The fire crackled, and Wiseman's concoction of herbs and berries was nearly finished. In the chill wind, some fireside tea surrounded by friends, both old and new, was revitalizing. Despite the sense of urgency, or perhaps because of it, I had insisted on taking two nights as guests of The Slog before heading into the midst of danger again. Being well rested would keep us sharp more than pure adrenaline would.
"Think we'll really find Nick?" asked Daniel.
"I genuinely don't know. He didn't exactly leave us much to go on. Yeah, he's at the college, but for what exactly? Will he be leaving C.I.T. or searching for something that would keep him there? See what I mean?" I answered.
"I wouldn't worry personally. Valentine is nothing if not resourceful. I'm sure that whatever he encountered, whatever reason he had to go to C.I.T., he'll be there when you arrive. Wouldn't have left a note otherwise." Wiseman said as he dished out his tea into salvaged mugs for all of us.
"I'm just not as certain. Something feels wrong about all of this. Nicky is off to find out why has Blue been acting out of character, but also has a lead or even just additional basic information on your case? Sounds like pure bullshit." Piper said, accepting a steaming teacup from Wiseman.
The hot mug in my hands felt wonderful, especially after helping out harvesting tarberries for The Slog's residents to sell. The cold water in the pool may be great for the fruit but not so much for human hands. As I sipped the berry-sweetened tea in the unexpectedly quiet evening, my mind rolled several ideas and plans around. Realizing that I didn't know Nick even a fraction as well as many of the people I was sitting and traveling with was the first step. I may have had my own guesses about what the next morning would bring when we packed up and left the pleasant atmosphere of the ghoul-run farm, but they were pure speculation.
"I'm gonna go find Becks. She can better answer some of the questions I have, I think." I said, standing up and passing my now empty mug to Wiseman.
He refilled my cup, and offered to come with me. I looked over at Daniel, and he said he would be packing up our things back at the common house while he waited for me to come back to him. I kissed Daniel goodbye, and told him I'd be back soon. Wiseman and I said our goodnights to everyone else around the fire, and with a parting pat of Dogmeat's head, we left to find Becks. She had mostly kept to herself during our stay, even politely brushing off Daniel's attempts to draw her out of the funk she was in.
We walked around the perimeter of the farm while sipping our tea, and Wiseman spoke of the Nate he knew which was certainly not the man I'd dealt with. His Nate had been interested in helping others, and seemed to get along with almost everyone he encountered. However, Valentine's assessment of Nate being a blowhard at times turned out to be true. According to Wiseman, Nate could be difficult to be around if he felt he was absolutely correct even if that perception of right versus wrong turned out to be false.
I snorted and said "That sounds more like he was pigheaded over being right no matter what. I've known men like that before."
I omitted the part where I could be the same. There's a good reason that my husband would say "happy wife, happy life".
"Sometimes, I suppose. But the Nate you and others have described just seems implausible. Piper has been loyal to a fault when it comes to her 'Blue'. Looks like she needs to believe that whatever happened to cause the change in not just his behavior but personality as well will pass if she can find the right answer as to why. The whys don't always matter though. Particularly in a man like Nate. I don't know why he changed so much but if I know him, and I believe I do, then there's not much that would return the old Nate to her." he said.
"Now I can see why they call you Wiseman. You definitely have wisdom to spare, my friend." I said, appreciating his insight.
By that point, we had searched all the places we assumed Becks could be. The woman wasn't anywhere on the farm. Wiseman said there was a building nearby that housed a group of fanatics who called themselves the Forged.
"I don't necessarily think this may be true, based on what little I know of the woman, but she may have gone over to the Saugus Ironworks building. Taking out her frustration and fear in a violent fashion. We periodically hear explosions and shouting from that direction so it could be just the usual racket instead." Wiseman guessed.
"Seriously? Fuck my life." I sighed.
I wasn't about to take on a group that holed up in a large building like the Ironworks alone, even if I did have a million questions for Becks. On the other hand, I didn't particularly want to have anyone else in earshot when I spoke with her. But that looked to be off the table due to my still lacking battle skills.
"Hey, wait up!" called Elliot from behind me.
"McAllister, what now?" I asked.
I had a decent feeling as to why he needed to speak with me. He had been uncharacteristically silent around the fireside tea party.
"I overheard what that ghoul said about Becks. I want to come with you." he stated.
I frowned and said "The ghoul has a name, you know."
Elliot scowled right back at me, and told me that was nowhere near to the point. I sighed and conceded defeat.
"You can take the man out of the Brotherhood, but you can't take the Brotherhood out of the man. Something like that. Selective bigotry in his case." I thought.
The two of us should work out ok, always assuming that these "Forged" idiots were more fanatical than barbaric. While McAllister was ready to head out, I most certainly was not.
"I'm heading back to the common house to gear up. Stay put." I ordered.
"Whatever, boss." Elliot said sarcastically.
Once I was back in the corner of the large metal pre-fabricated house where our stuff was stored, I irritably gathered up my armor and weapons. The commotion I made drew Melissa's attention.
"You going somewhere fun?" she asked, a devilish grin spreading across her face.
"Only you would find peril fun, Mel. But yes, I'm heading over to the Saugus Ironworks to look for Becks." I replied.
"Sweet. I'll be right back. Gotta grab more of my lovelies." she said, dashing away for her bags.
In just a matter of moments, she ran back to me, her belts stuffed full with grenades of several varieties. I always wondered in the back of my mind just why Mel favored these weapons, but didn't quite have the courage to ask. We headed back to where I'd had Elliot wait for me. I had some doubts about our ability to handle whoever was holed up at the ironworks with just the three of us, but I also didn't want to endanger anyone else.
"Be at the ready, guys. I've heard these assholes like burny things." said Mel the explosives queen.
Once we neared the foundry, the Forged wasted no time in coming right after us. I was surprised, although I shouldn't have been, to see that these people came equipped with flame throwers. Mel was right about their preferences.
"Make for the field office for cover! We'll have to work together!" McAllister yelled, pointing to a small freestanding building that was very reminiscent of early model campers.
Two of the Forged were giving chase as we sprinted towards the Quonset-esque structure. The flickering light of their flames illuminated our intended path. Just as Elliot and Melissa reached the top of the small set of stairs leading into the field office, an explosion bombarded the ground around us. The concussive force sent me reeling backwards. The wind was knocked from me as I hit the ground flat on my back several feet away from my partners in this mad dash to find Rebecca.
I struggled to get to my feet, gasping and wheezing like a fish out of water. I thanked every deity I knew for the gun still grasped tightly in my hand. Just as I turned to defend myself against the two women at my rear, one of their heads exploded into a mist of blood and gray matter. I felt the searing temperature of another flamethrower across the exposed skin of my arms as I aimed at my attacker. My .44 made quick work of the remaining Forged's abdomen.
Elliot had climbed atop the office, and was shooting at the man on the Ironworks' rooftop. I saw why I had been floored, so to speak. The pyromaniac wielded a missile launcher, but lacked decent aim. Our Brotherhood trained companion seemed to have just about as much luck as the other man. We saw that Elliot had gotten the man's arms, one leg, and his chest but not near enough to his heart. The Forged fired again, but the missile went wild. One laser rifle shot to the head later, and the night was silenced.
"What the hell, McAllister! I know you're a better marksman than that. You put us all at risk." Mel growled at Elliot.
A merciless smile bloomed on his face before he spoke softly.
"Who said I was missing my intended shots?" he asked.
"Stone cold, McAllister. Stone cold." I said, feeling unsettled by his response to Mel.
"C'mon. Let's get this over with and find Becks." Mel said, stomping off towards the large factory.
Once we approached the hefty door into the building, Elliot and I stood to the left of the entryway and Mel took the right. A nod from me signaled the other two. Mel and I kicked in our respective doors to the best of our abilities. We underestimated the weight of the metal, and they merely creaked inward.
"Well shit." I muttered.
I carefully crept through the partially opened door, and was met with waves of heat from the furnaces within. McAllister and Stryker weren't far behind me. The preternatural hush that greeted us was not at all what we'd expected. My arms began to sink back to my sides, the .44 held between them aiming more towards the floor.
"At attention, soldier." Elliot whispered from behind me as his hands guided mine back to shooting stance.
"Guys, come look at this shit!" Mel called out from where she crouched.
I leaned over her to see what she had found. Nearly a dozen bodies had come to fall at the bottom of the stairs leading upwards to the next level. While some had sustained fatal gunshot wounds, most looked to have been gutted like fish. The knife gashes were too numerous to count. There lay no doubt in my mind that they had been inflicted by our ghoul friend. It gave me an inkling of the rage she was in upon entering this place.
"Looks like Wiseman's guess was correct. I hope she's ok. We've gotta find her before she gets careless from her emotions." I said.
"Don't start dreaming of damsel in distress situations that involve you as the proverbial knight in shining power armor, Elliot." Mel said, frowning at Becks' would-be rescuer.
"Can't blame a guy for trying!" he responded.
I found a broken off length of sheet metal that had come from the rafters above, and used it to start shoving the bodies aside. Elliot mentioned that we really could've hopped over them instead but by then I'd already made some decent progress at clearing the way. Once the carnage had been scooted over, we began our ascent as quietly as possible. Much like breadcrumbs from some old children's story, we found the dead sprinkled along the way. It was becoming increasingly difficult to believe a single person had done this.
"More of you sonofabitches! Come and get some!" came a croak from the overturned desks off to our right.
"Oh puh-leeeeze, honey. You couldn't handle this." Mel said while lobbing a baseball towards the voice.
I was stunned when the ball exploded, taking out the wounded Forged and the desks as well. I looked over at Elliot, and he had an expression on his face that I couldn't define.
"I'll give you points for effectiveness, but dock some for excessiveness. Seriously, Melissa. You've got such a hard-on for the damn grenades! Cut it the fuck out indoors." he growled.
"Stop being so jealous, baby. Just because my fire power is better than yours is no cause for turning so green." she sassed back at him.
"Enough, you two. Let's keep moving. I want to get out of this sweltering tomb sooner rather than later." I told them both.
With an annoyed huff from Elliot, the three of us made the final staircase to the top floor. The disquieting calm was broken by the faint sound of sobbing in the distance.
"Shit. So much for hoping she'd be ok. Let's deal with whoever hurt her." Elliot said with a tinge of revenge in his tone.
Mel and I simply nodded and continued on towards the crying. Weapons drawn, we reached the final door.
"On my mark. One…two…" McAllister intoned, throwing wide the door between him and his romantic interest.
This cavernous room was immensely hot; more so than the rest of the Saugus Ironworks interior. As before, several bodies were strewn about the walkways. In the midst of them kneeled Rebecca. She had curled up in a fetal position, and sobs wracked her body.
"Goddamnit Nicky. Why did you do this to me? Why put yourself in so much danger? And without me by your side..." she moaned quietly between crying jags.
"Hey. You need a hand up, gorgeous?" asked Elliot, more soft spoken than I'd ever heard from him.
A few sniffles later, Becks nodded the affirmative and took Elliot's offered hand. He very gently lifted the woman from the metal grating we were standing on. To all our surprise, she threw her arms around him and collapsed against his chest, more tears pouring down her face. None of us looked quite as shocked as Elliot, who hesitated briefly before comforting Becks as best he could.
Mel and I stepped back out into the hallway to wait for our friends. In hushed tones, we discussed our options and felt maybe it would be best if Becks stayed behind at the Slog. It was apparent that she wasn't exactly in the best emotional state to continue our hunt for Nick. It would have to be something we decided as a group though. There was no doubt about the ghoul's battle skills and intellect being boons to our party but would that be enough?
Mel gave me a "shut the hell up now" glance as we heard footfalls behind us. Becks and Elliot approached us, and in silence, we continued our exit from the foundry. Once we stepped out into the midnight air, an impossibly enormous full moon shone above us like a beacon. I heard the sound of Becks drawing deep sucks of the fresh cool breeze from behind me. She seemed to be collecting herself far better than I would've in her shoes. The thought of potentially losing Daniel the way I'd lost my husband, or how she had lost track of Nick, terrified me. I'd had enough sorrow in my life lately.
"Fuck you very much, universe." I thought, bitterness rising unbidden from deep within me.
"So where to next?" came a sniffle and a hoarse voice from my left side.
"I think our 'fearless leader' wants to head back to the Slog before we make any further plans." replied Elliot.
"He's right, but I think I can live without the new title." I said dryly.
"C'mon. Let's grab a little sleep while we can." Mel said firmly.
Once we'd arrived back at the tarberry farm each of us headed our own ways back to our sleeping spots for the night. As I entered the home where my Daniel and I were staying, I was shocked by a bright light flickering my way. The rapid change from dark to light left me temporarily a little blinded.
"What the hell?" I asked as I covered my eyes.
I felt Daniel's hands ease mine down and comfortably held them in his. I blinked up at the black eyes I'd come to love.
"I fixed your flashlight." he said, the pride unmistakable in his voice.
I laughed and pulled him in for a hug. He came into my arms with familiar effortlessness. Daniel told me all about how he and one of the other residents of the Slog worked out a small nuclear powered battery for my flashlight.
"Arlen Glass definitely has a talent for all things mechanical." he explained.
"Thank you so much! I'll have to stop by in the morning and thank Arlen too." I said happily.
"For now, love, come to bed. It's late and you're gonna need your rest." Daniel said, his hands on my shoulders directing me towards our bed rolls that were side by side.
Morning came all too fast and once we had packed up all of our belongings, Daniel and I met up with the little crowd of people who were in this just as deep as we were. I think we were both surprised to find that no one wanted to stay behind, Rebecca in particular. Dogmeat sat patiently at Sandra's feet while she patted his head with a nervous expression on her face. Piper and Elliot were speaking softly to each other about only Goddess knew what, and he had his arm around Becks' shoulders. Mel and Ollie were wrapped tight around each other. That had me concerned. In all the time I'd known the Strykers, I'd very rarely seen them show affection in public. This wasn't a good sign.
"Um, hey, guys. Why the long faces?" Daniel asked.
I was glad he did ask so I wouldn't have to. Dogmeat let out a low whine while Sandra shifted nervously on her feet. Piper and Elliot shared a worried yet somehow still antagonistic look. I assumed that they knew something and hoped I wouldn't find out what it was. This was getting worse by the second and we hadn't even left yet.
"Well, shit. Again." I thought to myself.
"C.I.T. has a slight problem." Piper said.
"Slight, huh? Seems like it's more than just that by the way all of you guys are behaving." I said, my arms firmly crossed.
"Super mutants. More than a few of them. The old ball and chain and I have tried to wipe out the hive before but they always seem to come back within days. Usually stronger and more pissed the hell off. That's always fun, right?" Ollie replied.
Mel promptly elbowed her husband in the gut.
"Ball and chain, jackass?" she said.
"Sorry, light of my life." Ollie said contritely, holding his stomach and moaning once he had spoken.
"Ok. Mutants. Nothing we haven't handled before. What else aren't you telling me?" I asked the group of friends before me.
Elliot sighed deeply and said "There's a signal of some sort coming from the university. Elder Maxson holds a firm belief that the synth problem the Commonwealth has been dealing with for years originates from the location this signal is sent from."
"Synth problem? What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"No one ever told you? Nick isn't the only synth around; he's just the most obvious one." Piper replied.
I looked up at Daniel, hoping my lover would have a better explanation than Piper just gave. He held me a little tighter before telling me about the synths plaguing the folks of Boston.
"They look completely human? Entirely undetectable to nearly everyone?" I said, shocked by the answer I least expected.
"Bingo! We have a winner, folks!" Elliot cried cynically.
"Really, El? Was that necessary?" Becks asked.
"Yes, kinda. It's time for all of us to stop being so naïve and step up the game." he replied.
I sighed in exasperation and said "Okay. So we know this C.I.T. place is dangerous. That's not exactly something we didn't suspect. What do we need to handle it successfully?"
"Explosives!" shouted Melissa gleefully.
Her words were greeted with more than a few pairs of rolled eyes.
"More than anything, we need to be able to rely on each other. If anyone can't trust the others, speak now. I won't risk Nicky's safety because someone here decides to be an asshole towards someone else." Becks ordered.
"I'm still questioning the reasons that the rest of you are so on edge about taking on the big uglies. Look around. There's more than enough…" said Piper before being interrupted.
"We've been through this. While you and your buddies may be completely fine with waltzing into multiple death traps and sharing a Nuka-Cola afterwards, we're not as cocksure as the people you run with." Elliot growled.
"'People'? What the hell do you mean by that, Brotherhood?" Piper snarled back.
We all knew that Nate and Piper had friends in Nick, Hancock, Codsworth, and others who weren't of the strictly human variety. Not that we were all that much different. Ollie had told Daniel that Elliot had been working diligently on changing his deeply held beliefs that ghouls were nothing more than vermin. I can only imagine that seeing the love Daniel and I shared left him with both questions and nausea. Perhaps that also explained his unique treatment of Becks.
"He has a point, Piper. Caution has its merits after all." Sandra said quietly.
It was the first that I'd heard her speak to the rest of us in a few days. Dogmeat had been by her side almost constantly, and had been the recipient of Sandra's frequent whispers. Daniel had mentioned her uncharacteristic silence while we had lain in bed two nights ago. Both of us were concerned for our typically boisterous friend.
The reporter scowled at the scribe, and not a soul uttered a word. I truly believe those of us who were mere bystanders were worried over whether or not we'd have to intervene and separate the two. Silence dragged on for what seemed to be an eternity.
"C'mon people. We're better than this. Teamwork is what will get us to our goals. All of them. Nick likely needs us. We need information about all these Brenna doppelgängers that are running around. Before you interject Piper, Nate needs us too. Infighting won't help matters; it will only harm them." Ollie said, more somber than I'd ever have expected him capable of.
The lack of shenanigans from Ollie created the impact he had wanted. Wide eyes and slack jawed faces stared back at him. Silently, Daniel turned towards the crumbled road leading to the heart of the Commonwealth. He gave a little tug on my hand and I followed without question. If I couldn't trust my man, who could I trust?
I could hear assorted complaints and the rustle of various weapons and packs behind us as the rest of our people reluctantly followed behind. After a few minutes of silent travel, I felt animal fur brush against my hand. Looking down, I saw that Dogmeat had left Sandra's side momentarily. I didn't know what he wanted but humored the animal with a little pat on the head. That seemed to please him, and Dogmeat trotted over to his new mistress. I doubted that Nate would get his pup back anytime soon.
Because of our later than anticipated departure from the Slog, the nine of us agreed to set up camp for the night at the first remaining building that still had some structural stability. The mood of our group wasn't exactly what I would call happy. My love pulled our little radio out of his rucksack, and tuned into Diamond City Radio. Daniel and I figured that some music might sooth the frayed nerves of our friends and companions.
"They call me Lovin' Dan
I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long
I'm a sixty-minute man
There'll be fifteen minutes of kissing
Then you'll holler "please don't stop"
There'll be fifteen minutes of teasing
And fifteen minutes of squeezing
And fifteen minutes of blowing my top
If your man ain't treating you right
Come up and see ol' Dan
I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long
I'm a sixty-minute man, oh yeah"
The melodious tune drifted over each one of us. It was the only sound coming from our camp. I stretched out in Daniel's arms while we laid back and stargazed. For all the strange differences in my new world, the sparkling night sky remained the same. I took great comfort in seeing beloved goddess Diana above me.
"So Brenna, I've been meaning to ask you a question." called Melissa from across the fire.
"And what would that be? I have a feeling I'm not going to like it." I replied, sitting up from my spot on the ground.
Ollie began to snicker as Mel asked if Daniel was my sixty minute man. Laughter broke out through our campsite. I guess being the butt of the joke was worth the result.
"Wouldn't you like to know. Maybe you oughta borrow him for the night." I retorted.
"Love, you know I'm too much man for her." Daniel said, smirking and barely holding back his own laughter.
At Daniel's wisecrack, Ollie fell to the ground behind the burned log he'd been sitting on, fits of laughter keeping him pinned where he was.
"Alright, alright. That's enough for tonight. We'll split up watch shifts and get some rest in between, everyone. Tomorrow might prove to be more difficult than we think." Elliot all but ordered.
The following afternoon, we approached C.I.T. With the exception of distant shouts and gunfire from raiders, all was still. Staring at the buildings before me, I was dumbfounded and stuck in place. Daniel's warm hand on my waist gently turned me to face him.
"What's wrong, love? You look like you've seen a ghost just now." he said worriedly.
"Sweetheart, this is M.I.T! My baby sister is a sophomore here." I said as tears began to run down my cheeks.
Charlotte was our parent's "oops" baby, born when I was nearly fifteen years old. I adored her right from the start, and she idolized me. My children loved their auntie and she had a special bond with them.
Charlie was my biggest cheerleader when I decided to go to college myself. While I was not a math prodigy like she was, neither her nor our parents ever treated us differently. The day she was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, our family, together with our coven, threw her a huge surprise party to celebrate her bright future.
Now we stood before the remains of one of the best schools in the world. My heart was crushed all over again as I was forcibly reminded of the family I'd left behind. Daniel tenderly cradled me in his arms, my tears soaking into his shirt.
"A sister? All of the Brennas we've known of had no siblings." Elliot said, his tone unmistakably turned more 'scribe' than friend.
Daniel glared at him from over the top of my head. I felt his muscles tense beneath my fingertips. The last thing I needed on top of all this was a fight to break out.
Becks smacked Elliot hard on his ass. The large man squeaked and leapt away from the sudden sting to his ego and his bottom.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you see that she's upset? Now is not the time to be questioning Brenna." she told him.
"Come on, guys. Let's go see about those admission forms we've filled out." Ollie teased.
As we approached the rotunda of the university, all our weapons drawn, the ominous silence within seemed amplified. I was shaken to the core to be here, and knowing that Charlotte wasn't in her dorm, working on her homework and texting me about dealing with her girlfriend's insistence on meeting her parents made it all the worse.
I rechecked my armor, making sure that everything was buckled down properly. A furtive glance around the group, especially at my Daniel, confirmed that everyone was likewise prepared for what would be the final leg of our journey to find Nick. Piper and Dogmeat took point, both gun and teeth prepared to fight. Although we outnumbered them, it somehow felt right that the two of them were ready to charge in ahead of us.
With just a nod from Piper, we all knew to be quiet as we crossed the threshold of the campus. The doors leading into the rotunda proper were cracked open ever so slightly. Becks leaned past Piper, and using her sniper rifle, she nudged the door to the right open the rest of the way. I could hear the low growls and threats of super mutants from within, but no gun shots or other sounds of battle. Each in turn, we slid through the opening and raised our weapons to provide cover for the others as they too entered the building.
"Becks and Sandra, see if you can find a vantage point to pick some of these bastards off. Dogmeat, protect them. Ok, boy? Elliot, keep your distance, and make the most of that laser rifle. Dan and Brenna, stay with me. Pistols are more effective in groups. Strykers, go do what you do best." Piper ordered.
Mel and Ollie favored us all with delightfully evils grins before dashing off with a shocking level of silence. They'd just been let off the leash so to speak, and were clearly thrilled with it. Becks and Sandra simply nodded their consent, and split off from the rest of us to their left. Dogmeat followed Piper's request and trotted off after the ladies. Daniel and I started to leave with the journalist when McAllister caught my wrist.
"Be careful. I have some feelings about this place, and none of its good. Dan, take care of her." Elliot said solemnly.
"She's my everything. You don't have to command me to protect the best thing in my life." Daniel told him.
I couldn't help but smile and blush. Every time Daniel spoke aloud his love for me to others sent my heart aflutter all over again.
The scribe slinked off to the right, and for a man as tall as he, I was impressed at his ability to blend in with the shadows. Daniel and I met up with Piper. We followed her towards the nearest set of stairs, and that's when we heard the first shots of the battle for both C.I.T. and Nick Valentine.
The roar of a critically wounded mutant pierced the muffled quiet of the rotunda. I briefly caught sight of Sandra up in the open corridor that surrounded the entirety of the second floor, overlooking the entryway and statuary within. She saw me, and waved her sniper rifle in acknowledgement before resuming picking off whatever greenie she could.
As Daniel, Piper, and I skidded onto the second floor, I faltered in my path beside them. Before us and likewise attacking the super mutants stood four creatures firing off laser weapons of some sort. They looked for all the world like what I imagined Nick must have going on beneath his warm and pliant artificial skin.
"Just keep going! Shoot anything in the way that isn't Nick!" came a shout from above. Becks wasn't playing around when it came to rescuing her lover.
"Fuck it. Don't think of them as having anything to do with Valentine." I told myself as I took aim and fired at the two closest to me.
The robotic men fell to the floor with a clang. Piper took out the one closing in on her. Daniel ran up to the remaining one and pistol whipped it before shooting pointblank into its face.
We all froze as we heard an otherworldly shriek followed by a low cackle from above us. With amazing precision, a hail of grenades fell upon the mutants and synths alike who remained on the first floor when they had poured out at the first sounds of gunfire. Unbelievably, I spotted teddy bears, teacups, tin plates, and random junk amongst the explosive projectiles. That must have something to do with Ollie's maniacal laughter floating down from differing points on the third floor. With barely a moment's notice, the grenades and junk were followed by missiles and school desks.
"What the fuck are those two doing?" Daniel asked, shouting to be heard over the cacophony around us.
"Stryker stuff." I said simply as we dashed off behind Piper.
"Run for the third floor! We need the tactical advantage!" yelled McAllister as he methodically picked off synths while they were otherwise engaged in war with the largest mutant of the bunch.
An uncanny hush fell over C.I.T. as the remaining foes were destroyed by our combined might. The three of us mounted the final flight of stairs, and rushed headlong into Sandra with Dogmeat, as well as Mel and Ollie. Even Melissa's Hispanic heritage had paled in shock at what lay before them.
"You don't want to see this. Please." Sandra pleaded as she pulled both Daniel and I back away from whatever the others had beheld.
Elliot soon joined the rest of us, and due to his height, saw what Daniel and I could not.
"She's not…" he said before looking repeatedly between me and the hidden floor behind us.
Before I could press the issue, a grief stricken scream pierced the stillness.
Shoving her way past anyone in her way, Becks barged past the amassed group. The ghoul crashed to her knees, begging incomprehensibly for it to 'not be true'.
I wormed my way between my silent companions and halted in stunned disbelief. Although older, she was still irrefutably recognizable. My corpse lay in a crumpled heap on the tiled floor, a pool of blood around her head.
Just beyond her, a kneeling Becks cradled the lifelessly still body of Nick Valentine.
A/N:
I want to apologize for the so unlike me wait between the last chapter and this one. Life took a turn for the unpredictable, and my husband had heart surgery in May. My worry for him turned into a nasty case of writer's block. I knew where I wanted this tale to go but didn't have the words to get me there.
Thanks for your patience, and I hope this longer-than-the-others chapter was enjoyable. Please read, review, and keep coming back for more!