The familiar metal gate of Megaton was now clearly distinguishable over the rocks and bushes. Perry was looking forward to finally putting his feet up and getting out of this damn armour. He had been stuck inside it for several days now, it was always too difficult to take the metal and ballistic gel suit off every time he camped, it would be like taking apart and rebuilding a car every day. At least the weight made removing the suit feel so much sweeter, he always felt like his limbs were being suspended by the softest pillows imaginable.

Perry now stood outside the gate; he waved to the sniper who yelled to open the doors. Stepping through into the town itself, Perry could see Lucas Simms rushing up towards him.

"Perry! Good thing you arrived, I was a hair's breathe away from kicking that raider out of this town for good. You… did send a raider here right, with that necklace?" Perry smiled knowing that Peta had arrived in Megaton safely.

"That I did, she helped me find out where the rest of them were hiding, might have been their last encampment to, if we're lucky." Perry expected a broad smile, a relieved sigh, any sign that Lucas was happy to hear the news about the raiders. All he did was stare at Perry with a confused expression.

"She?"

Perry's heart stopped.

"…Yeah. She. A female raider named Peta. She showed up didn't she?" Lucas Simms' face clenched up, he spun around and looked like he was about to throw a fit.

"I knew it… I knew that motherfucker was lying."

"Wait, who was lying? Who showed up Lucas?" Lucas turned back around to face Perry with a look of suppressed fury in his eyes.

"Some raider punk who called himself Mike."

Perry's eyes widened in realization and horror. He looked down at the ground remembering the look of surprised sleep on the raider leader's face. Why did he just leave him there? He should have just shot him. I knew I should have just killed that fucker, stupid stupid, you left a raider leader alive? What the fuck is wrong with you?

A dark cloud loomed over Perry's face, the anger and humiliation he felt needed an outlet. He was going to vent his fury straight between Mike's eyes, like he should have done in the first place. He reached into his satchel, pulled his helmet out, attached the tubing and clicked the locks into place.

"Where is he?" he asked with a noticeably darker voice. Slightly unnerved by the change in tone, Lucas reached behind himself and pulled the rifle off his back, clenching the familiar ripples and revelling in the feeling of power it always gave him.

"He's up at the bar being a nuisance, I would have shot him myself but he keeps brandishing that necklace of yours saying he's your buddy and to put all his drinks on your tab. Guess it's time to pay up, right?" Perry nodded.

"Yeah yeah, me and the lone wordiner bee' bes' buddies ever since he save'ved me from that raider grouspe I fell into. Bad bad bunch, but Lerry! He showed me the way, we been travelling all over the masteland fighting THOUSANDS of meathclaws, you should ave seen us!" Mike stumbled about the bar, that accursed necklace in one hand and a whiskey bottle in the other. That necklace was all that was standing between Gob and making the bar noticeably redder with smoothskin blood. Everyone in the town knew the deal, that necklace belonged to Perry and if someone showed up to town with it that meant they were a friend. The town agreed to look after Perry's friends after everything he did for Megaton but it was becoming less likely everyone was going to follow that oath much longer.

It could be possible this guy killed Perry and stole… wait, what was he thinking? How could some ex-raider kill Perry? He took on the freakin' Enclave, super mutants and killed thousands of raiders, how could this one guy kill The Lone Wonderer and how would he even know what the necklace meant? No, he must have been given it… which still didn't make sense. Gob knew Perry; he was a decent human being, especially for a smoothskin. He wouldn't associate himself with this drunken waste of meat and he certainly wouldn't send him to Megaton for the townspeople to deal with.

Sighing heavily, Gob tried to distract himself from the drunken rambling by wiping glasses. Eventually the swaying raider landed on the counter directly in front of Gob, a bubbling smirk on the idiots face. He looked like he was trying to form a sentence but was having trouble just moving his lips.

"Eh, hey, listen… listen to I… Zombie…hehehe zooombie, zumbie, lumbie…. Hehehe. Hey! Zombie, I need more… of the stuff… this stuff…" he pathetically dropped the empty whiskey bottle on the counter; it rolled off and smashed on the ground. "Oopsie… clean thus up… zombie!" Grumbling, Gob pulled the brush out from under the counter, walked around and began sweeping up the glass. Every single pair of eyes in the bar was on this raider, all thinking the same thing. How the hell did this guy get that necklace?

Their question was about to be answered as Lucas Simms kicked in the door to the bar with the Lone Wonderer right behind him, rifles in hand and both aimed squarely at the drunken invader. Neither of them moved as the raider slowly and clumsily turned around.

"Hey! It's my bes' buddie! Come 'ere you!" He stumbled toward Perry, somehow believing his own lies. Disgusted by this exploitative scum, Perry delivered a blow with the handle of his rifle directly into the raiders chin. He collapsed onto the floor unconscious; the rest of bar sat in stunned silence. Perry didn't move for a moment, making sure the raider was really unconscious. Satisfied, he walked over and examined the drunken mess. That was indeed the same necklace he gave Peta. But then where was she? How did this guy manage to acquire the necklace? Perry stood up, looking around the bar; he then motioned his hand towards the unconscious raider.

"Tie him up." Everyone immediately got up, grabbed some rope and began constricting the raider's hands and legs. One patron accidently tripped and kicked the raider in the head. Lucas turned toward Perry.

"What do you want to do with him? Killing him would be easier you know." Perry didn't say anything. He just continued looking at the man's face, a man he spared only for it to come back and bite him in the ass; so much for kindness making a difference in this world.

"I want to question him first. After that he's all yours."

Mike slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he noticed was the intense throbbing in his head; it felt like someone had smacked him with a cement brick. He really had to cut back on all the free whiskey. It was only when he tasted the blood in his mouth, the realisation he was tied to a chair and the rushing memories that he noticed where he was and what happened.

Fuck… this can't be good.

He slowly opened his eyes to see he was indeed tied to a chair, in an empty room with Lucas Simms and…. Oh FUCK!

The Lone Wonderer stood there with his arms crossed, his helmet removed and a look of such concentrated anger it felt like it was burying itself in Mike's soul. He began to sweat profusely.

"Glad to see you're awake. We'd like to have a chat," Lucas Simms said, savouring every word like he had been waiting for this moment since Mike arrived in Megaton. Mike didn't say anything; he was too terrified to work his mouth. Lucas Simms smirked. He motioned towards Perry who slowly walked towards the bound raider. He looked down on Mike like some disgusting animal.

"How did you get that necklace?"

Mike said nothing.

"ANSWER ME!"

Shaking, Mike finally forced his voice to work.

"I…I took it from Peta." Perry's hand clamped itself around Mike's throat, causing his eyes to widen in shock and his heart to beat faster than it had ever done in his life. Perry leaned in closer.

"And Peta? What happened to her?" He loosened his grip enough to let the raider speak. The pressure on his windpipe caused Mike to cough and gag before muttering something.

"Louder! What did you do to Peta?"

Fuck it… I'm done for anyway…

"I killed the betraying bitch."

Silence filled the room… but in Perry's mind there wasn't even that. His thoughts were empty, emotionless. That act of mercy was not enough to save her. Maybe no act of mercy is enough. He turned towards the door and as he walked out, Lucas Simms pulled his handgun out and faster than Mike could think…. There was only darkness and the image of The Lone Wonderer turning his back on him.

A/N: Apologies again for the late update. University has started up again and I've been too distracted to think about where I wanted to take this story. I had a few ideas what to do with Peta but this seemed like the best one. Stay tuned and you'll find out what the Brotherhood want to talk to Perry about. I can almost guarantee it isn't what you expect.

Comments and criticisms appreciated. Thanks for reading.