บท 36: Dramatic Exit
A week after Afton had spoken with Katie Stanton Miles had actually approached him. He was sitting in his quarters reading a book about how biological humanoid move and how that translates into machinery.
"Er, Afton?" Miles asked from behind him, causing him to quickly turn at his unexpected visitor.
"Yeah?" he replies, not continuing as he wanted Miles to say what he needed.
...
"I'm sorry for... Acting like I have... I've been trying to get better as quickly as I can but, I'm exhausted, I-We need to be prepared for when the NCR attacks. I won't have them taking anything else away from me, I won't let them." he quickly says.
Miles wasn't as cold as he'd been before, but his obsession with the NCR didn't seem to have changed... Perhaps his mother had shifted his focus from personal strength to collective, he could imagine the boy would accept that as there was only so much a single person could do... That meant he wanted to help, as well as receive help from Afton.
This wasn't really what he had in mind, but at least Miles was started to introspect on his situation, admitting he was exhausted was the first step after all, and it was very rational to be worried about the looming fight with the NCR.
"What do you want me to do Miles?"
"I want you to help prepare me, Melissa and anyone else who wants to fight against the NCR."
"Why not ask Doran? I'm not a teacher, and am nowhere near qualified enough to teach it." he says, more to excuse himself from having to tutor others.
"You're one of the best Initiates, the teachers have other duties and won't prepare us fast enough."
...
Afton shakes his head, "I'll help you Miles, as I always have, but anymore than that is asking too much, I'm still learning and training, I can't spend that amount of time training others. If you want to do it yourself, then that's up to you."
Miles nods, "That's fine... At least you're trying."
In the end he and Miles worked out a time where he'd tutor Miles in some of the advanced things he knew, tutoring him at the firing range, some basic melee skills, and other things that may be needed.
They'd do this once a week for an hour or two, similarly to the arrangement he Christine and Veronica had. Well, they used to have...
A week after he'd made the arrangement with Miles he left to go meet with Christine and Veronica, only to find Veronica standing there in the room, alone with a worried look on her face. When he entered she turned towards him, "Afton? Have you seen Christine? I haven't seen her all day and can't find her!" she quickly asks, almost panicking.
"Are you sure? Where is she usually?" he asks, trying to remain calm at the rapidly declining situation.
"I've already looked there! I've looked everywhere!... She... She might not even be inside Helios One!" she exclaims as she runs through her thoughts. Veronica quickly turns to him with a determined look, "You stay here and wait to see if she returns... I'm going to look outside for her, we... Have a hidden spot that we'd spend time together in." she says before sprinting out of the room.
Afton tries to follow after her but knows that he'll not be allowed outside due to the NCR becoming more aggressive as time goes on. He starts wandering around the halls in-case Veronica had missed Christine, unfortunately, she wasn't anywhere to be found.
Veronica hadn't even put on her Power armour as she left Helios One, the guards at the door questioned her briefly but she gave a lie about how the Elder had given her permission.
She stayed well away from their usual patrol paths, as the NCR would most likely be monitoring it. Instead she climbed and shimmied around the mountain until she got to an isolated spot... It'd be the perfect overlook for NCR snipers had they been aware, or even able to get to this position. The only way to access it was from the side closest to Helios One, making it impossible for them to get to.
It looked over the facility and all the roads, allowing her to see the distant Gibsons scrapyard and many other places... It was a good spot, Veronica's favourite spot.
She wasn't alone when she finally reached the top however, Christine had her legs dangling off the cliff with a forlorn look on her face, "Christine!" Veronica shouted as grabbed the girl away from the edge, fearing her lover doing something stupid. "I'VE LOOKed EVERWHERE FOR YOU, DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED YOU'VE MADE ME!?!"
Christine smiles slightly before her expression returns to a frown, "I'm sorry Veronica, for everything." she says ominously.
...
"What? What do you mean?"
Christine tugs her collar to the side and reveals her holotag, it was a metal border with holographic technology in the middle that displayed her information. One detailed her name, age, and parentage, while the other detailed her rank and experience within the Brotherhood of steel... She unclipped the one holding her personal information and forced it into Veronica's hand. "I want you to have this... To remember me by." she says, her eyes glistening as she attempts to hold back her tears.
Veronica's eyes widen at this, "Remebm-No, you're not going anywhere! You can't leave us all behind, I won't let you!" she says, grabbing Christine possessively, dropping the holotag onto the dirt.
Christine hugs her and they remain silent for a while before she responds, "Then come with me." she says simply.
Veronica slowly exhales through her nose as she thinks about it, "Why, why are you leaving? If something's bothering you I can help, you know I will."
"There's nothing you can do about it, I want to stay but I have no choice..." she says, not explaining the situation further.
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
Niggross
Niggross Hopefully I am portraying the two characters correctly, they are more OC than anything as we're only giving tidbits about how they were in the past. If you have any critiques please let me know, thanks for reading!
If you like my content or want to read ahead please go to https://www.p.atreon.com/Nagross, I'd appreciate it.
บท 37: Breaking up?
Veronica and Christine hug for a few minutes in tense silence before the former begins speaking again, "You... Want me to come with you, where?" she asks hesitantly.
"Somewhere I can't tell you about, I can only show you... Its for your protection Veronica..." Christine says, keeping a tight grip on her lover.
"What about our family? Our friends?... Afton?" she asks, not knowing if she could truly leave them all to follow Christine.
"We have to give up people we love eventually. You're only getting the choice of when to do it now." she says slightly callously, though Veronica could see Christine herself was struggling with the decision.
...
"I can't leave... You know what's happening right now, I'd never be able to forgive myself if something happened to them because I wasn't here. I want to protect them, I want us to protect them." Veronica says as she finally comes to a conclusive answer. With the NCR aggression slowly getting worse, there'd be large scale conflict eventually, she didn't know if she'd be able to help at all, but perhaps if she and Elder Elijah found whatever he was looking for it'd completely solve their problem.
Christine had a single tear flow down her cheek as she heard her lovers answer, it hurt that she wasn't her top priority, but she understood... She admitted that within herself, she wanted Veronica to stay and protect everyone, even if it hurt more than she'd like to admit. She slowly nods and hugs Veronica tighter, "I see... Let's not keep them waiting then, when you wake up, tell my parents and Afton, I'm sorry."
Veronica is momentarily surprised by her words when she feels a prick on her neck, "What do, you mean... Wake-" she passes out as the drug she'd been injective with takes effect.
Christine drags her lovers body away from the cliff and props her up against a rock, slipping the discarded holotag into Veronica's hand before laying a kiss on her lips one last time. "Goodbye Veronica, I-... I love you." she states as she turns and leaves.
Afton was starting to freak out, he'd not seen hide nor hair of Veronica or Christine for hours now... He didn't want to report anything as they'd undoubtedly find out that the two women were romantically involved.
His worry for their lives only increased every moment they hadn't returned, had they been captured by the NCR? Raiders? he shivered at the prospect, raiders didn't treat women well, particularly those as beautiful as Veronic and Christine.
As morbid as it sounds, he'd prefer them torn apart by a Deathclaw than captured, it'd be swifter and more merciful.
In the end he decided to trust in the two for a couple more hours and wait, if they didn't return then he'd speak to his father about getting a search party for them. Fortunately, that didn't seem needed as the doors to the facility slid open and revealed the slightly dirty figure of Veronica, her face twisted in immense sadness and despair.
His body moved on its own and he hugged her tightly, clearly feeling how distraught she was, "Veronica? Are you okay? Where's Christine?" he quickly asks, only then realising that he'd asked the wrong question.
She began crying and slowly mumbling things, and Afton dragged her into a vacant room to avoid attracting attention, putting her down on a sofa and sitting next to her with her hand in his.
"She's gone." she states miserably.
"She's gone? Where? The only place we know or belong is the Chapter... Where could she have possibly gone?" he asks incredulously, wondering if Veronica was lying to him.
"She wouldn't tell me where, only that she had no choice... She drugged me and left." she says, looking down at her hand before opening it and revealing the holotag belonging to Chistine. Afton noticed that it was missing the Brotherhood rank records but perhaps she planned to do something with it?
...
"Did she say anyting else?" he asks, not really knowing what to do in this situation.
Veronica nods, "She wanted me to tell you that she's sorry..." she says, causing him to tighten his grip on her hand.
Why would she leave? Had someone blackmailed her? Perhaps someone had found out about the two's relationship?... Afton wasn't able to think straight, the sudden loss her felt didn't quite seem real yet, he was struggling to process he'd likely never see Christine again. The only thing keeping him relatively focussed was Veronica's obviously distressed state, she needed him, and he wouldn't abandon her like how Christine had.
"Veronica, we'll find her one day... I promise, we won't let her get away with such a shitty goobye." he states with determination. For now, he'd keep his eyes open for anything that might give him an indication of why she'd left...
The two stayed there for the rest of the day, eventually falling asleep still holding hands, Afton had missed all of his classes for the day, but he likely wouldn't get in trouble due to how far ahead he was.
In the morning Veronica jolted awake as if she was having a nightmare, her face twisting into a scowl. Christine really had just left like that, huh... She was about to get up but felt something holding her hand, looking down she spotted it was Afton. Her expression softened, the hollow feeling she'd had since Christine had left was a little less harsh knowing that Afton actually cared.
Taking in a couple of calming breathes, she fixed her expression before waking the boy up, flicking his forehead and causing his eyes to flutter open. "You have classes sleepy head, and Elder Elijah will probably want to know where I was yesterday." she states as cheerfully as she could manage.
Afton rubs his eyes and slowly gets up, "Are you okay Veronica?" he asks, knowing that she was just putting on an act.
Veronica nods, "I am... Let's get busy, there's still much to do." she says before leaving the room without allowing Afton to get another word in.
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง
Niggross
Niggross
Hope you guys enjoy the chap, if I missed anything please let me know.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
200+ การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
3 หินพลัง 
ความคิดเห็นย่อย