A/N: Fallout belongs to Bethesda Game Studios and the Mass Effect series belongs to Bioware.

With this being my first ever fanfic published, I would like to know what you folks think about it, so send me reviews and don't hold back on ways I could improve or point out flaws!

Prologue: Alternate Exit

Mason Everett had done the seemingly impossible. He had lead with his friend and close lieutenant, Preston Garvey, a ragtag group of wastelanders called the Minutemen into the very depths of the Institute to eliminate the grave threat they had posed to the Commonwealth. For decades, the Commonwealth had been terrorized by kidnappings, murders, and the destruction of entire settlements at the hands of the Institute and their synths.

After spending months helping and recruiting various settlements across the wastes, the Minutemen went from being a hairbreadth away from complete destruction, to being stronger than ever. It was with this renewed strength and conviction that allowed the Minutemen to successfully defend their headquarters, the Castle, from a massive Institute attack. Donning his T-60f power armor, Mason proceeded to infiltrate the Institute through an old water cooling pump, and was now leading the attack against the Institute itself, fully intent on ending their vile existence.

Mason, alongside Preston and a small group of Minutemen, had just completed their task of rigging the Institute's reactor to detonate and where preparing to teleport out when they'd hit a problem.

"All right, Sturges, we're done. Get us the hell out of here," urged Preston.

"I would, man, but,... this kid showed up, says he's the Generals' son," replied Sturges.

Mason was no stranger to the child in question. In fact, he was the first person he'd directly encountered when first arriving at the Institute. He was the whole reason Mason had fought everything the Commonwealth could throw at him. Raiders, Gunners, super mutants, feral ghouls, and all manners of hostile wildlife would not stand between him and finding his son Shaun.

Shaun certainly looked like his father, having brown eyes and dark hair along with fair skin, he was a smaller version of his father, minus the "street brawler" facial hair and weathered look Mason sported. It was hard to believe that his "son" was actually a custom built synth, the first and only child synth created by the Institute on the orders of its Director.

"Please, dad... Don't leave me here! I want to go with you!"

Mason, acting quickly and with little hesitation made his decision.

"Right, of course. I'm your father", Mason said with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Good. For a second I thought you forgot who I was. Now let's hurry up and get out of here!"

"All right, you can come with me."

"Really? Do you mean it?"

"Yes, I mean it, now let's get out of here", Prompted Mason.

"I'm glad you were here to save me", gratefully added Shaun.

With the matter dealt with, Mason turned his attention to Sturges. The man in question was busying himself with the relay terminal. Coughing to get his attention, Sturges looked up to Mason with a hint of worry on his face.

"Is something wrong Sturges?" Mason questioned.

"We may have a slight problem General. While you were off having fun, it seems that the fighting did a number on various systems, including the teleporter here. I think I have it figured out, so it should be safe to use."

"Are you sure? I don't want to end up as atomized bits when I use this thing," Mason said with uncertainty.

"Don't sweat it General. Like I said, I've got it figured so you're all set."

Although not entirely put at ease, Mason felt some measure of reassurance from the handyman.

"All right Sturges, fire it up."

"Didn't leave anything behind, did you? All set to get out of here?"

"Absolutely. Let's get the hell out of here."

"You got it. I'm sending you to the detonation site, then set the relay to shoot the kid here back to the Castle - we'll get him a change of clothes and look after him. I'll join you and Preston shortly once I've teleported you and the kid to your destinations."

Nodding his head, Mason strode toward the awaiting relay. Preston, Shaun, and two Minutemen from the attack group joined their General in the small circular shaped room. The teleporter quickly began to charge, preparing to relay the group out of the soon to be destroyed Institute.

"Oh shit! Guys, you need to get the hell out of there right now! The relay signal is going to hell in a hand basket!", Sturges all but shouted to the group assembled in the relay chamber.

Before Mason or anyone else could react, the relay flashed to life, and the group disappeared in a flash of blue light as they were teleported out.

"Oh hell, what have I done," Lamented Sturges, as he stared at the now empty relay chamber.

As a long serving Minuteman, Preston Garvey had seen many a place and met many people along the way patrolling the Commonwealth. He had thought he had seen everything there was to see in life, which was why he now had a hard time believing what he was seeing.

"What the hell is this place?" Asked Amelia, one of the two Minutemen that had joined the others in the chamber.

The place in question wasn't anything at all like the Commonwealth wastes. Instead of vast lands brown and withered vegetation punctuated with ruined buildings and vehicles, the place the group now found themselves in a land dominated by tall, darkly colored metallic structures punctuated by glowing lights and signs surrounding them.

"Were we teleported to another part of the Institute sir? It sure looks like it," Asked Robert, the other Minuteman who joined them on the ill fated trip.

"I don't think we're at the Institute. If anything, this architecture and design is the opposite of theirs," Declared Mason.

"It doesn't look like the Institute," Added Shaun. "They didn't have these funny tall things with lights coming out of them. It's kinda of dark too."

"So what's our next move General?" Preston asked.

Mason turned to look at him. "We recon the area, try to figure out where we are."

"General, what about your son? Kinda dangerous bringing him along. Who knows what we'll run into?" Preston said to Mason.

"You and I will be at the front while Robert, Amelia, and Shaun hang back. That way if we run into trouble, you three can get away while Preston and I hold them off."

"Don't worry sir, I won't let anything happen to your son," Affirmed Robert.

"Me too sir. Nothings getting past us," Amelia added.

Preston felt the stirring of pride in his chest at their willingness to protect the Generals' son. They where living up to their title as Minutemen.

"All right people, you know the drill. Let's move out," Preston ordered to the trio. Turning to Mason he said, "We're right behind you General. Lead the way."

Smiling to him, Mason replied, "That's good to hear. Something tells me things are going to get interesting."

And that ends the first chapter! Let me know what you think, it will help me to improve the story!