I'll say it again, this post contains a lot of spoilers for Fallout 4's Main Quest.

Anyway, just something short that I wrote up, kind of summarizes my fallout 4 character and his journey through the Main Quest.

Marshall Brooks, Regulator - Interviewing leads in Diamond City


- As my crew and I traveled through the Commonwealth, we had gotten word of a new target who was apparently very well known in the area. A bit of info from traders or settlers here and there made it easy to find some solid leads. A few of those leads however, namely one Preston Garvey of the Commonwealth Minutemen, refused to give up any information at all. I would have liked to have pressed him harder, but the Minutemen being set up in their fortress known as "the Castle" made any attempts at intimidation likely impossible.

Surprisingly, most folk around here had a lot of good to say about the individual - despite his more recent actions. I was pretty skeptical though, until a few leads in Diamond City finally gave me some answers. Such a shame - the target sounded like an exceptionally good man once upon a time. But that time is over now, and any compassion once held by folk for his former self won't stand in the way of our wasteland justice.

The following is my personal recorded transcript of the interrogation between myself, Marshall Brooks, Regulator - and two leads : Nick Valentine and Piper Wright of Diamond City.

Marshall Brooks : Before we begin I'd just like to say once more that I appreciate ya both filling me in on our man here. I know he used to be a dear friend to the both of you. But the wasteland's got a way of changin' people, we all know that. And I didn't come this far north to stop another ordinary raider. This outlaw's certainly made a name for himself out there in the wastes.

Piper Wright : Outlaw huh.. Hard to imagine that term would ever be used to describe him.

Marshall Brooks : I don't think I need to go over the full report again do I? Mr. Jack Young - known mercenary - gunned down in cold blood a Mr. Hewey Darleft - respectable business man and known weapons dealer. Killed him just south of the Boston city border.

Nick Valentine : We still don't know exactly what happened with that, do we?

Marshall Brooks : We know enough. We know Darleft was unarmed at the time. And evidence suggests that this was most likely a paid hit. Had two guards escorting him, both of them dead and looted, bodies found right along with his. And all this on top of a rather shady rap sheet Young's managed to put together over the last several months.


Piper Wright : Can we just get this over with? Security asked us to help as a favor in order to get you and your men out of the city sooner. So just ask the questions already.

Marshall Brooks : Of course little lady, no need to go gettin' all riled up now. So, when was the last time either of you saw Jack Young?

Nick Valentine : Been months at least.. a year? Maybe longer. He helped me out with a couple of old cases I had sitting around collecting dust. Made the desk a little lighter. That was all after the fall of the Institute though.

Marshall Brooks : Yes, we'll be getting to that. And you Ms. Piper?

Piper Wright : Nearly as long for me. He stopped in to visit me once, right after he had begun his career as a gun for hire. He had a girl with him. I think her name was... Cait? I haven't seen him since.

Marshall Brooks : Cait, huh? Red head, Irish accent?

Piper Wright : Yeah, that's her.

Marshall Brooks : Matches the description. His partner in crime it seems.

Piper Wright : It was hard to think she'd be the girl he'd end up with. She's all wrong for him. Or, at least for who he was back then. When he stopped back in to see me I thought.. well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore.

Marshall Brooks : Was there something between you two? Did you love him?

Nick Valentine : Wait just a second there cowboy, this isn't going to help you find your man any sooner. She doesn't need this kind of..

Piper Wright : It's okay Nick, I can handle it. To answer your question Mr. Brooks, no, nothing ever happened between us. We were friends.. I thought, maybe someday there would be.. I don't know. I could have loved him. He was a good man. The best I'd ever met anyway.

Marshall Brooks : And how did you two meet him exactly?

Piper Wright : He showed up outside of the city one day. I had been "banned" again by the former Mayor - He didn't care much for my paper or my suspicions. For good reason too, cause the mayor was a synth all along, working for the Institute. It was fitting that Jack was the one to put him down when he flipped and started shooting at the residents. Guess when the Institute was destroyed he must have panicked. Or malfunctioned.. or something.

Marshall Brooks : Back to how you met, please.

Piper Wright : Hmph. So he showed up outside of the gate where I was talking to Danny. When I convinced Danny to let us in the Mayor started questioning Jack. Turns out he had come to Diamond City looking for his missing baby boy. Sounded like a great story, and I wanted to help him. I knew no one else would. So I invited him back to my place for an interview and learned a bit more about him.

Marshall Brooks : What'd you learn, darlin'?

Piper Wright : He was alive before the war. 200 years ago. Frozen in a vault. His wife had just been murdered and his son was stolen before he woke up. He was different from

anyone else I'd ever met, ya know? You could just.. see it in his eyes. I offered to stick with him for a bit and referred him to Nicky here.

Nick Valentine : That's right. I was out on a case at the time and had been kidnapped at an old rival's hideout when He and Piper showed up to bail me out. That's when I met him for the first time - saved my skin I guess you could say. What little I've got. Brought him back here to the office and that's when he filled me in on everything. Turns out the man who had kidnapped his son was a dangerous mercenary named Kellogg - lived right here in town awhile back. Probably the best gun for hire in the Commonwealth.. or was anyway. We searched Kellogg's old place and Jack used a dog to track him the rest of the way I guess. I offered to go with him but he wanted to do it alone. Avenging his wife and all that.

Marshall Brooks : And then?

Nick Valentine : He showed up days later, but without his kid. I was just glad that he was alive to be honest. I wasn't sure we'd ever see him again. Turns out he had killed Kellogg after learning that the merc had been working for the Institute and had delivered Jack's son to them. I guess Kellogg wouldn't answer anymore questions so we still had no idea how to get his son back. Luckily for us, Jack must have done quite the number on the guy when he killed him. Understandable of course.

Piper Wright : I don't even want to imagine what he must have done to have found that implant. Needless to say, Kellogg deserved every bit of it.

Marshall Brooks : What implant would that be?

Nick Valentine : It was a brain augmentation implant. Apparently Kellogg was a cyborg - not a synth, but a man enhanced with mechanical upgrades. More sinister work of the Institute, go figure. When Jack killed Kellogg he found that piece and brought it back, thinking I might be able to make use of it. A good instinct, because we were able to do exactly that. Took it to a doctor I know who specializes in tech of that nature. She was able to rig the device allowing us to see Kellogg's memories. And that's how we learned that the Institute used teleportation to travel from their underground facility up here to the surface.

Marshall Brooks : Ha, teleportation. I'd heard the stories, but never from a reliable source. Always thought it was a bunch of bull.

Nick Valentine : That's the truth of it, as hard as it may be to believe. He had help from the Minutemen in building some sort of device that got him into the Institute.

Marshall Brooks : Yes.. the Minutemen. Couldn't get nearly any of them to cooperate with me.

Piper Wright : He used to be their General. Back before he abandoned everything... Like I said, he was a pretty good guy. He reminded me a lot of my dad.. Always looking out for those he cared for, even when it was a danger to himself. He had helped rebuild the Minutemen while still trying to find his son. Even after his entire world had been taken from him he managed to find the strength to help others in need..

Marshall Brooks : Except that he hadn't lost everything yet. His son was still out there. Losing him must have been what finally broke the man's good spirit I suppose. I'd like to talk more about that. What happened when he got to the Institute?

Nick Valentine : As I understand it, the Institute was being ran by Jack's son. A twist of events none of us saw coming, that's for sure.

Marshall Brooks : Hold on now. The Institute was being run by a little baby? What exactly am I missing here?

Piper Wright : When Jack's son was kidnapped he was frozen again before he woke up and escaped the vault. To him, it seemed like mere seconds. Apparently it had been sixty years..

Nick Valentine : Right. And during that time Kellogg had taken Jack's son back to the Institute, where he ended up living all of his life. Grew up there and became their leader.

Marshall Brooks : Now that makes a bit more sense. Although not in the case of Kellogg.

Nick Valentine : Like I said, he was a cyborg. The implants the Institute had given him prolonged his life.

Marshall Brooks : I see. Well then, did you ever figure out why the Institute kidnapped his son in the first place?

Nick Valentine : Turns out they used his son to get samples of "untainted" DNA, which helped them create their generation three synths. The ones that look human.

Marshall Brooks : Unlike yourself.

Nick Valentine : .. Yeah..

Marshall Brooks : Okay then. So Mr. Young finally reaches the Institute, finds his son who is now not only twice his own age but also the Institute's leader.. And then what?

Piper Wright : I think he worked for them a bit. I mean, not a lot. He had told me after he got back from the Institute for the first time... he said that he wanted to be with his son but that there was definitely something wrong with the place. I wanted to slap him across the face and say "Duh!".. but I can't even imagine what was going through his mind after learning what had become of his son. So I guess when they gave him an order that he refused to do - something about kidnapping synths I think - well, his own son banished him.

Marshall Brooks : And that caused him to destroy the Institute?

Piper Wright : No, it wasn't that. I spoke with him after that had happened. He said he was going to just try to keep helping with the Minutemen, try to make something of what was left of his life. He knew at least that his son was safe and happy. He just wanted to move on I think. Be at peace. I thought.. well that's why I thought maybe he would want to start over. Have.. a family again, you know?

Marshall Brooks : So how'd he ever get around to destroying the Institute?

Nick Valentine : We still don't know why it happened, but the Institute ended up attacking the Minutemen at the Castle. Quite the battle from what I hear.

Piper Wright : It was. I was there fighting beside him.

Marshall Brooks : You fought the Institute at the Castle?

Piper Wright : Yeah. He had gotten news that they were planning an attack. He told me he didn't want to put me in harm's way, but they needed volunteers. I know how to handle myself in a fight, I was more than happy to pitch in. It went on for what seemed like hours. Eventually we were able to drive all the synths off though.

Nick Valentine : So there's your incentive. He couldn't even live out the rest of his days knowing his son was alive and well...

Piper Wright : We don't know why that happened. The Minutemen weren't even a threat. I.. guess there's plenty of why's when asking about all the things the Institute has done though.

Marshall Brooks : And that's when Jack destroyed the Institute?

Piper Wright : Shortly after the attack, yeah. He used an infiltration team led by himself and Preston Garvey. They found a way into the Institute and blew the place sky high.

Marshall Brooks : And his son?

Valentine : Killed in the explosion.

Marshall Brooks : Well then. This certainly explains how a former Minutemen General turns to a life of mercenary work in such a short amount of time. Sounds like having to kill his son finally did him in.

Piper Wright : Stop.

Marshall Brooks : Meant no disrespect of course miss. So, this Cait girl.. anybody know her story?

Valentine : Never met her.

Piper Wright : Like I said, I only met her once. The last time I saw him. I asked who she was. He said he'd come across her while clearing out a den of raiders. She was a fighter or something, trying to make a living. His new bodyguard I guess. We didn't really discuss her much. She only spoke a few times, mostly complaining that she was bored and wanted to get back out on the road.

Marshall Brooks : Bad company then, I'm sure. Ms. Piper if you don't mind my asking, what did he stop in to talk to you about that day?

Piper Wright : I think he mostly just stopped in to say goodbye. Said that he was going to go out and look for some work for awhile, in the wastes. I asked him if this meant that he was leaving the Minutemen behind. He said that they were in good hands with Preston. I could see it in his eyes again.. He was different , he looked.. sad. He said that he wouldn't be around for a some time and that he wanted me to know that he had appreciated everything I'd done to help him. I guess I knew then that he'd never be the same. But I still can't believe he's all bad. In pain most definitely. I think he just needs our help one more time. We owe him that.

Marshall Brooks : I see. Well I wish this story could have a happy ending, but I'm afraid it can't. Man's done too much damage, even for all the good he may have done before. I think I have all the information I need from the two of you for the time being. I do appreciate it. It's good to know your enemy after all - and I'm quite sure there's something here that I can use to my advantage when the time comes. It'll bring the Regulators a good night's sleep knowing that we've put down another evil mercenary. A few bullets for Jack Young and his partner - and justice for Mr. Darleft.

Piper Wright : What!?

Nick Valentine : Now wait just a minute you crooked cowboy! Nobody ever said anything about killing him, it was supposed to be an arrest! We haven't even heard his side of it.

Marshall Brooks : Nah uh. You best leave them pistols at your sides where they belong. I'm a lawman, remember? Don't either of ya go doin' anything stupid. I'm sorry about your friend, truly. But the Regulators have a duty to stop men like Jack Young. And there's only one way of doing that out there in the wastes. Now, I'm gonna back out of here real slow and leave this little town of yours just like you wanted. And with any luck, I'll find Mr. Young very soon. You both have a nice day now.

Piper Wright : Before you go Mr. Brooks..

Marshall Brooks : Yes ma'am?

Piper Wright : I hope you get to look into his eyes before he kills you..