"You know what to tell them."
April Springstein sat in a large chair at an Enclave air base in California. She was addressing one of her subordinates who transferred her orders to the Enclave troops stationed in the Capital Wasteland.
"This man, Aron O'Shae, has a weakness that was discovered by some of our undercover agents still roaming the Capital Wasteland." She tapped a few buttons on a nearby panel and two pictures appeared on a screen above her head. "This boy, Brian Wilks, and this dog, called Dogmeat by O'Shae, are the most treasured things that that man has in his little world. Because of that, they are also our ticket to him. Tell...whoever it is that's in charge over there that I want these two waiting for me in a prison cell when I arrive."
The man saluted her and left. She tapped at the panel again and a picture of Aron replaced those of Brian and Dogmeat that had been on the screen moments before. The Colonel turned to look at the screen.
"Aron O'Shae," she said with a wicked smile, "it will be my pleasure to teach you that nobody opposes the Enclave and escapes scot-free. Instead of just capturing, torturing, and eventually killing you, I'm going to make you suffer much, much more."
…...
Aron closed the door behind him and headed up toward the city's gates. As he approached, he saw Brian standing with the glove tucked under his arm and a baseball clutched in his hands. When he spotted Aron, his face lit up and he rushed over.
"Hey," Aron said, "you manage to get that baseball?" The boy nodded and handed him the ball. "Wow, this one's still got the whole skin on it and everything. Come on, let's go toss this around."
He led Brian to the gate and around to the side of the large wall surrounding Megaton. He removed the sniper rifle from his back and leaned it against a nearby rock, making sure he'd be able to get to it if something bad showed up. He turned around and Brian tossed the baseball to him. He didn't have a glove or anything, but catching a baseball wasn't too hard and besides, he was more worried about Brian than himself. It took a few throws, but Brian eventually learned how to catch the ball. Aron laughed and couldn't help but feel all warm inside every time Brian looked at him with that smiling face. He tossed the ball again, but threw it a bit too high this time. The small white sphere flew over the boy's head as Aron laughed and shouted an apology. Brian turned around to go grab the ball, and Aron took the chance to glance around his immediate surroundings.
"Hey," he heard Brian say, "what's that over there?"
Aron snatched up his rifle, just in case, and jogged over to where Brian was standing. He followed Brian's pointing finger. In the distance, there seemed to be an unusually large amount of light coming from the direction of the school in nearby Springvale that stood out against the quickly dimming light.
"I don't know," Aron said slowly, "but I don't like it. Come on, let's go back inside."
Aron quickly led Brian back inside Megaton's walls and to their house. He sat the boy at the table downstairs and went to his bedroom and grabbed the Chinese stealth suit that he'd obtained from helping a group of Outcasts access the armory of an old military base. He pulled it on over his clothes and headed back downstairs, the suits helmet in hand.
"Stay inside." He commanded Brian. The boy nodded.
Aron exited the house and headed down to intercept Lucas as he made his rounds.
"Lucas," he said as he caught up to the man, "something's going on over at Springvale."
"Springvale?" Lucas looked confused. "Are you sure? I thought you cleaned the Raiders out of that place."
"So did I, but someone's over there. I'm going use this old Chinese stealth suit to get close and see if I can't figure out what's going on, but I wanted to warn you, just in case."
"Alright," the man nodded, "come see me as soon as you get back."
Aron nodded and left the city. He made his way carefully toward the ruined city, being careful to watch out for anything that might want a midnight snack. As he neared the school building, he messed with a device on the suit's arm and activated it's stealth field. To anything that might have been observing Aron, he appeared to have vanished. He crept closer and closer to the school until he was close enough to touch the bricks. He moved slowly toward the front of the building.
What he saw made his heart stop. There, set up in what was once a parking lot and road for the school, sat an Enclave field base. The fold-out metal blockades and tents sat clustered around floodlights, which lit up the area as if it were the middle of the day. A large group of soldiers stood in the middle of the camp, apparently waiting for something. A few moments later, a man dressed in an officer's outfit came striding out of one of the tents, and he walked up a short ramp on one of the barricades.
"Attention troops!" All the soldiers that had been standing around snapped to attention. "We have reason to believe that the criminal Aron O'Shae is hiding in the nearby settlement of Megaton. While it pains Colonel Springstein to have to give the order, we have been ordered to attack the settlement and apprehend the criminal. Any of the citizens who resist are to be met with force. In two hours, we will begin our assault. Make sure your weapons are working and loaded and your armor is—"
Aron didn't hear the rest of the man's speech, because he was moving fast—well, as fast as he could without giving himself away—back toward Megaton. When he thought he was far enough away, he deactivated the suit's stealth field, yanked off the helmet and began sprinting back towards the city. When he arrived, Lucas was waiting for him just inside the gate.
"I take it this is bad news." The man's face looked grim.
"It's the Enclave," Aron said as he struggled to put air back in his lungs, "they're getting ready to launch an attack on Megaton."
"What! How long?"
"Two hours." Aron pulled Lucas along with him as he began moving through the city. "Go round up Billy, Jericho, and anyone else who can hold a gun and get them out front with Deputy Weld. Get Harden to go order Deputy Steel to enact his city defense protocols. Also, see if you can talk Moira into getting that mercenary she's got watching her store to help fight them off. I'll get on my radio and see if I can't contact Rivet City or the Brotherhood and get them to send help. At the very least, I'll contact Three Dog and get him to spread the word."
Lucas nodded and hurried off into the city as Aron headed back to his own house. He burst in the door so quickly that both Brian and Dogmeat jumped up in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Brian noticed the worried look on Aron's face.
"It's nothing you need to worry about." Aron knelt down and looked in the boy's eyes. "Listen closely: when I leave, I want you to lock the door. Then take Dogmeat and go into your room and close the door. Stay in there and don't come out until I come and get you, alright?" Brian nodded "Good, Wadsworth come here."
Aron led the robot upstairs and into his room. He closed the door behind him.
"Is everything alright, sir?" The robot asked. "You look worried."
"I am. Look," he replied, "there's a chance that Enclave soldiers may get inside the city soon. If anyone who doesn't live in this city comes through that door, I want you to kill them. You can use the flamer, but try not to damage the house too much."
"Affirmative, sir."
"Good, now go downstairs." The robot gave another 'affirmative' and floated out the door and down the stairs. Aron quickly turned on the ham radio and called for anyone who could pick up. Soon enough, Thee Dog did respond. After quickly explaining the situation to him, Aron asked him to pass along the message to the Brotherhood and try, if he could, to speak directly to Sentinel Lyons or Star Paladin Cross. Three Dog gave his word that he would try his best, and Aron turned the radio off. After gathering a few extra weapons, he headed towards the door.
"Hey," he told Brian as he passed, "you remember what I told you?" Brian nodded. "Good, Dogmeat, come here." The dog trotted over and Aron bent down to scratch him behing the ear.
"Listen," he whispered in the dog's ear, "protect Brian while I'm gone. If any of those Enclave bastards make it past Wadsworth, you know what to do. Protect him, but don't get yourself killed, alright."
The dog barked in reply and Aron stood and left, closing the door behind him. He didn't walk away until her heard the door lock behind him. By the time he'd arrived outside Megaton's gate, Lucas was waiting with several of the city's most able-bodied residents, all armed and ready to defend their home.
"We're all here," Lucas said as Aron approached, "what's your plan?"
"I don't want anyone here dying," Aron told him, "so we're going to try to do this in a way that ends with that result. They're trying to get at me, Lucas, and they'll go through anyone and anything that gets in their way."
"I know."
"Good, then here's my plan. I want you to use what time we have left before the Enclave troops get here to make hollow spots in the walls, just big enough for someone to hide in. Try to make enough for everyone here and leave a small opening that can be used as a firing slot. When they get here, I want you and everyone else to get in one of those little cubbyholes and shoot at the Enclave from there. That'll offer the most chance that you'll all escape with your lives."
"But what about you?" Lucas put a hand on Aron's shoulder. "I don't want you making a martyr of yourself, kid."
"Didn't you read that note?" Aron laughed. "They want me alive. No matter how many of them I kill, the most they'll do is knock me unconscious and drag me off to a prison cell somewhere. It's you all that they've got no concern for."
"That's a pretty slick plan, kid. Alright then." Lucas turned to the assembled townspeople. "You heard the man! Get started with making those nooks, we ain't got much time before those Enclave bastards show up, so move quick!"
Lucas began helping the rest of the defenders build their little hiding spots while Aron sat on a rock a few feet away, sniper rifle in hand. He raised the rifle and peered through the scope, hoping that the Enclave didn't decide to strike early. He sighed and relaxed a bit when he didn't spot them coming towards the town.
I don't know what you're up to, Springstein, but I've got no intention of letting you and the Enclave take over again...ever.