Author's note: Holy crap am I REALLY sorry for not updating this sooner, I feel like a douche. FREAKING WRITER'S BLOCK SUCKS! I changed some unrealistic elements like the sniper-in-a-briefcase thing. I also added some more to the end of the chapter. Who is the mystery man in charge? Why did the Courier have such odd instructions? The answers lie IN THE FUTURE!
Eric climbed over a large rock that was overlooking a large flat plain in Wisconsin. He decided that the Brotherhood of Steel in Washington DC could handle the purifier in the Jefferson Memorial. So he asked his super-mutant companion Fawkes (who saved him from Enclave custody) to join him. Fawkes was surprised at most to find out that there were other states remaining after the Great War. But of course, he gladly accepted the offer. So Eric, (better known as the Lone Wanderer) his trusty Siberian Husky Dogmeat and Fawkes set off to explore the other wastes. Eric grabbed his binoculars from his waist and looked at what at first seemed like a raider camp. As Eric observed the camp he realized that the camp had several Military-grade barricades around what seem to be an antenna. Eric looked to the left of the antenna and saw a man in black power armor loading a black G3 assault rifle while looking for hostiles.
"Fawkes, hold this." Eric said as he set his backpack in front of him. He slowly unslung a Sniper Rifle from his back. The Wanderer fished around his backpack and found a suppressor. Eric attached it to the end of the rifle's barrel and aimed at the soldier.
"Come on a-hole, just a little farther…" Eric whispered as he tried to line up his shot. The custom optics on Eric's rifle showed where the bullet would land if he fired. Eric fired his rifle. The bullet penetrated the man's helmet and he dropped to the ground as blood splattered on a piece of barricading. Nice… Eric thought. He told Fawkes to ready his Gatling Laser.
"I think the Enclave is back, Fawkes…"
"Not to worry Eric, I will not let them capture you again."
"COME GET SOME!" Eric yelled. Several soldiers began to fire on Eric's position, but Fawkes rained down super-heated laser fire on them. As Fawkes was laughing maniacally Eric went over towards the soldiers' flank and encountered a sniper. Eric unsheathed his trench knife and tapped the soldier on the back.
"Now what do you plan on doing with that?" Eric asked as he sunk the blade into the man's throat. Somehow the Enclave sniper was still alive; he punched Eric across the face as he got up from the ground.
"Not dead yet, you little punk. I'll make you wish you were never born." The sniper grabbed Eric by the collar and began punching him. Suddenly Dogmeat tackled the man and began to tear his throat out.
"Good boy, you're always here at the right time." Eric rubbed Dogmeat's stomach. After a few moments, the sound of Fawkes Gatling Laser stopped. Eric looked over a sandbag wall and saw Fawkes waving.
"All clear Eric!" Fawkes announced. Eric walked towards the remains of the soldiers. He kicked an officer's body over and searched him. He found a holotape deep inside his pockets. Eric played the tape with his Pip-Boy.
"Delta squad," A deep voice played, "your orders are to scout the Wisconsin area. If you are met with resistance, respond with lethal force. If you find any Brotherhood members DO NOT ENGAGE, I repeat, DO NOT ENGAGE. You are just scouting, you may follow them to their base of operations but do not interact, engage, or speak to any non-Enclave personnel. End of recording." Eric looked up from his Pip-Boy, he was staring face first at a rifle barrel.
"Are you the Lone Wanderer?" A man asked. He had a voice like Eric's, around twenty years old by the sound of it. He wore with a military helmet with built-in low light optics, a combination IR/white light lamp and gas mask, a green duster and a set of military khaki pants. On the back of the helmet there was the crudely-written names of two locations, Nanjing and Shanghai, and abbreviations of months for each place. Nanjing had JUN, JUL, AUG, and an SE which was crossed out. Shanghai had SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC, JAN, FEB, MAR, APL, and MAY. The words "FORGIVE ME MAMA" were scrawled across the front of the helmet. The owner's data was printed on the collar and included rank, name, service branch, and blood type, to facilitate easy identification and possibly treatment of wounded or dead soldiers.
"Who's asking?" Eric replied.
"The courier who kicked the NCR back to California."
"No way, I thought you joined the western Brotherhood."
"Yeah well, people are idiots. I would never join those close minded A-holes."
"So uh... Vickers, what do you want?" Eric asked. The courier hesitated for a moment as if he was never called that before.
"Oh, that's not my name. I found it in a cave over by Zion, I guess some guy from before the war found it." He said
"So what IS your name?" Eric asked.
"Its best we don't get caught up with names. Just call me Courier and I'll call you Wanderer." The Courier stated. He handed Eric a box with 'Lone Wanderer' written on it.
"I'm still a courier at heart, now follow me…" he said. Eric decided to humor the Courier and obliged to his order.
"Where are we going?" Eric asked.
"A little town nearby, I was given instructions to be with you when you opened the package. I rented a room in the town inn for some privacy." The Courier responded. Eric shrugged and kept walking; he saw what seemed to be a dirt road. Maybe he's telling the truth, I mean why would he make a backstory to kill me or mug me? Eric thought.