Waking up the next morning, Heather was using Mason's chest as a pillow, though that may have been due to the previous night's activities. It wasn't uncomfortable for him, but it would make getting out of the bed hard. After carefully getting out of the bed, Mason put on the bare minimum, a pair of jeans and a tank-top. Checking the time on the Pip-Boy, Mason realized the shops would open in an hour and decided to see if Piper was awake for the interview. Couldn't take more than an hour, and Heather wouldn't be up for a while.

After putting his boots on, Mason walked out to the market, seeing a man pointing a gun at someone. Why couldn't this have waited until noon? After stretching his back, legs, and arms, Mason ran up to the man, making him fire his weapon. Elbowing the man in the face, Mason forced him to release the gun, dismantling it as he threw the parts away. Bending down, Mason grabbed the man by the front of his shirt before lifting him to his feet. Glaring down at the man. Many of the people in the crowd looked shocked, a few downright scared, but it didn't matter. When a man threatened someone's safety, Mason would go out of his way to keep others safe.

"He's a synth; he'll kill us all," the man barked into Mason's face before he saw the look on Mason's face, his gaze being seared into his mind.

"Where's your proof?" Mason demanded, lifting him on his feet as he forced the man to his level. "From what I've heard, there is no way to tell the difference between a human and 'synth' unless you kill them. So either you put the gun down, or I'll put you through a bar."

"You wouldn't dare," the man taunted, though a look of fear was still in his eyes. Not having the time, Mason dragged him towards the noodle stand, grabbed him by the back of the head, then slammed him into the bar, making the man crumple to the ground. Turning around, Mason noticed the guards looking at him, their weapons slightly raised, the crows looking at him in fear.

"Go back to your morning," Mason told them, causing most of the crowd to disperse, the vendors opening early.

Turning to the man that was almost shot, Mason sighed before crouching down to his level.

"Are you alright?" Mason asked.

"My own brother… if you hadn't shown up… he would've killed me…"

"Don't worry," Mason told him as he patted his shoulder and smiled. "You're safe now. That's what matters."

"I'm… I'm not a synth. I… I told him. I… I kept telling him. Why didn't he listen to me? I, uh… I need a minute."

Two officers came and picked up the guy's brother, dragging him to what Mason could guess was a jail, and an officer came up to Mason.

"That was a bit excessive, asshole. Now I'm gonna-" Turning to the officer, he froze, seeing Mason's glare, something that came in handy when he was dealing with people. Helped that he was a giant compared to most.

"Tell me this: Why don't you know how to disarm someone? Apparently, it's been over two hundred years since the bombs fell and someone who's supposed to protect people doesn't know how to disarm someone."

Hearing this, some people nearby were shocked while a few whistled. Registering what Mason said, the officer glared at Mason, though to him, it felt like a kitten was mad at him.

"You shut your mouth. We're riskin' our lives every day to keep assholes like you-"

"You're not keeping me safe; I just got here last night. But let's put things this way," Mason said before grabbing the office by the armor and pulling him close. "Try to fight me, whether it's weapons or hand to hand, you're gonna end up face first in the dirt. Do not test my patience in the morning."

Walking away, the man looked at Mason with caution, which wasn't surprising. Mason usually didn't use intimidation tactics, but that's because he didn't usually have to. Walking up to what he assumed was Piper's office, Mason walked in.

"Glad you dropped by. You holdin' up, Blue?" Piper asked, not giving Mason a chance to sit as he walked in. Surprised by her being wide awake, Mason took a minute before answering.

"My favorite ballpark's been turned to a shantytown. I'd say it's been great."

"Interesting you mentioning that, seeing as you're from a vault. Yeah you're not wearing the blue jumpsuit right now, but the Pip-Boy and that 'Fish out of water' look? Dead giveaways."

"Not really dead giveaways, I would hope a 'reporter' could tell when someones out of place. The name's Mason Griffith Black. Pleasure to meet ya."

"So here's the deal. I want an interview. Your life story in print. I think it's time Diamond City had a little outside perspective on the Commonwealth. You do that, and uh… I'll tell you what. I'll come with you. Watch your back while you get used to the world above ground."

"What kind of interview is this gonna be?"

I ask who you are, get your opinion on life out there, maybe load up a few tough questions and keep it interesting. What do you say?"

"Got nothing better to do. Let's getter done."

"Good let's get down to business," Heather said, though a bit surprised by Mason's speech. Sitting own on the couch, she started talking.

"So I know you're from a vault; how would you describe your time on the inside?"

"My family and I were frozen. I didn't spend much time in the vault," Mason responded, even though it was hard to admit. He wasn't going to lie, especially in a newspaper.

"Wa- Wait. They boxed you up in a fridge? The whole time? Are you saying you were alive before the War?"

Clapping his hands together, Mason spread his arms before saying, "Behold, I am immortal!"

"You know, I guess you kind of are, aren't you? Oh my god. 'The Man Out of Time.' So you've seen the Commonwealth… Diamond City. How does it compare to your old life?"

"Don't even try to compare the two. The world is nothing like it was before, except for criminals now being raiders and crap. And honestly, that's better than the way it was before."

"That's… surprising. I'm definitely going to quote that. Now, the… uh, big question. Why come to Diamond City? You're looking for someone, aren't you? Who is it?"

"That's none of your business," Mason stated, annoyed by the question. "It's not any of Diamond City's either, so drop it, or I'll walk out of this interview."

"This is news. No one else in Diamond City may care about the missing, but my paper does."

"Either way, you heard wrong. I'm not here looking for someone right now." Mason was getting ticked, wanting to skip the question.

"Don't lie to me, Blue. This is your story. Don't you want people to know the truth?" Piper insisted before Mason yelled.

"I lost family, alright! It should be jolie putain obvious, but I don't want to talk about it!" Mason had no idea what it had to do with the place and what it mattered. Mason took deep breaths and slowed down the breathing, returning it back to normal, and continued. "Now drop it, alright?"

"What's their name, Blue? Who are they?"

Grabbing his knees, Mason sighed as he released his grip, frowning as he turned to Piper.

"My son was kidnapped. His name's Shaunn and he's not even a year old."

"The parent after the missing child." Piper sighed before continuing. "As heartbreaking today as it ever was. Tell me, do you think the Institute's involved?"

"I don't know," Mason replied. Didn't know enough about them.

"No one ever does. That's what makes them so scary. For the last part of our interview, I'd like to do something different. I want you to make a statement to Diamond City directly. The threat of kidnapping is all but ignored in the Commonwealth. Everyone wants to pretend it doesn't happen. What would you say to someone out there who's lost a loved one, but might be too scared or too numb to the world to look for them?"

The fact that people ignored kidnappings really shouldn't have been surprising. Raiders were common, and there were mutated creatures, so it didn't shock Mason all that much.

"Find who's responsible, make them pay, then burn their place to the ground. Simple as that."

Piper's eyes went wide before continuing. "I'll take anger over apathy any day. Good quote. Thanks, Blue. That's everything. It's gonna take some time to put this all together, but I think your story is gonna give Diamond City plenty to talk about. Anyway, I agreed to come with you, right? Watch your back? Just say the word when you're ready. I can't wait to see where this story goes next."

That was odd. Why would the woman leave her sister? Mason knew she was still a kid and needed an adult to look after her.

"So you mainly want to travel to get more stories for your paper? That'll be a while. Gonna be sure someone is looking after your sister while you're not here."

"She'll be fine. She knows how to look after herself," Piper responded.

"Doesn't change the fact that it'll be a while before we travel together. Got two companions and my dog with me already. Give me a bit of time and I'll bring you some papers with what I've been doing the past few weeks on it. And by a bit, I mean an hour or so."

"Great! Can't wait to see what you've got for me."

"I do expect to get the papers back," Mason told her as she nodded in agreement. "It's more of a journal than anything so I can let my son know what I went through to get to him."

Finishing their conversation, Mason headed back to the Dugout Inn, grabbing their bags and heading out to the markets. Mason approached the man selling stuff, walking up to a place that said 'Commonwealth Weaponry.'

"It's the new guy. That's you, right?" the man questioned as Mason came up.

"Depends on who's asking."

"Names Arturo. I sell protection if you're looking to buy."

"Buying and selling."

"Self-defense at its best," Arturo said as Mason looked through what he had. Finding what looked to be an almost complete set of sturdy metal armor, with the only piece missing the left leg, Mason decided he'd give it to Heather after getting it fixed up in Sanctuary. Buying the armor and selling everything, Mason was left with a little of fifteen hundred caps.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya," Mason grinned, shaking Arturo's hand.

"Come back if you ever need anything."

Walking over to the armor workbench nearby, Mason took all the modifications off the armor, the odd thing being they were lined with asbestos. The only one that seemed practical was the chest, and that was due to it being more likely to get hit by a laser. Taking them off, Mason walked up to the lady who had a Mister Handy behind her.

"You. I… I don't know you. Just keep your distance."

A bit jumpy, but alright. After getting into a pose, Mason said, "Here's a statue of David impression."

She looked confused before continuing. "Good. Good… Now just answer me one simple question: are you human? Because I will not serve a synth."

"No, I'm Jangles the Moon Monkey," Mason responded with the most sarcastic response possible.

"That's just what a synth would do! Docking the question. We don't serve your kind here!"

"Relax, I was kidding. Human as the day I was born."

"Well, you do look human enough, but I'll be watching you. I have eyes like a… well, they're good eyes, got it? All right. We can do business, but no funny stuff."

"Well here's you some armor modifications," Mason told her, handing over the modifications he took off the armor. "Also got more stuff in my bag."

Talking for a few minutes afterward, Mason spent fifteen minutes bargaining, getting six hundred caps for the stuff. Mason thanked her for doing business and walked back to the bar, finding Garvey playing with Dogmeat. After greeting Garvey and handing him his and Dogmeat's bag, Mason walked back to the room and found Heather getting dressed.

"There you are," she beamed as he came in. Setting her bag down, he grinned as he began to put his armor on.

"I won't be leaving you guys anytime soon," Mason grinned, laughing a bit at the end. "I was getting some bargaining done so we could head back to the vault when you guys were ready. Got rid of the stuff we didn't need, kept all our clothing, ammunition, and food. Also kept the stock for your shop. I also got you a military bag, so that way you can carry more."

"Thank you!" Heather smiled, taking the bag from Mason.

"Figured carrying a lot was bad for your shoulder, so I got something that more evenly distributed the weight." Strapping on the last of his armor, Mason shouldered his bag and grabbed his helmet. "Can you be ready in ten? Got a bad feelin' about the vault, and I wanna get there as soon as possible."

"No worries."

Pulling out the papers for Piper, Heather came out after a while and joined Garvey playing with Dogmeat. After a few minutes, Mason stood up and turned to his friends.

"Ready guys," Mason asked, wanting to get to the vault as soon as possible.

Receiving nods of approval, they left the inn, stopping by Piper's sister since she was outside.

"Free paper to newcomers," She said as Mason came up. "If the Institute grabs you in the night, at least we warned you."

"Free paper sounds like quality."

"I'm serious. The Institute takes people! You should read up if you're stickin' around."

"Can you explain what the Institute is? All I've gotten are vague descriptions and a few things they've done."

"They snatch people up in the night and no one hears from them again. It's all in the paper! Better read up before they grab you too."

"I'll be fine. Just make sure these papers get to your sister."

"Your loss, mister," she said as she took the papers and began to go to the office.

Walking out of the city, Garvey mentioned something about a possible settlement nearby that needed to be cleared out.

"Later," Mason told him. "Need to get to the vault. Like I told Heather, got a bad feelin' that somethings happened at the vault."

"Of course, Mason," Preston said, a bit down from the response. Before going any further, Mason wrapped his arm around him.

"Don't worry. Gonna check it out as soon as we're sure everything is alright in the vault," Mason assured him, shooting him a grin. "Any chance for a settlement is worth it."

"You're right," Garvey laughed. "It's just raiders.

"Look, security might be lacking, but even they can take care of a few pathétique raiders."

Putting on his helmet, Mason turned on the Diamond City Radio on his Pip-Boy, and an old favorite of his, Uranium Rock, began playing. Singing as they walked, Mason managed to get the others to laugh with horrible dancing. Having to stop to catch his breath after a while, Uranium Rock had played twice, and they were halfway to the vault.

Walking for a bit, Garvey and Heather spoke to each other while Mason followed from behind, rifle in hand. Walking into the vault, Mason took off his helmet, holding it with one hand, weapon in the other. As they went by the guards, Mason put his rifle away, noting the glum looks on some of the guards' faces, as well as the few people there. Taking the elevator down, Mason headed to The Depot to see if Ashes had come back, surprised to see Erin playing with her cat.

"Thanks, mister," she said as Mason entered the room. "I was so worried about him."

"Wasn't a big deal, young lady," Mason told her. I honestly wasn't since it didn't take much time.

"You're still my hero. Mom says I can give you this," Erin said, giving Mason a teddy bear and toy car. Smiling as he accepted the items, Mason remembered toy cars had screws, and that was something they could use. Walking out of the store, Mason almost knocked over the Overseer.

"Overseer, apologies," Mason said as he stopped her from falling. "Didn't see you there."

"You're back," she exclaimed, looking relieved yet desperate at the same time. "I'm not sure if you've spoken to Dr. Forsyth yet, but if you haven't, we really need your help." Mason knew something was wrong.

"One of the children here is very ill. He's been bitten by some… creature and we need someone with good combat training to help him. Someone who knows the creatures of the Commonwealth." Well, Mason wasn't an expert. "I'd like for you to please speak to Dr. Forsythe. He can give you the details."

Clutching his helmet, Mason didn't bother to reply as he hurried to the medical center, finding Austin lying in a medical cot. Based on what the Overseer said. Mason assumed the creature that bit him was a molerat or some creature that could dig underground he hadn't met yet. Either way, a child that grew up in a vault would have no immunity to something like that. Doubted it was a radroach; this place seemed to keep pests out for the most part.

Finding Dr. Penske and Dr. Forsythe arguing, Mason noticed Bobby was trying to get their attention.

"I'm running the tests as fast as I can, Priscilla," Dr. Forsyth tried to assure Penske. "I can't treat until I know what he is infected with."

Why'd it have to happen to the kid? Mason didn't want anyone to get hurt, but it would've been better if it had happened to an adult.

"Dr. Forsythe," Bobby said, trying to get his attention.

"Not now, Bobby!" Penske scolded. "And you, stranger, will have to wait your turn. We have an emergency here. Austin got bitten by a molerat. Isn't that enough, Jacob? There can't be that many molerat diseases or toxins."

Fed up with her attitude, Mason butted in.

"There's a reason you're a botanist and not a medical doctor!" Mason thundered, making her take a step beach. "Putain d'enfer, Didn't even go to college, barely listened in school, and yet I still know there are a lot of diseases one thing could cause!" And why did it have to be a molerat? Those things popped out of the ground, making it annoying to take care of them. "Now listen to what Bobby has to say, as it could be important."

Silently thanking Mason, Bobby spoke up while Dr. Penske stood stunned. "I think I found something that might help Austin."

"What is it, Bobby," Forsythe questioned, preventing Penske from trying to scold both Bobby and Mason.

"Well, you know that door Austin found? He found it cause of me. I keep my private things in there. He saw me get them."

Mason was sure he was talking about chems.

"It's like a whole extra vault in there, but half-ruined and caved in. There was a terminal there, so I started poking around in it. There were some notes about using molerats to grow viruses. But they said they used 'em to make vaccines and treatments," Bobby explained.

"A secret vault? Good lord! I've never heard of such a thing," Forsythe exclaimed.

Grabbing Bobby by the shoulder, Mason turned him around and got into his face. "Show me where the vault is," Mason growled, Preston's jaw dropping, Heather jumping back, both surprised by Mason's actions. "If Austin dies. You're. Next."

His eyes widening, Bobby's hand started to shake before he said to follow him, his voice breaking.

Bobby backed away when his shoulder was released before turning and leading Mason through the hall. Reaching the room, Mason puts his helmet on and makes sure the safety on his pistol is off. Taking off Nora's ring, Mason turns to Garvey and Heather.

"Hold on to that for me, would ya?" Mason said, tossing the ring to Heather. Heather caught the ring, and before Garvey could protest, Mason shot the panel for the door. They would've argued had he told them to stay and would've followed had they told him they would stay. Slamming shut behind him, the door sealed itself, the only way out now being forward. He didn't care if he got bit, but it would've made a difficult decision between Austin and one of them if they did.

"Alright, if I was an all-disease cure, where would I be?" Mason pondered finger by the trigger for his weapon. "Probably near the entrance, knowing Vault-Tec. Probably why that elevator at the front was shut."

Walking through the place, Mason heard water dripping in some places, the sound of molerats in the distance. Grabbing a med-kit as he walked, Mason ran into a protectron that walked through the door of a room.

"Knew it was too easy," Mason said as he fired three rounds into a leg, ducking back behind the wall after. "Got two stimpaks from the med-kit, why couldn't I get through this without running into anything?"

Moving forward, Mason ducked behind some crates as two turrets fired.

"These turrets don't help," Mason remarked as he fired two rounds into the barrel of one, ducking behind a wall as the other turret started firing again. "Pain in my cul." Reloading his weapon, Mason stood, firing two rounds into the final turret. As it blew up, Mason laughed before saying, "Maintenant, embrasse mon cul."

Before going any further, Mason took the metal arm pieces he had gotten for Heather, figuring while he was down here, he wasn't going to make it easy for molerats to bite him.

Searching the room by the first turret and dining room, Mason managed to find some duct tape and coffee cups. Also found a vault jumpsuit and utility, which he saw as a bonus. Walking through the place, Mason found some shotgun shells and two grenades in an explosives crate, something he found odd. Why was one this deep in the vault? Well, it wasn't the oddest thing he'd found in a vault.

Continuing his pace, Mason found an area with a molerat's body sticking out of a mound of dirt, a few more piles in the area. Finding a set of stairs, Mason saw two molerats at the foot of it. Before they noticed Mason, he pulled one of the grenades and threw it. Right as it was above them, Mason fired a round, shooting the grenade.

"Now I've probably alerted the rest," Mason breathed, storming up the stairs. "Gun ain't got a silencer, so they would've heard gunfire anyway. Reaching the top of the stairs, two molerats popped out of the ground, and one tried to bite. Jamming his arm into the mouth, Mason stuck it in the hinge, firing a round into the other molerat. Sticking the gun to the head of the one who was currently biting metal, Mason pulled the trigger.

"That's just great," Mason muttered, searching for materials. Gotta wash this blood off me before I leave."

Finding some stimpaks, a magnifying glass, and some Surgical trays, Mason walked up the steps to the next section when he was finished. Walking through the door, Mason heard molerats pop out of the ground. Turning to close the door, Mason slammed it shut as three molerats came up the steps. Pulling out the last grenade, he pulled the pin and rolled it towards them as they turned away, slightly opening the door to do so. Jumping back, when Mason looked towards the door after the explosion, the door was burnt to the frame, making exiting that way near impossible.

"Baise moi dans le cul," Mason muttered, adding "not literally," as an afterthought.

Mason kept an ear out walking through the place, listening for molerats popping out of the ground. Opening the door to a set of stairs, he wasn't surprised when one popped out of the ground at the bottom, two more coming around the bend.

"Come on, you overgrown rodent," Mason yelled, shooting the glowing one in the head as it came up the stairs. Jumping from behind, another jumped off the body of the glowing one, getting the front of Mason's gun slammed into its head, knocking it to the ground. Grabbing the third by the throat, Mason slammed it into the living one, Mason growled.

"Die, baiseurs," Mason barked, shooting both in the head, spraying the floor with their blood. Walking through the vault, Mason sighed when he came to a section as he found an area like the atrium in the main area, just smaller with the stairs on the side instead of the middle.

"Talk about consistency," Mason muttered, pulling a Hot Rodder t-shirt with pants out of a suitcase. "Like the front, but tiny instead."

Climbing up the steps, Mason moaned, seeing a molerat the size of Dogmeat charging towards him.

"You must be the mother," Mason said, grabbing it by the throat as it jumped. "Won't be too hard." Slamming the grip into the forehead, it reeled back, gasping for breath. Not giving it time to recover, Mason shot it in the head, taking care of the root of the problem.

"Oh, come on," Mason complained; three more molerats came running from the cages. "Just once, I would like it to be as easy as making a small generator."

Using his empty hand, Mason grabbed his knife from his boot, holding it up, ready to stab anything that came too close. Aiming his pistol, Mason opened fire. Shooting the first and third one in the head, he missed the second, which would have bitten him had he not slammed his knife hilt deep into its skull.

"That's nice," Mason said, listening for more Molerats. Sighing in relief, Mason laughed. "No more molerats. And look at that, I wasn't bitten. Now to find that putain de remède."

Finding the terminal unlocking the door leading to another area, the security was too high for Mason, leading to him looking around for the password. Finding it in a desk near the back, Mason unlocked the terminal and opened the door. Walking through the halls, Mason found a hall with three lockers lying down, two skeletons in them, ashes in the third. Whoever did this must have cared about them, considering it didn't look like they struggled to be put in there. Looking around, Mason noticed a Miss Nanny bot behind a window and approached it.

"Oh. Another stranger," the Miss Nanny said with an accent as Mason came up to it. "Are you Vault-Tec security? I've waited so very patiently for you to arrive."

Mason took off his helmet before glancing at her, looking down at his apparel.

"Do I look like Vault-Tec security," Mason asked, brow raised.

"Over the long years, who is to say what is fashionable now," she replied before continuing. "True, your attire is a bit dirty, but not all people properly value the importance of hygiene and cleanliness." She then explained how she had made a cure over eighty years ago and had created a cure, then asked if Mason was authorized to release her. That was confusing. Did she not realize Vault-Tec was dead?

"Vault-Tec is gone. There's no point in following their rules anymore."

She then explained how her programming didn't cover this contingency and explained how she needed written or verbal authorization to let her out. Mason really didn't enjoy lying, but if he didn't, the kid would die, and nobody wanted that, so he did what any morally confused person would. He lied.

"I am so authorized. You are released."

Opening the door, she gave Mason the cure, explaining there was only one and she couldn't make it anymore, asking to leave as soon as possible. Looking around, Mason found a terminal explaining her name was Curie, short for something he didn't bother remembering. Using a rag to wipe the blood off, Mason took the metal off, putting it away so Heather didn't see it. Sticking the bobblehead by Curie into his bag, they headed to the elevator, Curie following him.

After half a minute, it got to a hall with a terminal at the end that opened the door to the vault entrance and headed to the elevator that would take Mason back to the main area. Getting down there, Mason saw Heather and Preston sitting at a table with Dogmeat lying down nearby. Still, when they approached him, Mason pushed past them, rushing to the medical center. Storming into the place, Mason pulled the cure out, giving it to Forsythe, telling him to quickly use it on Austin. Walking out of the place and took some deep breaths before sighing.

"A moment, please," Curie asked as he sat on a bench.

"What do you need?"

She explained how she had done all the research she could do here and wanted to travel the Commonwealth with him to discover new cures for diseases and benefit the Commonwealth. After explaining how after the bombs fell, the area was lacking in the science area, she insisted there must be men of science out there, which Mason guessed was true since there were doctors. However, he doubted they went to school and became doctors from studying for years and were still learning new stuff, which he guessed a doctor already did, learning new diseases all the time. When she asked if she could travel with him, Mason told her that I would be back later.

Walking back to the medical center, Mason saw the Overseer talking to Austin, who seemed to be well enough to be able to stand. Complaining that nothing exciting ever happened there, Austin just wanted to see what was in there.

"You're lucky I had a bad feelin' when I woke up kid," Mason told him, bending down to his level. "Just be safe in the future."

"Thank you," Forsythe told Mason as he stood to meet him. After explaining how Penske would be grateful, the man gave Mason a syringer for his troubles.

Turning to the Overseer, she told Mason he'd be receiving a room for when he visited.

"Do you mind if anyone who works for me that comes through uses it?" Mason asked. "It wouldn't happen often enough to be a problem, and they would all be people that wouldn't do anything to harm the vault. They would be wearing armor or have a gun with this symbol on it." Pulling out a piece of paper with the Minutemen symbol, Mason showed it to the Overseer, her agreeing to his request.

After the Overseer and Mason talked for a bit, he walked out of the medical center into Garvey and Heather's judgemental stares. Looking like they wanted to say something, Mason stopped them and explained why he did that, telling them it would be a hard decision if one of them had gotten bit. With him being the only one to go in, it made it easier because he wouldn't have to decide.

"But it's all good in the end," Mason told them. "I didn't get bit and Austin got cured, so everyone wins!"