Sunset scanned her surroundings with nervous intensity as she advanced, ready to whip up her plasma rifle at the first sign of an attack, her fellow Rainbooms right on her heels. They were advancing down a wide road between two rows of huge warehouses, towards what the Exodus team had sworn was Major Owens' barricade.

There was hardly any cover. The Enclave had evidently made sure that anything that could provide even a modicum of protection had been removed. It wasn't much of a problem for the power-armored Knights, but the Rainbooms were left horribly exposed. Thankfully, Rarity made up for the lack of cover by summoning chest-high square gemstones for the girls to briefly lurk behind while they checked for targets.

Applejack and Pinkie kept their eyes on the alleyways between warehouses, making sure to point their weapons anywhere except towards a friendly soldier. Each of them had practiced religiously with their new guns, the stripped-down minigun and Party Cannon respectively, over the last couple of days.

Liberty Prime was ahead of the Rainbooms, leading the as-of-yet unopposed assault, flanked by the Wonderbolts on one side and the Lyons' Pride on the other. Star Paladin Cross was right behind the girls, clutching the the magical hammer they had taken from the relay station and directing the mass of Brotherhood Knights that made up the bulk of the Brotherhood's attack force.

Sunset made sure to carefully check the door of every warehouse she passed. Those in front were doing so as well but, given the fact that Enclave-controlled Deathclaws were being kept somewhere in the collection of warehouses, she was more than willing to double-check. As if hearing her thoughts, loud gunfights suddenly broke out in the warehouses on either side of the road; the crackle of laser weaponry mingling with animalistic roars.

"Sounds like the flankin' troops have found the Deathclaws," Applejack said darkly. "Let's hope they don' have too much trouble with them."

"Hopefully," Sunset agreed. She tapped a hand to her Geode and raised her voice as she called out, "Alright, girls, pony up!" Magic rippled through her body as she and the rest of the Rainbooms drew their magic out. "Keep your eyes open, we could run into anything out here!"

"OBSTRUCTION AHEAD," Liberty's voice boomed out suddenly. Looking forward, Sunset spotted a huge energy barrier blocking the road ahead. "PROBABILITY OF MISSION IMPEDIMENT: ZERO PERCENT."

A flicker of relief washed through Sunset as Liberty defaulted to his usual cheesy lines. She was going to have to have some strong words with Twilight about whatever the hell the nerd had done to the robot, but right now she had bigger problems.

Thankfully, the energy barrier wasn't destined to be one of them for long, as Liberty blasted the pylons generating it with his lasers. The pylons were soon reduced to slag by the punishing firepower, and the energy field dissipated soon after, revealing a wide clearing ahead.

"What the hell?" Lyons blurted out.

The soldiers that the Exodus team had sworn were waiting for them were nowhere to be seen. In their place was some sort of battle tank; a squat metal monstrosity with a blocky turret on top, bearing a pair of long-barrelled cannons. Dozens of foot-long Tesla coils decorated the tank's body, each crackling with dark purple energy, and a tall pair of spiky antennae sticking up from its exhaust glowed with a faint white light.

"That don' look good," Applejack muttered anxiously.

The Lyons' Pride and the Wonderbolts halted to let the Liberty pull ahead, drawing a mini-nuke from his back as he strode forward. "MODIFIED M49 PATTON MAIN BATTLE TANK," Liberty noted. "OBSOLETE." He threw the nuke, and a second later there was a colossal flash and a boom that shook the earth.

To Sunset's horror, when the smoke cleared the tank was entirely unharmed. A sparkling dome of purple magic surrounded it, matching the bright glow now adorning its miniature Tesla coils.

Sarah took a step back, eyeing the tank with concern. "We need to break that thing. Liberty, hit it again! Rainbooms, support h-"

A loud crackling sound drowned out the Sentinel's orders as electricity arced from one of the tank's antennae. The electricity raced from the antenna down to the barrels of its cannons, then, with a deafening hiss and a blinding flash, the cannons fired at Liberty.

Instead of an explosion, there was an awful crackling sound, as if reality itself was being twisted and crumpled. Liberty stumbled, lightning cascading up and down its body. "ERRO-zz-UNKNOWN PULSE-zzzz-THAT'S-zzz-OT ENOUGH TO -zzz-OP ME."

Liberty slowly reached around for another nuke, his arm jerking and twitching uncontrollably, as the tank's second antenna started to glow. Sunset's breath hitched as electricity once again ran down from the antenna to the tank's cannons. She closed her eyes just as the guns fired, but the sound of the shot still almost drove her to her knees.

Half terrified of what she was about to see, Sunset opened her eyes. Liberty Prime was swaying unsteadily on its feet. Lightning coursed violently all over its body, making its limbs twitch and shudder. Liberty straightened up, clenching its hands into fists, then let out a metallic groan and keeled over, slamming face-first into the asphalt.

Shock and horror paralyzed the Rainbooms and the Brotherhood alike. Sunset stared at the fallen robot in stunned disbelief, unable to process what she was seeing.

"Shit, get in cover!" Sentinel Lyons' shout snapped Sunset back to her senses. She looked ahead in time to see the tank's turret swivelling around, coming to rest aiming directly at the Lyons' Pride. "Look out!"

The thunderous boom of the cannons' firing was near-instantly drowned out by a colossal blast as an explosion tore through the Lyons' Pride. Hot air and debris from the blast pelted Sunset, who ducked instinctively. Forcing herself to look, Sunset's blood ran cold when she spotted the shattered remains of three Knights sprawled on the ground.

Loud metallic creaking filled the air as the tank's turret started to turn again, prompting everyone to scatter.

Sunset turned and sprinted towards the nearest warehouse door. Desperate to get out of sight of the tank, she wrenched the door open and dove inside, heedless of any potential ambush. A pair of huge metal shipping containers stood in front of her, and Sunset ducked around them just as another blast rent the air.

Bracing herself against the side of a container, Sunset noted with some relief that the other Rainbooms had managed to safely follow her, along with several Knights. The tank fired again, but, fortunately, it didn't target the warehouse, seemingly still battering any Brotherhood troops still out in the open.

Taking a moment to gather her wits, Sunset took several deep breaths, half-expecting the tank to blow a hole in the warehouse at any moment. The unmistakable sounds of combat could be heard from the far end of the warehouse. It took Sunset a second to realize that the containers she was leaning against had probably contained Deathclaws, which were probably engaging the flanking troops at that very moment.

"Uh, Sunset?" Pinkie ventured quietly.

Sunset glanced at her, then blinked in surprise as she noticed that several Knights were gathered around her as well. "What the hell was that thing?" One of the Knights asked. "Was that magic?"

"That fucking tank took down Liberty Prime, how the fuck are we supposed to best that thing?" Another spat desperately.

"Have the Exodus team betrayed us?" A third asked.

The Knights' muttering got louder and more desperate by the second. Sunset could hardly blame them. Liberty Prime had stood inviolate against everything that the wasteland had to offer; seeing him defeated so easily had shattered the Brotherhood's morale like glass. They couldn't be allowed to stay like that, though, or they were all going to end up dead. Someone needed to motivate them, and fast.

"Where's Sentinel Lyons and Paladin Cross?" Sunset asked quickly.

"Her and the Wonderbolts took cover in the warehouse on the other side of the street," a Knight replied. "I don't know about Cross. You don't think the tank got her, do you?"

Everyone flinched as the tank fired again outside. Sunset swore under breath, then straightened up and squared her shoulders. "Well we can't just sit here and wait for it to blow our asses off. Rainbow, take a quick flight and scout the area outside. I want to know exactly what we're facing. The rest of you, let's get away from the door in case that tank tries to bring the building down on us."

Rainbow disappeared in a blur as Sunset swallowed her fear and walked further into the warehouse. More shipping containers were scattered around haphazardly, turning the warehouse into a veritable maze, not to mention a potential deathtrap if they ran into any Deathclaws. Sunset led her erstwhile crew away from the door at a snail's pace, keeping her head on a swivel as she moved. A series of walkways criss-crossed the air above their heads, providing a potentially valuable vantage point, but they couldn't find any stairs that would give them access.

It didn't take long for the group to run into a dead Deathclaw and several dead scientists; evidently members of the ambush team. As she stepped past another shipping container, Sunset's heart leapt into her mouth as she almost walked straight into a power-armored soldier. She almost shot the man on reflex, only to stop herself at the last second as she realized that he was one of the Knights from the flanking squads.

"Knight-Sergeant Shimmer? What's going on?" The Knight asked, looking at her followers with confusion.

"The Enclave had some kind of magically enhanced tank waiting for us instead of the troops we were expecting," Sunset replied. "It took down Liberty Prime." The Knight did a double-take, but Sunset cut him off before he could say anything, "We don't have time to panic, what's the situation in here?"

"Uh…" The Knight hesitated, but a sharp glare from Sunset made him straighten up and focus. "The Deathclaws and their handlers have already been dealt with, but a team of Enclave soldiers is trying to counterattack from the direction of the Base Crawler. I was just replacing my armor's fusion core so I could rejoin the fight."

"They must be the troops that were supposed to be waiting for us," Sunset noted. "Acheson must have changed his tactics when he realized that we were working with the Exodus team. I guess that explains why the tank isn't risking firing at the buildings." A sudden blur and a rush of wind made her flinch, though she hid it well as Rainbow reappeared next to her. "Tell me you have some good news."

Rainbow grinned. "You bet your ass I do. For a start, Liberty isn't dead." The relief that washed through everyone upon hearing that was palpable. "He keeps trying to move, but that lightning that the tank hit him with is keeping him down. Those antennas that the lightning came from are still glowing, so I'm guessing that if we can take them out…"

"Liberty will be able to get back up," Sunset finished. "The only problem there is getting through its shield, even Liberty's nuke didn't crack it."

"I'm not so sure about that, the shield is flickering like crazy," Rainbow countered. "On top of that, there's a lot of steam coming out of the engine, and the tank hasn't budged an inch from where it started."

"Makes sense," Applejack put in. "Holdin' Liberty Prime down while keepin' a shield like that goin' must take a huge amount of power, especially since they're usin' the guns, too. Ah'm guessin' whoever's inside the tank has their hands full just keepin' the darn thing from overheatin' or overloadin'."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "So if we hit it hard enough we might be able to overwhelm it. In that case; Rainbow, I need you to find Lieutenant Colonel Strong and get him to send some Vertibirds our way. They can take it out with an air strike."

Rainbow shook her head. "No can do. The Exodus Vertibirds are already busy dealing with some of those souped-up versions we saw at the relay station."

"Crap." Sunset frowned as she thought. "Okay, new plan. We'll clear out the last of the Enclave soldiers, link up with the Exodus ground troops, then hit that fucking tank with everything we've got. Once we've taken it down, Liberty can help trash the rest of the enemy Vertibirds. Rainbow, find Sentinel Lyons and let her know what we're doing. If she's got a better plan, come back and let us know, if not, help her deal with any enemy soldiers on her end."

"Got it!" Rainbow snapped a salute before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Applejack, Pinkie, I need you to find a way up to those walkways and provide fire support. Rarity, go with them and use your magic to give them some cover," Sunset ordered, sounding far more confident than she felt. "Don't use your magic to get up there, you'll be way too exposed and draw too much attention to yourselves. The rest of you, let's find some assholes to shoot."

The Knights shouted their agreement and charged ahead, following the lone member of the flanking team while Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity headed off in search of a way up to the walkways. Sunset kept pace with the Knights, trying to make her way to the edge of the warehouse so she'd at least have a wall protecting one flank, the sounds of battle drawing ever closer.

As she crept around the corner of one shipping container, carefully stepping around the broken corpse of a Deathclaw, Sunset narrowly avoided getting crushed by an Enclave soldier as he fell. He slammed to the floor right next to her, smoke pouring from a charred hole in his helmet.

Sunset grimaced and stepped back, eyeing the way ahead carefully. She had reached the edge of the warehouse. A row of offices lined the wall, apparently for administrative personnel. Enclave soldiers and Brotherhood Knights were battling furiously in and around them, strobe flashes of crimson and green lighting up the area as energy weapons discharged in close quarters. A dull whine filled the air as Applejack added the power of her minigun to the fight from somewhere above, and loud blasts accompanied by flashes of pink showed that Pinkie had joined in, too.

A bolt of plasma splashed against the container Sunset was lurking against, making her jump. Realizing that she was in a precarious position, she dove into a commando roll and sprinted to the nearest office, hoping to join up with the Knights she could see in there. Vaulting over an armored corpse, Sunset skidded into a crouch behind a desk and risked a quick peek at her surroundings.

The door leading to the nextdoor office had been smashed off its hinges, and someone had knocked a huge hole through the wall separating them. A pair of Knights flanked each, trading fire with the Enclave soldiers beyond. Staying crouched behind the desk, Sunset rested her plasma rifle on top of it and aimed carefully, trying to target any weak points in the enemy's armor.

Two of her allied Knights fell; one dropping like a ragdoll as a laser bolt found its way through his armor's neck joint, the second screaming as plasma melted his elbow, but between Sunset and the remaining two they managed to finish off the Enclave soldiers in the room ahead. "Are they done?" Sunset called out.

One of the Knights nodded. "The room is clear." She gestured to her injured companion. "Keep an eye on him. We'll keep pushing ahe-" The Knight was cut off as an orange beam punched a hole clean through her chest. A second beam scythed through the other Knight before she had even hit the floor, tearing through power armor like it was paper.

Sunset snapped her plasma rifle up, preparing to fire and dodge in an instant. Another orange beam flashed from the far room and put the injured Knight out of their misery. A figure stepped through the doorway, and Sunset had a brief glimpse of a man in an officer's uniform, clutching a plasma pistol that glowed with an infernal orange light, before she sent a storm of plasma fire straight towards his chest.

The officer dodged aside at the last second, the plasma bolts liquefying the metal doorframe and sending rivulets of molten steel dripping to the floor. Sunset crouched, once again taking advantage of the dubious protection offered by the desk. She spotted movement out of the corner of her eye as the officer squatted next to the hole in the wall. Both fired at the same time, the officer's shot punching through the desk and missing Sunset by inches. She blinked to clear her eyes, but the officer had already ducked back behind cover. She had missed again.

"Miss Shimmer," the officer called out. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"I wish I could say the same!" Sunset dropped to the floor and crawled on her belly to the edge of the desk, pointing her plasma rifle at the door. As she had expected, the officer whipped around the doorway and snapped off a shot at the desk, missing her by a mile. He realized his mistake just as Sunset pulled the trigger. The officer threw himself back behind the wall just in time for the plasma bolt to miss him by a hair's breadth.

Sunset swore and tried to clamber to her feet. Just as she got her legs beneath her, a series of orange beams tore through the wall and desk alike as the officer fired blindly. Sunset scrambled away from the desk, barely avoiding getting shot, but she dropped her plasma rifle in her haste to get away.

Terror speared through Sunset. She knew she had a split-second to get the rifle back before the officer came back through the door and fired again. Acting on some buried instinct, Sunset snatched up a rock and whirled to face the door. She charged just as the officer stepped into view.

Time seemed to slow as he brought his weapon up. She flung the rock in desperation, and by some miracle it smacked him in the forehead just as he pulled the trigger, throwing off his aim and sending the beam soaring harmlessly past her.

Sunset tackled the officer before he could fire again. The two crashed to the ground with Sunset on top. She lashed out with a fist, cracking him in the nose, then slammed his arm to the ground as hard as she could. He dropped the pistol, but before she could capitalize on it he slugged her in the cheek with his other hand, knocking her off him.

The officer reached for his pistol, but Sunset surged to her feet and kicked it away before he could grasp it. She whipped around just in time for him to roll away and rise to his feet in one smooth motion, his hands rising into a fighter's stance. "Not bad, but it's about time someone brought Acheson your head."

Sunset spat on the floor and raised her hands, beckoning for him to come closer. The officer obliged, stepping forward and snapping a fist at her face. Sunset blocked it and countered with a strike of her own.

The two ducked and weaved, trading blows as they each tried to find an opening. Sunset could tell instantly that the officer was a skilled fighter, well-trained in unarmed combat, but he was no Harkness. Deflecting one overly ambitious punch, she stepped in and slammed a fist into his lower ribs. He lashed out with a vicious haymaker in response. Sunset ducked under it and jabbed the officer in the ribs again, then straightened up and drove her knee into the officer's groin with all of her strength. As he doubled over she snapped her hand forward, smashing the heel of her hand into his nose.

The officer staggered back, face dripping with blood. Sunset stepped forward, intent on finishing the fight, then jerked back as the officer whipped a knife out of his belt and swiped wildly at her face. She backed away as he slashed at her, giving ground step by step. The officer pressed his attack, snarling with rage, until Sunset suddenly made her move.

As the officer readied another swing, Sunset stopped retreating and skipped forward. Caught off-guard, the officer didn't have time to react as she grabbed his wrist and yanked it, overextending his arm, and swung her other arm up at his elbow. A loud snap echoed through the room as his elbow dislocated. The officer screamed, his knife slipping from his grasp. Viper-swift, Sunset caught the falling blade and, in one sharp movement, buried it up to the hilt in his throat.

Shock and fear flashed across the officer's face. Sunset wrenched the blade out of his neck and kicked him away, a red tide pouring from the mortal wound as he collapsed to the ground.

Sunset watched as the man clutched at his neck, desperately trying to stem the flow of his own lifeblood. She shivered at the sight and turned away. Realizing dimly that she was gasping for breath herself, Sunset walked back into the other room, picked up her plasma rifle, and strode back to the dying officer. She looked down at the man, writhing in his own blood, and thought back to the Knights that he had killed, and the wounded ally that he had callously slaughtered. As she looked, Sunset noticed a little name tag sewn into his uniform. MAJ Owens.

A green flash lit up the room. The officer's body twitched once, then lay still.

Sunset stared at the lifeless corpse for several seconds, a whirlwind of emotions raging inside her, then turned to walk away. Just as she took her first step, a handheld radio crackled into life on the officer's chest. "Major, this is Acheson. The Daybreaker prototype is on its way to your location. It should be there momentarily."

"What now…?" Sunset huffed. She didn't have the faintest clue what Acheson was talking about, but the name 'Daybreaker' was something she was sure she had heard Princess Twilight or Starlight mention at some point, and not in a positive context. Sunset sighed heavily. She was already exhausted, but the fight was clearly far from over.

Leaving the office, Sunset was mildly surprised to see the Brotherhood Knights calmly moving around, accompanied by a handful of Enclave soldiers, calling out for medic's and checking that everyone was accounted for. One of them paused as he spotted Sunset. "Knight-Sergeant Shimmer! The Exodus troops are here, and we've finished mopping up the last of Acheson's soldiers. All that's left is to coordinate our assault on the tank."

"Not yet," Sunset replied grimly. She cupped a hand to her mouth and shouted out, "Everyone, stay alert! Acheson has sent some new nightmare our way and it's going to be here any sec-"

The last of her words were drowned out by an immense explosion. The gathered soldiers whipped around in surprise as a ball of fire blossomed behind them. An awful whooshing sound filled the air, followed by agonized screams and terrified yells as more flames billowed over the tops of the nearby shipping containers.

Sunset flinched as something powerful shoved a container aside. The figure vaguely resembled a suit of power armor, though it was easily eight feet tall, lithe and elegant, with gleaming white armor plates and a rippling flame-like topknot. Its eyes blazed like miniature suns. Lit up from behind by a raging inferno, the Daybreaker looked like an avenging angel rising out of the depths of Tartarus itself.

A storm of lasers and plasma bolts greeted the monstrosity as every available soldier turned their weapons on it. The Daybreaker paid them no mind. It looked around, almost appraisingly, then casually raised its left arm. Sunset shouted a warning as she spotted the flamethrower mounted on its arm, but it was too late.

The source of the whooshing sound was revealed as the flamethrower spewed forth a searing torrent of molten power. It was not mere fire, but a magically enhanced inferno that consumed everything in its path. Daybreaker swept the jet of blazing death in a wide arc, cooking those it touched inside their own armor.

Sunset scrambled away, watching in horror as swathes of troops were killed in a matter of seconds. The few who survived ran, unable to stand against such horrific power in such a confined space. The Daybreaker looked around impassively, until it locked eyes with Sunset. "Target, locked," the monster hissed in a disturbingly silky voice.

As Daybreaker raised its arm again, a shining pink projectile soared out of nowhere and smashed into its chest. The explosion knocked Daybreaker off balance. Sparks flew as a river of bullets crashed into it, along with razor-edged shards of crystal. Sunset growled and fired her plasma rifle at it as quickly as she could, aiding her fellow Rainbooms' efforts.

It wasn't enough. The Daybreaker hissed and pointed its right arm up at the walkways. Some kind of plasma weapon was mounted on this arm, its barrel glowing white-hot as it charged up. The torrent of shots stopped just as the weapon fired. It discharged with a dull boom that rocked the room, firing a blinding yellow bolt that smashed the walkway above and sent chunks of it raining down on those below.

"No!" Fear coursed through Sunset at the thought of whether her friends had managed to dodge the shot or not. Reloading her plasma rifle purely from muscle memory, she fired again as she screamed at the monster, "Hey, fuckface! It's me you want!"

Daybreaker snapped its head around to glare at Sunset, who felt her spirit quail beneath its wrathful gaze. Now that she had its attention, Sunset turned and dodged behind a shipping container, yelping as magical flames washed around it.

Sunset fled, running for dear life as the Daybreaker stalked her through the warehouse. It alternated between weapons, blasting containers aside with its plasma cannon and bathing the paths between in flames, forcing Sunset to dodge like a rat in a maze just to keep herself ahead of it. Scattered gunshots indicated that her allies were trying to take the Daybreaker down, but nothing they had was powerful enough to even make it break stride.

As she swerved around another container and found herself facing the warehouse entrance, something suddenly yanked Sunset aside just as a yellow bolt gouged a trench into the ground where she had been standing. Pinkie pulled her against the side of the container, giving her a quick look over. "Are you okay?"

"So far." Sunset risked a glance back around the corner. The Daybreaker had been locked in place by a thick growth of crystals that had encased its body up to the waist, but from the way the crystals were cracking as the monster struggled, they weren't going to hold it still for long. Sunset ducked back and glanced at Pinkie. "Are you and Applejack okay?"

"I'm fine, Applejack is trying to find a bigger gun," Pinkie replied. She dug around in her hair, the tips of which were smouldering, and pulled out the faintly glowing bottle of Nuka-Cola Quantum she had picked up in the wastes. She stuffed it into her Party Cannon and smiled grimly. "In the meantime, let's see if this bitch is thirsty."

Raising her Party Cannon, Pinkie strode out from behind the shipping container and pointed it at Daybreaker. "Happy Birthday! Now open up and say AH!"

Daybreaker looked up just the bottle smacked it straight in the face. The explosion that followed made the very earth quake under its power. The world flashed pink for an instant, then, with a deafening roar, a wave of power knocked Sunset down even through the container. Pinkie, standing in the open, was lifted off her feet by the force of the blast and hurled against the warehouse wall.

Sunset felt, rather than heard, the echoes of the explosion fade away. A piercing ringing filled her ears, and her vision swam as she sluggishly tried to get to her feet. She braced herself against the container and tried to keep herself steady. As her vision slowly cleared, she looked over at Pinkie. Her friend was lying in a crumpled heap against the wall, unmoving.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the warehouse. Sunset felt a thrill of fear run through her, and she looked up just as the Daybreaker strode into view, glaring down at her. The monster's armor had been warped and mottled by Pinkie's attack, but its stride was steady and its burning gaze clear.

Trembling with fear and the aftereffects of the explosion, Sunset could only stare as Daybreaker slowly pointed its plasma cannon at her. Just as she found herself staring down the barrel, she spotted something on the periphery of her vision; an armored figure leaping from the remnants of the upper walkways.

Lightning flashed as Cross slammed her magical hammer into the Daybreaker's head. The Star Paladin landed heavily on her feet as the monster staggered away, the ground cracking beneath her feet. Sunset watched, awestruck, as Cross straightened up and pointed at Daybreaker with her hammer. "Your time is over, fiend."

Daybreaker hissed and raised its flamethrower. Cross dove into a roll, swinging her hammer up as she rolled to her feet and batting the weapon aside. Her backswing sent Daybreaker reeling.

Bellowing Brotherhood of Steel scripture, Cross unleashed a hail of blows that would have felled a Behemoth, lightning flashing with every strike. Daybreaker fell back before the relentless onslaught. Every time it raised a weapon or tried to retaliate, Cross effortlessly deflected and countered it.

A thunderous blow crushed Daybreaker's flamethrower. Burning fuel and magical flames spurted out of the wrecked weapon, but Cross ignored them even as they singed her armor and blistered her skin. The Paladin was unstoppable. Finally, she swung her hammer in a low arc into Daybreaker's leg, forcing it to one knee. Whirling like a dervish, Cross struck the monster hard enough to knock it sprawling.

Cross advanced on Daybreaker as it clambered shakily to its knees, raising her hammer above her head. "Now, you die!"

It happened in an instant.

Cross was about to bring down her hammer, ending the fight in one final strike, when something extended from Daybreaker's arm. With a sudden display of shocking speed the monster lunged, punching Cross viciously in the chest. It took Sunset a second to register the glowing blade sticking out of Cross' back.

Blood dripped from Cross' mouth as Daybreaker stood, lifting the unfortunate Paladin into the air and holding her up like some form of grisly trophy. Daybreaker hissed as its plasma cannon charged, ready to shoot her at point-blank range.

Cross bared her teeth, her face full of grim determination, and brought her hammer down on Daybreaker's head.

The impact made Daybreaker stagger. On reflex, it fired the plasma cannon, blasting Cross off the blade and launching her body through the air. The sound of her crashing to the floor, her hammer flying out of her lifeless grasp, rang hollow through Sunset's soul.

Daybreaker shook its head slowly. Its armor was battered and broken, but still it rose to its feet and squared its shoulders, looking around for its next target. Sunset tried to shoot it, only to realize that she had dropped her gun at some point. Thinking quickly, a final, lunatic idea popped into her head just as Daybreaker spotted her.

The tank.

Desperation gave Sunset strength. She waited for Daybreaker to aim its cannon at her, then dove out of the way just before it fired. The bolt singed her back as it sailed past and blew a huge hole through the warehouse's wall.

Seizing her opportunity, Sunset lunged for the door and wrenched it open, hoping to get outside before the cannon recharged. Just as she darted through the door, something smashed through the doorway and knocked her clean off her feet, debris clattering to the ground around her.

"Going somewhere?" Daybreaker crooned.

An armored foot roughly rolled Sunset over onto her back. Daybreaker stood over her, glaring down at her in obvious anger. "Target, locked." All of the breath was knocked out of Sunset as Daybreaker planted a foot in her chest. "Die, Rainboom."

"Hey! Ah ain't done with you yet!" Sunset managed to turn her head enough to see Applejack standing just inside the warehouse, swinging Cross' hammer in wide circles above her head. Coruscating arcs of lightning followed in the hammer's wake, as if it gained power as it gained momentum. Sunset felt Daybreaker tense as Applejack glared at it. "Eat this!"

Daybreaker raised its arms protectively as Applejack released the hammer.

It needn't have bothered. The hammer didn't even go anywhere near Daybreaker. Instead, Applejack hurled it out of the hole in the warehouse's wall, and it soared like a meteor until it hit something with a colossal boom.

Daybreaker seemed almost surprised that it was still alive. It looked at Applejack, tilted its head, then pointed its plasma cannon at her. "Fool." Applejack barely got out of the way before the cannon reduced the ground she had been standing on to a crater. "I shall deal with her next, but first…"

Sunset choked as Daybreaker looked down at her again, putting more weight on its foot to slowly, agonizingly, crush the life out of her. Spots appeared in Sunset's vision as she felt bones grind. She even felt the ground rumble beneath her as if something massive was moving. Sunset didn't realize that she wasn't just imagining things until the weight suddenly vanished from on top of her.

"YOU WILL DO NO MORE HARM." Sucking in deep breaths, Sunset almost cried with relief as Liberty Prime straightened up, Daybreaker clasped in one mighty hand.

Daybreaker tried to aim its cannon at its captor, but Liberty simply fired his lasers at the monster's shoulder, keeping up the barrage until Daybreaker's arm was blown clean off.

Battered, broken, and missing a limb, Daybreaker could do nothing more than hiss defiantly as it dangled in Liberty's grasp.

"I SEE. YOU HAVE MAGIC, TOO." Liberty sighed as it looked at the monster in its hand. "MAGIC IS POWERFUL. IT HAS GIVEN ME THE ABILITY TO FORGIVE. TO LIVE, AND LET LIVE." Daybreaker twitched as Liberty brought it close to his face. "BUT I CAN CHOOSE NOT TO."

Metal screeched and sparks flew as Liberty crushed Daybreaker in his fist. It didn't even have a chance to make a sound in protest as it was crumpled up like a paper ball, then casually tossed aside.

Gathering her breath and whatever remained of her wits, Sunset hauled herself to her feet. Glancing around, she saw that the tank had been reduced to a smouldering wreck. Smoke billowed from every seam, and the front end of it had been thoroughly smashed in. Sunset thought that she could see the handle of Cross' hammer sticking out of it.

"JUSTICE IS COME," Liberty spouted, making Sunset flinch. He stepped between her and the tank, then hurled a nuke at the wreckage. His immense leg protected her from the explosion and the resultant debris. With a satisfied nod, Liberty turned and looked down at Sunset. "AID YOUR FRIENDS. I SHALL ANNIHILATE THE REST OF... ACHESON'S…" He trailed off as he looked up at the sky. "WARNING. SATELLITE UPLINK DETECTED. ORBITAL STRIKE IMMINENT."

The Enclave base was a hive of activity. Most of the soldiers and scientists running around ignored Adam, Fluttershy and Fawkes entirely, though a few understandably did a double-take when they saw a Super Mutant wandering around with a gatling laser. Adam quietly wondered if it was only the fact that an Enclave squad was escorting them that had prevented any violence towards him.

"How far is it to the Base Crawler?" Fawkes asked, unconcerned by the looks he was getting.

"Not far," one of the escorting soldiers replied. "We've just got to find Doctor Shoichet first for your briefing, then you'll be escorted to the Crawler."

The soldiers led them further through the base, until finally they came to a squat concrete structure. "The Doctor is in here. Go on in."

Adam nodded his thanks and hauled the oversized door open. Inside, several tables had been pushed together and covered haphazardly in terminals and sheets of paper. Two women were standing by the table. Adam recognized one of them as Doctor Shoichet from their brief interaction in Raven Rock, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the massive figure looming over them like a living statue.

Horrigan stiffened and clenched his fists as he saw the trio enter. "Mutie."

"Don't even think about it," Shoichet said quickly. "They're on our side."

Horrigan snarled and whipped around to face her. "You expect me to work with mutants?"

"He's with the Brotherhood of Steel. We've discussed this, Horrigan, they're our allies," Shoichet replied evenly.

"The Lieutenant Colonel told me about working with the Brotherhood." Horrigan cracked his knuckles and glared at Fawkes. "But no-one said anything about working with mutie scum."

"It's your choice," the other woman cut in. "You can pick mutants, and work with us, or you can pick traitors, and work with Acheson. Pick which one you hate more. If you want me to keep patching your ass up every time you get it kicked, though, I'd suggest working with us."

Horrigan growled and clenched his fists, green mist leaking from his joints as his armor creaked. Adam tensed, preparing himself for a fight, but Horrigan snorted and stomped past them to the door. "I'm waiting outside," he spat.

Doctor Shoichet sighed with relief as Horrigan slammed the door. "Nice work, Sienna. That went a lot better than expected."

"I figured he would back down," Sienna said with a shrug. "I'm just glad he caved that easily. My other option was to remind him that Liberty Prime was here and perfectly willing to kick his ass again."

"He wouldn't have liked that," Shoichet muttered. She shook her head and shifted her attention to Adam and the others. "Sorry about that. Horrigan is fanatically loyal to the Enclave, but he's not the most rational guy. We've had to introduce him to the changes Exodus is making bit by bit. The last thing we want is for him to decide that we're all traitors and go on a rampage."

"Fair enough. We all have to work with assholes at some point," Adam said with a smirk. "So, what's the plan?"

Doctor Shoichet gestured for the three to come over to one of the terminals. "This is a map of the Base Crawler. We can extend the access ramp remotely, so we'll get the three of you in position then, as soon as the Brotherhood of Steel begins their assault, we'll open it up. Horrigan will lead a squad inside to deal with Acheson's soldiers, Deathclaws, and any other bullshit he has come up with. While he's doing that, the three of you will take these maintenance access corridors."

"You'll need this to access them," Sienna cut in, handing Adam a keycard. "Make sure that you don't lose it."

"Once you're inside, follow these corridors up," Shoichet continued, tracing a path on the screen with a finger. "When you reach this floor, you need to take this door. That will put you right outside Acheson's workshop, here." She pointed to a large room on the map. "Unfortunately, the best way to get up to the satellite uplink is through his workshop, and he will almost certainly be lurking in there while the fighting is going on. Teach that shitbag a lesson, then head up through this access stairwell. That'll take you directly up to the uplink control terminal. Have you got all of that?"

Adam nodded. "Ramp, card, corridor, stairs, workshop, shitbag, stairs, satellite. Got it."

"Um, could I download that map to my Pip-Boy, just in case?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sure, come here." Shoichet helped Fluttershy download the map, then pressed a sheet of paper into her hands. "This is a command override code for any terminals connected to the Base Crawler's mainframe. Tara came up with it herself. If Acheson manages to get the uplink working, use that to shut it down."

Fawkes raised an eyebrow. "You seem strangely flustered. Is everything alright?"

Shoichet let out a dry chuckle. "Sorry, the Brotherhood of Steel arrived sooner than expected, so we need to get you guys in position quickly before they begin their assault."

"Speaking of which, you'd better haul ass now if you want to actually do that on time," Sienna deadpanned.

"Right, right." Shoichet rushed over to the door and pulled it open. "Come on."

Adam, Fluttershy and Fawkes glanced at each other, then followed her outside. Horrigan was stomping back and forth in front of the building, grousing under his breath. The nearby soldiers were pointedly ignoring him, though Adam noticed that all of them had shifted to give him plenty of space to pace in.

"Alright, Horrigan, time to get to work," Shoichet called out. He paused and glared at her, but she held up a hand. "I know you don't like it, but if we want the Enclave to survive, then this is what we have to do. We're on the clock, so get your ass over to the Base Crawler as quickly as you can. You can take your anger out on Acheson's cronies."

Still clenching his fists, Horrigan looked from Shoichet, to Fawkes, then back again. Finally, he let out an irritated huff and started stomping away. He called back over his shoulder as he walked, "Fine. Just don't get in my way, mutie."

Adam desperately wanted to hurl some vile insult in defence of his friend, but he bit his tongue. They couldn't afford to fight amongst themselves.

Horrigan stomped along quickly enough that the three Brotherhood members and the squad of Enclave soldiers were forced to jog to keep up. The group attracted far more looks as they moved now, but they made good time as everyone they encountered scrambled to get out of Horrigan's way.

The group followed Horrigan until they reached a huge concrete building. Rounding a corner at the base of it, Adam stopped and gasped as he got his first glimpse of the Mobile Base Crawler.

The Crawler was vast. It wasn't as big as Rivet City, but it was large enough to at least be comparable. It was shaped like a colossal metal box, dotted with pipes, vats and giant storage tanks. It looked like someone had taken a refinery, or a factory, and propped it up on huge sets of caterpillar tracks. A massive satellite tower sat on top of it, completing the image of a moving research station. Adam could hardly believe that a vehicle could get so big.

"Do you get the feeling that Acheson is compensating for something?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

Adam chuckled, earning a reproachful glare from Horrigan. "Keep up. We need to be ready to move as soon as we get the order."

The two realized with a jolt that they were standing out in the open, in full view of any enemies on board. Luckily, an encampment had been set up just ahead, with prefabricated metal walls ringing it. Horrigan and the others were already heading towards it, so Fluttershy and Adam hurried to catch up.

"What is this camp for?" Fawkes asked, crouching behind one of the walls. The camp contained little more than a portable table, a few supply crates, and a bulky two-way radio. "It feels a little… conspicuous."

Horrigan snorted as he sat down next to a wall. “Emergency communication center, for directing the civilian residents on the other side of the base to evacuate if the Base Crawler is overrun, or so Acheson thinks. Lieutenant Colonel Strong actually set it up so we could rest and top up our supplies before the assault begins." He gestured to the supply crates. "If you idiot wastelanders need ammo, grab it fast."

"Thanks, but we came prepared," Adam replied. "Maybe if you had been prepared when you came to the Citadel, Liberty Prime wouldn't have slapped you around like a crappy piñata."

One of the soldiers let out an amused snort, but quickly shut up and baulked as Horrigan glared at him. "I don't know who you think you are-"

"Adam, but Galaxy News calls me the Lone Wanderer," Adam replied brightly. "This is my girlfriend, Fluttershy, and my best bud, Fawkes. We're the ones who are going to take down Acheson and bring peace to the Capital Wasteland. You got a problem with that, ass-wipe?"

Fawkes and Fluttershy both tensed, clearly expecting Horrigan to retaliate, and Adam silently cursed his big mouth, but the big soldier just looked at the three of them in turn. He seemed almost confused as he held his hands up and looked at them, then down at his legs.

"It's the rig all over again," Horrigan said quietly. The others shared confused looks, even the Enclave soldiers, but Horrigan didn't notice. "The rig, the Brotherhood of Steel, even the Chosen One and his little whore, it's all the same… except…"

Whatever was going through Horrigan's mind, it was interrupted as a voice crackled out from the radio, "The Brotherhood of Steel has engaged Acheson's ambush parties. We are opening the ramp now: Begin your infiltration."

Horrigan clapped and got to his feet with surprising agility. "You heard the boss. Let's move!" Without a backward glance he turned and shoved the metal wall out of his way, stomping towards the Crawler. Green mist poured from his armor's joints as he unshackled the power he kept hidden.

Adam checked his plasma rifle and started after him, pausing just long enough to make sure that Fawkes and Fluttershy were following. The soldiers brought up the rear.

Hurrying across the ground, the group passed by several sandbag emplacements and makeshift barricades, all manned by Enclave soldiers who made no attempt to stop them. Adam felt a certain amount of relief that the Exodus team's influence was holding up, though that feeling wilted as Horrigan led them past a set of colossal treads and under the Base Crawler.

It was odd. Adam had spent almost his entire life underground, living in a cramped and confined environment, but here, beneath the oppressive bulk of the Crawler, he began to feel claustrophobic. Something about the sheer size of it, not to mention the fact that it could move, made him feel like a bug beneath the foot of a giant.

Fortunately, the group didn't have far to go. A narrow ramp had descended from the bottom of the Crawler, leading up to a heavy metal door on the underside. Horrigan stepped onto it without concern, but just as Adam made to follow the door at the top slammed open.

The creature that stepped out was the stuff of nightmares. In shape, it looked like a Deathclaw, but its whole body was encased in bulky power armor. Scarlet light blazed between its joints, giving it the aspect of a demon come to claim the souls of the damned. White letters stenciled onto its chest spelled out 'FH-2'.

"What the hell is that?" Adam muttered.

"ONE OF ACHESON'S TOYS," Horrigan thundered, flexing his arms and striding to meet it.

The FH-2 roared and charged down the ramp with terrifying speed, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. It collided with Horrigan with incredible force, actually driving him back a few paces. The two wrestled in place, each trying to force the other back, when Horrigan finally managed to get an arm free. He jabbed the creature in the jaw, shoved it back, then threw a mighty punch that knocked it off its feet.

Screeching in pain and fury, the FH-2 surged back to its feet, only for Horrigan to grab it by the neck. He grabbed its shoulder with his other hand and, in a shocking display of strength and brutality, tore the creature's head off in a welter of blood and sparks.

"PATHETIC." Horrigan tossed the head aside, then shunted the rest of the corpse off the ramp. "IF THAT'S THE BEST ACHESON HAS, HE'D BETTER RUN."

Adam stood and stared in slack-jawed silence. The hell-beast had been little more than a minor inconvenience to the walking catastrophe that Horrigan had become. Adam's respect for Applejack rose sharply, knowing that she had actually gone toe-to-toe with that freak.

"A truly terrifying entity," Fawkes noted quietly.

"Yeah," Adam agreed. "Uh, come on. We'd better get in there."

Staring uneasily at the blood dripping from the ramp, the rest of the group followed as Horrigan lumbered up and into the Crawler.

The inside of the Base Crawler was dark. Small lights in the ceiling provided wan illumination, but it still took Adam a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. When he could see properly again, he saw that they were in a small antechamber, with a crackling energy field blocking the way ahead.

Horrigan stepped through the field with an amused chuckle, slapping the generator as he passed to shut it down. Passing through, the group found themselves in a wide room, packed with all sorts of equipment and crates. Horrigan stalked between it all, laser fire pattering off his armor as he hunted down and squashed the defenders, a mix of combat robots and terrified scientists.

Adam was about to follow after Horrigan when he felt someone tug on his armor.

"The maintenance corridor is this way," Fawkes said, pointing to a door off to the side.

"Oh, right." Coughing to cover his embarrassment, Adam hurried over to the door and pulled out the keycard, holding it over a little scanner next to the door. A soft chime sounded, and the door opened automatically. Inside was a narrow corridor, barely wide enough for Fawkes or Adam in his power armor.

"This is not going to be pleasant," Fawkes grumbled. "Still, I suppose it will be better than following that monster around, and getting shot at by robots."

Fluttershy gulped as she headed inside first. "Come on, the faster we move, the more people we might be able to save."

Silence fell as the door slid shut behind the trio. The corridor was long and winding, and the three passed several doors as they walked, but Fluttershy kept them on the right course, checking the map periodically.

To Adam's great surprise, they actually ran into several maintenance staff on their route, but none of them seemed particularly bothered to see the intruders. Some of them gave resigned sighs and just stood aside to let them pass, others disappeared through the nearest door while muttering about 'not being stupid enough to get involved', and a few even wished the three luck in dealing with Acheson.

Eventually, the three came to a staircase that climbed up a tall, narrow shaft. "Man, I hate stairs," Adam grumbled.

"At least there's no one else on them," Fluttershy offered.

"After so long trapped in a cell, I actually quite like stairs," Fawkes put in. "They give me a chance to work my legs properly."

Adam sighed heavily. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

The stairs seemed to go on endlessly. Rivet City's stairwells were almost certainly longer, but every floor was decorated with signposts, furniture, and all sorts of odds and ends, not to mention often full of people. Here in the Crawler, there was nothing but floor numbers and the occasional toolbox.

Eventually, Fluttershy stopped at a particular landing and pointed to a door. "That's where we need to go. Acheson's workshop is just through here."

Adam nodded. "Okay. I'm going first this time." He stepped up to the door and glanced back at Fluttershy. "Is anyone on the other side?"

Fluttershy shook her head, so Adam pushed the door open.

The corridor on the other side was wider and taller than any of the ones downstairs. Adam crept along the corridor, keeping his plasma rifle up and ready, but Fluttershy had been right. The place was deserted.

Moving down the corridor, Adam halted in front of a large door. He gestured to it curiously and looked at Fluttershy. She checked the map, then nodded and whispered, "That's the workshop."

Adam and Fawkes both checked their weapons, then Adam gently pushed the door open.

The workshop was the definition of organized chaos. Desks and worktables were spaced randomly around the room, each piled high with reports and tools, while armor frames and racks of power tools lined the walls.

A man and a woman were standing at a desk near the back of the room. The woman gasped and ran to a corner when she spotted the trio. Adam felt a flash of anger as he recognized her as Doctor Holt, from his father's science team, but he quickly turned his attention back to the man.

Acheson was almost seven feet tall. He was wearing a heavily patched pair of shorts, and a bizarre network of wires and cables that connected his thick gloves to a bunch of interlinked circuit boards on his torso. Acheson's body was almost as muscular as Fawkes', an oily magical sheen rippling over his skin with every movement he made. Empty vials littered the desk in front of him. "How curious, I was expecting Horrigan," he said in a deep, powerful voice.

Adam and Fawkes both opened fire at the same time. Acheson flicked his wrist and the desk was lifted in an orange glow, floating in front of him like a shield. The barrage of laser and plasma fire shredded it in seconds, but by the time the dust cleared, Acheson was out of sight.

"He's over there!" Fluttershy shouted and pointed. Adam raised his gun, only to be knocked off his feet by an orange beam that dented his breastplate.

Fawkes bellowed with rage and fired his gatling laser, obliterating everything between himself and Acheson, but the doctor crossed his arms and summoned a gleaming orange orb around himself.

Clambering to his feet, Adam noted with satisfaction that Fluttershy had disappeared before joining Fawkes in blasting Acheson. The doctor's protective shield shuddered under the combined barrage. Acheson grimaced as the two poured on the firepower, sweat beading on his forehead as he strained to keep up the shield, until both weapons suddenly ran dry.

Determined not to give him a chance to recover, Adam and Fawkes swiftly reloaded. It wasn't fast enough.

"My turn." With a grin, Acheson dismissed the shield and thrust out his hands. Adam and Fawkes tried to dodge the incoming magical beams, but their reflexes weren't fast enough and both were knocked to the floor. With a flick of his wrists, Acheson snatched their weapons in his magic and tossed them away, easily disarming the pair. "There. That makes things easier."

Adam rolled to his feet, only for another beam to sweep his legs out from under him. He growled and looked up, only to freeze as he spotted Fluttershy sneaking up behind Acheson, a needle clamped in her hand. She was almost within striking distance.

"Behind you!" Holt screamed.

Terror seized Adam as Acheson whipped around. Fluttershy jabbed at his chest with the needle, but he managed to catch her wrist just before it pierced the skin. "Nice try."

Acheson made a clasping hand with his free hand and his magic seized Fluttershy. He casually flicked his wrist, throwing her bodily against the wall.

Adam roared and surged to his feet, charging at the doctor, but Acheson used his magic to grasp his legs, tripping him.

"You shall die for that!" Fawkes leaped at Acheson, throwing a mighty right hook.

Acheson caught it in one meaty fist. Magic flickered around his arms as he punched Fawkes in the chest, launching him across the room. The hapless companion had barely come to a halt before Acheson struck again, thrusting his arms out and launching a coruscating blast of magic that smashed Fawkes against the far wall.

"No!" Adam made to rise again, ready to pull Acheson apart with tooth and nail if he had to, but it was futile. He had barely taken a single step before orange magic wreathed his armor's joints. With a violent wrenching motion, Acheson crushed the joints of Adam's armor, sending him crashing to the floor one last time

"You truly are foolish," Acheson huffed. "Perhaps you did not hear me when I said that I was expecting to deal with Horrigan. One Vault brat, a twisted Super Mutant and the weakest of the Rainbooms aren't going to be enough to stop me."

Adam swore and glared up at him, his mind whirring as he desperately tried to think of a way out of their predicament. He just needed time. "If you think you can beat Horrigan, you've got another thing coming."

Acheson chuckled as he sauntered towards Adam. "My boy, Horrigan will be easy." He pointed back to where he had thrown Fluttershy. "First, I'm going to kill you, then I'm going to drain your little skank's magic. When Horrigan gets here, I'll rip every last drop of magic out of him, then I'll laugh as I tear him limb. From. Limb."

"You'll still have Liberty Prime to deal with, or have you forgotten about that?" Adam spat.

"True," Acheson mused, stroking his beard. "Then again, the satellite uplink is ready, and the missile platform is loading its entire payload as we speak. I think a comprehensive orbital barrage should be enough to level your pathetic Brotherhood of Steel. Then the Enclave shall be free to take its rightful place as the rulers of this misbegotten world." He stopped in front of Adam and held his hands up, as if gesturing towards himself. "With God at its head."

Adam started to panic. He tried to move his arms in a desperate attempt to at least put up a fight, but stopped when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. The fate of the wastes would be decided in the next few seconds. All Adam had to do was keep Acheson's attention on him. "You call yourself a god, but when the nicest person in the world decides that the world is better off without you, then the only place you belong is in Hell."

Acheson threw his head back and laughed. "Jesus, you think highly of yourself, don't you?"

Adam smiled grimly as he muttered, "I wasn't talking about me."

Acheson was still laughing when Vampire's Edge erupted from his chest.

"You're no god." Acheson twitched as the blade was ripped out of his body, then dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Fluttershy stood over his body, bat-wings flared as she flicked blood from her sword. "You're nothing but scum."

Adam's mind stalled at the sight. He looked from his vampire girlfriend to Acheson and back again in mute shock. When he finally found his voice, he croaked out, "Are… are you okay?"

Fluttershy breathed in deeply, then let it out slowly. "I'm fine." She seemed to come to her senses after that, shaking her head and dropping down next to Adam. "What about you, are you injured? Where does it hurt?"

"I'm not hurt, don't worry." Adam shook his head, urgency blooming in his chest as he remembered some of Acheson's last words. "You have to find the uplink terminal before they can fire the satellite. You have to stop it!" Fluttershy hesitated, trying to stammer about how she had to heal him and Fawkes. "There's no time!" Adam said urgently. "You have to save the Brotherhood! Go!"

Fluttershy blinked twice, then gave a grim nod and darted off, disappearing far faster than Adam would have believed possible. He stared at the door she burst through for several long seconds after she had gone.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Adam forced his battered armor to move, dragging himself across the floor towards Fawkes. He couldn't do anything more to help his girlfriend, but he would be damned if he didn't at least try to find out if his friend was still alive. It took what felt like an age. Without the benefit of the strength it provided, his armor was nothing more than dead weight. Worse, one of the impacts had damaged the release mechanism, meaning he couldn't even get out of it.

Inch by inch, Adam dragged himself along, until finally he found Fawkes buried among a pile of mangled metal. "Fawkes? Hey, buddy, if you're alive, say something. If not, say something else."

"Something else." Adam felt a giddy sense of relief as the metal shifted and Fawkes poked his head out. "Fear not, I am in incredible pain, but I am alive. Unlike a certain Enclave bastard."

Adam chuckled and let his head drop to the floor. "Groovy."

The world was a blur as Fluttershy hurtled through corridors. Her blood sang as she pushed her mutated body to the limit. Killing Acheson felt like a stain that she would never be able to wash away, but at the same time it felt strangely freeing, liberating, in a way she had never felt before.

Dashing along, Fluttershy sensed someone ahead long before she saw them. As she sped around the last corner, she spotted a technician standing at the bottom of the stairs. The poor man barely had time to squeal in fright before she had dodged past him and started up the stairs.

Killing Acheson was one thing, but she felt no sudden desire to slaughter someone simply for being in her path.

The stairway was too cramped for Fluttershy to run at full speed. Her blade drew sparks as she accidentally knocked it against the walls in her hurry to reach the top. As she neared her destination, she sensed someone else, a woman, above, typing away on a terminal.

Snarling, Fluttershy burst into the control room and scrambled around to the terminal, intending to lunge at the woman and shove her away from it. She caught a brief glimpse of a woman in an officer's uniform as she rounded the corner, and the scoped revolver clasped in one hand, before a loud bang echoed through the room and agony tore Fluttershy's world apart.

Fluttershy stumbled, the scent of fresh blood filling her nostrils. Her blood. She looked down in surprise to see a red stain spreading across her uniform over her abdomen.

"Holy shit! I thought I heard something, but what the fuck are you?!" Fluttershy looked up to see the officer staring at her as if she was a monster. She snarled, vampiric instincts taking over, but the officer took a step back. "Fuck off, you freak!"

Several more gunshots set Fluttershy's ears ringing even as excruciating pain exploded through her stomach. She dropped to her knees, her hands instinctively flying to her gut. Black and red spots flashed across her vision as she gasped for breath.

"Whatever you are, it's time to go to sleep." The officer pressed the gun against Fluttershy's forehead, and calmly pulled the trigger.

A loud click echoed through the control room.

Fluttershy growled and glared up at the officer, pain and desperation rising up from her core and bringing a red wrath along with them.

The officer's face went white. "Oh, shi-"

With an animal snarl, Fluttershy snapped her wings and lunged at the officer, tackling her to the ground. The woman desperately tried to fight her off, but she wasn't anywhere near strong enough. Slapping her hands aside, Fluttershy gripped the officer's hair, yanked her head back, and buried her fangs in the woman's throat.

Blood filled Fluttershy's mouth, lighting up every nerve in her body like electricity. It was intoxicating, a wave of ecstasy that crashed through her mind and wiped away all conscious thought, orders of magnitude greater than merely supping from blood packs.

All too soon, the officer's struggles stopped, and her heartbeat faded. Fluttershy sucked deeply, drawing out whatever dregs she could. When she was done, she lay on top of the corpse, gasping for air as the electrifying sensation slowly left her body.

Seconds passed, or maybe it was minutes, Fluttershy couldn't tell. When she finally came to her senses, she gasped and shoved herself away from the dead officer. She expected a wave of horror and shame, the crushing guilt of having lost control of her hunger, but nothing came.

Shock. Right, you're in shock. After all, you did just get shot and… wait, I got shot!

Fluttershy pawed anxiously at her stomach, but the pain had gone entirely. Her wounds had healed.

Unable to process what the hell had just happened, Fluttershy shoved everything to the back of her mind and focused on what she had to do. She pulled herself to her feet, kicked the corpse's leg out of her way, and stepped up to the terminal. The screen showed that a full orbital bombardment was prepared, and gave a list of targets. Liberty Prime was right at the top.

Fluttershy closed the program and shut the terminal down. The battle for the Base Crawler had been won.

The war was over.

And so we come to the end of the main quest line!

What a milestone. 100 chapters, over 400,000 words. I had always planned for this to be a large fic, right from when it was in the planning stages, but it's still a good feeling to actually reach this point. I'd especially like to thank my editors: Night-Quill and Mocha Star, and of course my readers, for sticking with my madness for this long.

Don't worry, the story isn't anywhere near finished yet, there's still plenty more of this fic to go!