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.

62. Chapter 62: Poor Execution

A/N: Hello… sorry no cornily creative greeting today. I'm a week late :( There's a reason for that, but we'll talk about it after the chapter. We're back though and it's time for a little intrigue. Nate and Damon are trying to find some common ground for multiple reasons. It's been hard for each of them for their own reasons but I hope it's clear they both want this to succeed. The story is also going to start focusing more on a theme I've been picking at for a while now. Current events (in the story) lend themselves well to it. Not giving that away. That's what the chapter's for! Anyway, enough rambling, leave a review if you're so inclined and, as always, enjoy!

Chapter 62: Poor Execution

It was good.

It wasn't as good as Nate remembered, but the steak was good. They came from Brahmin, the two-headed cow-things he'd seen instead of cows. Whether that was the reason the meat was tougher than he liked, or it was how they were cooked, he didn't know. He didn't care either. What mattered was they were delicious.

The notion wasn't lost on him that, less than three hours ago, he and Damon were in the middle of a massive fight and now he was sitting at a restaurant enjoying a steak.

"So… how did it go so wrong?" Brenda asked.

Damon wasn't there to answer. The SPARTAN had left to find some place quiet to eat. That meant it was up to Nate to recount the mess their little trip had turned into.

"That's something I'll wait until Damon gets back to talk about", he said after he finished chewing the last bite of his steak.

The Minuteman guard cocked an eyebrow at him. "It's about him then?"

"Yes." Nate nodded. He glanced behind him at the settlement's main courtyard. There were still people milling around, but without the armored titan to draw their attention, they were ignoring the trio. It didn't mean the ex-soldier was comfortable sitting with his back to such a large space. Old habits and all that. He turned so he could lean against the table and watch the milling crowd.

In the two times he'd been to Goodneighbor, it hadn't been the most hospitable place. Both times he was confronted by muggers, and the second time KLEO tried to set them up. He'd never forget the strange, painfully hollow feeling in his chest when the courier had shot him. It wasn't the first time, but the others hadn't been there.

"What did he do wrong?" Cass asked.

It wasn't that he didn't want to tell them. He'd made some headway with Damon, or so he thought, he didn't want to risk that backsliding. Plus, it would be better if the SPARTAN were there to answer their questions. While Nate had an idea of what was going through his head, the ex-soldier wasn't the right person to say.

And who knows, maybe he was wrong.

"It involves all of us, Damon needs to be here too. Nothing's gonna happen between now and when he gets back", the infantryman replied as his eyes darted from one group of passersby to the next.

Brenda snorted. "You know that just makes us want to hear it more, right?"

Nate shot her a smirk. "I like keeping you in suspense."

"No wonder Damon-" the woman cut herself off as a frown flashed across her face. "Sorry, that's a bad joke to make."

Wants to shoot me? Nate grimaced. Yeah, that would have been a bad joke.

The ex-soldier's gaze returned to the courtyard. "Don't worry about it. He's already shot me once."

"Next time he might mean it."

"How do you shoot someone and not mean it?" Cass muttered. The three of them shared a quiet exchange of glances.

"By… being… Damon?" Nate said.

Their small bubble of silence persisted for another few seconds until Cassandra snorted. It didn't work and the three of them burst into laughter. The thought was absurd: shooting someone generally means you meant to shoot them.

They continued regardless of the few irritated glances some of the settlers cast their way. That was a perfect comment about the SPARTAN. Damon is the only person Nate knew that could have differing intent depending on how he shoots you.

"How big the gun he shoots you with probably means something", Brenda said as they started to calm down. "Like, if he shoots you with that sniper rifle, he really doesn't like you. If he shoots you with the pistol, he thinks you're alright."

Nate ran a hand over his face as he swallowed a few more chuckles. "Pretty sure he shot me with something like this", he hefted his combat rifle. "What do you think that means?"

"It probably means he was angry at you."

"Yeah", Cass nodded. "I think that's fair."

"So we've come up with a scale to see how much Damon likes someone", Brenda said through another short laugh.

The ex-soldier nodded too. "Next one should be-"

"Where I shoot them."

The three of them almost jumped from their stools as the SPARTAN's voice sounded from Nate's left. Damon had just come around the side of the building and was walking toward them. Had he just involved himself in their joke? About him?

"Sure…" the ex-soldier muttered, rubbing his chest. He didn't know if the gunshot had broken his ribs, or they'd broken when the SPARTAN hit him.

"Dammit Damon", Brenda snapped, "the next time you sneak up on me like that, I'm gonna shoot you."

"You've already threatened that."

She shook her head. "No I didn't, Corey did."

He shrugged.

"So you were listening", Cass added.

"Yes", the supersoldier said as he came to a stop beside the small counter.

"Which means we don't need to ask."

"About why things went sideways?" Damon replied.

The teenager nodded.

The golden-yellow visor found Nate for a few heartbeats before the SPARTAN responded. "I didn't take the time to evaluate the target. Eliminating that group of Supermutants in a reasonable amount of time would require more ordinance and planning." He shrugged again. "The Brotherhood took care of it."

"Doesn't sound like you wanted that to happen", Brenda said, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Damon shook his head in confirmation. "It wasn't the intended outcome."

While the SPARTAN had been getting better, Nate was beginning to notice he always went back to sounding like a robot when he didn't like talking about something.

"... But?"

"The group was eliminated."

Oh really? Nate snorted. "That isn't an excuse for how that went down."

"That is correct", Damon said through a hard exhale. "I don't intend to let that happen again."

The ex-soldier might believe that, but hearing how he'd prevent that from happening again would do everyone some good.

"How-" Nate started.

"I wasn't operating in the correct frame of mind", the SPARTAN cut him off. "That won't happen again."

So Damon's newfound good nature had its limits. Not that it was a surprise to the ex-soldier.

"Okay", Brenda said, nodding. "So what happens now? We have to go back to Diamond City tonight. After that, depending on what they say, we'll need to stop back in at Sanctuary."

No… that might not be the right move. Not yet, anyway. "I don't know about that. Heading back to Diamond City, yes, but we may not want to head back to Sanctuary. The more, and sooner, we can disrupt the Brotherhood and Institute, the better." He met Damon's gaze through the visor. "And the less we go back and forth there, the less likely we'll be to draw attention to them."

"Well, what would we do while you do that?" Cass asked. "You and Damon can handle that better without us. If Goodneighbor is working with us now, we could stay here."

Before Nate could respond, the SPARTAN shook his head. "There are ways to organize an operation to use you effectively."

He wants to bring them along?

"The more experience you get the better. It means more flexibility." Damon's head turned to Cass. Something passed between them during those few seconds of silence and the teenager nodded.

"If you're sure I can help."

"Damon", the infantryman said, "what are you planning?"

"Organized chaos." The SPARTAN's voice was level and calm, but Nate got the feeling there was some enjoyment he found in those two words.

It made the ex-soldier both excited and nervous.

"Alright, well, we know we've gotta head back to Diamond City soon", Brenda interjected. "We're done eating so do we want to do that now?" She looked around Goodneighbor pointedly. "I don't know about you, but I liked staying in that quiet, comfortable room more than sitting on this stool."

Nate smiled. "I wouldn't mind."

"We should tell Hancock", Damon said, nodding.

The three of them stood from their stools-

But leaving to find the town's mayor proved to be unnecessary.

As the small group began to leave the small shop, Nate spotted the ghoul in his incredibly bright red jacket heading toward them. He was with a half dozen guards, including Jake.

The ex-soldier grunted. "That saves us the trouble…"

"Well well, we're friends for a night and you're already making waves", the ghoul called.

"Oh whatever do you mean?" Nate asked.

His mottled face spread into a smile. "Really? You didn't know the Brotherhood came over to your little attack to see what all the noise was about?"

"Ah, that", the infantryman nodded. "Yeah, we did notice that. Vertibirds can be pretty hard to miss." He shrugged. "Supermutants turned out to be a little harder to get rid of than we thought."

Hancock lifted a brow. "Is that so? After all the talk you guys had about your big ace in the hole over here", he motioned at Damon, "you couldn't even clear out one little group of Supermutants."

"I'd like to see you try", the SPARTAN muttered.

Nate snorted. Maybe he was loosening up.

"Well what are partners for if not to help with problems like this?" the ghoul asked.

Are you making an offer? "Does that go both ways?"

"We'll see."

"Don't-" the ex-soldier stopped. It was, in part, because he'd seen Damon go rigid out of the corner of his eye. It was what put him on edge that Nate was wondering about.

It didn't take long for him to get his answer.

"Incoming!" someone shouted.

A few seconds later, a dull thrum at the edge of his hearing caught his attention.

Dammit…

"Vertibirds", Damon said.

The ex-soldier nodded.

Hancock frowned. "So your little adventure brought those assholes back here, huh?"

"Yep", Brenda said, shooting a glance at the SPARTAN.

"Great." The mayor shook his head. "Alright, Jake, take 'em somewhere they won't be found. I don't need the merry band of canned humans up my ass any more than they already are."

Arguing with the ghoul, which was written all over Brenda's face, was pointless, despite Brenda's clear desire to do so. Not only was he right, but they didn't have time to improvise. If the Brotherhood found them there, the shitstorm Damon had been trying to avoid would come crashing down on their heads.

"Come on", he said before she could make her argument heard. "We don't wanna be here."

She didn't look convinced. Even so, the Minuteman nodded and the four of them followed the large Goodneighbor guard further into the settlement.

"Take us somewhere with a view of the front gate", Damon said as soon as they were out of earshot.

Their escort cocked an eyebrow at the armored titan.

"Alright", he said after a moment's hesitation.

As they walked, the SPARTAN pulled the McMillan off his back and shoved it into Nate's arms. Three magazines followed.

So that's how he wanted to play it, huh? Well… Nate would be a hindrance to the supersoldier in close combat. If Damon decided he'd be his marksman, the ex-soldier would take it. He wasn't fond of the idea he'd have to shoot the massive rifle. He was less fond of fighting power-armored soldiers up close and personal.

Jake led them to the market where the scars of Damon's 'infiltration' remained. The last time they were there, most of the windows and walls had been intact. Now they'd been covered with large sheets of wood or metal. They'd tried to repair the damage inside as well, but if you don't have sheetrock, plasterboard, paint, and concrete, it's hard to hide the signs of an explosion.

They began climbing as the sounds of the approaching Vertibirds grew loud enough it was almost painful. There had to be more than just one or two of them to be that bad.

"We're out of time", Damon said.

You want me to run up these stairs carrying this? The sniper rifle was already weighing him down.

Jake nodded. "Agreed."

Dammit.

The SPARTAN wasn't going to wait for the rest of them. He lunged up the stairs taking them four at a time. As the rest tried to follow along, they quickly fell behind, Damon disappearing from view a few floors later.

Now, the ex-soldier prided himself on keeping his PT up to standard once he was out. It's probably one of the reasons he's lasted this long in the Commonwealth. That being said, they'd been on the go for the last three days, he was carrying sixty pounds worth of equipment, and they were running upstairs.

His legs burned by the end of the sixth flight.

"If you didn't want it to hurt, you shouldn't have joined!"

Blaine. That guy was an asshole. Great DI, but an asshole.

… Those two are pretty much the same thing.

Nate wasn't too proud to admit that, by the time they reached the 10th floor, where the door was propped open, he was breathing hard.

It didn't take long to find Damon. He was at the front of the building overlooking the town's courtyard. The SPARTAN had taken position in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows. It would be a horrible vantage point by itself. That's why he was kneeling behind a shelf that had been turned on its side.

"Stay outside, alright", he said to the others as they came to a stop at the door. Jake and Brenda nodded in response. They didn't need the three of them in the room too. More people just means it's easier for someone to spot.

Crossing the room, Nate did his best to control his breathing. He laid on the opposite side from the supersoldier and propped the McMillan on its bipod.

As soon as he looked out the window, he realized the Brotherhood must have known something.

Three Vertibirds were flying loose circles over the skyline in front of them. As usual, they liked to make a show. But it wasn't just the aircraft. Six T60-armored Brotherhood soldiers were standing inside the front gate.

"Damn", he muttered. "Good chance they know we're here."

Damon only grunted but even that sounded distracted.

The six Brotherhood members were standing in front of Hancock and his collection of guards. Even with the dozen people around the ghoul, those power-armored soldiers felt like they dominated the space.

"Can you take the target Hancock is speaking with?" Damon asked.

"Yeah."

"These windows are safety glass. I'll take the first shot."

Safety glass was tempered. Tempered means hard. It wouldn't stop a .50, but it would throw the round. Maybe enough to miss the Brotherhood soldier.

But Damon was asking him to take a blind shot through a window. That meant he'd have to line it up beforehand and shoot right after the SPARTAN.

"Give me a countdown if we need it", Nate said.

"Copy."

Hopefully they wouldn't. Those Vertibirds weren't something he'd be able to deal with if he didn't get a clean shot. He isn't Damon and he isn't the Coursers. The ex-soldier was a qualified marksman, but that's a shot most snipers would avoid in a combat situation.

If that's what the situation called for though, he'd try.

The Brotherhood soldiers didn't make any moves to threaten their new allies. Hancock's people weren't raising their weapons either. Instead, the group continued standing near the front of Goodneighbor, talking. Or at least Nate assumed they were talking- shouting- over the pounding thunder of the Vertibirds' props. Even through the glass in front of him, the ex-soldier could feel their rotors concussing the air.

No matter how many times he rode on one, it's difficult to ignore.

Taking his eye away from the scope, Nate began scanning the circling aircraft. They weren't flying in an inconsistent pattern. Each one varied its loop on every pass. A good strategy to avoid taking a rocket, or sniper round, if someone was counting on predicting it. Each of them had power-suited gunners wielding a minigun on each side.

Again, textbook doctrine.

"Does the Institute know how many Vertibirds the Brotherhood has in the Commonwealth?" Damon asked.

He'd have to ask Isaiah to be sure but… "I think it was 19 before I left. So 16 now." They'd lost three total to the SPARTAN. Without any anti-air ordinance besides the McMillan, that was a feat on its own. "But our- their intel suggests they have more back in D.C.- the Capital Wasteland-" Nate frowned. Had Damon ever been to Earth? The US government probably didn't exist the same way in his universe even if he had. "About 400 miles southwest. They've been restoring and rebuilding them."

The ex-soldier glanced at Damon. He was still kneeling behind the shelf, rifle propped on it, watching the interaction. "Why?"

"Limited resources. High-value assets. Good targets."

"Yeah…", Nate said as he turned back to his scope, "which is why they don't like it when you shoot them down."

Hancock was gesturing around the town for some reason. It took the ex-soldier a moment to realize he was pointing at the numerous guard positions and gun emplacements.

So it was that kind of conversation.

Oh. "So you want to shoot more of them down."

That would be a really good way to draw the Brotherhood's attention. How do they do that without getting cornered though? There are only so many places they keep those things, and they don't tend to be low security.

A smile flickered across the ex-soldier's face. He heard the answer before he asked the question.

"It's what I do."

It's Damon's favorite line and it's unhelpful every time he says it.

How do you do it? I don't care that you do it. Not if I'm gonna be involved.

"So what's your plan?"

"Still working on it", the SPARTAN replied.

At least that meant there would be a plan this time.

The ex-soldier grunted. "I don't know of any depots besides Cambridge and Logan."

"Logan?" Damon asked.

"The airport."

Two of the Brotherhood soldiers in front of Hancock started to walk around the group. The guards weren't having it. Half of them moved to block their path. The guns they had on them wouldn't do much to a suit of T60. That being said, it was hard for the infantryman to believe Hancock wouldn't have something else up his sleeve. He only had a few conversations with Maxson, but the Elder didn't seem like someone who would give a non-aligned group the consideration he was Goodneighbor.

A clicking from his right distracted Nate from the scene playing out in front of him. When he looked, Damon was tapping his finger on the side of the MK18. When had he picked up a tick? The motion was oddly… humanizing for someone who was easy to forget is human.

It also made the ex-soldier nervous. A tick meant he was thinking of something. That was usually bad for at least someone.

He stopped a few seconds later and the room fell quiet again. It stayed that way as the two of them watched the exchange from the relative safety of their perch. Nate wished he could hear what they were talking about. He wasn't stupid enough to think that was a good idea. The last thing they needed at that moment was the Brotherhood catching onto their presence.

They probably already know we're here.

If they know the two of them were in Goodneighbor, it doesn't matter much. The Brotherhood was in a precarious situation. No one wants to start a fight with them, besides the Institute and Damon, but it would be a terrible idea for them to do it themselves. They know a wrong move could turn the entire Commonwealth against them, even if they'd win that fight. Eventually. What they don't know is, if they do start that fight, would Damon and the Institute take advantage? The answer to that question is a definite 'yes'.

Almost 15 minutes after the Vertibirds arrived, the Brotherhood soldier Hancock had been speaking with began turning. As he did, the ghoul flipped them off.

Along with the rest of the guards.

The ex-soldier chuckled. Yeah, they were in a very difficult position. Can he- they find a way to take advantage of that?

No point in counting chickens yet. They weren't gone.

"Cockpit", Damon said quietly. "Whichever one on the left is coming around to face us."

"You take the first shot?"

"Yes."

The ex-soldier adjusted his aim. "Copy that."

He still very much hoped that wouldn't be something they put into practice. They were slow-moving targets, but still… Four Vertibirds were a lot to deal with. Yes, the settlement undoubtedly has something that will put a hurt on them (KLEO had been here after all), but if they start a fight here, that's the kick-off to a war none of them are ready for yet.

Luckily, nothing happened. One of the circling VTOLs dropped to the deck to pick the squad of soldiers up. It was climbing with its sister aircraft a few seconds later. The rotors were pounding hard enough to vibrate the glass.

"Well then." the ex-soldier looked at Damon. The SPARTAN stood from his makeshift shooting bench. "I don't think we can stay here."

The armored titan didn't respond with anything more than a nod. He was still looking out the window at the quickly receding Vertibirds.

The gears turning in his head were almost visible through his helmet.

"We're clear", Nate called. He handed the sniper rifle back to Damon. The ex-soldier sure as hell didn't want to carry the thing back downstairs.

When the two of them exited the room, Brenda, Cass, and Jake were all standing in the hall. The guard had been peering through the door, watching the 'meeting'.

"They've been buzzing us for the past few weeks. Guess they don't like you being around here." The large man shrugged. "Hard to start a fight with us though. They don't know what we got, and they don't know who might join in."

"Don't start a fight you don't know you can win", Damon said as he ducked into the hall.

Nate cocked an eyebrow at the supersoldier. "Uh-huh."

Some of the now familiar ire seeped through his golden-yellow visor.

"Well this puts a damper on our plans", Brenda said.

It was possible but… "We should figure out what they said to Hancock before we assume anything."

"Yeah." Jake's head bobbed up and down. "We do need to figure out if this changes things."

That didn't sound good. Not that the ex-soldier can blame him for saying it. They don't want, or need, that kind of attention from the Brotherhood. If they decide not allying themselves with the Minutemen would keep them safer, they'll probably go that route. In Nate's humble opinion, it would be the wrong choice but he can't force them to do anything. Even with Damon there.

"Let's get a move on then", the infantryman said and motioned toward the stairs.

A few minutes, and significantly less running, later, they were back in the market. The place had been cleared of everyone but a half dozen guards who were talking with each other. They turned to the five of them as they emerged into the lobby-turned-shopping center.

They stared at the SPARTAN for a few seconds before turning their attention to Jake.

"You know what's goin on?" a shorter woman asked. "I heard he was around. Is that what the Brotherhood's here for?" When she said "he", the guard almost spat the word out.

Some leftover resentment from the attack.

"Calm down Hannah. We don't know anything yet."

Hannah wasn't having any of that. From the looks on their faces, the others weren't thrilled with the armored titan's presence either. "Oh yeah? We don't, huh? He shows up and the next day we got Vertibirds and meatheads in power armor crawling up our asses." She motioned toward Damon with her rifle, just barely stopping short of pointing the barrel at him. "What's up big man, you gonna break my ribs again? Kill more of my friends?"

"I-" the SPARTAN started, but he cut himself off. Nate squinted at the towering man. He'd only said one word, and barely a word at that, but it sounded hesitant. His hands weren't on his rifle either. They were at his side, balled into fists. Normally, that would be a sign someone was upset but with Damon…

With Damon, anger came across differently. It was more like a wave radiating from the SPARTAN. That or he'd ignore you. Or if he was really angry, outright violence.

No, to the ex-soldier, Damon looked uncomfortable.

"Alright Hannah, no one's here to start any fights, got me?" Jake said before the supersoldier could work up the nerve to say anything else. "Calm down, we'll figure out what's going on, and then we make a call." He glanced at Damon. Nate didn't miss his eyes dropping to the SPARTAN's clenched gauntlets.

Uh oh.

Nate stepped forward. "We're good. Look uh…" Should he say anything? If he did, that might just make this worse.

A smack came from behind him and, when he looked back, Brenda had her hand on Damon's back. "My name's Brenda, Hannah. We're with the Minutemen. Damon is too. Whatever happened before", her glance up at the SPARTAN's helmet said she probably knew what happened, "we can sort out. Right now, we just wanna figure out why the Brotherhood stopped by and what we can do to help."

The guard's eyes shifted from Damon, to Brenda, and back. The SPARTAN nodded slowly. The motion was labored, like his helmet had been set in concrete and he was trying to break it free.

Yes, 'uncomfortable' was the right word.

"Minutemen, huh", Hannah said. She sounded doubtful.

A collection of marching boots echoed through the lobby. When Nate turned to look, Hancock and his 'escort' were heading toward them.

"Alright folks, let's get the rocks outta our boots and calm down", the Goodneighbor leader said.

The contingent stopped near the middle of the market.

"The Brotherhood knows you're here", he continued. "We rooted out all their spies and sent 'em back with a few extra bruises, but nothing's to say they don't got more outside." He placed his hands on his hips. "Looks like this turned out to be a real interesting idea."

That wasn't good. That means the only reason they didn't start something is that they didn't know where Hancock stood.

… Wait. "You covered for us?"

He shrugged. "Kinda. Like I said, they know you're here. I just told them to get lost and if they wanted to come in my town uninvited again, they better bring more guns."

"Well then…" Nate blinked. "Does that mean you're still gonna work with us?"

"I haven't decided yet."

While that wasn't what the ex-soldier wanted to hear, like he said befo-

Damon stepped past him. "It's your best option."

What the hell?

"Why do you say that, tin man?"

"They won't stop until they have control of the Commonwealth. That means anything they don't consider human dies. And", the SPARTAN paused, his helmet turning toward Hannah for an instant, "I owe you."

Silence fell over the market. It wasn't just his eyes on the towering supersoldier. Everyone was watching him.

Should it be a surprise?

It wasn't to Cass, apparently. The girl was smiling.

Damon had decided to warn the Railroad instead of attacking them. He'd restarted the Minutemen and is helping them prepare to fight the Brotherhood.

He'd helped Nate before the ambush.

The difference is the SPARTAN had a personal stake in each of those things.

This might be the same thing. The attack here never sat well with him.

"You owe us for the... Incident with KLEO?" Hancock asked.

"Yes." Damon nodded.

It was Hancock's turn to look at the collection of guards. The ones around him seemed alright, but the six who were in the lobby when they arrived still looked like they wanted a fight.

After another short pause, the ghoul met his gaze again. "What does you owing us look like?"

"What the Minutemen have to offer. You made a point to say I'm part of that deal."

A smirk slipped across the mayor's face and he looked at Cass. "You been giving him lessons?"

The teenager's smile turned shy and shook her head. "No…"

"This is the part I'm supposed to play hardball", Hancock continued. "Say turning you over to the Brotherhood would save a lot of trouble." He turned to Nate. "But as you so eloquently put it, they wouldn't let Goodneighbor stay Goodneighbor. And they wouldn't let a lot of us stay breathing. I know there's a lot of bad blood here, but I expect this big metal bastard to make good on that IOU." Finally, the ghoul's gaze fell back on Damon. The armored titan nodded. "We're still in then. If anyone here has a problem with that, take it up with him after the Brotherhood's gone. Got it?"

The guards, especially Hannah, didn't look happy about the conclusion, but they all nodded their assent. This wasn't a war they could sit out. It wasn't a war anyone could sit out. Once it kicks off, it's all or nothing.

"Thanks Hancock", Nate said.

"Yeah", the man replied, nodding. "But now the Brotherhood's in the know about this little friendship, things need to move fast."

"Don't worry about them yet", Damon interjected. "They'll be busy for the next week or two."

"Ah, so you're paying us back already."

The SPARTAN shrugged. "I already planned to do something."

"Fair enough", Hancock muttered. "If we're gonna be friends, we gotta talk about this little arrangement with Diamond City. Specifically the Codmans. I'd like to put a bullet in the two of them and I'm sure they feel the same way about me."

Those kinds of rivalries would need to go. Or at least be put on hold for the time being. "If we can get their cooperation, we're gonna take it", Nate said. "The more help we get, the better for everyone."

Hancock nodded again. "Oh, I get that. Lemme tell you a little something about those two. Yeah, they'll probably agree to your terms. Yeah, they'll probably even cooperate. The second they find something better, or they feel like they can get one over on you…" he mimed a stabbing motion. "Right in the back. That's if they don't try to take the Minutemen over."

While the ex-soldier wanted to say 'good luck with that', it wouldn't take much effort on their part to do it. The 'stab in the back' thing. A quick call to the Brotherhood, feed them some intel about the Minutemen, their positions, and their capabilities. It would be a hard lesson to learn. Hancock has a personal interest in the Brotherhood losing, Diamond City doesn't.

"I've met their types before", Nate replied. Nora's clients could be… morally questionable. "We do have a little insurance against that. I'd rather not use it."

"I don't blame you…"

"Can I ask somethin'?" Hannah said. Hancock nodded. "How do we know he isn't tricking us?" She motioned at Damon.

The mayor cocked a brow at her. "You mean the Brotherhood put on that whole show just to make us think they're after him?"

"Nah", she shook her head. "Doesn't have to be anything crazy like that."

Oh I know exactly where this is going… The ex-soldier stepped past Damon and put himself between the SPARTAN and her. "Look, I know we just met five minutes ago but I've known Damon for a little while now. When he came back from Goodneighbor, that was the first time- and only time- I've ever seen him upset about attacking someone." She didn't look convinced. "You don't have to take my word for it-"

"Thanks, we won't", another, younger guard said.

"But I'm asking you to give the Minutemen a chance." Nate motioned at the towering man. "I'm sure you've heard some of the stuff about him. Some of it's true, some of it isn't. The Minutemen just survived a full-scale attack from the Institute. They're the real deal."

Hancock cleared his throat. "We're gonna give the Minutemen a chance. It's better than the Brotherhood. Or the Institute."

"We got it", Jake said in a voice that would have made Nate's DI in boot proud. "You wanna say something, we'll do it later. Right now we figure out how we're getting these folks to Diamond City without the Brotherhood seeing."

Already offering to help?

"Yeah", Brenda said, "I've been thinking about that." She met Nate's gaze. "We gotta do it without being spotted by the Brotherhood. That means no Damon. It means we have to be careful."

"Hannah?" Jake asked. "We'll probably need to use your patrol."

"Really? Next you're gonna give me those damn pleading eyes and I'm-" she cut herself off with an exasperated sigh.

Never one to let things coast on their own, apparently, Brenda strode over to the guard and stuck out her hand. "I'm Brenda. Can you do me a favor?"

Hannah cocked an eyebrow at her, glanced down at the woman's hand, then back. "Yeah?"

"Don't let whatever happened with Damon color your opinion of me. He's a way bigger asshole than I am."

The woman's frown turned venomous. "You damn well better not be. We're gonna have a problem if you are."

That… wasn't the right approach.

Brenda's hand was still extended. "I know parts of what happened here. Nick Valentine and Ellie Perkins live with us up in Sanctuary." She jerked her head in the SPARTAN's direction. "Neither of them was thrilled when they heard about him attacking Goodneighbor. What I'm saying is we've got a lot of people from all over. I don't know if I get to ask this since Damon is my friend, but please don't let that hurt this too much. It's good for everyone."

A few uncomfortable seconds of silence later, Hannah's expression went from pissed to irritated and she took the Minuteman's hand. "We'll see. The boss says we'll cooperate, so we'll cooperate."

"Thanks", Brenda replied.

Maybe it was… There's a reason Preston sent her.

X

"So we need to figure out how to get to Diamond City without the Brotherhood catching on", Nate said, giving voice to the thought going through all of their heads.

Brenda nodded. "We can't stay here either."

That was true too.

"The Brotherhood don't like you hanging around us", Hancock had said. To his credit, the ghoul was smiling as he did. "I'm glad they're worried enough about us they didn't make any demands."

The four of them were back in the mayor's house. Hancock and his guards gave them a few minutes of privacy to discuss their next move at Damon's request.

"We've done what we came to Goodneighbor for." The ex-soldier shrugged and looked at Damon. "After we talk to McDougal", and the Codmans, "you'll be able to get word back to Sanctuary."

The armored titan was sitting against the wall opposite the building's front door. Nate hadn't asked whether he got into any fights during the escape earlier, but he was taking his MK-18c apart. "How ready is the splinter cell to send weapons and equipment?" It was the first time he'd spoken.

"Li's set up to transport more whenever Desdemona gives the word."

The SPARTAN looked up from his rifle for a moment before nodding. He'd been quiet, even for Damon, since they split off from the rest of their new allies. Whatever had been running through his head while they were watching the Vertibirds was still there. He wanted to hit one of their depots, remove some of the VTOLs from the fight. At least, that's what it sounded like.

"So we'll have a day with nothing to do", Cass muttered. "That sounds nice."

Brenda smiled. "After the last few days, I'm good with that. Then what?"

The question was directed at the supersoldier. He was de facto leader of this little group.

If Nate was right… "Hit the Brotherhood somewhere it hurts. We came out here to pull attention away from the Minutemen. Their attention is on us, let's make sure it stays that way."

"Hit them somewhere it hurts?" Brenda asked. "Where do you think we can do that with just the four of us?"

"Weapons, supplies, vehicles, command centers, high concentrations of soldiers and personnel… Their Vertibirds make a nice target…" the ex-soldier trailed off. The SPARTAN had begun reassembling the gun and was halfway through by the time Nate stopped. Damon had something in mind. He wouldn't hit the airport, too much risk. There were a couple of large outposts including Cambridge. Which one had the most valuable targets? Probably Cambridge, it's the Brotherhood's field command. Plus, they always keep several Vertibirds in the area. From what he knew, Damon had made plenty of noise with hit-and-run tactics during his time alone. It would work just as well now-

"I want to take a shot at Maxson", the armored supersoldier said as he pressed the pins in the lower receiver back into place.

The statement had been so matter-of-fact, Nate had to double-check check he'd heard right.

"Maxson?"

Damon racked the bolt on his rifle a few times before slipping a magazine back in and chambering a round. "Yes."

Well then. Nate had been wrong. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Yeah, that seems a little… ambitious", Brenda muttered.

"It's unexpected." The supersoldier laid his rifle beside him and met her gaze. "Unexpected is good."

Cass snorted. "Uh, yeah. Trying to kill the leader of the Brotherhood before things get crazy…"

"Do you think you can?" Brenda asked.

It was a very different mission than blowing up or shooting down some Vertibirds. Assassinating Maxson involved an entirely different approach, and the target would be harder. Way harder.

But was Damon sure whether he could kill something? Yeah, he could kill Maxson given the right circumstances.

"I'll only get one chance but, yes, it's possible."

One chance. And after that, the hammer comes down.

But he's right: he takes that chance and misses, there won't be another opportunity.

"And what happens after?" the young woman asked. "It isn't like the Brotherhood is gonna let us take a shot at their leader and walk away." She waved at the house around them. "Even if we get away, they'll retaliate. Against Goodneighbor. Against the Minutemen. It'll start a full-scale war."

Nate hadn't thought about that. She made a very good point.

Damon shrugged. "Maybe."

Maybe? That… was a terrible answer, not that he'd expect any more from the SPARTAN.

Brenda's brow furrowed. "If that's a possibility, why would we do this? The point is to keep attention off of them."

"They're more concerned with the Raiders moving in from the north than they are the Minutemen. Or me. They're more concerned with the Institute than they are with anyone else. They have a lot of enemies."

"Wouldn't trying to assassinate Maxson change their priorities?"

"It depends on how pragmatic they are", Damon replied. "And if we aren't caught, they won't know who did it."

"Uh-huh. They won't know who did it." Brenda's voice had grown more incredulous to the point she almost scoffed. "Who else takes this shot and gets away without being seen?"

The SPARTAN's helmet shifted toward Nate for an instant. It was more of a twitch than anything else, but it was there. "Any competent shooter."

Damn… low blow.

"They don't know for sure", he continued. "Even if they have the leadership of Diamond City's support, the majority of the people here still don't like them."

Oh? "And you know this how?"

The large man turned his head to meet Nate's gaze. "No one likes being occupied."

Nate couldn't tell if that was a jab at him or if Damon was insinuating something about his past. It probably didn't matter either way.

"So you're expecting them to take the time to figure it out before doing anything. Why?"

Since Damon was doing such a good job of convincing the young woman, Nate decided he'd better step in. He knew where the supersoldier was going.

"Hearts and minds", the ex-soldier muttered. "The Brotherhood doesn't want a fight. Not with the Commonwealth. If they did, they'd be a lot more aggressive. Maxson, and his leadership, wants broader support. It seems like they're trying to build some sort of society. They started in DC, now they want the Commonwealth."

Brenda squinted. "So… you're saying they're playing nice before they want the regular humans here to join them." She frowned. "Is that why they didn't attack Goodneighbor even though they knew we're here?"

Nice isn't the way I'd put it. That being said, considering what the ex-soldier had heard about their purges in DC, this probably was them playing nice. They hadn't started rounding up ghouls for execution yet at least.

"Probably", the infantryman nodded. "'Hearts and minds' was an old adage for us- the US military. A lot of our deployments involved… interacting with civilians to try gaining popular support. It generally doesn't work." Nate motioned at the SPARTAN. "No one likes being occupied. But they're trying."

"So… what are you saying?" Cassandra asked. "The Brotherhood won't attack anyone?"

Nate shook his head. "They'll go after someone but they probably won't do it until they have a good idea about who's responsible. And if they find out it's us…" the ex-soldier glanced at Damon. "Chances are they come after us and not the Minutemen. The Minutemen are too well known, and liked, around the Commonwealth. They'd risk alienating a lot of people if they do that."

Silence bloomed to fill the room. Neither Cassandra nor Brenda looked convinced, Nate wasn't, but the idea of taking Maxson out of the equation was enticing. If Damon was right, this would be the best distraction ever, even without killing Maxson.

"How sure are you about this?" Brenda asked.

"I'm not", the armored titan said. "There's never certainty in covert operations."

The ex-soldier exhaled through his nose. He really is terrible at this. "The logic is sound. It's a risk-reward proposition. If we kill Maxson, that's a major win. If we don't, it's still a great way to draw attention. The risk is they go against conventional wisdom, and the playbook they've been using to this point, and go after someone we like."

Cass cocked an eyebrow. "Playbook?"

"It's a phrase we used. It's a guide to how you're supposed to handle certain situations. Maxson uses my old playbook."

"Mmm", Brenda mumbled. "So how sure are you about this?"

The ex-soldier shrugged. "I'm sure about it as long as they don't find out it was us and they stick to the playbook."

After a few more seconds' pause, the young woman relented with a curt nod. "Let's get to work then."

"Alright. We'll find a place to hold up after you leave for Sanctuary", the ex-soldier said. "I can put together a few options for this shot while you're gone." Damon cocked his head at the smaller man. He couldn't tell if it was incredulous or questioning. How the hell could the man have the same body language for 10 different emotions?

"I've done this sort of thing before." Maybe not as much as you, but that isn't too important here.

Brenda grunted. "And he knows the area. Everyone knows you get final say, Damon, this is something we can do.

"One sec", Cass said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "What happens if you do kill Maxson." She turned to Nate. "You told me back in the church the Brotherhood relies on him to hold it together. If he isn't there… wouldn't things get worse?"

Would things get worse? That's a good question, he's never assassinated the leader of a group like the Brotherhood. Well… he's never assassinated anyone.

Damon answered for him. "Yes. It wouldn't last and they'd be easier to deal with long term."

"Why?"

"Worse coordination. Less direction. It would take time for it to manifest, but it would happen."

The question Nate wanted to ask was whether the SPARTAN had done something like this before. He spoke with an authority that went beyond basic knowledge.

As with most things that involved fighting or killing, the answer would probably be 'yes'.

She frowned. "And then what about you missing? Even if you don't kill Maxson, they're still gonna come after you. If we have to get away without being seen…"

The armored titan looked at Nate. "Careful planning and a good location."

"Standing here talking about this won't get us anywhere", Brenda interjected. "Are you good with this?"

There were several long seconds of silence before Damon nodded. "You should head to Diamond City once it's dark. We get our answer tonight and I head out."

The ex-soldier stood from his chair. "Great. Let's grab Hancock and figure the next 12 hours out."

After another moment's hesitation, Damon climbed to his feet, the man looming over them as his golden visor fixed itself on Nate. The glare didn't feel as… hostile as the ones he'd been getting from the SPARTAN. Instead of imminent violence, this one felt more like a measured warning: 'nothing happens to them.'

It's progress.

Nate nodded before marching to the front door and pounding on it. The thick steel boomed as the side of his fist hit it. The infantryman wasn't sure attaching such an incredibly overbuilt door on the mayor's home sent the right message… but this is Goodneighbor and that door might come in handy during the upcoming fights.

The door swung open to reveal Jake standing on the other side with two other guards. One of them was Hannah.

"You figure out what you're doing?" the man asked, voice gruff.

"Close. We ne- would like to talk with you and Hancock."

Jake cocked an eyebrow and, unless Nate was going crazy, he saw an amused smile flicker across his face. "About?"

"We've got a plan together, but we still need to get to Diamond City."

"Huh", the large man grunted. "Well… I've been thinking about that. How do you two feel about becoming temporary members of Goodneighbor's guard?"

Nate frowned. "Goodneighbor's guard?"

"Yeah, we still have parties going back and forth regularly." He smiled. "I doubt it would look too suspicious if we added a few new faces to the next one."

"Oh!" Brenda exclaimed from behind the ex-soldier. "That's- that's a good idea. I think it'll work."

"Wait", Hannah interjected. "You want us to-

"Wait. I don't wanna have this argument right now", Jake interrupted, holding his hands out, "I'll go get Hancock. We can talk about it when we're all here."

His subordinate didn't seem happy about that. "You're just gonna leave him", she motioned toward Damon with the barrel of her rifle, "here with us?"

"Hannah, I give you my permission to shoot him if he does anything stupid."

After a moment's hesitation, she nodded reluctantly. "Hope he does something stupid", she muttered.

The SPARTAN was watching the two of them argue. His fists weren't clenched like last time, but he still looked uncomfortable.

"Give me a few minutes", Jake said, "I'll round up Hancock."

With that, the dark-skinned man stalked down the alley toward the town's center.

This just keeps getting better and better. For as much as this plan excited Nate, they'd run out of breathing room very quickly if things went wrong. They're playing with fire antagonizing the Brotherhood like this. Yes, it was their plan from the start but they hadn't expected to have the militia on their asses from the start. Maybe they should have. The Brotherhood has scouts in plenty of different settlements, including these two. Hell, Damon might have expected it.

He can give them space, but there's only so much one person can buy, even the supersoldier.

"So how long you gonna stand there and pretend nothing happened?" Hannah asked before relative silence could settle over the group. Her voice was hard, but not as hard as her eyes. The guard was glaring at Damon as though she were trying to kill him through willpower alone.

"Ah, leave it alone", the other guard, the young man from earlier, said. "He don't care." He waved Damon off. "If he did he wouldn't have walked in so casual. If he did he woulda said something by now."

Damon's helmet was facing down the alley instead of toward the two guards. This time his hands weren't clenched, they were clasped behind his back. Nate had never seen the SPARTAN at attention, but that's what it looked like he was doing now. Oddly enough, it didn't look natural. Most of the time, Damon's posture was firm, but not ramrod stiff. Not unless he was keyed up.

Now though… maybe the others couldn't see it, but the struggle going on in that bucket of his was clear as day to the ex-soldier. Damon needed to accomplish his mission and to do that he had to work with these people. He was uncomfortable doing that, and that discomfort was his fault. For as much as Nate wanted to feel bad for the supersoldier… he'd be lying if he said a small part of him found the display cathartic. Not only did it remind him the man was, in fact, human, but it was also something he hadn't seen from him regarding Grant.

Silence did fall over the six of them. It was a tense, stilted silence filled with air so thick Nate had to consciously suck it in.

Then he noticed the almost rhythmic tick of Damon's helmet. Every few seconds it would shift ever so slightly to face Hannah and the man before going back.

Yes, the discomfort might be deserved (he did kill people, after all), but Nate didn't have it in him to leave the young man flapping in the wind like that.

"Look, Hannah-"

"No", she cut him off. "I don't wanna hear anything from you. You aren't the one who broke into our home and killed our people. My friends."

Can't blame you for that one. The ex-soldier glanced at Damon.

The SPARTAN didn't respond. Neither did Brenda or Cass, surprisingly.

Wonder what's going on there…

Before their small bubble of silence could grow any more uncomfortable, the sounds of talking drifted down the street. A few seconds later, Hancock's brilliant red jacket and ridiculous hat appeared around the corner. He and Jake were marching toward them, deep in conversation. The two men quieted as they neared. The mayor was eyeing his two guards, brow cocked.

"If bullets don't get through that helmet, I doubt angry thoughts will", he said.

Hannah shrugged. "I dunno, looks like he's trying damn hard to ignore us."

He isn't ignoring you, Nate wanted to say, he doesn't know how to deal with this situation. That probably wouldn't garner sympathy. Being uncomfortable is preferable to being dead. Most of the time.

"So", Hancock said, gaze turning to Brenda, "the two of you are ready to head to Diamond City?"

She nodded. "Whenever your people are."

"And you're gonna make it look like you're part of the patrol?"

"It sounds like it", Nate replied. "Your man came up with the idea."

"Yeah, he'll have a good one of those every once in a while." The mayor glanced at his guard. "Your next one'll be around this time next year, right?"

"Hey, at least I have 'em."

Hancock smiled. "Touche."

"Come on", Jake said as he hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "We've got spare gear. Right this way."

Damon stepped forward. "I'll provide security."

The guard paused, frowning at the SPARTAN. "You don't think my people are good enough? I thought the point was to be low-profile."

Nate could hear the sarcasm in the man's voice.

"With the Brotherhood around, I don't like taking chances."

That's a 'no'.

"And you'll draw their attention."

The supersoldier shook his head. "Not if I'm not with you."

"So you're gonna do it quietly then…" Jake shot the ex-soldier a smile and shrugged. "It isn't like I can stop you."

Damon nodded a little too eagerly.

The guard cast one more glance at his subordinates as he turned to lead them away from Hancock's house. The mayor strode past them and the door clanged shut.

It wasn't more than 20 seconds before Jake swung the door to a mostly intact brick building open. It looked like it used to be a restaurant. Now, the inside was filled with racks of assorted weapons and armor. Most of it wasn't anything impressive, bolt action rifles with a few automatics mixed in. The armor didn't look much better than the Raiders Nate had seen: steel plates for the most part.

They would benefit from the stuff Li's making. The arrangement made sense for both parties. That didn't mean Nate didn't have an… uneasy feeling about this. Sure, the Brotherhood was a good unifying force, and the threat Damon posed didn't hurt, but could they completely trust Goodneighbor?

"Over here." Jake marched toward a table off to the side with two sets of their uniforms laid out on it.

"Get dressed, I'm going to show him", the guard motioned at Damon, "to an exit."

"Got it", Nate said.

With that, Jake led the supersoldier from the building, leaving Nate, Brenda, and Cass alone with the other two guards. They were quick to trust.

"They need better stuff", Brenda said as she picked a set of black cargo pants up from the table. "How do they keep a town safe with this stuff? Especially here? It makes our stuff at Sanctuary look like pre-war treasure."

"Yeah…" Maybe that's why they're so trusting: they want us to be telling the truth.

As he pulled his boots off and began changing, the ex-soldier couldn't keep his mind from wandering back to Damon and his reaction to Hannah. Why had he been so… skittish around her? And the other one?

"Hannah…" he turned to the young woman. "You mind if I ask you about when Damon attacked?"

She frowned, her eyes narrowed. "What about?"

"I get you taking what he did personal he- uh", the ex-soldier paused. Was it a good idea to tell her he'd killed one of Nate's people? If they were trying to build trust between the people here and the SPARTAN, letting them know people who were supposedly allies weren't safe either. Anyone who gets in Damon's way is-

No… that isn't fair and you know it. He didn't know Grant was on his side. Damon had no reason to believe anyone was on his side.

While that may be the truth, it didn't mean the images of his friend's half blown away face were easier to see.

"Long story short, he attacked a group I was with, killed a friend of mine. He thought, and had every reason to think, we were there to attack him." Not strictly true but close enough. "Doesn't mean I feel any better about the guy he killed. I know what it's like to be on the wrong side of his violence. Do you mind if I asked where you were?"

The guard watched him for a few seconds. If Nate was being honest with himself, asking that question with half-on pants was probably a bad idea. He was beginning to feel self-conscious as the silence grew longer.

Maybe-

"In the middle of it", she finally said. "Same with Levi." The woman motioned to her companion. "I don't remember much, just that, one second we were getting ready to turn a corner, and the next I couldn't breathe. I was laying on the ground and felt like someone dropped a building on my chest. He hit me. Broke three or four ribs. Killed everyone else in our squad except Levi."

"Almost 30 people died that night", the other guard, Levi, said. "A lot of it was KLEO's people, or her people blowing up the market. Your man still did his share of damage though. And if he hadn't shown up, none of that happens."

30 people. Sometimes, in war, it's easy for those numbers to lose their context. 30 people in a city of 2 million? It's a blip. 30 people in a town of a thousand? More than that, 30 people everyone here knew. How many of those were citizens or guards going about their day?

Then Damon shows up.

30 people.

Violence tends to follow him, wherever he goes. Nate finished pulling his borrowed pants on and laced his boots.

Nate nodded. "I know." He wanted to say the SPARTAN regretted it. The ex-soldier wanted to tell them how Damon was so agitated he could barely talk and didn't sleep. That wouldn't help. If anything it would make the situation worse. Just like Grant, the towering man's intent didn't matter to whoever he killed. Or to whoever he didn't kill.

"How does he live with himself?" Hannah asked. It was an accusation, but she sounded genuinely curious at the same time.

"That's… a complicated question. I can't answer."

Her eyes narrowed again. "Why?"

"Because it involves Damon's past and it's something he's sensitive about. With good reason." The ex-soldier offered a small smile. "If you're interested, ask him about it. I don't know if he'd tell you, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did."

Levi snorted. "You want us to feel bad for him?"

As the ex-soldier pulled the black jacket on and strapped his vest over it, he shook his head. "I don't think you need to feel bad for him. If you do though, that doesn't mean you can't be angry at him for what he did. You can hate him for it and I'd understand. A lot of people do." Nate finished sinching his vest tight and slung his rifle. "But if you want to know why he is the way he is, you'll have to ask him."

"Mmm."

Brenda and Cass had remained silent throughout the exchange. Nate wasn't sure if it was because they didn't have anything to add, or wanted to see how he handled it.

… Or was it because they were uncomfortable with the topic? They knew Damon as an awkward, obtuse asshole who, despite everything, cared about and looked out for them. There was even something Nate would call a genuine friendship between them.

The two of them didn't want to think about the reality. Yes, the armored titan has grown significantly since the two of them first met. The most notable development Nate had seen was his newfound sense of empathy. That being said, Damon is, first and foremost, a killer. A killer on a massive scale. Someone who was groomed from childhood and equipped to be the most efficient killer possible. He may be more than that now, he may have the ability to choose when he brings that out, but if the ex-soldier has learned anything about him, it's that he has very little, or no, innate regard for human life. He wasn't raised to have any and his first response (usually) is violence.

Their presence in these negotiations was a testament to that reality.

This is probably the first time either of them has been exposed to the ugly side of that. Damon had attacked Goodneighbor. The town might be rough, but it isn't bad.

No one else spoke as the room lapsed into silence once again. The ex-soldier couldn't blame anyone for that.

A few minutes later, Jake marched back through into the makeshift armory. "We're ready to go."

"Hey…" the ex-soldier said, a new thought occurring. "Do you have a spare radio?"

The guard nodded. "Yeah, we've got plenty." He strode to a cabinet and pulled it open. Inside were a half-dozen handhelds. "You don't?"

"No", Nate shook his head. "Brenda has one, but not me."

"Ah." The larger man handed him the radio. "Consider it a sign of our new alliance."

Nate smiled. "How generous."

The large man glanced at his subordinates. "Let's get a move on."

X

Walking back down the guarded path toward Diamond City was odd. It wasn't odd because they were heading back after what had happened earlier in the day. It wasn't odd because Damon wasn't there. It wasn't odd because they were doing it at night.

It felt odd because the ex-soldier was surrounded by eight other, identically dressed Goodneighbor guards and Brenda. It felt odd because, with the patrols around them, it almost felt like he was back on deployment before he was discharged.

Almost.

The ever-present uncertainty of when an attack would come and where it would come from. The unfamiliar, uncomfortable surroundings. His eyes scanning every shadow. Looking into windows knowing there were too many for him to check and, even if there weren't, too dark within them to see anything.

But then there was that same sensation that had been with him since waking up in this hellhole. The dark skies and infrequent lights only served to exacerbate it. These unfamiliar, uncomfortable surroundings were his home. Boston wasn't some random city overseas, it was where he lived. This nightmare he'd been living for the past four months only served to make what was a familiar situation even more foreboding than it had been.

No one spoke as they trudged toward Diamond City. Nate and Brenda did their best to act like a natural part of the group. They kept enough spacing between themselves and the others to be reasonable. The two of them stayed near the middle of the pack, rifles held low and relaxed.

Just a normal trip to Diamond City.

"This is something we do pretty regularly. Four or five times a week", Jake said. "We haven't been back to Fenway in a few days so any Brotherhood scouts will be expecting it."

"Hey boss", one of the Goodneighbor guards said, "you think we can pick up some of their Brahmin on the way out?"

"We just got a shipment", another muttered.

"Nah, for as bad as those Codmans are, they sure bring in some gooooood cuts."

"Justin", Jake said, "you're a grown-ass man. If you got the caps, you buy whatever you want."

"I know, I know, I'm just askin if we could take the time."

Levi grunted. "It ain't like we need you. Go buy some steaks, we'll do just fine."

'Justin' didn't seem too happy about that. "You got a lot of-"

"Enough", Jake interrupted. The tired, irritable edge on his voice said this was something he had to deal with on the reg. "Get some damn Brahmin and stop whining. I've already had a long day."

"I appreciate it, boss." Nate watched as the guard shot a narrow-eyed stare and middle finger at Levi.

As the group fell back into silence, Nate found himself searching the half-lit, crumbling city around them. Damon was out there watching them, looking for potential threats.

Right then it was the Brotherhood that concerned Nate the most.

"How do you wanna do this?" Brenda's voice came from beside him.

"Do-" he almost asked "what?" but his brain managed to catch his mouth. The damn negotiation.

Yeah… that.

"Let them do the talking, I think."

She nodded. "Agreed. We already made our pitch. If they say 'no' and we start begging it's gonna come off like we're desperate."

"Uh-huh." The ex-soldier squinted at his companion. "You said you picked these skills up negotiating with merchants?"

Brenda shrugged. "I can't give everything away. It'll be boring if you don't have anything new to learn about me.

Not how I'd put it… "Fair enough."

The group emerged into the stadium's parking lot, Fenway looking in front of them.

"You think the Brotherhood paid them a visit too?" she asked.

"I don't see why they wouldn't." The ex-soldier scanned the buildings around them. Too many potential lookouts. Nervous energy coursed through his arms and Nate had to consciously keep his rifle down. "Diamond City might not let them inside, if they catch any spies, but there's no way they'd be able to keep all these buildings clear."

We look like any other detachment from Goodneighbor.

"You know- I just keep thinking…" Brenda trailed off into silence for a few seconds. She was chewing on the inside of her cheek. "What if they stab us in the back? The Codmans are the ones calling the shots. If they think they'll get a better deal from the Brotherhood, they'll sell us out in a heartbeat." She glanced at him. "You'd be a good bargaining chip."

That's something the ex-soldier had thought about. "I would be. We're gambling the Codmans think life would be better for them without sitting under Maxson's rule."

"Stop here", Jake said, motioning for the group to halt a few dozen feet from the stadium. He continued toward a small group of guards emerging from the entrance.

Brenda grunted. "What's Maxson like?"

"He's… intelligent. At least, he's intelligent when it comes to combat. He's also idealistic to the point of being a fundamentalist." The ex-soldier shrugged. "It's a dangerous combination. He's the type of person who always needs an enemy."

"Is that why you think the Codmans won't work with him? He's violent and dangerous?"

"No", Nate snorted. "I know they're type. They want to get their way. That's all. I don't think they'll work with him because he won't give them their way."

"Ah."

That's to say nothing of the seven-foot-tall walking murder machine lurking around the ruined city. Maybe he wouldn't take any retribution for something happening to Nate (though he'd like to think Damon would), but he's confident saying he'd bring hell down on their heads for going after Brenda.

As if echoing his thoughts, the woman in question said, "plus, I don't think they'd wanna deal with Damon after that."

Nate shook his head. "No." He couldn't keep all of the bitterness out of his voice.

His partner didn't say anything, only nodded.

They, and their new friends, stood in silence as Jake talked with the Diamond City guards. After 30 or so seconds of quiet, he shook hands with one of them and marched back toward the group. He stopped in front of Nate and Brenda, "they're ready, let's do this."

Before the larger man could turn away again, Brenda waved for his attention. "Could you do me a favor? I'd like to meet with them, just me and Nate."

Jake cocked an eyebrow at her. "You think I'd wanna be in the same room as the Codmans?" He laughed as he began toward the stadium, waving over his shoulder. "That's all yours."

So you're going to make us suffer that fate alone… Nate smiled as he followed. The ex-soldier didn't consider himself egotistical, but he was prideful. He wasn't too proud to admit being talked down to by them, especially Ann, grated on him. This is the mission though, and if he had to stomach their bullshit, he would.

The Diamond City guards met their group at the gate and led them inside. Brenda and Nate were split off from the others and taken back to the locker room-turned-lounge. Same as last time, no one was waiting inside.

Instead of standing guard, their escorts left the two of them alone in the well-furnished room. That was… odd. There were too many possibilities to know for sure what that meant. They'd just have to be ready if this turned into something… unsavory.

"Sit over there", the ex-soldier said, pointing to a large chair tucked into the corner of the room. It had a good view of the entrance they'd come through with several other pieces of furniture to act as visual cover. Nothing that would stop a bullet, but it would give her some options if things went sideways.

Nate took a seat across from her to watch the other door. He almost smiled. As much as someone might say Damon was rubbing off on him, his instincts were weathered enough to do this on his own. Much to Nora's chagrin, the ex-soldier would do the same thing whenever they would go out to eat. And he never went to the movies. Aside from the suffocating crush of dozens or hundreds of people he didn't know, they always felt like a death trap.

Before silence could take hold, Brenda cleared her throat. "Something's bugging me", she said. "Why is Hancock, and the rest of Goodneighbor, so ready to work with us? Two days and they're already escorting us to Diamond City."

That answer seems easy enough. "They're desperate and, up till now, they've been on their own."

His companion shook her head. "I don't think you're wrong about that but- well you saw how Hannah and Levi reacted to Damon. You don't think more of their people think the same way?"

I'm sure they do.

"Yeah, they're desperate", she continued, "but they have no reason to trust us."

"I think-" Nate stopped himself. She was 100% right. He was going to say they know him and Damon. They know what the SPARTAN can do. They also know what they said about the Minutemen was true.

But they have no way of confirming the Minutemen have access to the supplies they claimed. They have no way of knowing if the Minutemen are acting with good intentions.

"Maybe… they're desperate enough that they're willing to risk this going wrong." Nate shrugged. "It isn't like things will go better for them if the Brotherhood wins."

Brenda frowned. "No, I guess not but, I-" Her frown turned into a grimace. "If It was me, and I was in a position like they are, I'd make sure to have some backup plan in place."

If she was forced to- or near forced to accept this deal from Goodneighbor's perspective? What kind of 'backup plan' would they have? The Minutemen's backup plan is pretty simple: they'd only sent four people and one of them is Damon. If things go wrong here, they might lose three of them, but they'd still have the SPARTAN, and now they have the Railroad's expertise to lean on.

Plus…

Damon seemed to like Brenda enough he wouldn't be happy if something were to happen to her. And if Goodneighbor did anything to Cass…

A grim smile crawled across the ex-soldier's face.

He might not live to see the hellfire he'd bring down on their heads, but the term 'biblical' probably applied.

And if he did survive to see it… he might not have much reason to fight, but that would be good enough for a while.

I'm getting off track.

Right. The issue at hand is what Goodneighbor's backup plan would be. If they have one, that is.

Damon told him one of the reasons Preston sent Brenda is because she knows Goodneighbor, right?

"What do you think they'd have as a backup plan?"

Her frown deepened. "I'm not sure… there are a lot of things they could do. They can't go to the Brotherhood, but there are enough smaller settlements in the city they could make a group of their own." Brenda paused before muttering, "that would take time though."

The woman fell silent, fidgeting with her rifle. It's something Nate had seen plenty of during his days in the army.

And it's something he's always found strange. There are a lot safer things to fidget with than a gun.

When she noticed him watching her hands, she let the rifle rest in her lap. "Sorry, bad habit, I know. I don't know what their relationship is like with the Institute, but they could be an option. My choice here would be to play the slow game. If I think you might be trying to stab me in the back, I'm gonna make sure I can do the same."

Nate cocked an eyebrow at her. "Have you… had to do that before?"

"Yeah", she said nodding, "once or twice. People learn pretty quick when it's a bad idea to double-cross someone."

Huh. "You'll have to tell me about the 'one or two' stories sometime."

She laughed. "I can't give all my secrets away…"

"Of course not." Jokes aside, she made a good point. Nate would probably do the same thing: gather information and position people so, if worse came to worse, they'd be able to retaliate. "We aren't gonna figure it out here though, that's something to talk with everyone about when we get the chance."

Brenda frowned again but nodded. "It isn't something I thought of until now. I didn't think they'd be this…"

"Agreeable?"

"Yeah, that."

The idea Hancock was thinking of some way to stab them in the back wasn't comforting, but it would be stupid to ignore the possibility. That was a problem for another time if it was even one to worry about. Just like the idea Damon would do something to him if Jackson or someone else in his group betrayed the Minutemen, it was only something they needed to worry about if that happened.

And it wouldn't.

For now, the next few minutes, or however long it takes these clowns to show up, were more important.

"So how do you think this'll go?" Nate asked.

"I'm not sure." Brenda shrugged. "These types of negotiations…" She bit her lower lip for a moment, glancing back at the door they'd come through. "I've never done anything this… high-leverage. I hate to say it but your guess is as good as mine. I might have said we had a good chance earlier. With the Brotherhood dropping by like they did though, that changes things."

"You hate to say my guess is as good as yours, huh?" The ex-soldier smirked at her.

"Do you have experience negotiating?"

"No." He shook his head. "Nora- my wife did. She was a lawyer."

"Law-" the woman stopped herself before finishing. There was a hunger on her face that almost made Nate laugh. She wanted to ask about his life before the war. "We can talk about that later."

"Probably a good idea." The infantryman looked back at the door. "But you're right. This is gonna be interesting."

"Yep."

Silence fell over the locker room as the two of them drifted back into their thoughts. How should they play this? Brenda asked for his help but she was the better negotiator. He was good with people, for the most part, but being good with people doesn't equate to negotiations. There were too many potential outcomes and he didn't have the experience to guess where the situation would go.

Break it down one piece at a time. Don't solve the problem all at once.

What did he know? Diamond City is on rough terms with the Brotherhood. They're the largest settlement in the area, but they don't have the numbers to fight the Brotherhood. They want some kind of assurance and it doesn't seem like the Codmans care who it comes from. McDougal will go along with whatever they want. They know what the Minutemen can offer short term, but they have no guarantee the Minutemen will win the approaching fight. From their perspective, Maxson has the stronger hand. The Brotherhood will have stopped by here the same way they did Goodneighbor, probably offering them some kind of deal or ultimatum.

Since they aren't in the same position as Goodneighbor, and the Codmans are the Codmans, they'll probably take the deal they think is best. So the question is, which deal do they find more appealing? Or on the other hand, which group are they more afraid of? Then there's the possibility they play both sides…

… If the ex-soldier was being honest with himself, that didn't help. He was no closer to-

"Follow my lead", Brenda said, her voice bursting into his thoughts. "We're gonna play a little hardball."

When Nate met her gaze, the woman was smiling. He didn't know if it was from the pun or not. It's appropriate.

"I'm all yours."

Her smile broadened. "You aren't my type."

"Oh really?" The ex-soldier grinned. "Why not."

"I'm not into 250-year-old men."

That got him. Nate laughed. "Fair enough."

She nodded. "You know more about Damon than I do. I can sell the Minutemen and how good they are, but I don't know enough about our tin man. People are always afraid of the unknown. They know even less about him than they do the Institute." Brenda motioned at the ex-soldier. "I can set the table, you have to pay it off."

So she's thinking the same thing? Nate blinked. His mind cast itself back to when they first got to Diamond City. Brenda had been nervous. It probably had more to do with walking through Boston, but she'd settled in. She was doing what she was good at.

"We fed them a few stories", his companion continued, "but this needs to be more than that. You got me?"

The ex-soldier nodded. "Loud and clear."

She smiled again and, an instant later, Nate heard footsteps behind the door they'd entered.

Showtime.

They both stood as the door swung open to admit the same party as last time. Tristan and Bill walked in first, the grizzled-looking security head scowling at Nate. Bill, for his part, looked more nervous than he did last time. That was… odd considering Damon wasn't around. The Codmans were still dressed in their suits that had an air of stuck-up asshole. Following them and, notably, last into the room was McDougal.

"I'm glad you were finally able to return", Ann said as she sat on a couch across from Nate. He didn't know if she was purposely putting on that condescending tone or if it came naturally. Either way, the ex-soldier couldn't let it get to him.

Clarence at least showed the courtesy of stepping forward to shake their hands.

"Yes", the tall, lanky man said, "it has been quite the day since you arrived."

The two guards stayed behind the three bureaucrats. Now he had a chance to watch Tristan, the man looked uncomfortable too.

Or maybe he was reading too far into things.

"It sounds like you may have some Brotherhood informants hanging around", Brenda said as she shook McDougal's hand.

"Do you think so?" the mayor asked. The question may have been innocent enough if it weren't for his wooden recitation.

"I do, mayor McDougal." Brenda took her seat again. "Something tells me what made it quite the day was the Brotherhood stopping by earlier."

"That is correct", Clarence mused as he sat beside his wife. "If you are wise enough to infer that, and considering your question, you understand what that meeting was about."

Nate nodded. "They don't want you playing ball with us."

"A good guess", Ann said, pursing her lips.

Tristan shifted behind the older woman. "Is that why you came in dressed like that? Trying to blend in with Goodneighbor's guard?"

"A good guess", the ex-solder echoed.

"I'm glad we are able to be honest with one another." Ann smiled. "So you're aware of the situation we find ourselves in. We-"

"I think we get the gist", Brenda interrupted. "You need to decide between siding with us, the Brotherhood, or trying to play us both."

"Very good, young woman." Ann nodded. "If you're bright enough to deduce that, I'm sure you're also aware of the position you're in."

Two thoughts raced through the ex-soldier's mind: Brenda pissed her off by interrupting her, which was probably intentional, and they feel a lot more comfortable making threats. As much as he wanted to pat himself on the back for guessing right, it wasn't a comfort. He suddenly felt a very acute vacuum in the space beside him. It was a little over seven feet tall and armored.

"Thank you, I like to think my experience makes me an alright negotiator", Brenda said, the ghost of a smile on her face. "You want us to sell you the Minutemen." She leaned back and tapped her chin with her left index finger. Nate didn't miss the fact she still had her right resting on her rifle's receiver.

"Well, we already told you what we can offer. At least short term", the infantryman said. "Just like with the Brotherhood, we have things we're going to hold close to our chest. You wouldn't let someone know everything about you would you?"

Tristan shook his head. "No, but we aren't sitting in someone else's city."

"You're right about that", Brenda said, dropping her hand away from her face. "But we do have an alliance with Goodneighbor now. Good luck getting them to side with the Brotherhood. And you may think the Minutemen are sticking something together with duct tape to fight the Brotherhood but it's a lot more than that."

"Your armored friend isn't enough to convince us."

The younger woman waved the statement away. "We'll get to that."

That was fast…

"Damon is someone you don't wanna mess with, but don't underestimate the Minutemen. Like we said last time, we just repelled an Institute assault. We lost people, yes, but we also learned a lot. Sanctuary, and the other settlements in our network, are only getting better defended. The people in our network are only getting better too. You could say we've found our way into some extremely talented trainers."

"And who might those trainers be?" Tristan asked.

"That is something I won't say unless I know you're on our side."

Ann began drumming her fingers on the arm of the couch. "Do you see the situation you're putting us in? You're asking us to trust you'll be able to fight the Brotherhood, yet we have no evidence to suggest that's the case."

Oh really? You are gonna lecture someone else about trust?

"And we don't have any you won't sell us out", Nate said, the fire in his voice not entirely for show. "You're acting like you didn't try to get me and Damon killed a few months ago."

The older woman tsked. "Those were unique circumstances. It-"

"Come on." It was Nate's turn to interrupt. "Don't treat that like some mild inconvenience. I took a round in the leg. If it hadn't been for Damon I'd be dead. If we're gonna do this, the least you could do is treat us with the respect of equals."

"From where I'm sitting, we aren't equals", Ann said. It looked like she'd just held back a sneer. "You're here asking for our help. We have an opportunity to ally ourselves with the Brotherhood. We don't have to take your offer."

A pit started forming in the ex-soldier's gut.

It's easier to play cards when you have house money. Codman's playing with house money. She's right, of course. They don't have the option of allying with the Brotherhood. Diamond City does.

This could go bad very quickly.

Nate's hand drifted to his satchel. The radio was sitting in a pouch on the outside. If he could get to the transmit button without raising the alarm…

"You're right", Brenda said, voice calm and measured. "You know what happens long term if you do that."

Tristan grunted. "And if we take yours and you lose, it goes much worse."

Keep going. He needed another few seconds.

"And if you take theirs and we win? I don't think you're giving the Minutemen enough credit. Besides, as you have been so determined to tell us, we do have a trick up our sleeve." The young woman looked at him.

Shit. Nate's hand froze. It was sandwiched between the satchel and the side of his chair. He could feel the rounded edge of the radio, finger maybe an inch from the transmit button. She couldn't wait a second longer?

"That tin can't ain't here", Bill said. "He won't fight through a city full of trained men to get you." The guard smiled. "And you two aren't fighting your way out."

The ex-soldier blinked. Trained? Yes, their situation may be bad, but the idea this asshole thinks their people are trained is… Well, they're probably trained on something.

There was one thing he said that was right though: Damon wasn't going to fight through Diamond City's guard to get to them. Not because he couldn't, Nate wasn't going to put anything past the SPARTAN, but he shouldn't. If he did, the Brotherhood would show up. If the Brotherhood shows up, Goodneighbor gets involved. If Goodneighbor gets involved…

No. Nate pulled his hand away from the radio and set it on his rifle. They had to make their way out.

Or they had to suffer whatever fate these clowns had for them.

If Damon was given the choice, he'd start a war. It may not be Nate's right to make this call but it was better for everyone if that doesn't happen.

"So it sounds to me like you folks have already made your decision. You wanted us back here because you intend to hand us over to the Brotherhood." The silent gazes he got in return were all the confirmation he needed.

As dire as the situation was, the ex-soldier's pulse was slow, his breathing was calm, and his body was relaxed. He'd never been in a position like this, but he'd been in analogous ones. Combat situations where there were a hundred paths you could take and only three of them resulted in living. Talking instead of running and shooting was different. Different song, same beat.

Cards. Play my cards. Every. Fucking. One.

Nate glanced at Brenda. She was calm too. If anything, there may have been a small smile on her face.

His companion turned back to their captors. "Alright. Got it. You hedged your bets, wanted to hear us out before handing us over. That's why you took so long to greet us."

"Yep", the ex-soldier continued before any of them could respond. "And you wanted to make sure Damon wasn't an immediate threat."

"We-" McDougal started. That wasn't how this would go. Not only did every instinct tell him they needed to dictate the terms of this conversation, Nate wasn't going to let the half-melted-looking weasel intrude on this. It was between them and the Codmans. Easy enough to see the two of them were pulling strings.

"No, no, no." Nate waved a hand. "I'm not done. Whatever you're thinking about this situation, you're wrong. You're wrong about what you're giving the Brotherhood, you're wrong about who's in control."

"Couldn't agree more", Brenda said, nodding. The infantryman had barely finished the last syllable before she was talking. "Who do you think you have? Neither of us is a leader in the Minutemen. Even if we were, the Minutemen isn't Diamond City. We aren't the Brotherhood. We've been to hell and back, every one of us." She motioned at Nate. "They'll be fine without us. They have plenty of experienced people and plenty of resources. Without us, they'll be just as dangerous as they are with us." Brenda shot him a glance.

Here we go…

"And you're underestimating our Tin Man."

Nate barked a harsh laugh. "If that isn't an understatement."

"He isn't here", Tristan bit out.

"You're right, and that's why you should be afraid." He cleared his throat. "Let me tell you about the guy you'll be pissing off-"

"We've heard the stories", Ann interrupted. "The Raiders, the Forged, Deathclaws, Goodneighbor, here-"

"No, you haven't." He just managed to cut off the 'bitch' at the end of the sentence. "This is someone who was raised to fight on his own. Damon has been trained specifically to be a nightmare for people like you since he was five. You don't have anyone who has the experience or expertise to build a defense against him. You don't know where he is. If you try to hunt him down he'll take your forces apart piece by piece. Why do you think the Brotherhood doesn't do it?"

McDougal opened his mouth to say something but the ex-soldier was on a roll. It wasn't just the elation of the situation, fighting for his life with words instead of bullets. It wasn't just the… opportunity to brag about just how dangerous his friend was.

There was something else swimming around in the back of his head. Something so dark he couldn't make it out.

"You can't hunt him down which means he has time to prepare." Nate leaned forward. "I know better than anyone, you give that bastard time to prepare, with as little as you have, he will tear you a new asshole so wide you could fly the Prydwen through it."

The hospital.

The hospital.

"Let me tell you about the one time I was on the wrong side of that. I had a task force of Synths with me- did I mention I was with the Institute for a while?" Nate smiled. "Whoops. Anyway, that task force included two fireteams of Coursers. We were attacked by a Brotherhood force in the old general hospital. Yeah, we did some damage ourselves, but the fight was just getting started. Then Damon killed everyone."

Grant's face flashed through his mind. Not the bloody mess the .300 winmag had made of it. He pictured the man- his friend laughing a few hours before in the safe house. He remembered the hours and hours they'd spent training. Him, Jess, Jackson, and Grant.

The ex-soldier's jaw tightened and his hands balled into fists.

"He killed… everyone", the ex-soldier hissed and his eyes dropped to his boots. The gunshots booming from his MK18c in the confines of the hall, turning to see Grant's head half missing.

He'd failed Grant. The ex-soldier couldn't think of what he should have done instead, but there had to be something. Even after everything he'd been through, Nate couldn't accept there was no way to keep him alive.

Rage. Frustration. Sorrow.

Fear.

The SPARTAN had been-

Focus. Focus that energy. Use it. Get Brenda and yourself out of here alive.

"I watched him-" Nate's voice caught in his throat. "I watched him take on three Coursers hand to hand. It lasted all of five seconds." He looked back up at the assembled Diamond City leadership. "I watched him break one in half over his knee."

Leaning back, the ex-soldier exhaled.

Anger. The thing that had been swimming around in the back of his mind was anger. He was pissed. At Damon. At himself. At these assholes. The Brotherhood…

Was it too much to ask for things to go right? Just once?

"You better believe, you take us, Damon will turn your world to ash. Then he'll kill you. There may be a lot of things I don't know but that…" The smile he shot toward the five of them was mostly a sneer. "Well, I guess I can't say I know that. You still have to take us and the last time I checked", his hands cradled his rifle, right slipping around the pistol grip, "I still have this. I may not be Damon but I'll make damn sure, if I don't get out, none of you do either."

As he finished, silence bloomed to film the locker room. That was good. That meant they had doubts. Neither of the guards made any moves, but he could see their grips had tensed around their rifles. Nate's was still in his lap, already aimed in their general direction. These people are stupid; giving their targets an opportunity to fight back like this…

"Well", Brenda said, voice bursting the quiet bubble around them. "Can't say I disagree with anything he said, especially that last part." She shifted her rifle. "So do you wanna risk dying here? Bringing Damon down on your own heads? Or are you gonna do the smart thing and let us go?"

A/N: Ah yes, another cliffhanger. Sorry, not sorry. This chapter's already over 15k words long and if I wanted to have it not end on a cliffhanger, it would have been 20K+. But, I promised an explanation for the late post. We all know the dreaded trend of fic-writers who stop posting for whatever reason. Most of the time it's either burnout or they go back and read older stuff, realizing their story… isn't great. To put any fears of that to rest, I'm not going to abandon this story. Ever. Earlier chapters of A Hero's Story definitely need work, but I still think they're serviceable. As for burnout… I've definitely been struggling with its effects for a while now. It isn't just with this story, a lot of things in my life have been a ride over the last five years and, unfortunately, writing has to fit into my life. But I'm a stubborn motherfucker. I don't want to feel like I have to write this because I have every intention of finishing it. I want to enjoy writing. So I'll be going back to posting every other week for the foreseeable future. That may change back to a week at some points (I have a few ideas where that will happen), but I don't want to lose my love for this story. So yeah, we'll get through it. As the saying goes: life's a bitch and then you die. I'll see everyone next time!

Next chapter: 1/27, Play Stupid Games…