"War never changes," he said to himself. Who was he? His name was Alexander Morgan, but the only person that actually used his full name was his mother. Alex had thick brown hair, sun kissed skin, and sad, green eyes which didn't sit right on a man as young as he was, evidence that'd he'd been through much in his life already. He was tall and built with a thick layer of muscles but he hadn't always been like that. His physique was a gift given to him by experiments he'd volunteered for while in the Army. The experiments were a direct response to a similar threat made by China. The attempted creation of an enhanced soldier to combat America's own super powered heroes.
Born May 24th, 2048 in San Francisco, California, Alex Morgan was a small, soft spoken kid, never one to speak out of term and fairly intelligent. He grew up in a loving household with plenty of friends and family to harbor him from the world that seemed so desperate to tear itself apart. In 2066, when Alex graduated from high school the world finally reached a breaking point with China invading Alaska to harvest the resources they so desperately needed. The news spread fast and suddenly college didn't seem like such a concern, Alex dropped everything he had ahead of him and enlisted in the Army. Upon completion of his training, Alex, along with so many other young menand women, was sent to help bolster the units currently holding the frontlines in Alaska. It was here that Alex's life would change forever.
"You're gonna knock em dead at the veteran's hall tonight hun," encouraged Lara.
"Ya think?, he replied.
"Absolutely. Now get ready and stop hogging the mirror," she joked, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Right."
That was Lara, his little German spitfire always ready with a snappy comment. He'd met her 7 years earlier when he was wounded and sent to a field hospital to recover after suffering from a chemical burn. She'd volunteered given up her career in Law to be a nurse with the Peace Corp, which at the time was helping man the field hospitals the Army had quickly set up in Canada just across the border from Alaska. It was there that a group of officers offered then Sergeant Morgan a chance to better serve his country. Granting him a battlefield commission to Second Lieutenant for outstanding leadership in the field he was also asked if he would like the chance to undergo experiments that would make him stronger, faster and more durable than the average man. Alex accepted because he saw it as a chance to help more than he already was.
After Alex finished his well rehearsed morning routine he left the bathroom and moved into the kitchen.
"Ah, good morning sir! Your coffee, 173.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Brewed to perfection!" exclaimed the robot. "And today's newspaper, just delivered!"
"Thanks Codsworth." Codsworth was a Mister Handy robot butler they'd purchased a few months ago, right before Lara had had their son, Shaun. Shaun had changed their lives forever. Alex was fighting in Alaska when he'd received a letter from Lara about her pregnancy, but with the fighting there so intense there was no possibility that he'd be given leave anytime soon. Shortly into January, Chinese forces were finally removed from the whole of Alaska and with a son only a month old at home Alex made the decision to leave the military to spend much deserved time with his family. In early June, shortly after turning 29, Captain Alexander Morgan retired to do nothing more than spend days raising his son and reconnecting with his wife, and for the last 4 months that's just what he'd done.
As Alex sipped on his coffee at the counter, Lara left the bathroom and stood next to him as she read the day's paper.
"Uh...more of the same," she whispered.
"Don't worry hun, the war's over."
"I know it's just tensions are still high, and you better than anyone knows that they'll do whatever it takes to win."
"I don't have to worry about that anymore, I'm retired," he said with a smile.
"Yes you are," she replied scooting closer to him. He set down his coffee, pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. In war he was too distracted to realize just how much he'd missed being able to spend time with her. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He disentangled Lara from his arms and answered the door.
"Good morning, Vault-Tec calling!" greeted a wiry looking man with red hair, he was wearing a tan shirt and fedora.
"Good morning."
"Isn't it? Just look at the sky out there," he cleared his throat, "You don't know how happy I am to finally speak with you, I've been trying for days. It's a matter of utmost urgency, I assure you."
"Well then I'm glad you finally caught up with me."
"Oh me too, you have no idea..." he continued, "I'm here today to let you know that because of your service to our country you've been pre-selected for entrance into the local vault. Vault 111."
"Sounds great."
"Oh it is, believe you me. Now you've already been cleared for entrance in the unforeseen event of," he coughed, "total atomic annihilation."
"You believe that's possible even with the kind of people we have protecting us?" Alex asked. After the experiments had enhanced his body he'd been transferred from his unit into a Special Forces ODA or A-Team, but not just any ODA. This was a team of enhanced individuals, men and women with abilities that they were either born with or given. They used their gifts to combat China's own enhanced individuals or situations that couldn't be handled by conventional forces. Throughout the course of the war their public exposure grew turning each member into veritable super stars. The media began to call this group of individuals the Hero Squad, going so far as to give each one of the twelve members a name that sounded like it belonged in a Hubris Comics comic book. Alex was never bothered by this, he was a fan of Hubris Comics as a kid and he saw it as something to keep people's minds off of the actual horrors of the war being fought.
"I believe it's always best to be prepared sir, but I'm sure your friends have the safety of this nation well in hand!" replied the Vault-Tec representative. "Now I just need you to sign some paperwork and I'll be on my way, and thank you again for your service sir!"
After finishing up the paperwork and accepting the well-wishing of a stranger, Alex turned to find his wife lounging on the couch.
He leaned against the portion of the couch near her head, "You know, I have a minute." And as if by divine providence a wail erupted from the other side of the house.
"Duty calls, soldier," she teased up at him.
"Sir, Shaun requires some of that parental affection you're so good at," stated Codsworth as Alex brushed passed him into Shaun's room. He leaned against his son's crib and scooped him up into his arms. He gently rocked Shaun back and forth until his son stopped crying and settled down.
"How are the two most important men in my life doing?" asked Lara from the door.
"Better now that you're here."
"Good answer," she laughed. "Hey after breakfast how we head to the park?"
"Sounds perfect hun." And as Alex held his son in his arms and looked into his beautiful wife's eyes he thought that nothing could ever ruin this moment. He didn't know how wrong he was.
"Sir? Mum? You should come see this!" If a robot could sound worried Codsworth certainly did.
