Chapter 21: Solid Steel

Arlington Library; Briefing Room:

The next day:

As rebel forces surround the Purifier and the Citadel, the leaders convene one last time to discuss about the coming attack.

"What do you have for us, Jack?" Arthur asked

The mercenary leader stands up, holding a piece of paper. "The Purifier seems to be lightly defended compared to the Citadel. We spotted heavy troopers in power armor reinforcing the Citadel Walls. While the Purifier only has standard NCR infantrymen stationed there, save for a couple of Rangers. "

"Power armor?" Johannes muttered "How could the NCR have gotten the training to wear and operate one?"

"I'm guessing Gusurg…" Arthur answered "He was a former brother…"

"God damn it…"

Arthur then looks at the mercenary leader. "Jack, continue"

"Right. Weapon-wise, these same power armored soldiers seem to be dual-wielding miniguns or have mounted weapons on them… The rest are armed with your standard service rifle"

Senora then leans forward. "This just keeps getting better and better…"

"Anyway…" the mercenary leader continued "Enemy vertibirds are also in the area and we reckon that they will use them… And that's about it"

"Who's the enemy commander?" Reilly asked

"General Alexander" the Sentinel answered as he pulls out a dossier "One of the NCR's great generals, although he's 1 rank below General Lee Oliver. Promoted to his position sometime around the 2280s… Says here that he's a brilliant tactician and is well-respected by both his allies and his enemies… He was also the commander of the NCR troops that attacked Legion territory in that same time period… Plus he's the commander behind the NCR forces that took the Citadel and Purifier in the first place. In other words, he's one tough motherfucker…"

Red then turns to Arthur. "Fortified Defenses, a Brilliant Tactician for a commander… Arthur, are we still gonna try an attack?"

Arthur ponders to himself for a moment before saying "If we attack now, we'll most likely suffer casualties…"

"Now I'm wondering if it was a good idea to take care of Rivet City…" Laren uttered

Marco was about to speak out but Senora beat him to the punch…"So you would rather shoot civilians who were forced to fight in this war?"

The old man gives the Regulators leader the evil eye. "You're not looking at the big picture here, girl! Because of that little skirmish, we're now at a disadvantage! It's bad enough that we're facing against an enemy commander of that caliber but giving him time to prepare and plan?!"

"So what do you propose we have done?! Allow our men to murder innocent refugees who were forced to fight?!"

Before things could escalate further, Arthur intervenes. "Enough!"

"Jack" he said as he turns to the mercenary leader "You promised me supplies, where are they?"

The mercenary leader smiles as he pulls out his radio. "Is it here yet?"

After a few seconds, the mercenary leader puts his radio down. "It's here"

Outside:

As the leaders gather outside, one could feel the tension in the air…

"There's nothing here…" Laren remarked

"What are you trying to show us, Jack?" the Sentinel asked

Jack smiles as he pulls out his radio. "Get in here"

Less than a minute later, the sound of car engines roars throughout the place. Soon, 10 buggies, each with several mounted guns, arrive. As the buggies stop, Jack and several of his mercenaries begin to unload the cargo.

The other rebel leaders were dumbfounded. Seeing a fully functioning car is already rare, if not impossible, but to see 10 of them…

"What are these…?" Arthur asked

"Buggies…" the mercenary leader answered

A suspicious Senora takes a closer look at one of the buggies. "Where did you get these things?"

"It's a pretty interesting story actually" Jack answered "After we were booted out of our hideout back in 2278, we went looking for a new one. The DC Ruins didn't go so well because of the Super Mutants so we went somewhere outside of the Capital Wasteland. We then found a vault. Most of the people inside were already dead but it was a gold mine of weapons and supplies."

"Why only unleash them now?" the Regulators leader said

"Such hostility… As I keep telling you, I run things differently. So stop bitching at me about past events that I had absolutely no control over!"

"Bitching!? I'll show bitching you no good piece of-"

"Senora enough!" Arthur intervened "Are these the weapons you promised?"

"Why yes they are! These buggies will provide us with fast transport to the enemy stronghold. With these mounted guns, we can make it rain lead all day long! They won't even know what hit them! But that's not all"

A Talon Company Mercenary then opens 2 crates, one contained a very long sniper rifle and another contained what looked like to be a missile launcher.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the PTRD1941 Anti-Tank Sniper Rifle" the mercenary leader said as he picks up the long sniper rifle "This baby fires .50 caliber armor piercing rounds. Fully automatic too! These things can drill through power armor like it was just a piece of cloth! It's heavy though so you may want to stay in a safe area if you want to use it properly unless you're confident with your strength"

He then hands it over to Arthur, who was shocked at the weapon's weight. "Damn… This is heavy…"

The mercenary leader then picks up the missile launcher. "Next on the list is the FIM-92 'Stinger' Missile Launcher. This will be great against those vertibirds. Unlike regular rocket or missile launchers, this one has a lock-on system. All you need to do is keep that vertibird within the launcher's sights. Once you hear the beeping sound, you can fire and that missile will follow that vertibird even if it moves to the side. The rest don't really need to be elaborated but let me name a few... We have an AK-74, AK-74u, and M4A1… Well I'll go on and on if I keep this up so I'll leave the introducing the other guns to my boys here…"

"Interesting…" Arthur said "These would be great for our assault on both targets!"

"But where did you get the fuel for those cars?" Fawkes asked "I'm not sure but I do have this feeling that those cars need fuel to move. And that fuel is no longer abundant here…"

"A good question…" the mercenary leader answered "Instead of the so-called 'gasoline' that every old geezer and ghoul would tell you, we found this interesting substance called Oilix inside the vault and the schematics on how to make one. Making one is almost too easy since the ingredients are everywhere. Now, I hope you can see how helpful my services are…"

"These weapons are really impressive…" Arthur said "What do you guys think?"

"They will prove to be useful in the coming battle!" Fawkes remarked "I shall have some of my brothers utilize them as soon as possible!"

"I guess beggars can't be choosers…" Red said "We gotta make do with what we have then!"

"Do we even have a choice in the matter?" Laren remarked "We don't have much time so we have no choice but to accept this"

"I still don't trust you…" Senora said "But if these weapons will give us an edge then I guess we have no choice but to use them…"

"It's agreed then" Arthur said "Thank you, Jack. Now, let's get ready for the battle… It'll be something that a lot of us won't soon forget… You know what to do"

"Yeah" the other leaders answered

As the other leaders disperse to do their respective businesses, Johannes simply stood there, staring at the buggies and supply crates…

Meanwhile:

Ellie walks into the medical tent and approaches Dallas who was reading a book.

"How are you feeling?" the mercenary asked

"I'm ok now thanks… I'll be out in a few days"

"That's great… I'm sorry but can you tell me what happened during that time at the radio station? I haven't gotten the chance to ask you since you were out cold for a while…"

"About that… it was pretty weird actually…"

"What do you mean?"

"When I spotted the Ranger, he was ready to fire but he wasn't aiming for the head or heart"

"What do you mean?"

"It's like he intentionally missed…"

"He intentionally missed…?"

"Yeah… He shot me in the stomach yes but… I'm sorry that's all I could remember…"

"It's ok… I think I've heard enough… Anyway, I gotta go Dallas. Take care of yourself…"

"Yeah…"

As the mercenary exits the tent, Dallas reaches into her pocket and picks up a necklace, in the center was a small cross. "Ellie… I should be saying that to you…"

A few minutes later:

Ellie and the other members of Lyons' Pride gear up as the battle draws near.

"You ready for this Ellie?" Vyse asked as he checks his rifle

"Yeah…" she replied as she pulls out an AK-74, customized with a grenade launcher, from her locker

"Whoah" the knight sergeant remarked "New gun?"

"Yeah… It was part of the shipment of new weapons that those guys from Talon Company brought…"

"Whoah… Any new energy weapons by any chance?"

"Nope… All only regular rifles, SMGs and pistols"

"Aw… Oh well. Not like my baby right here disappointed me in any way…"

"Yeah well while you stay in the past…" Marina said as she pulls out an Anti-Material Rifle from her locker "I'm gonna have fun with my new toy!"

"The fuck!?" the knight sergeant said "You got a new gun too?"

"Well… Energy weapons are good and all but nothing beats the sound, stopping power and smell of good ol' lead!"

"Screw you, Marina! I look to the future of weaponry!"

"The 'future' huh? I wonder about that…"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

Marina didn't utter a word as she simply gives a mischievous smile to Vyse.

"Y-You…" he said

"Hey guys" Coby interrupted "Cut the chitchat, we need to scramble! The Citadel isn't gonna free itself, you know!"

"Right!" everyone said in unison

Outskirts of the Citadel:

"It's almost time…" Arthur muttered as he stares at his watch

"Dividing our forces huh…" Vyse muttered "You think it's a good strategy considering what we'll be facing?"

"I think so…" Elysse answered "We'll concentrate most of our force on the Citadel. The Purifier is not really a priority but we can't ignore the NCR troops there, since they're close to Rivet City and the Citadel."

As Arthur's watch reaches 2pm, he turns to Marina, who was crouching and pointing her new rifle towards the entrenched NCR troops. "Marina"

Upon hearing her name, the sniper squeezes the trigger. The bullet flies straight and drills through the power helmet of one the enemy soldiers. After gaining first blood, the rebels commence their attack. Marina hops into one of the buggies as rebel forces charge towards the Citadel.

In no time, it was raining bullets. The buggies gave enough cover fire for the rebels to get close enough to engage the NCR troops. Several vertibirds attempted to provide support but the rebel's new arsenal enabled them to neutralize the aerial threat with ease.

Eventually, the rebel buggies managed to break through the enemy defenses, finally reaching the main gate to the Citadel.

Vyse and Coby check the gate as the other rebels secure the area.

"No good…" the knight sergeant said "Gate's tightly locked"

"Should we force our way through?" Ellie asked

"No…" Arthur answered "Even if we manage to take the Citadel, we'll have a hard time defending the place from infiltrators if it's too damaged… We have to make sure that we minimize the damage we do"

As Ellie looks at the Citadel's walls, an idea pops into her head. "Hey! I got an idea. I'll climb the wall. Tell me where the gate switch is!"

"Are you sure about that?" Arthur said "It's a long way up…"

"Do we have any other option?"

"Fair enough… The gate switch should be just behind that wall…" the Sentinel answered as the point to the area on top of the gate.

Wasting no time, Ellie climbs the wall as NCR troops, coming from the nearby bridge, engage the rebel forces by the gate. With a few close calls, the mercenary manages to climb the top of the wall. She quickly jumps down towards a catwalk.

Luckily, the NCR troops have yet to notice her. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ellie makes her way towards the gate's switch, eliminating 4 guards on the way…

In less than 5 minutes, she reaches the door switch and pushes it. The large metallic gate opens as the rebels finish off the NCR reinforcements.

With the front gate open, the rebels begin to pour into the Citadel Courtyard. Ellie quickly lunges from her position, doing an aerial takedown of two NCR soldiers.

Lyons' Pride then pushes their way towards Ring A.

The Citadel; Ring A:

The corridors were filled with the sight and sound of gunfire as both rebel and NCR troops fight for control of the floor. However, it was a stalemate as neither side could advance further into the hallways.

The rebel's Super Mutant allies attempted to provide cover for the rebels to advance but NCR Rangers managed to skillfully eliminate 2 Super Mutant Masters and 1 Super Mutant Overlord.

"Damn those Rangers!" Coby shouted as he returns fire

"Not even the Super Mutants can help us…" Vyse uttered "…What do we do?!"

"Our power armor can't protect us from all those bullets…" Kodiak remarked "…We can't be too reckless…"

Soon, Ellie notices a vent on top of her, it was small enough to fit her. "Hey guys! I found a vent, I think we can flank them using this!"

Noticing the vent, Arthur turns to Elysse. "That's a brilliant Idea, Ellie! Anyone small enough to fit in that vent? We need at least a tiny squad to flank these bastards!"

Without a moment to waste, Marina, Elysse and a few rebel soldiers volunteered to go through the vents.

Ellie and the others then navigate through the vents, seeing the activity below. She eventually stops at a dead end and seeing a possible opening, the mercenary quickly opens the hatch and lands on top of an unsuspecting NCR soldier, which the mercenary promptly neutralizes with her hidden blades. Following Ellie's lead, the rebels drop down from the vent. Bursting from the door, the rebels opened fire at the surprised NCR soldiers. Another idea then pops inside the mercenary's head. "I got an idea!"

"What?" Elysse uttered

"I'll be taking this body to that room…" The mercenary replied as she drags the body of the NCR trooper she killed towards an initiate's room. A few minutes later, the mercenary emerges from the room, looking like a regular NCR soldier.

"What are you planning to do?" Elysse asked

"We can't keep stalling like this so, let me infiltrate their lines and take em out from behind! For now, just pretend to shoot me while I retreat!"

"… Fine… But be careful!"

The rebels then put up an act, pretending to shoot Ellie as she retreats towards the NCR barricade. Buying the ruse, the NCR soldiers cover Ellie as she makes her way towards them. Upon reaching the soldiers, she quickly punches two men in the face, knocking them out.

As the other soldiers respond to her attack, Ellie then kicks one in between the legs, neutralizing him. As two Rangers attempt to stab her with their respective knives, Ellie moves quickly and dodges the attacks as both men nearly cut each other.

In no time, the mercenary grabs the heads of both men and crashes them towards each other, knocking both men out. With the area secured, the rebels move onto the lab. However, NCR reinforcements from the courtyard pour into the halls.

The rebels stop to engage the additional NCR troops. Then, a NCR trooper fires a rocket launcher, missing the rebels but hitting the ceiling. The roof collapses, separating the mercenary from the rebels.

"Guys!" the mercenary shouted

"We're ok!" Elysse answered "You go ahead! The enemy commander should be in the lab area! If you manage to take him out, we'll demoralize the NCR soldiers around here!"

"Got it!"

Citadel; Laboratory:

As Ellie walks into the lab, disguised as a NCR trooper. She then notices a giant robot in the middle of the room, luckily for her though, it isn't functioning. She activates her 'eagle vision' to spot her target. She sees the distinctive golden aura of her target, located near a large electronic map, and proceeds to walk slowly towards him. As she gets closer, she could hear bits and pieces of the general's conversation with a NCR soldier.

"Give me a report, Lieutenant!"

"Sir! Rebel forces have breached Ring A and B! It's only a matter of time before they reach the lab!"

"God damn… These guys either have a brilliant commander or a skillful soldier…"

"What are your orders sir?"

As Ellie aims her rifle at the general's head, the NCR general grabs a microphone and begins a broadcast.

"Attention all Rebel forces within the Citadel! I am Alexander Rodriguez! Commander of the NCR troops stationed here! I'm offering to surrender myself to you in exchange for the safe retreat of my forces!"

As the general repeats his broadcast, Ellie couldn't help but feel empathy for the man… She lowers her rifle as she notices another figure with a distinctive golden aura, who was about to fire his pistol on the general. Seeing the danger, the mercenary quickly fires her rifle, hitting the man's hand, causing him to miss his mark.

With her cover blown, the mercenary quickly ran towards some tables and created a makeshift cover using them. Pinned down by enemy fire, the mercenary couldn't even stand up to return fire! Desperate, the mercenary look into the pouches of her stolen NCR uniform. She finds a cylindrical grenade in one of the pouches. Taking a chance, the mercenary pulls the pin and throws it. Taken by surprise, the NCR troops shout "Grenade!" before it detonated into a bright light and an ear-piercing sound echoed throughout the room, disorienting several NCR soldiers. As Ellie saw this, she found her opportunity and charged towards the disoriented soldiers, knocking them out with a few well-placed punches and kicks. But a few soldiers managed to recover quickly. One grabs Ellie from behind as another punches her in the stomach. Having no other option, the mercenary manages to grab her pistol and shoot the man in front of her with it. She then breaks free from the other soldier's grip and stabs him with her hidden blades.

But she was not out of the woods yet, as another soldier lunge at her. Recognizing her attacker, Ellie mutters "Gusurg…"

"Hi…"

"Well. Well… I've been waiting for this you bitch!"

"Bring it on then!"

Ellie then attempts to slash the traitor with her hidden blades but the former knight managed to either dodge her attacks or parry them with his knives, which he wielded dually. As the two continue their battle, the rest of the rebels, including Lyons' Pride, burst through the many doors of the lab.

Ellie was momentarily distracted which prompted Gusurg to grab her and do a headbutt. The mercenary falls to the ground as the traitor was stabs her in the right shoulder.

As Gusurg was about to deliver the killing blow, Ellie grabs his right and left arm. Both individuals struggle to maintain control of the situation. With the knife getting cloer and closer, Ellie begins to grow desperate… "Let go…"

The mercenary heard a faint voice telling her to 'let go' before she inexplicably finds the strength to overpower her attacker. She then pushes Gusurg away and unleashes a combo of punches. She then leaps towards him and stabs his right arm with one of her hidden blades. She was about to end the traitor's life but she stops herself at the last second.

As the rebels pour into the lab, Ellie and Lyons' Pride move into the rooms behind the map. There, they find General Alexander and two other NCR Rangers. Immediately, both parties point guns at each other but the NCR general places his hands over the guns of both men. "We're done here…"

"But sir…!" the Ranger responded

"I said we are done! I said over the intercom that I'll surrender so I expect the rebels to honor my wish…"

Arthur then ordered the rebels to arrest the General and his guards. "This is Sentinel Maxson to all forces. The NCR commander has surrendered! The Citadel is ours! Don't chase after any retreating NCR personnel and capture as many of these bastards as you can, alive… I say again… Do not chase down any retreating enemy forces and try to take prisoners if you can!"

The general then smiles as he thanks the Sentinel. As he was about to be led out of the room, Arthur's radio comes alive once again. "Talk to me"

"Pride leader! This is Delta Squad!"

"Delta? James what's going on? What's happening at the Purifier?"

"You were right the Purifier was lightly defended but…"

"But what?"

"There's a lone NCR Ranger who's decimating our ranks!"

"Can you id the enemy Ranger?"

"No sir! He's wearing a mask!"

"Copy that, we'll be on our way!"

Ellie walks closer to the sentinel. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure but there's a lone NCR Ranger, at the Purifier, keeping our forces at bay!"

The Purifier:

A few minute later:

The members of Lyons' Pride arrive at the vicinity of the Jefferson Memorial.

"Good to see you guys!" James said as he greets the reinforcements

"What happened?" Arthur asked

"All was going well until we reached the inside of the facility. There was a lone Ranger and he's pretty much like a one-man army…Decimated almost 3 squads worth of troops"

"A one-man army…" Kodiak muttered

"Also…" James continued "… He said that he wants Ellie inside alone…"

"Me?"

"Yes… He asked for you personally…"

Ellie ponders to herself for a moment. "I'll do it…"

Vyse was shocked at the mercenary's quick decision. "What!? That's too reckless! It's obviously a trap!"

"Even so…" the mercenary said "… I feel like I know who this is…"

"Arthur!" Vyse said as he turns to the Sentinel "You can't possibly expect Ellie to go alone on this one!"

"You sure you can handle this Ellie?" the Sentinel asked

"What?!" the knight sergeant said

"I can…" the mercenary answered

"Be careful in there…"

"You can't be serious commander!" Vyse uttered "She can't go alone!"

"Vyse…" Arthur said "… Have faith…"

"God damn it!"

"Don't worry, Vyse. I'll be right back!"

"You better be!"

The Purifier; Main Control Room:

As the mercenary enters the control room, she sees the lone NCR Ranger, taking his mask off, the mercenary quickly recognizes her foe. "Rufus…"

"Hi Ellie"

"So you're the 'one-man army' everyone's been talking about?"

"That's exaggerating it a bit… I'm just a skillful Ranger, that's all…"

"Skillful huh… We'll see about that!"

The mercenary then charges towards her foe and proceeded to unleash a combo of punches and kicks on him, which the NCR Ranger easily blocked. The merenary then jumps back.

"Same old… same old…" the Ranger said "If you keep repeating the same pattern, it'll be easier for me to kick your ass into the dirt. Which is gonna make this, hell of a boring fight"

"Don't underestimate me…"

"I should say the same to you"

Rufus then unleashes a right hook on Ellie. She blocks it with her left arm but as the ranger's fist hits her arm, the mercenary couldn't help but feel pain despite blocking his fist with her armguard…

"The fuck is that arm made of?! Steel?!"

Rufus chuckles as he shakes his arms. "If you've been through the shit that I've seen, you'd understand how and why I'm like this!"

"That sounds rather interesting…" the mercenary said in a sarcastic tone "But I'll have to pass and kick your ass right now!"

Ellie then unleashes another combo of kicks and punches but the Ranger easily dodged or blocked all of them.

After a while, the two fighters were starting to gasp for air.

"Getting tired?" Rufus taunted

"Not in… your life…" the mercenary answered as she continues to pant

"Well… Let's make things interesting then!" The Ranger uttered as he pulls out a shiny curved sword.

Ellie looks around and sees a long thin metal pipe. She grabs it and wields it like a staff.

Rufus smiles as he charges at Ellie. The mercenary quickly parries his slashes with her pipe. She attempts to hit Rufus' head with it but the ranger easily dodges her strikes.

"Gotta do better than that!" he said as he swings his sword. Surprisingly, the mercenary drops her pipe and blocks the sword with her armguard. Acting fast, the mercenary quickly flicks her right arms and stabs Rufus in his right arm. She then grabs his throat and pummels him to the floor.

With a blade resting just above his neck, Rufus couldn't help but chuckle.

"Still think I'm using the same old pattern?"

"Quick and unexpected but sloppy"

"Still have the resolve to smart mouth me eh?"

"What can I say, I'm a pretty calm guy"

As Ellie was about to contact her comrades, she felt the barrel of a gun behind her head.

"Arms in the air and stand up" the person from behind said

"You have got to be kidding me…" the mercenary said as she complies

She then turns around. "You…" It was the hooded figure she met at the Lincoln Memorial.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you go through with this"

"You're working for the NCR too?!"

"Working? No… It's just that this man here is important"

"Important?! Why you slimy son of a-"

The figure then points his pistol at the mercenary's forehead.

Rufus then stands up and walks behind the hooded figure. "Well looks like we'll have a Round 3…"

"You bitch…!"

Rufus and the figure then lead Ellie into the Purifier Chamber and closed the door.

"I'll gladly give you a Round 3 but for now, we'll have to part ways!" Rufus said as he and the figure move to the exit.

Ellie then brings out her radio and signals that the Purifier is secured…

Underground Tunnels:

As Rebel forces move into the Purifier, Rufus and the Hooded Figure escape via the underground tunnel system.

"In that fight…" the Hooded Figure said "You were holding back, weren't you?"

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"We both know that you could have easily defeated Ellie the entire time, even during the part where she had that blade by your neck. So why did you hold back?"

"You do know her role in all this, right?"

"Yes I do"

"Well then you should know why I held back…"

"I understand…So what's your verdict of her skills?"

"She's really improved a lot and I've noticed that she's already undergoing the sequence…"

"Oh shit…"

"Not yet… She may be starting to 'transform' but she's not yet lost… We still have time…"

"Damn it… Then I hope she fulfills her role as soon as possible…"

"She must… If the Capital Wasteland-no, the world is to survive"

Citadel, Meeting Room:

The members of Lyons' Pride, including James and Audrey, take their respective seats as an elderly woman and a tall man, wearing a NCR prison outfit, enters the room.

"Elder Lyons!" Arthur said "It is an honor to-"

"Please Arthur" Sarah interrupted "No formalities… For those of you who haven't met me yet, I am Sarah Lyons, Elder of this Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. Now then I would like to thank and congratulate you all in your efforts. With your victory here, the Brotherhood is now unified once again and we can now bring the fight to the NCR"

"Also, concerning about this 'Rufus' character" Paladin Vasquez added "We have no records of someone going by this name…"

"No records?" Ellie asked

"No records…" The paladin answered "…The guy might have given you a fake name…"

"...Damn it…"

"Anyhow" James said "The fact that we managed to finally recapture the Citadel and the Purifier is good enough for now! Let's worry about him another time"

"You're right…" The mercenary responded as she suddenly remembers something

"What's up?" Vyse wondered as he noticed the mercenary's face

"I just remembered something I picked up"

"What is it?"

"Remember the room that me and the others poured out from?" The mercenary uttered as she brings out a holotape "I found this holotape there. I think it might be something useful!"

"Interesting…" Arthur said "Well then play it here!"

"Right!" the mercenary responded as she begins playing the recording…

March 21, 2282… I met a strange group of people today… After encountering a group of mercs who tried to kill me, yet again, these hooded people suddenly appeared before me. I asked who they are and they did not give me a straight answer… They simply said that they were just people behind the scenes. With my curiosity getting the better of me, I managed to pickpocket a note from one of the men and I discovered something odd. Turns out they are looking for some kind of relic hidden somewhere in the DC Ruins… I wonder… Been a while since I had an interesting adventure like this one so I decided to go. But since I don't know what I'm gonna face, I'll be leaving behind a series of recordings in case something happens to me, which I hope doesn't happen at all…

"Looks like the recording ends there…" Ellie remarked

"That voice…" James muttered

"Does the man on the recording seem familiar?" Ellie asked

"That was my husband…" the Elder answered "… The Lone Wanderer…"

Just outside the room was a Brotherhood Paladin, wearing power armor. After hearing the recording, the man quickly walks to a secluded location. Entering the closet, he brings out a radio. "She found 'it'"

"Ohohoho… The wheels are starting to turn…" a young female voice responded "… Continue to report on the progress around the Brotherhood… And make sure to keep an eye out for 'them'… I'll be the one to keep an eye on Ellie…"

"Yes ma'am!"

?:

Elsewhere, the unknown woman puts down her radio. She then pulls out a necklace, with the symbol of a small cross in the middle. She smiles as she stares at the necklace. "This is when things start getting interesting… I wonder what the future holds. Ellie… I hope you can entertain me in the coming days…"