Diamond City
March the 15th, 2288
15:22

"Well, well. Our newest visitor, the detective, a cage fighter, and our city's most prolifically irresponsible citizen. What could possibly have brought the four of you up here?"

Piper scowled at Geneva just about the second the two women met eyes. Stepping off the lift up to the mayor's office, she crossed her arms, biting her tongue. I've got a few ideas about you and what you get up to. Lucky I'm not here to try and see if they at all pan out today. She glanced towards the lift, waiting for Nick, Cait, and Nora to step off and over towards the secretary's desk as well. His usual self, Nick adjusted his hat, and then offered Geneva a polite smile. Hesitant around the synth, Geneva merely gave him a short nod, raising an eyebrow when she saw Nora's tired and anxious gait and the way Cait had looped an arm around her. Cait winked at the mayor's secretary when she and Nora joined Piper and Nick just in front of her desk. Geneva eyed her closely, caught somewhere between amusement at her mannerisms and concern. That girl has something of a reputation around here, though I don't imagine she's aware of it. Seems to me the only people in this city who actually like her are Piper, Vadim, and the Bransons. Unaware of or unbothered by Geneva's critical gaze, Cait let go of Nora and sauntered right up to the mayor's secretary, leaning forward and propping her elbows up on the secretary's desk, and grinned, causing Geneva to push her back a little, rolling her eyes.

"Again, I have to ask," Geneva irritably said. "What could possibly have brought the four of you up here? Especially…" She warily looked between Piper and Cait. "The two of them."

"Sweet as always, Geneva," Piper said dryly. "I can see why the mayor hired you to decide who –"

"Are you done crowding the reception area, Miss Piper?" Geneva testily cut in. "I don't get the sense you're the one who's here for an even halfway decent reason."

"We need to talk to someone about Kellogg," Nick said, sending Piper a pointed look before she could say anything more. "The man who used to live in the west stands."

Geneva raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"Well, firstly, do you know why he left town, by chance?" Nick sighed when she shook her head. "He left with the kid he had with him, didn't he?"

"Truthfully, I can't remember if he left with that kid he came to town with or not," Geneva said, a tinge of suspicion to her voice. "We foreclosed on the property shortly after he left, locked it up, and never thought much of it or him. It, at least, seemed clear he had no intention to return."

"So, you have the key?" Nora said, relief washing over her when Geneva nodded. "Could you give it to me? I need to have a look around in there."

"I'm afraid that's above my purview," Geneva said, frowning when Nora's face fell. "If there were anything belonging to the man you have a claim on, you could ask the mayor to hear you out. But I can't – and, more to the point, won't – guarantee anything."

Nora looked between her and the city security guards, who seemed rather focused on Cait and Piper.

"So, I can just head in and talk to McDonough?"

"You can," Geneva said, standing up to open the doors into the mayor's office. "But, I'll warn you, he's not going to like you bringing that reporter into his office. You might want to ask her to wait outside."

"Awe, look at me," Piper said, following after Nora, Nick, and Cait. "I'm so frightening! A twenty four year old, 5'4'' and half asleep reporter is such a threat, such a menace to –"

"Piper!" McDonough narrowed his eyes when he saw the reporter slip past Nick and Cait to stand beside Nora, arms crossed and a defiant smirk on her face. "How many times do I have to tell you not to come near this office?"

"Mayor McDonough, please, she's just trying to help me," Nora said quickly. "I've been trying to find my son for months, now, and Piper is one of the few people who's been able to help."

"It's true," Nick said, pausing when the man turned to eye him suspiciously. "This has nothing to do with anything between you and Piper. Hell, I wouldn't even be here at all if it weren't for her, Nora, and Cait here going looking for me."

McDonough glanced at Cait, frowning when she draped one arm over Piper's shoulders and the other over Nora's.

"So much as I find it admirable people are willing to…sacrifice their time and energy for others, it does not change the fact Piper is a troublemaker," He turned to Nora. "I know you're still new to our fair city, but the press is not allowed in this office. Piper can wait outside."

"Sure I can," Piper bit off. "But what's the problem, McDonough? Scared of the Ides Of March?"

"Watch what you say very carefully, Piper," McDonough coldly replied. "Threats like that will get you sent right back to jail."

"Because that'll make you look good," Cait rolled her eyes. "Throwing the only lass willing to talk back to you and question your authority in jail will endear so much trust into the state of justice in this –"

"Both of you, leave, before you get yourselves into trouble," McDonough said, frowning at the two women when they shared a disdainful look before quietly apologising to Nora and Nick and leaving the room. "Such a bother."

"She may not say it politely, but Cait's not entirely wrong," Nick cautioned him, briefly looking back when security shut the doors nearly the second Cait and Piper were out of the room. "People will start to talk the more you openly fight with Piper."

"You may tolerate her nonsense, but I cannot," McDonough said testily. After a few seconds, he turned to Nora. "I apologise for being strict, but Piper is a troublemaker, and I advise you to stay away from her machinations and any of her friends, particularly ones like that…unkempt young woman. Now…what's this about?"

"A man called Kellogg used to live in this city," Nora said shortly. What could he possibly have to hide in here that he's afraid of Piper gaining access to? "I need to search his house."

"You need to search his house?" McDonough suspiciously repeated. "Why on earth would you need to do that?"

"He was involved in kidnapping my son, and my husband," Nora said, her voice tired. "I need to find him if I'm going to have any chance to find out where they went. Where he took them."

"I see. I remember Kellogg. Didn't like him much myself. Paranoid. Never talked to anyone. Even if you find him, he likely won't talk. Only person I ever did see him with was a boy who I suspect was his young son," McDonough said, warily looking at Nick before turning back to Nora. "That said, I'm sorry, but however horrible the crimes Kellogg may have committed, your word alone isn't hard evidence. Whatever reasons you may have, I take my citizens' privacy very seriously, even after they've left. I can't allow you to invade someone else's home. That's all there is to it. I can't condone unlawful searches of people's property. Now, unless you have anything else to discuss, I have matters to attend to."

Nora swore under her breath but, after a minute of taking a look around the office from where she stood, turned around and started for the door. Nick followed shortly behind her, discreetly passing a small object to her. Nora took it with a faint smirk and stuck it to the back of one of the filing cabinets by the door. Not my first time planting a bug. Let's hope something worth hearing gets recorded on it. Pushing the doors open and unable to hide her annoyance, Nora barely managed to give Geneva a tight smile, which the secretary barely acknowledged. Instead, she waved an irritable hand at Piper and Cait, just about shooing the two of them away from the mayor's office the second she saw Nora and Nick were leaving themselves. Stepping back onto the lift back down to the ground, Nora took one last look back at the office, her hands briefly clenching around the bars of the lift in frustration. Seeing her tension, Cait stepped over to her and loosely embraced her, resting her head on her shoulder. Nora glanced at her, surprised, but didn't push her away, a small, warm feeling rising in her chest.

"There are other ways of finding out what we need to," Cait reassured her with a playful wink. "Up to and including picking locks…once we know they ain't onto us anymore, that is. Give it time, and don't worry, love. There's always a way around the law, no matter what they bloody well tell you."

Capital Wasteland
March the 16th, 2288
7:57

In the near five years since he had been made an Elder of the Brotherhood Of Steel at only sixteen, the one thing that never ceased to bring Arthur Maxson great pride was seeing how well and how strongly the Brotherhood had come together.

Stepping out from the Citadel's Strategic Command to his dutifully waiting wife with Lancer Captain Kells, Knight Captain Cade, and Proctors Teagan, Quinlan, and Ingram, Arthur Maxson took a look over the soldiers assembled below from where they stood. Only a decade ago, when anyone told me my soul was forged from eternal steel and I would ascend to control of the entire East Coast, I did not believe them. It's strange to remember how wrong I was. By the time I was thirteen, I had killed a deathclaw by my own hand and mine alone. I ought to have realised it then. Beside him, his wife smiled when the two of them met each other's eyes, briefly taking his hand. Though they quickly let go, they both knew they were feeling the same relief at the outcome of the most recent operation. Having that awful man, Zimmer, in our custody is a major step. I cannot believe his arrogance. Does he even know who we are? He's been here long enough to see not only the Prydwen's launch but the way it has reaffirmed and drawn the Brotherhood back together. For someone of supposed high intelligence, he's shockingly ignorant. Standing next to her, Proctor Ingram eyed her closely, both out of concern for her considering the previous month's encounter with one of the 'Institute's' machines and in curiosity of her mannerisms. It had been well accepted, in the near year since their wedding, Karissa Maxson preferred to be close by her husband when permissible, but it had grown all the more common of late.

Then again, they are both so young. Strange to think Elder Maxson only turned twenty one at the end of February, and she the same in early January.

"As many of you are no doubt aware, the rumours are true. We have, in our custody, a leader of an organisation in the Commonwealth that calls itself the Institute," Arthur began, stepping forward to address his soldiers. "Furthermore, we have been able to take into custody evidence of reports we have received from our Brothers and Sisters already operating in the Commonwealth. Once we have the last of the information we need from them, and will extract from those we have in custody, we will make the final preparations for our arrival in the Commonwealth."

"For those of you under my command aboard the Prydwen, this should come as no surprise," Lancer Captain Kells said, sharing a brief, knowing look with Maxson. "As Captain of that vessel, I am pleased to announce your hard work these past few years has been a success. From the near three years it took to design, six to build, and, in these past five, refine, the Prydwen now is proof of not only the tenacity of some of the Brotherhood's sharpest minds but of the rewards of persistence, dedication, and obedience."

"Your accomplishment of this feat has surpassed my expectations, and is rapidly facilitating our arrival in the Commonwealth," Maxson continued with pride. "And you have accomplished this amazing feat without a hint of purpose or direction and, most impressively, without question. I expect nothing less than the same excellence once some of you leave with us for the Commonwealth. Those of you maintaining the Citadel will, I'm sure, reflect the same dedication and purpose on the home front as many of your Brothers and Sisters go off to war."

"The importance of all of your contributions to the Prydwen cannot be understated," Kells added. "With the Prydwen in our arsenal, we can mobilise our entire division, sending her anywhere Elder Maxson wishes her to go. Her presence in the Commonwealth will ensure our mission to defeat the Institute will end in victory."

"With this important mission in mind, I am today giving two official orders," Maxson said sharply. "The first – all former members of the Brotherhood Of Steel on the East Coast but especially those we have reason to believe are in the Commonwealth are to be tracked down for re-recruitment."

"This is a crucial step," Kells warned. "We cannot risk those with intimate knowledge of the Brotherhood's operations from their time within our ranks falling into the hands of the enemy."

"That enemy brings me to the second order," Maxson said, a hint of anger entering his voice. "Beneath the Commonwealth, there is a cancer, known as the Institute, a malignant growth needing to be cut before it further infects the surface. They are experimenting with dangerous technologies which could prove to be the world's undoing for the second time in recent history. The Institute scientists have created a weapon transcending the destructive nature of the atom bomb. They call their creation the 'synth,' a robotic abomination of technology which is free thinking and masquerades as a human being."

Disgusting machines. There will be no mercy for either it or its creator in our custody.

"The notion a machine could be granted free will is not only offensive, but horribly dangerous, and, like the atom, if it isn't harnessed properly, it has the potential of rendering us extinct as a species," Maxson went on, anger growing with every word. "I am not prepared to allow the Institute to continue this line of experimentation. Therefore, the Institute and their 'synths' are considered enemies of the Brotherhood Of Steel, and should be dealt with swiftly and mercilessly. From this day forward, we are at war with the Institute. Ad Victoriam!"

Looking amongst each other while the crowd cheered before slowly returning to their duties, Maxson, his wife, Kells, Cade, and the Proctors allowed themselves time to take in the moment with pride for their accomplishments. Then, as the soldiers continued to disperse and return back to their duties, the Elder, Lancer Captain, Knight Captain, and Proctors returned to the Citadel's Strategic Command, where a Paladin was waiting for them, holding one of the two in their custody in restraint. Another Paladin closed and locked the doors behind the group, and stood by it at the ready. Proctor Quinlan wrinkled his nose in disgust when he looked at the restrained man as he sat down. His eyes narrowed when the man snapped at the Paladin to release him, and grew all the angrier when the Paladin did not do so, instead forcing him to sit down at the table, and restraining him to a chair, cuffing his ankles to it on the bottom and his wrists to the table. Knight Captain Cade sat down on one side of the man, one hand on his gun should the need arise, while Proctor Ingram sat down on the other, the sound of her power armour startling the restrained scientist. Proctor Teagan took in the man's situation, almost amused by it, and himself sat down, looking between Elder Maxson at one end of the table, and Lancer Captain Kells at the other, them all waiting for the man to cease his protests.

"How dare you treat me so poorly?" He condescendingly glared at all of them. "I am Dr. Charles Alexander Zimmer, head of the Institute's Synth Retention Bureau! I am not one of your measly minds who enjoy playing with their chemistry sets!"

"Should you want to be released from our custody, I'd suggest you be more cooperative," Proctor Ingram said, her eyes narrow when she looked at him. "And provide us answers to our questions. With evidence, mind."

He scoffed. "What questions could you possibly have? Even if you have something substantial to ask me, I sincerely doubt you have the capacity to understand the answer."

"Your condescension is doing you no favours," Maxson harshly told him. "And, as it happens, many of our questions have little to do with the abominations of technology you litter around."

"Is that so?" He snorted. "We'll see if they have any substance."

"They do," Maxson said coldly. "As I suspect you are well aware, around a decade ago, the Brotherhood obtained the services of Dr. Madison Li, a noted mind in the field of nuclear engineering. Had I been in command, I wouldn't have allowed her to leave following the securement of the Capital Wasteland as she was a valuable asset. My predecessors, however, did not have such foresight. We are inclined to believe she made contact with the Institute."

"Surprisingly, your inclination is correct," Zimmer patronisingly replied. "Dr. Li is one of the Institute's best, and I'm afraid you're far too late. There is nothing you could say to her to make her want to give up her position with us. In fact, you should live in great fear of her, and what she does with us."

Goodneighbour
March the 18th, 2288
23:30

"Glad to see you back in one piece," Hancock said, clapping when MacCready walked into his office. "I take it you had no trouble snooping out the area?"

"No trouble at all," MacCready said, taking a sudden step to the side when he realised he was standing in front of Fahrenheit's 'dart' (read: knife) board. "Although you were right. It's a real weird place….and even weirder on the inside."

Fahrenheit briefly looked up from where she had been standing in the corner, sharpening her knives, only to frown when she saw the way MacCready stepped into the room. She waved a hand at the neighbourhood watch guards standing outside the doors to close them, which they did, leaving the former gunner, the mayor, and the mayor's bodyguard alone. When she saw the wary way MacCready looked to her every so often, she gave him a smug smile. Then, she returned back to sharpening her knives. In a much more jovial mood, Hancock popped the cap off a bottle of bourbon and, as was becoming more and more common, gave MacCready a fatherly slap on the back before pouring two glasses of bourbon, one of which he handed to him. MacCready accepted the drink with an awkward smile, and eventually sat down on one of the two couches. Hancock hummed something to himself, sauntering over to the other couch, and sat down himself, leaning forward a little with his elbows propped up on his knees. The glass of bourbon in one hand and the bottle in the other, Hancock set down the bottle and began drinking from his glass, almost giddy in anticipation to hear what the young mercenary had to say.

"So, what'd you figure out?" Hancock said with a faint smirk. "I'm guessing you've got a lot to say, what with having gotten a peek at what they've got going on in there."

"It was more than a peek," MacCready said grimly. "Sneaking past the raiders wasn't too much of a problem. They usually aren't the brightest. The ones outside got plenty distracted when they made some mistakes setting off fireworks. While they were distracted, I picked the lock into the building. There were some raiders in there, but they were mostly passed out…or already dead."

"Already dead?" Hancock finished his glass and reached for the bourbon bottle to refill it. "What were they doing in there to be either conked out or having already kicked it?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think they were the ones doing it to each other," MacCready nervously took a sip his bourbon. "Almost all of the corpses had the same 'calling card' you told me about somewhere on or near them. Same handwriting, and the same creepy heart drawn in blood."

"Damn…" Hancock said, letting out a low whistle. "Got a copy of one with you?"

MacCready grimaced but pulled a folded up piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it to Hancock across the table.

"Pickman was here, find me if you dare…" Hancock pulled the note up close to his face, seemingly looking for any hidden notes. Finding none, he shook out the piece of paper before setting it down on the table. "Blood smells like it's probably somewhat fresh. It's not too dark yet either. Think it's possible you crossed paths with this 'Pickman' fellow?"

"Doubt it," MacCready said, pausing when he saw Fahrenheit throw one of her newly sharpened knives across the room and into the centre of the former dartboard. "I think I'd remember it if I came across the guy. If he's flamboyant enough to sign his notes in blood, he'd probably be pretty easy to spot. And he'd be the only living person among a bunch of corpses."

"Fair, fair," Hancock took another sip of his bourbon before precariously setting it on his knees. "I've heard a lot of rumours coming out of that area for a long time," He said, dusting off his hands. "And, as you know, I asked you to scope it out because it's been quiet, uncomfortable post coitus quiet, and that ain't how raiders usually play. Guess it makes sense they're just turning up dead."

"What did you find in there?" Fahrenheit eyed MacCready closely, sashaying over to her 'dart' board. "Other than the corpses. That's a given."

"Paintings," MacCready said, nervously watching her rip the knife out of the centre of the former dartboard. "Really disturbing paintings. I'm pretty sure some real paint was used in them, but most of them were done in a lot of blood. Kind of explained why some of the corpses looked oddly…drained."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hancock said, accidentally knocking his glass off his knees, causing it to fall to the floor and shatter, spilling what little of his drink was left. "You saying he paints in blood?"

"I get the feeling he's a serial killer, actually," MacCready said, shaking his head. "Either way, I don't get the feeling Pickman's art will have much resale value once all those bodies start decaying."

Fahrenheit laughed. "Oh, Little Bird, you may be about to become our canary in a coal mine."

"Not happening," MacCready said, setting down his glass of bourbon. "I'm not going to die for you and Hancock. I have a lot of reasons to live, you know."

Duncan. He needs me, and I need to…I need to figure out what to do, how to help him. And then there's…

"Lots of reasons?" Fahrenheit teased. "Like what? The woman you seem to want to see every night in the Third Rail?"

"You mean the newcomer?" Hancock said, surprised. "The quiet one who practises medicine? She's been real useful around here."

"And this one seems to be particularly happy to see her when he's not working," Fahrenheit said with a faint smirk. "How is the mercenary work coming? Are you still having trouble getting clients?"

"Not so much since I've been laying lower," MacCready paused in thought. "Although it's not as many as one'd hope, all things considered."

"Well, you've done me a good job," Hancock said, standing up and walking over to his desk, rummaging around in it. "And don't let Fahrenheit get to you. I ain't going to ask you to die for us. Knowing we got a serial killer on the loose is enough information for me, don't need you to find the man."

"Eh," Fahrenheit said with a shrug, twirling her knife in her hands. "I wouldn't mind getting my eyes on him. Who knows…maybe he'd even be fascinating to talk to. Never thought I'd hear of anyone who kills raiders to use their blood as paint…then again, I've heard stranger."

Hancock eyed her strangely. "I can't tell if you're being serious or just trying to pull a fast one on the guy. Could be the alcohol, but I ain't sure you're kidding."

Fahrenheit frowned. "You've got more than just alcohol in your system right now. You were playing with jet earlier, and I doubt you don't still have at least a little in you."

"Either way, you ain't got anything to worry about, MacCready," Hancock said, pulling two bags out of the desk and turning back over towards him. "As for the business with the paintings…well, they say artistic inspiration is ephemeral, am I right?"

MacCready gagged. "I really don't want to think about what I saw in there more than I have to."

"Fair enough," Hancock tossed one of the bags to him. "That's the caps, exactly five hundred. Wish I could say this whole blood painting thing is the most twisted thing I've ever heard of, but it's not quite. Ranks up there, though…top three for sure. I'll put the word out, tell people to stay clear of that area."

Fahrenheit snorted. "Because people in this town are going to stay clear of an area notorious for raiders. Half the people in this town get off on putting themselves in physical peril."

"They'll listen," Hancock said, waving her off. "This whole thing is messed up, even for this town."

"It is," Fahrenheit agreed, then rolling her eyes. "But since when has that ever stopped anyone around here?"

"Either way, glad it's over and you're back in one piece," Hancock sat down next to MacCready before handing him the second bag. "That's the ammo…and a few other things. We may joke around and all, but Fahrenheit and I do care about you. Take the woman out, the one you've started waiting for in the Third Rail. I'll even make Charlie go easy on you."

"Thanks, Hancock," MacCready did his best to hide his smile. "I think I will."

Why can't I stop thinking about you, Annette?

Diamond City
March the 20th, 2288
12:18

When CW-928, unit model 'Mister Handy,' better known as Codsworth, followed the leader of the Minutemen into Diamond City, happiness took over his systems. It's jolly good of Mister Garvey to accompany me to Diamond City, just so I can see Miss Nora. I'm so proud of the work she's done, and how she has refused to give up on Mister Nate and young Shaun. I've simply missed her. A few of the city's residents took notice of the newcomers, a few surprised to see someone travelling alongside a pre-War robot. Most of them, however, were simply curious about the newcomers, particularly considering one of them was dressed distinctly and carrying a laser musket. Preston smiled, and a few of the people smiled back. He paused to talk to Codsworth, and soon the robot happily went off to find and see Nora. Preston watched him off, and then holstered his laser musket before swinging it behind his back with his bag. Being back in Diamond City was strange, it always was, but it never ceased to give him hope. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Cait step out of a building nearby and make for Power Noodles. She's a sweet woman, but she's been through so much. It's good to know she's at least alright, and, hopefully, she'll be able to begin on the road to healing. After a minute, lost in thought, he turned around and began up the stairs to the upper stands. He tipped his hat at the Diamond City security guards he passed, and then waited outside the door to the home of a family he had come to know well, knocking on the door. Soon enough, a petite woman opened the door, and smiled.

"I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon, Preston!" Hadley Branson exclaimed, waving him into the home. "How are you doing? I heard from Derek you and Cait fought off the raiders in the Combat Zone. Are you doing alright? Has your shoulder healed up?"

Preston smiled. "I'm just fine," He assured her while she shut and locked the door behind him. "It wasn't too severe. I was even able to go to Goodneighbour to have a drink with Cait afterwards."

"Good," Hadley said, though her face suddenly fell. "I feel awful we didn't know Cait was tied to that damn place by some bullshit contract. I wish she'd told us, Derek and I would have bought her out of it and given her the freedom she deserves without a second thought."

"From what she told me, it's a pride thing," Preston shook his head. "She wanted to get out on her own, and didn't want to impose on you and your husband. Some people are just wired that way. Regardless, I'm just glad she's free to live her life in whatever way she wants, now. I take it you talked with her?"

Hadley sighed. "I did," She said, grabbing him a Nuka Cola when he sat down on the couch. "She's in better spirits than I've ever seen her, although I think it was partially because she was getting ready to go to some sort of party Vadim was throwing her at the Dugout Inn. Still…"

"Hads, it's alright. What's important is she's free now."

Preston smiled when he saw Derek come down from the third floor of the large home, looping an arm affectionately around his wife the moment she was within close reach. Hadley giggled a little and leaned up onto the tips of her toes to kiss him before she went into the kitchen to get a second Nuka Cola for her husband and a third for herself. Derek sat down on one of the chairs across from the couch Preston was sat on, taking the moment to enjoy his Nuka Cola. When Hadley came back, she had two bottles of Nuka Cola in one hand, and a small plate of crackers and a few chocolates. Derek took the Nuka Cola Dark from his wife, who herself had a Nuka Cola Cherry. For a minute, she fidgeted with the cap, twisting it back and forth between her fingers before finally taking it off, dropping the cap into her pocket. Every so often, she glanced at the Pip-Boy on her wrist, and her hands tapped up and down the Nuka Cola Cherry bottle in her hands. She slowly sipped on it, trying to quell her nerves. Eventually, after she managed to relax herself a little, she sat down on the chair beside her husband. Derek reached over and reassuringly patted her hands, and Preston, growing worried, looked between the two of them nervously, the sense of something being wrong rising by the minute.

"Are you alright, Hadley?" Preston said, setting down his Nuka Cola on the table in between him and her and her husband. "You seem more anxious than usual. Has something happened?"

"It's the Brotherhood," She said. "As I'm sure you, Derek, and the Minutemen have discussed, the Brotherhood's presence in the Commonwealth has been…growing."

Preston grimaced. "We've had a few encounters," He admitted. "After leaving Cait following our drinks in Goodneighbour, I went to check in on the Abernathy family. Apparently, they received a very unexpected and unwelcome visit from a few Brotherhood scouts."

"Field Scribes, most likely," Derek said, pausing to take a sip of his Nuka Cola Dark. "I'm not surprised there are more of them, recently, considering we've seen a few vertibirds. Sturges said he got to investigate a wreck near Concord?"

"He did," Preston said, shaking his head. "He found a lot of interesting things, including documents, and he recovered some information from the remains of the flight navigation computer. He said it looked like the vertibird had crashed, potentially because of foul play by nearby raiders. But, other than that, he's still analysing what he's recovered from the wreckage."

Hadley frowned. "So, that's it? The Brotherhood aren't holding back?"

"I'm not sure," Preston said, turning to Derek. "You think they're just looking for technology? Or do you think they're here for something else?"

Derek hesitated. "I wouldn't say this to anyone else, because I don't want to scare or discourage the rest of the Minutemen," He slowly began. "But I'm inclined to believe the Brotherhood are preparing to come to the Commonwealth in full force. Why they are doing so is beyond me, though."

"I'll make sure we stay as far away from them as possible until we know more, then," Preston said, taking off his hat to run a hand through his hair. "We don't want to mess with those guys."

"We don't," Derek said, pushing up his glasses. "After Elder Lyons died, shortly after the Enclave were defeated, the Brotherhood had a series of ineffective leader after leader, all the more selfish than the last. I don't know who's their leader now, as I've had no desire to keep up on the Brotherhood's activities after my family and I moved here. At the end of the day, though, I wouldn't trust in the good intentions of the Brotherhood."

"From what I heard about their interaction with the Abernathy family, I agree," Preston said, picking up and taking a long sip of his Nuka Cola. "The Brotherhood Scribes," He eventually said. "Informed the family the Brotherhood may 'request' supplies and food from them. I use the word request loosely, because they made no attempt to hide how many resources the Brotherhood has to…get their way. I'm hoping it never comes to a point where we have to fight with the Brotherhood, but I worry it could become unavoidable. We have enough to worry about, between raiders, gunners, and God knows what else comes out and about in the Commonwealth."

"The Brotherhood have done good, and I'll never deny that," Hadley said, hands shaking as she kept drinking her Nuka Cola Cherry. "And I couldn't be more proud of my husband's service, especially in the war against the Enclave. That said, the Brotherhood have lost their way. Things were fraying towards the end of Lyons' life, but they fell apart completely after his death. If they're coming into the Commonwealth…then I'm not sure I want to know why."

The Institute
March the 21st, 2288
21:24

Though not one for much socialising, there were a few people in the Institute Dr. Madison Li not only worked well with but genuinely liked.

One of them was dead, and his death was something she did her best not to ruminate on. Apart from him, there was the first girl she trained personally in applied physics, Dr. Rosalind Orman. There was also the second girl she trained personally in applied and theoretical physics, Jacqueline Spencer, who was well on her way to earning her doctorate. Then, there were her colleagues, Janet Thompson, and Allie and Nathan Filmore. The three of them were some of the few people she enjoyed conversation with outside of work. I certainly can't say that about anyone else I work with. Even the working relationships that were perfectly professional could be draining. Dr. Evan Watson, for example, was incredibly good to work with, at least when it came to precision and organisation. Following his notes on Advanced Systems projects, but especially in his area of expertise, nuclear physics, was a smooth process, and he did his job quietly and without much complaint, even with the power cutbacks ahead of completing and implementing Phase Three. His curiosity and constant questions about her past, particularly regarding the Brotherhood, however, were irritating at best and intrusive at worst. Dr. Enrico Thompson, while cordial and perfectly reasonable in all of their interactions, was someone she didn't have much in the way of an opinion on other than him being a more than competent and intelligent person. That was, she knew, the way she felt about the majority of people in the Institute, whether she worked personally with them or not.

Then there were the handful of people she could not stand, and whom, instead, she genuinely despised. At the top of that list, without question, was Dr. Justin Ayo.

"I still don't understand why Dr. Ayo thinks it's in his place to invade everyone else's privacy," Allie Filmore sighed, sharing an exasperated look with Janet and Madison. "It's exhausting, and entirely unnecessary."

"Unnecessary would be putting it lightly," Madison said darkly, sitting down on the couch in her apartment across from where Janet and Allie were already sat on the other. "It would be irritating enough if he had stuck to sending Coursers into everyone else's laboratories. It's intrusive and well over stepping for him to send them into people's homes to rummage through everything."

"I'm surprised Father didn't shut him down immediately," Janet remarked. "He pushed back a little, but he hadn't begun to actually take serious action to stop him until recently, and only after you and Allie complained about it to him."

"Binet had words with him about it too," Madison said. "Although, if he didn't want people to eye him strangely, he wouldn't constantly be talking about his relationship with Eve. Liam's too, come to think of it."

"I'd usually not judge how someone grieves, but the way Alan talks about Eve is just depressing, at times," Janet shook her head. "He really can't let go of what happened to the real Eve. Doesn't help he nearly died shortly after she did during a surface job where he was needed to ensure delicate, pre-War robotic materials were collected without being damaged. He changed a lot after that and her death, especially where his son is concerned. From what I've heard, his biggest fear is leaving Liam without a family. I guess, knowing his son nearly lost both of his parents in a matter of a few months, it's no wonder he views the surface as hell. It almost left Liam alone."

"The surface can be hell," Madison told her. "But there are places where it's perfectly normal. I certainly wouldn't go back to life there, though, particularly with what we know about the Brotherhood's movements."

"What they want with the Commonwealth is beyond me," Allie said, hesitating for a moment. "Other than apparently wanting to damage the Institute, I can't fathom any reason for them to be here."

"Even if they weren't, more than likely, planning to interfere with our work, the Brotherhood would be interested in the Commonwealth for no other reason than having a desire to gather more information and technology for themselves," Madison said bitterly. "I originally left the Brotherhood because I was tired of being stepped on and used. Namely, there was the water purification project, designed to freely benefit the entire Capital Wasteland, and farther south and a bit farther north. Even though the Brotherhood allowed it to be activated, they wanted to control it. The Brotherhood don't give a damn about anyone they step on in the process of getting what they want, and all they're good for is winning wars which, in the case of the Enclave, was good, noble, and necessary. Going after the Institute is not."

"I can only imagine the stress of all that," Allie frowned at the thought. "For people who claim to care about the Commonwealth, they seem to have complete disregard for the lives of people actually living here."

"It's how they've always operated, and why I've never trusted them," Madison said, doing her best to curb her anger. "I can name the people in the Brotherhood I have ever respected on one hand, and only one of them is, I imagine, still alive and, most likely, left them for similar reasons to why I did. Either way, I find it almost funny how Justin acts towards me. If it weren't for him, I'd have forgotten just how much I missed the intimidation and threats."

"It's awful. I'm sure anyone would leave after going through what you did," Janet said sympathetically. "Why Dr. Ayo can't see that is beyond me. The way he's accused and treated you since you became part of the Directorate is madness. And the fact he won't even consider Dr. Binet's third generation synth sentience conjecture is simply unscientific."

"Justin is never willing to consider anything going outside of his very narrow worldview, particularly if it won't benefit him," Madison said irritably. "For as much of a nuisance as he was to my research, and to everyone in the Capital Wasteland, I rather miss Dr. Zimmer. I'd even prefer his condescension to Justin's, considering he never pretended to simply be having everyone's best interests in mind."

"Everyone would prefer Dr. Zimmer to be in charge instead of Justin, certainly at this point," Allie sighed. "I'm tired of constantly having to remind him the SRB needs to cut back on power consumption just like everyone else, and his increasing intrusiveness on everyone else's lives is frustrating to say the least."

"I still can't believe he said he thinks Quentin should have died," Janet said. "What kind of heartless son of a bitch wishes death on a child?"

"Well, the good thing is none of us can understand that," Madison replied. "We're, at least in that case, not the problem. For as much as Quentin needs to learn to calm down and focus, he's just a little boy."

"I had Shaun tell Justin exactly that," Allie said, running a hand through her hair. "I have enough to do, keeping Facilities running, Phase Three on track, the current and primary reactor online, trying to figure out what's going on with Quentin, and I'm six months pregnant. If Justin thinks inconveniencing everyone else and being cruel to other people's children is within the realm of his actual job, then he should rethink what he's doing."

"I don't often agree with Dr. Binet and some of the…things I wish he didn't tell people about his feelings towards Eve, let alone some of what I wish I could forget him saying about their conjugal relationship, but he was absolutely right to tell Justin, if he's not careful, he'll be demoted when Zimmer returns," Madison rolled her eyes. "I have no idea what goes on in Shaun's head, and I don't think anyone but his father does. That said, he tends to have good judgement, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has Zimmer return to his usual job, keeps Secord as second in the Division, and puts Justin down to third."

"That would be satisfying to see," Janet laughed. "I'm sure Enrico would be thrilled to see Justin told he's not more important than everyone else, and certainly not after he had Coursers in Alice and Julia's room at four in the morning last week."

"Because that's a brilliant way to convince everyone you care about our safety and security," Madison said dryly. "I've been lied to countless times over the years, but the way he does it annoys me more than it usually does."

Allie nodded. "And there's a reason everyone else in the Directorate agrees with that sentiment."

"It's aggravating," Madison paused, briefly hesitating. "And, considering I've spent nearly the last decade looking over my shoulder because of the Brotherhood, the 'reasons' he gives to try and justify all of this make everything even worse."