101 (Percico/Pernico)

---Chapter Two---

Perseus Jackson had a rude awakening when red and white blared behind his eyelids. He opened his eyes, the lights in the room seeming brighter than they actually were. The nineteen-year-old sat up and groggily wiped the exhaustion from his eyes.

Unfortunately, he had to get up, and he knew it. As he stood up from his bed, he toggled with his Pip-Boy 3000 and changed his clothes, which was always the same Vault 101 jumpsuit. It never changed. He didn't mind, because it was kinda comfy, but it rode up on him a lot, which he didn't care much for.

The soporific boy stretched before walking out of the door and subconsciously aimed for the diner for a bite to eat before he started his work day. Once he got to the red-and-white-tile-floored room, he was met instantly by his mother after the door slid open for him.

"Good morning to you too, Mom," Percy smiled tiredly. He had hoped the walk to the diner would have woken him up more, but it hardly did anything. He cursed his brain going everywhere so that he couldn't sleep as well as everyone else could. "I'm going to get something to eat."

"The usual?" his mom asked him.

"Yes," Percy said as he slid into a booth, his mom already walking behind the counter to get his food. He didn't have to wait long before a plate of blue pancakes and was set in front of him. He smiled at his mom before pouring syrup on the pile of pancakes and cutting into them. "Thank you."

His mom smiled at him before attending to the other vault dwellers who had piled in to get something to eat.

Once Percy had finished, he thanked his mom and walked out, heading for the water purification room, at which he "worked". His definition of working was working a little, goofing off the rest of the time. He had perfected the skill of making goofing off look productive.

As he toggled with a switch that moved in a way that slightly entertained the bored nineteen-year-old, the automatic door opened with a swish, and a loud "Perseus Jackson!" boomed from behind him. He whipped his head around to see who had addressed him, and saw one of the security guards of Vault 101, Chiron.

"Yes?"

"We assigned you to make a treaty with the Brotherhood of Steel, so they could protect our Vault," Chiron told him.

"The Brotherhood of Steel," Percy stalled. He never really listened to news from his friends, nor had he ever been outside his vault, so he had never heard of the Brotherhood. "Right, I know exactly what the Brotherhood of Steel is. Now, why don't you tell me what that is so I can see if you're right."

Chiron pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, emitting an annoyed huff of breath. "The Brotherhood of Steel is an organization that specializes in collecting the latest and greatest technology that will help them flourish as a group. They protect people that they have allied with, and if we have any more raider attacks this month, we will need to take extreme measures to keep the Vault safe."

"So, you want me to make a treaty with them?" Percy asked in an unsure tone of voice.

"Yes," Chiron confirmed.

"Me?" Percy repeated.

"Yes."

"Why me?"

"According to all of our records, you have the highest charisma of people that are available at the moment," Chiron explained.

"So you think I'm charming?" Percy asked smugly.

"Don't push your luck, Jackson," Chiron warned. "We will download the direction to Megaton on your Pip-Boy, so you can go and meet them—"

"Wait, hold on a second," Percy interrupted. "I have to go outside?"

"Yes, Percy, you have to go outside."

"But... I've never been outside before!"

"You'll be fine!"

"What if I get attacked by a super mutant, or raiders? What if I starve to death, or get dehydrated and die?" Percy panicked.

"You'll be fine!"

"Okay... If I have to..."

"You'll leave the vault once we get you supplies and download the directions to Megaton. Come with me."

"O-okay."

The directions downloaded onto his Pip-Boy after what seemed like hours, but was more like ten minutes. The technology in Vault 101 was slow and not very modern, which was just another reason to ally with the Brotherhood. He was given lots of food and water, and a couple of stim packs just in case.

Percy told Jason, Leo, Piper, and Annabeth about his mission, who were happy for him, but a little concerned as well. Especially Annabeth, his best friend. She hugged him goodbye and he returned it; although he probably wasn't going to be gone for very long, he loved hugs, especially from his friends and his mom. Well, those were the only people who hugged him. It would be very strange if Chiron or the Overseer walked up to him and gave him a hug.

He also said a goodbye to his mother, who gave him some of her Nuka Cola caps, in case he needed anything. She gave him a long, suffocating hug before letting her son go, so he could help protect the Vault.

He stood in front of the Vault door, which was huge. He heard from Leo that it weighed about thirteen tons, which was not very surprising now that he got a good look at it. The Overseer was opening the vault for the nineteen-year-old boy as he waited impatiently. He didn't want to leave at all.

The door made lots of noise as it opened, first unlatching, then sliding open for him, exposing some of the outside world: a slope and a red door at the end, the exit from the safety of Vault 101 to the Wasteland.

He gulped once the vault door was completely open. He looked over at the Overseer, a pudgy man who looked at the boy in an irritated manner. He looked back at the task at hand and stepped out of his home, everything he knew.

He took a deep breath before nervously walking up the slope, hearing the vault begin to close and latch shut behind him. He anxiously approached the red door, which he expected to open for him. It didn't open. He raised his eyebrow and pushed it gently. It didn't open. He pushed at the knob of the door. It still didn't open. He gave an exasperated grunt before twisting the knob and pushing it, the door finally opening.

He didn't know what he expected when he saw the Wasteland for the first time. To say it was barren and desolate would be an underestimation. The air was full of radiation, and there was a tall, mangled, dead tree next to the entrance to the slope that lead to his home.

His home. He missed it already. However, he knew that the faster this mission was over, the sooner he could have blue pancakes his mother made for him. He didn't know how she got a hold of something to make it blue, but she did, and he was grateful.

He stepped out into the Wasteland, pulling the door shut behind him, and following the directions on his Pip-Boy to Megaton. He hoped that he wouldn't be out there very long; he didn't like it out there at all.

"Off to Megaton I go, to protect Vault 101, my home, sweet home."