Thanks Ambrose. I think I will have to "reboot" my Word, it has been giving me alot of problems lately, and I've just been to tired from work to find all the mistakes in my stories etc. Usually I would have found all of them before I posted, and it would have been spotless. But I've been really tired.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it.

Use OpenOffice. It's free and amazing and I'm never going back to Word again.

http://www.openoffice.org

Also, another great chapter.

Chapter 12: The End and a New Reunion

After a day of watching for the Brotherhood Knights and Paladins, their forces began to come into sight. It was early in the morning, the hot orange sun rose slowly over the hills where General Aries soldiers were placed. Marcus zoomed in and saw the massive amout of Knights and Paladins coming towards them. He looked at Achillies who looked back at him, both had a smile from ear to ear as they patted and embraced one another like brothers. Both were excited for the battle ahead, the soldiers under the command of Achillies showed their excitment as well. For it was better to die standing up, then sitting down.

"They will taste the furry of my blade." Achillies said looking at Marcus with a smile. They both returned their attention to the dark growing figures in the distance. The city had not yet awaken, but alarm bells were already being sounded. It was not as chaotic as one would think, being woken up in the early hours of the morning to hear the sounds of alarm bells. The people calmly gathered what was needed, and headed to the palace, down into the vault where they would stay until the fighting was over. Everyone knew their defenders would defeat the Brotherhood onslaught, with General Achillies and Aries in command, no force great or small could defeat the two brilliant stratagists and the men that served below them.

After watching the growing figures clad in typical Brotherhood Power Armor march forward, they all suddenly stopped just a few hundred feet away from the walls. Marcus and Achillies stood at the top of the main gate entrance as a single Knight stepped out of the large crowd towards them.

Marcus counted several hundred Knights and Paladins that stood before them, nothing they couldn't handle. Achillies scanned the skies watching for any Vertibirds, none were seen. The single Knight stopped at the main gate, and stood with something in his hand.

"As you know we are the Brotherhood of Steel. A force known not to be reconned with, in fear that our reprisal not be lively." The Knight said holding up what looked to be a piece of folded paper in his hand. Marcus smirked at the Knight, Achillies showed no emotion to what the Knight had to say, he turned and looked at one of the messangers.

"Get whatever it is?" Achillies said to the messanger.

The young man quickly ran down the steps and waited a moment as the doors cracked just a bit for him to slip through. The Knight handed the messanger the folded piece of paper, and walked back into the large crowd of Knights and Paladins standing their. Most of them carried typical Laser rifles and different varieties of Assault Rifles. Some carried large heavy weapons like Missle Launchers and Mini-guns. Marcus wasn't sure if the armor worn by his friends would protect them all that well against their weapons, but Marcus didn't say a word about it. The messanger quickly ran up the steps, handing the folded paper to Achillies. Marcus stepped over, to read it as well.

It was a letter asking for their surrender. Achillies examined the letter more along with Marcus. Some of it made Achillies chuckle as he continued to read. Once he had finished, he looked at the army of Knighst and Paladins. They all stood silent and still waiting for Achillies reply. The letter crumpled in his hand as it tightened into a fist.

"FIRE!" Achillies ordered as a second voice shouted the order. Suddenly the sound of the Catapults firing their projectiles echoed, and the stones and bolders flew through the air. It all seemed to be in slow motion for Marcus as the first bolder hit a large grouping of heavily armed Knights and Paladins. The second and third, Marcus did not catch who it hit. The fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh stones and bolders landed closer together causing a large gap in the Knights and Paladins ranks.

"READY ARCHERS!" Achillies said raising his hand directly into the air. Marcus watched as the soldiers standing all along the wall, raised their bows for accuracy. The archers waited, their arms pulling the bow string as far back as possible. "FIRE!" Achillies ordered as the whisping sound of the bow strings shot forward. Thousands of arrows turned into one dark massive cloud as they flew down onto their targets. Most just bounced of the armor, but some were lucky and hit between the armors plates.

Knights and Paladins alike fell to the ground dropping their weapon and grabbing for their leg or shoulder. It seemed like the Brotherhood wouldn't get a chance to attack. Achillies opening attack was so brilliant and seemingly very effective, Marcus had no doubt the Brotherhood would begin their retreat immediatly, and the battle would not need the assistance of Aries' soldiers waiting in the hills.

Suddenly, the Knight and Paladin ranks began to move. Somthing was moving up from the back of the formation. Marcus and Achillies just stood there, both holding their breath as two large groups of Paladins approached the front of the army, and stopped. They were the big guns. The Paladins shouldered their Missle Launchers, and took aim.

Achillies had no plan for this move, he looked at Marcus. The Paladins took careful aim, then fired simultaniously at the main gate. Marcus and Achillies ran off to the walls as the rockets hit, blowing away part of the gate. They loaded once again, but this time Achillies had a plan. It was rushed and sort of a last resort.

"ARCHERS READY!" He ordered raising his hand up in the air again. "FIRE!" Archillies yelled as Marcus and him watche the dark black cloud like group of arrows crash down onto the Paladins. Some fell as arrows pierced between their armored plates, but others still stood. The one's still standing fired once again simultaniously. The gate shook and a large hole rested in the center of it. The remaining Knights and Paladins charged forward towards the large hole that was in the gate.

Luckly Olympus soldiers with swords drawn and spears at the ready were there to meet them. The two forces clashed together in a huge sound of steel crashing against steel. Achillies unsheathed his sword, revealing it was an electrical sword. Marcus hadn't realized before, but all the soldiers including himself were equiped with them. The Olympus soldiers armed with laser weapons fired down from the flanks onto the invading horde.

Achillies gave the signal to the archer to fire his arrow, giving Aries the signal to come down and attack from behind. The archer did as asked, the arrow flew through the sky as Aries saw the signal and began to move out with his soldiers. They ran in formation as they charged towards the main gate.

Already had the Knights and Paladins moved into the market area of the city, the light on Mount Olympus shinned down on the Brotherhood forces. Screams and cries for help rang out as soldiers on both sides fell to the ground in agony and pain. Marcus shook out of his astonishment of the battle, and followed Achillies down the steps, cutting down all the Knights who tried to charge up. The swords glaced off their armor, but a well placed swipe or slash put the Knight or Paladin down for good.

Marcus was impressed by the determination and agressiveness the Olympians showed. Their grace with a sword was magnificent. Their strikes were almost always well placed, Marcus stopped watching and began to get into the fight. He charged an unsuspecting Knight, and brought the sword down into the side of the Knights neck. The man tried to cry out but was dead before he could do anything more. Marcus charged into the fray of it all, and cut down all those who stood against him in Power Armor. The cries of agony and help continued to echo as blood splattered onto walls and ran through the streets. The Knights and Paladins were trapped. They had done it to themselfs, their ignorance and obvious over confidence of winning the battle had clouded their judgement. Aries' soldiers moved through the hole in the gate, cutting down the Knights and Paladins without remourse or sadness.

Achillies was doing wonderful, he took on two large Power Armored Knights, both armed with Super Sledges. Before one could strike, the other had already be stabbed in the throat causing the other to stutter and panic before he too was cut down by Achillies. Blood covered his face as he glaced at Marcus with a smile, then continued into the fight. Laser fire and basic gun fire echoed with the cries and screams of agony and help as Marcus and the rest continued to cut the Knights and Paladins down. The Olympians might have been winning, but they were also loosing a great number of soldiers. Cries of agony and help came from them as well, Marcus couldn't do anything for them but could only continue fighting.

As the battle raged on, through the screams and cries, and gunfire of the battle. A swishing sound began to echo from all around. Marcus couldn't hone in on the sound even with his extreme hearing capabilites, and looked around confused with the others who heard it as well. Suddenly over the hills came the sight of five Vertibirds. They quickly began firing rockets into the massive crowd of Olympians, cutting the defenseless soldiers. The Vertibirds made another pass, firing their gatling lasers at the gunmen on the walls. Some even dropped a couple of Mini-nukes, vaporizing Olympian and Brothood alike. Marcus watched in terror as the Brotherhood Vertibirds began to change the tide of the battle, Aries soldiers were now fighting to fend off the northern market area, while Achillies and his soldiers were busy defending the souther market and housing areas.

Marcus had to do something to get rid of those Vertibirds before they could cause anymore damage. He quickly rushed through the crowd, cutting down those who got in his way. He ran with all his energy, and reached finally reached the main gate once again. He looked around and found a dead Knight with a Missle Launcher laying beside him. He grabbed the launcher, and as many rockets as he could grab. He loaded the simple weapon, and took aim at an unsuspecting Vertibird that was hovering over the battle. It seemed to drop some ropes off to the side before Marcus fired one of the rockets at the Vertibirds left rotor. He quickly loaded another, and fired it at the tail. The first hit with a loud and shocking explosion while the second hit the main body.

The Vertibird began to spin out of control as it flug Knights and Paladins out of its cabin. Marcus grabbed some more rockets and hurried to the wall. The Vertibird crashed with a loud almost defening explosion, rocking some backwards and some falling on their backs. Marcus stood strong though, and took careful aim at the second one. He aimed for the cockpit of the Vertibird as it began to go into its hover phase. He fired another rocket quickly reloading and firing a second at the cockpit. Both hit where they were directed, the Vertibird didn't spin like the other, but dropped it nose down and fell right out of the sky into some empty houses. Three still remained flying, but weren't about to drop their load of Knights and Paladins just to be shot down in the mix.

Everything was chaotic and a mess. Neither side seemed to be winning, just wearing each other down with the other. Marcus took careful aim at a third Vertibird but missed as the pilot lifted the tail to dodge the rocket. He clentched his teeth in anger as the pilot came around, spotting him on the wall. Marcus took another rocket and aimed it carefully at the right rotor. He fired as the gatling lasers on the Vertibird opened up. It was a direct hit, the Vertibirds right rotor began to loose power and wobble uncontrolably. Suddenly the rotor came off, and the Vertibird dropped from the sky crashing into part of the wall causing a huge hole.

The other two stopped their attack, and began to flee. Marcus didn't bother with them, and began in the fight below in the city streets. Buildings burned and smoke filled the air as people choked and coughed on the already unclean air, but still trying to fight. Achillies and Aries were doing great, both were covered in blood. Aries seemed to be the most sporadic and wild of the two, charging into large groups of Knights and Paladins, only to quickly cut through and reveal himself once more. Achillies was more dosile and fluent with his moves and ways.

The battle roared for another hour or two, both sides were low on men, and were just trying to get an upper hand on the other. Marcus was covered in blood as well, his armor was beaten and dented all over. You could no longer see the orginal color of red on some of the frills on the Olympians helmets, they were drentched in wet and drying blood. Eveything was so chaotic, once one Knight or Paladin was killed, another was coming at you from another direction. Marcus had no hard time defeating his enemies, he only had a couple of scratches, but nothing serious that would seem to cause him serious injury.

As the battle carried on through out the city, the sudden soud of Vertibird engines began to echo once again. Everyone thought it was another attack, and tried to prepare themselfs. Both sides were tired and in need of food and somthing to drink. Sweat poured down faces and inside helmets as both weary and tired sides looked up to the skies to try and spot the incoming attack. Marcus, Achillies, and Aries were all together back to back in a triangle. All of them showed need of rest as one of the Knights called out.

"Look, there they are!" He said pointing his laser rifle towards the open sky. No one could see what he was pointing at, he seemed to be a bit out of it as he suddenly began to prance around. Before anyone could tell him he was seeing somthing, the Knight pulled off his helmet and grabbed his pistol firing a single round into his head. The blowback misted as the exit hole blew out a huge chunk of skull and brain matter. The Knights lifeless limp body fell to the ground. Everyone suddenly stopped and looked at the dead body of the insane Knight.

The sound of the Vertibird engines still echoed, but no one cared anymore and just stared in shock at the limp blood body of the Knight.

Suddenly Marcus tired of the fighting lifted his head, wipping synthetic sweat from his brow. He spotted the Vertbirds. They were coming from another direction though, this time not from the hills but from out of the deserted wasteland. Everyone turned their attention away as Marcus raised his arm to the sight of the single Vertibird. They all waited for the impending attack as the Vertibird grew closer and closer. Even Marcus was ready to meet his fate. His mission was accomplished, but he was regreating the thought to help these people. He didn't know where Alice was, and he didn't know how the pilot was doing. All he could focus on was the growing Vertibird waiting for it to unleash a hail fire of rockets and laser blasts.

But it never came, the Vertibird flew over the smoke covered battle field, making several more passes over the smokey and bloody streets. Buildings were on fire and the streets were covered in blood and bodies. Finally the Vertibird stopped into its hover phase and lowered its landing gear as it settled in front of Marcus and the others.

Everyone looked confused, including the Brotherhood. It didn't have any insignia to identify it with any faction. The doors swung open suddenly, and a woman stepped out with a large white lab overcoat. She ran over to Marcus, and stopped in front of him. He looke at her, wipping more synthetic sweat from his brow along with some blood. He looked at her, and with amazement realized who it was. She was Tania, the scientist he knew from the Institute that gave him the caring farewell at the beginning of his mission.

"How the hell did you get all the way out here?" She said looking at Marcus with a smile. He looked at her confused, not know what to tell her. Two heavily armed men with Plasma weapons walked up behind her, both Olympians and Brotherhood soldiers layed their weapons down in amazement of what was happening.

"We were attacked on our way back. We got shot down and came here." Marcus finally sputtered out, looking at Tania in amazement. "What are you doing here?" He added.

"Looking for you you big idiot. But who is 'We' you are talking about?" Tania asked looking around at the Brotherhood and Olympians. Suddenly out of the palace, King Herakles and the Pilot along with Alice walked over. Marcus was surprised to see them or at least Alice.

"Alice! Where have you been?" Marcus said confused.

"I was making a transmitter to get a message to the Institute." Alice replied in her sweet girlish voice. Marcus cracked a hard smile, he was exhausted from all the fighting. Everyone was. The pilot and Alice walked up beside Marcus and stood looking at Tania.

"Are these the people you are talking about?" She asked as Marcus nodded. Tania looked at both of them, she knew right off the bat, that Alice was an Android, but didn't say anything about it for the time. But she knew that Alices model of Android was not one of exceptional fighting prowess like Marcus, but one with technological skills and some fighting abilites. Tania looked at the pilot, she knew he was an Android as well, but his model was more calculating and as he was meant to be used as a pilot for the Commonwealths Vertibirds. She looked at all of them, then to King Herakles.

"And who might you be?" She said looking at the brutish tall man. He smiled and laughed his deep powerful laugh for a moment before grabbing Tania by the waist and pulling her close.

"I my fair lady am King Herakles. Ruler of Olympus!" He said thundering his voice as he looked up at Mount Olympus with pride. Tania smiled and pulled away, the two guards didn't draw their weapons, they knew if he mean't harm, Marcus would have done something.

"Well." She said brushing herself off, and looking up at the three. "Ready to go home?" She added with a smile.

"Yes." The three of them replied with a great sigh of relief. No one did anything to stop the three from leaving. Marcus, Alice, and the pilot loaded up into the Vertibird with Tania and the two guards following behind as they all strapped themselfs in. Marcus looked out the window, and waved farewell to those on the ground as the Vertibird lifted off into the sky.

All the Knights and Paladins, including the Olympians stood where they were as they watched the single Vertibird fly off into the wasteland, gradually being lost from sight. They never heard or saw Marcus, Alice or the pilot again. Though some have said that Marcus had returned on several occasions with a new name, and disguised as a travelling wasteland trader selling his wears from out in the wasteland.

Is that the end?

Sorry to say it, but yes it is the end. I played around with some other idea of how to end it, but none were really fitting or would have made much sense unless I went into a bunch of boring no action back story for the next couple of chapters.

But don't worry, tomorrow I will have an all new story that will be even more exciting and interesting than this. I think I'm sticking to Fan Fic's for the time?

Closed per request. I wait with baited breath for the new one.