Rusty

Background: The first clear memory Russell has is of a man in gore-splattered power armor pulling him from the rubble of a collapsed building, and of the vertibird ride that whisked him away from the burning, choking remains of the Pitt. He couldn't have been more than three or four years old, but he's never been exactly sure. It wasn't like anybody kept track of birthdays in that hellhole.

From there his upbringing was similar to any other child who'd been initiated into the Brotherhood of Steel; he was educated on history, science and engineering, and trained in combat, repair and marksmanship. He was always a strong boy, and a good healthy diet and clean fresh water let him grow up into a strapping teen, and when he was deemed old enough he became a Squire and began the rigorous training that would one day, he hoped, lead him to a rank that would earn him his own set of power armor.

He had just qualified for the rank of Knight when the first recon mission to the Commonwealth was dispatched. He was one of the lucky few chosen for the mission, and the reception they received upon returning to the fold were nothing compared to the treasures they brought back. Holotapes full of prewar information from mundane radio dramas to military intel squirreled away by some paranoid official; plans for weapons and armor, even improvements on their own power armor, the list went on. It was the first time Russell felt like he truly belonged, like he was a valuable asset to the Brotherhood, and it was what earned him his place on the Prydwen when, seven years later and after his promotion to Paladin, he was one of those chosen for her cross-country maiden voyage.

The problems began almost as soon as they entered the Commonwealth. Rumors of synths and confirmed sightings of mutants, firefights with raiders and wastelanders alike. They took the airport easily enough, as only ghouls seemed to reside there after all these years, but every patrol brought back worse news. And what's worse, their leader... well, Russell didn't say it out loud, but he was worried that it was all too much for Maxson. That he was letting his moral crusade against the so-called mutant and synth scourge get to his head. And then they found out about Danse...

Now, Russell isn't what you'd call a deserter, but perhaps he drags his heels a little when he's on his way back. The shiny armor has lost some of its luster...