[b][color=ed1c24][b]Vulpes Inculta - Indianapolis [/b][/color][/b]

Chaos had erupted inside the fallen city, as the Cult’s warriors sprang their trap, assaulting Brotherhood and Legion troops alike in a mad bloody melee. It was like the earth itself had opened up and spit out beasts and men from the depths of hell. The Legion’s forces reacted immediately, and Centurions ordered their men into defensive formations as they’d been drilled and trained to do time and time again. Ambushes of this sort were not uncommon for The Legion to encounter: experienced as they were in fighting tribals and guerilla fighters in Utah and Colorado. But the Cult’s war beast abominations and horrific appearance unnerved even the hardened Veterans. 

“Hold them!” A Centurion standing on a rooftop shouted above the din of battle as his Legionaries fought on bravely below. Blades against blades, chainsaws revving and tearing into flesh, gunshots ringing out and blood coating the concrete and rusted steel of the city. A molerat mount, riderless, and covered in spears like some kind of twisted porcupine road through the carnage before collapsing from exhaustion and blood loss.  Despite the ferocity of the sudden attack and the horrors they faced, the Legion would give no ground. All would rather die than shame the standard of Caesar. 

Vulpes Inculta road with the Praetorian Guard towards the battle, his gaze fixed ahead and his mind immediately turning to planning a counter-attack now that The Cult had revealed its plan. He should have seen this coming, Indianapolis had fallen too easily and it was hard to imagine how the Cult could have allowed such weak fighters to represent them on the field. Now the truth was made manifest: they’d saved their best warriors in reserve and only now committed them to a final assault. They could never hope to claim victory, but victory wasn’t their objective. 

He suppressed a grin, he had to give them credit...it was a trap that he would have gladly sprung himself against The NCR. Perhaps it was not entirely as...imaginative as some of his past work...but no less deadly for that. The fact that they’d been able to conceal such abominations and such raw power for long enough to make them count...it all pointed to the Cult’s war leaders even in such a backwater part of their territory having far more strategic acumen than he or perhaps even The Brotherhood’s Inquisitors had been willing to consider.  

The group of Praetorian horsemen were just about to regroup with the main column when out behind the rubble sprung a group of cult marauders. The horses reared up in startled protest and stamped impatiently at the sight before them. Each cultist was mounted on horrifically twisted and mutated molerat beasts, abominations that seemed to scream madness. Their riders, too, were no less gruesome with gore-riddled spikes and heavy armor and helmets. The lead rider, a massive ungainly brute, clenched his jaw in a malicious grin, and then he shouted,

 "FRESH MEAT FOR THE SLAUGHTER! AT THEM!"

Vulpes steeled his nerve, sent up a silent prayer to Mars, and drew his gladius. The Praetorians immediately followed suit, their unsheathed blades singing with desire for blood and glory. He gripped the reigns of his horse and lowered his blade at the approaching foe,

“Take them head on. Break through..” He said calmly to the men around him, “LEGIO INVICTA!” He yelled finally and spurred his mount forward. 

“LEGIO INVICTA!” Came the Praetorians reply. A war horn blared out proudly.

And they charged. 

Time seemed to stand still as the two groups raced towards one another before finally they clashed, riders tangling amongst each other in bloody carnage. The Praetorians were the Legion’s elite: the best fighters hand-picked to guard Caesar. They fought just as well with blade, firearm, spear, and fist. Each man would give his all in this battle. 

Vulpes knew his target. As the slaughter raged around him, he singled out the lead rider and raised his gladius in a challenge,

“Your dark god cannot help you,” He taunted, “I am a Son of Mars...and I am Legion. We will tear your monolith to the ground, and see your degenerate Prophet nailed to a cross...your end is coming. Sooner than you think.”


[b][color=f7941d]The Aces Theatre at the Tops Casino- The Vegas Strip
[/color][/b]

[url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEpzqLPwG7Q][i]One scotch, one bourbon, one beer…[/i][/url]

The soft jazzy tune drifted around the smoky atmosphere of the Aces Theatre. Thomas, seated in the booth with Cait, was sipping on a ice cold nuka cola orange: his favorite flavor. His arm wrapped tightly around the redhead in a display of affection he rarely showed in public around The Institute. The two Courser bodyguards, disguised as they were, looked like two well dressed button men standing to either side of the booth. Patrons of the Theatre assumed he was some sort of mob figure with his squeeze or perhaps a big-shot Nevada tycoon in cahoots with Mr. House. They were not...entirely wrong. 

Cait refrained from any alcohol offered to her by the waiters. She was close to three years sober at this point, and never intended to touch the stuff again despite her earlier jokes.  She knew she couldn’t risk falling back into her old ways. Thomas, who’d never been a big drinker in the first place, was more than happy to stick to cola when she was around as well. It suited him just fine: better in fact. So rather than be drunk, both of them just sat listening to the music and taking in the sights and sounds of the Theatre. Enjoying each other’s company in a rare moment of bliss. 

Thomas would have to thank Robert later for giving him the chance to cut loose for a bit. It was certainly a nice change of pace from his usual busy schedule at The Institute. Meetings, meetings, and more meetings were the order of the day there. Not that he didn’t enjoy his work mind you, The Institute had become his life. He’d devote everything he could spare to it and its people. All he could hope was that Shaun would have approved of what he was doing, of the path he was treading for them. It was all he had left of him. He would see his final vision come to fruition.   

“Is this what it was like?” Cait’s voice snapped him out of the hypnotic-like trance of relaxation the music and cozy atmosphere had him under, “You know….before.”

He looked down at her, wrapped as she was in his arms. He smiled, 

“Yes. It was this and more. Not everything was good...plenty was wrong with the world before. But this...this is what was right.”

“I think I would have liked it then,” she replied as she nestled herself in deeper. She closed her eyes and continued listening to the music, nearly falling asleep. 

“I think you would have too….” 

[color=00aeef][b]Dr. Madison Lee - The Institute[/b][/color]

“Have a good night Dr. Lee!” The cheery voice of Rosalind Ormand carried out the door of the Advanced Systems Division as it slid to a close. Dr. Lee took a deep breath and began her slow walk home through The Institute’s concourse and back up to her residence on the top floor of the atrium wing. Quiet hours had already begun, and artificial starlight shown through the domed ceiling of The Institute’s interior. To those born and raised in this underground paradise, the lights above were a calming presence, and something of great beauty. But to Madison, born and raised on the the surface, they couldn’t compare with the real thing even if she did find herself occasionally staring up as if she was looking at the infinite blackness that was the night sky. But like much of what was in The Institute, it was still artificial...and she hated it sometimes. 

As she began walking up the stairs, she reflected on how things had changed since Shaun had died and his father had taken up his mantle: becoming leader of The Institute. New protocols, new directives...and now the implementation of the next step in whatever master plan the Milburn family had for The Institute and the world. It was being dubbed “Phase 4”, not without reason obviously given the last Phase, and despite her high rank within The Directorate her information about its objective and status was limited. But she knew enough to understand where it was eventually going...how many “Phases” it would take, what they would eventually all lead to. There was only one logical outcome...perhaps the world would be for the better….or perhaps they were wrong and they would replace one horror with another kind. She wasn’t sure. 

At this point though, she didn’t care. After she’d confronted Director Thomas about everything….the FEV experiments undertaken by his son…..Dr. Virgil’s confinement....the new Phase 4 directives...the secret missives he’d been distributing to each of the Divisions…the work he’d ordered Advanced Systems to perform without her consent....well after everything he had almost seemed impressed with her deductive skills. She’d threatened to resign, threatened to return to the surface, find Sarah Lyons and give her everything she’d need to bring The Institute to its knees as one final act of revenge.  

It was a hollow threat, and she hadn’t expected to survive it, at least not in the form she was...but Thomas had only smiled. Smiled in that gentle, oddly comforting way that he always did. And he offered her a deal. 

A deal she couldn’t refuse. 

She’d taken it. Taken it like she was selling her soul to the devil, and doing so with gusto. Thomas wasn’t stupid, and he played her like a fiddle. He knew exactly what she wanted...and how far she would go to attain it. He dangled it in front of her like a carrot...and she snapped at the bait. Now...Thomas had her in the palm of his hands: she would admit that fully, but she didn’t care. 

Madison stopped at the door to her apartment and paused briefly. The retinal scan confirmed her identity and the doors slid open with a hiss.

“Welcome home Madison, how was your day honey?”

The warm voice greeted her with a rush of dopamine. Stronger than the strongest drug any chem-addict could concoct,

“It was good James, I had a great day in fact…” She nearly ran over to the counter where James was standing: he looked just as she’d remembered him to be. Just as perfect, just as radiant and brilliant. Now...he was hers. 

“I’m glad….I tried to make you dinner, unfortunately I don’t think it turned out as well as I imagined it would. I was never a great cook, but you know that...”

“Its alright...I’ll enjoy it all the same…” 

And she leaned in and kissed him, kissed him deeply. Finally feeling his lips on hers….no matter how many times she felt them, she couldn’t get over it. After all these years of wanting, needing, and going without...she would do it no more. 

“Why don’t we sit down, and you can tell me all about your work. I’d love to hear about it.”

“I’d be glad to share,” She smiled, “I’m so happy you’re here again James….so happy.”

“I’m happy too Madison. Happy to be with you finally…..”

Yes….she now owed no loyalty but to the one who’d given her everything she’d wanted. Even if Phase 4 scared her….she’d see it through now. She had no choice. But then again….she never did really.