A/N: Hi! This is a story all about how- sorry, I'll stop, I was watching some Fresh Prince this week and the intro music has been stuck in my head. So we're back with another chapter. It was difficult to write this one because I genuinely feel bad for both Nate and Damon. Each is dealing with some very difficult issues, and while it would be easy to be upset at Nate for lashing out like he did, if you've understood who he is and his past issues up to this point, it makes sense. Plus, you know... the guy's entire world has been destroyed. Damon... well his story is obviously pretty complicated as well and the next few chapters will be... enlightening. Anyway, no spoilers! Leave a review if you are so inclined, and enjoy!
Chapter 30: Let it Begin
I didn't go back to the room. I doubt Nate would either, but the risk of running into him there… I didn't want to take it. There were so many things swirling around in my head, memories of the attack, of my operations, of my time here, of how I've changed. Emotions from sadness, to anger, frustration, and confusion. The noise in my mind was deafening. Deafening to the point I wasn't sure whether I was more aware of it or the real world around me.
Instead, I walked back to the Bioscience wing. I don't know why, maybe because that's where the latest frustrations started, but I'm not sure. It was the least busy of the three divisions and I needed a bit of time alone.
Just me and the two dozen Synths following me around.
Their presence registered, but it was background noise, like static over a commlink. I didn't care what they were doing or why they were doing it. In close quarters like this, if they wanted to start something- well, that wouldn't be smart.
The strange part is I didn't know what I was more concerned about, my own tumultuous thoughts, or Nate.
And then I remembered what he said: "There's nothing here for you to shoot."
He was right, of course, that's what I'm supposed to do: shoot things. Everything that's happened here has- well tried to change that, but killing is what I've done since I dropped in by Concord too. How could I expect this place to change me when I've been doing the same thing I've always done?
Then there was Porter.
"And it upset you because you don't want it to be true, if you didn't you wouldn't have cared. Not enough to find an isolated part of the Institute and spend the last 45 minutes stewing on it."
None of this makes any sense. The person who knows me better than anyone else here says I'm a killing machine, which is what I've always been, and then someone I met a little over a week ago says I'm not?
What the hell am I supposed to do with that?
Make up my own goddamn mind.
How? It isn't like I have any frame of reference. It isn't like I know anything else. My oldest concrete memories were of everyone I know being butchered by the Covenant. Since that moment, I've either been training to kill, or killing. I guess that's why ONI likes us so much, the older generation SPARTANs: we don't have any other perspectives. The only thing we've ever known is fighting. Hard to decide to change- decide to do something else when we don't have anything else.
I stopped in front of the massive hydroponics farm. Rows upon rows of well organized greenery, dozens of technicians attending to the plants. The room was the size of a cruiser's hangar. Even with my escort, I felt inconspicuous in here.
But I have been changing, haven't I? The reason I saved the group at Concord was completely different from the reason I'm helping Cassandra, Thomas, and Julian. It's different from the reason I agreed to help them now with their Gunner problem. It's different from when Nate and I decided to help Curie. It's different from the reason I felt good after bringing Jake back to his family.
Do I need a different frame of reference?
I don't know…
Several of the technicians paused their duties to stare at the large group of armed people at the entrance to their farm. It didn't last long, but it made it clear I was still out of place here.
Guess I'm out of place anywhere besides a battlefield.
Leaving the farm, I meandered toward the FEV lab, but didn't go into the back where it's entrance was. No doubt my 'escort' would stop me, and I had no desire to walk back through the lab. That information- those memories were fresh enough I didn't want to bother stirring them up again.
The worst part about this is not having anything to do. There's nothing I want to do in the Institute, and they sure as hell aren't letting me outside again. Shaun doesn't trust me- didn't trust me when he sent me out to retrieve Nora's body. The only reason he did it was because he didn't want to put any of his own units at risk.
Shaun. Now there's a topic. That motherfucker is an egotistical, manipulative bastard. And he's a lot smarter than me. Was this manipulation? Did he want this to happen? For Nate to lose it like that? For me to stew on his blow up? He couldn't know enough about either of us to guess what our reactions would be, could he? The Institute leader seemed genuinely upset about seeing Nora's body but…
If I've learned anything from ONI spooks, it's to never underestimate how creative they can be when they want something. How easy it is for them to use people like pieces on a board with no regard for those pieces themselves. I can't blame them per se, it's why they're so good at what they do, but after being one of their main pieces for so long… the thought of being used like that again grated on me.
And Shaun, more than anyone else, reminds me of an ONI spook.
Well if that is the case, what's his play?
Already back to this, huh? Haven't sorted out the mess in my head and I'm already trying to dive into the next 'mission'.
If this is what he wants, if he wants to put me off balance, shouldn't I do something else? Something… unexpected?
I stopped walking.
Shouldn't I figure out what's going on in my own little world before trying to solve the next problem?
When have I ever done that? Aimlessly meandering around the facility stewing in my own pity isn't going to-
Alarms began blaring just before an explosion from somewhere rocked the underground facility.
"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! PLEASE EVACUATE TO YOUR LIVING QUARTERS!" A robotic, disembodied voice began squawking through hidden speakers.
My mind snapped back to the present.
Intruders? Who? And where?
The Railroad wouldn't do this, they don't have the manpower or the-
The Brotherhood.
The goddamn Brotherhood of Steel.
These assholes always have the best timing.
"Sir", one of the guards said in its odd voice that sounded more like a distorted speaker than a person, "your presence is requested in the advanced research division immediately."
Uh huh. Now there's something to kill, right? I was half tempted to tell the Synth to shove it up their ass. More than half tempted.
Why should I help them? Why should I save their asses when Nate, apparently, doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, and the rest of this fucking place is trying to use me like ONI did. Why should I help them when all they care about is their experiments, at the expense of the civilians of the Commonwealth? People they could improve the lives of immeasurably. The Brotherhood of Steel were no better, but who knows, maybe someone in the Institute would be competent enough to hit back.
But that isn't what I'm going to do.
Goddammit I wish I could indulge myself sometimes.
"Okay."
The contingent of Synths turned toward the door and began marching through as the floor shook once again and the low roar of another detonation hit us.
Were they teleporting bombs?
By the time we made it out of the now hectic BioScience wing and into the main commons, everything was in chaos. Scientists and guards alike running around in the cavernous room. The alarm was still blaring, and it certainly seemed like no one had any plan for what to do if they were attacked.
Two more detonations rocked the facility.
I huffed. These people really are helpless. In a straight fight, the Brotherhood would walk over them.
Well if I have to handle strategy and tactics…
The Brotherhood was essentially going on a bombing run. That's the only thing that made sense. If they just wanted to blow this place to hell, they'd use a bigger bomb. On top of that, it wouldn't make sense for them to completely destroy the facility; their goal is to wipe out the Synths, but there's still a wealth of tech down here. They like technology. I'll call bullshit on their professed reason for collecting it though. They don't want it to protect people, at least Maxson doesn't. They want it because it gives them the edge in any fight in this assbackwards world.
We made our way through the common area and toward the branching passage that led to the Advanced Research division, the panicked crowd doing its best to avoid us.
If that's the case, this was to soften up the Institute's defenses and create chaos. It's more effective than they probably thought it would be. No one in the Institute apparently decided to prepare for any intrusion.
I was operating against the clock; the Brotherhood probably didn't know exactly what they were bombing, which meant they wouldn't want to drop too many. So soon enough, soldiers are going to start pouring in, and if there was no organized response by then, Maxson is going to get his win in the first actual fight between these two.
Static defense sucks but there are a few things we can do here, and the Institute is operating on home field advantage. The issue with their facility is it's so decentralized; there are labs and living quarters everywhere, which means if they want to protect all of their people (and they will), their forces are going to be split.
The large group filed up the ramp to the level of the ARD's entrance and the first Synth reached the door to the wing and keyed it op-
A flash of light so bright and violent my visor couldn't compensate in time exploded just in front of the door.
"DOWN!" I roared and dove back down the ramp.
Whatever ordinance they were using, it wasn't that powerful. The pressure wave sent me into a tumble as I crashed to the steel floor, but other than ringing my ears, I was fine. I didn't hear the detonation, but then again, I couldn't hear anything.
A quick check ensured the MK-18c was still on its sling, my equipment was still intact and attached to my armor, and I didn't have any unnoticed injuries.
As soon as I turned back to look up to the next level, I understood. They were trying to keep collateral damage to a minimum, at least to the facility. Several Synths were half way down the ramp, two were torn to shreds, another had puncture wounds all over its chest and head, and one other looked unmarred.
These were shrapnel bombs, large hand grenades. They wanted to take out as many soft targets as possible.
That included non-combatants like scientists and technicians.
People here made me hate them more every opportunity they had.
Climbing back up the ramp, I was met with a massacre. Out of the 25 Synths that were with me, maybe a dozen were still alive. All of them sported injuries, three of them were missing limbs. If they don't have a large contingent of forces, this would be a quick fight.
As if to confirm my suspicions, the walls and floor, while pockmarked with small holes and scorch burns, were relatively unmarred.
It was both good and bad.
One thing's for goddamn sure though: I won't be trusting my security to these people again.
The ringing in my ears subsided as I slipped over to the door. It was still mostly intact, but with the panel beside it blown out, this was going to be a manual operation.
Letting the rifle rest on its sling, I jammed my fingers into the door's seam and began prying it apart.
With sparks arcing from the outer edges, and metal screaming in protest, the thick steel panels slowly slid aside until the gap was large enough for me to squeeze through.
What was left of the Synth guard contingent followed me and we double timed it past dozens of panicked Institute members.
"Where are we going", I shouted over my shoulder.
"Dr. Li's office", a response came.
Weaving through the corridors, several more detonations sounded around the facility before we arrived at the back of the Advanced Research Division. The same four people I'd left an hour before, as well as four Coursers, were cowering in Li's office.
Shaun glared at me as I entered.
I almost turned around right then.
"Is this your doing?" he shouted. "Are you-"
"You have about a half second to change your motherfucking attitude if you want to survive the next ten", I barked. They'll need my help to live through this. After what just happened, I'm in no mood to put up with their shit.
Talking to Shaun wouldn't be productive anyway. "Do you have any plans for defending against an assault?" I said, turning to Li who was standing beside her desk.
"No", the dark haired division leader replied, and I didn't miss the note of irritation in her voice. "There was never an expectation of intrusion."
"Great." I glanced at Nate whose face was still a mask of fury and pain. His eyes burned as he met my gaze.
Whatever.
"How many living areas do you have?"
The Institute leader was irate. "Do you honestly think-"
"Nate", I said to the ex-soldier, still looking at Li, "if you want anyone to survive this, you better get him under control."
"Get me under-"
To hell with this.
"YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES BEFORE SOLDIERS IN POWER ARMOR START DROPPING IN DUMBASS", I roared so loud, they might have been able to hear me without the suit's external speakers. "I'M YOUR ONLY CHANCE AT LIVING PAST THAT." I turned my gaze on him. "Now if you say anything else unless I ask, I'm going to do the Brotherhood a favor."
Nate stepped forward. He was pissed. "Damon, you better watch-"
I stepped up to the smaller man, so close he had to crane his neck to meet my gaze. Every weapon in the room was on me. "You better stand the fuck down, Nate."
"ENOUGH!" Li shouted, looking at each person in turn. "We need to work together and the last I checked, only one person in here has the experience we need." Her eyes fell on me. "We have five living spaces, the largest one is directly beside the ARD. The other four are auxiliary quarters, two in the ARD, one in each of the other wings. Some of the upper levels have apartments as well."
I took a deep breath and backed away. "How many in each?"
"600 in the primary quarters, between 50 and 250 in the other 4 and another 200 in the apartments
"What is your guard contingent?"
"I'm not privy to that information", the division leader said, looking pointedly at Shaun.
The older man's facade of tranquility was gone. He was angry and scared. Getting shot will do that, especially to someone who's never been threatened.
"What is your guard contingent?"
Shaun continued staring daggers at me.
Your funeral old man.
After a handful of seconds we really didn't have, Porter stepped forward and placed a hand on the Institute leader's shoulder.
"We need his help. This is for the good of the Institute, Father. That's what we have to consider here."
A few heartbeats later, the white haired man scoffed. "200 Synths, 73 Coursers."
The 15th detonation sounded as he said that.
"Assume you've lost 30% of that."
Shit… that left me with less than 200 combatants.
And these people thought they were safe against the Brotherhood.
Too many variables and not enough firepower. Close to 1500 non-combatants, plus key portions of the facility…
"What areas are 100% vital for function?"
Li blinked, but answered unperturbed. "Bioscience and our generator banks." She was quick, and knew what was at stake. That was good.
"The generators are in the ARD?" She nodded. "Are there defensible positions in any of the living quarters?"
She thought for a moment. "Only the ones here, and the one for the BioScience team. The others branch off of the main commons."
Okay. Okay, that narrowed it to three essential positions to defend, one of which was closeby.
Another detonation.
I looked at Shaun. "Send everyone to the closest defensible position. Split the contingent, half of your guards and 60% of your Coursers guard the entrance to the Bioscience wing. Your regular contingent needs to make contact first and provide openings for the Coursers. Have them hold any heavy weaponry for sure kills. Try to turn the entrance into a killbox. Set shrapnel charges in the halls outside. If you don't have them, make them with whatever is immediately available. The remaining guards and half the remaining Coursers defend the primary commons, the rest are here with me."
His face was bright red, with the muscles in his neck so strained, it looked like they might snap. "We cannot just abandon our work."
"You will if you want to survive. You have 5 seconds to call it or lose my help."
"We'll do it", Li responded. She turned to her boss. "Father, we have to."
The Institute leader grunted. "Fine. I will contact the Dr. Ayo and the team leaders."
"Good", I looked at the Coursers in the room. "With me."
"Wait", Nate said. I was already turning. Whatever objection he had wasn't-
"I'm not sitting here doing nothing."
I scoffed. "What are you going to do? Fill space like you did while you served? Add one more body to the fighting?" Shaking my head I began toward the door. "Stay here. Wouldn't want you to get killed."
"Hey! You have no clue what I had to do to survive!" His shouting followed me out into the hall.
"You're right", I called over my shoulder, but I didn't stop. Him being involved would only make things more difficult. As it is, I'm gambling the Brotherhood doesn't think their first attack is a knockout. If they do, and they commit everything, there isn't enough firepower here to survive. Having Nate out there would be a distraction. One I don't need.
I headed back to the ARD's main entrance, leaving a quarter of the Coursers to patrol the wing. No knowing if or when a squad would drop in behind us. Bombs stopped detonating and An utterly chaotic five minutes ensued. People were rushing around the facility, guards took their positions, and defenses were established. It wasn't long enough to do anything fancy. The more layers you add to your defense, the more you're prepared for, but the more moving parts you have. These people don't have the experience to deal with that, so simple will be best.
"Sir", X6-88 said from his spot, crouching a few meters from me near the ARD's entrance. "The BioScience division has made contact with armored Brotherhood of Steel soldiers."
"Understood." They don't have a competent commander, which means their only hope is to kill the intruders quickly. I don't know if Synths can panic, but I also doubt they have anything one could consider unit cohesion. Even with the little exposure I had to the Brotherhood, I saw they at least had rudimentary squad tactics.
And they learn quickly.
These are not battles you win.
The situation almost made me laugh. I'm fighting to defend the Institute, an organization I hate, from the Brotherhood, another organization I hate. Aside from needing the Institute's help to get back to my universe (a possibility that seems less and less likely), I have no dog in this fight.
Am I just fighting because I'm supposed to?
It didn't matter. I'm here now and if I don't stop the Brotherhood, I'm dead too.
As everything went still, I could just make out the subdued reports of laser weapons' fire. It was low volume but-
"There are also reports of Brotherhood soldiers in other parts of the facility", the Courser said.
Probably caught on surveillance equipment. "Cameras?"
"Yes."
"Whoever is monitoring them needs to watch for sabotage or explosives."
"Understood."
This was so dumb. How the hell are these people this poorly prepared? If I had organized-
Another brilliant white flash exploded outside the ARD wing's entrance and, as the blinding light cleared, I caught the unmistakable shape of T-60 power armor. There were at least a half dozen in the large adjoining room.
Then there was another flash.
And a third.
I had to assume that meant at least 18 targets. My left hand itched to hit the detonator I had clipped to my wrist. That's a lot of damage, but I can milk it for a little more if I do this right.
Squeezing myself into the doorframe I was using for cover, I propped the MK-18's handguard against it and sighted through the 1-6x scope Owens had fitted it with.
Pounding footsteps approached the door. It was narrow enough I had trouble fitting through. The Brotherhood soldiers in their much more primitive, and bulkier, armor would have to force their way through one by one. They wouldn't be dumb enough to do that under fire, so they'll probably employ-
Something flashed through the open door, a small cylinder maybe 8 centimeters long. They might look different here, but I know a flash bang when I see one.
"Cover!" I shouted, closing my eyes and ordering my visor to polarize. Even through the darkened display and my eyelids, I saw the blinding flash as the grenade went off.
As soon as the light was gone, my eyes were open and I was looking back through the scope. Time to see if these rounds are as good as Owens seemed to think.
The first Brotherhood soldier was doing their best to lumber through the door as quickly as they could. Another flash bang careened into the hall, but this time, as I was closing my eyes, I squeezed the rifle's trigger and sent a round into the center of the first attacker's helmet.
Once the second flash faded, I opened my eyes to see the soldier stumbling, but not dead. Huh, it hits hard, but not hard enough, apparently.
I put three more rounds into the soldier's helmet as quickly as the bolt would cycle. On the third impact, the soldier dropped to the ground. I didn't know if they were down for good, but the instant the doorway was clear, laser fire poured through. It was the same as what I saw from Danse's squad at the West Everett Estates: high volume suppression fire. The difference here is they couldn't advance while they did it. They would need a different tactic-
Bombs.
Can they drop bombs accurately enough to use them for egress?
Wait. Egress. If I wasn't in the middle of a gunfight I would have berated myself for being so stupid.
"X6-88", I shouted over the incoming laser fire, "what do they need to do to shut down the Molecular Relay."
"One moment", the still calm and emotionless response came.
It would trap the Institute down here for the time being, but if we cut off the Brotherhood's ability to put soldiers down here in the first place, this becomes a lot easier.
The incoming fire wasn't slackening, which meant they had no intention of advancing yet. "Everyone take cover from the hall, fire on my mark."
Slipping away from the door into the adjoining lab, I kept myself at an angle so I could fire through the it toward the entrance. X6-88's cover put him in the same lab and, as I glanced back at the Courser, he said, "understood", and met my gaze. "They are already considering its viability. Dr. Li is consulting with one of the technicians and will have an answer shortly."
I nodded. Patience then. I could feel my body aching to turn this into a real fight, to get a little payback for the ambush. It will happen soon enough, but if I want to do this right, I need to wait.
As if reading my thoughts, there was another blinding flash in the hall, but this one wasn't a flash bang. An instant later, the detonation shook the walls and it's roar drowned out everything but my own thoughts.
"Mark", I shouted over the ringing in my ears. I don't know if any of the Coursers could hear me, but hopefully the gunfire is a good enough signal.
Hugging the door frame again, I sighted down the hall just in time to see a pair of Brotherhood soldiers rushing forward, weapons at the ready. If this is how they were going to play, subtlety isn't going to cut it.
I dumped the rest of my first magazine into the front soldier. By the time I had swapped a fresh one in, the Coursers had joined me, peppering the two with blue laser fire.
My first target was slumping to the ground and the second one was trying to stop their momentum and take cover. With the distraction from the other gunfire, I took the extra instant I needed to line the shot up on the lense over their right eye and pulled the trigger.
It impacted in an explosion of shattered glass and the second soldier tumbled to the ground. Their momentum carried them forward and the armored corpse slammed into the wall with a dull thud.
A small smile spread across my face. I'd been right about that armor; they're going to have a hard time getting anything done in tight quarters like this. They can't flood the entrance with bodies, it's too tight and their power armor is too large and cumbersome. While our cover isn't perfect, they don't know our exact positions and, presumably, they can't place bombs in the adjoining rooms. If they could, they would have. Whether that's from lack of layout knowledge or accuracy doesn't matter at this point.
At least here, we're going to be at a stalemate until either they decide to saturate the entire area with explosives, or we shut the Relay down.
Fights like this are so aggravating, but the longer we stall, the better our odds.
"Report on the other positions", I whispered.
"There was an intrusion in the BioScience wing, but it was repelled", X6-88 replied. "Main living quarters are still secure. The Brotherhood of Steel seems to be limited in numbers."
That was good, but it didn't tell me anything. Their apparatus may be limited, or they may not want to commit too many resources to their first engagement.
Or both.
… Odd.
If their implementation of the relay was rudimentary enough to require limite use, why would they attack like this? If it wasn't, and they could insert as many as they wanted, why do it in such limited numbers?
Three explanations came to mind: testing, scouting, or intimidating. If Maxson has so little regard for his people, they could be doing all of them. And if that's the case, they're even more dangerous than I thought.
We needed to get this done. The Institute was already woefully unprepared for an intrusion, thinking their Relay network was safe with (seemingly) no guards in place. The Brotherhood knows it has an advantage now, and they're the type to press that advantage as far as they can. The only option is to hit back. Hard.
"Status on the Relay?"
"They believe they are close to a solution and have requested your presence", X6-88 said.
The fu- this better be good.
"Tell them I'm on my way."
I ducked into the lab and began making my way back to Li's office. The Courser had another detonator so if shit hit the fan, they'd at least be able to buy time.
When I arrived, Nate, Li, Porter, and Shaun were joined by another woman in a lab coat, looking over what looked like a large book. The ex-soldier and his son didn't look up as I entered the room.
"I think we have a way to stop the Brotherhood", Li said. "We need you to get to the main server which is at the center of the Molecular Relay banks."
My jaw tightened. "At the top of the Facility."
"Yes."
Great. They need me to fight all the way to the top of the Institute. The idea they don't have any sort of security, or something as simple as an emergency disconnect, is ridiculous.
"What do you need me to do there?"
Li must have noticed my irritation. "I agree, this is far from ideal, but we need to keep them from sending anything else." She turned to the other scientist. She was taller than Li, with long, dirty blond hair tied back, and sharp, angular features.
"The fastest way to do it is disconnect the main power from the relay", she waved me over to the table. The book they were studying looked like blueprints. It was a top down view of some form of server room with a dozen cabinets and containers ringing the circular enclosure. If these drawings were accurate, there was an absolute mess of cables and wires running from piece to piece.
"This", the technician said, pointing at one edge of the image, "is the entrance and the orientation you will see when you enter. If you walk around to the far side of the room", she traced her finger across the image, "you'll find a large power supply. It's a massive black box with several transformers inside. It's the largest piece of equipment in the room." Her finger moved to one side. "There is a 20 centimeter wide cable with a coupler attached here. Disconnect that, and the network shuts down."
"It will damage the power circuit, but we can repair that", Li said.
I squinted at the convoluted image. Turn it off? They want to turn it off.
"Disable your generator banks."
The technician shook her head. "Most systems here, including the relay, operate on backups. Those servers will stay active for at least a week."
So you design a way to keep it running, but not to shut it off. Fuck me.
"Alright", I said, "I'll have it off in five."
Nate opened his mouth but I cut him off before whatever he could say had a chance to come out. "I'm moving fast. I don't need you slowing me down. If you want to go to the front and help the Coursers defend it, be my guest."
The ex-soldier's face was red. "Hey asshole, you're making it real hard to want to play nice."
I snorted. "Yeah, I'm the one." Without waiting for a response, I left the office. The first thing I'll need to do is clear a way out of the ARD wing. I guess it's a good thing I didn't use my surprise.
When I reached the front, I briefed X6-88 on the plan.
"Will you require assistance?"
"No", I said, shaking my head. "Stay here, keep the Brotherhood out. They'll use my absence as an opportunity."
"Understood", the Courser said in a tone that could have been talking about potentially dying to the Brotherhood soldiers after I make my exit, or how boring living in this goddamn bunker is.
It's been quiet for five minutes. That means they're probably getting anxious.
Time to relieve that anxiety.
After waving the dozen coursers standing guard into cover, I slipped forward, ducking into a door about 10 meters from the entrance.
Definitely time for a little payback.
I grabbed the detonator still hanging from my left wrist, counted to three, and hit the firing stud.
Our little 'surprise' for the Brotherhood had been my take on their shrapnel bombs. The problem with theirs is the fragments went wherever they felt like, which not only reduced the concentration of projectiles, but also their individual energy. Directing your shrapnel with shaped charges is a much more effective kinetic energy delivery system.
Five charges ringing the cavernous room outside detonated with a thunderous boom. That boom drowned out thousands of supersonic cracks as the ball bearings were sent hurtling from the housing. It also drowned out the thwacks as they hit anything in their path. One probably wouldn't do much to a suit of T-60 armor, but a hundred in the right spots? Just like with the Brotherhood's charges, the explosives were kept to a minimum, at least trying to control the damage to the facility.
Immediately following the explosion, laser fire began spearing in all directions as the soldiers that survived the blast began retaliating against enemies that weren't there. Proctor Teagan's words rang true; there are a lot of fresh faces out there.
With the attackers in disarray, I darted from my cover, sprinted out the door, and made for the ramp to the Institute's common area.
My eyes took in the chaos as I raced by. There were almost two dozen Brotherhood soldiers outside the door, and close to half were down from the explosion. The other half were still recovering from their panic, but two found themselves blocking me from my exit.
The first didn't seem to register as I bore down on them. Turning and lowering my shoulder, a few meters from the soldier, I drove my feet into the steel floor and rammed into their chest. With how heavy that armor was, the impact jarred me, but it knocked the soldier onto their ass. As we landed, I rolled over top of them and back to my feet, barely breaking stride.
The second obstacle did notice me, raising the laser rifle cradled in the comically oversized mechanical manipulators. The soldier didn't get a chance to fire before I dropped to the ground in a slide, knocking their feet out from under them.
Before they crashed to the ground, I was sprinting down the ramp, toward the service elevator at the back of the common area that would take me to the top level with the Relay.
It seemed like, since the fighting had been concentrated in three areas, the Brotherhood forces had been drawn away from the central hub. There were no targets in the commons, and I had a free path to the elevator.
This would be the easy part: shutting off their potential resources and escape. The hard part would be clearing the bastards out once the Relay was off.
Worry about that when I get there.
Right.
The crossing was uneventful. Waiting for the elevator doors to ding open was painful, but they did so without incident.
Cramming myself into the lift, it began whisking me up to my current objective.
On the ride, my mind found itself drawn back to the events prior to the attack: bringing Nora's body back, Nate's reaction- his reaction to me. Then what Porter said. It's an amusing irony that, almost immediately after she tried to suggest I wanted to change, I go right back to doing what I'm meant to.
She'd said something to the effect of growing being about pushing through new challenges. Funny. It seems like I'm always being put back into the same old ones. And this time, it's for people I'd rather have nothing to do with.
Huh. Is that the difference? I think about who I'm doing the killing for now? Huge change when I'm still doing the killing isn't it?
The elevator began to slow and I shoved the thoughts away. This isn't time for thinking, it's time for action. I can worry about that jackass and his narcissistic son after the Brotherhood threat is dealt with.
I shoved myself to one side of the elevator, not that there was enough room to be out of the door's opening, and readied myself for a fight.
A few heartbeats later, the lift jolted to a stop, and it's doors silently whisked open-
Silence.
What the hell is going on? Did the Brotherhood come down here with no information on their target?
Nothing greeted me as I stepped out of the elevator, into the brightly lit, utterly sterile hall beyond. No armored soldiers, no traps, no bombs. The peace and quiet was… jarring. The rest of the facility was a battleground, but here…
This isn't an assault force, it's recon. They're scouting the Institute and probing their defenses.
If that's the case… I double timed to the Relay's server room. It's impossible to know what their timetable is, but the sooner I shut the teleportation system off, the less likely they are to get out.
A moment later, I found myself standing at the entrance to the server room. As the technician said, it was in the middle of the level, surrounded by the Relay stations we'd been using. The drawings they had shown me didn't do the room justice. It was large, easily 20 meters across, circular, and filled with machinery. The space that wasn't had cables and wires in it. There were a few dedicated walkways, but they were made for a regular sized person, not a SPARTAN in MJOLNIR armor.
And of course, the power cable was on the opposite side of the goddamn room.
Complaining wasn't going to detach the cable, so I ducked into the equipment crowded room and began making my way toward the objective. The dedicated walkways were so tight, even turning sideways I was barely able to squeeze through hunched over. Most of the time, I was scraping against something, or a cable was snagging on my armor.
A minute of appreciation for not being claustrophobic later, I made it to the designated piece of equipment. It was a large, black box, a half meter taller than me and twice as wide. The power cable was massive, almost as large around as my leg, and terminated in a large, twist lock coupling on the black box.
I'm supposed to detach this thing while energized. I'm not an electrician, but a cable that large would have a lot of current running through it. I've blown main building lines smaller than that.
That's a really bad idea. My armor is insulated but… I don't think anything is that insulated.
Just get it over with…
Right, just get my electrocution over with.
I grasped both sides of the coupling and, even with the catalog of stupid things I've done in the past, I hesitated. If the current running through this decides to ground itself out through me, saying I don't have a chance at surviving would be an understatement. I'd be a briquette. And I'm doing this to protect the Institute? What the hell is wrong with me?
What I have to if I want to survive.
The thought wasn't comforting. I've had to do plenty to survive, voluntarily electrocuting myself wasn't one of them.
First times and all that. I took a deep breath, and then another.
After the third, and beginning to get annoyed with my own hesitation, I said to hell with it. With a hard twist, I turned the coupling as far as it would go and wrenched it from the housing.
Electricity arced between the two for an instant as they separated. Hard. The flash was brighter than the one actually teleporting produces and, even through my visor, rendered me blind.
Oh shit.
I dropped the cable and stumbled backward as I heard the high pitched crackling of arcs stab at my shields. I couldn't see the charge bar, but the status alarm began blaring in my helmet.
The urge- the need to get the hell out of there, to get away from the stabbing lines of electricity overrode almost every other thought in my head. I could feel the arcs of energy spearing into my arms, my chest- I've seen what it looks like when someone gets fried. I do not want to do that.
My back slammed into something solid and I-
Breathe. I'm not dead, and I'm not being electrocuted.
I'm not being- I realized the arcs weren't dancing around my armor. Had they been after I dropped the cable? When did it stop?
In through my nose, out through my mouth.
Relax.
Slowly, my vision began clearing, and I saw the massive cable laying on the ground a meter in front of my armored boots. Smoke was wafting up from my arms, and the energy bar for my shields was flashing red.
I'm not doing that again.
Careful to avoid the cable, I began picking my way back to the door. I couldn't hide the slight tremor in my hands, the feeling of adrenaline flushing through my arms, or my heart trying to pound out of my chest. I need to get myself back under control. This isn't how I should be behaving in an active combat zone.
Gently shaking out my arms, breathing deep, and pushing everything besides the fight out of my mind, I stopped at the door and peered through. The hall outside was still clear, but I'd have to be careful taking the elevator back down. Hmm, I didn't think about that on the way up. The Brotherhood knows I'm here, so they'll be eager to eliminate me. If they think I might come back down, they'll have an ambush set up there.
My mind flashed to the large, glass tube in the center of the commons. It was damn near impossible to see in it from the outside, and if they're focused on the service elevator…
A plan began forming in my head as I ran through the painfully white halls toward the small service lift. I'd have to backtrack to the main Relay room before heading to the main elevator. It would be… around 30 seconds. That could work.
Sliding to a stop in front of the service elevator doors, I keyed them open before reaching in and pressing the button for the main commons.
With those doors sliding shut again, I sprinted back up the hall and re-entered the ring of teleportation rooms before heading toward the central glass tube. Thankfully, the small, circular platform was already there when I arrived.
It must have sensed my presence as I stepped in because the glass partition slid closed and it began descending into the Institute.
Now things are about to get interesting.
There's no exit for this on the floor of the main common, and if I wait to get all the way to the bottom, the Brotherhood soldiers will realize something is up. That empty elevator will only hold their attention for so long.
Running the layout of the cavernous hub of the Institute, I pictured the several pathways and overlooks criss-crossing the room. I didn't want to be too far up but…
The large loft hanging a few meters over the ground floor where I found Nate and Porter eating after my meeting with Li. That would be large enough to provide cover and maneuver, but close enough to the bottom floor, I wouldn't have any trouble jumping down. The only question now is how upset will they be with me for ruining the architectural centerpiece of their commons.
I smiled.
When the elevator emerged into the massive cylindrical room, I searched the ground floor for potential contacts. As expected, a half dozen T-60 armored soldiers were standing at the service elevator a few 30 meters below, waiting for me to exit.
Unfortunately for them, their initiative wasn't going to be rewarded.
Watching as the elevator arrived, the Brotherhood invaders poured laser fire into the small opening. That gave me maybe 10 seconds before they figured out I was playing them.
The platform was floating down through the glass tube painfully slowly, but I was well within firing range here.
Wait. Get closer. Make the jump easier.
The loft I was looking for was about 180 degrees from where the Brotherhood soldiers were, and still 20 meters below me. That fall certainly wouldn't be harmful, but it would slow me down.
Seconds ticked by in my head as I sighted on the back of the first soldier's neck. They were cautiously inching toward the elevator. If I didn't know better, I'd say they might be scared.
Five seconds.
The terrace was still a dozen meters below me.
My target neared the doors.
Two seconds.
No more time.
I squeezed the trigger and the high powered rifle kicked a round through the glass surrounding me with what would have been an eardrum shattering roar. It slammed into the soldier, sending them stumbling forward, but I wasn't stupid enough to think they were down. I put three more shots into the same area before switching to the second target: another soldier, this one already searching for where the new source of gunfire was.
Five rounds into them, and the rifle was almost empty.
Time to go.
Twisting, I put the final two rounds into the glass behind me, directly over my landing zone, and lunged through the weakened glass.
As expected, it had been reinforced tempered safety glass, and as I collided with it the impact jarred my shoulder. The two high caliber rounds had damaged it enough for me to shatter the tube and the next instant I was dropping down to the terrace.
The glass had been a little sturdier than I thought, and I was rotating too far to land properly. I couldn't afford to waste time here.
Laserfire exploded into the air, one of the bolts catching me in the back as I pulled one knee into my chest to correct my fall.
The steel floor rushed up to meet me. My titanium clad boots came down with a deep boom and I rolled to dissipate some of the landing's energy.
More red bolts screamed overhead as I flattened myself to the deck and loaded a fresh magazine.
Best case, four left, most likely more.
These ones didn't matter though. The primary objective now is to secure key locations, then eliminate the threat. If I can disable a few for interrogation, even better.
First stop would be the ARD wing again. Leadership is there and, as much as I want to put Nate on his ass, so is he. And they had the smallest guard contingent.
I got my feet under me and sprung for the edge of the platform, pulling the MK-18 up to my shoulder and firing off a trio of high velocity rounds at the nearest soldier. All three slammed into the thick chest plate of the T-60 power armor. It probably wasn't going to dig through that, but it would give the group something to think about.
Dropping over the edge, I hit the ground floor with another boom before sprinting down a walkway, between several decorative planters. I vaulted over a rail to another walkway and sprang for the door that led to the ARD wing, more laser fire chasing me through the opening.
As I left the cavernous main commons, the sounds of laser fire drifted toward me from ahead. It sounded more muffled than it should.
They made it into the ARD.
Shit.
I redoubled my efforts, driving my titanium armored boots into the steel floor so hard they began slipping on the smooth surface.
I can't let the goddamn Brotherhood take this too.
An instant later, I arrived at the ramp and-
I sprung to my left as a pair of laser bolts lanced toward me, slamming into the wall. They passed over my shoulder and I snapped my own weapon up and opened fire.
Rear guard.
Five rounds later, one intruder at the top of the ramp was crumpling to the ground, one of their lenses blown out. The other continued firing, sending a half dozen bolts searing into my shields.
The MK-18 spat the last two rounds out of its magazine before the bolt locked back. Both slammed into my target's head, snapping it backward and giving me the split second I needed to lunge across the 10 meters separating us.
My victim tried to take a lumbering swing at me, but they might as well have been moving through molasses. I caught their arm, twisting it hard enough to make the servos in the power armor groan, and kicked their left leg out.
We both dropped to the ground, me on top. Releasing their arm, I drove my knee into the center of their back, grabbed the helmet, and wrenched it to the side.
I felt more than heard the series of cracks as their spine snapped.
Giving the raised platform a quick scan, a dozen other Brotherhood soldiers lay dead. Some looked like they had died in the explosion, and a few had scorch marks from laser fire. That left at least 10 of them inside the ARD.
Sliding another fresh magazine into my rifle as I approached the door, I could hear the fighting from deep inside the wing. The Coursers had fallen back, apparently.
Inside the entrance, four of the elite Synth fighters lay in the hall, all riddled with laser rifle fire. Another two Brotherhood soldiers were down as well, but that was worrying. There had only been 15 Coursers here to guard the entrance. At least four of them down…
Move.
With nothing else in the hall, I slipped into the wing and began making my way toward the fighting.
… Odd. The sound of laser fire wasn't coming from the direction of the offices where the others were taking cover. Had the Coursers purposely led them away from their charges? If that's the case… maybe I wasn't giving them enough credit either.
I ran down a hall with labs lining both sides, doing my best to keep my footsteps silent. The impact deadening soles of my boots helped, but it's hard to produce no noise when you're in almost half a ton of armor. Running on metal.
The sounds of fighting had me taking several turns through the white washed halls which were now scored with the signs of gunfire. The place wasn't hard to navigate, it was just large, and full of workshops and labs. On top of that, I was wary of getting ambushed by another rear guard after the first time, so my pace wasn't at the level of urgency I wanted.
Finally, I rounded the last corner and found the gunfight. The Brotherhood soldiers had funneled the remaining defenders into a lab. Or maybe they took position in the lab- I don't know, but it looked like they'd fought to another stalemate. I hadn't seen any bodies along the way, but that didn't mean anything. There were seven of the intruders in the hall, three crouched on either side of the door, one at the back taking cover half in an adjoining room. Probably the squad lead or platoon commander (if the Brotherhood have that sort of structure). No rear guard.
This was perfect.
They don't know I'm here, they're in extremely close quarters, and that armor is exceedingly cumbersome. That is the dream for any SPARTAN.
The Coursers knew what they were doing then; they purposely led them to another chokepoint, knowing it would be difficult to make egress with that armor. The Brotherhood's reliance on the limited equipment was a weakness they were exploiting.
I slowed my pace, slipping down the hall silently, and pulled my knife from its sheath. The hardened Titanium A blade could dig through damn near anything if you put enough force behind it.
Creeping up behind the commander, I buried the knife into the side of their neck, jamming it between the armored joints.
With a gurgling screech barely audible over the weapons' fire, my first victim collapsed to the steel floor with a thud.
The closest soldier heard the sound of their comrade dying, and turned to me as I extracted the knife. They began bringing their laser rifle around, but I was already moving. I lunged forward again, grabbing the wrist with my right hand, and whipped my right leg over their arm.
Twisting violently, I pulled them to the ground and locked the soldier in an arm bar. I could feel the joints and motors straining as I pulled on their wrist, but I didn't have time to break it with the other Brotherhood soldiers noticing my presence.
So instead I stabbed my knife into their elbow and, with a scream, the joint snapped.
I didn't wait to see what the other soldiers were going to do. I leapt from the ground and sprung for my next target, placing them between myself and the others.
This one was smarter. Instead of trying to use the laser rifle, they jumped forward to meet my charge. Our combined momentum slammed us into the steel wall, leaving a shallow impression.
The Brotherhood soldier grabbed my right forearm and, bracing, pinned it to the wall. I slammed my left hand into the side of their helmet in an open palmed strike. The blow would have been enough to cave the side of their head in, but with the thick steel bucket in the way, it only snapped sideways.
Their grip loosened for a moment, but before I could take advantage of it, another armored soldier lunged forward, grabbing my left forearm.
Instead of fighting me head on, these soldiers were trying to pin me.
I forced my arm straight up in the air, turning it so my palm faced out and balled my hand into a fist. The other soldier was trying desperately to gain control of the limb, but it's hard when you're grabbing metal on metal.
With a violent twist, I turned my arm so my palm was facing me again, and at the same time, wrenched downwards. The maneuver broke it free and the Brotherhood soldier scrambled to maintain balance. I kicked their left leg out from under them, sending their ungainly armored form crashing to the floor.
That one off of me, I slammed my fist into the side of the other's helmet again, and then a third time. With that strike, the soldier's grip loosened as they sagged, probably barely hanging on to consciousness. I pulled my arm-
A loud screech sounded and I was slammed into the wall, the other soldier's arms wrapped around my chest.
Bringing my free arm around, I drove my elbow into their helmet with a resounding clang. But they didn't let go. That wasn't good. If the other soldiers-
Laser fire stabbed into the side of the soldier still clinging to my right arm. After a dozen impacts, the armored figure flinched before reeling away, a smoking hole in the side of their chest plate.
Another leapt forward to take their place, but I dropped my weight and the remaining soldier and I collapsed to the steel floor.
The maneuver bought me just enough room to pull my leg up between us and jam my knee into the soldier's chest plate. With a hard twist, pushing against the attacker, and ramming an elbow into their head again, I dislodged the Brotherhood soldier and sent them tumbling back into the opposite wall.
I couldn't stop. I felt more than saw the other intruder bearing down on me. Rolling to the side, I launched myself away from the contingent of soldiers.
As I sprung to my feet, I saw the two Brotherhood members chasing toward me, laser fire from both sides increasing in volume. I was on my own for now.
Snapping my rifle up, I managed to get off two shots that slammed into the front soldier's chest before they were on me. The hall was too narrow to dodge both. Instead, I dropped into a crouch and drove my left shoulder into the first one's waist. They tumbled over me to the ground in a heap, but the second was ready.
The soldier swung at my head with one of it's manipulators. I shunted the blow aside and stepped away from a second. On the third I blocked their arm into the wall. That bought me enough time to bury the muzzle of the MK-18 in the soldier's neck and pull the trigger twice.
Their partner dropping to the ground, the other soldier tried to backpedal down the hall, bringing a laser rifle to bear.
Two bolts seared into my shield as I lunged forward, knocking the weapon aside, and drove my shoulder into their chest. My opponent left their feet, careening backward before slamming to the steel floor with a thud.
I didn't give them time to recover.
While the soldier was trying to gather their feet again, I rushed forward, aimed the high powered rifle at the lense over their right eye, and blew the glass out with a deafening boom.
Now for the rest.
Within 10 seconds, the rest of the Brotherhood soldiers were down. The only one left alive was the soldier whose elbow I'd snapped in half.
After a brief second check to make sure the threats were neutralized, I called, "clear." The Coursers began extricating themselves from their cover as I stalked over to the still writhing armored form.
"You son of a-" the soldier, a man, grated out through the armor's distorted speaker system. I ignored him and flipped the intruder onto his stomach, exposing the small wheel on the suit's back.
Twisting the wheel, the panels on the back of the armor opened. I grabbed the man's skin tight orange and white jumpsuit, and pulled him from the armor. I wasn't gentle about it. The Brotherhood soldier cried out in pain and, as soon as I released him, collapsed to the floor, left arm folding awkwardly under him.
I looked over at the Coursers. "One of you, take him somewhere secure, the rest with me."
As one, X2-17, moved aside to handle the prisoner, I led the rest of the Coursers back toward the ARD's entrance. With their escape cut off and no more reinforcements, or bombs, on the way, it should be a short cleanup. We needed to do it quickly too. If any of these bastards had explosives, and realized they were stuck, they'd detonate. No point in risking more damage.
X
The rest of the fighting only took another 15 minutes. With the element of surprise gone, and dwindling numbers, the Brotherhood soldiers didn't hold up well as their forces were ambushed from behind. The platoon assaulting the living quarters had already been whittled down. We just finished the job.
Once that was done, I left the Synth guards to hold position and took the remaining Coursers to do the same thing to the invaders attacking the BioScience wing. They had found more success, breaching the entrance to the division, and the signs of a firefight were obvious enough inside. The dozens of small scorch marks on the walls, as well as the 15 dead bodies, mostly Synth, but a few were in T-60 armor.
From the looks of it, the guards had forced the Brotherhood soldiers back out by weight of numbers. An… interesting tactic that would have gotten them all killed against a larger assault.
None of that mattered at the moment though. Most of the intruders were dead, and the few that weren't were secure. There would be plenty of time to interrogate them once the rest of the facility was swept and secure. Some soldiers may have escaped, or left some unwelcome surprises.
Leaving the Coursers and Synths to police the bodies, weapons, and lone prisoner at the BioScience division, I began back toward the ARD wing. They need to begin coordinating the search, and I don't trust them to do it correctly.
The Institute was a mess. More than 20 explosives detonated, I didn't know the count for sure, but well over 100 dead between the scientists, Synths, and Brotherhood, and who knows what is waiting for us in the abandoned areas. All because they didn't see the need to properly secure their teleportation system. Even after Nate and I used it to get in; granted Shaun wanted that to happen.
My initial assessment of the Institute had been correct: they're woefully unprepared for a full scale war with the Brotherhood. That meant Nate and I were here, or at least Nate was, to provide strategic and tactical support.
As I trudged up the ramp to the Advanced Research Division, I heard a half dozen Synth guards marching behind me.
They were holding their weapons at the ready, and even through their helmets, I could feel their eyes fixed on me.
You're shitting me.
"Please come with us", the lead one said in that odd, distorted voice. "Father would like to consult with you."
I cocked an eyebrow behind my visor. That hadn't been exactly what I expected. It was where I'd been headed anyway.
"Okay."
I followed them the rest of the way up the ramp and into the research wing. The dead Coursers had been cleared away, and several Synths were struggling to drag the Brotherhood corpses off to the side. With the non-combatants still holding up in the living quarter, the place was eerily quiet.
After weaving our way through the antiseptic, white washed halls, we arrived at Dr. Li's office, again. Inside were the same four, joined by Ayo.
Great.
"Damon", Shaun beckoned, voice and expression both carefully neutral once again. "I'd like to discuss a few important matters with you following this attack." I motioned for him to continue. The Institute leader glanced at Nate. For his part, the ex-soldier didn't seem to know what to think.
"This invasion of our home is not something we take lightly. You two are the only ones who have breached our Molecular Relay network, albeit with help." His tone changed for an instant, carrying an implication everyone in here already knew: we used the Railroad. "So I must ask: were you involved in this attack?"
After the instant it took for my mind to process the question- the idea I would work with the Brotherhood- I scoffed. "No."
"You understand how it could look, from an outside perspective, like you do."
And from an outside perspective, what you do is no better than the Brotherhood. At least they don't kidnap random people.
"There's nothing I can say that will convince you." I shrugged. "And you still need me."
"Do not underestimate our ability to adapt", Shaun said. "And there is something you can do to convince me: tell me who you really are."
I blinked. Tell you who I really am? You haven't earned that right. "No."
"Goddammit", Nate said before his son could continue. "Have you ever thought about being cooperative? Maybe getting over your ego?"
Me ego? "What are you talking about?" I snapped.
"Don't bullshit me Damon, I know exactly what just went through your head: 'I don't trust you, so why would I tell you?' You'd tell them because you need them." He threw his hands up. "What are they gonna do with it? Why does it matter who knows?"
Silence settled over the office, Nate and I staring each other down while the others looked on.
Why does it matter? It matters because- My mind drew a blank. Why does it matter? I know there's a reason, probably some UNSC regulation about imparting classified information to an unknown entity. But that's in my universe. And even if I tell them, it isn't like the Institute can do anything with the information.
There was something else in Nate's eyes too. It wasn't just irritation and frustration. They almost looked like they were pleading with me.
"You need their help, Damon", the ex-soldier repeated, a hint of softness breaking the edge on his voice. "And they need yours."
Maybe- maybe if he had said that before his diatribe earlier, essentially telling me to get fucked, that line would have worked. But now? After that? How am I supposed to trust him?
I'm not. I'm supposed to do what I have to to get back to the UNSC. The Institute is my best shot.
Right. The UNSC. My duty. Even with that being the case, cooperating with these people, caving to the ex-soldier now- it felt wrong.
Maybe he was right about setting my ego aside then.
Setting my ego aside? I don't do this because of ego, I do it to stay safe.
That too. Look how well that's worked out. How does keeping that information secret keep me safe?
It gives them leverage.
And it's leverage they have, whether they know it now or not. I already have something they desperately need anyway. This sounds a lot like me not wanting to tell them.
So what if-
Because it gets in the way of the mission. Isn't that what I was stewing about earlier? That maybe 'the mission' is what I really am? Doesn't seem like it right now.
…
…
…
Fine.
"I'm not from this universe", I said, breaking the silence once again. "And I need your help getting back to mine." My eyes never left the ex-soldier.
There it was, the end goal all along. Sure, I've kept Nate alive. Yeah, I saved Preston's group and helped establish Sanctuary. I've even wiped out some Raider gangs along the way, saved a few more people including Cassandra and Thomas, and given the Railroad new resources.
But at the end of it all, I'm doing everything so I can get back to the UNSC. I'm doing it all for duty.
I saved Preston's group to get information.
I kept them alive because I needed a place to recover.
I brought Nate along because I needed his help.
I cooperated with the Brotherhood because I needed their resources.
I saved the kids because we happened to be in that town to wipe out the Supermutants.
I gave the Railroad the Courser chip so they would build a teleporter.
And now I'm at the Institute, helping them despite how revolting their practices are because they're my best chance at getting back to the UNSC.
Sure, there have been a few detours along the way: wiping out the Forged, trying to get Julian while the Brotherhood took him, promising to help Sanctuary with the Gunners. Maybe I've started taking some sort of autonomy. Even still, those things were around my primary objectives; actions I took to fill the time. I killed the Forged because I was bored for fuck's sake.
Yes, there are people I care about here. People I want to help. But I'm leaving. I've always known I was leaving, and when I do, whatever forces that keep this world a living, breathing hell would probably undo any good I did for them. Had I just been fooling myself? Whatever happened, I'd be doing it to make myself feel good, because at the end of the day-
Images of the wasteland above flashed through my head. The barren landscape. The destroyed city. Raiders. Gunners. The Brotherhood. The Institute.
No matter who I help, it will probably all go back to the way it was before I got here. The only difference is I might feel a little better about myself.
I almost laughed. Right, because I'm someone who needs- who deserves that.
What good is that going to do these people? How is that going to keep Cassandra, Thomas, and Julian safe? How is that going to keep Sanctuary from falling to whatever opportunistic group comes next? I do a few small things and leave, what difference does that make? If I don't make any lasting change- if I'm leaving and I don't fix what's broken in the first place, it's just window dressing on a house fire.
That's what Nate had been accusing me of back in that surgical suite. It was something I've been hiding from this entire time, pretending I'd changed.
Everything I've done, I've done for the same reason I've always done anything: because I'm supposed to.
There. I admitted it Nate. You happy? I straightened my back and switched my gaze to Shaun.
That's what I am. A high mobility small arms platform. And I do what I do because it's my duty.
…
Nothing more.
A/N: Yup. I did that. Like I said, this chapter was hard to write because I didn't want to make this feel one sided. Obviously it's from Damon's POV, but Nate is an important character in his own right. There are some big plans coming up for our characters, but I'll let you experience those as they happen. I'll see everyone next time!
Chapter 32: 3/18, ... Is Paved With Good Intentions