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PERFECT SOLDIERS a Fallout 3 A/U fanfiction. POV: 1st Person LW

Summary: What if James worked for the Enclave from the beginning not knowing the sinister plot of President Eden? What if he mistakenly thought they were the best hope for humanity and the best shot at fulfilling his wife's dream? What if the Lone Wanderer is a Soldier of the Enclave…

Chapter 1: Imperfection

Capital Wasteland near SatCom Array NW-07c 14 Aug 2278

"Get Down!" I screamed at one of my squad members who was currently frozen in fear from the monstrosity taking a swing at him. Without a second thought, I use all my strength to push him out of the way of a rapidly descending deathclaw hand aiming to cleave him in two. The huge claw misses him by inches but catches my left arm in mid shove. Holy shit that hurt! My guardian angel must be looking out for me as I didn't lose an arm, but I knew I had at least one fracture in my ulna bone.

Plasma and lasers continued to bounce off the tough hide of the beast with little to no effect. He just shrugged it off and eyed me like I was his next meal. Raising his claw for the killing blow, I knew it was now or never. Gritting my teeth in pain and concentration, I pulled my head back and delivered the strongest head-butt I could. The deathclaw's head snapped back and he lost all forward momentum of his killing lunge. Perhaps I knocked some teeth loose with my modified hellfire helmet?

Wasting no time, I stuck my laser pistol right into his open mouth and pulled the trigger. He let out blood curling scream but I didn't even pause before draining my entire energy cell into his brain. By the fifth shot, lasers were coming out of the back of his head, and by the time I heard the distinct sound of an empty charge, the deathclaw was missing half his skull and starting to fall forward. Oh crap…

I had no time to jump out of the way as the dead creature fell forward in death and pinned me against a boulder I had been leaning on for support. With a broken left arm and adrenaline quickly leaving my body, I didn't have the strength to heave the heavy carcass off. Luckily my squad came over to assist and hauled the creature off of me.

"Captain Grant!" One of the Soldiers yelled while I was freed. My head spun and I couldn't quite make out who was calling my name. "Sir! Are you all right?" It was only then that I could make out who it was. My Non-Commissioned Officer, Sargent Brian Epstein was leaning over my prone form examining me for wounds. He didn't find any but it was always hard to confirm injuries through the thick armor we wore.

"I'm fine. Probably just have a broken arm." I chuckle darkly as I stand up with his assistance. Two other members of my squad are examining the dead creature while the rest were pulling perimeter security. Without moving my hurt arm too much, I reloaded my laser pistol before placing it back in its holster. Others might laugh at me for choosing such a weak weapon to guard my life, but they don't know the countless hours I've spent tinkering with and upgrading it. By scrounging around the Enclave and wasteland in search of high quality parts, I've managed to create the ultimate weapon. Compact, lightweight, and more stopping power than a tri-beam laser rifle, this pistol is almost as dear to me as its namesake. Catherine.

My name is Alexander Grant, and I've been a Soldier in training for as long as I can remember. Born in a place called Raven Rock, my allegiance has always been to the remnants of the United States Government and its sacred pledge to restore this country to greatness once again. I believe whole heartedly the message President Eden delivers in his weekly radio broadcasts about restoring communities, cities, and nations. Every day of my childhood was spent on the firing range, sword dueling arena, gym, or classroom.

Losing my mother to complications shortly after my birth was hard on everyone, but nobody took it worse than my father. He loved her with every fiber of his being, and sequestered himself in his quarters for a week after her passing while I was taken care of by the hospital staff. The doctor told me much later that my father emerged from his room a changed man who appeared to lose the spark of life. He walked over to my crib a week after I was born, picked me up, and hugged me to his chest. The doctor said he didn't stop crying until early the next morning.

My father now had two reasons to live: my mother's dream of pure clean non-irradiated water for everyone in the wasteland… and me. He threw himself into his work mind body and soul and dedicated his life to seeing her dream become a reality. Although spending every waking moment in his lab, he never turned away my company. Sometimes we would spend hours chatting about mundane things like mess hall food, my school work, or theories of how to accelerate and focus light particles in order to create a more potent laser weapon. My favorite topic of all, however, was my mother.

Just asking my father about his life partner and soul mate would bring tears to his eyes. I learned that she was a member of a group called the Followers of the Apocalypse out west. They dedicated themselves to improving lives, healing the sick, and caring for the unfortunate through any means possible. They weren't in it for the caps or fame and would never turn away someone down on their luck. When my father recalls stories about how the two of them would travel for weeks at a time through the vast dangers of the wasteland in order to ease suffering, I began to wonder if I could contribute to their legacy. The ethics and morals of the Followers would forever be engrained in my mind.

When I turned thirteen, my father explained my mother's dream in its entirety: Project Purity. For the last decade, my father had been working on how to purify irradiated water on a large scale. He was getting closer to a breakthrough and wanted to share this moment with me. "Son," he said with a sparkle in his eye that I hadn't seen in my life, "I want you to imagine something. Imagine a land where flowing clean water is as natural as the sun rising. Imagine a land where green grass grows outside of every house and flowers provide vibrant orange, purple, blue, and red colors to the wasteland. Imagine a world where men don't kill each other for caps to buy a bottle of water or drinking from a water source doesn't cause radiation sickness. This is the world your mother wanted for you. This is the world I want for you."

Closing my eyes to imagine such a paradise, I can almost see everything my dad is describing. Yes. My parents want that goal fulfilled, but more importantly, I want it too. I open my eyes to see my father's eyes misty as he hands me an old worn piece of paper. I recognize the words instantly. Mother's favorite bible passage…

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

"I want you to keep that close to your heart. Always remember, son, to do the hard right over the easy wrong. Always remember what your mother and I want for you and most importantly, never give up." I nodded solemnly at my father's words and left for class not knowing these would be the last words he would ever say to me. A failsafe circuit shorted that afternoon while he was working on the hydraulic pump of the mini purifier causing a nearby power generator to explode, killing him instantly.

My life came crashing down at my father's funeral where reality finally sank in that he was gone forever. Tears streamed down my face as one by one, scientists who worked with him came to offer their condolences and promise to continue his work. It was comforting to know that my parents' legacy would continue to be pursued by the Enclave's best and brightest.

I threw myself into military training and Soldier skills with a renewed passion. Even if the scientists completed their research as a token to my late father, it would take a team to implement it. The wasteland was extremely dangerous, and it would take a team of extremely combat effective Soldiers to transport and protect the Enclave researchers. I wanted to lead that team.

For the next five years, ever punch, sword strike, gut shot, bruise, and concussion I received reinforced my desire to be the best. I would not fail. I could not fail. I owed my parents at least that much. Enemies were burnt to ash by my laser pistol dedicated to my mother. Blade instructors surrendered before their heads were removed by my sword. My dedication and commitment allowed me to graduate at the top of my class. The proudest day of my life was when I received a commission in the remnants of the United States Army as a second lieutenant. I took charge of my squad and never looked back. That was two years ago.

"Thanks for saving my life sir." One of my men said bringing me back to the present. "I would've been split clean in half if you didn't push me out of the way." I wave off his thanks with casual ease. In the business I'm in, each man saves the life of a fellow squad member at least half a dozen times.

"Throw me a stimpack," I order the medic who instantly obliges. I catch the airborne syringe and inject it into my exposed skin by my wrist. It instantly works its healing miracles as I feel the sharp pain in my arm lessen into a dull ache. I might not even notice it by tomorrow.

"Alright, Jones and Moore keep perimeter security. Chang, see if you can scavenge anything useful from the deathclaw. Sergeant Epstein, you're in charge out here while I examine this SatCom Array. The rest of you on me!" I quickly give out orders and receive a chorus of "Yes sir!" and "Moving sir!"

Our current mission had my squad scavenge the remains of various SatCom Arrays in the wasteland for any useful communications equipment. Rumor was that the higher ups like Colonel Autumn wanted to establish a link with an actual working satellite still in orbit after 200 years. Upon entering the Array, I was disappointed in finding nothing but old HAM radios and computer parts. Certainly nothing that stood out. Shrugging to myself, I picked up a couple of sensor modules and scrap circuit parts. You never know when these things will come in handy. Searching the entire building from top to bottom confirmed my earlier suspicions that this SatCom Array didn't have anything worth mentioning in my report.

Suddenly my Radio Telephone Operator turned to me and held out a headset. "Sir, Colonel Autumn is on channel three. Line is secure." I nodded and removed my hellfire helmet to make room for the headset. Our internal headsets in our power armor helmets could only transmit a limited range and were used for squad internal messages and orders. After donning the headset, I gave the RTO a thumbs up.

"Good afternoon sir. This is Captain Grant." I say respectfully into the headset. Even after working under his command for two years, Colonel Augustus Autumn appeared no less of a cold hearted bastard than before. He was a brilliant military tactician and superb warrior. Unfortunately, he lacked all necessary people skills required for a man of his position. Cold and aloof, he didn't seem to care one bit about the men and women under his command.

"Captain, we have a new mission for you. Come by my office no later than 1800 hours today in order to be briefed. Your current mission will be handled by Sergeant Epstein. A vertibird is already dispatched to your current location to pick you up and will arrive in ten minutes. Autumn out." I took off the headset and stared at it for a couple of seconds before chuckling. Asshole didn't even give me a chance to acknowledge the order.

I handed the headset back to the RTO and told him to go find Sergeant Epstein. He nodded once and left leaving me alone to think about any contingency plans the squad would need in my absence. They shouldn't, as my second in command was a battle hardened veteran Soldier.

"Sir, you sent for me?" Sergeant Epstein said and stood at the position of attention. I waved his formality off casually.

"At ease. Apparently the boss wants me for a new mission and is recalling me to Raven Rock. You are going to be in charge while I'm gone. The current orders to search and secure all SatCom Arrays and recover communications equipment is still in effect. There are still two more in the area. NN-03d and NW-05a are already marked on your map. After recovering everything you can, you are to proceed back to Raven Rock and offload the equipment to the techies. Any questions?" I asked as I heard the telltale sound of a vertibird approaching our location.

"Negative sir. Good luck on your mission." He responds. I nod at him and turn to leave for the vertibird. It sets down no more than 50 meters outside the Array and I causally walk to it while waving goodbye to the rest of my squad. My stomach grumbles and I check my watch. 1515. If I hurry back I can grab a quick bite to eat at the mess hall before meeting with the cold hearted bastard.

Raven Rock 14 Aug 2278 1750 Hours

"Group, attention!" A new recruit yells after spotting me walk by. The rest of the recruits stand perfectly straight as they have been taught to do when an officer walks by.

"Carry on." I acknowledge and pass them. The food in the mess hall was especially atrocious today. Whose idea was it to serve cram sandwiches anyway? They needed to be drug out and shot in the face. I quickly approach Colonel Autumn's office and greet his receptionist. "Is the colonel here? I have an appointment with him."

"Yes sir. He's expecting you. Go on in." The middle aged lady replies and I proceed to knock on the door.

"Enter." His monosyllable answer is all the prompting I need to open the door and march in front of his desk before assuming the position of attention and saluting.

"Sir, Captain Grant reporting as ordered."

"At ease. Take a seat captain. This briefing might take a while." He gestures to the chair in front of his desk. I nod and take a seat giving him my full attention. "As you are no doubt interested in what the mission is, I will get straight to the point. We need you to infiltrate the wasteland and learn about their attitudes towards the Enclave."

"Sir?"

"I want you to learn how to act like a native who grew up in the wasteland. Under no circumstances are you to reveal your connections to this organization. Your primary objective is to ascertain whether they would be supportive of a resurgence of our forces. If not, I want you to… deal with any problems as you see fit so long as the support is gained in the end." The colonel stood up and walked over to a gigantic map of the entire capital wasteland. He pulled out a combat knife and proceeded to stab it into a marker labeled 'DC Capitol Building'.

"Take a look captain. This is what our country has been reduced to. Mutants hold the building of our legislature. Terrorists are heavily entrenched in our former military headquarters. Mutations and bandits terrorize every settlement without regard. We need to reclaim what is rightfully ours. And the first step is to eradicate the problems in our home."

"Sir, is there anything else you can tell me about my mission? Am I looking for something specific? How do I maintain communications with Raven Rock?" I asked unsure of how to proceed on a mission of this magnitude.

Colonel Autumn signed and returned to his desk. "I'll be honest with you." He said before sitting down. "The last few scouts we sent have been lost. This isn't a stroll in the park and you won't be able to count on the protection of your power armor. That's why I sent for you. You're the best we have with or without the added protection of advanced weapons and armor. Hell, you go out on missions armed with only a pea shooter."

I grinned inwardly about his reference to Catherine. He had no idea how many times the weapon in question had saved my life. "And the communications with Raven Rock?"

"Take this." He said while handing me what looked like a miniature wrist computer. "It's one of those damn computers that those spoiled vaulties always wear. It's been preprogrammed to interact with the various eyebots floating around the wasteland and open up secure communications directly here. This brings me to your second objective. You are to locate the renegade vault number 101. They've refused to cooperate with us and their Vault-Tec charter making them traitors to the nation. Find this Overseer Almodovar and deal with him like the traitor he is."

The gravity of the situation was finally sinking in. I would be operating alone without any Enclave support. Nobody at all to watch my back. I nodded grimly and attached the minicomputer to my left wrist.

"When do I leave?"

"Right now." The colonel ordered with finality. He then reached underneath his desk and picked up some clothes that looked like someone used it to wipe their ass. With a look of disgust, he tossed me the rags. "Put this on over any light armor you have. It'll be better for you blend in. Good luck captain."

"Thank you sir." I saluted and turned to leave his office. His next words stopped me in my tracks.

"Don't get killed out there." He said and for a moment I thought he was finally growing compassion in that black soul of his. However, his following sentence squashed any inkling of him having a heart. "The Enclave spent a lot of money, time, and resources on you. Don't waste it."

I could only nod without saying anything disrespectful in return and quickly left his office. It was already 2000 and I would leave in the morning after preparing a light travel bag with some equipment, food, supplies, and medical items. One of the advantages of being an officer was having my own room. Nothing like a little privacy and down time between killing deathclaws, mutants, and raiders to calm one's mind.

Quickly taking off the remainder of my modified hellfire armor, I stepped into the shower and considered my life for the next few months. It would be hell. The wasteland was merciless and unforgiving, swallowing up humans, mutants, and creatures alike. As the warm water washed the grime from my body, I closed my eyes and thought of my parents. Would they be proud of me? What did they think of me now? A fierce determination filled me as I thought of them. I'll make the wasteland a better place in their honor. Both of them.

End Chapter 1

A/N: The LW's name is a nod to two extraordinary Soldiers throughout history: Alexander for Alexander III of Macedon (AKA Alexander the Great), and Grant for Ulysses 'The Butcher' Grant, arguably one of the greatest generals of the American Civil War.

This story is massively A/U for obvious reasons. Most characters in this story are similar to how they were before encountering them in the original game. There might be some minor changes but that's what an author's perk is all about. Thanks for reading.