Fallout 3 - Beautiful Stranger

Chapter 27 Part 2

The drop of the sword tip gave Patience the opening she needed. She held out her hand to Valrie and felt the handle of the dagger slapped into her huge palm. Once again, she launched herself forward. This time, however, she anticipated the King's move. It swept the sword upwards in an attempt to slice into her oncoming attack, but she slipped to the side, already finding herself adapting to her new body.

She slammed her shoulder into the chest of the King, a sound like thunder emanating from between them. They careened into the wall and she swung her elbow into the King's face, following that up with two more, backwards elbows, cracking into its mouth. The other Super Mutant lumbered into view and a backhand swipe connected with its jaw, a sickening snap sounding as the jaw fell loose, wobbling.

The King overcame its initial shock, lifting Patience by the throat, slamming her head into the ceiling, and then again. Concrete cascaded from the hole Patience's head made and she scrambled her fingers towards the King's face. Still holding her by the throat, the King lifted its sword, pointing it at Patience's stomach.

"You wanted to share our blood together? Well share it!" Pushing against the King's face with one hand, she brought the dagger up and brought it down, through the back of her own hand, driving it into the King's eye.

The King roared in pain, throwing Patience, with immense strength, to the other side of the room, ripping her hand in two as it tore away from the dagger. The King reached up and pulled the dagger from the remains of its eye, dropping it to the floor, and sprinted for the door, dragging its sword along with it.

Patience wanted to chase after the King, felt the anger and the bloodlust roll in her stomach, but she stopped herself. She may look like a monster but, for now, Patience remained in control. She crouched down before Gia, clutching her damaged hand to her chest. Gia flinched, at first, but then reached out, touching Patience's cheek, pity in her eyes.

"Patience." Valrie stood beside Patience, now, pulling a roll of bandage from one of her pockets and beginning to tie the ripped hand together. "You can't stay here. You have to stop the King."

"I need to protect you and Gia. Get you safe." Patience could hear how strange and rumbling her new voice sounded.

"No. If you don't stop it, it'll just start making new Super Mutants again." Valrie jerked the ends of the bandage tight, but Patience didn't feel any pain. "You catch that fucker and you kick the living shit out of it. You hear me? You kill that fucker!"

Patience took one last look at her friends, Gia mouthing 'go' to her. She hesitated, picked up the bloody dagger from the floor and then stood up to her full height. As she turned to leave, she saw the other Super Mutant, with the broken jaw, stirring. She stomped on its head as she passed. She didn't have time for small fry.

-+-

She could hear the Super Mutant King as it ran up the stairs, the sound of its great feet stomping on each step, and then the creak of the blast damaged door as the creature forced its way out into the trenches. She took the stairs, three at a time, gaining more and more control of her new, powerful body every second that passed, gripping the long dagger tight in her undamaged hand.

Reaching the bunker door, she jinked to the side in anticipation of a surprise attack. The only surprise that awaited her was, however, the sight of the King, stood, leaning against its sword, tip down in the dirt floor of the trench. It appeared to be laughing.

She remained cautious, circling the King, surveying the surround trench and the tops, expecting other Super Mutants to appear and attack her. She saw nothing. Only the King and its sword.