Silver Lining

Out of the Bubble, into the Fire

Friday, October 1st, 2077

The weather was getting colder. Not cold enough for thick jackets, but cold enough to wear light long sleeve shirts and a hat. Kent Connolly looked for any reason to wear a hat over his shaggy brown hair, as he kept forgetting to go to the barber. Of course, nowadays the hat took on a different purpose. He didn't want her to see him staring at her from across the store.

Hannah Howard, the new check-out clerk at Hubris Comics, had unknowingly become the object of Kent's affections lately, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. He wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted to pick up a few comics, go home, read them, and then wait for his brother, Buster, to come home so they can have whatever take-out Buster picked up or frozen meal or reheated leftovers from Mrs. Glass for dinner and listen to the Silver Shroud radio show. But all that was gone, now. He blamed her for it, but he wasn't mad. He was starting to like his new routine, anyway.

From his brief interactions with Hannah, he learned so much about her. Kent learned that Hannah grew up in Roxbury before moving into Boston proper to attend college. Her parents just recently moved to the D.C. area when her soldier older brother was stationed near there. She got a job at Hubris Comics and took weekend classes for the moment, hoping to change to weekday classes once she saved up a bit of money. She loved the Silver Shroud and never missed an episode as long as she got off work in time to catch the right bus. She liked the color blue and wore it a lot, though her second favorite color was green. She has an uncle, Nate (her father's youngest brother), who lives in the Concord neighborhood of Sanctuary Hills with his wife, Nora, and infant son, Shaun. She babysits Shaun whenever they need a night to themselves. She is also very uncomfortable around their Mr. Handy, Codsworth.

Kent went back to pretending to read the latest issue of Manta-Man, though in his opinion it was quite boring. Manta-Man with other heroes around was good, as he had others to overshadow his useless powers on land. Of all the heroes to get their own series, Kent couldn't believe it was Manta-Man. He tried ranting about this to his brother, Buster, once. Buster had no idea what Kent was talking about, but humored him nonetheless.

"Sure, Kenny." Buster had said before getting back to his plate of whatever take-out or reheated leftovers from Mrs. Glass they were having for dinner.

Giving up on reading Manta-Man, Kent picked up an issue of Captain Cosmos and started to read. He moved closer to the check-out desk while pretending to browse. He didn't want Hannah to know that he was listening in on her conversation with the manager.

"I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by the drills, but those sirens are loud enough to wake the dead." said the Manager, going through the box of pre-orders and trying to organize them.

"You'd think they'd warn you if there was a drill coming up." Hannah responded, though not looking up from her issue of The Unstoppables.

"A real nuclear attack isn't going to have a warning, Hannah." Her boss retorted. "I'm surprised they aren't having them in the city."

"I read an article in the paper that the air raid sirens are close to Vault-Tec vaults, so it's actually just to warn anyone signed up." Hannah slowly turned a page and looked up. Kent was standing a few shelves away and reading an issue of Captain Cosmos. His hat brim was pretty low over his eyes.

"Of course. I'm so glad I put in my application for space in a vault. And the next day, one of those Vault-Tec guys drove up and told me I had clearance." The Manager seemed pretty smug.

"Alright, smart guy." Hannah chortled, looking up from her comic. "Which one of those useless buried tin cans were you accepted in?"

The Manager made a "one second" motion with his index finger and left for a moment. He came back with an acceptance letter. "Good ol' Vault 81. 81 one is my lucky number." The Manager laughed and went to a back room with the pre-orders box.

Hannah shook her head and went back to her comic book. It was slow today, as only she, Kent, and two other people were in the front of the store. Hannah was only vaguely aware that Kent was coming an inch closer every few minutes. When she looked up again, she noticed he was right beside the check-out counter. "Will that be all for you today, Kent?" Hannah asked, in her chirping voice.

Shocked, Kent nearly threw his magazine in the air. Hannah giggled and watched him put the magazine on the counter. "S-sorry, Hannah." Kent tried to control his stutter. "I must have been so engrossed in it, I didn't realize I was walking to the c-counter." Kent placed the comic book on the counter, despite having no plans to buy it in the first place.

"Captain Cosmos?" Hannah asked, looking at Kent with skeptical eyes. Captain Cosmos was, truth be told, more for kids than adults. The pajama-like costume, the cheesy ray gun that sparked and made silly sounds, the monkey sidekick; all very childish to the distinguished comic book reader. Despite the poster over his bed, Kent hadn't actually read an issue of Captain Cosmos nor had he listened to the radio serials or watched the show in years. Kent and Buster didn't have a television in their apartment, since their parents took it with them when they moved. They were happy with the radio, anyway.

Kent chuckled and tried to look innocent. "W-what can I say? I'm a s-s-softy for nostalgia." He tried to laugh it off, and when that didn't work, he tried changing the subject. "So, h-how are you today, Hannah?"

With a laugh, Hannah shrugged and turned her attention back to the register. "I'm fine, I suppose." She sighed, ringing Kent's comic up. "I have a short shift today. In fact, I get off in about two minutes." Hannah put Kent's comic book in a paper bag and handed it to him with a smile. "Did you catch last Friday's Silver Shroud?"

Kent smiled, ignoring the paper bag he was hugging close that contained the comic he didn't want in the first place. "Oh y-yeah. It was great. Did you?"

Hannah nodded. "I loved it! I can't believe the Mistress of Mystery is back on the show! I love her so much! There aren't enough good female heroes nowadays. A lot of female villains, though. Have you read those Grognak comics with the Ant-Agonizer?"

Kent chuckled. "Oh man, did I? I have every issue at home. I swear, storylines with her are so cheesy. I mean, the p-power to control ants? Manta Man is more useful!"

"And that costume! Could they have drawn anything more stupid looking?" Hannah laughed. "No self-respecting hero would ever take a villain dressed like that seriously. She'd look more menacing wearing a trash bag for a dress and a colander on her head!"

They laughed for a bit and then stopped. Kent looked around and then back to Hannah. "Hey, I've b-been meaning to ask: are they really shooting the Silver Shroud pilot episode here?" Kent asked, his eyes almost glowing with anticipation.

Hannah nodded. "Upstairs, right above the manager's office and the break room. They turned the entire attic/storage area into a set with cameras, sets, props, sound equipment, the works. They even turned the spare bathroom up there into a dressing room for whoever they got starring as the Shroud. I'm not allowed up there, though. They usually do all the production stuff when the shop closes so the customers won't bother them. I went up there to find the manager the other day and one of those guys on the crew yelled at me."

Lately, if the store was quiet enough, Kent could hear the sounds of feet stomping overhead. He never knew what that sound actually was, but now he knew. He knew for a fact that there were offices above them, one being the manager's, and a breakroom as well. What the other floors were used for before the pilot shooting, Kent didn't know.

Hannah looked at her watch just as the Manager walked back to the front of the store. "Alright, Hannah! Off the clock before I have to pay you overtime." He shouted playfully, bringing out a box of comics and magazines to stock.

"Are you sure you don't need me anymore today?" Hannah asked, going to the backroom to punch her timecard.

"It doesn't normally get busy on Fridays until school lets out. In the mornings, we have a few of the usuals, like Kent…" The Manager smiled at Kent and put the box down. "…but nothing I can't handle until the evening guy gets here."

Kent heard Hannah punch her time card in the back and watch as she reemerged with her purse and hat. It was warm that day, so she didn't have a jacket. Kent started heading toward the door when he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. "Hey, Kent, do you have any other plans today?"

Trying not to panic, Kent shook his head. There were no maintenance needs around the apartment building, which was strange for a Friday. Ever since Mrs. Gladstone moved out on the insistence of her daughter, things around the building were actually running smoother. He assumed that people weren't overusing their appliances anymore, since they didn't want to leave their apartments and chance seeing the senile old woman in the hallway and get trapped in another conversation about her cat. Kent was worried, but not enough to consider finding outside work. Though earlier, he had been considering calling up Mr. Glass (if he was home) and seeing if the job offer at Wilson Atomatoys was still available.

"N-no, I don't have any other plans today." Kent said, forgetting once again that he promised Buster he'd go to the barber's today.

Hannah smiled wide. "Swell! Do you want to get something to eat? I haven't had anything since breakfast and I'm starving!"

She didn't see Kent turn beet red and try to hide it with his hat. He didn't think about this when going out today. He wasn't ready for this. He liked Hannah a lot, but he never actually thought about asking her out up until now. But it wasn't a date, was it? It was just two people having a bite to eat. People do it all the time, right? Buster sometimes ate lunch with that one lady reporter whose name Kent could never remember and it was never considered anything other than professional by Buster. But Kent and Hannah didn't work together. They were barely friends. Maybe Hannah wanted to be friends but then again maybe she wanted to be more and she was making the first move. Kent thought the guy was supposed to make the first move, that's how it works in the comics and magazines…

"Sure! I'd like th-that!" Kent's mouth semi-shouted before he thought it.

Hannah gave him a big smile, grabbed his wrist and led him away. "Great! There is this diner nearby that I wanted to try out! Come on!" Hannah giggled and pushed the door open. Kent looked behind at the manager, who saw everything. The Manager gave Kent a thumb's up as Hannah led him out the door.

Kent was in a dream world. Here he was, Kent Connolly, about to have lunch with Hannah Howard, the girl who had occupied his mind for the last two weeks. Hannah Howard. Over the course of these weeks, he had talked to her more and more each time he saw her. But up until now, asking her out was not a part of the plan he had made in his mind. His schedules, his plans, everything seemed to explode into nothing the moment he met Hannah. And as he was being dragged down the street, a few blocks away, to a diner he'd only been to once with Buster, for the first time in his entire life, Kent didn't care.

Before he could say anything, Kent and Hannah were sitting in a booth of a small diner a few blocks away from the comic book store. Kent only ordered a sandwich and coffee, thinking the caffeine would calm his nerves (it didn't), while Hannah ordered a burger and a Nuka float. Kent remembered she had a thing for Nuka floats. Kent saw Hannah looking out the window at the scenery. This diner was pretty small, but it had its charms. Drumlin Diners were usually small, from what Kent knew of them. Placed at highway rest areas and in busy downtowns for on-the-go eaters.

Kent was trying his hardest not to be awkward, and he felt Hannah could sense that. "So, Kent, what do you do for work?" she asked, sipping on her Nuka float.

Clearing his throat, Kent looked down at his sandwich. "I w-work maintenance in my apartment building." He started. "I've always been good at building and fixing things, so it just seemed pretty natural that I work with…stuff like that…"

Kent felt stupid, but felt reassured when Hannah smiled. "That's pretty neat." She said, playing with her straw. "I should have you come work maintenance in my building! Every time I call the guy about the weird sound my radiator is making, he's usually hungover or tries to claim he just fixed it when I was out. I've tried to get the building manager to fire him, but apparently they're cousins and he can't fire someone without having a backup."

With a relaxed smile, Kent sipped his coffee. "Buster, my brother, h-he used to buy me these model kits when we were kids. I started with those, then moved up to bigger things. Soon, I was fixing Ma's stove and building stuff for Pop out of wood from my shop class." Kent chuckled a bit. "P-probably the only time h-he didn't look at me like I was from Mars."

Hannah looked at Kent and could feel his sadness. "Not very close to your parents, are you?" she asked, hoping not to sound offending.

Kent shook his head. "Ma and Pop were good people, b-but they n-never seemed to 'get' me, you know? They tr-tried, but most of the time, they left me to myself." Kent didn't know if he should be revealing so much about himself to Hannah. She looked genuinely interested, but he wasn't very quick to trust. But the way she looked at him, with her big blue eyes filled with interest, Kent felt he could tell her he actually was from Mars and she'd still be listening, even if she didn't believe him.

The diner around them bustled, but to Kent, it felt like he and Hannah were the only two people there. Nothing else mattered and Kent felt completely comfortable. "My brother, Buster, now he's something else entirely. He never made me feel like I was any different from any other kid on our block. Buster is my older brother, never made me feel like I was below him. He's a smart guy, and I think he could see how it made me feel to see others lavish praise on him. He never let it get to his head. When our parents moved out west after Pa got a new job out there, they let Buster and I stay in our apartment, since I was only in high school and he was in college at the time."

Hannah finished slurping her Nuka float and looked up. "My parents and my brother's relationship has always been strained." She started, as the waitress came to take her empty glass. "He was hotheaded, which he got from my Dad, though he denies it. He left home almost the second he turned eighteen and that was the last we had heard from him until earlier this year. Mom was shocked to hear he was coming back from Anchorage, though she was even more shocked to hear he was there at all! My Uncle Nate had been to the front lines, but I guess they weren't in the same unit because Uncle Nate said he never saw my brother. I think Mom and Dad both cried when he walked in from the street with his helmet under his arm." Hannah looked like she was about to cry as well, but she didn't. "Uncle Nate left the army after they sent him home, but my brother wanted to stay a soldier. They stationed him in the D.C. area and my parents followed, hoping the patch things up with him."

Kent liked this. He was talking to the girl who had invaded his mind and he wasn't bumbling over his words like an idiot. Both Kent and Hannah looked outside and saw the people walking by. Kent liked to people watch, sometimes making a game of guessing what kind of people they were outside of their "The World is in Turmoil and I'm Definitely Not in Denial" mindsets.

"How did you end up getting interested in comic books?" Hannah asked.

For Kent, asking how he became borderline obsessed with The Silver Shroud would be like asking a dog why it barks. "I guess I've always had a thing f-for comics and radio serials and such. A-as a kid, when I felt alone or sad, I'd pick up a comic book and start reading. In those p-pages, anything is possible. I-I can be anyone, or explore any world. After a while, it all just went from there." He felt silly for saying such a thing to Hannah, but was surprised when she didn't laugh at him.

"I guess it was the same for me." She mused. "I guess, really, I've always been a bit strange. When all the other girls were going on about dolls and their play kitchen sets, I would sit with my brother and read his comic books with him. They seemed so much more…" Hannah was looking for the right word and then it came to her. "…real, you know? It's silly, saying a comic book about a barbarian battling monsters in a prehistoric land seems more real than a doll, but the adventure was a lot more interesting."

Kent was blushing, but he hoped Hannah couldn't see that. She probably could, because she was blushing too.

After their bill was paid, Kent and Hannah left the diner. He wasn't sure what was going to happen now. He wasn't sure if she was going to thank him for lunch (being a gentleman, he paid) and leave him, or if they were going to stare awkwardly at the pavement until they parted ways.

"Hey, look!" Hannah shouted, pointing down the road. Kent looked over and saw a military truck heading down the street. It was unusual to see military vehicles in the city, at least until last Friday. "There was one on my street last night." Hannah whispered, standing close to Kent. "I don't think they were setting up a check point, because only one guy got out and he was looking up and down the block. It was just after the news program, and I was getting ready for bed. I saw some lights out my window and there they were. They were a few buildings down for about an hour and then they left."

Kent unwittingly followed Hannah down the street as she tailed the vehicle. Obviously, she wouldn't be able to keep up, but she stopped at the end of the street and watched them roll away. "There was a check point a block or so from my place last F-Friday." Kent said, catching up to her. "I don't know why it was there. But Buster tells me they are all over the place."

Hannah leaned against a light post to catch her breath. "You think it's going toward Fort Hagen?" she asked.

Kent shrugged. "I don't know. I've never been to Fort Hagen, so I don't know what direction it'd be in."

Taking a deep breath, Hannah stood up straight and walked to Kent. When she stood close to him, it was easy to see she was shorter than him. Kent was pretty tall, but he hadn't measured himself in years, so he might have only just looked tall being so thin and gangly. "Kent, can I tell you something?" she asked, making sure they were alone.

Kent tried not to give his goofiest smile, but felt himself failing. "S-sure, Hannah!" he almost shouted. "You c-c-can tell me anything!"

Hannah took off her hat and looked in the direction the military vehicles went. "Something is on the horizon. My brother told me last time I talked to him on the phone. Everyone is denying it, but at the same time, they're getting ready for it. He didn't have clearance to know everything, but he told me he heard some of the higher ups talking. Something bad is coming and they've increased military presence in the capitol. Why, I'm not sure. I read in the papers a few weeks ago that the President isn't even in the White House anymore! Official statement is that he's on 'vacation', but what kind of president goes on vacation when there is so much going on?"

"Buster talked to the g-girl that did that report. He said she was lucky she even got it on the front page at all. This was b-before the editor wanted to keep panic from happening. I'm not sure what changed between then and when my brother published his story about the food riots in Roxbury." Kent and Hannah found a bench and sat down. Kent didn't look at her. He kept remembering what Buster told him. It stayed with him for reasons he couldn't explain. "Buster says the world is in denial. And I th-think he's right. Looking at all the people and knowing all the things he knows, he says he doesn't make sense."

Hannah nodded and looked out on the street. "Denial seems to be the American Way, lately. Radio and television tells us to just keep calm and carry on, but how can we knowing what we know?"

Not much of a philosophy student, Kent just twiddled his thumbs. "I don't think it'd m-matter either way." He said. "Even if something big is on its way, all we can do is enjoy the time we have now. Do stuff we like while we still can." Kent had forgotten he was still carrying around his recent purchase. The issue of Captain Cosmos that he didn't even want still sat in the paper bag. He had no idea what he was going to do with it. Perhaps he'd give it to little Marlene next time he saw Mrs. Glass.

"You're right, Kent!" Hannah smiled and stood up. "We shouldn't be worried about what could happen. We should live for today!"

This sudden boisterous behavior was shocking to Kent. He couldn't believe this girl, and yet he was listening to her. She was worried, but not scared. Kent didn't think it was possible to not be both at the same time. He was always worrying about something. Just that morning, he was worried that Hannah wouldn't notice him. But she did notice him. She asked him to lunch and she talked about her life to him. This was moving fast for Kent Connolly. But at the same time, he didn't care.

As they walked back toward the city, a big blue van passed by. "Vault-Tec…" Kent mumbled, putting his hands in his pockets. "I saw one of those vans outside m-my building the other day. I think one of the families in the nicer units upstairs got accepted. Buster put in an application for me and him a while ago, but I don't think we got accepted. For weeks, all B-Buster talked about was 'Vault-Tec' this and 'Vault-Tec' that and 'Wouldn't it be gr-great to live underground, Kenny?'" Kent cleared his throat. "Then one day, the mail comes in, I see a blue envelope with Vault-Tec written in big yellow letters on the front. Buster took it into his office, but he didn't come out with it."

"Why not?" Hannah asked, as they waited for a crosswalk light to turn.

Kent shrugged. "I didn't want to ask him. He looked disappointed. I guess we didn't get in a-and he didn't want to d-d-disappoint me." Kent rubbed his left arm and tried to still his quivering body. "But I don't care if w-w-w-we didn't get in. If worst comes to worst, we'll hide in the basement until it blows over. If you ask me, they're up to something. I mean, big, underground houses aren't exactly cheap to make and they're just letting people in for free?"

"You think it might be a front for something?" Hannah whispered as they joined a group of pedestrians crossing the street.

Before Kent could respond, he and Hannah were stopped by loud shouting. It wasn't a drill or a riot, but a homeless man shouting at the top of his lungs at anyone who would listen. Hannah grabbed Kent's hand in fright, and Kent blushed. He didn't have time to feel butterflies in his stomach because he was scared to death of this man.

"THE GOV'MENT IS LYING TO YOU!" The man shouted at the top of his lungs. "They take every hard earned cent and use it to fund their illuminati free mason sex parties. They are funding cities on the moon for the elites while we burn in the ashes of atomic suicide! Don't let the gov'ment take your money! They'll take your minds, too! Listen to Soup Can Harry! Run for the Vaults! Bury yourselves away from the liars in the White House!"

Two police officers came and quickly took the man away, but Kent's heart was pounding like a jackhammer. Hannah let go of Kent's hand and watched the two police officers escort the man to a blue van. It didn't look like a police paddy wagon, and it had yellow lettering that looked familiar but neither got a chance to read when it zoomed off with the homeless man inside.

"That was certainly strange." Hannah remarked. "Vaults seem to be the topic of today."

Kent chuckled and let Hannah lead the way. "Buster told me about a Vault they are building a block or so from the Commons, near the old Freedom Trail. One of his coworkers did a puff piece on it for the society page. Vault 114, I think he said. They closed off Park Street Station to build the stupid thing."

"Seems strange to build it in the middle of the city. All the other Vaults I know of are on the outskirts of town. I heard a rumor about them building one under a school, but that's just silly." Hannah said, though she didn't laugh.

The walk became silent after a while. Kent didn't realize that they had unconsciously walked to his building and were now standing outside of it. To Kent, this all felt wrong. Wasn't the guy supposed to escort a girl to her building? His head started to hurt.

"I had fun today, Kent." Hannah said, after a short silence. "You don't have to worry about me getting home. I'll catch the bus from here."

Kent smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "I-I had fun too, H-H-Hannah." He stuttered. "We should d-definitely do it again some time."

Hannah gave Kent a big smile and watched as she approached the bus stop. Hannah Howard enjoyed being around Kent. He felt good. This big boost of confidence Kent hadn't felt in years, if ever, washed over him like a spring rain shower. He didn't want to waste this feeling. He knew once she stepped on the bus, he would need an excuse to go to the comic book store to see her. He wanted to see her again before that, or at least talk to her again. She brought out something in him he couldn't explain. No, he'd let opportunities pass him before, but he wasn't going to just let Hannah walk away from him.

"Hannah!" Kent shouted, before Hannah reached the bus stop. "Hannah, do you…I mean, if you w-w-w-want to, maybe, sometime, if you f-f-feel like it…maybe go see a m-m-m-m-movie or something?" He blurted out without thinking again. "I think they got that new Vera Keyes movie playing at the Starlight Drive-In over in Concord next Friday. I wasn't g-g-going to see it because it's all the way in Concord and I don't have a car and Friday is when the Silver Shroud airs and truth be t-t-told I think her movies are kind of c-c-corny, but I-I-I would really…like…to take…you if…maybe…"

Kent felt stupid and stopped talking right there. The sounds of the city echoed around him. He couldn't believe he'd be so stupid as to ask Hannah out of the blue. It seemed like a good idea and since they had just had lunch and talked about their lives, he felt it was inevitable. But things rarely worked out as planned, and he knew that. Kent could plan an entire day down to the last second, and something could throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing.

"I m-mean, the thought of s-s-someone like you w-w-w-wanting to go anywhere with a lump like me…" Kent chuckled, trying to play it off.

"Kent…" Hannah chirped, trying to get his attention.

"It's stupid, you know? G-going to the movies. To a romance m-m-movie of all things. Starring Vera Keyes? Ha-ha! Sh-she couldn't act her way out of a paper bag…"

"Kent…"

"And a dr-drive-in? Who t-takes a girl to a drive in when they d-don't even have a car?!"

"KENT!" Hannah shouted loud enough to make a flock of bird fly out of a nearby tree. Kent stopped what he was doing and looked down at Hannah. "Kent, don't be silly! I'd love to go see a movie with you!"

Trying to keep his knees from buckling, Kent stood tall and smiled. "You…you will?" he asked, not really sure why he did.

Hannah nodded. "Yes, I will! I'll borrow Uncle Nate's car and we'll make an evening of it. He won't mind, I'll just remind him he still owes me back babysitting money."

Elated by this, Kent held back the urge to jump for joy and wrote down his number on his copy of the receipt from the diner earlier. He tore it in half and let Hannah write down hers on the other. Once numbers were exchanged, the two waved goodbye to each other. Kent watched her get on the bus and ran inside after watching it drive away. Kent ran inside the building, hugging the number closely. He ignored the people in the lobby coming home from work and going out for the evening. He hummed a song, ignoring three different people asking him to come to their apartments to fix something. He made it all the way to his floor and to his apartment feeling like he was flying.

Kent threw his nearly forgotten comic on the table, not noticing it slide across and plop right onto the kitchen floor.

When Buster came home a few hours later, he found Kent in the living room, sprawled out on the floor with an open issue of Live & Love sitting on his chest. The radio was on, playing a song Buster didn't immediately recognize. Buster looked confused, though he didn't ask why Kent was on the floor staring at the ceiling with a dreamy look in his eyes. "Umm…Kenny? You alright there?" Buster asked, sitting on the couch.

"I've never been better in my entire life…" Kent mumbled.

Buster noticed a small piece of paper lying next to Kent. Thinking it was trash, Buster picked it up and noticed the number on it. "Ahh…I get it now." Buster said, with a teasing overtone. He put the paper on the side table, partially under an unused ashtray so it wouldn't blow away. "Kenny's got a girlfriend!"

Kent shot up, the magazine falling from his chest on onto the floor. His cheeks turned bright red. "Buster! I do n-n-not! Hannah is just my friend. We're…we're going to see a movie next Friday and…"

"Ooooohhh Hannah!" Buster sang. He made smooching sounds with his lip and Kent tackled him playfully. The two brothers' play fought on the couch for a bit. Laughter, cheer, sing-song teasing, it was like old times for them. The radio chimed with the Galaxy News Radio promo as the boys wrestled around. Buster, as always, was winning. Kent shouted for mercy once Buster started giving him nuggies. Unfortunately for Kent, their mother wasn't there to separate them this time.

Soon, the brothers were laughing on the couch, with Buster giving his brother a congratulating pat on the back.

When evil walks the streets of Boston, one man lurks in the shadows. Shielding the innocent, judging the guilty. That guardian is…the Silver Shroud! Today's episode: In the Parlor of Mysteries…


Hi, hi again!

Having fun so far? I hope so! Things are going to get a bit messy soon! No, not like that, you perverts! This is rated T for a reason!

We are officially at the half-way point for this story. Only a few chapters left! Oh, don't be surprised! I explained this last week! You can only do so much writing about the Pre-war days until you run out of material. It's hard doing research for Pre-war Boston. Some places are based on real locations and I want to get it as accurate as possible, both from a Fallout lore stand point and a real world stand point. I've never been to Boston, though I hope to visit it one day.

I am hoping to give Kent a little more definition as the story goes chugging along. The game only provides so much, so I sometimes have to draw on personal experiences as a self-proclaimed nerd with very real dating and social anxiety.

So, how did I do? Did I get anything wrong? Did I do well this chapter? Is there anything you think I missed or want to see? Let me know in a review and I'll see to it with the best of my abilities!

Keep this crazy train chugging along! We need to do something while we wait for the DLCs to come out, right? So, help us kill some time and keep this story going by leaving a tasty review! Don't forget to follow the story and check out my Tumblr too! The link is in my profile.

Kent Connolly and Fallout belong to Bethesda.