Chapter 16: The Lone Wanderer Rises

Marcus parked his truck just inside the gates of Megaton and sprinted into his home, and as soon as he had entered he began removing the Ranger body armor that he'd been wearing for what seemed like ages. As he began looking through his lockers, the door to his house opened and Charon stepped inside; panting and trying to catch his breath. "What...are you...doing?"

Marcus ignored the ghoul and continued searching his lockers. "Come on it's gotta be some...aha! Here it is!" He removed the Armored Vault 101 suit and began to put it on. Charon looked at his friend with a look of both puzzlement and worry. Since receiving the distress call from Amata begging him to return to the Vault, Marcus was acting like a man on a mission; a mission he was determined to see through to the end. This sense of urgency along with his driving skills (or lack there of), had nearly gotten them both killed several times on the trip back from downtown D.C.

"Why are you not wearing the Ranger armor?" Charon asked. "It will provide you better protection then...that."

Marcus shoved his arms into the suit. "From the message it sounds like things are pretty tense down there, and me showing up dressed like a commando might make people shoot first and ask questions later." He pulled the front zipper up and headed for the bathroom. "But if I show up in something that resembles a Vault 101 suit, they might hesitate long enough for me to at least talk to them." Marcus began to wash his face in the basin. The truth was he had only told Charon half of his reasoning for changing suits. As ridiculous as it sounded, Marcus wanted to look (and smell) good when he saw Amata again.

Charon watched his friend check himself in the mirror. "I should go with you."

Marcus shook his head. "I'm sorry but you can't. The people in my Vault have never seen a ghoul, and many of them are not as...opened minded as I am. Trust me, it's better if I go alone."

Charon shook his head. "I don't like this. You said the Overseer has it in for you, and for all you know this could be a trap."

Marcus walked out of the bathroom. "That was Amata's voice, I'm sure of it. There's no way she would go along with something like that." He began to strap the holster for his sawed-off shotgun to his right thigh, and the desert eagle holster to his right hip.

"Are you sure about that, Marcus?" Charon asked.

Marcus locked and loaded his desert eagle. "I'd stake my life on it, Charon."

"Good, because that's exactly what you'll be doing."

The grim reality of the situation hit Marcus as he holstered his pistol.

The two friends stared at the dilapidated door which lead to the entrance of Vault 101. Marcus decided to take only his two side arms and a couple of frag grenades for good measure. It was part of his strategy of not alarming the Vault residence when he arrived. "If I'm not back in forty-eight hours assume the worst." He told Charon.

"If you're not back in forty-eight hours I'm coming in after you. The password is your girl's name, right?"

"Yes, but they'll probably change it by then."

Charon had a look of dread on his face. "Then what will I do if you don't return?"

Marcus took a deep breath, he really hadn't thought about that. He looked at his friend, then tossed him his key ring. "Then enjoy the house and the truck."

Without saying another word, Marcus entered the cave.

After typing Amata's name into the control console, the Vault's door alarm began to wail, and the giant cog was pulled out of the way. Marcus expected about a dozen guards to be waiting for him, and he took aim with his desert eagle and held his breath. To his relief, as the cog was rolled away there was no sign of anyone. He carefully took a few steps inside and looked around. There were police barricades, baseball bats, a sledgehammer and tools scattered around. He walked further inside and discovered the decomposing bodies of Jim Wilkins and Steve Armstrong lying at the foot of the door controls. Marcus' blood ran cold as his stared at the remains of two people he had grown up with, left to rot in the Vault entrance room like they were nothing.

He opened the door leading into the rest of the Vault and was immediately confronted by an armed Officer Gomez. "Stop right there! I don't know how you got in here, but...hold on...wait a minute! It's you! I hardly recognized you with all the dust and grime from out there. Guess that explains how you got that door open; you've got more experience with it then anyone else down here."

Marcus was grateful that it was Officer Gomez who discovered him first. Perhaps he wouldn't have to shoot his way in. Still training their guns on each other, Marcus took a chance. "I got a message from Amata. She said there was trouble down here and asked me for help."

Gomez raised his eyebrows. "Ah, Amata. It doesn't surprise me that she sent you a message, but I would keep that under your hat for her sake. A lot of people would be upset is she found out she contacted you."

"So what happens now?"

Gomez pondered that for a moment. "Well, I suppose I should arrest you and take you to the Overseer, but I know better then to try that. Besides, I owe you for saving me the day you escaped."

Marcus lowered his pistol, and Gomez did the same. "What the hell happened down here?"

"The night you and your dad left, everything went crazy. Between the bugs and confusion, we lost a lot of people. But the worst is what happened afterwards. When you're dad opened that gate a lot of people, mostly the young ones, began to think he had the right idea. He usually did. They figured if it was safe out there, why stay down here forever. That really sent the Overseer over the edge, and he began cracking down on anyone who even thought about leaving. A riot broke out and now the Vault is pretty much evenly divided, between those who want to open the Vault, and those who support the Overseer."

Marcus listened to Gomez explain what had happened to his home and his heart sank. Both he and his father had touched off a civil war within the Vault, and people had already died as a result of that. "I need to speak to Amata. Could you take me to her?"

Gomez nodded. "It's the least I can do. Her and those rebels would like to talk to you, more then ever. Besides, maybe you can help end this."

Marcus followed Gomez into the Upper Atrium of the Vault. Just inside the door he spotted Officer Taylor, the oldest of the security force, standing behind a make shift barricade with a 10mm pistol in his hand. Standing at the other end of the Atrium was one of Marcus' childhood friends Freddie Gomez, who was holding a switch blade and wearing a Tunnel Snakes jacket.

"That's it old man!" Freddie yelled. "We're opening that door, and to hell with the Overseer's rules!"

Officer Taylor's gun hand began to shake. "You know I can't do that Freddie. Now get back down below, before I have to do something we'll both regret."

"You can't cage a Tunnel Snake, man. We rule!"

Marcus rolled his eyes. He can't believe that Freddie had fallen in with those idiots.

Freddie took a few steps forward, and Officer Taylor panicked. "Stay back!" He fired a single shot that whizzed passed Freddie's arm by inches, and the Tunnel Snake ran out of the Atrium.

"What the hell are you doing, Taylor!" Officer Gomez yelled. "You almost shot my son!"

"I didn't mean to fire, I really didn't. I just wanted to scare him off, but he had a knife! I can't be too careful with those rebels." Taylor looked past Gomez and spotted Marcus. "Don't you know enough to stay away!"

Marcus carefully approached the shaken officer. "What happened down here, Taylor?"

"I lost my poor Agnes, is what happened. In all the chaos and fighting, her ticker just couldn't take it anymore." Taylor suddenly stared daggers at Marcus. "And it's all you and your dad's fault!"

Marcus saw the hurt and anger in Officer Taylor's eyes. He couldn't blame the man. Agnes was a good woman who was always nice to him, and she didn't deserve what had happened to her. He continued to follow Gomez through the Vault, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Whole doorways had been blocked off by make-shift barricades made up of furniture, spare parts and scrape metal. The Overseer's signs explaining the rules of the Vault had things like "fuck you", and "fuck the Overseer" spray painted over them. The scene reminded him of what Vault 106 looked like after the Vault residents went mad. 'That is not going to happen here.' Marcus thought. Officer Gomez stopped at the foot of the staircase leading up to the Vault's medical wing. "Amata and the others are held up in medical. You'd better go alone, they won't be too happy to see me."

Marcus understood. "Thank you, Officer Gomez."

Gomez looked him straight in the eye. "You want to thank me, kid? Put an end to this madness, before it kills us all." The Officer turned and left, and Marcus slowly ascended the stairs. When he reached the top, he was met by his old nemesis and leader of the Tunnel Snakes, Butch DeLoria. "Well look who decided to waltz back in here. You got balls coming back after you and your dad screwed everything up!"

Marcus tightened the grip on his pistol and walked towards him. "I'm here to see Amata, Butch. I don't have time for any of your bullshit!"

Butch grinned. "Oh, so that's why you're back. I understand, Amata is a fine piece of ass..."

Marcus grabbed Butch by his shirt collar and shoved him up against the wall and pointed the desert eagle in his face. The Tunnel Snake leader was clearly taken off guard by Marcus' strength and tenacity, and put both hands up. "Whoa, you got a little fire in yeah since you left, hu."

Marcus was not in a joking mood. "Where is she?" he growled.

"What's going on?"

Marcus turned in the direction of where the voice, the most beautiful he'd heard in weeks, came from. A moment later he saw her standing in the passageway, and he released his hold on Butch. He stood there and took in the sight of her beautiful face, her eyes, her hair, her body - everything. Amata looked like the rest of the Vault residents: haggard and exhausted, as if they had been through a living nightmare. But none of that mattered to Marcus. To him, she was just as beautiful as the day he had left.

Amata heard the commotion in the passageway and rushed over to see what was happening. The last thing she expected to see was Marcus pinning Butch up against the bulkhead with the largest pistol she had ever seen. She stood there in a daze as she stared at the man she loved. He was grime and dirty, his hair was longer then the last time she'd seen him, and he hadn't shaved in a couple of days, which gave him a gruff appearance. The strange Vault 101 suit was tight on him, and Amata noticed that he was leaner and had gained more muscle tone since he'd left. His shoulders were also broader then she's remembered and...did he get taller? Amata found herself getting flushed as the blood rushed to her cheeks, and when she finally regained her voice she practically shrieked. "Oh my God you're back! You heard my message and actually came back!"

The two lovers rushed into each other's arms and kissed each other passionately.

"Oh, get a room, you two." Butch whined.

The two lovers didn't care. They continued to embrace, and a crowd of almost two dozen rebels began to gather. Being conscious that they were being watched, Marcus and Amata reluctantly separated.

"I came as soon as I heard you were in trouble."

Amata smiled at him. "Oh thank you! Everything's gone crazy since you left, and now that you're back, you can help set things straight."

Marcus looked around. "Tell me, what exactly has happened down here?"

Amata sighed and stared at the ground. "My father has gone mad with power, that's what. After you'd left, I dug deeper into my father's records, and I discovered that those scouting parties he'd sent out were not the only times the Vault had been opened. Apparently the Vault had been opened when we were babies, and they decided to seal it and keep the truth from us forever. Don't you see, everything that happened that night: Jonas being killed, you being hunted down...it was all to protect a lie! Even now my father will not accept that many of us want to open the Vault, and he's declared martial law. A few days ago he even arrested Brotch for subversion."

"Brotch! He doesn't have a subversive bone in his body."

A bitter chuckle escaped from Amata. "Yeah well, try telling my father that."

Marcus took a look at the rag-tag group of rebels - and decided they needed some privacy. "We need to come up with a plan on how to stop your father. We should talk more in private."

A small glimmer appeared in Amata's eye. "Okay. My quarters are down this way."

She led Marcus down the hall away from prying eyes. Butch turned to Freddie and smirked. "Oh yeah, they're going to come up with a plan alright."

The two Tunnel Snakes began to laugh. Susie Mack, Amata's friend, smacked Freddie in the arm. "Knock it off, you two!"

Marcus and Amata entered the small make-shift bedroom, and before the door had even closed, they embraced and began to kiss. All of their longing, hunger and anticipation for each other were released in a frenzy of kissing and grabbing, and Amata pulled Marcus' suit over his shoulders, and he practically ripped his arms free of it.

"Is the door locked?" Amata managed to asked.

Marcus fumbled for the zipper to her jumpsuit. "I don't care!" He managed to pull the zipper down and placed his hand down inside her suit. Amata moaned. "Me neither!"

After more fumbling, the two lovers fell down onto the bed.

A naked Amata laid down on the bed next to Marcus, covered in sweat and panting. "Wow...that was...you were...where did..."

Marcus stared up at the ceiling and grinned. 'Thank you, Clover.' he thought to himself.

Amata took a few moments to catch her breath. Making love to Marcus was always wonderful, but this session made her see fireworks. "Who taught you to do tha..."

Before she could finish, Marcus gently placed his finger on her lips. "Shhhh. I'm here with you now, that's all that matters."

Amata stared into his brown eyes; eyes filled with love and regret. All of those weeks that he'd been gone, Amata had wondered if he had been with someone else, and his performance and look in his eyes confirmed her fears. While it hurt her, she couldn't make herself be angry with him. They both knew the odds were against them seeing each other ever again after he'd left, and it would only be natural for him to find someone who could make him happy; especially out there in the hell that was the wasteland. But he was here now, in her arms, and that's all that mattered. "I love you, Marcus." she whispered.

Marcus felt the relief wash over him. "I love you, too." They shared a kiss and stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Amata was caressing his stomach when she felt the scare tissue from the laser burn he'd received a few days ago. She began to look at his body more closely and discovered more scares: the gun shot wounds he'd received to his left arm, and the three gashes that ran from his face and down to his chest. Marcus could see the look of horror in her eyes and he quickly sat up on the edge of the bed. He reached down on the floor to pick up his jumpsuit, and he heard a gasp escape from Amata. She was staring at his back, which was covered with the whip marks left by Eulogy Jone's men. Marcus sat on the bed frozen as Amata's trembling hand gently touched the scares.

"My God!" Her voice cracked. "What happened to you?"

Marcus closed his eyes as he tried to forget the terrible memory. The last thing he wanted to do was relive what happened in Paradise Falls, and he certainly did not want Amata to know that such a place actually existed. More importantly, he didn't want her to know what he had done to escape. Without turning to face her, Marcus took a deep breath. "I was captured by slavers a few days after I left. They wanted information on the Vault and I wouldn't give it to them...so they tortured me."

Tears began to form in Amata's eyes. "Was that in Paradise Falls?"

Shocked, Marcus spun around. "How do you know about that place?"

"One of our first acts of resistance was to listen to quote "illegal" radio transmissions from the outside."

Marcus cursed under his breath. 'Damn Three Dog!' he thought. "So you've heard all the stories on GNR radio?"

Amata's face beamed with pride. "Most of us, even me, didn't believe that it was you Three Dog was talking about." She stood up and walked over to him, pressing her naked breast against his chest. "But after seeing you," she gently placed her hand on the scares on his cheek, "I know the truth: you are the Lone Wanderer who's been fighting evil and saving people all over the Wasteland."

Marcus shook his head. Even in the Vault he couldn't escape from the 'legend' that Three Dog had created around him. "Those broadcast on GNR do not tell you the full story, Amata. They do not tell you the dark side of what I have seen...or what I have done. There are horrors out there that you can't imagine." Marcus took a deep breath and braced himself for the reaction to what he was about to say next. "And that is why I think your father is right. You shouldn't leave the Vault."

Amata's jaw dropped. "What? What are talking about?"

"You are not ready for the dangers out there, none of you are. I know things are not perfect down here, but at least you're safe."

"Safe! Look around, Marcus. Do you call this safe? We are practically living under a military dictatorship! Of all people I thought you would understand! Don't you see, we don't want to leave the Vault, we want to open it. We want to trade and interact with the outside world."

Marcus placed his hands on her arms. "Even that is dangerous, Amata. That door is the only thing between you and the horrors on the other side of it! Your security force can't even stop a handful of teenagers from taking over half the Vault. They wouldn't stand a chance against raiders or super mutants."

Amata pushed his hands away. "And do you think things will ever go back to the way they were before? There is no going back, my father saw to that when his goons began arresting and killing people. But my father isn't the worst danger facing this Vault. Me and Brotch crunched some numbers last week, which is why he was arrested shortly after. If we spend a few more generations locked up down here our gene pool will break down and collapse. Don't you see? In a few decades we'll be nothing but a bunch of in-breds eking out an existence. The bottom line is, if we don't open that door and interact with the outside world, the Vault will slowly die."

Marcus stood there and looked into Amata's beautiful eyes which were filled with fire and passion. If there was one thing he knew about his girlfriend, is that once she'd made up her mind it was almost impossible for anyone to change it. While this was one of the many qualities he loved about her, in that moment he was cursing it. What she was saying made sense, but she still had no idea what was waiting for them out there. It was time for him to tell them. "Alright, but this decision has to be made by all of you Amata. It's too important." He began to step into his armored 101 suit. "I think it's time I addressed your troops."

Amata wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Can't we just lock ourselves in here forever instead?"

Marcus stared at her naked body and took her in his arms. "Maybe for just a little while longer."

Amata smiled, and the two lovers embraced again.

Freddie Gomez, Susie Mack and her brother Wally Mack, were sitting in the Vault's classroom talking about Marcus' return.

"I can't believe he had the guts to come back here!" Wally Mack lamented as he paced back and forth. "After all the shit he and his father caused he has the balls to..."

"Oh stop it, Wally!" His sister Susie yelled. "You know the Overseer is the one who caused all of this."

Wally was incredulous. "I can't believe you're still defending him after he killed our father!"

"Rad roaches killed Dad, Wally, you know that!"

"It's true," Freddie spoke up, "my father was there and he saw what happened."

"If he hadn't caused all of that confusion my father would've killed those damn..."

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused Wally to stop, and when he turned he was face-to-face with Marcus. Wally, who had every intention of confronting Marcus just a few seconds ago, backed down at the sight of the heavily armed Wanderer. The rest of the rebels gathered around, and Marcus addressed them. "Amata tells me you want to open the Vault and interact with the outside world. Before you make a decision like that, I feel I have to tell you exactly what is waiting for you out there."

"Oh are you?" Butch was leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed. "What do you plan on doin', scaring us into keeping the Vault closed? We've heard it all before pal: super mutants, cannibals, radiation. Well I'd rather face all of that then be stuck down in this Vault one more minute!"

The rest of the rebels loudly voiced their agreement. Marcus slowly approached Butch until the two were face-to-face. "You really think you're ready for what's out there, Butch?"

Butch spread his arms out. "Man, I can handle anything this Wasteland throws at me! Hell if a goody-two-shoes like you could make it out there how hard can it be?"

Marcus grinned and shook his head. He took a step back and unzipped the front of his jumpsuit, then pulled it down to his waist. Everyone gasped when they saw his scares.

Butch's mouth dropped open. "Holy shit!"

Even though she had already seen them, Amata couldn't bare to look at the pain Marcus had been through and she looked away. Marcus pulled his jumpsuit back over his torso and zipped it up. "Now, let me tell you how I got those scares."

For over an hour Marcus told them exactly what had happened to him since the day he'd left to Vault. He didn't sugar coat anything, or leave out any details (except for his relationship with Clover, for Amata's sake). He told them about all the horrible people and creatures he had encountered, but also of the amazing friends he had made, like Charon, the Brotherhood of Steel and the Rangers. He told them about Project Purity, the reason behind his father leaving the Vault. When he was finished, the room was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop.

"Wow." It was Christine Kendell, a rebel who lost both her mother and sister in a fire that started the night of Marcus' escape. That one word described the sentiment of everyone in the room, and Amata slowly approached Marcus and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Marcus." She looked at her people. "I think we have a lot to discuss."

Marcus stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in and kissed Amata. "Whatever you decide, I will support you."

Amata beamed at him. "Thank you."

Their bliss was interrupted by one of the rebels running into the classroom. "Heads up! The Overseer's coming with his goons!"

The rebels quickly began arming themselves with baseball bats, pipes, wrenches, switch blades - Marcus even spotted someone with a home made dart gun. Marcus' instincts kicked in, and he put his hand on his pistol, but Amata grabbed his wrist. "Marcus, no please! Despite everything that's happened he's still my father. Let me talk to him."

Marcus didn't like the idea of facing the Overseer with his guns holstered, but Amata's touch and the look in her eyes changed his mind. "Alright...as long as he's civil."

Holding hands, Marcus and Amata followed the rebels into the passageway.

The Overseer appeared inside the entrance to the medical wing, flanked by four of his security officers: Gomez, Taylor, John Kendall, and Wilkins who took over as Chief of Security after Hannon's death. The rebels stood about fifteen feet down the passageway, and a small stand-off ensued. Marcus and Amata made their way through the crowd until they were standing at the front of it.

The sight of Amata's arm around Marcus made Alphonse's blood boil. "So it's true. You have returned. Done with the dust and ruins of the Wasteland, are you? Given up looking for daddy? Thought you could just slink back in, like a teen missing curfew? Well that's too bad. You have no future in this Vault."

Marcus was not about to be intimidated. "I'm here to stop your madness, Alphonse."

"That's Overseer to you, punk!" Officer Wilkins spat out.

Marcus stared at the Vault's new head of security. Wilkins was always a hard-ass, and could be as bad, if not worst, then Chief Hannon. The Overseer continued. "Madness! You mean the madness you and your father started the day you tried to destroy this Vault?"

"Father you know that's not true! Marcus' dad didn't leave to destroy the Vault, he left because..."

"And you young lady," the Overseer pointed his finger at her, "I cannot believe you have betrayed me like this! For him!"

"I didn't betray you, father. You betrayed the people of this Vault by..."

"I AM NOT HERE TO DEBATE WITH YOU!"

Her father's outburst sent a chill up Amata's spine, and Marcus pulled her behind him.

"Now I have tolerated your insolents long enough!" the Overseer yelled. "I chalked it up to a case of 'teenage rebellion', but by aligning yourself with him you have gone too far!" He pointed at Marcus. "Look at him! He has been tainted by the Wasteland. Oh he may wear the number 101 on his back, but he is no longer a member of this community. In fact, he never was one of us."

Marcus tensed up after that last part of Alphonse's rant, and everyone, even Amata, began looking at him. The Overseer noticed this immediately and smirked. "What's the matter? You never mentioned that to my daughter during your meetings?" He spit the last part out. "The truth is he was not born in this Vault, he was born out there! In the filth of the Wasteland!"

Murmurs could be heard among the rebels, and Marcus looked down into Amata's eyes. "Marcus...is he..."

Marcus nodded. "It's true. I found out after I'd left and went looking for my father."

The Overseer felt truimphant. "You see, he admits it! The only reason I allowed him and his father in was because we needed a doctor. Had I known then what I know now, I would've left him to die like the bastard he is!"

Marcus' fist clenched and his jaw hardened. For a moment he considered activating his VATS and ending the Overseer where he stood. Amata must have sensed his anger and quickly spoke up. "It doesn't matter where Marcus is from, father. It doesn't change the fact that you were wrong."

The rest of the rebel's agreed. The Overseer took a step forward. "Amata, all of you, everything I have done was to protect you, don't you see that?"

"Were you protecting my grandson when your men killed him in cold blood?"

The voice belonged to Lucy Palmer, Jonas' grandmother. The frail woman made her way through the sea of rebels and confronted the Overseer. "Were you protecting my boy when your security chief put a bullet between his eyes?"

For the first time during the heated exchange, the Overseer showed a small hint of regret. Gathering his composer, he continued. "I am here to tell you that this rebellion of yours is over. If you do not surrender and end this insanity in exactly twenty-four hours, my security detail will retake this section of the Vault by force!" He looked his daughter dead in the eye. "And I have authorized the use of live ammunition if necessary."

Amata stepped closer to her father. "You can't be serious! You wouldn't!"

Alphonse didn't flinch. "Your betray has left me no choice." He looked at Marcus. "I will not let him, or anyone, destroy this Vault. Twenty-four hours starting now." The Overseer turned to leave, and his security detail began to slowly back away.

Butch Deloria jumped to the front of the crowd of rebels. "Yeah well bring it on, old man!" The Tunnel Snakes and most of the rebels began to yell and taught the Overseer. Butch continued with his threats. "We'll be ready for ya! And we'll send your goons back to you on stretchers!"

The Overseer and his guards left, but Officer Gomez lingered afterwards. He holstered his pistol and approached his son, who was standing with Butch and the rest of the Tunnel Snakes. "Freddie please, I'm begging you! He is serious this time! They will come back tomorrow and when they do, people will die." He held out his hand. "Please, return to me and your mother, and I promise you'll be alright."

The hurt and anguish in his father's eyes was enough to break Freddie's heart. He looked over at his friends, who were ready to risk their lives for what they believed in, and he shook his head. "I'm sorry Dad, but I can't. You do what you have to do. I will do what I must." Freddie and the rest of the rebels returned to the classroom, and Officer Gomez lowered his head. As he began to walk away, Amata ran up to him and grabbed his arm. "Officer Gomez I'm sorry. I'll try to convince Freddie to go back with you. You've always been good to us and it's the least I can do."

Gomez stared back at her with sad eyes. Quickly he looked over his shoulder, then leaned in and whispered something into Amata's ear. He turned and left, and Amata stood there with a shocked look on her face. Marcus approached her. "What did he tell you?"

Amata pulled Marcus into his father's old clinic. "He told me the password to Brotch's cell, and the code to get into the armory."

Marcus couldn't believe their luck. "We just might be able to end this without more bloodshed."

"Exactly! If we can get my father away from Wilkins and the rest of those goons, I think I can persuade him to stop."

Marcus was more then skeptical. "I don't know, Amata. He seemed pretty serious back there."

Amata shook her head. "I know my father and the truth is he's actually afraid of his security force. He's afraid if he shows weakness there might be a coup. If I can get him alone for just a few minutes we could end this peacefully."

Marcus glanced down at his side-arms. "I hope you're right, Amata, because one way or another this ends tonight. Now get the other leaders of your rebels and bring them here. I have a plan."

A lone security guard was standing watch outside of the Vault's security office when Amata approached with her hands up.

"Hold it right there!" The Officer said as he drew his 10mm pistol.

"Please don't shoot! I'm the Overseer's daughter and I surrender!"

She approached the guard, who could not believe his luck. The Overseer's daughter was surrendering to him! There would definitely be a promotion for him after this. He took Amata by the arm. "Don't do anything stupid." He entered the code to the security officer door and it opened. Inside was another security officer sitting behind a desk, and was shocked to see who was standing in the doorway.

The security officer holding Amata lowered his pistol and smiled. "Look what I found..."

Marcus smashed the guard in the back of the head with his desert eagle, knocking him out cold. The other guard shot out of his seat and reached for his pistol, but Marcus already had him covered with his own. "Don't!" He yelled.

The Officer froze and took in the scene in front of him. Amata had taken possession of the first guard's pistol and had it aimed at him. Butch, Freddie Gomez, Susie and Wally Mack, and three other armed rebels, stormed the security office. The lone guard knew he didn't have a chance and put his hands up.

"Tie him up and gag him." Marcus said.

Butch and Freddie subdued the Officer, while Amata punched in the password to Brotch's cell. The electronic locked opened, and a haggared looking Brotch excited the cell. "I'd heard you'd came back, but I didn't believe it."

Marcus approached his old teacher and the two men shook hands. "Are you alright?"

Brotch shrugged. "Yeah - all things considered." He watched as the others began raiding the armory of 10mm pistols, batons and riot gear. "What do you plan to do now?"

"You and the others are going to take these weapons back to medical. Amata and I are going to find the Overseer."

Butch walked up to them with a pistol in his hand. "Whoa, whoa what's this about 'waiting in medical'? With all this hardware we can take this Vault!"

Marcus ripped the pistol from his hand. "That will only lead to more bloodshed, Butch!"

"Hey what gives, why can't I have a gun?"

"No offense, Butch, but I wouldn't trust you with a gun of it was World War Four!"

Marcus began to walk away, but Butch wasn't having any of it. "Hey man, you're not going to make me sit this one out. You owe me that much!"

Marcus stopped dead in his tracks and turned to his old nemesis. "I owe you?"

"Yeah, that's right! The day you and your father left my mother died. She was killed by Rad Roaches and I..." Butch's voice seemed to crack, and he fought back the urge to cry. "...I was too much of a coward to save her! I stood there and watched her die!"

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and listened to Butch's confession. For the first time in his life, Marcus found himself feeling sorry for the gang leader.

"I swore I would never be a coward again. So like I said: you owe me this!"

Marcus regarded Butch for a moment, looking for any hint of insincerity. Having found none, he handed the pistol back to the Tunnel Snake leader. "Only as a last resort, Butch, or you'll answer to me."

Butch took the pistol and smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say goody-two-shoes."

Marcus ignored the comment. "I need you to take Brotch and these weapons back to the others and wait. Amata and I are going to give the Overseer one more chance to see reason."

Butch nodded. "Okay, and what happens if the old man still won't see reason?"

"We have their weapons." Marcus said. "No matter what happens with the Overseer, this war is over."

Butch and the others headed back to medical with the stash of weapons, leaving Marcus and Amata inside the security office. "So," Amata began, "how do you plan on getting to my father's office without being seen?"

Marcus smirked. "The same way we used to sneak around the Vault when we were kids."

A devilish grin appeared on Amata's face. "Let's go."

The Vault's ventilation ducks were big enough that Marcus and Amata, when they were kids, could crawl through them while being side-by-side each other. Now that they were adults, Amata was in front and Marcus was behind her. Though he felt cramped inside the steel ducks, Marcus had no complaints about the view. Amata must have sensed something, because she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Like what you see?"

Marcus reached out and grabbed what he was seeing. "Very much."

A pleasant sigh escaped from Amata. "Marcus...we have a mission. Besides, it's a little cramped in here."

Marcus reluctantly removed his hand. "Alright; lead the way."

It took a while, but they finally made it to the third level of the Vault where the Overseer's office was located. Once they were out of the vents, Marcus drew his pistol. "I'll go on ahead and make sure there your father's alone."

Amata took a deep breath. "Be careful."

They kissed and Marcus headed down the corridor. He decided to go through the system room that housed the Vault's mainframe, and from there was a passage that lead straight to the Overseer's office. He entered the room containing the massive servers and slowly made his way past them. Just as he'd passed the last one, he heard the sound of a pistol being cocked behind him and froze.

"Drop the gun and put your hands up!" It was the voice of Officer Wilkins. Marcus cursed himself for being so careless and did what he was told.

"Turn around."

Marcus turned and faced his captor. The new Chief of Security had the look of murder in his eyes. "You never should have left, kid. Now, we'll make sure nobody ever leaves again!"

A gunshot rang out, and Wilkins dropped to the ground dead. Marcus turned to his left and spotted Officer Gomez standing in the doorway with a recently fired 10mm pistol in his hand. Marcus put his hands down and didn't say a word as Gomez approached and looked down at Wilkins' corps. The Officer shrugged. "I never liked him anyway."

Marcus couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I guess we're even now." He bent down to pick up his desert eagle, and that's when a frantic Amata came rushing inside.

"Are you alright?"

Marcus raised his hand and nodded. "Yes, thanks to Officer Gomez, here."

"Please, just call me Gomez. He's inside his office. You two go and do what you have to do, I got your backs."

Marcus was the first to enter the Overseer's office, and it didn't take long to find him. Alphonse was standing in front of the round window which over looked the Vault's Atrium, staring out of it like a monarch looking over his kingdom. "People warned me about letting you and your father in." He said without turning. "They told me it would be a mistake to allow a tainted man and his offspring among our kind. I should've listened to them."

Amata approached her father. "Dad, Wilkins is dead. We have all of your weapons. It's over."

A bitter laugh escaped from the Overseer and he turned around. "How could you betray me like this, Amata? All of my life I have done what was best for this Vault."

"So did I, father."

Alphonse's jaw hardened. "By siding with him!"

"By being the leader you taught me to be!" Amata stepped closer until she was inches from her father. "Daddy, look at what has happened. The Vault is tearing itself apart, and in a few generations our entire gene pool will collapse. Don't you see? If we keep the Vault sealed and all you are doing is delaying the inevitable."

Alphonse stared down at his daughter, and for a moment his face beamed with the pride that only a father could know. He slowly raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek. "I love you, Amata."

Amata smiled back at him. Marcus relaxed and lowered his pistol.

The Overseer spun Amata around, held her with his left arm, and drew a 10mm pistol with his right hand. "Which is why I cannot allow this to happen!"

Marcus raised his desert eagle. "Alphonse stop this!"

Amata struggled against her father's grip. "Father please..."

"NO!" Alphonse screamed. "I will not let you turn her against me!" He pointed the gun at Amata's head.

"For God sake she's your daughter!"

"I would rather see her dead then end up like you!" He pressed the barrel of the gun against her head, and Amata screamed.

"Okay!" Marcus spread his hands out. "Don't kill her, kill me!" He slowly placed his desert eagle on the ground. "You're right, everything that happened here was my fault. I'm responsible. So kill me."

"NO PLEASE!" Amata pleaded.

Alphonse looked down at his daughter, then back to Marcus. "Fair enough." He aimed his pistol at Marcus.

Amata managed to free her hand and grabbed her father's wrist. "NO!"

The bullet struck Marcus in his right shoulder, causing him to scream and stumble backwards. Another gunshot rang out, but this one did not come from the Overseer. Amata was holding her own 10mm pistol underneath her left arm, with the barrel pointing at her father's chest behind her. Marcus could see the shocked look on Alphone's face, and the Overseer released his hold on his daughter. Amata turned, and with her hands shaking and tears in her eyes, she pointed the pistol at her father; who stumbled back against the massive desk. He looked down at the hole in his chest and began couching up blood. He stared at the tear filled eyes of his daughter; eyes that were begging him to stay back. Alphonse lunged forward, and Amata fired three more rounds into his chest. The Overseer died the moment he hit the ground.

"OH MY GOD!" Amata cried as the gun slipped from her hand. She knelt down by the corps of her father. "Please forgive me, daddy!"

As Amata wept over the body of her father, Marcus examined his shoulder, and found that the bullet had not penetrated the armor plating. 'Thank you, Moria.' he thought. Marcus heard footsteps coming down the hall, and Gomez entered the office. After taking in the horrific scene, he approached Marcus. "Are you alright?"

Marcus nodded, and he slowly approached Amata and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Amata."

Amata placed her hand on his. "I guess this was the only way it was going to end."

"It's over." Marcus said. "We saved the Vault."

Amata scoffed at his statement. "Did we? Who's going to lead us now? Without a leader the Vault will descend into chaos."

"You could lead the Vault, Amata." Marcus said.

Amata turned to him. "Me?" she shook her head. "The faction that followed my father will never accept me as their leader. Many of the people still blame you for what happened, and they know about us." She stared down at her father's body and caressed his face. "My father might have been able to bring this Vault back together...but I...I don't know what to do."

Marcus stood over Amata and heard what she was saying, and as much as he didn't want to, he found himself agreeing with her. The strife and division in the Vault would not die with the Overseer. He knelled down next to Amata. "There is one thing you can do that will not only show the people that you are the rightful leader, but will also begin to heal the Vaults wounds."

Amata looked into Marcus' eyes as she pondered what he was talking about. It didn't take her long to figure out what he wanted her to do - and she was horrified. "No! No, Marcus!"

Marcus stood up. "You have to, Amata."

Amata jumped up and grabbed him by his jumpsuit. "NO! I won't do it!"

"It is the only way, and you know it!"

"No, it's not!" she frantically shook her head. "We'll...we'll find another way!"

Marcus placed his hands on her's and gently pulled them off his suit. "You must exile me, Amata."

Amata continued to shake her head as tears filled her eyes. "No! NO!"

Marcus placed his hands on the sides of her face. "If I stay the wounds of this Vault will never heal. Every time people see me it will be like a scab being ripped off. If you exile me, you will prove to the people that you are willing to put them and this Vault ahead of your own desires. It will prove to them that you are ready to lead them."

Amata stared up at him. "But...I just got you back. This is your home, Marcus."

Marcus struggled to speak. "Your father was right about me, Amata. This is not my home - not anymore it isn't." He looked up as the tears began to fall. "I actually thought that you and I could be together." He placed his left palm against hers. "But it wasn't in the cards."

Amata pressed her head into his chest and wept. "I can't believe this is happening again."

Marcus wrapped his arms around her as the tears streamed down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, but it has to be this way." He released his embrace and removed a small memory card from his PIPBOY, which he handed to Amata. "I've marked down places in the Wasteland you should avoid at all cost. I also marked down all of the friendly settlements I know of. You have to promise me that you will make securing this Vault your number one priority, Amata. There is a man named Flak at a settlement called Rivet City. He can get you started. Promise me."

Amata took the memory card and nodded. "I will." She tried to wipe her tears away. "What will you do now?"

In that moment, standing in the Overseer's office and staring at the woman he loved, Marcus made a decision. In the last few weeks he had been trying to deny who he was - and more importantly, who he had become. He tried to blame people like Three Dog for creating the legend of the Lone Wanderer, but the truth was, Marcus had created the legend through his own actions. Maybe this was his destiny: to wander the waste and protect the innocent. Of that, he was still not sure of, but one thing was certain: he was not going to run any longer. Instead, he would embrace the legend that he had created.

Marcus stared at Amata with a look of determination that she had never seen before. "I'm going to find my father, and after I've done that, I am going to do everything I can to make this Wasteland a safe place for you. For you, the people of the Vault, everyone in Megaton, the ghouls in Underworld - everyone!"

The victorious rebels stood in the classroom as Amata briefed them on what had happened to her father, and as the knew Overseer, her first order of business was to exile Marcus. Only Gomez new the truth, and he had sworn to secrecy. Everyone else was shocked by the decision. Some of the residents, like Freddie, Mr. Brotch and Susie Mack, voiced their opposition to his exile, but most of the residents were glad to see him go. Marcus was leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed, looking angry and annoyed. The truth was, his heart was breaking, and he was trying like hell to hide it.

Amata turned and faced the man she loved. "I'm sorry, I know you've helped us but my decision is final. It's for the best."

Marcus couldn't look her in the eye; he knew if he did he would break down. "So that's it then? You're just throwing me out after everything I've done for you?"

Though she knew it was all an act, the words felt like daggers in Amata's heart. "I'm sorry, you're a hero...and now you have to leave."

Marcus stood up straight and took a deep breath. "Alright then, good luck." He turned and walked out of the classroom. A few people wished him luck, while others shouted things like "good riddens" and "go on, get out of here!"

Amata quickly exited the classroom and made her way to the Overseer's office - her office. She closed the door and immediately began to cry. The pain in her chest was so intense she could barley breath, and she had to fight the urge to chase Marcus down and stop him from leaving. "You're doing the right thing. You're doing the right thing." The words did little to comfort her. There was a knock on the door, and she quickly composed herself as best she could before sitting down behind the desk. "Come in."

The door opened, and Gomez entered the office. After making sure the door was closed, walked up to the new Overseer and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're doing the right thing. Despite everything, I think your father would be proud."

Amata choked up as she stared down at the spot where her father's body had been just a few minutes ago. "Oh Herman this is so unfair! Why does he have to be punished like this?"

Gomez let out a tired sigh. "Because he's the hero that the Vault deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we cast him out..."

Marcus had made it to the Vault's door controls and pulled the release lever. The doors alarms began to wail, and the giant cog began to move...

"...because he can take it." Gomez continued.

The giant cog screeched open and was rolled away. Marcus began to walk towards the opening.

"Because he's become more then our hero, he's a silent guardian..."

Marcus stepped through the Vault's opening and entered the cave. The alarms wailed again, and the cog began to close.

"...a watchful protector..."

The cog shut behind Marcus, and the Vault was sealed.

"...he is, the Lone Wanderer."