Epilogue Part 6 “Outstanding Captain Blake.”

“I’m awake.” Rosie came to, Fenris licking her face. She was in an old world building, fire crackling in a metal bin.

“Easy there, you took quite a knock.” A man’s voice said. She got her bearings, seeing an armoured knight standing watch at the window. An older man with dark stubble. “Your friend’s resting in the next cell. Looks like you two have been through it.” He looked like he’d been through some things as well.

“Cell?” Rosie saw she was a barred cell too, Janey asleep in the next one.

“We’re camped in an old police station. Relax, it’s not locked.” He answered. “I’m not normally in the habit of picking up strays, but you don’t meet many who keep the old ways.” He nodded to her boot. Matt forged her a token for saving him out of Brotherhood tradition. She’d held on to it as a keepsake. Now her friend was helping from thousands of miles away.

“Sometimes the old ways are the best.” Saying it brought a lump to her throat.

“Paladin Danse.” He stood to attention. “That vitae salvus means I am at your service.”

“Scout Captain Rosie Blake.” She stood, still a little shaky. Trying to remember the formal greeting. “Retired.”

“You didn’t look retired.” He joked, the boost of finding a comrade on his face.

“That was personal.” She cleared her mind, focusing on what mattered. “I need to get downtown. Got a two seater bird stashed. You’ll have to ditch the tin can, but I can get you to the nearest outpost. At the very least a stable and secure comm.” Rosie felt that was the least she could do.

“Outstanding Captain Blake.” He picked up a laser rifle. A look of purpose in his eyes.

Rosie scavenged her way through the police station. She found an pump action shotgun. She sat at a desk, breaking down the gun to clean t. It dawned on her that this must be the police station from the true crime book she loved. Rosie desperately wanted to stay, to pick through every single scrap of paper.

She settled for a single random letter on headed paper and an old business card. Far more desperate to get home.

“You good?” Rosie asked Janey as she got up.

“All systems…” She seemed to hear herself. “I’m good.”

“Nice night for a walk.” Danse half smiled as he stood at the door. Rosie could see his nerves.

“Nice night to teach them you don’t fuck with Recon.” She felt better having backup. Even more grateful for it to be a sworn knight.

Danse stomped down the centre of the road, Rosie flanking a few feet away. She’d forced herself not to think of John. Now it proved impossible. Danse even seemed to walk like him. “I didn’t think the Brotherhood had a chapter this far east.” Rosie started to wonder what else she’d missed.

“We don’t.” Danse stopped walking and sighed. “My squad and I were on a long range recon op. We hit weather in the air, electrical storms. We had a damn good pilot, but she didn’t survive the crash. I got the squad here when…those things.”

“Synths. Second generation. I’m sorry for your loss.” Rosie knew what it was to see family hurt and killed. “Don’t worry, you get me in front of an elder and I’ll give you enough intel to bury those pricks.” Rosie knew they had to be stopped. If she could get a dozen scouts inside the Institute could be taken down quietly. Sparing the people there and maybe helping everyone else.

“Outstanding Captain Blake.” He pushed on. Rosie felt glad to help someone get their revenge, even if it delayed her going home.

“I’ll take point.” Rosie left Danse and Janey, letting Fen scout ahead. Once they’d cleared the way ahead, she signalled them to move up. The sound of the armour echoing up the walls. Whatever they lost in surprise more than made up for in brute force.

Gunfire and screaming sent her running towards the sound. Rosie peered round the corner of an alley. Movement caught her eye, the hulking shape like a signature. For an instant she thought it was Jones. It moved with purpose, intent. She watched with horror as it picked up a rifle from a dead merc and returned fire.

Hate spurred her into action. She zipped across the open ground, bringing the shotgun muzzle to the back of the mutant’s head. She fired, exploding its skull.

“YOU DIE NOW HUMANS!” Half a dozen mutant mutants opened up from down the block. The sheer volume of fire took out all but two of the mercs. They panicked and ran, only for more greenskins to chase them down.

Rosie pulled back to the alley as Danse laid down blasts covering fire. Bullets pockmarked red brick, pinning them down. Each dead mutant seemingly replaced by two more from the ruins. More firing from the rooftops.

“Fall back, I’ll go round them.” Rosie picked the best of a bad set of options.

“Negative soldier, we’re not separating. Not again.” Danse refused to move, fear and hate in his voice. His objections stopped mattering as mutants came through the rear of the alley.

“Weapon!” Rosie all but snatched the laser rifle, pulling herself up and firing over his shoulder.

Red blasts drove them back, then the black rifle hissed. “Reload.” She handed back the weapon.

“I’m out.” Danse answered.

“Get me close.” Rosie found a worse option and racked her shotgun.

The fire stopped and Danse stepped from the alley. He strode out to face the Abomination like a true knight. Some mutants scrambled to reload, most walked forwards.

Something big hit the ground between them, landing with a splat. Again and again heavy thuds landed, bursting like rotten fruit. Rosie peered round Danse, seeing the rooftops clear. Save for an unmistakable silhouette. An armoured knight, brandishing a broadsword, shining in the setting sun.

The knight leapt from the roof, tearing at the walls to slow their descent. They pushed off two storeys up, landing amongst the mutants. Frantic screams fell silent quickly. Swollen limbs sliced off. Pained wailing ended with a crushing stomp.

“Weapon!” Rosie yelled, signalling the play with her hands. The knight hurled a light machine gun at her. Rosie darted to it in the dreamlike state. Plucking it from the air and letting the momentum take her into a roll. She fired from the hip, filling the alley and mutants with bullets.

The ever present silence returned. Rosie turned to see the knight take off her helmet. “You get bored waiting for me and find a new knight?” Sara joked, pleased to see her.

“You know how it is. You wait ages for a paladin, then two turn up at once.” Rosie joked back, relieved beyond measure her blind messages made it out. “Paladin Danse, Paladin Sara Maxwell.” Rosie still couldn’t remember the formal greeting.

“Thanks for the assist.” Danse looked pleased to have another knight in tow.

“You’re a long way from home paladin.” Sara asked without asking.

“We have mission critical intel. We need to debrief command.” Danse focused on the mission.

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“What chapter are you with?” Sara asked.

“We need to see high comma—” Sara span round, severing his head with one clean stroke.

The armour lurched back, hitting the ground with a clang. Rosie looked down, seeing translucent fluid spill out.

“Who the fuck is this?!” Sara demeaned, her blade pointed at Janey.

“You remember Janey.” Rosie’s answer made Sara go pale. Then she saw what she’d just killed.

“What the fuck is this?” Sara gazed in horror. Rosie had a sickening thought. She signalled that there could be enemy listening and pointed to the severed head. Sara picked it up.

She gripped the head and held it at eye level. The face twitching and eyes blinking. “You people fucked with my family. That will not stand. Pack up your shit and run, because I’m coming for you. And I’m bringing the Brotherhood of Steel with me.” She crushed the head until it popped.

“Help me open the armour, I want to see if there’s a serial number.” Sara flipped the corpse onto its back. Rose yanked the handle round, having the armour open. “Rosie, what the fuck is going on?!” Sara sounded frightened.

The Institute hadn’t given Danse a body. Only a head with the supporting fusion of biomechanical organs grafted to the armour.

“Short the core, lets get the fuck out of here.” Sara took charge. “You sure the head isn’t transmitting?”

“I can make sure.” Rosie answered.

“Do it, bring it with us.” Sara turned away while she worked.

“You get me a dozen scouts and I can get them in, shut this place down, Maybe save a few good people.” Rosie knew she could help.

“The Brotherhood aren’t going to help, Rosie. Too far away for them to do anything about. Plus they’ve got bigger problems right now.” Sara sounded disappointed in them. “Besides, the chapter's disbanded and I’m out. There is someone I can reach out to quietly. Someone I trust.”

“I’m sorry about the chapter.” Rosie felt the same betrayal she did. “We’re good.” Rosie stuffed the head into Sara’s pack. “The Velo’s stashed nearby. It needs a manual reboot so I’ll have to climb.”

“Good. Where to?” Sara reloaded.

“There.” Rosie peered around her, seeing the tall glass building.

“You’re going to climb that?” Sara sounded impressed and worried in equal measure. Rosie nodded. “It’s good to see you Rosie. You crazy bitch."

They set off as the fusion core went critical.

Rosie found the supplies she’d buried years ago. A length of good rope and a single suction cup she’d stolen from the Vault. She held her palms flat, zooming her view. The texture of her Shadow suit shifted, tiny barbs lining her hands and feet.

Janey held her safety line, belaying slow and steady. Rosie climbed the glass the way she’d been taught, finding impossible hand holds and moving the suction cup as she went. With Sara providing overwatch, Rosie felt safer than she could remember. Despite dangling from the side of a building in the dark.

“How did you know about Danse?” Rosie asked over the comm, her breathing steady.

“First day of basic training they teach you how to address an officer.” Sara answered. “The honour is mine, he should have said.”

“I didn’t know that.” Rosie cursed herself for getting taken in.

“You never took basic training.” Sara let her off. “On the second day they teach you not to walk armour down blind fucking alleys.”

“I picked that alley.” Rosie started to question herself.

“Which he, it should have never followed you into. I figured he was an imposter, an infiltrator for...well that’s not important now. I didn’t think it was a…”

“Synthetic, third generation. If I’d have taken him to high command.” Rosie felt like she’d let Brandon down.

“You didn’t, and now we’re onto them.” Sara’s strength kept her strong.

“Thanks for coming.” Rosie said, making sure she did at least once.

“I wouldn’t leave you hanging...would I boy, no.” Sara fussed at the dog. “Sorry did you say something?”

“Fuck you. How copy?” Rosie heaved up and over, onto the rooftop garden.

“Solid copy. How’s the view?” Sara asked. Rosie took one last look at the Boston skyline, ready to leave it behind.

Rosie found her camp as it had been left. The spot impossible for anyone else to reach. She started the dormant Velo and ran a diagnostic. After warming up while gathering her things, Rosie touched down by the coast. An hour later, Sara arrived. Fenris and Janey with her.

“Take Fen, touch down somewhere safe and I’ll bring the bird back for us.” Rosie didn’t like the of separating, but wanted to get out of here.

“Beats walking.” Sara exited her armour, her eyes lingering on it. “Scuttle the armour.” She punched it gently on the arm. “Thank you.” She whispered to the armour. Rosie understood.

It took weeks to do what had taken Sara months on foot. They travelled hundreds of miles, leapfrogging with the bird by night and resting during the day. Janey became more confident in her new body. Her code grew into the abilities the synthetic form provided.

They made camp in the middle of nowhere, walking miles down abandoned roads. “This must be it. Unless you can see another giant dinosaur.” Sara peered through her binoculars. Rosie zoomed her view. An old motel, two floors that seemed to be in use. The plaster dinosaur made this an ideal spot for a meet.

“There’s a sniper in the mouth. Not a bad spot.” Rosie looked to the rocks opposite, picking out spots for her and Janey.

“My contact will be here today.” Sara said with certainty.

“Got it, hurry up and wait.” Rosie found herself looking forward to the textbook Recon op. “Take this.” She handed her a rubber ball, camera and microphone built in. Sara threw it for the dog then headed in.

Rosie set up her spot. Janey down the road. Sara checked in under an alias, marked the door with chalk and waited.

“So how do you know this guy?” Rosie asked over the comm, scanning the road.

“We went through basic together. A year later Val and I pulled his team out a nest of ferals. After they, after I quit he reached out with a job offer but I couldn’t, I wasn’t interested.” Sara seemed conflicted. “Did Brandon ever mention the Circle?”

“Not really.” Rosie had gotten better at talking about Brandon without getting upset.

“They operate undercover. Investigation and assassination, mostly.” Sara sounded worried.

“They ever hire consultants?” Rosie was always on the lookout for interesting work.

“Strictly in house. Most of them are hardliners, think we shouldn't reach out at all. Some understand the world isn’t always black and white.” Sara stifled a yawn. “I think I might take this room tonight, do you want to share?"

“Not a chance.” Rosie had been staring up into the cloudless sky all day, eagerly awaiting the stars.

“Janey, there’s a couch here.” Sara had made a real effort with Janey. The more human Janey became, the more Sara relaxed.

“Thank you, but I do not req...I’m not tired.” Janey didn’t really sleep anyway.

“Alright Janey, where were we?” Rosie asked, returning to their mental game.

“Rook to bishop four, check.”

Hours passed, night fell. Every shady coming and going from the motel tracked.

“Possible.” Janey came over the comm. Rosie shifted, lining up her scope. She watched the man walk up the stairs and knock on the door. He stood to the side, betraying his training.

“Got your chems. I got stuck in traffic.” He knocked twice and used the passphrase. Rosie heard Sara sigh over the comm.

“Groodalicious. Come on in.” Sara opened the door, her friend stepped in. Then she racked a shotgun.

“Sit. Hands on your head.” Sara ordered, Fen’s growling underscoring her point. “You got him?” She asked, holding the radio out so he heard.

“Green.” Rosie answered, cocking the antique rifle.

“Put your arm out, make a fist.” Sara flicked her stiletto knife, nicking his wrist.

“Ouch.” He said sarcastically.

“Baby.” Sara teased, lowering the tension. “Let it bleed.” She threw him a clean rag.

A few tense minutes passed, the blood stayed red. “Sorry Liam. Good to see you Brother.” Sara relaxed.

“Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?” Liam asked, his annoyance showing.

“I need you to debrief someone, get the intel where it can do some good. Go easy, she’s family.” Sara poured him a tequila, he’d need it. Rosie knocked on the door and slipped inside.

Rosie laid it all out. Her time with the Institute. Where she thought it was. How she would attack it. And most importantly, that there were good people down there. She managed to get through it, Sara less so.

“I’ll say this Sara, you’re never boring.” Liam gathered the evidence and notes, keen to leave. “Offer’s still open, could always use a true knight. And a good scout.”

“We’ve got somewhere to be.” Sara answered.

“There’s an old bunker west of here, take what you need.” He slipped her a piece of paper. Sara gave it to Rosie who memorised it and burnt the note.

“Good hunting Brother.” Sara said goodbye to her friend, then poured three drinks.

Liam left, hurrying along the road. He found an old Red Rocket station, checked his watch and waited. The long dead payphone began to ring.

“Yes?” He answered, waiting as the clicks and hisses stopped, leaving a secure line. “I have a sample, and detailed information. The technology is most impressive.” He listened intently to the reply. “No, the previous attempt was ill advised. Recommend a more hands off approach.” The voice relayed instructions. “Yes of course, right away. Thank you for the opportunity...Mr President.”