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.

67. Chapter 67: To the North

A/N: Well hello there, over a week late. I have a legitimate excuse for my tardiness this time! I had a surprise trip for work that was organized two days before I left so... my last two weeks have been a complete mess. On top of that, I recently started a business and that's been taking a LOT of my time (and motivation) so bear with me here. I WILL be posting on time for at least the next few chapters. But you haven't come here to hear me complain about my first world problems. You came here to read a story. This chapter is another one I rewrote several times. I like where it ended up. Not spoiling anything though! Anyway, leave a review if you're so inclined and, as always, enjoy!

Chapter 67: To the North

Their journey back through the city was relatively uneventful. Aside from the increased volume of Vertibirds flying around, and the few encounters they had with oversized bugs and feral ghouls, it was quiet.

Of course, Damon had come up from Goodneighbor just a little while ago. He'd have a good idea of what areas to use and which to avoid.

For all his usual focus and discipline, Nate could see the thoughts fighting for Damon's attention. Every time they stopped to wait out a Vertibird that strayed too close or to take a quick water break, the SPARTAN stole a glance at Brenda. At one point, he even asked how they were doing. It was an echo of his question that morning in the apartment but it was amusing to see.

"Yeah, we're good", Nate replied as he took another drink from his canteen. "Thanks for keeping clean water in that safe house."

The supersoldier nodded absently. Nate could feel his gaze drifting from him to Brenda. Damon even seemed to forget he was supposed to be upset with Nate.

Having someone he cares about upset at him for some reason he doesn't understand is uncomfortable. The ex-soldier smiled. Welcome to the real world. When it came to disagreements and arguments, Damon didn't have a problem. This? This was bothering him. A lot.

It was a little odd.

… Maybe 'odd' wasn't the right word. 'Sudden' worked better.

"How much time do you think we bought the Minutemen?"

Damon's golden-yellow visor tore itself from Brenda, who was taking a drink of her own, and met the smaller man's gaze.

"A few days. This will change their disposition more than distract them. The Brotherhood leadership will be doing everything it can to figure out who's responsible."

It sounded like there was a suggestion in there. If Nate didn't know better…

"Are you saying you want to do something else?" he asked.

Damon nodded again. "The Institute's been quiet for over a week. I don't know what's happening to the north with the Raiders. I don't want to leave it to chance."

"Jesus, Damon", Nate breathed. "Let's take a minute to recover from, hopefully, assassinating Maxson before we stir anything else up."

"Take a break if you need it", the SPARTAN responded, a hint of his now normal irritation with the infantryman coming through. "The more damage we can do, the better."

Low blow. "It isn't about taking a break. It's about making sure we don't go too far. The Brotherhood will go after the Minutemen eventually. We can't push them too hard."

"Which is why we need to do something that will slow them down."

Nate took a deep breath. It shouldn't surprise him. This is how the kid's always been. "Let's get Cass and get out of Boston before planning that, alright?"

After another glance at Brenda, the armored titan nodded a third time.

The three of them left the small warehouse they'd settled into for a short break. They were a few blocks away from the sickly green-brown river that used to be the Mystic. Once they were across that, the only obstacle left would be the Charles River.

Then all they had to do was make it into Goodneighbor without being spotted by the Brotherhood scouts that were undoubtedly in the area, grab Cass and Dogmeat, and get back out of Boston. All while Vertibirds were buzzing around the city, searching for whoever shot, and hopefully killed, their leader.

No worries, just another day in the life.

Not for the first time, the thought occurred to Nate it was odd more people weren't in the city. Yes, there were settlements besides Goodneighbor and Diamond City, but they were nowhere near the size.

As they neared the Charles, and after another four stops to avoid passing VTOLs, Nate was watching the opposite side of the street while Brenda crossed to Damon. The city's- his city's foreboding desolation felt like a 10-ton mass hovering over his head. Were there more people living underground, like those ghouls, than they thought? It's possible… Maybe he could convince Damon to go back down there and ask-

Something moved in a window across the street.

Nate glanced at Brenda. She was almost to Damon.

The air was calm, no wind, and he hadn't heard anything… He'd learned long ago the last thing you should do is brush something like that off. That is how people end up with extra holes.

Waiting until Brenda made it across, the ex-soldier waved to get Damon's attention.

The SPARTAN returned it with an exaggerated nod.

Nate pointed to his eyes, then at the building in question.

Damon nodded again and turned to Brenda. After a few seconds, he held up a fist before ushering the young woman into the building they were in front of. He re-emerged a moment later.

In most other circumstances, Nate would have done the cross himself. It wouldn't have been the first time. Now would be a bad time to play cowboy. The last thing any of them needed was him to get caught in the open with the Brotherhood running around with their helmets on fire. Getting wounded would be even worse, considering that would slow them down.

Plus, if he could use Damon as a decoy, he wasn't going to complain.

The SPARTAN moved out into the street. His head, and rifle, were switching from window to window as he half crouch-walked toward Nate.

Once Damon reached the middle, he stopped and motioned for the infantryman to move. Nate wanted to stare down the window he'd seen the motion in. That's where the most immediate threat would come from, of course.

Except that wasn't necessarily true.

He reached the armored titan without incident and they started toward-

Movement in the floor above the original spot. Too dark to see detail. There wasn't-

The muzzle of a rifle glinted in the morning sun.

"Contact!" he shouted. In the next instant, his sights were on the window and he pulled the trigger.

His shot exploded into the street. There was no time to wait for a confirmation. He fired once more before running for the opposite sidewalk.

With the report fading, he heard a guttural scream. And then another. More from around them.

It was unmistakably Supermutants.

"Wait here", Damon said once they reached the far side of the street. He ducked into the building and hurried Brenda out.

They fell in behind the SPARTAN as he jogged south down an alley. Nate did his best to keep up while checking their rear for anyone- anything trying to follow. He caught a glimpse of something just before they reached the far end.

No friendlies in the area, he wasn't taking any chances.

The ex-soldier put another trio of rounds into the corner of the building at the alley's mouth. The bricks exploded into dust. That wasn't to kill anything, just keep their heads down.

For the next few minutes, they again ran through the city, taking a weaving path to throw off any pursuers. It didn't take more than a few minutes for Nate's lungs to start burning again. The last week really had taken its toll…

Eventually, they stopped in a storefront, both Brenda and Nate breathing hard.

"Supermutants", Nate panted. "They show up at the worst times."

Brenda didn't say anything, but she nodded. She was bent over, holding her knees, eyes fixed on the ground between her feet. The young woman's hands were trembling ever so slightly.

"Are you two good?" Damon asked.

The ex-soldier scanned Brenda, then patted himself down.

"Yeah. Give us a minute."

There was a moment's hesitation from the supersoldier. It was his MO to keep moving, which made sense. But he was clearly still struggling with how to deal with the… current personal situation.

Nate was about to continue, explaining why it would be better if they took a short break to recover, when Damon relented.

"Okay", he replied with a nod. The armored titan moved off to the store's entrance.

How was the ex-soldier supposed to pull Brenda's attention away from how shaken up she was? Less than 12 hours ago, she was dealing with killing for the first time. She was coming to terms with the horror that was Damon, or at least what he does. That's on top of the responsibility they had to the Minutemen, the risk they just took going after Maxson, and now being chased through the city by the Brotherhood.

She was too smart for him to do anything obvious…

"I wonder if those are some of the survivors from their fight with the Brotherhood", Nate muttered.

Brenda grunted. "What?" Her voice was just as shaky as her arms.

"The tower where Damon almost got caught. Before we went back to Diamond City and they made the worst organized threat ever."

"Oh yeah", she huffed. "No clue. I don't think it matters. But I appreciate the attempt."

Nate smiled. "I'm that transparent, huh?"

"Just like last time." She straightened. "I'll be okay. I- I need a sec to catch my breath."

The ex-soldier nodded.

'A sec' was actually about five minutes. Nate didn't complain. His lungs appreciated the break. He'd recovered and Brenda was calm, they left their temporary sanctuary and headed back into the death trap of a city.

The young woman was quiet throughout the rest of the journey. No surprise there. No matter how uncomfortable she was, the young woman stayed focused.

The more time Nate spent around her, the more he understood why Preston sent her along and Damon liked her so much.

She'd held up in the Codmans' little attempt to capture them. More than that, she led it. That and her ability to put up with Damon's shit won her points in his book.

Well… her ability to put up with his shit until it came to killing things. He couldn't blame her for that. If anything, it made him respect the woman more. Even if the ex-soldier found what Damon did… difficult to stomach, he couldn't have the same reaction. It was refreshing to see someone without his past have it. Not that he was happy they were both incredibly uncomfortable.

Their journey across the Charles River was, thankfully, uneventful. A small miracle given their recent luck.

There was an instant of unfriendly wild dogs, but those didn't last more than a few seconds. A few minutes after they reached their crossing, a wing of VTOLs flew overhead, forcing them into cover. No sign they'd been seen.

"You thinking of that secret entrance to the north?" Nate asked once they were across.

Damon shook his head. "Jake showed me a different one. Closer."

"Got it."

That closer entrance was on the east side of the settlement. It was in the old food market, or what was left of it. The place was a bunch of burnt-out buildings now, but Nate vividly remembered date nights with Nora and nights out with Cook and Miranda here. Other guys from the platoon joined them on more than a few occasions. It was always bustling with activity, and full of amazing smells, back before the War.

The market's old life only lived as a ghost in the ex-soldier's memory now. Like most things in his goddamn life.

Leading them into a tall, wide structure that used to be a hotel, the SPARTAN made his way through its dilapidated, furniture-strewn halls into the basement. Another basement.

Fortunately for Nate's sanity, this one was dimly lit by widely spaced fluorescent fixtures.

He would have used this exit when Nate and Brenda had gone back to Diamond City for a new kind of ambush. It was on the opposite side of Goodneighbor…

"Why did Jake show you an entrance over here?" he whispered.

"Lowest chance of discovery", the armored titan replied absently as he ducked under a rusted pipe. "Let me clear your draft."

That makes sense I suppose…

After creeping through the cramped basement for a few minutes, they arrived at a hole that looked like it had been broken open by someone with a hammer. Which it probably had been. There was a ladder that let them down into a service tunnel that ran below the hotel.

Like the last hidden entrance they'd used, this one was good. Unless someone knew it was there, Nate doubted anyone would find it.

In the service tunnel were a half-dozen guards sitting behind well-fortified barricades. One had a mounted, belt-fed light machine gun trained on them as they climbed down. It would be very difficult to get through if anyone managed to find it.

The guards were, as usual, wary of the supersoldier. They had more reason than most, of course.

Even so, they let the trio pass unchallenged. Not without shooting Damon glares that ranged from suspicious to venomous.

Without the need to keep watch on their surroundings, the SPARTAN's gaze began, periodically, drifting to Brenda. A gaze she pointedly ignored.

Trekking through the tunnel, Nate got the distinct impression she was struggling with the combination of Damon's… oppressive attention and her own inner conflict. Like she'd said, she wanted to get past what the armored man does, but she didn't know how. It wasn't like Nate could offer any assistance there; for all his time thinking about what he'd done, he didn't know how to deal with the situation either.

A few minutes after leaving the first group of guards behind, the three of them arrived at another checkpoint in front of a well-lit staircase. It led up toward, Nate assumed, the surface.

These guards were a little less hostile toward the SPARTAN as they walked by. One, a young boy who couldn't have been much older than Cass, stared up at him with something akin to wonder. Damon didn't seem to notice. His attention was still on Brenda.

Nate had to give the supersoldier credit- he didn't think the kid was capable of feeling this level of concern, let alone show it. Then again…

Huh… This probably wasn't just a result of Brenda's discomfort and anger. Damon was dealing with his own emotions over Goodneighbor. And his confusion and frustration with Nate. There was little doubt in the infantryman's head that Damon was struggling to process all of it. Having a friend, someone he's genuinely fond of, act so cold toward him was just the last domino.

It was another five minutes and two flights of stairs before they stopped at a third guarded checkpoint. This path was far more heavily protected than the first. Was it an evacuation route?

"Tin Man and the gang", one of the black-dressed guards said. She stepped out from behind the cobbled-together barricade they were using as cover, casually carrying a shotgun across her chest. "What can we do you for?"

The ex-soldier raised a hand in greeting. "We wanted to let Jake know we're back from our field trip and are ready to head out of the city."

The guard cocked an eyebrow at him. "And he's waiting for you?"

"Yeah", Nate said, nodding.

"Alright." She turned back to the half-dozen guards assembled behind her. "Phil, head up and let boss-man know."

"On it", a shorter, young man responded before heading up the tunnel.

"He'll be a few", their new host said. "Make yourselves comfortable."

Yeah. Comfortable. Nate's eyes wandered around the dimly lit passage. It wasn't cramped, at least.

'A few' turned into 20 minutes. And those 20 minutes dragged. It was apprehension all around. The guards were staring holes in Damon, Brenda was still avoiding his gaze, the SPARTAN seemed oblivious to anything but the young woman's discomfort, and Nate had to stand there and deal with it.

The eerie silence in their underground tunnel didn't help matters either.

About five minutes into their wait, the guard Nate had spoken with, Sierra, decided she didn't want to sit around in it.

"So", she started slowly. "You guys were on a field trip, left two days ago. Before you left, we had maybe one or two Vertibirds fly over a day. Now they're coming every half hour. Had one visit us this morning too. Buncha angry bastards in that power armor of theirs. So, uh, whatcha get up to that kicked the hornet's nest?"

It doesn't take a genius to add two and two together but… it would probably be better if this rumor didn't make the rounds. The more attention it gets, the more likely the Brotherhood is to hear about it.

"I'm not going to lie to you", Nate replied, "but it would be better for everyone involved if that information didn't make the gossip rounds."

Sierra cocked an eyebrow at him. "Which means you did have something to do with this."

The ex-soldier shrugged. "I said I wouldn't lie to you. I didn't say I'd tell you what happened." He held up his hands in placation as her brow furrowed. "I'm not trying to be an asshat-"

"You're doing a bad job at it."

"- but I'm serious when I say the less information out there the better. There's enough of it out there that, if the Brotherhood knows the right questions to ask, they can figure it out. That would be bad. For everyone." Nate pressed his hands together in front of him like he was in prayer. "Please try to keep any speculation to yourselves."

"So whatever you guys did must have been big."

Nate glanced at Damon. "Yeah."

"Huh." The guard held his gaze for a few seconds before smirking. "Alright, I got ya. Don't worry, there are plenty of things we like to keep on the DL around here." She motioned to her people. "The stuff we talk about in this tunnel doesn't leave it."

"Thanks", the ex-soldier said, returning her smile.

"Now that you know that… you sure you don't wanna tell me what you did."

Nate laughed. "I'm sure. You'll find out eventually. Maybe."

With that, some of the tension hovering in the air around them evaporated. It wasn't gone, but the guards relaxed. They weren't- well at least Nate wasn't a complete mystery anymore. Honesty, sarcasm, and griping. Those are three things he always found formed bonds quickly between soldiers. They didn't get far, but it was a start.

And it made the subsequent wait a little less uncomfortable.

X

"Is anyone going to tell me what happened?" Cassandra complained as they crept into a half-collapsed house near the edge of downtown proper. It was sitting on a large lot by itself, surrounded by waist-high grass.

Well, when the ex-soldier says 'they', it was him, Cass, Brenda, and Dogmeat.

After some convincing, Damon agreed to head northwest. He wanted to get into comms range again and get an update from Sanctuary. The SPARTAN wouldn't be gone for long and he agreed, with the Brotherhood's Vertibirds buzzing all over the Commonwealth, it was safer for the three of them to hold up somewhere. The less time they spend exposed, the better.

Nate wanted to make a quip about her impatience, but it was hard to considering the circumstances.

The interior of the house was dark. That wasn't helped by the sun, which was on the verge of dipping below the desolate western horizon. It lent an eerie pinkish-orange glow to the crumbling house.

"Pretty simple", Brenda said as she dropped to the ruined wooden floor with a thud. "We tried to kill Maxson. We don't know if it worked."

"Yeah but…" the teenager paused, looking at Nate. "That doesn't explain what happened. I know that would have been stressful but you guys look like you've been through hell." She turned back to Brenda. "And… I don't know… you seem upset."

Brenda met her gaze, eyes burning. It didn't last long.

The young woman nodded. "I am…" She heaved a deep breath. "It was a difficult 48 hours."

"Is it- what happened?"

Cassandra's question was met with silence. Brenda's struggle was so clearly written on her face it couldn't have been more obvious if she said it. Not to Nate, at least.

And that was the ex-soldier's problem; did he explain what had happened? Brenda's revelations about Damon? Her killing for the first time? Their conversation?

Would it be right for him to do that? He felt bad leaving Cass's questions unanswered when she already knew there was a problem. That didn't mean he got to speak for Brenda, especially in this situation.

But how-

"I don't know how to deal with Damon anymore", Brenda replied. Her voice was so small and quiet, it took Nate a moment to register that wasn't in his head.

Cass blinked. "What do you mean you don't know how to deal with him? What did he do?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Brenda shook her head. "That's the problem. I- I-" Her hands started trembling again and she clasped them together to stop. "I killed someone for the first time, a Raider who attacked me and Nate when we were trying to escape." The young woman's voice trailed off, her eyes growing distant and unfocused. Not hard to guess what they were seeing.

"He was a Raider. Just a Raider. And I had to do it. He was attacking Nate. He wanted to take us back to their base. Turn us into slaves. I had every reason to do it but…" Brenda looked down at her hands, still trembling. "We all know what Damon does. We all know he does a lot of it because he's trying to keep us safe. I- I guess I didn't appreciate what that meant. Killing that Raider, even if he would have done the same to us- even if he deserved it-" she held her hands up to her face. "I still feel the rifle shoot. Even though I didn't get any blood on me, it feels like I'm covered in it." Brenda let her hands fall. "And Damon has done that to so many people. How can a person do that?"

She knew the answer. Intellectually. They'd spoken about it. Brenda was aware of Damon's history.

That didn't always mean much. Like with spiders. Nate knew most spiders (before the War) couldn't severely hurt or kill him. Hell, most spiders that could would only ever bite him in the most extreme circumstances.

Knowing that didn't make him despise the creepy bastards any less.

His perspective on the matter was… unique among the three of them. Should he say anything? The ex-soldier didn't have anything to add past what he said the night before.

Cass didn't hear it.

That doesn't-

The teenager turned to him. "I guess… I don't know what that's like."

She knew what it was to lose people she cared about. Cass knew that better than most, unfortunately. But there was a difference, a world of difference between that knowledge and taking another life. Especially if it wasn't something you were prepared for.

"I won't defend it", the ex-soldier said slowly, "but… it isn't something unique to Damon." He looked at Brenda. "You're probably having the right reaction to taking a life for the first time. I didn't have the same one. I was conditioned not to. I didn't have time to. I can't really tell you how to feel about it. All I can say is, what I felt once I realized what I'd been doing all those years… he won't understand until he has his own realization."

"And you think he will?" she asked.

The more he thought about it?

"Yeah." Nate nodded. "I do."

Damon was struggling with his own ideas of morality. The ex-soldier wasn't clairvoyant, he only remembered going through the same process. It didn't start staring down at that young woman- that girl. It started when he asked himself about what his job was. All that happened from there on was pulling on the thread that had frayed loose. The SPARTAN had been doing the same thing since their first little heart-to-heart in Fenway's bleachers.

The young woman grunted but didn't offer further response. Was that not the right answer? Did she think he wouldn't? Did she want him to say something else?

Silence bloomed to fill the crumbling remains of the sitting room. It wasn't companionable.

… Maybe she just needs more time to think? Nate could believe that.

"Why don't you two get some rest. I'll take a look around."

Again, Brenda didn't reply. She gave him a curt nod before settling against the wall.

Is she angry at me? Wh- why?

Cass's eye switched between the two of them for a moment before she too found somewhere to sit. She didn't know what was going on (neither did Nate, not entirely) but she was smart enough to know something was up.

The ex-soldier wanted to say something, he felt like he should, but he couldn't come up with anything that felt right. Instead, after the silence began spreading itself over the trio again, he took his leave.

Walking back out of the house, he took a deep breath.

Great. Damon's starting to get better and now Brenda is struggling. Not that he could begrudge her that.

Something rubbed against his leg. The infantryman looked down to see Dogmeat standing beside him, pressing his furry side into Nate's pants.

"You aren't gonna stay with Cass?" he asked.

Dogmeat didn't respond. Which didn't surprise Nate. He's a dog. Instead, the German Shepherd cocked his head as he looked around the house's exterior.

It was late in the day and they only had an hour or two of sunlight left. This week had been a struggle. Yes, he's made this journey before but it had been a lot of moving in a short period. His legs were tired and he felt the leading edges of fatigue setting in. No doubt Brenda and Cass were feeling the same way.

And Damon wants to do something else to distract the Brotherhood. They needed to talk about that. He might be able to keep going, seemingly, without a break but the rest of them needed some time. Is fatigue part of what's getting to Brenda? The last 48 hours have been hard. Adding in the strain of this kind of movement would only make things worse.

It was hard for the ex-soldier to gauge. He'd never been around anyone going through this. Hell, not many people have. Talk about a unique situation… How was he supposed to help? He tried giving her some of his perspective, and that felt like it helped her last night, but now she's back to where she was. Had he done something wrong?

The sound of an approaching Vertibird snapped him out of his thoughts. The ex-soldier squeezed himself back under the crumbling porch of their haven and watched the slowly organging sky for the VTOL.

Nate never saw it and, a few minutes later, its rotors began fading.

Dogmeat was sitting next to him, large, brown eyes scanning the sky as well.

"You don't look tired yet. You want to give me some of your energy?"

The dog cocked his head again and his tail started swishing gently against the grass.

"At least someone's happy", Nate muttered.

Maybe I should leave them alone… The ex-soldier glanced back into the house. He could hear one of them talking quietly. It was impossible to make out what they were saying. The solution to this might be letting Brenda talk with someone who doesn't have Nate's perspective on fighting and trauma and morality.

For as much as he detested Damon's actions at times… there are a lot of things that will haunt him until the day he dies. Things he didn't necessarily do himself, like calling in a fire mission in the middle of a populated city, but things he watched happen. And did nothing to stop.

That isn't to say he didn't have blood on his hands. A lot of it was deserved.

Not all of it though.

While there were times Nate found it hard to empathize with Damon…

He wasn't the first child soldier Nate had encountered.

I need to focus. Damon isn't here and the Brotherhood is still looking.

Shaking himself, the infantryman took in his surroundings once again. Nothing had changed in the last few minutes. If he strained, he could hear the distant pounding of rotors. That had become a constant over the last 48 hours. It would probably be one for the foreseeable future. Upkeep on Vertibirds wasn't cheap but the Brotherhood seemed prepared and willing to do it.

Boston proper loomed to the south. At this distance, anyone not named Damon would only be able to stare at them and think angry thoughts. Even so, angry thoughts could be dangerous if accompanied by ground forces.

To that end, Nate stuck close to the house as he circled it, careful to stay low and in the shade. The tall grass and occasional tree provided good enough visual cover. That went both ways.

Minutes turned to an hour. Then two. The quiet whispering continued almost nonstop as his patrol continued. Even with the sense of foreboding that plagued the ex-soldier any time he was near his destroyed hometown, there was something comforting about being on watch. It was his normal for so many years. Walking streets looking for changes that could indicate an ambush or IED. Walking patrol on base, waiting for an attack that rarely came. Even lying in wait in an overwatch position as support or a secondary gunner.

You learn to find comfort in familiarity, even if that familiarity might end with you dead.

Probably not the healthiest comfort.

It was just after his patrol reached an hour that the sun dipped below the eastern horizon and the sky darkened.

Nate wanted to stop and peek inside. He wanted to see what Cass and Brenda were talking about. He wanted to see if he did something wrong, if he could help.

Not only would that probably not be welcome, but it might give someone waiting for an opening an opportunity.

Yeah, right. Because there aren't plenty of those already with my coverage. Yes, Dogmeat was there to help sniff out, or hear, potential intruders. That didn't mean much when any well-coordinated attack would overrun them immediately.

Even so, the ex-soldier contented himself with a few mouthfuls of water from his canteen.

He wasn't sure whether either wanted him there. The safer option was to stay out of it.

Probably.

Vertibirds came into sight twice while he watched. The first damn near flew directly over them. The other was on the coast. By the end of hour three, the Commonwealth was dark and Nate's nerves were shot. Well, more shot.

Staying outside wouldn't do any good. The half-moon didn't provide enough light for him to see any approaching threat.

Nate retreated to the relative safety of the house, closely followed by the German Shepherd.

Cass and Brenda were quiet. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but it looked like they were both watching him. The stares made him feel uncomfortable.

"We should try to get some sleep", the ex-soldier whispered. "I'll stay up for now-"

"No", Brenda interrupted. Her voice was low and uncertain. "I don't-" she took a deep breath. "I don't want to sleep right now. You should get some."

"Are… you doing alright?"

"I- not really." Her shoulders moved in the approximation of a jerky shrug. "Don't think there's anything that will help right now."

The ex-soldier wanted to argue, to tell her she needed sleep. They all did. But he couldn't. He didn't have any more control here than they gave him, not that he was entitled to it. They're compatriots, friends, not CO and enlisted.

Should he sl-

Stop. The only people who would track us out here are the Brotherhood. Anyone else would come across us by accident and they'd probably make enough noise through the grass to alert everyone.

"Alright", he said, nodding. "I'll get a few hours."

Nate crept over to a wall opposite the front entrance. The old dried-out floorboards creaked gently as he did.

"This has been a hell of a week", he muttered, sliding to the ground. His legs were sore, his back was sore, his head hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to slip into his warm, firm bed back in the Institute.

Well… almost nothing more. There was, of course, one thing he'd like more than that. But, unless he was stuck in a coma, he didn't think he'd be waking up from this nightmare.

And, as had become custom, Nora's face-

Another creak sent Nate scrambling for his rifle. This one was deeper. Much deeper. Like the wooden planks were groaning in pain. His eyes snapped open-

Damon's unmistakable armored figure was sitting against the wall across from him.

Taking a deep breath to at least attempt to calm his pounding heart, Nate relaxed and leaned back again. Cass was there too. She was watching the SPARTAN, something on her face the ex-soldier couldn't quite make out.

But she wasn't talking to him.

Dogmeat was missing, probably outside with Brenda.

As uncomfortable as everyone was, they still needed to know what happened.

"So what's the word?" Nate whispered.

Damon's helmet turned from Cass to him. "The Brotherhood hasn't been to Sanctuary yet. Preston asked us to contact a settlement to the northeast." The armored titan unslung his rifle and laid it across his lap. "I'll tell you more in the morning. I need to sleep."

Nate blinked. Damon said he needed to sleep? The last time he'd heard that from the supersoldier was… back on the Prydwen.

The last week really must have been rough for him to say that. Or maybe he was struggling with the stress they all felt too. This was, of course, the first time he's dealt with this too.

"Alright." He doubted the SPARTAN would decline to tell them something imminently important. He could trust the guy that much.

Settling his head back against the wall, Nate closed his eyes and let his exhaustion sweep over him. Hopefully this settlement wouldn't need too much help.

X

Their arrival at the settlement was markedly different from either Diamond City or Goodneighbor. Instead of the awkward, fearful, suspicious, or outright hostile stares, mostly sent toward Damon, they were eagerly greeted as they approached the school. The half-dozen guards on their side of the roof waved while the five of them crossed the parking lot. They weren't within 100 feet of the door before another group emerged from the school's front entrance.

"Wow", one of the settlers said as Nate came to a stop with the others on the sidewalk in front of the building. He was around the ex-soldier's height and age with a shaved head and long, well-kept beard. "I've heard so much about you, I didn't know whether to figure the stories were a lie made up to get us to join the Minutemen or not." He and the others stared at Damon like he was a new, amazing exhibit in the downtown Museum of Science. Which he probably would be.

The man shook his head. "Sorry, sorry. Name's Carter." He motioned at another man to his right. "This is Reese, he's responsible for our resource management and", Carter nodded toward a woman to his left, "Pat, our fearless head of security. The rest of the people here are just for safety." He smiled apologetically. "You know how it is."

Brenda still didn't look in the mood to talk.

"I do", Nate said, nodding. "I'm Nate, the big guy is Damon", he pointed at Brenda, then Cass, "Brenda, Cassandra, and our most important member", he leaned down to scratch behind Dogmeat's ears, "Dogmeat."

Carter's smile turned a little more genuine and he stepped forward with a handout. "I'm glad the Minutemen saw fit to send you our way."

Shaking, Nate nodded again. "Yeah, Preston said you two have been talking for a while."

"The man isn't a liar. But before we go any further", the man waved toward the school behind him, "let's head inside."

Security conscious.

"Agreed." It wasn't lost on the ex-soldier, as they strode through the school's front doors, the people here didn't seem all that wary of Damon. It would be the first time he's met anyone who wasn't suspicious of the armored titan.

Inside the main lobby was fairly standard for a high school; a small sitting area in front of a long hallway. There was a help desk to the right, and doors lining the passage ahead. The main differences were the sitting area had been converted into a well-armored firing position, the help desk was the same way, and they both left a firing line clear for a gun emplacement at the end of the hall. The people manning those positions were similarly awestruck by the SPARTAN.

I wonder if word's been getting around on its own, or if the Minutemen have been spreading it.

"I'll be honest with ya", Carter said as he led them down the hall, "like I told Preston, it's been hard deciding what to do here." They walked around the emplacement and found themselves standing in front of another set of doors. These ones led to a courtyard that was, for lack of a better word, incredible.

Their escort swung the door open. "We've put a lot of work into making this place home, then making that home safe." The courtyard was a garden compared to the rest of the Commonwealth. There were crops lining every walkway crisscrossing the large space, planters hanging from balconies above them, and the half-dozen people attending to them were so engrossed in their work, they didn't notice the large group pass by. Nate struggled to focus on what Carter was saying. Something like this, even before the war, would have been a sight. Now? After seeing nothing but brown outside of the Institute, the ex-soldier wouldn't have believed it if someone told him the place existed.

But they weren't there to be left speechless by the settlement. They needed to see exactly why Preston sent them that way.

Nate shook himself and refocused on the conversation. "Oh believe me, I get it." He glanced at Brenda. She was still withdrawn, but her eyes were starting to roam their surroundings. He wanted her to break out of that shell but… it was one of those things he knew from experience they couldn't force.

"I don't have all that much experience doing it but I can tell from the work the folks in Sanctuary have put in." Nate cocked an eyebrow at the other man. "Have any of your people been there?"

"Not recently", he replied, shaking his head. "It's risky nowadays. We've known the Finches for a long while though. With the community you all have made down there, it's hard to miss." Carter stopped and looked up at Damon. "Heard you're the reason that happened."

The SPARTAN shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't do anything but get rid of the Forged."

Pat laughed. "'All I did was get rid of one of the biggest Raider gangs in the area.' You have any idea how much trouble they'd been for everyone around here? And then in one night they're up and wiped out? Yeah, 'didn't do anything.'" She laughed again. Another guard joined in and the rest smiled. Her voice had a thick Bostonian drawl. Nate couldn't help but smile too. It was… oddly comforting. Familiar.

"No, no", Carter said as he started walking again, "I get it." The man was smiling too. "There's a lot more that goes into building a settlement than fighting." He turned, motioning to the incredible greenery around them. "Unfortunately, right now, there's a lot of fighting going around. The Institute, Brotherhood, then you've got the Supermutants and Raiders moving in." He looked back at the supersoldier. "Having someone like you around isn't something we'd take lightly."

Damon nodded but didn't offer any further reply.

You'd think he'd be used to this by now…

The group stopped at a door on the opposite side of the courtyard. "Pat, I think we're good here. These seem like good people."

"Yep, especially Mr. Humble here." The short woman smiled up at Damon. "Let me know if you need us for anything else."

"Don't I always?"

Pat shot him a glare. "No."

"Fair", Carter laughed.

The guards split off, leaving them alone with Carter and Reese.

"We can talk in my quarters."

Their escort swung the next door open and they entered an oddly clean, well-kept hallway.

"Those crops seem like they can support a lot of people", Nate said. "How many do you have here?"

Carter flashed him a smile. "You like that presentation? Always grabs people's attention when they first come in. If they make it past the machine gun. That's a little less than half our crops. We also use the roof, what space isn't taken up by the solar panels."

"Solar panel?"

Nate looked at Brenda. Her eyes were wide with surprise, and her mouth was hanging open.

"Mhmm", Reese said. "A lot of 'em were damaged, but we managed to round up the parts we needed over the course of three or four years, scavenging from other buildings and a factory down south."

"That's amazing." She looked at Nate. "Sturges and Anna would kill to have a solar array."

"Well… we might be able to help with that."

Carter huffed. "Let's slow down Reese. We still haven't got there yet."

The other man smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. That's one of the biggest projects we've had. It was exciting to connect the array for the first time."

"Speaking of 'getting there'", Nate said, "I assume you have a problem you need help with." He nodded toward Damon. "That's why you were interested in him."

"Not quite", Carter replied as they started up a set of stairs. "We do have something we'd like to check out, but we don't necessarily need your help to do it." He flashed an amused grin at the ex-soldier. "That being said, if the Minutemen is offering its services, I'm not one to turn down the opportunity."

"Right, that would be absurd."

The settlement leader nodded. "Exactly."

At the top of the stairs, they turned right and Nate found himself standing at the door to a large office. Or what had been a large office. Now it was a living quarters complete with a couch, a few lounge chairs, a table, and several beds pushed up against the far wall.

"Find yourself a comfortable seat."

"Okay", Brenda said after everyone besides Damon had settled. Her voice was still subdued, but at least she was trying.

Maybe she thinks I'm gonna screw this up. Nate smiled to himself.

"I haven't heard about your settlement beside you don't have much to do with others."

Carter nodded. "That's mostly true. We keep to ourselves outside of helping our neighbors when they need it. Since we're a larger town, keeping a low profile makes it less likely we become victims of an attack." He shrugged. "A lot of our newer folks either came from Diamond City and Goodneighbor, or were on their way but didn't make it."

Nate couldn't help but appreciate the differences in their three 'negotiations'. Diamond City was (relatively) nice, but the Codmans were there. And then there was the whole 'hostage' situation. Goodneighbor was… Goodneighbor. Now here they were, sitting in a third settlement, this one far away from the city, with people who didn't seem to have a vested interest in either direction.

At least they seemed like decent people.

Brenda cleared her throat. "So… why the interest in us now?"

"Part of it was knowing whether or not Damon here really existed. Most of it was because anyone with eyes can see things are about to change. The Institute and Brotherhood fighting is only part of that." The two settlers exchanged looks. "The Minutemen have always tried to keep people safe. We'd rather see them around the Commonwealth than anyone else."

"Would you have agreed to visit us if I wasn't here?"

It took Nate's brain a few seconds to process what just happened. He turned to look up at Damon who was standing a few feet inside the door. The SPARTAN had just added to the conversation without prompting? Granted, it was in the most Damon way possible, but still…

"That has been a pattern", Nate clarified as he turned to their hosts.

Carter frowned. "Well, like I said, none of us were sure you even existed. Since you do exist, I'll admit we're more interested in the idea of joining this new version of the Minutemen."

"Have the Brotherhood been here?" the supersoldier asked.

His approach wasn't great but Nate could see where Damon was going. Two common trends in their other visits were pressure from the Brotherhood and explicit interest in the SPARTAN's service. Nate didn't want to get stuck in another Diamond City situation and he doubted Damon did either.

"Yes." Carter's frown deepened. "That isn't the issue. Not yet. Those Raiders are the big ones. Their… well their raids into the Commonwealth have been growing more frequent and with larger numbers. We've had to take in people from two towns that were attacked recently. We're well set up here but…" he trailed off, turning to Reese.

"Only so much we can do", the other man finished.

Brenda shifted. "So are you looking for more than help with the Raiders? I think you're saying you'd also like help with your capacity."

"Read me like a book", Carter said, nodding. "I know the Minutemen are more than just a peacekeeping force anymore. You all are trying to start a community of towns, make something a little more… permanent?"

Nate nodded. "That's right."

"See, that's something we can get behind. It's what we've tried to make here", he waved around the room, "on a smaller scale." Carter turned to Damon. "My interest in you was whether you have a leading hand in that. From what I've heard, and what you've told me here, you do."

"He's gonna say 'I helped get things started'", Nate responded before the SPARTAN could. "Yes, he does."

Brenda nodded as well. "He uh-" she stole a glance at the armored supersoldier. "He's the one who got the Minutemen restarted. If it wasn't for him, Sanctuary never would have happened either. His plans and ability to… get things done are what got us the resources and people we have now. And they're some very good people."

Do they know about the Railroad? What are their opinions on Synths?

Their host offered another amused smile. "Well then, I'm even more glad you decided to come. We won't ask anything of you here, not directly. If you're willing to help the people who need relocating, we'll give this partnership consideration. Preston himself has been quite persistent. It seems the Minutemen has good leadership."

Wow. Preston wasn't joking. "That's-"

"What's the problem?" Damon interrupted.

Carter cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Yeah... What do you mean? Nate squinted at the SPARTAN.

"Preston said you referred to a recent issue, something about another settlement. You said you look out for the settlements around you. You were specifically interested in my presence, said there was something you wouldn't mind the Minutemen's services for, and you just said you wouldn't ask for our help now."

The ex-soldier watched their host frown out of his periphery. "You sure you aren't reading into things?"

Damon shrugged. "Conversation isn't my strength but your question suggests I'm right."

Analytical as ever… That being said, the supersoldier made sense.

"Sorry", Nate interjected. "He isn't lying when he says conversation isn't his strength. He is observant though. Is there something we can help with?"

Carter and Reese shared another look before turning back to Damon. Their expressions had gone from genial to guarded.

Dammit. "If it's something you're uncomfortable talking about we won't press. It sounds like you enjoy your privacy. Letting us come in here was already a leap of faith."

"No", Carter shook his head, "we trust the Minutemen. Well- trust you enough. Bringing you into our home is a show of that trust."

"A lotta the folks around here rely on us", Reese continued. "Some of 'em just like their privacy too. It's hard to let, no offense, folks we don't know get involved."

Nate nodded and was about to say 'understood' and be done with it.

That's what Nate wanted to do. Not, apparently, Damon.

"There is a problem", the armored titan said.

"Yes", Carter replied slowly. "You're… interested in helping?"

"Yes."

Their host leaned forward in his seat, eyes fixed on Damon. "Hmmm…"

The sudden resistance wasn't a surprise, considering their relative isolation to this point.

"All we're here to do is offer", Nate said, holding his hands out to his sides. "We understand if you turn it down."

"Yes, I know." Carter nodded. "Some might see your willingness to offer your assistance as you trying to insert yourself into our normal routines."

"Yeah…" the ex-soldier muttered. "Maybe if it were anyone else."

"What's that mean?"

Nate huffed. "It means Damon isn't subtle enough for that. I know you just met us, but he's not one for subterfuge." He waved at the other two. "None of us are."

The other man frowned. "If you're being straight, that could come across as desperation."

"Or we're just trying to help", Brenda said. Her voice was still subdued but… it had some of its characteristic steel.

"It's kinda become our thing. With people who want to be friendly with us, at least." Nate hooked a thumb at the SPARTAN. "Blame him."

And that was true, wasn't it? Despite everything, Damon had been the first one to go out of his way to help the survivors. He was the one who protected them from the Raiders. He did everything in his power to keep Cass, Tommy, and Julian safe. He saved Jake and wiped out the Forged. He helped re-establish the Minutemen. He brought the Railroad on board by removing the Gunner threat from Quincy. He helped repel the Supermutant attack in Goodneighbor before going after them to eliminate the threat…

He kept the Railroad safe instead of destroying them.

The kid had his issues but it seemed like his default was to help.

Huh.

"And you'd let it go if I said 'no'?"

Nate nodded. "Not much use in offering help if the people we're offering it to can't turn it down."

A smile slipped across Carter's face and the slight narrowing of his eyes vanished.

"Ain't that the truth." He looked at Reese. "Don't have time to talk with Pat, they were wanting to head out before noon."

The engineer shrugged. "They can do what they say, I don't see a reason not to. Wouldn't be the first time we turned someone loose if they make us."

The settlement leader stood. "Alright then. The group should be getting ready. Let's go let 'em know you're tagging along."

As Carter headed for the door, Damon stepped aside to allow him through. Nate fell in beside the supersoldier.

"A little pushy."

All he got in return was a grunt. Things were getting better at least…

"There's another settlement about two hours northwest of us", Carter said as he led them back to the stairs. "Unfortunately, they aren't far from that Raider base."

Nate hadn't been there since waking up in this hellhole. The army-reserve base they constructed to house the rotational force was large. If he hadn't retired, he'd probably have been stationed there when the bombs fell. The place had been stocked and prepped for anything from quick reaction to long-term, isolated engagements. It would be a great place for a group like the Raiders to take over.

What happened to it after the War? Had anyone looted it? There would have been a lot of weapons and supplies.

Where would all that go?

"I've been there", Damon said.

Carter glanced back at the SPARTAN before starting down the stairs. "We heard something about that too. Word going around the towns up there is someone broke a bunch of prisoners out a few weeks ago."

"Three prisoners."

"By yourself?"

"No", the supersoldier said, "I had help."

"Ah. Still, that's impressive." The man's tone grew somber as they reached the first floor. "They've left us and the towns here alone, for the most part. I don't think they wanted to deal with us yet. Whoever's in charge up there decided it's time to start chipping away at us." He was turned away but Nate could still see the frown on his face.

"So it isn't just Preston's persistence", Brenda said. "You're talking with us because you know you'll need help sooner rather than later."

Carter paused at the door to a classroom. "That's a good guess. Don't sell Mr. Garvey short. He's had our interest for a while now."

Swinging the door open, the brown-haired man led them into a large room with several people already inside. The wall opposite them had massive windows looking into their impressive garden. Between Nate and those windows were a dozen tables, each of the with rows of well-ordered equipment. Like most people in the area, their armaments were limited, mostly bolt action rifles and handguns. There were a few semi-automatics in the mix, HK-33s, but nothing high-powered.

"Pat!" Carter exclaimed.

The short, stocky woman stepped around the table she was at, eyeing her boss dubiously.

Carter smiled. "Remember when I said I'd let you know if anything happened? Well, something happened."

Her eyes never left the man which was… a bit strange considering the company.

"What did you do?"

"Don't be like that. All I did was snag you some help." He motioned at them. "Our new Minutemen friends want to provide muscle for this little field trip."

"Is that so…" her eyes finally left Carter and drifted from Nate to Damon. "You two?"

The ex-soldier shook his head. "All five of us."

Pat cocked an eyebrow. "The dog too?"

"You'll like him." Nate set a hand on Dogmeat's head. "He's friendly as long as you don't make him mad."

"Well, I don't see much problem with them tagging along Carter but if we show up with a bunch of strangers, York and his people'll be nervous."

"Would it help if you let him know it's community outreach?" Nate muttered under his breath.

The guard's face cracked into a wide smile. "I knew there was a reason I liked you", she laughed. "This is a lot of people to be moving around with too." Pat looked at the other four in the room with her. "Not like the company ain't welcome if Raiders are hanging around… Sure. Let's see what our new 'friends' have to offer."

"Great, I'll leave you all to get to know each other", Carter said. "If she does anything crazy, just shout. No one'll help since we're all used to it by now, but at least we'll know you've had a proper introduction."

Nate smiled. "Don't worry, we bring our own brand of crazy." He nodded toward Damon.

"Out", Pat said, shooing the other man away, "we need to get going."

Carter held his hands up and started toward the door. "Don't break my neck."

Once it swung shut, Pat turned to Nate and frowned. "You know what's been goin' on up here?"

"Yeah", Nate said, nodding, "at least a little bit. We don't know exact details, none of us have been this far north since Damon hit the Raider base."

"Since Damon hit the Raider base…" one of the other guards repeated. He was one of the welcoming committee.

"Yeah Manny, put two and two together", another man groused. "Someone hits the Raider base, breaks people out. It wasn't the Brotherhood 'cause they woulda started a war if they wanted to fight them and it wasn't the Institute since no one said anything about Synths showing up outta nowhere."

"Thanks, Jeff", 'Manny' said.

Nate blinked. "You guys know about that?"

"Yeah", Pat said, nodding. "Teleportation. A little piece of information Preston gave us."

"And you believed him?"

"They can make artificial people", the first man said, "I wouldn't put something like that past them."

He exchanged a glance with Damon and the supersoldier shrugged.

"Fair enough", Nate said.

Pat slung her rifle and stepped toward the door. "If you're coming, let's go. We'll give you the short and sweet version on the way."

As had become customary at that point, they followed their new 'friend' from the room and back out of the school.

"Like Carter and Reese probably told you, lotta the folks around here come to us for help", the stocky woman said, casting a wave at the guard on the roof. "Not that they can't take care of themselves, we just got a good thing here. Safe, well supplied… makes life in the Commonwealth easier."

They crossed the parking lot to a road heading north.

"About two months ago, those Raiders turn up at the old military base. More and more keep coming. They've been sending out parties more often over the past month. Two weeks ago, they started poking at a few of our friends. They got sent home with some new holes the first few times, but they've gotten smarter." Pat frowned at him. "I don't like smart Raiders."

Their path took them north through the suburbs. The houses and small apartment complexes were, just like everything else, crumbling. Signs of the nuke were less prevalent that far north, not that it meant anything after 200 years…

"Castle", Damon said as if the single word explained anything.

Nate cocked an eyebrow at the armored titan. "A little elaboration would be nice."

"He's the base commander." Damon paused for a few seconds, head tilted to the side. "Or whatever Raiders call it. Their leadership is more competent than the bands we've dealt with so far."

Manny nodded. "That makes sense, considering what we've seen."

"Tell me about your rescue mission up there", Pat said. "How'd it go down?"

"Captured someone from a raiding party, talked to him about their defenses, went in, extracted some prisoners, got shot at, shot back, and left."

Nate didn't know if the SPARTAN was being purposely obtuse or not, but the matter-of-factness in his obviously facetious answer put a smile on the ex-soldier's face. "Details, Tin Man."

"I like this one", Pat muttered.

"They had 400 people on base at the time. Not enough to control the entire base. Watched their patrol patterns, found a hole, and got inside." Damon paused to look at an open door as they walked by. "They made me once I was inside, shot a rocket into the side of the building, and followed up with an assault. Most of the prisoners didn't make it."

"Any prisoner, in particular, you risked going into a 400-person base for?"

The supersoldier nodded. When he didn't volunteer any more information, Pat smiled. "They have more than 400 now. We don't have an exact count but-"

"There were several thousand of them up north", Damon interjected. "It's a defensible position and, if they're trying to take territory, a good base of operation. The Brotherhood wants as few distractions as possible. That's why they're focusing on suppressing the Raider threat before they go after the Institute again."

"Again?" Pat asked.

Nate cringed … Nice one Damon… As always, he couldn't see the armored titan's face past the opaque visor, but the way his shoulders tensed as she asked suggested he realized his mistake too. They needed to figure out their position on the Institute, and Synths, before letting too much on. This was not the venue to do that.

What was the ex-soldier supposed to do? If Nate jumped in and ran interference… these people seem too observant to let that slip by. Should he-

"I worked with the Brotherhood when they first arrived", Damon answered. His speech was anything but smooth.

Dammit. For someone who's normally so neutral, your poker face sucks.

"They had me recover some… information about how to infiltrate the Institute. That's how they found out about the Molecular Relay, the network they use to teleport."

"You worked with the Brotherhood?" Manny asked, eyes narrowed.

Damon's helmet bobbed up and down slowly. "It didn't last long. They used that information to break into the Institute shortly after we parted ways."

"We heard about something happening in Diamond City a few months back. The Brotherhood was fighting someone. Took out a chunk of their wall. That was you?"

"Yes."

Manny huffed. "That sounded like a pretty serious breakup."

"It was", Nate muttered.

While Damon hadn't technically lied, he left out the part where the two of them were in the Institute when the Brotherhood attacked.

"You were there too?" Jeff asked the ex-soldier.

The pain of a 5mm round tearing through his calf was as fresh as the day it happened. "Yep."

"You guys might not want to let it get out that you worked with the Brotherhood. At least not in the smaller settlements up here. Not much love lost for them."

Wait… does he think that's why Damon had been hesitant to say anything? Nate didn't feel good about omitting that information but… they needed to start somewhere.

"Copy that."

"Not a surprise", the supersoldier grunted.

"What do you mean?" Pat asked.

"Most people don't like being ruled by a group of militant fanatics. The Brotherhood has been up here forcing people to work with them. Add Raiders and", Damon motioned at himself, "people are going to be wary."

"You do your homework", Jeff said.

The SPARTAN nodded again. "The difference between a good soldier and a dead one."

That got a half-relieved, half-amused laugh out of Nate. "Ain't that the truth."

As they made their way further north, the three settlers seemed to grow more comfortable. Nate still noticed their gazes switch between each other and Damon regularly, but their eyes went from guarded suspicion to curiosity. Twice, Dogmeat alerted to something. The first time it was a trio of large, hairless rats that ran once they saw the group. The second was a Vertibird flying to their east. Even though it was at least a few miles out, they all took cover while it buzzed its way north.

Making their way through the desolate suburbs while the sun climbed into the sky, Nate struggled with how to approach the current situation. Brenda was quiet, mostly, and Cass hadn't been all that willing to talk either.

Whatever the two of them discussed last night… it had her uncomfortable too.

No doubt about what that was.

Damon's attention had recovered, for the most part, but the ex-soldier didn't miss how he'd glance at the two of them every so often. At one point, the SPARTAN started to slow, drifting back to where they were walking. The change only lasted a few paces before he resumed his position at the head of the group.

Ahead of them, the trio led them through the crumbling houses, occasionally changing from street to street. They stayed moving directly north for the most part.

Questions would drift their way every once in a while and Nate did his best to field them. Most were fairly benign, where he was from, what he did… those were easy enough to answer since it was "here" and "fought". Most people in the Commonwealth could say the same. A few were directed toward Brenda and Cass.

Oddly, they didn't ask Damon much. The only one that stuck out in the ex-soldier's mind was when Jeff asked about how he met Preston and the rest of the Minutemen.

"We met in Concord a few weeks after they were driven out of Quincy", the armored titan said. "Helped them get to Sanctuary from there."

"And the rest is history?"

Damon shook his head. "No."

The guard smiled. "Not a surprise."

Nate kept his own questions to a minimum. The guards were respecting their privacy, they clearly wanted to keep their own. Even if it was only temporary.

Considering everything, the ex-soldier was inclined to trust them. Despite not knowing much about the four of them, and Damon being there, Pat allowed them to tag along. With only two other guards to keep her company. On top of letting them speak with the settlement's leader and engineer on their own…

The question Nate wanted to ask was why they were being so trusting.

He didn't. Best not to push it. The odds of this being some kind of setup were basically zero.

"Can I ask you something?" Cass asked Jeff as they stood just inside the entrance to a small corner store. Damon was outside with Pat while the rest of them took a short break.

"What's up?"

She glanced outside, then back to the guard. "Why are you trusting us?"

Nate blinked. So much for not pushing that question.

"Oh, that's easy", the young man said. "Because you're doing the same thing we've been. We worked with the last Minutemen. Good people. If one of them is organizing this new one, I don't think we have anything to worry about." He smiled. "And we know folks in some of your settlements out this way. They say you've been helping supply and train them. If you've got that sort of stuff to spare, you sound like you're set up for the long haul."

"Yeah, we're trying", Brenda said.

The guard turned to Nate. "You mind if I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"What's your story? I don't mean to pry if it's something you'd rather keep to yourself."

"What do you mean", the infantryman asked.

Jeff frowned and began tapping his foot. "Ah… how do I put this? You aren't like folks you usually meet in the Commonwealth. Not that I'm saying I don't believe you", he added, "I do. You just don't strike me as the regular fare around here."

Well… the young man's instincts were right on that one. "Tell you what", Nate replied, "I'll tell you once we all get back to your settlement in one piece."

"That's a deal. Got a feeling that's an interesting story."

"Hey", Nate said, "it's just nice to be the one people are asking about for once."

"Right." Both guards glanced out at Damon's armored form, towering over their boss. "There's so much that don't make sense about your friend I'm not even sure where to start. Seems like a good enough guy. Sucks at talking but I'm guessing there's a story behind that."

"… Yeah", Brenda muttered, "he is."

Jeff smiled at the ex-soldier. "You're an easier mark."

"Thanks", Nate snorted.

These people are a lot more approachable than Preston made them sound…

The small talk continued for another minute or so before Pat came in to collect them. They only had another 40 minutes or so before they reached the settlement. What he wouldn't give for cars again…

The seven of them, and Dogmeat, set off again. If this was enough to get these people on their side, Nate would take it. This is a lot easier than the efforts they went through with Diamond City and Goodneighbor.

X

"Hey Jeff", Pat said as they, apparently, neared the settlement. They'd stopped by a gas station that had its canopy collapse over the pumps a long time ago. It was set on the corner of an intersection, surrounded by other small shops and a church across the street. None of them were in any better shape than the gas station. At some point in the last few hundred years, the bell tower on the church had fallen off and crashed to the ground in front of it. The rubble had blocked the main entrance. "Stay back with our new friends. Me and Manny are gonna figure out what's going on."

Nate squinted. That defeats the purpose of bringing us, doesn't it? "If there's trouble, you don't want us nearby for help?"

"Oh, don't worry", the woman smiled, "this is how we normally do things." She motioned at the young man, "he's one of our best shots. Great at overwatch too. You'll be in good hands."

Oh. Overwatch. That makes a lot of sense. "Well, I stand corrected." He turned to the young man. "Looks like you're our new boss then."

He smiled. "Give me five minutes, Pat?"

"You got it. Let us know what you see."

"Thanks", he said and motioned to the church. "Come on."

Before he could take a step, Damon held out his arm. "I'll go first."

Pat stepped between the two of them and faced the SPARTAN. "It's alright big guy, we do this sort of thing all the time." She had that same guarded tone Nate heard from Carter back at the school.

Damon nodded. "I understand."

"Do you think, because this might be the Brotherhood, we don't know how to handle it?"

Damon don't-

The armored supersoldier shook his head. "No, just that it's safer for him if I go first."

… That's better than what I thought he'd say

"Hey Pat", Jeff said, "if he wants to go first, I'm good with it. If it is the Brotherhood, better he takes one of those damn lasers than me, right?"

After a few seconds of silence, the guard shrugged. "Why not?"

With that, Pat and Manny continued north. Damon led the rest of them toward the church. As Nate followed, he couldn't help but wonder what had him spooked.

And something did have him spooked.

Yes, they were potentially stumbling into a Brotherhood-controlled settlement, but that was the other two. They were on overwatch.

When the SPARTAN stopped at the corner of the church, Nate slid up next to him.

"What's up?" he whispered.

Damon was turned back toward the street, golden-yellow visor scanning the houses. "Obvious overwatch position. The Brotherhood might have eyes on it if they're in the area. Stay on rear guard with them." He looked down at the ex-soldier and jerked his helmet toward Cass and Brenda.

Nate nodded. "Got it."

That made sense but… it felt like there was more to it. The infantryman didn't feel the desire to press. He had the information he needed. They'd been in enough sticky situations, he trusted the supersoldier's instincts.

They found a way inside at the back, in an alley between the church and a row of houses. It was tight, with a few of the buildings half collapsed, but they didn't have much trouble climbing their way inside.

While Damon and Jeff climbed a set of stairs they discovered behind a very wide, and mostly destroyed, pulpit Nate settled in to watch the ground floor with the others. The stairs groaned loud enough under the SPARTAN, if anyone was nearby they'd hear. At least they didn't collapse

The ex-soldier wanted to say he was beginning to get a bad feeling but that would be a lie. His bad feeling started when they first heard a settlement had gone out of contact. While lines of communication aren't exactly open in this post-apocalyptic hellhole, it's never a good sign when one just up and cuts off.

"Is here good?" Cassandra asked as she tucked herself behind a bench pew. The long wooden bench was near the back of the church, where they entered, and she put herself near the exterior aisle. It would make for good visual cover. Nothing in there would stop a bullet. Dogmeat was next to her, crouched low, ears up and forward. Nate almost smiled; the two had taken a liking to each other.

"That works. Just stay low and don't shoot unless I do."

"Got it."

The ex-soldier turned to Brenda. She was near the base of the stairs, sitting on what was left of a chair. The young woman still looked… distant. She was starting to come back around.

"You doing alright", Nate asked.

She nodded. "Better. It's getting better. I'm good."

To her credit, she sounded better.

"Glad to hear."

Nate placed himself between the two. He found a comfortable spot near the rear entrance in the pews. It didn't provide him the best cover, but he could keep an eye on either side of the church. Someone coming through the front unnoticed was unlikely but better to be safe than dead.

They could find any number of things. The hope was they wouldn't find anything, obviously. That this was just some… anomaly and the settlement was fine.

Yeah. Nate wasn't dumb enough to think that was the case. Not with their luck.

If-

The ex-soldier barely had time to settle into his chosen position before the wooden steps groaned worryingly again.

An instant later, Damon emerged from the alcove they were hidden in.

"Brotherhood in the settlement. Pat and Manny are retreating. I'm going to secure the perimeter."

Of course… "We'll meet you at the gas station."

"Understood."

And then the SPARTAN was gone.

"Can't catch a break", Nate muttered.

"Is this how things went when you two first traveled together?" Brenda asked. There was some of her customary sarcasm that had been missing for the last day and a half.

Guess you really are starting to feel better.

"For the most part."

"Good to know."

"I think they do it to themselves", Cassandra mused.

"They have to."

As much as he appreciated the banter, things had just gotten a lot more serious.

"Alright, focus", Nate said, "Brenda, go talk with Jeff, see what the situation is. Cass, stay there. Dogmeat", the ex-soldier motioned to his side and the German Shepherd slipped over.

Edging toward the rear entrance, Nate peered into the ally beyond. Damon had just left so he doubted anyone would be there but…

Better safe than dead.

Quiet reigned for what felt like hours. He could hear muttering above him, but couldn't make out the conversation.

So the Brotherhood finally started gathering influence. Or maybe strong-arming it, Nate didn't know. What he did know is the last thing they needed was to be found now.

Eventually, the stairs creaked again and the other two emerged on the first floor.

"Looks like there was a fight in the settlement", Jeff said. "A lot of the buildings took hits, both regular guns and those laser ones the Brotherhood uses." He frowned, and Nate noticed the young man's shoulders slumping. "I didn't get a chance to see who all was there, but… at least some of the folks who lived there are still in town."

While that was good information, it didn't answer the main question on his mind.

"Did you come down because Pat and Manny are back?"

"Oh." The guard's mouth fell open for an instant before he nodded. "Yeah- sorry."

Nate shook his head. "No, don't worry about it." He looked out into the alley. Still clear. "Come on, let's get over to the gas station."

They were on the clock; no knowing if the Brotherhood had equipment that could trace their radio signals here.

As the four of them climbed back down the rubble into the narrow alley, Nate listened for the sounds of approaching Vertbirds. Or Brotherhood soldiers marching toward them in T60 armor. Or a gunshot that would signal the start of another gunfight.

There was none of that though. Just a quiet neighborhood.

Skirting down the alley, they emerged back into the street. The other two guards were already heading south along the road toward them.

Nate wasn't going to count his stars. That's the best way to jinx the whole situation.

The two parties met at the gas station and Damon was there moments later.

"Manny, lead us out", Pat said as soon as the SPARTAN joined them.

"On it boss", the guard said, starting west. Nate could almost feel Damon's yearning to take point. He shot the supersoldier a glance and shook his head slowly. That wasn't the time to try and control the situation. These people are competent. The only thing they'd do by muscling their way in is alienate them. If the Brotherhood is starting to take control of settlements out here, they'll need the school's influence and position.

Damon hesitated an instant before nodding begrudgingly.

He was getting more and more cooperative. The ex-soldier would be lying if he said that wasn't a relief.

As the group followed Manny away from the settlement, he weaved through the crumbling neighborhood with the practiced fluidity of an experienced point man. His step was light, lighter than Nate's, the paths he chose had good cover, and he never bottlenecked himself. The guard's head was on a swivel and he made a point to pause every minute or so to check their surroundings. 'Competent' was the right word for him.

Pat was just as good, focused, and careful. Jeff, the youngest of the three, wasn't as practiced, but he worked well with his older counterparts.

It was Cass that struggled the most. She tried to remain quiet and keep pace, but there were a few occasions she fell behind and they had to slow their pace. Damon drifted back to stay with her. The ex-soldier caught him whispering to the teenager a few times, no doubt offering her advice.

The kid really had changed, hadn't he? Sure, maybe Cass, Tommy, and Julian were a unique case for him, but Nate couldn't have imagined the armored titan quietly and calmly offering anyone advice in this situation a few months ago. Despite everything, Nate couldn't help the fleeting sense of pride that slipped through his chest.

Damon was a different person than when they first met.

"Now's a good time for a fiver", Manny said as he came to a stop beside a building that had a pair of short poles set in fixtures on either side of the front door. The colors were faded but… was this a barber shop? The sun was high in the sky now and it had been the better part of 45 minutes since they left the church. They'd turned south about 15 minutes into their journey and were at least 2 or 3 miles from the settlement.

The settlement now controlled by the Brotherhood.

A half dozen questions had been bouncing around Nate's head since they got moving.

"What was their presence like?"

"Nothing major", Jeff replied. "There were a few people who didn't look like anyone I've seen before walking around with laser guns. Then there was someone in a suit of that power armor too."

Yeah, but a soldier in that T60 could handle a small settlement without the weapons to break through the thick armor plate.

"What about the settlers?" the ex-soldier continued.

"They were there, still doing their thing."

"So it didn't look like the Brotherhood were…"

"Forcing them to do anything?" Pat finished

Jeff shook his head. "Nah. Not what we could see."

"I guess you were right", Brenda said quietly. "They really are trying to make people like them."

The ex-soldier shrugged. "I don't know about 'like' them, just not hate them enough to risk doing anything about it."

"We need to know what their presence is", Damon interjected. "They aren't only doing this because of us. A fight happened there recently. The Raiders are getting more active."

Pat cocked an eyebrow at the supersoldier. "While we'd love to, we already got our share of problems. Plus, if this is gonna be normal now, we gotta get back to tell Carter about it. Too many towns rely on us."

"Understood." His helmet turned to Nate and the ex-soldier knew what was going to say. And he agreed with it.

"You mind if I head back with you?"

"Your friend here doesn't need help?" Manny asked

"I'll bring Brenda", the SPARTAN replied. "Nate knows how the Brotherhood operates, he can help you prepare."

At the mention of her name, Brenda stiffened. She was getting better but she wouldn't be comfortable on her own with Damon. Not yet.

"That might not be the best call", Nate said.

The SPARTAN paused, watching the young woman. Nate knew he wanted to bring her along because she was the best with people out of all of them. Not that it was saying much. But he needed to take her current state of mind into account.

After a few seconds' pause, Damon nodded and turned to Cass. "Are you willing to help?"

A question, not a command. Nate would be impressed if he didn't know why it had turned into a question.

"I'll come", the teenager answered. The ex-soldier didn't miss the hesitation.

"She's a bit young", Pat said. "We can-"

"No", the armored titan interrupted. "Cassandra is competent. We don't know what we're going to run into. The faster we start gathering information, the better."

She looked at Nate and he nodded. "He's right. Cass has helped us this far. And if the Raiders and Brotherhood are starting a war up here, we can't waste time."

"Alright." Pat nodded.

Nate looked up at Damon. "Get a move on."

The SPARTAN hesitated again, casting one more glance at Brenda before nodding.

Brenda stepped forward and wrapped Cass in a hug. "Don't let him do anything too stupid."

The teenager snorted. "I'll do my best."

"And you", the young woman said, turning to Damon, "don't let anything happen to her."

After another brief pause, the armored titan nodded. "I won't."

Brenda stepped back and suddenly Nate found Cass's arms wrapped around him. "I'll see you again soon."

Unexpected emotion clogged the ex-soldier's throat and he returned the hug. "Don't threaten me."

She pulled back and looked up at him. "It's a promise."

"I know it is." The infantryman offered her a smile.

Damon watched the exchange, impassive visor locked on the smaller man. When Cassandra stepped away, the SPARTAN straightened. "I'm trusting you."

Railroad. The only person besides the two of them who truly understood the weight of that sentence was Cass. How did the guy load so much into three words?

"Likewise."

Damon gave him a curt nod before looking down at Cassandra. "Let's move." He turned and she followed-

With Dogmeat at her side.

"Ha!" Nate laughed despite the situation. "Looks like you've got a tagalong."

The SPARTAN glanced at the dog but, before he could say anything, Cassandra started scratching behind his ears. "Dogmeat's always welcome."

Whatever he had to say faded as his massive armored shoulders shifted in the approximation of a shrug. They continued until Damon led the other two west at the next intersection.

"Those two…" Brenda muttered.

"Yeah." He turned to Pat. "Shall we?"

A/N: So we're starting to branch out a little bit? This isn't the first time our group has been in the area, but a lot of these settlements are ones the Minutemen have been working with in the background. Things are starting to ramp up to some bigger events in the coming chapters. I'M NOT TELLING! Other than that, clearly the most important thematic exploration that happened here is the differing perspectives and morals between our characters. I worked hard to make it as much about everyone else as it is about Damon. Yes, he's the catalyst for the questions being asked, but at the end of the day this is about how ALL of them deal with it. That's enough for this week though, like I said, I WILL be posting on top for next chapter so stay tuned! I'll see everyone next time!

Next Chapter: 4/14, Cracks in the Armor