The story of a rose in a shallow grave belongs to Wombag1786, this is the sequel to it.
I do not own RWBY or Fallout.
A Rose Over a Shallow Grave belongs to Wombag1786
Chapter 14: Dangerous Minds
After returning to the precinct where Danse would keep in contact with Nate via his Pip-Boy, they would head back to Diamond City to trade the items they had obtained. However, they were now facing a new problem. "How will we find the Institute?" The group was at Nick's agency, searching through files for any clues about their location.
"I'm sorry to tell you guys, but this is beyond my expertise," Six said after finishing reading another file.
"Can't you communicate with the Institute?" Nick asked ED-E.
Beep, Boop, Beep (Our hardwares are different, the Institute is more advanced than the Enclave) admitted the Ojobot.
"Well, another dead end," Nick said, frustrated.
"Damn Kellogg..." Nate said angrily as he looked at the device he had taken out of his brain.
Before continuing, they knocked on the door.
"Come in," Nick said.
"Working hard, guys?" Piper asked as she entered.
"Does it look like it?" Nate replied sarcastically.
Piper ignored the comment and approached to look at the files. "Investigating the Institute? Is that what I'm seeing?"
"Yeah, we had an encounter with Kellogg and let's just say he wasn't going to give us the information for free," Nick said.
"Well, considering the Institute is the Boogeyman of the Commonwealth. Their search isn't easy… What do we have on this Kellogg?"
"The only thing we have is this," Nate showed the device.
Piper took it to analyze it closely. "I'm not a scientist, but this has the Institute's trademark on it."
"Yeah, well, he was the muscle; his brain wasn't his strong suit," Nick emphasized.
"Ugh! Gross," Piper said, disgusted, returning the device to Nate. "I think I have some useful information."
Piper left the office and returned five minutes later with some papers. "There's… a group dedicated to fighting against the Institute. The Railroad."
"The downside is they're well-hidden."
"The Railroad?" Nate asked.
"They're a group dedicated to freeing synths, but being so secretive, they're hard to track. The only thing known is that 'you have to follow the Freedom Trail,' whatever that means," Nick said.
"They sound like those old spy movies from the old world," Six said.
"More like the British ones," Nate added.
"Could I see that... blue thing?" Piper asked.
Nate handed it to her and she analyzed it. "You say you found this in his brain?" Nate nodded.
"Well, I heard a rumor from some folks at Goodneighbor that there's a place where you can view your memories."
"Do you think?" Nate asked hopefully.
"Most likely, yes," Six said.
"Let's not waste time," Nate said, getting up to leave with the others.
"I'm coming with you," Piper said, grabbing her things. "This could have the missing piece of the biggest mystery in the Commonwealth."
They would leave Diamond City, but not before telling Piper's sister to take care of the printing press.
The trip was relatively short because it was near where they rescued Nick; they only had to fight a few feral ghouls and a super mutant base where the tallest building in Boston stood with a neon Goodneighbor sign, and a path leading to a door.
Upon opening it, it led to a neighborhood with some people trading; a man was leaning against a wall, a bald man in a leather jacket approached the group with a raised eyebrow.
"Look, if it isn't the detective. Are you chasing after another cheating husband and his lover?" he said as he lit a cigarette.
"Have you been stood up?" Nick asked sarcastically.
"Are you coming at me... how do you say... evasively?" He turned to see Nate, Six, ED-E, and Piper. "And who are you guys? Valentine's helpers?"
"Who's asking?" Nate replied.
"I am. In Goodneighbor, you need to know who's who. This is the first time I've seen you. What are you looking for?"
"I have my own business."
"Well... if you're going to do your business, hand over all your stuff. We don't want any serious bloody 'accidents.'"
"Eh, eh. Hold on a minute."
A ghoul dressed in 18th-century clothing appeared. "Nick Valentine graces the city and you dedicate yourself to extorting those who accompany him?" He turned to look at Nick. "Good to see you again, Nick."
"Likewise," Nick tipped his hat in greeting.
The man turned to the ghoul. "What do you care? He's not one of us?"
"Don't you respect your mayor, Finn? Leave him alone."
Finn threw down his cigarette and approached him. "You're soft, Hancock. If you keep letting outsiders stomp on us, one day we'll have a new mayor."
Hancock just smiled. "Come on now, man. Who are we talking about here? Let me tell you something."
As Hancock approached him, he grabbed him by the shoulder and quickly pulled out a knife, starting to stab him multiple times before throwing him to the ground.
"Why did you have to say that to me? You've left me shattered," he said, looking at Finn's lifeless body before turning to the group. "I apologize for that entrance, brothers. I hope this doesn't damage our humble community."
"I don't think it matters," Six said.
"Hehe, you're right. I welcome you to Goodneighbor; it's of the people and for the people, understand? Everyone is welcome."
"Interesting," Nate said. "That's what it is. In this neighborhood, we gather all the weirdos and misfits that don't fit anywhere else. You'll see, you'll make so many friends you'll soon feel at home... as long as you remember who's in charge," he said as he withdrew into a large house.
"What a grand welcome," Nate said sarcastically.
"I've been to Goodneighbor a couple of times, but at least it has some order."
The group left Finn's body behind to head further into Goodneighbor, where there were some people, eating or trading merchandise.
"That's it," Piper pointed to a building with a sign that read Memory Den.
Upon entering the building, there were several booths, and a woman in a red dress reclined on a sofa of the same color.
"Wow, Mr. Valentine. I thought you had forgotten about me," the woman spoke.
Nick would smile. "I may have left the Den, Irma, but I would never abandon you." She just rolled her eyes with a smile. "Bah. Amari is downstairs, you flirt."
The group would head downstairs where there were two capsules and a woman in a lab coat working at a terminal.
"Doctor Amari?" Nick said.
"Yes?" Dr. Amari asked, turning to look at him without surprise. "This isn't a courtesy visit."
"We need to dig into some memories, Amari, but it's not going to be easy. The guy Kellogg... is in better shape."
Amari would be surprised by how quickly he spoke. "Are you crazy or did a chip slip, Nick? You're asking me to desecrate a corpse. Do you realize I need an intact living brain for the memory simulators to work?"
"Well, this..." Nate pulled out the device. "This thing contains the secrets of the Institute and how to access them."
Nate would hand the device to Amari, and her eyes would widen as she inspected it closely. "This isn't a brain... this is... the hippocampus! And it's attached to a neural interface."
"No wonder it seemed familiar," Nick said.
"You're not the only one," Six added.
"Experience with machines?"
"More like I spoke to my brain directly," Nick raised an eyebrow, curious.
"I'm not surprised; the Institute's structure is the same. Fortunately, it doesn't require much to preserve it; just inject it with a compound to stabilize it. But if we want it to work, we need a compatible port."
Beep bop bip (I'm out of the equation).
"Maybe it could work with Nick? He's an old synth," Amari reflected on what Piper said, and she was right.
"It could work, but I fear the side effects and the possibilities are very concerning."
"It's not necessary, Doctor. Plug it into me."
"Will it work, Nick?" Nate asked, worried.
"No idea, but we need to find out; it's worth the risk." Nick sat in a chair next to the memory capsule as Amari adjusted the hippocampus on Nick's head. "If I start talking like a veteran merc, disconnect me."
"I need you to keep talking, Mr. Valentine. To check that there are no errors in cognitive functions. Do you feel different?"
"There are many... flashes... static electricity. I don't see the point, Doctor."
"It's what I feared; it's coded; the Institute installed a lock, the memories are blocked."
"How will this be solved?" Six asked.
"What if we use two brains?" Nate suggested.
Amari nodded. "That's what I thought. If two are inside, the lock will register the user as human."
Nate, Six, and Nora weren't sure about this, but they had no choice.
"What will be found inside?" Piper asked.
"I'm not sure; since it's only a fragment of the brain, what you see could vary."
Nate just sighed and said, "I'll take the risk."
"Alright, both of you take a seat in the capsules and let's begin," Amari said.
Nick and Nate sat on opposite sides of the room. As they entered the capsule, the television lowered. "Alright! The connection is strong. I'll take you to the strongest memory. Get ready."
The last thing Nate saw was a flash, and upon blinking, he was no longer in the room but in a sort of deteriorated place.
I apologize for the delay in this chapter; university has taken my desire to write, projects, exams, etc. But I'm continuing this; I won't abandon it, I will make it worthy like "A Rose Over a Shallow Grave." But setting that aside, in the next chapter, we will focus on Kellogg's memories.
However, I have some announcements.
In the fanfic "Roses and Ashes," I modified it up to the current point. I only added or extended.
I also plan to add new fanfics; here are the names, and let me know what you think:
1. Those Roses (RWBY x Days Gone)
2. Team Invader (RWBY x Invader Zim)
3. The Grimmborn.
4. Jaune Arc (A story in the style of Alan Wake)
5. The House of 8 (The Owl House x El Chavo del 8)
That would be the list. I'll make prototype chapters to see the reaction of my followers and see if they're interested.
With nothing more to say, I'll see you in the next chapter.
What do you think? I know this was a bit slow, but this is filler now. Soon we will approach an arc with our favorite group. See you in the next chapter.
