I walked up the escalators to the upper level. I figured the young West is being held in one of the side offices in the Mresti station. And sure enough, there is a terminal and a locked door. If Vance and crew knew I am there, they did not react.
I entered the password I got from Karl into the terminal, and the door unlatched. And indeed, inside was a young man, lounging on the bed, slightly scruffy looking young man. Probably not much older than myself, but I am no longer sure how old I am.
The young man sat up, his expression glum. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I'm Roger Wilco. You are Ian West, I presume?"
"Yes."
"Evan King sent me to look for you. You're one tough kid to find."
"Yeah, I guess I should have known this would happen. He's gonna send someone after me sooner or later. "
"Did you... always had that hunger?"
"No... I was about 10. Some wastelander was going to steal our brahmin. I yelled at him to stop, and he swung a club at me. Next thing I knew, Lucy was pulling me off of him... I had torn his throat out, apparently with my teeth. I didn't remember anything. Lucy said I look as if I was ready to kill her too..."
"Did you ever talk to your parents about this?"
"No... Lucy told me nobody would understand, and when I had the urge, she would hold me... and I was able to control it..."
"Until that night."
"Yes! I know! It... it wasn't the same after Lucy left! Then she had to leave! And... and... " The Kid's positively bawling now.
"It's okay. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. It's what you do from here that counts."
"It's like a bad dream," the kid sniffled, "I remember parts of it... snapshots, but they don't make sense... but I know what happened..."
"You can't hide from what you did, kid. You have to face it."
"I can't. "
"Lucy misses you. She sent this letter, and you're the obvious recipient, now that your parents are... indisposed."
I handed the envelope over, and after a bit of hesitation, the kid took it and opened it. More tears formed.
"Oh, she really did miss me. I thought about this all wrong... "
I backed out of the room as the kid just dropped silent tears. I turned around and Vance was there. I don't know how he got there, but not even Dogmeat had made a sound.
"I see you chose to disturb his meditation."
"Having him stew in his own juices is not going to make him resolve his problems by itself."
Vance sighed, "I supposed you're right. It seems you're as much a teacher as I am. But in the end, we can only guide, but the path is theirs alone."
Vance brushed past me and I followed.
"Hey Vance!" Ian sniffled, "I was just talking to Roger here..."
"It's all right, Ian. Whatever you decide, the Family will support you. Even though you still have a sister outside, you are a part of the Family now. "
"Maybe I will bring Lucy for a visit."
Vance smiled, "If she wanted to. I assume you are not staying then?"
"I need to go home."
"Very well, gather your things. We'll escort you home tonight." Vance turned around and left.
I nodded at the kid and followed.
"Vance, there is another matter."
"Oh, yes, the town of Arefu."
"I have a proposition to make."
"Please do."
"What if you and Arefu form an alliance? Evan King will defend it during the day, and one of your men will defend it at night. In return, Arefu residents will give blood."
Vance squinted in thought, "A most intriguing idea. We can feast on the raiders and whatever scum that come by, and residents will no longer fear us. But will Evan King accept the offer?"
"I will talk to him. I am sure he's tired of staying up all hours of day and night shooting at shadows. The guy does enjoy his liquor."
Vance smirked, "His stench carries quite a ways."
"One more thing, and this is personal curiosity."
"Oh?"
"Can you show me how to... drink blood? I happen to have looted two bloodpacks earlier."
Vance proceeds to demonstrate, and I... thought I felt something, but I seem to feel a little better, but I did not enjoy the experience.
Vance told me that they will pay for bloodpacks that I found, if only to build up a stockpile in case of... bad hunting.
With that, I left for Arefu to tell Evan King the good news.
Evan King was overjoyed when he learned that he doesn't have to stand watch anymore. I suspect he made the Family crisis much worse than it is for some power grab and it turned out to be far thornier than he anticipated, and I just gave him a way out. He was sure he can get the residents to give a little blood in exchange for younger, more vigorous protection.
That night, we waited at the barricade, and as the moon rose, we can see two figures approaching. One's smaller, probably Ian, and the other is... Alan, the new kid in Mresti. Alan is a nice kid too, probably least indoctrinated of the bunch, but eager to learn. He could serve as a happy medium between the two former hostile factions. And it doesn't hurt he's already friends with young Ian, both being of similar urges and similar circumstances. Not sure how Alan came to be with the Family, but I doubt it was happy circumstances.
Evan King grumbled, "I thought their leader would be here."
I was not surprised when Vance spoke behind us, "I am here." Evan just about jumped out of his own skin. I had to grab his rifle and hug him closer, and whispered in his ear.
"Evan, imagine this kind of person guarding Arefu... Nobody will EVER bother Arefu again!"
Took him a while to calm down, then the rest of Arefu (just 3 more residents) joined us and the situation was explained. There was a little grumbling, about how can we trust them after what they done, but in the end, it was settled. Alan will be the first protector, and The Family will rotate through Arefu as protector/ambassador. Arefu is also welcome to trade with Karl and use his former contacts to get better trade deals.
When things seem to be well in hand, I shouldered my backpack and gestured Dogmeat to follow, as Alan and Ian talked to the town folks. But before I can take two steps, Vance materialized out of the shadows.
"Going so soon?"
"My job here is done. I delivered the letter and brokered a peace deal between two settlements. Enough for one day."
"Where do you reside?"
"I have a house in Megaton. It's cozy."
Vance looekd me straight in the eye, "You are both more and less than you know, Roger. But that path is for you and you alone. Good night."
With that, he vanished into the shadows.
Dogmeat whined.
I can't wait to get into my bed, but Vance's words haunted me for the rest of the night.
I entered the password I got from Karl into the terminal, and the door unlatched. And indeed, inside was a young man, lounging on the bed, slightly scruffy looking young man. Probably not much older than myself, but I am no longer sure how old I am.
The young man sat up, his expression glum. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"I'm Roger Wilco. You are Ian West, I presume?"
"Yes."
"Evan King sent me to look for you. You're one tough kid to find."
"Yeah, I guess I should have known this would happen. He's gonna send someone after me sooner or later. "
"Did you... always had that hunger?"
"No... I was about 10. Some wastelander was going to steal our brahmin. I yelled at him to stop, and he swung a club at me. Next thing I knew, Lucy was pulling me off of him... I had torn his throat out, apparently with my teeth. I didn't remember anything. Lucy said I look as if I was ready to kill her too..."
"Did you ever talk to your parents about this?"
"No... Lucy told me nobody would understand, and when I had the urge, she would hold me... and I was able to control it..."
"Until that night."
"Yes! I know! It... it wasn't the same after Lucy left! Then she had to leave! And... and... " The Kid's positively bawling now.
"It's okay. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. It's what you do from here that counts."
"It's like a bad dream," the kid sniffled, "I remember parts of it... snapshots, but they don't make sense... but I know what happened..."
"You can't hide from what you did, kid. You have to face it."
"I can't. "
"Lucy misses you. She sent this letter, and you're the obvious recipient, now that your parents are... indisposed."
I handed the envelope over, and after a bit of hesitation, the kid took it and opened it. More tears formed.
"Oh, she really did miss me. I thought about this all wrong... "
I backed out of the room as the kid just dropped silent tears. I turned around and Vance was there. I don't know how he got there, but not even Dogmeat had made a sound.
"I see you chose to disturb his meditation."
"Having him stew in his own juices is not going to make him resolve his problems by itself."
Vance sighed, "I supposed you're right. It seems you're as much a teacher as I am. But in the end, we can only guide, but the path is theirs alone."
Vance brushed past me and I followed.
"Hey Vance!" Ian sniffled, "I was just talking to Roger here..."
"It's all right, Ian. Whatever you decide, the Family will support you. Even though you still have a sister outside, you are a part of the Family now. "
"Maybe I will bring Lucy for a visit."
Vance smiled, "If she wanted to. I assume you are not staying then?"
"I need to go home."
"Very well, gather your things. We'll escort you home tonight." Vance turned around and left.
I nodded at the kid and followed.
"Vance, there is another matter."
"Oh, yes, the town of Arefu."
"I have a proposition to make."
"Please do."
"What if you and Arefu form an alliance? Evan King will defend it during the day, and one of your men will defend it at night. In return, Arefu residents will give blood."
Vance squinted in thought, "A most intriguing idea. We can feast on the raiders and whatever scum that come by, and residents will no longer fear us. But will Evan King accept the offer?"
"I will talk to him. I am sure he's tired of staying up all hours of day and night shooting at shadows. The guy does enjoy his liquor."
Vance smirked, "His stench carries quite a ways."
"One more thing, and this is personal curiosity."
"Oh?"
"Can you show me how to... drink blood? I happen to have looted two bloodpacks earlier."
Vance proceeds to demonstrate, and I... thought I felt something, but I seem to feel a little better, but I did not enjoy the experience.
Vance told me that they will pay for bloodpacks that I found, if only to build up a stockpile in case of... bad hunting.
With that, I left for Arefu to tell Evan King the good news.
Evan King was overjoyed when he learned that he doesn't have to stand watch anymore. I suspect he made the Family crisis much worse than it is for some power grab and it turned out to be far thornier than he anticipated, and I just gave him a way out. He was sure he can get the residents to give a little blood in exchange for younger, more vigorous protection.
That night, we waited at the barricade, and as the moon rose, we can see two figures approaching. One's smaller, probably Ian, and the other is... Alan, the new kid in Mresti. Alan is a nice kid too, probably least indoctrinated of the bunch, but eager to learn. He could serve as a happy medium between the two former hostile factions. And it doesn't hurt he's already friends with young Ian, both being of similar urges and similar circumstances. Not sure how Alan came to be with the Family, but I doubt it was happy circumstances.
Evan King grumbled, "I thought their leader would be here."
I was not surprised when Vance spoke behind us, "I am here." Evan just about jumped out of his own skin. I had to grab his rifle and hug him closer, and whispered in his ear.
"Evan, imagine this kind of person guarding Arefu... Nobody will EVER bother Arefu again!"
Took him a while to calm down, then the rest of Arefu (just 3 more residents) joined us and the situation was explained. There was a little grumbling, about how can we trust them after what they done, but in the end, it was settled. Alan will be the first protector, and The Family will rotate through Arefu as protector/ambassador. Arefu is also welcome to trade with Karl and use his former contacts to get better trade deals.
When things seem to be well in hand, I shouldered my backpack and gestured Dogmeat to follow, as Alan and Ian talked to the town folks. But before I can take two steps, Vance materialized out of the shadows.
"Going so soon?"
"My job here is done. I delivered the letter and brokered a peace deal between two settlements. Enough for one day."
"Where do you reside?"
"I have a house in Megaton. It's cozy."
Vance looekd me straight in the eye, "You are both more and less than you know, Roger. But that path is for you and you alone. Good night."
With that, he vanished into the shadows.
Dogmeat whined.
I can't wait to get into my bed, but Vance's words haunted me for the rest of the night.
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