Chapter 10: Enclave

Authors Note: Thank you Umbra8191 glad you enjoyed it.

Disclaimer I do not own Fallout 3

(Vault112)

I awoke in the lounger with a pounding headache as the pod started to open. I rolled over to my side and ended up falling out of my lounger. Jericho and Charon helped me up as I noticed they changed back into they're normal clothes.

"Hey kid," Jericho greeted. "How was it in there?"

"Not fun Jericho, not fun." I sighed as Charon and RL-3 came up to me.

"Sir, there is another person down here, what are your orders?" He asked.

"Leave him to me he is not an enemy." I said as I walked over to the pod that had just opened. My father shook his head as he climbed out. He stretched his arms as I appeared before him. "Hey dad."

"Son, I can't believe it's you," He exclaimed. "It's great to see you but, what are you doing here?" I was taken by surprise when he asked me that.

"Oh you know I got worried and wanted to make sure you got your rest and took your pills." I said sarcastically.

"There's no need to act like that son." He scolded.

"Well what did you expect?" I yelled. "You have no idea what you put me through."

"That's why I did not want you out here. A life out here in this godforsaken warzone, the Vault wasn't pretty but you were safe and that's all I needed to know in order to help me move on."

I held my fist back and punched him hard in the face. He went back as he stumbled over some wires and fell on his back. He wiped the blood from the corner of his lip as I stomped over to him.

"You left me to DIE!" I yelled. "When you opened the door to the Vault you let the radroaches in and caused a lot of innocent people to die! Then The Overseer thought I had something to do with it and ordered his security to kill me. I had to kill his men to get out of there only to endure the hell of the wastes. From then on I had to fight through raider, mutants, mercenaries and aliens to find you. The only good that came out of all this was that I was able to save a lot of people in the process. Even if it was a shit load of luck."

Taken back at what I said my dad fell to his knees with a shocked look on his face.

"Son, I'm sorry I thought they would lock you up, or hopefully leave you alone I didn't know I would have caused so much trouble for you and everyone else."

"Well you did a lot of good too."

"Look we can discuss this later right now we need to get back to Rivet City."

"You want me to come with you?" I asked.

"Well it's your choice and I could use your help to get to Rivet City." He asked.

"Alright I'll help it's not like I have anything better to do anyway. By the way these are my friends." I said motioning to the three who have been quite this whole time. "This is Jericho he's the one who helped me get through the D.C ruins." I introduced.

"Hey, good kid you have here not a lot of sons would have gone through hell to get their dead beat fathers back." He grumbled.

"I know but I'm gonna make up for it when we fix the Purifier." My dad said.

"These two here are Charon and RL-3 I pretty much bought them and they swore their lives to me." I explained bluntly kind of wishing I could find a better way to rephrase that. Charon nodded as RL-3 saluted with his metal pincher.

"Well good to see you had made some friends." Dad said.

"Yeah I have others guarding the Purifier."

"So you have a team? Good but we need scientist, we should head back to Rivet City and talk to Madison."

"Okay, let's go guys." I said to my crew.

We exited the Vault and the garage as we made our way back to Rivet City. On the way I told my dad all about my adventures, saving Reilly, fighting Damien and how I met everyone.

"Sounds like you were desperate to find me." He said.

"You're all I got buddy." I said to him. "So that's my story what's yours?"

"Son, if you could have met your mother." He said. "She was compassionate and fixated on making the world a better place. Remember the bible passage?"

"Yeah,"

"She lived by that and I swore to her that I would help achieve that dream for her."

"Well I'm gonna help make that dream come true."

"I know son and I'm glad you're with me now."

I smiled as we made our way to Rivet City. It took a few days but we finally made it to the destroyed aircraft carrier. We wasted no time running towards the lab and finding Dr. Li. She looked so surprised when she saw the two of us.

"James, w-wha-"She was so surprised she couldn't even finish her sentence.

"Hello Madison," He greeted. "Listen I know how to make the project work. The G.E.C.K. is the key component to the purifier, with it we can restart the project." Dad said to Li.

"James… I don't know the people I have aren't fighters," She pleaded. "They can fire a gun but they aren't mercenaries or trained soldiers what if something happens?"

"Don't worry I have some of my friends guarding the Purifier," I bargained. "And they've all killed mutants at one time or another."

"And all we need is a team to help build the Purifier." My dad reassured. "We can do this Madison Project Purity is within our grasp." She pondered the thought for a couple of seconds before smiling.

"Okay James, give me an hour I'll have a team assembled by then." She said as she walked over to a group of scientist.

"Great son, now we can rebuild the Purifier and not have to worry about protection." He thanked.

"Don't worry about," I said. "Now we can help the wasteland get their water." He nodded as we gathered anything we needed for the project. After the walking to the project and introducing the teams to one another we got to work.

Madison brought three scientists along with her Anna Holt was the older woman and Li's best scientist, Janice Kaplinski the youngest of the three, and Alex Dargon the only male scientist next to my father. There were also two other men one was an engineer known as Daniel wore a blue Robco Jumpsuit and was constantly grumbling and the other known as Garza who wore a Brahmin skin outfit and worked on the cleanup.

I walked over to the rotunda and walked to my dad who was writing in a clipboard.

"This is where it all began," He said to himself. "Remember the 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. Revelation 21:6."

"Right this whole project was based on that passage and your mother is the one who showed it to me. Now we have the chance to make things right I need you to go down stairs and turn on the flood control."

"I can get Vinnie to do it anything else?" I asked.

"Yes, when your done with that I need you to replace some broken fuses." He said handing me the fuses.

"Hey," Vinnie said as he walked up to us. "Jericho, Charon and Garza helped cleaned up the main room and Herbert and Sydney are guarding the outside."

"Okay, I need your help with some things down stairs." I asked.

"Okay," He said as I walked downstairs he was about to follow when my dad stopped him.

"Vincent was it?" He asked.

"Yes."

"I wanted to thank you for your help my son tells me you helped him greatly."

"He's my friend I'll help him and you make this project work." James nodded as he took off his Pip-boy and handed it to Vinnie.

"Take this a token of appreciation."

"You sure?" He asked as he examined it.

"Of course I don't have much use for it and you deserve it more."

"Thank you." Vinnie said as he fastened the Pip-boy to his left wrist.

We made our way to the basement and did our jobs. After Vinnie turned on the flood control and I replaced the fuses I walked up to the intercom.

"All done down here. What next?" I asked.

"Ok good job, next I want you to head to the mainframe computer, you should find it in the basement boot it up." He said over the intercom.

I went over to the computer terminal that was on the first floor. It took a few minutes but then lights and noises echoed throughout the basement. I nodded in approval as I walked over to the intercom.

"All done how are things on your end?" I asked.

"There fine why don't you come up and…Wait, I've got something else for you. We have some blockage in the intake pipe we need you to head into the pipe and manually activate the drainage. After that you can come back."

"Alright, I'll make my way there." I said as me and Vinnie went back upstairs. As we made our way out of the basement Daniel started mumbling something insulting about my father. "Something wrong there buddy?"

"Hey I'm not your buddy," He said. "As far as I'm concerned you're not even supposed to be here."

"What you don't think the project would work?"

"Why the hell should you care?" he asked in disbelief. "You've been here five minutes and you think you own the placed?"

"What the hell's your problem asshole?"

"Oh sorry I had to drop everything and help your deadbeat daddy who left me and Dr. Li with our thumbs up our asses for almost twenty years and decided to come back when it was convenient for him."

"This place was my mother's dream." I snarled. "You should be in awe to even be standing here you worthless maggot."

Before it could get any uglier Jericho and Charon walked up to us and broke us up.

"C'mon boss, you don't need to be here." Charon said.

"Yeah why don't you guys do something useful around here instead of arguing?" Jericho said.

We parted on an angry note as I stormed off to the drain pipe. I walked up to the intercom and pressed the button.

"Hey dad, you there?" I asked.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked.

"I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you for leaving the Vault. Also, that I'm proud to be here."

There was silence for a couple of seconds before he spoke.

"Thank you son," He said it almost sounded like he was crying. "I'm glad to have you here."

"Alright I'll take care of this pipe and we'll all have dinner."

"Sounds good I'll see you in a bit son."

I sent Vinnie off to help my dad as I made my way through the pipe. It took a few minutes but I eventually made it to the valve. I looked through the broken pipe to see that it was nighttime, I saw Sydney and Herbert walking on the scale.

"Hey guys!" I said as they looked down at me.

"Hey sonny," Herbert said.

"Hey," Sydney waved as I turned the valve.

"You guys can probably head in now. We're about to have dinner." I said as I finished with the valve.

As I made my way towards the door I started hearing rumbling. I thought it was the wind blowing but when I looked through the pipe I saw two vehicles land near the purifier.

"Guys get inside now!" I shouted as they ran towards the building. "And lock the doors all of them!" I then hid behind the pipe. I peeked over to see men dressed like the brotherhood of steel only there armor was black and there weapons were more advanced. They stormed into the building as my father's voice came out of the intercom.

"Everyone remain calm we have visitors," He reassured. "Enclave? Alright I'll do the talking" (Gunfire) "Damn it Madison, lock the door."

I panicked as the line went dead, I ran through the pipe and drew my pistol as made my way to the exit. When I found the way out it lead to an open pipe that went to the basement. I slowly walked to the end when a laser bolt hit the wall next to me. I looked up to see a lone Enclave soldier aiming his laser rifle at me.

"Drop your weapons!" He ordered.

"Fuck you!" I yelled as I fired a couple rounds at him. I hit him in the chest as he went falling back. I jumped down into one of the small pools of water as I saw him get to his feet. I turned on my stealth boy as he came down the stairs. I pointed his rifle around the room looking for me but didn't see me sneak up behind him and plunge my knife into his throat. He choked on his blood as he fell dead on the floor. I picked up his laser rifle and microfusion cells on his belt as I made my way upstairs.

I opened the door to see Jericho fighting for a Plasma rifle with a soldier, a fire fight with Sydney, Vinnie, Charon and Herbert while Dogmeat chewed through one soldier's throat and RL-3 sawed through another soldier's neck.

Jericho fired a plasma bolt into the soldier's head turning it into green mush, while Charon walked up to a downed soldier and blew his brains out with his new magnum.

"Are you guy's alright?" I asked as the civilians walked up to us. My crew and Daniel, Garza and Alex were here but I noticed Anna, Janice, Li and Dad weren't with us. "Where's everyone else?"

"I don't know." Jericho said. "But we gotta get out of here now before more soldiers arrive."

"I'm not leaving without dad."

"Boss…" Charon pleaded.

"Don't stop him he's made his choice we should go." Herbert said.

"Okay," Alex said. "There's a manhole cover leading to a sewer we can escape out of."

"Okay, Jericho you take them down the sewer and get out of here, I'm going after my dad."

Before he could say anything I ran off to the rotunda and burst through the door to see Dr. Li starring through the window. I ran up the stairs only to see Janice lying dead on the floor my dad surrounded by Enclave soldiers. But the one who stood out more was the man in the gray coat and the silver pistol.

"Now unless you don't want anyone else to end up like that you will assist the Enclave in restoring this facility." He said in a southern accent.

"You don't belong here you fucking scum!" I yelled at the man. He turned to me and looked me up and down as my dad looked worried at me.

"Your name wouldn't happen to be Jayden would it?" he asked.

I looked at him in shock. How did he know my name?

"Yeah, how do you know?" I asked.

"Well, my son talks about you all the time." He chuckled. "Actually it's rather annoying, 'Damn that stupid Vault Dweller, I'll fucking kill him when I see him,' It's all so tiring."

"My son has nothing to do with this Autumn!" Dad snarled.

"Well then we've reached an understanding then have we?" He said in an evil tone.

"Fine, I'll do it." He grumbled as he went over to the terminal.

"How did a low life like you beat my son?" Autumn asked.

"I beat the crap out of him right before blowing his ass up." I said as he frowned.

"Are you almost done?" He yelled at dad.

"Just a little more and…" The walls around the computer terminal exploded as Autumn fell to the ground and his soldiers fell, my dad slumped over to me as he pressed up against the glass.

"Run…just RUN!" He said as he fell to the ground.

"Dad?" He didn't answer. "Dad…DAD!" It was no use he was gone and no matter what I did, no matter where I go and how hard I look I'll never find him.

I fell to my knees as Li ran up to me and shook my shoulders.

"Come on we have to go!" She yelled.

"Just leave me," I said as I readied my laser rifle. , but before I could walk out the door Li grabbed me and slapped me across the face.

"Don't be stupid what are you gonna fight the whole Enclave?" She asked. Hearing that reminded me of another situation where I awoke to sirens and found out Jonas was dead at the hands of the security force.

"Okay, let's go," I said as I looked back at dad. "He wouldn't want us to give up. Let's go to the sewer."

She nodded as we made our way to the sewer I let Li climb down first as pulled the lid over the opening. I landed on the ground as I turned to see that everyone is still here.

"Hey kid, are you okay?" Herbert asked.

"Where's your dad?" Sydney asked. I looked down at the ground as everyone already knew what had happened.

"Sorry," Jericho said as he rigged an explosive on the sewer lid.

"Okay, what do we do know?" I said as I turned to Li.

"We move forward, but I don't know what's down here so be on your guard."

"Hey wait," Daniel said. "Let me help I'm not great with a gun but I can shoot."

I turned to Charon and he nodded. He took off his back pack and set it down as he rummaged through it. He pulled out a spare 10mm pistol and threw it to Daniel, he then gave a Chinese pistol to Alex, and a laser pistol to Garza. Charon then gave them each their own ammo as we prepared to move down the tunnel. I was about to give Li a gun but she pulled out a .32 pistol and a couple of speed loaders.

"It was your dads he gave it to me before…well." She started trail off.

"Don't worry, we'll make this right." I said as I looked to everyone. They each stole a plasma or laser rifle from a fallen soldier. We were ready. "Alright everyone let's move." I said as we walked down the tunnel.

We all walked down the dark tunnel with before we heard something. Jericho and I took point as we told the others to follow slowly we aimed our guns down the tunnel to see an Enclave eyebot floating towards us playing that stupid radio station. Out of anger I pulled out my pistol and fire a couple of into it blowing it up.

"Dammit kid! Now they know we're close." Jericho grunted moving forward. After a few more minutes of walking we arrived at a large metal door. "Dammit were gonna need a lot of explosives to blow this door down." He grunted as he dug through his bag.

"That won't be necessary Mr. Jericho," Li said as she pocketed her gun and walked up to the terminal. "This terminal still works I just need a few minutes." She said as she went to work. Just then we heard a noise coming from what I assumed to be a boiler room as we took our positions on different sides of the wall.

"Get ready and keep your ammo handy." Jericho said.

Just then an explosion tore down a wall in the back as more Enclave soldiers rushed in firing green and red bolts. We opened fired on them as well, Jericho and I fired everything we had at them we didn't care if we hit them or not but we needed all the time we could get to get those doors opened.

"Reload!" Jericho said as Herbert took his place. I followed his lead as Charon took my place. They both fired their plasma rifles as me and Jericho reloaded our weapons. Li was still trying to open the door while Garza sat in a fetal next to her holding Dogmeat for dear life.

"Reloading!" Herbert shouted as Sydney took his place and Vinnie took Charon's place.

"Dammit, theses energy weapons are the only thing that can take them down easily or keep them back. If we run out of ammo for them it'll be a matter of minutes before they overpower us!"

"Li you gotta get that door open NOW!" Sydney yelled.

"I'm trying as fast as I can, I almost got it." She said as she typed faster. "There got it." She said as the doors opened only for a horde of feral ghouls to attack us. She screamed as one of them attacked her. In a panic she pulled out her pistol and emptied it in the decaying body's head. We all turned to see all of them come at us.

One of them grabbed Jericho from behind and bit him in his neck, he hollered in pain as he pulled out his sawed off shotgun and blew its head off. Garza fired his laser pistol at a few but only injured them or missed entirely. Daniel and Alex fired their pistols at them taking a few of them out as Herbert was thrown back by them. He ran backwards as he fired his shotgun at them but forgot about the battle with the Enclave as one of their laser bolts grazed his leg. He fell down in pain as I rushed over to him. Sydney and Vinnie gave me cover fire as I reached for Herbert, I pulled him into cover with my left as I shot ghouls with my pistol in my right hand.

"RL-3! Take these assholes out now!" I shouted as my robot soldier flew towards them.

"Yes, sir!" He said as he fired his plasma bolts and flamethrower at them. "Come get some you undead bastards!"

"Everyone down that hall NOW!" I yelled. Daniel took Herbert as he and Alex ran down that hall. Li took Garza and Dogmeat with her as Sydney and Charon followed them. Jericho pulled out two grenades and threw them down the boiler room, but before he could get away one of the soldiers shot him in the stomach with a laser beam. He fell down as the grenades blew up taking some soldiers down in the process.

"Jericho!" Vinnie yelled as he ran to his friends side.

"Just leave me…" He said short of breath.

"No you're coming with us." Vinnie said as he lifted Jericho over his shoulder and carried him down the hall. I ran over to the terminal and clicked the close option and then shot the terminal as I ran through the door barley making it through as it closed. I ran down the hall to regroup with everyone who stopped at the slope down from the door.

"Guy's we gotta move were not safe yet." I pleaded.

"Mr. Dashwood and Jericho have sustained serious injuries we can't move them." Li said.

"And I'm not leaving Jericho." Vinnie said.

"Yes, you are." Jericho said as he loaded his plasma rifle. "I'm gonna be dead soon anyways so it doesn't matter if I make it or not. Besides you need all the distance you can between you and them so go now!"

"I'm staying too," Herbert sighed. "I'm in no condition to be traveling."

"Herbert…" I said. "You don't have to…"

"Charon, get them out of here!" Herbert said as he limped up to the door.

"C'mon boss he's made his choice now honor him by living." Charon said as he pulled me away.

"C'mon Vinnie." Sydney pleaded.

"Dammit!" Vinnie yelled as he ran off.

(Jericho's POV)

"You sure you want to stay behind old man?" I asked. "There's still time for you to leave."

"Nah, my heart is starting to ache from all this excitement." Herbert said. "Besides I don't want you to go to hell alone." He said as he aimed his gun at the door.

"Thanks old man."

Shortly after they cut through the doors and Herbert opened fired on. He fired every round he had at them knocking them down or killing them as he shouted at them.

"You know who I am?" He asked sarcastically. "I'm Herbert Daring Dashwood you little pricks!" He shouted as he fired a few more shots at them. Just then a green bolt flew out of nowhere and hit him in the center of the chest his body glowed green as he turned to mush. A once proud traveler of the waste, savior of the people and to all was now a glowing pile of goo covering an old shotgun.

"Bastards!" Jericho yelled as he fired his plasma rifle at them, when he ran out of ammo he switched to his assault rifle and fired at them. He managed to kill three before running out and getting shot in the arm. An Enclave soldier moved closer to him as he pressed his gun to his head.

"Move a finger and your dead!" He shouted.

"How about this one?" He said as he held up his middle finger and pulled of a cloth he used to cover himself revealing multiple explosives to his chest.

"Oh shi-" He was cut off by the explosion killing multiple of soldiers and destroying whatever remained of the noble raider.

(Jayden's POV)

We stopped to help Garza with his heart problem when the tunnels started to shake. Vinnie let out a sob as he tried to run back to Jericho but Sydney stopped him and wrapped her arms around him. He cried as Li finished with Garza.

"We're ready." She said as she helped Garza up.

"Okay, keep your eyes peeled everyone we still got a ways to go." I said as I readied my rifle.

Charon and I continued through the tunnels as Sydney and Vinnie covered the rear. RL-3 and Dogmeat kept close to us as we walked down the tunnels. Charon stopped me as he sniffed the air.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Ghouls and a lot of them." He said as he readied his gun. Everyone else shortly joined us as I told them what was happening.

"Li where is the exit to this place?" I whispered.

"Half a mile down that way." She said as she pointed down the tunnel.

"Okay, RL-3 you protect Li with your life I want you two to run down the hall until you find the exit take Garza, Dogmeat and Sydney with you." I ordered. "Everyone else with me we got a fight on our hands." I waited for a few seconds as Li took off her high heels and nodded to me. "Run!"

They all ran as ghouls started running out of the shadows. Charon and Vinnie blew them away with their shotguns as Alex and Daniel blew their brains out with they're pistols. I had already taken off my scope as I shot them with my sniper rifle and slowly made our way to the exit.

Sydney fired her Super SMG at the ghouls as RL-3 fired his plasma bolts and flames at them turning them to ash and mush. They finally made it to the exit only to see another large metal door closed only with a broken switch and no terminal. We shortly made our way to the door only to be just as scared as everyone else.

"Great now what?" I asked as I loaded a clip into my rifle.

"I don't know…" Li said as she fell to her knees. We heard more howling as we readied our weapons.

I fired my rifle but ditched it when I hit the fifth round and switched to my pistol. Charon didn't have time to switch guns as he switched to his machete and sliced the ghouls to pieces. The science team we had armed ran out of ammo for their weapons as they pulled out knives or lead pipes and crouched near the corner.

"Dammit it's hopeless!" Sydney yelled as she smashed her police baton into an oncoming ghouls face. RL-3 sawed through another ghoul as the door opened.

"The doors open everyone move!" He said. Charon picked up his shotgun and pulled out his magnum killing any more ghouls coming towards us. Everyone made their way inside as a brotherhood soldier turned on the gun turret and fired his flame thrower at the ghouls. They howled in pain as they turned to ash.

"What are you guys doing?" The brotherhood soldier asked. "Everyone topside now." He said as he closed the door. Li wasted no time running down the sewer and up the latter.

"Well let's follow her lead everyone." I said as I put Dogmeat over my shoulder and climbed up the latter.

We all made it top side in the middle of a DC street to see it was still night time. We all loaded our weapons as we planned our next move.

"Okay, we're out now what?" Sydney asked as she loaded bullets into a clip.

"We should go to Rivet city its closer." Vinnie said.

"Yes, good plan lets go back towards the place we just escaped from." I said sarcastically. "I'm sure the people who tried to kill us will let us go nicely."

"Well what do you suggest asshole." Vinnie snarled.

"We go to Megaton." I said.

"Good plan, but as you may have noticed its night time." He said bluntly. "All sorts of creatures will be out and we won't be able to see them coming."

"We don't have the will or energy to travel that far any way." Daniel said motioning to Garza and Alex.

"Well we must do something we can't just stand here someone's bound to come sooner or later." RL-3 said.

We all started arguing at each other until we heard a gunshot fire from a few feet away. We all looked to see Dr. Li standing on a small hill with smoke coming out of her .32 pistol.

"All of you shut the fuck up and follow me!" She yelled as she stormed off. We all followed her as we arrived at a very large building with Brotherhood of steel soldier and security bots guarding the place. Li walked up to one of the soldiers.

"My name is Madison Li I have people with me in need of shelter you must let us in!" She begged.

"Sorry but no civilians. You mus-"

He didn't finish as Li pushed past him and yelled through the intercom.

"Lyons! I know you're in there I've got wounded people with me and we are in desperate need of help you open this god damn door right now!" She screamed.

As if saying the magic words the massive doors between us and the building opened as the soldier let us pass. Li breathed a sigh of relief as she walked in along with Daniel, Garza and Alex. My group followed them in as well, but I stayed behind as I looked over at the Purifier. Inside my dad was probably still lying on the ground in that radiated room as more Enclave soldiers entered.

I looked at the destroyed buildings and piles of rubble as I did a month ago when I first came out of the Vault. Only I didn't look at them with hope or excitement only with pain and misery because I knew my father was nowhere in those ruins or in this world.

I was all alone.