Holy shit first chapter of the New Year! happy 2016 everyone! :D I hope everyone had a good Christmas I know I did. Now back to where we last left our intrepid psychopath :D

Thorn continued sprinting as fast as she could down the hallway as the heavy thumping of Super Mutants followed after her as bullets and laser beams passed her crumbling into the wooden walls around her. As she was about to turn a corner she heard a splashing sound behind her as she kept running tossing a grenade behind her hearing the Mutants scrambling as the resulting explosion scattering shrapnel as they dug into the nearest wall close to her. She quickly took the opportunity to hide in a bathroom diving into the bathtub.

Uhhh...Thorn? we got a problem, a big one. She heard Ruby say to her as she nudged her pack out from under her and felt a wet sensation underneath her back as she checked for any holes. To her misfortune that was when she realized the splashing sound she had heard earlier as she looked at the blood on her hand.

"Shit...they hit the blood packs you packed.." She whispered as she sighed in frustration.

I was hoping we could slurp one down after we found cover, and it has been a while since we last had some blood. Ruby said as she peeked into the pack checking for any more damage. It was then she saw their last Stealth boy and sighed with relief.

Well we may not be entirely fucked. We have one Stealth Boy left, I can get us past those Mutants but I'll need my body back.

"No...! What if-" Thorn hissed before Ruby glared at her.

Think about it Thorn, what's the bigger threat here? Pissed off ghosts or getting ripped apart by giant green muscle bags?

Thorn gritted her teeth as she relaxed against the dirtied floor of the tub weighing her options; both options put Ruby at increased risk and they were starting to run very low on ammo. Finally she gave in as she looked her in the eyes and said.

"Fine, but if you get attacked by one of those spirits then I'm kicking the door down got it...?!" She whispered as her body began to convulse from another being entering as she left it. The resulting sensation sent an almost pleasant chill through Ruby's body causing her to shiver as she opened her eyes seeing Thorn sitting on top of her in a similar position to where she had been seconds before. The look in her eyes was one of curiosity and extreme worry as her eyes seemed to wander.

"Look, when we get back home you can molest my body all you want okay?"

Thorn glared at her as Ruby quickly unpacked what she could stuffing a handful of gear into the small field bag that hung next to her sword. It saddened her that she'd be leaving her favorite backpack behind but what she had in mind called for it.

What are you doing? Thorn said as she watched her tie grenades to the backpack straps and turning it upside down as she placed an armed fragmentation mine under it.

"Making a distraction, which is what we'll need if we are going to sneak past the muties." She said as she clutched the stealth boy in her hands as loud thumping footsteps began getting close to their hiding place. She quickly sat up and vaulted out of the bath tub as she switched on the stealth boy and quietly rushed out as fast as she could as a pair of Super Mutants entered the bathroom she had been hiding in. She had already entered the next stairway and was halfway up to the next floor by the time she heard the explosion which shook the building.

As the next hour passed of dodging more Super Mutants that was when Ruby found an exit that opened up to a makeshift bridge that seemed to penetrate into the neighboring building.

Why are we stopping here? Thorn asked before she saw the spent shell casings on the ground. As Ruby deactivated the stealth boy and bent down to examine the shell casings she looked over at the exit.

"I get the feeling they never made it to the hospital roof and had to make a change in plans." She said as she cautiously checked her surroundings.

You mean they had to flee to the next building over because they had been cut off by pursuing Super Mutants? Thorn asked as she covered her face in her small palms. She hated changes in a mission, they always led to more headaches and more frustration.

"Yup, which means we are on the right track." She said as she stepped through the door and peered out onto the bridge realizing how high up they were.

"This would SUCK if I was afraid of heights..." She mumbled as she lightly pressed her foot down on the collapsed tower bridge testing its stability. To her relief she realized that if the bridge hadn't broken in half when it first fell from the roof when the bombs fell; then it wasn't going to fall anytime soon.

She cradled her M4 close as she began carefully walking across the bridge checking her surroundings as well as her rear in case the remaining Super Mutants inside the hospital caught wind of her and decided to follow her. The thought almost made her wish she had brought some explosives to blow the bridge and secure the path behind her.

When she finally entered the neighboring building she saw a room door close as she heard the sounds of screaming in one of the rooms. In that moment she looked at the old wallpaper, the carpet, and the eerily long hallway of doors and room numbers on them. In that split second she came to the disheartening realization.

"We just went from a haunted hospital into a haunted hotel...son of a fucking cunt..."

Should we check ourselves in as we make our way up? Thorn asked with a wry grin on her face.

"Shut the fuck up Thorn..." She mumbled as she sighed before beginning her hunt for the next stairway