"This is it, Nora? When you said we were going to a museum, this isn't what I had in mind." Robert MacCready said, leaning against a lamp post, and lifted his gaze to the ivy-covered Museum of Witchcraft sign.
The cathedral-like structure seemed out of place on the desolate road. The weed covered church leered down at the two trespassers with dim, dusty glass windows in the fading afternoon sun. The building's front was bordered by a wrought iron fence, that somehow withstood the test of time despite its rusting.
"I heard about this place from a couple of guards in Diamond City. Might have some cool stuff," she grinned, bounding up the steps and throwing a glance over her shoulder, "Plus, I thought it would be fun." A gentle breeze blew in, tousling her amber shoulder-length strands. MacCready couldn't help but notice how form fitting her vault suit was from where he was standing, causing a slow smirk to spread across his face.
Tugging on the handle, the wooden double doors rattled, but refused to budge. Nora, muttering something under her breath, turned to face the mercenary with a scowl.
"W-what?" he glanced away as he pretended to adjust his hat, hoping that she hadn't noticed him staring or his reddening cheeks.
"I said the door is chained from the inside. We'll have to find another way in. Check the left side. I'll check the right."
"Sure thing, Boss," he said with a sigh and a quick nod.
Mac ambled to the left of the building. He scanned the side of the museum, heavily guarded by dead ivy. Damn, not even a window. MacCready's eyes stopped, settling on a section of weeds that had been ripped from the wall. Edging closer, he brushed the brown, lifeless weeds aside. A set of five gashes marred the stone. Running a hand across them, he felt the jagged marks etched deep into the surface. The length of them was from tip of his finger to his elbow and the width was twice the size of his thumb. Shit, whatever was here... was big. His breath became shallow as his gaze trailed the slash marks upward, scaling the building and ending on the roof.
"Hey, Mac?"
He made his way to the other side of the museum. Nora, intently focused on her Pip-boy, crouched beside a mangled female body as she listened to a holotape.
"Oh my... C-Conners? Where-where's the rest of him?" shouted a female on the recording.
"Jesus. It found us. Sergeant Lee, grab the case! Do not let that thing out of your sight!" a male voice commanded. Gunfire and shouting in the background made it tough for Nora to understand. "Everyone inside the museum! Now!"
"Major... Major! What found us?" the woman on the recording pleaded, and then the holotape went silent.
She turned her attention to the corpse, which was missing a head and an arm, the left leg was several feet away, and the abdomen was shredded by a series of lacerations.
"She was a Gunner and killed recently- about four to six hours ago. What do you think did this? Bear... or what are they called? Yao Gui?" she asked, rising to her feet.
"Seems brutal, even for a Yao Gui. There are claw marks leading to the roof. I believe whatever did this is in that museum."
"We can manage a bear or two, right? And if it's something else, we can just leave quietly." Moving to the cellar door, she tugged on the handle, letting the door fall with a bang.
MacCready cringed. "So much for the quiet part."
The wooden stairs groaned under their steps. Barrels, crates, and desks littered the basement floor. A few kerosene lanterns, which bathed the room in a yellow glow, remained lit from the Gunners who sought refuge from the unknown creature.
The mercenary plopped himself on a barrel, propping his elbow on his knee while watching his partner rummage through a cardboard box. "I'm starting to think you hired me so you wouldn't have to visit spooky old places alone."
"Ha, you got me," Nora smirked, her voice heavy with sarcasm, "Totally worth those two-hundred and fifty caps."
"I gave those back awhile ago. You know I'm not in it for the money anymore."
"And yet you still follow me," she chuckled, tossing a battered clipboard over her shoulder before moving on to the next box.
"Someone's gotta make sure you don't get yourself killed." Shaking his head, MacCready hopped off the barrel. He ambled around the room for a moment before spotting a section of concrete that had crumbled away, revealing a skeleton holed up in the wall. "Ooo, spooky," he said dryly, crouching near it to get a better look. A blur swooshed in front of his face. Nora's index finger skimmed the bridge of his nose as she brushed the hat off his head.
"How do I look, Mac?" Nora tugged the hat over her head with a wry smile.
His fingers raked through his tousled hair. "Uh, like you just stole a hat? My hat."
He lunged for it, but she stepped backwards out of his clumsy attempt. The woman beamed at him, her grin growing wider. Rolling his eyes and pressing his lips together, MacCready tried to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Why did she have to be so damn cute all the time?
A rattling groan pierced the air. Nora froze, her smile congealing into horror as her gaze traveling up to the crackling ceiling. Wood snapped above her, cracking and splintering. MacCready sprinted forward, throwing himself on top of her and knocking her to the ground. He crushed her to him, holding on as if she would be ripped away while the building collapsed around them.
After the deafening noise had subsided, there was an annoying ringing in his ears. He hoisted himself onto his hands and knees, finding her curled beneath him, clinging to the front of his duster with white knuckles and eyes shut tight.
"You okay?"
Opening an eye, Nora nodded. "What about you?"
"Never better," Mac groaned, pushing a thick board off his back as he rose to his feet.
After adjusting the rifle on his shoulder, he leaned down to pull the vault-dweller to her feet. The room was in total darkness- the kerosine lamp extinguished. Nora flicked on her Pipboy light, giving a blue glow to the surroundings. The building had collapsed on itself where the cellar door was, leaving only a pile of boards, concrete, and debris.
"We won't be able to leave the way we came," she said.
A guttural roar shook the timbers, echoing throughout the room. Nora considered for a split second to take cover in case of a second cave in.
Swiping his hat off the ground, he shook it out and secured it on his head. "That would be a deathclaw, which means we should get the hell outta here."
"Agreed."
She lead the way with her light, following the wall until it narrowed into a corridor. The creature growled again, low and rumbling- almost like it was purring. Lumbering steps, accompanied by sharp scratching on wood, thudded overhead. The Deathclaw appeared to be following the length of the corridor from above; each thundering step causing silt to to rain down in the wake of it.
Nora instinctively flinched at the sound. Curling a hand around MacCready's arm and squeezing, she felt his tense muscles beneath her fingers.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She released her grip, meaning to pull away, but he patted a palm over her shaking hand.
"No, it's okay... I like being close," he said in a hushed tone. He was practically leading her, even though she was the one with the light.
"Me too," Nora whispered, her voice breathy and quavering.
She's terrified. I've never seen her this scared. "You've killed one before, right? A Deathclaw?"
She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "Once. It nearly tore me apart in power armor."
They tread down the hall without further conversation, crouching and sticking to the wall, being careful not attract further attention. The end of the corridor was blocked by a barricade of furniture, with only a narrow V-shaped gap between a couch and a propped up chair.
"I'll go first," he said, unslinging the rifle and handing it to her. Mac, crawling on all fours, shimmed through the tight space. Once he was on the other side, Nora handed the rifle to him. The mercenary took it, and after checking the room, he said, "It's clear. Come on over."
The ground scratched and scraped at her skin as she slid through broken bits of concrete. The spacious, empty room was cast in ominous darkness, except for the daylight trickling in from a gaping hole in the next floor. On the opposite end was a stairway to most likely the main floor. The two crept forward with precise steps, careful to muffle their footfalls.
THWACK!
A corpse fell, nearly falling through the hole above them. Its arm and head dangled from the ceiling.
"Ah!" Nora's head jerked up, eyes wide, as her hands shot up to cover her mouth.
A creeping, painful silence followed, ringing out in the room for several moments that seemed to go on forever. Scraping, thunderous steps boomed overhead. The wood creaked under the Deathclaw's weight, sending more fine bits of dust down. The resounding rumbling growl it gave echoed in their chests. The body shuffled out of sight as it was dragged away. Another silence ensued.
CRUNCH!CRUNCH!CRUNCH!
Tissue, organs, and bloody chunks tumbled down the hole as the Deathclaw feasted. The sickening sound of crunching bone and ripping flesh filled the air. MacCready swore he heard Nora whimper, even though he knew she was no stranger to blood and guts. Grabbing the hem of her sleeve, he tugged at her to follow. The two of them slunk along the wall, staying low to the ground. Nora exhaled sharply, not realizing she had been holding her breath.
The crunching stopped. Silence dragged on for one long, exposed moment. Nora's heartbeat pulsed in her ears. A maw, bloody and dripping, with beady red eyes glowered through the darkness. The creature's claws scraped against the wood with a deafening screech as it tried to push its snout further in. It huffed rapid breaths, searching, trying to sniff out its prey. Nora ducked into MacCready's shoulder with a muffled cry, and he pulled his arms around her tight. The horns caught on the boards. Snapping razor-sharp teeth pierced the air. They were cornered, and if the Deathclaw made it to the basement, there would be no escape.
The boards groaned and bent under the pressure of the creature. The Deathclaw stopped, glaring unblinkingly at them. Opening it's mouth, it let out a growl that evolved into a roar. The timbers, the concrete, the whole building shook at the creatures frustration. And then, it withdrew, storming off to a far corner. Mac, tugging Nora along, hurried to the base of the stairs.
"Wait, before we go up there..." Her breath was shaky as if winded. Shoving a couple of display mannequins to the ground, the vault-dweller jerked open a door, which turned out to be a supply closet, under the stairs and pulled MacCready inside. Flicking on her Pip-boy light, she illuminated the small space.
"I don't think it can find us in here."
'I wouldn't put that past him' is what he wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to joke. He could see Nora was pale, even in the Pipboy's glow, and her lips were set in a grim line. Grabbing Mac's wrist, she turned his hand up and plunked a cold metal object into his palm. The ring glinted in the light as he held it up to examine it.
"I wanted to give this to you, but I never could find the right time. I've been carrying it around since I woke up. For what reason, I am not sure... But it means a great deal to me. Hold on to it, in case I-" Her voice broke when she tried to take a breath, choking back a sob.
She was steady, strong, and confident. Seeing her like this, looking like a scared and cornered radstag, made him feel uneasy. He turned the ring over a few times in his hands idly, before securing it in his coat pocket. "Nate's ring? Is... something wrong?"
She took four deep shaky breaths, and locked her watery eyes with his. "We are walking into a death trap. Our ammo situation isn't good," Pausing, Nora bit her lip and glanced away, "Shawn is gone... but Duncan- he needs you. Robert, I want you to run straight to the door, and don't turn back. I'll distract the Deathclaw as long as I can."
"Nora," he started to talk, but for once in his life the words would not form. "You aren't- you can't- I mean, are you fu-frickin' serious?"
Turning her gaze to the ground, Nora tried to hide the tears that had begun the decent down her cheeks."I barely survived my last encounter with a Deathclaw. I had powerarmor and a minigun- but it nearly ripped me apart," she said through muffled sobs, "I couldn't live with myself if you..."
MacCready grasped both of her shoulders, and said low but gentle, "Listen, you and I- we are getting outta of this mess alive. Either that or I die trying. And it's not just because of some debt either. It's because... because..." The mercenary stared unblinkingly into Nora's gaze, his eyes pleading, begging for her to understand what he couldn't put into words. A deep groan of frustration escaped his throat. Cupping his hands around the delicate line of her jaw, MacCready crashed his mouth into hers. Hat tumbling to the ground, he closed his eyes at the feel of her soft, warm lips and surprised gasp.
Mac pulled back, his face inches from Nora- who was staring with her eyes growing wider and flushed pink cheeks. "I always thought of you more than just a friend, too. Sorry I didn't say so sooner," he blurted out, not wanting to, but unable to stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, "When you found me at the Third Rail, I was asking to get myself killed. Lucy was gone, I couldn't retrieve the cure for my son... I was hoping the Gunners would one day put me out of my misery. But then you came along, and made life worth living again. You cared when no one else gave a damn about me and Duncan." He studied her face, the thing between them exposed, searching for a sign- a frown, a grimace, something to give him a clue as to her thoughts.
After a few moments, feeling agonizingly like an eternity, Nora closed the distance between them, burying her face in his chest and holding him like she would never have the chance again. "For the first time in my life I'm happy, and I have only you to thank for it. So don't go throwing your life away... like I almost did," MacCready's words wavered slightly as he spoke, pushing away the thought of his most trusted partner sacrificing herself for him, a smartass wimp.
She nuzzled into his shoulder. "I won't. Just... don't leave me... okay? I can't lose you too."
He exhaled with a laugh, entwining his fingers into her auburn tresses. "Nothing could ever make me leave your side, beautiful, not even a fu-flippin' Deathclaw."
Nora smiled even as the tears fell, soaking into MacCready's shirt. He wasn't sure how long he held her, but eventually her breathing leveled and her trembling subsided. The Deathclaw could be heard periodically storming around upstairs, but the sound was distant.
She pulled back, her hazle eyes meeting his, and said, "Let's get out of this shithole."
"Bout time, Boss." Dusting off his cap, he pulled it onto his head.
The stairs croaked under their feet when they climbed them to the main floor. Each time, Nora held her breath and waited, but no sound from the creature followed. At the top of the stairs, they were met with a plain wooden door.
"Open the door, and I'll peek out," the vault dweller whispered.
"All right," he said, steeling himself with a determined breath, and turned the door knob. The door swung open halfway before colliding with a mostly intact corpse. On her hands and knees, Nora leaned out of the doorway, gripping the body's foot and dragging through the threshold.
"Anything useful on him?"
"Hell yes." Pulling a missile launcher from the dead Gunner's back, she examined it before slinging the strap across her shoulder. "And three missiles. We might have a fighting chance."
She peaked out again, eyes rapidly scanning the expanse of the room for any sign of the animal. Several yards away, mannequins stood in a circle, as if performing some kind of ritual. Every wall had at least one gaping Deathclaw-sized hole. The exit lay to the left, straight back from the mannequins, and past a small hole they could fit through if they crawl.
"Okay, it's clear. On three we make a break for the exit. You ready?"
He nodded.
"One..." Nora moved to a crouch.
"Two..." Every muscle in her body tensed, ready to bolt.
"Three!"
BAM!
The far wall in front of them exploded, two long razor-sharp talons furiously swiping the air between the boards. Both of them bolted, running at a dead sprint. With a deafening crash of cracking and snapping, the Deathclaw burst through. The walls rumbled around them. Floorboards shook beneath their feet. The monster was gaining ground. Nora had fallen behind with MacCready outpacing her.
"Keep up, dammit!" he shouted, shooting a fleeting glance over his shoulder.
"I...am!" she panted, not daring to look back. She could feel the hot breath of the creature on her neck.
The mercenary reached the hole, sliding in feet first, and immediately went to work on
unchaining the door. Wrapped around both handles of the double doors, the chain was held firmly in place by one rusted padlock. Grasping his rife, he thrust the butt of his gun into the lock. After a couple more hits the lock fell away. A few seconds later Nora appeared head first, nails scraping at the wooden surface, desperate to escape. Grabbing a hold of her hand, MacCready frantically tugged. She just had to pull her legs in and-
"I-Its got me!" Nora cried out, her eyes snapping shut.
He tightened his grip but, her fingers slipped from his hands. To his horror, MacCready watched as his partner was yanked out of his grasp through the hole in one swift motion.
"Shit!" Sliding back through, he arrived in time to see the monster sling Nora to the far side of the room like a rag doll.
She sailed into the wall, smacking it with her right shoulder before dropping into the midst of the mannequins. Plastic limbs clattered around Nora as she scrambled to right herself. She moved to stand and hissed through gritted teeth, gripping her upper thigh. Her left leg, stained a dark crimson color, was riddled with deep puncture wounds. The Deathclaw let out a low rumbling growl, its movements slow and precise- as if it knew the hunt was coming to an end. It drew nearer, only a few feet away, huffing puffs of breaths that smelled of rotting flesh. Even if she was able to load the missile launcher in time, Nora knew the creature would be too close for it to do any damage. Rearing up, the creature lunged forward with snapping jaws.
BANG!
A thunderous shatter of a rifle shot filled the air. The Deathclaw staggered sideways, missing Nora narrowly by a few feet and colliding headfirst into the wall. Blood trickled down the bullet hole in its temple. Turning to MacCready, who was loading another round, the creature roared fiercely, causing the timbers to quake. The monster kicked off the ground, barreling towards him with claws outstretched. He fired again, hitting the Deathclaw square in the shoulder, but the creature didn't flinch. The mercenary turned to run, hoping to put some distance between him and the mutated lizard-like abomination. With a wide sweep of its claw-extended arm, smacking Mac flat across the back, sending him skidding across the floor.
Nora had been holding the missile launcher up, taking aim and waiting for a clear shot. With a pull of the trigger, the missile whistled through the air, sinking deep into the armored flesh of the Deathclaw's hide. It bellowed an indignant howl, clawing at it's shoulders and back. The creature turned its devilish blood-stained head, with thick curved horns and wicked teeth, the flaming-red eyes fixated on Nora.
She loaded another missile, firing again without hesitation. The animal crouched, springing forward on all fours. The projectile sailed past the beast, clipping the right shoulder. The creature, unfazed, strode toward Nora. With each bound of the giant lizard, the gap between them was diminishing rapidly.
"Better make this one count." Loading the last missile, the woman inhaled a sharp breath and held it.
Rearing up on its hind legs, the Deathclaw opened its dripping maw, roaring a resounding cry of fury. She exhaled, pulling the trigger and feeling the launcher kick against her shoulder. The missile flew straight, soaring directly into the Deathclaw's open jaws and out the back of its head. Toppling to the floor, it lay twitching in the growing pool of blood before stilling.
MacCready sat up, blinking past the daze and dull pain in the back of his skull. The Deathclaw had sent him flying, and he must've hit his head somewhere along the way. Struggling to his feet, he surveyed the room. The giant dead lizard laid motionless in the center of the room. Mac's heart skipped a beat when his eyes came across Nora, kneeling in front of a chest in the far corner of the room.
"Hey, there you are," he breathed, relieved to see her alive.
"Look. This was what the Deathclaw was after," Nora said, holding up a giant brown-speckled egg.
"Aw, he was just trying to get his kid back. That makes me almost sorry for the poor bastard."
She opened her pack, and wrapped the egg in some clothes before cramming it in. Attempting to stand up, white-hot pain seared through her leg. Nora pressed a hand to her blood-soaked thigh and gritted her teeth.
"You're hurt bad." MacCready's muscles in his face tightened as he crouched beside her.
She shrugged. "I used a stimpack. I'll be fine."
"Like hell you will! If your leg rots off in the middle of the Common Wealth-"
"Okay! You win, Dr. MacCready." She gave a small grin as she rolled up her pant leg, her grin turning in to a grimace once she removed the fabric from the wound.
He hissed, under his breath, when she revealed the jagged set of puncture wounds trailing halfway down her thigh on both sides. Mac pulled a medkit from her bag and stuck her with a dose of Med-x. Nora, breathing a sigh of relief, felt the pain melt away. Next, he poured a some purified water on the wound, making sure to clean all the dirt and grime that he could see. She didn't even make a sound as he poked and prodded around the wound with the cloth.
"Sorry, but we don't have any disinfectant," he said pouring a splash of vodka on the laceration. Nora, latching onto his arm, dug her nails into his skin, and muttered curses through clenched teeth. Gradually, her grip lessened and she closed her eyes. The Med-x was had fully set in, causing every muscle in her body to feel like dead weight.
"Good as new," he grinned as he finished wrapping the bandages, soaked with vodka, around the leg. Opening her heavily-lidded eyes, she pulled down the pant leg and arose, swaying unsteadily. Mac caught her by the shoulder, gently bending over and scooping Nora in his arms.
"I can walk." She narrowed her eyes, but a smile broke her fake anger.
"At least let me carry you until the Med-x wears off."
Nora, laughing, shifted her hands around MacCready's neck. "Alright."
Smiling back, he pulled his hat off by the brim and placed it, a little crooked, on her head.
"Does this mean I can have it?"
"Borrow. You can borrow it." He took a few steps, then said, "What are you planning to do with that egg?"
"I always wanted a pet Deathclaw," she chuckled.
"You're joking... right, Nora?"
She paused, tilting her head to the side and her smile grew to a wide grin. "We'll talk about it on the road."