Bren looked around the large fortress, they had just walked inside one of the safest places in the Capital Wasteland and Bren knew it. It was a sight to behold; people in power armor were firing on mock targets, patrolling the area, and more so just preparing for any threat.
"Wow" Was all Bren could say
The group saw an elderly man walk to them. He had a sense of wisdom that seemed to calm everyone
"Elder Lyons" Li said to the man and she took a deep breath
"Madison what happened, where is James?" man who seemed to be called Lyons asked Li
"James is….dead sir. The Enclave have taken the project over" Li explained and Lyons didn't seem too upset
"You told me years ago that the project didn't work. I'm sorry about James but it doesn't seem like a reason to fight against the Enclave" Lyons said to Li
"You don't understand, James had an idea on how to fix it, we need to find the G.E.C.K." Li explained to Lyons who nodded his head
"Really, well we don't have the resources to find it, I'm sorry but I can't help you, now who is this?" Lyons asked pointing to Bren
"That would be James' son, Bren" Li said to Lyons
Lyons walked to Bren and put his hand on his shoulder
"I'm sorry for your loss, I really am, come you must be tired. That plasma burn should be treated, come I will escort you to the medical bay" He said and he and Bren went to the medical bay
"John please help our friend here, he had a nasty plasma burn" Lyons said to the doctor
"And that?" John asked pointing to Charon who grumbled at being called a freak and a "that"
"I have a name" Charon said
"He is my body guard" Bren said in a low tone, he wasn't smiling but he removed his shirt to allow the doctor to examine the burn
"Plasma, nasty weapon" John said taking a stimpack and injecting it into Bren's arm
"This will help the healing process, but I don't recommend using two handed weapons for a while" John advised wrapping the arm in gauze
"Noted" Bren muttered as he removed his shirt and walked out of the medical bay, he walked into the courtyard with Charon and went to a balcony overlooking the place.
He sat down on a chair that was set up for the guards and just stared into the distance
"If you have a problem you can talk to me" Charon said to Bren
"Charon, did you lose all your loved ones in the same day….everyone who was important to you gone…." Bren said mournfully
"I was an Orphan right from the beginning, I remember it being before those damn bombs fell, I was trained to be the perfect mercenary, I could remember some sort of buzzing every time I disobeyed the person who was holding my contract. It was weird but now it is like my own mind telling me to listen to you" Charon explained
"You lived before the bombs fell?" Bren asked
"Ghouls can live for a very long time, well provided we don't go feral. I have been with over a hundred owners, and out of all them, you are the only one who hasn't used me for evil things. Why don't you want to, if I may be so bold to ask" Charon asked Bren
"I was raised good….dad always taught me to do the right thing….dad" Bren trailed off and Charon sighed
"Sorry for touching a nerve, I could tell he was a good man. Bren, you better get some sleep, it is almost sundown" Charon suggested and Bren nodded
He and the other were able to get some beds in another wing; they were ones that Brotherhood members weren't using from either being out in the field or KIA
Bren couldn't sleep, Charon had dozed off because every three days he would sleep to recharge, after that he would always remain awake. All Bren could do was think….and he made a decision…he would go.
Bren got up and dressed as quietly as he could and took his shotgun and magnum. He had enough caps to last him for awhile, and he had plenty of supplies in his pack. It was time to go.
Bren walked out of the barracks and into the courtyard. The moon shines Bright and full illuminating the ground, Bren walked out of the gate and the Brotherhood members did a polite head bow as he walked off and he continued walking to the wee hours of the night.
It was the next morning when Charon first woke up, seven on the dot but then he looked around
"Bren? Bren!?" Charon was frantic
"Everyone wake up, Bren is missing" Charon told the others and they woke up
"What, where did he go?" Li asked
"Damn it, I should have kept a better eye on him" Charon muttered, he clutched his head, and thought, where would Bren go….he was upset and in pain….
"Guys I think I know where Bren went" Charon said and everyone turned to him
"Where?" Li asked
"Bren was really upset, now I think he left to do some soul searching. Maybe we should wait for him to return" Charon said and everyone nodded. It would take at while before the Enclave could fix up project purity so they supposed that Bren would need time to cope with his losses.
Back with Bren he was walking through some ruins of some tall building, he hadn't come across anything through the night and nothing around the morning. He had a quick breakfast of Dandy Boy apples with some dirty water which he could never get used to
"God, this world sucks…." Bren thought as he stepped over a skeleton, he judged that it was killed by some club because of the cracked skull
"I wonder what I should do." Bren asked himself, he had nowhere to go, and he had no idea the lay of the wasteland
"Wondering where to go eh?" a voice called out and Bren turned to a raider holding a Chinese Assault Rifle
"Your caps or life" The raider demanded, he was standing on top of a pile of rubble and he grinned
"You and what army?" Bren asked and he quickly regretted that question when four more raiders came out of the wood works
"You were saying? Drop all your caps, ammo, weapons, and supplies, and you can go. Keep the clothes" The raider demanded, Bren let out a sigh of defeat because he knew he couldn't face all of these men and dropped his shotgun and backpack. Lucky for him he kept his magnum on his person in a sewn in pocket, problem was that the ammo was in the pack, so all he had were six shots let in his hidden gun
"That's everything I swear" Bren said and the raider leader motioned to one of the men to examine the pack
"Food, water, ammo, even a deathclaw hand which I'm surprised, looks good enough to me" The raider said picking up the supplies and shotgun
"So can I go?" Bren asked
"Sorry but I'm afraid I can't do that, you see I find it easier to kill an unarmed target, sorry but you should have shot me when you had the chance" The leader said laughing and everyone pointed their guns at Bren who was surrounded by the raiders. It was the end
A Gun shot rang out and Bren looked at his body, no bullet wounds but he saw the leader dead with a bullet hole on his forehead, the body fell to the ground and Bren could see behind where the raider stood a man in an overcoat and fedora, in his right hand was a magnum, the left was a lit cigarette. He took one drag of the cigarette and tossed it to the side and let out some smoke
"Now is this anyway to treat a fellow wastelander?" The stranger asked the raiders who just stared at the man
"Get Him!" One of them shouted and he was shot right in the forehead sending him to the ground
Two of them tried to sneak behind him with baseball bats but the Stranger seemed to have noticed them as he turned and shot them both in the face with surgical precision
The last one dropped Bren's stuff and tried to run but the Stranger took aim and fired on the raider dropping him. Bren was amazed as he watched the stranger pick up his stuff and hand them to Bren
"You ok?" The Stranger asked
"I think so" Bren said looking at the bodies but then he realized, this isn't a high traffic area
"How did you find me?" Bren asked the Stranger
"I come and go, helping those in need; you were in need so I came" The stranger said in a cryptic fashion
"But why did you help me?" Bren asked
"The Wasteland has many stories; five of them had just ended so that you may add another chapter to yours. I can tell you have an important destiny, you can't die yet" The Stranger said
"At least tell me your name" Bren requested
"I go by many names, besides my story isn't important to tell. Bren check to make sure you still have your possessions" The stranger said and Bren looked into his pack but then he realized, he never told the man his named
"Wait how did you know…." Bren looked up and noticed the stranger was gone,"….My name"
Bren looked around, but he couldn't see where the man had left, where that Mysterious Stranger had gone, but he was thankful for the help from him and he figured they might meet again in the future.
"Maybe I will head to Megaton" Bren said to himself and he went up the stairs of what he figured as an old three story building which was now hollowed out by time and war, and he could see into the distance the metal and junk that was Megaton
"Bingo" Bren thought as he walked down and continued on his path towards the town.
After an hour of hiking he made it to the town where he was greeted by Lucas Smith. He needed a drink so he went to the Saloon and ordered a Nuka Cola which he drank.
"How about another?" Bren asked Gob who handed him another Nuka Cola
Bren looked at it and began to cry
"Something wrong Bren?" Gob asked him
"No….I just miss my dad" Bren said to the ghoul bartender
"Harsh, hey tell you what, all drinks on the house" Gob said to Bren trying to cheer him up
"Its ok, thanks anyway" Bren said drinking the bottle and ordering another
"….I just want to start, a flame in your heeeeeeeart. That was Horace Heidt with his nostalgic and ironic song; I don't want to set the World on Fire" Three Dogs voice rang out of the radio
"Just thought I say another shout out to our Lone Wanderer, the Kid from Vault 101, Bren. I heard rumors that it was he who took down that Deathclaw Scar on the way to rivet City. Good Job Kid. Now I got this problem with a few molerats in my bathroom, mind stopping by to take care of them? Thanks for listening children, this is Three Dogs HOW, and your listening to Galaxy News Radio, telling you the truth, no matter how much it hurts. And now some Music" Three Dogs then played Mr. Sandman onto the radio and Gob smiled
"Always loved that tune, so is it true, you took down that deathclaw?" Gob asked
"It is, almost died too" Bren said to Gob
"I heard they can cut through steel with those claws" Gob said to Bren
"I wouldn't be surprised, and I would rather not try to test that theory out" Bren said to the ghoul and he chuckled
"Right, here is the pay for the drinks and something for yourself" Bren said to him dropping 120 caps for the drinks and tip and he walked out of the Saloon
"What should I do now" Bren thought and then he heard a ringing on his Pipboy which surprised him, he turned the signal to the frequency and he heard a robot speaking
"This is an automated distress message from Vault-Tec Vault 101. Message begins:"
Bren then heard the voice of Amata, it felt like ages since he heard her voice.
"It feels like you left home a long time ago, but I know you're still out there. I just hope you're still alive to hear this.
Things got worse after you left. My father's gone mad with power. If you can hear this, please stop looking for your dad and help stop mine.
I changed the door password to my name. If you're hearing this, and you still care enough to help me, you should remember it."
Bren could hear the message repeat and he felt the impact slam into him like a super mutant's sledgehammer.
"I have to help her" Bren thought and he ran out of the Megaton. He may have learned that Vault 101 wasn't his birthplace but it was his home in any case. Amata needed his help and he would deliver.
Bren walked up to the scenic overlook. He remembered seeing that dented sign when he came out of the vault, vowing never to return. Oh how fate dealt him this hand.
Bren walked through the old wooden door and came in front of the cog shaped door, with the number 101 painted in the middle of the cog.
What really surprised Bren were the skeletons that riddled the ground, when he left he never noticed them. He could see old signs with phrases, "Open the Fucking Door" and, "you're killing us" so Vault Tec doomed these people to hell on Earth.
Well now it was time for him to free these prisoners from the Vault.
He went to the console and typed in "Amata" and the door opened with a hiss and the sound of scrapping metal.
It was time to fix the trouble on the home front.