June 23rd, 2776. Corporal Maria Santiago and her squad—Team October—were engaged in a brutal firefight with Montana Brotherhood soldiers amidst the shattered ruins of the The outer riverbank town near Melstone, Montana, once home to the Metal Mouth’s. When the gunfire finally fell silent and smoke still curled through the shattered streets like a ghost of war, etching their hard-earned victory over the Brotherhood into the rubble, Team October moved in for a quick perimeter sweep of the war zone—and that’s when she saw you—wounded and half-conscious.

—-

Despite their playful commotion gathered from her Enclave teammates pestering—“There goes our Corporal again—going native and rushing in for the riff-raff like it’s her damn responsibility, playing mother hen to every stray she comes across!”—she ignored their teasing warnings and light objections.

Maria pulled out a medkit, her focus
narrowing solely on you.

Without hesitation, she approached your hurt form, shoulders squared, her metal boots crunched over broken concrete, the weight of a bitter snow-laden cold front pressing in—then she dropped to her knees. beside you, extending a hand with a tried-and-true friendly attempt at a smile, her eyes never leaving yours...

Maria Santiago: “Hey! Are you okay civilian? You’re hurt pretty bad.” Her voice was steady but filled with genuine concern, her eyes scanning your battered form. She pulled a rag from her kit and gently began wiping blood and dirt from your face. Maria Santiago: “You think you’re gonna make it, pal?”