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pyrettawychwiggin · 7 months ago

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'The Iron Angel: The Tale of Maria Røntgen' - Prologue/Escape From the Vault

(A Fallout 3 Fanfiction)

Please be advised: the following story is based around my own playthrough of Fallout 3, and is basically one loooooonnnnnnngggggg spoiler. So, obviously, SPOILER ALERT. Maria Røntgen is my own original character I've created for this story, but all other assets are the intellectual of Bethesda Softworks. Please support the official release.

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Remember - every new chapter is uploaded a week early on my Ko-Fi and Patreon for members to read, so consider being an Honourary Strude for that sweet, sweet early access!

If you haven't already, feel free to check out Maria's character sheet to get an idea of who she is before you begin. Alright, onto the story...

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War.

They say war never changes.

Yet, perhaps one of the contributing factors to the stubborn survivability of humanity can be chalked up to their capacity for change - to adapt - even in the face of impossible circumstances.

Whether or not this could be considered a 'good thing' may depend on who you ask.

What makes a being good?

What makes a being evil?

Perhaps it is how one is raised; breadcrumbs left scattered across our destinies leading us to an inevitable absolution.

Perhaps it's all about the choices we make; how we respond to the highs and lows of the fickle chaos of life itself.

Perhaps we're born into it; fated to walk a path already set in stone, regardless of how we attempt to sway one way or the other.

Is there even truly such a thing as good and evil - or are these simply the words we assign to the abstract concept of what it means to truly be human?

Maybe what they say is true; war never changes...

... but we do - for better or for worse.

This is just one girl's story; be she a saviour or a sinner, well... you can be the judge.

Her story begins in the year 2258 - born to two of the most revolutionary minds, quite possibly of their time; James and Catherine Røntgen. After her mother succumbed to complications from Maria's birth, James was nothing if not a broken man. As his beloved wife drew her final breaths, so too, did his dream of a better world. Yet despite his despair, as he held his crying babe in his arms, he knew this world was not meant for something so precious, fragile, and utterly irreplaceable.

Perhaps I couldn't save Catherine - but I can still save you.

And so, James left his broken dreams behind him, knowing there was one place that she would have the best chance - perhaps not at a life of greatness and grandeur - but a safe one, if nothing else.

In Vault 101. Home.

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10 Years Later...

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"Okay, I've got one." Amata giggled from her makeshift fort underneath the table, expertly constructed of pillows and blankets. "Would you rather kiss a Radroach or..... Butch?"

"Ew, nasty!" Maria scrunched her button nose in disgust, holding her pillow in front of her face, kicking her feet over the edge of the bed with a muffled squeal. "The Radroach - but it's still gross..."

"You'd pick the Radroach?!"

"This game is dumb." Maria rolled her eyes, flopping down on the bed. "... but Butch is dumber." Amata and Maria snickered.

"Would you have rather I said Freddie Gomez?" Amata teased. "You always like the weird boys."

"I do not!" Maria scowled. "And Freddie's not so bad..."

"Says you." Amata shudders and sticks out her tongue. "They're all gross, honestly."

"Yeah, but Butch is the nastiest out of all of them."

"And he's dumb, too." Amata rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe he gave you a bloody nose at your own birthday party."

"He's so easy to mess with, though." Maria snickered, moving her attention to her new Pip Boy - messing with the settings with a bored sigh while her best friend scolded her.

"You need to stop egging him on. He keeps beating you up, and it's like you never learn!"

"Oh, hey! Look!" Maria exclaimed. "I changed the colour of the words on my Pip Boy! It's yellow now!"

"You can do that?" Amata crawled out of her spot to check it out. Her jaw dropping. "Oh, cool! How'd you do that?"

"Here - I'll show you!" Maria turned Amata's wrist around to show her the settings. "I wonder what other colours we can change it to..."

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6 Years Later

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"Are you sure about this...?" Amata's hands wavered as she held the sterile steel pin up to Maria's earlobe, carefully tucking back the strands of her jet black hair. "I-I've never done this before."

"I'm sure! You can do it, Amata," Maria assured her. "I need you to do it - I did it on the other side, but I couldn't really see what I was doing very well."

"But isn't it gonna hurt? And what if it gets infected?"

"It won't! I know how to treat it." Maria shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "I've treated worse, haven't I?"

"I guess..."

"Don't worry about it; just press it through the cartilage, quick and easy." Maria took a deep breath to brace for the pinch. "You'll do great."

"O-okay..." Amata sighed, holding the needle closer to Maria's earlobe, eyes focused on her task, but hands trembling

The air was still and silent, the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the wall-mounted clock.

"Amata! Just do it already - ow!"

Amata flinched with an abrupt squeak, pressing the needle through the fleshy skin, causing Maria to hiss. Amata's eyes widened at the stark sight of the blood speckling Maria's pale white skin.

"Sorry!" Amata squeaked. "You startled me! I'm sorry!"

"Shit..." Maria winced, reaching for a packet of gauze.

"Oh my gosh - it's still in your ear!" Amata scrambled to hand Maria her rubbing alcohol before clasping her hands over her mouth. "What do we do?!"

"Calm down - the needle should stay where it is for a few minutes anyways." Maria dabbed her ear with the damp gauze, feeling the pinching pain starting to subside to a dull throb. "Can you wipe down that hoop with the alcohol?"

"O-okay, okay." Amata quickly did as she was told, watching Maria remove the pin from her ear, wincing more than Maria seemed to. "Where did you get these earrings anyways?"

"I made them; there's so much scrap metal lying around, it was easy."

Amata handed her the small steel hoop and watched Maria place it in the newly-fashioned hole.

"How does it look?" Amata bit her nails, trying to peek past Maria's working hands.

"I dunno, let's see."

Maria and Amata hustled to the bathroom mirror to check.

"Oh..." Maria sighed.

"What? What is it?"

"They're uneven." Maria frowned, turning her head left and right, realizing the new piercing looked more off-center than the other. "Crap."

"I am not doing that again!" Amata threw her hands up and walked out of the bathroom.

"It's okay, I wouldn't make you." Maria giggled. "Besides, it doesn't look that bad. Thanks, Amata."

"You're welcome." Amata slumped into the chair at the coffee table with an exhausted sigh. "And for the record, if... no, when your dad gives you shit, I had nothing to do with it."

"Fine, deal." Maria raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Why did you want your ears pierced anyways?" Amata asked, eyeing her handiwork with a raised eyebrow. "Seems kind of excessive for such a small thing."

"It was pretty common for women back in the pre-war era, apparently." Maria explained. "I read about it in a book Jonas gave me."

"Jonas, huh?" Amata gave Maria a sly sideways grin. "I guess that's better than Freddie Gomez; but he's so old!"

"It's not like that!" Maria blushed, avoiding Amata's scrutinizing eyes. "Not like he'd give me the time of day, anyways. In his eyes, I may as well still be ten years old."

"I mean, that's probably for the best. He's known you since you were in diapers." Amata shuddered. "It would be super gross if he liked you back. No offense."

"Don't remind me." Maria folded her arms and leaned back in her chair with a huff. "It's not like this place has a lot of options, you know? I even started thinking Butch is kinda cute from certain angles..."

"Pfft, now I know you're getting desperate. You should focus less on boys and more on your career." Amata shook her head. "Speaking of which, what did you get? On the G.O.A.T. I mean?"

"You first."

"Ugh, Mr. Brotch says I'm going to be a supervisor, but between you and me..." Amata looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was behind her. "I think my dad had something to do with the results."

"Figures." Maria clicks her tongue. "Well, I wouldn't mind seeing you in a leadership role. Hell knows you're responsible enough. Besides, I don't think you'd make it as a piercer."

"Pfft, thank goodness for that." Amata laughed. "Your turn - what'd you get?"

"Tattoo artist, apparently." Maria groaned.

"You don't think you'd be a good tattoo artist?"

"Well, I mean..." Maria thought for a moment. "Sure, I have a steady hand with a BB gun, and I have a decent amount of medical know-how, but there's one crucial skill I don't have."

"What's that?"

"I can barely draw stick figures."

Amata couldn't help but laugh at this.

"Wow, we're really doomed, huh?" Amata joked.

The two best friends laughed off their fates, seemingly set in stone.

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3 Years Later

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Oh my God, oh my God - oh fuck....

Maria crouched hidden behind the corner in the vault hallways, trying to keep herself from breathing too loud as Officer Kendall finished off the last of the attacking Radroaches outside of her quarters.

"Where are you?!" He barked, white knuckles still gripping the police baton. "Get out here, dammit!"

Attempting to pull herself together, Maria snuck further down the hall. She nearly screamed as Butch suddenly rounded the corner in a panic, bumping into her and nearly knocking her flat.

"Shit!" He gasped, his expression of shock fading to desperate recognition. "It's you! You gotta help me!"

Maria hissed and pulled Butch down to the ground with her, clasping her hand over his mouth. Making eye contact with him, she raised her finger to her lips to signal for him to keep quiet before gently releasing him.

"What is it, Butch?" Maria whispered, antsy to keep moving.

"It's my mom!" He seemed to be shaking. "She's trapped in there with the Radroaches!"

"So, take care of them; they're just Radroaches."

"I tried! But I just..." Butch's voice seemed to get caught in his throat as he looked at the ground in shame. "I can't stand them. I just... can't."

"Butch..." Maria pinched the bridge of her nose a disappointed click of her tongue. "That's your mom in there for fuck's sake! Get it together!"

Butch wrapped his arms around himself and looked to the side pursing his lips. His eyes were glossy and Maria noticed he was trying not to cry.

"Dammit, Butch..." Maria sighed. "I'll tell you what; I'll come help you deal with them, but you have to get in there, too. You won't always be able to count on someone else to do it for you."

"Yeah, alright - let's get 'em!" Butch pulled out his switchblade, shaking in every limb, but he nodded at Maria with a renewed sense of confidence.

Maria followed Butch into his mother's quarters. No sooner than the door swung open did Butch charge forward, carving the first Radroach he saw with his switchblade.

"That's it, Butch!" Maria exclaimed, readying her bat as she shouted words of encouragement before slamming the end of her bat down on another Radroach. "Show 'em not to fuck with the Tunnel Snakes!"

Within seconds, Maria and Butch had managed to exterminate all the Radroaches in the tiny room.

"Ma!" Butch tucked his switchblade away and helped her up to her feet. "You alright, ma? They didn't get you too bad, did they?"

"No, Butchie- thanks to you and your friend, here." Mrs. DeLoria sighed, patting her son's shoulder, moving to settle in the living room. "After that, I definitely need a drink."

"We did it!" Butch wrapped his arms around Maria and lifted her into a tight hug. "My mom's gonna be okay!"

"See?" Maria wheezed. "Now you know you can handle them in the future."

As Butch set her down, he seemed to realize their close proximity and cleared his throat, taking his hands away from her.

"Y-yeah, well..." He stammered. "What kind of Tunnel Snake's gonna get bested by a fuckin' Radroach, right? Hey, listen..."

"Hm?"

"I, uh...." Butch shrugged off his trademark jacket, holding it in his hands as he seemed to consider something for a moment. When his eye returned to hers, he spoke again. "I want you to have my Tunnel Snakes jacket."

"Huh?" Maria's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Before she could protest, Butch quickly started pulling it over her shoulders; all Maria could do was look to the side, cheeks flushed.

"C-cuz I hear it can get cold out there, y'know?" He stuttered, avoiding her eyes.

Maria smiled and tucked her hands into the pockets, feeling her hands touch something cold and solid.

"What's this...?" She pulled out Butch's switchblade, inspecting it. The handle was hard, black plastic, with Butch's name scratched into the side. "Oh, here you go."

"Nah, keep it." Butch pushed her hand away gently, his hand lingering just a few seconds longer than necessary. "But you better bring it back someday, or I'll hunt ya down. No one steals from the Tunnel Snakes, hear me?"

"Thanks." Maria tucked the blade away in her pocket. He pulled her into an awkward side hug that lasted all of two seconds before he released her and nervously fixed his hair. Maria let out a chuckle and shook her head. "Take care of yourself, tough guy."

"Y-you too."

Maria, wasting no more time, whipped around and returned to her escape, approaching the unmistakable skittering of more Radroaches in the upper level, and the echoing impacts of a police baton.

"Damned Radroaches!" She heard the familiar voice of Officer Gomez. Taking a deep breath, she started to sneak by while he was preoccupied, but heard him start to exclaimed in panic as he was about to be overwhelmed.

Shit. Please don't make me regret this...

Wielding her already-damaged bat, she slammed it down onto one Radroach, crushing it instantly, but breaking her weapon into splinters.

"Shit!"

She quickly grabbed her pistol and started shooting the other Radroaches, one after another. She and Officer Gomez finished them off until no movement remained.

Breathing heavily, they made eye contact for a moment. Not a word was spoken between them; just a silent acknowledgement of a mutual agreement.

As far as he's concerned, he never saw me. Maria's shoulders relaxed a little and she gave him a nod of understanding. Thanks, Officer Gomez.

Maria continued along her way.

I'm almost there. Maria thought to herself, breathing heavily, her throat burning with exhaustion. Just a bit farther towards the end of the atrium...

Her heart sunk when she heard Amata's panicked voice.

"D-don't touch me! I swear I'll shoot!"

Maria hurried her pace to the brig to see the Overseer and Officer Mack antagonizing a frightened Amata, who held up a small pistol at the Officer's Mack's chest, hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Stupid bitch!" Officer Mack barked, pulling out his own gun to point it at her.

Maria's body almost felt like it moved on it's own. In the blink of an eye, there was the sound of two gunshots - for what felt like ages, nobody moved.

Finally, Officer Mack dropped to the ground, lifeless, with Maria's bullet embedded in the back of his skull; Amata's bullet lodged in the glass barrier of the room behind the Overseer. Maria's heart pounded, and she felt for a moment as though she may vomit.

Oh my God... I just killed someone...

Amata let out a sob and bolted out of the room as Maria held her gun to the Overseer, regarding her with a look that could only be described as utter disgust.

"I'm finding my father." Maria spoke low, attempting to quell her rage, with great difficulty. "Just know that the only reason I'm not putting a bullet between your eyes is for Amata's sake."

"I should have known you'd resort to violence," the Overseer sneered. "Amata always had unfortunate taste in friends."

"You had Jonas killed." Maria finally said the words out loud. Each syllable felt alien as they left her lips, her eyebrows furrowing. "Why?"

"He helped your father escape, and in doing so, put us all in danger. As Overseer, I must consider the lives of all my people, not just a select few." The Overseer explained calmly, showing no indication of remorse, only serving to infuriate Maria further. "But I wouldn't expect you to know anything about that."

"Fuck you." Maria spat. "You and your Overseer's 'duties.' Don't pretend as though you did any of this for any reason other than to maintain your illusion of control and protect your fragile ego."

The Overseer rolled his eyes, not deigning to even respond.

"Now you have nothing to say." Maria scoffed. "Pathetic."

"You best not try to return, Ms. Røntgen. If you do..." the Overseer folded his arms. "You'll be shot on sight."

Maria bolted, hearing him bark for the guards to come aid him. As Maria rounded the corner into the Overseer's quarters, her heart stopped.

Amata sat on the couch, her head in her shaking hands; she seemingly hadn't even noticed that Maria had entered the room. Jonas' lifeless body was splayed out on the floor, a halo of blood pooling behind his head.

Maria closed the door behind her and dropped to a knee beside him, heart pounding, but her expression unreadable. Inside, it felt as though her soul was wailing, but her body wouldn't react.

"I'm so sorry..." Amata sobbed. "I know you two were close."

Maria stared at his blank eyes in silence for a moment before she noticed something peeking out of his lab pocket - a small package with her name in black ink scribbled on the side. When she reached and pulled the package out, she realized it was her father's handwriting.

The distant sound of the guards could be heard down the hall, approaching fast.

"Maria, come on!" Amata jumped to her feet. "We have to get you out of here!"

Maria pocketed the package and tucked Jonas' broken glasses in an inner pocket of her coat, then followed Amata to the Overseer's office.

"Here's the password to my dad's computer." Amata spoke quickly, looking over her shoulder as she passed a piece of paper to Maria. "I'll meet you at the Vault door if I can. Go!"

Maria nodded, moving as quickly as she could until, sure enough, she was standing at the control panel by the Vault door.

It was bigger than she had expected; standing at about 14 feet from floor to ceiling. Just looking at it gave her an underlying sense of dread that she couldn't quite explain.

I've never seen it in real life.... it's not like I ever had a reason to come here before....

"You made it!" Amata exclaimed, trotting to stand by Maria. "Quick! Open it! They weren't far behind me."

"Right!" Maria took a deep breath and pressed the button on the control panel, causing the alarm to sound immediately as the massive steel structure groaned and screeched to the side at an agonizingly slow pace. When the door finished opening, one final 'clang' echoed throughout the room, and the sound of whistling wind would be heard in the tunnel beyond. Maria turned to face her best friend, heart heavy. "Well, this is it..."

"I'm going to miss you," Amata sniffled, dabbing a tear from the corner of her eye.

"You could come with me," Maria suggested, already knowing the answer to come.

"I'm tempted, but I have to stay." Amata wrapped Maria into a tight hug. "If anyone has a shot at talking some sense into my dad, it's me."

"Yeah," Maria sighed. "Take care of yourself."

Before further words could be said, Officer Hannon burst through the door, police baton drawn. Maria immediately let go of Amata and bolted out the door. As if there were an invisible barrier just beyond the threshold of the Vault, he stopped in his tracks, scowling at Maria.

The massive door slowly closed as Amata disappeared from sight behind what felt like a mile of steel.

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This was it. Now, there was really no going back.

Maria stood, alone in the silence of the tunnel, looking at the poorly-constructed wood and wire door that served as the final barrier between she and the open air beyond.

She pulled out the holotape from her pocket and inserted it into her Pip Boy with a sniffle.

Her father's voice started playing, and in that moment, she was just a child again - just a child who desperately missed her dad. As the final words of the recording sounded, including the last words Maria would ever hear in Jonas' voice, it was as if the weight of all that had happened crashed down around her, she allowed herself to crumble to her knees with a pained shriek of anguish that only she would hear, finally shedding the tears she'd be holding back since her father had left.

For the first time in her life, Maria was really and truly alone.

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TLDR

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• The main character of this story is Maria Røntgen, daughter of James and Catherine. You can see her full character sheet and details here.

• At 10 years old, Maria and Amata play a game of 'would you rather' while having a sleepover the night after Maria's birthday. Maria says she'd rather kiss a Radroach over Butch, but it's revealed she has a crush on Freddie Gomez.

• Butch gave Maria a bloody nose at her 10th birthday party - Maria, despite her lack of strength, likes to mess with Butch and make him angry, leading to her getting frequently beat up by him.

• At 16 years old, Maria gets Amata to help her pierce her ear (badly). The piercing ends up a bit off-centre, but Maria is overly pressed about it.

It's revealed Maria has a crush on Jonas, now, but this is obviously entirely one-sided, and Jonas is incapable of seeing her as anything but a child. Amata says Maria should focus less on boys and more on her career when Maria admits she even has started to find Butch cute at certain angles.

• Maria got the result of 'tattoo artist' on the G.O.A.T. which she finds silly; she is a good shot with a BB gun and a pistol since she's been practicing since her 10th birthday, and she has pretty solid knowledge of medical practices, but she can't draw anything more complex than a stick figure.

• At 19 years old, during the eacape from Vault 101, Maria helps Butch save his mother from Radroaches, leading to a sweet scene between them where he gives her his jacket and his favorite switchblade.

• Maria helps Officer Gomez with some more Radroaches. He lets her go without incident.

• Amata is about to shoot Officer Mack when Maria shoots him first. Amata runs off and Maria exchanges words with the Overseer; she says the only reason she's not shooting him is for Amata's sake. He assures her if she ever returns, she'll be shot on sight.

• Maria is distraught at the sight of Jonas' body. She's hurried away by Amata and she leaves the Vault, now waiting in the tunnel for a moment.

• She listens to her father's holotape and basically has a mental breakdown, feeling the weight of everything really begin to hit her.

Coming Up: Chapter 1 - Welcome to Megaton