The Fallout of War
Chapter 13, Malden Center Station
The late afternoon sun shone down on the three figures that stood outside the doors to the Malden Center Station though only one felt it's hot effects. Having already watched the entrance area for several minutes with no activity noted, Nick, Hancock and Piper had decided to head inside to explore.
Nick tested one of the blue steel doors and it swung open easily then he slipped into the dim interior followed by his companions. The subway station was littered with trash, debris and upon closer inspection, bodies. A dead ghoul and two raiders had fallen in a fire fight amongst a couple skeletal remains.
They hadn't moved far from the exit when a familiar sound of shuffling began. "Um, Hancock. You didn't say you had some distant cousins living here." Piper commented nervously pointing her 10mm toward the shadows. "You can always ask them for an exclusive Piper." Hancock shot back as a lumbering ghoul came into view from around the corner.
Nick took a shot with his pistol hitting it square in the chest. Piper's three shots managed to destroy it's leg sending it to the floor. A second ghoul had followed behind the first and Hancock took a step towards it as both barrels of his shotgun emptied into it's head. Nick finished the first off as it attempted to crawl toward them.
The three stood quiet, listening, but there was no more shuffling noises. "Well guess a stealthy entrance is out of the question now." Nick broke the silence, yet they all three still stepped lightly toward the top of the stairwell that lead to the sub level.
As they look down the steps they could see below was a glow with light, more so than the upper level and the flicker indicated flames burning in large steel barrels which was casting shadows that danced in the musty air of the subway station.
Easing downwards Nick still held the lead and signaled a stop when they were only three quarters of the way down. Squatting on the stairs bunched together they could get a partial view of the open loading platform below.
"What do you make of that?" Nick's voice was soft in the dead silence of the station as Hancock's and Piper's eyes followed the direction his nod indicated. Lined up in rows along the disabled and wrecked tubes of trains were Brotherhood Power Armor suits. "Holy headlines. Let's take a closer look." Piper stood and made to step past Nick.
Her heel came down on a piece of loose rubble causing her foot to slide forward down the step carrying her body with it as she bumped all the way to the bottom. Nick made a grab for her, but caught only air while Hancock ran a hand over his face, what was left of it. Both quickly took the remaining steps to join her and help her up. "I wonder if this is normal for journalists?" Piper looked sheepish. "Good thing gracefulness isn't a qualification for a reporter." Nick commented.
The tinny mechanical voice that filled the station had them all turn with weapons raised. "Is someone present?" A Gen 2 emerged from a door further down the platform followed by a second. "Movement detected." Nick didn't hesitate to open fire with his revolver. A third Gen 2 appeared from one of the remains of a train parked at the platform. Piper emptied her gun into it, while Hancock's shotgun blasted it.
More Synths seemed to be crawling out from all directions, "I must end your existance." "Terminating any hostile life form." Nick had quickly reloaded and was firing away, "We have no cover here without getting trapped. We need to retreat!" They were all backing toward the stairs. Blue laser fire was erupting all around them scorching the floor at their feet and wall at their side.
A Synth ran forward with a raised baton in his hand and got blown back by Hancock's shotgun. Laser fire skimmed his arm as he was trying to reload. They made the stairs bunched together, but knew they had to get out of there fast.
Hancock and Nick formed a wall in front of Piper. They backed quickly up the stairs. Nick's pant leg was smoking and Hancock was cursing as they turned halfway up and made a run for it. "Head for the exit before I loose another damn toe!" Hancock shouted over the gunfire.
They burst out the doors of the Station into Malden's early evening light. Piper made a left and ducked inside the ruins of the Malden police station followed by Nick and Hancock who took a stance at the open doorway. "None seem to be following us out of the Station. Odd." Hancock stated. "Maybe no one's home to order them to give chase? Maybe they're just guarding." Piper gasped out as she tried to catch her breath.
"I'm wondering what those power suits are doing down there?" Nick wondered aloud. "And why Synths are down there guarding them." Piper added. "Well if we want to go down there to learn more, we're going to need a lot more backup. I'd say there were about a dozen Synths and it seemed like more were showing up." Hancock put in still keeping watch on the Station entrance.
"I'm not liking this. None of it is adding up. What would Kellogg want with Brotherhood power armor?" Hancock pondered. "Don't know the what, but I'm guessing the guns he hired are who he plans to have use them." Nick concluded. "All that power armor equals one formidable force, but why the Brotherhood paint job?" Piper questioned.
"Well one thing, I don't think we're going to learn anything more tonight." Nick looked around the shell of the old police station, "We can either bed down here or hike over to Country Crossing and come back at first light. We need to contact Preston and the others." "I'd much prefer a bed." Piper said wistfully.
An explosion filled the air to the north. All three looked at each other. "That was definitely a grenade going off." Hancock popped back inside the door. They all three stood listening intently. After a couple minutes they heard gun fire and a roar.
"Deathclaw!" Piper inhaled. Nick moved to the door to stand by Hancock, "Well sounds like someone is in trouble. Should we go take a look." "Let's take the outer edges of town. I don't feel like running into ghouls and the sun's almost down." Piper suggested.
The three figures moved cautiously out into the street and jogged toward the rear of the Malden Hospital before turning north skirting the backside of the abandoned houses and shops. Nearing the old sink hole they could see a lone figure firing as he backed speedily from an on coming Deathclaw. "I believe that's Deacon!" Nick shouted as they began firing and ran forward.