Preston looked out the window and looked back at Katherine.
"You ready?" he whispered. Katherine nodded. Really quickly she checked her hunting rifle, she went through all the steps on how to chamber a round and how to reload in her head. Even though it was in great condition she still went through the steps on how to fix the rifle if it jammed. Preston eased the door open and Katherine felt the cool breeze enter the room. Preston crouched down and slowly walked into the balcony on which he could give James some covering fire. Katherine was with Preston to do the same. She began to fidget with the pouch on her hip that contained a few stimpacks. She was worried about James. He had left a hour ago to grab a fusion core from somewhere in the museum and make his way for the power armor on the roof. Power armor. Katherine began to think of Nate.
It was a beautiful summer day, way back before Nate and her had decided to move to Boston let alone get married. Nate was stationed in San Diego where he returned from a tour in the Yangtze. She had just received word that he'd returned and she was ecstatic to see him again. She went to the base only to be told that he was of-site in some garage. They gave her the address and she drove her Corvega over to where the soldier had told her it'd be. She already saw him as she drove up into the parking lot. In a plain white T-shirt (which was soiled with grease stains and oil) and jeans, Nate was working on a suit of Power Armor. Katherine stepped out of the car and walked calmly to Nate. She had to maintain her composure, show some class. Really, she was so excited to see him that she was practically skipping every step.
He didn't even notice her as got closer and closer to him. She found a stool and just sat there behind his muscular form, watching him weld a plate of metal onto what looked like the chest of the suit. Nate's muscular form blocked her from seeing most of the armor but she was content to see Nate work. Nate lifted his welding mask and nodded at his work, he placed the blowtorch down gently on the floor next to him. Then as if he knew she were there, he turned and flashed his irresistible smile.
She smiled back and cocked her head to a side. How did he know? She wondered. Nate dropped his work gloves and wiped his hands on his jeans. He strode over to Katherine and wrapped her in a giant bear hug, one so that that Katherine found it hard to breath. She tapped his muscular arms to tell him she needed air. He let go and planted a kiss on her lips.
"Long time no see, kitten." Nate whispered.
"You know 'Kat' was just a childhood nickname right?" Katherine rolled her eyes.
"I know, still satisfying to say it now." He held out his hand to help her up off the stool. "Wanna see what I've been working on?" Katherine nodded. She always loved seeing what Nate made, they were always impressive. Nate helped to her feet and she saw it. On the chest plate of Nate's private suit of Power Armor bore the words:"Will you marry me?". Katherine began to tear up. She's been waiting for this day. She turned to Nate, who was already flashing his white teeth in a beam of pride.
"Yes."
"There!" Preston's shout brought Katherine back to reality. She saw a huge, armored individual down in the streets with the raiders. Yellow flashes of projectiles flew back and forth between the metal man and the raiders. James. Like a knight in a dying suit of armor, he carved a swath through the raiders' numbers. "Wow look at him go. At this rate we won't have any to shoot."
Good. Katherine thought to herself. Less death, less violence. Less of my humanity that I lose.
Katherine's throats began to drift back to better times. A horrendous, screeching roar brought Katherine out of her daydream. She shivered and nearly dropped her rifle. Something in the roar had knocked out all sense of bravery within her. Katherine's spine tingled just as the roar began to end.
"It's here. Just like I knew it would." An old lady murmured behind Katherine. Katherine frowned. What's she talking about?
"Mama Murphy!" Preston shouted. "Get back inside!" Preston moved to move Mama Murphy back into the museum. Katherine aimed her sights down the street. She saw James, clad in his rusty brownish colored suit of power armor standing upright in the middle of the street. It were as if he were frozen. She saw another man standing a few feet from James. Katherine aimed and prepared to fire on the raider. She soon realized that the man was also standing there frozen in the street. Then she saw it.
A huge reptilian monster had materialized on the street. Katherine's fear got the better of her and she lowered her rifle.
"Oh my God, it's a deathclaw." Preston whispered. Katherine felt the urge to warn James somehow. As if he hadn't seen it already. The deathclaw moved at a snail's pace. It must've been huge in person. Katherine took notice of the slinking up and down motion of the deathclaw's steps. She could feel her heart pounding within her chest and she wasn't even standing on the ground with it.
"James! Run!" Katherine shouted compulsively. The deathclaw snapped into action and within an instant plowed its huge claws through the raider near James. It tore through the man like paper and Katherine was no longer sure that there was anything left to indicate that the raider was indeed a man. James also slammed into action. He tossed a Molotov grenade at the ground near the deathclaw. The creature recoiled from the heat and roared. It dropped to its claws and seemed ready to charge like a bull. James vaulted over the car hood and the deathclaw followed, its horns slamming into the car and pulverizing the front half of the car. James turned and fired a burst of 5mm rounds at the deathclaw. The deathclaw swerved to the right and James ran left firing. Katherine observed his actions, he was actually mimicking its actions. Katherine lifted her rifle chambered a round and took aim. Preston stood next to her absolutely dumbfounded and held his laser musket pointed at the ground.
Katherine took aim and fired. She followed the round as if she were watching a movie, imagining its trajectory as it blasted through the air like a rocket and slammed into the deathclaw's shoulder. It stumbled slightly from the round. James jumped forward and "tackled" the deathclaw. The weight of the power armor plus the momentum from James's jump forced his shoulder into the deathclaw's chest. It flew back through a window of an old building. James tossed another Molotov cocktail and the small shop caught fire. James blasted the shop with 5mm rounds. Katherine searched for signs of movement. There was none. The smoke was not helping either. She sighed a breath of relief. It was dead. James began to reload his minigun.
The Deathclaw shot out of the window and pounced on James. Its claws dug into the power armor's joints. James dropped his minigun.
"James!" Katherine shouted. She began to fire at the deathclaw. Pocks of blood spurted out whenever her rounds collided with the reptile's skin. The deathclaw had all of its weight pressed on James. He looked pinned and unable to move. The deathclaw tried to use its horns to gore at James's head. He moved his head each time, one hand one of the deathclaw's horns to try to slow its attack. Katherine dropped the rifle and ran. She didn't know why but she had to be there. She had to be on the ground with James.
After she had left the Vault, James was there for her. With the world being the way it is, Katherine had a hard time adjusting. James with his childish antics and good heart had convinced Katherine that life was still hopeful in Boston. Even if it was slightly nuked to Hell. Katherine rushed through the museum. She didn't know what to expect. She left her rifle on the floor on the balcony. She just felt compelled to be at James's side no matter what happened. She had never felt a similar level of protectiveness before. Not even with Nate. She grimly thought.
Katherine shot out the doors of the museum of freedom. The deathclaw was tearing away at James's power armor. Chunks of metal flew off the armor with each blow. A arm from the suit of power armor lay at the feet of the steps to the museum. Katherine stopped, her heart pounding, she couldn't hear anything but the pounding. She could see James from where he stood. His helmet was pulverized in many places and the left side of his face was exposed and bloody. He Despite being pinned, he and armor managed to keep the deathclaw at bay. Somehow, James's personal strength, complemented by the suit kept the deathclaw from being able to move its head enough to kill him. James looked over. Katherine saw the fear in his eyes. To him, she was a rookie who knew nothing about the wasteland. That's why it took so long for the both of them to leave Sanctuary to train. He was so afraid that he'd get her killed that he wanted to make sure she was absolutely ready for it.
But a deathclaw isn't exactly a good crash course in James's purported: "Wasteland Survival Guide". James's mouth moved. He was shouting something, Katherine couldn't hear it. She walked slowly forward down the stone steps of the museum. It must've looked crazy. A small, short woman walking up to a huge reptilian creature that could've torn her through her flesh like paper.
Katherine felt her boot fall on the pavement with a small clop. The deathclaw shot its head at her direction. It growled and made a guttural sound as it studied her. It bobbed its head up and down to assess the new potential prey that had literally walked up to it. The deathclaw no longer paid any attention to James.
"No!" James shouted. He struggled under the weight of the deathclaw. "Katherine what are you doing?!" James tried to shift the claw that the deathclaw used to pin James. Its claws dug into the armor and likely into the frame because he couldn't move the bottom half of the power armor. He struggled to move the deathclaw's claw. He looked back at Katherine. Katherine was still walking to it. She seemed to be studying it. "Get back inside! I'll handle it!" James shouted. He wasn't sure if he was reassuring himself or her. James grabbed a piece of rubble next to him and slammed it into the deathclaw's claw. The deathclaw roared and brought its other claw up into the air. James closed his eyes and braced himself for what was coming.
"Stop!" Katherine's voice filled the air. James opened his eyes. To his surprise, the deathclaw was frozen. It still glared at James, but its claw stayed elevated in the air. Katherine strode to the deathclaw and James. The deathclaw continued to glare at James. For effect, James glared back. "Stop." Katherine whispered, she placed her hand on the deathclaw's arm that pinned James to the ground. James watched carefully.
The deathclaw lowered its claw and James felt the weight of the enormous creature leave like water released from a dam. The deathclaw stood upright with its head bowed to Katherine. Its growling lower in pitch, almost like a cat's purr.
"It's okay." She whispered as he patted the deathclaw's neck. James was dumbfounded. What the hell is going on? This was surreal. He'd never seen anything like it. And after seeing aliens, he was sure he'd seen plenty of weird things.
The deathclaw used to head to nudge Katherine. She laughed slightly. The deathclaw then turned right and slinked down the road. James followed it with its eyes. It passed all the destruction and remains of raider that filled the streets and returned to the sewer that it came from. He turned back to Katherine. She was by his side, removing pieces of pulverized armor. She said nothing and made no attempt to look at him.
"What was that?" James asked.
"I don't know." Katherine seemed to whisper more quietly.
"What were you thinking?" he asked. She continued to avoid his gaze.
"Here." She said as she moved to remove the helmet. James lay still. She took off his helmet. James sighed a breath of relief after being freed from the metal prison that trapped him. He always hated being in suits of power armor. She looked into his eyes. James felt uncomfortable, he felt himself subconsciously try to shrink back into his armor.
"Um." He murmured. "That was dangerous." He croaked. He looked at Katherine's face and accepted that he had a crush on her. "Don't." he tried. He cleared his throat. "Don't do it again." She nodded. James nodded too subconsciously. She smirked and kissed James on the cheek.
"I'm glad you're okay." She smiled. James smiled too.
"I know."