Prologue

A Most Chaotic Wasteland

War.. War never changes..

Once the atom was split, the world knew one day it would spell the end of everything humanity stood for. And while some cared not to destroy everything just for a simple wave of a victory flag, there were those who could not be deterred from such machinations. Then, the War broke out between America and China, sending both nations on a race to outdo the other. Technology advanced rapidly throughout the first half of the twenty-first century, that of war changes just as much. It didn't help that mankind's level of technology could only be rivaled by the magical and otherwise considered supernatural abilities also possessed by many citizens of the world.

In the years leading up to what would widely be known as the End, the tensions of war became too much. Across all militaries around the globe, troops deserted in the refusal to continue fighting a war that would only be seen as ending horribly for the world and robotic soldiers began springing up to replace the lost troops. To combat the extra hardiness a robotic shell had to a human body, Power Suit exo-armor was created and deployed to aid the war effort. Due to the dangers of nuclear energy, however, these enhancements were not enough to allow the survival of the world..

On the morning of October 23rd, 2077, the bombs dropped. All across America, entire counties were wiped off the map by the abundance of nukes that made landfall. Millions died across the country from just the radiation alone, but sometimes death was the better option. Due to the saturation of radiation in the air, some people turned into what would be known as Ghouls, mostly skinless, near immortal people. Becoming a Ghoul wasn't such a great event either, as most turned to a feral state, their minds washed away by the radiation breaking down their nervous system.

In the two hundred and some-odd years since the bombs dropped and in addition to the Ghouls, humans mutated by a virus called the Forced Evolutionary Virus, or FEV for short, emerged as those called Super Mutants, hulking figures that would rather fight for dominance- whether over others of their kind or others in general- than talk an issue out. To stop their bodies from decaying and wishing for immortality without turning into a Ghoul, groups of individuals instead transferred their brains into older robotic chassis, keeping the vital organs alive and suspended in fluid that allowed the robot body and the electrical charges it would create to stimulate the brain into still being alive, however maintenance and replacing of the fluid would be needed. These were the Robobrains.

As for human-ran factions, you had the Enclave skulking in the shadows, the supposed remnants of the federal government biding their time until they could strike and take over the Wasteland, resettling America as they see fit. Then, there were the Raiders, the most abundant faction aside from the regular everyday survivors of the Wasteland. Unable to govern themselves centrally, Raiders is a broad term for the sub factions that roam the Wasteland. From the mob-inspired Mafiosos to the melee-preferring Barbarians and everything in between could be found represented among the Raiders.

Even before the bombs dropped, the organization known as the Institute survived underground, always furthering mankind's handle on technology. To this end, they began creating robots that not only looked almost indistinguishable from humans, but could think as freely as one as well. These were the Synths, and while most in the Wasteland know of the Institute's name, it is mostly believed to be something of a children's bedtime story or a Boogeyman.

Another former faction of the old American military, the Brotherhood of Steel travels around the country, looking to discover Pre-War relics in an attempt to hide them from those the Brotherhood believes to be 'the wrong hands'.

None of these factions hold a candle to the most diabolical company ever to roam American soil- as well as the one possibly at fault for the bombs dropping in the first place- Vault-Tec. Vault-Tec was at the forefront in technology, making a good chunk of the amenities mankind had depended on for decades before the bombs dropped. As the threat of imminent war spread throughout the country, Vault-Tec cashed in on the growing panic of the people by announcing their plan to build a series of underground bunkers- obviously called Vaults- that would both allow the human race to survive as well as make it back to the surface- in the event the bombs did drop- when the radiation levels dropped down to habitable levels. Most Vaults were even equipped with a special device known as a G.E.C.K. or Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Using these devices would allow the Wasteland aboveground to become a thriving wilderness once again, deconstructing and reconstructing everything within a set parameter on a molecular level, theorizing why the area after usage was considered radiation-free.

But not all was as it seemed with the company. While the cover story was for the Vaults to be mankind's salvation, sinister, twisted experiments were the reality for most of those thought lucky to be accepted into a Vault. One Vault made it seem necessary to sacrifice one of their own every year, another Vault was filled with former Chem (drug) addicts, a successful attempt at rehabilitation until a corporate spy redistributed the drugs, the Vault devolving into chaos. Across the United States, innocent people were subjected to countless methods of torment, most Vaults falling into abandonment by the time any survivors tried to rebuild on the surface.

Now, it is the year 2310, and one young man is about to find himself at the center of a mystery and conspiracy older than the Wasteland itself. Thankfully, he will not be alone in his eventual endeavor to rebuild from the ruins of the Old World..

Beacon Wasteland, Midwestern (Former) United States..

The sun rose over the mostly desert wastes that used to be the thriving United States, the few species of small lizards not affected by the permeated radiation scattering along the cracked, destroyed roads. Ascending over the Ghoulfall mountains, the mountain range that encircled some of the Beacon Wasteland to the East, the settlement of Quarrytown was illuminated as the settlers there got to work for the day, walking in and out of the mountainside caves that made up most of the settlement.

It would only be minutes later when the light of morning hit the biggest settlement in the area, Ravenwood. Ravenwood had started out of the building the settlement was named after: the Ravenwood Asylum, and had since expanded into a thriving metropolis in its own right. However, this is not where our story begins, or even the correct time, if I'm being honest. Let's back up a bit.

The night previous, a horrific massacre took place. Located a fair distance away from Ravenwood, hidden in a cave lay one of Vault-Tec's many Vaults. Numbered as Vault 125, the Vault had been one of the few, lucky Control Vaults, free of experimentation or horrific social anxieties. Until that night, when a spy infiltrated the Vault, first by himself and later with several of his colleagues in raiding. The raiders then went through with killing all the Vault Dwellers.

The Overseer made a deal with the spy, even as he slit her throat with the machete he wielded. As the raiders finished their rounds, they came upon the bedroom of the Overseer's son. One raider raised their machete to slash the teenager dead when the spy entered the room, stopping the assaulting raider's arm with his hand. "Not him. He's not of the Vaults. We leave now." He ordered, the raider groaning in irritation even as they followed after the spy, the band of raiders leaving the Vault, door wide open and a sight of carnage and death all that awaited any who peered inside.

When the alarm went off to get up in the daylight hours, the teenager woke up quickly. Sitting up in bed, eighteen year old Nick knew something was off by the unsettling level of silence around him. Usually, even though he woke up earlier than many in the Vault, the sounds of a wrench clanking on a difficult pipe or the PA speaker calling out with some form of music or announcement were always usually present. But not today, for whatever reason. Climbing out of his bed, Nick sighed and started getting ready for the day, taking a shower and getting dressed in one of his multiple Vault jumpsuits, all colored a custom purple. Then, he stepped out of his room.. and wished he hadn't.

Blood covered the walls in disgusting patterns of carnage, some stretches of the floor even being soaked a dark crimson with the blood still drying, drops of blood still dropping beneath the metal grates of the floor. And it wasn't limited to the corridors, either, as Nick passed by several open doors to other Vault Dwellers residences, bodies still bleeding out where they were lying for bed. Nick's heart sank as he suddenly remembered his mother, rushing to the Overseer's personal residence on the top floor of the Vault's underground levels.

Upon entering, Nick thought all might be fine, no signs of a struggle evident in the main office portion of the room. But, then Nick saw the thin trail of blood leading from what he knew to be his mother's bedroom. The sight inside the room was too much for Nick as he bent over and vomited all over the floor, the substance mixing disgustingly with his mother's blood. Once he could regain his bearings, he approached his mother, seeing the deep cut made across her throat and cursing as he punched the wall. "What the fuck happened here?! Everything was fine when I went to sleep last night!"

Taking a minute to absorb the weight of the situation, Nick looked at his Pip-Boy, an advanced model he had engineered himself a couple of years ago. Having named it the Pip-Boy 3001, it was a big step up from the models everyone else toted around on their wrists, the unwieldy technology they were. Instead of being a bulky mess that served as a distraction to Nick more than an aid, the teenager had scaled down the size while keeping the strangely immense computing power the Pip-Boy already possessed. Now, it was more like a Pre-War smartphone, one rigged for fitness exercises such as jogging and with similar functioning to one, even having a touch screen instead of dials and buttons to move about the settings. The only bulky bit he couldn't scale down much was the drive for Holotapes, although he had been working on a form of touch-sensing downloading capabilities, meaning all he would have to do is press a Holotape to the Pip-Boy to receive whatever message was recorded. If he could get it working right, he wouldn't even have to eject said tapes from other Pip-Boy devices or computer terminals.

Looking at the screen, there was indeed a new message on his Pip-Boy, one that was sent from outside the Vault. It was simple, only several words long: Meet in Ravenwood, Asylum Pub.

Frowning at the confusing message, not knowing what Ravenwood was, having been raised in the Vault from birth, where the outside wasteland was a sore and usually forbidden topic. Looking to his mother's corpse and swallowing the threatening bout of nausea back down, he approached the body, his Pip-Boy reacting to the Overseer's own, a new message popping onto Nick's screen, this one a system message instead of a note: Overseer credentials transferred. Congratulations, Overseer Negron.

"Well, mom always said I would take over the Vault when she decided I was ready. Just didn't think the situation would be like this.." He sighed before realizing a light was blinking yellow on his mother's Pip-Boy. A Holotape! Nick ejected the device and injected it into the drive on his own arm, walking back towards the Overseer's Console as the message began playing:

Vault 125, Overseer's Personal Log. 04/29/2310.

Nick frowned, the date was his birthday, but that had been over a month ago. Had his mother held this Holotape in her Pip-Boy for so long already?

Nick, my sweet, smart Nick. I'm sorry, if you're listening to this Holotape. That would mean that I'm.. gone. Listen to me now, it'll be alright. I know it must seem dark now, but the light will resurface just as us Vault Dwellers are meant to. Actually, about that.. I apologize for lying to you all your life, how we're waiting for Vault-Tec to send an All-Clear message for the Vaults to release their populations upon the Wastelands above. That message isn't coming, and it's been this way for several generations of Overseers here in Vault 125. We were all put here generations ago, like rats in a cage, but you weren't. You.. I was given you by a mysterious wanderer eighteen years ago today, the day you were first born. They would not tell me their name, not where they hailed from in the Wasteland. All they would tell me was that you had an immense, important and integral part to bringing the world back from the destruction humanity wrought on themselves over two hundred years ago..

But, never think you aren't my son, understand? The little time I've spent outside the Vault, from before you were brought here, had made me infertile, and you coming here was like the greatest miracle I could ever have been privy to. And even in death, I will never stop thanking that stranger for handing you to me all those years ago, and you for all the wonderful memories you've given me since. However, you can't stay inside this cage forever, I've known it for years. And so have others..

Several weeks ago, I was contacted over the ham radio frequency by a man who.. wouldn't give me their name, either. He wouldn't tell me much else, only that you were needed outside the Vault. I tried asking why, why it had to be my miraculous son, but they only repeated the demands. So I've ignored any attempt to contact us since, but I fear the time may soon come that you will have no choice but to leave our home.

Always remember, Nicky: No matter how lonely it may seem, you are truly never alone. I know, whatever happens, you will find a way to bring the good in humanity back, even at the risk of more destruction. When you decide you are ready, I have a backpack already set up for your traveling located in the entryway to the Vault, underneath the grate under the button that opens and closes the Vault. I love you, Nick, always and forever.

The holotape finished, ejecting back out of the drive as Nick pocketed it, wandering without a clear goal through the carnage-filled Vault. Sighing heavily, Nick looked over at the lockers containing utility jumpsuits, opting to slip one on before he started dragging bodies from where they lay down into the lowest level of the Vault, where the geothermal energy plant sat. To clean the Vault, all the bodies would be disposed of in the pool of lava that generated Vault 125's power before Nick would get to work writing down everyone's names and cleaning the blood from every surface of the Vault. Despite the deafeningly lonely atmosphere, Nick endured staying in the Vault for another night, closing the door before calling it a night. Unfortunately, sleep did not come easily for Nick.

After the horrible night's rest, Nick downed a cup or three of good ole Slocum Joe's coffee as he erected a memorial for all those he had lost, placing it in the main entrance of the Vault, even knowing not many, if anyone, would ever see the inside of the Vault again. And knowing what was expected of him, Nick decided to leave the Vault, listening to his mother's message to him one last time as he grabbed the care package she had left for him before finally, for the first time since he could remember, he closed the Vault door behind him. Using his new Overseer Clearance, Nick's last action was to shut the main power down to the Vault. If needed, he could restart the system whenever he might need.

Now, looking out at the vast wasteland in front of him, sporadic patches of true, lush vegetation still holding out against the radiation in the air. He figured he shouldn't risk any unnecessary radiation poisoning, donning a respiration mask as he began walking away from the cave Vault 125 sat within. Not far from the cave stood a signpost, an oddity for sure as it looked pretty new compared to the rusted metal and destroyed buildings he could see otherwise scattered about. Looking at the sign, he saw his destination pointed out to him, or at least a general direction. While there was no distance listed to Ravenwood, it did show that the settlement lay somewhere East of his position, the large settlement visible off in the distance. Closer to him from where he stood on the more elevated area of land stood a gas station, one of the infamous Pre-War company Red Rocket locations, as well as another, smaller settlement that looked in a high state of decay and abandonment. Nick looked then at a small note stuck to the signpost, a note addressed to him: Remember, Asylum Pub, Ravenwood. Might want to stock up on extra supplies on your way. Watch out for the monsters roaming the Wasteland. Prove me right, I'll see you soon. -GM

Frowning at the seemingly evident fact this unknown person seemed to know who he was, Nick sighed and plucked the note off, putting it a pocket and heading off in the direction of the large tower that represented Ravenwood. His first stop would be to scavenge what he could while heading to the settlement, from both the abandoned town and the Red Rocket.

Meanwhile, Ravenwood, Outside the Asylum Pub..

Outside the Asylum Pub stood a young woman dressed in a very customized form of the Brotherhood of Steel Medical Scribe uniform, tapping her foot impatiently on the uneven stones beneath her feet. It was bad enough Tsuna had to wait around for orders from Paladin Farron, who was currently on patrol a little ways east of Ravenwood. Something about a nest of Gecko's terrorizing the locals most nights. But, then there was the matter of being otherwise stuck here, awaiting either the Paladin or the one Farron had told her to watch for. "A guy in a blue jumpsuit, adorned with the Vault-Tec logo," Tsuna said to herself, frowning. "That would mean there are Vaults around here, but.. there was no record of any Vault doors being found here when the Scouting teams came six months ago.."

This wasn't a lie to Tsuna, she hadn't been briefed on just how much life there truly was out in the Wasteland here. She knew it was much different than the Commonwealth, supposedly without the stink of the Institute laying below the surface. She remembered the time she had met Nate, the Sole Survivor of Vault 111 in the Commonwealth, a man who had personal ties- by blood even- to the Institute but still destroyed their facility knowing they would bring destruction to everything else around them. Nate had been a kind man, and being an official Paladin in the BoS made his standing of respect even greater. Not to mention he was one of the top agents in the Railroad out there, as well as the General of the Massachusetts Minutemen. Hell, Nate was practically the president for all he'd done to bring the Commonwealth up from a Wasteland to a thriving region of community.

And Nate's backstory.. the tragedy of it made the Commonwealth come together even more. Losing his family, then finding out his son had become- in essence- a megalomaniac bent on replacing humanity with Synths. And Synths.. ugh. As part of the BoS, Tsuna was taught and upheld the belief that Synths were tools of destruction and affront to humanity itself. But, that didn't mean there weren't good eggs in the basket of Synths. There was Nick Valentine, a Prototype Generation 2 Synth who only had half of the armor plating Gen 1's had while adopting expressional faces. The Gen 3 Synths, like Curie who was given a Synth body to allow her to explore more of what it meant to be human. Even General Maxson had pardoned the two, both being instrumental in the final battle for the Commonwealth.

Even here in the Beacon Wasteland (Tsuna hadn't yet figured out why the region was named so), there were upstanding Synths like the bartender at the Asylum Pub, Greaser. Greaser was always gossiping with the locals, or helping the Brotherhood find some otherwise lost Pre-War tech. Like the necklace Tsuna wore around her neck. While it looked like a regular ruby-inlaid pendant, it was actually a piece of technology even people in the Pre-War Era thought of as unusable. Akin to a mood ring, the necklace wouldn't change color but instead glow brightly around- supposedly- the person you were meant to spend your life with. As much of a trinket as it was, Tsuna loved the opportunity to both wear and test out the necklace's functions.

Thumbing the pendant, she heard heavy footsteps approaching her, picking her head up to see Paladin Farron coming towards her. "Ad Victoriam, Paladin Farron. How was patrol?" Tsuna asked as her superior stopped several feet away, climbing out of the T-60 model Power Armor to reveal a young woman just as old as Tsuna with long pink hair that fell over one shoulder in a ponytail and wearing a BoS cloak over her otherwise simple outfit of a tube top and long pants. Her eyes, both a mix of pink and blue that shifted back and forth, softened as she smiled at Tsuna.

"Ad Victoriam, Medic Scribe Senju." The Paladin said, giggling. "Why do we always greet each other formally? It isn't like the higher ups are around, they haven't even left the Commonwealth, yet. So, Tsuna, how are things looking in town? Any sign of our mysterious target?"

"The Vault Dweller? Nothing, yet. As for the town.. it's the same damn thing, all boring settlers just.. ambling around as if the world wasn't a radioactive shitshow. Why are we even waiting for this Dweller, anyway, Claire? There weren't any Vaults reported by the Scouting Team here."

Claire Farron, Paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel and a red mage, shrugged. " It was redacted from the official report, reasons unknown. However, it is of the belief that this Vault Dweller is the baby that was abducted from the Commonwealth eighteen years ago. All signs lead to this region being where he was taken, and eyewitness reports told of a cloaked woman holding a crying baby, rushing off towards the nearby Vault located in a mountainside cavern at that time." Claire explained as Tsuna nodded.

"You mean Elder Maxson's son? The one set to inherit the Brotherhood once he finally kicks the bucket?"

"Indeed, however do not slander the Elder's name, Tsuna." Claire warned. "Or the way the Brotherhood does things."

"I'm not, I just think our.. outlook on others is a bit outdated. I mean, I get the whole for humanity and humanity's future bit, but.. I don't know. Nate showed us that there can be perfectly civil Super Mutants, Ghouls, Synths.. Plus, Super Mutants and Ghouls are still human, only dumbed down but bulked up for the Mutants. And Ghouls are fine people, as long as they keep their sense of self and don't go feral." Tsuna sighed, leaning her head back. "All I'm saying is that maybe the Elder acts too rashly due to past actions of those groups, which is why people in the Commonwealth were beginning to dislike the Brotherhood until that treaty was signed just before we were assigned here."

Claire laughed. "When did you get so insightful? Although you may be onto something. Who knows what the future holds, no?"

"Yeah, guess you're right. Still, how do we even know it's him?"

"From what I was told, a mercenary was sent to investigate one of the nearby Vaults, supposedly having been told someone dropped a baby off at this Vault eighteen years ago. That seemed like as good a reason as any for our cell to come here ahead of the Prydwen. Latest reports, however, say our mercenary friend slaughtered everyone else but this supposed heir in the Vault, an effort to force them out of the comfort of the Vault itself. They even left a note for the kid, telling him to come meet up here at the Asylum Pub. So, if he's coming from a Vault, he'd probably be dressed in one of those ridiculous jumpsuits."

"So, basically just look out for someone wearing a Vault suit? Sounds easy enough, unless he picked up another outfit while traveling."

"True, but even then most outfits found in the Wasteland are crap unless he had the skill of a seamstress."

"Guess that's true. I'm gonna go grab something from the cafeteria. You want anything?"

Claire shook her head. "Nah, I'll stay here and keep watch. Wouldn't want something like that sudden ghoul attack three days ago to happen again." Nodding, Tsuna turned and walked inside the former mental hospital.

Red Rocket Gas Station, Northern Beacon Wasteland..

It had taken Nick about an hour and a half to reach the still-standing gas station, the teenager thankful Vault 125 had carried a preserved library of music from before the War as it allowed him something to listen to while traveling. He'd been able to collect quite a bit on his way over as well, including several stimpaks as well as a treasure trove of not just Rad-Away pouches but a bunch of different scraps as well. Nick thanked whoever was listening that he'd honed his strength enough to carry a lot without hindering his traveling. There were also a few chunks of mole rat and mongrel meat he'd collected after being attacked by the mutated animals. He would be risking a higher chance of radiation sickness by eating them raw, but Nick was confident he could stave off his hunger until he could find somewhere to rest up and cook up something. I miss the greenhouse.. Even if it was only fruit and vegetables, they were at least clean of radiation.

Nick had learned fast that the Wasteland was deadly in all too many ways. Especially by water, as even standing fifteen feet or so away from any bodies of water larger than a backyard pond practically glowed from the high amount of Rads present. Not to mention Nick had spotted a suspiciously large amount of nests around one particular lake, making the teen want to avoid that area as long as possible in fear of what laid the many eggs dotting the Lakeshore.

Then there were the bugs.. He'd only spied bloodbugs and radroaches- irradiated mosquitoes and cockroaches respectively- so far, but that didn't bode well on what could still lurk out in the Wastes. As he entered the gas station, he noticed a functional terminal nearby as well as a pot situated in one corner, a fire crackling slowly underneath it. Does that mean someone else has been here recently? There's no way that's just stayed lit for longer than a couple hours at most at this point. Nick thought as he sat down, ready to cook his gathered food. Suddenly, there was a clang of metal hitting the floor from the small office situated along the back wall, more sounds following as Nick kept an eye on the doorway. The sounds got louder and faster as Nick finished gathering up his now cooked meat until the door blasted against the outside wall and a blue began rushing around the room near Nick. Frightened, Nick just watched the blur until it finally came to a stop, revealing itself to be a.. dog?! A pomsky, if Nick's knowledge of dog breeds was correct. The dog looked at the teen with a curiosity that made Nick chuckle.

"Hey there, little guy. You lost your owner or something?" He asked, holding his hand out with a chunk of Mole Rat meat sitting in his palm.

The dog inched closer, sniffing his hand before tentatively grabbing the piece of meat, its muzzle smacking as it chewed the morsel. When it had finished, the dog barked playfully, wagging its tail happily as Nick laughed. "Good boy. You wanna stick with me for a while?"

The dog barked again, running around Nick in a circle. "You're certainly energetic, I'll give you that." Nick looked at the map on his Pip-Boy, seeing that his target location of Ravenwood wasn't that far off anymore, either. "Huh. Seems we'll make pretty good time.. you good, boy?" The dog was looking off in another direction, ears slicked back and a growl emanating from its jaws. Nick followed the dog's line of sight over the ledge of the window, seeing three figures approaching.

Two looked almost identical in the armor they wore, seeming more like guards to the third figure, which would track going by appearances as she looked like a goddess come to life, or perhaps a priestess was more appropriate. "Find the stash of Caps the stuffs down the road told us was here." She said, commanding the other two.

"Yes, Lady Hades!" Nick heard the guards reply, readying his own weapon, a stealthy crossbow. The woman- this Lady Hades- seemed to be keeping back as he heard the boots of the two guards enter the old station, crunching on leaves and other debris.

Nick managed to stay hidden long enough to take out the two cronies easily enough, but a peek outside made him realize the woman was gone from sight. A sudden warmth brought his attention to a blue flame, billowing in the dry breeze as it perched on top of the finger of the woman, who smirked at Nick while holding another weapon against his stomach. "You were right to kill my idiot subordinates, the useless ingrates. However, I can't simply keep you alive after stumbling upon us and our new little camp."

"I didn't know this area was claimed by anyone, you know. I only just left the Vault this morning."

The woman looked at him curiously. "A Vault, you say? Well now, I guess you've just bumped yourself from nuisance to interesting. Night night." Before Nick could ask what she meant, Lady Hades pulled the trigger on the taser, shocking Nick into unconsciousness. The dog, watching the scene unfold from an uncovered ventilation shaft, waited for the woman to drag Nick away before rushing off towards Ravenwood, a Vault-Tec key card with Nick's name written on it in his jaws.

Later, Ravenwood, Asylum Pub..

The dog spotted his target well before they noticed him as he scampered through the doors to the bar as the pale pink-haired girl spoke with her friend. "No sign of the guy yet, huh?" Tsuna asked Claire as she spun back and forth on her bar stool, bored otherwise with her surroundings.

Claire shook her head as she downed a glass of Gwinnett Pale Ale. "Nope. Strange thing, too, since the message the merc sent ahead was saying the kid should be here by sundown at the latest."

"You don't think he got killed or something on the way here, do you?" Tsuna asked as her eyes fell on the dog. "Aw, look at you little guy! Where did you come from?" The dog barked before dropping the ID key card from his maw, Tsuna grimacing as she picked it up. "Vault 125 Identification.. Claire!"

Claire stood up quickly. "What is it, Tsuna?"

"I think.. this dog may know where our guest is."

"What are you talking abo-" Claire's words were cut off as Tsuna pushed the ID card into the other girl's hand, the pinkette's eyes widening. "Oh, yeah that's gotta be the one we're looking for."

"How do you know for sure?" Tsuna asked as Claire pointed to a section of very fine print, where the date of Nick's birth was printed. "So..?"

Claire groaned, rubbing her temples. "The date, you stupid bitch. What was the one concrete fact we had about the Elder's son before coming here to look for him?"

Tsuna thought about it for a few moments, the dog watching her as expectantly as Claire was as the blonde hummed. "Oh, we were told his exact date of birth!"

"Exactly. And the date we were given to keep an ear out for was..?" Claire smiled. Sometimes it was more fun to tease Tsuna than not for her blonde hair despite the girl's intelligence.

"April twenty-ninth.." Tsuna realized the truth as she looked back at the ID card. "Oh. Oh, fuck. What do we do?" The Scribe looked at the dog again. "Hey, boy, do you know where he is?" She asked the dog, pointing to the small mugshot of Nick.

The dog barked with a nod of his head, running in a circle before bounding back out of the door of the pub, his head poking back in the doorway watching Claire and Tsuna. Claire giggled at the adorable animal. "Seems like that's a yes. Come on, Tsuna, before we lose any kind of tracking advantage." With a nod, Tsuna and Claire followed after the dog, hot on the trail of their now missing target.

Meanwhile, at a table set up on the other side of the pub, two figures sat. "Whatcha think? Odd for the Brotherhood to be looking for a person instead of some fucking toaster." The one asked his friend, chuckling.

"No clue, first time I'm hearing of such a thing. Maybe we should go and check it out? If this guy is so important to the BoS, we should find a way to leverage that importance in our favor."

The first shook their head. "Nah, the Brotherhood paid me all too well to just find out where the kid is, if they're talking about the same guy. Sure, it was lessened for killing everyone else in that Vault, but trying to leverage him against the ones looking for him would be suicide for mercy for us."

"You mean mercs like you. I just join you on jobs when my own docket of work is thin. Maybe I'll go see what the fuss is all about myself, then." The young woman got up and holstered the scoped pistol she carried on her hip. "See you around. Gotta catch up if I hope to find out what the big deal is."

The male mercenary chuckled, waving her off. "Take care of yourself, Marsha. I'd hate to hear my favorite assistant got herself killed for being curious."

"Curiosity may kill the cat, but that's why they have nine lives, right?" Laughed Marsha Sevente as she left the bar in pursuit of the two Brotherhood of Steel members.

Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the Wasteland..

The young woman with dark brown hair sighed as she sat down in the ruins of a house, breathing heavily as she hoped her pursuers had decided to get tired of chasing after her. Ever since the few NCR enforcers and Brotherhood bounty offices had sent out the bounty on her head for being a remnant member of the Enclave, Quinn Trese had had very little peace. In fact, she'd only been able to rest herself for a good three hours if the last two days, making her extremely tired yet Quinn willed herself to stay awake. It was then she got a transmission over the portable radio she carried, originating from a nearby Raider camp. She wasn't paying much attention to it, only hearing that they had a Vault Dwellers in their custody..

A/N: Hello everyone, welcome to yet again another brainchild from the insanity that is me. This time around, a Fallout story mixed with other pop culture in a hugely different version of the Wasteland than you've seen as this is not just Fallout plus say Final Fantasy which would really just be a more modernized Elder Scrolls in my opinion. No, this is Fallout with FF, KH, Naruto, Bleach is there somewhere, plus so much more. My issue with writing this is that the formation of new factions within this version of the Wasteland will be slow coming but most of the bigger players (BoS, Enclave Remnant, a second Institute which may or may not be one of the more penultimate evil factions, etc.) are still here, as I need something more substantially rooted in the base lore to make some things I want present to work. And yes, this is a harem fic however despite my trying to line up an ending where an ultimate villainous organization is singled out, there will be at least one girl from said faction that doesn't affect the harem itself. I don't like losing characters unless necessary for the plot (See my series Secrets of the Pizzaplex or the Digital War for such examples). I do hope someone likes this one, as being a Fallout fan who doesn't get nearly enough time to play (yet have watched way too much lore videos on YouTube), this story has been in the back of my mind to write for months now. Hell, this is technically the first version to be posted, but I have a few differing Fallout ideas I am trying to type to the written word, lol, one of those possibly being put up fairly soon depending on how my writing schedule evolves going forward. Anyway, goodbye everyone, and I hope to see you in the next chapter.