A couple of minutes in as we were traveli along the road, it split into a Y shape, so I had us tinue back trag, heading in Vault 101's dire. Following us ging direy group and I eventually got on a road heading northeast for the couple of miill the road bent and tinued eastward.

  No more than a handful of mier, the road broke yet again into another Y. So we tinued retrag the route I had initially used when I departed on my journey into the capital wastend, heading north for the several minutes and arriving in the viity of Big Town. The moment we came into the area of Big Town, I examihe surroundings, looking for any possible threats.

  The coast looks clear.

  Not finding a single one, I had us follow the road west so we could get on the side road that heads to the southwest. After sing over a number of roads, we came to the main again, and as soon as we did, I checked the area, searg for hostiles and traps like ndmines and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).

  Look what we have here, a group of ants that o be exterminated.

  ting myself lucky to find such easy prey on my way bae, I sed the rest of the region to make sure I wouldn't be getting third partied when I go to elimihese bugs. Lucky for me I didn't find any more enemies. Finished the region, I redirected my group and had them move in on the small swarm of 30 giant worker ants heading in the southern dire along the main road, the ohat directly passes by my destination.

  As we were rapidly closing the distaween us and them, I gripped my AER 29 LMG and aimed it at the group and held dowrigger for 10 seds while sweeping the oht. Ohose 10 seds were up, the entire group of 30 giant worker ants was dispatched with their burnt remnants spread across the asphalt.

  Happy to have gained a small boost to my exp bar, we tinued south instead of going southeast in the dire of the Springvale School. Because one we're already on this one and two, this road will lead us directly to the vault just like the other route.

  Quickly passing by the many fresh giant ant corpses I made moments ago, my group and I came upon the branch we o take to reach Vault 101. But just as we were about to begin traveling north to follow it to our destination, I spotted a group of 3 giant radscorpions.

  The instant I spotted them, I sigo my robots that they could deal with them. So, upon receiving that order, my robots unleashed a ser light show at them and after a few seds of intense ser fire, they stopped. What was left of them was just a scorch mark on the earth and with not a single piece of the giant rad scorpions in sight.

  It's a good thing I didn't pn on looting them, otherwise I'd be g right about now.

  I thought as I mushed Hauler north with the ghoul brothers and my small army of robots in tow.

  From that enter, we sped off dowreet and soon arrived at a rge cave opening.

  Alright, I'm nearly at my destinatio's give them a ring.

  Slinging my AER 29 LMG over my shoulder, I pulled my unication device out and gave everyone a ring. And no lohan a couple of seds ter, Amata's father, the overseer, answered the call. "You out front, Harold."

  "Yeah, I'm at the cave entrance of the vault. I'll be heading inside when I hang up."

  "Alright, hold up for a minute while I get vault security to open the vault door for you. Also, just a heads up Amata is very antsy so be prepared to cat Amata before she hurts herself, ha ha."

  "Okay, thanks for the heads up. I'll see you guys in a minute."

  "See you then."

  The moment I hung up, I returhe unication deviy iory, as well as my AER 29 LMG. Finished with that, I took Amata's power armor out beyond anyone's vieced it into the back of Hauler so I could give it to her. When I was doaking care of that st thing, I directed the voy to ehe cave and make their way to the massive door, keeping my inal home safe from the dangers of the wastes.

  Making it to the door ihan a minute, I had the Hill brothers hop out of Hauler and waited alongside them for the nuke proof door to start opening. Whilst I was busily waiting, I exited out of my power armor so Amata wouldn't injure herself when she iably leaps at me. As soon as I was out of the suit, the Hill brothers and I kept ourselves eained by chatting about how life rior to nuclear annihition.

  After a couple of minutes had passed by, we heard the vault din to open, so we halted our versation and directed our attention to the vault door.

  *Grrrrnnddd*

  The massive metal door screeched as it was dragged into pd when it had finally ground to a halt, it rolled off to the left side, revealing the vault entrahe instant the door stopped rolling and came to a plete stop, Amata came charging out towards me and leaped towards me where I caught her and spun her around to slow down her momentum. So she wouldn't crash into me and injure herself against my increasingly dense and tough body.

  "You missed me?" I asked.

  All I got in respoo my question from the girl with a bright red face tched to me was a small nod against my chest and a mm sound. Sharing a hug with Amata for a few short seds longer, I let her stay tched to me via my hand while I headed io greet everyone and see how they'd been doing since I'd been gone from the vault.

  Shortly thereafter Amata, the ghoul brothers, and I ehe vault and when we did we were greeted by my and Amata's dad along with officer Gomez, a number of the vault security uncles, old mae, and Butd the gang. From that point on, I spent the 10 mialking to everyohere and introdug the three Hill brothers to those gathered here.

  After versing with everyone for a brief period, I sent a signal to the robots with Mechu-deru and had them start moving the stockpiled stuff in my research/workshop area. Once I had taken care of assigning them their new job, we all collectively headed to the usual dining area and had a bit of a wele back party for me, even though it was a bit much to have one for me when I was only gone for a retively short time. Regardless, you weren't going to catch me pining since I got the opportunity to eat a ton of delicious food that I didn't have to make myself.

  ...

  Two hours ter, Amata and I headed out to spend some quality time together, like I had promised her a while ago when I was out and about in the wastend. Venturing off, the two of us exited the dining area where the wele back event was held and right as we did, Amata immediately attached herself to my right arm.

  Seeing her smiling and happy as be, we began walking through the maze-like gray halls to one of the many uertai areas down here. On our way there, the two of us navigated our way through the hallways, passing by numerous vault dwellers going about their daily lives, and before long, we were right outside our intended destination.

  Stepping ihe entra opened up to a very rge room filled to the brim with well over a hundred different games to choose from. "So what do you want to start off with first, Amata?"

  "Hmm... How about we go py some air hockey?" She replied, whilst seeking my opinion as well.

  "Sounds good to me." I responded before we both headed over to one of the four air hockey tables located in this eai area.

  Amata and I thehe half an hour pying air hockey. Surprisingly, she got really into it since I was keeping the game at a draw food portion of the game. heless, we kept it up till the half-an-hour mark when I thought it was about time we went and did something else for a bit, otherwise we'll be here all day from the looks of things. Thus, I waited till she hit the pud when it was nearing my striker; I let it pass by the smallest of margins into my goal, givihe win.

  *k*

  "Yea, I got it in!" Amata cheered excitedly at the breaking of our tie.

  Waiting a few seds to let Amata bask in her achievement, I plimented her winning shot. "You did great, Amata. That st shot henomenal."

  "Ohh, it wasn't that great. You just let me win." She said a bit shyly with her cheeks flushing faintly.

  "Nonsense, you did phenomenally well."

  Sh her with a few more words of praise, I moved things along. "What do you want to go do now?"

  "Let's go py a few of the ames here and when we've had our fill, let's go for a swim. It's been a while since we've st swam together and I don't think we'll have very many, if any, opportuo do so once we're out adventuring in the wastend."

  "It has been a while, hasn't it... Alright, let's go do that then and you're very right about there being no opportuo go swimming in the wastend. Most of the water in the wastend is inated with varying levels of radiation."

  "Oh, and when we're done swimming, I'll cook us something nice for dinner."

  "For just the two of us?" She inquired with hopeful eyes.

  "Yes, for just the two of us." I answered stly, whie a bright beaming smile from Amata.

  Following our little chat, Amata and I spent the hour and a half going from game to game, enjoying our time together before we finished our session on the skee ball mae, where I took the final win by a few hundred more points than her. Which was surprising since I was actually putting in effort to win.

  "Aww, I almost had you there. Better luext time, I guess." My talented skee ball girl ented right after we fihe game.

  "Yeah, you had me on the ropes for just about the ey of that game. You even nearly had me beat towards the end there. ry though, Amata. I'm sure you'll have me beat ime around or if we decide to go bowling."

  "Mm, I'll definitely win if we go bowling. I have a very good average, you know." She replied, a bit puffed up.

  "Indeed, you do."

  We spent a couple of minutes chatting and when I thought it was time for a ge of sery; I decided to ask if she was ready to head to our activity. "You ready to head to the pool ahat swim in or do you want to py one mame before we go?"

  "Yeah, I've pyed enough games for now. Let's go to the pool and after that, we have that dinner you promised me." She answered.

  The braver and braver girl then ed her arms around my right arm, tg herself onto me again a split sed ter while wearing a small but pretty smile.

  With her attached to my arm, we exited the arcade and took out time going to our destination.

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