Fallout 4: AR

19. Concord

We heard the pop and bzap of a firefight before we even reached the edge of the city. Not taking any chances, we crept cautiously along the side of a building, weapons out and ready. From around the corner, we saw a group of raiders assaulting an old museum building. They had hastily taken positions behind old vehicles and piles of sandbags, firing non-stop.

"Minutemen must've holed up in the museum," I speculated quietly, "or else those guys wouldn't still be shooting." From overhead, a bright line of red laser light speared out, catching one of the raiders in the chest, causing him to stagger back with a curse. "Time to go."

As we had previously planned, MacCready set himself up to snipe at the raiders, focusing on taking any long-range head shots that presented themselves. I crouched next to him, scanning the immediate area for threats, providing a bit of extra armored cover, ready to take out anyone who advanced on our position. The combat shotgun had a big kick I needed to compensate for, but when one of the raiders tried to rush us, it only took one powerful shot to lay them out on the street, dead.

Soon enough, between MacCready and the elevated laser shooter, there was only one raider left. He crouched behind a pile of sandbags, hidden from both long-range weapons. "Cover me," I hissed to my companion as I hunched my way across the street, keeping as low and quiet as I could manage. The adrenaline racing through my veins helped me ignore the pervasive soreness of our travels. Ducking behind the wall of another ruined building, I peeked out just enough to catch sight of my quarry. It was only a shoulder shot, but it was enough, invoking my V.A.T.S. assistance to guide the round.

Blam!

The raider shot upright with a scream as his arm practically split open from the short-range shell. As soon as his head cleared the sandbags, it crumbled in a spray of blood courtesy of MacCready's sniper rifle. But we barely had time to recuperate. As soon as the man who had wielded the laser rifle spotted us in the street, he called out in a powerful voice.

"Hey, up here! On the balcony!" A tall, muscular black man wearing a colonial duster and an old leather hat pinned up on one side was waving at us frantically. He had an enormous laser musket grasped in his other hand. "I've got a group of settlers inside! The Raiders are almost through the door! Help us, please!" Without waiting for our reply, he darted back inside the building.

"Come on!" We darted across the street towards the front door, stopping just short of barging through. Anything could be on the other side. Almost as one, we both crouched down, cracking the door open just wide enough to allow for entry. The open entrance hall was quiet, but the echo of running feet and occasional frustrated shout or discharge of a firearm told us the building was far from clear.

MacCready slung his sniper rifle to his back, and took out a small 10mm pistol I didn't even know he carried. I took the lead, and we crept through the halls and stairwells of the old museum, making our way to the trapped settlers on the third floor. MacCready shuffled backwards, keeping one hand lightly on my shoulder at all times, letting me know where he was, while guarding my back. Very literal definition of 'bodyguard,' I snickered to myself, trying to keep from thinking too hard about what we were hunting down. At least we have similar squad tactics.

As soon as a raider crossed the path we were tracing, I concentrated, using my Pip-Boy's assistance again and again to guide my shots and take out our targets quickly. Once the first shot was fired, it was a string of shots one after another as the raiders reacted to our rescue mission. Don't think, just fire. Just breathe and aim. Another down. Listen for footsteps. Aim and squeeze the trigger. At one point, I heard the pop-pop-pop of MacCready's pistol behind me, taking out a raider trying to sneak around to ambush us from behind. As soon as his hand returned to my shoulder, we moved forward again.