I don't own Fallout 3 or any of it's content, etc. etc. Explinations on Shift/Fell in this chapter.

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Chapter One

History Lessons!

Stepping out of the common room, Shift winced at the sunlight, but we kept walking. Crazy motherfucker. I thought. I can remember when I met the guy.

Wandering around Downtown D.C, I ran into GNR radio building. Tired from a day's worth of hunger, ghouls, and super mutants, I sat down on the steps.

I pulled out some dog meat, and started working on that. After a few minutes of peace, I heard an explosion, super mutants screaming in pain, and gunshots.

I shot up, and grabbed my Chinese assault rifle. Explosions and gunshots are normal in the wastes, but combine that with pissed off super mutants, and in downtown D.C, things are gonna get ugly.

I retreated to the door, and stood at the ready. I heard running, and a few seconds later, I saw him. Some dumbass was sprinting away from not nine, not ten, not even eleven, but twelve super mutants. I heard a soldier from the Brotherhood gasp.

This was gonna a sorry sight.

The guy was dressed in a regulator duster, only it had a hood. and a pair of shades. He had a sack on his back, and an odd looking hunting rifle on the side of it.

Asides from that, something was different about him. I could tell. Then I got it.

He wasn't afraid.

Or pissed.

Or happy.

He didn't have an expression, he was just sprinting as fast as he could. I started for the super mutants, having gotten halfway across the square, and they were all armed with close quarter weapons. Hmph. If only.

A shot rang out. A mutant at the back of the pack had a hunting rifle, and had shot at the guy. It hit, and he stumbled, then did the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

He was falling over forward, mabye ten yards away from a building. He rolled, rolled, with the shot, turned mid-roll, took one step after getting up, and leaped.

He jumped straight at the wall, hit it, then sprung off it, and pulled himslef up through a window on the second floor.

The soldier and I sat there dumbfounded. This guy....this guy just scaled a wall, and escaped from a dozen mutants, with a bullet-hole in his abdomen, in seconds.

It was at this time that the four of us, two knights, myself, and the stranger, decided to take down the yellow bastards. I lobbed a grenade, and started firing off shots, using the years of Wasteland experience to take down as many as I could.

Two died from the explosion. The knights started unleashing a hail of laser fire on them, taking down five in as many seconds. Half of the mutants started for us, and the rest were confused, just standing around.

The stranger leaned out the window, took two silenced 10mms' out of nowhere, and took down two, and shortly after the guns ran dry, he dropped the clips, took two out of, again, nowhere, and shot down another two.

All of this happened in the span of thriteen seconds. Four people against twelve mutants, and all died in thirteen seconds, spare one. This one charged at me with a nail board, but the stranger shot it down with his rifle.

The man lowered himself down from the building, and dropped the last ten feet. My eyes opened in shock. Idiot's going to kill himself! I walked forward with the two knights, and helped him to his feet.

"Damn crazy fool, jumping from a building with a bullet-hole through your stomach." I muttered.

The stranger laughed. "Right. You see me bleeding all over the ground?" He gestured to his stomach, and sure enough, there wasn't any bleeding.

"What the....civilian, that bullet knocked you down. How the hell did you get through that shot without it piercing your clothing?" Asked one of the knights.

Stranger started laughing. "I'll tell you. During my travels through the wastes, I came across a military base. Had something in a bunch of boxes, it's called Kevlar. Bullet-proof. I had it sewn into my clothing by a friend. Damned useful stuff."

The other knight stepped forward. "Civilian, I'm going to have to request that you give us this Kevlar material. It could be invaluable to the Brotherhood."

He looked up at the knight, and shook his head. "I don't have any Kevlar on me, asides from what I'm wearing, and I'm not giving that up. Besides, you don't understand. It can't stop anything more powerful than a 36. caliber bullet. This is almost all of the best grade Kevlar. They used this in their combat armor in wars, before they had Power Armor. The grade was titled 49, if that helps you out. I can give you grade 29 and lower, but 49 is mine." He said defiantly.

"It can't stop lasers, just so you know." He added.

The knight sighed. I looked at the guy in the Kevlar with a mix of admiration and pity. He could stand up to the Brotherhood, and that's why I pitied him.

"Civilian...." The knight sighed again. "Fine. Drop by the Citadel, it's West of Rivet City, right across the river. We want to study this stuff."

Stranger nodded. "Fine." The knight walked away, then the Stranger looked at me. "I know you from somewhere?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Never seen you before." I started to walk away.

"The name Ridgefield mean anything to you?" He called after me, and I froze.

I turned around. "Yeah. Yeah it does. It's where I'm from."

The guy smiled. "I knew it. You're name's Fell, right?"

"How the hell do you know my name?" My hand started moving towards a grenade.

"Relax. I'm from Ridgefield too."

"Wait a minute." I said. "You were the lookout, weren't you, before...." I stopped.

He nodded. "Yeah. Before."

"I remember you. Your name was-"

"Not anymore." He snapped. "My name's Shift now."

I held up my hands. "Fine. Fine. Well Shift, it's a hard life out in the Wastes, especially for a survivor." Shift rolled his eyes, but I continued. "I don't blame you."

Shift raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. Thanks." He'd brightened up noticeably.

"Look," I said, "You're the first survivor I've come across. The two of us should stick together."

Shift game me a look that said, Ahuh. Why? "I fuckin' almost died yesterday, and was crippled a week before, repeat everyday for the last eleven years. But yesterday was the closest I've been to death. From what I just saw, I'm gonna assume the same for you. Two Wastelanders are better off than one."

Shift considered what I said for a second, then stuck out his hand. "Fine. I'll take you up on that offer Fell. If I'm wounded in the wastes, you heal me up as best as you can, watch my back, and take me to a doctor. I'll do the same for you."

I thought on this for a moment, then took his hand. "Deal."

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That's it for Chapter One. It's a bit long, sorry. R&R, I want feedback. I don't like talking to brick walls. Err....writing.