Greetings everyone. I know it's been awhile since I posted a chapter of MitMW, but I've got a few finished that I never posted here and I'm gonna be gone for a week so thought to leave any of y'all interested with this. Have a good week.
“What ya think is going on in there?” Aisha asked. Conrad looked towards the tent where Maxson and the council were meeting. He slacked in his power armor and shrugged.
“They haven’t made any progress in half a week. Who knows?” he responded.
“I’ll tell ya something I now” Gregor exclaimed. “Us standing around is bullshit. Mutant army crawling out the ground and all we been doing is standing the fuck around”
Conrad glanced at the Paladin, he wasn’t standing, not really. All of Alpha and Sigma Squads were either sitting or milling about Simulacrum. Gregor, Aisha, and Mendez were relaxing next to Conrad at a grouping of picnic tables brought out as a makeshift mess hall for the soldiers. Vic and most of her squad were out taking stock on rations and supplies, same with Leon. Mara had returned to Mardin for the time being at Elder Nike’s request, something was going on there that the deathclaws weren’t willing to tell anyone about. And only god could tell where the hell Carter had been. He’d seen his friend for bits and pieces of the day, but the Vault Dweller mostly only spoke with the C-27s. Conrad shivered. The C-27s, he thought. He knew that Hyde was right in reactivating Vault 0’s defenses, but at what cost? His uncle had lost Head Inquisitor Evitt’s support, and the Reavers pulled their forces back to Delta territory. Head Scribe Iola said it was to prepare for the coming war with the mutants, but everyone knew better, they were showing their displeasure of the robots being reactivated. Conrad himself would have gone on leave to show what he thought about Maxson being let in, if not for his uncle ordering him to stay in Simulacrum.
“Yo, boss?” Gregor asked.
Conrad snapped out of his daze and looked to his squadmate. “Yeah”
“You got a light? Can’t find mine” Gregor said. The Paladin patted his jacket pockets with one hand to show they were empty, and held a cigar in the other.
“I don’t. Besides, I wouldn’t get out of the suit just to hand you a lighter”
“I got one” a female voice said. Sigma Squad and Mendez turned to see the visitor. A woman in orange recon armor, with an unevenly shaved head and some burn scars on her face.
“Aw fuck. Course the raider with a fire fetish has got the only lighter around” Gregor muttered, and opened his hands. The woman threw it to him.
“Sophia? If I recall” Mendez said. “Our hermana from the east”
“Just Soph” she responded.
Conrad remembered her now, Gregor’s prisoner from the attack on Savior Installation. The one he mentioned came from Massachusetts, an ex-raider, or maybe cultist was the word Gregor used. “Maxson is letting you all wander?” he asked.
“Yes and no” Soph answered. “We were ordered to patrol around our tents and the birds. But thing is, I can see ‘em from here. So I’m patrolling”. She picked her lighter off the table Gregor left it and flicked it several times, staring at the flame.
“Where’s that other fella?” Gregor asked between smokes. “Bran or something?”
“Wilks is back at Fort Wayne. Most of us are, either there or here” Soph stated. “Not for long though”
“Why do you say that?” Aisha asked.
“None of you have thought to lean in by the tent and sneak a peek? This war’s done. We just gotta help fuck up your mutant problem and we’re out of here. Suppose I’ll be at the Citadel within the month. Elder’s going to be back in California, whatever that is” Soph said.
Conrad started thinking to himself. The war just… over? That was impossible, after all the people each side had killed it couldn’t be. He heard fast footsteps ahead and looked up, Carter.
“Lakeman, where the hell have you been?” Conrad yelled, perhaps too loudly.
“I know you’re pissed, probably think I’ve been avoiding you, but I haven’t. Look I wanted to know if I could get some time off” Carter exclaimed, he bent over, panting. The Knight had obviously been running much lately.
“Absolutely not” Conrad responded.
“Just a week!” Carter tried.
“No”
“Hey, remember that time I saved you from the ECs? You owe me”
“Do you remember that time I didn’t arrest you for attempted murder of a Brotherhood soldier?”
“No no, that was self-defense. Look, I need a few days at Delta is all. I’ll be back here right after. There’s something there I have to look at. I’m begging you”
“Delta?” Conrad asked. The Paladin Lord rubbed his chin, a habit he’d picked up from his uncle. Bunker Delta is where Iola would be, Conrad thought. If someone was sent to convince her and the Reavers to return, it would be a godsend.
“I’ll… talk it over with the council. But if you go, you have an assignment to complete there as well. You got that?”
“Yes, definitely. You have no idea how much I need this”
“Alright, and go find Leon. Help him with inventory”
“Already on it” Carter said, turning and running towards Simulacrum’s petty armory.
“So I complain about us doing nothing, but you send HIM on an assignment?” Gregor scoffed.
“You can head with him if you want, but do you seriously want to deal with tech fanatics?” Conrad asked.
“Actually, I’ll pass”
“I second that” Aisha said, raising a hand up. Mendez made a mocking gesture by raising one of his own as well.
“This place has got tech fanatics worse than the Brotherhood? Yeesh” Soph said and chuckled.
The tent flaps opened and the council members began exiting. Conrad stood straight up and strode over to his uncle.
“General Smith. I have an assignment in mind that I’d like to run by you and Head Paladin Shepherd” Conrad said. His uncle put a hand on his power armored shoulder and sighed.
“Conrad, what was your favorite part of history growing up?” his uncle asked.
“Pardon sir, but I do have an important task to discuss” Conrad responded.
“And a superior officer is asking you a question” Hampshire said.
“It was Rome. Roman history” Conrad answered, confused.
“I thought so. Have Sigma assemble in ten, we have an important mission to debrief you all on”