Fallout: Fury Blood

Chapter 9: War Of Wills

"I'm still not convinced we should trust this Clay-Crawler."

"I understand, Elder," Kelly kept her voice level in response, trailing behind Maxson's quick pace on the upper catwalk of the Prydwen. He seemed to think he could escape her determination. "That's why I'm willing to go in myself, unofficially."

Elder Maxson halted and wheeled on her sharply, making Danse, close in tow, have to catch his momentum on the railings with both hands to keep from bowling both of them over in his newly repaired armor. "In no way will I allow you to do that, Knight. Your actions represent the Brotherhood of Steel, officially on our behalf, or unofficially. And do I really have to remind you how much of an asset you are to us against the Institute? Throwing yourself to those raiders would mean failing the Brotherhood."

"Then, sir, please give the Minutemen a chance. They're gaining numbers every day, and a lot of them are experienced marksmen and tacticians. They just need some heavy firepower to back them up."

"Efficient or not, they're still few, and I don't make a habit of risking my most valued men and women in bad odds."

"You won't have to worry about that if you give me the backup I need, just co-ordinate with the Minutemen," Kelly drove on, pushing her tone and meeting Maxson's glare in ferocity. "Come on. Together, we'd have the forces to push them back from Dunwich and scatter them long enough to assault them dead centre out in the Rad Lands."

"You overestimate yourself, Harper," Maxson snapped, all contained in the war of words. "I know your real motive. You're in this more for those kidnapped ghouls than for securing the Brotherhood of Steel's position in the Commonwealth. I never should have allowed your outside affiliations, and I won't throw the majority of my forces against a raider upsurge when the Institute remains the real threat, and especially not on the word of a raider. Have you lost your sense?"

Kelly armed her glare even further. "My motive is to kill every damn thing that deserves it out here. It's the only motive I have left. You spoke with Clay-Crawler yourself, he's not like the raiders from the Commonwealth. He was born out in that hell, raised fighting against those Dark Bloods, and he knows exactly how they operate. What better source do you want?"

"One that wouldn't have you charge in out of bloodlust," Maxson parried, his tone still controlled though edged in heat. "I get it, Harper. You've been through a lot, and lost more, but so have many others in this world. I won't cater to your death wish."

Danse made an attempt. "Elder, may I-"

"No, Danse, you may not."

Bristling, Kelly felt rage smouldering inside her and struggled to keep it on a leash. Crossing her arms, she challenged the Elder through gritted teeth. "I don't intend to go in there with a death wish. I intend to go in there to kill. Every. Last. One of them. In case you haven't heard, I'm good at it. Damn good at it. Those feral fucks will be meat and ashes when I'm done with them."

Maxson's jaw pulsed beneath his beard as he crossed his arms to match hers, slowly, like he was calculating her capabilities. "Now I see it, what everyone here sees when I'm not around. The Wastelander in you, the mercenary out for blood, the killer... the feral." He said it so darkly, so ominously, yet so reflectively, that Kelly couldn't tell whether he was disgusted or impressed. "It didn't take long for this world to sink it's teeth in and drag you from your military roots, did it?"

"War back then was no less cruel than it is today, it was just better at disguising itself in science and technology. What makes you think it was this world that fucked me up?"