A Rose Among Thorns

13 | Hunter/Hunted

Virgil let them stay the night in his cave and even let Briar Rose sleep in his bed. Come morning, she and Nick headed back out into the Glowing Sea; Virgil gave them advice for a somewhat safer way to get out. They followed his directions northeast and found themselves back in the clear Commonwealth in less than a half day's walk. On their trek back to Diamond City, they stopped at settlements for food and to stay for the night.

When they got back after their three-day journey, they went to Valentine Detective Agency to get ready for their next hurdle. A fully healed Dogmeat was beside himself at seeing Briar Rose come through the door; he tackled her to lick her face. Ellie was relieved to see them again, but hesitant to let all three of them leave.

Nick led the way to the C.I.T. ruins, on the northern side of Boston and near the Charles River. The building was massive; the building itself was still accessible through doors that weren't boarded up, but it was a ruin: parts of the outer walls had collapsed, leaving enormous holes exposing furniture, desks, and hallways. They saw the hulking outline of a Super Mutant walking past a knocked-out window, so they crept to the back of the ruins to what would've been the courtyard.

Standing on top of the brown grass, Briar Rose could only stare at the ground under her feet, knowing the Institute waited below. Shaun was down there, waiting for her to come get him. He was so close, and yet still out of reach.

"I'm coming, honey," she whispered. "I'm almost there."

She fiddled with her Pip-Boy until she found the radio and turned the knob to the lower end of the band. It took a while before she heard a faint beep. Virgil had said the signal would lead them, so Briar Rose began taking a few steps; when the beep grew even more strained, she changed direction until it grew stronger. It became the steadiest when she headed toward the east, so she, Nick, and Dogmeat took off in that direction.

They followed the beeping—steadily growing more rapid—along the river. A Mirelurk or two and some Raiders got in the way, but after eliminating them, they were back on the trail. When the beeping began to die, Briar Rose walked around until the beeping grew stronger. An extremely tall and green building began to loom over them, and the signal led them straight to it. The beeping became a single buzz when they stepped up to the doors.

"Greenetech Genetics; wonder what drew it here," Nick mused.

Briar Rose turned off the radio and pulled out her gun. "Doesn't matter; it walked into its grave."

They went into Greenetech Genetics to be met with a dead Gunner slumped over the receptionist's desk. Nick went first to check out the lobby, then waved that it was clear. The lobby was in a mess like every other building, but there weren't any more bodies. The stairwell to the opening above them was broken, so they found a door leading up to another walkway—on it laid another dead Gunner with his leg missing.

All of a sudden, an explosion rocked the floor and gunfire erupted; it came out of the opening they headed to.

"The Courser's on the second floor. Kill on sight. Send reinforcements to the Lobby in case there are more," a male voice said over an intercom.

She, Nick, and Dogmeat cautiously advanced to the second floor opening. It used to be a nice courtyard where employees could seek a break sitting under the trees growing below them—the walkway they were on wrapped around the open floor. Now, scorch marks blackened the walls and the walkway from grenades, bullet holes riddled the walls and bark of the trees, and bodies hung over the railings.

They began their trek across to the next opening when they heard the warning beep of a machine gun turret locking onto a target. Briar Rose, Nick, and Dogmeat sprinted across as the machine opened fire.