Project Zerox.

There was a damp, almost alcoholic, smell to the air. Dusty and old… No. It was staler like a shelter used by an addict.

"Wait." He thought.

He could smell and he could hear, slow but steady breathing with a slight choke almost like that of a smokers. Well if he could hear and smell then he should be able to see, but he couldn't feel his eyes.

"Why not?" He couldn't remember how to work his eyes. How do you open them? Come on! The knowledge must have been there somewhere.

"What if?" Success! He saw a dull light. "Open further! C'mon!" he shouted in his mind and then it all came flooding back. The dehydration, the stranger, falling to the ground, the stranger.

John sat up in an instant. Oh how his head throbbed and how his body ached then he realised he was in a place unfamiliar to him. He looked around to a dark quiet corner were someone appeared to be sitting. Before John could say a word the man spoke in a dark, husky voice. One that had not been used for a while.

"What does it mean?" The man asked.

John didn't understand "what does what mean? Our meeting or life in general?"

His thoughts were answered when the man asked "What does 'Vahlok fahliil, Lúthien' mean?"

John soon realised that this man had his revolver. A thought crossed his mind that this man was no threat if he was, John would be dead. He decided to respond carefully

"Well 'Vahlok fahliil Lúthien' literally means 'Guardian elf enchantress', it's an ancient language spoken by few from the pre-war era"

The man looked at John for what seemed like an age and then responded solemnly "Who is she?"

John looked away and responded sharply "Who is who?"

"Your guardian. No man names his prized weapon, his perfect protection, after some random enchantresses' name. Without that person meaning something to them. So who is it?" John explained the story of how he escaped vault 101 and how the overseer kidnaped his daughter, Sophie, who he named Lúthien shortly after his wife had died and used her as a hostage to get rid of him. He also spoke of her last words she said to him, her handing him over to the guardian, his cowardly retreat and how he couldn't save her.

The man sat and listened to the whole story, patiently waiting for him to finish, understanding it all.

When John was finished telling his tale, he realised he just told some random stranger his life story. He did not know the story behind his gun. Something that never left his mind but why, why was it so easy...

The man looked at him, assured that John was finished, he spoke and what he said shocked John beyond belief.

"I'll help you"

"What with?" John's question seemed too sudden. "Do I really need help?" He thought. Was that what he needed? A companion? A Friend? Someone to have his back in his hour of need? But what did the man mean by "I'll help you"?

"With the girl, I'll help you save her."

John's eyes lit up with hope and happiness. Happiness? He had not felt that in the long time but that soon faded from his mind and his answer was clear

"No, this is something I must do alone. I have to show, no, prove that I'm stronger!" The fire in John's eyes was proof of this feeling a desire to become better.

"Sorry but I was not asking, I was telling, I will help you save her whether you like it or not. You shall no longer walk this path alone."

His words echoed in Johns head "…walk this path alone" but why did want to help him so much? What was his reason?

Before John could ask the man spoke. "You shall call me 'Waster'"

"Waster?" John Exclaimed. "What sort of name is that?! Why am I to call you something so ridiculous?"

"Because..." The man started. "…I tried so hard for revenge and I hit a dead end. So I gave up… left it at that. Thought it was not to be. I was left a sad case and all the emotion and feeling flooded my body, the guilt of those I had killed, the pain was unbearable. So I turned to these, these drugs. 'Med-x phsyco jet'. They took it all away, the pain, the guilt, the blood-lust and I left myself to rot"

In this frantic speech, the Waster had stood and now faced the wall of the shack head held down and there was more to come.

John could tell.

In doing so, he had made up his mind, packed his things and stood by the door loading his revolver waiting for the man to continue his tale.

"And then you came along and practically died at my feet. I was compelled to help you out, even though I knew of you a man who leaves the dead at his feet and keeps moving. So why help you? Waster questioned. "Because I saw myself in you. A man who has gone so far and I don't want to see you end up like that!" The Wasters voice rose as he spoke the next few lines "So I will help you… no matter what!" The waster turned as he said this and look straight at him with a burning passion in his eyes.

A need to repent a life of pain.

John answered with a smile on his lips almost demonic as he shouted "Fine! But keep up with me WASTER!"

Well that's the end of chapter 2!

I hope you guys enjoyed and we shall get to some brutal action later :D maybe in the next chapter ;}

Thanks for reading and thank you "GreenleafUndomiel" for proof reading!