Liberty
Nate's POV
I walked into the museum and saw one of the people turn toward me and aim his rusty cobbled together weapon at me. Only to see his head come clean off from a laser shot.
'Right so two things I just learned; one this guy has some skill and second this thing is defiantly some sort of rifle, most likely better at long distance. So for the time being I have a replacement for my old sniper rifle.'
I holster my pistol and shoulder my new laser musket and bring out my old shotgun and start making my way thru the old museum. I remembered the old layout and simply followed the old walking path until I heard two voices. They were talking about what they were going to do with their share of the bounty. Judging by the sound they were close to the wall so I had a good idea where they were. 'Good, there distracted, makes it easier to get the drop on them while there thinking of the money there never going to see.'
After telling Dogmeat to stay I crouched and walked my way alongside the counter and stopped when I got to the edge. I came out the side rather than the top because most people see things that are eye level first and everything else second. When I made the turn I was right, both men were standing at the wall and they didn't see me for a critical second. I aimed my shotgun at the one facing toward me and pulled the trigger, he fell with his back hitting the wall and I moved my gun toward his partner and dropped him before he could fully turn to face me. I called Dogmeat to heel and continued on without so much as looking at the people I just killed.
I continued sweeping my way room by room always checking the blind corners first before moving on to the next room. Whenever I ran into an enemy either by me, dogmeat or a combination of us both, it was relatively smooth until I reached the top floor. It seems my rampage thru the building didn't go unnoticed as a section of the corner was removed by a shotgun.
"We know your there ya bastard. Now kindly stick your head out so we can blow it off."
'Yea that sounds like a plan, moron.' I think as I tuck myself into a corner that would be his blind spot. It was clear that these people are not use to going against people who could fight back, judging by the tactics they use or I should say the complete and total lack of tactics they use. As one of the raiders rushed in with his double barrel shotgun going off. In the less then 2 seconds he took to go thru both rounds I already aimed my own shotgun at him and put him down for good. His buddy saw that and fell back down from shock.
"You fucking killed Kenny you bastard." Screamed the raider and fired both of rounds in in his double barrel shotgun. In the short time before he could reload I rushed forward and put a single shell into his chest. I run down the hallway and turn to see one of the two raiders rushing toward me with a pool cue held high above her head.
I put a shell into her and use my strength into lifting her over my shoulder and using her as a human shield. 'Damnit can't use can't use my gun or else I might hit someone on the other side of the door.' As I rushed him he pulls out his pipe pistol, does everyone have these pieces of junk, and as he's firing rounds into his partner I throw her at him which caused him to fall down, with the dead woman pinning against his legs. I aimed my shotgun downward toward his chest and put him down for good.
"It's the guy from out front you can open the door." The door opened and I was greeted with two people aiming guns at me. The first person I noticed was a man in dirty overalls, his brown hair combed high like the old greaser gangs I saw, and sometimes hung out with when I was a teenager, with tools hanging out of every pocket. Clearly the kind of man I will have plenty of conversations, and arguments, with. He aimed his pipe pistole, seriously he needs to turn in his tools if he thinks that is something to use as a weapon, upward as soon as he noticed I was friendly.
The other man I recognized from outside earlier, his clothes looked like a mash up between the west and the revolution with his cowboy hat and over coat but gave off the general aesthetics of someone who lived during the countries birth. His dark skin tone contrasted with his white coat and the genuine smile exposing his teeth showed a warmth that could easily put your guard down. His laser musket showed that he loved his weapon more than some people love their partners. I could tell by the way he looked when I first saw him outside and again when he opened the door that he was on the end of his rope and needed something to go right. I knew right away that I could trust him.
"Names Nate and I'm guessing you guys could use a little help." I lower my shotgun and walk into the room as soon as the other two put their weapons down as well. Turning my head I saw the other people in the room. There was an Asian couple, I could tell they were together by the way were holding each other and that the woman was the one clearly in charge, and an old woman who reminded me of an old hippie protester I saw outside my last duty station. It was clear right away they couldn't fight and would be nothing more than a liability once the bullets fly.
"Names Preston Garvy, the man with the tools is Sturges, the couple is Marcy and Jun Long and the old woman is named Mama Murphy. Damn glad you could make it. Those guys were the lackeys of a raider named 'Johnny Jet'. Yea I know, his real name is Bret Johnson but don't call him that to his face, he got that name because of his connections in selling Jet. Anyway he should be on his way here expecting to bring my head to the gunners so he can collect the reward." Preston explained this and it's clear that after this is over I'm going to have to pump him for every piece of information I can get about this new world I'm living in. Looking around I see a standard fusion core sitting on the desk along with an old vault tech bobble head, yea I'm definably taking that home.
"Ok so we're in a bad situation. Nothing I can't handle, so what options do we have?" I asked
"Well there is some good news, turns out there's a sweet set of T-51 Power Armor just sitting on the roof waiting for a power cell and we just so happen to have one from the basement. Also, there's a minigun attached to the Vertibird you saw crashed in the museum. Bad news is that no one here knows how to operate one without getting themselves killed." Said Sturges
"Well in that case I have some good news of my own. I got the training when I was younger so I know what I'm doing." Not entirely accurate, oh I do know how to use one as good as anyone else who's had the training and I can get a little bit more out of it since I fix them as well. But I only used one for a few years and I'm nowhere near as good as some of the more elite soldiers before the war, granted I can hold my own but I imagine I'll make myself look like a complete idiot before this fight will be over.
"Well if this doesn't make me a believer in miracles then nothing will, grab that fusion cell and get that power armor up and running." Said Sturges with a hint of happiness in his voice. I walked over to the sitting fusion core and give it a quick inspection. After making sure that the housing and seals were still intact I start making my way to the roof entrance while giving one last word of advice. "Preston make sure they don't get inside, if they do you'll be in the same problem you had before I got here."
"Yes sir."
Preston's POV
I took aim and fired off a shot and saw that I had hit the raiders pipe pistol rendering it useless, I didn't put him down but at least he won't be popping shots at me anymore. I'm trying to keep them out but they just keep coming and I only have one rifle. 'Damnit I'm not going to let these people down, not again, please Nate hurry up I need backup.' I was so consumed with both my thoughts and focusing on the road that I didn't notice one of the Raiders had climbed to the roof to the right of me and took aim at me. I could only feel fear as time slowed to a crawl, I saw him aim his pipe rifle at me and I could see exactly where the bullet was going to land. Right where my heart is, I would bleed out quickly and there's nothing I can do about it.
'Huh what's that mechanical noise.' That thought was immediately followed up with that Raider disappearing underneath a hail of bullets and a loud thud as something heavy hit the ground. Out came Nate inside his power armor and wielding a minigun with the barrels spinning in preparation for its sole purpose and firing a stream of bullets. He strode out in front of the museum, stood with his legs shoulder width apart and his entire body language just said one simple message, 'I'm your problem now.' He half ran with his minigun sending fire and body parts flying in his wake as more and more raiders were cut down. This man moved in power armor as good as, if not better, then those Brotherhood of Steel scouts he had seen earlier.
'I don't know if God exists, but I do know that avenging angles do. Because I'm looking at one right now.'
Nate's POV
'Man, these guys are just stupid. No discipline to them what so ever.' If the way that the raiders either ran away or charged me without a single thought to strategy would suggest that their leader was either a strong man or kept them high on drugs. My bet would be on the latter if the leaders name is anything to go by.
As I finish the last of the ones that stood their ground and fought me a small wiry man stepped out into the middle of the road with two knives brandished with one in each hand.
"Hey tin man why don't you just stop this craziness. Look if you're looking for some caps, well as it just so happens there a guy up in that museum who's head is worth 300 caps. Now if you want to share I'm game. But if you continue things are going to get messy." Now this idiot didn't even wait for an answer before he rushed forward and tried to put a knife in my armpit. My armpit was covered in quality steel and his knife was some shitty piece of metal that he picked up somewhere. Half of the blade broke off and fell to the ground and he just realized how screwed he really is. I drop my minigun, grab him by his shirt and slam him into the car next to me and do three full power punches with my power armored fist. His face a complete bloody mess and it was clear that I caused some internal brain damage. I pick my minigun back up and put a few rounds in him just in case. He slumped down to the ground with both his face and chest bleeding and it was pooling on the ground in front of him.
This wasn't the first time I had to take someone out like that and it never gets easier. As I watch the few survivors run for their lives a loud banging sound and the sewer cover started moving. After a couple of tries the cover came flying off and out crawled one of the scariest creatures I had ever seen.
Covered in greyish brown scales it emerged from the sewer. Some sort of lizard that was bigger than a car, and just by looking at it, it was more dangerous than a tank. The thing roared loudly and crouch down on to all fours. One second I'm standing upright and the next I'm on my back wondering what the hell just happened. I look down and see a hole in my armored chest, I can tell it didn't penetrate all the way through but I should defiantly not let that happen again. I see that I managed to hold on to my minigun by some miracle. I get back up and fire off a few rounds and see them bounce off its thick hide.
'Damnit need to think of something and fast.' I noticed that there are a lot of vehicles so I start weaving between them and firing off shots, and dodging the occasional swipe by the massive creature, to stall for more time till I can think of something. I noticed that the red truck started burning and I remembered one of the safety problems that every vehicle has. Whenever a vehicle catches fire there incredibly prone to exploding. After I managed to get the damn thing near the truck I turned my head toward the museum.
"Preston hit the red truck right in the engine." I screamed and hoped that he heard me. As the thing lowered itself for another charge Preston fired a perfect shot in its engine and it exploded, sending the thing flying into the other car near it. I unleash my minigun with everything it has, I know I'm screaming but I can't hear it over the sheer volume of my minigun. I fire into anything I can; underbelly, arms, head, anything I can hit. When my minigun stopped firing and just spinning its barrels I dropped the weapon and pulled out my shotgun and approach slowly. The blood was leaking out of every hole I managed to put into it and was pooling in holes in the concrete. As I get close I notice something is off about its face, its nose is flaring as though it's still breathing.
Before I could react, I realized it was too late and I was on my side with a destroyed power armor left arm. I can feel a small trickle of blood down my arm as I try to get back up as fast as I could. I suddenly feel the creature grab me and lifted me up into the air. I look down and see the thing look me right into its eye's and roared. I take my shotgun and aim it down its throat and fire off a desperate shot. Suddenly I was on the ground with its heavy hand still wrapped around my waist. After I untangle myself from the dead hand I look at the creature in full. There's a hole in the back of its neck suggesting that the shotgun round made it.
'Can't take any risks I'll see if there's a way to put this thing out of its misery.' I carefully walk to its head and put my shotgun in the area I think is its brain. I Pull the trigger and see brain matter come flying out of the newly made hole and I knew I hit the mark.
I come out of my power armor and I can just tell that its damage beyond repair and is only fit for salvage. I pull out the fusion core, after all you never know when you might need a device that can produce a lot of energy, and walk back to the entrance of the museum while remembering something a teacher, whose name I can't remember for the life of me, told me when I was in elementary school.
'Liberty is earned and must be preserved at all costs.'
Alright that's it for this chapter I hope you enjoyed it and if you do please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing.
