Here's chapter 2! I don't really have anything to say here, so enjoy!
"So who're we meeting when we get there?" Nate asked, walking along beside Marc. Peggy and Sam were close behind, locked in conversation with each other. They'd been
"His name's Preston." Marc answered. "Bit of an idealistic prick, but he's a good guy." He turned his head to look at Nate. "He's trying to do a good thing ya know. Wants to rebuild the commonwealth., make things better for people."
Nate nodded and smiled. "Think he can help me find my son?" He asked.
Marc shrugged. "No clue, but he could probably point you in the right direction."
Sam jogged up behind the pair, pointing to a rising column of smoke. "That look too big to you?" She asked. "It's almost like a building is on fire."
A series of gunshots broke out, answered a moment later by returning fire. Marc pulled his rifle off his shoulder and sprinted ahead. Sam rushed by Nate, her own weapon at the ready. Peggy grabbed his shoulder, and yanked him forward.
"Come on, we gotta help them!" Peggy yelled. "Raiders have been eying this place for weeks. They must've decided to hit us while we were away." She unholstered her pistol, launching after the other two.
Nate swore and dashed after her. He overtook her quickly, catching up to the other two. "Where are we going?" He asked.
Marc slammed into cover, pulling Nate against the wall beside him. Sam dove behind a rusted car, avoiding the hail of gunfire that chewed into the metal. Peggy dashed across the street, drawing a stream of pipe pistol fire. Marc swung out of cover and fired a pair of shots that drew a torrent of fire towards himself. Peggy and Sam took the opportunity to pop out of cover and force the pair of raiders firing at Marc into cover.
Nate checked his pistol then dashed for Sam's rusted car, screaming for cover as he went. Marc leaned out after him, firing his rifle at the pair of raiders. "Sam, keep me covered. I'm gonna make a break for that building on their right." He cocked his pistol and looked at her. She nodded, then popped out of cover. Nate made a mad dash under cover of Sam's fire. He slid behind a car and waited for the Sam to stop firing.
The raiders opened up the second Sam ducked back into cover. .38 rounds peppered the decayed car, keeping Sam's head down. One of the raiders shifted his aim, taking potshots at Peggy. Nate popped out from behind the car, firing wildly at the raiders. His first shot went wide, alerting the raiders to his presence. The second shot found its mark, punching through the closer raider's leg. Nate dispatched the man with a third shot, finding the side of his head with the bullet.
The second raider realized he was flanked and outnumbered and turned to run. Marc swung out of cover and sighted his target. He took a breath, then fired. The raider dropped like a puppet who's strings had been cut. A second shot rung out, finishing him off.
"Sam! Peg!" Marc yelled. He broke cover, running to check on his two charges.
Another shot answered him, coming from the trio of raiders that rounded the corner ahead. Marc dove for cover, losing his rifle in the process. The raiders took advantage, peppering the rusted car that hid Marc with pipe pistol fire. Marc unholstered his own pistol and returned fire. The modified 10 millimetre pistol easily punched through the makeshift body armour, bringing down a pair of the raiders before they could return fire. The third raider fired back, forcing Marc back into cover. Nate took advantage and brought the man down with his own weapon while he was focused on Marc.
Sam scrambled over the car, motioning for the others to follow. "The museum, Preston will have holed up there." She rounded the corner and brought up her pistol. A hail of bullets met her, cutting her down where she stood.
Peggy shrieked and ran for her. Nate grabbed her, holding her back. Marc rushed past them both, bolting for a line of sandbags that sat on the street.
Peggy swung wildly, knocking Nate off her by bloodying his nose. "Sam!" She screamed.
Nate swore, and sprinted past Peggy, making for a barrier closer to the museum. He sighted one of the raiders as he ran, then fired a series of shots that brought the man down. The raiders' fire shifted, allowing Marc to take advantage and bring down another of them with his rifle. A burst of laser fire tore from the museum at the end of the street, bringing down a third raider.
The last raider popped out of cover to run, and was met with fire from three different sources. He spun as he fell, arm torn off by Marc's rifle shot. Marc broke cover immediately, dashing over to where Sam lay.
Nate walked over to Marc and Peggy, intending to offer condolences. What he got was an order. Marc simply pointed at the museum, uttering a single word. "Go." Nate hesitated only a moment, before bursting off towards the museum. As he shut the door behind him, he heard Marc's roar of anger and his rifle firing.
Nate had no time to waste upon entering the museum. His mind reverted back to the well oiled machine it had been during his time in the army. His pistol snapped up at a raider on a catwalk above him and fired. The man toppled over the railing, the bullet piercing his neck. Nate barged through a doorway to his right, taking the raider inside by surprise. Another trio of shots rang out, leaving the raider dead on the floor.
A raider rounded the corner of the destroyed wall and raised a double barrel shotgun. Nate dove for cover, barely avoiding the buckshot that tore apart his cover. The raider fired again, showering Nate with splinters of wood. Nate stood up and raised his pistol as the raider scrambled to reload his weapon. Nate fired once, dropping the Raider with a shot to his forehead.
Nate relieved the man of his weapon, retrieving all his ammo along with it. He popped two shells into the weapon and snapped it closed. He peered around the corner the raider came from and was met with a pair of bullets that whizzed by his head. He ducked back and raised the shotgun. The raider rounded the corner and was blown backwards by Nate's shotgun blast. He collapsed against the wall, blood and intestines leaking from the gaping hole in his stomach.
Nate rounded the corner a second time and scrambled up the collapsed hallway to the second floor. Another shotgun blast dispatched the raider that met him as he stepped into the room on the second floor. He reloaded the shotgun, then surveyed the room he had walked into. A pair of raiders were attempting to break into a room on the third floor.
Nate took a chance, and sprinted across the walkway to the other side of the museum. One of the raiders spotted him, tearing up the floor in his wake with gunfire. Nate barrelled into the room, raised his shotgun and trained it on the stairway to the third floor. A raider popped his head around the corner, and found his face filled with a round of buckshot. The second raider dropped down behind Nate. He spun and fired, taking off the man's leg with the shotgun blast.
The raider fired as he fell, wildly emptying the clip of his pistol in Nate's direction. Nate pressed himself against a wall, shielding himself from the bullets. He calmly reloaded the shotgun, then unholstered his pistol. He heard the telltale click of an empty gun and stepped out of cover. Nate's pistol barked twice, silencing the one-legged raider.
Nate let out his breath, tension draining from his features. He slumped against a wall, panting. The blast of a grenade outside and the sharp answer of Marc's rifle shocked him back into action. He stumbled over to the locked door and pounded on it with his fist.
"Preston Garvey? I'm with Marc! Open up!" He shouted, pounding on the door with his fist.
The door swung open, revealing a black man with some sort of rifle aimed at Nate's chest. A man peered around the Minuteman, studying Nate. "He don't look like a raider. Maybe he can help?"
Preston lowered his weapon, raising an eyebrow. "I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Thank you stranger. I'd do more, but I'm not risking moving while the raiders are still pressing." He motioned to the window behind him. "Marc still needs help. I'll support him from here." He looked back at Nate and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I hate to ask, but there's a suit of power armour on the roof. You'd be doing us a favour if you could get it up and running to help out."
Nate nodded grimly. "Been a while since I wore the suit, but I'll get her working." He pointed at the window. "Just keep those raiders off Marc until I can get it working."
Preston nodded and returned to the window. He cranked his laser musket then popped up, firing off the beam of red light and drawing a hail of gunfire. Nate dashed back into the museum, making for the roof access door. He burst through and immediately began assessing the suit of armour's condition.
"Right arm's busted up, missing a core… Leg's salvageable." He looked up at the crashed vertiberd and grinned. He scrambled over to it, tearing through storage compartments in search for the fusion core. He whooped in celebration and dashed back to the suit, jamming the core into the slot.
The suit lit up, gears whirring and clicking. The headlamp lit up, temporarily blinding Nate. He stepped back, admiring the suit for a moment. Another explosion from the front of the museum drew his attention. He opened the suit and clambered in. It closed around him, sealing with a hiss.
Nate stepped into the vertiberd, smacking his head into the ceiling. He regarded the minimum attached to the side of the downed aircraft for a moment, then tore it from the vehicle. Nate spun, spotting a raider taking a position on the roof across from him. Nate didn't hesitate, tearing the man apart with a stream of 5 millimetre rounds. Satisfied with his kill, Nate stepped off the roof. He landed with a thud, cracks spreading across the pavement away from his feet.
All was silent for a moment, then all hell broke loose. Nate's minigun started spinning, spewing death at every raider that dared expose themselves. Marc started advancing, using Nate's arrival as a distraction. His rifle cracked repeatedly, sounding death for another raider with every shot. Peggy joined in the assault brazenly, dashing ahead of Nate and Marc.
Nate swept his weapon across the street, forcing the few remaining raiders back into cover. The flash of Preston's laser musket dispatched one of the raiders. Marc followed suit, targeting an exposed raider. The man fell back, clutching at his throat.
The last raider broke cover, making a desperate run for his life. Peggy dashed after him, shouting curses. She raised her pistol and fired once. The shot hit the raider's leg, bringing him down in a heap.
Peggy came down on top of him, smashing his head into the pavement. "YOU FUCKS KILLED SAM!" She shrieked. "Now you're gonna tell me exactly where the rest of your friends are, so I can kill them." She sat up and chambered a round in her pistol. "And you're gonna tell me now, or I'll splatter your brains across the road."
He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the giant clawed arm that forced itself through his chest. Peggy fell back, shrieking wildly. She abandoned her pistol,sprinting directly for Nate. The rest of the beast forced itself out of the sewer, growling.
"Deathclaw!" Shouted Marc. He raised his rifle and fired, trying to find the beast's soft underbelly. The shot pinged harmlessly off the deathclaw's scales, only angering it.
Nate swore and spun up the barrels of his minigun, attempting to get a clear shot. Time seemed to slow down as it bounded forward, overtaking Peggy in an instant. The deathclaw knocked her to her side, then picked her up. It forced both hands into her stomach and ripped her in half. Blood splattered across the street, coating everything with crimson liquid.
Marc let out an audible sob and fired again, getting the beast's attention. It roared a challenge and leapt at him. Marc ducked under the animal, pressing himself to the ground. The deathclaw tripped over itself in an attempt to swing a clawed arm at Marc.
Nate took an aggressive approach. He rammed the barrels of his minigun into the deathclaw's side and pulled the trigger. Dozens of rounds poured out of the weapon, not doing anything but annoy the deathclaw. It turned and lunged at Nate. The deathclaw shredded into the power armour, reducing the left arm to unusable scrap. Robbed of one of his armour's arms, Nate dropped the minigun. He rammed his right arm into the deathclaw's belly, drawing a scream of pain. The deathclaw drew back, looking between Marc and Nate with the fury of pure instinct.
"It's got a soft spot on its belly!" Marc yelled. "Try to expose it and I'll kill this thing."
The deathclaw leapt at Nate again, biting and scratching at his helmet. Nate floundered, swinging with the armour's only good arm. He connected solidly with the deathclaw's head, knocking it onto its side. Seizing the opportunity, he threw himself at the deathclaw. Motors and gears strained again muscle and bone. Nate shifted, attempting to pin his useless arm against the beast's chest. He drew back with his good arm and drove it into the deathclaw's chest, forcing the wind from its body.
Nate drew back again, hammering on the deathclaw's chest. He felt and heard one of the beast's ribs crack. He swung again, knocking the deathclaw onto its back. Marc took the opportunity, pumping a round into the deathclaw's exposed underbelly. It shrieked in pain, curling around the wound. Nate descended on the beast, the full force of his armour hammering on the deathclaw's chest.
The beast's battered rib cage finally gave way, cracking under Nate's assault. The armour's good arm rained down blow after blow, reducing the deathclaw's chest to a ruined mess of blood and splintered bone. Nate kept up his attack, crushing what was left of the clearly dead deathclaw's chest.
An indicator in his helmet blinked, signifying an empty fusion core. Nate reluctantly stopped hammering on the dead animal. His armour opened and he stepped out. He collapsed on the ground, a horrified look on his face. He forced himself to his feet, panting heavily.
"Peg…"
Nate spun, seizing Marc cradling the top half of Peggy's body in his arms. "Marc?" He asked cautiously.
He shook his head, closing his eyes. "They're both gone. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, what am I gonna do." He looked up at Nate, not knowing what to do. "They're gone. Just like that. I…" He looked back down at Peggy, and smiled softly. "It's better now girls." He said softly. "Nothing can hurt you anymore."
Nate knelt in front of him. He reached across, placing his hand on Marc's shoulder. "Let's go find a shovel." He said. "We need to bury them."