The first thing striking John when he awoke was the lack of pain, he wasn't even sore...they had healed him up? Still keeping his eyes closed he also noticed a curious lack of clothes...and that his arms and legs were pinned by steels cuffs to a very cold metal slab keeping him hanging vertical...it was anything but comfortable.

Listening he heard a slight hum in whatever room he was in...ventilation? He also heard the slight scrape of boots against grated steel floor...not a sneaking sound however...impatient perhaps?

Sighing he opened his eyes.

Indeed he was naked, it had been long since he'd actually seen himself completely without clothes...when had he gotten all those scars? A quick glance backwards also confirmed that he was stuck to a metal slab wired into the wall. To his right there was a small computer sticking out of the wall, further off a table covered the rightmost wall, a bunch of jars filled with yellow liquid lining it.

To his left there was nothing but a wall greeting him, and in front of him...John grumbled. Right opposite him there was a closed door of dark steel and a design he'd never seen before, rounded top and a pale blue letters '3A-4' stencilled across it. Above the door a small dome of pulsing blue light was stuck in the wall...like an alien eye watching him. To the right of the door there was another steel table, this one sporting several dozen different types of scalpels and other cutting implements whose purpose were far too obvious.

And in front of that table... "Ah, you're awake, good." The regal looking man was still in his trench coat and had a pistol of odd design hanging from his belt...as if he was ready for a fight despite obviously being in some sort of base. "Welcome to Raven Rock, headquarters of the enclave operations in the capital wasteland."

"Thank you for your hospitality." John snorted, forcing himself not to cringe away from the cold steel pushing into his back. "You even healed my wounds, very kind of you."

"President's orders." The man snorted in turn. Ah, so we aren't united in opinions...interesting. John almost laughed at his own thoughts, tied to a slab, naked and soon to be cut in various ways...and he was still thinking of ways to put things to his advantage. Maybe that shot to the head had done more damage than he'd thought? "Oh how rude of me, I'm Colonel Augustus Autumn, a pleasure to finally have a conversation with you."

"Pleasure's all yours I'm sure...and I know your name, heard it on the radio."

The colonel smiled, face cold and calculating as he slowly strolled towards John, hands behind his back. "Ah, so you've listened to us then? Good."

"Only so I may know my enemy, the drivel coming from your station drives one mad after a while though." John managed a smile, which grew wider as he continued: "So...the commander of the enclave military...demoted to interrogator? What did you do? Piss in Eden's coffee?"

Autumn's smile instantly disappeared. "Still defiant I see? Don't worry, we'll break you yet..." He turned and marched over to the table by the door, slowly sliding a gloved hand over the table while speaking: "And I chose this assignment...and if you don't comply you'll soon see me as your torturer." Was it just John or had that weird blue disc above the door pulsed at that?

"Chose? Why would a man like you waste your time with such a thing when you probably have more pressing matters to attend to? Don't you trust your underlings?" The hand moving over the blades stopped for a mere instant. "That's it isn't it? Who don't you trust?" Did the disc pulse again? John smiled. "Colonel...who? It's rude not to answer you know."

Augustus turned with a growl, eyes shooting daggers. "I am the one asking questions here, not you."

"Oh? And here I thought you wanted a conversation?" John smirked while raising an eyebrow in question. Despite the desperate situation he wasn't going to show any fear to this murderer...and his instincts whispered to him that baiting the man actually might be a good idea. Though that was hard to imagine with the man now clutching one of his scalpels with a rapidly darkening look on his face... "But fine, what do you want to ask me? How I've managed to embarrass your patrols on multiple occasions? How many of your men I've personally killed? How pathetic I find your so called soldiers?"

Autumn's lips were a mere pale line now, tossing the scalpel he held aside he took two long steps forward and raised a fist...then thought better of it and returned his hands back behind his back. "I'm not the one strapped up naked and soon to be killed." He grinned with glee, no doubt expecting his words to have some sort of effect.

John had heard far too many threats at his life though and only snorted, if this man killed him here, without John saying a thing...it would be a good death. Of course this man would never understand such a thing... "Yet I'm the one with some well-earned pride in myself." He smiled at the colonel's baffled look. "Oh, and we've gotten off topic again, what was your question?"

"You are brave..." The colonel's rage melted away, looking almost a little tired all of a sudden. "Like your father, defiant to the end..."

"My father died well." John growled, despite himself feeling a hint of anger rising at the words. His father's killer...speaking of him...he had no right.

To his surprise the man nodded slightly. "Yes...I suppose he did. An admirable man...if misguided."

"Says the one leading people in massacres of innocents." John snorted.

Now it was Autumn's time to smirk. "You still don't see it do you? The enclave is the United States of America, the government, resistance to the government is illegal and as such cannot be tolerated." He turned away and took a step away, head craned slightly to look up at the blue disc above the door. "We will have order in the world, return the states to the way it was before."

John chuckled. "You can't possible believe that, it can never go back to the way it was before, a crazy lady in Megaton I know even knows that. Your fighting for an illusion..." He eyed the way Autumn suddenly looked away from the disc, shoulders tensing. "...and you know that...don't you?" John suddenly felt cold in a very different way. "Colonel...why are you doing this?"

"Why do you think?" The man turned to face him again, a slight smile playing on his lips. "The government will be recreated again...and who will lead it? I have men willing to die to put us into power, that would also be a good death." Why did John get the feeling that the man meant me when he said us? He grimaced even as Autumn grinned. "The wasteland will be united...and then there will be no end to the power of the enclave."

"You power hungry son of a..." John shook his head, all of this...for personal power? What sort of cause was that to die for!? Though, with other morals in place one could argue...no...don't understand him! Hate him! Or...oppose him. Yes, he struggles against you...his morals are against yours...might will settle who's right. "I will kill you one of these days."

"No, for you will soon die." Autumn replied with a smirk. "Now please...what is the code to the purifier? We have already installed the GECK, and our code crackers will find the right code...but I don't want to waste time. So please, the code."

"Ha! You think I'll give it to you?"

Autumn cocked his head to the side, though he looked confident when he smiled at John there was something causing him to pause...an odd glint in his eyes. "Why would you deny us? As I said it's only a matter of time, and would you want your last action in life to be withholding clean water from so many people? And here I thought you were their champion..."

"If the only way for them to get clean water is through you I'd rather have them die of thirst." John snorted, forcing himself to sound convinced. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness...sounds familiar?" John wondered if he'd gotten it right, it was some time since he'd read that thing he'd fought to reclaim for some hard-needed caps. "Life in servitude to one such as you is no life."

"And here I thought you said the government was dead." Autumn chuckled.

"Ideals don't die Autumn, you should remember that."

"Very well, but now...give me the code!" There it was again, a glint of...desperation? Far more obvious now that Autumn was visibly struggling not to rush at John. "Or do you want to be tortured until you give me the answer anyway!? Tell me now and your death will be swift and painless! Defy me and I will show you true agony!" Wow, someone was losing his patience...

Raising his chin John suppressed the worm of fear as he let his ingrained defiance speak for him: "Kiss. My. Ass."

"Why you-" Autumn raised a fist.

"That is quite enough Colonel." A calm voice interrupted, the blue disc above the door pulsing as a familiar voice spoke out from somewhere by the door. Eden? "You've had your chance, as promised, now please have the prisoner released and send him to my office...as agreed." The tone was friendly and smooth as John remembered, still...there was a clear threat in it.

Turning Autumn made pleading gesture towards the disc. "But Mr president...I highly advice against this, he's far too dangerous to be let near you...never mind released. Give me just a few more minutes and-"

"Now, now colonel." The disconnected voice berated. "We had an agreement, and I hardly think there is any real danger, especially to me...he's only one man." Huh? What did Eden mean by that? "Now release him and have him brought to me."

"Y..." The colonel took a deep breath, obviously struggling with his emotions. "Yes Mr president, it will be done."

"Ah, so that's who you don't trust then?" John chuckled. "How disloyal."

The colonel didn't reply, nor look back, instead he placed his hands behind his back and made for the exit, head lowered. "I'll send someone to escort you."

The door silently closed behind the man.

"Don't worry, won't go anywhere."

Barely had John managed the sardonic words, and begin to think about what Eden might want with him...before the door opened again. The new arrival was dressed in a pristine looking Enclave uniform...and had her plasma pistol aimed at John...along with an appreciating smirk. Great... "Well hello there." John sighed. "You're to wear this." She dropped a bundle of clothes unto the floor.

"That's nice but I'm-opf!" John wasn't really ready for the locks around his limbs suddenly releasing him, sending him tumbling into the floor to the laughter of the woman. Grumbling John ignored the slight tint of redness on his cheeks as he quickly moved to dress himself. A sleeveless shirt and a pair of sweatpants, both white. "Erm...no shoes?" The grating on the floor was hard against his soles, despite the toughening they had gone through in his many marches.

"What? Planning on doing some running?" The woman chuckled at herself even as she jabbed him in the back with the plasma pistol. "Now move, Eden's expecting you."

"Wow, is being bossy a prerequisite to join the enclave or something?" John kept his arms to his sides since the woman hadn't said anything about it...no doubt trusting her reflexes to shoot him if he did something. The door opened before him and he found himself in an all too grey corridor going to the left and right. "Its sort of annoying."

"Planning on joining are we?" The woman queried, a slight prod guiding John to the left. At the far end of the corridor he saw another of those doors, a blue disc above this one as well. "Well I know I wouldn't complain...yum." Eh? "Now right." She prodded him again, making him realise there was simple door to his right, no disc there though...that made him nervous.

Still, he obeyed, stepping into what had to be a dead end. Crates were loaded in neat stacks everywhere, marked 'foodstuff'...a supply room? "Erm, I think we took a wrong turn here...this is a dead end."

"Yes it is...and no we didn't." The plasma pistol was now poking him in the back of his head...oh fuck. "You see, Autumn doesn't trust you, as such he'll make sure you're not to reach our beloved president. A shame you had to try and break free." She chuckled even as John pulled his shoulder back a little, inching his arms back while stretched out...maybe...maybe...lower that gun a little... "A real shame...on such..." The prodding weapon went lower, scrapping his neck. "...a fine..." Lower still, running down his spine. "...piece of..." To his lower back. "A-"

Spinning about John's outstretched left arm swept around like a scythe, knocking the pistol to the side and sending the bolt of plasma into the floor and melting part of the floor. His other arm came sweeping about too, curling itself around the woman's neck before he pulled...instantly she was pulled to the floor and gasping for breath as John's wrist pressed against her windpipe.

Another shot went off, singing the hairs on John's arm before he caught her wrist and pushed the gun into the floor. With a growl he pulled his right arm back harder, drawing a gasp from the woman...harder, she kicked out into the air, eyes rolling back...digging his finger into her tautly stretched skin he pulled harder...

With a rip and a gurgle he pulled the skin off her entire throat, along with most of her windpipe. The woman kicked out once more, mouth opening in a silent scream...then she went limp.

Wiping his gore covered hand off on her uniform John quickly stuffed his pockets with all ammunition she carried and a pair of plasma grenades, then retrieved her plasma pistol even as he feverishly went over his options.

He had killed an officer in the middle of the enclave headquarters...Autumn wanting to kill him...probably locked doors stopping him from escape...along with a small army. On the other hand he now had a gun...and Eden wanted to talk to him. Maybe he could play them out against one another somehow? Though that seemed unlikely...

Regretting that he'd ruined the woman's uniform...though it probably wouldn't have fit him anyway...he realised he couldn't really do anything but wing it and headed out into the corridor. After all, 'president' Eden had probably ensured he had a safe conduct to Eden's office, so he should head there before Autumn realised...why was the disc red all of a sudden?

"This is colonel Autumn speaking!" John flinched at the call, coming down from the little speaker he now saw stuck right beneath the disc. "We have a prison break in section 3A! This is not a drill! The escapee is to be shot on sight!"

Oh you clever son of a...

Then the door opened, revealing an enclave soldier with his rifle raised.

John let himself fall flat, grunting at the feel of the grating hitting him in the chest even as a flurry of laser shots pass above him...then he put two shots in the head of the soldier, melting helmet and content into nothing but smoke and ash and sending the body crumpling to the floor.

Pushing himself to his feet John rushed forth, realising he hadn't much time before he would get swarmed by hordes of guards. Eden! He must reach Eden! "Alert! We have an-" The cry of a scientist rising from his table was ended when his chest was immolated, his female colleague who had apparently been sharing a meal with the man shrieked as she stumbled away...only to go fall head first into a wall when John's shot blew off the leg she'd been leaning on.

He was in some sort of dinner room. Several white tables and chairs placed in orderly rows along the room, thankfully there had only been those two eating there...John ignored the rest as he tried to find a way out...he found three. One door by each wall...which?

Then the door opposite him opened, revealing two more soldiers, these ones had been clever enough to take cover behind the doorway....and were aiming at a terrible exposed John.

Then the door closed again.

Blinking John heard a thumping sound from the other side as the troopers tried to get in. The disc above it began to glow though, drawing his attention just as Eden's calm voice came out: "Well this is...unfortunate. Still, I can preserve the situation, if you would please follow my instructions I can guide you down safe passages to reach me...without killing more of my men thankfully."

"And Autumn?" John asked, feeling a little dizzy by the quick turn of events.

"He will be...handled. No doubt he fears for my safety, or perhaps that I will get a servant outside of his control...either way I can still salvage the situation. Now please...will you comply?"

John shrugged, almost laughing at the thought. "Like I have a choice."