Wrong Place, Right Time: A Hero's Story

by DLTA-BOT

The journey of a hero doesn't always start where they expect. It doesn't always happen to those who expect it. Damon was never interested in being what SPARTANs represent: an implacable force for good standing as humanity's shield. Like most other third-generation SPARTANs, the war took everything from him. All he wanted was to return the favor. Sometimes we don't get a choice.

51. Chapter 51: Dig Two Graves

A/N: Good morning (or afternoon, or evening, or night)! I am back to relieve the cliffhanger I left you on last week! Now, I'm not a fan of them, I think they're a cheap method of telling a story and building suspense, but they do have their place. Not a lot to say before this chapter, so I'll stop rambling and let you get to it. Anyway, leave a review if you're so inclined and, as always, enjoy!

Chapter 51: Dig Two Graves

As I weaved through the trees as quickly as I could, without crashing into one, a hundred different scenarios ran through my mind. Everything from why the Brotherhood may be heading to Sanctuary, to what they might do when they get there. Did they know I was there or had been there? How would they know? Were they going to attack because of that? Did they know I have Danse? Or Haylen? How large a force would they bring? What kind of armaments? What kind of tactics would they use? How do I counter?

Dammit…

Was Sanctuary about to get blown to hell because I was stupid enough to stay with them? Should I have turned Preston's offer down and stayed independent?

None of this is helpful right now. Get back, assess the situation, and respond. I need to do my damn job, not worry about what happens if I don't.

My job. Right.

Under most circumstances, moving like this was a no-go. It was asking to get followed and ambushed. But we'd been through here not long ago and my only concern was getting back to the Institute.

At one point, I came across a small pack of wild dogs that barked and growled as I skirted them. It would take time to deal with them; I need every second to get back. They didn't give chase. Maybe I surprised them.

Five minutes later, the distant beat of Vertibird rotors had turned into deep thuds pounding at the air. I was still around two klicks away from Sanctuary, but that confirmed my suspicions. At least it confirmed my suspicions about where they were heading.

Why were they going to Sanctuary?

Heading directly to the settlement would end in a fight, regardless of what the Brotherhood is there for. Instead, as soon as I reached the road leading to the Sanctuary, still about a klick away, I crossed it and slipped into the river. Once I reached the opposite shore, I scrambled up the hill and into the forest above.

It didn't take more than another 10 seconds after I made it to the top of the hill to see the Vertibirds. Three of them. One was on the street in front of the bridge, the other two circling to the north and south. They were keeping their distance from Sanctuary.

So not a fight, at least not yet.

Then what the hell are they here for?

As I slipped over the hill's crest and crept toward the settlement, I watched a half dozen power armored forms disembark from the grounded VTOL. Once they were across the bridge, four more unarmored Brotherhood members jumped out, two carrying a stretcher.

They were here for Haylen.

Shit. If they're here for Haylen… There are too many possibilities. I can't speculate on that now.

I continued along the hillside, making myself as small as possible until I was adjacent to the bridge. Lying in the dirt and underbrush, I crawled my way toward the crest of the next hill. They wouldn't have people patrolling the forest. There was too much ground to cover and, unless more soldiers arrived on foot, not enough capacity in those Vertibirds.

To be fair, if this was a quick in and out, that's standard tactics; taking time to position overwatch in an unfamiliar area was asking for trouble. Plus, it's largely unnecessary if you have mobile overwatch, like air support.

And no threat of anti-aircraft fire.

As I watched, someone swung the front gate open and the squad of armored soldiers marched inside. When I propped my rifle up in the dirt and looked through the scope, I saw Alex walking alongside the lead soldier.

She looked pissed. At this distance, and with the rotors of the three Vertibirds beating the air, there was no way I could hear her, but she was saying something and she didn't look happy.

A few dozen settlers were lining the streets, all of them armed, and I had no doubt even more were taking position in some of the hardened structures around them. Despite everything, I allowed myself a small smile. The Brotherhood was trying to intimidate them and, even if they'd lose this fight with the armaments they have, the people of Sanctuary weren't about to let them.

Whatever I have to do, I need to get them some heavy ordinance. While training and experience are vital to winning any fight, the will to fight is a force's most important foundation.

And dammit, these people have it.

This situation only made things clearer: without the right equipment and preparations, that will doesn't mean much.

The group of four unarmored personnel followed close behind the armor squad as they made their way directly to the house they'd converted into a medical station. That was suspicious. Unless one of them asked Alex where Haylen was, that meant they knew exactly where to look when they arrived.

The only way that can happen is if there's someone within Sanctuary who is feeding them intel. That meant they probably wouldn't know Danse was in the Vault, but it also meant they knew I was working with the settlement. Why wouldn't they come in with more forces then? Three Vertibirds at capacity could carry two squads of power-armored soldiers. They sent more than that to find me the other day.

Unless they weren't here for a fight.

I hate not having enough information.

While the unarmored personnel entered the building, the Brotherhood soldier Alex had been arguing with finally turned to address her. Whatever they said didn't sit right with the woman. I can't read lips, but she was shouting at them now, and her hands were on her rifle.

She looked tiny next to the bulky armored soldier, but she very clearly didn't care.

The armored soldier shouldered their laser rifle. It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, but that wasn't a good sign. I placed the crosshairs on the back of the bastard's helmet and rested my finger on the trigger. It wouldn't get through the thick steel plate, but it would buy Alex some time to get away if things went sideways.

If that happened though, I'm not sure how much giving her time would help. Most of the houses were armored, but they hadn't had a chance to secure the roofs. Even if they had, the large caliber chin guns on the Vertibirds would chew through it in no time. With weapons poorly suited to drop armored air support, or even deal with the soldiers on the ground, that fight wouldn't go well.

Before things could go any further, Alex let go of her rifle and stepped away, shouting a parting shot at the armored soldier standing over her.

The unarmored Brotherhood members were exiting the house a moment later, the stretcher carried between two of them with Haylen lying on it. The Scribe had her eyes screwed shut and a grimace on her face.

With their prize in tow, the T-60-clad soldiers formed a protective guard around the others and they marched back through the settlement. Unsurprisingly, a large contingent of armed and angry settlers followed them.

Despite that, nothing else happened. The Brotherhood forces exited the gate, loading Haylen into the waiting Vertibird. Its rotors began pounding at the air and it lifted off of the broken asphalt.

So they weren't interested in a fight. Their only concern was getting Haylen out.

Why?

Why, if they know I'm working with Sanctuary, would they come in with such a small force and leave without firing a shot? Why would they wait until I wasn't there to extract her? Did this have something to do with why they had Initiates on their search parties to find me? Did they have larger operations going on I wasn't aware of?

Too many questions I didn't have the ability to answer.

Maybe Alex can give me some information.

Whatever the case, moving down into the settlement now is a bad idea. There's someone there who is informing us. The last thing I need is for the Brotherhood to know I might know that.

If I could get her to come up and meet me, that might work.

More out of habit than any persisting threat, I crawled my way back until Sanctuary was out of sight before standing. Deacon still had another hour and a half until he had to contact me. I have some time to figure out what the hell just happened. First step is getting Alex up here.

Skirting the hillside, I circled around to the shack. Two men were there, both on the deck looking back down into Sanctuary. I didn't know the names of either, but I recognized them from the last time I was here to retrieve Nora's body. That isn't proof neither of them are plants, but the longer someone has been present, the less likely it is.

"Hold fire", I called as I approached the armored post.

Both men whirled on me, rifles raised.

"Holy shit!" one of them said, a medium-height man wearing the same thick jacket and worn cargo pants I see on a significant portion of the other settlers. "Damon? Wh- do you know what the hell just happened?"

I shook my head. "No. Get Alex, tell her-" I was about to say 'tell her Danse wants to talk.' That probably wouldn't be a good idea. Most people in Sanctuary don't know he's in the bunker. Without knowing who might be the informant, there's no way I can risk that information getting around. "Tell her she needs to see something up here immediately. Do not mention me, understood?"

The two of them exchanged a glance and, after a brief pause, the man nodded. "Yeah… sure, I'll be back in a minute."

As he hurried down the hill toward Sanctuary, the other guard eyed me suspiciously.

"You sure you don't know what just happened? The Brotherhood've never been up here before."

"They wanted Haylen back. That's all I know."

He didn't look satisfied but remained quiet. A few minutes later the other guard returned, Alex following close behind.

"Damon, what the hell is going on?" she asked, eyes wide. She did her best to hide it by holding onto her rifle, but I didn't miss her hands trembling.

"That's what I came back to find out. What were they saying?"

Alex frowned. "They said they knew you were working with us and that you're a danger to everyone. If anyone sees you, we should report it to them at Cambridge right away."

That sounded like a truncated version of the 'conversation'.

I nodded. "What was the shouting about then?"

"Oh", she said, shrugging. "They told me any actions taken against the Brotherhood would be considered a direct attack and they would 'respond in kind'. I kindly told that bastard he could shove it up his ass."

Her eyes narrowed as she fell silent for a moment, clearly considering something.

"How did they know Haylen was here?"

"Informant. If they'd tracked us here it would have been a lot worse."

"Yeah, but this still doesn't make any damn sense", she said. "Why wouldn't they come in and take over? Or attack us at all?"

"I have no idea", I replied, shaking my head, "but we need to figure out who they planted here."

She nodded. "Uh-huh. I don't like the idea that someone in our community- someone we invited into our home would be spying on us." Alex's voice was low and subdued, but I could hear the fury boiling just beneath the surface

That was emotional and, while I can understand it, that won't help figure this out.

Alex sighed. "Well whatever the case, we need to find out who it is." She eyed me. "I don't suppose you have any bright ideas for that one."

"No. I've never had to deal with this before. I've used informants, but good ones are almost impossible to find. They managed to get at least one into the Institute."

"Oh man…" she trailed off, glancing behind her down toward Sanctuary. "If they can't find whoever the Brotherhood got in…"

She was going to say 'how will we?' While under most circumstances I agree, there are two disadvantages that may help us here. There are only three radios in Sanctuary: one is on my hip, Sturges has another locked in his workshop, and the last one Preston has hidden in the walls of his house. The other is there aren't anywhere near as many people in Sanctuary as there are in the Institute.

That means whoever the spy is will have a fourth radio that hasn't been accounted for yet, and we have far fewer people to search.

"Well we have to try", the first guard said. "We can start making a list of people who might be responsible."

"I know, I know", Alex replied, running a still shaking hand through her hair. The encounter got to her more than she wanted to let on. "There are some people we know we can clear, I-" she looked down at her trembling hands. "I just need some time to think. For now let's keep this between the four of us, Sturges, and Owens, okay? I'll go get them filled in. Until we can figure this out though, we have to keep it quiet."

"Agreed", I said as the other two offered nods.

Alex's gaze turned back to me. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Head out and find the Railroad. Deacon took Preston and MacCready there while I came here. Don't tell Danse anything, I'll deal with that when we get back."

"Alright then", she replied. "Any idea when that'll be?"

I shook my head. "Depends on if we can convince them to join. Contact me if anything comes up."

"Gotcha. We'll be careful."

While I wanted to stay in the area in case the Brotherhood came back, I couldn't think of any reason they would. They have Haylen and they think I'm not here. Unless they somehow get word I came back, they shouldn't return.

Even if they did, I don't have the weapons to take down Vertibirds.

With that in mind, I nodded and I have no clue where it is, but the closer I am when Deacon contacts me, the better. Besides, staying around Sanctuary right now won't help anyone. If I turn up right after the Brotherhood leave, and while I'm supposed to be with the Railroad, whoever their informant is probably gets cold feet.

As I made my way back toward the east side of the hill, I began thinking about possibilities again.

Start with the basics and work my way up. What information do I have right now?

First, they knew Haylen was in custody and she'd been 'interrogated'. Second, they knew I was working with Sanctuary.

The settlement was well out of sight when I slipped back across the river.

Third, they didn't want an engagement for whatever reason. Fourth, they didn't know Danse was there. Fifth, they do plan on coming after me at some point.

The pounding rhythm of the Vertibirds' rotors had almost faded into obscurity by the time I was back in the forest.

… Why can't anything go right? It feels like every time I try to put a plan together, something happens before anything gets started. Then I have to start from the beginning again.

Now I have to deal with the fact Haylen was back in the Brotherhood's custody and I have no way of knowing whether they think she cooperated with me or not. She wasn't supposed to be returned to them for another two days, and that was supposed to coincide with me hitting that Brotherhood depot. That shit's out the window now because, if I leave MacCready and Preston on their own at the Railroad, Desdemona might get cold feet, if she doesn't have them already. Plus Maxson is going to have his people on high alert for retaliation of some sort.

Shit…

Slipping through the forest, heading back for the Railroad after what just happened at the settlement felt wrong. It felt like I should do something about it.

But there wasn't anything to do. I don't know where they're taking Haylen and, even if I did, trying to get her back would be a terrible idea.

Besides, it's still possible the Brotherhood might buy the story. Whether it was someone from Sanctuary who brought her to Cambridge or their own forces, they found her with injuries consistent with torture. It was amateurish torture, but it's still torture. I was relying on her to sell the story once she was back anyway.

As I stopped to backtrack, making sure no one was following, something felt off. I'm assuming whoever tipped the Brotherhood off Haylen was in Sanctuary hadn't seen her other than when I brought her to the medical station. If they saw us leave together to find Danse, the plan was blown.

And there's no way for me to know that until Haylen gets in contact.

For now, I'll do what I can here. MacCready and Preston need to hear about this too.

By the time I reached the area I'd parted ways with the others, an hour had passed since I began back for Sanctuary.

Felt like a lot longer than that.

Maxson is a smart mfer and he, apparently, has people everywhere. If you have the manpower, it's an extremely valuable asset. It's one of the reasons ONI is so dangerous; they have the resources to put as many people as they want almost anywhere. The Brotherhood is spit in the wind compared to ONI, but considering the… sparse population of this Earth, they might be just as dangerous.

I didn't have to wait long for the radio on my hip to start squawking.

"Damon", the low, muffled voice came through the small pouch.

They probably have someone in the area watching for me. My eyes roamed the forest of sickly trees and brown underbrush. It isn't like I was trying to move unseen, but for one of them to have eyes on me without my noticing…

Not bad.

Fishing the small radio from my satchel, I hit the transmit button.

"I copy."

"You're back soon." It was Deacon. "Head directly west, we're waiting for you."

"Understood."

With the radio back in its pouch, I weaved through the forest toward Deacon's position. Now the question is: who is 'we'?" There isn't a doubt in my mind they brought some form of escort. They don't trust me any more than I trust Nate.

Understandably.

My question was answered soon enough.

A small break in the forest ahead of me opened into a clearing. There, the Railroad agent was waiting for me with Charlie and Glory flanking him. Each had a large caliber rifle.

The one in Charlie's hands was mine.

Considering the three of them were close together, and they wouldn't have been able to see me from here, they probably have more people in the forest around me.

Which means I'm effectively walking into a trap.

If this is what it takes… I took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing.

As soon as I was in sight, both Railroad soldiers had their weapons trained on me. It may have been a little irrational, but it felt wrong to have the McMillan aimed at me.

"Stop there", Glory ordered. "Lay your weapons on the ground and step away from them."

The McMillan chambers a 12.7mm round and whatever Glory was holding looked similar. Neither of them would get through the titanium hard armor, but they'd dig through more vulnerable spots on my undersuit. After they get through the shields. I have no way of knowing how many people are around me and what they may be armed with. Even so, if they let me take down the two soldiers guarding Deacon and I got into the forest, things would get bad for them very quickly.

But it isn't a fight I want to take. I'm under no delusions they'd be as prepared as they can be, and I don't know enough about their preparations to say I'd win. That isn't why I don't want to take this fight. No, I don't want to take this fight because I need- want these people to trust me. Sanctuary needs their help. I will too if I want to get Julian back and eliminate the Brotherhood, or at least the threat they pose, in a reasonable amount of time. That's without saying anything about the Institute.

Besides, like I told Deacon, I think these people are doing the right thing. Maybe not as well or as much as they could be, but they're a lot better than the alternatives.

I raised my left hand as I slipped the HK-33's sling over my head and laid it on the ground. Once I unclamped the MK-18 and my handgun, setting them beside it, I stepped away, both hands held out to my side.

"Knife too", the woman demanded.

It was symbolic more than anything; if I could kill them with the knife, I could do it with my hands, but I'm cooperating here, aren't I?

After I tossed my knife into the small collection of weapons, movement from my left caught my attention. Another Railroad soldier emerged from the forest. He was the same height as Deacon with yellowish blonde hair and a deep tan. I recognized him but, as usual, didn't know his name.

The man slowly stalked toward me, rifle trained on my head the entire time. When he reached my weapons, he hurriedly collected them before retreating toward the other three.

"We're clear people", Charlie called.

As soon as the order was given, a dozen Railroad members emerged from the treeline around us, each had a weapon on me. One of them had a large caliber rifle, but the rest were carrying an assortment of combat rifles.

My eyes drifted back to the original trio, neither Glory nor Charlie was aiming at me anymore.

If they put their hardest hitters in the line of fire…

They weren't looking for a fight either. They just wanted to make sure I wasn't.

An unexpected wave of relief washed over me. I don't know if it was Deacon's council or MacCready and Preston had already won them over but it meant they were giving me the benefit of the doubt.

That's a start.

Deacon waved me forward. "Let's get a move on. We don't like being in the open this long."

Nodding, I followed them into the forest as the rest of the guard formed a loose, wide semicircle around me. Even if they weren't looking for a fight, they were going to play it safe.

The Railroad agent hadn't been lying when he said their new base was close by. Less than 15 minutes of trudging through the forest later, I found myself standing in front of a bunker with similar construction to Listening Post Bravo. The exterior was smaller and tucked into a large rock outcropping still in the middle of the forest. Well hidden and, most likely, hardened. It wouldn't surprise me if they'd maintained this as a fallback position.

Glory rounded on me as we came to a stop. "I don't need to tell you what happens if you're here to backstab us again, do I?" I shook my head. "Good."

Deacon grunted. "Yeah, yeah Glory, let's leave the threats out here, okay? It isn't going to help any of us learn to trust one another." He swung the door open and motioned inside. "After you."

In the bunker was another greeting party, this time it was Desdemona standing in the small room that looked like some sort of lobby with a somehow still intact wooden desk on the wall to my left, a computer, and several manila folders on it. Other than that, the concrete room was bare.

"Hello again, Damon", the Railroad commander said, the ice in her tone only matched by her glare.

I nodded. "Ma'am."

She arched an eyebrow at me. "Honorifics? Seems awfully formal for you."

Formal? Not really. Granted, I'm not exactly sure what to do here. I'd been so preoccupied with both making sure I didn't let myself get caught off guard again and figuring out what the hell to do with the situation at Sanctuary, I hadn't given this any thought.

And coming up with a good way to convince her on the spot is not in my wheelhouse.

"Just a greeting, Desdemona."

"Uh-huh." She looked past me to the others. "Resume normal operations, Glory, Charlie, and Deacon with me."

As a few of the guards filtered past us and the others dispersed back into the forest, Glory pulled the door shut behind her, closing the four of them in with me.

Either they had a play I didn't know about, or they really were trusting me here.

Even though I knew they wouldn't let me talk with them until after they were satisfied I wasn't here to attack the Railroad again, I had to stop myself from asking to see Cass and Tommy. It's been over a month, I can wait a little longer to do this right.

"So let's start at the beginning, shall we?" Desdemona said. Her voice was still cold enough to freeze the air around us. "We all know you came to our headquarters to attack us on Father's orders. Deacon has told me the reason you didn't was that you didn't want to hurt Cass and Tommy. He also told me you seem to have had a change of heart about what you're doing here. So I'm going to ask you this once and if I don't like your answer this conversation ends. Why should we trust you?"

Why should they trust me? That's a good question. A barrage of different answers flooded my mind, so many and so fast I couldn't keep track of them all. Because I'm your best chance of handling both the Institute and the Brotherhood. Because I believe you're doing the right thing and want to help. Because this alliance is the only way anyone in the Minutemen or the Railroad is going to survive this war.

None of those sat right though, and I doubt she'd take any of them. She's had an hour to talk with MacCready and Preston, she knows my intent. I'm sure she's also aware of the other arguments. They aren't a reason to trust me, they're a reason she needs help.

Why should they trust me? Why would I trust me now as opposed to then? Why should Cass and Tommy trust me?

I sifted through the deluge of responses looking for the right one. I know it's there, but what is it?

"I'm waiting", the Railroad commander said, eyes narrowed.

Why should anyone trust me now? Why do Preston, Alex, Valentine, Perkins, and the others in Sanctuary trust me? Why did Haylen trust me?

"Dez", a voice came from beside me. I turned to find Deacon standing there, watching me. "The only reason he'd be here right now is if he wanted to help. He isn't with the Institute or Brotherhood, and you heard what Preston said." The agent met Desdemona's gaze. "The kid made a mistake but, when it came down to it, he made the right call."

Kid?

"You're saying you trust him?" Desdemona asked.

Deacon nodded. "The people in Sanctuary do, most of 'em anyway."

"And you trust their judgment?"

"I trust they'd do everything they can to keep their families safe, and that's with Damon's help and joining us."

Silence settled over the four of us as Desdemona's eyes turned back on me. Even if I wasn't horrible at reading expressions, I doubt I'd be able to read hers.

What Deacon said made sense, and I agree with it, but why do the people in Sanctuary trust me?

Maybe I can ask Preston…

"Alright", the Railroad commander said eventually. "Let's get started then."

She turned and marched further into the bunker, closely followed by the two Railroad soldiers. Deacon shot me a quick smile before starting after them.

He'd stood up for me.

Why?

What have I done to earn his trust?

Worry about it later, handle this for now.

Right.

I followed the group down a narrow hall that was barely large enough for two people to fit side by side. It was bare besides the light fixtures set into the ceiling, illuminating our path.

We emerged from the corridor into a much larger room. In fact, it might have been bigger than the cavern they had under the church. If it weren't for the smooth walls and sharp corners, it could have been that cavern. It had most of the same equipment, tables, and chairs in the same layout, and Railroad members going about their tasks, whatever those happened to be.

There were a few differences though; instead of Tom's old, dilapidated-looking setup, they were using a server built into the far wall. Accompanying it were several computer banks and terminals organized in the same corner. Tom wasn't the only one working on them either. There were several people I didn't recognize seated in front of the terminals, tapping at the keyboards.

As soon as I entered the room though, all activity stopped. Every eye was on me. As usual, the attention was almost physically painful. My body wanted nothing more than to find somewhere to move, to hide and get out of the line of sight. This many people looking at me from this many different directions, especially without my weapons, made me feel vulnerable.

I'm not here to fight.

Taking a deep breath, I began searching the room. I didn't know if it was for Preston and MacCready, or Cass and Tommy, but finding a familiar face among the few dozen strangers staring at me might make this a little more tolerable.

It only took a moment before I spotted the two men from Sanctuary. They were sitting at the collection of tables set in the corner to my right. With them were a handful of Railroad personnel. They were watching me too.

"Get back to it." I almost jumped when Desdemona spoke the order. I hadn't realized, but the room had grown silent as its occupants stared at me.

Slowly, the Railroad members resumed their tasks as their commander led us toward Preston and MacCready.

"Preston here told us what you're planning", she said, sitting at the large, galley-style table. "If this were any other time I'd say absolutely not." The woman looked up at me. "Even now, I'm not sure I like the idea. More people means more exposure, more exposure means we're more likely to get caught."

"Ms. Desdemona-" Preston started, but a frown from the Railroad commander cut him off.

"Like I told you before, Desdemona is fine."

The Minuteman nodded. "Sorry, Desdemona. I don't know if you can worry about that anymore. Yes, staying hidden means it'll be harder for the Institute to find you, but the Brotherhood isn't going to stop just because the Institute is gone. A lot of people know you exist, and the Brotherhood isn't gonna let you continue existing, especially if you're hiding Synths from them."

"You've already said that."

"You're right", Preston responded. "I'll keep saying it as many times as I need. The more people you have, the better your chances of surviving and the Minutemen need your help if we're going to provide that support."

"The Minutemen, huh?" Desdemona frowned, looking back at me. "They told me that's your idea." I nodded. "Care to explain?"

What's there to explain? "Simplified command structure and fewer conflicting objectives. You each cover the other's weaknesses."

"And what about you?" she asked.

"I'm here to do whatever I need to make this work."

"Why?"

Why? Why am I doing this? Memories of the Covenant flashed through my mind again. The Brotherhood isn't the Covenant, but they're analogous. "Maxson and his cult remind me of some people I don't like. They're dangerous; things will get a lot worse here if they go unchecked."

Desdemona grunted. "So you care about the wellbeing of the Commonwealth, is that it?"

I shook my head. "I care about the people in Sanctuary." And Cass, Tommy, and Julian.

"Well, at least you're honest." She paused, glancing between Preston, Deacon, and me. "Deacon has also told me about your plans with Paladin- or I guess I should say former Paladin Danse and former Scribe Haylen. You intend to make any defectors members of the new Minutemen too?"

"Possibly."

"Hmmm. He also told me how you want Preston to be the head of the Minutemen, ignoring his inexperience, while you provide the fighting power."

"Not all of it, but fighting is what I was made to do."

She nodded. "Right, until we can get their people up to snuff." Her eyes narrowed. "And you want to get things started, get people believing in the Minutemen again, by taking Quincy back."

'Taking back' implied we'd occupy it. That isn't the plan, but she's close enough. "Correct."

The Railroad leader hummed as she leaned back in her seat. "Seems like a plan with a lot of potential problems."

"Agreed", Preston replied. "That's why we're here talking to you. We think making this agreement under the banner of the Minutemen will help inspire people to join us. Like you said, we don't have the experience to do this. You and your people do."

"Are you saying you'd follow our lead?" Desdemona asked.

The Minuteman nodded. "Yes."

As the word faded, nothing replaced it besides the bustling activity around us. Desdemona was still watching Preston but, like when she greeted me, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. That she was thinking about the idea at all was promising, especially with how involved I am in it, but I had no clue which way she would decide.

Preston looked nervous, with a deep frown on his face and hands that wouldn't stop fidgeting. I don't doubt everyone else saw it, but I'm not sure it matters in a situation like this. The Railroad knows Sanctuary needs their help, the same way they know Preston is right about the Brotherhood.

"You'll need to give me some time to discuss it with a few others", the Railroad commander said. She turned to Deacon. "Are you sponsoring this little escapade?" The agent nodded. "Alright then. Glory?" When the soldier met her gaze, Desdemona nodded toward the back of the large room. The white-haired woman shot me a glance and left.

Desdemona stood. "We will reconvene after we've had a chance to talk but I won't promise an answer by then." She looked around at the other Railroad members at the table. "Let's give them some space."

With that, the others departed leaving MacCready and Preston looking up at me.

"What happened with the Brotherhood", the Minuteman asked. "They went to Sanctuary?"

"Yes", I replied nodding. "They didn't attack. They took Haylen and left."

Preston frowned. "They took Haylen? How did they find out about her?"

"They most likely have an informant in Sanctuary."

If their grimaces were anything to judge by, that didn't sit well with either of them.

"Informant?" MacCready echoed. "What for?"

"They know I'm involved with you, and they told everyone there they needed to report if I turned up again. Alex is working with Sturges and Owens on figuring out who it is, but we're on the Brotherhood's radar now."

Preston took a deep breath. "So no one was hurt?"

"No", I answered, "but I don't know if Haylen is compromised, and won't until she contacts me. That means I have to put our plans there on hold."

"Fair." The oddly dressed man looked around the bunker. "I'm sure the Railroad could help out with that."

Probably.

The sound of footsteps from behind us caught my attention. They were heading toward us.

When I turned-

It was Cass and Tommy.

They were being led by Glory across the massive room. Both were staring at me, apprehensive.

I shuddered as I watched them approach. I hadn't seen either of them in over a month. Cass had cut her brown hair short and Tommy looked like he'd grown since then. Neither of those things hurt though.

What hurt was the uncertainty in their eyes.

"Damon…" Cass offered as they stopped in front of me.

This is a moment I wasn't sure I'd get. I'd spent the last month hoping, but now it was here, now that I was standing in front of them, it felt so… anti-climatic. Are they happy to see me? Do they want to see me?

Silently staring at them wouldn't help anything.

"Hey. Sorry it took so long."

The teenager blinked. "Does… that mean your back? No more disappearing acts? No more attacking people?"

No more attacking people? "No more attacking the wrong people."

She didn't respond immediately. There was a hint of fear in Cass's eyes. It wasn't fear of me, at least I don't think it was.

"Do you promise? Not to leave again?"

Unexpected emotion choked my throat and I let go of a deep breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. She wants me around. Judging by the careful smile on Tommy's face, he does too. Even after what I did, they do want me around.

They want me around

The real answer was I'd do everything I could to make sure I didn't, but this is war and nothing's ever certain.

That was the wrong answer.

I nodded. "I promise."

A broad smile spread across Cass's face and she reached forward to wrap her arms around my waist.

"Thank you", she said and, even though her face was buried in a titanium plate, I could hear it thicken with emotion.

Tommy had a hold of my left leg and, with the two of them wrapped around me, I caught MacCready, Preston, and Glory all watching me. It was a mixture of curiosity and, on the Railroad soldier's part, concern. What did it look like? Two kids hugging me, an almost two-and-a-half meter tall walking, armored weapon.

A better question might be what would I think looking at it?

My eyes dropped to Cass and Tommy, both still latched onto me.

Why? Why do they want me around so bad? After I failed to get Julian back? After I betrayed them?

Why do they trust me?

Whatever the reason, I felt a spark of pride in my chest. They wanted me around, regardless of the reason. Even after being away for a month, after leaving like I did, they did trust me.

"Any time", I replied, placing a hand on her back.

The embrace lasted a moment longer before Cass pulled away and cleared her throat. "So, uh, we met Mac and Preston, sounds like you've been helping them out."

"Yeah…" my gaze drifted to the Minuteman. "They made it difficult to say 'no'."

Preston shrugged, but it was forced. "Speaking of which…" his voice trailed off and a worried frown replaced it. "How are we going to handle this? We need the Railroad's help, but we're already asking a lot from them."

"Help with what?" Glory asked.

"The Brotherhood went to Sanctuary", I replied. "They have an informant there and know I'm working with them. We had one of the Brotherhood Scribes-"

The Railroad soldier nodded. "Haylen." She motioned at Preston and MacCready. "They brought us up to speed."

Right. "They took her and want the people there to report the next time I'm in the settlement."

She frowned. "That seems like overkill. If they have an informant, they don't need anyone else to give them that info."

"Yeah." MacCready nodded. "They probably wanted to send the message anyone who didn't cooperate would be considered an enemy of the Brotherhood. If their informant reports back and no one else in Sanctuary does, they give themselves a reason to come after us."

That summed up the situation pretty well. There's still something I'm missing. Why would the Brotherhood take that long to come after her? She'd been there for a week, if they were worried about her defecting, they should have been there as soon as she arrived. Or, if they were determined to avoid a fight, come while I was out on my ill-conceived recon sortie.

And why were they avoiding a fight? Is it the same reason they had initiates helping with the manhunt? Where were they diverting their forces to? Did the Institute have something to do with it?

My eyes snapped to Glory. If the Institute was up to something, they'd know.

Wait until Desdemona and Deacon get back. We need an answer first.

"Well, depending on what Dez decides", the Railroad soldier said, "we should be able to help out with that." She met my gaze. "I'm interested in hearing about this attack on Quincy though. That's a hard target, what makes you think you can take it down?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Why would that be the first thing you take down?"

That's an easy one. "Optics. I've done cursory recon of the town, it's doable with the right strategy, and the right team."

Glory grunted. "You're asking us to take on a lot of risk for the first op."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. I'm taking most of it, I just need support."

This time both of her eyebrows went up. "Just need support, huh?" A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You sure talk a big game."

While I'm finding I'm utterly inept at most things, fighting is one thing I know how to do. I'm good at it. I'm also finding I don't like it when people who have never fought with me question my abilities. "I know what I'm doing."

Before she could respond, a voice echoed from the far side of the room. "Glory!" We all turned to look. It was Desdemona. She was waving the Railroad soldier over.

The white-haired woman glanced at me, eyes narrowed, and began toward the Railroad commander.

"You suck at that", Cass said as soon as she was out of earshot.

"People keep telling me", I muttered.

"Just saying." She and Tommy joined the two other men at the table. "So how do you all know each other?"

Preston chuckled. It was a little nervous, he was probably still thinking about Sanctuary, but it sounded genuine enough. "That's an interesting story. See, Damon ran into us in Concord when we were being attacked by some Raiders. It was a few weeks after Quincy. He fought them off and helped us get to Sanctuary." He huffed. "And then fought off another attack there."

The teenage girl looked at me. "Make a habit of finding people in trouble?"

"I needed help and a place to recover from some injuries. They offered both."

She exchanged a glance with Preston. "Okay… So what happened after- well, after that night?"

The night I stabbed you in the back? "I spent a week recovering, then started doing what I was trained to do: disrupt operations. The Brotherhood is the primary threat, but I was working on a way to hit the Institute when a Synth fell into my lap. Ended up having to fight both the Institute and Brotherhood. I lured them both to a hideout I'd rigged to blow." I motioned to Preston. "That's when I got tied up with them."

Cass frowned. "Recover from what?"

She wouldn't know. "The Railroad had the church wired to cover their escape. When I left, the Institute ambushed me and forced me back inside when it blew. Took me two days to crawl out."

"Oh… I didn't know."

"Not your fault."

"Right…" she trailed off. The last thing I need is her feeling bad for me. It isn't like she betrayed me. "Hey, uh, have you seen Nate after that? I mean", Cass chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "I mean I know he kinda lost it there, but it seemed like something else was going on."

"Yes. Nate was involved in trying to recover the Synth I captured."

Her eyes shot wide. "Is- is he okay? You didn't-"

"No", I interjected, shaking my head. "He's alive."

The girl let out a relieved sigh.

Why? Nate had wanted me to wipe out the Railroad. Even after I said I was done, he tried to force me to do it. But she was still concerned about him. She was worried I'd killed him and now, knowing he's still alive, she was happy about it. Shouldn't she be angry at him for what he did, or what he tried to do?

And that drew my mind back to the same question I've been asking: why would she trust me after that, even if I did make the right decision in the end?

"Cass-" it wasn't just Cass, it was Tommy and Preston too. They all trust me.

I looked around the table. "Why do any of you trust me?"

Silence greeted the question as the four of them exchanged a series of glances, all of them, including MacCready, looking very confused.

"Uh…" Preston said after several seconds of awkward silence. "That came out of the blue. Is that supposed to be… I don't know, is that a trick question?"

It was my turn to be confused. "No… After what I did, what reason have I given you to trust me?"

Cass dropped her elbows on the table with a loud thud and buried her head in her hands. "You're hopeless", she said into them.

The Minuteman started laughing, this time it was a lot less uncomfortable. Tommy, for his part, still looked confused, and even MacCready was grinning at me. I felt several pairs of eyes fix on us from around the room.

Considering their responses, I know enough about social interactions to know asking why they trust me was a stupid thing to do, the problem is I don't know why it's stupid. Wondering why they trust me seems like a perfectly valid concern, especially after recent events.

"Damon", Preston said during a brief pause in his laughter, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, I know you're being serious but c'mon."

The laughing resumed and it was several seconds before he could continue. He calmed enough to meet my gaze, and while I could tell he was trying to be serious, he was still smiling like an idiot. "Why do you think we might trust you?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I knew the answer", I growled.

Preston exchanged glances with everyone at the table until he settled on Cass. "Do you want to say it?"

"You think it would make it through whatever that helmet is made out of?" she said.

He shrugged. "Bullets don't so probably not."

The teenage girl rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'll give it a try."

What the hell is going on here?

Cass met my gaze, her eyes suddenly serious. "You saved us, Damon. If it weren't for you, me Tommy, and Julian would have been-" she shuddered. "We would have been eaten. You tried to keep us safe and, from what Nate told us once we got to the church, fought through an ambush that should have killed you to get Julian back, even if that didn't happen. He also told us how much you want to get Juliana back." The teenager looked at Preston. "It sounds like Sanctuary owes you a lot too."

"Yeah", the Minuteman said, nodding. "If you hadn't shown up in Concord, we weren't making it out of there, let alone to Sanctuary. We wouldn't have the safe home we do now, we wouldn't have the network, we wouldn't be restarting the Minutemen, the Finches wouldn't have Jake, the Forged would still be terrorizing that area, and we wouldn't have a chance with what's going on right now. That's just the stuff I know of, Damon. Considering how long you've been here, and how much time you've spent away from Sanctuary, who knows who else you've helped." He smiled, and this time it wasn't mocking. "You're an honest guy and despite how difficult you are, and how bad you are with people, you give a damn. That isn't something I can say about most people. I know you beat yourself up about some of the things you've done wrong, but if you're gonna do that, you have to take credit for the things you've done right too."

Things I've done right? I played back the events the two of them referenced. Yeah, all of those things happened but…

But what? Is anything they've said wrong? Things would be very different if I weren't here.

None of those things were especially difficult though. None of them were beyond what I'd normally do.

Are they?

Yes. They are. Before I came here I wouldn't have cared enough to do most of them. I did them because I wanted to. Even before the Railroad.

I did them because I wanted to…

"Now, I know what you're gonna say Damon: it's my job", Preston continued, "but that doesn't matter when it comes down to it. It's still stuff you did, and none of the people at this table would be here without you." He reached over and slapped my forearm. "So take some goddamn credit for once. It might help with your problem."

Problem? "What problem?"

His grin turned mocking again. "Being an absolute pain in the ass."

The four of them, including Tommy, erupted in laughter. Despite the joke being made at my expense, I found myself smiling too.

They trust me, and there's a reason they trust me. "I know you beat yourself up about some of the things you've done wrong, but if you're gonna do that, you have to take credit for the things you've done right too." I've helped people. Even with how much I've screwed up since coming here, I've helped people.

My smile grew ever so slightly.

And that felt good.

While I wouldn't say I was content, there were still questions about their trust, it was good to know they do trust me.

"Hey", Cass said as they began calming down, "can I ask you something?" Her tone was more serious than I expected, or at least more than the very recent laughter made me think. I nodded. "Is that why you never found us? You were afraid we didn't want you around anymore?"

"Yes", I replied.

Her face fell. "Oh… that's- I-"

Was she going to apologize? "It isn't your fault." I shook my head. "The best place for me after what happened was alone."

Everyone at the table frowned in unison. I almost laughed.

"What do you mean?" Preston asked.

He knows what I mean. "What I told you when I came back to Sanctuary."

He cocked an eyebrow. "That bullshit about you being afraid of hurting someone?" He huffed. "That sounds just as bad then as it does now."

It doesn't matter if it sounds bad, that was still the right decision at the time.

Now though…

Despite how aggravating Preston essentially forcing me to join them was, it's a good thing I had.

And not just for them.

"Well you're here now", Cass interjected. She looked down at the young boy beside her. "And we're both happy you are."

Tommy nodded enthusiastically.

Before anyone else could say anything, Desdemona returned with Glory and Deacon in tow.

The Railroad leader stopped beside me. "We're undecided."

As much as that isn't what I wanted to hear, I wasn't surprised.

Preston, on the other hand, wasn't happy about it.

"What do you mean?" he asked, standing. "What are you going to do when things get bad? You know you don't have enough people."

Desdemona nodded. "Oh we know that, but you're still an unknown quantity. As far as I see, there are a few problems: you don't have experience in covert operations, you need training and equipment", She looked up at me, "and a lot of this, according to Deacon, is riding on you."

All of those were certainly true.

"Weren't you going to supply us with weapons and equipment from Dr. Li's group anyway?" the Minuteman asked.

"Yes, but that will take time."

"But-"

I waved Preston's protest away. This isn't going to work; Desdemona's right, and there's no way to argue around that. They need to see they're going to get an immediate benefit from this arrangement.

"Send a squad with me to take Quincy back."

Desdemona cocked an eyebrow at me. "A squad?"

"Yes", I nodded. "Five people, long-range weapons."

There wasn't an immediate response. Instead, the Railroad commander held my gaze, maybe trying to gauge me through the opaque visor. It was something I've run into a few times with brass in the UNSC, people trying to stand up to the big bad SPARTANs.

This wasn't exactly the same. She quite clearly wasn't trying to prove anything. I'm offering something that, to someone who's never seen me fight, sounds ridiculous. Quincy is a well-fortified position with a large contingent of Gunners. Against most small contingents like the one I'm suggesting, they'd be more than enough.

But… well… These people haven't seen a SPARTAN fight before. The only one here who has is Preston and that was mostly on one arm.

"I want to get two things clear before I commit any of my people to this", Desdemona said. "First, you can guarantee none of them will be in a direct line of fire?" I nodded. "Second, you have a way to keep the Gunners from tracing this back to us."

"They won't see anyone but me."

The woman leaned back in her seat and exchanged a glance with Glory. "What do you think? It would be your op."

Her op? I cocked an eyebrow behind my helmet. It's possible she's referring to the command of any Railroad personnel who accompany me… but I doubted it.

Even so, I kept my mouth shut. This isn't the time for arguments, I need their cooperation. That's something I can figure out later.

"I mean, any time I get the chance to put some bastards like them in the ground I'll take it." The white-haired soldier looked up at me. "How confident are you we can do this?"

"100 percent."

Everyone within earshot looked at me. Even Preston and Cass frowned incredulously.

"A hundred?" the Minuteman asked. "That seems a bit much… even for you."

With the number of people in Quincy and its position in the city, it was asking to get hit. The added bonus of fighting people barely better than the average 15-year-old was overkill.

"We can do it. If you want me to show you why, give me Glory, one other field agent, and a day."

The Railroad soldier squinted at me. "Why?"

"Field trip." I cocked my head at her. "You're competent in covert recon aren't you?"

She sneered. "Had your head in the sight of my rifle the first time we met." She hefted the large weapon slung over her shoulder.

You say that like it's a surprise, or as though that were reconnaissance. "That doesn't answer my question."

"I-"

Deacon stepped forward. "Before we go any further with this." He turned to Desdemona. "Dez, I saw what happened when the Brotherhood hit them in Diamond City. I don't know if Quincy's a definite yes, but I don't wanna sell him short. Let's see what he wants us to see, then we can make our decision."

"Uh-huh." The Railroad leader was still watching me, eyes fixed on my visor. "Glory, who do you want to take?"

"I'll go", Deacon said before she could respond.

That tore Desdemona's gaze away from me. "You seem a lot more invested in this than normal."

He nodded. "I am."

Silence bloomed over the group as the two of them watched each other, both equally unreadable. There was history between them. I have no clue what that might be, but whatever it was, it ran deep.

"Glory, are you okay with that?" the dark-haired woman asked after almost a minute of quiet.

She didn't look happy about it, but the soldier nodded. "Yeah, he's fine."

Desdemona turned back to me. "You have your two people and one day."

Good. That should be more than enough time to do this.

"Do you have night vision?"

Glory nodded. "We have a few sets."

X

I already knew Deacon was adept at moving quietly. Glory wasn't quite as polished but she was passable. The journey took most of the day and, by the time we'd covered the almost 30-kilometer route, the sky was beginning to burn a bright orange. We stopped in the half dozen klick wide track of wilderness that separated the town from Boston proper to let evening fade into night.

After establishing the area around us was clear, both Railroad members retrieved food from their packs and began eating. The first few minutes were spent in silence but, eventually, with at least a kilometer between us and the nearest potential hostiles, the conversations inevitably started. To their credit, the two kept it quiet.

While they didn't include me, for the most part, I did listen in on what they were saying. Both were smart enough to avoid talking about anything sensitive. Most of it was speculation on what we would find once we got to Quincy. I got the impression they were doing it on purpose.

It wasn't until I began tuning them out Deacon turned to me. "So let's say this works. Let's say we put a plan together to take down Quincy, we get rid of the Gunners, and the Minutemen restart. I'm sure you've thought about what that means for Sanctuary and the rest of the people who would be under that banner."

The concerns weren't at the top of my list, but I had considered them. The Minutemen re-emerging in the middle of this war would be attention-grabbing enough. This assault would get tied to me soon enough. That not only means the Gunners will want payback on the Minutemen for this, but everyone will know I'm associated with them. There are enough people around the Commonwealth who know me for that to be a problem. The Institute and Brotherhood already know; so will Diamond City, Goodneighbor, the Gunners, Kleo, and everyone else after this.

We'd planned for that to happen which would, hopefully, convince more small settlements to join. We also have to consider the opposite.

There will be people coming after their network, and we have to be prepared for that.

"Consolidating some of the outlying settlements will be necessary. If this works, our best option is to keep pushing, especially the Gunners."

Deacon smiled. "The best defense is a good offense."

"And if you want to keep those settlements out of the line of fire, reputation can go a long way", Glory said through a bite of some sort of bar. "If people think they can't win or are scared of what might happen if they attack, they won't."

I nodded. That's why during some of the 'negotiations' I was privy to, UNSC representatives would discuss alternatives which generally included a lot of shooting. There were a half dozen times during the almost year I spent in Fourier's squad we were brought into the negotiations as 'security personnel'. No one brings a squad of goddamn SPARTANs for security.

A few groups wouldn't be driven off that easily, namely the Brotherhood and Raiders. The Brotherhood is oddly adverse to engaging Sanctuary. It's possible that's because they're growing more aware it would be unsustainable to fight against the entire Commonwealth. Maybe they know a massive Raider force is moving down from the north. Those are things I need to figure out, and soon.

Then there's the Gunners. They'll want blood, but one thing we have working in our favor is the settlements within the soon-to-be Minuteman network aren't well known. That will buy us some time. Mercenaries aren't high on my list, but the Gunners are worse than most. Hell, they're barely better than the Raiders, and that might be giving them too much credit.

Long story short, I don't mind dealing with them.

"That's one of the things we need the Railroad for: training and support."

Deacon pulled a mouthful of water from his canteen and nodded. "I've had a few thoughts about that, but I'll wait until after whatever happens here happens to say too much."

"Right", Glory said, rolling her eyes. "You have thoughts about everything, Deak."

"I wouldn't be the agent I am today if that wasn't the case." The smirk on his face was odd, like it was some sort of inside joke.

Apparently it was because the Railroad soldier groaned. "Don't remind me." She turned back to me. "Tell me something tin can. You're awfully sure about this. Why?"

"I've run similar ops before."

She cocked an eyebrow at me. "Deak, how many people would you say the Gunners have here?"

He shrugged. "Haven't looked for a few months. Maybe 120?"

"Uh-huh. So 120 people against the six of us?"

120 poorly trained people, yes. "I've had worse odds. All you'll need to do is worry about overwatch, I'll take care of the rest."

That didn't seem to placate her. If anything, the soldier looked agitated. "Well I'm wondering now. If you didn't have a sudden change of heart back at the church, what would have happened?"

My eyes narrowed behind my visor. "Are you asking if I would have wiped the Railroad out?"

"Do you need me to get you a neon sign?"

Where is she going with this? "Would the answer make you more comfortable?"

She shrugged. "It depends on what the answer is."

"Anything can happen in a fight but yes, I'm confident I would have won."

Glory didn't reply. Instead, she continued staring at me as she took another bite of her meal bar.

"We might have surprised you", Deacon interjected. The statement was clearly a bit of sarcasm, but considering what I know about them, I have no doubt there would have been surprises in store.

In fact, I'd been expecting it.

The white-haired soldier cleared her throat after she'd swallowed. "We'll see how good you are then."

From then on, we waited for the sky to darken in silence. It was another hour until it had faded from orange, to red, to dark blue, then finally to black. By then I was tired of waiting.

Leading the other two toward our target, I was careful to take an easy-to-follow path. The last thing I need is one of them hitting any bushes or stepping on the multitude of fallen leaves and branches. They did have NVS, but they looked antiquated to the point they belonged in a museum. At least for me. They were probably on par with whatever the Brotherhood was using.

It only took another 10 minutes before the sounds of talking drifted to us through the forest. Not long after that, the first row of squat, patchwork buildings came into view, light spilling out from within both the perimeter and the buildings themselves.

Just like everything else around here, the buildings had been the victim of the nuclear blast and centuries of decay. However, as I noticed on my first go around here, they'd been 'repaired' with whatever material the Gunners could get their hands on. On top of that, they'd constructed a fence not dissimilar to the one around Sanctuary. The primary difference was, while that one was solid with dedicated firing positions, this one was slotted, so it was less about stopping bullets and more about stopping people.

I kept us well hidden in the surrounding forest as we skirted the town's perimeter. The trees thinned as they neared it, with the last dozen meters open ground. It didn't appear as though anyone had cut the trees closer to the settlement down, so the Gunners lucked into a halfway decent location.

The talking

Same as the last time I was here, I noted the patrolling Gunners walking their perimeter within the walls. While it didn't provide the same protection as Sanctuary's, that was one benefit this style of defense had: there are no dedicated watch positions. That makes predicting patrols and lookouts more difficult.

Waving for the others to stop as we reached the west side of the town, I pointed up at the freeway overlooking Quincy. It was impossible to see how, exactly, they were set up, but I could see two mounted gun emplacements, their barrels sticking over the edge. It might have been an amateur mistake, or they might be convinced someone would infiltrate the town. If that's the case, those are meant to be able to fire down on whoever had.

"What's the easiest way to get up there?" Glory whispered, barely loud enough to hear.

"On-ramp half a kilometer west."

"I don't see anything else here we weren't already aware of, we should take a look at that."

I nodded and we began toward the freeway access. It had patrols stationed at it the last time I looked, but it wasn't as heavily guarded as it should have been. I guess it's possible they had countermeasures on the freeway as well… Only one way to find out.

It was 10 minutes to get to the on-ramp, going slow to make sure no one spotted us.

Sure enough, there were five Gunners positioned at the freeway entrance. Several rusting hulks had been dragged to the bottom of the ramp. It wasn't a bad idea; they acted as cover and blockage for any attacking force. There were a half dozen exploitable approaches underneath the on-ramp and in the surrounding fields that weren't covered.

"Alright", Deacon whispered. "I think we get the idea." I glanced at the Railroad agent. He was watching the Gunners idle behind their cover. "Want to run us through your plan now?"

I motioned to the west and we left the area, following the raised freeway. Or what was left of it. Glory was studying it as we went, probably looking for another point of egress. The only other on-ramp in this area was a klick away and there were a dozen breaks in the roadway between it and our target.

"That looks just as difficult to hit as we thought", the woman said as we stopped half an hour later. "Well fortified position, good vantage from the freeway, which is a hard to take position on its own." She raised her goggles and rubbed her eyes. "So please, enlighten us on your plan."

"We need the overwatch position. Once we have that, forces in the town will be easy to deal with." There were three ways to get there: climb, walk, or drop. Since we don't have aircraft, drop is out. A climb to that position would make it easier to avoid making noise before we wanted to. It meant whoever took the overwatch position would also have to look out for a counterattack. Walking, heading up the on-ramp, would be the most straightforward, but it would have the longest time between initial engagement and getting in position. Conventional wisdom says you take the high ground before engaging, but if the goal is to do this while minimizing the risk to Railroad personnel…

"Do you have any grappling devices?"

She frowned. "I… probably. You want us to rope up to the freeway? What about their rear guard? And how do we do that unnoticed?"

Kneeling, I ran a finger through the loose dirt, sketching a rough outline of the town. "I create a diversion here", I pointed to the southwest corner of town, "while you grapple here, "I pointed to the northeast corner of the freeway. That section had collapsed, so the Gunners hadn't been guarding it. "Eliminate their overwatch, position two of your people to cover me, the other three prepare an ambush for the rear guard. Don't move too far from the lookout position, they may have counter-intrusion traps set in case anyone gets past their people on the on-ramp."

Glory cocked an eyebrow at me. "Thought you said we'd do this without us taking any risk. If we do have any grapples, they're steel hooks. That ain't gonna be silent when they hit."

"You time your grapple with my diversion."

"Which is?" she asked, voice incredulous.

"Explosives." A lot of them.

This time the soldier smiled. "Can't argue with explosions. That still doesn't solve the issue with us being in the line of fire while we take that position."

There's a way around that… I pointed at her sniper. "If I can have my rifle back, I'll solve that. Or at least make it more manageable."

It was Deacon's turn to be incredulous. "So what you're saying is you're going to both detonate charges around their perimeter to act as a diversion for the climb and pick off their overwatch." I couldn't see his expression with the large NVS goggles in the way, but he didn't seem convinced. "How far is it from the edge of the forest to the overpass?"

"Uh…" Glory looked back toward the town which was now lost in the four kilometers of forest. "Probably 400 yards, plus elevation."

"Okay", the agent said, nodding, "that's not too bad." He looked down at the crude drawing in the dirt. "You're putting a lot of this on yourself."

"It's my plan, and we haven't gotten to the hard part yet."

"Clearing the place out", Glory said.

It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. "After you've taken the overwatch position, and deal with the rear guard, you'll need to take out the guards in this area", I drew a circle around the center of town, "quickly so I can infiltrate and put pressure on them. If you don't, they regroup and start shooting back at you." Drawing an arrow to the west I said, "then we proceed with a sweep and clear."

The two Railroad members shared a glance. "So you're counting on capturing their attention until we've either killed all of them or enough they surrender or run", Deacon said.

"Yes."

"How do you plan to do that? You can't be everywhere at once, and it won't take them long to figure out we're in their overwatch."

A smile crept across my face. "Creating chaos is my specialty." I looked at Glory. "It sounds like you're a fan of bombs." Her eyes narrowed but she nodded. I drew a half dozen lines from the overwatch position on the overpass. "Start throwing. I'll detonate the ones I plant as diversions in stages, and the ones you use will be on timers."

My smile was contagious, apparently, because the white-haired soldier smirked too. "Not gonna complain about that."

Deacon cleared his throat. "Not to interrupt this little bonding moment, but do we care about collateral damage?"

I shook my head. "We don't want the town back, it's too far away from our current base. This is to send a message."

There was a moment's hesitation as the agent looked back down at my sketch. Then he chuckled. "Fair enough. I think there are a few things we'll need to hammer out, but we can do that once we get back to base. For now, I'll say I'm in." He met Glory's gaze. "What about you?"

The Railroad soldier bit her lower lip, looking from Deacon, down to the drawing, and then up to me.

"You really think you're good enough to pull this off?"

Again, I may be utterly inept at a lot of things but this? It's one thing I know I'm good at.

"Yes."

"Alright", she said, nodding. "Let's do it."

X

It was around 0100 when we returned from Quincy. With the tentative cooperation from the two Railroad members, we needed to come up with a strategy that would get Desdemona on board. Unsurprisingly, she was still awake along with a dozen other Railroad members, Cass, Preston, and MacCready. Once Deacon had filled her in on the rough outline I'd given them, she almost seemed amused.

"Throw enough explosives at something and it'll solve any problem."

Not sure it'll solve the problem, but that problem will no longer be present.

"I have one condition before agreeing to this", she continued.

"Which is?"

The Railroad leader motioned to MacCready. "You take six including him. In a… show of good faith, I've agreed to lend Preston two of our counter-intelligence people to flush out your informants. They'll head back to Sanctuary with him tomorrow morning."

Wow. That's… unexpected. "I appreciate that."

"Yes, well, the people of Sanctuary didn't try to kill us."

"Yes, well, neither did I."

Desdemona smirked. "Ah, so you do have a sense of humor."

Preston pounded a fist on my left pauldron. "Don't give him too much credit. We're still working on that."

"Of course", she said, "I can imagine that's quite the undertaking." The woman looked at Glory and Deacon, "are you two okay to work through a strategy?" The two of them nodded in unison. "Good. Everyone else, get some shut-eye. Tomorrow's going to be a big day."

Most of the other Railroad members dispersed, leaving the four of us along with Preston and MacCready.

"Hey", Cass' voice came from behind me. "Mind if I join?"

She stopped beside me.

Glory frowned at her. "Don't you have watch with Higgins tomorrow?"

"That isn't until the afternoon. I'll get plenty of sleep."

"Is that so?" the soldier asked, eyebrow cocked. "So it sounds like you'll have time for some PT tomorrow morning then too." To her credit, Cass only shrugged. "Alright, I don't wanna hear about it when you feel like puking."

Desdemona waved us toward a large table next to their computer stations. This wasn't the first time they'd prepared a briefing because, as we gathered around, she pulled a box of worn markers from beneath it. "Let's get started."

After organizing them into the rough shape of the town, we began discussing the proposed operation. If I was being honest with myself, it was exciting. While these people weren't experts, they were clearly experienced in covert operations, and ambush tactics. I didn't have to spend the hours I had with the Institute walking them through the basics of combat. No offense to Preston and his people, but they weren't much better.

Instead of working through why it was important to strike from both the south side and the freeway simultaneously, we were able to discuss how we wanted to do that. Instead of explaining the intricacies of overwatch positions, we mapped my pathing through the town. We were able to talk our way through bomb placement, timing, strike coordination on their watch positions, and everything else that went into this operation. It sort of felt like I was back on a prowler with my handler and intel officers, discussing an upcoming mission.

We even came up with a few contingencies depending on how the Gunners reacted. Attack responses usually fell into three categories: stand and fight, retreat and regroup, or scorched earth. Since the Gunners are mercenaries, the third one was unlikely. Most well-disciplined forces would use a combination of the first two: use delay tactics to slow your enemy's advance while organizing a counter-offensive.

While I may not be the same person, there's comfort in routine.

By the time the clock in my HUD rolled over to 0330, we were satisfied with our plan. Glory had identified the personnel she wanted to bring and, much to Cass' chagrin, she denied the teenager's request to come along.

"This isn't training, this isn't watch", she said. "We're assaulting an entrenched enemy position with limited", the white-haired woman looked at me, "people. As much as I hate saying it, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get in on the action."

The teenager wasn't looking at Glory, she was watching me.

"I take it I can't complain enough for you to change your mind?" she asked.

"No", the Railroad soldier replied, shaking her head. There was a small smile on her face.

Cass didn't respond immediately. She was still looking up at me. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but whatever it was, the girl looked extremely unhappy.

"Fine", she relented and walked toward a door in the back of the cavernous room.

Glory huffed. "I think she wants to fight with you."

That's definitely a possibility. "I'm sure there will be more chances."

Her eyes fell on me. "I hope not." She didn't need to explain the rest of that statement. Wherever I was, things would be dangerous, more so than an average engagement. If Cass ever has to fight with me, that means something went wrong.

"Fair enough."

Dez yawned, stepping away from the table. "Well, I think getting a bit of sleep would be a great idea." She turned to Preston. "Victor and Able will meet up with you at 7:30, so I'd recommend you get some rest too."

The Minuteman nodded. "Agreed."

As the others began dispersing, Glory waved to me. "Damon, come with me."

She led me to the same door Cass and disappeared through. On the other side was a store room that was almost as large as the main area we'd just left. There was everything from supplies to clothes to weapons, all either neatly stacked or arranged on racks.

Glory continued toward the area they had weapons stored and hefted the McMillan- my McMillan. "Don't disappoint me, tin can."

I smiled. "I'll do my best." With the rifle, she handed me three spare magazines and 40 rounds of ammunition. It was more than I'd need for this mission, but I wasn't about to turn it down.

"I'm gonna go watch the inside of my eyelids, feel free to do the same."

"Understood."

With that, the woman departed.

Now I have three rifles. It wasn't a problem I was going to complain about, but I don't think I need that many at the moment. I unslung the HK-33 and stowed it in the now empty spot on the rack that the McMillan had occupied.

Just as I was turning to leave, footsteps approached from the other side of the storeroom. I saw Cass stalking toward me, eyes burning. It didn't look like she was upset with me though. Maybe Glory had been right, maybe she wanted to be in a fight with me. I can understand that, she's been stuck here for the past month.

But that fire looked a little too familiar. It's definitely possible something else was on her mind.

Cass didn't say a word as she stopped at the weapons rack and pulled a bolt action rifle from its place. The weapon looked like the same model several of the settlers at Sanctuary carried. It was simple but the rifle fired 7.62X51mm rounds. Not the same punch as my MK18 and definitely not as powerful as the McMillan, but it would drop almost anything short of power armor.

Rifle in hand, she marched back into the main room. She wasn't going to go out, was she? The girl might be upset but she's smart.

Even so, I followed her out of the store room.

She sat at one of the tables and began disassembling the rifle. Cass clearly knew the weapon well, but her movements were sharp and rough. I'm no expert at reading people, but I do know fighting and weapons. Someone who's as obviously practiced as her stays smooth and steady. She's more upset about this than I thought.

My eyes roamed the massive room until I found a steel crate that would probably hold my weight. Retrieving it, I carried the impromptu seat and my returned sniper rifle to the same table and placed the crate beside it.

Cass didn't look up as I set the McMillan and MK18 on the table and began stripping the large caliber rifle. She already had the trigger group out and was working on the pins to remove her rifle's receiver.

Her hands were trembling.

It took her the better part of a minute to get the three pins and one bolt out. By then I had the McMillan disassembled.

"What?" she snapped as she finally pulled the receiver from the stock. "Are you gonna try to give me a pep talk?"

I shook my head. "I'm bad at that."

"What then?" She dropped the wooden stock onto the table. "Why are you here?"

Why am I here? I'm here… because she's upset. Yeah, but what am I going to do about that? And why is it any of my business if she's upset? She wants to fight. That's something, I of all people, can understand.

So what's the problem?

Her eyes snapped to me, that same fire raging in them.

"I'm pissed off I'm stuck here walking patrols and waiting, okay? There are too many things going on out there for me to be sitting around all day."

It wasn't hard to guess what she was talking about. Between the threats to the Railroad, and Julian still being with the Brotherhood, I can't help but understand why she was upset.

Especially considering what she's been through.

"And now you finally get back, and you're taking off a day later with Glory and the others to do something about it. And what am I gonna do? Sit on my ass and wait." She set the receiver down a bit more carefully than the stock. "It's all I've ever done: sit around and wait for other people to do things."

Ah, so that's it: she felt helpless. She and her adopted brothers have been at other people's whims since the Supermutants destroyed their home. I can understand why she'd be tired of that. I know I would be.

"If you're going to be risking your life for us, to convince Dez to join the Minutemen, to help fight against the Brotherhood and the bad parts of the Institute, how am I supposed to sit here and do nothing?" Cass looked down at her disassembled rifle. "Why do other people keep putting themselves in danger for me?" When she looked back up at me, the fire was joined by the glassy film of tears. "Why do you keep risking your life for me?"

Why do I keep risking my life for her? With the Brotherhood, then when I refused to carry out Nate and Shaun's plan, and now trying to pull these groups together? Admittedly, I wasn't doing that last one just for her, but I'd be lying if I said her, Julian, and Tommy weren't the reason I'm here doing it.

The answer was easy. I don't know if I was capable of recognizing it a few months ago but now?

"Because I care about you. I care about Julian and Tommy." I shrugged. "I'm not good at much- or anything- besides fighting, so I'm going to do that."

As I spoke, Cass' face was a mask of surprise. It shouldn't be surprising I care about them… why was she-

"I don't understand you, Damon." The fury in her eyes wasn't gone, but it had faded.

I cocked my head at her. "What do you mean?"

"Earlier you seemed so confused about why I would trust you, and then you say that. It's just-" she exhaled slowly. "You're the weirdest person I've ever met."

That's probably a good thing. "Why?"

She frowned. "Why would you be confused about how people can trust you when you're so willing to put yourself in danger for the people you care about?"

"I already told you: I fight. It's what I do."

"So if I care about Tommy and Julian and you and- and everyone here, how can I do any less?"

Memories came to mind, memories of my parents. It wasn't the Covenant attack, it was when things were normal, peaceful. My dad cooking dinner while I sat at the counter with my sister. We were laughing about something. My mom cleaning me after I'd taken a bad fall, scratches and cuts covering my right arm and leg. Then there were the Finches, expanding their farm and taking people in, building a place people could come if they needed help. Sanctuary and the people there making a home.

How could she expect anything less?

"There are other ways to care for people. Not everyone needs to fight- not everyone should fight. If you end up doing it, that's fine, but don't think that's the only way you can." I shrugged again. "That's just the only way I know how to."

Cass watched me for a few heartbeats before turning back to her disassembled rifle. "You really think that?"

"I do."

She grunted. "Then I think you should take your own advice."

Take my own advice? "How so?"

The teenager began slipping the weapon back together. "You do more than fight." She glanced up at me. "I was awake that night on the Prydwen when you were talking with Julian. You're honest, even if you're about as clueless as anyone I've ever met."

When I talked with Julian. The young boy was scared and lost. I hadn't done anything extraordinary, just what I thought was the right thing at the time. Nate, and apparently Cass, think it was significant.

Another smile slipped across my face.

If anything it was the same as what Cass did earlier when I'd asked about her trust. The same as what she was doing now.

"I'm not the only one."

Even though she couldn't see my smile, she returned it with one of her own. "Maybe. I'm not as thick as you though."

"Most people aren't."

As Cass reassembled her rifle in silence, traces of her aggravation lingered. Her movements were still abrupt, it took her two tries to get the pins for the receiver in correctly, and there was still a spark of that fury in her eyes. I'm not sure that's a bad thing; nothing's wrong with a bit of anger. The problems come when someone doesn't know what to do with it. I'm plenty familiar with that.

It was another few minutes before she finished and, by then, she seemed calm.

"Thanks", she said, standing from the table. "I guess I just needed to get that off my chest", the teenager glanced back at the store room, "to someone besides Tommy who'd listen."

I nodded. "You're welcome."

With that, Cass left to take her rifle to the weapons rack, leaving me alone with my own. The McMillan had been well cared for in my absence, cleaned, and lubricated. Hell, it looked like the damn thing hadn't been fired since I last saw it. That actually made sense considering the Railroad's penchant for laying low.

Busying myself doing the same with the MK18 and handgun, even though I haven't fired the thing in weeks, my mind replayed the conversation I'd had with Cass.

"Then I think you should take your own advice."

My own advice… She thinks I do more than fight? Yes, I've also helped Sanctuary and, to an extent, the Finches prepare defenses, but that's downstream from fighting. She referred specifically to my 'conversation' with Julian. Did I do something there someone else wouldn't have?

As I pulled the bolt carrier out of the MK18, it was still relatively clean. Whatever ammo Owens had given me, it was high quality.

Does it matter if someone else would have done the same thing? I'm still the one who did it, aren't I? Other people can fight, that doesn't mean me fighting isn't significant.

Maybe… So what was significant about what I'd done with Julian?

He needed someone to understand him, what he'd just gone through. There may not be many things I'm good at besides fighting, but I do know how he must have felt.

With the MK18 reassembled, I began taking the handgun apart.

That's true. I know from experience there's a difference between talking with a shrink and talking with someone who knows what you're feeling. There's a level of understanding that comes along with experience that, no matter how good a psychologist is, you can't fake.

My weapons clean and reassembled, I didn't have much else to do until the day began. While going out and exploring the area was enticing, I don't know their security protocols. That really left sleep as my only option.

With the attack on Quincy, it was going to be a long day. Sleep didn't sound like a bad idea.

As I gathered the guns, my mind drifted back to Cass. To the anger in her eyes. Just because that faded doesn't mean it's gone. That fury was the same thing I've carried for the last 15 years.

I can't let it take hold of her. She deserves better than that. But what do I do? Who can I talk to about helping the teenager? Do I even know how to stop it from getting to her? It's clearly already started: the helplessness, the impatience, the powerlessness. They're all perfectly justifiable emotions, but how do you stop them from turning into something toxic?

I don't know. But I'm not going to let them do to her what they did to me.

No one was there to hear the promise even if I had given it a voice. That didn't matter. The only thing that does is that I make good on it.

A/N: For those of you who know the beginning of the phrase this chapter was named after, it could (and does) have multiple meanings. I'm not going to spoil any of them because, well, that would be no fun. And that's what I'm writing this damn story for! We're still chugging along and this journey will continue next week. Until then!

Next chapter: 9/2, The End and the Beginning