Quick Note: I realized I should probably be putting a disclaimer in here, so here goes:

I do not own Fallout 3 or the characters involved. If I did, then I wouldn't be writing a fanfic. I'd be relaxing on a private beach somewhere warm surrounded by servants serving me drinks in coconuts with little umbrellas. Sadly, I only own Hikari and Mei. That's it. Therefore, I am sitting on my bed surrounded by cold with no drink, posting this chapter.

Chapter 10: Two Ways

I didn't leave my room, I didn't check my pip-boy, I wouldn't even eat unless Charon had made me. Mei hadn't talked to me since we left the Citadel, and I had sent Doc Church away. I was still sick, but I was deeply depressed. I wanted my dad back. Most of my time at home was spent alone, but that was what I wanted. I wanted solitude in my time of despair. I didn't want people feeling sorry for me or trying to help.

I didn't want to cry any more. Even if I wanted to, all of my tears had dried up. I was miserable, and I wallowed in my self-pity. Dad, why did you have to leave me? We had just gotten you back, and you left us for the project our mother had cared so much about. Weren't you supposed to take care of your kids first? Wasn't that part of being a dad?

There was a knock on my door, and it opened without me saying anything. Charon carried in a tray of food wordlessly and stood there until I ate. Sometimes, I wished he didn't care so much. When he left, I was flipping through the holotapes that I had in my pip-boy. I stopped when I came across one that said, "Note from Dad." I was surprised, but I played it.

"Hold on Jonas, I need to record this first," I heard my dad say. "I... I don't really know how to tell you both this. I hope you'll understand, but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time, but in the end I decided it was best for you two not to know. So many things could have gone wrong and there's really no telling how the overseer will react when he finds out. It's best if he can blame everything on me. Obviously you already know that I'm gone. It was something I needed to do. You're both adults now. You're ready to be on your own. Maybe someday things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me. God knows life in the vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going."

I was surprised when I heard another familiar voice, "Don't mean to rush you, Doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with."

"Okay. Go ahead. Goodbye. I love you two."

The tears that had been dried for nearly a week overflowed when I heard my father and Jonas speaking. I played a couple more times before I fell asleep listening to his voice.

~Charon's POV~

Poor kid. She was severely depressed and needed someone there for her. She was quick to help someone in need, but when she needed someone, she pushed everyone away. I heard a voice from the bedroom and pressed the side of my face against the metal door. I could tell that it was a recording of her father, and another man I did not know. She began to sob and she played it a few more times before I heard it stop, and so did she. I opened the door, and she was lying on the bed. I sighed and covered her with the blanket that she had and wiped her face gently with a wet cloth. Her face was tear-stained and she was still sick. I knew she was hiding it, but she refused to see a doctor. I think she once said that her father was a doctor, and I believe she was unconsciously shutting out anyone with connections to him. Mei would be the best person for her to talk to, but there was something wrong with Mei, too.

The blue-eyed twin refused to talk to anyone other than one-word sentences. She walked around town, mostly, just wandering. I swear that she should have skin cancer from the amount of time that she has spent outside. She was depressed and quite saddened by the loss of her father, but she wasn't letting it out like Hikari. They both needed to work it through together, but neither one would listen to the other.

I sighed and leaned against the wall opposite the bed of my employer, praying for something, anything, to happen to get them back to the way they were before their father's passing.

~Hikari's POV~

I was so tired of feeling this... this pain that ripped through me that was the result of my father being ripped out of my life. I wanted him back, and it wasn't fair. Before he died, I had hope that he was alive, and that alone kept me going. Now that he was dead... I didn't know what to do. I felt so empty without him. He was the one that had guided me and took care of me, and I wanted him back.

I slipped out of room and wandered around town. I wondered what had happened to the saloon without Moriarty, Gob, and Nova, so I decided to check it out. The bar looked pretty much the same, but there were fewer people. A man stood behind the counter, but it wasn't the same without Nova smoking in the corner or Gob's smiling face. Nothing was the same anymore. I approached the bar and sat on a stool. I knew we didn't have much money left, but I needed something to make me forget.

"Something strong," I said, placing the caps on the counter. "Still in the bottle, please."

I lifted the bottle of whiskey to my mouth and took a large gulp. I sputtered, and it burned my throat, but I kept on drinking, ignoring my conscience. I wanted to forget my pain, and the alcohol seemed to do just that. I lost sense of who I was and all of my feelings. I wanted to do something reckless. I wanted to live on the dangerous side. If Mei knew the thoughts that were running through my head, she'd probably wonder what happened to the real me.

I soon finished the bottle and purchased another one, not caring anymore. I downed about half of it before the door burst open. I saw Charon walk over to me. Even in my drunken state, I was able to tell that he was furious with me. I had ditched him when he let his guard down, and I was sure I worried him.

"Hikari Leslie Mansen!" he roared.

I flinched when he used my full name. I hadn't heard it since I accidentally broke the old picture frame that held a picture of my mother back in the vault. Dad was pretty mad, but he calmed down pretty quickly.

"I took my eye off of you for a second and you run off to get drunk?" he half-shouted. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get in when I am not there to protect you?"

All business. That's how he was. He was worried that he had violated his contract. That was what it was about. The stupid contract. He didn't really care. He didn't care about me, he didn't care about Mei, and he didn't even care about how much pain I was in. I turned back around to tune him out, taking another swig of vodka.

"Are you even listening to a word I am saying?"

"I'm trying not to," I told him. "Just leave me alone."

"No, I will not! It is my duty to protect you, and you are making it much more difficult than it needs to be!"

"Like you really care," I said into the bottle. "It's all business with you. You protect me because you can't stand not following that damn contract."

He growled before heaving me over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" I shouted as I tried to kick and punch any part of him I could.

"We are going home, now," he said in a low voice. "I am not letting you out of my sight again."

Why couldn't he just let me be? Couldn't he see that I wanted to forget all of my problems?

He didn't put me down until we were back at home, and he put me roughly onto the chair. I glared at him, and felt slightly sick to my stomach from all of the alcohol in my system.

"You were irresponsible," he lectured. "You were irrational, and you are not yourself. You need to have a better handle on your reasoning."

"You don't need to tell me these things," I spat. "I already know. I don't care."

"You must care," he continued. "If you are to survive this world. You have to be tough."

"Why should I, when I have you to look out for me."

"You need to have an attitude adjustment," he said. "I am working to save your ass and keep you alive, and you seem to be trying pretty fucking hard to keep me from doing that job."

"Like you care," I argued. "It's just that stupid contract. That's all I am to you: A job. Nothing more. Why should you care? After all, I'm just a pain in the ass to you."

He growled. "Damn it, Hikari! Just... stop acting like such a little kid! You need to toughen up!"

"In case you haven't noticed, I just lost my dad, I've been kicked out of my home, I have no idea what I'm doing out here, and I have some angry ghoul chewing my ass who only gives a shit because I'm some... some... job that he has! Do you have any inkling about what I am going through?"

I felt tears begin to overflow from frustration, anger, and a deep sadness that seemed to bury itself in my heart. I wanted out of this life. I wanted back into my old one with my dad. I wanted him back, I wanted Mom, even though I never got to meet her. The way Dad talked about her, she would know exactly what to say...

"Kid... I'm sorry," Charon said with a sigh, his expression softening. "I... You have adapted well given your circumstances."

"You should be," I sniffled. "It's partially your fault I'm like this."

He nodded, and I was surprised when he picked me up gently and sat down in the chair, but a good kind of surprise. I curled up against him and continued to cry my eyes out, waiting for my heart to scab over from all of the emotional wounds.

~Charon's POV~

Hikari was mentally and emotionally unstable. I was used to the one that was always ready for the next challenge, that never objected to helping others, despite what may happen to herself. Now, she was being a selfish child, but I couldn't blame her. She had gone through more hardships in the past two months than most people in the wastes deal with in a few years. Still, things happen in the wastes, and people adjust. C'est la vie.

I held her in my arms, and she was quite warm, probably from the alcohol that her body was trying to rid itself of. Despite it being only mid-afternoon, she fell asleep not much later. I hoped that she would not have any kind of hangover when she woke. Kid already had enough on her plate to deal with. I sighed and carried her sleeping form upstairs to the bedroom so she could sleep better. When I tried to put her down, she gripped tightly to my armor. I stopped and stared at her, but she was still sleeping. I tried again, but she still clung. I sighed and sat on the bed, her form still in my arms. I lay down with her, hoping that she would eventually let go, but a small part of me hoped she wouldn't.

I hated to admit it, but I liked the feeling of truly being needed, even if it was coming from a small, fragile girl.

~Mei's POV~

Why? Why did Dad have to leave? Sure, the project meant a lot to Mom, but she was gone. He was living the ghost of his past. He claimed he found a way to make the water pure, but what did it matter that some other group of people wanted to do it? Why not let them? It sure would have saved us a hell of a lot of trouble. I wished he had just handed over the controls, and he would still be here. Kari and I wouldn't be the way we are. I wished he hadn't caused the radioactive explosion that he did, but there was no going back. That was what sucked. I had no control over the situation, and it really put it into perspective of how small and insignificant I was.

I glanced down at my pip-boy when it beeped, saying a new signal was found. It said, "Vault 101 Distress Signal." I played it. At first, it was the usual robot that always played on the radio, but he said something about it being an automated distress signal. Amata's voice began shortly after it.

"It feels like you two left the Vault a long time ago, but, I know you're still out there," she said. "I just hope you're still alive to hear this. Things got worse after you left. My dad, well, he went insane. 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."

The message replayed itself before I turned it off. I sighed and went back to the house. Kari would want to know, and I was sure that even in her state, she would want to help. The sun was high in the sky, so we had plenty of time to get there. I entered the house, and Kari was still up in her room. She looked exhausted, and she looked at me like an abused puppy.

"Kari, I... I found a signal, and I think you should hear it."

She stared at me quizzically before I turned it on. She seemed more alive than she had been since Dad died, and I knew immediately that she was ready to help.

"We have to help her," she stated in a cracking voice. "She was our only friend, so we can't just leave her."

"Thought you'd say that," I replied with a smirk. "When do you want to leave?"

"After I shower and change," she said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," I replied. "And don't forget to take a rad-x."

She nodded and left with Charon. It seemed that we were back in business.

Upon arriving at the Vault, the metal gate was still sealed like always. Kari typed in the code, and the door opened with the same loud, irritating metal-on-metal sound as the last time we opened it. There were a couple radroaches in the entry way, but they were very easily disposed of.

"What the- Stop right there!" an officer said. "I don't know how you got in here but-"

"Officer Gomez!" Kari shouted as she ran up to him.

"Wait a minute... Hikari? Mei? God, I didn't recognize you two with all of the dirt and grime! Boy, you two have changed!"

"We got Amata's message, and headed right over," she said.

"What message?"

"The emergency message that she sent out?" I questioned. "Wait, you don't know about it?"

"No and I think you should keep that from the... What the heck is that behind you!"

"Officer Gomez, relax! This is Charon," Kari stated. "Don't worry, he's just our body guard, and he's a ghoul. Some people have been exposed to too much radiation, and instead of dying, they pretty much become what Charon is."

"O-okay," he said, a bit unsure. "As I was saying I'd keep the information about the message away from the Overseer. He's pretty mad with power right now."

Kari and I nodded.

"Anyway, any luck finding your dad?"

Kari's face was downcast, and she looked as though she was about to cry, so it was me who answered.

"We did, but... He passed about a week ago."

"I'm sorry," Gomez said. "He was a good man."

"Anyway, where can we find Amata?" I asked.

"She and her gang of rebels are on the lower levels," he stated. "They're trying to open the Vault, and I think it's a good idea, but the Overseer is to blind with power to see that we are all dying in here. Kari, you were always the peacemaker. Maybe you can find some sort of mutual agreement?"

She nodded. "Can you take us to them?"

"Sure," he said. "For... For old time's sake."

We followed Gomez down into the lower levels of the Vault, and another officer almost shot Freddie, but, to be honest, I couldn't care less. Kari was worried, though. The officers that saw Charon looked as though they were about to wet their pants, and I smirked. This was going to be a fun visit.

~Hikari's POV~

Everything in the Vault had changed. It was like they were having a civil war, and the whole place was covered in graffiti and toppled décor. The lights were very dim, and most of them had been broken. Maybe it was adjusting to the bright sun outside that had made them seem so dim.

"I'd take you farther, but, the rebels would probably attack me," Officer Gomez stated. "I'm sure you can find her from here."

"Thanks," I said before wandering further in.

"Well, well," a familiar voice echoed through the hallway. "Look who's showed up now."

"Butch," I greeted with disdain. "We came to talk to Amata."

"Well I for one am completely surprised that you two made it back here," he went on. "And boy, the wasteland did you two good."

I felt his hands on my hips in the dark, but he was thrown off in an instant.

"The hell is that?" he exclaimed.

"This? This is Charon. He is our loyal body guard. Don't mess with him unless you want a missing limb," Mei said. "And by messing with us, you're messing with him."

"Charon is a ghoul," I stated. "He has been exposed to a lot of radiation. That's all. He's completely human, but ghouls are usually a lot stronger than us."

"Wh-Whatever. Amata's back there."

I nodded and we went back further.

"M-My god! It really is you! You actually came!"

"Amata!" I shouted as I ran up to her and embraced her. "I've missed you a lot, but it seems things are a lot worse down here than when we left."

"Well, thanks for coming. Everything's gone crazy since you left. Now, you can help us set things right again."

"What's going on down here, anyway?" Mei questioned. "We've got the fact that your dad's gone insane with power, but that's pretty much it."

"We want to open the Vault," she stated. "It turns out, that the Vault wasn't always closed! I overheard Wally's father saying that we never should have let you two and your dad in. It used to be open, but they closed it when we were infants and swore to hide it. But... Keeping that lie meant Jonas's death, and even though we know the truth, my dad still won't let us make our own decisions."

"Sounds like your dad needs to be stopped," Mei said.

"You're right. It's not like we're going to completely abandon the Vault or anything. Well, I think Butch wants to, but he's too big of a coward to do it on his own," she replied. "Most of us have accepted that it means death out there, but it was enough for you and your dad to leave, so there must be something worthwhile out there."

At the mention of my dad, my heart sunk.

"What's wrong?"

"My... Dad, he... He died about a week ago," I said. "Radioactive explosion to protect his work... The whole reason he left the Vault."

"O-oh. I'm sorry."

"Anyway, why is the Overseer doing this?" Mei inquired.

"I don't know. Maybe he thinks he's protecting us, but he's only condemning us."

"I'll talk to him," I stated. "I'll come up with something."

"Just... don't hurt him or do anything rash, okay?"

"Amata, you know me better than that," I told her. "Violence isn't my thing."

She smiled. "You're right. I was just afraid the wasteland had changed you or something."

"It has, but for the better," I assured her. "I'm going to find a non-violent solution to this problem."

"I can't thank you enough," she said. "Thank you."

I nodded and Mei, Charon, and I turned to leave. I remembered exactly where the Overseer's office was as though it were only yesterday we were fleeing the Vault. I could picture just how everything looked, I could hear the clicking of the radroaches' mandibles, the blaring sirens, and the Overseer's voice... everything.

The office was just as it was before we had left, and the Overseer himself stood over by the window, looking out at the ruins of the Vault below.

"Well, I see you two have returned," he said without turning around. "Done with the dust and ruins of the wasteland, are you? Given up looking for daddy? Thought you could slink back in, like a couple of teens missing curfew?"

I had just come to talk, and he had already begun to criticize me.

"Well, that's too bad," he continued. "You two have no future in this Vault. You're tainted."

"With your leadership, no one in this Vault had much of a future," Mei scoffed.

"That's where you're wrong, young lady. By locking down this Vault, I'm protecting its future. In fact, I was protecting its future when I had to make those unpleasant choices you two and your father left. I only wish I could have stopped your father before he left."

"So you murdered Jonas for the Vault's 'Protection?'" I demanded.

"Yes, I did."

"You lying, murdering-"

"Watch your tongue, young lady," he snapped, turning around.

He stopped short when he came face to... well, chest with Charon. I could tell that he was intimidated by Charon, and I felt an uncharacteristic smirk tug at my lips.

"This is Charon," I said calmly. "He is our new body guard, and he will protect us no matter what. Try to harm us in any way, and you'll probably limp away with a bloody stump for a leg."

He frowned, but continued. "You are just like your father. You never think before you act-"

"Don't you dare talk about my father or insult him!" I shouted.

"I am in charge here, young lady, and you will not interrupt me again. As I was saying, you never think before you act, and you have a certain... disregard for the rules, much like your father."

I don't really remember how it happened, but one moment, I was boiling with rage, and the next, I was on top of the Overseer on the ground, my fists stinging and burning as they made contact with his jaw two times. Charon was on me in an instant, pulling me off.

"Charon, put me down!"

"No," he grunted as I struggled against his grip.

"He insulted my father! I won't stand for that, not after everything he sacrificed!"

"Your father has sacrificed nothing compared to what I have," Amata's father said cockily as he stood up, wiping the blood that trickled down his chin.

I was surprised when Mei tackled him to the ground and proceeded to punch him several times, but it was a rather pleasing surprise. She stood up and spat on him.

"You will not insult either my father or Kari," she said in a deadly, low voice.

He stared back up at her, shocked by what had just happened. I wouldn't be surprised if she had dislocated or broken her jaw. She definitely had more muscle that I did, so her hits were probably a lot harder than mine.

Charon let me go, and I stood over him. "You will open the Vault for the others. It is their choice if they want to leave. You will not stop them or guilt them into staying. Do you understand?"

Slowly, he nodded. I left with Mei and Charon to go tell Amata of what had happened. I was sure she would be upset by what had taken place, but there was no changing what had happened. She would be able to live with it, and the Vault would remain open.

"How did it go?" Amata asked.

"Well... Not too good. You know how I kinda... have a bit of a temper?"

"Oh, God, what did you do?"

"Well, I think I may have broken his jaw, and if it wasn't before, I'm sure Mei did. He also probably has a broken nose, from the look of things," I added. "Maybe a black eye... or... two..."

"Mistress, are you alright?" Charon questioned.

"Y-yeah. Just a bit dizzy and out of breath."

"Perhaps you should lie down."

"No, I'm fine. It's passing."

The truth was, I was feeling worse with each passing day. I wondered if whatever I had was going to overtake me soon, but I ignored it and returned to Amata, who wore a fearful expression as she gazed at Charon.

"Don't worry about him," I told her. "He won't harm anyone unless they harm us first."

She nodded, but didn't take her eyes off of him.

"Anyway, the Vault's going to be opened up," Mei intervened. "Took him a bit of convincing, though."

"Thank you," Amata said. "However, as much as I am grateful for your intervention, I'm afraid that too many people blame you for what happened."

"What are you saying?" I questioned, but I had a feeling that I knew what was coming.

"I-I'm sorry. You're a hero but you have to leave," she replied. "I apologize, but it is for the best of the Vault."

"That's... That's not fair!"

"I'm sorry. I really am, but I have to ask you to leave, and never come back."

"Amata, be reasonable!" I pleaded. "We just saved your lives, and you're kicking us out?"

"Your father started this mess," she said. "If he hadn't had left, none of this would have happened, and he would still be alive. We all would."

I was already furious because of the Overseer's comment, but Amata... She had been my best friend. We were almost as close as my sister and I were.

"I thought you would understand," I told her. "I guess I was wrong. I thought that we meant something to you, but I was wrong. A real friend wouldn't do this. A real friend would realize how much pain the other was in, and help despite what others felt. I guess our friendship meant nothing to you."

"No, it's not like that-"

"No, don't worry. I get it," I interrupted. "I'll be leaving now, and you'll never hear from me again."

I turned around and walked away as calmly as I could as I repressed my anger towards her.

"What was that all about?" Butch questioned.

"Nothing," I told him. "You're free to leave the Vault now, but don't follow us. We have important and dangerous things to do."

He stared at me curiously, but I ignored him and kept walking. He would either leave or he wouldn't.

I turned down a hallway, which led to Dad's old office. Everything in there had been turned over, and I felt the rage boil back up inside, but I suppressed it. I bent over by the desk that held our mother's favorite verse and the picture of our father, Mei, and me from our tenth birthday party. We each held our BB gun, large smiles on all of our faces. I felt a sad smile form at seeing the picture, and I tucked it away into my pip-boy, along with my mother's favorite verse: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelations 21:6. That was when I noticed something I hadn't before.

"Mei," I called softly. "Mei, is that a safe on the wall?"

"Looks like it," she replied. "Want me to crack it?"

"Yeah."

It took her a few seconds before it sprang open. Inside was a holotape and the picture of mom that I had broken the frame for, along with a baseball that Mei and I used to play with, the schematics for some gun, and some caps. Mei grabbed the holotape and began to play it.

Well, here we are. Nestled all safe and snug inside Vault 101. It's so cold down here. Colder still with Catherine gone... Oh, Catherine... I so wish you were here with me. How the hell am I supposed to do this by myself? Live down in this hole. Take care of our children... But this is our life now, so I guess I'd better get used to it. The Overseer who runs the place is an overbearing bully, but I've dealt with worse.

I felt a pang of sadness in my chest when I heard Dad's voice, but Mei reminded me that we needed to leave. I stood up and gathered more of Dad's old things, including his old bobble head that sat on his desk and his picture of all of us at our fifth and eighteenth birthday parties.

~Mei's POV~

Kari and I had given them their freedom, and what did we get? A nice kick out the door. A, "Thanks, but now that we don't need your help anymore, leave us and don't come back! Have a nice day, hope to never see you again!" God, they needed a reality check. How would they survive? They wouldn't, at least, not without help. Either they would all die off in the Vault, or they would all be killed in the wastes. Either way, it seemed like they were doomed.

Kari and I entered the house with Charon in tow, and we had Wadsworth prepare some dinner for us. He made some insta-mash and some Salisbury steaks. We had a Nuka-Cola with it, but Kari only picked at it.

"Kari, what did you mean when you told Butch that we had things to do?" I asked.

"I want to help the Brotherhood," she responded. "I want to finish what Dad started, and I want to take my revenge on the Enclave for what they did. I will make them pay for what they have done, I swear it."

"But how will you do that?"

She took a deep breath before she answered, "When we were in the memorial, Dad told me what he had learned from Braun. All we need is a Garden of Eden Creation Kit, or a G.E.C.K. It was designed to use after the Great War to restore America. It's all we need to get the purifier up and running. The Brotherhood told me that they had located one in Vault 87, but they can't get near it because of all of the radiation. Apparently, it was hit by a nuclear bomb and it is still surrounded by a deadly amount of radiation."

She stopped for a moment when Charon forced her to eat.

"Well, how do they expect us to get it?" I wondered. "It's not like we're more immune to it than them."

She swallowed before she resumed speaking. "Well, they believe there is a secret entrance to the Vault through a nearby set of caves, but they always get killed before they can get into it. It is presumably guarded by some well-supplied soldiers or survivors. It's all forted up, too. They believe that since we are small enough, we should be able to gain entrance stealthily."

"Why don't they send their own men in to get it?"

"I don't know, but I want to try," she stated. "I'm going to leave after tomorrow. I plan on stocking up before I we leave."

"We? No, I'm not getting involved with the Brotherhood. They only seem to cause trouble in their little crusades."

"So you're telling me to go alone?" she questioned.

"You've got Charon with you. Besides, I have full faith in you."

"Well, all right. This will be the first time separating for more than a day. You realize that?"

Now that she mentioned it, she was right. Kari and I had been together since birth, only to be separated for a day when I went to help Lucy and when she went off on her own to explore the downtown D.C. ruins. This... This was going to be much longer. At least a week, I guessed.

"Well, there's a first for everything, now, isn't there?"

She nodded and Charon made her finish her meal.

~Hikari's POV~

I didn't want to leave Mei, but I knew that I had to retrieve the G.E.C.K. I had to finish my mother and father's work. Mei didn't want any part of it, either. This was the reason that Dad died, so I knew it must have been very important to him. I knew he would want one of us to finish it. I visited Moira at Craterside to stock up on supplies for my trip. I counted out how many caps we had left, and it wasn't much. I hoped that Mei had more, because I was down to a little over two hundred. That wouldn't get me very far in the wastes, and it wouldn't get Mei by for as long as we would be gone. Still, I knew she would be able to find some sort of job to support herself.

The following day, Charon and I were ready to leave. We headed northwest to where the Brotherhood had said the secret entrance was. Hopefully, I would be able to retrieve the G.E.C.K. without any trouble. We took more than enough supplies to make it through two weeks, since we were unsure of how long it would take us to retrieve it.

"Please... water..." a man begged.

The local traders passed right by him, and I felt sorry for him. I entered my pip-boy and pulled out one of the pure water bottles I had packed.

"Here, take this," I told him, handing it to him.

"Really? Just... Just take it? I'm sorry, but I have nothing to repay you with."

"It's fine," I replied. "You need it more than I do."

"Bless you, child," he said. "It seems that not all has gone bad in the wastes. Take care on your journey."

I nodded and left, feeling slightly better about myself. Charon didn't seem too pleased though.

"We need that," he said as we walked on.

"I know, but he needs it more."

"Here in the wastes, it is kill or be killed. You shouldn't give away our supplies so readily."

"Charon, I know that, and it was only one bottle of water. I have plenty of rad-x in case I need to drink from an irradiated water source. We'll be fine."

He grumbled to himself, but busied himself as he shot some raiders before they got too close. I wanted to get there as soon as possible. Being separated from Mei... It didn't feel right. We had been together our whole lives, and this would be the longest we had ever been apart.

We camped without a fire that night, since there was no place to hide our position. The coldness of the wastes was overbearing, and I shivered violently under my worn-out blanket before Charon came over and held me as he kept watch. He leaned up against a rock and I curled up against his armored chest. I felt safe and warm, and was soon able to ease into a peaceful sleep.

~Mei's POV~

With Kari and Charon gone, things got pretty quiet and boring. I sat around for a while, but I was itching to get out. I even did some research for Moira. First on the list was research on the nearby Super-Duper Mart. Place was packed with raiders, but I got a lot of ammo off of their corpses. I think that the quiet, stealthy approach that I had to use was more suited for Kari, though. I preferred to go in with guns blazing, while Kari was stealthier. Still, the reward was pretty good.

When that was done, I lazed around for two days before I decided to help out Moira some more. I swear, the longer Kari was away and the more time I spent with Moira, I was going to go just as insane as the shopkeeper was. She was about halfway done with her book, though, and the tasks kept me fed and content. I definitely wasn't meant for domestic life. I needed action and something to do.

When I had helped Moira finish her book, nearly a week had passed, and Kari still wasn't back. I was beginning to worry, and regret not going with her. If something happened, it would be my fault. I needed something to take my mind off of it. I found Lucas Simms wandering around the town, keeping an eye out for anyone or anything suspicious.

"Hey, girl. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for something to do," I stated. "Got anything?"

"Well, that bomb still needs deactivating," he stated, "And there are some raiders gathering at the Springvale Elementary School. We'd all appreciate it if you were to go over and clear them out. Either one."

"I forgot about the bomb," I admitted. How I actually did was beyond me.

"Offer still stands at five hundred caps."

"I'll go take a look at it again."

He nodded. "Just don't blow us up, now."

"I'll try not to," I said with a smirk.

I was mad at Mr. Burke for what he had done to me, and I held no animosity to most of the residents of Megaton. From what I heard, the people of Tenpenny Tower were all a bunch of bigots and stuck-up pricks that nobody really liked. There was no way I would help them. I approached the bomb, ignoring Confessor Cromwell as he yammered on about, "The Glow." I took one glance at the bomb and everything sort of clicked into place. I knew exactly how I would deactivate the bomb, and I did. I smirked and went to find Simms.

"By golly, you've done it," he said. "I knew you could. Come with me back to my place and I'll count out your caps."

When I had them in hand, I decided to check out the raider problem. Simms offered me a hundred more caps for the job, and I took it. I would get to kill and get paid for it.

~Hikari's POV~

When I awoke, I was quite cold, despite the fact that Charon was almost laying on top of me, protectively against the rock. He sprang into life, and fluffy-looking white stuff fell off of his back. I had to squint to be able to see anything, as it was all so bright. It was then that I realized that the stuff that was on Charon was all around us. I reached out to touch it, and it was very cold and melted in my hand. My Geiger counter ticked at me when I touched it, but it was so neat.

"What is it?" I questioned.

"Snow," he stated. "It is the solidified form of rain."

"I know what snow is, but I've just never actually seen it."

"This is a very rare occasion. The last time I was snow was before the war."

"So you really were alive back then? Before the bombs fell and everything?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "We need to set out. It is quite irradiated, though. I shall carry you to protect you."

"Charon, I can always just take a rad-x."

"The snow is fairly deep. It would be faster if I were to carry you."

"But what if we come across raiders?"

"They will be not be out in the snow."

"You don't know that," I told him.

"Hikari, I have been around a lot longer than you. I know a lot more about the raiders and their habits. They will not come out."

I sighed and gave in. I didn't want to argue.

"Hey, Charon?"

"Yes?"

"I realized that you know almost everything about my past, but I know nothing about yours."

"What do you wish to know?" he inquired.

"How did you become what you are?" I questioned. "Like, with the contract and everything?"

"I was trained by a special organization that trained people to be the ultimate mercenaries," he stated. "We all had our specialties."

"What was your specialty?"

"I was trained in close combat."

"For how long?"

"I trained for fifteen years before they considered my training complete."

"Wow. How old were you when you started?"

"I was five."

"Were you taken from your parents or something?"

"My father was drafted into the war and died, and my mother died during childbirth," he stated. "I was taken in to the organization soon after my father was declared killed in action."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It is not your fault. You have nothing to apologize for. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"What did the training consist of?"

"It was very difficult, but it made me able to survive through the war. We were all taught the basics, like how to make fire, how to hunt, how to kill with all kinds of different weapons but that only made my training that much more difficult. We were to be up, dressed, and fed by six, and if we weren't we would have no lunch break. We would all run laps, do the other exercises I had you do, things like that. The people with my specialty were trained in hand-to-hand combat, mostly, and we were to ones to be given shotguns. We trained rigorously from six to noon, where we got a ten minute lunch break. If we were not finished, then we would get no dinner break and we would be whipped. We had to be on time, there was no room for error. They wanted perfection, and they would punish imperfection. We trained until six, when we got another ten minute break for dinner. We then trained until eleven, when we would go to bed," he stated. "If we fought amongst ourselves, disobeyed our superior officers, or broke any other rule, we would be whipped and lose our breaks for the following day."

"That sounds like pure torture," I commented.

"It was, at the time, but it has kept me alive as long as it has."

"Do you know if there are any other survivors?"

"No, I don't believe there are. As tough as we were, surviving the bombs falling would be nearly impossible."

"But you survived," I stated. "Maybe some of the others survived."

"It is possible."

"So what happened after you completed your training?"

"I was sent by the government to fight in the war in anchorage. They were developing technology to defeat the communists, but they needed more soldiers to liberate the territory."

"Oh. What about after the war? What happened then?"

"The government discharged me from their service, and the company sold me to another buyer. He held my contract for quite some time, but my contract was taken by another person, and I left. Sometimes, my employer would foolishly wander off without me and end up getting killed. The cycle continued until I ended up here."

"So this contract really does have a hold over you," I said. "What would happen if you were to lose it, or if it were to be destroyed?"

"I do not know," he responded.

We lapsed into silence before the snow came to an abrupt end and I slid off of his back before we continued on our way. We soon reached the cave entrance, and it was just like Lyons had described. I told Charon to wait for me to return when we stood by the wooden door at the mouth of the cave. He didn't agree, but he obliged my request. Once inside, the acrid smell of the decaying bodies pierced though my nostrils. I felt the bile rise in my throat, but I repressed it and pushed onward through the cave as silently and stealthily as I could.

"Stop right there!" a voice shouted from up above the wall that I faced. "Unless you want to end up like the others! Now, come out to where I can see you!"

I was quite surprised when the person that I faced was just a kid. So much for a well-stocked army.

"Hey, you don't look like a mungo," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here looking for a G.E.C.K.," I told him. "Do you know where the entrance to Vault 87 is?"

"Yeah, but you gotta go through Murder Pass, which is filled with a bunch of monsters. Hold on. I'll let you in."

"What about my friend?" I asked. "Can he come, too?"

"Is he a mungo?" the kid asked.

"What's a mungo?"

"A grown up."

"O-oh. Yeah, I guess he is, but he's good. He's kept my sister and me alive since we had to leave our home."

"Fine. Just keep him out of trouble. You know how mungos can get."

"Will do. I'll be right back with him."

I ran back out and saw Charon pacing the entrance to the cave.

"Charon, it's safe," I told him. "The army is actually a bunch of kids, but they're going to let us in. Come on!"

He stared at me for a moment, but he nodded. We entered the town of little lamplight, and a lot of the kids looked up at us in wonder and curiosity, others in fear and disdain. Some completely ignored us.

"Too bad I wasn't at the front gate," one girl said in a snobbish tone. "It gets so boring by the back gate. There's never anything to shoot back there, and you would have provided a nice target."

"Yeah, I doubt you'd have been able to kill me. My friend here was just a call away, and he's been around for a couple hundred years," I told her. "Don't threaten me."

"Ha, you're funny. If you want to play make-believe, go play with the younger kids," she scoffed before turning to walk away.

"Don't mind Princess," a young girl said. "She's... well, she's just mean, but we all just ignore her."

"I can see why," I muttered.

"I'm Bumble," she told me. "What's your name?"

"I'm Hikari, and this is Charon," I replied. "Why are you called Bumble?"

"Well, I'm pretty clumsy, but I'm going to become the doctor once Lucy leaves."

"Oh. That would make sense, I guess. Anyway, do you know how to get to Murder Pass?"

"You'll have to get Mayor MacCready's permission to go through there," she stated. "None of us go through there because of the monsters."

"What monsters?"

"They're big and green. I haven't actually seen one, though, but I've heard about them from the scavenge team."

"Super Mutants," I said. "They live all over the ruins."

She shrugged before another girl called her over, and she left me to talk to Mayor MacCready.

"So, you want to get to the Vault, eh?" he said. "Well, the only way there is through Murder Pass, and it's filled with giant green monsters. I wouldn't go there if I were you."

"Is there any other way in? A Vault door that we can break through? A giant metal blockade? Anything?"

"Well, there is a computer, but you'd have to talk to Joseph about that. He's our computer expert."

"Where is he?"

"He's probably teaching one of his classes. Here, I'll take you to him."

"Thanks," I said as he escorted Charon and I to what appeared to be some sort of make-shift school.

"Oh, greetings, Mayor MacCready," a boy said. "What can I do for you?"

"These two need access to that computer thingy that leads to the Vault," the mayor replied. "Can you take them to it?"

"Sure," he stated. "Class, please work on the instructed material. I will be back shortly."

He told us to follow him, and we did. The mayor went back to guarding the front gate.

"So, you two need to get into the Vault?"

"Yes. We need to find the G.E.C.K."

"The Garden of Eden Creation Kit?"

"Yes! Do you know where it is?"

He shook his head. "No. We've only read about it in the books that the scavengers bring back from the Vault. It should be there, but our scav team has searched just about everywhere, before they were taken. There is one place that they weren't able to gain access to, though."

"What do you mean taken?"

"When they were out scaving around, they were taken by some slavers," he explained. "Only one made it back. We haven't sent him on any missions lately, though. He's still pretty shaken up."

"That's terrible," I said. "How can people enslave children?"

"I ask myself that a lot," he said with a sigh. "My sister is only ten... she can barely handle a gun, and she was one of the ones taken."

I stopped, too busy thinking to walk anymore. I needed to get the G.E.C.K., but the kids needed my help. I guess that the Enclave would have just as much trouble getting into the caves as the Brotherhood if they figured out where to get a G.E.C.K. The kids were fortified more so than most places in the wastes, so I guessed they would be able to handle themselves for a while.

"Tell me where the slavers took them," I stated.

"But Hikari-" Charon began.

"We have to help them," I stated. "I won't sit back, knowing that children are being captured and sold as slaves."

"Really? You think you could do that?"

"Kid, I know so," I told him.

"That would be wonderful. We think they took them to Paradise Falls, but we have no idea where that is, or if they're even there for sure. It would be great if you could bring them back, though."

"I will," I stated. "Just leave it to me."

"Thank you!" he exclaimed.

"Kid, do you even know where Paradise Falls is?" Charon asked once we headed towards the entrance. "Let along how to get in there?"

"No, but I'll figure something out," I said. "I can't just leave the kids there."

He mumbled to himself, but I ignored it. He showed me where my destination was and we were off. Most of the snow that we had come across earlier had melted, leaving deep, sticky mud everywhere. I refused to let Charon carry me, despite his offering. We both plodded through the thick earth, and by the time night had fallen, we had only gone about half of the distance we normally would have. Charon would have started a fire, but everything around us was covered in thick mud or melted snow. I decided to keep the first watch. I kept an eye on my pip-boy, watching for anything to show up on my radar. A few blips appeared every once in a while, but they never ventured close enough to worry about. I woke Charon up when I was about to fall asleep, and he sat up immediately, his eyes never leaving the horizon.

When I woke the following morning, Charon was making food. I didn't know what it was, nor did I care. Food was food out in the wastes; you ate what you could. When we were done eating, we set out. Traveling wasn't much easier. The mud had frozen overnight, and the sun was just melting it as we set out again. The following day, maybe the mud would be gone.

Only a few minutes later, my foot got caught in the hardening mud, causing me to lose my balance. I fell forward, face-planting in the mud, I sat up, and Charon came over to help, but I brushed him off. I felt my face heat up from embarrassment, but I shrugged it off. About an hour into the day, the mud finally came to an end. I spotted a deep hole filled with water up ahead, and I decided to wash up.

"Charon, can you keep watch while I change and wash up?" I requested.

He nodded, and I checked my pip-boy before peeling off my old clothes and stepping into the water hole. The mud clouded around my face and body when I submersed myself. When I was satisfied with my cleanliness, I waded out of the water and pulled out a clean, dry jumpsuit and put it on. I would be more vulnerable without my armored one, but it would only slow us down with all of the water weight.

"Charon, if you want to get the mud off of yourself, then go ahead. I'll watch my pip-boy."

He nodded and began to remove the top part of his armor. That's when I noticed an odd metallic object hanging around his neck.

"What's that?" I asked.

He looked down and took the object of question into his hand. "My dog tags."

"Dog tags?"

"They were used in pre-war times, much like a holotag, but the technology wasn't quite ready at the time," he explained. "It is a memento from my time spent in Anchorage."

He slipped it off and handed it to me before he turned to go into the water. I studied the shining piece of metal. It was engraved, but it showed what appeared to be the beginning of rust. On in, all it said was Charon and his blood type, A-, and it had a funny symbol underneath it.

"Charon, what's the symbol mean?" I asked.

"It is the symbol of the organization that trained me," he stated before getting out of the water. "It was so they could tell that I worked for someone, and I wasn't just a soldier."

I went to hand it back to him, but he shook his head.

"Hold on to it," he said. "You are far more amused by it than I am."

I fit them over my head. As we walked, the metal bounced slightly.

"We are nearly there," he stated. "Up by that giant statue."

I nodded and thought about exactly what we were going to do. I would try to talk to whoever was in charge about freeing the kids, but when I asked Charon, he immediately shot it down.

"Well, what should I do, then?"

"Try bartering for their release," he suggested. "Purchase them, then escort them back to Little Lamplight."

"And if I don't have enough caps?"

"Then I will be guarding your back."

We approached what appeared to be an entrance. A man was sitting by what looked like some sort of barricade, and he held his assault rifle up and aimed it at us.

"What business you have here?" he questioned before we drew too close.

"I'm on business," I stated. "I could use some helping hands around my house, but all I have is Charon here," I stated. "All he's good for is killing."

"How do I know you're not pulling my leg?"

Charon strode forward, his shotgun out and aimed for the guy. "You want me to take care of him, Mistress?"

"No, no, Charon," I played along. "Not yet. He has done nothing to threaten me. Stand down."

I saw the rather intimidated look that the man now wore, and I couldn't help but smirk. "Now, are you going to let us in, or no?"

"Very well," he stated. "But Eulogy don't take too kindly to being threatened."

"I'll keep that in mind. Come, Charon."

"Yes, Mistress," he replied before shouldering his shotgun and following me in.

I found the slave pens no problem. I felt quite sorry for the slaves, and I wanted to get them all out. I doubted that I could, even with the help of Charon. The living conditions seemed to be terrible, and I wished there was something that I could do. I counted three kids and four other slaves in the pen. I could feel the eyes of someone on me, and turned around immediately. Off leaning against the stack of cars was a rather burly man with blond hair, some kind of metal armor, and a sledge hammer attached to his back. He seemed to be studying me, seeing if I possessed some sort of threat. He looked away for a moment before approaching me.

"Jotun," he stated.

"Is that your name?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Hikari. And this is Charon."

"You like the kids?" he questioned.

"Yes," I replied. "I wish to have some to keep my house while I am away."

"Eulogy's busy," he stated. "You come often?"

"No, this is my first visit," I said. "I got Charon off of a barkeeper who only used him as a bouncer. I saw the potential and went for it."

He nodded.

"So, where can I find Eulogy?"

He pointed to a building with a sign in front of it that said, "Eulogy's Pad."

"Oh, that makes sense. Thank you for your help."

He nodded and Charon followed me to the building. I placed my hand on the door knob and hesitated. I felt Charon's hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him. He nodded, as to reassure me of his presence. I was nervous, but I felt better knowing that he was there for me. I opened the door and stepped in. There were two girls that stood beside a man, both wearing slave collars. I guessed that he was the person in charge.

"What can ol' Eulogy do for you today?" he asked before turning around. "In the market for some slaves?"

"I was thinking about buying the kids outside," I stated. "How much for them?"

"Five hundred each," he stated. "That is, unless you want the one called, 'Squirrel.' I won't sell him for more than one thousand."

"You drive quite a high price, Mr. Eulogy," I stated. "Really, all of them can't be worth more than one hundred a piece."

He laughed before continuing. "I take it you are new to the trade. You are quite young. No, my deal stands the same. That is a steal, too. I'd hurry up before someone else decides to take up on my offer."

I opened my pip-boy and glanced in it too see just how many caps I had with me. I didn't even have three hundred, but I had plenty of medical supplies to barter with. I took a look around the room, wandering slightly as I did so. I noticed empty hypos of med-x and Buffout bottles.

"I see you have been experimenting with chems," I commented.

"Yes, it does help to keep my girls in line," he replied. "Why bring it up?"

"I grew up with a doctor for a father, and I have many different chems that I may be willing to part with in trade for the children, along with two hundred fifty four caps," I stated. "How about that?"

"I say that depends on how many chems you've got," he said.

"On me, I have four bottles of Buffout and fifteen med-x hypos. How about that?"

"That'll get you two," he stated. "Or just Squirrel. Your choice."

I bit my lower lip before scrounging around some more. I needed a thousand more caps or plenty of chems to free Squirrel or the other two. I thought before the door opened up, revealing the man I met earlier. He had five people with him, all wearing frightened looks and slave collars.

"Ah, well done, Jotun. I have the caps as payment," Eulogy stated. "I trust you'll deliver them safely to your father?"

He nodded Eulogy began to examine each one. He commented to himself about their condition before discussing price with Eulogy.

"I'll give you fifteen thousand for them all," he stated.

Jotun nodded before the other man counted out the caps. He took the sack filled with caps from Eulogy, then left without another word, taking the slaves with him.

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes. So, will you accept my offer?"

I sighed. At least two slaves would be saved.

"I'll take the girl and the other boy. Sammy, I believe?"

"Yes, a wise decision. I'll have someone prep them for you while you pay me."

I nodded and took out all of my caps and the meds. He sent one of the girls out of the room with a key, probably to the slave pens. I placed the caps and chems out on the bar in front of him, and he counted them all out to make sure everything was there.

"Well, you can go retrieve them," he stated. "Everything is in order."

I nodded and left the dark building. As I stepped foot out of the building, I felt a hand on my arm. When I looked, Jotun had his finger to his mouth before thrusting the sack of caps in my hands.

"Wh-what-?"

"Take it," he said. "Don't tell."

"But I can't-"

He pressed it firmly into my hands before simply walking away.

"I do not trust him," Charon stated.

"You don't trust anyone," I countered.

I peered inside the sack, and all of the caps that he had received as payment for the slaves were in there. I stored them in my pip-boy before heading back in to the pad. I pulled out one thousand more before approaching Eulogy, who was trying to lure one of his girls into bed.

"Back already? Sorry, all purchases are final."

"No, I've come across a... donation to purchase Squirrel," I stated. "One thousand caps, as you said."

"But how-"

"Do not question my sources," I stated. "I want to buy the kid."

"Why are you so interested in the children? Eulogy questioned.

"I have use of them, for housekeeping, mostly. Start them out young, and they are more obedient, correct?"

"Yes, but young Squirrel's talents are more in technology," he replied. "And why do you need all three?"

"I like to own sets," I excused. "Why have one when more would be more efficient? Besides, I require someone who is good with computers. I have a very important one that requires attention. No need for me to botch the job, correct?"

"Very well," he said. "One thousand caps. He'll be ready shortly. I'll have him sent to the front gate with the other two."

I nodded before he turned to an intercom. I left, assuming he would do as he said he would. Just as I thought, the three kids were standing right by the exit, a slaver not letting them out of his sight. I nodded to him, and he left.

"What the heck, lady!" the one called Sammy asked. "You don't own us!"

"Look kid, just shut your mouth, okay? I'm here to help."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

"I went to Lamplight, and Joseph told me about you guys, now come on."

"My brother?" the little girl exclaimed. "You talked to him? Is he okay? Is he worried?"

"Penny, I told you not to talk to her!"

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Yes, your brother. He was quite worried about you, now let's go."

Sammy didn't seem to believe me, but the other two did. We left Paradise Falls and began to head back to Little Lamplight.

"Oh, Squirrel, I hear you're good with technology, correct?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I need to get into the Vault, but I don't have the time to fight my way through the Super Mutants," I told him. "If I supply you with the technology, do you think you could hack into it and get the door open?"

"Probably," he said. "It depends on what kind of technology and how intricate the password is."

"I'd really appreciate it if you tried," I stated. "I don't have any more caps for ammo, nor do I have time to go and get more. I bought some before I left my house, but I've used a lot of it on various creatures."

He nodded. "I guess it's the least I could do after you rescued us."

When Penny tripped and fell, she sprained her ankle pretty badly. We had to stop for a while so I could tend to it. It looked a lot worse than it seemed at first. It immediately began to swell, and there was no way she could keep walking. I wrapped it up as best as I could, but I had given all of my med-x to Eulogy, so I couldn't ease her pain.

"Hikari, if you wish, I can carry her," Charon spoke up. "It would be much faster."

Penny looked a bit fearful of Charon, but I reassured her before she accepted. We went on for a while until it was too dark to travel. We made camp, and Charon started a fire. The kids were quite fascinated with the flint and steel, and I watched as Charon explained to them how it worked. It was nice to see him open up to others, even if it was only a couple of kids.

Charon and I took turns keeping watch, and I was woken by his shotgun firing at some creatures that wandered too close to our campsite. We stripped them for food for breakfast the following morning. The stuff we didn't eat, I stored in my pip-boy. We reached Little Lamplight a bit after we stopped for lunch, but we were all exhausted. Still, I had to keep going. The enclave could try to get in the caves at any moment, but I doubted they would get past the kids, let along all of the mutants further back.

Joseph was overjoyed to see his sister again, and it was quite adorable when they were reunited. He let the nurse look after her while he took Squirrel, Charon, and me to the terminal. He turned it on and went back to see his sister. I began to hook my pip-boy up to the computer, and then held my wrist up for Squirrel to see.

"This seems easy enough," he commented. "Shouldn't take me too long to crack it. Where did you get this thing, anyway?"

"Back in my Vault, before the mungos kicked me out," I told him. "My dad left, and the leader pretty much went insane and tried to have my sister and me killed. If it weren't for Amata, then we probably would have been shot in our sleep."

"That's the problem with mungos," he stated. "They just don't seem to get us kids. I hope I'm not like most of them when I grow up."

"I have a feeling you won't be," I said. "I know I will refuse to be."

"That's good," he replied, not taking his eyes off of the screen. "The world needs more people with compassion. I've seen what people like Raiders have done, and that's no way to get the world back to the way it was before the war. I've seen plenty of pre-war pictures and read plenty of books from this Vault. It's all so cool, and I wish things would go back to the way things were before this stupid war. But, there's nothing to be done unless more people wise up and do the right thing."

"I couldn't agree more," I told him.

There was a, "Ping!" before the door clicked open. I unplugged my pip-boy and thanked Squirrel for his assistance before Charon and I entered into the dark hallway. The whole place was filled with Super Mutants, but Charon and I had the element of surprise as we terminated them. I freaked out when I saw the thing that was a centaur, though. I could see why Mei had also been distracted by it. It was hideously mutated, and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. I doubt Mei would, either. Other than the mutants, there was nothing really to report. I heard a voice coming from one of the other cells, and I thought I was hearing things, but upon further investigation, realized that there really was someone talking. It was a Super Mutant, but he didn't have the crazed, bloodthirsty look in his eye.

"Who are you?" I asked, ignoring the concerned look that I was getting from Charon.

"I... am Fawkes," he said. It seemed rather hard for him to talk. "I... have been trapped in... this room... for quite a long... time."

"How did this happen to you?" I questioned.

"The... Forced Evolutionary Virus," he replied. "Please, let me out. There is... a switch at the end of the hallway. You are looking for the... G.E.C.K., correct?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"What else... would you be here for? It is surrounded by... a lot of radiation. I can... get it for... you if you want."

"But how are you able to form coherent sentences if you have been in there your whole life?" I questioned.

"I have a terminal," he stated, pointing to it. "It has... limited knowledge, but it is sufficient enough. I do not think... that the others would think that I would... be smart enough... to use it."

"Well, I guess there's no harm in letting you out," I replied. "I'll be right back."

"Thank you, but... be careful. By releasing me, the other doors will open... and the other mutants... will be let out."

"Thanks for the warning," I said.

When we were out of earshot, Charon spoke up, saying, "We should not trust him."

"Charon, it'll be fine. He will retrieve the G.E.C.K. for us, and even if he betrays us, which I don't think he will, I'm positive we can take him."

He grumbled to himself as we walked by a few more cells, each one with a different kind of experiment in it. I was rather curious when I walked passed a cell with a dead wastelander and raider inside. I wondered just how they got trapped in there.

Charon and I killed a few more Super Mutants before we gained access to the terminal that had the emergency release. I hesitated for a moment, mentally preparing myself for the creatures to be released from their cages. I was sure that Charon and I could take them, and my finger hit the button before an alarm went off. Charon aimed him shotgun at the door and started firing. I joined in, killing the mutants that tried to get in. After a moment, I heard the swing of a heavy object, followed by the sound of bones breaking. I only guessed that Fawkes had joined in on the fight.

"Thank you... for freeing me," he said. "Now, for my end of the deal. I shall... retrieve the G.E.C.K. for you."

"Thank you," I replied before following him down a set of hallways.

Fawkes seemed rather adept with the sledge hammer of his, and he was able to take all of the bullets that were shot his way. I wished that I had met him earlier. He was quite useful and friendly. I had probably just met the only friendly Super Mutant in the Capital Wastes. Soon, we reached a hallway that seemed to glow.

"The G.E.C.K. is down here," he stated. "Please... wait here for my... return."

I nodded, and he set down the hall. Not a minute later, he came back with it in hand. He gave it to me, and he told me that this was where we parted ways. I thanked him again for his assistance before Charon and I turned to leave the Vault. I wasn't entirely looking forward to going back through Little Lamplight, but it was the only way to get back to Megaton, and to extent, the Jefferson Memorial.

As we walked down the hallway, I swore I could hear something off in the distant, but I thought it was probably just another Super Mutant, so I brought out my gun. Charon followed suit, and I knew I wasn't just hearing things.

As I entered a room, I heard a high pitched noise that irritated my ears. I covered them, and not a moment, an explosion detonated from the floor, knowing me down and paralyzing me. I heard some people enter the room as my vision began to fade.

"Good work," a familiar voice said. "Are you sure she is unharmed?"

"Yes, sir," a masked voice replied. "She will pass out momentarily."

As that entered my head, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.

~Charon's POV~

I was knocked back by some weird explosion, and I was unable to move to Hikari as the soldiers entered the room and took her away. I blacked out, and when I awoke, there was no trace of the soldiers anywhere.

"What is going on?" I heard Fawkes ask.

"The-The soldiers," I struggled to say, still disoriented from the blast. "Took... Hikari."

"Why would... they do such a thing?"

"G.E.C.K.," I choked out. "Help."

I had to rescue Hikari. I had to get Mei and get to the Brotherhood. We had to rescue her.

"I will help," he replied. "Where to?"

"Megaton," I said. "Find Mei."

"We will go there."

"Good."

It took about three hours for whatever it was to wear off, and the oaf insisted on going his pace, which only made things much slower than they needed to be. We reached Megaton by the following morning, but I already feared the worst for Hikari. I stumbled into the house, but Fawkes had to wait outside the city for fear of what the residents may do to him.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Mei stammered. "Where's Kari?"

"Enclave," I told her. "They knocked us out and took her."

"Bastards!" she shouted. "We will destroy them. Where are they located?"

"I do not know. I think we should ask the Brotherhood where they are."

She nodded and grabbed some supplies off of the shelf.

"How long ago was this?"

"I do not know. I we were both knocked unconscious. You can ask Fawkes when we get outside the city."

"Fawkes?"

"A friendly Super Mutant that your sister saved in return for the G.E.C.K. He is going to help us get her back."

She nodded and turned for the door. I followed her rapid pace out of the city, and she ignored Fawkes as we made our way to the Citadel, guided by Mei's pip-boy.

~Mei's POV~

I swear of anything happened to Kari, there would be hell to pay. I felt a bit of animosity towards the ghoul, but deep down, I knew that there was nothing he could have done to stop them from taking her.

We reached the Citadel in a matter of hours, and we were immediately let in.

"Can I help you?" one of the scribes asked.

"We need to get to the main headquarters of the Enclave," I told him. "It is really important."

"See Scribe Rothschild for that," he stated. "He is down by the map."

"Thanks," I muttered before running down the stairs. "Rothschild! I need your help!"

"Yes, child?"

"My sister was taken," I told him. "She went to get the G.E.C.K. or whatever for you guys, and the Enclave took her. Please, you have to help!"

"I'm afraid all I can do is tell you where the main base is," he stated. "I am in no position to send out troops, and the ones that aren't guarding the Citadel are out fighting the Super Mutants and Enclave forces. I'm sorry to say that you are on your own."

"Don't care. Just tell me where it is."

I pulled up my pip-boy map, and showed it to him. He pointed it out, and I guessed that it would take me two days to get there. That would be too long. If I didn't sleep, it would only take about a day, but Charon might object to that. Still, Kari was in danger, so maybe he wouldn't. I hoped for the latter. As I thought, Charon had no objection to going through the night, even when we were all exhausted. We did rest for a few hours, though, just to keep us going. We had to get to Kari. Hopefully, those soldiers wouldn't harm her in any way, or they had hell to pay in the form of an angry teen, a trigger-happy ghoul, and an intelligent Super Mutant.

When I stopped to think about it, we were an odd group of people, but we had one thing in common: Kari had brought us together. We were all misfits and outcasts in our own way, but she had shown us kindness when no one else would. If it weren't for her, Charon would be stuck with Az, Fawkes would still be stuck in the Vault, and I would probably have gone insane or died before we reached Underworld for the first time. I loved my sister and all that she had done, even if she was a goody-two shoes. She had the courage to do the right thing, even in the harsh wastes. Me? I cared for numero uno, just like everyone else in the wastes.

All I could see ahead of us was a giant mountain, but I remembered what Rothschild had told us; it was hidden in the mountain.

After Notes:

I kinda like this chapter, because it has some character bonding. :3

Anywho, I was really debating on whether or not to include her rescuing the slaves, but I had an idea, and it required her freeing the kids. Then, I struggled to figure out exactly how I could do that without messing up that idea. I came up with what you see, and things will be explained later, if I get around to it. I don't really know if I will or not.

As usual, I request that you review or PM or whatever. Just let me know what you think if it so far or if you see any mistakes, etc. Much appreciated, HikariMei.