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Ever since Leon had crawled out of Vault 111 and set out on his quest to save his son, he had helped people. His pre-war morals always pointed his moral compass to good. Even though he could be a sarcastic ass, he helped everyone. Whether it was saving Preston from the Raiders, helping Sheng clean out the water supply in Diamond City, or even saving the entire Commonwealth from the Institute, at the cost of killing his son, he helped everyone. He had stopped the Mechanist’s crazed robots. He had found peace in Far Harbor between the Synths, Children of the Atom, and the citizens of Far Harbor. Leon had even built many settlements and helped the settlers when supermutants, ghouls, or raiders tried to harm them. The Commonwealth was finally beginning to see peace because of Leon.
Preston revered the man. He couldn’t believe someone could be so keen to help everyone. Even though Leon spent most of his time wandering the Commonwealth helping people, he would always return to Sanctuary to see his synth son Shaun. Preston looked up to this selfless man who always tried to be the pacifist. Preston would follow this man to the end of the earth and back.
~~
Leon left one day to follow a strange broadcast he had heard on his Pip-boy. Something about a ‘Nuka-world’. Preston walked the battlements of Sanctuary as he saw Leon leave, probably off to help more people Preston thought as Leon disappeared over the horizon.
~~
It had been a long time since Leon had left, and there had been no word of him. Preston was worried that Leon may have bit off more than he could chew at this ‘Nuka-world’. It was then that he heard over the radio on the battlement that he always had tuned to Radio Freedom that a new group of raiders were storming the Commonwealth. The settlements that Leon had built and protected were one by one falling to this new group of raiders.
Preston made sure to keep a better watch over Sanctuary, to make sure these raiders didn’t try claim it. Although they would be crazy to try Preston thought as he walked the battlements. Leon had built a four-meter-high wall around the perimeter of the town, and the walls were littered with turrets that watched every direction around the settlement. The settlement was impenetrable.
~~
It was a few days after the first announcement of the new raider gang that Preston heard the most unbelievable story. The man who was leading these raiders was supposedly Leon. Preston couldn’t believe it. There was no way Leon would do this Preston thought.
~~
It was a few days later that it was confirmed to be Leon leading these raiders. Preston was furious. “How could he do this!” Preston yelled to no one. He needed to have a word with Leon about all of this, although he had no way of contacting Leon, or knowing what settlement was going to be attacked next. Preston waited at Sanctuary, hoping Leon would come visit his son.
~~
Preston was correct. Leon did come visit his son. Although Preston almost didn’t recognise Leon as he approached Sanctuary. The man who once wore black combat armour, with his black urban ranger hair, and his lone wanderer beard, was now unrecognisable. Leon wore chucks with thigh high yellow and black striped socks. Torn blue jean shorts and a purple sloth soft toy strapped around his left leg. He also wore a ripped brown jumper, with a colourful feather and bone necklace. But the biggest change was Leon’s face. His once black hair was now bright purple, and his face was painted white, with black lightning styled lines wreaking havoc across his face. He looked like a madman.
When Preston first saw him begin to cross the bridge he almost shot the man, but when the turrets didn’t react to him, Preston realised the man meant no harm. Leon walked through the gates into Sanctuary. He was heading to where Shaun always hung out by the red workbench in the centre of town. Preston hurried to meet him there. He needed to be sure that it was Leon, and ask why he was leading these raiders who had pretty much taken over the entire Commonwealth.
~~
Leon was hugging Shaun when Preston got there. “You’ve crossed a line, General. There are some things I can’t forgive” Preston said in disdain. “I thought I knew you. I trusted you” he continued as Leon turned to look at him. Leon was unsteady on his feet, stumbling a little as he took a step away from Shaun. “And then you joined up with the scum that prey on the Commonwealth?” Preston continued. He had noted Leon’s unsteadiness. He must have been going heavy on the chems like most raiders. Before Leon could even answer, Preston continued. “Don’t think that the Minutemen will stand by and let you bring even more misery to the Commonwealth. If that means shooting at you and your new friends, so be it. But that’s in your hands. You can still turn back and try to actually make the Commonwealth a better place again.”
Leon stared at him, his eyes were unfocused. “What’s the old saying? ‘You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain’” Leon said slowly as he tried to focus on Preston. Suddenly Leon collapsed to the ground. The crowd of people that had gather all gasped at his sudden collapse.
Preston knelt down next to Leon. The man was clearly unwell. Leon then coughed up a large clot of blood. “Dad!” Shaun yelled as he knelt by his father. “I… I was never su…supposed to be alive n…now” Leon said through laboured breaths. “I sh…should have die… died the day the bombs f… fell.” He coughed up more blood.
“Leon what is wrong?!” Preston urged him. Why is he coughing up so much blood? It like he is poisoned! Preston thought. “I’m… I’m just cor…correcting everything” Leon choked out. Leon then reached for his 10mm pistol he kept strapped to his leg. He drew it, aimed it at Shaun and fired. Killing the synth child. “Sorry” Leon said as he turned the gun to his temple and fired.
~~
Leon’s companions buried both Leon and Shaun behind his old house next to Leon’s wife Nora. Even though he had become a raider, he had still been their friend. He had helped every single one of them. It was when they were laying Leon in his grave that they found a note he had scrunched up in his hand. Preston read it aloud to the group of companions.
I’m sorry everyone. I had to go. I should never have been alive now; I should have died when the bombs fell. I saw my wife shot dead, and my son taken, while I was helpless, and could not move. I found my home and country a shadow of its former self.
Everywhere I walked I saw reminders to the life I could never have with my family. I tried to help others, so they might not have to live without their family like me.
When I finally found Shaun, the dream I had of living as a family with him crumbled. I was going to outlive him. So I ran from that crumbling dream by destroying the Institute. I killed my own son.
I really wanted to stop, but it was all of you, my precious friends, who kept me going. So I pressed on to help more people. I stopped the Mechanist’s robots, but hoped that I might killed by one of them. I helped Far Harbor, and hoped that I would be claimed by the fog, but I survived.
I could not take it anymore. ‘One last try’ I thought as I set off for Nuka World. And yet I managed to survive a raider infested town. Like, come on, who survives that?! I became the Overboss, as they called me. It was when we had taken over the majority of the Commonwealth that I realised nothing was going to kill me.
Hell I even walked into the glowing sea with no hazmat suit, rad-x, or rad away, and still fucking survived!
I then realised the only thing that could kill me, was me. But I was not going to leave Shaun here on his own. Not in this world I royally fucked up. So as I approach Sanctuary I will drink an entire bottle of poison. This is so that if I can’t shoot myself after I have killed Shaun again, I will die.
I’m sorry my friends. I have let you down. I was never the hero you thought I was. I was just a desperate man with a death wish. And in my selfishness, I have ruined the Commonwealth.
Preston started at the grave of his friend. He had always looked up to Leon, believing him to be a strong leader. But now he saw that his friend had been a very broken man who hid behind a façade. How had I been so blind not to see my own friend’s suffering. Maybe I could have helped him cope with everything he thought. All the companions realised that they had never truly know the man most had called their closest friend.