Fallout 4: AR

28. MedTek

Maybe taking the direct route through Boston wasn't the best idea. MedTek was located a fair distance to the northeast from Diamond City, and I was following the location marker in as straight a line as I could manage. MacCready was crouched behind me as we peered into the historical square. Two enormous green-skinned humanoids patrolled back and forth, accompanied by a giant hairless creature that could possibly be called a dog. This was the first time I had laid eyes on Super Mutants, and I was absolutely terrified. I hoped MacCready had a strategy for dealing with them. "Your thoughts?" I murmured to my companion.

"I've seen a Super Mutant rip the limbs off of someone while they're still alive. Never going to get that image out of my head." he mused quietly.

"That's not helping," I shuddered.

"Sorry, Boss." He grinned nervously. "With Super Mutants, there is no such thing as 'overkill.' Shoot them, and keep shooting. They're tough fuc- ermm, they're tough." He settled into a firing position, bringing up his sniper rifle. "Let me know when you're ready."

I checked my own shotgun, inching around for a better view of the square. Once I had located what I thought was the most likely avenue of approach for the Super Mutants, I nodded briskly to MacCready. "Let's get this over with."

Crack!

The Super Mutant barely slowed at the shot to the side of his head, roaring in anger and stomping around furiously in search of his assailant. Their hound howled, an eerie yet deafening keen.

Crack!

A second deadly sniper shot tore through the Super Mutant's skull, scattering bone and brain, finally dropping the green monster. The second Super Mutant had spied us, however, and came charging towards our position, giant dog a few steps behind, with a rocket-assisted sledgehammer swinging madly. "Gonna splatter your brains!" it screamed in a harsh, guttural voice.

Invoking my V.A.T.S. assistance, I targeted its leg, firing once... twice... a third time, before the limb finally shattered from the shotgun shells and it went down with a screech of anger. The mutant hound leapt over its master, jaws gaping as it rushed us. MacCready was focused, targeting the downed Super Mutant, and I hastily darted out of cover to distract the enormous animal. It hesitated for only a split second before giving chase.

I tried to swing my shotgun around to fire, but the dog was faster on its feet than I had anticipated. All I managed to do was clock it in the head with the muzzle of the gun as it tackled me. Immense jaws crushed down on my hastily raised arm, crunching my armor and piercing the skin beneath. A pained scream was torn from my lips as I batted at its face with my shotgun, trying to wrench free. It growled and snapped at the gun, letting go of my arm. Painfully, I tried to maneuver the weapon under its head.

A shot fired out, catching the hound on its shoulder. It howled again, terrifyingly loud in my ears, and wrenched its head to the side. With that brief moment of distraction, I focused again, forcing my Pip-Boy to assist my aim.

Blam!

The hound screeched in pain, its neck blasted clean through, blood pouring out to cover me, hot and caustic. My Pip-Boy crackled frantically as I scrambled free, kicking free of the staggering form. One last shot from MacCready finished it off and it collapsed onto the square, dead. I stumbled back to our hiding spot and a furious sniper.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded, face white with anger. "Going racing off like that?"

My stomach was fluttering violently in reaction to the close call. "I couldn't let it get to you." I gasped, cradling my injured arm. Swallowing thickly, I grabbed a stimpak, steeling myself to stab it into my arm. I hate needles.