A/N: We're back yet again! Welcome to another episode of how do you completely ruin Fallout! So, I've had a few reviews recently, and a few people message me about the direction I've taken the story. I understand the draw of this fandom is... well it's a Fallout/Halo x-over fandom, and considering the Halo part of it is currently absent, it doesn't seem like much of a x-over does it. My goal with this fic has always been to write the best story I can given the premise I've chosen for myself. While Damon is obviously a very important character to the story, there's other thing that happen throughout it that significant enough I think they deserve their time front and center as well. This is part of that. I think Fallout did a major disservice to the Institute, and to Shaun, who I think had the opportunity to be extremely interesting story elements. Bethesda kinda wasted them. On top of that, I've (obviously) changed a ton of story elements. More important than any of those, I think the other characters deserve their time too. Don't get me wrong, there's a reason the vast majority of the story has been told, to this point, through Damon's eyes, and I know a lot of people read the story for that, but, if I may ask, allow the story to develop, and allow the other characters to take you through their parts of the story. Anyway, I think that's enough rambling. Please leave a review if you are so inclined, even if it's (constructive) criticism, and like always, enjoy!

A/N 2: For those of you wondering why this looks different... It's because I chose the wrong doc, thanks Seyd for pointing that out, and for the rest of you... how did you not notice something was wrong?

Chapter 36: (Not) According to Plan

It pained the ex-soldier to have to wait.

For as much as he poked Damon for the SPARTAN's constant impatience, Nate wasn't much better.

Putting their plan into action immediately would be too suspicious though. They needed to time this right. Shaun and the rest of the Institute's leadership were clearly aware they had someone in their midst working with the Railroad to get Synths out. They were also smart enough to know anyone trying to smuggle their creations out of the Institute would love to use the excuse of a war as cover.

That was something they both needed to be wary of, and take advantage of. An escaped Synth, especially during the beginnings of this fight, would be a huge security risk. A security risk like that necessitates a large-scale response and, while Shaun would be resistant to sending the ex-soldier out again, it would provide good justification for attaching him to the mission.

So it was a waiting game, until the right moment. Too long, and they'd grow suspicious. Too quickly and they'd suspect Nate's involvement.

In the meantime, the ex-soldier occupied himself by going through his regular duties as the de facto armed forces commander. That involved a lot more time spent in the damned conference room than he wanted. Considering Damon's particular disposition, he had no clue how the armored titan managed to suffer through almost a week of that.

Hours on end of going through intel reports from their Courser field teams, compiling the mission critical data, and drafting plans on it. Isaiah was there every step of the way, and Nate couldn't deny the kid's brilliance. He wasn't usually the one to speak up, but how he recorded, organized, and disseminated information was… lifesaving, so to speak. Hell, the ex-soldier was convinced the younger man didn't even need to write the information down, he could call it on demand at a moment's notice.

It also gave him an idea what his role in the Synth smuggling ring was. The infantryman was happy he'd insisted on his presence.

Jackson, Weller, Brown, and two other SRD technicians, Jacob Walsh, and Sarah Hanson were there as much as he was too. For newbies, they were a fantastic support staff. They'd picked up at least as much in the few days they'd spent with Damon as he had, and they learned more every day.

After a few days spent pouring over what information they could gather, Nate felt they had two very promising targets for their first raids. The first, a regular caravan running from a large group of farms in the northeast down to the airport, would be… difficult. They ran it along the remains of the 107 with heavy guard. Once they were in the city, any Vertibird support would only be a few minutes away. That meant hitting them early and hard.

The second would be a lot easier. It was a small outpost the Brotherhood decided to establish near several smaller settlements to the west of Cambridge. Nate liked that assault; it would be a good warning to the Brotherhood, and deter them from trying to set up shop with the citizenry. They might not like the Institute, but the less Maxson had control over them, the better.

As much as the work could be interesting at times for the most part it was… boring. He was used to being the one in the shit, not sitting comfortably in a bunker.

The few reprieves he got were when he left to check in on the ARD, both to see the progress made on their weapons production line, and to pin down the specific details of their pho-escape attempt.

Nate was genuinely impressed with how quickly Dr. Li's people got a working prototype for their new conventional firearms. Three days after recovering the equipment from their escapade into Boston, they were assembling the components into an AR-15. It helped they had the weapon designs, but that was some remarkably fast work.

Despite the difficulties they'd faced during initial development, the ARD kept working to improve the laser weapons too. Those didn't have as much success, but they fixed their focusing lens issue, which meant they could get more than a few dozen shots off before needing to rebuild the weapons.

That's good at least.

It was that night they decided on the day of the raids. By extension, that meant the day of Samantha's escape.

"Two days, huh?" Jacksons said as the two of them sat in the Commons, late that night, eating. No one besides the night crew was still awake, and they never came to this part of the facility.

Nate nodded. "Yeah. Two days. How quickly will they send out a recovery team?"

"Immediately." The SRD tech took another bite of his Chicken Cordon Bleu. "You know what you're going to say yet?"

"I have a few ideas, but I don't want to get too focused on one approach." Nate shrugged. "None of us know how they're going to react."

Jackson smirked. "True. You wanna run me through your lines?"

"No", the ex-soldier said through a chuckle. "You'll give me stage fright."

"Wouldn't want to make you nervous before your big day."

Silence settled back over their little section of the enormous main hub of the Institute. Nate noticed a while ago the indirect lights set in the walls dimmed at night to give the cavernous space a more… natural feel. It was large enough he really did feel like he was sitting above ground with the darkened sky outside.

As they ate in silence, the infantryman's mind drifted to Samantha. He'd learned more about her over the preceding few days. She was one of the older third generation Synths, apparently. The striking, fiery woman was a little over 10 years old, and spent that entire time in the processing facility behind the hydroponics farm. That was an existence he couldn't imagine: being delegated to work in a position like that from the moment you're born- or grown- without consideration for whether you want that. He'd tried to figure out who were Synths and who were humans, but Nate couldn't tell a damn bit of difference.

And Shaun treats them like tools.

The question was, is Nate doing the same thing?

"You used me too, someone you think is a monster."

That's what Damon said. He was right before. Is he right now?

"Hey, Jackson?" Nate asked quietly. The other man looked up from his food. "Is this the right thing to do?"

Leaning back in his chair, Jackson hummed. "What do you mean?"

"I know everyone agreed to do this but- is this the right way to go about this?"

Jackson set his cup down and cleared his throat. "Sam knows what she's doing, we all do. We all want to do everything we can to get as many Synths free as possible. Don't take that from her."

He wasn't. Even if the idea may have been his, she'd made it clear from when Isaiah introduced them, she was doing this willingly. That doesn't mean he doesn't share some responsibility though.

Of course, when he was the one on the front lines, he probably felt the same way she does now. It didn't matter if someone gave the order to charge into an ambush, Nate decided whether he would do it or not. Maybe it's just that he wasn't the one putting his life on the line. He'd be on the recovery team, but barring some unforeseen complication, there was no risk to him.

There was one difference though: he hadn't ordered anyone to do anything.

"Sorry", the infantryman said eventually. "I'm used to being the one who's ass is over the fire. Doesn't feel right to ask someone else to."

Jackson nodded. "Yeah, I get that. But we know what we need to do now, so let's do it."

"Right." Nate huffed a short laugh. "You sound like my old lieutenant."

"Sometimes, everyone needs a reality check."

"Ain't that the truth."

The two of them finished eating in silence. Despite the conversation, they were both exhausted from several late nights.

One more. The next day would be just as long, but he needed to get something resembling a good night's sleep afterward. The last thing he wanted to do was screw the mission because he was tired.

"I'll be by Li's office tomorrow morning", Nate said as he stood to take his tray back to the small counter that served as the receptacle. "We need to make sure we're squared away."

The SRD technician nodded tiredly. "Sounds good. I'm going to enjoy the three or four hours of sleep between now and then."

With a chuckle, Nate left the landing that served as the Common's cafeteria. The display on his Pipboy said 0130. Damn he needed some shut eye. Before he did though, the ex-soldier stripped and showered. The thoughts racing through his mind wouldn't disperse on their own, and the steaming hot water helped wash away more than sweat.

Even after the water had trickled to a stop, he was dry, and pulling a pair of loose fitting sweats on, one thing stuck in his head. The same thought that had kept him pushing so hard over the last week.

If the SPARTAN was here, most of what they were struggling with would be a fart in the wind. Damon's presence alone was a field tilting asset. Reconnaissance, raids, diversions- all of it would be as simple and easy as coming up with a plan, and watching it happen. Of course, there was a bit of exaggeration involved- the Institute was clearly smart enough to deal with the armored man- but all the same it would make things a lot easier.

Nate collapsed into his bed, not taking the time to pull the covers back before he did.

And Damon would be there to share this burden. His experience and expertise. His ability- Maybe the ex-soldier wouldn't be asking Sam to sacrifice herself. Maybe the SPARTAN would have come up with a better idea, or made it unnecessary in the first place.

Yes, Samantha had made the decision to do this, and it truly was her choice- Nate had no authority to order it- but he still came up with the idea. He was still the person this focused on, there were a lot of other people involved, but everything they did was to get him in good graces with Shaun and Ayo. The pit in his stomach was edging toward a yawning chasm.

Maybe he was just trying to run again.

Like Jackson said: they were all doing what they could to make this work.

A small smile split Nate's face as his tired, stinging eyes drifted shut.

Damon wasn't the only person who had difficulty trusting people. Was the ex-soldier trying to take responsibility for this because he didn't think anyone else could? He could almost see Nora glaring at him, disapprovingly. Or Cook throwing another water bottle at his head.

Maybe that's why he and Damon ended up working so well together before everything fell apart. They didn't trust other people.

That's going to have to change. Maybe that's why I've spent so long running.

Nate's eyes drifted open again and he rolled over.

Is it?

He trusted his platoon all those years. He trusted Cook, and Nora, and Damon. Eventually.

How long did that take? How many times did I have to think my way through it?

Taking responsibility for everything he's involved in… that's a lot to carry.

He glanced at the clock beside his bed-

0550.

Oh come on…

He felt like he'd barely blinked, was it really a half hour until he was leaving for the ARD? This was all starting to feel like one long, very long, day.

The ex-soldier laid back in the bed and grimaced. Things were getting very complicated, way more complicated than he'd ever wanted or feared.

After another twenty minutes of laying there, staring at the ceiling, cursing his luck, Nate roused himself and got dressed. The pit in his stomach hadn't closed at all. That didn't surprise him. If anything, he knew it would only grow over the course of the day. He wasn't happy about it, but at this point things were in motion. Turning around now would only make it worse.

His journey back to Li's office passed in a fog. The ex-soldier vaguely remembered greeting a few Institute members once he was at her door, but he almost felt like he'd sleep walked there. Hell, maybe he had.

"Come in", the ARD leader's voice beckoned from inside the open door. He did and keyed it shut behind him. Jackson was there, as well, one of the prototype rifles sitting on the desk between them.

"Uh…" Nate said as he dropped into the other open seat beside the SRD tech. "I feel like I just got done talking with you."

Jackson grunted. "Same here, don't know why you're complaining when I'm the one who had to talk to you though."

"Yes", Li interrupted, "because I want to hear you two bitch and moan this early in the morning."

The ex-soldier cracked a smile. "Okay, so how'd the test go?"

Instead of answering, the doctor picked the rifle in front of her up and offered it to the infantryman. He took it, studying the new weapon. The bolt carrier definitely had lost its glossy sheen, sporting a nice layer of soot. It had been fired, and more than a few times. Pulling the charging handle, the chamber told the same story, and both the bolt and the barrel were intact.

"Looks like it held up just fine."

Both scientists nodded.

"This was a pretty small caliber though", Jackson mused, "nothing that will get through their armor. Not even the regular plate carriers. We were just discussing going to something larger."

"Larger like…?"

"7.62X51", Li said. "Big enough to be effective, at least with the Brotherhood out of armor, but small enough we're comfortable the chamber pressure won't significantly exceed what we saw with this test. That will be happening this afternoon."

.308 wouldn't be enough to hurt T60, even with armor piercing rounds, but it was a start.

Setting the rifle back on the desk, Nate nodded. "Good, we're getting somewhere. Now we just need an army to use the guns we make and we'll be somebody."

"Yeah…" Jackson looked back and forth between the two of them. "I was thinking- it might be a good idea to get some of us in the field."

Get more people in the field? People who would be planning these operations? "I agree with that. The more exposure the leadership team has to the combat we'll be engaging in, the better. Makes things easier to plan when you see how things happen on a battlefield." The ex-soldier glanced at Jackson. "Don't know how many people down here will want to stick their heads in a firefight, but it's a good idea."

The other man smirked. "I think everyone will, at least the first time. A lot of us want to see the Commonwealth with our own eyes. Maybe this is our chance to do it."

"I also agree with the "at least the first time" part."

"I'll take a pass", Li said. "I've been in more than my share of fights."

It wasn't the first time the doctor hinted at her past with the Brotherhood. He had to admit, for as much as he liked her, there was very little he knew about the woman.

"Care to share with the rest of the class."

She turned to him with an odd guardedness in her dark eyes, but after a moment, her expression softened.

"This isn't the first war I've been in. That time, the Brotherhood was fighting to complete the project I and- someone important were working on. It was called Project Purity. We wanted to create a method to purify water for the Capital Wasteland. You would know it as Washington D.C."

Nate's eyes widened. "For the entire area?" She nodded. "Did it work?"

"Yes", Madison said with no small amount of pride in her voice. "We provided thousands of people with a luxury they haven't known for 200 years: potable water from almost any source."

A few months ago… or a few hundred years ago for the rest of the world, the idea that would be a luxury was… laughable. Now? Thinking about walking down to any of the various rivers in the area, scooping some water out and drinking it without dying of radiation poisoning was- wow.

"Dr. Li, I'm not saying this to get on your good side, but that is absolutely incredible. I- I am genuinely awestruck."

She nodded, but the scientist's brow furrowed, and a deep frown creased her face. "It cost a lot of good people their lives and, well, the losses the Brotherhood took to make it happen may well be why they are what they are."

Nate wanted to ask what she meant, but he already knew: sometimes, completing an objective doesn't matter if the price is too high. Changes in leadership, disillusion with their cause, outright rebellion. It could all contribute to ruining an otherwise positive accomplishment. Li wasn't that old- this couldn't have been very long ago.

"When did that happen?"

"Ten years ago." Her voice was solemn, almost sad. "Feels like a lot longer."

"So Maxson was around when this all went down. Who did you have to fight?"

"You name it. Supermutants, Raiders, the Gunners, the Enclave." She shook her head. "Sorry, you wouldn't know who they are. The Enclave were possibly the worst thing the wastes have ever produced, obsessed with purity of genes and superiority of their group and their cause. They burned everything in their way to get what they wanted. It was possibly the most challenging obstacle the Brotherhood has ever faced. And it broke them." The woman paused again, looking down at her hands clasped in front of her. "That's a story for another time though."

A pang of guilt stabbed at the back of Nate's mind. Whatever happened back then, it wasn't something she enjoyed thinking about. Since it seemed to be coming back to haunt her in the worst way possible now, this was probably the last topic she wanted to discuss.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Li shook her head again. "Don't worry about it. What happened isn't a secret. It's just something that's been on my mind lately." The doctor met his gaze. "I'd be happy to talk about it another time, but for now we have a few details to discuss."

Their fake escape. The ex-soldier nodded.

"We've got most of it ironed out and our pieces in place", Jackson said, "but this is going to be the trickiest teleport we've ever done. With the two squads leaving right before we do, the timing is going to be critical, along with where some people are when it happens."

"Who, exactly?" Nate asked.

"You."

The ex-soldier blinked. "You need me somewhere?"

"Yes", Jackson replied with a nod. "You have to be in a position where it wouldn't be suspicious if you were to do nothing in the short term."

"And I'm guessing you have a place in mind."

The SRD technician gazed at him with a worried glint in his eyes. "I know you haven't been… happy with Dr. Porter, but do you think you could have a session with her during deployment?"

Talk with Porter? It wasn't that he disliked her, or that she was lying to him- in fact the shrink was surprisingly honest and straightforward. And that was what bothered him. She not only openly admitted they'd manipulated him to ambush Damon, but did so in a way that suggested there was nothing wrong with that. It was almost like she was brainwashed to believe everything and anything done in the name of the Institute was justified.

"Why that, specifically?"

"It's something Father has been suggesting", Dr. Li said. "That conversation is something they expect to happen eventually. Many in the Institute believe in their assumptions, and while your son is careful and calculating, he is no different. They trust they can predict human behavior. We need to play into that."

Meeting with Helen didn't worry him. He'd been around enough psychiatrists to know how to play their game. Not as well as they did, but he was conversant in shrink language. All he needed to do was tell her what she expected to hear, while sprinkling in just enough resistance to make it seem genuine.

"Okay", the ex-soldier said, "that works for me."

Li nodded. "Good, glad to hear it. If you don't mind, I'd like to keep when the escape will be a secret."

It took a moment for the request to click in Nate's head, but once it did, the idea made sense. The less he knew about the plan, the more genuine his response would be to it. They wanted to make this believable afterall.

"You've put a lot of thought into this."

The doctor nodded again. "We have. There's no other choice; if we don't plan every move carefully, we'll be caught."

"So no pressure."

"There's always pressure, Nate. It's what we do with it that matters."

Uh huh. "You're right, sorry." He leaned back in his chair. "Is everything else squared away then?"

"Yes", Jackson said. "Just make sure your reaction is believable."

Concern and anger. Those were the emotions he needed to pull on when he stormed into the conference room. They'd just allowed a Synth to escape in the middle of a war; that's bad news if Sam is captured by the Brotherhood.

Push hard and don't stop until I get what I want. Considering the circumstances, he had plenty of those emotions to pull on.

"Don't worry about that. I already want to level your boss, all I have to do is add in a little shouting."

The other man smiled. "Please don't. He already complains about you enough."

Good. "That just means I'm doing my job."

"You aren't the first person who's said that."

"Alright", Nate said, standing. "So it's talk with Helen, storm in like a hurricane, make them send me out with a recovery team ASAP, get Sam back before anything bad can happen to her. Sounds simple."

"Simple doesn't mean easy", Li replied.

"Yeah, I got that." The ex-soldier looked at Jackson. "For now we have another fun-filled day of planning a war."

The SRD tech grunted. "You're having fun?"

"Absolutely not", Nate said, chuckling.

X

Despite running the conversation through his head a thousand times, Nate was still nervous as he approached Dr. Porter's room. Or maybe it was because he imagined it so many different ways, going wrong in so many different ways. Normally, the more he went over a plan, the more confident he was in it. Then again, most of the plans he's seen or created have involved shooting. While he was good at talking, he wasn't a professional (something Nora, Cook, and Damon would probably all disagree with).

There really were countless ways Nate could slip up and let Helen in on something she shouldn't be. His feelings about the Institute, what he knows about Shaun, his involvement with Dr. Li's group, their plan- the goals of the plan. For as young as the shrink seemed, Nate had to give her credit: she was excellent at digging through the 'noise' to find whatever she was looking for. A subtle push here, a benign suggestion there, constantly insinuating how much the Institute could mean to him, how much Shaun wanted him, how the best thing he could do was help the Institute.

Repetition is the king of propaganda, and whether the woman knew it or not, she was very good at it. Was that why his son stuck her with him? He wanted to bring the ex-soldier to his side, even if that meant trying to indoctrinate him?

Nate's heart was pounding in his chest as he stopped in front of the silver and yellow painted door back in the regular living quarters. He'd been confident the day before when Jackson originally suggested this. Now though… now their plan was irrevocably in action, and he had one shot to get this right or risk a lot of people's lives, he was uneasy. Now he was standing at Helen's door, the certainty he felt about being able to play her wasn't there.

He needed to push that away. This isn't the time to doubt, it's the time to act, and-

"The moment you doubt what you're doing is the moment you die."

After a deep breath, the ex-soldier buzzed the room.

Footsteps drifted out from behind the door and, a few moments later, it slid open to reveal a slender, dark haired man with pale skin, narrow features, and an uncertain frown on his face.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a low, slightly nasally voice.

"Yeah, Dr. Porter has been asking me to talk with her about what happened last week. I think I'm ready to, if she's available."

The man, a few inches taller than Nate, stared him down for a few seconds, seemingly considering his request. While he'd never seen this guy before, it was probably her husband.

"Sure", he said eventually. "Wait here a moment please."

With the door sliding shut again, the ex-soldier heard his footsteps recede from the entrance. Muffled voices made it through the thin steel. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but one of them was clearly the psychiatrist. Nate began chewing on his lower lip. He really didn't dislike her. She just thought she was doing her job the best she could.

Is that what Shaun is doing? Doing the best he can?

No more than a dozen seconds later, the door whispered open once again to admit the woman. She was dressed in her normal white coveralls with her shoulder length hair pulled back into a ponytail. Dr. Porter was smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. There was more than a little uncertainty in them.

"You aren't going to be present for the mission?" she asked.

Nate shook his head. "They're at the operational stage. Nothing I can do for now." He paused long enough to give the impression of hesitation, a frown on his face. "I told you I know how I deal with grief. I think I've gotten to the point I need to run a few things by someone else. This situation is just so… different from anything else I've been in."

"Are you sure? You seemed pretty upset the last time I asked."

The ex-soldier's frown deepened. "I am still upset. I don't think you appreciate how it feels to be used to kill a friend." He offered a defeated shrug. "What am I going to do at this point though? He's gone."

"No, Nate", Dr. Porter replied, shaking her head. "This isn't about being stuck-"

She glanced back into her apartment where her husband was sitting at the table with a toddler.

An unexpected twinge in Nate's chest pulled an involuntary wince out of him.

Porter noticed.

"Let's go to the Commons. We'll have a bit more privacy there."

Nate found himself nodding in agreement.

A few minutes later they were sitting beside several large planters and a fountain that looked like it would have been more at home in a baroque style city than the Institute.

"I'm just here to follow along", she said, voice mellow and agreeable in that aggravating fashion the ex-soldier had heard so many times before. "Go wherever you want."

The best way to do this would be to stay as honest as possible, or if he was going to lie, keep it close to the truth.

"You admitted I was being manipulated." She nodded, a small frown on her lips. "How long was I being manipulated for?"

"Shaun wanted to bring both you and Damon onboard", the shrink replied. "He knew you and Damon trusted each other, but once your friend proved he was a danger to us and our cause, your son thought it would be best to keep things as simple as possible."

"Are you saying it was since he broke into the FEV lab?"

"More or less."

Nate shook his head. "That isn't an answer."

Her frown deepened. "It is the best I am aware of. I didn't know of any contingencies regarding Damon prior to that."

Good enough for now. "Fine. So he decided to strain our relationship to the point he could take advantage of it. I'm guessing that's why he requested Damon bring Nora's body back, and why he had several conversations with me between that and the Brotherhood attack. That's why he had more after the attack, mostly about what we needed to do to secure the Institute."

"In part, but you must understand none of those things are unique to his relationship with you, Nate. All of us want to do everything we can to keep the Institute safe."

The ex-soldier nodded. "Yes, which is why you can justify manipulating people and feeling it isn't wrong."

Silence settled over the two of them again as the shrink eyed him suspiciously. Had he gone too far? Was he letting a little too much of his irritation come through?

"What's your intention here?" she asked eventually.

"Are you asking about this conversation, or what I'm doing at the Institute?"

"Let's start with this conversation."

Nate threw up his hands. "I just want to understand why my own son thought he had to kill Damon- why he decided to use me to do it."

Porter eyed him with something akin to pity. "You feel betrayed."

"Obviously."

"I understand. It isn't something anyone would be comfortable with, especially given the circumstances."

Really? No one would be comfortable with being used to kill their best friend? You don't say.

The ex-soldier may just be here as an act, but the patronizing was bringing out some very real anger.

"But", she continued, "if you truly do want to understand it would help if you knew why we are willing to do almost anything to ensure the prosperity of the Institute."

Oh? Even kidnap families and experiment on them?

He motioned for her to continue, expression as impassive as he could manage.

"Everyone here is aware the things we do could be considered unsavory." The shrink frowned. "Without compromising the privacy of my patients, I'm privy to a lot of them. Many of our people have trouble dealing with them, which is why Father employs a robust psychiatry department. We suffer these things because the fate of humanity rests is resting on our ability to create and advance new technologies, while also learning how to deal with the problems we see in the Commonwealth above."

Porter paused again to glance around them. "The FEV experiments are truly awful, and you won't hear me or anyone else say otherwise, but the Supermutants are an existential threat to humanity. They may be dumb, but they're incredibly resilient. In addition, the Forced Evolutionary Virus causes unchecked mutations in other flora and fauna, as was stated when Damon first broke into our labs."

Her expression changed again, eyes searching his face, maybe for understanding, or acceptance- he didn't know. The ex-soldier gave her as little as possible. Mentioning the SPARTAN wasn't a coincidence; he'd realized that, for her youth and perceived geniality, she was calculating. Is that why Shaun had her working with him?

"I'm sure you remember my personal mantra for what we do here."

A short quiet fell over them. Of course he remembered it. Even in the state he'd been in when she said it the first time, the words rung ominous in his emotionally beleaguered mind: For the Greater Good.

It was obvious she was waiting for him to say something. A part of him, his ego, wanted to wait, let her say it. She was trying to get him to engage, but he really didn't want to.

I have to. This is the entire reason I'm here.

"For the Greater Good", Nate bit out, the edge on his voice more involuntary than not. Porter didn't seem fazed.

"Yes. For the Greater Good", she replied with a nod. "We do things because we are in a position to best benefit humanity."

"Then how do you justify it? Kidnapping people, putting the fear and suspicion you do into the people above ground?" He waved a hand around them at the cavernous chamber that must have taken more engineering and materials than all the settlements and towns he and Damon had been to combined. "Why haven't you shared any of it with them?"

"You said it yourself: they're afraid of us."

The ex-soldier squinted at her. "That's your fault. What, you're going to wait until people decide you're okay? That isn't how this works. I know I don't need to tell you that."

"I believe that is part of the reason Father wanted to recruit you, to install you in a leadership position."

What? That didn't make any sense?

"What do you mean?"

"We've all been living in the Institute our entire lives. More than that, the vast majority of the families here, outside of Father and Dr. Li, have spent generations in the Institute. You- even if most of your social experience has been from before the war- haven't."

Nate blinked, watching the slender woman's impassive expression, looking for a clue about what she meant. He wasn't there to teach them how to fight a war? The ex-soldier was there for… public relations? That- how does that make sense? Aren't there a thousand better ways to improve their relationship with the people of the Commonwealth than him? Than a damaged, 250 year old soldier?

But the possibility Shaun hadn't been exploiting him solely for his combat experience, that he wanted him there to make a difference was… relieving. Damon hadn't been wrong, but he hadn't been entirely right either. Yes, they needed to win a war against the Brotherhood, but they also wanted to change, to get more involved with the survivors in the ruined city and wilderness above.

Despite himself, the infantryman felt a spark of excitement shoot through his chest. He did have the opportunity to make things better. He had an opportunity to help, to maybe make up for some small modicum of the damage he'd done. And… it put Shaun's decision to kill Damon into perspective. A horrible, sickening, but now understandable perspective.

They didn't want to become a military power, they just wanted to win this war. To them, the armored titan was nothing more than a weapon. That's something they not only didn't necessarily need, but they didn't want.

The ex-soldier wanted to puke. Damon may not have always acted like it, hell, the SPARTAN might not have even thought so himself. But dammit he was more than that, and it was another searing knife in his side that misunderstanding is what led to his death.

"You- Shaun wants me to help bridge the gap between the Institute and the people above?" the ex-soldier asked, unable to keep the surprise, and hope, out of his voice.

Porter nodded slowly. "More than that, he wants you to help guide some of our goals, to align them with ones that may more readily assist the Commonwealth."

Help guide the Institute? Nate leaned back in his chair, staring at the shrink who had a slim, gentle smile on her face.

"Why keep that a secret? Why play this cloak and dagger game then?"

"Because-"

An alarm blared before Porter could continue. Fear flashed in her suddenly dinner plate sized eyes as she hurriedly stood from her chair, knocking or over backward. That alarm- it was the same as the one before the Brotherhood attack. But they said they'd secured the molecular relay. How did-

The plan. Sam. She escaped.

"Unscheduled departure", the droning voice sounded through the facility's PA system. "Recovery team, report to SRD."

That's right. They needed him here to give him an alibi during the escape. After that, he needed to attach himself to the recovery effort and make sure Sam was captured after her memory was erased. Otherwise he needed to go through with that favor.

But if Shaun wants him involved in the leadership efforts anyway, isn't this undermining that? If he went along with this-

I have to. If I don't the entire group gets found out. They're just trying to do what's right, and considering what the Institute does, I have to agree. Besides, as long as we do this right, it doesn't hurt anything.

Shaun wants him to be there, to help change the Institute, to help them give their technology and help to the people of the Commonwealth. It was- well it was an incredible revelation, one that made Nate… genuinely excited.

One thing at a time. If I need to change plans after this, I'll do that.

"I need to go", he said to the frightened looking doctor. "If that's what I think it is, I need to be involved in this."

Porter looked at him, eyes still wide, but some of the fear had drained away when she realized they weren't under attack.

"What do you think this is?"

"An unscheduled departure? Right now? I know there's been an issue with escaping Synths, right? Unless something else is going on, the deployment of our raid parties would provide the perfect cover for one getting away." He stood from his chair. "If I'm right, we can't risk them being captured by the Brotherhood. We need to get them back now."

The ex-soldier began toward the staircase with a certainty he didn't feel.

It didn't do his conscience any good, especially considering the circumstance, but Damon had been wrong.

"Better get used to being a monster, Nate. You'll have to if you want to stay with the Institute. You won't change what happens here, and you won't fix anything in the Commonwealth."

He didn't have to become a monster to help his son. If it was the truth, if Porter was being honest with him, he could change things, he could make things better.

I can do this, Damon. It won't make up for what I did, but it's a start.

Weaving his way back through the facility to the Synth Retention Division, the ex-soldier entered the main entrance that also doubled as a prep area. It wasn't large, but the steel walled room had enough space for a dozen people along with a wall dedicated to equipment and an alcove with five terminals currently being manned by SRD techs. He found a half dozen Coursers, including X6-88 standing in front of Ayo, Brown, Jackson and two other SRD technicians he'd only seen a few times.

"-finds out how this happened. Especially now of all times", the SRD leader said, furiously pacing back and forth. His eyes shot to the infantryman as he came to a stop just inside the room. "And to what do I owe the pleasure, Nate."

With some difficulty, the ex-soldier pushed the thoughts of his conversation with Porter to the side. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say a Synth escaped."

The SRD leader's face was its customary red, eyes wide, but unlike Porter, it was in anger. "I do not see-"

"It's my business because I'm leading the war effort against the Brotherhood", he interrupted, trying to inject as much fire into his voice as he could muster. "If you lose a Synth now, and they capture it-" Her- "-that's a massive security breakdown. They'll be able to gather information from h- the Synth we can't afford to give them." The ex-soldier caught himself at the last moment, making the mistake sound more like exasperation than a misstep. Ayo didn't seem to notice. Maybe he was too angry.

"That is something I am fully aware of. I do not need you telling me what constitutes security risks when that is my job."

"And yet you let one escape." Nate stole a glance at Jackson. The dark skinned man seemed both appropriately alarmed and uncertain. The ex-soldier had to remind himself this was probably the 20th time he'd been through something like this, while it was Nate's first. "I want to be attached to the recovery team. This needs to go off perfectly."

Ayo scoffed. "My Coursers are more than capable of finding the subject before anything happens. You would only slow them down."

"I doubt that", Nate said, "we both know what Damon did to one of your Coursers, and I kept up with him for two months." That wasn't strictly true, but right now the truth wasn't what mattered, it was selling himself. "We can't do this like your normal investigations; we have to hit the ground running and get this done now. That may involve contact with people up there." The ex-soldier motioned at the Coursers, dressed in their customary full length black leather jackets. "They can't go out looking like that, and they need someone who can make things work if we need to change tactics."

A few new sets of footsteps preceded another group approaching the room and Nate turned just in time to see Shaun entering. Madison was behind him, a grim determination set on her face. It was probably because of what they had to do, what Sam was sacrificing, but it worked well for the situation.

"We know where the relay signal terminated", Li said, "we need to get moving before the Railroad or the Brotherhood gets there."

Nate turned back to Ayo. "Have your team change into something more inconspicuous. I'll meet them upstairs."

Shaun cleared his throat, stepping up next to the ex-soldier. "What are you saying? You want to go with them?"

"Yes", the infantryman said, meeting his son's impassive gaze. "This can't be a normal recovery operation. We need to move fast and be flexible. The Coursers are good at hunting the way they're programmed, but we don't have time to do that right now."

When the older man didn't respond, Nate glanced at Li and gave her a nod. "We'll get her back before anything happens."

"I have not agreed to this", Ayo spat. "You may be in charge of the war effort, but the SRD is still my division to run as I see fit."

"We don't have time for this." Nate's urgency wasn't entirely manufactured; despite the teleportation spot being cleared by a reconnaissance team two days ago, there was always a risk something unexpected were to happen. "Until you can come up with a way to create more adaptable programming for the Coursers, we need to do things differently." The ex-soldier looked at Shaun again. "We need to change how we operate- you know that."

"Yes…" the white haired man replied, voice and expression still as robotic as the Coursers'. "I believe we do, but we cannot continue putting you at risk."

That wasn't promising… He had to head this off before Shaun could come up with anything else. But how? What could he offer to keep himself on this mission. He couldn't risk someone else being sent in his place. If he did, they might send someone he can't trust. They might-

Jackson said they needed other people getting field experience. This would be the best opportunity they got; heavy Courser guard, an operation that, ostensibly, doesn't involve the Brotherhood.

"Send Jackson and I", Nate said. "Jackson is as familiar with the Coursers and how they operate as anyone else, and you're right, we need other people with time out in the Commonwealth. I can't be the only one with time above ground, and we'll need as much as possible."

The SRD tech stepped forward a little too quickly. "I agree. This is a mission I can gain experience on with minimal risk, and I am well acquainted with recovery operations."

A general sense of agreement pervaded from the other assembled SRD personnel as they nodded their assent.

All except for Ayo.

"So you are not only asking me to send someone with no recovery experience, but also one of my best people", he said, voice so cool it could have frozen air.

"You know it's the right move", Nate replied, frustration mounting. "We don't have time for this. We all know what the correct decision is, your obstinance isn't helpful."

"I am dubious as well, Justin", Shaun said before the SRD leader could respond, "but he is correct: we need to do this quickly, and the more options available to our recovery efforts in the future, the better."

Silence settled over the crowded prep room, the Coursers still standing stoically at attention while every other eye was glued on Ayo. His face was cherry red, but the small man's glare was locked on Shaun. It seemed like an eternity, though the pause couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but eventually he nodded.

Jackson stepped forward. "The target is C2-61, designation Samantha. She worked in the hydroponics processing center. It is unknown how she obtained the knowledge and resources necessary to escape. If we are able to capture her before the Railroad, we may have the opportunity to examine her memories for more information on the ring she worked with."

The SRD technician marched over to a large screen set in the wall behind Ayo. It flickered into life, displaying an area map of Boston.

"This is the position she teleported to", he said pointing at an area near the north west corner of downtown. It was well out of the way of the zone they deemed 'dangerous', especially after their last mission. Hopefully, the position would provide enough difficulty tracking her the ruse would be believable. "If we deploy within fifteen minutes", he drew a circle on the screen, "this is the are she may have been able to reach safely." Most of it was the largely destroyed suburbs of the city. Of course, Nate already knew they would find her hiding in a partially collapsed tower about 250 meters south of where she teleported, but he needed to give them something.

"She wouldn't head north, too exposed and too much risk with the Brotherhood around."

"Agreed. Normally, the Railroad operates underground, but there are no subways in this area, the nearest one is here." Jackson pointed to another spot on the screen, at least a mile and a half to the east. "She wouldn't risk that journey, not without an escort."

Ayo grunted. "We can assume the Railroad will be hesitant to expose themselves again. This must have been a mistake- there is no way to get to that area quickly without risk of being seen. They may think C2-61 can hide until nightfall when they are able to move."

"I believe so", Jackson replied, "but I don't think we can assume this was a mistake. Considering how difficult they've been to pin down recently, we have to approach this with caution."

Nate nodded. "We can probably limit our searches to the south. Outside the city proper is too risky, and the area east would be considered high risk. Plus, we have teams operating in those sectors- whoever organized this would know that."

"This area was cleared by our reconnaissance teams two days ago", Brown said, eyeing the map suspiciously, "but with the increased Supermutant activity, we can't assume we won't run into them either."

"So we need to approach this with caution", the ex-soldier echoed. "Come prepared for anything from the Railroad to the Brotherhood, move quick and quiet, and be careful to stay away from ambush sights or potential traps." He glanced at the Coursers who were still standing in silence, staring unblinkingly at the screen. It really was an eerie sight. "We know what kind of traps the Railroad likes using."

They didn't actually have any Railroad threat to worry about, but this was still a useful exercise; there were a dozen other threats they might run into. The Brotherhood was chief among them, but besides Supermutants, they also had Raiders, Gunners, random, roving bands like the one they ran into at the factory, feral Ghouls, and plenty more.

"We'll have three groups: two Coursers on point, two more with Jackson and I, two more as rear guard. Move fast and keep each other covered."

The ex-soldier got a nod from Jackson, nothing from the Synths, a still rage tinged stare from Ayo, and a blank expression from Shaun.

With no further suggestions, or objections, Nate turned and marched from the room. He had equipment to gather, and a head to get on straight. As much as he shoved the conversation with Porter aside, he could still feel it swirling at the back of his mind. The implications about his future role, their reason for wanting to kill Damon, and what the Institute's goals might be. Maybe if this mission was successful, he'd discuss it with Li. She would have a better insight into what might be going on.

For now he needed to focus.

A few minutes later, the ex-soldier was gathering his equipment, pulling his satchel on, slinging his rifle, the same rifle he'd gotten from the Brotherhood what felt like a lifetime ago, and checking his magazines. His heart was pounding again, and he could feel adrenaline begin teasing into his veins. As he left his room and headed for the elevator that would take him to the Molecular relay, he felt the same nervous energy as every time he left the Institute since the ambush wash into his arms.

Had the SPARTAN really been that much a comfort when they fought?

Nate almost laughed at himself as he began through the Commons. Of course he had. Damon was someone he trusted, not just because of his inhuman combat prowess, but because he knew the young man. He trusted the armored titan would do everything in his power to keep Nate alive, even from early on in their time traveling together. The memory of searing pain exploding in his chest flashed through his mind. The next thing he knew, the SPARTAN was over him, holding gauze to the wound, somehow surviving the ambush and bringing him along.

A deep breath rattled through the infantryman as he saw Jackson approach the elevator from the opposite direction. The dark skinned man was dressed similarly to Nate: khakis, a dark jacket, and MOLLE belt with several pouches arranged on it. Unlike the ex-soldier, Jackson was cradling one of the Institute's laser rifles.

He couldn't hide the slight tremor in his hands.

Even if the SRD technician wanted to go to the surface, wanted to gain field experience, he was scared. It occurred to Nate the man had never been out of the Institute before- none of the scientists beside Shaun and Madison had. Jackson wouldn't know what to expect. That was the worst thing for Nate after he'd first woken up in this destroyed version of his home: he had no clue what was waiting for him.

The difference was, Damon was there. Even though he knew nothing about the man who would become his protector, he'd seen what the SPARTAN had done to the Raiders who attacked Sanctuary that first night.

It's my turn now. Nate wasn't Damon- he wasn't superhuman. But he'd be damned if he let Jackson down here. They'd get Sam and come back safe.

"Jackson", he said, steadying his own voice as they stepped into the elevator that would take them to the top of the Institute, "when we get out there, stick by me." The ex-soldier flashed a smile. "We'll be fine. Just keep taking deep breaths, watch your step, and take things slow and steady. Don't expect yourself to know what to do the first time out. If you need something, let me know. You may think you're being a burden, but the way we both get back safe is if you're honest with yourself. You're scared, that's normal. Accept it and move forward knowing that will affect you. You got me?"

The other man met Nate's gaze and, after a moment of silence, the only sound the elevator being whisked up to the Molecular Relay, he nodded.

"Good. Remember, adrenaline can make it difficult to pay attention to detail, you might not be able to read, you'll act without thinking. Make sure you keep that in mind at all times."

"Anything I can do about it", Jackson said, struggling to control his voice.

"A few." The elevator lurched to a stop. "Shake your arms and legs out before we teleport, stay relaxed, and take slow deep breaths. It's a message to your body everything is okay. After the initial shock, you'll start calming down."

As the doors slid open and admitted them to the hall leading toward the teleportation bays, Jackson grunted. "Hopefully we get a little time at the start then."

Nate offered another small smile. "We can take some to get everyone settled." He held out his hand, trembling ever so slightly. "You aren't the only one. I'm so used to having someone watch my back it's… been hard the last few times."

Lowering his arm, the ex-soldier shrugged and understanding flashed across Jackson's face.

The two of them stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the teleporters. Their Coursers were already waiting, each now dressed in some variety of what they thought was the garb most people in the Commonwealth wear. It largely consisted of well worn looking combat bottoms, boots, and various jackets over their equipment carriers. Two had the gauss rifles they were, supposedly, keeping secret, while the others had Li's improved design of laser rifle. It was a good call, they could only get through a few dozen shots before needing to be rebuilt, but if they were in a gunfight any longer than that, they were in trouble.

"Let's get going", Nate said and marched toward the nearest Molecular Relay bay. The butterflies in his stomach only grew stronger as he stepped inside, followed by Jackson, X6-88, and X2-17. They weren't Damon, but they were the two Coursers the ex-soldier was most comfortable with. It would have to work.

"Deep breath, relax", he muttered. Nate said it to himself, but when he glanced at the other man, Jackson nodded at him. It must have been loud enough for him to hear.

An instant later, the teleporter energized and they disappeared in the customary blinding light.

X

The initial nausea of teleporting (however it works) hit Jackson the same way it had Nate. As the brilliance of their transition faded, the SRD tech staggered before dropping to his knees. An instant later, the dilapidated tile floor of the lobby they were transported to was covered in his breakfast.

Something very similar happened when Nate and Damon first entered the Institute.

While the other man gathered himself, the ex-soldier began scanning the room as the team of Coursers fanned out around them. It was large, with a ceiling maybe 20 feet above them, and what looked like it had been very nice furniture around 200 years ago arranged around the now crumbling space.

Afternoon light was streaming in from the shattered windows which gave way to the decrepit cityscape beyond. Even after months wandering around the city, it was still jarring to see. It still didn't make any sense to the ex-soldier.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he glanced back at Jackson who was gathering himself off of the rubble strewn floor. With a grimace, the dark skinned man wiped his mouth and nodded. The determination in his eyes was admirable- he wanted to get Sam back. Nate did too, but the unease of what they asked her to do- no, what she volunteered for still gnawed at the back of his mind.

"Move out", Nate whispered, and the first two Coursers slipped out into the street. Normally, this type of mission would take significantly more manpower, and time. The ex-soldier had been involved in plenty of grid searches before, and to say they were tedious would be an understatement. A big one.

Working in their favor, though, was the limited area Sam could have used safely, and the fact that almost every inch of street and sidewalk was covered in rubble. He didn't have to be an experienced tracker to pick up a trail, especially considering their 'mark' wasn't exactly trying not to leave one.

"I have tracks", one of the Coursers whispered as Nate and Jackson exited with their Synth escort. She was kneeling near a pile that, at one point, had been brick work, studying several pieces of disturbed rubble. It wasn't obvious, but the ex-soldier could see it had been shifted very recently. The concrete sidewalk in that spot was far less weather worn than the area around it, and the same anomaly repeated itself ten feet later.

The woman pointed to something else on the ruined sidewalk and said, "these treads are from standard field footwear. This is C2-61's path." Nate couldn't see what she was talking about, but he'd have to trust her. Besides, he already knew where she'd be hiding, and this was in the right direction. Might as well roll with it.

"Good", Nate said, careful to keep his voice low, "follow it."

With a nod, the Courser stood and, along with her partner, began skirting past the buildings. After a few seconds, the two of them melted into the shadows cast by the once impressives structures around them. It wasn't just darkness, they'd disappeared. The ex-soldier had known about their cloaking technology, but it was the first time he'd seen it in action.

How the hell had Damon found one of them?

20 seconds later, the two men and their escort followed, careful to maintain spacing so, if they did happen across an ambush they wouldn't all be caught at once. Jackson, for his part, still looked nervous, but his step was relatively light, and the technician seemed attentive. The discomfort that settled into Nate's stomach didn't recede. If anything, it was more pronounced than when they started. Here they were, waltzing through the ruins of Boston with any number of things that could go wrong.

Of course, he wouldn't have wanted anyone else to be in his position, but that didn't mean he felt good about it. The ex-soldier realized even before the ambush, something had broken in him. Whatever allowed him to set the fear of injury or death aside and focus on the mission for so many years was gone. It had vanished the instant he saw his brother in arms, another soldier Nate was sworn to protect, take a round through the eye.

With the SPARTAN around, it was easy to fool himself into thinking it was just jitters, because Damon could handle most things that came their way. Now, faced with the idea he was again his own best defense, those jitters weren't relegated to the back of his mind anymore.

As they stalked through the city, following X6-88 who seemed to be able to track his cloaked counterparts, the sun cast longer and longer shadows across the streets and alleys they wandered. It was slow going, stopping regularly, taking detours, checking blind spots, scouting the entrances to several of the collapsing structures around them.

Their point men were taking Nate's instructions about going slow and staying cautious seriously. He'd be lying if he said that wasn't a relief. More than a few times, they backtracked a street to avoid an uncertain looking intersection, or circumvent a passable, but still risky blockage.

By the time they neared the tower Sam would be hiding in, the sun was beginning to sink toward the tops of the buildings west of them.

Her hideout was a squat, long building in a business park that looked like it had seen far better days in the past. In fact, the one she was in was the only still standing structure.

If she really was there waiting for the Railroad, it would be a pretty good hiding spot. That's why Isaiah had chosen it.

X6-88 motioned them to a halt a block north of their target. The four of them took cover near one of the dilapidated buildings on the west side of the street. "We may have found C2-61", he whispered, voice still managing to stay oddly monotonous. "Z4-10 is confirming now."

The ex-soldier's heart crept into his throat. He knew this would happen, he knew they would find her. Even so… this wasn't something he was looking forward to. More than that, he was worried for Sam. He felt sorry for her, regardless of what Jackson, Li, Isaiah, and any of the other members of this party told him. He felt sorry because he was beginning to wonder if it was necessary. If their plan was to involve him in leadership to help change the Institute for the better-

"We seem to have encountered a problem", X6-88 whispered again. "There are signs of Gunner activity."

That had Nate's undivided attention.

"What do you mean 'signs'?"

The dark skinned Courser turned to him, dark sunglasses hiding eyes the infantryman knew were just as emotionless as his voice. "They have found several of them. The group appears to be tracking C2-61 as well."

The pit in Nate's stomach dropped out into a yawning chasm.

"Go help them, we'll catch up. We cannot let S- C2-61 be captured, understood."

X6-88 nodded. "Yes sir."

Without waiting for any other orders, the Courser almost seemed to melt from view as he turned and hurried toward their target.

They couldn't let the Gunners get to her. If they did, he had no doubt they'd sell Sam to the Brotherhood.

He wouldn't let someone else down like that. Not after Julian.

Turning to Jackson he found the other man already staring at him, wide eyed and jaw set. He looked scared, but had it under control. "Stay close and keep your head down. No heroics, don't take any fight you don't know you can win. X2-17, your lead."

After receiving a nod, the ex-soldier motioned their remaining Courser forward and the three of them crept toward the target. The thick, heavy silence that had accompanied them throughout the journey was almost unbearable all of a sudden. It was like the city was leaning in over him, trying to smother Nate in its destroyed, crumbling grasp.

If he let Sam down, if his idea put her in even more danger-

They made it about half way to the large, yellowing building when the first shot rang out. It was the odd, subdued report of a laser weapon inside their target, shortly followed by a hail of conventional fire.

Shit- shit, no. I can't let her get captured. They weren't too late, they couldn't have been. Damon said the Courser he killed had torn through a dozen Gunners before he caught up. There were three of them in there. That had to be enough.

Right?

The yawning absence left by the SPARTAN felt that much more pressing as they double timed it toward the escalating gunfight.

Their target had plenty of collapsed walls to choose from for an entrance. X2-17 led them to one adjacent to a set of service stairs. Inside were was the remains of desks, terminals, and a multitude of decrepit office furniture scattered across a massive room that looked like it took up most of the first floor.

None of that mattered though, what mattered is they get to Sam and get her back to the Institute before anything happened.

They climbed to the third level of the structure and emerged into a long, dim hall, only lit by the fading sunlight filtering through the holes in the roof and cracks in the wall. The gunfire was coming from up ahead, and it was increasing in volume.

If it weren't for the deafeningly loud gunshots ringing out ahead of them, the loudest thing would have been the ex-soldier's heart trying to beat its way out of his chest. This wasn't the same as the last two times he'd been out; it was a gunfight he was going to be a part of.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

The ex-soldier could feel himself on the verge of another episode. A flash of the Supermutant's exploding head careened through his mind.

One step at a time. One shot at a time.

Doing his best to suppress the lump in his throat, Nate crept down the dimly lit hall, plasterboard, and sheetrock making it difficult to move quietly. X2-17 was 15 feet in front of him, hugging the left wall, rifle trained on the far end of the passage. Several doors lined their path and stopping to clear each slowed them, but the last thing they needed was to be caught unawares. Their Courser escort was thorough and efficient though, and a few terrifying moments later, they arrived at a T intersection. The fighting was coming from the left-

A round crashed through the corner of the wall as the Synth peered around it and all three of them dropped to the ground.

Another shot sprayed more sheetrock across them, and another. Whoever was down there knew they had to keep them pinned or they'd be in trouble.

With the roaring gunfire spraying in their direction, it was impossible to tell how many Gunners they were facing, but it couldn't have been many, right? They were fighting three Coursers, if these things were as good as Ayo kept flaunting… how was this taking so long?

"Cloak and go!", Nate shouted at X2-17 over the deafening reports. "Take the far side of the hall, I'll cover you."

The Courser nodded and carefully raised herself into a crouch. The ex-soldier followed suit and squeezed himself next to her on the corner. He held up three fingers and counted down. When the last one dropped, she faded from view. He was really about to do this- stick his head out into the hall and start shooting.

Yes. I am. Now put your balls back on and go.

After a trio of pounding heartbeats thudded through his chest, the infantryman dropped to a knee and edged around the corner. He exposed as little as possible and propped the rifle on the crumbling plasterboard.

His eyes took a snapshot of the scene in front of him: at least a half dozen green armored forms of the Gunners were crowded in the hall, probably a lot more, firing down toward the far side of the hall. Nate's next breath came slow and steady as he tightened his finger around the trigger of his rifle. It's weight was familiar, comforting. It felt exactly like the rifle he carried for a decade and a half.

Adding its own voice to the cacophony, Nate's rifle barked a round out and it crashed into the first Gunner's chest. It sent them tumbling to the ground- that meant they were probably still in it. Another enemy fighter sighted on him and years of drilling saved his life.

Dropping his knee out from under him, the ex-soldier pitched backward, firing again as he did. The Gunner's gun went off in the same instant and Nate felt the round crack by a few inches from his left ear. His own round caught the woman in the neck, but he didn't get to see the results as he fell back and rolled behind the corner once again.

More gunfire speared through the wall, sending pieces of drywall flying. Nate caught a handful in the face, temporarily blinding him.

The ex-soldier's job was done though, he'd distracted their forces long enough to get X2-17 into the hallway. He couldn't risk firing blindly back through the wall for risk of hitting her, but hopefully he didn't need to-

A new sound caught his attention, barely audible over the raging fight in the adjoining corridor.

What was-

Oh shit.

More shooting. There was another fight going on outside. The two Coursers on rear guard were engaged. Was it more Gunners? Brotherhood? Supermutants?

I can't worry about that now. One problem at a time.

Brushing the plasterboard particles from his face, Nate's hand came away slick. When he pried his eyes open, he found a streak of blood over his palm. He felt around his face and found the cut across his cheek. That was fine, it wouldn't impede his vision, and it wasn't very deep. They couldn't stay here though, the risk of being flanked by whatever reinforcements showed up wasn't something he was going to mess with.

"Go!" The ex-soldier shouted, turning to Jackson who was pressing himself to the floor, clutching his laser rifle like his life depended on it. "We need to move."

The other man stared at him, wide eyed, but he nodded before struggling to find his feet.

The two of them hurried back down the hall and into an adjoining room. Nate remembered one of them led to another hall further down. It would give the infantryman a new angle to engage the Gunners and get them away from the service staircase. That at least provided some buffer from any of the new party members that made it past the Coursers outside.

Problem was they entered the wrong room.

Dammit.

They rushed back into the corridor and into another room. Nate found it on the third try and they sprinted through the mess of collapsed office furniture, overturned desks, and destroyed terminals to the far end. It led them out into another hall and Nate led Jackson back to the corner.

In the 30 seconds it had taken them to reposition, the volume of gunfire had slowed ever so slightly. When the ex-soldier peaked around the corner, he found five of the Gunners laying dead. It was impossible to tell what had killed them, but he saw a pool of blood under the one he'd shot in the neck. An unexpected spark of satisfaction flit through the back of his mind. He can do this, he can do this.

As he watched, another Gunner caught a laser bolt to the back of the head and tumbled forward. It seemed as if it appeared from nowhere. Nate had just enough time to catch a glimpse of the now pinned mercenaries begin spraying at the space X2-17 had been in before ducking back behind the corner. Bullets chewed through the wall as he scrambled away. It looked like there were maybe seven or eight of them left. They were clumped together and flanked on both sides. That was a death sentence.

A relieved breath found its way out of Nate as he allowed himself an instant of reprieve. That meant-

"YEAH! FUCK YOU BITCH!"

The shout was so loud the ex-soldier could hear it over the roar of gunfire.

A cold grip wrapped around his chest and Nate forced himself to peak back around the corner.

Oh shit, oh shit.

Three more Gunners were laying on the floor, dead, making a total of eight but-

Had one of them scored a lucky hit? They couldn't see her- was it just chance?

X2-17 was visible again, laying on the floor halfway between Nate and the Gunners. Half of her head was missing.

The pit in the infantryman's stomach that, at some point, had faded was back in full force. Not only was that one of his people, but she was also their ticket back to the Institute. Without her-

Adapt. What do I need to do now?

Nate leaned out a little more, just enough to bring his rifle up and squeezed off half of the magazine before ducking back once more to avoid the barrage of gunfire. He scored hits on three, downed two.

This had to get done fast. He needed to get Jackson and himself over to the other Coursers before anyone else managed to get inside.

Three left.

A few seconds later, laser reports from the far end of the hall ripped through the corridor and the conventional gunfire stopped. The other three Coursers had finished the last of the Gunners. Good that meant-

Pounding boots ringing on the metal steps of the service staircase were immediately evident in the relative quiet. It was too late.

Change the plan.

"X6-88", he screamed down the hall, "X2-17 is down, take Sam and go." Nate heard the door to the service staircase burst open. He didn't know how many managed to make it past, or if the rear guard was still alive, but he couldn't take the risk. "We'll meet back at CIT. Do it now."

"Affirmative!" came the reply. Even given the adrenaline and fear rushing through the ex-soldier, he had the capacity to find it odd the tone of the Courser didn't shift, even when he was shouting.

Nate turned to Jackson and pointed down the hall. "Move!"

Without waiting for him to oblige, the ex-soldier pivoted back toward the approaching enemies and raised his rifle. Firing on the move is something he spent countless hours drilling. 'Dynamic fighting' was the buzzword he'd heard over and over. It sounded stupid, but here, just like so many times during his almost two decade career, it saved his life.

Flexing his knees, he began walking backward in a half crouch, elbows tight to his side as he sighted on the corner to keep the rifle supported and steady. Move too abruptly, you won't hit a damn thing, the key is to keep it smooth and your weapon as still as possible.

He didn't give their pursuers a chance to round into the corridor. Nate emptied what was left in his magazine into the wall and he heard the scrambling boots on debris over the reports as they hurried to stop.

Behind him, Jackson's footsteps were clattering back up the hall. They needed to move; he wasn't Damon, he couldn't face off against whatever opponents he wanted. The first group had been caught out by their flank, this one wouldn't be.

As the rifle's bolt locked open, Nate swapped magazines with a practiced ease that belied his years of familiarity with the weapon.

The green flash of a Gunner's body armor appeared in the hall and the ex-soldier opened fire once again. The 7.62 full metal jacket rounds slammed into their target, sending him to the ground as blood exploded from his head. Nate put one more shot into the downed man before returning his sights to the corner.

Risking a glance behind him, he saw Jackson at the end of the hall, waving him toward an open door.

After the ex-soldier sent another half dozen rounds crashing into the wall, most of the corner now missing, he turned and double timed it through the exit. More pounding footsteps echoed from the hall, Nate couldn't tell how many there were, but he knew they'd managed to get past the Coursers outside. Whether that meant they killed them, or they avoided them, it didn't matter. With their inability to raise them, he couldn't take the chance either way.

The two of them raced through the decrepit building full of destroyed furniture and computers until they found another service staircase. Pounding down the concrete stairs, Nate cleared their exit before slipping out into the hall. Everything that happened now was on him; there was no one, not even one of the Coursers to watch his back. No offense to Jackson, but this was the first time he'd been out of the Institute, let alone in a firefight.

Goddammit.

Nate made it a point to exit the opposite side of the building from where they entered. It wasn't a certainty the Gunners wouldn't be patrolling that side, but considering they'd at least engaged the rear guard, it would be less likely.

As he observed on his way in, most of the other buildings in the business park were little more than mounds of rubble. There, luckily, weren't many places for an enemy to hide, unless they crammed themselves into the debris. The sun had dropped behind the western horizon, bathing everything in a dull red glow. That meant they had plenty of shadows to stick to, but he didn't want to move in the city at night either. So they'd be spending the night outside.

Have to survive the next few minutes before that becomes a concern.

"Stay here, watch your back", the ex-soldier whispered, "follow me in 30 seconds, stick to the wall, head south."

Jackson looked at him, eyes still so wide they looked as if they were about to burst from their sockets. "Which way is south?"

"Left." When the man nodded hesitantly, Nate grew concerned. High stress, adrenaline pumping, it's easy for someone to make mistakes.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, whisper growing harsher.

"Wa- waiting 30 seconds, then following you out to the left."

"Yes. I want your gun down when you come out. I'll stop you, and I don't need you shooting me. Understood?"

The SRD technician nodded again, dark skin adopting an oddly pale pallor in the reddened light spilling through the door.

"Good."

With one more quick glance around the remains of the parking lot beyond, Nate peaked through the door, crouching as he did to avoid the first shot of any potential snipers lying in wait.

Nothing.

Go.

He exited, hugging the wall to his left and skirting away from the direction they'd entered. While he would have liked to rendezvous with the rear guard, if they survived, if they hadn't there would be Gunners waiting for him. Better to risk a night out in the city than take a round in the head because he was afraid to.

After 20 seconds, the ex-soldier crept to a stop beside a pile of rubble that had once been a building that, judging by the color of the walls, looked a lot like the one they'd been in. Their best chance for an exit would be to head west, out into the suburbs, and wait until the sun came back up. That direction looked like it would be tricky to navigate, collapsed buildings blocking most of that side of the business park, but again, it was better than being shot.

Turning back to the building's exit, he saw Jackson leave, keeping his head down and moving toward him quickly. The man still cradled his laser rifle, but it was kept pointed at the ground.

Good, Jackson might be scared, but he had his head on straight. That was promising.

As the other man neared, Nate waved him to a stop.

"Good job." He pointed back toward the door. "Keep that covered, anything comes through you put a hole in it. I'm moving to the far side of the parking lot, once I'm there I'll cover you. Got it?"

Jackson swallowed but nodded, hefting his rifle.

"Alright." Nate began across the lot, glancing back to see the SRD technician aiming at their exit. For his part, the ex-soldier had his rifle swinging from potential shooter's perch to perch. There were way too many to clear on his own, but the deep shadows he was in, along with the fact he hadn't been shot yet provided a measure of comfort.

A few seconds later, he reached the ruins on the west side of the parking lot and turned to aim back at the lone standing building. Jackson began toward him a heartbeat later and, once he'd joined him, they both began picking their way through the rubble. It wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done, but it was their best option. More than a few times, a shifting piece of concrete caused a slip and one of them gashed themselves against something. Once, the dark skinned man hit a piece of rebar, but he waved Nate away when he tried to help. There was a healthy tear in his jacket and cut over his shoulder, but he kept moving.

After suffering through a few minutes of climbing, crawling, falling, and the occasional quiet cursing, they made it out of the ruins. The two found themselves looking into the city suburbs, crumbling houses, apartments, stores, and low lying towers greeted them. By now the sky was a dull blue. It was going to get hard to see soon.

With another moment of hesitation, the two of them hurried into the maze of half collapsed buildings to find someplace safe to stay for the night.

A/N: Hey! We got back to some action! This is part of what I was talking about in the first author's note, the development of other characters. More of this will happen as we move through the next few chapters, but this is an expansion on one of the story elements we've already started exploring with Nate (chapter 21). Other than that, I lied last month when I said I was gonna do 3 chapters a month, I've just decided to bite the bullet and start posting weekly. I'll see everyone next time!

Next Chapter: 5/13, Decisions and Consequences