A/N: Hey guys! I just wanted to apologize in advance for the very short chapter. I already have most of this written and I didn't realize how inconsistent my chapter sizes were. :/ So, chapter 3 is probably my longest chapter yet and to make up for today's ridiculously short chapter, I will publish chapter 3 today too! I hope it's not too overwhelming. Thanks again everyone for the support and don't forget to follow and favorite (if I deserve it, that is!). Thanks again everyone and I hope you enjoy!
Kind regards,
Just another fan.
Chapter 2: Preparation
Ken walked through the halls of the Citadel. It wasn't very crowded, most of the Brotherhood were either sleeping or on patrols. Ken couldn't help but notice that most of the scribes and paladins were walking around with a fearful look in their eyes. Ken took a second to try and figure out why that may be before entering the lab.
The cradle that once housed Liberty Prime was empty and dormant. Behind it, a loud growling and banging of heavy steel against the grated floor could be heard, shaking the lab in a consistent rumble. Two younger initiates ran away from the sound in fear, screaming loudly as they ran past a confused looking knight. Ken reacted by placing his hand on the hilt of his weapon. But what he heard next made him relax and put a smile to his face, while anyone else would have trembled in fear.
"Damn meddling kids! Stay out of my way!"
Ken walked behind where the giant robot used to stand and looked in the direction of the booming voice. He found a hulking figure that stood at about seven feet tall, although it was currently standing up straight in anger, making it closer to ten feet. Ken had come up behind him, and he noticed that the old, blue colored leather had ripped slightly more in response of the sudden height. Ken cautiously called out to it, careful not to agitate it anymore.
"Calm down Fawkes. I'm sure they were just trying to help."
Fawkes grunted questioningly and turned to face the calm voice emitting behind him. What could be seen as the Super Mutant equivalent of a smile carved itself on his yellowish-green face.
"MY FRIEND! It is great to see you!" Fawkes stepped towards his liberator. "I apologize for my sudden temper. It is just that these CHILDREN seem to make games and amusement out of my work here!"
Ken looked around. What looked like large pieces of metal covered the ground that were so large, the average human would not be able to move them on their own. It looks like Fawkes has indeed proved himself useful, despite a lot of the angry and fearful looks the Brotherhood gave him. In their defense, they were out here to kill Super Mutants. Who the hell would've thought that one of them would actually be friendly, let alone offer to help them?
Ken snickered and looked at his hulking companion. "Well, how about we go out on another adventure? Elder Lyons gave me a mission." Fawkes seemed to relax at the mention of the old man. "I could use your company."
Fawkes nodded without hesitation. "Anything for you, friend. And I would gladly help out Master Lyons, seeing as he is the only one who accepts my presence." He quickly turned his massive head towards an unsuspecting knight nearby. The knight's face went pale and his knees buckled. He was near passing out in fear when Fawkes threw his head back in laughter.
Ken shook his head, although he himself couldn't fight the urge to chuckle a bit. "Meet me in the center of the bailey in twenty minutes. I need to make some preparations, and you should too." Fawkes nodded in acknowledgement and turned to leave; making tremors with his footsteps that nearly knocked every person off their feet.
Ken walked over to the large glowing map at the corner of the lab. The round magnifying glass glided from one spot of the grid to another, over and over again. It continued to remind everyone of the locations of the vaults, although Ken took note of other symbols scattered across it. He studied it closely, recognizing some of the locations he has visited in his travels. Megaton, Rivet City, and Canterbury Commons seem to glow brighter than the rest, signifying the settlements with the higher importance. 'Looks like this thing got an upgrade.'
"That map got a system update." Ken looked behind him in the direction of the mind reader. Scribe Rothchild walked up and stood next to him, admiring the map himself. "We found a lot of useful things at the remains of Raven Rock. I have to say, Kenneth. You did a lousy job of destroying it." Ken looked at the scribe in disbelief. Rothchild smiled to himself. "Well, that's a good thing, because we wouldn't have been able to make more markers on our map, and we wouldn't know the location of a possibly dangerous artifact."
Ken looked back at the map. He noticed that the round glass had stopped moving and was pointing at a spot just northeast of the GNR plaza. "I'm guessing that's where it's at?"
The scribe nodded. "The coordinates we pulled out of the holotapes pointed directly to the old Vault Tec headquarters. Unfortunately, the holotapes were slightly damaged, so besides that this strange device is powered by nuclear energy and is deep underground, we don't know much else. Also, the location is in the heart of DC and extreme caution is advised." The scribe paused, looking over at the young man. He crossed his arms. "You don't have to do this, you know."
"I know. I was getting bored anyway."
Rothchild chuckled at the response. "I'll update your Pip-Boy so that you can be on your way."
"That won't be necessary, Rothchild." He turned towards the scribe. "I know where it is. I passed by there when I was helping out a group of mercenaries and I've scavenged it since then." He paused, remembering the nightmare of a mission he had taken on to help Riley's Rangers. "I can manage."
Rothchild smiled in understanding. "Well then, best be off then." He held out his hand. "Good luck. And may Steel be with you."
After shaking the scribe's hand, Ken made his way over to the armory. His heart pounded a bit faster when he realized what his next stop would consist of. Insults, flying objects, and a pretty face. He picked up his pace excitingly when he finished his thought.
When he stepped inside, he knew he was in the right place when he heard the familiar clang's and bong's coming from the other side of the chained window. He stepped up to it and looked inside. On the other side of the room, he could see an empty mattress. Next to it, along the walls on the perimeter of the room, lay a multitude of shelves all covered in weapons and armor. As he was observing the room, a helmet of a piece of power armor slammed into the bars with a loud clang, startling Ken and making him jump back.
"Whoa!"
"Who's there?" asked a familiar voice. She came into view from underneath the window and looked out to whoever made the sound. When she realized who it was, she frowned and walked towards the opening. "What the hell do you want?"
Ken gave her a nervous smile. "Hey, Durga. I was hoping you could fix something for me?"
The Knight Captain gave him a cold stare, one that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. She was just as intimidating as she was pretty, being that she practically made any man shake in his boots.
Finally, Durga responded. "I'll unlock the door. As usual, DON'T try anything stupid." She disappeared from the window and the door next to it clicked loudly. Ken stepped inside, closing the door and resisted the urge to lock it, knowing that Durga wouldn't be pleased. He saw her leaning against her work bench with arms crossed across her chest, waiting for the tall man to take a step closer. When he did, she spoke up.
"I won't fix any of your primitive fire arms. That shit's for ghouls and pussies." She frowned. "So unless you're here to give me something to fix that's quick and easy, I recommend you beat it."
Ken showed the black haired girl his open palms. "Take it easy, Durga. I was just hoping you could patch up my jumpsuit."
The Quartermaster frowned, fixing her high ponytail angrily. "Sorry, little one, but I'm afraid I'm out of teddy bear figured cloth for your pajamas."
Ken grinned at the remark. She's a tough one, but he didn't mind. "Come on, Captain. Those are my favorite. At least take a look?"
Durga exhaled in annoyance, but she couldn't help being amused by the response. 'Well, at least he's cute.'
"Fine, but leave it on. Last thing I need is to see a helpless man in his under wear while I try to improve his lifestyle."
She walked over to him and observed the leather. It was tattered, beaten, and old, but she could tell it was structurally still very strong. Some of the brown protective plates were chipped and some of the pieces were missing, but for the most part, the important parts that were inside of the blue leather that protected vital organs were still intact and had minimal damage. She walked behind him and tugged on the harness around the jumpsuit. Still sturdy and doing its job. She then looked at the yellow numbers on his back. They were still attached, but it looked like the first '1' was peeling off, although really it wasn't important. She thought about ripping them off and doing this idiot a favor by taking the large bulls eye off his back, but fought the urge and continued her analysis. When she was done, she walked in front of the tall man and crossed her arms angrily.
"You obviously didn't come here for me to fix your pajamas. What the hell do you want?"
"I just wanted to say hi. And goodbye, but I knew if I said that you probably would've knocked me over the head with something made of steel."
Ken smiled. He could tell that she relaxed a bit at his words. She never really had anyone who just wanted to have a talk with her. Most of the men here just spoke to her about weapons, and others would just sweet talk her about how nice her ass was.
However, he saw Durga move unexpectedly quickly. Before he could react, Durga had grabbed a nearby plasma pistol, and in one swift motion brought it down on his head. Ken yelped in pain and held his head in his arms, rubbing the newly formed bump on his temple.
"Ow! Yeah, like that!"
"I hate it when people lie to me! Fucking asshole!" She stormed towards the door, pulling it open. "Get out!"
Ken stood there for a moment, rubbing his head and looked towards the Quartermaster.
"Hey I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to offend you. I just wanted to try and have a conversation." He slowly made his way towards the door. "I've been sent out on an assignment, and as always I just wanted to pay my respects. I don't know if I'll come back."
He paused for a moment. Durga gave him a quizzical look before responding. "You're lucky I didn't hit you any harder."
"You didn't have to. I get the point." Ken walked out of the door and was about to leave when he heard a sigh behind him.
"Hey, Ken." He looked towards the dark haired girl. It was the first time she actually called him by name. "Thanks. And come back in one piece."
She hesitated, unsure of what to say next. Then, she said something Ken didn't see coming. "We can have a conversation then." She slammed the door and locked it.
Ken smiled widely. This might turn out great after all.
A/N: Wow. Not even 2000 words. Sorry. Though I promise Chapter 3 will not disappoint! See you there!
