Authors Note:
With which our fair maiden finds herself amidst witches and slaying dragons! Also... rescuing them?
I know that you can't take down the museum Deathclaw with only three missile, but for time and story's sake I'm not going to go into detail about the twenty billion it really takes. This story in the game always made me feel like crap. Killing one of the brood members who was just trying to get the babies back. I have always wished there was some way you could calm the Deathclaw and convince it you meant no harm and were going to return the last surviving egg.
It would be cool if you could somehow revisit baby Deathclaw... but meh. Anyway. I'm trying to highlight Sole Survivors growth as a person, stronger and less victim-y. I'm worried the pacing may be too fast though I'm attempting to display some sort of timeline.
(Three weeks in Vault 111, one week in Sanctuary, One month wandering the Wastes). My own character was wandering around for two years before I really started doing story line quests. Because I like to be OP. This story won't take that long though.
Could you imagine, level 53 in Concord taking on the Deathclaw? It was ridiculous.
Let me know how I'm doing? Are you loving it... hating it?
"Oh shit!" I screamed, diving behind the bookcase. "Ohshitshitshitshitshit!"
Dogmeat, brave little soul, charged at the giant monster. I felt tears pricking my eyes.
Damned dog is going to die. I should have known by all the dead fucking bodies, and that stupid holotape. I should have known!
Panicked I noticed the man – no, the corpse of a man – holding a giant weapon. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I were genuinely brave enough. The sound of Dogmeat's cry answered that question. Without thinking I dove forward, grabbing the huge weapon, loading the missile and aiming at the giant mutated death lizard.
"Hey fuckface!" I growled, using the edge of my armor to help aim the heavy launcher. "Eat shit."
I pulled the trigger, the missile launched and hit its target. My shoulder sang in agony against the kick back, muscles were pulled that shouldn't be pulled. I waited while the dust cleared, sure that the monster was down. Dogmeat growled excitedly. Through the grime I saw the clawed hand strike out, narrowly missing carving my pups chest open with its deadly talons. It roared in anger, the force of which was enough to make me stagger back.
My hands shook as I hastily loaded another missile, using my VATS system to correct my aim, giving me an advantage to its weakened and damaged parts. I fired at the creatures left leg, watching in disgusted fascination as the appendage blew off in a spray of blood, gore, and bone.
"Holy shit."
The monster was on the ground now, groaning in agony. Suddenly I felt terrible, guilty. Almost disgusted with myself. I loaded another missile, firing. This one ended the creatures suffering. Hesitantly I laid the weapon down. Dogmeat padded up to me, his coat covered in dust and grime from the explosions.
Dimly I wondered if Nate had ever had to manhandle a weapon like that before. For a moment I felt the adrenaline kick in, the weird hitch in sexual drive that followed. It faded pretty quickly as I ran a hand over the scales of the creature. It was a killing machine for sure; one claw could sever my body in half easily. I shuddered.
"But why were you here?" I murmured, not noticing that Dogmeat had run off.
Curiously I began to explore the old museum. I had always wanted to visit, back when things were... different. Now I'd never have the chance. I picked up a burnt book, running my hand over the charred cover. I missed reading, I realized belatedly. I missed things being nice. I flipped the book open, wincing as the charred remains crumbled apart in my hands.
Dogmeat barked, snapping me out of my reverie.
"What is it boy?" Quickly I hopped around the body, scrambling over broken floorboards into a bathroom.
The smell of decay smacked me straight in the nose. "Oh God, Dogmeat. Really?" My complaint died on my lips. "Broken...?"
Broken eggs... Immediately I registered what had happened, almost as suddenly my guilt increased twenty fold.
"Oh, I'm so sorry..." Tears filled my eyes at the thought.
I could relate to this monster, to having your babies stolen. Even worse, having them killed. It raised questions about Shaun.
Could he be... I couldn't let myself finish that thought, instead turning my attention to the infant massacre before me.
Gingerly I picked through the smashed eggs, my heart sinking with each piece of shell. I winced, jumping back as my hand landed on one still slightly warm.
"Is there... is it alive?" Curiously I ran a hand over the egg, shouting in surprise as it moved beneath my touch. Dogmeat wagged his tail furiously, barking at my surprise.
"I guess we should bring this back home..." I scanned the item in my Pipboy. "Deathclaw?" I shuddered, "That's wildly appropriate." A location pinged back on my world map. "Deathclaw nest?!"
I sat back on the ground, dust billowing around me. Did I really, really want to tempt life so blatantly? Dogmeat whined, nudging the egg. It rocked back towards him in response. I looked at the dead body. I could take it to that Wellington fellow mentioned in the holotapes instead. I shifted my gaze, already the corpse of the Deathclaw had a fine layer of film from settling residue. I shook my head, grunting as I stood.
"Now, how to package an egg to travel across the wastes?" I tapped a finger against my chin, chewing on my lip as I looked around.
I crouched behind the wooden building, thankful for the vegetation behind me. Sneaking around was way more cumbersome with an egg strapped to your back in a makeshift carrier. The men inside the rooms were snoring peacefully. I pulled out my dagger and began moving, the muscles in my legs protesting after having been in that position for so long.
Quietly, awkwardly, I shuffled my way up the crude stairs and to the first body. I hesitated for a minute.
Am I really this person? Am I really the kind of person who kills others in their sleep? The man shifted in bed, groaning. I stiffened, looking over my shoulder to the tall tower.
Slowly I backed away from the sleeping men, sprinting across the open distance as carefully as I could, the egg bouncing against my back uncomfortably. A human child was so much easier. I growled.
Once inside the tower I leaned my aching shoulder into the wall, hoping the pressure would alleviate the pain a little. I had come to the nest in nearly a straight line, climbing over cliff faces, walking through dusty, uneven wasteland; fighting irradiated bugs and a couple raiders along the way. It was still odd, these creatures and the things I could use them for. The people were even stranger; most seemed to be more than happy to put a bullet in you than utter a 'how do you do' and rob your warm corpse of whatever goods you might have. If you were lucky. There were people who didn't even wait that long.
I shook my head, looking through the crate they had stashed on the first floor. Some mines, some bullets. I had nowhere to put them right now. I looked at Dogmeat, playing with some speck of dust. I couldn't put anything else in his side bag. It was already jam packed with things I knew I absolutely needed. Instead I began the long ascent up the stairs. It dawned on me, slowly, that this was Lynn Woods.
My foot hovered between steps. I was in the Stone Tower.
"My how things have changed." I whispered before continuing my ascent.
Once at the top I had a better perspective of the land; the shacks spread out, the lake across the way, forest and deadscape surrounding. A dead body lay beside the transformer. I looked at him, then down on the sleeping people below.
Raiders.
They must have killed everyone in the camp and taken it as their own. Typical, it didn't matter what timeline you were in, what reality existed, there were always people willing to hurt other people; happy to do so even. I would have bet my left leg that the people who had settled this area hadn't done anything to deserve their murders. The transformer beside me hissed and popped. For a second, just a second, I almost didn't flip the switch.
The loud wailing howl the speaker emitted once I did made me wish I hadn't.
A terrible, familiar, roar echoed down below me. Instinctively I crouched down below the edge of the wall, peering over cautiously. Not one but two deathclaws were present, both killing the raiders without prejudice. One of the men managed to escape the sudden, vicious killing. I watched with a measure of satisfaction as he screamed into the distance. I turned the signal off, watching as the Deathclaws danced around one another. Eventually the smaller, darker one wandered off towards the body of water. The larger Deathclaw stalked around a bit.
For a moment I worried that he could smell me. That he would somehow be able to climb the rickety stairs and attack me. I shook my head, freeing myself from paranoia. To pass the time waiting for the creature to get bored I looted the dead body. He had been killed a while ago; his blood was pooling at his feet, his limbs were stiff and unmanageable, his skin tinged blue and black. I found a key, some caps, a bit of food. Not much else.
I carefully unhitched the egg, holding my breath as it wriggled against the cold stone floor. It would be a bitch if it hatched now. The wobbling eventually died down and I released the tension I wasn't aware I had been building in my shoulders. Sitting beside the rotting corpse I pulled out some of the radroach jerky I had made. It was bland with a sour aftertaste that I found common in most the bug meats. Seasoning was ridiculously rare to find. Occasionally I could scrape some bits from the old pepper and salt mills I found around the houses, but it was precious and to be savored for a good meat cut, not used on something like bug jerky.
I sighed, leaning my head back, taking a swig from the purified water. Hesitantly I thought about using a stimpak, then decided against it. My shoulder would heal with some sleep and time. It only ached, there was no real damage. I hoped. Dogmeat yawned beside me.
I woke with a start, the cool air had caused my clothes to condensate with dew. I shivered. The contrast between the wet armor, sweaty leather, and chill flannel made me feel as though I were feverish. Panicked I reached for Dogmeat, relaxing a little when I realized he was still there beside me, awake and alert despite his appearance. I looked at the egg, wrapped in a makeshift nest of the cloth I'd used to carry it. I felt it's shell. Still warm. Weirdly warm.
"Oh, gah. My back!" I stood, listening to the popping and cracking of my body.
A month. I decided, watching the sunrise over the water. I've been traveling around aimlessly for a month.
I scouted the area from my perch. Deeming it Deathclaw free I took on the laborious task of rearranging my backpack and goods. Hesitantly I left behind some supplies, placing them on the rusty shelving unit on the top floor. If anyone made it up there to steal my stuff, they earned it. I was sure the raiders would be back, especially when one got away. They were like vermin.
I carefully unwrapped the egg from its makeshift bed, gently placing it in the sling it across my back as I did before, backpack awkwardly placed around my front to make room for the cumbersome package.
"Alright Dogmeat, let's go."
He yipped, jumping to his feet and racing down the stairs.
"I didn't say make me feel old." I grumbled, following suit at a much slower pace.
The warmth of the egg seeped into my back, making me sweat from exhertion before too long. The sun had risen by the time we crested the hill. It was going to be a painfully warm day, I had decided, stopping to check my PipBoy.
"Just a few more feet." I panted, Dogmeat whimpering beside me, tail tucked between his legs.
We had to be close. We walked a spell longer before stumbling across the Deathclaw nest. Bones and bodies made the stink and atmosphere terrifying. Quickly I snuck up to the bundle of branches and frantically attempted to untie the knot at my chest.
Get it off, get it off, get it off-
A warm breeze disturbed my mantra. I could sense rather than see the foreboding presence hovering over me. Dread consumed my body as I broke out in a cold sweat. Dogmeat was shaking beside me. Slowly I looked up, stifling a scream, falling back from my feet onto my backside. The Deathclaw stood before me, she was huge. Her horns massive, one had broken towards the middle, attesting to her age and strength. For a moment all was frozen. It took me a while, a very long, long while to realize she was not going to attack me.
"Y-you want your egg? Your baby?" I whispered.
A strong, heavy clicking purr bled out of the monsters mouth. I dared not raise my tone for fear of breaking the spell. I breathed to calm myself, once again working at the knot on my chest.
"I didn't mean to kill the other one." I continued, babbling, "I didn't realize what had happened." The cloth slipped form my shoulders, gently I brought the egg around. "It wouldn't stop attacking me. If it could have just understood I didn't mean any harm. I know what it's like." I cradled the egg for a minute, as though I could pour all my emotions and longing and pain into this tiny little demon. "I'm sorry."
I set the egg in the nest. The creature backed a few steps off, watching me with a leery gaze, as though at any minute it expected a trap.
I looked at her again. She was majestic, in her own, terrifying, make me piss myself way. Dogmeat whined low in his throat. I turned to go, not wanting to jinx myself or push the creatures kindness further than it could go.
I nearly fell over Dogmeat in the process. He was rooted to the spot, his mouth clamped over a weapon of bone and leather and metal. Hesitantly I reached forward, eyeing the Deathclaw mother. She still stood, watching patiently.
"I'm-I'm going to take this." I whispered.
She made no move to attack, merely leaned back, lifting her nose to the air.
In one fluid movement I pulled the weapon from the ground, fascinated by the mechanics of it. A gauntlet of sorts, with three large, man-killing Deathclaw claws attached. The creature huffed behind me. I'm not at all ashamed to admit I skittered up the hillside without looking back.