Chapter 24: Take it Back

The captured Vertibird touched down in the Citadel's courtyard shortly after noon. It wasn't the most graceful landing, but as Brick said: "Any landing you can walk away from, is a good one." Elder Lyons, Sarah, and about twenty other BOS soldiers gathered around the Vertibird as it's occupants filed out. Marcus immediately regretted not radioing ahead and telling them about their "unique" associate, because as soon as Fawkes exited, about half a dozen Knights raised their guns and started yelling.

Marcus stepped between them and Fawkes with his hands raised. "It's okay! It's okay, he's one of us!"

The BOS soldiers were looking at each other, not sure of what to do. Elder Lyons and Sarah stepped forward.

"His name is Fawkes." Marcus said. "He helped rescue me from Raven Rock."

The Meta Human raised his hands. "It is true. I mean you no harm."

Everyone in the courtyard's mouth hung open. Star Paladin Cross stepped forward. "He speaks the truth. This Super...this Meta Human is not hostile."

Charon shrugged. "Well, not to us anyway."

Everyone seemed to relax, and the soldiers slowly lowered their weapons. Elder Lyons studied the Meta Human. "I must say this is...most unexpected. If Cross and Marcus vouch for you then you are welcome. But for now, I think it is best if you wait out here."

Fawkes lowered is hands and nodded. "I understand."

The Elder turned to Marcus. "The rest of you will join us in the Great Hall for debriefing."

Marcus removed the box of experimental rad-x from his pocket. "Okay, I have something here that Rothchild would be interested in."

Marcus placed the FEV cylinder on the table in the Great Hall. The entire council, and Doctor Madison Li, were listening to the Lone Wanderer's account of his capture and rescue from Raven Rock. "This is the virus that Eden wanted me to place into the Purifier."

Elder Lyons, who was sitting next to him, reached over and carefully picked it up. "And you're certain of what Eden said?"

Marcus nodded. "Yes. Every ghoul, Super Mutant, and every human who grew up in the Capital Wasteland would die if this virus is put into the water supply."

The Elder and Scribe Rothchild both shared a look of dread. "It's just like Posiden all over again." Rothchild said.

Sarah turned to her father. "What is he talking about? What is Posiden?"

"When we fought the Enclave out west, we learned that their main base was the Posiden oil rig one-hundred miles off the coast. One of our allies, who would later go on to be the founder of the New California Republic, infiltrated the base and discovered a terrible secret: the Enclave were preparing to disperse the FEV virus into the jet stream, killing everyone on the mainland United States. After the carnage, they would rebuild America in their imagine. By the grace of the Creator, our operative and his team managed to destroy the oil rig before Richardson could carry out his genocide."

"Now they plan on doing it here." said Dr. Li. "And they have the G.E.C.K!"

Marcus looked down. It was clear he blamed himself. "I know. I'm sorry."

Elder Lyons placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you did your best."

"A lot of good it did." Tristen grumbled.

Ignoring the Paladin's comments, Varges spoke up. "Well with their President dead and main base destroyed, they're probably on the run."

Marcus shook his head. "I don't think so. Colonel Autumn, their second in command, is still out there." He clenched his fist. "This bastard killed my father in cold blood, and tortured me for hours. Trust me, he's going to go through with this."

Tristen looked over at Madison. "How long would it take for them to break the Purifier's code?"

"It's hard to say. It could be days...or an hour from now."

Sarah slammed her fist on the table. "That's it then! We have to attack the Purifier now!" She looked over at her father. "Send the Pride in, we can do it!"

Lyons stared into the eyes of his daughter; eyes filled with fire and determination. It was the same fire he had for combat when he was a young Paladin. "Rothchild, is Liberty Prime ready?"

"Well...we think we have solved the robot's power issues."

"You think?"

Madison stood up. "Preliminary test were successful..."

"But we have not yet run any field test!" Rothchild insisted.

The Elder's voice hardened. "I do not care about your test! Will it work?"

Rothchild hesitated for a moment before finally answering. "Yes."

"Then it's decided. Sarah, you take the Pride and use the robot as support. Take our friend here and secure that purifier."

"Yes sir, it shall be done." She turned to Marcus. "You and your friends meet us down in the lab."

Elder Lyons stood up, and everyone else followed. "Then let us prepare for battle. Steel be with you all."

The Citadel became a bustle of activity. Knights and Paladins were suiting up and pulling weapons out of the armory. Inside the lab, scribes were gathering intelligence reports, and making the final preparations to activate Liberty Prime. Marcus stood in front of the massive robot and stared at it in awe.

"So do you think this thing will work, kid?" asked a gravely voice from behind him.

Marcus turned as Charon stepped up to him. "I hope so. If it does, we might have a chance." Marcus sighed as he regarded his friend. "This might be a one way ticket, Charon. You don't have to be here; it's not your fight."

Charon took a step closer to his friend. "That is a hell of a thing for you to say to me!"

Marcus could hear the pain and insult in his voice. "What..."

"You don't get it, do you kid? You not only gave me back my life, but you made it mean something again. That's what slavery does. It doesn't just take away your freedom...but your very purpose of existence. You gave that back, and now I have a chance to be a part of something great. Everything we have done has lead up to this moment, this fight. No matter what happens, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Marcus was at a loss for words as he stared at the ghoul. Their friendship had been forged in the fire of battle, and Marcus wouldn't want anyone else watching his back in this fight. They clasped their hands together and embraced. When they separated, Marcus said: "You and me to the end, brother."

Charon nodded. "Listen kid, some people believe in an afterlife. I don't know if it's real or not, but if this goes south and we both end up there...meet me at the bar. I'm buying."

Marcus laughed. "I just hope the beer's better then it was at Azhrukhal's."

"Marcus!" Rothchild rushed over to them. "We've analyzed the data on this experimental rad-x you found. You we're right. This is what allowed Colonel Autumn to survive his radiation exposure inside the Purifier."

Marcus took one of the syringes in his hand. "How does it work?"

"Well, taken at the right time, it will halt and reverse the effects of high radiation exposure."

"What do you mean at the right time?"

"This rad-x must be taken when a person is suffering from advanced levels of radiation poisoning. If you take it took soon, the rad-x will not synthesize in the blood and will be useless. However, if your exposure level is too high..."

"Then the damage is already done and you're toast." Marcus finished.

Rothchild nodded. "Yes. It's not a very large window, which is probably why the Enclave did not mass produce it."

Marcus studied the syringe closer. "Can I hold on to this."

Rothchild thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Yes. We still have more then enough to study. Maybe someday we can make it more efficient."

Marcus thanked him and tucked the rad-x away. By now Sarah, the Pride, Elder Lyons, Star Paladin Cross and Reilly's Rangers had gathered in the lab near Liberty Prime. Sarah approached him. "Marcus, before we get started, I wanted to let you know that my father and I have been talking. The Pride and I have decided that after all you've survived, you've done enough to be an honorary member of Lyon's Pride."

Marcus was floored. "You...you want me in the Pride?"

Sarah and the rest of the Pride nodded.

"I...I'm not sure I..."

"Marcus," Cross began, "no one volunteers to join the Pride - they're chosen. And the Pride has chosen you."

"That's right." Sarah said. "So congratulations. Membership comes with some privileges, including our Power Armor. Here." She turned and two scribes approached caring the power armor. "It's one of our older T45d models, but it'll do for now."

Marcus stared at the power armor with his mouth open. Less then a week ago he had been initiated into the Brotherhood. Now he was going to be part of the elite. If only his father could be here..."Thank you, Sentinel."

"Okay. We still have some time before the kick off so, go get suited up."

When Marcus returned to the lab wearing the power armor, everyone was making final checks on their weapons. Charon walked in right behind him, and he was wearing Marcus' Ranger uniform. This did not go unnoticed by the Rangers; who greeted them both with a few whistles.

"My, my, look at these two fine specimens!" said Brick.

Marcus blushed, and immediately regretted not wearing his helmet. "I hope you don't mind, Reilly but I loaned my armor to Charon. His was a little beat up."

Reilly walked over to the ghoul and took a drag on her cigar. "That's alright; it looks a lot better on you then that ugly black Talon Company armor." She walked back over to Marcus. "That's a fancy get up you got there, but, something's...missing."

Marcus looked down at his armor. He was sure he'd put it on right. "What?"

Reilly walked around him. "Hold on, I've got it. Butcher." She placed the cigar in her mouth, and Butcher handed her a green marker. Reilly then proceeded to draw the Ranger's symbol on Marcus' right shoulder plate. When she had finished, she signed her name under it. "There you go, much better. This way, not matter what armor you're wearing," she turned to the Pride, "or whoever you're with, you'll always be a Ranger."

"Hoorah!" Donovan shouted.

The rest of the Rangers let out a cheer. When it had died down, Sarah Lyons cleared her throat in a rather annoyed tone. "If you guys are finished." She walked up to Reilly. "I just want to get one thing straight. We've agreed to let you join us because Marcus vouches for you. But I don't trust mercs, so if you're coming along, you will do what I say. Got it?"

Reilly flashed the Sentinel a cocky smile, took a drag on her cigar, and blew the smoke in Sarah's face. To her credit, Lyons didn't flinch, but Marcus cringed. If things got ugly between the Rangers and Lyon's Pride, this was going to be a very short war.

Still smiling, Reilly broke the silence. "Well alright, Warrior Goddess, this is your party so you lead and we'll follow."

Sarah, who gratefully decided to let the Warrior Goddess remark go, turned to leave. Marcus' hopes for a swift ending of hostilities were dashed when Reilly grabbed Sarah's arm. "Just remember, if you're reckless with my guys lives and they get killed..."

Sarah pulled her arm away and got right in the red head's face. "You'll what!"

Butcher quickly stepped between the two women and gently placed a hand on Reilly's chest plate. "Alright ladies, that's enough! Separate corners. We're all on the same side, here. We'll whip them out and measure them later."

Both women gave him a death stare, and the tall Ranger seemed to get about a foot shorter. Thankfully, Sarah turned and walked back over to the Pride. In the back of the formation, Paladin Kodiak leaned over to Knight Commander Colvin, and began making a swiping motion with his hand and cat noised. Both men started laughing.

"Something funny, Paladin Kodiak!" Sarah yelled from the first rank.

Kodiak quickly snapped to attention. "No mam!"

"Ah hu. And what about you, Knight Commander Colvin? Something up here amusing?"

"No, nothing mam!"

Sarah gave them both a last hard look before addressing everyone. "Listen up people, the Enclave is dug in deep. They have air support, heavy artillery, and stasis fields set up to block our path. That's where the robot comes in. Rothchild and Dr. Li say this thing has enough armor and fire power to punch through any defenses they have. So we're on fire support. We stay close to the thing, keep it clear, and get it to where it needs to go. We'll mop up any stragglers along the way. Once we reach Project Purity, I will lead Marcus and a small team inside to secure the facility. Reilly, I need you to take charge of moping up the Enclave on the outside, and keep the area secured so that no one will sneak up on us."

Reilly removed the cigar from her mouth and grinned. "You got it, Warrior Goddess."

Sarah's jaw hardened, but again decided to let the comment go. As a professional soldier, she despised mercs, and Reilly and her Rangers were all a bunch of loose cannons. But Marcus had insisted, and her father agreed with him. Plus, she begrudgingly admitted that their raid on Raven Rock was very impressive. "We'll use the robot to keep them occupied while we get inside and secure the control room. When this is over, drinks are on me."

Everyone cheered at hearing that. Sarah turned to Marcus. "Once we're inside, you'll activate the Purifier."

Marcus nodded, and she could see his tension building. "Don't be nervous." she whispered. "You'll have the whole Pride backing you up, not to mention this giant tin can. Just stay safe until we reach the Purifier. And don't let that thing step on you."

Marcus let out a laugh, and a small grin appeared on the Sentinel's face.

Suddenly every monitor in the lab was filled with nothing but static. Scribes immediately began running to their stations to try and asses the situation.

"Rothchild, what's going on?" asked Elder Lyons

The head scribe frantically started pushing buttons on one of the main consoles. "Someone is hacking into our communications network."

A grave expression appeared on the Elder's face. "That's impossible! Our network is state of the art."

Rothchild shook his head. "Well, someone has managed to breach our firewalls and is taking control of the system."

Dr. Li ran over to the console. "Shut it down! Pull the plug!"

Before anyone could react, the images on the monitors changed from static to that of a tall man with grey hair, wearing a tan trench coat. Marcus approached the closest monitor. "Colonel Autumn!"

The man on the monitor smiled. "I thought I'd find you here with these...insurrectionist. I heard your speech on the radio. Very inspiring, but foolish. You must know you'll never take this Purifier by force. Any attempt will be suicidal."

Marcus clenched his fist. "Then why don't you meet me down the road and we'll discuss it further."

Autumn laughed. "Now I see why Eden tried to enlist you. Tell you what, son, I'm feeling generous - even though you murdered my loving wife. If you bring me the FEV, and start the Purifier, I'll not only spare your Brotherhood friends, but you will be placed in the highest ranking of the Enclave, second only to myself. Together we can rebuild this country the way it was meant to be. We can usher in a new world order. What do you say, son?"

By now Marcus was seeing red. He marched over to the monitor, pushed the scribe out of the way, and ripped it off the wall. Holding it with two hands, he stared down at Colonel Autumn. "You cold-blooded bastard! I'll tell you what I'm gonna do! I'm going to come down there and shove that FEV virus up your ass! And then I'm going to carve my father's name into your fucking chest, and break your goddamn SPINE!" On that last word he raised the monitor above his head and smashed it to the ground. The image disappeared from the rest of the monitors, and all that could be heard was the sound of Marcus' breathing as he tried to contain his rage. After a few moments, he finally composed himself enough to turn around. Everyone was staring at him.

Finally, Donovan shrugged his shoulder. "I think a simple no would've sufficed but...I think he got the message."

Having finally calmed down, Marcus walked back over to his friends. Suddenly, a whistling sound was heard from outside. It was faint at first, but soon it was getting louder. Sarah's eyes shot wide as she hit the deck. "IN COMING!"

The artillery shells slammed inside the courtyard of the Citadel, right on top of the lab. Though they did not penetrate, the entire facility shook, and dust and debris fell from the ceiling. Knights and Paladins began screaming "To arms! To arms!"

The battle for Project Purity had begun.

Colonel Autumn watched as the Enclave's battery of 75mm howitzers bombarded the Citadel on the other side of the Potomac. His second in command, Major Jones, stood next to him wearing Tesla power armor; a more advanced suit capable of withstanding damage from energy weapons. "The assault force is making final preparations now, sir."

Autumn put down his binoculars. "Excellent. Once we soften them up, land our troops right inside the courtyard. I want our flag flying from the walls by sundown."

A sinister grin appeared on the Major's face. Soon...soon she would have her revenge.

Fawkes watched in horror as an artillery shell slammed into a .50 caliber gun emplacement, blowing three BOS soldiers off the wall and plunging to their deaths. When the bombardment had begun, the soldiers who were left to guard the Meta Human took off running toward their stations. In the middle of the chaos, Fawkes spotted an older soldier walking through the courtyard as if he was going for a stroll in the park. He walked over to a group of six younger soldiers, huddled behind a wall and gripping their rifles for dear life.

Paladin Gunny's shadow fell on the initiates. "You have two choices!" he yelled over the sound of the bombardment. "You could either get on that wall, and face what ever hell spawn is coming, or you can face ME!"

The initiates didn't have to think twice. They jumped up and ran towards the wall of the Citadel, with Paladin Gunny following them with a grin on his face.

Fawkes was himself trying to find cover, when a tremendous explosion shook the entire courtyard, knocking the Meta Human to the ground. As he struggled to get up, he noticed a badly burned BOS Knight lying next to him, barely alive. Fawkes looked over his shoulder, and realized that their captured Vertibird had been destroyed. Quickly the Meta Human picked up the wounded soldier, and carried him towards the lab entrance.

Reilly and her Rangers quickly ran back down the steps into the lab. "Bad news!" Reilly yelled. "They took out our ride!"

"Damn it!" Sarah cursed. She was hoping the Rangers could use the Vertibird to take out the Enclave guns.

Donovan noticed that Brick was crying. "Hey, it's okay. We can get you another Vertibird."

Brick wiped away a tear. "It's not that! My lucky dice were in there."

Donovan rolled his eyes and ducked down as another shell rocked the facility.

Marcus ran over to Rothchild. "We have to activate the robot now!"

Rothchild griped the control console as another shell hit. "We can't risk opening the overhead while shells are raining down on us!"

Marcus cursed and slammed a fist on the console. If they couldn't get Liberty Prime to the surface, the Enclave would soon be knocking on their door. Marcus could see wounded already coming down into the lab, including a badly burned Knight being carried by Fawkes. The Meta Human approached one of the doctors. "He needs medical attention."

The doctor, after getting over the initial shock of seeing a Super Mutant, directed Fawkes to lay him down on a cot. Charon made his way over to Marcus. "Any ideas, kid?"

Marcus cringed. "I think we'll be having that beer sooner then we thought."

Colonel Autumn was smiling. The operation to take back the Pentagon from these terrorist was going well. Though he would have preferred that the Wanderer had been naive enough to accept his very generous offer (which had no intention of honoring), he was still content in the knowledge that soon his wife's murderer's head would be on a pike. "Excellent work, Major. Prepare the men..."

There was a loud crash, followed by the head of one of the howitzer crews being blown to pieces. Before Autumn or Jones could comprehend what had just happened, there were more crackles of fire, followed by more of their artillery crews being cut down.

"GET DOWN!" Jones screamed as she pulled the Colonel down behind cover. The remaining artillerymen scattered, and most were cut down before they could find cover. More importantly, the Enclave guns were silenced.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Autumn screamed.

Chief Harkness watched the entire scene from the deck of Rivet City. "Great job, Commander! Great job everyone!"

Commander Hill, who was lying prone and looking through the sight of her Barrett, flashed a quick smile. "No problem, Chief."

Hill and her snipers had made quick work of the Enclave gun crews. Harkness hoped it would be enough to give Marcus and the Brotherhood a chance. Quickly, he began to send a transmission. "This is Chief Harkness of Rivet City calling the Citadel..."

Silence had descended in the lab of the Citadel, and everyone slowly stood up and looked at each other. "They stopped!" Cross said.

Sarah shook her head. "It doesn't make sense."

Paladin Vargas began dusting himself off. "Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not complaining."

A transmission suddenly burst from the main console. "...Rivet City security, does anybody copy, over."

Marcus immediately recognized the voice and ran over to the console. "Harkness, is that you?"

"Marcus! Thank God you're still alive! We heard your speech kid and decided to help. Hill and her snipers have these bastards pinned down, so whatever you're gonna do, you better do it fast."

Marcus allowed himself to smile. "Harkness, if we make it through this, I buy you a beer."

"Make it a six pack and we'll call it even."

Marcus laughed.

"Chief!" Commander Hill yelled. "Look over there!"

Harkness zoomed in with his optics, and spotted two Vertibirds heading right for them. "Hey kid I gotta go; looks like we kicked the hornets nest. Give'm hell!"

The transmission ended, and Marcus quickly made his way over to the Elder. "Rivet City security just bought us some time."

Lyons turned to Rothchild. "Activate Liberty Prime, now!"

Rothchild and Li began the activation sequence. Everyone stood back as the lab's over head began to open, and alarms began wailing. Then, to everyone's surprise, the robot spoke:

"VOICE MODULE ONLINE... AUDIO FUNCTIONALITY TEST... INITIALIZED. DESIGNATION: LIBERTY PRIME. MISSION: THE LIBERATION OF ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. PRIMARY TARGETS: ANY AND ALL RED CHINESE INVADERS. EMERGENCY COMMUNIST ACQUISITION DIRECTIVE: IMMEDIATE SELF-DESTRUCT. BETTER DEAD THAN RED!"

Liberty Prime began to rise out of the lab. Sarah Lyons grabbed her tri-beam laser rifle. "Alright everyone let's move! Double time it!" She ran up the steps, and the rest of the assault team followed.

Marcus grabbed a hold of Fawkes' Gatling Laser and presented it to the Meta Human. "You'll need this, Fawkes. I had the scribes fix it up and give you a full pack."

Fawkes looked at the weapon and grinned. "I am at your back!"

Marcus nodded. "Good to know." They ran outside to the courtyard, and a large crane was lifting Liberty Prime off the ground, and swung the large robot over the Citadel's wall. Sarah, the Lyon's Pride, Reilly's Rangers, Star Paladin Cross, Charon, Fawkes and Marcus, had gathered at the Citadel's main gate. Once Liberty Prime was back on solid ground, the gate opened, and the attack force ran out.

The two Enclave Vertibirds descended on Rivet City like angels of death. One of them fired a salvo of rockets that struck the carrier's control tower, killing two of Hill's snipers. The other aircraft fired it's Gatling laser, strafing the deck with deadly laser fire. Harkness watched in horror as three more of his men were turned to ash. "CLEAR THE DECK! GET BELOW!"

Harkness and what remained of Hill's snipers quickly evacuated the flight deck and headed inside the carrier. Both of the Enclave Vertibirds landed, and two squads of heavy armored soldiers quickly filed out.

With the threat from Rivet City removed, Colonel Autumn was finally able to lift his head and look out across the Potomac. What he saw made his jaw drop. A large, 40 foot tall robot was strolling towards the Arlington Memorial Bridge, where the first of their stasis fields had been erected. "I'll be damned! It's true! Get our Vertibirds in the air and tell them to take that thing out!"

Jones saluted and transmitted the order. Almost immediately, three Vertibirds lifted off and headed towards Liberty Prime. The massive robot stopped and turned towards the incoming threat. ""COMMUNISTS DETECTED ON AMERICAN SOIL. LETHAL FORCE ENGAGED!"

Marcus stopped and stood in awe as two massive laser beams shot out Liberty Primes' eyes, blowing all three Vertibirds out of the sky. Everyone in the assault force raised their weapons and cheered.

Then, over the sounds of battle, Marcus heard what sounded like rock music coming from the massive robot.

"Americaaaaaa! [instrumental] Americaaaaa! [instrumental] America, Fuck Yeah! Comin' again to save the motherfuckin' day yeah, America, Fuck Yeah! Freedom is the only wayya!"

Liberty Prime approached the first Enclave checkpoint on the bridge, and Marcus could see laser and plasma fire bouncing off the robot. Two laser blast from it's eyes obliterated the check point, and any Enclave soldier caught in the kill zone was reduced to ash.

"Communist your game is through, cause now you have to answer to America, Fuck Yeah!"

More Enclave soldiers began charging across the bridge, firing their weapons at the massive robot. Their rifles might as well have been toys, as they had no effect on it. Liberty Prime reached behind it's back, and pulled out what looked like a massive fat man nuke. The robot tossed the bomb with the grace of a quarterback, and the explosion annihilated the Enclave soldiers.

"So lick my butt and suck on my balls, America, Fuck Yeah! Whatcha gonna do when we come for you now!"

Marcus and the assault force where cheering themselves hoarse as they watched Liberty Prime cut down the Enclave as if they were flies. The robot reached the first stasis field and stopped. "OBSTRUCTION DETECTED. COMPOSITION: TITANIUM ALLOY SUPPLEMENTED BY PHOTONIC RESONANCE BARRIER. PROBABILITY OF MISSION HINDRANCE... ZERO PERCENT!" Liberty Prime grabbed hold of the stasis field and, with one violent motion, tore them down.

Sarah Lyons urged her team forward. "Come on you apes! You wanna live forever!"

The team let out a cheer and charged over the bridge. For now, it looked like they had a real chance of winning.

The Enclave soldiers realized pretty early on that storming Rivet City was not going to be a cake walk. In addition to the security force and militia, every able bodied man and woman who could hold a gun had joined the fight. The ones who couldn't were gathered inside the chapel of Saint Monica, where father Clifford was leading them in prayer. Angela sat with the citizens trembling in fear as she could hear the gunfire and explosions just one level above them. Diego (who Angela had a secret crush on), sat next to the frightened woman and held her.

"Diego, I have to tell you something." She whispered.

Diego squeezed her hand. He too, had feelings for Angela, but his obligations to the church had always prevented him from telling her. "Shhh, you don't have to say anything."

Another explosion, and Angela's hold on Diego tightened. "Yes I do, I may never get another chance to. I love you, Diego. I've loved you since the first time I saw you in Gary's Galley."

Diego smiled at the memory. He remembered how beautiful Angela looked when she approached his table, and he'd almost forgotten what he wanted to order. He looked into her eyes. If they were in deed going to die today, he didn't want to leave this Earth with regrets. "I love you too, Angela."

One level above, the residents of Rivet City were fighting for their lives. Harkness and his team used the ship's layout to their advantage, popping out from every compartment, firing on the enemy, then falling back. The tungsten rounds provided by Flak and Shrapnel helped even the odds, and though they were advancing, the Enclave soldiers had to step over their dead brothers to do it.

Harkness, Flak, Shrapnel and Hill were firing down the passageway; trying to cover their remaining team as they fell back to the next stairway. Hill fired her Barrett, and the .50 caliber round blew out the chest of an Enclave soldier. But another soldier fired his laser rifle, striking Hill in her left leg. Harkness felt panic as he saw Hill go down, and Shrapnel quickly pulled her out of the line of fire. His panic now replaced by rage, the android emptied his magazine into the Enclave soldier, killing him. Flak tossed a frag grenade down the hall, blowing the leg off of another of the invaders. The rest of the Enclave soldiers fell back around the corner, but Harkness knew the retreat was only temporary. He looked over to Hill, who was back on her feet and leaning on Shrapnel. "Are you alright?"

Hill gritted her teeth. "I'll live."

Harkness looked around the corner, then back to his team. "You three head for the next level, I'll hold them here."

"No!" Hill lunged forward, and practically fell in the Chief's arms. "I can still fight!"

A smile appeared on Harkness' face, and as he stared into her eyes, he regretted never telling her how he really felt. As an android the concept of love was an unknown, almost frightening, anomaly. Hill, unexpectedly, had taught him what it really was. He gently pushed the hairs away from her face, and his voice was barley above a whisper. "I was never more alive, then when I was with you."

Hill's eyes immediately began to tear up. Harkness smiled and looked up at Flak and Shrapnel. "Take her."

Harkness let her go, and the two men dragged the screaming Commander towards the stairwell. The Chief took a deep breath and stepped out into the middle of the passageway. The Enclave soldiers advanced, and Harkness charged at them in a full sprint. The soldiers only got off two shots when the android slammed into the first one, knocking him thirty feet down the passageway. Before the shock wore off, Harkness disarmed another soldier, then punched him three times in the head, denting his helmet and cracking his skull. An Enclave soldier delivered a hard right hook, and the power armor's strength caught the Chief off guard. But he quickly recovered, and delivered a devastating spinning snap kick that knocked the soldier off his feet. Before Harkness could advance, his left hand was struck by a plasma round, and he screamed in pain as his flesh, and then fingers, melted off. The Chief looked up from his wounded limb, and found himself staring down the barrel of two plasma rifles.

After crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge (and leaving a large amount of carnage), Liberty Prime turned right and began advancing down a road flanked by destroyed buildings. About 50 feet above the street, was an enclosed walk-bridge linking two buildings, with two Enclave soldiers firing their weapons at the robot.

"EMBRACE DEMOCRACY, OR YOU WILL BE ERADICATED." One blast from Liberty Prime's lasers, and the soldiers were blown out the other side of the bridge, and fell to the street.

Sarah pointed at the walk-bridge. "Over watch!"

Her two snipers, Knight Commanders Colvin and Dust, knew exactly what their leader wanted. "Yes, Sentinel!" they said in union-son, and both snipers headed inside the building. Dust looked over her shoulder. "What's the matter old man, you can't keep up?"

Colvin just smiled behind his mask. The two snipers had always been in a friendly competition with each other, more so because Dust was eager to prove she was just as good as anyone in the Brotherhood. Colvin never cared about who got the most kills, but he always humored Dust since it kept her focused.

Sarah addressed the rest of the team. "Everyone spread out! Chances are there's going to be stragglers in those buildings, so stay frosty!"

The team acknowledge and they moved out. As Liberty Prime marched down the street, three more Vertibirds appeared from behind one of the buildings and fired a salvo of rockets. For a moment the robot appeared to falter, and took a couple of steps back. "INITIATING DIRECTIVE #7395: DESTROY ALL COMMUNISTS!" Liberty Prime fired his lasers, and the Vertibirds were turned to scrape metal.

The assault team had made it down half the length of the street, when the ambush was sprung. Enclave soldiers poured out of the buildings and ruins on both sides. Fawkes and Brick both let out a battle roar, and the combination of Eugene and the Meta Human's Gatling laser mowed down six of the attackers. Marcus spotted a group of Enclave soldiers coming down a stone staircase, and he immediately opened fire. He scored two hits on a soldier with his plasma rifle, turning him to goo. Sarah and Reilly each fired their tri-beam lasers, killing two more. Charon tossed a frag grenade, and the explosion killed the final soldier.

On the other side of the street, an Enclave soldier with a mini gun opened fire from a third story window. Glade, Vargas, Donovan and Butcher, scattered just in time. Butcher, who was lying face down, looked at Donovan and pointed over his shoulder. "Get that mother!"

Donovan loaded his RPG, took aim, and fired. The grenade scored a direct hit, and the top half of the Enclave soldier fell to the street. They continued forward, with Vargas and Kodiak out in front. They both found themselves standing on a pile of rubble, blasting away with their laser rifles. A plasma grenade was tossed out of a building to their right, and it landed right at Kodiak's feet. Vargas pushed the young Paladin off the pile. "Get down!"

Kodiak tumbled down the pile, and looked up just as the grenade went off. Vargas was tossed twenty feet in the air, blowing both of his legs off. What was left of his lifeless body fell back down a few feet from Kodiak. "VARGASSSSS!"

Even with the sounds of battle, Sarah heard Kodiak's scream, and looked over to see Vargas' battered body lying in the street. Kodiak looked up, and spotted the Enclave soldier responsible, standing where his friend had been killed. Before the soldier could open fire, he was riddled with laser fire from Paladin Glade's Gatling laser. "MOTHERFUCKERRRRRRR!" He screamed as he shredded Vargas' killer.

Sarah gritted her teeth and took aim with her rifle. "BASTARDS!" She stood in the middle of the street, completely exposed, and fired away at three Enclave soldiers. The first was turned to ash, but the others returned fire, one of them scoring a laser hit to her left leg. Sarah grunted, but the anger allowed her to fight the pain, and she continued to fire until the offending soldier fell.

Reilly pulled the Sentinel behind cover. "Get down!"

Sarah pushed her hand away. "You worry about yourself!"

She was about to pop up from cover, but the merc leader held her back. "Getting yourself killed will not get him back! I've lost men in battle. I know it hurts, but you can't lose your head!"

Sarah looked at the red head, and then realized that Marcus and Charon were crouched down next to her. Silently, Sarah cursed herself for losing her control. That was the one thing a leader never did - and it took a merc to point it out to her.

Reilly let her go and handed her a frag grenade. "Don't get mad. Get even!"

Sarah nodded, and Reilly removed another grenade and pulled the pin. Sarah nodded, and the two women tossed them over their cover, and the explosion killed two more Enclave soldiers. The four of them stood up, and continued to advance. Marcus was grateful that the two women were able to work together. He couldn't help but admire how Sarah Lyons moved through the battlefield. She was more of an artist then a soldier, and even though Reilly meant it to be an insult, the term Warrior Goddess seemed fitting to him.

On the other side of the street, Star Paladin Cross smashed an Enclave soldier with her super sledge, caving in his chest. She spun around and smashed another across the face, cracking his skull. "NO PRISONERS!" she screamed.

Glade fired a burst of laser fire into the back of a retreating soldier, cutting him in half. "NO MERCY!"

As Sarah Lyons fought her way down the street, she didn't realize that she was in the cross hairs of a .308 sniper rifle. The Enclave sniper grinned. "Yeah, got you now you bitch..." A sudden obstruction blocked his view, and the sniper looked up in time for Knight Commander Gallows to blast him with a laser rifle.

Marcus noticed movement to his left, but just as he turned, the Enclave soldier's head was blown apart by a .308 round.

"That's five!" Dust yelled. "How many do you have?"

Colvin took a deep breath, held it, and squeezed the trigger. The pink mist in his scope confirmed the kill. "Five."

Dust looked over at him. "You mean we're tied? Oh hell no!" She took aim and fired again, scoring another kill. "Booya! An officer!"

Colvin continued to look down his sight. "That still only couts as one." He fired again. "Six."

Soon the remaining Enclave soldiers were in full retreat. Liberty Prime had already made it to the small bridge which lead to the Jefferson Memorial, and the assault team was not far behind. Two Enclave officers threw down their guns and jumped into the irradiated Potomac, trying to swim away. Gallows and Kodiak, still determined to avenge Vargas, shot them like fish in a barrel.

Sarah wiped the sweat from her brow. "Come on, brothers! They bleed like everyone else!"

Marcus could see the memorial up ahead, and his heart began to race. They were almost there.

Chief Harkness closed his eyes and prepared himself for the inevitable. He shuttered at the sound of a gun shot, but he quickly realized it wasn't from a plasma rifle. The Enclave soldier's head was completely blown off, and one of his compatriots met the same fate. Harkness quickly stood up and rushed a third soldier, grabbed his rifle, and twisted his arm until it snapped. The android followed up with a right upper cut that knocked the soldier's helmet off, rendering him unconscious. The remaining Enclave troops retreated back down the passageway. Harkness turned around and spotted Hill, leaning against the bulkhead with her Barrett rifle. While he was upset that she'd disobeyed his order, he was grateful that she did.

"Sorry Chief, but I respectfully decline."

Harkness smiled as he approached her. "What happened to Flak and Shrapnel?"

As if on que, the two arms dealers appeared from around the corner. Flak was holding a bloody nose, and Shrapnel was limping with one hand on his crotch. "Sorry...Chief," Shrapnel struggled to say, "she really...didn't want to go."

Harkness laughed. The sound of engines being fired up got their attention.

"Sounds like our guest are leaving." Hill said.

Harkness grinned. "Well then let's see them off, shall we?"

There were barley enough Enclave soldier's left to fill one Vertibird, and the pilot frantically made final preparations for take off. Harkness, Hill, Flak, Shrapnel, and several of Rivet City's militia ran out onto the flight deck, determined to finish off the rest of the invaders. Before any of them could reach it, the Vertibird lifted off. Harkness turned to Hill. "Let's give them a going away present."

Hill smiled. "Hold still."

Harkness turned and stood as stiff as a board. Hill stepped behind him, and placed the barrel of her Barrett on his right shoulder. Any sound of a .50 caliber rifle going off this close would've made any human deaf, but the android did not have to fear this. Hill took aim and fired, and the explosive round struck the right engine of the Vertibird. The aircraft began to spin wildly, and two soldiers were thrown out of it. The doomed vehicle crashed into the tidal basin, drowning the remaining Enclave personnel. Everyone on the flight deck let out a roar of celebration. Harkness immediately announced their victory over the ship's intercom. "This is Chief Harkness. The Enclave troops have been defeated. Our city is saved!"

Inside the chapel, celebration broke out, and before either of them realized it, Angela and Diego pressed their lips together. Diego knew that father Clifford was going to be upset, but in that moment, all that mattered to him was being with her.

Out on the flight deck, the cheering only got louder when Harkness wrapped his good arm around Hill and kissed her on the lips.

Colonel Autumn watched as his troops fell before the massive robot now approaching their last stasis field. Reinforcements were on their way, but he feared it would not be enough. "Major, you're with me. Everyone else, hold this line at all cost. Fight to the last man!"

The remaining soldiers wearily saluted, and the Colonel and Major went inside the memorial. By now, Liberty Prime had reached the last stasis field, and the Enclave troops braced themselves.

"AMERICA WILL NEVER FALL TO COMMUNIST INVASION!" The robot smashed through the field, and the first line of Enclave soldiers opened fire. Just as before, they were annihilated by Liberty Prime's Tesla lasers, and soon the assault force had made it to the outside of the memorial. Two more Vertibirds landed on the opposite side of the complex, and more Enclave soldiers joined the attack.

"DEMOCRACY IS TRUTH! COMMUNISM IS DEATH!" The robot boomed as he opened fire. The assault force also engaged the newly arrived Enclave force, and during the firefight, shrapnel from a frag grenade struck Charon's left leg, sending the ghoul to the ground. Marcus quickly ran over to his friend, who was trying to sit up.

"Stay down, damn it!" Marcus yelled as he grabbed his shoulder.

Butcher ran over to them, and immediately began working on the ghoul's leg, but Charon wasn't having any of it. "I'm not...out of this yet!"

Butcher examined the gaping wound and shook his head. "Yes you are. If I don't treat this leg you'll bleed out."

Marcus could see the look of disappointment on his friend's face. "It's okay, Charon. We'll take it from here."

Reluctantly, Charon nodded, and grabbed hold of Marcus' arm. "You finish this kid! You hear me. Finish it!"

Marcus nodded. "I will."

Charon let go and laid his head back down. Marcus looked over at Butcher.

"I'll take care of him." the Ranger said. "Now go; tear'em apart!"

Marcus stood up and joined Sarah, who was busy shouting commands. "Marcus! You and Fawkes on me! Reilly, you and everyone else help the robot and mop these bastards up!"

"You got it, Sentinel!"

Marcus, Sarah and Fawkes gathered by the door. "You ready?" Sarah asked.

The Lone Wanderer gritted his teeth. Colonel Autumn was a dead man. "Let's do it!"

Lyons opened the door, and the three companions entered the memorial. Except for two unfortunate Enclave soldiers (who Fawkes gleefully painted the walls with), there was surprisingly little resistance inside. Sarah didn't like it. There was no way Autumn was just going to sit back and let them waltz right in. Her fears were confirmed when a crazed woman wearing Tesla armor charged out of the shadows, wielding a metal staff with electrified ends. Sarah raised her rifle, but it was knocked from her hands, and a quick hit to the chest knocked the Sentinel against the wall. Major Jones refocused her attention on Marcus, and she raised the staff and charged, determined to smash the Wanderer's skull. Before she could reach him, the large green fist of a Meta Human smashed her in the face, knocking her fifteen feet and against a wall. Though the Tesla armored helmet was dented and critically damaged, it saved Jones' head from being caved in.

Lyons went to retrieve her rifle, and realized it was damaged. She turned to Marcus. "Go! Stop Autumn!" She pulled out her ripper. "I've got this bitch!"

Marcus hesitated for a moment. He didn't feel right leaving Sarah alone to face this enemy, but if anyone could take care of herself, it was her. He and Fawkes quickly headed for the Rotunda.

Jones removed the damaged helmet and stood up, her staff at the ready. The two blonde haired women stared at each other, hate and determination in their eyes.

"Okay, Brotherhood bitch, let's see what you got!"

The two warriors charged, and sparks flew as their weapons clashed.

Marcus and Fawkes stood at the entrance to the Rotunda. "Fawkes, this man Autumn...he killed my father. That means he's mine, understand? No matter what happens, you will not interfere. And don't let anyone else interfere either. Okay?"

The Meta Human stared at his friend, and knew there would be no way to talk Marcus out of it. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Yes. I promise."

Marcus thanked him, and they kicked the door open. The two Enclave soldiers were quickly cut down by Fawkes' Gatling laser. "YOU LOSE!"

Marcus cautiously made his way up the metal staircase and walked through the airlock. He shuttered as he stepped into the room where his father had died just a few days ago. Autumn was here somewhere, and he was going to pay.

The Colonel popped out from behind one of the main frame computers, determined to get a lucky kill shot. But Marcus spotted the movement, and quickly activated his VATS, targeting Autumn's pistol. The plasma round obliterated the weapon, and Autumn screamed as pain shot through his hand and wrist. Marcus slowly approached him, and both men stared at each other. Autumn, who was nursing his hand, broke the silence. "So what are you waiting for? Do it!"

To Autumn's shock, Marcus lowered his rifle and tossed it out the airlock. The rest of his weapons followed, and he un-did the latches on his power armor, which hit the ground with a thud. Marcus stood there in nothing but a black jumpsuit, and he stared daggers at his enemy.

Colonel Autumn snorted. "You're just as foolish as your father."

Marcus didn't say anything. He let out a blood curtailing scream and charged at the Colonel, slamming him against one of the mainframes. Marcus began repeatedly punching Autumn in the face, determined to beat his father's murderer to death. Autumn was able to recover from the initial assault, and grabbed Marcus' right hand and twisted it, then punched him in the jaw. Marcus was knocked back, and before he could put his hands up, he received a snap kick to his chest.

Sentinel Lyons and Major Jones were locked in battle, as their weapons slashed and smashed together. Even though Sarah's power armor was insulated from electricity, her head was exposed, and Jones was desperately trying to get a lucky strike. Sarah swung her ripper right at Jones' head, but it was blocked at the last moment, and Jones swung the staff, swiping Sarah across the left side of her face. Sarah staggered back, and she could feel the sting of the red electrical burn on her cheek.

"Oh, did I ruin those good looks?" Jones sneered. She charged the Sentinel again, but at the last moment, Sarah spun out of the way, and her ripper struck the back of Jones' shoulder, smashing two of her suit's Tesla coils.

"You talk too much." Sarah stated.

Jones was enraged, and charged at the Sentinel again.

Marcus was pushing the training that Charon had given him to the limit as he sparred with the Enclave Colonel. Autumn was missing two of his teeth, and Marcus' nose had been bloodied, but neither man was backing down. While Autumn had training and experience, Marcus had youth and stamina. At one point in the fight, Autumn produced a knife, and slashed it across Marcus' left cheek. Marcus' hand immediately went to the wound, and he saw the blood. Autumn came in for another strike, but this time Marcus grabbed his wrist, brought one of his fist down on Autumn's elbow, then struck him in the throat. Still holding onto the Colonel's wrist, Marcus turned his back to Autumn, twisted with all his strength, and Autumn's wrist broke with a defining snap. As the Colonel screamed, Marcus wrestled the knife from his hand, turned around, and shoved the blade into his stomach. For a moment Marcus stared at the Colonel, relishing the look of anguish and pain on his face. Marcus pulled out the blade and tossed it to the ground. He then grabbed Autumn by his trench coat, dragged him out the airlock, and threw him down the metal staircase.

Sarah Lyons was covered in sweat, and it was clear that the battle with Jones was taking it's toll. Even though the power armor enhanced her strength, it was very bulky, and it took all of her endurance to move as quickly as she had to. Jones was not fairing much better, and both women were determined to end the fight quickly. Jones parried a strike, then knocked the ripper out of Sarah's hand. Seeing her chance, the Major shoved her against the wall, and pinned her with the staff. Sarah had both hands on the weapon, and was gritting her teeth as she tried desperately to push Jones off of her. The Major's Telsa armor gave her more strength, and Sarah could feel the staff pressing against her throat. Her eyes darted over to the Rotunda, and her thoughts went to Marcus. Jones must have noticed, because she followed her gaze, and a sinister grin appeared on her face. "Oh, you worried about your boyfriend, honey?" She leaned closer, and her voice took on a taunting, almost seductive tone. "Don't worry; I'll take good care of him!"

Sarah's eyes shot wide open with rage, and finding new found strength, let out a scream and shoved the staff into Jones' face, breaking her nose. Sarah kicked the Major in the chest, knocking her back, and giving Sarah time to grab her ripper. The Sentinel let out a battle roar and charged at Jones. Sarah's strikes were so powerful that it was all Jones could do to just block them. The Major was completely on the defensive, and the enraged Sentinel brought the ripper down on the staff, breaking it in half. Sarah smashed the handle of her ripper into the shocked Major's face, breaking her jaw and knocking her off her feet. Sarah was now on top of Jones, who opened her eyes to see the ripper pointed directly at her. Lyons pulled the trigger, and shoved it into Jones' face. The ripper penetrated skin, tissue, muscle and finally bone. When Sarah removed the gore covered weapon, Jones' own mother couldn't have recognized her. Sarah stood up, wiped the blood and bone matter from her face, and stared at the corpse. "Skank!" She spite on Jones' body, then headed for the Rotunda.

Marcus was straddling Autumn, and continued to punch him in the face, over and over. By now the Major's face, and Marcus' hands were covered in blood. Fawkes watched the entire scene play out, and more then once he fought the urge to stop it. But he had made a promise to Marcus, and he was going to keep it. The Wanderer finally stopped, and looked over at the large pool of water underneath the Purifier. He stood up and dragged the broken Colonel over to it. Kneeling down, Marcus held Autumn at the pool's edge. "You want water? HERE!" He pushed the Colonel's head down into the water, and Autumn struggled to come up.

Sarah entered the Rotunda, and what she saw was nothing like she'd imagined. Colonel Autumn was flailing and struggling for air, and for a moment, he'd managed to pull his head out of the water. But Marcus pushed him back down, and used all of his strength and weight to hold him under. It was then that Sarah got a look at Marcus' face, and it looked nothing like the man she had come to know. It was dark, unsympathetic, and filled with rage and hate. Autumn's flailing became less animated, and Sarah began to walk towards them. A large green hand stopped her. "No!" the Meta Human said.

Sarah looked up at him, and knew that he would not let her interfere. She watched as Colonel Autumn's body went limp, and Marcus continued to hold him under for good measure. When he was sure the Colonel was dead, Marcus relaxed and let him go. He stayed there, kneeling and breathing heavily. He looked up at the ceiling, and his voice was barley above a whisper. "For you, father."

Sarah cautiously made her way over to him. When she was standing next to him, she reached out and touched his shoulder. "Marcus."

Marcus looked up at her - and she was shocked to see that his eyes were filled with tears. Marcus gently grabbed her hand, and pulled her down to his level; his eyes almost pleading. To her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her and began sobbing. When she had gotten over her shock, she returned the hug, and held him as he wept.

"I didn't...I didn't know...how much...rage..."

Sarah understood all too well what he was feeling. "It's okay. It's over!" She pulled away and looked at him. "You can let it go."

They didn't know how long they stayed there like that. All of Marcus' emotions: anger, rage, pain, loss, had finally overwhelmed him. Autumn was dead, and it was finally over, and though he felt vindicated, it was tarnished by the fact that his father was still gone. Once his tears were wiped away, he found himself staring into Sarah's eyes. They were filled with sympathy and compassion, a beautiful sight to see after witnessing so much ugliness. Sarah too, was lost in his brown eyes, and they both began leaning towards each other.

"Hello? Hello?... Is anyone there? It's Doctor Li. Something's wrong with the purifier... Please, someone answer!"

Both of them froze, then quickly stood up and ran towards the intercom. "Doctor Li, this is Marcus. We're here, what's the problem?"

"The pressure is building, and if the Purifier is not turned on immediately it's going to overload and explode! Unfortunately whoever goes in there will be hit with a lethal dose of radiation, but we have no choice. You must turn the Purifier on now!"

Sarah let out a sigh. "Well, so much for celebrating. Not how I thought I was going to go out."

Marcus stared at her in shock. "What are you talking about? I'm going in there."

Sarah shook her head. "No. Give me the code, and I'll activate it."

Marcus clenched his fist. This was not going to happen again. "Sarah, I have the experimental rad-x, I can do this!"

Sarah held out her hand. "Give it to me."

"This is my father's project; my responsibility."

"And this is my operation! I'm in command, and I'm ordering you to give it to me!"

Marcus took the syringe out of his pocket and stared at it. "I can't let you go in there, Sarah."

Sarah's jaw hardened. "You gonna stop me?"

Marcus shook his head. "No. I won't stop you. But he will. Fawkes!"

Sarah turned, and Fawkes lifted her off her feet with a bear hug.

"Let me go you damn Frankenstein!"

As Sarah screamed and struggled, Marcus slipped inside the control chamber and sealed the air lock. Fawkes let Sarah go. "I am sorry but, my friend's destiny is in that chamber. We must not interfere."

Sarah didn't listen. She frantically tried to open the airlock but it was no use. She watched as Marcus approached the controls. He set his PIPBOY to display his radiation exposure, and held the experimental rad-x in his left hand. He took a few deep breaths. "Here we go." He typed in the code, and pushed the activation button. Almost immediately the panel exploded, sending sparks and smoke into Marcus' eyes, blinding him. His hands shot up to his face, causing him to drop the syringe. The radiation level in the chamber began to rise, and his PIPBOY was reading over 200 rads. He got down on his knees and began to feel around, trying to find the syringe. Now the PIPBOY was reading over 300 rads, and Marcus began feeling nauseous. His eye sight was slowly returning, and his search for the syringe was becoming more frantic. 450 rads. Marcus had crossed the threshold into advanced radiation exposure, and he began throwing up.

Sarah watched the entire scene, and she was pounding on the glass and screaming, but Marcus couldn't hear her. 585 rads and Marcus' eye sight had returned, and he spotted the syringe. Fatigue was setting in, and his hands were shaking as he plunged the needle into his neck and injected the rad-x. He looked down at his PIPBOY: 635 rads - critical radiation exposure.

Marcus noticed the skin on his hand starting to blister, and it felt as though the open wound on his left cheek was on fire. He was dying. He could feel it. "Too late." he gasped. "Too late." He slowly crawled towards the airlock. He could see Sarah Lyons on her knees, her face pressed against the glass. As he got closer, he could see the tears running down her cheeks. He struggled to place his hand on the glass, and he stared into her eyes. Everything was beginning to get dark.

Then, just over Sarah's shoulder, he could see a white light appear, and he struggled to focus on it. Soon a man and a woman appeared in the light, and Marcus recognized them immediately. "Mom! Dad!"

Before the darkness claimed him, Marcus Lincoln, the Lone Wanderer, smiled.