a tripline wired to an IED set behind a closed door. It was a good position because, as far as I could tell, that door was the only passage between the southern wing of the facility, and the eastern wing. Unfortunately for whoever set it, the great position was let down by a poorly made improvised device. The explosive was set up from the backside, with almost no slack in the wire, but the trigger was too stiff which meant I felt the resistance as I tried to push the door open.

That also meant whoever had set it was probably in the eastern wing.

Unable to disarm the trap from that side, I slipped out of the building and, after finding a pressure triggered mine beneath another hole in the exterior wall, I entered the eastern wing and cut the wire. Nate was looking around, more thoughtful than alarmed when he swung the door open.

It was only a moment longer, creeping through the dilapidated interior before we happened across a barricaded hall, and our current situation.

"Wh- why are you here? What are you looking for?" the terrified woman asked. Her voice was trembling. "How did you get past my traps?"

That probably meant she wasn't looking for a fight.

Nate tried to edge around me but I barred his path with my off arm. I wasn't taking any risks.

I felt the ex-soldier shoot me an irritated glare, but he continued after the short pause. "We just need parts for something we're building."

Her eyes, and gun, never left me.

"Why did you come here?"

"This is the only place we know of that might have what we need."

"And what is that?" The squatter's voice was slowly becoming less terrified, more accusatory.

"Some specialized equipment."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Nate grunted. "What would you do with specifics?"

"Anyone can say they're here for 'specialized equipment'. That's an easy excuse."

I frowned inside my helmet. Her request made sense, but I wasn't going to share mission objectives with a stranger just because she's suspicious.

"Why would we come to the middle of nowhere just to find you, are you someone people want to kill?" He must have been thinking the same thing.

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

"So that's a 'yes' someone is trying to kill you."

Her silence was all the confirmation either of us needed.

"Look." I know that tone, and that start. He loves using me as a bargaining chip. Just like ONI... "If we were trying to kill you, do you think we'd be standing here talking about it?"

The woman's eyes still hadn't left me. "Who are you?"

"We're just strangers passing through. Once we find what we need we're gone."

"No", she motioned with her rifle, "metal man, who are you?"

I should expect it by now, but it's still aggravating to have the same question directed at me over and over again.

"Someone you don't need to worry about as long as you don't interfere."

She huffed, but after another heartbeat, the woman lowered her rifle. "Fine. There's nothing over here worth having, so stay out of my home."

"Understood", Nate said, his relief palpable. "What about your traps?"

"You aren't searching this area, so you don't need to worry about them." She paused. "Which ones did you disable?"

My companion began to answer, but I cut him off with a wave. Turnabout is fair play.

"Go", I said, waving back down the hall. "We'll stay away from you as long as you do the same. We'll be gone in a few days."

The disheveled woman didn't look like she appreciated the answer, but she should have considered herself lucky; a few months ago I probably wouldn't have tolerated the risk she posed. Now… well I guess some things really can change.

X

I'm sick of digging through this goddamn place. If the Covenant do exist here, I wouldn't mind them glassing this part of this reality.

Two days of searching and we found almost everything we needed by the end of the first day. Nate was dead on with his guess about their catalog (somehow). It showed this place had the parts Tom had requested when the bombs dropped. Problem is, it didn't say where in the facility they are, and we haven't been able to find the antenna array. Yesterday was wasted against a ticking clock, and now we're still digging through piles of rubble.

Our current 'project' was clearing out another one of the small production labs. It was the fourth one that day, and the sunlight spilling through the crumbling ceiling and walls was tinged orange. As it turns out, this building is, or was, home to several different companies under the same banner, so they all had their own facilities. Of course.

Nate seemed almost as annoyed as I was, shoving what might have been a robotic arm out of the way forcefully enough for the already half collapsed pedestal it was on to surrender its hopeless struggle. The contraption crumbled into a plume of dust and the ex-soldier swore as he stood, putting his hands on his hips.

"This equipment all looks wrong. They make antenna with soldering irons, not TIG welders." He looked at me, the expression on the smaller man's face just as frustrated as I felt. "I'm ready to call it a day."

As much as I didn't want to stop, that was the right decision. We'd been at it since the sun broke over the broken city 14 hours ago. I wasn't tired, but I was irritated, and that isn't good when you're looking for extremely sensitive equipment.

"No objections."

We left the production lab and headed for the small break room we'd established as our temporary shelter. We still had time, Tom said one to two weeks, and I've realized when most people give you an estimate like that, they mean the higher end. My anxiety stemmed from leaving Cassandra and Thomas alone with the Railroad. We've been away for four days now, only searched about two thirds of this place, and still have a two day hump back. It would be going a lot faster if the building wasn't such a massive mess, but the nuclear apocalypse had something to say about that.

"They're fine", Nate whispered, almost too soft for me to hear. "The Railroad needs our help, and they don't want to be on your bad side." It sounded like he was talking to himself. After another step he turned to look up at me. "Did we do the right thing, leaving them there?"

I'd been asking myself that same question every moment since we left. My mind kept replying 'yes' and logically, it was probably the correct answer. But still… there's a difference between leaving them somewhere safe, and being there to protect them.

"We didn't have another choice. They're safe for now", I said with more confidence than I felt. Nate needed some form of reassurance, and if it helped at least one of us get more comfortable with the decision, that's enough for now.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

So much for that.

"Kind of."

"What happened to that 'I don't lie' thing."

I cocked my head at the smaller man as we circumvented a hall that had collapsed to the point of impassibility. "I never said I don't lie, and I didn't. You aren't the only one with doubts."

"Fair-"

I held my hand up to cut him off. I'd heard… something just on the edge of my helmet's gain.

Nate fell quiet and I turned my audio up-

There. A dull scraping coming from the west. It was definitely inside, and considering how far into the structure we are, it wouldn't be wind.

Pointing at where my ears would be, I motioned to the wall on the west side of the room. The ex-soldier nodded and checked his rifle. I didn't miss the subtle shake in his left hand as he did. It hasn't been a week since his episode, or since the Brotherhood's ambush; I couldn't blame him for being nervous.

He took a moment to compose himself, disguised as readying his already readied rifle. It was probably more for his benefit than mine. The muted scraping sounds were far enough away, we weren't in any immediate danger, but I still wanted to get moving. The more time we had to prepare, the better.

After 20 seconds, he grunted and nodded at me. We began toward an intersection just down the hall-

And Nate stopped before we could make it a half dozen paces. I was willing to accommodate him to a point, but this isn't the right time to take a break. If he wasn't up to another potential fight, I can handle it myself.

"Damon", he whispered, "hold up."

"It's fine. Go back to the-"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not worried about me. We don't know who's here or what they want. Killing them might be the wrong move."

Killing them might be the wrong move? They're a potential threat.

A potential threat doesn't mean anything. Maybe this is one of those parts I should change my approach?

Why?

Didn't I say I should trust Nate more?

He doesn't know they aren't a threat.

I don't know they are.

The thought ran back and forth in my head as I considered it. With ONI, I inserted, accomplished my objective, and left. Most Innies didn't have the resources to hit back at the outfit. That's different now.

Disarm and subdue. I can interrogate them once they're pacified, without killing them.

"I know."

"So… what's the plan?"

I've captured plenty of people before. That isn't the issue… what is then? I find out they're here for us, I kill them.

"Observe, wait until they're vulnerable."

"I mean how are you going to do this without killing them?"

Now we're back to him asking about everything I do. Trusting the smaller man, and running every single action by him were two different things. "Carefully."

Nate frowned. "I- fine, sorry. What do you want me to do?"

In tight quarters? Without knowing where they're going, trying to bracket them was a bad idea. By the same token, sending Nate back to our makeshift quarters was too risky.

Besides, I doubt he'd let me leave him behind.

"Stay close, be quiet."

He nodded. The smaller man looked relieved of all things.

Thanks for the vote of confidence…

It didn't take long to find our mystery guests. After stalking through the countless halls that made up this maze of a building for five minutes or so, we came to another four way intersection. Most of the walls had collapsed and the ceiling tiles were scattered across the floor in pieces. The only source of light in the area was the waning orange glow filtering through the breaks in the ceiling. I took that as a positive.

When I noticed movement at the far end of the western passage, the uneven light playing across the crumbling interior made it almost impossible to see, but the reverse was also true. I'd be willing to bet I noticed them long before they would notice me.

There were four in the corridor, maybe 15 meters away, slowly trudging toward us. They were trying to keep their steps quiet, but like everyone it seemed, they had an inability to do so. A fifth and sixth rounded the far corner to join them and it was pretty obvious these people weren't here to scavenge. Every one of them had a combat rifle and sturdy (for this world) looking armor. The lead man was wearing hard armor similar to the Gunners, but it was painted black instead of green. Their spacing was also good, or at least as good as it could be in the tight confines of the building.

Six? This couldn't be all of it if someone was here for me. This wasn't Brotherhood, they wouldn't worry about stealth, they'd be coming in hot and heavy. This wasn't Diamond City or Goodneighbor guards either, they're armament was all wrong. Who else wants me dead? Kleo? If these are her men, or another group of mercenaries, that was certainly possible.

Another appeared at the far end of the hall and, as the lead man closed to a little more than 10 meters, I waved Nate backwards. If I want to do this non-lethally, this corridor isn't going to work; I'd like something that gives me access to the center of their group.

We stalked them through the large building for the better part of 15 minutes before I found something suitable for an ambush. There were a few nervous moments when Nate's lack of covert experience almost revealed us, like when the group split and began down two parallel corridors and he failed to notice. I had to pull him back into a small, dilapidated break room with several very old looking tables and chairs, and we slipped to the other side before they made us.

For their part, this group wasn't bad; they were careful and thorough checking their surroundings, maintained good tactical spacing, and had halfway decent non-verbal communication. They weren't surprisingly well equipped Raiders.

My chosen location was outside one of the small labs we had sorted through the day before. It was connected to halls running parallel to its north and south, and they'd funneled themselves into the southern one. They'd clear the room, usually sending four people in, half their contingent. That was sound tactics. It would also give me the opportunity to pounce.

I waited just inside the lab as their not quite quiet footsteps approached.

The first one entered, clearing his corners, closely followed by a second. Then the third and fourth. If the room hadn't been such a mess, tables and equipment scattered everywhere, they would have spotted me immediately. As it was, it wasn't until the final man entered the room when one of them rounded the lab station I was using as cover.

That one, their lead man wearing hard combat armor, didn't have time to register me before my coiled legs unwound and I drove my right shoulder into his chest. The impact sent him sprawling across the room and into the second. An instant later, they both careened into a half collapsed wall and I was on the other two.

Neither lasted long. The first, a shorter woman with an expression that was a mix between surprise and fear, tried to bring her rifle around. I batted it aside and planted a straight kick into the armor plate over her chest. The blow sent her tumbling back through the door and into the hall

The last guy, well-built and stock tried to take a swipe at me with the butt of his rifle. Man… his torso was wide open. One good hit and his ribcage would be splinters.

But I'm not here to kill them. Yet.

I grabbed his left arm and chest plate. With a sharp twist, I hurled him back toward the recovering men I'd sent into the wall. The resulting yelps and tangle of limbs meant they were probably down for at least a little while.

Those three temporarily handled, I surged into the hall-

And a round careened by my left shoulder. I dropped into a crouch as the fighter in front of me struggled to track my movement. They had retreated from the door instead of rushing in. That was an interesting maneuver, and not one most would have the discipline to make. It's a give and take, you're almost certainly condemning your people to death, but it also meant you weren't sending the rest into a potential ambush to die alongside them.

My legs coiled and I leapt forward. The man's next shot skimmed over my back, my shields flaring. A shoulder to the right side of his chest catapulted him into the wall.

I didn't slow as I bore down on the next two who were trying to draw a bead on me. One saw what I was doing and hurriedly scrambled sideways, but he was too slow. I whipped my left leg out and it collided with his. The man screamed as he toppled to the ground while his partner, a taller woman, squeezed a shot off. The bullet went wide, hitting the ceiling behind me and my momentum carried me into and through her.

The last man fired the instant my seventh target crashed to the debris strewn floor. His first shot hit me dead center in the chest, but I was on top of him before he could squeeze off another.

This one I didn't hit. Instead, as he tried to swipe at me with his rifle, I caught his left arm and twisted. Careful to leave him mostly unmarred, I wrenched him around and pulled it behind his back as he dropped the weapon.

I turned to find two of the downed fighters in the hallway struggling unsteadily to their feet. The woman I'd straight kicked through the door was unconscious and the man I'd kicked was cradling his leg-

It was bent at a very unnatural angle. Well… I guess it's better than the alternative.

"Enough", I barked as my hostage struggled uselessly in my grasp. "Who's in charge?"

"Me", the man I was restraining half yelped.

My other victims were staring at me, uncertain, but weapons at the ready. "Stand down."

"Boss?" The woman asked. She was favoring her left side, but still had her rifle aimed at me the best she could.

"Who the hell are you?" my hostage asked, doing his best to preserve at least some of his dignity. I had his arm turned far enough the socket was straining to keep his shoulder in place.

"You don't ask questions. Stand down."

"I don't think so. Eight on one?" He was bluffing and he knew I knew it.

The man groaned as I tightened my grip. "Eight that could very easily be dead." My patience was almost at its end; I had to check my right hand as it shifted, moving closer to my rifle's grip. "I'm only saying this once more: stand down."

He cleared his throat. The man knew he only had two options, the question was would he let his pride get his people killed?

"Fine", he said, voice strained, "fine, put 'em down."

There was only an instant's hesitation before the two lowered their weapons. They were certainly disciplined.

"In there", I nodded to the room where the other three were. "Bring the wounded."

I kept my hostage as insurance while the other two gathered the crippled man and unconscious woman. A minute later, they and the three men, two dazed and one out, were gathered in the small, ruined lab. They were up against the western wall as I policed their weapons and double checked for any more threats before calling "clear."

Nate's careful footsteps sounded from the east end of the hall and he joined us a moment later. The surprise on his face as he studied the eight men and women was only half faked. His eyes landed on the man whose tibia and fibula were in two pieces.

"That guy… is probably gonna need surgery to fix that", he said, "but I'm impressed. No one's dead this time."

He caught my gaze, eyes narrowed slightly. So that's the play.

I shrugged.

"Yeah, I know you would have preferred a more permanent solution, but if we can wringe some answers out of them it'll be worth it."

"Ask your questions."

The ex-soldier held his hands up to say 'whatever' and turned to my captives. "First question: why are you here?"

"I-" the leader glanced from me, to Nate, then to his people, and back. "No use lying is there?"

"Probably not."

He sighed. "We're on contract. I think that would be pretty obvious if Curie hired you for security."

My mind stopped and started again. What? Curie? The woman? Why would- The memory of our first and only meeting with the short term roommate came to mind. She'd clearly been worried about being hunted down, and the woman practically admitted someone had a price on her head. I guess it's just a coincidence we happened to be here when it happened.

Nate seemed surprised too, and the mercenary picked up on his hesitation.

"Did you… not know? Why else would she pay however the hell much someone like you must charge to keep people like us away?" He frowned. "Unless you aren't her guards."

We shared a glance. It was a little late to lie about this, and he knew it.

"No… we aren't", Nate said slowly.

Now it was our captive's turn to look confused. "Wait, why are you here then? And why did you attack us?"

"No." The ex-soldier shook his head. "We're just passing through."

A moment of silence fell over the lab before the mercenary burst into laughter. His people were staring at him incredulously.

"Are you shitting me? Just passing through? That's some goddamn bad luck if I've ever seen it." He looked at me. "Who the hell are you supposed to be? Been around the block and I've never seen anything like you before."

"Not your concern."

"Before you ask anything else", Nate interjected, "he isn't going to answer any questions. Not really his thing." He grunted. "So you were here for Curie. Who hired you?"

The man shrugged. "I'm not in the habit of giving out client information. And don't threaten me with torture or death. Your buddy already said if he wanted to kill us, he would have."

My companion winced and cast a worried glance at me that wasn't entirely for show. "If you could not tempt him, that would make my life a lot easier. He wanted to kill you. I think he still does." That wasn't wrong.

"Right", the mercenary scoffed.

It may be infantile, but his flippancy when I had to restrain myself was getting on my nerves.

"Uh, no, that wasn't meant to be a threat." The concern on the edge of Nate's voice was genuine now. "We- look, whatever, you wanted to kill Curie, you aren't doing that now. All I want in return for letting you live is you keep your mouth shut about seeing us."

An amused smile spread across the mercenary leader's face, and too late both of us realized that was a bad idea. Nate just gave them leverage.

"I will kill you to keep that information from spreading", I said before he could respond.

He waved a hand dismissively. "I've been threatened with death so many times it's lost its shine." He paused for a moment, studying me. "So you have someone looking for you too, huh? Looking at that armor, I'm gonna guess Brotherhood or Institute. Plenty of people would wanna get their hands on it, but not many have the hardware to do it." He chuckled. The man was talking way too much. He was clearly smart, and that meant he was dangerous.

"We won't tell anyone. We're alive, I guess I owe you something for that."

That kind of promise is something I've never put stock in. I have no recourse if they don't hold up their end, and I won't know they didn't until someone shoots me. There's one thing I can promise them.

"I'm very good at finding people." I held his gaze just long enough to make the mercenary think before stepping away.

The mercenary leader's eyes widened a fraction with surprise before he smiled again. This time it was gratitude. The others were just as relieved. "I don't wanna fight you when it's permanent, so that's a deal."

A few minutes later, after the two unconscious members of their party reawakened, they gathered their equipment, helped the injured man out, and were gone, leaving the building in relative silence.

Did I do the right thing? Letting them go? Sure, they said they wouldn't tell anyone, and even if they did, we'd be long gone before a threat showed up. But still… it was an added risk.

The way I've been handling risks hasn't worked thus far.

Or maybe things would be even worse if I'd handled them differently.

How? I've essentially accomplished the bare minimum: not make enemies out of the people absolutely necessary to get to the Institute.

We're here aren't we? We have a contact, we were able to use the Brotherhood to get the resources and information we needed-

And I lost Julian.

I didn't have a response to that. It felt like, despite succeeding in my 'mission' I still failed somehow. I… would I rather have Julian than a lead on the Institute?

That was an easy question to answer.

"Thanks", Nate said, his voice bursting the silence that had draped itself over the evening air.

Thanks… thanks for not killing them?

"They weren't here for us. They're still a risk."

The smaller man shook his head. "Jesus- can you just take the goddamn gratitude? For once?"

Gratitude...

I met his gaze and nodded.

He peered past me, at the eastern wall of the small lab. "You think talking with… Curie? is a good idea?"

"She might know who hired them."

The smaller man shrugged. "Makes sense. And I kinda want to know why they're after her too. No wonder she was so cautious about us when we got here."

We needed to be careful. She wouldn't be in the mood to talk, and who the hell knows what other traps are still lying in wait. Speaking to her was a must after this though. Knowing who might have hired them to kill her wasn't just about an insurance policy; a large, experienced, well equipped group like that couldn't be cheap, and I doubt many people around here can or would drop that kind of money unless someone really pissed them off.

"Don't step on an IED."

He shot me a bemused frown. "Thanks for the advice." After a short pause a small smile crossed his face. "You know, you're still an asshole, but at least you're a good humored asshole now. Kinda." The frown returned. "You know… I need to hear it, why didn't you kill those guys? Don't take that the wrong way, I appreciate it… but what changed?"

What changed? A lot has changed, but this specifically…? "What I've been doing hasn't worked. Obviously." My eyes fell to the ground between my boots as the image of Julian being pulled away- taken from me flashed through my mind. The hurt, desperate expression twisting Cassandra's face outside of the service tunnels when I finally worked up the nerve to meet her gaze. "I can't let that happen again, so I'm going to do whatever I have to to keep you three safe and get Julian back. If I have to change how I do things, so be it."

When I found Nate's gaze again, I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't the quiet, calm understanding I found. Was I expecting to see surprise maybe? Or relief? Did he expect this?

Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. He understands, he's satisfied, keep going.

"Let's move."

The smaller man watched me a moment longer before nodding. "Okay."

We began making our way through the tattered building. Once we crossed into the eastern wing, I found a few traps along the way. They were generally well placed, but easy to disable. After a few minutes of searching, we found her. The woman was barricaded in a small room at the end of a long and narrow hall that looked like it may have been a maintenance closet. The walls were still relatively intact, and probably reinforced. It was a good choke point. Why hadn't she been there to start?

"You two huh?", Curie called as we settled at the far end of the hallway. Her voice was shaky, but calm enough. "That shooting was you?"

"Yes", Nate called down the passage. "They were after you. Why?"

"There's a price on my head. You gonna try to collect?"

"No, I told you, we would have done that when we first got here. We knew you were worried about someone looking for you, it didn't take a genius to put two and two together."

There was a short pause, just long enough to wonder whether she was thinking about what Nate said, or a way to kill us. I'd done a thorough scan of the immediate area, but considering how well prepared she is, another IED planted in the wall wouldn't be out of the question.

"Why do you want to know then?" the woman finally replied.

"Insurance, just in case those mercenaries tell someone about us. We've got more than a few people chasing us too. We thought they were here for us at first." Nate glanced at me. "We need a lead on them just in case."

"Okay… you want me to buy that, who do you have after you?"

The ex-soldier smirked as I cocked my head. Take your pick.

"The big ones are Diamond City, The Brotherhood of Steel, and The Institute. We've also managed to piss of a bunch of Raiders, Kleo- this Assaultron who ru-"

A loud, almost hysterical laugh exploded from the small room.

"Kleo huh", Curie said after she took a moment to calm down, "you too? What did you do to piss her off?"

Kleo's put a bounty on her? It was my turn to smirk. I guess what Nate told the Gunners who attacked us hit harder than I thought they would; she hired a small outfit to go after this woman instead of them. They must not want to do business with her after our first encounter.

"Took a job from her", Nate said. "We didn't finish it, but as things turn out... she was going to kill us anyway." He looked at me again. "Her men failed, and my friend here took the fight to her. Ended up… causing a mess in Goodneighbor. Now she wants us really dead, but she hasn't tried since the second time."

"Uh huh." She fell silent again, but this one was less tense. It certainly seemed like she wasn't on the verge of trying something anymore.

"Who are you? I mean who are you really? You have that many people after you, all of them have armies they can throw around, and here you are, barging into my home, still taking on fights with new people."

"That's… a long story. We were- are both soldiers. Have been for a long time. You'll forgive me if I don't get into details."

"Yeah, that's fair." She cleared her throat. "So what do you want now? You know there's a price on my head, and you know who's after me."

"Well", Nate replied, casting a glance at me, "if it's alright with you, I'd just like to talk for a while. I have a few questions, and we're going to be here until we finish our search. Might as well at least be cordial."

"Are you going to insist?"

"No… but we've had a rough few days. It would be nice to not worry about someone shooting me in the back for at least a little while."

A low chuckle drifted from the maintenance closet before silence filled the now orange-dyed interior. Did I have much to talk with her about? No, but Nate did have a point: ensuring she wouldn't be a future threat would make searching this place a little less uncomfortable.

That and he probably wanted someone to talk to considering my… lack of conversational skills.

X

For once, I'll admit Nate's aggravating need to socialize with anyone and everyone has its benefits.

Curie turned out to be a Synth, but she hadn't said when or how she'd escaped the Institute. When Nate asked about it, she skirted the question. When he asked about the Railroad, the moment's hesitation before answering said she was hiding something. That wasn't really my concern though; people have secrets, as long as they aren't a security risk, I can respect that.

She'd been in Goodneighbor a while when she, apparently, got on the bad side of everyone's favorite Assaultron. According to her, it was because she decided to go with a different supplier for some equipment she bought despite, as she put it 'strong warnings' from Kleo. She didn't say what that was or what it was for.

Normally I'd call bullshit on a story that benign, but… I'm inclined to believe it with the psychotic robot. There's probably more to that story, but she definitely seemed like the territorial type. The 'equipment' was probably weapons of some sort, but that didn't concern me either.

While all of that was interesting, it isn't why talking to Curie turned out to be a great idea. No, that was because the goddamn antenna array we'd spent the last 40 hours searching for was sitting comfortably in a large, relatively unscathed room it looked like she had set up a lab in.

"I used to work with some… friends to develop new treatments for- well all sorts of diseases that plague us these days", she said when Nate asked. "I wanted to continue doing so in Goodneighbor but, well, Kleo happened. I knew about this place from a trader that comes in from up north, and decided it would be my best bet."

"Why are you staying out here yourself", my companion asked. "Seems a little dangerous, especially now."

The Synth shrugged. "I knew I'd be found eventually. I was hoping my preparations would have been enough. Didn't expect 20 people coming after me." She looked at me. "Thanks for the save by the way."

I nodded.

Nate frowned. "It probably isn't safe to stay here."

"No", Curie said through a sigh, "it isn't." She looked around the room face resigned. "I'll have to find somewhere new."

I exchanged a glance with the smaller man, and I knew he was thinking the same thing: if she's a doctor, Sanctuary could use her. I'm not sure how I felt about using the small settlement as my answer for everything, but sending her there made sense. Well, it made sense provided doing so didn't put them in any more danger than they already are. Besides, the more people they have, the better they'll be able to defend themselves.

My mind flashed to the sickly looking, dying young man tending to the settlement's crops.

If she's working on cures for common ailments, would that include something for acute radiation poisoning?

"There's a small settlement to the west. They could use medical help."

"Oh? What kind of medical help?"

"One of them has acute radiation poisoning. Other than that, they don't have any experienced medical personnel. If you give me a few days, I can take you there."

Curie looked from me to the ex-soldier. He offered a hesitant nod.

"Give me the night to think about it."

A/N: So we're back on track to get to the Institute, though I don't think it's for the same reason we started, at least not for Damon. He's conflicted between his duty to the UNSC, and his budding desire to help the people around him. I won't give anything away, but that has some pretty serious consequences down the road. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time!

Next Chapter: 11/19, It's Never That Simple