After a While Crocodile

A few moments earlier...

Col. Adam Buzz's pov

"General Autumn," I said in my COMM as my men ripped off a man's arm and slapped him with it, mocking his right to bear arms, "the town is secure."

Then there was an explosion across the river so large that some of the debris clattered down from the sky near to me. Chaos followed on the COMMs and I never heard Autumn's reply. What kind of madman-?!

"The General is gonna kill you all!" The maimed man said, "All of you!"

General?

"Hold him men." I walked over to him and leaned down to get eye level with him, "Where is your General?"

He grit his teeth in defiance as his response.

"Tenacious, loyal, how admirable but loud-mouthed, impulsive and stupid." I stood and flamboyantly asked all those around me, "Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of your General will be rewarded generously."

A ghoul, in old Vault-Tec representative garb pointed to two statues on a hill in the distance. Observing it for a moment I realized that one statue moved. Power armor, heavily modified. I radioed, a finger to my ear, "Pack 1, 2 & Murder 1. See that man on the hill? Do not let him escape, chase him to the ends of the earth and capture him alive if possible."

They affirmed and the chase began... beautiful-

"Colonel Buzz," the old man said in my ear, "did you hear what I just told you?"

"No sir," I replied, "there was a-" I glanced at the growing clouds of smoke, "little resistance nearby."

"Come up to my office in 111."

"Sgt. Thomas," I pointed at the soldier, "see that the ghoul is fed and treated well. As for the others, imprison them in a conducive manner. Also, have a scribe question the ghoul further."

"Yes, sir."

After that was taken care of, I walked up the hill past several more platoons of our men and women. We've grown much since the defeat ten years ago in DC. Before, we were like a large band of outlaws, running from the mere thought of our enemies catching us. This however has taught us a valuable lesson, carefulness.

Descending down into the vault the first things you see are the crypts below the walkway and one you must pass before you go further into the Vault. Some "Nora Allen" laid at rest above all the others, a lit candle, and freshly picked flowers were in a vase close to it. Someone cared about this grave, I thought sardonically as I passed. I then took a shortcut through the escape tunnel to the Overseer's office, which was now General Autumn's office.

The Ink Spots', Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall played and seemed to echo in the cold and metal room. I watched him as he waved his hand about as if it were riding the music. Sometimes I wonder if the past decade has... changed him.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

The song ended and once the boy who announced himself as Travis started talking the General made an Ah-ha! hand gesture.

"Gathering intel, dear Colonel."

Within the next minute or two we learned, albeit from a questionable source, that the Minutemen General came from this Vault. He had also raised up a formidable militia army and is considered a savior, celebrity, and leader amongst the Commonwealth citizenry. His fortress is and was Sanctuary and The Castle. The General also defeated the Institute and now the Brotherhood is breathing down their necks and harassing civilians under Minuteman protection. The Minutemen have checkpoints throughout the Commonwealth and have been doing a surprising job against raiders and wildlife. Finally we learned that Travis was from Diamond City, the jewel of the Commonwealth, most likely the capital and place the refugees are fleeing to.

All in about a minute of listening and deductive reasoning.

"The time really is ripe isn't it?"

"Not that we now know that the Brotherhood is here. But yes, this all can do quite nicely, all we need to do is spark the powder between the Minutemen and the Brotherhood and possibly enjoy the show."

***

Present

Ruven Allen/Iron Man's pov

Have you ever had the feeling of sucking your brain back up your nose? That was me when I woke up to a gurgling sound. I tried to sit up with extreme effort and caught a glimpse of what was making the sound. A woman in a Vault suit was sawing through a man's hands, one of my pursuers, as he tried to protect his throat. Laying down flat again, I was too weak to move as I listened to the woman's blade find home, slicing his throat, and tossing his body into the water flowing past us.

"Why was the Enclave after you?" The woman asked, her back to me as she washed her blade off in the water.

"I-I don't know." I muttered, cold and exhausted.

"I'm sure you do." She said darkly, fingering her knife.

"I'm not necessarily sure what this Enclave is, b-but I'm the General of the Minutemen."

"That's nice," she said her voice disarming, "as much of a reason as it is an introduction. I'm Amata."

Coughing I croaked, "I'm exhausted."

She went over to her bags, digging around for something, "So you really don't know what the Enclave is?" She found what she was looking for and was coming back to me.

"No-"

Then she unceremoniously stabbed me in the neck... with a stimpak. Realizing that she didn't kill me I let out a sigh of double relief as the stim started fixing my wounds.

"You can't just-"

"You're welcome," Amata laughed, helping me up, "I'm surprised that you're alive. You're lucky, that plasma did a number on you and your wounds from the Deathclaw bled a ton."

We started walking, looking for a way out of the underground cave we were in.

"Pfft," I grimaced, "I'm not that lucky. You from around here?"

"Capital Wasteland," she pointed a thumb to her Vault suit, "101. Yes, I was dweller. You have no bloody idea how many times I get asked that."

"Hmph, I can imagine," I grimaced, stepping down some rocks, "what are you doing in the Commonwealth?"

Her tone took on a far away hue as she droned, "Hunting the Enclave for what they did to my Vault, and avoiding someone."

"Who are you avoiding?"

"The man who killed my father."