The great green wall surrounded and towered over the inhabitants of Diamond City. It had been the protector of the Jewel of the Commonwealth ever since it was founded in the baseball stadium of yesteryears.
The incident with Mr. Charter had the entire city on edge, for over a decade now.
He had strolled into the city catching everyone's glare with his shifty eyes and robotic gate.
He stopped at the centralized city bar and bought several drinks for himself and those around him who were listening to his entreating stories.
Supposedly Mr. Charter was a traveler, a well traveled one. He claimed he had been to the south and back, then up north and then to the edge of the Glowing Sea. He claimed he had fought and evaded mercenaries that wore military combat armor, and had slain several death claws.
Mr. Charter downed another beer. Then another.
"You hold your alcohol well." The bartender remarked.
Mr. Charter laughed but shot him an icy stare.
He went on to gloat about a singer he went on walks in the moonlight with and a babe from a nearby settlement.
Of course he didn't mention that she was a ghoul.
Diamond City had a dislike for anything that wasn't like them... and the feeling ran deeply engrained in their society.
It was mostly fear, especially because of the Institute and the assumed connection between them and the disappearances that had been going on since after the Commonwealth Massacre in the 2230s.
It was also distaste for foul and crime, but also an attitude that trickled down from the upper class who resided in the Upper Stairs. If you weren't something you were nothing. Especially if you were a ghoul or a stranger.
Mr. Charter however had a certain amount of charisma and mannerisms that intrigued the wiry citizens of Diamond City.
He was able to draw them in, be like them in such a quick way he soon was laughing and sharing, not just telling, but sharing stories with the people.
Henry was a caravan guard who was born in a warehouse and carried in a burlap sack on his mother's back. He grew up with the trade and knew that stories were only good if they were embellished and heroism was exaggerated.
"But are they really?" A older man who was the school teacher and might as well of been an historian asked.
Mr. Charter looked confused.
"Sometimes the everyday things are the most beautiful." The teacher continued.
"Oh hush. Don't you have school in the morning?" Another settler quipped.
Suddenly Mr. Charter went extremely still. The quicker then the eye Mr. Charter pulled out a revolver and shot the bartender square in the forehead.
Blood squirted from the hole in his skull and he hit the ground with a hollow thud.
Everyone stood around in shock, they all still wore their own weapons in their own hostlers and sheaths, but Mr. Charter had momentarily disarmed them all.
Meanwhile in that split second everyone was reeling in shock and surprise , Mr. Charter shot two other people, killing one instantly.
"Stop! Now! Shitface!" The city security had tried to subdue the malfunctioning murderer and it took several guards and a few settlers to disarm him and put him into the dirt.
Mr. Charter, strangely, was already dead cold.
A closer look at the corpse revealed he was a synth. His mask of humanity had been broken. The people would spend decades shivering in their boots, adding locks to their doors, and suspecting their neighbors.
Caravans would come and go, along with their stories of adventure that still allured the settlers.
The mayor's daughter was no exception.
"Tell me about the time you took on the Yao Gui with two machetes." She begged a particular guard.
He wasn't one of the regular guards that often worked the spider web of trade routes centralizing at Diamond City. No, the young, athletically built, ambitious and witty Alan had never graced the city before to woo all the young women. Of course the mayor's daughter had first pick at the lowly but handsome caravan guard.
His buddies stood around at a distance to watch his progress.
"Well I was rushed by this monster of a bear, I whipped out my machetes like THIS."
Alan crossed drew his bloody and rusty machetes and starting swinging wildly.
"Then I chopped its head off and chopped it into dinner. Then I grabbed the fairest maiden near me, nah I'm kidding you're the fairest maiden my lady."
"Says the humble caravan guard." She giggled.
"No don't say that."
Alan moved in closer and whispered into her ear, "Meet me at the Colonial Taphouse, Miss Roberts."
"They won't let us up there, silly."
"You're the daughter of the Great Henry Roberts, silly."
"My dad won't let me drink."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 18."
"Wow, you look like a lady of an older age."
"Im not old." She giggled.
"I will love you when we are old my princess. I offer you many adventures and will always come to your aid, Princess Sarah."
Alan bowed then kissed her hand.
Sarah giggled.
"I've never met someone like you. Stay here."
"No, I cannot. Settled life is not for me."
"Then I will go with you."
"No princess this is your castle."
"And I will return but I go where my prince goes."
"No princess you should stay here."
"No, you said yourself I'm not a little girl. You will protect me my prince."
"Alright, your majesty. You can't say I didn't warn you. We are leaving early tomorrow morning."
"I'll see you then, Prince Alan."
Sarah grabbed Alan and kissed him. There was some tongue involved then Alan pulled back.
"I have to check over the Brahmin. See you later."
Sarah walked home and fantasized her future. She finally felt alive. The relative safety of the great green wall bored her.
Alan walked over to the Brahmin. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
"How's it going?" His companion asked.
"Good. Got one. You?"
"Nah. One's good."
"She thinks it's her idea."
"Good. I'm going to the bar. Make some more friends."
"I'll join you when I'm done here."
Early the next morning Sarah crept out of bed, packed her favorite things into a canvas sack and snuck out to the elevator.
"Oh shit" she muttered under her breath.
Two guards were heading into the entrance area to the city where the inside elevator would open into.
They probably were going to talk to the guard who managed the entrance gate.
She waited until she saw the caravan workers headed up the ramp and disappeared from view. She got into the elevator.
As the doors shut she breathed heavily and could hear pounding in her ears.
Just before the doors opened gun fire rang out. Mole rats somehow got into the entrance area and started attacking everyone.
Sarah snuck out of the elevator and past the three city guards, smirking at Alan as she past them and hide outside the wall.
Once the mole rats were taken care of the caravan, along with Sarah, was on its way north.
"You're a cleaver little princess." Alan remarked.
Sarah giggled. "You're the one who had to catch those mole rats. How did you keep them without anyone noticing anyways?"
"I got them drunk."
Sarah burst out laughing.
"No kidding!"
They left The Fens, pasted the ship wreckage and crossed the bridge to the Cambridge area.
"Tired yet?" Alan teased.
"No silly."
"Well we are going to stop here and met up with some other traders. Follow me I want to show you something."
Alan took Sarah by the hand and led her into a partially intact building. He led her up the stairs to the second story. Most of the walls were gone and they had a good view of the street.
A small round table with two chairs had a candle and a chem box on it.
"We stay here when we need to wait for other traders." Alan explained.
The room was also furnished with several mattresses. One of them had a collection of comic books stacked near it. Alan took a couple from the stack.
"Oh the fish man! That one is rare."
"They all are. You are welcome to read anyone you want anytime."
"Thanks."
She leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek.
Alan stroked her hair and lightly caressed her jaw. They stared into each other's eyes. Alan moved in for a kiss.
They didn't hear the footfalls on the stairs.
"Alan. Secure the perimeter."
Mongrel Ming was the leader of the caravan and was not to be questioned.
Alan sighed and left without speaking.
Ming gave him that look and followed him down the stairs.
Sarah started reading the comic book.
Meanwhile, raiders lurked in the shadows surrounding the building.
Alan secured the perimeter and returned to the second story.
He picked Sarah up and laid her down on his mattress. They began making out and the two other caravan guards decided to make their way upstairs.
"Alan, you have to share the merchandise."
"That wasn't the deal, Ming."
"It's always the deal, Alan." Ming said through his teeth.
Alan got up and stood between Sarah and his fellow raiders.
"Not this time we discussed this." Alan did his best to stare Ming in the eye.
"Alan?" Sarah's shaky voice broke the tenseness of the moment.
"You little mole rat." Ming was clearly losing his patience.
"You dog." Alan spat back.
They were quiet for a moment. Then Ming started laughing. Alan laughed in return. So did the other raider.
Ming moved forward and grabbed Alan's shoulder with a smile on his face. He slit Alan's torso with a dagger several times then plunged it deep into his right lung.
Alan couldn't breath for what seemed like an eternity, then he sank to his knees. The sound of his ragged gasps filled the room. Sarah screamed and then cried.
Ming had a twisted grin of satisfaction on his pocketed and scared face.
Sarah finally unfroze and rushed to Alan's side. It seems like she had been sitting their for years watching him suffer in that moment.
"Don't kill him, please!" She begged.
"Anything you want sweetheart." Ming mocked.
The other raider dropped a stimpak near Alan. Sarah grabbed it and stuck it into Alan's neck.
He passed out as the powerful cocktail of medicines instantly flooded his body.
"He's a no good raider and always will be." Ming laughed.