Crawled Out Through The Fallout

Chapter 39

"Where are you off to now?"

I looked up from my Pip-Boy screen at Deacon.

"I have to play along with the Institute, until we can take them down. I don't want to make them suspicious of me."

He nodded.

"What errand are you running for them?"

"I'm bringing a synth to them. He's a raider, anyway, so no harm done to good people."

"Be careful."

I smiled at him.

"I always am."

I disappeared in a flash of blue light, and reappeared along the Eastern coast. I saw my Courser waiting by some crates, so I made my way towards him.

"Target is at the top, ma'am."

"You don't have to call me that."

"What should I call you instead?"

"Call me... I don't know. Call me anything but that. I don't think I could handle being constantly called ma'am."

The Courser nodded.

"You can address me as X6-88."

"Okay. Let's go."

I crouched and started to walk towards the towering shipwreck. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Wait. We need to formulate a plan."

"Okay, plan is don't get caught, killed, or maimed. Easy enough?"

X6-88 blinked.

"Now let's get this over with."

I pulled out the Deliverer, and grinned to the robot. He followed me as I picked my way over the makeshift walkways and bridges. I snuck up on a lone raider in a boat. I shot a silent round into the back of his head and caught his falling body. I set him down quietly and looted the body. I hopped a small gap between two boats and climbed to the crow's nest. I scouted out the next few raiders ahead, then swung down.

"There's two in the boat just ahead, another one to their right, and three on the base floor of the ship."

X6-88 nodded and let me lead the way. I shot the two raiders from the boat I was on. The raider closest to them came over to check it out, and I shot him down. I jumped to their boat and pulled on raider gear over my own.

"See? Easy as pie."

I walked up to the raiders on the ground floor and they stopped me.

"Stop. Who are you?"

I smirked under the gas mask I wore.

"I'm the person who will rip you apart with my bare hands if you don't let me through."

The raiders stepped back with their hands raised.

"Okay, whoa there. You just head right on up."

I nodded to them and climbed the ladder. Once I was halfway up, I heard laser shots and saw pale blue flashes. 

"Dammit, X! Stealth! Have you heard of it?!"

Now that my cover was blown, the raiders came running at me. I pulled a combat knife from my belt and stabbed the first one who ran at me, then pushed her down the ladder. The other two were clambering over her to get to me, and I took the opportunity to shoot them. I kept going up the ladder and on to the next floor. I heard footsteps and confused shouts of raiders. I ducked behind a wall and waited for them to pass me, then sprung out and used V.A.T.S. to hit each of them with a bullet. They fell to the ground, and I reloaded. I stepped out from behind the wall and ran up the next flight of stairs. That's when I hear one of the most feared noises in the whole Commonwealth.

"X6, look out! It's a Fat Man!"

The mini nuke went whistling past, and exploded on a boat next to x6-88. I rushed through the level to find the wielder of the dangerous weapon. I ran to a balcony, and he was right above me. I looked around, and found a chair. I pulled it up to the middle of the balcony and stood on it. Footsteps were right above me, so I shoved my combat knife through a hole and into the foot of the raider. There was a blood curdling scream and a loud thump as he hit the deck. I silenced the scream with another stab through wood and flesh.  I climbed the rough exterior up to the top of the ship. I stood face to face with the raider I was after.

"I think you need to come with me."

The raider scoffed.

"Oh yeah? Or what?"

There was screams and laser pews below us, then footsteps behind me.

"Or we'll take you anyway."

The raider looked frightened.

"Maybe I can pay you? What do you want?"

I thought for a second. 

"Alright, let's strike a bargain. Give me all your caps, and the combination for that safe, and I won't take you in."

"Deal! The combo is 3-11-24. Caps are in there too."

I walked to the safe and unlocked it. I checked the contents and nodded.

"It's all there. Go ahead, X6."

"Wait, you promised you wouldn't!"

"I said I wouldn't. X6-88 did not make that promise."

I nodded to him. The Courser deactivated the synth and teleported away. I set my destination to Cambridge and teleported.