And so began Afton's training under Katie Staton, both were already familiar with each other, and both had lost family to the NCR, so it was relatively easy for them to get working together.

He knew that Katie would've preferred apprenticing her son Miles, but you aren't usually allowed to apprentice your children. The reason for this is to promote Chapter unity, and by "Chapter Unity" they mean loyalty to the Chapter instead of your family. ​​

The only other changes to the Chapter was a Scribe named Lars Taggart being made Head Scribe. He was known to be somewhat lecherous, but that hadn't interfered with his work yet so people just left him to it.

It'd been a year since the battle of Helios One, Afton's training proceeded, but his progress had been dulled due to the combat simulators. They were akin to virtual reality machines, but once you were inside you'd immediately be able to feel the difference between reality. Your senses were altered in a manner that negatively impact you outside the simulators.

For instance, if you were to enter hand to hand combat within them, sure you might be able to win, but if you tried to same manoeuvres outside of it, you'd likely overshoot your steps or punches and leave yourself open to an attack.

The minute differences piled up, so Afton tried his best not to enter them again... This bunker didn't have a lot of room, so Afton ran around the halls to get his daily exercise, the others usually watched him disinterestedly. Apparently, they didn't think anyone who tried to get past their energy weapons would be brought down by a few punches.

The NCR hadn't given up the pursuit after the attack on Helios, they tracked the group into the Hidden Valley and started pouring radioactive waste down the vents in an attempt to wipe them out.

Fortunately whoever built the bunker had the foresight to implement ways to remove radioactive material. They were intended to survive a nuclear holocaust so it didn't surprise him such things had been implemented.

The NCR clearly thought that was that, and left after dumping the waste, presumably due to how irradiated they'd made the outside of the bunker... They couldn't very well leave scouts in such an area after all.

Most looked to the Elder a few months after the NCR had stopped observing them, at first he hadn't wanted to risk discovery, but at everyone's assistance, he started sending out lone "wanderers" to gather supplies.

These people would trade with people until they had enough to create caravan companies with which they'd store supplies outside the bunker. In all honesty, not many people wanted to volunteer for such a service, but, to Afton's surprise, Veronica did.

He was shocked she'd volunteered, hadn't she said they were all the family they had left? At hearing the news he immediately dragged her into a room and interrogated her... Now, Afton was aware of some of the abuse and harassment Veronica received, but he thought she was thick-skinned enough to handle it... And, for the most part she was, with one exception.

Darian Royce and Susan Royce weren't too fond of her, Afton hadn't believed it when she told him as they all seemed so close in the past. Apparently, they hadn't known of the two's relationship until Christine vanished, they were some of the more... Conservative people in the Chapter, and upon finding out what Veronica and their daughter had been doing, they'd almost immediately cut all contact with her.

The Chapter was small though, they worked in the same place, and the Royce's couldn't seem to restrain themselves from insulting her at every chance they got. Veronica herself still felt guilty and somewhat responsible for Christine leaving, so she just took the insults with responding, respite how much it hurt to have someone you saw as foster-parents treat you like that.

Veronica promised to come back as often as possible, there were restrictions placed on those outside the lockdown, it wouldn't do for someone to track her movements and find the exact bunker they were located in...

Once she left, she'd visit him once every four months, while telling him about the outside and the few people she occasionally met. Most of the news was about the NCR and Legion, apparently the latter had tried to invade Hoover Dam and try to take it from the NCR, but ultimately failed.

It was a little disconcerting to hear how a group of people wearing sports gear and skirts with machetes was able to cause the Wasteland to fear them so much. Though, upon hearing their tactics, their clothing was an afterthought... Burning people to death, enslaving women, crucifying people, the Brotherhood referred to most people in the Wasteland as Barbarians, but the Legion definitely deserved that title.

Not everything was horrible though, he'd grown tall enough to finally wear Power armour. Knight Stanton helped him properly adjust it and get inside. It was a weird feeling being "mostly" impervious to all outside harm. The enhanced strength and small sound of mechanical whirring made him feel like Ironman... Still, he couldn't help but feel the design was... Inefficient.

He was also trained in how to use the other weaponry the Brotherhood had at their disposal, Plasma weapons, Thermic lances, and now that he was able to wear Power armour, heavy weapons like the Automatic grenade launcher or the Gatling laser.

What he was most talented with though were the Gauss rifles, he distinctly remembered using his mother's after she was killed, and the feel of blowing off the bastards arm in response brought a great deal of satisfaction whenever he thought of it.