I walk through the predwyn looking for the only think that motivated me to come here in the first place, my son. I walk into the common area and still see no signs of him. The Knight that escorted me is at a power armor station looking over his suit.
"Where is he?" I ask walking over to him.
"Who?" He asks.
I walk a step closer to him, "my son."
He sighs and looks away from me.
"What? You told me he was here, yet I'm standing here and shaun is yet to be seen. So where is he?" I ask again taking another step forward.
"He isn't here." He says scratching the back of his neck.
My arms fall to my side and the look of confusions is plastered on my face.
"What?" I say gritting my teeth.
"I'm sorry." He says.
"Then where the hell is he?" I yell.
"That's the question we're still trying to find an answer to." He says not looking at me.
"Wait, so my son is missing? Again?!" I yell with venom in my tone.
He nods his head, "yes, I'm so sorry. We've been trying to find him for months, but there are not traces of him or his kidnappers." He tells me.
I smack him across the face and walk away. I head to the room I was given before I left and see it is still mine.
When I get there, I shut the door gently and break down. I fall to my knees and begin to slam the floor with my fist in anger until my hand begins to bleed. I get up and yell and cuss while throwing things across the room. Broken glass and miscellaneous items are strewn across the room, with me sobbing and bleeding in the middle of it.
A knock is at the door and I ignore it. I don't want anyone to see me like this. It was one of the reasons why I left. Another knock and I roll my eyes rising to my feet. I take a seat on the bed and start inspecting my cuts and bruises.
"What?" I say.
"It's Maxson. Can I come in?" He asks.
I sigh, "yeah." I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath.
He opens the door and his eyes widen.
"What's going on Sentinel?" He asks.
"So when were you going to tell me about Shaun?" I ask.
He sighs and sits beside me. This may be the first time I've seen him be this gentle.
"I was going to tell you but the Knight was right. It was too soon." He said.
"He lied to me. To get me to come with him he told me Shaun was here. What's the benefit in that?" I ask defeated.
"I wasn't there, so I couldn't tell you. I'm sure he thought the chances of getting you back was higher if he lied." He explains.
"Oh bullshit." I say and rest my head in my hands looking down.
"We will find him. I give you my word." He says gently.
"How?" I ask looking at him, tears forming in my eyes, "what's your plan huh?" I say.
"We've been investigating it for months and have him pinpointed in a region, we just don't know exactly where. But I promise you, we have not given up." He says.
I shake my head and he grabs it on both sides steadying me, "do you trust me Sentinel?" He asks.
I sigh, close my eyes, and nod.
"Okay. Lets head to the infirmary so Knight Captain Cade can clean you up, and lets keep looking yeah?" He says.
I nod opening my eyes and the tears finally spill over. He wipes my tears away with his thumbs and lets go, grabbing my hands and helps me to the infirmary.
————
I was given a stimpak for my wounds on my hands and feet and a day of rest. I slept for an entire day. It wasn't good sleep, it was exhaustion. It was my body shutting down completely forcing me to sleep.
When I wake up I get up and take the first shower I've had in a long time. The hot water hits my body and feels amazing. You don't realize what you had until you lose it. It's the small things.
I get dressed in a blackout brotherhood uniform. I requested these be stocked instead of the orange ones so I could be more stealthy if needed.
I head to see Elder Maxson and he is in his usual spot. I salute and acknowledge him and he returns the gesture.
"I hope you got enough rest Sentinel. How are your wounds?" He asks.
"They're fine sir. I'm here for assignment to Shauns case." I say in a professional tone.
"Very well," he nods, "well, our chapter has encountered a group that we've encountered in the past. They are known as the enclave." He says.
"The Enclave is a post war U.S. military group gone corrupt. They are a threat." He says.
"What sort of a threat?" I ask.
"Well, at least ten years ago, they tried to take over project purity, a project intended to purify the waters of the D.C. Wasteland. They, however, wanted to use it as a way to 'purify' the wasteland itself. They wanted to kill the imperfect and repopulate with their idea of a 'pure' people." He says.
"So did they do it?" I ask.
"No, they were stopped luckily. They were hunted down for years after that, but they managed to regroup out west somewhere and want to take out the brotherhood once and for all and continue with their original plan." He says.
"Huh, sounds like dé ja vú." I say, "so how'd you find out?" I ask him.
"Knight Wade, now Paladin, ran into them a few months back while on his search for you. He had to kill them but obtained important intel regarding their plans." He tells me.
I nod my head, "that makes sense." I say, "so where do I come in?" I ask him.
"We are going to send you out west with a small recon team and you will relay with the California brotherhood chapter. They are small, but we hope that it will help you and your team go undetected." He says.
I nod my head, "okay. When do we leave?" I ask.
"In a day. Your team has already been assembled. They are hand selected by me based on their experience. They are some of our most elite soldiers. Go meet with them and make sure they're ready, as well as yourself." He says handing me a piece of folded up paper, "come back tomorrow morning once you and your team are ready. You ship out by noon tomorrow." He says.
I nod my head and salute, "Ad Victoriam Elder."
He returns the salute, "Ad Victoriam, dismissed."
I relax and walk to the main deck to meet my crew. I look at the paper and see a list of five names. Paladin Wade, Paladin Masters, Paladin Cade, Paladin Shire and Knight Kennedy.
I walk to the upper level living quarters and look around for my team. I look to my left and see Knight Kennedy packing a backpack. He is a black haired man no older than 25 with an athletic build. I walk over to him and clear my throat, interrupting his packing. He looks up, stands, and salutes with respect.
"Ma'am." He says.
"Relax. I'm not Maxson, you don't have to salute for me." I say.
He relaxes, "yes ma'am. Knight Kennedy, it's a pleasure to work with you." He says.
I nod, "Sentinel Rogers. Pleasure to have you. So Elder Maxson said you guys were well trained?" I say.
"Yes ma'am. We're part of an elite task force the Elder is starting up called the spartans. He has been cultivating it for years and I was hand selected from a young age. We've been in training since." He says.
"Spartans," I say impressed, "so I assume your training was intense?"
"Others have described it that way. Our training has led to us breaking bones, fighting until we cannot continue, and even death, but only the weak didn't make it. The spartans are made up of the most ruthless and strongest brothers and sisters." He says confidently.
I smirk, "good. We'll need that edge. I'll see you in a bit."
"Of course ma'am." He says.
On the opposite side of the room, I find two of the Paladins on my team. Paladin Cade, and Paladin Masters. Cade is a red haired woman working on a set of power armor beside her bed, and Masters is a blonde haired man watching her with a smile on his face.
Masters notices my approach and throws a glove at Cade. She turns around and nods her head in acknowledgment.
"Sup boss." She says and turns around and continues to work on her power armor.
I'm caught off guard at her comment. The other Spartan was so professional.
Masters chuckles, "you'll have to excuse her. She is practiced in the art of not giving a shit." He says.
I laugh, "no it's fine. If anything, humor is most certainly welcome." I say.
Cade laughs, "thank god. I just don't want to be so stoic all the time. Spartans can have a sense of humor too." She says.
"So," I say, "are you related to Knight-Captain Cade?" I ask her.
"Yea, he's my uncle. My parents were killed at the battle for project purity when I was a kid. He's been looking out for me whenever I got banged up in my Spartan training." She says.
"Wow, he's an amazing man." I say.
"Yeah, he is. But of course, he's concerned for me leaving." She tells me.
I laugh, "well I would be too if my daughter were leaving for something like this." I say.
She just laughs.
"well, I'll see you two tomorrow." I say.
They both laugh, "alright." Masters answers for the both of them.
Three down, two to go. I say in my head.
I look all around the prydwen before I find the fourth team member, Paladin Shire, in the mess hall eating some fancy lad snack cakes. He is a tall, muscular, greying haired man about in his fifties. I walk over and sit down beside him and he looks at me with a confused look on his face.
"Can I help you?" He asks with a deep, rough voice.
"I'm sentinel rogers. I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you're ready for tomorrow." I say.
"Ahh, so the runaway has finally returned." He says.
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"Look, it's bad enough that I'm going to be shipped to the middle of nowhere with a chapter of the brotherhood close to extinction, but now I'm stuck with you." He says looking at me with all the hate in the world, "do me a favor, and don't worry about me." He says.
"I did what I needed to do and that's it." I say defending myself.
"Oh yeah? Well where were you when your son was taken?" He asks.
I clench my fists and grit my teeth, but decide to let it go, "be ready tomorrow." Is all I say before I walk away.
Finally I seek out Paladin Wade and find him at the forecastle. He is sitting down with his legs crossed, overlooking the commonwealth. He turns around and looks at me, and waves me over.
I go and sit beside him and we sit in silence for a moment. He watches vertibirds fly around in various places and clouds as they go by. Surprisingly, it's quiet.
"This is the commonwealth Sentinel. It's more peaceful now than has ever been. Our patrols patrol daily to prevent violence against it's people." He says.
We sit in silence for a bit longer.
"You helped create this. You liberated so many people. In a lot of ways, I idolize you." He says.
I chuckle, "you're the spartan here not me. I'm more impressed with you guys than with myself." I say.
"Don't sell yourself short. You're worth more than you think." He says.
We sit for a while longer. Eventually we get up and return to the common area. I tell them goodnight and go to my room to pack. I grab a few uniforms, stimpaks, food, and water and lay them on the bed. I head to the armory and pickup an anti material rifle, an assault rifle, and a 10mm pistol and bring it back to my room. I pack the food, water, and uniforms into my pack for easy access and digitize the assault rifle, stimpaks, and anti-material rifle into my pip boy. I keep the pistol on my bedside table and lay down.
I sit and think for a while about the mission. I worry that it could jeopardize Shauns life, or that I'll die before I can save him. I will not allow that to happen. I will not lose him again, no matter what.