A/N: Hello all and welcome to the wonderful world of insanity where all your dreams come true… Mostly in ways you don't expect or want. First off, I'd like to say I've been working on a second project for a while with VixenRose1996. It's a collab between this story, and her Skyrim/Fallout 4 crossover Ash in the Wind. It's a phenomenal story and something entirely different from A Hero's Story. The setting is a little over a month in the future and, while it isn't canonical (yes, yes, I know, canon for a fanfic), I think it came out fantastic. I'll be posting chapters every Sunday and, if you're interested, I 100% recommend it. As far as this story goes though, we've got a little time skip! There are reasons for that (which will become apparent later), but things are gonna get interesting here, and I think there are a few things some of you will probably pick up on about future events. But I'm not giving anything away. Alright, this author's note's been long enough so please leave a review if you're so inclined and, as always, enjoy!
Chapter 38: A Plan Unfolding
One. Two. Three. Four…
Sweat dripped from Nate's forehead onto the worn wooden floor of the house.
Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen…
He didn't think he'd have to push himself as hard as he was. His brown hair clung to his head like a helmet, his breath was coming out in labored gasps, and he struggled against his shaking arms to finish the push-up…
Sixteen.
With that last one, the ex-soldier collapsed onto the floor, heaving for air.
"Is that all? You were bragging sooo much about how many you could do."
The voice was distant like someone was talking to him through a long tunnel. Jess was probably still sitting at the dining room's small table, that stupid, wildly amused smirk on her face.
Ass.
"That…" the ex-soldier said between gasps. "Was set 14."
"So?" she shot back, voice a little clearer now. "I'd bet you your rations for tomorrow Jackson can do more."
Nate rolled onto his side, pushing an arm beneath him before struggling into a seated position. He glowered at the young, vibrant woman.
"He isn't here to prove it." The ex-soldier stopped to take a few more heavy breaths. "And I'd like to see you do better."
With a wave of her hand, the ARD scientist dismissed the challenge. "There are other things I'm better at."
"Not a high bar, Conklin."
Jess's face soured at the stab. It was Nate's turn to smirk.
"Very funny."
"I appreciate it."
"Mhmm." The woman stood from the table and walked through the recently repaired doorway into the kitchen. A moment later, Grant walked out with Brice, one of the safehouse's permanent residents. They were each carrying two plates of food. It wasn't anything extravagant, just some Institute-packed MREs, but at least those were better than the ones he was used to from his many meals in the army.
"Now that that's over", the other ARD technician said, "you think you'll be able to keep this down?"
Nate shrugged before climbing to unsteady feet. "Probably." He didn't have much choice; the ex-soldier needed to get some food in him before they left. It had been long enough since their transit, they shouldn't be at risk of being tracked, so the team needed to meet up with the Synth force and move. Crossing most parts of the city at night, while relatively safe, was slow going and stressful. They needed as much time as they could get.
A few seconds after the two men came out, Jess exited with Tyler, the safehouse's other permanent resident.
"I'm ready to be out of here", she said, the irritation in her voice was only half-mocking. Three days cooped up in the, admittedly large, townhouse they'd converted into one of their resupply points and safehouses, was more than enough for the ex-soldier too.
"It's good practice", Grant responded. "Patience and all."
"Sure." She smiled mischievously. "You're just afraid."
The other man shrugged. "Maybe nervous."
Nate knew both of their back and forth was a defense mechanism. They were both worried. Sure they'd spent the last few weeks training, both in real life and in Kurt's simulations, but this was only the third time either of them had been out of the Institute. It would be the first either went along on a mission.
If the ex-soldier was being honest with himself, he was nervous too. Attacking a small depot was a major step for them. To this point, most of their attacks had been on patrol routes, caravans, and the occasional outpost. Outside of their opening salvo on Cambridge though, this would be by far their largest.
It's an operation that had been in the works for a little while now, and most of the smaller raids they'd performed over the past week were in preparation for this. Their recon teams reported back the warehouse they were striking was probably some form of staging ground. If Nate had to guess, it wasn't for anything in particular since it was at the edges of the downtown area. If anything, the warehouse was probably a storage hub for any supplies that didn't go straight to the airport or Cambridge.
Then there was always the possibility it was a trap, but they'd already planned for that. The week before their transit, the three of them had been drilling in simulations with a Synth fighting force for various scenarios. Nothing was ever perfect, but they were well prepared.
"I do have one question", Jess asked as the five of them began eating. "Why did you decide to come with us on this?"
Nate shrugged as he chewed through something that tasted suspiciously like orange chicken. "I think everyone in the leadership team knows enough to run things without me. Besides, I've always been a ground pounder, I don't like sitting around doing nothing. Someone has to make sure you two don't get killed on your first deployment."
"Oh, so you do care."
"I don't want the time I spent training you to go up in smoke in the first gunfight."
"So you sort of care."
The ex-soldier smiled.
If he was being honest, it wasn't just to keep them safe, the Coursers with their improved squad tactics and their Synth force was perfectly capable of that. No, since recovering Sam, their plan worked; Ayo and Shaun began discussing more… sensitive matters regarding the escaped Synths. They'd ask him to help figure out who was behind it. Without much information, the two of them were stumbling around in the dark. Li and her people apparently did a phenomenal job covering their tracks. His son's hubris, the thought that he was the smartest person in the room at any time, certainly helped.
"You're not afraid they're going to screw something up with you out here?" Grant asked.
"Not yet. There are enough people in there smarter than me, I don't need to hold their hands every step of the way. My experience is more… conventional. Like I said: I'm a grunt."
As he finished, the two of them fell silent, eyes glued to the food on their plates. It was… an uncomfortable quiet, punctuated by deep, controlled breathing, slow methodical chewing, and not much else.
"Of course, I want to get back alive. I don't want to leave everything up to them."
Slowly, his two teammates met his gaze, their nervousness on full display.
"I'm scared too."
A sickly smile crossed Jess's face. "You don't look it."
"I was in the military, Jess. We're professional bullshitters." He frowned. "For a long time I thought I wasn't, you learn to put it away after a while. Now though…" The ex-soldier trailed off, thinking about his last engagement with Jackson. "When you lose that, you lose it, and you have to deal with your fears head-on. Focus on what you've learned, pay attention to the basics, keep your teammates safe, and everything else will work itself out."
"Right…" Grant said, voice uncertain.
"Hey, as bad as this sounds, we all knew what we signed up for with this. If everything working itself out involves one of us not coming back, we better make damn sure it counts for something. People are relying on us, in more ways than one." Nate loaded his gaze with a little extra intensity as he exchanged glances with each of them.
Jess and Grant both nodded. They still looked scared though. Rousing speeches had never been his strong suit.
Checking his Pipboy, Nate finished eating and stood. "Let's get moving. We rendezvous with Z4-08 and his fireteam in 30, and need to be at the target in 2 hours."
"Understood", the two replied in unison and followed suit.
After taking their dishes to the kitchen, the three of them grabbed their gear, bid goodbye to their hosts, and slipped out into the night. Jess and Grant each had one of the improved laser weapons the ARD had been developing for the better part of a month now. Apparently, they were able to penetrate almost half an inch of steel plating without burning themselves out after thirty shots. It wasn't perfect, and would still be ineffective against T60, but that's what the Coursers and their gauss rifles are for.
For his part, Nate still carried his combat rifle. The weapon was familiar and reliable. With the hand-loaded cartridges and steel core armor-piercing rounds, it was almost as good as the improved laser weapons. It should be enough to deal with anyone in traditional armor.
As they skirted through the suburbs toward their rendezvous, the three of them moved with the mechanical precision of a team that had drilled on this for hours. It was almost irritating for Nate. His two teammates were talented enough, he'd learned that through their training, but they were still too rigid. That didn't all come down to nerves though; there's a fluidity that only comes with experience and familiarity.
A well-drilled, experienced squad would flow from cover to cover, seamlessly taking up posts to watch for their squadmates. This was more staccato, consciously switching from one task to the other as they went. He couldn't complain though; for newbies, they were quiet and attentive. The ex-soldier wouldn't say he was comfortable with them watching his back, but it was better than he expected.
Five minutes before they were supposed to meet with their Synth force, the three of them arrived at the rendezvous. It was a large grocery store set near the edge of the suburbs.
This was another source of irritation for the infantryman: they had an unimaginably powerful tool for infiltration, yet it had been rendered almost useless. After several… unfortunate losses the week before. The last three raid parties they'd sent out had all been attacked by patrolling Vertibirds once they reached their targets. Toren, one of the ARD technicians working on the Molecular Relay, discovered the transit signal was traceable. That meant they had to be more creative with their deployments.
To that end, they decided to make more irregular teleports, randomizing the location and time, to an extent. That mostly negated the Brotherhood's ability to use those signals to predict their moves, but it also meant they had to do things like this, which was not only time-consuming but dangerous. Especially with the Supermutants around.
Lucky for them, they didn't encounter any of the big green bastards and, exactly as Nate's Pipboy displayed 2230, the Synths showed up.
Their task force consisted of three Coursers, all armed with gauss rifles, and 15 regular Synth fighters. Most of them had the improved laser rifles, but two were carrying MK-18c's, the same high caliber conventional rifles Damon had used, fresh from the ARD's new production line. Those were also running high-velocity armor-piercing rounds. Nate knew from experience those would punch holes in most things short of a suit of power armor.
Unless you were good enough to hit them in the eyes.
Wordlessly, the platoon strength group set off toward their target, Coursers fading into the night with their active camouflage to scout ahead. The rest of them followed the path they'd settled on, taking them on a slightly circular path through the suburbs. It was meant to avoid the worst of the city's potential hotspots, with scattered residents, Gunners, Supermutants, and Raiders all posing a risk. It wasn't so much they were afraid of getting overwhelmed, but if a large-scale firefight broke out and drew the Brotherhood's attention, this op was bust.
Spreading out to avoid being caught in an ambush, Nate, Jess, and Grant stayed near the middle of the group. Five of the Synths ahead and behind them each, and the last five 100 feet to the back to act as rear guards. The Synths operated with even more of that mechanical precision the ex-soldier found so… disconcerting. It wasn't that they were trained to do it like that, they were programmed, which was still an odd concept to him.
Even so, the burned-out, crumbling suburbs whisked by them at an impressive pace as they cleared intersections, climbed the occasional pile of rubble, and cut through a building every so often. All in all, Nate was happy with the performance so far, but this was the easy part; they still had the fighting to do.
With a half-hour to go, as they turned west to start the last leg of their journey, the infantryman felt his heart begin to beat harder. It had been several weeks since his last fight during the mission to recover Sam, and even though he performed well during the impromptu ambush, he was still on edge.
What if Jess and Grant weren't prepared for this? What if he froze up, or had an episode like he did with the Supermutants? What if the Brotherhood forces had been misreported? What if the plan they put together was rushed?
Those and a hundred other thoughts careened through Nate's head.
Now is not the time to have these doubts. He ducked under a collapsed telephone pole and followed Grant past the remains of a house. The time for that was during planning. Right now, I need to execute this plan to the best of my ability. Improvising on the fly when things go wrong is what I spent my entire adult life doing. I need to trust myself and these Synths.
That was easier said than done.
25 minutes later, they found themselves hiding a few hundred feet from their target. They were unable to get any closer because the perimeter of their quarry was fortified and well-lit. The warehouse was in the center of a large open lot with the same prefab walls and outposts assembled around it. Floodlights were arranged with overlapping coverage, and at least a dozen guards were stationed around the walls. Recon teams told them the total contingent was around 30.
The warehouse itself was smaller but relatively intact, though from the looks of it that was largely due to the Brotherhood's repair job. It was about 100 feet long and 70 feet wide. Most of the steel and concrete walls were intact if a bit browned and rusted, but the roof had seen better days. Dozens of hastily repaired holes were obvious, but it wasn't like they had airpower to blow the roof in.
Nate and his fireteam were taking cover near one of the few intact houses in the area. They were on the edge of the suburbs, to the east of their target. The Synths were scattered around the area, finding firing positions that offered both good cover, and mobility. For their part, the Coursers, with their active camouflage, had circled to the west side of the building and were setting up to assault the Brotherhood position from there.
As with their attack on Cambridge, they were going to do a little… cheating. The Brotherhood had the superior force here, and in this type of attack, against a well-established position, that was almost always a recipe for a loss. While some of the Molecular Relay's utility had been compromised by their ability to track the signals, that wouldn't stop them from using it. The ex-soldier had to admit inserting force directly in an enemy position felt a bit cheap, but war is war, and he'd take every advantage he could get.
It isn't like the Brotherhood wasn't doing the same thing.
"Positions established", a quiet, monotonous voice whispered through the earpiece Nate was wearing. As with the personal Relay transmitters he had insisted on, so they could use the Relay at will without needing a Courser nearby, he had the ARD set up comms systems so they could coordinate properly while deployed. Communication is paramount, especially with advanced squad tactics in play.
"Copy", Nate whispered back, eyes glued on the structure. Without any magnifying optics on his rifle, the ex-soldier wouldn't be much help at this distance, but that didn't matter for their plan. His team wasn't supposed to be involved much in the fighting anyway. He checked his Pipboy again. 0027. Three more minutes.
A quick glance to either side confirmed Grant and Jess were both ready… or at least in position. Jess was lying down at the corner of the half-collapsed house, her rifle propped on a large piece of wood in front of her. Grant had shifted across the narrow street to the ex-soldier's left and was crouched beside another pile of rubble that used to be a small apartment. Both had an odd low-light scope mounted on their laser rifles.
Neither looked comfortable; the other man was so tense, even in the dim light filtering through the destroyed structures around them, Nate could see the tendons in his neck standing out. Jess was tight too, elbows locked into position so firm, he thought he could see the muzzle of her rifle shaking.
"Hey", he whispered, "relax."
Both of his teammates glanced at him.
"Deep breaths, loosen up or you won't hit a goddamn thing." The ex-soldier followed his own advice. He could feel his heart trying to beat its way out of his throat. "Remember, two shots and move." He met each of their gazes in turn. "I want to hear you say it."
"Two shots and move", they repeated in unison.
"Good. Why?"
"We'll make ourselves targets", Grant replied, voice still tight.
"Yes, but don't rush. You have time for your two shots. Just like we drilled: slow breathing, relaxed arms, squeeze, don't pull."
Nate felt like he was talking to himself as he sighted down his rifle at the warehouse from his corner of the collapsing building. He'd done well during Sam's recovery, but that wasn't planned, he just reacted. The ex-soldier always found it harder when he had to think about it. Maybe that's why he was such a good soldier: he never thought about what he was doing in combat.
He sure as hell was now.
There was no need for him to give the order. Every Synth knew when to take their first shot. Because of that, the ex-soldier didn't need to check his Pipboy for the time either. Not 20 seconds after he stopped talking, laser fire started rippling from the houses around them in a brilliant red wave, crashing into the Brotherhood defenders.
A second volley followed the first an instant later, and Nate trained his rifle on the guard in the watchtower they'd built on top of the warehouse. It was… probably close to 200 yards from where the infantryman was crouched, well within his rifle's range. Without a scope though, his target, who appeared to be frantically scanning for the source of the gunfire, was smaller than the front post on his gun.
Slow, deep breath. Steady… His finger wrapped itself around the trigger, taking up the slack until he reached the all too familiar wall.
Breathe out.
BANG!
Nate's rifle barked, pushing itself back into his shoulder as it sent the bullet downrange. The ex-soldier had just enough time to get back on target before the man dropped from sight. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a spray of blood, a black shadow against the floodlighting.
Shifting his aim, the infantryman fired again, this time at one of the Brotherhood soldiers standing guard on their prefab ramparts. This shot sailed, but there was no time to berate himself.
"Moving", he said, just loud enough for his team to hear him over the cascade of laser reports.
10 seconds later, he was in a new position, looking through what was left of a crumbling house's walls. Grant and Jess were both shifting too, slipping behind him to find new cover. Nate almost smiled as he aimed at the warehouse again.
It was difficult to tell at this point, but it seemed as though the response to this assault was a little different from the Cambridge one. There was no way to know how many they'd killed, but the few guards he saw still up on their posts were pulling back.
Why? That made no sense. If they didn't have people posted in those watchtowers, they'd give the Synths free reign to approach their position uncontested. In this kind of fight, the best defense the Brotherhood has is the massive empty lot around the warehouse. They knew that though… they'd demonstrated as much in Cambridge.
Unless they have an alternate defense.
Okay… so they needed to find that before advancing, but still why would-
The ex-soldier's left hand flew to the radio.
"Relay control, do not send the second group. I repeat, do not send the second group. The guard is anticipating the attack."
Nothing came back through his earpiece, as Nate returned his attention to the fight. That was fine, as long as he didn't see the telltale flash of Relay transits in the perimeter, they were fine. Now they had a new problem though: they didn't have the forces necessary to take the warehouse without support. On top of that, they had to worry about whatever secondary countermeasures the Brotherhood had in place.
"Transit has been canceled", the earpiece squawked, "what is the problem?"
"They pulled their forces back into the perimeter; the guard probably anticipated us using that tactic again. Send half of them to the west end of the compound, far enough away from the Coursers to keep them hidden. Keep the other half in reserve."
"Understood", came the response, and his comms fell silent.
It wasn't until he looked back at the looming structure ahead of them that Nate realized the shooting had stopped and an eerie quiet draped itself precariously over the night.
That's when Nate heard the dull thrum of Vertibirds approaching from the northwest. They'd dispatched them from Cambridge for air support.
Before the ex-soldier had a chance to shout any commands, both of his teammates, as well as the Synths around him scrambled for cover. Most of the structures around them wouldn't stop the .50 cal nose gun or the smaller 7.62 door guns, but that wasn't too important. What was important was visual cover.
As Nate crammed himself against the exposed foundation of a mostly collapsed house, the three aircraft soared in from the direction of Cambridge. As soon as they were in sight, they opened fire on the densely packed trees the Coursers were hiding in. That was all the infantryman had a chance to see before he pressed himself to the ground.
An instant later, gunfire from the new air support, and the guard in the warehouse, began chewing through what was left of the suburban neighborhood they were hiding in. He counted off the seconds as the roaring of the Vertibirds grew louder, concussion from the rotors pounding the air.
Four seconds after the barrage started, the three VTOLs screamed overhead.
That was their signal.
A team of three Synths had been busy during the barrage setting up their one gatling laser. Now, it was aimed skyward at the receding shapes as they began banking for another pass.
A blinding spray of high-energy lasers lanced from the rotating muzzles and washed over the front-most Vertibird. The Synths had been specifically trained for this task, and the tidal wave of high energy death slammed into the side of the cockpit as it came about. The ex-soldier would have been more impressed if lasers weren't so damned easy to shoot.
The Vertibird tried to pull out of the maneuver, but as Nate heard its engines strain and rotors begin beating harder, something in the front of the aircraft gave way to the onslaught. It shuddered and, while it was too far away to tell for sure, he could have sworn its canopy had been melted away, like a blowtorch against plastic. There was no way the pilots weren't hit if that was the state of the cockpit.
Sure enough, the craft nosed over and dropped like a rock, slamming into the suburbs a few hundred yards away.
Nate didn't wait to see the aftermath of the impact. The other two were still coming, and they'd have better targets now, especially their heavy artillery. When he glanced to his right, he saw the team of Synths sprinting away from their position, making for a house that would provide them at least a modicum of protection from the approaching defenders.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, the ex-soldier registered dull flashes illuminating the buildings ahead of them. What they were didn't matter though, what mattered was keeping that heavy weapons team in the fight.
"Covering-" he began, but as he raised his rifle and sighted on the closest bird, more laser fire erupted from his left. His rifle barked as well and, before he got the second round off, most of the Synths were shooting as well.
Probably worried they had another gatling laser to contend with, that VTOL peeled off its assault as small arms fire peppered its fuselage. The last one was still coming, flying low and fast over the destroyed houses and keeping its engine pods rotated forward. The angle of attack only gave them a split second on target, but it made it almost impossible to hit with the weapons available. It bore down on the team-
Or at least where the team had been.
Its chin gun opened up in a roar that was even louder than the rotors, but all it did was mulch the already ruined house the Synths had been in. They had night vision optics, Nate used them in the T60 he'd been in while he and Damon slogged through the Glowing Sea. Had they not seen the fireteam move? Or did they just assume they wouldn't?
Whatever the case, Nate breathed a sigh of relief. They had another shot at those birds if they were brave enough to come around for a second pass.
A brilliant bolt of red slammed into the other concrete foundation the ex-soldier was using as cover a half dozen feet from his head.
Right… There's still a fight going on in the warehouse.
As his attention switched back to the compound, the ex-soldier realized laser fire wasn't just coming from it, the blue spears of Institute energy weapons were pouring from the west side. The second team must have been engaged, the Coursers only had their gauss rifles.
Good. Nate was impressed with their Synth fighting force. Not only were they fast learners, but they worked extremely well under far from ideal circumstances. They knew they had to keep the pressure on the guard, keep them from rallying with their air support diverting the attackers' gunfire.
This wasn't necessarily unexpected, but it was one of the scenarios the ex-soldier most wanted to avoid. They had to take the warehouse quickly. If reinforcements showed up from Cambridge before that happened, this mission would be a bust.
He keyed his mike again. "AA team, are you in position for a second pass?"
"Affirmative", came the uncannily robotic response.
"Everyone else, return fire on the warehouse. Relay control, insert reserve force in", he scanned the night sky for the remaining two Vertibirds. With their black painted bodies and the deep black-
There. They were about a mile out, on a return run over the dead forests to strafe the assault force on the western side of the warehouse.
"30 seconds."
"Understood. 30 seconds."
The ex-soldier brought his rifle up and began taking shots at enemy positions within the perimeter. It wasn't to land any hits, not with how careful the defenders were to maintain good cover discipline. They needed to be occupied, they needed to think the primary threat was coming from the outside. The Brotherhood were aware of their little ace in the hole, but they might have thought it wasn't in play. He needed to make sure they thought it wasn't.
Fire twice, move. Fire twice, move. Fire twice, reload and move.
As he slid into a new position inside what had probably been a kitchen at some point, one house away from Jess and Grant, the high caliber autocannons on the Vertibirds began cutting through the largely leafless, sickly-looking trees. This was probably the last chance they'd get, they needed to make it count.
15 seconds.
No more than a heartbeat later, the two aircraft pulled out of their strafe and banked toward Nate's position. In unison, his forces switched to firing at the oncoming VTOLs. The right one was riddled with small arms fire, but Nate knew from experience, those hulls were heavily armored. Nothing they had would dig through it.
Besides the gatling laser.
A split second after the main force opened up, the heavy weapon lit up the night with its barrage of red beams. They screamed through the air, cutting straight in front of the left Vertibird and allowing the craft to plow into them. The thing wavered as it absorbed the cascade of lances, but the pilot managed to pivot his craft as something detonated on the left winglet and it began wobbling. Its chin gun continued firing and the ex-soldier watched as the house the AA team was in turned to powder.
There was a pang of sorrow that shot through his chest, but he, and they, knew that would probably happen. They'd done their jobs, and they'd done them well.
That line didn't have the same ring to it as it had when he was in.
Nate did his best to push his feelings out of the way and marvel at the last of their handiwork. The aircraft's winglet shuddered again and as it passed over the now destroyed house, the structure gave way. Unable to take the strain of the rotors pulling up against the massive body, it folded over on itself, and the craft plunged into the suburban sprawl.
Now they only had one trick left for that last VTOL.
He hoped the Coursers were as good as Ayo seems to think.
Turning once again to begin firing on the warehouse, blinding light flashed behind the walls, closely followed by detonations. The ex-soldier couldn't see what was happening within them, but suddenly the shooting stopped.
Another round of flashes seared the night with their brilliance-
And the shooting started again in earnest.
Most of it was blue lasers, not red.
A small smile worked its way onto the infantryman's face as he watched. Their gamble worked, and the smaller insertion force seemed to be having the desired effect. He glanced over his shoulder, through the mostly collapsed roof of the house he was in, searching for the last VTOL.
It was impossible to find, but he could certainly hear its powerful rotors pounding at the air. It would be an incredible shot to take that out with a gauss rifle.
The concussion grew louder and louder as the Vertibird approached for another run. There weren't many places left for them to hide. It had to be now, or they'd be in a lot of trouble. The insertion force would only keep the guard busy for so long, and if they weren't across the lot before-
Suddenly, the whining of turbine engines raised in pitch as they spun faster, their rotors beating frantically at the air. Nate threw himself to the ground, expecting the roar of the autocannon to begin peppering the ground around him
But it didn't. Instead, the aircraft kept growing louder. And louder. No gunfire but-
The destroyed house shook as the Vertibird passed what couldn't have been more than a dozen feet over where its roof should have been.
That was too low, even if this was the same one that took the low pass on the first strafing run. There's no way-
BOOOOOOOOM.
A shockwave slammed into the house, sending rotting wood and what was left of appliances flying through the air. The ex-soldier covered his head as what was left of the roof crashed to the already crumbling floor around him. His ears were ringing so loud he couldn't hear himself think, and the concussion drove the air from his lungs.
Even in the scrambled mess that a moment ago had been his mind, Nate found the ability to, somehow, be amazed. They'd actually shot down the damn Vertibird.
Get moving. NOW.
The ex-soldier forced himself up through the confusing melody of ringing ears and aching limbs, gasping for breath as he struggled to his feet. Ahead of him, the Vertibird was a smoldering wreck. It had crashed a few dozen yards from the house he was in and tumbled across the lot, leaving a deep cratered furrow in the already destroyed concrete. The prefab fortifications hadn't been enough to stop its momentum, and there was a gaping hole in the near side.
Eventually, the VTOL came to a rest after crashing into the side of the warehouse, bringing half of the eastern wall down with it.
As Nate took a step toward the nearest hole in the wall large enough to admit him, the infantryman's left leg threatened to buckle. That didn't work for him. They had a limited window to capture the depot, they needed to go right now.
The ex-soldier keyed his radio while limping out of the house. "First teams, move on the target." Even Nate could barely understand his voice, as hoarse and raspy as it was.
Apparently, he didn't need to give the order again, because as he exited the house, he saw a half dozen Synths hurrying across the cratered lot. The team that was supposed to insert into the perimeter would be doing the same from the opposite side.
Stumbling into the side of a collapsed house, Nate perched his rifle on a chunk of… something doing everything he could to focus. Everything was hazy as he squinted through his sights. The Synths were in white, the Brotherhood… well they weren't in white. Shoot anything that isn't white.
They really needed to change that.
"Grant, Jess", Nate croaked into his mic, "status."
"We're good", Grant replied, his voice sounding as bad as the ex-soldier felt.
"Cover the advance."
"Got it."
A few seconds later, the Synths reached the fortifications and slipped past the massive hole the VTOL had left.
Somehow, Nate had the presence of mind to check the time. The forces inside had two minutes to secure the warehouse before the rest of them moved in, leaving the Coursers on the western flank to act as an early warning, and stall reinforcements.
The first 20 seconds ticked by with painful slowness. No shooting, no explosions- nothing. Nate knew there would be a delay, but he was acutely aware of their extremely slim margin.
Then, as his nerves were about to fry themselves, the first blue lances of energy arced from within the walls. Not long after, more flashed joined in, followed by the red lasers of the Brotherhood.
After that, the fighting went quick. They didn't need two minutes; less than 45 seconds later, the shooting trickled to a halt and one of the eerily monotonous voices of the Synth fighters came over his earpiece. "Interior secure."
"Copy", the ex-soldier replied. "Second teams move in."
With that, Nate stood and followed the initial forces out of the relative safety of the demolished houses. The lot was larger than it looked. Most of it was clear, aside from the massive channel the crashing Vertibird left and the occasional pile of rubble, but it still took the better part of 20 seconds to cross. 20 seconds the infantryman's head was screaming at him he was about to be shot.
But he didn't.
They reached the perimeter without incident and, once inside, the ex-soldier took in the carnage that had resulted from the fighting. Bodies, and parts of bodies, were littering the area surrounding the warehouse. Most were Brotherhood, but there had to have been at least a dozen Synths laying prone, holes burned through their armor. That was something odd Nate would need to get used to: conventional firearms were rarely a clean way of killing someone. Laser weapons burned. It was a lot tidier and probably resulted in fewer severe injuries.
That wasn't the war he remembered. Regular war- that was as much about wounding your enemy as it was killing them. That wasn't something he was proud of, looking back, but it's what you did. A casket isn't expensive, healthcare is. Plus, when a mother sees her son come home minus an arm, or leg, it's a pretty stark reminder of what was done to them.
It's a good way to kill a country's will to fight.
Nate banished the memory with a shake of his head, regretting it for a moment as pain flared just behind his eyes. Jess and Grant were standing with him as the rest of the Synths checked the bodies and searched the interior of the warehouse.
Focus on what you're doing.
He didn't need to contact the Coursers, they'd tell him if any Brotherhood reinforcements were on their way.
Turning to a Synth as the white armored fighter approached from the scattering of bodies, he said, "what have you found?"
"This facility is full of food and munitions, as well as what appear to be spare parts for equipment and vehicles", the Synth stopped in front of him. "It is likely these supplies were to be transferred to the airport."
Spare parts. There were some contractors and production facilities to the north, they might have scavenged them from there. Would it be helpful to map their potential equipment repositories? It was impossible to know what the Brotherhood's production capability was, so the fewer sources they had for supplies, the better.
"Collect the food, weapons, and any equipment we can use, rig the rest."
"Understood", the white armored Synth replied with a nod before marching back into the warehouse.
The Brotherhood was settling in for the long haul. They knew this wouldn't be quick and easy; the Institute had made as much clear with their actions over the last month. Nate took a grim pride in that. Sure, Damon had been the one who'd laid the groundwork, but the ex-soldier's own efforts had certainly paid off. This assault was infinitely better than the one they'd conducted on Cambridge. He glanced at the smoldering wreckage of the Vertibird. Losing three of those would hurt, maybe more than the supplies in this warehouse.
He couldn't smile though. Here he was again. Different time- hell almost a different world- doing the same goddamn thing he had for most of his life.
Fight.
It wasn't what he wanted, it wouldn't be what Nora wanted, but it was what he had to do, at least for now. Li needed all of the distractions she could get. They still hadn't come up with a long-term plan, but for now… their mission to reestablish contact with the Railroad was what was important. Nate wanted to be on that mission, he wanted to find Cass and Tommy to- he didn't know what. Apologize? Like that would even come close to making up for what he'd done.
And he'd have to tell them Damon was dead.
That would hurt them, all over again.
No, he was better off here, as much as his heart yearned otherwise. He needed to be as in lockstep with the war effort and with Shaun and Ayo's plans as he could be. He needed to gain their complete trust, and figure out how he could change things.
For now.
At some point, the time to act would come, and his passive involvement in their long-term strategy would take on a much more active role. For all the time he'd spent considering it, Nate still couldn't work out if what Porter had told him was true. He talked with her again, several times, including once with his son, and their stories lined up.
But he couldn't square it. He might have been being overly cautious, overly suspicious, but after what happened, after what he'd learned about them and the Institute, he couldn't trust them.
That was the worst part about it: Shaun, his own son, was leader of the Institute, and not only could he not trust him, but he abhorred what he became. At the same time, it broke his heart to hear about the circumstances that made him what he was.
Ironically enough, the situation was analogous to Damon's with one key distinction: the SPARTAN, under the trauma, anger, and training, found some way to care. Could Shaun do the same? Did Shaun care? How was Nate supposed to know? Shaun was a stranger to him. How was he supposed to find out? Could he change him? What it-
"Nate", he heard Jess's voice from his left, pulling him out of his musings, "how do you think they'll respond to this?"
Violently.
"They can't for now, not until they find a way to strike at the Institute directly. Considering the preparations Li and her team have made with the Molecular Relay, that doesn't seem likely any time soon." The ex-soldier scanned the warehouse. "There are a hundred different ways they can fight us, but I'll be honest, fighting an enemy who can show up wherever they want, with a headquarters you can't hit… that's a losing war." He frowned. "Unless they think of something… extreme."
Nate checked the time on his Pipboy: 0057. They needed to be gone in a few minutes.
"Come on", he said, motioning to the warehouse. "Let's help them get everything ready."
X
Sitting on a crate, glaring at the ground between his feet, Nate struggled with the cocktail of irritation, confusion, and fear swirling around his head.
"You need us to stay topside and help", he said into his mic, voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes", Ayo's voice crackled back over his earpiece. "Dr. Li is convinced the Synth is a high-security risk and there's no way to know what state they're in."
There weren't supposed to be any escapes planned, so what the hell happened? This was bad, and on more than one front: not only did this put their informational security in a stranglehold, but the added attention would risk Li's operation. Her team was out on… somewhat legitimate orders, but the last thing they need is scrutiny.
"Give me a minute, Justin. I need to make sure there are no… curious ears around."
There was a short pause. "Of course."
Nate waited a few seconds, giving Jess, who was standing across from him in the warehouse, a knowing glance.
"Go ahead."
"It is the regular signs: unscheduled transit, disabled transponder, no one seems to know anything about it."
"What did the Synth do?" That wasn't just for Ayo's benefit, the ex-soldier really was curious about who they'd be chasing. If a Synth had managed to escape without the help of the smuggling ring, there had to be an explanation.
"B4-27", the SRD leader said. "His designation was 'Andrew' and he worked in the ARD on the weapons program. Before that, he was involved in research and development on our nuclear reactor."
A cold pit formed in Nate's stomach. The reactor? That means- if the Brotherhood gets their hands on that information, it would be a huge risk. The next time they attack, if they get the opportunity, they'll know exactly where to strike. Worse than that, it would be an instant death blow to the Institute. This wasn't just about keeping their activities covered, this was about not losing the war.
"I assume your silence means you understand the gravity of this situation."
Nate grunted. "It's hard not to." He checked the display on his Pipboy. It had been eight minutes now since they'd taken the warehouse, and still no response from the Brotherhood. Chances are they were either taking things slow, consolidating forces before attacking, or they weren't going to risk losing more resources in a recapture effort.
"How long ago did Andrew escape?"
"B4-27", Ayo started, a slight edge on his voice, "escaped two hours ago. We have organized two recovery teams which will deploy within the hour, but your team's assistance would be appreciated." The way the doctor said that sounded like he didn't agree with the statement. If Nate had to guess, Shaun was the one who suggested it.
"Understood. We've been at it for almost 24 hours now, and just finished a battle; I'm going to give Jess and Grant some time to rest. Send the Coursers out, we'll move to rendezvous with them at 0630."
There was another short pause on the other end, Ayo, no doubt thinking of something to argue about.
"I believe it is in our best interest to put as many assets in the field as possible to prevent a catastrophic incident", he said slowly.
"Uh-huh." Of course, he'd want them to keep moving. The man had never been out of the Institute, let alone in a real battle. They're strenuous, you're tight, heart is racing, adrenaline pumping, and your body is operating on overdrive. It's exhausting, especially if you aren't used to it. That was the first fight for his teammates, and while they performed admirably… it was their first fight.
"If you want all assets to be effective, you'll allow them some time to recuperate. If you don't want to fill three more body bags, you'll want them to be alert. We're going to take a few hours to rest, and then we'll join the search." If he was being honest with himself, the ex-soldier needed a break too. "And I was under the impression this operation is still my command. Or are you suggesting Shaun has changed his mind about that?"
Another short pause came across the radio before Nate heard a soft scoff. "I understand."
"I will contact the Coursers once we're on the move", the infantryman said before Ayo could continue. "Please pass on any new intel as you receive it."
With that, Nate stood from the box he had been sitting on and waved Jess and Grant over to him.
"Looks like another Synth escaped." When the two scientists exchanged alarmed glances, he knew they weren't aware of any planned escapes either. "Let's save any questions or speculation for later. Right now, Ayo is redeploying our Courser fireteam to assist in the search. It has been requested we tag along. It's been a long day, so let's move to the nearest safe house, get some rest, and we move out at 0630." He met each of their gazes. "We good?"
The two exchanged another glance, both looking like they had about a thousand questions, but they knew they couldn't ask any of them. Not only were other Synths around, but Nate had no doubt their equipment was bugged. They'd have to stow the speculation for now.
"Yes", Grant said slowly. He tried to hide it, but the exhaustion was thick in his voice. Jess didn't look much better and Nate wasn't far behind. Despite the two months out here with Damon, the ex-soldier still needed some conditioning.
The infantryman hefted his rifle. "Let's get moving, the Synths will finish up here."
It was a short walk back to the perimeter where a half dozen Synths were standing guard. Under their cover, the trio slipped back across the still brightly illuminated lot to the destroyed houses they'd been fighting from only fifteen minutes before. The possibility of Brotherhood forces lying in wait to ambush stragglers wasn't lost on Nate, so the three of them were exceedingly careful proceeding the first mile or so.
He wouldn't admit it to Jess or Grant, and certainly not Ayo, he barely wanted to admit it to himself, but the way his limbs were trembling, and how his eyes darted from one shadow to another as if on their own, Nate knew he still wasn't doing great. His nerves were fried, and no matter how far down he tried to push his fear, it still found a way into every slightly sharp, sloppy motion. It was uncomfortable, feeling like he didn't have control over his emotions. This was the fourth fight he's been in since joining the Institute, and he still had to deal with this afterward. Maybe it wasn't as bad as the first few times, but it was still there, it was still a distraction, and it still affected his performance.
Even as they crept through the burnt-out, weather-worn remains of the suburbs, the ex-soldier could feel his breath come a little faster and a little more desperate than it should have. And he couldn't blame it entirely on Damon's absence, not anymore.
This couldn't continue, he needed to find a way to deal with it. Especially if these types of surface excursions were going to become common.
Their journey to the next closest safe house, this one to the south of the fight, was about an hour and a half. Compared to some of the marches he'd been on before, it was a short hop, but by the time they neared the small, one-story house, which was closer to a shack, Nate's legs felt like rubber. His companions didn't look any better, hell if Grant had a bed to fall into, he'd probably have been out in a matter of seconds.
Once they reached the structure, Nate pulled out a narrow beam, extremely low power transmitter, and hit the one button it had to send a short, pre-programmed code to the safehouse. A few seconds later, he heard footsteps approach and something unlatch. The wooden door swung open to reveal a brown-haired young man with a 10mm pistol in his right hand. The shabbily dressed Synth was illuminated by the dim lighting spilling through the doorway.
"Welcome to safehouse Gamma", he said, voice anything but welcoming, "please come inside." He stepped away from the door.
"Thanks", Nate replied with a yawn, and the three slipped inside. The shack was just as small and uninviting on the inside as it was on the outside. It didn't matter though, it was warm, dry, and had a half dozen beds crammed into it with more than enough food for them to eat.
After the team was inside, their host swung the door shut and latched it once again. Unseen from the exterior, the walls were lined with steel plates. It wasn't an exceedingly defensible position, but it would do in a pinch, especially considering if things really got bad, they could just teleport back to the Institute.
It was a boon Nate still needed to get used to.
"Food and sleep", the ex-soldier said, "we move out in four hours."
His two teammates nodded groggily. The infantryman didn't want to eat, all he wanted to do was strip his gear and get in bed, but they'd need every bit of energy they could get, especially if they were joining a manhunt. To set the example for Jess and Grant, he pulled an MRE from one of the many boxes of food stacked against one wall and tore it open to find several freeze-dried fruits and some form of meat. Whatever it was, it looked a lot better than the MREs he grew accustomed to suffering through in the army.
The other two followed suit and a moment later, they were all sitting on a bed, quietly chewing on their food.
Now they were calm and relatively safe, Nate noticed the tremble in both of their hands. Grant took two tries to get a piece of dried peach into his mouth, and Jess was struggling to break off a piece of jerky. He wasn't kidding when he said they performed well, but going through your first gunfight was challenging. Going through any gunfight is challenging if you stop to think about it.
And they'd be doing a lot of thinking right now.
"Well done. You two deserve more rest than this, and a little time to unpack and unwind, so I'm sorry you're still out here."
Jess shook her head. "If we're needed out here, we're needed." Her voice was steady, mostly, but the slight shake in it tipped her hand.
"There's no need to push yourself beyond what's safe", the ex-soldier chided. "All that does is get you and other people killed. The most important thing for any fighter to know is their limits."
His teammate kept her eyes fixed on her food as she took another slow, trembling bite.
"We get it", Grant said, "but we volunteered for this. We knew-" he smirked "-or at least we accepted things would be difficult. I think we both just need a little more time in the field to acclimate."
The ex-soldier nodded. "True, but don't rush it. As long as you go into an engagement with the understanding you're probably going to make mistakes, you can avoid them. Never assume you won't."
"Well, now you just sound like Dr. Nelson."
"Who?" Nate asked, frowning.
Both of his teammates laughed.
"He's not around anymore", Jess said, "but we were both mentored by him when we were being trained in the ARD." She adopted a mocking tone. "You don't know a damn thing and you'll be lucky if you ever know a quarter as much as I've forgotten."
They laughed again.
"He was an ornery old man. Good teacher though, and he knew his stuff." There was a hint of reverence in her voice. "He helped a lot of people succeed in his years of teaching."
Nate smiled. "A little love-hate relationship then?"
"Mostly hate", Grant said through a snort. "He loved tormenting people. He said it built character, I'd just say he did it because he enjoyed it."
"Yeah", Jess nodded, "that sounds about right. But if you'd worked a little harder, he might have taken it easier on you."
The other man laughed. "We ended up in the same place didn't we, and I had more fun getting here."
"We'll see how long that lasts."
"I'm not sure 'being in the same place' is something to brag about", Nate said as he motioned to the shack around them. "We're in the middle of a shithole, sleeping on beds that were probably collapsed before the bombs fell. It would probably be a lot more comfortable back in the Institute."
"Yeah, but then how would we get all this wonderful worldly experience?" Grant replied.
"Oh that's easy: you don't." Nate's smile broadened. "It isn't worth it."
"You're just saying that because you have it."
The ex-soldier gave an exaggerated thoughtful glance at the ceiling. "I don't know… seems like the Institute is better than this shack."
Both of them snorted.
"Well duh", Jess said, "it's your fault we're out here anyway."
Nate's eyes shot wide as he covered his mouth with his hand in mock horror. "My fault? I thought you just said you volunteered for this."
Grant smiled. "Touche."
As important as the talking was, and as amusing as his two teammates were, a quick glance at his Pipboy told Nate they needed to stop bullshitting and get some shuteye. He had a feeling the next day was going to be a long one.
"Alright. Sleep. We'll be on the move in three and a half hours."
His teammates nodded and crawled into their respective beds.
A really long day.
Slipping into his own bed, the ex-soldier's mind refused to rest. The fighting wasn't over because they'd probably be moving into the city proper tomorrow. That meant they needed to be careful about where they went. He tried to remember the hot spots around the city their recon teams had identified, but there were so many at this point it was impossible to recall. He'd radio in when they woke up and get a summary.
Then there were the ambushes. To this point, they recorded fourteen separate attacks, most of them on the Brotherhood. A few had targeted Supermutants and Raiders as well. So far they hadn't been able to identify the culprit. It was completely possible they were being carried out by the Railroad, considering how good they were at moving covertly, and their vested interest in the safety of the Institute, to an extent. They also made sense because Nate doubted there was anyone else in the area that could have pulled off the attacks with the level of coordination and precision they had.
All of them were small operations, targeting a dozen or so enemies at the most, eliminating them quickly, and leaving almost no evidence they were there. Aside from the bodies and missing supplies that are.
And that was another clue that had the ex-soldier suspecting the group: the Railroad didn't have an infrastructure to produce their own goods and weapons. Hitting the Brotherhood who, besides the Institute, had the best gear in the Commonwealth, made sense. Considering how tidy they were, and the relatively small scale they kept their ambushes, it would be hard for anyone to track them down.
If that was going to continue, he needed to talk to Li about reestablishing contact with them. Their continued operations would be useful, but they could also complicate the Institute's efforts to fight the Brotherhood.
He also needed to talk to her about this. Their mission to take the warehouse was a relatively large undertaking, a distraction they said they needed for a team Jackson was leading to contact the Railroad. If that's the case, and this Synth, Andrew, escaped with their help, they just pivoted the spotlight that had been on the war effort, back on themselves. Why would they do that?
Sleep.
A quiet sigh escaped Nate as he stared up at the pockmarked wooden ceiling. So many things were happening at once, and he was walking such a tight line, any slip up was bad, maybe even fatal. Would Shaun have him killed if he discovered the infantryman was undermining the Institute? He didn't know, but it would ruin his chance to change them. It would ruin his chance to make a difference.
It would ruin his chance to find something more than his own grief.
Nate allowed his tired eyes to drift shut, pushing the thoughts and speculation as far out of mind as he could. Whatever happened because of this, however it affected the warehouse raid, and whether it led to Jackson's team being found out wouldn't matter if the three of them ended up dead. He isn't Damon, but he's the best Jess and Grant have.
As if the exhaustion wasn't enough, the ex-soldier felt his wrist buzzing after what seemed to be a few blinks. He roused himself with a quiet groan and checked his Pipboy.
0615.
Dammit.
He barely felt like he had a wink of sleep. It was an all too familiar sensation, and one of the many things he didn't miss from his days in the army. It was always more difficult to get up after only a few hours than to stay up all night, but he knew that would bite him in the ass. A few hours of sleep would always be the right decision.
Once he got over having to cut the sleep short.
When he sat up to look around the shack interior, it was dimly lit from early morning sunlight streaming through the various cracks and holes in their temporary haven. Jess and Grant were just beginning to shift as they awoke as well, both looking about as bad as Nate felt.
"15 minutes", he said quietly, his voice a barely discernible croak. "Get some food and water, take a leak, and let's get moving."
"Uh-huh", Jess grunted as she pushed herself into a sitting position, bleary eyes making contact with his. It was hard not to empathize with her, the ex-soldier wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. The time he'd spent in the Institute had been a little too luxurious it seemed.
The ex-soldier almost smiled. Who was he kidding? He never liked doing this, even in his early days in the army.
But as had become the norm, he slipped out of bed first, lacing his boots and slipping his MOLLE vest on once again. Damn, it almost felt like he'd only just taken the thing off.
Slinging his rifle, Nate stalked toward the large chest that held spare MREs. He was carrying a few of his own, but it was always better to keep those in case of emergency. In case something catastrophic happened and he was stuck in the Commonwealth.
Their host roused himself from his own bed. "Do you require assistance?"
"No", Nate said after clearing his throat. "We're good." His legs were still a little rubbery, and it felt like someone had run steel wool down his throat. Other than that though, he was surprisingly free of any notable aches and pains. That engagement went surprisingly well.
He had a feeling this search would be a little more difficult.
The old wooden chest's hinges creaked as he swung the top open to reveal orderly stacks of sealed bags with various labels for their contents. Sifting through them, Nate pulled out two fruit packs and one full of various nuts.
"Breaking out the good stuff", Grant said, the exhaustion in his voice defeating his attempt at sarcasm.
Nate nodded. "Who knows how today is gonna go. Might as well enjoy a little breakfast before things get started."
As he stalked back to the ring of beds, he tore the pack of nuts open and dumped a few into his hand. While he dropped half of them into his mouth, he passed the pouch to Grant and sat on the side of his cot.
"Can I ask you something", Jess asked as she took the food from Grant.
"Go ahead."
"Do you think the reason we haven't been ambushed is that we don't stay in the city much?"
So she was thinking the same thing I was. Almost, anyway.
"I don't know. Whoever is attacking the Brotherhood knows what they're doing. I doubt proximity to the city would mean anything to them if they wanted to attack us."
"But we don't have regular troop movements", Grant said through a mouthful of nuts. "Is it possible they can't predict where we're going to be, so they decide to go after easier targets?"
Nate shrugged. "It's possible, but considering they're taking supplies from the Brotherhood too, it would stand to reason that, if they wanted the best equipment, they'd come after us." He paused to pull a few pieces of dried fruit from a pouch. "No matter how hard it was. My guess- and maybe I'm just being optimistic- is it's someone who doesn't like either of us, but hates the Brotherhood more. Or has a reason for not wanting to fight us."
"Any thoughts on who?" Jess asked, not so much to Nate, but to both of them.
"Don't know", Grant said, "the only people I can think of who would fit the MO is the Railroad. Small, fast hit and run tactics. Well organized and precise."
"That's what I was thinking", Nate agreed with a nod. "We'll need to be careful, they may want to keep the Institute alive for the sake of the Synths, but they don't like the Institute either."
His teammates nodded solemnly.
"At least if it is them, we know the more they attack the Brotherhood, the better they'll get at it. If I can say anything about them, it's they know how to fight a hit and run war." A small smirk spread across Jess's mouth. "They've been doing it with us for a long time."
"Too bad about that", Grant said, tone anything but repentant.
A few moments later, the three pouches of food were empty. Nate checked the time. 0625. Enough time.
Keying his mike, the ex-soldier requested a route to their Courser team's position, specifying they avoid any potentially dangerous zones. It wouldn't keep them out of trouble, but at the very least they would be at lower risk. The tech on the other side replied with instructions a minute later, and when Nate got their final destination, a hospital building on the north end of the city, he hesitated for a moment. That was 6 miles away. The Coursers had tracked their target that far in the few hours they'd been asleep? Or were they going off information Nate didn't have yet?
It didn't matter, they needed to get moving.
"Alright, let's get out of here", the ex-soldier said, standing with a deep stretch. "Got a few hours of hostile city to cross."
The other two followed suit and exited the shack into the slowly brightening ruins that had once been Boston's suburbs. The scale of destruction and the centuries of erosion still caught Nate off guard every once in a while. He could picture what this area looked like before the bombs fell, just a few months ago for him.
It didn't reconcile with what was in front of him now.
The question bugged him as they began their trek, slow and careful, through the ruined neighborhoods: why and how had a Synth escaped now? Maybe he was a little miffed at the wasted effort early that morning at the warehouse, but it didn't make sense for Li to execute another escape now. Wasted effort may have been a little strong, they accomplished a lot by taking that supply depot.
Unless… was there something critical about this guy? The only thing that made sense would be if this was something they had to do fast, quick, and in a hurry. Obviously, with their communications being monitored, it would be impossible for her to inform him of what was happening but… this whole situation stunk.
And here he was again, creeping through the destroyed city he'd once called home. Still did, the ex-soldier supposed.
The trio started out moving slow, mostly from Nate's lead. There was no way he would risk them running into something because they were tired and careless. Especially if they were tired. The last thing they needed was a firefight with a superior force. Jess and Grant had proven competent the night before, but that's a far cry from a professional soldier.
Turns out it was a good thing he did. A half-mile into their journey the fireteam was entering a street running between two relatively intact apartment buildings. Nate was dubious of walking through them, with their high, commanding views of the street below, it would be a position any amateur could set an ambush up from. After a few moments of observation, it turned out he was right. He saw the massive, lumpy green shapes of several Supermutants milling around on the bottom floor of the building on their left.
Nate counted five of them.
Five in the lobby, who knows how many on the floors above. That would be a bad idea.
Waving the two ARD scientists back south down the road they'd used to that point, the fireteam gave the apartments a three block berth as they continued on their way. Recon teams hadn't placed Supermutants there, or they wouldn't have been routed through that area, but those bastards were spreading fast. Nate had to wonder where they were all coming from.
As they walked, the ex-soldier's mind flashed back to his conversation with Ayo. Had the man known anything about this he hadn't told Nate about? Were there any clues during their conversation?
No, the SRD leader had kept things simple and concise, but there had to be a reason he, and most likely Shaun, wanted him and his team out in the field. To this point, his son had been relatively protective of him, and while he didn't dislike being in the Commonwealth… doing this with two new people was nerve-wracking.
For the umpteenth time, Nate felt the yawning chasm Damon's absence left. Even out here, it was in more ways than one.
When the three of them arrived at a large four-way intersection, taking a road that would lead them north almost all the way to the hospital, Jess waved for the two men to stop. She had already crossed to the northwest corner and was staring up at the buildings behind them. Nate couldn't tell if she saw anything, or she just wanted extra time to check, but either way, idling there was a great way to get ambushed.
The infantryman keyed his mic. "Status, Conklin."
She paused, glancing at him from across the street. "I don't know", the ARD tech whispered through the comms. "Something feels off."
While the two of them weren't experienced, a 'bad feeling' wasn't something to ignore. At the very least, if they did, even if there was nothing there, she would be distracted by it, and that could leave them open to an actual attack.
Waving Grant toward the side of the building on their corner he said, "Find some cover, I'll come to you."
After another short hesitation, Conklin nodded and backed away from the street corner and into a small alcove blown into the brick building beside her. As she did, Nate slipped around the corner and down the adjoining street, careful to stay in the shadows cast by the crumbling towers around him. Once he was a dozen yards from the intersection, he cleared the buildings on the north side of the street, he crossed, scrambling around the small piles of rubble.
The ex-soldier made it to the other side of the street and skirted back toward the intersection.
"Conklin, I'm coming up from your left, keep the buildings ahead of you clear, and don't shoot me."
"Understood", the response came, Jess's voice thick with concentration.
As soon as he was within sight of her again, he ducked into the building beside him and began scanning the surrounding structures. He couldn't see anything, through the collapsing facades, blown-out windows, and dark shadows within, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything there.
Despite that, the ex-soldier was getting suspicious as well. He couldn't put a finger on why though; maybe it was as simple as believing what his teammate felt. Sitting around was only going to get them killed though.
"Grant, move to the street corner and take the same route I did. I'll cover. We need to get moving."
"Got it", the reply came and a few seconds later the slim, taller man emerged from the building and crept toward the corner. Nate mirrored him, moving back down the street, watching the opposite windows once again. Still nothing. And on top of that, the city was eerily silent. Sure there had been the customary distant gunfire, but other than the Supermutants, they hadn't seen anything.
While that was a good thing, in the infantryman's experience, that only meant trouble was waiting for them. Trouble was saving up to dump everything on them at once.
Once the other man had joined Nate on the north side of the street, the two of them slipped back toward the corner and into the building.
"Jess, have you seen anything?"
"Nothing."
"Okay then let's g-"
"Wait", she hissed. "I saw movement, southeast corner, second floor."
Once again waving Grant to the side, Nate took cover, hiding from that direction, and began scanning the other buildings. Most newbies look for whatever their teammate calls out, but that's a mistake. Jess was already searching for signs of that movement again, his eyes in the same spot wouldn't do them any good. He needed to be looking for something different. Another position, another threat.
"Did you see what it was", Nate asked, still scanning.
"No, just that something was there."
Who or whatever it was hadn't fired, and they'd been exposed to them. That meant they either didn't want to fight or were a scout. In either case, that meant they needed to unass and now.
"Alright, change route, move a block west and continue north. Jess maintain position and cover, follow on my mark, I'll take point, Grant you're with me. "
Without waiting for a response, the ex-soldier moved from his cover and began heading west, trying to keep the collapsing buildings between himself and where Jess had seen the movement. After he'd taken a dozen paces, he heard the other man follow.
Their pace was faster than it had been as they padded down the sidewalk, careful to avoid the rubble and crystalline glass shards littering the splintered concrete. Someone knew they were there, it wouldn't help to make more noise, but they had to move quickly.
A moment later, the two of them arrived at the street corner of the next intersection, this one with smaller, one-story storefronts on the west side. Why hadn't they been routed through this path?
It didn't matter, all that mattered was getting Jess now.
"Stay here", Nate whispered to Grant. The ARD scientist nodded and ducked into cover while the ex-soldier slipped back toward the intersection where Jess was still waiting.
"Any updates, Conklin?"
"No", came the still terse reply. "Nothing."
"Good. I'll be there in 30 seconds. When I get back, I want you to move directly toward me. Understood?"
"Understood."
Her voice said she was nervous, but she had it under control. That was good, the last thing he needed was someone freezing up, especially out here without the safety net of the Coursers or a larger team.
Once he reached the corner, the ex-soldier began scanning for threats once more. Jess's footsteps came from behind him and a few seconds later she ducked into the building he was beside. As soon as she had, the two of them beat feet for Grant's position-
Just in time to hear a gunshot rip through the thick blanket of silence.
A round zipped by Nate's head close enough he could hear the crack loud enough to wince. It was followed almost immediately by a second report. In the city, it was damn near impossible to tell what direction that had come from.
"Move!" the ex-soldier shouted, and the two of them broke into a run.
As they did, Nate caught the form of Grant shifting out from his cover and begin firing back down the street.
More rounds sailed past the two of them as they ran for the relative safety of the next intersection. Their teammate's laser rifle launched lance after lance over their heads at the unseen assailant, but the incoming barrage didn't wane.
That's okay. It's okay. They were only a few paces from the corner and once-
The ex-soldier watched as something hit Grant and the man tumbled backward out of sight.
Oh shit. A pit formed in Nate's stomach as he raced toward his downed teammate.
Oh shit.
Had he just gotten one of his people killed? On their second operation? A day after their first? Had he been careless? Could he have prepared them better? Should he have insisted on not bringing them along? Or at least bringing support? Was he too hasty, letting the Coursers begin the search without them, leaving the three of them vulnerable?
When Nate rounded the corner of the brick building Grant had been using for cover, bullets still cracking by behind him, he found the other man sitting, back against the building, breathing heavily.
"Jess", the infantryman shouted, pointing inside, "cover us from in there." Fear and concern flashed through her eyes, but this was no time for that. "We don't have time for concerns, we act or we die. You don't need to expose yourself, just make sure they can't advance toward us."
She gave a hesitant nod, casting a glance at Grant, before slipping into the building.
"Are you okay?" Nate shouted over the still booming gunfire as rounds peppered the side of the building.
"I- I- I think so", the ARD tech said, wheezing. "The armor caught it."
The ex-soldier gave the chest plate he was wearing a quick once over. Sure enough, a small furrow was carved into the plate over his left clavicle. It had probably knocked the wind out of him, but he'd live.
"Alright, let's get going then."
Helping his teammate to his feet, he called to Jess. "Fall back, we're moving."
Again, not waiting for a response, Nate helped the slimmer man hobble down the street, scanning the crumbling brick and concrete buildings around them for potential threats.
Nothing.
That was good, they probably wouldn't fare well with a second ambush.
Jess hurried to get in front of them and take point. It almost put a smile on the ex-soldier's face. He hadn't even needed to tell her to do that.
After a minute or so of half dragging Grant down the street, the other man pat Nate's shoulder. "I think I'm good to walk."
Nodding, the infantryman slipped away from him and, while a bit unsteady, the ARD tech stayed on his feet and shouldered his laser rifle. They may be new, but Nate had good people with him. This might not turn out to be a crazy idea after all.
With the team mostly back into fighting shape, the three of them continued down the street for another half dozen mostly destroyed blocks before the ex-soldier signaled a stop. He directed the two of them into a partially intact concrete and blown-out glass tower that, if memory served him right, was a bank.
"How are you doing?" Nate asked as Grant leaned against a wall.
"Oh, you know", he held out his hand. It was trembling so much, it was a shock he could hold his rifle. "First time getting shot, it wasn't so bad."
The ex-soldier smiled. "They get worse."
"Good to know", Grant said, returning the smile.
Turning to Jess, who was watching the entrance with an intensity he'd never seen from her before, Nate said, "great catch, Conklin."
Her head snapped toward him like she was shocked he'd addressed her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that was a great catch. Good awareness. You spotted a potential ambush. Those are instincts we're going to need out here." He flashed her a smile too. "Those aren't things you just learn."
It was then the ex-soldier noticed she was trembling too. This was different from the warehouse attack that morning. There, they were the ones dictating the terms of engagement; they'd been the ones to set the ambush. Now, out here, in the bombed-out husk that used to be Boston, they were at the mercy of whoever happened to be watching them. It was something Nate was painfully accustomed to, but Jess and Grant, this was a first for them. Another one.
"Hey. You did your job, and because of that we're all alive and unhurt. If it will make you feel better, once we get back, we can go over a few ambush sims." Nate turned back to Grant who was still slumped against the wall, laser rifle dangling from its sling. "Maybe you won't get shot in one of those."
"Ha ha. Very funny. You know, a few inches higher and I'd be dead."
Nate shrugged. "That's war. Don't think about it too much."
"It's hard not to."
"Oh I know, believe me", the ex-soldier replied, huffing.
"How many times have you been shot?"
The infantryman cocked an eyebrow. "I haven't made a habit of keeping track. I don't know, a half dozen? Twice since waking up here." The memory of pain exploding from his chest before everything went black, only to wake up with the massive form of Damon looming over him. The SPARTAN had saved him. Again.
Nate didn't try to stop the bitterness that crept into his mind.
"The first one almost killed me. No armor."
Knocking on the chest plate Grant said, "I guess I'm glad I have this then."
"You'll be singing a different tune in a few hours when the adrenaline wears off and the bruise begins forming." The ex-soldier checked the time. "You good to keep moving?"
The other man pushed himself away from the wall and nodded. "Good as new."
"Uh-huh." He was probably being sarcastic, but Nate was still going to nip any macho bullshit in the bud. The last thing any fireteam needs is someone trying to 'tough out' an injury that affects their performance. "I'll take point, Jess you're on rear guard."
With a nod from his teammates, the three of them slipped back out into the street and continued toward the hospital where they were supposed to meet up with their Coursers. Nate wanted to get there as soon as possible. Wandering around the city with no safety net was… nerve-wracking, and he didn't need any more reason to have an episode.
The remainder of the journey, while tense, was uneventful. After traveling about another quarter mile through the destroyed city, they rejoined the original route. A few minutes after that, the hospital came into view. It was a wide, squat building which, before the bombs fell, made it look a bit out of place with the large towers surrounding it. Now, with most of those skyscrapers crumbling to nothing, the hospital was almost the same height as everything else. With the white paint faded, most of the windows blown out, and several of its own walls crumbling from it, the sturdy structure was having its own problems. That being said, it was in much better shape than everything else in the area.
It was another fifteen minutes before they reached their goal, and Nate radioed ahead to alert the Coursers inside to their presence.
The trio of combat-specialized Synths met them outside.
Great... Now all they have to do is search this massive hospital for a high-value target that escaped with, seemingly, no one's knowledge.
Just another day.
A/N: This was a really fun chapter to write. Not only did we get to explore some of the ways the Institute has started using its unique position to fight this war, but I've been trying to think of a fun way to write a larger scale (for this story) fight. I'm happy with the way it came out, but now we've got some intrigue going on here. That's for next week's chapter though. I'll see everyone next time!
Next chapter: 5/27, Familiar Friends, New Foe