Chapter Two, Part Two: Michael's Curiosity

"He will wonder. He will wander, in search of his father. In search of me. But even I don't know if I truly am his father. The memories of the old days...feel distant. I can barely remember them anymore, but some of them I relive every second of my being. This is the curse of the FEV that is inside of me. Even though I am not sure that he is my son, I feel the same feeling my own father felt. I do not want him to follow in my footsteps, I do not want him to find me...as I know he'll have a better life if he doesn't. It would not matter if a thousand people explained this to him in better words than my own. He would still ignore them, and continue to search for me. I know, because I was him...but the difference between me and him...I got to know my father before he left me. Hell, I knew who my father truly was without a doubt." From the journal of the Lone Wanderer.


Nine years after Michael's birth...twelve years before the true start of his story. He is nine years old.
Sarah was holding her son's hand, walking through the hallways of the Citadel. Michael looked around as they walked. Brotherhood Paladins, scribes, were all walking by them and standing to the side. Michael's attention was grabbed, by a significantly larger Paladin with his helmet off. He had long black hair, but it was tucked into the inside of his power armor.

"...Hello Arthur." Sarah said, to the man.

"You are still the only one who doesn't refer to me as, just Maxson. I like that. Hello Mike." Arthur Maxson said, to the young boy Lyons, tussling his hair.

"Quit it!" Michael smiled, getting Arthur to quit messing with his hair.

"You're more than just your name...everyone is. People seem to forget that around here now." Sarah said.

"Well...names are the only things that matter to some people. Oops, got to go...helping out around the Citadel...already did all my other tasks." Arthur said, walking on. Michael could hear two other nearby paladins murmur in the background.

"There goes one of the best Paladins ever..." The First Paladin said.

"You're just saying that because he's a Maxson." The Second Paladin said.

"No, I'm saying that because he took down a behemoth when he was an initiate." The First Paladin said.

"That didn't happen. That was just an over exaggerated story, of Maxson's greatness. How many of those are there...? Oh yeah, a shit ton." The Second Paladin said.

"Ask the other initiates that were with him. Hell, ask the scribes who went to collect gallons and gallons of super mutant blood from the damn thing." The First Paladin said. "After that, he became a paladin. Before the age of even twenty one. Hell, there are older initiates than that who are STILL initiates." The First Paladin said.

"I just don't think he's as great as everybody says. Sure, he's a Maxson but..." The Second Paladin was interrupted by the First Paladin.

"You're just saying that because he told everybody about how he walked in on you in the bathroom, and you screamed because you thought it was a super mutant." The First Paladin laughed.

"Shut up...I'm extra aware of my surroundings." The Second Paladin said.

"I don't think screaming when you were taking a dump was really being extra aware of your surroundings." The First Paladin said.

"Gah..." The Second Paladin walked away, frustrated.

Michael and Sarah continued to walk through the hallway, until they reached their quarters. They passed a power armored man, who watched them intently. Michael looked up and saw that Sarah and the man were exchanging not good looks with each other. But in the end, Sarah ended up just taking Michael back into their quarters.

"Mom, who was that guy?" Michael asked, curious.

"Marcus. He was once a general. He did something very bad, and got demoted all the way back to Paladin. Though he should have been dragged out and shot." Sarah said, grimly, and grudgingly.

"What'd he do?" Michael asked.

"Like I said...something very bad. That's enough." Sarah said, walking away towards the fridge. Young Michael suddenly brought up the courage to ask a question he knew would get his mother's attention instantly.

"Hey, mom...who's my dad? Where is he...?" Michael asked.

"...Your dad...?" Sarah said, realizing the question.

There was a moment of silence between Michael and his mother.

"Your dad was...a very special person. He...was someone I met a long time ago in the wastes...you know, the city? The one I always tell you, that you'll hopefully never have to enter? I'll make sure you won't have to enter it as long as I'm still with you. But, I'm still going to train you when you get a few more years older, just in case if you do have to go...you'll be able to fight them off." Sarah said, trying to derail the conversation away from Michael's father.

"Where'd he go?" Michael said, determined to know.

"...He's gone." Sarah said, grimly.

"What was his name?" Michael asked, determined to at least find out his name.

"...I'll...tell you when you're older. Please, let's drop it for now." Sarah said.

Michael was about to ask something even worse, while he wanted to stop himself, he couldn't.

"...Why didn't he want to be with us?" Michael asked.

"...He had different things on his mind, I guess." Sarah said.

There was yet another moment of silence between them, but this time it wasn't broken by either one.

End of Chapter Two, Part Two: Michael's Curiosity


Okay, so I lied. I posted the second chapter right after the first one, even though I said I was going to post this one tomorrow possibly. Figured it's been a while since I updated, and it being the 28th and all...why not?

This chapter is just a section of Michael's childhood...still in the same time that the last chapter took place in, but next chapter will be like in his teen years. Then of course, following the tradition of the Fallout 3 beginning, his adult years and the beginning of his journey! Yay!

Actually, might be more than just two chapters...depends.

Adios.

~TGG333